Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 17:54:49 +0000 (UTC) From: Sebrina Jean Subject: Hello My Friend. Hello My Friend. How are you today? i will like to be kind and honest with you, i am a woman that have seen life, i have been in the social circle for many years, although it does not matter one's age, color or achievement, what matters in our life is your kindness to humanity Dear, i believe that is the most important thing in life, I had been hardworking all my life, i must think of something better, to enjoy my life and probably have a family, maybe relocate and start investing in other things, Anyway i will like to tell you more about me, My name is Miss Sebrina Jean, am from France, i was born in France, And i left France at Age of 12 Years to England, which to the glory of God Am working as an Senior Audit/banker in Al Rayan Bank of Britain United Kingdom, is very painful i lost my only daughter at age of 4 years, I was married but my Ex Husband got married to another woman, which caused our divorce, but is OK that is life for you, since he accused me of been so busy due to my bank work activities as accounting/auditing, that i was not having time for him and our kids before she passed away, but he refused to understand that i was pursing a goal, i told him that soon i will resign and we will have enough time for each other but he was impatient, although is over between us, I am happy alone because I have everything i need, This is why I think of relocating to another country to get into investment and maybe own a small company which i can be able to manage on my own, Please would you tell me more about yourself too? I like to know more about you for me to know if we can achieve this goal together, your marital status and your country of origin,I will be glad to hear from you soon Yours Faithful Sebrina. From: Sebrina Jean Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 11:21:44 +0000 Subject: HELLO MY DEAR, HELLO MY DEAR, i must thank you once again for your humble reply to my mail. I really appreciate it so much and i am very happy to read from you, well from your respond I'm convinced that the future has a special place for us, if only we could trust each other and also be honest and faithful to each other as well Like i told you earlier, i was looking forward to accomplish a particular mission, which my ''ex'' husband was unlucky to achieve with me, I think with the little you have told me about you, it would be very wise to disclose this secret to you and also tell you my aim and plan. Because it would be of mutual benefit to us and maybe you could be the right person to utilize the opportunity with me, because i believe our knowing each other is the way God have destiny it Remember i told you i am an Auditor of my bank and also the Chief of the International Relation Foreign Remittance Unit. Prior to my position here at my bank, i have the opportunity to loot out some amount of money of a deceased customer, whose autopsy result showed that he died as a result of gun shorts by unknown gunmen. As i was her personal accountant officer, before he died and from the account opening records, he did not indicate anybody as his beneficiary next of kin. Since 2008 to date, nobody has come forward as his beneficiary next of kin to administer the fund. The amount in question is the total sum of $14.500,000. (Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand USD). I can provide all the required legal papers from the British Court to present you as the legal beneficiary to these funds if you would accept to partner with me in this deal. A lot of abandoned money lay around in this bank as a result of abandoned bank accounts, stock holdings, unclaimed life insurance pay-outs and forgotten pension benefits. I will definitely give you comprehensive details on how we would achieve this legally, without going against the laws of the country. Once you reply to me indicating your interest to work with me. I have worked with the bank for several years and have taken time to study the British inheritance claims procedures. I would appreciate it if you would treat this issue with every bit of confidentiality and maturity, putting my integrity foremost, because i wouldn't need any mistakes or regrets. I assure you that you will never regret it if you would take the bold step to partner with me in this deal. It would be wise if we make every effort not to loose this golden opportunity. This happens in every bank around the world, even in your own country, but people outside the banking industry do not know this. The fund will be shared at the ratio of 58% for me, 40% for you and 2% will be set aside to cover any expenses and tax in your bank, We will use the fund there in your country to build companies and for investment which both of us would manage, Please this is an honest request for you and i. i only plead for you to make this transaction a top secret because we do not have to trust anybody unless you and i alone. Please treat this business proposal with utmost confidentiality and send me the following Information(s) for further application for this transfer if you are interested. 1. Full Name, 2. Address 2. Identification copy 3. Nationality Thanks and best regards Yours Faithful Sebrina From: Sebrina Jean Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 15:46:43 +0000 Subject: MY DEAREST, MY DEAREST, How are you doing together with your family, I hope all is well, i can not speak on phone with you, Because Bank set security to monitor every member of the Bank due our banking rule and regulation. Kindly make sure that this information will be between you and me until we actualized the success of this transaction, What i want you to do now is to apply for the release of the fund into your account, Make sure you keep a top secret of this transaction because i don't want any staff of the bank to know that i am responsible for this transaction This is where i lay the future survival hope of our future, and its was the reason I tried to explain for your best understanding. You should not change your name and nationality in this transaction because you are going to apply as the business partner to the deceased customer. Note, if you send this letter to the bank, the bank will not delay to contact you, but you should not respond back to the bank until i direct you on what to do. This is to avoid mistake from your part, See the official letter below, send it through to the bank through the bank email address of the bank as follows. Bank Details Al Rayan Bank PLC United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +447035988586 Bank Email (bankalrayanplc@alrayanbank-uk.com) Immediately this fund is transferred into your account, then i will obtain visa to your country for the disbursement of the fund according to my proposal ratio, Immediately you apply update me that you have sent the letter to the bank. My best regard to you and your family, Your Faithful Sebrina, COPY AND SEND THIS BELOW MASSAGE TO BANK To The Manager Al Rayan Bank Plc. United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +447035988586 Bank Email (bankalrayanplc@alrayanbank-uk.com) APPLICATION FOR REQUEST OF CLAIM Sir / Madam, I am ..................... the business partner to Late Mr Mahmoud Adama, who was assassinated on January 13, 2008 when Gun men shot him while still inside the capital Tripoli, Libya. After his funeral celebration, i discovered that he have an unclaimed and balance account ($14.5 Million) Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars), deposited in your bank when he was alive. I hereby wish to bring to your notice that i am eager to apply for the funds claim as his business partner to enable your bank release and transfer his balance account of ($14.5 Million) into my nominated bank account, Upon your urgent response to this effect, I will send you my bank account information for the transfer of the above mentioned sum So i expect that your bank management will pay an urgent attention to my request and communicate to me further with the related forms and documents necessary to claim this above mentioned sum without delay. I apologize for late application for this claim as i have been arranging other things left since his sudden death occurred. Yours sincerely Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2015 08:32:02 -0500 (EST) From: "AL RAYAN BANK PLC" Subject: RESPONDS TO YOUR CLAIM. http://www.alrayanbank.co.uk/ Al Rayan Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom. RESPONDS TO YOUR CLAIM. Date:.29/12/2015. Attn: Sir/Madam Thank you for contacting Al Rayan Bank of Britain United Kingdom. This is to acknowledge receipt of your mail. The management of Al Rayan Bank of Britain United Kingdom is in receipt of your official message, Regarding to claim the balance account of our deceased customer. According to our Bank rules and regulations, the formal procedure(s) must be adopted to enable us carried out our official Bank duties necessary for your claim. Note that you are expected to abide by the principles for us to finalize this transaction accordingly, You are therefore advised to view the TWO forms attached, fill the columns with the accurate information required for the immediate process of your claim Herein, you are given 48 hours to return these forms back to this Bank. Appreciating the confidence you deposit on Al Rayan Bank of Britain United Kingdom. Best Regards, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Managing Director AL RAYAN BANK OF BRITAIN PLC UNITED KINGDOM. From: Sebrina Jean Date: Mon, 30 May 2016 19:22:04 +0000 Subject: Hello My Dear Hello My Dear How are you today? i will like to be kind and honest with you, i am a woman that have seen life, i have been in the social circle for many years, although it does not matter one's age, color or achievement, what matters in our life is your kindness to humanity Dear, i believe that is the most important thing in life, I had been hardworking all my life, i must think of something better, to enjoy my life and probably have a family ,maybe relocate and start investing in other things, Anyway i will like to tell you more about me, My name is Miss Sebrina Jean, am from France , i was born in France, And i left France at Age of 12 Years to England, which to the glory of God Am working as an Senior Audit/banker in Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom, is very painful i lost my only daughter at age of 4 years, i was married but my Ex Husband got married to another woman, which caused our divorce, but is ok that is life for you, since he accused me of been so busy due to my bank work activities as accounting/auditing, that i was not having time for him and our kids before she passed away, but he refused to understand that i was pursing a goal, i told him that soon i will resign and we will have enough time for each other but he was impatient, although is over between us, I am happy alone because I have everything i need, This is why I think of relocating to another country to get into investment and maybe own a small company which i can be able to manage on my own, Please would you tell me more about yourself too? I like to know more about you for me to know if we can achieve this goal together, your marital status and your country of origin. I will be glad to hear from you soon. Yours Faithful sebrina From: Sebrina Jean Date: Tue, 31 May 2016 08:55:52 +0000 Subject: My Dear MY DEAR, i must thank you once again for your humble reply to my mail. I really appreciate it so much and i am very happy to read from you, well from your respond i'm convinced that the future has a special place for us, if only we could trust each other and also be honest and faithful to each other as well Like i told you earlier, i was looking forward to accomplish a particular mission, which my ''ex'' husband was unlucky to achieve with me, I think with the little you have told me about you, it would be very wise to disclose this secret to you and also tell you my aim and plan. Because it would be of mutual benefit to us and maybe you could be the right person to utilize the opportunity with me, because i believe our knowing each other is the way God have destiny it Remember i told you i am an Auditor of my bank and also the Chief of the International Relation Foreign Remittance Unit. Prior to my position here at my bank, i have the opportunity to loot out some amount of money of a deceased customer, whose autopsy result showed that he died as a result of gun shorts by unknown gunmen. As i was her personal accountant officer, before he died and from the account opening records, he did not indicate anybody as his beneficiary next of kin. Since 2008 to date, nobody has come forward as his beneficiary next of kin to administer the fund. The amount in question is the total sum of $:14.500,000. (Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand USD). I can provide all the required legal papers from the British Court to present you as the legal beneficiary to these funds if you would accept to partner with me in this deal. A lot of abandoned money lay around in this bank as a result of abandoned bank accounts, stock holdings, unclaimed life insurance pay-outs and forgotten pension benefits. I will definitely give you comprehensive details on how we would achieve this legally, without going against the laws of the country. Once you reply to me indicating your interest to work with me. I have worked with the bank for several years and have taken time to study the British inheritance claims procedures. I would appreciate it if you would treat this issue with every bit of confidentiality and maturity, putting my integrity foremost, because i wouldn't need any mistakes or regrets. I assure you that you will never regret it if you would take the bold step to partner with me in this deal. It would be wise if we make every effort not to loose this golden opportunity. This happens in every bank around the world, even in your own country, but people outside the banking industry do not know this. The fund will be shared at the ratio of 58% for me, 40% for you and 2% will be set aside to cover any expenses and tax in your bank, We will use the fund there in your country to build companies and for investment which both of us would manage, Please this is an honest request for you and i. i only plead for you to make this transaction a top secret because we do not have to trust anybody unless you and i alone. Please treat this business proposal with utmost confidentiality and send me the following Information(s) for further application for this transfer if you are interested. 1. Full Name, 2. Address 2. Identification copy 3.Nationality Thanks and best regards Yours Faithful From: sebrina rina Date: Mon, 30 May 2016 12:25:58 +0000 Subject: Hello My Dear Hello My Dear How are you today? i will like to be kind and honest with you, i am a woman that have seen life, i have been in the social circle for many years, although it does not matter one's age, color or achievement, what matters in our life is your kindness to humanity. Dear, i believe that is the most important thing in life, I had been hardworking all my life, i must think of something better, to enjoy my life and probably have a family , maybe relocate and start investing in other things, Anyway i will like to tell you more about me, My name is Miss Sebrina Jean, am from France, i was born in France, And i left France at Age of 12 Years to England, which to the glory of God Am working as an Senior Audit/banker in Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom, is very painful i lost my only daughter at age of 4 years, i was married but my Ex Husband got married to another woman, which caused our divorce, but is ok that is life for you, since he accused me of been so busy due to my bank work activities as accounting/auditing, that i was not having time for him and our kids before she passed away, but he refused to understand that i was pursing a goal, i told him that soon i will resign and we will have enough time for each other but he was impatient, although is over between us, I am happy alone because I have everything i need, This is why I think of relocating to another country to get into investment and maybe own a small company which i can be able to manage on my own, Please would you tell me more about yourself too? I like to know more about you for me to know if we can achieve this goal together, your marital status and your country of origin. I will be glad to hear from you soon Yours Faithful Sebrina From: sebrina rina Date: Tue, 31 May 2016 14:58:09 +0000 Subject: My Dear MY DEAR, i must thank you once again for your humble reply to my mail. I really appreciate it so much and i am very happy to read from you, well from your respond i'm convinced that the future has a special place for us, if only we could trust each other and also be honest and faithful to each other as well Like i told you earlier, i was looking forward to accomplish a particular mission, which my ''ex'' husband was unlucky to achieve with me, I think with the little you have told me about you, it would be very wise to disclose this secret to you and also tell you my aim and plan. Because it would be of mutual benefit to us and maybe you could be the right person to utilize the opportunity with me, because i believe our knowing each other is the way God have destiny it Remember i told you i am an Auditor of my bank and also the Chief of the International Relation Foreign Remittance Unit. Prior to my position here at my bank, i have the opportunity to loot out some amount of money of a deceased customer, whose autopsy result showed that he died as a result of gun shorts by unknown gunmen. As i was her personal accountant officer, before he died and from the account opening records, he did not indicate anybody as his beneficiary next of kin. Since 2008 to date, nobody has come forward as his beneficiary next of kin to administer the fund. The amount in question is the total sum of ?14.500,000. I can provide all the required legal papers from the British Court to present you as the legal beneficiary to these funds if you would accept to partner with me in this deal. A lot of abandoned money lay around in this bank as a result of abandoned bank accounts, stock holdings, unclaimed life insurance pay-outs and forgotten pension benefits. I will definitely give you comprehensive details on how we would achieve this legally, without going against the laws of the country. Once you reply to me indicating your interest to work with me. I have worked with the bank for several years and have taken time to study the British inheritance claims procedures. I would appreciate it if you would treat this issue with every bit of confidentiality and maturity, putting my integrity foremost, because i wouldn't need any mistakes or regrets. I assure you that you will never regret it if you would take the bold step to partner with me in this deal. It would be wise if we make every effort not to loose this golden opportunity. This happens in every bank around the world, even in your own country, but people outside the banking industry do not know this. The fund will be shared at the ratio of 58% for me, 40% for you and 2% will be set aside to cover any expenses and tax in your bank, We will use the fund there in your country to build companies and for investment which both of us would manage, Please this is an honest request for you and i. i only plead for you to make this transaction a top secret because we do not have to trust anybody unless you and i alone. Please treat this business proposal with utmost confidentiality and send me the following Information(s) for further application for this transfer if you are interested. 1. Full Name, 2. Address 2. Identification copy 3.Nationality Thanks and best regards Yours Faithful Sebrina From: sebrina rina Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2016 08:55:08 +0000 Subject: Hello Dear Hello Dear Here is my phone number +447989010764 NOTE: We cannot make voice calls until the transfer is completed. You can SMS me, But even sms isn't safe while the transfer is ongoing. So now read carefully, here in UK, we're having terrorism crises and my nation is facing great challenges to our security; Everything is being observed, if any person send huge amount either in or out, everything is censored to determine whether the transaction is legitimate, not for suspicious reasons and will not be used for terrorism. If found anything as negative activities that person will be arrested immediately and shall be made to face charges. With this on mind, because I'm a faithful citizen and afraid of such like problems which I can't bear, therefore I would like to request your maximum secrecy: Don't call me on phone and Don't talk to people about this arrangement. Whatever you need to know, just ask me, I shall give you proper directions how we proceed. I've drafted a letter of demand, fill it and send to bank immediately, for their consideration and action; keep me posted with their feedback whenever they replied you. I will provide all information about the account and it's late owner; while also guiding you to deal safely with every concerned bank departments. Be sure that this information is between us, What i want you to do now is to apply for the release of the fund into your account, Make sure you keep a top secret of this transaction because i don't want any staff of the bank to know that i am responsible for this transaction This is where i lay the future survival hope of our future, and its was the reason I tried to explain for your best understanding You should not change your name and nationality in this transaction because you are going to apply as the business partner to the deceased customer Note, if you send this letter to the bank, the bank will not delay to contact you, but you should not respond back to the bank until i direct you on what to do. This is to avoid mistake from your part , See the official letter below, send it through to the bank through the bank email address of the bank as follows. Bank Details. Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +441214567840 Bank Email: Islamicbankofbritainplc@europe.com Immediately this fund is transferred into your account, then i will obtain visa to your country for the disbursement of the fund according to my proposal ratio, Immediately you apply update me that you have sent the letter to the bank. SEND THIS MESSAGE TO BANK To The Manager Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +441214567840 Bank Email: Islamicbankofbritainplc@europe.com APPLICATION FOR REQUEST OF CLAIM Dear Sirs, I am ..................., the former business partner of the late Mr Mahmoud Adama who was assassinated in Tripoli, Libya, on 13th January 2008. Going through his papers I have discovered that he had an account at your Bank in which there is a credit balance of A14,500,000 which I now wish to claim to service long overdue debts and fund the continuation of our business. I should be most grateful if you will inform me of the means whereby I can formally make my claim and I ask you to send me by email copies of any forms that need to be completed to transfer the money to an account that I will nominate. I would appreciate your attending to this matter with some urgency. Yours faithfully, Name: .......... Address: ......... From: "Al Rayan Bank Plc" Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2016 18:22:02 +0200 Subject: Please confirm to us that late Mr. Adama Mahmoud was your Business co-partner Dear customer, We would be delighted to have you discover our Banking community here at Al Rayan Bank Plc in London & Birmingham. If you are looking for a banking partner, or a profitable banking package on which to build your own dream a you've landed in the right place! You might be interested in our Online Banking, where we will reimburse up to 20% of your Card slut charges subject to our terms and conditions. You requested closure of the dormant account and transfer of entire balance thereof, to your account. But we've not received any evidence or documents supporting the requested transfer instrument applied for. Accordingly, confirm to us that the requested transaction attached here originated from you. *Send copy of the Death Certificate of the Deceased Mr Adama Mahmoud. *Send copy of the deposit Certificate or funds placement certificate, issued on 16th August, 2004. *Send photocopy of your National Identity card or International Passport or Driver's license; or any other form of identity card (must be valid). *Send details of your choice Bank account for the remittances and let us know if you have a UK bank account *You are therefore advised to carefully study the 2 file/form attachments and fill the appropriate information in the columns as speculated by management, to enable us verify your data and be able to satisfactory make statement relative to your application. We have to verify your information, signature and all requested data, as against other details and information we hold for you. For more information about this and our other packages, please fill in our forms. Turn International Banking into Your Mobile platforms. For your late Partner's dormant account, to Change ownership of, or request further information please print and complete the attached files, including the InMail-form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Fields marked with * are required. First Name* Last Name* City/State/Prov* Country* Email Address* Phone Message Personal Banking I'M INTERESTED IN: After sending the forms (filled) you will receive full details of your payment reservation order shortlist as well as contact for your late Partner's personal attorney which holds his Will, manages his estates, oversees every new development, litigation, assets transfer and Britain's tax tips. From: sebrina rina Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2016 08:20:02 +0000 Subject: I've searched his file for details about him I've searched his file for details about him. Print the 2 bank forms, fill and resend them to bank, including the death and the funds placement certificates. Fill the 2 bank forms, and send these 4 documents, plus scanned copy of your identity card to bank today. Use printer to print the documents, and then let them scan the documents at the same place. If you don't understand what I mean, please don't hesitate to ask people for understanding; but remember that this is something secret, so you must not disclose details of this transaction to any person. Ask people around you how you can print and scan the document in order to resend them to: Islamicbankofbritainplc@europe.com FILL YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION ON BANK FORM2. THEN, FILL THESE INFORMATION FOR BANK FORM1 1: Deceased full name: DR. MAHMOUD ADAMA 2: Deceased occupation when he was alive; SURGEON, MEDICAL CONSULTANT, International Businessman 3: Where did he reside / address: Ain Bin Halal, Medina, Benghazi, Libya 4: Deceased country of origin: Libya 5: Deceased place / Date of Birth: Libya / Nov 1, 1944. 6: Name(s) of the deceased wife or wives: He had one wife, Mrs. Aisha Mahmoud 7: Name(s) of the deceased child or children: NON 8: Your relationship with the deceased: He is my Business partner 9: Deceased Account type with this bank: company acceptance 10: Deceased Account number:- 5813060001 11: Account Title of the deceased: Dr. Mahmoud Adama 12: Date account was opened: 16th August 2004 13: Year the fund was deposited: 2004 14. client ID no = WRITE YOUR IDENTITY CARD NUMBER. 15. Initial request = YES, 16. change request = YES, 17. Indicate reason for change = I AM THE BENEFICIARY From: "Al Rayan Bank Plc" Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2016 14:54:39 +0200 Subject: Thank you for choosing Al Rayan Bank Plc, London Detailed Guide To Requested Changes, As Well As Your Payment Reservation Order Shortlist: We the entire management & staff at Dept of accounts wishes to say Thank You! for Banking with us and we hope to continue this healthy and mutually profitable relationship. See required legal documents as listed below. 1. Sworn affidavit to demonstrate that you're the legitimate Beneficiary 2. Power of attorney/legal empowerment signed by the Attorney, Recognizing you as the legitimate benefactor. 3. UK B2 Non resident citizen certificate for clearance Contact/consult his representative Law & Advocacy firm/personal Attorney for acquisition of the required legal documents in order to evidence your claim. The Law & Advocacy firm "Patrick Smith Chambers & Co." was the Sole Empowered legal representatives (even to date) to the late Mr Adama Mahmoud and we strongly believe that the Law & Advocacy firm, herein after known and commonly referred to as Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. may be in possession of the later's will and hold other valuable information about him. It is possible that Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. hold much information about his vast estates, including the bank deposit and several other Investments portfolios we hold in trust for the deceased. Note: We can only make statements concerning the dormant account and/or it's telegraphy treatment upon receipt and confirmation of the Magistrates court certified empowerment letter to claim, Signed & Issued from the named operational law firm, recognizing the legitimacy of your claim. The law firm's name, registered address and contact information are all written below: Name of law & advocacy firm: Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. Principal partner at the law firm: Sir Patrick Smith (LB LL.M Senior Attorney at Law Esq) Registered address: Villa No 1 America Square, Crosswall - EC3N 2SG - London Email contacts: Patricksmithchambersandco@gmail.com Telephone contact: +442032869218 Don't hesitate to call him or write to them and forward your full details to them for further understanding. We're also copying this letter to the law & advocacy firm - Please take note. They will provide all necessary advises, information, legal assistance, argument, litigation (if need be) and/or legal representation. However, we wish to clarify that you shall be taking full financial responsibility for payment of their services fees or mobilization fee or consultation fee as we cannot guarantee you any credit or liquidity in connection to the late Mr. Adama Mahmoud's dormant account, safe after receipt of the 3 legal documents (to be Signed, sealed and issued from the Empowered representative law firm "Patrick Smith Chambers & Co.") as listed above. We will verify them on receipt to determine their authenticity, before we're able to make satisfactory statement per the exact cash balance and accrued interests or other dividends for the dormant account and slated date/time the Bank will effect the requested Changes, for Instant Access as the dormant account has to be reactivated to complete the processes. Kind regards Sultan Ahmed Choudhury GMD/CEO, Al Rayan Bank Plc From: "PATRICK SMITH CHAMBERS & CO. - Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales" Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2016 06:40:31 +0000 Subject: Gentleman! send all verifiable information and details you hold for late Dr. Adama Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales Office email: Patricksmithchambersandco@gmail.com Tel +4402032869218 ATTN: Gentleman! I have taken delivery receipt of your mail, and contents therein well noted. In line with the due process, I will like to know you very well Before I treat your request and/or reveal any known data/details we hold for late Dr. Adama. My assignment is to verify the legitimacy and attainability of your claim by determining the legal status of acclaimed business association with late Dr. Adama, and make factual recommendation(s) to Al-Rayan Bank Plc, formerly Islamic Bank of Britain to enable them make proper decision relative to your claim. In connection therewith, please send the following details and information for verification and for use: 1. Your full names 2. Your state and country of origin 3. Your age or Date of birth, 4. Your profession or occupation 5. Address and phone number(s) 6. Scanned copy of your identity card/doc (email attachment only) 7. Marital status 8. Your next of kin Note: I will not hesitate to provide all needed legal advises/assistance and/or representation to enable you secure the transfer instrument applied for. You be rest assured that I have to get first hand information and A notarized/certified declaration of Intent before taking action, including payment for consultancy and mobilization. If you have any document(s) for the association with late Dr. Adama, don't waste time, please send in all verifiable information and details you hold for late Dr. Adama, in order to demonstrate that the alleged association ever existed. Revert as soon as possible! If need be at any time, simply Call +442032869218 Signed! Sir Patrick Smith From: "PATRICK SMITH CHAMBERS & CO. - Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales" Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2016 10:32:20 +0000 Subject: Honorable Mr. Letter of Acceptance To Offer My Services Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales Office email: Patricksmithchambersandco@gmail.com Tel +4402032869218 ATTN: Honorable Mr. Sunday, July 3, 2016: Letter of Acceptance To Offer Needed Legal Services. I am writing to inform you that; (1.) I have willingly accepted to render my professional services (luminary) in the preparation of Court-certified documents to support your claim to the dormant account, as well as Represent you for the said same transaction. (2.) I have taken proper note of your personal information and details, as needed for the paper work. In addition, We are happy to be honored and we promise to assist and represent you for the transaction with Al Rayan Bank. *A sworn affidavit shall be procured first from the High Court of Admiralty & Mercantile here in London, at which I shall swear an oath as your litigant/representative attorney for the case. *I will start drafting Power of attorney in your name after procurement of sworn affidavit, to be dully authenticated/legalized and officially sealed in the same High Court of Admiralty & Mercantile. Both documents shall be subsequently notarized at a Notary public before passage to the Al Rayan Bank for action. This is a highly valuable case in scope and volume, and I have decided to bring my full capabilities and experience to bear on the transaction. I am willing to assist you with all legal matters, to argue in your favor and ensure you secure ownership of the dormant account at the earliest. Based on my understanding of the transaction with Al Rayan Bank plc, the following documents shall be drafted, authenticated and legalized/notarized in your name to enable for change of ownership of the said account. 1. Power of attorney. 2. Sworn affidavit. 3. UK B2 citizenship Certificate. *WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THESE ARE BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR THE PAPER WORK. PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR DEMAND BY SENDING OUR LEGAL SALUTATORY FEES WITHOUT WASTE OF TIME Our consultation & legal mobilization fee is GBA3,000 Pounds Sterling. It would be nice you pay our consultation & mobilization fee immediately, to effectively mobilize me to represent you where and when you needed luminary assistance; because I have decided to give your case utmost priority and attention. If you are paying with your country's currency, pay it's equivalent!! If you would like to pay with Euro, send EURO 4,200 Euro. If you are paying with USA Dollars, send $4,700 US Dollars. *Send payment immediately, through Western Union/Moneygram. See receiver name and our registered office address below: RECEIVER NAME: PEDRO ROCHA SANTANA REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS: No 1 America Square, Crosswall CITY: London COUNTRY: United Kingdom Pay telex charges there for the consultation & mobilization fee. For Payment with GB Pounds Sterling, PAYMENT AMOUNT = A3,000.00 + Telex charges For payment with Euro zone Euro, PAYMENT AMOUNT = EURO 4,200.00 + Telex charges For payment with US Dollars, PAYMENT AMOUNT = $4,700.00 + Telex charges LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE HEADING TO BANK NOW FOR PAYMENT OF THE FEE. AS SOON AS IT HAS BEEN SENT THROUGH WESTERN UNION/MONEYGRAM, QUICKLY GET BACK TO ME WITH THE MONEY TRANSFER CONFIRMATION CODE OR YOU SEND SCANNED COPY (Email attachment) OF THE MONEY TRANSFER INVOICE/RECEIPT TO ME, FOR PICKUP. Pay as soon as possible, and you send me photocopy of the A3,000 GBP money transfer receipt for confirmation. If need be at any time, simply dial +442032869218 From: "PATRICK SMITH CHAMBERS & CO. - Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales" Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2016 12:16:42 +0000 Subject: Honorable Mr. you are eligible to remit payment to this Al Rayan Bank account. Patrick Smith Chambers & Co. Solicitors & Advocates for England and Wales Office email: Patricksmithchambersandco@gmail.com Tel +4402032869218 ATTN: Honorable Mr. Sunday, July 3, 2016: Re: Payment Receiving Bank Account I received, read and very well noted the contents of your mail. As a show of reliability, I wish to inform you that you are now eligible to remit payment to this Al Rayan Bank account. See details below and on the file attached hereto:- Bank name: Al Rayan Bank Bank address: No 394 Coventry Road B10 0UF Birmingham WestMidlands Account name: Nun Yakubu Account Number: 36754401 Sort Code is: 30-00-83 SWIFT Code: IBOBGB22 IBAN: GB95 LOYD30963486241895 Note: Whether you eventually decided to send money through Western Union, Moneygram or to the Al Rayan Bank account, Only remember to send me scanned copy (email attachment only) of the payment invoice/receipt, for confirmation of payment and pick-up Very truly yours, Sir Patrick Smith Sebrina Jean sebrinajean001@gmail.com > Date: Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 2:18 PM Subject: FROM SEBRINA. Hello My Dear, How are you today? i will like to be kind and honest with you, i am a woman that have seen life, i have been in the social circle for many years, although it does not matter one' s age, color or achievement, what matters in our life is your kindness to humanity. Dear, i believe that is the most important thing in life, I had been hardworking all my life, i must think of something better, to enjoy my life and probably have a family , maybe relocate and start investing in other things, Anyway i will like to tell you more about me, My name is Miss Sebrina Jean 39 of age, am from France , i was born in France, And i left France at Age of 12 Years to England, which to the glory of God Am working as an Senior Audit/banker in Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom which is now Al Rayan Bank Plc., is very painful i lost my only daughter at age of 4 years, i was married but my Ex Husband got married to another woman, which caused our divorce, but is OK that is life for you, since he accused me of been so busy due to my bank work activities as accounting/auditing, that i was not having time for him and our kids before she passed away, but he refused to understand that i was pursing a goal, i told him that soon i will resign and we will have enough time for each other but he was impatient, although is over between us, I am happy alone because I have everything i need, This is why I think of relocating to another country to get into investment and maybe own a small company which i can be able to manage on my own. Please would you tell me more about yourself too? I like to know more about you for me to know if we can achieve this goal together, your marital status and your country of origin. I will be glad to hear from you soon. Yours Faithful, Sebrina. From:Date: Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 2:18 PMSubject: FROM SEBRINA. Van: Sebrina Jean < sebrina1976@gmail.com > Verzonden: woensdag 13 juli 13:07 2016 Onderwerp: Hello My Dear Hello My Dear How are you today? i will like to be kind and honest with you, i am a woman that have seen life, i have been in the social circle for many years, although it does not matter one's age, color or achievement, what matters in our life is your kindness to humanity Dear, i believe that is the most important thing in life, I had been hardworking all my life, i must think of something better, to enjoy my life and probably have a family , maybe relocate and start investing in other things, Anyway i will like to tell you more about me, My name is Miss Sebrina Jean, am from France , i was born in France, And i left France at Age of 12 Years to England, which to the glory of God Am working as an Senior Audit/banker in Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom, is very painful i lost my only daughter at age of 4 years, i was married but my Ex Husband got married to another woman, which caused our divorce, but is ok that is life for you, since he accused me of been so busy due to my bank work activities as accounting/auditing, that i was not having time for him and our kids before she passed away, but he refused to understand that i was pursing a goal, i told him that soon i will resign and we will have enough time for each other but he was impatient, although is over between us, I am happy alone because I have everything i need, This is why I think of relocating to another country to get into investment and maybe own a small company which i can be able to manage on my own, Please would you tell me more about yourself too? I like to know more about you for me to know if we can achieve this goal together, your marital status and your country of origin I will be glad to hear from you soon Yours Faithful Sebrina Van: Sebrina Jean < sebrina1976@gmail.com Verzonden: maandag 18 juli 13:13 2016 Onderwerp: MY DEAR, MY DEAR, i must thank you once again for your humble reply to my mail. I really appreciate it so much and i am very happy to read from you, well from your respond i'm convinced that the future has a special place for us, if only we could trust each other and also be honest and faithful to each other as well Like i told you earlier, i was looking forward to accomplish a particular mission, which my ''ex'' husband was unlucky to achieve with me, I think with the little you have told me about you, it would be very wise to disclose this secret to you and also tell you my aim and plan. Because it would be of mutual benefit to us and maybe you could be the right person to utilize the opportunity with me, because i believe our knowing each other is the way God have destiny it Remember i told you i am an Auditor of my bank and also the Chief of the International Relation Foreign Remittance Unit. Prior to my position here at my bank, i have the opportunity to loot out some amount of money of a deceased customer, whose autopsy result showed that he died as a result of gun shorts by unknown gunmen. As i was her personal accountant officer, before he died and from the account opening records, he did not indicate anybody as his beneficiary next of kin. Since 2008 to date, nobody has come forward as his beneficiary next of kin to administer the fund. The amount in question is the total sum of A14.500,000. I can provide all the required legal papers from the British Court to present you as the legal beneficiary to these funds if you would accept to partner with me in this deal. A lot of abandoned money lay around in this bank as a result of abandoned bank accounts, stock holdings, unclaimed life insurance pay-outs and forgotten pension benefits. I will definitely give you comprehensive details on how we would achieve this legally, without going against the laws of the country. Once you reply to me indicating your interest to work with me. I have worked with the bank for several years and have taken time to study the British inheritance claims procedures. I would appreciate it if you would treat this issue with every bit of confidentiality and maturity, putting my integrity foremost, because i wouldn't need any mistakes or regrets. I assure you that you will never regret it if you would take the bold step to partner with me in this deal. It would be wise if we make every effort not to loose this golden opportunity. This happens in every bank around the world, even in your own country, but people outside the banking industry do not know this. The fund will be shared at the ratio of 58% for me, 40% for you and 2% will be set aside to cover any expenses and tax in your bank, We will use the fund there in your country to build companies and for investment which both of us would manage, Please this is an honest request for you and i. i only plead for you to make this transaction a top secret because we do not have to trust anybody unless you and i alone. Please treat this business proposal with utmost confidentiality and send me the following Information(s) for further application for this transfer if you are interested. 1. Full Name, 2. Address 2. Identification copy 3.Nationality Thanks and best regards Yours Faithful Sebrina Van: Sebrina Jean < sebrina1976@gmail.com > Verzonden: vrijdag 22 juli 14:23 2016 Onderwerp: Hello Dear Hello Dear Here is my phone number +447989010764 NOTE: We cannot make voice calls until the transfer is completed. You can SMS me, But even sms isn't safe while the transfer is ongoing. So now read carefully, here in UK, we're having terrorism crises and my nation is facing great challenges to our security; Everything is being observed, if any person send huge amount either in or out, everything is censored to determine whether the transaction is legitimate, not for suspicious reasons and will not be used for terrorism. If found anything as negative activities that person will be arrested immediately and shall be made to face charges. With this on mind, because I'm a faithful citizen and afraid of such like problems which I can't bear, therefore I would like to request your maximum secrecy: Don't call me on phone and Don't talk to people about this arrangement. Whatever you need to know, just ask me, I shall give you proper directions how we proceed. I've drafted a letter of demand, fill it and send to bank immediately, for their consideration and action; keep me posted with their feedback whenever they replied you. I will provide all information about the account and it's late owner; while also guiding you to deal safely with every concerned bank departments. Be sure that this information is between us, What i want you to do now is to apply for the release of the fund into your account, Make sure you keep a top secret of this transaction because i don't want any staff of the bank to know that i am responsible for this transaction This is where i lay the future survival hope of our future, and its was the reason I tried to explain for your best understanding You should not change your name and nationality in this transaction because you are going to apply as the business partner to the deceased customer Note, if you send this letter to the bank, the bank will not delay to contact you, but you should not respond back to the bank until i direct you on what to do. This is to avoid mistake from your part , See the official letter below, send it through to the bank through the bank email address of the bank as follows. Bank Details Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +441214567840 Bank Email:Islamicbankofbritainp lc@europe.com Immediately this fund is transferred into your account, then i will obtain visa to your country for the disbursement of the fund according to my proposal ratio, Immediately you apply update me that you have sent the letter to the bank. SEND THIS MESSAGE TO BANK To The Manager Islamic Bank of Britain Plc United Kingdom Managing Director, Sultan Ahmed Choudhury Address PO Box 12461 Birmingham B16 6AQ United Kingdom Phone +441214567840 Bank Email:Islamicbankofbritainp lc@europe.com APPLICATION FOR REQUEST OF CLAIM Dear Sirs, I am . . . . . . . . . ., the former business partner of the late Mr Mahmoud Adama who was assassinated in Tripoli, Libya, on 13th January 2008. Going through his papers I have discovered that he had an account at your Bank in which there is a credit balance of A14,500,000 which I now wish to claim to service long overdue debts and fund the continuation of our business. I should be most grateful if you will inform me of the means whereby I can formally make my claim and I ask you to send me by email copies of any forms that need to be completed to transfer the money to an account that I will nominate I would appreciate your attending to this matter with some urgency. Yours faithfully, Name: . . . . . Address: . . . . . If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... Scholz says solidarity is the only way to deal with the energy crisis Israeli and Turkish defense ministers meet in Ankara Turkey to rewrite inflation forecasts again after rate cut Azerbaijan does not want checkpoint on border with Armenia, it wants only 'corridor' Putin plans to attend meeting of CSTO leaders CSTO special session to be held Friday, assistance to Armenia to be discussed Estonia urges Rishi Sunak to increase UK defense spending Moscow perplexed by information about ban to enter Armenia for Konstantin Zatulin and Margarita Simonyan Armenia PM honors October 27, 1999 parliament tragedy victims U.S. and Western officials finalize plans to limit Russian oil prices EU seeks Armenia-Azerbaijan peace for its own energy interests? World economy is approaching recession US Armenians demand Senate member candidate Mehmet Oz to stop his Armenian Genocide denial Azerbaijan president, Russia deputy PM discuss prospects for unblocking South Caucasus communications Syria MFA: Terrorist attack in Shiraz shows that terrorism has become U.S. policy main tool Lebanon and Israel approve maritime border agreement Pashinyan to Sunak: Armenia attaches great importance to further development of cooperation with UK U.S. accelerates deployment of modernized version of nuclear bomb at NATO bases in Europe Armenian Foreign Ministry expresses condolences to Iran over Shiraz terrorist act Armenia premier: We need to ensure 7% economic growth in 2023 also Gazprom: Creating gas hub will benefit Russia, Turkey, Europe and Azerbaijan Ruling force MP: Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from sovereign territory of Armenia Armenia parliament speaker: We hope Uzbekistan will also remain part of building peace in our region CNN: CIA Director visits Ukraine OSCE needs assessment mission briefs deputy FM on their work in Armenia European Parliament report amendment condemns Azerbaijan policy of erasing Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh Armenia to provide around $50M loan to Artsakh EU monitors in Armenia set off on first patrol on Azerbaijan border Armenia to introduce system of transition from compulsory to contractual military service Newsweek: American troops are preparing for war with Russia Azerbaijan and Russia discuss increasing number of checkpoints on border between 2 countries Ombudsperson to attorneys of Frances Montpelier: POWs trials in Azerbaijan are aimed at terrorizing Armenian society Karabakh parliament to convene special session Sunday Today marks 23rd anniversary of Armenia parliament tragedy Newspaper: October 31 trilateral meeting in Russias Sochi to not be groundbreaking US State Department: Armenia-Azerbaijan direct dialogue is key to resolving issues, reaching lasting peace Armenia MOD: No wounded soldiers in military hospitals who are in severe or critical condition Ukraine Presidents Office: Kherson direction situation changing unpleasantly for Kyiv Raisi: Terrorist attack in Shiraz will not go unanswered Turkey arrests doctor who called for investigation into chemical weapons use in northern Iraq Blinken: China has decided that the status quo in Taiwan is no longer acceptable Steven Mnuchin says China will face significant economic downturn that will affect rest of world German government allows Chinese company to buy reduced stake in Hamburg port terminal 'Corridor' between Armenia and Azerbaijan becomes subject of heated debate in European Parliament Awkward lunch: Macron humiliates Scholz in Paris Polish government prepares for 'potential use of nuclear or chemical weapons' by Kremlin Iran: Unknown shoot and kill 2 IRGC members EU calls on defense ministers of bloc countries to coordinate arms purchases What will Israeli defense minister discuss in Turkey Erdogan: We cannot allow 'terrorist organizations' to take the issue of Sweden's membership in NATO hostage KGB: Opponents of authorities will begin to rock situation in country in November-December Finance Ministry: Armenia plans to increase pensions in July next year Terrorist who carried out shooting in Shiraz is foreigner Saudi Arabia slams countries for using emergency oil reserves to manipulate prices Azerbaijani who fought in ranks of AFU killed in Kiev as result of Iranian drone strike Konstantin Zatulin: You don't have to be Armenian to love Armenia and Armenians Biden's approval rating approaches lowest level of his presidency just 2 weeks before election White House tones down its previous optimism about the midterm elections Ford Motor leaves Russian market by selling its stake in Sollers joint venture Council of Lazarev Club considers ban on Konstantin Zatulin to enter Armenia outrageous trick The New York Times: Saudi Arabia pissed off U.S. by derailing a secret deal Samvel Karapetyan: Various forces are pushing Armenia away from Russia, this cannot be allowed Dubai Silicon Oasis interested in cooperation with Armenia in IT sector Jens Stoltenberg announces his intention to visit Turkey Wiktorin: EU observation mission will ease tensions Saudi Aramco: European embargo on Russian oil increases uncertainty in global oil market Commander of Lithuanian Armed Forces against transfer of howitzers and air defense systems to Ukraine Armenian Finance Ministry gives outlook on economic activity and debt ratio Minister: Rehabilitation works after Azerbaijani Armed Forces' invasion continue About 230 kilometers of roads are being built and repaired in Syunik Bloomberg: Europe has more gas than it can use Pashinyan says he would like to sign Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal before end of year 168.am: President of Artsakh leaves for Russian capital Armenia's Pashinyan: I will attend trilateral meeting in Sochi Bloomberg: China's budget deficit since beginning of year approached record trillion dollars PM: There is expectation that CSTO will adopt roadmap to restore Armenias territorial integrity Pope receives Armenian FM Armenia ruling party convention to be closed to media Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia Kremlin: Russia has information that Ukraine is preparing terrorist attack using 'dirty bomb' Governor underscores EU envoy to Armenias efforts in returning of Shirak Province POWs (PHOTOS) Putin: US is using Ukraine as battering ram against Russia, CSTO, and CIS Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak leaves Russia Russian military practices massive nuclear strike in response to nuclear attack of adversary Germany restricts visas for Iranian passport holders Belarus Foreign Minister visits Iran Iran expands sanctions against EU Zatulin says it is necessary to discuss relations between Russia and Armenia at different levels Ardshinbank is the only company from Armenia with assigned ratings from the big three credit rating agencies Armenia Security Council chief receives OSCE needs assessment mission members Kremlin comments on deployment of American division in Romania Iltalehti: draft bill on Finland's membership in NATO allows deployment of nuclear weapons Kremlin informs about preparation for Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting Armenia envoy briefs Costa Rica president on South Caucasus situation Legislature head on chances of Armenia leaving CSTO: There is very little time left for us to make decision Mercedes confirms intention to leave Russia Armenia parliament speaker: No document on table Air-raid alarm sirens to be installed in Estonia Armenia legislature head: PM will go to Sochi on October 31, meet with Russia, Azerbaijan presidents US State Department: Armenia, Azerbaijan should decide whether Putin's invitation would be useful to them Led by West Bengal unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress activists and supporters called on the people at large to combat terrorism. "We cannot sit quietly and watch our neighbouring country, Bangladesh, being blood smeared. "People from every sphere will have to participate in combating terrorism which is being perpetrated in the name of religion," said Chowdhury. While in the July 1 attack in a cafe in Dhaka 20 hostages, mostly foreigners, were killed, on Thursday, Bangladesh witnessed a fresh attack on the Eid day at Kishoreganj's Sholakia, in which four people including two policemen lost their lives. --IANS saptarshi/and/vd ( 126 Words) 2016-07-09-21:30:03 (IANS) Any move to change India's financial year from April-March to any other permutation and commutation would serve no purpose but cause a huge avoidable disruption at a big cost for the country's trade and industry, ASSOCHAM said here today. "In any case, different countries follow different financial years and there is no standard accounting practice for the world. So, change to any other calendar would not result into India aligning itself with the world. Besides, even within the domestic economy, there is no tangible reason for the unnecessary change for which the government has set up a committee to deliberate whether there is a need for a shift," said chamber Secretary General D S Rawat. According to the chamber, change in the financial year from April-March which has been in vogue for well over a century, would not only mean a change in book-keeping. Instead, the entire infrastructure in terms of accounting software, taxation systems, HR practices would have to undergo a shift involving costs hundreds of crore of rupees, if not more, for the big and small industries. It said the argument that the current FY does not allow budget makers to have assessment of the Monsoon does not hold good since the agriculture sector contributes less than 15 percent to the country's GDP. The move to change the fiscal year is akin to a situation where the government in its own wisdom decides to change the Indian driving system from right hand driving to the left hand without realizing that it would require changing the entire road and street infrastructure along with changes in the design of the automobiles. The chamber said that the feedback from its members suggest that it is an ill-advised move and should be done away with straight away. Under no circumstances, the move would lead any improvement in ease of doing business. Instead, it would create unnecessary hurdles and bureaucratic and systemic delays. At this point of time, India cannot allow any such disruptions. (ANI) Eleventh edition of the machine tools exhibition of international standards AMTEX 2016 kick started from July 08 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi showcasing a wide array of Machine Tools, Machineries and Allied Products. Experts from length and breadth of the Machine Tool and Manufacturing industry in India and global participants from China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Turkey. Industry experts estimate India to stand 14th in the production and 10th in the consumption of machine tools in the world. The Exhibition was inaugurated by Rishi Kapoor, Meiban Engineering, Hiroaki Kiriyama, Muratec Engineering, Cyril Pereira, Managing director and Mohammed Shakeeb, Director, Reed Triune Exhibitions Pvt. ltd. Michael Mandl, CEO, Reed Exhibitions India amongst others. On the sidelines of the event, Frost and Sullivan unveiled its exclusive white paper themed Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing - Changing Era of Indian Manufacturing in partnership with AMTEX followed by a series of conference sessions led by the creme de la creme of the industry. There are currently almost 700 machine tool manufacturers in India of which the top 25 players contribute a 70 percent share. The demand is growing at CAGR 15 percent annually of which about 60 percent of the demand is addressed by imports currently annually with tremendous boost from the Make in India initiative. Domestic production has shown a strong growth of 24.1 percent in FY 2014-15 over FY 2013-14. "AMTEX 2016 acts as the seamless platform for exhibitors bringing business opportunities, world-class technologies and enthusiastic participants from across the globe to present new technologies, to enhance productivity and to produce/manufacture and invest in India," said Managing Director Reed Triune Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd, Cyril Pereira. "One platform to bring all the relevant sectors and high-end technologies of the industry like aerospace, automobiles, defense, electrical and electronics, material handling etc. The forecast of the global machine-tool market projects a 5.5 percent annual growth rate through 2019, driven particularly by expanding demand in China and other developing nations. India is perhaps all set to expand its reach to the global market to become a key player in the global machine tools industry," added Cyril Pereira. (ANI) UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid held talks with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss ways to strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries in the aftermath of Britain's exit from the European Union (EU). Javid was in India to launch initial discussions to establish new trade deals with individual countries. These bilateral deals will replace agreements the EU has had with more than 50 countries. "Following the referendum result, my absolute priority is making sure the UK has the tools it needs to continue to compete on the global stage," said Javid. The talks held on Friday, were not very detailed but were conducted in a bid to provide an early platform for future negotiations. Javid said he would use the discussions to outline the government's "vision for what the UK's future trade relationship might look like". While visiting India, Javid also met Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry to discuss the future of Tata Steel's UK business, which the company announced to sell in March this year. The company has been trying to sell its UK business, but a recovery in steel prices and the pound's global fall post the Brexit referendum may slow down the sale process or the company may even reconsider the sale after deeply assessing Brexit impacts. Ishaat Hussain, a director on board Tata Steel said: "It's (sale) a long process and a lengthy process. It will take time. It's not a binary process. You look at the current global business situation. It does have an impact on all business decisions. The process is on. We are exploring all possibilities." Tata announced in March that it plans to sell its UK steel operation, a business it bought in 2007, putting 11,000 jobs at risk, including 4,000 at the strip products business in Port Talbot, South Wales. Cheap Chinese import, depressed price of steel and high energy costs were the reasons the company cited for the sale decision. Also, the company had inherited a large pension deficit of $900-million when it acquired the erstwhile Corus in 2007, which was also the reason for its slow sale process. But post the EU referendum all aspects are being reconsidered and the company is showing no urgency to sell the business. The company has also received a commitment from the British government to acquire 25 percent stake in Tata Steel UK, as a bid to support the company and save around 4,000 jobs. The vote to leave the EU could likely invite trade restrictions on Britain and on businesses based there. Since most of Tata Steel UK's business caters to the whole of Europe from Britain, it is likely to change the valuations of Tata Steel UK. The UK was the third largest investor in India between April 2000 and September 2015, while Indian investment is also hugely important to the UK. Foreign direct investment from India created 7,730 jobs between 2014 and 2015, according to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, while bilateral trade between the two countries was 16.5 billion pounds last year. Javid's visit to India comes after British official George Osborne met a Chinese government delegation in London on Thursday to foster stronger trade ties. British officials will also kick off visits to the US, China, Japan and South Korea over the next few months, in a bid to refashion the UK's trade ties and reduce Brexit impact on its economy. The British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said earlier in the week that the UK had a shortage of trade negotiators and may need to hire staff from abroad to get the necessary expertise to address this shortage of trade negotiators capable of forging closer economic ties to dozens of other countries. (ANI) Striking down the previously reached agreement over US surveillance concerns, the European Union (EU) accepted the Private Shield law that would allow US companies to transfer Europeans private data to servers across the ocean. The deal is aimed at protecting trans-Atlantic data flows, the European Commission said on Friday, paving the way for its formal adoption and implementation, reported RT.com. "Today member states have given their strong support to the EU-US Privacy Shield, the renewed safe framework for transatlantic data flows," Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip and Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova announced in a statement, also adding that the agreement ensures "a high level of protection for individuals and legal certainty for business." The agreement is aimed at replacing its predecessor, the Safe Harbor framework with the US, which the EU's top court struck down last October as "invalid" following Edward Snowdens revelations in 2013 of mass spying by US intelligence authorities. "It [the Privacy Shield] is fundamentally different from the old Safe Harbor: It imposes clear and strong obligations on companies handling the data and makes sure that these rules are followed and enforced in practice," Ansip and Jourova said. The newly adopted agreement will come into force from Tuesday. The deal, which is said to be aimed at protecting European citizens private data, defines the rules of how the sharing of information should be handled. It gives legal ground for tech companies such as Google, Facebook and MasterCard to move Europeans personal data to US servers bypassing an EU ban on moving personal information out from the 28-nation bloc. RT.com reported. The agreement covers everything from private data about employees to detailed records of what people do online. For the first time, the US has given the EU written assurance that the access of public authorities for law enforcement and national security will be subject to clear limitations, safeguards and oversight mechanisms and has also ruled out indiscriminate mass surveillance of European citizens' data, the statement said. The Privacy Shield was first introduced and agreed upon in February, but its implementation was then delayed by European data protection regulators as they demanded more security guarantees, while expressing concerns over the possibility that is left in the Shield for bulk collection which if massive and indiscriminate is not acceptable. The new deal now grants greater guarantees to European customers and provides accessible and affordable redress mechanisms in case any disputes concerning US spying arises. An ombudsman will also be created within the US State Department to review complaints filed by EU citizens. Major US and UK tech companies applauded the agreement. Among those supporting the move was Industry group, DIGITALEUROPE, which represents Apple, Google and IBM. The TechUK, which represents 900 firms in the UK called Privacy Shield as restoring a stable legal footing. Privacy Shield, however, has also faced sharp criticism. Concerns about extensive US spying activity were raised in Europe, after whistleblower Edward Snowden released a trove of controversial material on Washingtons surveillance practices. Digital rights group Privacy International (PI) said that the newly adopted pact had been drawn up on a "flawed premise" and remains full of holes and hence offers limited protection to personal data, the news website reported. --IANS ss/rn/bg ( 552 Words) 2016-07-09-19:28:01 (IANS) In the wake of multiple shootings that took place last week, Kim Kardashian has penned a lengthy note about the Black Lives Matter movement. Kardashian,36, took to her blog and express her frustration in a post that was likely written prior to the tragedy in Dallas, where five police officers were killed and seven injured, plus two civilians, during a peaceful protest, reports E!Online. She wrote, "This week we watched Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two innocent black men, get senselessly murdered by police officers. Like a lot of you guys, I watched the videos, and was appalled and completely heartbroken. I was left speechless, angry and numb." "I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter. I do not ever want to have to teach my son to be scared of the police, or tell him that he has to watch his back because the people we are told to trust-the people who 'protect and serve'-may not be protecting and serving him because of the color of his skin," she added. The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star urged Black Lives Matter activists to demonstrate their feelings in a peaceful and nonviolent manner. She said, "The last thing we need is to fuel anger with more hate or violence, especially toward the many incredible police officers who risk their lives every single day to protect our families and communities. "We must peacefully use the power of our voices and the strength of our numbers to demand changes in the judicial system so that brutality doesn't ever go unpunished." She continued, "Hashtags are not enough. This must end now." Kardashian concluded the post by listing off the names of black people, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Sean Bell among others, killed by police officers over the past couple of years. (ANI) The Fortis Organ Retrieval and Transplant (FORT) unit of Fortis Healthcare Limited successfully transported a donor's heart in the early hours of Saturday morning, at 6.30 a.m. from Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj in South Delhi reaching Medanta, the Medicity in Gurgaon via National Highway 8 in 12 minutes at 6.42 am. The donor, a 45-year-old male, was brought into the emergency of Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj by the police in an unconscious state due to head injury sustained in a road accident at Fatehpur Beri near Chattarpur in the afternoon of Wednesday, 6 July. Despite best efforts by the neurosurgery team, the patient could not be revived and he was declared brain dead. The proposal to donate his organs was discussed with the family members who gave their consent, despite their greatest hour of grief. The hospital informed NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) and police clearance was taken, this being a medico-legal case. Abrar Ali Dalal, Facility Director, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital said, "This is our first deceased donor organ donation for this facility. We thank the donor's family to have agreed for such a noble act even in their hour of grief and irreparable loss. It was also the clockwork precision of all internal and external medical teams which made this dream of a cadaveric donation a reality." According to the NOTTO protocol and guidelines update, each hospital has to inform about their possible organ donation after which the government body decides as to which organ is to be sent to which hospital in the region based on a list of recipients. According to the hospital-wise rota decided by NOTTO, the heart will be sent to Medanta, one kidney to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI) while the second to Safdarjung Hospital. The liver would be sent to Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. "The organ donation rate in the country has increased 10-fold over the last 5 years from 0.05 per million population to 0.5 per million. People from all walks of life are increasingly saying 'yes' to organ donation and we are truly humbled by their noble gesture every time. With NOTTO fully functional and the regional and state machineries getting into the act, an organ donation rate of 1 per million by 2020 now looks a distinct possibility." said Dr Avnish Seth, Director, Fortis Organ Retrieval and Transplant (FORT). The entire process of organ donation and transplant surgeries is meticulous, requiring counselling for the grieving donor family, quick and efficient coordination by the medical and administrative teams to speed up necessary formalities and transport the donated organ quickly to the recipient. Police clearance is a priority required to proceed with organ donation in medico-legal cases. Traffic Police support is equally critical to create a "green corridor" for rapid transit of the organs for transplant between hospitals. Over the last two years, a heart has been transported in record time via the 'green corridor' process four times from FMRI Gurgaon, thrice to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla and once to AIIMS. (ANI) After the encounter of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, along with two other militants by Indian security forces, Kashmiri activist Sushil Pandit congratulated the Indian security forces and requested the government not to hand over his body to his family, warning that it may inspire other youth to follow in the terrorists' footsteps. "It's a great piece of news and I must congratulate the security forces for the kill. Now, my only worry is that the government should not hand over his body to the family, as after that they will plan of a frenzied funeral. Please don't do that because if you do that, then you will create several new Burhan Wani's. There should not be a public funeral of a terrorist and he should not become a dead hero," Pandit told ANI. Wani along with two compliances were shot dead on July 8, in Kokernag area, 83 km from Srinagar. He was a 21-year-old poster boy of militancy in the Kashmir Valley with a reward of Rs 10-lakh on him. "Indian Jawans are fighting a brave battle with great risks to their lives and it s moment of great joy and victory for them. I congratulate them," he added. Wani's death is a breakthrough for our Army and security forces, he added. He was a school dropout and son of a school principle. He was the main recruiter and use to brainstorm many local boys to take up this path. He was born to a well-off family in Tral in the southern part of Kashmir and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen at the age of 15. Meanwhile, while paying tributes to Wani, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi have called for a complete state wide shutdown on Saturday and appealed to the people to participate in his funeral prayers in large numbers. Geelani also appealed to the people to hold funeral prayers in-absentia for Wani at their respective places who could not reach Tral.(ANI) A day after former liquor baron Vijay Mallya made a rare public appearance in England at an F1 race, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday reiterated that they will bring back the embattled business tycoon back to the nation at the earliest and proceedings will be made against him as per law. Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Srikant Sharma, however, trained guns at the Congress, saying, "Vijay Mallya is the paap (evil) of Congress. The Congress had asked the banks to provide him with loans even after their refusal." "The law of this country is very strong and our government is making every effort to bring him back to the country and punish him as per law," he added. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya on his part also assured that Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court in a money laundering case, will be brought back by the Indian Government and proper criminal action would be initiated against him. "I am very much sure that he will be brought back to the country and proper criminal action would be initiated against him," Somaiya told ANI. The UB Group chairman was yesterday spotted in a rare public appearance in England on the Formula 1 racing track. Mallya, who co-owns Sahara Force India, at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, reportedly said that 'life must go on.' "I love racing, I'm a petrolhead, and I'm passionate about it, that's why I bought this team in the first place. Monaco I missed terribly, I missed the bonus of the podium in Monaco, I missed Baku, which I believe is fantastic. To that extent I'd be lying if I said I missed nothing," he reportedly told a website. "Having said that life must go on, and being based here and not travelling I have more time to devote to what I want to. Working out six days a week so I shed a few kilos and I'm feeling good and fit," he added. He is also wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in its money laundering probe and the agency has also sought a global arrest warrant against them from the Interpol. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has published a court-issued proclamation for Mallya to appear before the special PMLA court on July 29. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier in May obtained a non-bailable warrant against Mallya from a Mumbai court.(ANI) The representation submitted yesterday said these persons left the state for Sri Lanka for business purpose on June 5. Communications received from them later hinted of having link with the terror module. The missing persons were Dr Ejas of Padanna, his wife Rifila, their 2-year old child, his brother Shifas and his wife Ajmala, Abdul Rasheed Abdulla of Thrikkarippur and wife Ayisha, their 2-year old child, Hafisuddin, Marvan Ismail, Ashfaq Majeed, Feroze, all hails from Kasargod. Eesa and his wife, Yahya and his wife were missing under mysterious circumstances form Palakkad for a month, reports said. Reports also said they had arrived in Aghanistan after their sojourn in Egypt and Syria. Describing the incident as very serious, Mr Vijayan said the matter needed to be probed at higher level. Kasargod Special Branch police said no formal complaint has been received from the family of missing persons so far. However, a probe has been launched following reports appearing in media on the issue, police added.UNI PCH CS 1210 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0300-826684.Xml Majority of senior separatist leaders, including chairmen of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) have been put under house arrest in the Kashmir valley, where a general strike was called in protest against the killing of a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir. Burhan Wani, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakhs was killed by the forces in Kokernag area of Anantnag district last evening, evoking massive protests in the valley, including the summer capital, Srinagar. A spokesman of the hardline HC Aiyaz Akbar said restrictions on amalgam chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and General secretary Shabir Ahmad Shah continued since their return from Delhi in May. He said both the leaders were not even allowed to offer Friday or Eid prayers in the mosques by the security forces deployed outside their houses. Mr Akbar said he too was also put under house arrest since last evening. Security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside my Maloora residence, he added. The spokesman said a number of other HC leaders, including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrayee, Peer Saifullah, Mohammad Ashraf Laya, Raja Mehrajuddin and Nayeem Ahmad Khan have also been put under house arrest. A spokesman of the moderate HC Advocate Shahidul Islam said chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq has also been put under house arrest since last night.He said large number of forces and state police personnel have been deployed outside the Nigeen residence of Mirwaiz, who was released only on July 7 evening after remaining under house arrest since July 6 morning, Eid-ul-Fitr day. I and some other leaders have also been put under house arrest, Advocate Islam said. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik also remained confined in his Maisuma, where curfew like restrictions have been imposed since early this morning. However, it was not immediately known whether he has been put under house arrest as he could not be reached on phone.UNI BAS DS PS 1147 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-826680.Xml Senior journalist and author LM Ishwar passed away here yesterday after a brief illness.Ishwar (82), who had worked with the Hindu and Blitz in the sixties and the early seventies, had also been the press advisor to the then Rajasthan Chief Minister Harideo Joshi during the mid 70s. Ishwar, who hailed from Hasan district of Karnataka, is survived by wife and two daughters. Known for his witticism and unconventional approach to life, he served Blitz as its War Correspondent in Beirut for three years touring Damascus, Egypt and Israel. He also served as the Special Correspondent of The Hindu in Chennai, Patna and Jaipur. During his tenure as the advisor to the Chief Minister, Ishwar also acted as the state censor when Emergency was in force though he is more remembered for his leniency in censorship. The book, he authored, "Sunset and Dawn: the story of Rajasthan"(1968), was talked about during that time due to the turbulent political situation in the State those days and also for its, strident 'anti-feudal' sentiments. Indian Federation of Working Journalist (IFWJ) mourned the death of Ishwar, hailing him as "one of the pioneers of journalist union movement in India".UNI XC SS SW AE 1508 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0440-826991.Xml Farmers should accept a new challenges to farm sugarcane, using minimum sources of water, state co-operative Sugar Association president Shivajirao Nagvade said. A two day long fourth sugar expo symposium on sugar technology and sugarcane agriculture started yeserday which was organized by Bhartiya Sugar, Pune, which has been serving the sugar industry since 1975 and was country's first and only platform for cooperative and private sugar sector. At the inaugural function Mr Nagvade said the cooperative movement in the state which enriched the farmers was now in difficult position because of some reasons but he asserted that the cooperative sector would progress again on farmers confidence. Mansingbhai Patel, president of Gujarat State Cooperative Sugar Association was the chief guest. Mr Patel said the state was progressing in various sector including education, but its only in the sugar industry, where both farmers and sugar factory owners are in difficul position because of irregularities in rains. He expressed fear that sugar factories in the state, except in western Maharashtra, could not start their respective coming-crushing session because of short fall sugarcane productions in many districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada region. Mr Nagvade said that research should be done on how to use minimum water while producing sugarcane and appealed to the state farmers to use minimum water for sugarcane farming, by using modern technology. Mr Mansingbhai Patel in his address said that there is need to inform about the modern technology to the farmers to get more production from their farms. The scientists and agriculture experts were researching minimum expenditure and more production' of sugarcane, he added. Mr Nagvade honoured Mr Patel and S B Bhadji of S S Engineers of Pune with 'Life Time Achievement Award' for their contribution in cooperative movement. Bhartiya Sugar also honored cooperative and private sugar factories of Maharashtra, Gujarat, AndhraPradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka.UNI SSS NV PS GC1357 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-826703.Xml However, the court released his mother due to lack of evidence against her. The convict is identified as Parmeshwar Sanap (35) and the victim is his wife Rupali. Public prosecutor Satish Patil-Mundwadkar said that the accused was married with the victim hailing from Baramati since 2005. Earlier, the accused had been living at Raimora in Beed district later he shifted to Isarwadi in Paithan thesil of Aurangabad district. Parmeshwar wanted her wife to stay Raimora only. On August 26,2007, the couple went to Raimora to attend a function. After the function, Rupali expressed her will to return to Isarwadi with him, but he was not in favour, following which the heated argument took place between them. In a fit anger Parmeshwar abused and beat her and later poured kerosene and set her on fire. UNI VKB NV PS GC1405 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-826795.Xml Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at New Delhi and drew his attention to a wide spectrum of areas including NRC, on-going peace talks, counter-insurgency operations. Mr Sonowal yesterday apprised the Home Minister of the progress made by the State in updating NRC. He also informed the Home Minister that the revised requirement of Rs 793.89 crores for NRC update sent by the State Government has still not been approved. Mr Sonowal also stressed on the need to consider release of a temporary advance of Rs 150 crore to meet the immediate requirements to ensure that the NRC updation exercise does not come to a standstill. The Chief Minister requested the Union Home Minister to expedite talks with the 13 extremist groups who are under ceasefire or Suspension of Operations agreements. He also requested for early consideration of the State Government's proposal for enhancement of stipend amount to the cadres from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000. He also informed the Home Minister that Counter- Insurgency Operations under Unified Command with Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) alongside Assam Police and central and state intelligence agencies operating together, has been successful to a large extent in improving the law and order situation. However, after the recently concluded Assembly Elections, 75 companies of CAPF were withdrawn from Assam and sought the Home Minister's intervention to restore these 75 companies. They also discussed on jihadi threats in the State and ways and means to counter it. Moreover, Mr Sonowal sought the Centre's assistance for modernisation of police in the State to tackle all forms of crimes and their manifestations. The Chief Minister said that in Assam altogether 100 Foreigners Tribunals are functioning and to improve their functioning additional support in terms of logistics is required. Chief Minister also raised the issue of constructing Detention Centres for the persons declared as foreigners by the Foreigners' Tribunals. He also stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs should take up the matter with the Government of Bangladesh for a fast-track deportation mechanism to address the problem.Sonowal drew attention of the Union Home Minister to the fact that the security related expenditure which is to be re-imbursed by MHA has not been released regularly and requested for restoration of the earlier system of fund allocation to Assam. Chief Minister Sonowal requested the Home Minister to take all necessary steps for sealing the Indo-Bangla border and revamp border infrastructure. The issue of the proposed 133 km long border road on Indo- Bhutan border also found space in their discussion. Sonowal also met Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu and discussed on a host of issues. Sonowal along with Panchayat and Rural Development Minister also met Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar. UNI SG KK SV GC1420 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-826716.Xml Mr Munda said that it was a 'shocking news'. The deceased used to work in a cloth shop in Bundu. On Thursday evening Rupesh was picked from the shop by the police who accused him of being an arms supplier to the maoists and other extremist outfits active in the area. He was beaten up badly by the police personnel due to which he died. To cover up their acts the police yesterday admitted him at RIMS and informed his family members that he was not well and was being treated. However, when the family members arrived they found that Rupesh had already died. They accused Rahe, Dasam Fall police officials along with Bundu SDPO of beating their son to death. Meanwhile, Ranchi SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi has suspended Rahe OP in-charge Ashok Kumar and Dasam Fall Police Station in-charge Pankaj Tiwari. Ranchi Rural SP Rajkumar Lakra has been asked to conduct a probe over the issue.UNI AK KK ADG GC1435 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-826867.Xml Assam Police CPRO Rajib Saikia said here today that Sheikh was arrested from a hideout at Tipam Lalpahar, under Lekhapani police station, during a raid by police on specific information. Sheikh is the kingpin of drugs racket in eastern Assam and bordering Arunachal Pradesh and was arrested on earlier occasions also, but managed to get out on bail. Based on information extracted from him, police today recovered18 gms of Brown Sugar, 1 illegal factory made 7.65 calibre pistol with magazine, 5 rounds of live 7.65 calibre ammunition, 1 Russian made night vision device, etc from his house at Kalibari in Dibrugarh. His co-accused wife Asu Begum is absconding. Interrogation of the arrested drug lord is on. UNI SG KK VS AS1535 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-826967.Xml Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to represent West Bengal in Inter-state Council meeting to be convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 16 in New Delhi.Though there had been no official announcement so far regarding Ms Banerjee's visit to New Delhi next week, but the party (Trinamool Congress) sources today indicated that their supreme leader is expected to attend the Inter-state Council meeting to be chaired by Mr Modi.Mr Modi will be meeting the chief ministers on July 16 to discuss various issues related to centre-state relations, coordination between the states and other social issues. Ms Banerjee while unveiling a Road Safety week programme of the Kolkata police yesterday said they would support those things which are beneficial to the people of the country. And at the same time they would oppose to those things which are not conducive to the state interests, she added.UNI PC KK AE GC1547 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-827000.Xml Talking to newsmen after offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara here this morning, Mr Rao said, there should be a model replica temple of Lord Balaji in Mumbai. "The negotiations are on between both the governments in this regard", he added. He said he prayed Lord to guide the country to spearhead world nations with its lofty ideals and make BharatMata feel proud of her children. "Today the entire world is seeing at our growth and development. On the other hand newly formed state of Andhra Pradesh is also marching ahead towards development. I prayed Lord to bestow his benign blessings on all of us to achieve our goals", he added.UNI VV CS 1636 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-827151.Xml Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has claimed lives of 13 children during the last fortnight in Gaya district of Bihar. Gaya`s Anugraha Naryan Magadh Medical College and Hospital Superintendent Sudhir Kumar Sinha said here today that altogether 19 children suffering from AES were admitted to his hospital during the last 15 days and 19 of them had died so far. He said two neighbouring children from Jharhand were also admitted to the hospital. He said the deceased were in the age group of 3 to 8. A team of doctors from Patna had recently visited the ANMCH and inquired about treatment of children from doctors attending them. Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is a major public health challenge in Bihar claiming lives of a large number of children every year.UNI XC DH KK AE AN1637 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-827020.Xml Karnataka Minister for Major Industry R VDeshpande urged European Industry to expand its business to other citiesin the state than here and take advantage of the rich Human Resource talent. If the business is expanded to other cities it will also reduce the Infrastructure crunch on the capital city. Speaking after launching the European Business GroupFederation (EBG Federation)-Karnataka Chapter Position Paper hereyesterday, he said every year the EBG publishes an influential 'PositionPaper' which highlights the opportunities and challenges faced bythe European Businesses in India. Mr Deshpande said "Karnataka shares very strong alliance with allthe European companies that have established here since past manyyears, there are several other factors that have attracted the investorsand big companies. However, I would also like to make a plea to youto look at expanding to places like Mysuru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi,Yadgir and Hubballi-Dharwad in Karnataka which are equallyattractive in terms of connectivity, weather conditions, Humanresource & infrastructure with an added advantage for low costlands. Much importance is also being given to improveinfrastructure in Bengaluru too and we plan to set up elevatedcorridors and provide Metro connectivity to the Airport." EBG Federation India Chairperson Raman Sidhu said that "the EBGFederation is growing steadily, and thanks to the great contributionby the European companies and their representatives. Top CEO's ofthe companies help us put together valuable recommendations andsuggestions to improve the trade and economic relations betweenIndia & EU, which is a key USP for us." Speaking on the occasion Ms Anandi Iyer, Chairperson, EBGFederation- Karnataka, said that "the EBG Federation in Karnataka isa vibrant and active community. We assure our full support to theGovernment of Karnataka in fostering our mutual ties."UNI MSP CS 1656 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-827172.Xml Both the factions of Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) have jointly called for a general strike tomorrow and on Monday against the killing of what they claim five youth in security forces firing in south Kashmir. Five people were allegedly killed and 50 others, including more than a dozen security personnel, were injured so far in clashes following killing of top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) Burhan Wani, who was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh, and two other militants in Kokernag area in south Kashmir last night. In a joint statement issued by both the faction of HC and JKLF, the separatist leaders have called a strike tomorrow and on Monday against the killing of youth in security forces firing. Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Maulvi Umar Farooq said the protests against the killing of the HM commander showed the mood of the people of Kashmir. Reacting sharply on the killing of youth in security forces firing in south Kashmir, Mirwaiz said such actions against unarmed civilians will not deter the resolve of the people of Kashmir to seek 'freedom'. "It is ironic that we were not able to hold funeral in absentee in historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar. But it is commendable that people all over Kashmir valley, from all walks of life, are protesting the killing," he added. Meanwhile, life was today crippled due to restrictions and strike on a call by separatist organizations in protest against the killing of Burhan.UNI ABS YSS AE BL1751 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-827209.Xml He said police raided the Maisuma residence of Malik and arrested him late last night. Malik was later lodged in police station Kothibagh, he said and strongly condemned the arrest of front chairman.UNI BAS AE PM1823 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-827376.Xml Eight people were killed, including, one person who drowned in a river, as violence erupted in the Kashmir valley after the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants in Anantnag district. Additional Director General of Police, S M Sahai told reporters here this evening that seven persons were killed in the violence in south Kashmir while one drowned in a river at Pahalgam today.UNI BAS AE AS1830 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-827452.Xml The Thane police today arrested three people, including a woman, on the charges of sex racket. Police Inspecter RM Mungekar said the AHTC cell officials raided a lodge in Kalyan at around 0115 hrs and rescued two girls. They also arrested the three who were allegedly involved in the racket, police said.The police officer said the three were presented before the magistrate today and remanded into police custody till July 11 he said.The police officer said the arrested include the person who was running the lodge and a rickshaw driver and the woman. The woman is said to be a leader of Shiv Sena from Ulhasnagar township. However, the police did not confirm and did not reveal the names of the arrested.The three have been charged under sections 370 (2) and (3) of the ipc and also PETA Act sections 3,4 and 5 the police officer said. UNI XR NP SW PM1818 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-827222.Xml An all-party meeting held on Saturday in the office of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh resolved to pass another anti-migrant bill in the forthcoming session of the Manipur Assembly. On May 11, President Pranab Mukherjee had withheld the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 and sent the two other bills -- The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd amendment) Bill, 2015 -- back for consideration. Though the President's decision was conveyed to the Manipur government, Ibobi did not divulge it till June 7 when the delegates of all political parties had rushed to Delhi for a meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. It was decided in the meeting that legal and constitutional experts shall re-examine the two bills which were sent back for consideration. It was proposed that the third bill should be renamed as the Manipur Local People's Protection Bill, 2016. In the withheld Bill the base year was 1951. However in the new bill it will be 1972. M. Nara, the state Communist Party of India (CPI) Secretary said, "Tribals had objected to the three bills. The central government would never give assent to the bills since there will be a divide among the people. The new bill should be acceptable to all sections of the people." N. Sovakiran, President of the Manipur People's Party said, "It has come rather late in the day. Manipur goes to polls in February and official indications are that it may be advanced to December. It means that by the time the bill is referred to the Centre what we will have in Manipur is merely a lame duck government." Tombi, the state President of the Janata Dal (United) said, "We will urge the national leaders of our party to take up the issue of the Inner Line Permit system in Manipur." The Manipur Assembly had passed the three bills on August 31, 2015. One student supporting the bills was killed in Imphal and nine tribals were killed in Churachandpur district while protesting against the bills. Till date the bodies have not been claimed and are kept in a morgue. --IANS il/lok/bg ( 368 Words) 2016-07-09-19:22:08 (IANS) Unidentified criminals today looted ornaments worth nearly Rs four lakh from a jewellery shop on Bhootnath Road under Agamkuan police station area here. Police said that outlaws entered into the jewellery shop of Santosh Kumar and looted ornaments worth about Rs four lakh.Criminals made their escape good unchallenged.A massive manhunt has been launched to nab outlaws, police added.UNI DH BM RSD AE VN1800 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-827709.Xml Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff will arrive Visakhapatnamtomorrow in Port CityAccording to ENC Spokemsman here tonight said, on his first visit to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Head Quarters here after assuming office on 31 May 16. The Admiral is accompanied by Mrs. Reena Lanba, President Navy Wives Welfare Association(NWWA). Admiral Lanba, the 23rd Chief of the Indian Navy, is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. In his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a multitude of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. Admiral Lanba's important sea appointments include commands of INS Kakinada, a specialised Mine Counter Measure Vessel, INS Himgiri, the indigenous Leander class Frigate, INS Ranvijay, a Kashin class destroyer and INS Mumbai, the indigenous Delhi class destroyer. He has also been the Executive Officer of the aircraft carrier, INS Viraat and the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secundrabad and Royal College of Defence Studies, London, Admiral Lanba's career has been enriched with his vast experience at sea, training, operational and tri- services tour of duty both within India and with international navies. As a Training Officer at the National Defence Academy, Directing Staff at the College of Defence Management and as the Commandant of the National Defence College, Admiral Lanba has been deeply engaged with professional training, shaping future leadership and skilling of the officers of the Indian armed forces. Whilst being part of the Flag Officer Sea Training Organisation at the Local Workup Team (West), he sharpened the combat skills of the Western Naval Command. On elevation to flag rank, Admiral Lanba has held several significant capacity and capability assignments for the Navy. He was responsible for transformation in training methodology for the future Indian Navy as the Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command. The Admiral thereafter, took on the mantle of the Flag Officer Sea Training, where he ushered changes to enhance battle effectiveness of ships and rationalised combat manning onboard. Later, he took over command of the vital Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area and implemented significant coastal security initiatives along with multi agency co-ordination mechanisms that have since ensured safe seas and coastal areas.On promotion as Vice Admiral, he has been the Chief of Staff, ENC at Visakhapatnam, and Commandant of the National Defence College, New Delhi. In his capacity as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, the Admiral streamlined the frame work for transformation of Indian Navy's combat capabilities and infrastructure development as well as tri-services initiatives towards enhancing integration and jointness. Prior to taking over as the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Lanba has been the Flag Officer commanding-in- Chief Western Naval Command. During the visit, the Chief of the Naval Staff is scheduled to review a Ceremonial Parade, interact with Defence Civilians, address naval personnel and will commission the MARCOS(East) unit as INS Karna on 12 July , He added.UNI BSR CJ RJ 2144 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-827903.Xml The Chief Judicial Magistrate court of Dehra today remanded to three-day police custody, two people, for allegedly raping a woman at different instances in Khundian village of Dehra Sub-Division, here.Kangra District Police Chief Sanjeev Gandhi today told UNI that the survivor, a 23-year-old mother of a child, was working as teacher in a private computer centre. Owner of the centre Partap Singh took the woman to his residence in Badhgwar Bhawarna of Palampur and allegedly raped her there in April this year. The accused also threatened the woman of dire consequences, if she divulged about the incident to any one.Meanwhile, also raped the survivor last month and threatened her not to divulge anything to anyone. The SSP said on July 4, a student of the same institute Babeen, resident of Chowki Khudian, kidnapped the woman and took her to Chintpurni, where he raped her and got back on July 7. The survivor informed her family members about the sexual assaults and lodged a report with the police last evening at Khudian police station.The woman was sent for medical examination and the accused were arrested under Sections 376, 366, 506 and 34 IPC for raping, kidnapping and threatening. Station House officer of Khudian police station Sandeep Pathania said the accused were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Dehra and court remanded them to police custody for three days. Police said the investigation was in progress. UNI XC JS CJ RJ 2122 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-827635.Xml Concluding his two-day "fruitful" visit to South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Tanzania on Saturday evening. The Prime Minister will land at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, the largest city of Tanzania as well as a regionally important economic centre. "Thank you South Africa! A visit filled with the presence of the past & the promise of the future ends as PM departs," tweeted Vikas Swarup, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs. "It's been a satisfying South Africa visit, where I have been able to attend such a wide variety of programmes & interact with so many people. This South Africa visit has been a 'Tirth Yatra' for me. Got an opportunity to visit places so closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. My gratitude to the people & Government of South Africa for extending a warm welcome & the memorable hospitality during my stay here," tweeted Prime Minister Modi before leaving Durban. In Tanzania, the Prime Minister will have meetings with President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli to further enhance mutual cooperation and understanding on major issues of common interest. While briefing the media in New Delhi earlier on July 4, before the Prime Minister's departure on the four-nation tour, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Amar Sinha said: "On Sunday, we are reaching Tanzania. So, every hour there is a new programme. So you will have to carefully go through this. "Of course we are very grateful that Tanzania actually accepted an official visit on a Sunday which is a great gesture because nobody accepts a state visit on a Sunday. Tanzania was not only happy but in fact they were the first off the mark in terms that they immediately said that they would definitely want it and they would not want Indian Prime Minister to just fly over them between Durban and Nairobi. So we have decided that we will stop there and the whole Sunday would be spent there. There are the same elements on the official part. I can tell you what else he is doing there besides the official engagements. He is meeting the Indian community." Taking about 'Solar Mamas' training programme, Sinha said: "Solar Mamas are these grandmothers from villages who are brought by Barefoot College. He will also be meeting a group of 40 or so of Solar Mamas from different parts of Africa, which Barefoot College has trained. We are also actually funding setting up of one of the Barefoot College centres in Tanzania. "So, that we thought was a good opportunity for PM to actually see because this connects with our new Solar Alliance, that we already have a cadre of well trained people even at the village level, who are solar technicians, who have already been electrifying villages. So this will actually plug in with the overall initiative in Solar Alliance." Talking about his Tanzania visit, Prime Minister Modi said, "On Sunday 10th July, I will be in Tanzania for a brief but crucial visit to give an impetus to ties with Tanzania, a valued friend in Africa. "There will be extensive talks with President Dr. John Magufuli, where we will chalk out the road ahead for bettering India-Tanzania relations in a wide range of areas. I will also be meeting 'Solar Mamas', a group of rural women solar engineers from Africa, who have been trained under GOI-supported programmes to fabricate, install, use, repair and maintain solar lanterns and household solar lighting systems in their villages," the Prime Minister said hours before embarking on a four-nation tour to the African continent. (ANI) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said that Goa Engineering College (GEC) could venture with the Ministry of Defence to take up various Defence-oriented courses, so as to grow vast. Speaking as Chief Guest at the function of Golden Jubilee celebration of Goa Engineering College held at Goa Kala Academy here, he said The GEC is marching ahead with successful existence of fifty years with a very good reputation which is very satisfying. Mr Parrikar said Defence is a very vast subject and GEC can make inroads by having positive collaboration. The various expertise which is requires in this sector could be tapped by GEC can contribute a lot and further asserted that GEC can become pioneering College in the country, he said. He released publication brought out by GEC entitled A Legacy of 50 Years. And thereafter declared the beginning of Golden Jubilee year. PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, who was the guest of honour, while addressing the function said GEC no doubt is speedily progressing and already has expanded in terms of various faculties of education, adequate infrastructure, well equipped with facilities and therefore has earned recognition of being one of the premiere college in the country. He advised to invite various scholars, experts to avail their knowledge, expertise to further enrich the quality of education and excellence. Adv Narendra Sawaikar, MP from South Goa, while speaking on the occasion said that Goa is emerging as an education hub in which the contribution of Goa Engineering college is significant. The standard and quality of education is remarkable which take the College to the pinnacles of glory and to be a premier College in the Country. The GEC reached a mile stone of half a century carving the future of thousands of students in the course of the time he said is an commendable achievement. Siddharth Kuncalienkar, MLA & Chairman of EDC, Shri Virendra Kumar, Secretary Education, Shri Vivek Kamat , Director of Higher Education also spoke on the occasion.Ashank Desai Founder Chairman delivered keynote address. Vinayak Shet , Principal GEC, welcomed the guests. S T Nadkarni proposed the vote of thanks.UNI AKM NP CJ RJ 2158 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-827586.Xml Mr Inder Deep has been posted in the office of Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Panchkula, Mr Narender Kumar Goyal in the office of Director General Higher Education, Panchkula, Mr Rajinder Kumar Kukreja in the office of District Attorney, Kaithal, Mr Maldev Rangi in the office of Director General, Urban Estate, Panchkula and Mr Bhagwan Dass Soni has been posted in the office of District Attorney, Karnal. Mr Mohinder Pal has been posted in the office of Director General Transport, Haryana, Chandigarh, Mr Shamsher Singh Sehrawat in the office of Joint Secretary, Rehabilitation Department, Chandigarh and Mr Surinder Pal Singh has been posted in the office of Director General, Police, Panchkula. Mr Amarjeet Singh has been transferred from the office of Director General, Police, Panchkula to the office of Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Chandigarh. UNI XC DB CJ RJ 2205 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-827643.Xml It is not yet clear whether the shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers was the act of a lone gunman or multiple shooters, the Texas attorney general said.Asked on MSNBC whether the shooting was committed by a single gunman, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton yesterday said: "Right now, I don't think we know for sure.""I think they're still interviewing and going through these witnesses, or these suspects that they've brought in," he added. "I don't think we're going to know for a while what we have." REUTERS JW0405 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-826491.Xml US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will visit London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels next week to meet with counterparts and discuss the need to promote growth and stability following Britain's vote to leave the European Union, the Treasury said.During the July 11-14 trip, the Treasury said Lew will meet with his finance ministry counterparts and other officials in each of the four capitals to discuss "continued economic stability and shared economic growth in the United Kingdom, Europe and globally" after the Brexit vote.He also will meet with business leaders and market participants to "discuss the state of the global economy."REUTERS JW0550 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-826496.Xml Military veteran Micah Xavier Johnson posted an angry rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi on Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people.Five days later, US authorities say, he took part in the sniper-style killing of five Dallas police officers."Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson, 25, wrote in his Facebook post above a graphic video of people participating in a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. The Facebook group has over 200 members.In what appeared to be Johnson's own Facebook page, he was portrayed as a black nationalist, with images of Black Power and the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute.Johnson was also a military veteran who had served as a private first class in the US Army Reserve from March 2009 to April 2015. He was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014 and earned a number of service medals, according to Army records.Much remained unknown about Johnson, and attempts to reach family members yesterday were not immediately successful. It was not clear whether he was employed, though NBC News reported that he had been working for a company, Touch of Kindness, that assists mentally challenged children and adults.Public records indicated he lived in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas, and the Army also listed Mesquite as his hometown.The assault, the deadliest for law enforcement in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, took place on Thursday night at the end of a protest over the fatal shooting of two black men by police this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. Those deaths renewed public outrage over police treatment of minorities.Dallas Police Chief David Brown, who did not name Johnson, said police tried unsuccessfully to negotiate an end to an hours-long standoff before sending in a bomb-carrying robot that killed him.During the negotiations, the suspect "said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers."FURY AT WHITE PEOPLEJohnson's July 2 post on the Black Panther Facebook page expressed anger at how white people have treated black people over the years, with references to his ancestors getting beaten, mutilated and killed."Then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person," he wrote. "They even go to our homeland and shoot our endangered wildlife for sport."Among the pages that Johnson had "liked" on the social media site belonged to a group calling itself the African American Defense League. On Friday morning, the group posted a message calling on "gangs across the nation" to "attack everything in blue except the mail man."His Facebook page also included a photo of him with Professor Griff of the classic hip-hop group Public Enemy. Attempts to reach Griff were unsuccessful.Yesterday, three police cars and several TV news trucks were parked near the large, two-story brick house of Johnson's family on Helen Lane in Mesquite, Texas, a middle-class suburb of Dallas with homes built in the last 10-15 years.Kimberly Smith, a neighbor, said her son went to high school with Johnson. "He was a nice kid. My son was surprised he would cause any problem."Another neighbor, an elderly white woman named Jose' (pronounced Josie) Moore, said she passed Johnson when he was out running. "I would say hi and he wouldn't say anything," Moore said.When Moore saw him identified on TV news today, "I thought, 'My God, that's the man who doesn't speak to me.'"It was not clear if Johnson's military training aided him in the attack.Army Lieutenant Colonel Major Michael Waltz, a former special forces officer and White House aide, said a video of the shooter during the attack indicated that Johnson was "not only trained, but well trained." The video was taken by somebody at the scene and widely circulated on social media."The way he raises and lowers the rifle to his shoulder, apparently firing two rounds at a time, with discipline in his movements and use of cover, is what makes it seem as though he has military training," he said. Waltz added that Johnson appeared to have received "close-quarters battle" training, which focuses on urban combat.REUTERS JW0725 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-826511.Xml President Raul Castro told Cubans to brace for tough times because the Communist-run country must cut spending and energy supply as it deals with a cash crunch and reduced oil imports from ally Venezuela.Cuban economic growth slowed to 1 per cent in the first half of this year from 4.7 per cent in the same period of 2015, Castro told the mid-year session of the National Assembly. This was half of what the government had forecast.The economic outlook throughout Latin America has weakened due to lower commodity prices.Castro's warning came at a time when Cuban expectations are high due to economic reforms and warming relations with the United States."Rumors and forecasts of an imminent collapse of our economy with a return to the acute phase of the Special Period ... have started to appear," Castro yesterday said according to a copy of his speech provided by the country's official news agency Prensa Latina. Foreign journalists are barred from the assembly.He was referring to the years after Cuba's biggest benefactor, the Soviet Union, collapsed. During that time, in the early 1990s, Cubans had to cope with widespread power outages and food shortages."We cannot deny there will be some impact, including worse than currently, but we are prepared and in better conditions than then to revert it."Public offices and state-run companies have already cut work hours and are limiting the use of air-conditioning, workers have said. Cinemas have cut the number of film screenings, and petrol stations are running out of fuel more frequently than in the past few years.Castro said Cuba was struggling to pay foreign suppliers on time, and thanked them for their "confidence and understanding of the transitory situation we are in." He reiterated the government is determined to pay the suppliers, even if delayed.Cuba had at least been able to fulfill its international debt obligations, Castro said."We will not give up the aim of continuing to reestablish international credibility in the Cuban economy," he said.VENEZUELAN FUELLower commodities prices are battering Cuban exports of nickel, refined oil products and sugar, while revenue from the sale of professional services to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Angola has suffered, Castro said yesterday.He said the economic crisis in Venezuela was affecting its oil supply to Cuba. Reuters reported earlier on Friday that Venezuelan shipments of crude oil and refined products to the island nation had declined around 20 percent in the first half of this year.As a result, Cuba must reduce all unnecessary spending, substitute imports for Cuban-made goods, invest in sectors that generate hard cash and use energy more efficiently, Castro said."At the same time, we will preserve the social services the Revolution has conquered," he assured.The president did not detail the energy cuts. But the Communist Party weekly in eastern Holguin province, reporting on a meeting of top officials there, wrote this week that the government plans to reduce energy consumption by 28 percent in the second half of 2016.While Cuba has a long history of energy rationing, many Cubans expect more now as its relations with the West are improving and it is diversifying its trade partnerships."We Cubans we've confronted everything," said Ramon Luaces, a carpenter in Havana. "But I do hope the system improves a bit... if the problem with Venezuela is this serious, they should look for other options."REUTERS JW0735 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-826514.Xml 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 of 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." North Korea's firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile is a "clear challenge to UN Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency.The launch comes a day after the US and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after the North warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States."We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said.Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security, it added.Today's launch appeared to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea's military said. REUTERS PS 1015 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-826571.Xml U.S. State department Spokesperson John Kirby said both officials were expelled June 17. He didn't immediately provide additional information. Kirby said the attack of American was "unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee." "On the 6th of June, an accredited U.S. diplomat, who identified himself in accordance with embassy protocols, entering the American embassy compound was attacked by a Russian policeman. The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee," he said. The Russian Foreign Ministry, however, claimed that the American was a CIA agent who refused to provide his identification documents and hit the guard in the face, reports abc News. Kirby disputed those statements saying, "The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue." The spokesperson asserted that the Russian security services have intensified their harassment against U.S. personnel in an effort to disrupt our diplomatic and consular operations. "We've privately urged the Russian Government to stop the harassment of American personnel in Russia, and as I said before, the safety and well-being of our diplomatic and consular personnel abroad and their accompanying family members are things we take very, very seriously," he added. Ties between both nations have soured in recent years over Russia's annexation of Crimea and its actions in Syria.(ANI) The projectile was launched in the waters southeast of North Korea's eastern port city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong province, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying. The military is analysing the exact flight distance of the projectile and whether the test-firing was successful. If confirmed, it would mark North Korea's first test-launch of its SLBM since April 23 when a ballistic missile launched from a submarine flew about 30 km before exploding into fragments. The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington jointly announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) with the US Forces Korea to better tackle what they claimed was North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. --IANS py/vm ( 142 Words) 2016-07-09-11:34:09 (IANS) His plane will touch down Lahore this evening, Pakistan Daily Express Tribune said. Taking to Twitter, Maryam Nawaz, Mr Sharif's daughter, yesterday said,"The prime minister will Insha'Allah be arriving tomorrow [Saturday] evening..,..Allah has been Kind..,..Indebted for your kind prayers and wishes." He went to London on May 22, underwent an open heart surgery on May 31 and remained hospitalised till June 7. Doctors had given him a go-ahead to travel back to Pakistan following speedy recovery. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) yesterday announced that Mr Sharif and his camp office will be transported to Pakistan through a special aeroplane. "Due to the prime minister's health issues, the PM office had partly been shifted to London, where a camp office had been set up", said the PIA's spokesperson in a statement. "On the PIA's regular flights so many seats were not available due to which the only option was to dedicate an aircraft," he added. Over three dozen people, including family members, cabinet members and staff of the PM office, will accompany PM on the special flight. "The emergent arrangement for a Boeing 777 aircraft to fly back to homeland the prime minister would cause delay a Lahore-bound PIA's flight from New York by about 15 hours," an official of PIA told the newspaper on the condition of anonymity,. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) central information secretary Naeemul Haque said the whole cost of the flight should be recovered from the personal account of the premier rather the government of Pakistan. UNI XC SV SS 1045 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-826581.Xml Reiterating its commitment to the full implementation of UN resolution on Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom called for 'international involvement' in the prosecution of war crimes. British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire speaking in the Parliament on Sri Lanka's Human Rights on Thursday said that there needs to be an international element in the domestic mechanism for accountability to reassure the communities in Sri Lanka and to show the international community that this is a credible process. "That is what we continue to stress with the Government, with Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Prime Minister, with Mangala Samaraweera, the Foreign Minister, and through Prince Zeid (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)," the Colombo Page quoted Swire as saying. He said the British Government has always been clear that any accountability mechanism needs to be credible and meet international standards. "We therefore welcomed Sri Lanka's co-sponsorship of UNHRC resolution 30/1. We have reiterated our commitment to its full implementation on a number of occasions, most recently in Geneva last month," he added. Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena had said that he will not allow any foreign court, judge or organization interfere into the internal administration and judiciary in the country. Speaking of demilitarization in the North of Lanka, he said the Army has no reason to be in business in a civilian structure or to be on other people's land. He added that more land returns are essential to build confidence and to allow the resettlement of displaced Tamils. Swire said his country will continue to encourage the Lankan government to prioritize the reform of their security sector. "All forms of sexual and gender-based violence and torture must be addressed," he said. He added, "The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka to take further steps towards peace and prosperity for all its citizens. We do so in a spirit of friendship and co-operation."(ANI) A Japanese man and a Spaniard were gored today on the third day of the week-long San Fermin festival in northern Spain where bulls chase red-scarved runners through the streets of Pamplona.Many Spanish towns hold festivals involving bulls during the summer. San Fermin is the most famous internationally and attracts thousands of revellers, many from as far afield as the United States and Australia.The 33-year-old Japanese man was gored in the chest and a 24-year-old Spanish man in the arm, while 12 others suffered minor injuries, the local government said on its website.The Spaniard's injury was classed as "less serious". The local hospital declined to comment on the Japanese man's condition, although the local Red Cross office said he had been taken there in an ambulance.The four-minute run featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners.The daily bull run starts at 8 a.m. and usually lasts between three and five minutes. There are eight runs in total during the festival.Over the past century 15 people have died in the event, which dates back hundreds of years, according to a count on the unofficial San Fermin website. The last death was recorded in 2009.REUTERS RSD AS1533 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827051.Xml NATO allies have promised the United States they will help fund Afghan security forces to the tune of around 1 billion dollars annually over the next three years despite public fatigue in Western countries about their involvement in the long-running conflict.NATO, which is holding a two-day summit in the Polish capital Warsaw, has been present in Afghanistan since 2003 and has invested tens of billions of dollars in trying to stabilise the country.A worsening security situation and a resurgent Taliban have forced the allies to reverse plans to sharply reduce their troops levels, though there is little Western appetite for a much prolonged involvement in Afghanistan."One of the great achievements of this meeting is that we now have in place the 1 billion dollars in non-US commitments," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference today, the second day of the Warsaw summit.He hinted there were still some pledges due to come in, adding, "We are very close (to the target) and I'm certain that we will reach that level."The United States has been keen to secure the target of a billion dollars annually to support more than 350,000 Afghan security forces as it draws down its own military presence in the country.The Pentagon has budgeted 3.45 billion dollars in annual US funds to pay for the Afghan forces, with the Afghan government providing an additional sum of around 420 million dollars, for a total yearly budget of nearly 5 billion dollars.US President Barack Obama announced this week that the United States was shelving its plans to cut the US force in Afghanistan nearly in half by the end of 2016, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there till the close of his presidency next January. That still implies a 1,400-troop reduction.There are currently about 13,000 US and international troops in Afghanistan, with Germany, Turkey and Italy as the biggest non-US contributors. Their role is to train the Afghan forces.Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, said it was too early to say what troop levels the NATO allies would maintain in 2017 and said those decisions would be made in the autumn."We are committed (to Afghanistan) and we are ready to stay," he added. REUTERS RSD BL1636 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827158.Xml German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan tried to clear the air today in their first private talks since the German parliament infuriated Ankara by branding the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide.Officials said the meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw lasted longer than the scheduled 45 minutes. Both leaders were expected to make statements later in the day.Relations between Turkey and Germany - vital partners in efforts to curb mass migration to Europe - have been strained since the Bundestag passed the Armenian resolution on June 2. Ankara withdrew its ambassador from Berlin and threatened unspecified retaliation.A source close to the Turkish presidency said Erdogan expressed his disappointment at the resolution to Merkel, who said she would do her utmost to ensure this event would not harm German-Turkish relations.The source said Merkel also expressed satisfaction with the way Turkey was keeping its word in preventing refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece after more than one million flooded into Europe last year, most ending up in Germany.German officials would not comment immediately on the substance of the talks.In apparent retaliation, German parliamentarians have been denied access to the Incirlik airbase in southeastern Turkey where some 250 German troops are participating in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq, prompting protests from the Berlin government.The Turkish source said Merkel had raised the issue and asked Erdogan to restore access to Incirlik for lawmakers, who approve all military spending and investment.Erdogan had replied that the airbase was not a place for "public shows and marketing" but Turkey would consider the request in the light of German statements on relations, the source said.The two leaders also discussed intelligence cooperation in the fight against foreign fighters recruited by Islamic State in Syria, some of whom have returned to carry out attacks in Europe. REUTERS RSD BL1754 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827401.Xml German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had talked through German-Turkish differences in a constructive spirit with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan today but the issues had not disappeared.It was the two leaders' first meeting since the German parliament last month passed a resolution declaring that a 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces was a genocide, causing outrage in Turkey which denies the accusation. Ankara has since refused German parliamentarians access to the Incirlik airbase, where 250 German troops are taking part in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq."We discussed all outstanding issues. The atmosphere was constructive... and very businesslike in an effort to solve the existing conflicts," Merkel told reporters in a short news conference.Asked whether they had been resolved, she said: "The differences don't just disappear through such a discussion. But I believe it was important that we talked them through." REUTERS RSD VN1830 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827505.Xml From a nostalgic train journey from Pietermariztburg station to a tour to Phoenix settlement, as well as his meeting with Ila Gandhi, the grand daughter of Father of the Nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today connected the important dots during the second and last day of his South Africa visit, which he described, as a pilgrimage devoted to the person, to whom this country shaped into a Mahatma. As the first engagement of the day Mr Modi boarded a train to Pietermariztburg, a station where Advocate Mohandas was pushed out to platform almost 123 years ago. The event changed the heart of Mohandas and finally, the course of the history. Mr. Modi also visited 'Phoenix settlement,' an Ashram in Durban that Mahatma Gandhi had set up during his two-decade stay in South Africa. The Prime Minister was welcomed by Ila Gandhi, the grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi. He planted a sapling in the farm. He was given a traditional welcome by the local people with songs and dances.At the waiting hall of Pietermariztburg station, Mr Modi visited the exhibition, the chronicles, the historic event, which happened a century ago. Addressing mediapersons at the station, he said "this is the place, where began the process of Mohandas turning into a Mahatma''.Mr Modi said he considered it his great fortune that he was getting an opportunity to bow down to all the three places associated with the life of Gandhiji and India's freedom struggle. UNI MK RJ 2020 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-827775.Xml Kurdish militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility today, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said.The military and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels have clashed on a daily basis since a two-year-old ceasefire between them collapsed in July last year. The fighting has killed thousands of militants, security force members and civilians.The latest car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m., the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers.They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations.The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region.The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said.It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition.Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said.More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. REUTERS RSD BL1931 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827656.Xml US President Barack Obama urged German Chancellor Angel Merkel today to ensure an orderly transition to a close relationship between Britain and the European Union once the UK leaves the EU, a White House official said.Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw, "the President and the Chancellor reaffirmed the need for an orderly process to determine the future relationship between the UK and EU," the official said."They agreed that a highly integrated UK-EU relationship is in the best interests of the transatlantic community."EU leaders have said Britain can only retain full access to their lucrative single market, including for its large financial services sector, if it continues to allow free movement of EU workers and upholds EU rules. The two candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron have both said they intend to restrict immigration. REUTERS RSD RK2005 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-827770.Xml The first legal action against Brexit -- Britain exiting European Union (EU) -- by a private citizen has been scheduled for July 19 on behalf of a hairdresser. Lawyers representing Deir Dos Santos, a British citizen, have lodged a judicial review challenge. It would argue that triggering Article 50 -- formally beginning the process of Britain's withdrawal from the EU -- can only be done with Parliament's approval and not just by the Prime Minister, The Independent reported on Saturday. The majority of MPs in Parliament voted to remain in the EU and the lawsuit seeks to delay leaving the organisation. Hairdresser Dos Santos was "just an ordinary guy", his lawyer, Dominic Chambers QC, told the media, adding "If his rights are going to be taken away, he wants it done in a proper and lawful manner". "The purpose of a judicial review is to correct the executive when they have gone wrong. We say the executive will be abusing their powers if they give an Article 50 notification without the approval of Parliament," The Independent quoted Chambers as saying. The claim, reported in the Guardian, will argue: "The result of the referendum is not legally binding in the sense that it is advisory only and there is no obligation (on the government) to give effect to the referendum decision." However the Prime Minister has stated on numerous occasions that it is his intention to give effect to the referendum decision and organise Britains withdrawal from the EU. The extract from the Prime Ministers resignation speech... makes it clear that (the government) is of the view that the Prime Minister of the day has the power under article 50(2) of the Lisbon treaty to trigger article 50 without reference to parliament." But exiting the EU can only be done with the permission of the British Parliament, the claim said. The government has acknowledged receipt of the claim but is highly likely to fight it. --IANS ask/lok/bg ( 334 Words) 2016-07-09-20:38:01 (IANS) A busy and fruitful South Africa visit ends. PM @narendramodi leaves for Tanzania, the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. On Sunday, Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. A major highlight of Modi's visit to Tanzania will be a meeting with a group of solar mamas. Solar mamas are women from developing nations who have been trained in harnessing solar energy at the Barefoot College at Tilonia village in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, which numbers around 50,000 in Tanzania. Thereafter he will leave for Nairobi, Kenya, where he will address an Indian diaspora rally on Sunday evening. Earlier on Saturday, Modi took a short train ride to the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. He then visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that Gandhi had established in 1904. He also addressed a civic reception hosted in his honour by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner in South Africa. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and President Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. --IANS ab/bg ( 315 Words) 2016-07-09-21:46:02 (IANS) The nationwide ceasefire was initially established for 72 hours on Tuesday, the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr, Xinhua news agency cited the report. The announcement of the ceasefire didn't stop the battles in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, where the army was advancing. It also didn't stop the rebels from raining down tens of improvised rockets on government-controlled areas in Aleppo, which killed 40 people and wounded over 300 on Friday. SANA said the new extension will started on Saturday afternoon and will last till Tuesday midnight. --IANS lok/bg ( 130 Words) 2016-07-09-22:14:16 (IANS) SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Top commander of indigenous militant outfit - Hizbul Mujahideen (HM)- was killed along with two associates Friday in a gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The 22-year-old Burhan Muzaffar Wani, poster boy of HM was killed at village Waybemdoora of Kokernag town in Anantnag district, about 65 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. A policeman was also wounded fighting the trio in the village. "Burhan Wani has been killed in a gunfight this evening," Indian military spokesman Col N N Joshi told Xinhua. Police officials said the operation to hunt down Wani was carried out on a specific intelligence information about presence of militants in the area. Reports said gunfight broke out in the village after joint contingents of police and army fire warning shots outside the house where militants were suspected to be present. "A policeman was also wounded in the gunfight," police spokesman said. Wani featured in videos - wearing combat fatigues and brandishing automatic weapons - circulated on social networking websites aimed at encouraging new generation of Kashmiris to join militant groups and warning policemen to confine themselves in police stations. Wani was among the most wanted militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir and carried a bounty of 14890 US dollars (one million INR). "Wani was face of new age militancy in Kashmir and representative of the young educated local boys that are joining militancy," a police official said. Wani's killing is seen as a major success to police and army fighting militancy in the region and a huge blow to militants in southern districts. No sooner news about killing of Wani spread in southern districts of Srinagar, young men took to streets to stage demonstration to protest his killing and clashed with police. Police in Anantnag town fired tear smoke shells and warning shots to disperse the protesting youth. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Enditem WARSAW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- NATO leaders on Friday agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to the Baltic states and Poland at Warsaw Summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced at a press conference. The battalions will under NATO command and be deployed on a rotational basis, which will be in place starting next year. "Canada will lead the battalion for Latvia, Germany will lead in Lithuania, the United Kingdom will lead in Estonia, and the United States will lead in Poland," Stoltenberg said. He added that Allies further agreed to develop a tailored forward presence in the south-eastern part of the Alliance, based on a multinational brigade in Romania. Increasing military presence on its eastern flank is one element of a more comprehensive adaptation of NATO deterrence and defense in light of the Ukraine crisis, Stoltenberg said. Enditem DAR ES SALAAM, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on July 10 begin a two-day official visit to Tanzania to enhance historical relations between the two countries, authorities said on Friday. "During the visit by the Indian Premier our two countries will explore new areas of economic cooperation," said Augustine Mahiga, the east African nation's Minister for Foreign Affairs. He told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam that Modi will also hold talks with President John Magufuli who is driving an industrialization agenda for his country, the second largest economy in the east African region. Mahiga said the Indian prime minister will also use his visit to explain steps taken by his country in implementing promises given by his government at the Indian and African leaders' summit, held in Delhi in October 2015. The pledges were, among others, setting aside 10 billion U.S. dollars for loans to African countries for implementation of various development projects, said Mahiga. The Indian government also promised setting aside 600 million dollars as aid to Africa for implementing various social projects, offering 50,000 training opportunities in various fields as well as supporting African countries setting network communication at training institutions in the African continent. Mahiga said Modi will be accompanied by about 50 Indian businessmen who have shown interest in investing in industry, manufacturing and construction, human drugs and juice production in Tanzania. India is a leading trade partner of Tanzania with major Indian companies and brands operating in Tanzania including the Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Tata International Limited, insurance companies, Reliance Industries Ltd, Kamal Group of Industries and Bharti Airtel. India has been one of Tanzania's largest trade partners. According to the Department of Commerce data, total bilateral trade with Tanzania was 3573.63 million dollars during 2014-15. Enditem DAMASCUS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and 140 others wounded on Friday when rebel mortar shells struck districts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, Syrian national TV said. Enditem COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue and supports countries concerned in solving the maritime disputes through negotiation, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Friday. He made the remarks when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Samaraweera said Sri Lanka supports countries directly concerned in addressing the sea disputes through negotiation based on international law and international practices. Wang briefed him on China's stance on the South China Sea issue, stressing that China insists on peaceful settlement of the disputes through dialogue and negotiation. As per the rights endowed by the international law, China dose not accept or participate in the unilaterally-initiated arbitration by the Philippines, said the Chinese minister. China will also not recognize or implement the so-called arbitral ruling, he added. An arbitral tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said it will hand down the ruling on July 12 after the Philippines unilaterally initiated an arbitration case against China in 2013 over disputes in the South China Sea. China has reiterated that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case and the relevant subject-matter, and it should not have heard the case or rendered any "award." CAIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Environment Ministry has said all the whales in the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast are not aggressive or dangerous to human beings. "All the whales registered inhabiting the Egyptian waters don't pose any danger to mankind," said the ministry in a statement on Thursday. The statement came after a baby whale was caught on camera drifting close to the North Coast, where many holidaymakers went for a three-day feast marking the end of Ramadan. A video clip circulated on social media has caused panic over the past two days as it depicted a whale that appeared near the shore in the Mediterranean in the Marina Compound, a major tourist hub in the North Coast. The ministry said it is "a toothless baby fin whale," and that a team has been dispatched to monitor the involved area in an attempt to help the whale leave the shallow waters and get back to its natural habitat in deep sea waters. Fin whales are an endangered species known as inhabiting Egyptian waters. "Unprovoked, fin whales are harmless to humans," the ministry said. The ministry told holidaymakers to refrain from acting aggressively when encountering a whale. Whales are rare in the waters so close to the shores of Egypt. In May, a rare sperm whale was washed ashore in the Mediterranean Sea province of Matrouh. Enditem DAMASCUS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and 140 others wounded on Friday when rebel mortar shells struck districts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, Syrian national TV said. The shells landed on residential areas in the government controlled parts of western Aleppo, said the report. The attack came as a truce declared by the government unilaterally is to end after midnight Friday. Government troops are very close to cutting off the Castello road, the only supply route connecting the rebel-held areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo province and the eastern part of Aleppo city. Aleppo, located near the borders with Turkey, is Syria's largest city and once an economic hub. It has been a focal point of clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels. TEHRAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday criticized the U.S. House of Representatives for blocking the sale of Boeing passenger aircraft to Tehran, Press TV reported. Washington should be committed to its obligations under the nuclear agreement which endorses the removal of sanctions, including allowing the sale of passenger aircraft to Iran, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. "What is important to Iran is the other side's commitment to its obligations," Qasemi said, adding that the Islamic republic "regards the U.S. government responsible for Washington's fulfillment of its nuclear commitments." The U.S. government should remove all the obstacles on the way of implementing the nuclear deal known as JCOPA, he added. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to bar Boeing from selling passenger planes to Iran. It was announced in Tehran on June 19 that Iran had reached an agreement with Boeing to purchase 100 passenger planes, valued about 17 billion U.S. dollars, to upgrade the country's aging fleet. The nuclear deal, reached between Iran and world powers in July last year, was implemented in January. The deal makes Iran scrap major part of its nuclear program in return for the removal of Western and international sanctions. Enditem VIENNA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Austrian political officials from various parties have thanked and commended outgoing President Heinz Fischer, in his last day in the job on Friday. Krone newspaper reported Chancellor Christian Kern from the Social Democrats, Fischer's party prior to taking on the presidency, as having voiced his thanks for "12 years in which you have dignifiedly represented Austria." He added that over his 12-year term Fischer had also "made sure that our international reputation has increased further." In addition the outgoing president had fought against poverty, exclusion, racism, and violence, and in favour of social justice, Kern stated. Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner from the center-right People's Party said that even in contentious matters, Fischer had put the common ground "ahead of that which divides." "At his appointment he wanted to be a 'president for all,' and he met this promise," Mitterlehner added. Both candidates vying to succeed Fischer in the repeat Oct. 2 election, Alexander Van der Bellen and Norbert Hofer, also acknowledged the outgoing head of state. Van der Bellen said Fischer had served as president "impeccably," for which he earned "great respect," while Hofer said he was a strong personality who showed a human side in acknowledging recently that he is not faultless. Enditem UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that he was "deeply alarmed" by the ongoing fighting in Juba, capital of South Sudan, between soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in opposition, and he urged an immediate end to the current conflict in the world's youngest country. "This outbreak of hostilities in the capital, on the eve of the country's fifth anniversary of independence, is yet another illustration of the parties' lack of serious commitment to the peace process and represents a new betrayal of the people of South Sudan, who have suffered from unfathomable atrocities since December 2013," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "I urge President Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar to put an immediate end to the ongoing fighting, discipline the military leaders responsible for the violence and finally work together as partners to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan," the secretary-general said in the statement. South Sudan has canceled this year's independence celebrations due to the economic crunch resulting from more than two years of civil conflict. It won independence on July 9, 2011 from Sudan after more than two decades of war that ended in a bitter divorce. Enditem KIGALI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Empowering African women and girls is a key contributor to economic development which ultimately reduces poverty and hunger in Africa, says experts at the African Union (AU) high level panel on gender equality and women's empowerment in the Rwanda Capital, Kigali. Rwanda is hosting the 3rd AU high level panel on gender equality and women's empowerment ahead of the 27th AU Summit scheduled from July 10 to 18 in Kigali. "Investing in women in agriculture is key to ending poverty across the developing world. If rural African women farmers are given the same access and opportunities as men they can be much productive," said Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson African Union Commission (AUC). She added tat women and girls are Africa's greatest untapped resource that will be the foundation for solid, sustainable and equitable progress. Dlamini-Zuma emphasized the importance to empower the determination of African women for equal rights and have their voices heard. "By empowering women, we also need to pay more attention to the situation of adolescent girls. More than a third of girls in Africa are married before reaching the age of 18 at the expense of their education, health and social aspirations." The two-day event is held under the theme: "The Contributions of Maputo Protocol on Women's Rights in Achieving Gender Equality in Africa: Stocktaking, Opportunities and Accountability." The meeting has brought together about 400 participants including AU ministers responsible for gender equality and women affairs, AU commissioners, Civil society organizations, private sector, members of academia and UN agencies representatives among others. According to Dr. Diane Gashumba, Rwanda minister of gender and family promotion, empowering women brings immense benefits to families which contributes to improved livelihoods and incomes in households. "Women are essential to ending poverty and hunger across the world. Strengthening women's roles as leaders, entrepreneurs, consumers and economic stakeholders will transform our continent for the better," she noted. At the meeting participants concurred that Africa's political leaders and policy makers need to find ways to enforce laws that empower women economically, socially and financially. The high level forum seeks to assess the state of implementation of the Maputo Protocol, with a view to generating ideas and identifying strategies to achieve greater execution of commitments by Member States. Maputo Protocol, guarantees comprehensive rights to women including the right to take part in the political process, to social and political equality with men, to control of their reproductive health, and an end to female genital mutilation. it was adopted by the African Union on July 11 2003, in the form of a protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights in summit in Maputo, Mozambique. According to organizers the meeting will provide a platform for knowledge based sharing on how to leverage lessons of increased gender parity in Africa Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, director of women, gender and development at AUC said that Africa remains the region in the world most affected by HIV and AIDS, which afflict our women and girls so disproportionately. "Social and economic barriers keep women farmers from reaching their full agricultural production potential, and these obstacles represent a loss for their families and communities. When empowered, they can bring positive changes, with benefits that go beyond simple economic growth," she noted. This 3rd AU high level panel on gender equality and women's empowerment is aligned with 27th AU Summit which is under the theme of the " African year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the Rights of Women." Enditem MOGADISHU, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has kicked off a second phase of training for local police recruits in the southern city of Kismayo to boost the country's ability to maintain security. A statement from AMISOM said Friday the three-month training for the 203 Jubbaland police recruits will be conducted by AMISOM police trainers from July to October. AMISOM deputy Superintendent of Police, Alexander Kweku Obeng, said the basic policing course would focus on human rights observance and community policing among others. "The training program for these recruits is very intensive because we are looking at both, practical and theoretical aspects that will affect their side of the community's effective and communicative domain of the recruits," Obeng said. "This is to ensure that the liberated areas are secured for the general public to go about their routine activities," he added, referring to areas retaken from Islamist group Al-Shabaab. Obeng added 30 percent of the trainees were female recruits, describing it as an improvement from last recruitment exercise. AMISOM forces have for the past years been helping the Somali government battle Al-Shabaab militants who frequently carry out attacks in the country. Enditem COLOMBO, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera in Colombo July 8, 2016. (Xinhua/Ajith Perera) COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka and China agreed to further develop their strategic cooperative partnership, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Friday. When meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera, Wang said both sides should implement the consensus reached by the leadership of the two countries and enhance their mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. The China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership is the achievement of efforts exerted by both governments and peoples through generations, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic visit to Sri Lanka in 2014 and planned a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations, said Wang, stressing that China's friendly policies and mutually beneficial cooperation with Sri Lanka did not change in the past and will not change in the future. Currently both countries are developing sound, stable and mutually beneficial ties. China and Sri Lanka will jointly push forward large-scale projects such as construction of road, railway, port and airport, which will benefit their enterprises and people, the Chinese minister said. He hoped China and Sri Lanka will successfully hold celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 65th anniversary of the historic Rubber-Rice Pact. For his part, Samaraweera expressed appreciation for the long-tiem assistance given by China for the development of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is expected to further enhance cooperation with China in the fields of trade and investment, and earnestly advance major cooperation projects of airport and port among others in the island nation, he said. Related: Sri Lanka, China vow to further enhance cooperation COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that his country is ready to push forward pragmatic cooperation with China in trade and investment. UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is "extremely concerned at the unfolding situation in Aleppo," particularly the situation for the estimated 300,000 people trapped in the eastern part of the Syrian city, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday. Those Syrian people were trapped in eastern Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, due to heavy clashes along Castello road, the only road in and out of this part of the city, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. "Heavy fighting over the past few days has continued to put civilians at risk of death and injury while effectively cutting off humanitarian access to people in need of assistance." "This follows intensified fighting by all parties to the conflict in Aleppo city and surrounding areas in recent weeks, including reports of airstrikes, shelling, and heavy clashes, causing many civilian casualties and injuries," Haq said. "It has also caused damage to schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and hindered humanitarian aid operations." The United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law, in order to safeguard the lives of all civilians living in Aleppo city, he said. The world body "also calls on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to facilitate humanitarian access, particularly to eastern Aleppo city, as required under international humanitarian law," he added. Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, has been divided in roughly two since 2012, with the government controlling the western half and rebel factions holding the east, reports said. Enditem VALLETTA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Maltese Ministry for Health said on Friday that a 28-year-old European woman residing in Malta has tested positive for Zika this week after returned from Nicaragua, a Zika-affected country. In a statement, the ministry said that the woman has been admitted to Mater Dei hospital in an isolated area and is in a good condition. She is single and lives alone. This is the second case of Zika which has been imported to Malta from an affected country with the first case being in January this year and which was widely reported in the local press. Since the beginning of the outbreak, the health authorities took immediate actions through an interministerial committee made up of a number of entities. This week a team of experts from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control was in fact in Malta to further support Malta's response plan to the Zika situation. According to the World Health Organisation countries in the Mediterranean region have a moderate risk for Zika. It also said that the local Aedes albopictus, one of the types of Aedes mosquitos which can transmit the Zika virus, and which is the only Aedes mosquito prevalent in Malta, is not infected with the Zika virus. Mosquito surveillance is carried out together with the University of Malta. The health authority also reminded people travelling to affected areas to take necessary precautions to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes. Enditem JUBA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday decried renewed violence in parts of South Sudan which has resulted in forced displacements. In a statement, UNHCR said South Sudan currently ranked among the countries with the highest levels of conflict-induced population displacement globally. "Nearly one in four of the South Sudan's citizens is displaced within its borders or in neighboring countries, affecting some 2.6 million people against a population that stood at 11.3 million in 2013. A large majority are children," UNHCR said. Despite the formation of a national unity government in April ended more than two years of civil war, conflict and instability persist in parts of South Sudan, and has spread to previously unaffected areas in the Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal regions, according to UNHCR. The statement comes as clashes in Wau, South Sudan last week killed more than 40 people with up to 35,000 fleeing their homes. President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal under UN pressure last August, which led to the formation of the unity government and the return of Machar to his old post as first vice president. The civil war killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced about 2.3 million, with over 860,000 South Sudanese refugees living in neighboring countries. "In the nine months that the ceasefire has been observed, there has been no major return movement from countries of asylum. In that period, the number of internally displaced people rose by 100,000, while UNHCR registered nearly 140,000 new refugees," the statement said. UNHCR says South Sudan is now the world's fourth largest refugee producing country and the second largest in sub-Saharan Africa after Somalia. According to UNHCR, civilians in South Sudan continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict, adding sporadic clashes are commonplace, while growing food insecurity and deteriorating economic conditions foretell a grim outlook for the country at large. Enditem MOSCOW, July 8, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese driver Lian Juntao (C) and Wang Xingang(R) greet the spectators during the opening ceremony of the Silk Way rally-2016 in Moscow, Russia, on July 8, 2016. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn) MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- An international motor rally codenamed "International Silk Road Rally" started on Friday at Moscow's Red Square, attended by nearly 130 race cars from 30 countries. This year's 15-session rally covers a length of 10,000 kilometers, crossing a vast land of Russia, Kazakhstan and China. Expected to end on July 24 and destined for China's capital Beijing, the rally would give racers a new adventurous view through the extraordinary scenery and cultures along the ancient Silk Road. In a letter sent to congratulate the opening of the rally, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the rally would test the skills, patience and resolve of all professional and amateur attendees. According to director of the rally Vladimir Chugin, racers would face with lots of difficulties, including the hot weather in Kazakhstan and the poor road conditions. The International Silk Road Rally was firstly held in 2009, while this year is the first time for the racers to cross the vast Eurasian land. As an important international competition held jointly by China and Russia, the rally is expected to positively advance the sports cooperation among countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong said on July 4 during her visit to Russia. HAVANA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban Minister of Economy, Marino Murillo, on Friday announced several measures to cope with a "difficult economic situation" in the second half of 2016, due to falling export prices and a decrease in oil imports. Addressing the parliament, Murillo said the country faces a "tense" moment in its financial status and will reduce its expenses. Falling prices of exports such as nickel, tobacco and rum, a limited availability of imported oil and fuel, as well as other economic problems have led the government to adopt severe cost-cutting measures in recent months. "We will face economic and energy limitations in the second semester and we have decided to take concrete measures such as reducing expenses, saving on power and fuel, among other financial arrangements," said Murillo to the 505 lawmakers. The government official said these measures would not affect "vital services" to the population and essential industries such as tourism and nickel. A decrease in public bus services, cutting back on air conditioning at public offices, reduced work days at some state buildings and slashing fuel allotments for government vehicles by half were some of the measures announced by the Cuban minister. "We will cut six percent of the nation's electricity consumption without affecting the residential sector," he added. Venezuela's tough economic crisis has severely impacted the island which used to receive up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day from Caracas, but that amount has decreased substantially. Murillo said the Cuban economy grew by 1 percent during the first semester of 2016, half of what had been projected, and added that the government sees a "restrictive and limited outlook" for economic growth in the coming months. Earlier in the day, the National Assembly approved the economic roadmap that emerged from the Communist Party Congress in April. The reforms begun six years ago under President Raul Castro have allowed an emerging private-sector to flourish, although the state still controls crucial economic areas. Enditem PRETORIA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- South Afria and India have set themselves ambitious goals, including a bilateral target of advancing trade to the level of 18 billion U.S. dollars by 2018, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday. "Achieving this target will require an increase in private sector deliberations as well as government focusing on the resolution of barriers that are impeding the expansion of trade amongst others," Zuma said at the South Africa-India Business Forum in Pretoria, also attended by visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. South Africa and India hold enormous trade and investment potential that needs to be unleashed through closer strategic cooperation, said Zuma. The South Africa-India Business Forum will serve as a platform to achieving the goals, he said. "We need to explore ways and means of continuing, increasing and diversifying our trade and investment initiatives in the respective economies," said Zuma. The two countries are major players in the global economy and share a common vision of shaping the development agenda through IBSA(India, Brazil and South Africa), BRICS and other related platforms, he said. Modi said India is ready to assist South Africa in the areas of technology as well as skills development. Modi said India has put in place economic reforms that have opened up key sectors for foreign investors to explore. India is South Africa's sixth largest trade partner with trade in 2015 being at almost 95 billion rand (about 6.6 billion U.S. dollars). Trade with India represented 4.9 percent of South African imports and 4.1 percent of exports last year. While the trade surplus is in favour of India, efforts are underway to promote South African exports of especially value added products. Modi arrived in South Africa earlier on Friday on the second leg of his four-nation African tour. He has visited Mozambique and will visit Kenya and Tanzania. Enditem HELSINKI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The result of British referendum on the exit from the European Union (EU) appears to have affected Finnish civic attitudes towards decision making about a possible Finnish membership in NATO. The idea of insisting on a referendum over joining NATO lost support in two polls commissioned by Finland's leading media houses. The results were published simultaneously on Friday. Polls commissioned by the national broadcaster Yle and the commercial broadcaster MTV along with newspaper Aamulehti indicated the support of a referendum on Finnish NATO membership now has support levels of 48 and 42 percent respectively. Only a year and a half ago, a poll by YLE indicated 62 percent of Finns insisted upon a referendum. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has said for several times recently that a referendum should be arranged if Finland wants to apply for a NATO membership. However, analysts believe the NATO supporters would rather let the parliament to approve it as majority of Finns still favor not to join the military organization. Analysts say referendum is mainly demanded by those opposing to Finnish membership in NATO, and they hope to kill the proposal once for all. But the recent referendum in Britain has shown that it may not be a sound solution. "Brexit indicated that plebiscites in tumultuous situations may bring results that have not been considered carefully enough," said Mika Aaltola, Head of Research Programs at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Aaltola told newspaper Aamulehti that representative democracy has gained in esteem and a move has taken place away from plebiscites. Aaltola said that to some in Finland, a membership of the EU has been an alternative to that of NATO. "But now perhaps the sense of security associated with the EU has evaporated," he said. He said that support of a NATO membership is now higher at least when the interviewees are asked in combination of the future of the EU. In the latest MTV-AL poll, 29 percent said Finland should remain in the EU and also join NATO, and 9 percent of respondents supported the alternative that Finland should leave the EU and join NATO. The two figures added up to 38 percent, the highest ever in Finland. Tapio Raunio, professor of politology at the University of Tampere said on Friday the opposition to NATO has been surprisingly stable in Finland irrespective of the international situation. Talking to newspaper Aamulehti, Raunio attributed the opposition to NATO to the long tradition of non-alignment in Finland. He also noted the political leadership of Finland does not openly flag in support of going to NATO. Only the Conservative Party is in favor, but does not campaign on the issue. Raunio said he does not believe NATO would be the theme of next parliamentary election in three years time. Enditem CARACAS, July 8 (Xinhua)-- The socialist government of Venezuela on Friday demanded that the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) accept negotiations "without any type of conditions" in order to reach political stability in the country. In an official statement, President Nicolas Maduro said "we will sit down without any type of conditions and, in a spirit of peace, we demand that the right halts its rhetoric of hatred and violence." On Thursday, the MUD said it would be ready to sit down for talks, as long as the government accepted "international mediation," including a representative from the Vatican, former Latin American heads of state, and a mediator from the Organization of American States (OAS). Furthermore, the MUD demanded that Maduro respect the fact that the National Assembly had a right-wing majority. Jorge Rodriguez, mayor of Caracas, who read out the government's statement at a press conference on Friday, said the MUD "sought to wage unconventional warfare against the country's economy and peace. They must cease their call for the insurgence of imperialist elements and the international right." The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) is currently seeking to broker talks between the government and the MUD, having appointed former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez, former Panama President Martin Torrijos and former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to oversee the task. Enditem CARACAS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 25 others injured on Friday, after assailants lobbed two grenades at a regional police headquarters in west Venezuela. The attack, which killed one policeman and one of the attackers, targeted the Police Coordination Center in Guanare, capital of the state of Portuguesa, at around 7:30 a.m. local time when some 60 officers were reporting for duty. Govornor Reinaldo Castaneda called the attack "an act of terrorism" by "two men aboard a motorcycle that launched two grenades against these officers." The police have identified the two men, one of whom was killed in an exchange of gunfire with security forces, and the other was detained, the governor told reporters. The officer killed was identified as Elvis Jose Medina Santiago, who died of his injuries in hospital, according to news website Ultimas Noticias. "There is no need for alarm in Guanare ... the city is calm," the governor posted via Twitter. Of the 25 officers wounded, three required emergency surgery. Enditem LA PAZ, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia and Russian state nuclear energy agency Rosatom signed three agreements on Friday to build a nuclear research center in El Alto, Bolivia. The Bolivian city, located 9 km southwest of the capital La Paz, will be home to the Center for Research and Development of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes. Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, who presided over the signing of the memorandum of understanding, said that as an exporter of lithium used in nuclear fusion, Bolivia should learn how to make the most of the natural resource. "We can't have the world using lithium over the next 20, 30 or 50 years, while we Bolivians remain incapable of using lithium for our own benefit," said Garcia. "We have lived like this for 500 years. For 500 years we have used Bolivia's raw materials so that other countries around the world would develop science, technology and industry, and we don't want to repeat that history. That's why we have made a decision: to plant today so we can harvest in 2025, 2030, 2040," said the vice president. Bolivia's Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy Luis Sanchez signed the documents, along with Kirill Komarov, Rosatom's first deputy CEO for Corporate Development and International Business. The agreements cover construction, training of personnel and public-sector use of nuclear technology. Sanchez said construction of the research center, which will focus on the application of nuclear energy to the fields of medicine, agro-industry and technology, will get underway on July 31. "And as Rosatom has said, it will be the most important nuclear center in Latin America, the biggest, the most modern and the most efficient," said Sanchez. Rosatom's Komarov said he was confident the center "we are building jointly is going to provide a significant push to the social, economic and infrastructure development of the city of El Alto." RIO DE JANEIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's interim president Michel Temer has reassured international visitors that they will be safe during next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In a short video published on Friday, Temer played down reports of rising crime and fears about the mosquito-borne Zika virus. "I want to put people at ease and say that the federal government, state and municipal governments have conducted several meetings to guarantee the safety of visitors to our country and to Rio de Janeiro," Temer said. "There is no concern, and no need for concern, about any type of tropical disease, whether it be Zika or anything else. It has already been combated here in Brazil and we are in the middle of winter, meaning there are few mosquitos." Earlier in the week Rio mayor Eduardo Paes described the state government's handling of security as "terrible, horrible". Last month an Australian Paralympic athlete was robbed at gunpoint and two German TV crews had equipment stolen after their car was hijacked by thieves. On Wednesday a vehicle belonging to the National Force elite police unit was attacked by gunfire from drug traffickers in the city's north. Brazil is deploying some 88,000 security personnel for the Olympics, including 47,000 police and 41,000 soldiers from the armed forces. The figure is more than double that used for the London 2012 Olympics. MONROVIA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Liberian government believes that all disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through peaceful negotiations between the parties concerned, the country's foreign minister said in a statement issued on Friday. Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara said that no party involved in this matter will gain from rising tensions in the South China Sea as countries in the region are closely intertwined by trade and proximity. Liberia will continue to support international efforts to safeguard regional peace and stability, the statement added. China is playing a pivotal role in Liberia's reconstruction after a bloody civil war and the impact of Ebola on the country. A number of prominent Liberians concerned about the situation in East Asia also expressed their support to bilateral talks. The Philippines ditched negotiations with China and unilaterally brought its maritime dispute with the country to a court in The Hague. China has refused to participate in the arbitration because the Philippines has reneged on past agreements to resolve disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations. China won't recognize the court's verdict, which is expected on Tuesday. "The Chinese are friends of Liberia and have been very positive in helping to move us forward. What is happening in the South China Sea is of concern to all, and we hope maximum restraint will be taken in its resolution," said Abdullai Kamara, president of the Press Union of Liberia. Tamba W. Bundor, the executive director of the Community Development Services which is a non-government organization specialized in the water sector, noted that should the dispute escalate it would undermine progress and stability in that region. Bundor, an expert in water and sanitation, advised dialogue instead of confrontation, which will generate unnecessary tensions and harm the free movement of people and economic progress. Bundor says China is a peace-loving nation, which subscribes to international protocols and carries out constructive engagement in settling the dispute in the South China Sea. All parties should exercise restraint for the good of the region, Bundor added. Related: China will not be "forced" into accepting South China Sea arbitration decision BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. Full story Spotlight: Truth about South China Sea should not be misrepresented by Western media BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- On the South China Sea issue, some Western media have spared no efforts to make "news", tapping lies to cover the truth and misguide public opinions thereon, which is considered by experts and scholars to be unfair and misleading. "Beijing says 60 countries back stance on international tribunal; only 8 have publicly stated support," wrote the Wall Street Journal in a recent article sub-title. Full story Sri Lanka supports China's stance on South China Sea issue COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue and supports countries concerned in solving the maritime disputes through negotiation, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Friday. He made the remarks when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Full story Interview: South China Sea arbitration likely to stir more regional tensions: Italian expert ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The forthcoming arbitration on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is likely to stir more tensions in the region, said an Italian expert. "I reckon the judgement of the court will not help the dialogue between the two parties involved, China and the Philippines, but rather worsen the crisis," Domenico Losurdo, a famous Italian historical philosopher and professor at the University of Urbino, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story Spotlight: U.S. stokes unwanted tensions in South China Sea: Russia n experts MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States' activities in the South China Sea are raising tension unacceptable for the countries in the region and may force China to abandon the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Russian experts said. "The U.S. has always advanced the freedom of navigation issue in the South China Sea pointing to its special role in world trade, but such an approach is misleading," said Vasily Kashin, a senior research fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics (HSE). Full story African media voice support for China's stance on South China Sea BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's position on the South China Sea is getting more support from international experts, said several media from African countries while commenting on the unilateral arbitration initiative by the Philippines. Manila has been unilaterally pressing ahead to bring a maritime dispute with China to an international tribunal since January 2013. Full story Equatorial Guinean ruling party calls for peaceful solution to South China Sea dispute MALABO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Jeronimo Osa Osa Ecoro, Secretary General of Equatorial Guinean ruling Democratic Party, on Thursday called for peaceful solution to the South China Sea dispute. In an interview with Xinhua, Osa insisted that the disputed countries should solve their dispute through dialogues and negotiations. Full story Interview: Unilateral arbitration will endanger peace, stability in South China Sea: French sinologue PARIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Arbitration by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) following the unilateral application of the Philippines over its dispute with China in the South China Sea "would endanger the peace and stability" in the region, said French sinologue Pierre Picquart. "What seems questionable is a so-called 'international arbitration,' unrecognized by China, trying to impose a settlement between Beijing and Manila," Picquart told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story PNG says respecting China's position on South China Sea BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) said on Thursday that it respected China's position on the South China Sea issue and supported direct consultation between parties concerned. SEOUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired what is estimated to have been a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. SEOUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired what is estimated to have been a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. The projectile was launched in waters southeast of the DPRK's eastern port city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong province, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) was quoted as saying. The military is analyzing the exact flight distance of the projectile and whether the test-firing was successful. If confirmed, it would mark the DPRK's first test-launch of its SLBM since April 23 when a ballistic missile launched from a submarine flew about 30 km before exploding into fragments. The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington jointly announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to better tackle what they claimed was the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats. NEW YORK, July 8 (Xinhua) -- An atlas published in 1994 by a renowned U.S. map publisher clearly illustrated that Huangyan Dao and other key islands involved in the South China Sea dispute are part of China's territory. The 1994 revised edition of the Illustrated Atlas of The World, published by the Chicago-based Rand McNally, clearly shows that Huangyan Dao, Nansha Islands and Xisha Islands fall under China's jurisdiction, Chia-Chi Tsui, a retired Chinese-American professor, told Xinhua on Friday. The Illustrated Atlas of The World is published by one of the most recognized names in American map publishing. The atlas shows clearly that Huangyan Dao is out of the Philippine borderline as the island, which the Philippines calls Scarborough Shoal, is located to the west of the 118 degrees east longitude -- the western limit of Philippine territory, said Tsui, owner of the atlas. The 1898 Treaty of Paris, the 1900 Treaty of Washington and the 1930 Convention Between the United States and Great Britain all give the western limit of the Philippine territory at 118 degrees east longitude, which was also reaffirmed by the Philippine Constitution in 1935. The map also shows the key islands in the South China Sea are marked in Chinese pinyin, while other places in Southeast Asia are marked with English words. Furthermore, the word "China" is clearly written under the mark of Xisha Islands and Nansha Islands on the map, Tsui said. Neither the borderline of the Philippines nor the mark of Huangyan Dao was shown in the first edition of the atlas published in 1992. So far, Rand McNally, which was founded in 1856, has not responded to Xinhua's inquiry about the changes to the 1994 edition of the map. In 2013, the Philippines unilaterally initiated an arbitration on the relevant disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, ignoring the common understanding the two countries had reached on solving the disputes through negotiations, and its commitments under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. China has declared that it would neither accept nor participate in the arbitration. In recent years, tensions in the South China Sea have escalated with Washington continuously sending warships and aircraft to the area and actively enhancing military ties with claimant states such as the Philippines. (Intern Li Nan in New York also contributed to the story) Related: China will not be "forced" into accepting South China Sea arbitration decision BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. Full story Spotlight: Truth about South China Sea should not be misrepresented by Western media BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- On the South China Sea issue, some Western media have spared no efforts to make "news", tapping lies to cover the truth and misguide public opinions thereon, which is considered by experts and scholars to be unfair and misleading. "Beijing says 60 countries back stance on international tribunal; only 8 have publicly stated support," wrote the Wall Street Journal in a recent article sub-title. Full story Sri Lanka supports China's stance on South China Sea issue COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue and supports countries concerned in solving the maritime disputes through negotiation, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Friday. He made the remarks when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Full story Interview: South China Sea arbitration likely to stir more regional tensions: Italian expert ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The forthcoming arbitration on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is likely to stir more tensions in the region, said an Italian expert. "I reckon the judgement of the court will not help the dialogue between the two parties involved, China and the Philippines, but rather worsen the crisis," Domenico Losurdo, a famous Italian historical philosopher and professor at the University of Urbino, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story Spotlight: U.S. stokes unwanted tensions in South China Sea: Russia n experts MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States' activities in the South China Sea are raising tension unacceptable for the countries in the region and may force China to abandon the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Russian experts said. "The U.S. has always advanced the freedom of navigation issue in the South China Sea pointing to its special role in world trade, but such an approach is misleading," said Vasily Kashin, a senior research fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics (HSE). Full story African media voice support for China's stance on South China Sea BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's position on the South China Sea is getting more support from international experts, said several media from African countries while commenting on the unilateral arbitration initiative by the Philippines. Manila has been unilaterally pressing ahead to bring a maritime dispute with China to an international tribunal since January 2013. Full story Equatorial Guinean ruling party calls for peaceful solution to South China Sea dispute MALABO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Jeronimo Osa Osa Ecoro, Secretary General of Equatorial Guinean ruling Democratic Party, on Thursday called for peaceful solution to the South China Sea dispute. In an interview with Xinhua, Osa insisted that the disputed countries should solve their dispute through dialogues and negotiations. Full story Interview: Unilateral arbitration will endanger peace, stability in South China Sea: French sinologue PARIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Arbitration by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) following the unilateral application of the Philippines over its dispute with China in the South China Sea "would endanger the peace and stability" in the region, said French sinologue Pierre Picquart. "What seems questionable is a so-called 'international arbitration,' unrecognized by China, trying to impose a settlement between Beijing and Manila," Picquart told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story PNG says respecting China's position on South China Sea BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinea (PNG) said on Thursday that it respected China's position on the South China Sea issue and supported direct consultation between parties concerned. GWADAR, Pakistan, July 9 (Xinhua) -- From overhead the port of Gwadar in southwest Pakistan is hard to spot, with its sandy-colored buildings blending into the dusty background. But the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a cooperation program launched in 2013, will soon put the town on the map. "There will be a ceremony next month marking the completion and commencement of major infrastructure projects in Gwadar that greatly boost the city's function as an economic engine for Pakistan," Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Dostain Jamaldini told Xinhua recently. A water dam, a hospital and a school will be put into use in August, while the construction on the Gwadar International Airport, a seaside expressway, a training center and a pipeline will begin in the meantime, he said, adding that most of the projects are financed by China and falls under CPEC. COPHC, a Chinese company managing the Gwadar port, also said it will start developing the Gwadar Free Trade Zone (FTZ) this month with an initial investment of one billion Chinese yuan (150 million U.S. dollars). "First phase projects in the FTZ include a multi-function business center, a exhibition hall for Chinese goods and cold storage," COPHC Pakistan chief Wu Chunguo said. The FTZ and the Gwadar Special Economic Zone are two areas that the Pakistani government has granted preferable policies to attract investments, with tax exemptions for companies inside the two zones for 23 years and 10 years respectively. A town with a population of less than 100,000, Gwadar was once a territory of Oman before being purchased by Pakistan in 1958. It is gifted with a natural deep-water harbor that falls close to main shipping lanes and an anchor-shaped peninsula that acts as a breakwater shielding the harbor from the waves of the Arabian Sea. An arid climate and isolated location once limited locals to rely on the meager income brought in by fishing. Though development plans had been drawn up by the Pakistani government in 2002, the town remained dormant for another decade before China chose the port as one of the four focuses for its ambitious scheme to overhaul Pakistan's infrastructure. The other three are upgrading road and railroad networks, patching up the energy sector and establishing industrial parks, all projects that stand to benefit from a prosperous Gwadar port. Seizing the momentum brought by CPEC, the Gwadar government is hoping to develop the coastal town into a modern metropolis with a major port, industrial zones, tourist attractions, recreation grounds and high-end real estate. It certainly seems that the town is moving in that direction, says Wu of COPHC. "We are seeing an increasing number of businesses coming for talks to invest in the port. In April we received more than 350 business representatives, a record high." Land prices, a barometer that measures investor confidence, has more than doubled in the past two years, Jamaldini said. An acre of land in the FTZ, which cost 3.4 million Pakistani rupees (32,000 U.S. dollars) in 2014, is now priced at more than 10 million rupees (95,000 U.S.dollars), he said, adding land price for the most prime location on the tip of the peninsula is even higher. Encouraged by the upcoming boom, locals are ready to move on from harvesting fish to harvesting a better life. Dubai is the word often used when the people of Gwadar picture their future, believing the huge opportunities created by CPEC will transform their fishing town to a center of business, shipping and tourism. "What Dubai can achieve, so can we," Jamaldini said. 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 insouth China Sea. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan) LONDON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines will set a "serious, wrong, and bad example" if it is allowed to go through, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said. In a recent interview with Reuters, Liu said China will not participate in the arbitration and China believes it is illegal for a tribunal to handle this case. "The Philippines' arbitration case is against UNCLOS (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), because sovereignty and territorial disputes are not under the jurisdiction of UNCLOS," Liu stressed. Liu noted that China, like 30 other countries, made a declaration in 2006 that it will not take part in third party arbitration when it comes to maritime delimitation. "UK is one of the 30 countries. UNCLOS provides that sovereign countries have their sovereign right to make these declarations on optional exceptions," he explained. China has always called for bilateral consultation and negotiations with neighboring countries, including the Philippines, when it comes to maritime disputes, the Chinese envoy said. There had been a series of statements between China and the Philippines on how to resolve disputes before 2013 when the Philippines submitted its arbitration case. "In our view, the Philippines have turned their back on their promise and that is against international practice. Once agreed, you have to follow your commitment," he said in the interview. According to UNCLOS, Liu said, arbitration is only a supplementary means to resolve disputes, and bilateral channels are regarded as the main means to resolve a dispute between countries. "The Philippines had never come to China to talk about this arbitration. And China and the Philippines had never had serious negotiations on this subject back then," he elaborated. UNCLOS provides that a compulsory arbitration will not be resorted to settle a dispute between countries unless all bilateral channels are exhausted. If this arbitration goes through, it "is against the spirit of UNCLOS," and will "set a serious, wrong and bad example," said Liu, adding that British and Dutch experts on the Law of the Sea shared the same concern with Chinese legal experts. "Some people try to label China as not respecting international law if we reject this arbitration. But that is totally wrong. What China is doing is exactly safeguarding the authority and seriousness of international law, safeguarding the letter and spirit of UNCLOS," he told Reuters. No matter what decision this tribunal is going to make, "it has no impact on China and China's sovereignty over these islands and reefs will not be bound by it," Liu argued. "We will not fight in the court, but we will certainly fight for our sovereignty," he stressed. Citing China's record in resolving territorial disputes with its neighbors, Liu reiterated that the door remains open for the Philippines to return to bilateral negotiations with China. "The Philippines, they can put forward their proposals. And we can have our proposals and we'll meet half way. Any negotiation is a process of compromise." "Now they have elected a new government. We do hope that they will change their course, return to the negotiation table," said the diplomat. In the interview, Liu also slammed the U.S. "rebalancing in the Asia Pacific," voicing suspicion over American motives. "I think the American move in the Asia Pacific emboldened those countries to change the traditional channel of negotiation with China," making them believe in "a better deal with China" via U.S. help, he said. Describing U.S. "freedom of navigation" claims as a false argument, the ambassador said the situation in the South China Sea is calm and peaceful with no reason for military involvement from an outside power at all. "What they are doing is not for safeguarding free navigation," Liu said. "They are there to challenge China's sovereignty over the islands and reefs. And they make a dangerous provocation. China has a legitimate right to check what they are doing." Related: China will not be "forced" into accepting South China Sea arbitration decision BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. Full story Spotlight: Truth about South China Sea should not be misrepresented by Western media BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- On the South China Sea issue, some Western media have spared no efforts to make "news", tapping lies to cover the truth and misguide public opinions thereon, which is considered by experts and scholars to be unfair and misleading. "Beijing says 60 countries back stance on international tribunal; only 8 have publicly stated support," wrote the Wall Street Journal in a recent article sub-title. Full story Commentary: China will not negotiate with Philippines based on arbitration ruling BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China will not negotiate with the Philippines on the basis of any ruling in the case of arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China on South China Sea disputes, regardless of whether it will be "in favor of the Philippines." The new Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, recently said that Manila is ready to talk to China if the South China Sea arbitration tribunal rules in the Philippines' favor on July 12. Full story Sri Lanka supports China's stance on South China Sea issue COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government understands China's stance on the South China Sea issue and supports countries concerned in solving the maritime disputes through negotiation, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Friday. He made the remarks when meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Full story Interview: South China Sea arbitration likely to stir more regional tensions: Italian expert ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The forthcoming arbitration on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is likely to stir more tensions in the region, said an Italian expert. "I reckon the judgement of the court will not help the dialogue between the two parties involved, China and the Philippines, but rather worsen the crisis," Domenico Losurdo, a famous Italian historical philosopher and professor at the University of Urbino, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Full story Spotlight: U.S. stokes unwanted tensions in South China Sea:Russian experts MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States' activities in the South China Sea are raising tension unacceptable for the countries in the region and may force China to abandon the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Russian experts said. BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have decided on a one-year campaign against hospital-related crimes to protect medical personnel and institutions. Starting this month, nine agencies, including the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice will focus on crimes committed in hospitals or against medical staff, according to the NHFPC. The campaign sets out to improve order and safety at medical institutions, said NHFPC official Guo Yanhong. Abuse and violence against medical staff, including some fatalities, and harassments of medical institutions, have prompted similar campaigns since 2013. Around 4,000 organizations have been set up to mediate medical disputes and helped in 71,000 conflicts, with an estimated success rate of more than 85 percent. Since 2013, medical disputes and hospital-related crimes have decreased, while doctor-patient relations have generally improved, the NHFPC said. by Xiong Sihao DUBLIN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea issue can only be resolved through direct bilateral talks by the parties concerned, according to an Irish observer. Brendan Halligan, chairman of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), a leading independent think tank in Ireland, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to announce on July 12 its verdict on the South China Sea issue unilaterally proposed by the Philippines. China, the other concerned party, has repeatedly declared that it won't participate in or accept the results of the arbitration. Halligan called on the Philippines to resolve its disputes with China through negotiation and questioned the Philippines' initiations with the arbitration. Commenting on China's stance of non-acceptance of and non-participation in the arbitration, Halligan said it is understandable. "In my view, the Chinese response is justified on grounds of sovereignty," he said. "It cannot be coerced into a process which involves an outside agency making decisions which would be binding on China." "I would strongly urge the Philippines to negotiate a settlement peacefully with China based on mutual respect and compliance with established legal norms," he added. "An issue of such historical and legal complexity can only be solved through prolonged negotiation freely conducted by the parties concerned in accordance with bilateral agreements between them and multilateral agreements to which they have subscribed," said Halligan. Arbitration is only valid when the parties to a dispute agree beforehand to accept the findings of an arbitrator, according to Halligan. "That is not the case here. Furthermore, any unilateral resort to arbitration would conflict with the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)." The DOC signed by China and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2002 seeks to promote a partnership of good neighborliness and mutual trust and is clearly the most effective way of resolving differences between sovereign states, Halligan said. "It should be adhered to by all the parties," he said. The Philippines claims that its 15 submissions for arbitration do not refer to territorial sovereignty, something Halligan doesn't believe. "It seems clear that territorial sovereignty is at the heart of the dispute and claims to the contrary are entirely unconvincing." It was wrong for the arbitral tribunal to claim jurisdiction over the case, and the verdict should be "null and void," Halligan argued. "I think it's perfectly clear that China would not be violating international law if it refused to implement the decision of a tribunal whose jurisdiction it does not accept," he said. Additionally, Halligan said China's presence in the South China Sea does not impede the freedom of navigation in the region. "Obviously, it's in nobody's interest to impede freedom of navigation in the South China Sea ...Furthermore, China's self interest in this matter is quite clear as its economy is hugely dependent on sea-borne trade and respect for the freedom of the seas by all parties is crucial to the continued success of the economy," he explained. Halligan agreed that China is a victim in this regional issue, saying that it has exercised utmost restraint with a view to holding peace and stability. China's building of facilities such as lighthouses on the islands and reefs in the region is to provide public services and goods to the international community, he concluded. BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The voices of comfort women - or sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II - should be remembered and that tragic period in history should not repeated, a Chinese scholar has said. Su Zhiliang, director of the Research Center for Chinese Comfort Women at Shanghai Normal University, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that what he hopes now is to protect the files of the sex slaves, remember history and learn lessons from it as well as condemn the Japanese army's atrocities. "Another comfort women victim passed away in (central China's) Shanxi Province on July 1, leaving only 20 surviving comfort women in China," Su told Xinhua. Su has devoted more than two decades to studying the comfort women issue. According to his research, the Japanese army built large numbers of comfort houses from 1937 until Japan's surrender in 1945. At least 400,000 Asian women were forced to become sex slaves to Japanese soldiers. "Japan's comfort women system is a sex slave system mainly aimed at foreign women and carried out by state force and compulsory means," Su said. "Such a crime committed by a country is unprecedented in human history." Many survivors, who suffered excruciating torture, lost their fertility and lived a lonely and miserable life in old age, Su said, adding that he heard stories of mental disorders and suicide. More than 70 years after the end of World War II, Japan has not sincerely apologized for its crime. The Japanese government and right-wing groups have not only suppressed scholars at home, but also had distorted reaction to the historical facts on the global stage. In May, non-governmental organizations from eight countries and regions including China, South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia jointly put forth records on comfort women to the Memory of the World Register. The Memory of the World Program, established in 1992 by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), preserves the world's most important documents. Su, who participated in the nomination, said there were two objectives. "One is to draw public attention and raise concerns to preserve the valuable files; the other is to learn lessons from history and criticize the atrocities and Japan's attitude." The nomination took place after the comfort women documents were not added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2015. The Japanese government resorted to every means possible to obstruct the nomination launched by China in 2014, Su said, adding that he hoped Japan would not repeat its unscrupulousness this time. Japan's act of obstructing the nomination will run against the Kono Statement offering apologies to wartime sexual slavery and a deal reached last year with South Korea aimed at ending a long-standing rift between the countries over the issue, Su said. "It will show that Japan has no sincerity to apologize and admit its mistakes." A total of 2,744 documents have been submitted for the UNESCO Memory of the World Program. Every single witness record is a testimony to the cruelty of the sex slave system. There are fewer and fewer surviving comfort women and the average age of the surviving is 90.5, Su said. "We have no room for retreat now," said Su. "We should not let down those victims in the war." LABHPUR, India, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Nasimuddin Mian is a devoted Muslim who offers "namaaz" or prayer five times a day, an Indian to the core of his heart and who condemns terrorism. He is firm in his stand even about his son Maseuddin, a suspected Islamic State (IS) operative arrested by police of the eastern state of India West Bengal crime department and being grilled by all central investigative agencies. "I don't know whether he is a terrorist. But if he was connected with any terrorist activities, then as a father I demand his exemplary punishment. Islam doesn't approve of any kind of terrorism and violence," said the 62-year-old man. People in this small town, 180 km from the state capital Kolkata, are shocked by the news of the arrest of his son, Maseuddin alias Musha, about whom the questions from reporters practically go unanswered. Musha was arrested earlier this week on a train from the southern state of Tamil Nadul to West Bengal. He was suspected to be an operative of IS's South Asia network which is staging assassinations and terror strikes in Bangladesh. A knife and an improved rifle were seized from him when he was snatched by Indian security agents in the train in Burdwan, according to media reports. Nasimuddin owns a two-storey brick house without any cement plaster near the local mosque at Registry Office locality in this small town. He is an assistant to the "imam" (cleric) of the mosque. The man with a wiry beard clad in a sleeveless vest and lungi was preparing to offer "namaaz" at the mosque. The man informed that he had five sons and Musha was the second one. Musha was actually 28 years old and passed secondary and higher secondary examinations in second divisions. A district police team first visited his home after Musha's arrest on Tuesday and questioned all the family members. Since then hordes of plain clothes men have visited Nasimuddin's home. Seven years ago Musha married a local girl Saira Banu, who resided nearby in another locality. After passing out from high school, Musha did not get admitted in the local Shambhunath College but in Surendranath College in central Kolkata, where he gave up studies after staying two years. "Around five years ago, he left along with his wife. At that time he said he was going to Tamil Nadu to set up a grocery shop. He did not ask for any financial help," said his father. "Last time he came was around four months ago. Around a fortnight ago he called to say he would come to Labhpur. We hoped he would also come home during Eid," he said. Police believe it was during Musha's stay in Kolkata when he was indoctrinated in jihadi philosophy and not after he migrated to Tirupur in Tamil Nadu. Musha first came to know Sheikh Yusuf, a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh militant now wanted by the National Intelligence Agency for his involvement in the Khagragarh blast in Burdwan in October, 2014 while residing in Kolkata, according to investigators. Yusuf introduced him to Mohammad Suleiman, another Bangladeshi and an IS terrorist. Through Suleiman, he came to know Safwi Armar, a former resident of Karnataka, a southern Indian state, and founder of Indian Mujahideen but now with IS and based in Syria, according to investigators. Musha had been working as a recruiter for the IS for sometime and was promised a big role of IS in West Bengal if he could kill one of his neighbors and rape the victim's daughter to prove his loyalty, according to media reports. But before he could carry out the crime, he was arrested by police along with two of his accomplices who were hired by him to help carry out the killing and raping, said local daily The Telegraph. BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker Mercedes-Benz will recall 16 vehicles in China with defective clutches, according to China's quality watchdog. The affected vehicles are 2016 A, GLA and CLA series, manufactured between Oct. 22, 2015 and Nov. 4, 2015, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement. Mercedes-Benz will also recall 12 vehicles, including 2015 AMG and GT series, manufactured between June 9, 2015 and July 22, 2015, due to defective carbon fiber driveshafts. The recall will start from July 19 and the company will replace the defective parts free of charge. by Xinhua writer Lyu Dong BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cosmetics makers are increasingly taking their battle with global competitors online, where digital marketplaces have been outpacing brick-and-mortar stores in selling cosmetics and personal products. Earlier this week, Shanghai-based Jahwa inked a deal with online retailer JD.com in Beijing to sell and market its cosmetics and personal care products on JD's marketplace. The deal will also see Jahwa working with the online retailer to figure out consumer preferences, tailor its own digital marketing program accordingly and participate in JD's programs to reach out to China's increasingly wired consumers. It entered into a similar deal with JD's arch rival Alibaba last year, setting up its own shop on Alibaba's online marketplace Tmall and running digital campaigns from there. Both international and domestic cosmetic brands have long regarded department stores and shopping malls as the primary sales channels in China. But as the country's e-commerce revolution sweeps brick-and-mortar stores, cosmetics and personal care products are chief among a list of consumer goods witnessing sales migrating online. According to consulting firm Bain & Company, products ranging from biscuits and chocolate to shampoos and personal cleaning agents have experienced annual growth of no less than 30 percent in online sales over the past four years. Jahwa, which traces its roots to a daily-use chemical products maker in the late 1890s, is a household brand in China for its mosquito repellent Liushen and hand cream Maxam. The company has been seeking to break global brands' dominance of premium cosmetics in China with its own Herborist line, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and herbal ingredients. In recent years, Jahwa has sought to put a global spin on Herborist by selling it in Europe through cosmetic retailers Sephora and Douglas. In 2015, Herborist was the only Chinese name to make the top 10 cosmetic brands by market share at department stores in China, at number eight, according to China Market Monitor. But like its peers, Jahwa's reliance on traditional channels has weighed on its performance. Revenue growth in 2015 shed 5 percentage points from five years earlier to 9.58 percent. Excluding non-recurring items, profit growth slid for the first time in a decade. Jahwa said the slowdown in its own business has come largely as a result of overall weakness in the cosmetics sector. Cosmetics retail sales growth moderated from 13.3 percent in 2013 to 8.8 percent in 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. For skin care products in general, growth at department stores has almost stagnated, Jahwa said in a response to an inquiry over its 2015 financial results by the Shanghai Stock Exchange. As a result, domestic cosmetics brands including Jahwa have been the the most active in embracing e-commerce, where they see a chance in overtaking global titans that have been slow to adapt to China's increasingly digitalized retail scene. Very few international cosmetics brands can make the monthly list of top 10 best-selling cosmetics on Alibaba's e-commerce site. Domestic brands such as Pechoin, Hanhoo, Chando and KanS lead cosmetics sales online. As a result, foreign brands have been losing share in skincare and makeup to Chinese competitors, by roughly 2 to 5 percent during each of the past two years, according to Bain. Jahwa is hoping that 20 percent of its sales of cosmetics and personal care products sales will be made online by 2018. Last year, its e-commerce revenue stood at 557 million yuan (about 83.3 million U.S. dollars), or 9.5 percent of the company's total. HOHHOT, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A three-day horse racing competition, along with an equestrian invitational, kicked off in the Hinggan League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region here on Saturday with 370 horses from across China and abroad participating. The event opened with traditional horseback riding performances which involve skillful movements on galloping horses, wowing more than 12,000 spectators. Eight different categories of horse races will be held and the contests will also test riders' equestrian skills such as dressage and show jumping. Thirty-two teams from Australia, China, Mongolia, New Zealand, Russia and Turkey will compete for awards worth 2.32 million RMB (346,952 U.S. dollars) in total. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Indefinite curfew has been imposed Saturday in several parts of Muslim majority areas of Indian-controlled Kashmir including capital city Srinagar. The latest development was triggered following the killing of top militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in a gunfight with troops, officials said. The step was taken to prevent protest rallies and clashes in wake of Wani's killing. Separatist groups had urged people to march to Wani's village and even asked people to offer in-absentia prayers for him. Officials said the restrictions were imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. The restrictions were being enforced by thousands of armed police and paramilitary troopers, who had laid barricades and coils of concertina wire to close roads. Wani the poster boy of region's indigenous militant outfit - Hizbul Mujahideen (HM)- was killed along with two associates Friday evening at village Waybemdoora of Kokernag town in Anantnag district, about 65 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. As the news about his killing spread, hundreds of people hit the roads in protest and clashed with the police. The protests continued throughout night at several places including Wani's home town Tral. Authorities have also snapped cellphone and internet services in the Muslim majority region in a bid to check the flow of information. Reports said thousands of people have gathered at Tral to participate in funeral procession and prayers of Wani. The crowd is shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Of late militant funerals have again started witnessing a huge local participation. Hundreds of people including women turn up to participate in funeral procession of militants. Analysts say this is for the first time authorities have to use severe curbs to prevent people from participating in the funeral prayer of a militant. MANILA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has accused the United States of importing and sowing terror to the Middle East, causing staggering violence and mayhem in that region. In a speech before Muslim leaders in Davao City Friday night, Duterte said the U.S. imported terrorism to the Middle East, and not the other way around. "That's what happened in the Middle East. It is not that the Middle East is exporting terrorism to America; America imported terrorism (to the Middle East)," Duterte said. "The U.S. destroyed the Middle East," he said, recounting how the U.S. invaded Iraq with the help of Britain in the 1990s. "(They say Saddam Husein was a dictator) but he was in control of the country. After almost 10 years of investigation, it turned out there was no legal basis to declare war against Iraq. You see, it's a useless war," Duterte said. "Great Britain and the U.S. will not admit that they forced their way to Iraq and killed Saddam. Look at Iraq now. Look what happened to Libya. Look what happened to Syria. Even children are being doused with gasoline. They were pushed to the wall for the failed promises," Duterte said. Duterte urged the Muslim leaders to work for peace rather than engage in war. "That is why I am not including Abu Sayyaf in the criminality. It is a different set-up there because these are the guys who were driven to desperation," Duterte added. He said from Nur Misuari, the rebel leader, to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, there was no semblance of governance. And that is why they are pushed to the wall, then became radicalized. "That's also what happened in the Middle east," Duterte said. The Philippine government has been fighting the Abu Sayyaf rebels since the 1990s. Past administrations have labeled the group, numbering about 400, as bandits or criminals that carries out illegal activities including kidnappings for ransom, killings and bombings in Mindanao in southern Philippines. Related: Commentary: There should be a war crimes tribunal for Iraq invasion BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The long-awaited report of Britain's official inquiry into the war on Iraq confirms what has long been suspected, but it fails to take notice of an inconvenient truth by not mentioning that it was a war waged illegally.x There should be a war crimes tribunal for the perpetrators of the war that left hundreds of thousands dead and millions homeless and had been at the root of the wave of refugees plaguing Europe years later. The inquiry led by retired British civil servant John Chilcot found that the British government based its decision to deploy troops to Iraq on flawed intelligence and underestimated the consequences of the invasion. Full story Backgrounder: False, unfulfilled excuses behind U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua ) -- A seven-year inquiry in Britain has brought the world focus again on the legitimacy of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2013. BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines and without China's consent is a political farce. The reason is simple: the United States is using the administration of former Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III to raise tensions in the region. The United States is using the Philippines as a tool and applying an outdated Cold War mentality to contain China in a bid to maintain its own dominance in the region. As an outsider country and a non-claimant in the maritime and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the super power's Cold War thinking is perfectly embodied in its Rebalance to Asia strategy and military maneuvers. First, the country is calling white black and fabricating something from nothing. The United States calls China's lawful construction activities on its own sovereign territory a threat to the region, and even the entire globe. It does so by using the press to portray China as a threat to "navigational freedom" in a bid to smear China, which has never threatened freedom of navigation and depends on the safe passage of goods in the South China Sea for its own development. Second, the United States is calling on China to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , but refuses to join the convention itself. Third, the United States directly gains from muddying waters in South China Sea. Since the Obama administration proposed its Rebalance to Asia strategy in 2009, the situation in the South China Sea has become unnecessarily tense. This tension is being used to form alliances with countries in the region against China. The U.S. army continues to send warships into waters adjacent to China's Nansha Islands and B-52 bombers flying into China's territorial space under the guise of freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, U.S. defence and army leaders continue to deliver hawkish speeches. Washington also carried the Cold-War mentality beyond the South China Sea and Asia-Pacific region. In Europe, U.S.-led NATO has been seeking an eastward expansion to squeeze Russia. Its actions have altered established geopolitical structures and triggered the Ukraine crisis. In essence, the United States wants to remain the sole super power in the world by railroading through the Cold-War mentality, even at the price of sacrificing other states' national security, which explained why Washington was behind the chaos and violence in quite a few countries. However, at a time of globalization of high interdependence, no country can achieve absolute security single-handedly, especially when intentionally raising tensions and holding up to the mindset of confrontation and containment, no matter how super it is. Washington should reflect on its practice to avoid being penny wise, pound foolish. Related: Interview: South China Sea arbitration likely to stir more regional tensions: Italian expert by Alessandra Cardone ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The forthcoming arbitration on the South China Sea dispute by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is likely to stir more tensions in the region, said an Italian expert. COLOMBO, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday the planned deployment of U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea far exceeds the Korean Peninsula's defense needs. The visiting foreign minister told reporters that China had the reasons and rights to question the behind-the-scenes motives of this move, and any excuse for the deployment would be unjustified. The United States and South Korea decided on Friday to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. China said it is "strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes to this." Wang said the Chinese side had stated its firm stance on this issue, stressing that the United States should not harm other countries' legitimate security interests with the excuse of so-called security threats. The Chinese top diplomat also called on the South Korean side to be cool-headed and think over what the deployment could actually bring for its security, for the realization of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, as well as for the settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. He urged related parties to act in a cautious and appropriate manner and avoid committing a serious mistake. Related: S.Korea, U.S. decide to deploy THAAD despite opposition from neighbors SEOUL, July 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and the United States on Friday announced their final decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) despite continued oppositions from neighboring countries. The military authorities jointly made an official announcement to deploy the advanced U.S. missile defense system in the USFK stationed on the Korean peninsula to tackle the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear and missile threats. Full story News Analysis: Decision to deploy THAAD in S.Korea triggers controversy over regional tension, effectiveness by Yoo Seungki SEOUL, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The decision between South Korea and the United States to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on Friday triggered various controversies as it causes regional tensions and strong oppositions from people living in candidate sites amid remaining doubts about its military effectiveness. MINSK, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Belarus on Friday rejected a mediation proposed by Poland in its relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying it favors direct dialogue. Belarus always advocates direct, without intermediaries, dialogue with all partners, including NATO, on the basis of national interests and mutual respect, Maria Vanshina, Belarusian Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesperson told local media. The comment was in response to an offer made by Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski at a press conference held earlier in the day before a two-day NATO summit opened in Poland's capital city of Warsaw. Waszczykowski said Poland could be a mediator in relations between the military alliance and Belarus. There is no other alternative than to have open and honest dialogue among all parties concerned for the sake of regional peace and stability, said Vanshina, while reaffirming Minsk's opposition to increasing regional military tensions. While deeming the NATO move not a direct security threat to Belarus, "we certainly do not welcome the deployment of additional troops in the Baltic states and Poland, but we can understand the logic of our partners and why they take such steps," said Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei on Thursday in the Latvian capital city of Riga after meeting his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics. TEHRAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent remarks about Iran's missile program as "unconstructive." The Islamic republic has repeatedly announced that its missile program is purely defensive and by no means is designed to carry nuclear warheads, Iran's Foreign Minsitry Sopokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by semi-official Mehr news agency. On Thursday, Merkel said "Iran continued unabatedly to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council." It is not a violation of any resolution of UN Security Council, and has nothing to do with the nuclear deal or JCPOA reached between Iran and the world powers in July last year, Qasemi said. Iran's missile program is solely developed for deterrence purposes to meet national security needs, and the pressures by the West will not have any impact on the country's resolve to boost its defensive capabilities, he said. Early in March 2016 Vidant Health and East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine (BSOM) announced their intentions to align with each other in pursuit of a common goal to become a national model for providing rural health care. This is a big undertaking. The integration of all facets of this endeavor will not happen overnight. There are specialty teams from both entities working on the legal and financial complexities.This unique partnering of a private, nonprofit hospital with a public medical school and physicians' practice will be a first for North Carolina - Vidant Health, a burgeoning private nonprofit monopoly and a State funded school of medicine.Now it looks like the first step has been taken. Vidant Health filed incorporation papers with the Secretary of State on June 24th creating a new subsidiary "VECU Medical Group, Inc." Based on the incorporation papers it looks like control of the new partnership has been ceded to Vidant Health. It is unclear if this venture will result in a redraft of existing Affiliation Agreements between Vidant Medical Center, ECU Brody SOM and Pitt County. Legal commitments among all parties may be subject to revision as Vidant Health is the parent organization of all Vidant subsidiaries.Anytime you combine duplicative steps and streamline a process, there is a loss of jobs. That's reality! With ECU being a major economic engine in Pitt County, any significant changes can upset the apple cart. In addition, Pitt County Board of Commissioners plays a major role in the overall scheme of things. If the parties to the agreement wait until after they finalize a plan, an oversight invitation may end up being too little, too late.The Articles of Incorporation offer little insight as to how the corporation's stated purposes will be accomplished. But as far as who is in control, Vidant has left no doubt who has the bulk of the power.These goals will be managed by a Board of Directors made up of appointees by ECU through its Chancellor and Vidant Health's CEO, Michael Waldrum with 51% of the BOD being designated by Vidant Health.Vidant's CEO will approve the appointment of the VECU Medical Group President, extending Waldrum's control and authority over the corporation officers, agents and employees through Vidant's approved corporation President. This chain of command ultimately gives Vidant general control of the business affairs and property of VECU Medical Group.Now that the ball is rolling, who will be selected as President of this multifaceted corporation? Two equally qualified local names come to mind.Steve Lawler - Presently serving as President Emeritus of Vidant Medical Center & Chief, Public Affairs Officer (CPAO), Vidant Health, Lawler is also Senior Vice President Regional Group, Carolinas HealthCare System. October 2015 - PresentSteve Ballard, now retired after serving as Chancellor of ECU for 12 years hopes to return as a faculty member after taking some time off. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen during a meeting at the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany July 7, 2016. (Reuters photo) TEHRAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected German Chancellor Angela Merkel's recent remarks about Iran's missile program as "unconstructive." The Islamic republic has repeatedly announced that its missile program is purely defensive and by no means is designed to carry nuclear warheads, Iran's Foreign Minsitry Sopokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by semi-official Mehr news agency. On Thursday, Merkel said "Iran continued unabatedly to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council." It is not a violation of any resolution of UN Security Council, and has nothing to do with the nuclear deal or JCPOA reached between Iran and the world powers in July last year, Qasemi said. Iran's missile program is solely developed for deterrence purposes to meet national security needs, and the pressures by the West will not have any impact on the country's resolve to boost its defensive capabilities, he said. PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia reiterated on Saturday that the country would not support the arbitration court's upcoming decision over the South China Sea issue, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. In 2013, the Philippines unilaterally filed compulsory arbitration against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague with respect to the two sides' disputes in the South China Sea. A decision will be issued on July 12 even though the Chinese government has reiterated its non-acceptance and non-participation stance in the case. "Cambodia thinks that the Philippine complaint is to request the Permanent Court of Arbitration to settle its dispute with China and this process is not related with all ASEAN member states," the statement said. "With this reason, Cambodia will not join in expressing any joint stance on the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the dispute between the Philippines and China," it said. The statement called on the Philippines and China to continue to resolve their dispute peacefully in order to uphold peace, security, and stability in the South China Sea and to maintain the excellent strategic partnership of cooperation between ASEAN and China. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced twice last month that his ruling Cambodian People's Party would not support, and more so would be against, any declaration by ASEAN to support decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in relation to the South China Sea disputes. He said the party considered the arbitration court's upcoming decision as "the worst political collusion in the framework of international politics," the result of which would lead to division among ASEAN members themselves and between ASEAN and China. He called on the parties directly concerned to settle their disputes through peaceful negotiations and urged countries outside the region to cease their interference on the South China Sea issue. by Christine Lagat NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The historic visit to Africa by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week reaffirms the continent's strategic economic, military and diplomatic importance to Israel, Kenyan experts told Xinhua on Friday. The experts said Netanyahu's maiden visit to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia was a culmination of intensive maneuvers by Israel to win over the heart and minds of African allies. They said the Israeli PM's visit opened a new chapter in Israeli-African relations and could unleash huge benefits on both ends in the near future. Professor David Kikaya, a Nairobi-based diplomacy scholar, was of the view that Israel's renewed interest in Africa is informed by the continent's strategic value. "Historically, the East African region and Kenya in particular has been central to Israel's pursuit of its core interests and the recent visit by the country's Israeli Prime Minister only reaffirmed that fact," Kikaya told Xinhua in an interview in Nairobi. Speaking ahead of his African tour, Netanyahu stated that Israel had not abandoned its friends in the continent despite a diplomatic spat occasioned by the Palestinian question. The Israeli leader noted Africa's growing economic and diplomatic clout had strategic value to the country. In particular, Netanyahu said that Israel counted on African allies to support its proposals on revitalizing the Middle East Peace process at the UN General Assembly. "There is no denying Israel would like to have friends in Africa to support its national interests. The African Union, as a bloc, has 54 countries whose diplomatic clout would not be ignored by Israel," said Kikaya. Netanyahu's African tour started in Uganda on July 4 where he attended the 40th anniversary since the successful rescue of a hijacked plane in Entebbe by Israeli commandos. His brother died during the covert mission to rescue hostages from a commercial airline hijacked by terrorists. During his meeting with east African leaders Kampala, Netanyahu pledged support to boost the fight against terrorism in the region. Kikaya hailed strategic security cooperation between Israel and African countries, terming it a game changer in the war against violent extremism in the continent. "Israel has wealth of experience in tackling the threat of terrorism. It has technology and intelligence gathering capabilities that we require to foil any future attack," Kikaya remarked. Kenya and its eastern African neighbors also stand to gain from cutting edge agricultural technologies pioneered by Israel to address food security. "We can adopt drip irrigation and other agricultural technologies from Israel to boost dry land farming and produce enough food for local consumption and exports," said Kikaya. His sentiments were shared by Dr. Anita Kiamba, a diplomacy scholar at the University of Nairobi, who noted that trade relations between Africa and Israel will flourish after Netanyahu's visit. "Africa provides a huge market for goods manufactured in Israel but we can also learn from the country's outstanding model of establishing a thriving start-up sector," Kiamba remarked. She added that African countries stand to benefit from bilateral cooperation with Israel in education, health, waste water management and defense. by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A long-awaited report released Wednesday by former British civil servant John Chilcot, criticizing Britain's role in the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, is "late confession of crimes," according to Egyptian analysts and experts. WAR IN IRAQ CRIME "The war in Iraq, launched in 2003, wasn't a mistake, it was a crime," said Mohamed al-Orabi, former Egyptian foreign minister. The British report proved the determination of both the United States and Britain to destroy Iraq, al-Orabi told Xinhua. The report said that "policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments," and that claims that Iraq posed a threat by possessing weapons of mass destruction were "presented with unjustified certainty." It said that the turmoil unleashed in Iraq since the invasion should have come as no surprise. VERY LATE REPORT Al-Orabi, who is also the head of the foreign relations committee in the current Egyptian parliament, said that the Chilcot report was released "very late" after the impossible-to-be-tackled destruction and ruin prevailed Iraq. He added that the leaders of the Arab world, including late king Abdullah of Saudi and ousted president Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, have advised the United States and Britain not to invade Iraq, but the western powers were "too arrogant to listen." Gamal Salamah, politics professor at Suez University, agrees with the former foreign minister that "the report proved the ugly face of the aggression and imperialism of the United States and Britain." The Chilcot inquiry was launched in 2009 as British troops withdrew from Iraq, tasked with investigating the run-up to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the subsequent occupation. Various surveys suggest that at least hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died during the conflict and the brutal sectarian war that followed, while 179 British soldiers also lost their lives. The invasion was controversial at the time as it did not have explicit approval from the UN Security Council, while claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved unfounded, Salamah added. Tony Blair told then U.S. President George W. Bush eight months before the invasion of Iraq that "I will be with you, whatever," and relied on flawed intelligence and unsatisfactory legal advice, the report revealed. Blair justified his decision to back Bush and go to war alongside the United States. "I did not mislead this country. There were no lies, there was no deceit, there was no deception," the former prime minister told reporters following the release of the report. "Blair's tears are of crocodiles, as he was a card in the hand of Bush administration," the professor said. Salamah pointed out that the report is "political and not criminal," ruling out the possibility of sending Blair to trial. The British parliament could only withdraw confidence from Blair, in office for 10 years until 2007, as responsible for the war decision, the professor noted. "The report was unveiled too late, and wouldn't change anything in Iraq," he added, explaining the miserable country lacks political bloc, and is very busy with its domestic sectarian divisions in addition to fighting the Islamic State (IS). LESSONS NOT LEARNED Iraq couldn't sue Blair, but at least could benefit from the report to ask for compensations, according to security and strategic expert and former army general Talaat Musalam. "The invasion of Iraq led to the disturbance of the Middle East and the emergence of extremist groups such as Daesh," Musalam added, using the Arabic acronym for the IS militant group. "Lessons are never learned, merely repeated in dealing with the Arab region," he lamented. He does not believe the West will learn lessons of the report, adding all the misleading facts about Iraq war were "apparent from the beginning." The Arab affairs committee of the Egyptian parliament asked in a statement on Friday holding all officials responsible for Iraqi invasion, including George W. Bush and Tony Blair, as war criminals and suing them at the International Criminal Court. "The consequences of Iraqi's war require speedy moves by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to assign an international committee to sort all the political and economic losses and press the United States and Britain to pay compensations," the statement said. It added the heinous crimes committed in Iraq since 2003 has led to the death of more than one million, wounding and displacing millions of others. The invasion was the fire signal of the sectarian conflict and the creation of terrorist groups in the region. "The report unveiled the Western plot to divide the Arab world and turn it into weak states to loot their wealth," the statement said. Photo taken on June 9, 2015 shows an aerial view of traffic jam along Waiyaki Way at Westlands in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. (Xinhua/John Okoyo) NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan mobile phone operator Safaricom and a software solutions company have launched a homegrown taxi-hailing App to provide convenient and affordable taxi services to customers. The CEO of Craft Silicon, Kamal Budhabhatti, said early this week his partnership with Safaricom to come up with the home-based innovation, will provide unrivaled experiences to customers by giving them more value for their money as they seek transport solutions. "Little Cab aims to achieve one million rides in the next six months as we seek entrench and differentiate ourselves as a homegrown taxi app that will deliver distinctive customer experience," Budhabhatti said during the launch in Nairobi. "We are also keen on empowering our drivers economically by offering them more returns on investment through value additions, such as free data, phones and favorable rates," he said. Budhabhatti said Little Cab will take not take more than 15 percent off driver's earnings, compared to other players in the local market that take between 18 and 25 percent. The App enables users to enjoy lower rates, making Little Cab the most affordable option in the Kenyan market, charging a minimum fare of 2.7 U.S. dollars and a cost of less than a dollar per km. Key distinguishing features of the Little Cab partnership with Safaricom include the provision of free Wi-Fi services in every vehicle under the joint venture, which will be powered by the telecom firm. Users can also opt for a "Ride Later" option that allows them to re-schedule their trips to avoid inconvenience. The App also offers convenient payment options to drivers that include cash, cards and online imbursement. Other features of the App include real-time driver information, live GPS-enabled maps, and ability for riders to give feedback. Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said Little Cab will provide better passenger experiences by connecting them with "more reliable, cost effective options". He said over 250 drivers and 7,000 customers have already enlisted with the company and downloaded the App. An Iraqi policeman inspects the aftermath scene of a mortar and bombing attack on the Sayyid Mohammed shrine in the Balad area, located 70 kilometres (around 45 miles) north of Baghdad, on July 8, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP) by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A long-awaited report released Wednesday by former British civil servant John Chilcot, criticizing Britain's role in the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, is "late confession of crimes," according to Egyptian analysts and experts. WAR IN IRAQ CRIME "The war in Iraq, launched in 2003, wasn't a mistake, it was a crime," said Mohamed al-Orabi, former Egyptian foreign minister. The British report proved the determination of both the United States and Britain to destroy Iraq, al-Orabi told Xinhua. The report said that "policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments," and that claims that Iraq posed a threat by possessing weapons of mass destruction were "presented with unjustified certainty." It said that the turmoil unleashed in Iraq since the invasion should have come as no surprise. An Iraqi boy displaced from the city of Fallujah squats nearby tents at a newly opened camp where hundreds of displaced Iraqis are taking shelter in Amriyat al-Fallujah on June 27, 2016, south of Fallujah. (Xinhua/AFP) VERY LATE REPORT Al-Orabi, who is also the head of the foreign relations committee in the current Egyptian parliament, said that the Chilcot report was released "very late" after the impossible-to-be-tackled destruction and ruin prevailed Iraq. He added that the leaders of the Arab world, including late king Abdullah of Saudi and ousted president Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, have advised the United States and Britain not to invade Iraq, but the western powers were "too arrogant to listen." Gamal Salamah, politics professor at Suez University, agrees with the former foreign minister that "the report proved the ugly face of the aggression and imperialism of the United States and Britain." The Chilcot inquiry was launched in 2009 as British troops withdrew from Iraq, tasked with investigating the run-up to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and the subsequent occupation. Various surveys suggest that at least hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died during the conflict and the brutal sectarian war that followed, while 179 British soldiers also lost their lives. The invasion was controversial at the time as it did not have explicit approval from the UN Security Council, while claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction proved unfounded, Salamah added. Tony Blair told then U.S. President George W. Bush eight months before the invasion of Iraq that "I will be with you, whatever," and relied on flawed intelligence and unsatisfactory legal advice, the report revealed. Blair justified his decision to back Bush and go to war alongside the United States. "I did not mislead this country. There were no lies, there was no deceit, there was no deception," the former prime minister told reporters following the release of the report. "Blair's tears are of crocodiles, as he was a card in the hand of Bush administration," the professor said. Salamah pointed out that the report is "political and not criminal," ruling out the possibility of sending Blair to trial. The British parliament could only withdraw confidence from Blair, in office for 10 years until 2007, as responsible for the war decision, the professor noted. "The report was unveiled too late, and wouldn't change anything in Iraq," he added, explaining the miserable country lacks political bloc, and is very busy with its domestic sectarian divisions in addition to fighting the Islamic State (IS). A picture taken on June 30, 2016 shows leftovers of damaged vehicles in the city of Fallujah following battles between Iraqi pro-government forces and Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. (Xinhua/AFP) LESSONS NOT LEARNED Iraq couldn't sue Blair, but at least could benefit from the report to ask for compensations, according to security and strategic expert and former army general Talaat Musalam. "The invasion of Iraq led to the disturbance of the Middle East and the emergence of extremist groups such as Daesh," Musalam added, using the Arabic acronym for the IS militant group. "Lessons are never learned, merely repeated in dealing with the Arab region," he lamented. He does not believe the West will learn lessons of the report, adding all the misleading facts about Iraq war were "apparent from the beginning." The Arab affairs committee of the Egyptian parliament asked in a statement on Friday holding all officials responsible for Iraqi invasion, including George W. Bush and Tony Blair, as war criminals and suing them at the International Criminal Court. "The consequences of Iraqi's war require speedy moves by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to assign an international committee to sort all the political and economic losses and press the United States and Britain to pay compensations," the statement said. It added the heinous crimes committed in Iraq since 2003 has led to the death of more than one million, wounding and displacing millions of others. The invasion was the fire signal of the sectarian conflict and the creation of terrorist groups in the region. "The report unveiled the Western plot to divide the Arab world and turn it into weak states to loot their wealth," the statement said. ACCRA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Immigration Service of Ghana (GIS) said on Friday that foreign nationals from the African Union (AU) member states can now travel to Ghana and be issued with visas on arrival as Ghana kick-starts the new policy. A statement signed by Francis Palmdeti, head of public affairs of the GIS, said the arrangement would be piloted at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for three months, and thereafter extended to all other entry points of the country. "All AU nationals affected by this policy who arrive in the country must have a passport, valid for at least three months, from the date of entry; they must have a return ticket or evidence of onward travel," it said. According to the GIS, travelers must show evidence of sufficient funds and proof of accommodation before they are granted visas. The visa-on-arrival decision by the Ghanaian government is in fulfillment of a resolution adopted at the AU Executive Council meeting held earlier this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The resolution stipulated that AU Member States review their internal and external security realities in an attempt to implement mechanisms allowing for the issuing of visas on arrival for citizens of Member States, with the possibility of a 30-day stay. Ghana becomes the first AU member state to adopt such a policy and has received commendation from the AU Commission for the bold step. KABUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Some seven people were killed and eight others wounded in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Saturday, police said. In one incident, three children were killed and six persons were wounded after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) struck a tricycle in the country's southern province of Kandahar at around midday, the provincial police spokesman said. "The stricken vehicle was carrying nine people. It touched off the IED along a road between Arghistan and Spin Boldak districts. The injured, including three females, were shifted to a nearby hospital by the security force," spokesman Zia Duranni told Xinhua. Earlier on the day, three policemen were killed in a drive-by shooting at a security checkpoint near Gardez, the provincial capital of eastern Paktia province, provincial police Chief Gen. Qadar Gul Zadran told Xinhua. The attackers fled the scene shortly after the attack and an investigation was launched into the incident, he said. In northern Kunduz province, a Taliban IED expert named Nemat Ullah was killed and two others wounded after an IED he was building detonated accidently in a house in Dasht-e-Arch district of the province, according to the district governor. Earlier on Saturday, security forces defused an IED and detained one militant after the detainee tried to attack a potential target in southern part of the country's capital city of Kabul. The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since early April when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country. About 600 civilians were killed and more than 1,340 others wounded in conflict-related violence and Taliban-led attacks in first quarter of the year, according to UN mission in the Asian country. Photo taken on June 4, 2015 shows a China-aided stadium under construction in Ghana's Cape Coast. (Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei) ACCRA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- More and more Chinese companies are willing to invest in Ghana due to peace and stability in Ghana, a Chinese envoy has said. "Ghana is a very peaceful country and it has a lot of advantages which attract Chinese investments. I think stability is one of the biggest dividends," Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong told the media during the recent China-Ghana Economic forum held here. One major facet of the attractive investment climate in Ghana, the ambassador said, was the well educated labor force. "In Ghana we have more than four to five hundred Chinese companies. More are coming. Many Chinese companies are interested in energy, manufacturing, agro-processing and real estate development," she said, adding that the Chinese government will continue to encourage more manufacturing firms to set up in Ghana. China has become one of the major trading partners of Ghana, with 2016 alone recording more than 6 billion dollars worth of trade volumes between the two countries. Sun said the Chinese government will intensify dialogue with the Ghana to provide more incentives in trade and investment for Chinese companies, as well as to identify some major projects that have long-term influence on Ghana's development and the living conditions of the people. Photo taken on May 26, 2015 shows a logo "CHINA AID" outside the newly built block of the New Century Careering Training Institute, which the Chinese government aided with two blocks of building in 2000 and 2014 at the Dansoman district of Accra, capital of Ghana. (Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei) The ambassador also urged the Ghanaian government to take steps to find solutions to some of the lingering difficulties in the investment environment. "Land issue is always a headache for outside investors, because the land system is complicated. And also we wish the government can make some effort to streamline the procedure of approving investment to have some one-stop office that can provide facilities to investors," Sun urged. Abdallah Abubakar, Ghana's Northern Regional Minister, acknowledged the role of the Chinese government and Chinese firms play in Ghana's development, and introduced them to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) zone. The minister was hopeful that the Chinese firms would find it opportune to invest in the SADA zone. "Government and people in the SADA zone are looking forward to an enhanced cooperation and collaboration in various areas. We must make a conscious effort to build upon the outcomes of the forum so that these efforts do not go in vain," Abubakar said. COLOMBO, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks as he receives an interview during his visit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 9, 2016. The relationship between China and Sri Lanka has returned to healthy and stable development after the change of Sri Lankan government, Wang Yi said on Saturday. (Xinhua/Yang Meiju) COLOMBO, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The relationship between China and Sri Lanka has returned to healthy and stable development after the change of Sri Lankan government, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday. Wang told the media that his visit is aimed at expeditiously implementing the consensus reached by top leaders and fully reviewing cooperation between the two countries. Both sides have agreed to inherit traditional friendship, consolidate political trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation, he said. China and Sri Lanka could take the opportunity to give full play to the complementarity in their economies and improve infrastructure and port industrial development with mega projects such as Port City and Hambantota Port, with a view to enhancing the independent development capacity of Sri Lanka. Both countries will hold celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 65th anniversary of the historic Rubber-Rica Pact next year, he said. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road initiative, the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt has been booming. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road should develop at an equal pace, Wang said. China hoped Sri Lanka could be an important cooperation partner for jointly building the Maritime Silk Road with its unique geographic advantage. Through the maritime Silk Road, China will support Sri Lanka in becoming a shipping, logistics and even financial hub in the Indian Ocean. Related: Sri Lanka, China vow to further enhance cooperation COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that his country is ready to push forward pragmatic cooperation with China in trade and investment. Saturday Garage sale at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2939 Colton Blvd.: A large garage sale takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Peace Lutheran Church, 1301 Avenue D: Peace in the Park begins at 5 p.m. with Ralph Sappingtons Country/Gospel service. A potluck barbecue and games follow. Burgers and hot dogs are provided. Bring a chair, and a dish to share. Sunday Billings Association of Humanists meeting at First Congregational Church, 310 N. 27th St.: At 1 p.m., everyone is invited to an open discussion of What is happening in the American political scene with an eye toward what are key problems and possible solutions? Participants are asked to bring a problem-solution and be prepared to talk about it. Solutions should be geared toward something that can first happen in Montana. Unity of Billings, 9 14th St. W.: Guest speaker Dr. Karen Brannon shares her message, Choose to be Kind during the 10 a.m. service. Brannon has a doctorate in educational administration and a heart for loving people and helping them feel that they matter. After spending many years in college administration, Brannon moved to Billings from Arizona and became the pastoral care coordinator and chaplain at Billings Clinic. A monthly potluck follows the service. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jophiel Silverstrone of SkyPoint Studios facilitates the workshop "Social Media." Silverstrone offers instruction on how to navigate various social media sites and how to use them effectively. Participants should bring a laptop, tablet, etc., for hands-on instruction. Tuition costs $20. To register, call 254-9554. Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, 2940 Poly Drive: At the 10 a.m. service, the trio of Nancy Downing, Mike Downing and Linda Smith sings, Old Irish Blessing, and In This Very Room, accompanied on piano by Ginny Herrick. Also at 10 is Adventure Hour for children. Peace Lutheran Church, 1301 Avenue D: Margaret Klein is the featured musician, and chaperones and participants of the mission trip to Chicago are blessed at the 10 a.m. worship service. Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2032 Central Ave.: During the service at 10 a.m., the Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd presents In All Thy Getting, Get Understanding, an address Ladd presented at the 2016 General Assembly, which calls asking for a refocusing of priorities. Pilgrim Congregational Church, 409 36th St. S.: The Rev. John Pugh, guest pastor, shares his message "God and a Yard Stick" at the 10 a.m. service. Nancy Parsons provides special music. St. Johns Lutheran Ministries, 3940 Rimrock Road: Pastor Will Sappington of Peace Lutheran Church leads worship in the Ocee Johnson Chapel at 7 p.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 40 10th St. W.: At the 9:30 a.m. service, Andrew Smith, lay pastoral assistant, leads worship, and Joan Fritz is the guest organist. St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 180 24th St. W.: The healing series continues during the worship service at 9:30 a.m. Pastor Susan Barnes preaches Psalm 82:1-8, Colossians 1:1-14 and Luke 10:25-37 on the effects our prayers and actions have on us and others. Also, Sam Carl, guest violist attending the San Francisco Music Conservatory this fall, plays three pieces. Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1108 24th St. W.: New service hours begin today. The 9 a.m. worship service is followed by coffee fellowship and then a second service at 11:15 a.m. Billings First Church, 310 N. 27th St.: At the 10 a.m. worship service, the Rev. Mike Mulberry gives the sermon The Good _________," Ron Burnam gives the liturgy, and Maddie Alpert reads the scripture. Wednesday Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2032 Central Ave.: The Community Lecture Series celebrates six years with a barbecue potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. Former speakers and others who have attended are special guests. Vacation Bible School King of Glory Lutheran Church-ELCA, 4125 Grand Ave.: Vacation Bible school for ages 2-4 takes place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, July 11 and July 18. The free program, themed "Seek and Find," includes a Bible story, crafts, snacks, songs and activities. Call the church office at 652-1690. King of Glory Lutheran Church-ELCA, 4125 Grand Ave.: Vacation Bible school Deep Sea Discovery for ages 5-11 (entering kindergarten through sixth grade) takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, July 13 and July 20. Dive deep into God's love by exploring how God hears, strengthens and sends through skits, songs, crafts and games. Cost is $10. Call the church office at 652-1690. King of Glory Lutheran Church-ELCA: Middle-School children (entering fourth through seventh grade) are invited to a service project adventure from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, July 15 and July 22. Cost is $20, and includes a T-shirt. Children meet at the church, then take a bus to a secret service project site, returning by 1 p.m. Participants should bring their own lunches and water bottles. Call the church office at 652-1690. To submit items The deadline for submitting information for the Faith Guide is noon Tuesday for consideration for publication in the upcoming Saturday edition. The items should be special events open to the public and of interest to readers outside your congregation. You may mail information to: Faith Guide; Billings Gazette newsroom; P.O. Box 36300; Billings, MT 59107. Items also may be faxed to 657-1208 or emailed to citynews@billingsgazette.com. Be sure to address faxes or emails to the Faith Guide. Or you may drop off your item at The Gazette, 401 N. Broadway; please mark it to the attention of Rachelle Lacy. Items are used as space is available. NEW DELHI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The southern Indian state of Kerala has become the first in the country to impose "fat tax" on junk and fast food items, in a bid to help obese people shed flab. The state government recently introduced a "fat tax" of 14.5 per cent on eateries and restaurants that sell junk food items like burgers, pizzas and doughnuts, a government official said Saturday. "The new tariff will apply to multinational food chains like McDonald's and Domino's, but it's up to them to pass on the cost to customers by raising prices," he said, on condition of anonymity. The fat tax was proposed by the Left Front government, which recently came to power in the state, and the previous Congress-led government had introduced a policy to make the state alcohol-free. Hundreds of bars have already been shut down, though five-star and luxury hotels are exempt from the ban for the time being. Earlier this year, the eastern Indian state of Bihar introduced a "luxury tax" on samosas (a popular snack) to make up for the loss in the state exchequer from a new ban on alcohol sales. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Four protesters were killed and over a dozen wounded Saturday in police firing on protesters in Indian-controlled Kashmir, local reports said. Massive clashes broke out in the region following killing of top militant commander in a gunfight with Indian troops on Friday. DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the rocket attack that was launched by the rebels against government-controlled areas in Syria's northern city of Aleppo a day earlier rose to 40, state news agency SANA said Saturday. Over 200 people were also wounded on Friday when rebel rocket fire struck districts in western Aleppo. Pro-government websites and news TVs released footage of Friday's rebel attack on Aleppo, which came as a truce declared by the government unilaterally is to end after midnight Friday. Government troops are very close to cutting off the Castello road, the only supply route connecting the rebel-held areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo province and the eastern part of Aleppo city. Aleppo, located near the borders with Turkey, is Syria's largest city and once an economic hub. It has been a focal point of clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Defying curfew restrictions, thousands of mourners Saturday turned up to participate in the funeral prayers of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani. People not only from adjoining villages but from other districts marched to southern Tral town, the home of Wani to offer funeral prayers and participate in the procession. The protesters were eulogising the 22-year-old Wani as a "martyr" and shouting slogans, "Down with India", "We want freedom". Anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogan also reverberated through the procession, locals said. People offered funeral prayers in several batches. However, owing to huge rush of people thronging the town for final glimpse of Wani, the burial was delayed by several hours. The body was yet to be buried until last reports poured in. Local newspaper reports said a group of militants also participated in the funeral prayer of their commander and they offered a volley of salutes to their slain leader. Wani the poster boy of region's indigenous militant outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), was killed along with two associates Friday evening at village Waybemdoora of Kokernag town in Anantnag district. Wani was among the most wanted militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir and carried a bounty of 14890 U.S. dollars (one million INR). Police officials said Wani was face of new age militancy in Kashmir and represented young educated local boys that have joined militancy. His killing is seen as a major success to police and army fighting militancy in the region and a setback to militants in southern districts. Authorities have imposed indefinite curfew and blocked cellphone and internet services in the region to stop protests and flow of information. The restrictions were being enforced by thousands of armed police and paramilitary troopers, who had laid barricades and coils of concertina wire to close roads. ANKARA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A gendarmerie station in southeastern Turkish province of Mardin was attacked by Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants on Saturday, which left one soldier killed and five others injured, Dogan News Agency reported. The PKK militants attacked the gendarmerie station in Cevizli district of Mardin with car bombing and gun fire at around 13:00 local time (1000 GMT), and Turkish soldiers responded immediately. Turkish General Staff said on Saturday that Turkish security forces killed 19 PKK militants in southeastern Turkish province of Hakkari and Van on Friday. Kalashnikov rifles and grenades belonging to the PKK were seized in the anti-terror operation in Hakkari, it added. Over 500 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq since July 2015. More than 40,000 people have lost their lives in clashes with the PKK since 1984, when the group first started anti-government attacks. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri to mark the 200th anniversary of Argentina's independence. In the message, Xi said that since the realization of national independence in 1816, the Argentine people have carried forward their national spirit, and have actively made exploration for a path of development meeting their own national realities, promoting sustained economic and social development. The Chinese side extends congratulations therefor, and believes that Argentina will make even greater success in the cause of national construction, Xi noted. "I attach great importance to the development of China-Argentina relations, and I am willing to work with you to push forward the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership constantly, to bring more benefits to the two countries and the two peoples," Xi said. LHASA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- "It was astonishing to see the modern part of Lhasa, and I am very glad to have seen the development," said Albert Ettinger, a Luxembourger in Tibet for the first time, attending the Forum on the Development of Tibet. Ettinger is the author of two books on Tibet, "Free Tibet" and "The Fight for Tibet," both about Tibet's traditions and history, published in German and Italian. Ettinger said one of the reasons he wrote the books was, as a teacher of German language and literature, he found a German textbook about the Dalai Lama and Tibet to be biased. He was upset because the purpose of school is to teach students to think critically and decided to write a book himself. Having researched Tibet through books, publications and the Internet, Ettinger said he was still amazed by the changes. "It is developing very fast," he said, "Lhasa is now a fantastic city; for example, the university with all those beautiful new buildings. The city is very clean too." "The government can be proud of what it has achieved," Ettinger said suggesting inviting more people to see the real Tibet. "There are some people who want to see the old Tibet, like an old woman with her prayer wheel, but still they can see the development, at least they can see that the Tibetan language is living, Tibetan people are better off than before, and their religion is protected," he said. Lhasa and Tibet are more open to foreigners than before, and it could be more open, he said, to let people see with their own eyes. "And let some of the Dalai Lama's friends come. Maybe they can also learn something," Ettinger said. The two-day Forum on the Development of Tibet closed on Friday in the regional capital Lhasa. More than 130 guests from over 30 countries and regions participated in field visits and meetings in Lhasa and Shannan. This was the second Forum on the Development of Tibet, with the first held in 2014. BANGKOK, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A majority of people said they will take part in the referendum scheduled on August 7, a poll has found Saturday. Of the 1,733 people surveyed, 77.7 percent said they will vote in in the referendum over the new constitution, 10.4 percent said they will not join and 11.9 percent remained undecided, according to a poll conducted by Bangkok University during July 5-8, a month before the referendum. Asked whether they would endorse the draft constitution, 43.6 percent said they will while 36.8 percent were uncertain, 13 percent refused to answer and only 6.6 percent said they will reject it. A constitutional referendum will be held in Thailand in this August, which is the government's first test of popularity since the May 2014 coup. The primary difference between the new draft and the previous constitution will be that the senate will become a fully appointed chamber rather than a partially elected one. SEOUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Saturday denounced the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), saying it was in violations of UN Security Council resolutions regardless of whether it was successful or not. South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that the government strongly denounces the DPRK's another provocation to test-fire a SLBM in opposition to the international community's repeated calls and UN Security Council resolutions. The ministry said the country will never tolerate Pyongyang's repeated and intentional provocations, including the test-launch of its Musudan missile on June 22, vowing to continue pressures and sanctions on the DPRK, including the complete implementation of UN resolutions, in close cooperation with major countries. The statement also said that South Korea will continue to strengthen a combined deterrence with the United States against the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats. The statement came after the DPRK fired a suspected SLBM at about 11:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) in waters southeast of the DPRK's eastern port city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong province. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) was quoted as saying that the missile was normally ejected from a 2,000-ton DPRK submarine and was successfully ignited. But, it was estimated to have exploded in mid-air at an altitude of about 10 km, flying just several kilometers. It marked the DPRK's first test-launch of its SLBM since April 23 when a ballistic missile fired from a submarine flew some 30 km before exploding and fragmenting into two to three pieces. The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington jointly announced their decision to deploy the THAAD in the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The deployment decision was harshly denounced by China and Russia as the THAAD is part of the U.S. pivot to Asia strategy. WUHAN, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Dike patrolman Shao Wentao, 34, has been bowed down with anxiety in recent days. Looking across the Yangtze River at Wuhan, the mudflats he had inspected dozens of times were completely submerged by turbid water. "The river is going up and our 'territory' is getting smaller and smaller," he said. Shao is working in a 40-strong team responsible for patrolling a 2-km-long segment around the clock of any signs of troubles, including seepage and bubbles, that could lead to a breach of the embankment. As the rain continues to fall, water is above the alert level in provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu and Jiangxi, reaching 28.37 meters in rivers in Wuhan this week, the fifth highest in the city's history, and the highest level in 17 years. Shao has been on the beat for years. "Nothing can be compared with this," he said, pointing to trees and brick houses that have been partly underwater for days. Less than 100 meters away are dozens of residential high rises, some still under construction. With more than 10 million permanent residents, Wuhan is the most populous city currently threatened by floods. Parts of the city are often flooded for several days at a time when the Yangtze rises. Wuhan government has called up more than 30,000 people ranging from government officials to ordinary citizens to closely monitor its 308-km of embankment. A problem was detected on Monday in Qingshan in the city's northeastern quarter and quickly dealt with when dozens of heavy trucks poured tonnes of gravel for over 10 hours. In Hunan, precipitation in some areas has hit record highs. "The heavy rain is closely connected with El Nino effects, which appeared to be the strongest since 1951," said Zhou Bing, chief observer of the National Climate Center. Although there have been no breaches in major cities along the main stream, urban areas have suffered severe water logging and many villages along tributaries have been submerged. Neighborhoods adjacent to Nanhu Lake in Wuhan have remained 1.5-meter deep in water for more than five days and residents have had to take boats to enter or leave the area. Thousands of people have been evacuated. "To try to drain the area, our 15 pumps have kept running at full capacity for eight days," said Zheng Wei, director of a local pumping station. "We have pumped as much water out of the city in the past week as we normally pump out in six months." The city has 16 large pumping stations, all working 24 hours a day. There is some good news though. The rain has temporarily abated, and the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project built a decade ago to reduce the potential for floods, has retained much water upstream. However, local flood control authorities cannot let down guard yet, as the flood peak usually comes in the late July or early August. The Yangtze will see an even stronger wave of floods if downpours strike upper, middle and lower reaches of the river simultaneously, said Chen Guiya, deputy director of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee. "The hardest battle is yet to come," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during a visit to sodden regions this week. A Billings man who admitted he stole his neighbors personal information and used it to wipe out retirement savings of about $128,000 to fund his own methamphetamine and gambling addictions will spend nearly five years in federal prison. Zeth Andrew Hilario, 33, apologized for his actions on Friday afternoon as U.S. District Court Judge Susan Watters sentenced him to 54 months, which was the high end of a guideline range. She also ordered a total of $134,649 restitution to be paid to the victims, including $128,420 to be paid to F.S., who was the main victim and Hilarios neighbor. Hilario pleaded guilty in January to three mail fraud counts and to one aggravated identity theft count. The judge dismissed 12 other crimes as part of a plea deal. The sentence included 30 months for the mail fraud and a mandatory consecutive two years for aggravated identity theft. I now realize the magnitude of the damage I caused, Hilario said as he asked for a second chance to become a productive member of society and to pay restitution to the victims. Hilario also responded to the prosecutors characterization of his crime as cold-blood and sophisticated. Rather, Hilario said, he was a down-on-his-luck addict when he saw that the door to F.S.s house was open and knew his neighbor was away. He went inside and stole a briefcase that contained F.S.s personal information. I grabbed it. I did this without much thinking, he said. Stealing the money didnt take much skill, Hilario said. It was a fill-in-the-blank type situation, he said, as he used F.S.s personal information to apply for a bank account. He also said there was no security screening and that the investment company where F.S. had an account never called. It was just basically a crime of opportunity. I get that what I did was a terrible thing. I truly do realize the magnitude of the damage, he said. But Watters rejected Hilarios explanation and said his actions indicated criminal thinking at a higher level than typically seen. The judge noted the particularly devastating harm Hilario caused F.S., an electrician, saying he stole a lifetime of retirement savings from someone who had psychological issues and will never be able to make up the money. The crime exacerbated F.S.s anxiety to where he cannot return to the house hes owned for more than 20 years and now lives with his mother, Watters said. Hilario spent the money on drugs and gambling and purchases, including 13 pairs of shoes at Footlocker, Watters said. Total loss was calculated at $162,649, with most of it, about $128,420, suffered by F.S. Hilario also used information to steal money from a couple, whose losses were covered. Watters ordered a portion of the restitution amount to be paid to Valley Federal Credit Union, which covered some of the loss. Assistant Federal Defender Gillian Gosch recommended one day in prison on the fraud conviction plus the mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. Hilario, Gosch said, has a significant substance abuse problem and gambling addiction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich, however, urged the judge to sentence Hilario to more than the guideline term of 54 months, saying in court records that his conduct shocks the conscience. He did not specify a particular length of time. Hilario, Rubich said, wiped out F.S.s entire retirement savings earned by hard work of countless years so he could indulge in six months of hedonistic debauchery. Hilario destroyed an innocent mans identity, reputation and wealth so he could smoke methamphetamine and gamble, the prosecutor said. Rubich called the scheme utterly cold blooded. Hilarios actions have caused F.S. extreme psychological distress, severe tax problems and an impact on his creditworthiness that F.S. will have to deal with for years to come, Rubich said. Even if the defendant pays the restitution he owes F.S., which is extremely doubtful, it will only cure a small fraction of the damage the defendant has caused F.S., he said. Rubich also said he wished he could say that F.S.s investment company was doing the right thing. As of right now, theyre not. Mr. F.S. is left holding the bag. Soon after Hilarios scheme was discovered, police officers found Hilario passed out in his vehicle with a meth pipe in his hand. A search of Hilarios vehicle turned up a leather case containing the neighbors drivers license, passport, Social Security card and birth certificate along with personal information about others. Prosecutors said the thefts began in September 2014 and continued until January 2015 and beyond when Hilario used stolen identity to open fraudulent financial accounts and take money. F.S. eventually discovered the thefts when he checked his mail and found a prepaid credit card had been opened in his name. Using F.S.s identity, Hilario contacted American Funds, where the victim had an account, by telephone and the internet, convinced the firm he was F.S. and got control of the account. Hilario instructed American Funds to drain the account of most of the funds as early distributions and mail checks to the victims home, where he intercepted them. Hilario then deposited the money into several accounts and a prepaid debit card he opened in the victims name and spent the money. He also used stolen information to convince Ameriprise Financial to drain the account of another victim and to send him the money. JUBA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 115 people have been confirmed dead after heavy gunfire erupted at the presidential palace in Juba on Friday evening. Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-1O) spokesman William Gatjiath said on Saturday majority of the bodies were of soldiers, noting that the mortuary was full at Juba Teaching Hospital. Gatjith said the SPLA-IO side, which is being led by First Vice-President Riek Machar, incurred good number of causalities, adding that search still continuous at the State House and suburb of Juba a few hours after the gun fight. "We have counted 35 bodies of the first circle of our bodyguards, while in Sudan People's Liberation Army in Government (SPLA-IG) that were deployed outside the fence of State House were 80 soldiers," Gatjiath told Xinhua in Juba. He said the residence of opposition chief of general staff located in Jebel Kujur near UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was attacked with no clear number of causalities yet. "I will avail to you more number of the causalities later," Gatliath said. SPLA-IG Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang said he was not authorised by the government high command to release any statistic confirming the death toll. Heavy gunfire including artillery fire has been heard from around the presidential compound since about 5:30 pm where President Salva Kiir, first vice president Riek Machar, and vice president Wani Igga were having a meeting following Thursday brawl that left five soldiers dead and two others wounded. The shooting spread to nearly all neighborhoods of the city, including outside the UN base near Jebel where some 28,000 displaced people were sheltering. It remains unclear exactly who was fighting each other in each place or the cause of the fighting. The three leaders on Friday formed a joint committee to investigate the Juba sporadic shootings and called for calm among public. Juba has been calm on Saturday, which is South Sudan's anniversary of independence. DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The general command of the Syrian army announced Saturday an extension of a recently declared truce for three additional days, state news agency SANA reported. RAMALLAH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Secretary General Saeb Erekat Saturday called on France to "seriously work" for the international peace conference to end the Palestine-Israel conflict. Erekat met with French special peace envoy Pierre Vimont in Ramallah where they discussed the French initiative. He said in an email press statement that the success of the conference requires legal and political criteria based upon the internationally recognized laws, including UN security council and UN General Assembly resolutions, the Madrid Principles and the Arab Peace Initiative. He added that the conference requires implementing the signed and overdue obligations, the ending of all forms of settlement activity, releasing the fourth batch of veteran prisoners in Israeli jails in order to end the Israeli military occupation and establishing the sovereign Palestinian state on borders of 1967 with east Jerusalem as its capital, within a predetermined time frame. The secretary general said that in light of the recent Quartet report, which tried to disrupt the French initiative and multilateral efforts, it was decided that the Palestinians will work bilaterally with states rather than through working groups. The statement said Erekat handed Vimont an official letter to French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, requesting him to set the peace process references in accordance with international law and to recognize the Palestinian state within the borders of 1967. Paris hosted an international ministerial meeting on June 3, attended by the foreign ministers of 25 countries, including four Arab countries, which debated the revival of the stalled peace process between Israel and Palestine. A final joint statement of the summit said that participants agreed on providing meaningful incentives to the parties to make peace, and direct negotiations between the two sides should be based on existing UN Security Council resolutions. The Palestinians criticized the final statement of the conference for excluding working mechanisms or time frames for negotiations. Israel publicly rejected the French initiative and said the best way to achieve peace is direct talks with Palestinians. The peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since April 2014. The U.S.-sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results. GUIYANG, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Yu Zhengsheng , chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ( CPPCC ), addresses the opening ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference 2016 in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) GUIYANG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng on Saturday called for a new system of green development. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was addressing the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference 2016 in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. China will continue green development, he said, emphasizing the importance of planning, innovation, structure transformation, reform and international cooperation in achieving the goal of green development. China took part in the negotiations on the Paris Agreement with a responsible, cooperative and constructive attitude and made important contributions, he said. On Dec. 12, 2015, climate negotiators of 196 parties to the UN conference on climate change in Paris sealed the pact, aiming to reverse the trend of global warming mainly caused by carbon emissions. The Paris Agreement is a crucial step in coping with climate change and shows the determination of the whole of mankind to protect the earth, he said. China has full confidence in the pact, he said. Yu said China has always been a promoter and practitioner of the eco-civilization and has made green development a basic philosophy guiding its social and economic development in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) and beyond. China is acting on its new vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, the five cornerstones proposed by President Xi Jinping for China to secure resilient, sustainable growth. Eco-civilization concerns the welfare and future of mankind, he said. The forum, which runs until Sunday has gathered more than 1,000 guests from China and abroad. Foreign leaders who addressed the opening ceremony included Papua New Guinea's (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, President of the National Council of Switzerland Christa Markwalder, Deputy President of Kenya William Ruto and Laotian Deputy Prime Minister Bounthong Chitmany. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent a video of congratulation to the opening ceremony. DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The general command of the Syrian army announced Saturday an extension of a recently declared truce for additional 72 hours, state news agency SANA reported. The nationwide ceasefire was initially established for 72 hours on Tuesday, the first day of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr. The announcement of the ceasefire didn't stop the battles in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, where the army was advancing till becoming so close to cut off the only remaining rebel supply route in Castello in northern Aleppo. The regime of silence also didn't stop the rebels from raining down on government-controlled areas in Aleppo with tens of improvised rockets, which killed 40 people and wounded over 300 others on Friday. SANA said the new extension will start as of Saturday afternoon till midnight Tuesday. WARSAW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has decided to extend its Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan after 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced at the alliance's Warsaw Summit here on Saturday. "Afghanistan still faces serious instability and violence, so our continued political, military and financial engagement is of great importance," he said. He added the NATO forces will continue to train, advise and aid the security forces in Afghanistan. The Resolute Support Mission, a non-combat mission, will aim at providing enough help and support to the Afghan forces, who are already responsible for maintaining security in the country. "We received firm national commitments to continue funding Afghan security forces through 2020", he said, adding "we reaffirmed our support for a long-term political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan." According to Stoltenberg, NATO allies have promised at the summit to fund Afghan forces about 1 billion U.S. dollars annually over the next three years. While pledging more support, Stoltenberg called on the Afghan government to implement reforms, root out corruption and respect human rights. Saturday marks the second day of the NATO Warsaw Summit, which begins with a session on Afghanistan's situation. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah were present at the session. PHNOM PENH, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has expressed his deepest sympathy to China and members of the bereaved families in flood disaster in recent weeks. "I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the loss of over a hundred lives, several missing, colossal destruction of property and houses, and the displacement of around 1.34 million people caused by continuous rainfall and flood that have hit several provinces, mostly along the Yangtze River of China," he said in a condolence letter sent on Thursday and released to the media on Saturday. The prime minister expressed his deepest sympathy and profound condolences for the tragic loss and great suffering brought about by this natural disaster. At least 160 people were confirmed dead and 28 others missing in flooding that has hit parts of China since last month. JUBA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has condemned renewed fighting in South Sudan over the week which has resulted in numerous casualties. In a statement received on Saturday as South Sudan marked the fifth independence anniversary, the UN mission called on the authorities to probe clashes in the course of this week in Juba, Wau and Bentiu. "UNMISS reiterates its calls on all parties to put an end to the ongoing fighting and refrain from inflicting further violence against innocent civilians," it said in a statement. Ellen Margrethe Loej, head of the UNMISS, urged all parties to cease from engaging in violence and to focus on the implementation of the peace agreement for the benefit of all the people of South Sudan. The UN mission said it remains resolved in fulfilling its mission in South Sudan and supporting the implementation of the Peace Agreement for a peaceful and prosperous country. The UNMISS statement comes as clashes took place in the center of South Sudan's capital on Friday evening. Sporadic gunfire erupted outside the Presidential Palace when President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar were inside the Palace for a meeting to discuss the clashes which occurred between their forces on Thursday evening. At least five soldiers were killed and two others injured in fighting Thursday between the forces loyal to the two leaders. Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-1O) spokesman William Gatjiath confirmed on Saturday at least 115 people killed after Friday's shooting. However, the circumstances under which the shooting erupted remain unclear. Aid agencies have warned that despite renewed hope after the peace agreement was signed in August 2015, violence continues to drive people from their villages and disrupts their lives. The agencies said insecurity threatens communities all the way from Kajo-Keji in the south to Malakal in the north. In recent days, fighting in Wau has torn the previously calm city apart, and forced an estimated 60,000 people to seek shelter in churches and makeshift camps. The volatile security situation in many parts of the country has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation. According to the agencies, over six million people need humanitarian assistance -- more than half the population. Some two million people have been forced to flee their homes. ZAGREB, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague was not a best place to resolve the dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, a Croatian law expert said. Although an international lawyer who has always supported arbitration, he still thought this was a rather complicated case, said Vladimir Duro Degan, an expert of international law and a member of Croatian Academy of Science and Art. "One sovereign state cannot take legal action against another state in the absence of mutual consent," Degan told Xinhua recently. "Beijing said it would neither accept nor participate in the arbitration and that is China's right." There were many similar cases in the international relations which one country refused to participate in the arbitration, he added. The dispute over the South China Sea was a small but very important segment of the quest for global dominance, said Ante Simonic, former Croatian ambassador to China. "There is a new world order in the making and the center of tectonic movements are Asia and Pacific region. With all the regional disagreements and differences, there are opposed interests of the United States, the only superpower in the world and the global policeman, on the one side, the regional power China, on the other," he said. "This dangerously tense and complex situation threatened not only safety of an extremely important maritime corridor but the peace and prosperity in the region, even the whole world," he said. Therefore, all sides have to act in a wise, responsible and patient manner and gradually find a fair and long-term sustainable solution, he added. In January 2013, the Philippines unilaterally filed an arbitration case against China over the South China Sea dispute in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The court has said it will announce it award on the case on Tuesday. JUBA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN children's agency, UNICEF said some 14,200 South Sudanese children still remain in armed conflict. "Out of the 16,000 children serving various armed groups in South Sudan, only 1,800 children have been released," UNICEF South Sudan communications officer, Tim Irwin, told Xinhua in an interview in Juba on Friday. He said that nearly 1 million children have been displaced and 400,000 are out of school since the start of the more than two years of conflict. Irwin said the most affected areas are Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile states where brutal conflict took a toll on the economic and social fabric. "There are still people in parts of Unity state who are inaccessible. Even in Wau, there are areas we are not able to reach," Irwin said, noting that they need unrestricted access to people in need. UNICEF, he revealed, requires about 155 million U.S dollars for emergency needs, and of which only 30 percent is available. "We are very much under funded. We had programs in Wau but now about 70,000 people have been displaced in recent upsurge of fighting there," he said. He added they have treated about 160,000 children of malnourishment and immunized 13,000 children and mothers against polio, meningitis and malaria in Wau. Greetings 2016 high school graduates. This column is written especially for you and your parents: Beware of the Five Year Plan. You completed high school in four years, and now you are on the doorstep of four years of higher education, on the way to a bachelors degree, right? Your best answer is: yes, four years to get my bachelors degree. Ann Carrns of the New York Times and a money adviser, says making your college career extend a year or even two years beyond four is hugely expensive. In the June 21 article, Five-Year Plan in College Could Cut Income and Retirement she documents the astounding cost of an additional year or two on the path to a college degree. Carrns calls the added year to graduation the five-year plan. The fifth year has additional costs. First, there are tuition and fees, board, room and personal expenses costs of $18,600 (out of pocket tuition, books and fees at $12,600 and a loan for living expenses of $6,000). The second cost is lost income for the year in college and not being in the workforce, or $45,000 (average entering salary for the graduating class of 2013). Third is the loss of the years retirement savings plus the compounded interest that contribution does not earn over forty-five years of a workers lifetime (7 percent of salary paid to retirement times 7 percent interest times 45 years). These three add up to a whopping $82,000! The Times article data comes from a financial analysis of the five- and six-year college career path, published by nerdwallet.com. Student loan specialist Victoria Simons and Anna Helhoski obtained college completion data from the federal National Center for Education Statistics. They looked at tuition and loan costs, for both one and two extra years at both public college ($18,598 a year) and private colleges ($26,815 a year). Then, they quantified opportunity costs, namely lost income ($46,355 a year) and reduced retirement savings ($82,074 over 45 years). Why do students take so long to graduate? Avoid transfers Simons and Helhoski identified three contributing factors: student transfer patterns, enrollment in unneeded courses and average number of courses per semester. The National Clearinghouse for Education Research reports that one-third of undergraduate students transfer at least one time in six years. The cost of the transition is a loss of 13 credits on average, or one semester. Unneeded courses are measured by the number of credits graduates have earned at graduation 134 credits on average. It takes 120 credits to graduate. Fourteen credits of unnecessary courses equal one semester. Almost three-fourths of college students have schedules that do not lead to on-time graduation. They must enroll in 15 credits per semester to finish on-time (in four years). 15 credits per semester In my experience with college students, two factors that add time to graduation are changing majors and working part-time. In view of the cost of one or two added years to a college career, choose a major that best reflects your career interests, make a four-year plan toward graduation and follow this map to achieve your educational goal. You must take courses required in your major and for general education. Resist the temptation to transfer to another college, consistently take 15 credits per term and rarely ever take courses outside your major or general education. With all due respect to the value of your and your familys investment in education, your decisions must promote your progress to graduation, as after all, the credential is the goal and the means to enter the career of your choice. NICOSIA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A group of Lebanese investors under Lebanese banker Maurise Sehnaoui is to take over Bank of Piraeus Cyprus under a deal announced on Saturday. The Lebanese group will invest 40 billion euros (44.20 billion U.S. dollars) in return for about 80 percent of the bank's shares. A statement by the Bank of Piraeus Cyprus, a subsidiary of Greek lender Bank of Piraeus published in accordance with Stock Exchange regulations, said it had agreed to sell to Holding M Sehnaoui SAL (HMS) its shares in a deal under which HMS will increase its capital by 40 million euros. It added that the participation of the Bank of Piraeus in the lender will be reduced to 17.6 percent. The statement said the sale is subject to approval by the appropriate authorities of Cyprus, Greece and the European Commission. Maurise Sehnaoui has been a board member and shareholder of banks in Lebanon, such as BLC Bank and Societe Generale de Banque au Liban. Bank of Piraeus Greece, the owner of Bank of Piraeus (Cyprus) became prominent in 2013, when it purchased all banking activities of Bank of Cyprus, Cyprus Popular Bank and Hellenic Bank in Greece for a mere 0.524 euro, increasing its assets by 3 billion euros overnight. The deal was imposed on Cyprus as part of 10 billion euro economic assistance package that pulled the eastern Mediterranean island back from the brink of bankruptcy. HO CHI MINH CITY, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A Vietnamese deputy prime minister on Saturday said construction of Long Thanh international airport in southern Dong Nai province should start in 2019 at the latest, local media reported. While inspecting the site designated for building Long Thanh international airport in Long Thanh district, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said Dong Nai and relevant agencies should accelerate preparations work so that the new airport will become operational in 2025, online newspaper Dan Tri reported. The project's first phase involves in building a terminal and a runway capable of receiving 25 million passengers a year, will be complete in 2025. Long Thanh international airport will have a design capacity of receiving 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargoes each year after the project's all three phases are complete by 2050, according to the Transport Ministry. The project's investment is estimated at over 16 billion U.S. dollars, including nearly 5.5 billion U.S. dollars for the first phase. JAKARTA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government's poor efforts to resolve "comfort women" issue will become a "boomerang" to its political position in the Asia Pacific region, an Indonesian expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. A number of non-governmental organizations from countries where comfort women suffered -- such as China, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries and regions -- have been working together to nominate documentation on these sexually abused women and girls to be included on the Memory of the World Register. "The joint application is a fresh global movement to put pressure on the Japanese government to solve the 'Ianfu issue' which persists up till now," Eka Hindrati, the head of Solidarity Network for Indonesia "Comfort Women" told Xinhua in an email, referring to the Japanese term of comfort women. Eka, who has independently done research over the issue in Indonesia for about 17 years, said she had anticipated Japan's attempts to interfere with the joint activity which aims to help people everywhere realize another form of cruelty by the Japanese militarists during World War II. For instance, she pointed out, the agreement between Japan and South Korea made last December, in which Tokyo pledged to pay 1 billion yen (about 9.8 million U.S. dollars) from its state funds to launch a new foundation for the so-called comfort women, an euphemism referring to Korean women coerced into sexual servitude for Japanese military brothels. In return, Seoul agreed on a "final and irreversible "resolution on the wartime sex slavery and the two countries" will refrain from accusing or criticizing each other in the international community. The agreement has been denounced by South Korean sex slavery victims and their supporters, who refuse to receive any funds from the Japanese government and call for sincere apology and compensation for the wartime atrocities. The agreement threatens to suppress subsequent historical research and any future solutions to the issue that research can provide, according to the researcher. She added that this issue would pass around to the next generations in Japan to solve because their government refuses to be transparent about the historical and political facts within their own country. "All attempts from the Japanese government to hold up the registration process to the UNESCO will become a boomerang for them," Eka said. "Whatever it is that the Japanese government does to hamper the registration process to the UNESCO will only show their stupidity and weakness in addressing the ianfu crime which has been around for 71 years," Eka says. Historians estimated that hundreds of thousands of Asian women were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army. In Indonesia alone, a data from 1996 showed that there were over 19,500 survivors of comfort women. Eka's organization has been campaigning across top universities in the archipelago to spread awareness among, and gather support from the country's college students. The Memory of the World Programme, established in 1992 by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), preserves the world's most important documents. NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Many African countries have recently voiced their support to China over the Philippine-initiated arbitration on the South China Sea dispute, calling for parties involved to resolve disputes through friendly negotiations and consultations. The Philippines filed a compulsory arbitration against China at The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2013. China maintains that the tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case, which is in essence about territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. China, therefore, has made it clear it will not accept or get involved in those proceedings. As the PCA is about to announce its decision on Tuesday, African governments and officials on different occasions called for the international community to respect efforts made by China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region in safeguarding peace and stability. The Kenyan Foreign Ministry said the government believed that any disputes over the South China Sea should be peacefully resolved through consultations and negotiations in accordance with bilateral agreements and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, an agreement signed by China and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2002. The Zimbabwean Foreign Ministry made a similar statement, saying: "This is the only way in which a resolution can be found to this problem, which affects a number of countries in the region." African nations believe that territorial issues are beyond the scope of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as China has excluded maritime delimitation from compulsory arbitration in a declaration in 2006 in accordance with Article 298 of UNCLOS. The Kenyan government said it respects China's declaration of "optional exception in light of Article 298 of UNCLOS." In an interview with Xinhua, Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister Samura Kamara emphasized the need for all parties to "exercise respect for the rights of each other as sovereign states and contracting states of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea." He urged international judicial institutions or arbitral tribunals to fully respect declarations of optional exception made by each country under Article 298 of the UNCLOS. He affirmed that Sierra Leone is behind China in looking forward to a "mutually respectful solution among the parties that are involved in the South China Sea." The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it has noted with concern the recent trend in the global arena to politicize the situation pertaining to the South China Sea. "South Africa supports the position that the sovereign states that are directly concerned should resolve their relevant disputes through direct consultations and negotiations, on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with international law, as well as to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said in a statement. "South Africa believes that the international community should support all efforts aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea," it added. Other African countries, including Angola, Malawi, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Zambia, Mauritania, Cameroon, Ethiopia, have also voiced support for China's position of dealing with the South China Sea disputes between the directly concerned parties through peaceful negotiations. WARSAW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has pledged more support for the U.S.-led coalition to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Saturday. Leaders from the alliance's member states agreed in principle on the second day of the NATO Warsaw Summit to send surveillance aircraft to assist the coalition, according to Stoltenberg. NATO will also start a training and capacity-building program for soldiers in Iraq, Stoltenberg said at a press conference at the two-day summit. Stoltenberg said he believed training the local forces was much more efficient than locating a large number of NATO troops in military activities. The alliance also plans to launch operations in the Mediterranean Sea to help the European Union fight against human trafficking, according to Stoltenberg. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least eight civilians were killed and scores wounded Saturday after government forces fired on protesters in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The civilians were killed during the clashes that broke out in two southern districts of Anantnag and Kulgam against the killing of top militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in a gunfight on Friday. The protesters according to reports were trying to defy police restrictions and march to take part in funeral prayers of Wani on the call of separatist leaders. "Attempts of attacks on security establishments were made, government buildings and houses of politicians were attacked," said a senior police official Shiv Murari Sahai in a hurriedly called press conference in Srinagar. Sahai said the government forces fired in "retaliation" causing eight casualties. The 22-year-old Wani was poster boy of region's indigenous militant outfit - Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and face of new age militancy in the region. He had featured in videos - wearing combat fatigues and brandishing automatic weapons. Protests in the region began Friday evening, however violent clashes broke out on Saturday. The irate youth threw stones and brickbats on police and paramilitary troopers, who responded by firing tear smoke shells, pellets and bullets. The fresh killings have fuelled further anger in the volatile region with separatist groups extending shutdown call for two more days. Authorities have placed region's top separatist leaders under house arrest and clamped curfew in several parts including restrictions to prevent spreading of clashes. The local government fears participation of separatist leaders would intensify protests. Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris. According to police all the deaths have been reported from Anantnag and Kulgam and of the eight slain youth one died due to drowning during police chase. Sahai said some 90 policemen were injured in the day-long clashes. Local government is tightlipped over the fresh spate of violence and civilian killings and no minister was available to talk to media. However, an official handout said region's chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed deep grief and agony over the death of youths during protests at various places. "I express profound grief over the tragic death of the youths and extend my heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family members in their hour of immense grief," the statement quoted Mehbooba as saying. Wani's body was buried later during the day. Thousands of people including women had gathered to participate in funeral prayers and mourning of Wani. Eyewitnesses said militants also participated in the funeral prayer of their slain leader and offered him a salute by firing volley of shots skywards. Wani was killed along with his two associates. Police officials describe killing of Wani as a major set-back to the militancy in southern districts. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Enditem DALLAS, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A police car decorated as a public memorial is seen outside Dallas police headquarters in Dallas, the United States, July 8, 2016. Five police officers were killed and seven others injured as two snipers opened fire during a protest against officer-involved shootings across the United States on Thursday night. (Xinhua/Tian Dan) MADRID, July 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will cut short his visit in Spain and travel to Texas where five policemen were killed on Thursday night, Spanish state TV network RTVE has reported, quoting a White House spokesman. The shootings in Dallas have forced a change to the schedule for Obama, who is the first U.S. President to make an official visit to Spain in 15 years. Obama will visit Dallas early next week. Obama will cancel his planned visit to Seville, where he was due to arrive shortly before midnight on Saturday. Obama's original schedule was to travel from Seville to the U.S. military base of Rota in southwest Spain, before arriving in Madrid on Sunday night. According to the original arrangements, Obama will have lunch with Spanish King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace on Monday and hold meetings with Spanish political leaders and young Spaniards. Now, he has to cancel his visit to Seville and several meetings. "The President will leave (Poland, where he is attending the NATO summit) to Madrid, Spain where he will spend the (Saturday) night," informed the White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, who added that on Sunday Obama would meet acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and "other government officials." Obama will then travel from Madrid to Rota and from there, "return to Washington on Sunday night, a day earlier than planned," according to the spokesman. Related: Feature: What a devastating night for Dallas as gunmen ambush police HOUSTON, July 8 (Xinhua) -- It was really a tragedy and a devastating night for the U.S. state of Texas as gunmen ambushed the Dallas police during a protest on Thursday night over police shootings at black Americans. KATHMANDU, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Nepalese government is sending a fact finding mission to Afghanistan to study on the attack on Nepalese security guards killing 13 of them and status of Nepalese staying in the war-torn country, a cabinet Minister said on Saturday. As many as 12 Nepalese and two Indian nationals working as security guards in Canadian embassy in Kabul were killed instantly in a Taliban attack on June 20 while another injured Nepalese national died a few days later. Six Nepalese had been injured in the attack. After the Nepalese died in the attack, Nepal government has banned sending workers in war-torn four countries -- Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Iraq. Those who have come home on a leave can however go there under their own risk and under strict travel advisory. Minister for Labour and Employment Deepak Bohora told the parliament on Saturday that a government team would go to Kabul within a few days. A team representing Ministry of Labour and Employment, Department of Immigration and Nepal Police will go to Kabul, said the Minister. According to Bohora, the government was preparing to send the fact finding team as the Nepalese working even in the so-called 'green zone' were killed in the attack. Nepal does not have its own diplomatic mission in Afghanistan and Nepal's Pakistan-based embassy oversees the Afghanistan affairs. Before the latest ban was imposed, Nepal was permitting to send workers to Afghanistan to work only inside the green zone only where United Nations and other international organization as well as diplomatic agencies have their work stations. The Nepal government does not have exact number of its citizens working in Afghanistan. Over the last 10 years, about 8,800 Nepalese have gone to Afghanistan after taking permit from the government authorities, according to Ministry of Labour and Employment. But, the government officials believe more Nepalese have been working in Afghanistan as many enter the war torn country illegally through Gulf countries and most of the Nepalese there work there as security guards. Enditem LAHORE, July 10, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Photo released by Pakistan' s Press Information Department (PID) on July 9, 2016 shows Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (3rd R, front) arrives at the airport in eastern Pakistan' s Lahore. Nawaz Sharif, who had an open heart surgery at a London hospital in May, returned home on Saturday, officials said. (Xinhua/PID) ISLAMABAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had an open heart surgery at a London hospital in May, returned home on Saturday, officials said. TV footage showed the Prime Minister was alighted from the special plane and walked without any support. He was operated upon on May 31. The plane of the Pakistan International Airlines brought the Prime Minister to the eastern city of Lahore where some of family members and governor of Punjab province received him. Nawaz Sharif had stopped activists of his ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) from welcoming him at the airport. The Prime Minister decided to return home after his doctors allowed him to travel back home due to substantial improvement in his health condition. Official sources say the Prime Minister has convened a meeting of senior aides to be held in a couple of days to review the overall situation. He is likely to speak to a group of senior journalists in few hours, they said. Nawaz Sharuf had presided over a meeting of the cabinet through video conferencing before his May 31st surgery. World leaders, including China, had sent messages of sympathies, to the Prime Minister and wished his early recovery. Earlier talking to the media persons in London before his departure, the Prime Minister thanked the entire nation for praying for his good health. He also prayed to God Almighty for the security of the country and well-being of the nation. In Montana, we pride ourselves on treating strangers as friends and solving problems as neighbors. Like most Montanans, I was raised that when a disagreement arises you work together to find reasonable common ground. The CSKT Water Compact and the federal settlement legislation that would ratify the agreement are, in many ways, prime examples of Montanans doing what we do best treating each other fairly and working together to get things done. As a result of laws passed by the Montana Legislature, the CSKT were required to seek definition of their federally reserved water rights, either through litigation or through the compact process. Rather than move forward with costly litigation that would span decades and create unnecessary turmoil between neighbors, the CSKT sacrificed many of their claims to water both on and off the Flathead Reservation in order to put in place an agreement that would ensure the needs of water users across our state are met. The agreement, which was negotiated between the CSKT, the state of Montana, and the federal government, involved stakeholders from across Montana and took decades to negotiate. The compact, which now awaits ratification by Congress as part of the settlement legislation introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, not only defines and protects the water rights of the tribes, but also of existing water right holders. Without the compact, many of Montanas water users farmers, ranchers, irrigators, and even municipalities would have been subject to the adjudication process. In addition to the water right certainty the compact provides, its ratification would mean significant investment in our states economy. Tester's legislation The legislation introduced by Tester seeks to both settle the claims of the CSKT against the federal government and ratify the water compact. Settlement of these claims would require the government to compensate the tribes for the damages that the federal governments negligence has caused to tribal lands, waters, and communities. Approval of this legislation would mean federal funding for the projects and improvements outlined within the compact, including efficiency improvements for water delivery systems, modernization of water measurement equipment, and much more. Above and beyond the provisions of the compact, this legislation would approve funding for hundreds of projects that would revolutionize our water delivery systems. The settlement legislation will rehabilitate neglected wetlands and invest in our agricultural resources by constructing improvements to irrigation systems, improving livestock fencing, working to control the spread of noxious weeds, and installing screens or other barriers to keep our canals clean and our water flowing and it will create thousands of jobs in the process. 6,330 jobs forecast A recent study released by Cascade Economics concluded that the federal investment from the proposed legislation would create 6,330 jobs and generate $52.9 million in recurring, annual economic activity in Montana, not to mention another estimated $774 million in economic activity in the first decade of implementation. Opportunities like this dont come along often. To take advantage of the incredible benefits to our state offered by both the compact and the federal settlement, we must ensure that Testers legislation moves forward in Congress. As this landmark legislation progresses, I hope all members of our Congressional delegation are able to support the legislation, the jobs it will create, and the certainty it would bring to our state. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a joint press conference after their meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 10, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) WARSAW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Counteracting hybrid threats, cyber security, and maritime safety in the bloc are the key goals included in the joint declaration on strengthening cooperation signed between the EU and NATO ahead of the NATO summit here. The declaration, signed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, marks the importance of further strengthening EU-NATO cooperation at a time of unprecedented security challenges from the East and the South. It is also one of main topics to be discussed at the summit. Stoltenberg called the signing "a historical decision which will enable both sides to better cooperate." Stoltenberg said neither the NATO nor the EU could respond to the existing challenges on their own, but together they could work out tools and mechanisms to protect citizens. He added both sides would coordinate actions to increase their ability to counteract terrorism. The signing of the declaration was preceded by the meeting of Juncker and Tusk with U.S. President Barack Obama, during which transatlantic unity and solidarity were strongly underlined. Later, representatives of all sides will take part in the NATO summit which starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday. BAGHDAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces recaptured a strategic airbase in south of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Mosul, an important step in the operations to liberate Mosul, a security source and government statement said. The security forces, backed by U.S. advisors, freed the 30-square kilometers of al-Qayyara airbase, which located some 20 km south of the IS-held town of Qayyara after the IS militants fled the scene without resistance, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The once known as Saddam airbase, is one of the largest airbase in the Middle East region and was widely used by the former Iraqi airforce during the Iraqi-Iranian war in 1980s. The airbase, which located some 70 km south of Mosul, is vital for the Iraqi security forces and aircraft in the coming battles that aimed to free the northern city of Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. For his part, Abadi, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of Iraqi forces, hailed the liberation of the airbase and considered it as an important step for the operations to free Mosul, according to a statement issued by his office. Abadi also called on the residents in Mosul to get ready to liberate their city from IS militants, saying "as we have eliminate Daesh (IS militants) in Fallujah, who fled like rats to the desert, we will eliminate them in Mosul." The liberation of Qayyara airbase is part of a major offensive to free areas in south of Mosul, including the town of Qayyara, so as to surround Mosul from the south and east, before attacking major IS strongholds in Mosul to flush out IS militants from the city. Iraq has witnessed intense violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups such as the IS group on the United States, which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country. The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. Enditem ANKARA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Top Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) commander Fehman Huseyin was killed in an attack in northern Syria, Turkish State-run Anadolu Agency reported Saturday. Fehman Huseyin was killed in Friday night by a bombing attack at the car he took, military source told Anadolu, adding that 8 people were killed in the car. Fahman Husains, born in 1969, was among the top commanders of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Since 2004 he was among the three-men PKK Executive Committee. Some Turkish security analysts have alleged that Erdal may be the leader of the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a youth group of PKK which have conducted several bombing attacks to Turkish soldiers and police in Turkish Capital Ankara and the biggest city Istanbul this year. Meanwhile, the death toll of the PKK bombing attack to Turkish gendarmerie station rose to 3 until Saturday evening. 2 Turkish soldiers and 1 civilian were killed in a PKK car bomb attack at a gendarmerie station in southeastern Turkey's Mardin province Saturday, Mardin Governor's Office said in a statement. Turkish General Staff stated that 12 soldiers were injured in the attack. Over 500 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq since last July. More than 40,000 people have lost their lives in clashes with the PKK since 1984, when the group first started anti-government attacks. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. JOHANNESBURG, July 9 (Xinhua) -- South African Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said on Saturday that the investigations into alleged "state capture" by the Indian Gupta family was gaining momentum. In an interview with Xinhua, Madonsela said she is investigating if the wealthy Gupta family had exerted undue influence on President Jacob Zuma in the appointment of cabinet ministers. The Gupta family, which keeps close ties with Zuma and his family, has been under fire for allegedly influencing Zuma in the appointment of David van Royen as finance minister after Zuma sacked Nhlanhla Nene in December last year. Madonsela said, "The investigations started as soon as the matter was determined. We have already written to the President. The investigation is gaining momentum now that we have got funds by investing additional resources in the investigation. We could not do nothing, but had to start at a snail pace." Earlier this week, the National Treasury committed 1.5 million rand (about 102,000 US dollars ) to Madonsela's office to enable it to complete the task. Madonsela said justice is the answer to this problem, but refrained to say how long the investigation would end. As required by the law, the job should be finished within 30 days, Madonsela said. "I do not want to commit to date because every investigation acquires its own life. The answer to all these problems in the world is to ensure that there is justice, not just by name but substantive justice," she said. Mandonseal said she is happy with the additional funding which will assist her to expedite the investigations She said investigating the matter with insufficient resources would mean that it would take longer time to finish the investigation. The Catholic Dominican Order and the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) requested the Public Protector to investigate the state capture by the Guptas after Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former Member of Parliament Vytjie Mentor said they were offered cabinet positions by the Guptas. Enditem BUCHAREST, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday asked British authorities to prevent hostile acts towards its citizens, after a Romanian food shop was petrol bombed on Friday night in Norwich, East Anglia. "The Foreign Ministry condemns any form of extremist or discriminatory manifestation towards Romanian citizens," the ministry stressed in a press release on Saturday, requesting the British authorities to "clarify the situation and prevent any intensification of tensions or any other hostile acts towards Romanian citizens in the United Kingdom." "The Village Shop" belonging to a Romanian family in Norwich was torched at around 2.30 a.m. local time on Friday, after a brick was thrown through the window at the shop, which sells mainly Eastern European products. Local Police have not ruled out a racial motivation behind the move. Enditem DAR ES SALAAM, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The fragile Burundi peace talks under the facilitation of former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa will resume in Arusha on July 12, organizers said on Saturday. Richard Owora Othieno, a Communications Officer with the East African Community (EAC), organizers of the talks, said more than 70 politicians and civil society groups from Burundi were expected in Arusha for another round of talks. The two-day talks follows the completion of the first round which came to an end in May this year, when its facilitator, Mkapa said he was willing to meet Burundians who were not represented in the first dialogue. Othieno said the 75 participants will include former heads of state, representatives of political parties, religious leaders, civil society organizations, women and youth and the Chamber of Commerce from Burundi. The assurance of the holding of the peace talks from the EAC came amidst reports that some delegates were expected to ditch the crucial dialogue, spelling doom the prospects of finding a lasting solution to the political crisis in the tiny central African country, which is a member of the EAC. "Different groups from Burundi have expressed their willingness of showing up and participating in the dialogue, and reports that some will skip the occasion are baseless and unfounded," said Othieno. He said the facilitator had already met different groups in Burundi and also consulted the mediator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, before he convened the second dialogue. Othieno said the two-day dialogue will discuss substantively and agree on a common basis for stability, development and the future of Burundi. During the first dialogue in May this year, some of the participants revealed their preference of relocating the venue of the dialogue from Arusha to Burundi. Burundi Minister of External Relations and International Cooperation Alain Aime Nyamitwe was quoted on the sidelines of the May dialogue as saying that they had come to Arusha out of respect of the EAC. On his part, former Burundi ambassador to Russia, Guillaume Ruzoviyo , said although they were confident with the facilitator, he believed that peace would only return to his country once the dialogue convened in Burundi. More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and over 500,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since the chaos started last year in the capital Bujumbura. Burundi plunged into bloody chaos from April 2015 when the country's President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to vie for the presidency for a third five-year-term which he went on to win during the controversial elections held in July 2015. Enditem WARSAW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- During the two-day Warsaw Summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) took a series of decisions aimed at increasing security both in its eastern and southern flank. The second day of the Summit focused on the southern flank security, and included decision on support for EU anti-human trafficking mission, counteracting the Islamic State (IS) and terrorism. NATO will provide more support for its partner countries in counteracting extremism, an example of which is sending airborne warning and control AWACS planes to provide support for the anti-IS coalition and commencing military training for the soldiers in Iraq. The AWACS planes will fly over international and Turkish airspace. Meanwhile, talks with Turkey are being conducted regarding the expansion of the Alliance activity in this region. NATO will also "increase its cooperation with Jordan to establish a stable island in this region and ensure efficient fight against the Islamic State", according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. For the sake of NATO's southern flank security, the Alliance will also increase support for anti-IS coalition, train military forces and launch capacity-building program in Iraq. The main goal is to ensure local forces are capable of maintaining peace and safety. Another important step is the launch of new NATO operation "Sea Guardian" on the Mediterranean Sea. It will be based on "Active Endeavour" mission held in the Strait of Gibraltar region, aimed at protecting civil vessels from terrorist attacks. The mission against terrorists will also support the EU "Sophia" operation against human trafficking, commenced by the EU in summer 2015, as a result of which, thousands of castaways have been rescued so far and dozens were arrested. NATO also decided to extend its Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan after 2016, continue to train, advise and aid the security forces in Afghanistan. Moreover, NATO allies have promised at the summit to fund Afghan forces about 1 billion U.S. dollars annually over the next three years. The second day also brought the confirmation of NATO's support for Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The first session of the North Atlantic Council on Friday brought decisions of strengthening NATO's eastern flank in Poland and Baltic states, one element of a more comprehensive adaptation of NATO deterrence and defense. Four multinational battalions are to be deployed in four host countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland, led by respectively Canada, Germany, Britain and the United States. Apart from a thousand men battalion, the headquarters of American Armored Brigade will be located in Poland. Another 150 soldiers will be sent to the country by Britain. On the same day, the first day of the Summit, NATO also regarded cyberspace as a new operational domain and acknowledged the initial operational readiness of the anti-missile shield. Acknowledging the initial operational readiness of the anti-missile shield in fact means that NATO can officially take over control over the component of the missile defense system, located in Romania (Aegis Ashore). The system is aimed at efficient protection and reacting to the threats from outside Europe. The Alliance also pledged to strengthen its collective defensive in all of the fields, including increasing their cybernetic protection and information exchange. Enditem Demonstrators protest against police shootings of two African-American men in Louisiana and Minnesota, outside the White House in Washington July 8, 2016. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) WASHINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- More Americans think the U.S. criminal justice system is biased against blacks, while the worry about the racial relations keeps rising, a latest Gallup study has found. The findings come after the recent killings of two black men by police in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Minnesota, which have ignited nationwide angry protests by African Americans against police brutality and racial discrimination. In a related incident, five police officers were killed and seven others wounded Thursday by a black gunman who ambushed the police during a black protest in Dallas, Texas to retaliate against white policemen in the wake of the Louisiana killing. This is the deadliest police-killing incident since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack. Americans, taken as a whole, have become more likely to say that the American justice system is biased against blacks, according to the Gallup analysis of its polls conducted since 1993. The percentage of Americans holding that view has increased to 49 percent in Gallup's June 7-July 1 survey, from 47 percent in 2015. In comparison, between 33 percent and 38 percent of Americans said the system was biased in surveys done in 1993, 2008 and 2013. The Gallup study also found that perceptions of bias have risen among both whites and blacks, although a large gap remains between the two racial groups. In the June 7-July 1 Gallup survey, 76 percent of blacks believe the U.S. justice system is biased against blacks, compared with 45 percent of whites. Significant majorities of American blacks have historically perceived that blacks are treated less fairly than whites in dealings with police, the Gallup analysis discovered. While 67 percent of American blacks think they are treated by police less fairly, only 40 percent of American whites who feel that way. So far as the racial relations in the U.S. are concerned, American blacks are far more worried than whites. Combing polls conducted in 2015 and 2016, Gallup found that 53 percent of American blacks say they worry a great deal about the race relations, while only 27 percent of whites feel the same. On average, a March Gallup found 35 percent of Americans are worried a great deal about the race relations in the U.S., which is higher than any time since Gallup asked the question in 2001. The percentage had been below 20 percent from 2007 through 2014 and was 28 percent in 2015. U.S. FBI Director James Comey testifies before the House Oversight Committee over investigation into Hillary Clinton's email system, on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, July 7, 2016. U.S. FBI Director James Comey on Thursday defended his decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton, but refuted several of her statements to justify the use of private email setup as secretary of state. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) By Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Though U.S. presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has escaped indictment over her email controversy, her Republican rival Donald Trump still might benefit from the email scandal, experts said. On Tuesday, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief James Comey recommended not charging Clinton for her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state from 2009-2013. But Comey, who was grilled on Thursday by a Republican-led House oversight committee, did slam Clinton and her team for being "extremely careless" in handling classified information. Though Clinton has been cleared of criminal charges which could force her out of the presidential race, Trump will continue to sew it into his narrative about "crooked Hillary," a name Trump uses to describe what he sees as a dishonest Washington insider who doesn't abide by the rules. Trump has depicted Clinton as an elitist insider in what he calls a system rigged to benefit her. "It can help him," Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told Xinhua, referring to how the decision not to indict would impact Trump. "The story will now continue, particularly because of Comey's tough comments about what she did. In addition, he (Trump) will claim, and already is claiming, that the decision not to move forward with the case was some kind of political deal," Zelizer said. Indeed, Clinton has been embroiled in a scandal over whether she jeopardized U.S. national security by using a private email account and server for official business while she was Secretary of State, instead of using a State Department email account and a secure government-protected server. "Trump will continue to use his crooked Hillary line because even though she was not indicted, the FBI director did say she and her staff were careless in how they handled classified information," said Darrell West, vice president of director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution. "That gives Republicans some ammunition that it was not a complete vindication of Clinton. She will bask in headlines saying she has been cleared by the FBI while opponents will continue to say the episode reflects poorly on her personal judgment," West said. Still, West said he doubts many minds will be changed by the issue, because 85 percent to 90 percent of Americans already have made up their minds about the election. "The people who think she was dishonest will continue to think that, while those who support her will still believe she is far preferable to Trump. In the end, the election is likely to turn more on big issues of the economy, immigration, and terrorism than this email scandal," West said. Meanwhile, critics noted what they call a cozy relationship between Clinton and a number of individuals in the Justice Department, which oversees the FBI. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who heads the Justice Department, was appointed by Hillary's husband and former President Bill Clinton in 1999 to be the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Moreover, Justice Department employees have contributed nearly 75,000 U.S. dollars to Clinton's presidential campaign, U.S. media reported. HELENA Nine of the 20 dogs a Korean woman saved from being killed for meat arrived in Helena this week. A 10th dog was adopted by a resident of Toronto, said Gina Wiest, the Lewis & Clark Humane Societys executive director. They are all Jindo or Jindo mix breeds. The dogs were transported from the Gin Oak Shelter, operated by Jinoak Oh in South Korea, to Seoul, where they were flown to San Francisco. A flight then brought them to Denver, where humane society staff picked up the dogs for the 12-hour drive to Helena that included an overnight stop in Aurora, Colo. They arrived in Helena on Wednesday night. In an interview posted online at http://bgz.tt/03csz, the Korean woman said: Rescuing 20 dogs at once seemed beyond my capability. I thought that if I dont rescue these dogs then no one else will do it. I was horrified by the idea that the suffering of these dogs will continue through the generations as these dogs get pregnant and have pups. These poor dogs have already endured too much suffering: eating dead chickens to survive, living with no water in a place completely exposed to rain and snow. That means their babies will go through the same suffering. If I dont rescue these dogs, I would have to live with the memory of me ignoring the poor dogs who desperately need help. I finally made up my mind that it would be easier for me to rescue them than walking away and living with the horrible memory and guilty feeling all my life. The dogs looked well fed on Thursday at the humane society shelter. Their tan or nearly white coats were clean and shiny. They appeared well cared-for, as seven of them played in an open area while two others that were shyer watched from enclosures. Those that were playing would reward an extended hand with a lick. A plastic swimming pool was filled with water inside the enclosure, but none of the dogs saw it as more than a very large bowl of drinking water. The dogs were said to have a clean bill of health and all of the necessary vaccinations. Each was also given a microchip to aid in its identification should it become lost after being adopted. An adoption price hasnt yet been set, although it is typically $120 for a dog, Wiest said, which pays for spaying or neutering, vaccinations and time spent at the shelter pending adoption. The humane society plans an open house Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. at its shelter on Custer Avenue to showcase the dogs it received from Korea. This will be an opportunity for people to learn more about the breed and these dogs that dont yet understand English commands. It will be a nice opportunity for people to get to see them, Wiest said. Theyre great dogs, she continued and added, Im just so excited we were able to do this. The dogs are socialized, as they were kept for about eight months by the woman who rescued them, said Holly Wiest, the local humane societys volunteer coordinator. Were really excited about that, she added. Free Korea Dogs and Humane Society International worked with Oh, who rescued the 20 dogs from a chicken farm that planned to sell them for meat production, according to a fact sheet that described the background of how the nine dogs came to be in Helena. While 10 of the 20 dogs Oh rescued were adopted, she and Free Korea Dogs contacted Humane Society International about 10 others that needed homes. Humane Society International notified the humane society here of the opportunity to find homes for these dogs. Airfare and related transportation costs were paid for by The Humane Society of the United States, Gina Wiest said, noting that the humane society in Helena is an emergency placement shelter for The Humane Society of the United States. The shelter here developed a relationship with The Humane Society of the United States after it helped find homes for 160 malamute dogs beginning in 2011, Gina Wiest said. As a result of the arrest and prosecution of Michael Kurt Chilinski on 91 counts of animal cruelty for the malamute dogs, The Humane Society of the United States presented their Humane Law Enforcement Award to two Montanans. Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle and Jefferson County Attorney Matt Johnson received the award for their work. Chilinski was sentenced in October 2012 to 30 years in prison with 25 suspended. While 160 malamutes were found to be in poor condition when law officers arrived at Chilinskis property, puppies born after the dogs were taken resulted in needing homes for more than 200 dogs, Gina Wiest said. The working relationship developed during the 18 months that homes were sought for the dogs continued after a member of The Humane Society of the United States joined Humane Society International, she explained. That staff person contacted Gina Wiest earlier this year after they met at a conference to say there were 10 dogs in Korea that needed homes. The United Kennel Club website describes the Jindo breed as an enthusiastic hunter and renowned for loyalty to family members and attachment to their home. Other online descriptions say the breed is bold, loyal, faithful, active and intelligent. I think its great that we can be a part of this rescue, said Pam Gosink, the president of the local humane societys board. Oh raised $5,000 that was used to purchase the dogs from the farmer, said Holly Wiest. While the cost might seem high, the purchase calls for the seller to destroy the kennels where dogs are kept and helps fund a transition to other ways of making an income, said local humane society representatives. According to information provided by the local humane society, Humane Society International has an active program to assist those who raise dogs for slaughter to transition to other activities, such as blueberry farming. Two dog farms near Seoul have closed as a result of Humane Society International's efforts that resulted in the rescue of 80 dogs, according to the fact sheet provided by Gina Wiest. Because few people in South Korea are willing to adopt rescued dogs, the animals were flown to the United States, where nearly all have been placed in homes, while a handful of others are undergoing rehabilitation. JUBA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has criticized renewed clashes between rival army factions in Juba, South Sudan on Friday in which 115 people mostly soldiers were killed. Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Kenya was working closely with its embassy in Juba to ensure the safety of Kenyan citizens in the country. "It is with deep disappointment that our government has learned of a fresh wave of fighting in Juba, South Sudan involving factions of the recently constituted (the) government of national unity," Kiraithe said in a statement issued in Nairobi. "It is a sad day for the young country whose citizens continue to sacrifice their lives and comfort in search of peace and prosperity," he added. Heavy gunfire erupted in South Sudan's presidential palace on Friday evening, a day after clashes between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar left five dead and two others injured in the capital city. A spokesman for the Machar-led Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), William Gatjiath, told Xinhua on Saturday that some 115 people mostly soldiers were killed in Friday's exchange of fire. Gatjiath said the SPLM-IO side incurred a high number of causalities. Kenya has appealed for restraint between the army factions and confirmed there are no reports of Kenyan casualties in the renewed violence. "We join President Salva Kiir and the people of South Sudan in calling for restraint as efforts are being made to restore peace," Kiraithe said. He said Nairobi welcomed and backed South Sudan's swift action to restore peace through the setting up of a bipartisan government committee. He also said the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc which has facilitated South Sudan's peace process, would continue to support the country's peace and stability. "As a region, IGAD remains steadfast and committed if called upon to help in the mediation efforts," Kiraithe said. It was not immediately clear what triggered the Friday fighting which spread to Juba's environs. The capital city was calm on Saturday as the country marked the fifth anniversary of its independence. South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 after clashes between forces loyal to President Kiir and his then sacked deputy Machar. Machar denied he was planning a coup but then mobilized a rebel force. A deal signed by the two men last August under UN pressure led to the formation of a national unity government in April, with Machar returning to his old post. Enditem Iraqis react and dance on July 9, 2016 at the site of a suicide-bombing attack which took place on July 3 in Baghdad's Karrada neighbourhood, as they take part in a march in memory of the victims of the attack. The Baghdad bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 292 people. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) BAGHDAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi people demand apologies from the U.S. and Britain for their war crimes against the country, as the 2003 invasion has left hundreds of thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced, experts said Saturday. A long-awaited report by Sir John Chilcot was released on Wednesday, which revealed that the invasion led by the U.S. and Britain was planned on flawed intelligence and lack of adequate preparation for the post-war governance. In response to the highly critical report, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he felt "deeply and sincerely the grief and suffering of those who lost ones they loved in Iraq," referring to 179 British personnel killed in the war, and will "take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse." "He expressed his apology to Britain, its military and people, but what about the victims of the Iraqi people?" Sabah al-Sheikh, an expert on politics based in Baghdad, told Xinhua. "There is no clear apology by Blair or any American official to the Iraqi victims as hundreds of thousands of innocent people were killed and millions displaced both inside and outside the country," he added. The country has seen deepening ethnic and sectarian divisions, broken health and education facilities, displacement and indiscriminate killings, and massive bomb attacks against civilians during the past 13 years. LIES AND STRATEGIC FAILURE Britain followed the U.S. to invade Iraq in March 2003 on two allegations: first, the war on former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was a reaction to the 9/11 attack as Saddam had relations with the al-Qaida; second, Saddam was developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) which could threat the Middle East and the whole world as well. However, the seven-year inquiry by the British team and similar investigations conducted by U.S. experts after 2003 concluded that there was no evidence of Saddam possessing any WMD. Former U.S. President George Bush and Blair admitted the fact, blaming "intelligence failure." However, Chilcot's report revealed that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had reported to the UN. Security Council "there was no indication that Iraq had resumed its nuclear activities." However, the U.S. and British authorities refused to recognize the IAEA report. Blair said in his speech on March 18, 2003, one day before the invasion, "We are asked now seriously to accept that in the last few years - contrary to all history, contrary to all intelligence - Saddam decided unilaterally to destroy those weapons. I say that such a claim is palpably absurd." The report also cited several assessments of Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee, which said "there is no evidence Usama Bin Laden's organization has ever had a presence in Iraq" in 2011 and "there was no intelligence of current cooperation between Iraq and al-Qaida" in January 2003. "Chilcot confirms what millions of us knew in 2003 that the war on Iraq was not a right decision. It was an unnecessary conflict, waged on the basis of flawed intelligence and with no sound legal basis," Sabah al-Sheikh said. "The U.S.-led invasion on Iraq has cost hundreds of thousands of lives of innocent people, and made both the Middle East and the wider world less secure," Sheikh said, adding that the bloodshed in the country perhaps would continue for decades. Bush also said he wanted to set the Iraqi people free and secure them from the "evil" of Saddam Hussein, "but is it true? We have seen that Iraq itself as a state was the target of the invasion," Sheikh said. DEVASTATED CONSEQUENCES "The invasion and subsequent instability in Iraq had, by July 2009, also resulted in the deaths of at least one hundred and fifty thousand Iraqis - and probably many more - most of them civilians. More than a million people were displaced. The people of Iraq have suffered greatly," Chilcot said after he published his report. However, according to Iraqi government data, hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in conflicts after the 2003 invasion, while unofficial tallies put the toll from military actions and sectarian strife at over one million. The war also left some 3.4 million people displaced inside Iraq and more than two million outside a country with a population of over 34 million. The invasion completely destroyed the system in Iraq, and the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and British forces created a power vacuum exploited by terrorist groups. On July 3, three days before the British reported was released, the Islamic State (IS) group conducted a suicide bombing attack outside a shopping center in Baghdad, killing at least 292 people and wounding 200 others, the deadliest terrorist attack in Iraq since 2003. There are some 40 organizations classified by the U.S. as terrorist groups, and more than half of them appeared after the U.S.-led invasion. Compared with the al-Qaida, IS appeared to be more powerful and brutal, Sheikh said, adding that the terrorism of IS spilled over the whole region and the world and we are witnessing terrorist attacks in several European countries, Middle East and other areas across the world. Chilcot said "despite explicit warnings, the consequences of the invasion were underestimated. The planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were wholly inadequate ... The government failed to achieve its stated objectives." Najib al-Jubouri, an analyst on politics based in Baghdad, told Xinhua "there were no clear plans and preparations on how to oversee Iraq after the invasion, including the involvement of the United Nations, the control of Iraq's oil money, in addition to the mistake of dismantling of Saddam Hussein security apparatus and army." "We only can hope that such report would let the world reconsider such decisions of invading any country, and have the bravery to admit mistakes," he said. "The U.S. administration is demanded to apologize to Iraqi people on its policy toward the country, because the Americans are responsible more than the British for the tragedy of Iraqis," Sabah al-Sheikh said. WARSAW, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference in Warsaw, Poland, July 9, 2016. NATO has decided to extend its Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan after 2016, Stoltenberg announced at the alliance's Warsaw Summit on Saturday.(Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu) WARSAW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- "We have shown NATO's unity", NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Saturday, concluding the two-day Warsaw NATO Summit. "This is a historical Summit because it happens in a period decisive for our security," Stoltenberg said, underlining the fact that NATO has to adjust to the changing world and appearing challenges. In his opinion, the Summit was important because it reflected what NATO was doing in the field of collective defense and stability. Referring to the increase of EU and NATO cooperation, he said it was crucial for Europe and North America citizens. Stoltenberg thanked Polish President Andrzej Duda for hosting the event. "NATO Summit has shown unity, cohesion and solidarity of the Alliance," said Duda, who called the Summit a "success" of both NATO and Poland. For Poland, it means an actual presence of NATO ready to "protect our territory anytime, in case of any threat," the president underlined. On Friday, NATO countries' leaders decided on strengthening the eastern flank by deploying four battalions in Poland and Baltic states. Initial operational readiness of anti-missile shield was announced, while cyberspace was acknowledged new operational domain. On Saturday, NATO announced support for Ukraine. Decisions on supporting anti-Islamic State coalition with airplanes and launching new mission on Mediterranean Sea were taken as well. HANOI, July 9, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Participants begin to run at the first floor of Landmark 72, the tallest building of Vietnam in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, July 9, 2016. A competition named Hanoi Vertical Run was held here on Saturday, which requires the participants to climb 1914 steps of 72 floors with a total height of 350 meters. (Xinhua/Le Yanna) Seales tells officers be cautious It is never known how persons will respond to law enforcement, Seales said. It is best to do what training and protocol dictates. In a telephone interview yesterday, Seales said police officers should be more apprehensive when dealing with suspects labelled as dangerous. He said when executing warrants against criminals, police officers should immediately go on high alert. Officers are trained with the mentality that every officer on duty must come back alive, and they have achieved that objective today, Seals said. He noted that it is also the duty of a police officer to bring his suspect alive, but if the suspect should put the officers life at risk, then he has no choice but to preserve his own life, and the lives of their fellow officers. No bail for human trafficking accused The men, of Cunupia, are facing 13 charges which range from child trafficking to sexual penetration. The charges were laid indictably and neither accused was called upon to plead. One man was charged with one count of trafficking in children, seven counts of sexual penetration and one count of common assault, while the other was charged with three counts of sexual penetration and one count of common assault. The matter has been adjourned to July 15 at the Chaguanas Magistrates Court. The men were arrested at a house in Cunupia on Tuesday by officers of the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU). Attorney suggests St Anns doc treat himself Lucky was referring to the findings of a report by the doctor who stated that Eulyn Rudder, 33, of Ste Madeleine, was fit to enter a plea. Rudder, who Lucky represented in the San Fernando First Magistrates Court, reappeared yesterday charged with using obscene language. At a previous hearing, a magistrate had remanded her into custody at the hospital for an evaluation. After perusing the findings of the report in the court yesterday, Lucky, who held for attorney Subhas Panday, informed the magistrate that Rudder had been previously admitted to the hospital for anti-social personality disorder. Doctor (name called) should be his own patient. She (Rudder) is a mental mess. She is on drugs, prescribed drugs. She is hearing voices in her head, Lucky told Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde- John. Forde-John reprimanded and discharged Rudder. Cattle in court for weed The magistrate, who presides over the First Court, read the charge which alleged that on June 29, at Web Street, Williamsville, Khan, armed with a firearm, robbed a woman of her car keys. Police Constable Quizel Mahabir of the Gasparillo Police Station laid the charges. Yesterday, Khan was not called upon to plead as the charges were laid indictably. The charges against Khan alleged that he accosted the woman, who moments earlier had exited her car at Web Street Williamsville. A struggle ensued in which he took her car keys and left. Police subsequently executed a search warrant at his home for arms and ammunition and instead allegedly found marijuana. On the charge of marijuana possession, Forde-John granted Khan bail in the sum of $10,000. However on the charge of armed robbery, she denied bail and remanded him into police custody to reappear on August 5. Attorney Cleydon Seedan appeared on behalf of the prosecution. Rain like peas led to one-hour extension This according to the Commissions lead counsel, Russell Martineau, SC, who silenced any contention that the EBC illegally extended the poll time by one hour at the last general election due to bad weather . Here you have a Commission caught between floods, disruption in the voting process and the constitutional rights of persons to vote being affected. Against all this the EBC did what it had to do under the authority of the Constitution, Martineau said . What is to happen on a day of floods and traffic jams? This basic right to decide by whom they will be governed for the next five years...What are you to do on election day when you are confronted by a situation where the masses cannot exercise their franchise? This is what was happening on election day . Every guard was taken against disenfranchising persons... The commission had to ensure they (voters) enjoyed their franchise, he emphasised . Martineau yesterday began the EBCs defence of its decision to extend the polling . hours, which is being challenged in five petitions filed by the United National Congress contesting the results in the constituencies of San Fernando West, Toco/Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, St Joseph and Moruga/Tableland . As he pointed to affidavit evidence of the petitioners, which spoke of flooding in several areas, Martineau said the Commission had responsibility for the conduct of the elections . The guiding force is having persons exercise their right to vote, he maintained . What is the Commission to do in these circumstances? he asked. In Trinidad and Tobago we have a democratic society. When you go to vote, you go to express your views . It is not some ordinary right were seeking to promote but a fundamental right, he said . The Commission directs and provides for the conduct of the election . That is its business . They try to keep away from the politics as best as possible, he said in his submissions before Justice Mira Dean-Amorer who is hearing the petitions and is expected to give her ruling at the end of August . Martineau called on the judge to interpret Election Rule 27 and the power given to the Commission under the Constitution in such a way to make it applicable to the Commissions actions on September 7 . According to him, it was essential for the preservation of democratic rights of the voting public, adding that they cannot be too rigid to disenfranchise voters . Rule 27 (1), Martineau said, gave the Commission the power to extend the polls as it did . Were not saying it was an arbitrary exercise but the Commission can do it for legitimate purposes of ensuring that persons are allowed to exercise their franchise. It is not rigid, he submitted . While admitting that the election regulations sets the voting time from 6 am to 6 pm, Martineau said the Commission could not just throw its hands up when faced with flooded polling stations and persons stuck in gridlock traffic due to weather conditions . Interpret it (the election rules) in such a way so as to facilitate persons right to vote, he said . He said the Representation of the Peoples Act as well as the Election Rules did not cater for what happened on election day . There is a lacuna . The Commission was entitled and duty bound to act. The language (of the legislation) is wide. There is no restriction, he further maintained, adding that neither the statute nor the Constitution placed any restriction on the EBC . It is the business of the Commission to look after the conduct of the elections . Hazel thankful for outpouring of love Mannings wife, Hazel, told reporters as much during a brief interview, as she also thanked the various Ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister, for their handling of the days event which witnessed hundreds of citizens, school children and party supporters, several of whom wore traditional red PNM t-shirts with the name Patrick Manning for San Fernando East emblazoned on the chest. She said: Thanks to the public for the outpouring of love. It is beyond my wildest dreams...the lines are long, they have run out of books to sign....nobody expected this. And noting that her husband was wearing a smile on his face, she pointed out that this was an indication of him being at peace. He has a smile on his face and when I asked them (Belgroves) how come, they said it was a natural smile. He died with a smile. It tells me that he is at peace, she said. The historic event, as described by San Fernando Mayor, Kazim Hosein, started just before 9am as the body of the late Prime Minister was taken from Belgroves Funeral Home, Coffee Street, San Fernando and transported to the venue where a large crowd of persons had already assembled under several tents set up in the courtyard. The body, which arrived at the NAPA to the sounds of Frank Sinatras My Way at approximately 9.40am, was escorted into the building by an honour guard of Defence Force personnel who were all smartly outfitted in their white parade uniforms. Defence Force officers then carefully removed the large national flag which had draped the casket and opened the lid to reveal the late Prime Minister who was dressed in a navy blue suit and black tie with a red balisier flower. A large bouquet of orchids, interspersed with red balisier flowers adorned the covered half of the casket. A four-man guard of honour, with heads bowed and swords sheathed, were stationed at the corners of the cordoned area. At exactly 10am, the Presidential entourage entered the compound, and President Anthony Carmona, who was greeted by Mayor Hosein and San Fernando East MP, Randall Mitchell, was ushered into the building. The President then spoke briefly to Mrs Manning and her son, David, before he viewed the body of the late Prime Minister. The President then left at approximately 10.13 am. Defence Force personnel, several bearing sheathed swords, were the first to pay their respects. They were followed by members of the San Fernando East constituency office and San Fernando City Corporation councillors and then by members of the public, some of whom wept openly as they filed past the body of the late Prime Minister. A number of school children, including primary children from the ASJA primary school who were led by a teacher with a national flag, walked past the body of the late Prime Minister. One mourner was overheard saying that she had not believed that he had died until she saw his body that morning. Another person, Gemma Wong-Doo, walked past the body twice, as if to convince herself that Mannings body was indeed there. I knew him from his childhood days and I was there when he celebrated his 25th anniversary as MP, Wong- Doo told reporters afterwards, adding, he was a very jovial man and he will surely be missed by everyone. Speaking to reporters briefly, Hosein said over 4,000 persons had crowded the NAPA compound to pay their respects since the morning public viewing had begun. It is over 4,000 people who passed through here, I think this is a historic day for San Fernando and Trinidad and Tobago, Hosein said, adding, people are now seeing what Mr Manning actually did for Trinidad and Tobago, people are talking in the lines when they are passing. I didnt cry since my father died and I cried because he, [Manning], brought me into this,Hosein said. Manning will be laid to rest today following a State funeral the the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain. M. Hamid Ansari Addresses the Foundation Day Celebrations of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank Nagpur, Sat, 09 Jul 2016 NI Wire Cooperatives have to effectively address commodity value chain framework in order to have a place in a globalised world: Vice President The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that the cooperatives have to effectively address commodity value chain framework in order to have a place in a globalised world. He was addressing at the foundation day celebrations of Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank, in Nagpur today. The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of State for Home, Shri Hansraj Ahir, the Energy Minister & Nagpur Guardian Minister, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the Mayor of Nagpur, Shri Pravin Datke and others were present on the occasion. The Vice President said that our founding fathers saw the cooperative movement as an important tool in carrying forward the policy of rapid and equitable economic development. The cooperative movement in India today is the largest in the world, and the sector played a pivotal role in the economy, especially in our primary sector production, he added. The Vice President said that the cooperative credit societies have clearly not been effective in providing adequate and affordable credit flows to our small-scale farming sector. Identifying some of the reasons for weakness and the correctives, the Vice President said that there has been an over-bearing role and intervention from the Government, the politicization of cooperative leadership, the size of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies has been small, there was lack of professional management of societies and land reform and caste also had an impact. The Vice President said that given the role that agriculture enjoys in Indias economy, cooperatives remain an important plank in our approach to equitable development and as an important conduit for delivery of goods and services in areas not serviced by Government or private channels. Some of the areas where cooperatives continue to have relevance include - cooperative farming societies, improved access to financial services and Agricultural Insurance business, he added. Following is the text of Vice Presidents address: I thank honble Minister for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, Shri Nitin Gadkariji for inviting me here today. The Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank is one of the oldest and largest cooperative banks in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Starting with a capital of Rs. 26000/- in 1962, the bank has grown in size and reach. It today has more than 60,000 members at its 39 branches and a capitalization of almost Rs. 1500 lakh. The growth of this bank is a testimony of the professional competence of its management and the industrious spirit of the people of Nagpur and Vidarbha region. The bank, and the principle behind it, is a success story. The principle of cooperation is as old as human society and forms the basis of domestic and social life. The concept of cooperation envisages a group of persons having one or more common economic needs, who voluntarily agreed to pool their resources, both human and material, and use them for mutual benefit, through an enterprise managed by them on democratic lines, guided by the principle of each for all and all for each. A few days ago, on 6 July, we marked the International Cooperatives Day. Cooperatives remain a dynamic people centered business model, successfully operating in more than 100 countries in the world. A cooperative offers a range of benefits- enhancing incomes and securing livelihoods- not only for members, but the entire community. While cooperatives do not provide the entire answer to prevailing global poverty and economic injustice, they certainly can be an important tool in redressing some of the challenges. The Indian cooperative sector is 112 years old. It started off in the colonial era, as part of government initiative to address the issues of farmers indebtedness and poverty with the enactment of the Cooperative Credit Societies Act of 1904. Our founding fathers also saw the cooperative movement as an important tool in carrying forward the policy of rapid and equitable economic development. Jawaharlal Nehru visualized an India in which every village was to have a panchayat, a cooperative and a school. It was, therefore, not surprising that cooperatives became a part of the national development plans efforts. Cooperatives find explicit mention in two places in our Constitution. First, as part of Article 43 as a Directive Principle which enjoins the State to promote cottage industry through individual or cooperative basis in rural areas and second, in schedule 7 as entries 43 and 44 in the Union list and as entry 32 in the State list. The first 5-Year Plan focused on setting up cooperative marketing societies. Subsequent Plans focused on training of cooperative personnel, expanding cooperative activities to processing and marketing of agricultural commodities, and transforming primary village cooperatives into multipurpose societies with stress on employment generation and poverty alleviation. The cooperative movement in India today is the largest in the world, with more than 6 lakh individual cooperatives covering sectors such as credit and banking, fertilizer, sugar, dairy, marketing, consumer goods, handloom, handicrafts, fisheries, tribal development, labour and housing catering to over 24 crore members. The total working capital base in the cooperative sector is estimated at about Rs. 73,000 crore. In the first few decades after independence, the sector played a pivotal role in the economy, especially in our primary sector production. Maharashtra, for example, has been home to some successful cooperative movements- in agriculture, with the strong emergence of sugarcane farming and sugar production cooperative, as well as in consolidation of cooperative credit banking system. The dairy cooperative is another success story in India. The Anand model for cooperative milk marketing from Gujarat, with its well recognized Amul brand, provided the blueprint for replicating its success elsewhere under the National Dairy Development Board program, contributing to the success of Operation Flood. In fertilizer production and distribution, the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) controls over 35% of the market. In the production of sugar, the cooperative share of the market is 58% while in the marketing and distribution of cotton it is 60%. Cooperative sector accounts for 55% of the production in the hand-woven textiles sector, whereas cooperative marketing and distribution channels account for 50% of the edible oil market in India. Dairy cooperatives in India, operating under the leadership of the National Dairy Development Board, collectively, are the largest producer of milk in the world. Notwithstanding the significant gains made by the cooperative movement, the sector is showing signs of fatigue. Even the notable successes have remained limited to apex bodies, while grass-root cooperatives continue to remain weak. The story of credit cooperatives in particular, its rise and decline, is well-known to this audience. The growth of cooperative movement, in part, was facilitated by financial support and protection against the private sector afforded by the Governments policy interventions. In many cases, the success of cooperatives was not because they were the best alternative but rather because they were the only available alternative. With the government adopting liberal economic policies from early 1990s, more sectors of the economy were opened to private players. Cooperatives have generally found this transition challenging. Credit Cooperatives have lost their central position in agricultural credit scene. In the early 1990s, cooperatives provided almost 62% of the agricultural credit in the country with commercial banks providing little more than 30%. Data shows that the share of cooperatives fell to less than 17% in the year 2011-12, even as the total quantum of agricultural credit on offer continued to rise. The fall in credit share of cooperatives came even as the numbers of small and marginal farmers increased significantly. The average size of operational land holdings has reduced by half, from 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.16 hectares in 2010-11. Consequently, the number of land holdings in the marginal and small categories grew by 67 million during the same period. Today, the area cultivated by small and marginal farmers constitutes 85 percent in terms of number of operational holdings and 44 percent of the operated area in the country. The size of the land holdings has implications for investments in agriculture, its productivity, farm mechanization and sustaining farm incomes. The Cooperative credit societies have clearly not been effective in providing adequate and affordable credit flows to our small-scale farming sector. There is also great variation in the quality and strength of the cooperative movement in regional and sectoral terms in India. Some of the reasons for weakness and the correctives that suggest themselves include: First, there has been an over-bearing role and intervention from the Government as cooperatives become instruments for delivery of goals set by the Government rather than a peoples movement of self help. Second, the politicization of cooperative leadership eroded the welfare aspect of the movement. Cooperatives are often seen as a stepping stone for their political objectives and as vote banks, often to detriment of the economic interests of the members. A third weakness has been the small size, the poor resource base and the low participation in the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), which has been a significant barrier to increasing the efficiency and volume of credit flows through them. There is, therefore, a need for consolidation and reorganization of the smaller primary societies into larger societies which will allow them to mobilize greater resource and have a stronger voice. A fourth reason has been the lack of professional management of societies to improve governance. Thus, despite the Reserve Bank of India stipulation, only a few State Credit Banks have appointed professional Directors. For the same reason, the governing body should have autonomy to take decisions and have a system of checks and balances built into the organizational system. Fifth; looking at the variations in the regional intensity of the cooperative movement, it becomes apparent that cooperatives have done well in areas where land reform had met with a greater degree of success. This would indicate that sovereign control of farmers over land, the primary factor of production in agriculture, remains an essential prerequisite for the success of cooperatives. At the same time, the limited success of cooperative movement in some of the most fertile and populous regions of the country also raises questions about the possible link of the cooperative movements success to the prevalent demographic and cultural factors. Some workers have pointed to the impact of caste matrix on the access of people to trade and other means of production, as well as to political power. The Government has made several efforts to address the issues confronting the cooperative sector. A number of Committees were set up between 1990 -2005. They advocated replacement of the existing government dominated cooperative laws by a new people centric legislation. Based on some of these recommendations, the Government of India enacted the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act in 2002 and announced a National Policy on Cooperatives, which provides for democratic and autonomous working of the cooperatives, to give the movement a progressive slant. Several new sectors have been opened up to cooperatives, including procurement of food grains and insurance and a revival package announced. The Reserve Bank of India has also been active in prescribing norms for and supervising the cooperative credit sector to promote a healthy disbursement mechanism. The United Nations General Assembly had declared the year 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. This recognized the contribution that Cooperatives make to social and economic development through poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has similarly, recognized Agricultural Cooperatives as an essential ingredient in ensuring global food security. Given the role that agriculture enjoys in Indias economy, cooperatives have an inherent strength as a form of business organization. They remain an important plank in our approach to equitable development and as an important conduit for delivery of goods and services in areas not serviced by Government or private channels. The movement, however, will have to match its vast outreach with market orientation to stay relevant. Some of the areas where cooperatives continue to have relevance include the following; The exceedingly small size of land holdings is a serious bottleneck in the expansion of our agriculture sector. In this regard cooperative farming societies provide a medium for cultivators to enjoy the economies of large-scale farming through pooling of land and management resources. The increase in connectivity and the expansion of the telecom infrastructure provides the Cooperatives with means to increase their outreach and have better feedback. Improved connectivity between members and management of the Cooperatives will play a significant role in reducing the response time and opens up tremendous possibilities for improved access to financial services. Developments like the Unique Identification (UID) project which provides biometric identity and the focus on financial inclusion agenda by the government provide an avenue for cooperative societies to regain their relevance by becoming active partners in these programmes. With the passage of the Insurance Act, Cooperatives have been allowed entry into the insurance, including Agricultural Insurance business. This is a field where Cooperatives have tremendous potential for success, especially if they develop partnerships with other service providers. In the current economic system context, the cooperative is but one of the aggregation tool that is available to the producers and consumers. For their growth and survival, cooperatives have to behave as for-profit corporations and effectively address commodity value chain framework in order to have a place in a globalised world. I once again thank the organizers for inviting me here today and I wish all the members and workers of the Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank all the very best for the future. Jai Hind. Source: PIB National Coordinated Action takes off for clean-up of 10 iconic places as Models of Swachhta under SBM New Delhi, Sat, 09 Jul 2016 NI Wire "Need to go back to our roots and learn 'Swachhta' from Rural India": Narendra Singh Tomar in first address as Minister DWS The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, on July 8 and 9, 2016, organized a 2-day workshop in New Delhi for special clean-up of 100 iconic places across the country, starting with 10 in the first phase. Representatives from the following 10 places participated in the workshop, along with representatives from concerned state governments and municipal bodies. 1. Vaishno Devi: Jammu & Kashmir 2. Taj Mahal: Uttar Pradesh 3. Tirupati Temple: Andhra Pradesh 4. Golden Temple: Punjab 5. Ajmer Sharif: Rajasthan 6. Meenakshi Temple: Tamil Nadu 7. Kamakhya Temple: Assam 8. Jagannath Puri: Odisha 9. Manikarnika Ghat: Uttar Pradesh 10. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: Maharashtra On July 8, 2016, Day 1 of the workshop began with the inaugural address by the Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer. The Minister, in his inaugural address (at his first public event after assuming charge of the Ministry), highlighted the efficient solid waste management practice prevalent in ancient rural India, saying that we need to go back to our roots and learn Swachhta from good practices of the past. He added that Gandhiji worked for a Swachh Bharat and presented an example for all of us to emulate. He also spoke about the environment created by the leadership of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, which has reawakened the nation to Swachhta as a value in society. With respect to the initiative for clean-up of iconic places across the country under Swachh Bharat Mission, he said that the attempt in the first phase with 10 iconic places was to arrive at models for cleanliness to be scaled to all 100 places and, hopefully, to set a global example. This was followed by a presentation made by international experts in urban planning, cleanliness and sanitation from institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the World Bank and the Cities Alliance. They shared case studies of similar and successful international clean-up efforts from across the world, including Singapore, Ecuador, and Pakistan (clean-up of the Delhi Gate, Lahore). This was followed by detailed presentations from the teams from 10 iconic places, which included: a) Site characteristics, including Geography, area covered, footfall, etc., b) Current Status of Swachhta inside and outside the site, c) Specific measures taken currently to keep the inside and outside clean, and d) Proposed plan of action including timelines, key players, financial budgets, etc. The teams from the 10 iconic locations were given feedback by the international experts and best practices were shared across teams. On Day 2 of the workshop, July 9, 2016, the Ministry of Urban Development made a presentation on relevant Central government schemes related to the work of clean-up being undertaken under this initiative. They also assured all the teams that the Ministry would give this clean-up initiative full support from their side. The teams next broke out for group activity to draw up concrete action plans for achieving model levels of cleanliness in their respective locations and sites, which were presented to Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and senior officials of Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism. An agreed action plan was evolved for clean-up of all the 10 iconic places to achieve higher benchmarks of Swachhta at these iconic places at the earliest. The participants who attended the workshop from the States included representatives from State Tourism departments, Municipal Commissioners, representatives from concerned district administrations, and chief executives of the Trust / local management / governing body of the iconic places. Senior officials from Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture also participated actively in the workshop. Senior officials from Public Sector Units that have been brought on board by three Ministries - Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of Mines, and Ministry of Coal at the request of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, to undertake the sponsorship of the clean-up of these places as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, also attended the workshop. These Public Sector Units are Northern Coal Fields Ltd (a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd), Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), and Oil India Ltd. Source: PIB Transatomic Power Corporation has released technical information on the design of its molten salt reactor (MSR), which it says offers multiple advantages over existing generation technologies. The technical white paper (22 pages) issued by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company outlines how its 1250 MWth reactor design the TAP MSR uses the properties of its liquid fuel to increase fuel utilization while decreasing the overall amount of waste produced. Transatomic published the white paper after the US Department of Energy awarded it a $200,000 grant under its Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Nuclear Energy Voucher pilot program. The funding will enable the company to perform high-fidelity modelling of the design in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Transatomic is developing a next-generation Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) based on technology first demonstrated at ORNL in the 1960s, and has been completing reactor core performance analyses as part of its technology development work. The company released results that show promise for an economical power plant that can generate carbon-free baseload power and even extract energy from traditional nuclear reactors so called spent fuel. Traditional light water nuclear reactors, named for the material that they use to control their nuclear chain reactions, are limited in the amount of energy they can extract from their solid uranium fuel. The Transatomic design, which instead uses a liquid uranium-salt mixture, does not have the same performance constraints as light water design. For nuclear energy to be a viable source of baseload power, new nuclear reactor designs must address existing concerns about waste storage by increasing fuel utilization and reducing overall waste production. This paper outlines the ways in which the Transatomic Power 1250 MWth molten salt reactor design takes advantage of its liquid fuel in order to address these challenges. By employing continuous fission product removal and core geometry modification, the TAP MSR achieves more than twice the fuel utilization of light water reactors (LWRs). When using 5% enriched uranium the maximum enrichment readily available in the current supply chain this increased efficiency leads to an approximate 53% waste reduction compared to LWRs. Using higher enrichments, up to the 20% Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) limit, this reduction reaches 83%. The TAP MSR design takes advantage of its liquid fuel to allow for more than twice the fuel utilization of light water reactors, leading to an approximately 53% reduction in waste when using 5% enriched uranium, the maximum enrichment readily available in the current supply chain. Using higher enrichments, up to the 20% LEU limit, this reduction reaches 83%. These accomplishments represent major leaps forward, inverting commonly-held beliefs about the nature of nuclear technology, and enabling nuclear energy to be a viable source of carbon-free baseload power. SOURCE Transatomic Power Morocco has all it takes to become the technology hub of North Africa and even of the continent but authorities foot-dragging to promote digital technology and initiatives hinders the process, communication of influence expert Hamza Hraoui said in an interview. Authorities could make the dream come true if they change their policy and work harder to promote start-ups exploring the digital world in Morocco, Hraoui said in an interview with HuffpostMaroc, published on Thursday. Hraoui was speaking in the wake of the launch of a Moroccan agency for the development of digital economy, tasked with supporting operators to develop this digital economy and with improving e-gov. The communication expert said Morocco still lags behind in terms of total liberalization of the internet. He cited in this regards the recent decision of the countrys Telecommunication Regulatory Agency (ANRT) to ban the use of VoiP hardware. Hraoui added that authorities should mobilize start-ups and inject funds into private initiatives in order to help digital companies compete on the international front. Moroccans are expecting a genuine and resolute digital plan that will help companies carry out their structuring projects on markets where Morocco can become the continental leader in 3 to 5 years: additive manufacturing such as 3D printers, connected items, augmented reality technology, smart cities, digital technology teaching schools, etc. Hraoui said. For the communication expert, it is evident that Morocco has the necessary it takes to become the Silicon Valley of the region. Morocco can legitimately claim to be the technology hub of the region, he said, pointing out that internet penetration rate in Morocco exceeds 56 per cent whereas it stands at 44 per cent in Tunisia and at less than 20 per cent in Algeria. Aside from having the most connected population of the Maghreb, Morocco also has a most dynamic online media, the expert said. In terms of ICT infrastructure, Morocco has taken the lead, he said. While Algeria introduced the 3G connectivity only in 2013, Morocco has the widest 4G coverage of the Maghreb. These fundamentals make of Morocco the most attractive country at present. The use of digital technology will help promote the image of the country and its diplomacy, as online media have become essential for promoting the nation branding concept, Hraoui stated further, deploring however that Morocco does not feature in the top 10 most connected African countries. The online presence for a country is an opportunity to embody and disseminate, in a modern and controlled manner, the soft power of the country. These media have become essential for the nation branding, he said. Urging governmental departments and businesses to change their culture and open up to the digital world, he said he is convinced that Moroccan companies will spearhead this process and accelerate the countrys transition to the digital era. Moroccos tourism shows resilience with expectations to grow by 2% this year, despite unwarranted fears created by confusions over the turmoil that is plaguing several countries in the region, said the Moroccan tourism Minister, Lahcen Haddad. The Minister, who was speaking to Jeune Afrique Magazine, noted that instability in the region has slightly taken a toll on arrivals, but the sector shows resilience with revenues likely to rise this year. He said the development of tourism in Morocco hinges on the Kingdoms stability, adding that the country remains one of the most peaceful countries on earth. In this respect, the Minister pointed out to several international rankings that list Morocco as a safe country, such as the UK Foreign Office travel advice, which further evidences the effectiveness of Moroccos security approach. Haddad also stressed the need for awareness raising campaigns to diffuse confusions over the region and highlight the image of Morocco in particular as well as its specificity in addition to the multiple political and economic reforms initiated to safeguard its diversity and promote openness. In a bid to diversify its sources of tourism, Morocco is attempting to attract more visitors from Russia, China and West Africa. Tourism is the second largest contributor to Moroccos GDP and the second largest employer. Marchers in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Ross D. Franklin/AP Photos Protests against police brutality continued in at least 18 U.S. cities on Friday night, part of a continuing response to the shooting deaths of two black men at the hands of police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota this week, and following a gunmans deadly ambush of officers protecting one such protest in Dallas on Thursday night. That gunman, a black Army veteran, was eventually killed by police following a standoff but before being killed, he told police that he wanted to kill white police officers in response to this weeks shootings. The vast majority of Friday nights protests were peaceful in nature, according to multiple news reports, and though some protesters were arrested in several cities following confrontations with police, no significant injuries have been reported from any of the protests nationwide. Demonstrations, marches, and vigils, mostly associated in some way with the Black Lives Matter movement and ranging in size from dozens to thousands of participants, were conducted in Atlanta, New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, Nashville, and Detroit, among other cities. The tone of the protests varied greatly, with some demonstrations becoming rowdy and tense, while others were more subdued and somber. The police response seems to have been mixed as well, as some cities saw officers in riot gear block groups of protesters, resulting in standoffs and arrests while in other cities, police simply observed from the background, with few or no confrontations. Protesters block a street in Atlanta. Photo: Prince Williams/Getty Images The biggest protest of the night seems to have been in Atlanta, where thousands of people gathered for a march organized by the NAACP and Black Lives Matter, and which resulted in as few as two arrests and virtually no confrontations, according to the Associated Press. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, who attended the protest, called it a demonstration of the best version of ourselves. Friday night in Phoenix, however, police used pepper spray and bean-bag rounds to disperse hundreds of protesters conducting a march through the city. According to NBC12, police apparently resorted to those measures once some of the protesters indicated their intent to block part of Interstate 10, which travels through the city. One side of I-10 was subsequently closed by authorities as a result of the protest. A small number of protesters were seen throwing objects at officers during the confrontation, but no injuries were reported. Meanwhile in Rochester, New York, protesters blocked streets around the citys nightlife district late Friday night. According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, as the number of demonstrators grew, eventually reaching several hundred, police in riot gear worked to break up the mostly-seated crowd, resulting in 74 arrests. There were no reports of violence, injuries, or property damage, though two black reporters were handcuffed, then released. And in Manhattan, roughly 300 people gathered in Union Square on Friday night, before groups of marchers headed off in different directions, escorted by police and mostly obeying instructions to keep to sidewalks and walkways which as NBC4 points out, marked a more restrained overall tone than previous protests in the city. Photo: Castile Family A lawyer for the Latino cop who killed a black motorist in Minnesota this week says the officer reacted to the mans gun, not his race, the Associated Press reports. The lawyer, Thomas Kelly, insists that St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed school-cafeteria worker Philando Castile during a routine traffic stop on Wednesday in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, fired as a result of the presence of that gun and the display of that gun rather than any other factor. [Officer Yanez] is deeply saddened for the family and loved ones of Philando Castile. Tragically, the use of force became necessary in reacting to the actions of Mr. Castile. This heartbreaking incident had nothing to do with race. It had to do with the presence of a gun, Kelly said in a statement, also indicating that the officer has had no disciplinary action taken against him or his career. The shooting of 32-year-old Castile, the aftermath of which was live-streamed on Facebook by his girlfriend, came soon after the release of a video of another black mans death at the hands of police in Louisiana; together, the two events have sparked nationwide outrage and protests. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, says that after their car had been pulled over, Castile had simply informed the officer that he was carrying a legal firearm and reached to provide his drivers license and registration as he had been asked, when the officer started shooting, ultimately firing four times. In that same video, a police officer is heard saying, I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out. Yanezs lawyer wouldnt detail Yanezs account of the events that led up to the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation. WCCO adds that Minnesota authorities have obtained several videos of the incident for review, including one shot from the squad car. Neither Yanez nor his partner were wearing body cameras. Both are now on administrative leave. On Thursday night, a gunman ambushed police officers who had been protecting a downtown Dallas protest responding to the deaths of Castile and Alton Sterling, the black man recently killed by police in Louisiana. That ambush resulted in the deaths of five officers. The gunman, a black Army veteran, told police he had conducted the attack as revenge for the deaths of Castile and Sterling. On Friday night, members of Castiles family condemned the Dallas attack, and his mother, Valerie Castile, said that, My son would not have approved of the shootings, because he believed that all lives matter. Castile had apparently been stopped by police on Wednesday for having a broken taillight, and the Associated Press reports that Castile had been previously pulled over at least 52 times in the Minneapolis area over the last 14 years, often receiving citations for minor driving offenses. Half of the 86 violations he received were ultimately dismissed. As the AP notes, it is impossible to know how many of the times Castile was pulled over were the result of racial profiling, but a 2001 study conducted in the area at the request of the Minnesota State Legislature indicated that, as is often the case throughout the country, racial and ethnic bias likely played a role in police officers traffic-stop policies and practices, as well as the citizen reports that sometimes lead to those stops. On Thursday, Minnesota governor Mark Dayton said that he believed Castile would still be alive if he and the other passengers in the car had been white. Photo: Stewart F. House/Getty Images The immediate aftermath of the massacre of police officers in Dallas Thursday night represented one of those moments when some people show restraint and perspective, while others begin grinding axes. Youd forgive the Dallas Police Department, which lost four officers (a fifth fatal victim worked for the transit police) and had several others injured, for overreacting in its collective grief. But it hasnt. Before the massacre began, the Dallas police and the peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators were exhibiting what a local journalist described as mutual respect. The minute the first shots rang out, the reaction of Dallas officers was to protect demonstrators who were in the line of fire. And even when he was expressing the heartbroken feelings of his officers, Police Chief David Brown found time to say, All I know is that this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens. Compare that to the reaction of William Johnson, the Alexandria, Virginiabased executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, which claims to represent more than 200,000 officers around the country: I think [the Obama administrations] continued appeasements at the federal level with the Department of Justice, their appeasement of violent criminals, their refusal to condemn movements like Black Lives Matter, actively calling for the death of police officers, that type of thing, all the while blaming police for the problems in this country has led directly to the climate that has made Dallas possible, William Johnson, the executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, said in an interview with Fox on Friday morning Its a war on cops, Johnson also said. And the Obama administration is the Neville Chamberlain of this war. Johnson went on to claim that Obama had never condemned anti-police violence. Heres what Obama actually said this morning in Warsaw, Poland. He described the Dallas shootings as a vicious, calculated, despicable attack; a tremendous tragedy; and senseless murders. He also said that We will learn more about the twisted motivations of the suspects, added that there is no possible justification for the attacks, and promised that justice will be done. The police departments William Johnson is paid to represent are not responsible for his irresponsible and incendiary comments, which incredibly blame Barack Obama and apparently anyone upset by racial injustice for these murders. If the Dallas PD can modulate its reactions as it grieves for its fallen heroes, youd think a lobbyist 1,300 miles away could do so as well. Photo: Olivier Douliery/Getty Images Its been a rough few months for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Even the most anxiety-prone backer of the agreement couldnt have imagined that the Republican Partys 2016 nominee would frame his fall campaign as a crusade against free trade while the former secretary of State, who once championed the TPP, would be forced to defend her merely conditional disavowal of the deal. Now, a leading contender in the Democratic veepstakes is decrying the rigged, lousy agreement in viral videos. And delegates aligned with both Democratic primary candidates are demanding that the party call for the death of the TPP in its platform. A little over week ago, the leadership of the Democratic platform committee rejected that stance. But the full platform committee will meet this weekend in Orlando, where it will approve a draft to send to the Democratic National convention in Philadelphia for final approval. Ahead of that meeting, Democratic delegates from New Jersey, Connecticut, and Ohio have drafted letters demanding that the platform make clear that we oppose the TPP because of its failure to meet the high standards we believe should be enshrined in our trade agreements. Among the prominent signatories are New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone and Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Nan Whaley, both Clinton supporters. Bernie Sanders has promised to wage a floor fight in Philadelphia to obtain an anti-TPP platform, should the committee fail to adopt one in Orlando this weekend. Gretchen Carlson and Roger Ailes. Photo: Noam Galai; Getty Images; Wesley Mann/FOX Fox News host Gretchen Carlson may be the highest-profile woman to accuse Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, but she is not the first. In my 2014 biography of the Fox News chief, I included interviews with four women who told me Ailes had used his position of power to make either unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate sexual comments in the office. And it appears Carlson wont be the last, either. In recent days, more than a dozen women have contacted Carlsons New Jerseybased attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, and made detailed allegations of sexual harassment by Ailes over a 25-year period, dating back to the 1960s, when he was a producer on The Mike Douglas Show. These are women who have never told these stories until now, Smith told me. Some are in a lot of pain. Taken together, these stories portray Ailes as a boss who spoke openly of expecting women to perform sexual favors in exchange for job opportunities. He said thats how all these men in media and politics work everyones got their friend, recalled Kellie Boyle, who says Ailes propositioned her in 1989, shortly after he helped George H.W. Bush become president by serving as his chief media strategist. Six of the women agreed to speak with New York publicly for the first time. Two spoke on the record; the others requested anonymity for reasons that include shame and fear of retribution. I didnt tell my husband, it was so mortifying, said Marsha Callahan, a former model who says Ailes harassed her in the late 60s, shortly before he would become Richard Nixons media adviser. Ailes is clearly trying to keep these stories out of the press and the courts. Late on Friday, his lawyers filed a motion in federal court in New Jersey seeking to move Carlsons lawsuit to arbitration, which would prevent witnesses from being called in court. Plaintiffs ploy of filing in Superior Court to justify her shameless publicity campaign against Roger Ailes should not be countenanced, Ailess lawyers argued. Carlsons lawyers responded in a statement: Roger Ailes is trying to force this case into a secret arbitration proceeding Gretchen never agreed to arbitrate anything with Mr. Ailes. Ailess spokesperson Irena Briganti did not respond to requests for comment. (Update: Ailess outside council, Barry Asen, has now responded to the new allegations. His statement can be found at the bottom of this post.) Here are the womens accounts: Kellie Boyle, 54 Former Republican National Committee field adviser This was back in 1989. I was 29 and living in New Jersey. My husband worked at CNBC and he said, Roger Ailes is coming in to be interviewed would you like to meet him? I said yes! Id worked in political communications for the Republican National Committee, so Roger Ailes was like a god. Id read his book, You Are the Message, and I used it for a lot of training I did for candidates. I introduced myself in the green room, and he was very charming and said, Would you like to visit my office downtown sometime? A week or two later I went in and mentioned to him I was going down to D.C. the following week to sign a major contract with the National Republican Congressional Committee. He said, Im going to be in D.C. too. Would you like to have dinner before you go in? So we had a nice dinner at a restaurant in Union Station. There was nothing untoward about it at all. He had a driver and a car, and after dinner he said, Can I take you to your friends? So we get in the car and thats when he said, You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys. I was so taken aback. I said, Gosh, I didnt know that. How would that work? I was trying to kill time because I didnt know if he was going to attack me. I was just talking until I could get out of the car. He said, Thats the way it works, and he started naming other women hed had. He said thats how all these men in media and politics work everyones got their friend. I said, Would I have to be friends with anybody else? And he said, Well, you might have to give a blow job every once in a while. I told him I was going to have to think about this. He said, No, if you dont do it now, you know that means you wont. The next morning I show up to get my assignment and was told the guy I was supposed to be meeting with was unavailable. Back in New Jersey, I got a call from Roger Ailes. He said, Howd your meeting go? I said, Actually, he wasnt available and Im hoping to hear back from him. He said, Ah, well, Im sure you will. Have you changed your mind yet? I said, Ill have to pass, Roger. Im married and really committed to my husband. No offense. He said, Well, well be in touch. And that was that. A couple weeks later, I called a friend who was very high up in the RNC and I asked him what happened. He said, Word went out you werent to be hired. Marsha Callahan, 73 Former model This was either 68 or 67. At the time he was producing The Mike Douglas Show, and I had a call from my modeling agency about the show. I got a call directly from Roger asking me to come down and to make sure I wore a garter belt and stockings. This was right after pantyhose came into use, and I said, Why would you want me to do that instead of pantyhose? He said, If your legs look good in a garter belt, Ill know you have great legs. So I go into his office and right away he says, Sit on the sofa and lift your skirt up. I had to do these different poses. And then, I recall very clearly, he said hed put me on the show but I needed to go to bed with him. I was a really shy girl, but I was a little cheeky, so I said, Oh yeah, you and who else? And he said, Only me and a few of my select friends. I said, Well, if you think I have star quality and you can make money off my looks, I dont think itd matter if I went to bed with you or not. And he said, Oh, pretty girls like you are a dime a dozen. The interview ended quickly. I was called in to do the show and I remember passing Roger in the hallway. He pretended not to know who I was. Susan,* 66 Former model I was 16 years old, living in Radnor, Pennsylvania. I was sent over for a walk-on part on The Mike Douglas Show in the winter of 1967. It was 6:30 in the evening and the place was totally closing up. Ailes took me into this big office and locked the door with a key. He reclined on a couch in a seating area under a map that had flags of all the cities they were syndicated in. He proceeded to pull down his pants and very gingerly pull out his genitals and said, Kiss them. And they were red, like raw hamburger. He was pretty meticulously dressed, with long white shirttails coming out. It was like he was just at the end of a long day and I was supposed to know what to do. I was a kid Id never seen a mans privates before. I jumped up, but the door was locked and nobody was out there. He chased me around the office, and at some point it dawned on him that this just wasnt going to happen. He finally pulled up his trousers. He was very angry and rushed over to his desk, pulled open a door, and had a reel-to-reel tape recorder going. He said to me, Dont tell anybody about this. Ive got it all on tape. I think he knew I was 16. Jane,* 62 Former model/actress It was around 1984; I was about 30. I had just arrived in New York. My agent was hoping to get me into broadcasting. I had an appointment with Ailes. He had a camera set up and a little desk and a script for me. It was a cooking kind of thing, talking about food and whatnot. After he taped me, he locked the door and said he didnt want any interruptions. I figured out pretty quickly there was no job and this was just a ruse. He pulled out a garter belt and stockings and told me to put them on. I was very nervous; I didnt know what to do. He was standing there and I put them on. He wanted me to model them for him. After that, something sexual took place, but I blocked it out of my mind. I dont know if I engaged with him orally or he engaged with himself. I felt I was being used for his sexual satisfaction. I felt very threatened. He wanted me to take the lingerie home for the next time. I said, No, thank you, I dont want to keep it for the next time. I left and I knew Id never return. Through the years I felt like a horrible person because I allowed this to happen to me and I didnt just say fuck off and walk out of the room. My husband doesnt even know. Diane,* 69 Media consultant This is something Ive carried with me and havent told anybody. I was just appalled to read about Gretchens story and see how [Ailes] is behaving after 50 years. This was so long ago. I was in college doing some modeling work with an agency in the Philadelphia area. This would have been late 65 or early 66; I would have been 18 or 19 years old. A bunch of us girls at the agency were called over to audition for him for some sort of skit on The Mike Douglas Show. He had a room, and one by one he would take us behind closed doors. When my turn came I went in, and he didnt waste any time. He grabbed me and had his hands on me and he forced me to kiss him. When I recoiled he said, Well, you know no girls get a job here unless theyre cooperative. I just pushed him away and ran out of there. He was like, whatever. So, no job for me. He did hire several of the girls from the group, but I dont know what they had to do to get the job. Pat,* 65 Former TV producer It was 1975. I had a degree in mass communications. A college friend said, Come to New York. I got an interview with Roger Ailes. I remember I met him not at some big TV office it was at his apartment on Central Park South. I dont remember his exact words, but his message was: If you want to make it in New York City in the TV business, youre going to have to fuck me, and youre going to do that with anyone I tell you to. I was afraid he was going to pin me down. He was a big guy and Im not big at all. He could have overpowered me. I remember running out of that apartment like my hair was on fire and standing on the sidewalk crying, thinking, Whats that guy think I was, a prostitute? In one second, my dreams were shot. Hes going to blackball me everywhere, Ill never get another interview, Im not good enough all that stuff a 20-something girl thinks. It wasnt, That guys a son of a bitch and I should have kicked him in the balls. *Pseudonyms. Update: Roger Ailess outside counsel, Barry Asen, has released the following statement regarding these new accounts: Protesters in Times Square Thursday night. Photo: Yana Paskova/Getty Images On August 9, 2014, a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old African-American man. For the following four hours, Michael Browns body was left bleeding into the asphalt of Canfield Drive. For much of the preceding decade, Fergusons police department had subjected its black community to routine harassment and discrimination. Outraged citizens filled the streets. Soon, police in military vehicles did too. Then tear gas. And then cable-news cameras. Its been nearly two years since the Ferguson protests turned fatal police shootings into a subject of national concern. This week, the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile put American policing back into the media spotlight. Their stories have led many to note all of the things that havent changed about policing and criminal justice in the United States over the past 23 months. Heres a partial (and not entirely hopeful) list of what has changed. Police are shooting more people to death. There is no comprehensive federal data on the number of Americans killed by police officers each year. Since Ferguson, several media organizations have attempted to fill that void. Their respective counts vary widely. The crowdsourced effort Killed by Police has recorded 607 fatal encounters since the beginning of this year, while The Guardian puts that figure at 566. But as FiveThirtyEight notes, all of the most prominent trackers show the rate of police killings holding steady or increasing over the past two years. The Washinton Posts database on fatal police shootings recently earned the paper a Pulitzer Prize (unlike other trackers, the Post only documents fatal shootings). Through the first six months of 2015, the Post recorded 465 fatal police shootings; in the first six months of this year, the paper has documented 491. 2016 shootings by cops=27% black; nearly all had guns. 20 cops fatally shot before Dallas https://t.co/sFphLryxfZ pic.twitter.com/JxIeuEgeWH AlanReynoldsEcon (@AlanReynoldsEcn) July 8, 2016 Blacks continued to be shot at 2.5 times the rate of whites. About half of those killed were white, and about half were minorities. Less than 10 percent of all those killed were unarmed. One-quarter were mentally ill As was the case in 2015, in most fatal shootings by police this year, officers were confronted by subjects armed with guns. In half of such cases, those persons fired at police, prompting officers to fire their own guns to defend themselves or to protect bystanders. Notably, black Americans killed by police are less likely than whites to have been armed at the time of their deaths. As FiveThirtyEight notes, its possible that the reported increase in fatal police encounters is illusory: While the Post is careful to maintain a consistent methodology, the paper relies in part on local media accounts to maintain its tally. Its possible that media organizations across the country are simply keeping better track of police killings than they once did. Nonetheless, its safe to say that there has been no dramatic decrease in fatal police encounters, and that there is evidence that such encounters have actually been more prevalent. More police are wearing body cameras. Over the first six months of 2015, 76 police shootings were captured on video, according to the Posts data set. This year, that figure is 105. That jump was driven by the increased use of body cameras by police departments across the country. At this point in 2015, such cameras captured 34 shootings this year, theyve recorded 63. In 2013, a survey conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum found that only 25 percent of American police departments outfitted their officers with body cameras. This year, roughly one-third of the nations 18,000 police departments have adopted them, according to Time. That fraction is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. A survey conducted this January by the Major Cities Chiefs Association found 95 percent of police departments expressing a commitment to implementing body cameras in the near future. Cops are being prosecuted for fatal shootings more frequently. Per the Post: In the past 18 months, murder and manslaughter charges brought against officers in fatal shootings have tripled, while the presence of video evidence in these cases has doubled, a Post analysis shows. From 2005 to 2014, 47 officers were criminally charged in fatal shootings, with 15 of those cases involving video evidence. In 2015, 18 officers were criminally charged, with 10 of the cases involving video. And, so far this year, seven officers have been criminally charged, with five involving video evidence. But, as the recent trials of officers involved in the death of 25-year-old Baltimore resident Freddie Gray have illustrated, convictions in these cases remain rare. Public confidence in police wavered, then recovered. The year after Michael Browns death, Americas confidence in its police hit historic lows. In 2015, Gallup found only 52 percent of Americans expressing either a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in police, down 5 points from the historic average. The last time that figure had dropped so low was 1993, the year after the officers involved in the Rodney King beating were acquitted. Americans' confidence in the police was at 52% when Gallup first measured it in 1993... https://t.co/ZG6D3BhUZI pic.twitter.com/Is724bJINq Gallup Analytics (@GallupAnalytics) June 27, 2016 White Americans have become more likely to say their country needs to make changes to give blacks equal rights with whites. In 2014, 39 percent of white Americans expressed that sentiment to Pew Research in 2015, 53 percent did. The latter figure held steady in 2016. A 2015 CBSNew York Times poll found that the percentage of white Americans who believe black people have an equal chance of getting ahead in todays society dropped 10 points in one year, down to a mere 51 percent. Public opinion among African-Americans charted a similar course. In 2014, 79 percent of black people said more changes were required to achieve racial equality. This year, 88 percent said the same. More police departments have adopted training programs in implicit bias, deescalation, and communicating with the mentally ill. One of the central recommendations of the White Houses 2015 task force on 21st-century policing was to encourage Americas police departments to implement training programs on implicit bias, or the unconscious prejudices that inform human behavior. These courses are designed to help officers recognize their biases and develop strategies for combating them. Programs have since been adopted by police departments in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Seattle, among many others. Many police departments have also shifted their training paradigms away from an emphasis on the use of force and toward strategies for deescalating encounters, particularly with mentally ill subjects. The national crime rate has increased very slightly. Some police chiefs and many conservative news outlets are certain that heightened skepticism and video monitoring of cops have been detrimental to the efficacy of American law enforcement. A Ferguson effect has, in their telling, put American police on the defensive, clearing the way for a massive spike in violent crime. The FBIs preliminary 2015 data indicated a 1.7 percent increase in violent crime, including a 6.2 percent spike in the murder rate. A recent report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association suggests that the rate of violent crime increased slightly over the first quarter of 2016. All of these data points are preliminary and subject to change. Theres also little compelling evidence of a direct relationship between the fallout from Ferguson and the documented increase in violent crime. Whats more, the time horizon measured is very small and, thus, the increase could prove to be aberrant. Over the past 25 years, the rate of violent crime in the United States has plummeted, and, even after 2015s slight increase, the rate remains near historic lows. As for the immediate dangers confronting American police officers themselves, the Post documents a slight increase in the number of police officers shot and killed over the first six months of this year. Prior to the atrocity committed in Dallas Thursday night, the Post reported that 20 police officers had been killed in the line of duty in 2016, compared to 16 at this point in 2015. All of these deaths matter, and none are acceptable. But both figures represent a minuscule fraction of the total police force. A police officers risk of dying on the job is significantly lower than that of logging workers, fishers, aircraft pilots, steel workers, power-line installers, roofers, truck drivers, farmers, construction laborers, and many, many others. The Black Lives Matter movement put criminal-justice reform on the national political agenda. The American political system is not designed to facilitate swift and sweeping legislative changes. This is especially true for changes requested by African-Americans and left-wing activists. Nonetheless, such sweeping changes have, on occasion, found their way through. Over the past two years, the Black Lives Matter movement has not transformed the American criminal-justice system. But that doesnt mean it hasnt made progress toward that end. The various black activist movements that were born in the wake of George Zimmermans acquittal and that expanded drastically in the wake of the Ferguson protests have already changed the politics of policing and incarceration in America. In 2016, the Democratic presidential nominee has vowed to end prison privatization, reduce mandatory minimum sentencing, create national guidelines for the use of force by police, and end the era of mass incarceration. Its true that nothing in Hillary Clintons platform (nor in the platform of Bernie Sanders) would actually achieve that last ambition. But the fact that it is now one of the Democratic Partys official ambitions reflects a sea change in Americas criminal-justice politics. Currently, a (deeply flawed) criminal-justice-reform bill has garnered bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate. States across the country have continued to liberalize sentencing laws and promote alternatives to incarceration. In New York City, police have drastically reduced the use of stop-and-frisk. Following the uproar over the killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, voters ousted the States Attorney who took more than a year to charge the officer involved, despite video evidence that clearly established probable cause for the cops prosecution. Across the country, activists have imposed political costs on leaders who aid and abet discriminatory policing and prosecutions. In 2016, it is more difficult to maintain structural racism than it was two years ago. Of course, it is still not nearly hard enough. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images There is a group of people in America it is predominantly composed of white people that wants Latino immigrants kicked out of the country. They attempt to create fear surrounding Muslims. They dont want women to have reproductive rights. They dont treat transgender citizens like humans. They throw around anti-Semitism with ease. And they dont have a problem when police kill black people. And the ferment stirred up by this ideology, white supremacy, is spreading. In one week, we watched two black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile killed by police officers*, followed by a black man in Dallas killing five police officers. All of these acts are indefensible, all products of a climate founded in fear and distrust, one that has become violent, and now, vengeful. What is to be done? The need for a coordinated movement to resist such hatred is clear, but it cant simply be composed of minorities. Theres one more group that must be involved: the white people who need to help. In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm described an interaction in which a white woman came from New England to New York to ask his advice on what she should do to be an effective ally. The scene was portrayed in Spike Lees movie Malcolm X. Malcolms answer to her plea of What can I do to help further your cause? was this: Nothing. In part because of the film, many people of color now think the way to deal with white allies should be the same as Malcolms tell them to just get out of the way. One of our most time-honored ways of dealing with a lifetime of pain from white people is to publicly drag them, our own little form of daily reparations. Every day is an exercise in grading the next woke white person which, aside from often being justified on the merits, is also a way to keep white people uncomfortable, so theyll never know if what they are doing is right or wrong, even if they actually have good intentions. Plus, white people should know what its like to feel uncomfortable, since its par for the course for everyone else. But even the most off-putting Instagram photo of Mischa Barton on a fancy boat looking concerned about police brutality isnt the enemy. And Malcolm, whose life arc was that of reinvention and self-improvement, admitted in a later chapter of his book that he regretted what he said to the white lady who wanted to help. I knew, better than most Negroes, how many white people truly wanted to see American racial problems solved, Malcolm wrote. I knew that many whites were as frustrated as Negroes. But his shift was not a 180-degree flip. He was still wary of white people who wanted to ally as an escapist way to salve their consciences. Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that white people can advance the cause of black people, but it has to be done in a particular way: By visibly hovering near us, they are proving that they are with us. But the hard truth is this isnt helping to solve Americas racist problem. The Negroes arent the racists. Where the really sincere white people have got to do their proving of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where Americas racism really is and thats in their own home communities; Americas racism is among their own fellow whites. Thats where sincere whites who really mean to accomplish something have got to work. Malcolm said this in 1964, but it could have been written to describe July 2016. The past year, and the rise of Trump, has brought bigotry out of hiding, and thank God for it at least theres no escaping what were dealing with now. The election of Obama sparked a racist backlash that has now fully flowered into a political campaign explicitly centered around the idea of taking America back for white people. Online, on television, and in real life, we are living in their coming-out party. And they have no reason to hide, because there seem to be no penalties or repercussions for hatred. Highlighting the hate, and the haters, was supposed to do the trick. There was a point when applying scarlet letters would strip someone of the ability to have a platform, driving them back underground. Thats no longer the case, and now the back-and-forth shaming makes people louder, further expanding the poles that are our two Americas. The rules have changed, so the tactics also have to change. Its no longer just about speaking out. White people have to internally change the structures that promote bigotry, from organizations to law enforcement to political parties, while minority groups have to protect themselves and make sure that trauma doesnt lead to irreversible acts that cause more trauma. Minorities are fighting for their lives. This group that wants to take America back enjoys watching the rest of us crack, publicly stumble, all while using one negative example to prove a point and judge an entire group. They want us to feel pain, and they want many of us to disappear. You hear it in Trumps speeches, you see it at his rallies, you cant escape it on social media, and you feel it every time an officer turns another black man into a hashtag with the pull of a trigger. These people dont want us to win, and some dont want us to live. So all we have is each other. And as Malcolm said, in our mutual sincerity we might be able to show a road to the salvation of Americas very soul. *This story originally identified all the officers involved in the shootings as white. Today, the United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released 348 pages of new Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. Todays rule addresses certain key factors associated with conducting offshore oil and gas activities on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf, specifically adding regulations for the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas. (Click to enlarge) Offshore Alaska: DOI Adds More Drilling Regulations Today According to the BOEM executive summary: Although there is currently a comprehensive OCS oil and gas regulatory program, there is a need for new and revised Arctic-specific regulatory measures for exploratory drilling conducted by floating drilling vessels and jack-up rigs (collectively known as mobile offshore drilling units or (MODU)) in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas (defined in this final rule as the Arctic OCS). Image of MODU Kulluk: Maritime Professional The United States (U.S.) Arctic region, as recognized and defined in the U.S. Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984, as amended, encompasses an extensive marine and terrestrial area; however, this final rule focuses solely on the OCS within the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas. This final rule adds to and revises existing regulations in 30 CFR Parts 250, 254, and 550 for Arctic OCS oil and gas activities and focuses on exploratory drilling activities that use MODUs and related operations during the Arctic OCS open-water drilling season. The final rule does not preclude exploratory drilling on the Arctic OCS conducted in the future using other drilling technologies (e.g., use of a land rig on grounded or land-fast ice). Exploratory drilling operations using technologies other than MODUs are outside the scope of the final rule and would be evaluated under the existing 5 OCS oil and gas regulatory program, as may be amended. The final regulations address a number of important issues and objectives, including ensuring that each operator: 1. Designs and conducts exploration programs in a manner that accounts for Arctic OCS conditions; 2. Develops an integrated operations plan (IOP) that addresses all phases of its proposed Arctic OCS exploration program, and submits the IOP to BOEM at least 90 days in advance of filing its Exploration Plan (EP); 3. Has access to, and the ability to promptly deploy, Source Control and Containment Equipment (SCCE) while drilling below, or working below, the surface casing; 4. Has access to a separate relief rig located in a geographic position to be able to timely drill a relief well under the conditions expected at the site in the event of a loss of well control; 5. Has the capability to predict, track, report, and respond to ice conditions and adverse weather events; 6. Effectively manages and oversees contractors; and, 7. Develops and implements an Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP) that is designed and executed in a manner that accounts for the unique Arctic OCS operating environment, and has the necessary equipment, training, and personnel for oil spill response on the Arctic OCS. Industry and State of Alaska React to Todays Rule Commenting on the new rule, the Arctic Energy Center, a joint venture of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association and IPAA, issued a statement: By adding to the exhaustive regulations already in place, the new Arctic drilling rules released today will further restrict industrys options, deter investment in the region and diminish the economic potential of the Arctic. After enforcing burdensome regulations that have already crippled development and having canceled Arctic lease sales originally scheduled for 2016 and 2017, the Obama Administration has once again demonstrated a troubling readiness to turn its back on Alaskans, whose livelihoods depend on resource development, and all Americans, whose safety and security hinge on a robust domestic energy base. Alaska Governor Bill Walker issued the following statement today: We will look very carefully at the regulatory package to understand the implications for companies interested in exploring in the Arctic. One risk profile does not fit all projects. Flexibility is necessary to accommodate different types of programs. After the time the Interior Department has spent on this regulatory package, I hope the administration moves to expedite Chukchi and Beaufort lease sales. Recent Drilling History in Chukchi Sea Last September, Royal Dutch Shell (ticker: RDS.A) announced it was pulling out of its Chukchi Sea exploration project, putting an end to its operations offshore Alaska. The news came following results from the companys Burger J exploration well, which was drilled to a total depth of 6,800 feet. While the company did find indications of oil and gas at the well, these are not sufficient to warrant further exploration in the Burger prospect. The well will be sealed and abandoned, Shell said. Shell said it would cease further exploration activity in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future, citing the Burger J well result, the high costs associated with the project, and the challenging and unpredictable federal regulatory environment in offshore Alaska. Shell said it would take a $4.1 billion write down for the project in addition to the $7 billion it had invested in the Arctic up to this point, including $2.1 billion to acquire its license in the Chukchi Sea, where Burger J was located. At least four other companies have given up offshore leases in the region, including ConocoPhillips (ticker: COP), Statoil (ticker: STO), ENI (ticker: E) and Repsol (ticker: REPYY). By Oil and Gas 360 The OnMilwaukee Summer Festivals Guide is presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Create your summer story by participating in casino wide promotions with the chance to win big. This summer I will own it! Click here for more details. Leading into her track "Kocaine Karolina" at the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse stage Friday night, Elle King told the sizeable Summerfest crowd that, "Youre really doing a lot for my confidence." As if the rising rock star seemingly needs any help in that department. The daughter of comedian Rob Schneider, it wouldve been easy for some cynics to call King simply another product of Hollywood nepotism. But the 27-year-old rocker quickly and confidently debunked that, bursting onto the radio this year with her growling hit "Exs & Ohs," showcasing a sound an indefinable combination of rock, soul, blues and country twang voice and attitude all her own. And from the opening moments of her 75-minute Friday night set through the encores final chord, she used that confidence and attitude to command the crowds attention and will an unpredictable performance to success. The set list bounced from genre to genre including a brief detour into island music of all places. Fireworks began erupting from the Amp right in the middle of the set. She performed a Beatles cover on a night with an actual Beatle on the grounds. Stories and statements sassily rambled. One of her biggest hits was left on the bench, while a Nick Jonas/The Weeknd cover mash-up was instead brought up to the plate. The night was full of zigging when you expected it to zag, and yet through it all, with King and her big-lunged Southern-fried Adele voice leading the charge, it all worked and totally made sense. Emerging on stage like a country rock glam queen, decked out in a white gown and a shimmering lacquering of glitter, King opened up the night of breakup barnburners and eff-off anthems with "Jackson" and "Playing For Keeps," showcasing her raw gristly lyrics and vocals as well as her multi-genre sound. A rock number would lead into a country-twanged song, which would lead into a swampy rock hoedown and then maybe an old school crooning slow dance tune. When it comes to genre, she keeps a foot in several doors at once, with her soulful bourbon howls and whiplashing lyrical and vocal snarl as their unifying factor. As the glue, Kings pretty much perfect, lending a raw, raspy authenticity to a rocker like "Cant Be Loved" or the aforementioned swampy rock hoedown "Where The Devil Dont Go." Shes bring that real attitude to her crowd interactions as well, praising the Summerfest crowd and telling unapologetic stories about guys dumped and gone such as before "I Told You I Was Mean" and men and women being equally terrible. Some of the chats were on the odd side one such interaction brought up laughing at a fart but as with her sound, theres something enjoyably unpolished, unvarnished and, in the end, personable about it. The show continued on its enjoyably erratic roll, heading into a rollicking cover of "Folsom County Blues" before a duo of ripping eff-off anthems one complete with the first appearance from a sparklingly gold-rimmed banjo and the toned-down, twinkly "Song of Sorrow." The latter of that bunch took a truly unexpected hard right turn into, of all things, reggae. Its hard to say it particularly fit, but again it worked as a tribute to Kings vocal dexterity and fun that it didnt hit wrong, an odd but endearing little style detour that, if anything, kept the audience on its toes. "Kocaine Karolina" led into "The Compromise," a rumbling, playfully menacing tune that managed to hold the audiences attention while a surprising spat of fireworks briefly threatened to steal the show. The fireworks would make a return visit during this middle segment of the set, but once again, King and her raw, big-lunged voice refused to be outdone by mere explosions in the sky, with the strutty blues tune "Chain Smokin, Hard Drinkin, Woman." After the dark blues of "Aint Gonna Drown," King briefly ran into her first real roadbump: her earpiece, which seemed to bother her for spats during "Under the Influence." She fought on, however, and moved on to a cover of The Beatles "Oh, Darling," her favorite song of all time and a performance we the audience promised to keep a secret (sorry, Elle). The song appeared to be dedicated to a man off-stage, adding a layer of cuteness to the soulfully crooned number. Yet again, whatever genre she dabbled in sounded right with Kings pipes. She then finally reached her big hit, "Exs and Ohs," before wrapping up by talking about the past "sad 48 hours," preaching love over violence not to mention straight up saying, "Dont vote for Trump!" and headed into a full-on rock tune and an earned encore of no, not "Americas Sweetheart," her current radio hit, but instead a mash-up of Nick Jonas "Jealous" (huh?) and The Weeknds "Cant Feel My Face" (wha?). No, the final duo of tunes the rock number and the mash-up didnt quite mesh with one another or the rest of the set, and some almost certainly left disappointed her current hit went unheard. At the same time, the encore pick so brashly out of left field, and well-performed, that you couldnt help but appreciate it, an unpredictable end to an unpredictable show that kept the audience on its toes and their eyes locked onto Elle Kings rising star. Reprinted from Smirking Chimp Racism is complicated. When America's most brilliant thinkers set out to explain its nature in terms as clear as the English language allows, as Michael Eric Dyson did in his searing July 7th essay "Death in Black and White," even the relatively sophisticated readers of the New York Times didn't get it. Commenters didn't understand that Dyson wasn't criticizing every white person, but "white America" -- shorthand for a dominant power structure that is fundamentally racist while (of course) not every white person is. If anti-racist white people take writing as straightforward as Dyson's personally, if they take offense at his passion and so miss his message, is there any hope of "black America" and "white America" just getting along? It's been a hell of a week. Two more black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, were gunned down by the police under the usual incomprehensible circumstances -- events the media, and thus the government, are paying attention to only because someone invented the smartphone. Then a 25-year-old sniper, a veteran of America's brutal war against Afghanistan, shot 12 police officers at a march in Dallas protesting the deaths in Minnesota and Louisiana. Five died. Needless to say, the Dallas cops didn't have it coming. They didn't have anything to do with what happened in entirely different states. Well, it shouldn't need to be said. But it does. Because, no matter how many times we hear public officials tell us that the police protect and serve us, it doesn't ring true. Three out of four African-Americans tell pollsters they don't think police are held accountable for their actions. So do 40% of whites. The truth is, Americans don't like cops. Let's be honest. If we think about them at all, we don't mourn the slain Dallas police officers as deeply as we did the children who died in the day care center blown up in Oklahoma City, or the nightclubbers murdered in Orlando. We need to talk about why that is. We have been hearing more about racial profiling, how blacks are targeted by police officers more than whites, how they are physically assaulted more often, how they are charged with more serious crimes for the same offenses, how they get longer prison sentences and harsher fines. Good. This discussion is long overdue. Way too many people still don't get it. It is right and proper to focus on Black Lives Matter. To say it. To believe it. A retort that All Lives Matter is far worse than pabulum. Because it distracts from a point that still hasn't received proper consideration in the media or in electoral politics, All Lives Matter is racist. Even the first black president has addressed the racism behind police violence only in "it sure is sad, we should do better" niceties rather than meaningful, sweeping policy changes. (He could start with blanket presidential pardons of black inmates serving ridiculously long prison sentences.) Black Lives Matter. That's what we need to talk about now. For a good long time, too. One possible place to start is the reaction of many people to the Dallas sniper attack. Like 9/11, it was shocking. Like 9/11, it also wasn't surprising. You can't go on acting like a bully forever. The powers that be can't pressure their victims forever. Eventually the prey strike back. No, it isn't justified. Nor is it right. But it is chickens coming home to roost. Like the Bush Administration after 9/11 ("Why? Why do they hate us?"), the police and the political elites the police actually protects and serves look silly when they pretend that they can't possibly imagine why anyone might dislike them. "There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement," President Obama said after Dallas. No justification? Sure. No possible justification? Before they blew him up with a robot bomb in an extrajudicial assassination (there weren't any hostages), suspect Micah Johnson told police negotiators that he was "upset about the recent police shootings"[that] he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." You'd have to be especially thick, or really really white, not to see why a black guy might snap after watching the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile snuff videos. Obama continued: "Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done." Naturally, Obama was referring only to justice for the murdered police officers. There's never any justice for those murdered by police officers (c.f., Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, etc.). Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Bay District Racing Track by Angus Macfarlane This article is one of a series on the history of west San Francisco racetracks. Read from the beginning. | Previous track story: Golden Gate Driving Park In early August 1873, a group of San Francisco's wealthiest men signed a ten-year lease for a 60-acre, one-mile race track between First Avenue, Fulton Street, Fifth Avenue and Point Lobos Road. The Bay District Racing Track formally opened on September 7, 1874, but its grand inaugural event came on November 14, 1874, when the second "Great Race," this time with a $25,000 purse, was run. This was the largest purse ever offered in America. The entrants included Thaddeus Stevens and Joe Daniels, who had raced the year before at the Ocean Course. Also entered were Katie Pease, Alpha, Hockhocking, Hardwood, and Henry. Sentiment and loyalty favored the current champion and native son, "Old Thad," but on race day the odds-makers gave Katie Pease, the Eastern mare, the nod. Nonetheless, the cheering for Old Thad was loud and prolonged when he was in the lead or in contention, but this lasted only through three miles of the first four-mile heat. Despite the hopes that Thad would repeat his soul-stirring victory of the year before, Katie Pease was the winner. The San Francisco Chronicle headline, "THAD'S WATERLOO," told the whole story. The last Great Race was witnessed by 25,000 on February 22, 1876. Amid great controversy, it was won by Foster. During its first years, with a few notable exceptions, all that the track offered were harness races. By the end of 1877 the Bay District was in noticeable decline. There were several factors, one of which was the surrounding hills which frequently had more spectators than were inside the track. Another problem was difficult access. It took longer to reach the Richmond District course than the new Oakland track, a short ferry boat ride from downtown San Francisco. But the main reason for the decline of the Bay District Track was poor early financial planning. When the track was conceived and built, it was envisioned as being as lavish as the grandest eastern tracks. Because of the silver boom, the members represented more wealth than any other race track in America. The initial 10-year memberships produced a lot of up-front money and created a lavish facility, but lack of annual dues precluded necessary annual improvements and basic maintenance. The subsequent crash of the silver market choked off additional members. When the start-up money ran out, the cash-flow ended, and for three years there was no racing at the track. Also, during this time, the city had caught up with the sand dunes of the Outside Lands, and the track found itself surrounded by development, setting the stage for years of confrontation between the track and its encroaching neighbors. By 1890 it seemed that the track's epitaph was written, but Thomas Williams, a dynamic 30-year old, assumed control of the Bay District and brought the dead back to life. He changed its direction by emphasizing thoroughbred racing. These horses were the runners, the racers, the epitome of horseflesh that gave their all over single races between a half mile and 1 mile. This was the end of trotting and pacing; this was the future of racing in San Francisco. As action heated up inside the track, passions were intensifying on the other side of the fence. On June 18, 1891 the Board of Supervisors considered a petition from the Point Lobos Improvement Society demanding the removal of the fence around the track and to fill in the ground. In October 1892 the Richmond Improvement Club appeared before the Board of Supervisors to protest the existence of the race course and demand the opening of the streets which had been closed to allow the track's operation. No action was taken against the track on these matters, and in 1893, for the first time in San Francisco racing history, horsemen from the east brought their racing stables to San Francisco for the winter season. Something never offered in San Francisco was about to happen this year: continuous thoroughbred racing. Not a few days or a few weeks, but five days a week for month after month. Previously, races had been held for a week or two every several months. The extended season was a success, but it was not universally appreciated. The residents of the Richmond District once again expressed their objection to the continued existence of the race track and renewed their efforts to have the closed streets opened and the open track closed. They were especially opposed to the saloons on Fulton Street and on 5th Avenue facing the track, an area infamously known as Beer Town. However, the following week the Richmond Banner leapt to the track's defense. In response to the Banner's support of the track, "a voluminously signed petition" was presented to the Board of Supervisors by the residents of the Richmond District in favor of keeping the streets closed and the track open. On July 30, 1895 the San Francisco Call headed an article "THE OLD TRACK DOOMED. Racehorse Men Look With Longing to the Opening of the Ingleside Course." This was not the first mention of the Ingleside Race Track. More than a year earlier the city's newspapers reported that Ed Corrigan and others had purchased 110 acres of land in the Ingleside District from Adolph Sutro for $165,000. With pressure from too many sources, Tom Williams was unable to continue operating the track. On May 27, 1896 the Bay District Track closed in a sentimentally nostalgic affair unprecedented in San Francisco race course history. Next racetrack: Ingleside Race Track Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! I am OMI | Events | People | Places | Participate Lake Merced to OMI The short drive from the Pacific Ocean to City College will take one from the uniformity of the Parkmerced apartment towers and Stonestown to the grand cultural mix of the "OMI" (Ocean View-Merced Heights-Ingleside) neighborhood. The far southwest corner of the city has played host to famous horse races, horse tracks, and infamous gun duels. Near the shoreline of Lake Merced on September 13, 1859, chief justice of the California Supreme Court, David Terry, shot United States senator David Broderick. Their duel revolved around personal grievances and North/South politics. Three days later Broderick was dead. This one small patch of San Francisco, so distant from downtown, is the city's center of higher public education with San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco as its bookends. Land use issues and changing demographics make the area a constant subject of political discussion. Geographically, Ingleside Terraces dips into this slice of the western neighborhoods, but the Terraces development is more typical of the adjoining West of Twin Peaks neighborhood. Read more on the neighborhood: The El Rey theater on Ocean Avenue; the giant sundial in Ingleside Terraces; the San Francisco Zoo; the Ingleside branch library; the missing Ocean View Park development; and the Stoneson Brothers. Most importantly, read about our "I am OMI" project! Images: 1) Parkmerced apartment village, August 2001. WNP photo. 2) Ocean Avenue at Miramar - 1920s. Courtesy of Greg Gaar. Contribute your own stories about the OMI! This project is made possible by a grant from the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES with generous support from the San Francisco Foundation, as part of the Council's statewide California Stories Initiative. The COUNCIL is an independent non-profit organization and a state affiliate of the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES. For more information on the Council and the California Stories Initiative, visit www.californiastories.org. President John Dramani Mahama has said the problems confronting Ghana will require sufficient time to get resolved. He nonetheless said the country is on the path of development. It will take time to resolve all the problems, but I do know that Ghana is on a good path, Mr. Mahama said at a breakfast meeting with the clergy in the Upper West Region on Friday, July 8. President Mahama, who is in the region as part of his Accounting to the People Tour, told Christian spiritual leaders that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set the country on a path for prosperity. Whoever leads this country going into the future, as long as they continue on the path that we have set, we should make Ghana one of the most prosperous countries on the continent, he said. Mr. Mahama admitted the country was running a deficit budget, but indicated that some sacrifices had to be made in order to ensure that the deficit is cut to the barest minimum. He revealed that salaries, wages and remuneration currently takes 49 percent of government revenue and authorities are making efforts to reduce it further to 39 per cent even though 35 per cent, he admitted, would be ideal. This is the reason why we had to impose a freeze on entry into the civil and public service, it did not affect teaching and health, he explained. Mr. Mahama added that the sacrifice of cutting employment is paying off as government expenditure on wages has reduced considerably. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Tick, tock: The second hand becomes more significant as this Virgo moon aspects different planets throughout the day. Waiting for what you want can seem like agony. If its really worthy of you it will still be worthy of you next week and next month. Time is a test. Time is also a wise counselor, healer and teacher. Time illuminates the best path. TODAYS BIRTHDAY (July 9). The music is in you. Sing it out! Know that other people will dance to your song if you get it out there loud enough for them to feel the beat of it. The next two months will introduce you to new friends. August and February are your luckiest months in business. Gemini and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 39, 3, 19, 47 and 8. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Feeling overwhelmed? Its a positive sign that your life is big and broad, rich and full. Youve been ambitious. Youve challenged yourself. Accept the anxiety that goes with this state. It will be far more comfortable than fighting it. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Often the mental picture is better. Then there are times when its not, when the real life version blows it away. Today those instances will be well worth the risk required, so take a chance. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). What youre expressing has value, whether or not youre right. Recap all communication so as to be sure youve been heard and understood. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You may not get it finished today, but if you work on it a while youll get closer. Bring a friend or colleague in on this, too, while youre at it. There will be no big glory in finishing alone. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Multitasking will rob you of your mindfulness. Instead of doing many things at once, do one thing at once. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When its your turn to relax, take it. Kick back, daydream, binge on media, do the thing that gives you the feeling like youre one long, stretched out sigh. This is healthy. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). In order to make yourself happy, you might have to get past some of the ideas you have about who youre supposed to be. Anyway, a lot of those ideas are based on other peoples expectations. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Everyone is different. A party might energize others, while you might find it to be a lot of work. Both are true, but since you can only be in your own body, you may as well cater to that. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your thoughts may seem to ping chaotically around in your head, but once you hold a pen in your hand they will order themselves quite nicely. Make lists; gain clarity. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The Italian proverb suggests, One who walks in anothers tracks leaves no footprints. Its a good idea if youre doing something illegal, but in all other cases wouldnt you rather make an impression? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Love is: getting to know another persons triggers so you dont accidentally press against the wrong one. If youre going to cause another person pain or pleasure, youd rather do it mindfully. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You owe your success to saying yes, but you could also make a case for yes being your downfall. For now, just make sure youre not being taken for granted. Update: The second suspect was caught Saturday night. Read about that arrest here. A central New York man was arrested and charged with murder early Saturday for the death of Glens Falls resident Kevin J. Jenks, and police believe a second person was involved in the killing as well. Kevin S. Chapman, 49, of Ilion, Herkimer County, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree burglary, both felonies, in connection with Jenks death. He was located in the Herkimer area early Saturday and brought back to Glens Falls, Glens Falls Police Chief Tony Lydon said. Court records show Chapman and a second person were accused of going into Jenks home Thursday to burglarize it and steal valuables, and that the killing occurred during that burglary. The second suspect was identified in court records as Robert M. Henry, and police were seeking him later Saturday. Officials said he was from central New York as well, but would not offer any more details as to his involvement or potential charges against him. Chapman was arraigned Saturday afternoon before Glens Falls City Judge Nikki Moreschi and sent to Warren County Jail without bail. He did not speak during the proceeding, and his lawyer, Warren County Public Defender Marcy Flores, had no comment on the matter. Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said a grand jury will review the case on Tuesday. Moreschi adjourned the case until Tuesday and set a preliminary hearing for Friday, though that hearing would become moot if the grand jury takes action Tuesday. Jenks car, a 2006 Cadillac sedan, which was missing from his home on Dix Avenue, was located in central New York late Friday or early Saturday. Police said whether Jenks knew the suspects involved before they went to his home remained under investigation as of Saturday. State Police and Hudson Falls Police were assisting Glens Falls Police with the investigation. Jenks, 58, was found dead in his home Thursday afternoon by a relative. Police initially did not believe his death was suspicious because no injuries were evident, but an autopsy performed Friday led to the conclusion he was killed. Lydon said police were not releasing his cause of death as of Saturday while the investigation continued. Court records filed Saturday did not shed any light on how he died, either. Anyone with information in the case was asked to call Glens Falls Police at 761-3840. Jenks worked in management at CR Bard Co.s medical device plant in Queensbury and had worked as a bartender at a number of local bars over the years. A relative who knew he had not made it to work Thursday found him in his two-story home shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday. His daughter, Monique Reyes of Queensbury, said Saturday that the family did not know Chapman and had not been told what happened to her father or how Chapman came to be at his home. Her eyes welled with tears as she talked about her father, who was a devoted grandfather to her three children. Reyes brother, Jenks only other child, died at age 18 in 2003, she said. She said the family was devastated by the loss of a good man who never turned his back on others who were in need. When tenants in his building were struggling to pay rent, he lowered it for them instead of evicting them, she said. He knew so many people because he was always willing to help, Reyes said. He would never hurt anyone. Jenks was well known and liked in his neighborhood for helping others, and neighbor Teri McIntosh said Friday that he had become concerned that some were taking advantage of his kindness. He frequently loaned his pickup truck to others who needed to borrow it. The yellow tape that surrounded his home since Thursday afternoon had been taken down as of Saturday morning, and tenants and family members were allowed back in the building. Black dust used by State Police forensics specialists to recover fingerprints covered the front screen door to the home. The first-degree burglary charge alleges Chapman went into the home to commit a crime and injured or killed another person during that burglary. State corrections records show he has a prior burglary conviction in Herkimer County in 2012 that resulted in a state prison term of 1 to 3 years, and Hogan said in court that Chapman had one other felony conviction as well. Second-degree murder is punishable by up to 25 years to life in state prison, and first-degree burglary can net a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. CORINTH -- A Glens Falls woman was arrested Thursday on a felony criminal contempt count in Corinth, police records show. Angela M. Duross, 33, was arrested after she allegedly violated an order of protection through phone contact last month with a protected person, according to the State Police public information website. She was arrested at a home on White Street, charged with first-degree criminal contempt, arraigned and released on her own recognizance, the website showed. He is serving a sentence of 2 1/2 to 5 years for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Without additional convictions while behind bars, he could be released on parole as early as next May, and with good behavior he would have been released in March 2018. Criminal arrests listed on the State Police public information website between July 6 and 8: * William H. O'Donovan, 46, of Lake Luzerne, charged with misdemeanor counts of menacing and criminal possession of a weapon and non-criminal harassment July 5 in Lake Luzerne. * Michael D. Washburn, 32, of Fort Edward, charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hypodermic instrument and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle July 5 on Bluebird Road in Moreau. * Jonathan M. Cortis, 23, of Long Lake, was charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, resisting arrest and reckless endangerment July 5 in Saranac Lake. * Carrie L. White, 37, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was charged with misdemeanor aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and non-criminal unlawful possession of marijuana July 7 on Route 30 in Indian Lake. * Michael R. Burroughs, 46, of Crown Point, charged with misdemeanor criminal contempt July 6 in Crown Point. HARTFORD The man who used his farm sign to display a series of rants about his ex-girlfriend is now facing a low-level harassment charge. William Donaldson of Hartford was given a summons to appear in Hartford Town Court on July 14. He is facing a charge of second-degree harassment, a violation. He has now taken down the lettering on his sign, which most recently accused his ex-girlfriend of being a town slut. His ex-girlfriend, Robin Dibble, said she was hopeful the charge would put an end to the escalating situation. Donaldson had recently begun contacting her business associates to accuse her of sexual misdeeds, as well as repeatedly texting her. All that has stopped now. Hopefully this is going to be the end of it, Dibble said. Im just waiting ... a little nervous, to be honest. After the summons, Donaldson made it clear in a Post-Star interview that he was still angry with Dibble. She is not done hurting good people, he said, calling her a monster who manipulates people. He broke up with her in May, ending an 18-month relationship. The signs went up last month. After his signs led to a story in The Post-Star, his employer contacted him. He does computer programming in addition to raising beef cows. He is now worried he will lose customers and his programming job. I am done. My farm, my business and my life is wrecked by Robin Dibble because I tried to do the right thing and warn people about her, he wrote in an email. He also put up the signs because he felt betrayed, he said. He is convinced she cheated on him, although she says she did not. I treated Robin like a queen and loved her very much. Better than any man. She is not normal, to say the least, Donaldson wrote. She is already moved in with a new man she was probably seeing when she lived here. He felt used, he said, and afterward confronted his friends, asking them why they had not warned him that Dibble would cheat on him. Thats when he decided to put up the signs. My point was to warn others! No one told me and I have friends that could have told me. Robin is dangerous! he wrote. Dibble blamed the breakup on Donaldson, saying he drank too much. But she said the signs were unreasonable even if she had cheated on him. There is no good reason for him to do this, to anybody, regardless, she said. Still, the signs are somewhat protected by the First Amendment. Donaldson said that gave him the right to put up anything he wanted. Of course its First Amendment, he said, adding that he felt compelled to speak out about Dibble. I could no longer say nothing about this monster, he said. Prior to 1990, Osama bin Laden was hailed as a hero in Saudi Arabia for his heroism in creating his army of fighters in Afghanistan, ultimately defeating the Russians. However, all changed when bin Laden was denied permission to use his network of fighters to defend Saudi Arabia against the threat of invasion by Saddam Hussein. Rather, the Saudi government relied upon the U.S. troops for its protection. This led to a growing rift between bin Laden and the Saudi government, and in 1991 he left Saudi Arabia and ultimately settled in Afghanistan from whence was created al-Qaida and its present-day successor, ISIL, leading the scourge of the world of the nonbelievers of the Sharia Law and most particularly our democracies of the world. And yet Saudi Arabia, our so-called ally, continues its allegiance to the Sharia Law, the very philosophy of ISIL, while we, with the other democracies of the world, spend fortunes and blood to protect the very source of the evil that permeates our world! Governor Brown Declares July 25 -29 as Oregon Private College Week and Warner Pacific College joins the statewide celebration of private higher education by hosting free campus tours and information sessions. Warner Pacific College (in S.E. Portland) joins 11 other private, nonprofit colleges and universities in Oregon to participate in Oregon Private College Week (July 25 - 29). (www.oregonprivatecolleges.com) On June 24, Governor Kate Brown signed a proclamation declaring the week of July 25-29, 2016, as Oregon Private College Week. The proclamation cites the indispensable contributions of Oregon's private, nonprofit colleges to Oregon's 40-40-20 education attainment goal. "Warner Pacific is excited to welcome the next generation of urban and diverse leaders to explore our campus," explains Dr. Andrea Cook, President of Warner Pacific College. "We are dedicated to making high-quality education accessible to everyone and we look forward to sharing our stories with visitors during the upcoming Oregon Private College Week as students discover the many opportunities that a private liberal arts education can provide." About College Week (July 28 - 29): Discover which Oregon private college is right for you and your student. Oregon's private colleges are an affordable choice, offer a variety of degrees, and assure the success of their students. Students who visit at least four institutions during College Week will receive application fee waivers. Students may use these fee waivers to apply to any Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities ("Alliance") member college or university, including Warner Pacific. Schedule to Attend College Week: College Week sessions are free and begin at 9 am and 2 pm daily from Monday, July 25, through Friday, July 29. *The deadline for reservations ends at 10 am on Wednesday, July, 20, 2016. *However, walk-ins are gladly accepted by Warner Pacific College for each session throughout the week. *Schedule now at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opcw-2016-warner-pacific-college-tickets-19606769375 "Prospective students will see that at Warner Pacific, the city really becomes an extension of the classroom," explains Dale Seipp, Jr., VP for Enrollment and Marketing. "Beyond just gathering in neighborhood coffee shops to study, our students actively engage the needs of Portland through meaningful service to the community, experiential learning activities with non-profit organizations, and valuable internships with elite local businesses." For more information about Oregon Private College Week, including a list of participating colleges and to register, please visit www.oregonprivatecolleges.com. The Oregon College Savings Plan, the Matched College Savings Program (MCSP), and SALT are sponsors of Oregon Private College Week. ### Warner Pacific College is a private, Christ-centered college of over 1,200 undergraduates and graduate students in Portland, Ore. Warner Pacific was recognized as a top college and best academic value in the west according to the 2016 U.S. News and World Report. Established in 1937 by the Church of God (Anderson, Ind.), Warner Pacific offers 29 undergraduate majors and 4 graduate programs in business, education, ministry, and music at 6 campuses across the Portland metropolitan area and online. Warner Pacific provides all students with a welcoming and inclusive space to dream, achieve, and flourish. Learn more at www.warnerpacific.edu. About Alliance Members: Together, Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges 12 members enroll 19% of Oregon's undergraduate students, award 23% of Oregon's undergraduate degrees, and confer 25% of the bachelor's degrees awarded to minority students in the state, including high-need fields such as STEM (20%), health professions (35%), business (24%), economics and political science (22%), mathematics and statistics (34%), and public administration and social service (22%). Alliance members include Concordia University, Corban University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield College, Marylhurst University, Northwest Christian University, Pacific University, Reed College, University of Portland, Warner Pacific College, and Willamette University. We have lost a true lesbian pioneer in the passing of Leslie Cohen. Whether opening the first upscale lesbian club Sahara in NYC in 1976 ... STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --There's perhaps no greater joy for a parent than to witness their children's growth and prosperity, watch them excel and utimately climb the ladder of success. The Laurias -- that's Laura and Mark, distinguished community leaders in their own right -- have had the distinct privilege of watching that dream turn into reality. And insamuch as their three daughters, Dr. Jennifer Lauria, Christina Lauria Badalamenti and Tricia Lauria Flood, all have thriving careers, several weeks back their daughter, Dr. Jennifer Lauria was presented with the Distinguished Educator Award as a Wagner College Professor in Foundation Hall at Wagner College, during a reception hosted by Carin Guarasci, director of New Educators at Wagner (NEW). The ceremony translated into the Fifth Annual Wagner College Distinguished Educators Awards Ceremony honoring exemplary teachers and school leaders as a way to celebrate educational excellence. In accepting the award, the Staten Island native noted: "After so many years, teaching still holds such a special place in my heart. The privilege of being able to inspire others and help foster a love of learning has been a blessing in my life, which has brought me a tremendous amount of joy throughout my career." She went on to explain experiencing the journey of discovery along with her students and witnessing fascinating transformations as students begin to believe in themselves and value their own worth as unique individuals, has been rewarding beyond measure. As an educator, Dr. Lauria has been engaged in years of classroom teaching in challenging elementary school settings within the city public school system, serving diverse learners -- prior to joining the faculty at Wagner College in 2001. As an Associate Professor in the department of education, she teaches undergraduate and graduate students in Wagner's childhood education, grades 1 through 6, dual certification programs, and graduate students in their Literacy B-6 Master's program. Says Dr. Lauria: "I've spent the last 15 years sharing my professional expertise and practical classroom experience in preparing UG/GRAD teacher candidates training to serve diverse student populations in grades 1 through 6 at the College, and supervising teacher candidates in their professional field placements in NYC public schools." Her mission? To help develop future educators who are compassionate, competent, and confident teachers who believe in themselves as true educational leaders and positive agents of change. FYI: Dr. Lauria served for 10 years on the Board of Trustees at the Staten Island Children's Museum to support high quality educational programming for young children. She was on planning committee for the Museum's annual fundraising Science Carnival, she volunteered each year at the event by facilitating a "Wagner College Cool Scientists" Booth where she conducts science experiments with young carnival participants to ignite students' curiosity about science concepts. She served as faculty advisor for Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education for seven years and started a student chapter of the Association of Supervisions and Curriculum Development, where she continues to serve as faculty advisor to help teacher candidates become more actively involved in their own professional development, civic engagement, and community service endeavors. In April, Dr. Lauria was recognized at the ASCD annual conference in Altanta for 13 years of service as faculty advisor for Wagner's ASCD Student Leadership Team. Recently, she was spent time in elementary classrooms through some grant work. She's worked with two local public schools to develop 'constructivist-based' science curriculum and modeled chemistry lessons in first and fifth grade classes to promote positive attitudes toward learning science over the course of six months. The program was sponsored by the Mollica Family Fund for Faculty Research. Through the support of a grant sponsored by Santander Bank, she developed and implemented a S.T.E.A.M. curriculum in three third grade classes in another public elementary school for a six week S.T.E.A.M pilot program with the Staten Island Children's Museum. "I was thrilled to be able to teach the S.T.E.A.M. lessons to three third grade classes as the lead educator during the course of the pilot program and observe students' enthusiasm and curiosity for applying engineering design principles and integrating the Arts into STEM subjects," Dr. Lauria adds. Dr. Lauria has presented at several national and international conferences in Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid, Spain, as well as in the UK, in Brighton, at the annual conference of the International Academic Forum on Educational Research in and at the University of Oxford's Educational Research Symposium. The outstanding educator has dedicated her career to helping children discover there's absolutely nothing "wrong" with them because they may learn differently from others or from the way schools expect them to learn. In explaining her role, she notes: "I aim to help learners embrace their uniqueness, develop growth mindsets, believe in themselves, and to discover how truly special they are." CELEBRATIONS: JULY 10 AND 11 Happy birthday Sunday to Donny Kehoe, Joe Lamberti, Megan Seton, Gene Forman, Scott Barnickel, Terry McHugh, Ann Marie Dancear, Mike LaSalle, Camille Klein, Peg Ferrara, Adrienne Paccione and Christopher Steven Costa. Happy wedding anniversary Sunday to Annmarie and Jim McGinley. Monday is birthday time for Mike Azzara, Pat Driscoll, Thomas Reilly, Ayden Paul Roschfska who turns 4, Marina Nancy Bilotti, Gerard Tait and Frank McConville Sr. Happy wedding anniversary Monday to Helen and Terry McCorry. In a statement on Friday July 8, GIS said: The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) wishes to bring to the attention of the general public that, with immediate effect, all African Union (AU) Nationals whose countries do not have a visa free agreement Ghana would be able to obtain visas on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport [KIA]." The current arrangement would be piloted at KIA for three months, and thereafter extended to all other entry points of the country, the statement said. To effectively carry it out, the Ghana Immigration Service has laid out some modalities: President John Mahama in his State of the Nation address announced the free visa regime in a move to attract businsses. The strike that was supposed to have happened from Friday was suspended due to a plea by management of the authority for a final meeting to dissuade the workers from embarking on the strike action. But clearly the workers were not convinced by the authoritys attempt to assure them that their demands will be met. According to the staff, the situation is making it difficult for the Civil Aviation Authority to expand its operations and logistics in order to render quality services to stakeholders in the aviation industry. Checks on Saturday revealed that scores of passengers had been left stranded as staff of GCAA in charge of safety on the runway, were on strike. READ MORE: Aviation Lands Civil aviation workers suspend strike action Clueless about what was going on, some of the passengers had no choice than to return home, while others demanded to get an explanation to what was going on. According to him, the Mahama-led administration didnt share in the vision so there has been a slump in the implementation of the programme. In some cases service providers have threatened to return to the days where health care service will only be delivered after patients have paid for the services. But the former president Kufuor said he was hopeful that things might improve when the New Patriotic Party comes to power and redirects the focus of the scheme. The NHIS is still tottering around; we hope it will gather steam under the right leadership because it has come to stay and hopefully Ghanaians will see the difference, Mr Kufuor told GH One TV Friday. Meanwhile, Vice President, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur has said that government is no more in a position to continuously finance the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as its budget is seriously constrained. Government budget is seriously constrained and therefore the easy option for saying that allocate some more money to the NHIS is no longer available to us therefore we must innovate. We seriously need to think about other ways of providing financing so that we can increase the coverage of the National health insurance scheme, he said. You dont pamper people like this, because these guys sit on radio, theyve not done it to just one person, theyve done it to several decent people in this country and weve got to deal with them. I say, lock them, put them to jail, let them rot, I dont care, Franklin Cudjoe said on Citi FMs current affairs programme, "The Big Issue." READ MORE: Supreme Court sets date for Montie FM case The two panelists Ako Gunn and Alister Nelson threatened to harm the Supreme Court judges who sat on the case involving Abu Ramadan and Electoral commission on Accra based Montie FM. The Supreme Court on Tuesday July 5 cited owners of Montie FM, the two panelists and the host of the daily political show for contempt. Management of the radio station issued a statement apologising to the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court for allowing its airwaves to be used by the two radio panelists to threaten the lives of justices of the court. On Friday, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) described the embattled radio panelists as harmless who are incapable of carrying out the harm. At the interrogation, the two suspects admitted making those statements and acknowledged that their remarks were regrettable and unfortunate. Further checks by the BNI have however established that the suspects were incapable of carrying out pronouncements but did so in a show of needless bravado, a statement from the BNI said. Franklin Cudjoe savaged the BNI's investigations on the errant radio commentators, saying "it makes mockery of the entire process." READ MORE: Judges say they are terrified by life threats He said:In Rwanda those guys who made the comments were not even involved in the killing. People who took the advice from such irresponsible and despicable commentary, actually went ahead and killed the cockroaches and we sit here and we are suggesting that some people have the ability to determine the guys cannot carry this out when weve had incidents of judges being killed in this same town. Iddirisu made the comments on Joy FMs news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday July 9 during a discussion on an allege threat on the lives of Supreme Court Judges by two radio panelists on Accra based Montie FM. Alistair Tairo Nelson, 41, and Godwin Ako Gunn, 39, threatened to harm the Supreme Court judges who sat on the case involving Abu Ramadan and Electoral commission. My worry and concern is that any attempt to impugn the integrity of the judiciary can and would have dire consequence on our democracy, on the peace and stability of our country when the arbiters integrity is questioned, Iddirisu said Saturday. The employment minister further described the comments being attributed to the duo as grave, adding that no attempt or effort should be made to justify the spurious comments. The Supreme Court on Tuesday July 5 cited owners of Montie FM, the two panelists and the host of the daily political show for contempt. The judges subsequently issued a warrant for them to appear before them and answer to the charge of contempt. This will be the first time the GJA will be presenting a vehicle to the overall winner since it took over the organisation of the awards from the Ministry of Information. Making the presentation on Thursday to the National Executives of the GJA in Accra, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Financial Services and Ideal Groupe, Dr. Nii Kortei Dzani, said the gesture was part of his outfits corporate social responsibility. He said he was hopeful that the initiative will encourage journalists and the media to pursue excellence and hard work. "I realised that we need to support journalists because without them, nothing can work," Dr Dzani added. READ ALSO: GJA condemns threats on judges Receiving the keys on behalf of the Association, the President of the GJA, Mr Affrail Monney, said he was grateful for the support Dr Dzani and his company had offered to the media. He believed the gesture would encourage journalists to pursue professionalism in the discharge of their duties. Mr Monney further charged journalists to avoid intemperate language and refrain from acts that could destabilise the country ahead of this years general election. The GJA awards is an annual event that seeks to honour and reward journalists and media houses for their hard work. President Mahama said the Ghana Airport Company will establish the temporary airport by the airstrip in Wa whilst they look for a permanent site to build one. We want to start commercial flights to Wa. And so I asked the Ghana Airport Company to see what work they can do to let commercial flights start as soon as possible. So they identified the block that is that is next to the airstrip. They are rehabilitating it to develop it into a terminal so that they can start using that temporarily while we look for a site to build a new airport for Wa. The President assured that until a permanent site is identified and acquired for the airport they will equip the temporary airport with all the necessary items needed to run it. He said in the mean time we are going to engineer this airstrip so that commercial flights can come in and out while we look at developing a permanent site for a new airport for Wa. For now, there is only one airport (Tamale airport) that serves the three regions of the north. But government had earlier assured The National Hajj Board has hinted it has been given the clearance to fly Muslim pilgrims for the 2016 Hajj direct from the Tamale Airport. In previous years Muslim pilgrims from the three regions of the north had to travel to the Kotoka International Airport in Accra before they could fly to the Saudi Arabia capital, Mecca. This caused the pilgrims to face a lot of challenges even before they embarked on their journey to Mecca. This year it is expected that Muslims will start leaving Ghana to Mecca by the end of August. The two panelists Ako Gunn and Alister Nelson threatened to harm the Supreme Court judges who sat on the case involving Abu Ramadan and Electoral commission on Accra based Montie FM. Speaking on Joy FMs news analysis programme Saturday, Haruna Iddirisu said no effort or attempt should be made to justify the spurious comments." This is not a comment any effort or attempt should be made to justify other than a plea for lenience, for clemency and mitigation of justice, he said. Was the Supreme Court exercising a lawful authority and mandate? Haruna asked rhetorically. The employment minister said there was nothing wrong with the decision of the Supreme Court, adding that your lack of understanding of it should not necessarily scandalize them with any spurious comments. Gunn and Nelson will appear before the Supreme Court on Tuesday July 12 to explain to the court why they should not be put behind bars or fined. The owner of Montie FM and the host of the show have also been summoned before the Supreme Court. Management of the radio station issued a statement apologising to the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court for allowing its airwaves to be used by the two radio panelists to threaten the lives of justices of the court. "Management condemns absolutely the said statements which it considers regrettable and dissociates itself from those statements. "Management wishes to assure all Ghanaians of its resolve not to condone any action that will in any way tend to undermine the administration of justice in our country, nor shall management condone any action that will tend to compromise the safety and security of members of the judiciary or the peace and stability of Ghana," the station said in a statement. READ MORE: Supreme Court sets date for Montie FM case Nana Ansah Adu Baah II stated that "we have suffered too much in this country and we need change. I am a Chief and I dont engage in partisan politics. However, I will never spoil my vote." According to the Yamfo Chief, "If you live in a country and youre suffering, be minded by what our father, President Kufuor, said sometime back which was take a look at the circumstances of your life and vote wisely. Over the last few years, we have seen those who are in politics to help us and those who are in for their own selfish, parochial interests." Nana Ansah Adu Baah II made this known when the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Yamfo, on Friday, July 8, 2016. The Chief of Yamfo noted that "because of politics, some who dont even know Nana Akufo-Addo have demonised and bastardised him. That is what hurts me. Do not be perturbed by this. God will fight your battles for you and has already ordained you to lead this country." Nana Ansah Adu Baah II stressed that "we are going to vote and elect someone who is coming to help Ghana. As I sit here I am suffering, my people are suffering. If you want to kill me because of what I have just said, go ahead. "What matters is how Ghana moves forward. We need to elect someone who has Ghana at heart and will work for the benefit of successive generations, so that Ghanaians will know that the country, which was once in a deplorable state, only moved forward under the able leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo." He urged NPP supporters to emulate the leadership style of Nana Addo, indicating that "this is the only way by which others who dont belong to your political party can be brought in." To Nana Akufo-Addo, Nana Ansah Adu Baah II appealed to him not to "forget the people of Yamfo when you win the elections. We have no jobs here, except engaging in agriculture. In the 1970s, Yamfo was the leading producer of cocoa in Ghana. We have an abundance of food stuffs and we want to add value to them." If accepted, journalists will have the right to vote days before the general public does so that they can have the ease to report on proceedings on elections day. MPs are widely expected to vote for the proposed amendments. Previously, the special voter status was for security personnel including the police and election officers only. However, journalists will need to be accredited by the National Media Commission to be able to enjoy this privilege. The media in Ghana have previously argued that having to join the characteristically long queues on election day made it difficult to exercise their franchise and also do their jobs as watchdogs of the election process. Related: EC officials, party agents to swear oaths before judges The new Electoral Commission CI which was laid before Parliament Friday is silent on punishment that must be given to erring presiding officers whose commissions and omissions during the entire voting process could change the outcome of the election. The new CI also includes a legislation that will make it possible for electorates to vote without being verified. A member of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Mr Osei Ameyaw said the EC must withdraw the said document and ensure that sanctions are provided for presiding officers who go contrary to rule. He said failure by the EC to withdraw the said document in its current form could mean rejection after days or weeks of debate. The new CI, which is yet to be passed into law will also allow security officers, election officers and media personnel accredited by the National Media Commission to vote a day before the election. According to him, the last NPP government, led by President Kufuor, introduced the NHIS to remove the constant fear of falling ill under the inhumane Cash & Carry system. However, he noted that it has been painful to watch the NDC government, over the last 7 years, do its best to collapse the NHIS He added that the Mahama government has created so much instability in the system, Ghanaians no longer have confidence in the scheme. "I am coming to revive the National Health Insurance Scheme, which ensured that the poor in society gained access to healthcare without the financial burden which used to be associated with healthcare delivery (under the cash and carry regime)," he said. Nana Akufo-Addo, in assuring Ghanaians of his partys ability to reviving the scheme, recounted how the NHIS policy, when proposed by then candidate Kufuor, in the run-up to the 2000 elections, was bastardised by the late Prof. Mills and other NDC stalwarts, describing it as not feasible. "When President Kufuor won, he duly implemented the policy a policy which was of immense benefit to all Ghanaians. God-willing, when I win this years elections, I will revive the NHIS for the benefit of all Ghanaians," he assured. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! According to the Daily Post, the violent attack on his wife was as a result of the latter's failure to prepare his meal at the appropriate time. The crime was committed on April 17, 2016, Sgt. Rapheal Donny, the prosecuting police officer said. Donny observed that the accused attacked his wife with a machete, hacking her on the head and left her with life threatening injuries. Blessing was quickly rushed to the hospital by concerned neighbours. This was a close shave as the incident might have led to the death of the woman, report says. The accused hatchet his wife with a cutlass on the head, which led her to bleeding profusely," If not for the intervention of the neighbours, who rushed the victim to the hospital, it would have been another story entirely, the prosecutor said. His crime was reported to have contravened with Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. This was confirmed to news reporters by the state commandant, Mr Philip Ayuba, who said they were arrested at Mokwa Local Government. Ayuba said, I invited you here to see three suspects that we arrested on the ground of possession of a human head." After we arrested them, they confessed to us that they own the human head." He also revealed that the suspects were arrested through an undercover mission, where one of the officers at the corps pretended to be a buyer of the head. Our personnel pretended to be bargaining with them on how much to pay before they were arrested, Revealing how they were arrested, one of the suspects explained that he had been looking for a buyer for five months before meeting with someone who led him to the NSCDC operative. I looked for a buyer for five months. So when I approached one Isah to buy the head he agreed and said that he has a buyer in Mokwa. When the buyer came we started negotiating the price with him and it was in that process that we were arrested, Another suspect said the human head was found during a hunting expedition. They had severed it from a dead body with the hope that they would get some money through its sale. Two of us decided in the bush that we will sell the head to scientists and make money, The cable, which is said to be worth N60m belonged to Peace Global Satellite Communications Limited (PGSC). A worker of the company reportedly challenged them while they were carrying out their operation. This led to an assault of the worker by the so-called military operative. The unidentified staff member of the communication company reported the matter to Ojodu Police Division, which led to an investigation. Damasus Ozoani, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, while relating the incident with newsmen said the suspects were detained after they had written a statement. Ambode said this while receiving the 16th One-day governor, Master Olaseinde Olufemi, a student of Shasha Community Senior High School, Lagos, at the State House. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olufemi, who emerged winner of the 2016 Spelling Bee competition organised by the state government, was accompanied by six runners-up in the competition. Ambode expressed delight that students of public secondary schools in the state had been the winning the annual Spelling Bee competition. He said the fact that winners of the competition emerged from public schools in Lagos suburbs was a clear indication that they were now becoming ``exemplary citadel of learning." I must say that I am impressed about the mixture of the people that we are now celebrating. "I can personally say that I watched the schools' debate on television and I am very excited that the schools where the winners emerged are from our `inner communities"in Shasha in Alimosho, Badagry, Ilupeju and also in Mushin. That in itself shows that we are on the right path. "We must be able to show that our public schools are exemplary citadel of learning that we can also use to showcase the fact that the future of Lagos is brighter than what we have now," Ambode said. He said the competition was one of the ways of encouraging the younger ones to aspire to positions of leadership, adding that it go a long way in preparing the students for the future. The governor commended the states Ministry of Education and other stakeholders for sustaining the programme introduced by ex-Gov. Bola Tinubu in2000. He called for the scaling up of the initiative to accommodate more younger students. Earlier, the one-day governor said the competition would not have been possible without the free education policy of the state government over the years which had been sustained by the present administration. He lauded the state government for transforming the city through massive infrastructure including the integrated lighting system across the state. "There is no gainsaying the fact that Lagos' dream of becoming Africas model mega city is coming to reality through your hardwork and dedication." He,however, urged the governor to consider donating a school bus and a well equipped E-library to his school as well as rehabilitate the drainage system and the roads leading to the school. Speaking on the alleged plot by NDLEA, the Senator said I do not know what I have done to them that they want to do as if Nigeria is a Banana Republic. If anyone thinks he has a case against me, he should approach the courts and allow the rule of law to prevail. I urge the masses and Nigerians in general to help me beseech the Almighty Allah who has been my help and shield to continue to protect and guide me from all manners of evil machinations. They should not kill me for my family and the thousands of Nigerians who depend on me for their daily living. Politics should not be a do-or-die affair. I will always say and stand by the truth in the interest of the masses. I will always rise above primordial sentiments and selfish interest in all my dealings, in and out of politics. The agency, despite a court ruling, undefinedto the US to face drug charges. The residents were protesting the blocking of Fayoses bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Members of the private sector union, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Okada Riders Association of Nigeria, and other groups in the state were represented. The Daily Sun reports that the Ekiti state RTEAN chairman, Samuel Agbede, said It is our view that in every election, the choice remains that of the people and Ekiti people made their choice on June 21, 2014, and that choice must be respected. Those who have formed the habit of causing political instability whenever they lose election are hereby warned to desist from collaborating with external forces to cause trouble. Freedom of thought and expression is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , and in exercising these rights, Governor Fayose wont be intimidated by any agency of the Federal Government. Speaking to the protesters, Governor Fayose also said They said I collected N1.3 billion from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki to fund my election. Some even said I collected it through Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro. Few days ago, a group of people held a protest calling for Governor Ayo Fayose's resignation, over his alleged involvement in the N4.7 billion fraud. Osinbajo also said the militants are fighting for their pockets and not for the Niger Delta region as they claim. The Vice-President blamed the militant group for the economic downturn in the country. He said The Niger Delta Avengers are not freedom fighters, they are not fighting for any freedom, they only fight for their pockets. You cant be blowing up pipelines and compound the problem of the region and be saying you are fighting for freedom. It is not acceptable for anybody under any guise to be vandalising and say they are avenging, that is not acceptable. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this while delivering a lecture titled: The Future: Here Earlier Than We Thought, at the second Foundations Day Lecture of the Elizade University, Ilara Mokin in Ondo State. They also called on Buhari to investigate the activities of the minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (red.) with regards to negotiations with the militants. The traditional rulers said How can they claim to have met stakeholders and the militant attacks continue? They met some fake militants and stakeholders and wasted scarce resources of the Federal Government on jamboree. The Amnesty boss, who claimed to have relocated to the creeks of the region was only sighted in a certain community holding clandestine meetings without solution to the continued bombing of the oil and gas facilities. Buhari should investigate the money expended on the jamboree without result. We insist that the Presidential Amnesty Office should be probed following the alleged meeting with fake Avengers. Information Nigeria reports that a staff of the Saudi Arabia embassy confirmed that the Nigerian government paid $280 million to the mercenaries. The militant group also said they are not disturbed by the news, adding that they are waiting. The Saudi group might have been hired to stop the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers who have been blowing up crude oil facilities in the oil rich region. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently blamed the militants for the current economic situation in the country. Osinbajo also said the militants are fighting for their pockets and not the Niger Delta people as they claim. Reacting to the news, the Niger Delta Avengers spokesman, Brig.-Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, said The Niger Delta Avengers do not care if the federal government hires or concludes plans to bring in Bluewater, Graywater, Pinkwater, Whitewater or Blackwater mercenaries from Saudi Arabia. It is none of our business, the Saudi Arabia, has its own problem of terrorism, so coming here to help Nigerian government is funny. The Niger Delta region will win this war. This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Garba Deen muhammad, Group General Manager, Group public Affairs division, on Friday in Abuja. It said the Corporation had commenced talks with the leadership of the industrial unions to address their grievances. "The Corporation has in stock enough products to satisfy local consumption requirements for the next 45 days. "There is no need for motorists and other users of petroleum products to embark on frenzied wholesale purchase of fuel in anticipation of scarcity," it said . It assured that the corporation was doing everything possible to guarantee that the prevailing sanity in the supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country which was achieved with the recent downstream liberation policy was sustained. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PENGASSAN had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike beginning from July 7 over some issues, including the alleged mass sacking of its members by various oil and gas companies. Korodo also added that most of the bailout funds given to the states are spent on maintaining their aides. Korodo said Most of the Governors have about 20 Commissioners and over 42 Special Advisers, besides another large number of associates from which they have appointed the heads of various boards and agencies in the state. Governors from the 27 state governments that cannot pay the monthly salaries of their workers should look inwards to find new ways of making money to settle their wage bills. "This matter which has been decided by the court is similar and of great importance with the one we are battling with in Abuja. "I am happy to say that the learned judge affirmed that my tax papers were genuine. "What happened is one of those distractions to set the state backward but this government will remain resolute in its development trajectory and programmes," he said. Ikpeazu said that he drew strength from the decision of the Federal Government that the situation in Abia was unknown to the law and the status quo should be maintained pending the determination of court proceedings. Also reacting, Mr Theo Nkire, one of the governors lawyers, said that the court had proved that the tax clearance papers were not forged. "The Abia Board of Internal Revenue through an affidavit before the court confirmed that the tax clearance papers were genuine," Nkire said. Similarly, an Abia High Court in Osisioma also granted a motion filed by Ikpeazu for extension of order stopping the swearing-in of Mr Uche Ogah as the governor to July 18. A statement from Mr Enyinnaya Appolos, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said on Friday that the court presided over by Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu granted the motion for extension of order restraining the Chief Judge of Abia State from swearing in Uche Ogar as governor. The group made the call in a statement signed by CDHR Lagos Branch Chairman and Secretary, Mr Alex Omotehinse and Olumuyiwa Kushimo respectively and issued to newsmen on Friday in Lagos. It said that the government needed to do more on social welfare responsibility and unemployment before enforcing such a law. The statement read: "It must be very clear to all that the CDHR, Lagos state branch, do not entirely oppose the government policies especially the street trading and illegal market law. "But, in a society where government itself is lacking in its social welfare responsibilities, the law is nothing but anti-masses law without human face. "We urge the governor and the House of Assembly to be pro-masses and reflect on the economic pains and challenges of the people who have been very patient and tolerant. "The state government and the legislative body should consider and appreciate the good people of Lagos State who went all out defying the security and the risk they went through in the last transition. "We urge the governor and the Speaker of Lagos Assembly to use their good offices to reconsider our position. "The House of Assembly should show its true concern and love for the masses they represent by putting the law on hold." CDHR noted that majority of street hawkers were youths who designed for themselves alternative means of survival as a result of government's failure in its social responsibilities. It said that socio-economic challenges, unemployment, poor access to education, bad road network, poor traffic management and lack of affordable lock up shops across council areas were responsible for street hawking. It warned that it would embark on mass protest to Government House and the Assembly Complex if nothing was done to reverse the law and its enforcement. NAN recalled that the government commenced enforcement of the law banning street hawking on July 1 following the death of a hawker who was crushed by a vehicle at Maryland on June 29. The Governor said the government took the decision to reduce workers salaries so the government can focus on other sectors of the states economy. He also called on the striking workers to call end the industrial action and return to work. Al-Makura said I want to appeal to the striking workers to go back to work as the decision by the state government to review their salary downward was a result of dwindling economy. It is also caused by the fall in the price of crude oil and declining allocation from the Federation Account. The state government will take stock of attendance of striking workers that return to work and invite applications from graduates in order to replace those still on strike. The rally which was organised by Ordinary Ahmed Isah, the President of Brekete Family, had the likes of Bruno Iwuoha, Steve Eboh (chairman, Actors Guild of Nigeria - National Caretaker Committee), Tony Ezimadu, Onwurah Agility (Chairman, AGN, Abuja) in attendance. Speaking with Pulse, Iwoha noted that the sum of N11 million was needed for Uche's kidney transplant. "Prince James has been on dialysis for over a year now. Ahmed Isa sent me to visit them in Lagos and Enugu. That was when the doctors told me that a whooping sum of N11M is needed for Prince Uche's kidney transplant," Iwuoha said. When asked about the effort of other actors in the Nigerian movie industry towards this course, he said: "I don't know the other Nollywood actors that you are talking about other than the faces that you are seeing here. Anybody that is not here today does not have the feeling of others at heart. Some were here yesterday, others are yet to arrive while others will never come for this kind of activity. I don't want to go into details or mention names," he added. Eboh who lamented the industry's poor communication system however called for financial support from government and good spirited Nigerians. "Romanus has been down for long yet nothing has been done to help them. The country only appreciates us in the media but when it comes to assisting us when we need them, they don't. I must admit that our communication system in terms of getting the news out about our sick colleagues is poor, but even when you do, little or nothing happens. "Things are really hard now but we urge the government both federal and local to come to the aid of these talented Nigerians who have brought smiles, joy and laughter to us at one point or the other," he said. He said Saraki is a member of the APC, much as the main line of the party would have wished a different result and a different scenario but we all find it very, very difficult to accept the emergence of a PDP person as his deputy. Odigie-Oyegun also cleared the air on reports that the Buhari-led administration is investigating the source of PDPs campaign funds. He said We are not investigating PDP campaign funds. We are investigating records as to how public funds were hijacked for illegal purposes which were not budgeted for by the National Assembly. Nobody in business who contributed a lot of money has been dragged to any tribunal because he gave PDP funds. Public funds, public resources, money that belongs to you, me and the people of this country were stolen and diverted. Crude oil was being illegally sold to fund the campaigns and other political activities. Not just the campaigns, people just shared money and pocketed. Adding that Anybody who steals from the treasury either to fund campaign, or to put in his pocket or to buy an estate in every part of the world would be asked questions. It must not be allowed. Nobody must be allowed to get away with that. It is not the same with campaign funding. We are not investigating PDP campaign funds. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, petitioned the European Union, US Congress, and other foreign missions regarding his trial for allegedly forging the Senate standing rules. News / Africa by ANA Reporter Musina - Businesses in Limpopo's border town of Musina have remained shut down as trader organisations continue with a stay away in protest against the Zimbabwe government's decision to ban basic food imports into the country from South Africa.Musina was poised as an emerging economic hub after massive infrastructure investments were made following the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy several years ago.However, the implementation of Zimbabwe's Statutory No.64 of 2016, which banned the import of basic foodstuffs and other products from South Africa, has cast doubts over plans for the former mining town to grow.On Wednesday, streets remained deserted and shops closed, as unhappy Zimbabweans, who were counted among Musina's major buyers, suspended their movements into the town, following a call by the International Cross-Border Traders Association.The stay away is aimed at appealing to the international community to pressure Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to lift the statutory ban on imports.The implementation of the ban saw crossborder traders' stock confiscated at the border by Zimbabwean custom officials."We are happy that people and business community listen to our call to stay away, because the Zimbabwe government has banned imports. By staying away we are sending a clear message to the government of Zimbabwe that we are not happy," said International Cross-Border Traders Association president Dennis Jeru.The town has been quiet since Friday after traders realised that the Zimbabwe government would not back down on its decision to ban imported goods.According to Jeru, other ports of entry into Zimbabwe, such as from Botswana and Zambia joined the stay away on Wednesday. He said that his administration would not hide anything from Nigerians in its commitment to restore the economic fortunes of the country and deliver prosperity to the people. The president emphasised that the Federal Government would continue to prioritise the safety of lives and property, in addition to equipping Nigerian farmers with the right tools, technology and techniques to boost agriculture. "You must tell your followers the truth about the country. We have nothing to hide because we have no other country but Nigeria. "Tell them to give us a chance to stabilize the country. "Your concern for the security, unemployment, anti-corruption campaign and the frequent altercations between herdsmen and farmers are genuine concerns. "I know the Ministry of Agriculture and the Governors Forum are doing a lot to resolve the lingering crisis between herdsmen and farmers; we must give them a chance, he said. The president commended the Christian leaders for their support to the Federal Governments anti-corruption campaign and other policies geared towards reviving the economy. "It is saddening that some of those who stole from our national resources put the money in their personal accounts. "However, it is gratifying that those who stole money and shared funds meant for the purchase of arms for our military are regretting their actions and they will regret more. "Those caught in corruption will have themselves to blame, he said. In his remarks, according to the statement, Chairman of the Forum, Pastor Aminchi Habu, called on Nigerians to support the presidents anti-corruption war and his vision to restore the lost glory of Nigeria. "In your administration, I see a new Nigeria where the fear of bribery, corruption and extortion is the beginning of wisdom. The false news started from a post on Twitter, which suddenly spread across the globe, to the surprise of many. The Mexican Secretary of the Interior, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, quickly put out a picture of the drug lord in prison, saying "For the rumours, an image." ElChapo was sentenced to prison in 1995 for 20 years, but he escaped in 2001. He was caught in 2014, 13 years later. The drug lord escaped for the second time in 2015, through a tunnel that was dug under his prison cell. He was however re-arrested on January 8, 2016 by the Mexican authorities and was put in an isolated cell. Mali is the third biggest gold producer in Africa behind South Africa and Ghana. Production in 2015 was valued at $2.2 billion and of the total exported 46.5 tonnes was mined by industrial producers, up 0.7 tonnes on the previous year. "These figures show that small-scale mining is on the move. It's a dynamic sector that could produce almost as much as the mining companies. That's why authorities need to organise the sector," said former miner Abdoulaye Pona, who is now the president of the Chamber of Mines. The record is significant for Mali, whose economy has been hurt by political instability in the north and attacks by militants from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Mali is one of the world's poorest states and is vulnerable to climate change. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on Machar's side "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. A Reuters witness said on Saturday Juba was calm but tense with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were shuttered. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." Political divisions about whether to replace the Trident submarines, backed in principle by parliament in 2007, have raised questions about Britain's standing as a world power, amplified by Britain's vote to leave the European Union. "Today I can announce that we'll hold a parliamentary vote on July 18 to confirm members of parliaments' support for the renewal of a full fleet of four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover," Cameron told a news conference at the summit. Cameron, who will hand over to a new prime minister in September, also defended his decision not to leave a new British leader to call the vote, which is expected to pass because of strong support from the governing Conservative party. The centre-left Labour Party had been a supporter of renewal but its new leader, far-left veteran lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn, an anti-war campaigner, is opposed to the plans. The Scottish Nationalist Party wants Britain's Scotland-based Trident submarines scrapped. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view, not just to Britain's security, but as our allies have acknowledged here today, to the overall security of the NATO alliance," said Cameron, who resigned after last month's EU referendum. Cameron made the announcement as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation underlined the importance of its nuclear deterrent in the summit's final statement, toughening the language of a communique two years ago, in an indirect warning to Russia. NATO allies have been critical of what they say is reckless talk by Moscow about its nuclear prowess. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is concerned Russia could be lowering the bar for using nuclear weapons. "NATO has the capabilities and resolve to impose costs on an adversary that would be unacceptable and far outweigh the benefits that an adversary could hope to achieve," the statement said. "The independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute to the overall security of the alliance." Britain's Conservative government says the nuclear deterrent is vital to keep Britain safe in an increasingly hostile world, but some opposition figures say it is indefensible to spend billions on renewing the programme at a time of austerity cuts. Guests at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Davenport are having trouble saying goodbye and that's all right with general manager Bryan Simmons. ''We cater to long-term guests," Simmons said Thursday at the hotel's open house. Open to guests with all lengths of stay, he said Homewood is popular with visitors here on training or long-term assignments and "people moving into the area who need a home until their house is ready. Our niche is the five-night stay," he said. With 102 suites, an exercise room and evening socials, Simmons said "Some hate to leave. Here, they get maid service and breakfast every morning." Opened in March, the new hotel is part of the Hilton Worldwide All-Suites portfolio. Located at 4750 Progress Drive, Homewood is the second Davenport hotel developed, designed and built by Lamont Cos. The Aberdeen, S.D.-based company previously opened the Holiday Inn Express on Veterans Memorial Parkway. It now has 23 hotels in its portfolio. ''Homewood Suites by Hilton offers a comfortable, value-driven and upscale homestay for travelers who may be expanding their businesses in the area or leisurely exploring the city," said Sonya Saunders, sales director. The hotel offers studio, one- and two-bedroom accommodations with separate living and sleeping areas and fully equipped kitchens. Daily hot breakfasts are served and evening socials offered Monday to Thursday. For more information, visit homewoodsuites.com or call 563-344-4750. Color The Quads doles out checks Mel Foster Co.'s final Color the Quads race provided a colorful future to three locals charities. With more than 1,300 5K participants and 200 child runners as well as sponsors and volunteers donating to the cause, the fourth and final colorful run raised more than $70,500. Mel Foster distributed 100 percent of the proceeds last week, splitting it among Jordan's Joy; NAMI-Greater Mississippi Valley; and YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln and the Youth Solutions outreach program. Each charity received $23,500 each. "We were amazed once again by the generous support of our sponsors and this community," said Lynsey Engels, president of Mel Foster's Real Estate Brokerage. "By raising $254,854 for local charities over Color the Quads' four-year run, we know we've made a positive impact in our community to strengthen families and support youth." In addition to raising money for the three, Color the Quads also helped raise the charities' profiles. Here's a look at this year's recipients: Jordan's Joy was established in memory of Jordan Schmidt, an Alleman High School student who died at age 15 from a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Jordan's Joy fills the void a Quad-City family may have while battling life-threatening illnesses that cannot be met by other charitable organizations. More information, facebook.com/jordansjoy. NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley is a Quad-City affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI provides support, education and advocacy to those living with mental illness. Learn more: namigmv.org. Scott County Family Y's Camp Abe Lincoln and Solutions Outreach program reaches hundreds of students and their families each year. "The effects will impact all of us for years to come," said Brad Martell, the Y's CEO. More info: scottcountyfamilyy.org. Q2030 pledge changing outlook Just a week after the community rallied around Q2030, a regional plan to advance the Quad-Cities by the year 2030, I've seen at least one Quad-City mayor taking the concept of one, connected Quad-Cities to heart. At ribbon-cutting ceremonies last week for Homewood Suites and Mills Chevrolet, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch told the crowds that he not only was pleased to be representing the 103,000 people of Davenport, but also the 450,000 people of the Quad-City region in welcoming these new businesses. As Q2030 plans to prove, what's good for one city is good for all the Quad-Cities. An off-road Segway wobbles in the front door with its inventor on board balancing himself and testing the controls. A makeshift lawnmower is maneuvered down the hallway guided by remote control. While a couple doors away, video game enthusiasts are busy programming to create their own virtual reality worlds. This is just a slice of the activity one evening last week at the QC Co-Lab, the Quad-Cities' makerspace. "This is a place to invent stuff, an idea shop, an art shop," said Mark Kruse, one of Co-Lab's founding members and its secretary. "People come with an idea. They may not know how to do it but somebody here can help you. Then you help the next person." Founded in March 2010, Co-Lab is a collaborative space for Quad-Citians who make, tinker and create. Nestled in its new home in a building at the foot of the Centennial Bridge in Davenport, Co-lab is like a lair for mad scientists. Makerspaces, which have been popping up all over the country for the past decade, are designed to provide a place where entrepreneurs, engineers, artists, musicians, educators, technologists and hobbyists can congregate. Also known by other names such as hackerspace or Fab Lab, a makerspace is a place to create, try something new and teach others. The Co-Lab's name is short for collaborative laboratory. Kruse said if someone brings an idea and nobody has the skills or knowledge "We will learn how." Run by volunteers, Co-Lab provides plenty of space to spread out with rooms dedicated to different crafts, uses, arts and sciences. The lab also is fully outfitted with different tools and equipment that all members can use to try their ideas, learn new hobbies or launch their own businesses. Thanks to donations by members and other supporters, the lab offers a wide range of equipment for use from a CNC machine to laser cutters, 3D printers, woodworking tools, pottery wheels, kilns, recording equipment, sewing machines and more. Some of the equipment, particularly those things if used incorrectly can be unsafe, required the member to be trained to use. "A lot of people are intimidated by this place. No, don't be," " said member Eric Ingamells. "Just ask. Someone will teach you." Ingamells, who estimates he spends as much time at Co-Lab as at his full-time IT job at Deere & Co., said there probably isn't a tool there that he hasn't used. "It's not like I came here knowing how to use a laser cutter or a CNC machine. I learned it," said Ingamells, who makes wooden and acrylic gameboards and accessories that he sells online. Like it does for many members, the lab answers his need for space. "I had no good way to do my projects at home. I'm one of those guys who always has to be building stuff," he said. Today the lab is located in a sprawling 24,000-square-foot building at 627 W. 2nd St. that had housed Eastern Iowa Community Colleges' Career Assistance Center. It moved into the new home last September after having to give up its previous space at Hamilton Technical College. The Davenport college, which was instrumental in helping members launch the makerspace six years ago, needed the space back for an expansion. Kruse said with "zero budget," the Co-Lab's biggest benefactor now is Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Members, who have 24/7 access to the facility, pay $35 in dues a month. Co-Lab also makes revenue from renting out small studio space to members who need their own separate workspace. The lab also is looking into taking orders through it website for things that people need built or created, he said. Member Shari Telman had her glass jewelry equipment and studio boxed up for eight years without room to pursue her hobby. Now she has a tiny space all her own at Co-Lab and is busy again making glass beads. "There are so many different things you have the ability to do here that you wouldn't necessarily have access to," said the Muscatine woman. "Everybody is great. I sat here the other night and we all were learning from each other." "Everything I need to do stuff, if it's not in this room, it's somewhere else in this building," she said of the wealth of equipment and materials available to members. Landon Ritchie, a sculpture artist who works with Styrofoam as a medium, spreads his equipment out in one of the many work rooms. He said he was thrilled to discover Co-Lab when he moved to the Quad-Cities. "At home I don't have enough room. This place has ventilation, all the CNC machines, running water," he said. "The people here help me all the time." Kruse's personal projects include building his own 3-D printer using a 3-D printer to create some of the plastic parts, building flying quadcopters, as well as designing and building an eclipse clock powered by light. "I do a little bit of everything here," he said. With more space than before, the lab has rooms dedicated to various crafts and uses including a music studio, signmaking, 3-D printing, sewing, a computer and AV room, auto shop, metal shop, woodworking room and a reclaimed garage. In a flex room, Ingamells is working to build an 8-foot by 4-foot laser cutter. He said it will be big enough to cut a huge piece of metal or acrylic. Although members must be 18 to join, Kruse said some members do bring their children or other family members to the Co-Lab. He estimated that guests and members run from as young as age 6 on up to age 90. "Almost everything we have (equipment-wise), we offer classes on," he said. Kruse, who worked with friends and Hamilton Tech to create Co-Lab, said he hopes for a day the lab has grown so big it could employ a paid staff. The lab has about 50 members to date. "My vision would be the first employee be a grant writer. Their first job would be pay your salary," Kruse said. Law enforcement across the Quad-Cities mourned and expressed their solidarity for the Dallas Police Department on Friday following a deadly sniper attack that left five officers dead and seven more wounded. "It's been a rough day," Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard said. Everyones considered a brother we lost five brothers last night, but well move on." Rock Island County Sheriff Gerry Bustos said the department was very concerned with whats happened down there and our hearts go out to everybody involved." But, it cant take our focus away from the public service that we provide our own community, he added. Bustos, who was traveling Friday, said he sent a message to all of his employees to be very mindful about their surroundings and to not overreact to things that are happening around the country. Were all concerned that things can get out of hand, so they have to be very vigilant but still treat the public with respect, he said. Conard said the attack on officers in Dallas is a reminder of the inherent dangers that come with job. "The officers are trained that this could happen at any time, he said. I dont know that theres a heightened fear, but I think they go back to what theyve been taught from their very first days of how to conduct themselves and it re-emphasizes all the basics that theyve been taught and how they can make themselves safer as they perform their duties." To honor the slain Dallas officers, the sheriffs officials afoxed black mourning bands to their badges. President Barack Obama, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Tuesday to honor the officers who were killed. The Moline Police Department posted on its Facebook page Friday that the department stood with Dallas police in the aftermath of this horrific attack. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the fallen and their families, as well as those officers still fighting injuries sustained from this senseless act of violence, a post one the department's Facebook page said. Officers in the department also wore black mourning bands, according to the Facebook page. The East Moline Police Department wrote on its Facebook page that we cant fathom the pain felt by Dallas Police this morning." To all the men and women affected by the senseless shootings in Dallas, we at the EMPD pray for you and stand by your side. A 21-year-old woman charged in connection with the shooting death of Jescie J. Armstrong in late April was appointed a private investigator Friday to aid in her case. Rock Island County Associate Judge Norma Kauzlarich approved the motion from Chelsea M. Raker during a brief pretrial conference at the Rock Island County Justice Center. Rakers court-appoint attorney, Dora Villarreal, wrote in the motion that there are a number of witnesses who will be able to provide relevant evidence, but who cannot be identified from the disclosure filed by the state. A private investigator can help uncover those witnesses and help assist in preparing the case for trial, Villarreal wrote in the motion. Raker will be back in court Aug. 5. A trial is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 22. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder as an accomplice and one count of aiding a fugitive to flee. Rock Island police were dispatched just before 2 p.m. April 27 to the 500 block of 20th Avenue after receiving a report of shots fired inside a home. Officers found Armstrong, 15, with a gunshot wound to the head inside the residence. He later died at Trinity Rock Island. Prosecutors say Armstrong was shot while Kire G. Carr and Raker were committing an armed robbery. Prosecutors also say that after the shooting, Raker drove Carr from the scene and out of Rock Island County. Carr, who authorities believe pulled the trigger, was arrested April 28 in Columbus, Ohio, by the U.S. Marshals Service. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He is being held on a $1 million cash bond. He will be back in court Sept. 30. Raker was arrested May 28 in Georgia. She remained at the Rock Island County Jail Friday on a $1 million cash bond. News / Local by Thandeka Moyo A TOTAL of 86 men including two juveniles yesterday appeared in court facing charges of engaging in violent demonstrations and looting from a supermarket in Bulawayo on Wednesday.The accused from different suburbs in Bulawayo appeared before Ms Eveline Mashavakure and all pleaded not guilty. They were remanded in custody to Monday for bail ruling.Last night, officials were grappling with logistics to accommodate the suspects. An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the group was too large to be accommodated at Bulawayo Prison.Prison officials said they had no transport to take them to Khami Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo. Their legal representatives, five Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights led by Mr Tanaka Muganyi told Ms Mashavakure that it was the accused persons' right to be granted bail pending trial.The five lawyers took turns to justify why they felt that the 86, all said to be unemployed by the investigating officer, deserved bail. "As the investigating officer said, accused persons are unemployed and are unlikely to abscond given that they can't even feed themselves. We believe accused persons facing serious allegations like murder and treason in the past have been granted bail," said Mr Lison Ncube.Prosecuting, Mr Taurai Hondoyemoto said he was opposed to bail citing that the 86 are likely to interfere with evidence and State witnesses. "Accused persons are likely to commit other offences and we also fear that public safety will be under threat if they are granted bail," he said.Mr Hondoyemoto alleges that the 86 burnt tyres along Luveve Road on Wednesday obstructing free movement of traffic. "They proceeded to a shop along Lobengula Avenue, broke into it and looted various property including bicycle tyres. They also stoned a police vehicle," he said.In a separate court, the lawyers including Mr Jonathan Tsvangirai and Mr Jabulani Mhlanga represented four more accused persons who were facing a charge of criminal nuisance. The State alleged that the four political activists were caught carrying placards written 'Mugabe Must Go' and at the same time they were singing that ''Mugabe must go,'' thereby interfering with the public's peace and convenience at Corner 8th Avenue and J.M Nkomo.Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tawanda Muchemwa ordered them to pay $40 bail each and remanded them to July 13 for trial. Take time, be patient and don't be reactive when considering responses to the events this week that have resulted in multiple tragedies. That's the advice of Dr. Steve Kopp, Davenport. "Unfortunately, good people get caught up in these very, very stressful situations on the larger issues going on in our world," said Kopp, executive director of Genesis Psychology Associates, Davenport. "I would encourage people to do their part in fighting the fear, stereotyping and polarization that has occurred between police and the African-American community." If people don't take time to explore the issues and be mindful of the details, it's easy to propagate the very problems that caused them in the first place, Kopp said. Dr. Scott Temple, an Iowa City psychologist, is reminded of the political violence seen in Northern Ireland. "The Troubles" ran from 1968-98 and involved, at times, a high level of violence from those who favored remaining in the United Kingdom and those who wanted to be part of the Republic of Ireland. The professor cited two studies he has made: A three-year project in Kansas City that involved young inner-city homicide victims and on the political violence in Northern Ireland. This background gives him insight to the minority community and its challenges, as well as implications of violence to an entire nation. "On the one hand, it would be tempting to say this is an act of mental illness and we should all do better screening of mentally ill people and take guns away from them," he said. "On the other hand, as a culture, we really need to think about whether we are reaching a point at which we are dipping into a climate of violence that has political overtones, like what happened in Northern Ireland. "No one wants to think that," Temple said. In Northern Ireland, the Irish Republican Army took up arms against the British military occupying their country and against police. "They were not necessarily mentally ill," he said. Concerns about alleged police violence have been raised in minority communities across the nation for years. "People just now are waking up to that," Temple said, citing the video evidence made by the fiance of the late Philando Castile, 32, in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. It is normal to have deep emotions when such tragic events occur, Kopp said. "But these emotions can cloud our thinking and our ability to look at the situation in a fair and temperate manner," he said. Davenports three city administrator finalists, who will be in town this week, can all claim Midwestern roots. The finalists are Stephen Riley, town manager of Hilton Head, South Carolina; Corri Spiegel, interim city administrator of Davenport; and Kevin Woods, city manager of Stallings, North Carolina. Riley, 57, and his wife both grew up in Omaha and have parents there, and his wifes sister lives in Dubuque. He threw his hat in the ring to get closer to relatives. Its not like being in Nebraska, but Davenport is a place where if something came up, its a little easier to get back, Riley said. Family is not his only connection. Riley earned a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Iowa in 1985, and later, as a private consultant, he worked on an early plan for the first riverboat casino in Bettendorf. Spiegel, 38, grew up on a family-owned Wisconsin dairy farm. Im a farmers daughter, she said, adding her farm roots have definitely come in handy. She majored in journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh before heading out to Phoenix to work in the private sector. She came to Davenport in 2014 when she was hired as assistant city administrator, where she served as a liaison between residents and the City Council. Woods, 56, is a native of Indiana and his wife is from Nebraska. He said the connection is one reason he applied for Davenport's city administrator position. Were drawn back to the Midwest area, he said. Its easy to call Iowa home. The City Administrator Search Committee was formed last summer after Craig Malin left his position with Davenport after 14 years on the job. Spiegel was appointed interim. After meeting over eight months, the committee selected Strategic Government Resources of Keller, Texas, to assist in conducting the search. The search netted 34 applicants from 17 states. The committee has whittled the pool to the final three. Here's more about them. Stephen Riley Riley said the job of an administrator is one in which negotiating skills and people skills really come into play. You cant be too high strung, and you cant have too long a memory, he said. You deal with issues and move along. Be empathetic and address the problems as best you can, or help them understand why through other circumstances you cannot give them the yes they want. The town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, incorporated as a municipality in 1983. It was not even a decade old when officials recruited Riley in 1991 to be its town manager. I was the longest manager they ever had, he joked. It wasnt long to set that record. He said the new town had lacked municipal services to improve water and sewer infrastructure, especially in older neighborhoods. In addition to fixing pipes and streets, local leaders developed a network of bicycle paths and public parks. The sheer mass of taking this from an infant community to a true community has been part of the fun, he said. The shoe-shaped island off the Atlantic coast and 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, includes vacation homes, beachfront properties and dozens of hotels and resorts. The incorporated community that makes up much of the island has a year-round population of about 37,000 that swells during peak summer months. Weve been able over the years to substantially diversify revenue sources so we do not rely on property taxes, he said, adding 14 percent of the towns revenue comes from tourism. The father of four credits his parents with igniting his interest in the profession. When asked for a unique tidbit, he referred to his oldest son Paul, whom he called his hero. The 33-year-old has served 14 years in the U.S. Army, including four tours in Afghanistan, and earned a Purple Heart. Corri Spiegel Spiegel described the work of a city administrator as a people business that requires a blend of multiple character traits. You need to have the ability to build relationships and communicate the whole package to work with people, she said. While in Phoenix, Spiegel discovered a love for the field of economic development. She earned a masters degree in public administration from Arizona State University and joined the staff of Goodyear, Arizona, as a project manager. During her tenure there from 2003-07, she watched the Phoenix suburb almost double in size to 54,000 residents, helped build a cancer hospital and landed the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds in a newly built spring training facility, she said. In 2007, Spiegel began working as economic development manager in Centennial, Colorado, which has a population around 100,000, similar to Davenport. The Denver suburb incorporated in 2001. She built an economic development program there from scratch, she said. They never had the position, department or focus. There was no strategic emphasis on business attraction or growth. I got to come in and define the program that now exists. Centennial went through an identity crisis, she said, and her challenge in the role was in trying to navigate the many points of view as to how the town ought to proceed. People have ideas, she said. How do you engage them, embrace them and create an environment where everyone gets a chance to participate and be heard. Thats one of the most important things I learned. In her current role in Davenport, she helped launch a citizens academy, which is in the process of enrolling its second class for the fall. She also has spearheaded a revamp of the citys website that, she said, will do a better job of engaging residents and making online access to public records and other information easier. Asked for a unique tidbit, Spiegel, who lives with her son, two dogs and two cats, said she is the collector of hobbies, including baking, painting and creating jewelry out of glass. She even owns a kiln. Im willing to try anything at least once, she said. Kevin Woods Woods ripped into the stereotype of an administrator as that of a drill sergeant. Although he has a military background, he described his personality for the role as participatory. I believe in bringing people in and solving problems as a collective, he said, likening the job as leading a jazz band that creates and innovates as it goes along rather than trying to keep everything in lockstep order. Cities are just too complex. He said the administrators job is to leverage the talents among the leadership that exists. You should not expect to be the smartest guy in the room, but you should be good at leveraging and managing those capabilities, he said. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after college and served 26 years. Upon retiring in 2008, his last position was as deputy commander for U.S. Army South, which oversees all Army operations in Latin America. Not straying too far from the military, he was recruited by Versar Inc., a global engineering and construction management firm based near Washington, D.C., as senior program manager. He oversaw 150 engineers and a portfolio of $1.2 billion in construction work. In 2014, he joined the community of Stallings, North Carolina, which has a population of 13,800 and sits outside of Charlotte. Stallings was incorporated in 1975. The challenges Ive had in previous times in my career have been a little bit larger, with demanding, complex budgets, he said. It was a natural move for me. Stallings has been the perfect opportunity to get into the weeds. Earlier this year, Woods was one of two finalists for the city manager position in Grand Junction, Colorado. The father of three has been married for 31 years. Asked for a unique tidbit, Woods said he likes sky and water sports, is a voracious reader and works out in the gym three or four times a week. MAQUOKETA, Iowa IIW Engineer John Wandsnider told Maquoketa City Council members he estimates engineering costs may be an extra $25,000, and he may have misspoke during a previous council meeting. During the regular Maquoketa City Council meeting last week, Wandsnider was responding to his own comments from the previous council meeting about the downtown street project costing more than estimated. "It's the way I said it that threw you off," Wandsnider said. "You thought I was talking about the whole project, but I was only talking about the engineering costs." "It was a shocker," Craig Orris, First Ward councilman, said. Wandsnider cited several engineering extras from additional inspection to assistance in getting new speakers and Christmas lights for the downtown street project. Wandsnider said it will be difficult to say exactly how much extra will be charged for engineering. But he said, as the project continues, less inspection time will be needed. "You are not asking for money now, are you?" Chuck Current, Fifth Ward councilman, asked. "No," Wandsnider replied. Orris, Street Committee chairman, said the committee asked for monthly reports from Wandsnider to keep track of the costs. IIW's engineering fees were listed at $493,600 for the entire downtown street project. The entire project is expected to cost $3.7 million for new utilities, sidewalks and street work. Mary Rourke of Davenport had never ventured out to Lost Grove Lake before Saturday. Its just nice being out here, she said as she walked along the trails surrounding the lake. I love the coneflowers. Rourke was one of about a dozen people Saturday to explore the lake and learn more about its history during a Riverine walk sponsored by River Action Inc. The 400-acre man-made lake carved out of black Iowa farmland is six miles east of Eldridge and three miles west of Princeton. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources began purchasing farmland in 1988, and by 1995, had almost every piece. The agency purchased the final parcel in 2003. In 2010, crews began construction of a dam atop Lost Creek, a waterway that flows to the Mississippi River, to impound the creeks water flow and allow the lake to fill with rainfall. As the dam neared completion, crews installed two catch basins beneath Utica Ridge Road to trap 95 percent of all undesirable runoff and release clean water into the lake basin. In 2012, DNR fisheries staff began stocking the lake with bluegill, bass and redear sunfish, while channel catfish, walleye and muskellunge were added in 2013. The lake reached full crest nearly a year ago. One year earlier, portions of the lake first opened to the public. Chad Dolan, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist, said Saturday that he expects it will be more than 100 years before any restoration will need to be done on the lake. Work is underway now to pave interior access roads, especially those that lead to boat ramps or major shoreline access areas. More signage also will be added, among other work, he said. Dolan said that work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30. Dolan estimated that the cost of building the lake, along with the most recent work, is more than $13 million. Much of the funding came from the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, which comes from taxes assessed to fishing and hunting equipment. Other funding sources include lake restoration funds, fish and wildlife trust funds, marine fuel tax and private donations, Dolan said. Dolan estimated that the lake, which is open from mid-April to mid-November, gets an average of 250,000 household visits a year from people from all walks of life. He said he does not foresee the building of another lake like Lost Grove in the future because of the high cost of land. This is something we ought to be proud of and appreciate, he told the group. This is a special lake, something we may not see for quite a long time." He added that federal funds may someday become available to build smaller lakes. Rourke, who called herself a farm kid, said she was most impressed by the size of the lake. 400 acres just spread out all the green and blue, its just all very soothing, she said. Duane Haas of Davenport used to bird hunt on the land years ago before the lake was created. I really like what theyve done, he said. If they keep it this way, I think it will be just great. Two Rivers UMC Robotics, science experiments and cooking are all part of the Vacation Bible School at Two Rivers United Methodist Church, 1820 5th Ave., Rock Island. The "Creators Camp" is free and open to children kindergarten-8th grade. It runs July 7-11, 9-11:30 a.m., and registration is taken online, tworiversumc.org, or by calling, 309-788-9384. Bethel Baptist, Port Byron Children ages 3 to 10 can explore ancient Egypt with "Joseph's Journey from Prison to Palace" at Bethel Baptist Church in Port Byron from 6-8 p.m., July 11-15. Children who attend will barter in the marketplace, visit a throne room, make bricks, and interact as families to learn the story of Joseph. All are welcome. Bethel Baptist Church is located at 27308 108th Ave. North, Port Byron. For information, contact Rev. Lee Williams, 309-523-3352. Online: facebook.com/events/1791814324387662/ Christs Family Church The Vacation Bible School at Christ's Family Church will "Submerge," children in a submarine voyage. The program is 9-11:45 a.m. July 11-15 at the church, 4601 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport. It is for ages 3-11 years old. Register at www.christsfamilychurch.org. Look under Childrens Ministry, then Events 4 Kids. Or call 563-359-3765. Bettendorf Presbyterian Bettendorf Presbyterian Church, 1200 Middle Road, will host its annual Vacation Bible School "Surfing in God's Love" on July 17-21, starting at 5:30 p.m. for dinner and 6 p.m. for activities. Designed for preschool through fifth grades, the school is free but the deadline to register is July 1. Contact the church at 563-355-6494. Crossroads Baptist Crossroads Independent Baptist Church, 21141 Scott Park Road, will host "Kingdom Chronicles" at the church located just off the Mount Joy exit on U.S. 61, Davenport. The Vacation Bible School is Monday through Friday, July 18-22, 9 a.m. to noon with a closing program at 7 p.m. on July 22. It is open to children age 4 to those who completed sixth grade. The school is free and registration will be handled at the door. For information call 563-355-7255 or 563-391-1717. Calvary United Methodist "CaveQuest" is set for Walcott's Calvary United Methodist Church, 100 E. James St. It is July 25-29 and is 6-8:30 p.m. Ages 3 years old through fifth grade are invited. For information or to register, call Donna Hinch, 563-284-6213; or send a message at seccalvary@mchsi.com Grace Lutheran Church "World of Wonder," or Vacation Bible School for the whole family, is planned Aug. 7-11, with a family meal at 5:30-6 p.m. and activities 6-8 p.m. daily. This Evangelical Lutheran Church in America church is located at 1140 E. High St., Davenport. Register at www.gracewelcomesyou.org; or for information contact Lindsey Briggs-Spies at 563-322-0769. ChristChurch UMC The "CaveQuest" Vacation Bible School is at ChristChurch United Methodist Church, 2330 W. 41st St., Davenport. It is 9 a.m to noon on Aug. 8-12. Children who are 4 years old through fifth grade are invited. Register online at christchurchdavenport.org/vbs call 563-391-5488 Trinity Lutheran The EWALU Bible Camp of Strawberry Point, Iowa, will host Day Camp at Trinity Lutheran Church, 18137 Criswell St. Pleasant Valley. It is offered to children who will enter grades 1-6 in the fall. "The Jesus Way" is the theme for the camp, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 8-11, and 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 12. Lunch is provided. To register call the church, 563-332-5188. Since its unfortunate "Brexit" vote to leave the European Union, Britain has experienced a tragi-comic round of backstabbing, foot-dragging and second-guessing. Europe, meanwhile has mostly behaved with admirable good sense. The Europeans seem to understand that the Brexit vote is a wake-up call about dissatisfaction with the EU that's nearly as widespread on the continent as it is in Britain. Germany, in particular, recognizes that unless the EU can quickly show a readiness to reform and streamline its bureaucracy, other nations may follow Britain out the door. This desire to salvage and repair the EU helps explain the hard-line position that European governments have taken toward Britain since the vote. The Brits have been vague about when they will invoke Article 50 of the EU Treaty formally stating their intention to withdraw. But the 27 remaining members insisted last week on "their expectation that this would happen sooner rather than later," according to one EU source, and that there would be "no talks" about withdrawal terms before the formal negotiations begin. This isn't just the pique of a spurned divorcee. The Europeans have to get on with it. They need -- finally -- to address the yawning gap between the elite's love for the EU and the ordinary citizen's frustration and growing antipathy. The pathway for Europe will be discussed at a special summit in Bratislava, Slovakia, in September. As Europe's strongest power, Germany is signaling that it wants the meeting to focus on reforming the EU. A German source describes the agenda: "Things to be discussed include a better consideration of citizens' discontent with the EU, different levels of ambitions as regards further European integration, stronger focusing on core issues (i.e., external and internal security, immigration, economic performance and competitiveness on a global scale) that should be handled on the European level, while other questions should be left for national and regional decision-making." The Germans are arguing that the EU should concentrate on the things citizens want, starting with security and migration issues, and cut back, over time, on the things they dislike, such as intrusive regulation and bureaucracy. That's a wise choice: A union that can't reassure its members that they are safe and secure won't survive. Europeans protest that Britain wants to have it both ways. They want to dispense with the encumbrance of Brussels and to restrict migration from EU countries (two key Brexit demands) but remain within the single market, for only a small entry fee. "Once you decide to leave a 'family' like the EU, with all its privileges and duties, you cannot keep privileges and get rid of duties," notes the German source. The Brexit vote had a lot of nationalistic sentiment, and even a measure of idealism about British life and values. But good decisions must have a core of pragmatic self-interest. It's hard to see how this choice will serve Britain's interests, at least in the near term. Whether this choice will begin a cascading downward spiral depends on if the country can stay together as the United Kingdom, and whether it can find strong new political leadership. Secretary of State John Kerry hinted at the Aspen Ideas Festival last week that the Obama administration is exploring whether the British decision might be reversed -- as the costs become clearer and the second-guessing increases. There are various possibilities: a parliamentary rejection; a second referendum; a refusal to invoke the EU treaty article necessary for withdrawal negotiations to begin. Maybe such a Brexit redo is still possible, but politics rarely gives such second chances. The angry populism of Britain's rebuke to its elites is a sobering reminder for America in this crucial election season. It may seem inconceivable that the American public would choose to elect a president who has never served in public office or the military, and whose public pronouncements are a souffle of vanity, exaggerations and falsehoods. People couldn't be so short-sighted, right? But that's what many people said about Brexit: The British people wouldn't walk away from Europe out of injured pride and anger at their elites. But they did. And something even more disastrous could happen in America, if good judgment doesn't prevail. Thumbs up to Q2030 Steering Committee for taking a scientific approach. Words such as "cool" and "hip" sound good, but they're highly subjective. Q2030 last week rolled out its survey of what residents actually want going forward. Like anything else, data should inform how public and private entities shape the Quad-Cities. Thumbs down to the years-long exploitation of Leonard Barefield and alleged dehumanization that continues today. Barefield was rescued in 2008 from near "slave-like" conditions at a Turkey processing plant in Atalissa. The mentally disabled Texas native was sent back to his home state. And now, a lawsuit alleges that Texas isn't exactly treating Barefield well, either. A society is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable. Thumbs up to Genesis Behavioral Health Systems for making good on its promise to make more beds available for mental health patients. The hospital unveiled its revamped facility last week, which includes 10 additional in-patient beds. It's a start. Genesis officials have pledged that this is only the beginning. Scott County is facing a crisis that can't be ignored any longer. Genesis making good on its first promise is a welcome step toward meaningful progress. News / Local by Nqobile Tshili POLICE in Bulawayo have arrested 22 people for allegedly looting groceries at Rumrich Supermarket in Mzilikazi suburb.The police arrested the 22 on Thursday and allegedly recovered stolen items.The group allegedly stole from the shop on Wednesday when most shops in the city were closed as owners were theatened by the country's detractors who are on a crusade to foment an uprising to topple the Government.National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba could not immediately comment on the issue saying she had not been briefed about the looting.However, sources said police conducted a door to door search at some houses in Mzilikazi and Nguboyenja suburbs where they recovered the stolen items leading to the arrest of the suspects. DES MOINES An influential bloc of Iowa religious conservatives turned off by a 2016 presidential matchup between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were urged Saturday to "think bigger" in leading a spiritual revival that would transform American culture to embrace pro-family, pro-church civic policies. "Our vision is a revived America that honors God and blesses people," Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader Foundation, told 1,200 attendees, including 400 pastors and their spouses, at the organization's fifth annual leadership summit on Saturday. "We don't need the church to be political. But we do need the church to be biblical and to be culturally relevant so the people in the pews know what to do when they get involved in the government and in the politics," he told the assemblage. "If we elect the right people, we will get the right policy." Previous summits have featured Republican presidential hopefuls wooing evangelical Christians who become diligent foot soldiers for GOP conservatives at election time, but Vander Plaats said there was concern the organization was "going too far political" and needed to "recalibrate" its vision to "keep the main thing, the main thing" in following God's mission for church, family and government. Vander Plaats said tragic events that have occurred in Dallas, Orlando, San Bernardino and other places are emblematic of "a culture that is in a dead sprint away from the heart of God" and is why God's people must change the focus back to God's principles, precepts and righteousness. "This culture doesn't need more sound bites, more rhetoric, more inflammatory comments," he said. "This culture needs the gospel of Jesus Christ, that will change hearts, that will change minds. That's when we think bigger. "We pray fervently for a Holy Spirit-led revival when this country would experience a third great awakening like none other, and I think right now that's what we need more than ever. We believe if that happens, guess what, we will impact elections." Even though he said this year's summit would "veer out of politics" and would not "get into presidential politics," Vander Plaats at one point in his speech said he needed to "address the elephant in the room" in writing "Trump" on a display board for a group that largely helped Texas Sen. Ted Cruz edge the New York billionaire in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses last February. "We don't know if that's an elephant yet, but that's the elephant in the room. We have Trump, and over here, we have Hillary," he said. "I don't know about you, but I have never seen an election at this stage divide so many people. I've never seen it. Families are divided; ministries are divided; husbands and wives are divided on this issue; churches are divided. "Here is my concern: Good Christian men and women, brothers and sisters in Christ, the body of believers, some are coming up with different answers as it relates to this. That might be OK, but what I'm going to ask, what I'm going to encourage you is think bigger than 2016. Is 2016 important? I would argue, yes, it is important, but I think we shouldn't be distracted from the main thing." Chuck Hurley, a former state legislator who is Family Leader vice president, said the intent is not to withdraw from the political arena, but not to get caught up in the "political illusion" that civics and government power is the answer. "Admittedly, it is not what we would like the situation for president," Hurley said, but he expected many religious conservatives would get involved in down-ballot Iowa campaigns that hold more promise than a presidential race in which he speculated "not too many" of Saturday's attendees would actively engage. "We're going to pray, we're going to treat people the way we want to be treated the Golden Rule we're going to stay engaged, we're not going to panic, this too shall pass. Think bigger, that's kind of the theme." DES MOINES Revisions made Friday to a state Civil Rights Commission publication clarifying that religious activities at churches are exempt from sexual orientation and gender identity public accommodation guidelines will not head off a federal lawsuit challenging Iowas bad law, according to attorneys. Christiana Holcomb, legal counsel for the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom, said the commission made a minor revision to its public accommodations providers guide to Iowa law that failed to alleviate the concerns regarding a vague state law at issue in the lawsuit her organization filed Monday on behalf of Fort Des Moines Church of Christ. Earlier Friday, commission executive director Kristin Johnson issued a news release indicating revisions had been made to a publication that had not been updated since 2008 clarifying that religious activities by a church are exempt from the Iowa Civil Rights Act." The Iowa Civil Rights Commission has never considered a complaint against a church or other place of worship on this issue, Johnson said in a statement. This statute was amended to add these protected classes (sexual orientation and gender identity) in 2007 and has been in effect since then. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission has not done anything to suggest it would be enforcing these laws against ministers in the pulpit, and there has been no new publication or statement from the ICRC raising the issue. The commission regrets the confusion caused by the previous publication. Attorneys for the alliance took issue with previous wording in a question-and-answer section in a commission publication indicating that Iowas law sometimes applied to churches in situations not related to a bona fide religious purpose, charging the commissions position on gender identity protections amounted to unprecedented government intrusion into religious freedom. In response, they filed a pre-emptive federal lawsuit challenging the Iowa commissions interpretation of a law they contend could censor a churchs teaching on biblical sexuality and force it to open its restrooms and showers to members of the opposite sex. The revised commission publication answers no to questions of whether Iowas law prohibits gender-segregated restrooms or sex-segregated locker rooms and living facilities. It is still legal in Iowa for businesses to maintain gender-segregated restrooms. The new law does require, however, that individuals are permitted to access those restrooms in accordance with their gender identity, rather than their assigned sex at birth, according to the commission. Also, the publication says, Iowa law does not prohibit places of public accommodation from maintaining separate facilities for the different sexes, so long as they are comparable. The new law does require, however, that individuals are permitted to access those facilities in accordance with their gender identity, rather than their assigned sex at birth, without being harassed or questioned. The commission revision notes that places of worship, such as churches, synagogues and mosques, are generally exempt from the Iowa laws prohibition of discrimination, unless the place of worship engages in non-religious activities which are open to the public. For example, the law may apply to an independent day care or polling place located on the premises of the place of worship. Holcomb issued a statement Friday indicating the revisions have not changed the position of her nonprofit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to live out their faith freely. Cosmetic changes to the alarming language in one brochure wont fix the unconstitutionality of the Iowa Civil Rights Act, she said. "Churches should be free to communicate their religious beliefs and operate their houses of worship according to their faith without fearing government punishment. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission had no constitutional basis for including explicit threats against houses of worship in any of its materials. While the commission was right to remove some of the most disturbing language in its brochure, the change in the brochure doesnt fix the inherent problem with the Civil Rights Act that forms the basis of the lawsuit that the act gives the commission power to determine what parts of a churchs activities do not have a bona fide religious purpose and are thereby subject to the acts prohibitions. No state or local law should threaten free speech and the free exercise of religion as protected by the First Amendment. Because the Iowa law does that, ADF will continue to challenge the law to bring certainty to Iowa churches." NATION 3 die in shooting near liquor store Police say three people, including a 9-year-old boy and his father, were shot dead outside a liquor store in San Bernardino, Calif. San Bernardino Police Sgt. Vicki Cervantes said Saturday the shooter was waiting for the victims outside the store late Friday. When they walked out, the shooter approached them from behind, pulled a gun and fatally shot them all. The victims were identified as 25-year-old Samathy Mahan, 26-year-old Travon Lamar Williams and 9-year-old Travon Williams. Cervantes says the Williamses are father and son. While the motive is under investigation, Cervantes says Mahan is a documented gang member who was recently paroled. She says investigators believe he was the intended target. Reporter behind Killing Fields dies at 82 Sydney H. Schanberg, a former correspondent for The New York Times awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the genocide in Cambodia in 1975 and whose story of the survival of his assistant inspired the film "The Killing Fields" has died. He was 82. The Times reported Schanberg died Saturday in Poughkeepsie, New York. The newspaper cited Charles Kaiser, a friend and former Times reporter who said Schanberg had a heart attack on Tuesday. "Sydney Schanberg was an historic and courageous correspondent," Dean Baquet, executive editor of The Times, said in a statement. "He was part of a generation of war correspondents who made America understand what was truly happening in Vietnam and Cambodia." When Communist guerrillas overran the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in the spring of 1975, The Times said, Schanberg and his assistant Dith Pran refused pleas by their editors to evacuate. Schanberg and Dith were briefly captured by the guerrillas, but later fled to the French Embassy. Dith then was expelled and joined civilians fleeing into the countryside. Two weeks later, Schanberg evacuated to Thailand, reporting on massacres and the displacement of millions of people along the way. WORLD 2 Russia soldiers die when helicopter shot down Russia's military says two of its airmen have died in Syria after their helicopter was shot down in Syria by fighters of the Islamic State group. A Defense Ministry statement reported by the state news agency Tass said the incident occurred Friday east of the ancient city of Palmyra. According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition. It said IS fighters broke through Syrian forces' lines east of Palmyra at the same time. N. Korea fires missile from sub North Korea fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast on Saturday, the U.S. and South Korea said, the latest in a string of tests that are part of efforts by the North to advance technology capable of delivering nuclear warheads. The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul's Defense Ministry. The official, who didn't want to be named because of office rules, couldn't immediately confirm how far the missile traveled or where it landed. 16 fighters, 2 soldiers die in shootout Nigerian officials say 16 Boko Haram extremists and two soldiers have been killed when the extremists tried to ride explosives-laden motorcycles into an army base in the country's volatile northeast. An army spokesman, Col. Sani Kukasheka, said in a statement Saturday that soldiers at the base in Rann in Borno state repelled the extremists with a gunfight that went on for hours. He said two soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber drove into a truck and exploded. Kukasheka said soldiers found most of the bodies of the attackers Saturday morning, but he added that "quite a number escaped with gunshot wounds." SUNDANCE, Wyo. | The latest lightning-caused wildfire in Crook County, Wyo., slowed Thursday, enabling fire crews to contain flames in half the burning area. Incident commander Dick Terry said today firefighters' goals heading into the weekend included strengthening the containment lines and putting out hot spots. Aerial surveying found the fire covered about 809 acres in the Sundance Canyon area near the Sundance Canyon Ranch Subdivision. The housing development is 15 miles southwest of Sundance. Area residents and contractors are assisting fire workers with the Wyoming State Forestry Division, Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp, Crook County, Weston County, U.S. Forest Service and city of Arvada, Colo. News / Local by Staff Reporter BULAWAYO - A toddler has reportedly died in the city's oldest township Makhokhoba after police threw a tear gas at the kid's family house during the #ZimShutDown skirmishes on Wednesday this week.A confidential source confided to Zim Metro that, the innocent kid whose name can not be disclosed, for ethical reasons, suffocated to death after inhaling the deadly smoke."She suffocated from teargas whilst inside the house and then the mother tried to take her out she was met with the smoke again," a citizen reporter whose spoke on condition of anonymity told Zim Metro today."I am at Burombo flats now and just spoke to three women who confirmed the death of a 1 year 6 months old child," the citizen reporter said."The women said the kid died of suffocation from tear gas, and another man also died after being rushed to the hospital."During the uprising, armed police reportedly descendend heavily on any person at their sight as protesting crowds ran amok.They also randomly threw tear gas at homes where innocent civilians had taken refuge to avoid skirmishes outside.A human rights watch group Amnesty International on Thursday condemned Zimbabwe police for gross human rights violations after cases of police brutality on civilians during the protests went viral on Social Media.Civic society leaders have also condemned arrests made in Bulawayo following the Wednesday demonstration.A total of 90 people have so far been arrested in the city including minors who are currently in police custody awaiting trial.Meanwhile according to impeccable sources, 84 people arrested and remanded in custody have been moved to Khami remand prison while one minor is still detained at Luveve remand prison. Though Spring Meyer is not affiliated with a church, she teaches her 9-year-old daughter Molly that God is watching over her. Basically, she just kind of knows that hes there watching over us and making sure things are good for us, and when they arent, that hes almost like another confidante to go to and talk to and someone else to take care of her, said Meyer, who attended church after moving to Rapid City from Pennsylvania but eventually stopped. Meyer is among the 19 percent of adults in the U.S. who are not highly religious, but say they talk about religion with members of their immediate family on a regular basis, according to the Pew Research Center. Meyer remembers that she began teaching simple lessons about Christ's birth to her daughter when Molly was around 3. It was important for me for her to know that it wasnt just about presents," Meyer said. "I didnt want her to totally go off in that world of commercialism, so I always told her she was getting Jesus birthday presents." Meyer also wanted Molly to have enough information about God to make her own decision. I believe that God will direct that and make that happen because its not up to me," she said. "Its up to me to teach her and its up to me to show her, but its not up to me to make a decision for her because we all have to choose for ourselves." The Rev. Bruce Herrboldt, who has been the pastor of South Park United Church of Christ in Rapid City for 30 years, said it's common for parents who don't attend church to talk to their children about God. Its very common that theyll say, Even though were not involved, we want our kids to come to Sunday School, we want our kids to be confirmed. We want them in a youth group, Herrboldt said. Theres just no other place where the kids, they themselves, will find the community," Herrboldt said. "That is where I think we all see a great value." Karen Thorson, of Rapid City, raised her now adult children in church. Though she is no longer affiliated with a church, her children still attend one. Thorson, who is now a grandmother, thinks its important to continue instilling lessons about God in her grandchildren. We have talked about how you are to be kind as Jesus was kind, your role in life of what you're supposed to be thoughtful, kind, sharing as Jesus has done, Thorson said. Meyer also believes in foundational lessons, but wants Molly to have enough knowledge about God to make her own decision. Its not for us to make people decide. Its up to us to present it to them and show them that its there, Meyer said. Rapid City authorities on Friday postponed Sundays annual Cruiser Car Show after learning of a threat that gunmen would target police officers and others at the event. The anonymous threat received by a local media outlet came a day after a man upset over police shootings of African Americans killed five Dallas officers. The Rapid City Police Department and the Main Street Square and Destination Rapid City organizations announced late Friday afternoon the car show had been postponed to protect officers and the public. The show's new date is pending. Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris told the Journal that officers are going to address the threat posed by active shooters. He cited a March incident in which an officer killed a gunman who wounded two men at the Cornerstone Rescue Mission on Main Street. Were dealing with the dark side of society here, Jegeris said. Its something that we have to be prepared to confront. He said the police department similarly received threats after the 2011 shooting of three Rapid City officers, as well as the 2014 police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Mo. Local authorities were working to identify the source of Friday's phone threat. The public is encouraged to share whatever information they have about the possible caller. On Thursday evening a sniper in Dallas shot 12 police officers, killing five, and wounding two civilians. The attack happened during a peaceful protest over recent police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. The shooter, 25-year-old Micah Johnson, told police negotiators during the standoff that he wanted to kill whites, particularly white officers. He refused to surrender and was killed with a robot-delivered bomb a few hours after the shooting. Jegeris said the Dallas tragedy reinforced job dedication among local law enforcement officers. But Jegeris admitted being shaken after watching videos of the Texas officers being gunned down. He believes every officer asks, 'What am I doing here and why do I continue doing this?' It does scare you, at least momentarily, he said. Jegeris said he is especially concerned for the safety of officers at night. During late hours, he said, theres a higher probability they will encounter trouble with people who might be drunk or on drugs. Some people in Rapid City anticipate catching police wrongdoing on video that would go viral, Jegeris said. Our officers every day are recorded by people in the community sometimes its the person were dealing with, sometimes its uninvolved passersby, sometimes its both. Its disheartening to me that theres a segment of the community that would take some sort of joy out of capturing that type of information. Jegeris said he had seen the video of the police shooting in Minnesota, in which a black man was fatally shot by an officer during a traffic stop outside Minneapolis. He described the incident as "tragic," but declined to comment on the Minnesota officers actions while the investigation is ongoing. Rapid City officers and Pennington County deputies received morale boosts Friday from community members who delivered flowers roses, lilies, carnations to the Public Safety Building on Kansas City Street. The vases, some with thank-you cards, others adorned with tiny U.S. flags, started arriving just before noon. People also posted messages of appreciation and support on social media, as well as thousands of likes on the law enforcement agencies Facebook pages. Chief Deputy Brian Mueller said Pennington County Sheriffs Office personnel are committed to serving the multicultural community professionally. We encourage our officers and deputies not to overreact to situations like this too, he said, referring to the Dallas police shooting. Jegeris said the public is encouraged to send the police feedback. People can contact him directly by email or Twitter, he said. We have worked very hard as a law-enforcement community, especially in the last couple of years, to address concerns of the minorities in our community. Clearly, were at the table, he said. Theres no reason to engage in an act of violence to get our attention. The attorneys for Croell Redi-Mix, Inc. and the Pennington County Commissioners met for the first time in court Friday to set schedules and worked to decide how or if the case will move forward. Croell Redi-Mix filed the civil lawsuit appealing the Pennington County commissioners decision to revoke the company's construction permit. Friday's 30-minute hearing was dominated with lawyers discussing what kind of case this is and how they should proceed. "The statute isn't very clear on this," Don Knudsen, the attorney representing the county commissioners, told Judge Matthew Brown. The parties are trying to decide if this case should move forward by using only evidence already on the record, or if the judge should also consider new evidence. Knudsen said similar cases were working through the courts on the eastern side of the state. Attorney Michael Hickey, representing neighbors opposing the quarry's expansion, asked Brown to let his clients join the proceedings. Hickey argued the only reason the permit was revoked was because his clients filed an appeal to the commissioners. He argued for the introduction of new evidence, but said he is comfortable presenting their case either way. "Weve got a lot of facts whichever way the court wants to hear it," Hickey said Friday. He said it's important for the judge to hear what the neighbors have to say because they don't believe county staff, including the state's attorney's office, did their job in this matter. "They didnt require them to get a mining permit. They said, 'Oh, a construction permit is all you need,' and the ordinance is very clear that if you're going to expand a mine, you having to have a mining permit, and for reasons I dont understand, they didnt tell them that, and so if it wasnt for our people, there would be a quarry out there." Croell Redi-Mix also is suing the commission seeking monetary damages for not being able to operate on their property. Commissioners have retained Rapid City attorney Cris Palmer to represent them in that case. An initial hearing has not yet been set in that matter. Company attorney Tom Brady called the situation an "economic tragedy," and pointed to a state water board's decision Thursday granting the company's water rights permit as confirmation the construction permit should not have been revoked and the county cannot stop a mine from using its land in the same manner it regulates other businesses. The South Dakota Water Management Board voted 4-1 to grant Croell a new well. The permit is another step for the expansion of the mining operations. The application states the water is for a limestone crushing plant operation and watering livestock. Croell is permitted to pump .33 cubic feet per second but a limit was placed on them to pump no more than 19.6 acre-feet from the Deadwood Aquifer per year. That amount is consistent with the other businesses in the area that also have industrial use wells, like Bear Country. Bear Country's well is actually capable of pumping more water per minute than what Croell Redi-Mix can pump under its permit, according to state documents. Hickey said his clients are not likely to appeal the water permit, preferring instead to focus on the county case. "If they don't get this permit, then they will not drill a well," Hickey said. "Yeah, this is the key one. If we win this, we stop them." Brady said Friday he was pleased there are dates set in this case. He argued in front of judge Brown on Friday that the case should move forward using new evidence. "We wish it to move forward quickly," he said. "Were very confident the circuit court will agree with us that Pennington County wrongfully revoked the construction permit because Croell is entitled to use their property for lawful purposes." He said the zoning law is clear and should support his case. "It really isnt particularly different than refusing to allow somebody build a house on a residential zoned lot," he said after the hearing. "This is an agricultural-zoned property and the permitted use is a quarry. The permitted use on residential lot is a house. It is that simple." Brady said the company has yet to operate in the old Perli Pit and every day that goes by, the company is incurring, "phenomenal damages." That is why the company brought the second lawsuit against the county seeking damages. "It's an economic tragedy going on, and Pennington County has liability to pay," he said. Croell Redi-Mix Inc., headquartered in New Hampton, Iowa, purchased the property from the Perli family in 2015 for nearly $1.8 million, according to county records. The company has concrete, paving and aggregate operations in seven states, including South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Nebraska. Mining on the property off U.S. Highway 16 dates to 1982. Croell plans to expand quarry operations on 164 acres. Commission attorney Knudson told the judge he believes the case should be limited to existing information because it is an appeal of the county's decision. He argued the question for the court to settle is whether the commissioners' decision was "arbitrary and capricious." Judge Brown said he would have a decision on the intervention motion from Hickey by July 15. Brady said their first brief would be filed by July 31 to begin the process of moving forward with the case. The briefing schedule by the parties is to be completed by Sept. 15 and a discovery deadline was set for Oct. 1. Somewhere in that time frame, the parties will meet to set a trial date. A recent news report distributed by the Associated Press drew attention to the need for higher education in South Dakota. This is a vital policy discussion for our state. The Board of Regents jump-started that dialogue by setting a goal that 65 percent of young South Dakotans have a post-secondary credential by the year 2025. This goal was subsequently adopted by the states Workforce Development Council and supported by the South Dakota Department of Education. It is important to note that the credentials included in this 65 percent goal represent the full range of post-secondary options: traditional four-year college degrees as well as two-year associate degrees, certificates and apprenticeships. The news report cited U.S. Department of Labor statistics suggesting that jobs in South Dakota will not require additional education. What you would not learn from that article is that federal labor statistics data consistently underestimate educational requirements for occupations across our economy. Part of this is because many jobs require people with multiple educational levels. DOL statistics use entry-level requirements and the lowest educational level required for entry. Even within the same job classification, those people with higher education levels earn higher wages and add significant benefit to the bottom line. For this reason, the data from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has been a more accurate measure of future workforce needs. The centers estimate is that 65 percent of the future jobs in South Dakota will require post-secondary education. The value of additional post-secondary education is indeed significant. People with college degrees make significantly more over their lifetimes. Return on investment for a post-secondary education is seven to 17 times its cost. Unemployment rates for college graduates are also much lower. In South Dakota, those with no degree have a 4.9 percent unemployment rate, while the rate for those with degrees is 1.7 percent. Of the 2.9 million high-paying jobs created in the U.S. from 2010 to 2014, 2.8 million of those went to people with four-year degrees. Even people with a college education in occupations where the basic-entry requirement is a high school diploma make more money than their less-educated counterparts. Those who complete degrees also have better health, higher job satisfaction, greater levels of community engagement and more productive retirements. Post-secondary education is not just important for the individual. Those states with the most educated citizens also have the highest incomes. For every year increase in the average post-secondary education levels within a community, the average per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes up by 17.4 percent. In fact, 70 percent of the growth in GDP for a region is driven by post-secondary education. Jobs are getting increasingly complex. A diesel mechanic who works on a quarter-million-dollar tractor needs to understand complex systems, solve problems, do math, communicate effectively and track results. Other states and nations with which our children will compete are investing heavily in post-secondary education. They recognize that the economy of the future will be driven by intellectual capital. What kind of future do we want to imagine for our children and our state in the next 10 to 15 years? We get to choose. I think we want a high-wage, high-education economy where a significant number of our best and brightest stay in the state to invest their talents and energy. We can start today to attract more students to the fine system of colleges, universities and technical schools here in South Dakota. Doing so lays the groundwork for a successful, robust economy that attracts highly successful businesses, provides good wages, and enhances the social and economic climate to produce the great lifestyle we enjoy as South Dakotans. News / National by Staff Reporter Five chiefs are clashing in Chikomba District as two new chieftainships including that to be presided over by the biological father of Lands and Rural Ressettlements Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora have been created.The Mirror is reliably informed that a new chief called Maromo was created and Augustine Mombeshora who is the father of the Minister is the new chief. Maromo however, has no area of jurisdiction and several chiefs in the district and in particular the Vahera are afraid that their kingdoms are going to be subdivided to create space for the new chief.Chief Maromo confirmed that he is the biological father of Mombeshora. "Yes I am the Minister's father. Douglas is my youngest son," said Dr Mombeshora.The Maromo chieftainship is of the Chikonamombe clan.The other new chieftainship that has been created is the Kareya and the new chief is Onias Munetsi. Kareya is Headman Muchenje who was elevated to a chief and he is of the Rozvi Clan. He also does not have an area of jurisdiction.The seven chiefs whose areas can also be affected by the new chiefdoms are Maromo, Kareya, Senator Musarurwa (Enos Masakwa), Chivese (Thomas Makambe),Nyoka (Musafare Matizha), Mutekedza (Andrew Zhakata) Neshangwe (Conellius Dhangwa) and theses are holding meetings to see how the issue can be resolved.The Mirror is informed that Chikomba District Administrator (DA) Clemence Masawi is proposing that some chiefs, particularly Chief Nyoka and Chief Chivese give away part of their land for the creation of Kareya and Maromo.Masawi confirmed that chiefs are holding meetings over boundaries but said they are just mere consultations with regards to allocating jurisdictions to the recently installed chiefs.He said the process of offering boundaries to chiefs could take as long as three years before the final determination is made."The Minister of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of Natural Culture and Heritage, Abednigo Ncube, has the final say on the chiefs' respective jurisdictions. It is only that the Government regards chiefs with high esteem that the boundaries cannot be made without letting them know," said the DA.Chief Nyoka said he didn't mind which chief is raised where as long as it did not affect his forefathers' land."We of the Vahera clan, we do not mind which chief is raised where, as long as it does not affect our heritage. What we are fighting for is to protect the land that we know belongs to the Museyamwa tribe," said Chief Nyoka.Chief Musarurwa, who is of the Rozvi tribe, refused to comment on the matter. The chief who regards his position as sacrosanct said, "issues that concern chiefs are sacred and are better left alone lest you call evil spirits upon yourself. Some of these issues are not worth publishing because it is not anyone's concern but chiefs alone."According to a map in the hands of The Mirror, The DA's proposal of Chief Nyoka's new boundary is demarcated by the Harare-Masvingo Highway to the West.However, chiefs are disputing boundaries demarcated by roads which they argue are artificial demarcations. They told The Mirror that chiefs' boundaries are demarcated by natural land features such as rivers, streams, mountains or distinct vleis (mapani).Chief Mutekedza argues that in most parts of the western area that is being proposed to be offered to Chief Maromo and Kareya, people are settled according to their tribes, mostly with Museyamwa village heads."How then can a Rozvi Chief claim to have jurisdiction over Vahera? How will he perform some traditional rituals with people of clans different from him? If the Rozvis have a small portion of dominion, does it mean that we Vahera should see that they have a bigger potion? (Kana VaRozvi vane nzvimbo diki yokutonga, isu Vahera tingavawedzere here?)" Chief Mutekedza asked rhetorically.Chief Mutekedza and Chief Nyoka of the Chiwashira genealogy argued that the areas that are targeted for takeover have graves of their ancestors including revered chiefs. One of the places is said to have been the headquarters of the chiefdom sometime back."When a chief is installed in his own area, his village heads are asked to pay respect to him in the presence of everyone. The same applied during Kareya's instalment. How then can he leave the village heads that witnessed his instalment and seek subordination from other village heads in another area?" asked Chief Mutekedza.Chief Mutekedza said that they have named schools and other significant places after some renowned persons of the Vahera descendency who once settled there. "For instance, Hitler Hunzvi Primary and Secondary Schools were named in honour of the late national hero Hitler Hunzvi of the Shava totem who resided there," he said.Chief Mutekedza also argues that the Chiwashira kingdom was originally based in Featherstone before being moved by the colonialists to the present Muzindawamambo in Mutekedza.He said there is even a farm named Mutegesa in Featherstone area named after Mutekedza after the white colonialists failed to pronounce the Shona name. Chief Chivese refused to comment. News / National by Staff reporter Fed up civil servants who staged a crippling three-day nationwide strike earlier this week over the government's continued failure to pay them their salaries on time have warned of a fresh industrial action after the State launched a witch-hunt to flush out those who were not reporting for work.This comes after Zimbabwe was paralysed by a massive general strike on Wednesday which was called to protest the worsening economic situation in the country, with millions of people heeding the stay-away call.The civil servants' representative body, the Apex Council, warned yesterday of "stern action" against "elements" whom it accused of victimising its members who did not report to work, either because they had no money for transport, or in most cases had no transport on Wednesday when the nation heeded the "Shutdown" call.The council singled out civil service inspectors, accusing them of harassing and intimidating government workers."The Apex Council and Health Apex Council take exception to reports of harassment and intimidation of members by so-called Civil Service Inspectors, with some among our leadership having reported of being followed by suspicious elements."The Apex Council will not hesitate to act against whoever harasses or intimidates the generality of its membership and leadership for exercising their constitutional right to disagree," the Apex Council and Health Apex Council said in a joint statementRattled by the industrial action by teachers, nurses and medical doctors, and later the shutdown, the government was eventually forced to bring forward pay dates for the striking workforce.The president of the militant Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Takavafira Zhou, also raised concern over the intimidation of teachers, describing the alleged harassment as an attempt by the government to criminalise the profession."Any witch-hunting or attempt to penalise any members who were on industrial action must be met with group solidarity and further action. An injury to any worker in Zimbabwe is a threat to all workers in Zimbabwe."Government should also be reminded that while we are interested in logical disputation and engagement, we would appreciate time framed negotiations rather than begging and negotiation in infinity," he said.But the Civil Service Commission (CSC) defended the witch-hunts, saying it had the right to monitor employees."Please be advised that Public Service Commission is the employer of civil servants and it has a constitutional right to monitor the efficient delivery of service."The functions of the commission as stated in Section 203 of the Constitution include appointments of qualified and competent persons to hold posts in the civil service, fix and regulate conditions of service, exercise disciplinary powers, investigate and remedy grievances of members of the civil service."The commission is also mandated to implement measures to ensure effective and efficient performance within, and the general well-being of the civil service as well as ensure that members of the civil service carry out duties efficiently and impartially."The entire civil service keeps clock-in clock-out registers for all its members. From time to time the employer examines these registers as a way of ensuring that members of the civil service carry out their duties efficiently," it said in a statement.But Zhou said in light of the intimidation, they would continue to engage the government to come up with common ground over labour rights, even though they were not optimistic about coming out with a favourable result."Comrades, let's remain ready to sharpen our instruments of combat, wear our industrial gear and choose the battleground. We should remain ready to fight another battle as a united front should the government fail to pay July salaries in July," he said.The government is said to be spending up to 90 percent of its revenues on civil service salaries. I give my consent to Sakshi Post to be in touch with me via email for the purpose of event marketing and corporate communications. Privacy Policy Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close More distrust, more hatred and more killing... sigh... | Main | "Inmates in NY get an Ivy League education behind bars" In this post not long after the racist mass murderer committed by Dylann Storm Roof, I flagged the possibility of a double capital prosecution by both the feds and South Carolina in this post. Now that, a year later, this prospect has become a reality, the logistical dynamics are presenting interesting legal issues. And this new Wall Street Journal article, headlined "Death Penalty Freeze Puts Charleston Church Shooting Trials in Conflict: State prosecutors say likelihood of execution gives their case precedence," explores some of this novel capital ground: The alleged shooter of a South Carolina church congregation is scheduled to appear in state court next week amid a dispute over whether a state or federal case against him should go to trial first. State prosecutors said in June their case against Dylann Roof should happen first because, in part, it is more likely to result in the death penalty. There is currently an effective moratorium on executions in the federal prison system, due to an internal review of the drugs used to execute prisoners. South Carolina prosecutors charged Mr. Roof, 22 years old, with nine counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder last year for the June 2015 slaying of nine parishioners at an African-American church, and Solicitor Scarlett Wilson has said she would pursue the death penalty. Federal prosecutors, who charged Mr. Roof within weeks of the state indictment, are also seeking a death sentence. Mr. Roof has pleaded not guilty but his lawyers have said he would plead guilty if the state or federal governments dropped requests for the death penalty. A lawyer for Mr. Roof didnt respond to a request for comment. The federal trial is scheduled to begin in November, while the state trial is slated for January. A hearing in state court is set for Wednesday to discuss the scheduling issues. The dueling prosecutions have raised complicated procedural issues. Ms. Wilson said in court papers that because Mr. Roof is in the states custody, if he were sentenced to death in the federal trial, but received a life sentence in the state trial, the state would likely never relinquish custody of him, defeating any chance of an execution. Ms. Wilson also argued that because the federal government last executed a prisoner in 2003, the state couldnt trust that a death penalty verdict in the federal trial will actually result in an execution. Because of the apparent unwillingness of the United States to implement a sentence of death, the state submits that the outcome of the federal trial has little to no relevance to the defendants ultimate fate, Ms Wilson wrote. For that reason, it disserves the victims to ask them to endure two trials, but the United States nonetheless has imposed its contrary will. Lawyers for Mr. Roof argued in court papers filed Wednesday that issues surrounding scheduling could be easily resolved if prosecutors would remove their request for the death penalty and accept Mr. Roofs plea. It was predictable that the unprecedented decision of both the state and federal governments to seek the execution of the same man at the same time would lead to scheduling problems, defense attorneys wrote. Federal prosecutors havent responded to the requests for the state trial to go first. In a letter to victims families Wednesday, South Carolina U.S. Attorney Beth Drake wrote, While it may appear in court pleadings that the state and federal court are both working towards a speedy trial, at the end of the day, we are all after the same thingjustice. Mr. Roofs attorneys have moved to dismiss the federal case, saying it ignores the division between state and federal jurisdictions. A man was rescued this afternoon after he fell from the cliffs near Sutro Baths into the ocean and swam to a nearby cave for safety. Shortly after 3:15 p.m. today, the San Francisco Fire Department tweeted that a cliff rescue was taking place in the cave. According to officials, the man was rescued from the cave and he suffered only minor injuries. #CRTU UPDATE male adult fell off cliffs to water at Sutro baths swam into cave RESCUED minor INJ taken to Hospital. pic.twitter.com/DecRs4tQgJ San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) July 8, 2016 While the rocks and cliffs adjacent to Sutro Baths are a popular tourist destination, they unfortunately are also the scene of numerous falls by unsuspecting visitors. In January a man almost drowned while taking a selfie at the site he too had to be rescued (no word yet if the man rescued today was trying to take a selfie when he fell). In 2006, a 22-year-old man fell into the water nearby and is assumed to have been swept out to sea. So while you enjoy those great views, please remember to be careful. Related: Video Shows Some Hitchcock-Level Seagull Action At Sutro Baths News / National by Staff reporter Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa says import restrictions are no longer suitable and sustainable in the global market and could cut out the country, a position which is at variance with his subordinates in government and some industrial players pushing for stringent imports restrictions.Officially, opening the Sixth Annual Buy Local Summit on Thursday night Mnangagwa said restrictions were not sustainable and would soon be lifted under pressure from trading partners.His comments come as local manufacturers are stampeding for a total shut down on imports following the promulgation of statutory instrument 64 of 2016 which removed a number of groceries and building materials from the Open General Import Licence."Industry must appreciate the important role that competition plays in a globalising economy. We risk closing ourselves out of the global market and fail to develop and learn in line with global trends."Moreover, we need to appreciate that restrictions are not sustainable, and that in the long term, pressure from trading partners will always force us to open up our markets again," Mnangagwa warned.He, however, said government was implementing SI 64 of 2016 as a stop gap measure to give relief to local industry.Mngangagwa said in buying imports the country was strengthening competition against its own industries."As we purchase foreign products, we actually aid foreign-based companies to attain critical-volumes that allow them to enjoy economies of scale', and then cut us on prices...As a result of such skewed purchasing decisions, we end up indirectly creating jobs in foreign countries, when our own companies are closing down or filing for bankruptcy, leaving our brothers, sisters, friends, sons and daughters, without jobs."He said for the country to be competitive again it needed a concrete business model."For us to be competitive again, increase capacity utilisation and raise exports, we need to develop some model that looks at major costs and prices in order to come up with a range within which costs and prices may fall, as guided by agreed regional benchmarks," Mnangagwa said.In a sober analysis the VP said in working towards limiting imports and rolling out the Buy Zimbabwe Campaign, there was need to "protect the consumer in terms of quality, pricing and supply of products, whether they are finished products or are to be used as raw materials."He said for this to succeed, local industry's capacity needed to improve."The country's industrial capacity must significantly improve to guarantee product availability at the right quantity, quality and pricing that meets or exceeds similar imports."He also said the country needed to have an import substitution strategy which however, would need to have an evaluation mechanism to gauge its benefits.Mnangagwa said the call to buy locally was not peculiar to the country."All countries, at one point or another, have adopted the Buy National concept. Examples include the United States of America's Buy National Act, which requires that Federal, State, and Local Government entities procure only domestically manufactured goods; China, that has mandated that all Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) components be produced domestically, and South Africa, whose Proudly South African initiative is symbolised by that country's flag," Mnangagwa said. At least 1000 people (the Chronicle put it at 500) gathered Friday evening at the foot of Market Street to protest this week's deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police in Louisiana and Minnesota. As of 9:45 p.m., a threat received by the SFPD of anarchy Friday evening had failed to materialize. A parallel gathering at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland this evening was reportedly much smaller than the one that occurred Thursday. What proceeded was a swift march up Market that included a sit-in near Powell Street in which protesters read off the names of over 500 people who had been killed by police in the past year. At battery and moving pretty swiftly pic.twitter.com/KrGsqZhWT8 Caleb Pershan (@calaesthetic) July 9, 2016 Now at third, chant is "indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail, the whole damn system is guilty as hell" pic.twitter.com/myDecbwnpU Caleb Pershan (@calaesthetic) July 9, 2016 Sit in outside Westfield, names of dead being read aloud pic.twitter.com/GRGQ0IxtIh Caleb Pershan (@calaesthetic) July 9, 2016 By 8 p.m. protesters had gathered outside City Hall, where barricades and police guarded the front of the building. The building was lit up in red, white, and blue, and the flags were at half mast in memory of the five police officers killed Thursday night in Dallas. Speakers got on a megaphone and delivered a number of moving speeches, many stressing peace. And, yes, Frank Chu was there. Frank is kinda off brand pic.twitter.com/YH219e4z5L Caleb Pershan (@calaesthetic) July 9, 2016 Previously: Photos: 2,000 Rally Peacefully In Oakland To Protest Shootings Of Philando Castile And Alton Sterling In the final episode of this past season of the HBO show Silicon Valley, a character seeking to justify questionable business practices puts it this way: His core product is solid, if some of the numbers used to bolster it are fake: "It's not like we're lying about it like fucking Theranos," he punctuates his defense. That's a pretty good snapshot of how far healthcare startup Theranos, based in Palo Alto, has fallen. Once promising a revolution in blood testing and boasting a $9 billion valuation, now the company is the butt of insider industry jokes. Oh, and the latest blow to the company has just arrived, according to the New York Times: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are making good on a warning letter sent in April and actually banning 32-year-old ex-wunderkind CEO Elizabeth Holmes from owning or operating a blood testing facility for two years. It's difficult to run a business you can't legally be in, and this appears to be a rare occurrence, so the repercussions here aren't totally clear and the decision itself could be appealed. We accept full responsibility for the issues at our laboratory in Newark, Calif., and have already worked to undertake comprehensive remedial actions, Holmes said in a statement. Responding to Wall Street Journal reports questioning the veracity of some of the company's claims, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that all 81 patient results they tested to have been inaccurate. Theranos was warned that its lab needed to be brought into compliance, and the company is now simultaneously under criminal investigation and an SEC probe. Further, the US House of Representatives wants in on the investigation, writing in a letter to Theranos that Given Theranos disregard for patient safety and its failure to immediately address concerns by federal regulators, we write to request more information about how company policies permitted systemic violations of federal law." Alas, while Holmes is now worth zero dollars zero with a 'z' she'll likely stay in the spotlight a little longer. It appears as if she'll be portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in a film adaptation of the her life. Theranos will shut down its Newark, California lab and rebuild it from the ground up while continuing to operate its Arizona lab. That latter facility, however, will have a bit less work to do now that Walgreens, a major customer, has terminated its partnership with the company All SFist coverage of Theranos It's been seven years since the Bay Area, and the world, were stunned by the story of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who emerged from captivity in an Antioch backyard after being kept there for 18 years by sex offender Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy, and made to bear two of the man's children, the first when she was just 14. She was kidnapped from her family's front yard in South Lake Tahoe at age 11, in 1991, and went on to survive 18 years of abuse by the Garridos, and after writing a memoir about the experience in 2011, she has written another book, Freedom: My Book of Firsts, and she appeared in an interview Friday with Diane Sawyer on 20/20 which you can watch in full here if you have a cable subscription. Dugard also appears in the new issue of People. She seems remarkably grounded, and upbeat, as she talks about the process she's gone through to accept what happened to her and move on. And she rejects the idea that she is somehow unique in her strength or ability to survive. "I don't think there's anything inside me that isn't inside everyone else," she says. Dugard last spoke with Sawyer in 2011, at which point the Garridos had recently pleaded guilty and her memoir was just being released. Now 36, Dugard appears to be adjusting well to normal human life, aided in part by a $20 million settlement she won six years ago from the California state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, whose lapse in adequately tracking and checking up on parolee Garrido allowed her to go unfound for nearly two decades. In the new interview, which includes shots of her sailing in the San Francisco Bay and driving around and listening to happy tunes like A-Ha's "Take on Me" and Pharrell's "Happy," Dugard still expresses exasperation at parole officers who should have been paying closer attention to Garrido's whereabouts. "He wore a GPS tracker. You could clearly see him going into the back yard," she says. "What's the point of a GPS tracking system if you don't follow up?" It was a UC Berkeley police officer who was ultimately her savior, after spotting Garrido on the campus with two young girls Dugard's daughters handing out religious literature and proposing a religious event on campus. That officer, Ally Jacobs, followed up and found that Garrido was a registered sex offender, and ultimately Concord authorities called Garrido in for questioning. When he appeared at the parole office in Concord, he came with Nancy, Jaycee, and the two girls, and they were all questioned separately. Though she initially exhibited signs of Stockholm syndrome and insisted Garrido was a "changed man" and "good with her kids," she now says that she's horrified by the idea that her family believes she was somehow in love with her captor. She tells Sawyer, "It made me want to throw up. I adapted to survive my circumstances." She also dispels the idea that the recent film Room, for which Brie Larson won an Oscar this year, was in any way based on her story. Dugard has read the book but not seen the film. "People think it's close to my story," she says. "[But] It's very different from what I went through." The movie is actually based on another, similarly brutal kidnapping and captivity story that took place in Austria, where a woman was held in a basement for 24 years but in Room it's changed to Ohio, and a backyard shed. Also, now that she's past 35, she says, "I feel old. I feel like I've lived a lot of lifetimes." Both of her daughters are in college now one 18, the other 22. And she says that they're able to speak frankly about their life growing up with the Garridos and all that's happened since. "They lived with a crazy person for a long time. They came out of the backyard, there were ups and downs, and a lot of amazing people, and they lived their life." And she adds, "To know it was okay to laugh about Phillip and Nancy and their craziness, it helps." Previously: Jaycee Dugard Speaks to Diane Sawyer, UC Berkeley Cop Who Helped Save Her Reacts News / National by Staff reporter A Zimbabwean couple recently had the chance to visit Europe after winning an international DStv subscriber's competition.Addmore and Eunice Chagaresango of Harare had the trip of a lifetime recently, when they travelled to Europe to watch two major sporting cup finals.The couple which is a DStv Premium bouquet viewer was entered in the recent MultiChoice Africa Premium Power Experience competition for maintaining their subscription on an uninterrupted basis.Winning an overseas trip in competition with subscribers throughout Africa, they were treated to live viewing of the FA Cup final in England and the Uefa Champions League final in Italy."It was an amazing experience for us."We saw a whole new world, developed, good transport network, great communications network, and sport itself as big business."All expenses were covered by DStv so it was a stress-free holiday. We had a chance to see some of the best stadiums in Europe (Wembley and San Siro) and on the way home we were able to experience Abu Dhabi in the Middle East," said Addmore.MultiChoice Zimbabwe publicity and public relations manager Liz Dziva was pleased that the Chagaresangos had won and had enjoyed their trip."It is wonderful for us all to have yet another Zimbabwean winner of an international competition hosted by DStv."In December last year, 18-year-old Joseph Mahiya, winner of the 2014 DStv Eutelsat competition, travelled to France and French Guiana after he beat other African students.The DStv Eutelsat competition is run each year across Africa and aims at encouraging young Africans to take an interest in science and technology in general and satellite technology in particular.A Zimbabwean couple recently had the chance to visit Europe after winning an international DStv subscriber's competition.Addmore and Eunice Chagaresango of Harare had the trip of a lifetime recently, when they travelled to Europe to watch two major sporting cup finals.The couple which is a DStv Premium bouquet viewer was entered in the recent MultiChoice Africa Premium Power Experience competition for maintaining their subscription on an uninterrupted basis.Winning an overseas trip in competition with subscribers throughout Africa, they were treated to live viewing of the FA Cup final in England and the Uefa Champions League final in Italy."It was an amazing experience for us."We saw a whole new world, developed, good transport network, great communications network, and sport itself as big business."All expenses were covered by DStv so it was a stress-free holiday. We had a chance to see some of the best stadiums in Europe (Wembley and San Siro) and on the way home we were able to experience Abu Dhabi in the Middle East," said Addmore.MultiChoice Zimbabwe publicity and public relations manager Liz Dziva was pleased that the Chagaresangos had won and had enjoyed their trip."It is wonderful for us all to have yet another Zimbabwean winner of an international competition hosted by DStv."In December last year, 18-year-old Joseph Mahiya, winner of the 2014 DStv Eutelsat competition, travelled to France and French Guiana after he beat other African students.The DStv Eutelsat competition is run each year across Africa and aims at encouraging young Africans to take an interest in science and technology in general and satellite technology in particular. RALEIGH, N.C. If you have an overgrown piece of property that needs clearing, there are some obvious and odious ways to do it through hard manual labor or noxious chemicals. But theres a third way thats easier on your back, friendlier to the environment and also highly entertaining: Call in the goats. Carrboro, North Carolina-based Goat Squad is an outfit specializing in conservation grazing or clearing out unwanted vegetation the old-fashioned way, by eating it (another is Rent A Goat, although it does large properties only). There are a few things that are dangerous for goats to eat. In particular, ornamental plants like azaleas and rhododendrons are poisonous to them. Poison ivy, however, is no problem. And kudzu is a delicacy, as North Carolina State Universitys Jean-Marie Luginbuhl discovered back in 2003. The university had some land on Centennial campus that needed clearing without pesticides because of a protected species of mollusk, and goats turned out to be the perfect solution. If you dont want to use herbicides to clean up brush, goats are the best, said Luginbuhl, a professor of crop sciences at N.C. State. Theyre very, very effective. You see all these big leaves and think theres a lot of biomass there. But they go through it quite quickly. They especially love kudzu. Its very nutritious, and theyll even eat the terminal stems like spaghetti. Long-term, about four goats can keep an acre of kudzu under control. And as far as short-term clearing, I can personally vouch for goats effectiveness. My Raleigh backyard is essentially a grove of large oak trees, and not enough sunlight reaches the ground for grass to grow. But enough light gets through for a semi-impenetrable jungle of underbrush and weedy, fast-growing trees to have grown up. The yards back corners were thick enough to be almost impassable, but the 19-animal herd that Goat Squad brought in made short work of it in less than 24 hours. The whole thing was mesmerizing to watch for the whole neighborhood. This is the coolest thing ever, enthused my neighbor Stephanie as the herd swarmed around us, gobbling leaves and tree bark. Nearby, meanwhile, her children were imploring their father to please let them have a pet goat. One way to meet the neighbors Its worth noting that goat rental is not a particularly low-cost option. Goat Squad installs temporary electrical fencing to contain the herd, and the hours spent putting that up and taking it down (which is billed on an hourly per-person basis, plus mileage) can double the $400 flat fee for renting about 20 goats for about 24 hours. But the fun bonus to the whole thing is how many neighbors renters meet. Theyre very socially influential, said Diana Tetens, Goat Squads owner. I cant tell you how many times people have said things like, In 10 years, I never met any of my neighbors until now. Theyre great connectors. Tetens used to work for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association in Durham, North Carolina, during which time she became intimately familiar with the conservation issues of clearing land. So in 2012, she founded Goat Squad and started acquiring animals. By now, Tetens herd numbers 42 goats, and shell generally use around half of them for most residential lots. But the occasional job does come in that requires the whole herd. Goats have a lifespan of 15-18 years, and most of Tetens goats are on the young side, between 2 and 7 years old. Theyre mostly wethers, or castrated males. Between boarding, vaccinations and other upkeep, Tetens said her profit margin is pretty narrow despite the cost. But working with goats definitely has its charms. Theyre very sociable creatures, wagging their tales like dogs and using gentle head-butts to demand that you pet them. The herd that Tetens brought to my house also featured one small 2-year-old Nigerian dwarf goat that was adorable enough to make children squeal with delight. The Nigerian dwarf was named Pikachu. Tetens has given almost all of her goats names, including Wiz, Buddy, Mabel, Opal and Sequoia. They have such different personalities, Tetens said, pointing out individual goats. That one over there is Bobby, and hes about the smartest in the herd. Hes also the biggest, so hes the alpha goat. But hes a scaredy cat. Even if the fence is down, he wont leave the herd. SIOUX CITY | Shortly after the "Wandering Spirit: African Wax Prints" exhibit went on display at the Sioux City Public Museum, director Steve Hansen saw two young girls admiring three dresses encased in glass. They were made of cotton fabric with interesting patterns and vibrant colors. He asked the girls if they liked the fitted silhouettes with puffy sleeves -- examples of high fashion on the African continent that are usually worn by women in royal families. One of the little girls turned and exclaimed, 'They're beautiful!'" Hansen recalled. Hansen said he enjoys the dresses too, especially the one made from "King's Chair," a fabric that shows thrones in vivid indigo, yellow and red. Also known as "Tam Tam," "King's Chair" was manufactured in the Netherlands and introduced in 1980. It's a favorite fabric of newly married Nigerian women of the Igbo tribe and a symbol of wealth. "King's Chair" is one of 66 fabrics featured in "Wandering Spirit: African Wax Prints," a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts. Matt Anderson, curator of history at the Sioux City Public Museum, described the exhibit, which is designed to reach a demographic with interests beyond local history, as both "attractive" and "informative." Most of the fabrics date from the early 20th century up until the present. They pay homage to the Olympic Games, U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and animals native to Africa, such as the guinea fowl. "Most of these cloth specimens date from the early 20th century up until the present," Anderson said as he motioned to the fabrics hanging on large white walls. "It's something that's still very prevalent in Africa in terms of fashion." Wax printing was developed in China during the 8th century. Also known as batik, wax printing involves applying wax to parts of a textile to be left undyed and then dyeing it. The process is often repeated multiple times to produce designs. By the 12th century, trade had brought the technique to Indonesia, where it was perfected. When the Dutch colonized Indonesia in the 17th century, Anderson said they discovered this printing technique on the island of Java and were impressed by it. Fast-forward to the 1850s, when a Dutch textile manufacturer invented a machine that could replicate the wax printing process. Anderson said there were some imperfections in the process, which deterred the Indonesian people from purchasing machine-made fabrics. The Dutch went looking for a new textile market, which they found in Africa. Certain patterns have become emblematic of certain regions throughout the African continent. Clothing is a way for African people to communicate their social status, ambition, marital status, ethnicity, age, sex or tribal affiliation. "They were adopted and really became strongly ingrained in many societies in Africa," Anderson said. SIOUX CITY | Caleb Corbin and Wyatt Fitch aren't working typical summer jobs that other college students hold in retail outlets, restaurants, farms or swimming pools. It sure isn't work like the two did in the last few years as clerks at A&W in Moville, Iowa, and Hy-Vee in Sioux City. Corbin and Fitch are on rural Woodbury County roads running GPS equipment to inventory the condition of culverts and assisting county engineer department technicians on road repair projects. They like the variety of tasks, and each day's plans can quickly change, given how weather can impact county road projects. "I am someone who doesn't like doing the same thing every day. I like to stay busy," Fitch said. The two essentially work as summer interns for about three months although, in county lingo, their exact positions are called temporary engineering aides working for the Woodbury County Engineer's Department. The county typically hires two workers each summer. Many have been college students pursuing engineering degrees at places like Iowa State University, South Dakota State University and the University of Nebraska, and the county job has been helpful in their studies, assistant county engineer Ben Kusler said. "In the last 10 years, they have been excellent," Kusler said of the interns. He noted that many counties need engineers, so showing the scope of the job at the county infrastructure level is a way for students to gauge whether they will go to work for private engineering firms or consider the public route. Kusler said the tasks (material testing, road reconstruction and using top county technology) give people a feel for the job. Former intern Mary Burroughs recently took a position with the Federal Highway Administration. Cory Gaston worked as an intern the summers of 2010 and 2011, during a time from when he attended Morningside College for physics and eventually moved to the University of Nebraska for an engineering degree. "It really kind of solidified my switch to engineering," Gaston said. He liked the county work so much that, after working for a private engineering firm after college, Gaston came back in 2014 to work in the county department as an engineer in training. Gaston has worked periodically with Corbin and Fitch, just a few years after his own work as an aide. "I try to pass on some of the things that I learned and give them the same kind of guidance that I got when I was here," Gaston said. More than half of the job for Corbin and Fitch thus far has been quantifying through GPS technology the placement and condition of hundreds of culverts. Corbin and Fitch have been doing that work as a large part of their eight-hour weekday shifts, recently between Lawton and Sioux City, where there can be 300 culverts in a single township. Corbin noted the big change in working five-hour shifts the last three years at A&W to the longer county days with a more professional bent. "Whatever they need done, we help. Change of pace is definitely nice ... I've caught on pretty quick," said Corbin, who graduated from Woodbury Central in Moville in May and will attend Iowa State University in August. Corbin plans to study design, but admits his summer work has moved his mind to ponder engineering. Fitch graduated from River Valley in Correctionville in 2015 and is heading into his sophomore year at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. Doing work like surveying near bridge projects has given him some thought on whether he will continue with plans to become a teacher. He said he definitely likes hands-on work. "With the things we've done, I've had different ideas on what I want to do," Fitch said. SIOUX CITY | Customers to a Wendy's restaurant in Sioux City might have been susceptible to a hack of their payment card information. The burger chain released information Thursday that hackers were able to steal credit and debit card information at more than 1,000 of its U.S. restaurants. The announcement came after an ongoing investigation regarding malicious cyber activity first was reported in February. The Wendy's at 301 W. 15th St. in Sioux City was among the list marked as possibly affected. The statement said any customer who used a debit card or credit card at the Sioux City restaurant during Oct. 29, 2015, to Feb. 14, 2015, should immediately check their banking statements for fraudulent transactions and should report suspicious activity to their bank or credit card company. Seven other Wendy's in Iowa identified as susceptible are located in Clive, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Percival, Urbandale and Walcott. Nebraska had five restaurants on the list from Omaha, Lincoln and York. Two Sioux Falls restaurants were the only ones identified in the state. The current list can be found here. The release said all the malware has been disabled in all restaurants where it had been discovered. "We are committed to protecting our customers and keeping them informed. We sincerely apologize to anyone who has been inconvenienced as a result of these highly sophisticated, criminal cyber attacks involving some Wendy's restaurants," Wendy's President and CEO Todd Penegor said in the release. "We have conducted a rigorous investigation to understand what has occurred and apply those learnings to further strengthen our data security measures." The company said the hackers targeted information including cardholder name, credit or debit card number, expiration date, cardholder verification value and service code. Wendy's has arranged to offer one-year of fraud consultation to customers who used a payment card at a potentially affected restaurant during the time when the restaurant may have been affected, the release said. WASHINGTON -- Behold the reluctant warrior. Five years and two weeks ago, President Obama addressed the nation about the end of the war in Afghanistan. There would be no more Americans in combat in Afghanistan in 2014, he said, vowing to match what he'd already accomplished in Iraq. "Tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding," he said. "We've ended our combat mission in Iraq, with 100,000 American troops already out of that country. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end." Some time later, he said the United States would have no more than a normal embassy presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2016. But on Wednesday, the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner announced that the war would go on -- into the term of his successor and with an 8,400-troop force that will be more than 50 percent larger than he had set in his last announcement that he was slowing the pullout from Afghanistan. "The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious," Obama, in charcoal gray, said from the Roosevelt Room, his defense secretary and his top uniformed officer at his side. He allowed that "Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be" and that "the Taliban remains a threat." The 15-year war, already well longer than the Soviets' 10-year adventure there, goes on. "Today's decision best positions my successor to make future decisions about our presence in Afghanistan," Obama said. For Obama, it was another acknowledgment that, as he put it in 2014, "it's harder to end wars than it is to begin them." He pulled American troops out of Iraq, but a power vacuum and Islamic State violence there has caused the military presence to creep back up, to nearly 5,000. Since Obama surged troops into Afghanistan and then pulled them out faster than his generals wanted, he has had to keep a larger presence there than he had planned as the Taliban has rebounded. He successfully decapitated al-Qaeda, only to see the terrorist hydra spread in the form of the Islamic State and other groups, making the world seem more chaotic and dangerous. The terrorism prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which Obama pledged to close, remains open. U.S. forces have been involved in bombing campaigns in Libya, Syria and elsewhere, and Obama has exponentially increased the use of targeted killings in places such as Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The administration recently announced that such strikes have killed about 2,500 members of terrorist groups and between 64 and 116 civilians, though human rights advocates say the civilian figures are dramatically understated. Certainly, there are far fewer U.S. troops in harm's way than there were at the start of the Obama presidency, but to revisit his speeches over the years is to see his journey from hope to hard reality. In mid-2011, despite concerns in the military, he began what he said would be a "steady" Afghanistan withdrawal. "Let us responsibly end these wars and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story," he said. A few months later, he triumphantly announced that the last troops would leave Iraq, and he was still ebullient in May 2012: "My fellow Americans, we've traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon." Two years ago, Obama announced that "this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan," declaring that by the end of 2016 the military would have but "a normal embassy presence." But by October 2015, Obama reported that "Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be," while "the Taliban has made gains." He said he would drop the military presence only to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. That's the number Obama increased Wednesday. "When we first sent our forces into Afghanistan, ... few Americans imagined we'd be there in any capacity this long," he said Wednesday. Still, "we have to deal with the realities of the world as it is." He spoke of the need for troops and funds to "keep strengthening Afghan forces through the end of this decade." It was a sensible, perhaps inevitable decision. But it felt a long way from Oslo. News / National by ANA Reporter Beitbridge - Smuggling operations into Zimbabwe from South Africa's border town of Musina have increased following that country's import ban on basic food stuffs.Business formations in Musina said as a result of the Zimbabwe's import ban, which came into effect on 1 July 2016, more cross border traders were relying on smugglers to get their goods across the Limpopo River.The International Cross-Border Traders Association and Musina Business Forum on Wednesday told reporters at the Beitbridge border post that some frustrated traders were now smuggling goods into Zimbabwe.Zimbabwean authorities have resorted to confiscating banned goods at the border to enforce the new Statuary No.64 law, which makes it an offence to import basic food stuffs and other commodities. "The importers are already using illegal port of entries [that are] ungazetted to take their goods into Zimbabwe which is not good for the economy of that country, and which is not good also for their safety," said Dennis Jeru the International Cross-Border Traders Association president.Jeru's claim was also corroborated by Musina Business Forum's Richard Makwaseni, who also claimed that the situation had become an economic and human catastrophe."There is a crisis now, because criminal activities are at play, they opened [their] own border to take goods on the other side because of this issue," Makwaseni said.Makwaseni said people had been killed while trying to smuggle goods across the border. He called on the government of Zimbabwe to lift the ban on the importation of goods.Commenting on the situation at the border, Jeru said: "We are happy that no buses are crossing today, we are sending a clear message to the government of Zimbabwe that we are not happy with the implementation of Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 which ban importation of goods into Zimbabwe."Five years ago, the Limpopo government declared Musina part of its three Special Economic Zones, and lured investors, mainly from China and India, to build shops close to the border. But investors now face a bleak future as shops in Musina remain deserted because fewer Zimbabweans were buying goods since the ban.Long distance and local taxi operators said they were not spared in the aftermath of the move to ban food imports. The closure of shops since Friday was a clear sign that without Zimbabwe, Musina's dream of becoming a major city was falling apart, observed Makwaseni. "As we speak now, shops are closed and workers were forced return home because of the situation in Zimbabwe and because we were busy building a big mall that was implemented with Zimbabweans in plans," said Makwaseni.He said the South African government had to intervene as the decision to ban basic food was also in contravention of the government's bilateral agreement with Zimbabwe. Taxi operators said the number of commuters between Beitbridge and Gauteng has declined drastically. "We used to release more than six taxis per day, now there are no taxis leaving - it is very bad," said long distance taxi driver Promise Ndou.Jeru said his association had written to the South African Development Community pleading for intervention in order to end the developing crisis.At Beitbridge, normally a hive of activity, no trucks were moving into Zimbabwe. Trucks usually line up for kilometres at the border, but in their place were public order police. LINCOLN, Neb. | Nebraska took the lead Friday in 10 states' fight against new federal guidance on school locker room and bathroom use by transgender students, asking a U.S. District judge to declare the new rule unlawful. A civil liberties group criticized the lawsuit as "playing politics." The changes, made public in a joint letter May 13 by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, sparked national debate and a lawsuit by Texas and a dozen other states. In it, they told schools that receive federal funding they now must allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms according to their expressed gender, or risk losing the funding. This week, as the Nebraska Attorney General's Office prepared to file its complaint, attorneys in the Texas case sought a nationwide injunction to block the Obama administration from enforcing the changes. Nebraska, along with nine other states, including South Dakota, mounted its legal challenge Friday, focusing, in part, on the fact that the changes came via the executive branch and not Congress. "Defendants lack authority to amend those laws by executive fiat and to threaten plaintiffs and their subdivisions with the loss of billions of dollars in federal education funding if plaintiffs continue to abide by the laws Congress actually passed," Nebraska Chief Deputy Attorney General David Bydalek wrote in the lawsuit. That's a big stick, Attorney General Doug Peterson said later in the day. In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the Nebraska Department of Education received more than $328 million in federal funding for K-12 education, of which $308.5 million was distributed to local school districts in the state, according to the lawsuit. The state gets another roughly $327,000 for schools it oversees at the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility and at Geneva and Kearney. "When a federal agency takes such unilateral action in an attempt to change the meaning of established law, it leaves state and local authorities with no other option than to pursue legal clarity in federal court in order to enforce the rule of law," Peterson said. What's troubling, he said, is that the federal change disregards the work done by local school districts, which now are creating individualized plans to meet the needs of all students. He said while the issue comes up only rarely in Nebraska, school districts are handling it in a very appropriate way that involves the student, the child's parents and health care workers. Now, it simply can be decided by a 15-year-old kid, Peterson said. And new guidance presumes junior high and high school kids will act responsibly, he said. He's not so sure. "It's putting school districts in a terrible position," Peterson said. "It's trying to push a certain agenda through our school systems, and we need to simply stand up and say this does not make sense." Nine states -- Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming -- joined the state in the lawsuit. Danielle Conrad, executive director of the ACLU of Nebraska, said the recent federal guidance doesn't create any new obligations for Nebraska schools, but provides important clarity about best practices to protect all students from gender discrimination. She said the ACLU has successfully resolved these issues without fanfare or costly litigation with various Nebraska school districts on behalf of transgender students and their families. "While there is increased attention on transgender students and legal protections for them, the reality is transgender students have been attending our schools and going to the gender-appropriate facilities for decades without incident," Conrad said. She said the ACLU commends the educational professionals on the front lines in Nebraska who are doing the right thing to ensure transgender students are treated with dignity and respect. "It is time for our state leaders to stop playing politics with the lives and well-being of young transgender Nebraskans and fully live up to our state's motto of 'Equality before the law,'" Conrad said. In a statement Friday, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he fully supported Peterson's "challenge to the Obama administration's overreach and their attempt to bully states and school districts on this issue." "The guidance promulgated by the President's agencies represents his political views, and does not carry the weight of law," he said. Business practices are constantly changing. And if you want your business to succeed, you need to keep up. Members of the online small business community know just what it takes to update business practices regularly. Check out some of their top tips below. Write Follow-up Sales Emails That Dont Suck Email marketing isnt a new concept. But a lot of the techniques that people use when composing sales emails are no longer effective. To update your email marketing and write follow-up sales emails that dont suck, check out this Leadfeeder post by Peter Seenan. And then see what BizSugar members are saying about the post. Effectively Convert Online Users Getting people to click over to your website isnt enough to make your business a success. If you want to actually make sales, you need to learn how to effectively convert online customers. Ally Celones shares some tips for doing just that in this Carts Guru post. Use a New Approach to Get Todays Top Talent For your business to succeed, you need to be able to recruit the best talent. But if you keep using old recruiting techniques, you probably wont be able to get the best people. To update your techniques and improve your chances of reaching the top talent in your industry, check out this Marketing Innovators post by Rick Blabolil. Crush It on Snapchat With These Marketing Strategies Snapchat is growing in popularity among consumers and marketers alike. So if you want to stand out on the platform, you need an effective strategy, like the ones outlined in this WiseStamp post by Simcha Lazarus. You can also see input from BizSugar members. Check Out Instagrams New Business Tools If youre going to use Instagram as part of your marketing strategy, you need to keep up with all the different features and tools the platform offers. This Content Marketing post by Adam Gropman features some information about new tools that businesses can use on Instagram. Use Google to Spot a Million Dollar Business Idea Gone are the days where you need to completely develop a new business idea in your mind before getting started. You can actually use tech to help you come up with and develop new business ideas. This Noobpreneur post by Ivan Widjaya features some tips for using Google to spot million dollar business ideas. Avoid These Digital Marketing Mistakes Digital marketing is a constantly evolving field, which means you need to keep up if you want your strategy to be effective. However, there are some common digital marketing mistakes that businesses make, as David Lowbridge outlines in this Two Feet Marketing post. BizSugar members also share thoughts on the article. Include These Five Modern Features in Your Business Website Having a website is no longer optional for many businesses. That means that you need to work even harder if you want your website to actually stand out. This post by Andre Bourque of Social Marketing Fella includes some modern features that you should include in your website to make sure that customers can see and appreciate what you have to offer. Try These Three Types of Remarketing Techniques Remarketing is a growing tactic for businesses that want to build a real, loyal following online. To learn about three different types of remarketing campaigns you should be using, take a look at this Marketing Land post by Brett Middleton. Learn From Dells Telecommuting Initiative Many small businesses today still utilize outdated employment practices. But in this Dyer News post, Jonathan Dyer explains why small businesses can and should learn from Dells new telecommuting initiatives. And members of the BizSugar community discuss the post further in the community. If youd like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com It's ML, not magic: simple questions you should ask to help reduce AI hype During the peak of the dot-com bubble, you'd be forgiven for thinking prefix investing was a legitimate tactic. A company could receive a nice jump in valuation by adding an "e-" prefix or ".com" suffix. Just being awake to the potential of the World Wide Web was enough to indicate to investors that a company might take advantage of it. What many of those suffixes and prefixes missed however was a detailed plan of attack. The internet was young and full of promises that were either technically or logistically impossible to fulfill. Some of the promises made were irrationally optimistic. Others were downright fraudulent. Even if what was promised could become a reality, few companies had the talent or foresight to execute a well thought out internet strategy. In the years since, after the rise and fall of the dot-com bubble, we have seen the promise of the internet play out in full, transforming the way we live and communicate. Many of the possibilities that became a reality years later were invisible to even the most keen of observers at that early stage. The bubble didn't doom the eventual rise of internet technology - but it did make life far more complex. Enter, stage left: Artificial Intelligence If there's any promise I can make about the field of AI, it's that the hype will always overtake the research. In this article, I won't quibble over definitions, simply taking the broadest term as used in the media: artificial intelligence is whenever a system appears more intelligent than we expect it to be. This is in recognition of both the AI effect (where well defined applications of AI/ML are no longer considered intelligence) and that even if a system is simply an application of basic statistics, it is likely to be reported as AI if it appears intelligent. Like the internet before and after the dot-com bubble, AI is a young technology. It isn't that AI lacks potential, it's simply that the irrational optimism is overpowering. Bold (and perhaps impossible to fulfill) promises are a natural result when prefix investing is again profitable - the only difference that the prefix is now "AI-". As with the dot-com bubble, few entities have the talent or foresight to properly execute on the complex AI strategies that they might have promised themselves into. AI captures our imagination in a way that routers and ethernet cables can't. AI slots cleanly into our existing fiction, building on a fear that humans have long held. Frankenstein engrossed us with tales of unorthodox scientific experiments granting sentience to a corpse. Further back are golems, anthropomorphic beings magically created entirely from inanimate matter. These all inspire modern day retellings, except with the flesh and clay replaced by the steel of SkyNet. The narrative of AI also allows commentators with no experience in the field to make strong statements about the future. These non-expert commentators are given equal weighting compared to experts who may be stating the opposite. This is not an appeal to authority - it's just a request for evidence. While experts are by no means infallible, a general requirement of their field is that they provide evidence to back up their claims. Certain arguments, such as the exponential growth of hardware capability or the concept of self-improving systems, have a tendency to remove any evidence requirements from a conversation. The fundamental and inconvenient truth is that science fiction is more interesting than science fact. Just as stories and companies reporting advances on medicine or physics should be taken with a grain of salt, we should combat this fictionalization of the reality of AI. This can be a painful realization for practitioners in the fields of AI/ML/NLP/CV. For them, there is no need to hype the research - reality is exciting enough. This post aims to outlay a few simple rules that, without restricting one's ability to "dream big", should be able to cull the most ludicrous examples of AI-prefixing. That awkward situation: journalists, investors, and entrepreneurs Why are we in this situation in the first place? At a basic level, humans want a story. This feeds in to our Frankensteinian roots from earlier. The more interesting the hook is, the more likely we are to pay attention, and the more likely we are to want to be a part of it. This base situation becomes even more extreme when we look at the interplay between entrepreneurs, journalists, and investors. A not unreasonable tactic to impress both investors and journalists is to wow them. Journalists even have a secondary desire to wow their readers which can be fed directly from that. As such, the premise of AI-prefix investing can be extended to journalists by seeing the rise of AI-prefix coverage. Most disturbing to me was this quote, taken with permission, from a conversation I recently had. An article in a publication featured a young start-up - except the article was pushing hard on the AI angle. The issue was that (a) their product didn't currently feature any AI and (b) there were no plans for how to implement AI in their product yet. They told me: Sadly it is what [the] media want to hear about and write about. And it is the only way to pitch in a way that they don't go "boring". I didn't start off saying AI but that is the only way we got a break. And I don't think we are going to change their minds in a hurry. This may be an extreme example - being able to get press coverage for an AI related product without any AI - but stretching the truth can still occur even if there is AI under the hood. Journalists can push for the most exciting story possible, being misled (knowingly or not) by those they interview. The same holds true for investors. The bar for actual scientific advances is well established from an academic perspective (and there are even those within the field that think it isn't rigorous enough) - journalists and investors should use that bar or be exceedingly wary when accepting anything below it. The questioning nature that we need Jack Clark is "the world's only neural net reporter", holding a post at Bloomberg. While this tweet is over almost a year old, it's a succinct explanation of why I really enjoy his coverage. Got a press release for a co that had "unique science" which made it a "leading technology innovator". No referenced research papers. Jack Clark (@jackclarkSF) July 21, 2015 Beyond requiring evidence to filter for AI-prefixes, he also reads research papers for fun. Obviously we can't expect every journalist, investor, or lay-person to have this level of insight, but are there some broad rules we can fall back on? Ask what cases the system will fail on "Revealing the failure cases of your models is a way of avoiding over-hype" Kevin Murphy at ICML 2015 No AI system yet developed will magically fit every use case. If a researcher tells you that a model got state of the art results out of the box, they're either exceedingly lucky or giving you a fairy tale version of reality. Even if their model is arbitrarily flexible, there are still fundamental limits placed on us by information theory. "How much training data is required?" "Can this work unsupervised (= without labelling the examples)?" "Can the system predict out of vocabulary names?" (i.e. Imagine if I said "My friend Rudinyard was mean to me" - many AI systems would never be able to answer "Who was mean to me?" as Rudinyard is out of its vocabulary) "How much does the accuracy fall as the input story gets longer?" "How stable is the model's performance over time?" Asking for an upper bound on what is possible is not an unreasonable question. It should also have a clear answer given it's something that anyone working with or creating the AI system should have already run into. The real world rarely looks like a dataset Very few datasets are entirely representative of what the task looks like in the real world. These limitations exist for a variety of reasons. The datasets we create usually reflect a minor extension on the capacity of existing AI systems. Just as the tests we give students are rarely reflective of the real world, neither are the tests we give these AI systems. You may well ask why datasets are only ever incremental extensions on previous datasets - why not jump straight to datasets reflective of the real world (assuming you can actually collect such a dataset). Philosophically, we are using these tests / experiments as a process of discovering new information, usually in relation to validating a hypothesis. If you give a test to a system or person when you know they are going to fail, the test yields zero new information. As such, good performance on a dataset also doesn't necessarily imply good performance in the real world. I'd wager that even trivial self-driving car models, given reasonable data, would be able to score in the high 90s if we decided on a reasonable notion of accuracy. The real stickler is the last few percent. When we make a mistake at high speed on a road, potentially under questionable conditions, the results can be disastrous. If the cost of a mistake is high, accuracy really doesn't mean anything, especially over a dataset that might not be representative in the first place. The question then becomes what the expected number of failure cases are in standard use. If the impact of these failure cases are minor or they can be caught later by a human, the AI system may still have a positive impact. Many datasets are also restricted to a particular domain. As an example, a standard dataset in natural language processing is the Penn Treebank, composed primarily of articles from the Wall Street Journal in 1989. Let me repeat that: 1989. That was the year I was born, the year the Berlin Wall fell, and the year the original Game Boy was released. Given language changes over time, it shouldn't be a surprise that modern textual datasets can be vastly different to older ones. Not only is time an issue but the Wall Street Journal is primarily composed of financial articles. For many tasks, we have achieved incredibly high accuracy over the Penn Treebank. When we go to use those trained models elsewhere however, such as on "out of domain" datasets such as scientific articles, the performance can plummet. This is especially true when applied to Twitter. Tweets might as well be a different language. Another interesting question is what's the performance of the best baseline? For some tasks, depressingly simple tactics can get you the majority of accuracy. For this reason, newer datasets for visual question answering (i.e. you're given an image and asked "What color is the girl's flowers?") include human baselines where the humans never see the image. This is important as it represents the best a purely textual model of the world can do. It turns out that a well tuned purely textual machine learning model, which has never seen any of the images it is being asked about, can sometimes beat more complex models that try to actually, y'know, do visual question answering. Any claim of advanced research without publication is suspect at best "If you do research in isolation, the quality goes down. Which is why military research sucks." Yann LeCun at ICML 2015 The rate of change in the field of AI is such that anyone on the sidelines is at best keeping up. It is certainly not impossible for an entity to come out of nowhere with an amazing system but not it is far less likely. It also means they haven't been put through the standard evaluations that academia would have placed on them. In some cases this is reasonable - there are many AI systems that are useful for real world applications that will likely never receive a paper - but it is a missing element that you should be aware of. From earlier: The bar for actual scientific advances is well established from an academic perspective (and there are even those within the field that think it isn't rigorous enough) - journalists and investors should use that bar or be exceedingly wary when accepting anything below it. If you can see a system working in front of you, congrats, but without proper evaluation it's anecdata - we don't know how well it should work (at a minimum see "baselines"), what the failure cases may be, or how frequent they might occur. AI doesn't change the base use case or business fundamentals AI won't save a broken business plan. An easy upper bound is asking if the business plan would work with free human labor replacing the automated component. Achieving human level performance on any real world task is an exceedingly difficult endeavour when moving away from a few simple and well defined tasks. We can also ask if the application of AI is a value add or fundamentally transformative. Many of the AI-prefixes only feature AI as a value add, using that as a hook for media or investment. AI can still be a useful addition in that context but it emphasizes that the underlying business must be viable. All of this is to say that if the business plan doesn't work with free humans, AI won't save it. Conclusion AI is a young field full of amazing potential but much of the mystery that surrounds it is unnecessary. This mystery and lack of understanding allows for hype to grow unchecked. As Francois Chollet, author of the Keras deep learning library, notes in democratizing Artificial Intelligence: "making deep learning more accessible should be one of our priorities". Accessibility extends to audiences far beyond academics and engineers - it goes to journalists, investors, and the broader public as well. We should combat this fictionalization of the reality of AI - and asking the questions above is a good start. Thanks to: News / Religion by Staff reporter THE Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has called on religious organisations to complement government efforts in promoting peace in the country.part of the more than 50 000 people who attended United Family International Church (Ufic) ministries 3 day crusade in at Mbare grounds on Wednesday nightIn an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Tourism and Hospitality Industry deputy minister Annastacia Ndhlovu said the church has a big role to play in maintaining peace in the country by complementing government's efforts."As the government ministry responsible for tourism in the country, we are calling upon all the churches to maintain peace in the country. I also call on the churches in the country to help government consolidate the economic gains which have been achieved through tourism," she said."Before any big testimony, there is a big test and the church has to practice what they preach. This just gives people to show their capacity. We have seen how much religious tourism in Nigeria has helped the tourism sector to grow."According to official statistics of the 10% of people that enter Nigeria, 6% will be going to the Synagogue Church of all Nations led by Temitope Balogun Joshua, 3% will be attending Chris Oyakhilome's church, while the remainder (1%) will go to other churches.Ndhlovu said in the case of Nigeria, it showed how important religion was in the prevailing environment, but it only thrived through a peaceful environment."All the churches and every peace-loving Zimbabwean, we are calling upon them to complement government efforts to maintain peace, which is a fertile ground for development," she said.Her remarks come at a time the church was actively involved in mobilising citizens to assert their rights.A cleric, Evan Mawarire, was instrumental in mobilising support for yesterday's stayaway against the deteriorating economy.Ndhlovu encouraged Zimbabweans to cultivate a holiday culture through promoting domestic tourism.She said tourism players should come up with packages tailor-made for locals and also encouraged schools to promote tourism development."We have all seen how the religious sector benefits. For example, recently, we have witnessed the Women Conference by Seventh Day Adventist Church, a conference by Uebert Angel, conferences being held by Walter Magaya's Prophetic Healing and Deliverancy Ministries and when such events take place, the economy benefits," Ndhlovu said."We want to see how we can tap into the bulk of the religious tourism in Zimbabwe. Even domestic tourism is benefiting from this. People come to Harare every week, and all these are benefits which are coming from the religious sector." Expedition Crew Arrives at the International Space Station After Two Day Journey. NASA After launching on July 7 in their Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 48-49 Soyuz Commander Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Kate Rubins of NASA and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency arrived at the International Space Station July 9, to complete their two-day journey. The trio is scheduled to spend about four months on the station contributing to more than 250 experiments in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development. If you exclude capitals of Brazils states, Campinas is the largest city in the country, with around 1.1 million inhabitants. Its a one-hour drive from Sao Paulo, and also close to one of the largest cargo airports in Latin America (Viracopos). It is served by some of Brazils most modern highways, with rail networks connecting its industries to the port of Santos (Brazils busiest export port) in record times, and the city is internationally renowned for the quality of its public and private universities. In fact, the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) thoroughly developed and rolled out many of the coffee varieties cultivated across the country, such as Red and Yellow Catuai, Acaia, Mundo Novo, and Obata. Founded in 1887, the IAC has always supported programs that bring about technical improvements to Brazilian producers, and since the 1970s it has been continuously focused on genetic improvements of the Arabica coffee plant and development of specific varieties to respond to plagues, climate idiosyncrasies, and technical challenges across the many producing regions. That entire introduction is just to help underline that, until a few years ago, there was virtually no place in Campinas to get a decent cup of coffee. And by decent I mean carefully sourced, freshly roasted, and ground to order. Enter Cafe Container, founded in 2013 by partners Gustavo Mourtada and Eric Ortiz. After traveling extensively and noticing the lack of specialized coffee shops in the Campinas area, they decided to invest in a place that would both bring specialty coffee culture to the city and also serve as a neighborhood spot for people to hang out, catch up on work, or read a book. The name, as you might have guessed, comes from its architecturethree shipping containers make up part of the cafes structure. Two of them are underneath the third one, which displays the companys logo. The second floor (where the third container is located) is soon going to be renovated to make room for more tables, Ortiz and Mourtada tell me. Inside the cafe it feels really cool (literallythermal tiles act as a cooling aid); a long espresso bar is where the waiters communicate orders to the barista in charge, and at the back of the cafe there is a wall built solely with wood pins. To pioneer specialty coffee in Campinas, Mourtada and Ortiz invested in a Dalla Corte DC Pro espresso machine and trained their staff with the Coffee Lab and Wolff Cafe crews in Sao Paulo. The house has its own espresso blend, and a rotating bean is always offered as an option (when I was there it was a lightly roasted Red Catuai from Minas Gerais). Aside from that, they also serve filtered coffee (V60) and AeroPressboth methods that are still uncommon in other coffee shops in the city. The food menu has small bites that go perfectly with coffee, such as brigadeiro, cakes, and pao de queijo. One thing they do to familiarize the Campineiros with specialty coffee is make the barista available to answer questions regarding extraction methods. Plinio Eduardo, the head barista, is usually at the shop, and makes sure that all drinks made by him (or a barista trained by him) come with a sticker that says feito por barista (made by a barista)the purpose being to show customers that there is a profession associated with coffee methods, and that the person behind the counter went through intensive training before starting to pull shots at that machine. It is a way of both signaling the value of the barista craft and making the customer feel special by being served something that was made with care, the partners explain. Mourtada points out that one thing that helped Cafe Container in the beginning was winning the best coffee shop award in a local magazineonly nine months after opening. In the wake of that press, many Campineiros visited out of curiosity and became regulars after being introduced to the good coffee. Today, Containers best seller is still espresso, but the pour-over coffee is also selling significantlyonce baristas see that the client is open to suggestions they will always suggest a pour-over so that they can try something new. Another approach is offering a tasting menu in which the customer picks a coffee and then is served that one bean as espresso, V60, and AeroPress. That way, they can tell the difference between each method and pick their favorite. Little by little, Mourtada and Ortiz are earning their place in Campinas coffee scene, by offering good coffee options to customers who are unfortunately used to bitter and overly extracted espressos. So next time youre in Campinasperhaps changing the world with some coffee researchyou know where to head for a decent cup. Juliana Ganan is a Brazilian coffee professional and journalist. Read more Juliana Ganan on Sprudge. Photos courtesy of Daniel Galo, Fernando Giomo, and Alli Delli. "So long as the Germans, and others, don't have the guts, to stand up to Washington and make autonomous judgments, the American project will succeed." Eurasian Business Coalition Vice President Ralph Winnie told Sputnik the hawkish decisions reached in Warsaw reflected a fear that the alliance was much weaker than it appeared on the surface. "Is a NATO a credible institution or is it just a facade without any muscle?" he asked. "Nobody has tested the will of NATO in many years." The NATO leaders in Warsaw were trying to send a message to Moscow that they were a united front of countries that would stand back to back against any security threat. But they in reality feared that their grouping could rapidly fall apart the way the Warsaw pact did in 1989 1990, Winnie explained. "When the Berlin Wall collapsed, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact did not respond and within months the entire Warsaw Pact had disintegrated. It fell apart. NATO policymakers fear the opposite dynamic now." The concern of the NATO leaders was that if they did not rally behind any member state faced with a crisis their alliance could quickly disintegrate too, Winnie noted. Following the summit, Canada announced largest mil presence in Europe in more than a decade and the United States is to deploy 1,000 Troops to Poland. Also, NATOs ballistic missile defense system in Spain, Turkey and Romania has reached initial operability. Petro said these moves would upset Russia, but would have been anticipated by Russian policymakers, who would have already planned a response to them. They were "thoroughly expected. Russia therefore can respond at its leisure," he explained. German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to strike a more constructive note in Warsaw, saying coordinated actions between Russia and NATO presented mutual interest to both sides. However, Petro pointed out that NATO had not backed her up with any concrete proposals. "Thoughtful analysts on all sides will no doubt at some point ask what concrete steps NATO will undertake in this arena, to correspond to the steps it has taken in the military arena." Veteran US European affairs analyst and historian Joe Lauria said the claims of a Russian threat to NATO would boost the profits of major US defense contractors. "The hype about Russian aggression is a fear campaign that feeds the American and European military industries and most importantly, it puts pressure on the Russian government, which the US wants overthrown," Lauria explained. This stands in stark contradiction of the very first cannon of statutory construction, as was adopted by the Supreme Court in Caminetti v. United States, 242 US 470 (1917) that law enforcement and judicial officers are not to try to read beyond the language of a statute if its language is plainly stated. "It is elementary that the meaning of a statute must, in the first instance, be sought in the language in which the act is framed, and if that is plain then the sole function of the courts is to enforce it according to its terms," said Justice William Day writing for the majority. The Court further warned that "the duty of interpretation does not arise, and the rules which are to aid doubtful meanings need no discussion [if the statutory language is clear]." There was no internal contradiction in the statute, but Comey read an added intent element into it anyways befuddling a questioning American public and a Republican-led Congress that was at its wits end to hear that the FBI Director had laid out every piece of the case in an unusually transparent way, but decided against prosecuting anyways. Hillarys congressional opposition astutely pointed to the fact that even if we should adopt Comeys belief that criminal intent should be implied into the statute, that even if Hillary did not mean to mishandle classified information she certainly did intend to circumvent Freedom of Information Act laws and as such knew that her underlying actions were not lawful satisfying that requirement. Clinton Deemed too "Unsophisticated" to Pursue Charges Against Evidence pointing to the affirmative in answer to each of those questions comes in the shape of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who with every verbal assault unleashed against Mexicans, Muslims, and minorities throughout his campaign for the White House has seen his support grow rather than diminish. His Democratic Party opponent Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, has on her political record public and vociferous support for her husband Bill Clintons infamous crime bill, passed when he was in office in the 1990s, out of which the mass incarceration of black people and minorities the most socioeconomically disadvantaged demographic in the country was born. Black Lives Matter, the grassroots organization formed in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin by armed security officer George Zimmerman in 2012, states on its website that its campaign is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society. Huey Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California in the 1960s, described the problem thus: The policemen or soldiers are only a gun in the establishments [sic] hand. They make the racist secure in his racism. Revisiting Malcolm Xs Ballot or the Bullet speech of 1963, we come across words that many young black Americans born after he uttered them would find impossible to disagree with. No, Im not an American, Malcolm X said, Im one of the 22 million black people who are victims of Americanism. One of the 22 million black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So, Im not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or a flag-saluter, or a flag-waver no, not I. Im speaking as a victim of this American system. TOKYO (Sputnik) The launch was said to have been carried out at around 02:30 GMT. South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that it was unsuccessful as the missile failed to continue its flight along its normal trajectory. "That is an open challenge to the UN Security Council resolutions. It is necessary to strongly condemn [the launch] in close cooperation with the international community," he said as quoted by the Kyodo News. "It is to early to provide exact numbers on the troop levels. But based on what has been committed in this meeting today, we can say that the troop levels will be around the same in 2017 as it is in 2016 and that is around 12,000 troops." Moreover NATO has decided to continue allocating some $5 billion per year to fund Afghanistan's army and police until 2020. The United States, as well as the alliance's partners, are committed to maintain the given level of funding, Stoltenberg added. Afghanistan is struggling with a political, economical and social crisis as it attempts to tackle the Taliban's insurgency. The situation in the country has worsened in recent months, with the Taliban launching offensives in major cities. Opinion / Columnist Indefatigable youth leader National political rise stopped by principle Early life After more than three decades since we attained independence from colonial rule in 1980, there is a steady depletion of the ranks of those who stood up to be counted without counting the cost to themselves and their families. One such stalwart of the liberation struggle is the relatively unsung patriot Norman Mabhena who passed away on Tuesday 5th July 2016 at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo. He was well-known among former political detainees and restricted and a member of their organization, the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees' Association (ZEPPDRA).The life-history of Norman Mabhena, like many of his peers, was shaped by the reality of colonial deprivation, harassment and political repression that challenged young people to a stark choice between docility and revolt. He had no hesitation in choosing the path of mobilization for self-determination. The consequence of this choice is that Mabhena's life became intertwined with political developments practically all his life. He even missed the arrival of his first child because he had been detained by the Rhodesian regime in one of these relentless bouts of arrests, .......Norman Mabhena started political activism when the national Democratic Party (NDP) was formed in 1960 as a successor to Zimbabwe's part of the congress movement, the African National Congress (ANC) that had been banned in 1959 . He quickly assumed responsibility in the youth movement as Treasurer of the NDP in Bulawayo's Njube Township and also participated in the promotion of the voice of Zimbabwean youth internationally. Over the years he was involved in campaigning for support, conferences and exchange of experience. In this role he visited Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi.The NDP was short-lived, banned by the racist regime of Southern Rhodesia in early December 1961. It was quickly succeeded by the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) formed on 17th December 1961 and which was in turn banned after barely nine months on 19th September 1962. The banning of ZAPU heralded a stint of personal persecution of Norman Mabhena alongside many comrades and friends. They adhered to the decision of the organization to defy the banning order by going underground and committing to operating "illegally". Actually in his case when ZAPU was banned he was attending a youth conference in Geneva; and on his return he was restricted to a 12-mile radius of his home. This did not deter him. On the contrary, when ZANU split from ZAPU in 1963 Norman Mabhena was among the founder members of the People's Caretaker Council (PCC) in 1964 that carried the ideals of ZAPU without becoming another "party". He served the PCC/ZAPU as its Youth Chairman. This marked the beginning of a tumultuous life of arrests, detention, and confinement to restriction areas. Mabhena was picked up, severely tortured and among the first people restricted during the large-scale detention without trial in 1964. He was first sent to Gonakudzingwa and after a month was moved to Gwelo Detention with 14 others. This detention was successfully contested by the distinguished ZAPU lawyer Leo Baron, whereupon Mabhena was flown back to Gonakudzingwa . Before the Rhodesian regime's 1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain (UDI) by Ian Smith, Mabhena was removed from Gonakudzingwa once more and taken back to Gwelo Prison where he spent several years until 1972 when he was transferred to detention in Whawha. He stayed in Whawha for 8 months and was sent back to Gonakudzingwa where he languished till May 1974. This was not the end because he was then transferred to Salisbury Prison (Harare) and not released till 24th December 1974!The round of arrests and restriction abated but was not ended during attempts to concoct an "internal settlement" whose purpose was to undercut the armed struggle that was turning the tide against the racist regime. After a trip to Britain, Mabhena's passport was confiscated. He was subsequently arrested in 1977 for allegedly holding illegal meetings in Filabusi (Insiza District), with similar charges later relating to Gwanda District. In both instances he was acquitted but the regime saw it fit to detain him in Connemara Prison for six months and later in Qweqwe (Kwekwe) Prison for one year. This cycle of political incarceration going by different names was completed by a stay in Whawha prison (yet again) which ended on 12th December 1979, i.e. just before independence negotiations and formalities were completed.Norman Mabhena is one of a small band of politicians who rose from the ranks of the youth movement to become a national leader in his own right. He was in the leadership of PF-ZAPU (in the Central Committee) before the party was swallowed into ZANU-PF in the infamous "Unity Accord" of 1987 that was foisted on Dr. Joshua Nkomo as the price for peace after the "Gukurahundi" massacres of the early 1980s that led to killing of over 20,000 unarmed Ndebele-speaking civilians in Matebeleland and the Midlands provinces. He was for a while in the ZANU-PF Central Committee in 1999, but he continued to question the lop-sided nature of the "unity Accord" that short-changed ZAPU by the retention of the symbols and designation of the allegedly united party by ZANU-PF. This is what led to his resignation after he was berated for his guts. It was only natural that he was persuaded to join the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formed in 1999 by trade unionists and others opposed to the one-party state that was being built up. After the split of the MDC in 2005 he remained in what became the MDC-T of Morgan Tsvangirai and was a Central Committee member.When his death was announced, top leadership from several parties (ZAPU, PDP, MDC, and MDC-T,) came to Mabhena's home to console his widow and the Mabhena family. For his part, In the last months of his life he devoted a lot of time to reaching out to old friends who shared his pre-independence experience and vision in ZAPU. He was the convener of an informal group that sought to overcome dispersion of old comrades by "political labels" of the various political parties. He was not preoccupied with personal influence that did not lead to lasting change for the country and those disadvantaged by tribalism, corruption and repression characteristic of the things he fought against from his youth. Such an outlook is not conducive to political advancement that thrives on personalized loyalty and avoiding the truth; and Mabhena paid the price at several points in his life but never regretted being principled. He should have automatically received a "national hero" status but this was not asked for or even desired by him in spite of widespread recognition that he was a most deserving "case". The proud Mabhena clan to which he belongs did not waste their breath in that direction. In fact Norman Mabhena is the one who was tasked by the late Welshman Mabhena to make sure that the latter was not tainted by this "honour". Norman follows in the footsteps of the older clansman in being laid to rest at Lady Stanley cemetery in Bulawayo in the illustrious company of the likes of Lookout Masuku.The church service is at the Brethren in Christ Church on Saturday 9th July 2016 at 08.30am before the procession to his final resting place.Born in Fort Rixon (koNgungumbane) on 11th February 1940, Norman Mabhena grew up in Belingwe Tribal Trust Land where the family went after the forced removals from their land in 1948. It is here where he first went to school. He completed primary school education in Bulawayo in Helemu Government Primary School and proceeded for secondary school education in Dadaya Mission. After Dadaya he trained as an artisan and worked from 1961 at Supersonic radio factory. Norman Mabhena's late child, born to Margaret Sebina, was delivered after he was committed to detention in the 1960s. He delegated the naming of his child to his friend Public Nkomo who said the young man should be called Dingilizwe (seek the country). Norman Mabhena is survived by his wife Mrs Queen Mabhena (nee Sibanda).May His Soul Rest in Peace He further said that the US economic ties with China are really strong and that there is no need to feel that there will be any sort of complete fall out between the two countries. Meanwhile, there is a new clash of geopolitical interests, as China in one way or another has to respond directly to the creation of the US regional missile defense system as part of its global system. That is a clash of interests and unfortunately, cannot be the best way to influence the joint opposition to North Korea's desire to acquire nuclear weapons, the expert further said. In the statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry it is clearly explained that this move by the United States and South Korea will not help achieve the goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as it will not be conducive to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. It is completely at odds with efforts to resolve the issue by all parties through dialogue and consultation. Shooting mosquitoes with cannon is what this US-South Korean decision has been labeled as by the Head of the Center for studying problems of Northeast Asia at the Academy of Social Sciences at Heilongjiang province. Although the placing of THAAD is being justified by the situation on the Korean peninsula, in fact it is a definite threat to Northeast Asia, China and Russia. This threat appears not only as a military quest, but can also create an imbalance for different countries in response to the situation on the Korean peninsula, the head said. According to the specialist, the placement of the US THAAD complex in South Korea could result in an increase in US influence in the region, which will inevitably lead to concerns about China and Russia, causing the two countries to take retaliatory measures in response. All of this could further lead to an arms race or even cause conflicts of the various parties in response to the situation in the region. The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage. The system's potential deployment on the Korean Peninsula has caused concern in Russia, China and North Korea. NEW DELHI (Sputnik) The protests erupted after Burhan Wani, a commander in Kashmir's largest Islamist group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed on Friday among other three extremists. According to local police, 96 security personnel were among the injured in clashes, while three officers were missing. Jammu and Kashmir's law enforcement urged protesters to stop the violence. "We certainly don't want to kill youngsters of our own society. The focus is to prevent the loss of young lives," police intelligence chief Shiv M. Sahai said as quoted by NDTV broadcaster. "Russia and China have become WTO members relatively recently. We have paid a price to become the members and we must develop the organization. I want to emphasize that the relations between Russia and China, both present and future, are based exclusively on the basis of WTO principles. And we need WTO to go through a period of painful discussions as soon as possible and would start making positive, constructive decisions for the development of world trade," Likhachev, who heads Russian delegation, told CCTV on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting. He added that the main issues to be discussed at the meeting are global trade development and further WTO negotiations. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Tata Steel which employs over 10,000 people in England and Wales has launched negotiations with strategic players in the industry, including the German company Thyssenkrupp, on merger of European steel business. On March 30, Tata Steel announced its intent to sell all or part of the UK business but it has been hampered by the British steel pension fund and its deficit of over $900 million. The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union on June 23 added further complications. "Taking the above issues into account [Brexit and consultations with the pension fund], the Board of Tata Steel has decided to also look at alternative and more sustainable portfolio solutions for the European business," the company said in a statement Friday. At the same time, oil imports from Saudi Arabia reached 961,000 barrels a day in May, against one million barrels a day in April. Both Russia and Saudi Arabia consider China as the priority market. However, Chinese independent refiners, also known as "teapots," prefer the low-sulfur oil from Russia because of the smaller shipment size and geographical proximity to the refiners. The high-sulfur crude from Saudi Arabia and Iraq is less suitable for teapots due to the large cargo size and long-term contracts. China is encouraging cooperation between teapots and Russia by speeding up approvals for crude imports licenses and quotas for independent refiners, an article in the daily online publication American Thinker read. "Russian oil remains the teapots' top pick, suiting them in the way that teapots' throughput planning was often shorter-term that requires prompt deliveries," a senior China-based trader said. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced it was cutting official oil prices for its Asian and American buyers. In addition, UNOCHA reported about six civilians injured by small arms across the contact line and two boys killed by electrocution from a power line downed by shelling. "Since the beginning of the conflict, 21,880 people were wounded and 9,470 killed, up to 2,000 of the fatalities were civilians," UNOCHA concluded. Kiev launched a military operation in Ukraines southeast in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, which came to power as a result of what they viewed to be a coup. In February 2015, a peace agreement was signed between Ukraines conflicting sides in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, however, sporadic shelling has continued in Ukraine despite the deal. Vasylyshyn was caught receiving money "from sick patients for operations" in Kievs state-run hospital, the chief of Ukraine's State Security Service, Vasyl Gritsak, announced Friday. "We were shocked by what the deputy health minister was doing," Gritsak declared to reporters. During his detention and as a result of searches, we confiscated more than $50,000 (45,200 euros) and 320,000 hryvnias ($12,900)." The security service revealed that Vasylyshyn received up to 100,000 hryvnas ($4,000) weekly, providing people with essential medical assistance that is presumed to be free. Investigators also noted that the kickbacks included all of the personnel at the Kiev medical center. He also confirmed that the assessment of threats allegedly posed by weapons of mass destruction purportedly owned by Saddam Hussein was false. The information that the US briefed the Security Council with in March 2003 was wrong, he said. After the reports release on Wednesday Tony Blair accepted full, responsibility for the mistakes that led to Britains invasion of Iraq in 2003. Richard Butler said that the leaders of the countries that took part in the military operation must be held accountable for their actions. Apparently there are groups of people who we are consulting on the possibility of seeking to bring Blair to some sort of trial or account. I dont quite know what form that would take. Whether or not, I think that should happen I think it should actually. Thats my opinion, I think it should. Otherwise political leaders arent held properly to account. He added that if Tony Blair were to be called to account and put into the court of law in some way, than he did not see any reason why John Howard [Australian Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007] shouldnt sit there with him. He admitted, however, that its very hard to bring political leaders to account, especially with big states. WARSAW (Sputnik) On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the NATO summit in Warsaw that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. Canada will deploy soldiers in Latvia, Germany will lead the battalion in Lithuania, the United Kingdom in Estonia, while the United States will serve as a framework nation in Poland, the NATO chief said. "To increase our security response, we will have to enhance our force presence, and France will contribute to it. France will provide troops in Estonia with our British friends in 2017. In 2018, we will join Germany within framework of the brigade in Lithuania," Hollande said. Opinion / Columnist When Mai Dongo talked of Zanu PF leaders being "vakadzi vaMugabe" (Mugabe's wives) because the tyrant terrorized them all turning them into nervous, unsure, subservient and downright frighten old women; we should have paid attention. And asked ourselves whether we wanted to live in a country ruled by a tyrant and his harem of frightened wives? President Mugabe has ruled his party Zanu PF and the nation with an iron fist and it is little wonder his cabinet members in government and politburo members in the party have all been his subservient wives. It was President Mugabe, he and he alone, who appoints and fires anyone into cabinet and the politburo, top brass in the Police and Army (he is Commander in Chief of all the Armed Services), Judges, University Vice Chancellor (he is the Chancellor of all the Universities in the country), CEO and Board members of parastatals, Chiefs, etc., etc. Talk of absolute power he really has absolute over every facade of Zimbabwean life!Although the Zanu PF constitution, until Mugabe changed it in 2014, said the four most senior positions in the party would be filled by elected officials elected by congress members President Mugabe always ended up filling the top post himself and then filling the rest with his own preferred candidates, by hook and by crook. His vote rigging skills were not just confined to rigging national elections but party elections too. In 2004 President Mugabe unilaterally changed the party constitution to stipulate that one of the top four posts in the party must be filled by a woman just to stop Emmerson Mnangagwa who was set to win the position left following the death of Simon Muzenda. Thus Mai Mujuru with a knowing wink was elevated to VP and the poor woman knew she owned her position to Mugabe and thus was as faithful to him as a dog! In 2014 Mai Mujuru was herself to a victim of President Mugabe's political shenanigans when she was set to retain her VP at the elective congress. She was accused of corruption (by the grandees of corrupt) and of plotting to assassinate President Mugabe (not even one person has ever been arrested and charged, proof this was a cooked up charge). This time it was Emmerson Mnangagwa who was to benefit from all this cloak and dagga political intrigue; Mugabe appointed him VP with yet another wink, wink!VP Mnangagwa thought he was going to be President Mugabe's the heir- apparent only to be told in his face the race was open for others to contest by Mugabe himself, with a knowing look and wink at his wife Grace. Keeping everyone guessing and not sure of their own position other than that they owe the position and everything to Mugabe has been Mugabe's trademark style of management. Even the roles of key institutions are ill defined.He has kept the powers and authority of cabinet and the politburo separate and yet mixed by having the some individuals in both cabinet and the politburo. He has often made a big song and dance about the need to consult the politburo and it then dictating to cabinet only for cabinet to then completely ignore politburo's diktats. So both the politburo and cabinet have all felt powerful and completely helpless and confused at the same time. Confusing; well it gets even worse!President Mugabe has set up Joint Operations Command (JOC), a Junta comprising the top brass in the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Service, Emmerson Mnangagwa and a few others co-opted by Mugabe, he and he alone, headed by President Mugabe himself. The Junta has no constitutional basis and yet it wields a lot of power in all matters of national security and to do with the shadowy business of corruption and looting!Corruption and looting is now a multi-billion dollar industry in Zimbabwe and it is not surprising that Junta members are filthy rich. Two days ago government suddenly announced that all civil servants who had gone on strike to press their demands to be paid on time will all be paid by the end of the week. Government had threatened to delay paying their wages for another week because it did not have the money now, suddenly, found the cash. It is almost certain that the Junta gave the government the money!In one of his insightful moments Tendai Biti, then Minister of Finance in the GNU, complained of President Mugabe running a shadowy "parallel government complete with its own funding". He was talking of JOC and its members have pocketed billions of dollars from the looting of diamonds.When push comes to shove JOC has made the decisions and parliament, cabinet, Zanu PF politburo, etc. have been reduced to rubber stamping the decision. Within JOC itself it is inconceivable that a simpleton like Chihuri or Chiwenga would even dare contradict President Mugabe on any matter; the two were born to take instructions with no questioned asked. So JOC decisions will be Mugabe and Mugabe alone who would have decided.What makes Mugabe's wives appear more like evil witches than abused mothers to the nation is that they have not only failed to stand up to Mugabe and stop commit the Gukurahundi mass murders or more recently the wholesale looting of Marange diamonds but have often played a key role in the evil deed. There is no doubt that Mugabe would have never establish this Zanu PF dictatorship without the connivance of his Zanu PF "wifes"!When Mai Dongo talked of parliamentarians, cabinet members, Zanu PF politburo members, security chiefs, etc., etc., all being "Vakadzi vaMugabe!" church-size alarm bells should have started ringing in our heads. Zimbabwe is a politic and economic mess because, instead of a competent government comprising of a state president, ministers, etc., we have been ruled by a tyrant and his gaggle of wicked witches who did not cared a cat's whiskers about the suffering of us, the common people.We must now implement all the democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA if we are to be sure Mugabe and his harem go and no other tyrant will set shop after him. Whilst many of Mugabe's Zanu PF colleagues are ashamed to be "Vakadzi vaMugabe" many of them would, given half a chance, have a dictatorship of their own complete with its own harem!---------------------Patrick Guramatunhu Phil Wilayto is a member of the United National Antiwar coalition. He traveled to Warsaw from the US to voice his concerns about NATO expansion. Wilayto told Sputnik, that people in the US don't get enough information from the media about what's really going on in the world: "This is Presidential election year, and none of the candidates, from the right or the left is really talking about what the US is doing, how we have military forces in 150 countries around the world, how the US military budget is equal to the next 9 countries combined, how the US is pushing NATO to expand eastward, toward Russia. How the US is responsible for the increasing tensions, how the US was behind the right-wing coup that overthrew the president of Ukraine, and the new president, that came in now, wants to join NATO what a surprise!" On Sunday, July 10th, participants of the counter-summit will hold a strategy meeting to discuss the plans of the international peace movement. . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Saturday that NATO and Ukraine had open and constructive talks at NATO-Ukraine Commission during Alliance's Summit in Warsaw. "On the commission it was absolutely unique atmosphere, atmosphere of the solidarity, transatlantic solidarity, unity and solidarity with Ukraine. We had very frank, open and constructive talks between two friends, partners and de facto allies..," Poroshenko said. Moreover, NATO has showed that it stands firmly with Ukraine by approving assistance package, which will provide a great support to Ukraine's defense, Poroshenko added. After a warm reception at the airport they were taken to various resorts and hotels. According to the deputy governor of the province of Antalya, Mehmet Yavuz, the flight that brought the tourists was not a charter one. The flight was organized within the framework of previously obtained permits for tour packages. As for charter flights, permission for their operation has not yet been granted, Yavuz said. WARSAW (Sputnik) At the moment, NATO in Europe is facing worst challenges in 70 years of the Alliance's history, however, Europe can count on the United States, US President Barack Obama said Saturday at the NATO Summit in Warsaw. "Here in Europe, this is a pivotal moment for our Alliance, in nearly 70 years of NATO never we faced such a range of challenges all at once security, humanitarian, political In this challenging moment I want to take this opportunity to state clearly what will never change [is the] unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense in Europe," he said. "In good times and in bad [times] Europe can count on the United States always." Obama also noted that NATO had been massively boosting its defense capabilities in Europe, furthermore, the Alliance reaffirmed strong support to Ukraine. MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) "On July 31, we will start construction of this center and, as the brotherly Rosatom said, it would be the most important nuclear center in Latin America, the largest, the most modern and the most efficient one," Sanchez said as quoted by the ABI news agency. He added that the project would become the most important investment in the countrys history as it would provide Bolivia with a technological breakthrough. MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) In May, the upper house of the Brazilian parliament voted 55-22 to start impeachment proceedings against Rousseff after she was accused of concealing the countrys budget deficit ahead of the 2014 re-election. Rousseff regards the impeachment proceedings as an illegal coup attempt. "I will not give up, I have honor and dignity," she said during a meeting with representatives of feminist movements in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, the TeleSUR TV-channel reported. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Iraqi forces are carrying out operations in the Nineveh governorate in preparation for an assault on Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city that has been under Daesh control since 2014, Alsumaria TV network reported. Daesh, which is a militant jihadist group outlawed in many countries, including Russia, overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014 amid the ongoing civil war in Syria. MOSCOW (Sputnik) A suspect was arrested while he was trying to set an improvised explosive device, the Khaama Press news agency reported, citing a military source. Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, due to the continuing Taliban insurgency, which has expanded its activities in Afghanistan to major cities. At the same time, Kabul faces challenges from other extremist groups, most notably Daesh, outlawed in many countries including Russia. WARSAW (Sputnik) The talks with the Taliban are required in order to find the solution for the political situation in Afghanistan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday. "The political process of negotiations with the Taliban is needed to accelerate [reaching] a political solution for Afghanistan," Merkel told reporters at the NATO summit in Warsaw. NATO summit is taking place in the Polish capital on July 8-9. El Chapo Escape Hoax Dupes Twitter Trending News: The Best Reactions From People Who Believed El Chapo Broke Out Of Prison Again Why Is This Important? Because it would be crazy if he did. Long Story Short Twitter went wild on Friday over the prospect that notorious narco Joaquin El Chapo Guzman escaped from prison for a jaw-dropping third time. Fortunately for the justice system it was all a hoax. Long Story Former Mexican drug kingpin El Chapo is so notorious for breaking out of prison that people make successful hoaxes that are believed by thousands more than once. Back in January, a hoax article swirled around social media about El Chapo escaping from prison for a third time, but it was B.S. Apparently, the gullible are still gullible. A hoax site called Information Nigeria posted an article (they've since apologized) about El Chapo escaping with this quote from an official: This escape plot was even more calculated than his previous escape. It was very well planned. He pretty much just walked out of the prison undetected and have no idea where he is now. Come on people! No reputable media confirming the escape, as affirmed by BBC News. But that didn't stop thousands on Twitter from posting (un)surprised commentary and memes relishing the moment. El Chapo: Your shoelace is undone. Guard: Oh damn *looks down* El Chapo: pic.twitter.com/n0ACaM0ikc Fred (@NoughtPointFour) July 8, 2016 I wish El Chapo would teach me how to escape from debt College Student (@ColIegeStudent) July 8, 2016 El #Chapo escapes for the 3rd time sounds exaggerated! Maybe he just wants to try out #PokemonGO !!! Fernando Ortiz (@ItsOrtiz) July 9, 2016 El Chapo with the 3peat pic.twitter.com/vKIpMTxK6E Sauce Claudi (@C_Throwed) July 8, 2016 You might recall El Chapo, one of the world's most dangerous men, escaping from prison through a tunnel. This was the second time el jefe of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel escaped from prison. He'd already done it back in 2001 by paying off guards. Then, when he was on the run in 2015 after his second escape, he was interviewed at a secret hideout by actor Sean Penn, which eventually led to his recapture (Sean Penn be like \_(a)_/) and the subsequent door-crashing sales of his bright blue shirt. Sorry, El Chapo, justice has been served. And we all know who the true king of breaking out of prison is: Sorry, El Chapo, but Michael Scofield is the true king of the #PrisonBreak. pic.twitter.com/Utdfj7Av4s Prison Break (@PrisonBreak) July 8, 2016 Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question How are people so gullible? Disrupt Your Feed Maybe he just wanted to try out Pokemon Go? Drop This Fact El Chapo's Sinaloa cartel still brings in a huge proportion of drugs into the United States. PRAGUE (Sputnik) As of today, 40 Slovakian servicemen are present in the country. The defense minister added that contingent could be expanded to 66 servicemen. "We have decidedly confirmed that we will participate in the operation in Afghanistan even after 2016," Gajdos said as quoted by SME newspaper. Resolute Support focuses of training and advising local government forces in their fight against the Taliban-led insurgency. Tensions over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs escalated after Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on the North. On June 22, North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a missile that traveled about 250 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan. US and South Korean officials said two missiles were fired and that one missile failed. The US missile defense system does not have any chance of working because it is completely unable to distinguish between warheads and decoys, he noted. "The implications for this unnecessarily created situation are rather far ranging. It adds to the view of many nations in the world that the United States cannot be trusted at its word, Postol said. It puts South Korea at odds with China over a defense decision that has no merit. The THAAD deployment in South Korea would also raise tensions between China and Japan which already has two THAAD radars stationed on its territory, Postol pointed out. South Koreas decision to deploy controversial US missiles will escalate tensions and threaten peace process in the region, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told the government of South Korea on Friday. The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage. The system's potential deployment on the Korean Peninsula has also caused concern in China and North Korea. The launch was said to have been carried out at around 02:30 GMT. Tensions over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs escalated after Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on the North. "We believe that the launch of the ballistic missile did not have significant influence on ensuring Japanese security," Abe said. Tensions over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs escalated after Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on the North. "This [Founding Act] has not been discussed yesterday. I think that Russia has, unfortunately, breached this act several times but nevertheless NATO steps are in accordance with all international agreements including those that Russia has breached," Roivas told journalists before the beginning of the second day of NATO summit. On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that at the NATO summit in Warsaw that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. "Despite the reached agreement on the ceasefire regime on the contact line in Karabakh, the Armenian side violated the regime across the line 12 times in last 24 hours," the statement said. Azerbaijan's Armenian-dominated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed its independence in 1991. After the military conflict ended in 1994, Azerbaijan lost control over the region. WARSAW (Sputnik) On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that at the NATO summit in Warsaw that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. "We have a threat on the East, measures to reassure [allies] are needed, the four battalions. Belgium will take an active part in it, we will send at least 150 servicemen to Lithuania," Reynders told journalists before the beginning of the second day of NATO summit. "The current summit is not aimed against anyone. Some journalists got an impression that this summit is against Russia. This is just a NATO summit to show that we are united, in solidarity and work together. This is not a summit against anyone, this is not its aim," Bettel said commenting on the upcoming Russia-NATO council meeting. He added that the meeting will be held in the next days stressing that "the dialogue is needed. If we would not talk, we would not find solutions." MOSCOW (Sputnik) In 2014, Ukraine dropped its non-aligned status, opening the way for NATO membership and drawing criticism from Russia and many other states. In September 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a new military doctrine, stipulating the need for the country's armed forces to match NATO standards by 2020. "The question of Ukrainian membership is in the stage of internal negotiation," Waszczykowski told journalists adding that alliance's "conviction is growing." In February 2016, Poroshenko signed the Ukraine-NATO cooperation plan for 2016 outlining general policy goals of Ukraines partnership with the military alliance and the areas of cooperation in international security, including peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, arms control and environmental safety. Japan's First VR Porn Festival Trending News: Japan's First VR Porn Fest Shut Down Because Too Many People Came Why Is This Important? Because of course Japan had a VR porn festival, fittingly dubbed Adult VR Fest, and way too many people got excited. Long Story Short Japan hosted its first-ever VR porn festival and it was shut down after only a couple dozen guys got to step inside. Proof that virtual reality porn is the future? Sure sounds like it. (At least in Japan.) Long Story Virtual reality porn is the future. Or so it would seem. According to VR Talk, Google searches for VR porn have increased by an insane 10,000% over the last 20 months alone. And that's not all. Japan, the land that loves all things technology, sex and kink (oh, an lining up for stuff) hosted its first-ever VR porn festival and so many guys showed up, it actually had to be shut down due to safety concerns. Adult VR Fest rolled into Tokyo's Akihabara neighborhood, a district known for its countless manga, anime, gaming and tech shops, earlier this month. Hundreds lined up outside, eagerly awaiting their turn to see what was inside, but it wasn't meant to be. Only a couple dozen were allowed into the venue to try out the latest technology before their VR dreams came to an end. 20to4000.hatenablog.com A local blogger named Eizo Wu documented his struggles to get in (unfortunately it's all in Japanese, but VR Talk saved us the trouble of using Google Translate), writing: "The event didnt start until 2 PM, so I went there in high spirits an hour before then, but the city was already overflowing with people. There were so many that it was almost impossible to keep the situation under control. While waiting for my friends, I couldnt help but think that if they couldnt control the mass of people, a riot or something similar could happen." Yikes! From VR headsets to silicone hands and, umm, interesting dolls, those lucky few who did get to experience some of Adult VR Fest were greeted with all kinds of VR treats. Including this state of the art cardboard box/laptop contraption. Its mysterious and mesmerizing function was best described by Ars Technica: "It uses jets of air to provide haptic feedback that simulates the sensation of touching a breast." 20to4000.hatenablog.com/ Hmm, we're not so sure "jets of air" can really simulate the feel of a real breast, but to each their own! Air Boobs aside, the best part of the short-lived fest, however, might just have been this headless doll, which the reviewer so perfectly described as being a "????" Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question Is virtual reality porn really the future? Disrupt Your Feed VR porn really isn't all that impressive. Drop This Fact Google searches for VR porn have increased by 10,000% over the last 20 months. The goal of the exercise is to bolster cooperation capabilities between the navies of the Pacific countries to ensure maritime security. After the Ukrainian crisis broke out the US suspended military cooperation with Moscow. Russia did not participate in the 2014 RIMPAC drills, but China was involved. This years exercises also involved China. "While it wasnt unusual at all during the Cold War for Russian spy ships to linger off the coast of the US to suck up signals intelligence information or monitor exercises like RIMPAC, the Russians have been lax in their surveillance until recently," the article read. "I cant understand why the Americans are so surprised. This is normal because Russian and American ships always monitor each other. Our ship didnt interfere in the drills. The US military also observes drills of the Russian Army," Vladimir Evseyev, director of the Institute of CIS Countries, told Gazeta.ru. The RIMPAC command did not provide additional information on the ship. However, sources of the US Navy Institute suggested that this might be the SSV-80 Pribaltika intelligence ship of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The Pribaltika is a large intelligence ship of project 1826. It was built in 1984 in Kaliningrad. This story began when a photographer from Serbia, Dusan Stojancevic, decided to take a picture of an impressive view behind his window. Now, using a macro photography technique, he has made beautiful photos of cities in water drops. The photographer doesn't use photoshop, that's why some pictures have flaws in sharpness and a lot of blurs. Visit Dusan Stojancevic's website, Facebook page and Instagram to learn more about him. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the summit in Warsaw that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. "[NATOs] declaration will be interesting because it will show exactly how deep these fissures already are even as Obama does his best to project a sense of solidarity and consensus," McGovern said on Friday. "Because there is no consensus." McGovern noted that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has made it abundantly that belligerence is not the way to reduce tensions with Russia. "President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a phone conversation with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde The parties discussed the provision of the next tranche to Ukraine," the statement said. On May 18, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine reached the final agreement on the text of the updated memorandum of cooperation, required to complete the second review under the financial assistance program. The agreements and the decision on the third tranche of the loan to Ukraine should be approved by the IMF Board of Directors at the meeting later in July. Violence erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh on April 2, and led to multiple casualties. The parties to the conflict signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire on April 5, but mutual accusations have not stopped so far. On May 16, Sargsyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev met in Vienna to discuss the conflict. The sides reiterated there could be no military solution to the conflict and reaffirmed their commitment to 1994 and 1995 peace agreements. The presidents also agreed to finalize the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) investigative mechanism as soon as possible to reduce the risk of further violence. On June 20, the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in St. Petersburg where they reaffirmed their commitment to achieve steady progress in political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed to increase the number of OSCE monitors working in the conflict zone. "This is of special concern because the likelihood of a military clash in the air or at sea accidental or intentional is growing sharply." Veteran experts in the field of European security were shaking their heads in disbelief because Western leaders seemed oblivious to the threat Russians perceived from seeing military exercises on a huge scale held in the areas that were traditional launch points for invading their country, Kiriakou observed. NATO policymakers did not realize "what it means to the Russians to witness exercises on a scale not seen since Hitlers armies invaded the Soviet Union 75 years ago, leaving 25 million Soviet citizens dead." WASHINGTON (Sputnik) On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the summit in Warsaw, Poland that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. "If Moscow and Washington can truly cooperate over Syria and ISIS [Daesh] that will help to cool matters down," Zakheim stated on Friday. NATO announcements made at the summit in Warsaw, Zakheim continued, including the United States deploying more troops to Poland, and are not designed to provoke Russia, but to send a message. "On the one hand, it is a wish to demonstrate the strength of NATO troops; on the other hand, that means nothing else but an attempt to blackmail our country and to involve our country in the arms race. In other words, a new round of the Cold War. We remember how it ended for the Soviet Union," Gorovtsov told RIA Novosti. He added that Russia would take adequate counter measures in response to unfriendly NATO steps. Moscow has warned that these and similar efforts pose a threat to the country and the region, but Russia's concerns have gone largely unnoticed in the West. Yet many experts have said that NATO has long since become obsolete. President of the Future of Freedom Foundation Jacob Hornberger recently described the bloc as a "Cold War-era dinosaur" that "produces crises in order to justify its own existence." Kinzer echoed this sentiment, saying that the bloc is "not suited to the 21st century." "Anti-Russia passion has seized Washington," he noted. NATO officials and military commanders "insist that their alliance is still vital because Russian aggression threatens Europe. The opposite is true. NATO has become America's instrument in escalating our dangerous conflict with Russia. We need less NATO, not more." "Normalization of ties between Moscow and Ankara was supported by all NATO member-countries and the organization itself at the summit in Poland. It is very important because Turkey and Russia are in the same region and they are important regional powers. Normalization of relations between the two countries is absolutely necessary for the benefit of both countries. NATO is supporting that as well," Ahmet Unal Cevikoz, who is the president of the Ankara Policy Center think tank, said on the sidelines of the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum, held on the margins of the NATO summit. By apologizing so Ankara fulfilled one of the conditions put forward by Moscow following the incident that paralyzed the long-term partnership between the two countries. The number of those attending the protest was not specified and no violence was reported. The NATO summit is taking place in the Polish capital on July 8-9. On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the summit that the alliance would strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations. "Surely, it is easier to explain Bulgaria's unpredictability by invoking Russian energy blackmailing, implicit pressure, a bribe or other scary KGB tricks," the deputy editor of Carnegie.ru noted. This explanation is "psychologically convenient," he said, but in this case it is an incorrect one. "Without any Russian pressure involved, many countries on NATO's eastern flank are unreliable; they do not trust each other and have grudges against the West." The bloc's Black Sea naval force was meant to be one of the key measures aimed at containing Russia. These include the already tested and mission ready "Spearhead Force," as well as four battle groups that are expected to be deployed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in 2017. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The G5 group consist of Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France and Italy, and is scheduled to hold a meeting later on Saturday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw, in which Ukraine will also participate. "Petro Poroshenko informed [Italian Prime Minister] on the deterioration of the security situation in Donbas. The parties coordinated positions on the eve of the todays meeting in the 'G5 + Ukraine' format. The interlocutors agreed with the importance to preserve unity in supporting Ukraine today," the press service said in a statement published on the website. The press service added that Renzi "reiterated Italys commitment to the issue of preservation of sanctions against Russia in case Russia doesn't fulfill the Minsk agreements." KIEV (Sputnik) Poroshenko had a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the ongoing NATO summit in Warsaw. "The Head of State urged the Dutch party to approve responsible decision on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. The President believes that the Prime Minister of the Netherlands will also facilitate the acceleration of the adoption of the decision on the introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians," the statement read. On Friday, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby said that US authorities have expelled two Russian officials from the United States after an alleged attack by a law enforcement officer on a US diplomat in Moscow. "I can confirm that, with reference to the above-described case, the US government really has demanded the departure of two staff members of the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, without presenting any complaints to them. And the US State Department at a high level proposed us not to make this fact public. As you can see, American diplomats don't stand by their own words," Ryabkov said. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, American diplomats were deported after the "unfriendly move" from Russia and declared persons non-grata due to their activity incompatible with diplomatic status. WARSAW (Sputnik) The French president noted that NATO "would like to continue dialogue with Russia especially in the Normandy format." "NATO is not seeking any enemy, NATO doesn't want to threaten anyone and I repeat again what I have said upon the arrival the Summit, we have to discuss matters reached with Russia on the occasion of the NATO-Russia meeting," Hollande told reporters at the NATO Summit in the Polish capital. The next NATO-Russia Council meeting at ambassadorial level is scheduled for July 13. WARSAW (Sputnik) Cooperation between Georgia and NATO has officially begun in 1994 when the country became a member of the Partnership for Peace program. Since 2004, the cooperation has become much closer. In April 2008, at the NATO Bucharest Summit, the allied heads of state and government agreed to Georgia becoming a NATO member in the future. "Yesterday, foreign ministers met in the NATO-Georgia commission to reiterate our strong political and practical support. Our efforts aimed to strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities and help country's progress in the preparations towards membership," Stoltenberg told reporters at the NATO summit in Warsaw. According to a joint statement of the NATO-Georgia commission at the level of foreign ministers, NATO allies welcomed at the summit in Poland the significant progress in cooperation with Georgia and agreed that Georgia-NATO relationship contains all the tools to prepare for eventual membership. "We don't want a new Cold War. We are working to establish a more constructive relationship with Moscow," Stoltenberg said in an interview with German magazine Spiegel Online However, ordinary people don't seem to view this situation in a similar way. For instance, one magazine reader under the nickname malcolmbarnett wrote: "Russian aggression. What Russian aggression? After the US/NATO contrived overthrow of the democratically elected government in Ukraine, and the absurd US/NATO demands that Russia quit it's "only" warm water port in Crimea and the seemingly continuous attempts by the West to provoke Putin and paint him as an evil oligarch threatening the West, it's the Russians who should be extremely concerned about Western aggression." "Of course NATO wants a new cold war. Unless they can convince the world that Russia is dangerous, they will have to disband NATO and get real jobs. However, all the aggression between NATO and Russia has been driven by NATO with rapid response teams on every Russian border, constant huge military exercises on the Russian borders and continual paranoid screeching about mythical subs and non-existent nuclear threats. NATO is primarily funded by, and led by, America and America loves the propaganda and the excuses to dominate Russia that the phony cold war provides. They have no intention of letting things cool down," another reader wrote under the nickname rodgerolsen. NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders has repeatedly been criticized by many politicians and political experts. According to them, the move can contribute to the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West and undermine the security situation in the European region. Iranian experts shared their doubts with Sputnik. The incident took place last week. The June 29 operation was "already teetering on the brink of failure," as the Washington Post put it, even before US warplanes were extracted from the battlefield in Syria and dispatched to bomb a large Daesh convoy fleeing the Iraqi city of Falluja. The whole operation ended in an embarrassment. Daesh fighters pushed the New Syrian Army out of the city back to their base located 200 miles away, killed several rebels and seized US-made weapons. US military officials then tried to paint the operation as a hit-and-run attack that was not meant to free the border city, but intimidate the terrorist group, however, these comments contradicted their earlier statements. WARSAW (Sputnik) Tedo Japaridze added that Georgia should "keep going, developing its own country and be patient." "Georgia's NATO membership depends on how Georgia performs. NATO is not only about military capacity but it is also about democratic institutions. If Georgia continues to move in the right direction in this regard, it will increase chances to become a member but many things also depend on NATO and its political will or strategic interests," he said at the forum, held on the margins of the NATO summit. "NATO membership can happen any time, may happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in 5 years," Japaridze noted. WARSAW (Sputnik) The former envoy noted that a normal dialogue between Moscow and Ankara would further contribute to the Syrian peace settlement. "The Geneva talks have been stalled, unfortunately <> There was a previous initiative, when four ministers of foreign affairs of Russia, the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have met in Vienna. I believe, an increased coordination between all these countries is necessary and we should look at the opportunity how we can contribute towards Geneva process," Unal Cevikoz, who is the president of the Ankara Policy Center think tank, said on the sidelines of the forum. MOSCOW (Sputnik) NATO is ready to discuss its ballistic missile defence with Russia if Moscow is ready for such talks, according to the document. "We will develop further our engagement with third states, on a case-by-case basis, to enhance transparency and confidence and to increase ballistic missile defence effectiveness Should Russia be ready to discuss BMD with NATO, and subject to Alliance agreement, NATO remains open to discussion," the communique said. "Should international efforts reduce the threats posed by ballistic missile proliferation, NATO missile defence can and will adapt accordingly," the communique said. The plan, formally known as the European Phased Adaptive Approach or EPAA, has been in place since 2009. The system features four ballistic missile defense-capable ships deployed to the Mediterranean, 18 AN/TPY-2 radars based in Turkey and two Aegis Ashore bases in Romania and Poland. The site in Romania came online earlier this year, sparking major concern in Moscow. US and NATO officials claim that the European missile defense is meant to protect Washington and its European allies against ballistic missile threats from rogue states. Apparently, the White House still classifies Iran as such. But Russia views the EPAA in the context of NATO's increased assertiveness in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region. "European missile defense system undermines strategic stability in its traditional sense. This is why Russia has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the initiative," Dmitry Suslov, program director at the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, told Gazeta.ru. "We need to establish international legal framework in order to prevent relations between Russia and the United States from being ruined." According to him, there is a hope for a rapprochement between the West and Moscow, taking into account the truce in Ukraine as well as the effect of the anti-Russian economic sanctions. "In recent weeks, I have felt a light glimmer of hope. This could be the first signs of a new rapprochement between our two civil societies," Pofalla said. Although Russia and the West still have a lot of differences in the field of media freedom and the work of NGOs, dialogue is especially needed to discuss "controversial issues." MOSCOW (Sputnik) In 2014, Ukraine dropped its non-aligned status , opening the way for NATO membership and drawing criticism from Russia and many other states. In September 2015, Ukraine's leader Petro Poroshenko signed a new military doctrine, stipulating the need for the country's armed forces to match NATO standards by 2020. "For NATO, it is an absolute principle, which we all attach great importance to, and that is that every nation has the right to decide its own path, including, of course, Ukraine. And whether Ukraine is going to become a member of NATO or not, it's something which is for Ukraine and the 28, soon to be 29, allies to decide. No one else has the right to try to intervene or to veto such a process," Stoltenberg told reporters after a NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting amid the alliance's summit in Warsaw. The summit is considered by many participants a historic event, in particular because the alliance has officially decided to bolster its military presence in Eastern Europe. Thus, the meeting may become a significant turning point in the alliances relations with Russia. "Its obvious that the Warsaw summit is mainly of anti-Russian nature. Russia is the first topic on the agenda. NATO insists it has the right to expand its sphere of influence. At the same time, the alliance denies to Russia the right to protect its interests," military expert Alexander Zimovsky told the Russian TV channel Zvezda. According to the expert, the recent activities of the alliance are designed not only to deter so called "Russian aggression," but rather to demonstrate that the alliance still plays an important role in the international arena. Ingram argues that NATO states have used the developments in Ukraine as a "means to develop their capabilities and pull the alliance together" as well as "an attempt to ensure that the alliance still remains credible and relevant in the 21st century." Around 4,000 troops will be deployed to the Baltic states and Poland by 2017 to protect them from what they perceive as possible "Russian aggression." The decision was announced by the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in Warsaw on Friday. Instead of taking part in the resolution of the crisis, NATO has started to build up its military presence in Europe, especially in Eastern European countries neighboring Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in the Ukrainian conflict as a pretext. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia's borders is provocative and threatens the existing strategic balance of power. In an interview with Russian media, Karaganov also said that the upcoming meeting of representatives of Russia and NATO will only have a symbolic value. "The Alliance is not ready for normalization of relations and I believe that the most that can be achieved, it is a small step toward the visibility of normal relations," Karaganov said. The next NATO-Russia Council meeting at the ambassadorial level is scheduled for July 13. However, the analyst is skeptical about the efficiency of the dialogue between Moscow and the alliance in this format. "NATO-Russia Council has proven to be counterproductive," he said. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that two US diplomats had to leave Russia and were declared persona non grata for "activities incompatible with the diplomatic status." Both US diplomats were CIA employees, Ryabkov said, adding that one of them was involved in a recent incident outside the US Embassy in Moscow. "As is our standard practice, I will not discuss the status of any employee's serving overseas," Stevens told RIA Novosti. "The trade minister said that we are pleased to enter negotiations with the United Kingdom on trade in goods, services and investments," the statement said. New Delhi also reportedly invited the main negotiator from the United Kingdom to enter talks with Indias main negotiator in order to lend momentum to the process. According to Georgian Defense Minister Tinatin Khidasheli, the summit in Warsaw met all the expectations of the Georgian side. Cooperation between Georgia and NATO has officially begun in 1994 when the country became a member of the Partnership for Peace program. Since 2004, the cooperation has become much closer. In April 2008, at the NATO Bucharest Summit, the allied heads of state and government agreed to Georgia becoming a NATO member in the future. In an article titled Muslims Worldwide Come to Grips With a Bloody Ramadan, carried by the Associated Press and written by Zeina Karam and Sarah el Deeb, the authors begin writing that: As Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan, many are struggling to comprehend a wave of attacks that killed 350 people across several continents during the holy month and made urgent the question of what drives the militants to ever more spectacular violence against civilians. They continue by reminding the reader that: The history of the brand goes back to 1965 when it emerged as a result of one of the first Soviet-Chinese collaborations in the production of shoes and became a huge success in the USSR. The shoes were popular not only among young people wearing them on the dance floor and in sport centers, but also among many prominent athletes, musicians and artists. In 2013, young entrepreneurs came up with the idea to revive the legendary brand. The designers found an old plant where "Two Balls" sneakers were produced more than forty years ago and which maintained original equipment. Moreover, they used new technologies to make the shoes even more comfortable. We frequently encounter the Russians in and around international airspace. The majority of those intercepts continue to be professional, but every once in a while, there is a discussion in respect to the professionalism of a particular crew that causes us to look at it and say, What are they doing? General Frank Gorenc, US Air Forces Europe US Air Forces Africa commander, told Air Force Times. Russia, for its part, insists that its Air Force pilots act fully in line with international airspace rules. Andrei Golovatyuk accused the Americans of dragging their feet on a Russian proposal to develop a security enhancing system over the Baltic Sea and other places. Our Commander-in-Chief said he is fully behind a Finnish proposal to ban flights over the Baltic Sea with transponders switched off, so that pilots know who is who, just like in civil aviation. But it looks like the idea doesnt sit well with the US and NATO. Why so? Andrei wondered. "Where we experience difficulties is parts manufacture and electronics. Here, we are far behind. But I think that our scientists will move forward in this regard. And the more we are pressed, the faster we will catch up We will gather the large companies during the next commission that we will hold to discuss natural resources. Given the extensive experience and the qualified people that we have, we will put forward the idea that any work conducted offshore should be done using Russian-made ships," Khloponin said in an interview with the Vesti v Subbotu television program. In 2014, The United States and the European Union, as well as some of their allies, introduced anti-Russian sanctions amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, blaming Russia for interference. The sanctions included a ban on exporting deepwater drilling equipment to the country. He also expressed concerns that apart from a breakup of the European bloc, the post-Brexit aftermath may lead to a wave of secessionist movements across the continent. If Scotland and Northern Ireland breakaway from the United Kingdom, it may be onl,y a matter of time before Catalonia departs from Spain and he worries that even countries like Sweden and Denmark may have had their fill of the EU. Brexit and Chinas Slowed Economic Output are a Mixed Bag for Russia "The macroeconomic framework today is much less fragile, I would say is more stable, than it was a few years ago," said Roubini about the Russian economy despite ongoing Western sanctions against Moscow and headwinds from collapsing oil prices. Overall, Roubini forecasts that the Russian economy will grow at a rate of 1% to 2% in the near term and overcome the external shocks. He lauded Russian leaders for adapting to falling oil prices, unlike many other energy rich countries, and "realizing that this oil shock is a permanent shock rather than transitory" even if price remain stable in the $40 to $60 per barrel range. The inmates were quickly ushered back into the cell before the guards fully understood what was happening. Guards claim to have seen inmates standing over an unresponsive guard, and one reaching for a radio near the unconscious guards gun, though the inmates say they were trying to call for help. He had keys," Parker County Sheriffs Sgt. Ryan Speegle said. "Had a gun. It could have been an extremely bad situation." Soon, deputies began CPR on the guard, who was eventually revived by paramedics using a defibrillator to apply an electric shock. Hes a good man, said Kelton, who is addicted to meth and on his fourth prison term. Jailers acknowledged that the inmates likely saved the guards life, by getting help to him as fast as they did. The facility immediately reinforced the door that was broken. I watched him die twice, Kelton said. It never crossed my mind not to help, whether hes got a gun or a badge. If he falls down, Im gonna help him. "On Saturday, the president will depart for Madrid, Spain," White House press Secretary Josh Earnest stated on Friday. "The president will return to Washington on Sunday night one day earlier than planned. The president will no longer travel to Seville." Obama has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week, Earnest added. Brezler is still in the Marine reserves, and currently works full time at the New York City Fire Department. Though he faced no criminal charges, he received a fitness report, an assessment of whether a soldier is fit to continue service, which could potentially end his military career. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) wrote then-Commandant Gen. James F. Amos about Brezlers case, asking whether it was appropriate to be so strict in dealing with Brezler, since the officer reported himself and intended to warn other Marines of potential danger. Several viral YouTube videos suggest that an entrance into the restricted US Air Force base is being kept safe from prying eyes. One video, recorded May 18, depicts curious travelers who stray too close to the restricted area. A person claiming to be an author of the footage states during the video that there is a sign at the Area 51 entrance, warning off anyone from wandering onto the base. It says use of deadly force authorized," the voice in the footage says. We have been to every other gate and this is the only one that says use of deadly force. Thousands have taken to the streets across the United States on Friday. Protests have been recorded in Atlanta, Baltimore and St. Louis, as well as Baton Rouge, Nashville, and Philadelphia, according to various social media posts. 1500 ppl in the street for #SanFrancisco. pic.twitter.com/njEzxOWqOQ Janet Weil (@JanetRWeil) July 9, 2016 Authorities have reported that the rallies are largely peaceful and organizers are working with police. Baltimore is an exception, where five protesters were said to have been arrested in the downtown area. The five were reportedly detained after refusing to leave the street following a demand by law enforcement, according to local TV channel WBAL. It has also been reported that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cancelled a rally in Chicago due to protests sweeping the country, according to Breitbart.com. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Several dozens of civil activists chanting "hands up, don't shoot" were tear gassed after they approached the line of policemen who blocked the highway, ABC TV channel reported. Officers have begun to move in on stragglers from the #PhoenixRally, threaten to start pepper spraying pic.twitter.com/lbA9lZl58j Rafael Carranza (@RafaelCarranza) July 9, 2016 Man in white shirt said he was pepper sprayed trying to get to his hotel downtown #PhoenixRally pic.twitter.com/LHfTr83jw3 Rafael Carranza (@RafaelCarranza) July 9, 2016 Local police chief defended the use of gas after he described the protest as unsafe. after this they proceeded to pepper spray me in the mouth and the eyes, i. did. nothing. #blacklivesmatter #phoenix pic.twitter.com/la1OVJJIeO isela (@iselasux666) July 9, 2016 Man says he's EMT pouring milk on people's eyes. "They gasses us no warning" pic.twitter.com/ilfsJ9yyoM Laura GomezRodriguez (@Laura_GomezRod) July 9, 2016 The protest came following Thursday's night, when Micah Johnson, 25-year-old former US Army reservist, shot and killed five officers in Dallas during a protest against police-involved shootings of two African-American men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier in the week. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The US police have arrested 74 people taking part in a Black Lives Matter demonstration in the city of Rochester, New York, local media reported Saturday. "At this point there were 74 arrests for disorderly conduct. There were also two charges for resisting arrest," Rochester police chief Michael Ciminelli said at a briefing, as quoted by the NBC News channel. The arrests took place near the end of the demonstration, which took place Friday night and involved protesters surrounding police and throwing rocks. As politicians like former Congressman Joe Walsh declare war on Obama over the spate of police shootings and with threats of violence against cops soaring it would be easy to forget that the protests against police brutality are firmly rooted in the reality of an America fractured by racial divisions and disproportionate, if not openly discriminatory, treatment of minorities. The world looked on in horror as they saw two unarmed black men shot down by police at point-blank range with next to no apparent reason based on the available video evidence. The killing of Alton Sterling happened on Tuesday as he was held down by cops and shot directly in the chest several times and then on Wednesday the country watched on the last breaths of a man, Philando Castile, on a livestream video recorded by his girlfriend while the couples four year old daughter sat in the back seat. Other incidents have cropped up around the country since then including the mysterious hanging of a man in Atlanta yesterday, in the Peachtree area of the city, sparking a mass protest onto the citys freeway shutting down all business in the metropolitan area for the day. This morning there are reports that another man, Alva Braziel, was reportedly shot ten times by two police officers including three shots to the head after refusing to lower a weapon he was waving around according to initial reports. This latter incident has exploded on social media although, based on early findings, it does not appear to be an abuse of force. NEW YORK (Sputnik) According to Co-Chairman of United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) Joe Lombard, the Alliance's summit in Warsaw was aimed at NATO expansion, although there is no need for it. NATO was created to counteract the USSR, but it has collapsed long time ago, Lombard stressed. According to the report, protesters was holding "No to NATO, No to War" and "Yes to Peace, No NATO" posters. According to the president, the nature of the US military activities has substantially changed since the end of George W. Bush presidency. After Obama took office, US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have shifted from combat to training local forces in their fight against terrorist groups. "Our military operations today in Iraq and Afghanistan are fundamentally different than the wars that we were engaged in when I came into office," the Noble Peace Prize laureate noted, adding that he has been working on a creating a structure that emphasized partnerships with the world's great powers. "The good news is that there are fewer wars between states than ever before." He stressed. "And almost no wars between great powers. And that's a great legacy of leaders in the United States and Europe and Asia, after the Cold War or after the end of World War II that built this international architecture." The latest threat also comes amid warnings by domestic terror groups via social media of a planned "police purge" that calls for mass killings of cops across the country. Dallas is a curious place for the recent wave of violence against police officers being led by an African-American police chief who lost his own son to the hands of cops during a shootout years ago. Local news reporter Shaun Rabb of Fox4 reports that two female DPD employees saw a masked man with goggles and a gas mask in the parking garage behind the Dallas Police Department headquarters. Eyewitness accounts confirm that officers are sweeping a large parking garage outside its headquarters. Jason Wheeler (@jasonwheelertv) July 10, 2016 Before starting the sweep of the garage, officers pushed back reporters and camera operators who had gathered outside the headquarters in the Texas city's downtown after initial reports of the lockdown. Dallas Police Twitter account has made several comments pleading with media to stay away from the area for the safety of the officers and to stop streaming live coverage around the Dallas Police Headquarters for fear that it will tip off the active suspect. There have also been bomb threats throughout the city of Dallas. Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) July 10, 2016 Dallas Police report after searching the parking lot behind the department's headquarters that the threat the search has been concluded and the threat has been resolved. Chief David O. Brown (@DPDChief) July 10, 2016 The media said that the transferred data did not include persons against whom the probe over affiliation with terrorist groups has already been launched and added that the data will be periodically updated. In turn, the media noted, the FBI handed over their lists of suspected terrorists to Germany. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Merkel said in her address to the parliament on July 7 that Iran continued to develop its missile program despite the UN Security Council resolution. "Iran has repeatedly announced that its missile program is completely defensive and by no means designed for carrying nuclear warheads, therefore it is not violating the UN Security Councils Resolution 2231 and is, by no means, related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)," the Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, as quoted by IRNA news agency. He added that Tehran would continue developing its missile program based on a defensive doctrine and according to its national security considerations. As a result a gendarmerie station was completely destroyed. At least two people were killed and 10 others injured after a car bomb exploded. The footage of aftermath of suicide car bomb attack on #Turkish gendarme HQ in rif #Mardin.pic.twitter.com/OLKxHtxXIY tahtakuslar (@taylieli) July 9, 2016 According to Turkish media, PKK attacked the post. They opened fire on an army post, then a car bomb was detonated. WARSAW (Sputnik) The Operation Sophia was launched in June 2015 in response to the migration crisis in Europe as hundreds of thousands of refugees fled from the Middle East and Northern Africa to EU member states. "We will launch a new maritime security operation in the Mediterranean sea, Operation 'Sea Guardian'. It will have a broad scope, including situation awareness, counter terrorism and capacity building. We intend to work closely with the European Union's Operation Sophia in the central Mediterranean," Stoltenberg told reporters at the NATO summit in Warsaw. The United States and NATO have been building up their combined military presence in Europe. In early February, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Washington would quadruple its funding to support the US posture in Europe, to reach $3.4 billion in 2017. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Thursday, media reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a confidential report saying that the recent missile tests conducted by Iran are not consistent with spirit of a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. On July 7, Merkel said in her address to the parliament that Iran continued to develop its missile program despite the UN Security Council resolution. According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, Salehi said that the allegations made by Ki-moon and Merkel are strange and, since being made simultaneously, indicate that a conspiracy was made against Iran. On March 9, media reported that Iran's armed forces had successfully tested the ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and an accuracy of about eight meters. Following the reports, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan dismissed the information about alleged medium-range ballistic missile test conducted in the country. Morocco called Spains actions as a declaration of war, but failed to take any reciprocal steps. Imia (Kardak) Aegean Sea A pair of two small uninhabited islets in the Aegean Sea, situated between the Greek island chain of the Dodecanese and the southwestern mainland coast of Turkey. No one laid claim on the Imia rocks until the Dodecanese archipelago was occupied by Italy in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1923, the islands were given to Greece. Later on Turkey proclaimed that Italy had no right to do that. Imia/Kardak was the object of a military crisis and subsequent dispute over sovereignty between Greece and Turkey in 1996. The dispute is actually a part of the larger Aegean dispute, which also comprises disputes over the continental shelf, the territorial waters, the air space, the Flight Information Regions (FIR) and the demilitarization of the Aegean islands. Island of Vukovar and Island of Sarengrad Both the islands are claimed by Croatia and Serbia. They are located on the Danube River on the border between the two countries. When Yugoslavia existed, both islands were part of Croatia. But during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95), the Serbian militia occupied the islands. In 2004, Serbia withdrew its troops from the islands but replaced them with police. Croatians can go to the islands, but Croatian land ownership is not recognized by Serbia. Juan de Nova and Glorioso Islands The scattered islands are situated in the Indian Ocean. They are controlled by France but are claimed by Madagascar. The islands have been classified as nature reserves. Except for Bassas da India, they all support meteorological stations; those on the Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova, and Europa Island are automated. Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean The archipelago consists of 65 islands, the largest being Diego Garcia (40 sq. Km), which has a large US Air Force and Navy base. Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom. After granting independence to Mauritius in 1965, Britain took away Chagos and then resettled about 2, 000 native residents of the archipelago to Mauritius. The people have been demanding to return back to their land. South Talpatti (New Moore) South Talpatti (as it was known in Bangladesh), or New Moore (India), was a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta region. It emerged in the Bay of Bengal in the aftermath of the Bhola cyclone in 1970 and disappeared at some point later on. The island was claimed by both Bangladesh and India, although neither country established any permanent settlement there because of the island's geological instability based on silt deposits in a delta which floods every year. India had reportedly hoisted the Indian flag on the island in 1981 and established a temporary base of Border Security Forces (BSF), regularly visiting with naval gunships. Island of Abu Musa and Tunb islands, Persian Gulf It was a part of Persia, now Iran. Back in the 19th century, the British set up a naval base there. The Iranians seized it back in 1971, two days before the proclamation of independence of the United Arab Emirates, which gave the British rights to the island. Immediately following British withdrawal from these islands, Iranian marines laid siege to and gained territorial control of the islands for the first time since 1921, when the islands were first captured by Britain from Iran. WARSAW (Sputnik) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the July 8-9 NATO summit in Warsaw. During the summit, NATO members agreed to continue providing around $5 billion per year to fund Afghanistan's army and police until 2020, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "The Government of Canada announced a comprehensive package worth $465 million of security support and development assistance or Afghanistan," the government said in press release during the second day of the NATO summit. "We are interested in expanding our relationship and we will do everything to support it, and I am now addressing business representatives, we will do everything to foster conditions for common work, both in the Russian market and in the ASEAN countries' markets," Putin told the Russia-ASEAN Business Forum in May. "Youre starting to see not just trade deals but also military security participation and presence, and the multilateral engagement too. What youre seeing now is evidence that Russia is serious," Matthew Sussex, a Russia specialist at the Australian National University, told the newspaper. In his interview with Sputnik ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh underscored that the ASEAN and the EAEU have great potential for cooperation as they share the same goals in the Eurasian region. "We have the same goals including freedom of movement of goods and services, a goal of increasing connectivity. We have the same goals of integration and a number of ASEAN countries are looking towards partnership with the EAEU. We see the potential for cooperation with the EAEU," Le Luong Minh said. Shutthefrontdoor sustained first-over gains en route to a second consecutive Open level win at Tioga Downs, using the same tactics in Friday evening's $11,000 feature at Tioga Downs as she did the week prior. Dan Clements made his push to the fore with the five-year-old Well Said mare after K Js Caroline (Jim Taggart, Jr.) achieved the lead, pressing the pace without the aid of cover after a :57.2 first half mile. Shutthefrontdoor forced a :27 third quarter before subsequently wearing down K Js Caroline at head-stretch, driven to a three-quarters length victory over in 1:52.3 in a virtual carbon copy of her first-over defeat of Irish Bride the week prior. K Js Caroline was a valiant second, while Irish Bride (Fern Paquet, Jr.) held third off a loose pocket trip, chasing the duelling leaders through the far turn. Trainer Mike Sinclair co-owns 14-time winner Shutthefrontdoor with Guy Beaulieu and Richard Villeneuve. The featured win with Shutthefrontdoor was the cornerstone of a driving hat trick for Clements and a training triple for Sinclair on the evening's 13-race card. Clements also teamed up with Mikes Powerhouse ($2.40, 1:53.4) and Heather ($24.00, 1:55.3), while Sinclair trainees Rossini ($13.80, 1:54.1) and Ulster Hanover ($6.40, 1:54.1) also proved victorious. Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday afternoon with a 15-race card due off at 1:30 p.m. A trio of New York Sire Stakes events for three-year-old trotting fillies share the spotlight on the afternoon, with Empire Breeders Classic winner Non Stick (Race 4, Ake Svanstedt) and Swinging Royalty (Race 6, Chris Lems) among the 21 sophomores to vie for a combined $121,800 in purses. (Tioga Downs) Madison County police officers and fire fighters will compete in a series of challenges in the sixth annual Guns & Hoses charity event at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Saturday, July 9 starting at 5 p.m. The event will take place in between live racing and is open to all ages. The series of challenges will begin after race three and range from a foot race carrying Hoosier Park drivers and a jelly donut speed eating contest to a dunk tank and the crowd favourite tug of war competition. Hoosier Park will also offer various childrens activities along with a classic police car and fire truck on display. The family friendly event will feature live Standardbred racing and a community fair, complete with dining specials and family-fun games. At the culmination of race nine, Hoosier Parks vice president and general manager of racing, Rick Moore, will present representatives from the Fire Rescue House of Madison County with a special $5,000 donation towards their charitable work. As a token of Hoosier Parks appreciation for their continued work to help local families in need, Hoosier Park will make the donation to help further their goals and maintain their high level of community service. As a special thank you to local heroes, all first-responders, such as police officers and firefighters, with valid credentials will receive $10 in casino cash available at Club Centaur. Additionally, each guest who would like to donate $5 to the Madison County Fire Rescue House will receive $5 in casino cash. The mission of the Madison County Firefighters Foundation, Inc (Fire Rescue House of Madison County) and its volunteers is to provide the victims of domestic house fires, natural disaster, or other personal difficulties, including but not limited to, victims of domestic house fire or natural disaster with temporary housing, assistance, and inspiration in a safe and supportive environment as they begin to rebuild their lives. As part of the community, the Fire Rescue House attempts to fill the gaps in a manner that leaves no one or no family without a place to call home in their time of need. For more information, please visit www.FireRescueHouse.org. In conjunction with the Guns & Hoses activities, Hoosier Park will host a 14-race card that is set to begin at the regularly scheduled post time of 5:45 p.m. Saturdays card will be highlighted by the $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. (Hoosier Park) Eight-year-old gelding Gears Of War has a taste on winning and is hoping to keep his winning streak alive by making it three-in-a-row Sunday afternoon at Dresden Raceway. The Geartogear gelding went 60 straight races without a win dating back to December 22, 2014 when he visited the winners circle at Western Fair Raceway in London. Gears Of War went wire-to-wire on June 26 to break his year and a half long futility streak and then came from off the pace last week to win again for owner/trainer Jeff Graham of Glencoe. Gears Of War will have his work cut out for him as he is a 5-1 shot, scoring from post four. The morning line favourite is Rightinthekisser, scoring from post two, and dropping from a $12,000 claimer at Grand River. Magnum Seelster is scoring from post six and is looking to win his fourth in a row for leading dash driver Tyler Borth. Dresden Raceway is also holding Derby Day Sunday as they are asking all patrons to wear their best hats similar to the Kentucky Derby. The bigger and fancier the hat the better! Dresden BIA businesses will be giving away prizes on Sunday after every race including a prize for the best hat! Post time is set for 1:30 p.m. for the ten race card Sunday afternoon. (Dresden Raceway) To view entries for Sunday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Sunday Entries Dresden Raceway. "From The Streets To The Stage: The Journey Of Frederick Davis" presents the powerful life story of Fredrick Davis, who, as a child, overcame poverty and homelessness to make his dreams of becoming a dancer a reality. The program, produced by WTCI, is now available to PBS stations across the country through PBS Plus. Paul Grove, president and CEO of WTCI, said, The film allowed us to explore Freds life as a child, fighting against overwhelming odds, and to celebrate his will to succeed. Its an incredible story about a community of caring, motivated people who helped a brave young man turn his dreams into reality. When he was 11 years old, Mr. Davis was introduced to a city-sponsored ballet program and that experience changed the course of his entire life. Despite a turbulent personal life, he found inspiration and support from instructors at Ballet Tennessee, Center for Creative Arts, his church family, and a caring community. Susan Pierce, a writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, said, Fredrick Davis's life story sounds like a Hollywood movie script. Full of twists and turns and setbacks, his life of hardship has been overcome by channeling his energy into dancing. As a result of his determination and the support he received, he was invited to study at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School and eventually joined the company at Dance Theatre of Harlem, officials said. "For a young man to dedicate himself to classical ballet is somewhat unusual in a southern city; for an African-American male, even more so. Yet Fred was unwavering in his goals. When I met him, one of the first things he said me was 'I am going to dance at Dance Theatre of Harlem one day.' Watching him achieve that goal has been one the highlights of my career in public education," said Karen Wilson, director of dance at Chattanooga's Center for Creative Arts. "Fredrick Davis story is an inspiration, exemplifying both the powerful life-saving impact of the arts and a community's drive to provide opportunity and support for its most vulnerable citizens," officials said. Tune in locally for encore broadcasts of the program Sunday at 6 p.m., Monday at 10 p.m., Sunday, July 17 at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, July 31 at 4 p.m. WTCIs production team followed Mr. Davis' life in Chattanooga, New York and beyond. From the Streets to the Stage celebrates his triumph over adversity and exemplifies the incredible power of the arts to change lives, officials said. He returns to his hometown each year to work with Anna VanCura and Ballet Tennessee to teach todays children through the same city-sponsored program that changed his life. Support for this documentary was made possible by members, foundations and corporations who support the mission of public television and celebrate the power of the arts to change young lives, including; First Tennessee Foundation, the Lyndhurst Foundation, the George R. Johnson Family Foundation, EPB Fiber Optics and Blood Assurance. Celebrating the arts is important because it can open doors for people who wouldnt otherwise have those opportunities, said Jeff Jackson, market president at First Tennessee. It's Election season and our editor's mailbox is overflowing. Who do your neighbors support? Read about it here. Shocked by Thursdays Dallas police shootings, a man walked into the Longview police station Friday and donated $100 to help officers fly to the funerals of their fallen comrades. A woman brought her African-American daughter to the station to discuss race relations with officers (see her Facebook statement linked to the online version of this story). Another person brought food for the police staff. We were overwhelmed by the support from the community, Police Captain Debbie Johnson said. The biggest message from our department is that were here for our community, and we want to work together to find a solution. Like Americans across the nation, local residents were groping for explanations and trying to figure out how to respond to the violence that has claimed scores of lives across America during the last few weeks. Though racial animosity is not new, some of them see the shootings as a breakdown of civil order, of uncivil political discourse, pent up anger and the triumph of emotion over reason. Nothing I can think of really grasps the enormity of the violence that were seeing in our country, said Father Brian Ochs, pastor at several Catholic parishes in the area, including St. Rose in Longview. Mass shootings have been part of American history for decades, but theyve been rising in frequency since the 1980s and most often involve perpetrators who have mental problems, according to a broad overview by securitydegreehub.com. There were 14 mass shootings between 2010 and 2013 half as many occurred in all of the first decade of this century. Despite those statistics, its hard to know whether the core sources of violence have changed, Ochs said. I do oscillate back and forth between, Is it getting worse or are these problems that have been festering beneath the surface and now coming to the surface? Thats a question I have that I dont know the answer to it. He added: I think theres something deep inside the human person thats broken. Changing laws and making laws and approaching this from a legal perspective isnt going to take away the anger that people feel toward other human beings. Former Cowlitz County Commissioner George Raiter, who also served as Longview mayor, noted that violence against blacks is not new. Black leaders have been telling us this is the case. I dont know if were seeing more shootings or if its being (better) documented, none of which justifies anything in terms of vigilante actions, Raiter said. Were talking about a percentage of bad apples in a hugely responsible group of people that provide service every day, he said of the police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, for which the Dallas shooting suspect reportedly was seeking revenge. Raiter suggested the current political discourse has lost some of its civility. Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson said the Dallas shootings havent shaken his sense of community, though he admitted to feeling shaken Friday. This is my home. I feel safe here, he said. Im also a cop and have been for nearly 40 years. Every day I put on the uniform and the badge and a gun, I know and have known for my entire life ... that you are easily identifiable. And with that theres a great possibly of something happening to you. But he said he wont live in fear. I dont want my guys thinking that theres someone lurking around every corner, he said. Nelson said movements such as Black Lives Matter have reinforced his personal values. I cannot find out what its like to be a person of other ethnic background, he said. But heres what I can do. I can be comfortable and confident in my own skin. I can treat other people with honor and respect. I can love them. In response to the Dallas shootings, Nelson said he encouraged his officers in a Friday morning memo to be more vigilant. I said, be careful, be extra careful, but do not allow these incidents to affect the way that you treat the good citizens that we are here to protect, he said. Kelso Police Chief Andrew Hamilton said he, too, has encouraged officers to be more vigilant but to not let it shake their sense of commitment for their work. It definitely shows a need for us, doesnt it? Hamilton said. But who do you call when youre in trouble? Cindy Lopez Werth, board president of the Ethnic Support Council and an officer at the Longview Police Department, says the surge in violence is complex. It seems like a clash of different values and ideas and beliefs, she said. It doesnt seem to be just one thing coming to a boiling point. But she said the next step is to find ways to bring people together. Whether its a racial divide or cultural divide, I think we need to stop looking at people as parts of certain groups and looking at them as individuals, Lopez Werth said. Columbia County Commissioner Earl Fisher, a St. Helens resident, laments that nobody rationally and calmly discusses or studies important issues anymore. If you get people energized, they make dumb decisions, Fisher said. I just think it makes it very difficult for people who want to solve problems. Fisher said he sees those emotions in both Donald Trump rallies and Black Lives Matter protests. He said solutions begin with educating the public. They get angry; they do stupid stuff, he said. Stand back and let the system we put together work. Rainier business owner Carrie Frank of Glaze, Gifts & Giggles said she initially couldnt tell which shooting was being reported on television Thursday night, because theyve become so frequent. I thought that they were talking about the one from the day before, she said, referencing the one in Minnesota. Im Caucasian, but I am sickened by people being shot at or discriminated against or the police jumping to conclusions just because of someones skin color or the way someones dressed, she said. Frank recently started a project to raise money for the victims of the Pulse club shooting June 12 in Orlando, Fla. Through her pottery studio visitors will be able to paint mugs to send to survivors and the families of victims. I wish to God that we could do something for all of these victims and survivors, Frank said. We are on their side. Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole has been helping spread the word about Franks project, and said he deplores the violence. More has been accomplished using dialogue and words and speeches than any person out there than has ever been accomplished with violence, Cole said. What does [violence] accomplish? A lot of my buddies are police officers, said Cole, a lieutenant for Columbia River Fire & Rescue. Firemen and policemen are cut from the same rock. ... In my work life, those are all of my brothers and sisters, and it kills me to find out that my brothers and sisters are in the way of violence. July WordFest will feature award-winning playwright Charlotte Samples, who will read from her first novel, a work-in-progress titled Peaceable. Set in a small town located in the boot heel of Missouri, the story spans a 100-year period from 1888 to 1988. Also at WordFest will be Douglas Maynard, reading from his novel, Three Summers. The story of two friends is recounted in their experiences over three summers from as many decades. Their friendship grows through their camping trips, hitchhiking together to San Francisco, and through their discussions on history, politics and life. Doug is an assistant principal in the Kalama School District. This is his first novel. Alkaid Tsuki will read from her work-in-progress, Freedoms New Moon, the first book in her projected Liberation Trilogy, a fantasy series about friendship and brotherhood in dark times. There will be an open mic period following the presentations. The monthly gathering of readers and writers meets July 12 from 6 to 8 p.m., at Cassava, 1333 Broadway in Longview. The events are free and open to the public. WordFest takes a summer break in August and will resume in September. For more information, go to www.alan-rose.com. In 1975 American troops pulled out of Vietnam after 60,000 troops were killed and 300,000 injured. The South Vietnamese Army lost the war shortly afterward. South Vietnamese Army officer Quynh Dang left his home country on a boat to Thailand in 1979. He never returned. But the bond between him and his army comrades remains strong. This past week, the Dallas resident was among a group of South Vietnamese officers from the class of April 1972 who traveled to Longview for a reunion that ended Friday. It was a well-educated class of 1,000 South Vietnamese college students, who were pulled out of school in their early 20s to fight a hopeless war, said Thuy Vo, who organized the gathering. Vo, a Longview businessman and former city coucilman, has hosted previous reunions at his home. This year, about 30 people attended from all over the world. Vo said they spent their prime years fighting in a war that was impossible to win. They were kids forced to fight without adequate weapons or supplies, he said. Vo left school and trained in the Air Force. But by the time he completed his training, the war was over. As many as 440,000 South Vietnamese military personnel were killed. We still feel very bitter about it. ... We feel cheated out of our youth, Vo said. We were so, so young. Were naive. We think we can make a difference. There was no hope for us. Vo said that experience was stronger than a blood bond between the officers. The reunion, Vo said, was a chance for the men to relive their youth. When theyre together, they spend their nights drinking and talking until they get tired. Anh Nguyen, Thuy Vos wife, said the reunion is like a kids sleepover. We really share the pain, and we really enjoy the time we have with each other, Vo said. Vo said was one of the lucky ones, he said. Dang and Pierre Sinh Nguyen, who flew into Longview from Canada, spent years in a re-education camp in other words, a concentration camp where the North Vietnamese starved and brainwashed South Vietnamese people after the Fall of Saigon. After the war, Dang walked 700 miles across Vietnam to the capital to escape from victorious Communist forces. Shortly afterward, though, he was captured and sent to the camp. Dang was 145 pounds when he entered the camp. When he was released four years later, the 5-foot-7 former 2nd lieutenant was 88 pounds. He can still remember the Communist songs the camp blasted from speakers. Of course you dont believe it, but you still remember, Dang said. Thats what scares you. Dang traveled by boat to Thailand upon his release and lived in a refugee camp for a few months. Eventually he made it to Pensacola, Fla., where he wanted to pursue an education. More than 40 years later Vo reconnected with members of his officers class through social media. Quanmong Le flew to Longview from Paris. But as they meet every year, he said their lives continue to change. The 64-year-olds dont drink as much as they used to just a few years ago. Now were tired, Vo said. We cherish the moments we have. We become old men. Were not old yet, Dang chimed back. Vo and Nguyen have both returned to Vietnam a few times, though they feel out of place when they visit. Vo said even the language is different, with the dialect specific to North Vietnamese people. I probably think more like an American now, Vo said. I miss my friends, I miss my people, but I just dont like the government. To be over there ... its a different country. Dang, who now lives in Dallas, said he hasnt been back to his native land since his escape in 1979. And he never intends to. Theres nothing for me. The Complementary Health Education Organization will present a free educational meeting, Music for Healing, on Sunday, July 17 from 2-4 p.m. at Nutritional World Speakers Room. The guest speaker will be Robin Burk. Ms. Burk is a multi-instrumentalist living in Chattanooga. Her instruments include Native American style flute, handpan, reverie harp, ethno fusion flutes, metal tongue drums, and a variety of world instruments. Ms. Burk is a certified music practitioner intern providing live therapeutic music at the bedside of the ill and dying. "She is trained through the Music for Healing and Transition Program and has studied with sound pioneers. She believes music opens the heart to release anxiety and tension in the body and mind and has the potential to bring us to a place of wholeness. Robin facilitates workshops for musicians and non-musicians who wish to deepen their experience of self and sound. Robin also provides vibroacoustic therapy and traditional sound healing modalities in private practice at Purple Sky Healing Arts," officials said. The August meeting, Homesteading Skills for Real Life, will be held on Sunday, Aug. 21 from 2-4 p.m. at the Nutrition World Speaker Room. The guest speaker will be Katherine Merryfield of Merryfields Farm. "At Merryfield Farms, west of Chattanooga near the Sequatchie/Marion County line, they live a simple lifestyle, and teach homesteading classes from their home in a concentric yurt (portable round tent-like home). Canning. Soap-making. Herbal Medicine Making. These are some of the homestead skills they teach so that anyone who wants to have the knowledge to live more simply will have the ability to do so. They raise cows, pigs and chickens. They live homesteading and at our meeting, Katherine Merryfield will provide basics on all these skills. Plan to attend and connect with a real off-the-grid homesteading community," organizers said. CHEO meetings are free and the public is invited. hidden The American audio and video technology company Dolby Laboratories hopes to have its Dolby Atmos system installed in around 100 theatres this year, said a senior official. He also said the company is studying the Indian market's readiness for its other product Dolby Cinema. "This calendar year we plan to install Dolby Atmos in 100 screens/theatres. Last year the number was less than 50 screens. Most of our growth comes from multiplexes. There are some stand-alone theatres that are modernising and installing Dolby Atmos systems," Pankaj Kedia, Senior Regional Director-India, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Dolby Singapore Pte Ltd, told reporters in Chennai on Thursday. According to him around 200 Indian movies have Dolby Atmos sound technologies and globally the number is around 465. Even local versions of Hollywood movies are mixed with Dolby Atmos technology, Kedia added. Queried about the launch of Dolby Cinema in India, Kedia said the company is studying the Indian market's readiness for it. "Our business model is different for Dolby Cinema. It involves joint investment in theatres," Kedia said. On the other hand Dolby is in discussions with direct-to-home (DTH) players in India offering high definition broadcast service for its Dolby Audio solutions. The company is also working with several content developers, Kedia added. "The HD market is growing in India. 45 HD channels are in Dolby," he said. He said globally the company is in talks with several television makers for its Dolby Vision solution that provides better picture clarity and with mobile phone makers for Dolby Atmos. According to Kedia the company is also into voice conferencing space in India. IANS hidden Germany's Transport Ministry denied a media report on Friday that it was investigating Tesla Motors Inc for updating driving assistance software without informing authorities, but said it was "clarifying technical issues" on the matter. German magazine Der Spiegel reported, without citing a source, that there were indications Tesla uploaded new software features to a driving assistance system which had not been examined for security during regular approval proceedings. The ministry therefore launched an investigation, it added. "The report is incorrect," a ministry spokesman said. "There are no investigation proceedings against Tesla. "We are clarifying the technical issues," the ministry spokesman added. "At the moment, it is a normal gathering of information on the status quo between the Federal Office for Motor Vehicles (KBA) and the ministry." A spokesperson for Tesla in Germany said it is cooperating with the KBA car watchdog, an agency that reports to the Transport Ministry in Berlin. "We are fully aware that the KBA is investigating Tesla Autopilot components and we are cooperative in every aspect," the spokesperson said. A Tesla spokeswoman later said that by "investigating", they meant that German authorities were reviewing certain components. "Tesla Motors has been transparently working with European authorities since its inception beginning with the Roadster model and continuing that working relationship to include Whole Vehicle Type Approval of Model S, Model X and in the future, Model 3," the company said in the initial statement. The spokesperson added that all Tesla type approvals have been historically issued by the RDW assembly and PDI facility in Tilburg, Netherlands. "Tesla does its due diligence in making sure that its vehicles do not violate any national legal (or) safety regulations, it does not need to seek specific national type approvals in EU member states since the RDW issued WVTA should be accepted as a legal compliance document," it added. In its report, released on Friday before the magazine's publication on Saturday, Der Spiegel said the driving assistance system in question was a device designed for regulating car overtaking maneuvers. If the allegations were confirmed, Tesla could lose type approval for its Model S vehicles, meaning they would be banned from the roads, the report said. However, it also added Tesla had applied for type approval in the Netherlands and therefore only the Dutch authorities could withdraw the approval for the European market again. A KBA spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said last year he viewed Germany as the next most important market for his company after the United States. In 2015, Tesla sold 1,582 Model S cars in Germany, Europe's largest car market. In the Unites States, authorities are investigating the circumstances of a fatal crash in which a Tesla Model S sedan was involved while running on autopilot. Reuters hidden Government expects to hold the mega spectrum auction in September, through which it hopes to garner Rs. 5.66 lakh crores, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said on Friday. The minister, who took charge earlier this week, said: "We expect spectrum auction to be finalised in September." Last month, the Union Cabinet had approved the spectrum auction plan. The government expects to raise at least Rs. 64,000 crores from the auction of about 2300MHz of spectrum and Rs. 98,995 crores from various levies and services in the telecom sector. On call drops, where the industry and the government have been at the loggerheads, Sinha assured that he expects "qualitative progress" on the issue in coming 5-6 months. "Department of Telecom will work on the framework for providing relief from call drops in the long term," he said, adding the issue will be discussed in next 15-20 days. Asked about Congress' allegations of a telecom scam, he said, "Whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with this government." "Since the time this government has come in power, there has been no such complaints. The process of recovering money from telecom operators will be completed in definite time," he added. PTI Biswal likely arrives Sunday US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal is likely to arrive here on a two-day official on Sunday to discuss security issues with Bangladesh. Though there has been no official announcement yet, a diplomatic source said Biswal will meet Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali during her visit in the wake of Bangladesh's worst-ever terrorist attack on a cafe in city's Gulshan area. Contacted, an official at the US Embassy said they are not aware of such visit mentioning that the Assistant Secretary's travel is always announced by Washington. Biswal visited Dhaka on May 5 and 6 last after the brutal murder of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan in Dhaka on April 25. Meanwhile, 22 people, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian national and two policemen were killed inside and outside the cafe during the attack on July 1. Later on July 2 morning, six people with five attackers were also killed during a commando operation. Thirteen of the hostages were rescued alive in the operation. On Friday afternoon, blood-soaked young man Shawon who was detained from outside the Holey Artisan Bakery during the hostage standoff died at a city hospital. -- Dhaka, July 9 (UNB) People returning to Dhaka Offices re-open today The people who left the city for homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with their near and dear ones are seen returning in the city . This photo was taken from Kamalapur Railway Station on Saturday. Staff Reporter : The government and the non-government offices, banks and insurances, schools and colleges, the autonomous and the semi-autonomous bodies reopen today (Sunday) after the nine days long Eid vacation that began on the first instant. The city residents who left Dhaka for homes to celebrate the Eid festival with relatives continued their return journey till Saturday night. Some of them will also arrive this morning. The government declared the Eid holidays for nine days this year without break. Those offices, which were closed on the 4th July, will remain open on the 16th instant. The city looked almost vacant all through the last week. The roads were nearly deserted, the number of buses and other means of transports were fewer than usual, even 16 pairs of trains were cancelled from the Kamalapur Railway Station for passengers paucity. Most of the shopping centers were closed, even the rickshaws were less in the capital. However, the bus and the launch terminals and the railway stations were buzzing with passengers in the last two days. The Mohakhali, the Gabtali and the Sayedabad bus stands were crowded with passengers returning from homes after passing Eid vacation. Nahida Arefin, an NGO worker, returning from Mymensingh said, "As the vacation ended on Saturday, we returned to our work place on Sunday after nine days elation with relatives in the village." But there were teeming of people into the entertaining centers like Zoo, Children Parks, Fantasy Kingdom and the Nandan Park Complex. The children enjoyed their Eid holidays most merrily. Aminul Huq, a banker, returning to city after the Eid vacation said, "We asked an auto-rickshaw to go to Azimpur from Sayedabad. I told him to go on meter, but he declined and demanded extra money. I had to compromise with him." Aminul said, the schools and colleges are still closed for the Eid vacation. "There was no traffic congestion on the high ways. So, the passengers did not face troubles in movement". 3 AL men hacked to death in Dhaka UNB: Two young men, including a leader of the Jubo League, were hacked to death, one of them by assailants and another allegedly by a neighbour at Sutrapur and Gandaria in the city early Saturday. In Sutrapur, a Jubo League leader was hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants at Rokanpur early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Razib Hasan, 30, a leader of the Dhaka south city unit of Jubo League and a resident of Rokanpur.Sub-Inspector of Sutrapur Police Station Bulbul said a gang of miscreants hacked Razib over a previous enmity at a place near his home at around 12:30am, leaving him injured. Later, locals whisked him off to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead. In Gandaria, Abu Syeed, 24, son of late Mahiuddin, a resident of Dhaltapur, was hacked to death allegedly by one of his neighbours over previous enmity in the early hours of the day. Officer-in-charge of Sutrapur Police Station Sheikh M Abdur Razzak said Sayeed had been at loggerheads with his neighbor Shakil. In the early morning, Sayeed and Shakil locked into an altercation in front of their houses. At one stage, Shakil called in his followers over phone, who swooped on Sayeed. Later, Shakil hacked Sayeed with a sharp weapon around 3:30am, leaving him injured. Sayeed was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead. Police picked up one Pappu in connection with the incident, the OC added. The main message of Ephesians 4 is that Christians ought to endeavor to preserve the gift of unity that God has blessed us with. Unity is not something we have to create. It is a gift that we are called to preserve. In case we might think that we do not have unity, the Holy Spirit points out seven unifying factors in our relationship. Then the Holy Spirit points out that Christ gave talents and abilities to the people He rescued from bondage to death. Then Christ gave those people as gifts to the church for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:14-16 tells us what we should then be and do, As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (NASU) Five little words in verse fifteen jump off the page: speaking the truth in love. Much has been said about this phrase down through the centuries. I cannot think of any time in history when this admonition was more needed than right now. During the best of times, it seems difficult to get both truth and love in the same discussion. Currently, it seems virtually impossible to find even one of these in any discussion. Verse fourteen points out that false doctrine is a problem because it leads to THE problem which is not preserving the unity given to us by God. It seems impossible to discuss any issue of doctrine without the conversation being muddied terribly by the including the personalities of the teachers and students both. Many, many other current issues come to mind. Racial conflict seems impossible to address by speaking the truth in love. Disagreements over elections and political issues are discussed in every way possible except by speaking the truth in love. Solutions to the problem of poverty in our country are sought in any number of ways except through the speaking of truth in love. Grandparents who meddle in messy custody issues cant seem to be able to speak the truth in love. Parents who enable their children to continue drug-abusing, thieving lives cannot bring themselves to speak the truth in love. Siblings fighting over how to care for aging parents or how to divide the inheritance desperately need to speak the truth in love. You get the idea: we have little chance of maintaining the unity or solving any existing problems without a commitment to speak the truth in love. Someone once said, It is impossible to speak the truth without love. I am not sure if that is accurate but it certainly gives pause for thought. One fact that ought not to be missed in this issue is that truth and love are both part of the character and nature of God. Thus, truth and love cannot be separated. Our society desperately, urgently, needs many, many more people committed to speaking the truth in love. We are drowning in angry truth and lying love, though I would suspect that the former is not really truth and the latter is not really love. pastorsteve8800@gmail.com 3 AL men hacked to death in Bogra UNB : A newly elected union parishad (UP) chairman in Gabtali upazila was shot to death by a miscreant at his residence at Atbaria village on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Tarajul Islam, chairman of Sonaray union parishad and former vice-president of district unit of Bangladesh Chhtra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League.According to family members, an unknown youth called Tarajul from outside the window of his room around 3am, saying, "Brother, wake up. I have apiece of business with you." As Tarajul woke up, the miscreant fired three gunshots at him and fled the scene. Two of the bullets hit the UP chairman Tarajul - one in the head and the other in one of his hands.He was first taken to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Square Hospitals Ltd in the capital following deterioration of his condition where he was kept on life support.However, doctors removed the life support around 3 pm, Officer-in-Charge of Gabtali Police Station Shahid Mahmud Khan said, adding that the reason behind the firing could not be known yet. Police super Asaduzzaman visited the spot at noon. World leaders assure support Staff Reporter : Bangladesh will appreciate global community's help to probe into the recent terrorist attacks as well as root out militancy from the country. "We will welcome the global community's offer to help investigate into the recent militant attack in the country as well as identify the masterminds behind the crimes," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal told The New Nation yesterday. The minister came up with the statement when global communities, including the US, Japan, Italy and India, pledged that they would help Bangladesh to fight terrorism and militancy in the wake of deadly attacks at Gulshan restaurant in Dhaka and Solakia. Terming the militancy a 'global threat,' Kamal said, Bangladesh wants to handle the issue with the help of global community. When asked, the minister, however, denied of seeking help officially from a particular country. "We would not seek such help from a particular country as we have already engaged with the governments of many countries to information and intelligence sharing regarding militancy and terrorism," he said. The home minister argued that the global community's help is necessary to enhance our counterterrorism ability. "We have lack of technology to conduct probe in accordance with the highest international standards. So, what's wrong to take such assistance from our foreign friends," said Kamal, adding, "Their help is also necessary to track down the masterminds of the terrorist activities in the country". Earlier, the US authorities offered Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) help to probe the July 1 attack in Gulshan restaurant (the Holey Artisan Bakery). Twenty two people, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian national, one Bangladeshi born US citizen and two police officials were killed in terrorists attack in the restaurant. Thirteen hostages were rescued while six of the gunmen, who attacked the cafe, were killed in the army-led joint forces operation named "Operation Thunderbolt". ISIS claimed responsibility for the assault soon after it began and disseminated details and images apparently showing the inside of the restaurant during the nearly 12-hour siege. On 7 July, at least four people, including a woman and two policemen, were killed in a bomb attack near the country's largest Eid congregation at Sholakia in Kishoreganj. Futile run for escape! Staff Reporter : They were seen in a video footage, wearing pajama-panjabi-cap, pistols in their right hands while one was carrying bomb and another a machete in their hands. Both were running for escape after attacking a police check post at Sholakia on Eid day. The picture was shot from a close-circuit-camera installed at a building adjacent to Azimuddin High School near Sholakia Eidgah at 8:43 am. Several panic stricken people, including women and children, were also seen running for a safe place in the video, which is now viral in the facebook. Another video footage shows that police and attackers were trading fire. A panjabi-pajama wearing police officer was shooting marking the militants taking cover beside a wall. At that time, bullets were also fired from opposite side. Inspector [Investigation] of Sadar Model Police Station Morshed Jamil said: "There were two attackers. One was wearing Firoza Colour pajama-panjabi and another clothed off-white pajama-panjabi. They were young boys." Elaborating the attack, he said, "After attacking check post, they started firing at police taking position in the nearby houses. Police also answered with gunshots. They didn't want to escape the scene after the attack. One attacker was shot dead. And another was caught with bullet wounds." The bullet injured detainee of Sholakia terror attack Shafiul Islam, who went missing two and a half years ago, has been identified as a resident of Devipur village under Ghoraghat Upazila in the district of Dinajpur. Members of Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] arrested Shafiul, also known as Abu Mokaddel alias Sohan. He was at first admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, sources said. His father electrician Abdul Hai Pradhan, a Jamaat activist and also an accused of sabotage case with the local police station of 10th parliamentary polls, reportedly fled away from the house along with other family members soon after the news of Shafiul's arrest spread. Police said Shafiul went missing after passing Dhakhil examination from Bijul Darul Huda Kamil Madrassa under Birampur upazila. To extract detail information, the police have arrested his cousin Enamul Haque. Officer-in-Charge of Ghoraghat Police Station Nuruzzaman Chowdhury said: "Father of Shafiul is involved in Jamaat politics. He had been missing since passing Dakhil examination. Shafiul's mother and sister also have fled away after his arrest." The OC, however, is yet not sure whether Shafiul's father filed any GD after his missing two and a half years ago. During questioning by the security officials, Shafiul said that he took part in Sholakia attack getting instruction from his 'ustad.' On the other hand, the assailant gunned on the spot has been identified as Abir Rahman, a fourth-year business student of North South University in Dhaka. He went missing since March. According to police, there was a specially made pocket in his trouser to keep machete. But confusion arose when father of Abir filed a general diary with Bhatara Police Station in the capital on July 6 with a photo of his son. Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam of Kishoreganj Police Station said they matched the photo with the attacker to confirm his identity. "His family lives in Bashundhara. Abir died during the gun battle with police on Thursday. His father filed the diary on July 6," he said. Chinese help to ensure security in BD assured UNB, Dhaka :Condemning terrorist attack on a Dhaka cafe, China has pledged its firm support to Bangladesh in its fight against terrorists to maintain national security, stability and safeguard people's safety by combating terrorism."Chine opposes terrorism of any form, and condemns terrorists' acts in the strongest terms," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message sent to his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid on July 4.Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also wrote their respective counterparts - Prime Minister SheikhHasina and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali-condemning the attacks separately.The Chinese Prime Minister said China, as always, will firmly support the unremitting efforts by the Bangladesh government and people to maintain national security, stability and combat terrorism.They said, they were shocked to learn about the serious hostage by terrorists which caused heavy causalities.The Chinese side extended the deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families.Twenty-two people, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian national and two policemen were killed inside and outside the cafe during the attack on July 1.Later on July 2 morning, six people with five attackers were also killed during a commando operation. Thirteen of the hostages were rescued alive in the operation. Joy turns into pain Sholakia terror ruins Eid festival: 2 cops, an attacker, housewife killed : 7 held SHOLAKIA: Being spotted by the police near the attacks spot, two terrorists armed with automatic guns and home made lethal weapons are on the run for life. Staff Reporter : People celebrated the Eid-ul-Fitr festival with panic and fear as at least four people, including two cops, were killed in a terror attack near Sholakia Eidgah in Sadar upazila of Kishoreganj on Thursday morning. While the horrors of Holey Artisan restaurant attack in capital Dhaka are still haunting the country, terrors have yet again struck at the Sholakia Eidgah, the traditionally largest Eid congregation site in the country, amid a thick security blanket. Earlier on June 4, The New Nation carried out a news item quoting an intelligence report that terrors might strike again at anywhere in the country. The terrorists launched the attack while policemen at Azimuddin High School check post, nearly 1 km off the Eidgah, were searching their bags. The fresh terror attack near the largest Eid congregation site sent a wave of panic across the country. People from all walks of life vowed to resist militancy with coordinated efforts as they celebrated the Eid-ul-Fitr with due religious fervour and festivity, but amid sadness against the backdrop of the brutal killings in the city's Gulshan cafe. Millions of devotees gathered at thousands of Eid congregations across the country where they offered Eid prayers and special munajat, expressing determination to fighting militant and terrorist acts. Over 400,000 people join the prayer on every Eid. Besides, an equal number of participants also take part in the prayer using the fields, roads and courtyards around the Eidgah maidan. "The terrorists might have had a plan to carry out a massive attack on the Sholakia Eidgah maidan, DIG (Media) of the Police Headquarters AKM Shahidur Rahman said. Around 9,000 members of law enforcement agencies were deployed in and around the Sholakia Eidgah to ensure smooth Eid congregation. The attack was carried out just after a helicopter carrying Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, who was scheduled to conduct the Eid congregation at the Eidgah, landed at nearby Kishoreganj Stadium around 9:15am on the Eid day. Despite the attack, the Eid congregation was held smoothly at Sholakia Eidgah. The prayer was conducted by Maulana Shoyeb Ahmed instead of Maulana Farid Uddin Masud. "Like me tens of thousands people who had gathered at Sholakia to offer Eid prayers, were trapped in the middle of sporadic gunshots being fired between cops and miscreants," Mohammad Mainuddin, a habitant of Kishoreganj town said. The deceased policemen were identified as constables Jahirul Islam and Anwarul Haque, and Jharna Rani Bhowmik, a resident of the area. One of the attackers, killed during a gunfight with law enforcers, was identified as Abir Rahman, a BBA student of the city's North South University and son of Sirajul Islam of Debidwar upazila in Comilla, said Police Super of the District Anwar Hossain Khan. Abir, who used to reside in an upscale area of the capital, had been missing for the last eight months, police said, adding that before getting admitted to the BBA course, he completed his A-level from Bangladesh International Tutorial. Meanwhile, police arrested seven suspects from different parts of the district in connection with Thursday's terrorist attack near Sholakia Eidgah. However, police did not disclose their names. At least five to six activists of militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) equipped with firearms, bombs and lethal weapons launched the assault on cops at a temporary police check post adjacent to the Sholakia Eidgah, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said on Saturday. "Militants of JMB carried out the attack," the IGP told journalists after visiting the crime scene at Sholakia Eid prayers ground. Replying to a query about the involvement of Islamic State (IS) with the attacks, he said IS claimed responsibilities of every attack wherever it took place. "None has claimed responsibility of Sholakia attack yet. And we have not got any clue why IS claims responsibilities of every attack wherever it takes place. Even we didn't find any link between the local terrors and IS," the IGP said. When asked about intelligence report on Sholakia attack, AKM Shahidul Hoque said that they had not obtained any information relating to Sholakia attack. "However, we had obtained intelligence report that terrors may strike again at anywhere in the country," he added. Witnesses said the attackers exploded several crude bombs targeting the policemen deployed near Azimuddin High School as part of the security measures for ensuring smooth Eid congregation at Sholakia Eidgah. Apart from exploding bombs, the attackers went on a chopping spree, hacking the policemen with machetes, said Deputy Inspector General (Dhaka Range) of Police SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman. Before the law enforcers coming in terms with what had happened, the attackers retreated towards a lane. However, additional policemen, and members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rushed in and surrounded the entire area. Later, a gunfight broke out between the militants, who finally took shelter in the house of local Awami League leader Abdul Hannan Bhuiyan Babul, and the law enforcers. An attacker was killed during the exchange of gunfire that continued for two hours. Besides, a bullet hit Jharna while she was staying at her residence. Police claimed that the bullet was fired by the militants. After the exchange of shots, the law enforcers recovered the body of a terrorist and arrested another injured one, Abu Mukaddil. They also detained another suspected attacker, Ahsanullah, son of Abdul Hai of the district town. Besides, police detained Awami League leader Babul for interrogation. Police recovered three 9 mm pistols and some sharp weapons during a drive in the surrounding locality immediately after the attack. The injured were first taken to Sadar hospital from where some of them were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Meanwhile, six of the injured policemen were then airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for better treatment, Nuruzzaman said. Mukaddil, hailing from Ghoraghat of Dinajpur, said at the hospital they were five in number who took part in the attack. He also claimed they do not know each other. Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion members recovered two Chinese axes and a machete from where the gunfight took place on Thursday. Eight killed in Kashmir protests Times of India, SRINAGAR :Eight protesters were killed on Saturday in clashes between security forces and violent mobs in the Kashmir valley following the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani in an encounter, police said. At least 90 people, including security personnel, were injured. Burhan Wani and two of his associates were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Anantnag district on Friday. The protesters indulged in widespread violence and arson. They attacked police posts at several places and also damaged the office of the BJP in Kulgam area, police said. The mobs set on fire police stations at Achabal and Damhal Hanjipora while a police post at Kund in Qazigung was also set ablaze.Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir Baramulla district, the official said, adding Barsoo and Shariefabad in Awantipora area of south Kashmir also saw violent protests. Authorities on Saturday suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir Valley to check spreading of rumours by anti-social elements following the killing of Burhan Wani by the security forces.Besides, the authorities also imposed restriction in the entire district of Pulwama and in the towns of Ananatnag, Shopian, Pulgam and Sopore, officials said.In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed in areas falling under seven police stations which include Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, MR Gunj, Safakadal, Maisuma, Kralkhud. All school board exams scheduled for the day have been postponed. Train services from Baramulla in Kashmir region to Banihal town in Jammu have also been suspended. In view of the volatile situation, Amarnath yatra has also been suspended from Jammu base camp with no fresh pilgrims allowed to proceed towards the valley on Saturday."No yatri was allowed to move from Bhagawati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu city towards the valley due to prevailing tension following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani," a senior police official said."The situation will be reviewed later. Till then the Amarnath Yatra shall remain suspended."The annual Amarnath Yatra was proceeding normally so far and over 80,000 pilgrims have had 'darshan' of the 'Lingam' inside the cave shrine in kashmir Himalayas.Meanwhile, separatist groups have extended the strike call in Kashmir till July 11. In a statement, moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq appealed to the people to observe complete shutdown on July 10 and 11. Wani was buried on Saturday in his home village Tral in Pulwama district in the presence of 20,000 people whodefied curfew. Thousands of people joined funeral prayers of Burhan who was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon in his native village of Tral. There was no deployment of security forces in Tral and adjoining areas to avoid a confrontation with the people coming to participate in the funeral. Post-colonial Brexit blues Joel Schalit : "Two Land Rovers is nothing. Six, and you know there's a problem." Headed out of the Israeli Arab village of Umm-Al-Fahm, in the direction of Megiddo Prison, their presence on the busy highway crossing Wadi Ara, was disconcerting. Unlike civilian vehicles, they'd move a little more slowly, compounding the already dense rush hour traffic. "I would have preferred we didn't buy these things," said my father, as he idled his car at a light. "The jeeps we make, at a factory in Nazareth, are perfectly suitable for the purpose. But the army just had to buy British." Having imported his own fair share of army vehicles himself, on behalf of the IDF's nascent transport command during the War of Independence, the remains of his efforts still litter the highway in the hills approaching Jerusalem, monuments to the 1948 Arab siege. "Weren't those British vehicles?" I asked Elie, recalling that he wasn't exactly innocent when it came to requisitioning military gear from the Crown. "Yes," he said, giving me a sharp look. "Some of them were surplus vehicles from North Africa. But we didn't have any choice during those days. We used what we could find. If you'll remember, the air force flew Messerschmidts at first, and I hate to say it, but they were better than the British Spitfires we got later." It wasn't the first conversation of the kind we had. But it was typical of the sort of ambivalence my father routinely expressed about the British, as the colonial authority he grew up under, in Mandate Palestine (1917-1948). So ingrained was his dislike for them, it wasn't all that surprising that he preferred German over British fighters. But it was an especially interesting exception to have made, given the Messerschmidts were flown under Hitler. It was though he felt the British were worse. Jewish resentment of the British, in the Palestine of my father's youth, was the monopoly of the extreme right, particularly terrorist groups like the Irgun, who routinely targeted British forces. Working for the Haganah, the underground military wing of the governing Jewish authorities under the British, Elie was more of a soldier for the establishment. He hated the British, and broke their laws as often as he could. But, he always observed the pretence of being allied with them. The amount of confusion and anxiety this instilled in him was immense. On the one hand, he identified with the British. They represented authority, and culture, in a region of the world wracked by anarchy and violence. On the other hand, they were an obstacle, in the way of independence and freedom from two thousand years of homelessness.It was an especially loaded, albeit typical set of grievances informing the desire for decolonisation in the middle of the twentieth century. But it would be a long way towards coming to grips with the legacy the British left for Israelis like him. Growing up in the shadow of the Mandate, the crisis of managing this, in persons of my father's generation, was obvious, starting with the Palestinians. "These Land Rovers were probably coming back from a demolition," my father said, referring to the IDF's practice of levelling the homes of families of guerrillas or terrorists. "The British pioneered that," he often said. The repetition of the criticism was always significant, as though the identification of the national background of the innovator was explanation in and of itself of the moral transgression. The British are just like that, was the logic. They are colonialists at heart. The longer we behave like them, the longer we imitate them, the lower our chances of ever being welcomed here, meaning Israel, was the implication. That was the idea. Clearly, he had other alternatives in mind. As the date of the Brexit referendum drew closer, I could not help but think about my father's British anxiety, as though it were some sort of unconscious way of saying it wouldn't be so bad if they left. For a country with as complicated a colonial past as the United Kingdom, to express resentment against the EU, as a superstate intent on taking away its sovereignty, feels especially disingenuous from a post-colonial point of view. Even one as complicated as that of Israel. It is especially difficult to stomach given the aristocratic quarters from which much of the Brexit leadership hails. Witness the privilege of the likes of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, or the ironically German-accented Gisela Stuart. One would be hard pressed to associate them with Yasir Arafat or Frantz Fanon. Not just for ethnic reasons, either. The privilege they radiate makes it hard to take their anti-colonial ''Independence Day' rhetoric seriously. These are precisely the sort of British leaders my father's colleagues in the Irgun would have considered killing in the 1940s. In spite of all of this, I was raised in the United Kingdom, as well as in Israel, and also lived there as an adult. There's a lot I value about my time in the country, in terms of both my education and the neighbourhoods I lived in, like Brixton. But what I miss is London. The city of Sadiq Kahn to be precise, and its wondrous mix of persons from Britain's former territories, conjuring up a truly post-nation state context, detached from both the UK and its ex-colonial holdings, like Israel. All of that, I fear, is what is being rebelled against by England's elites, in the Brexit crisis. That's what Europe represents to them and why they focus so heavily on immigration. This is why I find myself increasingly ambivalent about the United Kingdom, in ways not too dissimilar to my father, and persons of the post-colonial era like him. While I will never be forced to take up arms like he did, I understand the anger that motivated many Palestinian Jews of his generation to do so. It's a rage that events like Brexit make it hard to disconnect from. (Joel Schalit is News Editor of EurActiv.com. This article is excerpted from his forthcoming collection, Everywhere But There: Essays on Europe's Diversity Crisis. His most recent book is Israel vs. Utopia). Failed leadership is the cause of rising terrorism Editorial Desk : Militants attack at Sholakia in the sideline of the Eid congregation that killed at least four people including two policemen showed how desperate they have been to challenge the government. Sholakia has a history of nearly 200 years of holding unbroken Eid jamaat and the militants' action immediately after the mayhem at Gulshan Cafe showed that state security and people's safety are almost collapsing. The government is blaming militancy as the biggest threat to the state but what most people believe is that it is not a problem itself, but an offshoot of the bigger political problem now destabilizing the nation. It is clear that there is a political leadership crisis in the country but the government is trying to overcome it by use of police power which can't however fill in the vacuum of political leadership. The call for national unity makes no sense to us, as because what is needed most is to fill in the leadership void for politics of unity, and not unity of failed leaders. Bangladesh has become a country of killing and being killed. There is no understanding that setting of police check-posts everywhere is not the way to stop terrorism. The terrorists will not use check-posts. On the contrary police at check-posts are exposed as open targets of the terrorists. Meanwhile, people are being killed everyday. Only yesterday a Jubo League leader was hacked to death in Sutrapur in the city. Another ruling party man was killed in Gandaria in factional feud. It is not helpful to blame militancy alone for every setback although it is destroying peace, social harmony and endangering state security. The setback to trade and investment, particularly the uncertainty of Bangladesh's export abroad is more part of the bigger political problem. Foreign investment is almost drying up. Our tourist industry is facing setback as people are cancelling booking and the slow down is noticeable since political troubles that started after January election in 2014. After the Gulshan mayhem, importers of Bangladesh garments are suspending business trips from Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, USA and European nations. Foreign aid workers remained grounded in the country while JICA and many others have cancelled visits of their aid workers pending assessment of safety of their workers. The lack of leadership is not only evident in the government's attitude of not to bother its disconnect from the people or its desire to continue in power despite its inability to provide safety to the people. Though the government talks of fighting terrorism, but terrorism is not only growing, it is gaining support from international terrorism like IS. If the terrorism is home grown, as insisted on by the government, then why the intelligence agencies cannot find out the training centres of the terrorists. The face is one of the first places that shows signs of aging. Fine lines and wrinkles can appear as early as your twenties, and by the time you reach your forties, you may start to see more pronounced changes such as sagging skin and deeper creases. But did you know that the face shape can also affect how you age? How Face Shape Affects the Aging Process The shape of your face can impact the aging process in a few different ways. First, certain face shapes are more susceptible to sagging skin and wrinkles due to gravity. Second, the thickness of your skin can also affect how quickly fine lines and wrinkles appear. And finally, the placement of your features can also play a role in the aging process. Different Face Shapes and How They Age There are seven different face shapes: oval, round, square, oblong, heart, diamond, and pear. Each face shape ages differently due to the inherent characteristics of that particular shape. Oval Oval faces are considered to be the ideal face shape because they are well-proportioned and tend to age very well. The skin on oval faces is of medium thickness, which allows it to retain its elasticity and resist wrinkles and sagging skin for a longer period of time. Round Round faces tend to age a bit quicker than oval faces because the skin on round faces is thinner and not as resistant to gravity. Additionally, round faces tend to have fuller cheeks, which can sag over time. Square Square faces are similar to round faces in that they also have thinner skin that tends to age quicker. However, square faces are less susceptible to sagging cheeks since the cheekbones are more pronounced. Instead, square faces tend to develop wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. Oblong Oblong faces have a longer shape with less width, which can cause the skin to sag and wrinkles to form around the mouth and eyes. Additionally, the thinner skin on oblong faces makes them more susceptible to sun damage, which can further accelerate the aging process. Heart Heart-shaped faces are characterized by a wide forehead and narrow chin. This face shape ages well overall, but the skin around the chin is thinner and can sag over time. Diamond Diamond-shaped faces have a narrow forehead and chin with wider cheekbones. This face shape also has thinner skin, which can cause wrinkles to form around the mouth and eyes. Additionally, the thinner skin around the chin can cause it to sag over time. Pear Pear-shaped faces are characterized by a narrow forehead and wide chin. This face shape is similar to diamond-shaped faces in that it has thinner skin and can experience wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. However, pear-shaped faces are less susceptible to sagging skin since the chin is not as pronounced. So, which face shape ages the worst? While there is no definitive answer, square, oblong, and diamond-shaped faces tend to show signs of aging sooner than other face shapes. This is due to the thinner skin and less pronounced features of these face shapes. However, all face shapes will eventually show signs of aging. The best way to combat the aging process is to take care of your skin by cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing on a regular basis. You should also wear sunscreen every day to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. By following these simple steps, you can help keep your skin looking its best no matter what face shape you have. Police Disciplinary Records Must Be Released, Judge Rules By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 8, 2016 8:54PM Photo: Josh Koonce Decades worth of police disciplinary records must be released to the public, a Cook County judge ruled on Friday. The Fraternal Order of Police sued in 2014 to block release of the files, which date back to 1967. The union argued that the city was required under the collective bargaining agreement to destroy disciplinary records more than four years old and that personnel files were exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Cook County Circuit Judge Peter Flynn disagreed with the claim. The "files are not personnel files in any sense because they pertain to the 'initiation, investigation and resolution of complaints of misconduct made by the public against police officers,'" he wrote in the decision. Back in March 2014, an appellate court ruled that such documents are public, and thus applicable to FOIA requests. But after three separate requests for misconduct filesfrom journalist James Kalven (Invisible Institute), the Tribune, and the Sun-Timesthe FOP filed a lawsuit, and a judge issued an injunction that prevented release of documents. Arbiters at first ruled in favor of the union. But they reversed their opinion after the Department of Justice brought in to examine police use of force after the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting videomade a recommendation to city lawyers that such documents be kept. The ruling comes on the heels of two days of City Council meetings in which aldermen took testimony about police accountability, and demonstrators advocated for a civilian-elected review board. The recent shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile galvanized protests against excessive police force here in Chicago and nationwide. An apparent sniper attack on Thursday night in Dallas that killed five officers and wounded seven more was roundly condemned by local activists. 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Ireland 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 You are here: Home China's fundamentals for long-term economic growth remain sound, President Xi Jinping told economists, government officials and entrepreneurs at a symposium on Friday. Economic performance remains stable on the whole and in line with expectations, as the economic structure continues to improve, Xi said. For the longer term, Xi said the economy has intrinsic tenacity, huge potential and ample leeway. China will persist with proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, while pushing the supply-side structural reform. Although new engines of economic growth are picking up steam, Xi said the transition from traditional to new engines takes time. The president said there are various economic trends, and the country will use economic policies to stabilize expectations. Latest data showed continued downward pressure on the economy with the manufacturing-sector purchasing managers' index down slightly in June. GDP expanded 6.7 percent year on year in Q1, the lowest level since the global financial crisis in early 2009 but still within the 2016 target range of between 6.5 percent and 7 percent. Second-quarter GDP is due on July 15. Xi also urged efforts to develop political economics of socialism with Chinese characteristics while making use of the achievements of western economics. Whistleblower and ex-NSA employee Edward Snowden has criticized a new anti-terror law introduced on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring it as "repressive" and noting that it is a "."The new legislation signed by Putin would compel the country's telephone carriers and Internet providers to record and store the private communications of each and every one of their customers for six months and turn them over to the government if requested.The data collected on customers would include phone calls, text messages, photographs, and Internet activities that would be stored for six months, and "metadata" would be stored up to 3 years.Moreover, Instant messaging services that make use of encryption, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber, could face heavy fines of thousands of pounds if these services continue to operate in Russia without handing over their encryption keys to the government."Putin has signed a repressive new law that violates not only human rights but common sense. A dark day for Russia," Snowden wrote on Twitter.Snowden is responsible for revealing global mass surveillance programs by leaking NSA classified documents back in June 2013 before finding asylum in Russia.The activist explained that the new Russian law, in addition to "political and constitutional consequences," would cost telecommunications providers over $30 Billion to implement the new law, which is more than they can afford.The CEO of Russia's second-largest telecom company Megafon told a local newspaper Thursday that he would rather pay the government higher taxes than spend over $3 Billion yearly on infrastructure upgrades."Well be unable to fulfill the requirements of law in the way that it exists at present," said Megafon CEO Sergey Soldatenkov, adding that his company only generates an annual profit of $780 Million."When we saw the provisions of the bill, we really hoped that it will not be accepted. I believe we have done everything possible to inform deputies, Federation Council [and] the government that the bill in this form is impossible," Soldatenkov added.A spokesperson for Tele2, another Russian telecom company, said it might have to raise prices threefold or more in order to accommodate the new law, The WSJ reported The Russian government will establish the precise requirements of the new legislation, according to the Kremlin website This frightening new legislation comes into force on July 20th. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. You are here: Home Flash Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei answers questions at the daily press briefing on July 8 in Beijing. [Photo / fmprc.gov.cn] China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. It is a sheer delusion to expect to force China into accepting the decision via diplomatic channels or public fanfare, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily press briefing. The senior Pentagon official responsible for East Asia Abraham Denmark said on Thursday that the United States expected both parties to comply with the decision. "The arbitration was unilaterally initiated by the Aquino administration and distorts the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), challenges the dignity of the international law and undermines the rule of law in essence," said Hong. "China will never change its stance," he added. China has signed UNCLOS and participates in its working groups. The United States is not a member as the U.S. Senate refuses to ratify the convention. More than 30 African countries have voiced support for China's stance, Hong said. Currently, at least 60 countries publicly approve of China's stance, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "The arbitration and any award are obviously unpopular," Hong said. CARBONDALE The three tweens go into selected stores in the Murdale Shopping Center plaza, carrying a yellow canvas bag, sometimes inquiring at the counter about a small jar near the cash register that holds coin and cash donations. The next stop was the Apple Tree gift shop. "Do we have some in there?" the clerk asks, as the trio retrieve the jar by the cash register. The girls are volunteers with For Kids' Sake, and this is their designated, set-aside day to collect donations that support the charity, which in turn supports orphanages and schools in Bangladesh. This is their Bangla Box Program, created seven years ago, to encourage and empower the youth to support other youth. For Kids' Sake is a project of the Dayemi Tariqat, whose members are part of the Sufi Muslim community. "It teaches the young children the importance of giving back," said Shema Ruperto, director of For Kids' Sake. "And with a little effort, (they learn they can help) to save a kid's life." On this Friday, the youth visit selected stores and businesses throughout Carbondale, collecting the donated pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars, an amount Shema Ruperto estimates is about $2,000 a year. That might seem a small amount, but $2,000 a year can make a monumental difference to people in Bangladesh. The country's gross domestic product, per capita, was an estimated $3,600 in 2015, compared to $55,800 per capita for the United States that same year, according to the CIA World Factbook. "It goes a long way," said Amira Ruperto, a 12-year-old entering seventh grade. "Our goal is to make $2,000 a year and that goes a really long way." Other local fundraising efforts People in Southern Illinois might be more familiar with the community's annual For Kids Sake fundraisers, its art auction and its 5K Run and Walk-a-Thon, which both use youth. Much more money is made from these events, with the 2015 5K Run/Walk-a-Thon raising $32,000, she said. This year's 5K Run/Walk-a-Thon is set for Friday, Sept. 30. Ruperto said the money raised from those events supports the salaries of two teachers at the school and provides for the children's health care. It also provides for 5,715 meals enough to feed the 20 children at one of the organization's smaller orphanages for a little more than three months. The organization provides shelter and food for 550 Bangladeshi orphans, ages 5 to 18 in five different orphanages, Shema Ruperto said. Additionally, the funds raised here and elsewhere help support education for about 4,000 children in the surrounding Bangladeshi villages, she said. For Kids' Sake's mission is to care for children who have been orphaned, although youngsters with one or both parents have tried to place their children in the orphanages to take advantage of the services provided, Shema Ruperto said. Those those parents and families, too, are poor and needy, they have to be turned away because of the focus on serving those youth who have no one to care for them. Once, the agency was preparing to find space for a handful more orphans than its staff had expected; at the final count, its staff was presented with 15 more children than expected at one facility and 17 more than anticipated at another one, Shema Ruperto said. So what did they do? "We'll always take an orphan, even if we don't have space," she said. "We'll never turn away an orphan." She does not receive a salary for her services and there is little overhead, she said, so no huge administrative expense assuming a significant portion of the funds raised. This volunteer work has traditionally been done by tween-aged and younger teenagers, Shema Ruperto said. She noted that one of the first youngsters who collected the funds is now a 20-year-old. Some of these older youth have actually traveled to Bangladesh and visited the orphanages and schools they've supported back home. "I know that it helps kids, and my brother used to do this and now he's in high school," said Eli Guyton, an 11-year-old entering sixth-grade. "I'm next I wanted to do it a year." Helping out this day is 12-year-old Halima Weiseman, who says that no one is forcing the children to perform these tasks. Those works, she noted, makes her feel good on the inside. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy CARBONDALE Interested locals and avid bicyclists may already recognize progression of the recent Master Plan, adopted by members of the City Council, for a biker friendly community. The plan includes a partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, to meet demands for a biker friendly city, said City Manager Gary Williams. "I think the plan is a community quality of life that we think benefits everyone, but I also think that with Carbondale being a predominantly college town and as you know the average age for our community is (fairly young) we look at this as a tool that can attract young people to Carbondale and hopefully the university," Williams said. As people drive through town, they can already see added bicycle infrastructure to existing roads shared by bicyclists and drivers in progress. But, Williams said, safety has been a major concern amid discussions for the plan. According to a survey conducted by the advisory committee, 37 percent of interested bicyclists said they enjoyed riding bikes, but were concerned about riding in traffic. "If you look at the data nationally when communities add bicycle infrastructure, specifically shared road facilities, you normally have an increase in ridership but you also have fewer accidents," Williams said. "So, I think what happens over time is bicycles and road sharing altogether becomes part of the culture, and thats going to take a little time to happen in Carbondale but I think, overall, it is a valid concern." As more bicycle routes are added to streets, Williams said the plan is predominantly striving with limited cost. "We have the resources here internally to do this so our cost is going to be pretty minimal to do some of the basics," he said. "When we get into road reconstruction if we have to widen roads and things of that nature it would be a little more costly, but at this time we dont have any specific project identified where we would have budgets for those." MURPHYSBORO Steven Bost sits at a table in the Jackson County office, flipping through a huge white binder, filled with various policies from some of the departments for which the Jackson County Board approves budgets. He is particularly impressed by the work and thought put into policies from the Jackson County State's Attorney office, the Jackson County Health Department, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Jackson County Ambulance; those he calls "robust." Bost and fellow Jackson County board members Andrew Erbes and Brian Chapman are looking over these employment practices policies in hopes of gleaning some details and inspiration for the county's own personnel and employment policy, which is being updated and which board members are hoping the county's constituents adopt, across-the-board. That policy was last updated July 11, 2001, and needs revisions, to include, for instance, language noting that preference in employment can be given to Vietnam War-era veterans, noted board chairman John Rendleman. Language must also be added to include such protected classes as pregnant women and people whose sexual orientation, immigration and felony convictions might open them to discrimination, said Bost, who is an attorney in Jackson County. Protected class refers to people whose condition or orientation or lifestyle cannot be used to discriminate against them. A uniform adoption of the updated policy could save the county and its residents money, as an updated policy that is adhered to could prevent successful lawsuits, Bost said. He does not remember the county ever being sued for a workplace-related issue, although Rendleman remembers an employment discrimination case against a county department that was dismissed. Most of the Jackson County departments' policies being reviewed were updated last in the 1990s, Bost said. The new revised policy would impact about 400 full-and part-time employees in the county, who work in units in which the Jackson County Board sets budgets, Rendleman and Bost explained. The committee plans to have an updated working plan within three months and have a more final version ready by the beginning of the year, when the group plans to incorporate affirmative action language that would be specific to Jackson County and its demographic make-up, Bost said. The group is hoping to present an across-the-board, standardized policy that addresses various employment concerns, such as nepotism, and makes way for a standardized application policy. "You have no say over their policies," Bost said. "It's a frustrating reality." If endorsed by all the county officers, the new policy would replace all the individual policies adopted by the various departments. Those include policies of the offices of State's Attorney, Treasurer, Sheriff's Department; the Jackson County Health Department, the Jackson County Department of Highways and the Jackson County Ambulance; and the Board of Review, recorder's, assessor's and circuit and county clerks' offices. "You have all these little fiefdoms, and our biggest concern is, even though thats the sheriffs department, thats an employee," Bost said. "If there is ever a complaint or discrimination, the county normally gets sued. We are all exposed, and thats why were trying to work with other county leaders to make sure we have the basics met." ". . . If we get sued because they don't implement a policy change, we all feel the pain. The whole country suffers. It's not like we can say that was a $3 million loss for your office. That's coming out of every office." Thus far, he said, the committee has received good participation from most of the department and offices. In addition to looking at some of the local Jackson County policies, the group is also looking at a model developed for the county by its insurer, the Counties of Illinois Risk Management Agency. Another model being reviewed is Champaign County's HR policy; that county, Bost said, is similar to Jackson County in that it has a university and rural land. Champaign County's 58-page Personnel Policy covers salary administration guidelines; benefits, holidays, vacations and sick leaves; family and medical leaves of absence; sexual harassment; alcohol and drug use in the workplace; and prohibited political activities and gift bans; among many others. Without a countywide plan, the Jackson County board members have no legal recourse to demand or command that any countywide departments do any actions at any level, Bost said. But, he noted, if someone sues a county department or official, the county can be named as a co-defendant and could be liable for claims meaning county residents will wind up paying the bill. A standardized policy would help guard against someone alleging that someone else got preferential treatment, he said. "If you have a policy in place and you stick to the policy, you can go before a tribunal and say we've never deviated from that policy," he said. "If you don't have a policy in place, everyone is just making stuff up as they go, and then you're going to have a very hard time demonstrating that it (an action) wasn't discriminatory or retaliatory." "An ounce of prevention ," he said. County board member Chapman also hopes the plan is fully endorsed. "I hope our work serves as a guide for our personnel supervisors and managers that translates into greater professionalism, equality and productivity within the county government workforce," he said. DU QUOIN Gov. Bruce Rauner made a stop in Southern Illinois Friday to speak with media representatives about the recent stopgap budget passed on June 30. The Southern Illinoisan had an opportunity to ask a few questions, which are covered in question-and-answer form below, but first, Rauner took the chance to talk about what he called the states accomplishment in funding social services through December and funding K-12 education for the entire year. Last weekend was a good step in the right direction, Rauner said. It wasnt the long-term balanced budget with reforms. That is what we got to get, but it was a step in doing that. He talked about preventing Speaker Michael Madigans majority from passing a budget that would have allowed the state to spend $7 billion more than it had in revenue. The stopgap budget, Rauner said, will allow schools to open on time with more money than in previous years, and put pension reform front-and-center. In a question-and-answer format, The Southern spoke with the governor about Southern Illinois Universitys future, voting on a full budget after December, the potential for more stopgap budgets, must-have reforms, and what could have been different looking back. Below is the conversation between The Southern and Governor Rauner. It has been edited for length and cohesion. Question: In Southern Illinois, the life of Southern Illinois University and other community college such as John A. Logan and Rend Lake are vital for students' futures and employment for the region. The legislature has shown to fund K-12 education. What is the future for higher education after December? Rauner: I am very focused on making sure we get higher education properly supported. Higher education in Illinois has been reducing state support for decades. This is not a recent problem. This has been going on for a long time. We have got to change our funding for education and treat our students and teachers as the top priority. SIU is one of the greatest universities in the country. They deserve support. They drive great research. They create jobs. We have got to support them. Their support has been reduced over time for a long time. This is not a one-year problem. We need get a balanced budget so we have the resources to put money in our education. Schools should come first. To have balanced budgets and resources to fund education, we need more economic growth. We have not been growing our economy in Illinois. We have been one of the bottom five states for decades and decades. Here is the simple fact, if we have just grown at the nations average just average we wouldnt have any deficit today. We wouldnt have any unpaid bills today. We would not have needed any income tax hikes at all, and we would have had $13 billion more in the state treasury to fund SIU and other services. Economic growth is the key. More jobs is the key. And to do that, we need to do several things. (At this point, the governor spoke about reform policy, which is covered later in the interview.) The Southern: You have said last week that there was a good chance that there will not be a full vote on a full budget until after the general election. What are actual expectations for the state more specifically Southern Illinoisans after the stopgap is over in January? Rauner: If you look back in the history of the Illinois General Assembly, the big votes are taken in lame-duck sessions after a general election. That is not the way I prefer to do it. I think we should be voting now, and I asked for votes now, but the (House) speaker (Madigan) and (Senate) President (John) Cullerton, they have the super majority and they control the terms in the legislature. They said no votes on these things until after the election. I think they are hoping that they can pick up seats, consolidate even more power, and they wont have to do any reforms. I think that is what they are hoping. This November is a chance, and well see if the people of Illinois are going to support the status quo and the speakers power and Chicago machine, which has been dictating terms in our state for 35 years, or are people going to support reformers and change. This is going to be an important November decision. That said, somewhere between Nov. 8 and mid-January when the new legislature is seated, there are going to be big votes on balancing a budget and reforms workers' compensation, pension reform, local control, and I am going to try to get a vote on term limits. We need political reform. Our political system doesnt work for people. We have a one-party system. Speaker Madigans majority has controlled the legislature for 35 years, and created deficits and fewer jobs, and for 12 years prior to my becoming governor, we had two governors in the same party as the speaker competing with each other to see who can spend more and create more deficits. We need a two-party system. Term limits and fair maps can help get that done. The Southern: The state seems to be operating six months at a time that is the illusion that the everyday citizen is seeing how do we know this isnt going to continue to happen? Rauner: We cant stay on the existing track. It is really going to be up the people letting the legislators know to stop having unbalanced budgets and lets get reforms to grow the economy. People in Illinois know we need more jobs and more economic growth and we need the people to let the legislature know. The good news is some members of Speaker Madigans caucus finally stood up to him and said no to the unbalanced budget. That was a great step. Heres the reason I am optimistic: Over the past year we have put in place working groups Democrats and Republicans working in the General Assembly to come up with reforms. They were working separate from the speaker and separate from me, and in early May they were about to announce some great progress on reforms. Speaker Madigan got wind they were about to make an announcement and stopped it, and that is when he said no votes until after November. So, I believe that rank-and-file members some of them, not all of them are ready to stand up, and not go with the Chicago machine, and go with reforms to grow the economy, and I believe they are going to take those voters after the election. The Southern: What are your must-haves when it comes to reforms? What do you see being the toughest to get? What are you willing to let go? Rauner: I have done a lot of turnarounds in my life growing a lot of successful organizations. It is clear to me what should happen. We laid out a 44-point plan to get Illinois strong. I said we arent going to get that all done in the first year or second year, so lets whittle it down to a few things. I have taken things off the table. It has boiled down to a handful things that I find really critical to have. We need workers' compensation reform. It is the number one regulation that is pushing manufacturing jobs out of the state, and it is also costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars because workers' compensation inside government is also very expensive. We need pension reform. Both parties agree we need pension reform. Weve come up with a constitutional way to do it. We need to protect existing pension benefits that have accrued so far, but find choices for the future that are more affordable. We need local control of government costs. Right now, there are unfunded mandates coming from Springfield dictating terms in Southern Illinois. Local residents dont get to control how the contracts is done, the bidding is done, or how the bargaining is done. It is all dictated by Springfield, which drives up the costs. Each community should control their own community, and their own schools as they see fit. That would drive down the cost of government and bring down property taxes, and bring more jobs here. We need political reform. Democracy doesnt work on an one-party basis. Democracy doesnt work with power is concentrated in just a few incumbents. Term limits and fair maps redistricting reform can get that done. Now, Speaker Madigan is in court right now trying block the fair maps amendment to deny voters the right to vote for fair maps. I hope they get defeated in court, but well see. What we need is for term limits to get voted on in the General Assembly. I am on a term limit myself at 8 years at the absolute most. I dont believe anybody should stay in one office for longer than 8 years. I am a volunteer. I am not taking any compensation. I believe people should get some amount of pay you can debate on whether or not they are getting paid too much for a part-time job and I applaud Comptroller Munger for making sure that pay for legislators gets put in with the unpaid bills and doesnt just go to the top and gets paid of the top like Speaker Madigan had set it up to do. We are making changes in the system, but term limits and fair maps can make a huge difference. The Southern: The past 18 months have been tough on everybody, especially those in human services. What do you think you could have done differently looking back? Rauner: "The simple fact is that we need to change, and the General Assembly is controlled by a super-majority that doesnt want to change. They have controlled the system Speaker Madigan and all the folks who have been loyal to him, and keep him in office and the legislators that do what he tells them to do they are in the super majority and theyve never had to compromise. Theyve never had to negotiate and they have never had to change. But they have created a system that is broken. We are losing our jobs. Our taxes are too high. Our family incomes are too low, and we have cronyism and corruption. The system needs to change. We should have had this done in a couple months. This has taken us 18 months. Finally, members of the General Assembly are saying we support reform and we will vote on it after the November election. It took too long, but we are getting there. The Southern: What about you specifically? Do you think you could have done anything different? Rauner: That one thing we should somehow figure out how to do is let the people of Illinois know what is really at stake and is really going on. Your average person in Illinois doesnt really know what workmans compensation is, but it is a big deal that we have to change. Your average person doesnt know much unfunded mandates are coming out of Springfield dictating how much they have to spend of their property taxes. We have to do a better job. That is reason I meeting with you and other leaders to get the message out about what is really at stake here and what has to change, and make sure the people of Illinois get involved in the process. That will bring about the change." BRISTOL, Tenn. A black Army veteran accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway told investigators he was troubled by police violence against African-Americans, authorities said Friday. It was one of several spasms of violence across the country this week amid boiling tensions over policing and race. One woman died and three others, including one police officer, were injured in the rampage early Thursday morning. Meanwhile, police say officers have also been targeted in Georgia and Missouri in the aftermath of two high-profile killings of black men by law enforcement and the Dallas attack that left five officers dead and seven more wounded. Other departments reported being bombarded with threats and some implemented new policies requiring officers to patrol in pairs. Civilians also have been caught in the fray. The woman who died in Tennessee was a newspaper carrier driving down the highway. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that initial conversations with the suspect, 37-year-old former soldier Lakeem Keon Scott, who is black, revealed he was troubled by the incidents in other states, hundreds of miles away. All those shot were white, police said. His cousin Sarah Scott said she is so close to him he called her "sister." She said she is shocked by the allegation he was enraged by police violence against African-Americans. "He's into his culture, he really is; but never would he hurt anybody," she said. She called him an "open, big-hearted person." Scott allegedly armed with an assault rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition was wounded in a shootout with police early Thursday and remains hospitalized. Police were not able to interview him until late Friday morning, according to a statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Hours before, as Scott was in the hospital, 12 officers were shot at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas. Police say the sniper declared he was angry about the police shootings of black men and wanted to exterminate whites. Five of the officers died. In south Georgia, police said one officer was ambushed Friday when he came to an apartment complex to investigate a report of a break-in. Another officer was fired upon by a motorist north of Atlanta. And just outside St. Louis, police say an officer was ambushed during a traffic stop. Scott, who has no criminal history, grew up in New York City and moved to Tennessee fairly recently. His cousin said he has relatives in Tennessee and likely moved there because of a lower cost of living. She said he was in the Army but was injured at some point, collected disability payments and did not have a job. Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Jennifer Johnson confirmed he served from January 1998 to June 1999. He was a private in the 5th Battalion 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, stationed in South Korea. One of Scott's brothers, Gerard Griffin, said Scott has three brothers and two sisters and often acted as their "protector." Griffin said his brother "was a little angry" when he came back from the military. "He seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with the condition of black people in America," Griffin said. One of those wounded was the longtime front desk clerk at a Days Inn hotel, Deborah Watts, who was in serious but stable condition. Investigators say Scott fired first at the hotel. "She is like a family to us," said Days Inn owner Kiran Patel. "It's horrible. I don't know how to explain how horrible." Newspaper carrier Jennifer Rooney, a 44-year-old mother of two, was on her way to pick up papers for the morning delivery when a bullet struck her. The Bristol Herald-Courier reported that her car careened over a median and crashed through a chain link fence. "I don't think she had an enemy in her life," her husband, David Rooney, told the newspaper. "She was the type of person that could have a disagreement with someone and 10 minutes later turn around and help them, and that rubbed off on everybody who she came in contact with." David Whitman Davis was also injured by flying glass from the gunfire, the TBI said. Officer Matthew Cousins was hit in the leg. He was treated for superficial injuries and released. Scott was stuck by the officers returning fire. He remains in the hospital in serious but stable condition. Griffin said he's struggling to understand how his brother's frustration may have led to violence. "Don't get me wrong, everything he did was wrong," Griffin said. "I ain't condoning nothing he did, at all. But frustration, we can all understand that." ___ Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writers Claire Galofaro and Rebecca Reynolds Yonker in Louisville, Kentucky, and Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. Stronger ties must be built between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, local officials say. Theyre also calling for prayer and focus on training following officer-involved shootings and the deaths of police in Dallas. "I'm not ashamed to say this first and foremost: I think we need prayer at this point. There's no doubt about that," Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said. He and his staff have been inundated with text messages from people who were already praying for the department. "It's good to know that all these people are praying for law enforcement," he said. Five officers were killed and seven others were injured during Thursday nights ambush in Dallas. Two civilians were also injured in the shootings, which took place during a protest over officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. The deadly gunfire has sparked safety concerns among veteran law enforcement officers, but they say their ultimate job remains the same -- to serve and protect with fairness and impartiality. 'A very tense time right now' "I try to stress to my officers every day to be extra careful and extra vigilant because sometimes it seems like it's open season on police officers. We obviously haven't been favored well in the press nationwide lately," Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers said. "I know we've had officers that have done some things that they should not have done but, in general, we're here to protect, serve and help," he said. Summers added, "When people are running away from danger, we run towards it because that's what our job is. Those officers were doing that even as they were watching their friends and coworkers being shot and killed." Ravenell said more action needs to be taken to strengthen ties between law enforcement and the community. He said such an effort was made in Orangeburg County with a community forum held in Stevenson Auditorium in May 2015. It included members of the law enforcement, government and faith communities. Another such forum is being planned for September. "These are the types of things we have to get out and do. You listen to some of the things that are being said throughout the country by leaders, community leaders and especially lawmakers, politicians and some law enforcement. Some of the things that they say don't help the situation," Ravenell said. Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Chief Mike Adams said hes worried about the divisiveness within the country. "I'm concerned about our country. I'm worried about the rhetoric and it has got to stop. We as a country have to come together. We're all one people. We're all Americans, and we have to work together to solve the problems that are facing this country -- and there are a bunch of them," Adams said. Adams added, "Divisiveness and violence are not the answer to any of these problems. You've got so many people on each extreme and the rhetoric is so hot and heavy that common sense has to prevail here. "Certainly I'm concerned for the officers. I'm concerned for members of the public because there's just so much heated rhetoric going on that you just don't know what to expect." Ravenell said, "People talk and there's no action, which makes it worse. We have to really sit down and talk about it and then do something about it. When I see incidents across the country or even here in South Carolina when officers commit different crimes, it hurts me because I know that 95 or 98 percent of the officers all over are good people, good officers." Bamberg County Sheriff Ed Darnell said, "It's a very tense time right now. Thank goodness we're in a very small county, where we know most of the people. We treat our people fair, and I think that's the key to it. "We don't have the type people that want to come in here and just shoot up police officers, and I hope we don't have any police officers who just want to go out and there and shoot people." Darnell said bad police officers are a reality that must be dealt with. "There are bad police officers everywhere. There are bad people in the pulpit. There are bad teachers, bad nurses. All of them need to be weeded out, but these officers have to make split-second decisions and I think the training is very necessary for them on when to shoot and when not to shoot and so forth," he said. Darnell added, "Some of them I've seen right now are making some terrible decisions on split-second thoughts. If I have people working for me that can't be calm and restrain themselves, they don't work for me any longer, but it works both ways. "We've got young people out there today that just want to create violence and follow up on all this stuff. It's our God-given right to protest peacefully, but when it goes to gun, bats, breaking out windows and burning businesses, then I think they need to be dealt with." Summers said the rhetoric around the recent officer-involved shootings likely contributed to the violence in Dallas. "The only motive I've heard is that the people wanted to kill as many cops as they could. When an officer's involved in a bad shooting, it's horrible and nobody hates it worse than we do as good, hard-working police officers, Summers said. "I'm fortunate here in Calhoun County to have built such a good rapport with our citizens, a good trust-based relationship. I'm so thankful for that," Summers said. Darnell said while it will take time for the wheels of justice to turn in the officer-involved shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile Minnesota, "I certainly think that justice must be served in every case." He said the rhetoric surrounding both cases likely contributed to the Dallas police officers being gunned down. "I would think so. From what I saw on television, it was certainly uncalled for as far as I'm concerned. I mean, if you've already got a man down, then you don't need to pull a pistol out. It's not thinking properly, but yet we haven't seen the entire tape of what took place," Darnell said. "There are people using cameras to take pictures, but justice must prevail. If we don't let justice prevail, then we may as well all give up," he said. Ravenell stressed that while all officers are not bad, the bad ones are "dealt with just like we deal with everybody else that commits a crime." "The majority of the officers are here to help, and that's what we're looking at," he said. Ravenell said he didn't think the officer-involved shootings had anything to do with race as it much as with bad training. "I can't sit and say what was in the officers' minds and I wouldn't try to do that, but what I would say is I think that it wasn't anything to do with black or white or a racist thing. I think it's just the training aspect of it, Ravenell said. "Some people just don't need to be doing what we do. There are a lot of people in law enforcement that are not here to help people. They're here because they needed a job and knew somebody that would hire and those are the dangerous people with guns and badges," he said. He added, "Whether you do something intentionally, or your training just goes away and you're frightened or scared, that's not fair to police officers that really try to do their job professionally, and it's certainly not fair to the citizens that are complying with whatever you're asking them to do." 'We're committed to our community' Addressing the scourge of racism is something which must be addressed, too, the law enforcement officers said. Summers said the killing of black men by police officers "obviously fits into it and appears to be when this stuff happens." The 30-year law enforcement veteran said while he doesn't know how other big departments function, he knows Calhoun County and makes it his mission to get to know his community and treat everyone the same. "I trust them and they trust me, and I try to extend that to all of my men and explain to them that the way I do business is the way they must do business so that the public will trust us," Summers said. He said the issue of race is a "touchy subject" which his department hasn't had any issues with. "It is touchy and the media says that there is a national problem with race, he said. I can't speak for the nation and would be afraid to, but we just don't have those issues. I'm so thankful to be a part of a law enforcement community like I live and work in. I wouldn't want to change it in any way and if these issues exist in other big cities, I'm sorry for that, but it doesn't exist here. Addressing racism involves more than training, he said. "I want to say maybe better training, but I think it's a personal thing. I don't think training will help with that. People are what they are. They feel the way they feel and if you're a racist within, there's no amount of training that's going to change that," Summers said. "I think it's sad that people are that way, and I think if we try to treat everybody like we would want them to treat us, it would really be a better place for all of us." Ravenell said, "I can't sit here and try to put myself in other people's minds, but as far as what I see, there's still a problem with race." He added that the public trust that many officers have should not be broken. "We're in positions because people have faith in us. People shouldn't be afraid of us. It's just that simple but, again, there are other people that I think need to stop talking and put things in action, Ravenell said. Darnell said all lives should matter in the grand scheme of things. "We've got black-on-black crime but then when a white officer kills a white individual, you don't hear the uproar. I don't mean that out of disrespect for anybody, but it's just whites on blacks. All lives matter, he said. "We have so much disrespect for authority not only for law enforcement, but disrespect in the home and school. Then we've got so many families that just don't know where their children are -- black and white. We're living in difficult times and I don't know what the answer is for it, but we've got to let justice prevail," Darnell said. Darnell added, "I'm so saddened by all the shootings that's going on that I think are done unjustifiably. It's something we've all got to work together on and not go in separate directions. We're all made in God's image, we're one people and we must understand that. "There are people who do not need to be wearing badges and driving cars with blue lights on them. In my 38 years of law enforcement, I've let three go because they got in there and started overaggressive policing. They don't need to be in this profession and that's true for any profession whether it's law enforcement or picking peaches." Adams said his department is committed to providing trusted professionalism within the community. "We're committed to our community, we're committed to doing the right thing and we're going to continue providing the finest police and fire services that we can. That's all I can do, and that's what we're going to do," he said. President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton constantly talk about their efforts to help the middle class. Yet their policies often directly attack middle-income earners. Consider two recent examples: Obama's proposal to impose a $10-per-barrel levy on oil, and Clinton's boast that she would drastically reduce the use of coal for energy. Obama calls his proposal a "fee" under the pretext that he is collecting the money from oil companies. Don't be fooled. Corporate taxes are inevitably passed along to consumers. So we'll all feel this new fee at the pump. Gasoline is already one of the nation's most heavily taxed consumer products. On top of the federal government's current take of 18.4 cents a gallon, state gasoline taxes range from a high of about 50 cents per gallon in Pennsylvania to a low of 12.25 cents in Alaska. Everyone who drives pays those taxes, regardless of how poor they are. Since 42 gallons of gas can be refined from one barrel of oil, the president's $10-a-barrel tax works out to about 25 cents per gallon. So all told, those who live in states with high gas taxes could end up paying $1 per gallon just in taxes. American households use on average about 1,000 gallons of gas per year. So Obama's oil tax would cost the average family an extra $250 yearly -- a hit much harder on low- and middle-income workers than the upper class. A tax is called regressive if it hits the poor the hardest. Liberals have created a cottage industry attacking any tax they believe to be regressive -- unless, apparently, Obama is the one proposing it. Congress understands this fact, and so left out the tax in the latest transportation budget. But the White House has now threatened to veto any such bill that fails to include this $10-a-barrel levy. Obama's oil tax will cost some Americans their jobs -- but not nearly as many as Clinton's plan. "We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business," Clinton told a CNN Town hall. And she didn't stop with coal, "Now we gotta move away from coal -- and all the other fossil fuels." Clinton's plan is a blatant attack on the middle class. The oil and natural gas industry supports about 8.4 million full- and part-time jobs. The vast majority of these jobs pay middle- to upper-middle income wages. A few days after her blunder, she went to West Virginia to try and clean up her mess. People will have to decide for themselves whether this statement does the job: "I don't know how to explain it other than what I said was totally out of context for what I meant because I have been talking about helping coal country for a very long time." She also says she wants to provide unemployed coal workers with health care benefits and let them keep whatever pensions they had. Of course, if she weren't putting them out of a job, the federal government wouldn't need to do that. And she claims that she will be replacing their fossil fuel jobs with clean energy jobs. Yes, West Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. If Obama and Clinton actually worried about the middle class, they would drop their plans and get the government out of the business of choosing energy winners and loser. Because the ultimate losers will be the middle class. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The invitation to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to attend the NATO Warsaw Summit 2016 shows the interest of the Alliance in promoting peace and stability in the Caucasus and partner relations between the sides, says Jorge Benitez, leading expert at Atlantic Council, Washington DC. The NATO summit is underway in Warsaw. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev is taking part in the summit. Speaking to Trend July 8, Benitez also said NATO could facilitate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts solution. A peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in everyone's interest and it would strengthen the relations of both Azerbaijan and Armenia with NATO, he said. 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. Member of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) Ganira Pashayeva has met with former Korean minister of gender equality Byun Do-yoon. Mrs. Pashayeva spoke of the work done in Azerbaijan to increase the role of women in society, as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its consequences, Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories. She underlined that in the result of the conflict more than a million of Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs. She underlined Azerbaijan attached importance to development of cooperation with the Republic of Korea in all fields. The former minister, in turn, noted that development of relations with Azerbaijan was priority for the Republic of Korea. /By Azertac/ A dinner reception was held on behalf of Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Beata Szyd?o in honor of participants of the NATO Summit in Warsaw. Prime Minister Beata Szyd?o welcomed the guests attending the event. Then a picture was taken. President Ilham Aliyev and other heads of state and government, and NATO officials attended the reception. /By Azertac/ NATO will strengthen its presence in the eastern Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday at the NATO Summit in Warsaw. After the NATO defense ministers' summit held last month, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance had agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with some 800-1,200 troops in each unit. The decision is expected to be agreed on at the Warsaw Summit. "Chancellor #Merkel: @NATO presence in the east to be strengthened. #NATOSummit in Warsaw: [the alliance] makes it clear that defence capability and dialog are concerned," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter. The ongoing Warsaw Summit among member states of the NATO did not address increasing its military presence along Russian borders on the first day of the summit, Angela Merkel also said. "No there were no calls for an increase in the number of soldiers today." She said the Baltic nations and Poland "expressed gratitude to Germany and other states" at the summit, where a decision was reached to deploy a four-battalion rotational force, spearheaded by Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Coordinated Russia-NATO Actions Present Mutual Interest Coordinated actions between Russia and NATO present mutual interest to both sides, German Chancellor said at the conclusion of the first day of the Warsaw Summit on Friday. "I think it is mutually beneficial, as it happens for example in Syria based on agreements between the United States and Russia, that NATO and Russia also very closely coordinate their actions." Andrews Kurth, an international corporate and litigation law firm, said its regional unit has signed up experienced energy and infrastructure lawyer Patricia Tiller as its partner for Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) office. A Dubai resident since 2009, Tiller has worked on innovative and complex projects throughout the Middle East and Africa (MEA), including the region's first offshore LNG regasification project and the $3-billion Dubai metro project. Tiller focuses her practice on energy and infrastructure projects in oil and gas, both upstream and downstream; power; and construction industries, said a statement from Andrews Kurth. She provides a wide range of experience in negotiating and drafting commercial project documentation and associated financing arrangements besides advising on deals for leading international firms throughout Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Welcoming her, Bob Jewell, the managing partner of Andrews Kurth, said: "Tiller will be a valuable asset for our global clients, particularly in the energy sector, where she has a depth of experience in a variety of projects involving acquisitions and joint ventures." With 10 offices worldwide, Andrews Kurth represents a wide array of clients in multiple industries. "Our clients will greatly benefit from Tiller's wide range of experience which will strengthen the firm's capabilities and collaboration across offices and borders," stated Hugh Fraser, office managing partner of Andrews Kurth (Middle East) DMCC in Dubai. On her new role, Tiller said: "I am excited to be joining the team at Andrews Kurth in Dubai and look forward to serving the firm's many international clients."-TradeArabia News Service Renault-Nissan Alliance generated 4.3 billion ($4.78 billion) in synergies in 2015, one year ahead of schedule and an increase of 13 per cent from 2014. Purchasing, engineering and manufacturing were the main contributors. Renault and Nissan generate synergies by working together to reduce costs, avoid spending and increase revenue. Only new synergies not cumulative are taken into account each year. Synergies help Renault and Nissan meet their financial goals and deliver higher-value vehicles to customers. Renault and Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars globally, converged four key functions in 2014: Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering & Supply Chain Management, Purchasing and Human Resources. While Renault and Nissan remain separate companies, each function is led by a common Alliance Executive Vice President. Convergence in four of our key business functions has resulted in creating value by reducing costs, avoiding expenses and increasing revenues. Thanks to the convergence, the Alliance expects to generate at least 5.5 billion in synergies in 2018, said Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Common Module Family Common Module Family (CMF) is the Alliances unique system of modular vehicle architecture and an increasing source of synergies. The Alliance is already reaping the benefits from CMF, reflected in the launch by Nissan of the Rogue in North America, the award winning Qashqai in Europe and the X-Trail in Japan and China. Renault also successfully launched the new Espace, the Kadjar, the new Megane and Talisman, all based on CFM-C/D. In 2015, Renault began selling the Kwid in India, followed by the launch of the Redi-Go by Datsun in mid-2016. Both are built in the Alliances plant in Chennai, India, on the CMF-A architecture, which covers the smallest and most affordable category of cars. With the launch of Common Module Family-A, the Renault-Nissan Alliance demonstrates its ability to enter a very competitive market such as India, where only few OEMs succeeded to answer the local customers requirement for modern and affordable cars, said Arnaud Deboeuf, Alliance senior vice president of Renault-Nissan BV and the Alliance CEOs Office. By 2020, the Alliance expects 70 per cent of its vehicles to be built on CMF architectures. Cross-production The cross-production of vehicles will continue to be a major driver of manufacturing synergies. Cross-production leverages the Alliance Production Way, a manufacturing and shop-floor management system common to Renault and Nissan. The Alliance Production Way takes manufacturing benchmarks from both Renault and Nissan. In early 2016, Renault announced that it will produce the next-generation of Nissans NV300 van at its plant in Sandouville, France. The Nissan NV300 will be manufactured on the same line as the new Renault Trafic. By the end of 2016, the Renault plant located in Flins, near Paris, will start the production of the new Nissan Micra. The AVTOVAZ plant in Togliatti, Russia, is the Alliances biggest production base in the world, with capacity of nearly 1 million vehicles a year. The plant produces vehicles under four brands: Lada, Renault, Nissan and Datsun. The Alliance owns a majority stake in the joint venture that controls AVTOVAZ, Russias largest automaker. Collaborative work on Electric Vehicles, Autonomous Drive and connectivity The Renault-Nissan Alliance also announced that it will launch 10 models with Autonomous Drive technologies by 2020. This is in line with the Alliances commitment to technological innovation and its focus on the twin goals of zero emissions and zero fatalities. Renault-Nissan is already the global leader in electric vehicles. The Alliance has sold more than 340,000 zero-emission vehicles since 2010. Renault and Nissan engineers are working together on the development of Autonomous Drive, connectivity and other next-generation technologies for mass-market, mainstream vehicles. By partnering on advanced research and development, Renault and Nissan are able to work more efficiently, with less cost. The Alliance has an annual research and development budget of about 4.5 billion. It has research centers in Atsugi, Japan; Guyancourt, France; Farmington Hills, Mich.; Sunnyvale, Calif.; and in India, Brazil, Romania, Turkey and China, among other locations. In January, the Alliance announced the introduction of a common Connected Vehicles and Mobility Services team that will ensure the swift implementation of connectivity applications that customers will experience across all Alliance brands. The team will also be introducing new mobility services on behalf of the Alliance. The Renault-Nissan Alliance has set as a priority to make synergies happen today while both companies work together for the future. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan. TradeArabia News Service Tata Steel has entered into talks with companies including Germanys Thyssenkrupp AG on a possible joint venture in Europe, after reviewing bids on the UK assets that the Indian steelmaker had planned to sell. Talks are preliminary, the Mumbai-based company said in a statement after a board meeting on Friday. Tata said the asset bids were considered on the basis of their commercial value and prospects for the future sustainability of the UK business for a range of stakeholders, as well as the uncertainties caused by the UK referendum last month, reported Bloomberg citing senior company officials. Taking the above issues into account, the board of Tata Steel has decided to also look at alternative and more sustainable portfolio solutions for the European businesses,it stated. Tata announced in March that it planned to sell U.K. operations including the Port Talbot facility in South Wales after years of losses, putting 15,000 jobs at risk and provoking a political storm in Britain. The company is seeking to pare debt by selling the assets, which have been crippled by high energy costs and a glut of steel on the world market emanating from China, the biggest producer. Tata said Friday it will also start separate processes for the potential sale of its South Yorkshire-based specialty steels business and the Hartlepool pipe mills in the U.K., for which it has received interest from several bidders, it said. At least four bidders pulled out of the process for the U.K operations due to concern over the viability of the operations after the Brexit vote, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information isnt public. The assets had attracted interest from at least seven potential buyers including Indias JSW Steel Ltd. and Hebei Iron & Steel Group, people with knowledge of the matter have said. "A potential strategic combination of strip products businesses offers the best prospects to create a premium, world-class strip steel business with the scale and scope of capabilities to compete successfully on the global stage," Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director, said in the statement Friday. The U.K. government, under pressure to protect jobs amid accusations that it has neglected the nations industrial base, has said it would provide assistance with the sale and offer support to buyers. Tata Steel may decide to keep the assets if the government offered a bailout and helped ease its pension liabilities, one of the people said. The companys U.K. pension plan may have a deficit of as much as 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion), according to parliamentary minutes. Chatterjee said whether the talks produce results and include the U.K. business in the potential joint venture depends on several issues, including finding a suitable outcome for the British Steel Pension Scheme, successful discussions with the U.K. trade unions and the delivery of policy initiatives and other support from the governments of the U.K. and Wales. Liberty House Group and Excalibur Steel, a buyout team led by a Tata executive, have studied buying the assets, according to people familiar with the matter. Other bidders include Greybull Capital, which agreed in April to buy Tata Steel assets in northern England and France; US steel giant Nucor Corp and UK fund Endless, according to reports.-Bloomberg Air strikes killed 23 people at a holiday spot in Syria's Idlib province while at least 25 died when rebels shelled government-held areas of Aleppo city on Friday, the last day of a 72-hour ceasefire announced by the Syrian army, a war monitor said. A riverside area in the town of Darkush, near the Turkish border, in western Idlib province was targeted in the air strikes. Idlib province and city are under the control of rebel groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. The dead and injured had come from towns around the province to enjoy the Muslim Eid holiday weekend, witnesses and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The death toll, which included 10 women and two children, is likely to rise due to the number of severely injured people, according to the Observatory. "It was a terrifying sight because most of the people had fallen into the river next to the spring. There were children, women, men," Ahmad Yaziji, a civil defence chief in the nearby town of Jisr al-Shughour, told Reuters. The civil defence are first responders in opposition-held territory of Syria, now in its sixth year of civil war. "The area which was targeted had no military positions in it at all and never had done," Yaziji said. A 72-hour ceasefire was announced by the Syrian army on Wednesday, but rebels and the Observatory said there had been little let-up in the violence. On Thursday, government forces took a step towards completely encircling rebel-held parts of Aleppo, capturing ground overlooking the only road into the opposition half of the city and effectively putting those areas under siege. At least 25 people were killed, including six children, in government-held parts of the northern city and more than 120 were injured when dozens of rebel-fired rockets fell on the area on Friday, the Observatory said. Syrian state media reported roughly similar figures. Syrian and Russian jets carry out air strikes across Syria but it was not known who carried out Friday's attack in Idlib. Russia sent warplanes to Syria last year to support President Bashar al-Assad against rebels seeking to end his rule, and have supported Syrian government forces in a separate fight against Islamic State militants further east. Fighting has intensified since a February ceasefire deal unravelled.-Reuters A black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" opened fire in a sniper attack in which five police officers were slain at a protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking lot, ending an hours-long standoff. The sound of gunfire sent a panicked crowd of hundreds of protesters screaming and running for their lives near the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana. Police officers patrolling the demonstration at the time believed they were under attack by several gunmen. US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York that "at this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization." Dallas police said in a report they searched Johnson's home in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite and found "bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics." Police said he had no previous criminal history. Three other people were detained by police, but authorities have not publicly linked them to the shootings. The Louisiana and Minnesota shootings, both the subject of federal investigations, were the latest in a series of similar incidents that have triggered protests over police use of force against black suspects and racial disparities in the American criminal justice system. The march was affiliated with Black Lives Matter, a decentralized movement that arose after the series of police killings to protest the treatment of black people by US law enforcement. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the incident "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy," adding, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told reporters he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is black. Some details began to emerge about Johnson. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in his Facebook post above a graphic video of people participating in a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, he was portrayed as a black nationalist, with images of Black Power and the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power gesture. The US Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. 'HEARTACHE AND DEVASTATION' Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a gunman carrying an assault-style weapon and large amounts of ammunition. The video shows a man with a rifle crouching at ground level and charging at and then shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. Reverend Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. "If we continue to turn to violence, we are going to continue to see heartache and devastation." It was the deadliest day for US police since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, added, "We also know when people are armed with powerful weapons unfortunately it makes attacks like these more deadly." Three of the slain officers were identified on Friday. One was Brent Thompson, 43, who joined the Dallas Area Rapid Transit police department in 2009, according to police. Another was Patricio Zamarripa, 32, an US Navy veteran, according to his family. Also killed was Michael Krol, 40, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Michigan, where he used to work. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were ambushed and wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. The day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both major US presidential contenders cancelled their campaign events for Friday following the attack. GUNMAN ACTED ALONE Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said on Friday evening that the black man suspected of opening fire in the sniper attack had acted alone. "We believe now that the city is safe, and the suspect is dead, and we can move onto healing," Rawlings told reporters at a news conference. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at the news conference however that it remained important to determine whether there were any other co-conspirators to the attack, launched by 25-year-old US military veteran Micah Johnson. Reuters At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan's rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on Machar's side "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. A Reuters witness said on Saturday Juba was calm but tense with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were shuttered. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the latest violence highlighted a lack of commitment to the peace process and urged the country's leaders to end the fighting, discipline military leaders and work together to implement the peace deal.-Reuters The United States said on Friday that continued aggression by Russia would provoke a response by Nato and a greater alliance presence in Eastern Europe. "What we are demonstrating is that if Russia continues this pattern of aggressive behavior, there will be a response and there will be a greater presence in Eastern Europe," White House Deputy National Security adviser Ben Rhodes said. "We are going to do what is necessary to defend the alliance and the eastern members of the alliance," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Warsaw.-Reuters Iran's officials are reviving the idea of developing oil fields using buy-back deals that international oil companies dislike, suggesting renewed tensions between hardliners and reformists over the future of the industry. Iran needs money to boost output from its oil reserves, the world's fourth largest, because production has been crippled by years of Western sanctions. Some of these were removed in January. Iran has promised new Iran Petroleum Contracts (IPCs), offering more flexible terms and ending a system known as buy-back contracts that foreign companies say give them a limited return on investment while denying them any rights to the oil, with the Iranian government taking the bulk of the profits. But on Monday, the newly-appointed managing director of state-run National Iranian Oil Company, Ali Kardor, said oil fields could be developed either through buy-backs or Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing Contracts (EPCF). Joint fields will be offered using the new type of contracts, while Iranian companies will be entrusted with developing a number of fields, Kardor said, according to Shana, the Iran's oil ministry agency. Foreign oil companies and Iranian reformists are likely to regard Kardor's comments as a setback. Buy-back contracts, used for more than 20 years, pay foreign companies a fee for extracting oil but bar them from claiming any rights to the reserves or taking equity stakes in Iranian companies. Oil majors such as Italy's Eni and France's Total have said they lost so much money on the old buy-back deals that they would not go back to Iran under old terms under any circumstances. But hardline rivals of reformist President Hassan Rouhani have opposed the new contracts, and internal infighting over the structure and commercial terms of the new IPC contracts has caused several delays in tendering them. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that no new contracts would be awarded without necessary reforms in the national interest. "I'm a little puzzled and it seems to be because of the election. They do not want Rouhani to succeed," said an Iranian oil source, referring to Iran's 2017 presidential election. Iran Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh appointed Kardor last month in a push to agree long-awaited deals with oil majors. He said a final draft for the contracts would be approved by the government shortly after some amendments to appease both critics and foreign companies. But in a sign that hardliners are gaining ground, Zanganeh also said last week the contracts were amended to enable Iran to develop its oil and gas fields either through a buy-back system or other methods. --Reuters Matt Horne gripped a burlap sack from Mbale, Uganda, as he walked into his home office just after 9 p.m. Wednesday. He moved past the washer and dryer toward a stainless steel machine in the corner, avoiding the coffee beans strewn across the floor. Its kind of crowded, he said under fluorescent lighting in this roughly 8-by-15-foot space. But thats all right. This is the Horne family laundry room. Its also where Matt roasts coffee. Two to three times per week, this is where youll find the 32-year-old pastor. He stands over a $5,000 machine that hums like a vacuum, his kids sleeping 30 feet away, roasting beans for Caspers newest coffee company: Mukwano Coffee. Matt and his wife, Kayla, started the business in March. It was inspired from their time living in Uganda. The Casper locals worked with Engineering Ministries International for two years, building a school and assisting the community in East Africa. They also drank fresh Mbale coffee, the beans harvested from a mountain in their backyard. We would go into this big factory and walk into a room. There were a bunch of people outside picking stones out of the coffee beans that had been dried on the side of the road to take into the roaster, Matt said. I would go in and (order) two bags of coffee. (The clerk) would take them out of the hopper, fill them up and sell them to me, and we would go home and drink it. Roasted that day. It was a really cool thing. When they returned from Uganda, the couple longed for the same fresh-roasted experience. Matt learned how to roast coffee in college, and Kayla was familiar with running a business. So they created Mukwano Coffee, which means my friend in Luganda, the major language in Uganda. The Hornes didnt know what to expect. There isnt much of a fresh roasted coffee scene in Casper. They planned to sell coffee to friends and family, setting up shop at downtown functions like Art Walk, Nic Fest and the weekly Food for Thought Farmers Market. We just didnt know how many people knew about good coffee (in Casper), so we figured it would take some time to educate people on the difference, Kayla Horne, 26, said. We did samples a lot, so the people could taste it. Its like eating a vegetable fresh or in a can. Kayla spends the day taking care of the couples three children. Early in the morning or during nap time, she seals bags, processes orders from their website (www.mukwanocoffee.com), takes calls and answers emails for the company. Its her job to monitor what bean is selling and what bean is running low. She writes a list for Matt periodically during the week, detailing what needs to be roasted. Wednesday nights list called for beans from Sumatra, Rwanda, Uganda and organic decaf, which is from Colombia. Rwanda is their most popular bean. Thats the roast they use for their cold brew coffee, which is ground and steeped for 20 hours in a cold-water bucket near their kitchen sink. They also have roasts from Ethiopia and Burundi and an espresso blend. The unroasted coffee beans all look similar: small and wasabi green. Matt scooped five pounds of the Rwandan. He tossed them into the roaster and turned on the machine. The beans popped and danced in the kettle, quickly darkening, expanding and cracking with the heat. The laundry room filled with a burnt dark chocolate smell. Roasting coffee is both an art and a science, Matt said, glancing at his timer, then at the temperature. If you roast it too fast, then you dont bring out a lot of the flavor thats in the bean, the natural sugar. If you roast it too slow, then you cook all the flavor out. Its pretty sensitive. Once the beans were roasted, Matt poured them into a cooling bin. He stired the pile with a spoon and dumped them into an airtight tub, ready to be sold, ground and enjoyed in a two-week window to assure peak freshness. What you buy in the grocery store is probably four or five months old, he said. Theyre just not fresh. Business has been unexpectedly good so far. Mukwano Coffee sold nearly 500 pounds of beans last month, a goal they expected to reach by March. Currently, theyre looking for a larger space to roast so they can meet the requirements of the health department to sell wholesale and retail. Down the line, they might even open a coffee shop, furthering their goal to bring good coffee to Casper. Were not trying to be snobby about it, Matt said. Theres kind of that group of people that are like really snobby about coffee. Were just trying to show people the better way. Wednesdays roasting process repeated itself throughout the night until 11 p.m. The hum of the machine could be heard from the sidewalk, as with the aroma emanating into the street. Its a funny thing to have the same Mbale coffee beans in their grasps again. What was once harvested in their backyard now had to travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to be roasted in this laundry room. Matt finished the first five-pound batch of the Uganda. Before starting the next, he reached into the pile and grabbed a freshly roasted and darkened bean. He tossed it into his mouth, crunched away and smiled. Pretty sweet, huh, for a coffee bean? US refineries have been running near full speed for months, making more gasoline than drivers are using. This led to all-time high gasoline stockpiles, nearly 10 percent higher than last year. Even if refineries slow down, some analysts expect that prices could stay lower for the foreseeable future as crude oil stockpiles are at record high levels as well. Gasoline futures, which represent wholesale prices at the New York harbor, without taxes or other costs included, stood Friday at a four-month low of $1.36 per gallon, down 30 cents since mid-May. Some drivers may not reap this full discount, as gasoline is not easily transported. This factor can create local aberrations in pricing, keeping costs higher in areas with tighter supplies. Rains sink soybeans Soybean prices plummeted by $1.10 per bushel during the week as much-needed rains fell across the Midwest. Traders grew wary of bets on crop shortages while farmers got more confident that theyd grow hearty soybean crops this year, causing both camps to sell aggressively this week. By midday Friday, prices for July soybeans stood at $10.80, down sharply from recent highs over $12.00. Silver bullets higher Silvers meteoric rise continued this week, topping out over $21 per ounce. Prices exploded after the UK voted to leave the European Union, but the rally has been sustained as buyers rush to the metal on additional news of economic and political uncertainty. Last weekend, terrorist attacks on Turkeys main airport killed 45 people, underscoring the political instability in the Middle East. In times of turmoil, investors frequently favor hard assets. Gold and silver dealers have noted a sharp increase in retail business, as people flock into stores both to buy and sell coins and bars. Large-scale investors have been more active as well, with trading volumes on the silver futures market nearing multiyear highs this week. By the end of the week, profit-taking knocked the market back as low as $19.40, a warning that silver trading can be both profitable and treacherous. Help Yourself Career workshop focuses on public sector The Casper Workforce Center is hosting a Career Symposium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Monday, July 11. If you are considering a career in the "public sector" field, working for law enforcement, fire, the federal government, or other agency, then you are encouraged to attend. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions and give out information. The event is free to the public. The Casper Workforce Center is located at 851 Werner Court. For more information, call 234-4591. Tai Chi for arthritis class Tai Chi for Arthritis Part 1, it is not just for those with arthritis. Tai Chi is an ancient practice proven to reduce pain and improve your mental and physical well-being. This series of Tai Chi for Arthritis was developed by Dr. Paul Lam. The form uses gentle Sun style Tai Chi postures that are safe, easy to learn, and suitable for every fitness level. This form can be done standing or seated. The practice of Tai Chi will help you to reduce stress, increase balance and flexibility, and improve your overall feeling of wellness. Preregistration for the workshop is required. The cost is $122 for 16 consecutive sessions, meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., starting July 11 and ending Aug. 31 for the next session. This workshop class will be located at the Healthy Life Studio in the Sunrise Shopping Center. You can register online at www.healthylifestudio.com or call 472-1962. Free rides on Parade Day On Tuesday, July 12, CATC and The Buss passengers will ride for free. Due to street closures downtown for the parade, the fixed routes that operate in Casper only will suspend route service in the Casper service area from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mills and Evansville routes and CATC's door to door service will operate normal hours and locations. For more information, call 265-1313 or 237-4287. Brain injury support The Brain Injury Alliance of Wyoming will be hosting a support group for survivors of brain injury, their family members and caregivers at 11:30 a.m., on Friday, July 15, 2016, at 123 W. First St., Suite 400. Color in watercolor workshop ART 321/Casper Artists Guild invites you to sign up today for the "Layering Color for Translucent Light and Shadow in Watercolor workshop, instructed by Jaimie Cordero, an award winning watercolor artist from Miami, Florida. This great workshop is full of wonderful instruction on the use of color. Those who have taken her workshop say it is one of the very best! The workshop is Tuesday through Friday, July 12 to 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee is $325 for members/ $400* for non-members for all four days, plus a $15 supply fee. You may attend by the day with a fee of $100 per day for members/ $150 per day for non-members, plus the supply fee of $15. This workshop is open to all levels. Sign up in person (321 W. Midwest Ave.), by phone (265-2655) or online at: http://art321.org/workshops.html Cordero is offering a free demonstration from 7 to 8 p.m., on Monday, July 11, at ART 321. Saturday morning watercolor The schedule for the Saturday morning watercolor sessions at ART 321 has been set for July and August. The sessions meet every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon, the cost is $10 per session. All levels welcome. Havent painted before? No problem. This is the place to learn and enjoy art. For information and questions, please call Ellen Black at 265-6783. July 16, Michele Myers, Glazing Techniques; July 23, practice session; July 30, Kit Scott, Painting Portraits; August 6, Ellen Schreiner, Importance of Color; August 13, practice session; August 20, Simplify with a Limited Palette; August 27, practice session. Family continues suicide support Good Grief, Support will continue at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month (July 13 and 27) at the 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott, by request of attendees. The family of J.R. Hunter, who died from suicide in June 2015 began the support before the especially tough holiday season. Anyone who is grieving a suicide, death, or considering suicide is encouraged to attend. Attendance at the meeting, as well as the content, will be strictly confidential. The Fresh Start Cafe will be open, and you can eat during the meetings. This meeting place was offered by Dan Cantine of the 12-24 Club. You need not be a member to attend. Monday career symposiums The Department of Workforce Services will be holding a Career Symposium for job seekers showcasing career opportunities throughout the State of Wyoming. We are hoping to assist individuals who may be struggling to determine a career pathway or are changing careers due to recent layoffs. Stop by the Casper Department of Workforce Services, 851 Werner Court, Ste. 120, on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 27 through August 8. Opportunities will include statewide college or training options as well as many different career pathways that may not need additional schooling. Parkinson's support July 19 Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinson's Support Group on Tuesday, July 19. We meet at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 East 2nd Street, Building #500, at 5:30 p.m. Our guest speaker for the July 19 meeting will be Dr. Claudio Feler, neurosurgeon. Light refreshments will be served. This support group is open to anyone with Parkinson's or caring for someone with Parkinson's. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon. To find out more about Rocky Mountain Therapy please visit our website at www.rockymountaintherapy.org Parkinson's exercise Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinson's exercise program. Join us from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 E. Second St., Building 500. These classes are open to anyone with Parkinson's or caring for someone with Parkinson's. Thursday's class is tailored for the individual with more advanced Parkinson's and focuses on improving endurance, safety and managing symptoms. We are open to all ages and can tailor the class to meet varying exercise needs. The cost of the class is $5. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon. Celebrate Recovery every Friday Looking for a nontraditional approach to recovery from your hurts, habits and hangups? Celebrate Recovery meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday at Highland Park Community Church, just south of Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital on East Second Street. We start with a family meal, followed by praise and worship. At 7 p.m., there's either a lesson from Celebrate Recovery's planned curriculum or a testimony by a person who has found recovery through Christ. Then, people go to gender-specific small groups until 8:30 p.m., when dessert and fellowship conclude the evening. Child care is available at no cost. For more information, contact Chris at 265-4073. Here and Now: Dementia-focused monthly art class Classes are every third Tuesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. There is no charge. Here and Now is a program made possible through a collaboration between Wyoming Dementia Care and the Nicolaysen Art Museum. It is designed to provide a supportive environment for people with dementia and Alzheimers and their loved ones. To register, contact Dani with Wyoming Dementia Care 265-4678, ext. 106, or at wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or Zhanna Gallegos at 235-5247 or at zgallegos@thenic.org In 1986, Red Oxx Manufacturing made its first products from decommissioned military-surplus webbing. It was burly stuff, the kind of material that could last for decades and, despite being destined for destruction, the company thought it needed to see new life. Today, the Montana-based bag and luggage maker continues to cut a unique path. Its gear remains burly, almost clunky in cases, including extra-thick nylon, oversize zippers, stainless steel rings, reinforced stitching, and funny monkey-knot pulls that adorn zippers with a spherical head of cord. Made in America, in a facility in Montana, and with the backbone of a military ethos that comes from a veteran-owned brand, perhaps some overcompensation is expected. You pay for it, certainly, with prices that start north of $200 for many of the bags. But you get a lifetime warranty, solid design and construction that Ive seen firsthand will last. Indeed, I got a bag from Red Oxx more than a decade ago. My dad later adopted it as a do-all hauler, and, last I checked, despite a lot of abuse, the bag looked mostly like new. This month, the company shipped me a newer product, the Big Bull Roll-Up, to test. The bag is a strange beast, a pocket-adorned duffel built for situations as varying as TSA airport checkpoints and archeology field work. Another use pegs it for 4x4 truck overlanders in need of a soft-side tool organizer that drapes over a seat-back. I filled mine with camping gear. My test was a weekend at a cabin with odds and ends, from headlamps and bug repeller products, to knives. The Big Bull Roll-Up functioned as a mega organizer, its see-through pockets six in total, each accessed by a big-tooth zipper giving enough capacity for all the small- and mid-size gear I needed to take. Made of a thick ballistic nylon, the bag measures about 20 x 8 x 8 when rolled up, making it usable as an airplane carry-on. The pockets are accessed by unfurling the duffel, with two big buckles unclasping to let it roll flat. You then get a big palette of exposed pockets, everything easy to grab. No digging required, and because of the mesh used for the pockets all you pack is immediately visible and in reach. On the outside, a briefcase handle offers a grip. The bags main strap, which clips with metal buckles to metal V-rings, has a rubber section that sticks on your shoulder. In the end, the Big Bull Roll-Up is a neat idea, but it costs too much. At $285, I found this price tag hard to justify, despite the made-in-Montana bags double stitching, stainless steel pieces, thick fabrics and lifetime warranty. The product works as advertised, a one-of-a-kind rugged, rollable compartmentalized duffel. Maybe you have a direct need for this level of organization in the outdoors or for work. Check out Red Oxx as a brand if nothing else. Its line ranges from specialized to general-use, each product built to last for years. I recently toured Pathways Innovation Center, the nearly complete Casper school opening in the fall. Walking through the building, principal Chad Sharpe pointed out overhead spaces that were left uncovered, revealing glimpses of beams and wiring that normally would be covered by ceiling tiles. The choice was partly stylish and partly to remind students about the contributions of skilled workers who built the school from the ground up. Blue-collar workers arent always given enough credit for their contributions to such projects, Sharpe said. My youngest brother is a professional woodworker and previously was a welder and ranch hand. Not long ago he mentioned a high school guidance counselor who told him planning a career in the trades was not a valid option. No one bothered to ask during my public school career if I would prefer to work with my hands, to build or create something, instead of sitting at a desk. Im not sure what the answer would have been at the time. There were vocational programs, but they were barely mentioned outside of spartan descriptions in the back pages of newsprint course catalogs sent home each year. When the subject did come up, the implication was that programs in construction or mechanics were alternatives for kids who were unlikely to succeed in school, go to college or amount to much. Pathways is the exact opposite. The schools academies will let students mingle cabinetmaking with robotics, agriculture with culinary arts or 3D art with environmental science. In the think tank, a room bathed in blue light designed to encourage innovation, engineering students can video conference while their classmates literally frame a house on the other side of the glass. Today, if someone asked me if I would like to build or create something, I know what the answer would be. MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS Theres a community spirit when you camp in Yellowstone National Park, said Kris Yasord as she sat in the shade of her familys RV on a windy June afternoon. People share information about what they saw and where, said the Oregon camper. There are a lot of other places you could go if you want solitude. Popular place Theres no doubt about that. Last year more than 4 million tourists visited Yellowstone, a new record. Of those visitors almost 20 percent or around 811,000 chose to camp out in tents, vans, trailers and RVs, according to Park Service statistics. Thanks to Yellowstones typically cool climate, most of those tourists are crammed into the summer months. Of the folks who chose to camp out, the majority more than 581,000 favored concession operated sites where reservations can be made. Fishing Bridge on Yellowstone Lake is the most popular campground, attracting 101,000 visitors last year where they can plug RVs into electrical outlets. Another 45,000 opted to seek a less crowded option at backcountry campsites accessible only by foot or horseback. In the first five months, the park has topped last years early visitation by more than 75,000 folks. That may be proof that once again Yellowstone faces another record-setting year for tourism. This year has the added attraction of the National Park Services 100th anniversary, which has been widely advertised, assisted by continued low gas prices. Yellowstone has consistently proven to be a draw for people, not only from around the region, but around the world. Stop to chat with campers and theres no telling who you will meet or the unique tales you may hear. Going south Take Canadian Dale Wiggins, for example. He piloted his 250cc Yamaha motorcycle roughly 8,000 miles across much of the Western United States before reaching Yellowstone last month. Its on my bucket list, he said while relaxing at a picnic table next to his small pitched tent. I wanted to see what was in my neighbors back yard. All Ive been doing is hitting state parks and national parks. Lean, tan and wind-weathered, Wiggins said every place hes visited has its own charm. Yellowstone is different in one significant way, though. Thats one thing I noticed: When people get in the park their minds turn to jelly, he said, which makes him drive even more defensively than usual. As for the possibility of one of the parks natives a black bear or grizzly wandering through the campground, Wiggins said it was not a concern. They are who they are, he said. I treat nature as the locals. From out West For California campers Marth and Erik Thomson Yellowstone was a convenient stopover on the way to a marvelous adventure for Erik. Im going to canoe all the way down the Mississippi, he said. The trip would started when he launched a canoe on the nearby Yellowstone River. Its an odyssey he was looking forward to enjoying with his two dogs, who would co-pilot the boat. Ive been wanting to hear that sound of just the wind, no freeway, he said, leaning up against their car in his shorts and a black T-shirt that read Keep Calm and Ask Your Mom. Im going to worry about whats around the next bend and nothing else. Yellowstone holds fond memories for Marth, who lives in Atascadero, Calif. But the park had changed significantly from the last time she was there about 20 years ago namely, there were more people everywhere she went. I remember we just walked right up to one of the main attractions, swam in the river, she said wistfully. It wasnt nearly this crowded or restricted. So what? Even with Yellowstone more crowded than ever, Kris Yasord still loves to return. Yellowstone is my favorite park, she said. Ive been coming here since I was 4, and Ive been back several times. Then Yasords mother poked her head out of the RV and corrected that her daughter had actually been to Yellowstone when she was only a year-and-a-half old. The attraction for the family is the bubbling mud pots and geysers, things that you can see here that you cant see anywhere else, Yasord said. There was one fly in the campground ointment for the family, though. Nowhere on the website could the family find any information about the use of childrens scooters in the campground. So instead of hauling bicycles cross country, they saved space and brought scooters only to find out the campground host wouldnt let the children ride them. They were really bummed, said Jami Yasord, the kids father. So his oldest daughter, Cedar, found another way to entertain herself, climbing in a worn juniper tree next to their RV. Like her mother, Cedar said she enjoys coming to the park because its really cool and there are lots of creatures you cant see anywhere else. While large creatures like bison and elk may attract the majority of tourists attention, Cedar was just as intrigued by the wee ground squirrels scuttling around the campground. A shrimp farm and industrial fiber optic connections are the largest economic development projects in the new $1.6 million budget for the Casper Natrona County Economic Development Joint Powers Board. The Board approved a $91,000 loan for a proposed shrimp farm in Midwest. The undertaking would take advantage of naturally heated water discovered as part of the areas oilfields. The project is a shrimp farm thats the long and short of it, said RH Farms developer Richard Hawley. The town of Midwest actually owns a geothermal well, and Ive secured water rights through the town ... its hard but drinkable. So thats the reason why Midwest. Hawley said raising shrimp in Wyoming may seem novel, but it is essentially a variation on a fish hatchery. This isnt anything new, its not anything complicated, Hawley said. Instead of it being a rainbow trout, its a shrimp. Thats the only difference. Its the same technology. The initial plan calls for two employees, two warehouse type buildings, 96 tanks (each 8 by 8 feet) and shrimp. Hawley is also leasing the land from the town of Midwest at startup rates. The water will be cooled from around 190 degrees to 85 degrees in an existing retention pond, gravity fed into the tanks, while also heating the buildings. At a normal shrimp farm, its about $4 to $5 a pound at the break-even point, because they are having to pump the water, treat the water, heat the water. In my situation, I can actually produce the same pound of shrimp for about 70 cents, because Im not having to do any of that stuff, so thats the difference, Hawley said. In approving the loan, the board noted the risk of the venture. Hawley was unable to secure traditional bank financing and was turned down by the Wyoming Business Council, in part because it was a new concept for the state. Casper City Councilman Bob Hopkins voted against the project, citing the lack of security on the loan should the project fail. Our capital is totally at risk, I dont know that we have enough to even recover 10 percent of what we might offer at resale... Hopkins said. It looks like a heck of a deal, but when were sitting here on essentially taxpayer money, it still has the feel of a grant to an individual. Board Chairman Mark Pepper, however, said such ventures were within the purview of the board. The charge to the Economic Development Joint Powers Board ... was business retention, or expansion, or incentives, for new business; and, some of why the Joint Powers Board was created was because the county and the city entities had that issue that a joint powers board is able to circumvent a little bit, Pepper said regarding government agency loans to private businesses. Casper City Councilman Ray Pacheco said local and state governments need to encourage a wide range of enterprises. Every time we go through a bust, the big catchphrase is economic diversity, Pacheco said. I think we have to take a real, sometimes a unique, approach and say how do we diversify, and what are we doing to put our money where our mouth is. As a condition of board approval, Hawley agreed to secure a $50,000 loan guarantee from a private supporter. Board members also allocated $850,000 for potential fiber optic transmission projects, primarily to help with last mile infrastructure to hook up businesses (such as data centers) to main fiber trunk lines. The Board will be given a strategic plan for use of the fiber transmission funds in August, where the details of the program will be presented. The board additionally approved $50,000 for the Eclipse Fest, which is a promotional effort based on Caspers proximity to the path of a total solar eclipse in August 2017. Another major component of the Boards budget was $573,000 for the ongoing contract with the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance, which acts as the quasi-private economic development arm of the board. Books sit in the lockers and personal effects lie on unused desks in the empty classrooms of Midwest School, vacated after carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds were found in air quality samples in May. Officials report that high levels of carbon dioxide have continued to drop since a leaking well adjacent to the school was plugged, but they remain uncertain when the school will be safe to open. We are hoping to have some decision made by September. That is our goal at this point, said Audrey Gray, spokeswoman for the Casper-Natrona County Health Department. Students and teachers will start the fall semester in Casper, using the new Pathways Innovation Center campus for Midwest high-schoolers and the old Westwood building for grades K through 8, said Kelly Eastes, spokesman for the district. The lack of precise timeline for reopening the school is due to the presence of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Wyoming does not have the expertise to identify the mix of potentially toxic chemicals that make up the VOCs found in Midwest School, Gray said. The most recent round of samples is being sent to the Agency of Toxic Substance Disease Registry for identification. The agency could take up to eight weeks to interpret that data, Gray said. VOCs can cause a number of health effects, ranging from respiratory irritation to nervous system disorders, depending on the length and intensity of exposure, according to a Health Department news release. Air quality samples have not revealed the presence of the deadly gas, hydrogen sulfide. Nor have elevated gas levels been reported in other parts of the small town, officials said. Some local residents and parents worried the gas leak was the cause of a number of minor illnesses in the community. In 2014, the Natrona County School District investigated reports of a strange smell in the kitchens at Midwest after a number of employees experienced headaches and dizziness. At the time, school district officials identified a malfunctioning oven hood, an uncleaned drain and improper use of cleaning products as likely sources of the complaints. Since the schools closure, no residents have reported illness to the county health department or the school district, Eastes and Gray said. The health department has recently put out a health questionnaire for students and staff and will use that data to check for symptoms related to gas and VOC exposure. FDL Energy, which operates the field surrounding the school, is continuing to monitor other gas wells, overseen by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, according to the release. The task is proving difficult in the area, which been drilled for oil since the 1890s. Many early wells were abandoned without being properly sealed off. According to state records, 120 permanently abandoned wells sit in the 640-acre section surrounding the school. Former Wyoming Govs. Mike Sullivan and Jim Geringer said political candidates in particular, presidential hopefuls embrace reality-television-style messaging and explosive statements that result in lower-quality policy for the country. At a time when Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has come under fire for posting what many consider to be an anti-Semitic image, the former governors said instant communication is hurting the country. Geringer, a Republican, said the problem exists on the left, too. What were seeing ... in politics generally is sort of bowing to the lowest denominator, said Sullivan, a Democrat. It seems the lowest common denominator has been set by reality TV and 24-hour news and sort of the instant communication that we have. I think its unfortunate and I hope we can avoid it in Wyoming, which we always have. The standard seems to be the best way to get attention is to be outrageous, Geringer added. So whether its the genuine response that either of the two presumed presidential candidates are displaying or the urge to say How am I going to get more than a quick sound bite on television? I have to say something that really smacks them upside the head. And that just degenerates the entire discourse. Sullivan and Geringer were at Casper College last week preparing for Aug. 2 debates for U.S. House candidates. The Star-Tribune, Wyoming PBS and the college are sponsoring the event. The governors administrations were back-to-back: Sullivan led the state from 1987 to 1995. Geringer governed from 1995 to 2003. Sullivan lives in Casper, recently retired from his law practice. Former President Bill Clinton named him ambassador to Ireland in 1998. Geringer, who lives in Cheyenne, is a mechanical engineer and works for a technology company. Hes also worked as a farmer, an Air Force officer and in the space program. Theres a good chance many people will not vote because theyre unhappy with the Republican and Democratic options of Trump and Hillary Clinton, Geringer said. Another group will vote for third-party candidates. It means the people who voted in the election, the one who receives the most votes will probably not even get 50 percent, he said. Its very likely to be a low percentage. I dont know how low, but 40 percent is not out of the question. It makes it very difficult for either candidate to govern according to a mandate. Both governors led the state during an oil downturn. At that time, coal and gas didnt provide as high proportions of revenue to the state as they have more recently. Both men had to cut government. Gov. Matt Mead and the Legislature have reduced the state budget due to downturns in energy prices, too. Neither former governor spoke in much detail about which cuts they support and which they oppose. They said the challenge facing Wyoming is that energy revenues continue to fall behind projections, which has been challenging for state agencies. Sullivan said that both parties were more unified in the 1990s than they are today. The Republicans, in particular, are fractured between the tea party and more mainstream camps, he said. There are different bases within the parties, and legislatively and locally and nationally people are trying to establish their bases, he said. Therefore, policies become driven by a sort of different dynamic, which is bothersome." The factions are more pronounced during primary elections, Geringer said. "(Candidates) play to the edge (more) than what would be the mainstream of either party, he said. Sullivan believes it is easier to be governor when the opposing party controls the Legislature. The tension between the two branches is obviously based on ideology. But with one party controlling most of government, the tensions isnt as constructive because its sort of internal fighting. And its more about power than anything else internally it seems to be. "I think its an opinion that other governors whove had the same circumstance held: that you can have a better, more transparent discussion of the issues if you have more of a political balance, he said. First, Congress brought us intertubes. Now, its InternetLand. On Thursday, Wyomings sole member of the U.S. House, Cynthia Lummis, uttered the words internet land during a four-hour hearing in Washington with the head of the FBI over Hillary Clintons use of emails. And the land of the internet went wild. On Twitter, #InternetLand elicited dozens of witty quips. Thank you, Mrs. Lummis, for #InternetLand. I love you. Marry me, wrote a poster identified as Marry Banilow X. I want to visit #InternetLand, wrote CBS news correspondent Vladimir Duthiers. @CynthiaLummis please dont call the internet #InternetLand, wrote Lou McDonald of Des Moines. Lummis was grilling FBI Director James Comey during a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Wyoming Republican and other committee members questioned Comeys decision to recommend against charging Clinton, the former secretary of state and presumed Democratic presidential nominee, for using a private email server while conducting business with classified information. Lummis and Comey had a spirited discussion about the statute that she believes Clinton violated. Comey does not think Clinton meant to break the law. The intent here in the statue is to retain the documents at an unauthorized location, Lummis said. Its not intent to pass them on to a terrorist. Or to someone out in internet land. Shortly after she uttered the term, Twitter blew up, complete with a meme of a crying child: When you find out InternetLand is not real, it read. So how much are tickets for this InternetLand?? wrote Misjake on the Lake. Lummis comment harkens back to the meme intertubes, made famous by the late U.S. Sen Ted Stevens of Alaska. Intertubes was born from a 2006 statement by Stevens, who called the internet a series of tubes, which technically many experts have said is correct. Joe Spiering, Lummis spokesman, noted many old references to media include the word land. Radio land and TV land are examples. Though some may choose to latch onto a particular word or turn of phrase in the hearing, no American can afford to dismiss the serious nature of the breach of security for which former Secretary Clinton is responsible, Spiering said in a statement. As Rep. Lummis pointed out, former Secretary Clinton transmitted top secret information, information that intelligence assets risk their lives to protect every day, over private, unsecured servers which made it vulnerable to hostile actors and hackers. Tucson community radio station KXCI was born downtown in 1983, and this fall it will come home. The independent station, which plays a broad mix of music from local bands and national touring acts, is creating an auxiliary studio in the small street-front Hotel Congress space that was home for 11 years to The Hive Hair Studio. Construction, which includes sound-proofing the roughly 300-square-foot space, could begin as early as August, and the station hopes to begin broadcasting in the fall. I started dreaming up the idea years ago about having a storefront location for the radio station. I always wanted to move down closer to the community, said KXCI General Manager Cathy Rivers, who said the station had offers from several downtown businesses before choosing the historic hotel. The studio is across from the Hotel Congress Copper Room and adjacent to the hotels main showroom. The project is funded through the Warden family, which are longtime KXCI supporters. The move will allow the independent radio station to expand its programming and host more live, on-air performances by local and touring bands, Rivers said. It will continue to broadcast from its studios on South Fourth Avenue in Armory Park, where it also will expand its educational outreach. But the downtown studio, which has a window looking out onto East Congress Street, will introduce KXCI to new audiences that have yet to discover the station even after 30-plus years on the air. More people can discover us in Tucson, and its a great opportunity for us to be out there in the community, Rivers said. Folks passing by can look in on weekday drive-time DJ Hannah Levin as she hosts The Home Stretch from 3 to 6 p.m. Levin, who joined KXCI a year ago after a 10-year run with Seattles award-winning community station KEXP, said on-air guests could include local and touring bands, who might do guest DJ spots or studio performances and interviews. She also wants to have as guests a cast of community events organizers, such as the folks who put on the annual All Souls Procession. We try and make the show something that highlights whats going on in the community in general, she said. The vision is that if Howe Gelb comes off tour and wants to stop by while hes having lunch, he can pop in and talk about the tour, Rivers added. A few months back, Joe Sharkeys 1993, out-of-print book Above Suspicion was selling for a penny. Plus shipping. Still, the listed price was just one, skimpy cent. Thatll give you some humility to see your book selling for a penny, Sharkey laughs. Not these days. The price has spiked to more than $200 for a copy tack on an extra $3.99 for shipping now that Hollywoods turning his true-crime book about an FBI agent who killed his mistress informant into a movie starring British actress Emilia Clarke. Now Sharkeys never seen Game of Thrones. But, he knows Clarke portrays the Mother of Dragons on the popular HBO series and is in the current tearjerker Me Before You. Once he heard the British actress had signed on to play the poor, drug-addicted coal miners daughter who becomes an FBI informant and stumbles into a complicated relationship with the agent and his wife, Sharkey did some research. Which comes as no surprise. He is, after all, a reporter. The 69-year-old University of Arizona journalism professors bylines have appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. For most of his 19 years as a Times columnist, he wrote a weekly business travel column. These days, he contributes to Business Jet Traveler magazine. As youd imagine from a longtime travel columnist, he has his share of horror stories, like that time he was stuck in a middle seat next to a kid who started licking him. But the one that tops them all Sharkey survived a midair plane crash over the Amazon in 2006. He was one of seven people on a business jet who lived; all 154 aboard the 737 commercial airliner died. One story I always hesitate to tell, he says. Its a buzz kill. Now, a journalists job is to tell other peoples stories. But heres the thing: Sharkeys own life is worthy of a book-turned-movie. Over 50 years, you have adventures, he says, modestly. Like the time in 1978 he spent an entire day covering a shootout in Philadelphia in which a cop was killed, only to come into the newsroom to hear, The pope just died. Youre going to Rome. Sharkey had such unrestricted access that he could sidle up right next to Pope Paul VIs body. Or that time the former mobster in the witness protection program casually relayed that he shot another mobster but thoughtfully wrapped the corpse in carpet because he knew the dead guys wife had just had the floors done. Or that time Sharkey appeared on Maury Povichs talk show and annoyed the heck out of the host because he kept calling him Murray. Of course, nothing can compare to that plane crash, which is coming up on its 10th anniversary on Sept. 29. Its not a milestone Sharkey plans to commemorate. It was nothing but travail and misery, says Sharkey, who was on a freelance assignment at the time. The American-owned, $25 million executive jet was cruising 37,000 feet above the Amazon rainforest when the seven on board felt a horrific jolt and heard a loud bang. The plane had been hit, by what no one knew. Sharkey peeled back the sun shade and peeked out the window. He saw jagged metal at the end of the wing and nothing where a 5-foot-tall winglet should have been. For 25 minutes, we knew we were going to die, Sharkey recalls. Im an atheist, Im not praying. Your life goes before you that takes 10 minutes. I think, Im about to catch fire. This is terrible. He decided to use the time he had left to write a note for his wife, Nancy. He said he loved her and that their life together had been golden. It was short and sweet, Sharkey says. He tucked it into his wallet, hoping it might be found. As the pilots fired off Mayday signals and scanned their instruments trying to locate an airport, amazingly a runway appeared. Sharkey still shakes his head at the crazy twist the pilots spotted a military base tucked deep in the jungle. A miracle? Sharkey shakes his head. He refuses to think that. Its just too weird. Dumb luck.... If it was a miracle, why didnt those 154 people survive? Relief soon spiraled into frustration and anger as the Brazilian government treated the seven survivors like criminals, detaining them for three nights. We were treated as perps, Sharkey says. Its really weird to be on the other side. Sharkey whose account of the collision appeared on the front page of The New York Times freely spoke about the disaster to national and international media. He defended the pilots, who were held for months, and was critical of Brazils air traffic control system, which the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board ultimately found at fault. The basic cause was Brazilian air traffic control put these planes on a collision course, Sharkey says. It was a monumental screw-up. Brazilian TV crews ambushed him when he returned home. The widow of a passenger sued Sharkey for defamation and libel for blog comments that he didnt make in a lawsuit that was later dismissed. Sharkey says he was completely blindsided by the anti-American sentiment that erupted in Brazil over the incident. Definitely a case of truth being stranger than fiction all of it pretty crazy stuff for a kid who grew up in Philadelphia, the oldest of seven and product of 12 years of Catholic schooling who figured hed never have any adventures. The first time Sharkey traveled anywhere, it was courtesy of the U.S. military, when he was drafted into the Navy and shipped off to Vietnam, specifically Saigon, as the Tet Offensive was winding down. Sharkey, whod studied English at Penn State, wrote for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. Realizing he had a knack for journalism, when he returned home he applied for and landed his first civilian gig as a general assignment reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Though Sharkey happily admits to scouring The Daily Mail online, he describes himself as a hard-core newspaper guy. The proof: three different, daily papers neatly stacked on the dining table. More proof: Framed, original tearsheets hanging in his office chronicle the Titanic sinking and President John F. Kennedys assassination. The history buff has copies of The New York Times dating all the way back to the 1860s. His wife Nancy whom he met while they both worked at the Albany Times Union is also a journalist, and shes the reason they ended up Tucson transplants. She came here to do a story on dude ranch, which led them to Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. The desert grabbed them, barrel-cactus hook, line and sinker. The Sharkeys live out east, snugged up to the raw beauty of Saguaro National Park East. They have three kids and three grandkids along with a rescue racehorse and two parrots, one with a bad paper-ripping habit. Luckily for Rosie the African grey, Sharkeys home office is a shreddable smorgasbord coffee-ringed computer printouts sit in one corner of his desk while manila folders neatly labeled with red Sharpie spell out current projects like his summer journalism class. On this morning Rosie who loves to hang out on a twisted rope suspended from Sharkeys office ceiling leaves her perch and goes to town, making piles of confetti from one end of the desk to the other. Uh, Joe, Nancy says, motioning for him to check the damage. He just chuckles. The folder containing the annotated script for Above Suspicion manages to survive her beak unscathed. Sharkey figures the book, which chronicles the fall from grace of FBI agent Mark Putnam a real-life Dudley Do-Right is how Sharkey describes him was optioned about 15 times over the years. He doubted anything would ever materialize. Theres so much baloney in Hollywood, he says. Then in February, a producer contacted him. By March he was in on lunch meetings with the showbiz set, and in early May, Variety reported Clarke and actor Jack Huston were attached to the film to be directed by Phillip Noyce. I still didnt believe it. Im a reporter, Im skeptical, says Sharkey, whose co-authored novel Lady Gold about a woman NYPD detective has been in development for years with Mel Gibsons production company. Yeah, and theres another good story ask Sharkey how he offended Gibson during a conference call back in 02. A consultant for the movie, Sharkey cultivated some back-channel sources associated with Above Suspicion and says, only half joking, I told them, when you start production, I need to know theres film in the camera. With behind-the-scenes photos popping up on social media, Sharkeys now a believer. He plans to head out to Kentucky later this summer to visit the set and do additional reporting for an updated edition of the book to be published. Sharkey views this whole foray into the world of movie making with extreme amusement. Its an astonishing thing, he says of the wide world of Hollywood. Im used to working alone, just me and a notebook. Its fascinating. Hed like to take a crack at screenwriting himself, perhaps adapting his book Death Sentence about the 1971 case of John List, who killed his family. But topping Sharkeys summer to-do list is starting work on a series hes thinking three novels about a travel writer who hates to travel, which makes the protagonist very much like the author himself. I hate to travel, he says. I dread going to the airport, not because Im afraid, but I dont like the hassle. I like to drive. So could a flat-out autobiography, the Joe Sharkey story, be in the works? No is the emphatic answer. Tucson police and other leaders came together Friday to say they will continue to work to keep dialogue open with communities of color as they reflect on the Dallas shootings that killed five officers and injured seven. Acting Tucson Police Chief Ramon Batista, who was in charge Friday while Chief Chris Magnus was out of town for a family medical emergency, said police "have a solid relationship with our community" and "some of the finest men and women in law enforcement today." At a news conference held with other community leaders, he said Tucson isn't perfect and there are many things law enforcement can do better. Batista said the department was selected as part of an initiative to provide support in advancing the recommendations of President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Experts will work with the department by providing hands-on assessments and technical support to advance its policing practices. "Our nation and our community is in a state of emergency," said Senior Pastor Da'Mond Holt, of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, who mentioned the deaths of two African-American men in Louisiana and Minnesota at the hands of police, which created turmoil in those communities. The Dallas shootings led to the "assassination" of five officers who worked to "protect and serve" the community, said Holt. "We need to be more proactive and not reactive," said Holt, adding that police and the community must work together and build relationships. "I weep for the officers who lost their lives and the young African-American men who lost their lives," said Doris J. Snowden, president of the NAACP Tucson Branch. "We need love, understanding and forgiveness," said Snowden in an interview after the news conference at Tucson Police Department headquarters at 270 S. Stone Ave. "We cannot live with hatred in our communities, and we need to revisit the right to bear arms because we do not need assault weapons to be given to people to go out and kill," said Snowden. Others speaking included Tucson Police Capt. Chad Kasmar; Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos; Pastor Grady Scott, senior pastor of Grace Temple MBC; Deborah Embry, president of the Tucson Urban League; and Juaninta Molina, executive director of Border Action Network. While responding to a mental health crisis call, a Tucson police officer shot and killed a man who refused to stop advancing on him with one or two knives in hand, including a large butcher knife, an assistant chief said. "What happened today is extremely tragic," said Assistant Chief Ramon Batista at the scene of Friday evening's shooting, in which a man described as white, 30 years old and with a history of mental illness died. No police officers were injured. Just a few hours earlier, Batista had spoken at a news conference held at police headquarters with other local leaders about the "heightened awareness" of risks, and the importance of community relationships, that all police are feeling after five officers were ambushed and slain Thursday night in Dallas, during a protest over this week's shooting deaths of two African-American men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. Batista, who was serving as acting chief Friday while Chief Chris Magnus was out of town for a family medical emergency, said at that earlier news conference that protocols wouldn't change in Tucson, where he has a high level of confidence in "our men and women, their training and their professionalism." That training and professionalism played out those few hours later, Batista said, and although the outcome was tragic, he said he believes at times that there is nothing police can do to prevent that. Batista gave the following account of the incident: A Mobile Acute Crisis team that serves residents countywide went to a mobile home on East Rillito, near West Grant Road and North Stone Avenue, to execute a court order involving the man who lived there. When such teams, known as MAC, encounter a high level of threat or danger, they call in police to help, which they did today. Three police officers arrived and knocked on the door for 10 to 15 minutes, announcing their presence but getting no answer. Under the court order, they went into the mobile home, and saw a man come out of a back bedroom with one or two knives in his hands. The officers backed out into the yard, but one officer couldn't back up anymore and the man advanced toward him. The officer warned him to stop but he did not, so he fired. Two of the officers were highly trained in the specialty of responding to mental health crises. "These officers engage when folks are in crisis ... they're trained to de-escalate" the situations, Batista said. The two were in plainclothes but wore vests saying "Police." The third officer was in uniform. All have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure during the investigations after officers are involved in a shooting. Family members of the dead man were at the scene, but did not want to give their names. A woman who said she was his sister said he had mental issues and because of them, hadn't spoken for months. Family got him the home to live in, and tried to get help for him, but he didn't take medications, she said. She saw him last week and he hadn't been eating well and needed medical attention, she said. Earlier, at the community unity news conference, Batista noted that officers experience anxiety when, for example, they make a traffic stop alone and they don't know if the person they stop is going through some anxiety of their own that will escalate the tension. But, he said, the situation in Dallas wouldn't change their professionalism and their open dialogue with community members. Joining him at the news conference were speakers including Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos; Tucson Police Capt. Chad Kasmar; Deborah Embry, president of the Tucson Urban League; Da-Mond Holt, senior pastor of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church and president of Justice 4 America; Grady Scott, senior pastor of Grace Temple MBC; Doris Snowden, president of Tucson NAACP; and Juanita Molina, executive director of Border Action Network. "We honor the sacrifices that first responders make every day, and the risks they face every day, and we pray everyday for their safety," Embry said. Sen. John McCain appreciates that his fellow Arizona senator was willing to stick up for him when meeting with Donald Trump this week. Jeff, in my view, is a man of character and great integrity. I appreciate his friendship, McCain said Friday morning. Jeff Flake, the states junior senator, openly criticized Trump, his partys presumptive presidential nominee, on Thursday during closed-door meetings with fellow Republican members of the House and Senate. Flake introduced himself as the other senator from Arizona, the one who didnt get captured showing his distaste for comments Trump made about McCain, when Trump told a crowd a year ago that he liked people who hadnt been captured. McCain spent 5 years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. But McCain said Flake is angry at Trump for more recent statements. I think Jeff is more offended by the remarks about Hispanics being murderers and rapists. We have a very large Hispanic population in Arizona and it is growing, McCain said. I think that Jeff was correct in saying that. McCain said a previous commitment as chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services prevented him from attending the Trump meeting. It wasnt practical to cancel a meeting held at the same time as Trumps visit, McCain said. We schedule these hearings weeks ahead of time so that the witnesses will be able to plan on being there, he said. Flake told reporters after meeting with Trump that despite wanting to support his partys nominee, he cant. My position remains I want to support the nomination. I really do, Flake said. I just cant support him given the things that hes said. McCain, who, unlike Flake is up for re-election this year, said he will support the Republican nominee. He noted that he agrees with Trump on several issues, specifically mentioning reducing bureaucratic red tape and lowering taxes. Even though special master Ken Feinberg, who was in charge of the first federal Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund, distributed $6 billion to the estates of those killed on 9/11 an average of more than $2 million to the nearly 3,000 victims the House of Representatives passed its new Fairness for 9/11 Families Act to allow additional claims for the deaths inflicted by the terrorists and set aside $2.7 billion for them. Cri-Cri Kindergarten in Agua Prieta Maria Sara Moreno, owner and director of Cri Cri Kindergarten, gets a group hug from her students. Moreno opened the school in her hometown of Agua Prieta in 1972 after graduating from Northern Arizona University. Help India! By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net Gujarat: Tension prevailed in Gujarats Sodhana village on Friday after Dalit people of the town refused to bury a person from their community who was lynched couple of days ago by a mob due to a land dispute. Support TwoCircles On Wednesday, Rama Singrahiya, 42, was allegedly beaten to death by 50 odd men belonging to Maher community when he was sowing castor seeds on a plot in the village, located 30 km away from Porbandar. He died at PDU General Hospital in Rajkot a day later. Two more people who were employed by Rama to work at the plot were also injured by the mob. Police booked a case under section 302 (homicide) and 34 (jointly committing offence) of IPC. Following Ramas death on Thursday, the enraged Dalit community grouped together outside SP office and demanded action against perpetrators or they would not bury him. They sat on a dharna and said he had been cultivating the land for the last 15 years, and his body should be buried there. In response police detained three people Parbat Karavadra, Lakhu Mer and Nilesh Babar who were allegedly involved in Ramas killing. The mob was allegedly led by village sarpanch Harbham Karavadra, who is on the run, police said. According to the police, the Maher community members claim the plot where Rama was farming is gauchar (pastoral) land, meant for cattle grazing. Reports indicated that Dalit people have not yet buried him and are insisting for his burial at the site where he was killed by the mob. There are also reports that Maher community has written to collector complaining encroachment by Rama of the pastoral land. Help India! Several men who were accused in terror cases and acquitted after years in jail want the state to compensate for their loss. But it is a long and uncertain battle. By Sanya Dhingra, ThePrint, Support TwoCircles Mohammad Aamir Khan, 36, was arrested from old Delhi in 1998 for his alleged role in bomb blasts in Delhi and neighbouring states between December 1996 and December 1997. He spent 14 years in jail before being acquitted. He is rebuilding his life month by month but wonders if his misfortune would prevent his little daughter from accessing a good school. Mohammad Aamir Khan Mufti Abdul Qayyum, 45, was arrested from Gujarat in 2003 and convicted by the Gujarat High Court for his alleged involvement in the Akshardham attack of 2002. He spent 11 years in a jail in Sabarmati before being acquitted in 2014. The modest income he earns as a teacher in a madrasa in Ahmedabad is barely enough to care for his family of four. He and five others went to the Supreme Court demanding compensation but the plea has been sent to a lower court with observations that dont give much hope. Zaheer-ud-din Ahmad, 44, was arrested from Gulbarga, Karnataka, in 1994, shortly after the arrest of his younger brother Nissar-ud-din on terror related charges by the Andhra Pradesh police in connection with bomb blasts on trains on the first anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Subsequently they were also named in other terror cases. Zaheer-ud-din was released on bail in 2008 by the Supreme Court after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was acquitted in April this year along with Nissar-ud-din who ended up spending 23 years in jail. The tragedies of Khan, Qayyum and Ahmad are not aberrations. Framed, Damned, Acquitted: Dossiers of a Very Special Cell, a 2015 report by the Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association, documented 23 other cases of men who were charged in terrorism related cases, jailed, tortured, harassed and ostracized for years for being terrorists, only to be acquitted by the courts and released into a world they can make little sense of. Lawyers and human rights activists say there are many more like them whose stories have not yet been documented. While some lose their parents in the course of the tedious judicial processes, others return home to children who have grown up beyond recognition. Its a life that has been turned upside down many times over. And for no fault of theirs. Is the state responsible for their fate? Without doubt, they say. In fact, some have taken their fight to the state and are seeking compensation to help rehabilitate them. But its another long and harrowing legal battle, and if there is any light at the end of this tunnel, it is not in sight yet. In India, you get a law in this life, but you get justice in the afterlife, says Ravi Nair, Director of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, adding that compensation, or the lack of it, is only part of a much larger problem. There is, he says, a need for a state policy and will to provide compensation to those whose fundamental rights the state violates by falsely implicating them in terror cases and subjecting them to systemic torture. Mufti Abdul Qayyum It is a sentiment Aamir Khan fully agrees with. Getting compensation for losing 14 years of his youth and adult life to 19 terror cases in 17 of which he has been acquitted is a more urgent need than dwelling on a past marred by torture, immeasurable personal loss and extreme physical and psychological suffering. In December 2015, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which had taken suo moto cognizance of Khans case, issued a show cause notice to the Delhi government asking why Khan should not receive Rs. 5 lakh in compensation for wrongful confinement as a terrorist. Seven months on, Khan is still asking the same question. An unassuming man with an otherwise tentative manner, Khan becomes uncharacteristically stern as he speaks of a robust compensation and rehabilitation policy. Underscoring the need for the state to rehabilitate victims like him, Khan, now a father of a two-year old, says that the government should give him a respectable job to ensure that his future is not simply an extension of a past laden with sorrow and stigma. Whose fault is it if he does not formally qualify for the jobs he deserves, he asks. I couldve very well become a criminal or gangster after my release, he adds, as he shifts his body weight every now and then. The third degree torture I underwent makes it difficult for me to sit straight for long, he explains. Qayyum, one of the six men to be acquitted in 2014 in the Akshardham case by the Supreme Court, is also fighting for compensation for the mental and physical trauma suffered by him and his family for almost 11 years on account of his incarceration and being labeled a terrorist. One of his two children was only a few months old when he was thrown behind bars. When he became a free man again, the child was 12 years old. Qayyum, who was earlier sentenced to life by the special POTA court in Ahmedabad and subsequently by the Gujarat High Court, now teaches in a madrasa and has involved himself in social work. Rejecting his plea and sending it to a lower court, the Supreme Court said this week that granting compensation would set a bad precedent and open the floodgates for similar pleas. It is, however, not just the compensation which is important to Qayyum. The 45-year-old is also seeking exemplary punishment for the officers who he says framed him and plans to resume his legal battle in the lower courts soon. For Zaheer-ud-dins family it was a double blow as two of its men were accused of being terrorists and jailed. After its 23-year struggle, the family feels its future is uncertain. Zaheer-ud-din, who was working as a civil engineer in Gulbarga in 1994, now finds himself brooding over his career while all those he once called classmates and friends have stable sources of income. In 2016, we find ourselves exactly where we were in 1994, he says. Zaheer-ud-din Ahmad Surprisingly, or perhaps not, he does not talk of compensation or rehabilitation. Instead, his voice is filled with a palpable weariness over being caught in a judicial maze. Were thinking of starting a small business back in Gulbargalets see what happens, he says. His brother, on the other hand, has not even begun thinking about the future. Nissar-ud-din, who has spent more years of his life in jail than outside, is only beginning to learn the ways of the world. Already in their forties and more pressing livelihood issues to address, the reluctance to fight for compensation or action against police officers who they believe framed them should not be so difficult to understand, Zaheer-ud-din says. Action should ideally come from the governments side, he adds gingerly. However, any step towards rehabilitation by the state remains unlikely, according to Prof. Manisha Sethi, an activist with the Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA). In India, the idea of reparation does not exist. The JTSA report, which documents the cases of 24 men who claim they were framed by the police as terrorists, also says that none of the 24 has received any compensation even though court judgments in all their cases questioned the veracity of the evidence presented by the police. But the response of the police to this report has been predictable. Reacting to the report when it was first published in 2012 and updated in 2015 the Delhi Police had said that in terror cases, Guilt must be proved beyond doubt. However, it had also said that if a case ends in acquittal, the blame is not only at the doorstep of the investigating agency. The reluctance of public witnesses to speak up in terrorism cases was cited as one of the main reasons for cases resulting in acquittal due to a lack of evidence. Those claims have, however, been clearly countered in court in some cases. For instance, in the case of Irshad Ahmad Malik, the court noted that any effort to enlist independent witnesses was omitted by the police deliberately. In another, two public witnesses in front of whom the arrests and seizures of the alleged terrorists were purportedly made, told the court that they were merely made to sign on papers a blank paper in one case and neither actually saw the arrests being made or the explosives being recovered from anyone. Startlingly, in what the report describes as the reign of impunity, police officers in each of these cases not only remain at large but many continue to hold important positions despite the courts hard questions to investigating agencies. And this is the larger problem Nair refers to a heightened sense of official impunity among those in uniform. According to Section 197 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), no public servant accused of any offence allegedly committed while acting or purporting to act in the discharge of his official duty can be tried by the courts without the prior sanction of the central or state government. This, Nair argues, is a serious impediment to justice for most innocents who are wrongly implicated by the police. To maintain the facade of justice, however, it is the petty officials who are prosecuted every now and then, he adds. Globally though, India is not a unique case and only a few countries have been able to try and address the problem. While the US has long had an ignominious image for its treatment of prisoners of the War on Terror, the Obama administration has sought to resettle overseas inmates who are released from Guantanamo Bay. The one reason the US cannot close Guantanamo is because they cant find places for resettlement, says Nair. Theyre not great, but at least theyre trying. One case involving an Indian also stands out. Mohammed Haneef, an Indian-born doctor who lived in Australia, was accused of helping his cousin in the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack and arrested in Brisbane. His 25-day incarceration, solely on the basis of suspicion, became the longest without any charge in recent Australian history and Haneef voluntarily decided to leave Australia on being freed. Three years later, when he returned to Australia to seek damages for emotional and financial distress, Haneef was reportedly compensated substantially. It was, however, not just the monetary aspect of the compensation that mattered. It also meant a public admission of wrongdoing by the Australian government. India has never believed in reparation for harm done by the state, says Nair. Or as Aamir Khan asks, if there is a policy to rehabilitate former terrorists who shun violence, why is there no policy for someone who was framed by the state? The story is taken from the FaceBook wall of ThePrint. (Sanya Dhingra is an Editorial Trainee with ThePrint.She can be followed on Twitter @DhingraSanya) It may be a bit of a trek, but for Chippewa County residents interested in seeing the 132nd Army National Guard Band it'll be worth it. They will be at the Shell Lake Lakefront Pavilion at 7 p.m. Monday, July 11 for a special concert. The 132nd Army Band is a reserve component unit located in Madison. Around 50 part-time soldier musicians make up the band, which typically meets once per month and holds an annual two-week performance tour around the state. The band has also traveled to Oklahoma, Hawaii and Germany in recent years. It is under the command of Chief Warrant Officer Brad Anderson. He has been a member since 1994, following five years of service on active duty as a trombone player. Help India! By Ram Puniyani, TwoCircles.net Past is used by communal politics for their present political agenda. In India on one hand we have the use of medieval history where the Muslim Kings are presented as aggressors due to whom Hindu society had to suffer, on the other now we are witnessing the distortion of ancient history being marshaled to undermine Buddhism vis a vis Brahmanism. Support TwoCircles The figure chosen to make this point by communal forces is that of Emperor Asoka. Incidentally Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen regards Asoka and Akbar as the two greatest Emperors to have ruled India. A publication from RSS progeny, Rajasthan Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad claims that it was due to Asokas conversion to Buddhism and his promotion of ahimsa that Indias borders opened up to foreign invaders. It also goes on to say those followers of Buddhism under Asoka played a seditious role, they assisted Greek invaders with the goal that they would destroy Vedic religion and restore Buddhism. Here, what is being referred to as Vedic religion is Brahmanism as such. Interestingly the article regards Asoka to be a great ruler till he embraced Buddhism, while most of the thinkers show that his humane policies, making him a great emperor, were brought in after he embraced Buddhism. There are many components of this formulation which are concocted as per the political requirement of Brahmanical Hinduism. One of these concoctions is the very notion of India being the state from times immemorial. One understands that India as a nation state emerged during freedom struggle. The earlier formations were kingdoms, Empires. The boundaries of these kingdoms were not fixed and depending on the bravery and other associated factors kings were expanding their area of rule or had to retreat into smaller areas or even getting decimated at times. Even before Asoka came to power Alexander had attacked India. Such forays of kings into other territories are not unknown. Mauryan Empire was a major Empire the sub continent has seen. So many dynasties have ruled large parts of the subcontinent, no single ruler has ruled whole of what is India today. So why is Asoka being targeted today? Asoka was successor to Bindusar, from Maurya lineage. Chandragupta Maurya had built the Empire and Ashoks annexed Kalinga (modern Orissa) into his kingdom. This battle was very bloody and as is famously known the bloodshed shook Asoka and he decided to embrace Buddhism. From this point on the transformation of an aggressive insensitive king to a very humane person began with the embracing of Buddhism. He undertook the measures for welfare of the people, opposed the Brahmanical rituals and opened the gates of his palace for listening to woes the people of his empire. Inspired by the teachings of Buddhism he took steps towards building a compassionate state, the guardian state. His ideas and policies are deciphered from the number of edicts carved on pillars and stones which are vast in number. What emerge from these edicts are very compassionate and impressive norms being propagated as back as in the period of third Century BC. What is remarkable is that though he embraced Buddhism he accepted the diversity as the norm of society. One of his edicts says that a ruler must accept the diversity of his subjects belief. He did transform Buddhism into a World religion. The spread of his ideas was not through force but through moral appeal and persuasion. His message was to reduce suffering and to pursue peace, openness and tolerance. This is why he is regarded as Great contrary to the said articles claim that he was great till he embraced Buddhism. Ashokas was the largest Empire in the history of the sub continent. His Dhamma was a moral code for the ruler as well as for the subjects who were exhorted to follow the moral path. His Rock Edict XII is something which we need to remember in current times as well as it has great relevance even today. It is a call for religious tolerance and civility in public life or as he puts it, restraint in speech, not praising ones own religion or condemning the religion of the others without good causeContact between religions is good. (Sunil Khilanani, Incarnations, India in 50 Lives page 52). He did not foist his faith, Buddhism on his subjectsHe is important in history for his policy of peace, non aggression and cultural conquest. (R.S. Sharma, Ancient India, NCERT, 1995, 104) Ashoka inspired the leaders of freedom movement for his principles of justice and non-violence. He did represent the agenda which symbolized cultural and religious pluralism which were central to the ideology of Gandhi and Nehru in particular. His symbols of four lions adorn Indian currency and the wheel has become part of Indian flag. The problem with Ashokas rule was not the military one. His Empire continued till 50 more years. In 205 BC Greek Emperor Antiocus attacked from North West and established his rule in some part (North-West: Punjab, Afghanistan). The bigger problem was from within the empire. This is related to Brahminical counter reaction to the spread of Buddhism. Ashoka had put a ban on the slaughter for rituals. This led to reduction in the income of Brahmans. The spread of Buddhism led to the erosion of Varna-caste system. What the communal forces are calling as Vedic religion is as such the dominant stream which was prevalent then, Brahmanism. These factors led to the counter revolution. Pushyamitra Shung, a Brahman, the Chief Commander of Brihadrath, who was Ashoks grandson, led the counter revolution. He killed the Emperor and founded the Shunga dynasty in Sindh part of Ashokas empire. The counter revolution launched in the society led to the disappearance of Buddhism from this land. Ambedkar writes, Emperor Ashoka proclaimed complete ban on killing animals. So nobody engaged Brahmans to perform rites and rituals. The Brahman priests were rendered jobless. They also lost their former importance and glory. So the Brahmans revolted against the Maurayan Emperor Brihadrath under the leadership of Pushyamitra Shung, a samvedi Brahmin and the army Chief of Brihadrath. (Writings and Speeches, Vol 3 P 167) Eighth Century onwards Shankara led the ideological battle against the philosophy of Buddhism. Buddhism urged the people to focus on the life in this World. The Shankaras philosophy called this World as illusion and restored Brahmanism here in full glory. Due to ideological and social counter revolution Buddhism disappeared from this land around 1200 AD. So why is Ashokas reign coming under criticism now? Ashoka embraced Buddhism and this was a setback to the Brahmanical system. Brahmanism is the dominant part of Hindu religion as understood today. Ashoka talked of non-violence and promoted pluralism. All these stand totally against the Hindu nationalist agenda of sectarian nationalism where violence is part of the politics. This wants to promote neo Brahmanical values. So on one hand there is the attempt to co-opt Dalits and other hand the aim is to keep the ideological message of social hierarchy loud and clear and so Buddhism is attacked. The symbols of casteless ideology of Buddhism and accompanying respect for pluralism and peace are being attacked as a part of Hindu nationalist agenda, the garb in which it is presented is weakening of India due to non-violence. As such Maurayan was an Empire, not a nation state, empires rise and fall due to social political factors of the time. Despite adopting non-violence the Empire continued well till 50 more years. The weakness starts coming in due to Brahmanical counter-revolution. The forays of communalists in the ancient Indian history are an attempt more to denigrate the Buddhist values under the garb of attacking Ashoka. It started with a dream. Now 14 years later, and a move across Africa, a few cups of coffee have allowed the Carlson family to fulfill theirs. Ben Carlson graduated from Bloomer High School in 1996. He soon met his wife Kristy and they were both Winona (Minnesota) State University graduates by 2001. It only took a couple months before they decided they wanted to pursue their passion of helping others and move to the Republic of South Africa. They spent nine years there working with The Navigators, a Christian organization that helps other nations both physically and spiritually, doing campus ministry as a part of a leadership development and discipleship project. But thats not where their dream was. In 2011, they moved to central Africa to the country of Burundi, one of the poorest countries in the world. Part of Carlsons dream involved working with coffee. To him, Burundi has the best coffee in the world and no one knows about it. I love coffee, Carlson said I could wake up think, dream and talk all day about coffee. His first year and half there he worked at an international coffee exporter, but that wasnt enough. The coffee industry was largely controlled by the government and did not return enough profits to the farmers. Carlson decided he was going to run his own coffee business that used direct trading so he could help bring change to the local farmers. In 2013, Carlson and his wife launched Long Miles Coffee. When things line up with your passions, it creates an opportunity, Carlson said. They bought a plot of ground in the village of Bukeye and created a coffee washing station where the processing of the coffee beans took place. Carlson then began to reach out to coffee roasters around the world. He connected with people in the US and started shipping coffee to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Washington. The work wasnt easy, however. There were 18 hour work days and many nights staying up until 4 a.m. getting the coffee ready to be exported. Carlson said there were many gut-wrenching sleepless nights. But by the end of their season, they sold out all their coffee, and received amazing feedback. With the work of hundreds of farmers and 300 local Burundis employed by Carlson to help make sure only the best coffee beans were used, Long Miles Coffee soon received Burundis Cup of Excellence award for 3rd and 8th place. The reason were doing this is because we want to showcase that Burundi has the best coffee in the world, Carlson said. Its giving people jobs. We need to be very careful to have the best coffee. If we can, we can make an exceptional coffee. Soon, change was taking place in Burundi. Local administration was coming up to the Carlsons just to thank them for their work. Quality of life began to improve as locals were soon able to get cows, chickens and goats, something the village did not have before. Carlson said a Burundi woman came up to Kristy one day with a massive basket of bananas. With tears rolling down her face, she gave Kristy the bananas, a bundle that was likely worth a weeks wage. The woman wanted to thank them for now allowing her to send her children to school. Carlson said their coffee business had changed their world. For the Carlsons, the cultural shock has long worn off. Carlson said their time in Burundi has changed the way they live and the way they want to live. They have had two kids born and raised in Africa and consider it their home. While Burundi has also brought some of the hardest years of their life, he said its been amazing to pursue a dream. The reality is were getting to live out our passions and our dreams and not everyone gets to do that, Carlson said. Thats a very special thing. Police have stated that they found all of these materials when they searched Micah Johnson`s home in a suburb of Dallas, Texas known as Mesquite.Five police officers were killed and seven more were wounded by a sniper during a protest in Dallas, Texas in opposition of the killing of two African-Americansby the police. Micah Johnson -- the armed person was shot dead after refusing to negotiate with the police.During the failed negotiation, the suspect stated that he was upset with Black Lives Matter and mad at white people, too, especially white police officers fo the recent killing of two black people by the police. Black Lives Matter The phrase has appeared as a protest movement in the form of a hashtag on the Internet, every time there is a killing of a black person by the police. the great gathering power that it invokes has been compared to the US Civil Rights Movement. This is what was occurring this Thursdaynight in Dallas; however, the peaceful protest environment made a complete turn, when the shooting started. In a conference, Dallas Chief Police Officer said that Micah Johnson had no connections with any group and that he had acted alone in the shooting. This was later confirmed in a press conference in New York by Security Secretary Johnson when she declared that the gunman had no links to any terrorist organization. It`s believed that the suspects involved in this armed assault in Dallas had been preparing the attack with anticipation, planning the attempt, while the protest was almost finished. Based on Chief Brown's words, the group of shooters was strategically perched at positions that allowed them to obtain a clear view of the officers and planned to injure and killed as many officers as they could. A man was spotted near a parking space near The Centro College firing shots with a rifle. The man told officers that the end was coming and that he was going to continue killing officers, moreover, he also said that there were bombs all overthe area.Five police officers were killed during this attack and seven more were injured. Civilians were also injured. The principal culprit of this attempt failed to negotiate with the police and he was killedby a robot carrying a bomb. WASHINGTON As the last balloons fall over the Democratic and Republican infomercials in Philadelphia and Cleveland later this month, we voters will face the dreary prospect of deciding which candidate is less arrogant. It is remarkable that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have successfully convinced millions that they both think the rules dont apply to them. Repeatedly, Trump has said sexist, racist, xenophobic, irrational and stupid things that if uttered by any other politician or CEO, would result in immediate exile. He flagrantly and reprehensibly makes appeals to the worst instincts of some Americans. He should be ashamed of himself, but he does not have the moral character for that. He is one of the most arrogant, self-absorbed, least knowledgeable people ever to run for office. And now that old perception that Clinton fudges the truth to serve her self-interest has been fortified again. All the past doubts have been resurrected; it doesnt get much worse than the head of the FBI accusing you of extreme carelessness in protecting national security secrets. Clinton promised us she had not sent or received truly classified information on her private emails; the FBI says she did. It is certainly true that way too much information is classified a ridiculous amount, in fact. But the FBI made clear that some of her emails contained top-secret and sensitive information and speculated adversarial foreign governments might well have gotten ahold of them while she traveled abroad. If she were still with the government, she might have faced disciplinary action. Its a bad day when the best that can be said by your supporters is that you werent indicted. The system is not rigged. FBI Director James Comey was right to find evidence of criminality lacking. A Republican of stellar integrity, Comey was also right to lambaste her for her dreadful judgment in using a private, unsecured email server based in her home while she was secretary of state. Its obvious why she did it with former President Bill Clintons knowledge and approval. Two lawyers! She wanted to avoid Freedom of Information requests. Hillary is by nature secretive, defensive and contemptuous of the publics right to know. It is true that she has been for many years a target of what she once called a vast, right-wing conspiracy. But she certainly made it easy for her critics to attack her. She may well become the first female president of the United States an awesome achievement. But she has unnecessarily tarnished her quest. And her bad judgment and intense desire to avoid full disclosure, which horribly backfired, will always be part of her legacy. How interesting that after seven turbulent years, President Barack Obama is more popular than either presumptive nominee. His heart-felt, even passionate endorsement of Clinton in North Carolina on the same day of Comeys bombshell announcement was more than anything else an appeal to Americans to remember their better nature and disavow Trump. The autumn debates between Trump and Clinton and possibly Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson now loom as tremendously important. Republicans are justifiably nervous that an undisciplined Trump will continue to be a buffoon, making a mockery of the process. Well see; his new handlers are desperately working on him to start doing his homework. Democrats are more hopeful that the highly disciplined Clinton will shred him. It should be must-watch TV. But both candidates are politically damaged. And the real danger is that voters are so disillusioned and pessimistic that they wont participate. This election could have one of the lowest turnouts in modern times. That would be a sad outcome, especially in a time when, as Obama pointed out, America is far more popular and respected around the globe than many Americans, such as Trump, believe. The United States ranked No. 1 in power and No. 1 in leadership. People outside the United States may be scratching their heads wondering how a man like Trump is on track to secure the Republican nomination, but they are far from ridiculing the worlds only superpower. The Republican National Convention is less than two weeks away, and barring a last minute Hail Mary by the "Never Trump" movement, Donald Trump will accept the party's nomination for president. While Trump has been able to pull out all the stops and become the last man standing in the GOP primary, his campaign continues to struggle to stay on the same page. Trump troubles On the day Trump decided to run for president, he made headlines during just campaign announcement when he referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murders." Since that time, Trump has been unable to avoid the constant cloud of controversy hovering over his head, from proposing a ban on Muslim immigration, to suggesting"some form of punishment" for women who have an abortion, to mocking the disabled. Staff members in the campaign have continued to be at odds with each other, with a rotating cast of characters, highlighted by the removal of long time campaign manager, Corey Lewandowsi last month. According to a report by Mediaite on July 8, the Trump campaign is attempting to pull their candidate from several top TV interviews and cable news shows as the election moves forward. Report: Trump Cutting Back on TV Interviews in Effort to Avoid Mistakes and Minor Controversies' https://t.co/SR8eVaSLZT Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 8, 2016 Citing Fox News' Howard Kurtz, Mediaite notes that members of the Trump campaign are reportedly denying interview requests in an attempt to limit frequent mistakes that Trump has had a habit of making on the campaign trail. The report also notes that the campaign has not informed Trump of their actions, in a possible "attempt to restrain Trump from being Trump." "Thestaff is weeding out many requests without consulting him," the sources confirmed to Kurtz. The orders were apparently given by recent campaign highers Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, after Trump was critical of the way CNN and MSNBC handled their reporting of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, as well as the campaign's use of a "Star of David" in a recent tweet attack. Moving forward Even with internal issues plaguing his campaign, Trump has been able to cut into Clinton's general election lead. According to the latest Real Clear Politics rolling average, Clinton now leads the former host of "The Apprentice" by less than five points, 44.9 percent to 40.3 percent. Just days after Alton Sterling was shot in an event that merited some questioning, another black man by the name of Philando Castile was shot. Details from the shooting are still emerging, but this event already looks a lot worse than what happened to Alton Sterling just a few days ago. Events. According to Castile's girlfriend, they were pulled over by police and questioned for a busted taillight. Castile told the officer that he had a license to carry a concealed gun, in case he checked for that. Castile then reportedly reached into his pocket for his wallet, looking for his driver's license. As he did so, the police officer chose to shoot Castile and ended up killing him. The aftermath of the brutal shooting was recorded by Castile's girlfriend and posted on Facebook. This is simply awful. There's no way to describe this other than awful. The police killed her boyfriend, then pointed a gun at her and told her to get on her knees. How can someone do that to a woman who just lost her boyfriend forever? What kind of police force are we employing in America? It's time to stop allowing these racially charged events to occur in our country. Castile's Background. Castile had no previous criminal record that would have suggested him to be dangerous. He had worked for the school cafeteria at J.J. Hill for the last 12 to 15 years, cooking food for young kids. According to his parents, Castile was a good man who had always been taught to comply with the law. He's never been to jail, and he was a licensed gun holder. How on earth could a police officer pull over a car for a broken taillight and then choose to pull a gun on the passengers? There's no explanation that can save the police this time and the backlash against the officers who committed this atrocity has already begun. Backlash. There was plenty of public outcry for Philando Castle after the shooting, including a protest outside the governor's house. The protesting had started much earlierwhen people blocked the tow truck that had possession of the car. People are now standing on Larpenteur Ave. They're trying to block the tow truck that has the car pic.twitter.com/nyQRJdymox Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) July 7, 2016 These are just two of what will likely be a large number of demonstrations in support of Philando Castile, a man who certainly didn't deserve a fate this bad. On Thursday night during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas, shots came reigning down from a building above. The crowd started to scatter, but not before 11 police officers were shot, resulting in five deaths before morning. Palin on BLM The protest was largely peaceful, as Black Lives Matter activists marched in reaction to recent police shootings against African-American men. Before the shooting started at 9 p.m. local time, all reports indicated that there were no issues between the protesters and the law enforcement in charge of policing the event. After a stand off with police, the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, was shot and killed after the police decided to send in a robot bomb. In the aftermath, both sides of the political spectrum have decided to spin the story to favor their agenda, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was no exception when she took to her Facebook account on July 8. "BlackLivesMatter is a Farce and Hyphenating America Destroys Us," Palin said as she opened the start of what would become a long and controversial post. While Palin offered her prayers for the fallen officers, the failed 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate quickly turned her attention to the Black Lives Matter Movement. "Shame on our culture's influences who would stir contention and division that could lead to evil such as that in Dallas," Palin said, before referring to the African-American group as "thugs" who "celebrate violence" by screaming "death to cops" and desecrating the American flag. Dallas mayor: Man killed by bomb robot during standoff was lone gunman https://t.co/OjlZbJohYZ #DallasPoliceShooting https://t.co/adqxfpU0BC CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2016 Palin said she agreed that Black lives do matter, but not before using a popular right-wing talking point and pushing the "All Lives Matter" agenda. "Doesn't it go without saying that Native lives matter, too? And Asian; and Eskimo; and Hispanic; and Indian," Palin said. Palin was just getting started when she said she was " sick of being called racist" for saying that "Every Life Matters," before calling on Americans to join her in the fight. Palin continued her rant, before closing it with a Bible verse, 2 Timothy 1:7. Republicans were split in their reactionto the shooting, while Hillary Clinton and President Obama called for unification. Racial tensions Last week, two African-American men in different locations, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, were caught on camera being killed by police, allegedly through wrongdoing. As racial tensions continue to rise in the United States, only time will tell if the rhetoric pushed by Palin and others like her will make things worse. At least one sniper killed five Dallas police officers and wounded seven others in a racially charged attack that ended when police used a robot carrying a bomb to kill him, the city's police chief said on Friday. The Thursday night killings, at the end of a protest over this week's pair of fatal shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. A long string of killings of black men by police in cities including Ferguson, Missouri, New York, Baltimore and Chicago have given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement against excessive police force. The killings have spurred almost two years of largely peaceful street protests. Thursday's shooting sent protesters running in panic while swarms of police found themselves under attack by what they believed to be multiple gunmen using high-powered rifles at ground level and on rooftops. The suspect was identified as Micah X. Johnson, who was a member of the US Army Reserve, a U.S. government source told Reuters. During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman said "the end is coming," according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. "The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter," said Brown, who is black. "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Brown declined to say how many people took place in the attack. "We're going to keep these suspects guessing," he told reporters at City Hall. Police said they were questioning two occupants of a Mercedes they had pulled over after seeing a man throwing a camouflage bag inside the back of the vehicle, which then sped off on a downtown street. A woman was also taken into custody near the garage where the standoff took place. Quinyetta McMillon, who had a child with Alton Sterling, the black man slain by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, earlier this week, condemned the Dallas attack in a statement. "Regardless of how angry or upset people may be, resorting to this kind of sickening violence should never happen and simply cannot be tolerated," McMillon said. THAAD is US ploy to destabilize region Updated: 2016-07-09 09:15 By ZHU PING(China Daily) A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the US Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. [Photo/Agencies] Some elements use the excuse of being good to others to show their true colors. This is especially true for the United States. It has eventually persuaded the Republic of Korea to allow its missile defense system to be installed on ROK soil. Despite the vehement opposition from China and Russia, the THAAD, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, system is ready to be deployed in the ROK, Washington and Seoul said on Friday. The US has been trying to justify the necessity of THAAD on the pretext of protecting its allies from the nuclear threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But the truth is, Washington's move serves its "pivot to Asia" strategy perfectly at the cost of ROK's interests. The advanced anti-missile system, if deployed in the ROK, will not only escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but also break the strategic balance and widen the trust deficit among the regional powers. Seoul is about 200 kilometers from Pyongyang. So using THAAD to detect nuclear threats from the DPRK is somewhat like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. THAAD can detect threats as far as 2,000 km, and therefore any missile tests conducted by Beijing in Northeast, North or East China will be under US surveillance. As such, THAAD poses the most serious military threat to China and Russiait will enable the US to keep a close eye on the military activities of both China and Russia. Given this fact, should China and Russia deploy similar defense systems in Mexico or Canada? "Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you." The US move defies this Chinese saying. Also it will destabilize Northeast Asia further. China has always made efforts to help denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and it is strongly against the DPRK pursuing nuclear weapons. Reflecting China's peaceful approach to denuclearization is its efforts to bring relevant parties back to the negotiation table to restore permanent peace in Northeast Asia. As a responsible power, China doesn't shirk its duties. It supported the sanctions against the DPRK to compel it to abandon the nuclear path while trying its best to minimize the impact of the move on the country's ordinary people. In sharp contrast, the US has been busy adding fuel to the fire on the peninsula. It has even stabbed China in the back by pushing it to bear the brunt of the tensions after the DPRK conducted another nuclear test this year. If the US goes ahead with its THAAD move, the DPRK will become even more determined to develop nuclear weapons, which will not pose a direct threat to the US but can create serious trouble for the ROK and China. It is time Seoul realized the origin of the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe is the invasion of Iraq and meddling in the internal affairs of other Middle East countries by the US and its allies. The THAAD move will also deal a blow to China-ROK ties, which are enjoying their best ever period since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. China is the ROK's largest trade partner, and the ROK is China's third-largest trading country. And both China and the ROK stand together in their opposition to Japanese politicians' efforts to whitewash Japan's World War II crimes. But Washington is trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Seoul, and reinforce the US-Japan-ROK military alliance. By using the excuse of the DPRK's nuclear tests to justify its THAAD plan, the US is sowing the seeds of distrust between China and the ROK, and forcing Beijing to face more pressure from Pyongyang's military-first policy. The US considers itself wise; in reality it is fooling itself. The global stage is not the realm of the US alone, and good global governance is not possible without the cooperation of China, for it is the world's second-largest economy. So the US should heed China's call for a "new type of major-power relationship" and do a really good turn by not installing THAAD in the ROK. The author is a writer with China Daily. zhuping@chinadaily.com.cn Final award in sea arbitration will be flawed Updated: 2016-07-09 09:27 By STEFAN TALMON(China Daily) On July 12, the tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China will issue its final award. China has made it clear from the outset that it will neither participate in nor accept the outcome of the arbitral proceedings because the subject matter of the arbitration is, in essence, "the extent of China's territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea" and, in particular, its "sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands as a whole". The jurisdiction of the tribunal is, however, limited to disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and territorial sovereignty disputes are not governed by the convention. The final award will build on the tribunal's award on jurisdiction and admissibility of Oct 29, 2015, in which the tribunal rejected China's objection that the disputes in the South China Sea are actually about territorial sovereignty and thus outside its jurisdiction. While the tribunal affirmed its jurisdiction, either outright or conditionally, only in seven of the Philippines' 15 final submissions (deferring the question of its jurisdiction with regard to the remainder to the final award), the tribunal ruled that the Philippines' submissions Nos 1 to 14 did not reflect a dispute concerning territorial sovereignty but constituted a legal dispute concerning the interpretation or application of UNCLOS. With regard to submission No 15, the tribunal was unable to determine whether a dispute exists because the submission was unclear. The tribunal's award on jurisdiction and admissibility contains some serious flaws and is based on procedural irregularities which call into question the correctness of any final award. The jurisdiction of the tribunal is not unlimited. The tribunal itself pointed out that the existence of a dispute with regard to each and every submission is "a threshold requirement" for the exercise of its jurisdiction and that such dispute must concern the interpretation or application of UNCLOS. A dispute in international law is defined as "a disagreement on a point of law or fact, a conflict of legal views or of interests between two persons". For a "conflict of legal views" to exist it is not sufficient that certain incidents occurred between the parties. Such incidents must rather have led the parties "to adopt clearly-defined legal positions as against each other", and the position of one party must be positively opposed by the other. It is for the tribunal to objectively establish the existence of a dispute. Compared to the International Court of Justice, the tribunal adopted a rather loose standard when doing so. Of the 413 paragraphs of its award only 14 were devoted to the question of whether a dispute existed between the parties with regard to the Philippines' 15 submissions. The tribunal noted that China has "generally refrained from expressing a view on the status of particular maritime features" in the South China Sea. It was therefore unable to establish a positive opposition by China with regard to the Philippines' claims concerning the status of nine individual maritime features in the Nansha Islands and the maritime entitlements they generate. Unable positively to establish a dispute between the parties over the status of these features, the tribunal set out to "infer" the existence of a dispute over the status of these features. Unlike the ICJ, which inferred the existence of a dispute from a state's silence or its failure to respond to a claim, the tribunal "constructed" artificial disputes over the status of these features in the face of, and contrary to China's explicit legal position. China has made it clear on numerous occasions that the Nansha Islands are to be treated as a legal and geographical unit and that therefore the status and maritime entitlements of individual maritime features are not an issue. For example, in a note to the United Nations Secretary-General in 2011 China stated that the "Nansha Islands 'is' fully entitled to Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf". While China's claim to maritime entitlements thus relates to the Nansha Islands as a whole ("the Nansha Islands 'is' entitled"), the Philippines' claims relate to individual maritime features within the Nansha Islands. In order to prove the existence of a dispute with regard to the status and maritime entitlements of individual maritime features, the Philippines referred the tribunal to China's 2011 note but quoted its text as stating that "China's Nansha Islands 'are' fully entitled to Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf". By misquoting the Chinese noteusing the verb "are" instead of "is"the Philippines misleadingly gave the impression of China claiming that "they", that is, the individual features, "are fully entitled" to maritime entitlements while China in fact claims that the Nansha Islands as a unit "is fully entitled" to maritime entitlements. In a move most damaging to its credibility, the tribunal accepted and adopted the Philippines' misrepresentation of China's position that the "Nansha Islands 'are' (instead of 'is') fully entitled" to maritime entitlements and, consequently, inferred a dispute on the status of individual maritime features in the Nansha Islands. Chinese communities seek mutual cultural understanding Updated: 2016-07-09 06:03 By HUA SHENGDUN in Washington(China Daily USA) Performers from Xuejuan Dance Ensemble were performing in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington DC on July 4th, 2016. PHOTO BY Shuhan li/FOR CHINA DAILY It was the third time that Power Drum, a traditional Chinese drum group, had performed in the Independence Day parade. "We just felt that we needed to be part of it," said Ningping Feng, leader of Power Drum. "We just think Chinese need to be there on this occasion." The Chinese parade delegates, who were among the last units to set off in the procession on July 4th, were made up of drum groups and Chinese folk dancers, representing three distinct Chinese ethnic groups out of the 56 in China. "We have rehearsed for more than two months," said Xuejuan Feng, founder of the Xuejuan Dance Ensemble, whose members performed Chinese folk dance in the parade. "It's a very meaningful experience to represent Chinese Americans in the parade." The overcast sky and continuous rain did not dampen the spectators' passion. The crowds cheered "Chinese!" once the performers in iconic red and white costumes were visible, even before the announcer introduced the group. "People recognize us, because we are very unique," said Feng. "We wear unique costumes, we play unique drums, and we have unique music." Chinese culture widely represented by dragon, drum and folk dances is no stranger to the American people, as the growing Chinese-American communities are increasingly making their presence felt through joining activities and organizing various events. Feng is the chairman of the Coordination Council of Chinese American Associations (CCCAA), a non-profit organization with more than 10,000 Chinese-American members residing in Greater Washington. Chinese American residents in the United States have traditionally preferred living in groups, Feng said. In the 20th century, the groups seemed to isolate themselves from mainstream American society. "As a minority group, we don't take up a large proportion of the population," said Feng, as he describes the past life of Chinese-America residents in this area. "Our economic and political status was far from high, and we had long been marginalized." IMF's Lagarde to nominate Zhang as deputy Updated: 2016-07-09 06:07 By CHINA DAILY(Chinadaily.com.cn) International Monetary Director Christine Lagarde announced on Friday that she will nominate Tao Zhang, currently deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, as deputy managing director to succeed Min Zhu, who will step down on July 25. The Washington-based fund's executive board must approve the move. Zhang's appointment would be effective on Aug 22. Lagarde said in a statement that Zhang "brings a strong combination of international economic expertise, public sector policymaking, and diplomatic skills. " "He also has extensive experience with international financial institutions, excellent communication and negotiating skills, and a superb knowledge of IMF policies and procedures. Indeed, he is very well known and highly respected here at the Fund, having served as Executive Director for China from 2011 to 2015,"she said. Prior to his current position with the PCOB, Zhang headed the legal affairs department there. He has held various positions at the PBOC, including as director general of the department of financial survey and statistics, and then director general of the international department. Zhang has also worked at the World Bank (1995-1997) and at the Asian Development Bank (1997-2004). During this time, he focused on the Asia-Pacific region and small-island economies. Zhang has an MA and PhD in international economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a BS in electrical engineering and an MS in finance from Tsinghua University in Beijing. South China Sea arbitration to set 'serious, wrong and bad example': Chinese ambassador Updated: 2016-07-09 13:55 (Xinhua) LONDON - The South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines will set a "serious, wrong, and bad example" if it is allowed to go through, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said. In a recent interview with Reuters, Liu said China will not participate in the arbitration and China believes it is illegal for a tribunal to handle this case. "The Philippines' arbitration case is against UNCLOS (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), because sovereignty and territorial disputes are not under the jurisdiction of UNCLOS," Liu stressed. Liu noted that China, like 30 other countries, made a declaration in 2006 that it will not take part in third party arbitration when it comes to maritime delimitation. "UK is one of the 30 countries. UNCLOS provides that sovereign countries have their sovereign right to make these declarations on optional exceptions," he explained. China has always called for bilateral consultation and negotiations with neighboring countries, including the Philippines, when it comes to maritime disputes, the Chinese envoy said. There had been a series of statements between China and the Philippines on how to resolve disputes before 2013 when the Philippines submitted its arbitration case. "In our view, the Philippines have turned their back on their promise and that is against international practice. Once agreed, you have to follow your commitment," he said in the interview. According to UNCLOS, Liu said, arbitration is only a supplementary means to resolve disputes, and bilateral channels are regarded as the main means to resolve a dispute between countries. "The Philippines had never come to China to talk about this arbitration. And China and the Philippines had never had serious negotiations on this subject back then," he elaborated. UNCLOS provides that a compulsory arbitration will not be resorted to settle a dispute between countries unless all bilateral channels are exhausted. Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. Following WWI, all WWI military veterans were to be awarded a bonus of $60 for services rendered. Members of the American Legion, which had been founded in 1919 to serve all American veterans, led the struggle to gain a more equitable amount of money for war time service. In early 1924, Congress passed a more generous bonus bill, which was vetoed by President Calvin Coolidge. In his veto message, President Coolidge said: Patriotism ... bought and paid for is not patriotism. Later, in 1924 Congress passed a WWI Bonus Bill over President Coolidges veto. Under the terms of the adjusted WWI Bonus Bill, bonus certicates with a net face value ol$3.68 billion were awarded to 3.7 million WWI veterans. Each veteran was awarded the amount of $1 for each day served stateside, with a maximum of $500, and $1.25 for each day served overseas, with a maximum of $625. All veterans who were owed $50 or less were paid immediately. Due to the high costs associated with the certicates, Congress established a trust fund, wherein $112 million would be deposited each year, for the next 20 years, with the assumption that with compounded interest, the trust fund would cover the cost of redeeming the certicates in 1945. In 1930, with one million veterans unemployed, the veterans were allowed to borrow up to 22 percent of the face value oftheir certicate. As the depression worsened, they could borrow 50 percent of their certicates face value. These loans would carry an annual interest charge of as much as 6 percent. During the winter of 1931-32, a Catholic priest named James R. Cox led 25.000 Pennsylvanians to march in Washington D.C. demanding that President Hoover do something to help the unemployed, the elderly and the poor. As the result of the march of Coxs Army, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was founded with an initial budget of $3 billion, which was equal to the entire national budget in 1932. During January of 1932, Texas Congressman Wright Patman introduced a bill mandating the immediate payment of the WWI bonus certicates. Word of Patmans Bill was echoed during the membership meetings of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Encouraged by the success of the march of Coxs Army, calls went out to veterans throughout the 48 states, urging them to gather in Washington D.C. for peaceful marches in support of the immediate payment of their WWI bonus certicates. During May of 1932, thousands of men who had served as members of the American Expeditionary Forces during WWI descended on Washington D.C.. as the Bonus Expeditionary Force under the command of former WWI oicers, usually with the rank of Master Sergeant. Siluriformes fish products, meant for export to the United States, will undergo safety tests from July 17 to October 15. VNA/VNS Photo HA NOI Siluriformes fish products, meant for export to the United States, will undergo safety tests from July 17 to October 15, the National AgroForestryFisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) said. Siluriformes fish include tra, basa, tre and lang fish. Samples will be taken from all batches of fish products manufactured by factories that are eligible to export their products to the United States. These samples will be tested for the presence of salmonella, malachite green/leuco malachite green, enrofloxacin/ciprofloxacin and crystal violet. Only when the samples clear the tests and are certified by regional centres for Agro Forestry Fisheries Quality can the batches be allowed to be exported. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments NAFIDAQ has requested all relevant firms to register for the examination and certification of their products. In March this year, the United States released a list of eligible catfish exporters from four countries, including 23 from Viet Nam, who could ship their products to the American market. The total export value of tra fish reached US$616 million in the first six months of this year, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). The European Union and the American markets account for about half of the total tra fish exports. The VASEP said tra fish exports turnover this year would touch $1.5 billion, a fall of 5 per cent compared with 2015. The decrease could be attributed to the enforcement of trade and technical barriers in many import markets as well as low consumption demand there. Viet Nam is now shipping tra fish to 150 countries and territories worldwide. HCMC seafood exporters concern Seafood exporters were worried by the announcement of HCM City Seafood Security and Quality Management Department to stop granting catch certificates for fish caught outside the city from August 1. This was because many seafood exporters in HCM City bought raw fish from a number of provinces in Thanh Hoa, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, Soc Trang to Ca Mau provinces to be processed at their plants based in the southern city for exports. It would take more time and be more costly for firms as they might have to travel to other provinces rather than HCM City to ask for catch certificates, according to Pham Hai Long, general director of Agrex Saigon Foodstuffs Joint Stock Company. According to the departments director Tran inh Vinh, the department would not grant catch certificates for firms which did not buy fish caught in HCM City, in line with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Circular 50/2015. This might create problems for seafood exporters, Vinh said. Vinh said that the department was willing to provide support to seafood exporters if it was permitted by the Directorate of Fisheries. VASEPs general secretary Truong inh Hoe said catch certificates were compulsory for firms to export seafood products to the European markets. The US might also require catch certificates in the future, Hoe said. The association proposed to local departments that they link up with each other to make the granting of catch certificates more convenient. The associations statistics showed that seafood exported touched US$3.1 billion in the first half of this year, rising by 3.8 per cent over the same period last year. VNS HCM City The Government has issued new regulations for providers of information content on mobile and telecom networks. Enterprises must now publicly release their service agreement with clients before providing services, in line with Government Decree 72, which concerns internet and online information management and usage. According to the new circular, enterprises must provide accurate service to registered users and cannot charge fees for what users have missed or not received. Providers must also quote prices for their services and include information on billing before offering information content services. Customers must also know the name of information content service providers as well as how to register, how to extend their susbscription, and how to cancel the service. All mobile and network service providers are required to temporarily stop working with those violating Decree 72 within three hours of receiving an announcement from relevant authorities. The circular also asks telecom and mobile service providers and information content providers to have customer services to resolve complaints, and all complaints must be answered in the shortest time. Information content providers will be in charge of resolving complaints and in case of mistaken charges, they will be responsible for informing telecom and mobile service providers that they must refund customers within 48 hours of their complaints. The new regulations do not apply to information content services offered through social networks, websites, online games and advertisement services on mobile networks. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a decision on Wednesday to launch a probe that would determine whether imports of colour-coated steel sheets had become excessive and caused harm to local production. The investigation was launched in response to a petition by Nghiem and Chinh Partnership Law Firm, which represents three local producers, ai Thien Loc Joint Stock Company, Nam Kim Steel and Ton ong A Company. The Viet Nam Competition Authority received the petition on May 24. Under Decision 2847/Q-BCT, the investigation period to determine whether damages can be claimed will be from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015. The ministry, in the decision, said based on the figures provided by the petitioner, it found that there were signs of significant increases in the import of colour-coated steel sheets in the 2013-15 period. This was alleged to have led to declines in production, market share, revenue, profit and productivity for local producers while their inventories rose. The ministry said temporary safeguard duties could be put into force before the investigation concluded if it found that the slow application of safeguard duties would cause severe harm to local production. The ministry urged firms to consider the possibility of safeguard duties when signing contracts to import colour-coated steel sheets. According to the Viet Nam Competition Authority, although the legal framework for trade defense instruments has been in force for more than a decade, the application remains modest. To date, Viet Nam has initiated five investigations related to safeguards and two investigations of anti-dumping cases. No anti-subsidy investigation has been launched. - VNS HA NOI Moodys on Thursday assigned first-time ratings this year to Vietcombank and Maritime Bank. According to reports released on its website, Moodys assigned local currency deposit ratings of B1/NP; foreign currency deposit ratings of B2/NP; a baseline credit assessment (BCA) of B2; and an adjusted BCA of B2 to the Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam (Vietcombank). Vietcombanks ratings outlook on the issuer and deposit ratings is stable. Moodys has also assigned counterparty risk assessments (CR Assessment) of B1(cr)/NP(cr) to the bank. Vietcombanks B1 local currency deposit rating has been raised by one notch from its B2 BCA. We do not incorporate any affiliate support assumptions from Mizuho Bank, Ltd (Mizuho) [A1 stable, Baa1] into Vietcombanks supported ratings, because of its relatively small ownership stake of 15 per cent, Moodys said. According to Moodys, the B1 local currency deposit rating assigned to Vietcombank reflects the combination of the banks B2 baseline credit assessment (BCA), and a one-notch rise for expected support from the government of Viet Nam (B1 stable) in case of stress. Vietcombanks foreign currency deposit rating is positioned at B2, in line with Viet Nams foreign currency deposit ceiling. Headquartered in Ha Noi, Vietcombank reported total assets worth VN662 trillion (US$29.3 billion) as of March 31, 2016. On the same day, Moodys also assigned local and foreign currency issuer ratings of B3/NP; local and foreign currency deposit ratings of B3/NP; a standalone baseline credit assessment (BCA) of Caa1; and an adjusted BCA of Caa1 to Viet Nam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB). MBSs ratings outlook on the issue and deposit ratings to Maritime Bank is positive. According to Moodys, MSBs B3 long-term ratings reflect the banks baseline credit assessment (BCA) of Caa1 and a one-notch jump due to Moodys expectation of moderate support from the government of Viet Nam (B1 stable), in case of stress. According to Moodys, MSBs profitability is weak mainly because of its high loan loss provisions. The bank channelled 77 per cent of its pre-provision income into reserves in 2015, down from 82 per cent in 2014. Moodys expects MSBs provisioning expenses to remain high in 2016 and 2017, as the bank gradually works out its problem exposures. MSBs liquidity position is robust, with liquid assets accounting for about 52 per cent of the total assets. Customers constituted 69 per cent of the total liabilities at the end of 2015, of which the majority was derived from individuals. While the BCA of Caa1 indicates that the bank is operating under regulatory forbearance, the positive outlook on the supported ratings reflects the banks committed and ongoing efforts to resolve its legacy of problem assets, which should lead to improved asset quality and profitability metrics. Given the large size of these legacy accounts and positive expectations around recovery, this could lead to meaningful improvements in asset quality within the year. If successful, the material recovery of impaired assets could significantly improve the banks solvency profile, Moodys said. The moderate systemic support assumption for MSB is based on the banks modest 1.3 per cent share of system deposits at the end of 2015, as well as a strong history of regulatory forbearance in Viet Nam. These resulted in a one-notch rise in its rating to reach B3, above the banks Caa1 BCA, Moodys said. - VNS bighomes.com.vn Many foreigners and Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) are buying apartments in Viet Nam, especially in HCM City. Photo HCM CITY Many foreigners and Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) are buying apartments in Viet Nam, especially in HCM City, according to market analysts. Over 10,000 apartments were sold in the second quarter of this year, many to foreigners who are permitted to buy up to 30 per cent of the units in a project. Property consulting firm Jones Lang Lasalle Viet Nam told Viet Nam News that there had been a strong increase in condo sales to foreigners in HCM City. Since the law was amended last July, foreigners have bought over 1,000 apartments in HCM City alone, according to the company. The total number of units sold in 2015 was double that of 2014, thanks to growth in both demand and supply and support from banks for both developers and buyers, Stephen Wyatt, country head of the company, said. This trend is expected to continue this year and foreigners buying houses in Viet Nam will remain an interesting topic. We believe that the Vietnamese real estate market is going to attract further attention from investors in neighbouring countries. CBRE, another international consultant, said there are more foreigners buying for investment purposes in HCM City. Major projects like Vinhomes Golden River, Vinhomes Central Park, The Nassim, and Estella Heights have all seen large purchases by foreign buyers. Some projects have even sold out 30 per cent of their units to foreigners. Property developers report a significant increase in the number of foreign clients visiting their projects. Novaland said since the law was amended, it had seen a regular increase in buying by foreigners. The company said this was to be expected since over 500,000 foreigners reportedly live in Viet Nam, including around 30,000 CEOs. The company quoted a report from the Japan External Trade Organisation as saying that 66 per cent of Japanese companies want to expand their business in the country and stay for a long time. Recent projects by Phu My Hung Development Corporation like Le Jardin or Happy Residence have seen big volumes of visitors and buyers. The company said there had been a boom in buying by foreigners since the second quarter of last year with foreigners accounting for 10-15 per cent of buyers. At Le Jardin, the ratio was 30 per cent. According to developers, foreigners mostly want to buy luxury apartments with full, high-quality facilities in central areas. - VNS BINH INH The Fundamental Science and Society workshop, which gathered hundreds of notable scientists from around the world, wrapped up in Quy Nhon City yesterday. Topics discussed during the second day of the two-day workshop included basic science, global education, knowledge and technology mechanisms, open innovation and a collaborative economy. One of the most pressing issues discussed, particularly for Viet Nam, was global warming. Dr John Church, an expert in rising sea levels from Australias Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), said the sea level would rise 65cm more and the global temperature would increase 3 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Since the beginning of the industrial era, human activities have led to an accumulation of heat in the climate system, he said, adding that the increase was due in large part to fossil fuels and agricultural activities. According to Church, the heat was partly contributing to the sea level rise because of the warming ocean. Other causes of the phenomenon were the change in mass of glaciers and ice sheets, as well as the change in water storage on land. All countries must work together for a solution, he said. Tran Thuc of Viet Nams Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change said climate change has affected various sectors in the country, including industry, tourism, health, agriculture and the ecosystem. Prof Fredolin Tangang from the National University of Malaysia said studies on climate change in Southeast Asia have been minimal and no framework for regional climate change co-operation has been set up. Tangang recommended a tighter mechanism to boost studies on the issue and share information among affected countries to mitigate the effects of climate change. During the workshop, which was chaired by Rencontres du Vietnam (Meeting Viet Nam), Vietnamese scientists had the chance to exchange with leading experts in various fields and learn from them. At the conclusion of the session, Prof Victor Matveev, director of the international Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Moscow, awarded Rencontres du Vietnams Chairman Prof Tran Thanh Van an honorary doctorate status for his contributions to science. VNS A NANG An event to promote Vietnamese cuisine, Hello Viet Nam, is being held at Trident Gurgaon Hotel in Haryana State, India, this week. It will introduce a wide range of traditional Vietnamese delicacies to Indian gourmets. Vietnamese chef Doan Van Tuan and sous chef Nguyen Huy Hoang from Furama Resort a Nang, who joined the event, said the meals include chargrilled chicken wrapped in betel leaf with lemongrass, crisp fried crab and egg nest spring rolls, Hoi An Cao Lau (noodle with pork and local greens), green mango and marinated shrimp salad, and the beloved traditional Vietnamese chicken soup. The festival, which began last Saturday, will end Sunday. In May, an Indian Food Festival was also held at Furama Resort in a Nang. VNS HCM City Book Distribution Company (Fahasa) opened its 24th outlet in HCM City and 87th in the country in Binh Tan District on Thursday. File Photo HCM CITY HCM City Book Distribution Company (Fahasa) opened its 24th outlet in HCM City and 87th in the country in Binh Tan District on Thursday. Fahasa Phu Lam bookstore in Aeon Mall Binh Tan has over 100,000 Vietnamese and foreign books imported from countries including the US, Germany, Denmark, and Spain. To mark the opening, Fahasa offered a 10 per cent discount on books by global publishers like Oxford, MacMillan, Cambridge, Pearson, Cengage, Efuture, Parragon, Penguin, Hachette, and Garnet. In coordination with Taplife Viet Nam, Fahasa has launched Tapkids, an interactive English learning software for children that uses Augmented Reality. With this, instead of traditional reading, kids will use smart equipment installed in Tapkids and turn the screen of the equipment into cards. VNS The Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation promised to pay Vietnamese people after conceding responsibility for killing tonnes of fish in four central coastal provinces since early April. File Photo Dear readers, last week Viet Nam News asked you to share your thoughts with us about the compensation US$500 million that the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation promised to pay Vietnamese people after conceding responsibility for killing tonnes of fish in four central coastal provinces since early April. In your opinion, for a developing country like Viet Nam, what action should be taken to protect the environment? The topic received diverse comments. We published some of them: Andre Van de Lans, Belgian, Viet Nam As no official environmental impact assessment has been undertaken or released, the question of covering the damage remains rhetoric. I think that only a transparent spending scheme of the funds may partly answer the question. Besides, I have a lingering question as to whether a monitoring system will be set up in the near future. To protect the environment for a developing country like Viet Nam, first priority should be given to a water-quality monitoring system with alerts for toxicity and heavy metal content. Also, a contingency system should be built with clear guidelines on what to do and how to handle similar cases in the event of another toxic incident. The quality of the fish caught by fishermen should be tightly monitored in order to prevent poisoned fish from unknowingly being sold for consumption. Pham Hien Anh, Vietnamese, a Nang I really expected stricter punishments for anyone who directly or indirectly polluted Viet Nams sea and caused mass fish deaths in central provinces of the country in the last few months. When Viet Nams Government officially announced its investigation results and identified Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation as the cause of the mass fish deaths, I was disappointed because the company had just delivered an apology, made some commitments and provided compensation of US$500 million to the Vietnamese people. There were a lot of unanswered questions left in my mind: What did they base their calculation of losses on, and how did they recommend compensation? How many households or fishermen lost their livelihoods because of the contamination? How many fishing boats lie up at shore, waiting for fishing trips? How many fish were found dead along the coastal line? How has it affected other marine life? I have read that it would take decades to revitalise marine life along the four affected provinces coastlines. We are also waiting for the Governments official announcement about how safe the seawater is there. The company, with its wrongful actions, has also caused fear among the public. We are afraid that if there are many other companies like Formosa Ha Tinh across Viet Nam, their violations will destroy our trust in a safe environment. Finally, yet importantly, I saw many children unhappy during their summer breaks because their parents did not dare take them to central beaches or eat seafood there. The massive fish deaths might be a preoccupation for many people, including our next generations. Terry Christopher Taft, Ha Noi No amount of money would compensate for the loss. However, they have accepted responsibility and apologised, not that an apology means that much. They have offered a significant amount of money as compensation. The Vietnamese Government could litigate for more, but that could drag on for a long time. Those most affected people need the money now. Lets hope that the $500 million finds its way to those who need it most. Jack Laurenson, Ha Noi By comparison, Union Carbide settled with the government of India for a mere $478 million after the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster that killed tens of thousands of people and left many more disabled and with chronic illnesses, not to mention a legacy of groundwater and soil contamination. But the Union Carbide Corporation, now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company, is refusing to face outstanding charges of culpable homicide in India, arguing that the case was settled in 1984. Corporations must take responsibility and not be allowed to settle until the compensation is paid. The polluter must always pay. Caleb Bierton, Ha Noi I think it is far too early to settle this now. No one knows the extent of environmental damage that has been caused. Formosa is situated in quite a populated area in the countryside (I was there less than two weeks ago). The dead fish are potentially just an early warning sign that something was wrong. Fish are much more sensitive to environmental changes than humans are. We must also look at the long-term effects. Quynh Nhung, Vietnamese, Prague Although Formosa has apologised and promised to compensate, lets wait and see how they implement their promise. Moreover, the amount of $500 million is not enough for what happened, I think. After this case, policymakers, environmentalists and experts should consult with the Government to set up a monitoring system to supervise the implementation of environmental protection measures for any investors who are doing business in Viet Nam. It would help us avoid similar cases in the future and keep our sea safe for our next generations. -- VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed Viet Nams consistent policy of reinforcing all-round ties with Thailand during a reception in Ha Noi yesterday for Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. In that spirit, he called for active implementation of the Joint Statement on the outcomes of the third Viet Nam-Thailand Joint Cabinet meeting, the action programme on the Viet Nam-Thailand strategic partnership for 2014-2018, and bilateral co-operation mechanisms. To lift two-way trade to US$20 billion by 2020, both sides should devise specific measures to implement the Action Programme on Viet Nam-Thailand Trade and Investment for 2015-2020, he said. The Vietnamese government pledged all possible support for Thai firms operating in the country and encouraged Thai investment in the areas of oil and gas, electricity, construction of industrial zones, garment and textiles, food production, chemicals and tourism, he said. He also wished that the two countries ministries and agencies would sign new co-operation deals, ensure the progress of joint projects, and increase connectivity between the two economies by building a coastal transport route linking Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam and by creating a Thailand-Laos-Viet Nam bus service. The two sides should also push ahead with the bilateral defence agreement and co-operation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Royal Thai Police, promptly sign an agreement on criminal extradition, and increase the use of a hotline between the two countries navies to deal with issues arising at sea, including those involving fishermen and vessels. The host suggested embarking on a labour co-operation agreement and offering favourable conditions to Vietnamese workers in Thailand. He stressed that Viet Nam highly valued Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ochas speech to the Shangrila Dialogue in Singapore in June, and asked Thailand to continue intensifying collaboration within ASEAN to maintain the blocs stance on the East Sea issue, toward the early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. Expressing thanks to Thailand for its support for Viet Nam recovery from drought and saline intrusion in the southern region, Phuc said the two sides needed to partner with countries and international organisations in the sustainable and effective use and management of Mekong water resources in accordance with international practices, ensuring the interest of downstream Mekong countries. Pramudwinai, for his part, underscored Thailands wish to develop ties with Viet Nam across the board, considering it a top priority. Thailand vowed to seriously execute signed agreements, promote Thai investment in Viet Nam, and to work closely with countries concerned in the effective and sustainable use and management of Mekong water resource, he said. The guest also proposed closer joint work in rice exportation, tourism and labour and asked that the Vietnamese government provide all possible support for Thai firms operating in the country. On the East Sea issue, he said parties concerned must exert efforts to settle disputes and to cooperate to transform the East Sea into an area of peace, stability and development. The Thai Foreign Minister also conveyed PM Chan-ochas invitation to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc to visit Thailand in the near future. Meeting Vietnamese FM Earlier yesterday, Viet Nam and Thailand agreed to enhance their economic connectivity through the action plan on bilateral trade and investment cooperation, to augment their trade to US$20 billion by 2020. The consensus was reached during talks between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and the visiting Thai Foreign Minister. The visit from July 710 is the latters first tour of Viet Nam while serving as Thai Foreign Minister. They noted that economic, trade and investment co-operation were important pillars in the two Southeast Asian nations strategic partnership. Deputy PM and FM Minh stressed that Viet Nam would continue creating the best possible conditions for Thai enterprises to trade with and invest in Viet Nam. Thailand should also facilitate Vietnamese companies access to its markets. He asked Thailand to promote investment in its strongest spheres such as tourism, farm produce processing and support industries. Ca Mau, Quang Tri and Binh inh provinces, and Can Tho and Hue cities are among those he suggested Thai firms invest in. At the talks, the two sides highly valued the rapid and effective development of bilateral cooperation, as seen through tightened links in politics and diplomacy, security and defence, culture, education and tourism, and between their ministries and localities. They agreed to maintain all-level delegation exchanges, while effectively realising the outcomes of the third joint Cabinet meeting in July 2015, and the action programme to implement the Viet NamThailand strategic partnership between 20142018. They will also work together to review the execution of the agreements reached at the second meeting of the joint committee on bilateral cooperation in March 2015, and prepare for the third meeting. The host official asked Thailand to continue providing favourable conditions for Vietnamese expatriates in the country. The two foreign ministers also concurred in bolstering ties at regional and international forums, especially ASEAN, the United Nations, the AsiaPacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum, and other co-operation mechanisms in the Greater Mekong region. Minh requested that Thailand continue promoting its role and coordinating closely with Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries to ensure ASEANs unity and common stance on regional and international matters, including the East Sea issue. It should continue efforts to maintain peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and overflight, push for the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of internationally recognised principles, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, urge relevant parties to fully respect legal and diplomatic processes and seriously comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and accelerate the building of a code of conduct in the waters (COC), he added. Both countries also need to intensify cooperation with each other, with other countries and with international organisations in developing, managing and sustainably using the Mekong Rivers water resources in line with international practice, so as to ensure the interests of the nations in the lower river areas, Minh noted. Meanwhile, the two foreign ministries should press ahead with realising their cooperation agreement signed in March 2015 and in organising activities to mark 40 years of the countries diplomatic relationship which takes place in 2016, the officials added. VNS Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception for the Chairman of the Thai Charoen Corporation (TCC) Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi in Ha Noi yesterday. Photo VTV HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception for the Chairman of the Thai Charoen Corporation (TCC) Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi in Ha Noi yesterday. Congratulating the Thai group on its successful business activities in Viet Nam, the PM hailed TCCs win-win business philosophy and called on the group to increase its investments in Viet Nam. Businesses of both countries would play an important role in bringing bilateral trade to US$20 billion by 2020, the PM said. Phuc suggested TCC continue exporting Vietnamese goods to Thailand via its retail networks in Viet Nam and Thailand, following its shipment of 100 tonnes of Vietnamese dragon fruit to Thailand for the first time. Viet Nam was committed to creating a favourable business environment for foreign investors, including those from Thailand, the PM said. The Thai business executive said he hoped the Vietnamese Government would continue to facilitate the groups operations in Viet Nam. He said Viet Nam was a key market for the TCC, which was applying for permission to export Vietnamese goods to Thailand and other regional countries, including oranges, sweet potatoes, limes and rice powder. VNS BAC LIEU -The Bac Lieu Province Peoples Committee has approved a plan to restructure the provinces fisheries sector, aiming to increase the average annual income in the fisheries sector to VN92.3 million (US$4,100) per person by 2020, up 1.4 times against last year. Black-tiger shrimp, white-legged shrimp and sea crabs are the provinces key aquatic species. The province plans to breed blue-legged spawn, dragon fish, marble goby, clams, oysters and other aquatic species. Models of farming aquatic species meeting global and Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards will be expanded. Under the plan, the Mekong Delta province will have an annual aquaculture output of 370,000 tonnes, including 147,000 tonnes of shrimp by 2020. The area devoted to breeding brackish-water shrimp will increase from 127,450 ha last year to more than 131,750 by 2020. The plan also targets to increase the number of fishing boats from 1,264 last year to 1,450 fishing boats, including 650 off-shore fishing boats, by 2020. Bac Lieu will gradually reduce catching fish near shore and develop off-shore fishing, targeting a catch of 120,000 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species by 2020. The province plans to develop fishing logistics services on sea and at fishing ports, and use advanced techniques in fishing and storage in order to reduce post-harvest losses in fishing from the current 20 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020. Storm shelters, including Cai Cung, Nha Mat and Ganh Hao storm shelters, will be built for fishing boats. The plan will cost more than VN6.4 trillion (US$290 million) from the Government budget, provincial budget and other sources. Aquaculture models Bac Lieu, one of the countrys largest shrimp producers, produces shrimp of high quality. Besides the industrial shrimp farming model, the province has other shrimp farming models, including intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming, organic shrimp farming in submerged forest areas, and a model of rotating rice-shrimp and other aquatic species on the same field. The province has about 30,500 ha of rice-shrimp rotating area, according to the provincial Peoples Committee. The model of rotating shrimp-rice cultivation on the same field in Bac Lieu has helped farmers have stable incomes and improved environmental protection. Many farmers in Hong Dan District, for instance, said they had not suffered losses after applying the model of rotating shrimp-rice cultivation. Farmer Tran Van Hanh in Hong Dan District said his familys income was stable and the lives of his family had improved since he rotated one rice crop and two shrimp crops a year. This model has helped improve shrimp cultivation. Shrimp rarely have disease and grow rapidly, he said. Luong Ngoc Lan, director of the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), said Bac Lieu would focus on developing aquaculture and aim to turn the province into the countrys capital for industrial shrimp farming. Bac Lieu will also build roads, water supply, sewage and power lines for 12,000 ha of intensive and semi-intensive shrimp farming areas. To attract investors, infrastructure will also be built in shrimp-fry producing areas. Bac Lieu plans to breed more than 120,000ha of shrimp this year. To meet this years target, the DARD has told farmers to focus on releasing shrimp fry into ponds for breeding this month. Duong Thanh Trung, chairman of the provinces Peoples Committee, has told DARD to urgently prepare conditions for clean aquaculture models and inspect shrimp fry quality, veterinary medicine and animal foods. The DARD also was asked to draft criteria for farms that produce aquatic species fries. Higher catch this year Bac Lieu fishermen have caught more than 56,720 tonnes of fish and other aquatic species this year, up 103 per cent against the same period last year. Tran Van Buu, owner of a fishing boat in ong Hai Districts Ganh Hao Town, said there were fewer rough seas than in previous years, so fishing was good. If diesel oil prices remain stable, fishermen will have profits, he said. Most fishing boat owners in Bac Lieu borrow money from fish traders to buy diesel oil and ice and pay hired fishermen for their fishing trips. Mai Thanh Hoc, a fishing boat owner in Ganh Hao Town, said the cost for fishing trips was high so fishing boat owners must borrow loans. In addition, fishermen can only sell their catch to traders and cannot sell directly to seafood processors. Nguyen Truong Han, head of the ong Hai District Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau, said: This year, there is favourable weather, declining fuel prices and stable seafood prices, so fishermen have had profits. He said that ong Hai was seeking more investment for infrastructure to develop fishing and build seafood processing plants. VNS HCM CITY HCM City will need VN1,000 trillion (US$44 billion) to upgrade its transport infrastructure in the next 15 years, according to the municipal Peoples Committee. Addressing a conference titled Measures to mobilise investments for infrastructure development in HCM City on Thursday, deputy chairman of the Peoples Committee, Tran Vinh Tuyen, said upgrades to transport infrastructure would contribute to socio-economic development in the near future. With public funding facing constraints, the city has given priority to mobilising capital from other sources, he said. He called on the HCM City Finance Investment Co (HFIC) to co-operate with relevant agencies to mitigate difficulties facing resource mobilisation for transportation infrastructure development. He urged it to mobilise capital from all available sources (such as house and land funds and equitisation of land use rights), launch PPP (public-private partnership) projects, and offer incentives to speed up major infrastructure works. Economist Tran Du Lich said the citys urban land fund is a potential capital source for infrastructure development. PPP is one of the best solutions for capital mobilisation in HCM City, he said. The city should seek a specific financial mechanism from the Government to successfully carry out its major infrastructure works. Some experts warned that city authorities should be cautious about the PPP investment mode, saying it is not the best option for mobilising funds for transport infrastructure. Some large overseas PPP projects reveal that poor management could lead to losses, especially because of dubious expenses at large-scale infrastructure projects. Experts also called on the Government to establish an agency to manage public-private partnerships to better allocate and use international and domestic resources for infrastructure projects not only in HCM City, but also elsewhere in the country. At the meeting, HFIC and the city transport department agreed to co-operate for programmes to reduce traffic congestion and accidents, urban flooding and environmental pollution and respond to climate change and saltwater intrusion. VNS The completion of the North-South highways is not only a prerequisite for the construction of other highways throughout the country, but is also necessary to realise the target of building at least 2,000km of highways by 2020. Photo mt.gov.vn HA NOI The completion of the North-South highways is not only a prerequisite for the construction of other highways throughout the country, but is also necessary to realise the target of building at least 2,000km of highways by 2020. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung made the comment at a meeting to review the project in Ha Noi on Thursday. The construction of the highways was necessary and could not be delayed, Dung said, stressing that it would support national development and the economys competitiveness. Although expanded transport infrastructure over the past years had helped fuel economic growth and raise peoples living conditions, it still failed to meet the demands of industrialisation and modernisation, he pointed out. Dung requested the eastern route of the NorthSouth Highway, running parallel to National Road 1, be completed in 2020 at the latest. The eastern highway, with a length of 1,814km, will run from Phap Van Road in Ha Noi to the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. Meanwhile the western section will follow the direction of the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Transport Truong Quang Nghia said that several sections of the eastern facility had been put into use such as the Phap Van-Cau Gie-Ninh Binh section with a total length of 171 kilometres. Another 302 kilometres were under construction like the sections of La SonTuy Loan and a NangQuang Ngai in the Central region, and Ben LucLong Thanh and Trung LuongMy Thuan in the south, Nghia said. According to the Ministry of Transport, the completion of the easterly North-South Highway requires an investment of VN236 trillion (nearly US$10.5 billion). Of that, the capital mobilised from investors is estimated at over VN116.4 trillion (over $5.1 billion), accounting for 49.34 per cent of the total investment. The other sources are more than VN75.3 trillion ($3.35 billion) from Government bonds for 2016-2020 and more than VN44.1 trillion (nearly $2 billion) from official development assistance. Deputy PM Dung asked for attracting private funding for the construction of the highways, which was suggested to use the publicprivate partnership model, noting that private capital must be higher than that from the State budget. He told the ministries of transport and finance to devise State capital allocation mechanisms for the project, and ensure reasonable road tolls and toll collection duration, so as to solicit investors from Viet Nam and other countries. They also have to work with the ministries of planning and investment, construction, and natural resources and environment to work out a detailed blueprint for developing expressways, especially the eastern NorthSouth one, the official added. VNS The latest VNAT report shows more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Viet Nam in the first six months of 2016, making up roughly a quarter of the total international tourists visiting. Photo dantri.com.vn HA NOI The rocketing number of Chinese tourists coming to Viet Nam in the first half of the year was putting pressure on the tourism industry, said the authority in charge yesterday, days after several Chinese tour guides were found working illegally in the country. The number of Chinese tourists visiting the Southeast Asian nation in recent months soared out of the blue, said Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Director General Nguyen Van Tuan in its half-year review meeting yesterday, adding that Chinese visitor growth scored more than 47.5 percent compared to the same period last year. The latest VNAT report shows more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Viet Nam in the first six months of 2016, making up roughly a quarter of the total international tourists visiting. The thing is that Viet Nam tourism industrys capabilities in terms of both personnel and services failed to adapt to such a sudden growth (of Chinese tourists), Tuan said. Worse still, Chinese visitors do not spread evenly across the country but only focus on some tourism sites, particularly Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province and a Nang. a Nang was also where a Chinese tour guide an illegal worker as Viet Nams law bans foreign tour guides operating in the country - was reportedly recorded distorting the history and culture of Viet Nam when introducing the country to a group of Chinese tourists late last month. A clip of the event immediately went viral on the Internet, prompting legal action from the local authority to curb such violations. The central city of a Nang on Wednesday decided to fine six Chinese nationals for the illegal operation of tourist services and for violations of resident laws in the city with VN20 million (about US$890) each. But in a complaint sent to a Nang Tourism Department late June, a group of Mandarin-speaking Vietnamese guides in the city said that there were at least 60 such Chinese guides working illegally in the city, and most of the Chinese travel agencies serving Chinese tour groups disguised their operations with a Vietnamese licence, which were directed by Chinese managers. Tuan acknowledged the illegal participation of the Chinese in the tourism industry, saying that VNAT has urged local authorities to immediately roll out strict measures to inspect and put tourism services under control. They were asked to report the results of the implementation of these measures to VNAT by August 30. On Wednesday, VNATs head also sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Li Jinzao, asking for co-ordination in addressing violations of the law committed by a particular Chinese tourist in Viet Nam last month. On June 14, a Chinese man, Hou Genshun, burned a Vietnamese ong note in a a Nang bar, severely violating Viet Nams law. He was deported two days later. VNS is likely to be the second Hyderabad-based company actively looking at acquiring overlapping products from Israeli generic drugs major Teva, this time in Europe. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. An outbreak of the in the continental United States could begin any day now. But while there is plenty of discussion about mosquito bites, some researchers are beginning to worry more about the other known transmission route: Sex. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi take measures to expedite the process of establishing an interstate green energy corridor at the earliest to enable the state to transmit renewable power of 1,000 Mw to other states that are in need of such power. In a letter to the Prime Minister, she said, "Tamil Nadu is in a position to sell about 1,000 Mw of wind power to other states, which require this power to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO). Tamil Nadu has already met its Renewable Purchase Obligation". A black US Army reservist who served in the Afghan war and said he wanted to "kill white people" took part in an attack in which five police officers were shot dead at a protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Australian workers will soon be entitled to paid domestic violence leave More than 11 million Australians will be able to access 10 days of paid domestic violence leave from February 2023 after the Labor government passed a milestone bill on Thursday. Coalition slams Labor for empowering far-left climate activists The Opposition has slammed Tanya Plibersek's defence of the almost $10 million Labor spent on funding climate groups in Tuesday night's budget, accusing the government of "empowering far-left activists" and inflicting "massive damage on our national economy". My lifes been publicly scrutinised: Brittany Higgins tearful statement Brittany Higgins has delivered a tearful statement declaring her life has been publicly scrutinised outside court after the judge in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case discharged the jury. Labor reveals cheaper medicines win The Albanese Government has officially reduced the cost of prescription medicines and revealed how much money millions of Australians can expect to save. Shari Dale has lived in Cedar Rapids nearly two decades, but Waterloo remains close to her heart. She often reflects on her hometown. Sometimes, she grieves over news of violence and discord. Im concerned about the crime, says Dale, 61. When I come back to Cedar Rapids, Im leaving (Waterloo) in a hurry. Dale has organized a silent prayer march through the heart of Waterloos so-called east side as a way to foster reconciliation and unity. The march is scheduled for Saturday. A prayer vigil will begin at 2 p.m. at East Fourth and Donald streets. The march starts at 3 p.m. and proceeds toward Lincoln Park. Dale was guided by Ephesians 6: 11-20, which alludes to putting on the armor of God. Through the march, she hopes to join with others who want to create positive change. I have cried for Waterloo, she explains. I pray this will make a difference, along with all the things others have been trying to do; thats my faith. The march is open to the community. Those who cant walk the 1.9 miles can meet marchers at Lincoln Park. Participants also can join from points along the way. At Lincoln Park, Dale will share a prayer and prophetic illustration. Others can offer prayers as well and are asked to limit remarks to no more than five minutes. The march is meant to remember and honor those who have died through violence, recently and in the past. Silence is a way to emphasize atonement. God has been speaking to Waterloo through messages, but people havent been listening, says Dale. By marching in silence, its a way to tell God were truly sorry for not listening. We ask God to forgive us for the things that have happened on the land. That does make a difference. The march is an outgrowth of Dales personal ministry. In 2002, a voice told her, I called you to prophesy. Her reaction was, Who, me? A few months later, she had her first vision. She recalls a flash before realizing she was standing at the throne of God in heaven. At the time, she was unsure about her ability to take on the responsibility. I was familiar with prophets, being raised Pentecostal, in a sanctified church, she says. But when God told me Id be used as a prophet, I thought, Im too shy! Im too this and too that. Ultimately, it was a call she couldnt ignore. She searched for people who could help her, and they directed her to the Midwest Prayer Center in Marion. There, she attended prophetic workshops, and eventually learned she has the gifts of a seer and prophet. Sometimes, Dales prophetic visions come like the first one unexpectedly, while shes fully conscious. Other visions reveal themselves in dreams, a gift shes had since childhood. Dale describes her gift as more visual than auditory. Her studies have helped her learn to focus on absorbing everything revealed during a vision, using all her senses and quickly recording what she sees. She then shares the message with relevant parties, usually through letter-writing. Tomorrows march is a difficult and compelling assignment. I dont care if Im the only one there, she says. It may not do anything, but it will make me feel a lot better. We need unity in the community, among the churches and among the people. There are many people praying on this. Change will eventually come to Waterloo. WATERLOO The Back to School Project believes students should have the proper supplies to start school in the fall. Some students in the Cedar Valley may not be able to come prepared with the necessary supplies unless they receive assistance from the Back to School Project. This is the 23rd year for the Back to School Project. Supplies were given to more than 3,400 students last year. That number is expected to grow again this year. This is not a food bank program or project, but families seeking assistance must register their students at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, 1605 Lafayette St., from now until July 29. Registration is necessary so each student receives the supplies requested by their school for their grade. School supplies will be distributed in August before the beginning of the school year. Several businesses, organizations and churches help support the project every year by serving as collection sites. Some businesses help by participating in Casual for a Cause or by having department contests to see who can bring in the most school supplies or raise the most money. To continue to meet the need of students, the Back to School Project is seeking donations of new school supplies. Needed supplies include school boxes, wide rule spiral notebooks, No.2 wooden pencils, markers, pocket folders, school scissors, backpacks, glue sticks, glue, dry erase markers, composition notebooks and sticky notes. School supplies may be dropped off at several collection sites, including the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Monetary donations can be mailed to Back to School Project, PO Box 2334, Waterloo, 50704. You also can contribute to the Back to School Project when ordering items online at Amazon.Smile. Please check to see if your company has a matching gift program. Volunteers are also needed. If interested in helping with packing or distribution, please contact Ruth Orth at 240-7470. EVANSDALE The roar of nearly 200 motorcycles Saturday morning was the sound and a symbol of a community coming together to support its own. The fourth annual Memorial Ride and Drive for the Girls marked the anniversary of the still unsolved abduction and murder of cousins Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10. It began at Loftys Lounge in Evansdale. A short ceremony preceded the 170-mile ride to remember the girls and to raise awareness about missing and exploited children. The ride has become more than just a ride for Elizabeth and Lyric. Its about our community that has come together, said Drew Collins, Elizabeths father. We are not just here to drink some beer and take a ride. We have come together to take a stand against anyone who would harm our children. The ride raises awareness and funds. The event supports the Angels Memorial Park at Meyers Lake and Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers. Drew Collins said the goal Saturday was to raise $4,000. While Collins stressed the importance of getting tips to find the person or people who killed Elizabeth and Lyric, others were more blunt. So hopefully we can find the son of a bitch, Dennis Sanderson of Waterloo said, explaining why he has attended the event all four years. One sentiment expressed throughout the short ceremony was that the loss of the girls brought the community together. Cases like this have a spider web effect, not only on the family but on the community, so in a certain sense as a community youre part of what they faced, said Derek VanLuchene, whose brother, Ryan, was abducted and murdered in Montana in 1987. He has since founded Ryan United to help other families. VanLuchene said it will take the community coming together to catch the person or people responsible for the crimes against Lyric and Elizabeth. The key to solving these cases is that continual information thats out there, continuing to put it out there, continuing to look at it, VanLuchene said. The event has grown each of the past four years and awareness of the case continues to spread. Paul Woody Woodward said it has increased by between 50 and 100 people each year. Amy Neisen said not only more but a broader range of people are coming from outside the community to support the memorial ride. Mia Heasley knows the importance of keeping the girls memories alive. It is why she still wears the pink bandana she brought to the first ride. But she also sees it as something good that is going to come out of the bad. Well keep coming every year, Heasley said. The memorial ride is just one of a handful of events this month to raise awareness about child safety and remember the girls. A child safety awareness day will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. July 13 was the day the girls disappeared in 2012 near Meyers Lake in Evansdale. An event Saturday will raise funds to build a bridge at Angels Park. That fundraiser from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, 202 E. First St. in Waterloo, will include a variety of events. WATERLOO Two dozen people, black and white, marched down East Fourth Street for prayer for community healing in Waterloo on Saturday. The marchers, followed by a vehicle from which religious music played, proceeded from East Fourth and Donald streets to Lincoln Park, where a prayer service was held. The event was organized through social media by former Waterloo resident Shari Dale, now of Cedar Rapids, with support from Bishop Jay Burt, pastor of Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Ive always been concerned about my hometown, Dale said. I have family here brothers, kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Im here maybe every other weekend for one reason or another. So Im very concerned. Ive seen the changes in this town. I dont like the changes that Ive seen. I know that God can intervene and correct things. But its going to take people praying. She (Dale) has been concerned about the city of Waterloo or many, many years, Burt said. Dale has written and spoken in her religious communications and social media posts of her visions about the ills of this city, as far as the spiritual devastation that has gone on here that has affected our young people, Burt said. Her visions have been very insightful and accurate when it comes to whats going on in this city. I know what she does is a service. Ive been very impressed and encouraged. Shes very spiritually filled. The march was a call for prayer to address issues of crime and poverty in Waterloo, and put together before national incidents last past week involving fatal shootings of African-Americans and police in Baton Rouge, La., the Twin Cities and Dallas and protest rallies around the nation. While the message was directed locally, Burt said, it can be universal. This was planned long before that, Burt said. But I will say this it seemed to go right in line. This will go right along the line of the national healing process, starting here at the grassroots. This is whats important. If it helps anybody understand whats been going on this past week, they need to be here. They need to march. They need to see. They need to have their eyes opened. Something like this always starts with small groups, Burt said. By The Associated Press Jul. 07, 2016 | 11:03 PM | DALLAS, TX A Texas law enforcement official has told The Associated Press that a slain suspect in the attack on Dallas police was 25-year-old Micah Johnson. The attack began Thursday night during a protest about the recent killings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Five officers were killed and seven others were wounded. Two civilians were also wounded. Police Chief David Brown said Friday that his department used a robot-delivered bomb to kill a suspect after hours of negotiations failed. He says the suspect expressed anger over recent killings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota -- and that he said he wanted to kill white people, particularly white officers. He says the suspect told negotiators that he acted alone and was unaffiliated with any group. Although Brown says the suspect said he acted alone, it remains unclear if that was the case. 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Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Scholars of legal and religious history, including Willamette University College of Law Professor Steven K. Green filed an amicus brief for Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Pauley, being heard by the United States Supreme Court in the October 2016 term. The brief, filed in support of the respondent, addresses Trinity Lutherans challenge to the legitimacy of article one, section 7 of the Missouri Constitution in which they allege that the article arose from pervasive anti-Catholic animus and discusses the lack of connection between the Blaine Amendment and the article. Trinity Lutheran asserts that if the rationale behind the article were illegitimate or corrupted by a bigoted history, then Trinity Lutherans free exercise and equal protection claim should prevail. The scholars advise the court to rely cautiously on history explaining that legal analysis and historical methodology use different processes and ask different questions. The no-funding principle, based on notions of religious liberty and freedom of conscience, arose prior to the rise of significant Catholic parochial schooling and independently of the nativist anti-Catholic movement. Specifically, no evidence ties Missouris no-funding provisions to anti-Catholic motivations. The brief explains that the no-funding principle, which limit public school funds to common schools, was established in many locales before the earliest controversies surrounding catholic school funding were established. The scholars contend the Blaine Amendments creation came from a variety of motivations of which anti-Catholicism was only one. The Blaine Amendment attempted to achieve two things, first was to apply the First Amendment directly to state actions and second was to prohibit the allocations of public school funds or other public resources to religious institutions. The scholars explain that the debate surrounding the Blaine Amendment was a combination of at least three distinct issues, whether public schooling should be secular or religious, whether the national government should mandate schooling at the state or local levels, and how best to defuse religious strife. Amici urge the court to affirm the decision of the lower court, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia. Joining Professor Green are Professors Ronald B. Flowers and John F. Weatherly of Texas Christian University; Professors Sarah Barringer Gordon and Arlin M. Adams of University of Pennsylvania; Professor Fred H. Paulus, Willamette University; Mark D. McGarvie, a visiting scholar with the Institute for the Bill of Rights at Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary; Professor and Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law and Religion Frank S. Ravitch of Michigan State University College of Law; Professor David Sehat, with Georgia State University; Professors Laura S. Underkuffler and J. Forest White with Cornell Law School; and Professor and Faculty Fellow Laurence H. Winer with Arizona State University. Read the full amicus brief. About Steven K. Green Steven K. Green is the Fred H. Paulus Professor of Law and director of the Center for Religion, Law & Democracy at Willamette University College of Law, where he teaches courses in constitutional law, the First Amendment, legal history, jurisprudence, and criminal law. Green has significant legislative experience, having testified before Congress and several state legislatures. He helped draft federal and state laws affecting religious liberty interests, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993), the Religious Land-Use and Institutionalized Persons Protection Act (2000), and the Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act (2009). He is a widely sought speaker at national conferences and a prolific author whose writings have been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts. Greens most recent book is Inventing a Christian America: The Myth of the Religious Founding (Oxford University Press, 2015). About Willamette University College of Law Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship, mentoring and experience. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses, and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court in downtown Salem, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution. Jul 9, 2016 | By Tess Since its founding in 1995, California-based speaker and earphone manufacturer Ultimate Ears has gained a reputation for making top-of-the-line sound equipment, most notably its in-ear monitors, which are used by most touring rockstars and musicians. More recently, the company introduced a line of custom monitors designed specifically for the stage, for the studio, and for audiophiles, whichas you probably surmisedare tailor made specifically for the users ear. In the recent unveiling of their new UE Custom earphones, which took place Tuesday July 5th, the company demonstrated how exactly the products are made using 3D scanning technologies. To demonstrate, an Ultimate Ears employee was present with a 3D scanning device capable of capturing the structure and interior of the clients ear. Specifically, the UE team scans the ear using a device made up of three 3D cameras. From there, you can actually visualize the 3D model of the ear coming together on a screen. With the scanning process donea step which only takes about ten minutes to completethe 3D model of the clients ear is then sent through a Cloud server to the Ultimate Ears factory in California, where the earphones are tailor made with the help of a 3D printer. The scanning itself can be done at an Ultimate Ears point of sale, where the product will then be shipped within 8 days for pickup. Before the 3D scanning process, Ultimate Ears did make custom earphones, but relied on clients to visit an audiologist to have a physical impression of their ear made. Now, the 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies integrated into the process will help to speed up manufacturing and delivery. Not only are the earphones custom made based off of 3D scans, however, but the state-of-the-art listening devices are also wireless and Bluetooth compatible (equipped with Bluetooth 4.1). According to a French news source, the earphones are made from an hypoallergenic acrylic material and can be connected to a total of 8 audio devices, including 2 simultaneously. Though wireless, the earphones also come with a mini-jack cable which can be used when youre low on battery. The wireless battery for its part can reportedly last up to four hours, and the earphones come with a second battery which can be easily inserted into the device. According to Ultimate Ears, custom fitted earphones are imperative to experience music and sound in the best and most comfortable way possible. The tailor-made structure of the device effectively hugs the inside of the ear, blocking out outside noises, without putting any pressure on your ears structure. The products are available in either white or black. Of course, custom made earphones are not the most affordable, and are often geared towards music professionals or sound experts. Ultimate Ears, however, is hoping to make their UE Custom products more accessible to the general public. While this doesnt mean they will be cheap (they start in price at about 400 euros), the UE Custom monitors are among the cheapest on the market for high-quality custom fit earphones. We should note that the products are not recommended for children, whose ears may still be growing. For now it seems that Ultimate Ears custom 3D printed earphones are available exclusively through FNAC Montparnasse in Paris. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Maggie Koerth-Baker in FiveThirtyEight: Q: I want to hear what the loudest thing in the world is! Kara Jo, age 5 No. No, you really dont. See, theres this thing about sound that even we grown-ups tend to forget its not some glitter rainbow floating around with no connection to the physical world. Sound is mechanical. A sound is a shove just a little one, a tap on the tightly stretched membrane of your ear drum. The louder the sound, the heavier the knock. If a sound is loud enough, it can rip a hole in your ear drum. If a sound is loud enough, it can plow into you like a linebacker and knock you flat on your butt. When the shock wave from a bomb levels a house, thats sound tearing apart bricks and splintering glass. Sound can kill you. Consider this piece of history: On the morning of Aug. 27, 1883, ranchers on a sheep camp outside Alice Springs, Australia, heard a sound like two shots from a rifle. At that very moment, the Indonesian volcanic island of Krakatoa was blowing itself to bits 2,233 miles away. Scientists think this is probably the loudest sound humans have ever accurately measured. Not only are there records of people hearing the sound of Krakatoa thousands of miles away, there is also physical evidence that the sound of the volcanos explosion traveled all the way around the globe multiple times. More here. Meet the four candidates vying for two District 1 House seats The four candidates running for District 1 House are all from Sisseton. They include Steven McCleerey, Tamara St. John, Kay Nikols and Joe Donnell. LONDON The Latest on Britains vote to leave the European Union (all times local): 2:50 p.m. Prime Minister David Cameron has nominated Julian King, Britains ambassador to France, to be the U.K.s new European commissioner. Britain voted last month to leave the EU but remains a member until it has negotiated its exit from the bloc a process that will take at least two years, and which has not yet officially begun. Until then, the U.K. is entitled to a seat on the EUs executive commission, which has a representative from each of the 28 member states. British commissioner Jonathan Hill resigned after the referendum, saying he was disappointed by the result and did not believe it was right to carry on as though nothing had happened. He leaves office on July 15. King, a career diplomat who spent several years working at EU headquarters in Brussels, must be approved by the European Parliament. ___ 2:30 p.m. A top European human rights official has described the use of anti-migrant rhetoric by some British politicians ahead of the June 23 referendum on European Union membership as out of control, warning it could make the use of racist language more acceptable across continent. Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europes Commissioner for Human Rights, said during a visit to Greece Friday that rhetoric used in Britain had been very scary. Migration was a central issue during the referendum campaign before British voters opted to the leave the EU. Muiznieks said he was also worried about the language against migrants being used by politicians in Hungary ahead of an Oct. 2 referendum there on EU settlement quotas ___ 12:10 p.m. The head of a leading global policy organization has cautioned European Union authorities against punishing Spain and Portugal for missing financial targets, saying it could fuel further discontent among the blocs citizens following Britains vote to leave. The EUs executive Commission says Spain and Portugal failed to take effective action to cut their budget deficits over the last two years. Sanctions are being considered. But Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the 34-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, told a conference in Lisbon, Portugal on Friday, The last thing you want at this time is to create divides among us. He said Portugal had to act to ensure the stability of its banking system. The countrys 2015 budget deficit was 4.4 percent way above the 2.7 percent target because the government provided 2.5 billion euros ($2.76 billion) to save Banco Internacional do Funchal SA. ___ 10:40 a.m. A new newspaper in Britain is aimed at the 48 percent of the population who voted to remain in the European Union in last months referendum. The first edition of The New European went on sale Friday in London and several other cities. Editor Matt Kelly says he hopes people will carry the paper as a badge of honor. He says we are trying in many ways to rather belatedly level the playing field in what is clearly an anti-EU mainstream press. Several big British newspapers backed a leave vote in the referendum. The referendum divided Britain, with London and major cities like Manchester as well as Scotland voting to remain, but a majority in England and Wales backing a British exit. The weekly publication will initially be published for the next four Fridays. It will continue if there is enough support. ___ 10:30 a.m. Germanys foreign minister says the remaining 27 members of the European Union need to agree on a common stance ahead of formal talks on Britains exit from the bloc. Frank-Walter Steinmeier says we now need a process in which we determine the shared position of the 27 before an informal summit of EU leaders mid-September. Speaking Friday after meeting with his Irish counterpart, Steinmeier cited the question of how to deal with Ireland and the United Kingdoms land border as one example of future issues to tackle. Irish Foreign Minister Charles Flanagan said his country remains firmly at the heart of Europe and 43 years of membership had contributed to its prosperity and progress. Flanagan said freedom of movement was particularly important for people along both sides of the border. ___ 9:55 a.m. Consumer confidence in Britain has taken a dive in the wake of the countrys decision to leave the European Union. In a one-off survey to gauge the impact of the referendum result, market research firm GfK says its core index of consumer confidence dropped by 8 points to minus 9 in July. The decline was the biggest in 21 years. The survey also shows that sentiment has sunk among both those who voted to remain in the EU and those who voted to leave. The measure for so-called remainers was minus 13, while leavers were slightly more optimistic at minus 5. The online survey of 2,002 respondents was conducted between June 30 and July 5. The referendum on June 23 saw 52 percent voting to leave the EU. BRUSSELS The European Union is investigating tax breaks given to ports in France and Belgium to see whether they comply with state aid rules or give the ports an edge over competitors. The EUs anti-trust watchdog asked France and Belgium in January to bring their corporate tax law into line with Europes rules by abolishing a tax exemption for ports, but the two countries have not done so. Most of Frances ports are exempt from corporate tax, while many of Belgiums big ports are subject to lower rates than other companies. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Friday that tax exemptions shouldnt distort competition by giving an unfair advantage to some ports over others in Europe. France and Belgium could face fines if they fail to comply with EU rules. SANTA FE Former state Sen. Phil Griego will face trial on a slew of public corruption charges, after a district judge ruled Friday that there was probable cause to proceed with most of the criminal counts against the San Jose Democrat. After a four-day preliminary hearing, District Judge Brett Loveless dismissed one felony fraud count against Griego but decided he should face trial on nine other charges, including bribery, perjury and violating his oath of public office. Specifically, Griego, who resigned from the Senate in March 2015, is accused of using his position as a legislator to pocket a $50,000 brokers fee in the 2014 sale of a historic state-owned building in downtown Santa Fe. Attorney General Hector Balderas, whose office is prosecuting Griego, said Friday that he was content with the judges ruling. I am grateful to Judge Loveless for hearing this matter, and I am pleased with his ruling that will allow us to pursue justice on behalf of taxpayers, Balderas said in a statement. My administration is committed to aggressively combating public corruption in New Mexico and holding the powerful accountable. Meanwhile, Tom Clark, Griegos attorney, told reporters he was surprised by the judges ruling on several of the counts and said Griego will maintain his innocence at trial. Griego whose former district encompasses parts of Bernalillo, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance and Valencia counties had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Theres a long way to go, and were prepared to go the distance, Clark said. If convicted, Griego would become the latest New Mexico legislator to run afoul of public corruption laws. Most recently, former Senate leader Manny Aragon pleaded guilty in 2008 to receiving kickbacks in a scheme to defraud the state in the construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque. Other prominent New Mexico elected officials have also been entangled in corruption scandals. Ken Stalter, an assistant attorney general, said in the states closing argument that Griego had violated his oath of office by using his elected office for personal gain and not disclosing potential conflicts. He said Griegos role as a legislator afforded him greater access to both fellow lawmakers and state government officials during the approval stage of the property sale, which the Legislature approved during the 2014 session with just three no votes. People would have done things differently (if theyd known), Stalter said. Its a fair inference from the evidence that he got $50,000 and no one knew that was going to happen until very late or after the process. But Clark, Griegos attorney, argued the state had not shown specific evidence to back the charges against Griego, describing the prosecutions case as overreaching. He also said several top-ranking legislators and state government officials had testified they had knowledge, or at least a suspicion, that Griego stood to benefit financially from the real estate deal. From a legal standpoint, its impossible to say the state was deceived or cheated when the highest levels of the Legislature and state government knew this was taking place and not only did nothing to stop it, but acquiesced, Clark said. Four lawmakers testified during the preliminary hearing, with Sen. Carlos Cisneros, D-Questa, testifying Friday that he did not think there was anything unusual about the 2014 property sale. During his testimony, prosecutors showed a video stream via archived webcasting of the Senate vote on the property bill, which Cisneros formally introduced. In the video, Griego can be seen walking off the Senate floor shortly before the vote was taken, then returning moments later. A trial date has not been scheduled for Griego, who remains free on his own recognizance. The Saucy Italian Bistro is done but its owner says she has another idea cooking. Maria Constantine closed Saucy last week after three years in business, having sold the property at 2912 Juan Tabo NE to an unnamed out-of-state investor. However, she told the Journal on Friday that she intended to return to the local dining scene by next summer with a new restaurant at a different location. She said the menu would veer more toward the Greek food she served at Mykonos, a Mediterranean eatery she started nearly 20 years ago but has since sold. Im not done; Im taking some time off, Constantine said. Im not retired, by any stretch of the imagination. Im beginning, as I call it, a new chapter. She said we did very well with Saucy and had a loyal following. But her mother recently died and she wanted some time away from the restaurant business. Steve Lyon of Pegasus Retail represented Constantine in the sale of the property, which includes the vacant restaurant and the land its on. The price was not disclosed. Lyon said he now will represent the new owners as they seek new users for the spot. He said they would consider a remodeling or even redevelopment project, depending on the tenant, or tenants, they find. Lyon said they could lease to another restaurateur, update and expand the building into a multi-unit retail venue or get a tenant who wants to tear it down and start fresh. He said whatever happens should dovetail with what he called a larger facelift afoot along Juan Tabo. He cited the remodeling of a nearby old motorcycle dealership for Piatanzi restaurant and a redevelopment effort bringing a new Dunkin Donuts to Juan Tabo and Menaul. Juan Tabo is starting to have this new stuff happen, and its great, Lyon said. Wrong again. The same class of poised and polished experts who assured us that Donald Trump would never become the Republican nominee turned out to be equally ignorant about British politics as voters rejected their counsel, defied their wishes and opted to leave the European Union. With Clintonian brazenness, these panjandrums never took a moment to ask, why were we so wrong? Instead, they trotted out their tired old playbook to demonize these recalcitrant upstarts. Politicians and pundits pointed to that rigorous tool for divining human thought popular Google searches to argue that Leave supporters regretted their uninformed ballots. They cheered as financial markets tumbled the day after the vote. They have, of course, ignored the sharp rebound since; just as those in North Carolina who loudly predicted financial collapse following the passage of HB2 are quiet now that the laws economic impact seems negligible. Echoing American liberals who cannot fathom why rural and working-class whites vote against their interests, global elites on both sides of the Atlantic couldnt find any good reason that voters didnt follow their instructions to Remain. So they blamed the same dark impulses that have become their go-to explanation when the people dont do as theyre told: ignorance, racism and xenophobia. Like the Trump campaign, the Brexit vote involved a range of complex issues, including the belief that government and corporate elites primarily serve only their own interests. But to the experts, the overriding issue was immigration. The fact that Britain and America remain among the most welcoming nations in the world didnt matter. For all their alleged insight, the experts failed to understand the difference between the desire to control borders and to close them. It doesnt take Sigmund Freud to see their explanation as a defense mechanism that protects them from having to face the failures of their own policies. At bottom, Brexit and Trump reveal the dangerous divide between the elites and those they claim to lead. It is not simply that they do not agree on things; they do not know and understand one another. As New York Times columnist David Brooks admitted, I was surprised by Trumps success because Ive slipped into a bad pattern, spending large chunks of my life in the bourgeois strata in professional circles with people with similar status and demographics to my own. That hasnt stopped Brooks from comparing Trump to Joe McCarthy or describing his supporters in an otherwise thoughtful piece as the masses. James Traub, a contributing editor at Foreign Policy, has been more direct, describing Trump voters as a rabble. The headline of his recent commentary, which casts modern politics as the sane vs. the mindlessly angry, captures the view of his brethren: Its Time for the Elites to Rise Up Against the Ignorant Masses. This is very dangerous territory for a democracy. It signals the dismissal of, and utter contempt for, about half the population by those with power and influence. It explains why Trumps opponents are so quick to label him a fascist and to compare him to a monster who exterminated 11 million people during World War II. Ponder that. Using the same ugly tropes employed by racists during slavery and Jim Crow, they cast Trumps supporters as ignorant animals driven by ugly emotions. Echoing the same exclusionary language of North Carolinas Moral Monday movement, they do not seek to engage and understand those with different perspectives. They seek instead to delegitimize them, to cut off debate through nasty labels: evil, extremist, racist, hatemonger. You dont compromise with people like that. They must be destroyed. This intolerance has, in many ways, paved the way for Brexit and Trump. When people do not feel they have a place at the table, they turn it over. The paradox is that, for all their failures, we need the elites. The world may be so complicated that even they cannot get a handle on it. But the idea that untrained and unschooled people would do a better job is folly. But as long as those in power refuse to listen to many of those whom they would lead, as long as they angrily dismiss and falsely condemn their legitimate concerns, the dangerous divide will deepen. J. Peder Zane is a columnist for the News & Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A devastating report on the United Kingdoms eager participation in the invasion and occupation of Iraq was released this week, as corpses are still being pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of Baghdads largest suicide truck bombing since that ill-fated 2003 invasion began. The document is known as The Chilcot Report, after its principal investigator and author, Sir John Chilcot. The inquiry was commissioned in 2009 by Britains then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Chilcot released the 6,000-page report Wednesday morning, seven years after the work began. It offers a litany of critiques against former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Cabinet, exposing the exaggeration of the threat of weapons of mass destruction, and Blairs unwavering fealty to President George W. Bush. It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments. They were not challenged, Chilcot writes in his statement that accompanied the reports release. One memo in the report, from Blair to Bush in July 2002, months before the invasion, opens with Blairs pledge to Bush, I will be with you, whatever. Many, including Parliament members from his own Labour Party, are calling for Blair to be tried for war crimes. As the United Kingdom, still consumed by political chaos after the Brexit vote, reacts to the Chilcot report, people in Baghdad are reeling from Sundays bombing. The death toll from the attack has climbed to nearly 300. George W. Bush, unapologetically, said through a spokesman that he continues to believe the whole world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power. He was said to be hosting wounded veterans on his ranch in Texas. The British military suffered far fewer casualties than the Americans, with 179 killed, compared with 4,502 from U.S. forces (seven of whom were killed in 2016). Trillions of dollars have been spent on the invasion and occupation, and trillions more will be spent on the lifetime of care for the wounded and emotionally damaged veterans. But by far the largest, the most incalculable toll has been paid by the Iraqi people. As this most recent bombing attests, the war in Iraq has not ended. Several efforts have been made to count the number of war dead, with the low end of those estimates at 160,000 killed. Some studies have put the number at several times that. The exact number is impossible to determine, but the effect on the people of Iraq has been devastating, and the damage will be felt for generations. The British pronouncement was clear: Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators. This was not in 2003, though. It was 1917. War raged across Europe, and the British Navy was heavily dependent on oil from Iraq and the Persian Gulf. As the detailed historical annex attached to the Chilcot Report reads, To secure this oil for Britain, in the spring of 1914 the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, acquired for the British Government a 51 percent share in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. And thus has the past century of occupation, exploitation, repression, violence and grief been seared into the lives of Iraqis and into the history of Iraq. This is more than history to Sami Ramadani. He is an Iraqi-born, London-based exile from the Saddam Hussein regime, who has long organized against not only the invasion and occupation of Iraq, but also against the devastating sanctions that preceded it. Iraq, as a society, as a state, was destroyed in the cruelest of fashions shock and awe, mass crimes on an untold scale since World War II and the Vietnam War, he told us on the Democracy Now! news hour, shortly after the report was released. It wasnt removing the dictator that was the real objective, but really controlling Iraq. And failing to control it, they eventually destroyed it, just like they are doing in Libya, they are doing in Syria and so on. It fits in within that scale. But the biggest tragedy of all is the loss of life. Just one year after the invasion, at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association annual dinner in Washington, D.C., President Bush joked to the hundreds of journalists at the gathering, Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere. Slides of Bush crouched on the floor of the Oval Office, looking for WMDs under the furniture, accompanied his comedy routine. As dead U.S. service members were brought back to Dover Air Force Base, where photographing the body bags was banned, and while Iraqi corpses piled up in streets and morgues, Bushs behavior was unfathomable. War is no joke. In the aftermath of the Chilcot Report, there should be a serious effort to hold those, like Bush and Blair, accountable for the ongoing death and destruction in Iraq and beyond. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal A business manager identified in a VA Office of Inspector General investigation as actively encouraging schedulers to misreport veteran appointment wait times was promoted to a top post at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque this year while the results of the inquiry were pending, the Journal has learned. Julie Dreike had risen to acting associate director the second in command in the leadership chart on a Department of Veterans Affairs website but after the OIG report was released June 24, her photo and new title were removed from the website, which on Friday showed the position as vacant. Medical Center Director Andrew Welch told the Journal on Friday that he didnt know of the results of the OIG investigation until a report was made public two weeks ago. The report was actually completed a year earlier, and was forwarded to a VA entity recently created amid the wait-time scandal in 2014 to ensure accountability from VA leadership. Without mentioning Dreike as the former business manager identified in the OIG report, Welch said Friday that he wasnt aware there was an active investigation involving her when he oversaw her promotion to acting associate director, effective April 28. Dreike was business manager of VA ambulatory care in New Mexico when allegations were first reported to a VA OIG Hotline in September 2013 that schedulers were being forced to falsify appointment records. By the end of that year, Dreike was promoted to chief of the VA Medical Centers health administration service. Welch said he asked Dreike to return to her former post as chief of the health administration service because the OIG report raised issues related to the health administration service. That service, according to a VA website, oversees clerical functions, including medical records management. A VA Medical Center spokeswoman said Dreike was not available for comment Friday. Journal efforts to reach her at her Albuquerque home and by email were unsuccessful. Her salary as business manager in fiscal year 2013, the most recent for which the information was available Friday, was $90,000 plus a bonus of $2,000. Dreikes salary in new positions was unavailable. The OIG began looking into allegations of falsification of appointment records nationwide when reports surfaced that wait time data for veterans seeking appointments was changed to give the appearance of better than actual performance. The scandal led to national audits and the resignation of then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki in 2014. Here and elsewhere, OIG investigators found that medical appointment records were changed to show the desired date for future appointments was the actual date of the appointments a method that hid long waits for care by showing zero wait times. In a six-page administrative summary, the OIG concluded: The investigation substantiated the allegation concerning desired dates. A long-standing practice of misreporting desired appointment dates was occurring. Two VA officials a nurse manager and a business manager were identified as having played an active role in encouraging this activity. In June 2015, the OIG referred its New Mexico findings to the VA Office of Accountability Review, which can conduct its own inquiry and mete out disciplinary action. Dreikes resume also includes serving as district director of U.S. Rep. Heather Wilsons district office in Albuquerque, and serving as quality manager for the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department while Wilson headed the agency from 1995 to 1998. Welch took over as head of the VA Medical Center in New Mexico about 18 months ago. VA Medical Center officials say they didnt wait for the outcome of the OIG inquiry before implementing reforms. With an increase in staff and the opening of extended clinic hours, the current average wait time to see a medical provider in New Mexicos VA health system is 3.36 days for primary care, 4.73 days for specialty care and 3.68 days for mental health care. A VA audit in 2014 showed that more than 1,000 veterans in New Mexico had been waiting three months or more for initial medical appointments. Patients seeking primary care in New Mexico were waiting an average of 46 days, with the wait for specialty care averaging nearly two months. New patients seeking mental health care waited an average of 38 days. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal Facebook is considering New Mexico as one of two states for a new data center, according to a Public Service Company of New Mexico regulatory filing. The filing did not specify a location, but the Los Lunas Village Council late last month approved up to $30 billion in industrial revenue bonds for a data center. The filing with the Public Regulation Commission, submitted by PNM on Friday, states that the utility was approached by Facebook about a proposed data center in the state and that Utah is also in contention for the center. Facebook wants to get all of its energy needs for the data center through renewable resources, according to PNMs filing. PNM, in turn, is asking for an expedited approval process without a public hearing for recovering from Facebook the costs associated with providing the energy, which includes a newly built solar facility. PNM says it needs approval by Aug. 31 in order for New Mexico to remain competitive with Utah in the race to win over Facebook. Were always evaluating potential new sites as we expand our global infrastructure and developing a pipeline for future data center locations. But, were not committing to anything right now, Facebook spokeswoman Lindsay Amos said in an emailed statement. When evaluating potential new sites, its important to have all the information we need readily available including our access to renewable energy. By doing work upfront, we can move fast when we do need more capacity. Facebook is also considering locating its new facility in another state and has informed PNM that the state which is best able to meet its requirement will be the state chosen by the Customer for building its new data center, Thomas J. Wander, PNM senior project manager, said in an accompanying letter. The PNM documents say the utility needs PRC approval by Aug. 31 because the Rocky Mountain Power Co. has filed an application with the Utah Public Service Commission seeking necessary approvals by that date to meet Facebooks electric needs under Utah law. PNM is specifically seeking PRC approval for: A special service contract to meet Facebooks electric needs. A special service rate for the renewable electricity that PNM would provide to Facebook, with an initial rate set for 10 years and a formula to calculate costs after that. A power purchase agreement authorizing PNM to buy solar electricity from installations that would be developed and owned by PNMs affiliate company, PNMR Development and Management. A new green energy rider allowing PNM to procure renewable energy for just one large-sized customer. PNM spokesman Pahl Shipley said the utilitys 530,000 customers would not absorb any of the costs of the Facebook project if it moved forward because it would be entirely funded by the technology giant. In a separate matter, PNM is seeking a customer rate increase of an average of more than 14 percent, which the PRC is expected to rule on by the end of August. This is an exciting prospect, said Shipley. It has the potential to be very positive for the entire community. Under proposed agreements with Facebook, PNM said it would build a high-voltage electric line to serve the data center. Facebook would pay for the line up front. Over time, as Facebook expanded its facility and its electric needs grew, PNM would procure more renewable generation to meet Facebooks full requirements, if possible. Its big news, said Mariel Nanasi, executive director of New Energy Economy, which has opposed many of PNMs proposals. Finally, green energy may actual be coming to the state in a real way. Nanasi said PNM forwarded the filing to her and other individuals who had been intervening parties in other PNM cases in an attempt to begin gathering support for the project. Id be surprised if there wasnt consensus from the PRC about expediting the process, said Steve Michel, an attorney with the enviornmental group Western Resource Advocates. But to have everything approved without a hearing? Thats a bigger lift. The $30 billion industrial revenue bond request in Los Lunas was filed by a data hosting company called Greater Kudu LLC, seeking to build a data center campus at the Huning Ranch Business Park. Kudus parent company was not named but was described as a large, publicly traded, multi-national internet company. The deal would not provide money or credit to the company, but rather would create a mechanism for it to receive a property tax abatement over a 30-year period, for which it makes payments to Los Lunas in return. The applicant would be responsible for paying off the bonds. The name of the parent company was not disclosed to the Los Lunas council before the IRB proposal was approved last month. According to PNMs filing, if Facebook does decide to locate its data center in New Mexico, the first phase of development would require an initial $250 million investment. Although additional phases are not guaranteed, the project has the potential to reach six phases if fully built out, the utility said. The IRB proposal approved by Los Lunas describes a project of up to six phases. It potentially would create 200 to 300 construction jobs for seven years, according to the application, and between 30 and 50 full-time jobs at the data center in its initial phases. Millions of eyes were glued to the Facebook video and then television news watching the traffic stop and subsequent fatal shooting of a black man in Minnesota this week. Adolphe Pierre-Louis, a photographer for the Albuquerque Journal, couldnt watch. It revived a trauma he has worked hard to place at a distance. Its a trauma that resulted in a $50,000 settlement with the state in October that recently became public after the six-month period of confidentiality had passed. Almost five years ago, Pierre-Louis was driving a Journal vehicle, a white Ford Explorer, on an assignment when he was stopped by a New Mexico State Police officer not for a traffic violation, but because a man driving a white Ford Expedition had pulled a gun on a motorist and then sped off, going from zero to 90 mph in a minute. That man, as the officer later learned, was described as a 5-foot-2 balding Hispanic in his 20s. Pierre-Louis is a 6-foot-2 African-American born in Haiti, 49 at the time. He was wearing his Albuquerque Journal press badge and employee ID, which he showed to the officer along with his drivers license and registration. The officer did a pat-down and told him that everything matches, Pierre-Louis said. The officer ordered him to walk backward and hold up his hands, and then to turn around and lift the brown linen shirt Pierre-Louis recalls he wore that day. He handcuffed Pierre-Louis while pointing a gun at him. The officer had him kneel, still cuffed, on the pavement on a hot and humid August day. He put the gun in his holster only after I was on my knees, Pierre-Louis said. He admits being scared. Ive never had anyone pull a gun on me before, he said. Eventually, the victim was brought to the roadside where Pierre-Louis was being detained and told the officer he had the wrong man. Pierre-Louis was released at the scene. The incident lasted 15 minutes by one estimate, though Pierre-Louis recalls it being longer. After Journal editor Kent Walz wrote a strongly worded letter of complaint about Pierre-Louis treatment, he got a phoned apology from the State Police chief. Because of his work, Pierre-Louis said, he has almost daily interaction with police and never, never, never had anything like that days incident. Pierre-Louis filed a civil rights lawsuit in state court mostly, he said, to make the point that officers should be very careful about pulling a gun on someone. I believe its important for an officer to do his job properly before embarking on a chase. If the officer had spent an additional five to 10 seconds that would have made a huge difference. You cant just go on the car description. The defense moved his case to federal court, where U.S. District Judge James O. Browning granted qualified immunity to the officer, dismissing the federal claims and sending the case back to state court to resolve claims under state law. Attorney Mark Fine, who represented Pierre-Louis, was prepared to appeal the ruling to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals when the case was settled with no admission of fault by the officer or the state. Pierre-Louis got $50,000 in the settlement, but more important to him, an agreement to speak to cadets at the police academy an accommodation that was suggested by the mediator. His topic is unconscious bias or implicit bias, an area of increasing research. In June, the U.S. Justice Department said 33,000 federal agents and prosecutors will be trained about it, with the goal to prevent bias from influencing their law enforcement decisions. The Justice Department will use a model developed by a nonprofit organization that is designed to make people aware of attitudes they may hold about certain races, genders, nationalities and other characteristics. Local police departments nationwide began instituting bias prevention plans after shootings in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014, and elsewhere. In April, Pierre-Louis went to Santa Fe to speak to his first cadet group. He told them who he was that hed come to the U.S. from his native Haiti believing that if you pay your taxes and live in the right way the sky is the limit. He told them he understands their manpower shortage. He encouraged them to slow down the process even for a few seconds before giving chase. And he wants them to ask the right questions. I was humiliated on the side of the freeway, he said. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. I have kids a daughter and a son. I dont want something like that to happen to (them). Pierre-Louis believes the outcome ultimately was positive. Hes been invited to speak again to the cadets. It brings closure, and its a teachable moment, he said. You just cant do that. Former state Rep. Bob Perls was rejected this week by the secretary of state as an independent candidate for the Public Regulation Commission and says hes going to challenge it. Perls will ask a state District Court to strike down New Mexicos unfair and discriminatory requirements for independent and minor party candidates to get on the ballot. The Corrales businessman and former foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State says he turned in about 1,350 voters signatures to qualify for the Nov. 8 general election ballot. The requirement for an independent, however, is 3,650. Perls says that if he were a Democrat (which he was when he served in the House in the 90s), he would have had to submit about 750 signatures, and if he were a Republican, about 450. Since all voters are supposed to have equal access to the ballot box, does this protection extend to candidates who should have equal access to the ballot? he said in a news release. Right now, there is only one candidate on the ballot in Albuquerques PRC District 1, Democrat Cynthia Hall. MINOR PARTIES: The secretary of state, following last weeks filing deadline, has qualified a couple of new minor political parties that could nominate presidential candidates for the Nov. 8 ballot. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is running Gloria La Riva of San Francisco, who was born and raised in Albuquerque, as its presidential candidate. La Riva has previously been the partys presidential nominee and has run for governor in California on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Minor parties have until Sept. 13 to submit their nominees to the secretary of state. Also qualified this week as a minor party was the American Delta Party, which according to Ballot Access News was founded by San Diego businessman Roque Rocky De La Fuente as a vehicle for a possible independent presidential bid. De La Fuente ran in some states in the Democratic presidential primaries. Four other minor parties already were qualified in New Mexico, including the Constitution Party, whose presidential nominee, Darrell Castle, is on the ballot in November. Former Gov. Gary Johnson is expected to be on the ballot for the Libertarian Party. LEGISLATURE: On the legislative side, Fran Gallegos was disqualified as a Green Party candidate in Senate District 39, where Republican incumbent Ted Barela faces Democratic challenger Liz Stefanics. The secretary of state said she hadnt been properly nominated by the party. In House District 54, independent Freddie Joe Nichols is newly on the ballot, challenging Republican incumbent James Townsend. Deborah Baker: dbaker@abqjournal.com. SANTA FE A political group helping Democratic state Senate candidates got $70,000 in contributions from two national unions in June and spent it on digital advertising, according to a campaign finance report filed this week with the secretary of state. New Mexico Together reported $50,000 from the American Federation of Teachers and $20,000 from the International Association of Firefighters. The independent expenditure group spent nearly $67,000 on ads that ran on newspaper and political websites after the June 7 primary election. The group is critical of standardized testing and is promoting the re-election of Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, and Democrats John Sapien of Corrales, Daniel Ivey-Soto of Albuquerque and William Soules of Las Cruces, as well as the election to the Senate of Rep. Jeff Steinborn of Las Cruces and former Sen. Liz Stefanics of Santa Fe. Independent expenditure groups, sometimes called super PACs, arent bound by donation limits but also arent allowed to coordinate with candidates campaigns. Another independent expenditure group, Advance New Mexico Now run by Republican Gov. Susana Martinezs political adviser, Jay McCleskey took in $60,000 in June, $50,000 of it from The GEO Group, which operates private prisons at Clayton and Santa Rosa. The groups spending of $79,000 during the period included media buys and research and polling. McCleskey declined to provide details but said the group has been engaged in multiple races. The super PAC sent out mailers before the primary aimed at Deming Republican Scott Chandler, highlighting past abuse allegations against a youth program at his Tierra Blanca Ranch. Chandler lost the House District 32 GOP primary to Vicki Chavez of Deming, whose 16-vote margin was confirmed in a recount last week. A group of Navajo representatives, including a former county commissioner and two local members of the clergy, met with Mayor Gregg Hull last month to discuss Navajo and First Nation representation in Rio Rancho. The Revs. Sean Benally and Ray Perry of the All Nations Indian Church, former Sandoval County Commissioner Orlando Lucero, consultant Mick McGovern, county commission candidate Alexis Jimenez and Pamela Engstrom of The Torun Group met with Hull on June 29. Navajo residents of the city hope to meet with the mayor quarterly. Former state lawmaker Ray Begaye, a representative of the Navajo Nation, requested the meeting to give Navajos a voice, as they are a growing population in Rio Rancho, according to a statement. Speaking after the meeting, Lucero said the City of Vision has been seeing a growth in First Nations residents. I think we have 7,000 or 8,000 Native Americans in Rio Rancho. I know we have 4,000 Navajo and we have a lot of Pueblo, Lucero said. A lot of Native Americans are moving to the city to find jobs. Eight agenda items were discussed, including transportation options for Navajo residents to the All Nations Indian Church, encouraging eligible Navajos to register to vote and establishing a First Nations Day in Rio Rancho. No final decisions were made. In regard to transportation concerns, Hull recommended the group meet with the Mid-Region Council of Governments, saying specific routes and a specified number of residents who would take a bus to and from the church would be needed. Engstrom, who pushes for advocacy and education for Navajos with Begaye, said the city should do more to encourage new voters this election year. We have people who have never voted off the reservation who have moved to Rio Rancho, Engstrom said. Beyond the political sphere, the group agreed that the city could do more to encourage Navajo community engagement in general. Perry recommended a city-sponsored rodeo that could help engage younger Navajo residents; an art show at Santa Ana Star Center, Lucero said, might attract shoppers all across the county; Hull said the citys three main parades could do more to encourage Navajo representation. When you talk about the history of our country, what immediately comes to mind for me is the Code Talkers and what an integral part they played in what we did as a nation, Hull said. Those contributions should be represented, especially in the Memorial Day Parade. Establishing a First Nations Day, Perry said, could do wonders for Navajo residents in the city. I would like nothing better than to see a Native Americans Day, a First Nations Day, where those cultures have their chance to stand up and be recognized, Perry said. The group discussed the possibility of building a First Nation cultural center in the city. Although Hull said he was in favor of the center, he said a larger conversation with city, county and tribal leaders should happen before any decisions were made. If we had a really strong cultural center here in Rio Rancho where it had convention aspects to it, obviously thats something that would be wonderful, Hull said. Thats something that could be tremendous from an economic development standpoint. The next Navajo residents meeting is scheduled for Sept. 29. A former member of the state House of Representatives hopes to launch a new charter high school catering to Native American youth. Ray Begaye presented his proposal for First Nations Preparatory Charter to Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education in June and asked for their backing. The board will vote during their regular meeting on Monday, and if they agree, RRPS will become a chartering agency for the first time. Rio Rancho currently has two charter schools The ASK Academy and Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education both managed by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Begaye, a House District 4 representative from 1999 to 2013, sees many advantages to partnering with RRPS. The children are citizens of that particular community in Rio Rancho, the parents and the grandparents are integrated into the community, he said. In my opinion, all charter schools should be endorsed by local school boards. Begaye also highlighted Rio Ranchos growing Native American community RRPS has about a thousand Native students, almost 40 percent of them Navajo and their need for culturally appropriate education. First Nations Preparatory Charter would aim to fill that niche by offering Navajo language classes and an interactive curriculum, which Begaye said is more in line with a Native American view of the world. You can teach kids to change a tire, but what if the students design the tire themselves? Begaye asked. It challenges the thought process of the kids. If the RRPS board endorsement comes through, First Nations Preparatory Charter will open in July 2017 with an initial enrollment of 150, rising to about 300 after a few years. Begaye said he is still searching for a location, but has seen several good options. The Shiprock native has experience with education: He taught Navajo language classes and helped Cortez, Colo., open a new summer high school program. Begaye said he is driven to offer better opportunities for Native youth, a group that too often falls behind academically. I shed tears for those kids who will never make it in college or the workforce and will continue to struggle as a young adult, he said. My hope is that every individual who graduates from First Nation can get into college education or training. New Mexicos Native American kids consistently have a low high school graduation rate, according to PED statistics, which show that only 63 percent of them earn a cap and gown in four years, compared with 67 percent of Hispanic students and 74 percent of Caucasian students. RRPS, one of the highest performing districts in New Mexico, had a 79 percent graduation rate for Native students, compared with 83 percent for the district overall. DENVER Construction crews will return this weekend to the scene of a massive mine-waste spill in southwestern Colorado to stabilize the mine opening with steel and concrete, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday. The EPA said the work is designed to keep rock and dirt from collapsing at the entrance to the Gold King Mine and to make sure its safe to enter during future cleanup efforts. The stabilization work will last through October. An EPA-led contractor inadvertently triggered a spill of 3 million gallons of wastewater from the Gold King on Aug. 5 while doing preliminary cleanup work. The blowout tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah with potentially toxic heavy metals, prompting utilities and farmers to stop drawing from the waterways. The water quality quickly returned to pre-spill levels, the EPA says. In an email to The Associated Press, the EPA said it is very unlikely the work being done at the mine this year would trigger another spill. The EPA has taken precautions to prevent any unanticipated discharges, the agency said. The contractor hired to do this summers work, Environmental Restoration LLC, was also on the scene at the time of the August blowout. But the EPA and outside investigators have said it was government officials, not the contractor, who made the decision to begin the work that led to the spill. The EPA pledged to alert downstream communities if anything goes wrong this summer, using a notification plan put in place after the August blowout. The agency was widely criticized for not alerting all the tribal, state and local governments affected by the spill. Wastewater is still running from the mine, and if the rate increases during this summers work, a temporary treatment plant installed last fall can handle a higher flow, the EPA said. The $1.8 million plant went into operation in October. Officials said at the time it could handle 800 gallons per minute, while wastewater was flowing from the mine at about 560 gallons per minute. The plant is scheduled to run through November of this year. Colorado lawmakers have urged the EPA to keep it operating, and the agency said Friday it is looking into that. The August blowout triggered lawsuits and intense criticism of the EPA, both for causing the spill and for its handling of the aftermath. The agency has proposed using the federal Superfund program to fund a long-term cleanup of the Gold King and other nearby mining sites. CINCINNATI A leader of the states special board on community-police relations said Friday shes increasingly concerned about safety at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Im nervous as hell, said Nina Turner, a former Democratic state senator from Cleveland who co-chairs the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, an initiative of Republican Gov. John Kasich. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams assured reporters Friday evening that the city is prepared. We have enough officers, he said at a news conference, where he and the citys mayor announced a tip line for people to report suspicious activity as the four-day political event approaches. For Turner, safety at the convention was already personally worrisome. Her son is a law enforcement officer who will be on duty and the convention is coming to my backyard, she said. There now is added worry after a sniper attack killed five Dallas police officers Thursday night during a protest over fatal police shootings of black men this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. And some law enforcement agencies have rescinded offers to send officers to help at the convention. Turner said the convention was going to be a powder keg all along. This just puts more gasoline and dynamite and the match on top of all of that, she said. The July 18-21 convention, featuring Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, already was expected to attract large groups of protesters, including supporters and opponents of Trump and advocates for other causes. Authorities in Cleveland, which has been roiled in recent years by police shootings of blacks that helped lead to Kasichs initiative, have insisted theyre ready to put on a safe convention. John Born, the Collaboratives co-chair and Ohios public safety director, said federal, state and local authorities have been working together on thorough preparations. I will tell you that we try to do everything we possibly can to prepare for any potential action that can occur, Born said. Williams urged residents on Friday to call the tip line if they see something out-of-place. We dont want to spur a panic, he said. We dont want people to call every time they see a rent-a-car in the neighborhood. But you know what belongs in your neighborhood. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Franklin County sheriffs office said Friday it had withdrawn its offer to send more than 30 deputies to Cleveland to assist with convention security, saying the sheriff hadnt received all the information requested. Several other departments had earlier withdrawn assistance offers over insurance coverage questions and other issues. Some police departments around Ohio were adopting special policies heading into the weekend aimed at increasing officer safety. Cincinnati police spokeswoman Tiffaney Hardy said police will use two-officer patrols throughout the weekend and then will reevaluate. A police union official said some officers had expressed a desire to be in two-officer cars instead of alone for increased safety. Union officials elsewhere said the Franklin County sheriffs office was switching to two-officer cars for its patrols, while the president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association said the department sent out an order late Thursday taking one-officer cars off the street and having officers double up. Toledo police also planned to double up on patrols. WASHINGTON Republicans signaled theyre not done with election-year investigations of Hillary Clinton and whether she lied to Congress, even after a House committee signed off Friday on its report into the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The 800-page report by the GOP-led Benghazi Committee found no wrongdoing by the former secretary of state, but the two-year inquiry had revealed that she used a private email server for government business, triggering a yearlong FBI investigation that continues to shadow the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. FBI Director James Comey said this week there werent grounds to prosecute Clinton but that she and her aides had been extremely careless in their handling of classified information. The committees 7-4 vote Friday was split along party lines, reflecting partisanship that emerged even before the panels creation in May 2014 and only escalated since then. Democrats have submitted their own report on the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that killed four Americans, including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens. The vote is unlikely to be the final word in the inquiry, which has lasted more than two years and cost $7 million. The panels chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said lawmakers may seek a federal investigation into whether Clinton lied to the committee in testimony last year. If a witness said something to a committee of Congress and/or under oath thats not consistent with the truth, our committee has an obligation to report that to the FBI, Gowdy told reporters. Asked if he was referring to Clinton, Gowdy said, Shes one of 100 witnesses. Under oath, Clinton testified last October that she never sent or received emails marked as classified when she served as secretary of state. She also has said she only used one mobile device for emails and turned over all of her work-related emails to the State Department. Comey said she had multiple devices and that investigators found thousands of work-related emails that had not been turned over. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he would refer Clintons Oct. 22 testimony to the FBI to investigate whether she lied to Congress. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the senior Democrat on both the Benghazi and Oversight panels, said an FBI referral was unwarranted, since Comey said only three emails out of more than 30,000 sent or received by Clinton contained classified markings. The State Department said the markings on the emails were placed in error and were no longer necessary or appropriate. Cummings and other Democrats criticized the decision by Republicans on the Benghazi panel to conduct an interview next week with a senior Pentagon official who criticized the GOP-led panel for making costly and unnecessary requests. The interview, coming after the report, is unnecessary and excessive, Democrats said. There is no end in sight for this partisan Benghazi Committee, Cummings said. The Republicans are addicted to Benghazi. Separately, the State Department is reopening its internal investigation of possible mishandling of classified information by Clinton and top aides. The internal review was suspended in April to avoid interfering with the FBI inquiry. Pressed by Chaffetz Thursday on whether Clinton lied, Comey said during a hearing that he had not reviewed Clintons testimony because it had not been referred to him by Congress. Chaffetz assured Comey he would soon get a referral. FARMINGTON The Navajo Nation will receive a portion of an $8.4 million grant to provide safety and health training courses to reduce accidents at mining sites. The tribes Minerals Department in Window Rock, Ariz., will receive $25,000 in funding, according to a press release issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labors Mine Safety and Health Administration. The tribal department operates a mine safety program that provides annual refresher training, as well as training for new miners and hazards, according to its website. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro is the only entity from New Mexico included in the grant listing. The university will receive $153,084. Grant recipients will use the funds to provide miners with federally mandated training and for retraining workers at surface, underground coal, metal and nonmetal mines, the Labor Department release states. 2016 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. _____ IMGCAP(1)]Reprinted with permission from Next-Level Accountants: Your guide to growing a firm of trusted advisors. Tax lawyer Kelly Phillips Erb, aka taxgirl, has written for The New York Times and is now a staff writer for Forbes.com, but she never set out to be a famous blogger or national thought leader. She became those, however, by sharing what she knows. And along the way, shes gained trust (and business) from clients, prospects and peers. Erb, whose blog ranks No. 5 on WalletHubs Best Tax Blogs, has good advice for anyone considering writing as part of their marketing or business development efforts. Even if you dont like to write, her tips can help you share your expertise in other ways (e.g., videos, podcasts). Why it pays to generate thought leadership content: Credibility Relatability Networking Providing thought leadership, or sharing your expertise without necessarily charging for it, is one way to establish yourself as an essential advisor to clients and prospects. It can create trust and boost credibility. What started as an effort to educate existing clients became a showcase of Erbs expertise and a way to connect with future clients, too. If you establish yourself as an authority, it allows you to stand out in a really competitive market, she says. Its a really great way to get noticed. [IMGCAP(2)]Erb found that posting tax law articles on the Internet leveled the playing field relative to much larger firms, especially when she and her husband formed their own law firm in 2000. We didnt have $5,000 to update the website or place ads in Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine, she says. One of the great things about writing ...is [that] you dont have to put huge dollars behind it. Another benefit of content marketing is that clients see her as human and likablekey traits for winning trust. Writing helps people put a face to you, she says. My readers know I am a mom and have three kids. I talk all the time about how Im a busy mom. Showing that youre relatable is important for many service professionals, Erb explains: Especially with CPAs and attorneys, people arent coming to you because its a great moment for them. Its usually because something bad has happened, or theyre worried something bad might happen or theyre overwhelmed. Theyre coming to you because theres a problem. When those people are looking for who can help them, they want a human. Finally, Erbs writing has led to strong networking with industry peers and with other important audiences. She first realized this when her blog was named in 2008 to the best legal blogs by the American Bar Associations ABA Journal, and again when she was asked to speak to tax professors at a law symposium. I realized that new media had the potential to affect not only my relationships with clients but also other professionals and colleagues. How to become a thought leader: Define goals Dont overcommit Find your lane Get a system If you want to write and develop thought leadership content, Erb has several tips. First, define you goals. What is it you hope to accomplish? she asks. If you need the phone to ring immediately, an online equivalent of a Yellow Page ad might be more helpful. Writing articles for your company blog or newsletter is a longer-term play that can establish you as a resource, get you noticed and showcase your expertise when your firm shows up in Internet searches. Second, dont overcommit. A common mistake new writers make is to set expectations on the blog that articles will be posted daily or more regularly than schedules allow. Dont be afraid to know your limitations, Erb says. Pacing yourself is also part of providing thought leadership content. Everything doesnt have to be a journal article, she says. One friend offers brief advice each week on Facebook in the form of a post titled Tax Tip Tuesday. You could create a brief list, or tell a story of a recent meeting that helps clients and prospects learn from others circumstances. Answering questions from readers once youve started to cultivate a following can generate terrific blog posts as well. Another way to limit any burden is to line up guest columns or interview another professional who has expertise outside your realm. Not only are you networking and possibly helping someone else with their business, which is a good thing because they might be happy to refer someone back to you, youre also reminding people, Hey, this is what I do. Third, find your voice and your medium of communication. Dont assume you have to write about everything related to accounting. Sometimes focusing on a niche is better than taking a broad approach to your writing. If you only like to do sales tax, write about sales tax and become the authority on sales tax, and when ABC News is looking for an expert on sales tax, theyll come to you, Erb says. And if youre not enthusiastic about writing articles, look for other ways to share your expertise: Facebook entries, brief videos on YouTube or podcasts addressing popular topics among your customers. There are so many ways to put your 2 cents in, she says. Finally, work out a system. Erb likes to keep a list of potential article topics in her purse so that whenever ideas strike, she can record them. You may need to set aside a block of time each day to write or develop ideas. Learn to edit your writing or ask others in your office to be a second set of eyes. Erb is a strong proponent of sharing expertise via thought leadership, because the cumulative impact is that it builds your practice. Whether youre blogging or doing a podcast or having a nice, updated website, it allows you to control how you present yourself to the potential client and gives the client the opportunity to understand youre a real person and you [realize] your job is to help them, she says. To learn more about growing your firm through thought leadership and better client communication, download the complimentary eBook, Next-Level Accountants: Your guide to growing a firm of trusted advisors. Mary Ellen Biery is a research specialist at Sageworks, a financial information company that provides financial analysis and valuation applications to accounting firms. Former London mayor Boris Johnson, runaway bookmakers favourite to become Britains prime minister, abruptly pulled out of the race on Thursday in a shock announcement less than a week after leading the campaign to pull the country out of the European Union. Johnsons announcement, to audible gasps from a roomful of journalists and supporters, was the biggest political surprise since Prime Minister David Cameron quit on lat Friday, the morning after losing the referendum on British membership in the bloc. Johnsons withdrawal makes Theresa May, the interior minister who backed remaining in the EU, the new favourite to succeed Cameron. She announced her own candidacy earlier on Thursday, promising to deliver the EU withdrawal voters had demanded, despite having campaigned for the other side.Brexit means Brexit, she told a news conference. The campaign was fought, the vote was held, turnout was high and the public gave their verdict. There must be no attempts to remain inside the EU, no attempts to rejoin it through the back door and no second referendum. Johnson, whose support of the Leave cause was widely seen as delivering its victory, saw his bid suddenly crumble after his Brexit campaign ally, Justice Secretary Michael Gove, withdrew his backing and announced his own leadership bid. I must tell you, my friends, you who have waited faithfully for the punchline of this speech, that having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me, Johnson said at the news conference in a London luxury hotel. Supporters in parliament, who had gathered expecting to hear him formally announce his candidacy, were left stunned. Gove, a close friend of Camerons despite differences with the prime minister over Europe, had previously said he would back Johnson. But in an article in the Spectator magazine on Thursday, Gove wrote that he had come reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead. Conservative lawmakers said Johnson may have been undone by supporters of Cameron exacting revenge for his decision to defy the prime minister and back the Leave campaign. He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, said one lawmaker, describing internal party conflict on condition of anonymity. The lawmaker told Reuters that Johnson had realised his bid would fail after lawmakers defected from his campaign overnight. Johnson became the latest political casualty of a civil war in the ruling party unleashed by Camerons decision to hold the referendum on membership in the EU, an issue that divided the Conservatives for decades and now divides the country. In a first-of-its-kind move in the country, Kerala has introduced a fat tax on the consumption of junk food items like pizzas and burgers sold through branded restaurants. The newly-elected LDF government imposed 14.5% tax on branded restaurants selling items like tacos, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, among others. The announcement was made by state finance minister Thomas Isaac as a part of the newly-elected LDF governments first State Budget presentation after being elected to power. Multi-national fast food chains like McDonalds, Pizza etc. are set to be hit on the back of the new tax imposition. I endorse, agree and raise my voice with everyone against Muslim or Islam following terrorists, and we have spoken enough about them all these years. Do not interpret my posts as Muslim sympathizer because I have few questions beyond Muslims too. The peace loving monks holding guns and killing people is what left me speechless. Buddhism is generally seen as among the religious traditions least associated with violence, but in the history of Buddhism there have been acts of violence directed, fomented or inspired by Buddhists. Buddhism embraces a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha. Ahimsa, a term meaning not to injure, is a primary virtue in Buddhism. Nirvana is the earliest and most common term used to describe the goal of the Buddhist path and the ultimate eradication of dukkha (pain). But few Buddhist exactly going opposite their preachings by giving pain to fellow human. Recently we have seen brutal killing in Myanmar, some Muslims those who are alive are dumped in camps and an autocratic Buddhist monk plays the concentration camp boss over a group of Rohingya Muslims imprisoned and tortured, those who are killed are randomly berried and burned, numbers are countless, but no need to feel bad they were all Muslims. They are known for terrorism across the globe, but no one has time to look at most peaceful Buddhas followers holding butcher knife or guns. Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka committed violence against Christians and Tamils. Even worse, during World War II, the Buddhist establishment even Zen cooperated, for the most part, with the militaristic Japanese regime. Recently Burmese Buddhists incited by monks, no less have been conducting violent attacks against the Rohingya Muslims with whom they share the Rakhine district, which borders Sri Lanka. The official death toll is five Rakhines and 51 Muslims killed at Yin Thei, including 21 Muslim women, nearly 4,000 Rohingya Muslims were fleeing the large port town of Pauktaw. The campaign against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is spearheaded by controversial monk Ashin Wirathu. Once referred to as the Burmese bin Laden, he is the leader of an ultranationalist group called 969, which opposes the growth of Islam in Myanmar. He was jailed in 2003 for inciting hatred and stirring sectarian clashes and released in 2010. Wirathu has warned against an impending Muslim takeover of Myanmar. In 2012 the rape of a Buddhist woman in northern Rakhine led to violent attacks that left dozens of civilians dead and more than 125,000 Rohingya and other Muslims displaced. Human Rights Watch described the humanitarian crisis as ethnic cleansing. Wirathu justified the violence saying the Rohingya were planning to establish an Islamic State in Rakhine. He has since urged non-Muslims to boycott Muslim shops and avoid doing business with Muslims. Your purchases spent in their shops will benefit the enemy. Government took action, all said and done but even today the violence continues and no one really has any control. The Rohingya are one of the most persecuted groups in the world. Stripped of citizenship in the 1980s, the Rohingya have been a subject of frequent racist propaganda and blistering violence. For years numerous human rights organizations have documented the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmars northern Rakhine state. Muslims continues to live under constant threats, with few legal rights. Forget about Burma, those were Muslim lives which slaughtered. Recently, Thai authorities found 40 dead tiger cubs in a freezer during a raid on a Buddhist temple. What else do we need to know? Now my question is that, Violence really has religion? Or we want to look at only one sect and others pardonable? I think its time to look at human tendencies leaving religion aside, why are they growing up with so much unrest and hate that leading to violence across the globe. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Meditation plays a very important role when it comes to getting a peace of mind. This is because a number of medical researchers have been able to prove that meditation helps in the relaxation of the brain and your body in general. There are hundreds and thousands different types of meditation and some of these are actually subdivided in accordance to tribes. Different tribes have different modes or ways of meditating. The Tibetan Meditation is often conducted by the Buddhist and is always believed to be a mode of communication between man and God. The ancient techniques of meditation have thus far been maintained by the Indians and is continuously being passed down from one generation to the other. The meditation techniques for the Buddhists however encompasses different varieties that are all aimed and geared towards developing concentration, tranquility, supramundane powers and insight as well as mindfulness. Despite there being different ways of meditation such as the recollection of breath which is widely used in almost all the Buddhist schools, the existence of diversity cannot be left untapped. One regular technique used by the Buddhist in meditation is to concentrate on a picture of Buddha. To start with, they take a physical article, either a painting or statue of the Buddha, and look at it until they are exceptionally acquainted with its appearance. At that point they close their eyes and make a recreation of that picture with their creative energy. When they first attempt to imagine the Buddha, the mental picture will undoubtedly be obscure and amazingly temperamental. They might not have the capacity to get a picture by any stretch of the imagination. While the above strategy has numerous advantages, it is not perfect for everybody. For it to be successful, one must have a decently serene personality, and it is useful to have profound confidence and worship for the Buddha. For individuals of a reverential nature, this practice can be exceptionally motivating, and compelling at balancing out the mind. One's heart is mixed by bringing the Buddha to mind with commitment, and hence one's excitement for the meditation develops. Then again, if one has an extremely upset personality and little confidence, this and other perception procedures might just prompt strain and more, misery. What's more, these issues might build the more one practices. With an unsettled, thoughtfully congested mind, the sheer exertion of envisioning an imagined item might be excessively saddling. It is essential not to give it a chance to escape hand; for on the off chance that it does, rather than settling the mind the practice will harm one's sensory system. In this practice, the accomplishment of thoughtful calmness is obviously characterized. Presently, the accentuation of the practice ought to be on developing clarity. For the brain, even after it has turned out to be all around settled, can still effortlessly slip into laxity. When they at last achieve a reflective silence they are free of even the unobtrusive types of fervor and laxity. Amid the early periods of the Tibetan meditation, significant degrees of exertion are required, yet as we advance, progressively and more unobtrusive exertion suffices. Step by step the meditation gets to be easy, and they can maintain every session for a considerable length of time on end. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Date: 5 July, 2016. Place: Hollywood, State of California, United States. According to an anonymous report published on UFO specialised website MUFON.com, a Hollywood resident affirmed having seen a bright orb hovering above the Californian neighbourhood. I noticed a fireball like orb in the sky, which I had seen before so it grabbed my attention as another UFO type object, the witness stated. I stopped to watch it and right when I was about to pull up my camera to film it flashed brightly before slowly turning into a barely visible object, he claimed. Then, the unidentified craft moved east through Hollywood towards downtown Los Angeles before descending quickly towards Earth. However, while the object descended, the unnamed witness could see that it seemed to morph into a very large black almost sheet-like parachute object, and then it disappeared. One of the most fascinating things I've ever seen, he expressed. Draw your own conclusions For further information: https://mufoncms.com/cgi-bin/report_handler.pl?req=view_long_desc&id=77494&rnd= Long Description of Sighting Report At the time of the sighing, I was walking my dogs outside. I noticed a fireball like orb in the sky, which I had seen before so it grabbed my attention as another UFO type object. I stopped to watch it and right when I was about to pull up my camera to film it flashed brightly before slowly turning into a barely visible object. I kept my eye on it because I could still see it and I didn't want to lose it. I wanted to see if it would turn back into the bright orb again. So I watched it as it moved east through Hollywood towards downtown Los Angeles before descending quickly towards earth. As it flew downwards it seem to morph into a very large black almost sheet like parachute object and then it disappeared and I couldn't see where it landed. One of the most fascinating thing I've ever Seen! Amazing. According to state law, fines, penalties, and license money shall be appropriated exclusively to the use and support of the common schools ... . An exception is fines for overloaded vehicles. Seventy-five percent of those funds go to state highways; 25 percent go to the county general fund where the fine or penalty is paid. Fifty percent of money forfeited or seized in enforcing drug laws goes to counties for drug enforcement. Vehicles seized in drug law cases may be used by law enforcement agencies or sold with the proceeds going to schools. County Court Traffic Sentences Kevin Schlake, 54, Cortland, commercial lighting violation, $25 fine and $48 court costs. Randy Andreasen, 60, Genoa, following too close, $50 fine and $48 court costs. Jacob Jarecki, 22, Platte Center, driving left of center and handheld communications device violation, $225 fines and $48 court costs. Jonathan Lovell, 28, 269 14th Ave., speeding, 75 mph in a 65 mph zone, $25 fine and $48 court costs. Ana Martinez-Paz, 37, 572 25th Ave., animal at-large, two counts, $50 fines and $48 court costs. Patrick Neesen, 53, Norfolk, speeding, 73 mph in a 60 mph zone, $75 fine and $48 court costs. Ismael Garcia-Mora, 21, 3317 25th St., Lot 25, speeding, 60 mph in a 45 mph zone, and no seat belt, $100 fines and $48 court costs. Oscar Garcia-Rodriguez, 47, McAllen, Texas, failure to maintain control, $25 fine and $48 court costs. Derek Salak, 31, 1172 16th Ave., following too close, $50 fine and $48 court costs. Kevin Malena, 53, Madison, commercial lighting violation, $25 fine and $48 court costs. Fabian Ayala-Lugo, 41, Carriage House Estates, No. 42, no operator's license, $75 fine and $48 court costs. Armando Vetter, 22, 172 18th Ave., No. 4, speeding, 44 mph in a 30 mph zone, $75 fine and $48 court costs; speeding, 45 mph in a 35 mph zone, $25 fine and $48 court costs. Nicholas Collins, 18, Blaine, Minnesota, speeding, 79 mph in a 65 mph zone, and possession of marijuana-one ounce or less, $375 fines and $48 court costs. Aaron Hunt, 37, Bassett, handheld wireless communications device violation, no seat belt and driving left of center, $250 fines and $48 court costs. Criminal Sentences Faith Christofferson, 26, 1720 23rd St. No. 10, attempt of a Class IV felony, 21 days in jail and $49 court costs. Joana Covarrubias, 22, Osceola, attempt of a Class II misdemeanor, $150 fine and $49 court costs. Jeremiah Dickinson, 19, Marquette, minor in possession of alcohol and handheld communications device violation, $450 fines and $49 court costs. Toni Eads, 18, Monroe, protection order violation, 45 days in jail, credit for 20 days already served and $49 court costs. Kevin Leedom, 56, Fremont, third-offense driving under the influence, 90 days in jail, credit for 11 days already served, $1,000 fine, operator's license revoked for 15 years and $49 court costs. Toni Marker, 18, Monroe, protection order violation, 30 days in jail, credit for 19 days already served, and $49 court costs. Christian Schwager, 23, 27 Clear Lake, graffiti violation, $75 fine, $150 and $300 restitution and $49 court costs. Victor Reyna, 22, 4119 Goedeken St., third-degree domestic assault, 18 months probation and $49 court costs. Jeffrey Robak, 52, Duncan, third-offense driving under the influence, one year in jail, $1,000 fine, operator's license revoked for 15 years and $49 court costs. Amber Bayer, 25, 1709 12th St., theft-unlawful taking $0-$500, $175 fine, $135 restitution and $49 court costs. Jonathan Hoadley, 26, 932 Fifth St., second-offense driving under the influence, 60 days in jail, $500 fine, operator's license revoked for 18 months and $49 court costs. Vince Lieb, 58, Lincoln, attempted to procure/sell alcohol to a minor, $200 fine and $49 court costs. Luis Ortiz, 37, address unavailable, theft-unlawful taking $0-$200 and theft-receiving stolen property $0-$200, 90 days in jail, credit for 29 days already served and $49 court costs. Esther Sanchez, 35, 26432 Merlyn Road, No. 503, attempt of a Class I misdemeanor, $50 fine and $49 court costs. Justin Tate, 27, 1161 13th Ave., theft-shoplifting $0-$500, $75 fine, $35.97 restitution and $49 court costs. Krystal Thomas, 35, 4515 31st St., attempt of a Class I misdemeanor, $10 fine and $49 court costs; unlawful acts relating to drugs, $10 fine and $49 court costs. Michael Kreikemeier, 49, La Junta, Colorado, possession of marijuana-one ounce or less, $500 fine and $49 court costs. Deagan Moore, 19, Norfolk, no proof of insurance, $50 fine and $49 court costs. Michael Bender, 51, 2221 22nd St., criminal mischief, $25 fine, $64.19 restitution and $49 court costs. Dylan Tschantre, 22, 313 Morton Road, negligent child abuse, 75 days in jail, credit for four days already served, and $49 court costs. Cassandra Yelton, 22, Silver Creek, no proof of insurance, $75 fine, $724.14 restitution and $49 court costs. Lugo Consuelo-Avila, 23, Madison, driving under suspension and possess/consume an open alcohol container, $125 fine and $49 court costs. Jeremy Nielsen, 36, Columbus, theft-unlawful taking $0-$500 and failure to appear, six months in jail, credit for 74 days already served, $451.50 bond forfeited and $49 court costs. RISING CITY Despite the buzz of power tools and voices of a small crowd gathered in the backyard, Bristol Hiatt was comfortably resting in the shade. The young girl was taking a late-morning nap at her home, sitting in a chair while there was activity all around. A few men were busy piecing together a sizable playground set complete with a slide, swings, climbing wall and clubhouse. Pieces of redwood that made up the 24-by-24-foot playground were lying across the lawn at Shane and Kylie Hiatts home in Rising City. Piece by piece, the structure was coming together. Bristol, though, wasn't bothered by all the commotion until she had to take pictures. She was roused from her slumber, a little slow to wake as Shane held his daughter in his arms. She wasnt interested in getting her picture taken, but perked up a bit as she was carried over to check out the clubhouse and peered into one of the windows while standing with Shane's help. Kylie was sure when the project is done Bristol will be spending a lot of time on a swing and slide with her siblings, Hope, 2, and Ivan, 1. After all, the 4-year-old picked it out herself when the family was deciding on a gift from Make-A-Wish Nebraska. We put pictures in front of her like a Disney cruise and a playground set. She looked and smiled at the playground set, so we knew thats what she wanted, Kylie said. Make-A-Wish delivered the playground Thursday for Bristol, who has a neurological disorder called Rett syndrome. She was diagnosed on Dec. 20, 2014. Rett syndrome typically occurs in girls and is caused by mutations of a gene. Signs of the disorder usually show up in the first few months after birth, which was the case for Bristol. She was hitting all the milestones in her young life but having difficulty standing by herself. The family was told Bristol would be fine. But at 14 months, everything changed. One day I went into her bedroom and she wasnt there. She was totally gone, Kylie said of her daughters inability to talk and move like she did before. That was probably the worst moment in my life. She wasnt answering me. She wasnt looking at me. The family looked for answers. Doctors were stumped at first, thinking the girl might be autistic. But a genetic test revealed Rett syndrome. The Hiatts were unfamiliar with the disorder that occurs in one out of every 10,000 female births in the world. Rett syndrome can affect speech, movement, learning and even breathing, heart function, swallowing and digestion. No cure for Rett syndrome is available, although those with the disorder can benefit from therapy. Kylie said she doesnt know if her daughters condition will get better or worse. Bristol is able to eat and drink out of a sippy cup. She moves around inside their house by scooting on her bottom. She is unable to talk but uses an electronic device to help her communicate. She is still able to live a semi-normal life and we pray every night that she gets better or doesnt change, Kylie said. Shane and Kylie made the decision to have Bristol take part in a clinic trial in hopes of finding a cure. They flew to Boston seven times for the trial from October 2015 to March 2016. Results from the trial wont be available for several months. Support from numerous fundraisers allowed Shane, who works with the Butler County Highway Department, and Kylie, who is employed at Vishay, to go to Boston. Some of the biggest support came from the car racing community, which Shane has been part of for a number of years. Watching her dad race is one of Bristols favorite activities, along with swimming and watching "Peppa Pig" cartoons. Kylie said Bristol, who turns 5 next month, can get frustrated when trying to communicate but has grown so much since her diagnosis two years ago because of therapy and the preschool she attends in Shelby. At school, Bristol has been welcomed with open arms, something Kylie said was always a concern because she wants her child to be accepted. I dont want anyone to look at her any differently. Shes a normal 5-year-old. She just cant walk and talk. She knows what you say to her. She knows if you dont like her, she said. The future is uncertain. Kylie said she is hopeful researchers can come up with a way to treat Rett syndrome. That's what she's focused on. Our hope is for a cure. That is our main focus, that they find a cure and to have Bristol walk and talk, Kylie said. What began as a impromptu gathering to show support for law enforcement Friday night turned into a prayer vigil that drew about 300 people to the city hall of Rainbow City. The gathering ended with pastors and participants praying over state troopers, deputies, police and firefighters, offering petitions for their safety and for national healing. The Rev. Steve Smith of New Destiny Christian Church offered prayers not only for the families and police affected by Thursday night's Dallas police shooting, but for communities in Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Georgia affected this week by officer-involved shootings. State. Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) helped organize the event, which mixed prayers with patriotic music and Christian hymns. The event was organized in just a few hours, using social media. Speakers said recent events may have shaken communities across the nation, but people may be drawn closer together. "God does not waste suffering," said Pastor Eric Reaves of Harvestfield Church. An Athens man was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds at a Pell City campground on Friday night. Zachary Scott Tribble, 35, was fatally shot at Lakeside Landing Marina & RV Resort off Martin Street South, St. Clair County coroner Dennis Russell said. Pell City police were notified of the shooting at around 7:45 p.m. Tribble's body was found lying outside his neighbor's camper. The neighbor, Jackie Owen Jordan, 63, of Odenville, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with murder. He is being held without bond at the St. Clair County Jail in Pell City. "The shooting stems from a disagreement between the two individuals," Pell City Police Chief Greg Turley said. "We want our residents to know that this is not a random crime and that Lakeside Landing, like all of Pell City, is a safe area and the investigation is ongoing." Russell said Tribble appeared to be living in a motor home parked at the campground. An autopsy will be performed. In the same place where blacks were attacked by dogs and sprayed with fire hoses half a century ago, several hundred people battled conflicting emotions during a protest at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham on Friday. Community leaders coordinated the Black Lives Matter rally in response to the two officer involved-shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Cullman resident Denise Bolden-Little grappled with fear, disappointment, confusion and rage when she heard the two black males were killed by police officers. She said it felt like her obligation as a mother and a military service member to take the trip to Birmingham and join the rally. She served in the Marine Corp for six years, she said. "It just dawned on me. My death is more valuable than my life," Bolden-Little said. "That makes me sad because I love this country. I just wish it felt the same about me." Before protesters marched from the park to the steps of Birmingham Police headquarters on First Avenue North, community leaders, politicians and residents spoke for nearly two hours in front of a crowd bearing signs that declared an end to the violence. Some of them encouraged the younger generation to foster change the same way their parents and grandparents did during the Civil Rights Movement. Birmingham City Council Member Johnathan Austin said he also has become a victim of discrimination, but his message was rooted in unity. "The only way we can turn this thing around is if we hold hands here together in solidarity for a change," Austin said. "Enough is enough." Attitudes towards law enforcement was mostly positive. Birmingham Police Chief A. C. Roper was welcomed with applause when he arrived. During his speech, he reminded residents about the five officers who died and the seven who were wounded in a shooting during a protest in Dallas on Thursday night. He thanked the men and women who were still working 911 calls during the event. Roper said he cried when he saw the violence in Minneapolis and Louisiana and spoke about changes in the police department. "As we look at policing across this nation, we have some challenges," Roper said. "There are some chiefs out there who understand it...and we are working hard to try to fix it. Here in Birmingham, we are doing some things, some training, you might not be aware of because we know we have to do better. Our communities deserve it." The mood intensified as residents talked about their encounters with officers. People shouted about their mistrust in law enforcement. Community activist Frank Matthews cried as he talked about Castile getting shot in front of his child before he dropped the microphone. "We've been saying, 'No justice. No peace.' for 10 years and we still ain't got nothing yet," Matthews said. "I don't want to hear it no more." Birmingham resident Makobe Tabengwa felt the same emotions when he heard about the shootings. He said the sense shock led to numbness. Then the numbness festered into rage. The rage stirred into a need to protest with a sign that read, "Unarmed Black Man" "As a black man, I feel like my skin color is seen as a threat. It is seen as a weapon," Tabengwa said. "I thought that by having this sign, I'm saying, 'I'm not armed. I'm not carrying a weapon. My skin color is not itself a weapon.'" Participants went to the streets shouting the famous chants associated with the Black Lives Matter movement nearly two hours after the event started at 5 p.m. Many recorded the march on their cell phones while pounding their fists in the air. "Hands up. Don't Shoot." "Say their names." "There is no justice, but we will seek peace." Many participants had signs that spoke louder than their words. Black males held signs asking if they were the next hashtag on social media. Birmingham resident Romel Williams, her two daughter and their friend wore shirts with the words "Will I be next?" Romel Williams said she became emotional when community activist Carlos Montez Chaverst Jr. did a roll call of black individuals who were killed by police officers. Participants' voices echoed through the streets as the crowd repeated every name after him. "I realized how many lives have been lost," Romel Williams said. "I'm scared of the lives of my girls." Non-black participants shouted black lives matter when organizers recognized them for coming to the event. The protest ended peacefully with a prayer. Vallerie Paulin, who is white, said the realities of police brutality knocked on her family's door after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, in 2012. Her 17-year-old foster brother is black. With the Dallas shooting still haunting the back of her mind, Paulin was late to the event because she had to assign someone to take care of her dogs just in case she did die from sudden violence. She said she couldn't let her fear stop her from leaving a legacy of love. "Black lives do matter. They are important," she said. "We can't be considered one, we cannot be considered equal, until everyone realizes that there is a problem." A crowd of about 250 blacks and whites marched peacefully in Huntsville Friday night to protest the deaths of black men in police custody and police officers killed protecting a similar march in Dallas. The event was a compromise between city officials and Black Lives Matter activists. It began on Cleveland Avenue with a focus on black men killed by police and ended after a mile walk to police headquarters on Wheeler Avenue and its memorial for fallen officers. At both venues, speakers spoke plainly and openly about how they feel and what they want each other to know. "Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Say their names," march organizer Afu Okosun asked the crowd on Cleveland Avenue. "Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. They were our brothers." "It saddens me to live in a community where I am genuinely loved," Okosun said, "but in every instance, in every interaction I have, I'm questioned of my character, I'm questioned of my motives, I'm questioned of my intellect, and I'm questioned of my value in being unapologetically Afu, which means being unapologetically black." Police Chief Mark McMurray, who walked with the marchers, said outside police headquarters, that he, too, had "a difficult day" while swearing in 21 new police officers. They were "the most diverse group of cadets ever put through an academy with over 50 percent minority represented," McMurray said, "and that brings our department to the most diverse it has ever been." After their loved ones pinned on their badges, McMurray said, they were presented to the audience as Huntsville police officers for the first time. "And then do you know what I did?" McMurray said. "I told them to put that black band on top of their badge.... Those officers had to turn around and tell their children and their mothers and fathers what that black band meant." It meant that any day they go to work, the chief said, they might not come home. Earlier, Okosun said it is hard for blacks to talk to their white friends "for fear of being misunderstood or being taken out of context." "The reality is, as I stand here, I'm looking at a crowd of people I honestly didn't know existed in Huntsville," Okosun said. "People that care enough to risk their time and safety - I mean, all the reports - to come out and support our community." "I think that it's important if I want to voice my opinion on social media that I not just do it there, that I come out and put action behind what I'm saying," Kiara Potts of Huntsville said while waiting for the speakers. "There's a lot of people on social media saying we need to stand, we need to make a difference, but as you see, it's only a handful of black people out here," said Cierra Thompson of New Market. "It's not just to say that black men who lost their lives matter, the cops who lost their lives matter, too. It shouldn't be a retaliation thing. We should all come together and pray and understand what we all need to do." According to discussions on social media Friday, some people stayed away because the event became something other than solely a protest against the police-involved shootings of the two men this week. Also walking were Mayor Tommy Battle and members of the City Council. They were there to support, Battle said, adding, "No politicians are speaking." "It's a symbolic walk that we're all walking through this life together, and there's no reason making it harder than it is," McMurray said at police headquarters. "So we called it a unity walk, and I'm so proud to walk with you." "All these communities around the country where civil unrest exists, it all starts with lack of trust," McMurray said. "You have trusted us tonight by coming out here, and I appreciate it. And we trust our community." A mood of sadness mixed with outrage settled over Alabama on Friday as hundreds gathered from around the state to honor the men and women of the badge and those who allegedly died in some of those hands. It was a day where many prayed at vigils for the five officers who died and seven people who were injured during a shooting in Dallas on Thursday night. As names and photos of the victims surfaced on national media outlets, local residents took the time to thank their local law enforcement with hugs and handshakes. It was also a day where people of all backgrounds marched the streets with fists in the air during Black Lives Matter protests. They spoke the names of Treyvon Martin and Michael Brown. The protests were in response to the recent officer-involved shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. In Huntsville, more than 250 Black Lives Matter participants walked along with officers and city leaders in an effort to show solidarity. The march started with organizers venting their frustrations about the recent deaths of two black males on Cleveland Avenue. They called Sterling and Castile their brothers. They told protesters to say their names. But the walk ended at a memorial for fallen officers on Wheeler Avenue near the Huntsville Police station. The event occurred the same day Police Chief Mark McMurray welcomed 21 new officers. McMurray said 50 percent of minorities were represented in the group. Family members pinned on their badges. McMurray then told the officers to place a black band over the badges and tell their families what it meant. It means there could be a day when they don't come back home. Cierra Thompson of New Market took the time to honor both sides for the event. "It's not just to say that black men who lost their lives matter, the cops who lost their lives matter, too," Thompson said. "It shouldn't be a retaliation thing. We should all come together and pray and understand what we all need to do." The same message of unity was shown in Rainbow City, where about 300 people gathered for a prayer vigil for first responders and the black males who died. Pastors who spoke during the event called for a message of peace instead of violence. As participants danced to patriotic music and sung Christian songs, organizers said the chaos has brought people together. "God does not waste suffering," said Pastor Eric Reaves of Harvestfield Church. Several hundred people in Birmingham unmasked their frustrations during a march from Kelly Ingram Park to the Birmingham Police headquarters on First Several hundred people gathered in Kelly Ingram park for a protest. Avenue North. Some residents shook hands with the officers. Some protesters questioned the officers, asking them why they don't stop the violence. Parents talked about how they feared for their children's lives. Local leaders demanded action. Community activist Frank Matthews cried as he talked about Castile getting shot in front of his child before he dropped the microphone. "We've been saying, 'No justice. No peace.' for 10 years and we still ain't got nothing yet," Matthews said. "I don't want to hear it no more." Birmingham Police Chief A. C. Roper was welcomed with applause when he arrived. During his speech, he thanked the men and women who were still working 911 calls during the event. He said he cried when he saw the violence in Minneapolis and Louisiana and spoke about changes in the police department. "As we look at policing across this nation, we have some challenges," Roper said. "There are some chiefs out there who understand it...and we are working hard to try to fix it. Here in Birmingham, we are doing some things, some training, you might not be aware of because we know we have to do better. Our communities deserve it." People were reminded of the dangers officers face daily during a gathering at First Baptist Church in Montgomery, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. Montgomery Police Major John Bowman said seven officers have died while on duty during his 22 years on the police force. Bowman called for people to come together to fight the crime that caused the shootings. "Crime is not our problem. It's not the community's problem. It's our problem together," Bowman said. During the graduation ceremony of 13 Mobile Police Department officers at Andrew Hanks prays along with his 17 other classmates as they graduated from the Mobile Police Department Academy at a ceremony at Revelation Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., on Friday July 8, 2016. Revelation Baptist Church, law enforcement representatives and Mayor Sandy Stimpson took a moment to recognize how the Dallas shooting highlights the risks law enforcement face. "Twelve officers shot, five of which died, yet they continued to run toward the sound of gunfire. Where do we get such men and women who have such a call for that type of bravery," Police Chief James Barber said. But Mobile is still reeling from its own officer-involved shooting of 19-year-old black male Michael Moore. Residents are questioning the relationship between police officers and the community. Barber agreed that both officers and residents needed to see both sides of the story. "People in law enforcement should learn to see what it is like to be a law abiding citizen who lives in a high crime neighborhood that is under the scrutiny of the police," Barber said. "We as a community need to see what these police officers see within the crime scene tape. If all learned to see each other beyond the color of skin, a new understanding would begin." travel advisory.png The Government of the Bahamas - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration The Bahamian government asks resident to use caution if planning to travel to the United States this weekend due to recent police shootings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration issued a travel advisory to residents of the Caribbean nation, of which 90 percent of black, on Friday. The advisory cited "recent tensions in some American cities over shootings of young black males by police officers. "We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the U.S. but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally. In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate," the advisory stated. The advisory didn't name specific incidents of black men being shot by police, including over the past week in Louisiana and Minnesota, nor killing of five police officers in Dallas on Thursday. According to USA Today, it's typically the U.S. government that issues travel advisories. The State Department issued 30 travel warnings so far in 2016. A Union Springs man was fatally shot early Saturday morning after getting into a dispute over a game, police say. Police Chief Danny Jackson told WSFA the shooting occurred at 3 a.m. in the area of Highway 82 and Peachburg Road. Mario Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnny Womack Jr., was taken into custody for questioning. It's unclear at this time whether Womack has been charged. Jackson said the men were gambling and got into a dispute. Eufaula police are searching for a 78-year-old man who was reported missing late Friday morning. Jimmy Glenn is a black man, 5-foot 10 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, according to Eufaula police. Glenn was reported missing at 11 a.m. There are unconfirmed reports that Glenn was seen in the early morning hours in the Eufaula area. His vehicle, a 2012 gold 4 door Chevrolet Impala with an Alabama handicapped tag, was located at an abandoned industrial site in Eufaula. No other details have been released. Anyone with information on Glenn's whereabouts is asked to call the Eufaula Police Department at 334-687-1200. Each year the ag economics department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln does a land value survey in January and February. By the end of March, we receive the preliminary land value and cash rent values, which I reported at that time. We have received scores of requests at the office for that data, and we are glad to provide that information. Some of the statistics mirrored information that we provided in previous years. The active farmer and rancher purchased 82 percent of the land sold on a statewide basis. This is very similar to previous surveys. Estates are still the primary seller of farm land with 34 percent of the sales reported. Those numbers are very similar to last year. One slight change from last year was the percentage of land that was sold on an outright cash purchase. In the last years data, the land sold was 51 percent by cash. This year, the land purchased with all cash was at 45 percent, which is in line with the last five to seven years, but is high from a historical perspective. Factors holding farmland prices back included current crop prices, property tax levels and farm input costs. Factors that are supporting the current land values include purchasing the land for farm expansion, 1031 tax exchanges and the lack of land for sale. The special features section for 2016 focuses on hunting rental arrangements for Nebraska including the type of wild game commonly hunted and the value associated with leasing of these rights. Landowners in Nebraska seeking to make additional income off their property outside of the traditional agricultural use or lease arrangement (where the hunting rights have not been granted to the tenant) may choose to lease the right to exclusively hunt certain types of wild game to a third party. Fifty-three percent of the rights leased were for antelope or deer. Twenty-two percent were for pheasants or quail with 21 percent for waterfowl. Sixty-five percent of the leases were less than $2,500, and for another 30 percent, the total payment made was between $2,500 and $4,999. You can still request the summarized land value and cash rent data, and we will mail it to you. Or you can view the entire report listing the historical data that Ive referenced for this column by going to http://agecon.unl.edu/realestate.html and selecting the link to the 2015-16 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Development Highlight report. The forthcoming elections to the Upper House are getting more attention than usual. The usually low-profile elections to the Upper House of Japans bicameral legislature will this time serve as a crucial moment for the country with potential ramifications reaching beyond the poll. The triennial elections to the House of Councillors generally dont attract as much attention as those to the House of Representatives, which chooses the prime minister. This vote, though, to replace half of the 242-seat house, is being seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Shinzo Abes ambitious economy policy. Dubbed Abenomics, it was designed to help drag the worlds third biggest economy out of a two-decade deflationary spiral. It will also determine whether or not Abe will be able to push ahead with his cherished goal of revising the pacifist constitution a huge departure from traditional post-war thinking. Such a move, on top of contentious security laws that significantly eased restrictions on the army, freeing them to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two, would constitute a source of even larger concerns not only to a majority of the public in Japan, but also to neighbours such as China and South Korea, who still vividly remember atrocities committed by Japan in the first half of the the last century. OPINION: The new Japanese assertiveness in the Asia Pacific A national referendum to revise the constitution would need the support of two thirds of both houses. While Abes ruling bloc won a two-third super majority in the Lower House in the 2014 election, they currently have only a majority in the Upper House. Until the beginning of this year, the ruling bloc appeared poised to comfortably win the necessary seats as Abenomics produced some positive effects on the economy with the benchmark Nikkei index soaring from around 10,000 to a record 18-year high of 20,868 in June 2015 and the yens value down from around 85 yen against a US dollar to 125, boosting profits for Japans exporters. Abenomics has achieved, first, an increase in corporate profits, and second, because of that, some investment by companies, Hiromichi Shirakawa, a chief economist at Credit Suisse in Japan, told Al Jazeera. However, economic uncertainties have started to cast a cloud as Chinas economic growth slowed and the UK voted to leave the European Union, reversing a hard-earned positive trend and contributing to growing distrust among voters. Despite a certain amount of success, Shirakawa said: Wages have been quite sluggish in terms of growth and low income and small businesses have not yet been benefiting from any pick-up in profits of large companies. There is a big gap between large firms, small businesses and households. The opposition has both labeled Abenomics a failure and criticised Abes attempt to revise the pacifist constitution, saying it could bring the country into the shadow of war. READ MORE: Japans opposition regroups to protect constitution Left-leaning opposition parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party, will field a unified candidate in all 32 contested single-seat electoral districts. Voter disenchantment was highlighted when a recent opinion poll in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper showed that 55 percent of respondents wanted Abenomics to be reviewed and opponents of constitutional revision outnumbered supporters. However, support for the ruling Liberal Demographic Party (LDP) stood at 33.5 percent, climbing up 2.6 percentage points from a previous poll conducted immediately after campaigning kicked off last month. The main opposition Democratic Partys support remained at 10.4 percent, according to the latest survey by Kyodo News Agency. For those not familiar with Japans politics, the disconnect between the dissatisfaction with Abenomics and the relatively high support for the ruling party is hard to grasp. Although people are not seeing some of the growth and the other benefits that theyd like to see, there are no other alternatives on offer, Tina Burrett, a professor of political science at Tokyos Sophia University, told Al Jazeera. People dont feel that the opposition parties are credible when it comes to economy and social policies, she added. For now, the ruling coalitions strategy of diverting attention from controversial security issues and appealing for the continuation of stability in a country that has seen seven prime ministers in a decade appears to have outsmarted their rivals. On the fifth anniversary of its independence from Khartoum, South Sudan finds itself plunged into an ever-deepening cycle of violence. Despite a peace agreement in August and the formation of a transitional government of national unity in Juba in April, fighting has escalated across the country in recent weeks. On June 24, more than 100,000 civilians were forced from their homes in the town of Wau in the northwest when a force of government soldiers and irregular Dinka militia entered the town. The men, armed with guns, pangas and spears, went from house to house in the south and west of the town, attacking civilians and looting their property, sources in Wau told Al Jazeera. Those targeted were mainly from a group of tribes collectively known as Fertit. Dozens were killed and many more injured. INTERACTIVE FEATURE: How far has South Sudan come since independence? According to figures from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, almost 50,000 were displaced in Wau within the first week, and the numbers have since continued to grow. The International Committee of the Red Cross told Al Jazeera that by June 30 it had given aid to 73,000 people displaced outside the town. Like never before, Chinas territorial assertiveness is rattling its neighbours and decades of fruitful relations. We should strive to promote Chinas political relationship with peripheral countries, solidify economic bonds, deepen security cooperation and intensify cultural exchanges between China and peripheral countries, declared Chinese President Xi Jinping in a keynote speech in 2013. Three years on, the South China Sea disputes are beginning to tear China and its Southeast Asian neighbours apart. After decades of relatively peaceful and economically beneficial relations among the Asian neighbours, festering maritime spats are undermining the fabric of regional integration. Eager to ameliorate regional territorial tensions, Malaysia earlier this year proposed a special meeting between Beijing and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). For many, it was time to have a candid and sincere conversation with China. Fully fledged islands In less than three years, China has reclaimed 3,200 acres (1,295 hectares) of land across the southern portions of the South China Sea, building a sprawling network of civilian installations, airstrips and military facilities in the highly contested Spratly chain of islands. Utilising cutting-edge geo-engineering, China has artificially transformed rocks and atolls into fully fledged islands that dwarf the naturally formed islands in the area. READ MORE: New dawn for Philippine-China relations? In less than two years, China singlehandedly reclaimed 17 times more than all other claimant states combined in four decades. Having completely dominated the Paracel chain of islands in the northern portions of the South China Sea, China has begun to assert its dominance across the whole waterway. by Having completely dominated the Paracel chain of islands in the northern portions of the South China Sea, China has begun to assert its dominance across the whole waterway. China has deployed an ever-larger armada of fishermen-cum-militia and coastguard forces as well as submarines and naval vessels to the area. It has also stepped up aerial interception of foreign aircraft in the area, while stationing advanced military hardware, from surface-to-air-missile systems to high-frequency-radars, to its recently built artificial islands. From Beijings point of view, the South China Sea constitutes its blue national soil so all of these activities are normal and justified. But thats not how many of Chinas neighbours see it. Instead of diffusing tensions, however, the ASEAN-China special meeting ended up in a diplomatic disaster, exposing faultlines among Southeast Asian countries and the depth of the geopolitical crisis confronting the region. Internal divisions Chinas smaller neighbours wished to communicate their growing concern over the formers expanding footprint across contested waters and explore mutually acceptable measures to de-escalate territorial disputes. China also wished to smooth over its differences with smaller neighbours. But they were not necessarily of one mind. On the surface, the ASEAN is composed of friendly, small and peaceful nations with similar strategic outlooks and developmental priorities. Scratch a bit below the surface, and one discovers a big divide among member states on critical issues such as the South China Sea disputes, which have deeply divided the regional body. The Philippines and Vietnam, which have been locked in bitter territorial disputes with China, are usually seen as the regional hawks. In recent years, they have advocated for diplomatic pressure on China, stepped up security ties with America and Japan, and have considered legal action to address the maritime spats. READ MORE: Chinas regional isolation Meanwhile, continental member states such as Cambodia and Laos have been generally seen as the doves, which have sought to dissociate the territorial disputes from overall relations with China. Their heavy economic dependence on China greatly shapes their position on the issue. In between are influential countries such as Indonesia and Singapore, which have sought to act as mediators between China and Southeast Asian claimant states. Owing to Chinas increasing assertiveness in adjacent waters, even the supposedly neutral states such as Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia have moved closer to the position of regional hawks. Difficult path ahead These divisions were laid bare when the ASEAN foreign ministers spectacularly failed to agree on a joint statement after a supposedly candid and fruitful meeting with their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Shortly after Southeast Asian countries released a strongly worded joint statement, which indirectly criticised Chinas activities in adjacent waters and called upon claimant states to act in accordance to international law, the ASEAN scandalously retracted it without further notice. It was not only a confusing episode, but also diplomatically embarrassing. To Beijings consternation, however, Southeast Asian foreign ministers skipped a planned joint press conference with China, which hoped to release a proposed 10-point consensus statement that essentially sidelines the South China Sea disputes in regional discussions. In short, the two sides couldnt agree on anything. Also, the Southeast Asian countries couldnt agree among themselves. Some observers suspect that some overzealous officials in the Malaysian foreign ministry leaked the draft joint statement without seeking the permission of other member states. For many others, Chinas pressure on dependent neighbours such as Cambodia and Laos may better explain the retraction of the statement. Given the consensus-based decision-making structure of the regional body, unanimity is required before a statement is released. In a recent speech, the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen fervently rejected allegations that his country supposedly bowed to China and called for the retraction of the joint statement, instead accusing some ASEAN members of using Cambodia to counter China. He even went so far as to lash out at the Philippines pending arbitration case against China over the South China Sea disputes, dismissing it as a political conspiracy between some countries and the [international] court. Like never before, Chinas territorial assertiveness is rattling its neighbours and undermining decades of fruitful relations with smaller neighbours. The Southeast Asian countries will have to either hang together or risk falling apart. The future of the Asian security architecture is at stake. Richard Javad Heydarian is a specialist in Asian geopolitical/economic affairs and author of Asias New Battlefield: US, China, and the Struggle for Western Pacific. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. A vicious and ruinous civil war broke out in South Sudan in late 2013 and has since left tens of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands displaced and an economy in tatters. Almost three years later, the situation remains fragile while a deal with international donors is yet to be implemented. The much-publicised return to the capital of Riek Machar, former rebel and South Sudans first vice president, should symbolise a positive, working relationship with his rival, President Salva Kiir. The key question is: Can they work together? Al Jazeeras Peter Dobbie interviewed both of them in the capital, Juba. INTERACTIVE FEATURE: How far has South Sudan come since independence? Interview with President Salva Kiir Al Jazeera: How would you describe the relationship between you and Mr Machar? President Salva Kiir: We are friends and we have been friends for many years, until when this incident happened in 2013. But after putting everything right, Mr Machar joined me and we are now working together again. We are friendly, to say so. Al Jazeera: Your critics would say that you are not displaying enough unity at the moment. How do you get more unified, so you can begin to solve the problems facing your country? President Salva Kiir: We are unified now. What is seen by the outsiders is whatever they would want to see. And they would want to say whatever they want to say. But as the government of national unity, we are functioning smoothly. Al Jazeera: You have some 850,677 refugees and asylum seekers as a direct result of what happened in this country. In real terms, in practical terms, what are you doing to solve these issues? Theres no money in the system. President Salva Kiir: Right. You brought that question of money. Because whenever there are displaced people, or there are refugees, the solution is always money so that you can settle them. And then you get them food, medicine, everything so that they live comfortably, whether they are foreigners or citizens. So our problem is money. We have no money. Al Jazeera: The donors, however, say: We will not give you money, until you get genuine security and stability. Thats the starting point. So if that is the starting point, what do you do to get stability and security? President Salva Kiir: The international community have been shifting their goalposts from the beginning. They said, they cannot help the government unless you sign the agreement. We signed the agreement in August last year. They said, again that we will not assist your government until you form the transitional government of national unity. And that has been our problem. Dr Riik Machar refused to come to South Sudan. He stayed outside. He might have been assuming that if he didnt come, there would be no support to the government from the international community, and the government would fall. Because the saying was that there is no money. Al Jazeera: It seems that what you want to do is achieve peace, but not put people on trial. Surely that has to happen if you are to put a lid on the bubbling tension that exists here. President Salva Kiir: Well, there is nobody that will really say that you dont want to try people. If these are people who have committed crimes, they must be tried. We are fighting for justice. We fought with the Sudan government for 21 years, because there was no justice. So if we come to become independent, and we dont apply justice unto our people, then what was the reason for us fighting? Al Jazeera: Whats your message to Riek Machar? President Salva Kiir: When you preach messages of hate, probably you are going to divide the people. The problem, that we are not moving smoothly on the implementation of the agreement, is the issues in the way the agreement was designed. And when I signed this agreement in August last year, I said this in front of the president of Uganda. I told him that this agreement was not made to be implemented. Al Jazeera: So you signed up to an agreement that you believe was essentially wrong? President Salva Kiir: It was wrong. It was wrong because even the to sign it was the problem. They said that if there is a wrong sentence in English, dont correct it. Dont put a comma or a full stop. Al Jazeera: Do you absorb, or take on board any of the blame for what happened in this country? President Salva Kiir: Well, I did many times that I stood up in front of my people, in front of all the cameras, to tell the people of South Sudan that Im sorry. Had we not behaved the way we were behaving, as the leadership of this country, we could not have thrown our people into this meaningless war. Interview with Vice President Riek Machar Outside of Juba, in a heavily fortified compound which is home to the First Vice President Riek Machar, Al Jazeeras Peter Dobbie asks about Machars role in the reconciliation process. Al Jazeera: April 26 this year, what made you come back home? First Vice President Riek Machar: Because I came to implement the agreement, which I signed on August 17, 2015. So I came to implement that. Al Jazeera: When you talk about that agreement, Salva Kiir, the president, has just told us that the agreement is flawed, it will not work. And he said at that time, it will not work. First Vice President Riek Machar: Well, he hasnt told me that. Because we have been discussing the implementation of it. So I expect that he will respect this bargain in the agreement. Peter Dobbie: What does that mean, you expect him to respect whats written into the agreement? First Vice President Riek Machar: Implement it by spirit and the letter of the agreement. The agreement is a roadmap, first for reform, and for establishing the new system of governance in the country, which will lead us to a democratic elections. This is the aspiration of the people of Sudan. After independence, they want a democratic election to take place. Al Jazeera: Does this involve truth and reconciliation? And if it is, how do you achieve it? First Vice President Riek Machar: Chapter seven will be implemented by establishing three insitutions. One: Truth, reconciliation, and healing commission. Which is very important to the people, and to everybody. The other is compensation and reparation for the losses that happened during the war. Third is justice and accountability, by establishing a hybrid court, which will include South Sudanese and the rest. Peace without justice and accountability is not possible in this country. We cannot condone impunity. Al Jazeera: When you have a meeting with Salva Kiir, how much real power do you feel you have at your disposal? First Vice President Riek Machar: My functions, my responsibilities are stipulated in the agreement. And within these stipulated functions and responsibilities, we discuss. There are issues where we would need consensus. And if we dont have consensus, we take it to the council of ministers. And if we fail, we resort to those who mediated the agreement. Peter Dobbie: So it sounds to me that you work with a certain set of guidelines and structures. And its like a cake. You literally chop the cake up, and you have areas of responsibility over here, he has areas of responsibility over there. Is that how it literally how it works? First Vice President Riek Machar: Yes, it is. Al Jazeera: Is that the best system for the country? First Vice President Riek Machar: Not necessarily. No. Al Jazeera: How could that be improved? First Vice President Riek Machar: Well, once we get to the elections, then we have a president elected by the people. The president would be mandated by the people per the constitution. Peter Dobbie: Salva Kiir says that a message of hate came from you, and it still comes from you, and if it doesnt come from you any more, it is still out there. There is a perception that it is still out there. First Vice President Riek Machar: Well, since I came to Juba, I have been delivering one message with four issues. One, stabilising security in the country. This is important. Two, stabilising the economy. Three, ensuring that the IDPs, the displaced are resettled. Four, that we initiate the process of national reconciliation and healing.This is not a message of hate at all. Al Jazeera: And between now and the elections in 2018, what are you doing as a man, who got a very real power base to make sure that the temperature of this debate is reduced? Because there are still killings going on. First Vice President Riek Machar: Well, thats why I am saying in my messages, the first one is stabilising the security. What I mean is, lift the state of emergency. The second is to agree on containment of forces from both sides, so that nobody goes about carrying a gun, and within the process also ensuring that Juba and other cities in South Sudan, the security is taken over by the joint integrated police. The third is ensure the prisoners of war and political prisoners are released. With that, we stabilised the security. And it is important for anything else. Even stabilisation of the economy. A big part in the stabilisation of the economy is to remove this security element, instability in the country. Al Jazeera: Youve come up with good intentions. But there is a perception that there is almost total lack of delivery. You are not a failed state. But you are not far off. First Vice President Riek Machar: Well, you know, if both of us and the rest of our partners in the transitional government of national unity work towards these objectives, of stabilising the security, we will definitely stabilise the economy by ensuring that our people increase their production. If they can be food-sufficient, the hard currency we are using in buying food will be used for other purposes. Al Jazeera: Do you feel guilty about the war? First Vice President Riek Machar: Anybody who is for the war, in retrospect, you will find that you regret a lot. The loss of souls. The loss of property, the destruction that has happened. The displacement is colossal. The regrets are there. But what would you do? You have to push forward. See that the country goes forward. Al Jazeera: Who is the face of South Sudan that should go forward after the election, you or Salva Kiir? First Vice President Riek Machar: It will be decided by the people. These interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity. Police say more than 100 fighters attacked station near border with Somalia, making off with about 10,000 bullets. More than 100 members of Somalias al-Shabab group raided a police station in northeast Kenya overnight, wounding one officer and making off with arms and ammunition, according to police. The attack on Diff police station in Wajir district, close to the Somali border, happened at 22:00 GMT on Friday. Officers put up stiff resistance and fought them off despite Shabab numbering over 100 in three trucks and heavy mortar fire, Police chief Joseph Boinnet told the AFP news agency. READ MORE: Al-Shabab say 43 Ethiopian troops killed A police source speaking on condition of anonymity said that more than 10,000 bullets and 13 AK-47 assault rifles were stolen, along with police uniforms and other items. Diff police station suffered a similar raid in April this year when three officers were wounded and a police vehicle stolen. Officials said around 100 al-Shabab fighters were also involved in that raid. Following police killings of black men, protests resume after officers at Dallas rally were killed in revenge attack. Thousands have taken to the streets of US cities to denounce police killings of two black men this week, a day after a man killed five police officers at a similar demonstration in the city of Dallas. Protesters on Friday clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia, and events in San Francisco and Phoenix also drew large crowds. There were no immediate reports of injuries or significant numbers of arrests, though in Phoenix police in riot gear used pepper spray on protesters, some of whom threw rocks at officers, local media said. Videos posted online showed protesters also gathering in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot dead by police early on Tuesday. READ MORE: Does Black Lives Matter really matter? The largest demonstration appeared to be in Atlanta, where thousands of people marched, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from broadcasters showed a large crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles blocking a local interstate highway. No justice, no peace Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of demonstrations against the killings since the fatal shootings of Sterling and of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St Paul, Minnesota. The killings again stoked racial tension that has flared repeatedly across the country since the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Castile was killed by police during a traffic stop on Wednesday, and his girlfriend broadcast live footage of the immediate aftermath of his shooting on Facebook, drawing millions of viewers. Sterling was killed on Tuesday during an altercation with two white police officers outside a shop. A gruesome video of that incident caused uproar on social media. No justice, no peace, no racist police, demonstrators shouted late on Friday in Baton Rouge, where state and local police in riot gear tried to keep them from blocking a busy roadway. Thursdays demonstrations over the killings of Sterling and Castile were largely peaceful until gunfire rang out at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black American soldier who had fought in Afghanistan, launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. According to police, he later said he had wanted to kill white people. Police killed Johnson with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. There were scenes of mayhem in parts of southern Indian-administered Kashmir after Indian forces opened fire on thousands of protesters, killing at least 19 civilians and wounding scores of others during a mass funeral for a slain rebel fighter. Police said a man was killed on Sunday as hundreds of people clashed with troops in southern Pulwama town, while six civilians who had been injured after Indian troops fired on rock-throwing protesters on Saturday died overnight. Eight protesters were killed on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people defied a curfew in parts of Kashmir on Saturday to pay homage to Burhan Wani, the rebel fighter and so-called poster boy of the new Kashmiri resistance, resulting in clashes with police and paramilitary. Wani was shot dead along with two other fighters by security forces and police in Bundoora village on Friday, 85km south of Srinagar, prompting mass mourning across the valley. According to officials, as news of the killing spread across the valley on Saturday, clashes erupted in several districts in southern Kashmir as thousands of residents hurled rocks at Indian troops, who responded by using live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas. He joined because he was humiliated on the streets, his brother was tortured, this is where his resentment for the Indian government came from, and this is why Kashmiris identified with him by Khurram Parvez Street clashes also spread to Srinagar, the capital of the Indian-administered Kashmir, as thousands tried to vent their anger on the streets. Shams Irfan, a local journalist who travelled to Tral, where authorities had cut electricity, blocked roads and the internet as part of the wider crackdown on protesters, told Al Jazeera that the demonstrations in southern Kashmir were the biggest he had ever seen. Earlier, thousands of armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear fanned out across most towns and villages. They laid razor wire and erected steel barricades on the streets and drove through neighbourhoods, warning residents to stay indoors. Wani, in his early 20s, had become the face of Kashmiri resistance over the past five years. As the son of a school principal, he is widely credited for reviving armed resistance in Kashmir, using social media such as Facebook to reach out to young Kashmiri men. Inspector-General Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani described his killing as the biggest success against militants in recent years. Khurram Parvez, programme director of Jammu Kashmir Coalition for Civil Society in Srinagar, described Wanis death as an extra-judicial killing, saying that the Indian government had made no attempt to arrest him. He said that Wani was an example of a rebel who had not joined out of ideological reasons. He joined because he was humiliated on the streets, his brother was tortured, this is where his resentment for the Indian government came from, and this is why Kashmiris identified with him. He is being painted as a dreaded militant, but he was often very politically correct, [for instance] he spoke about Pandits returning in peace and assured Hindus that their pilgrimage would not be a target by militants, Parvez said. Indian officials, fearing that the killing could lead to violent protests in the already troubled region, suspended an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountain cave which draws about half a million people each year. Officials also suspended mobile phone services in southern parts of Kashmir and blocked mobile internet in rest of the region to prevent anti-India demonstrators from mobilising. Shops, businesses and government offices were shut following the security lockdown and a general strike called by anti-India separatists. Authorities also postponed school and college examinations and suspended rail services. Reacting to the developments, Parvez, said that despite the curfew, every death would provoke more people to come out [] resulting in an endless cycle. India covering up abuses in Kashmir: report Waheed Parra, leader of the The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party currently in a coalition with BJP party in Kashmir, said the state government wanted immediate peace in the region and called for de-escalation of tensions. Were praying for peace and the safety of our youth. he told Al Jazeera. Most people in Kashmir have long resented the Indian presence, and support rebel demands for an independent Kashmir or a merging with Pakistan. More than 68,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian military crackdown in Indian administered Kashmir. Tokyo, Japan On Sunday Japanese voters go to the polls in a national election that is widely expected to result in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party gaining a level of parliamentary dominance that has never before been seen in post-war Japanese politics. Should the ruling party and its allies emerge from these House of Councillors, or Upper House, elections with more than two thirds of the seats in the chamber, then even revisions to the nations pacifist constitution will be in reach for the arch-conservative prime minister. Newspaper polls are predicting that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will easily regain its own simple majority in House of Councillors for the first time in 27 years, and that coalition partner Komeito, their support base deriving from a well-organised Buddhist sect, is also likely to make advances. Meanwhile, the leading opposition Democratic Party is virtually guaranteed to suffer big losses in the number of seats it holds, with only the scale of its defeat being in question. The sole opposition party expected to be celebrating on election night is the Japan Communist Party, which has surged in popularity in the past few years to become Japans second-largest opposition party. Voting age lowered for upcoming Japan election While the stakes for Japans national charter and its political future may be high in these elections, voter interest has been low. Rob Fahey, a specialist of Japanese politics at the Waseda University Graduate School of Political Science, told Al Jazeera this election is likely to record the lowest voter turnout figures in Japanese history. Neither the political parties nor the media have framed these elections in a way that makes them seem either consequential or engaging or even gives the public the sense of having a real choice, Fahey said. These are, however, the first national elections that are being held since the voting age in Japan was lowered from 20 to 18, adding about 2.4 million people to the list of eligible voters. Last summer there was considerable excitement over the emergence of the Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy, or SEALDs, and the unusual degree of activism that some young people were showing in opposition to the Abe governments passage of new security legislation. Although the SEALDs still exist and some of its leaders continue to garner media attention, it is also apparent it has so far failed to spark a mass political movement among the young, nor are young voters expected to have a significant impact on the results of Sundays elections. In their first test, which was a local mayoral election in southwestern Japan, eligible 18 and 19-year-olds had a voter turnout of only 38.4 percent compared with an overall voter turnout of 56.1 percent. Still, the largest Japanese political parties have been attempting to innovate in the video, internet and social media spheres in an effort to reach out to young voters. It was only three years ago that internet campaigning was first allowed by a revision of the nations election law. Perhaps the most successful campaign since then is Kakusanbu, a group of eight animated characters supporting the Japan Communist Party. The stated objective of this section of characters is to spread correct policies and politics throughout the world. In pursuit of this objective, the Kakusanbu webpage features a series of short lectures. For example, in the first lecture, the character Koyo no Yoko (Employee Yoko) shows the yellow card to black companies that force their employees to work unreasonably long hours without proper compensation. For this election, the Democratic Party has created the VOTE18 campaign in which a pair of stylish female high school pupils encourage eligible teenagers to pay attention to politics and to vote. The governing Liberal Democratic Party has uploaded a special manga pamphlet to its website called A Report to the Country, which is explicitly aimed at 18-year-old voters. Among other things, the online pamphlet explains the procedures for voting, and it also offers a short history of the ruling party, starting with Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and ending with a colour photo of Kishis grandson, incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Fahey provided a mixed evaluation of these efforts: Online campaigning is new to Japanese politics, and parties here are still playing catch-up, with some success. But they are largely falling on deaf ears at a time when the public isnt actually paying very much attention. Many members of the general public gave the same view. A service industry worker, Mr Abe, 35, told Al Jazeera to the extent he is interested in politics, it is the July 31 special election of a new Tokyo governor that is capturing his attention. As for Sundays House of Councillors election, he apologised and then stated, I havent really been watching the news about it. Follow Michael Penn on Twitter: @ShingetsuNews When I mentioned that I'd probably vote for Donald Trump if no viable alternative presented itself, dozens of readers begged me to stop writing such ridiculous and/or dangerous things. While the opinion of one columnist might not create a seismic shift among voters, there is someone who could make a very definite difference in who becomes our next president. His name is James Comey, and his day job is running the FBI. At night, he's a standup comedian and impressionist. This week, he put on a fabulous show, which left millions of America in stitches as he impersonated someone who actually felt comfortable refusing to file charges against Hillary Clinton over her emails. One of the most hilarious moments came when he said, "Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case." His eyelid didn't twitch once, and he didn't even crack his knuckles. It was a fabulous impersonation of a man who was comfortable in his skin. Genius, really. As I watched Comey explain why Clinton was going to dodge a bullet (no wonder she's in favor of gun control,) I couldn't help feeling I was viewing one of those hostage videos where they have the poor soul staring into the camera, saying how happy he was to be kneeling on the ground about to be killed. There was no escaping the fact that while his mouth was saying no, no charges will be filed, his eyes were saying yes, she's a lying and incompetent charlatan. The problem is that, in this context, it took a lot more than just the letter of the law to justify an indictment. Of course, many conservatives don't see it that way. Most conservatives were apoplectic that Clinton was spared a prosecution, seeing it as some conspiracy among Loretta Lynch, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Huma Abedin. They pointed to David Petraeus, who received probation and fines (through a plea bargain) after he shared classified information and bodily fluids with his "biographer." They kept posting the language of the statute under which Hillary could have been charged and which required something less than intent, namely, gross negligence. They pointed out that she had deliberately lied to the American people by saying she had never sent any classified information, when, in fact, she had, and knew she had. They have some very strong points, there. But I understand why Comey decided against charging her, and I really don't think it had anything to do with a backroom conspiracy. This is a unique circumstance, in which the target of an investigation is a major party's presumptive nominee. We are four months from an election. If the charges were filed, Clinton's camp would go into full spin mode and (1) claim sexism; (2) resurrect the vast right-wing conspiracy meme; (3) complain we wanted her to stay home and bake cookies; (4) point to this as revenge for skating on Benghazi; and all sorts of other typical Hillary things that have nothing to do with the truth and everything to do with blaming others for her incompetence. And here is where Comey, unlike yours truly, can really have some impact. By not indicting Clinton but labeling her as "extremely careless" and, essentially, calling her a liar who quite possibly allowed foreign enemies to access sensitive materials, he has shredded her faeade of competence. Clinton has been setting herself up as the "sane" one, the woman who was a pro on the world stage. Comey has basically shown that she is a spectacular screw-up, at least from that perspective. There will still be true believers who won't care. But for those on the fence, Comey's unprecedented takedown could very well be a political wake-up call. And that could make much more of a difference than any watered-down plea bargain, a la Petraeus. NATO allies have agreed to provide increased military support, including surveillance planes, to Middle Eastern and North African countries whose governments are in conflict with hardline armed groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday said alliance leaders also agreed to launch a new naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea, and made commitments to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020. Today we have taken decisions to strengthen our partners and to project stability beyond our borders, Stoltenberg told reporters on the second day of a crucial NATO summit in Warsaw. He said millions of people in Africa and the Middle East have been rendered homeless and helpless by organisations such as ISIL. In response, Stoltenberg said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for armed forces in Iraq, a country he called central in the fight against ISIL. Mediterranean patrols NATO is also working to establish an intelligence centre in Tunisia, a major recruiting ground for ISIL, and will shortly start providing support to Tunisian special operation forces, he said. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the other 27 NATO countries also reportedly agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the US-led coalition fighting ISIL in Syria and Iraq, a decision the NATO chief called a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism. NATO diplomats said they expected flights by alliance AWACS planes to begin this autumn. OPINION: NATOs meeting in Warsaw is the Second Chance Summit Stoltenberg said the alliance will launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean called Operation Sea Guardian, whose responsibilities will include counterterrorism. NATO will also cooperate with the European Unions efforts to shut down human-smuggling operations that have led to Europes greatest refugee crisis since World War II. The alliance will also increase cooperation with Jordan, and is preparing to help the new government in Libya design policies and institutions to help it better defend itself against armed groups, Stoltenberg said. We will provide greater support to our partners, so they can secure their countries and push back against violent extremism, he said. Afghan extension Obama urged his fellow NATO leaders in Warsaw to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Meanwhile, violence in the US led the US leader to cut his Europe trip short to return home on Sunday. The US has pledged $3.5bn annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as $500m. Allies would provide the remaining $1bn. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. We are very close and I am certain we will reach that (funding) level, Stoltenberg told reporters. A senior US administration official said NATO has commitments for about 90 percent of the goal. Stoltenberg said it was too soon to say exactly how many troops individual allies will agree to keep in Afghanistan under NATOs Resolute Support training and advisory mission. But he said he believed that force levels would remain largely stable, based on commitments made on Saturday. Specific numbers will be finalised this autumn, he said. READ MORE: NATO leaders discuss perceived Russian threats Obama administration officials said they believe the number of forces dedicated to the NATO mission will be a bit more than 12,000. The officials were not authorised to discuss the details publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, the NATO supreme commander, told reporters the US has pledged about 6,700 of that total, about 200 fewer than it currently provides. He said training and advising of the Afghan air force and special operations forces would be affected. But he added there will be fewer US troops training Afghan conventional forces, although the US will still send teams into the region to assist the army and police. Earlier this week, Obama announced that overall he would keep 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan, rather than cutting their numbers to 5,500 as he had once planned. In addition to taking part in the NATO advisory-and-assist mission, the US has special operations forces in the country that conduct counterterrorism missions. The planned force levels allow NATO allies to remain in regional hubs around Afghanistan, with Germany in the north, Italy in the west, Turkey in the capital of Kabul and the US in the east and south. Baltic deterrence The Warsaw summit, NATOs first in two years, was considered by many to be the alliances most important since the Cold War. On Friday, NATO leaders approved the deployment of four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to deter Russia, as well as a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade for the Black Sea region. READ MORE: Is Eastern Europe entering a new Cold War? Germany will lead a multinational battalion in Lithuania, with similar battalions to be led by the US in Poland, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is willing to cooperate with NATO, even though he said it treats Russia like an enemy. Russia has always been open for dialogue with NATO, especially to fight the genuine threat of terrorism, Dmitry Peskov said. Russia is not looking [for an enemy] but it actually sees it happening, Peskov told reporters in Moscow. When NATO soldiers march along our border and NATO jets fly by, its not us who are moving closer to the NATO borders. Alleged launch came after Washington and Seoul deployed an advanced missile system in the South. North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday but the launch appears to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Koreas military said. The launch came a day after the US and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system and two days after North Korea warned it was planning a tough response to what it called a declaration of war from the United States. That followed Washington slapping sanctions on the nations leader Kim Jong-un. The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30am Seoul time (02:30 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the launch. The missile was likely fired from the submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stages of flight, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Means for attack Al Jazeeras Sohail Rahman, reporting from Tokyo, quoted Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as saying the launch had no major impact on his countrys territorial waters or sovereignty, but that it was a challenge to the international community and resolutions made by the UN Security Council. It comes after a week of intense diplomatic and military activity on the Korean Peninsula, Rahman said. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the next month. The UN Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in response to North Koreas fourth nuclear test and the long-range rocket. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China, Pyongyangs sole major ally. Pyongyang also conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in April, calling it a great success that provided one more means for powerful nuclear attack. Moscows move comes in response to Washingtons decision to expel Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat. Russia has said it expelled two US Embassy staff members in a retaliatory move after a similar action by Washington last month. After their unfriendly step two employees of the US Embassy had to leave Moscow, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. One of the expelled diplomats was involved in an incident with a Russian policeman near the US Embassy entrance in Moscow, Ryabkov said, also claiming that both expelled diplomats were CIA agents. They were declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status, he said on the tit-for-tat expulsions. We hope Washington recognises all the same the perversity of its anti-Russian line. If they decide there to move further along the path of escalation it will not remain unanswered, Ryabkov warned. US move The US State Department on Friday announced that it had expelled two Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat in Moscow. Department spokesman John Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian policeman attacked the accredited US diplomat in question while entering the US embassy compound, after the US official identified himself. On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the US to respond to this attack, Kirby said. Moscow disputes the US version of events and insists the diplomat was a CIA agent who attacked the policeman as he tried to stop him to check his ID as he returned from a spying mission in the city. Relations between Russia and the US have chilled following Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, after which the West imposed sanctions against Russia. Scores of soldiers reported to be dead after fighting erupts in Juba, with fears growing of a return to all-out war. At least 115 soldiers from different armed factions in South Sudan have died after gun battles broke out across the capital Juba on the eve of the countrys fifth independence anniversary, according to reports. The fighting on Friday began outside the presidential compound as President Salva Kiir was meeting with first vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar and soon spread through the city. An Al Jazeera correspondent later saw bodies of soldiers on the lawn in the compound. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machars military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machars faction) and 80 people from the government forces, he was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency on Saturday. Local broadcaster Radio Tamazuj put the number of total deaths to 146. South Sudan was founded with celebrations in the capital on July 9, 2011, after it gained independence from Sudan in a referendum that passed with almost 100 percent of the vote. INTERACTIVE FEATURE: How far has South Sudan come since independence? The majority of the bodies the hospital were soldiers, the doctor said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety. Rivals Kiir and Machar appealed for calm as fears grew in Juba of a return to civil war. Many people, worried for their safety, stayed indoors on Saturday and the streets were almost deserted except for soldiers. Al Jazeeras John Hendren, reporting from Juba, said: You dont see a lot of people on the streets here. UN peacekeepers believe its too unsafe. The people of Juba are in a very, very unstable situation. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which our correspondent said were long and sustained. He said: I dont think its possible to overstate the potential impact of the attack on the government compound. This was an effort to topple that government. Running for safety Gunfire continued into the night on Friday outside a UN base in Juba sheltering more than 25,000 people. Budbud Chol, who oversees security at a clinic inside the base, said on Saturday they had received about 40 people wounded by gunfire, all but three of them men. They are still coming up to now. All of them are gunshot, Chol said. Chol said many of the wounded were hit in crossfire outside the UN base. One woman was hit by a stray bullet inside the base. The latest series of violence began on Thursday night with fighting between opposing army factions who are supposed to be carrying out joint patrols under a fragile peace deal reached last year. That shooting, which killed five soldiers, was similar to the skirmish between soldiers in Juba in December 2013 that led to the civil war in which tens of thousands of people were killed. Thousands of people started running for safety, Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa reported from a refugee camp in Wau. Many have ended up here at this UN makeshift camp. WATCH: Al Jazeera talks to Salva Kiir and Riek Machar Wau is one of South Sudans biggest cities. About 19,000 people were in this camp. Were told that 4,000 more people have arrived here, Mutasa said. Most of the IDPs here are women, children and the elderly they fear the peace deal could unravel and because they were so scared, they left their homes. Thousands of others were taking shelter in a church and school in Wau, with many others hiding in the bush. Andrew Gethi of the International Organisation for Migration told Al Jazeera: We cannot rule out more people coming in because eight million people are insecure in the country Were currently engaged in expanding the camp. Currently, there are just 2.7 square metres per person this is way below the standard. We want to make it at least 3.5 square metres per person. At least 43 people killed in tit-for-tat attacks between government forces and rebels in Aleppo despite ceasefire. The Syrian army has unilaterally extended a nationwide ceasefire for three days, while residents of besieged Aleppo face food and fuel shortages after government forces cut off a primary supply route. The Syrian army announced a 72-hour ceasefire extension on Saturday, the government-run SANA news agency reported. The ceasefire, which started on Wednesday, was marred by violations from all sides. The Free Syrian Army (FSA), an opposition group, said it would honour the ceasefire. In northern Syrias Aleppo, at least 43 civilians have been killed in fighting in recent days. The United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebel shelling on government-controlled parts of the city killed 34 civilians, while government air strikes on the rebel-held eastern Aleppo left nine dead. Over the past few days, there has been no ceasefire on the ground, Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr reported from Kilis, Turkey. On the ground, there is no truce and the violence continues. The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group shot down a military helicopter near Palmyra, killing two Russian pilots. Fear of shortages Around 200,000 people remain in the opposition-held eastern sectors of Aleppo, which has been divided between government and rebel control since shortly after fighting in the city began in mid-2012. Residents there described shortages of basic goods after government troops advanced within firing range of the key Castello Road supply route. For two days the situation was calm. I went to the market and I filled up my motorbike with gasoline. Today, I couldnt even find a single tomato, said Bilal Qaterji, a local textile factory employee. Theres not a drop of fuel left because the Castello Road has been cut, he told AFP. Government troops effectively severed the Castello Road on Thursday with the capture of a hilltop within firing range of the key route. On Friday, at least 22 people were killed by air strikes on a market in the western part of the Idlib province More than 270,000 Syrians have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011. Although it initially started as a largely unarmed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, it quickly turned into a full-scale civil war. Fehman Huseyin, a Syrian Kurd, has been killed as he travelled to northern Syrian city of Qamishli, state media says. A senior commander of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) armed group has been killed in a bomb attack on his car in northeast Syria, according to Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency. If confirmed, the killing of Fehman Huseyin would be a major blow to the PKK, which has been fighting against the Turkish state in the countrys southeast since a two-year-old ceasefire collapsed a year ago. Thousands of fighters, Turkish security force members and civilians have since died in the conflict. Huseyin, a Syrian Kurd known in Turkey by the code name Bahoz Erdal, was killed on Friday evening as he travelled to the northern Syrian city of Qamishli, Anadolu said. It cited the spokesman of a Syrian rebel group it named as the Tel Khamis Brigades as the source for the report. The spokesman, Khalid al Khasakewi, said at least eight people were killed in the car in which Huseyin was travelling and that the attack was carried out after the rebel group had been tracking him for some time. We dedicate this operation to the Syrian people, Khasakewi was quoted as saying, indicating that his group had carried out the attack. While the PKK leadership is mainly based in the mountains of northern Iraq, the group is closely allied with Syria-based Kurdish Democratic Union Party and their armed fighters, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Turkey views both groups as terrorist organisations. The United States and European Union also consider the PKK a terrorist group. Bomb attack in southeast Turkey Earlier on Saturday, PKK fighters carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens of others, security sources and Turkish media said. The noon car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria. The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region. Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK fighters, one of them female, the military said in a statement. Tens of thousands attended the state funeral for Pakistans legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi in Karachi. Prominent Pakistani philanthropist and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi was laid to rest on the outskirts of Karachi on Saturday at a state funeral attended by thousands of people. Edhi, 88, died late on Friday at a medical centre after a long battle with kidney disease. His death triggered a massive outpouring of grief across the nation of 190 million for a man who trancended social, ethnic and religious divisions. Tens of thousands attended Saturdays ceremony, the first state funeral since the 1980s, at Karachis National Stadium. At one moment, crowds broke through the military lines to help carry Edhis coffin, which was draped with Pakistans green and white flag and covered with rose petals. Pakistans top civilian and army leadership offered funeral prayers at the stadium, as the country mourned the loss of a man commonly known as the Angel of Mercy for his internationally acclaimed social work. Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif and prominent politicians attended final prayers at the stadium in the first state funeral since the death of military dictator General Zia ul-Haq in 1988. But other Pakistanis lamented the way the government had conducted Edhis funeral. Saddest of all is the barrier between Edhi and ordinary people. The state continues to fail to understand Edhi and what his work was about, said one Twitter user identified as Basma. For more than 60 years the Edhi Foundation, a charity he created with his wife, Bilquise, has run clinics and orphanages across Pakistan and managed a fleet of ambulances that provided much-needed assistance to poor communities failed by an inadequate public health and welfare system. He was one of the chosen ones. People like him come once in many centuries, and he was a special chosen one, one woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera at the funeral. Pakistan: More to offer than bombs and beards Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan had lost a great servant of humanity, and announced Saturday as a national day of mourning. Many others took to social media to grieve over the loss of a man they called a living saint and Pakistans Mother Teresa. Edhi worked for the downtrodden all his life. Attending his funeral is the least we could do to pay our tributes, shopkeeper Siraj Ahmed, 34, told Reuters news agency outside the stadium where the army fired a 19-gun salute to mark Edhis death. The foreign minister of India, Pakistans historic foe, said Edhi was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind, while Pakistani teenage Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai told the BBC she had nominated him for the same peace prize. A hero to the poor Born in the western state of Gujarat in British India, Edhi and his Muslim family moved to Pakistan in 1947 during the violent partition of the subcontinent. He built up his charity solely through donations, focusing on addicts, battered women, orphans and the disabled. Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his charitable foundation, Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation. Renowned for an ascetic lifestyle and recognised by his long white beard and traditional black cap, Edhi was a hero to the poor but infuriated some religious leaders with his refusal to give preferential treatment to Muslims above minorities. He also berated hardline groups for attacking civilians, criticised the government for incompetence and corruption, and denounced tax-dodging by the rich. Despite constant threats, the Edhi Foundation became Pakistans most relied upon social safety net, handling many of the responsibilities that the Pakistani government could not. The Edhi foundation was at the forefront of the response last year when a devastating heatwave struck Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people. Edhi was laid to rest in the clothes he died in, and buried in a grave he himself dug several years earlier at the Edhi village near Karachi. My eyelashes are not unlike my high school academic history always between a B+ and an A-. Not bad, but they could be way better if they'd just applied themselves more, you know? I have a good amount of lashes, but they're quite straight and indecisively directed. Some point downward and some lazily curve slightly upward it's a sad bouquet. I've done lash-enhancing serums, lash extensions, and own about a dozen mascaras in rotation at any given time. I can't remember a time I left the house without having wielded a lash curler first. Lashes are just my thing, and I'm very particular about my things. That said, when presented with the opportunity to perm my lashes into a perfectly curled formation, I initially bristled. Memories of the smell of perming chemicals in my youth (perms were big in the '90s, too) made my eyes water and my head dizzy. The thought of putting that on my eyelashes just seemed very wrong. Lash lifts (aka lash perms) are not necessarily new to the beauty world but they have a dodgy reputation based on the concept alone. In fact, when I mentioned that I was going to get a lash lift, several colleagues raised their brows like "are you sure?" For reference, I am the Allure staffer who got lip injections for the first time on Facebook Live, so one would think that a lash lift would be much less eventful, but apparently slathering your eyes in perming lotion sounds much more alarming than injecting your mouth full of synthetic dewdrops. The Process of a Lash Perm I visited Sugarlash Pro, a company that specializes in lash lifts and lash extensions to get my eyeball fringe into shape. The way a lash lift works is this: You're lying down with your eyes shut, and a lash technician tapes your lower lashes down so they don't get tangled up in the mess of the perming site. Then a silicone pad that acts as a sort of "curling rod" as well as a guard is fixed to your upper eyelid with a gentle adhesive so it stays put. The sloped shape of it serves to give your lashes a curved shape to form to when slathered in perming lotion. The length of your lashes is what determines what size silicone shield the technician will choose for you. Since my lashes are on the short side, I used a small one. My lashes were brushed back to lay against the curve of the shield with that gentle adhesive so they all lay flat, awaiting the curling chemicals. 2005 .. JavaScript is disabled on your browser. CORDIS website requires JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. Please enable JavaScript. The Republic of Rwanda will host from 10 to 18 July 2016, the 27th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) under the theme: 2016: Year of Human Rights with a particular focus on the Rights of Women. The newly constructed Convention Centre dubbed (KCC) has given a facelift to []Source : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric... As more U.S. companies help their employees pay off student loans, some lenders are sensing an opportunity to reel in new, potentially high-net-worth customers. Student loan assistance is emerging as today's hot new employee benefit, in the same way the 401(k) did a few decades ago. These payments, of up to $2,000 annually, are increasingly seen as a way for firms to attract and retain employees who are straining under the weight of education debt. Some lenders that specialize in refinancing student loans are hoping to profit from this corporate perk. The basic premise is that borrowers who are excited to get a helping hand from their employers will also be amenable to refinancing at a lower interest rate. In the coming weeks, Citizens Financial Group in Providence, R.I., plans to announce a new partnership with Gradifi, a Boston-based startup that administers student loan assistance benefits on behalf of employers. Under the deal, the $143 billion-asset Citizens will have the exclusive right to make loan refinancing offers to borrowers who use its partner's platform. Citizens has been looking to grow its student-lending business; its balances increased by 93% last year. Meanwhile, Social Finance Inc., a rapidly growing online lender that got its start in student loans, recently built its own benefits platform for employers. SoFi is using its platform to administer employers' student loan contributions, even in cases where the loans are backed by the federal government or another private lender. The company is betting that once borrowers open SoFi accounts, they will be more apt to refinance into a SoFi loan. There could be cross-selling opportunities as well. Down the road, it's not hard to imagine borrowers many with advanced degrees and good-paying jobs turning to lenders that refinanced their student debt for mortgages, car loans or other financial products. SoFi is already offering mortgage loans to many of its student-loan customers. Citizens and San Francisco-based SoFi are both responding to a surge in interest in student loan assistance at large U.S corporations. PwC, the accounting and consulting firm with more than 200,000 employees globally, announced in September that it will contribute $1,200 annually toward reducing an employee's student debt. Fidelity Investments, which has 45,000 employees, said last month that it will offer them $2,000 per year to help pay back their student loans. Fidelity launched the new benefit following a broad effort to gauge the mood of its workforce. "What we heard was that student loan debt was a significant challenge," said Jennifer Hanson, head of benefits at Fidelity, referring to feedback provided by the firm's employees. "They were putting off things like buying a home, getting married, having children, until they paid off this debt." Across the country, total student debt increased from $481 billion in the first quarter of 2006 to $1.32 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year, according to data from the Federal Reserve Board. Young adults carry the biggest debt burdens, which means loan assistance can be a particularly attractive perk for recent graduates. Nearly 70% of members of the class of 2014 had student debt, and those who did owed an average of $28,950, according to a report last year by the Institute for College Access & Success. "This is a custom benefit made for the millennials," said Bruce Elliott, manager of compensation and benefits at the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va. His organization found last year in a survey that 3% of participating companies were providing student loan repayment assistance to their employees. Elliott expects that number to rise over time, in part because it has become much easier for employers to offer the benefit. Within the past 18 months, Gradifi, SoFi and Santa Monica, Calif.-based Tuition.io have all launched programs to administer student loan repayment assistance on behalf of employers. This is a complicated business in large part because borrowers often have several different loans, and payments have to be carefully allocated between them. "For the employer to try to administer this," Elliott warned, "I would wave them off from it six ways from Sunday." Gradifi Chief Executive Tim DeMello said that his firm is currently working with just over 100 companies, and has been approached by another 180 or so that are interested in offering loan repayment assistance. Employers pay Gradifi $36 to $60 annually for each employee in the program. "There's been a lot more interest than even I expected there to be," DeMello said. One obstacle to more widespread adoption by corporations involves the tax treatment of student loan assistance. Unlike contributions to a 401(k), loan assistance dollars are currently treated as pretax income. That status makes them less attractive as a benefit. Legislation has recently been introduced in both the House and Senate to change the tax treatment. "I think when that happens, the demand will go up tenfold," DeMello said. In the meantime, firms that refinance education loans are exploring how they can benefit from the fledgling efforts of employers to help their workforce pay down its debt. SoFi said that it developed its benefit administration platform for an unnamed company that is in the top 10 of the Fortune 500. The San Francisco-based company is now looking to administer the loan assistance benefit for other smaller firms. "It really is a differentiating benefit," said Catesby Perrin, SoFi's head of business development. "I know I should be saving for my retirement, but that benefit is pretty attenuated for me. I don't expect to see that money for 40 years, or 30 years." Citizens Financial hopes that its new partnership with Gradifi will help win the attention of more borrowers. As part of the deal, Citizens may seek to encourage borrowers to refinance by offering them a one-time cash payment. Brendan Coughlin, the head of consumer banking at Citizens, said the program offers borrowers the chance to win twice first by getting cash assistance, and second by refinancing into a loan with a lower interest rate. "This is obviously an emerging need for Americans, in terms of managing their student loan debt down," he said. Many borrowers are unable to refinance at a lower interest rate, and even those who do qualify should be aware that they will lose certain protections by switching from a federal student loan to one that is privately backed. Often the best candidates for student loan refinancing are folks with graduate or professional degrees, since the government loan program that many of them use to finance their education carries comparatively high interest rates. In recent years, some private student lenders have partnered with professional organizations and alumni groups in an effort to make more borrowers aware that refinancing may be an option. The new wave of marketing toward borrowers who are getting a valuable employee benefit is another step down the same path. "I do see this as an opportunity for lenders," said Stephen Dash, CEO of the student loan comparison site Credible. Dallas police chief David Brown said all we need to know about the inspiration and motives of the thug who assassinated five Dallas cops. As NBC News reported: Brown said the suspect, who he would not identify, told a hostage negotiator that he was upset about the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent police shootings of black men elsewhere in the U.S. The Dallas shootings are the logical extension of the demonization of police officers by the racial grievance industry spearheaded by the Black Lives Matter movement, a demonization that began almost as soon as President Obama took office. As Fox News reported in 2009: Many police officers across the country have a message for President Barack Obama Get all the facts before criticizing one of our own. Obama's public criticism that Cambridge officers "acted stupidly" when they arrested black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. could make it harder for police to work with people of color, some officers said Thursday. It could even set back the progress in race relations that helped Obama become the nation's first African-American president, they said.: "What we don't need is public safety officials across the country second-guessing themselves," said David Holway, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represents 15,000 public safety officials around the country. "The president's alienated public safety officers across the country with his comments." Ever since that day police have been second-guessing themselves, beset by accusers who find them guilty of racism and excessive force. In their eyes police are guilty of racism until proven innocent. That BlackLivesMatter was credited by the assassin of being a source of his racial hatred and hatred of police is not surprising. After the Ferguson riots, the movement quickly spread, framing the confrontation as not one between criminals, such as the black youth who had just committed a strong-arm robbery of a convenience store, and law enforcement. They painted Officer Darren Wilson, who was later found to be justified in shooting the black youth who tried to kill him with his own gun, as the poster child for police brutality that willfully and indiscriminately targets minority communities. We saw their bloodlust in New York as protesters of police brutality chanted their lust for dead cops. As Heather MacDonald writes in her new book, The War On Cops (Encounter Books, 2016): In the summer of 2014, as we have seen, a lie overtook significant parts of the country and grew into a kind of mass hysteria. That lie holds that the police pose a mortal threat to black Americans indeed, that the police are the greatest threat facing black Americans today. Several subsidiary untruths buttress that central myth: that the criminal-justice system is biased against blacks; that there is no such thing as a black underclass; and that crime rates are comparable between blacks and whites, so that disproportionate police action in minority neighborhoods cannot be explained without reference to racism. The poisonous effect of these lies manifested itself in the cold-blooded assassination of two NYPD officers in December that year. The highest reaches of American society promulgated those untruths and participated in the mass hysteria. President Barack Obama, speaking after a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, declared that blacks were right to believe that the criminal-justice system was often stacked against them. Obama repeated that message as he traveled around the country subsequently. Eric Holder escalated a long-running theme of his tenure as U.S. attorney general: that the police routinely engaged in racial profiling and needed federal intervention to police properly. Meanwhile, protests and riots against the police were gathering force across the country, all of them steeped in anti-cop vitriol and the ubiquitous lie that black lives dont matter to the police. What do we want? Dead cops, chanted participants in a New York anti-cop protest. Cop-killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who assassinated NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos on December 20, 2014, exemplified everything the elites have refused to recognize as the antipolice crusade marches on: he was a gun-toting criminal who was an eager consumer of the current frenzy of cop-hatred. The anti-cop bloodlust of this movement wasnt satisfied then and wont be satisfied now. We saw it last August in a Black Lives Matter protest at the Minnesota State Fair. As the Daily Caller reported and a video showed: Black Lives Matter protesters marching on the Minnesota state fair on Saturday spewed violent anti-cop rhetoric just hours after a Harris County, Tex. sheriffs deputy was ambushed and executed at a Houston-area gas station. Pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon, activists with the St. Paul, Minn. branch of Black Lives Matter chanted while marching behind a group of police officers down a highway just south of the state fair grounds. This inflammatory racial animus has been repeatedly stoked by grandstanding liberal politicians who benefit politically from perpetuating the culture of victimhood. Gun and crime researcher John Lott Jr. has noted President Obamas contribution to the war on cops: As a response to the police shooting of Michael Brown, President Obama proposes $263 million for police training and body cameras. But more police training wouldnt have prevented the Brown shooting and the presidents proposal plays into the hands of those who blame the police. President Obama has continually undermined police departments around the country, and his demand for more training fits that pattern. In 2009, he jumped to the conclusion that Cambridge, Massachusetts police acted stupidly when they arrested Henry Gates. He personalized the Trayvon Martin investigation in a way that to many implied the murder was radically motivated. And yet again last week, he emphasized that the anger to the verdict was an understandable reaction and blacks distrust of police is rooted in realities. Nevertheless, whatever Obama implies, there was absolutely no evidence Officer Darren Wilson was motivated by race and he did exactly what he should have done. Browns robbery of the convenience store, his decision to reach into the police car and punch Wilson while trying to take his gun, and finally Browns decision to charge Wilson was what caused the teens death. Unindicted co-conspirators in providing moral support in the war on cops is New York Mayor Bill De Blasio and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. Stoking the fans of racial animus, After the death of Eric Garner in a confrontation with police, De Blasio told of warning his mixed race son of encounters with police. De Blasio, who is white, gave some details of the conversations he and his wife, Chirlane, who is black, have had with their 17-year-old son, who is a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School. With Dante, very early on, we said, Look, if a police officer stops you, do everything he tells you to do. Dont move suddenly. Dont reach for your cellphone, said deBlasio. Because we knew, sadly, theres a greater chance it might be misinterpreted if it was a young man of color. After a police-involved shooting during a traffic stop which resulted in the death of the black driver, Dayton played the inflammatory race card: A suburban police officer who killed a black motorist likely wouldn't have fired if the driver had been white, Minnesota's governor declared, jumping into a suddenly reignited national debate over how law enforcement treats people of color. "Would this have happened if those passengers would have been white? I don't think it would have," Gov. Mark Dayton said to a crowd that gathered outside his residence all day and night Thursday. Hours after Dayton's remarks, gunmen shot and killed five police officers and wounded six more amid protests in Dallas over Castile's killing and a second fatal police shooting of a black man. Its not easy access to guns, Mr. President, that killed five cops in Dallas. Its easy access to hatred stoked by black activists and sympathizers in public office who see cops as racial predators and ignore the courage, dedication, and color blindness of those who show up every day to protect the lives of those that spit on them. The Dallas cops ran towards the gunfire that endangered citizens of every color and ethnicity. They have paid the ultimate price for the false mantra of those who run away from the truth. Its not white cops versus blacks. Its good guys versus bad guys. Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. Just how was this so-called "investigation" into Hillary's private server and her missing and deleted emails conducted? Did anyone at the FBI or the DOJ really care that she sent all manner of national security information via unsecured servers or was it a pseudo-investigation? We will most likely never know, but we can certainly guess, given the character of the principals involved. It seems that the FBI and the DOJ did not care that the Secretary of State was so bent upon enriching herself and increasing her personal power that she put not only the nation at risk, but countless people who work to ensure our national security. Ms. Clinton is not only incompetent, she is thoroughly unqualified to be President. It is quite possible that her cavalier attitude toward cyber security got Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith killed in Benghazi. It is likely as well that her dithering about how to spin the terrorist disaster while it was underway led to the deaths of Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, who could have been saved had the State Department not worried about how their potential rescuers were dressed! This is what mendacity combined with ineptness looks like. One possible scenario: there never was an investigation at all. From the outset, the administration, the DOJ and the FBI knew it was a can of worms that must not be opened. So they simulated an investigation when there was none. For months we have been hearing that there were 150 agents working on it. But Comey said there were "fifteen or twenty." None have come forward as yet. None have resigned in protest of clearing a guilty target as some of the "leaks" suggested they would. Was the inquiry a sham for public consumption? Possibly. We learned Thursday that Hillary was not put under oath for her "interview" with the FBI last Saturday. Comey did not attend that interview and there is no recording nor is there a transcript. Her lawyers must really have pull. The law says that the FBI and other federal agents must now tape interviews with suspects. So it is a safe assumption that the interview was just for show and completely unserious. It had to happen so that Clinton could go campaigning with Obama on Tuesday. She knew, Lynch knew, Bill Clinton knew and Obama knew exactly what Comey was going to say Tuesday morning. There can be no doubt about that. Scenario two: the principals all knew from day one Ms. Clinton was using private servers in order to keep her financial shenanigans secret. Her chicanery did not bother those who knew; they all operate similarly. Then came Benghazi. The stupidity of the lies they all told led to the to necessity for Congressional hearings at which the State Department was exposed as a self-serving mess. The incompetence of Ms. Clinton became abundantly clear. Not only is she money and power-hungry, she will do anything to cover up her tragic mistakes. Libya was her baby and it was a catastrophic blunder. The CIA annex: what was its task? Funneling confiscated Libyan weapons to the Syrian rebels? Which "rebels? That question has never been answered. Scenario three: There was a semblance of an investigation into her server but the cloud over it was Benghazi. It was meant to be short and conclusive, to put the whole incident to bed. The DC establishment was confident in its ability to shutter any inconvenient inquisition but Hillary's lies are so shameless, so egregious, the scandal spun out of their control. Lying to the families of the dead over their caskets is beyond the pale. And that is what she did. With taxpayer dollars, Hillary and Obama made an apology video for the Muslim world that aired throughout the Middle East. They apologized for the YouTube video that no one saw, that some oh-so-clever staffer found and blamed for the murderous violence because it was two months before the election. Enough said about Susan Rice who should be ashamed to show her face in public. That is how vile these people are. So determined to protect their own power, influence and affluence, they will lie, cheat, steal and blame innocent people for their own crimes. They appoint and confirm people like James Comey and Loretta Lynch who know they must do their bidding to keep their jobs. There is no honor in our government anymore. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where we find ourselves at this moment in time. We are a crippled America; crippled by the success of the Marxist left and their mission to inculcate our youth with their doctrine of moral relativism, entitlement and anti-Americanism. Two generations of our youth know little or nothing about the Constitution or the men and women who brought it to fruition. When a sitting circuit court judge (Richard Posner) says "I see no value to a judge of spending decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, or seconds studying the Constitution, the history of its enactment, its amendments, and its implementation...." We are a nation in trouble, a nation heading toward the fate of Venezuela. Posner is a man who swore allegiance to the Constitution but abhors its constraints, like Obama does, because it is a document of "negative rights." The Clintons are a money-grubbing criminal enterprise of long-standing. The sycophants who work for them, lie for them, are traitors to the nation. Clinton supporters know this and do not care. They have been taught that there is no objective truth. They will vote for her and never connect the dots as the country slides into tyranny, socialism and disintegrates. "The stronger becomes the master of the weaker, in so far as the latter cannot assert its degree of independence - here there is no mercy, no forbearance, even less a respect for laws." (Nietzsche) Nietzsche would have loved Hillary, Comey, Lynch, Obama, and the rest of the Left. As a result of the narrow victory, 51.8 per cent to 48.11 per cent, at the referendum on June 23, 2016 for the UK to leave membership of the European Union the British system is in internal political turmoil and uncertain about future relationships with the EU. Unexpectedly complicated political and constitutional questions have arisen, while problems of the nature of relations with the EU and the possibility of the dissolution of the UK by Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving is troubling. Britain has to resolve a host of political and legal problems. Who is supposed to trigger Article 50 of Lisbon Treaty that allows a country to withdraw from the EU in accordance with constitutional arrangements? Does it need approval by a vote of Parliament or by decision, prerogative power, of the prime minister? Does the UK have to amend or repeal the 1972 European Communities Act by which it joined the European institutions? Does EU law have priority over British law? Finally, is the Brexit vote, expressing the will of the British people, only advisory in character? Whatever the answer to these complicate issues, the Brexit vote has already had a political as well as economic impact on the EU. Indeed, the very existence of the EU is now threatened as a result of developments as Brexit may have a domino effect. The EU may not be the only symbol of public alienation in Europe, but it is certainly not admired by large numbers of European citizens. According to a recent survey, nearly half of the voters in eight EU countries, including France, Germany, and Italy, want a referendum on whether their country should remain a member of the EU. Critics, ideologically diverse and present in all political parties, are vocal on five main issues: the lack of democratic input and of accountability in the working of the EU with its bureaucratic institutions that reduce its legitimacy for citizens; the fear of or imagined loss of national sovereignty with the increasing transfer of decision making to the EU and its laws and rules that take prominence over national laws (in this respect the EU has gone far beyond its original operative of a single open marker and the maintenance of peace); the results of the economic free market and liberalization that has handicapped some countries; the cost of financial transfers from some countries to those in economic crisis; and above all the issue of migration and the increase in the EU countries in the number of members of ethnic and religious groups, especially followers of Islam. In his well-known book, Exit, Voice and Loyalty, Albert O. Hirschman posited two possible responses to the dissatisfaction with an organization: exit or withdrawal from it: or attempt to reform it or propose changes. Exit is displayed by political groups in a number of European countries opposed to the very existence of EU, or to the Eurozone, or to the free movement within EU. Others, in milder fashion, voice changes in specific policies, or call for reform of policies and institutions, and do not accept the ideas of an ever-closer union, the creation of a federal Europe or a United States of Europe. French President Charles de Gaulle had once expressed this view as Europe des patries, a grouping of individual sovereign states cooperating in various ways. Prominent in the first group, those who want exit, are the UKIP in Britain, the Netherland Party for Freedom under Geert Wilders, the French National Front under Marine Le Pen, the Northern League led by Mateo Salvini in Italy, the Danish Peoples Party under Kristian Dahl, the Freedom Party in Austria led by Norbert Hofer who got 49.7 per cent in the runoff election of May 22, 2016 and may become president of the country in a repeat of the runoff because of irregularities in voting districts. Those who express voice for change are usually in far left and moderate right-wing groups. Among them are the divided British Conservative Party, the Alternative for Germany, Podemos in Spain, and the Law and Justice party in Poland. Although there are other issues, immigration is the key factor. In 2015 there were 34.3 million people born outside the EU living in a EU state while there were 18.5 million who had been born in a different EU state from which they were presently residing. In the EU 19.8 million were citizens of non-EU countries, 4 per cent of the EU population. The largest number of non-nationals are in Germany, 7.5 million, in the UK, 5.4 million, in Italy, 5 million, and in France 4.4 million. In 2014, 1.9 million entered EU from non-member countries, while 1.8 million previously residing in one EU state migrated to another state. The average of those who entered, 53 % of who were men, was more than 14 years younger than the average of the population into which they entered. The dominant impact of Brexit is shown by the immediate announcement of the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orban that the country will hold a referendum on October 2, 2016 on the EU plan to deal with the migrant crisis, opposed by a number of countries. This particular Hungarian vote may be followed by another vote, one on membership of EU. Hungary, as well as Slovakia, has legally challenged the EU plan of a quota system to relocate immigrants, some 160,000 among the 28 EU states, a plan intended to ease pressure on Greece and Italy, the main points of entry into Europe. To this, the EU adds a proposal to take refugees directly from the Middle East and Africa. Hungary makes arguments that other countries are likely to follow. The EU has no right to change the cultural and religious identity of Europe. Nor should it prescribe settlement of non-Hungarians in the country without the consent of the Hungarian parliament. Hungary objects to the relocation plan for two reasons: it violates the national sovereignty of the country, and it may well allow terrorists to enter the country disguised as migrants. Free movement of people within the EU has broken down. Hungary has taken no migrants in 2016, though it was allotted 1,294 by the EU plan. More than 400,000 passed through the country on their way to the more prosperous northern parts of Europe before in September 2015 Hungary sealed its southern border with Serbia and Croatia using razor wire fences. Its police arrest those who entered the country illegally. It has already doubled the number of its troops patrolling the southern border. In all this it has been successful. Before the fence was built daily migrants averaged 275, now they have dropped to a very small number. The American political system is presently understandingly preoccupied with the issue of whether the use by Hillary Clinton of a private email service for official U.S. Government business violated official policy and put the security of the country in jeopardy. Important as is this issue of mishandling of information, the issue of immigration remains a crucial one for the American public. On July 14th, 2015 the world was informed that the P5+1 and the Islamic Republic of Iran had concluded their talks and announced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA a.k.a. Iran Nuclear Deal.) The deal was most certainly a deal for Iran, but for the P5 + 1, it was a concession. These are the simplified provisions of the JCPOA: Iran reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium (shipped it out of the country, but was able to keep obtaining uranium ore); Iran kept its centrifuges; Iran did not have to dismantle any nuclear facilities; Iran received billions of dollars in frozen funds and sanctions relief; Iran can refuse access to military sites (except one tour of Parchin) and delay access to known nuclear sites of to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); that the Arms Embargo would be lifted in less than five years; that the embargo on Iranian ballistic missiles would expire in eight years or less; the West will help Iran expand its peaceful nuclear infrastructure; the West will instruct Iran on how to thwart and detect threats to its nuclear program; that nuclearrelated sanctions on individuals and organizations will be lifted; that the U.S. federal government would encourage state or local level officials to conduct business with Iran. So what did the United States gain from this? Nothing. Iran will still be able to obtain nuclear weapons in a relatively short amount of time. After Iran received the consent of the international community to develop its nuclear program, one would expect that the Iranians would be on their best behavior. Yet, since the signing of the JCPOA, Iran has continued its support for terrorism, protests against America and Israel, suppression of human rights, acts of military aggression, violations of international law, and other hostile acts. What specifically has Iran been doing since the signing of the JCPOA one year ago? In the days following the deal, according to the intelligence community, Iran was sanitizing its Parchin military nuclear site before the IAEA was to come and inspect the site. In June of this year, the Obama administration concluded that uranium particles discovered at Parchin were tied to Irans past, covert nuclear weapons program. But still the deal stands. On November 4, 2015, Iran hosted its annual Death to America Day commemorating the siege of the American embassy. This is a day to celebrate Irans absolute hatred for America and all the values America stands for. January 16th, 2016 marked Implementation Day, the day Iran began to receive the frozen funds and unprecedented sanctions relief. People and Iranian entities that received sanctions relief and who were removed from the Specially Designated Nationals list of the U.S. Treasury department are also under sanctions for their terrorism-related activities; but their involvement for funding or supporting terrorism did not stop them from receiving sanctions relief. Iran flexed its diplomatic muscles by seizing two U.S. naval vessels and detaining 10 United States sailors. The sailors were humiliated, intimidated, and forced to publically apologize. The Iranians knew that President Obama would do all that it would take to preserve and nurture the nuclear deal, so they tested him just to be sure, and it worked. Iranian Al-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani violated standing travel bans by traveling to Russia to meet with President Putin. They were discussing and finalizing the sale of S-300 air defense systems. Iran continues to be the leading state sponsor of terrorism all over the globe, and continues to violate a whole score of its citizens human rights. Iran currently holds two American citizens in prison, and the location of Robert Levinson is still unknown. On July 1st, 2016, Iran held its annual Al-Quds Day, when Iranians chant Death to America and Death to Israel and display their hatred of both by burning the American flag and the Israeli flag, along with pictures of President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu. But through all this, the deal still stands. So here we are, one year since the JCPOA and Iran is far from having a spotless record. But still the deal stands. Americans should be increasingly critical of the Iranian nuclear deal as it is clear that Iran has no desire to see the United States, or any of the P5 + 1 powers, prosper. The Iranian regime is taking advantage of the United States, and the regime has to be stopped -- their behavior should be deemed unacceptable. Deanne Heffernan serves as Deputy Director of Media and Communications to the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET). The Obama administration has announced that it will not cut the U.S. troop deployment in Afghanistan to 5,000 as planned, but will leave 8,400 soldiers to support the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban. President Obama said, "Compared to the 100,000 troops we once had there, today, fewer than 10,000 remain." That is true, but why 8,400? Why not 50,000? Why not zero? In making his announcement, President Obama said, "Even as we remain relentless against those who threaten us, we are no longer engaged in a major ground war in Afghanistan." That's interesting, but exactly who in Afghanistan threatens the United States? And how relentless can we be with 8,400 soldiers? In 2010, Dr. Steven Metz of the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College wrote that the Obama administration's Afghan strategy (like that of the Bush administration before him) was based on three assumptions: Al-Qaeda "needs state support or sanctuary." If the Taliban regains control of Afghanistan, "it will again provide bases and sanctuary to al Qaeda." If the Taliban "did, for some reason, provide support and sanctuary to al Qaeda, this would increase the threat to the United States and other NATO countries." Assuming that Metz is right about what the U.S. feared/fears emerging from Afghanistan, America clearly has not been successful in creating a secure Afghanistan able to defend itself from the Taliban and repel al-Qaeda. Broad Taliban military successes are the reason the president changed the number of troops he's willing to leave there. Al-Qaeda remains a force, albeit less of one as ISIS has grown, but that may not be a permanent situation. It's not that we haven't done things. We tried ousting the Taliban ourselves and tried training Afghan forces to do it. We tried instituting Western-style elections and changing the role of women in society. We provided $110 billion in civilian and (mainly) military aid between 2002 and 2015. We tried more troops and fewer troops. We tried fighting on the ground and supporting Afghans from the air. We tried drones in Pakistan and supporting the Pakistani government to the tune of billions in military aid every year, including $25.91 billion between 2001 and 2013. But as any military person will tell you, the question is not what to do, but what you want to have done and determining that is the responsibility of the civilian leadership. FDR told Ike to bring him the "unconditional surrender" of Germany. He didn't tell him to cross the Channel on June 4, 1944. This is an issue not only of troops in Afghanistan, but also of how the U.S. sees the post-9-11 landscape and the enemies who were there long before but not recognized. In the almost 15 years since 2001, radical Islamic ideologies and armies have spread to a variety of countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. Our experience with terrorists filling ungoverned and under-governed spaces is broader and deeper. Large-scale terrorism against Western interests, but even more against Muslims who are insufficiently obedient or enthusiastic about ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezb'allah, and others, has killed tens of thousands. But our understanding appears not to have grown commensurately. The U.S. presently has troops in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Afghanistan five countries with which we are not at war and whose governments we have pledged neither to oust nor to defend. The exact numbers are fuzzy, but there appear to be 250 in Syria; 4,000 in Iraq; nearly 10,000 in Afghanistan, of which the above mentioned 8,400 will remain; "a small number" in Libya, according to their commander, LTG Thomas Waldhauser, USMC; and a "very small number" in Yemen, according to Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. The American public is barely paying attention. This is not the 600,000-person deployment of the First Gulf War, or the 130,000 of the Iraq War, or even the 30,000-troop "surge" in Afghanistan by President Obama. And, fortunately, the death and injury toll is low. But they are American soldiers not anonymous "boots on the ground" and they deserve to have a militarily achievable mission before them when they are sent to fight and perhaps to die. If the civilian leadership can't do that for them, the correct number of soldiers to have in Afghanistan or anywhere else is not 8,400 or 50,000 or 10. It is zero. Some good news on the immigration front: the Mexican government is encouraging Mexican nationals in America to return to Mexico and receive full benefits. The report includes the dubious assertion from the government that there are now more Mexicans returning to Mexico than coming to the U.S. Or would you rather believe your lying eyes? Says the Mexican government: Aqui tiene las puertas abiertas (Here the doors are open), perhaps in a nod to the potential Trump presidency, in which case our doors will hopefully be shut. The Mexican government offers returning Mexicans health care, housing, and social development (?) assistance, because those are their rights. The Mexican government also promises to facilitate in finding suitable employment and to help the returning Mexicans reintegrate into the community. The Mexican secretary of foreign affairs, Claudia Ruiz Massieu, explains: A lot of immigrants return because they want to see their family, they want to return to the place they were born, because they want their kids to know Mexico. Perfectly understandable! As a U.S. citizen, particularly under the hostile Obama administration, I am unaccustomed to hearing a government regard its own citizens in such benevolent terms. Its almost quaint. This also comes as a bit of a curveball, because all evidence up to this point has been that the Mexican government is encouraging its citizens, especially the poorest ones, to flee to the United States, via legal routes or otherwise. And here theyre being enticed in the opposite direction. Regardless, it is hopeful that many Mexican nationals will take advantage of this exciting opportunity. Contact Malcolm Unwell. In the last 24 hours, there have been three incidents in three different states involving the deliberate targeting of police officers. In Misouri and Georgia, the attacks were described as "ambushes." The attack in Tennessee occured before the Dallas shootings, but the motive, according to police, was the same as the cop-killer's reason for the shootings in Dallas. Fox 2: The attack in Tennessee occurred hours before the killing of five police officers in Dallas on Thursday night during a protest. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says the attacker told authorities that he was frustrated by the recent killings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Police have not disclosed a motive in Friday's attacks in Georgia and Missouri, which have been described as ambushes. In a fourth attack early Friday, a motorist fired at a police car as the officer drove by. In all, four officers were wounded. The officer wounded outside St. Louis is in critical but stable condition. The wounded officers are expected to survive. A suburban St. Louis police chief says a motorist shot an officer three times as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop. Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said at a news conference Friday that the attack happened around 11 a.m. and was captured on video. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar says the suspect, who is in his 30s, "ambushed" the officer, who is in critical but stable condition. His identity wasn't released. The shooting comes amid heightened tension following an attack in Dallas in which five police officers were killed and seven others and two civilians were wounded. Are these just isolated but troubling incidents, or will this be a new normal for our nation's law enforcement officers? I fear the latter. The day after the Dallas shootings, the Black Lives Matter group was in the streets across America, screaming anti-police rhetoric and playing up its contention that the recent killings of black suspects by police was racially motivated. BLM's unprovable and despicable claims that the killings were "attacks" on all black people have ginned up outrage in the black community against the police. Their calls are being echoed by prominent liberal politicians, many of whom are now piously saying we should all "come together" to combat violence. They would say that, after their white-hot charges of racism and targeting no doubt contributed to the Dallas shooter's motivation for killing white officers. For years, the left has been quick to blame the right for incendiary rhetoric leading directly to the deaths of victims. I don't recall them pleading for unity in the aftermath of the attack on Rep. Giffords. I do remember them blaming the right for a bullseye picture that was superimposed over Giffords's face [correction: district on a map]. Any protestations of innocence by Black Lives Matter or other inciters of violence toward police should be called out for the hypocrisy that it is. Deputy Editor Drew Belsky adds: The correction above the bullseye graphic was superimposed on Gabrielle Giffords's congressional district among several others really is worth noting vis-a-vis the yawning gulf between the right and the left on violent rhetoric. If the bullseye had truly been on Gabrielle Giffords's face, leftists might have had a bit more justification in their caterwauling in 2011. Today's story would be a "both sides have sinned" issue both the left and the right say incendiary things sometimes, so we all need to engage in some self-reflection (or whatever). But this is explicitly not a "both sides have sinned" issue. Mainstream right-wing figures like Sarah Palin restrict themselves to general and generally accepted "election as battle" metaphors, whereas Black Lives Matter, now a mainstay group of the left, officially calls for the murder of police officers. It's night and day. Pro-life advocates were reminded throughout the month of June of just how tough our fight is to save the unborn. Two of the nation's most respected academic journals, Democrats in Congress and the White House, and activist judges made it clear we have a long road ahead. Judicial activism at its finest Judges playing the role of corrupt referees is nothing new in the abortion battles. On the 27th, we saw five justices on the U.S. Supreme Court declare that modest regulations on abortion facilities are undue burdens on the ability of women to get abortions and thus unconstitutional. One day later, the same five justices ruled that it was legal and constitutional to force pharmacy owners to provide abortion-inducing drugs and devices, even if they object on religious grounds. On June 30, a judge in Indiana blocked a law that would have banned women from aborting their children due to diagnosed disabilities. Likewise, a judge in Florida blocked the portions of a law that would have defunded Planned Parenthood and opened up the state's abortion facilities to more rigorous records inspections. And earlier in June, a judge extended his temporary block of Ohio's effort to defund Planned Parenthood. It was the Supreme Court case that was most damaging. Early July has seen several states prepare for their abortion facility medical standards to be overturned by lower courts, and abortion groups plan to use the Supreme Court's decision as momentum to fight other pro-life laws enacted in the last several years. There was some good news. A judge let stand a 2014 amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that eliminated the so-called "right" to abortion, and a Texas judge dropped one of the two charges against undercover pro-life investigator David Daleiden. Elected Democrats went to the hilt to protect their abortion buddies For months, Congress and the White House have battled over how, and how much, to fund Zika virus prevention efforts. After much negotiation, a deal was struck: $1.1 billion to help Zika victims and to help stop its spread. Alas, a spokesperson for President Obama said the deal wasn't good enough, in part because the bill didn't give $95 million to Planned Parenthood. Senate Democrats agreed, stepping up to the plate to block the measure. House Democrats also continued to unsuccessfully pressure the House to halt its investigation of the abortion industry's corrupt and illegal fetal harvesting practices. Academic journals play defense and offense In 2005, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a flawed and ethically challenged study that claimed that fetal pain is not felt until 29 weeks' gestation. The study was disproven twice within two years, and both USA TODAY and The New York Times reported that one of the study's authors did not disclose as a "financial interest" that she was medical director for an abortion facility. Last month, Just Facts president James Agresti (disclosure: Just Facts is a client of the author) called for JAMA to withdraw the study because of its factual and ethical failings. JAMA editor-in-chief Dr. Howard Bauchner declined in an evasive response that largely dodged the objections raised by Agresti and others when the retraction call was first made public by The National Catholic Register. Agresti has continued to call for JAMA to withdraw the study. Even as the one journal played defense for the abortion industry, another published a taxpayer-funded study/propaganda piece about women who order abortion pills. On June 22, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published a study that examined the number of women who ordered abortion pills in nations where Zika emergencies had been announced. The authors, two of whom work for the group that provides the abortion pills, compared those nations to Zika-endangered nations where no announcement was made. Here's the kicker not only did the study have major holes, one of which was acknowledged by its authors and at least a couple that weren't, but the authors closed with a blatant appeal for abortion to be more legal in the nations studied: Official information and advice about potential exposure to the Zika virus should be accompanied by efforts to ensure that all reproductive choices are safe, legal, and accessible. Oh, and the group that provides the abortion bills? Women on Web prides itself on getting abortion pills to women where such things are illegal. So NEJM essentially played offense for a limited-value, taxpayer-funded study for a group that breaks the laws of sovereign nations. The Democrats are on notice that theyd better treat Bernie Sanders with respect. That nasty incident a few days ago when House Democrats booed Sanders could lead to disaster for Hillary Clinton if Sanders takes up a remarkable offer. Oliver Milman of The Guardian writes: Bernie Sanders has been invited to continue his underdog bid for the White House by the Green partys probable presidential candidate, who has offered to step aside to let him run. Jill Stein, who is expected to be endorsed at the partys August convention in Houston, told Guardian US that overwhelming numbers of Sanders supporters are flocking to the Greens rather than Hillary Clinton. Stein insisted that her presidential bid has a viable near term goal of reaching 15% in national polling, which would enable her to stand alongside presumptive nominees Clinton and Donald Trump in televised election debates. But in a potentially destabilising move for the Democratic party, and an exciting one for Sanders supporters, the Green party candidate said she was willing to stand aside for Sanders. Ive invited Bernie to sit down explore collaboration everything is on the table, she said. If he saw that you cant have a revolutionary campaign in a counter-revolutionary party, hed be welcomed to the Green party. He could lead the ticket and build a political movement, she said. So, if the Dems diss Bernie in Philadelphia later this month, the Greens can meet in August and make him their candidate. Right now the party has access to the presidential ballot in 23 states, many of them populous Dem strongholds, and is conducting petition drives to gain ballot access in the rest of them. Bernie is not yet leaping at the chance: Stein said she had made her offer directly to Sanders in an email at the end of the primary season, although she had not received a response. Her surprise intervention comes amid speculation that Sanders will finally draw a line under a bruising Democratic contest by endorsing Clintons presidential bid next week. Right now, Sanders is negotiating his role in the Democratic National Convention, and his treatment by the party thereafter. I hope Hillarys arrogance persuades her to minimize Sanderss role. If he should accept Steins offer, it could kill Hillarys chances of winning. Please, let it happen. Much of what we think we know about the shooting of Philando Castile by police in Minnesota is false. But we shouldnt be surprised, because the media sticks to The Narrative. You know, the near mandatory narrative that the American media can apply to any instance of a white person (or even a White Hispanic) killing a black person. An innocent and sympathetic black person has been victimized by white racism. We saw this in the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, with significant facts utterly repressed by the media. In the Trayvon Martin death, sundance of The Conservative Treehouse did the hard work of investigative journalism and became the leading source of information on the trial of George Zimmerman. Sundance has credibility in my book. His work has now led him to debunk significant aspects of the narrative we have heard about the police shooting in Falcon Heights, Minnesota: The Falcon Heights, Minnesota police shooting of Philando Castile is based around an entirely false narrative. Castile and Ms. Diamond Reynolds (Facebook video uploader) were pulled over by police because Castile matched a BOLO Alert for an armed robbery suspect from four days prior. Sundance provides surveillance camera pictures of the robbery in progress, and whaddya know: Castile does look worth stopping. The armed robbery occurred on July 2nd 7:30pm (Sat). The CCTV images were given to media and LEO by detectives on July 5th (Tuesday). A BOLO (Be On Look Out) alert was issued the same day, Tuesday July 5th. Philando Castile was pulled over on July 6th. From the radio dispatch of Officer Jeronimo Yanez: Im going to stop a car. Im going to check IDs. I have reason to pull it over. The two occupants just look like people that were involved in a robbery. The driver looks more like one of our suspects, just cause of the wide set nose. Ms. Reynolds also claims her boyfriend, Castile, was holding a concealed carry permit for a firearm that was resting on his left thigh. This also appears to be false. According to a question presented to the local county sheriff who oversees the Concealed Carry Permit process, Mr. Castile had never requested a concealed carry permit from their office: It is possible a CCP was obtained in another county, however the media are conflating permit to purchase with concealed carry permit. For some reason the CCP ownership is being amplified; it really has no bearing and is largely irrelevant for the context of the situation. That said, there is no factual evidence Mr. Philando Castile had a CCP. There are a number of other issues with the narrative. Sundance does such a good job explaining his or her work. It is well worth reading in its entirety. Hat tip: BFH at iOTWReport Hillary has skated on the email scandal, and you had better get used to it! If you don't, why, you're...you're...stupid! That's that's the new drift of coverage on the cover-up left. The examples popped up aplenty on July 7, when FBI director Comey testified before Congress concerning his inexplicable decision not to recommend indictment of the email criminal. Many of the usual suspects chimed in. Over at PoliticusUSA fiercely anti-corporate, and fiercely in support of corporate stooge Hillary we are told that the hearings backfired on those stupid Republicans. Later, we're told that this egregious stupidity may have ensured Hillary's election. Over at Mother Jones, we are assured that the hearings were good for Hillary, bad for stupid Republicans largely because Comey defended his decision not to bring charges. And over at Crooks and Liars, in defense of one of the most distinguished crooks and liars of the century, we are told that those stupid Republicans are banging their stupid heads against a wall and embarrassing the nation. This leftist pitch is certain to grow, as it is merely a variation on an ingrained habit of thought: liberals smart, conservatives dumb. Probably the screechiest example of this twist was the one offered at Esquire, where in-house political commentator Charles P. Pierce, a sportswriter by trade, actually glories in the word "stupid" as it appears in his headline. A word about Charles P.: He has been praised for his "acid pen," as if he were another H.L. Mencken, but I myself just can't see it. A Pierce piece for Esquire has to be one of those things that you can actually teach a chimpanzee to write on an Olivetti. Just sprinkle whatever alphabet hash the friendly beast produces with the words "stupid" (preferably used as an abstract noun), "dumbass" (and its derivative, "dumbassery"), "dolt," "moron," "batty," "foolish," and "idiot." Add a few phrases from Bugs Bunny's Big Book of Fluent Cliche, phrases such as "I am not kidding" (also a favorite of Genius Joe Biden), and the expectations of genre enthusiasts are richly fulfilled. Thought is neither required nor expected, and the rhythm is like a musical score to accompany Jimmy Carter's rowboat confrontation with the killer rabbit. Charles P. may be a different animal in his sportive ruminations, but his work for Esquire constitutes the most witless set of witticisms that ever laid claim to a snigger. Charles P.'s point in his latest piece of Clintonophilia is that all the approaches of cloddish Republicans were deftly turned aside by Mr. Comey, on the unassailable grounds that Mrs. Clinton's apparent misdeeds lacked intent. Though not as nescient as Hillary's other defenders, Charles P. fails fully to realize that Comey's defense of our beloved evasive email empress is that she was just plain stupid. Comey uses the words "careless" and "unsophisticated," but in context carelessness and lack of sophistication amount to stupidity. Charles P. and his peers would be wise not to use the words "Hillary," "e-mail," and "stupid" in the same paragraph. The juxtaposition of these words can serve only to remind the public that Hillary's defense rested and rests on her incredible boneheadedness. Besides, nobody's really buying Comey's story. Comey admits that Hillary set up private servers, sent classified information over less than secure channels, deleted e-mails before investigators could check them, had her lackeys wipe their devices, and so on and so on and so on. We are then asked to believe that this was all an inadvertence, or that she did it merely for the sake of convenience. This is akin to believing that Bill Clinton took down his pants for Monica because he mistook her for his proctologist. That Hillary lacks her claimed brainpower is not beyond imagining. But this whole "lack of intent" tale is like the stuttering lie of a five-year-old caught peeing in the lemonade. Who's stupid again? The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says police killings are up sharply in 2016, rising 44% compared to the same period last year. USA Today: The deaths of four Dallas police officers and one Dallas transit officer from sniper fire during a protest in the city Thursday raised the national total of firearm deaths among police to 26. This compares with 18 at this point in time in 2015, said Nick Breul, director of research for the fund in Washington, D.C . Breul said it was also the latest of 11 ambushes of police officers so far this year across the country, already outpacing the eight ambushes of law enforcement that occurred last year. "That's certainly a concern for us. It's troubling and it's something that we watch," Breul, a former Washington, D.C., police officer, said about the shootings. "It's really an assassination. You're taking advantage of an officer and you're ensuring that you're able to kill them through them either being vulnerable or through a complete surprise attack." Breul said the last major ambush targeting police occurred at a coffee shop in Lakewood, Wash. on Nov. 29, 2009, when a gunman walked in and opened fire on four city police officers working on their laptop computers preparing for their work shifts. All four were killed. The gunman died two days later in a shootout with police. Forty-one officers were killed with guns last year. The largest, annual number of police officers shot and killed nationally in the past ten years was 70, who were killed in 2007, according to the memorial fund website. Obamacare is a huge problem that President Obama will leave his successor. And there is Iraq, Libya, and so on. Lots of messes for his successor to clean up, indeed. In retrospect, race relations will be his biggest failure. Back in November 2008, I voted for Senator McCain but looked forward to our first black president bringing us together. I was anticipating that he'd talk about the structural problems in the black community, such as the collapse of the black family unit and black-on-black crime in Chicago and other inner cities. Instead, Obama has made things worse by focusing on the police and doing nothing about black districts lacking any hope and seeing no change. A few months ago, Gil Troy, a professor of history at McGill University, wrote an article that looks rather interesting after Dallas: The last Democratic president and the last Republican president both managed race relations more effectively than Obama has. Seven years after American voters made history by electing the countrys first black president, racial tensions have worsened. It didnt rank on Obamas one-item list of his few regrets during his State of the Union address. But signs of Obamas failure are on our streets, on our campuses and among our leaders, left and right. Ferguson has become shorthand for African-American fury objecting to insensitive white cops harassing young blacks. The Black Lives Matter movement has spilled into American campus culture, as privileged kids attending the worlds finest universities bemoan their alleged oppression bullying anyone who challenges them. This black backlash has prompted a white backlash, personified by Donald Trump. Every justifiable police shooting called racist, every Halloween costume labeled politically incorrect, every reasonable thought censored makes Trump look like Americas last honest man. Amid this tension, Obama has been disturbingly passive even during Americas first serious race riots since 1992. He acts like a meteorologist observing the bad weather, not a president able to shape the political climate. How embarrassing that Obamas most memorable act of presidential leadership on race may end up being inviting a black professor and a white cop to the White House for his 2009 beer summit. Yes, President Obama will be remembered for two things: a) The articulate president who could not articulate a message to bring us together. In other words, the man can speak but has little of consequence to say. b) The first black president who did not understand the real problems in black communities. His legacy will be that he left us more angry and divided than ever. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. The Soviet Unions nuclear program started soon after the end of the Second World War. Tests were conducted in many remote regions such as the Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, the Urals and the steppes of northeastern Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, not all of these sites were devoid of human habitation. One of the primary sites selected for testing was the 18,000-square-km Semipalatinsk Test Site, also known as "The Polygon", situated south of the valley of the Irtysh River, in Kazakhstan. Just 150 km east of the test site was the town of Semipalatinsk (later renamed Semey) with a population exceeding 100,000 individual. Hundreds of thousands more lived within an 80 km radius in numerous scattered villages. Photo credit: sputniknews.com The push for nuclear weapons during the Cold War was so great that the government brushed aside all health concerns for the local people or for the environment. There is also a possibility that they deliberately made humans part of the experiment in order to study to effects of radiation. From 1949 until 1989 the Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk. Experiments were conducted on the surface, underground and on the air, with 116 of these being atmospheric tests. Occasional mishaps resulted in dispersion of radioactive materials and leakage of radioactive gases into the environment Sometimes, residents of nearby villages were warned when an explosion was scheduled. They were advised to stay outside during the blast, since it could topple their houses. Many residents, who were children at that time, recounted windows getting blown out and experiencing convulsions when testing occurred. Cases of cancer, impotency, leukemia and birth defects skyrocketed within a few years. Babies were born with severe neurological and major bone deformations, some without limbs. The director of the Oncology Hospital in Semipalatinsk estimates that at least 60,000 people in the region have died from radiation-induced cancers. (Here are some chilling photos of deformities among Semeys current residents). The Soviet Union's first nuclear test at Semipalatinsk on 29 August 1949. Photo credit: CTBTO The Soviet government kept the tests secret. Even the US Defense Intelligence Agency was convinced that the Soviets were researching on particle-beam weapons rather than nuclear weapons. It wasn't until the mid-1980s that Kazakh activists began asking questions about the true nature of the tests and launched a campaign to close down the site. The buildings, bunkers, tunnels and other infrastructure are still there at the Semipalatinsk test site. The most visible ones are the rows of concrete towers that stood at various distances from ground zero, and housed various measuring equipment. Some of the towers have cracked. Others have blisters, possibly developed when the heat of the blast melted the concrete. Radiation level inside the Polygon today is mostly low, but there are still pockets of elevated residual radiation in the area. In 2001, a memorial to the victims of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site called "Stronger than death" was opened in Semipalatinsk city. Related Reading: Lake Chagan, The Atomic Lake Filled With Radioactive Water Photo credit: Alexander Liskin/Wikimedia The memorial to the victims of Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. Photo credit: Anton Roschin (left) / Roman Nefedov (right) Photo credit: en.theoutlook.com.ua Photo credit: www.voxpopuli.kz Photo credit: www.voxpopuli.kz Photo credit: www.voxpopuli.kz Photo credit: CTBTO/Flickr Sources: Wikipedia / www.ctbto.org / www.rferl.org / visitkazakhstan.kz / www.dark-tourism.com Smartwatches and other smart wearables are increasingly becoming as competent, if not as popular, as smartphones with the passage of time. With new smartwatches bringing in in-built GPS functionality as well as 3G and 4G connectivity, they are turning less reliant on companion smartphones to draw their power. In fact, Samsungs upcoming Gear S3 smartwatch, which will run Samsungs Tizen OS, is expected to bring in a new optimized System-on-Chip processor built specifically for wearables to improve the smartwatchs processing power and capabilities. To make its wearables, especially the Gear S range of smartwatches more capable, Samsung recently launched a new ARTIK Cloud app on the Google Play app store which will enable smartwatches to connect with a range of IoT devices and to control their functions. If you own a Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, the app will let you connect your device to the ARTIC cloud which also hosts a number of connected devices compatible with the Internet of Things ecosystem. These include Samsungs SmartThings appliances like Smappee Home Energy Monitor, SmartThings Moisture Sensor and a Samsung Wireless Audio speaker. While the number of devices currently registered with the ARTIK Cloud may be limited, the possibilities are huge and you will be able to use your Gear S2 or Gear S3 smartwatch to perform many more functions than you can do now. However, there is a downside to the app too. It can only be downloaded in smartphones and can connect to your wearable via Bluetooth which implies that you will need to carry your smartphone around which using the Gear S2 to connect to other IoT devices via the ARTIK Cloud. Advertisement The ARTIK could companion app can be downloaded and used in smartphones running Android 4.4 KitKat and later versions. To know more about the cloud, you can visit the developer website and you will also be able to download and use the app on an unlocked Archos GamePad 2 tablet. Back in April, Samsung claimed that the Gear S2 will continue to evolve in the near future to meet the growing and changing needs of users which implies that we should expect the device to receive more software updates despite the fact that a Gear S3 smartphone is around the corner. With the launch of the ARTIK cloud companion app, Samsung just made the Gear S2 a lot more user-friendly than it ever was. Googles self-driving car project and the countless other autonomous automobiles popping up these days, despite their different programming, business plans and target users, all have one thing in common; legal ambiguity. Whether its who is responsible for any mistakes the cars may make, where they are allowed to go, how autonomous theyre allowed to be or whether they are legal in certain areas at all, a comprehensive legal framework to take care of issues arising from the rise of the self-driving car simply does not exist at this time. Thus, in order to safeguard themselves and aid in the creation of such a framework, Google has reportedly brought on The Climate Corporations chief legal officer, Kevin Vosen, as well as an unnamed exec from the local transit authority of San Francisco. Interestingly, The Climate Corporation is formed from former Googlers, meaning that in some way, Vosen has come full circle. The company has since been sold to Monsanto, but a remaining fondness for its origins is evident in this transfer. Vosen has his work cut out for him; a complex legal framework needs to spring up around self-driving cars, and it needs to spring up soon, or else manufacturers and tech companies could face serious disappointments and roadblocks as they race to get their robot roadsters out the door. Tesla, for example, is in the midst of just such a crisis; recently, not one, but two of their Model S units were involved in separate crashes while autonomous mode was allegedly engaged. Meanwhile, the DOT chairman has been calling for just such a framework, with input from both governments and the people behind self-driving vehicles. Advertisement For now, legal liability for the self-driving cars is an especially sticky issue for Google because the self-driving car project has yet to split off into a separate company under Alphabet, still retaining its status as a Google X project, answerable to Astro Teller and applicable Google and Alphabet higher-ups like Eric Schmidt and Larry Page. At this point, no timeline has been nailed down for exactly when the self-driving car unit will make the transition, or what kind of conditions need to be met before that can happen. Each and every year, were treated to a new Nexus device from Google, sometimes more than one, and each year someone different gets to make a Nexus device. So far weve seen HTC, Samsung, LG and Huawei have a go at creating a pure Android device. Some have made more than others, and some have enjoyed more success than others at it. This year, it appears as though Google is pairing up with HTC once again for what could be a pair of Nexus smartphones. The last time HTC made a Nexus device was the Nexus 9, an 8.9-inch Android tablet back in 2014. The time before that it was the very first Nexus, the Nexus One way back in 2010. Neither of these were particularly successful, for their own individual reasons, but with LG and Huawei having proven that they can both make great Nexus devices, could it be a mistake for Google to try their luck with HTC, given the poor-reception and sales that the Nexus 9 enjoyed? So far, it appears like HTC and Google have been working on two different Nexus devices, codenamed Marlin and Sailfish. These devices could be following the same sort of path as the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P did last year; offering users different sizes as well as different price points. The device codenamed Marlin, which is set to be the larger of the duo, is pegged to be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon CPU (which could be either the Snapdragon 820 or Snapdragon 821), come with 4GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch Quad HD display and a 3,450 mAh battery. Similarly, the small Sailfish device is to be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon CPU and 4GB of RAM while offering a smaller 5.0-inch Full HD display and a smaller 2,770 mAh battery. Both devices will share some common DNA, such as AMOLED displays, a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Just like last years duo, this HTC pair will also sport rear-facing fingerprint sensors as well as Type-C USB ports. Advertisement These are specs that well, frankly sound a little 2015. Despite from pretty solid info from the likes of Android Police and elsewhere, nobody is quite sure which processors these are going to be packing, but a Snapdragon 820 is probably the safest best. Not only does Google have a good relationship with Qualcomm, but so does HTC, and it would be unlikely to see the improved Snapdragon 821 to launch in a device designed to be affordable for those buying an unlocked device outright. With 4GB of RAM, the HTC Nexus devices for this year seem to just tow the line, rather than make any sort of statement, but is that such a bad idea? After all, the OnePlus 3 launched with 6GB of RAM and doesnt really seem to make much use of it, which essentially makes such an inclusion one for posing reasons only. The Nexus 6P, launching last year, made something of a precedent, launching with better specs, better build quality and finally a good camera for the first time in a Nexus device. This sort of thing is done through progress, and the Nexus 6P was full of progress from Googles end, they carefully selected an excellent camera sensor from Sony and worked closely with Huawei to make a quality all-around product. Now however, these rumored specs seem to speak of little to no progress. There is of course, a very good chance that these specs arent the final specs and will no doubt feature better specs when they launch towards the end of last year, but it is unlikely that were going to see anything revolutionary with this years Nexus devices, after all thats what we were treated to last year. Advertisement Manufacturers that have taken up the Nexus challenge have fared differently over the years. When LG burst onto the scene with the Nexus 4, people werent exactly happy that this relatively-unknown (at least at the time) Korean brand would be behind the sacred Nexus line. However, LG soon reaped the benefits of this, and theyve now become a force to be reckoned with in the Android world, and their brand has certainly been helped in the US by the launch of the Nexus 4, and then the Nexus 5 and 5X devices after it. HTC on the other hand, did not enjoy all that much success with the launch of the Nexus 9, but this could have more to do with the fact that a Nexus tablet from anyone in this day and age was going to do well, not even the excellent Pixel C, entirely branded by Google, appears to be doing that well for example. Can HTC make a better go of it this time around? Well, probably. After all, the HTC 10 is nothing exciting, but its a solid device that has some of the best build and some of the more appealing software to launch on an Android phone in a long time. The question of whether or not the Marlin and the Sailfish will end up as failures depends a lot more on Google than many will think. The Nexus 6 from Motorola is perhaps as good as any of an example of Google at their worst when it comes to Nexus design; lazy and unimaginative. With the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P however, Google clearly worked a lot more closely with LG and Huawei to make sure that these would be devices everyone would want. Creating common DNA with the 12-megapixel rear-facing camera (which continues to perform wonderfully even today) as well as the rear-facing fingerprint sensor, Google helped steer the devices in the right direction. Advertisement If Google take as much interest in HTCs latest Nexus devices as they did with the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, then there should be few things to worry about. This does however, make us wonder whether or not Google will try their best to make sure these are great devices. After all, this company while spearheading Android entirely decided to put 2GB of RAM in the Nexus 5X. It might be less of a can HTC be trusted with the Nexus once again and more of a what can they do with the tools provided from Google? If thats the real question at play here, then most users as well as industry onlookers will probably say a lot. After all, there have been few devices from HTC that have been outright bad. The original Nexus One, while expensive for what it was, was a good-looking piece of hardware and gave users a chance to experience Googles vision for Android in all its glory. This isnt exactly the best example of course, that was six years ago now, but the Nexus 9 is just as good of an example. It was a device that had a good-looking, bright display that was a great size, and it had some pretty-great front-firing speakers that got nice and loud and sounded good. It did however, launch with some build-quality issues that may or may not have been entirely HTCs fault. Tablets are of course, not what HTC is known for, and theyve proven already this year with the HTC 10 that they know what theyre doing when it comes to great design and build and most users should have little to fear when the HTC Marlin and Sailfish devices do launch later this year. Advertisement Perhaps we just need to except the reality that is the yearly-upgrade cycle. While devices come along once a year, they often dont see a big improvement until once every two years, and this year follows on from a bad year for Qualcomm with the Snapdragon 810. The Snapdragon 820 is a massive improvement, and something that the San Diego firm is no doubt very proud of, and they will be in no rush to completely replace it any time soon. This is where the Snapdragon 821 comes in, an incremental update that will probably be used well into next year as well. Where Google is concerned, the 12-megapixel sensor, or at least format, will no doubt continue to prove itself and they can probably squeeze some more out of it with better software, but why throw it out early on if you have nothing better to replace it with? HTC can and always has made great hardware, and while the Nexus 9 doesnt exactly fill people with great confidence, HTC knows what theyre doing. The Nexus line of devices has become one that doesnt exactly break the rules too often, and instead delivers a quality stock Android experience. Regardless of who makes it, thats what we will always get. Carlisle Police are warning residents of a persistent and aggressive phone scam. Police said nearly 50 calls had been received Friday about phone calls they had received from individuals purporting to be working for IRS. The scammers typically claim the person they are calling owes the IRS money and will face criminal prosecution if they do not provide them with money. Money is typically requested to be electronically transferred to the scammer, but police said in at least one instance the caller requested the money be provided in the form of an iTunes gift card. The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office noted in February that calls may also include recipients being told they are entitled to a large tax refund in an effort to obtain the persons personal information. Scammers may also purport themselves to be members of a state and local law enforcement, according to Attorney General. According to the IRS website, the agency never calls to demand immediate payment, calls about taxes without mailing a bill first, demand money without an opportunity to appeal or question the amount, require specific payment methods for money owed, threaten to bring law enforcement or ask for cred or debit card numbers over the phone. Consumers can verify their tax status directly with the IRS by calling 1-800-829-1040, and should also report these scams to local law enforcement and to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Hotline at 800-366-4484 or online at www.treasury.gov. FBI Director James Comeys news conference on the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton investigation reminded me of another staged media event in a hostile environment almost 50 years ago. During the Vietnam War Commander Jeremiah Denton had been shot down on a bombing raid and was being held in a Hanoi prison camp. In May 1967 Denton was marched out by his captors to face a battery of television cameras. The goal of the propaganda event was to prove to gullible leftist journalists that the prisoners were well treated in Hanoi. During his forced testimony Denton fooled his captors by blinking out the Morse code letters that spelled torture. This was the first proof the Pentagon had that POWs were being tortured. Denton paid the price for his courage by suffering more beatings. In some ways the stakes at Comeys event were as momentous as those at Dentons: Potential duress, hostile leftist environment, psychological pressure and anxiety about his future. And although the final conclusion let Hillary off the hook, for a while it looked as if Comey was trying undermine the general tone of exoneration by using facts to contradict her lies and the administrations pre determined outcome for the investigation. (For those of you who dont believe it was pre determined, note the timing: Comey recommends no indictment on the same day Obama travels with Hillary to Charlotte for a public endorsement.) Comey stated the felony portion of the investigation was to determine if classified information was mishandled either intentionally or in a grossly negligent way. He then methodically proved Clinton had been lying to the American public for months, which is not usually the script for a government whitewash. Instead of a single email server for convenience Hillary used several different servers and administrators...and used numerous mobile devices to view and send e-mail. Although the Nixon like Hillary has denied ever sending classified email, the FBI found 110 messages containing classified information when Hillary sent or received the email. Classification varied from Top Secret, to Secret, to Confidential. Hillary assured the public a statement not covered by perjury law that all non yoga email had been returned to the State Department. Comey said thousands of work related email had been withheld from investigators. During the tooth extraction like process that characterized Hillarys return of official business communication, she promised the public her legal team read every email to see if it was official or yoga. Comey found the Clinton team did not individually read the content. Even after finding thousands of email messages not returned to investigators, Comey explained, It is also likely that there are other work-related e-mails that they did not produce and will never be produced because her lawyers erased the server in a manner that left the email impossible to recover. Just offhand it seems to me we have obstruction and conspiracy, in addition to the other offenses. Comey then, as if waking from a trance, returned to the official line that there was no intent to violate the law, just extreme carelessness. Anyone whose ever gotten a speeding ticket for unknowingly going faster than allowed knows ignorance of the law is no excuse, unless youre a Clinton. Comey knows this and maybe it bothered his conscience, briefly, hence the damning details. Regardless, the conclusion he delivered exonerated Hillary and confirmed that henceforth under Democrat rule we will have a two tier system of justice. One for Hillary and administration favorites and another for us little folks. Thats why NBCs David Gregory can violate DC gun laws and face no consequences and Katie Couric can violate federal gun laws and not even get a call from ATF. Meanwhile, David Daleiden, who went undercover to videotape the damning Planned Parenthood organ selling scandal, is now the one under indictment. Even Comey recognizes that now the law defers to the great as he sheepishly explains, this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. Maybe Comey thought pointing out the lies and laying out the evidence was enough to absolve him of blame for this travesty. But it most certainly was not. When faced with a career defining test Jeremiah Denton did all he could do, Im not sure Comey did the minimum he could do. Copyright 2016 Michael Shannon, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Michael Shannon is a commentator and public relations consultant. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr@gmail.com. Kerala Government imposes 14.5 per cent fat tax on Junk Food Published: July 8, 2016 Kerala Government has proposed a Fat Tax on fast food items like burgers, pizzas, donuts and pasta etc. served in branded restaurants in a bid to discourage the junk food culture. The first-of its-kind move in the country was announced in the maiden budget of the CPI(M)-led LDF Government in Kerala presented by Finance Minister Dr. T.M. Thomas Issac. The revised state budget for 2016-17 expects the Fat tax will add an additional Rs.10 crore to the state coffers. The fat taxs major concern is with issues related to public health more than revenue generation. Implications The revenue impact of the fat tax will be modest, but it could have a big impact nationwide on the food industry if other states follow suit. Companies will pass on this tax partially or fully to the customer which may make the customer cut back on pizzas and burgers. Critics believe that imposing the tax is not going to change consumption patterns but will have an impact on the volume of such food products sold. It will discourage junk food and play some role in healthy lifestyle of people as Kerala has one of the highest numbers of patients of diabetes or hypertension in the country caused due lifestyle changes. Fat tax: It proposed tax on foods or drinks judged to be unhealthy and whose consumption is believed to be linked to rising obesity levels. It is similar to the sin tax imposed on items such as alcohol or tobacco to discourage their consumption. Fat tax on junk food has been successfully imposed in European countries such as Denmark and Hungary. Note: Kerala isnt the first state to impose so-called Fat tax. In January 2016, Bihar government decided to impose a 13.5% value-added tax (VAT) on items such as salted peanuts, samosas, sweets and a few branded snacks. Month: Current Affairs - July, 2016 Topics: Alcohol Fat Tax Food Tax Kerala Public health States Latest E-Books A referendum on Party members choosing leaders is pure folly Phillip Collins is of the mind that party members choosing leaders is pure folly. Why? Thats how many clubs chose their leaders. Collins doesnt write the headlines for his Times story, of course. Below it he opines that Tory Party members acting in the name of democracy, are making a shambles of our democracy. As it is with the Tories so it is with Labour, he argues: The gap between the parliamentary party, in which 172 MPs have declared no confidence in their nominal leader, and the members at large is breaking Labour apart. You might not like who the members chose, but thats the system. Collins should be more bothered by the EU Referendum in which anyone of voting age did get to choose. More than a week after the Leave campaign won nothing has been done to trigger Article 50 and with it UKs Brexit from the European Union. At this point Corbyn supporters piously intone that democracy is on their side. They say, as if it clinched the argument, that Mr Corbyn has a mandate from the membership which renders dissent illegitimate. The numbers from the Labour leadership ballot are, indeed, clear. Mr Corbyn won a handsome mandate to be leader of the party. But he did not also win a mandate to be a hopeless leader of the party. There is no mandate to trail a leaderless Tory party in the midst of a nervous breakdown by seven points in the polls. Mr Corbyn did not win a mandate to be a general who cannot command the confidence of his parliamentary cavalry. Democracy is not a single event. The first clause of the Labour Party constitution commits it to taking the cause of working people to parliament. It is a charter for victory for a party that was founded, out of the trade union movement, to take control of the levers of the state as a government. Labour was therefore a parliamentary institution before it was a members club. Labour MPs represent, within the party, the voters who put them into parliament. They have a democratic mandate too, larger in number than the members and a viable leader has to retain the confidence of all parts of the Labour structure. The catastrophic election system introduced by Ed Miliband in 2014 fails to respect the Labour Partys tiered structure. Candidates are proposed by MPs but the vote is conducted entirely by the membership. Between 1922 and 1981 Labours leader was chosen entirely by the parliamentary party. In 1981, Tony Benns intervention established an unwieldy electoral college in which MPs held 30 per cent of the vote, members the same and trade unions 40 per cent. The terrible answer that dropped out of the bottom of that Heath Robinson machine was Michael Foot. But at least the college made some reference to the different levels of Labour Party democracy. Certainly it was preferable to the current disaster in which any ex-member of the Socialist Workers Party can vote for less than the price of a pint. The Labour Party is left with just one option. Sign up the moderates, of whom there are more in the nation than the Corbynistas, and then let the new leader abolish the system. There are 84 Conservative MPs, people actually paid out of public funds to conduct politics, who believe that Andrea Leadsom should be prime minister. Somebody as smart as former leader Michael Howard should be ashamed of himself You might have thought, with Labour helpfully providing a primer in what not to do, that the Conservatives might draw the obvious lesson. Perhaps it will. Those who know the party better than I do suggest that Theresa May will win and that 199 Tory MPs took the sensible option in yesterdays second leadership ballot. Yet there are 84 Conservative MPs, people actually paid out of public funds to conduct politics, who believe that Andrea Leadsom should be prime minister. Somebody as smart as former leader Michael Howard should be ashamed of himself. It is scarcely credible that, fired with fervour, Tory MPs will risk setting their membership against the bulk of their colleagues in parliament. Mrs Mays victory yesterday was so overwhelming that the contest should be stopped. She should offer Mrs Leadsom the business brief and Mrs Leadsom should accept. Between 1965, when the system that Ian Macleod described as the magic circle was abolished, and 1998, when that dangerous radical William Hague gave the members a say, Tory MPs chose their leader. They should do so now. Then the party can get on with the task of forming a government without taking the risk that its membership is as far from political credibility as the Labour Partys. Yesterday, as Mrs Leadsom toured the television studios telling interviewers that she would absolutely tell Vladimir Putin to stop if he got a bit uppity and taking questions on her questionable curriculum vitae, Tim Loughton MP led a march from her rally to Parliament Square, chanting leaden Leadsom slogans along the way. As I watched the Leadsom march on Westminster I had a dream, of a deputy investment bod from a fund management company who voted both for and against gay marriage becoming prime minister. This was a delicious parallel to last Monday when, as Labour MPs gathered in parliament to declare his leadership defunct, Mr Corbyn chose to address a rally in the square outside. With the MPs lost, he took refuge in the members. The Tories are choosing a prime minister and it would be a disaster if they did the same as Labour. It is, in any case, a democratic outrage that the next prime minister will be chosen by the 0.3 per cent of the electorate who happen to be odd enough to be members of the Conservative Party. Can any of them, I wonder, see the irony of their regular sermons about the lack of democracy in the EU? Probably not. These are people who have taken hold of the wrong end of the stick in order to beat the country with it. The candidate of their looking-glass world is the wholly ill-prepared Mrs Leadsom. Just over 2 per cent of the nation are members of a political party. These members are not representative even of the people who vote for their party, let alone of the nation. They have no monopoly on the idea of democracy, which does not stop at the constituency meeting. Political parties are not sacrosanct organisations that bend to the whims of their votaries. They are simply useful agencies for gathering collective opinion. They have to look up as well as down, at the stars and not just the gutter. We will have to trust that the Tory members in the shires will do that. Dunno really. I tend to think that chess club members get to choose the officers and leaders of the chess club. Tory party members get to choose the leader of the Tory party. Anorak Posted: 9th, July 2016 | In: Broadsheets, Politicians, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink : ; - CM ?; - remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. by Christopher Sharma Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of families living on the border between Nepal and China have been caught by surprise by torrential rains that caused landslides in the surrounding mountains and flooding of rivers and lakes. Several villages have been swept away, the road linking the two countries (the most widely used commercial route) is damaged and unpassable. The rain shows no sign of easing and is making rescue operations difficult. According to the locals the Chinese authorities were aware of the precarious condition of the rivers and lakes, but failed to tell the nearby villages of the risks they ran. Man Bir Shretha, resident of the Tatopani area, says; "The Chinese authorities have been working to reduce the risks. They held their information secret and finally the incessant rain has caused the flooding of the lakes. If residents had been warned, they could have made it to safety". According Tendup Sherpa, "more than 200 families have fled their homes. Dozens of homes have been washed away by the floods and landslides. We are waiting for relief. The Bhotekoshi River, which originates in China and flows in Nepal, has damaged the road for at least 26 kilometers. " Manoj Thapa is a police officer who is following relief efforts: "It is difficult to reach affected people and their homes - he says - because the rain keeps falling and the roads have been made unpassable. We mobilized our men but we have no idea how many dead or missing there may be. We fear they are many. " The road that connects Nepal and China will be closed for at least two weeks, according to the estimates of workers: "We cannot repair it now given the conditions - they say - and Chepsang River makes the situation worse by overflowing and dragging boulders down from the mountains." The Chinese authorities have responded by temporarily closing the border. Srijana Lama, a local resident, said: "The bridge linking the two countries is seriously damaged manner and the whole area is at high risk. There is no one there. " Sherdhan Rai, spokesman for the government in Kathmandu, admits that "we are all a bit 'confused by what is going on and the situation is not yet under control. We mobilized our forces and asked for help from our neighbors in China". Gaza (AsiaNews / OLJ) - The energy crisis that has long held Gaza, Palestine and other areas of the Middle East in its grip could be alleviated through the use of solar energy. The idea is to install solar panels on the roofs of at least 10 thousand homes in the Gaza Strip to counter the lack of local power stations. This has meant that due to the Israeli blockade and outdated electric system currently in use, the Palestinian enclave can barely provide a few hours of power a day to its 1.9 million inhabitants. 52 year-old Palestinian cattle farmer Nahed Abou is one of the biggest supporters of the initiative. Lack of a stable power supply has severely curtailed his business, in addition to the wars - the main culprit in the deaths of his animals. After twice rebuilding the sheds where he keeps his livestock, he is ready to invest his money - if the bank will approve the loan - to equip the roof with solar panels. "Every day we have power cuts - says the man - and have to use costly generators that often need maintenance". With an initial investment between 4500 and 5400 euro, he is ready to set up a system that will guarantee energy at no future cost. And like him, an increasing number of inhabitants of the Strip are looking to solar power in a region where the sun shines most of the year and rainy days are very scarce. In recent years more and more roofs have been covered with the blacks and gray panels, as more and more magazines and newspapers advertise this type of alternative energy. Even the authorities are closely following the lead of many private citizens, authorizing the installation of solar panels on the roofs of schools, hospitals and public institutions; an attempt, although "partial" to solve "the age-old problem of power supplies" explains Abou Raed al-Hajj, head of solar power projects within the Gaza Energy Authority. Past trade restrictions imposed by Israel made importing solar panels impossible, but since they have been lifted the price has dropped significantly. A crucial issue for this small territory, where half the population lives below the poverty line. As well as having beneficial effects on the family budget and the environment (no pollution, unlike the generators), solar energy is also "safer" as Mohammed Atallah, industry entrepreneur points out. He remembers the danger posed by generators and candles, which according health officials in the Gaza Strip, have caused explosions and fires that have killed 24 people in the recent past. And of these victims, the majority are children. However, in the face of a growing interest in solar energy, it still has a marginal space within the Gaza energy market. The demand for electricity from the Strip is estimated at around 450 megawatts; at present there is only 250 available, just over half. 27% is supplied by Israel, 22% by the only power plant present - and active - in Gaza, finally, 6% from Egypt. To date, renewable energies cover about 3 megawatts of total needs, concluded Abou al-Hajj, who announced at the same time that "over the next three years we hope to reach 15 megawatts ". Moreover, the solar energy is among the few, and concrete alternatives to meet the growing energy demand from the public and private sectors. Kim Kardashian Black Lives Matter Essay Trending News: Kim K Wrote An "Intelligent, Accurate" Black Lives Matter Essay Why Is This Important? Kim Kardashian is breaking the Internet for a whole other reason. Long Story Short Kim Kardashian backed away from posting Kimojis and sharing nude selfies on Instagram in order to pen a (surprisingly) moving and timely essay on her blog. In it, she addresses this week's tragic acts of violence and pays her respects to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. She also takes the opportunity to show her support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement while highlighting the fact that "hashtags are not enough." Long Story Following the tragedies that occurred this week in Louisiana, Minnesota and now, Texas, individuals have been uniting together across the country and beyond to mourn the senseless loss of life, show their support for victims' loved ones and discuss the realities of race and violence in America. It seems everyone has an opinion and social media is their preferred outlet to voice it nothing new there. Celebrities are also joining the debate again, nothing new there but what we weren't expecting was to see a poignant essay from none other than Kim Kardashian. BLACK LIVES MATTER https://t.co/4Jn8VOPVBU Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) July 8, 2016 "This week we watched Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two innocent black men, get senselessly murdered by police officers. Like a lot of you guys, I watched the videos, and was appalled and completely heartbroken. I was left speechless, angry and numb," the reality TV star began in an essay simple titled #BlackLivesMatter, which she posted to her personal blog. "I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter. I do not ever want to have to teach my son to be scared of the police, or tell him that he has to watch his back because the people we are told to trustthe people who "protect and serve"may not be protecting and serving him because of the color of his skin," she continued. This echoes a sentiment author Doyin Richards shared with us following the Ferguson tragedy in an article titled 'Critical Thinking vs. Social Media'. "As a dad raising two young daughters under the age of 4, Im concerned about where were heading," he wrote in November 2014 and it really is heartbreaking and infuriating to see that not much has changed in two years. In that article, Richards posed a powerful question: "What happened to the days when people discussed issues and ideas instead of lazily hurling grammatically incorrect indignities online?" Which leads to this followup: Are celebrities hurting or helping? "The last thing we need is to fuel anger with more hate or violence, especially toward the many incredible police officers who risk their lives every single day to protect our families and communities," Kardashian went on to say in her essay. "We must peacefully use the power of our voices and the strength of our numbers to demand changes in the judicial system so that brutality doesn't ever go unpunished. It is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to create a safe future for our children. We must do something NOW. We must speak up until we are heard and real, effective changes are made." In less than 24 hours, her Instagram post received 443k likes. Her tweet, 20k likes. Hundreds of thousands of people read the lines in which she listed victims' names Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Sean Bell... and unfortunately so many more and concluded that "hashtags are not enough. This must end now." if Kim K can speak out and advocate for change then you have no excuse at this point #BlackLivesMatter bertie (@rebertie) July 9, 2016 I don't stan Kim K and am not a huge fan however I don't understand why you all are mad that she spoke up about #blacklivesmatter. Michael-Michelle (@selenafentyaiko) July 8, 2016 46 million followers, why wouldn't you want Kim K to speak on and support the #blacklivesmatter movement. Selecta Jay Dj (@Selecta_Jay) July 9, 2016 Honestly Kim K's statement on the #blacklivesmatter movement is really intelligent and accurate. Sofia Harris (@sofiaismyjam) July 8, 2016 Although some called her privileged and criticized her for joining the conversation, countless others rallied behind her. Fans and haters alike agreed that celebs with a platform as big as Kim's should speak out on important issues. What do you think? Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question How can we, as civilians, help the violence stop? Disrupt Your Feed Are celebrities hurting or helping the #BlackLivesMatter movement? Drop This Fact Since the start of 2016, 509 citizens have been killed by police in the U.S. Hedge Funder Gets Fired After Trashing $20M Hamptons Mansion Trending News: This Guy Got Fired After Throwing An Insane #Sprayathon Rager In The Hamptons Why Is This Important? Because this looked like the rager of a lifetime. Long Story Short Wall Street hedge funder Brett Barna through a massive party called #Sprayathon for 1,000 of his closest buddies and ended up trashing a $20 million Hamptons mansion. The owners of the mansion are suing, and Barna got fired from his job. Long Story If there ever was a place that could be attributed to the 1%, it's the Hamptons. The summer favorite for rich a-holes and Killing Kittens orgy parties was the site of an insane #Sprayathon bash on July 4th weekend and things got pretty out of hand. Brett Barna, a project manager at a Wall Street hedge fund invited over 1,000 people who doused themselves with copious amounts of Champagne (these Champagne guns woulda come in handy), while partying with rapper Ace Hood. Take a look at some Instagram pics from this Wolf of Wall Street-esque rager: Happy 4th ?????#Hamptons #sprayathon #fourthofjuly #champagne A photo posted by AlexMerutka (@alexmerutka) on Jul 4, 2016 at 1:31pm PDT In honor of the legend and martyr #brettbarna #RIP #sprayathon2016 will live on forever #TBT @gibblegrams @wparm @badlomance A video posted by Darius Hedayati (@the_real_darius.h) on Jul 7, 2016 at 4:43pm PDT Still recovering from the 3rd of July ????? #sprayathon A photo posted by nikolersid (@nikolersid) on Jul 4, 2016 at 9:24am PDT But as fun as it looked, the rager came with consequences. Namely, the $5,000/night AirBnb mansion, which got trashed. The owners of the $20 million estate are now suing Barna for $1 million in damages, according to Business Insider. Here's what the owners had to say about Barna, as told to Page Six (spoiler alert: they're really pissed). Brett came to me dropping Louis Bacons name and saying he was a big deal with the Robin Hood Foundation. He said there would be 50 people at the event and it was for animal rescue. But the only animals there were the people, a thousand of them. They drowned themselves in Champagne, they had midgets (note: the terms dwarf or little person are better) they threw in the pool, they broke into the house, trashed the furniture, art was stolen, we found used condoms. So many people were there that the concrete around the pool crumbled and fell into the water. It was like Jersey Shore meets a frat party." (Let's pause this awesome quote and shutter for a moment at the thought of Jersey Shore meeting a frat party). "We are preparing a massive lawsuit . . . Were waiting to serve him. Brett was last seen on Sunday chugging Champagne with two midgets. A source told Page Six they actually did raised $100,000 for Last Chance Animal Rescue, but that didn't save Barna. The hedge fund bro got canned by his work, Moore Capital Management, according to CNBC. Worth it. Own The Conversation Ask The Big Question How did he think he'd get away with this? Disrupt Your Feed If you're going to lose your job for having a party, you should do it up like this guy did. Drop This Fact Barna has been banned from ever using AirBnb again. This time, Volkswagen employees and people living near the Wolfsburg facility in Germany were alerted because construction workers discovered some strage metal pieces at the company's facility last month. They believed the fragments to be potentially unexploded bombs from the Second World War, and the facility has been cleared for a thorough search.The team announced its findings by Friday evening to local authorities, and if the search finds any possible bomb fragments, the 700 residents of the Sandkamp district will be evacuated on Sunday to ensure the area will be safe when removing the unexploded devices.According to Wolfsburg city administration, workers that were engaged in the expansion of Volkswagen's facility discovered the fragments last month, and the massive plant just worked around the four areas without any hazard until they reached a scheduled break in production to allow a squad of experts to check for unexploded bombs.Volkswagen's facility is no stranger to World War II bombs, as the factory was repeatedly bombarded during the war, and many unexploded devices were found over the years.This situation has also occurred in other cities that were attacked, and projectiles were unearthed all over Europe over the years. If you ever uncover something that looks like a grenade or a bomb, do not tamper with the object and notify authorities. Even after so many years, the ammunition is still dangerous, and can kill people if it is accidentally detonated. Volkswagen 's Wolfsburg facility has approximately 60,000 employees, and the town that hosts it has a population of 125,000. As Automotive News reports, the facility covers an area that is three times the size of Monaco , so there is plenty of room to find relics of World War II.Volkswagen representatives have also announced they typically do not run shifts on Sunday at this facility, and workers are already in their three-week summer vacation, so production is not impacted in any way. The B-29 Doc will return to the air on July 17, the warbirds restoration team announced Friday. The Superfortress first flight is slated to take place atMcConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, adjacent to the restoration hangar where volunteers worked for years to rebuild the four-engine heavy bomber. Docs Friends spokesman Josh Wells told AVweb the flight is subject to favorable conditions, including a southerly wind with no rain. It will take placein the early morning before the heat of the Kansas summer builds up. While security at the base will be tight, information on the timeline and public viewing options will be provided as the flight day nears. There also will be a live webcast, Wells said. The organization recently received official approval from the military to fly out of McConnell as crews conducted ground tests on the tarmac. The restoration project had gained momentum in the past year thanks to successful fundraising efforts to support flight testing. Hundreds of volunteers have spent thousands of hours working to restore this national treasure, Docs Friends said in announcing the first flight. After 16 years of hard work, sweat, tears and tireless attention to detail, we are ready fly. The mission of awwwards is to create the biggest community of web designers and developers on the Internet, as well as our platform, we also host conferences all over the world in iconic cities, where attendees can see inspiring talks from leading fi 9 July 2016 09:58 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda in Warsaw. They hailed the bilateral relations between the two countries. The importance of reciprocal visits in developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Poland over the last period was emphasized. The presidents exchanged views over the development of cooperation in various areas, including economy, energy, security and transportation. During the conversation Azerbaijan's cooperation with NATO and the European Union, as well as the country`s support for Afghanistan in various areas and other issues were discussed. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 July 2016 20:41 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the French Republic Francois Hollande in Warsaw. At the meeting, the sides had a broad exchange of views on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The presidents stressed the appropriateness of a negotiated solution to the conflict. The French President said he would actively support the settlement of this issue. They discussed the current state and prospects of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-10-27. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. 9 July 2016 20:38 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended a session of Heads of State and Government of Afghanistan and Allies and their Resolute Support Operational Partners as part of the NATO Summit in Warsaw. President Ilham Aliyev addressed the session. The head of state said: Mr. Secretary General, Colleagues, Security and sustainable development of Afghanistan is vital for the regional and global stability. Azerbaijan, as a reliable NATO partner and friend of Afghanistan, will continue its significant troop contribution to the Resolute Support Mission and provide a multi-modal transit. Azerbaijan has already several times made substantial donations to the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund. We will continue to support this Fund financially in line with the pledges we made. We remain committed to a long-term political partnership and a practical cooperation with Afghanistan. After conclusion of the Resolute Support Mission, we envisage contribution through the enhanced Enduring Partnership. Azerbaijans contribution to the stability and development of Afghanistan goes well beyond our involvement in NATO operations. We support Afghanistan bilaterally on its path of reforms towards self-reliant future by providing practical assistance in the areas of military training, education, infrastructure, transportation, investments, and increasing the role of women in society. Azerbaijan has made substantial financial and technical contribution to the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project to be completed in the nearest future. This project will connect European and Asian railroads through Azerbaijan. Afghanistan can also join this vital transportation network. Construction of the biggest international trade seaport in the Caspian region in our country provides new opportunities for cooperation in Eurasia. I am sure Afghanistan will also benefit from this project. Azerbaijan-NATO partnership is based upon the principles of international law and indivisibility of security. Regretfully, there are still violations of these principles. The continued use of force against Azerbaijan by Armenia, whose armed forces occupied almost 20% of Azerbaijans territories, ethnically cleansed about one million Azerbaijanis, and committed war crimes, not only undermines the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan but also represents a grave threat to regional security. For more than twenty years, Armenia refuses to implement the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, which demand immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan. We support the statements of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group as well as the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE saying that status-quo is not acceptable. Changing the status-quo means beginning of de-occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan. We appreciate the renewed commitment by NATO to support Azerbaijans territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, as reiterated in Warsaw Summit Declaration. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 July 2016 10:26 (UTC+04:00) NATO will strengthen its presence in the eastern Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday at the NATO Summit in Warsaw. After the NATO defense ministers' summit held last month, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance had agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with some 800-1,200 troops in each unit. The decision is expected to be agreed on at the Warsaw Summit. "Chancellor #Merkel: @NATO presence in the east to be strengthened. #NATOSummit in Warsaw: [the alliance] makes it clear that defence capability and dialog are concerned," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter. The ongoing Warsaw Summit among member states of the NATO did not address increasing its military presence along Russian borders on the first day of the summit, Angela Merkel also said. "No there were no calls for an increase in the number of soldiers today." She said the Baltic nations and Poland "expressed gratitude to Germany and other states" at the summit, where a decision was reached to deploy a four-battalion rotational force, spearheaded by Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Coordinated Russia-NATO Actions Present Mutual Interest Coordinated actions between Russia and NATO present mutual interest to both sides, German Chancellor said at the conclusion of the first day of the Warsaw Summit on Friday. "I think it is mutually beneficial, as it happens for example in Syria based on agreements between the United States and Russia, that NATO and Russia also very closely coordinate their actions." -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 July 2016 16:57 (UTC+04:00) Three people have died and seven others, including civilians, have been injured in a bomb blast in Mardin, southeast Turkey, local authorities said, according to Anadolu Agency. Kurdish militants blew up a car at a guard post of a military facility and opened fire at the soldiers of the gendarmerie using long-barreled weapons, but almost immediately were silenced by response fire. Fire broke out in the result of a car bomb explosion on the territory of the gendarmerie. Six soldiers were wounded. One of them, despite the efforts of doctors, died. After the attack, the militants fled using a car. A large-scale operation was launched in the region to eliminate the attackers. Mardin governorship said in a statement that two Turkish soldiers were martyred and one female civilian was killed when a PKK car bomb exploded at Cevizlik gendarmerie station. Seven people were injured three critically in the attack, which occurred 12:45 p.m. local time (0945GMT), the statement said. Tension is high in southeastern Turkey since the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU resumed its 30-year armed campaign in July 2015. Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards, have been martyred and more than 5,000 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Five Texas residents and a man from Neelyville were injured in an early Friday morning crash near Cherokee Pass in Madison County. The two-vehicle crash occurred at 5:09 a.m. on U.S. 67 at Cherokee Pass. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the accident occurred when Nina C. Fairchild, 44, of Nash, Texas, driving a 2015 Jeep Compass, attempted to make a left turn in front of a 2001 Volvo Conventional Tractor driven by William E. Martin, 45, of Neelyville. Both drivers and the four occupants of the Jeep were injured. Fairchild, Benjamin James, 15, also of Nash, Texas and Amari Jones, 18, of Texarkana, Texas, all received serious injuries in the crash. Two other occupants, Dashia Graham, 18, and Makayla James, 15, both of Nash, Texas, reportedly received moderate injuries. Fairchild and her passengers were all taken by ambulance to the Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown for treatment. Martin, the driver of the Volvo, received only minor injuries and reportedly chose to seek his own medical treatment. According to the patrol report, both drivers and every passenger except Makayla James were wearing seat belts. From the topic of her recently published book, The One That Almost Got Away, a collection of regional fishing stories, many might think that local author Pam Prier must eat a lot of fish. Heres the irony, she said. I can catch all the fish you want for dinner; I cannot eat them. Im deathly allergic to fish and seafood. Prier, who was born in Bonne Terre and lives in Ironton, said her inspiration for the book came from frequent family fishing trips where she collected stories from the men and women she met over the years. The book is divided according to fish species and stories relating to each. The end of the book includes a section of recommended tackle and bait for different species of fish, along with other technical information. She also threw in a few recipes, just for fun. Many of the fishing-related stories are funny and all of them are true, she said. There are a few stories that are informative, including a chapter on fly fishing for women who are breast cancer survivors. Prier started writing when she was a teenager back when we still wrote letters, she said. She was encouraged to write by several people, including her grandmother and other family members and friends, who all told her, Your descriptive passages make me feel like I was there. In college, Prier said, a mentor offered to review her writing portfolio to see what kind of potential she had to write a book. After a week, he said you know, I really like your writing style. And Im thinking, I have a style? And he said, especially on the descriptive passages, which was the same thing Ive always been told. Largely because of his support and interest in helping her, Prier ended up writing her first published book, Ozark Memories, a collection of stories released in 2003. Included in the book are some of her own stories, but most were those told to her by people who grew up in southeast Missouri, namely the counties of Iron, Madison, St. Francois and Washington. After talking to numerous people about the book and their desire for sharing some of their own or their families stories, Prier realized she could help others tell their own tales by teaching a memoir-writing class. This led to her offering a free two-hour class at area libraries. The reason I started (the class), she said, is when 'Ozark Memories' was published I had a number of people, then and since then over the years, say I read your book and I wish you could have talked to my aunt or my grandpa before he died. Or they wish they could have told me a couple of stories from their life and, OK, a light bulb went off. Why dont I start teaching people to write their own life story? Because I believe every person has a story. Dan Poynter, whos considered the Godfather of self-publishing, has a quote that I absolutely love that he bases his publishing business on and his life. He said, I dont want anyone to die with a book still inside them. Her class, Writing Your Memoirs, was born from this idea. Everyone has a story to tell, said Prier. And in almost every memoirs class that Ive taught, Ive had at least one or two people say to me, Im not sure why Im here. Ive led a really boring life and I dont have an interesting life story. But by the end of every class, every student has been able to see that their life is much more rich and interesting than they may have imagined at first. Even non-writers are able to leave with some success at starting a memoir. In addition to her two books, Prier has also had four poems included in an anthology and has a published childrens book called Werecats, released in 2005. This is expected to become a trilogy, she said. Ive already written part of the second one. Two of her grown children will be working with her on the third book in the series. Ive actually written over 40 childrens books, said Prier, who plans on self-publishing at least some of them with illustrations by her daughter, Kira. While crafting stories for children, she is careful to avoid preaching or being overly direct about teaching children life lessons. Children dont want to be preached to, said Prier. Mine teach very subtle lessons about friendship, about sharing, without being preachy. Always busy, Prier is currently gathering stories for upcoming books still in the planning and early writing stages, including a second volume of fishing stories. I have no experience whatsoever with hunting, she said, but I know a lot of people who do and so Im currently collecting stories for a book of hunting stories. So if anyone wants to contact me, theyre welcome to do so. (The stories) dont have to be funny. Just true. And Im also collecting (stories) from long-haul truckers Ive got specific categories so I can let them know if they contact me what categories Im covering. Anyone who gets (their story) included in a book, they get a free copy of the book. There is no cost or obligation to people who share their stories and they must give written consent to have the finalized draft of their stories included in a book. Prier can be reached at Blue Feather Productions by phone at 573-854-4708 or by email at bluefeatherpam@yahoo.com. She has two upcoming memoir-writing classes at libraries in the Parkland. On July 13, shell be at the Farmington Public Library at 6 p.m. On Aug. 11, aspiring writers can join her at the Bonne Terre Public Library from 5 to 7 p.m. Contact Prier or library staff for details or questions. To buy The One That Almost Got Away, visit The Fishin Hole bait and tackle shop, located at 2325 Route H in Farmington. A Farmington man is being charged after police say he made a threat against a local business on July 4. Jason Turley, 46, is being charged with a class C felony of making a terrorist threat after he made contact with someone through text message stating he was going to commit a mass shooting and shoot up McDonald's on Karsch Boulevard in Farmington. According to a probable cause statement, Turley stated in the messages he was going to kill everyone and was trying to get a weapon and ammunition from a friend to commit the shooting. The report said Turley also told someone else in person that he was going to shoot up McDonalds and was waiting for a friend to bring him a gun and ammo to carry out the threats. When the threats were made that night, the store was placed on lock-down by the manager and there were eight employees and four customers in the store at the time. Turley was being held in the St. Francois County jail on a $15,000 bond and if released, he is not to have any contact with McDonald's in Farmington. State Rep. Linda Black, R-Park Hills, addressed the commission recently about their concerns of the scrap tire collection program that will be shutting down in coming months. Black said she appreciated the opportunity to come and express the legislature's concern for the scrap tire program in the state of Missouri. I understand that the commission has sent word through the solid waste program about the solid waste and the tire reclamation program, said Black. Just to give a little background, that program started in 2006 to address the critical situation of scrap tires being dumped on properties, in our rivers and being an eyesore to the community. Black added they are also a health hazard with rodents and West Nile threats with the water that they collect. She said the legislature took action and created a 50-cent surcharge on all of the tires. That surcharge is for the implementation of the scrap tire program that has been in existence now for 10 years or so, said Black. Whenever the legislature had passed that bill, it allowed the promulgation of those rules to be left up to the Department of Natural Resources and then implemented through our different regional planning and solid waste disposal sites across the state of Missouri. Black said from that time they have had a great success with over 17 million tires being collected. The program has been very instrumental to cleaning up streams and communities across Missouri. The component we are really concerned about today, that has drawn attention from the commission and also commissions across southeast Missouri is the ending of that tire collection site, said Black. That program was funded by a 50-cent surcharge and the reason the program is ending for free collection up to any amount of tires is because a lot of those were used for energy sources and because of federal regulations through EPA and the clean air quality standards they are no longer able to use those tires in that capacity. Black added what they are left with is a remnant of that program and in 2014 they extended the sunset on that program. They can still collect that surcharge and now, after a 10-year clean-up and the critical sites have been addressed, they are really focusing on repurposing. We encourage individuals, businesses, cooperations, and entrepreneurs to find a repurpose for those tires, said Black. Once DNR had identified that most of the cleanup at the critical areas on our list had been addressed, now the forward thinking into the future is trying to repurpose those. The 50 cents is allowable to the public to vie for grants that would repurpose those. Black said tires can be repurposed into playground equipment surface, mulch, equine mats, rubberized surfaces for tracks and those types of things. We want to make sure that the public knows several things, said Black. One, there are still many ways to dispose of the tires. Whenever you get new tires, leave them at that service center and pay the surcharge. A lot of times there is a $2 charge because they contract out to a third party to come in and pick up those tires to be taken to a site to be repurposed. Black said another way to properly dispose of tires is through your local trash service, but there are rules as to how you can leave them for trash pickup. You have to cut the side walls out and leave the center, making it a three-piece tire, said Black. Those can be disposed of in our landfills, that is legal, to put them in your refuge. Another thing is to cut them down the middle, they call that bagel style and you can also dispose of them in your trash collection each week. So those are ways you as a person can dispose of tires on your property legally and lawfully. Black said there are still provisions through the Department of Natural Resources to identify critical areas that may pop up. She added DNR feels confident they have gotten a lot of those problem areas, but there is still money set aside if something does come forward in an area previously unidentified. Also commissions will be able to address large critical issues, said Black. One thing the commission can do is to possibly offer a county-wide collection through the solid waste district and utilize those grants that are still available through (DNR) to get rid of tires. We did extend the sunset and we do promulgate rules to DNR for how they are going to implement that program. We did appropriate funding for that program to continue, but that large tire collection program is ending because the contract used for the tires to repurpose them into energy has been restricted by federal regulation through the clean air quality standards. Black said those operating businesses are no longer able to burn them for energy, despite the fact of high technology scrubbers they were not able to meet that air quality standard. In order for the county to be able to dispose of large amounts of tires, Black recommends they partner with the solid waste management program in southeast Missouri, also with a combined effort with DNR. You can vie for that grant to be able to collect those tires and cover that fee, said Black. But the move is also to encourage businesses that have grinding capabilities to find a use for those. If you think about those thousands of tires that are still going to come forward, theres the ability for a person to a very low cost or no cost resources to repurpose those into a product that can be sold. Black added what they really want people to do, is to be forward-thinking and find a way to be an entrepreneur and repurpose the tires because there are grants available for businesses that can expand into that sector. This is 'Part 2' of Holly's exclusive story - click HERE to read 'Part 1.' Florida is on the brink of a new industry. Six Florida nurseries have invested millions, betting that commercial cannabis is about to take off. This fall voters will decide if Florida will join 25 other state that have legalized medical marijuana. Surterra Therapeutics growing full-strength cannabis at Tampa area facility Currently, terminally-ill patients are only people allowed to use full-strength product 131 Florida doctors have taken 8-hour course to get certified to prescribe cannabis Right now, full strength cannabis is legal only as a last resort for patients with very little time left live. Marijuana plants are in the ground right now in Hillsborough County to help those patients. In the meantime, growers and doctors are laying the groundwork to meet the cannabis demand, if voters approve it. Surterra Therapeutics is operating a medical marijuana nursery in Tallahassee and is almost ready to serve patients. Its actually very exciting. Its like having a baby you cant quite share with anyone yet, said Susan Driscoll, President of Surterra. We know that Surterra is looking out for the people of Florida, so the more that that can see that were almost there. Surterra is already harvesting its low THC product, commonly called Charlottes Web. But its not just the low THC plants Surterra is growing. The company is also growing full-strength cannabis at a secret location in Hillsborough County. The plants are growing in pods, virtually untouched by humans, to reduce risk of contamination. The facility in the Tampa area is much more controlled from the environment standpoint, said Driscoll. We dont go in and interact much with the plants. Our horticulturists can, but we dont let a lot of the outside in, because you dont want it influencing the plants. Currently, terminally ill patients are the only people in Florida who can legally use full strength cannabis. Lawmakers approved it only for patients suffering from a disease that will claim their lives with one year, and two doctors must agree on the diagnosis. The state registry for any patient seeking medical marijuana, whether full strength or Charlottes Web, just started on July 1st. Dr. George Kamajian runs a family practice clinic in Largo. He is beginning to register his patients who qualify for medical marijuana. If marijuana works for certain people, and we know it does, then we need to make it legitimate so people dont get arrested, said Dr. Kamajian. If it helps people, then lets do it. Dr. George Kamajian is starting to register his patients who qualify for medical marijuana. (Holly Gregory, staff) So far, 131 doctors in Florida have taken the eight-hour course to become certified to prescribe cannabis. Before prescribing medical marijuana, a doctor must have treated the patient for at least three months. Then, the patients name must be submitted to Floridas new Compassionate Use Registry. The patients treatment program must also be submitted four times a year to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy for research. Dr. Kamajian says hes never smoked marijuana in his life, and isnt trying to change anybodys mind on medical cannabis. He does, however, want people to keep an open mind. I worked in an emergency room in Boston for 30 years and never once had to stitch anybody up from a bar fight who was high on marijuana, he said. Nobody ever died of a marijuana overdose. So how will patients fill their medical marijuana prescriptions? The six licensed growers in the state are also the operators of the medical marijuana dispensaries. Surterra is opening its first dispensary next month in Tampa, and will their dispenseries 'Wellness Centers.' The company says to think of them as a combination of a doctors office and a spa. The goal with these facilities is for families to feel comfortable bringing children into a professional environment. In addition, there will be no visible marijuana leaf symbols, like we have seen at dispensaries in other states. About 300 people gathered at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Tampa on Friday night for a community prayer service and rally following this week's violence in Texas, Louisiana and Minnesota. Many in audience were Black Lives Matter supporters Audience discussed inviting police into communities to work on tensions "We've seen this day coming for a long time in advance, and we're predicting that if we don't make the right decisions today, this will continue," Andrew Joseph said. Many people in the audience were supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. They said they are grieving the deaths of five police officers in Dallas, but they don't want the deaths earlier in the week of two black men who were shot by police officers to be forgotten. "I'm believing that justice will be served in the case in Dallas," said Deanna Joseph, "but I can't tell you that justice will be served in those other cases, and that's where the disconnect seems to be occurring." Doniesha Sullivan said she's been crying all week. She said the violent events have left her fearful. "I always see my dad laying on that ground. I always see my brother getting pulled over, and it makes it really difficult to come into situations like this with a clear mind and from an unbiased standpoint, because you immediately think that could have been me," Sullivan said. The group said they're looking for answers and that having a conversation about racial disparity, police brutality and gun violence is a good place to start. "We want our voice to be heard. We want people to listen. We want people to take action. We want change to come," Sullivan said. Audience members talked about inviting police into black communities to work on ways to help interactions go smoother. A set of human remains found in Marion County in 1977 have been identified as a Lakeland man who went missing 41 years ago. Mark Duane Woodard went missing April 14, 1975 Remains found two years later, authorities unable to ID Recent DNA analysis confirmed match Mark Duane Woodard disappeared on April 14, 1975. He was 19 years old at the time. Family members said Woodard was planning to leave the next day for Texas with two friends. He was carrying about $3,000 in cash on him. The family said his friends told them Woodard never showed up and they left without him. He was never seen or heard from again. "At first, it was horrible. My mom and dad just couldn't deal with it at all. It consumed them," said Woodard's sister, Diann Wells. The Marion County Sheriff's Office said human remains were found in a wooded area near County Road 467 and SE 145th Street in Summerfield on March 22, 1977. In 2009, bones from the remains were sent to the University of North Texas for DNA analysis and cross-reference with the Missing Persons Database. At that time, no matches were fond. In 2015, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reviewed Woodard's case. Detectives sent his DNA to the University of North Texas again. This time, a DNA analysis confirmed the sample was a match for Woodard. Authorities aren't saying how Woodard died, and Wells says the discovery raises even more questions. "I had accepted that I was never going to know. He's gone, that's the way it is," said Wells. "I accepted it and moved on with my life. Now, it's like, I want to know where, who, why?" Woodard's death is being investigated by both the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The University of Missouri Extension will be hosting a program titled "Who gets Grandmas Yellow Pie Plate?" on July 28 at the MU Extension Center in Madison County. The class, taught by Family Financial Education Specialist Ashley Bales, will provide resources to help individuals pass on personal possessions. Passing on personal possessions is an issue for everyone; owners of personal property, spouses, adult children, siblings, and grandchildren. This program will help families determine what they want to accomplish, decide whats fair for their family, understand that belongings have different meanings to different individuals, consider distribution options and consequences, understand sensitivity of the issues and agree to manage conflicts if they arise. The class will be held at the Madison County Extension Center at 137 W. Main St. in Fredericktown and will run from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. The fee for this class is $10 and can be sent to the Madison County Extension Centeer. Fee includes workbook and refreshments. Scholarships for this program are available from the MU Extension Council. Please RSVP to 573-783-3303 or klineju@missouri.edu. The University of Missouri Extension is an equal opportunity/ADA institution. Its programs are open to all. If you require special accommodations, please contact the extension to make arrangements. You read it here first: "Fearless prediction," this column began on April 6, "No legalistic deus ex machina will descend to save the nation from the dread specter of President Hillary Rodham Clinton ... no Kenneth Starr-style 'independent' prosecutor, no criminal indictment over her 'damn emails,' no how, no way. "Ain't gonna happen... "Those impassioned Trump supporters holding 'Hillary for Prison' signs are sure to be disappointed. Again. Played for suckers by a scandal-mongering news media that declared open season on Clinton 25 years ago. And hasn't laid a glove on her yet." If they wanted to prevent Hillary from taking the oath of office next January, I wrote, voters were "going to have to do it the old-fashioned way: defeat her at the polls." As of this writing, that's not looking too likely either. Minutes before the news broke that FBI Director James B. Comey announced that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring criminal charges against Secretary Clinton, I'd made an observation to a Republican friend on Facebook regarding his expressed wish to see her jailed. "As a personal matter," I wrote, "you wouldn't trust Trump to walk your dog." After Comey's announcement, he groused that Hillary had friends in high places, but didn't dispute my characterization of Trump. Although we disagree politically, I'd trust my friend with anything requiring honesty and steadfastness -- dog-walking, cow-feeding, anything at all. I see Trump, I keep my hand on my wallet. Seen that bizarre interview on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" where Trump speculates about the eventual size of his infant daughter's breasts? No? Then read USA Today's article about the thousands of contractors -- carpenters, plumbers, electricians --Trump's stiffed on construction jobs. You do the work; he doesn't pay. Even his own lawyers sometimes. The man's been sued 3,500 times. Think he gives a damn about you? So anyway, last week saw the collapse of not one, but two ballyhooed Hillary Clinton investigations. Even after two years, $7 million and 800-odd pages, Rep. Trey Gowdy's celebrated Benghazi committee -- the eighth of its kind -- failed to come up with hurtful new evidence against former Secretary Clinton in the tragic events in Libya on Sept. 11, 2012. But then that wasn't necessarily the point. "Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee," GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy boasted last September. "What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's untrustable." So the committee folds its cards, Bill Clinton does his happy Labrador retriever act on Attorney General Loretta Lynch's airplane, and the Washington Post says we're nevertheless back to Square One: "Can Hillary Clinton Overcome Her Trust Problem?" reporter Anne Gearan asks. Clinton herself acknowledges that voters don't see her as Miss Congeniality. She says she's working hard to overcome that impression, but acknowledges it's an uphill struggle. "You know, you hear 25 years' worth of wild accusations, anyone could start to wonder ... Political opponents and conspiracy theorists have accused me of every crime in the book. None of it's true, never has been, but it also never goes away," Clinton told the Post. "And it certainly is true that I've made mistakes. I don't know anyone who hasn't," Clinton continued. "So I understand that people have questions." Indeed many of those "questions" about Hillary's dishonesty originated in acts of journalistic malpractice so crude that their authors would have been shamed out of the profession -- if the profession had any shame at the Washington pundit level. Back in December 1995, ABC's "Nightline" broadcast a doctored video clip that made Hillary appear to be lying about representing a Whitewater savings and loan. In reality, she'd explained her role as billing attorney on the account. No wonder "the White House was so worried about what was in Vince Foster's office when he killed himself," Jeff Greenfield observed, an insinuation as ugly as it was false. Her imminent indictment was widely predicted. A few months later, financial journalist James B. Stewart appeared on the same program, promoting his farcically inaccurate book "Blood Sport." (He'd failed to read the Treasury Department's "Pillsbury Report" and had taken soon-to-be-convicted Jim McDougal's word for everything.) Stewart gravely produced a loan application he alleged that Hillary had falsified, a federal crime, he said. Journalist Joe Conason noticed something at the bottom of the page: "BOTH SIDES OF THIS DOCUMENT MUST BE COMPLETED." Sure enough, Stewart had neglected to examine page two of a two-page application. Oops, hold the handcuffs and the orange jumpsuit. Anyway, if you think Stewart's career suffered, you must not read The New York Times or The New Yorker. Anyway, nothing's really changed. Paradoxically, the collapse of one ballyhooed Clinton "scandal" after another appears to have hurt her. Few follow the details. But people suspect that she must be especially cunning and slippery to keep getting away with it, the b----. Central Oregon Coast Program Helps You Buy the Freshest Seafood Published 07/08/2016 at 7:11 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) Shop on the Dock returns to the central Oregon coast town of Newport this summer, starting on July 15 and running through August. The program, set up by Oregon Sea Grant, is one of seafood education and shopping, teaching people how to get the best deals on the freshest seafood right on the commercial fishing docks of Newport. It includes tours and opportunities to purchase quite literally straight off the boat. This is the third summer of the Shop on the Docks program, where visitors and residents alike can meet the people who do the actual catching and learn about numerous aspects of seafood, including what is currently in season and how to know what the best quality seafood is. Oregon Sea Grant personnel lead the tours, describe the fisheries and help those who want to navigate the process. First, you meet at the boardwalk by Port Dock 5 on Newport's bayfront, right across from Local Ocean Seafoods. These run about 90 minutes. Dates are July 15, 22 and 29, and Aug. 5, 12 and 19, with tours departing at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each day. The tours are free and on a first-come, first-served basis. Newport-based Kaety Jacobson, a Sea Grant fisheries specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, said if you're even thinking about buying that day, you are urged to not only bring cash but a cooler with ice. She added comfortable shoes with good traction are a must, as the tours cover some distance on working commercial fishing docks. Jacobson runs the tours and said they are like going down to the docks with a friend who knows the seafood and knows the fishermen. Showing up early to find parking is helpful, Jacobson said. You can also snag parking spots at the Maritime Museum close by with a purchase of admission to the facility. The museum opens at 11 a.m. but Shop the Dock staff can help with paying the entrance fee before that time. For more information: [email protected], 541-574-6534, ext. 57427. Newport Hotels for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour More About Newport Lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted WASHINGTON -- The report was so "seismic" -- Daniel Patrick Moynihan's word -- that Lyndon Johnson's administration released it on the Fourth of July weekend, 1966, hoping it would not be noticed. But the Coleman report did disturb various dogmatic slumbers and vested interests. And 50 years on, it is pertinent to today's political debates about class and social mobility. So, let us now praise an insufficiently famous man, sociologist James Coleman, author of the study "Equality of Educational Opportunity." In 1966, postwar liberalism's confidence reached its apogee. From 1938, when the electorate rebuked Franklin Roosevelt for his plan to "pack" the Supreme Court, through 1964, congressional Republicans and conservative Democrats prevented a liberal legislating majority. But Johnson's 44-state victory that year gave Democrats 68 Senate seats and a majority of 155 in the House. Effortless and uninterrupted prosperity seemed assured as the economy grew in 1965 and 1966 by 10.7 percent and 7.99 percent, respectively. So, a gusher of tax revenues coincided with liberalism's pent-up demand for large projects. It hoped to meld two American traits -- egalitarian aspirations and faith in education's transformative power. The consensus then was that the best predictor of a school's performance was the amount of money spent on it: Increase financial inputs and cognitive outputs would increase proportionately. As the postwar baby boom moved through public schools like a pig through a python, almost everything improved -- school buildings, teachers' salaries, class sizes, per pupil expenditures -- except outcomes measured by standardized tests. Enter Coleman, and the colleagues he directed, to puncture complacency with the dagger of evidence -- data from more than 3,000 schools and 600,000 primary and secondary school students. His report vindicated the axiom that social science cannot tell us what to do, it can tell us the results of what we are doing. He found that the best predictor of a school's outcomes is the quality of the children's families. And students' achievements are influenced by the social capital (habits, mores, educational ambitions) their classmates bring to school: "One implication stands out above all: That schools bring little influence to bear on a child's achievement that is independent of his background and general social context; and that this very lack of an independent effect means that the inequalities imposed on children by their home, neighborhood, and peer environment are carried along to become the inequalities with which they confront adult life at the end of school." Coleman's report came exactly one year after -- and as an explosive coda to -- what is known as the Moynihan Report, which was leaked in July 1965. Moynihan, then a 37-year-old social scientist in Johnson's Labor Department, presented in "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action" what then counted as shocking news: 23.6 percent of African-American births were to unmarried women. Today 71 percent are. Almost 47 percent of all first births are to unmarried women, and a majority of all mothers under 30 are not living with the fathers of their children. The causes of family disintegration remain unclear, but 51 years ago Moynihan and then Coleman foresaw the consequences. Moynihan said the "tangle" of pathologies associated with the absence of fathers produces a continually renewed cohort of inadequately socialized adolescent males. Socializing them is society's urgent business if it is to avoid chaotic neighborhoods and schools where maintaining discipline displaces teaching. Coleman documented how schools are reflections of, rather than cures for, the failure of families to function as the primary transmitters of social capital. The extraordinary synergy between Moynihan and Coleman was serendipitous. Today, their baton of brave and useful sociology has passed to Charles Murray of the American Enterprise Institute. His "Losing Ground" (1984) was an autopsy of 1960s aspirations. His "Coming Apart" (2012) explores the social consequences -- we are wallowing in the political consequences -- of a bifurcated society in which many do very well while many others are unable to reach even the lowest rungs on the ladder of upward mobility. Coleman's evidence that cultural rather than financial variables matter most was not welcomed by education bureaucracies and unions. Similarly, we now have more than half a century of awkward, and often ignored, evidence about the mostly small and evanescent effects of early childhood education. Today's Democratic Party fancies itself "the party of science"; Barack Obama pledged, in his first inaugural address, to "restore science to its rightful place." Social science, however, is respected by Democrats only when it validates policies congenial to the interests of favored factions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The scene that developed at Discovery Green on Friday was familiar. People raised signs of "hands up, don't shoot," "my black life matters," "stop killing." This week's shootings of two black men, and the deadly ambush targeting Dallas police during a protest on Thursday, heightened tensions across the nation Friday. Friday night, there were reports of chaotic protests in Phoenix and Atlanta. RELATED: Manifesto found at the home of Dallas gunman At the Discovery Green event in Houston, speakers gathered before media cameras and streaming cell phones. They lamented that no solution to ending police violence against black people seems clear. They remembered the names of some of those killed before Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota were gunned downed by police this week. Together, the crowd of about 100 cheered as some offered ideas for change: vote, attend political rallies, protect your own, but perhaps most important of all, speak up. "We're doing what we know to do," Navita Johnson said. "We're lifting our voices." SPEAKING OUT: Celebrities weigh in on Dallas shooting Organizer Ashton Woods urged that the deaths of black men in the days prior to the Dallas shooting not be overshadowed. Although little mention about the Dallas sniper attack was made at the Discovery Green event, he stressed that he and supporters' movement was peaceful. "We do not condone violence," Woods said. "We just want to stop being killed." Twenty minutes passed with energies high. Then the group, growing to 200 people of various races, marched blocks toward City Hall. They chanted, escorted by Houston police. "Black lives matter!" they yelled. "We must love each other!" they shouted. A woman led the march while holding a poster reading, "My skin color is not a crime." A black police officer followed behind. It was a different scene in some other cities on Friday. There were arrests at protests in Baton Rouge, La., after some demonstrators ignored police warnings, according to RT.com. And in Atlanta, protests continued in the late-night hours after crowds blocked traffic, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Police deployed pepper spray to control demonstrators in Phoenix on Friday night, according to The Arizona Republic. At the steps of Houston City Hall, a man known as "Big Texas" stood before the crowd. He asked them to close their eyes and imagine how mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters were feeling. "We are tired, we are tired, we are tired," he said. "Black lives matter." Meanwhile, during a public prayer service, Alan Rosen, Harris County constable for Precinct 1, called on improving dialogue and relations between police officers and communities in downtown Houston on Friday. "You're hurting, I'm hurting. Our bruised hearts go out to the survivors of those in blue who were killed and also to the survivors of the citizens who were victims of tragedy in Baton Rouge and Minnesota," Rosen said during the service at 1115 Congress. Houston clergy leaders called for peace and prayed for police safety. "We're grateful to God to be a part of a county like Harris County with the leaders like Constable Rosen who understand the fact that there really should be no separatism between clergy, law enforcement and anyone else in our community," said Bishop James Dixon. "We're often divided by things that really don't matter by the end of the day." Ashton Woods, a member of the Black Lives Matter movement in Houston, said his group does not stand for violence against the police. "We may disagree but we will never shed your blood," Woods said. "We stand with you and we appreciate you for making the space for us to walk down the streets when we protest." Woods, like Rosen and clergy leaders who attended the prayer service, said violence has been to frequent across the nation in the past few weeks. "A few weeks ago I had to organize a vigil on Orlando because 49 people lost their lives because of hate," Rosen said. "Two people lost their lives this week because of hate. Five police officers lost their lives because of hate." To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Cutting the UKs corporation tax rate will help rather than hinder Northern Irelands own plan to offer would-be investors an even lower rate, Theresa Villiers has insisted. The Northern Ireland Secretary rejected the argument that reducing the differential between the region and Britain will undermine what is one of Stormonts flagship economic policies. Ms Villiers argued that devolving tax powers from Westminster was less about giving Northern Ireland a competitive advantage over the rest of the UK and more about giving it an edge internationally to compete with countries such as Hungary. She said cutting the UK rate from 20% to below 15% as suggested by the Chancellor this week would make Stormonts planned 2018 reduction to 12.5% more affordable, as less would have to be sliced off the annual block grant to fund the tax cut. It doesnt actually detract from the competitive offer that Northern Ireland would be able to give with a 12.5% rate, because they are not really competing with Manchester they are competing with Hungary and other countries around the world who have much higher corporation tax rates, said Ms Villiers. She added: I think the reduction of the main rate is very good news for that very long-running campaign to deliver a 12.5% corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland, because the cost of delivering 12.5% has just gone down. Brexiteer Ms Villiers, who has backed Andrea Leadsom in the race to become the new Tory leader, defended the suggested UK rate cut as she reflected on the wider fallout from the referendum in Northern Ireland, where 56% voted Remain. First Minister Arlene Foster has questioned the need to off-set a corporation tax cut with a reduction in the block grant in the wake of Brexit given the law that required it was set by the EU. Ms Villiers has insisted the stance of the Treasury will not change, claiming that the issue of fairness with the rest of the UK was more central than EU law. If this tax cut is delivered by the Northern Ireland Executive then it needs to be funded by the Northern Ireland Executive, she said. The Conservative MP also reiterated her view that it would be perfectly possible to regulate the movement of people and goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland without a hardening of the Irish border. And she dismissed the suggestion more rigorous checks would be required on travel between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK after Brexit takes place. In the wake of the referendum Sinn Fein called again for a vote on Irish unity, claiming the majority of voters in Northern Ireland should not be dragged out of the EU against their wishes. Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement the Secretary of State has power to trigger a border poll if she believes there has been a significant shift in public opinion in favour of a united Ireland. While Ms Villiers has made clear she does not believe such a shift has occurred, republicans have pointed to the surge in applications for Irish passports in the wake of the referendum as evidence of a change. I dont think necessarily that seeking an Irish passport would necessarily indicate a change of view about Northern Irelands constitutional future, she responded. In nine weeks' time, Britain will have only its second female PM - 37 years after the first. Should this still generate (some very dodgy) front page headlines? Eilis O'Hanlon on why it is still a talking point, while (overleaf) Alex Kane insists gender is now irrelevant. Eilis OHanlon: One day, we might not notice the sex of our leader, but were not there yet When the Tory leadership was reduced on Thursday to a straight choice between Home Secretary Theresa May and staunch Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom, one newspaper headline in London declared: "The next British PM is guaranteed to be a woman". Put that down as a classic example of what Basil Fawlty once called Stating The Bleeding Obvious. A more interesting question is: does it matter that they're women? It shouldn't, but does it? Yes, it does. It matters just as much that the next PM will be a woman as it does that President Barack Obama is black. He may have been a weak and ineffectual US President, and being black certainly shouldn't shield him for being held accountable for his failings; but the very fact that an African-American held the highest office in the world was significant enough in itself to count as an achievement worth celebrating. One day, we might not notice the sex or skin colour or sexual orientation of those who run the country, but we're not there yet, which is why these symbolic milestones are so important. Having a second female PM is every bit as historic as the first. The third will be notable, too, and here's hoping that doesn't take another 26 years, which is how long it's been since Margaret Thatcher left Downing Street. By the fourth and fifth, people may be starting to shrug and say "So what?" - and that will be a welcome development, too. But it will only be possible because we did treat it as a big deal in our time as those old barriers were coming down. It isnt a one-off, either. Northern Irelands First Minister is a woman. The First Minister in Edinburgh is a woman, as are the leaders of the Opposition Scottish Tory and Labour parties. The Green Party in England is led by a woman, as is Plaid Cymru in Wales. The German Chancellor is a woman. The next US president ... fingers crossed ... will be female, too. Wherever women stand politically, Left or Right, there are prominent politicians who now look and sound like them. For girls growing up in previous generations, there werent so many role models. These days there are. Its hard to think of a downside to that. Sadly, theres a tendency among more militant feminists to dismiss figures such as Mrs Thatcher, or Arlene Foster, as the wrong sort of women. One writer in the Guardian even proclaimed that May and Leadsom only got to the top because they took the same shape as men. Thats not only insulting, it totally misunderstands the lesson of their success. The barriers to female advancement in politics have been so great historically that only the toughest and most steely characters were ever going to make it. To get to the top of the Tory party takes a certain toughness; the DUP is no place for shrinking violets. If women were to break the glass ceiling anywhere, it was here that youd expect to find candidates with the right combination of iron hand and brass neck to do it. The great bastions of male power were never going to be overcome by the political equivalent of a simpering heroine in a Victorian novel. You dont have to like the women whove made it to hail them as pioneers. You just have to be grateful that they did it. That theyre there. So, does the fact that the last two women standing in the Tory leadership contest didnt get there by positive discrimination and all-female shortlists mean we dont need quotas at all? Theres definitely a strong argument that you shouldnt fiddle the rules to benefit women. Increasingly, though, it seems just as valid to argue: why not? Its not as if men in the past always made it purely on merit. They were helped along by a million small, unseen advantages. Theres nothing wrong with trying to load the dice ever so slightly in favour of women for a while, anymore than there is in actively trying to encourage those from more modest socio-economic and less-privileged educational backgrounds into politics. Theyre flip sides of the same coin, which is why its equally welcome that Thersea May and Andrea Leadsom are both former grammar school girls a fact worth considering when meddlers start eyeing up Northern Irelands school system. Whats far more worrying is how female politicians who get to the top are still expected to represent and speak for all women in a way that male politicians are never required to represent those who also share the same biology. No one ever says, Gordon Brown was useless, so best not have another man in charge for a while, do they? It could be that the current crop of female leaders will be even more inept, but thats alright, too. All woman want is the right to be just as rubbish as running the country as the men who came before them. Alex Kane: 'In political arena, it's clear... both genders are cut from the same cloth' Margaret Thatcher didn't win the leadership of the Conservative Party in February 1975 because she was a woman. She won because she dared to challenge Edward Heath (who had won only one of four general elections) and because she was the only one of the six candidates who represented a genuine alternative to the policies and direction of Heath. She won, in other words, because she offered something entirely different. As she noted during the campaign: "As a Conservative I'm very tired of being on the losing side after an election. I think I can change that." We don't remember Thatcher because she was a female prime minister: we remember her because she was an extraordinary politician and the sort of leader who never shied away from difficult decisions and potential unpopularity. Yes, there may have been times when she used her handbag as a wonderful prop and when she was clearly flirting with Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev, but that was just one of her personal tricks of the trade; in precisely the same way that Clinton and Reagan would either hug, or do the double-handed handshake, with certain people, or bestow upon them their dazzlingly twinkly smiles. So, I don't buy into the notion that Thatcher's gender defined and shaped her role. She was a political/electoral animal by instinct. She relished a fight, she was an ideologue, she had a very clear vision, she had passion, she wasn't afraid of polarising and she inspired fierce loyalty and equally fierce hatred. The only way to judge her is as a leader and as a politician. Being a woman didn't make a huge difference - other than the fact that she was the first female prime minister. Some people argue that women "do politics differently". I remain to be convinced. It strikes me that Arlene Foster, Nicola Sturgeon, Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton - along with quite a few women further down the political power ladder - "do politics" in precisely the same way as every other politician I've ever known, or observed. They take sides. They have opinions. They have arguments. They bear grudges. They want to rise up the greasy pole. They keep one eye over their shoulder. They brief against opponents and rivals. They dissemble. They do what is required to secure their seat and their career. It's called politics: and the demands of politics are blind to gender. The fact that the next prime minister will be a woman has raised questions about whether the gender will make a specific difference to the Conservative Party, the UK, or politics in general. Well, unless either Theresa May, or Andrea Leadsom, decide to make their pitch as a "champion for women and women's rights" - which I think is unlikely - then I don't think their gender matters. They come from different wings of the party. May has served in the Cabinet and been an MP for 20 years, while Leadsom has been an MP since 2010 and only been a fairly junior minister. But this leadership contest is not going to be about Cabinet experience, or what they would or wouldn't do for women: this is going to be a bare-knuckle fight about the UK's future relationship with the EU and it is going to be brutal, divisive and potentially catastrophic for the Conservative Party. It will be an old-fashioned blood-and-bone battle for the heart and soul of the party and the winner won't just be a woman, it will be the woman who proves themselves to have the qualities required of any leader at a difficult time. And the next and immediate battle the winner faces will be with Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Merkel; but if anyone thinks that negotiations will be gentle or more civilised because they are all women, then they really don't understand politics. All three will be fighting for their own cause, beliefs and long-term goals. There will be no sotto voce conspiracy to "prove that we're so much better at politics than those testosterone-fuelled men". Politics is combative. It is about winning and losing. It is about persuading a majority to back you rather than someone else. It is about triumphalism. Most important of all, though, the rules of politics apply equally to men and women. Man, woman - it doesn't matter: politics is politics. As the controversial Chilcot report grabs headlines this week, few people are better qualified to comment on the inquiry's findings than newly elected MLA and war hero Doug Beattie. The Ulster Unionist politician and retired Army Captain was given the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his actions in Iraq. He became a well-known figure across the UK after he documented the reality for troops during the conflict in two best-selling books - An Ordinary Soldier and Task Force Helmand. Mr Beattie served in Iraq under Col Tim Collins, and this week put his head above the parapet to call on the Government to apologise to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq. The Portadown father-of-two left his 34-year military career behind when he decided to stand for election as an MLA this year. It has been a year of highs and devastating lows for the popular soldier-turned-politician. The day before his election victory in the Upper Bann constituency, he and his family suffered unimaginable heartache when his 15-month-old grandson, Cameron Tindale, died suddenly in his sleep. Speaking for the first time about the emotion he felt, Doug spoke of his guilt at being elected and how close he came to walking away from politics because of his little grandson's devastating death. He also revealed how his daughter has been left distraught after results of medical tests which she believes could have saved her son's life arrived five weeks late - on the day she buried her youngest child. Little Cameron was laid to rest on May 7 as his grandfather was confirmed as an MLA. In what should have been a moment of triumph and celebration, a heartbroken Mr Beattie was instead struggling to decide whether he should take up his seat at Stormont. "It really affected my confidence and if affected me personally - I found it incredibly difficult," he said. "It was bittersweet because I was elected while we were burying Cameron and I wanted to walk away from politics because of the trauma. "I felt guilty and ashamed that here I was running for election and my family was destroyed." Mr Beattie said the loss of his grandson was worse than any of the horrors he had experienced in warzones across the world. His daughter, Leigh, rang in hysterics when she discovered little Cameron's lifeless body in his bedroom in the early hours of May 4. "I have a lifetime spent at war and have seen things and done things which are truly awful and which I have had to try and get out of my psyche and which have affected me deeply," Doug explained. "Nothing, though, prepared me for seeing my grandson lying dead on the floor of his own home, or for the feelings of disbelief and dread when my daughter rang screaming in the middle of the night." A post-mortem was carried out after the tragedy. The family will not know the cause of Cameron's death until the results are through in a few weeks' time, but it is believed that he could have died from a seizure. Cameron, the youngest of three boys, suffered a seizure in mid-March, after which he underwent an electroencephalogram, which records the electrical activity of the brain, at Craigavon Area Hospital. The family was told they would have the results in two weeks. Instead, it took seven weeks, and they arrived on the day Cameron was buried. "My daughter was expecting the results in two weeks and didn't get them," Mr Beattie said. "She assumed that no news was good news, but the day we buried Cameron the letter arrived saying that he was at risk of taking another seizure. "My daughter blames herself for not chasing up the results and she blames herself for her son's death, but it was the system which let him down. "I have spoken to the doctor, and he confirmed that there was no process in place for doctors to chase up results when they are not sent out within two weeks, which means that it can happen again. "My daughter's middle son, Bradley, also suffers from severe seizures and can take up to 15 a day, and now my daughter is terrified every time she goes into his bedroom. " Doug, who was hugely conflicted when he took his seat as an MLA at Stormont, also explained how his career in politics came about by accident, rather than design. After retiring from the Army, he joined the Ulster Unionist Party and was asked to stand for a place on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council in 2014. This year, he was asked to stand for election as an MLA. "It was accidental, my going into politics," he said. "After 34 years in the Army, serving in places like Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Africa, here in Northern Ireland and many other countries, I have a broad view of the world. At the end of my military career, I still had a will to serve people. I was looking for an outlet, and I looked at all the parties here. The Ulster Unionist Party suited me because it allowed me to be a free thinker. "I have my own views on things like same-sex marriage and abortion, and I wanted the ability to have those views. I hadn't planned to stand for election, but leader Mike Nesbitt asked me to, so it wasn't by design, it was by accident." Doug emphasised that despite his military background, he was not biased. "Having been a solider, people of a nationalist background might see me as representing one part of society rather than the other, but I have never lived like that and, in fact, I have always worked with and have friends with a very broad spectrum of people from all backgrounds and cultures," he said. Doug, the son of a soldier, was "born in barracks" in 1965 and spent the first 10 years of his life moving from place to place because of his father's military career as a Warrant Officer in the Royal Ulster Rifles. The family eventually settled in Portadown, when he was aged 10. He was only 14 when his mother died, leaving his father to bring him and two brothers up alone. Doug joined the army aged 16, but did so reluctantly as he would have preferred to have stayed on at school. However, he was keen to impress his father. While in training for the Army, senior English officers verbally and physically abused because of where he was from. "As an Irish man in 1982 being trained by English instructors, it was hard," he explained. "We were the Muslims of our day, and it was a bitter experience. We were physically and mentally abused, and it was racism because we were Irish. "It was during the time of the Falklands War when men were meant to be men even though they were still boys, and it was difficult." He joined the Royal Irish Rangers, which became the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992, and in 34 years of service rose from the rank of Ranger to that of Regimental Sergeant Major before being commissioned and gaining promotion to the rank of Captain. During that time, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his actions in Iraq, the Military Cross for his bravery in Afghanistan and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for his peacekeeping contributions in Bosnia. To Doug, as a former soldier, this week's report by Sir John Chilcot, which concluded that the UK went to war in Iraq before all peaceful options for disarming Saddam Hussein were exhausted, was vital for the current and future health of the country. "It was for our nation, and our nation needed it to inform our foreign policy and military actions in the future," he said. "I see it as having been important for that reason - to inform our politicians and our military chiefs. "It did, however, lay bare the failings of the Government and of the Foreign Office." Doug claimed that when soldiers entered the war, they thought it was "for a just and noble cause", adding: "We did think that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and we were going in to do a good thing. "Now, in hindsight, we know that was not the case." He also explained that he was "proud" of the soldiers he served with "under difficult conditions", and said they should not be forgotten in the fallout from the report. "Their compassion and gentleness has been largely forgotten because of the ills of a few who have destroyed the reputation of the many," he insisted. "I would ask people to please pay a thought for those soldiers who just did their duty." A man accused of trying to blow up an ATM at a Costcutter store in Co Armagh was denied bail yesterday A man accused of trying to blow up an ATM at a Costcutter store in Co Armagh was denied bail yesterday. Gratian-Ioan Pinter (39), originally from Romania but whose address was given as Brega Hamlet Lane in the Balbriggan area of Dublin, is one of two men accused of causing an explosion at an ATM in Hamiltonsbawn. The cash machine was targeted on June 5, 2014. It is understood that gas was pumped into it before it was ignited. The PSNI said that while no money was taken, the ATM was destroyed and the building in which it was housed was also damaged. Pinter is facing two charges arising from the incident - causing an explosion likely to endanger life, and attempted burglary with intent to steal. Newry Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard that the defendant, who denies both charges, has been on remand for more than two years since his arrest. Making an application for bail, defence barrister Gavan Duffy QC revealed that his client's co-accused - who is also a foreign national - has already been released on bail and is living in the Republic. Mr Duffy told Judge Gordon Kerr QC that the date of Pinter's trial "has slipped back" to the end of October, which is "quite a distance" away. The barrister said outstanding charges that the defendant faced "no longer exist". He also revealed that should Pinter be released on bail, a bed would be available for him at a Simon Community hostel. Mr Duffy concluded his application for bail by telling Judge Kerr: "He has now served two years in custody, which is the equivalent of a four-year sentence." But when the judge was informed that Pinter had no ties in Northern Ireland, and after branding the charges against him as "serious", he said: "Given the nature of these charges and the lack of connection to this jurisdiction, I do not think bail is appropriate. "It is my view this man should remain in custody. Bail is therefore refused." A man who used his phone to take photos up a girl's skirt in a Belfast nightclub was given a suspended sentence yesterday A man who used his phone to take photos up a girl's skirt in a Belfast nightclub was given a suspended sentence yesterday. Slovakian national Marian Antal (26), from Woodbreda Avenue in the south of the city, claimed that he took the pictures "as a stupid bet with a friend." He pleaded guilty to a single charge of committing an act of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature, and to outraging public decency. Prosecutor Simon Jenkins told Belfast Crown Court that on the evening of October 31 last year, Antal was drinking with friends in Benedict's bar. CCTV footage showed him putting his mobile up a girl's skirt "and appearing to take photographs". Afterwards, the defendant checked his phone before taking more pictures. Mr Jenkins said Antal was then challenged by other bar patrons, after which door staff became involved and he was handed over to the police, who checked his phone and found he had taken six photographs up the girl's skirt. During police interview, Antal admitted taking the photos and said he had done so because of a "stupid bet with a friend". Defence barrister Michael Boyd said his client came before the court with a clear criminal record and was "extremely embarrassed and ashamed" by his "foolish" behaviour on a night out with friends. Passing sentence, Judge Gordon Kerr QC told Antal: "Offences of this nature cause a high degree of embarrassment to young ladies who are entitled to the protection of the courts. "In your case, there is no evidence these images were passed on or published, nor have you any previous convictions for sexual offending. "For this reason, I do not think it necessary to send you immediately to prison. However, for the protection of young women from activities such as you engaged in, I intend to impose a two-month sentence, and these two months will be suspended for a period of two years. "If you engage in this activity again, it is likely you will go to prison for it." The Arts Council is offering two artists from Northern Ireland the opportunity to travel to India as part of its funding scheme. The two new international arts residencies are part of its Support for the Individual Artist Programme (SIAP), an annual initiative that offers funding to artists working across all art forms including visual art, dance, drama and music. The Sanskriti Foundation residency in New Delhi and the Shruti Foundation Vedaaranya residency in Rajasthan offer NI artists the chance to collaborate with their peers in India. Noirin McKinney, director of arts development at the Arts Council, said: SIAP is now open and we look forward to welcoming applications from artists across the region. "In addition, the Arts Council will host a series of SIAP information clinics in Belfast and Portadown this July and August where Arts Council officers will provide guidance and advice on the application process." A pilot had to make an emergency landing in a field in County Down after the microlight he was flying suffered engine failure A pilot had to make an emergency landing in a field in County Down after the microlight he was flying suffered engine failure Engine failure forced a microlight aircraft into an emergency landing in a Co Down barley field yesterday. It came down close to Moate Road, between Newtownards and Comber. Emergency services who arrived at the scene found the two men on board unharmed. The PSNI said that both the pilot and passenger were "safe and well". The aircraft involved is a British-built Thruster T600N, manufactured in 2009. The fixed-wing machine is owned by experienced microlight flying instructor Ken Crompton. It is understood that the single-engine aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing following sudden engine failure after it took off from Newtownards Airport. The vehicle sustained some damage during the landing, and last night was reported to have been taken back to its hangar for repairs following the incident, which comes little more than a year after a fatal microlight crash at the same Co Down airfield. In the latest crash, the microlight was beginning a training flight when it got into difficulties a short time after taking off. Owner Ken Crompton was at the controls during the emergency landing. The experienced flying trainer has logged more than 5,000 hours' flying time, and is a Civil Aviation Authority-registered flight instructor and flight test examiner, and a certified check pilot of the British Microlight Aircraft Association. Mr Crompton could not be contacted for comment yesterday. However, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last night, John Hughes, the chairman of the Ulster Flying Club, said: "Microlights are, as the name implies, very light and they fly slowly. "When something like engine failure on take-off happens - and it's very unusual - it's best practice not to try to turn back to the airfield. "Instead, pilots should try and glide the aircraft to a controlled emergency landing, keeping the plane flying under control for as long as possible. "Ken is a very experienced pilot, and he was in full control of the aircraft as it made the emergency landing in a barley field close to the airfield." It is just slightly more than a year since tragedy struck at the small airfield, which is home to the Ulster Flying Club, with one man losing his life in a terrible accident. Stephen McKnight (55) from Hillsborough, died after the C-12 microlight he was flying crashed during take-off at Newtownards Airport. The PSNI officer turned driving instructor was rushed to the Ulster Hospital, where doctors tried to save him, but he later died of his injuries. Mr McKnight's death was the first fatal accident at the Co Down airfield. Police line up while concrete blocks are placed at the site during the protest over the drilling The PSNI may have spent 1m policing the oil drilling protest at Woodburn Forest, campaigners have claimed. The force has already admitted that the overtime bill in relation to the stand-off came in at a huge 326,903. In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the PSNI also admitted that the Tactical Support Group was deployed to the scene on five occasions between February and June this year - an operation involving a total of 119 officers. A spokesman said the force paid 28,000 in overtime to the officers deployed during the Tactical Support Group operations. Protesters also asked the PSNI to reveal how much it cost to deploy the police helicopter in the Woodburn area during the time of the protest. However the FOI officer responding to the query said the Air Support Unit was not sent to Woodburn between April 28 and June 3. The PSNI also said its workforce scheduling system had recorded 18,686 manpower hours, but admitted that the figure may not be accurate. Dr James Orr, from Friends of the Earth, demanded an urgent inquiry into what he described as an "expensive waste of vital police resources". He said he believed that the manpower costs must have amounted to at least 500,000, with a total policing bill of more than 1m. Protesters set up a camp at the entrance to the forest as they campaigned against a consortium led by the company InfraStrata that was carrying out exploratory drilling close to a reservoir that supplied drinking water to much of Belfast. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Press Eye - Woodburn Forest Drill Protest - 9th May 2016 Photograph by Declan Roughan Mark Chapman, protestor, stands on top of the drill rig to prevent drilling. Stop The Drill protesters celebrate on Saturday night at Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus Campaigner Mark Chapman stands on top of rig to prevent drilling Green activists and police at the scene of the Woodburn drill at the height of tensions back in March Pacemaker Press Belfast 09-05-2016: A Anti-drilling protest in Carrick Woodburn forest, Co Antrim objecting to a proposed exploratory well being drilled to search for oil and gas. Protester Mark Chapman is pictured on top of one of the vehicles arriving at the site. Picture By: Arthur Allison. The drill at Woodburn Forest Photopress Belfast Campaigners against an oil drilling operation at Woodburn Forest in Carrickfergus Press Eye - Woodburn Forest Drill Protest - 9th May 2016 Photograph by Declan Roughan Mark Chapman, protestor, stands on top of the drill rig to prevent drilling. Press Eye - Woodburn Forest Drill Protest - 9th May 2016 Photograph by Declan Roughan Mark Chapman, protestor, stands on top of the drill rig to prevent drilling whilePSNI officers discuss the situation with him. Press Eye - Woodburn Forest Drill Protest - 9th May 2016 Photograph by Declan Roughan A car is removed from the frill protest site. Protest in Carrick Woodburn forest. Picture By: Arthur Allison. Police remove a car from the site / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Press Eye - Woodburn Forest Drill Protest - 9th May 2016 Photograph by Declan Roughan Mark Chapman, protestor, stands on top of the drill rig to prevent drilling. The consortium withdrew the drill from the site last month after no oil or gas were found in the 2km deep borehole. Dr Orr said: "No one can understand why the Tactical Support Group were there or why there were days when more than 20 police cars were deployed. "So many police officers told us of their support for the campaign, and they also expressed concern that they were not upholding the public interest at Woodburn Forest. "It is sad to say that the police did not keep the peace at Woodburn, and lessons need to be learned for the future." The PSNI gave no response by the time of going to press. A woman places flowers at the Dallas police headquarters, following the killing of five officers (AP) An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics. The man identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson told authorities he was upset about the fatal police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, "especially white officers," officials said. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings, which marked the deadliest day for US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot. In Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, authorities said gun-wielding civilians also shot officers in individual attacks that came after the black men were killed in Louisiana and Minnesota. Two officers were wounded, one critically. President Barack Obama will cut short his European trip and visit Dallas early next week. He had been scheduled to return to Washington on Monday. Instead, he will leave Spain on Sunday night after meeting the interim prime minister and visiting US military personnel. Mr Obama is currently in Warsaw, Poland, for a Nato summit. The White House said the president will focus next week on efforts to support police officers while addressing "persistent racial disparities" in the criminal justice system. Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite who specialised in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. After the attack, he tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Mr Brown said. Johnson was black. Law enforcement officials did not disclose the race of the dead officers. The bloodshed close to where President John F Kennedy was killed in 1963. The shooting began on Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest against the killings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St Paul, Minnesota. Mr Brown told reporters that snipers fired "ambush-style" on the officers. Two civilians were also wounded. The a uthorities initially blamed multiple "snipers" for Thursday's attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But later, all attention focused on Johnson, and state and federal officials said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman. With the lone shooter dead, Mayor Mike Rawlings declared that the city was safe and "we can move on to healing". He said the gunman wore a protective vest and used an AR-15 rifle, a weapon similar to the one fired last month in the attack on an Orlando, Florida, nightclub that killed 49 people. In Washington, the nation's senior law enforcement official, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, called for calm, saying the recent violence cannot be allowed to "precipitate a new normal". She said protesters concerned about killings by police should not be discouraged "by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence". The other attacks on police included a Georgia man who authorities said called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the officer who came to investigate. That sparked a shoot-out in which both the officer and suspect were wounded but expected to survive. In suburban St Louis, a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop, police said. The officer was critically ill in hospital. And in Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans, authorities said. Pakistan's legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who devoted his life to the poor and the destitute, has died at a hospital in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 88. Edhi's family announced his death and his son, Faisal Edhi, asked all people to "pray for the departed soul" of his father. Earlier in the day, the family had said that Edhi's condition deteriorated and that he was breathing with the help of a ventilator. Edhi had been in hospital for several weeks and his son said he was suffering from kidney and sugar-related problems. Known in Pakistan as "Angel of Mercy" for his social work that also won international acclaim, Edhi had established a welfare foundation almost six decades ago that he oversaw together with his wife, Bilquis Edhi. The foundation owns and runs Pakistan's largest ambulance service, as well as nursing homes, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters, along with rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens across the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences and sorrow over Edhi's passing and said he prayed that God will give the charity worker "the best place in paradise." Edhi was a "real gem and asset for Pakistan", Mr Sharif said in a statement. "We have lost a great servant of humanity. He was the real manifestation of love for those who were socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless and poor." "This loss is irreparable for the people of Pakistan," the prime minister added. Pakistan's powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif also expressed his condolences to Edhi's family, lauding him as a "true humanitarian". Crowds of people were gathering outside the Karachi hospital late on Friday night to express their condolences to the family. Edhi came from humble origins and remained a quiet and modest man all his life, which in part was what inspired the nationwide love for him among Pakistanis. His son said that before his death, he asked that his eyes be donated to a person in need. Born in 1928 in a small village of Bantva near Joona Garh in Gujarat district of then British-ruled India, Edhi was deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was 19. He never finished school but later said that the world of suffering became his tutor. Edhi migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and made a living at first by working as a commission agent selling cloth at the Karachi wholesale market. A few years later, he started a free Bantva dispensary with the support of some community members. That was the start of his charity work. In time, he turned his vision of developing a systemised welfare service and drew a persistent and wide response for donations, expanding the trust at a remarkable pace. He first set up a maternity home and the emergency ambulance service in Karachi, which at the time had a population of over 10 million. In 1965, Edhi married Bilquis Bano, a nurse who worked at the Edhi dispensary. The couple has four children, two daughters and two sons. Bilquis ran the free maternity home and organised adoption of abandoned and out-of-wedlock children across Pakistan. As their work spread across the country, Edhi remained involved hands-on in the Edhi Foundation, from raising funds to helping with ritual bathing of the bodies of the deceased poor. He also personally drove one of the network's ambulances across Karachi to help anyone in need. Edhi's foundation also provides technical education to the disadvantaged, religious education for street children, consultations on family planning and maternity services, as well as free legal aid, financial and medical support to prisoners and the handicapped. Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his foundation, Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation. His work earned him numerous awards at home and abroad, including the Gandhi Peace Award, the 2007 Unesco Madanjeet Singh Prize, the 2011 London Peace Award, the 2008 Seoul Peace Award and the Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Service. Known in public as Maulana Edhi - a respectful title for a religious scholar, usually an elderly person with a beard - he supported and promoted working opportunities for women. Out of the 2,000 paid workers of his Edhi Foundation, around 500 are women. Prime Minister Sharif also announced Saturday as a day of mourning in Pakistan and said Edhi would be given a state funeral on Saturday in recognition for his services. Mr Sharif, who is returning to Pakistan from London where he underwent open heart surgery, expressed regret that his health would not allow him to personally attend the funeral. AP One of the challenges of public office, and indeed of private life, is to deliver a speech on an important occasion and to get it right. This can be difficult, even for an experienced speaker. Far too often I have sat through long, boring speeches by people who have missed the point, whether they be a politician, a preacher, a businessman or someone trying to make a best man's speech at a wedding, often lapsing into dreadful 'blue' jokes or 'matey' familiarity without a glimmer of taste or dignity. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Richard Clarke, undoubtedly rose to the occasion when delivering the keynote address at last Friday's Somme Commemoration at the Ulster Tower at Thiepval in France. The ceremony was televised live, and I was a captive viewer. It was well done, and Archbishop Clarke spoke simply and persuasively. He made the point that the River Somme still looms large in our consciousness but reminded us of the words of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus that one can never step twice into the same river, because it is not the "same" river any more, due to the flow of its waters. Dr Clarke said: "As we recall with thankfulness, and even awe, those young men who, 100 years ago, chose to join up and come to this place for what they believed was a righteous cause and where so many of them died, we do them no service if we do not relate them to today, and to our hopes and prayers and aspirations for the future." The archbishop's words contrasted strongly with the current political turmoil in the UK and the uncertain future of the EU, as well as the recurring violence in other parts of the world. When he had finished speaking I asked myself: "Has humankind, with its passion, treachery and broken dreams, improved all that much in the past 100 years?" In some ways yes but, in many other ways, not so. The essence of Archbishop Clarke's speech is that we cannot only look back to the past, as we do with the Somme, but we must also look to the future and move on. This is true in our national and provincial life. Millions of people like me feel that voting for Brexit was a huge mistake, but we will have to make the best of it. On Tuesday, tens of thousands of Orangemen and women will march in memory of King William of Orange, but he has gone, and the Orange Orders are loyal to a concept of England that is long out of date. People in the rest of the British Isles are mystified about what they are marching for, and couldn't care less. The challenge of moving on seems more difficult for males than females, and many older men cling to office for far too long. In the process they damage themselves, and the institutions or firms or family businesses to which they have been so loyal. We are now at one of the most critical stages of politics in my lifetime, and some would argue, one of the most dangerous periods in world history. The temptation for many of us is to seek reassurance from the past, but that has never been the only option. All of us must be prepared to move on, however difficult, or painful, or even rewarding, that might be. That's the real message of the Somme today. The former Royal Irish Regiment officer Captain Doug Beattie is a war hero who was awarded the Military Cross, but one of his most painful and searing experiences was the recent death of his little grandson. In our interview he talks in harrowing detail about his feelings when he saw the 15-month-old child lying dead on the floor of his own home. Even the dreadful experiences of the battlefield were no preparation for such a loss. Doug Beattie will be aware of the onus and responsibility to support his heartbroken daughter's family. In his brave interview, Mr Beattie sets out in unflinching detail the emotional anguish that such a loss inevitably brings. It is to his credit that although the shocking death of his grandson took place during election week, he would not mention it. The rawness of the loss was too severe, and he did not wish to be accused of using a family tragedy as part of an electioneering process. He wanted to walk away from politics, and he felt "guilty and ashamed" to be running for election when his family was being "destroyed". Doug Beattie comes across as an example of the fine tradition of Ulster soldiering, in stark contrast to the military and political bickering that was so expertly laid bare by the publication of the Chilcot Report. Mr Beattie is his own man, and he makes noteworthy comments about his views on same sex marriage and abortion, and about wishing to join a political party which has given him the freedom to express himself. His comments about not wishing his military background to alienate him from the nationalist community are also laudable and forward-thinking. The dreadful events which have engulfed Captain Beattie cross all boundaries, and he will have the sympathy of everyone. We are fortunate to have a person of such calibre in our political life. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. The green-labelled cells show a basal cell carcinoma in mouse tail epidermis derived from a single mutant stem cell and expanding out of the normal epidermis stained in red. Scientists have identified for the first time the 'cell of origin' - in other words, the first cell from which the cancer grows - in basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, and followed the chain of events that lead to the growth of these invasive tumours. Our skin is kept healthy by a constant turnover, with dying skin cells being shed and replaced by new cells. The process is maintained by 'progenitor' cells - the progeny of stem cells - that divide and 'differentiate' into fully-functional skin cells to replenish dying skin. These cells are in turn supported by a smaller population of 'stem cells', which remain silent, ready to become active and repair skin when it becomes damaged. However, when this process goes awry, cancers can arise: damaged DNA or the activation of particular genes known as 'oncogenes' can trigger a cascade of activity that can lead ultimately to unchecked proliferation, the hallmark of a cancer. In some cases, these tumours may be benign, but in others, they can spread throughout the body - or 'metastasise' - where they can cause organ failure. Until now, there has been intense interest in the scientific field about which types of cell - stem cell, progenitor cell or both - can give rise to tumours, and how those cells become transformed in the process of tumour initiation and growth. Now, in a study published in Nature, researchers led by Professor Cedric Blanpain at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and Professor Ben Simons at the University of Cambridge, have demonstrated in mice how skin stem and progenitor cells respond to the activation of an oncogene. Their studies have shown that, while progenitor cells can give rise to benign lesions, only stem cells have the capacity to develop into deadly invasive tumours. The researchers used a transgenic mouse model - a mouse whose genes had been altered to allow the activation of an oncogene in individual stem and progenitor cells. The oncogene was coupled with a fluorescent marker so that cells in which the oncogene was active could be easily identified, and as these cells proliferate, their 'daughter' cells could also be tracked. These related, fluorescent cells are known as 'clones'. By analysing the number of fluorescently-labelled cells per clone using mathematical modelling, the team was able to show that only clones derived from mutant stem cells were able to overcome a mechanism known as 'apoptosis', or programmed cell death, and continue to divide and proliferate unchecked, developing into a form of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma. In contrast, the growth of clones derived from progenitor cells becomes checked by increasing levels of apoptosis, leading to the formation of benign lesions. "It's incredibly rare to identify a cancer cell of origin and until now no one has been able to track what happens on an individual level to these cells as they mutate and proliferate," says Professor Blanpain. "We now know that stem cells are the culprits: when an oncogene in a stem cell becomes active, it triggers a chain reaction of cell division and proliferation that overcomes the cell's safety mechanisms." "While this has solved a long-standing scientific argument about which cell types can lead to invasive skin tumours, it is far more than just a piece of esoteric knowledge," adds Professor Simons. "It suggests to us that targeting the pathways used in regulating cell fate decisions - how stem cells choose between cell proliferation and differentiation - could be a more effective way of halting tumours in their tracks and lead to potential new therapies." 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland is being urged to meet with Irish politicians over the treatment of Ibrahim Halawa. It follows a Dail debate on the Dubliner's detention after his trial was delayed again this week. Gardai are investigating after a hit-and-run accident in Dublin in the early hours of this morning. The incident happened when a 26-year-old man was knocked off his bicycle by a car on Strand Road in Baldoyle shortly before 1am. The Government is being urged to speed up new regulations for charities. The call comes as investigations continue into financial irregularities at suicide prevention and bereavement charity Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 77F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. LAHORE: The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has once again warned the farmers not to set fire stubbles of their... KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday criticised Israels neutrality in the Ukraine war, saying the decision... A Canberran entrepreneurial duo has designed an affordable shark deterrent product for surfers, which aims to save the lives of both humans and sharks. Jeremy Kenny and Michael Ridout-Allan both grew up in Canberra and spent their weekends surfing the south coast. Canberra surfer Jeremy Kenny, one half of an entrepreneurial duo, wants to protect surfers, and sharks, with new products from Sharkstripes. After an increase in shark attacks nationally, they decided to act. Six months ago, the duo quit their jobs to focus on creating a small business, called Sharkstripes, which they launched online last week. The leaders of Canberra's Islamic communities say the best way to counter Pauline Hanson's statements about Muslims is to continue promoting peace and tolerance. One Nation's policies include calling for a royal commission or inquiry into whether Islam is a religion or political ideology, stopping Muslim immigrants and refugees from entering the country, surveillance cameras in all mosques and Islamic schools, and banning the burqa, niqab and halal certification. At a media conference on Monday, Ms Hanson asked reporters if they wanted to see "terrorism on our streets" or "our Australians murdered". "And if I'm so wrong and Muslims feel that way, why don't I have them standing beside me saying, 'Yes, we value the Australian way of life'," she said. A baby boy from the Solomon Islands has undergone a lifesaving operation at the Canberra Hospital after enduring two attempts at surgery in his home country. The 22-month-old, Charlie Rao, and his mother Mary Ribe, were flown to Canberra from Honiara as part of a Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children program. Charlie Rao, 22 months, from the Solomon Islands, with his mother Mary Ribe, before his life-changing surgery at The Canberra Hospital. Credit:Graham Tidy Charlie was born with Hirschsprung disease, which causes intestinal obstruction. He had two surgeries in Honiara to bypass the bowel through a colostomy bag. The first was put in the wrong place, and the second "stuck out like an elephant trunk". An Australian-born child with the same disease as Charlie would have it picked up and operated on weeks after birth. The part of bowel that was not working would be removed, and the baby would then be able to continue life as normal. Consumer suffering from colds and the flu are spending millions of dollars on vitamins and supplements, which some medical experts say will likely do nothing to ease their ailments. Australians spend more that $3.5 billion a year on so-called "complementary medicines and therapies", according to the National Institute of Complementary Medicine, and the industry focuses winter-time trade on products that combat colds and the flu. Swisse sells supplements that are "based on scientific and traditional evidence" and Blackmore's products say they "may help to shorten the duration" of colds. But there is wild disagreement in the medical community over whether these products which can cost $20 for a one-week supply are worth the money. An artist's impression of the Capitol Grand development at the corner of Chapel Street and Toorak Road. "We want diversity. Chapel Street has a huge mix of brands but the charm of the independents," she said. Dimitria Papafotiou, whose first boutique DIIDA has been open a month, has bet the early success of her label on the resurgence of Chapel Street, specifically the "Paris end" near Toorak Road. No highrises ... an aerial view of South Yarra from 1950 showing the Yarra River, Melbourne High School and a skyline devoid of buildings. Credit:Fairfax Photographic "I know it's been quieter but every time I have had to shop for an outfit, Chapel Street has been the place to go," she said. But DIIDA was not a roll-of-the-dice decision. Papafotiou sent hours sitting in cafes on High Street, Armadale, and Malvern Road, Hawksburn, before settling on the site. The Jam Factory was recently sold for $165 million. She nominated more eateries and better marketing as ways to help revitalise the strip. "There's so much going on now [on Chapel Street]. Luxury living is coming up here. If you just turn around the corner on to Toorak Road, there is lots of growth happening. It's coming back and ... I want to be part of Chapel Street coming back to its former glory." While some major brands exited Chapel Street for Emporium or High Street, Armadale, denim label Diesel has firmly dug in its heels, opening a flagship in late 2014. And Witchery's new flagship opened this weekend. Diesel brand manager Antony Hampson acknowledges the strip has had issues but is confident it will "reinvent itself". "I don't think it's anything the precinct has done, more it's just a general trend of people shopping in centres," he says. Hampson said the weather, parking, opening of fast-fashion megastores like H&M in the CBD all contributed to the mixed fortunes of Chapel Street but maintains it will "always be considered a premium fashion destination". Some observers are less convinced of a fashion resurgence along Chapel Street. Retail industry specialist Martin Ginnane, who did some work on the Capitol Grand development in its early stages, said Chapel Street had "suffered from its own success" over the past decade. He said a strategy to attract "more organic" and independent retailers had largely failed because they couldn't afford the rent. Mr Ginnane, who lives in the area, said at last count there were about 25 empty shops between Toorak and Malvern roads. "The thing that will save Chapel Street from really bleeding is the vacancy rates on Toorak Road [South Yarra] ... have dropped to around 7 per cent," he said. However, he doubts it will ever again be the fashion destination it was, with food and convenience retailers having dominance. "Chapel Street just doesn't have an identity at the moment ... it's up to Stonnington [council] to really clean it up," he said. Stonnington mayor Claude Ullin has a plan, which includes $20 million to be spent on the precinct over the next four years, including more open space and better footpaths. He said a future Chapel Street could see a more egalitarian approach to retail mix where the tenants decide who moves in, a system that works well in some cities in the US, Canada and Europe. Approaches have been made to the state government along these lines but it will take changes to legislation, he said. He is also hopeful of launching a ferry service along the Yarra between the city and Chapel Street. Other ideas include the installation of scramble crossings to improve pedestrian movement. He said it was a misconception that Chapel Street competes most with the mega malls such as Chadstone. A 700 kilometre stretch of mangrove shoreline in the southern reaches of the Gulf of Carpentaria has died, sparking fears of deeper implications for the ecosystem. The dieback encompasses about 7000 hectares of land and was the result of the El Nino conditions that affected the region during the warmer months. 7000 hectares of mangrove trees have died back in the Gulf of Carpentaria sparking fears of far reaching repercussions. Credit:James Cook University James Cook University Professor Norm Duke said that was about the extent of their 'hard data' around the problem ranging from Kurumba in Queensland to the Roper River in the Northern Territory. "We know from the remote sensing we have in the area that the dieback occurred late November, December last year," Professor Duke said. Prominent Indigenous journalist Stan Grant has used Constitution Day to push for a treaty with the first Australians, saying it could end the tensions of torn allegiances. Speaking at the National Archives of Australia on Saturday, Grant said the tension was obvious when he held one of the original copies of the Constitution this week and thought about the nearby petition of the Northern Territory Larrakia people which asked for a treaty like the maoris had been given in New Zealand. Stan Grant said a treaty could occur in a unifying way, as it had in New Zealand. Credit:Elesa Kurtz "When I held that Constitution I felt great reverence, but when I looked upon the Larrakia petition, I felt that I belonged," he said. "There is a hole in me where my country should be." Grant is a member of the Referendum Council, a government body looking into how best to recognise Indigenous Australians through a change to the Constitution. While much of the wider populace rolled their eyes when former model Christina Estrada attempted to justify in a London court recently why she deserved a $340 million-plus divorce settlement from her mind-boggingly wealthy ex-husband, because "money attracts money", she did have a point. When one has more zeroes on their bank balance than there are people on the planet, it is only natural that one would find succour with like-minded people who find themselves in similar situations. Hiddleswift (left) entertained friends at their Fourth of July party, as well as the rest of the world on Instagram. Credit:britmaack/Instagram And super yachts and private islands don't come cheap either, darling. Yes, even for the ridiculously rich the "struggle is real". Just take a look at the guest list aboard billionaire truckie Lindsay Fox's decadent 80th birthday celebrations to see how "money attracts money". Australia's top public servants have refused for almost three years a directive to pay themselves bonuses. As Malcolm Turnbull prepares to form government, a Fairfax survey shows the bureaucracy brushed aside a Coalition promise made during the previous election campaign: to pay officials bonuses based on how much "red tape" they cut. Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos has said the Liberals are philosophically committed to performance pay for public servants Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The pledge remains Coalition policy, though Liberal ministers would not discuss it this week. But the Australian Public Service's 20 largest workplaces effectively ignored it: each confirmed they don't give executives the extra payments. Bush Heritage Australia has forfeited the inheritance of a 350-acre property near Bega and lost numerous donors as they face backlash from a planned kangaroo cull at Scottsdale Reserve, south of Canberra. Regular supporters of the non-profit organisation have pulled donations following reports of a cull, with one referring to the organisation as "hopeless frauds". Bush Heritage aims to "conserve biodiversity" at properties either purchased or donated across Australia. However, the Australian Society for Kangaroos unveiled a practice of culling which has left supporters feeling lied to. "I've cancelled my donation forever," one email read, in correspondence with ASK. "I sent the foster parents letters at the beginning, thanking them but making it clear it was just until I was settled," she says. To see her children once a fortnight, she drove for eight hours. By Christmas 2014, the stress became too much. In the same week she had negotiated the sale of her home while simultaneously buying another house in her new town, she made the long drive to Sydney for a Christmas access visit after finishing a late shift at work. It grated that Barnardos had stipulated what Christmas presents she could bring. She stopped off in Gosford overnight and drank a bottle of wine. Anne says she took out her frustrations by attacking the local RSL club's Christmas tree. She was arrested and issued with a good behaviour bond. Anne was instructed not to drink, but lapsed. When the court case for the return of her children was finally heard after 12 months, the judge saw the alcohol convictions and decided she wasn't ready. Since then, Anne has completed parenting programs and alcohol programs to prove she can provide a stable home. "I have made significant changes," she says. FACS caseworkers are satisfied with the care Anne provides for her 10-month-old baby. She moved to Sydney this year to be closer to her older children, set up a new apartment and found a job. "FACS said Barnardos should be looking at increasing visits, instead they have done the opposite. They are looking after their client," she says. The head of Barnardos has been granted the same power as the head of FACS to invite foster parents to adopt. Introduced by former families minister Pru Goward as a way to "speed up" adoption, the new law also requires courts to prioritise adoption over foster care, and gives a deadline of 12 months for a decision on family restoration. Ms Goward promoted adoption as an alternative to IVF for childless couples, and a solution to find permanent homes for the 20,000 children in often revolving foster care. But women's legal services warned the fast timeframes were too rigid, and would disenfranchise mothers. Anne says she was "gutted" to discover her children would fall under the new adoption law. Looking at the Barnardos website, with photographs of smartly dressed children seeking "forever families", Anne says: "I felt sick my children were in that at one stage. What is this a shop?" "The adoptive parents would be thinking they are helping a child in need. I understand their point of view. They have been given these children and told they can keep them." Such is the Baird government's push to increase the rate of adoptions that in February an "adoption roadshow" travelled around NSW to persuade FACS caseworkers to give adoption greater priority. Families Minister Brad Hazzard accused them of having an "anti-adoption sentiment". But Women's Legal Services NSW executive officer Helen Campbell said: "We are concerned that the emphasis on adoption is the wrong way around. It should be taken as the last resort not the fast resort." "Speaking to the now adult Stolen Generation we know that although there was a short-term benefit in childhood, when they grow up they experience great feelings of loss and grief. We are not doing them a favour," she said. Anne doesn't understand how FACS can approve of her mothering for her youngest child, yet Barnardos wants adoption. She sought Legal Aid but was told she doesn't qualify for any more legal help because she owns a rental property. She says the property, in regional NSW, is unlikely to sell quickly. She has approached another lawyer seeking pro-bono assistance, but time is running short. A Barnardos spokeswoman said the first priority under the law was restoration to families, and no promises are given to foster parents that the placement of a child will result in adoption. "The Children's Court decides whether it is safe for a child to return home or not, not Barnardos," she said. A Good Samaritan was stabbed trying to break up an argument between a man and woman on the Gold Coast early Saturday morning. According to police, about 4am, a man and woman were arguing on Brett Avenue, Labrador, when a 26-year-old man approached to intervene. A Good Samaritan was stabbed trying to break up an argument between a man and woman on the Gold Coast early Saturday morning. Police said the man involved in the argument allegedly stabbed the Good Samaritan, who was not known to him. The victim sustained a non-life-threatening stab wound to his stomach and was treated at Gold Coast University Hospital. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. A Brisbane teenager has allegedly tortured a foster child who has since been placed with maternal grandparents. The teenager did not enter a plea to one charge of torture of the eight-year-old boy in Brisbane's Magistrates Court on Saturday. A Brisbane teenager has allegedly tortured a foster child who has since been placed with maternal grandparents. Credit:act\aurora.daniels In court documents, the teenager is alleged to have burnt the child's face by placing the heated rim of a lighter against his temple as punishment. He's alleged to have said, "If you try and run away, I'll burn the other side of your face." A big, hairy and scary enemy confronted police in far north Queensland on Tuesday evening. While on patrol a pair of Mareeba officers were flagged down by French backpackers near Granite Creek, about 70 kilometres west of Cairns. Two Mareeba police officers were flagged down by French backpackers near Granite Creek and asked to help remove a spider from the backpackers' campervan. Credit:Queensland Police The backpackers claimed their campervan had been invaded by spiders the size of dinner plates. Their description was an exaggeration. Police said only one spider had "invaded" the campervan and the real concern was the 2 metre long scrub python that liked to curl up on the back seat if the doors were left open. In that professorial manner of his, the president set out the horrible statistics of minorities and the law: "African Americans are 30 per cent more likely than whites to be pulled over. After being pulled over, African Americans and Hispanics are three times more likely to be searched. Last year, African Americans were shot by police at more than twice the rate of whites. A parking garage, left, where law enforcement officials are working a crime scene is shown with the Dallas County Courthouse. Credit:AP "African Americans are arrested at twice the rate of whites; African Americans defendants are 75 per cent more likely to be charged with offenses carrying mandatory minimums. They receive sentences that are almost ten percent longer than comparable whites arrested for the same crime." And challenging those who so easily dismiss the Black Lives Matter message as a new slice of political correctness, he asked: "What if this happened to somebody in your family? How would you feel?" Bad memories. US President John F Kennedy's assassination in 1963. Credit:AP But just hours later, Obama was back at the lectern, condemning the mass murder in Dallas. "We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations, but let's be clear: there are no possible justifications for these attacks or any violence towards law enforcement. There has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." People take part in a prayer vigil at Thanksgiving Square in Dallas. Credit:AP As some cities, including New York, Boston and Chicago, ordered officers to patrol in pairs, there were reports of copy-cat attacks, much lower calibre attacks on officers in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri in which four police were wounded. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch described the killing as an "unfathomable tragedy." Pleading for a calm response, not more violence, she alluding to a sense of fear and helplessness among Americans at the end of "a week of profound grief and heartbreak and loss," which included the police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota that were the reason for the protest at which the Dallas officers were gunned down. In Congress, both sides condemned the killings, with House Speaker Paul Ryan appealing for Americans to unite. "We are all stunned," he said. "I know that to be a cop's wife or a cop's husband is to prepare for the worst. But who could have fathomed such horror as this? There is no cause or context in which this violence, this kind of terror is justifiednone at all. There will be a temptation to let our anger harden our divisions. Let's not let that happen." Seeming to make a rare gesture to Obama, Ryan went on: "As the president rightfully said, 'Justice will be done.' We also have to let the healing be done as well. "This has been a long week for our country, it has been a long month for America. We have seen terrible senseless things. Every member of this body every Republican and every Democrat wants to see less gun violence. Every member of this body wants a world in which people feel safe regardless of the colour of their skin. That's not how people are feeling these days." But it wasn't clear that Ryan was ready to fall in with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings who, during a lunchtime vigil on Friday, urged all Americans to make a 'head-on attack' on the race issue. "We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues [that] continue to divide us," he said. "This is on my generation of leaders - It is on our watch that we have allowed this to continue to fester." At the same time he cautioned that Americans had to balance the "relatively few officers that blemish the reputation of their high calling" [with the honest and brave] "99 per cent of officers." But in the campaign of GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump there was no such nuance. Mirroring the great display of sensitivity in the wake of the June massacre in Orlando, when Trump tweeted self-congratulations for his call that the killing spree was terrorism, one of his Virginia campaign officials fired off a tweet, that subsequently was deleted, as the Dallas killings unfolded blaming the killings on Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton "who label[s] police as racist [and is] to blame for essentially encouraging the murder of these police officers tonight." News / National by Thobekile Zhou President Robert Mugabe who is also the First Secretary of Zanu-PF said the party is aware that opposition parties are holding meetings in South Africa to formalise a coalition against Zanu PF.He was addressing a rally which took place at dawn in Bindura today.Mugabe encouraged party supporters to despair not adding that Zanu PF is a formidable party which is not moved by emerging opposition forces."I am very proud of the support you have given me over the years and which has made me an admiration of Africa.Gushungo vanodada nemi," he said. PATCO track tragedy took the lives of two family men NTSB: PATCO track 'had not been taken out of service' when workers were hit on Ben Franklin Bridge tracks Australia-based Automatic Door Co Ltd, which is into the design, manufacturer, sales and services of automatic sensor doors, has set up an assembling facility in Chennai and would look at setting up a manufacturing facility in future to address the market requirements in India. The Indian subsidiary is expected to contribute around 50 per cent of the company's target sales of 3,500 units over the next two years, it said. The company, which has invested around Rs 12 crore in setting up the assembling facility in Industrial Area of Maraimalar Nagar, Kanchipuram District, is planning to invest around Rs 80 crore during the next two to three years to expand it into a manufacturing facility. Financial services are proving to be an exception to a global expectation of flat information technology (IT) budget in 2016, as the segment one of the largest spenders on technology and services is spending more than ever to make its systems and processes more customer-centric. Even as the herbal revolution in India has forced multinational consumer goods to reformulate their strategy, they are doing better than domestic brands when it comes to consumer reach. United Spirits Limited (USL), owned by British beverage giant Diageo, on Saturday said it found evidence of funds diversion worth Rs 1,225 crore from the company when it was managed by Vijay Mallya. After a video recently went viral where two students at a suburban medical college in Chennai got together to throw a stray dog off the terrace, it allowed animal activists and the police to trace down the perpetrators. But the resulting legal action brought to light the fact that people can get away with cruelty against animals for a fine of Rs 50 and receive bail easily. People for Animals (PFA) is among the NGOs that launched the 'No More 50' campaign this year, which calls for amendments to the law against cruelty to animals. Ambika Nijjar, lawyer, animal rights activist, and legal advisor to PFA, speaks to Ranjita Ganesan about the challenges and ongoing efforts Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, anyone who beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads, tortures or otherwise ill treats an animal can get away by paying a fine of between Rs 10 and Rs 50. Why is the fine so measly? The law has not been amended in 56 years. In 1960, Rs 50 was a lot of money. Having to pay that much for being cruel to animals was commensurate with the seriousness of the crime- it taught someone a lesson. If you take the index of what it meant to people then, it would be around Rs 10,000 or more in today's terms. The same penalty has continued till date and it is becoming a joke. It is also an offence where you get bail immediately, simply for the asking of it. Reliving history, Prime Minister on Saturday retraced Mahatma Gandhis train journey in South Africa, as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment which in turn proved to be a turning point in his life. On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhis fight against racial discrimination. On June 7, 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid firstclass ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station on a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhis decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi. PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhiji travelled, the PMO tweeted. After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister on Friday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela. For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, Modi had said. He further said, We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa. The Government of Kerala is contemplating setting up a bank by merging all the co-operative banks in the state, in order to give the entity one of the widest reaches in the state. The government is planning to set up a committee to prepare a detailed recommendation on the idea. Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Issac, in his budget speech on Friday, said that the government is looking at merging district and state level co-operative banks to form a single bank. In the revised budget for 2016-17, he allocated Rs 10 lakh to set up the committee, which would prepare the the detailed recommendation for this. Bank employees have decided to go strike, as earlier planned on July 12 and 13, since the conciliation meeting failed to yield any results. The unions have called for a strike against proposed closure of associate and their merger with the State Bank of India (SBI), and proposed privatisation of IDBI Bank, among other issues. Captain Radhika Menon, Master of the oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajya, is to receive the 2016 International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her role in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in tumultuous seas in the Bay of Bengal in June last year. The International Maritime Organization is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India, for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage. . . The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year. Through wave heights of more than 25 feet, winds of more than 60 knots and heavy rain, on 22 June, the second officer on the Sampurna Swarajya spotted the boat 2.5 kilometres away, off the coast of Gopalpur, Orissa. . . Captain Menon immediately ordered a rescue operation, utilising the pilot ladder and with life jackets and buoys on standby. It took three arduous attempts in the lashing wind and rain and heavy swells before all seven weak and starving fishermen, aged from 15 to 50 years old, were brought to safety on board the ship. Their families had already considered them to be lost at sea, but thanks to the rescue, led by Captain Menon, they were reunited with their loved ones a few days later. . . Captain Menon is the first woman captain in the Indian Merchant Navy and will be the first woman to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. The Awards ceremony is expected to take place at IMO Headquarters, on 21 November, at the end of the first day of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). . . This annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment. Nominations are scrutinized by an Assessment Panel made up of members of non governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO, under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General. Subsequently, a Panel of Judges meets (under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Council, with the participation of the Chairmen of the Maritime Safety Committee, the Marine Environment Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, the Technical Cooperation Committee and the Facilitation Committee) to consider the recommendations of the Assessment Panel and to select the recipient of the Award. . . The recipient of the Award is invited to a special ceremony at IMO to receive a medal and a certificate citing the act of exceptional bravery performed. . . There are three categories of honour: first, the Award itself, for the nominee judged to have performed the most outstanding act of bravery from among those described. Secondly, Certificates of Commendation are awarded to nominees who have committed acts of extraordinary bravery. And, thirdly, Letters of Commendation are sent to those nominees who are judged to deserve some special recognition for meritorious actions. . . Gen Dalbir Singh, the Chief of the Army Staff will be visiting Australia on a four day visit from 11 to 14 July 2016. The visit assumes special significance in light of enhanced military cooperation between the two countries. . . During his four day tour the COAS will be visiting important defence establishments of the Australian Armed Forces and is scheduled to meet a number of high ranking defence officials including the Australian Army Chief and officials of Ministry of Defence of Australia. . . The COAS will be visiting Her Majestys Australian Ships Kuttabul and Adelaide, Headquarters Force Command, Headquarters Joint Operation Command, School of Military Engineering, Royal Military College, Land Network Integration Centre (LNIC) and Land Systems Division. . . Col Rohan Anand, SM PRO (Army) Bangladesh government on Saturday said it was investigating the Islamist links of India-based controversial preacher and examining the possibilities of banning his "provocative" speeches in the wake of two brutal terrorist attacks in the country within a week in which 25 people died. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that Bangladesh's intelligence agencies were investigating the Islamic preacher. "He is on our security scanner... Our intelligence agencies are investigating his activities as his lectures appeared provocative," Khan said. Khan said the investigators were also probing Naik's financial transactions in Bangladesh. He, however, added that the government was yet to decide on banning the broadcast of his 'Peace TV Bangla.' But Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the government was examining the possibilities of banning Naik's 'Peace TV Bangla' in view of his controversial speeches. "Give us some more time for taking a decision in this regard...But I can tell you, we have been receiving complaints about the provocative contents of his speeches," Inu said. The comments by the two senior ministers came as Bangladesh's private TV cable operators said they await a government directive on the broadcast of Naik's television channel. "In the past, I myself used to watch the channel but after the Gulshan incident, I realised that many people do not view the channel the way I do it," Cable TV Owners' Association President Mir Hossain Akhtar told a Bangladeshi news agency. He added: "We want to stop airing the channel across the country. But in the absence of any government notification in this regard, it is not possible at this moment." The channel also airs broadcast in Bangla targeting the Bangladeshi audience. Naik, whose speeches are aired on 'Peace TV' run by his Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is a controversial Islamic preacher and his preachings were reported to have inspired some of the Dhaka attackers. Britain and Canada have banned Naik from visiting the two countries several years ago while Malaysia banned his lectures fearing that they could instigate inter-racial tensions. Experts said Naik could not be accused of openly inciting terror but his preaching were a heady mix of ingredients which could abet radicalisation of the extreme kinds. One of the slain attackers of the terrorist attack in Dhaka's high-security Gulshan area on July 1, the 22-year-old Rohan Imtiaz quoted Naik in a Facebook post in January this year, where he urged "all Muslims to be terrorists." Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack. Six days later, militants attacked police guarding the largest Eid gathering in Bangladesh and killed three more people. The White House said today that investigators had "ruled out" any links to domestic or terrorism in the shooting of five police officers in Dallas during a protest against police killings of black Americans. "It is my understanding that investigators have now publicly ruled out the possibility that the individual who carried out this terrible act of violence had any sort of connections to terrorist organisations, either in the United States or around the world," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in Warsaw. "I don't think there's a link to any sort of terrorist conspiracy," added Earnest, giving a briefing at a NATO summit in the Polish capital attended by President Barack Obama. The spokesman added that there were no immediate plans for Obama to alter his travel arrangements to return to the United States. "It's something we'll follow closely and if it's something that merits a change in plan we'll let you know," Earnest added. Obama earlier on Friday called the shootings a "vicious, despicable and calculated" attack. Calling for unity after deadly shooting in the US city of Dallas, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said that white people must listen to African-Americans about "what it feels to live with fear and anxiety." "White people need to be listening to African-Americans about what it feels like to live with fear and anxiety, to be profiled, to worry about what will happen to their children when they go out to play or out on a date or go for a drive," Clinton said in an interview yesterday. "We have to listen to the fears of our police officers, who get up every day and do a dangerous job, like the police in Dallas who ran toward the shooting when it broke out after a peaceful protest," she said responding to questions on shootout at Dallas - the deadliest incident for law enforcement in the US after 9/11. In the aftermath of the Dallas incident, Clinton has called for a national conversation following killing of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota this week. "As a white person, I want to make it clear that whites have to listen. We have to recognise, you know, many of the fears and anxieties that our African-American, our Latinos and in our society feel. We saw the terrible shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, our LGBT friends," 68-year-old Clinton said. She yesterday cancelled her election rally in Pennsylvania where she was to be joined by Vice President Joe Biden. Her Republican rival Donald Trump also cancelled his election event in Miami, Florida. "This cuts across so many of the divides in our country. And it should send a clarion call to every single one of us. We do not want to live like this. We don't want people, any American, living in fear. We don't want our police living in fear. And if we want to end that, we have to work together," she said. Clinton said, President Barack Obama has done an extraordinary job in trying to explain and provide information to anyone who is willing to listen about the inequities and difficulties that are being confronted by so many of our fellow Americans. "His policing commission that he puts together after Ferguson, Missouri, has excellent recommendations, but not enough police departments have followed them. And I want to put money in the budget when I'm president to make it possible for every police department to implement these important reforms," she said. China should be held "accountable" to an tribunal's ruling next week on the dispute with the Philippines, the US has said, advising both countries to comply with their obligations. "We support the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, including the use of legal mechanisms such as arbitration," the State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. "As provided in the Law of the Sea Convention, the tribunal's decision in this case will be legally binding on both parties, the Philippines and China. It's our expectation that both parties will comply with their obligations and exercise restraint," he said in response to a question. The US, he said, has made clear to the Chinese what its expectations are in this regard. Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, said the Obama Administration and other counterparts across the world recognise the severity of the threat posed by China's aggressive, coercive actions in the that undermine norms. "Our Secretary of Defence and the President himself regularly list the among the world's most concerning international friction points and raise it at the highest levels with their Chinese interlocutors, including Chinese President Xi Jinping," he said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration's tribunal deciding the Philippines' legal case against China recently announced it will conclude its decision on July 12. "Although China is legally bound to its result, it has refused to participate and has clearly said it will not comply. I am concerned that many seemed to have written off China's non-compliance as a foregone conclusion," Salmon said, adding, "China should be held accountable to the tribunal's ruling." The Philippines has asked the tribunal to rule on a number of issues, particularly on the validity of China's nine-dash line and on the maritime entitlements generated by various land features in the South China Sea. The Law of the Sea Convention makes clear that the absence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shall not constitute a bar to the proceeds and that a decision by the tribunal shall be complied with by the parties to the dispute, in this case, China and the Philippines, said Colin Willett Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, during a Congressional hearing on Thursday. "The world will be watching to see whether China chooses a path of diplomacy and cooperation or continues to walk a long one of confrontation with its neighbors," he said. Kenyan police said on Saturday that "more than 100" Islamist fighters raided a police station in north- east Kenya overnight, injuring one officer. The attack on Diff police station in Wajir district, close to the Somali border, happened at 1:00 AM and was blamed on militants from the Shabaab, a Somali-led al-Qaeda group. Police chief Joseph Boinnet confirmed the attack. "Officers put up stiff resistance and fought them off despite numbering over 100 in three trucks and heavy mortar fire," he said. A police source speaking on condition of anonymity said more than 10,000 bullets plus 13 AK-47 assault rifles, police uniforms and other items were stolen from the station. Diff police station suffered a similar raid in April this year when three officers were wounded and a police vehicle stolen. Officials said around 100 fighters were also involved in that raid. Two former officials of Louis Berger were today sentenced to two years in probation by a US court in connection with a long-running bribery scheme to secure contracts by bribing government officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait, the Justice Department said. Several politicians and government officials in Goa and Assam are under scanner of Indian investigating agencies in this corruption case. The two former officials of Louis Berger Richard Hirsch, 62, of Philippines and James McClung, 60, of UAE had earlier pleaded guilty. Hirsch was sentenced by US District Judge Mary L Cooper to two years of probation and fined $10,000. Hirsch previously served as the senior vice-president responsible for the company's operations in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, a statement said. McClung was sentenced by Cooper on July 7 to one year plus one day in jail. McClung previously served as the senior vice-president responsible for the company's operations in India and Vietnam, said the Department of Justice. McClung and Hirsch had pleaded guilty before Cooper on July 17 last year in Trenton federal court to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and one substantive count of violating the FCPA. According to court documents, from 1998 through 2010, Louis Berger (LBI) and its employees, including Hirsch and McClung, orchestrated $3.9 million in bribe payments to foreign officials in various countries in order to secure government contracts. To conceal the payments, the conspirators made payments under the guise of "commitment fees", "counterpart per diems" and other payments to third-party vendors. In reality, the payments were intended to fund bribes to foreign officials who had awarded contracts to LBI or who supervised its work on contracts, the defendants admitted. McClung cooperated with the government's investigation by identifying other executives at LBI who had knowledge of bribery. Some of the information provided by McClung was also helpful to the government's successful prosecution of LBI's former CEO, Derrish Wolff, who pleaded guilty to accounting fraud in December 2014, the Justice Department said in a statement. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders geared up today for a long-term standoff with Russia, ordering multinational troops to Poland and the three Baltic states as Moscow moves forward with its own plans to station two new divisions along its western borders. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that on the first day of a landmark two-day summit, US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other countries also declared the initial building blocks of a ballistic missile system operationally capable, recognised cyberspace as a domain for alliance operations, committed to boosting their countries' civil preparedness, and renewed a pledge to spend a minimum of 2% of their national incomes on defence. "We have just taken decisions to deliver 21st century deterrence and defence in the face of 21st-century challenges," Stoltenberg told a news conference. He said the leaders' decision to deploy new alliance units to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on a rotational basis is "an open-ended commitment" designed to last "as long as necessary". Polish President Andrzej Duda, the summit's official host, warned that Western democratic values are being undermined by a "notorious lack of respect for law" as well as terrorism and high-tech warfare, and said needs a coherent strategy to address those problems. After arriving in Warsaw, Obama announced his decision to send an additional 1,000 US troops to Poland as part of the effort to reinforce its presence on the alliance's frontiers near Russia. Following bilateral talks, Duda thanked him, saying Poles "are grateful for the goodwill, for understanding that security is where the world's strongest army is, and that army is the US Army". In a column published in the Financial Times, Obama called on NATO to stand firm against Russia, terrorism and other challenges, and to "summon the political will, and make concrete commitments" to strengthen European cooperation after Britain voted June 23 to leave the European Union. The deployment of the new NATO units, telegraphed long in advance like most items on the summit program following months of deliberations by allied governments, is vigorously opposed by the Kremlin. As Obama and the other alliance heads of state and government were gathering in the Polish capital, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is willing to cooperate with NATO, even though he said it acts toward Russia like an enemy. Russia "has always been open for dialogue" with NATO, especially to fight what it sees as a "genuine threat" from terrorism, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Russia is not looking (for an enemy) but it actually sees it happening," Peskov told reporters in Moscow. "When NATO soldiers march along our border and NATO jets fly by, it's not us who are moving closer to the NATO borders." But German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, whose nation will furnish the core components of the new battalion going to Lithuania, called it an appropriate measure to counter what she called a "completely unpredictable and aggressive Russia". today appeared to have test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul's defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. "The North launched what was believed to be an SLBM from waters off the (northeastern) port of Sinpo at around 11:30 a.m. (0230 GMT)", the South Korean defence ministry said in a press statement. No further details were immediately available. previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Saturday's launch came after Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed "Supreme Leader" Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest counter-measures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US". It said any problem arising in relations with the US would be handled under its "wartime law". North Korea often issues bellicose statements against the US, but the reference to "wartime law" is rare and analysts warned of more sabre-rattling to come over the sanctions. Syrian state media says 30 people have been killed in rocket fire overnight in Aleppo, the country's largest city and the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's civil war, now in its sixth year. SANA says rebel groups targeted residential neighbourhoods in the government-held area of the divided city, hammering them with rocket fire last night. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 34 people were killed, 6 of them women or children. It says a further nine, among them eight women and children, were killed in presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes and rocket attacks on the opposition-held side of the city. A government offensive made the last supply route to the opposition side impassable Thursday. The Observatory says clashes are ongoing in the area. has slammed Hillary Clinton for talking about the email controversy surrounding her US presidential bid when five police officers were killed in a shootout by at least one sniper in Dallas, saying she was answering "softball questions" on a day of national tragedy. Clinton yesterday appeared on three American networks and answered questions related to her use of a private email account as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term. And refuted assertion by FBI Director James Comey that she was "extremely careless" with classified information. "Isn't it sad that on a day of national tragedy Hillary Clinton is answering softball questions about her email lies on CNN?" presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump asked in a tweet yesterday. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, gave interviews to CNN and two other television channels - MSNBC and PBS - wherein she faced questions on the email controversy and shared her views following the "ambush style" shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers. On CNN, Clinton praised the slain Dallas officers and called the attack "an absolutely horrific event." Both Clinton and Trump cancelled their election rallies in Pennsylvania and Florida in the wake of deadly incident. Meanwhile, New York Daily News reported that the New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton has rejected Trump's request to speak to officers show solidarity with the police. But the department denied his request. "Our interest is in staying out of the at the moment, not to provide photo ops," Bratton told reporters. The attack has forced both the candidates to address racial divisions while showing support for US law enforcement officials. President Barack Obama had, just ahead of the Dallas shooting, made an impassioned address from Warsaw, where he has gone to attend a NATO meet, about race and policing in the US. He cited statistics that showed that black people were far more likely to be arrested and shot by police. The US expelled two Russian diplomats in retaliation for an incident in which a Russian policeman tackled an American outside the embassy in Moscow, as relations between the two nations continue to sour. The two diplomats were expelled on June 17, State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday, without giving additional details about the response to the June 6 confrontation in Moscow. Video released on Russian television this week appeared to show the policeman emerge from a guard booth and wrestle the man to the ground after he got out of a taxi at an embassy entrance. "The ... The United States has expelled two Russian officials in retaliation over an "unprovoked" attack on its diplomat by a Russian policeman outside the US embassy in Moscow last month. "On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian policeguard attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound, after the official identified himself. "The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee," he said. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said: "Attacks on American diplomats cannot be tolerated, period. Expelling Russian officials is an appropriate first step." "But the administration must bolster efforts on a number of fronts - including broadcasting - to confront Vladimir Putin's continued aggression," Royce added. The details of the incident were for the first time given by Kirby yesterday. "I've been clear from the podium that we would prefer to deal with this matter in private government-to-government channels. However, because the Russian government continues to make allegations about this incident, I am now compelled to set the record straight," he said. Kirby said the Russian claim the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual was untrue. "In addition to the attack on the 6th of June, Russian security services have intensified their harassment against US personnel in an effort to disrupt our diplomatic and consular operations," he said. "We've privately urged the Russian government to stop the harassment of American personnel in Russia, and as I said before, the safety and well-being of our diplomatic and consular personnel abroad and their accompanying family members are things we take very, very seriously," he said. The incident, Kirby said comes on the heels of two years of increasing diplomatic harassment by Russian authorities that is also unprovoked and unnecessary. "A week or so ago, Russian claims that they're getting harassed here are simply without foundation. So you want to have a conversation about in-kind treatment, it's time for Russia to treat our diplomats in the same manner in which they're treated here when they come to the US," he said. Kirby said the US relationship with Russia is complicated. "We certainly don't see eye to eye on everything. There are areas where we have in the past and I think we'll continue to seek cooperation with them, such as on Syria and the political process there," he said. "There are obviously still areas where there's tension; Ukraine and Minsk implementation is one of them, and certainly this. There's no need for this when there's so many more important things for us to be working on with Russia and so much real, meaningful geopolitical progress that could be had. There's no place for this kind of treatment and there's no reason for it," Kirby said. The US has offered to provide an "informational briefing" to China on the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea after Beijing strongly objected to its placement in the Korean peninsula. "There's no reason why this deployment should be of concern to Chinese leaders since it is a purely defensive measure and because North Korea continues to pose such a real and significant threat to South Korea," the State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference. China yesterday strongly objected to THAAD's deployment, which the US has said is only against the North Korean threat and is not aimed at any other country. The US Ambassador to China Max Sieben Baucus was summoned by the Chinese government in Beijing. "We have certainly listened to their concerns and we have offered to provide informational briefings for them on the way the system works," Kirby said. "This is a purely defensive system that we wouldn't have to talk about and wouldn't have to consider if the DPRK (North Korea) had proven, in recent weeks and months, willing to take a different, more peaceful path," he said. "We have offered to be as transparent as possible about the capabilities of this system, which, again, is purely defensive," he argued. "We have obligations to help protect our South Korean allies and that's why we're having this discussion, that's why this decision was made," he said, adding, "There should be no reason why the Chinese or anybody else needs to be concerned about what is a purely defensive system." US Senator John McCain welcomed the decision on deployment of missiles in South Korea. "This decision was a sovereign choice of the South Korean government and will provide further protection for alliance forces and the ROK (Republic of Korea) population against North Korea's ballistic missiles forces in the years ahead," he said. "If the government of China has a concern with this deployment it should seek to use its influence to change the decisions being made in Pyongyang instead of attempting to limit Seoul's ability to defend itself against the growing threat to its north," McCain said. Ashish Kumar Chauhan, chief executive officer of the BSE, tells Arup Roychoudhury and Ashley Coutinho in an interview delisting of companies that have been suspended for more than seven years will start in a few months and the exchange will comply with all regulations to curb high-frequency trading. Edited excerpts. Multinational Apple has announced the appointment of Khushboo Ponwar as market development lead for App Store, Apple Music and iTunes. Ponwar's job will be to focus solely on India, a market with strong growth amid slowing global sales for the Cupertino-based smartphone maker. Ponwar was previously responsible for App Store, Apple Music and iTunes business in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa and India. India was among the few bright spots for Apple in its second quarter earnings, which saw its largest growing market China shrink its revenue fall by 11 percent. In China, it dropped to the number five position with a 10.8 percent share of the smartphones sold in May, down from 12 percent a year before, according to Counterpoint Market Research. The Indian government has reached out to the company on renewing its application to set up wholly owned stores in the country, after rebuffing it the first time over local-sourcing exemptions. The rules have since changed. The move came after Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India and opened its new office in Hyderabad, investing about USD 25 million and creating up to 4,000 jobs. The Bahamas has issued a travel advisory for its citizens planning to go to the United States, warning them about the high tensions in some cities over the shooting of 'young black males'. "At the commencement of the Independence holiday weekend, many Bahamians will no doubt use the opportunity to travel, in particular to destinations in the United States. We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the US but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally. In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate," a statement by the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The statement further warned its citizens to not get involved in political or other demonstrations under any circumstances and avoid crowds. The Bahamas has consular offices in New York, Washington, Miami and Atlanta and honorary consuls in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago and Houston. Earlier, five police officers were killed after unknown snipers ambushed them amid protests in Dallas over the shooting of two black men by cops in Louisiana and Minnesota. Six other officers were also wounded in the shoot out. The crowd had gathered to protest against the killing of Philando Castile on Wednesday by a cop in Minnesota and Alton Sterling who was shot by a policeman on Tuesday in Louisiana. People across the nation vented their anger and rallies were carried out in Minnesota, Louisiana, Chicago, New York and many other cities. The shooting in Dallas happened as protests were underway. Witness Clarissa Myles said "Everyone was screaming, people were running. I saw at least probably 30 shots go off." Another witness who was at the protest said he heard multiple gunshots in rapid succession. Video showed numerous police officers crouching behind vehicles. Others approached a location holding protective shields. Philando Castile, a school food services worker, was shot in Falcon Heights on Wednesday, outside Minneapolis, when a police officer pulled him over because of a broken taillight, said his fiancee, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with Castile, along with her 4-year-old daughter. Asserting that the Centre has taken cognizance of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's controversial comments regarding terrorism, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said India, which is a truly democratic country, does not allow anyone to promote terrorism in any form. spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that there have been many reports about Naik in the past, even during the UPA regime, but the Manmohan Singh-led government did not pay heed to it and did not take any action. "There can be many ways to present Islam and there is full liberty and freedom in India to publicise and promote any religion. But no one can be allowed to promote terrorism in India. It is also true that there have been many reports against Naik. There were reports against him during the UPA regime, but they did not take any action. Now, our government has said that we will first investigate the reports and then initiate action," he said. "The stand of the UPA regime was very fragile. They always compromised on the issue of terrorism. We should not allow anyone to promote terrorism," he added while categorically stating that former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA regime lacked on this front. Hussain further insisted the need of the hour is to protect the children from getting infected with the ISIS ideology. "Our Prime Minister has always asserted that terrorism is not related to any religion for which he won appreciation from all the countries. Our Home Minister has also asserted that a proper probe will be conducted into Naik's speech," he said. Earlier on Friday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government has taken cognizance of Naik's speeches, adding necessary instructions have been issued in this regard. "His (Zakir Naik) speeches, CDs are being examined and whatever is justified will be done," Rajnath told the media. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had also said that the Home Ministry will analyse and act appropriately on Naik's 'objectionable' speeches. During a lecture on Peace TV, Naik reportedly urged all Muslims to become terrorists. Naik, a popular but controversial Islamic orator and founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in UK and Canada for his hate speeches. He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday said the killing of the 21-year old militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in the Kokernag area in Jammu and Kashmir must be seen as the government's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, and described it to be a big breakthrough on the part of the security forces. "Burhan Wani was associated with social media campaign, he was the regional commander of the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. It is a very big success on the part of the security force. It should be seen as an effort to end terrorism. We have zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism," Madhav told ANI here. "Our only priority is the development of the nation. Our efforts will always be the security of the people in the valley and the government along with the security personnel is fully prepared to deal with any situation in the valley," he added. Meanwhile, the concerned authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have taken several measures to maintain law and order following the violence which erupted after the killing of top Hizbul Mujahiddin commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in South Kashmir's Anantnag district last evening. As news spread, protests erupted across Kashmir, with people blocking the Srinagar-Anantnag highway, burning tyres and pelting stones at police. In some areas, funeral prayers were offered to Wani and the two militants who were killed in the operation, and youth raised slogans in praise of the slain. The 21-year militant commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter in Kokernag area of the district. Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, carried a reward of Rs. ten lakh on his head. Radhika Menon will become the first woman in the world to receive the Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for 2016, from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). She will be awarded for saving the lives of seven fishermen, whose hopes of survival were all but over. The Awards ceremony is set to take place at IMO Headquarters in London, on 21 November. The annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life and perform acts of exceptional bravery. Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India, for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage facility. The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his team, after a successful business tour of China, are leaving for Kazakhstan and Russia from today. The Chief Minister would reach Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, on Saturday from New Delhi and would join an international meet with the entrepreneurs in the newly-constructed city to study the best practices for the construction of Andhra's permanent capital Amaravati. The Chief Minister and his team would also participate in the international investors' conference INNOPROM 2016, an international industrial exhibition, to be held in Russia from July 11 to promote investments in the state. India is a partner country for INNOPROM 2016 and Naidus counterparts Devendra Fadnavis from Maharashtra and Vasundhara Raje from Rajasthan are also attending the four-day event. Delegations from other states, including Gujarat and Jharkhand, would also participate in the event. Representatives from about 75 countries are participating in the INNOPROM event. Andhra Pradesh has a special pavilion in INNOPROM 2016. Days after alleging that the incumbent NDA regime is involved in a staggering Rs.45000-crore telecom scam, the Congress Party has again targeted the Centre, accusing it of overlooking a report on the matter prepared by the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Responding to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's Facebook post, wherein he had described the Congress charge as a mere case of "Empty Rhetoric", party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a series of five tweets asked the Centre as to why it was not upholding the findings of a constitutional authority like CAG instead of stalling the recovery of large sums for the public exchequer that lies in the realm of financial prudence. "The government is overlooking the CAG report and has appointed an internal panel of accountants. Whether it is a grotesque breach of public trust by the BJP government, which in the past, has made a loss pegged by CAG in telecom sector a major issue of transparency and corruption? What is the government's plan to recover 'Actual Losses'?" he said in a series of tweets. The Congress spokesperson alleged that the government was acting as a willful collaborator to the select entities in artfully dodging recovery of massive sums of money due to public exchequer vis-a-vis being a trustee of public interest. "Is this the way to minimize fiscal deficit?" he said. "Why is Modi Government maintaining a conspicuous silence in the matter becoming virtually comatose despite the mammoth size of financial sums involved?" he asked. Sujrewala asked, "Who benefits from the delaying strategy and why? Is this the new 'governance' model?" In a Facebook post, Jaitley said that the Congress Party has run out of ideas. "It has perfected the art of scoring self-goals. The latest example is the Press Conference that its Spokesperson held on 7th July 2016 alleging a telecom scam of Rs.46,000 crores. Under the well established policy of Government of India, telecom service providers pay to the Government of India license fee and spectrum user charges on a revenue sharing basis," he said. " A CAG Report of February 2016 has stated that the six telephone providers, between the period 2006-07 to 2009-10, have under reported their revenues to the extent of Rs.46,000 crores, thereby depleting the share of the Union Government in license fee and spectrum user charges by about Rs.5000 crores," he added. The Finance Minister further informed that the CAG report was received by the Telecom Department in February this year and its supporting documents were received in June 2016. "The same are now being scrutinized so that the telecom department can take further action in the matter. As per Parliamentary procedure, the CAG Report is now pending before the Public Accounts Committee," he said. "The pertinent question is how is this a scam of the NDA Government? The under reporting by the telecom service providers relates to the period when UPA was in power. The UPA Government, under its very nose, allowed this under reporting. The Final CAG report pointed it out in February 2016 and only 3 weeks ago have the documents been sent by the CAG to the Telecom Department. Notwithstanding the fact that the issue is pending before the PAC, the Telecom Department, which is processing these documents, will take action. What is act of omission and commission by the present Government? An impropriety took place during the UPA Government for which the present Government will take action," he added. Jaitley further said that the baseless allegations indicated at the pathetic plight of the Congress Party. "The question, however, is the pathetic plight of the Congress party. Notwithstanding the fact that this impropriety took place during the UPA Government, the Congress Spokesman made an empty noise about this being an NDA Telecom Scam. Shrillness, non-application of mind and a belligerent rhetoric seem to be the strategy of the Congress party. It is a pity that the Party has been pushed to this desperation," he said. Turns out, the colour red can evoke mischief in some of us. Results from a new University of Illinois study suggest that certain personality types are more likely to rebel against the norm, rather than comply, when seeing the colour red. The study was inspired by a problem faced by a Dutch child helpline that offered free counseling to children ages 8 to 18. Leaders of the non-profit organization that ran the service were frustrated because a high percentage of the calls were from pranksters who had no interest in genuine counseling. The organization contacted the researchers for help. Previous studies suggested that the color red leads to more risk-averse and compliant behavior. With this in mind, the researchers launched an experiment that showed three different colors on the chat screen while callers were on hold for a counselor. They expected that red would reduce the number of prank chats. "To our surprise, the prank chatting was higher with the red color background than the white or blue," said study author Ravi Mehta, adding "Prank chatting occurred about 22 percent of the time with the red background, compared to 15 percent for the white or blue." The researchers realized another cognitive response was at work. The color red can increase non-compliant behavior in people with "sensation seeking" personality types. These people seek novel and intense sensations and experiences and they're willing to take physical, social and financial risks for the sake of such experiences. The findings suggest that the assumptions about the color red may not apply to everyone, and this could have implications for things like anti-smoking and safe sex campaigns. "Using red to promote these preventative health measures might not work for people who are high in sensation seeking, and it might even backfire," Mehta noted. This could also apply to signs warning people not to swim, avoid a dangerous cliff or trespass. Further research is needed to explore whether this finding applies to healthy eating behavior, Mehta concluded. Red could help some people comply with health eating recommendations, but for high sensation seeking personality types, this may not be the color of choice. The study is published online in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Education Policy Alliance, India's diverse group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), has started an avant-garde concept of creating a Wiki on the government's draft Education Policy (NEP) to democratize the policy discourse. The Wiki is at www.nep.ccs.in. The idea is to have an open platform to deliberate, publicly collaborate and find realistic solutions for the challenges plaguing the education sector and influence the policy in a participatory manner. It is a collaborative, productive and a transparent platform for public discourse on education policy. India has embarked on a historic mission of formulating a new NEP, which was left untouched since 1992. The two official documents give a distinct idea of the contours of the NEP: One by the Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy, headed by TSR Subramanian and the second by the MHRD titled 'Some Inputs for Draft Education Policy 2016.' The MHRD has also invited comments on the document with a deadline of July 31 to be mailed at - NEP nep.edu@gov.in. Both the documents are open to discussion on the platform- NEP Wiki. The launch of the participatory platform of Wiki coincides with the reshuffle in the Cabinet and Prakash Javadekar has become the HRD Minister. Javadekar has the first hand knowledge of the complexity of the challenges in school education as his mother and sister have been teachers. This complexity requires working with all voices and stakeholders, none more so than the citizens of India. He will be particularly thrilled to see the active engagement of the citizenry on this critical issue of national education policy formulation. Visibly excited at the prospect, Parth Shah, Founder and President, of the Centre for Civil Society said, "Technology has been the most powerful tool for democratization of public space. A group of citizens and CSOs-NEP Alliance-has decided to democratize the whole policy discourse via NEP WIKI. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first in the history of Indian public policy making." Professor Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, Chair, UCL Institute of Education, University College London and Economist said, "The NEP-wiki is an excellent initiative, which will give voice to many stakeholders who feel passionately about improving the quality of education in the country. I urge the contributors to write only evidence-based critiques and suggestions, in order to make the contributions free of ideology and focus mainly on what works and what does not, to improve quality of schooling." Wiki provides a transparent process wherein one can read the comments of all the others, as opposed to each one sending in suggestions unknown to other citizens. It is a more collaborative approach since before making a comment, one can see all the other points of views and therefore build on the contributions of all. It is more productive since at the end of the process, there will be a new document on policy and not just a list of random reform ideas. Commenting on the novel idea of the participatory democracy, D. Shashi Kumar, Director of the Brain Center and General Secretary, KAMS Karnataka (Associated Managements of Private Unaided Schools in Karnataka) said, "We are thrilled about the initiative taken by NEP Alliance as it is the need of the moment to showcase the concern of all individuals in policy making on Indian education. Usually suggestions are taken only from a few individuals who do not have practical experience. It is time to harness digital technology and rope in people from all walks of life." Stating his views on the NEP Wiki, C. L. Rose, Secretary General of the All India Associations of Teachers' Organizations (AIFTO) said, "Teachers are rarely consulted in making policies about education. Most assume that they would oppose reforms. The NEP Wiki allows teachers as well as all the real stakeholders to voice their concerns on the policy and do it publicly." NEP Alliance invites all citizens to voice their views on the national education policy at www.nep.ccs.in. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has called a meeting of ruling coalition to discuss various contemporary issues. Oli's Press Advisor Pramod Dahal said that meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar, reports the Himalayan Times. Dahal added that the leaders in the meeting will discuss implementation of the Constitution Implementation Action Plan that the government had introduced recently. Discussions for endorsement of the budget announcement for the next fiscal 2016-17 among other issues will also be discussed. "To achieve inclusive development, major public and private sector investments are required in health care in the north-east,"-this was the key massage that emerged from the two-day North East Health Care Summit organized by FICCI and PHFI in Guwahati. The summit was inaugurated by Lal Thanzara, Minister, Health and FW, Mizoram along with Ranjit Barthakur, Chairman, FICCI NE Advisory Council, Dr. K Srinath Reddy, President Public Health Foundation of India (through VC), and Jayanto Narayan Choudhury, vice president PHFI, along with state health ministers from Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Members of Parliaments from north eastern states. In his address the Thanzara, congratulated the organisers-- FICCI and PHFI for organising this important summit that highlights key issues in today's evolving healthcare scenario pertinent to northeastern parts of the country. However, he lamented that due to lack of financial resources, skilled manpower in health, tough terrains and quality medical colleges, healthcare has taken a back seat in this region. "Poor healthcare services in the northeast and the need to enhance manpower, including setting up of more medical colleges in the region the requirement of the day. There is an urgent need to review the progress of schemes sanctioned by centre or the NEC towards the improvement of healthcare services in the region, especially infrastructure, in addition to finding out better ways and means to remove health problems and inaccessibility to quality healthcare especially in rural areas of the region. At present, only Assam, Tripura and Manipur have been able to set up their own medical colleges, while states like Mizoram, which grapple with Cancer, are yet to get any college," he said. Thanzara also appealed to the attending delegates and organisations to put aside monetary benefits and work towards the improvement of healthcare services in this region. Ranjit Barthakur, chairman, FICCI NE Advisory Council said, "The northeastern region has the potential to become the new growth driver for the Indian economy but this can happen only if the population can function to its full potential, unbridled by the burden of diseases." "Globally, an average of 2.9 beds are available per 1000 population, therefore to even reach anywhere close to the global average, with a population of 45.45 million people, the north east would need over eight lakh additional hospital beds" he added. Dr. K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India, in his video address said, "Northeast is one of the most vibrant regions in India, but its health indicators have unfortunately lagged behind rest of India on many counts. With so much technological and infrastructure advancements, it is time to bring about a rapid improvement in the public health indicators, especially in light of the renewed commitment by the central government towards speedy achievement of universal health coverage in the entire north-east region." "Already active in the region through its various capacity building and training programmes, Public Health Foundation of India, and its affiliate Indian Institute of Public Health in Shillong, aims to improve health outcomes in the entire Northeast region through educational, research, training, policy and advocacy activities. With a view to complement various state and level health initiatives, in this two day summit, all stakeholders be it policymakers, industry and health practitioners, will come up with a forward looking plan to improve the health scenario in the entire region, and become a major healthcare hub for entire Southeast Asia," he added. Over 200 delegates including doctors from the north eastern states, and regional speakers and stakeholders representing hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical devices companies and others participated in the deliberations. The summit, which laid major stress on making affordable and accessible world class health care available across the region, also highlighted the need for taking a holistic approach to health care, giving equal importance to different alternate and complimentary systems of medicine. Health care has emerged as one of the most challenging sectors as well as one of the largest service sector industries in India which constitutes around six percent of India's GDP and employs over four million people. The Indian healthcare sector is expected to become a USD 280 billion industry by 2020 with spending on health estimated to grow at around 14 percent annually. Though India is witnessing some remarkable improvements in healthcare across the country, Northeastern states are still lagging behind in meeting the required healthcare standards. The summit also highlighted the emerging opportunities for health care in areas like medical value tourism and alternative and complementary medicine, which aimed at mainstreaming of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) systems and the revitalization of local health traditions (LHT) within the policy on medical pluralism currently being implemented in the entire country. Tripura's pineapple farmers are facing double trouble this year as the production and demand is less because of the smaller size of the fruit. Farmers complained that a poor monsoon during the fruit's flowering season has also contributed to poor sales. Farmers are also being deprived of a good price because markets in neighbouring Bangladesh are closed. "At present, many are shifting from pineapple cultivation as the demand is reducing and the market price is also reducing as pineapples are not going to Bangladesh. Many have even shifted to rubber cultivation but we are continuing with pineapple. If the government helps us then we hope the orchard will further develop with better production. Number of pineapple production is less as rainfall has decreased and after paying the labrourers it is not very profitable," said Dulal Deb, a forty year experience pineapple grower. He complained that the state government is not attentive towards improving the horticultural crop besides making arrangement for allowing the pineapple farmers to sell their products in the border hats with Bangladesh to get better returns and due to which farmers are also losing interest in pineapple. "The government should come forward to preserve the pineapples of which Tripura boast but its production is gradually diminishing as the government is not caring for it," he added. According to him, if farmers could arrange irrigation in their orchard, then they would not depend on nature for water and their production would be better and profitable but it is impossible on their part without government's help. While for some farmers there is huge expense in maintaining pineapple orchards which require proper irrigation and good number of laborers almost throughout the year. But at present growing the crowned queen of the fruit is not very encouraging and hence is converting their orchards into rubber plantations. Another orchard owner Rafik Mia said, "This year the production has been less compared to last year and the price is between Rs 12 to Rs 10... Along with pineapple I have also started rubber cultivation because it is profitable. I have started separate rubber cultivation but many others stopped pineapple and shifter to rubber". In Tripura, pineapple is one of the major fruit crop in terms of area and as per the statistics the state prodces around 45000 metric tons pineapples, out of which Kew is contributing lion shares in production followed by the Queen variety. Productivity of pineapple per hectare in Tripura is 18.73 tonnes, which is higher than the average of 15.80 tonnes but farers apprehend with the present scenario they will not be able to continue to bear the loss it if continues in such manner. Fruit vendors also complained that as due to scanty rainfall the harvest of pineapple is less and size of the fruit is small so the price is more but again due to this less number of people could effort to get the taste of this sweet fruit. Sukumar Sil, a businessman said, "I have been selling pineapples from this orchard for the last 25 years but this time the size of the fruits are little smaller but the market price is very less. I have my shop in Maharajganja Bazar and somehow my business is going on and it is not in very good as the market is fluctuating but we hope business will soon improve." While another vendor Sanjib Saha said: "This year we have send around 10,000 pineapples outside and price of each piece at present is Rs 10 because due to rain the price has slashed. I rail connectivity starts then produces can be sent outside which will fetch better price." They moreover added that another reason behind the production of pineapple is because many farmers are now shifting from pineapple to rubber which is more profitable as it is gradually becoming very tough for them to continue producing pineapple in their orchard. But the silver lining for the pineapple farmers is the improving broad-gauge rail connectivity and opening of India-Bangladesh border haats. The pineapple growers are hopeful to sell their products outside the state in the coming days and get better returns as there is a huge market of the fruit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited Phoenix Settlement, which is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. He was welcomed by the local residents upon his arrival at the Phoenix Settlement at Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, around 24 km from Durban city. The Prime Minister also visited the farm where Gandhi spent formative years of his political work. Gandhi's old home 'Sarvodaya' also forms a part of the Phoenix Settlement. Prime Minister Modi also interacted with members of the Phoenix Settlement Trust and planted a sapling at Sarvodaya. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted: "A sapling for sarvodaya. PM @narendramodi plants a pepper & bark tree at the Phoenix Settlement. Ela Gandhi with him." While living in South Africa, Gandhi was inspired by a visit to a Trappist community in Mariannhill and by John Ruskin's book 'Unto This Last' to found a communal living system. In 1904, Gandhi chose Phoenix to establish a community based on self-reliance and the value of labour on the land for the common good. In addition to a printing press for his newspaper 'Indian Opinion', Gandhi's settlement featured a clinic, school and homes, including his cottage, 'Sarvodaya, meaning 'well-being for all', where he lived with his family. Although the press was burned down during the political upheaval of the mid-1980s, it was rebuilt as a museum. The display here also focuses on the International Printing Press (the name of the publishing house that brought out the Indian Opinion) and the Indian Opinion. Gandhi used the weekly 'Indian Opinion', which first appeared on June 6, 1903, to share his philosophy of passive resistance 'Satyagraha'. Gandhi's eldest son Manilal was the Indian Opinion's longest-serving editor from 1920 to 1956. In 1904, the publishing office was relocated to the Phoenix Settlement. It was here that Gandhi published his first book 'Indian Home Rule', which outlined his political vision for India and the principle of inter-faith harmony. The settlement has been an iconic representation of South Africa's fight for justice, peace and equal rights for all citizens. During the apartheid era, it was an important resistance site, where activists from all over the country met for political enlightenment. During the Inanda riots in 1985, a large portion of the settlement was razed. However, it was re-built after South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Today the settlement comprises Gandhi's house, the printing press building, which now houses the Inanda Tourism office, Gandhi's son Manilal's house and the Phoenix Interpretation Centre, where lectures are given. Next to the Phoenix settlement is the Kasturba Primary School, named after Gandhi's wife. A school was built on the site in her honour in 1954, but was destroyed in 1985. A new school was built to replace the old one still bears her name. Gandhi arrived in South Africa in 1893 at the age of 24 on an assignment as a newly-qualified lawyer. He stayed in the country for 21 years, occasionally visiting India and England. After displaying their sizzling chemistry in the music video 'Tum Ho To', actors Saqib Saleem and Taapsee Pannu have teamed up for Aleya Sen's directorial debut film. According to a report in popular magazine Filmfare, Aleya is very impressed with Saqib and Taapsee's chemistry in 'Tum Ho To' and suggested their names to the producers for the upcoming untitled rom-com. Saqib, 28, would be seen romancing Taapsee in untitled love story which would set in Delhi and London. The untitled film is being produced by actor Jackky Bhagnani and the shooting will go on floors this month in London. Saqib will also be seen in a sequel to 2013 film 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti'. While paying tributes to Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani who was killed in a gunfight with the Indian Armed Forces, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi have called for a complete state wide shutdown on Saturday and appealed to the people to participate in his funeral prayers in large numbers. Geelani also appealed to the people to hold funeral prayers in-absentia for Wani at their respective places who could not reach Tral. In a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and 19 RR, Wani, Sartaj Ahmed and one other were killed in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. Wani featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp aimed at recruiting young Kashmiri men for terror. Last month, Wani released a video warning of attacks on separate colonies for Sainiks and Kashmiri Pandits if they are set up in the Valley. The major part of the video message, however, was directed at the Jammu and Kashmir Police warning them of more attacks. Reportedly, there was a Rs. 10 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest. Expressing grave concern over the present situation in Kashmir Valley post the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, BJP leader Hina Bhatt today acknowledged the fact that the separatists always extend their support to terrorist groups. The 39-year-old, who lost to PDP's Altaf Bukhari in the high profile Amirakadal constituency in the 2014 polls, told ANI one cannot deny the fact that the separatists have always backed the terrorist groups. "The separatists issue a shutdown call on each and every issue. A call has now been issued to march towards Tral. The people here are extremely upset post his killing and I hope that this matter is handled peacefully," Bhatt said. "As of now, the situation will be little tensed because of his killing. So, it is not good news as far as situation in Kashmir is concerned because the protests continue to take place one after another and innocent get killed," she added. Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed in large parts of Srinagar city and several areas of south Kashmir amid tension after after the killing of Wani and his two associates in South Kashmir's Anantnag district. Wani, who featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp, aimed at recruiting young Kashmiri men for terror, was hunted down by the security forces in an intelligence-led operation last evening. The concerned authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have taken several measures to maintain law and order. The 21-year militant commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter in Kokernag area of the district. Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, carried a reward of Rs. ten lakh on his head. There have been reports of overnight clashes between the protesters and security forces in many parts of south Kashmir. The mobile internet services have been blocked across the Valley. The ongoing Amarnath Yatra has also been suspended temporarily to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Tata Steel has decided to cancel the sale of its assets in the country after months of negotiation with worker unions and the UK Government. The company in its board meeting decided not to divest majority of its UK steel because of the Brexit uncertainty. However, the company has now entered into preliminary talks with Germany's Thyssenkrupp for a joint venture. The success of the joint venture depends on the outcome of talks with British trade unions, government policy support and developments on workers' pension schemes, the company said. Tata Steel intends to cut costs by 100 million euros as it goes ahead with continuing in the UK. Earlier in March, the company had announced the sale of its entire UK business, which employs about 15,000 workers. The is part of the Corus acquisition that Tata undertook in 2007. Back then, the company said that a turnaround plan was unaffordable. The announcement came after UK's business secretary Sajid Javid met Tata Steel representatives in Mumbai earlier on Friday to discuss the future of the company's UK assets. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh will visit Australia on a four-day visit from July 11 to 14. The visit assumes special significance in the light of enhanced military cooperation between the two countries, an official statement said on Saturday. "During his four-day tour, Singh will be visiting important defence establishments of the Australian Armed Forces and is scheduled to meet a number of high-ranking defence officials, including the Australian Army Chief and officials of Ministry of Defence of Australia," the statement said. The Australian defence establishments which the Army Chief will visit include Headquarters Force Command, Headquarters Joint Operation Command, School of Military Engineering, Royal Military College, Land Network Integration Centre (LNIC) and Land Systems Division. --IANS am/bim/bg FC Barcelona have vowed to support their star Lionel Messi following his decision to appeal against the 21-month jail sentence handed down to him by a Spanish court after being found guilty of fiscal fraud and believes the verdict is "an attack on his person". The Argentinian icon and his father Jorge were both given the same prison sentences for the offence, with the 29-year-old fined 2 million euros for three counts of tax fraud and his father penalised 1.7 million euros. Neither Messi nor his father is likely to spend any time in prison as any sentence of less than two years - for non-violent offences - can be served under probation according to Spanish law, but they have nonetheless opted to appeal as they deny any wrongdoing and Barcelona stand by their man. "We understand that Messi is not guilty in any way and has no penal responsibilities," Barcelona spokesman Josep Vives was quoted as saying by goal.com on Friday. "We shall be at his side no matter what it takes. Messi has announced that he'll be appealing and the club will be absolutely and unconditionally at his side when he does that. We see this as an attack on his person," Vives said. --IANS ac/ajb/vm The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged a sit-in outside a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad in protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Addressing the workers outside Sihani Gate police station, BJP leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh's son Neeraj Singh said that it is a state-level programme organised by the party against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. "The UP police is extorting money throughout the state. The innocent public is the victim of favouritism, casteism and nepotism. The police stations are being run on contract basis. If the situation is not changed, the BJP would come with a thumping majority in the state," added Neeraj Singh. Hundreds of local party workers participated in the agitation against the police. Neeraj Singh recalled the Mathura case in which innocent police officers had to sacrifice their lives. Kairana, Mathura, Birada are the burning issues for the upcoming assembly elections in the state and the party is sure it would come to power with a thumping majority. --IANS sps/lok/bg The first legal action against Brexit -- Britain exiting European Union (EU) -- by a private citizen has been scheduled for July 19 on behalf of a hairdresser. Lawyers representing Deir Dos Santos, a British citizen, have lodged a judicial review challenge. It would argue that triggering Article 50 -- formally beginning the process of Britain's withdrawal from the EU -- can only be done with Parliament's approval and not just by the Prime Minister, The Independent reported on Saturday. The majority of MPs in Parliament voted to remain in the EU and the lawsuit seeks to delay leaving the organisation. Hairdresser Dos Santos was "just an ordinary guy", his lawyer, Dominic Chambers QC, told the media, adding "If his rights are going to be taken away, he wants it done in a proper and lawful manner". "The purpose of a judicial review is to correct the executive when they have gone wrong. We say the executive will be abusing their powers if they give an Article 50 notification without the approval of Parliament," The Independent quoted Chambers as saying. The claim, reported in the Guardian, will argue: "The result of the referendum is not legally binding in the sense that it is advisory only and there is no obligation (on the government) to give effect to the referendum decision." However the Prime Minister has stated on numerous occasions that it is his intention to give effect to the referendum decision and organise Britain's withdrawal from the EU. "The extract from the Prime Minister's resignation speech... makes it clear that (the government) is of the view that the Prime Minister of the day has the power under article 50(2) of the Lisbon treaty to trigger article 50 without reference to parliament." But exiting the EU can only be done with the permission of the British Parliament, the claim said. The government has acknowledged receipt of the claim but is highly likely to fight it. --IANS ask/lok/bg The British Government on Saturday rejected a call for a second referendum on European Union membership in a petition that was signed by more than 4.1 million people following the Brexit vote. It was the most-signed government petition since the process was introduced in 2011, the Independent reported. However in an official reply, the Foreign Office said 33 million people had had their say and "the decision must be respected". "We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU," the news report quoted the Foreign Office as saying. The petition, which was set up by a Brexit supporter before the referendum was held, had called for the government to annul the results if the Remain or Leave vote won by less than 60 per cent on a turnout of less than 75 per cent. Government petitions which reach over 100,000 signatures must be considered for debate in parliament. The Foreign Office said: "The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords... The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout." "As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on June 27, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say." "The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once-in-a-generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations." The government's decision will come as a blow to those who hoped to find a parliamentary means of stopping Britain's withdrawal from the bloc. However, calls for a second referendum on the terms of Britain's departure from the EU are gathering pace. Four out of 10 people would like to see a second referendum before Britain leaves the EU, according to an opinion poll for The Independent. --IANS lok/bg British Labour Party politician Angela Eagle on Saturday said she will announce her bid for the leadership of the Labour Party on Monday. Eagle, who has resigned as shadow Business Secretary, said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had failed "to lead an organised and effective" party. Corbyn's spokesman insisted that he would remain as leader of the party and would fight any leadership challenge, BBC reported. Corbyn has refused to step down despite a vote of no confidence passed by the party's MPs last month, and many resignations from his shadow cabinet in the wake of the EU referendum. Confirming her leadership bid, Eagle said she would "explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make" on Monday. But Corbyn, speaking at the Durham Miners' Gala, urged the party to unite, BBC added. --IANS lok/bg The Congress on Saturday attacked the Narendra Modi government, questioning the Naga accord signed last year and wondered if the Centre had entered into an agreement with the NSCN(IM) "compromising India's sovereignty and integrity". The Congress also wanted to know if the Modi government had promised the Nagas a separate flag other than the Tricolour and separate passports other than Indian passports. The Congress attack follows an interview given by T. Muivah (82), General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), to The Hindu newspaper in which he said that the Nagas had not given up on their demand for sovereignty. In August 2015, the BJP government signed a framework agreement for the peace accord with NSCN(IM). Muivah, whose NSCN-IM signed the framework agreement with the government last year, said that a separate flag and passport for Nagas was not just a 'demand' but a 'right' as the Nagas were never under Indian rule. Congress also said they would raise the issue in Parliament during the monsoon session. They demanded that the framework of the accord should be made public. "Has the Modi government entered into an agreement with NSCN(IM), compromising India's sovereignty? Has the government agreed on a shared sovereignty of India for the Nagas," asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. "Press statements made by the NSCN(IM) general secretary talk of an agreement with Modi government questioning our integrity. This has stunned the nation," he said. Surjewala further pointed out: "NSCN(IM) said a separate flag and passport for the Nagas was not just a demand but a right, as Nagas were never under Indian rule. He also said the framework is secret because until a complete settlement is done, some secrecy will have to be kept." Surjewala said the Modi government must give details of the agreement with the Nagas. He blamed the government for not taking into confidence the northeastern states before signing the agreement. "Whether the Modi government has or will take into confidence the elected governments of Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur before entering into an agreement for 'alteration of territories' of these states," he questioned. "Has the Modi government promised a separate flag for the Nagas other than the Tricolour? Has the Modi government agreed to give separate passports other than Indian passports? What are the details of this secret framework agreement entered into by Modi government," Surjewala asked. "While the Indian National Congress fully supports finding a lasting peaceful solution to the Naga problem through the process of dialogue, it has to be compulsorily within the four corners of our constitutional framework without a whisper of compromise on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. --IANS mg-vidhi/bim/bg The first charter flight carrying 189 Russian tourists from Moscow to Turkey landed in Antalya city on Saturday after seven months of sanctions imposed by Russia, which banned travel agencies from selling tour packages to Turkey. The plane operated by Russia's state-owned Rossiya Airlines landed at the airport of Antalya, Efe news reported. The landing ends bilateral tensions that have severely affected the tourism sector throughout Turkey, where Russian tourists have made up the second largest group after Germans in recent years, with 4 million visitors in 2015. Moscow had previously banned travel agencies from selling tour packages to Turkey after Ankara shot down a Russian fighter on the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015 and refused to apologise, although individual tourism continued. The apology offered in late June by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thawed relations, so Moscow announced on July 7 the lifting of the tourism sanctions. --IANS ask/lok/bg Film: "Brahman Naman" (Netflix's first Indian film); Director: Qaushik Mukherjee; Cast: Shashank Arora, Sid Mallya and Tanmay Dhanania; Rating: None Warning: Some comments ahead may only be suitable for horny adolescents who have just discovered 'pleasure'. This film about a Bengaluru-based Brahmin boy's discovery of sex is from the director who gave us the highly controversial "Gandu". If discomfort is the mainstay of a certain genre of cinema, then carry on. Do see "Brahman Naman" -- about an inescapably over-sexed man-boy all tied up in his Brahmanical sacred thread, and his three equally libido-challenged friends. In all portraits of orgasmic desperation, they are shown spending their time leering, ogling, salivating and humping imaginary sexual objects. And if there is nothing around to hump, they just mock-hump each other on the street. Didn't I mention? This is conservative Bangalore in the 1980s. So while Naman (Shashank Arora from the very intensely authentic "Titli") finds ways to manifest his sexual desires in the weirdest of places, the elders frown, curse, rant and tear their meagre hair in frustration. In-between bouts of auto-eroticism, there is a plot about a quiz team from Bangalore travelling to Kolkata and meeting some fiercely feisty girls on the train who smoke and use the 'f' word with a casualness that defiantly defines the director's 1980s' values. This is the coming-of-age drama that, apparently, we've all been holding our breaths and loins for, though we didn't know we were waiting for it. That unabashed celebration of post-pubescent sexuality which is not afraid of the censor board. Released on the internet, "Brahman Naman" derives a strange patently perverse pleasure in recording the energetic innovative erotic overtures of its protagonists. In "Brahman Naman", perversion is a password to glory at film festivals. Shashank Arora, who played the Delhi boy in desperate need of escape from his family's crimes in "Titli", is here constricted by camera movements that insist on capturing his face as cartoonish contortions. The point being, I suspect, the sharply wonky world of teen arousal as seen through the eyes of a sexual contortionist. In "Brahman Naman", the director who is known for his emphatic iconoclasm, grabs his teenager hero by his horns and plunges us so deep into his sexual perversions that the line dividing our sensibilities from those of the protagonists are ridiculed, quickly disregarded, dissolved and dispelled. While the women are being brazenly objectified by Naman and his pals, we are treated to camera angles that would pose a serious threat to the lascivious frames of regional porn films. Argue as we might that this is the avant garde director's stab at neo-voyeurism, designed to take us into the post-adolescent male gaze without the restrictions that mainstream filmmakers impose on their depictions of sexual awakening, the fact remains that much of "Brahman Naman" is too puerile and callow to be taken seriously. This quirky-going-into-corny-going-into-horny film sets out to be Federico Fellini's "Amarcord", but ends up "American Pie" without the pie. --IANS skj/rb/bg America's top cop had called her "extremely careless" in guarding the nation's secrets. But Hillary Clinton couldn't care less as she sauntered down Air Force One emblazoned with the presidential seal with the Commander-in-Chief in tow. Hours earlier, FBI Director James Comey had in a stinging rebuke demolished step by step her defence of using a private email server to do official business as Secretary of State for four years and yet declined to bring criminal charges against her. Contrary to her public statements, Clinton had sent or received 110 classified emails, including eight chains with 'top secret' information, on an email system even less secure than Gmail that may well have been hacked by hostile actors. And here was the Democratic nominee-to-be addressing a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina standing in front of a lectern with the "Seal of the President of the United States" as Barack Obama sat clapping on a backless stool beside her. Her rival turned boss, who had upset her applecart eight years ago, was now ready to "pass the baton" to her saying, "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton, ever, and that's the truth." And by the evening, Attorney General Loretta Lynch had accepted Comey's recommendation that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring a criminal case against Clinton. The reprieve from the country's top law officer came just a week after Lynch had kicked up a firestorm when Bill Clinton by "chance" came over to her plane to say hello and "chat about their grandkids" in the midst of a probe of his wife's email practices. Democrats suggested Clinton's email troubles were over with her "vindication of sorts". Not so fast, said the Republicans and their standard bearer to be Donald Trump. "FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #Rigged System", he tweeted in Donaldspeak. "I don't think the voters will forget the rigged system that allowed Crooked Hillary to get away with 'murder.' Come November 8, she's out!" the Manhattan mogul said in another tweet. The House Republicans called in Comey for a painful grilling for almost five hours without a "humanitarian" bathroom break that he gamely declined as he defended his decision not to charge Clinton or any of her aides. Even as he acknowledged a federal employee would face "consequences" including dismissal for similar conduct, Clinton and her aides were let go as FBI found no evidence of "intentional and wilful mishandling of classified information." Nor did she lie to FBI, Comey asserted, though he was "unqualified" to say whether Clinton lied to the public. He was also no more qualified than any American citizen to answer "why should any person follow the law if our leaders don't." "The broader question is for democracy to answer, not me," said Comey. The "dishonest" liberal media, as Trump has branded it, too was quick to come to the aid of the Democratic nominee to be."Clinton was 'extremely careless.' That is not a crime, but she must do better in the future," admonished the Washington Post editorially as others like The Week wondered "Why the Clintons always escape the axe." "The Clintons - both Hillary and Bill - are very smart, but also quite reckless," said an opinion piece in the New York Times while suggesting Comey's refusal to bring charges against "Ma'am Survivor" also "seems to be the right call". For days the media also pilloried Trump for sending a graphic tweet with a picture of Clinton on a pile of cash with "most corrupt candidate ever" written over a six-pointed star saying the 'Star of David' evoked anti-Semitic imagery. Trump first changed the star to a circle, but as the media firestorm grew fiercer he defiantly sent out another tweet featuring a famous Disney book with a similar six pointed star. "Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the 'Star of David' also? Dishonest media! #Frozen", he asked suggesting a star is a star. Meanwhile, with the FBI probe over, the State Department decided to reopen its own investigation into Clinton's email saga leaving a political cloud still hanging over the former first lady. As they say, it's not over until the fat lady sings and she is not going to sing until November 8 when the American voter gets to choose between the lesser of the two evils, as the media would have it - a wily politician or an unscrupulous businessman. (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) --IANS ak/tb Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Tanzania from South Africa on the third leg of his four-nation tour of Africa. "From Durban to Dar es Salaam! PM @narendramodi arrives late night in Tanzania on the 3rd leg of his African sojourn," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop tweeted. Modi waved as Tanzanian artists put up a lively show at the Julius Nyerere Airport on the tarmac. This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Tanzania in five years since the visit of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011. On Sunday, Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. A major highlight of Modi's visit to Tanzania will be a meeting with a group of "solar mamas". "Solar mamas" are women from developing nations who have been trained in harnessing solar energy at the Barefoot College at Tilonia village in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, which numbers around 50,000 in Tanzania. Thereafter he will leave for Nairobi, Kenya, where he will address an Indian diaspora rally on Sunday evening. --IANS ab/pgh/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the second and concluding day of his visit to South Africa, lauded the diversity of the city of Durban and praised the achievements of its people of Indian origin. "One of the hallmarks of this beautiful nation is its vibrant diversity.," Modi said at a civic reception hosted in his honour by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner at the Durban City Hall. "And, no city celebrates this diversity better than the city of Durban and the province of Kwazulu Natal," he said. "This celebration of plurality of dialects and languages, of belief in multiplicity of faiths and of cultural traditions, is an integral part of this city's heritage." He said that the first batch of 342 Indians arrived in Durban on November 16, 1860. "Today, over a century and a half later, Durban is the largest Indian city outside India," the Prime Minister said.. "It is home to the largest population of people of Indian origin in South Africa." Of the 1.2 million people of Indian origin in South Africa, most of whose ancestors were brought as indentured labour, 800,000 live in Durban. Modi said that despite the sufferings of early generations of Indians under apartheid and colonial rule, they preserved their culture and values. "And, today, they are proud, successful and loyal citizens of this country," the Prime Minister said. "They are contributing to their country in education and scientific research, as entrepreneurs and leaders of businesses, as lawyers and judges, and as bankers, doctors and engineers." Stating that these people of Indian origin were not living only for themselves, he said they were leading efforts to uplift the poor and the under privileged, and for the care of the sick and the elderly. "They are running old age home, centres for the terminally ill, AIDS and cancer patients, and orphanages," he said. According to Modi, the history of the people-to-people ties provides a strong foundation to build the modern day partnership between India and South Africa. "Today, India is undergoing an economic transformation. And, South Africa is one of the leading economies of Africa. Our trade and investment partnership is already substantial," he said. He said that he and South African President Jacob Zuma have agreed to advance the India-South Africa strategic ties across the whole range of social and economic sectors, including trade and investments, development of small and medium businesses, information and communication technologies, and capacity and institution building. "Today, in our inter-dependent world, India's growth story is one of the brightest spots," Modi said. "But, India's economic advance is not for the benefit of our society alone. The embrace of our partnership is open to the larger good of Africa and our friends like South Africa," he stated. Earlier on Saturday, Modi took a short train ride to the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. He also visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that Gandhi had established in 1904. Later on Saturday, the Prime Minister will leave for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and President Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. --IANS ab/bg Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with a group of South African alumni who studied in various Indian institutions under Indian government programmes. "Co-partners in the knowledge revolution. PM interacts with a group of South African Alumni of Indian institutions," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the alumni included those who went to India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and the Know India Programme (KIP) Prior to this, Modi visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that was set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904. Earlier on Saturday, he visited the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. Later on Saturday, Modi will attend a reception to be hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and the Mayor of Durban before leaving for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. --IANS ab/bg Eighty nine percent of Indians who responded to a survey wanted social companies to pro-actively remove offensive content from their platforms. Asked if they thought that social platforms should remove offensive, hate and rumour-based content pro-actively, 89 percent of 14,395 respondents said: 'Yes,' according to a statement by LocalCircles India Pvt Ltd, which describes itself as "social for communities, governance and urban daily life". The same percentage of 14,790 respondents said the same code of conduct as regards offensive content that social media companies follow in the European Union should also be applied to India. And 78 percent of 14,665 respondents said that Twitter and other social media companies should be responsible for taking action against accounts engaged in harassment, trolling and abuse of others. The survey found that majority of people want that objectionable content should be removed within 24 hours and believe such moves will make social media in India safer and better, said the LocalCircles statement. --IANS akk/kb/bg North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast on Saturday but it failed in its initial flight stage, South Korea's military said. The missile was fired from waters southeast of the coastal port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong province, Yonhap news agency quoted the military as saying. "The SLBM was ejected from the submarine normally, but the initial flight was unsuccessful," it said. The military also said that it strongly denounced such provocative acts by North Korea. The missile flew only a few kms before the presumed explosion, it said. The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington's announcement to deploy THAAD, a high-tech US air defence system, in South Korea. --IANS py/vm US President Barack Obama would cut short his trip to the Europe by a day and visit Dallas early next week, the White House said on Friday. Obama would travel to Spain on Saturday as scheduled but would return to Washington on Sunday and visit Dallas where 12 police officers were shot in an ambush on Thursday that left five of them dead, NBCnews reported. Obama was invited to visit Dallas by the city's Mayor Mike Rawlings. The deadly shooting in Dallas was the largest loss of police lives since the September 11 attacks. Police believed the gunman who was killed by a bomb delivered by a police robot during a standoff, was the only shooter involved in the attack. The sniper attack took place near the end of a demonstration and march in Dallas protesting the recent police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. The gunman, identified as Micah Johnson, 25, told police negotiators that he was upset by the recent police shootings and "wanted to kill white people, especially white police officials", NBCnews quoted Dallas' Police Chief David Brown as saying. Obama ordered flags flown at half-staff until Tuesday as a mark of respect to the victims. Later in the week, Obama "will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities, and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system", the White House said. --IANS ask/py/vm US President Barack Obama pledged the US long-term commitment to ensuring Europe's security and defending allies, while participating in his last NATO Summit before stepping down next January. During his solo press conference after the closing of Warsaw NATO Summit on Saturday, Obama said the Alliance was strengthening its deterrence and defense capabilities and it was sending a clear signal: it is going to protect any of its members, Xinhua news agency reported. "What will never change, is the unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense of Europe," Obama said. He reminded that the Alliance had agreed on reinforcement of its collective defense and on deploying forces in Poland and Baltic states. Obama also referred to the situation in Ukraine, saying that "Our 28 nations are united in our view that there can be no business as usual with Russia until it fully implements its Minsk obligations", and reminding that NATO confirmed its support for Ukraine. On Britain's referendum to leave the EU, he expressed hopes that Britain's exit from the block could be as sensible as possible, causing possibly least damage to economy. As a friend, ally and trading partner of Britain, Obama wished to see an orderly negotiating process and as close a relationship as possible in future. --IANS pgh/ More than 20,000 people on Saturday attended the burial of top Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in south Kashmir's Tral town. People from different parts of Pulwama district gathered at Shariefabad (Tral) to attend the burial of Wani, who was killed along with two of his associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday. Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners at the burial appeared surcharged as youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani's path. The authorities, allowing the burial procedure, withdrew all security forces deployed around the ground to prevent clashes with the agitated people. The authorities had imposed a curfew in the entire Pulwama district, but the people had come to attend Wani's burial by defying the curfew restrictions. Mobile internet services were suspended throughout the Valley on Saturday to prevent spread of rumours. Authorities also suspended mobile phone services throughout south Kashmir's Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam districts. Curfew has also been imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar including Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Maisuma and Kral Koud. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Saturday following law and order situation in areas along its route. Train services from north Kashmir's Baramulla town to Bannihal town in the Jammu region were also suspended on Saturday. All school board examinations scheduled for the day have been postponed. Separatists, including hardliner Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for a day strike to protest Wani's killing. Lasha-e Taiba militant outfit and Asiya Andrabi, the radical chief of women separatist Dukhtaran-e-Milat, have called for a three-day shutdown in thr Kashmir valley. --IANS sq/py/vm Indian equity markets fell prey to bears, as profit booking, negative global cues and a weak rupee arrested their meteoric rise during the week ended Friday. The key indices concluded the week on a flat note -- marginally in the red -- despite value buying, a healthy monsoon and a firm rupee. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE closed the week's trade with a marginal loss of 18.01 points or 0.06 per cent at 27,126.90 points. Similarly, the 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped to 8,323.20 points -- down 5.15 points or 0.06 per cent. "The week which has just gone by was really boring after the exciting run up to Brexit and post-Brexit turmoil followed by a smart recovery in markets globally," Pankaj Sharma, Head of Equities, Equirus Securities, told IANS. "The Indian markets operated in a very narrow range this week as there was really nothing that significant which could have provided direction to them." However, the benchmark indices had a flying start to the week, as they reached new 2016 closing high levels. At that time, the equity markets had gained for six consecutive sessions. But, the positive sentiment was soon curbed as investors resorted to booking profits on the back of mixed global cues, ignoring the healthy progress of monsoon rains. Key macro-data, too, played its part in subduing sentiments. The Nikkei India Services PMI (purchasing manager's index) fell to a seven month low of 50.3 for last month from 51 in May 2016. Further, uncertainties ahead of key quarterly results and upcoming global event risks such as the release of US FOMC minutes and non-farm payrolls' data eroded investors' confidence. Nevertheless, there were certain positive domestic cues like prospects of more EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation) funds being invested in the equity markets, as well as government's plans to offload stake in SUUTIs (Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India). Although these prompted some value buying to lift prices, the equity markets were not able to recover back into the green. Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls said that the Indian equity markets traded with bearish sentiments last week mainly due to profit booking and mixed global markets. "Sentiments came under pressure with the report that growth in India's services firms fell to a seven-month low of 50.3 in June as compared to the previous month of May as new business grew at its slowest pace in the previous 11 months," Desai told IANS. "Some weakness also came with (global rating agency) Moody's report that stated India's economic growth over the next two years will face challenge from lackluster global demand and high leverage in some corporate sectors." According to Vaibhav Agarwal, Vice President and Research Head at Angel Broking, a mix trend was seen during the shortened trading week, as the benchmark indices registered gains in two trading sessions and losses in the remaining two sessions. The equity markets were closed on Wednesday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. "The BSE Sensex was down by 0.06 per cent whereas Nifty was down by 0.06 per cent which remained flat week on week. The BSE midcap index rose by 0.19 per cent and smallcap index rose by 0.76 per cent," Agarwal said. Sector wise, the automobile index was up 0.63 per cent, followed by the healthcare index (0.43 per cent) and the consumer discretionary goods and services index (0.23 per cent). On the other hand, the telecom index was down by 2.20 per cent, the capital goods index by 0.99 per cent, and the oil and gas index by 0.98 per cent. Among the individual Sensex stocks, Asian Paints was the top gainer at 2.38 per cent, followed by Tata Motors (2.19 per cent), Hero MotoCorp (1.90 per cent), Cipla (1.27 per cent), and Dr Reddy's Lab (0.86 percent). The losers were led by GAIL (down 2.37 per cent), followed by Bharti Airtel (2.28 per cent), Adani Ports (1.59 per cent), BHEL (1.57 per cent) and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) (1.43 per cent). On a positive note, the week witnessed an influx of foreign funds. The provisional figures from the stock exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors bought stocks worth Rs 479.02 crore. The figures from the National Securities Depository (NSDL) showed that foreign portfolio investors were net buyers of equities worth Rs 525.32 crore, or $78.17 million from July 4-8. Even after the fresh influx of foreign funds, the Indian rupee weakened by five paise to 67.37 against a US dollar from its previous week's close of 67.32. (Porisma Pompi Gogoi and Rohit Vaid can be contacted at porisma.g@ians.in and rohit.v@ians.in) --IANS ppg-rv/vm Media personality and judge of "The X Factor UK" Sharon Osbourne has told her daughter Kelly to try dating women. Osbourne tried to persuade her daughter and sister to broaden their horizon as both would go for the same type of men, reports mirror.co.uk. "I think that both of my girls, absolutely every time they go for the same type of guy and I'm trying to persuade them to just go totally left-field and go for something different," Osbourne said on her chat show "The Talk". The 63-year-old music manager hasn't just been dishing out love advice to her daughters, whom she has with her husband Ozzy Osbourne, as she has also secretly joined the search for possible suitors as well. Sharon, who used to co-host "Fashion Police", had earlier shared that her own love life is suffering because men of a similar age find her "intimidating". "I love the way that the media makes me sound like I have this lovely sex life. I know I'm incredibly intimidating, nobody around my age isn't terrified of me and I'm not into dating younger guys. I'm not quite ready for old bulls yet. I'm just putting a little bit of a gap in there; I'm focusing more on work," she said. --IANS ks/rb British pop girl group Spice Girls have confirmed their reunion as a trio to celebrate the 21st anniversary of their debut album. Members of the girl group -- Melanie Brown, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton shared photos and a video on Friday confirming the news, reports mirror.co.uk. In the clip, which they have captioned as 'GEM', Brown says: "We've been thinking. We have the best fans in the whole entire world." Horner then says: "You've stood by us for 20 years and we want to say a big thank you." They then revealed that they are holding a party and everyone is invited and hinted that they are playing London's Hyde Park for a reunion gig next July. --IANS ks/rb The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Saturday and no pilgrim was allowed to move from Jammu city following the unrest in the Valley over the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani but over 15,000 pilgrims already at the shrine had 'darshan'. "On the 8th day of Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2016, 15,684 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave," said an official statement issued in Srinagar. "Till date 1,18,747 Yatris had 'Darshan' of the Ice Lingam at the Holy Cave," it added. It said that the Yatra convoy did not proceed from Jammu to the two Base Camps on Saturday because of "law and order considerations". Asked whether the movement of Yatris would be allowed on Sunday, a senior official said: "The situation will be reviewed tomorrow (Sunday) morning." Hundreds of pilgrims en route had to spend the day in transit or security force camps -- one enroute to Baltal and one to Pahalgam, and around 5,000 were at the base camps, officials said. On Saturday ten protesters died and many were injured in violent clashes with security forces across the Valley over the killing of Wani, the poster boy of militancy in . The militant was buried on Saturday with thousands massing for the ceremony. None of the pilgrims were allowed to move due to trouble on the highways. Subhash Parmar from Mumbai told IANS: "I have come for the yatra, but many yatris like me are stuck now." Suman from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh said: "I can't go home, there are no cars, we are just waiting, the government officials are nowhere to be seen." Manoj Kumar from Varanasi complained that there was "no food" and the road was blocked and some vehicle drivers were asking for a lot of money to transport them, so they were forced to keep waiting. "No yatri was allowed to move from Bhagawati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu city towards the valley due to prevailing tension following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani," a senior police official told IANS in Jammu. The annual Amarnath Yatra was proceeding normally so far and over 100,000 pilgrims have had 'darshan' of the 'Lingam' inside the cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas. Situated at 3,888 metres above sea level, the cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. --IANS sq/vd Facing investigation over his speeches that are believed to have "inspired" two of the Bangladeshi cafe attackers, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Saturday sought support from the Muslim community against the "media trials" through his new Twitter handle "@drzakirofficial". "I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Muslim Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the "Media Trials" and Let Justice Prevail," Naik tweeted. Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, introduced his new Twitter handle @drzakirofficial on his Facebook page also. In another tweet, Naik said: "I appeal to all people worldwide to work together on the causes, ways and solutions to eliminate TERRORISM FROM OUR MIDST." Naik is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches against other religions. Within an hour of Naik's appeal for support on Saturday, his Facebook post had over 6,000 likes. The government has launched a multi-pronged investigation into controversies around Naik's speeches and "online sermons". Apart from an investigation by the Home Ministry, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is looking into issues concerning the telecast of his speeches. According to reports, some of the Indian youth who have taken to militancy are believed to have been "inspired" by Naik's speeches. On Friday, supporters of Naik took out a solidarity march in Srinagar to condemn any action that might be taken against him. Over a dozen supporters gathered in Srinagar and shouted slogans in favour of Zakir Naik. Born on October 18, 1965, Zakir Naik is better known as a Mumbai-based "preacher". He is a medical doctor by education. Internet also describes him as a Founder of Peace TV, Peace TV Bangla and Peace TV Urdu. --IANS rak-bns/ps/rn/bg This year's monsoon showers will definitely remind Chennai residents of the ordeal they underwent during the floods last year. The rising frequency and unpredictability of natural disasters underlines the importance of buying home insurance cover. This is also a policy that can protect your home against the rising incidence of terrorism, burglary, etc. Accusing the Islamic State of hurting the ideologies of Islam, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslim (AIMIM) chief has asked the Muslim youth to live for Islam and not to die for it. "Live for Islam. Don't die for it. You (terrorists) caused so much pain to the Muslim community that we can't even express it in words," he said. Owaisi said while speaking about the recent suicide bombing which took place outside a mosque near the Saudi city of Medina also issued a note of caution for the jihadis. "If you really want to do jihad, don't take up arms. Feed the poor, work for their development, fund marriages of their daughters - this is real jihad," Owaisi said. "The real jihad will be if we fight against the BJP and the Sangh," he added. Terming the ISIS militants as 'dogs of hell', Owaisi accused them of causing pain to the Muslims. "The attack by the Islamic State near Prophet's mosque was the work of enemies of Islam. The Islamic State is demeaning Islam and its militants are dogs of hell. Your (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) body will be cut into pieces. If you want to do Jihad, do it in India. It's not always necessary to take up weapons. Your biggest weapon is your hand," he added. Earlier on July 4, a suicide bomber named Naer Muslim Hamad killed as many as four security officers near a mosque in the sacred city of Medina. The attacks happened at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. During this year's Ramadan, there have been multiple attacks carried out by the ISIS sympathisers across the world. Six persons, including two women and a child were killed and five others injured in cross fire during an anti-Maoist operation in Odisha's Kandhamal district prompting the state government to order a judicial probe into the incident. Police said the six were caught in an exchange of fire between security personnel and Maoists while they were travelling in an auto-rickshaw at Gumutmaha village in a dense forest area near Kuttamgarh under Tumudibandha police station jurisdiction last night. Five of those caught in the cross fire died on the spot, while another person succumbed to injuries later, Kandamal superintendent of police Pinak Mishra told reporters. The condition of four others, who were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur was stated to be serious, said a police official. The SP said acting on information about Maoist movement in the area, CRPF, Special Operations Group and district voluntary force (DVF) personnel had set up an ambush but the auto-rickshaw carrying the villagers came in between. "It is unfortunate that the civilians were caught in the cross fire. Those killed included two women and a minor boy," he said, adding the circumstances in which the incident took place were being probed. Expressing deep concern over the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a judicial inquiry into it. "The Chief Minister has also announced Rs 5 lakh exgratia for the family members of the each dead person," a statement released by the chief minister's office said. Meanwhile, irate local residents blocked Rayagada- Phulbani state highway protesting against the killing of innocent persons in the police-Maoist encounter. Demanding a court-monitored probe by a special investigating team, the Campaign Against Fabricated Cases (CAFC), Odisha, blamed the police for the killing of people belonging to tribal and dalit communities in the incident. The organisation demanded suspension of the SP and police personnel responsible for the killings, FIR against them under Section 302 and Rs 50 lakh compensation to bereaved families. (Reopens CAL 4) The chief minister also announced that the next of kin of the dead in the cross fire would be provided with government job. "The families of the victims will also be covered under various social security schemes like housing," Patnaik said. Odisha PCC vice-president Pradeep Majhi hit out at the state government for the tragedy and dubbed it as "anti-tribal" and "anti-dalit." Majhi, who was last month jailed over his agitation in Nabarangpur demanding tribal right over forest land, told a at a press conference in Rayagada alleged that similar incidents had also taken place in Kalahandi and Rayagada. "The government has been targeting the tribals in the name of anti-Maoist operation," Majhi said and warned that a mass movement was taking shape against killing of tribals and dalits. Nine people were killed overnight in the Philippines, authorities said today, as police and suspected anti-drug gunmen pushed ahead with President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war on crime. Duterte won the May 9 election by landslide largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals, and has urged the police and civilians to help in the killings. More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Duterte's election. One pre-dawn raid in the town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres south of Manila, left eight "drug personalities" dead today, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told reporters. One other person was arrested on suspicion of drug offences, Galgo said, adding that three pistols and four grenades were found on the dead suspects. In Manila, police said they found a yet to be identified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late yesterday. His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: "I Am A Pusher". Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called yesterday for an enquiry into recent months' police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7. The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer's own "kill list" of suspected criminals showed 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until July 7, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi, who was suspended by AAP, today said the party was turning out to be no different than any other political outfit as it was "adopting a religious agenda for political gains". Stating this here, Gandhi claimed that AAP had earlier promised not to do politics in the name of religion. "Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal has himself visited Niramkari Bhawan, Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale's Parmeshar Dwar, Balmiki Deras in Jalandhar and now, his party's attempt to cash in on Sikh sentiments by printing the image of Golden Temple on its youth manifesto cover has backfired," he said. Gandhi lamented AAP's gradual "deviation" from all of its professed principles such as swaraj, transparency, accountability, intra-party democracy and intolerance to the high-command culture. He alleged that several central leaders of the party intruded into Punjab by ignoring state leaders. "If Punjab leaders were given a free hand, the goof-up like the one in the case of the youth manifesto would not have happened," he claimed. Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha elections from Patiala on an AAP ticket in 2014, was suspended along with Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa for "anti-party" activities last year. Lashing out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury today questioned her "silence" for the last five years over alleged smuggling on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Congress had organised a rally in the city during the day condemning the terror attacks in Bangladesh and expressing solidarity with the victims. "We have heard that West Bengal Chief Minister is saying that she will take steps to stop illegal trade across the border. She was in power for the last five years. What was she doing in last five years ? Why didn't she take any action?" Chowdhury said at the rally. He accused a section of police officials posted in the districts of being hand in glove with the smugglers. Banerjee on Monday had said her government will stress on curbing the menace of smuggling of cows, gold and opium. Government has advised Mumbai's iconic 'Dabbawalas', one of the brand ambassadors for Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), to affix stickers with messages on cleanliness on the cover of every tiffin box they deliver to clients. The message on the top of the cover should be "Please wash your hands before eating", while message for underside of top cover be "Please dispose of left-over food into waste bins only," said a senior Urban Development Ministry official. Known world over for its efficiency in delivering tiffins, Dabbawalas deliver about 200,000 tiffin boxes every day. "We request you to kindly create message stickers around Swachh Bharat and affix these stickers on the cover of every tiffin box of each of your clients," Secretary in UD Ministry and Mission Director (SBM) Praveen Prakash said in a letter, dated July 8, to Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers' Association (MTSA) President Rahgunath D Medge. Stating that the message stickers should also carry the picture of the Swachh Bharat logo, he requested MTSA to share photographs of these tiffin boxes with messages so that it could be set as "an example for others to emulate". "Please also arrange to disseminate these photographs on social media (both Facebook and Twitter) for larger dissemination of these messages, and for us to retweet and share," he added. Given the "iconic stature" of Dabbawalas, he said, "we are confident that this initiative through you will have a huge impact on people's attitudes towards the whole issue of waste disposal". Prakash said the SBM has entered a very critical stage where there is an "urgent need" for all stakeholders to step up their efforts to make this a true "people's movement- a 'jan andolan' in spirit and action". Rahul Gandhi today warned the warring factions of the party's Mumbai unit to work together ahead of crucial civic polls telling them that he would ensure accountability after the BMC election results. Gandhi's over two-hour-long meeting with Mumbai leaders was aimed at putting the house in order in the megapolis at a time when Shiv Sena and BJP are at increasing loggerheads in the state and in the city. The Congress Vice-President's warning to top city leaders was significant in the backdrop of the internecine quarrels that had come to fore after AICC general secretary Gurudas Kamat announced his retirement from active politics last month. Upset over being sidelined by Mumbai Pradesh Congress Committee president Sanjay Nirupam and AICC general secretary Mohan Prakash in party's city affairs, Kamat had announced that he was retiring from active politics. He later resumed his duties AICC general secretary after being convinced by top leadership. Kamat was present at the meeting today along with Nirupam and Prakash. Gandhi also sought to play a peacemaker between the two leaders. "If I am the problem, I am ready to correct myself," Nirupam said after the meeting, seeking to extend an olive branch to Kamat. The meeting was also attended by former MPs Milind Deora and Eknath Gaikwad, city party MLAs Varsha Gaikwad, Amin Patel, Aslam Sheikh, Janardhan Chandurkar, Amin Patel. Despite faring well in the city in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, Congress is in opposition in the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for over two decades now with Shiv Sena calling the shots in alliance with BJP. In 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, Congress has lost power tally in the state and win in the crucial BMC polls could prove to be boost to the party cadre. Gandhi could also be visiting Mumbai in a month's time for attending a meeting of block presidents. Earlier this week he had also called leaders from Kerala to end factionalism in the southern state in the wake of its defeat in Assembly polls. RJD chief Lalu Prasad today said all "secular parties" should come together to fight the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, slated to be held next year, and he would "try to convince" Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for this. "I will try to convince Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is my relative, that all secular parties should fight the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election together to defeat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party," he said. Addressing a Eid milan function of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, Prasad said secular parties should come together to check "fundamentalist forces led by RSS and other right wing organisations". The RJD chief claimed that during UP elections he would reveal why Modi visited a mosque in Dubai recently and alleged that "RSS wants to hoist the saffron flag in place of the Tricolour". Expressing "anxiety" over "provocative statements made by some ruling party leaders", Jamait-Ulma-e-Hind president Sayeed Arshad Madni said, "This sounds an alarm bell over the unity and secular fabric of the country." He also lauded Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar for coming together to ensure victory of "secular forces" in Bihar polls and said the same thing should happen in Uttar Pradesh too. There is "nothing political" about NDA government's decision to withdraw an appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict holding that AMU is not a minority institution, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has said. "I must tell you that there is nothing political about it. The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was set up by an Act of the Parliament when India was not free. It was under British rule. Therefore, it is not correct to say that it was set up by Muslims. "There is a judgement of the Supreme Court of (October 20 1967) of a bench of five-judges declaring that the AMU was not a minority institution and that legal position still holds," Rohatgi told a television channel. The top law officer was responding to a query posed by the India Today channel with regard to reasons for filing the affidavit on behalf of the Centre for withdrawing its appeal against the High Court verdict. Government had told the Supreme Court a few days ago that it will withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government in this regard. Rohatgi said there was an attempt in the "1980s to try and reverse" the position of AMU by way of an amendment. "That amendment was not enough to overturn the view (of the Supreme Court). That amendment was challenged in the High Court. The High Court has struck down the amendment saying that 1967 judgement is still binding. "The AMU has also filed a petition challenging the verdict of the High Court. They are entitled to carry on with their appeal and contend that it is a minority institution, but I have already told you that the Supreme Court has already held 50 years ago that it is not a minority institution. So that issue will be again decided by the Supreme Court in this appeal," he said. Besides the Centre, the varsity administration had also filed a separate plea challenging the High Court verdict on the matter. Rohatgi further said that he cannot speak "generally of all the institutions as there may be some institutions which are minority institutions and are set up by the minority". "As far as AMU is concerned, I am only speaking about AMU because I have only studied the AMU case. The AMU is not set up by the minority. It was set up by an act of Parliament and that position we have taken," he said. The government had filed the affidavit in this regard on July 4. Earlier too, the Attorney General had told the apex court that AMU was set up by a central act and moreover, a constitution bench in 1967 in the Aziz Basha case had held it to be a "central university" and not a minority institution. Rohatgi had said that to circumvent the effect of the judgement, an amendment was brought in 1981 in the central act to accord the minority status to the university which has recently been held as unconstitutional by the High Court. The Allahabad High Court had in January 2006 struck down the provision of the AMU (Amendment) Act, 1981 by which the University was accorded minority status. The division bench of the High Court had upheld the order of its single judge passed in 2005 by which it termed as "unconstitutional" the granting of minority status to AMU and 50 per cent reservation to Muslims in 2004. AMU Act was enacted in 1920 dissolving and incorporating Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College. AMU (Amendment) Act in 1951 was passed by Parliament to do away with compulsory instruction in Muslim theology. The amendment opened membership of the Court of AMU to non-Muslims. Changes were introduced by the 1966 amendment to AMU Act, which was challenged before the Supreme Court by S Aziz Basha. The SC dismissed the petition in 1967 holding that AMU was not a minority institution because it had been established by an Act of Parliament and had not been set up by Muslims. Another amendment to AMU Act in 1972 made the academic and executive councils more democratic and drastically reduced the nominees of the Visitor. Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh would be leaving on a four-day visit to Australia next week. During his visit beginning July 11, Singh will be visiting important defence establishments of the Australian armed forces and is scheduled to meet a number of high ranking defence officials, a statement said here. The visit assumes significance in the light of enhanced military cooperation between the two countries. He will be visiting Australian naval ships Kuttabul and Adelaide, Headquarters Force Command, Headquarters Joint Operation Command, School of Military Engineering, Royal Military College, Land Network Integration Centre (LNIC) and Land Systems Division, the statement said. Im a proponent of a unilateral substantially market driven global trade policy as described within the Wikipedia article Import Certificates. If it were adopted by the USA it would almost, (if not entirely) eliminate USAs chronic trade deficits of goods; its would likely increase and never be a cause of decreasing USAs gross domestic productions reduction, (GDP). Referring to Wikipedia's "Import Certificates" article: The certificates global open market prices per U.S. dollar of face values determine the extent of the policies almost direct effect upon prices of foreign goods sold to USA purchasers and the indirect subsidy effect upon prices of USA products sold to foreign purchasers. USA exporters that request their goods to be assessed must also agree to pay the federal fees that are intended to defray entire federal direct expenses due to the USA unilateral substantially market driven Import Certificate policy. Exporters of USA goods would be motivated to profit from acquiring the valuable transferable certificates that are issued by the U.S. Treasury Department. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office would annually monitor and advise congress as to the fee rate per assessed dollar value that would be appropriate to defray all direct federal expenditures due to the Import Certificate policy. ////////////////////////////////////// Certificates expected price behavior in global competitive markets: The federal fees are passed onto USA purchasers of foreign goods and thats the reasonably expected minimum rate of the certificates global prices. If USA consumers balk at paying any more for foreign goods, that would limit the maximum rate of certificates global prices. If the certificates global price rates should be insufficient, exporters of USA goods would not trouble to deal with them and fewer certificates will be issued. If issued certificates do not satisfy USA consumers effective demands for foreign goods, the shortfall would increase the global certificate markets' rates prices. But additionally the law could be drafted as to provide for congressional executive agreements to interrupt the enactment of this trade policy because there are no longer any reasonable expectations for chronic annual USA trade deficits. The Import Certificate laws and regulations can still remain on the books. Refer to Wikipedias article entitled Import Certificates And To the paragraphs entitled Trade Balances' effects upon their nations GDP within Wikipedia's article Balance of trade. Respectfully, Supposn At least 15 youth from Kerala's Kasaragod and Palakkad districts who had travelled to the Middle East have gone missing for the last one month and their families suspect they may have joined the Islamic State. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently, Kasaragod MP P Karunakaran said. The families of the youth, including a couple, have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies. Kasaragod District Panchayat member V P P Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youth received 'Whatsapp' messages saying "we are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You aso should join us". "We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", read another message, he said adding the veracity of the messages has to be checked. On being approached by the families, Karunakaran, Thrikarippur MLA M Rajagopalan and Mustafa informed the Chief Minister about the matter. Rajagopal said that all those missing were below the age of 30 and highly qualified. "The Chief minister has asked police to launch a probe into the matter urgently," Karunakaran said today. He said the family members of the missing youth met him yesterday and brought the matter to his notice. Hakim, father of Hafesuddin who is among those missing from Kasaragod, told television channels that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him. "If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," he said. Karunakaran said the family members told him that the youth had left for Middle East a month ago stating that they were going for religious studies. But for the last one month, their families had no communication from them and so they were suspicious, he said. The youth hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in Kasaragod district and Palakkad district. While 11 hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district of Kerala, others are from Palakkad district. Mustafa said among the missing were Dr Ijas and his dentist wife. They had left home saying they were going to Lakshadweep, he said. Abdul Rasheed, an engineering graduate, had left home with his wife and a two-year old daughter, stating that they were going to Mumbai for a job. All the youth hail from middle class families and had been showing keen interest in religious matters since the last two years, Mustafa said. Manufacturer of automatic sensor doors Auto Ingress has set up its first assembly unit at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai with an investment of Rs 12 crore. The unit will assemble sliding, swing, revolving, telescopic, hermetic doors and gate accessories serving both residential and commercial segments, a company statement read. The unit, set up at SIPCOT Industrial Park, is spread across 20,000 square feet and will produce automatic sensor doors priced between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3 lakh per unit. "We are delighted to make inroads into the Indian market with our first assembly unit. With an investment of Rs 12 crore, we chose Chennai for our first operations as the city is well connected," Auto Ingress Group MD Robert Donald Jessen said. The factory will have an initial capacity of producing 4,000 units a year operating in a single shift, he said. The company plans to convert the factory into an automatic operator plant in coming years. With the assembly unit, the company expects to increase its revenue by 40 per cent as sales in India contribute 50 per cent to its total pie. The company has set a sales target of 3,500 units over the next two years. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing heat over reports that one of the Dhaka attackers was inspired by his speeches, today claimed that no Bangladesh government official had said that he inspired the act of terrorism. "I spoke to Bangladeshi government people. They told me that they do not believe I inspired this Bangladeshi terrorists to do this act of killing innocent people. That is a different issue that he was my fan," Naik said. "There are millions of fans of mine throughout the world. More than 50 per cent Bangladeshis are my fans but to say that I inspired him to kill innocent human beings is devilish," Naik said in a video released here. Naik, who is in Saudi Arabia now, said the only country which had banned him from entering was the United Kingdom. "The only country that I am aware that I was once banned from entering once was the UK. I don't have any proof that any country has banned me officially. And Malaysia? It is illogical because less than three years back, I got Tokoh Mall Hijrah award and King Faisal International Prize, which is the highest award of Malaysia...," he said. "In the last 25 years, I was the fourth foreigner to get this award... Can they award a person who promotes terrorism? Indian newspapers picked up Dhaka newspaper report without verifying it," he added. A Dhaka report has said Bangladesh government was investigating Naik and examining the possibilities of banning his "provocative" speeches in the wake of two brutal terrorist attacks in the country within a week, in which 25 people died. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said its intelligence agencies were investigating the Islamic preacher. "He is on our security scanner... Our intelligence agencies are investigating his activities as his lectures appeared provocative," Khan said. Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into the speeches by the 50-year-old Mumbai-based televangelist that has kicked up a storm. Activities of his NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, are also under the scanner of the Union Home Ministry amid allegations that funds from abroad received by it have been spent on political activities and inspiring people towards radical views. Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today came out with a new strategy--'6P concept'-- to protect women and children against crimes. The concept of 6P would bring together six important contributors or pillars - 'parents or principals, police, prosecution or courts, politicians, prisons and press'- as a collective hub to prevent crimes against the two vulnerable sections, Bedi, a former IPS officer, said. Bedi was speaking after releasing a directory covering details of various non-governmental organisations functioning in Puducherry at a joint meeting of representatives of NGOs at Raj Nivas. A Raj Nivas release said these 'six pillars' would be steered by the Lt Governor, the Chief Minister or Welfare Minister and Chief Secretary or Welfare Secretary. Welfare Minister M Kandasamy, who was present, lauded the initiatives of the Lt Governor. He said the council of ministers "is on the same page as the Lt Governor and will render their utmost cooperation. Catholic Bishops' Conference of India today urged the Centre to hold time-bound discussion with all religious groups in the country on uniform civil code issue. Stating that the Catholic church has an "open mind" to take part in the debate, the apex bishops' body also said the country's unity should be protected as such. "Any discussion on the uniform civil code should be held ensuring the religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution," CBCI President Cardinal Baselios Mar Cleemis said here in a statement. "The union government should hold time-bound discussion with all related religious groups in this regard," he said. The Church can further react on the matter only after getting the draft of the recommendations by the Centre on the Civil Code, he said, adding CBCI would take initiative to hold discussions with the heads of various church denominations in this regard. BJP President Amit Shah "will" replace Anandiben Patel as the state's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal claimed today, quoting "sources". "Gujarat fed up of Anandiben Patel's corrupt mal-administration. Huge support for AAP. Sources- BJP will replace Anandiben wid Amit Shah (sic)," the Delhi Chief Minister, who is touring the western state, tweeted. Kick-starting AAP's campaign for the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls by visiting the Somnath Temple, the Aam Aadmi Party chief asked the people to get rid of "hooligans" and "corrupt" persons. Addressing a gathering of farmers on the outskirts of Somnath city, he targeted the BJP governments at the Centre and the state. Boko Haram gunmen killed seven people in a raid on a town in northeast Nigerian Borno state near the border with Cameroon today, residents told AFP. Gunmen on motorcycles stormed the town of Rann in Kalabalge district overnight yesterday to today and opened fire on homes, fleeing residents said. "They opened fire on homes as we slept and killed seven people before carting away our food supplies and drugs from the only clinic in the town," Rann resident Abba Abiso said. He said the Islamists remained in the town for two hours before they left. Residents had fled the town into Cameroon and to the town of Gamboru, 28 kilometres away. Another witness Ari Ngamsu added: "The Boko Haram gunmen planted two high calibre explosives on the way outside the town but soldiers from Gamboru succeeded in defusing them at daybreak." Both witnesses spoke on Cameroonian phone lines, the only means of communication available following the destruction of telecom masts by Boko Haram in previous attacks. Rann and nearby villages have been been targeted in a number of attacks by Boko Haram despite successes by the Nigerian military that have pushed the Islamists out of some areas. The attacks have forced villagers to flee their homes, returning to them after they were clawed back by the military. Last month the insurgents sacked neighbouring Wumbi and Jikana villages outside Rann, killing eight people and looting food supplies. Boko Haram which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has killed some 20,000 and displaced more than 2.6 million people since 2009. Captain Radhika Menon, first woman captain of the Indian Merchant Navy will receive IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, the government today said. "Menon, Master of the oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajya, is to receive the 2016 International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her role in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in tumultuous seas in the Bay of Bengal in June last year," Shipping Ministry said in a statement. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships. "Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India, for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather," the statement said. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage. The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation, the statement said. "Through wave heights of more than 25 feet, winds of more than 60 knots and heavy rain, on 22 June, the second officer on the Sampurna Swarajya spotted the boat 2.5 kilometres away, off the coast of Gopalpur, Odisha. Captain Menon immediately ordered a rescue operation, utilising the pilot ladder and with life jackets and buoys on standby," it added. It took three arduous attempts in the lashing wind and rain and heavy swells before all seven weak and starving fishermen, aged from 15 to 50 years old, were brought to safety on board the ship. Captain Menon is the first woman captain in the Indian Merchant Navy and will be the first woman to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. The Awards ceremony is expected to take place at IMO Headquarters on November 21 at the end of the first day of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). This annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment. Dismissing the US appeal to accept the verdict of the tribunal on the disputed South China Sea as "delusional", China today said it can not be forced to accept the July 12 ruling. "It can only be a delusion of relevant parties to impose the ruling on China through diplomatic pressurising and negative publicity campaign. We advise them to give up such futile attempts," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Abraham Denmark has appealed to China to accept the tribunal verdict to be delivered on July 12. "The arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippine Aquino administration distorts the purposes of UNCLOS (UN Convention on Law of Seas), challenges the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of parties in the South China Sea as a regional regulation, and flouts the rule of law and regulations under the banner of defending them," Hong told the media. "By not accepting the ruling nor participating in the arbitrary tribunal, China is acting in accordance with law while championing UNCLOS and the DOC as well as the rule of law and regulations. China will never change its stance," he said. China's assertion of claims over all but most of South China Sea is disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, would rule on the Philippines petition challenging the claims of China over the South China Sea next week. Denmark has urged both China and the Philippines to comply with the ruling. It would be a chance to determine "whether the Asia-Pacific's future will be defined by adherence to laws and norms that have enabled it to prosper, or whether the region's future will be determined by raw calculations of power," Denmark was quoted as saying. The Chinese navy has conducted combat drills in the South China Sea (SCS) in a show of strength ahead of the July 12 verdict of an tribunal on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The exercises were held in the waters adjacent to south China's Hainan Island and Xisha Islands, also known as Parcel islands, which are claimed by Vietnam in the . The Nanhai Fleet, as well as some forces of the Beihai Fleet and Donghai Fleet, took part in the navy's annual routine military exercise that covered all sorts of combat platforms, including the air arm, submarine, surface vessel and coastal defence force, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today. Vietnam has protested to China over the drills. The exercises focusing on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare are expected to last till tomorrow, a day ahead of the verdict by the tribunal, constituted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, would rule on Philippines petition challenging the claims of China over the on July 12. China's claims on all most of the were contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan which have counter claims. China has boycotted the tribunal and asserted that it will not implement the verdict of the tribunal. Meanwhile, state media reported today that China plans to deploy more unmanned Chinese ships in the domestic and waters, including the SCS and the Antarctic, for oceanic survey and patrol missions. Founded in 2010, the Research Institute of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Engineering at Shanghai University, which is also China's first USV development institute, has been providing a series of independently designed unmanned ships coded "Jinghai", Xinhua reported. Additional unmanned ships could shoulder more responsibilities in the near future, including surveying and mapping coastal areas, maritime search and rescue, offshore patrol, anti-smuggling and sea route protection. Experts also noted that the ships could participate in more missions near ports and oil drilling rigs, Xinhua report said. Apart from Shanghai University, several other universities and institutes under China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have also joined the USV research and development process, the report said. Why would you assume that? He said "article" and not "Amendment." Are you saying your boy trump is just too stupid to know the difference between the Articles of the Constituion and the Amendments to the Constituion? Well, at least we can agree that Trump is ******* stupid. The close relationship between China and Sri Lanka will have no bearing on their ties with other countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here today. Yi is on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka ahead of President Maithripala Sirisena's China visit later this month. "There is a consensus between China and Sri Lanka that our cooperation does not target any third country nor will it affect our respective relations with other countries. We stand ready to work more closely with other regional countries for the purpose of achieving common development," Yi said in an obvious reference to India. In the past, India has expressed some concerns over the $1.5 billion project which is to be built by China on reclaimed land in the sea. "No matter what changes in the situation and domestic agenda, our strategic and cooperative partnership will continue to develop," the Chinese foreign minister said. China intends to make the 21st century maritime Silk Road a priority and help Sri Lanka build itself into a shipping centre in the Indian ocean, he said. Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island was looking forward to Chinese enterprise to make contribution towards developing the Lankan . Sri Lanka also expressed hope that the South China Sea dispute would be resolved through "constructive dialogue". Noting that NSCN-IM leader T Muivah's assertions have "shocked and stunned" the nation, Congress today demanded the framework agreement between the government and the Naga rebel outfit be tabled in Parliament. Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the agreement signed last year has "shocked and stunned" the nation in the wake of recent statements and interviews by the NSCN-IM general secretary and hinted that the party would raise the matter in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 18. Addressing a press meet along with former Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, former Union minister Vincent Pala and AICC General Secretary C P Joshi, Surjewala said Muivah has stated that a separate flag and passport for Nagas were not just demands but "rights as the Nagas were never under Indian rule". Equally shocking is Muivah's statement that the understanding on "shared sovereignty" has been arrived with the Modi government because the uniqueness of Naga history is recognised and that "we are not giving up on the demand of sovereignty", the Congress leader said. He said Muivah's remark that the framework agreement is a "secret" because until a complete settlement is done some secrecy will have to be maintained is also a matter of serious concern. "Has the Modi government agreed on a shared sovereignty of India for the Nagas? Has Modi govt agreed to give separate passports other than Indian Passports? Has Modi govt promised a separate flag for the Nagas other than the Tricolour?" he asked. Surjewala said the Modi government signed the accord in August, 2015, without consulting any of the state governments in the Northeast. "This framework agreement has been kept under wrap by Modi ji, without taking into confidence Parliament, Cabinet or people of India," he said. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said "no one, however mighty, has a right to do otherwise. People of India will never accept a compromise on this cardinal principle of India's unquestionable sovereignty and integrity." "While Congress fully supports finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the Naga problem through the process of dialogue, it has to be compulsorily within the four corners of our constitutional framework without a whisper of compromise on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. Congress today hit back at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the issue of Rs 46,000 crore telecom scam, saying he was "sounding more like a lawyer for corporates". "Instead of standing up as a trustee of the nation's finance, why does the finance Minister sound more like a lawyer for corporates?" Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a series of tweets. He said the Finance minister should defend the people against "corporate impropriety, not the other way round". "Does the Modi Govt have the courage to order a similar CAG Audit (sic)?" he asked Jaitley, adding "Instead of acting on the expose by Congress, why is BJP attacking the Opposition? What are they hiding?" Surjewala also wondered whether the government would "vouchsafe" that there was no under-reporting of income by the six telecom companies between 2010 to 2016 and whether it could give a "proof". "What proof does Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad have that there was no under reporting in 2010-16?" he asked. Besides, he contended that by questioning this audit report, the Modi Govt is "questioning the SC" as the CAG audit has Supreme Court sanction. Surjewala was countering Jaitley who had yesterday remarked that the Congress has scored a "self-goal" by calling under-reporting of Rs 46,000 crore revenue by six telecom firms an NDA scam as the "impropriety" had taken place during the UPA regime. "Shrillness, non-application of mind and a belligerent rhetoric seem to be the strategy of Congress party," he wrote in a Facebook blog titled 'An Empty Rhetoric by the Congress Party'. A CAG Report of February had stated that the six telephone providers including Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Communication during 2006-07 to 2009-10 under-reported their revenues by as much as Rs 46,000 crore, thereby depleting the share of the Government in license fee and spectrum user charges by about Rs 5,000 crore. Police today arrested a wanterd criminal after a brief encounter at Brij Vihar area here. A team of police officials intercepted a motor cycle at a checkpoint but it did not stop and the riders fired at them, Assistant Superintendent of Police Asheesh Srivastav said. The accused, identified as Raheem, who was injured in the police firing was arrested and the other bike rider Intzaar alias Baba managed to flee. His gang is registered as D-7 in police station Indira-puram, Srivastav said Police has seized his motorcycle, which was looted, one country-made pistol and cartridge. Raheem was admitted to the hospital, police said. A group of dacoits looted cash and jewelleries worth lakhs of Rupees from a house in posh Salt Lake township in North 24 Parganas district, the police said today. The dacoits entered the house when the landlady opened the door after hearing the calling bell of their house in CE block of Salt Lake ring last evening. They tied up the woman, looted cash, jewellery and other valuables and fled, police said. Her husband was not at home at that time. Eight persons were detained in connection with the incident. A 40-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people belonging to the upper caste community led by the sarpanch at Sodhana in Porbandar district, police said. The incident took place on July 6. Rambhai Bheekhabhai Singrakhiya, the victim, had a five-bigha plot of farmland which is surrounded by the lands of farmers belonging to the Mehar community, police said. The other farmers wanted Rambhhai to vacate his land and had allegedly threatened him of dire consequences if he refused. A group of Maher community members led by sarpanch Harbham Karavadara attacked Rambhai with sharp weapons on Wednesday. Labourers Govind Bhandavadra and Vijay Chanchiya who working on Rambhai's land were also injured when they tried to rescue him, police said. "The three sustained serious injuries and were shifted to Rajkot after being given primary treatment at Porbandar. However Rambhai succumbed during treatment at the Rajkot civil hospital," said M S Rana, superintendent of police, Porbandar rural. A case was registered at Bagvadar police station against thirty persons, of which three were arrested while sarpanch Karavadara, the main accused, was absconding. The incident led to tension in the area yesterday with authorities deploying police in large number to prevent trouble as the deceased man was cremated. Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today promised help to conjoined twins, Veena and Vani, who have been living in a state-run hospital here for the last 12 years. The Union Minister of State for Labour (independent charge) visited the twins at the government-run Niloufer hospital. He told reporters that provision of a house, employment to their parents and education to them is being considered by the Centre as well. The Telangana government is already looking into the matter. The parents of the conjoined twins last week urged the Telangana government to facilitate an operation to separate the girls, though medical experts have opined that the surgery could be risky. "Since it was God who gave such a birth to them, we pray to the government (and also God) to perform an operation on Veena and Vani, either in London, Australia or America, to separate them and then hand them over to us," the children's parents M Murali and Nagalakshmi said in a letter to Superintendent of the Niloufer hospital. Veena and Vani, who were born in 2003 with their heads conjoined, have been staying in the hospital since then under the care of medical staff. The state-run hospital at Red Hills here has become their home all these years as they grew up there. The parents had said they cannot take care of the children as they are poor and work as daily wage labourers. The hospital authorities said they would communicate the matter to the state government. International experts, including from Britain and Singapore, examined the rare conjoined twins ondifferent occasions in last several years to perform the complex surgery to separate them. The surgery reportedly involves massive costs and some estimates put the amount at about Rs 10 crore. However, no attempt to perform the operation has been successful and the children continue to live in the Niloufer hospital. Recently, doctors from AIIMS assessed the situation and reportedly opined that the surgery would be risky. The Telangana government today offered to facilitate the surgery to separate conjoined twins, Veena and Vani, who have have been staying at a state-run hospital here for the last 12 years. "If doctors come forward to perform surgery, the government is ready to spend money and facilitate..," state Health Minister C Laxma Reddy told reporters here. Doctors from London, who examined the twins earlier, expressed readiness to perform the surgery, but they could not give a 100 per cent guarantee to the life of the twins, he said. A team from AIIMS has also expressed the same opinion after conducting all the tests, he said. Now, doctors from Australia have recently shown interest in the matter. The parents of the conjoined twins last week urged the Telangana government to facilitate an operation to separate the girls, though medical experts opined that the surgery could be risky. "Since it was God who gave such a birth to them, we pray to the government (and also God) to perform an operation on Veena and Vani, either in London, Australia or America, to separate them and then hand them over to us," the children's parents M Murali and Nagalakshmi said in a letter to Superintendent of the Niloufer hospital. Veena and Vani, who were born in 2003 with their heads conjoined, have been staying in the hospital since then under the care of medical staff. The hospital at Red Hills here has become their home all these years as they grew up there. The parents had said they cannot take care of the children as they are poor and work as daily wage labourers. Reddy said the government is thinking of shifting the twins to a state-run home for less privileged before a final call is taken on the surgery. Meanwhile, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today promised help to the conjoined twins. The Union Minister of State for Labour (independent charge) visited the twins at the hospital. He said provision of a house, employment to their parents and education to them is being considered by the Centre as well. (Reopens BOM 8) The Health Minister also said investigation was underway into the incident of some patients developing infection at a State-run Eye Hospital after cataract surgeries. Action would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy after the inquiry report was received, he said. Various organisations today staged protests in the city demanding arrest of persons named in the TV channel interview of DySP Ganapathy who allegedly committed suicide on July 7. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Mijar, speaking at the protest organised by the party before the Deputy Commissioner's office, demanded arrest of the alleged abettors in the case. He said Ganapathy was an honest police officer and alleged that harassment by a former Home Minister and two senior police officers had led to his suicide. Speaking to protestors in front of the DC office, Dakshina Kannada district president of the 'Karnataka Rakshana Vedike' Anil Das said persons named in the DySP's pre-death declaration should be arrested. The Rakshana Vedike wanted the government to provide Rs 10 crore compensation to Ganapathy's family. Dakshina Kannada district JDS president, Mohammed Kunhi told reporters at a press meet here that the suicide was an example of the "anti-people" policies of the Congress government. The Karnataka government has handed over to CID the investigation into alleged suicide of the Mangaluru DySP which has triggered a storm with the police official in his pre-death declaration accusing a senior minister and two top officials of harassing him. The mother of the son of a black man killed by white Louisiana police officers has said she grieved with the families of five police officers killed in Dallas during a protest over police shootings, adding she was now "walking a mile with them." Quinyetta McMillon described herself as "very hurt" for the officers and their families. "Now, I'm walking a mile with them. We're bearing the same shoes right now," McMillon said in an interview with The Associated Press yesterday. The Dallas protest came in response to police shootings, including the one in which 37-year-old Alton Sterling was killed Tuesday in Baton Rouge during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store where he was selling CDs. Sterling was black; both officers are white. Cellphone video of his shooting was posted online and set off angry protests in Baton Rouge and beyond. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Sterling's shooting. Police say Sterling was armed and a witness said he had a gun in his pocket. But McMillon resisted those claims Friday, saying she didn't know Sterling to carry a gun and doesn't believe he had one with him the night he was shot to death. "I do not believe in my heart that there was a gun," she said. McMillon said she believes police said that "to cover up something." The Baton Rouge Police Department didn't respond to the claim. The two officers involved in the shooting death, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, are on administrative leave, which is customary, during the investigation. "They should be prosecuted, the both of them. I don't want the death penalty for them. I want them to be in prison," McMillon said, calling the federal investigation a "very positive step." McMillon called Sterling a good father to their son Cameron, 15, who broke down in sobs at a rally outside City Hall earlier this week. She said Cameron Sterling has been devastated by the loss. "I called them the Doublemint twins because they both liked snacks. They both like to eat, so they was always eating something" when they spent time together, which was regularly, McMillon said. Her face lighting up with a slight smile as she talked, McMillon said Alton Sterling was close to their son. She recalled when Cameron Sterling took his first steps, Alton Sterling swooped in to catch his son each time he wobbled, to keep him from hurting himself when he fell. She said it's one of her best memories. The arrest was the result of a six-week investigation that revealed Myrick is alleged to have used his position as a teacher in an attempt to coerce a 17-year-old West Albany High School female student to have sexual contact with him. The investigation began after fellow students reported concerns that Myrick was having an inappropriate relationship with a student. A flier was briefly detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here for allegedly stealing the mobile phone of another passenger in the terminal area. The incident was reported early yesterday when a Bengaluru-bound flier, identified as U Medhi, made a complaint to CISF personnel at the airport that his mobile phone has been stolen during his personal frisking in the domestic terminal of the IGIA. The CISF personnel immediately scanned the CCTV footage and found that a passenger identified as D Gautam, arriving from Dammamam, Saudi Arabia, had allegedly picked the mobile from the tray during security check. "Gautam was intercepted and the mobile recovered from him. He was later handed over to Delhi Police which registered a complaint against him and released him," a senior official said. Geeta, the deaf and mute girl, who returned to India last October after being stranded in Pakistan for 13 years, today expressed deep sorrow over the demise of legendary Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. Edhi, who had dedicated his life to humanity and serving the poor and was widely respected in Pakistan due to his humanitarian and social welfare works, had taken care of Geeta during her over a decade-long stay in Pakistan. "Edhi Saheb loved me like a father and used to take very good care of me," Geeta told MP government officials through sign language, who on her behalf issued a press release. Recalling her association with Edhi, she said that during her stay in Pakistan, Edhi had provided a separate room to her for accommodation and respecting her religious beliefs, he had also made idols of Hindu gods and goddesses available to her for worshipping. Edhi breathed his last at a hospital in Karachi late last night. A huge number of mourners today flocked at a stadium in Karachi in Pakistan to bid their last adieu to Edhi, the co-founder of Edhi Foundation, according to reports. The hearing and speech impaired girl was 7 or 8 years old when she had accidentally crossed over to Pakistan and was found sitting alone in the Samjhauta Express at Lahore station by the Pakistan Rangers 15 years ago. She was then adopted by Edhi Foundation. After her return to India, Geeta has been staying at an NGO for the speech and hearing impaired in Indore. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had met Geeta last December here and assured her that the government was making every effort to trace her parents. Former BJP MLA Yatin Oza today said he was going to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He said he will meet Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Rajkot tomorrow morning and in New Delhi next week. "This is an informal meeting with Kejriwal but you can consider myself as having already joined AAP. A formal meeting will take place in Delhi coming Tuesday," he told PTI. Oza, a practising lawyer at Gujarat High Court, said after joining AAP he will target Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the "rampant corruption promoted by his government". "I am aggrieved at the way Modi is attacking judiciary and such attacks are being made to weaken it. Second, Modi government did nothing to stop future trading of essential commodities as per his election promise and this has caused rise in prices of food items," Oza said, when asked about his reasons for joining AAP. Modi had a "tacit understanding" with NCP president Sharad Pawar so as to counter Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, he said. "Third, there is a rampant corruption in the government and nothing is being done to address the problem. The BJP today has become a party of two people - Modi and Amit Shah. I have heard grievances of party members who have been pushed out because they are not sycophants," he added. Oza, who had once joined Congress and contested against Modi from Maninagar constituency in 2002 before coming to BJP, said as an AAP member he will corner Modi and the BJP government on corruption with documentary evidence. Oza was elected twice as BJP MLA from Sabarmati here. He parted ways with the party but later returned to BJP. The Bombay High Court has refused to grant relief to a man who sought quashing of a rape case against him on the ground that he had married the victim as it held that in serious offences, a settlement between the "offender and the victim" can have no legal sanction at all. MohammadFaizanAmirKhanhad approached the high court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him lodged under section 376 of the IPC for allegedly raping his live-in partner on several occasions from the year 2014 after making a false promise of marriage. Khan in his petition claimed that there was some misunderstanding between him and his partner due to which she was enraged and lodged the FIR and that the dispute has been resolved now and they are married. A division bench of Justices N H Patil and P D Naik, however, observed that the accused agreed to marry the girl only after realising that a rape case was lodged against him. "The conduct of the accused is required to be deprecated. It can be noted that after realising that FIR has been registered and the investigating machinery is looking for him, he came to Mumbai and purportedly solemnised the marriage," the court said. The bench noted that the marriage was held on April 29 this year and the present petition was filed on April 30 this year and immediately on April 30, the complainant victim tendered an affidavit giving consent for quashing the FIR. "The approach of the accused is under clouds of suspicion. In view of the circumstances, although the petitioner (Khan) and the complainant (victim) have solemnised the marriage, we are not inclined to quash the FIR," the court said. Taking note of a Supreme Court order, the bench observed that in respect of serious offences like murder, rape, dacoity and so on, the settlement between the offender and the victim can have no legal sanction at all. As per the prosecution, the complainant met the accused in 2011 in Uttar Pradesh from where they started their relationship. In 2014, the accused came to Mumbai for a job and asked the girl to live with him to which she agreed. The duo maintained physical relation, which according to the girl was only because the accused promised to marry her. However, in January this year the accused left for Uttar Pradesh without informing the victim and when she got in touch with him, the man said he was not coming back, and hence, would not marry her. Following this, the girl filed a complaint. Actress Aubrey Plaza has opened up about her sexuality saying she falls in love with both girls and guys. The 32-year-old former "Parks and Recreation" star said her choices come very naturally to her, reported People magazine. "I know I have an androgynous thing going on, and there's something masculine about my energy. Girls are into me - that's no secret. Hey, I'm into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can't help it," Plaza said. The actress also described her relationship with the LGBT community, a group she calls "(her) people." "There was this gay community there that really welcomed me. All my friends were gay," she said. "I have a gay aunt and a gay uncle, and I grew up thinking that everyone had a gay aunt or uncle. My younger sister is a lesbian, so it's just in my blood, I guess," Plaza added. As many as 11 people have died due to flood in in the last couple of days as heavy rains continued to lash large parts of the state with the army shifting over 400 deluge-hit people in Satna district to safer places. "Eight people have died due to flood and excessive rainfall in the last three-four days in the state," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here today. Two persons have died in Bhopal, one each in Tikamgarh, Rewa, Jhabua, Betul, Raisen and Panna, he said. "One more death was reported around this noon when Sourabh Katiyar (21) was washed away in a swollen nullah near Shahpur lake here while travelling on a motorcycle. His body has been recovered," a police official said. Earlier, one person died each in Mandla and Singrauli districts yesterday after they were washed out in flooded nullah. The chief minister said Narmada river was flowing above the danger mark in Hoshangabad. "Any one in distress, can dial 1079 for help," he said, adding that officials have been instructed to swiftly act in case of flooding. Chouhan said he has postponed the scheduled meeting with his Cabinet colleagues at Halali dam near here tomorrow and asked ministers to rush to their respective districts and remain there to monitor the situation and help out people in distress. "Food packets have been sent to Bhopal. To deal with any untoward incident, NDRF ( Disaster Response Force) team is also present there. In these circumstances we are trying to provide relief and rescue measures so that people may not suffer," the chief minister added. Meanwhile, the army has shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Raghuraj tehsil of Satna district to relief camps, while the district administration has made arrangements for rehabilitating nearly 300 persons affected by swollen Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers. "Army has shifted 400 flood affected persons to relief camps in Raghuraj Nagar tehsil of Satna district yesterday," an official of Public Relation department said today. Besides, the district administration has also made arrangements for shifting nearly 300 persons affected by flood in the Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers in the district. The relief work is being carried out by Home guard, police and revenue officials and employees, the official said. Rewa district Collector has also informed the Relief Commissioner Office that an army helicopter has rescued three persons stranded in the floods in village Sirmour Bhadra in the district. Many parts of the state have been inundated with incessant downpour in the last 48 hours. Meteorological department in Bhopal has forecast rain shower likely at most places over western and eastern parts of the state. It has issued warning that heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Sagar, Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain and Gwalior divisions. Meanwhile, since June 1 till date, 25 districts have received more than normal rainfall in the state, 16 normal rainfall, nine less than normal and one is still deficient. The 25 districts which received more than normal rainfall are Jabalpur, Katni, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Sagar, Damoh, Panna, Chhattarpur, Sidhi, Satna, Umaria, Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Datia, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, Rajgarh and Hoshangabad. India and South Africa will sign a MoU on grassroot innovation in selected areas, including agricultural technology and indigenous knowledge systems, on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country. The 20th anniversary of the bilateral cooperation in science and technology between South Africa and India will be celebrated by the signing of the memorandum of understanding. The two countries share an interest in the development of grassroots innovations that can provide the affordable and accessible technological solutions needed by both countries, National Innovation Foundation said in a statement here. The MoU will cover technology demonstration, training, capacity building, sharing of open-source technologies and joint product development, it said. "Notable advances have been made in sustainable grassroots innovation, though there is still mileage to cover particularly on how our instruments and infrastructure responds to all types of innovation production across the spectrum- age, gender, economic status and location," said Department of Science and Technology spokesman Julian Leshilo. Director of India's National Innovation Foundation, Dr Vipin Kumar said that similar to South Africa, India has achieved considerable success in technology but the technological needs and ideas of people in rural areas are neglected. "There is a need to incubate and convert the ideas into products," Kumar said. A series of special events will be organised throughout the year to celebrate this strategic partnership between India and South Africa, culminating in the Science Forum South Africa to be hosted by the Department in Pretoria in December 2016, the statement said. In addition to grassroots innovation, South Africa and India collaborate on a range of scientific domains, such as the fight against infectious diseases and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) global radio telescope project currently being built in a desert area of South Africa. Top business leaders from India and South Africa yesterday signed eight MoUs leading to increase cooperation in a wide range of areas between the two nation. The MoUs were also signed on the sidelines of Modi's five-day visit here aimed at further bolstering cooperation on economic, political, social and international areas. Modi is on four-nation tour. He visited Mozambique on Thursday and is on the second leg of his tour of Africa. He will also visit Tanzania and Kenya. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Sudharshan Bhagat today assured the jute farmers that the government would not take any such step that would harm their interest. "I have just taken over the charge as MoS Agriculture. But I can say this much that nothing will be done which will harm the interests of jute farmers in the country," Bhagat said during an interaction here. Jute industry has urged West Bengal government to introduce a jute policy along with jute packaging laws in the state for sustainability of the sector. The compulsory Jute Packaging Act (JPM 1987) of the Centre has gradually diluted as the union government in the past pointed out corruption and inability of the jute mills to meet the government's demand. Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) in its memorandum to the state government had said the Centre's recent move to reduce and peg orders at 2.5 lakh bales per month would affect millions of jute cultivators and they would be deprived of proper income. In response to the fatal shootings by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota, actor Michael B Jordon has called for unity. The 29-year-old "Creed" star took to Instagram to share a touching post. "The fact is Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were not unfortunate accidents. These are just a few of the countless incidents of violent neglect, poor training and lack of accountability that clearly illustrate one thing: Black people are being disproportionally dehumanized and murdered, this must stop! "I care about the safety of my black brothers and sisters and my blue ones too," Jordon wrote. He also expressed sympathy for the five Dallas police officers who were shot Thursday night. "There are no adequate words for the fallen officers in Dallas. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them for protecting the peaceful protesters, their courage and effort to support us is what we need more of. "This hits close to home. It could have easily been myself, my little brother, my dad, one of my friends, or any of us," the actor added. Jordon admitted that finding solutions may not be easy, but said "violence is not the answer." "This is the time to unify; our communities, our churches and our homes. My mission is to channel my anger and energy - along with my love and hope for the future into actively finding solutions. Change will take all of us, we can no longer say or do...Nothing." Celebrities including Beyonce, Halle Berry, Kate Hudson, Jay Z, Miguel, and more have also condemned the shootings. HRD Minister on Friday said the Narendra Modi-led government will make academicians, teachers and students partners in improving quality of education. In his first public programme after assuming charge of the crucial portfolio, the Minister also said he will try to solve the grievances of teachers and students on issues related to education. Addressing students and teachers at a central school here, Javadekar, who has replaced Smriti Irani as HRD Minister, sought "cooperation of everybody" to improve quality of education, particularly in Kendriya Vidyalayas and other educational institutions in the country. "That is what will make the nation great nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid emphasis on quality of education and we all will be travelling in that direction. "Therefore, there are educationists, there are officers, you are students, and teachers...All will be partner in our endeavour to improve the quality of education," he said. The minister while interacting with students and teachers, received a memorandum from a teacher. "If minister goes to a programme and he doesn't receive a memorandum, he will feel that he has not done anything. But I am not only taking this memorandum, I will read it and I will solve it," Javadekar said. Soon after assuming charge, the minister had said education is not a subject for "party politics" and he was open to suggestions from everyone. Javadekar had said education should be seen as an "emancipator" and "agent of change" and he would come out with a roadmap after consultations with the Prime Minister and others including Irani. During the interaction with students, Javadekar said his 92-year-old mother who stays with him was a primary school teacher herself and he "values" teachers' contribution to the society. "My mother is 92. She was a primary school teacher. She taught me. Tomorrow, I am organising a programme in Pune. Everybody wanted to felicitate me. I told them don't felicitate me. Instead I will felicitate my teachers who taught me in Schools and Colleges. So, tomorrow I am organising a programme- Guruvandana-- in Pune," he said. A two-alarm fire Saturday morning destroyed the Albany Burger King franchise on Geary Street Southeast. According to Albany Fire Department public information officer Sandy Roberts, an employee reported the fire around 8:40 a.m. Five employees and two customers were in the building at 1435 Geary St. S.E. at the time, and all escaped safely. One employee suffered a small burn on his arm and was treated at the scene. The Albany Police Department blocked off portions of 14th Avenue and Geary Street through the afternoon as emergency crews and officials worked the fire scene. Police officers assisted residents at nearby apartment complexes who needed access to the streets. No other structures in the area were threatened, although fire personnel remained in contact with surrounding businesses, which remained open during the incident. Employees and bystanders gathered at the scene, watching through heavy smoke, as firefighters and two snorkel trucks battled the blaze. Some were hugging and crying. An employee's car was towed from behind the building to safety. Albany resident and Burger King regular Kelly Darcey was not in the restaurant at the time, but she had been shopping at a nearby store when she noticed the blaze. "It's just so sad," she said. "It's been here for so long, and they had just finished remodeling. It's terrible to watch it go. The employees were nice, and it was fast, easy and convenient. It's a tragedy." The fire's cause remains under investigation. Members of the Albany Fire Department, Albany Police Department, Lebanon Fire District, Tangent Rural Fire District, Corvallis Fire Department, Adair Rural Fire & Rescue, and Turner Fire District assisted. Two ladder trucks and five engines were part of the effort. Approximately 35 fire personnel responded. Albany Fire also brought in an excavator to help clear debris from the fire. A pool of water spread from the parking lot into part of 14th Avenue and crews had to pump water out into 14th Avenue drains. The Geary Street restaurant is one of two Burger Kings in Albany. The second is at 3060 Pacific Blvd. S.E. As of noon, crews were still at the location. A pool of water several feet deep had grown from the parking lot into part of 14th Avenue. Fire crews are pumping water out into 14th Avenue drains. Portions of 14th Avenue and Geary Street remain closed in both directions. More information will be posted when available. Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, and Amarnath yatra suspended as authorities apprehended protests in the Valley, where tension prevailed following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces. Protesters blocked main roads and entry to interiors of the city at many places following a strike call by top separatists leaders who were put under house arrest as a precautionary measure. Public address systems were used in some places today to relay the audio messages of Wani, who had emerged as the poster boy of militancy. Mobile internet across Kashmir has been suspended while mobile telephony services have also been restricted in south Kashmir. A police official said the situation was by and large peaceful in most parts of Kashmir so far but Tral -- the hometown of the slain militant commander -- witnessed protests by residents following his killing in the encounter in in Kokernag area yesterday. "Restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in six police station areas of Srinagar city, most parts of Pulwama district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order," a senior government official said. He said the decision was taken in view of the violent protests at some places last night in these areas after the of Wani's death. "A group of youths also started pelting stones towards the camps of security forces who have not retaliated to the provocation so far," he said. Authorities have suspended Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp to base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam in the Valley as a precautionary measure. The train services between Baramulla in Kashmir and Banihal across the Pir Panjal mountain range have also been suspended for the day as the trains have been targeted by mobs in the past. Top separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest last night as they had called for a shutdown today. The two factions of the Hurriyat had planned funeral prayers in absentia for the slain militants. Radical women's outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi has called for a three-day shutdown. (REOPENS DEL15) Meanwhile, shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, officials said. They said public transport was off the roads, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at some places. Educational institutions in the Valley were closed on account of the ongoing summer vacations. The reports of shutdown have been received from district headquarters in the Valley, the officials said. Central University of Kashmir has postponed all examinations scheduled for today, a spokesman of the University said. He said that the new dates for the examination would be notified separately. Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education has also postponed today's exams in view of the strike. (REOPENS DES1) Meanwhile, separatist groups have extended the strike call in Kashmir till July 11 to protest against the death of three persons in clashes with police in Kashmir. In a statement, moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq appealed to the people to observe complete shutdown on July 10 and 11. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dubbed AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Golden Temple as a "political stunt" to salvage his and party's "swiftly falling graph of popularity". He also alleged the visit to perform 'seva' in the temple will not absolve the Delhi Chief Minister and AAP from the "heinous sin" which he has committed by publishing the picture of 'Darbar Sahib' along with broom on the party's youth manifesto. He said Kejriwal and his party now stood "fully exposed" as their mindset had clearly revealed their "innermost psyche" that how "scant respect" they show towards the religious sentiments of other communities be it Sikh, Hindu or Muslim. He, however, said that anyone could offer prayer and perform 'seva' (volunteer service) at Golden Temple as a true devotee who has a feeling of repentance but people like Kejriwal and his accomplices only indulged in "politicking" as there was a world of "difference between their words and actions". The visit of the AAP convener was nothing more than a "political stunt to salvage his image" and party's "swiftly falling graph" of popularity, Badal alleged. Badal said the sole aim of his party was to wrest power in Punjab "by hook or crook" to pursue their political ambitions, thereby "throwing all the norms of decency and morality to winds". With political parties criticising AAP for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs, Kejriwal has decided to visit Golden Temple on July 18 to perform 'seva' (volunteer service). On the issue of rising unemployment, Badal said his government has already launched a massive recruitment drive to provide jobs to youth in education, health, power and police departments. On the issue of regularisation of illegal colonies across the state, he said the state government is committed to regularise all the colonies and the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) - the nodal agency had been directed to undertake the entire process of regularisation of such colonies so as to ensure basic civic amenities to the residents of these colonies. In a stern warning against corruption in police, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said such practices will not be allowed. "There is corruption in police. It is a very serious issue. No one should think that corruption and policing will go together. Strong action would be taken against those indulge in corruption in police force," Vijayan said addressing the Kerala Police Service Officers' Association State Conference here. Noting that police force does not require weapons, Vijayan said credibility and scientific approach should be made its strength. He said a technical upgradation is required in view of growing incidents of cyber crime in the state. Vijayan also directed the police to take strong action against those who harass women and children. Referring to the lapses in the initial stage of investigation into the murder of a Dalit woman in Perumbavoor near here, the Chief Minister said police's timely intervention is required to solve a criminal case. Later visiting Perumbavoor, the Chief Minister handed over the keys of the newly constructed house to the murdered Dalit woman's mother. Construction of a new house for the victim's mother was one of the decisions taken by the first Cabinet meeting of the CPI(M)-led LDF government. Sydney Schanberg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent who chronicled the Khmer Rouge's brutal rise to power in Cambodia in the 1970s, died Saturday at age 82. That gripping account by Schanberg and his story of his Cambodian friend and assistant Dith Pran's captivity under and survival of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror inspired the 1984 film "The Killing Fields" by director Roland Joffe. Schanberg had suffered a massive heart attack Tuesday. He died in Poughkeepsie, New York, said his friend and former colleague at The New York Times, Charles Kaiser. "Syd was a brilliant writer, a fearless reporter, and an important role model for me," Kaiser said in a Facebook post. "When he was filing on the fall of Cambodia in 1975, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for each new dispatch to arrive. So was every other reporter in the city room. It was some of the most dramatic journalism I have ever read." While the diplomatic community and other Western reporters fled Cambodia as the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot approached Phnom Penh in 1975, Schanberg and Dith chose instead to stay behind. The Times described Schanberg as "a nearly ideal foreign correspondent: a risk-taking adventurer who distrusted officials, relied on himself in a war zone and wrote vividly of political and military tyrants and the suffering and death of their victims with the passion of an eyewitness to history." After the Khmer Rouge took power and violence and executions became rampant, Schanberg and Dith took refuge in the French Embassy. But Dith was eventually expelled from the compound and forced to join an exodus of Cambodians into the countryside as part of the Khmer Rouge's radical, murderous social experiment: turning Cambodia into a modern-day agrarian society. People suspected of coming from educated, prosperous backgrounds were targeted mercilessly. An estimated two million people died in the genocide, from outright murder, starvation in labor camps or disease. After two weeks at the embassy, Schanberg and other foreigners were trucked to Thailand. There, he filed his first report on the fall of Phnom Penh and the hellish early days of life under the Khmer Rouge and its emptying of the capital city. Schanberg won awards including the Pulitzer, which he said he shared with Dith. He also set about the gargantuan task of finding Dith, whose whereabouts remained unknown for years. Several Kashmiri Pandit organisations in Jammu and Kashmir today condemned stone-pelting on minorities and demanded immediate deployment of army around temples and KP employees' colonies in the Valley. They also alleged that the community was under "grave fear and threat" in the Valley and said they will take out a rally protesting against the ruling dispensation in the state. "We are caught in Katayani temple complex in Kulgam along with families and children. We were subjected to stone pelting by a mob," All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) Chairman Vinood Pandit said. Pandit, who had gone to Kashmir to hold a yajna at the temple complex on July 12, said "we are fearing for living. No one is coming to our rescue. We called the police and other officials but no body coming to our rescue." "We were subjected to stone pelting during night at Haal KP employees colony. Our vehicles were damaged. We are fearing for our lives and that of families, women and children," an employee at Haal colony said. Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj R K Bhat hit out at the state government and police and announced a protest rally here to press for the elaborate security around minority places in Kashmir. All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) condemned the stone-pelting incidents, saying, "Government should give fool proof security to all KPs living and working there under PM's package. The administration will be responsible for any type of security lapses and it should provide adequate security to all temples in the Valley". The KP Sabha, an apex body of KPs in Jammu, also condemned the incidents. "In view of the previous experience that soft targets are attacked to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra the security should have been beefed up at all such vulnerable places beforehand, KPS President K K Khosa said. Several other organisations including Panun Kashmir, APMCC, Radha Krishan Ganjoo Foundation trust, Sharika Peeth Sanastha, Zeishta Devi Prabandik Committee (ZDPC), Samaji Vikas Sasthan, PSMICT Martand, Pulwama Temple Panel, Manzgam Temple committee, Tripursundri temple Asthapan, Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Movement also condemned these incident. Police have arrested four Macedonians suspected of fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and are actively looking for three others, an official said today. Yesterday's operations included raids in the capital Skopje and northwestern Tetovo, in which computers, mobile phones and passports were seized, said police official Dejana Nedeljkovic. "The police have arrested four Islamic State members who fought in Syria and Iraq," she said, adding that of the three others being searched, two were probably still fighting on the frontline. According to the Macedonian police, about 130 nationals have left to fight for the jihadist group in Iraq and Syria. The Albanian Muslim minority comprises only a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million-strong population, most of whom are Orthodox Christians. According to Macedonia's criminal code, joining conflicts abroad as well as recruiting citizens to fight in foreign conflicts is punishable by five years in jail. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has said that 72 people who have returned from Syria to Macedonia are considered "potential terrorists". Syria's war began in 2011 as a popular revolt seeking democratic reform, but later morphed into a brutal civil war that attracted jihadists from all over the world. A murder convict has jumped parole and not returned to the Nashik Central Prison here following which he was declared absconder, police said today. The prisoner - Ajij Ahmed Abdul Ajij Malang alias Pathan - hailing from Salamabad in Jammu and Kashmir was lodged here after being convicted by a local court for killing a woman, they said. "He (Malang) was granted a 30-day-parole on March 28 this year. However, after his parole got over, he did not return. A complaint under relevant sections of IPC was lodged at the Nashik Road police station by the jail authorities in this regard", Sanjay Deshmukh, In-charge of Nashik Road police station said. In another case, prisoner Sajjad Ahmed Mughal, convicted for killing Mumbai-based lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha, had too jumped parole earlier and not returned to the prison. Security officials were sent into a tizzy when a man called up the police control room today and claimed to have planted a bomb at a popular cinema hall in posh Connaught Place in the heart of the city. The call was received around 1.15 PM, following which several police teams, fire tenders and bomb disposal squads were rushed to the Odeon complex, and the premises were evacuated, a Delhi Fire Department official said. "The call was received at the police control room and the building is being thoroughly inspected," Additional DCP (New Delhi) Romil Baniya said. An alleged drug supplier has been arrested along with 1.5 Kg of fine quality charas(cannabis resin) he was bringing from Manali in his car, police said today. Manish Rathi(26), a resident of Delhi, was apprehended by a team of Crime Branch on a tip-off near Wazirabad flyover. A search of his car led to the recovery of 1.5 Kg of fine quality charas with an estimated worth of Rs 15 lakh in international market, said Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner (crime) of Police. Rathi allegedly supplied charas in Delhi and Chandigarh carrying it from Manali. He had joined drug smuggling after coming in contact with a drug addict Jugal Kishore who used charas, said the officer. Later, he started sourcing the contraband from Himachal Pradesh through his sources Vicky and Inder based there, he added. Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Naeem Akhtar today said a man, who had posted "baseless" and "untrue" information in Facebook about alleged killing of two persons from the minority community during protests in the Valley, will be booked. He said this while reacting to a Facebook post by Ashok Koul, a Kashmir Pandit. "According to sources, two Pandits killed in Kashmir at some village. Many Hindu houses burnt. Internet services suspended," Koul wrote in his Facebook post. Akhtar, while reacting to the post, said it was "totally untrue and baseless." "He will be booked under law," he said. The post was highlighted by human rights activist Khurram Parvez. "This is how lies are manufactured. Instead of talking about 6 protestors who were killed today by armed forces, Ashok Koul is resorting to lies. Two years ago he also claimed that a Kashmiri Pandit girl was raped in Handwara. Why is police not filing a case against him?" Parvez wrote while sharing Koul's post. Realising his mistake, Koul wrote another post in which he apologised. "All dear friends, I beg pardon from entire people of Jammu and Kashmir that I posted many without verification which proved fake," he said. "In future, I assure you all that no such will be posted. Again I beg pardon," Koul added. A grand jury will convene at the end of July to decide the cause of a January 21 fatal collision that took the life of logging truck driver Neil Nightingale. The collision, which happened on Highway 20 east of Sweet Home, involved two semi trucks and a 2003 Subaru Legacy. Nightingale, 39, died of his injuries eight days later, and Robert Gene Mayfield, 54, who was behind the wheel of the second truck, has undergone multiple surgeries after sustaining critical injuries. The grand jury will consider information from Oregon State Police reports that determined Mayfield, traveling west, had crossed the center turn lane and entered Nightingale's eastbound lane, colliding head-on with the 2011 Kenworth log truck. The driver of the Subaru was not injured. Linn County Senior Deputy Dirstrict Attorney George Eder has indicated witnesses to the accident will attend the hearing. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy went to pilgrimage to various temples in neighbouring Tamil Nadu today. Among the temples he visited to offer prayers included the famous shrine of Lord Nataraja at Chidambarm. He also offered prayers at the famous shrine of Lord Veerataneeswarar in Thiruvadhigai near Panruti. Narayanasamy a non member of Puducherry Assembly assumed charge as Chief Minister of Puducherry on June 6 following his election as CLP leader unanimously by the legislators of the Congress on May 28. He is to seek election from a constituency within six months of his becoming Chief Minister as is legally required. NATO allies agreed today to provide increased military support to countries in the Middle East and North Africa that are targets of Islamic extremism, including using NATO surveillance planes in the fight against the Islamic State group. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said alliance leaders also agreed to launch a new naval mission in the Mediterranean, and made commitments to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020. "Today we have taken decisions to strengthen our partners and to project stability beyond our borders," Stoltenberg told reporters on the second day of a crucial NATO summit in Warsaw. He said millions of people in Africa and the Middle East have been rendered "homeless and helpless" by radical organizations like IS and that the extremist groups are also to blame for organizing terrorist attacks in Europe and America. In response, Stoltenberg said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, a country he called central in the fight against IS. NATO is also working to establish an intelligence center in Tunisia, a major recruiting ground for IS, and will shortly start providing support to Tunisian special operation forces, he said. Stoltenberg said US President Barack Obama and leaders of the other 27 NATO countries also agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria and Iraq, a decision the NATO chief called "a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism." NATO diplomats say they expect flights by alliance AWACS planes to begin this fall. Stoltenberg said the alliance will launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean called Operation Sea Guardian, whose responsibilities will include counterterrorism. NATO will also cooperate with the European Union's efforts to shut down human smuggling operations that have fueled Europe's greatest migrant crisis since World War II. The alliance will also increase cooperation with Jordan, and is preparing to help the new government in Libya design policies and institutions to help it better defend itself against extremist organizations, Stoltenberg said. "We will provide greater support to our partners, so they can secure their countries and push back against violent extremism," he said. Obama had been urging his fellow NATO leaders in Warsaw to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Meanwhile, violence in the US led him to cut his Europe trip short so he can return home tomorrow. The US has pledged to provide USD 3.5 billion annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as USD 500 million. Allies would provide the remaining USD 1 billion. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. NATO leaders united today behind a "hard-headed" policy of deterrence and dialogue with Russia after launching the alliance's biggest military revamp since the Cold War to counter a resurgent Moscow. Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said alliance leaders "stand together" on Russia, agreeing at a summit in Warsaw to bolster its eastern flank after Moscow's annexation of Crimea and the Ukraine conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed NATO's decision to put four battalions in Poland and the Baltic states, seeing the expansion into Moscow's Soviet-era backyard as a direct security threat. "The alliance is united, we stand together," Stoltenberg said when asked about the leaders' talks on Russia. "The united message is that defence and dialogue are what our relationship is based on." Around 200 anti-war activists defied heavy security in central Warsaw to protest against the summit, carrying banners saying "Yes to Peace, No to NATO", AFP journalists saw. Unity was the buzzword of the two-day summit in the Polish capital after Britain's shock vote to quit the European Union raised questions about its future role as a nuclear armed global power. Prime Minister David Cameron reassured his peers that Britain was committed to the alliance and announced a parliamentary vote on July 18 on revamping Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent to back that up. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view not just to Britain's security but as our allies acknowledge here today to the overall security of the NATO alliance," Cameron told a conference. Cameron said Britain fully backed the measures adopted by NATO in response to the Ukraine crisis "but we must also engage in a hard headed dialogue with Russia". NATO's two-track strategy reflects underlying divisions in the bloc, with calls from France and Germany to avoid a Cold-War style stand-off when Moscow's help is needed on issues such as terrorism. The United States and European Union have both imposed sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis but in Europe in particular there are growing calls for them to be scaled back. French President Francois Hollande appeared to offer an olive branch to Moscow, saying yesterday Russia was neither adversary nor threat but a partner. Leaders will discuss Ukraine with President Petro Poroshenko later today. Stoltenberg announced earlier this week that the alliance would hold a fresh meeting with Russia on Wednesday as a gesture of the West's openness and good faith. Eastern European states have previously warned against easing the pressure, but NATO's unprecedented new measures have begun to reassure them. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, a sharp critic of Putin, said a stronger NATO would be better able to talk to Russia. As cracks appeared in Nepal's ruling alliance, Prime Minister K P Oli on Saturday called a joint meeting of the coalition partners in an attempt to avert any possible political crisis. The Prime Minister called the meeting at his official residence Baluwatar to discuss various contemporary issues, his Press Advisor Pramod Dahal said. Leaders in the meeting will discuss implementation of the Constitution Implementation Action Plan that the government had introduced recently and endorsement of the budget announced for the next financial year, he said. The decision to hold the meeting came after Unified Communist Party of (UCPN)-Maoist Centre chairman Prachanda claimed that the next government would be formed soon after the new budget is endorsed by the Parliament. According to media reports, the Maoists and the CPN-UML led by Oli had reached a gentleman's agreement last month in this regard. During a meeting with the Prime Minister on Friday, Prachanda is understood to have asked Oli to honour nine-point agreement reached between the two big parties in May. Prachanda also told Oli that his party is concerned about the formation of national unity government with the involvement of Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, according to sources close to Prachanda. The Maoists have also indicated that they would not let the budget pass in the Parliament if Oli turns a deaf ear towards their concerns. However, Saturday's meeting is regarded as important, as it will decide the fate of the coalition government. Prime Minister Oli has been cornered after the Maoists raised the issue of formation of national unity government. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Communication Sherdhan Rai has dismissed as rumours reports about government change. He claimed that the coalition government enjoys overwhelming support of the people and the rumour was spread by those who are scared of the government's strength. He said that the government is ready to forge national consensus, adding no one should talk about misleading things in the name of consensus at a time when the government is making serious efforts towards implementing the new Constitution. The government has called the agitating Madhesi parties for a dialogue to address their concern, the minister said and expressed hope that they will soon come forward for a dialogue. Hotel heiress Nicky Hilton welcomed her first child with husband James Rothschild. Hilton, 32, and Rothschild's baby girl, Lily Grace Victoria Rothschild, was born on July 8, reported US Weekly. The proud aunt and fashion designer Paris Hilton during Nicky's pregnancy days gushed that she plans to spoil her niece. "Now that I know it's a girl, it's getting easier to buy things for her. I love all the dresses I got her. There are so many beautiful dresses and little princess outfits, So I can't wait to see her in them," said Paris. Last month Nicky shared pictures of her daughter's nursery on Instagram as she awaited her arrival. "Preparing for the little one's arrival," she wrote. Nicky and Rothschild got engaged in August 2014 while vacationing in Lake Como, Italy. They tied the knot at Kensington Palace in London in July 2015. US President Barack Obama today tried to unify a fractured nation, insisting the shock shootings in Dallas and simmering racial tensions would not derail a common sense of purpose. Obama lamented a "painful" week, in which five police officers were gunned down during a protest against the police killings of black Americans, but he rejected comparisons with the civil unrest of the 1960s. "I firmly believe America is not as divided as some have suggested," Obama told a press conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity. This is not who we want to be as Americans." Obama has said he will cut short his foreign trip and visit Dallas next week after a black extremist opened fire on officers protecting a peaceful march against police brutality. Thousands of protesters marched in US cities late Friday, with many remembering the slain officers, but anger remains over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, two African-American men killed by police. While acknowledging the need to heal divisions, Obama played down talk of wider unrest. "When we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization and we're back to the situation in the 60s and -- that's just not true," Obama said. "You're not seeing riots, you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully." Obama pointed out that crime was now substantially lower and that US society had stronger foundations to build on than half a century ago. Obama said Dallas shooter Micah Johnson, 25, who was killed in a standoff with police, was "demented" and did not represent African Americans. "The demented individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas, he's no more representative of African Americans than the shooter in Charleston (in South Carolina) was representative of white Americans," Obama said. Dylann Roof, 22, is accused of gunning down nine African American churchgoers in Charleston last year. Prosecutors in his case have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Obama added that it was difficult to untangle Johnson's motives. While the White House has ruled out any link between the gunman and known "terrorist organizations," Johnson's Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. Obama meanwhile said he was going to keep discussing race issues and gun control in the wake of a series of mass killings. US President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House has said. "The president has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement yesterday, adding that Obama would return to the United States tomorrow night -- one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable." Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of blacks by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will "continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system." According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. Tomorrow he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington tomorrow night. More than 150 soldiers died in fighting between South Sudan's army and former rebels in the capital Juba last evening, a spokesman for the former rebels said on Saturday. "The number of casualties is over 150 killed," said Roman Nyarji, a spokesman for rebel leader turned Vice-President Riek Machar, adding the combined death toll may rise further. "We are expecting a bigger number of casualties because the two units of the presidential guard were all engaged yesterday," he said referring to bodyguard units of Machar and his rival President Salva Kiir. The violence came on the eve of the country's fifth anniversary of independence and represents another blow to a shaky peace deal that has so far failed to end a civil war that began in December 2013. The shooting began when Kiir and Machar met at the presidential palace and initially involved their bodyguards. The shootout, lasting about half an hour, quickly escalated from small-arms fire to heavier weapons and spread with machine-gun and artillery heard in several parts of Juba before subsiding after nightfall. Kiir and Machar described yesterday's violence as "unfortunate". By this morning a tense calm had fallen over the city with a heavy security presence but few civilians on the streets. Overseas bar associations and lawyers' groups today issued an open letter to President Xi Jinping criticising China's detention of lawyers and activists exactly one year after the crackdown was launched. The letter adds to international expressions of concern over the unprecedented sweep. The letter called on Xi to release all lawyers and others it said were unlawfully detained, and ensure that the detainees can pick the lawyers who represent them and are provided medical treatment and visitation rights. Today marked the first anniversary of a crackdown in China on human rights lawyers and activists in which more than 200 were detained or questioned. Around two dozen are still detained, including several who could face life imprisonment after being charged with subverting state power. The open letter said the lawyers' groups sought to improve the situation for Chinese lawyers and human rights defenders. "It is in this light that we wish to remind you of your continuous pledges, Mr President, to uphold the rule of law in China," the letter said. The letter was signed by more than a dozen groups including the Hong Kong-based China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, the Amsterdam Bar Association, the Australian branch of the International Association of People's Lawyers and the International Commission of Jurists. It was posted on the Facebook page of the Hong Kong group. Separately, the American Bar Association, or ABA, said in a statement that it has named a Chinese human rights lawyer, Wang Yu, recipient of a newly created "ABA International Human Rights Award." The ABA said Wang, who is among the lawyers and activists currently held in the crackdown, was being honored for "her dedication to human rights, justice and the rule of law in China." The lawyers' association had come under pressure in the past year from critics for not being as strident as other lawyers' groups in its criticism of the crackdown. The ministries of justice and public security did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment. State media have accused the lawyers and activists of disrupting public order. Rights groups say the lawyers are being targeted for waging social media campaigns and organizing protests outside courthouses to draw attention to cases involving hot-button social issues. Yesterday, the German Embassy in China issued a statement on its website saying "the situation of the persons affected by the crackdown remains an issue of grave concern." It reissued an earlier European Union statement calling for China to act with greater transparency and observe due process in handling these cases. It said that the embassy's frequent attempts to "gain clarity on these issues" through diplomatic channels have remained unanswered. Earlier in the week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on one of his last visits to Beijing as UN leader told China's leaders that a flourishing civil society and free media are key to the country's development. A Pakistani court has maintained the acquittal of sectarian outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's chief and suspended death sentence awarded to 20 other convicts tried by anti-terrorism courts and sessions courts. The Sindh High Court on Friday also converted the capital punishment of four others to life imprisonment after the prosecution failed to prove relevant cases, the Express Tribune reported. These decisions by the court came to light based on a 16-week performance of the high court's appellate bench, which is tasked to hear and decide appeals of the suspects convictedin criminal cases. According to the paper, the bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto gave the verdict on 51 appeals against death sentences filed by the convicts as well as references sent by the judges of the ATCs and session courts. The high court also rejected appeals filed by 23 other convicts, upholding the capital punishment awarded by the special anti-terrorism courts and the sessions' courts. The anti-terror appellate bench also dismissed the appeal filed by the state through the prosecutor general against the acquittal of the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's chief Muhammad Ajmal alias Akram Lahoriand Tassaduque Hussain alias Shaikh in a sectarian killing case of 2002. Karachi's anti-terrorism court-V had acquitted Ajmal and Hussain of the murder charges on which the two accused, Ataullah alias Shaikh and Muhammad Azam alias Sharif, were sentenced to death. The police had accused them of killing Ramzan Ali, the owner of the Pak-Iranian Tea Company, in February 2002. "There is no misreading of evidence resulting in miscarriage of justice," the bench wrote in its judgment, adding that "sound reasons have been assigned by the trial court while recording the acquittal of the accused." While allowing the appeals of 20 suspects, the appellate bench suspended capital punishment awarded to them by the trial courts along with other sentences. Of them nine were convicted by the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) while eleven by the sessions' courts. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had resumed executions ending eight-year presidential moratorium on capitalpunishment following the massacre of over 130 students at the Army Public School in Peshawar in December2014. Since then dozens of convicts, whose appeals were dismissed by the Supreme Court and their mercy appeals rejected by the President, have been hanged. It may not be anyone's dream destination, but that's probably the point: Peru has opened a sprawling new prison high up in the Andes, with solar panels glistening in the bone-chilling cold. The country has a massive lack of prison capacity. And the new facility launched yesterday at 4,100 metres (13,451 feet) above sea level in Cochamarca, in the Pasco area, will hold as many as 1,224 inmates. That's just under the population of the entire town, where daytime temperatures hit highs around 10 degrees Celsius and overnight plunge to 14 degrees below zero. However, the town is welcoming the correctional facility as a job creator. Many in the area are farmers for whom feeding animals in the colder seasons is extremely tough. President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski won office amid promises he would reduce the country's current shortage of 40,000 prison beds. While the cold at the new facility is brutal, it could be worse for inmates there. Outgoing President Ollanta Humala, whose term ends on July 28, turned down a request from a UN agency to consider shutting down Peru's remote and frigid prisons in Challapalca and Yanamayo, located even higher at more than 4,500 metres above sea level. Reliving history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today retraced Mahatma Gandhi's train journey in South Africa as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment that proved to be a turning point in his life. On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhi's fight against racial discrimination. On 7 June 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third- class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhi's decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi. "PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled," the PMO tweeted. After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister yesterday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela. "For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela," Modi had said. He further said, "We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa. President Pranab Mukherjee will arrive at Darjeeling on July 12 on a four-day visit to the hills. State secretariat officers today said Mukherjee is scheduled to land at Bagdogra airport from New Delhi on July 12 on his way to Darjeeling hills. A state reception would be hosted in the afternoon in his honour where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would also be present. On July 13, the President would remain present at the the birth centenary celebration of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya. The chief minister would also grace the occasion. The President would be present in the Annual General Meeting of Darjeeling Tea Association the next day. He would leave for Delhi from Bagdogra airport on July 15, the officials added. Enhancing anti-terror ties, sharing intelligence inputs and facilitating easy travel by each other's citizens would be high on the agenda during the five- day visit of Home Minister to the US beginning July 17. He will lead the Indian delegation at the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue to be held in Washington with the US team to be headed by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Charles Johnson. Further cementing anti-terror cooperation, real-time sharing of intelligence inputs, cyber security and critical infrastructure protection, countering illicit finance, global supply chain security, megacity policing and science and technology are some of the other key issues to be discussed at the strategic meeting. This senior-level exchange between India and the US will reinforce the strategic homeland security partnership and enhance operational cooperation in investigations, capacity building, and countering threats, a Home Ministry official said. Upcoming law enforcement engagement proposals include sharing lessons learned and best practices in police training and responding to mass casualty exercises, improving both nations' capabilities to respond to terrorist incidents and natural disasters. Besides, there will be discussions on two recently signed agreements, Global Entry, a US Customs and Border Protection programme that permits speedy clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travellers upon arrival in America; and the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (HSPD-6), which allows access to information on terrorists. The US has been pressing for India's inclusion in the Global Entry so that high dignitaries like former presidents, former prime ministers, former Union ministers, film stars, top industrialists and frequent flyers could visit America without any hassle. There will be extensive discussion on the Global Entry during the dialogue, the official said. Initially, the names of around 2,000 prominent Indians could figure in the coveted list, which would be expanded gradually after proper background checks of each individual. In order to strengthen public security system, has launched four mobile apps for timely intervention into emergency situations. The four applications -- Pratisaad-Ask, Police Mitra, Vahanchoritakrar and Railway helpline app -- were launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a fortnight ago in Nagpur, a statement from said. With the launch of these apps, dependency on police emergency number 100 would reduce substantially and citizens can reach out to police to report any emergency situation or crime like robbery or assault on women 24X7, Director General of Praveen Dixit said. "These apps would also help establishing better coordination among police force in the state as well as improve its own administration. The apps are currently supported on Android platform but will be soon available on iOS platform," he said. Users can download the apps for free from Google Play Store. Beside message feature, apps will also receive all sorts of alerts, Dixit added. Another official of State police said that through the four apps citizens can send complaints, photos of stolen vehicles, acting on which nearby beat police station will respond immediately. "Through app Vahanchoritakrar, one can lodge complaint about stolen vehicles, while railway helpline app has been devised to offer help to railway passengers during emergency," he said. Police Mitra app, the official said, aims at improving police administration by assisting police force in crime prevention and detection as well as ensuring safety of women, children and senior citizens. Likening Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 'Rahu' and 'Ketu', Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah today said the two parties could not usher in development in Uttar Pradesh. "SP and BSP are like 'Rahu' and 'Ketu' which are eclipsing the development of the state. Uttar Pradesh's development is not possible in their regimes," he told a rally jointly organised by his party and Bharatiya Samaj Party here, claiming that development of the state would only be possible under BJP rule. "The development 'rath' (chariot), which has started its journey in the country, gets stuck in Uttar Pradesh. The reason being the government here does not want benefits of development to reach the people," he said. Referring to Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on the dais, Shah said even when he was not within the National Democratic Alliance fold during the 2014 general elections, BJP and its allies had managed to win 73 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. "Now, he is with us, so Mulayamji, what is on the cards," he asked in a veiled challenge to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Highlighting various programmes launched by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, including Jan Dhan and Mudra Bank schemes, Shah pointed at the dearth of job opportunities in Uttar Pradesh. "Whether you go to Gujarat or Maharashtra, you see a number of youths from Poorvanchal (eastern India) working there. They are forced to leave their families behind and go to other states. The country has prospered but not Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding, "whatever is sent to Uttar Pradesh, will not reach you." Alleging that jobs were distributed on the basis of caste in the state, the BJP chief said, "We do not discriminate on the basis of caste and religion. Our motto is 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'." Shah praised BSP founder Kanshi Ram as "a man with a clear heart". "But after him, Mayawati has turned BSP into a money-minting machine. If you want development, you have to dislodge SP and BSP who have taken turns to rule the state for 20 years," he said. Taking a jibe at SP, Shah said "three-and-a-half" chief ministers were currently ruling the state. "The first Chief Minister is Akhilesh (Yadav), then Netaji (Mulayam), his (Akhilesh's) two uncles and then Mohammad Azam Khan," he said and termed SP's recent merger with Quami Ekta Dal and the subsequent announcement to call it off a "drama". "First an uncle (Akhilesh's uncle and state minister Shivpal Yadav) announced the merger with Mukhtar and Afzal. Later, Akhilesh said he was against it. If you expel elements like Mukhtar, a day will come when SP will become non-existent," he claimed. Shah said there were great opportunities for development in Uttar Pradesh. "If you strengthen the arms of Modiji, I promise that within five years, we will lead the state to the number one position in terms of development," he said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today returned to Pakistan after spending 48 days in London where he underwent an open-heart surgery. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) special plane Being-777 brought 66-year-old Sharif and the staff of his 25-member London camp office back to the country. The Prime Minister's plane landed at the Lahore airport around 7 pm local time. His brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and other PML-N leaders received him at the airport. Talking to journalists who were at the airport to receive him, Sharif said he was feeling healthy. "I am feeling quite healthy after the heart surgery," Sharif, who was wearing white shalwar kameez and a light blue waistcoat, said. To a question about Panama Paper leaks, the premier said he was ready to face any challenge. "This country does not need any sit-in. I ask the opposition to work for the development of Pakistan," he said. Sharif has been facing pressure from opposition political parties to step down after Panama Papers leak showed that his family members own undeclared offshore wealth and expensive property in London. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. Replying another question about discharging his duties, the Premier said: "I was already performing my duties from London. I used to hold video conference meetings and issued certain directions." From the airport, Sharif left for his residence at Jati Umra Raiwind on a helicopter. Several PML-N workers were gathered there to welcome him. Sharif was discharged from hospital on June 6 after he underwent an open-heart surgery on May 31. He had gone to London on May 22 for a regular medical checkup but was diagnosed with a heart complication by doctors who suggested surgery. This was Sharif's second cardiac procedure in five years. Some politicians, especially the allies of the ruling PML-N, have termed Sharif's decision to leave the country for London as "politically prudent" at a time when opposition parties were exerting extreme pressure on him in the wake of the Panama Paper leaks. Meanwhile, Imran Khan said he will move the court against the use of PIA commericial plane by the Sharif family to return to Pakistan. "Nawaz Sharif should pay the PIA from the money he stashed abroad illegally," he said. At least six people were injured on today when they were hit by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, police said. The avalanche was triggered on the Saentis mountain in northeastern Switzerland shortly before 3 pm (1300 GMT), police in the canton of Appenzell Innerhoden said in a statement. "According to the initial findings, six people were caught (in the slide) and were injured," it said. Police said a massive search and rescue operation was continuing, assisted by three rescue helicopters. Fierce clashes have erupted between rebels and pro-government forces around Syria's largest city, Aleppo, despite a proclamation from the Syrian military that it would extend its own ceasefire through Sunday. The military had declared a nationwide ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday on July 6, expiring July 8 at midnight, but it had little impact on the ground, as pro-government forces choked off the last supply route to opposition areas in the contested city of Aleppo on July 7. Last evening, rebels launched a counter-offensive, leading with two car bombs to open the vital Castello road to eastern Aleppo, according to activists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, which gathers information from a network of informants across the war-torn country, said the cars were driven by two suicide bombers from al-Qaida's affiliate, the Nusra Front, which fights alongside rebel groups against government forces. Syrian journalist Ahmad Primo said one of the car bombs was driven by a militant from Ahrar al-Sham, another ultraconservative jihadist group fighting the government. Rebels then launched a ground offensive on the government's newly acquired positions overlooking the supply route, according to the social media accounts for the Aleppo Conquest Operations Room and Levant Front, two rebel coalitions. Fighting for the Mallah farms continued into the night. Two Russian airman, meanwhile, were killed in the country's central Homs province when their helicopter was shot down by Islamic State fighters, according to Russia's Defence Ministry. The Russian-Syrian government military alliance has had trouble securing the country's desert interior after forcing the extremist group out of the ancient city of Palmyra in March. IS militants promptly seized the nearby Shaer natural gas fields after that, and threatened to advance on Palmyra once again. A Defence Ministry statement reported by the state news agency Tass said the incident occurred Friday east of Palmyra. According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition. It said IS fighters broke through Syrian forces' lines east of Palmyra at the same time. The statement said the Syrians requested the crew help strike the IS fighters and the helicopter was shot down after the crew exhausted the aircraft's ammunition and were leaving the scene. Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested three persons and seized methamphetamine worth around Rs 1 crore from their possession in Chikhli in Navsari district of South Gujarat, officials said today. The trio - Gaurang Tandel (23), Dinesh Patel (27) and Bhavesh Patel (25) - were apprehended last night at Balvara village near national highway 8 and 894 gram of the drug was recovered from them, ATS officials said. "We arrested three persons when one of them was delivering a packet weighing 894 gram of methamphetamine at Balvara village under Chikhli police station in Navsari district," said ATS police inspector M H Thaker. "The delivery boy had brought the drug from an African national from Mumbai, who has also been made an accused (in the case)," Thaker said. "The drugs seized cost around Rs 1 crore in the international markets," he added. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the officer said, adding investigations are on. In fresh troubles for Vijay Mallya, Diageo-controlled United Spirits today disclosed fund diversion and improper transactions worth Rs 1,225.3 crore involving entities linked to the embattled former Chairman, including Kingfisher Airlines and his Formula One team. The company, acquired by the British liquor giant from Mallya's UB Group in 2013 in a multi-billion dollar deal, made it clear that the earlier settlement reached with the Indian businessman would not absolve him of the claims arising out of the latest findings of an internal 'Additional Inquiry'. Mallya, who has been in UK for months evading an arrest warrant in India while several banks have declared him 'wilful defaulter' for non-payment of dues worth over Rs 9,000 crore by his now-defunct Kingfisher, had struck a settlement with USL in February. Under the 'sweetheart deal', he was promised an over Rs 500-crore payout to leave the company and was also absolved of any 'personal liability' at that time. At a meeting today, USL Board discussed findings of the 'additional inquiry' it had ordered to plug gaps found in an initial probe launched in April 2015 that showed improprieties in loans worth Rs 1,337 crore given by USL to the entities linked to its erstwhile promoters, the Mallya-led UB Group. "The additional inquiry prima facie reveals further instances of actual or potential fund diversions amounting to approximately Rs 913.5 crore (using exchange rate as on March 31, 2015) as well as other potentially improper transaction involved USL and its Indian and overseas subsidiaries amounting approximately Rs 311.8 crore," USL said in a BSE filing. The transactions occurred during the review period covered by the additional inquiry -- from October 2010 to July 2014 -- although certain transactions appear to have been initiated in years prior to the review period, it added. "These improper transactions identified in the additional inquiry involved, in most cases, the diversion of fund to overseas and Indian entities that appear to be affiliated or associated with USL's former non-executive Chairman, Dr Vijay Mallya," the USL filing said. The company said its mutual release agreement with Mallya in February this year, under which Diageo agreed to pay him USD 75 million dollars, will not cover the matters arising out of the 'additional inquiry'. While the matter is already being probed by markets regulator Sebi and Corporate Affairs Ministry among others, the latest findings of the internal probe are also being reported to the concerned regulators for any further action. "The USL Board has directed the management to pursue recovery from the relevant companies and individuals and undertake any action, including legal and regulatory as deemed necessary. It should be noted that the February 2016 agreement did not release the former Chairman from any claims arising out of the additional inquiry," a company spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. There were no immediate comments from Mallya. USL said the overseas beneficiary or recipients of the diverted funds include entities such as Force India Formula One, Watson Ltd, Continental Administrative Services, Modall Securities Ltd, Ultra Dynamics Ltd and Lombard Wall Corporate Service Inc "in each of which Dr Mallya appears to have a material, direct and indirect interests". The Indian beneficiaries or recipients of the funds identified by the additional inquiry included, in most cases, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), USL said. USL said it will be reporting the findings of its additional inquiry spearheaded by its Managing Director and CEO Anand Kripalu to concerned authorities for further action. "In light of these findings, and based on the expert advice received, including from senior counsel in India, the board directed that copies of the MD and CEO's report (including the additional inquiry report) be provided to concerned authorities," the company said. The company said it would cooperate with all relevant authorities in relation to these matters. USL spokesperson said the findings of the additional inquiry relate to "historical matters before Diageo consolidated the USL business in July 2014" and ruled out any further financial burden to the company. "Based on our understanding as of today, we believe there will be no further material financial implications to USL," the spokesperson added. In the BSE filing, USL said almost all of the amounts identified in the Additional Inquiry have been previously provided for of expressed in the financial statements of the company or its subsidiaries for prior periods (including by way of provisions made in relation to impairment in the value of or loss on sale of USL's overseas subsidiaries). "USL's management has recommended to the Board that a further provision of Rs 21.7 crore should be made, for the value of certain improper transactions identified in the Additional Inquiry, which have not been previously expensed or provided," it said. "Based on the information currently available, the company believes that no further provisions are required at this stage," USL added. The Board has also directed its MD and CEO to take appropriate action in relating to the employees named in the Additional Inquiry, while a further review would be conducted of the "ongoing relationships with the counter-parties involved in the improper transactions indemnified by the Additional Inquiry". Mallya is currently wanted in India and is facing charges of money laundering. A consortium of 17 banks lead by SBI has been trying unsuccessfully to recover dues of over Rs 9,000 crore from now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, which was promoted by him. Last month the Enforcement Directorate had attached assets worth Rs 1,411 crore belonging to Mallya and one of his companies in connection with its money laundering probe in the the alleged IDBI bank loan default case. Mallya is currently staying in the UK after leaving India in March this year. His passport has been revoked by the Indian government. He has been indicating against any imminent return to India in the wake of various legal and regulatory troubles. Vishwa Hindu Parishad today expressed reservations over Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank's plan to open its branch in India. VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain, who is here to attend a two-day meeting to discuss various issues, said they will also deliberate on the strategy to oppose the opening of the branch of IDB. He said such banks are against the Constitution and banking norms set by RBI. Jeddah-based IDB recently announced that it will open its first Indian branch in Ahmedabad. India's EXIM bank had signed an MoU with the IDB for a $100 million line-of-credit to facilitate exports to IDB's 56 member countries. "Islamic banks are guided by the Shariat (Islamic law) and will operate without regulatory control by the RBI. To allow them entry through backdoor without any national-level debate is not justified. India is a secular country, and banking activities are also secular, so there should be no room for Islamic banks here," he said. VHP today attacked the PDP-BJP government over the deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the anti-national elements have spread their tentacles in the Valley and other parts of the state under the present dispensation. VHP Patron Ramakant Dubey also expressed concern over loss of lives of a number of security personnel in various attacks by militants in the state in the last two-three months. "It seems that during the rule of the present dispensation, the anti-national elements have spread their more tentacles in valley including other parts of the state as well," he told reporters here. "Whether it is CRPF, BSF or state police personnel, the losses are increasing day-by-day. The situation has become difficult as militants after attacking the security personnel mingle with the public who following their dictates, become human wall for militants and make it impossible for security personnel to launch counter-attack," Dubey said. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult, rather impossible, for the forces to counter militant's activities, he added. Citing an example, he claimed, about a month ago a militant, who was killed at Kud, was being shielded by his brother who was a government employee and allotted a government accommodation in Jammu. The VHP leader said that without the support from the public it is not possible for the security forces to achieve success against militants. He also criticised the state government for releasing the stone-pelters (on the occasion of Eid), saying stone pelters were caught by security forces or police personnel, who risk their lives but they were set free with just a stroke of a pen. Hailing security forces for killing a militant Burhan Wani in Kukernag yesterday, he said it is "saddening" that remarks by the political bosses after action by security forces are "lowering" their morale. The wanted druglord Md Ilahi Sheikh, alleged kingpin of an illegal drug racket active in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, was arrested from his hideout at Tipam Lalpahar in Tinsukia district of Assam, police said today. Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Dibrugarh arrested 60-year-old Ilahi yesterday, Dibrugarh district Superintendent of Police Bir Bikram Gogoi said. Eighteen gms of brown sugar, one 7.65 calibre pistol with magazine, five rounds of live 7.65 ammunition, one night vision device were seized by police from his house at Kalibari in Dibrugarh town this morning, Gogoi said, adding Ilahi accompanied the police team. His wife and co-accused Asu Begum is absconding and search is on for her, police spokesman Rajiv Saikia said. Ilahi operated from Dibrugargh town and was active in Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, a police offical said. A 22-year-old woman allegedly poisoned her child to death before committing suicide in Maharajpur village here, police said today. Pinki, the mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, was having marital problems. There were frequent fights with the husband. The two were found unconscious after which they were rushed to a local hospital, and then to Kanpur Medical College where they died, the police spokesperson said. The woman's family alleged domestic violence was the reason behind her taking the drastic step. No FIR has been registered so far, police said, adding a probe is on. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The global economic situation is grim and major economies must lead the way in tackling problems including sluggish growth and weak trade, China's trade minister Gao Hucheng said on Saturday. Gao made the remarks at the start of a two-day meeting of trade ministers from G20 economies in Shanghai, as uncertainty hangs over the outlook for a slow-growing global economy now beset by post-Brexit reverberations. The global economic recovery remained "complicated and grim", Gao said. "Global trade is dithering, international investment has yet to recover to levels before the financial crisis, the global economy has yet to find the propulsion for strong and sustainable growth. "In the current circumstances, the international community expects the G20 to show leadership in resolving the prominent problems we are facing and inject impetus for recovery and growth," he said. In April, the International Monetary Fund cut its 2016 global growth forecast for the fourth time in a year, to 3.2 percent from 3.4 percent, amid weakening global demand and geopolitical risks. A fifth straight global growth markdown by the IMF looks almost certain. The World Trade Organization (WTO) expects 2016 to be the fifth consecutive year of less than 3 percent growth in global trade, and Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday trade would remain sluggish going into the third quarter of the year. The ministers meeting in Shanghai were likely to agree to a set of non-binding principles to enhance investment as well as a declaration on protectionism, South Africa's Minister for Trade and Industry Rob Davies told . "The bigger context of course is there has been a very sharp reduction in trade growth," he said. "We heard from the WTO today that it has been well below the rates of GDP growth, which are in any case fairly depressed." The spectre of protectionism also hangs over the meetings in Shanghai. China's huge but struggling steel sector has relied on exports to offset the impact of slowing domestic demand, but it has been accused of using unfair pricing to push foreign competitors out of business. Chinese trade officials have repeatedly stressed that the country has been the victim of overzealous anti-dumping actions by foreign countries, which fail to take into account Chinese efficiency or its low labour and production costs. Davies said ministers had not yet reached consensus on how to handle overcapacity and rising protectionism in the steel sector, which remains a "contested space". "It's not that it is not important, but a number of us don't feel a comprehensive discussion has taken place ... A lot of the European countries and the United States want to see something, but what exactly is going to be said is still an issue." Uncertainty over Britain's vote to leave the European Union will dampen near-term economic growth for Britain and the rest of Europe and will affect output globally, according to the IMF. British and EU representatives in Shanghai on Saturday were at pains to stress that they would come up with a "sensible and mature new arrangement", Davies said. (Reporting by David Stanway and John Ruwitch; Editing by Ed Davies and Catherine Evans) LOGAN Local law enforcement are expressing their appreciation for the support from local citizens as they mourn the death of five police officers who were shot Thursday night in Dallas, Texas. Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen said several people called the department Friday wanting to show their appreciation for the work that officers do. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming for many of the department members who are not ones that usually like to get praised. Clearly, appreciation for what it is that we do is wonderful, said Jensen. But its funny how these gentlemen and women want to be unsung, so to speak, and simply serve their community in the best capacity that they can. Local citizen Melanie Norton sent a message to officers that described how she was grateful to the Cache County Sheriffs Office and Logan City Police Department for all they do to keep the community safe. She said that she was grateful to officers and deputies families, who stand by them as they risk themselves for the communities behalf. Jensen said he fears that the hatred some people in this country have toward police will not change. This will never end and Ive talked about this in the past with those that have asked the question. There is nearly a million police officers nationwide and you cannot gather a million people in any profession, whether it be governmental, private or any other fashion, and not have mistakes being made. Jensen, who has worked for several different agencies across the state, said he is grateful for the community here that respects what law enforcement officers have to do. You know there are times where we come into question or perhaps have scrutiny on how or why we did what we do, but by and large the community is very supportive of local law enforcement, whether that be Logan City or other police municipalities here in the valley. I feel very blessed to be in a community that treats us the way that they do. Many in law enforcement, including Logan officers, have placed shrouds over their badges as they mourn and honor the officers killed in Dallas. The shrouds will remain in place until after funeral services are held.

will@cvradio.com SHARE Women's Shelter Luncheon Lives up to Great Expectations The fifth annual Great Expectations luncheon for the Women's Shelter of South Texas was another touching, motivating experience for all the ladies and gents gathered June 22 at the American Bank Center. The event began with a welcome from Katia Uriarte and John Thomas Kobos, who introduced Tim Archuleta, editor of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Tim took a moment to recognize the women who lost their lives in the past year due to domestic violence one of whom had died the day before, her body stuffed into a trash can. It was distressing to think about those who had not escaped their abusers, but this only made it that much more special to hear from Frances Wilson, the shelter's president and CEO, about the more than 2,800 clients the shelter was able to help in 2015. Those clients included a gal named Elisabeth, who brought us all to tears telling us of her daring escape from a physically abusive husband in another state who found a new life and new hope in Texas and at our women's shelter. The event closed with moving remarks from Valeria Pompa, a member of the board of the organization. She told us that she is so proud of the work that the shelter does for the women and children right here in the Coastal Bend. I also enjoyed the chance visit at the event with some others of the Shelter's strongest supporters, including Sharon Sedwick and Courtney Rangel. The guest speaker for the luncheon was Kathy Najimy, an award winning actress and self-proclaimed enthusiastic supporter of women's rights a fitting speaker for an organization who works so hard every day to ensure that those who most need it receive the help they need to break out of the cycle of abuse and live happy, productive lives. Brews and Turtle News The Rising Tide Society will host a Turtles on Tap at 6 p.m. July 19 at the Executive Surf Club. Aaron Baxter of the Center for Coastal Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will speak about his research on the endangered Texas diamondback terrapin turtle. Cost: Free. Information: risingtide@txstateaq.org. Smokin' Hot on the Patio Cigars on the Patio, an evening of food, drinks, live music, and cigars hosted by Corpus Christi Rock & Ride, is at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at The Courtyard at Gaslight Square. Each ticket will allow guests a minimum of two premium cigars, tapas and live music by Antone & the All Stars featuring Reno Perez. A silent auction and raffles will be available to benefit active duty overseas military through the Operation Cigars for Warriors program. Sponsors include CCRV, Drew Estate, Butler Rentals, and Rick's Detailing. Cost: $20. Information: cigarsforwarriors.org. Punch with Camellia Debs The Ladies of the Camellia Social Club will host a Debutante Punch at 3 p.m. Aug. 14 at Oveal Williams Senior Center. The punch will be an opportunity for the community to meet the young ladies who will be presented at the Dec. 29 "A Diamond Masquerade" debutante presentation. Information: www.ladyofthecamellia15@gmail.com. EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this column incorrectly identified the president and CEO of the Women's Shelter of South Texas. It is Frances Wilson. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES file Owners Jordan Hans (left) and his wife, Sarah, pose July, 7, 2015, on the corner of Leopard and North Upper Broadway streets. The couple plan to open a drive-thru coffee stand on NAS Drive. SHARE By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times The morning commute for civilians and service members heading to work at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is about to be more caffeinated. A year after opening their first Green Light Coffee location Uptown, Jordan and Sarah Hans are planning a drive-thru coffee stand on NAS Drive. "There's just nothing over there where you don't have to park and go inside," said Sarah Hans. "These guys and girls need a place to get good coffee quick in the mornings, so that's what we're providing." The duo's plans are part of the weekly list of new developments proposed around Corpus Christi. The building, which will be made from recycled material, is expected to cost about $18,000. The inspiration for the business model stems from small coffee stands that dot the Pacific Northwest a places the Hans have not lived, but visited frequently to see family and for Jordan Hans' military training. "It's going to be more streamlined (than the uptown location) to focus on our coffee and tea offerings," he said. The location will employ two people, which will eventually be new hires though the couple plans to start out with current employees at the location. While the development comes near the anniversary of the shop at the corner of Leopard and North Upper Broadway streets, it was actually the couple's original plan. But the idea failed to garner support of property owners in the city, so it had to go on a back-burner, Jordan Hans said. A year later, the Hans still had trouble securing a landowning partner, so they opted to buy the property on NAS Drive. Jordan Hans said they will continue looking for additional locations around the city once Corpus Christi "realizes this is a great thing." In other news, city regulators approved two projects for construction. The first is a Murphy USA on South Padre Island Drive for about $950,000, and the second is a finishing out project for the ninth floor of Christus Spohn's facility at 600 Elizabeth St. for $5 million. Twitter: @reportermatt IN THE WORKS Here are the actions at the Corpus Christi Development Services Department for the past week, with a brief description, location and estimated project cost: NEW PROJECTS Green Light Coffee, site work only, $18,240, 441 NAS Drive Hooten Industrial, new construction, $420,000, 1226 N. Padre Island Drive BKK Thai Restaurant, tenant finishing out, $206,796, 3850 S. Alameda St. Unifirst Laundry, new construction, $1 million, 8501 Agnes St. Time Warner Cable, site work, $36,300, 201 Junior Beck Drive AutoNation Buick GMC, remodel, $215,000, 6602 S. Padre Island Drive Murphy Express, accessory, $125,000, 6625 Saratoga Blvd. Boyscout storage shed, new construction, $30,000, 2233 Waldron Road Corpus Christi Cancer Center, remodel, $190,000, 1625 Rodd Field Road IBFIT Gym, tenant finishing out, $28,800, 5809 Patton St. PERMITS Murphy USA, new construction, $948,400, 1801 S. Padre Island Drive Christus Spohn (ninth floor), tenant finishing out, $5 million, 600 Elizabeth St. Take a look at Corpus Christi's $125 million bond program in 2022 election There's more than political hopefuls appearing on this year's crowded ballot. For Corpus Christi residents, there's also $125 million. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Gus Cargile gives two thumbs-up after flying in a North American T-6 Texan on Friday at the Corpus Christi International Airport. It had been 72 years since he sat in the plane as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in the 1940s. SHARE GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Gus Cargile walks toward a North American T-6 Texan as he prepares to board the plane for a flight on Friday at the Corpus Christi International Airport. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Gus Cargile flies in a North American T-6 Texan with pilot Bill Fier from Central Texas Wing on Friday at the Corpus Christi International Airport. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Gus Cargile waves before flying in a North American T-6 Texan on Friday at the Corpus Christi International Airport. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Bill Fier from Central Texas Wing (left) and Gus Cargile talk as they prepare to fly in a North American T-6 Texan on Friday at the Corpus Christi International Airport. By Julie Garcia of the Caller-Times Gus Cargile's eyes shined bright as the minutes ticked by before his ride in a North American T-6 Texan. It had been 72 years since he sat in the plane as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in the 1940s. The 94-year-old was never in combat, but he flew countless times as a Marine instructor, and later as a civilian. When his friend heard about a plane being brought to Sterling Air Service, which leases space from the Corpus Christi International Airport, he told Cargile about taking one more ride in a plane he knew so well. The plane was donated to the Commemorative Air Force by the Ed Rachal Foundation. Six of Cargile's seven children and several grandchildren made the trip to the airport on Friday to watch the patriarch find his wings again. "This is very exciting for him. He's a very active individual," his son Brooks Cargile said. "He owns a flea market, gun show, owned a fabrication shop. He's a unique individual, and he's kept a lot of people busy over the years." Twitter: @Caller_Jules Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Terry Mills, president of the Corpus Christi chapter of the NAACP, wipes a tear from his eye as Tanya Simpson speaks during a news conference held by the organization Friday, July 8, 2016, at the Nueces County Courthouse. The organization spoke about the recent shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, as well as the shootings of the Dallas police officers. By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times After the nation endured three days of tragedy in which two black men were killed by police in Louisiana and Minnesota and five police officers were fatally shot in Dallas, local organizer Jeremy Coleman realized violence transcends race. "This is a serious issue that's affecting everybody," Coleman said. Black leaders in Corpus Christi held two events Friday evening to talk about the recent shootings that have plagued the nation. While the NAACP hosted a news conference outside the Nueces County Courthouse, a group called Community Voices United Addressing Disproportionality organized a prayer vigil at St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church. Both events were organized to urge unity and restraint in the community. Marlon Griffin, former president of the Corpus Christi chapter of NAACP, made it clear that though there are issues with the systemic relationship between black people and police, the solution will be found by working with each other, not against each other. "We're not trying to indict the police department," he said. "We're trying to work hand-in-hand with them." Corpus Christi could have been like other embattled cities, but the relationship city leaders have with the community prevents that from happening, Terry Mills, president of the Corpus Christi chapter of NAACP, said. "We all meet and sit down and hash things out," Mills said. "We've done those things and we'll continue to do those things." The vigil served as an open forum. Different members of the community from all walks of life attended and each of them was encouraged to lead the group in prayer. Coleman said the vigil will build a base of understanding on which the city can progress. "We've built relationships in our community and with our police officers," Coleman said. "(If an issue were to arise in Corpus Christi), we would know what to do next. We've been praying on it." Twitter: @Caller_Fares SHARE Marcelino Hernandez Veterans funds for dishonorable discharges On June 28 I read an article in the newspaper that struck a sour note within me ("3 organizations get boost in helping veterans"). The Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance awarded a generous amount of funds to organizations that assist veterans and their dependents. The funds will be spent on veterans with honorable or dishonorable discharges. An individual who acquired a dishonorable discharge while serving in the Armed Forces loses all their privileges and should not be entitled to benefits. The only right they have is to appeal their conviction. Which means that some of the veterans who served honorably will not be helped because an individual with a dishonorable discharge is going to be helped instead. I see something very wrong with this picture. It reminds me of what former President Carter did before he left office. He gave amnesty to the draft dodgers from the Vietnam War. They ended up well-educated, healthy and with no wounds, contamination or traumatization. What a kick in the butt. But then again, only in America. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Pet lovers went extremely naive when it came to the cute animals. A Vietnamese man took advantage of the pet dog trend in Vietnam by setting up a Facebook account where he used dog pictures to sell the non-existent pets to gullible customers. The picture of this dog alone might earn you as much as $1,000, in case you didn't know. Photo bybrykmantra (CC BY-SA 2.0) Last week, PC50, the police wing of Hanoi that deals with high-tech crime, charged Nguyen Anh Tuan, 19, with defrauding. According to Tuan, in January, after getting wind of a chance to rake in with pets, Tuan opened a Facebook account and joined an online group named Pet dog trade. He then posted images of dogs there and put them on sale under two distinct identities Le Ngoc Han and Nguyen Thi Kim Ny, reinforced by the photoshopped identity cards. All the transactions happened online only, paving the way for Tuan to successfully trick two people, pocketing VND21 million ($900) in total in return for a promise that the dogs will be delivered by train. As soon as the money arrived, the Facebook account was shut and transaction logs deleted. However, the victims informed the police about their never-come dogs and long-gone money. Tuan has been handed over to his hometowns police in Quang Nam Province for using the Internet to appropriate property. Facebook, as of 2016, has more than 1.65 billion monthly active users, with Vietnam contributing around 30 million over a population of more than 90 million. Ho Chi Minh City last year sentenced a South African to seven years imprisonment for tricking a woman into giving him $9,000 in exchange for a safe with $320,000 worth of cash disguised as plain paper waiting to be transformed to money through the use of chemicals. The platform that provided context for the scam is said to be Facebook. In another case on the same social network, two Nigerians and five Vietnamese accomplices who, thanks to good knowledge of Vietnamese womens feelings, successfully raked in $450,000. Related news: > Vietnamese journalists press card revoked for slandering the defense forces on Facebook > Police rescues endangered loris thanks to Facebook advert > Two Nigerians arrested in Ho Chi Minh City for scamming $450,000 via Facebook Are e-cigarettes cigarettes and where do they come from? That is the question. The electronic cigarette craze among youngsters, known as vaping, has swept through Vietnam like a storm, troubling state authorities along the way. Each e-cigarette is composed of a battery, a heating element, and a cartridge that holds nicotine and other liquids and flavorings. Hanoi's news portal quoted a representative from the anti-smuggling team under Hanois Police, saying that most products sold in Vietnam are claimed to be imported from the U.S., Canada and European countries. However, inspection results indicate that e-cigarette sellers are often unable to prove their items' origin. The representative added that e-cigarettes are smoked in many bars and karaokes, where many people can take advantage of this device to consume illegal drugs or entice youngsters to take part in. Chu Xuan Kien, head of the Market Management Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that e-cigarettes are tricky because it's unclear whether they should be treated by law enforcement as traditional cigarettes or not. No specific rules related to e-cigarettes have been introduced so far, Kien added. Previously, on June 30, anti-smuggling team under Hanois Police inspected three business sites in the city, seizing thousands of e-cigarettes as well as their attached liquids without clear origin. To date, theres been no official research into the health effects of e-cigarettes, but Doctor Ngo Van Kha from the National Hospital of Lung Diseases said that e-cigarettes still have nicotine, which causes cigarette addiction. Related news: > Vaping teens more apt to move on to regular cigarettes Watching this dramatic dash-cam footage of a chrome-wrapped Lamborghini Murcielago lose control and crash on a drizzly Russian highway near Moscow, you may be tempted to think its fake but its not, its for real. Many viewers questioned its legitimacy based on how the car looked in the video, but you can blame the chrome-wrap for that. As our friends from Jalopnik found out, the aftermath of the accident was filmed too by a reader of the Russian news site Life, which proves its authenticity. The report says that the driver of the silver Italian exotic was moving at a high speed on the wet road when the Murcielago turned its bottom around (aquaplaning?) smashing into a Peugeot crossover in the middle lane, before violently hitting the guardrails with parts of its body flying off in the air. Luckily, no one was hurt. A Police spokesman told Russian media that the Lamborghinis driver was arrested. Video Photo: Contributed A Kelowna author's latest creation will be available for school children across North America. Andrew Buckley's third novel, Hair in All the Wrong Places, has been picked up for distribution by Scholastic Books. The novel explores the parallel between a 13-year-old boys transformation into a werewolf and his struggles with school bullies, homework and his first crush. The story is set against the background of the fictional town of Elkwood, where young Colin Strauss is leading an average life, when hes bitten by a centuries old werewolf and must learn to deal with his new "changes" and uncover the dark secret lurking in the town. I always wanted to write a werewolf novel, said Buckley on his motivations for writing the story. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by movies that combined teen coming-of-age stories with adventure and the supernatural. The Monster Squad, The Goonies, The Lost Boys, and Michael J Foxs Teen Wolf to name a few. I wanted to create a unique zero to hero story with a true smart-ass nice guy who just needed the right motivation to realize his true potential. Hair in All the Wrong Places has already received honourable mentions at both the New York and San Francisco book festivals. Scholastic Books, which distributes a selection of literature to schools throughout North America, chose the novel for inclusion in their fall catalogue. Buckley also plans on taking the book to events across the West Coast over the course of this year and is developing a series of writing and storytelling classes aimed at middle school-aged kids that he hopes to introduce in the fall, starting in Kelowna. He will be on-hand at Chapters in Orchard Park Mall, Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m., signing copies of Hair in All the Wrong Places. Photo: The Canadian Press Donald Trump is vowing to "make America safe again" and calling for national unity. The Republican presidential contender posted a video on Facebook Friday evening to address the week's killings of five police officers and two black men. He called on the nation to "stand in solidarity with law enforcement," saying, "A brutal attack on our police force is an attack on our country, and an attack on our families." Law enforcement, he said, "is the force between civilization and total chaos." He also addressed the police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. Their deaths, he said, "make clear how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected." Trump finished his brief remarks by saying: "Now is the time for prayers, love, unity and leadership. Our children deserve a better future than what we're making them live through today. But to get them there, we must work together and stand together. We will make America safe again." Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton says the shooting deaths of five Dallas police officers demonstrate there is "something wrong with our country." She is decrying "too much violence, too much hate" and "too much senseless killing." Clinton says in a speech to the African Methodist Episcopal Church Convention in Philadelphia that the nation must do more listening after the police shootings and recent police-involved deaths in Louisiana and Minnesota. The Democratic presidential candidate says there is too little trust between police and communities and people are "crying out" for criminal justice reform and relief from gun violence. Clinton says if elected president she will develop national guidelines on the use of force by police officers. She was speaking after postponing a planned rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Vice-President Joe Biden. Photo: Jewishledger.com The oldest American person has died at her Massachusetts home at age 113. Goldie Michelson was a month short of her 114th birthday. Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group senior consultant Robert Young says Michelson died Friday. He says she'd been "very frail and confined to bed" and hadn't been seen in public for a long time. Michelson was born in Elizabethgrad, Russia, in 1902 and moved to the United States when she was a child. She lived in Worcester, 50 miles west of Boston. The Callahan Fay & Caswell Funeral Home says Michelson graduated from Brown University. It says she had a lifelong interest in theatre and even installed stage lights in her basement so children could perform there. Young says the new oldest American is New Jersey resident Adele Dunlap, who's also 113. Photo: The Canadian Press A parking garage, left, where law enforcement officials are working a crime scene is shown with the Dallas County Courthouse, at rear, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his suburban home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics, authorities said Friday. The man identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson told authorities he was upset about the fatal police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, "especially white officers," officials said. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings, which marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot. In Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, authorities said gun-wielding civilians also shot officers in individual attacks that came after the black men were killed in Louisiana and Minnesota. Two officers were wounded, one critically. President Barack Obama and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked for the public's prayers. In a letter posted online Friday, Abbott said "every life matters" and urged Texans to come together. "In the end," he wrote, "evil always fails." Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite with a specialty in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. After the attack, he tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Brown said. Johnson was black. Law enforcement officials didn't disclose the race of the dead officers. The bloodshed unfolded just a few blocks from where President John F. Kennedy was slain in 1963. The shooting began Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest the killings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Brown told reporters that snipers fired "ambush-style" on the officers. Two civilians were also wounded. Authorities initially blamed multiple "snipers" for Thursday's attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But by Friday afternoon, all attention focused on Johnson, and state and federal officials said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman. With the lone shooter dead, Mayor Mike Rawlings declared that the city was safe and "we can move on to healing." He said the gunman wore a protective vest and used an AR-15 rifle, a weapon similar to the one fired last month in the attack on an Orlando, Florida, nightclub that killed 49 people. When the gunfire began, the mayor said, about 20 people in the crowd were carrying rifles and wearing protective equipment. That raised early concerns that they might have been involved. But after conducting interviews, investigators concluded all the shots came from the same attacker. A Texas law enforcement official identified the man killed in the parking garage as Johnson. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he said he was not authorized to release the information. Around midday, investigators were seen walking in and out of a home believed to be Johnson's in Mesquite. In Washington, the nation's top law enforcement official, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, called for calm, saying the recent violence can't be allowed to "precipitate a new normal." Lynch said protesters concerned about killings by police should not be discouraged "by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence." The other attacks on police included a Georgia man who authorities said called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the officer who came to investigate. That sparked a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded but expected to survive. In suburban St. Louis, a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop, police said. The officer was hospitalized in critical condition. And in Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans, authorities said. Video from the Dallas scene showed protesters marching along a downtown street about half a mile from City Hall when shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Officers crouched beside vehicles, armoured SWAT team vehicles arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead. Demonstrations were held in several other U.S. cities Thursday night to protest the police killings of two more black men: A Minnesota officer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child, and the shooting's aftermath was livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video. A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video. The Dallas shootings occurred in an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments only a few blocks from Dealey Plaza, the landmark made famous by the Kennedy assassination. The scene was chaotic, with officers with automatic rifles on the street corners. Marcus Carter, 33, was in the area when people started running toward him, yelling about gunshots. Carter said the first shot sounded like a firecracker. But then they proceeded in quick succession, with brief pauses between spurts of gunfire. "It was breaks in the fire," he said. "It was a single shot and then after that single shot it was a brief pause. And then it was boom boom boom boom boom! Pause. Boom boom boom boom boom!" Video posted on social media appeared to show a gunman at ground level exchanging fire with a police officer who was then felled. The mayor said one of the wounded officers had a bullet go through his leg as three members of his squad were fatally shot around him. "He felt that people don't understand the danger of dealing with a protest," said Rawlings, who spoke to the surviving officer. "And that's what I learned from this. We care so much about people protesting, and I think it's their rights. But how we handle it can do a lot of things. One of the things it can do is put our police officers in harm's way, and we have to be very careful about doing that." Few details about the slain officers were immediately available. Four of the dead were with the Dallas Police Department, a spokesman said. One was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. The agency said in a statement that 43-year-old officer Brent Thompson, a newlywed whose bride also works for the police force, was the first officer killed in the line of duty since the agency formed a police department in 1989. "Our hearts are broken," the statement said. Theresa Williams said one of the wounded civilians was her sister, 37-year-old Shetamia Taylor, who was shot in the right calf. She threw herself over her four sons, ages 12 to 17, when the shooting began. Other protests across the U.S. on Thursday were peaceful, including in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. In Minnesota, where Castile was shot, hundreds of protesters marched in the rain from a vigil to the governor's official residence. Photo: Contributed A car slammed into the front of Reid's Corner Liquor Store in Kelowna early Saturday. The crash was reported just after 6 a.m. A Volkswagen Jetta was up against the front of the store at 3585 Highway 97, and firefighters were on scene, but it's not yet known what caused the crash or if anyone was injured in the incident. Castanet will provide more details as they become available. Photo: Nicholas Johansen Despite the wet weather during the day, City Park was overrun with smiling festival goers on the first day of Center of Gravity Friday. While the weather was less than desirable during the day, with heavy rain coming down at times, it didn't dampen spirits. By the time the day's headliner, Ice Cube, hit the stage, the rain had stopped. Ice Cube went through his vast catalogue of music, which dates back to the late eighties during his time with the legendary rap group, N.W.A. The crowd went wild when he dropped the classic, Straight Outta Compton; also the title of the popular N.W.A biopic that came out last summer. One classic N.W.A song, F--- Tha Police, was left out of the show. I'm not going to do that song tonight, Ice Cube said to the crowd. If y'all ain't heard, 10 police officers have been shot in the last two days, five of them killed in the last two days. That song is about protest, that song right there is nothing but a fantasy and I don't think it's appropriate to do it tonight. We like the good police. Despite disappointment from some in the crowd, the decision received a large round of applause. Some of the officers in the crowd were clearly feeling the love, with one enthusiastically shooting a video of the performance and another throwing up a sneaky 'westside' hand gesture along with the rest of the crowd. The party continues Saturday with headliners Afrojack and Showtek taking over the main stage at night. Check out the Castanet's gallery for a full spread of pictures from Friday. Employees of Big C supermarket in Da Nang holds up banners asking for help from local authorities. Photo by VnEpxress/Nguyen Dong The mayhem has caused major traffic jam and forced local authorities to take immediate action. A sudden termination of land-use contract by a property leasing company has triggered a protest by hundreds of workers of a Big C supermarket in central province of Da Nang. About 200 employees of the Big C supermarket located in the city downtown area reportedly gathered at around 5:00 p.m. local time yesterday, held up banners with content asking local authorities to intervene in resolving their dispute with Duc Manh Corporation, the property company that they accused of impeding their business activity. The protest attracted curiosity of hundreds of local citizens, resulting into a severe traffic congestion. Dozens of police and civil military officers have been mobilized to control the situation. At 6:00 p.m., Deputy Chairman of Da Nang Peoples Committee Ho Ky Minh arrived at the scene and subsequently convinced the crowd to disband. Minh then convened an emergency meeting inside the supermarket to discuss the issue. Representative of Duc Manh Corporation wasnt present. Operations manager of Big C Da Nang Nguyen Thi To Nga said the supermarket has a 40-year lease contract with Duc Manh Corporation, starting from 2006. However, this company has recently reclaimed the ground without stating any reason. Nga accused Duc Manh company of hampering business operations of the Big C store by locking down stairs and waste water tank valve while cutting water line of the building, forcing the supermarket to buy from locals. "Not only unilaterally terminating the contract, the company [Duc Manh] has also installed barricades to block the supermarkets entrance. We have already filed a motion to Vietnam International Arbitration Center earlier this year, Nga said. Local citizens gather in front of the Big C Da Nang supermarket. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong The dispute between Big C Da Nang and the Duc Manh Corporation has been going on since February. On March 3, Da Nang Judicial authorities issued a directive with measures to support the arbitration procedure between the two parties. Big C was requested not to gather employees to hold protest, inciting disorder in the city. Meanwhile, Duc Manh Corporation was ordered to cease to perform any action that could interfere with or affect the business operations of Big C supermarket," including barricading the entrance or sealing the area. However, this company on July 7 has errected barriers to prevent employers and customers of entering the store. Da Nang authorities has then ordered the two parties to respect the decision of the Courts and also stated that tolerence is low. If this behavior continues to repeat, the case will be handed over to criminal authorities, Deputy Chairman Minh said. He also asked related departments to hold a meeting with both parties today to settle the case. Related news: > Big C Vietnam to change name next year > Vietnamese suppliers cry out after Big C turns the screw One out of the nine crew members confirmed dead onboard the crashed CASA -212 aircraft of the Vietnam Coast Guard remains missing. Fishermen from the central province of Thanh Hoa have recovered more debris from the CASA-212 and belongings of its crew members in the waters off Hai Phong northern city. Police from the Hoang Truong Commune, Hoang Hoa District in Thanh Hoa confirmed that local authorities have received more than 130 debris recovered from the CASA-212 aircraft which went missing more than 20 days ago. Initial checks have shown that the debris and belongings were from the CASA-212. The debris and belongings were recovered by two fishing boats which are owned by Nguyen Huu Duoc and Le Van Thang in Hoang Truong Commune. One of the debris found was a glass door with the name CASA-212 on it. A wallet with VND6 million ($265) and an identity card belonging to Major Nguyen Ngoc Chu, one of the nine dead crew members, have also been recovered, according to the police. The recovered debris from CASA-212. Photo provided by locals Vietnams search and rescue teams found all two black boxes of the missing CASA-212-40 patrol plane in late June. Sea patrol plane CASA C-212 Aviocar 400, operated by the Vietnam Coast Guard, was reported missing on June 16 during a search mission for the Su-30MK2 Vietnamese fighter jet that 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. Related news: > Vietnam Defense Ministry confirms all crew members dead in CASA plane crash > CASA planes black boxes recovered; two more bodies found > Only one body from crashed CASA plane yet to be found Gaspard, a French digital nomad, shares why he and his girlfriend chose to leave Bangkok for Hanoi. So we've left Thailand for our life in Bangkok. It was easy. Everything we own fits in two backpacks so it was just a matter of booking tickets, packing and getting a taxi to the airport. Leaving was easy, but it took us some time to decide where we wanted to go. Asia is big, and so we had a lot of options. We wanted to find a place that would match all our needs and expectations, the perfect destination for my digital nomad lifestyle and a good start for Kristinas new (temporary) teaching career. Hanoi attracted us From the start it felt like it was pulling us in like a magnet, the perfect logical next step in our journey, but we also had to think of cost of living, safety, surrounding areas, visas even if in the end it was more about our feelings and choosing a place that felt right for us. Visa rules or the lack of them Im really looking forward to the day when Asian countries will issue a special digital nomad visa. Im sure it will happen it should. Were not taking anyones job and were injecting money into the local economy. And honestly Ill be more than happy to pay for an expensive visa if I could stay in a country without having to worry about my status every three months. And taxes! Ill be more than happy to pay taxes! But well, were not there yet, for now Im stuck with tourist visas, extensions, and visa runs. A few years ago Thailand was the best place for digital nomads. In the early 2000s, staying in the country was ridiculously easy. Ten visa runs in a row without officials asking any questions; I had passports filled with Thai stamps. Nowadays the situation has changed, Thailand is not so happy with long-term visitors and its getting harder and harder to stay in the country. And thats why we had to leave Bangkok after three great months in the city. Thats why we chose Vietnam. On paper the Vietnamese rules are not so different. You enter on a tourist visa and you should leave before it expires. Or you can extend it again, and again, and again! Thats the difference. As long as youre showing the money, you can stay. And there is virtually no limit to this. Im sure it wont last forever. But for now Vietnam is the best option if youre looking for a place to settle down in Southeast Asia. The food As much as I like Thai food, I have to admit that Vietnamese food is better. Yes, in Thailand you can go to pretty much any restaurant and youll be sure to get great food. That doesnt work in Vietnam. Here, you have to be a bit more careful if you want to avoid getting a bad meal or spending a long night in the bathroom. But when Vietnamese food is good its really good! Vietnams history is an endless war against invaders. The Vietnamese spent centuries fighting for their borders. They suffered many invasions, and thats why the country is painted with so many different cultural influences. This is something that you can feel just by walking in the streets as you pass a Chinese temple or a French colonial building. But its also prominent in the food. Lets look at the 'banh mi' for example, a mix of French, Chinese, and local influence for what is now a world famous delicacy. Three countries teaming up just for a sandwich! The variety in Vietnamese food is amazing, and some dishes are so perfect, so delicate, that they wouldnt look out of place in a three-star restaurant. A plate of White Roses is as good as it is beautiful. The first time you try 'banh xeo' you wont want to eat anything else ever again the list of Vietnamese specialties is endless and they all deserve a taste. Tip: If youre on a trip from north to south, or south to north, many people will tell you to skip Hue, but be sure to spend a few days in the city as it is the food capital of Vietnam trust me, do it for your stomach! The cost of living It took us 24 hours to find an apartment in the center of Hanoi: 70m2, hard wood floor, big balcony, flat screen TV, king size bed, laundry, ironing, and cleaning twice a week for the price of a dirty shoe box in Paris, for which I would have needed to show bank statements and tax forms and beg the landlord to let me live in his expensive rat hole for $500 a month (were actually on the expensive side), if we were here to save money we could have gone for something much cheaper. So yes Hanoi is cheap. Its not why we chose to live here. I dont like the idea of staying in a country just because its cheap, but it sure does help. When you live in a place like Hanoi you realize how much of your daily worries are coming from money (or the lack of it). Even when you have a good salary, money is always there, in the corner of your mind, bothering you. But here, suddenly this annoying thought disappears. You go shopping and you dont need to count. You plan a trip for the weekend without having to look at your bank account. You dont need to worry about money and so you can focus on what really matters. Of course, then there is something else you think about: Not worrying about money in a country where so many people are struggling to make a living Its a weird and uncomfortable idea and quite frankly I dont know how to deal with it yet. The job opportunities For me its easy, I can work anywhere. A socket to plug in my computer, to charge my camera, is all I need. Maybe a beer or two if I want to write something. Thats easy to find. But Im not traveling alone and when we decided to settle somewhere, last Christmas, one of the first concerns was for Kristina to find a job. Were both diving instructors and this is the kind of certification that can get you a job in no time. So that was an option; except that I had more than my share of tropical islands, living in bungalows and spending my days in board shorts. Sure it sounds awesome (even writing it), but the diving instructor routine is far, far away from real life. And we wanted something real. So the other obvious option was teaching English. Its a no brainer, really. One month of training and you can find a job pretty much anywhere in Asia. And if, like Kristina, youre a native speaker, you hold a degree (or several) and a CELTA certification, then youre looking at some of the highest paid jobs in the field. Youre looking at a salary that will get you a pretty comfortable life in Bangkok, Hanoi, Saigon or Siem Reap. We chose Hanoi. For now. The beautiful mess Some people like things to be clean; they want to live in a quiet and peaceful area I dont. I like broken stuff; I like messy streets, busy intersections and crowded sidewalks. I like places that need some time for you to get used to. Places that need to be tamed. The streets of Hanoi are a beautiful combination of chaotic coordination and noise. Its a really messy ballet, a strange dance. Its not without logic, but it takes some time to get used to the rhythm, to the tempo of the streets. You need to count your steps, to synchronize yourself with the flow of the cars and the motorbikes, so you can cross the street without getting killed. But when you finally get used to it what a wonderful mess! People cooking on the sidewalks, improvised hair salons on the corner of a street, old folks practicing Tai Chi by the lake. The wind smells like motor grease, oil, coffee, fruit and incense, and the streets never grow quiet. You cant get bored in a city like Hanoi, it just keeps surprising you. And for family reasons OK, this last one is a bit personal. But I have to add it. My moms dad joined the French army when he was 19, in 1947. Three years later he was sent to Vietnam with the colonial infantry. Im not here to talk about the war or the period that came just before. We probably had nothing to do in Vietnam, but thats not something I want to discuss now. My grandfather cherished his time in this country, he enjoyed being in the army and he would have probably made a long career in the colonial infantry if he didnt fall in love with a young girl back in France. He couldnt stay in Vietnam; he had to go back home to marry my grandmother. After that, he never really made anything of his life. He was not good at making choices for himself, thats probably why he loved the army so much. He lived an empty life and the memories of his time in Vietnam chased him all the way to his deathbed. As he was dying, all he could think about were the streets of Hanoi. As he held my moms hand, he kept asking her to tell him about the city, about the food and the smells in the streets. My grandfather left Vietnam to start a family. He left his dreams and a life of adventure so he could raise my mom. I wouldnt exist if he chose differently. I think about this every time I walk the streets of this city. As I turn around the lake, I wonder Was he here? Being in Hanoi is a way for me to do what my grandfather didnt do. I know he would have loved that. Its my way of saying thank you Gaspard For more pieces like this, go to ilefthome.com, he pours his heart there. Related news: > Hanoi, a beautiful mess (a love letter) > Surviving 2025 motorbike ban Hanoi style > Long Bien Bridge: the silent guardian of Hanoi Efficiency is not just a good idea, it's the only ethical policy By: Scott Sumner Heres Neil Irwin of the NYT, expressing some rather unoriginal views that you might see in 100 other media outlets: What lesson should a card-carrying member of the economic elite take from the success of Donald J. Trump, and British voters decision to leave the European Union? Voters in large numbers have been rejecting much of the underlying logic behind a dynamic globalized economy that on paper seems to make the world much richer. For the bankers, trade negotiators, international businesspeople and others who make up the economic elite (including journalists like me who are peripheral members of it), this is cause for introspection, at least among those who arent too narcissistic to care what their countrymen think. Here is an overarching theory of what we might have missed in the march toward a hyper-efficient global economy: Economic efficiency isnt all its cracked up to be. Thats all rather vague, so lets look at one of his specific examples: You can see versions of this play out in a wide range of areas. For example, economists almost uniformly argue that rent control laws are a terrible tool to try to make housing more affordable. As Paul Krugman once wrote, the analysis of rent control is among the best-understood issues in all of economics, and among economists, anyway one of the least controversial. Yet among people grappling with soaring rents, the policies are persistently popular even, recently, in the free-market-oriented boomtowns of Silicon Valley. Its easy for an economist to chalk up support for rent control as idiocy that depresses the home construction that might reduce housing prices for everyone. I have thought of it that way. But maybe it is really important for people who live in a place to be able to stay there indefinitely. Maybe the idea that things should stay the way they are, without new people moving in and new buildings going up, is not as inherently irrational as Economics 101 would suggest. Yes, rent control is a bad idea if youre worried about the long-term prospects for economic efficiency. But maybe the people who advocate these policies know exactly what theyre rooting for, and thats not it. The rent control debate can be viewed as a microcosm of the debate about globalization and international trade. I find this sort of analysis to be rather annoying. Lets start with his assumption that economists view rent control supporters as idiots. If you follow the link in this quote you find an article on the push for rent control in Silicon Valley: Rent control exists for a reason, and its because someone gains from it, said Daniel Fetter, an economics professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The question is, Is that really the best policy for achieving those ends?' I suspect about 95% of economists would agree with Daniel Fetter. And now do you see how misleading the Neil Irwins quote is? We dont view supporters of rent control as idiots; we view them as selfish. Irwins entire piece is premised on the assumption that economists dont understand why people support policies (such as rent control, protectionism, and minimum wages) that reduce efficiency. But we do. (Thats not to say that ignorance isnt also part of the story, it is, but its not a necessary assumption.) This is also a bit misleading: Maybe the idea that things should stay the way they are, without new people moving in and new buildings going up, is not as inherently irrational as Economics 101 would suggest. Ill wager that 90% of my readers didnt notice at first how he snuck that NIMBY defense into a paragraph defending supporters of rent control. I do understand why whites might not want poorer blacks moving into their neighborhoods. I do understand how Americans might oppose Hispanic immigrants moving into their neighborhoods. I do understand why environmentalists might oppose tall new building in their neighborhoods. But I dont like any of those attitudes. Its highly misleading to sneak that sentence into a rent control paragraph, as new apartment building would help renters by increasing supply and lowering costs. Irwin is a bit coy about his own views on these issues, but he muddles the issue by including policies that directly conflict with one another. If we are to believe that low income renters having to move elsewhere is a horrible problem, then how can we defend NIMBYism? Its also a bit dishonest to tie this in with Trumpism. Trump is all about Making America Great Again by going back to the 1960s, when there were lots of jobs for blue collar Americans building interstate highways and shopping centers and housing developments. Hes the worlds biggest fan of using eminent domain so that he can build as many Trump Towers as possible. So if people really are opposed to change, then Trump should be absolutely the last person they would want to support, hed like to bulldoze right over their house. Just like omelets, Making America Great Again is impossible with breaking a few eggs. Irwin continues: Only two of 40 leading economists, surveyed by the University of Chicago Initiative on Global Markets, agreed with the statement that a country can improve citizens well-being by increasing its trade surplus or cutting its trade deficit, an idea that is a hallmark of populist rhetoric. I certainly agree with the 38 out of 40 economists who view anti-trade deficit arguments as reflecting ignorance of the most basic ideas in EC101. And yet, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, guess who else is ignorant of EC101? Since April, Treasury has been applying a quantitative framework to determine if a country is managing its currency inappropriately for competitive advantagethat is, keeping it undervalued. Japan already meets two of the three criteriaa bilateral trade surplus with the U.S. over $20 billion, and a current account surplus greater than 3 percent of GDPand will meet the third if intervention exceeds 10 trillion in a twelve-month period. This is not a high threshold historicallyJapan sold 14 trillion in 2011 and 35 trillion in 2003-4. So apparently those highly educated bureaucrats at the Treasury, with their 6 figure incomes and their posh DC lifestyles, are actually a part of the ignorant masses that are pushing Trump-style populism. And in fact they are pushing nonsense, the quantitative framework has no more support in economic theory than astrology has in high-level physics. So if the public has been reading articles for decades and decades about how our Treasury officials valiantly try to protect us from evil Asian exporters, is it any wonder that the now are susceptible to the arguments of right and left wing populists? Irwins article is no worse than 100 others. Lots of cliches that tell us little about why this is happening here and now. Is it the poor performance of the economy in recent decades? Then why is South America moving toward neoliberalism, and away from populism? And why is right wing populism on the rise in Australia, despite their economy performing brilliantly over the past quarter century? And why did Trump do so well in Massachusetts, which is booming? (There are poor people in Massachusetts, but they are mostly Democrats.) Would Trumpism go away if we enacted nationwide rent controls and trade protection and $15 hour minimum wages, and as a result went into a recession? And when discussing how neoliberalism did over the past several decades, how about a comparison with anti-neoliberal policies in Venezuela, Greece, Russia, Argentina, Burma, Cuba, Italy, Brazil, the Arab world, and many other places. How are those populist policies working out so far? And how do we know its not some factor other than neoliberalism, such as immigration and Islamic terrorism? After all, that would explain outliers like South America where (AFAIK) immigration is not a big issue, and Australia, where it is. Is it stagnating real wages? Then why is nationalism on the rise in China, where real wages (even for the lower classes) have been soaring at double-digit rates in recent decades? I dont claim to have any answers for the rise of nationalism, but I do think we need to try to avoid easy explanations that have little predictive power. Missed Delivery? If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays. Click Here The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control or OFAC, has sanctioned General Celestin Kanyama, the Commander of the national police force in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, for his role in police violence targeted against DRC civilians, including peaceful protestors. The action is not directed at the people of the DRC, but rather is a targeted sanction imposed on one individual. It will freeze Kanyamas assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction and generally prevent U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with him. OFAC designated Kanyama for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence, abduction, or forced displacement in the DRC, and for being a leader of an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in such conduct. The United States is concerned about the political crisis in the DRC. A continuation of the current practices of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially the arrest of political opponents and restriction of legitimate political activity by opposition political parties and civil society, runs counter to the ideals of the DRCs own constitution and could undermine the countrys stability. The United States urges all Congolese stakeholders to refrain from violence, and to commit to an inclusive, credible dialogue aimed at advancing national elections, in line with the constitution of the DRC. The United States remains a partner ready to work hand in hand with the people and Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure peaceful, credible, and democratic elections. But should conditions not improve, the United States will consider targeted sanctions against additional individuals. In announcing the sanctions against General Kanyama, OFACs Acting Director John E. Smith said, As President Kabilas constitutionally limited term nears its end in December, the regime has engaged in a pattern of repression, including the arrest of opposition members and violent suppression of political protests, all to avoid scheduling national elections. Treasurys action sends a clear message that the United States condemns the regimes violence and repressive actions, especially those of Celestin Kanyama, which threaten the future of democracy for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. LARRY HYSLOP Spotting the tufted puffin is a tough proposition. They spend most of their time on the open ocean, coming near shore only to raise chicks. During a recent trip to the Oregon Coast, I studies offshore islands for glimpses of this chunky, colorful bird. Some say it has a comical look but it is a highly specialized bird, having the ability to fly through both air and water. Puffins are members of the Alcidae bird family. Alcids are the northern equivalent of the Southern Hemispheres penguins. Other alcids are guillemots, murres, auklets, murrelets, and the now-extinct great auk. Penguins are capable of flight in water but not in air. Alcids have adapted so they can do both, swim and fly through air. Since they swim underwater by flapping their wings, it is fair to say they fly through water. It may be unkind of me to say this, but as a more generalist, the tufted puffin can do both but maybe not do either particularly well. The emperor penguin can dive over 700 feet deep in the southern oceans to hunt for food. Their dives generally last three to six minutes in length. The tufted puffin can dive only about 100 feet and usually less in its search for squid, small fish, octopi and crabs. Their dives may last one minute but most are 20-30 seconds in length. Scientists speculate penguins gave up air flight in order to develop larger, heavier bodies. They specialized in water flight to reach greater depths. However, an emperor penguin weighs about 50 pounds, compared to a tufted puffins 1-2 pounds. Tufted puffins are best described as clumsy flyers. To take off from the oceans surface, they need to run across the water while madly flapping their wings to build up speed before leaving the surface. Some takeoffs do not work and the birds must try again. During flight, their wings beat very fast to keep their heavy bodies in the air using their short wings. Their wings beat 300-400 times a minute to achieve speeds up to 40 mph. Landings are best described as controlled crashes. To land on water, they throw their wings back and large, webbed feet forward and then dive to stop. They have been known to belly flop or skip a few times. To land on offshore islands during breeding seasons, they often crash, falling forward or flipping a somersault. Takeoffs are generally from cliff faces where they drop as they build up speed to fly off. Obviously, sea water is much more dense than air. Puffin wings are successful in both, just not as successful as if they had adapted to one or the other, rather than both. Can particles in the air you breathe affect your mood? Just ask anyone who suffers from allergies brought on by tiny specks of pollen or those unfortunate souls who have adverse reactions to the smoke from summer brush fires that cloud our skies. Their life at these certain times of the year can best be described as miserable. Is there anything that can offset this mechanism and turn the tide on these invaders? The answer is yes, by filling the room with particles scientists call negative ions. While probably an unfortunate phrase, negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible atoms and molecules that have an extra electron bound to their structure. You naturally inhale them in abundance in certain environments such as airy mountains, waterfalls, and ocean beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce several biochemical reactions, one especially that increases the level of mood chemical serotonin, making for a happier outlook, reducing depression and stress, and often boosting our working energy. At GBC we cover ions in chemistry class within the first week because they are the instrument of all chemical reactions. You probably remember back in chemistry class balancing chemical equations and the number of elements on the left side must be the same as on the right. Those entities that were reacting amongst themselves were actually ions where electrons were transferring from one to the other. Neutral atoms simply do not react unless in a van der Waals environment. Negative ions are created in nature as air molecules gain a charge due to sunlight, radiation, wind and moving water suggesting why they are found in higher proportions along babbling mountain brooks than hot exhaust-filled city streets. The fact that air ions affect human beings has been known for many years. In 1931, Frederick Dessauer, a German scientist, put his subjects in small rooms with heavy concentrations of negative and positive ions. He noticed that those in the negatively ionized room were generally comfortable, relaxed and more or less happy. On the other hand, the patients subjected to positive ionization were often cross and irritable, some even complaining of dry throats, headaches and nausea. The fact that something so tiny and invisible can change a persons feelings was investigated especially for commercial purposes. After WWII, Albert Krueger of UC Berkeley found that negatively charged air ions benefited the respiratory system, while an excess of positive ions could damage animal tissue. By working with rabbits he recorded that cilia, the tiny hair-like filaments in the windpipe reacted sharply to ionized air. Under normal conditions, the cilia wave back and forth about 1400 times a minute and filter air going into the lungs removing dust, pollen, and other irritants. Flowing mucus along the walls then washes away these trapped macroscopic particles. When the rabbits breathed air rich with negative oxygen ions, the cilia speeded up their movements and mucus flow increased. Exposing the same cilia to positive ions had the opposite effect, sometimes even stopping the flow completely. A 2006 study by Columbia University husband and wife team Michael and Jiuan Sun Terman published in the American Journal of Psychiatry evaluated the antidepressant effect of negative ions in the ambient air as a potential treatment for seasonal affective disorder or SAD. When the subjects with winter depression underwent a double-blind controlled trial of negative ions 58 percent reported improvement when breathing negative ions at the density of 2.7 x 10^6 / cubic centimeter. This included responses in the area of insomnia, fatigue, and overall depression. It is not known why the other 42 percent cannot feel the effects of the charged molecules. The photo with this article shows the sterilization effects of negative air ionization on petri dishes of Salmonella enteritidis. The left sample is thick with the bacteria and the right one treated with ions is clear. You can literally find thousands of negative ion generators online with sizes from simple handheld USB devices to kilowatt units designed for shopping malls. Ever wonder why some stores you feel happy in, buying items you dont really need and some places you just want to run out of? Gary Hanington is a professor of physical science at Great Basin College and Chief Scientist at AHV. If you have a scientific topic request he can be reached at garyh@ahv.com or gary.hanington@gbcnv.edu. Biting off more than anyone could comfortably chew, Chicago Dance Crash tackles good and evil in the new "Evil & Good," a rough collection of nine vignettes that actually achieves a semblance of coherence, limping off the battlefield with honor. That's due in no small part to nonstop, entertainingly varied, high-powered dance in the hip-hop idiom. Now there's an inarguable good. Through July 16 at the Vittum Theatre, "Evil & Good" is a chunky concoction employing three choreographers and eight dancers, each with a different skill set and personality. It gains unity, however, through Johnny Nevin's sound design mainly a mix of spacey electronica and Erik S. Barry's dramatic lighting, tending toward the sensational but never failing to move the action forward. Advertisement Well-chosen thematic elements further unify the work. The concept of Pandora's box (here seemingly opened by a man, not a woman) begins "Evil & Good" and closes it, as the final section "Elpis," the Greek word for hope, the last item in Pandora's box returns to the first to give it serenity, resolution. Comedy reigns in two samplings of pop culture, a Dance Crash staple: a classic Disney cartoon of Pluto being wooed by his good and bad angels, and recordings from the TV game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the unlikely source of a series of moral questions. And, though each of the choreographers offers a different approach, "Evil & Good" comes across as seamless thanks to freestyle transitions between sections and a more-or-less unified aesthetic, apparently provided by Dance Crash artistic director Jessica Deahr. Advertisement The first two sections feature her brand of Hip-hop Lite, an agreeably airborne, smoothed-out style influenced by contemporary dance and particularly well-suited to the four women performing "Pandora." Christopher Courtney, artistic director of Culture Shock Chicago, contributes a harder-hitting style, especially in " The One He Fed the Most." Set to the show's only true hip-hop track, El-P's "Tasmanian Pain Coaster," this full-cast section builds inexorably to a spectacular finish. Kaitlin Webster, Dance Crash's rehearsal director, provides a strong sense of theater in her sections, particularly "So You Think You're Moral," in which the dancers act out the ethical conundrums elucidated (or not) by the "Millionaire" game-show participants. Though all the performers expertly negotiate the piece's different styles, David Ingram, Brian Humpherys and Webster do yeoman's work in the morality play at its center, and newcomers KC Bevis and Zak McMahon are especially fun to watch. A moral philosopher would shudder at the simplifications and confusions of "Evil & Good," especially as expressed in the penultimate section, "Sold," set to the Blunderphonics' audio collage, "Altruist You," made up largely of recorded clips from scientists on Darwin, social Darwinism, gazelles and amoebas. Though Webster creates a choreographic subtext of human cooperation, she can't override the barrage of unconvincing philosophizing. But "Evil & Good" excels in a visually striking, pivotal lightsaber section. At first immersed in darkness, the dancers begin to wield flashlights one by one, illuminating themselves and others, creating a wonderful collage of silhouettes, shadows, half-seen bodies. Though the scene feels as chaotic as kids playing backyard tag at night, goodness seems passed among them, until finally each holds an insubstantial glow between cupped palms. Laura Molzahn is a freelance critic. Chicago Dance Crash, "Evil & Good" - 3.5 STARS When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through July 16 Running time: 1 hour Advertisement Where: Vittum Theatre, 1012 N. Noble St. Tickets: $25 at 773-342-4141 or chicagodancecrash.com Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox) Seth Meyers is joining the parade of late-night talk-show hosts flocking to make comedic hay out of the coming political conventions. NBC said Friday that Meyers' "Late Night" will broadcast live 12:35 a.m. Eastern on the evening of Thursday, July 21 from Studio 8G in 30 Rockefeller Center - the same night as the final session of the Republican National Convention from Cleveland. Presumably, Meyers will have choice words for the party's presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, whom he has jokingly banned from the show. Advertisement The move will allow the host to return, in a sense, to his days of doing live comedy at "Saturday Night Live." And it will also give Meyers the benefit of coming up with fresh one-liners about the event mere hours after it ends. "Late Night with Seth Meyers" typically tapes in the early evening, so its jokes and signature sketches riff off the news of the day - but not the headlines of the evening. Doing the show live adds a new set of logistics for the show, its writers and producers, who will be up until the next day crafting fresh zingers ("Late Night" typically runs a repeat on Fridays, giving Meyers' staff some respite). Advertisement MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR "Late Night" isn't the only program in the genre making a run for relevancy by playing off the conventions. CBS' "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will broadcast two weeks of live shows on the East Coast during the July political conventions, operating without the benefit of the editing room from Monday, July 18 through Thursday July 21 for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and Monday, July 25, through Thursday, July 28, during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Bill Maher has unveiled plans to expand his weekly HBO program, "Real Time," with two extra editions slated to air in the weeks the conventions take place. Typically, Maher's show airs live Friday nights. And Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" will cover both events from the ground, with tapings taking place in Cleveland and Philadelphia. Fans of "Late Night" will no doubt want to see if Meyers trots out one of his go-to segments, "A Closer Look." During the bit, the host weaves together jokes, outtakes from news reports and clever graphics to uncover the motives behind the biggest news stories. The pieces often require an entire day of writing and production to get them right, and it will be quite a feat if the host and his crew can mount one within a few hours after the last speeches ahve been uttered at the Republican convention. Variety RELATED STORIES: Stephen Colbert show to air live during GOP, Democratic conventions You can be disappointed about a delayed 'Game of Thrones,' but it's a good sign for TV Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP) Hal Bergen, father of Chicago Tribune reporter Kathy Bergen, sits for a portrait Thursday, June 23, 2016 at his home in Chicago. Bergen served in the Army and was a sound technician at the Nuremberg Trials. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune) Seventy years ago, my father, a Jewish G.I. from Albany Park, stood face-to-face with accused Nazi war criminals in a courtroom in Nuremberg, Germany. As a 19-year-old Army sound technician during the Nuremberg trials, the first international prosecution of genocide, he asked notorious defendants such as Hermann Goering and Rudolf Hess if their audio headsets were operating properly. Advertisement "They would say 'yes,' then we would take them off their heads and listen to make sure they were hearing something and then give them back," said my dad, Hal Bergen. Did he recoil from the close contact? Advertisement "That was the remarkable phenomenon," he told me. "I was really unaware of the enormity of my position, physically or mentally. They were just guys." My father, 89, a retired public relations executive, shared this observation with me for the first time several weeks ago while sipping a nonalcoholic beer in his Gold Coast condominium. Like many veterans from the World War II era, he didn't say much about his Army service when my brother, Chuck, and I were growing up. "Nobody asked," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm amazed that so many people now are interested in all this." In recent years, he has been approached by a number of historical researchers, most recently the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, which conducted an interview this spring and requested his photographs and artifacts. Somehow, the impending transfer of his photos has been a wake-up call a signal that it was time, actually way past time, for me to delve more deeply into my father's experiences during a profound moment in world history. After a couple of conversations and a review of photographs, artifacts and letters, I learned that my dad became part of this lofty endeavor by chance. His stint involved technical trouble-shooting, exposure to eloquence and atrocity, and a snooze with legendary newsman Walter Cronkite. (More on that later.) He walked in as a fairly sheltered teenager and walked out months later with a somber view of humanity's capacity to justify slaughter. "What the trial did for me was establish an appreciation or understanding of the pragmatism that goes into conflict or warfare that anything goes as long as you're winning," he said, as daylight faded outside his 20th floor windows. "External forces . . . force people to live with horrendous deeds." When the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, my father had recently graduated from Roosevelt High School and was finishing basic training in infantry and radio at Camp Fannin, near Tyler, Texas. Advertisement "We were training to go island-hopping in the Pacific and they told us we'd be lucky to come back wounded," my dad recalled. Instead, the war ended several weeks later. After an extended leave, more training and a missed deployment to Panama due to severe flu, my dad was shipped to Europe in early April 1946, part of the replacement forces sent to relieve war-weary troops. He was assigned to the Signal Corps, the unit running the sound system at the Major War Criminals portion of the Nuremberg trials, where simultaneous translation technology was used for the first time. Arriving midway through the trial, he missed the prosecution's case, but heard months of defense arguments, rebuttals and closing arguments prior to the verdicts on Oct. 1, 1946. The simultaneous translation system was pieced together so proceedings could be understood by the prosecution team, which included representatives from the U.S., Britain, France and Russia, as well as the German defendants and their counsel. The system was a rudimentary patchwork that included captured German military equipment. Cables ran along the floor, coupled together in sausage-shaped tubes. "People discovered this was a wonderful way to relax your feet, just rolling your foot over the connectors," my dad recalls, with a grin. He and his fellow Signal Corps members spent a lot of time soldering cable connections broken by the impromptu foot massages taking place within the dark-paneled walls of the Palace of Justice, one of the few unscathed buildings in rubble-strewn Nuremberg. They also spent hours sitting at an audio control station next to the press corps, wearing headsets to monitor the audio. "The trial did get boring from time to time and people did doze off," he said. "So that's how I slept with Walter Cronkite." Advertisement At other times, the proceedings provoked scorn, which he expressed in letters to his father and mother, who spent the war years as a cabdriver and secretary, respectively. In a handwritten missive, dated Aug. 22, 1946, Dad wrote that one defense attorney "quoted from Shakespeare, the Old Testament and various poets and sages. There must have been dozens in that courtroom who, along with me, would have loved to see that lawyer strung up with the defendants." His stint at the trial contained shocking interludes, too, particularly when prosecutors showed films to counter defense testimony. "The ones that got to me the most," my dad said, "were films where (the Nazis) were throwing corpses of Jews into open graves like cordwood. And then some of the Jews who were still alive had to shovel dirt onto those in the graves. And then, they got theirs .... It was just a horrendous thing to look at." I asked him how he reacted at the time. "I don't think it altered my behavior in a way that anybody external to me could detect. Internally, I kind of shivered." Perhaps my even-tempered, self-contained dad took his greatest inspiration from the measured eloquence of America's No. 2 prosecutor, Thomas Dodd, who played a critical role in the cross-examination of Nazi war criminals and went on to become a U.S. senator. "He didn't holler, he didn't wave his arms," my dad recalled. "He didn't run off at the mouth. He spoke slowly and deliberately. In my mind, the content of what he had to say was enriched by the manner in which it was delivered. Just to make a comparison, he was no Donald Trump." Advertisement As our most recent conversation wound down, I asked my dad if he wished I had inquired about his experiences years ago. He didn't expect that, he said, because he had never asked his own parents about their young lives as the children of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. The family mindset was to assimilate as Americans, not to dwell on the past. "Certainly Jews felt the less Jewishness they showed, the less problems they would have," he said. Looking back, however, he thinks it was a mistake to let those stories fade into obscurity. I feel the same way now. We need to chat some more, Dad. Very soon. kbergen@chicagotribune.com With the nation continuing to reel from the recent killings of two African-American men by police, as well as the deadly attack on Dallas officers, activists in Chicago snarled traffic downtown on Saturday and successfully took their protests inside the annual Taste of Chicago festival, into the Loop and up North Michigan Avenue. Activists affiliated with the local Black Lives Matter movement and their supporters also called for tourists to withhold spending on the Magnificent Mile to punish City Hall for failing to penalize officers who kill civilians. Advertisement In the 24 hours leading up to the surge into the Taste, activists and others took to social media, promising to interrupt the annual food fest in response to the police-involved killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 45 Activists clash with police as they attempt to block traffic on Michigan Avenue at Jackson Street before taking their protests inside the annual Taste of Chicago festival on July 10, 2016. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) From Grant and Millennium parks to the Loop and North Michigan Avenue, familiar chants echoed through the crowd from early afternoon into the evening: "No justice, no peace. No racist police" and "You can't stop the revolution" and "Hands up, don't shoot." Advertisement Just after 4 p.m., about 100 protesters gathered in the middle of the Taste on Columbus Drive, near Jackson Boulevard after earlier protests in Daley Plaza and at The Bean in Millennium Park and marches through the Loop, where protesters intermittently sat down in the middle of the road, blocking traffic. Some drivers honked in a show of solidarity. At times the protests became tense. Police and protesters on North Michigan and Chestnut Street chest-bumped each other as officers took at least two people into custody outside an H&M store. By early evening, the number of protesters seemed to grow and branch out, as one group of about 150 marchers headed west though the Loop, chanting "You can't stop the revolution," and another took to the Magnificent Mile. A smaller group of protesters stuck it out late into the evening, trying a few times to get onto the Eisenhower Expressway and periodically stopping to sit down in the street. The last large-scale confrontations of the evening took place around 10 p.m. near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue, when protesters tried to head back north toward downtown. The marchers had repeatedly tried to go around lines of police officers, succeeding several times. At one point, some protesters started throwing water bottles at police. Finally, protesters were blocked from going north on Michigan Avenue, and a scuffle broke out between police and protesters, and some officers used batons. More officers converged on the area and more physical confrontations took place between the now-agitated crowd and officers. Chicago police confirmed four protest-related arrests were made around 7 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue. Three arrestees were charged with misdemeanor offenses and one was charged with felony aggravated battery to a police officer. Additionally, police said 15 more people were arrested in the 1200 block of South Michigan Avenue about 10 p.m. near the Taste of Chicago, most of whom were charged with obstruction of traffic. An 18-year-old Geneva man was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer and resisting police officer or aiding an escape. Advertisement Officers also blocked protesters from going into a Subway sandwich shop and an adjoining outdoor patio. The crowd lingered and became loud before realizing they could not breaking through the police line again. Officers got protesters off the street onto the sidewalk. One group stayed at the intersection for a while, as another started going south, apparently toward the Central District police station. Protests have popped up in Chicago and in cities across the nation in recent days, with officers across the country under close scrutiny over what some see as indiscriminate use of deadly force against blacks. Sterling was shot Tuesday as he wrestled with two white police officers, who say he was armed, while a Minnesota officer shot and killed Castile on Wednesday during a traffic stop. Castile's girlfriend and a young child were also in the car. Recordings of the immediate aftermath of the shootings were shared on social media, leading to protests across the country, including in Chicago where protesters on Thursday temporarily blocked the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway. That evening, a peaceful protest in Dallas turned deadly when a former Army reservist fatally shot five Dallas police officers and wounded seven more, as well as two civilians, before police killed him with a remote-controlled bomb. Authorities said the man was motivated to kill white people and police officers. The protests in the middle of the Taste didn't bring the event to a close. Vendors still sold food and drinks, and festivalgoers stopped to watch it all unfold. Cynthia Johnson-Lyles, 55, of Ashburn, who was at the Taste when the protesters arrived, said she appreciates their message. She said gathering at an event like the Taste gives the protesters needed visibility in the city. Advertisement Protestors are marching down Michigan Avenue, cars honking in support. #Chicago pic.twitter.com/zc0YRNidev Nereida Moreno (@nereidamorenos) July 9, 2016 "Where else are you going to go and have this kind of impact and see this many people? Being black, I'm in total agreement with this," she said, adding: "I appreciate the fact that it's peaceful and that people are taking an active role in change." Hours earlier, Jared Steverson, of Bronzeville, stood in front of The Bean the area clogged with tourists and protesters and told the crowd how, as a father of three young sons, the deaths of the black men compelled him to participate in the protest and march through downtown and "voice my pain." Steverson, who identified himself as a combat veteran, cried as he discussed the death of Sterling and the tears of the young man's son at a televised news conference. "I got three sons, 8, 6 and 2 weeks" he said. "When I saw (Sterling's) son crying up there ... a child should never go through that. He shouldn't be up there crying for his daddy." For the youngest kids, even, these incidents cement a mistrust of police, he said. "It breeds a spiteful kid that might hate police it breeds a kid like that. It's not because he interacted with them, it's because the police took his father. They took the man he loved." Advertisement He added: "No matter where it's happening. If it's happening in Texas, or Missouri, it could happen here. The next time it could be Chicago. It could be me." Ajah Miller holds a sign at a rally in Millennium Park to protest police brutality on July 9, 2016. (Brandon Chew / Chicago Tribune) Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Asked about whether officers were concerned about working the protests, given the killings in Dallas, two deputy chiefs demurred. "Everybody is just out here doing their job, we're not really in that mindset right now," said Chief of Patrol Fred Waller. "We're always cautious, we're always looking out for each other," said Area Central Deputy Chief Kevin Ryan. "We got a job to do here. This isn't a compliant crowd, but they're not a violent crowd." Chicago Tribune's Tony Briscoe contributed to this report. wlee@tribpub.com Advertisement nmoreno@tribpub.com gwong@tribpub.com With individual school budgets due out next week, Chicago Public Schools is telling principals that "classrooms will be protected" from spending cuts in the coming year. "They haven't said if the student-based budgeting rate is going to go down," said Mira Weber, principal of Agassiz Elementary in Lakeview. "I'm cautiously optimistic that, with the state support that came through from Springfield and the tax increase we're all about to experience, that the rate wouldn't go down." Advertisement The education budget passed in Springfield last month included additional money for CPS and led Mayor Rahm Emanuel to say that schools would open on time this fall "without any major disruption to our classrooms." On Friday, district spokeswoman Emily Bittner said in a statement: "Thanks to Chicago taxpayers, Springfield leaders and management reform at CPS, the financial outlook for Chicago Public Schools is much stronger, and we are confident we can protect our classroom." Advertisement A memo sent to principals last week said individual school budgets will be ready Wednesday, and repeated the point that "we are now confident our classrooms will be protected." The cash-strapped district has for months threatened additional budget cuts as it pushed for more state help. CPS took the unusual step of cutting the amount of money distributed to schools on a per-pupil basis in the middle of the past school year. Those cuts were projected to save $120 million in the 2017 budget year, which began July 1. CPS traditionally doesn't have a budget in place until the end of August. Weber said she hasn't run the numbers to determine how her school would absorb cuts if CPS carried over the reduced student-based budget rate it installed in the last school year. "If it goes down to what it was midyear, there would obviously be a difference there," Weber said. Since state lawmakers took action, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has backed off dire warnings that principals should expect a massive reduction in the base amount of money schools receive for each student they enroll. But, citing a budget deficit the district has pegged at roughly $1 billion, Claypool repeated on June 30, the day the state education budget passed, that CPS would still "continue to tighten its belt" in the coming year. To generate revenue for its yet-to-be revealed districtwide budget, the Chicago Board of Education is expected to authorize property tax hikes that include a separate levy expected to generate $250 million for CPS' ballooning contributions to the city's teacher pension fund. CPS wouldn't see the additional tax revenue until July 2017 at the earliest, a spokesman for Cook County Clerk David Orr's office said. Advertisement The law allowing the school board to install the additional property tax does not take effect until next June, though Orr's office said its interpretation of the law concluded the school system has the authority to institute the levy for the 2016 tax year. The year's taxes are likely to be billed and collected next summer. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Other education funding measures approved by Springfield lawmakers include $250 million in grants that would be distributed based on the number of high-poverty students in each of the state's school districts. CPS said it expects to get about $130 million of that total. Less certain is that money from a third measure passed by legislators, but yet to be signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, will arrive in time to help the district before the end of the fiscal year that began July 1. That measure, which CPS says will prompt the state to send about $205 million to help cover the district's forthcoming pension payment, is contingent on approval of broader pension reforms that are still to be negotiated. The district has said its moves to cut positions and close vacant jobs early this year were expected to save $45 million in the 2017 budget year. To get through July, CPS said it is using borrowed money it has on hand until the district is able to borrow against the value of roughly $1.1 billion in property tax revenue due by August. Advertisement "I just always try to think that something is going to work out," Weber said. "In this case, we've averted obviously the worst of the worst, which I think is a good thing for everyone. Whatever does come is going to be way better than we thought it was two weeks ago." jjperez@chicagotribune.com Twitter @perezjr A Warrenville man was critically injured when the motorized glider he was piloting crashed Saturday morning at an airport west of Newark, Ill., in LaSalle County, a Fire Department spokesman said. Crews from the Newark Fire Protection District were called at 9:41 a.m. to Cushing Field, 4076 Illinois Route 71 in unincorporated LaSalle County near Sheridan, said David Earl Thompson, a spokesman for the district. Advertisement They found an ultralight airplane had crashed on the runway at Cushing Field, and the 63-year-old man piloting the glider was trapped and critically injured, Thompson said. Crews began extrication and called for a LifeStar medical helicopter, Thompson said. The man was trapped inside the glider, and required "heavy extrication" before crews could get him out and provide emergency treatment, Thompson said. Advertisement The man was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove in critical condition, Thompson said. The aircraft involved was a Light Sport category Evolution Trikes Revo ultralight aircraft, with one person on board, according to a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman. FAA records show it belonging to a 63-year-old man who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. Little Rock-Fox Fire Protection District crews were called to help at Cushing, and two other departments staffed Newark's stations during the emergency call. The LaSalle County sheriff's office and the FAA were investigating. A man hit by a CTA Blue Line train Friday night at the Austin Boulevard stop died from touching the electrified third rail, not from injuries suffered when he was hit by the train, authorities determined following an autopsy. The person made contact with the train about 7:15 p.m., said Jeff Tolman, a CTA spokesman. Lyon did not have information on the person's injuries. Advertisement The man, identified as a 47-year-old Cicero resident, was pronounced dead at 8:08 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. He died from electrocution caused when he fell on the electrified third rail in an accident, the medical examiner's office determined following an autopsy Saturday. Oak Park fire officials responded to the incident at the "L" station on the Oak Park side of Austin, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman. Advertisement Oak Park police referred calls to a spokesman, who had not responded to inquiries by Saturday afternoon. By about 8 p.m., the CTA was running shuttle buses between Oak Park and Pulaski stops, with trains restricted to one track between Cicero and Harlem stations and bypassing the Austin station. Check the CTA's website for updates. Editor's note, July 14: The name of the CTA spokesman has been corrected in this story. Bats drop out of the attic and fly away at 718 Concord Lane in the Pickwick Town Homes in Barrington on Sept. 19, 2013. Over a 5-minute period, 25 bats flew out of this residence. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) CRETE, Ill. Will County officials say a rabid bat attacked a woman while she was cleaning a swimming pool at a home in the village of Crete. A news release from the Will County executive's office says the woman was bitten on her neck and hand. She injured the animal while trying to protect herself, and called animal control officials for help. Advertisement Will County Animal Control Director Leroy Schild says workers picked up the bat and it tested positive for rabies. He says the woman was advised to seek treatment at a hospital. Advertisement Associated Press Police are seeking three teenage boys suspected of setting a fire in an aisle at a Family Dollar that quickly spread through the store Saturday afternoon. Three boys between the ages of 13 and about 14 set a fire in one of the aisles of a store in the 3400 block of West Chicago at 2:45 p.m., according to Officer Michelle Tannehill, a police spokeswoman. Advertisement Fire crews called a still-and-box alarm for the fire in the building, 3401 W. Chicago Ave. The fire damaged much of the front of the store, and at one point burst through the building's roof, a Fire Department spokesman said. One firefighter was taken to Rush University Medical Center in good condition following the fire, said the spokesman, Fire Chief Juan Hernarndez. During a news conference Friday, Dallas Police Chief David Brown collects himself while talking about Thursday night's deadly shooting. (Mark Mulligan / Associated Press) Dallas Police Chief David Brown stood before the television cameras Friday morning, hours after a gunman fatally shot five officers, and made one thing clear: His department was hurting. "We don't feel much support on most days," Brown said. "Let's not make today most days." Advertisement He had spent a long night consoling the victims' families, who were struggling just to understand why. A three-decade veteran of the Dallas Police Department who grew up in the city and became chief in 2010, Brown, 55, is well-acquainted with tragedy. His former police partner was shot and killed in 1988. His brother was killed three years later. Advertisement Full coverage: Dallas police shootings >> In 2010, Brown's own son, his namesake, shot and killed a police officer and another man while high on PCP before being shot at least nine times, according to the Dallas Morning News. The police chief is reportedly a tough and introspective boss. In recent months, he has faced criticism and calls for his ouster, including from his own officers, amid rising violent crime rates, according to the Morning News. He also has been questioned about controversial terminations and demotions of some officers. Brown was only a few weeks into his new job as chief in June 2010 when, on Father's Day, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr., shot a police officer in the neighboring city of Lancaster. The younger Brown, wearing only boxer shorts and behaving strangely, fatally shot a man named Jeremy McMillian who was driving his girlfriend and two small children through Lancaster. Brown's girlfriend told police he was suffering from a "psychotic breakdown," according to the Morning News. Brown Jr. then shot and killed Lancaster Police Officer Craig Shaw, who responded to the shooting. Other officers fatally shot Brown Jr. A few days after the killings, Brown reached out to the Lancaster Police Department, asking to meet with the families of Shaw and McMillian, former Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey told the Los Angeles Times. He even quietly attended Shaw's funeral, which was right after his son's services, Humphrey said. "He was hurt. He was devastated. But he never wavered from thinking of the families of the officers involved," said Humphrey, who is now the chief of police in Norman, Okla. Advertisement Humphrey, who has known Brown for more than a decade, called Brown a resilient, "by the book" chief and a "good guy." He said Brown is a private man who is both analytical and intelligent. "He is very quiet," Humphrey said. "He's an introvert. But it's amazing he's an introvert by nature, but when things of this nature occur, he's able to stand up and do what's necessary to reassure everyone that things will be OK." In 1988, Brown, working in the department's physical evidence section, responded to an officer-involved shooting and saw a familiar pair of eyeglasses on the ground, according to the Morning News. They belonged to his former police partner, Walter L. Williams, a father of three who died hours later. Three years later, Brown's younger brother, Kelvin Brown, was killed near Phoenix by drug dealers, the Morning News reported. "I can't deny that's a part of who I am," Brown told the Morning News in 2010. "The families of victims, I know what they go through. My family had to go through that." In June 2015, Brown spoke again to news cameras, saying his officers had narrowly escaped death when a gunman apparently angry after losing his child in a custody dispute pulled up to police headquarters and began firing into the lobby. James Boulware was shot dead by a police sniper after a standoff in an armored van carrying explosives. Advertisement "It raises the hair on the back of your neck pretty quickly just thinking of what could have happened," Brown said. "We literally dodged bullets." hailey.branson@latimes.com Twitter: @haileybranson ALSO Is video to blame in deadly attack on Dallas police? 'Loner' Dallas gunman had bomb materials and kept journal of combat tactics Advertisement Dallas police used a robot to kill a gunman, a new tactic that raises ethical questions Ethan Boothe, center, talks to his sons Greyson Boothe, 8, left, and Austin Boothe, 10, right, attends an interfaith prayer service for the victims of the police shooting. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Hillary Clinton had been preparing Friday to have the conversation about criminal justice that she has had throughout her campaign, one in which there is no ambiguity about which Americans are under attack. But the shootings in Dallas shifted that conversation. They left Clinton, an unapologetic ally of Black Lives Matter who condemns racist applications of enforcing the law, tasked with reassuring a nation shocked by the murder of five police officers. Advertisement The carnage that unfolded in Dallas, coming as the nation watched in horror as fresh videos emerged of black men being shot to death by police, leaves the dialogue on race and violence in a precarious place. The progress that civil rights advocates made in raising awareness about law enforcement's disparate treatment of minorities is bumping up against the public's anxieties over safety. Both Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Black Lives Matter activists found themselves trying to bridge the public outrage they helped build with assurances that their goal is to ultimately strengthen, not undermine, police who are reeling from the worst act of violence against them since the 9/11 attacks 15 years ago. Advertisement "I know that just by saying all these things together, I may upset some people," Clinton said during an address to black church leaders in Philadelphia in which she read out the names of police officers who were killed, as well as blacks killed by police, and renewed her call for criminal justice reforms and more stringent gun control. "I am talking about criminal justice reform the day after a horrific attack on police officers," she said. "I am talking about courageous, honorable police officers just a few days after officer involved killings in Louisiana and Minnesota. I am bringing up guns in a country where merely talking about comprehensive background checks and getting assault weapons off our streets gets you demonized. But all these things can be true at once." The movement has been and will continue to be about ending violence. DeRay McKesson, Black Lives Matter activist in Baltimore As Clinton praised the heroism of the police officers in Dallas who worked to protect the civilians at the Black Lives Matter protest where an assailant opened fire, she also continued to push Americans to empathize with the anxiety and anger of black Americans. "White Americans need to do a better job listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers you face every day," she said. "We need to try as best we can to walk in one another's shoes, to imagine what it would feel like if people followed us around stores or locked their car doors when we walked past." But she also urged the crowd to "put ourselves in the shoes of police officers," particularly those who ran toward the gunfire as shots rang out in Dallas, as civilians ran for cover. Clinton's likely Republican rival, Donald Trump, canceled a campaign stop in Miami and condemned the officers' killings as "an attack on our country," saying Friday that racial relations in the U.S. were deteriorating."We must restore law and order," he said in a statement. "We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street. The senseless, tragic deaths of two motorists in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done." Five police officers died and seven officers and two civilians were wounded Thursday night after 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, a former Army reservist, targeted police in downtown Dallas, authorities said. Johnson told police during a standoff that he was angry "with white people" and wanted to kill white officers, according to Dallas police, who said he mentioned the Black Lives Matter movement. On Friday, Black Lives Matter released a statement distancing itself from Johnson, calling the police deaths "a tragedy" but saying it would not back down from its demands for police reform. Advertisement "There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this," said the statement. Police have said that before he was killed in the standoff, Johnson said he was not affiliated with any group. On his Facebook profile, Johnson, who was black, had either liked or joined Black Panther Party-related groups, including one called the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, named for the black power group's co-founder. Diamond Reynolds, the Minnesota woman whose viral Facebook video of her dying boyfriend, Philando Castile, after a police shooting spurred national protests, said at a Friday news conference that the Dallas shootings were "bigger than all of us." "I want justice for everyone, everyone around the world," she said. While she cited the police deaths, she also named black Americans who had died in racially tinged encounters such as Trayvon Martin in Florida and Sandra Bland in Texas. "This thing that happened in Dallas, it was not because" of her boyfriend's death and her activism, or to this week's police shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., she said. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who on Thursday had called the police shooting of Castile an example of racism, said Friday that he would not walk back his comments that the shooting would not have happened if Castile and Reynolds were white. Advertisement "I stand by what I said yesterday," he said. People gather in a prayer vigil in Dallas on Friday after the shooting deaths of five police officers during a Black Live Matter march. (Spencer Platt / AFP/Getty Images ) Some civil rights activists and political leaders pivoted away from earlier calls decrying racism and a string of police killings of black men, while others, including President Obama, attempted to speak forcefully on killings by police and of police. "We mourn the police officers killed ... beside peaceful protesters seeking justice" for Sterling and Castile, NAACP president Cornell Brooks tweeted Friday. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had called Sterling's death a "legal lynching," described the Dallas killings as a "terrorist attack." The Rev. Al Sharpton, who had announced plans to travel to Baton Rouge to meet with Sterling's family, said Friday that he would be appearing with the mother of Eric Garner on Saturday in Harlem, N.Y., to call for an end to violence against police and nonviolent protests. Garner's 2014 death after a police officer's choke hold in Staten Island, N.Y., prompted demonstrations nationwide. "Police should not be the target. Bad policing should be the target," Sharpton tweeted. DeRay McKesson, a Black Lives Matter activist in Baltimore, said he was confident the protesters would keep their resolve."The people across the movement remain focused on ending violence. The movement has been and will continue to be about ending violence," said McKesson, who offered his "condolences and prayers" for the dead officers and their families. Advertisement Some are comparing the protest climate to that after the death of Garner, who died after he was suspected of illegally selling cigarettes in New York and whose dying words, "I can't breathe," became a widespread protest chant. Demonstrations spread nationally after a grand jury said it would not indict the officer who put Garner in a choke hold. Weeks after the decision, a 28-year-old man shot to death two off-duty police officers in Brooklyn. The shooting was seen as revenge for the non-indictment and for the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Afterward, New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said the killings were a ""direct spinoff" of protests and New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio called for activists to "suspend demonstrations." Dallas gunman was Army reservist who served in Afghanistan Use of robot in Dallas highlights tactical opportunities, ethical questions for police The Game, Snoop Dogg lead peaceful march to LAPD headquarters on day of recruit graduation Advertisement UPDATES: 4:27 p.m.: This story was updated with more comments from Hillary Clinton. 2:43 p.m.: This story was updated with comments from Hillary Clinton. This story was originally published at 1:42 p.m. The first Earth Day took place in 1970, giving a voice to a growing movement that espoused the importance of addressing environmental issues and adopting eco-friendly lifestyles. This year, Earth Day takes place on April 22. Advertisement The late Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson is credited with coming up with the idea for a day devoted to focusing on environmental issues affecting the entire planet. Nelson was reportedly inspired by the vehement student anti-Vietnam War movement that took root in the United States in the late 1960s and continued into the 1970s. Nelson felt that if he could inspire similar passion among the masses about environmental issues, then those issues would force their way into the national agenda. Advertisement Nelson's intuition proved correct, and on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans gathered in streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against policies and practices that contributed to the deterioration of the environment. Today, Earth Day has spread far beyond U.S. borders and is now observed in 192 countries across the globe. New initiatives continue to be proposed as the world population grows increasingly aware of the effects of climate change and the role ordinary citizens can play to protect the environment every day. The trip will be shorter than was expected, but in the end the president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, will return to Spain, a country he visited in the 1980s when he was a young backpacker in search of his identity. Obama will be coming to Spanish shores when his eight-year presidency is reaching its end, and during a difficult week for the United States, after the shooting deaths of two black men and the subsequent killings of five police officers. He is also arriving in a country that has been locked in political stalemate for months now. US President Barack Obama. R.Sachs (Bloomberg) More information After short visit, US president vows to return to Spain someday In response to written questions from EL PAIS, Obama calls on the next Spanish government, whichever parties it is made up by, to maintain its commitment to Europe. The president also focuses on the need for Spain and its European partners to become stronger and to ramp up defense spending. While he celebrates the fact that the Spanish economy has returned to growth, and sends out a message of hope, he argues that austerity policies, applied in Spain and across Europe, have contributed to social discontent in many European countries. The vote in favor of the United Kingdoms exit from the European Union in June reflects, for Obama, the fact that for many Europeans feel that globalization has left them in a position of disadvantage. The Democratic politician, who is watching Republican candidate Donald Trump put his legacy in danger, also reflects on the answer that governments should provide in the face of the forces of populism. And he celebrates that one of the major achievements of his time in the White House, the reestablishment of relations with Cuba, has removed an obstacle to improving relations with Latin America, which are now stronger than ever. Question. Mr President, your visit to Spain comes two weeks after the general elections, with an interim government, and amid great uncertainty in Europe. What do you expect from the future Spanish government? Ive never forgotten the hospitality of the Spanish people and the wonderful culture, and Ive always wanted to return Answer. First, I want to say how much Ive been looking forward to visiting Spain, an indispensable European partner, even as the horrific shootings in the United States require that I cut my time here short. I had a chance to travel through the country in my twenties when I was backpacking across Europe. Ive never forgotten the hospitality of the Spanish people and the wonderful culture, and Ive always wanted to return. Michelle was deeply touched by the reception Spaniards extended to her on her recent visit. We were honored to host Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the White House last fall, and Im very grateful for the invitation to come to Spain. While the Brexit vote has indeed created some uncertainty, its also important to remember what will not change Americas unbreakable ties with Europe, including our deep friendship and enduring alliance between the United States and Spain. The relationship between Spaniards and Americans goes back centuries. Were connected by the ties of family and culture, including millions of Americans who celebrate their Hispanic heritage. Spain is a strong NATO ally, were grateful for Spains many decades of hosting US forces, and were major trading partners. Thats why the United States is deeply committed to maintaining our relationship with a strong, unified Spain. I would hope and expect that the next Spanish government will be just as committed to a strong relationship with the United States and Europe. We need Spains continued contributions to the campaign against ISIL, to counter-terrorism efforts that prevent attacks and to NATO efforts that enhance our defense and deterrence posture. We need a growing Spanish economy to help sustain trade, growth in the EU and entrepreneurship so that globalization is creating jobs and opportunity for all people, not just a few at the top. We need Spains continued cooperation as we meet transnational challenges, from desperate migrants crossing the Mediterranean to confronting climate change. We need a growing Spanish economy to help sustain trade, growth in the EU and entrepreneurship Im confident that, whatever shape the next government takes, well continue to have a strong partner in Spain. Q. Taking into account that you have stated, in a recent Atlantic interview, that Americans [dont] have to always be the ones who are up front, and that one should be aware that the US cannot automatically solve every problem, what new responsibilities should Europe and Spain take in order to deal with the arc of instability from Syria to the Maghreb, and the threat of homegrown terrorism? A. Unlike traditional threats, such as conflicts between great powers, todays most pressing threats are transnational, as were seeing across North Africa and the Middle East. The civil war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands, created a humanitarian catastrophe, sent waves of migrants and refugees into Europe and allowed ISIL to gain control of a swath of territory in the heart of the Middle East. Disorder and conflicts in the Maghreb have caused more desperate men, women and children to flee for the safety of Europe. From their strongholds in Syria and Iraq, ISIL has directed or inspired attacks some homegrown in many nations, in United States and other NATO countries. I believe that American leadership is indispensable to the security and prosperity of the world. Thats why were leading the global coalition to destroy ISIL, working tirelessly for a diplomatic solution to the Syrian civil war, contributing more humanitarian assistance than any other nation, and mobilizing a global refugee summit this fall to mobilize new commitments. Spanish forces are critical to EU and NATO maritime security efforts in the Mediterranean At the same time, its clear that no one nation even one as powerful as the United States can solve these kinds of transnational challenges alone. We need coalitions and partnerships that draw on the unique strengths that different countries have to offer. Were more secure when nations share the burdens and costs of upholding international security and peace. Thats why were grateful for Spains contributions of personnel to help train Iraqi forces as they take the fight to ISIL. Spain is the first country to command NATOs new joint task force, which is ready to deploy quickly across Europe, and Spanish forces are critical to EU and NATO maritime security efforts in the Mediterranean. And Spain is a leader in peacekeeping, from Bosnia to Lebanon to Africa. As todays threats evolve, well need Spain and our European allies and partners to continue stepping up, to include investing more in our common defense. Q. You were skeptical about the EU austerity policies during the Great Recession, and, in fact, you adopted the opposite policies in the US. How do you assess the impact of these policies in Europe and particularly in Spain? A. Through the G7 and G20 weve worked closely with our European partners to pull the global economy back from the abyss and recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. One of the ways we did this was with a collective focus on boosting global demand. Obama: Thanks to a combination of factors including difficult structural reforms, fiscal consolidation, investment and, most of all, the resilience of the Spanish people Spain has turned a corner. In the United States, we moved quickly to reform our financial sector; invest in manufacturing, clean energy, transportation and infrastructure; and retrain workers. Today, were in the longest stretch of private sector job growth in our history. Our businesses have created more than 14 million new jobs. Weve cut our unemployment rate in half. Wages have started to rise. Weve cut our deficit by nearly 75 percent. Our GDP is bigger than it was before the crisis. Theres still a lot more we need to do to reduce economic and inequality and help workers and families who are struggling just to get by, but were moving in the right direction. Its true that some European countries embraced a different economic approach, including austerity measures. I think thats one of the reasons Europe has seen slower growth. In some places, theres been a decade of stagnation. Europe is only just now getting back to where it was before the crisis. And I think this has been a large factor in the frustrations and anxieties were seeing in many European countries concerns that integrated economies and globalization aren't delivering economic benefits equally. Slow growth across the continent has left too many Europeans, especially young people, unemployed and frustrated Spain, of course, has traveled a particularly difficult path in recent years. The banking crisis and recession here were brutal blows to many Spaniards, who lost their savings and their jobs. But thanks to a combination of factors including difficult structural reforms, fiscal consolidation, investment and, most of all, the resilience of the Spanish people Spain has turned a corner. The economy is growing again, with growth rates that are among the strongest in Europe. Theres new hope for the future. Of course, unemployment here still remains far too high, especially among young people. Here in Spain, Europe and around the world, Ill continue to argue for policies including the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that invest in our people, boost growth and create jobs. Q. In the context of Brexit, right- and left-wing populism, and economic malaise, do you see the European project in danger? A. As Ive said, I believe that an integrated Europe is one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times. We should never take it for granted. Yet, its clear that the project of European integration is being tested like never before. This is not the time for complacency. The flow of migrants and refugees into Europe has focused new attention on EU border policies and the ability of EU countries to work together to address a shared challenge. Slow growth across the continent has left too many Europeans, especially young people, unemployed and frustrated. In all our countries, too many people feel that they are being disadvantaged by globalization and automation. We saw many of these forces on display in the vote in the UK to leave the EU. We ignore these forces at our peril. Governments, including EU institutions, need to show that they are connected to and responsive to the daily concerns of citizens. Instead of trying to stop trade or engage in protectionism which isnt even possible in a global economy all our countries, including the United States, have to do a better job of making sure that globalization, integrated economies and trade create jobs and opportunity for everyone. We need to invest more in the education, skills and job retraining that helps reduce inequality and helps people succeed in a global economy. And we have to reject the us versus them mentality that some cynical politicians are peddling. We have to stay true to the enduring values that define our diverse, vibrant societies and which are among the greatest sources of our strength our commitment to democracy pluralism, inclusion and tolerance. Q. How has the thaw of US relations with Cuba changed Latin America, from Colombia to Venezuela, and the position of the US in the Western Hemisphere? Greater ties and commerce between the US and Cuba will mean more economic opportunities for the Cuban people A. Our decision to end a half-century of failed US policy by restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba and beginning a new era of engagement with the Cuban people has already had a transformative effect. Most importantly, greater ties and commerce between the US and Cuba, including more Americans traveling to Cuba for education and cultural exchanges, will mean more economic opportunities for the Cuban people. Cuba wont change overnight, but as I saw during my visit to Havana, Cubans have new hope for the future, and were committed to working with them to create more opportunity and prosperity across the island. More broadly, were already seeing how closer ties between the US and Cuba can benefit the region. Were deepening our cooperation to prevent the spread of disease, protect the waters of the Caribbean and go after narco-traffickers. The Cuban government hosted peace talks between the Colombia government and the FARC which the United States joined in Havana something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago and now Colombia is poised to achieve an historic peace. While I did not discuss Venezuela extensively with President Castro while I was in Cuba, all countries in the region have an interest in seeing Venezuela address its economic challenges. The United States continues to call on the government and opposition to engage in meaningful dialogue. We urge the Venezuelan government to respect the rule of law and the authority of the National Assembly, release political prisoners and respect the democratic process including legitimate efforts to pursue a recall referendum consistent with Venezuelan law. Finally, Id point out that our new approach to Cuba has removed an irritant in our relationships with other countries across the region. Governments across the Americas have enthusiastically welcomed our change in policy. Today, the United States is more deeply engaged across the region than we have been in decades, and the relationship between the United States and the Americas is as good as it has ever been. Rather than being trapped in the conflicts of the past, we're focused on the future. Spain is a part of this new moment of promise in Latin America, and were grateful that in Spain we have a strong partner who works with us on behalf of the security, prosperity and dignity that the people of Latin America deserve. If you're getting ready to head to the lake house or your favorite resort for a well-deserved vacation, be sure to stop in at Village Crossing to prepare for your trip. Start by getting a care-free, breezy summer hairstyle at Supercuts that looks great with little effort. Then stop in at Palm Beach Tan to get that safe, sun-kissed look through a sunbed session or spray tan application. Pick up their exclusive California Tan skin care products that will firm and tone the appearance of your skin. Spend some time at Massage Envy to receive a stress-reducing massage and facial. Advertisement Then it's time to get a few things for travel. Check out the great totes and luggage at Tuesday Morning and pick up one of their electronics travel accessory kits to be sure all your social media is available while you travel. Head into Half Price Books to get a book for the beach or to find a fact-filled travel guide that will make it easier to get around wherever you're headed. And don't forget to pick up a new water bottle, flip flops and sunglasses at Dick's Sporting Goods. Advertisement If the kids are coming along, it might be wise to stop at GameStop to get a new game for their 3DS handheld game system. Before you hit the road, fill up with box lunches for everyone from Jersey Mikes. Having a roast beef and provolone sub, chips and a cookie packed and ready to go will mean fewer stops along the way. Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Geneva Running Outfitters are pleased to announce the addition of a 5K run to the Swedish Days Festival supported by Northwestern Medicine. The Swedish Day 5K Lopp will commence at 8 a.m. on June 25 from Gunnar Forest Preserve in Geneva (behind the Kane County Government Center). This race is sponsored by Lebin Financial Planning. Race breakfast for the runners is sponsored by Shodeen Homes. Advertisement Located along the scenic Fox River in Geneva, the Swedish Days 5K Lopp promises an unbelievable race experience. You are encouraged to tie-in with the Scandinavian theme with your attire. Be a charter member of this spirited race, which is sure to become an annual tradition. Overall winners will get commemorative awards, plus will be able to ride on a float in the Swedish Days Parade the following day. Unique Swedish Days awards will go to Top Three Male and Female in the following age groups: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80 and over. Advertisement For more information and to register, look for the Get Involved section at genevachamber.com/swedish_days.php or call Geneva Chamber at 630-232-6060. Swedish Days runs June 21-26. A full schedule can also be found at the above website. The Aurora City Council is set to create a new category in its liquor code to allow the city's first craft winery. Aldermen will vote Tuesday on a recommendation from its own government operations committee to create a Class Q category, to allow an enterprise to produce and sell wine at its own facility and to sell bottles of wine for consumption off the premises. They also will vote on the first license applicant Aspen Lane Winery, 3682 Prairie Lake Court. Advertisement The license would go to winemaker Bob Evanosky, a 17-year Aurora resident who took up winemaking as a hobby. Evanosky has said his winery is only sort of a business because it exists to raise money for a number of charities that benefit adults and children with disabilities. Evanosky has three sons with disabilities and decided to make wine to benefit them and others. Advertisement He started making wine in his garage and at first gave it away, then started giving it to the charities to serve at events. Evanosky said he takes only enough of the proceeds to cover costs of his production and divides the rest among local charities such as Marklund in Geneva, Easter Seals of DuPage, Association for Individual Development, Mid-America Service Dogs and several others. He also hires workers from the AID workshop for his winery, he said. Aldermen also are likely to approve another license in the Class G category that would allow a liquor license for Kwik Store Inc., which does business as the Kwik Store Food-Mart, 913 S. Lake St. The vote on the liquor licenses is scheduled for the regular City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers, City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place. slord@tribpub.com United States should increase its role in Karabakh conflict settlement - analyst (video) The United States can and should play a bigger role in the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement, former US Ambassador to Georgia, analyst Kenneth Yalowitz told Voice of America. I think the greater involvement of America and Europe in the Karabakh issue is very important but it is also important that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan prepare their nations for peace. Kenneth Yalowitz thinks that Russia and the West should help the conflicting parties to establish peace. "Russia now plays a negative role by arming both sides. I do not think it's a constructive aprroach. The West and Russia should come to an agreement and try to promote negotiations between the parties in order to lay the basis for a peaceful settlement, he stressed. John Herbst, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, a leading expert and analyst, also emphasizes the importance of peaceful talks between the two peoples. The State Department needs to have a more serious role in the settlement of this crisis, thoroughly exploring the prospects of settlement in both societies, he said. Agnia Grigas, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, says the conflict does not stem from the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The only party that benefits from this long-lasting conflict is Russia. The current status of the Karabakh conflict impedes the economic, political and social development of Armenia and Azerbaijan," she said. Agnia Grigas thinks that that after the four-day hostilities in April it is difficult to speak about the importance of preparing the two societies for peace, however, she stresses that it is possible to achieve a lasting settlement of the conflict only through peaceful talks and the mutual consent of the parties. Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner has urged Aurora residents to remain calm in the wake of what he referred to as "unnecessary violence" across the country. "This is not the time for the people of Aurora, or of America at large, to react carelessly with emotions and to take sides on this matter, unless it is on the side of humanity, or of the ideal of equality ingrained in the Declaration of Independence that we celebrated just days ago, or of the tenet of brotherly love, embraced by all the world's religions," he said in a written statement. "Let us all search our consciences and, together, seek ways to live in greater peace and harmony. The alternative is ghastly, as we have now so clearly seen." Advertisement In making the statement, the mayor said, "Our hearts go out to the families in Baton Rouge, Minneapolis and Dallas who lost loved ones in recent days to unnecessary violence." "I am saddened but not entirely surprised that the deaths in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis were followed by the shooting of 12 police officers, five of whom died, by a person motivated by vengeance," he said. "Institutionally tolerated and unnecessary deadly force disproportionately visited upon one race with little to no accountability from the justice system cannot persist without an eventual reaction, as senseless and tragic as the one in Dallas was." Advertisement He said Aurora has a highly professional police force but that "never for a moment puts them beyond harm's way." He also said he is not surprised "that more and more people are dying in a country that makes deadly assault weapons readily available to paranoid racists, mentally unbalanced individuals and even those reasonably suspected of embracing terrorism." "If, as a nation, we sow the seeds of violence, we are likely to reap the whirlwind," he said. slord@tribpub.com Chaplains from the Aurora Police Department will be holding a community vigil for the slain officers in Dallas beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday in front of the Aurora Police Department, 1200 E. Indian Trail Road. "We hope to be able to fill the entire parking lot with people from the community to pray for the fallen and the wounded," said chaplain Ed Doepel, one of the vigil organizers. Advertisement As a former Army chaplain, Doepel said he knows the high cost it takes to protect our freedom. "We expect something like this to happen on foreign soil," he said, "but it is unfortunate that this tragedy took place on our own soil." Advertisement Doepel says the purpose of this bilingual vigil is also to pray for the victims of those killed in police-involved shootings in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis, as well as those killed in Dallas. And the biggest emphasis, he added, is "to heal our land and unify us as a people again." "We cannot allow this divisiveness to persist any more," Doepel said. "We are all hurting as Americans today, and we all need healing, whether we are part of the police department or citizens of this country." dcrosby@tribpub.com Mohamud Osman poses with his father Omar on his graduation day in June from West Aurora High School. (Courtesy of Osman family) We didn't speak the same language, so it was difficult to communicate. It didn't matter. Sitting in his home on View Street in Aurora, surrounded by wife Hawa and five of his seven children that sunny afternoon in May, I could feel the gentle strength by which Omar Osman led this family, as well as the love and pride he felt for each of them. Advertisement His life had not been an easy one and he showed me the head scars he'd received from a beating with an AK-47 rifle in Somalia to prove it. The trouble started back in 1990 when bandits invaded the home where he was living with his wife and infant daughter and murdered his wife's brother and father. Advertisement Still, 12 years after arriving here in the Fox Valley from a violence-filled Kenyan refugee camp, his family is not only safe but thriving. And Omar, who became an American citizen, was excited about making a trip back to his homeland in June, where he'd get a chance to visit with relatives and friends he'd left behind because of the deadly civil strife there. A few weeks after his son Mohamud graduated from West Aurora High School, Omar said his good-byes to Hawa and the kids. Any time he would leave them for a journey of any length, they told me, their dad would give them his usual lecture on what to do and how to behave when he was gone. But this time his words seemed more urgent, just as his hugs were longer. And when he walked into the airport for his flight to Africa, they recalled, he turned around, walked back out again so he could give his family one last look. It was as if he knew he would not be coming back. Omar died last Sunday in Tanzania at age 44. His body, to be buried as quickly as possible, according to religious beliefs, will remain in his homeland. And while his family is not even sure what caused his death, there will be no autopsy. "As long as it was not murder," said 18-year-old Mohamud, "then it is not important how he died." The last time Mohamud spoke to his dad was the Monday before the family got word he had passed away at his brother's home. At that time Omar, who was on disability from back injuries that originated with that rifle beating from years ago, had told his son the chronic pain was back again, perhaps the byproduct of the rough terrain he had been traveling over in efforts to go from village to village to see family. Omar had been on his way to Kenya when he began feeling poorly, Mohamud said, so he turned around and went back to Tanzania, where he also developed a fever from what they believe was malaria. Advertisement "The last thing I said to him was to take care of himself and go see a doctor," Mohamud said. Emmanuel House Executive Director Hayley Meksi, who was the World Relief case manager for the family when they arrived in America in 2004, is also coping with the sudden death of a man who became "my close friend." "More than anything, he took pride in supporting his family," said Meksi. "And despite being illiterate and unable to speak the language, he became a champion for his children's education," gathering his kids around him in a circle every day to recite their ABC's or go over their homework." And even though Somalia girls are not encouraged to go to college, he made sure that opportunity was available for his daughter Diney, who will be getting her degree in physical therapy next spring from Augustana College. "He had such a desire to see his children succeed," Meksi said, "while not backing away from his culture, which was also important to him." Family, friends and other community members have been gathering at the modest home on View Street all last week, offering their support. Meksi has also started an online fund at https://www.generosity.com/memorial-fundraising/in-memory-of-omar-osman-noor to help this family, which includes three children in college and one who is disabled. Advertisement Mohamud already realizes his plans to study computer science at Southern Illinois University next month may have to be put on hold. But it's a sacrifice he is willing to make. "Mom has always been the strong one," said Mohamud, who was born in a refugee camp and arrived in the Fox Valley when he was 6 years old. "But the test is for us kids to step up now and take the burden off her." Meksi is not surprised to hear this statement from the young man who was named Fox Valley Career Center's Student of the Year" because of his intelligence, kindness, creativity and leadership. Loyalty and love of family not to mention the willingness to do what it takes to survive -- were seeds deeply implanted by their father, she said. "And they will guide this family well, even now that he is gone." Dcrosby@tribpub.com Drew Miska, fleet supervisor for the Will County Sheriff's Department, lowered the flags to half staff Friday at the Laraway Road station in Joliet in memory of the fallen officers in Dallas. (Erin Gallagher, Daily Southtown) Local law enforcement officials did not mince words in their responses to the fatal shooting spree that left five officers dead and seven others wounded during a peaceful protest in Dallas Thursday night. "The heroes in Dallas were murdered protecting the constitutional rights of the citizens of Dallas," Tinley Park Police Chief Steve Neubauer said. "I've not seen such a horrific attack on law enforcement since 9-11." Advertisement The sniper shootings took place during a demonstration against police shootings that occurred earlier in the week in Baton Rouge, La., and Falcon Heights, Minn., that left two black men dead. As police mourned for their fallen fellow officers in Dallas, many said they have received an "outpouring" of support from their communities and elected officials. "I can't imagine a heart not bleeding over what happened in Dallas," New Lenox Police Chief Bob Sterba said Friday. "Racial tension is 300 years in the making, but violence sure isn't going to cure anything." Advertisement Sterba said that Dallas police were protecting the rights of the protesters, and when people heard the shots fired, everyone else ran away from the scene, while police officers ran toward the gunman. Richton Park Police Chief Elvia Williams called the Dallas shootings "inexcusable." While she understands the frustration from people involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, Williams said most police officers across the country do not abuse their power. "It is a very sad day four our country that people would stoop to that level that they would take innocent lives of people who are going out every day to protect them," Williams said. While it would be "tough enough" to lose five police officers, Mokena Police Chief Steve Vaccaro said, the tragedy hit "closer to home" for him because he's friends with a major in the Dallas Police Department, whom he met at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy four years ago. Vaccaro said he exchanged emails with his friend Friday, but felt it was too soon to ask many questions. "They're hurting," Vaccaro told the Daily Southtown Friday. "They're upside down in losing five of their bravest." Orland Park Police Chief Timothy McCarthy said officers in his department were in shock Friday. "This is one of the worst things I've seen in the 44 years of law enforcement," McCarthy said. "I can't imagine what they're going through." Meanwhile, Will County Sheriff Deputy Chief Tom Budde said he experienced an outpouring of support from some in the community. Numerous people called asking for sheriff's department T-shirts to wear in support of local law enforcement, he said. And, someone picked up the tab Friday when Budde and other deputies were eating lunch Friday, Budde said. Advertisement McCarthy said someone in Orland Park gave his department an envelope filled with $5 Dunkin' Donuts gift cards. Some law enforcement officials said police have already maintained a "heightened sense of awareness." In Mokena, for example, Vaccaro said they had already stepped up patrol and visibility during commuter times, long before this week. Budde said the Will County Sheriff's office already had scheduled rapid response training and active shooter drills for this fall for their entire department. These types of drills require hundreds of people to role play, create chaos, and deliberately increase stress levels of officers to teach how to respond under pressure. Sterba said that although that training is necessary, experience is also important. He said looking into the eyes and seeing the pain on the faces of people who were victims of race-related hated crimes is what helps police understand and have empathy for the people they serve. Williams said that proper training, including regular ethics courses, and discussions on real-life scenarios, are what helps her department stay safe and keep the community safe. Also, they have regular outreach events, such as bike rodeos, citizens academy, races, and National Night Out, allowing the police to interact with the community. In Tinley Park, police have adapted some of their procedures, which includes more de-escalation training, after the President Barack Obama released a report on 21st Century Policing. Advertisement "An unprovoked attack by a sniper is a different breed of cat," Neubauer said. "Certainly not in any playbook any of us are aware of." In a statement, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly said she we must find a common ground to create a "fairer, safer society for us all." Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > "I come from a family of cops so my admiration for law enforcement runs deep," her statement read in part. "So does the concern and fear I hold as a mother of a black son who feels like it's open season on him in America. We have to find the balance where there is respect for life on both sides." Budde wore a black mourning band around his sheriff's badge today, as did many others. The Will County Sheriff's Honor Guard plans to attend the funerals of the fallen police in Dallas. McCarthy said that organizations, such as the South Suburban Association Chiefs of Police will send a delegation as well. Neubauer said that during Friday afternoon's roll call with officers, they discussed the Dallas events and left agreeing "we have a job to do; we will go out and do it." Neubauer, however, said police and their families worry when they leave their homes they will have bulls eyes on their backs. An Evergreen Park woman was arrested Friday after she posted an anti-police message on Facebook threatening to shoot any cop who pulls her over for a traffic violation, authorities said. Advertisement Jenesis Reynolds, 24, who was later released on her own recognizance, was charged with disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor, for allegedly posting a message on her Facebook page saying "all I know is if the police stops and request me to get out of the car I'm shooting instantly. It may not solve anything and yes I will die but Jenesis will be revelation for my people. "I'm willing to take one for the team," she added. "I have no problem shooting a cop for simple traffic stop cuz they'd have no problem doing it to me." Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. The Chicago Tribune contributed to this story. SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Google Ad Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression Burlington Village President Bob Walsh reported to the village board the results of successful negotiations with American Tower, the company that now owns the cell tower on village property. The village will receive a $25,000 signing bonus for renewing the contract and an annual increase of 2 percent on the monthly lease. American Tower originally offered the village a $16,000 signing bonus in exchange for a 35-year lease, which is renewable every five years. Walsh said his negotiations with the firm resulted in an increase in the balloon payment to $25,000. He noted that the 2 percent increase per year was already a generous arrangement. Advertisement Walsh said that most of the company's contracts offer a 3 percent increase only at the time of renewal every five years. The contract is under review by the village attorney and is expected to be approved at the next board meeting. Advertisement The board is also planning to replace the land line phone system at village hall with cellular phones in an effort to save the village approximately $4,000 per year in phone costs. The village will purchase three iPhone 5SE model phones and will share a data plan through Verizon. The shift in service is expected to take place later this summer. Jeanie Mayer is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall said one of his final tasks before leaving for a new job in North Carolina will be finalizing questions for a community-wide survey. (Mike Danahey, The Courier-News) A survey seeking residents' opinions on Elgin and its operations the City Council approved commissioning in July 2015 will be sent to residents sometime next month, if not sooner. Wednesday, outgoing City Manager Sean Stegall said his final refinement of the 30 or so questions to be asked will be one of his last official tasks working for Elgin. Stegall is leaving at the end of July to start a job as town manager in Cary, North Carolina next month. Advertisement Stegall said the survey will focus on matters of perception. He said he will make more details available before he leaves for his new post. In November, Stegall said the survey had been put on hold because of the city's budget and uncertainties due to the state not adopting a budget of its own. At the time, Mayor Dave Kaptain said the survey was not one of the things the city needed to have done right way, but that it had value in giving insight into what residents are thinking and what direction they think Elgin should be going. Advertisement Thursday, Kaptain said, "The survey lets us know what a wide array of residents feels is important, and that's hard to come by. The information can help when putting together a strategic plan and for plotting the direction of the city." What makes it difficult for the council and staff to get more insight into residents is that in recent city council elections only about 13 percent of registered voters have been voting. "And too many people now also rely on Facebook and other social media way too much," Kaptain said. Echoing thoughts Stegall shared this week, Kaptain said the problem with what's sometimes posted is that it is not necessarily fact-based opinion, frequently comes from people who shoot from the hip, and may not reflect what is going on in Elgin or what more people think about city-related issues. As for the survey itself, despite the delays, Stegall said the process will remain the same for the project. In the summer of 2015, Elgin contracted with ETC Institute of Olathe, Kansas for the work. The city is splitting the cost with the Elgin Community Network, with each entity pitching in $12,875. Elgin Community Network is a nonprofit civic engagement group that gets some of its funding from the city. Elgin last conducted similar surveys in 2007, 2002 and 2000. The consultant personally met with members of the city's senior staff and members of the city's Strategic Plan Advisory Commission who agreed to be part of a community survey subcommittee. The Enhancing Elgin Committee also has been involved in the effort. Advertisement ETC Vice President Ron Vine told The Courier-News last year that the company works to make sure that the 500 responses that will make up the sample represent a true cross-section of Elgin's population. To get to that 500 number, the company will mail out between 2,500 and 3,000 surveys. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Elgin has more than 111,000 residents and almost 38,000 housing units. Households selected for the survey would receive a 30 second recorded phone message explaining that the survey would be on the way and encouraging residents to return it. ETC Institute is to mail the survey with postagepaid return envelopes to each of the selected households. It will include a letter in both English and Spanish on city letterhead explaining the purpose of the survey and noting responses will remain anonymous. Taking the survey online would be an option for those included in the sample. And four days after the surveys are mailed, ETC Institute workers would start making followup phone calls to help increase the response rate. Council member Terry Gavin said that while not one of his priorities, it's always good to get resident input which Gavin typically gets from residents on an individual basis. He also noted that having professionals involved keeps bias out of the process. "There's no agenda there. They are they to gather information," Gavin said. "I see no harm in conducting this survey. It's a reasonable price. Let's see what we get." Advertisement mdanahey@tribpub.com South Elgin police Chief Chris Merritt exhorted his officers Friday to continue doing their jobs with professionalism. "Our message to our officers is to be vigilant to make sure they do their job the way that we train them," Merritt said, following the Thursday night sniper shootings in Dallas that left five police officers dead. Advertisement South Elgin officers are also trained to work with the community and solve conflict and only use ticketing to change behaviors, not to punish, he said. "We teach them techniques to de-escalate situations. They don't want to have to shoot somebody. They don't want to have to use force if can avoid it. For South Elgin right now we do a very good job of training. We constantly do it," Merritt said. Advertisement South Elgin officers also do community outreach and are available to speak to neighborhood associations, Merritt said. The department recently sponsored a movie in the park to invite residents to get to know their police force. "We do a lot of things to make sure the community knows that we care and that we are human," Merritt said. "Many of our police officers live here, so they are a part of the community they police." He believes there are many in law enforcement equally upset about the police and civilian shootings, Merritt added. "A lot of people in law enforcement are eager and more than willing to start a dialogue to get over what is being broadcast as a adversarial division between members of the community and the police. We have to start the dialogue and (look at) the way things are done in a critical nature and work to a solution," he said. Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully Google Ad The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens ANCA Issues National Call to Action to Stop Taxpayer Funding of Aliyevs Aggression By Emily Coleman, Jim Newton and Frank AbderholdenNews-Sun The sniper shootings that killed five police officers and wounded seven others in Dallas on Thursday night during a peaceful protest against police use of excessive force has sent waves of apprehension, mourning and soul-searching across Lake County. Advertisement Waukegan police will be sending a contingent to the police officers' funerals, the department is embracing reform changes recently suggested by the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Relations Service, and many officers across the county started their shifts with the message to stay alert, stay safe and remember this could happen anywhere. Nearly 100 law enforcement, judicial and county employees observed a moment of silence at noon Friday, to coincide with one in Dallas, at the Lake County Building's Lincoln Plaza. The brief gathering was organized by State's Attorney Michael Nerheim and Lake County Undersheriff Ray Rose. Advertisement "This shows the kind of community we have," Nerheim said at the tribute, referring to the number of attendees. Both men only spoke briefly, noting the event was not intended "for speeches" but to honor the loss of the officers and show solidarity with them and their families. Earlier in the day, Nerheim spoke of how it is important for everyone to come together. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the proud members of law enforcement that lost their lives in Dallas, Texas, as well as to their families and fellow officers. Though tragedies like this can easily cause further violence and division, we should use moments like this to identify solutions which will resolve our differences and unite us all as Americans," he said. Nerheim added, "There will undoubtedly be those who will attempt to use this tragedy to further their agenda of ignorance and hate, which is why it is more important than ever for us to come together." Rose also addressed the shootings earlier Friday, saying "it's being described as the worst casualties in law enforcement since (Sept. 11) 2001." "This is very disturbing because I have been doing this a long time, and to have this kind of a multiple attack on police officers is clearly unprecedented and unheard of," said Rose, a veteran law enforcement officer whose career included a stint as police chief in Mundelein before he was recruited by the sheriff's office. Rose said he messaged sheriff's staff early Friday to be extra-alert and not to "become lax" because while the police shootings that sparked protests occurred in Louisiana and Minnesota, the attack on police officers occurred in Texas. "This could happen anywhere. Don't think it couldn't happen here," said Rose, adding that overall, he feels the current climate nationwide is dangerous, and "these (incidents) are not a way to reach solutions to problems in society. (Factions) are still fighting, but not with words, but guns and lives." Advertisement In Waukegan a city that has routinely had to pay hefty sums to settle police abuse claims and has been involved in more wrongful convictions than any other city agency in Illinois other than Chicago the possibility of something like the Dallas shootings happening locally weighs on the mind of Mayor Wayne Motley, he said. "One thing I've learned is you can't count anything out," he said, calling the shootings "tragic and disheartening." Motley, who spent 26 years as a police officer before retiring as a sergeant from the Waukegan Police Department in 2001, hasn't always taken the proactive approach. But he said Friday that the prevalence of race and policing issues nationwide has led him to adjust his approach, pushing for body cameras and approaching the Department of Justice for assistance in implementing reforms. Waukegan Ald. Sam Cunningham, 1st, said he does not think that what happened in Dallas would happen in his hometown. He said he thinks the community mistrusts police and the justice system, stemming from national incidents of police killing black men and not being punished, but it is "unacceptable" for people to become "vigilantes" toward law enforcement. "I know, I can honestly say, that the African-American community does not want vigilantes going out and causing harm to officers. People don't want that to happen," Cunningham said. "What we do want to happen is these men be treated as citizens of this country with respect and dignity." Jennifer Witherspoon, president of the Lake County Branch NAACP, said that while people hope that what happened in Dallas would not happen here, it could happen, just like it could happen anywhere. Advertisement "Because we as human beings are flawed," she said. Incidents such as those in Baton Rouge, La., and Falcon Heights, Minn., where two black men were killed by police officers, and the Dallas police shootings should not happen, she said. Now the country must work together, she said. "You know there's passion on both sides of the issue," Witherspoon said. "Bottom line is none of this should've happened, but it did, and you know, we have to deal with it. We have to deal with it as a nation." Clyde McLemore, chairman of Lake County Black Lives Matter, offered his condolences to those affected by Thursday's shootings. "We'd like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the police officers and the city of Dallas," McLemore said. "All police are not bad. Violence will not gain us the justice we want." "But there is still the fact that 115 black and brown people were killed at the hands of the police," McLemore added. "Tensions are running over in America. I do not advocate any violence, but the movement will move forward so black and brown people can live in a country we helped build as citizens." Advertisement The recent violence prompted average citizens to weigh in on social media. Nicole Khayat, who usually posts funny memes or foodie pictures from her restaurant Primo Italian American Cuisine in Gurnee, is the daughter of Skokie police Chief Anthony Scarpelli. She said she had to redraft a post several times Friday because she wanted to harness the power of the "social media beast" to do some good. She has seen the influence of Facebook and Yelp on the restaurant business, and she believes people don't understand the power of social media. In her posting, she admits she thinks of her father coming home safe often. But on the other hand, she wrote, "Where is the line? Where do you get to be the cop's daughter, but disagree with the actions in Baton Rouge?" "Where do you get to feel for the lives lost in Dallas without being considered a bigot? Where do you get to say 'we're all equal' without someone attacking you for not honoring their history?" "I can't help feeling sensitive," she said in a telephone conversation following her post. "But I feel sensitive to the other side, too. ... I figured someone had to speak up, so I wrote that status." "I just think it needed to be said. Nothing is going to get better if we turn a blind eye to the problem," she said, noting that groups, whether African-Americans or police officers, get painted with the same broad brush stroke. Advertisement Freelancer Angelica LaVito contributed. emcoleman@tribpub.com jrnewton@tribpub.com fabderholden@tribpub.com Hazy memories from preschool years in Nixon-era America include the July night in 1970 when two Chicago cops were killed by snipers at Cabrini-Green, the now-gone but then-notorious Chicago Housing Authority complex. "3 SEIZED IN POLICE DEATHS," blared a headline on the 30-cent Chicago Tribune about suspects in the murders of James Severin and Anthony Rizzato, who were referred to as "policemen," which was the accepted practice of the time. Advertisement One specific memory focuses on shortly after that night, when my family drove by Cabrini-Green on our way downtown. My brother told me to get down on the floor of our station wagon, and I did, because I was scared. He probably was, too. Fear makes us do things that, in retrospect, seem pointless at best and ignorant at worst. Watching a fresh American nightmare unfold on Thursday night, I recalled that dark chapter in Chicago's history and sank into the hopelessness we all seem to have in common right now. Advertisement Why was something from 1970 happening again in 2016 and on a larger scale? Haven't we learned our hard lessons? Hasn't the world changed? The apparent answer to that last one appears to be no more than yes, and that's the hell of it. The ugliness that will now be known for the rest of our lives as "the Dallas shootings" has a complexity that runs miles deep and can't be fathomed, much less resolved, with a relative handful of words. But here we arrive upon one thing that really is different 46 years later: For better or worse, we didn't have Twitter and Facebook to help us process our emotions in 1970. "What is America coming to? As a patriot, my heart is so sad today." "Praying for the diversity in this country to blend instead of divide." "Let's work for positive change everyone. There's been cryin' in the streets for far too long." These were among the feelings laid bare on my non-work Facebook feed by people I actually know and care about. I'm not going to bother here with the misanthropic, fuel-on-the-fire rantings of fringe celebrities, one-hit musicians and failed politicians, who need no more light shined upon their useless anger. But, of course, one of the fascinations of the age we live in is to see who actually pays attention to the rantings. Events like Thursday in Dallas either enlighten or remind us about the in-law who thinks she's solving the world's problems by issuing an edict from the comfort of her laptop, or the jerk from school who still thinks his way is the highway. Advertisement You know the drill: "Here, let me forward this meme assigning blame to someone I already hated. And I'll add this statement of selfish outrage from someone famous for one reason or another. Difficult issue made simple." On the other hand, it's always a relief to scroll through your feed and find out that people you consider to be intelligent and compassionate are still those things and have not gone off the deep end. Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday > The college instructor who protested against the Vietnam War is still committed to social justice that goes beyond her doorstep. Your former co-worker is still educating you on race relations from something other than the angry-white-male perspective. Your old neighborhood friend who married a cop is trying hard not to give in to anger. And then there's this from someone much braver than most of us, who simply drop the people who think extremism is going to win hearts and minds: "Facebook friends, if you're able, please consider spending some time today re-following people you've unfollowed, reading what they've posted (or not posted) this week, and inviting them out for coffee and conversation. We can do this." Maybe we can. Dallas Police Chief David Brown certainly struck a similar chord: "All I know is this must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens." Yes, he said this out loud, in front of other people, in less than 140 characters. Whether you agree or disagree with him, at least he sounded ready to have a conversation. Advertisement Will that conversation in July 2016 lead us to a better place than Chicago in July 1970? Someone make a note to ask our children 50 years from now. danmoran@tribpub.com Twitter @NewsSunDanMoran A 20-year-old Joliet man has pleaded not guilty to setting a fire last spring that did $70 million worth of damage to a Woodridge warehouse filled with furniture. Ruben A.O. Cruz entered the plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, where he is charged with a felony count of intentionally damaging property by fire, according to court records. U.S. Magistrate Judge Manish S. Shah accepted Cruz's plea and continued the matter to Thursday, records showed. Advertisement Cruz, a forklift operator, is accused of using a disposable lighter on April 21 to set fire to a packing slip. That, in turn, sparked the blaze that destroyed the 325,000-square-foot RoomPlace warehouse on Internationale Parkway in Woodridge, authorities said in April. Sixty-five employees escaped from the fire, which raged for about seven hours and was battled by more than 100 firefighters from Woodridge and 34 other fire agencies. Advertisement Investigators have said Cruz set the fire following a work-related argument with his supervisor. The supervisor told Cruz he would be losing some of his vacation time because he had missed two days of work earlier in the month. Cruz, who had worked for the RoomPlace for about seven months, insisted he had been at work on those days. Cruz allegedly became upset during the meeting, with his supervisor telling him he had enough information to fire him, authorities said. The supervisor called another manager into the office because he said he was afraid Cruz would become violent. Cruz left the meeting to return to work on the warehouse floor. The building's fire alarms sounded about 15 minutes later. One employee claimed to have seen Cruz running toward him and dropping a lighter as he went. Cruz turned around and picked up the lighter before continuing to the emergency exit, the worker told authorities. Cruz was reportedly seen playing cards outside the building as the fire burned. No one was injured in the blaze. It was not known Friday whether Cruz remained in custody or had been freed on bond pending his trial. wbird@tribpub.com DuPage County has increased the number of precincts to make it faster for residents to vote in the fall but reduced the number of polling places to save money. (File photo) Election officials say they hope the addition of new precincts in Naperville and throughout most of DuPage County will shorten wait times when voters go to the polls this fall. At the same time, the number of polling places has been reduced in a cost-cutting measure. Advertisement The city of Naperville straddles Lisle and Naperville townships. Sixteen new precincts have been created in Lisle Township, bringing the total to 114. Naperville Township's 87 voter precincts include 18 that have been newly created. Throughout DuPage County, 113 new precincts were added, bringing the total to 859 precincts. Advertisement "The increase was done to create a manageable size of precincts across the county," DuPage County Election Commission Executive Director Bob Saar said. "There was a large number of precincts that had anywhere from 1,700 to 2,000 voters. While elected, precinct committeemen essentially are volunteers, and (the reduced number of voters) makes it easier and more efficient for them to serve their constituents and perform their work on behalf of their party." Saar said there was significant input from both political parties and the public in the reorganization, which also attempted to make precinct boundaries fall within neighborhoods and not cross major highways and trails. A county spokesman said there no longer are any precincts with more than 1,000 voters, and the number of those with over 900 has been halved. More than 80 percent of the county will continue to vote at the same polling place, and the augmented number of county precincts had no bearing on costs, he said. On the other hand, officials said the reduction in the number of polling places, from 263 to 256, is projected to save $1.1 million over four years. According to the U.S. Census, the population of DuPage County is estimated to have increased from 916,892 in 2010 to 933,736 as of July 2015. A 2015 year-end report said the DuPage County Election Commission reduced its overall expenditures by about 15 percent, or $155,107, from 2013 costs of $1,085,864 to $930,757. In 2011, expenditures were $1.615 million. The largest line item of savings came from election ballot management, which cost $128,247 in 2013 and was reduced to $100,117 in 2015. Another hefty decrease was due to the reduction of overtime wages for temporary or seasonal workers, which went from $140,601 to $124,259 during the same period. Election Commission Chairwoman Cathy Terrill said the money saved is good news for taxpayers. "We're pretty proud of that," she said. "As we move forward, we'll see what other efficiencies we can bring while maintaining the integrity of the process for the customers." Advertisement Officials said it was too early to estimate what savings might be realized if the Election Commission consolidates with the county clerk's office. County Board Chairman Dan Cronin announced in April that he had met with the two entities, and an update will be provided in December, following the fall election. "We're looking for a framework for a new model that provides good governance but still follows best practices in election management, provides cost-effectiveness and accountability, eliminates duplication and retains our commitment to transparency," Terrill said. In addition to the 34 new precincts in Lisle and Naperville townships, 28 more have been added to Bloomingdale, bringing the total to 100; 21 more in Wayne, now totaling 63; 15 more in Milton, totaling 124; eight more in Downers Grove, totaling 144; six more in Addison, totaling 69; and one more in York Township, totaling 131. Winfield Township had no additions to its 37 precincts. Both Cronin and Terrill are making made public pleas for people to work as election judges this fall. DuPage County saw more than 403,000 ballots cast in the 2012 general election for a 71.93 percent voter turnout and a similar number is expected this year. "We desperately need more than 500 election judges for this November," Terrill said. "It's a paid position, and you need only be a resident and 18 years old. We're looking for college students, recent retirees or stay-at-home parents. It's a civic duty, but you also get reimbursed." Gary Gibula is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. An increase in the smoking age from 18 to 21 is under consideration in Naperville. (Gene J. Puskar / AP) An increase in the smoking age from 18 to 21 is under consideration in Naperville. The idea was broached at this week's Naperville Liquor Commission meeting in the wake of Chicago's new ordinance, which kicked in July 1 and bans anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing tobacco products. Advertisement Naperville, like Chicago, is not bound by the state when it comes to making its own rules governing such sales, city attorney Kavita Athanikar said. "This is an issue related to public health and safety and we may decide not to wait for the state and see what they are going to do as we can be more restrictive," Athanikar said. Advertisement While the commission cannot change the Naperville ordinance independently the city council would have the final say Commissioner Diane Williams said such an increased age restriction would have her support. "I don't see why we shouldn't follow suit," Williams said. "There are benefits to (banning) smoking for our youth and it makes sense to raise the age, hopefully, in that they'll be a little older and wiser (before taking up the habit)." It might also make sense to raise the age limit in that it would match the restriction already in place for alcohol, said Mayor Steve Chirico, who also serves as the head of liquor commission. A "paradox exists in that the state law for alcohol is 21" and tobacco age restrictions "should parallel that," he said. Commissioner Chuck Maher and Marc Blackman, however, expressed reservations about raising the age. Maher said he would find it hard to deny a returning serviceman under 21 the right to buy cigarettes after "he had served his country." "I've worked with youths my entire life and I feel I understand them and I'd have a hard time with legislation like that," Maher said. Blackman said "people are seen as adults when they are 18, and are no longer legally controlled by their parents." Such a law would be an intrusion into someone's "personal responsibility," he said. "As opposed as I am to tobacco use, people are seen as adults when they are 18 and can vote," he said. Advertisement The idea of charging someone for "possessing" tobacco was also discussed but rejected on the basis of enforcement difficulty. "If someone initially purchased tobacco in Aurora and then was stopped in Naperville, under this proposal there would be a lot of citations that would have to be issued regarding anyone that crossed into our borders," Maher said. Commissioner James Ostrenga said that raising the tobacco age to 21 would pose something of a similar problem in that it "would be a symbolic issue, (and) people could still go to Bolingbrook or Lisle to buy tobacco. "I agree raising the age would be a good idea at least we're making it more difficult for people to buy products," he said. "In the end, we'd be making it less convenient." Chirico said he would contact community groups and agencies to solicit their opinions and bring them back to the commission. David Sharos is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. Culex pipien mosquito specimens in the insect collection at the Field Museum, shown on Aug. 21, 2012. This mosquito carries the West Nile virus. (Tribune file photo / Chicago Tribune) West Nile virus has been found in a batch of mosquitoes caught this month in Northbrook. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District said in a release Friday it collected two batches of mosquitoes carrying the sometimes-fatal disease in the same Northbrook trap on July 5, confirmed in tests the following day. Advertisement The district has reported finding the disease this year in mosquito batches in Glenview, Kenilworth, Morton Grove, Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette and Winnetka. In Illinois, seven people were killed by West Nile disease last year, and a total of 72 people were reported infected, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Northbrook officials in a Friday statement from the village restated earlier requests for residents to check their properties and get rid of anything where water could collect outdoors. Symptoms of the disease, a kind of encephalitis, can, in minor cases, be limited to a slight fever or headache, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Worse cases exhibit a rapidly-rising body temperature, and symptoms may include head and body aches, disorientation, tremors, convulsions and, paralysis. Symptoms can show up anywhere from three days to two weeks after infection, according to the IDPH. ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @IrvLeavitt The Oakbrook Terrace Police Department will have a new chief after Wayne Holakovsky retired June 30. (Chuck Fieldman / Pioneer Press) Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci said he expects to make a decision in about a month regarding a replacement for retired police chief Wayne Holakovsky. Holakovsky retired June 30 after serving as chief since Dec. 13, 2011, and being a member of the Oakbrook Terrace Police Department for nearly 27 years. Advertisement Ragucci, who was an Oakbrook Terrace patrol officer for 18 years until taking disability leave in 2007, said he would work with Deputy Chief Casey Calvello to run the department until a successor to Holakovsky is named. Ragucci has been mayor since April 2009. "There won't be any search for a new chief," Ragucci said, adding that he has no plans to name an acting chief. "I want to talk to the aldermen and find out what they think about the direction we want to go in, looking ahead." Advertisement Calvello, who came to Oakbrook Terrace about two and a half years ago after working for 24 years with the Oak Brook Police Department, wouldn't say if he is interested in taking over as chief in Oakbrook Terrace. Ragucci said he hasn't yet decided if the new chief will come from within the department or if he will bring in someone from the outside. "There's good and bad with both ways," he said. "Someone from the inside already knows the workings of the department, and someone from the outside brings a fresh look." Ragucci said he would miss Holakovsky. "I worked with him for a long time," Ragucci said. "He was a good leader and a good friend." The Oakbrook Terrace Police Department has 19 sworn officers and nine civilian employees. cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com Twitter @chuckwriting The 4th annual Valparaiso Food & Wine Festival July 16 has taken an upscale turn. "This year ... we are doing food pairings. We have added aerial performances. There's of course live music. There's culinary demonstrations, which is a little bit different," said Jennifer Peek, marketing director for Valparaiso Events. Advertisement Peek said the revamping allows more emphasis on vendors such as Blue Point Oysters & Sushi Bar, Bon Femme Cafe, Designer Desserts, Don Quijote Restaurante, Greek's Pizzeria, Kelsey's, Lucrezia Olive Oil & Wine Bar, Main + Lincoln, Pikk's Tavern and Sage Restaurant. "What we were looking to do was make sure it was an experience for people who really enjoyed wine. We looked at what people are asking for: to have the tastings along with the wines so they can figure out food pairings," said Peek, of Valparaiso. Advertisement "The culinary demonstrations create more time for people to relax and enjoy so we definitely still have the unlimited wine tasting. Valparaiso just has such a great list of upscale restaurants so we really wanted to bring them in and let people experience more of what we have to offer." The Actors Gymnasium provides aerial performances and live statues. The Jeff Brown Trio performs live music. "People really enjoy being able to be outside on a beautiful summer evening downtown. It's just a great venue to stroll, be out and enjoy the summer too," Peek said. "There'll be over 60 wines to taste. There will be 10 food pairings. Then we will have three different culinary demonstrations ... People will have plenty to do." M&S Collison Centers, which has locations in Valparaiso and Chesterton, is presenting partner of Valparaiso Food & Wine Festival, one of Valparaiso Events' ticketed offerings that help support other events year-round. "We have a great downtown. The fact that we're able to have so many events keeps people coming downtown. That makes for a great community," Peek said. "We have a lot of sponsors that enjoy our events and marketing themselves at our events, and that keeps the rest of the events free. We do over 80 days of events in Valparaiso each year and most of them are free and family-friendly, so it's nice to be able to live in a community that's so active." . Advertisement Valparaiso Food & Wine Festival When: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 16 Where: Central Park Plaza's William E. Urschel Pavilion, 70 Lafayette St., Valparaiso Tickets: $75 unlimited food and wine samples; $35 unlimited food samples; limited tickets available Information: 219-464-8332 or www.valparaisoevents.com Etc.: must be 21 or older with valid identification Advertisement Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter Called "Fat Albert," the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels C-130 Hercules weaved through the sky over Lake Michigan Friday simulating maneuvers that are done in military combat. The C-130's massive size and cavernous cargo hold that can accommodate 92 combat troops and up to 45,000 pounds of cargo, belied it's nickname as it sliced through the air with grace and ease. Advertisement "All our maneuvers are tactical maneuvers," Marine Major Mark Hamilton, the plane's pilot, said. In a maneuver intended to evade small arms fire, Hamilton pulled Fat Albert nose-up and climbed into the clouds within seconds. Shortly thereafter, Hamilton stalled the plane, creating zero gravity. For a moment, passengers hovered above their seats. Fat Albert, flown by three pilots and four crewmen, will be featured alongside the Blue Angels' five F/A-18 fighter jets during the Gary Air Show Saturday and Sunday at Marquette Park. Advertisement Speaking on Friday from the Gary/Chicago International Airport prior to a "dress rehearsal" for Saturday's performance, Gunnery Sgt. and flight engineer Steve Stewart said that Fat Albert is an integral part of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron. Fat Albert is responsible for carrying the 30,000 pounds of gear and equipment that helps the fighter jets fly and function at an optimum level, Stewart said. Additionally, Fat Albert brings to 40 maintenance and support personnel that are responsible for ensuring the jets work efficiently throughout the weekend, he said. Despite being one of the military's larger aircraft, Fat Albert is one of the most versatile planes in the fleet, Stewart said. "One day you can wake up and refuel helicopters in flight and the next day you can refuel jets," he said. Not only are C-130's responsible for in-flight refueling, they're also responsible for transporting troops. Dan Vicari, Executive Director of the Gary/Chicago International Airport said he is excitied to be hosting the Blue Angels for the weekend. "It brings us more exposure," Vicari said. "We'd love to see people remember that we do have a serious piece of transportation infrastructure right here in Northwest Indiana," he said. Although the Blue Angels receive plaudits and attention, Hamilton said that they're performances are a tribute to the military personnel across the world. "We're lucky to live in a place where we can have air shows," Hamilton said. Advertisement jaanderson@tribpub.com Twitter @Jaconet A Lake County Councilman is speaking out about a wrongful death lawsuit filed against county officials and the Lake County Jail, calling for a Department of Justice investigation into the matter and criminal charges against the correctional officers involved. Meanwhile, other county officials say there is a gag order on the case due to the pending litigation and the DOJ has been involved since the March 26, 2015, death of Gregory Smith of Hobart in the Lake County Jail. Advertisement Councilman Jamal Washington, D-Merrillville, said he has seen the videotape from the incident and says correctional officers used excessive force resulting in Smith's death. He plans to reach out to the DOJ Monday to seek a formal criminal investigation. On Friday, Buncich said there is a federal court order prohibiting discussion about the case or release of the tape from incident. He said the Department of Justice has been involved in the case since Smith's death. He declined to comment further on the matter. Advertisement Lake County Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, said he did not know what Washington was looking for in speaking out at this time. "There's a federal court order I believe prohibiting me from discussing these issues. I won't say anything that violates a federal court order," Bilski said. Washington said Friday there is no gag order. He said he has seen the video and it is clear what happened. "My biggest complaint is why are there no criminal charges," Washington said. Blake Horwitz, attorney for Jaime Smith, could not immediately be reached Friday. Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, Friday declined to comment on the litigation except to say he thought there was a gag order surrounding the case. "I don't think I'm allowed to talk about it. I don't think (Washington's) allowed to talk about it," Scheub said. The first wrongful death suit was filed by Jaime Smith, the mother of Gregory Smith's two children in March 2015. A second suit was filed in April 2015 by Kevin Smith, Gregory Smith's brother. At the time the suits were filed, John Bushemi, attorney for the Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, said the preliminary investigation showed that jail employees used proper procedure. Advertisement Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday that the country has requested the establishment of a WTO panel to settle disputes with the United States as soon as possible. On May 13, 2016, China proposed consultations with the United States over the latter's alleged non-compliance with the recommendations and rulings of WTO dispute settlement body over countervailing duties on certain products from China. In the original dispute, the United States was found to have acted inconsistently with several obligations in the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement relating to countervailing duty determinations. Unfortunately, a round of consultation with the United States via telephone on May 27 failed to resolve China's concerns, the MOC said in a statement. The ministry on Friday requested the establishment of a WTO panel by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). According to WTO rules and agreement between China and the United States, the panel should be set up during the DSB meeting on July 21. "China is opposed to the abuse of trade remedy measures and will firmly exercise its rights as a WTO member and protect the legitimate interests of the domestic industry," the statement said. China hopes that the dispute can be properly settled as soon as possible under the WTO mechanism, the ministry said. Government ordered not to enlarge the list of state protected monuments - architect The old building of Zvartnots airport is not included in the list of state protected cultural monuments therefore architects cannot demand that the authorities stop the demolition of building and preserve the old tower as a cultural value. Anyway, Mkrtich Minasyan, Chairman of the Union of Architects of Armenia, says they have repeatedly applied to various structures trying to save the old terminal building but to no avail. Years ago we proposed to include Zvartnots airport in list of state protected monuments but the application has remained unanswered. Perhaps, based on it, Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan said she had nothing to do with the building and its demolition, Mr Minasyan said. The government has issued an internal directive not to enlarge the list of state protected monuments because it hampers urban development, Mkrtich Minasyan said adding that it was secret information. At the same time, he adds that the Municipality is against the demolition but cannot do anything. This is not the first time we have lost many buildings under this scheme, he said. Architect Sashur Kalashyan added in turn that the preservation of the old building of the airport is not beneficial for the state. The country does not have money and relies on remittances from abroad. The specialists remind everyone that the airport is owned by the state, and Corporacion America group of Eduardo Eurnekian, an Argentine billionaire of Armenian descent, took over Zvartnots airport after signing a 30-year management contract with the Armenian government. The company promised to modernize the airport facilities. However, as years passed by, it became clear that the building was left abandoned. The architects say they have submitted numerous projects to renovate the old building of the airport, but no one showed interest in them. Women who were laid-off workers learn to take care of newborns at an employment service center in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, in April. [Photo by Zhang Zhen/Xinhua] China's leading human resources authorities will help workers in industries with excess capacity to find jobs in other sectors, an official said on Friday. "The government will provide enough social security to ensure these workers' basic needs and will offer training to help them transfer to other jobs," Xin Changxing, vice-minister of human resources and social security, said at a media briefing. Xin said preliminary estimates showed that about 800,000 workers in the coal and steel industriestwo major sectors with overcapacitywill be laid off within the year. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has forecast that 1.8 million workers will be laid off in the two sectors in the coming years. Xin said the relocation of redundant staff has progressed smoothly so far. "Some iron and steel companies have made detailed plans to relocate workers, with full recognition of their current situations and their expectations for future jobs," he said. He cited the example of Hangzhou Iron and Steel in Zhejiang province, which set up more than 400 task forces to assess the situations and needs of redundant workers and implemented relocation plans on that basis. At least 12 measures were eventually devised, including early retirement, so workers will leave the company with some compensation or start their own businesses. In January, all 9,000 of its workers had secured a means of exit. Li Ning, a young worker at the company, chose to start his own business. The relocation plan stipulated that those who opted to leave the company directly would receive considerable financial compensation, while those choosing to start their own businesses would be given a new six-year contract. However, if their businesses fail to prosper within the six year time scale, they will still have to leave the company when the contract expires, but will receive less compensation than members of staff who left directly. Despite that, Li Ning thought the offer was worth accepting and decided to try his luck. However, relocation is not easy, especially in cities that were developed solely on coal or iron resources, according to Xin. "Unlike people in big cities, where there are many other job opportunities, workers in these coal or steel cities may have limited choices and face pressure when they attempt to relocate," he said. He admitted that older people who have worked in the two sectors for a long time may find it more difficult to land jobs in other industries. "The government will provide vocational training for them, which will be helpful," he said. Liu Rui / GT For many years, the People's Republic of China has been a strong supporter of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Recently, however, China's experience has been that the Convention and, in particular, its provisions on compulsory dispute settlement, may be exploited by other states for political reasons. Knowing full well that disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation do not fall under the UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanisms, the Republic of the Philippines, in an act of legal warfare ("lawfare"), nevertheless instituted arbitration proceedings against China before a UNCLOS Annex VII arbitral tribunal with regard to the disputes between the two countries in the South China Sea. During the negotiations on the Convention in the 1970s, China raised concerns about the dispute settlement provisions, which it considered "inappropriate," and argued that the provisions should not be included in the Convention itself. China's suggestion was that the provisions should form a separate protocol so that countries could decide for themselves whether or not to accept compulsory dispute settlement. By way of compromise, it was agreed that certain disputes would not be included in UNCLOS's compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms and that others could be removed by express declaration of states parties. The latter included disputes relating to sea boundary delimitation, historic titles, sovereignty or other rights over continental or insular land territory, military activities and law enforcement activities. China duly made use of this opportunity on August 25 2006 when it excluded all of these disputes from the compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS. According to Article 288(4) of UNCLOS, it is not, however, the contracting party but rather the arbitral tribunal that determines whether a dispute exists and defines its content. This holds considerable risks and uncertainties for the parties, especially in case of tribunals that engage in judicial activism, as was demonstrated by the Tribunal's Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility of October 29 2015 in the South China Sea Arbitration. While the Tribunal accepted that a dispute in international law requires that there be "positive opposition" between the parties, it did not, and could not, establish such opposition and, instead, established a dispute "by inference." What is, in fact, a dispute on territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation was redefined by the Tribunal as a dispute concerning the status of maritime features and the source of maritime entitlements, questions on which, as the Tribunal rightly noted, China had never expressed a detailed position. If the Arbitral Tribunal in its Award on the Merits, which is expected later in 2016, decides this "dispute" in a way that infringes China's territorial sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, China might consider denouncing the Convention. According to Article 317 of UNCLOS, a state party may denounce the Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the UN and may indicate its reasons. Such a denunciation would take effect one year after the date of receipt of the notification. While China would not be discharged by reason of the denunciation from obligations that accrued while it was a party to the Convention, it would be protected against similar future claims brought by Vietnam, Indonesia or Malaysia with regard to the South China Sea, or by Japan with regard to the East China Sea. Would there be any serious disadvantages for China if it denounced UNCLOS? The short answer is: no. China would continue to enjoy most of the advantages of UNCLOS because today the majority of its provisions are considered to be part of customary international law. The only exceptions are the provisions on the Area, i.e. deep seabed mining (Part XI), the development and transfer of marine technology (Part XIV) and the provisions on the compulsory settlement of disputes (Part XV). The US, for example, has not been a contracting state of the Convention for the last 33 years and has not suffered any serious problems. On the contrary, it enjoys most of the advantages under the Convention such as freedom of navigation and overflight, the rights of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf without carrying any of the burdens. China would no longer have a judge on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and would no longer be represented on the Commission on the Limits on the Continental Shelf. It could also no longer be a member of the International Seabed Authority. China could probably lay claim to an outer continental shelf and its resources under customary international law but its energy companies would be excluded from the exploration and exploitation of the Area, unless registered and sponsored by another contracting party. Whether China ultimately wants to continue to be a party to UNCLOS should be the result of a legal and political cost-benefit analysis. The Convention itself opens the way for China to leave the Convention and it would have good reasons to do so if its territorial sovereignty was undermined by a decision of an arbitral tribunal established under the Convention. The author is director of the Institute of Public International Law at the University of Bonn and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. Liu Rui/GT In late October, 2015, the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Tribunal issued the Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility in the Philippines-China arbitration case. The panel of five judges unanimously ruled that among the 15 specific submissions for redress presented by Manila, the Tribunal does have jurisdiction with respect to the matter raised in seven of the submissions, and the jurisdiction over the remaining eight submissions will be determined together with merits. The Tribunal has failed the principles of justice. First, the composition of the Tribunal and the selection of arbitrators were not equitable. As the Chinese government has long stated that it will not participate in or accept the arbitration, it cannot appoint its arbitrators, thus cannot maintain China's legitimate rights on the Tribunal. Given the absence from the proceedings of one party, the selection of arbitrators needs to be cautious. However, Shunji Yanai, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, who is Japanese, arrogated all powers to himself at a time when the China-Japan relationship was at its lowest ebb over the Diaoyu Islands dispute. On April 24, 2013, Yanai appointed Chris Pinto of Sri Lanka as judge of the Arbitral Tribunal. But on May 21, Pinto resigned, citing that his wife is a Filipino national. Pinto did not need to consider that long but should have stepped down right away. This procedure shows that without the participation of the Chinese government, the composition of the Tribunal and the appointment of arbitrators are suspected of under-the-table dealings. The core interests of the Chinese government are put in danger. Second, the arbitrator who was selected to represent China sided with the Philippines, which is not acceptable. Under normal circumstances, the ruling over international disputes should allow for opposing votes and reservations. The ruling of international courts is no exception. On August 25, 2006, the Chinese government filed a statement to the Secretary-General of the UN saying that it "does not accept any of the procedures provided for in Section 2 of Part XV of the Convention with respect to all the categories of disputes referred to in paragraph 1 (a) (b), and (c) of Article 298 of the Convention." China gains absolute advantages, while the Philippine government has expressly excluded the issue of territorial sovereignty by avoiding Article 298 of the UNCLOS. Alfred Soons, an arbitrator of the case, believed the status of islands was closely associated with demarcation and sovereignty issues in an article he co-authored with other people a few years ago. But he has changed his stance. As an arbitrator representing China, he was supposed to support China's stance. Rather, he voted in favor of the Philippines. This makes the Chinese people doubt the justice of the Award and the integrity of the arbitrators. Third, the initial ruling during the proceedings does not conform to international practices. The ruling during the proceedings must clarify whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction with respect to the matter raised in the 15 submissions presented by the Philippines. However, as the Tribunal ruled that it has jurisdiction with respect to the matter raised in seven of the submissions, the other eight should be turned down. But the Tribunal has shown partiality for the Philippines by considering the seven other submissions in conjunction with the merits and requesting the Philippines to clarify and narrow one of its submissions. It is actually bluntly supporting the Philippines' claims. Fourth, on December 5, 2014, China issued a Position Paper of the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Matter of Jurisdiction in the South China Sea Arbitration Initiated by the Republic of the Philippines, which stated reasons why China neither accepts nor participates in the arbitration. The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands sent a note verbale and accompanying Position Paper to the five members of the Arbitral Tribunal. China has consistently stated that the aforementioned communications should not be interpreted as China's participation in the arbitral proceeding in any form. However, the Arbitral Tribunal considered that the communications by China effectively constitute a plea concerning the Arbitral Tribunal's jurisdiction. The arbitration on substantive matters is not expected to be in favor of China, and the Chinese government will not admit or implement the arbitration on substantive matters. China could denounce UNCLOS and set a legal basis for not implementing substantive rulings unfavorable to itself in the future. Meanwhile, it will not be bound to similar requests made by other sea claimants such as Vietnam and Japan. The author is a professor of Southwest University of Political Science & Law. Flash Counteracting hybrid threats, cyber security, and maritime safety in the bloc are the key goals included in the joint declaration on strengthening cooperation signed between the EU and NATO ahead of the NATO summit here. The declaration, signed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, marks the importance of further strengthening EU-NATO cooperation at a time of unprecedented security challenges from the East and the South. It is also one of main topics to be discussed at the summit. Stoltenberg called the signing "a historical decision which will enable both sides to better cooperate." Stoltenberg said neither the NATO nor the EU could respond to the existing challenges on their own, but together they could work out tools and mechanisms to protect citizens. He added both sides would coordinate actions to increase their ability to counteract terrorism. The signing of the declaration was preceded by the meeting of Juncker and Tusk with U.S. President Barack Obama, during which transatlantic unity and solidarity were strongly underlined. Later, representatives of all sides will take part in the NATO summit which starts on Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday. Flash The military exercise Breeze 2016 begins on Friday in Bulgaria's territorial waters in the Black Sea, involving more than 30 vessels and aircraft from six NATO member states, according to an official source from Bulgaria. The aim of the drill, which will last 10 days, is to enhance Bulgarian navy's interoperability with other forces in a crisis response operation, the Bulgarian Navy said in a statement. The drill also aimed at improving the coordination with governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions in the mitigation of the consequences of a terrorist act, according to the statement. Bulgaria, United States, Greece, Romania, Turkey and Spain and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group TWO joined the exercise. The drill is led by the Bulgarian Navy, and is carried out under the plan of the Bulgarian Army for 2016, the statement said. The Breeze drill was held for the first time in 1993, when three visiting warships including a U.S. frigate and two Turkish minesweepers participated. Flash Eighteen presidents and 21 prime ministers attended the first day of the Warsaw NATO summit on Friday, taking specific decisions on strengthening security. After the first session of the North Atlantic Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the strengthening of NATO's eastern flank in Poland and Baltic countries. Four battalions are to be located in four countries -- Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland -- with the countries in command respectively being Canada, Germany, Britain and the United States. NATO also regarded cyberspace as an operational zone and acknowledged the initial operational readiness of the anti-missile shield's component located in Romania. Preceding the summit's opening ceremony, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and U.S. President Barack Obama expressed transatlantic unity between the United States and Europe. Both sides discussed common political, economic, and security challenges facing Europe, especially Britain's referendum decision to leave the bloc. Addressing this matter, Obama called the European Union one of the greatest political and economic achievements of today, "which should be kept intact as the world needed a strong, prosperous, and unified Europe." He also said sanctions against Russia should remain in place until the Minsk agreement conditions were met. Juncker and Tusk, alongside Stoltenberg, signed a joint declaration marking the importance of further strengthening EU-NATO cooperation at a time of what the two blocs claimed unprecedented security challenges from the East and the South. Counteracting hybrid threats, cyber security, and maritime safety in the bloc are the key goals included in the declaration. Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda and U.S. President Obama held a meeting discussing bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of increased NATO's presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Obama said Poland will notice an increase of U.S. and NATO presence. Poland can be sure that NATO will stand hand-in-hand under any circumstances, he added, announcing around a thousand U.S. soldiers would serve here on rotary basis. Duda also met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Azerbaijan President Ilham Alijew. He also took part in an experts forum on security, where he expressed satisfaction regarding Montenegro's access to NATO and called for deepening relations, especially with Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. At the same forum, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, together with former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, discussed NATO's policy towards Russia. The first day of the summit wound up with a solemn parade of military aircraft, representing both Poland and NATO air forces. Flash Police cars gather around the El Centro College parking garage following the sniper shooting in downtown Dallas, the United States, July 7, 2016. [Xinhua] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the killing of five police officers during a rally in Dallas in U.S. state of Texas on Thursday, saying that "There is no justification for such violence." The secretary-general extended his condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims, as well as the Police Department of Dallas, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, told reporters here. "Those responsible compounded the suffering that many in the United States feel following the killing of two African-American men over two days," Haq said. "Those killings must be the subject of a thorough and impartial investigation.." "They once again put the focus on the need to address discrimination, including racial disparities in law enforcement, in a comprehensive manner," he said. Five police officers were killed and seven others injured as two snipers opened fire during a protest against officer-involved shootings across the United States on Thursday night. The gunfire occurred about 8:45 p.m. local time Thursday (0145 GMT Friday) as protesters were marching along a street in downtown Dallas, a city in the northern part of the U.S. state of Texas, about 0.8 km from City Hall, when the shooting broke out and the crowd scattered. One of the suspects told a hostage negotiator that he was upset about the recent police shootings of two black men and that he wanted to kill white people, especially police officers, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said at a news conference Friday morning. The suspect, who was killed by police when they detonated a bomb delivered by robot, was identified today as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, media reports said. Vahan Babayan does not rule out that his party might join Republican Party of Armenia (video) During the founding session of the newly-formed Reformists political party, the partys newly elected chairman, Vahan Babayan, did not rule out that the Reformists might join the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) before the 2017 parliamentary elections. We want to participate in the political life of the country, and most importantly, to have our contribution to the reforms. I do not rule out anything but we want to implement our own program. Time will show what strategy and tactics we shall choose in implementing our program, said Vahan Babayan, a former member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). Asked whether they did not fear to lose voters when expressing their support for the ruling party given the negative public attitudes towards the authorities, Mr Babayan said he heard the question 48 times a day and was ready to answer it for the 49th time. The President has a high reputation in our country today and the sharp criticism in his address does not yet mean that our support for the political reforms proposed by the president and his government may tarnish our popularity, he said. There are 73 registered parties in Armenia and the Reformists will have to wait for registration together with the other two newly-formed parties Hamakhmbum (Consolidation) and GALA. When asked whether they could not implement their programs and ideas with another political force without setting up a new political party, Mr Babayan said the political arena needs a party like theirs. This congress shows that there is a need for new parties and new people. There cannot be a second opinion here," he stressed. Mr Babayan says the partys finances come from ordinary people. Unfortunately, political parties in our country are financed by individuals. We are against the principle and we have chosen the opposite path. This party belongs to everyone, even to those who are not affiliated with the party, Mr Babayan said addressing the attendees. We are not going to defame other parties, we are not going to throw mud on other forces. We shall talk only about our party, he continued. Speaking about the partys foreign policy, Vahan Babayan said, I choose the Eurasian Economic Union. He also reminded everyone of Russias role in our lives. We have heard different evaluations and different opinions after the April war, but let us not forget that the Armenian-Turkish border is protected by Russian border guards and Russia has supported us in many issues. Over 200 delegates attended the debut meeting of the party who unanimously voted for Babayan to become the party leader. Serzh Sargsyan, Francois Hollande discuss Karabakh issue (video) O July 9, President Serzh Sargsyan met with the President of France Francois Hollande in Warsaw, Poland. The President of Armenia expressed gratitude for President Hollandes consistent important role and support on all issues which are vital for Armenia and underscored that in Armenia people take pride in having special relations with France. The President noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-French economic relations have considerably expanded through the years: among the EU states, France remains one the leading countries with regard to the investments made in Armenia. Serzh Sargsyan also expressed gratitude for the recent adoption by the National Assembly of France of the resolution which criminalizes the denial of the Armenia Genocide. President Hollandes personal contribution to the adoption of the mentioned resolution was noteworthy. At the meeting, the parties spoke about the Nagorno Karabakh issue. The President of Armenian attached great importance of the active role of France as one of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in the process of a peaceful resolution of the conflict and thanked President Hollande for his constant personal efforts. Serzh Sargsyan and Francois Hollande stressed the importance of the unconditional implementation of the provisions secured in the Declarations adopted in Vienna and Saint Petersburg. The Presidents of Armenia and France exchanged views on the prospects of moving the NK peace process forward. Christians hold a church service outside Guangfu Church after officials sealed its doors last year. (Photo: China Aid) China Aid Reported in Chinese by Qiao Nong. Translated by Carolyn Song. Written in English by Brynne Lawrence. (Guangzhou, GuangdongJuly 5, 2016) A house church was forced to move last month after officials in Chinas southern Guangdong province closed the building and pressured the landlady to terminate the churchs contract. Paul, an elder from Guangfu Church, said in an interview on June 16 that police came to the church, saying they needed to check its temporary residential permit. However, they took pictures and inspected the fire hydrant. After deeming it below safety standards, they closed the church on pretenses that it hadnt registered with the government and its firefighting system was inadequate. In a meeting with Ma Mark Chao, the person in charge of the church, the authorities told him that he could not participate in any more church services due to previous quarrels with government officials. Additionally, Ma received a phone call from the churchs landlady, who informed him that she wished to terminate their contract eight years before its expiration because officials had pressured her. As a result, the church was forced to move out of its building. China Aid reports abuses, such as those suffered by the members of Guangfu Church, in order to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. Erosion of assets gets innovation-related businesses under focus Temasek Holdings Pte is remodeling its investment portfolio in China by looking for more opportunities in innovation-related businesses. "We're highly interested in business model innovation, technology innovation and transformation of traditional industries," said Wu Hai, Temasek's managing director for China, during a press briefing of its annual results on Friday. An employee of Singaporean investment firm Temasek Holdings Pte walks along the corridor of their offices in Singapore. AFP "We are looking into new economic forms driven by the mobile internet, such as the sharing economy, big data-based sectors including cloud computing, robots and artificial intelligence, as well as electric automobiles and mobile healthcare," said Wu. The company, which is the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund investment arm, posted the first decline in its net portfolio value since 2009. It recorded a net portfolio value of S$242 billion ($180 billion) as of March 31 - a 9 percent fall from the previous year, largely due to the fall in market values of its holdings. "This is not an actual loss, but a mark-to-market decline in asset values caused solely by a drop of market price," said Wu Yibing, joint head of portfolio strategy and risk group at Temasek. "Asian stock markets fluctuated violently last year. Hang Seng China Enterprises Index slumped 26 percent, and the Straits Times Index dropped 15 percent. Among the assets of our investment portfolio, 66 percent of the listed companies we invested in are constituent stocks of the two indexes." Temasek's largest geographic concentration by underlying assets remains in Asia (69 percent), with 29 percent in Singapore and 25 percent in China by the end of March. Wu Yibing said Temasek expects that China will successfully complete a mid-term transition to more sustainable growth, but short-term uncertainties still remain. "As a long-term investor, we care a lot more about the long-run fundamentals of a company than short-term market fluctuations. "In the meantime, we'll look for opportunities during the fluctuations by divesting more actively when the prices are high and investing more actively when the prices are low," he said. During the fiscal year ending March 31, the company divested a record S$28 billion of its portfolio, including part of its holdings in China Construction Bank Corp and China Pacific Insurance Group Co Ltd. Total divestments increased 47 percent from a year earlier. Its S$30 billion of new investments remained the same as the previous fiscal year. In line with the theme of investing in companies with distinct competitive advantages, Temasek increased its investment in Didi Chuxing, a leading Chinese ride-hailing company, and Meituan-Dianping, an online-to-offline local service platform in China. jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 07/09/2016 page7) China's top securities watchdog on Friday initiated the compulsory process todelist an electric equipment manufacturer, for fabricating financial information in its application for an initial public offering. Dandong Xintai Electric Co became the first listed firm in the Chinese mainland to be delisted from the exchange for IPO fraud since the securities regulator unveiled stricter delisting rules in 2014 in an effort to restore investors' confidence and eliminate errant companies. China Securities Regulatory Commission spokesman Zhang Xiaojun told a news conference on Friday the regulator would continue its zero tolerance of financial fraud and the violation of information disclosure rules by public companies. Industrial Securities Co Ltd, the underwriter of Dandong Xintai's IPO in 2014, was ordered to pay 550 million yuan ($82.2 million) to compensate investors' losses, in addition to a 57.3 million yuan fine. The securities regulator said it had also fined Dandong Xintai 8.32 million yuan for its transgression and its senior executives were barred from the securities market and serving in senior executive positions at any listed companies for life. The delisting could also mean a permanent exit from the stock market for the company as there is no legal arrangement for relisting companies that have been delisted from the startup board. On Friday, Dandong Xintai's Chairman Wen Deyi said his company would consider applying for bankruptcy, as the group owes debt of 626 million yuan, according to the Chinese newspaper the 21st Century Business Herald. The company was found guilty of fabricating financial information in its IPO application, including inflating amount of receivables, after the securities regulator launched an investigation against it a year ago. The company, from northeastern Liaoning province, debuted on the startup board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2014, raising 350 million yuan. The delisting follows the exit of Zhuhai Boyuan Investment Ltd from the stock market in May over violation of information disclosure rules. lixiang@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 07/09/2016 page7) Chongqing Lifan Group has rolled out an ambitious plan to build the world's biggest car-sharing rental company next year. The company hopes to have 300,000 electric cars in its rental business by 2020, which will help make it one of the leading new-energy vehicle leasing platforms in China, according to Gao Yu, CEO of Lifan-owned Pand Auto. Pand Auto, a car-hailing platform for new-energy vehicles, launched its car-sharing service in November in Chongqing. This year, the service has expanded to Zhengzhou, Henan province, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. "Pand Auto is committed to promoting green traveling, combining internet tools for automobiles with car-hailing services," Gao said. The company uses Lifan 300EV2 electric cars whose eight batteries, as claimed by the manufacturer, can be changed in just three minutes. The battery charging service can be provided by energy supply vans or at battery stations. Carbon emissions could be reduced by 2 million tons every year if Pand's 300,000 cars are put into operation, she added. Chen Wei, vice-president of Lifan, is an advocate of the battery-changing model for electric cars. "We charge the batteries during the night, which can cut energy costs in half." "It is a very good use of 'waste energy' and we have a very clear business model," Chen said. In China, the night time power price is only half of that of peak hours during the day. Lifan built its first battery station in June, which can serve 2,000 cars daily. It plans to build 13 stations in the country this year. But Pand Auto is facing increasing competition from home and abroad. Car2go, Germanys Daimler AGs car-sharing rental service, is No 1 in the industry with about 125,000 Mercedes-Benz Smart cars. It launched its operations in Chongqing in April, its first Car2go rental service in Asia. But Pand Auto has its advantages. Its users pay 19 yuan ($2.5) per hour or 99 yuan a day, while Car2go customers pay 1.19 yuan per kilometer, plus 0.59 yuan per minute. Another local company, Changan Automobile Co, which is set to invest 18 billion yuan in the next 10 years into high-quality electric cars, is also planning to put 2,000 electric cars into rental service in the city this year. Chongqing is one of the biggest car manufacturing cities in China. Vehicle manufacturers in the city aim to tap into the electric-car industry and inject new impetus in the automobile industry. In 2015, about 3 million vehicles rolled off the assembly lines in the city, 70 percent of which came from the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, the third national-level pilot zone after the Pudong New Area in Shanghai and the Binhai New Area in Tianjin. Most major Chinese carmakers, including Changan and Lifan, are located in the area. The Liangjiang New Area has launched a new strategy to build a new-energy vehicle industry cluster. The aerial photo taken on July 8, 2016 shows waterlogged communities near the Nanhu Lake in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province. Drainage of waterlogged areas near the Nanhu Lake is still underway. [Photo/Xinhua] When Wei Yingyan poured a bottle of water onto the ground at the Yuelai Convention Center Park in Liangjiang New Area in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, the liquid disappeared into permeable pavements within seconds. "During heavy rainfall, the water is soaked up by the porous bricks and flood-tolerant plants to prevent flooding," said Wei, urban design director of Chongqing Yuelai Investment Group. "We collect and store most of it, then use it for irrigation or cleaning." The park is a showcase for China's urban-planning efforts. In recent years, poor drainage systems and a rise in the number of extreme weather incidents have resulted in many cities experiencing heavy rain and flooding. Under UN standards, about half the 657 cities assessed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development are classified as "water scarce" or "severely water scarce". Yuelai New City in Chongqing was one of 16 "sponge cities" on a pilot list of climate-resilient urban designs released last year. Mountainous Chongqing is looking for ways to solve drainage problems in similar cities in western China. To prevent flooding, sponge cities store rainwater and release it during times of drought. Founded in 2010, Liangjiang New Area was the third national development and opening zone to gain State Council approval, after Pudong New Area in Shanghai and Tianjin's Binhai New Area. "Liangjiang is home to many pilot projects; one of them is the construction of a green, sustainable city," said Tang Zongwei, deputy director of the Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee. "The area should have booming industries and a beautiful environment." Chongqing also helps protect the Yangtze River from polluted rainwater. "We store and reuse most of the water, so only a small amount is filtered and discharged into the river," Wei said. The hillside park has a layered underground drainage system that recycles rainwater before it is reused or discharged into the river. Yuelai Group will invest 4.3 billion yuan ($650 million) to build a 18.57-square-kilometer sponge city, said Xiong Jiran, the general manager. "It's not a big investment but it will produce huge benefits, both environmentally and commercially," he said. Many flights, trains canceled in coastal area. Residents relocated as storm makes landfall. Hundreds of weekend flights and high-speed trains were canceled or suspended as Typhoon Nepartak was set to make landfall in Fujian province on Saturday morning. Nepartak was expected to hit Fujian's coastal areas, before heading northeast, the National Meteorological Center said on Friday. An online statement released by officials at Xiamen airport said 245 flights had been canceled as of Friday afternoon. A report on Fuzhou airport's micro blog announced that at least 170 flights had been canceled on Saturday and Sunday as emergency-response measures were put into operation. Passengers were advised to contact airlines or visit the airports' official websites and Sina Weibo accounts for the latest flight information. Also on Friday, the Shanghai Railway Bureau announced that it had suspended 272 high-speed trains scheduled to run through Fujian on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in anticipation of the typhoon's arrival. Railway authorities in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said the city's train station suspended 92 trains to coastal regions from Friday to Sunday. A total of 37,521 people have been relocated in Wenzhou as winds on the sea near the city grow stronger, according to the city's flood control and drought relief headquarters. In Fujian, local authorities said tourist attractions have been closed, including Gulangyu Island, a popular resort off the coast of Xiamen. In Pingtan county, the mainland's nearest point to Taiwan, workers tore down potential hazards, such as advertising billboards and road signs, on Friday, according to local media reports. Reaching speeds of 198 km/h as it crossed Taiwan, Nepartak left two people dead and 66 injured, while more than 15,400 residents were relocated, the China News Service reported. The typhoon is expected to result in about 300 millimeters of rain in parts of the provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and also in Taiwan, the National Meteorological Center said. Winds of magnitude 13 to 14 are forecast in affected areas, while parts of the East and South Chinas seas could see winds of magnitude 7 to 8, the center said. The Chinese government will intensify efforts to promote more standardized and rapid development of public-private partnerships, especially for projects in the public service sector. This is also part of the government's effort to encourage private investment across the country. New measures will be introduced to encourage the partnerships, or PPP, especially for public services, as was decided at the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday. Li said that while the country has seen much progress in promoting PPP in the past two years, a variety of institutional barriers still hinder PPP development. "We need to work hard to address these problems in PPP promotion, for example, government functions overlapping, and policies and legislations not yet ready. Only by solving them can we drive investment more effectively," Li said. Taxation policy will be tailored to better suit the financing system of PPP. The meeting also calls for solid research prior to PPP projects implementation. The premier raised the idea of PPP development at a State Council's executive meeting in October 2014, suggesting that doors should be open to social capital, especially private capital, in more areas. China's private investment growth has been slowing for the first half of the year, triggering concerns from central government departments. The State Council has just finished a sweeping examination of the reasons for such a slowdown across the country from May to June. It was noticed that many private companies are reluctant to join PPP projects for fear that their interests will be affected. "At the moment, private investment is slipping, and PPP will serve substantially in driving private business development," Li said. Another issue with PPP in China is the potential imbalance in market access of State-owned enterprises and private investors. Local governments tend to work with SOEs rather than private investors. This leads to the pressing demand for regulations to shore up PPP development, which was also discussed at Thursday's meeting. In June, The Ministry of Finance announced that procedures of PPP legislation have begun, and a draft has been circulated around the departments concerned for consultation. Li urged accelerating PPP legislation with clear accountability. This year has seen more than 600 PPP projects implemented, 23.8 percent of the signed PPP contracts. According to the Ministry of Finance, 39 percent of them have private business partners. Facing such pressure of economic slowdown, policies such as administrative streamlining, expanded market access and favorable taxation may help boost private investment, said Wang Manchuan, secretary-general of the China Society of Administrative Reform. "However, the government must let private business earn what their investment should make to ensure their interests. That's one of the keys to enhance private investment," Wang added. Contact the writers at zhangyue@chinadaily.com.cn and huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn The Chinese icebreaker Xuelong will set out for northern seas on Monday on a quest to discover how rapid changes in sea ice in the Arctic will affect China's climate. Multiple disciplinesincluding oceanography, meteorology, marine biology and ecology, and sea-ice dynamics and thermodynamicswill be employed in the study. Sea ice in the Arctic region is diminishing by about 13 percent every decade, altering ocean currents and the environment, according to multiple studies. "The worst blizzard to hit South China in 50 years, in 2008, and snowstorms in North China and other Asian countries in subsequent years have been proved to be associated with the decrease of sea ice in the Arctic," Liu Na, a researcher at the State Oceanic Administration's No 1 Institute of Oceanography and assistant to the expedition's chief scientist, said during a media briefing on Friday. "So it's important for us to dig more deeply into the mystery," Liu said. Li Yuansheng, deputy director of the Polar Research Institute of China and the expedition's chief scientist, said the blizzard of January and February 2008 caused casualties, widespread traffic paralysis, blackouts and crop losses. China has four research stations in Antarctica but none in the Arctic, so the Xuelong is shouldering great responsibility, Liu said. "China's climate is affected more by the situation in the Arctic than the Antarctic because of the geographical proximity," he said. During the 78-day 18,500-km voyage, the 128-member expedition team will set up 82 temporary scientific observation stations. Submerged buoys and radio balloons with GPS will be released to collect data over the long term. "They can send by satellite the data, including changes in the environment and climate and how the ocean currents affect each other, after we return from the expedition to help us make a comprehensive assessment of the climate and environment of the Arctic," Li said. Two helicopters will be aboard the Xuelong to assist in ocean observation, safety control and any emergencies. Three scientists, one from the US and two from France, who have cooperative maritime chemistry projects with the institute, will join the expedition. An autopsy has been conducted on the body of a woman discovered in the debris of a demolished house in Changsha, Hunan province. Reports say a dispute had arisen between the owners and a demolition crew. The police received a report about the death in Chazishan village on Thursday morning. The autopsy began on Thursday night as authorities sought identify the dead woman and establish the cause of death, a spokesperson for the Changsha government said on Friday. Beijing News quoted a man called Yang Quan, who claimed to be the son of the deceased woman, who he identified as 60-year-old Gong Xuehui. Yang said his mother went missing after their house was demolished on June 16, and that her body was found on Thursday by the driver of excavator he had hired to clear the debris. Yang said hundreds of people barged into his home on June 16 and attempted to drag family members, including Gong, outside. He said members of the family had been locked in a car until their home had been leveled. In the aftermath, Yang was unable to find his mother. The family had failed to reach an agreement on compensation with the authority in charge of demolition, the report said. China could consider quitting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea if the upcoming ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague infringes on China's sovereignty, an expert said. The Arbitral Tribunal's ruling in the arbitration case, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea disputes, will be announced on Tuesday. He Zhou, a professor at the Center for Communication Research at City University of Hong Kong, told China Daily on Friday that the UNCLOS is likely to be manipulated by some countries using it as tool to harm China's sovereignty and national interests. Chongqing Lifan Group has rolled out an ambitious plan to build the world's biggest car-sharing rental company next year. The company hopes to have 300,000 electric cars in its rental business by 2020, which will help make it one of the leading new-energy vehicle leasing platforms in China, according to Gao Yu, CEO of Lifan-owned Pand Auto. Pand Auto, a car-hailing platform for new-energy vehicles, launched its car-sharing service in November in Chongqing. It has often occurred to me that pu'er tea can be compared to wine. The green yellowish color of raw pu'er soup always reminds me of Chardonnay. The reddish-brown color of a matured pu'er can be compared to that of an aged Merlot, although mature pu'er is often even darker. And like wines, a vintage pu'er is both collectible and expensive. Pu'er is a big-leaf tea produced in Yunnan, especially in the Lincang, Simao and Xishuangbanna areas. Written records of pu'er first appeared in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The tea is commonly packaged as a cake, brick or lump, for convenient storage and transportation. Among Chinese teas, an ordinary pu'er is probably the best value for money. A 100-gram round lump of ordinary pu'er can cost as little as 10 yuan ($1.5) on Taobao.com. The taste is delightful and the tea usually lasts longer than the small-leaf teas from central and eastern China. The low price is partly due to the scale of production in Yunnan. Last year the province produced 360,000 metric tons of tea, 129,000 tons of which were made into pu'er, according to statistics from the Department of Agriculture of Yunnan Province. The province's production volume ranked second in China last year, next only to Fujian. Pu'er was granted protected place of origin status on July 1, 2009; which means only big-leaf teas produced in Yunnan can be called pu'er. Previously, Guangdong province was also a big producer. The fresh green leaves produced in Yunnan are also made into a green tea called dianlyu and a black tea called dianhong. The major difference between Yunnan dianlyu and pu'er is that the fresh green leaves used to make pu'er are dried at low temperature (sundried), and then are steamed and pressed into cakes using molds. There is a difference between raw pu'er cakes, which look yellowish-green, and matured pu'er cakes, which look reddish-brown. Raw pu'er cakes can go through natural fermentation and become very deep in color, but that takes a long time. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the US Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. [Photo/Agencies] Some elements use the excuse of being good to others to show their true colors. This is especially true for the United States. It has eventually persuaded the Republic of Korea to allow its missile defense system to be installed on ROK soil. Despite the vehement opposition from China and Russia, the THAAD, or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, system is ready to be deployed in the ROK, Washington and Seoul said on Friday. The US has been trying to justify the necessity of THAAD on the pretext of protecting its allies from the nuclear threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But the truth is, Washington's move serves its "pivot to Asia" strategy perfectly at the cost of ROK's interests. The advanced anti-missile system, if deployed in the ROK, will not only escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but also break the strategic balance and widen the trust deficit among the regional powers. Seoul is about 200 kilometers from Pyongyang. So using THAAD to detect nuclear threats from the DPRK is somewhat like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. THAAD can detect threats as far as 2,000 km, and therefore any missile tests conducted by Beijing in Northeast, North or East China will be under US surveillance. As such, THAAD poses the most serious military threat to China and Russiait will enable the US to keep a close eye on the military activities of both China and Russia. Given this fact, should China and Russia deploy similar defense systems in Mexico or Canada? "Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you." The US move defies this Chinese saying. Also it will destabilize Northeast Asia further. China has always made efforts to help denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and it is strongly against the DPRK pursuing nuclear weapons. Reflecting China's peaceful approach to denuclearization is its efforts to bring relevant parties back to the negotiation table to restore permanent peace in Northeast Asia. As a responsible power, China doesn't shirk its duties. It supported the sanctions against the DPRK to compel it to abandon the nuclear path while trying its best to minimize the impact of the move on the country's ordinary people. In sharp contrast, the US has been busy adding fuel to the fire on the peninsula. It has even stabbed China in the back by pushing it to bear the brunt of the tensions after the DPRK conducted another nuclear test this year. If the US goes ahead with its THAAD move, the DPRK will become even more determined to develop nuclear weapons, which will not pose a direct threat to the US but can create serious trouble for the ROK and China. It is time Seoul realized the origin of the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe is the invasion of Iraq and meddling in the internal affairs of other Middle East countries by the US and its allies. The THAAD move will also deal a blow to China-ROK ties, which are enjoying their best ever period since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. China is the ROK's largest trade partner, and the ROK is China's third-largest trading country. And both China and the ROK stand together in their opposition to Japanese politicians' efforts to whitewash Japan's World War II crimes. But Washington is trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Seoul, and reinforce the US-Japan-ROK military alliance. By using the excuse of the DPRK's nuclear tests to justify its THAAD plan, the US is sowing the seeds of distrust between China and the ROK, and forcing Beijing to face more pressure from Pyongyang's military-first policy. The US considers itself wise; in reality it is fooling itself. The global stage is not the realm of the US alone, and good global governance is not possible without the cooperation of China, for it is the world's second-largest economy. So the US should heed China's call for a "new type of major-power relationship" and do a really good turn by not installing THAAD in the ROK. The author is a writer with China Daily. zhuping@chinadaily.com.cn On July 12, the tribunal in the South China Sea arbitration between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China will issue its final award. China has made it clear from the outset that it will neither participate in nor accept the outcome of the arbitral proceedings because the subject matter of the arbitration is, in essence, "the extent of China's territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea" and, in particular, its "sovereignty over the Nansha (Spratly) Islands as a whole". The jurisdiction of the tribunal is, however, limited to disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and territorial sovereignty disputes are not governed by the convention. The final award will build on the tribunal's award on jurisdiction and admissibility of Oct 29, 2015, in which the tribunal rejected China's objection that the disputes in the South China Sea are actually about territorial sovereignty and thus outside its jurisdiction. While the tribunal affirmed its jurisdiction, either outright or conditionally, only in seven of the Philippines' 15 final submissions (deferring the question of its jurisdiction with regard to the remainder to the final award), the tribunal ruled that the Philippines' submissions Nos 1 to 14 did not reflect a dispute concerning territorial sovereignty but constituted a legal dispute concerning the interpretation or application of UNCLOS. With regard to submission No 15, the tribunal was unable to determine whether a dispute exists because the submission was unclear. The tribunal's award on jurisdiction and admissibility contains some serious flaws and is based on procedural irregularities which call into question the correctness of any final award. The jurisdiction of the tribunal is not unlimited. The tribunal itself pointed out that the existence of a dispute with regard to each and every submission is "a threshold requirement" for the exercise of its jurisdiction and that such dispute must concern the interpretation or application of UNCLOS. A dispute in international law is defined as "a disagreement on a point of law or fact, a conflict of legal views or of interests between two persons". For a "conflict of legal views" to exist it is not sufficient that certain incidents occurred between the parties. Such incidents must rather have led the parties "to adopt clearly-defined legal positions as against each other", and the position of one party must be positively opposed by the other. It is for the tribunal to objectively establish the existence of a dispute. Compared to the International Court of Justice, the tribunal adopted a rather loose standard when doing so. Of the 413 paragraphs of its award only 14 were devoted to the question of whether a dispute existed between the parties with regard to the Philippines' 15 submissions. The tribunal noted that China has "generally refrained from expressing a view on the status of particular maritime features" in the South China Sea. It was therefore unable to establish a positive opposition by China with regard to the Philippines' claims concerning the status of nine individual maritime features in the Nansha Islands and the maritime entitlements they generate. Unable positively to establish a dispute between the parties over the status of these features, the tribunal set out to "infer" the existence of a dispute over the status of these features. Unlike the ICJ, which inferred the existence of a dispute from a state's silence or its failure to respond to a claim, the tribunal "constructed" artificial disputes over the status of these features in the face of, and contrary to China's explicit legal position. China has made it clear on numerous occasions that the Nansha Islands are to be treated as a legal and geographical unit and that therefore the status and maritime entitlements of individual maritime features are not an issue. For example, in a note to the United Nations Secretary-General in 2011 China stated that the "Nansha Islands 'is' fully entitled to Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf". While China's claim to maritime entitlements thus relates to the Nansha Islands as a whole ("the Nansha Islands 'is' entitled"), the Philippines' claims relate to individual maritime features within the Nansha Islands. In order to prove the existence of a dispute with regard to the status and maritime entitlements of individual maritime features, the Philippines referred the tribunal to China's 2011 note but quoted its text as stating that "China's Nansha Islands 'are' fully entitled to Territorial Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf". By misquoting the Chinese noteusing the verb "are" instead of "is"the Philippines misleadingly gave the impression of China claiming that "they", that is, the individual features, "are fully entitled" to maritime entitlements while China in fact claims that the Nansha Islands as a unit "is fully entitled" to maritime entitlements. In a move most damaging to its credibility, the tribunal accepted and adopted the Philippines' misrepresentation of China's position that the "Nansha Islands 'are' (instead of 'is') fully entitled" to maritime entitlements and, consequently, inferred a dispute on the status of individual maritime features in the Nansha Islands. Ma Yihua, right, says that tango has changed his life.[Photo provided to China Daily] The Argentine dance is sweeping many off their feet in China LYU XIAOQIAN The venue is a cafe, but those gathered inside have something other than caffeine on their minds as they prepare to get their pulses racing. It's a Saturday night, and the cafe in central Beijing is about to put on its weekly dance night, during which tango aficionados will, arm in arm, step back into the 1930s and cast aside the cares of the present. However, if the tango is your thing and you are in Beijing you do not have to wait for a week for these kinds of get-togethers, for it seems that somewhere or other, every day of the week, a tango club, a swish hotel, or some other venue will be putting on something that appeals to you. For dancers from all walks of life in China, from the very young to the very old, tango has become a pastime that appeals to their sense of glamour. There are five professional tango clubs in Beijing, and every one or two months they invite an Argentine tango master to put on a workshop in which tango lovers at all levels can improve their skills and gain a greater appreciation of their art. In other big cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, tango is making its mark, too, and the first tango clubs are opening in second-tier cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing, Tianjin and Xi'an. Tango lessons China's love affair with the tango began about 13 years ago when several foreign tango lovers set up the group BeijingTango offering lessons before each of the two dance nights they organized each week. Eventually locals were joining in on the fun and after years of practice many have become not only highly skilled dancers, but highly proficient unofficial ambassadors, too, promoting Argentine culture in China. Liu Zheng, who organizes the weekly tango party in Westside Cafe and Bar, the Beijing cafe mentioned above, is one of those for whom the tango has become a way of life. He was introduced to the Argentine dance 10 years ago when he attended a Latin party, and was instantly besotted as he saw the dance being performed. "I was mesmerized by the music and the mood, and now I think I was fated to fall in love with tango." In 2007 Liu set up TangoHui, a group that promotes tango culture in China. In conjunction with clubs it offers tango lessons and puts on dance events. As with Liu, many of these learners become hooked after their first brush with tango, and Diego Ma, founder of TangoChino, one of the first tango clubs in China, says it has taught several thousand people since the club opened in 2009. Ma Yihua, a student of Diego, says that in the past three years he has spent more than seven hours a week on activities related to tango, including taking classes, listening to Argentine music and taking part in tango dance events. Ma says that tango has done nothing less than change his life. Rally against the plan on deployment of the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, July 8, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] China, Russia say strategic balance to be upset by US-ROK move on missile defense system China and Russia expressed strong opposition on Friday to the decision by the United States and the Republic of Korea to deploy an advanced missile defense system in the ROK, saying the system will destabilize the balance of security in the region. Washington and Seoul said in a joint announcement that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will be deployed to tackle the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Beijing said that it "strongly opposes" the move and urged the two nations to stop the deployment. The deployment will "do nothing to help with denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and will harm regional peace and stability", the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. "It will seriously damage strategic security interests of countries in the region, including China, as well as the region's strategic balance." The ministry had summoned the US and ROK ambassadors to lodge complaints, ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing later in the day. Russia also warned on Friday that the deployment of the anti-missile system would have "irreparable consequences". The move "undermines the established strategic balance in the (region) and beyond", Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. These actions will "negatively affect global strategic stability", it said. Seoul and Washington reportedly aim to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of next year. It would be operated by the allied forces under the operational control of the US Forces Korea commander. A THAAD battery includes launchers, interceptors and radar and fire control systems, according to the Missile Defense Agency of the US Department of Defense. Seoul reportedly would provide the site and infrastructure for the deployment, while Washington would pay for operation and maintenance. Selection of the deployment site could be announced within weeks, Reuters reported, quoting an ROK Defense Ministry official. Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said China will keep a close watch on actions by the US and ROK and take any necessary measures to safeguard national strategic security. Lyu Chao, a researcher of Korean Peninsula studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said the THAAD system will not help counter potential attacks from Pyongyang, as the DPRK would not use middle- and long-range missiles in any attacks on the ROK because of its geographic proximity. However, the system will pose "tangible threats" to China and Russia, Lyu said. Su Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said the timing of announcing the deployment is designed to put China in a complicated security situation, since it will have to deal with the South China Sea and Korean Peninsula issues at the same time. Agencies contributed to this story. Contact the writers at lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn Beijing-Manila relations will "return to the right track of healthy development" if the two sides work together toward the goal, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Zhao Jianhua, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, visited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, according to a statement by the ministry. The visit came five days before the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague is scheduled to announce its ruling in the arbitration case on the South China Sea dispute between the two countries. The two sides exchanged views on "properly handling disputes and improving bilateral relations", the ministry said. Early this week, sources close to the matter said Beijing is ready to start negotiations on issues such as joint development and cooperation in scientific research, if the Philippines government puts aside the tribunal's ruling. During a speech in Davao City late last month, Duterte said he would refrain from commenting on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, pending the decision in the arbitration case. Li Guoqiang, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, said that China and the Philippines used to have communication over maritime disputes. However, the process has been disrupted by the arbitration case, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, Li said. "The Philippines' new government has sent a positive signal of resolving disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means, and China is glad to see that," Li added. He said Manila's provocation has brought negative effects to economic cooperation between the two countries. In May, before his inauguration, Duterte said he wanted China to help improve his nation's infrastructure by building a railway system linking the entire country. Chen Qinghong, an expert on the Philippines at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said there is still room for Beijing-Manila economic cooperation if consensus is reached on how to deal with the arbitration ruling. "China has good capability, technology and rich experience in infrastructure construction overseas, which could be used to improve the Philippines' infrastructure facilities," Chen said. Police attempt to calm the crowd when an arrest is made after snipers opened fire in Dallas on Thursday. Laura Buckman / AFP Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas, Texas, killing five officers and injuring seven others during protests in the United States over two recent fatal shootings by police of black men, police said. Three people were in custody and a fourth suspect was killed by police using explosives after a long standoff in a downtown garage, police said. The gunfire broke out around 8:45 pm on Thursday while hundreds of people were gathered to protest fatal police shootings this week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St Paul, Minnesota. Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters on Friday morning the snipers fired "ambush style" upon the officers. Mayor Mike Rawlings said one member of the public was wounded by the gunfire. Protests were also held in several other cities across the country on Thursday night after a Minnesota officer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child. The aftermath of the shooting was live streamed in a widely shared Facebook video. A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two officers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video. Video footage from the Dallas scene showed protesters marching along a street in downtown, about half a mile from City Hall, when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered. Brown said that it appeared the shooters "planned to injure and kill as many officers as they could". The search for the shooters stretched throughout downtown. The area is only a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on street corners. "Everyone just started running," Devante Odom, 21, told The Dallas Morning News. Carlos Harris, who lives downtown, told the newspaper that the shooters "were strategic. It was tap, tap pause. Tap, tap pause". SEOUL -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired what is estimated to have been a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. The projectile was launched in waters southeast of the DPRK's eastern port city of Sinpo in South Hamgyong province, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) was quoted as saying. The military is analyzing the exact flight distance of the projectile and whether the test-firing was successful. If confirmed, it would mark the DPRK's first test-launch of its SLBM since April 23 when a ballistic missile launched from a submarine flew about 30 km before exploding into fragments. The launch came a day after Seoul and Washington jointly announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in the US Forces Korea (USFK) to better tackle what they claimed was the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats. COLOMBO -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday the planned deployment of US THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea far exceeds the Korean Peninsula's defense needs. The visiting foreign minister told reporters that China had the reasons and rights to question the behind-the-scenes motives of this move, and any excuse for the deployment would be unjustified. The United States and South Korea decided on Friday to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. China said it is "strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes to this." Wang said the Chinese side had stated its firm stance on this issue, stressing that the United States should not harm other countries' legitimate security interests with the excuse of so-called security threats. The Chinese top diplomat also called on the South Korean side to be cool-headed and think over what the deployment could actually bring for its security, for the realization of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, as well as for the settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. He urged related parties to act in a cautious and appropriate manner and avoid committing a serious mistake. (Photo : DARPA) DARPA CGC Finalists Advertisement The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) program to weaponize the Internet of Things (IoT) involves the "Cyber Grand Challenge" (CGC) whose finals will be held Aug. 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The finals of CGC, an international tournament DARPA calls the "world's first automated network defense tournament," will involve seven U.S. teams that will pit their machines against each other to uncover vulnerabilities that might exist in the IoT. DARPA also bills CGC as "The World's First All-Machine Hacking Tournament." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement DARPA believes that important connected infrastructure in the U.S. such as traffic lights and power grids might be susceptible to cyberattacks by hostile states or individual hackers and hacking groups. It said the aim of its CGC is to speed-up the development of automated security systems able to defend against cyberattacks as fast as they are launched. The machines making the fixes must perform as well as human experts. Rick Weiss, DARPA's director of strategic communications, said the growth of IoT means "cybersecurity needs to evolve to a largely automated, scalable process." Seven teams from around the U.S. will compete head-to-head in the finals of CGC for nearly $4 million in prizes and the chance to do their patriotic duty to help revolutionize cybersecurity in the U.S. The finalists that will duke it out with their minds are: * CodeJitsu (Berkeley, Calif.): A team affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley; * ForAllSecure (Pittsburgh, Pa.): A startup founded by a team of computer security researchers from Carnegie Mellon University; * TECHx (Charlottesville, Va.): Software analysis experts from GrammaTech, Inc., a developer of software assurance tools and advanced cybersecurity solutions, and the University of Virginia; * CSDS (Moscow, Idaho): A professor and post-doctoral researcher from the University of Idaho; * DeepRed (Arlington, Va.): A team of engineers from the Raytheon Company; * disekt (Athens, Ga.): Four people, working out of a technology incubator, who participate in CTF competitions around the world; * Shellphish (Santa Barbara, Calif.): A group of computer science graduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A YouTube video of CGC can be viewed here. Advertisement TagsDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Cyber Grand Challenge (Photo : Karaghen Hudson and Michael Rosnach) Synthetic stingray (top) and next to a small skate (bottom) for size comparison. Advertisement A minute robotic stingray the size of a nickel and powered by living muscle tissue holds out the hope the technology that created it might one day be used to create functioning human hearts. A research team at Harvard University's Wyss Institute demonstrated their remarkable creature swimming in water and directed by bursts of blue light. They said it might be possible to build an artificial heart using some of the same techniques. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Their hybrid creature has a transparent body made of silicone and a simple skeleton made of gold. The ray is propelled through water by 200,000 heart muscle cells taken from a rat. The cells were genetically altered to allow the synthetic ray to follow a pair of blue lights. The creature mimics the undulating motions of a stingray. Flapping its wing-like elastic fins, allows the ray to maneuver through an obstacle course as it follows a blue light that selectively activates its muscle cells. Today's artificial hearts are basically mechanical pumps. The researchers said an artificial heart made from living muscle cells such as that in their synthetic stingray would behave more like a natural heart, and would be able to grow and change over time. "I want to build an artificial heart, but you're not going to go from zero to a whole heart overnight," said Dr. Kit Parker, a bioengineer and physicist at the Wyss Institute. "This is a training exercise." "I thought that if I could build a stingray, I might have a greater insight into how the heart is built and how it varies beat to beat." Dr. Parker said his 20-person team was trying to replicate as much of the heart's normal functions as they possibly could with their synthetic stingray. By building a synthetic stingray, the team could learn how to replicate the animal's ability to respond instantly to changing conditions, much like a human heart does to changing body conditions. The hybrid created by Dr. Parker's team displays the rhythmic, undulating motion of a real stingray. Replicating that motion is one of the project's key accomplishments. It demonstrates how to use the cardiac cells that power a beating heart to operate a flexible artificial organism such as the synthetic ray. Advertisement Tagsrobotic stingray, Harvard University Wyss Institute, artificial heart, Dr. Kit Parker (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese Wal-Mart employees have returned to work after staging a protest last week. Advertisement Workers who staged a protest at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. outlets in China have allegedly reported back to work after the company agreed to consider their protests against a new work scheduling system. Around 70 Wal-Mart employees in China started a wildcat strike at the beginning of this month to express their concern about a new flexible scheduling system. The staff refused to go to work last week, and instead, they protested outside Wal-Mart stores in the cities of Nanchang, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Harbin. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The employees claim that Wal-Mart demanded them to work on 11-hour shifts during weekends and as little as four hours on weekdays. The workers expressed concern that this could be used to cut overtime pay and interfere in their chances of finding a second job. Some also claimed that the workload is too heavy, revealing that "all employees felt it was too difficult and were very unhappy." Store managers reportedly presented the new scheduling system in May and urged workers to sign a new contract authorizing the amendment. Under China's policy, full-time employees are subject to two-year contracts. Employees were given the option. However, if they opt to stick with their old agreement, they were warned that they would receive a smaller pay since meal subsidies, and other payments would be removed, the Business Insider reported. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart said on Thursday that it introduced the new working schedule system in July across various Chinese outlets. The company claims that a majority of its employees have accepted the new policy. According to China Labour Bulletin, the strikes ended because Wal-Mart's management agreed to consider the workers' demand within a week. However, Wal-Mart China has refused to comment and confirm if they are indeed open for negotiations. Advertisement TagsWal-Mart, Wal-Mart China, wildcat strikes, labor strike, Nanchang, Labor union (Photo : Getty Images) The 2016 Buick Envision crossover SUV is shown at a Buick reveal on the eve of the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. Advertisement The sales of passenger-vehicles in China increased in the first half of the year, driven by the demand for sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), crossovers, and new-energy vehicles. Car makers sold 10.8 million units of cars, SUVs, and multipurpose vehicles between January and June, up by 9.5 percent from a year earlier, the government-backed China Passenger Car Association reported. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Honda Motor Corp. saw an 18 percent increase in sales to 542,527 units, Toyota Motor Corp. saw a 16 percent to 592,100 units, and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz saw a 32 percent to 229,137 vehicles. Altogether, the three companies outpaced last year's 8.4 percent gain. Demand for these SUVs is anticipated to remain solid this year, as Chinese buyers are opting for more spacious vehicles after the government finally put an end to the decades-long one-child policy. "Sales of SUVs continue to be robust as Chinese families who plan to have a second child are keen on the size and height of the car," Zhang Xin, Beijing-based Guotai Junan Securities' chief auto analyst, said. He further noted that SUVs with small engines that are highly fuel efficient are becoming a trend. The growth of SUV sales in China accounted for 35 percent of the total passenger-vehicle sales in the first half of the year, up by eight percent from the year earlier, thanks to local carmakers who are introducing cheaper models to seduce more buyers. For the month of June, industrywide deliveries of SUV soared 19 percent to 1.7 million. Meanwhile, electric vehicles also saw its sales double as the Chinese government hastens construction of charging areas to cater for an estimated five million electrically powered vehicles by 2020. Advertisement TagsSUVs, china In the past week, three cities have been rocked by gun violence. Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Philando Castile was killed by police Wednesday during a traffic stop outside St. Paul, Minnesota. The next night, a dozen police officers and two civilians were shot during a protest in Dallas. The back-to-back tragedies led to a national outcry, including from Christian leaders. Evangelicals are among the groups least likely to support Black Lives Matter, according to a 2015 Barna Group survey. Yet plenty of pastors joined the chorus of fear, frustration, and grief on social media and also plan to address the recent events in church on Sunday. CT asked pastors near Baton Rouge, St. Paul, and Dallas how they plan to minister to their congregations after this weeks incidents. Donald Hunter, New Beginning Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Donald Hunter, an African American pastor in the city where Alton Sterling was killed, said hell be preaching this Sunday on Psalm 11:5: The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. Most of us have a misconception about Christianity, and that is if youre a Christian, youre not supposed to have trouble in your life or community, he told CT. But look at Christhe had trouble from the day he was born. Hunter said hell also draw from Psalm 34:19: The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. When we endure such things as murderwhether it's police officers or we kill one anotherthe challenge we have is whether we will submit ourselves to God and ... 1 home US Dallas shooting suspect Micah Johnson: U.S. military veteran believed to be lone gunman in Texas police ambush A black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for U.S. police in the line duty from a single event since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. GUNMAN ANGRY ABOUT POLICE KILLINGS The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. A profile of Johnson's political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The U.S. Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. "HEARTACHE AND DEVASTATION" Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. The Rev. Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor's invitation, the White House said. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump canceled campaign events for Friday following the attack. home US Iowa church files transgender bathroom directive lawsuit against Civil Rights Commission A church in Fort Des Moines has filed a lawsuit against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission for issuing a directive that churches, as public accommodations, are subject to the law that prohibits discrimination based on sexuality and gender identity. The Commission recently released a brochure about the state law that requires public places to allow transgender persons in women's bathrooms. A section in the brochure, titled "Does this law apply to churches?" explained that the exemption on churches does not apply "where qualifications are not related to a bona fide religious purpose." The explanation went on to say that church services, which are open to the public, and child care facilities that churches operate do fall under "bona fide religious purpose." However, the church, Fort Des Moines Church of Christ, said this interpretation of state law violates the First Amendment and could force churches to open women's bathrooms to transgender people. The Commission further explained in the brochure that refusing to use the correct pronoun in addressing transgender individuals is a form of harrassment. It also said that discrimination, according to law, means "publicizing that the patronage of persons of any particular sexual orientation or gender identity is unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable, or not solicited." This interpretation of the law could prevent churches from teaching Biblical principles on gender identity and sexuality from the pulpit during worship services, the lawsuit argued. "Churches should be free to teach their religious beliefs and operate their houses of worship according to their faith without being threatened by the government. That is a foundational First Amendment principle," Christiana Holcomb from the Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement. Holcomb emphasized that churches should be free from government intrusion as they have always been. They should have the freedom to teach Biblical views about sexuality and marriage, and not allowing them to do so is an "obvious unconstitutional invasion" of the state into the church. home World Iraqi Christians 'on the verge of disappearing,' warns report A new report jointly released by four nongovernment organizations warns that minorities in Iraq, including Christians, could soon disappear because of ISIS' continuing assault and advance in the country after Mosul fell in 2014. ISIS has committed "war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide, including summary executions, killing, mutilation, rape, sexual violence, torture, cruel treatment, the use and recruitment of children, and outrages on personal dignity" against Iraq's religious and ethnic minorities, the report said. The report, titled "No Way Home: Iraq's Minorities on the Verge of Disappearance," provides details on how many of Iraq's minorities have been killed, abducted and injured in the past two years. It also documents the conditions in the refugee camps. Prior to 2003, there were around 1.4 million Christians in the country. However, that number has dwindled to less than 250,000 now. The Yazidis have been forced to flee their homes and many of them either have left the country or have become internally displaced. The Iraqi minorities are now "disillusioned and disappointed not only with the Gol and KRG, but also with the UN," according to Johanna Green from the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. "This situation of protracted displacement is causing further tensions to an already dire situation, which highlights the urgent need for a long-term focus that goes beyond immediate security and relief," Green said in a statement. Many of those who have been displaced had hoped to return home someday, but the lack of basic services has caused them to leave the country altogether. William Spence Spencer from the Institute for International Law and Human Rights said that as homes and properties are destroyed and looted, survivors will have nothing to go home to unless Iraq and other nations intervene to help the minorities. The report also warned that if ISIS should retake Mosul, a million people could be displaced over the next year. The present report is a follow-up from last year's "Between the Millstones: The State of Iraq's Minorities Since the Fall of Mosul," which noted that the violence against Iraq's religious and ethnic minorities appears to be "a systematic strategy to remove these communities permanently from areas where they have lived for centuries." Alison Smith from No Peace Without Justice urged the Iraq government to take measures to help the minorities, such as referring the case to the International Criminal Court. home World ISIS boils alive seven of its own terror members for fleeing battle The Islamic State militants recently executed seven of its own fighters who had tried to abandon the battlefield by boiling them to death. According to Daily Star, an unnamed local source confirmed to Arabic-language media that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) terrorist group executed its own men by boiling them alive. "ISIL/Daesh executed seven of its militants who had fled Sharqat battlefield in Salahuddin by putting them in containers with boiling water," the source was quoted as saying. The militants reportedly tied down the convicted fighters' hands and legs before tossing them into the boiling cauldron. Only last month, the militants reportedly gunned down 19 of its fighters who had also tried to run away from the battlegrounds in the neighborhoods of al-Shuhada and al-Nassaf in Central Fallujah. In May, ISIS used another ferocious way of killing when it fed several of its leaders to savage dogs as punishment for their failed efforts. It is believed that the terrorist group aims to introduce violent methods of killing to frighten members into discipline. "IS uses any members who are thought to be of no use, for the organization to frighten other members," said Kurdish sociologist Dler Ahmed, as reported by AhlulBayt (a.s.) News Agency (ABNA). However, the sociologist noted that IS' tactics of brutal execution would not fend off forces opposed to the terrorist group. On Saturday, July 2, the governor of Salahuddin province, Ahmed Jabouri, announced that Iraqi security forces are gaining grounds against the militant group. "The Iraqi military troops are advancing against ISIS in the military operations and there are excellent plans to dig trenches to hold the ground," Daily Star quoted the governor as saying. Jabouri added, "The security forces now have considerable experience in combating ISIS in the cities. They are stationed around 10 km from the centre of al-Sharqat." home World ISIS uses mobile phone app to sell young Yazidi girls ISIS is using a phone app to advertise women and girls as young as 12 years old "for sale." One such ad posted in the Telegram app was hidden in an encrypted conversation among other posts selling random items from pets to weapons, according to a report from the Associated Press. In August 2014, ISIS captured thousands of Yazidi women and children, who are now being held as sex slaves. At present, the extremist group is still holding an estimated 3,000 women and girls captive. A number of these women have been set free through Arab and Kurdish smugglers, who have worked to help an average of 134 women escape ISIS every month. However, as ISIS lost parts of its territory to advancing forces, it has become more strict with the Yazidi captives. Recently, it conducted a crackdown on the smugglers who are helping women get out, killing smugglers who were caught and effectively reducing the number of those who escape to a monthly average of 39. "They register every slave, every person under their owner, and therefore if she escapes, every Daesh control or checkpoint, or security force - they know that this girl ... has escaped from this owner," Mirza Danai, founder of the German-Iraqi aid group Luftbrucke Irak, told the AP. In May, another report surfaced that ISIS was selling sex slaves on Facebook. The post showed a photo of a young girl with the caption: "To all the bros thinking about buying a slave, this one is $8,000," The Washington Post reported. Although the terror group has previously used social media to sell sex slaves, that was the first time it uploaded an actual photo of the girl it was selling. Facebook quickly took down the photo. Last month, the United Nations declared that ISIS is "committing genocide against the Yazidis." "ISIS has sought to erase the Yazidis through killings; sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment and forcible transfer causing serious bodily and mental harm," the report said. The report also said that ISIS has publicly acknowledged it is attacking the Yazidis and is seeking to eliminate them because of their faith. home World Middle East Christians fear ISIS strategy will be to infiltrate neighboring states Christians in the Middle East fear that the Islamic State group is set to shift strategy to neighboring states as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria. The religious-based human rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) reported (via One News Now) that Middle Eastern Christians residing outside Iraq and Syria expressed concerns that terrorist acts carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) would spill over the neighboring states as soon as it relinquishes control on its former strongholds. On June 27, eight suicide bombers targeted the Christian village of Qaa in Lebanon. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks but the Lebanese Christians are worried that the Syrian war may be spilling over to their territory. ICC also noticed that ISIS is changing its strategy after losing grounds in Fallujah, Iraq. "That Christian communities that have been around for thousands of years a for example, Lebanon a are going to now become targets of terrorist attacks like bombings," Will Stark of ICC said, as quoted by One News Now. Similarly, Reuters reported that the recent bombing attacks in Iraq, Bangladesh, Turkey and Saudi Arabia over the last week of Ramadan could be the unveiling of a strategy shift that's characterized as a "terrorist-style guerrilla bombings" should ISIS claim responsibility. Even before the Islamic celebration of Ramadan began in June, ISIS already called for its supporters to carry out attacks during the month, particularly on the Western soil of the U.S. and Europe. "What the speech is trying to do is set the stage so if they do face that setback, they are able to adapt and keep their followers," said J.M. Berger, a fellow at the George Washington University's Program on Extremism, on ISIS' audio message in May, as reported by The Christian Science Monitor. "We are not talking about ISIS going away, we are talking about a major tool of ISIS going away," Berger added. "What we have yet to see is what shape its new approach will take." ISIS reportedly possesses more than $2 billion of treasury and 20,000 fighters in Syria, enough for them to carry out attacks for years to come. Analysts also believe ISIS will continue to adapt as it has proven throughout the years and may even recapture Iraq and Syria as the nations continue to suffer from political and economic turmoil. home World Pakistan police condemned for doing little to prevent Christian persecution The Asian Human Rights Commission reported increased incidences of Christian persecution in Pakistan and condemned the police for doing little to prevent them. The human rights group gleaned information provided by Christians' True Spirit (CTS) and Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) London that an even more aggressive harassment by the predominantly Muslim nation is suffered by the Christian minorities in a particular Christian village. "The Christian community of Chak 44, in Tehsil Phaliyan, Mandi Bahaudin's cordoning off by the Muslim clerics and their supporters in the area, must be immediately halted," the AHRC said in a report back in May. The group created an appeal letter addressed to Pakistani authorities urging them to prevent instances where Christians are forced to choose between conversions to Islam and abandoning their homes. It cited a case back in April that triggered a series of onslaught against the Christian community. It all started when Muslims accused 28-year-old Imran Masih, a rural health sweeper and also a Christian, of possessing a blasphemous video clip on his mobile phone. Masih denied the allegations but the Muslim men already destroyed his phone and beat him up. When the Muslims involved the village's mosque committee and issued a Fatwa, Masih and his family fled the village fearing for their lives. Since then, the Christians have suffered from threats of having their houses burned by the Muslims as well as from social boycott. The Muslims also force the Christians to either convert to Islam or leave their homes. About 75 percent of the Christians villagers have left since then but those who remained continue to live under threats. "The situation is getting worse with each passing day. The Christians are living in constant fear that their houses may be set on fire by a mob if the police does not provide them with round the clock security," said the AHRC. However, the Christian villagers complained of lukewarm efforts by the police who neither spoke with them nor patrolled the night to ensure their security. "The state must proactively work towards encouraging interfaith harmony and prosecute perpetrators of violence in the name of religion without fail or delay," the AHRC urged. Atheist group asks U.S. court to declare religious exemption for retirement plans unconstitutional An atheist group has filed a brief with an appeals court in the United States, asking it to declare religious exemptions for retirement plans unconstitutional. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) submitted its brief to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado, which is handling a case on Medina v. Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). Janeen Medina, a former CHI employee, filed the case against CHI, saying that the latter should not be exempted from the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Under ERISA, retirement plans managed by churches are exempted from requirements such as paying insurance premiums, meeting minimum funding standards, and disclosing funding levels to plan participants, the FFRF said. In a ruling last December, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Blackburn ruled that "I therefore ultimately find and conclude that the CHI plan is properly classified as a church plan and thus is entitled to the benefit of ERISA exemptions for such plans." In its brief, FFRF is asking the court to go much further. "Rather than attempt to draw a black line in a black sea, this court can take a clearer path, one that follows a line between black and white," FFRF staff attorney Andrew Seidel wrote in the brief submitted on June 29. "To do so, the court must take a step back and look at the entire picture: The church plan exemption is unconstitutional." It said the exemption given to church plans violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and that imposing the same requirements on religious plans as for all others would not be an excessive entanglement of government and religion. The FFRF said in the absence of adequate regulation, church plans are deficient as vast majority of such plans are underfunded with 90 percent in critical status. It accused churches of taking advantage of their exemption from disclosure requirements. "Churches are enjoying several privileges over their secular counterparts when it comes to these pension plans," says FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Courts need to take a close, hard look at the heart of the matter: how this exemption contravenes the First Amendment." But in his ruling, Blackburn declared that churches' exemption does not violate the First Amendment. "Accordingly, affording CHI the benefit of the church plan exemption works no violation of the First Amendment," he ruled. Atheists warn 1,000 school districts against visiting Noah's ark theme park in Kentucky Hundreds of people attended the opening on Thursday of the massive Ark Encounter Christian theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky, which features a full-scale replica of Noah' Ark. "I believe this is going to be one of the greatest Christian outreaches of this era in history," said Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis and the builder of the ark. "People are going to come from all over the world." While many Christians are praising the project, a group of atheists has warned more than 1,000 public school districts against taking their students to the theme park, saying it will violate the U.S. Constitution, the Associated Press reports. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which campaigns for the separation of Church and state, is sending letters to public schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio, telling them that they cannot organise student field trips to the Ark Encounter. "This is a precautionary memo to advise that public schools and public school staff may not constitutionally organise trips to Ham's Ark Park, with its clear religious goal and portrayal of fiction as divine truth, or to the Creation Museum or any other religious venue," said the letter signed by FFRF co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker. They said schools have obligation to ensure programmes "do not inculcate religion." FFRF claims that "taking public school students to a site whose self-professed goal is to convert children to a particular religion and undermine what is taught in public school science and history classrooms would be inappropriate." "Public schools may not advance or promote religion," they said, adding that it would violate students' rights of conscience and the Constitution. In building the theme park, Ham said, "We want to do as much as we can to reach everyone in the world with God's Word and the message of the gospel at the Ark Encounter. The Ark is a reminder to future generations of the truth of God's Word." The ark was built based on biblical dimensions in Genesis 6, according to Answers in Genesis. It stands seven stories high and has a length of 510 feet, making it the largest free-standing timber-frame structure in the world. A study estimated that between 1.4 million and 2.2 million people will visit the theme park in the first year including 40 percent or more who are non-Christians. Catholic teen with Down Syndrome set to complete mission to serve in Mass in all 50 states Here's another proof that we can all serve God, despite our limitations and even despite disabilities. Back in 2013, teenager Kara Jackson embarked on a mission: to help serve in Holy Masses across all 50 states in America. On July 1, she proudly crossed the 40th state off her list. Jackson, who has Down Syndrome, was able to help serve during a Holy Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Northglenn, Colorado, just one of many churches across the US where she has served during her cross-country journey. In an interview with the Catholic News Agency, the 18-year-old shared that she started this inspiring mission because "God told me to." She recalled how God came to her in a dream one night, telling her to aim to serve in Eucharistic celebrations across the United States. Christina Jackson, Kara's mother, however, was at first unsure about her daughter's quest. As a parent, Christina was worried about Kara's health, and the fact that she is traveling to unknown areas without any financial support. "I didn't think it was a good idea," Mrs. Jackson also told CNA, "It was a crazy idea." However, Kara was very persistent about her goal. This prompted her parents to consult local priests in Middletown, Ohio. One of them, the late Msgr. Paul Metzger, told the Jackson couple that what Kara is aspiring for is indeed possible, since he had done it himself. After getting this validation, Kara and her parents began travelling across America to fulfill the teenage girl's mission to help serve in the Holy Eucharist. Interestingly, they do not have any specific parish in mind when they travel. "God leads us where we're supposed to go," Mrs. Jackson said. What started out as a teenage girl's dream has also become a pilgrimage for her family. "I don't think of ourselves as evangelists," Kara's mother said, "but we really are evangelising our faith." Christian solidarity group says violent extremism on the rise in Bangladesh Terror gripped Bangladesh during the past week, with two terrorist attacks launched in the South Asian nation: one in a cafe in the capital Dhaka, which killed 21 foreign hostages, and another at a checkpoint during a Muslim holiday, which claimed the lives of three people. A Christian solidarity group recently said that these kinds of violent extremist attacks are worsening in Bangladesh, and that these two attacks over the past few days may not be the last that the predominantly Muslim nation will see. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Georgia Gogarty of the South Asia Team for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, shared that people in Bangladesh are already in a state of fear and shock following the recent terrorist incidents. "People are certainly very, very fearful. They're concerned with their safety. They're concerned about going out. People we've worked with have already told us even before the attack that they were changing their movement. They were changing how often they go out, where they went to," Gogarty said in the radio interview. She explained that what started out as an attack on bloggers has started to victimise other groups, including Christians. "We've had a number of targeted killings that focused on secular bloggers and have now expanded towards local people also targeting religious minorities like Hindus, Christians, as well as people who have outspoken about fundamentalism," she said. What makes matters worse, she added, is the fact that the current government in Bangladesh seems to be using the attacks for political advantage, and ruling out the possibility that foreign groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) may have a hand in these violent incidents. "What we have gathered is that the current government is that it is homegrown terrorists and they are in complete denial that this could be linked to terrorist groups outside Bangladesh, whether al-Qaeda or ISIS," Gogarty explained. She further said that the government needs "to be more honest about who is responsible" for these attacks, and that officials "need to come down and condemn the attacks when they happen." Church under pressure to highlight discrimination against women Pressure has come on the Church of England to highlight any discrimination against women within its hierarchy and leadership structures. Women and the Church (WATCH), a fringe group on the Church's synod, has called for a wholesale "gender audit" to expose "any under-representation" at all levels of the Church hierarchy. The systematic review of all committees and bodies that make behind-the-scenes decisions within the Church aims to promote the "full inclusion of all women in Church life". Rev Stephen France, a member of the national synod and vice-chair of WATCH, told Christian Today: "We're far from having any realistic representation across the Church bodies." He added: "By no means is there full equality." The group launched a "gender justice policy for the Church of England" at the synod meeting in York on Saturday. It says the "concept of gender justice is rooted in the biblical vision" and says it "aims to...heal the scars of centuries of discrimination and oppression". The policy also calls for the theology of gender, which often advocates for God to be referred to as "she" rather than "he", to inform Church practice. Speaking at the launch of the policy, chair of WATCH Hilary Cotton said: "While some progress has been made in gender justice in recent years, most notably women bishops, now is the time for the Church of England to embody and promote gender justice both in its internal structures and in its external engagement with the world." But it is unlikely the motion will be accepted in the immediate future. Time is limited and the Church's governing synod is embroiled in deep disagreements over human sexuality and whether to accomodate gay relationships. This is likely to occupy most of the synod's next session, leaving little room for it to consider WATCH's suggestion. France told Christian Today he hoped the audit would be accepted in time to carry out a full report by the end of synod's current five-year cycle in 2019. It is now nearly two years since the Church of England allowed women bishops. The first woman bishop, Libby Lane, was consecrated in January 2015, more than 20 years after the Church allowed female priests in 1992. But despite a number of women being fast-tracked into senior roles, the vast majority of senior roles within the Church are still occupied by men. Just seven out of 73 bishops are women, according to the Church's latest ministry statistics. Three of those seven have been appointed in the last six months. On synod, the Church's national governing body, three out of 53 positions on the senior House of Bishops are taken by women. The wider picture is different with women making up 42 per cent of places across the whole synod. In the lower House of Laity, women are in a slight majority with 50.5 per cent of positions. In the wider Church, women make up one quarter of the total clergy, a steady rise of the last three years. Franklin Graham says 'America's broken political system desperately needs prayer' Things are not looking good for America, and Rev. Franklin Graham is not alone in his belief that the country is going on a downward spiral because of deceit and corruption in government. "Earlier this year Breitbart reported that a staggering 75 percent of Americans said 'corruption is widespread throughout the government,'" Graham writes on his Facebook page. "The number saying the government is corrupt is up dramatically, almost 10 points, just since the last president took office. I wonder what the number would be today?!" Unfortunately, corruption is "almost synonymous" with politics nowadays, and the justice system tends to prosecute all the wrong people, Graham says, adding that the guilty oftentimes get a free ride because of their connections in the government, while the innocent are forced to endure harsh circumstances. But even if these people manage to get away with their misdeeds now, Graham says they will eventually face God's justice. "God warns us in His Word, 'Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.' (Isaiah 1:4). Turning our back on God as a nation won't always go unpunished," he says. Graham says "America's broken political system desperately needs prayer." As such, he is inviting people to join him in prayer during the Republican National Convention (RNC) opening on July 18 and the Democratic National Convention (DNC) opening on July 25. The prayer event will be held through Facebook, and those who intend to join will be sent notifications when Graham will start the prayer initiative. "Share this we need the whole nation praying! May God bless America again!" he says. Iowa pastor tells government to stop meddling in religious affairs, allow him to freely preach God's Words Should preaching God's Word and sharing teachings from the Holy Bible against homosexuality be considered a violation of state law? An Iowa pastor has expressed concerns about how a state law prohibiting discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity is threatening his right to share God's Word with others. Cary Gordon, pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach, a nondenominational church with around 900 members in Sioux City, said the government should stop "meddling in religious affairs." "The state of Iowa is not the self-appointed pope of all churches," Gordon said, as quoted by Charisma News. Gordon is particularly opposing the expansion of the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes. The pastor said that this addition to the state law can be interpreted as prohibiting the sharing of Biblical teachings which consider same-sex relationships sinful. "As it reads, according to their interpretation of the Iowa code, if you discuss anything out of the Scripture that relates to sexuality or marriage ... you're not in compliance with the law and you can be sort of treated like a criminal," said Gordon, who has been preaching for over two decades. He further said that the protection provided by the state to homosexuals was a "flagrant disrespect for the First Amendment of the Constitution, where the state retains the power to correct or control what I say and teach out of the Bible." The pastor maintained that he will continue to teach against homosexuality despite the greater protection provided by the state to gay individuals. "It's fundamentally wrong and I can't comply with that," Gordon added. "I've taken an oath to the Lord Jesus Christ, and I obey the Bible above all men. ... I have to obey God, and that puts me in a precarious position." Pastor Robert Jeffress says evangelicals should vote for Donald Trump because 'at least he likes us' As far as Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas is concerned, evangelical Christians would definitely benefit a lot with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the White House. Jeffress said during an interview on the radio programme Right Wing Watch that those who remain committed to opposing Trump are simply "weak," "namby-pamby" and too "proud" because they "can't get over the fact that their candidate didn't win" in the Republican primary. The pastor even quoted the Bible verse Mark 3:25, which says, "If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand." Because of this, Jeffress said it's important for Christians to "get off the fence" and "vote their convictions" this coming election day. Granted, Jeffress said, that Trump is "not exactly like us" evangelical Christians, but "at least he likes us." The pastor can freely make that claim since he has been with Trump over the past year on several occasions. "I can tell you, if he becomes president, evangelical Christians will have a true friend in the White House," he asserted. He added that Trump will be unlike current President Barack Obama, whom he believes "hates" conservative Christians based on his actionssupporting LGBT agenda and abortion. On the other hand, Trump will back conservative Christians and will even "appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court." "This is not a battle between Republicans and Democrats," he said. "It's a battle between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness." Evangelicals are still divided in their support for Trump. While Jeffress is a huge Trump supporter together with Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., other well-known Christian leaders such as Southern Baptist Convention preacher Russell Moore and American Missiologist Benjamin Corey do not like the business magnate. Samsung Gear S3 release date rumors: Smartwatch tipped to debut as early as August The Samsung Gear S3, its upcoming third-generation smart watch, has been rumored to launch this September. However, according to a report from Digital Spy, it is possible that the device will be released a month earlier, during an event in New York. This event is currently scheduled to take place on Aug. 2. According to the report, Samsung has yet to confirm if the information is true and if the leaked images are real. However, if they are then it is speculated that Samsung may be unveiling the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 or a new Edge phone during the event. During this time the Gear S3 may also be unveiled to the public. If this proves true then the Samsung Gear S3 may be revealed in the first week of August and subsequently be rolled out to retailers over the next few weeks, with a nationwide launch coming in September as Samsung holds another event to release the new Galaxy smart phones and accompanying devices. Sam Mobile, on the other hand, hints that the Gear S3 will be a massive improvement from the device's predecessor while still maintaining some design philosophies such as the rotating bezel and a circular display. This is based on the rumor that the current codename for the S3 is "Solis," the Spanish word for "sun." According to the report, the Gear S3 will be running on Tizen and will have an updated user interface. It is also revealed that there will be several different models coming out, based on the listed model numbers, indicating there will be a luxury version coming out as well. Unfortunately, the exact specs and build of the Gear S3 are still unknown at this point, although there have been leaks of what the watch might look like. Samsung has yet to release an official image or teaser for the Gear S3. Tory government academies policy is 'open goal' opportunity for Church Thousands of children could receive a "deeply Christian" education if the Church of England's vision for education is successful. The report, presented to the CoE's national governing synod on Saturday, says the government's support of turning state-run schools into academies is a "unique opportunity" to expand the Church's influence over education. It is "an opportunity which should be seized wholeheartedly", says the report. "Standing still is not an option: we will either seize the opportunity or our contribution to State education will decline." The Church's lead bishop on education, Bishop of Ely Stephen Conway, added: "This is an opportunity that won't come round again." He told synod the "radical changes in the system" offer a "specific opportunity" to open more Church of England Free Schools. The Conservative government published a white paper in March that indicated it wanted to force all schools currently run by Local Authorities to become academies run by private groups or individuals. Although the policy is yet to be implemented, "the direction of travel is clear", the Church's report read. Mark Russell, chief executive of the Church Army, said the situation provided an "open goal" for the Church's influence over education. To laughter from the synod's chamber, Russell added: "I urge our team captain the nimble and able Bishop of Ely to don his kit and score that goal and the rest of us in this synod will cheer him on." However, some questioned why the Church's vision for education was "deeply Christian" and not "distinctively Christian". The Bishop of Blackburn, Julien Henderson, said the loss of the word of "distinctive" was significant. He said the decision would be seen as a "loss and a step back" by teachers in Church schools. "I hope we shall not agree to a contribution to the education of this nation that has lost its distinctly saltiness." But synod chose to back the report. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he was "excited" about its vision and insisted it was "distinctively Christian". He added: "You are distinctive because you are deep and you are deep because you are distinctive." US military veteran believed to be lone gunman in Dallas police ambush A black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics", Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organisation," US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect". One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for U.S. police in the line duty from a single event since the September 11, 2001, attacks. Gunman angry about police killings The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. A profile of Johnson's political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalising of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The US Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. "Heartache and devastation" Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. The Rev Jeff Hood, an organiser of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement". Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor's invitation, the White House said. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump canceled campaign events for Friday following the attack. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An armed man who friends say was searching for a stolen horse overnight on Houston's south side was shot dead by police early Saturday morning after waving a gun when he was approached by two officers, authorities said. A woman who identified herself on the scene as the man's wife said his name is Alva Braziel. According to public records, Braziel is a 38-year-old black man. News about the shooting quickly appeared on social media where posts said "Groucho" was his nickname. Braziel was a felon and was not authorized to have a weapon. Since 2000, Braziel has faced more than a dozen criminal charges in Harris County mostly drug possession cases but also burglary of a vehicle, resisting arrest and evading detention. Early indications are the armed male might have been under the influence of a narcotic, refused all officers' commands to drop his gun and instead pointed the gun at officers, said acting Houston Police Chief Martha I. Montalvo. The shooting happened around 12:40 a.m. Saturday as a pair of gang unit officers were riding in a cruiser along Cullen Boulevard on routine patrol. There were no emergency calls about a man with a gun. READ MORE: Houstonians rally, march and demand racial equality "In center of Cullen at Ward, they encounter a suspect standing in the middle of the street armed with a revolver," Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. "The officers merely on-viewed this suspect standing in the street armed with a gun." The officer driving immediately stopped the police car. "As they (police officers) exited their vehicle, they gave multiple commands to the suspect to drop the weapon and to show his hands and to cooperate," Silva said. A witness nearby reportedly also was yelling at the suspect and encouraging him to put the gun down. RELATED: New, dramatic photos from Dallas (warning: graphic content) "As they're doing this, the suspect raises his weapon initially as to point it towards the air," Silva said. "After that, as the officers continue speaking, the suspect then points his weapon in the direction of the officers. The officers, in fear of their safety, discharged their duty weapons." Braziel was pronounced dead at the scene. "The investigation into the overnight officer-involved shooting incident is still in its early stages and very active. As we have stated, a male armed with a gun pointed the gun at our officers and two officers discharged their weapons to protect their lives," Montalvo said. "We extend condolences to the man's family and regret his loss of life." Silva said that Houston police officers involved were veterans. One has 13 years of service and the other has been with the force for 10 years. As is customary in all police officer-involved shootings, the case is being investigated by the police department's homicide division and its internal affairs division along as well as a separate probe by the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Silva said. SPEAKING OUT: Celebrities weigh in on Dallas shooting Braziel's death follows national unrest this week about the police shootings of armed African-American men in Louisiana and Minnesota that have sparked protests nationwide and apparently contributed to an ambush of law enforcement in Dallas late Thursday that left five officers dead. On Saturday morning, #AlvaBraziel was a trending Twitter hashtag in Houston. Braziel had been cited at least two times about firearms by Harris County authorities and spent time in a Texas prison for drug offenses. In mid-June 2001, he was charged with the unlawful carry of a weapon. According to court records, he accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 60 days in the Harris County Jail. Two weeks later, he faced a felony charge for possession of phencyclidine, known as PCP or angel dust. He pleaded guilty in a plea bargain and was sentenced to six months in prison. That appears to be the conviction that made him a felon. He was charged as a felon in possession of a weapon in 2004, but that case was dismissed. At a prayer vigil on Saturday afternoon for victims of the July 1 terrorist attack in Bangladesh, Mayor Sylvester Turner called for a untied front in the face of all terror. "We have been summoned here by events throughout the world, " he said to the crowd of several hundred on the lawn of the Bangladesh-American Center in Houston. "Some things we will never understand." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DALLAS - On Saturday morning, well-wishers and mourners streamed past Dallas Police headquarters at 1400 Lamar Street, just south of the city center. Two cruisers were parked outside, covered with messages in a makeshift memorial of support and love from grieving Dallasites. "#BacktheBlue because someone I call DAD is on the Force," one sign read. "Thank you for risking your life for us," a child wrote on a letter plastered on one police cruiser's window. "I do not know what the world would be like if there was no police officer, but I know it would be the worst place ever." The shooting deaths Thursday night of five Dallas-area police officers, meanwhile, hung heavy on local residents' hearts. "I don't know what to say about it," said Vanessa Willis, a 53-year-old African-American woman from Oak Cliff Park. "All I know is it needs to stop." She came to the memorial with a Reginald Holt, a 54-year-old Cedar Hill resident. "There could have been a better way to deal with it," she said, of the gunman's grievances with police. "I totally understand his anger, I do," she said, referring to officer-involved killings that had made the news earlier this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. "We want justice, but taking a life for a life, that's just not right. This solved absolutely nothing." "I don't think it's ever going to end," said Holt, a former Marine who later worked as a law enforcement officer in Illinois. "I'm worried about copy cats that are going to follow this." Dallasites of all races sat together, comforting each other. One man left a huge painting of a blue and red heart. Police chaplains mingled among the crowd, speaking to children and families. Dallas police officers occasionally emerged from headquarters, chatting with residents or dispensing Gatorade and bottled water, as emotional scenes played out throughout the morning. Djuana Franklin, dropped a letter on one police cruiser, tears streaming down her face. "Dallas PD was there for me when I was homeless," said Franklin, 44. "They were there for me when I was raped. When I was in a domestic violence case, they were there for me. "I'm frustrated," she said. "They lost their lives for no reason." The president will travel to Dallas early next week, ending his Spain trip a day early. President Barack Obama will meet with government officials in Madrid on Saturday and return to the U.S. on Sunday, according to a press release. Obama addressed Thursday's deadly shootings of police officers at a press conference in Poland, saying the suspected gunman conducted a "vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." When he returns to Washington D.C. after his trip to Dallas, he will further address issues surrounding the recent racially charged events. "The President will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities, and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system," the press release states. DALLAS - As the shooting investigation continues, Gov. Greg Abbott spoke with President Barack Obama on the telephone Saturday. The president called the governor to offer his condolences for the five officers killed in Dallas on Thursday night, Abbott's office said Saturday evening. The governor thanked the president for the call and reiterated the need for Americans to come together and unite in the wake of this tragedy. Meanwhile, law enforcement from Fort Worth to Arlington have converged on Dallas to investigate Thursday's shooting of officers and civilians during what started as a peaceful protest downtown. Officers from agencies in north Texas and state patrolmen are helping the Dallas Police Department keep the crime scene secure. On the corner Jackson and South Griffin streets, J.L. Rodriguez stood guard near a barricade. The Dallas ISD patrol officer said he's deeply sadden by shooting even though he doesn't know the victims. "I didn't know them -- I don't work directly with DPD," said Rodriguez, who has worked for Dallas ISD for nine years. "DPD is a big brother agency to us and we're happy to help whenever we can." Overnight and into the morning, law enforcement agencies and Texas Department of Public Safety provided assistance, including securing the perimeter and collecting evidence. DPS also is sending counselors to provide victim support services. "Protecting Texas would be impossible without the devotion and hard work of all the dedicated members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to help keep their communities safe," said Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw. "Our department will provide any law enforcement resources and support needed to assist the city of Dallas in the wake of this reprehensible attack." 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. Petr Vaclav's latest film We Are Never Alone may represent his career thus far in microcosm. It folds in the Roma subject matter of his lauded debut Marian; Karel Roden and Lenka Vlasakova star as a despairing couple, much like in Parallel Worlds; and Klaudia Dudova, the lead actress from recent hit The Way Out, appears. For those with prior knowledge of his work, Petr Vaclavs latest film We Are Never Alone may represent his career thus far in microcosm. It folds in the Roma subject matter of his lauded debut Marian; Karel Roden and Lenka Vlasakova star as a despairing couple, much like in Parallel Worlds; and Klaudia Dudova, the lead actress from recent hit The Way Out, appears. Vaclav brings all of this together with undeniable flare and an eye for mundane absurdity, but the result is an uneven curio as much as a cumulative masterwork. He paints a bleak and frightening portrait of small town Czech Republic. Its due in large part to the two most arresting characters: Rodens bad-tempered hypochondriac and his new neighbour, a paranoid right-wing prison guard (Miroslav Hanus). Roden in particular will be popular for playing against type here, much like Mads Mikkelsen in Men & Chicken, and its impossible to stifle guffaws, not least in a scene in which he attempts to safely smoke a cigarette by covering his tongue with a condom. The other mans paranoia is less overtly hilarious but no less controlling; every room in his home is locked individually with his put-upon family having to knock to be admitted into the kitchen. Hes also equally concerned about other men chasing after his wife, though in reality shes one of the few people not being pursued. Vlasakovas shopkeeper (married to Roden) lusts after local strip club bouncer Milan (Zdenek Godla), who is himself in love with dancer Sylva (Dudova), who in turns pines for her currently incarcerated husband. Every character is guided by unrelenting desperation, even the children of this tiny town play cruel pranks to exacerbate their parents psychoses in the hope of release. Each of the relationships passes comment on social mores, from the uniformly poor treatment of women to simmering racial tensions, but they struggle to coalesce into a fulfilling narrative, remaining disjointed vignettes that form a general atmosphere of alienation and hopelessness. Distance is further added by Vaclavs inexplicable decision to shift between monochrome and colour at several apparently arbitrary points during the film. The change in colour seems to add little meaning, but Stepan Kuceras lensing in both formats commendably portrays the claustrophobia of their situations. The insidious resentments that fester are clearly pointing in the direction of social radicalisation, a stark warning as to the dangerously unstable ground upon which modern communities must exist. In part, this may be cultural audiences in Karlovy Vary have responded well but We Are Never Alone never seems to quite find its footing. For all of its hilarious moments and searing images like a character attempting to staunch a gunshot wound with an envelope of cash it never quite knows what to do with them. Ben Nicholson | @BRNicholson In the aftermath of Thursday nights sniper attack on police in Dallas, a photograph of a sobbing Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer quickly became one of the most recognizable images of the tragedy. The picture ran in print or online at publications from The Seattle Times to The Washington Post, from the Miami Herald to the Mankato (Minn.) Free Pressand full-width beneath a banner headline on the front page of The Dallas Morning News, which was widely shared online. The front page of Friday's Dallas Morning News following Thursday's shootings downtown. pic.twitter.com/ExIlxEMA9V Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) July 8, 2016 It was a strange sensation for the photographer who made the image. Ting Shen, a 27-year-old intern, has only been at the News a few weeks. But the Taiwan-born Shen, who became a U.S. citizen in 2013 and graduated from Columbia College Chicago last year, is no novice. As a freelancer for the Xinhua News Agency, he covered the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, where his helmet took the blow of a hurtling rock, and his gas mask didnt always manage to keep out the tear gas. Hes also interned at the Chicago Sun-Times and the Peoria Journal Star, and is an alumnus of the Eddie Adams Workshop. On Friday afternoon, I spoke to Shen about his mixed emotions in taking the photoand absorbing its aftermath. Below are excerpts of our conversation, which have been edited for clarity. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project How did you come to cover this? We had three photographers assigned: Gerry McCarthy, Smiley Pool and also Ashley Landis. They were assigned to the rally at 7. Me, I was finishing up an earlier local assignment in a small town, a town hall meeting, so I got back around 7:30. [About 9pm] we heard about shots fired, and we were monitoring the situation Once we heard reports of officers harmed, the photo editor Michael Hamtil says, I need you to go here, I need you to do this, I need it go go go! So I got to the hospital, and people are just shocked, people are numb. I was walking by the sidewalk on the ER entrance and I had a straight view into the ER entrance and then I heard sobbing. I looked over, and there was this DART police officer and another, a woman police officerI would say shes a police officer because I can see she has a gun in her holsterso theyre comforting each other while all the emergency crew is running around. And theyre just trying to calm their emotions, and the guys trying to help her to really sort of control it, I guess. Your point of view as a photographer is inherently different from what we see as the viewer. I sort of, because we cant see her but we can see him and hes really crying, I sort of thought she was comforting him, but He was comforting her. He is comforting her, while he is sweating and bawling, breaking down. She is the one who was really losing control of emotions. What had the police told you beforehand about where you should be? Before I lingered on that spot as I took that image, they thought I was a walker, passerby, because I was really casualI wasnt sitting with the camera, stationed, looking straight at ER. They were focused on, they were worried about what happened to them and their colleagues. When you were taking it, did you think this is a picture thats really going to tell the story and really going to connect with people, or just well take this and see what happens? Its like this is emotion. I havent seen this much emotion in everything else yet. This is the photo. But no photographer can think in the sense that its going to be on half the nations front page. That wasnt my expectation as I took it. I became numb myself. Im not necessarily shocked but Im numb We have to inform the public of stuff but then its such horrible, its horrible scenarios like this. I know this is the image, but then I start thinkingdoes the informing part justify the exploitive part? Exploitive may be the right word, maybe not. But then you have to suppress those, the emotions within you as a journalist, I guess, to really do the job. So I wasnt able to sleep well last night, I really got fatigued and passed out at 6am but I guess I have a relatively good coping mechanism, Im still in good shape. When you were taking the photo or even after, did the thought of the role of race within the photo, was that something that played on your mind at all? I never even thought about it I didnt think about it as a black police officer. Its simply two police officers, really, really sadtheyre sobbing. Thats how I look at it. So tell me about when this photo started spreading, you started seeing it used in other news publications and it was selected to run on front page, were you surprised? What was your reaction to that? I got my last A-1 on a Sunday feature regarding a Dallas City highway plan. I did not in [any way think] this was going to be my second A-1. . I really didnt expect that and to a certain degree Im not too happy about it because its such a sad image, its such a sad event. I guess Im famous now, kind of, but its not for good reason. I really wish it wasnt like this, I really wish this didnt all happen. But as a news photographer most of your achievement is going to be tiedmost news is sadness, and is drama, and violence. To certain degrees I have sort of come to terms with it. Yeah, when it took off, at first I was like OK, its The Dallas Morning News cover, cool. Then the Peoria Journal Star had it on their cover, and that was my last internship and then the San Francisco Chronicle put it up, etc, etc, etc. I was like wow, OK, it is what it is, I have to keep on working, I cant get carried away with it because Im young and relatively immature to some degree. I have to keep myself focused. I cant look at my screen the whole time when in this moment something may be happening, at the hospital. What are your plans in the short term? The internship is just a summer thing, right? The day before yesterday, [The Dallas Morning News] offered to extend my internship until the end of December. I said yes. I want to do a long-term piece on the story here, so staying here and working on it is important, instead of just parachuting some place and doing it for a month or two, a few weeks, which doesnt do the story justice. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Tamar Wilner is a Dallas-based freelance journalist and researcher who writes about misinformation, fact-checking, science communication, and all things media. She tweets at @tamarwilner. Patrick Stewart Charitably Celebrates America by Singing Cowboy Classics Patrick Stewart, beloved British thespian and screen actor famous for portraying Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, has found a new angle among the American musical milieu -- singing a selection of cowboy classics. The film and television star, known to moviegoers as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men series, tweeted the below comedy ad on July 4. A tongue-in-cheek take on renowned country songs at first glance, the stunt is actually a charity-minded affair. As reported by the Huffington Post, Stewart's spin on the golden country greats benefits the International Rescue Committee. The 75-year-old actor, who started his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, will donate his share to the charity: "Beyond the novelty of it, there's also a worthy cause behind Cowboy Pat's recordings. Proceeds from the collection's sales go to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization that helps refugees and victims of armed conflict around the world." On the countryfied website touting Stewart's new Western music material, an infomercial-themed display informs visitors that the artist's fictitious Cowboy Classics albums (two volumes advertised as being available on vinyl, CD, cassette and 8-track) are sold out. In reality, Stewart's five-song Cowboy Classics Sampler CD can be purchased at the site via online distributor CD Baby. In a 2014 interview with the Telegraph, Stewart spoke of tackling projects that stretch his performance skills and challenge his fans' perceptions of his oeuvre. As he told columnist John Hiscock, he enjoys toying with acting's disparate elements: "People have an impression of who Patrick Stewart is based on the characters that I play, most particularly Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier, and I know him to be very different. So it has enabled me to make some adjustments to those impressions and it's been wonderful fun." Watch Patrick Stewart sing some cowboy songs below and be sure to visit the "P Stew Sings" website at www.pstewsings.com. We want to hear from you. What do you think of P Stews new country song renditions? Let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this page. 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TagsPatrick Stewart, Cowboy Songs MORELAND HILLS, Ohio -- General assistance, Chagrin River Road: Police assisted a male who crashed his drone into the river on the afternoon of July 4, north of Miles Road. General assistance, Giles Road: A resident reported on the evening of July 3 that three chickens were running loose in their backyard and they had no idea how they got there. The owner of the chickens, believed to live on Chagrin Boulevard, was reached in Solon and was returning to round up the loose chickens within aabout half an hour. General assistance, Woodburn Drive: Police were called to a home in the late morning on July 1, where Village Building Department officials where having an issue with the builder, the homeowner and workers on the scene.They agreed to stop work until the proper village permits were taken out and the building department approved the project. Special attention, Chagrin River Road: After the neighboring Village of Hunting Valley bought a residential property in Moreland Hills, it was used recently by both departments for SWAT team training. On July 1, they contacted Moreland Hills police about checking on the home and property from time to time until it is torn down. Welfare check, Wiltshire Road: Around 8:50 p.m. on June 30, a caller reported hearing a child screaming for help. Police checked the area and one officer remained behind for some time, with nothing additional discovered. Suspicion, South Woodland Road: A worker visiting a client's house around 5:45 p.m. on June 30 reported that a red car pulled into the driveway, but quickly left back in the direction of Chagrin Falls when she went out to see what they wanted. Disturbance, River Mountain Drive: Responding to a call that originally went to Geauga County dispatchers, police transported a man back to the station to arrange for a ride shortly before 2 a.m. on June 30 after a verbal argument with his girlfriend. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CH police car.jpg Cleveland Heights police investigated the burglary of construction trailers at Cleveland Heights High School. (file photo) Breaking and entering, Cedar Road: At 6:35 a.m. June 30, police were dispatched to Cleveland Heights High School, 13263 Cedar Road, which is currently the subject of renovation construction. It was found that there were break-ins at five construction trailers. Tools were stolen from each trailer. Disturbance, Janette Avenue: At 6:10 p.m. June 30, police were called to a home where two teen sisters fought. One was found to have a bloody nose. The girls' argument started over washing the dishes. Each told a different story as to what happened. The girl with the bloodied nose told officers that her sister stepped on her face after she had been pushed to the floor. Theft from auto, Coventry Road: At 10:45 a.m. June 30, a man reported that someone entered his unlocked auto, parked in his garage, and stole the car's stereo. There is no door on the garage. The man told police it was the fifth time someone had broken into his car. Theft, Lee Road: At 1:20 p.m. June 30, an employee of Zagara's Marketplace, 1940 Lee Road, followed out of the store a man who was seen putting a chicken breast under his shirt and leaving the store without paying. The employee asked several times for a receipt before the man handed back the chicken breast, valued at $3.93. Police were then called. Officers spotted the man walking on the street and arrested him for petty theft. Hit-skip, Coventry Road: At 10 p.m. July 1, a witness watched as a man attempted to back his car into a vacant parking spot. The car struck another, parked vehicle, then was driven away. The witnessed furnished a license plate number and police went to the home of the man who was driving the offending vehicle. The man said he would pay for the damage. The man said he did not have auto insurance. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, improper backing, and driving under suspension. Burglary, North Taylor Road: A man arrived home at 6 p.m. June 30 and stayed outside for the next 90 minutes playing with his children. When he finally went inside, he found that someone forced open the home's rear door. Stolen from the home were four pairs of sunglasses, a bottle of peach vodka and five watches. Disorderly conduct, Mayfield Road: At 2:30 a.m. July 2, police monitored the closing of a bar. As officers watched there was yelling and loud music being played in the lot. Police broke up numerous fights and detained one man for fighting. At 2:50 a.m., police cited one patron, 23, for playing loud music in the lot. Police noted that when the lot cleared, there were numerous beer cans and liquor bottles strewn about. Assault, Oak Road: At 10:45 p.m. July 3, police were dispatched to a home where a woman, 39, was sitting on the porch, crying. The woman had blood about her face and neck. She said her boyfriend, after an argument, punched and kicked. The man, 42, then drove away. Hit-skip, Mayfield Road: At 11:05 a.m. June 30, a woman waited in her car at a stoplight when her auto was hit from behind by another car. The woman got out of her car and exchanged partial information with the other driver, a woman, 33. The driver who struck the woman's car said she didn't have auto insurance and was on her way to get it. She then abruptly got in her car and drove away. The woman got the offending driver's license plate and driver's license numbers. Police went to the two residences listed for the suspect, but found no one home. A warrant has been issued for the suspect's arrest. Vandalism, Medford Road: At 10:45 a.m. July 1, police were called to a home where a witness saw a man throwing rocks and breaking windows at a house. The suspect was gone when police arrived. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. LORAIN, Ohio -- A body found in a Pittsfield Township field is a Lorain man missing since October 2002, the Lorain County coroner said. Clarence Thomas died of multiple gunshot wounds, Dr. Frank Miller, chief deputy coroner with the Lorain County Coroner's Office said Saturday. His death has been ruled a homicide. Thomas had at least three gunshot wounds. Miller would not say where on his body Thomas was shot as the case is still under investigation. The body uncovered in June in a Pittsfield Township field, south of Oberlin, was too badly decomposed for investigators to determine exactly how many times Thomas was shot, Miller said. Police have said a former friend of Thomas is a suspect in the case. Thomas was 31 years old when he went missing from Lorain in October 2002, Lorain police said in a June news release. His family reported him missing in February 2003, and they told police that Thomas had drug problems and a "troubled" life. Thomas' family told investigators they thought he had either met an ill fate while possibly traveling to New York City. They also said he may have been killed due to an outstanding drug debt. The last person known to have seen Thomas was his friend from West Virginia who was living in Lorain at the time, police said. However, investigators did not speak with the 48-year-old friend during the initial investigation because he had left the state and returned to West Virginia. Earlier this year, Lorain police learned that Thomas' old friend was serving multiple life sentences in a West Virginia prison after he was convicted in several murder cases. This led officers to believe that the friend killed Thomas and buried his body in rural Lorain County, the police news release states. The friend appeared before a Lorain County grand jury last month, police said. Members of the Lorain County Coroner's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations excavated Thomas' suspected burial site and found human remains. The friend had not been charged with Thomas' death as of Saturday. Authorities were waiting for a positive identification of the body before moving forward with the case, Miller said. If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section. Like Chanda Neely on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter: CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ministers from over a dozen Cleveland-area churches gathered Friday to call for a peaceful, calm reaction to police-involved shootings this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, and Thursday's assassination of five police officers in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Larry Macon, pastor at Mt. Zion Oakwood Baptist Church, said that while it is important to hold public servants accountable, "we must be ready to thank those in blue who do protect, and who do serve rightfully." At least one sniper killed five police officers and injured several others Thursday night during the Dallas Black Lives Matter demonstration against two police shootings captured on videotape in Minnesota and Louisiana. Police killed the shooter, identified Friday as Micah X. Johnson, using an explosive attached to a bomb diffusing robot. Three others were taken into custody. The latest on Dallas protest police shootings The Cleveland ministries, which have been actively engaged in voter drives ahead of the Republican National Convention and 2016 election, put their activities temporarily on hold for a prayer vigil Friday morning at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Cleveland. Rev. C.J. Matthew, pastor at Mt. Sinai, led a noon prayer in concert with an interfaith gathering in Dallas held in honor of the slain officers. "We join them today, in prayer for those families and believing that God will touch their hearts and give them comfort, in light of this tragedy," he said. Matthew said people need to think before they act and avoid violent reactions at all cost. "Right now, our main message is simple. We need to be peaceful, we need to be prayerful and if you don't know what to do, do nothing," he said. "Connect with a wise person who has a healthy message because, right now, volatile responses and volatile messages... will end in tragedy." Alton Sterling was selling CDs Tuesday outside a Baton Rouge convenience store when he was killed by police officers. The shooting was captured by at least two bystanders who recorded the altercation using their phones. Philando Castile was killed by an officer a day later during a traffic stop in the St. Paul, Minnesota suburb of Falcon Heights. Castile's girlfriend streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook live. Previously: Man fatally shot in Minnesota; live stream investigated Rev. Jimmy Gates, of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, encouraged those angry over the shootings to avoid violence and instead focus their efforts on the upcoming election. "If we are upset with decision, we do it at the voting booth. That's where the power is, not in violence, but in the voting booth," Gates said. During the week of the 2016 Republican National Convention, the Clergy of Cleveland will lead a voting drive, Matthew said, and plans to send canvassers door to door to speak with nearly 1 million voters who have fallen off voter registration rolls since the last election. Make a difference for Dallas rnc-q-328.jpg Cleveland city officials on Friday said they would be changing the security plans for the 2016 Republican National Convention following sniper attacks that left five Dallas police officers dead. (File photo) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams on Friday said that the city would be making changes to its security plan for the Republican National Convention following the sniper killings of five police officers after a protest in Dallas. Williams declined to discuss the changes in detail. He said the department would tweak its deployment plans to shift officers around downtown, but said he was confident in the plan in place and will not request more police officers. The announcement came at a Friday press conference to announce the formation of a new tip line for the public to call in suspicious activity ahead of the four-day convention, which begins July 18. The Thursday night gunfire that killed five officers and wounded seven more came at the end of a march through downtown Dallas to protest the deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, was upset over the killings and wanted to kill white police officers, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. "The events in Dallas heightened everyone's awareness," Williams said. The announcement also comes just 10 days before the city is set to host tens of thousands of dignitaries and protesters. The city has repeatedly fired back against accusations that it's not prepared, and news of police departments around the country backing out of sending. The Franklin County sheriff said Friday that it would not be sending any deputies to help with security. The sheriff stressed that it was not due to the shootings in Dallas, but over concerns with the city's insurance coverage. When asked about the sheriff's comments, Williams said he had not heard about it and couldn't address it, but stressed that the city would have enough officers, before a department spokeswoman ended the news conference. "If this is getting to the point of whether we are prepared, we will be prepared. We will have enough officers," Williams said, before a department spokeswoman ended the news conference. Make a difference for Dallas Does capitalism need an extreme makeover? In an era defined by a burgeoning gap between the rich and the poor, stagnant wages and faltering support for free markets among younger voters, the question has been raised with increasing regularity and defies easy answers. Britain's recent vote to extricate itself from the European Union, as well as the protectionist sentiment embraced by both presumptive major party U.S. presidential nominees, have been interpreted by some as an erosion of a postwar economic consensus that once embraced the virtues of globalization. In the midst of a surging tide of populism, one author has come up with a solution: force companies to adopt socially sustainable solutions and grade them on it using a tailored balance sheet that awards credits and demerits. A balance sheet that elevates social responsibility over profit is part of the "Common Good Economy" (CGE) the brainchild of Austrian author Christian Felber. He explained that his program is intended to blunt the sharp edges of a free market system that has seen a surge in extreme poverty, environmental degradation and other negatives that erode public support for capitalism. "Populism is getting stronger, inequality is exploding and democracy is eroding, and ... relationships and feeling of community is getting lost," a state of affairs for which he faulted both governments and businesses, Felber told CNBC in a recent interview. The "invisible hand" of the free markets popularized by Adam Smith in his seminal tome "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" has become antiquated, Felber argued, and simply "doesn't work. The Common Good balance sheet is a way to see that Adam Smith's dream comes true," he added. The CGE's approach has already been adopted by more than 400 companies, most of them in Europe, Felber said. Its approach is similar to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) whose standard links business activity to sustainability, and is used by Microsoft and PepsiCo, among other giants. "The common good will improve relationships, diminish inequality and improve the environment because it's part of a company's goal and part of an economy's goal," Felber said. He added that applying CGE could result in the "fundamental reorientation" of the world's economy. "The proposal is to strive directly for the good of the economy ... the common good, the welfare of all," he said. "It means business and investment and economy as a whole are aimed at improving" a range of socially beneficial outcomes, he said. Karla Sibert was sitting in an Iowa hospital waiting room when she got some shocking news. "The doctor just said, 'It's okay, it's okay. It's not cancer, we didn't find anything bad,' and I said 'you have no idea what I have just been through.'" It turned out her it wasn't the physical health of her 82-year-old mother Marlene Sibert's that was in trouble. "I had her cell phone with me...and that's when I intercepted some phone calls," said Sibert. One was from a salesperson with Leading Health Source, a Las Vegas-based nutritional supplements company, wanting to know how her mother was feeling and if her new pills were helping. Confused at first, Karla Sibert played along, asking how many pills were ordered and how much they cost. Skeptical about what she was being told, the younger Sibert, who has power of attorney over her parents' finances, whipped out her mother's credit cards and began calling the card companies to check recent activity. Altogether on three cards, she found $44,000 worth of charges from Leading Health Source for boxes and boxes of unopened pills and drops. The products claimed to address a variety of health issues such as dry eyes or memory loss. Once her mother was out of surgery, Karla Sibert asked her what happened. "She said there was just about $500 dollars that she OK'd on a credit card," she said. As a result, her mother "didn't remember doing it and doesn't remember it was of that magnitude." Gold just posted its longest weekly winning streak since July 2011, but if investors missed out on the recent rally, fear not. One trader says the commodity has "unlimited upside," and investors have the Federal Reserve to thank for it. On CNBC's "Futures Now" this week, Tom Colvin said that gold will remain in a bull market that will only come to an end "when central banks take their hands out of the cookie jar." The Federal Reserve is unlikely to hike rates in the foreseeable future, despite a blockbuster June employment report on Friday. "The year-to-date rally in gold has been nothing short of spectacular, benefiting from what we have seen as a 'confused Fed' or a Fed lacking action," the senior vice president of global institutional sales at Ambrosino Brothers explained. Gold prices have rallied 28 percent in 2016, hitting a two year high earlier this week. Even as the yellow metal has pulled back from those highs in the last two sessions, Colvin expects these dips to arise as buying opportunities for investors. Gold started the year in a rally "and it hasn't looked back," Colvin said. "While the first six weeks of 2016 were slow to develop, the Fed's inability to secure more rate hikes, or even convince the market they were coming , fueled the rally we are seeing," he added. This week, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch forecast that gold was building up a full head of steam that could take it to $1,500 per ounce. Colvin also has bullish expectations for bullion. His near-term target for the precious metal is $1,400, roughly $50 above where it's currently trading. Gold has not been above that level in three years. "The market can take good news and bad news," Colvin told CNBC. However, "a confused Fed, saying one thing but doing another over and over invites buyers of gold to jump into the pool with both feet and they have." Furthermore, Colvin says a "top heavy" equity marketthe is within a hair of its all-time highshould continue to invite investors to buy gold as a hedge. North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday, but the launch appears to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea's military said. The launch comes a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after North Korea warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. That followed Washington's blacklisting of the nation's leader, Kim Jong Un, for alleged human rights abuses. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The missile was likely fired from the submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test and the long-range rocket. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defense system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighboring China, Pyongyang's sole major ally. The missile launch was a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said. Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security, it added. Pyongyang also conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in April, calling it a "great success" that provided "one more means for powerful nuclear attack." A report on 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., said in May that North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile program is making progress, but it appeared that the first ballistic missile submarine and operational missiles are unlikely to become operational before 2020. Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. Joshua Roberts | Getty Images The letter, which has already garnered more than 500 signatures from students, alumni and faculty in the week since it was made public, goes on to criticize the GOP contender for using his affiliation with the school to "legitimize prejudice and intolerance." "The Wharton community is a diverse community. We are immigrants and children of immigrants, people of color, Muslims, Jews, women, people living with or caring for those with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community. In other words, we represent the groups that you have repeatedly denigrated, as well as their steadfast friends, family and allies," the letter reads. Trump has been widely criticized for a plethora of inflammatory public statements that have been directed at the American Muslim community as well as undocumented immigrants, some of whom Trump has alleged are criminals and "rapists." Trump has also been accused of mocking a disabled reporter, trafficking in sexism and providing a forum for white supremacists to espouse their beliefs. "It was important for us to speak out against Trump because, as we have seen in many moments throughout history, silence is an act of complicity," the letter's co-authors told NBC News in a statement Friday. "This open letter speaks on behalf of Wharton students, alumni and faculty who wish to speak out against hate and stand in solidarity with all members of our diverse community -- both at Wharton and across America." Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump John Sommers II | Getty Images This is also not the first time Trump has been rebuked by the Wharton community. In February, at a mock caucus held by the Government and Politics Association at Penn, where more than 120 of the school's students were polled for the presidential preferences, only one identified themselves as Trump supporter. While in the past it's been reported that Trump graduated at the top of his classwith honors, that notion has since been repeatedly debunked, with at least one 2001 book suggesting that he gained entry to the school in the first place due to family connections with a member of the admissions office. And while Trump has recently boasted about his "super genius" time at Wharton, he doesn't have a widely publicized history of donating significant amounts of money to the school (despite his purported billionaire status) and in his own best-selling 1987 book "The Art of the Deal" he wrote: "Perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials ... That degree doesn't prove very much." Still, when the school commemorated its 125th anniversary nearly a decade ago, Trump was listed as one of the institution's most "influential" former students. And three of his children, Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., have all followed in his footsteps, earning degrees at Wharton. An informal survey of the faculty conducted by CNBC last summer determined that there was a "fairly even split" between those who believe Trump's image was hurting the school versus those who felt it had no effect at all. Meanwhile, a nascent "Penn for Trump" group on campus was disbanded shortly after the candidate rolled out his Muslim ban idea. "At the beginning of the campaign, Donald was speaking his mind, saying what he meant," freshman Patrick Lobo, who organized the group, told the Financial Times last month. "I was attracted to his lack of Washington connection. But [after his divisive comments] I just felt that as a student on this campus, as an individual that comes in contact with diversity, as derogatory as they were, he just wasn't acting and speaking presidential." Jason Toff, a product manager at Google who graduated from Wharton in 2008, shared the open letter on his Facebook page two days ago and he says that the response has been overwhelming. "I've never had a post re-shared so many times. It seems like there are many, many people who feel the same way," he told NBC News on Friday. "My hope would be two things for Wharton's sake ... that they are not tarnished by this madman and that Trump throwing around that he went to Wharton doesn't mean he's right about the things he's saying." July 8, 2016 Nicole Stott would really like it if she could find her paint kit. A small watercolor set no bigger than a deck of cards, she knows the general location of where she last left it, she just can no longer go there to look for it. "I did not think about bringing my little watercolor set home with me," Stott admitted in a recent interview. "I left it there thinking other people might want to paint..." "...in space," she quickly adds. Stott, a former NASA astronaut who was the first person to paint what she saw out the window while still in space, left her pallet aboard the International Space Station when she lived there for 90 days in 2009. She revisited the orbiting outpost two years later as a crewmember on the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery, but didn't have the chance to look for it. "I knew on STS-133 I would not have the time to paint and similarly, I did not think to grab the paint kit while I was up there again," she explained. Stott has had some of her astronaut friends try to look for the watercolors during their own expeditions since then but they have come back empty handed. The paint set, at least for now, is lost in space. Fortunately for Stott, and her growing audience of patrons and admirers, there are more and better paints on Earth, which she has used to share the brilliance of what she saw orbiting the planet. A wave of beauty "Every picture you take from the space station looks like it is in a haze," Stott observed. "So you have to do this auto- color, auto-correct [digital manipulation] to get any type of clarity out of it and it still doesn't get it." "It still doesn't get what your eyes see through the window this glowing, colorful living planet, it just doesn't get that," she said. Nicole Stott poses with her original watercolor painted aboard the International Space Station in 2009. (collectSPACE) Artistically-inclined since childhood ("my mom calls me the 'artsy-crafty' one in the family"), Stott was inspired to take the watercolor set to space after the crew support staff at NASA asked her to think about what she would like to do during her limited free time on the station. "I thought it would be kind of cool to paint in space," she recalled. "At that time, I did not know that no one else had painted in space." Once in orbit, Stott reviewed the photos she took each day and identified what she considered to be the most beautiful place on the planet below. "This one place, Isla Los Roques, is just this tiny chain of islands, located just east of Bonaire on the northern coast of Venezuela. When you look at it from space, it looks like a wave was just drawn on the surface of the ocean. It is just the way the little island chain is. It kept standing out to me as the one that I should paint." Capturing the moment Having chosen "the wave" as her scene, Stott then needed to figure out how to capture it. "There was no way you could sit in front of the window and paint it," she explained. "It would be gone before you had the chance to get the water out of the drink bag." Travelling around the Earth at 17,500 mph (28,000 kp/h), any spot on the planet below was only out the window for a minute or so at most. As such, Stott took a photo of the islands and then printed it out on a scrap piece of paper. "I still have that too, the little printout that I did on this torn sheet of paper, and used that as a guide for painting," she said. Nicole Stott's original watercolor painted aboard the space station in 2009. Stott was the first person to paint in space. (collectSPACE) Like any watercolors, the solid paints only become active when made wet, which presented another challenge in the microgravity environment of space. Liquids, like everything else, have a tendency to float away. "What I would do is squeeze just the tiniest little sphere of water out of a drink bag and then shove the brush into that so that it would wick into the brush. I'd then quickly cap the bag off," Stott described. "You just had to be careful you were not squirting water all over the place, or swinging your brush around," she said. "The water kind of wicked to the paper, too. It was a nice flow and worked out really easily." From astronaut to artist Stott returned from her first spaceflight with that one small painting, a blue and green watercolor of Isla Los Roques. "It's not like a masterpiece or anything, but I think, in some ways, it portrays what I saw out the window," she said. She then put her painting aspirations aside. Having been assigned to her next mission while she was still aboard the station, she jumped immediately into training for her flight on Discovery. It was not until after her second spaceflight that she began to pick up the paintbrush again. "The Wave" mixed media art based on the original watercolor that Nicole Stott painted while in space. (TheArtisticAstronaut.com) "At that point, I was still thinking about flying again, staying in the [astronaut] office, but did start painting a little bit, at home, for fun," Stott recalled. "Some of what I was using [as inspiration] was what I had seen in space, but a lot of it was what I had at home, like the flowers in my backyard or things like that." Eventually though, her desire for another flight gave way to more Earthly-endeavors, including her art. "I finally reached that 'warm fuzzy feeling' about not flying again, making my own proactive decision to pull myself out of that and go do something different, to spend more time with my son, do some things I did not have time to do and art just seemed the thing that kept coming up for me," she said. "It was the best way I could share the experiences I was blessed to have." Bolstering her decision, Stott had another astronaut to look to as role model. "I'm very thankful to him for allowing me the time to speak to him, both before and after I retired," Stott said of Alan Bean, an Apollo moonwalker who returned from space to become a professional artist. "I was grateful just for having the chance to have a conversation with him about making the transition." Astronauts-turned-artists Alan Bean and Nicole Stott inside Bean's home studio. (TheArtisticAstronaut.com) Bean, who adds moon dust to his paintings of astronauts exploring the lunar surface, befriended Stott and welcome her to his home studio. "I think in terms of heroes from within the [astronaut] office, he was really it for me," said Stott. "He was able to go from test pilot, astronaut, guy who walked on the moon, Skylab guy and transition to the artist mode of life. It was a really compelling thing to me." That's how it felt to be in space Since resigning from NASA in June 2015, Nicole Stott has launched two art collections, one focusing on observations of the Earth, and the other on the spacecraft that she flew in orbit. With both she has tried to impart how it felt to be in space, more so that recreate the exact look of being there. "For me, it is more about the emotion, my re-interpretation of what the photo captured," she said. "Where I am trying to go for more of the reality side of things is in the paints that I am choosing." Nicole Stott's "ISS 133," an oil/acrylic painting depicting the space station as seen from shuttle Discovery. (TheArtisticAstronaut.com) To overcome the haze she observed in her photography of Earth, Stott sought out paints that have a range of color, translucence and iridescence to more closely match what she remembers seeing from space. "That's what I am trying to put into it, which hopefully can give folks a better idea of the brilliance you see when you look at Earth," explained Stott, adding that she uses sand, glass and beading to add textures and elevation to her art. For her spacecraft collection, she is just happy if the final product looks like the station or shuttle she set out to paint. "I really am," she said. "I want it to look like a station, but I want there to be beautiful aspects to it. I am not concerned about the detail of the station itself." Sharing space in a meaningful way What does concern Stott is attracting the public who may not even be aware there is a station on which she bases her art. "It has been fun to engage an audience that may not even think about the fact that we have a space station and then get them keyed in by looking at my art. If I can continue to do that, that's not just fun, I think it is an important thing," she said. Even more important though, has been a collaboration that has merged her experiences as an astronaut with her life as an artist, delivering the benefits of arts and science to pediatric cancer patients while at the same time increasing awareness of childhood cancer. Astronaut Nicole Stott poses with a suit created by The Space Suit Art Project, a campaign to raise awareness of childhood cancer by MD Anderson Cancer Center, NASA and ILC Dover. (collectSPACE) The Space Suit Art Project, which launched Friday (July 8) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, provides patients, families and staff members the chance to paint original artwork that is then used to create full-size spacesuits. NASA provides the suit's patterns and ILC Dover, which builds the real suits for the agency, then assembles them, stitching the hand-painted art pieces into a wearable replica spacesuit. "The children are going through what is probably the most difficult thing they are going to go through in their lives and yet they talk to me about how what they experience must be what it is like to go fly in space, being isolated from your family and not being able to touch people you love," said Stott. "They are paralleling the traumatic, tragic experience that they are going through to astronauts, who are in awe and loving what they are doing." "They are paralleling it in a way that is just really thoughtful and meaningful." To date, the project has produced two spacesuits, referred to as "Hope" and "Courage," from more than 600 pieces of art created by patients, families and staff at MD Anderson. "Hope" is heading for display at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, while "Courage" will be flown to the International Space Station later this month. A third suit, "Unity," will be created as a collaboration with children's hospitals located around the world, representing the global issues surrounding childhood cancers. "I really feel this is the most meaningful thing I've had the opportunity to work with, from the standpoint of the people I am getting to engage with and the message that is going to come from it," said Stott. For more about Nicole Stott's "eARTh from space" artwork, see her website, The Artistic Astronaut. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. 'Wendell & Wild' is great to look at, not much fun to watch David Waters Columnist SHARE Rev. David Breckenridge of First Baptist Church Memphis and Rev. Virzola Law of Lindenwood Christian Church deliver flowers to Col. Prentiss Jolly at the Tillman Station precinct Friday afternoon. (David Waters/The Commercial Appeal) Two Memphis ministers, one black and one white, took flowers to two Memphis police precincts Friday afternoon. They wanted to express their sympathy and sorrow over the loss of five Dallas police officers, who were shot and killed by sniper fire Thursday evening. "It's a small gesture, but words can only go so far in times like these," said Rev. David Breckenridge of First Baptist Church in Memphis. Times like these. "Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said a year before he became another casualty of gun violence in America. King, a gospel minister, was speaking about stopping the war in Vietnam. He also was talking about stopping the violence among and within us. The war in Vietnam ended decades ago. Other wars rage on, at home and abroad, among and within. Friday afternoon, after another tragic week of gun violence in America, the two flower-bearing Memphis ministers were also trying to convey some message of hope and solidarity. "We have to choose the light over the darkness, the hope over the despair," said Rev. Virzola Law of Lindenwood Christian Church. How else do we keep from drowning in grief, anger and despair? "Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence," King said more than once during the turbulent 1960s, when it seemed like America was at war with itself. King was a casualty of that war. So were police officers and ministers, soldiers and civilians, and men, women and children of all colors. There are reports of new casualties nearly every day. From Dallas and Lakewood. Baton Rouge and St. Paul. Orlando and Santa Barbara. Charleston and Sandy Hook. Friday was the second time in less than a month the two Memphis ministers had delivered flowers. Last month, they took fresh bouquets to the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center, Friends For Life Corp., and Holy Trinity Memphis. They wanted to express their sympathy and sorrow over the loss of 49 men and women who were shot to death at a gay nightclub in Orlando. "Standing with the LGBTQ communities of Memphis and Orlando," the cards read, "and praying for healing, justice, and peace." We won't find peace or justice until we stop shooting at each other. We can't begin healing until we stop killing each other. Somehow this madness must cease. "Our culture of violence, in every aspect of life, is killing us," Dianne Bragg, a friend and a former Memphian who lives in Alabama, posted on Facebook Friday. Among the dozens of plaintive posts I've read over the past few days, hers was one of the wisest. "It's killing our black brothers and sisters. Its killing our LGBT family. It's killing our children. It's killing our police officers, most of whom perform their thankless jobs admirably," she wrote. "Evil lives among us, sometimes wearing a uniform, sometimes not. But it usually bears a weapon." We have a man-made right to bear arms. We also have a God-given right not to be shot and killed. How do we reconcile the two? "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit," King wrote. "You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." Friday afternoon, two Memphis ministers went to two police precincts bearing a message of love in the form colorful bouquets. They delivered them personally to the police department's Tillman Station in Binghamton, and the Crump Station in South Memphis. "Standing with the Officers of Memphis and Dallas," the cards read. "Praying for Healing. Thanks for your Service. Committing to work with you for Justice and Peace." The ministers brought the flowers on behalf of six congregations that sponsor an Easter sunrise service every year at Overton Park their own churches as well as Greater Lewis Street Baptist, Evergreen and Idlewild Presbyterian, and Trinity United Methodist. They also brought the flowers on behalf of all of us who expect the police to do what we can't seem to do ourselves protect us from each other. "Whenever someone stops to thank us or tell us they are praying for us, it means the world to us," said Col. Prentiss Jolly, Tillman Station's commander. "We can't do this alone." None of us can. We can only do this together. Contact columnist David Waters at waters@commercialappeal.com. After another tumultuous week in national politics, it is now obvious why more than 60 percent of likely voters say they have moved beyond just being uneasy about the 2016 presidential election. To be exact, that's 61 percent of respondents to a recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll who said they were "alarmed" about the upcoming election, while just 23 percent were excited. No doubt the number of alarmed is even higher by now. These voters Democrats, Republicans and Independents represent the only real consensus we have about the two presumptive major party nominees. They believe, with justification, that Hillary Clinton is untrustworthy, and Donald Trump is even worse. Most people don't believe him either. Plus, the notion of having him in the White House is scary. How did we get to this point, with two horribly flawed candidates? Did Democratic primary voters, in their zeal to show how tolerant and progressive they are compared to closed-minded Republicans, think that Clinton's knowledge and experience would outweigh her lack of truthfulness? And did Republicans primary voters, in their callous disdain for President Barack Obama, opt to exact retribution on the party establishment by picking a guy who is totally ill-prepared for the presidency and who attracts the most objectionable elements of society? The answers are yes and yes. Under normal circumstances, Clinton would be the safest bet to win the presidency since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984. All three won in landslides. But nothing is normal about this campaign cycle. And while Clinton will undoubtedly escape criminal prosecution for her handling of sensitive emails on a private server while she was secretary of state, the blistering rebuke delivered by FBI Director James Comey makes her trustworthiness the No. 1 issue for voters. Comey's emphatic statement that Clinton and her State Department colleagues "were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information" will be replayed in a continuous loop by her opposition until the November election. Comey effectively refuted Clinton's repeated claims that she never sent or received classified information using her private email. Not only was it classified, some of it was top secret. For any Republican nominee not named Trump, Clinton's apparent lies about sending and receiving sensitive material thereby possibly creating a national security risk would be an instant ticket to 270 electoral votes. But Trump has bungled every opportunity he's been given to attract voters beyond his relatively small base of loyal followers. And he has bungled this one with silly talk about Comey being bribed and the system being rigged. If there is any saving grace for Clinton, it will come in the form of Obama, who has the highest favorability ratings of any outgoing president in recent memory. He will make all the difference with minority voters and Independents who simply cannot stomach the idea of a Trump presidency. As for Trump, he appears incapable of sticking to a coherent message that assures wavering voters that he has the smarts and temperament to be president. Consider the Star of David fiasco and his implied praise of Saddam Hussein, when he should have been slamming Clinton nonstop. No wonder Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker said no thanks to possibly be tapped as a running mate. Who wants to spend the next four months putting out Trumpster fires and trying to clarify one gaffe after another? The reason that the Republican hierarchy is so incensed by a lack of an indictment in the email scandal and is willing to trash Comey's character is because a criminal charge was the party's best chance to derail Clinton and take the focus off Trump's farcical candidacy. So there you have it. The 61 percenters are, in fact, speaking for many of the rest of us. At this point, both presidential candidates are alarming. Neither one is exciting. And the only thing interesting about this race is its unpredictability. William Eggleston American, b. 1939 Peaches, ca. 1971 Dye transfer print, A/P Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Eugenia Buxton Whitnel Funds 76.6.1 William Artistic Trust, Cheim & Read, NY SHARE A photograph of William Eggleston by "wexlone" is among the 192 images in "#memphisshares," a fascinating exhibition at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and an adjunct or response to the magnificent exhibition "Shared Vision: The Sondra Gilman and Celso Gonzalez-Falla Collection of Photography," displayed at the Brooks through Jan. 5. While many of the works in "Shared Vision" are breathtaking icons of 20th century photography, the images in "#memphisshares," on view through Jan. 12, comprise what one would expect from having perused Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and other photo-sharing sites. Each section of the exhibit is accompanied by a key indicating the photographers' usernames, which, in most cases, disguise the real names. (Courtesy of the Brooks Museum of Art) By Bob Mehr of The Commercial Appeal Forty years ago, William Eggleston exploded onto the art world. In spring 1976, as a relatively unknown photographer from Memphis, Eggleston was given a show at New York's Museum of Modern Art. The exhibit's catalog described Eggleston's revolutionary color images sumptuous snapshots of commonplace life and objects as "perfect." "Perfectly banal ... perfectly boring, certainly," came the riposte from sneering critics of the day. Four decades on, it's Eggleston, now 76, who has had the last word. His influence on the visual grammar of modern times is not only profound but inescapable. From advertising to fashion, contemporary photography to Hollywood films, Eggleston's impact is felt equally in the worlds of high art and pop culture. Later this month, the prestigious 160-year-old National Portrait Gallery in London will open a new Eggleston exhibit "a sign," U.K. newspaper The Guardian noted this week, "that Eggleston is now part of the establishment. Color photography is mainstream; mobile phones and social media have made snapshots the most natural visual language of all. Once reviled, Eggleston himself is now revered, and correspondingly expensive prints now sell for ($500,000)-plus." But long-gestating plans for an Eggleston Museum in Overton Park specifically at the southeast corner where the city's General Services is located have officially been scrapped, due to the ongoing battles between the Memphis Zoo and conservancy groups over parking issues. Eggleston Museum backers will now look to find a different home. "It became increasingly clear that there were larger, more entrenched interests locked over the fate of the park, and, despite five years of pursuit costs, it was time to move on and look for another location," said Mark Crosby, president of the nonprofit organization behind the Eggleston Museum effort In 2011, a group of local civic organizers announced a $15 million private project to build an Eggleston-centric art museum in Memphis. The plans called for a 15,000-square-foot facility that would house an Eggleston photo archive and a collection of public galleries featuring his work and that of other contemporary artists. Led by Crosby a Memphis intellectual property attorney who also helped launch the Stax Museum of American Soul Music the effort had $5 million in start-up money pledged and the support of the Eggleston Trust, the Memphis-based organization that administers and manages the photographer's work. Initially, three Midtown sites were considered: Overton Square, the Crosstown neighborhood and Overton Park. Crosby had hoped to be open in a couple of years. "A lot of people probably wonder what's taken so long," said Matt Crow, president of Mercer Capital and a longtime board member of the nonprofit group seeking to launch the Eggleston Museum. "It's a very complex project with a lot of important constituencies." Soon after the 2011 announcement, organizers focused their efforts on putting the museum in Overton Park's southeast corner (the park was the preferred location of Eggleston himself). Crosby began honing plans to procure a portion of the General Services area for the museum, in return for paying to restore all of it to public green space (an effort that would've cost more than $1.5 million) and rehabbing an existing 1936 WPA building on the site. "We negotiated with the (A C Wharton) administration for several years, scouted locations to relocate General Services, paid for studies to cost out environmental remediation of the site and removal of all hardscape and buildings but the WPA, agreed to construct replacement greenhouses for the city and the zoo, and even negotiated with movers to relocate all General Services personnel," Crow said. Several times in 2013 and 2014, the project seemed close to moving into the public realm and being put before the Memphis City Council. But as the battle between the Memphis Zoo and conservancy groups heated up, it became clear that the council was unlikely to deal with the Eggleston matter until there was some clarity on the parking issue. This spring, as the parking fight continued and the administration of Mayor Jim Strickland stepped in to mediate, Crosby realized the museum project would be served best by withdrawing its interest from the park. "Early in the mediation process, it became clear we needed to shift our focus from General Services so that Overton Park Conservancy, the zoo and the city could freely consider that parcel for their negotiations," said Crosby. "Had it not been used to solve the zoo's parking issue, we stood ready to present our plan to council. We are now considering other sites and are grateful for the sustained commitment and encouragement of our supporters." This week, the Eggleston Artistic Trust expressed continued support for the museum plans and an openness to explore alternative sites. "The Trust is appreciative of Mark's steadfast efforts on behalf of the project," said Winston Eggleston, the managing trustee. "Due to the changing circumstances with the zoo, Overton Park and General Services, we're looking at other locations for the project. We continue to be optimistic that Memphis can be a viable home for a space that will honor the legacy of William Eggleston and other contemporary artists." Where the museum might go isn't quite clear yet; Crosby and the Eggleston trust extensively scouted locations five years ago before settling on the park. But much has changed in the Memphis landscape during that time, both physically and economically. Crosby remains optimistic that the right alternative can be found. As to why he has persisted through half a decade of legal and political wrangles, and public upheavals, Crosby said Eggelston's work and connection to Memphis is simply too profound, the museum too valuable for the city, to simply give up. "Eggleston's story, his life's work, is a prototypical Memphis tale," he said. "That someone could tuck some photographs under his arm, go to New York as an unknown and turn the entire fine arts establishment on its ear Eggleston woke the world up to what someone from Memphis had to offer." About Daniel Connolly Daniel Connolly is a Memphis native who graduated from White Station High School and Kenyon College in Ohio. He joined The Commercial Appeal in 2006 and now covers Collierville. He's a member of the professional association Investigative Reporters and Editors and the author of "The Book of Isaias," a nonfiction work on children of Hispanic immigrants growing up in Memphis, scheduled for publication by St. Martin's Press of New York in fall 2016. In his spare time he enjoys long-distance running, jiu-jitsu and judo. SHARE Davin D. Clemons By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal Attorneys for the city and Memphis Police Department denied that Tactical Unit Officer Davin Clemons was harassed, reprimanded and humiliated after his appointment as the department's liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, according to court filings. "All actions taken by the city were for legitimate, non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory reasons," wrote attorneys Tannera George Gibson, Lisa Krupicka and Gary Peeples, who are defending the city and police department in Clemons' case. Clemons, who was approved in 2014 to be the LGBT liaison, alleges in an ongoing federal lawsuit that he was subjected to different work standards than other officers and constantly disciplined. Clemons remains on the police department, said his attorney Maureen Holland. "The case came about because Davin Clemons was subjected to bad treatment, illegal treatment, because of his being appointed as a liaison on behalf of the police department to the LGBTQ community," she said. "Prior to that he hadn't experienced the type of negative treatment that he is now facing and has faced. The most important parts of this case are making it known and clear that you can't do this. You can't treat people badly, you cannot harass them, you cannot take negative action against employees because they're gay." Holland, of Holland & Associates in Memphis, represented the Memphis couple that won in the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Clemons' case is set for a conference July 20. An early part of federal civil actions is mediation. "My hope is that we may go in that direction," Holland said. One of the city's defenses to the lawsuit involves strict standards for the TACT unit following a botched barricade situation in October 2013 at a house on Worthington in the area of South Parkway and Castalia. The barricade incident, which ended in the death of suspect Aaron Dumas, the wounding of two officers and the house engulfed in flames, led to major changes in the operation of the unit. "MPD employed those changes, with more regimented expectations of TACT officers," the attorneys wrote. "The TACT unit was reactivated in December 2013, with new leadership and a renewed emphasis on strict adherence to protocol. Any and all actions taken by MPD, as they relate to (Clemons), are a direct result of the new level of expectation and accountability for TACT officers." Clemons alleges that officers viewed a social media video of his engagement in November 2015 to another Memphis police officer, Darnell Gooch, Jr., and mocked it. He was also assigned mandatory overtime during time he had set aside for religious accommodation and was approached repeatedly about his facial hair, Clemons said in the suit. Clemons said he has a medical condition that stops him from cleanly shaving his face. He submitted a doctor's note explaining that he cannot clean shave. "(Clemons') shaving profile indicated that he could not shave whatsoever, however (he)was observed reporting to work having groomed his beard and shaved his neck," attorneys for the city wrote. "Lt. Hulsey and Major Davis advised (Clemons) that because his shaving profile prohibited shaving generally, he would need to update his shaving profile to reflect his ability to partially shave and groom his beard." Clemons also alleges he was charged with failure to maintain proper control in a November 2014 car accident on snow and ice, while other employees did not receive the same punishment for accidents. Clemons was suspended for three days. In an answer to the lawsuit, the city said he was found to be at fault in the accident, which requires discipline. In the lawsuit, Clemons seeks $300,000 in damages and an injunction preventing the defendants from future discriminatory practices. He also seeks an order for the city and police department to conduct training for the prevention of discrimination. SHARE By David Royer of The Commercial Appeal Memphis police say one male victim is dead and another male is in custody after a shooting Friday afternoon in the 1800 block of South Perkins just north of Interstate 240. Police received a call at 4:12 p.m. saying that a male victim had been shot and was unresponsive, police spokesman Louis Brownlee said in an email. Brownlee said late Friday that the victim had died. Names and ages of the victim and suspect have not been released. July 9, 2016 Katie Vance (right) of Kidz Kountry Petting Zoo leads Joseph Tricksey, 6, on a horseback ride during an event at Magnolia Elementary School, part of the Safe Summer Block Parties series. Live music and free food were provided while children enjoyed a petting zoo, inflatable bounce houses and a turtle race. Information booths helped parents preregister their children who will attend Magnolia in the fall, and learn about the Workforce Investment Network as well as online adult education opportunities. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) SHARE July 9, 2016 Children look on as Robin McCarter (right) with Kidz Kountry Petting Zoo provides commentary for a turtle race during an event at Magnolia Elementary School, part of the Safe Summer Block Parties series. Live music and free food were provided while children enjoyed horseback rides, inflatable bounce houses and a petting zoo. Information booths helped parents preregister their children who will attend Magnolia in the fall, and learn about the Workforce Investment Network as well as online adult education opportunities. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) July 9, 2016 Taliya Irving (6) and her mother, Workforce Investment Network (WIN) employee Tamara Irving, dance to the music during an event at Magnolia Elementary School, part of the Safe Summer Block Parties series. Live music and free food were provided while children enjoyed horseback rides, inflatable bounce houses and a turtle race. Information booths helped parents preregister their children who will attend Magnolia in the fall, and learn about WIN as well as online adult education opportunities. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal) By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal Residents of the Castalia neighborhood in South Memphis saw an unusual sight Saturday morning small children riding ponies and feeding goats on the lawn outside Magnolia Elementary School. The children were participating in the second event scheduled in the "Safe Summer Block Party," a series of parties organized to promote nonviolence and safety. The series is "a breath of fresh air for this community," said organizer Artemis "Peppa" Williams. Each week, a block party takes place in a different Memphis neighborhood to foster a safe space for families to relax and have fun, he said. Saturday's free event was hosted at the elementary school. Kids could ride ponies and pet chickens, a llama and a goose. Some giggled as they fed goats hot dog buns. Staff from the elementary school were on hand to help parents register students for the upcoming school year and provide information on the school's extracurricular activities. Representatives from the Workforce Investment Network were also present to talk with parents looking for a job or help acquiring a GED. Marquetta Murphy brought her four children to the event. "It's something for the kids to do, stay out of the streets (and be) positive," Murphy said. "There are a lot of negative things going on, so we need to get our kids' attention." Williams said the Memphis Police Department is a partner in the event to encourage community relations between civilians and officers. Police relations have been a topic of conversation nationwide after two black men were killed by officers in Minnesota and Louisiana and at least five officers died while others were wounded in a shooting spree in Dallas, Texas. "I want to create an image where the community can see the police on the other side of the yellow tape," Williams said. "They need to be seen in a totally different light, and it needs to be seen in an environment like this." The event featured free food and music. At the beginning of the event, one MPD officer was on the scene watching peacefully. "With all the stuff going on, it kind of takes everybody's mind off all of that," said Isaac Green, 15, as he watched over his younger sisters and cousin playing inside a bounce castle. In this April 20, 2016 photo, Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, left, listens to a debate in the House of Representatives in Nashville, Tenn. Durham, who is the subject of a sexual harassment investigation by Tennessee's attorney general, has been exiled from the legislative office complex and Capitol for any purpose other than to perform his official duties. At right is Rep. Shelia Butt, R-Columbia. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) SHARE By Dave Boucher, Stacey Barchenger And Joel Ebert, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee NASHVILLE Embattled Rep. Jeremy Durham is suing House Speaker Beth Harwell and Attorney General Herbert Slatery in conjunction with an investigation into the lawmaker that appears nearly complete. As part of the lawsuit, filed Friday in Davidson County Chancery Court, Durham wants the court to intervene and prevent the release of the attorney general's investigative report. The court will discuss his motion during a hearing Tuesday afternoon. "The attorney general informed us of a deadline, basically the special committee was going to convene on Wednesday. That prompted us to respond because there's really no reason for the committee to meet, other than it's politically motivated this close to the election," said Durham's attorney, Bill Harbison, of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. On Friday the special ad hoc committee created to investigate Durham announced it would be meeting Wednesday. It is believed the attorney general report is expected to be released at the meeting. If the injunction is granted it could prevent or delay the release. "It's unfortunate that Representative Durham is choosing to delay the ad hoc committee's work, which should be brought to a conclusion, and the results of the investigation made public," Harwell said in a statement Harlow Sumerford, a spokesman for Slatery, said they are reviewing the filing and will respond appropriately. The order granting the Tuesday afternoon hearing says Slatery and Harwell may file a response by 4:30 p.m. Monday. The filing states the release of the report next week which, before the lawsuit, could have come as soon as Wednesday and the upcoming Aug. 4 primary election are not a coincidence. "If the report is released at this time, Rep. Durham will suffer immediate and irreparable harm if the report is released mere days before early voting starts. The releasing of the report days before the election will render a final judgement ineffectual as the damage to Rep. Durham's reelection efforts will already have taken place," the lawsuit states. Durham's filing has three main arguments: The attorney general doesn't have any authority to investigate the legislature, that Durham has been denied due process throughout the investigation and that the investigation should have ended when the legislature adjourned. He wants the court to permanently prevent the release of any investigatory report, declare actions of Harwell and Slatery violated due process and award him attorneys fees. "The Speaker of the House cannot have such unfettered power to investigate any citizen or representative based purely on media reports and without proper authority and without proper procedure," states a memo from Harbison in support of the filing. "The Attorney General should not have such unbridled power either and have the ability to conduct an investigation that lacks fundamental fairness." The filing focuses on whether the investigation is allowed and not on the factual basis of the allegations. However, Harbison and Durham make it clear they believe any final investigative report from the attorney general will contain information that could possibly be damaging to Durham. The attorney general investigation stems from a January report in The Tennessean that cited three women who said they had received inappropriate late-night text messages from Durham's cellphone. In the days after the report, Harwell said she had asked Slatery to start an investigation. In February, a special committee created by Harwell formally voted to give Slatery specific authority to investigate Durham. Durham, who cites liberally from Tennessean reports in his filing, has told The Tennessean he doesn't remember sending any text messages and he's denied sexually harassing anyone. Durham and Harbison have questioned the legitimacy of the investigation for several months. In April, Slatery released an interim version of the report, which resulted in Harwell essentially banishing Durham from Legislative Plaza. The report said Durham, based on many interviews, had engaged in "inappropriate physical contact" and is a "continuing risk to unsuspecting women." Durham cites this report, and initial comments from Harwell calling on him to resign, as additional evidence of the impropriety of the investigation. Slatery and others have already rebutted the parts of Durham's argument that say the investigation violates separation of powers outlined in the constitution. In a recent opinion, prompted by a letter from Rep. Rick Womick citing similar arguments as Durham, Slatery notes the state constitution allows the House to determine how it will punish its members. Slatery argues the House ad hoc committee asked Slatery to conduct the investigation, falling within the parameters of what the constitution suggests for the punishment of lawmakers. The initial resolution adopted by the ad hoc committee outlines several state laws Slatery argued allow for his investigation. Durham also notes that the legislature already adjourned and won't return until January. But special sessions of the legislature are possible and allowed. Additionally, committees continue to exist and meet every year after the adjournment of the legislature. July 8, 2016 - Keara Lipscomb (center), 24, leans on Ayo Akinmoladun (second fron left), 25, during the official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter protest against violence by police near South Parkway and Mississippi Friday evening. The event demanded justice for the recent deaths of Alton Sterling, Ronnie Shumpert, and Philando Castile, in addition to all Black lives taken by law enforcement. "We must acknowledge how state-sanctioned violence destroys the lives and livelihoods of people of color," the organization said in a news release. "We also want to make it clear that we do not condone people murdering people at all, whether it be police officers murdering Black people or unnamed individuals murdering police officers." The event comes a day after five police officers were executed and others injuried during a rally in Dallas, Texas. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal) SHARE By Katie Fretland and Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal Gathered in a circle Friday night in South Memphis, about 150 people protested violence by police with chants of black lives matter and the reading of victims names. The demonstration organized by Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter came a day after a sniper killed five police officers and wounded several other people during a protest in Dallas against police shootings of black men. Later Friday evening, about 200 people gathered outside the National Civil Rights Museum in Downtown for a vigil organized by another Black Lives Matter Memphis group, where organizers called for racial reconciliation. The first protest in South Memphis was announced on the groups Facebook page as demanding justice for #AltonSterling, #RonnieShumpert, #PhilandoCastile and ALL Black Lives taken by police!! Sterling was shot Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Shumpert on June 18 in Tupelo, Mississippi and Castile on Wednesday in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. These murders are a reminder of the dangers that Black people in America confront on a daily basis, the organization said in a news release. We must acknowledge how state-sanctioned violence destroys the lives and livelihoods of people of color. We also want to make it clear that we do not condone people murdering people at all, whether it be police officers murdering Black people or unnamed individuals murdering police officers. It is clear that there are systems in place that breed violence, and we work to challenge and dismantle these oppressive systems that affect us all. We stand in solidarity with families who have been affected by police brutality to demand justice for the Black lives that have been taken. The protest was held on South Parkway East near Mississippi Boulevard and near the site of the police shooting of Johnathan Bratcher, who was killed in January after authorities said he fired on officers. State violence is detrimental to Memphis, to our state, to our world, said Lauren Williams-Batiste, 29. Bratchers brother, William Green, 41, attended the protest and said officers are not punished for shootings, so why would they stop? Steven Bradley, 43, came to the protest with his wife, Janice Bradley, and 9-year-old daughter, Dakota. Were tired of the senseless violence thats plaguing our nation, he said. Bradley said whether the victims are civilians or police, its wrong to take a life. We are all Gods people, said Janice Bradley. We all need to stand together. The protesters gathered in a parking lot near St. Andrew AME Church with chants of no justice, no peace, no racist police, and I believe that we will win. It is our duty to fight for our freedom, William Young, 24, told the crowd. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains. Rachael Spriggs, 31, held a sign reading, Is my son next? White supremacy destroys all of us, read a sign held by Meredith Pace. At the Downtown event outside the civil rights museum, vigil leader Pamela Moses, 37, who uses the name P. Moses, made a point of reading not just the names of the recently slain black men, but the names of the slain Dallas police officers. I am Black Lives Matter, but I know that all cops arent bad! she said through a bullhorn. And all black people aint thugs! So we need to understand. We got to stop fearing each other. We got to communicate. We got to learn to embrace one another. Moses, who is African-American, introduced a white speaker, 27-year-old attorney Josie Holland, and noted that the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s had white supporters. Holland encouraged the racially mixed group to pass out lit candles. Then Moses spoke again. Are yall tired of bloodshed? she asked the crowd. Yes! they responded. One thing about blood, it doesnt matter what color you are, guess what? she said. Its all the same. Then, a few feet away from the motel balcony where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968, the leaders and visitors finished the evening by singing the old hymn, Amazing Grace. What may be in store for Memphis airport? More parking, a hotel, more SHARE A photo provided by Olive Branch, Miss., police shows Mississippi state Sen. Chris Massey after he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say he wielded a shovel and hurt another man during a fight in an upscale Olive Branch subdivision. (Olive Branch police via AP) By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal Mississippi state Sen. Chris Massey, who was involved in an altercation with lawn service workers Thursday that resulted in assault charges against him and others, said Friday he expects to have his name cleared. "I have committed no crime and have great confidence that once the true facts are known, I will be completely exonerated," Massey said in a brief statement. "I am disappointed that factually incorrect reports have been disseminated to the public. In the near future, the truth will be presented in the proper forum, a court of law." Massey is scheduled to appear in Olive Branch Municipal Court on Thursday along with the others involved. Massey and his father, Jackie Gayron Massey, were each charged with aggravated assault and released on bond. Lawn business owner Anthony Smith was charged with simple assault and Marcus Lane, an employee of Smith's, was charged with aggravated assault. They also were released on bond. The Republican legislator's statement Friday, sent to media by email, is the only comment he has made since the altercation. Massey, 45, is a home builder from Nesbit who has represented Mississippi's Senate District 1 since 2012. The police incident report obtained Friday from the Olive Branch Police Department paints a picture of a heated dispute in which each side gives a slightly different take on a scenario that involved a shovel, a tire iron, some wrestling on the ground and spitting. According to the report, officers responded to a call about 10:40 a.m. regarding four individuals fighting on Pleasant Breeze Drive in the Windstone subdivision, a newer development off Pleasant Hill Road just north of Goodman Road in western Olive Branch. The report states that Massey approached Officer Amber Kimbrough as she was getting out of her patrol car and said he was sitting in his vehicle in the street talking with the owner of the subdivision. Massey told the officer another vehicle driven by Smith "came up behind him and started blowing his horn." Massey said Smith's vehicle pulled up beside Massey's vehicle a few minutes later, and that the occupants of Smith's vehicle "starting yelling and cussing." Massey said he "mouthed back." As occupants exited their vehicles and events escalated, according to Massey's account, Smith threatened Massey with a night stick. Massey's father became involved as he and Smith exchanged words. Eventually, Massey says, his son, Dalton Massey, took a tire tool from the hands of Lane, the employee of Smith, as he wrestled with Jackie Gayron Massey, who had gotten a shovel to defend himself, according to the report. "(Chris) Massey then noticed his father ... and Smith on the ground and noticed that his father was bleeding from the head," the report says. Smith's account states that two trucks were blocking the street as he and Lane were trying to get to a house to cut the grass. According to Smith, he asked the occupants of the two trucks to let him pass, and "they refused and began cursing and mouthing deadly threats." Smith said Jackie Gayron Massey later began swinging a shovel at him, and that he and Massey ended up on the ground before Lane was struck by the shovel. Lane told police that Chris Massey spit on him, though Smith's account states that Jackie Gayron Massey spit on Lane. Lane also said Chris Massey told him he would "kill him with his nine pistol," apparently referring to a 9 mm pistol. Smith said Thursday he didn't even know who Massey was at the time of the incident. He said he had no idea why Massey was so belligerent yelling, according to Smith, "I own this ... road," using profanity. Massey is chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and vice chairman of the Housing Committee. SHARE Justice cannot grow out of violence. Retaliatory violence hijacks constructive discussion about remedying injustice. That is why Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached nonviolent protest Gandhi to win India's independence from Britain; King to win civil rights for African-Americans. Unfortunately, the slayer of five Dallas law enforcement officers Thursday night during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest either ignored the preachings of the two world icons or was simply too angry to care. His deadly shooting rampage, however, has hijacked, at least for a while, legitimate concerns over black males being slain by white law enforcement officers. Investigators identified the shooter as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, of Mesquite, Texas. He also wounded seven other people before being killed after a lengthy standoff with police in a parking garage. During the standoff, he told police negotiators he was upset about recent police shootings, that he wanted to kill white people especially white officers and that he acted alone. The suspect apparently was referring to the shooting deaths of two more black men Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota by police. While investigators continue to try to sort out what exactly happened in those incidents, videos of both shootings, shown incessantly on social media and 24-hour cable news shows, raised questions about whether the officers' use of deadly force was justified. The Dallas officers were protecting the right of citizens to peacefully protest what they believe is injustice by government officials. According to witness accounts, the officers were doing their job in a friendly manner, engaging in conversation with protesters and taking selfies with them. Johnson's deadly action, which was not indicative of the Black Lives Matter movement, was despicable and cannot defended by any reasonable person. He has taken attention away from the legitimate mission of the Black Lives Matter, which is to keep the nation's focus violence toward African -Americans especially at the hands of law enforcement officers. There is a documented propensity by some white officers to use over-aggressive police techniques against African-Americans, especially young men. That fact was acknowledged by FBI Director James Comey in February 2015 when he addressed the "hard truths" about the current state of race relations and policing. "There is a disconnect between police agencies and the citizens they serve, predominately in communities of color," Comey said. "Serious debates are taking place about how law enforcement personnel relate to the communities they serve, about the appropriate use of force." This, of course, does not apply to all police officers, many of whom take seriously their oath to protect and serve all members of the public with diligence and respect. That means on occasion putting their lives on the line to carry out that oath. The public owes those officers the same respect. The only thing Johnson accomplished Thursday was to take the lives of five dedicated individuals. And, his action likely has increased the likelihood that officers will be more wary of black males, possibly prompting them to be more inclined to use deadly force. The police killings of Sterling and Castile seemed to have begun to capture the consciousness of white America. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, for example, said he believed race played a role in Castile's slaying. Johnson's reprehensible action derailed that consciousness, at least for a while. He hijacked a legitimate movement and, by doing so, once again demonstrated that justice cannot grow out of violence. SHARE By Eugene Robinson WASHINGTON Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. Both statements must be made true if the heartbreaking loss of life in Dallas is to have any meaning. The killing spree that left five police officers dead and seven others wounded should be classified as an act of domestic terrorism. The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, apparently believed he was committing an act of political violence. Our duty, to honor the fallen, is to ensure that Johnson's vile and cowardly act has the opposite impact from what he sought. Johnson, who was captured on video shooting one officer in the back, was killed when police, who had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate his surrender, sent a robot his way bearing an explosive device. Enough about him, except this one thing: He said he was motivated by hatred over the deaths of two more black men Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota at the hands of police. The slain police officers were protecting a lawful, peaceful demonstration to protest those same deaths. As the crowd, perhaps more than 800 strong, marched through downtown Dallas, there was anger but no real tension. Certainly there was no sense of danger; police were not wearing riot gear or riding in armored vehicles. Instead, officers chatted and took selfies with the demonstrators. They had no fear of encounter and dialogue. The great irony is that Dallas is something of a model. Mayor Mike Rawlings was right when he told reporters that Dallas is "one of the premier community policing cities in the country." Since Police Chief David Brown took over in 2010, complaints of excessive force by officers have dropped by nearly two-thirds. Police shootings have been halved, from 23 in 2012 to just 11 in 2015 and only one so far this year, according to Police Department data. Brown happens to be African-American, but that's not the most significant thing about him. What's important is that Brown was quick to understand that the chasm between police officers and young men of color was real and that it could be bridged. His officers undergo training in how to de-escalate conflicts rather than heat them up; they learn to speak calmly when approaching suspects instead of immediately barking orders. When there is a police shooting, uniformed presence around the scene is ramped down as soon as possible. The department, unlike many others, keeps track of police shootings and publishes the figures on the city's website. And Brown keeps looking for new ways to improve relations between police and the community, realizing that diversity is not a destination but a shared journey. The Dallas Police Department is not perfect, of course. But its efforts to improve the way officers interact with citizens stand in contrast to the appalling police work we saw in the cellphone videos recording the deaths that prompted protests around the country. Sterling was on the ground in front of a convenience store, restrained by officers and posing no apparent threat, when he was shot to death. Castile, pulled over in a traffic stop, was apparently reaching for his identification to hand it to the officer who shot him. The video of Castile's final moments was streamed on the Internet by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. In her narration, she says Castile informed the officer that he was licensed to carry a firearm. It is no stretch to imagine that to the officer, this meant Castile was an armed and dangerous black man. Which leads me to a question I shouldn't have to ask: Does the Second Amendment apply to African-Americans too? Where is the National Rifle Association statement decrying the fact that an American citizen might have been killed for exercising his constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms? But the solution is not more guns. The solution is to end the undervaluing of lives, both black and blue. Poor, troubled, crime-ridden communities are those that most want and need effective policing. But the paradigm cannot be us versus them. It has to be us with us a relationship of mutual respect. I hope police officers around the nation see how rapidly and completely the people of Dallas including those in the Black Lives Matter movement have rallied around their city's bereaved Police Department. I hope they understand that compassion for Sterling, Castile and others killed by police in no way mitigates the nation's profound sorrow for the brave officers killed in Dallas. Such tragedy is beyond color. Eugene Robinson is a columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group. Contact him at eugenerobinson@washpost.com. SHARE By Francis Wilkinson The first email, with the subject line "Race War," arrived in my inbox, from a regular, unbidden correspondent, at 7:31 Friday morning. The term was already floating in the ether. The Drudge Report headline was "Black Lives Kill," painting tens of thousands of peaceful protesters in cities across the country as murderers. The New York Post went with the always provocative "Civil War" for its cover. A former congressman skipped the "civil" part, declaring on Twitter "This is now war" and telling the president to "watch out." (He deleted the tweet, thus immortalizing it.) There is a virulent quarter of America that seems disappointed that we haven't had a race war. They're the people who listen to President Barack Obama's thoughtful, restrained and measured concern for black victims of hair-trigger police officers and swear they hear the president say it's time to kill whitey. They insist that Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter are somehow mutually exclusive. They jump at these moments of tension and tragedy not merely because they are haunted by their own churning racial aggression. They jump because they are impatient. After all, we've had seven years of a black man in the nation's most powerful office. Yet still no mass roundup of white patriots, no greenlight for black-on-white crime, no comic-book clash worthy of their juvenile imaginations. Dallas will disappoint them again. The city of 1.3 million people should be as ripe as any for racial strife. Almost a third of the population is white. One quarter is black. More than 40 percent is Hispanic and about 3 percent is Asian. One quarter of Dallas, once an insular enclave, is foreign-born. Yet the city's white mayor and black police chief seem to be on the same page. "This must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Chief David Brown said. Mayor Mike Rawlings urged the city and the nation to "come together and lock arms and heal the wounds we all feel." Social strains are great right now. Racial anxieties are coursing through our politics, some of them very deliberately stoked. There is an ugly presidential campaign underway (though Donald Trump rose, rather than sank, to this occasion). Yet in all likelihood, the next few days in multiracial Dallas will be marked more by introspection, solidarity and grief than by blind rage and racial antagonism. Before the shots rang out, the protest was peaceful. When the chaos began, Dallas police officers shepherded protesters to safety. And protesters were duly horrified by the killings. The unity called for by Dallas's civic leaders may be a tall order. The conflicts between black communities and police have been decades, centuries even, in the making. But most everything about the past hours in Dallas has been a testament not to the bloody racist past but to a far better, if still imperfect, future. The demagogues are out in force, eager for a quick score. Don't let them carry the day. Francis Wilkinson writes on politics and domestic policy for Bloomberg View. Leading Britain out of the European Union will be the pre-eminent challenge facing the next Prime Minister, whoever she is. It will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult and complex challenges faced by any British leader in decades, and has serious implications for the future prosperity and territorial integrity of the country. Therefore its important that we go into the negotiations with our European partners with the best possible odds of success. Any suggestion of a second vote would be entirely inimical to this. If either this Parliament, a new Parliament, or the public were to reject a specific deal, it seems out of the question that Brussels would consent to return to the table and repeat the process until we reached a settlement. Therefore such a rejection would mean one of two things: ejection from the EU on World Trade Organisation terms or, assuming Brussels fudged the supposed inexorability of Article 50, staying in. Its not difficult to see how the prospect of keeping us in would completely change the balance of incentives for Brussels. As weve already seen since the vote, the endless warnings of apocalypse from the continent have already given way to much more practical and conciliatory noises from the likes of Spain, France, and Germany a notable break from the tone-deaf belligerence of the likes of Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz. These countries recognise that the UK is one of Europes major trading partners and, our decision taken, its in everybodys best interests to reach as good a deal as possible. Whilst there are sticking points, especially over free movement, the prospect of punitive trade barriers has gone the way of George Osbornes punishment-beating budget. By shifting us back into campaign mode and raising the prospect that we might still be scared back into line, a second referendum is an invitation for two more years of gale-force hysterics. Neither Brussels, nor our trenchant Remainers here, would have any incentive to make Brexit work and every incentive to do the opposite. Theresa May has said that Brexit means Brexit, and Andrea Leadsoms commitment to leaving the EU isnt in doubt. What we need from both candidates now is concrete plans to make sure that happens. SUBSCRIBE Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox. SHARE By John Martin of the Courier and Press Old National Insurance has been acquired by Prime Risk Partners of Atlanta, and will now operate under the name ONI Risk Partners, the companies announced. ONI Risk Partners and will retain all its offices, with plans to expand, and the ONI leadership team and employees will continue in their current roles, according to a news release. Prime Risk Partners will also acquire ONI subsidiaries JWF Specialty Co. and Employee Plans, LLC. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter and is subject to customary closing conditions. ONI is the first Midwest acquisition by Prime Risk partners. According to the Atlanta company, ONI provides a strong regional insurance brokerage platform. It is to be grown both organically and through acquisitions of complementary firms. "We are thrilled about joining forces with Prime Risk Partners, which will allow us to grow our company rapidly," Tom Flynn, CEO of ONI, said in the release. "Old National Bank was an excellent corporate parent. While it was the right time to close the bank ownership chapter of our story, we are excited to continue serving the bank as its insurance advisor for many years to come. We are honored that the bank also selected us as its marketing partner to continue to provide insurance products and services to Old National Bank clients. We look forward to building a national organization with our new partners." "We are extremely excited to partner with Tom Flynn and his team to grow the ONI platform," said Bret Quigley, chairman and CEO of Prime Risk Partners. "ONI is known for excellence when it comes to insurance distribution, claims management, and specialty services both in the Midwest as well as nationally. We welcome the ONI staff and clients to the Prime Risk Partners team." ONI has more than 270 employees in offices throughout Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; and Danville, Illinois. ONI is the 78th largest broker in the U.S., per Business Insurance. Its website is onirisk.com. @tinmanbrewing Man released a Bicentenni-ale this week here is my quick take on it. A video posted by Mike Hartz (@mike_hartz) on Jun 29, 2016 at 8:08pm PDT This is Indiana's Bicentennial, and Drink Indiana and state brewers have been making Indiana ales to commemorate the 200 year mark of the Hoosier state. Tin Man released Hops & Hominy Bicentennial Ale brewed with all local ingredients. I really like the ale and appreciated it more after finding out the yeast was wild from a tree outside the brewery, the malts were from Lebanon, Indiana, and the hops were delivered from Columbus, Indiana. If you're going to make a beer to celebrate the state's birthday, that's the way to do it. IT'S HOT It's muggy out there, and stouts, porters or anything barrel aged just won't do while sweating profusely outside. I call it lawn mowing beer, and it must be light, crisp and refreshing. I also prefer it be in a bottle or can. Growlers are nice, but they do nothing for portion control or portability. Luckily, Carson's and Tin Man have it covered. Carson's just started bottling Fugitive, a crisp refreshing session ale, and Tin Man canned up Hoop Pole, an export lager I am looking forward to having again. If you are big on drinking local or Indiana beer, these are two great options. I am not sure if they are in stores yet, but both are available in their tasting rooms. You can't find it in a can, but Turoni's gave us some Summer Lovin', a white ale or Belgian wit. It has hints of citrus balancing well with the Belgian yeast. After a couple of sips I threw in an orange too and it just felt like summer to me. This is a must try from the Downtown brewers. Surrounded by Reds RIPA is a great red IPA from Carson's and still my favorite of their core beers, but there is some competition for Evansville's best red now. A collaboration from Tin Man, Turoni's and Jasper's Basket Case brewing brings us an Imperial Red IPA called Olympus Mons. This one is hoppy with a resin kick that makes you want another sip. It's a very well balanced collaboration available in the Tin Man tasting room and Turoni's. Stop in soon to give this a try, guys. Not to be outdone, Carson's released Cardinal, an imperial red ale. Imperials are almost always worth a try, and this beer was no exception. It was complex and great to sit and enjoy with friends. We tasted a couple of barrel-ageing versions of this beer two weeks ago, and it looks like this one only gets better with age. I would hate the person who has to pick the best of the bunch; I say get a pint of each and enjoy. You might want to do it over multiple days, though; they both pack an invisible punch. What's in the cooler? With family gatherings and such, I am often toting around a cooler of drinks for me and the family. I often pick a couple of new brews to try, and a few of my favorites. Over the holiday weekend I brought Upland's Revved Up, a coffee blonde ale; Campside session IPA also from Upland, and I also had a few bottles from Yazoo Brewing out of Nashville. They brew Gerst beer; yes, that Gerst. My favorite is Dos Perros, and it looks like I'll be getting it more often soon. The Evansville release is next week, and Yazoo is having a beer crawl on Franklin Street on Friday to celebrate. There is more information on that at yazoobrew.com/linedancingdownfranklinstreet. It's hot out there, so find some shade and enjoy a cold beer. Mike Hartz is the EBJ and publications editor for C&P Media and can be contacted on Twitter and Instagram @mike_hartz or via email at michael.hartz@courierpress.com. SHARE EVENTS Prayer Breakfast: 9 a.m. Saturday at Greater St. James Community Recreation & Education Center, 484 S. Governor St. Tickets are $8 per person. For tickets, call 812-525-7771. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Ice Cream Social: to benefit Habitat for Humanity at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, 6400 Oak Hill Road, on Sunday. Hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, coleslaw, homemade ice cream and other items will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. in the church Fellowship Hall. Freewill donations will be accepted to benefit the church's Habitat project. Children's activities, including a cake walk, will also be featured. Fifth Anniversary Banquet: for the Rev. Richard Pollard Sr. and Novella Pollard, 6 p.m. July 23 at Greater St. James Community Recreation and Education Center, 484 S. Governor St. Tickets are $20 per person. Call 812-425-7771 for tickets. Outdoor movie: Mt. Pleasant Church, 8900 Baumgart Road, is showing "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. There will be free hot dogs, popcorn slushes and drinks one hal hour before the movie, which starts at 8:15 p.m. or dusk. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand: will offer a "Private/Personal Retreat" at Benedictine Hospitality Center at Kordes Hall on the grounds of Monastery Immaculate Conception. Registration begins at 7 p.m. EST July 24. The retreat will start at 7:30 p.m. July 24 and end at 10 a.m. July 31. Cost is $575 and includes meals and a private room. For more information or to register, call 800-880-2777 or 812-367-1411, ext. 2915, or visit thedome.org/programs. Registration deadline is July 20. Saint Meinrad Archabbey Library Gallery: St. Meinrad, "The Twelve Great Feasts" by Chicago artist Joseph Malham, through Aug. 31 (free). For library hours, call 812-357-6401 or 800-987-7311, or visit saintmeinrad.edu/library/hours/. Teaching from the Book of Revelation: 11 a.m. every Sunday until completion at Church of God of Prophecy, 3407 Bellemeade Ave. Speaker is Bishop William Gaddis (free). Call 812-459-2359. The Mighty Acts of God in Zion: The Storyline of the Bible: 7-8 p.m. on Tuesdays in the fellowship hall of St. Ananias Orthodox, 4411 Washington Ave. Old Friendship Church Celebrate Recovery Program: 7 p.m. on Fridays at Oak Hill Christian Center, 4901 Oak Hill Road. Traditional Roman Catholic Latin Mass: 3 p.m. every Sunday at St. Paul's Chapel, 629 E. Louisiana St. music Gospel Music Concert: featuring The Southlanders, 6 p.m. Saturday at Faith General Baptist Church, 418 E. Poplar St., Boonville. Call 812-319-1225. Photos by DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Marine Corps Legion member Don Counts of Evansville snaps a quick picture of the "38th Parallel Veterans of the Korean War Memorial" sign before the start of the unveiling program in the gymnasium of the Evansville National Guard Armory on Friday morning. SHARE State Sen. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) speaks at the ceremony. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Don Gillies speaks at the 38 Parallel Veterans of the Korean War Memorial sign at the unveiling program in the gymnasium of the Evansville National Guard Armory in Evansville, Ind. Friday morning, July 8, 2016. DANIEL R. PATMORE / SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS Brad Dillon (left) of Vincennes, and Randy Brockman (right) of Evansville, with the Indiana Department of Transportation unpack the 38 Parallel Veterans of the Korean War Memorial sign before the start of the unveiling program in the gymnasium of the Evansville National Guard Armory in Evansville, Ind. Friday morning, July 8, 2016. By Mark Wilson of the Courier and Press The Indiana Department of Transportation unveiled Interstate 69 signs memorializing Korean War veterans Friday during a ceremony at the Indiana National Guard armory in Evansville. The signs will be placed in the highway median near Morgan Avenue where the 38th parallel north latitude line passes through the area. They read: " 38th Parallell Veterans of the Korean War Memorial." The 38th parallel also is the dividing line between the countries of North and South Korea, over which the Korean War was fought from 1950-1953. The U.S. supported South Korea in the war and lost more than 33,000 soldiers in combat there. A host of state legislators and local officials attended and spoke at the ceremony, including Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, who proclaimed Friday as Veterans of the Korean War 38th Parallel Day. State Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, initiated a resolution calling for the signs in the General Assembly's last session. It was co-authored with senators Vaneta Becker, R-Evansville, and James Arnold, D-LaPorte. Tomes said he took up the cause after veteran Don Gillies approached him with the idea. Gillies, 82, served in an Army communications reconnaissance company during the war. He said he first learned of Evansville's 38th parallel connection through a magazine article from the Korean War Veterans Association. He said the idea gained momentum with him when he learned that the legislature had originally dubbed a Northern Indiana stretch of I-69 as the Korean War Memorial Highway. "I felt this would be a golden opportunity to help make the community aware of what happened in 1950," Gillies said. Noting that I-69 is planned to eventually run from Mexico to Canada, he said many people will be traveling past the Evansville area and the signs. "We want those visitors to see our link to our Korean War memorial," he said. As a veteran, he said he has experienced a range of emotions about his service through the years, but as he as he has aged those feelings have mostly coalesced into pride. "The Korean War is a forgotten war. No one remembers it," Gillies said. "But there were almost the same amount killed in three years in Korea as their was in 10 years of Vietnam. It was a brutal war." Major Chris Dalrymple, a military science instructor at the University of Southern Indiana and commander of its ROTC program, spoke about the history of the Korean War. He said there is a growing recognition of the war and its veterans. "Hoosiers have unforgotten the Korean War and Evansville has never forgotten the Korean War," Dalrymple said. By John Martin of the Courier and Press Warrick County officials are considering a financial incentive for the developer of a new, $95 million hospital that's planned by St. Mary's Health and Tri-State Orthopaedics. The assistance for developer MSK is an economic development bond not to exceed $7.75 million. A final vote by the Warrick County Council was tabled last week, because members requested additional information about financing for the entire project. The Warrick County Economic Development Commission several weeks ago voted to support the bond. That action was taken during a public hearing, and no one spoke in opposition, according to Larry Taylor, executive director of Success Warrick County. St. Mary's and Tri-State Orthopaedics on June 29 announced their partnership in the new hospital. The new facility is to be built at the northeast corner of the Warrick Wellness Trail, near Epworth Road. Officials said the project has been in planning stages the last few years. With four stories and 135,000 square feet, the hospital is to have various inpatient and outpatient services for orthopaedic care, along with a community meeting space. At the June 29 event, officials said there will be a groundbreaking this year, with an anticipated opening in 2018. Taylor said a financial incentive from Warrick County to the developer is appropriate given the economic benefit that St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital will bring to the area. The hospital is to have payroll of about $17 million, with 226 employees. The $7.75 million economic development bond would be retired with Tax Increment Financing revenues. The TIF district stretches from the Vanderburgh/Warrick line along Indiana 66 to Indiana 261, and it includes several large completed and planned projects, such as the Deaconess Gateway Hospital campus and the Hamilton Pointe and Primrose housing communities. Taylor said other projects are being built within the TIF district have benefitted from public assistance. About $6.85 million worth of infrastructure work, he said, helped facilitate the Deaconess Gateway project. He mentioned the widening of Epworth Road, the addition of stoplights and the construction of a water tower and sewage lift station. "The amount of money to facilitate Deaconess Gateway was initially a bond anticipation note, and it became a bond in 2009," Taylor said. "Bond payments exceed the taxes that are paid by Deaconess and Orthopaedic Associates facilitates that are in the same area." Some portions are Deaconess Gateway are for-profit and taxable while others are not, Taylor said. He said the planned St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital is to be owned by developer MSK, which will sign an agreement to pay taxes. Randy Capehart, a spokesman for St. Mary's Health, said the hospital project will go forward even if the Warrick County Council does not approve the financial incentive for the developer. He referred additional questions to MSK, where officials could not be reached for comment Friday. Warrick County Council President Gary Meyer said he is withholding comment about the economic development bond until the additional information is obtained. "I was told they don't have the financial reporting yet," Meyer said. "How they are going to finance the entire project? The council wanted to see that before we voted on it. Since they wouldn't have that until August, they said they would just as soon wait a month. I don't want to commit myself until I get this other information." Taylor said the TIF area is proving to be a dynamic location in Warrick County, with the health care projects and various residential and commercial developments. Meijer has bought property in the area but has not announced a timeline for store development. Taylor noted that county officials worked on an extensive plan for the TIF district last year while pursuing the Evansville Multi-institutional Academic Health Science Education and Research Campus. Downtown Evansville ultimately was chosen for that development. "In my mind, Warrick County has a regional medical area as the grand vision," Taylor said. --- Related: St. Marys announces plans for orthopaedic hospital Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL and author of the book American Sniper.(Photo: Paul Moseley, AP) SHARE By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY Network WASHINGTON Navy SEAL , the late famed American Sniper, overstated the number of medals he was awarded for heroism, according to a Navy investigation released Friday. The Navy personnel form that Kyle signed and initialed when he left the Navy in 2009 credited him with two Silver Star and six Bronze Star medals with V device for valor, according to the document. Kyle, whose best-selling book American Sniper was later made into a Hollywood blockbuster, wrote that he had been awarded two Silver Stars and five . He was killed in 2013 by a veteran he had mentored. However, the Navys investigation of Kyles record, which began in 2012, determined that Kyle had commendations for one Silver Star and four Bronze Star medals with V devices. The service issued a revised form, known as the DD 214, on June 14. The Silver Star is the militarys third-highest award; the and Service Cross are the first and second. Kyle had made other, unverifiable claims, including his account of shooting dozens of rioters in New Orleans in the chaos that followed . He also wrote that he had punched a man later identified as , the former Minnesota governor. A jury awarded Ventura $1.8 million in a defamation lawsuit against Kyles estate. After thoroughly reviewing all available records, the Navy determined an error was made in the issuance of Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyles form DD214, Ensign Marc Rockwellpate, a Navy spokesman, said in a statement. Specifically, the DD 214 did not accurately reflect the decorations and awards to which Kyle was officially entitled. After notifying his family of the error, the Navy issued a corrected copy of the DD 214, which accurately reflects Kyles years of honorable and extraordinary Navy service. It is unclear who made the original error, and it appears to be a clerical mistake that was not corrected by Kyle or other Navy officials. The Navy is automating its personnel record system to prevent such errors. Errors in the DD 214 form, the official certificate of a sailors service, are commonplace, one of the officials said. In 2015, the Navy made more than 3,800 corrections to sailors forms. Kyles original form had other errors, including the omission of his Navy expert rifle medal. Indeed, the re-issued form from the Navy Personnel Command misspells rifle. The Navy is stressing to sailors the need to scrutinize the form before signing it. The DD 214, among other things, provides documentation of preference for veterans in hiring. "This whole issue is very troubling and inexplicable, particularly because Kyle seemingly had no need to falsify his military records," said Dwight Mears, an Army veteran and former professor at West Point who has researched the military awards process. "It isnt clear that he stood to benefit any more from the misrepresentations, as his service was impressive and almost equally as noteworthy without the addition of any unearned awards." THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FORM, the header on Kyle's DD 214 reads. SAFEGUARD IT. Kyles revised form shows that he belonged to , based at , Calif. His primary specialty: SEAL, and small arms marksmanship instructor. Box 24, near the bottom of the form, reads Character of Service. It's filled with one word: HONORABLE. Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the University of Iowa Tuesday. (Photo: Paul Sancya) SHARE By Chelsea Schneider, IndyStar / USA TODAY Network Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is planning to hold a rally in central Indiana on Tuesday, following a private fundraiser, campaign officials told IndyStar on Friday. The rally is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m., though a location hasnt been confirmed, said Rex Early, chairman of Trump's Indiana campaign. Trump's rally comes as speculation grows that he could name Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate. Pence is regarded in the top tier of potential vice presidential picks. Early said he didnt know if Pence planned on attending the rally though the Republican governor is anticipated to be there. Pence faces competition in becoming Trumps running mate. This week Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker and another potential vice presidential pick, joined Trump for a rally in Ohio. At the rally, Trump said Im not saying anything and Im not telling Newt anything. But I can tell you, in one form or another, Newt Gingrich will be involved with our government, okay, according to the Washington Post. Ahead of the rally, Pence will join Trump at a fundraiser at the Columbia Club in downtown Indianapolis. SHARE By Stephen Henderson, USA TODAY NETWORK When they buried Emmett Till in 1955, his mother, Mamie, wanted to be sure America could see her son's battered face and head, the crushed bone and deep bruises inflicted by two Mississippi men who ravaged the life out of him. So she chose a casket with a glass top. If you could bring yourself to look inside, you couldn't look away. And you couldn't look past what the image said about the nation in which Till lived, where black men and boys could quickly be hung from trees or beaten to death for the slightest indiscretion, or for no reason at all. Mamie Till knew the image of her son in that casket, published in newspapers and magazines across the country, would be a call to an American reckoning, and to action. Now, we face our own call to collective will to stop the gruesome pattern of brutal police killings of African-American men, women and children. And we have our own horrific visuals that ought to make it impossible for us to look away. This past week, we watched the recorded video of police officers in Baton Rouge, La., shooting and killing Alton Sterling while he lay on his back. We saw the blood spread across the shirt he was wearing, we watched his hands and arms quiver as the officer fired one shot after another into his chest. And we watched him die, in agony, the result of an encounter with police over CDs he was selling outside a store. And then we watched Philando Castile suffer and die after a police officer in Minnesota shot him, again without apparent provocation, during a traffic stop for a broken taillight. Friday morning brought more horror, as snipers in Dallas killed five police officers Thursday night during a protest over the Sterling and Castile incidents a wildly inappropriate furthering of the cycle of violence, and a despicable act that mirrors, rather than challenges, disrespect for life. Madness can only spiral into more madness, not clarity or justice. But the callback, from Sterling and Castile in 2016 to Till in 1955, is evocative, and haunting. And the linkage between the era of lynching and the era of recorded police killings of African-Americans is growing more evident, and more disturbing, with each passing incident. This era demands no less vigilance. Our willingness to face it, or not, will define this nation's humanity for decades to come. Videos lay bare the truth The witnessing of police killings, through cellphone video and other surveillance, is one of the strongest parallels to Till's murder and the lynching that defined life in the South for African-Americans for several decades. Till's mother had every reason to hide what her son looked like after he was beaten to death for whistling at a white woman during a summer trip to Mississippi from Chicago. Funerals are private affairs, and her grieving could only have been aggravated by the constant viewing of his brutally altered visage. But her decision to let the world see Emmett's face raised the curtain on a culture of lynching that many had not previously understood or had denied. It laid bare the most awful consequences of inaction against racism. It made complicit, from that point on, anyone who dared suggest that violence against blacks was a myth or overblown. There's little difference between that and the video recordings that have shone light on the darkness of police killings. Anyone in the black community can tell you they're not new, and they are not necessarily increasing. They're a shameful and spirit-crushing part of this country's existence. Now that we can all see from Eric Garner to Tamir Rice to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile there is no turning away or bashful demurring. The video recordings are 21st-Century glass-top caskets. They make it impossible to deny a reality that has been subject to doubt and negation for too long. The Sterling and Castile killings in particular, because they are so graphic, leave no room for quibbling or argument. The senseless escalation is crystal clear, evoking all of the dynamics of the previous killings we've seen: the ready assumptions about the "threat" and "power" of black men, the violent overreaction of police in tense situations, the cold distancing that doesn't even allow for police officers to render assistance after their victims have been brutalized. Castile's girlfriend, who not only recorded his killing but also broadcast his suffering live on Facebook, is especially redolent of Mamie Till's sensibilities. Killing under cover of law Lynchings are also connected to police killings by the color of authority under which they take place. In the South, in particular, white mobs that killed blacks often included sheriffs and other officers, or carried a wink-and-nod inoculation from consequence. An all-white jury, reported by some media to have been laughing during the trial, acquitted Emmett Till's killers after 67 minutes of deliberation. Today, the police killers of African-Americans we see on camera typically face no consequence, buffered by their own claims of fear and prosecutors' reluctance to assign blame. The message is clear: If you're a cop there's cover for you, no matter what the circumstances or plain sight makes clear. And that makes this distinct from the wanton violence we see in the streets of cities like Detroit or Chicago, where a bloody drug and turf war has sent homicide rates skyrocketing. Every homicide is a tragedy. But those committed by people we pay to protect and serve they are a peculiar insult, and a pernicious betrayal. That's not new, either think back to the acquittals in the Rodney King beating case in Los Angeles in 1992. There's no question the adjudication of his case falls into the line of pattern here. But the frequency of recorded incidents that end in killings and are followed by no action can only be reassuring officers who are part of the culture that devalues black life. A new call to action But the emboldening must not be one-sided. Not if we are to meet this era's challenge. The photos of Till in 1955 marked the turn for a struggling civil rights movement, and began to rally previously complacent parties to the cause. The Black Lives Matter movement is new and still trying to find its footing in terms of long-term impact, but isn't it now analogous to the early days of the civil rights movement, when many were skeptical of its purpose and intent? How much stronger would that movement be with more participants, ordinary citizens who have seen enough and been called to action around police killings? And even though it took years, and decades, for the U.S. Justice Department to reopen the Till case and attempt to set things straight, the late 1950s and 1960s marked the beginning of federal intervention into the activities that supported and sustained white mob rule, especially in the south. So why shouldn't the same be true now? Has U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch seen enough to be called into action not only against individual incidents, but the wider culture of police brutality that props up the killings of African-Americans? The Justice Department's study of Ferguson, Mo.'s police and prosecutorial tactics found serial, substantive offenses and near criminal dynamics. Who can believe that's contained to one city, or one department? Justice has an opportunity to step into the breach, with the backing of President Obama and perhaps the Congress, to change the way police are trained and supervised, and the way criminal justice is meted out. A call like what we've seen one that hearkens back to even darker times in American history is impossible to ignore, or brush off. From 1955 to 2016, our witnessing should inspire recognition of a profound American problem and action to correct it. Stephen Henderson is the editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, where this column first appeared. Follow Stephen Henderson on Twitter: @SHendersonFreep This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Technology has always played a role in the art of fashion. The Costume Institute show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manus x Machina, features some avant garde dresses made with 21st century innovations, such as 3D printers, and others that come equipped with LED lighting, but the displays also demonstrate that the term handmade has been misunderstood for centuries. Few of the great dressmakers of the past 200 years could have done their work without that technological innovation of 1829 by Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier the sewing machine. The Met show includes dresses from the last century that are a mixture of the hand and the machine. In a late 1990s wedding dress by Yohji Yamamoto, the machine-sewn white cotton muslin is combined with decorative hand-basting and chemically perforated white silk gauze. Even a wild 3D-printed 2010 dress by the Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen mixes hand-cut acrylic fringe with machine-sewn white goat leather. New technology in fashion can look gimmicky in the case of dresses that glow with LED lighting wouldnt it be a distraction anywhere but a nightclub? but in the show, Karl Lagerfeld demonstrates the old and new can be mixed beautifully in a black-and-white suit he designed for House of Chanel last year. The shape of a classic Coco Chanel suit is given some new century pizzazz with a 3D-printed white polyamide overlay that is combined with traditional hand-stitching and hand-embroidering. Lagerfeld honors the past of the legendary Paris fashion label, while adding touches that were impossible in Cocos day. Cutting-edge tech icon Apple is the corporate sponsor, but Andrew Bolton, who runs the Costume Institute and curated the show, stresses that he didnt mean the subtitle, Fashion in an Age of Technology, to apply simply to the breakthroughs of the 21st century. Fashion designers have been using machines and chemicals in such processes as pleating and folding, lacemaking and embroidery, for hundreds of years. Clothes designer Katie Fong took a break from her Greenwich atelier recently to visit the show. She always finds inspiration in museum visits, but says the Mets annual Costume Institute show is a must-see for anyone in her business. Old technologies interest her as much as the new ones. Recently I was at the Cleveland Museum of Art and they had a beautiful display of various textiles embroideries, cutouts, Islamic and Turkish tile art. It was such an inspiration for a bridal collection that I am beginning to research and develop, she says. In her own work, Fong relies on a mixture of the hand and the machine. We use sewing machines in New York City where the garments are sewn together by seamstresses with 20-plus years of experience. We then finish the garments here at our studio in Greenwich, which includes lace applique and hand beading, Fong says. In his choices for the show and in the catalog text, Bolton points out the thin line between modern mass-manufactured dresses and the individually made, high-end couture outfits that come out of the top designers studios in Paris and other fashion capitals. Modern technology makes it easier to produce high quality in larger numbers. I find inspiration from technology innovations from hundreds of years ago, Fong says. There are not many fashion houses left who focus on couture techniques and finishes. Manus x Machina opened two months ago, just as a documentary about the Costume Institute, The First Monday in May, was being released to theaters around the country. The film shows how the annual, celebrity-packed, opening night party hosted by Vogue magazine and its editor, Anna Wintour raises millions of dollars for the Met as it raises the profile of the fashion industry. Bolton talks in the movie about the debate that once raged over the idea of fashion being treated as art by museums. He hopes the combination of rigorous scholarship and the sheer beauty and artistry on display in the annual Met exhibit has settled that issue once and for all. Fong agrees with Bolton. Fashion is most definitely a true art. The way a painter paints his brush strokes could easily relate to the way a piece of lace is cut and appliqued onto a piece of silk, or the way the beads are designed to make a flat piece of fabric come to life. The work that goes into a beautiful garment, from the formation of the original pattern to its finishes such as picot edging, horsehair trims can compare to how pottery is created. From what the shape of the piece is to what type of glaze or paint the potter chooses to finish it with. Fong believes art terms such as flow, technique, feeling, energy can also be applied to a beautifully designed piece of clothing. When I asked the designer if she has experimented with some of the new techniques in the Met show, such as 3D printing, she said, No, but it would be fun to one day. jmeyers@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @joesview This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TRUMBULL Trumbull Center is about to undergo major changes, which local officials hope will help fill vacant storefronts, increase pedestrian traffic and deter potential drug-related activity in the area. The town planning and zoning commission is expected to meet later this month to approve the demolition of a vacant office building at 965 White Plains Ave., across from the center. The tear-down would make way for a new building to house the Starbucks, CVS and several other businesses now located in the center. The goal is to move those businesses across the street and level the building that currently houses them, which would open up more space for the roadway. Retail tenants want visibility. The building blocks the view from the street, said Peter DiNardo, the property owner. While most of the properties house businesses, several storefronts, including the former Porricellis Food Mart are unoccupied, which has fueled concerns among some residents that the area is being used to make drug sales in the absence of other activity. Vacancy problems The area received attention earlier this year when a 24-year-old Stratford man overdosed in the bathroom at the Starbucks in the center. However, town officials reject the notion that theres any particular problem with drugs in Trumbull Center. I want to assure the people of Trumbull that there is no evidence or intelligence to suggest that that is true. One overdose does not make one area of town a drug den, said First Selectman Tim Herbst. Weve responded to homes and other shopping centers, so its not exclusive to one area in town, said Police Chief Michael Lombardo. He said the town is doing everything they can to combat the opioid epidemic at multiple levels. In the last six months, we got both of our K9 units narcotics detection trained; we sent our officers to additional training through the DEA; we instigated the bike patrol program, and we got approval from the town to add three resource officers to the schools, he said. In addition, town police officers have been carrying the overdose reversal drug Naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) since April 2015. Lombardo said theyve used it to stabilize overdose victims about 10 times already this year. Both Lombardo and Herbst said the towns approach to combatting drugs doesnt end with law enforcement. Were not just making arrests but referring people to addiction services. Its really a mental health issue, Lombardo said. The town has increased funding to the local Mary Sherlach counseling center and for mental health programs in the education budget. I believe we are doing everything we can do at the local level to address this problem, Herbst said. Its not just in this one location. DiNardo, the property owner, said he hasnt received any complaints from businesses or residents about drug activity happening in the center. Police are at the property daily and its one of the more active properties that we own, even with the vacancy, he said. The major vacancy is Porricellis, which has been unoccupied since the grocery store closed in 2012. Herbst said many town residents would like to see another grocery store there, but the space and location presented difficulties. The challenge is, many of these grocery retailers will look at a radius map...When you look at the other communities that are immediately adjacent to Trumbull, there are probably somewhere near 10 grocery establishments within a five mile radius, Herbst said. I think the economy has a lot to do with the fact that its still vacant...Its almost too small for the modern prototype food stores and its a little too big for the smaller users. Its sort of in a middle size, DiNardo said. Trumbull Economic and Community Development Director Rina Bakalar said the town and the property owner have reached out to multiple grocery chains and other retailers, but they havent found the right tenant yet. Grand plans The plan to open the center to the street and fill the vacancy are part of a larger undertaking by the town to revamp the whole area around Trumbull Center. Herbst said the town plans to use a $3.5 million state grant to bring the Pequonnock River Trail through the back of the development, with the goal of increasing pedestrian traffic. The town is also planning to build a visitors center for the trail up the road. It will be a great opportunity to promote the local businesses and the local tourism amenities, Bakalar said Bakalar also said there is a project in the five-year capital plan to look at boulevarding Route 127 around the center. The objective would be to slow down traffic in the area with strategies such as on-street parking and generally make it more amenable to pedestrians. However, these projects are at least several years out; both Herbst and Bakalar stressed that redevelopment isnt going to happen overnight. The main priority right now is to demolish the vacant offices at 965 and build a space so the CVS, Starbucks and other tenants can be moved. DiNardo has recently renovated many of the buildings in the center, adding new roofs, HVAC, and storefront glass and is in the process of renovating another property across the street. He also repainted the building that houses the Starbucks and CVS recently, but doesnt want residents to think that hes not serious about the eventual demolition. Its not that I changed my mind. The building has to be maintained until its no longer occupied. Theres always a lot of preventative maintenance that goes on. Theyre investing some significant money, Bakalar said of DiNardo Enterprises. Theres interest in the center, but its an older area, its 1950s stuff. We have an opportunity to redevelop, but its got to be done in phases. Its good to see that theyre getting these phases underway. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Police were lucky to walk away unharmed after a New York tow truck driver intentionally rammed a police cruiser following a high speed chase on Interstate 95 early Saturday morning. Police said the tow truck, driven by 21-year-old Jheison Callecastro, burst into flames near Exit 3 after he swerved into the unoccupied state police cruiser stopped in the median around 2:30 a.m. Callecastro, who is charged with criminal attempt/assault on a police officer and criminal attempt/second degree assault with a motor vehicle, among other charges, was chased into Connecticut by New York police in White Plains on I-95 after he was suspected of a hit and run accident involving a pedestrian, police said. According to Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, state police picked up the chase at Exit 3 in Greenwich and pursued the flatbed Bobs Towing truck north on I-95 until Callecastro got off at Exit 14 in Norwalk. He then got back on I-95 southbound. Callecastros front right tire was damaged by police-deployed stop sticks, which are designed to deflate tires, near Exit 8 in Stamford, but he continued driving and ran over more of the deflation devices near Exit 4 in Greenwich. Police said he then intentionally swerved into a state police cruiser stopped in the median near Exit 3, causing serious damage. Callecastro is also charged with criminal mischief, engaging in pursuit, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, driving while intoxicated and operating without a license. Bond was set at $150,000, police said. Police from Norwalk, MTA, White Plains, N.Y. and firefighters from Greenwich and Cos Cob all assisted in the chase. Windber-Portage renew rivalry in Week 10 Heritage-WestPAC crossover Check out what to watch on Friday night in Somerset County as the high school football regular season comes to a close in Week 10. Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous? What you need to know One of the most damning judgments of the Chilcot Report was how Tony Blair undermined the traditional integrity of British government. The now discredited Labour PM turned his back on procedures which had worked perfectly for the previous century. He bypassed his Cabinet, allowed decisions to be made in private by a cabal of cronies and he failed to insist on the vital discipline of notes being taken during meetings. One of the most damning judgments of the Chilcot Report was how Tony Blair undermined the traditional integrity of British government Also, Cabinet committees most notably the Defence and Overseas Policy Committee that should have been heavily involved in decisions on whether to take the country to war, failed to meet. In place of these traditional structures of sound administration, Blair favoured a system of sofa government. This gave huge power to a tiny clique of unelected friends and aides who met privately in the PMs office. The most trusted of these were his bullying propagandist Press adviser Alastair Campbell and long-time friend Anji Hunter, whose official role was as his office gate-keeper. This undemocratic government style was deliberately modelled on the White House administration in the U.S., where presidents employ their own friends and advisers in their private office. However, such a system of government is utterly alien to Britain. Unsurprisingly, it triggered the terrible series of errors which led to the Iraq war calamity. Nor was it merely the Civil Service that was corrupted under Blair. Most worryingly, the intelligence services suffered, too. Sir Richard Dearlove, head of MI6, was suborned, his independence fatally compromised as if he became an honorary member of the Blairite clique. Sir John Scarlett, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (which coordinates intelligence across Whitehall), also succumbed. Dazzled by their proximity to political power, the two spymasters neglected their duty to ensure first and foremost the security of the British nation. As Chilcot unsparingly demonstrated, both men allowed themselves to become puppets of an unscrupulous and amoral Downing Street propaganda machine. When David Cameron became prime minister, it was widely hoped that he would restore the integrity of British government. To be fair, he tried to do just that. Unfortunately, he reverted to many of the most damaging features of the Blairite era giving far too much power to special advisers, a culture of cronyism and the abuse of the Civil Service for party political ends. One of the most egregious examples was the way the Treasury jettisoned its neutrality to become part of George Osbornes shameless Project Fear pumping out misinformation and propaganda in the doomed bid to persuade the public to vote to keep Britain in the EU. Cameron also copied Blair in appropriating the machinery of the British state for partisan advantage. The most deplorable example of this was the way he prostituted the Intelligence Services during last years debate on whether Britain should intervene in the Syrian civil war. He risibly claimed that there were 70,000 moderate fighters in Syria ready to ally themselves with Western forces to take on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. In fact, numerous experts questioned whether this motley group could ever come together to form a cohesive fighting force. Hopefully, David Camerons imminent departure from No 10 will mark the end of a long and disgraceful period of political history, dating back to the election of Blair in 1997 The PMs 70,000 figure came from the Joint Intelligence Committee, whose reputation had been badly damaged by its bogus claim to Blair in the run-up to the Iraq war that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Hopefully, Camerons imminent departure from No 10 will mark the end of a long and disgraceful period of political history, dating back to the election of Blair in 1997, during which the traditional system of government has been corrupted. We now have the chance to start afresh. Whoever becomes the next prime minister, it is their duty to restore the independence of the Civil Service and public confidence in the democratic governance of this country. I believe that Theresa May is particularly well equipped to carry out this vital task. The fact that she is a bit of a loner certainly not someone who surrounds herself with a group of political intimates would be a big advantage. However, whether it is Mrs May or Andrea Leadsom who succeeds Cameron, there is one challenge before they can restore honest government. That is the presence of Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary. The fact is that his early Whitehall career coincided with the discredited Blair years. He was Downing Street Private Secretary during the Iraq invasion, taking over as Cabinet Secretary shortly after the formation of the Coalition in 2010. Whoever succeeds Cameron, there is one challenge before they can restore honest government - the presence of Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary (pictured) Sir Jeremy is highly intelligent and has been hugely valued by both Blair and Cameron. But he needs to move away from the insidious sofa government that I have just described. The capable officer needs to return the Civil Service to the high standards it has traditionally supported. It is almost 100 years since the post of Cabinet Secretary was created. The first incumbent was Sir Maurice Hankey, who took minutes during Prime Minister David Lloyd Georges first War Cabinet meeting in September 1916. This auspicious anniversary offers a great opportunity for Sir Jeremy whos been nicknamed Sir Cover-Up for the way hes presided over an alleged culture of secrecy in Whitehall. He has the chance to re-introduce the principles of British democratic government based on fairness, integrity, scrupulous impartiality and institutional scepticism. Above all, Sir Jeremy must restate the boundaries between party politics and the state machine, and acknowledge the grievous errors including his own part in them of the terrible damage done by the Blair and Cameron regimes. On the morning of the historic victory for the 'Leave' campaign I called on the Prime Minister to resign. Within a hour or two David Cameron had done so. I was more than a little surprised after all, he has rarely listened to me in the past. Now we learn that no plans had been made to deal with the result, that surprise has gone. He had called a referendum, due in part to the pressure from Ukip. With his customary mix of arrogance and complacency, he had failed to plan for a result he believed could never happen. Indeed, this catastrophic dereliction of duty on behalf of Mr Cameron and the Treasury has resulted in the very short-term instability that they had predicted. These failures should result in the Chancellor being fired, let alone resigning. Public opprobrium is not enough. Nigel Farage (pictured) writes that he called for the Prime Minister to resign on the morning of the historic victory for the 'Leave' campaign It is not, as some claim, those on the Leave side who have deserted their posts, it is the Government that has failed the people and in the most disgraceful way. But that desertion of posts has thrown up a huge opportunity for a new leader of the country. And a new emphasis in policy. Our next Prime Minister will have the chance to grasp the myriad opportunities provided by our nation's new independence. She will be able to encourage our entrepreneurs and unshackle our businesses, while reducing the pressure on our public services and rebuilding our strained communities. What an opportunity for the right person! Now we are down to the last two and what is wonderfully unremarkable is that the next Prime Minister will be a woman. Given that the policies the last one saved the country from decline and political melancholia, the auguries are good. Like most of the rest of the country, I hardly knew anything of Andrea Leadsom before she signed up for 'Leave'. The first time I observed her was at a debate way back in March. Back then she was a little defensive of the Prime Minister who had given her Ministerial office, but there were flashes of a keen mind and an honest and pragmatic belief in Brexit. We shared a stage again at a debate two months later. And how she had grown: the shackles of caution had been discarded and she was poised and confident. On both these occasions I found her very open, straightforward and even friendly. Something unusual in a traditional politician. By contrast, I've always found the Home Secretary very cold. I've never met anyone, no matter how long or how closely they have worked with her, who can claim to know her, or what makes her tick. I believe that it is important that the country can get a feel for the character of their leader. Mrs May might as well be made of alabaster. Mr Farage said that he 'hardly knew anything' about Andrea Leadsom (left) before she signed up for 'Leave'. He also writes that he has always found Theresa May (right) 'very cold' More importantly, we have to ask where this hidden heart is on the great issue of the day. The Brexit vote was the biggest vote in our lifetime and Mrs May failed the test. Some say she really wants Brexit, but if true then I believe her actions showed cowardice. If she actually believed in our county's liberty and remember there were suggestions she would be leading the Out campaign for a few short hours back in February, then she should have done so. Her Brexit credentials are based on one speech where, to cover up the abject failure of her department to control immigration, she threw a few bits of red meat to Tory Conference. Some papers, desperate to believe she might mean anything of which she speaks, leap to her support as a potential leader. Such conviction will, I think, soon vanish, deflating like foam on Dymchurch beach. Either way we need a post-Brexit referendum Government with the same level of vision and radicalism, if not the policies, of the Thatcher Government of 1979. The ailments are different and so must the prescription be. But it is certainly the time for similar vision and drive. For me, the acid test is which candidate is most likely to get back control of our territorial waters. Something our so-called European partners will fight tooth and nail against. I do not see Mrs May having the courage to do what is necessary to claim back the internationally recognised 200-mile fishing limit. Mrs Leadsom may lack Cabinet experience, but I can attest to the fact that she has the guts. A May government that hesitated to invoke Article 50 and didn't have the courage to end the free movement of people would be a massive thing for Ukip by the 2020 Election. She would open up parts of the country to our message where we have previously struggled to register. Seven-year-old Zahlee also raised more than $8,000 for charity Simone Moore is one of the first people to admit that Australians don't generally react well to the idea of beauty pageants. The mother of seven-year-old Zahlee Moore - who was recently crowned the winner of the Mini Face of the Globe pageant in Paris - says that she understood why many people don't like the idea. But the Face of the Globe is a different style of pageant, and one she was happy for the bright and bubbly Zahlee, from Sydney, to compete. Queen: Zahlee Moore (right) was crowned the winner of the Mini Face of the Globe pageant in April after she was chosen to represent Australia Natural performer: Zahlee, who lives in Sydney, also acts and models. Face of the Globe was her first pageant 'Face of the Globe is a bit different. There's no make up, just girls wearing party dresses, there's a fitness component,' Ms Moore told Daily Mail Australia. 'I had to do three interviews, we had say a speech, we has a gala day, and did charity fundraisers,' Zahlee expanded. The pageant, which was held in Paris in April, has four different age categories. Unlike many other pageants, there are no height or size restrictions, and no swimwear portion. Women can also be mothers or married and still enter, unlike most other beauty pageants. Anti-pageant: The Face of the Globe is a different style of beauty contest, with no swimwear section and a focus on personality The crowning: To win, Zahlee had do three interviews, make a speech, raise money and be judged on fitness to win Not only is the pageant different when it comes to its requirements and components, but Ms Moore said that the stereotype of unwelcoming and competitive beauty queens just didn't exist. 'Ive never experienced anything like that, everyone was really nice, there was no catty behaviour,' she said. There's also a huge focus on charity fundraising, with each contestant needing to raise money for an organisation of their choice. The seven-year-old chose the charity the Rainbow Child Foundation, and raised more than $8,000 before she headed overseas for the pageant. Well rounded contestants: The seven-year-old raised more than $8,000 for charity the Rainbow Child Foundation in the lead up to the Face of the Globe 'Be nice and kind': Zahlee even had advice for the next winner, saying she hoped they a 'good time' with the crown Not only does the pageant do good work with charity, it's also a place for the girls to make new friends and have fun. Zahlee, who also acts and models, said that she enjoyed the pageant and is looking forward to going back to Paris next year to crown the 2017 winner. 'I really enjoyed getting to meet to other kids and adults from all around and I enjoyed raising money,' she said. 'I liked having fun when had a pajama party and modelling.' She even had advice for the next Mini Face of the Globe, demonstrating how gracious she is at only seven. 'The next person I crown, whoever it is I hope they have a good time with the crown and be nice and kind,' Zahlee said. Happiest place on earth: Zahlee got to visit Disneyland as part of the pageant, and will travel back to Paris next year to crown the 2017 winner Sufferers of severe lung disease are being offered a remarkable new surgical treatment which uses tiny electrodes to burn away nerves that make them feel breathless. The operation, which is being tested on NHS patients at the Royal Brompton and Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals in London, is the latest hope for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) an umbrella term for conditions causing lung damage, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD affects about three million Britons. The hour-long procedure works by burning away damaged nerves, and in doing so prevents the abnormal narrowing of the airways and over-production of mucus. Pictured, how the new treatment works - a catheter with an electrode inside a deflated balloon is introduced through a tube and then inflated to hold the electrode in place In patients with COPD, nerves in the lungs become overactive, often because of damage caused by smoking. Chemical signals from these nerves prompt the airways in the lungs to contract and narrow, so patients feel very short of breath. The same faulty nerves also make the lungs release much more mucus, so patients can cough and wheeze. Patients are typically given medication delivered through inhalers which acts against these chemical signals. These drugs, called bronchodilators, allow the airways to relax and open so the patient can breathe more easily. But Dr Pallav Shah, consultant physician at the hospitals taking part in the international clinical trial, called AIRFLOW-1, says: Inhalers only work temporarily, can be distributed irregularly within the lungs, and may cause side effects such as blurred vision and urine retention in a small number of patients. They are also short-acting, and patients may forget to take them. The latest procedure uses a device called the dNerva Dual Cooled RF Catheter, which destroys branches of the vagus nerve in the lungs. The nerve is responsible for muscle contraction and mucus secretion. During the procedure, doctors insert a narrow tube with a light and camera at its tip into the airways under general anaesthetic. A catheter with an electrode inside a deflated balloon is introduced through the tube, and then inflated to hold the electrode in place. Radiofrequency energy delivered through the tip destroys the nerve branches. Sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often feel very short of breath due to the airways in the lungs contracting (file photo) Its rather like tackling an overgrown tree halfway up, says Dr Shah. If you can burn away the signals part-way down, far fewer are coming through so the airways are no longer constricting all the time, and less mucus is produced, so patients can breathe more easily. Dr Shah has now treated eight patients at the Royal Brompton as part of the international trial. In total, 80 patients have been treated worldwide. So far the results are looking very hopeful, and many patients report that the shortness of breath goes immediately, he says. This procedure keeps obstructed airways open to improve breathing, and has the potential to provide a permanent improvement for all patients with COPD. Patients still take medication. But if medication gives a ten per cent improvement in symptoms, and we can increase this to an 18 to 20 per cent improvement using this procedure, then in time some patients may be able to give up the medication completely, says Dr Shah. Gillian Joseph, 72, was one of the first patients to take part in the trial. The grandmother-of-five, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, had the hour-long procedure in April after living with emphysema for 18 years. She had smoked for 30 years, but she gave up once she was diagnosed. After a few steps I couldnt walk anywhere or do anything, she says. I hated the way I was I just wanted my life back. But I was noticeably less breathless immediately after having my treatment at the Royal Brompton. Now I can go shopping and walk around normally for the first time in many years. And best of all, it Gillian Joseph, 72, (pictured, with her daughter) was one of the first patients to take part in the trial and said she noticed a change in her breathing after the treatment meant that I was in good health when my daughter Sara got married in June. It feels like a miracle. Dr Nick Hopkinson, honorary medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation and reader in respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, says: This is a new approach to treating people with COPD, and early data suggests that it could be very helpful. However, we still need larger trials to see how well it works in clinical care. Overactivity of nerves in the airways in people with COPD causes the airways to narrow, making it harder to breathe. Until now, we have been able to reverse this using inhaled medications such as tiotropium, helping to open up the airways. This new approach means that instead of giving medication which block the effects of the nerves, we are destroying the nerves which supply these areas. This has been trialled already in a fairly small number of patients, suggesting that it is fairly safe and early data suggest that it is effective. Young women are being put at risk of deadly cervical cancer because bureaucratic NHS labs are refusing to process tests carried out on those under the age of 25, a leading gynaecologist has warned. A Freedom of Information request by The Mail on Sunday has revealed that hundreds of young women are having their cervical smear tests rejected by labs without being checked because they are under the official screening age. Although specialists might be able to push individual tests through by making a few calls and knowing the right people, the majority that are carried out in good faith by GPs and nurses will have simply been thrown in the bin, claimed one doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous. Figures obtained from 40 NHS trusts in England revealed that 903 smear tests were rejected in the past three years because women were under 25, the age at which screening starts (file photo) Figures obtained from 40 NHS trusts in England revealed that 903 smear tests were rejected in the past three years because women were under 25, the age at which screening starts. Angus McIndoe, consultant gynaecologist and gynaecological oncologist, warned that the number could run into thousands if replicated throughout the NHS. These figures are just the tip of the iceberg, said Mr McIndoe, of the Nuada Gynaecology clinic. Women have gone through the indignity and discomfort of a test because it has been deemed necessary by a doctor, only for a lab to refuse to test it. Common sense needs to be exercised here, rather than sticking to rigid guidelines all the time. What happens if that patient whose test was refused develops cancer three years later who takes responsibility for that? The national age for cervical screening was changed from 20 to 25 in England in 2003 because health chiefs concluded that testing did more harm than good. Scotland followed suit in June. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL CANCER? Symptoms of the disease are not always obvious and may not appear until it is in an advanced stage. In most cases, abnormal bleeding is the first sign. It usually occurs after sex although any unusual bleeding should be investigated. Other symptoms include pain in and around the vagina during sex, an unpleasant smelling discharge and pain when passing urine. If the cancer has spread there may be other symptoms including constipation, blood in the urine, loss of bladder control, bone pain and swelling in the legs and kidneys. Advertisement NHS advisers argued that abnormal cells flagged up by the test are common in younger women and may clear up of their own accord. If the results of a cervical screening test show abnormalities, the follow-up investigations can increase the risk of women subsequently suffering premature labour. Guidance from NHS England states that out of programme tests, including those where the woman is under 25, should be discarded. An exception may be made for samples taken by a gynaecologist or other specialist where they have clearly documented on the request form the rationale for taking the sample. Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, of the Royal College of GPs, said: It benefits nobody when a smear test is wasted not the patient, not the NHS, not the labs, not the GPs. Nobody wins. The rules are clear: there is no point in carrying out smear tests on women under the age of 25. They will be disregarded by the lab. Reality TV star Jade Goody sadly died from cervical cancer in 2009, aged just 27. Pictured, during her treatment at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London The only reason why it may be that they are carried out anyway is that a nurse or GP is not up to speed with the regulations or understand how strict they are. If a GP is worried about a patient regardless of her age but a smear test is not due, the right action, according to clinical guidelines in all four nations of the UK, is to refer her to a gynaecologist for a more appropriate assessment, such as a biopsy or a colposcopy. Mr McIndoe called for the testing age to be brought back down to 20. THURSDAY, JUNE 30 Boris Johnson has quit the race to be Prime Minister after Michael Gove stabbed him in the back so violently he instantly confined Boriss political carcass to a 1,000ft-deep Westminster tomb. I had personal experience of Goves treacherous skills last December when we sat next to each other at a Christmas lunch in the Savoy hotel ballroom. We had a long, convivial chat over some fine wine, and I found him surprisingly charming for a man who claims: I have no charisma. You can be Prime Minister but you have to give up sex, I once asked Boris Johnson in a GQ interview. Would you take the deal? He looked absolutely horrified. NO! Then he got up to make a short speech on stage, and said: This is a magnificently large room I guess it had to be to fit Piers Morgans ego inside it! You dont take down a guest at your own table, Gove, I said on his return. Terrible manners. He peered at me over his glasses, noted my distress then beamed with joy. As my Mail on Sunday colleague Rachel Johnson concluded last week: Psycho. Meanwhile, were told David and Samantha Cameron feel betrayed by Gove and Johnson for their defection to the Leave camp. This from a couple who had no problem in throwing another ferociously loyal friend, former No 10 communications boss Andy Coulson, to the wolves over the phone-hacking scandal. Spare me their hypocritical tears. As for Boris, politics for him has always been secondary to his real passion. You can be Prime Minister but you have to give up sex, I once asked him in a GQ interview. Would you take the deal? He looked absolutely horrified. NO! FRIDAY, JULY 1 Attended a fun (early) Independence Day lunch at Fortnum & Mason today with luminaries including Sir Michael Parkinson, Jimmy Carr, Tess Daly and chef Angela Hartnett. It was supposed to mark Americas split from Britain 240 years ago, but of course it carried with it a certain extra meaning given the events of this past week. Carr thought I should now run for political office. Its your time, Piers; how can you possibly do any worse than the current shower? Im not arrogant, pompous or self-interested enough to be an MP I replied. Id say youre perfectly qualified, he dead-panned. Youd be a better candidate than me, I retorted. In fact, Ive got the perfect vote-winning campaign slogan for you. What is it? Vote Jimmy Carr And Pay As Little Tax As You Can Possibly Get Away With. He grinned rather as I imagine Ronnie Kray used to grin before disfiguring people. Parkys been laid low with prostate cancer for several years but I was delighted to see him looking much more chipper and on great form. What are the three interviews youd relive if you had the chance? I asked. The last one of my four with Muhammad Ali, he replied, when we both knew he was on the decline, was a very poignant encounter. Then my first one with Billy Connolly when I knew Id discovered a comedy superstar. And my chat with Dame Edith Evans when she was in her 80s and flirted outrageously with me! The lunch ended with Tatler editor Kate Reardon stunning the table by announcing she was endorsing Jeremy Corbyn for Prime Minister. Hes so posh he even has a brother called Piers, she explained. SATURDAY, JULY 2 Ive woken up with The Fear, texted Amanda Holden this morning. Apologies for my naughty behaviour. Last night we attended a lavish 60th birthday bash for my former ITV boss Peter Fincham. I knew it would be a fun night when I got into Amandas car and found her sitting rigidly upright and mahogany-tanned. Dont touch me, she squealed, its all fake and something might break! Is this the most insane, thrilling story youve ever covered? I asked Robert Peston. No. The financial crisis was just as insaneand thrilling! As we tucked into cocktails amid a crowd including Jeremy Clarkson, Holly Willoughby, Michael McIntyre, Gary Barlow, Claudia Winkleman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ant and Dec, Amanda and I struck up conversation with author Helen Fielding, creator of Bridget Jones. Did you base the character on Amanda? I asked. P*** off, Piers! spat Amanda. Not at all, said Helen, kindly. Thank you Bridget, said Amanda. Pause. Oh s***, youre not Bridget, are you! Damn, I even c*** things up like her! I sneaked off to watch the end of the Wales-Belgium Euro 2016 quarter-final with Ant McPartlin and Hollys husband Dan. As Waless third goal flashed in, Ant let out a loud roar of delight. Why are you so happy? I asked. I bet 100 each way at 66-1 on Wales to win the Euros, he chortled. Main topic of conversation was the political maelstrom. Is this the most insane, thrilling story youve ever covered? I asked Robert Peston. No. The financial crisis was just as insaneand thrilling! Do you feel sorry for Boris? Not really, hed have been an absolute shambles as Prime Minister. Kirstie Allsopp said many people she knows who voted Brexit are suffering acute buyers remorse. God, its so hard, isnt it? I dont know what to think now. Well, they bought a house without knowing anything about it, I told the Location, Location, Location star. Next time they should do a proper structural survey! At midnight, I found Amanda and my wife Celia at the bar performing what appeared to be their own belated Sapphic tribute to Pride in London. Right, bed, I commanded. Ooo-err! cackled Amanda. Separately, I clarified. Leaving was easier said than done. One step at a time, Mandy! instructed her long-suffering husband Chris as she careered up and down various flights of stairs. Mercedes S 500 AMG Line Cabriolet Rating: So was that a dream or did I really get to work on Top Gear for a whole year? Actually it was both. What a complete honour, privilege and a pleasure, And yes, I promise, I really did try to make the best show I possibly could. Some things, however, simply dont work out. It seems I may well have been a square peg in a round hole. Notwithstanding the peerless Gullwing, could this be the best-looking post-war Mercedes to date? I cant think of a more beautiful one. And then you climb inside and if anything it all gets even better Which is fine if you keep on hammering it in, but the moment you leave it to do its own thing, the universe will quite rightly pop it back out again. I think the phrase is not meant to be. One way or another, however, the Top Gear ship has been steadily refloated, a new production team and presentation team established and I, for one, will continue to be a huge fan. And what an adventure it all was. From scaling the dizzying, snake-like trail of the Sani Pass with Seasick Steve riding shotgun, to getting to drive that fabulous 168mph Abingdon MGB around the lanes of sunny Buckinghamshire, I dont regret a single second. A year bursting with revelations and surprises. The highlight of any unforgettable experience such as this, of course, is the people you encounter and share it with. The Top Gear gang are the most driven (forgive the pun) and dedicated I have ever worked with. There is nothing those guys wont do to make every second of on-air content shine to its maximum potential. Plus, I got to share the screen with Joey from Friends! May I just take a few lines to assure you what a total mensch and extreme petrolhead Matt LeBlanc is. The view from behind the wheel? The driving position is almost up there with my benchmark Aston Martin V12 Vantage, what with the multifarious seat and column adjustments For me, he is the man. He is the captain Top Gear truly needs going forward, the perfect torso for the rest of TGs limbs. Not only does he eat, sleep, breathe and dream engines, propshafts and trail-braking, but the overwhelming quality that struck me about him is that hes just such a pro. The whole time I worked with him, he never once looked at the clock, was never late on set, knew his lines inside out and back to front and, most importantly on such an intense production, he always had time for everyone, especially the crew. The simple truth is he and Top Gear were made for each other. From the moment he made his first real driving film, in the bonkers Aerial Nomad in Morocco, it was love at first sight. Just as it was for everyone who caught even the briefest glimpse of this weeks test car, the unbelievable chic Mercedes S 500 AMG Line Cabriolet. This car is simply stunning in the flesh. Personalise your settings for everything, from heated armrests and lighting combinations to driver and front passenger neck coolers! One of the best-looking modern cars I have ever clapped eyes on. Its absolutely massive for a two plus two but nowhere near as ostentatious as so many of its market rivals. Exactly how Mercedes has pulled this off can only be down to the genius sculpting of the drop-dead-gorgeous shell. Notwithstanding the peerless Gullwing, could this be the best-looking post-war Mercedes to date? I cant think of a more beautiful one. And then you climb inside and if anything it all gets even better. AMG has absolutely nailed every aspect of the design the trim is gorgeous, the combination of textures, swirls and scoops is delightful and stop the presses theres enough actual legroom for real human beings in the back. Admittedly, its more suited to kids than grown-ups, but seeing as kids are all we have, that was fine by us. The only downside is the boot: you would have to DHL any serious luggage to wherever it is you wanted to rendezvous for the grand cabriolet cruise to end all grand cabriolet cruises. The only downside is the boot: you would have to DHL any serious luggage to wherever it is you wanted to rendezvous for the grand cabriolet cruise to end all grand cabriolet cruises To drive, the car is pure joy, and I only had the entry level 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine under the bonnet. (If you really want to scare the locals theres always the thundering V12 S65.) Oh, and how about a nine-speed gearbox thrown into the mix, with heaps of torque thumping you in the back whenever you stamp on the gas? Glorious. And the view from behind the wheel? The driving position is almost up there with my benchmark Aston Martin V12 Vantage, what with the multifarious seat and column adjustments. If you get a spare week off theres always the infinite vehicle settings to play with, along with all the other gizmos via the home-cinema-style info screen. Personalise your settings for everything, from heated armrests and lighting combinations to driver and front passenger neck coolers! Pick a destination and then blast off for some serious mile-munching. Stylish and elegant soft tops should look as good with their hood up as they do with it down, better even. Well, check out the lines on this car and tell me thats not the case She isnt exactly light on her toes she weighs in at a hefty 2.5 tons, but youd never know from the way she handles. She glides, darts, jumps, bumps and grinds in all the right places with the merest whisper of a request. TECH SPEC Price 138,825 Engine 4.7-litre petrol Gearbox Automatic Power 455hp 0-60mph 4.6 seconds Top speed 155mph Fuel economy 33.2mpg Annual road tax 295 Advertisement And please, just one more mention of her show-stopping profile. Stylish and elegant soft tops should look as good with their hood up as they do with it down, better even. Well, check out the lines on this car and tell me thats not the case. They say you cant have it all when it comes to most aspects of life and quite right too, as I have been starkly reminded recently. That said, when it comes to a fourseater super-cabriolet, Im struggling to see whats lacking with this sexy beast. PS: I am entirely sad Top Gear didnt work out I would have loved to have carried on working on it. But letting go with a smile on your face is far better than clinging on till you look constipated. Know what I mean? DRIVE TALKING With Nick Bagot LA-PHWOAR-ARI Continuing with the expensive drop-top theme, Ferrari has revealed the first photos of its new open-top LaFerrari. Few details are available, but its likely to use the same 6.3-litre V12 as the coupe, and be just as thunderingly quick. You cant buy one, of course all 150 models have already been sold... RED BULL RACER Layered with tantalising tropical surprises a mango magician Riesling tells the truth like no other wine grape. It holds up a mirror to vineyard and vintage partly because its rarely masked by an oak barrel but mostly thanks to its capacity for purity. Through the looking glass, Riesling (pronounced Ree-sling) creates dry, sweet and even sparkling beauties. If youre a fan of punchy whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, dive into Darting Estate Durkheimer Riesling 2015 (14 per cent) for 10 in Marks and Spencer a peachy, zesty modern German white thats set to dazzle. Or bask in the brightness of Peter and Ulrich Dry Riesling 2015 Mosel (12 per cent) from 9.99 in Majestic fabulously fragrant with exotic juiciness. Personally, Im seduced by the exotic sweetness of Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2013 (8.5 per cent), for sale at laywheeler.com for 14. Think mango meets pink grapefruit in a happy hailstorm of fleshy ripe nectarines a leading lower-alcohol candidate for lunchtime loveliness. Over the border in Austria look for names such as Pichler and Rabl or seek out Alsaces age-worthy Grand Cru treasures that gleam in the glass, from wineries like Trimbach, Kreydenweiss, Ostertag and more. U.S. Rieslings, such as Fox Run in New York state and Smith-Madrone over in Napa, show great promise, and there are glimmers of glory from New Zealand, South Africa and, for top value, Chile The Wine Society has Concha Y Toro Corte Ignacio Casablanca Riesling 2015 (12 per cent) for 8.50. Everything you need for an off-dry fruity summer sipper. But this summer my rule is simple: Australia. Leasingham Classic Clare Riesling 2009 (12 per cent), 19.99 at 1853wineclub.com, has zesty mineral purity. Or try the clarity of Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2010 (12.5 per cent) for 14.99 from Amazon. Forces Of Nature With Brian Cox Monday, BBC1 Rating: Brief Encounters Monday, ITV Rating: That funny little fella, Brian Cox, is back with a new series, Forces Of Nature. Hes the former pop star who is now our favourite particle physicist hes actually my third-favourite particle physicist, although well let that go and hes quite adorable, but a nightmare to live with, I imagine. He is so permanently awestruck I dont know if he can pass a pair of slippers on the stairs without holding them up, examining them this way, then that, opening his eyes super-wide and smiling beatifically while saying: Beautiful, but complex. Look at the way it curves here, to create a heel. As a presenter Brian Cox does have the quality James Burke had (remember The Burke Special?) and that Bill Bryson has, as a writer Then everyone would have to gather round, admiringly. And how long would family meals take? Would every pea have to be declared beautiful, but complex? Every lamb chop? Would you start making excuses just to stay away from the table? I know nothing about Coxs personal life but if he were on his sixth wife, the previous five having simply faded away, I would not be at all surprised. But I dont have to live with him, thankfully, and as a presenter he does have the quality James Burke had (remember The Burke Special?) and that Bill Bryson has, as a writer. By this, I mean he can explain extremely difficult ideas in a way that makes you feel as if you get it, even though you probably dont, and its not as if you can retain the information anyhow. (All I can remember now from Brysons book, A Short History Of Nearly Everything, is that the universe is like a mattress, although why its like a mattress I no longer can recall.) This time out, the mop-topped wonder has been promoted to BBC1 and, in an attempt to David Attenborough-ise him because who will be David Attenborough, when there is no more David Attenborough? hes been awarded Attenborough-style production values. That is, stunning cinematography coupled with exotic locales, which is fine, as who doesnt like stunning cinematography coupled with exotic locales, but it did all seem hilariously unnecessary in this instance. The opening episode, titled The Universe In A Snowflake, looked at shapes in nature, beginning with, yes, the snowflake itself, which is nothing special. Im toying with ya. A snowflake is beautiful, but complex of course. This was followed by five mini-films that took us from children playing in Norwegian snowdrifts to the mad Spanish people who compete to form human pyramids (terrifying) and on to Nepal, which is where I first started thinking: what? In Nepal we followed some poor villager who had to hang from a sheer cliff to collect honeycomb from wild bees that stung him to buggery, just so we could see the hexagonal construction of that honeycomb. Why? Seriously, my friend Tom, who lives two streets away from me in London, keeps bees whose honeycomb is as hexagonal as any Nepalese honeycomb, plus he has all the kit, so no one need get stung at all. Also, the octogenarian Korean women who dive for sea snails? So we could appreciate mammalian body symmetry? Heck, I only have to look down at my own body to appreciate mammalian body symmetry. Ive just returned from the shops, in fact, and Im telling you, if you go to the shops youll see mammalian body symmetry everywhere. So it was stunning cinematography and exotic locations that did not promote understanding but, instead, were needless and perhaps even distracting. However, I did learn a lot, even though I now cant remember any of it. The script of Brief Encounters clunked from one cliche to the next. What about what I want, Terry? the shy one even said to her Northern stereotype of a husband Brief Encounters is a drama series based on those Ann Summers underwear and marital- aids parties that first kicked off in 1982. Sounds exciting but this is so familiar in terms of types and trajectories I almost yawned my own face off. Set in Yorkshire, its part The Full Monty, part Calendar Girls, while our types include the shy girl (Sophie Rundle) and the extrovert girl (Angela Griffin) and also the rich butchers wife (Penelope Wilton, who does steal the show, to the extent that there is any show to be stolen) and who lives in a phenomenal house how much did butchers earn in 1982? but is bored and lonely. The script clunked from one cliche to the next. What about what I want, Terry? the shy one even said to her Northern stereotype of a husband. Everything was signposted in sky-high letters. The head of the school attended by Nitas (Griffin) kids approaches her in the playground to say: It seems the money for the zoo trip is still outstanding. Gosh, might this mean Nita has no money? Might she be tempted to host lingerie parties? It wasnt sexy. It was just silly and giggly and nudge-nudge. But most woefully, we know where its going, which isnt anywhere interesting, as all roads, I think youll find, will be taking us to female empowerment. Westminster Diary: A Reluctant Minister Under Tony Blair Bernard Donoughue Rating: The blurb for this latest volume of diaries by Lord Donoughue talks of his trademark waspish wit and insight. Come again? Thats like talking of Jeremy Corbyns trademark panache or Gordon Browns trademark cheerfulness. If Donoughue has a trademark as a diarist it is less for waspish wit and insight than for dullness verging on the dimwitted. Lord Donoughue's powers of observation prove as scant as his recollection of detail. Nor is there much discipline on display, beyond churning out a certain number of words per week One of his earlier volumes contained what must surely be the most boring diary entry ever published: 31 July 1974: My drip-dry shirt was nice and dry but my socks still wet from overnight washing. Nothing in this new volume quite matches that corker, but many of the entries come close. How about Woke feeling Ive a cold coming on or an entire entry Quiet weekend or Brought this diary up to date (I make daily notes along the way). In his introduction, Donoughue claims that these diaries, which cover his fairly lowly position in Tony Blairs New Labour project from the end of 1995 to the beginning of 1998, have been heavily edited. This begs the question: if this was what he left in, what on earth did he leave out? It is the political diary of Mr Pooter, or Lord Pooter, as he now is. For your information, Donoughue was a lecturer at the London School of Economics from 1963 to 1974 before being appointed by Harold Wilson to head the Downing Street Policy Unit in 1974, a post he continued to hold under Jim Callaghan. After Labour lost power, he took on grand jobs in the City, as well as becoming chairman of this, that and the other. And so onwards and upwards to the House of Lords in 1985, where he became, among other things, the Labour spokesman for Energy, Heritage and the Treasury, finally being appointed a junior Government Minister for agriculture by Tony Blair in 1997. He was, if you like, the archetypal Establishment placeman of the late 20th century classless, polished, savvy, well-connected, Labour but not too Labour, sure not to frighten the horses. He gave up writing his diaries at the fall of the Callaghan premiership, in May 1979, but started writing them again 16 years later, when he began to sniff the possibility that he might have a part to play in a Tony Blair government. On Christmas Day 1995, I resumed the disciplined routine of observing, remembering, taking detailed notes and recording my daily life. Alas, his powers of observation prove as scant as his recollection of detail. Nor is there much discipline on display, beyond churning out a certain number of words per week. The great political diarists, like Harold Nicolson and Alan Clark, cast their sharp eyes around the non-stop theatre of Westminster, and are able to recreate its comedy and drama. But Donoughue is more of a typist than a diarist, a sponge for received opinion. For him, Jack Straw is impressive, Alistair Darling very impressive. Princess Diana certainly a global star and Joan Collins looks remarkable for her uncertain age. It is almost as though he had taken a bet with his editor never to say anything original. But if he isnt a writer, he is certainly a man about town. In the years that have passed since his last volume of diaries, Donoughues social life has come on in leaps and bounds. One of his earlier volumes contained what must surely be the most boring diary entry ever published: 31 July 1974: My drip-dry shirt was nice and dry but my socks still wet from overnight washing He makes poor old Roy Jenkins look like a down-and-out. When he isnt dining with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, he is nipping over to France for a delicious dinner with our neighbours, the Count and Countess Lecaillon de Chamblage. Take the first few pages, for instance. On page seven, he is late for a ball at the Savoy given by Viscount William Astor a fabulous party. On page nine, he attends a wonderful dinner party at Highclere Castle supper in the great dining room was superb. On page 15, its lunch at The Ivy with Melvyn Bragg and on page 25, its off to Gstaad. Each year we go to Vivian Duffield and Jocelyn Stevenss grand chalet and it is usually the social centrepiece of the week. No time in his busy life to check the spelling of his hostesss name, which should be Vivien: no, its on, on, on! On page 31, its down to Cheltenham Races to the Ladbrokes box to lunch with their chief executive Chris Bell, and on page 35, a splendid evening at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Yehudi Menuhins 80th birthday party I sat four down from Prince Charles. All this, and were still only halfway through March! Like many socialite socialists, he protests, perhaps a little too much, that I am not a Ramsay MacDonald who has abandoned my Labour roots in pursuit of duchesses. He likes to bang on about how working-class he is: I am still most comfortable with those of common origins and I am Old Labour to my roots and toes. How he must have gritted his teeth as he forced himself to munch his way through all those posh meals with people who were Old Money to their fingertips! To Paris for the grand ball at the Aga Khans lovely great chateau it must have cost 2million done with real class. Dash home to change for dinner with Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra at their St Jamess Palace flat. A more astute diarist would have a field day with these colourful characters, but, having listed their names, titles, decorations etc, Donoughue has precious little to say about them, other than noting that Princess Dis stepmother, Raine Spencer, has style, that Mick Jagger seemed very respectable, that David Miliband is very nice and that Peter Mandelson did an incredibly good job in modernising the Labour Party. The same goes for his descriptions of all the snazzy events he attends. In November 1996, he goes to the Tate Gallery dinner for the Turner Prize. The contenders are, he says, dreary, boring and showing little creative spark. He fails to say who they are, or anything remotely specific about their art, just settling for the adjective boring and two needless synonyms. Along the way, there is a bit of gossip, here and there, but it tends to be about forgotten little-wigs from the early Blair years, like Jeff Rooker or Mark Fisher. Good gossip should be served piping hot, but Donoughues has been out of the oven for 20 years or so. I T'S A FACT Memoirs have been written since ancient times, one of the earliest being Julius Caesars Commentaries On The Gallic Wars. It has been a mainstay in teaching Latin because of its simple, direct prose. Advertisement In 1996, it might have been tremendously exciting to know that Jim Callaghan was complaining that Tony Blair is simply not one of us, but today it seems barely worth reading. Only one story in the books 300-odd pages made me smile, and that was when Donoughue was sitting next to the Queen Mother at Sandown races, discussing owning racehorses that then prove unfit to run. It is very hard for families like mine, which dont have any money of our own, she says. I was intrigued, too, by the story that John Major had a nervous breakdown on Black Wednesday, and spent all day vomiting in the lavatory. But is it true? Donoughue hears it from his government driver, who has heard it from another driver. Throughout the book, he grumbles about journalists being snide, gutter sewage and so forth, but his own standards of verification seem pretty shaky to me, particularly as he has himself worked for the press. Oddly enough, Donoughue was paid 1.2million by Robert Maxwell while he was working in the City for London and Bishopsgate International, which managed some of the Maxwell pension fund money. Inevitably, Donoughue now refers to his old paymaster as a monstrous villain, but offers not a single insight into his character. For all my reservations about his diaries, Donoughue comes across as an amiable figure, full of enthusiasm for horse-racing, reading and mountain hikes. Perhaps he lacks the touch of vinegar necessary for a good diarist. The Legend Of Tarzan Cert: 12A 1hr 50mins Rating: A musclebound king of the jungle, a feisty Jane, truly terrifying gorillas (parents be warned) and yes a splendid rendition of that war-cry. Bring on the sequel... Nobody plays the menacing psychopath like Christoph Waltz. His performance as the terrifying yet impeccably mannered Nazi in Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious B*****ds propelled him to international fame in 2009, he toyed amusingly with our expectations in Django Unchained, and if he ever so slightly disappointed as Blofeld in Spectre it was only, surely, because we were all hoping for so much. Now, however, the Vienna-born actor is back, nastier, scarier and more cold-eyed than before. At times, his pivotal performance in The Legend Of Tarzan is so alarming that you wouldnt be surprised to be told that Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness (a Vietnam-era reworking of which became Apocalypse Now, of course) had provided the inspiration rather than Edgar Rice Burroughs 1912 novel Tarzan Of The Apes. The Legend Of Tarzan is seriously good which, given how familiar we are with the basic story, is an impressive achievement Margot Robbie, whom many will remember from The Wolf Of Wall Street, is a spirited and photogenic revelation as the feisty and resourceful Jane Chief Mbonga played by Djimon Hounsou Its still Tarzan but, thanks to Waltz and the film-making genius that is David Yates he made the last four Harry Potter films its darker and far more real than ever before. With striking cinematography and fine ensemble acting, The Legend Of Tarzan is seriously good which, given how familiar we are with the basic story, is an impressive achievement. That familiarity, combined with an innovative story structure, probably explains why, at times, its difficult to shake off the feeling that were watching a sequel. For this is a Tarzan story that starts not at the beginning but at what many would regard as the end, with a by-now thirty-something Tarzan back in the Britain of 1884 and very much in Lord Greystoke mode. Hes married to the lovely Jane, of course has children and lives in a substantial stately pile. His hands deformed by years of walking on his knuckles while being raised by apes are the only reminder of his decidedly unconventional upbringing in Africa. But theres something nasty stirring on what is very much portrayed as the dark continent. King Leopold of Belgium has invested massively in the Congo but now appears to be on the verge of bankruptcy, a prospect that has stirred the interest of rival colonial powers keen to pick up any spoils. Which is why the British and indeed the Americans are so keen that Greystoke accept an invitation from the Belgian monarch to visit the Congo and see what has been achieved. But what if its a trap? Im no expert in the colonial history of equatorial Africa but Adam Cozad and Craig Brewers screenplay conveys a sense of historical realism that gives this particular reworking of the Tarzan story an authenticity that were simply not expecting. Its well structured too, for we already know that Tarzan is indeed falling into a trap thanks to a startling opening that sees a platoon of Belgian soldiers massacred by a well-organised tribe of Africans. The only survivor is the charismatic Leon Rom (Waltz), a man with the rat-like cunning to survive most things and a rare ability to talk himself out of just about anything else. What would persuade Chief Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou) to spare his life? Oh, Tarzan in person why didnt you say earlier? Samuel L Jackson plays George Washington Williams Skarsgard and Jackson Its a superb start and one that largely through the sustained sense of threat pushes the films 12A certificate to its limit for the first time but not for the last. With rogue gorillas that are as nasty as some of the humans (Leonardo DiCaprios encounter with a bear in The Revenant came to mind), this is definitely a film with the potential to frighten younger children. But that doesnt mean it isnt good. Alexander Skarsgard son of the well-known Swedish actor Stellan plays it low-key and unshowily straight as Tarzan, rightly convinced that at over 6ft 4in and with muscles to match, he has the physical presence to carry the role off and apparently happy to let others make off with the accolades. And, boy, do they. Margot Robbie, whom many will remember from The Wolf Of Wall Street, is a spirited and photogenic revelation as the feisty and resourceful Jane, the sort of wife who would absolutely insist on accompanying her husband anywhere remotely dangerous. I need you to scream for me, commands the ruthless Rom at one point, having taken her hostage. Like a damsel? asks Jane, all hallmark insouciance. Attagirl. And while the character of George Washington Williams played by Samuel L Jackson could so easily have been a crude comedy device to lure in American audiences, having a black American character in a film in which slavery features large undoubtedly gives it an extra resonance and power. Impressively, historical hypocrisy is confronted head-on, although never overdone. This is a film that first and foremost entertains, even if it does stray slightly into Jungle Book and Doctor Dolittle territory in the process at times. Working alongside cinematographer Henry Braham, Yates delivers a creatively mixed palate of colour, near-monochrome and grainy footage which Tarzan traditionalists will be pleased to hear includes several swinging-through-the-jungle sequences and a splendidly guttural reworking of that famous war-cry. What lets it down? Well, really very little, apart from a few flashbacks that are a little difficult to follow and a spectacular denouement that places too much faith in the wizardry of visual effects and the ability of adults to suspend their disbelief. That said, if this is the start of a new Tarzan franchise and Yates has talked of a sequel count me in. Second screen The Neon Demon (18) Rating: Maggies Plan (15) Rating: With its retro soundtrack and images of bored-looking models lounging in their underwear, Nicolas Winding Refns The Neon Demon (18) reminds me of one of those old Robert Palmer videos from the Eighties. My goodness, this is tired and trite old stuff, a dreary exploration of the world of the fashion model. Wannabe model and LA newcomer Jesse (Elle Fanning) is 16 and shes as slim and pretty as can be. Whatever the elusive, undefinable it is, Jesse has it in spades. Wannabe model and LA newcomer Jesse (Elle Fanning) is 16 and shes as slim and pretty as can be. Whatever the elusive, undefinable it is, Jesse has it in spades Then a sinister photographer asks her to take off her clothes and we realise Jesses career isnt going to be straightforward. Anyone surprised by all this yet? Me neither, with Winding Refn best known as the director of Drive compounding the problem by adopting an affectedly bored style we have seen before. All this beauty, he seems to be saying, all these sexual undercurrents but what about them, Nicolas, what are you trying to say? Neon Demon certainly has a meretricious, lipsticklesbian gloss, but at least the Danish director has the good sense not to exploit the 18-year-old Fanning, who will go on to make much better things than this. One day, Woody Allen will stop making films but his influence and stylistic legacy will definitely live on, as films such as Maggies Plan (15) already show. Set in Manhattan? Check. Played out by intellectuals? Check. All three of the main characters teach at universities, one even being a professor of ficto-critical anthropology, a subject Allen must be appalled he didnt dream up first. Sexual shenanigans at its heart? Check, check and check. In fact, the film is directed and written by Rebecca Miller who, somewhat unfairly, is probably best known for being married to Daniel Day Lewis. Ethan Hawke and Greta Gerwig in Maggies Plan But, directing a feature film for the first time in six years, she makes an enjoyable fist of things, with the story of a young woman (Greta Gerwig) who plans to have a baby using a sperm donor but embarks instead on an affair with an older man (Ethan Hawke), only to find the marriage that ensues is not what she hoped for. Gerwig and Hawke spar well, Millers screenplay has some lovely lines and there are cracking supporting performances from the likes of Julianne Moore and Bill Hader. Its a shame the pace flags so badly in the third act before heading for a finale of which Allen himself would have been proud. Matthew Bond DVD Strangerland (15) Rating: The Ones Below (15) Rating: Grimsby (18) Rating: Caesar! (12) Rating: Nicole Kidman in Strangerland Say what you like about the Australian Outback, its great for doomy mood pieces. Nicolas Roeg proved this with Walkabout. Peter Weir stirred spooky dread into the mix for Picnic At Hanging Rock. And now debut feature director Kim Farrant gives us Strangerland (15) a slowburn melodrama about fallout in the nuclear family. Parents Catherine (Nicole Kidman, right) and Matthew (Joseph Fiennes) wake up one morning to find their two teens have vanished. Cue a long, anguished search, not only into the desert, but into the couples marriage. Its not pretty in there. But the picture as a whole looks ravishing. And theres a terrific scene in which were trapped with Kidman and Fiennes inside a sandstorm. If youve ever wanted to know how a vegetable feels as its turned into soup, nows your chance. More family feuds in The Ones Below (15). Its about two couples who have apartments in the same house and who are both trying for a baby. The four become friends, then enemies at which point the plot swerves towards the gothic. Then again, heres Sacha Baron Cohens Grimsby (18). Is it asinine? Yes. Is it foulmouthed? For sure. Does it paint a depressing picture of the underclass? Too right. Did I laugh myself silly? You betcha. The same does not go for the Coen brothers Hail, Caesar! (12), a Hollywood backstager that despite turns from the likes of George Clooney ought to be called An Unfunny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Local authorities have urged people to report all suspected scams in a bid to tackle the 9.7billion annual cost of fraud to British citizens as more than five million people fell victims to fraud last year. The call comes as several fraudsters were prosecuted last month, including a letting agent who duped more than 60 tenants out of more than 220,000 and a bogus faith healer who defrauded several women of around 145,000, saying his fees went towards buying potions and sacrificing crocodiles. The Local Government Association said only five per cent of scams are reported, often due to embarrassment or people simply being unaware they have been deceived, so the actual number of victims could be higher than five million. Recent scams being investigated include bogus bailiffs demanding fictitious debts, the LGA said Councils said recent scams being investigated include bogus bailiffs demanding fictitious debts, fraudsters issuing fake parking tickets by posing as council officials, and rogue companies offering to rerate peoples homes to achieve lower council tax bandings. LGA safe and stronger communities board chairman Simon Blackburn said: Victims of fraud can lose thousands of pounds and feel anxious and scared due to being harassed by people every day. It also creates significant costs for taxpayers as elderly victims in particular often require more care and support after they have been scammed. Trading Standards teams see at first-hand the devastation but victims shouldn't suffer in silence or feel embarrassed. By reporting a scam, people can help someone else avoid being a victim. COMMON SCAMS TO LOOK OUT FOR Prize draws, sweepstakes and foreign lottery wins Fake emails, usually from a bank or credit card company, asking for your account details Pyramid selling and chain letter scams Bogus holiday clubs and timeshares Miracle health and slimming cures Work at home / job opportunities Among other recent cases is that of two cold-calling conmen who duped around 80 customers out of a total of 291,000 for shoddy housing repair work. The two men were given suspended jail sentences. Two businessmen who scammed more than 30,000 from pensioners for financial services have both been jailed for 15 months. The pair worked at a company which falsely claimed it could help couples ensure that their affairs would be managed in the event of them going into care or dying. Meanwhile, a rogue trader from Gloucestershire who targeted churches, schools and charities in a car park white line painting scam was ordered to pay back more than 150,000 and jailed for 16 months. The man offered to mark white lines in car parks using left-over road paint but would demand a grossly-inflated amount for his shoddy work. The LGA said local authorities were helping victims of scams get their money back from fraudsters through Proceeds of Crime hearings, promoting call blockers for unwanted phone calls and setting up cold calling free zones. Misses Antonin Scalia, who died in February and has yet to be replaced Ginsburg said everything would be 'up for grabs' if Trump won the election Predicted that Democrat Hillary Clinton will become the next president Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn't even want to think about the possibility of Donald Trump winning the White House. The 83-year-old justice bashed the presumptive Republican nominee during an interview at her office Thursday - and predicted instead that Democrat Hillary Clinton will become the next president. Ginsburg, the leader of the court's liberal wing, said during an interview in her office Thursday that the next commander-in-chief 'whoever she will be' will have a few appointments to make to the Supreme Court. 'I don't want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs,' she said when someone asked about a potential Trump presidency. Scroll down for video Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (pictured earlier this year) said in an end-of-term interview Thursday that she didn't even want to entertain the thought of Donald Trump becoming the next president That includes the future of the high court itself, on which she is the oldest justice. Two justices, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer, are in their late 70s. 'It's likely that the next president, whoever she will be, will have a few appointments to make,' Ginsburg said, smiling. She showed no signs of slowing down and didn't seem ready to step down any time soon. Ginsburg has been catching up on sleep since the court finished its work last week and will have a busy summer of travel that will take her to Europe. She plans to see as much opera as she can fit in, as is her custom. Ginsburg lost her best friend on the court during this past term and, partly as a result, found herself on the winning side of most of the high-profile cases. 'I don't want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs,' Ginsburg said when someone asked about the possibility of Trump (pictured Wednesday) winning the election Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, depriving his conservative allies of a reliable vote and leaving eight justices to decide nearly five dozen cases. President Barack Obama has nominated Judge Merrick Garland for the ninth seat, but Senate Republicans have refused to hold a hearing or vote on Garland's nomination. They say the next president should have the right to name Scalia's replacement. Even if the Senate were to confirm Garland after the election, the court probably would hear three months of cases without him, Ginsburg said. And if there's no action in a postelection, lame-duck session of Congress, the vacancy could last the entire term, she said. Court majorities this term moved to shut down tactics used by opponents of abortion and of affirmative action in higher education in two major cases, Ginsburg added. She doesn't expect to see any more such cases. The court upheld the use of race in college admissions in Texas and struck down Texas abortion-clinic regulations that the state said were needed to protect patients. 'It seemed to me it was a sham to pretend this was about a woman's health,' Ginsburg said. Ginsburg (pictured with President Barack Obama in January before his State of the Union address) instead predicted that Hillary Clinton would become the next commander-in-chief She misses the colorful, outspoken Scalia, whom she described as charming. 'The public got the wrong impression of him,' she said. Among the many pictures and mementos in her office is one of the two of them atop an elephant in India many years ago. Without him, she said, the court is 'a paler place.' But she thinks she and her colleagues did well to divide 4-4 in only four cases, including one that effectively killed Obama's plan to help millions of immigrants who are living in the country illegally. Another consequence of Scalia's death was an increase in the number of dissenting opinions written by Justice Clarence Thomas, she said. Thomas wrote 18 dissents. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was next, with eight. 'Thomas always wrote a lot of dissents, but I think he was kind of making up for Scalia not being here. He wrote so many,' she said. Ginsburg disputed reports that the court is taking on only relatively unimportant cases while waiting for a ninth justice. 'It isn't so. We haven't selected them with a view to dodging challenging cases. We take them as they come to us,' she said. But Ginsburg did suggest that the court probably would not take up a major challenge to the death penalty any time soon. She joined Breyer's opinion a year ago that called for considering outlawing capital punishment. 'There are only two votes so far to have asked for it so I don't think it's likely, if there is such a challenge, that it would get four votes to grant cert,' she said, using court shorthand. It takes four justices to vote to hear a case, or grant certiorari. Scalia's death essentially broke a tie in the affirmative action case, which ended with a 4-3 decision in favor of Texas' admissions plan, Ginsburg said. Justice Elena Kagan did not take part because she had previously worked on the case when she served in the Justice Department. A military helicopter has crashed into a house in Indonesia, killing three passengers and severely injuring three others. The helicopter was flying to the city of Yogyakarta on Friday when it reportedly lost engine power. The Bell 205 helicopter crashed through the roof of an occupied house in a suburban neighbourhood north of the city. A military helicopter has crashed through the roof of a house in a suburban area of Indonesia Three passengers died in the crash and three other passengers were severely injured Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Sabrar Fadhila said the three survivors were being treated for serious injuries. He said the occupants of the house were away on holiday at the time of the crash. 'The engine apparently lost power but we are still investigating the cause of the crash,' Fadhila said. A military spokesman said that the family who lived in the house were on holiday at the time The military spokesman said: 'The engine apparently lost power but we are still investigating the cause of the accident' The Bell 205 helicopter is understood to have crashed after its engine lost power during a flight to the city of Yogyakarta The helicopter was flying to Yogyakarta as part of preparations for a visit by President Joko Widodo on Saturday. Crashes of military aircraft are relatively common in Indonesia where the armed forces suffer chronically low funding. In March a helicopter belonging to the Indonesian military crashed after taking off in heavy rain, killing 12 of the 13 people on board. The military aircraft was flying to Yogyakarta to prepare for a visit by President Joko Widodo on Saturday The mangled wreck of the helicopter and the crushed debris of the roof it crashed through can be seen in the picture above Antonio Taylor, 31, allegedly 'ambushed' and shot a police officer during a traffic stop in Missouri A police officer has been critically injured after he was 'ambushed' and shot during a traffic stop in Missouri. The white officer, who has not been named, was fired at three times by 31-year-old black man Antonio Taylor, police in St Louis said. The cop had his back turned when Taylor 'advanced quickly' from behind, leaving him 'completely helpless', St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. It is not clear if the attack has any connection to the shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas on Thursday, in which five cops died, but Taylor is not believed to have any link to the officer. The cop was walking back to his car after pulling over the motorist when he was attacked, Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said. The officer was going to check the driver's details when the suspect got out of the vehicle and fired three times, the police chief said. The officer 'had no chance at all' to pull his handgun and 'was completely helpless,' Scott added, noting that the incident was recorded by the police car's dashcam. Taylor allegedly sped away after the shooting and was arrested four miles away after his car was spotted by an officer from a neighboring police department. The motorist allegedly tried to flee but was caught after a five-minute chase. 'Make no mistake: We believe during this investigation that Ballwin officer was ambushed, period,' Belmar said. St Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said there was no evidence of any dispute between Taylor and the officer before the gunfire. The cop had his back turned when Taylor 'advanced quickly' from behind, leaving him 'completely helpless', St Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. Pictured, police at the scene The cop was walking back to his car after pulling over the motorist when he was attacked, Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said. Pictured, police at the scene Scott said he 'can't even begin to speculate' about a motive, including whether the shooting involving the white officer, a nine-year police veteran, had racial overtones. He added that Taylor was on probation for stealing a car in Oklahoma and has previously served prison time for illegally possessing a firearm. He was paroled in March last year. Taylor has been charged with assaulting a police officer, armed criminal action and illegally possessing a firearm. McCulloch said there's no evidence of any dispute between Taylor and the officer before the gunfire. The shooting on Friday morning came less than 12 hours after veteran Micah Xavier Johnson shot 12 police officers and two civilians in Dallas, killing two cops. There was outrage on Wednesday after black man Philando Castile was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop. His girlfriend live streamed his death on Facebook. Hillary Clinton said tonight that the United States would have fewer instances of race-based violence if blacks and whites would start 'listening' to each other. Clinton said it's a 'simple but vital' part of the problem. 'No one has all the answers. We need to find them together. Indeed, that is the only way we can find them, 'she told members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church community at a gathering in Philadelphia. 'Those are the truest things I can offer today. We must do better, together.' The Democratic presidential candidate endeavored to address three tragic shooting with racial undertones at the conference for black church-goers all at once without alienating any one of her constituencies, which she acknowledged was no easy task. 'I know that just by saying all these things together I may upset some people,' Clinton said. 'I'm taking about criminal justice reform the day after a horrific attack on police officers.' Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton said tonight that the United States would have fewer instances of race-based violence if blacks and whites would start 'listening' to each other She insisted, 'But all these things can be true at once - we do need police and criminal justice reforms to save lives and make sure all Americans are treated equally.' On the one hand, she declared that 'frustration with police' does not 'ever justify this bloodshed' like what happened Thursday night in Dallas, when two snipers opened fire on law enforcement officers overseeing a Black Lives Matter protest. She called it a 'vicious, appalling attack and said, 'We cannot we must not vilify police officers. Yet Clinton also spoke about two shootings earlier in the week in which cops were videotaped using what appeared to be excessive force against black men. Those deaths sparked the retaliatory ambush in Dallas Thursday. Talking about the original shootings, she said, 'There is clear evidence that African Americans are much more likely to be killed in police incidents than any other group of Americans.' She at another point, 'Let's acknowledge that implicit bias still exists in our society.' 'What can one say about events like these? What can people and leaders of faith say about events like these?' she said. 'It's hard, isn't it, even to know where to start.' The 68-year-old White House contender said, 'Let's start here. Let's take a moment to pray for all of the families and all the loved ones suffering today.' 'There are many unanswered questions about each of these incidents,' she stated, 'And when we know as much as we can, there must be a just accounting.' Until the facts are fully accounted Clinton told her audience to 'focus on what we alreay know, deep in our hearts - we know there is something wrong with our country.' 'There is too much violence, too much hate, too much senseless killing, too many people dead who shouldn't be.' With so little common ground between some communities in America Clinton said it can feel 'impossible' to connect and empathize. But she said, 'We owe our children better than this. We we ourselves better than this.' Even opposing political constituencies ought to agree that 'we do need to reduce gun violence,' she said. 'Gun violence is ripping apart peoples lives. Theyre trying to tell us. And we need to listen,' she said, bringing up Congressman John Lewis' sit in on the floor of the House of Representatives. Many of Clinton's remarks were met with polite clapping but only a few times was she met with loud applause as she scratched the surface on the race cases. The Democratic presidential candidate endeavored to address three tragic shooting with racial undertones at the conference for black church-goers all at once without alienating any one of her constituencies, which she acknowledged was no easy task She was equally tepid in interviews across the major networks taped before the speech in Philadelphia. 'We've got to do much more to listen to one another, respect each other....This is a kind of call to action,' she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Clinton told the CNN host, and her audience tonight in Pennsylvania, that she would introduce national guidelines as president that make clear when the use of force is justified by police. 'We need to do more to look into implicit bias. And we do need to do more to respect and protect our police,' she said in the same breath. The former U.S. senator and first lady told Blitzer she has been 'working to try to close the racial divide' and bring about reform of the criminal justice system her entire adult life. 'And I'm heartbroken that we have to keep repeating and doing that work year after year,' she said. 'But I am determined and I am persistent. And I will call for white people like myself to put ourselves in the shoes of those African-American families who fear every time their children go somewhere.' Clinton said, 'I'm going to be talking to white people. I think we're the ones who have to start listening...to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African-American fellow citizens.' She was equally tepid in interviews across the major networks taped before the speech in Philadelphia. 'We've got to do much more to listen to one another, respect each other....This is a kind of call to action,' she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Clinton was scheduled to campaign alongside Vice President Joe Biden today in his childhood stomping grounds of Scranton, Pennsylvania. That event was postponed in the wake of the Dallas police shooting School cafeteria worker Philando Castile (pictured) was shot fatally shot by a Minnesota police officer during a routine traffic stop in a St. Paul suburb on Wednesday night. Clinton brought him up tonight as she talked about race relations A white Louisiana police officer shot and killed Alton Sterling (pictured) following a confrontation outside a Baton Rouge convenience store early Tuesday morning. Clinton also mentioned him in her remarks Clinton and her opponent, Donald Trump, each cancelled campaign events on Friday morning after a night of mayhem in Dallas,Texas, that resulted in the deaths of five police officers. Three suspects were been apprehended, a fourth was killed in the stand-off with law enforcement. In addition to the five police officers who died in the ambush, snipers wounded six others. The officers were working a Black Lives Matter protest when they were brutally gunned down. One suspect told police the attack was in retaliation for the deaths of two black men - Philando Castile of Minnesota and Alton Sterling of Louisiana - earlier in the week at the hands of police. Clinton was scheduled to campaign alongside Vice President Joe Biden today in his childhood stomping grounds of Scranton, Pennsylvania. That event was postponed, according to the Democrat's presidential campaign, as was fundraiser in Scranton for Clinton they were planning to attend. She kept a date with the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Philadelphia and addressed the tragedy then. Trump remained in New York City and postponed a policy speech in Miami. Also canceled was a lunch meeting with Hispanic business and civic leaders that was planned to take place at Miami's iconic Versailles restaurant. Trump sent out a statement Friday morning after the campaigns' respective events had been cancelled that said: 'This morning I offer my thoughts and prayers for all of the victims families, and we pray for our brave police officers and first responders who risk their lives to protect us every single day. The Republican called the shootings 'an attack on our country' and called for the restoration of law and order. 'The senseless, tragic deaths of two motorists in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done,' he added. 'Our nation has become too divided. Too many Americans feel like theyve lost hope. 'Crime is harming too many citizens. Racial tensions have gotten worse, not better. This isnt the American Dream we all want for our children. This is a time, perhaps more than ever, for strong leadership, love and compassion. We will pull through these tragedies,' the White House contender said. Clinton said Friday morning in a tweet: 'I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families & all who serve with them.' A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance after the shooting Live TV coverage of the protesters marching along a street in downtown Dallas suddenly showed the crowd scattering as they sought cover after the shots were fired The shooting started at 8.45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week Reacting to deaths of Castile and Sterling Thursday night, Clinton said on Twitter, 'Too many African American families are mourning. Too many young black men and women have been taken from us.' This is the second time in the last month that the presidential candidates have cleared their schedules after gun shots rang out in one of America's most populous cities. On June 12 a gunman proclaimed allegiance to ISIS as he shot up a gay night club in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and wounding 53 others. The Saturday night shooting that stretched into Sunday morning was the deadliest in modern American history, and both Clinton and Trump cancelled fundraisers and campaign events the Monday following as the FBI investigated the terrorist attacker. That Monday Clinton was supposed to hold her first joint event with President Barack Obama. The Green Bay, Wisconsin, rally was indefinitely postponed and was never rescheduled. They instead campaigned together for the first time in the 2016 election this past Tuesday, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her event today, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was to be her first time on the trail with Biden. His childhood home, as well as her father's, the location was full of symbolism for the 2008 presidential rivals. Obama was overseas today in Warsaw, Poland, at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit. He said in a statement early this morning,'there is no possible justification for this or any violence against law enforcement officers' and promised 'anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held accountable and justice will be done.' An 80-year-old man, who was starved and locked in his bedroom by his son and daughter-in-law while they spent his money, is an example of an alarming rise in 'inheritance impatience'. The man, who was only discovered after he threw plastic bags with notes calling for help over his neighbour's fence, is just one of many cases of abuse, reported The Daily Telegraph. Some parents are said to have been forced into reverse mortgages or into granny flats to help fund the lifestyles of their children and grandchildren. An 80-year-old man, who was starved and locked in his bedroom by his son and daughter-in-law while they spent his money, is said to be an example of an alarming rise in 'inheritance impatience'. (Stock image) In another case, a woman tried to transfer her grandmother's house into her name for $1 in return for a verbal promise of caring for the elderly woman. A recent inquiry also heard of a daughter draining her mother's bank account of $300,000 using her power of attorney over her mother's financial affairs. Calls to a New South Wales elder abuse hotline have reportedly surged in the past year, with the line now receiving up to 200 calls per month. Of those calls, 57 per cent are over psychological abuse, 46 per cent are over financial abuse and 17 per cent of calls are about physical abuse. One in four calls also refer to neglect of elderly people. Police are said to be dealing with thousands of cases of elder abuse each year including intimidation and harassment. Calls to a New South Wales elder abuse hotline have reportedly surged in the past year, with the line now receiving up to 200 calls per month (stock image) Seniors advocate Susan Ryan told The Daily Telegraph that there was an assumption by some greedy family members that they were entitled to their parents' house decades before they passed away. Seniors Rights Service solicitor Melissa Chaperlin also said granny flats were an increasing problem, with older people contributing to a child's property on the proviso they could live there for the rest of their life. Name mentioned hundreds of times in Iraq War report but not blamed Just 52 minutes after the Chilcot inquiry was published Alastair Campbell publicly declared himself innocent of all wrongdoing Just 52 minutes after Sir John Chilcot had published his 12-volume, 2.6 million word inquiry into the Iraq War, one of the most notorious among its cast of characters had already staked out his position on the moral high ground. In a blog post larded with self-righteousness, Tony Blairs former propagandist Alastair Campbell publicly declared himself innocent of all wrongdoing, boasting that hed been cleared of sexing up any of the notorious dodgy dossiers that made the case for the 2003 invasion. Though mentioned hundreds of times in the report, and criticised by several key witnesses, including an intelligence officer who called him something of an unguided missile Campbell was neither censured nor singled out for blame. Instead, Chilcot largely blamed flawed intelligence for the dodgy dossiers that Campbells Downing Street spin machine churned out during the rush to war, one of which famously contained passages lifted from an old article by a PhD student. That is four inquiries now which have cleared me of wrongdoing with regard to the WMD dossier presented to Parliament in 2002, wrote Campbell. And I hope that the allegations we have faced for years of lying and deceit to persuade a reluctant Parliament and country to go to war or of having an underhand strategy regarding the respected weapons expert Dr David Kelly are laid to rest. The truth was and remains confirmed today that the so-called sexing up of intelligence never happened. Dr Kelly was, of course, a Ministry of Defence whistle-blower who in 2003 secretly told the BBC he believed Downing Street was exaggerating the threat of Saddam Hussein. In the ensuing row between Downing Street and the state broadcaster, Campbell fought to bring Dr Kellys name into the open (a development that eventually occurred courtesy of the MoDs press office). Dr Kelly was then subjected to intense pressure from the media and politicians and a few days later, killed himself. Fast forward 13 years, and Campbell claimed this week that it was the BBC rather than either him or Tony Blair which had blood on its hands. He said that if the broadcaster had responded properly to Downing Streets complaints over its reporting about one of the sexed-up dossiers, then Dr Kelly would almost certainly be alive today. It was a classic piece of news management from a PR man who, throughout his career, has tended to regard attack as the best form of defence. Sir John Chilcot (left) largely blamed flawed intelligence for the dodgy dossiers that Campbells Downing Street spin machine churned out during Britain's rush to war, led by former Prime Minister Tony Blair (right) Whatever ones view of Campbell, or of the conclusions of the Chilcot report, it is hard not to be struck by the touching sense of loyalty he still displays for Tony Blair a man he appears to hold in near saintly regard and who hes continued to defend vigorously long after other former acolytes have abandoned their faith. Yet loyalty, of course, is not always a one-way street. For while Blair doubtless cherishes the continued public support of his former spin doctor who left Downing Street a dozen years ago their relationship continues to prove, behind the scenes, to be very lucrative indeed for Campbell. These days, Campbell (who was the inspiration for Malcolm Tucker, the foul-mouthed spin doctor in TVs The Thick Of It) makes some of his living from his celebrity status, describing himself as an author, broadcaster and public speaker, who earns a shilling from media appearances and speeches, and has published among other things a best-selling edition of his diaries. The rest of his income, however, still comes from the unsavoury (and much less public) business of lobbying and media management. Campbell is a senior figure at Portland Communications, a New Labour PR and strategy firm started by former Downing Street spin colleague Tim Allan, which lists him on its website as one of the countrys foremost experts on communications, leadership and strategy. Intriguingly, one of the firms very lucrative clients, with whom Campbell has worked closely in recent years, is the government of Kazakhstan, the resource-rich central Asian dictatorship. The country has been ruled with an iron fist since 1991 by Nursultan Nazarbayev, a notorious despot accused of rigging elections, murdering political opponents, shutting down opposition newspapers, torturing dissidents and funnelling vast amounts of money to a shady network of cronies and family members. Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell still displays a strong sense of loyalty for ex Prime Minister Tony Blair. Pictured, the pair with ex-foreign minister Robin Cook Its not surprising, therefore, that this vile regime is a bete noire of the worlds top human rights groups, not to mention many within Campbells beloved Labour Party. For this reason, there was controversy in 2011 when it emerged that Tony Blair had signed a multi-million-pound contract to advise and lobby for Nazarbayev. There was still more controversy when it subsequently emerged that Campbell along with a selection of colleagues from Portland had been brought in, at the prompting of his former boss, to help the dictatorship handle his PR. However, the full extent of the work Campbell carried out there, and its links to Tony Blairs commercial machine, has never been fully exposed. Perhaps understandably, both have sought to play it down. That makes it intriguing to be handed a selection of leaked documents shedding light on not just the nuts and bolts of Campbell and Portlands lucrative commercial relationship with the Kazakhs, but also the way in which Blair has helped them pursue it. At the centre of these leaks is a four-page document that Campbell wrote to the Nazarbayev government in June 2013. Slick and professional, it reveals that this man of loudly proclaimed Left-wing principles was at the time attempting to negotiate a lucrative contract for Portland to continue to burnish the global reputation of this highly repressive autocracy. The memo states that Campbell had recently organised a sales presentation at which he and several colleagues from the PR firm had attempted to woo senior figures in its murky and kleptocratic government. There was controversy in 2011 when it emerged that Tony Blair had signed a multi-million-pound contract to advise and lobby for Kazakhstani despot Nursultan Nazarbayev (pictured, the pair together) At the meeting, Blairs former propagandist waxed lyrical about how he intended to create a new national brand for Kazakhstan that would, he promised, help make a big difference to the dictatorships reputation on the world stage. We were very pleased to hear that you felt it was a highly professional presentation and that the visualisation of our proposal for a new national brand for Kazakhstan was very strong, Campbell wrote to his wealthy would-be client. I certainly believe it laid strong foundations for the campaign ahead. Taken in conjunction with the research we presented, and your own assessment of the situation, it can be the basis of a strong branding proposal which alongside continuing economic, social and diplomatic change can help make a big difference to the way Kazakhstan is seen. That, of course, was a big ask. Despite Tony Blairs earnest efforts, his would-be client continued to have an appalling reputation on the world stage. The U.S. state department accuses Nazarbayev of pervasive corruption along with torture, restrictions on freedom of speech, arbitrary arrest and discrimination and violence against women. Against this backdrop Campbell claimed that for a price he could improve the countrys tarnished image. Best of all, there was no mention of the dictatorship having to do anything so painful as staging proper elections or releasing political prisoners. The note, which was addressed to Nazarbayev loyalist Marat Tazhin, the Kazakh state secretary, did not contain a single mention of the words human rights or democracy. Instead, Campbell reckoned hed be able to work wonders for the countrys squalid reputation by doing what he does best: spin. Campbell believed he could work wonders for Kazakhstan's tarnished reputation with his skills of spin Describing the brand strategy he would provide to the dictatorship, he talks of creating a universal, but adaptable brand for the country that can be deployed across a wide range of communications products and campaigns. We believe this approach can be used to bring together and maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of your existing branding efforts, which I think we agree have been costly but unco-ordinated, and less productive than they should have been. At the time the document was written, Campbells lucrative work for Kazakhstan already stretched back a year. He was hired by Portland in May 2012. And within two months, the firm had already secured work helping to set up a new Government Communication Office [GCO] in Kazakhstan. Its role was to spin for the controversial despot and provide rebuttal of media stories that might undermine his dictatorship. This fact is revealed in a second leaked document that has fallen into my hands: a personal letter that Tony Blair sent to Yerzhan Kazykhanov, the Kazakh foreign minister, in July 2012, discussing his ongoing work for the regime. The former prime minister wrote: Together with Portland, we have been tasked with ensuring the new GCO fulfils its purpose of providing fast and effective communication both proactive and rebuttal, it read. Also it is anticipated Portland will continue to provide support for the Foreign Ministry. The profile of Kazakhstan is only going to increase and so this remains essential. All of which suggests that, for at least some of this time, Campbell was doing the same kind of spinning job as he did for years under Blair in Downing Street. Even before joining Portland, Campbell was on manoeuvres in the central Asian dictatorship. In October 2011, for example, a reporter from the Financial Times spotted him on a flight from its capital, Astana. Asked what he was doing there, Campbell replied: Partly, I do some work for some energy companies. By the summer of 2012, after hed joined Portlands payroll, Campbell was even being name-checked in correspondence between Tony Blair and Nazarbayev, discussing how to spin a notorious incident in which his governments police had shot dead 15 striking oil workers in the industrial city of Zhanaozen. A third leaked document contains a letter of advice from Blair to the despot on what became known as the Zhanaozen massacre. It is dated July 19, 2012, and states that it was sent in response to a request or invitation for advice from the Kazakh government that had been given to Alastair Campbell earlier this week. Blair and Nazarbayev (both pictured) discussed in correspondence how to spin a notorious incident in which the Kazakh governments police had shot dead 15 striking oil workers in the industrial city of Zhanaozen It certainly sounds like a very comprehensive service. And at a later point in his work for the Kazakhs, Campbell appears to have even suggested producing propaganda videos for the Nazarbayev regime. To this end, his 2013 sales pitch refers to a somewhat awkward moment at their presentation when they angered their potential Kazakh paymasters by refusing to leave behind a copy of one such video. The film had apparently been screened during the meeting. But, perhaps in order to prevent it leaking (a similar video featuring Tony Blair singing the praises of Kazakhstan was once obtained by Vanity Fair magazine), Campbell and co were reluctant to allow it to be widely disseminated. This appears to have deeply upset the Kazakh state secretary, Marat Tazhin, who felt insulted and believed that, since Portland was on the Kazakh payroll, they should hand over the film. In an effort to put things right with his potential paymasters, Campbell therefore wrote: I hope following my meeting with him on Friday, Mr Kazykhanov has been able fully explain the reason why we were unable to leave behind a copy of the video that we showed as part of our presentation. This was prepared purely for use as part of the presentation, in order to help you visualise the brand and understand its potential. Though we were pleased at the very positive reaction, were we to make such a film as part of an agreed branding plan, we would want to do considerable further work on it. In addition, there are legal and copyright issues around the images and music used in the video that heavily restrict its use and transmission which could have caused unneeded grief for both of us . . . There was no bad faith here. Alas, despite this earnest entreaty, the pitch failed. Asked about the memo, and his work in Kazakhstan, Campbell declined to comment, referring me to Portland. At a later point in his work for the Kazakhs, spin expert Campbell appears to have even suggested producing propaganda videos for the Nazarbayev regime A spokesman for Portland said: This was a proposal for brand co-ordination work that was not taken forward. Alastair is not involved in advisory work on Kazakhstan for Portland and did not do any work on this project since it was not taken forward. The firm did not respond to questions asking why Campbells PR pitch failed to mention human rights or democracy. As to when exactly this man of Left-wing principle actually stopped doing work for the Kazakhs, that appears to be anyones guess. Campbells June 2013 memo states that recommendations on rebranding the dictatorship are due to be delivered at the end of our current contract, suggesting that his relationship with the dictatorship was still ongoing. However, in an interview with the Telegraph published less than two years later, in March 2015, he claimed that his work for the Nazarbayev regime had all been carried out several years ago. A strange claim, given what we now know, and given what Campbell wrote in documents leaked to the Daily Mail. Indeed, a cynic might be tempted to wonder if Campbell, notorious for his mastery of the dark arts of propaganda and character assassination, might have been attempting to sex down his links to Kazakhstan in that interview. Schoolchildren are being arrested for dealing drugs at a rate of five a day (stock image) Schoolchildren are being arrested for dealing drugs at a rate of five a day. There were almost 2,000 so-called playground pushers caught by police last year, figures reveal. Pupils as young as 11 were seized for selling drugs including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Anti-drugs campaigners fear that youngsters are being exploited by older, more streetwise dealers condemned as modern-day Fagins who are luring them into a life a crime. Gangs are increasingly turning to children to distribute illicit substances because they will be treated more leniently by police and courts. Youngsters are more likely to be let off with a slap on the wrist sending the signal that dealing drugs is not a serious issue. Criminals ensnare children by offering money, clothes or the latest mobile phones in return for passing drugs to customers. In some cases, they threaten them and their families with violence. It comes after the Mail told how the number of children convicted for dealing cannabis has hit a ten-year high. Last night Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: These figures are alarming. It is unbelievable that children as young as 11 are involving themselves in criminal activities. This is a wake-up call for parents, teachers and the authorities that they need to do so much more in order to identify how these drugs get into the hands of children, and what steps we can take to prevent them from doing so. This needs to happen now. Javed Khan, of childrens charity Barnardos, added: These children can be exploited by adults modern-day Fagins who manipulate and threaten them into doing their bidding. As with other vulnerable children, it must be recognised they are being coerced into crime. Their manipulators should not get away without punishment when children bear the full force of the law. Data from police forces in England and Wales under the Freedom of Information Act reveals 1,945 under-16s were arrested for dealing drugs in 2015 with some even caught in the playground. About a tenth of suspects were girls and 1,005 child drug pushers were caught in London. In the capital, they included a boy aged 11 arrested for having class-B drug cannabis, two 13-year-old girls suspected of dealing cocaine and a boy of 12 selling crack cocaine. West Mercia Police arrested a 13-year-old girl for selling cannabis and South Yorkshire Police recording collaring a 12-year-old boy for peddling class-A narcotics, which can carry a 14-year prison sentence. Gang members, known as olders, give younger teens, called youngers and tinies those aged 13 and below drugs to sell or hold. Children are also being used as mules to carry drugs out of London on trains as gangs expand into surrounding towns. Pupils as young as 11 were seized for selling drugs including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis (stock image) Separate figures from the Home Office revealed 648 children aged 17 or under were convicted last year in England and Wales for supplying illegal drugs. And the number of children convicted of having cannabis with intent to supply rose from 132 in 2005 to 193 in 2014. An NSPCC spokesman said: These figures will understandably shock parents, who expect schools to be a safe place for their children. Children dealing drugs are often being exploited by criminals and open to serious levels of risk and danger. As a society we cannot allow our playgrounds to become a marketplace for drugs. It is vital that children can easily report any concerns they have about this. Labour risks losing 100 seats unless it ditches Jeremy Corbyn and takes a tougher stance on the EU and immigration, a major donor warned yesterday. Businessman John Mills said the party faces a substantial realignment in voting in the wake of the referendum. Mr Mills, who gave the party 1.65million in 2013 but has halted donations under Mr Corbyn, was one of the few senior Labour figures to back Brexit. Businessman John Mills said Labour faces a substantial realignment in voting in the wake of the referendum He said the party now faced an existential threat as Labour descends into civil war following the historic EU vote. Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock also entered the fray last night, urging more people to join the party in order to vote Mr Corbyn out. Mr Mills said Labour had made a huge mistake in being as Europhile as it was and by failing to be constructively critical about mass immigration. He warned the party could lose 100 of its 230 seats unless it changes course dramatically with disaffected voters defecting to Ukip, the Greens and the Tories. The party would be in deep trouble if it simply replacing Mr Corbyn without regaining touch with its traditional supporters, he added. Meanwhile, union backers Unison gave the first indication it was softening its support for Mr Corbyn. It yesterday said Labour must function as effective opposition at Westminster, where the party leader has been rocked by 65 frontbench resignations and a crushing vote of no confidence. Mr Corbyn last night insisted he would not bow to pressure to quit. He pointed to new figures showing that more than 100,000 people have joined Labour since the referendum and suggested many had signed up to back him in a leadership contest. Writing in The Guardian, he said politics had changed for good and urged Labour MPs to show respect. Party moderates have dithered for more than a week over who should stand against him, after the attempt to oust him failed. Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock (left) is urging more people to join the party in order to vote Mr Corbyn out. Senior sources expect a formal leadership challenge by next week, probably by the former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle (right) Senior sources expect a formal leadership challenge by next week, probably by the former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle. Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said his party was facing its worst ever crisis and urged supporters to rise up against Mr Corbyn. He told the Guardian: All Labour people should immediately join in order to be able to vote. I urge everyone who wants to strengthen Labour to do that. Accusing Mr Corbyn of turning Labour into a banner-wagging social protest movement that could never win power, he added: Weve been on the edge of the abyss before, but weve never been deep into it like this. The boy had been on his way to spend the month with his grandparents The 24-year-old mother and her son were made to sleep at a friends place A seven-year-old boy was left stranded when his Virgin Airlines flight was cancelled due to heavy fog on Wednesday. Malakai Vaetoru-Miles was meant to fly unaccompanied to Rarotonga, when fog caused more than 170 flight disruptions at Auckland airport. The boy's mother Georgia Miles, 24, was waiting at the airport for her son's flight to depart when she was given 'serious misinformation' about what the airline would cover in costs if the plane was grounded. Malakai Vaetoru-Miles (pictured) was meant to fly unaccompanied to Rarotonga, when fog caused more than 170 flight disruptions at Auckland airport Ms Miles told the New Zealand Herald: 'I spoke to three different Virgin Australia employees via telephone and all three told me that yes, if the flight was cancelled accommodation would be provided.' Air New Zealand ground staff at the airport told the 24-year-old to make sure Virgin put a note next to Malakai's name in the booking system to confirm vouchers for accommodation. When the flight was declared cancelled at 9pm Ms Miles called Virgin again and to her disbelief was told that Virgin wasn't offering accommodation after all. She said: 'I'd modelled my evening on what they'd told me - then at quarter past nine at night, far from home [Tauranga], there was no accommodation and I had to start organising things. 'They've clearly got their wires seriously crossed and that's just really unprofessional.' The young mother said that she considered sleeping in her car with her son for the two-night gap between flights because hotel costs would be too expensive. Virgin airways had allegedly told the boy's mother, Georgia, that accommodation would be provided if the flight grounded. This was not the case and the 24-year-old and her son had to stay on a friend's couch in Auckland But decided to share a couch at an Auckland friend's house instead. When contacted by the newspaper, a Virgin representative told New Zealand Herald that all passenger of flight VA175 were given hotel accommodation when the flight was cancelled. When further questioned they admitted that her previous statement was wrong and it was not the airlines policy to provide accommodation. Married Tory leadership candidate Stephen Crabb sent sexually charged messages to a young woman despite basing his campaign on his family values. The committed Christian who withdrew from the race to become Britains next prime minister this week allegedly told the woman about a sex act he wanted to perform. He also said he wanted to kiss her everywhere despite having remarked how easy it was for MPs to trip up and cause a scandal. Mr Crabb has previously pointed to his 20-year marriage to Beatrice Monnier (left) his university sweetheart, as an indication of his strong values, and emphasised the core values of resilience, optimism and humility The father of two, 43, has highlighted family values and his working-class upbringing, but admitted to the woman that most MPs were really risk-takers. In chats on the internet messaging service WhatsApp during the run-up to the EU referendum, Mr Crabb, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, insisted: The public cant expect MPs to be angels. He then sent a series of suggestive messages to the woman, who is in her twenties. He is said to have met her through his political work several years ago before the pair became friends. He sent her messages as recently as this week, after stepping down from the race for Conservative leader following a poor showing in the first round of voting. Asked whether he was disappointed about having to withdraw, he responded: No. All Good. In exchanges obtained by The Times, Mr Crabb said most MPs were risk takers...in the areas of money, sex, political opportunism. In earlier messages, while he was Welsh Secretary, he told the woman that MPs faced a toxic mix of adrenalin, attention and time away from home. The remarks referred to the scandal involving Brooks Newmark, the Tory MP caught in a newspaper sting two years ago when he sent naked photographs of himself to a reporter posing as a young activist. He added: People trip up in all kinds of ways. Most MPs are risk-takers to one degree or another. Usually in the areas of money, sex, political opportunism. Add in the adrenalin, the attention u get, and the time away from family...toxic mix. Despite his own warnings, 18 months later his messages to the woman took on sexual overtones, The Times reported. After describing a sex act he wanted to carry out, the woman asked what he was going to do about your [downstairs] situation. The committed Christian who withdrew from the race to become Britains next prime minister this week allegedly told a woman in her twenties about a sex act he wanted to perform Father-of-two Mr Crabb, 43, has publicly highlighted family values and his working-class upbringing, but admitted to the woman that most MPs were really risk-takers. Pictured with his wife Beatrice In the Tory leadership race, Mr Crabb represented himself as a man who could unite Britain, having been brought up on a Welsh council estate by a single mother. He pointed to his 20-year marriage to Beatrice Monnier, his university sweetheart, and emphasised the core values of resilience, optimism and humility. The phone messages were leaked to The Times by a source said to be concerned by the hypocrisy of Mr Crabb, who said he could be trusted on his values and judgment. Mr Crabb became Welsh Secretary in July 2014 and took over his current role in March when Iain Duncan Smith resigned over cuts to disability benefits. The politics graduate voted for Britain to remain in the EU, and was encouraged to stand for the party leadership by Business Secretary Sajid Javid. However, his campaign for leadership of the Conservative Party attracted the backing of just 34 MPs, and he withdrew from the race, instead offering his support for Theresa May. He has been frank about his Christianity, and has claimed society finds watching pornography more socially acceptable than admitting to praying. His religious beliefs also led him to vote against same-sex marriage. Mr Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, did not reply to a request for comment from the Mail. When approached by The Times, he refused to respond except to defend his remarks about MPs being risk-takers, adding: Ive got nothing to add ... thats a true observation, isnt it? Daniella and Ari Schwartz, the couple building the home, say the house isn't protected under the Copyright Act because the design isn't unique patented the design of the A Long Island couple is outraged after a neighboring homeowner built a home that closely resembled theirs. Seth and Rivka Fortgang have brought legal action against the couple because they had copyrighted the design of their $1.48 million home. Rivka, an interior and exterior designer, created the home and had the architectural plans copyrighted, the lawsuit states. Seth and Rivka Fortgang of Long Island have brought legal action against a couple they believe stole the design of their copyrighted $1.48 million mansion (pictured) Once the Fortgangs learned of the eerily similar house they began taking legal action against the alleged copycat homeowners, Daniella and Ari Schwartz. The Fortgangs allege that the Schwartz family went to the Village of Lawrence Building Department to obtain a blue print of their home. However, the Schwartzs's lawyers say the design of the Fortgang home isn't unique enough to be protected under the Copyright Act, according to the New York Daily News. 'We note that the exterior facade of the Fortgang residence consists of several windows, rather generic gables, and entry way doors. However, Daniella and Ari Schwartz's lawyers say the design of the Fortgang home isn't unique enough to be protected under the Copyright Act (the Schwartz's design, pictured) 'However in the interests of professional courtesy, our clients have agreed to temporarily postpone construction of the present design pending certain changes and amendments to its exterior facade elements,' Daniel Schloss, the lawyer for Daniella and Ari Schwartz, said in the suit, according to the New York Daily News. Dr Keith McNeil (pictured) has been put in charge of technology across the NHS just ten months after resigning in shame Health chiefs have given another top job to a 260,000-a-year fat cat who turned a world-renowned hospital into a costly failure. Dr Keith McNeil has been put in charge of technology across the NHS just ten months after resigning in shame from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Under his watch, the hospital went from being one of the safest in the country to being rated inadequate and unsafe within two years, amid financial turmoil that cost the trust millions. In the latest example of the executive jobs 'revolving door' at the NHS, Dr McNeil is now charged with transforming how it uses technology to save money and improve patient care. MPs and campaigners said the appointment was 'staggering' and accused the Health Service of 'a culture of rewarding failure'. Dr McNeil, 58, spent three years as chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where he earned a salary of between 260,000 and 265,000. He resigned in September, having overseen catastrophic failures. His trust, which serves 500,000 patients, was losing 1.2million a week, partly because of a reliance on overseas recruits and expensive agency nurses. Dr McNeil received a payout when he left, but the trust will not disclose how much he got, saying only that it was 'in line with contractual terms and conditions'. Staff shortages in Cambridge meant doctors and nurses had to provide cover in departments where they had limited knowledge and women in labour were turned away from the trust's maternity hospital. Inspectors also recorded high levels of laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, in the birth centre, where it is given as pain relief. There was an issue with poor ventilation that midwives knew about for two years, but nothing was done, other than to open extra windows. The trust had to be placed under the close supervision of Monitor, the health regulator, and was ordered to make urgent changes. While running up huge debts and failing patients, Dr McNeil claimed expenses of 7,796.34 in 2014/15, with 3,925 spent on one business-class trip to Chicago. Dr McNeil, an Australian who used to practise as a surgeon, was out of the job for ten months before he was hired by NHS England this week as chief clinical information officer. The service refused to disclose his salary. Dr McNeil said: 'Introducing and embedding new technology takes time and is always challenging. However, the rewards are great getting it right transforms the way we care for patients, improves patient outcomes and saves time and money for the NHS.' Under Dr McNeil's watch, Addenbrooke's Hospital (pictured) went from being one of the safest in the country to being rated inadequate and unsafe within two years Tory MP Andrew Percy, who sits on the health select committee, said: 'It is staggering somebody who was head of a trust given such a damning inspection report should find himself in a new very senior NHS job. 'There is a culture of rewarding failure through this revolving door of failing bosses being re-employed elsewhere in the NHS. It is an insult to patients and to hard-working frontline NHS staff.' Shoppers are braving temperatures as low as 0.8C (33F) in supermarkets thanks to the air conditioning First they made us endure sweltering heat in winter. Now shoppers are braving temperatures as low as 0.8C (33F) in supermarkets - colder than parts of the Arctic. Across the country, shops are turning their air conditioning up to full blast in anticipation of sweltering July heat. But the big chill has led to a flurry of complaints from customers clad in summer clothes, some of whom have been digging out their winter coats for the big weekly shop. Visitors to a Tesco in Newcastle upon Tyne endured a bone-chilling low of 0.8C (33F), our survey found. Meanwhile temperatures in Sainsbury's plummeted to 2C (35.6F) and to 2.5C (36.5F) in Marks and Spencer. By comparison, Alaska's northernmost city of Barrow, above the Arctic circle, was a balmy 4C (40F) yesterday (Wed). Some shops fared better than others - although the majority were below the ideal ambient shopping temperature of 18C (64F), as recommended by the recommended by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. Martin O'Donnell, 58, a regular at Tesco in Newcastle, said: 'It is always really cold in there and I usually wear a big coat and hat with a scarf. 'I don't really feel the cold much when I am outside, but it is like a blizzard going through those fresh food and freezer aisles.' In the West Midlands shoppers braved temperatures as low as 8C (46F). The lowest air conditioning setting that can be set on a car is 18C (64F). Linda Mason, 59, an estate agent from Birmingham, said that cold made her want to 'run back outside' after going to do her weekly shop. She added: 'The supermarkets make you want to run back outside on a warm day like today. Smaller supermarkets aren't so bad, but the bigger ones are absolutely freezing.' Elsewhere, Sainsbury's in Manchester was recorded at as low as 11C (52F), while the highest temperature that was found was 16C (61F) in Marks and Spencer - still below reccommended levels. Ice cold : Visitors to Tesco in Newcastle endured a bone-chilling low of 0.8C (33F) Pictured stock photo Visitors at one branch of Tesco in West London were welcomed with temperatures of 14C (57F) as they walked through the doors, although in places the Mercury dipped to 13C (55F). The results come at a time when the temperature is only a couple of degrees higher than the average for July. Last December it emerged that while winter temperatures had been comparatively mild retailers bombarded customers with heating over the Christmas and sales period. Rather than peeling skin this year, the summer months have instead been noted for how wet they have been, with yellow weather warnings issued and flashing flooding across the south east of the country. Our survey was conducted using digital thermometers at branches of Sainsbury's, Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose, around the country. FIVE OF THE CHILLIEST Tesco: 0.8C (Newcastle) Waitrose: 1.8C (Newcastle) Sainsbury's: 2C (Newcastle) Marks and Spencer: 2.5C (Newcastle) Sainsbury's: 8.8C (Birmingham) Advertisement Several other shops also scored low on their temperatures, with many resulting in single digit temperature readings. Lore Caba, 26, a sales assistant, from Manchester, said: 'It's only because I'm wearing a coat at the minute that I don't have a problem. 'If it's winter time though I don't feel comfortable here. I come in and get the things I'm buying very quickly and get out. Maybe it's that I'm originally from Spain but I don't enjoy shopping around these aisles.' Matt Snowden, communications executive at the CIBSE said: 'Thermal comfort is an issue for both shoppers and staff at supermarkets. But it can be difficult to keep the temperature within comfortable limits in a supermarket because of their size and the variety of heating and cooling needs in different areas. 'Particularly at risk are aisles with groups of refrigerated cabinets, which can create permanent cold zones compared with the ambient and non-food areas. On the other hand, areas where hot food is prepared often suffer from overheating, and need to be cooled.' A two-month old baby, King, (pictured) is recovering after being shot in the chest by his mother's partner A two-month old baby is recovering after being shot in the chest by his mother's partner, who also shot dead his mother, before killing himself. The baby's half brother called 911 within minutes of hearing gunfire inside the home. His quick thinking saved the young boy's life. The murder suicide happened inside their North Carolina home Wednesday after an argument escalated into gun shots, Cumberland County deputies told ABC-11. Sherrell McNeill, 35, who has previous convictions, shot dead his partner Jessica Parker, 32, before firing at Parker's two-month-old son and then shooting himself. The murder-suicide played out as their two children aged eight and nine, were waiting outside in the family pick up truck. The siblings heard gun shots and got out of the van, quickly dialing 911, as they hid behind another vehicle parked on the drive. The eight-year-old boy told police that his father had a gun and his mother had been shot. He then described how everything had gone 'really quiet' before saying that he could see the flashing lights of the police car. Sherrell McNeill, 35, (right) who has previous convictions, shot dead his partner Jessica Parker, 32, (left) before firing at Parker's two-month-old son and then shooting himself The murder-suicide played out as their two children aged eight and nine, were waiting outside in the family pick up truck. The baby's half brother called 911 within minutes of hearing the gunfire: His quick thinking saved the baby's life Sgt Sean Swain of Cumberland County Sheriff's Dept told ABC-11: 'From what I know, this eight-year-old is wise beyond his years. 'He knew enough to pick up the phone and dial 911 and tell them in good detail what had happened.' Emergency services were on the scene 'within minutes' thanks to the eight-year-old's swift action. The critically injured infant, named King, was then taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where he is still recovering but is in a stable position. He survived emergency surgery Wednesday night, according to a family member. Emergency services were on the scene 'within minutes' thanks to the eight-year-old's swift action Sgt Sean Swain of Cumberland County Sheriff's Dept told ABC-11: 'From what I know, this eight-year-old is wise beyond his years' The older siblings have been placed in the care of Department of Social Services, until other arrangements with family can be made. Ronnie Mitchell, of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said: 'For children to see their mother murdered in their presence and then for a baby to suffer a gunshot wound to the chest... just horrific.' Investigators say the family were moving out of the home and that the pick up truck was loaded with kid's toys, a bicycle and stroller. Freedom: My Book of Firsts by Jaycee Lee Dugard will be out July 12 She says he forced her to dress up and wear make up for his own fantasies She says he forced her to dress up and wear make up for his own fantasies Mother-of-two admits her own sense of beauty is 'tainted' by Mother-of-two admits her own sense of beauty is 'tainted' by Garrido Jaycee has been inspired by her daughters who are both dating and hopes 'when time is right' she'll find love Jaycee has been inspired by her daughters who are both dating and hopes 'when time is right' she'll find love The list encompasses everything from seeing her mom again and visiting the pyramids, to learning to drive The list encompasses everything from seeing her mom again and visiting the pyramids, to learning to drive The 36-year-old compiled a top ten list of things to do after she was freed The 36-year-old compiled a top ten list of things to do after she was freed gave birth to two daughters in captivity before escaping in 2009 She gave birth to two daughters in captivity before escaping in 2009 Jaycee Dugard was 11 when she was kidnapped by Jaycee Dugard was 11 when she was kidnapped by Phillip Garrido in 1991 Jaycee Dugard was held captive in the California backyard of her kidnappers for nearly two decades, however her hopes and dreams never faded during that time. She managed to keep small scraps of paper to write down her thoughts and feelings. Dated March 28, 2006, she wrote a long list of her ambitions, all of which seemed utterly out of reach at the time, while she was held captive. It turned into a top ten list of things to see and do that kept her hopes alive. '1. See mom,' was the first thing she wrote, but it would be another three years before she was miraculously rescued. Jaycee, now 36, first detailed her horrific experience in her 2011 best-selling book, A Stolen Life: A Memoir, and now has a second book, Freedom: My Book of Firsts, about moving on after those years in captivity. The memoir is due out next week. During an emotional interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, Jaycee revisited her list of dreams a decade after she first wrote it, to look at all of the things she has managed to check off since being freed. Scroll down for video Noted: Jaycee Dugard reveals that she kept a list full of 'dreams for the future' that she wrote while in captivity Her number one: Top of her top ten list was to 'see mom'. Here she is pictured with her mother, Terry Probyn Hello again! ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer has the first television interview with Jaycee five years after their first sit down following her miraculous rescue from captivity JAYCEE'S TOP 10 DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE See mom See pyramids Ride in a hot air balloon Learn to drive Swim with dolphins Touch a whale Take a train ride Learn to sail an old-fashioned sailing ship Write a best-seller Horseback ride on the beach every day Advertisement Her list begins with the very simplest of aims. 1. See Mom 'Check,' Dugard said with a smile. Number two, is Jaycee's wish to travel to the pyramids. Although she has not yet made it over to Egypt, she has managed to see some pyramids on a trip to Belize. Third on the list was to ride in a hot air balloon, which Jaycee has accomplished. At number four was 'Learn to drive'. It's another item checked off the list after getting her driving license at the age of 29. Fifth was Jaycee's ambition to swim with dolphins. The only remaining item on her list which she has yet to check off is to touch a whale. Taking a train ride was seventh on her list. Flying high: While held captive, Jaycee, pictured with her mom Terry, wrote down a list she called, 'My Dreams for the Future,' and 'Ride in a hot air balloon' was third on her list Wheels of her own: Part of getting her freedom back was also resuming her independence. After leaving captivity, Jaycee took it upon herself and learned to drive Water baby: Jaycee is shown here swimming with dolphins in this family photo 'Yeah,' Jaycee said with a big smile to ABC's Diane Sawyer, 'I've done that.' 'Learn to sail an old-fashioned sailing ship' was Jaycee's eighth request. She recently accomplished this after stepping on board a ship called the Adirondack III in June. At number nine, the aim to write a best-seller has easily been fulfilled. 'Double check hopefully,' she said, laughing, referring to her two memoirs. 'Horseback ride on the beach every day' is Jaycee's tenth dream for the future. This, she admits has kind of been achieved, stating she does frequently rides horses, but not necessarily on the beach. Another dream, checked! Jaycee was able to go sailing on a ship called the Adirondack III in June Clipperty-clop: Jaycee's tenth ambition was to ride horses on the beach every day. She does ride horses a lot, but not on the beach very often Jaycee Dugard (pictured recently, left, and shortly after her escape in 2009, right) has revealed she has never had a date but is finally open to finding love after her 18-year kidnapping and rape nightmare In her new memoir due out this week, Jaycee has revealed she's never had a date but says she is finally open to finding love after her 18-year kidnapping and rape nightmare. Speaking to People magazine, she says does not feel 'so damaged' by her horrific ordeal, and that she will not let it stop her having a relationship 'when the time is ready.' And while she has no plans to start signing up for dating sites any time soon, she said she feels 'totally capable of having a relationship one day.' 'I have never even been on a date before!' she writes in her book. 'The only boy ever to ask me out was ten, and I was nine,' she continues. 'I didn't really know what to say so I turned him down. I kind of regret that now, but who knew it would be my only opportunity.' Jaycee was abducted in June 1991 on her way to school in South Lake Tahoe, California. Then 11, she was held by Phillip and Nancy Garrido and was raped and drugged repeatedly over the course of 18 years. While in captivity, she gave birth to two daughters fathered by Garrido. Garrido was sentenced to 431 years to life for the kidnap and rape of Jaycee. His wife Nancy was sentenced to 36 years to life. Seven years after her escape, Jaycee is enjoying her freedom and is intent on catching up on all the experiences she missed in the 18 years she spent as the Garridos' prisoner. 'There is life after something tragic happens. Life doesn't have to end if you don't want it to. It's all in how you look at it,' she sai 'Somehow, I still believe that we each hold the key to our own happiness and you have to grab it where you can in whatever form it might take.' Monsters: Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy are serving 431 years and 36 years respectively for abducting Dugard and hiding her in the backyard of their home. Jaycee had two children by Phillip Garrido Staggering: Tarps, tents and a wooden structure are seen in the backyard of kidnapper Phillip Garrido August 28, 2009 in Antioch, California After writing a best-seller, My Stolen Life, about her 18 years in captivity, Jaycee is publishing her second memoir about the joys and challenges that followed. Jaycee says her two adult daughters, who were fathered by Garrido and spent their childhoods in his home, have been an inspiration to her. 'I see my daughters have relationships and I feel like one day when the time is right I will meet the right person for me,' she wrote. They give her enough hope to dare to dream about her own future. Although she admits she has high standards. 'I like romance and fairytale junk so my expectations are pretty high nowadays,' she said. 'So unless you ride a beautiful white stallion, can stand with me to slay all our dragons, and make me a princess, you are pretty much out of luck.' Jaycee also described the joys of being able to choose her own meals for the first time after surviving on nothing more than junk food while she was held captive. Although occasionally, it means she's in for a surprise. The first time she had gazpacho, she thought the chef had made a mistake. 'Cold soup!' she wrote. 'What trickery is this?' Failed by the system: Jaycee Dugard was 11 when she was kidnapped by a convicted rapist who was on parole She was abducted in June 1991 on her way to school in South Lake Tahoe, California Hand in hand with her new found love of food is her love of exercise, something she says has helped ward off depression. 'I never want to be that person I was in the backyard that hardly ever moved. Granted it was not a choice that was mine to make. I was a prisoner.' Far more difficult to overcome, is the memories of being forced to dress up to fulfill her rapist's fantasies. Jaycee admits her own sense of beauty has been 'tainted' by the experience. 'When a psycho grown-up man, that has kidnapped you and taken you away from everything you have known and loved, forced you to 'dress up' and put on makeup for his personal fantasies of having sex with a child - a very scared and afraid child I might add, your view point can change.' She described one such evening when she was so terrified she could not stop crying. Garrido, who was becoming agitated that she was ruining her makeup, could not understand the problem. 'I remember he looked at me and said, "You look beautiful." 'I don't doubt he thought I was pretty that night. His creation. The girl he took from a bus stop. A girl he controlled and could be anything he wanted.' She said that he was unable to see what she so clearly could: a small, frightened girl, with mascara streaming down her face and 'the saddest face I had ever glimpsed staring back at me.' After writing a best-seller about her 18 years in captivity, Dugard publishing her second memoir Freedom: My Book of Firsts about the joys and challenges that followed. The story is being featured in People magazine 'When I look in the mirror now, I don't see the ugly broken child I was, and who Phillip tried his best to create because he thought that was beautiful. 'I just simply see the beauty in me.' Jaycee is still adapting to life after those terrible 18 years at the hands of pedophile Garrido. But the resilient mother-of-two refuses to let the experience define her. Far from being terrified to go out in her backyard after being trapped her captor's for so many years, Jaycee describes her own as a 'sanctuary.' 'Something terrible happened to me, but I'm not going to let it ruin the rest of my life,' she said. In the years since, she has slowly used her ordeal to become a spokesperson for abuse and has become the founder of the JAYC Foundation (Just Ask Yourself to Care), which aims to empower the victims of sexual abuse. 'I still believe that we each hold the key to our own happiness': Kidnap survivor Jaycee Lee Dugard announced that her second memoir, Freedom: My Book of Firsts, will be released July 12 Dugard's first book, A Stolen Life (left), sold 1.5 million copies in the US following its release in 2011. She is pictured right with Oprah Winfrey at the Diane von Furstenberg Awards in New York in 2012 Nicole Johnson, the sister of Dallas shooter Micah Xavier Johnson, hit out at police in a shocking rant the day before her brother shot five cops dead The sister of Dallas killer Micah Xavier Johnson launched a shocking anti-cop rant on Facebook just a day before her brother shot five officers dead. Nicole Johnson, from Garland, Texas, on Wednesday accused 'white people' of 'killing us off' and 'hiding behind that blue suit' before adding: 'These cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear.' Then, in the aftermath of her brother's shooting rampage in which he was killed by a robotic bomb, she added: 'The news will say what they think but those that knew him know he wasn't like this.' In her first message, Nicole ranted: 'To all my white or even other race friends that are on the wrong side of the law. If ur opinions are one sided or rasict or vulgar im reporting and blocking you. 'Tired of y'all tryin' [to] be on these cops side making it okay based off irrelevant info, when our own get killed over unjust s***. 'Frankly you shouldn't even try to step in that man shoes saying what he did and why it was ok. 'White people have and will continue to kill us off. The only difference is they serve the system hiding behind that blue suit and get off easy murdering civilians. 'Everything coming into the light and I for one think these cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear.' Scroll down for video Johnson hit out at 'white people' accusing them of 'killing us off', adding that they 'hide behind that blue suit' before stating: 'These cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear' After the attack Johnson seemed to defend her brother, saying that 'those that knew him know this wasn't like him' before announcing she is taking a break from social media It appears that Johnson had become enraged at the recent killings of African Americans by police, including the shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana. Following that shooting earlier this week, she penned another message which read: 'Man on life itself I'm beginning to trust law less [and] less. 'Come a [year] from now everybody will need a gun for protection. Why is it the black get the harsh treatment like damn. Makes me so mad. When he decide we had enough [and] fight back.' Her brother, Micah, shared the same anger at police shootings and dislike of white people, telling hostage negotiators that he had specifically targeted white officers during his rampage. Johnson's activity online suggests he was also interested in black militant groups. On Facebook, he identified himself as a black nationalist, and his profile picture shows him wearing a dashiki and holding a clenched first in the air like a Black Panther. Micah Johnson appears to have shared his sister's anti-cop views, telling hostage negotiators that he targeted white officers during his shooting rampage in Dallas before being killed. Pictured: Micah Xavier Johnson (right) pictured with his brother Tevin (left) and sister Nicole (center) Johnson appears to have been a member of black militant groups online, though friends from his days in the Army reserves say he wasn't always like that He also liked pages for several pages related to the Nation of Islam, the Black Riders Liberation Party, the New Black Panther Party and the African American Defense League. Johnson also used to attend a gym called Academy of Combat Warrior Acts, which teaches weapons classes in addition to the traditional martial arts selection. But his later attitudes seem a marked departure from when he served his country in Afghanistan while a member of the Army reserves. A man who served in the same platoon as Johnson in Afghanistan said he changed after he returned from the war zone. 'When he came back from Afghanistan, he got in touch with some bad folks and went all Black Panther,' the man, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News. 'He did have some anger issues but never said he would hurt anyone. His shots were terrible. A couple of wannabe princesses got up early to hit the streets of New York City in the hope of finding a prince, or perhaps just some breakfast. Zahara and Zamiyah Beary donned Cinderella and Rapunzel costumes before sneaking out of their Brooklyn home in the early hours of the morning, in search of adventure. They made it all the way from their house in Brooklyn to Manhattan's West Village before their spell was broken by eagle-eyed NYPD cops who brought them back down to earth with a bump, and a few stern words. On the run: Sisters, Zahara, five, and Zamiyah Beary, seven, crept out of their Brooklyn home before 7am on Thursday morning to find breakfast. Eventually they were found by NYPD cops in Manhattan The two young girls, dressed as princesses, are pictured arriving at 78th Precinct, where they were reunited with their foster parents, Alex Cone, 32, and Krista Cone, 31 (foster parents not pictured) Zahara, five, and Zamiyah, seven, pictured at 78th Precinct. They were reunited with their foster parents (not pictured) The cheeky sisters tiptoed out of their bedrooms while their parents slept unaware that their daughters had scaled the palace walls (or opened their front door) and scurried onto the quiet leafy streets of Park Slope just before 7am on Thursday. Zahara, five, and Zamiyah, seven, first entered a local McDonald's on Ninth Street around the corner from their home where they ordered a cheeseburger. 'They were ordering food and when we brought it, they said they didn't have any money,' said cashier Juan Lucero, 18, reported the New York Post. After failing to pay, the sisters decided they would head next door and try their luck at getting a couple of bagels. Morning munchies: The girls tried to get a cheeseburger at this Brooklyn McDonald's before heading across the street to a bagel shop where a kind man bought them both breakfast The girls, who were wearing oversized polka-dot shower caps ordered two plain bagels with strawberry and regular cream cheese. When it was determined that the children didn't have any cash on them, another man in the line bought them breakfast. But the adventure was just beginning as the youngsters got on board a Manhattan-bound subway train before getting off at the West Fourth Street in the West Village. By that time, police were on the lookout for the darting duo whose concerned parents had alerted the cops. Transit officers immediately recognized the girls from their description at around 9.15am. The girls got their wish as the police finally took them to a McDonald's on Sixth Avenue where they were fed hash browns. The girls broke down in tears as they became overwhelmed by their situation. 'The little girls kept asking for their mom. That broke my heart,' a manager told the New York Post. Police officers eventually brought the girls back to the 78th Precinct, where they were reunited with their foster parents, Alex Cone, 32, and Krista Cone, 31. The children were given a good talking to by their guardians, although the parents would not explain how the kids were able to leave the house so easily without them realizing. 'We're hurting,' said Dallas Police chief David Brown Sr, in the aftermath of the shooting spree that killed five police officers and injured seven. But few will be able to understand the intensity of loss as much as him. Brown Sr, a 30-year veteran of the force, has already lost his former police partner, his younger brother and his own son to gun violence. Now he stands 'heartbroken' following the brutality that erupted Thursday night during a Black Lives Matter protest. 'We're hurting,' said Dallas Police Chief David Brown Sr, in the aftermath of the shooting spree that killed five police officers and injured seven Brown Sr, 30, has already lost his former police partner, his younger brother and his own son to gun violence Brown's longtime police partner, officer Walter Williams (left) was shot dead in 1988. His son David Brown Jr (right) shot dead a Lancaster police officer and another man, before being fatally shot The tragic series of events began in August 1988 when his longtime police partner, officer Walter Williams was killed. Williams, 47, had been investigating a disturbance when he was ambushed and shot in the head with a 22-caliber handgun, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. The page describes how the responding officers had returned fire and killed the subject. Williams, who had served with DPD for five years, was survived by his wife, two sons, and daughter. But less than three years later, Brown Sr was to suffer another crushing loss. His younger brother, Kelvin Brown, was shot dead by drug dealers in the Phoenix area on July 3, 1991. Maricopa County Medical Examiner's office said his 'immediate cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head', according to ABC-News. Described by those who know him as 'introspective, intense and sometimes abrasive commander', Brown was named police chief in 2010. Seven weeks into his new position, his son and namesake shot dead a Lancaster police officer and another man, before being fatally shot more than a dozen times. It was Father's Day. David Brown Jr, who was 27 at the time, had struggled with drugs and suffered with bipolar disorder. Following the horror, Keith Humphrey, the police chief of Norman, Okla told The Washington Post how Brown Sr had reached out to the families of the two slain men and visited them in their homes. The shooting started at 8.45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week Dallas Police officers shield bystanders after shots were fired in the middle of what had been a peaceful rally in the Texas city Humphrey recalled: 'He approached those families as David Brown, the father of a young man that caused so much hurt in both of these families lives.' The Norman PC said that after he had made the introductions between Brown and the families, he heard Brown say: 'First of all, I'm sorry,' and 'My son was not raised this way.' A Dallas Morning News profile, written in 2010, just a few weeks after his appointment, revealed him to be an intensely private man despite having taken on one of the most prominent and public jobs in the city. He is known for being serious and focused. Some say his methods are too harsh, others say he is just the man for the job. According to the profile, he chose a career with the police after noticing the striking deterioration of his south Oak Cliff neighborhood 'every time he visited home while attending college in Austin'. Twelve police officers were shot in the shooting and five killed. Two bystanders were also shot and injured. Above, police investigators walk the scene of the shooting Friday morning Brown has since earned a reputation for striking a careful balance between his public and private self, including reaching out to officer unions and vowing increased transparency. Former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle said: 'He takes what we do very seriously and he holds people accountable. 'But I've never seen him do it in a demeaning, critical kind of way. I've always thought that he was very serious and he was very private, and that's largely a function of his personality.' A pilot who went missing in Tasmania nearly 40 years ago after reportedly spotting a UFO is the inspiration for a new television series. While The Kettering Incident will focus on fictional mysterious disappearances in Tasmanian bushland, the disappearance of Frederick Valentich is very real, and still unsolved. The 20-year-old pilot went missing over the Bass Strait on the night of October 21, 1978 reported the ABC. Guido Valentich (pictured) holds a photograph of his son Frederick, who went missing while on a flight from Melbourne to King Island in a Cessna 182L on the 24th October 1978. Mr Valentich said his 20-year-old son was abducted by aliens, after hearing the pilot reported seeing mysterious green lights shortly before his disappearance Historian Reg Watson told the ABC he had been researching the disappearance for decades, and in his opinion Mr Valentich had an encounter with a UFO. Mr Valentich reportedly wanted to increase his flying hours and planned a flight from Moorabbin in Victoria to King Island, north west of Tasmania. He left Moorabbin at 6.19pm and is said to have made contact with air traffic control in Melbourne at 7.06pm. After asking if there was any known aircraft in the area and being assured there wasn't, he went on to report a large unknown aircraft flying over the top of him. He said: 'It seems to be playing some sort of game. He's flying over me', before saying to air traffic control 'It's not an aircraft'. He spoke to air traffic control until 7.12pm and then disappeared. An aerial view of Moorabbin airport where pilot Frederick Valentich took off from in 1978 before he disappeared Mr Watson told the ABC authorities searched for Mr Valentich for four days but nothing was ever found. Theories on his disappearance include that he planned to vanish all along, and that it was a suicide. However Mr Watson, who spoke to members of his family, said he was 'a well-adjusted young man'. When documents on his disappearance were released in 2012, Mr Watson said it backed up his belief that a UFO was involved. He said there were numerous UFO sightings in 1978 and lights in the sky and cigar-shaped objects had been seen from King Island. A coronial inquiry into the disappearance in 1982 returned an open verdict. Mr Valentich was listed as missing, presumed dead and family erected a memorial plaque on Cape Otway in 1998. A Mexican minister shut down a Twitter rumor that El Chapo had escaped for a third time in style last night after tweeting an image of the drugs kingpin sitting in captivity. Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, the Secretariat of the Interior, sent out an image of the Sinaloa boss sitting alone in a bare white room after fake news sites began convincing people he had broken out. The cartel commander is still being held at the maximum security Altiplano jail, to the west of Mexico City, as he awaits deportation to America on drug dealing and murder charges. Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, the Mexican Secretariat of the Interior, tweeted an image of a lonely El Chapo sitting in prison after Twitter became convinced that he had escaped for a third time Despite the rumors of a third escape being unfounded, that did not stop Twitter users from spawning dozens of new memes celebrating the cartel kingpin's jailbreak El Chapo became the top trending topic in America on Friday night after people became convinced he was on the loose again. Naturally the internet wasted no time in creating a host of amusing memes celebrating the apparent jail-bust. While some imagined the tricks El Chapo could have used to distract his guards - telling them their socks are untied or shouting 'look out behind you' - others theorized he might have Jedi mind powers. One user, Janetta Ocamb, from California, quipped: 'I wish El Chapo would teach me how to escape the Friend Zone.' Meanwhile Sean Russo, from Florida, added: 'El Chapo making season 5 of prison break by himself.' While some imagined the simple tricks Chapo used to trick his captors, others imagine that he possessed Jedi mind powers like Rey in The Force Awakens El Chapo, the head of the billion-dollar Sinaloa drugs cartel, has made a name for himself escaping Mexican jails after breaking out twice over the years. He was first arrested in Guatemala back in 1993 and brought back to Mexico where he was locked up in the Puente Grande in Jalisco. He was later indicted on drug charges in California and was awaiting extradition to the U.S. when he bribed virtually every official inside the jail in order to bust out in 2001. El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, was let out of his jail cell and slipped into a laundry basket before being wheeled out of the front doors of the jail and into a waiting car. Dozens of people, from guards to maintenance workers and even the prison director were eventually implicated in the escape. Other lamented the apparent ease with which El Chapo seemed to overcome his problems, while they struggled with their own After a lengthy manhunt he was recaptured in 2014 in a hotel in the beach town of Mazatlan and sent back to jail, this time at Altiplano. He spent just a year in that jail however, breaking out for a second time in 2015 after members of his cartel dug a mile-long tunnel which came up under his cell shower block. With guards paid to turn the other way, El Chapo escaped by crawling through the bottom of his shower and into the tunnel, where he used a motorbike affixed to a rail to drive to a nearby building site, where the underground passage emerged. Guzman did not remain on the run for long the second time, however, and after several near-misses he was tracked to a safe house in the town of Los Mochis in 2016. Others theorized that the Sinaloa cartel boss was planning a new television series based on his exploits El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, escaped from jail for the first time in 2001, only to be recaptured in 2014 and break out again in 2015, before being arrested for a third time earlier this year Mexican marines eventually raided the property, getting into a shootout with El Chapo's henchmen, allowing him to escape down a secret tunnel. But he only made it as far as a set of sewers where heavy rain forced him to the surface and he was recaptured after trying to steal a getaway car. A hermit who inherited $5million from her dead Australian husband has died in her mud hut, fuelling suspicion among the Serbian village where she lived. Maija Zlatic, 86, died on Wednesday, six months after she inherited $1m in cash and a $4m property portfolio from her dead husband. A group of self-appointed carers looked after Mrs Zlatic following the windfall and neighbours are now questioning whether the group may have taken her money, reported The Herald Sun. For almost sixty years Maija Zlatic lived a reclusive existence with just her dogs for company. In January she inherited a million-dollar fortune from her estranged Australian husband Mrs Zlatic showed little interest in her instant wealth and was content to remain living in her rundown shack in the remote eastern village of Boljevac. She reportedly once dropped two $500 Euro notes on the ground but left them where they lay because it was too cold to go back and pick them up. Neighbours became suspicious that her carers were taking advantage of her money when they splashed out on a car, a tractor and security cameras at Mrs Zlatics property. Following Mrs Zlatic's sudden death, villagers are questioning whether the rest of her fortune has been frittered away by her carers. One neighbour said: The people who were ''taking care of her'' took everything and have even installed cameras to monitor that media or others who tried to approach Maija, reported The Herald Sun. Mrs Zlatic lived in a rundown shack on the outskirts of the remote Serbian village of Boljevac. She showed no interest in moving even after inheriting her fortune Mrs Zlatic and her carpenter husband Momcilo moved from Serbia to Australia in 1956. However Mrs Zlatic later retuned to her home town of Boljevac in Serbia to look after her sick mother. Mrs Zlatic's trip home was only meant to be temporary but she never returned to Australia. Her husband stayed in Australia and eventually re-married. Mrs Zlatic's husband passed away in 2011 but it took NSW authorities five years to track her down and transfer her the money Mrs Zlatic spent six decades living in a tiny mud hut with no electricity on the outskirts of eastern Serbia with only her dogs for company, surviving on her Australian pension of $100-a-month. Her husband died in Australia in 2011, leaving her $1m in his will as well as the deed to a portfolio of properties. It took the NSW Supreme Court four years to track down Ms Zlatic and collect the right paper work before they could grant her the money. In addition to inheriting $1m, Mrs Zlatic was also left a property portfolio worth around $4m. Pictured is one of her houses in Guildford, Sydney A drunk Tennessee man was jailed after police found him in bed with a $5,000 mannequin that he had allegedly stolen from a lingerie store hours earlier. Christopher Wade stormed a Hollywood Hustler store in Nashville shortly after midnight Monday, according to a police affidavit. The 55-year-old is accused of wandering into the store and grabbing a mannequin - that was dressed in a brown bob wig, a pink spandex dress and rhinestone stilettos, with red lips - and walking outside to the parking lot with it under his arm. Christopher Wade (left) reportedly stole a $5,000 mannequin that he had stolen from a lingerie store hours earlier (right, stock) Christopher Wade allegedly stormed a Hollywood Hustler store in Nashville (pictured) shortly after midnight Monday An employee told police that he appeared intoxicated and in the process of waling out, he knocked the mannequin's left arm off, reported KHOU. Wade was then followed outside by the female employee who argued with the man for several minutes before he allegedly put the mannequin inside the back of his white Toyota Tacoma and drove away. The employee estimated that the mannequin was worth around $5,000, not including the merchandise it had on. The Nashville store, which sells sex toys as well as lingerie, is open every day until 2 am. Metro Nashville police were able to track Wade's truck back to the address on the registration, where they reportedly found him in bed with the stolen goods. Wade was then booked into jail on a felony theft charge and a misdemeanor failure to be booked charge, according to the New York Daily News, and was held on a $11,000 bail. A North Korean submarine fired a ballistic missile which 'fell into the sea' during a botched weapons test. The US Strategic Command confirmed it tracked what it believed was a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from near the east coast port of Sinpo. In video released this morning, despotic leader Kim Jong-un is filmed laughing manically as the NORAD tracked the missile's flight path and said it fell into the East Sea/Sea of Japan. Kim Jong-un laughed manically as a North Korean submarine launched a ballistic missile The Pentagon said the missile flew for several miles before it exploded in mid-air and crashed into the sea The launch location has been used previously for weapons launches by North Korea. The South Korean Defence Ministry confirmed the missile successfully ejected from the submarine's launch tube, put failed in its early stage of flight. It exploded after only a couple of miles before crashing into the sea. Kim Jong-un's regime is trying to develop a missile launched nuclear weapons system. Pentagon spokesman Commander Gary Ross said: 'We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology.' The US State Department said: 'We call on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments.' Kim previously described international sanctions against his despotic regime as 'an act of war'. North Korea's acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbours because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it's unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology. North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests. North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it as a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with 'dagger of destruction'. The Pentagon claimed the missile was launched near the port city of Sinpo on the east coast of North Korea The missile successfully left the launch tube but exploded after a few miles and crashed into the sea South Korean defense officials then said that the missile flew about 19 miles before likely exploding midair. The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Christmas Day, but that test was seen as failure, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year. The latest launch came a day after U.S. and South Korean military officials said they were ready to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defence system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats. Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help U.S. radars spot missiles in their countries. The deployment decision for THAAD was announced hours after North Korea angrily reacted to new U.S. sanctions on leader Kim Jong-un and other top officials for human rights abuses, with Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry saying such measures were tantamount to declaring war. North Korea has already been sanctioned heavily because of its nuclear weapons program. However, the action by the Obama administration on Wednesday marked the first time Kim has been personally targeted, and also the first time that any North Korean official has been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury in connection with reports of rights abuses. After social media has been awash with images of a black Lamborghini parked in a variety of creative places in car parks around Adelaide, the offender is said to have been revealed. The Adelaide Advertiser has reported that the car's owner is Tobi Pearce, the CEO and half of the brains behind the Kayla Itsines bikini body empire. The black $500,000 Lamborghini Huracan has been photographed parked in a disabled parking zone, across two parking bays, across another two parking pays in a 15 minute parking zone and even in a non-designated parking bay in a full car park. Scroll down for video Fitness guru Kayla Itsines (left) and business partner and chief executive Tobi Pearce (right) pictured in LA Ms Itsines has 5.3 million followers on Instagram and is famed for her bikini body program The Lamborghini in question (pictured) has been photographed in numerous car parks around Adelaide, including parked in this disabled bay, although it is unknown whether the owner has a disability permit While it hasn't been confirmed if Mr Pearce is the owner of the car, or if he has a disability parking permit, according to the Adelaide Advertiser the car was spotted parked outside his Mr Pearce's business Pearce and Co on Friday. Mr Pearce's Instagram account is also said to feature images of a black Lamborghini. The highly-profitable global fitness empire is based around the sale of Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guides and smartphone app Sweat with Kayla. In this photograph, the Lamborghini was snapped parked across two parking bays at a Red Rooster fast food chain in Adelaide The pair are shown celebrating on stage during their Sweat Tour in LA. Mr Pearce has been reported as the owner of a black Lamborghini which is terrorising car parks across Adelaide The black Lamborghini was also photographed parked outside a pharmacy at the Malvern Shopping Centre in Adelaide, this time parked across two 15 minute parking bays This image of Ms Itsines (right) and Mr Pearce (left) shows them in New York City before an event at the Apple Store in Soho Another photo of the Lamborghini parked in the Marion carpark in Adelaide in a non designated parking space The highly-profitable global fitness empire is based around the sale of Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guides and smartphone app Sweat with Kayla Ms Itsines said the duo defamed her through false claims her program, The Bikini Body Guide, starves people Ms Itsines has 5.3 million followers on Instagram. The business was recently profiled by Bloomberg, and the pair have just come back from leading a fitness event in New York. Last year Ms Itsines and Mr Pearce were involved in a court case with Durianrider (Harley Johnstone) and Freelee the Banana Girl (Leanne Ratcliffe) which was settled out of court. Ms Itsines said the duo defamed her through false claims her program, The Bikini Body Guide, starves people. The pair (pictured) have a highly-profitable global fitness empire is based around the sale of Kayla Itsines' Bikini Body Guides and smartphone app Sweat with Kayla The images of the Lamborghini have been posted on Facebook and Instagram. On Friday Ms Istines and Mr Pearces PR representative said Mr Pearce would not be commenting. Dignity for Disability MP Kelly Vincent told the Adelaide Advertiser that people should not be judged on the value of their car. She said it depended if the car was displaying a valid disability parking permit. They have been seen in hospitals, bathrooms and even at a funeral Pokemon are popping up everywhere and when you've gotta catch 'em all it seems no time or place is inappropriate. The digital creatures which were unleashed into the world with the launch of the Pokemon Go game recently have been spotted in hospitals, toilets and even funerals. Pokemon fans from around the world have uploaded images of the creatures in challenging situations including an intimidating looking Geodude blocking one gamer from using the urinal. Scroll down for video This photo was added to social media with 'well this is awkward' as the caption. It shows a Geodude blocking a urinal Squirtle was found on this coffin by one Pokemon user - it is not known if the gamer caught the water Pokemon One avid gamer took a picture of a Poliwag in a Sydney Street. The water Pokemon was walking alongside the collector's less than impressed girlfriend. The picture appeared on social media with the caption 'today I caught a Poliwag and lost a girlfriend'. A Squirtle made an appearance on top of a coffin at a funeral it is not known whether the Pokemon enthusiast decided to catch the popular water Pokemon. This Eevee was almost caught with a fork - not a Pokeball by a man not sure if he was 'doing it right' Darwin Police Station is a store for everyone on Pokemon Go - but sent a warning post out on Facebook to tell users to look up when crossing the road This Zubat was terrorising a man on his own couch - the poison type flying Pokemon appeared just above his head Another Pokemon master looked afraid as a Zubat fluttered above his head. The common poison-type Pokemon looked to be lurking overhead as he relaxed on the lounge. It wasn't the first Pokemon to come into a home. An Oddish which is a bulb-shaped poison and grass type Pokemon was caught on camera sitting between two bottles of spirits. An Eevee got in the way of a hungry diner who offered to catch the small Pokemon with his fork instead of a Pokeball stopping only to as if he was 'doing it right'. This Oddish was found sitting between two bottles of spirits inside someone's home The Northern Territory Police have even got in on the Pokemon Go hysteria with Darwin Police Station featuring as a Pokestop. The police urged Pokemon hunters to be aware of their surrounding and look 'away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street' because the 'Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast'. Another Pokemon fan caught a snap of a Pidgey swooping down for some hot chips. This comes after a man took the opportunity to catch one of the bird Pokemon sitting by his wife's bedside at a hospital while she was going through labour. This Pidgey looked more interested in the chips than the Pokeball heading its way A soon-to-be dad couldn't stop himself from catching this wild Pidgey as his wife was giving birth The photo went viral soon after he posted it on Thursday, with 82,000 views on Imgur and over 100 comments on Reddit. Whilst some people commented on the photo that Mr Theriot was being a bad husband, he said that his wife didn't care. 'I'm lucky enough to have a wife that supports my Pokemon lifestyle. She drew the line at me wandering around the hospital searching for more. At least until the baby is out!' he wrote. Nigel Farage could be one of the first signings for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! with producers offering him 250,000 to appear. Bosses of the show want to see the former UKIP leader 'chomping on kangaroo anus or a turkey testicle in a Bushtucker trial,' a source said. The 52-year-old MEP, who said he wanted his life back when he stood down as party boss, will be out of politics completely when UK leaves the EU so the lucrative offer could prove tempting. Bosses of the show want to see the former UKIP leader 'chomping on kangaroo anus or a turkey testicle in a Bushtucker trial,' a source said Ant and Dec have presented the hit ITV show since it started in 2002; UK and US celebrities have appeared ITV producers have a strong track record of signing up celebrities more used to Westminster than the Australian bush. Former Tory MPs Edwina Currie and Neil Hamilton, now for Ukip, have appeared on the popular programme. Left-winger Lembit Opik, famous for his romance with one half of The Cheeky Girls, was also another picked politician by producers in the past. Producers want Nigel Farage to open up about his controversial Leave campaign and the EU fallout And the producers think outspoken Mr Farage would be TV gold with audiences keen to see the leading Brexiteer open up about his controversial EU campaign. Producers are so keen they could offer him up to 500,000 if he refuses the first offer. Former Tory MP Edwina Currie (pictured) appeared on the popular programme A source told The Mirror: 'Throwing a politician into the mix always makes fantastic TV. 'Edwina's explosive rows with campmates was compulsive viewing, and Lembit's trials were a ratings hit. 'This year, everyone is talking about Brexit, so producers are desperate to snare one of the biggest names from the Leave campaign for the jungle to make it the most talked about series yet. 'Farage is a win with British voters so producers think viewers would be keen to pick up the phone and nominate him to be covered in cockroaches or fish guts.' The privately-educated Eurosceptic will have to decide whether a few months rest is enough if he is to go in to the jungle. Since announcing his shock departure as Ukip leader he said he could star in a bizarre EU Committee special version of Celebrity Big Brother. Mr Farage said: 'Now that would be very tempting. I would like to torture them, mentally, slowly, for all the bad things they've done.' Speaking of reality TV, he said: 'I'm known for saying what I think and not holding back. If I got into one of those situations it could be tricky.' A spokesman for ITV told MailOnline they would not be commenting. The group has been met with a torrent of abuse from her supporters They said there was a spike in abuse the last time she was in parliament Australia's Chinese community has launched a social media crusade against controversial senator-elect Pauline Hanson, who infamously once said the nation was being 'swamped by Asians.' The Chinese Australian Forum staged a press conference in Sydney's Haymarket to declare they were joining forces with the Muslim community in standing against the One Nation leader. The group has coined the hashtag #SayNoToPauline and called for people to upload photos and signs of the message in a bid to rally against Ms Hanson's policies and ideas. Scroll down for video Chinese Australian Forum president Kenrick Cheah says the #SayNoToPauline campaign stands against against discrimination The Chinese Australian Forum staged a press conference to declare their intentions to take aim against Pauline Hanson 'The campaign is about standing against racism and discrimination of any kind,' president Kenrick Cheah told Daily Mail Australia. 'Although we aren't her main target this time around, we remember when it was in the 1990s. We want to stand by any minorities at risk of vilification.' The group said the last time Ms Hanson was in parliament 20 years ago they documented a significant spike in assaults and verbal abuse of Australians with Asian heritage. 'This campaign is basically a peaceful way to allow people to reject her racist remarks. We're not targetting her personally so much as her views and policies.' Mr Chea said the group's Facebook page has been met with a torrent of abuse from Hanson's supporters demanding they 'go back to their country.' Since being re-elected she has turned to targeting the Muslim community, including calls for a royal commission into Islam. The group has coined the hashtag #SayNoToPauline and called for people to upload photos and signs of the message in a bid to rally against Ms Hanson's One Nation party Dozens of people took to social media on Thursday to pledge their support for the campaign Mr Chea said the group's Facebook page has been met with a torrent of abuse from Hanson's supporters The group said the last time Ms Hanson was in parliament 20 years ago they documented a significant spike in the vilification and physical abuse of Australians with Asian heritage The group has coined the hashtag #SayNoToPauline and called for people to upload photos and signs of the message in a bid to rally against Ms Hanson's One Nation party 'We are meeting with a number of community groups including Islamic communities to look at possible next steps.' Dozens of people took to social media on Thursday to pledge their support for the campaign. MPs will vote on replacing the ageing submarines carrying the Trident nuclear missiles on July 18, David Cameron has announced. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to nuclear weapons and the Commons vote could prove a further blow to his authority in the party if his backbenchers support the renewal programme. The Prime Minister, speaking at the Nato summit in Warsaw, said the Parliamentary vote would confirm support for the replacement of the full fleet of four submarines. Scroll down for video Prime Minister David Cameron said MPs will vote on Trident's replacement on July 18 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wants to scrap Trident but many of his MPs favour its retention He said: 'The nuclear deterrent remains essential, in my view, not just to Britain's security but, as our allies have acknowledged here today, to the overall security of the Nato alliance.' Cameron made the announcement just as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faces a challenge by former shadow cabinet member Angela Eagle. Corbyn's deputy Tom Watson called off peace talks with the unions earlier today, allowing the leadership challenge to go ahead. Cameron said: 'Today I can announce that we will hold a parliamentary vote on July 18th to confirm support for the renewal of a full fleet of four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover. 'The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view not just to Britain's security but as our allies acknowledge here today to the overall security of the NATO alliance.' Conservative leader Cameron, who is to step down by September after Britain voted to leave the European Union, has previously committed to a 20 billion plan to maintain the submarine-based system. Mr Cameron, pictured today in Warsaw, described the nuclear deterrent as essential for Britain's defence Mr Cameron, left met with US president Barack Obama, right, for the last time with them in office During the Brexit campaign, President Obama, right, described leaving the European Union as a mistake The leader of the main opposition Labour party Jeremy Corbyn has opposed the upgrade but a significant part of his increasingly rebellious MPs are likely to back it. The future of Britain's nuclear deterrent is however in question as the submarines are based in Scotland, where the government is considering a second independence referendum following the Brexit vote. Asked why he was pushing through the vote before handing over to his as-yet-undecided successor, Cameron said it was a pledge in his party's 2015 election manifesto 'and we need to get on with that'. He said: 'I don't think it needs to be caught up in the leadership contest (of the Conservative party) and we will be doing it on July 18.' 'It makes sense to hold this vote now, for it to go ahead so our military planners can get on the investment that is needed.' The announcement came amid reports that Labour's defence review will leave open the option of retaining the UK's nuclear deterrent despite Corbyn's lifelong support for unilateral disarmament. The review is expected to set five tests for the UK's continued status as a nuclear power, including whether it makes a "demonstrable contribution" to the defence of the country and if it represents value for money. The BBC's Newsnight programme reported the draft conclusions from the review had been accepted by Corbyn and could be considered formally at the party's conference in September - after the Commons vote on the issue. MPs will vote on Trident's replacement, artist's impression' to replace the ageing fleet of submarines Cameron wants to maintain a fleet of four submarines with one always at sea providing constant deterrence Under the proposals, Labour would also have to consider the impact on jobs and regional development, whether it would contribute to the party's support for multilateral disarmament, and whether the deterrent would stand the test of time in the face of new technology. Corbyn was said to believe the report could provide a middle way between unilateral disarmament and maintaining a full-scale nuclear weapons system. A Labour Party spokesman said: 'The defence review is a continuing project looking at what is best for Britain. It will report in due course. A Bandidos bikie who was trapped in Thailand after his visa application to Australia was rejected could return to the country after a judge ruled in his favour against the Department of Immigration. Daniel Roach may be allowed to return to his Geelong home, southwest of Melbourne, after a Federal Court judge ruled against Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's decision to refuse his Return Resident visa in May last year, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Bandidos sergeant-at-arms immigrated to Australia at age 17 from England and was stranded in Thailand, away from his wife and two daughters, after Mr Dutton personally intervened on character grounds. Daniel Roach (pictured) may be allowed to return to his Geelong home, southwest of Melbourne, after a Federal Court judge ruled against Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's decision to refuse his Return Resident visa The Bandidos sergeant-at-arms immigrated to Australia at age 17 from England and was stranded in Thailand, away from his wife and two daughters, after Mr Dutton personally intervened on character grounds 'The man is alleged to have had involvement in a range of criminal activities, including drug offences, through his alleged association with an outlaw motorcycle gang in Victoria,' a spokesman for Mr Dutton said in May. 'The male, from Victoria, was outside Australia when the minister personally intervened to refuse a return visa on character grounds.' But Federal Court Judge Melissa Anne Perry ruled that Mr Dutton's decision be reviewed and deemed it invalid because it failed to assess the risk of harm Mr Roach posed to the Australian community, according to the report. She also said Mr Roach should have been allowed to make representations before the cancellation of his visa. Mr Roach's legal team reportedly said the minister had not given primary consideration to the welfare of his children, in making the decision. The Federal Government is now only bound to review Mr Roach's visa application. But Federal Court Judge Melissa Anne Perry ruled that Mr Dutton's decision be reviewed and deemed it invalid as it failed to assess the risk of harm Mr Roach (pictured with daughters) posed to the Australian community Roach had travelled to Thailand to train with Muay Thai martial arts experts when his visa was refused It's understood Roach had travelled to Thailand to train with Muay Thai martial arts experts According to the Herald Sun, between last July and March, 371 visas have been revoked on character grounds. The saga follows almost a year after the nation's biggest bikie gang - Rebels president Alex Vella had his visa revoked last June while he was overseas in his native Malta. The Federal Court ruled he is banned from returning to the country after it was alleged the gang were involved in drug dealing, money laundering, serious assaults, kidnapping, extortion, firearms offences, threatening law enforcement officers and intimidating court witnesses. Ms Best posted on Facebook on Friday: 'RIP my beautiful boy' His mother Kerry Best reported her son missing last Sunday, July 3 A 21-year-old man has been found dead after going missing last Sunday. Police confirmed that a man found dead in Little Mountain, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Friday was missing man Jay Best. His mother Kerry posted an emotional tribute to her son on Facebook: 'RIP my beautiful boy. You now have wings and you can be free. I will love you forever and always,' she wrote. Police confirmed that a man found dead in Little Mountain, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Friday was missing man Jay Best (pictured) Kerry Best (left) posted an image of her son Jay (right) along with a description on Facebook after he disappeared from Caloundra West on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, July 3 Kerry Best posted an image of her son Jay along with a description on Facebook after he disappeared from Caloundra West on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, July 3. He was at his grandmother's house when it is believed he was picked up or went for a walk. Eagerly awaiting any news Ms Best emphasised she just wanted to know if her son was okay. 'This is out of characterHe is not in trouble I just need to know he is ok,' she said on Wednesday. On Thursday Ms Best said she was 'out of my mind with worry.' 'Please if anyone knows the whereabouts of Jay Best please contact me or the Caloundra Police. Missing for five days now,' she wrote. Kerry Best posted an image of her son Jay (pictured) along with a description on Facebook after he disappeared from Caloundra West on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, July 3 Tragically he was found dead at around 10.30am on Friday. In a statement police said: 'There are no suspicious circumstances and police will prepare a report for the coroner.' A young woman who endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of Islamic State extremists has called upon the UK to take in more refugees. ISIS stormed Nadia Murad Basee Taha's Iraqi village in August 2014 and captured the then 19-year-old before massacring members of her family. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee is now pleading with the British government to take more refugees. Nadia Murad, 21, has called upon the UK to take in more refugees. Her work since her harrowing ordeal, to raise awareness of the plight of the Yazidi community, has earned her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination Thousands of Yazidis trapped in the Sinjar mountains pictured making their escape from ISIS in 2014 Nadia was part of the non-Muslim Yazidi community which was stormed by jihadis. Six of her eight brothers were murdered in front of her alongside 300 other men from her village, before she was snatched and repeatedly raped by 'countless' men several times a day. Her mother was killed while Nadia and her two sisters and teenage female cousins and nieces, were transported to the ISIS stronghold of Mosul with more than 150 other girls before being subjected to horrific sexual abuse. She said she had to 'take herself off to another world' as she was brutally raped. Nadia was eventually able to escape some three months later, fleeing to the safety of a refugee camp before finding asylum in Germany. The UN has branded ISISs treatment of the Yazidi people a possible genocide, after the terror group launched a campaign of murder, rape, abuse and torture against the population. The brave survivor said: 'What IS has done to the Yazidi people is genocide, the UK must offer more asylum to refugees' Her father had died before the harrowing atrocity. Calling on the UK to take in more refugees, Nadia told The Mirror: 'What IS has done to the Yazidi people is genocide, the UK must offer more asylum to refugees. 'So many are in camps and they have been through terrible suffering.' The young girls were even raped as they were transported to Mosul. Nadia told the United Nations Security Council in December: Along the way, they humiliated us. They touched us and violated us. They took us to Mosul with more than 150 other Yazidi families. In a building, there were thousands of Yazidi families and children who were exchanged as gifts. One of these people came up to me. He wanted to take me. I looked down at the floor. I was absolutely petrified. When I looked up, I saw a huge man. He looked like a monster. Nadia's two sisters also survived their ordeal - one is with her in Germany while her other sister is in a refugee camp in Iraq with her two surviving brothers. She told The Mirror her 13-year-old nephew was being trained by ISIS to fight for them. One niece escaped, but was later killed in an air strike. Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community gathering for humanitarian aid at the Syria-Iraq border in 2014 ISIS stormed Nadia Murad's Iraqi village in August 2014 and captured the then 19-year-old before massacring members of her family Just last month, the brave survivor issued a chilling warning to the United States Senate, claiming ISIS would continue to be a threat to America unless the terror group was wiped out. Speaking to the Senate Homeland Security Committee in June, she said the United States could expect further atrocities such as the recent attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando while the ISIS ideology continues to exist. Addressing the United Nations Security Council last December, Nadia described the persecution the Yazidi people face under ISIS, which trades women and children from the minority population as war booty. An eight-year-old boy who died of scurvy was 'invisible' to the authorities after his parents refused to allow officials to see him from the age of 13 months. Dylan Seabridge died aged eight at his family's isolated farmhouse in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and had no direct contact with doctors, nurses or teachers for seven years. His parents Glynn, 47, and Julie, 46, who home-schooled him, initially believed he was suffering from growing pains but the true cause was revealed after he collapsed in December 2011 and later died in hospital. Julie, left, and Glynn Seabridge, right, may have denied their son Dylan his 'basic human rights' before he died of scurvy aged eight, a independent report has found Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C and was once common among sailors due to a lack of access to fruits and vegetables, but is almost unheard of now in modern society. An independent report into his death commissioned by the Welsh Government found that he may have been denied 'basic human rights' by being withheld from mainstream services and was 'not given the right to appropriate health care'. The report accepts parents have the right to educate their child at home rather than at school - and that home education was not in itself a risk factor for abuse or neglect - but recommended creating a register of home-schooled children to keep tabs on them. The couple, pictured, were initially charged with neglect following Dylan's death but the Crown Prosecution Service eventually dropped the case Author Gladys Rhodes White said that the current legislation is in 'stark contrast' to the Welsh Government's commitment to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. In the report, she said: 'He was not routinely having access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities along with friendships and age appropriate socialisation. 'When he encountered health problems he was not given the right to appropriate health care.' The review said it appeared that the child's emotional and physical well-being had been compromised. It stated: 'His parents had parental responsibility and a duty to provide appropriate care, including the need to seek medical attention for his health needs. This did not happen.' Ms Rhodes White added: 'It is particularly poignant that in conducting this review we have no sense whatsoever of this child. Who was he, what did he like, what were his thoughts and aspirations?. 'There is a total lack of information on him other than very limited glimpses gleaned from the information presented by the family. 'It is tragic that there are many references that the child was 'invisible'.' Mr and Mrs Seabridge were charged with neglect after Dylan's death but the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case in 2014, and not guilty verdicts were entered. The parents also disputed an inquest ruling that their son died from scurvy, a rare condition caused by lack of vitamin C. It emerged earlier this year that concerns were raised about Dylan more than a year before he died. Education officials visited the Seabridges but they were not allowed access to the home, and they had no power to see Dylan. The parents, pictured, home-schooled Dylan and the serious case review commissioned by the Welsh Government called for a nation register of all such children in the country to keep tabs on their well-being Welsh Government officials said the findings would be carefully considered. 'This is a very sad case and it is vital everyone working with children and adults learn lessons from the review,' a spokesman said. 'This will include us looking at our guidance across the public services and the third sector to see if there are areas we can change and improve.' FORGOTTEN CONDITION: SCURVY AND ITS SYMPTOMS Scurvy was at one time common among sailors deprived of fresh fruit and vegetables while at sea but is now incredibly rare. Symptoms of scurvy are lethargy, spots on the skin, spongy gums, re-opening of wounds and bleeding from the nose. Treatment involves taking vitamin C supplements and eating food that is high in the essential vitamin such as cabbage, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, lemons, broccoli, limes and tomatoes. NHS guidance says the condition should be treated quickly to reverse its harmful effects. Advertisement A previous inquest in Milford Haven heard how Mr Seabridge called 999 after his son collapsed and paramedics were rushed to the family home. They found Dylan unconscious and not breathing with bruising to his ankle and knee along with swollen legs. He was rushed to hospital but suffered a heart attack and doctors were unable to save him. Home Office pathologist Dr Deryck Simon Jones, who carried out the post mortem examination, concluded that Dylan's death was due to a vitamin C deficiency, commonly known as scurvy but the family reject this finding. Their lawyer Katie Hanson told the inquest: 'The parents don't accept that Dylan died of scurvy.' A man has been arrested following the discovery of his dead housemate in Melbourne on Tuesday. A 29-year-old woman was found dead in a townhouse behind a popular cafe in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. The man has not been charged. Police launched a manhunt for Alex Dow Freeburn, 26, on Friday and arrested him in relation to the crime on Saturday afternoon, The Age reported. Alex Dow Freeburn, 26, has been arrested in connection with the death of his 29-year-old housemate The woman's body was found on Tuesday afternoon in a townhouse in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew The body of Mr Freeburns housemate was found around 1.40pm on Tuesday. It was discovered after her father became concerned about her welfare but could not get in touch with her, The Herald Sun reported. A spokesman for Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia that they had not yet determined whether the woman's death was suspicious. Homicide squad detectives are investigating the circumstances of her death. Police initially released an appeal for Mr Freeburn to hand himself in, before launching a manhunt to find him after he was spotted in Kews CBD on Friday afternoon. Mr Freeburn is currently in police custody but has not been charged with any offence. Police cordoned off the home in Kew and over 30 officers surrounded the rear of a Melbourne cafe (pictured) after the woman's body was found PM David Cameron has formally rejected a second Brexit referendum despite an official petition which received more than 4.1 million signatures. The petition, which was started by a Brexit supporter William Oliver Healey, urged a re-run in case there was a narrow Remain victory. However, the Government rejected the petition claiming it was now time to exit the EU and 'ensure the best possible outcome for the British people'. David Cameron, pictured here today with US President Barack Obama in Warsaw rejected a second Brexit referendum despite a parliamentary petition calling for a re-run receiving more than 4 million signatures Anti-Brexit campaigners met up in Green Park in London for a picnic protest about the referendum Other demonstrators marched on Downing Street to protest against the ongoing Brexit plans Normally when a petition on parliament's website hits 100,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee considers it for a parliamentary debate. However, the government has decided to push on with Brexit without a debate on a second referendum. In a statement released by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the government was now fully committed to securing a Brexit deal. According to the statement: 'The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. 'The Act set out the terms under which the referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper. 'The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout. The Foreign Office said the government was committed to securing the British people the best deal possible More than 4.1 million people signed the petition - far in excess of the 100,000 required to trigger a debate 'As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on June 27, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say. 'The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. 'We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations.' According to the petition: 'We the undersigned call upon HM (Her Majesty's) government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.' The referendum on June 23 attracted a turnout of 73 per cent with 17.4 million people voting in favour of Brexit with a 52 per cent share of the vote. Rival Brexit and Remain protesters arrived in Green Park this afternoon for a picnic demonstration The Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a statement rejecting a possible second Brexit vote The Government still has to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to begin the formal EU exit process 52 per cent of those who voted elected for Brexit when they went to the polls on June 23 However, parliamentary watchdogs discovered the petition had attracted more than 77,000 fraudulent signatures. Meanwhile, an estimated 6,000 people are expected to join in the More In Common Picnic Against Brexit this afternoon. People who are against Britain leaving the EU were to gather in London's Green Park, which is next to Buckingham Palace. A rally was held in London on July 3 when more than 40,000 people, according to organisers, marched through the British capital to vent their anger at the outgoing Cameron for calling the referendum. Groups of students sat around Green Park in London to discusss the post-brexit aftermath Several pro-Brexit campaigners arrived at Green Park during today's demonstration They waved European flags and chanted 'We love you EU'. The referendum result triggered Cameron's resignation. Britain can only formally exit the EU after Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered, starting a two-year deadline on leaving. Once started, the deadline can only be extended with the agreement of all EU member states. Dozens of protesters sat out in the sun this afternoon making the most of the unpredictable British summer The Government has disappointed Remain fans by ruling out any debate on a new referendum Other protesters queued up outside Downing Street to express their anger over the Brexit vote These three gentlemen actually took some food with them to enjoy during this afternoon's meeting The victim was taken to Gold Coast hospital with non-life threatening injury A man who stepped in to break an argument between a man and a woman has been taken to hospital after he was stabbed. The 26-year-old man approached the arguing couple at 4am, Saturday, on a residential street in the Gold Coast after hearing them yelling. A Labrador man, 44, then allegedly stabbed the good Samaritan in the stomach during an altercation, and he was taken to Gold Coast hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Scroll down for video A Labrador man, 44, (pictured) allegedly stabbed a good Samaritan in the stomach during an altercation, and he was taken to Gold Coast hospital with non-life threatening injuries The 26-year-old good Samaritan approached the arguing couple at 4am, Saturday, on a residential street in the Gold Coast after hearing them yelling The 44-year-old man (pictured) was charged with wounding, possession of a knife and being adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and he will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on July 11 Witnesses told 9 News that they could hear yelling in the street before the attack. 'It was quite violent, there were people calling out the window 'shut up',' one witness said. Both the man and woman involved in the argument were allegedly intoxicated. The assailant was charged with wounding, possession of a knife and being adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and he will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on July 11. Witnesses told 9 News that they could hear yelling in the street before the attack Turkish security forces have killed more than 5,000 Kurdish militants More than 600 troops have been killed by the Kurdish Workers' Party A car bomb has killed three people after an attack on an army outpost in south eastern Turkey. Two soldiers and a civilian woman were killed during the attack on the outpost in Cevizlik. Mardin province's governor said seven people were wounded in the attack with three of those believed to be in a critical condition. The Turkish Armed Forces also published a statement about the attack that put the number of wounded soldiers at 12, with one soldier in critical condition. The outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party is believed to have been behind today's attack killing three, pictured Turkish troops have launched a major operation searching for the Kurdish separatists, file photograph The attack struck Cevizlik near Turkey's border with Syria, although ISIS are not believed to be responsible Both statements blamed the attack on the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, which is outlawed. Turkish armed forces have launched a major operation to hunt down the attackers. Clashes between Turkey and Kurdish militants resumed nearly a year ago after a tenuous cease-fire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed. Airstrikes regularly target PKK positions in Turkey and northern Iraq, while fighting and curfews continue in several southeastern towns. In a daily activity statement published on its website, the Turkish Army said it 'neutralized 17 separatist terror organization members' in Hakkari province and two militants in Van province on Friday. The renewed conflict between the two sides has led to the death of nearly 600 security personnel and more than 5,000 Kurdish militants, reports Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. An unknown number of civilians have also been killed and thousands displaced. A 14-year-old child was killed and one injured while grazing their animals when an improvised explosive device placed by the PKK detonated in the eastern province of Agri, according to the governor's office there. Turkey, the U.S. and the EU consider PKK a terrorist organisation. The renewed conflict between the two sides has led to the death of nearly 600 security personnel and more than 5,000 Kurdish militants, reports Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. Dallas Police HQ was briefly placed on lockdown after anonymous threat An officer was also shot and killed in Missouri on Friday while two other officers were injured by Police departments across the United States are now ordering all officers to ride in pairs while on patrol as a safety measure in the wake of Thursday night's deadly ambush in Dallas and other attacks on law enforcement. In Washington DC, Chief Cathy Lanier announced during a press conference on Friday that officers would be patrolling in pairs, adding that many in her department are still shaken by what happened in Texas. 'Looking at the type of attack that happened in Dallas, a two-man car, a four-man car, a 10-man car, isnt going to make much of a difference,' said Lanier. 'But it makes the officers feel much safer.' Dallas Police headquarters was briefly placed on lockdown and a SWAT team was called in after an anonymous message suggesting a group was traveling from Houston with the intention of killing officers, a source told CBS DFW. In New York City, there will also be an increased police presence outside of precincts to insure the safety of those inside. Officers were also told to 'remain vigilant at all times while in uniform.' Scroll down for video Buddy system: Police departments across the country are ordering officers to travel in pairs while on patrol after the deadly shooting in Dallas on Thursday night (police in Baton Rogue, Louisiana on Friday above) Standing strong: In New York City, there will also be more police outside of precincts and officers were told to 'remain vigilant at all times while in uniform' (NYPD officers on Friday above) Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, San Francisco and Chicago are just a few more of the major cities who are also trying to keep their officers safe by pairing them up while on the job. 'In light of the tragic events across the country this week, including the unspeakable police assassinations in Dallas, CPD has designated that all officers must be paired up with their partners to increase visibility and strengthen officer safety,' said the Chicago Police Department in a statement. Officers in the Windy City were also reminded 'to continue promoting positive engagement between officers and the residents we're sworn to protect.' These precautions come as many of these departments prepare for a weekend of rallies and protests in response to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Sterling, 37, had been selling CDs outside a convenience store in Baton Rogue, Louisiana on Tuesday when a homeless man called 911 on him after the two had a minor dispute. Police arrived soon after and cell phone video that was taken at the scene shows police screaming that Sterling has a gun. Sterling had a license for the gun and according to the owner of the store he at no point reached for his weapon. Shots were then fired despite the two officers being on top of Sterling. His hands were empty at the time of his death. The U.S. Department of Justice has since launched a criminal investigation into the death of the father of three. Castile, 32, was shot dead during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota on Wednesday. His final moments were filmed by his girlfriend Lavish Reynolds, who broadcast the aftermath of the deadly shooting on Facebook Live. Reynolds said that Castile was reaching for his license and informing the officers he had a weapon at the time he was shot. The school cafeteria worker had a concealed carry permit for that gun. Governor Mark Dayton requested that the U.S. Department of Justice begin an immediate independent federal investigation into this matter the next day. Getting ready: These precautions come as departments prepare for weekend rallies and protests in response to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile (Times Square in Manhattan on Friday above) Tragedies: Sterling (left) and Castille (right) were both killed by members of law enforcement this week It was during what had been planned as a peaceful protest in Dallas on Thursday in response to those two deaths that a lone gunman killed five officers and injured nine others, seven of whom were also members of law enforcement. Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old with no criminal history or ties to terror groups, was later identified as the shooter. He was killed in the aftermath of the attack when members of law enforcement detonated a robotic bomb in his vicinity. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said in a press conference early Friday: 'The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings of black suspects. 'He said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.' The victims were later identified as: Brent Thompson, 43; Patrick Zamarripa, 32; Michael Krol, 40; Michael Smith, 55; and Lorne Ahrens, 48. That was not the only attack on police in the past few days either, with multiple other incidents occurring around the country. In Tennessee on Thursday, an army veteran killed a woman and injured three others, including a police officer, after opening fire at a motorway. That man, Lakeem Keon Scott, was eventually taken down by police with a non-fatal gunshot and later said while being questioned about the attack that he was 'troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers.' Dallas victims: Brent Thompson (left) and Mike Krol (right) were two of the officers killed in Dallas Family: Patrick Zamarripa (above with his family) was one of the five shot dead by Michah Johnson Aeful loss: Lorne Ahrens (left) was a former deputy in Los Angeles and Michael Smith (right) a father of two A police officer in Missouri - whose named has not yet been released - was shot in the back on Friday while walking to his patrol car to run the information of a driver he had just pulled over in a traffic stop. Antonio Taylor , 31, was later arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer, armed criminal action and illegally possessing a firearm. In Georgia, Valdosta Police Officer Randall Hancock was responding to call from an individual who claimed their car had been broken in to on Friday when he was shot, managing at the same time to return fire and take down the suspect. He is now in stable condition at a local hospital. Stephen Paul Beck, 22, is in serious condition and is expected to be charged in the ambush attack. The motive in those two attacks is still unclear at this time. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke about the Dallas attack during his weekly radio appearance on WNYC Friday afternoon and urged residents to be kind and courteous to members of the New York City Police Department. .An attack on our police is an attack on all of us. Its fundamentally unacceptable, it undermines our entire democratic society,' said Mayor de Blasio. 'Whatever you feel politically, recognize that our police officers are hurting today.' A man was hospitalised after allegedly breaking into a Sydney property and getting into a fight with its owner. The man, in his 20s, tried to force his way into the eastern suburbs house when the owners caught him and confronted him. A fight between the intruder and another man broke out around 2.00pm on Saturday resulting in the intruder being knocked out, the ABC reported. A man was knocked unconscious after a fight broke out during an alleged home invasion in Pagewood, eastern Sydney Emergency services were called to the address in Prothero Place, Pagewood. Paramedics found the intruder unconscious outside the property and rushed him to St Vincents Hospital. It is understood he was in a serious but stable condition. The homeowner who confronted him suffered a small injury to his hand, police told the ABC. The alleged home invasion is currently under police investigation. NSW paramedics rushed to the scene where they found a man in his 20s unconscious on the ground (stock photo) New owners want to revive the hotel's glamour 1960s past, when Elizabeth Taylor came to stay Meanwhile room keys tell guests: 'No need to break in' and the former President's speeches play in bathrooms Now, the hotel's phone number, 844 617 1972, alludes to the date of the event that led to Nixon's resignation Five burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee's offices on June 17, 1972 The hotel is the most famous part of the Watergate complex, in Washington DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood Advertisement The Watergate Hotel has opened for business again, nine years after bidding its last guest adieu - and 44 years after the scandal that made it a modern political landmark. The hotel is the best-known part of the Watergate complex, in Washington, DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood. The building, designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti, neighbors the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, on the Potomac River banks. It first opened in 1967, welcoming high-end guests such as Elizabeth Taylor, then-Representative Bob Dole and current Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This is the era the new owners, Jacques and Rakel Cohen, say they want to revive. But details scattered around the hotel bring guests back to the scandal that led to the first - and so far only - resignation of a United States president. Scroll down for video The Watergate Hotel has reopened for business, nine years after shutting its doors. It currently has 336 guestrooms (one of them is pictured with a double bed), 80 more than originally The hotel is one of the most famous parts of the Watergate complex (pictured), located in Washington, DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood, next to the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts on the Potomac River banks The hotel's new owners, Jacques and Rakel Cohen, say they want to bring it back to its pre-scandal era, the glamorous 1960s. They hired Israely designer Ron Arad to give it a facelift The Cohens' development company, Euro Capital Properties, bought the hotel in 2010 for $45million and spent $125million to renovate it. Its new design is a modern take on Italian architect Luigi Moretti's original work Five burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee's offices on June 17, 1972. They had checked into rooms 214 and 314 of the Watergate Hotel, using aliases. Among them was a security coordinator for the Republican National Committee and the Committee for the Re-election of the President, James W McCord Jr. Then-President Richard Nixon resigned two years later, in August 1974. Now, keys at the new Watergate Hotel tell guests: 'No need to break in', the New York Times reported. Speeches of the former commander-in-chief can be heard in the hotel's bathrooms. And the telephone number, 844 617 1972, brings to mind the date of the burglary. Reporter Carl Bernstein, who unveiled the Watergate scandal with Bob Woodward at the Washington Post, told the New York Times the hotel should put their book about the affair, All The President's Men, instead of the traditional Bible inside the rooms. Bernstein was not surprised that the hotel's past would make it appealing to visitors four decades later. 'We live in an age of the commercialization of everything, so it just seems rather natural to me that in Washington you're going to have tourism around what is one of the great historical events in the life of the city,' he told the New York Times. But the Cohens insist they did not buy the hotel because of the scandal - rather, they entertain visitors' curiosity about it because it keeps getting brought up. Their development company, Euro Capital Properties, bought the hotel in 2010 for $45million and spent $125million to renovate it. Israeli designer Ron Arad gave it a facelift while Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant created the staff's uniforms, Vanity Fair reported. Now the hotel has 336 rooms - 80 more than when it first opened. A rooftop bar will open over the summer. Guest rooms are available from $271 but extravagant 2,400 square feet presidential suites with waterfront views, private balconies and separate dining rooms, start at $12,000 a night. Five burglars were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee's offices on June 17, 1972. They had checked into rooms 214 and 314 of the Watergate Hotel (pictured nowadays), using aliases Now, keys for the Watergate Hotel's guest rooms (one of them is pictured with a double bed) proclaim: 'No need to break in'. Speeches by President Nixon can be heard in the hotel's bathrooms. And the telephone number, 844 617 1972, brings to mind the date of the burglary Guest rooms are available from $271 (and all of them promise plush bathrobes, pictured) but extravagant 2,400 square feet presidential suites with waterfront views, private balconies and separate dining rooms, start at $12,000 a night The hotel first opened in 1967, welcoming high-end guests such as Elizabeth Taylor, then-Representative Bob Dole and current Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The front entrance is pictured nowadays A rooftop bar (pictured) will open over the summer, with views on the Potomac. The hotel is located near the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts on the river banks The man who filmed the chokehold death of Eric Garner is going to prison for four years as part of a plea deal for a drugs and weapons case. Ramsey Orta, 24, said he is 'copping out' after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a gun, the New York Daily News reports. Orta's cell phone recording showed a white officer restraining Garner, 43, with a chokehold for illegally selling cigarettes outside a convenience store in Staten Island on July 17, 2014. The video, which captured the asthmatic father-of-six saying 'I can't breather' 11 times before losing consciousness during a confrontation with Officer Daniel Pantaleo, fueled the outcry against police treatment of black men. Scroll down for video Ramsey Orta (left), the man who filmed the chokehold death of Eric Garner (right), is going to prison for four years as part of a plea deal for a drugs and weapons case But a grand jury refused to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges. The chokehold is banned under NYPD policy, but Pantaleo has said he was using a legal takedown maneuver called the seatbelt. Just a couple of weeks later, Orta was arrested just a few blocks from where officers had confronted his friend Garner. His arrest came a day after the city's medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide caused by the officer's chokehold. Orta has previously argued that the NYPD has made him a target for filming Garner's death. 'I'm supposed to be copping out,' Orta told the Daily News at Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday. 'I'm pretty much tired of fighting.' Reverend Al Sharpton (center) introduces Ramsey Orta (right) during the funeral service for Eric Garner held at Bethel Baptist Church in Brooklyn on July 23, 2014 Garner's mother Gwen Carr (left) hugs Ramsey Orta during the funeral service for her son But police said plainclothes officers from a Staten Island narcotics unit saw Orta stuff a silver-colored .25 caliber handgun into a 17-year-old female companion's waistband after they emerged from a brief stop at the Hotel Richmond. The location, on Central Avenue, is a 'known drug prone location,' according to police. The unloaded semi-automatic weapon recovered was reported stolen in Michigan in 2007, police said. And records showed Orta has been arrested dozens of times since 2009. He has been charged with everything from jumping subway turnstiles and robbery to gun possession and menacing with a gun. Orta was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Police released an image of the firearm (above) Patrick Lynch, the president of the city's largest police union, described the encounter between Garner and police as 'a tragedy' but said Orta's arrest in August 2014 'only underscores the dangers that brought police officers to respond to a chronic crime condition' in Staten Island's Tompkinsville community. Orta was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Police said a previous weapon conviction that prohibited him from possessing a firearm. He has been arrested a number of times since shooting the footage of Garner's death and recently had a domestic violence case against him dismissed by prosecutors. Orta had allegedly attacked and threatened his wife Jessica in February at their apartment, the Daily News reports. It was not immediately known why the case was dropped, but Orta claims he and his wife have a good relationship. He told the newspaper that they have been living in Las Vegas, where he spends to spend his last few months of freedom with. But despite agreeing to a plea deal, Orta believes he remains a target of police. He claims that someone put rat poison in his food during his stay on Rikers Island, so he plans to only eat packaged food from commissary in prison. 'I'm not going to eat the food that's being provided,' he told the Daily News. 'Hopefully I can raise enough money.' After spending two months on Rikers Island, Orta was freed last year following an arrest for allegedly selling drugs to undercover officers in February. Almost 2,000 donors raised bail money for Orta's release, amassing $47,500 though only $12,000 was needed to secure a bond for Orta's $100,000 bail. The six-year-old California girl who was ripped away from her foster family because she has 1.5 percent Native American blood will not be allowed to return to their home. A California appeals court affirmed a lower court's decision on Friday to remove Lexi from the Santa Clarita home of Rusty and Summer Page and reunite her with relatives in Utah. Lexi, who is 1/64th Choctaw, made headlines in March when social workers took her away from the Pages due to a decades-old federal law designed to keep Native American families together. The Pages have fought efforts under the Indian Child Welfare Act to place Lexi with relatives of her father, who is part Choctaw, for years. Scroll down for video Six-year-old Lexi (in pink) will not be allowed to return to her foster parents Summer and Rusty Page (pictured), a Claifornia appeals court ruled on Friday The court affirmed a lower court's decision to remove Lexi, who has 1.5 percent Native American blood, from the Santa Clarita home of Rusty and Summer Page (pictured) and reunite her with distant relatives in Utah Lexi, who is 1/64th Choctaw, made headlines in March when social workers took her away from the Pages due to a decades-old federal law designed to keep Native American families together Their attorney Alvino McGill asked the appeals court to reverse a lower court ruling that ordered them to surrender Lexi. McGill argued that the ruling failed to take into account the bond she had developed with her foster parents and three siblings. Lexi was 17 months old when she was removed from the custody of her mother, who had drug-abuse problems. Her father has an extensive criminal background, according to court records. She moved in with the Pages in December 2011, when she was two years. Her relatives came forward around the same time as her father discontinued efforts to regain custody in 2012. 'It's utterly undisputed that this child has viewed these people as her parents and this family as her own,' McGill told the appeals panel at a hearing last month, according to the Los Angeles Times. 'She became a person with an entire world and relationships that this court cannot ignore.' But a three-judge panel in Los Angeles found the lower court made the right decision. It ruled that the lower court correctly considered the bond Lexi developed with the Pages as well as other factors related to her best interests. Those factors included Lexi's relationship with her extended family and half-siblings and their capacity to help her reconnect with her tribal roots. The tearful separation made headlines. Summer (center) screamed 'I love you, Lexi' as the girl was taken away and her siblings sobbed as she was ripped away from their home Lexi clutched a teddy bear as she was forced to enter a black government car with social workers that day Rusty (left) sobbed as he pleaded with the county not to take Lexi, who has lived with the family since December 2011, away from the family The judges claimed the Pages had also shown 'relative reluctance or resistance' to foster Lexi's relationship with her extended family or encourage exploration of her Choctaw cultural identity. They also agreed that the Pages did not prove with clear and convincing evidence that Lexi would suffer emotional harm by the transfer. Under the transfer, Lexi will live with a Utah couple who are not Native Americans but are related by marriage to her father. The girl's sister is living with the couple, and another sister will be living down the street, said Leslie Heimov of the Children's Law Center of California, Lexi's court-appointed legal representatives. 'The law is very clear that siblings should be kept together whenever they can be, and they should be placed together even if they were not initially together,' Heimov told the Los Angeles Daily News. Heimov said Lexi 'has a loving relationship' with her Utah family and that 'they are not strangers in any way, shape or form'. Christopher Blake, a court-appointed attorney representing Lexi, said she has 'always known she was a foster child' and that the Pages 'knew full well' she would be placed with out-of-state relatives if she could not be reunited with her father. Lexi's foster aunt and uncle broke down on the street after social workers came to take Lexi away Protesters tried to prevent officials from removing the girl but could only watch as she was removed Blake argued to the court that the long-term benefits of placement with her extended relatives 'far outweight' the pain of separation. But the Pages disagree. 'How is it that a screaming child, saying, 'I want to stay, I'm scared,' how is it in her best interest to pull her from the girl she was before that doorbell rang?' Rusty Page told KNX-AM radio on the day she was taken away. The Pages told Daily Mail Online in March that their family has been left completely devastated by Lexi's absence from their lives. Rusty, 32, said their three biological children - Maddie, nine, Caleb, six, and two-year-old Zoe - slept on the floor of Lexi's room after she was taken. 'Our eldest was completely inconsolable - she was shaking and hyperventilating and screaming at the top of her lungs,' Summer said. 'They are devastated. How do they find comfort and solace? There isn't any. Little Caleb told Summer, 33, it was the 'worst day' of his life when Lexi was taken, the mother revealed. The Page's attorney argued that the ruling failed to take into account the bond Lexi had developed with her foster parents and three siblings Maddie, nine, Caleb, six, and two-year-old Zoe Rusty said the entire family has been left completely devastated by Lexi's absence from their lives 'He and Lexi used to call themselves the diaper babies because they were the same age and wore diapers and played on the floor together - they are so close.' Summer said Zoe screams Lexi's name every time the doorbell rings, and told her she wanted to go to Utah so she could put Lexi in her backpack and 'bring her home'. The Pages have argued that the Los Angels County Department of Children and Family Services have been deceptive, failing to highlight that Summer has native blood of her own. Lexi's foster mother is a descendant of the Iroquois tribe, but the Pages said that information was never passed on by workers at the DCFS. The family said they now plan to take the case to the California Supreme Court. 'The Pages are obviously extremely disappointed with the court's decision, but they believe in our judicial system and remain hopeful that they will ultimately prevail,' McGill said in a statement. Lexi's relatives said in a statement that they hope the ruling brings closure and 'Lexi is at last allowed to live a peaceful childhood in our home with her sister.' But the Pages have other plans. 'I feel like the father in the movie Taken where I have to put my emotions to one side and I have to pursue my daughter even if that means going to the ends of the earth or doing things that are stupid, risky or dangerous,' Rusty told Daily Mail Online. 'Because my daughter looked me in the eyes and said "Daddy, you're my Superman, don't let them take me away.' 'I'm Lexi's Superman. And Superman is going to get her back.' INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT - POLICIES AND REGULATIONS ICWA gives tribal governments a strong voice concerning child custody proceedings that involve Indian children, by allocating tribes exclusive jurisdiction over the case when a child is a ward of the tribe. The tribe also has jurisdiction over non-reservation Native Americans' foster care placement proceedings It was enacted in 1978 because of the high removal rate of Indian children from their traditional homes and essentially from Indian culture as a whole. Before enactment, as many as 25 to 35 percent of all Indian children were being removed from their Indian homes and placed in non-Indian homes, with presumably the absence of Indian culture. The tribe and parents or Indian custodian of the Indian child have an unqualified right to intervene in a case involving foster care placement or the termination of parental rights . Source: Cornell University Law School Advertisement Officers were asked to help remove a spider from the French backpackers were saved from 'spiders the size of dinner plates' by Queensland police. Two Mareeba officers were on patrol near Granite Creek in far north Queensland when they were flagged down by French backpackers. The startled backpackers said their campervan had been 'invaded' by spiders the size of dinner plates. Police officers were flagged down by French backpackers in far North Queensland and asked to help remove a spider from their caravan French backpackers were saved from 'spiders the size of dinner plates' by police in the Australian outback (stock image) Upon closer inspection by police only one spider needed to be removed from the vehicle. When the backpackers asked the two female officers to shoot the spider, the police informed the holiday makers their aim was good- but not that good. They told the backpackers it wasn't the spider they needed to worry about but the two metre long scrub python that would curl up on their back seat if they left their doors open. Police suggest that travellers in the Australian outback should carry a can of insect or spider spray. A paedophile who was jailed for 24 years for abusing five young boys is to face civil legal action after some of his victims announced they want to claim damages. Representatives from child protection group the Preda Foundation are seeking action against Douglas Slade on behalf of children in the Philippines that he abused. Morbidly obese Douglas Slade, 75 one of the founders of the 1970s organisation Paedophile Information Exchange was convicted for a catalogue of historic sex offences dating back 50 years earlier this month. Morbidly obese Douglas Slade, 75 one of the founders of the 1970s organisation Paedophile Information Exchange was convicted for a catalogue of historic sex offences dating back 50 years earlier this month Father Shay Cullen of the Preda Foundation told The Sun: 'We at the Preda Foundation now intend to pursue a civil case for monetary damages against Slade for the damage he has done to the young lives of children we have helped, who have had their lives ruined and still suffer from the long lasting effects of his paedophilia.' Wealthy Slade was arrested at his home in Angeles City in December 2014 just four days after MailOnline revealed how he had abused scores of boys as young as eight for years but repeatedly paid off police and officials to avoid arrest. The brazen 22-stone paedophile had built a house overlooking a primary school playground in one of the city's poorest districts and lured boys into his home where he would pay them the equivalent of the price of a pair of flip-flops for sex acts. Father Shay Cullen (second right) of the Preda Foundation told The Sun : 'We at the Preda Foundation now intend to pursue a civil case for monetary damages against Slade for the damage he has done to the young lives of children we have helped The brazen 22-stone paedophile had built a house overlooking a primary school playground in one of the city's poorest districts and lured boys into his home where he would pay them the equivalent of the price of a pair of flip-flops for sex acts In response to our expose, MailOnline was contacted by a victim abused by Slade in Britain in 1979 when he was just 14 and passed between Slade and other members of Paedophile Information Exchange, including Christopher Skeaping, who was sentenced with Slade today. We persuaded the victim, now in his 50s, to contact police in the UK and he provided vital testimony that led to Slade's extradition to Britain last September so that he could stand trial for abusing a total of five boys between 1965 and 1980. At his trial, Slade was found guilty of six serious sexual offences and seven charges of indecent assault. Skeaping, 72, was found guilty of one charge of indecent assault committed in 1980. Slade was first exposed as a paedophilia advocate along with Skeaping in1975 and was dubbed one of the 'Vilest Men in Britain' by a national newspaper which caught him telling fellow deviants: 'If you want to have sex with children don't bottle it up do it.' Top Gear is now advertising for a series producer who can handle pressure The BBC is advertising for a new series producer at Top Gear and says they will need to be able to 'manage their own emotions in the face of pressure'. The programme, one of the corporation's biggest earners under Jeremy Clarkson, has slipped to just 1.9million viewers during the disastrous Chris Evans era. Evans, 50, quit the show following a ratings slump. Quitting: Evans (left) left the show and tweeted: 'Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough' Hard bargain: Notoriously tough negotiator Matt LeBlanc (right) is thought to have agreed to stay on as the international face of the show despite a disastrous first series His predecessor Jeremy Clarkson was sacked after punching producer Oisin Tymon because he was offered a plate of cold cuts instead of steak and chips. An internal BBC inquiry found Mr Tymon was subjected to an 'unprovoked physical and verbal attack' by Clarkson, who swore at the producer and called him a 'lazy' 'Irish' expletive. The Daily Telegraph said although the BBC had denied claims Evans bullied staff, the job description for the new role says the successful candidate must be able to 'proactively offer constructive feedback to others'. James Martin has become the favourite to take over Chris Evans' job as the new host of the revamped Top Gear. The former Saturday Kitchen star has been made the 3-1 on favourite by William Hill. Scroll down for video Could it be? James Martin (right) has become the favourite to take over from Chris Evans (left) as the new host of the revamped Top Gear When Evans quit he tweeted: 'Gave it my best shot but sometimes that's not enough.' Since Evans and LeBlanc took over, viewing figures plummeted from an average of 6.49million during Clarkson's final series to less than two million. The show's former presenters - Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May - recently held what has been called a 'victory parade' as they encouraged a huge crowd to join them shooting their new programme in Vicenza, Italy. It came as the show's previous hosts roared into Vicenza to film their new Amazon 'Grand Tour' show James May said recently he was 'very chuffed' about Evans's departure May said in a video shot in Italy he was 'very chuffed' when asked about Evans' departure. Evans had been much maligned by viewers for his 'shouty' approach to hosting. But fans fell in love with 48-year-old LeBlanc and BBC bosses are keen to hold on to him. Both hosts were thought to be earning around 500,000-a-series for their roles as the new faces of the hugely popular global franchise. What will change? Matt LeBlanc could hold the BBC to ransom over a double or quits deal to keep him as the sole host of the new Top Gear Advertisement An incredible Spanish-style mansion with sweeping views of Sydney's harbour and a private library has hit the market. Constructed just as the finishing touches were being made to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the four-bedroom home is nestled among the hills of Vaucluse, in Sydney's east and comes with an approximate $12.8 million price tag. Drawing influences from mansions on the Mediterranean coastline, architect F. Glynn Gilling brought Spanish Mission style homes to Sydney's harbour and construction on this home was completed in the 1920s, according to Domain. The Gilliver Avenue home also bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood homes built during the 1920s and 1930s. Constructed just as the finishing touches were being made to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the four-bedroom home is nestled among the hills of Vaucluse, in Sydney's east and comes with an approximate $12.8 million price tag Drawing influences from mansions on the Mediterranean coastline, architect F. Glynn Gilling brought Spanish Mission style homes to Sydney's harbour and construction on this home was completed in the 1920s The mansion's wrap-around terrace commands exquisite views taking in several Sydney landmarks including the bridge, cityscape, Centerpoint Tower and the sparkling harbour For the Spanish villa's new owners, a fresh coat of paint has been recommended to brighten the voluminous living spaces The mansion's wrap-around terrace commands exquisite views taking in several Sydney landmarks including the bridge, cityscape, Centerpoint Tower and the sparkling harbour. The site is rich with history and occupies 1,195sqm of stunning manicured grounds on the high side of an exclusive street. With its own private library, the site is a magical walk-through lined with fruit trees, a water feature and views of the harbour from every living space. An impressive gourmet kitchen with stone tops and stainless appliances means the home is well-equipped to host elaborate dinner parties. The owner's of the home say they leave the family compound with a heavy heart. 'For 35 years we have enjoyed seeing our family grow up, the tranquil green and gun-barrel views of the harbour, city, bridge and North Sydney, and the spacious indoor and outdoor living areas. It will be hard to leave,' the owner said. For the Spanish villa's new owners, a fresh coat of paint has been recommended to brighten the voluminous living spaces. The property was reportedly last traded in 1984 for $800,000. Recent sales in Vaucluse have seen similar pricing for mansions, including 1 Fisher Avenue, sold in October for $12.8 million or 12 Wentworth Road which sold in September for $10,575,000, according to Domain. The Gilliver Avenue home also bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood homes built during the 1920s and 1930s With its own private library, the site is a magical walk-through lined with fruit trees, a water feature and views of the harbour from every living space President Barack Obama appeared relaxed as he chatted with UK Prime Minister David Cameron on the last day of his final NATO summit in Warsaw. Obama, who is nearing the end of his presidency, and Cameron, who resigned in the wake of the Britain's shock decision to leave the European Union, sat next to each other at a working session on Saturday afternoon. The Warsaw summit, NATO's first in two years, is considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. However, the turmoil in the United States in the wake of a deadly sniper attack that left five police officers dead in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday night meant Obama's attention has been divided while in Europe. But despite grappling with some of the most dangerous threats to the modern world, including deterring a resurgent Russia and stopping the Islamic State, the two outgoing leaders were pictured enjoying what appeared to be a lighthearted conversation and sharing a laugh. Scroll down for video President Barack Obama (right) appeared relaxed as he chatted with UK Prime Minister David Cameron on the last day of his final NATO summit in Warsaw Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron are picture in a working session of the North Atlantic Council at the NATO Summit in Warsaw on Saturday In Warsaw, Obama met with European Union leaders, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to press for a cautious and orderly approach to negotiations with Britain over leaving the E.U. In a conversation on Saturday, Merkel and Obama agreed that 'a highly integrated UK-EU relationship' would serve both parties' interests, the White House said. Obama also used the meetings to urge NATO allies to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. He successfully won a separate commitment from NATO leaders to do more to help countries in North Africa and the Middle East that are targets of Islamic extremism. That support will include using NATO surveillance planes in the fight against the Islamic State group. And as he wraps up his visit to Warsaw, Obama is expected to talk about his response to the Dallas shootings, race relations in the U.S. and alliances in Europe. Obama is slated to take questions from reporters on Saturday before leaving the meeting of European leaders. He spoke about the deadly shooting of police officers early on Friday, calling it 'vicious, calculated and despicable.' Obama (left) and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron chat during their final NATO summits as leaders The turmoil in the United States in the wake of a deadly sniper attack that left five police officers dead in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday night meant Obama's attention has been divided while in Europe Obama, accompanied by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, center, prepares to take his seat next to British Prime Minister David Cameron for a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium But he's expected to offer broader thoughts on a mass shooting that that has rattled Americans and revived heated conversation on a potent mix of issues, including race relations, policing and gun control. The attack has also prompted Obama to return to the United States a day earlier than planned. From Warsaw, he'll head to Madrid before returning to Washington on Sunday evening. At the request of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Obama will visit the city early next week, the White House said late on Friday. His 18-hour stop in Spain, the first by an American president in 15 years, is to demonstrate the country's importance as a NATO ally, CNN reports. Obama will tour the U.S. Naval Station in Rota, where four U.S. Navy vessels are stationed to bolster NATO security. However, he canceled a town hall meeting with young Spaniards and is no longer visiting Seville, where he was to meet with King Felipe VI. Obama's overseas trip, expected to be his last visit to Europe as president, was cut short after deadly sniper fire interrupted a protest against police shootings on Thursday night. In Warsaw, Obama met with European Union leaders, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to press for a cautious and orderly approach to negotiations with Britain over leaving the E.U. Obama also used the meetings to urge NATO allies to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban Obama is nearing the end of his presidency and Cameron resigned as Prime Minister after the Brexit vote Micah Johnson, 25, an Army veteran, said he wanted to target white officers before he was killed in a standoff In remarks on Friday, Obama called on Americans to focus on honoring the victims, rather than divisive political debates. Still, he has since been criticized for using the shooting to repeat his call for gun control, an issue that cuts sharply along partisan lines. Meanwhile, NATO leaders issued a formal declaration on Saturday saying they still want a constructive relationship with Russia 'when Russia's actions make that possible.' In the past, NATO governments often spoke of forging a partnership with Russia, but that language was absent from the declaration issued by the 28 NATO allies on Saturday. The Warsaw Declaration on Trans-Atlantic Security states that 'NATO poses no threat to any country' and that its member nations 'continue to aspire to a constructive relationship with Russia, when Russia's actions make that possible.' Obama (left) shakes hands with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani next to Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (right) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO has not entered another Cold War, but that Russia is no longer conducting itself like a partner. Russia accuses NATO of provocative behavior with a plan sealed at the Warsaw summit to deploy alliance troops to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, areas under Moscow's sway less than three decades ago. Stoltenberg said NATO will explain the decisions taken in Warsaw to Russian government representatives next Wednesday at a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels. That forum, designed to bring together Russia and the Western alliance, last met in April after a nearly two-year break as ties deteriorated over Russian actions in Ukraine. Earlier in the day, NATO leaders agreed to do more to support countries in North Africa and Middle East that are prey to violent Islamic extremism. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday The Warsaw summit, NATO's first in two years, is considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. Above, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Stoltenberg also said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, provide assistance for Jordan, and establish a new intelligence center in Tunisia to help that country's special operations forces. NATO leaders at the summit in Warsaw also agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, Stoltenberg added. Diplomats say they expect the flights to begin this fall. NATO will also launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean, Operation Sea Guardian, and cooperate closely with the European Union's efforts to halt human smuggling operations that have fueled Europe's greatest migrant crisis since World War II. German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a working session at the PGE National Stadium, the venue of NATO summit, in Warsaw Chancellor Merkel and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau share a joke on the final day of the NATO summit Meanwhile, NATO allies have also agreed to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan, bolstered by Obama's decision to make a smaller cut in U.S. troop levels than he had planned. Obama also urged NATO leaders gathered in Warsaw to expand their support for the war against the Taliban. Stoltenberg said the allies also made commitments to continue to fund the Afghan security forces through 2020, and are "close to" the needed $5 billion per year. The U.S. has pledged to provide $3.5 billion annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as $500 million. Allies would provide the remaining $1 billion. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. Sydney Schanberg, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who reported the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, has died at the age of 82. His friend and fellow New York Times reporter Charles Kaiser confirmed Schanberg's death in Poughkeepsie, New York, after a heart attack on Tuesday. Schanberg, whose work inspired the 1984 film The Killing Fields, ignored orders to evacuate Cambodia in 1975, and was captured by the Communist party along with photojournalist Dith Pran. Scroll down for video Sydney Schanberg, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who reported on the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, has died at the age of 82 Schanberg, whose work inspired the 1984 film The Killing Fields, was played by actor Sam Waterston (center) Schanberg was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, as the son of a grocery store owner who went on to graduate from Harvard in 1955. After he served as a reporter for the US Army during a stint in Frankfurt, he started off as a copy boy at the New York Times and later became a foreign correspondent. He covered Southeast Asia in the 1970s and risked his life to stay in Cambodia during the country's civil war. He later wrote: 'Our decision to stay was founded on our belief - perhaps, looking back, it was more a devout wish or hope - that when the Khmer Rouge won their victory, they would have what they wanted and would end the terrorism and brutal behavior we had written so often about.' Instead, both he and Dith, who also worked as an interpreter, were captured by the Khmer Rouge. Dith pleaded with them to spare Schanberg, and the two took refuge in the French Embassy. While Schanberg was evacuated out of the country to Thailand along with other foreigners, Dith was sent to toil in the countryside as part of a social experiment under the totalitarian dictator Pol Pot's regime. Schanberg (pictured) was born in Clinton, Massachusetts as the son of a grocery store owner who went on to graduate from Harvard in 1955 He covered Southeast Asia in the 1970s and risked his life to stay in Cambodia during the country's civil war (pictured left to right, actor Sam Waterston, Dith Pran and Schanberg outside the New York Times) He later wrote: 'Our decision to stay was founded on our belief that when the Khmer Rouge won their victory, they would have what they wanted and would end the terrorism and brutal behavior...' (picture left with Pran) Due to malnutrition, torture, disease, mass executions and forced labor, the Cambodian genocide killed between 1.7million to 2million people, or about one in five people living in the country at the time. Dith, who died in 2008 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 65, was the one who coined the term 'killing fields', which were stacked with corpses. Schanberg covered the fall of Phnom Penh, and left Dith behind as he returned to the US, although he later helped the photographer's wife and children establish a life in San Francisco. When Dith escaped the fields four years later, the two reunited in New York and Schanberg helped his friend get a job at the Times. The journalist went on to write The Death and Life of Dith Pran, which won eight BAFTAs and three Academy Awards after it was adapted to a 1984 film directed by Roland Joffe. Both he and Dith, who also worked as an interpreter, were captured by the Khmer Rouge and threatened with death (pictured a still from the film) Schanberg was evacuated out of the country to Thailand along with other foreigners after two weeks (pictured, still from the film) But Dith was sent to toil in the countryside as part of a social experiment under the totalitarian dictator Pol Pot's regime until he escaped about four years later (pictured, a still from the film) The two reunited in New York and the journalist went on to write 'The Death and Life of Dith Pran', which won eight BAFTAs and three Academy Awards after it was adapted to a 1984 film (pictured) Schanberg later quit his job at the Times because his column was cancelled after he criticized the paper's coverage of the Westway highway. He went on to write for New York Newsday for a decade before he worked at Life, APBNews.com, an award-winning website that was defunct in 2000, and the Village Voice. Schanberg won a Pulitzer, as well as two George Polk awards, two Overseas Press Club awards, and the Sigma Delta Chi prize for distinguished journalism. Schanberg married writer and editor Jane Freiman in 1995, and has two daughters with his first wife Janice Sakofsky. Mia Farrow led the Twitter tributes and called Schanberg a 'remarkable man'. Nina Bernstein, an investigative reporter at the Times wrote: 'Brave enough to stay in Cambodia -& later to leave the NYTimes. A passionate contrarian among newsmen; a mensch. RIP' Raging floods are besieging large swathes of China, but this student has not let the wild weather dampen his pursuit of education. Images show the sophomore student from the Wuhan University of Technology in the country's centre studying perched atop his desk, despite rain waters turning his dorm into a swimming pool. The student, surnamed Zhou, was determined to cram for his machinery studies exam the following day, unphased by the relentless rains waterlogging his room. A student has been dubbed 'world's most dedicated learner' after he was photographed studying above floodwaters The student, surnamed Zhou, was determined to cram for his machinery studies exam the following day The unperturbed workhorse was forced to eventually climb on top of his desk to carry on, before being forced to retreat to the building's first floor when the whole room was submerged. Zhou's roommates said he is a diligent and hardworking student who hopes to study abroad after graduating in two years' time. He is known for having top-tier grades. The story has been met with an outpouring of praise on social media, where he has been dubbed 'world's most dedicated learner.' 'I believe he has a bright future ahead of him. Just look at how hard-working he is!' one user wrote. 'You're making the rest of us look bad. Take the day off,' wrote another. Wuhan, one of the worst hit cities by China's wet season, has recorded a record weekly rainfall of 57.4 centimeters, forcing some 80,000 people to relocate. The story has been met with an outpouring of praise on social media A pavilion is seen submerged in the flooded Yangtze River of Wuhan, which has been battered by relentless rains Mary Todd also dealt with much tragedy, burying three of her four sons in her lifetime and sitting with her husband as he was Mary Todd Lincoln died over 130 years ago, but there is still much talk about the former first lady's bizarre medical aliments and her mental health during the final decades of her life. Over the course of her lifetime Mary Todd was seen by many as being hypochondriacal, claiming to suffer from a long list of aliments including fever, headaches, sores, fatigue and vision problems, to name just a very few. She also had frequent hallucinations and was even institutionalized against her will at one point, attempting to take her own life soon after being committed when her son demanded an insanity trial. These baffling behaviors have led some to believe that she was mentally ill, perhaps the result of having to bury three of her four sons in her lifetime and holding her husband Abraham's hand as he was assassinated before her eyes at a Washington DC theater. In an article published in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, John G. Sotos argues however that Mary Todd was in now way mentally ill, and was instead suffering a from pernicious anemia - a vitamin B12 deficiency that leads to a lowered number of red blood cells and these days is easy to treat. Scroll down for video Sickly: A study by John G. Sotos reveals how the mental and physical aliments of Mary Todd Lincoln (above circa 1863) suggest she suffered from pernicious anemia Family affair: Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln with sons William, Robert and Thomas in the White House (circa 1861) 'A diagnosis of chronic multisystem pernicious anemia would clarify the conduct of Mary Lincoln as First Lady and widow, and illuminate challenges faced by her husband, President Abraham Lincoln,' writes Sotos is in his paper, which is also included in his new book - The Mary Lincoln Mind-Body Sourcebook. Back in Mary Todd's day however pernicious anemia had not yet been diagnosed, which Sotos believes led to her lifelong health problems. It was also responsible for countless deaths during Mary Todd's time and was a fatal disease for many up until 1920, when the first treatment was introduced which involved patients eating raw liver. It is now treated with injections or large doses of B12. There have been many theories about just what might have caused Mary Todd's mysterious moods, with some arguing she may have been bipolar and others even wondering if it could have been caused by syphilis. Then there are others who firmly believe she was just mentally unstable. Sotos writes that in his research he was looking for a condition that could explain all of Mary Todd's aliments over the years, starting from when she was young until her death. Mary Todd was born in 1818 in Lexington, Kentucky to a wealthy slave-owning family, with her father working as a banker. She was very well educated over the course of her life, and Sotos writes that friends described her as 'intelligent, educated, astute, and ambitious.' Mary Todd married her husband - who was 10 years her senior - in 1842 at the age of 23, this after a courtship with Stephen A. Douglas, one of Abraham's greatest political rivals. There first son Robert was born in 1843 and followed by Edward (1846), William (1850) and Thomas (1853). Edward was the first to die in 1850 at the age of three from tuberculosis. William died next of typhoid fever in 1862 at the age of 11 while his father was in office. Thomas also died before his mother in 1871 at the age of 18 from what was believed to be a possible heart failure or pneumonia. Tough times: Mary Todd dealt with much tragedy, burying three of her four sons in her lifetime and sitting with her husband as he was assassinated Not bouncing back: The widow was 'overcome with grief' and never fully recovered from her husband's death (couple above circa 1861) Then, on April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth just five days after the North declared victory in the Civil War while out to the theater with Mary Todd. The widow was 'overcome with grief' and never fully recovered from her husband's death. Mary Todd spent five weeks in the White House after the assassination before moving out, despite the fact that she had failed to make many friends while her husband was in office. The first sign that something might be 'off' came when Mary Todd began to spend outrageous amounts of money on her clothing and refurbishing the White House in a now infamous overhaul that involved her redecorating every single room in the residence. Many faces: Sotos' book about Lincoln detailing her health and mental problems At best, Mary demonstrated a political tin ear while First Lady. At worst, historians have documented serious misdeeds, including influence peddling and massive unauthorized expenditures,' writes Sotos. 'Her temper continued to alienate others. More obviously pathological incidents occurred as well. In late 1863, she earnestly described her recently deceased son appearing nightly as a comforting, speaking apparition.' Mary Todd began seeing her son after suffering a horrific accident when her head hit a rock when she jumped out of a runaway carriage. This change in demeanor though seemed to have happened over a decade before she was first lady, with one cousin commenting in 1848 that Mary Todd had 'changed from the pleasant woman I remembered to one rather sour of aspect and sharp of tongue, especially when addressing her husband, who seemed to take it as a matter of course when she berated him.' That same cousin described her as 'lovely in disposition [with] a natural kindness of heart' prior to her wedding. Things only seemed to get worse for Mary Todd in her post-White House years, and during one period from 1873 to 1875 she suffered from 'auditory hallucinations, paranoia, confusion, somatic delusions, and other delusions.' As for her physical aliments in the years after her husband's death, they included 'aching limbs,' 'great & burning pain in my spine,' 'a dropsical condition,' and at one point she complained there 'was an Indian removing the bones of her face and pulling wires out of her eyes.' It was around the time that she made that statement when her oldest, and only surviving, son had her committed after successfully trying her for insanity. She responded by attempting an opiate overdose. Mary Todd spent four months at the asylum and was eventually released despite the belief that she was still insane and still suffering from hallucinations. Later years: Mary Todd and Abraham with sons William and Robert (circa 1960) In her final years she would spend much of her time alone in dark rooms, once going for six months without ever leaving her bedroom. Two years before her death her doctor speculated she may be suffering from kidney disease, and a year later he wrote that she was 'thoroughly exhausted' and could barely walk, having to be carried at times to reach her destination. Then, in January 1882, she was diagnosed with a progressive spinal disease by a team of physicians appointed by the federal government to determine if her condition warranted a federal pension. That team also found numerous problems with her eyes and vision. Four months later she died at the age of 63 after suffering a stroke. Sotos in his article and book explains how Mary Todd's physical and mental aliments are all a result of pernicious anemia. What's more, even her physical appearance and the widening of her face over time is common in those who suffer from the B12 deficiency. 'A diagnosis for Mary Lincoln of chronic, florid, untreated PA has several historical implications. First, it explains the sad, slow decay of her life, from extraordinary promise to chronic psychosis to early death,' writes Sotos. 'Second, it removes expectations of sound judgment from her: as First Lady and widow she was simply a woman with a biochemically injured mind struggling in a complicated, relentlessly demanding environment.' He closes his paper by writing: 'Her misfortune was living before treatment was available, and before physicians could make a diagnosis that would have prevented 150 years of misunderstanding about her.' Some 35 fire fighters and six fire engines were sent to deal with the drama Dozens of residents living in one of Britain's most exclusive areas were forced to flee their million-pound-plus homes after a burst water main left them deluged with water - four foot deep. Firefighters helped 50 people leave their homes as an entire street was washed underwater, in the early hours of yesterday morning. Residents waded through the murky waters, up to a metre deep in places, after evacuating their homes in the affluent Primrose Hill area of north London. A burst water main flooded about half-a-mile of north London's exclusive suburb of Primrose Hill, pictured London Fire Brigade had to evacuate 50 people from flats and houses in the exclusive neighbourhood The area is home to the Primrose Hill Set, a group of famous actors such as Bond star Daniel Craig Celebrities such as Jamie Oliver, David Walliams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig leave in the Primrose Hill area. The 42-inch water main released thousands of gallons of water within minutes of the incident. About a half-mile was swamped, flooding the entire basement and ground floor of one flat. London Fire Brigade rescued 25 people from one block of flats, while another 25 people were helped from their homes and took cover in nearby houses. Station Manager Matt Burrows said: 'Crews carried residents from the flat most affected by the flooding and we are now laying sandbags to protect the other properties as much as we can. 'We are working closely with residents along the street to work out who we need to evacuate and who should stay in their home. 'Avenue Road is a long residential street and is used as a bit of a thoroughfare so this is causing quite bit of disruption so avoid the area if you can.' The brigade were called at 5.33am, and sent 35 firefighters and six engines to the scene, armed with water rescue equipment. There are not thought to be any injuries. Luckily, nobody was injured after the massive water main burst, releasing thousands of gallons of water 25 residents had to be rescued from this block of flats in Primrose Hill in North London A man shoplifted so much stock from a Coles supermarket that a magistrate questioned the size of the bill. Bradley John Bell pleaded guilty in the Brisbane's Magistrates Court to stealing $2632.84 worth of groceries from the Coles supermarket at Chermside in December, 2014. When the charge was being read, Magistrate Mark Bucknall, who eventually sentenced Bell to a jail term of one month, asked: 'How much was the value?' Bradley John Bell pleaded guilty to stealing $2632.84 worth of groceries from the Coles supermarket at Chermside (pictured) The shopping list was not detailed in court. The sentence is to be served concurrently with a jail term for a previous stealing offence so Bell will serve no additional time behind bars. Queensland ranks among the country's worst states for shoplifting, particularly during the festive season, when up to $1.4 billion worth of goods is stolen annually. The penalties for shoplifting in Queensland carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Advertisement London hosted a particularly momentous Eid al-Fitr festival today as the city's first Muslim mayor joined thousands of revellers of all faiths and backgrounds to join in with the festivities. A large stage was erected in in Trafalgar Square featuring live performances, and a variety of free activities were on offer including lessons in Arabic art and geometry. Merrymakers in the capital were also entertained by Sadiq Khan, who was elected the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital in May. British TV Presenter Konnie Huq introduced Mr Khan to loud cheers, and he posted a selfie on Twitter with a large crowd in the background. This year, the end of Ramadan was marked with a celebration of the achievements of Muslim women. There are nearly three million Muslims in the UK, and the London event was the culmination of festivities that started on Tuesday after the 30-day fast of Ramadan ended for worshipers. Sunny celebrations: The city of London celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr in style in the capital's Trafalgar Square on Saturday Dressed to impress: Members of the public from all faiths and backgrounds turned out in their thousands to mark the spiritual event Momentous occasion: Presenter Konnie Huq introduced London Mayor Sadiq Khan, armed with a large selfie stick to take a picture The Mayor of London then posted this image to his Twitter page, which only just about got the top of their heads in shot He said: 'London is the greatest city in the world. We are the most diverse city in the world. London is a city where you can be who you are and you can be welcomed. 'This Ramadan lets be honest, it's been hard. I've been fasting for 19 hours. But you know, I will never forget this Ramadan, my first as the Mayor of London.' Yet he also added that the city is also facing challenges as racism appeared to be on the increase. He said: 'In the last three weeks I'm sad to say we have seen a rise in racist crimes. We have seen people trying to divide our communities.' The Mayor was referring to the recent spike in reported hate crimes and incidents surrounding the weeks of the EU referendum. Figures released by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) show that more than 3,000 hate crimes were reported to police in the second half of June - a rise of 42% compared to last year. Mr Khan said that the country has seen people trying to 'sow the divisions of hate', but his message to them was that 'you will not divide us'. Site of the celebrations: On offer during the day was a variety of free activities including lessons in Arabic art and geometry On stage: The crowds listened to live bands pumping Muslim hip-hop music, and also a short speech from the capital's first Muslim mayor A young boy gets a better view of the stage on the shoulders of a man during Saturday's Eid Celebrations in Trafalgar Square There are nearly three million Muslims in the UK, and the London event was the culmination of the post Ramadan celebrations in the UK The politician also stated: 'If we're honest, there are some people who give our faith a bad name. There are some people - criminals - who do bad things and use the name of Islam to justify what they do. 'And you know what, we have got to make sure the world knows they do not do this in our name. 'So my message is simple, London is the greatest city in the world, you are welcome here and it's going to stay that way.' The Mayor then roped Mrs Huq back on stage to take a selfie in front of the crowd, and claimed he would send it to Hillary Clinton, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to prove that London is the 'greatest'. Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq introduced the Mayor of London (right) to loud cheers as he entered the sage to make a speech Selfie time: The duo pose for a selfie with the crowd, with the assistance of a selfie stick, banned from the National Gallery behind them What a Self-Eid! Although the National Gallery behind them wouldn't approve, outside on the square there are no rules against selfie sticks The London Mayor made a speech about inclusion, saying: 'London is a city where you can be who you are and be welcomed' After taking a selfie of his own Sadiq Khan then took the time to pose for selfies with members of the public in Trafalgar Square Merrymakers in the capital were entertained by the performances on stage which started at noon on Saturday and ended at 6pm A young female joining in the party holds aloft the flag of Morocco, as a man to her left holds up the flag of the United Kingdom Selfie at the square: Most of the crowd paused to take pictures to show they were making the most of the holy Islamic day Power to the women: This year, the end of Ramdan was marked by a celebration of the achievements of Muslim women Indonesian Balinese dancers perform on stage the intensely expressive ancient dance to the delight of the large crowd of onlookers A woman in a purple headscarf came well supplied with a bottle of water to make sure she did not get dehydrated during the festival She drank 'em bot' up: Two members of the public tucking in to a tasty coconut, but there is no trace of the lime At the daytime festival there was also a bazaar-style market that featured stalls from various grassroots Muslim groups The Mayor said Muslims have to show the world that 'people who give our faith a bad name' do not do it in their name Isis fighters shot down a Russian helicopter above Syria, killing both pilots on board. The chopper was flying over the city of Palmyra and attacking advancing terrorists when it was brought down yesterday. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the skillful crew initially drove the terrorists back but the helicopter was shot as it turned around to return to base. The chopper was flying over the city of Palmyra, Homs and attacking advancing terrorists when it was brought down yesterday The Russian Ministry of Defense said the skillful crew initially drove the terrorists back but the helicopter was shot as it turned around to return to base Footage has emerged appearing to show the moment the helicopter was brought down. It swirls in the air and narrowly misses colliding with another aircraft before plummeting to the ground below. An official statement from the Ministry of Defense said: 'On July 8, Russian military pilot-instructors Evgeny Dolgin and Ryafagat Khabibulin, were conducting a calibration flight on a Syrian Mi-25 (export version of the Mi-24) helicopter loaded with ammunition in the province of Homs.' 'The crew received a request from the Syrian command group to help defeat the advancing terrorists and fire for effect. The captain of the aircraft, Ryafagat Khabibulin, made the decision to attack.' 'Having spent their ammunition, while turning back to the base, the helicopter was shot down by terrorists from the ground and crashed in an area controlled by the Syrian government. The crew did not survive.' The Ministry added that both pilots will posthumously receive state awards for their actions. A Russian military source told Russia's Interfax news agency that the chopper was brought down with an American TOW antitank missile system, reports RT. The Ministry added that both pilots will posthumously receive state awards for their actions A Russian military source told Russia's Interfax news agency that the chopper was brought down with an American TOW antitank missile system A statement from ISIS, translated by the ISIS-affiliated Amaaq news agency, read: 'By Allah's grace alone, the soldiers of the Khilafah launched an attack with heavy weapons on Nusayri regime locations east of the silos in Tadmur city. 'The Mujahidin managed to take control over three checkpoints of the apostates, where afterwards, one of the knights of the shahada managed to advance with his boody-trapped BMP and blow it up amid a gathering of elements form the army and the Rafidi militia elements that support them, killing and injuring dozens. 'In the meantime, the soldiers of the Khilafah shot down a Russian helicopter as it attempted to raid their locations, which led to destroying it and killing those on board and all praise is due to Allah.' Isis fighters have shot a Russian helicopter out of the sky above Syria, killing two pilots (stock image) A 15-year-old boy whose mother jumped on top of him to protect him during the Dallas shooting has described her as a 'hero'. Andrew Humphrey, 15, was at the protest on Thursday night with his mother Shetamia Taylor, 37, when gunman Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, opened fire nearby. Taylor, originally from Minnesota but now of Dallas, Texas, pushed Humphrey to the ground and was then shot in the leg as she shielded her son. Today, the teenager exclusively told Daily Mail Online how his heroic mother saved his life and added that he is proud of her bravery. Scroll down for video Andrew Humphrey (left), whose mother Shetamia Taylor (right) jumped on top of him to protect him during the Dallas shooting, has described her as a 'hero' 'We were just at the protest and then the next thing, she basically grappled with me and threw me down,' he said. 'It was scary but I'm fine now. She is fine too and will be leaving hospital later.' 'I don't know what to say about her... She's... I guess she is a hero, yeah,' he said. Speaking from the family home in Garland, Texas, he added: 'It's been a lot to take in. I didn't even know I was going to the protest until Thursday night. 'There's been a lot of police brutality but the cops [who died] didn't deserve that. I feel so sorry for their families.' Neighbor James Cook, 35, knows Taylor well and said he wasn't surprised by her selfless actions. 'They're nice people and she's always listening to church music, so I'm not surprised she would do something like that.' He added: 'I respect what the police do and they risk their lives every day but at the moment, the bad cops have been outshining the good ones.' Taylor's sisters Sherie Williams, left, and Theresa Williams, center, speak to the media as they leave the Baylor University Medical Center on Friday Investigators work in the area of downtown Dallas that remains an active crime scene on Saturday Notes and flowers decorate a squad car at a makeshift memorial in front of the Dallas police department after five police officers were killed in the shooting on Thursday night Thursday night's protest was sparked by the killings of CD salesman Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday morning, and school cafeteria supervisor Philando Castile, 32, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on Wednesday night. But the peaceful protest took a deadly turn after Afghanistan veteran Johnson, of Mesquite, Texas, opened fire on police officers. Johnson, who was later killed by cops in a standoff, was filmed killing officers execution-style - including shooting one victim in the back of the head at point blank range. The five officers who died have since been named as Brent Thompson, 43, Patrick Zamarripa, 32, Michael Krol, 40, Michael Smith, 55, and Lorne Ahrens, 48. Seven people, among them three police officers and Taylor, were also injured before the sniper was killed by a remote-controlled bomb. Johnson, whose home was found to contain a cache of ammunition and bomb making equipment by police, is thought to have been targeting white officers. Micah Johnson (pictured) was sent home from Afghanistan after being accused of sexually harassing a female soldier and followed black militant groups on social media. Right, a photo on Facebook showed him wearing a dashiki and raising his fist Johnson fatally shot five officers and wounded seven more before police killed him with a remote-controlled bomb in early hours of Friday. Above, police respond after shots were fired at the protest It has also emerged that Johnson was sent home early from Afghanistan in May 2014 after sexually harassing a female soldier and plying her with Victoria's Secret lingerie. A friend who served in the same platoon later told Fox News that his disgrace led to him 'mixing with bad folks' and taking an increasingly militant approach to race relations. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, continued: 'When he came back from Afghanistan, he got in with some bad folks and went all Black Panther. 'He did have some anger issues but never said he would hurt anyone. His shots were terrible. 'He was absolutely normal, a really good friend. We lost touch once he deployed to Afghanistan and I stayed back. 'I don't really know how or why it got to the point it did.' Thursday night's protest was sparked by the killings of Alton Sterling (right) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday morning, and Philando Castile (left) in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on Wednesday night A Palestinian man who attacked two female hikers not far from Jerusalem in 2010 was reportedly praised on Palestinian Authority TV. Kifah Ghneimat and Iyad Fataftah attacked British-Israeli Kay Wilson and American Kristine Luken in 2010. Luken did not survive. Ghneimat was apparently described as a 'heroic prisoner' in June by a television host, who also spoke with the man's mother. The segment was translated by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). Scroll down for video Kifah Ghneimat and Iyad Fataftah attacked British-Israeli Kay Wilson (left) and American Kristine Luken (right) in 2010. Luken did not survive Kifah Ghneimat (pictured center in January 2011) was apparently described as a 'heroic prisoner' in June by a television host Wilson previously told the Mail on Sunday of the attack: 'We were held for 30 minutes at knife point then gagged and bound before being butchered with machetes. 'I watched my friend chopped up before my eyes, and only survived because I played dead, despite being stabbed 13 times and having over 30 bones broken by the sheer force of the blows. 'Each time he plunged his machete into me I could hear my bones crunch, and also my flesh ripping from the serrated blade. 'They left, only to return moments later and roll me over, and I watched him plunge the knife into my chest, just missing my heart.' The men took off, and Wilson got herself to a car park, the Mail on Sunday reported. Wilson recalled: 'I could hear my lungs filling with blood and I was aware that each step might be my last.' Luken's body is seen being carried in this December 19, 2010 file photograph Wilson has said: 'I watched my friend chopped up before my eyes, and only survived because I played dead, despite being stabbed 13 times and having over 30 bones broken by the sheer force of the blows.' Her injuries are seen here PMW said in a news release: 'Ghneimat was sentenced to 2 life sentences and an additional 60 years imprisonment. Fataftah was sentenced to 1 life sentence and an additional 20 years imprisonment.' The group said: '[Ghneimat's] mother was invited to participate and was interviewed, but not about Ghneimat's crime or what it is like to be the mother of a murderer. 'Rather, PA TV wished to know what this murderer's favorite food was during the Ramadan.' According to PMW, Ghneimat's mother said of her son: 'He was kind and calm. He did not have any problems... Meat with tahini, grilled meat, chicken with rice... 'You know that only a father can properly educate his children. A child does not have respect for his mother... Ghneimat's mother is seen appearing on television. Wilson has said: 'As far as [the mother] is speaking, her son did nothing wrong I think she is so far gone into her own delusion and deception' The women were attacked while they were hiking not far from Jerusalem 'Allah willing, he [Kifah] will get out [of prison] and educate his children... Don't despair of Allah's mercy. Allah willing, it will arrive soon. Allah willing, my son, you will be among us.' Referring to the video, Wilson told Fox News: 'I think I'm numb... I'm stunned, absolutely stunned... it's so rage invoking.' She said: 'As far as [the mother] is speaking, her son did nothing wrong I think she is so far gone into her own delusion and deception.' PMW's website says: 'Founded in 1996, Palestinian Media Watch is an Israeli research institute that studies Palestinian society from a broad range of perspectives by monitoring and analyzing the Palestinian Authority through its media and schoolbooks. David Cameron today stressed that Europe must remain united in the face of the threat from Russia amid fears Britain's withdrawal from the EU will weaken its resolve to stand up to Vladimir Putin. The Prime Minister, 49, was speaking at the Nato summit in Warsaw, Poland, and said there needs to be 'hard-headed dialogue' with Moscow to prevent any 'misunderstanding or miscalculation' leading to conflict. He added that both the EU and the alliance needed to be prepared to stand firm in face of any fresh aggression by Russia following its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. His comments came after President Francois Hollande said France regarded Russia as a partner, 'not a threat' and that Nato had no role in determining what Europe's relations with Moscow should be. Scroll down for video David Cameron told the Nato summit in Warsaw, Poland, that Europe must remain united amid fears Britain's withdrawal from the EU will weaken its resolve to stand up to Russia Cameron told the summit: 'We are not seeking confrontation with Russia. We are working to prevent it so we will continue to pursue a twin-track approach of deterrence and dialogue' Mr Cameron told a news conference: 'Of course we must have a dialogue with Russia - there are many issues we need to discuss with Russia, not least the situation in Syria. 'But there was a very strong consensus that we need to have that dialogue from a position of unity and strength over the issue of Ukraine. 'Boundaries are being redrawn in Europe by force by one power and Europe and Nato must be strong against that. 'We are not seeking confrontation with Russia. We are working to prevent it so we will continue to pursue a twin-track approach of deterrence and dialogue. 'We must engage in a hard-headed dialogue with Russia to avoid misunderstanding or miscalculation.' After Nato leaders confirmed plans on Friday to station four new battalions numbering around 4,000 troops - including 650 British personnel - in eastern Europe, Mr Cameron said the Nato-Russia council would meet next week for the first time in many months in an attempt to ensure the deployments did not create new friction. The Prime Minister also confirmed that Britain is to send an additional 50 troops to Afghanistan in a training and mentoring role while extending the mission of the 450 already there to help shore up the Afghan security forces. It followed an announcement by President Barack Obama, 54, that the remaining 8,400 US troops in the country are to stay on for the rest of his presidency in the face of the worsening security situation. President Obama embraces Cameron after the pair attended the Nato summit in Warsaw, where the British Prime Minister urged Europe to remain united Obama (right) appeared relaxed as he chatted with Cameron at the Nato summit in Warsaw, Poland His speech came after both he and Obama appeared relaxed as they chatted throughout the day. Obama, who is nearing the end of his presidency, and Cameron, who resigned in the wake of the Britain's shock decision to leave the European Union, sat next to each other at a working session on Saturday afternoon. The Warsaw summit, Nato's first in two years, is considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. However, the turmoil in the United States in the wake of a deadly sniper attack that left five police officers dead in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday night meant Obama's attention has been divided while in Europe. This is the mother of cop killer Micah Johnson as she emerged from hiding today refusing to talk about what led to her son's murder spree in Dallas. When asked what may have led to the shooting rampage that left five police officers dead, Delphine Johnson, 49, hid her face, and told Daily Mail Online: 'Get off my land.' While Delphine did not comment on the attack, his sister Nicole Johnson defended the 25-year-old Army reservist's character on Facebook. She launched a shocking anti-cop rant on Facebook just one day before her brother shot five officers dead, and later added: 'The news will say what they think but those that knew him know he wasn't like this.' Scroll down for video This is the mother of cop killer Micah Johnson as she emerged from hiding today refusing to talk about what led to her son's murder spree in Dallas (pictured right, Delphine Johnson, 49, with son Tevin) While Delphine did not comment on the attack, his sister Nicole Johnson (pictured) briefly defended the 25-year-old Army reservist's character on Facebook by writing 'those that knew him know he wasn't like this' Family members were spotted leaving the home of James Johnson, Micah's father who separated from Delphine when their children were still young. He lives about 14 miles away from Mesquite in Garland, Texas The family returned to Delphine's home in Mesquite, Texas, where Johnson lived after he was discharged from the Army due to allegations of sexual harrassment in 2014 A friend of Johnson's, who served in the same platoon, told Fox News that after returning from Afghanistan, he fell in with a 'bad folks and went all Black Panther' As Delphine walked from the house of her former husband James Johnson, a man shouted from a half open door: 'Get off my property.' The message was the same when she arrived at her home 14 miles away in Mesquite, Texas, where Johnson lived after allegations of sexual harassment led to an honorable discharge from the Army in 2014. When authorities searched the home on Friday, they found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics. Police were called to keep the press away on Saturday, and Delphine told Daily Mail Online 'Get off my land' before she beat on a car window and accompanied her other children Tevin and Nicole inside. Johnson joined the the Army reserve in 2009 and served as a private first class with a specialty in carpentry and masonry for six years. But in May 2014, six months into his Afghanistan tour, he was accused of sexual harassment by a female soldier after he reportedly bought her underwear from Victoria's Secret. A friend of Johnson's, who served in the same platoon, told Fox News that after returning from Afghanistan, he fell in with a 'bad folks and went all Black Panther.' 'He did have some anger issues, but never said he would hurt anyone. 'He was absolutely normal, a really good friend. We lost touch once he deployed to Afghanistan and I stayed back. I don't really know how or why it got to the point it did.' Police believe the killer, a supporter of black militant groups, acted alone and did not tell anybody in his family of the carnage he was about to unleash. Johnson did talk to a friend about the anger he experienced regarding the deaths of black men at the hands of the police. Micah Johnson appears to have shared his sister's anti-cop views, telling hostage negotiators that he targeted white officers during his shooting rampage in Dallas before being killed. Pictured: Micah Xavier Johnson (right) pictured with his brother Tevin (left) and sister Nicole (center) Johnson hit out at 'white people' accusing them of 'killing us off', adding that they 'hide behind that blue suit' before stating: 'These cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear' After the attack Johnson seemed to defend her brother, saying that 'those that knew him know this wasn't like him' before announcing she is taking a break from social media His attack came after the police fatally shot both Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, in separate incidents that have rocked the nation and sparked numerous protests. There is no suggestion that any of Johnson's family members had any knowledge of why he launched his murderous campaign on the streets of Dallas on Thursday evening. But his sister Nicole made controversial remarks against police before the massacre. In Facebook posts on Wednesday, she accused 'white people' of 'killing us off' and 'hiding behind that blue suit' before adding: 'These cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear.' She ranted: 'To all my white or even other race friends that are on the wrong side of the law. If ur opinions are one sided or rasict or vulgar im reporting and blocking you. 'Tired of y'all tryin' [to] be on these cops side making it okay based off irrelevant info, when our own get killed over unjust s***. 'Frankly you shouldn't even try to step in that man shoes saying what he did and why it was ok. Johnson appears to have been a member of black militant groups online, though friends from his days in the Army reserves say he wasn't always like that 'White people have and will continue to kill us off. The only difference is they serve the system hiding behind that blue suit and get off easy murdering civilians. 'Everything coming into the light and I for one think these cops need to get a taste of the life we now fear.' In the aftermath of her brother's shooting rampage, she added: 'The news will say what they think but those that knew him know he wasn't like this.' She has not spoken out since. Nicole had not been seen in public until she emerged from her father's house in Garland, Texas just after midday, covering her head with a hoodie. Her mother and father split when she and her brothers were children. James Johnson, along with his current wife Donna Johnson, are enthusiastic participants in a neighborhood watch scheme in Garland, Texas, which works alongside police officers. Gina DeMarco (pictured) was arrested after being filmed flashing and hurling profanities at a family in a road rage accident A woman who was filmed flashing and hurling profanities at a family in a road rage incident has been arrested. Gina DeMarco, 32, of Las Vegas, is facing five charges, including two felonies, after being booked into the Clark County Detention Center this week. DeMarco surrendered to Nevada Highway Patrol on Wednesday afternoon, KSNV reports. Her arrest was six days after a video of her rant was filmed by Adrian Rodriguez. DeMarco was furious after their cars collided along U.S. 95 at the Flamingo Road off-ramp on July 30, he told the local station. He filmed her as she began cursing and exposing herself at Rodriguez and his family inside the car during rush hour traffic. I mean, what was she thinking? he told KSNV. What was the point of doing that. She was going crazy. DeMarco is heard screaming: 'What, b****? 'What are you gonna do? You hit my f****** car!' But he said minutes later, she got into her vehicle and sped away from the scene. Trooper Jason Buratczuk, of the Nevada Highway Patrol, said DeMarco is facing hit-and-run as well as indecent exposure charges. Scroll down for video DeMarco was furious after her car collided with Adrian Rodriguez's along U.S. 95 at the Flamingo Road off-ramp on July 30, he said But her problems with the law don't end there. Buratczuk said investigators also looked into the possibility that there may have been fraud and identity theft connected to DeMarco, according to KSNV. Now, she is charged with committing indecent or obscene exposure in front of a child under 18, a felony, as well as failing to stop for at the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident. DeMarco is also facing two fraud charges, including obtaining or using another person's ID for an unlawful purpose, a felony. This is outrageous behavior and it has no place on our roadways, Buratczuk added. If she wouldve just stayed one scene and waited for NHP to get there, she wouldve had an unsafe lane change ticket and been on her way. Video courtesy of KTNV He filmed her as she began cursing and exposing herself at Rodriguez and his family inside the car during rush hour traffic The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black man during a routine traffic stop said he was reacting to the motorist's gun, not his race. Officer Jeronimi Yanez, 28, opened fire on Philando Castile after pulling him over for a broken tail light in the Minneapolis suburb of Falcon Heights on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old's death has been ruled a homicide. Yanez's attorney, Thomas Kelly, said the St Anthony police officer was reacting to the 'presence of that gun and the display of that gun' when he shot Castile. Scroll down for video Officer Jeronimo Yanez (pictured), the cop who shot Philando Castile Wednesday night during a traffic stop, has claimed he was reacting to the man's gun - not his race Yanez can be heard screaming 'I told him not to reach for it' - apparently referring to a gun - in a video recorded by Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. She said Castile was reaching for his wallet and ID Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend who live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook, said he was licensed to carry a weapon. Reynolds said Castile, a popular school cafeteria worker, was merely telling Yanez he had a firearm as he reached for his wallet to show the officer his ID card. 'And the officer just shot him in his arm,' Reynolds tells the camera, as her boyfriend lays bleeding in the driver's seat. 'Ma'am, keep your hands where they are,' Yanez can be heard saying from the window, sounding panicked as he continues to point his gun at Castile. He then appears to shout 'F***!' 'He just shot his arm off,' says Reynolds, maintaining her calm. 'I told him not to reach for it!' Yanez screams, sounding close to tears. 'I told him to get his hand open.' 'Please, officer, don't tell me that you just did this to him,' Reynolds tells Yanez. 'You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir.' Castile's gun is not visible throughout the video. Kelly says Yanez, who is Latino, is distraught and saddened over the shooting. Authorities say that during the traffic stop, Yanez approached Castile's car from the driver's side and another officer approached from the passenger side. Officer Joseph Kauser has since been identified as the second cop at the scene. Both men have been with the St Anthony Police Department for four years. Castile was confirmed dead in hospital. His death has been ruled a homicide by authorities. His girlfriend said he told Yanez that he had a permit to carry a gun before he reached into his pocket Kelly wouldn't elaborate on what led up to the shooting, citing a pending investigation. Yanez is currently on paid administrative leave. No detail has been given on either cop's disciplinary record. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says its investigation is ongoing, including interviews with witnesses. Several videos, including squad car video of the incident, have been collected but St Anthony officers do not wear body cameras. An audio clip purporting to capture the moments just before Castile was stopped by Yanez seems to indicate that the officer believed he and Reynolds 'looked' like suspects in a robbery. 'I'm going to stop a car, I'm going to check ID's,' the officer can be heard saying in the recording, obtained by KARE 11. 'I have reason to pull it over. The two occupants just look like people that were involved in a robbery.' The officer then tells dispatch he believes the driver looks like one of the suspects because of his 'wide set nose'. Less than two minutes later an officer screams that shots have been fired and that it's a 'code 3'. The license plate mentioned by police in the recording matches the plate of the car Castile was driving, and the location the officers give to dispatch matches where the traffic stop took place. It is not yet clear what alleged robbery the officer in the recording was referring to. A witness has since come out to fight the allegation that Castile's tail light was broken in the moments before he was killed. Gregory Ford, 42, took multiple videos of Castile's Oldsmobile Aurora after he arrived on the scene in Falcon Heights, Minnesota within the hour of the fatal shooting taking place. A tearful Valeria Castile told WCCO TV that her son (seen here together) was a hard worker. Family members have told how he was a straight-A student at high school Twitter user Wendy R shared this photo of Philando Castile at work as a cafeteria supervisor at the J.J Hill Montessorri School in St. Paul. He is said to have been much loved by the children at the school He had been taking a ride on his motorcycle after finishing work and happened to drive up Larpenteur Avenue. Ford told Daily Mail Online: 'I got there after they had taken him [Castile] away about 9.50pm. There were roughly five other people there with me.' 'A lady who was in her car in a parking lot around 30-40 feet away told me she saw the traffic stop and didn't think anything special.' 'Next thing she heard four shots, looked over there and saw the officer backing up and a woman screaming. I started recording when the lady told me what happened.' Ford said that the law enforcement on the scene were becoming agitated and disrespectful with the growing crowd of bystanders, and kept moving them further away from what had happened. He said that officers warned bystanders if they shot video, their phones would be taken for evidence. Ford kept his cameraphone trained on the scene and shared his videos and pictures with Daily Mail Online. He said: 'The car was a white, Oldsmobile Aurora. The rear lights were on. The car was still running and it was night-time, so you could clearly see both lights were on. 'There were two lights on the rear. One had red tape on it to the left of the rear.' An autopsy on Castile's body confirmed that he died of multiple gunshot wounds, though it did not give an exact figure. Reynolds had counted 'four or five' shots coming through the passenger-side window. The report says he died at 9:17pm Wednesday in the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Was it busted? A new witness tells Daily Mail Online he saw the taillights of the car which was stopped by police were both working, raising questions over whether the official version of events is true Captured on camera: Witness Fordd Gregg was at the scene of the shooting shortly after it happened and caught the aftermath on his phone The department said Wednesday that this was its first officer-related shooting in 30 years. Meanwhile, demonstrators are protesting for the third straight day outside the Minnesota governor's mansion. A crowd that once numbered about 1,500 has dwindled to a couple of dozen protesters by midday Saturday. They formed a circle in the street in front of the governor's residence as an organizer prayed for peace and togetherness. On the fence in front of the mansion, protesters posted signs, some of which read 'Justice for Philando' and 'Stop Police Brutality.' Governor Mark Dayton has called on the Department of Justice to investigate the shooting. Dayton made headlines on Thursday when he said he did not believe Castile would have been shot if he was white. 'I think all of us in Minnesota are forced to confront that this kind of racism exists,' he said. 'Nobody should be shot and killed in Minnesota for a tail light being out of function.' 'Nobody should be shot and killed while seated still in their car. Im heartbroken.' A crowd of community members gather outside the Governor's Residence in Saint Paul with a 'black lives matter' sign Andrea Leadsom (pictured) reportedly said she was a better choice because having children meant she had 'a very real stake' in the future of the country Andrea Leadsom's bid to become Tory leader was hijacked yesterday by far-Right extremists who compared her to Donald Trump and vowed to destroy 'gormless traitor' Theresa May. Ultra-nationalistic Britain First released a propaganda film pledging to help Mrs Leadsom and launch an all-out attack to stop her rival. The video called the Home Secretary a 'corrupt, ghastly, self-serving parasite, treacherous EU collaborator and friend of Islam'. It showed a series of photographs of her wearing a headscarf on a visit to a mosque. Mrs Leadsom was praised as a 'patriotic, Christian, opponent of political correctness' and was featured in a series of glamorous poses. The video was released as Mrs Leadsom's leadership challenge hit more trouble when she was forced to respond to claims she had said she would make a better PM because she was a mother, unlike childless Mrs May. Mrs Leadsom reportedly said she was a better choice because having children meant she had 'a very real stake' in the future of the country. Mrs May's allies said the 'offensive' comment showed Mrs Leadsom was 'unfit to be PM'. But an angry Mrs Leadsom said she was 'disgusted' by the report and claimed her comments had been misinterpreted. The Britain First video, made in the style of a party political broadcast, was presented by its leader Paul Golding. Golding came under fire two months ago when he turned his back on Labour's Sadiq Khan when the Muslim politician won the election to be London Mayor. Golding, who was also a candidate, denied being 'racist' and said he did it because Khan was 'vile.' Against a soundtrack of Land Of Hope And Glory, Golding used the video to defend his right to meddle in the Tory leadership race and said that, over the next few weeks, Mrs May would feel 'the full brunt of attack' by Britain First to stop her becoming PM. 'Theresa May is politically correct, pro-EU, pro-Islam, a female David Cameron, a fan of sharia law and treacherous collaborator of the EU,' says Golding. 'When she is not frequenting mosques wearing Islamic hijabs spouting nonsense about the so called benefits of sharia law, she presides over open borders and liberal soft police forces. 'If she is elected Tory leader there will be more immigration and more capitulation to Islam.' By contrast, says Golding, Mrs Leadsom was a 'patriot, Christian, pro-British opponent of political correctness'. Golding would 'not go as far as describe Andrea Leadsom as a British version of Donald Trump,' but added, 'she is not cut from the same cloth as the likes of Cameron, Corbyn. We need her to win.' The video called the Home Secretary a 'corrupt, ghastly, self-serving parasite, treacherous EU collaborator and friend of Islam.' It showed a series of photographs of her wearing a headscarf on a visit to a mosque There is no suggestion Mrs Leadsom had any involvement in the broadcast, but Britain First's endorsement is deeply embarrassing. Britain First was founded by former members of British National Party in 2011. It hit the headlines after invading mosques in Glasgow, Bradford, Luton and London. Its activists have protested outside mosques holding banners announcing: 'We are the British resistance.' When Labour MP Jo Cox was killed last month, her alleged assailant reportedly shouted 'Britain First' during the attack. Britain First wants a halt to immigration, the deportation of all asylum seekers and all foreign criminals without recourse to the courts. Mrs Leadsom's comments about being a mother came a week after Mrs May told The Mail on Sunday about her heartbreak over not being able to have children with husband Philip, saying: 'Of course we were both affected by it'. In an interview with the Times yesterday, mother-of-three Mrs Leadsom said while Mrs May 'possibly has nieces, nephews... I have children who are going to have children who will directly be part of what happens next. Being a mum means you have a real stake in the future of our country.' It caused a Twitter storm and outraged Mrs May's backers. Tory MP Sarah Wollaston said Mrs Leadsom had 'repeatedly shown that she lacks judgment and is not the right person to lead the nation'. 'TREACHEROUS, CORRUPT, PRO-ISLAM MAY': PRESENTER'S INSULTS IN EXTREMIST VIDEO: Britain First leader Paul Golding's six-minute video entitled 'Why we must all expose Theresa May' was posted online on Friday. Speaking in front of a Union flag and backed by the stirring music of Land Of Hope And Glory, Mr Golding - who was last year fined 325 after being convicted of harassing a woman - made the following inflammatory comments: 'It is everyone's business who wins the Tory leadership. 'Theresa May is politically correct, pro EU, pro Islam, a female David Cameron, a fan of sharia law and treacherous collaborator of the EU. 'Andrea Leadsom is a successful businesswoman, patriot, Christian, pro-British opponent of political correctness. 'We will expose May as a corrupt, Cameronite, gormless careerist. She launched an inquiry into sharia courts and surprise, surprise, put a Muslim in charge of it. This parasite [May] said the Paris attacks had nothing to do with Islam. Were they Buddhists, Christians or Hindus? No, they were Islamic. 'Do we really want her as PM? We might as well beg Cameron to stay. 'Andrea Leadsom has promised to make positive discrimination illegal, invoke the EU's Article 50, a war on political correctness and to scrap the hated Human Rights Act. 'I wouldn't go as far as describe Andrea Leadsom as a British version of Donald Trump but she is not cut from the same cloth as the likes of Cameron, Corbyn and their ilk. We need her to win. When May is not frequenting mosques wearing Islamic hijabs spouting nonsense about the so-called benefits of sharia law, she presides over our open borders and liberal soft police forces. 'If she is elected Tory leader there will be more immigration and more capitulation to Islam. 'Britain First intends to deploy the full brunt of our attack on May. 'If you see a post that exposes her, share it. The more times it is shared the more damage we can do to her chances of victory.' Advertisement Fellow Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach, who lost her five-day-old son to sudden infant death syndrome in 2009 and has been unable to have further children, said: 'I am offended by the comments. 'It was not a lifestyle choice by Theresa not to have children. In any other area of life, if you were going for interview for a job you would not be allowed to ask whether or not you have children.' Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: 'I am childless. I believe I like everybody else have a real stake in our country.' Another May supporter, ex Tory Minister Sir Alan Duncan, said: 'I'm gay. No children. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? Vile'. However, Tory Nadine Dorries defended Mrs Leadsom: 'Every female politician who is a mum draws on that.' In a bid to halt the furore, Mrs Leadsom was forced to make a statement yesterday outside her 1.6 million Northamptonshire home. She said: 'In the course of a lengthy interview I was repeatedly asked about my children and repeatedly made it clear I did not want this to be in any way a feature of the campaign. 'I am disgusted at the way this has been presented. I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and in the future of our country.' LEADSOM LINK TO 'ANTI-GAY' ORGANISATION Andrea Leadsom is linked to a Christian group which believes being gay is a sin that can be 'cured'. In 2013, she told MPs about student exchanges she had arranged with the 'fantastic' Discovery Centre in Uganda, which is co-run by Youth With A Mission (YWAM). This evangelical group recommends 'gay cure' ministries and runs courses on 'abnormal sexuality'. Founder Loren Cunningham believes that homosexuality is 'counterfeit love' and has claimed being gay is a choice. Advertisement The Times stood by its report, issuing an audio tape of the key section of the interview, in which Mrs Leadsom says 'I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because that would be really horrible' before going on to make her controversial remarks. David Cameron, speaking at the Nato conference in Warsaw, refused to comment on the row saying he was 'playing no part' in the Tory leadership contest. Since emerging as the 'dark horse' in the leadership race, Mrs Leadsom has faced pressure over her political beliefs and claims she exaggerated her career achievements. Investigations into her CV have cast doubt on her claim to have worked closely with the then Bank of England governor Eddie George during the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995, and on her boast that she was the youngest ever director at Barclays at the age of 32. She also admitted that she had not run the bank's investment team, as she stated in Who's Who, but was, in fact, 'deputy financial institutions director'. Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed that Mrs Leadsom, who backed Brexit in the referendum, had said in 2013 that leaving the EU would be an 'economic disaster'. She has also advocated abolishing all workers' rights in small companies, criticised the adoption of two children by a gay couple and praised as 'fantastic' a centre with links to an evangelical organisation which has recommended 'gay cures'. She seemed flustered when challenged last week over claims that she believes God speaks directly to her, replying: 'That question is not one that is for openly laughing at.' Don't judge us on our ability to breed: Mother of five ANNE ATKINS says Andrea Leadsom must see she was playing with fire Whatever her complaints about the way she was reported, Andrea Leadsom must now see that she was playing with fire. Millions of women will agree with what she says about the positive experience of motherhood. But millions of women, too, know to their cost how undermining it is to be judged on our ability to breed. These are encouraging times. We have a woman as Chancellor of Germany. We are likely to have Hillary Clinton as the next US President. And we should now have impressive women setting out a case to become only the second female Prime Minister Britain has had. Yet what ought to be a celebration has become a demeaning row. However she intended it, Mrs Leadsom has made a critical error, raising an issue likely to wound her rival and which has dragged the debate down to a place where women and that means all of us are at a disadvantage. For millennia, we have been defined by our breeding, in a way men are not. And the depressing thing about this latest hoo-hah is that we obviously still are even by fellow women, including some of the highest achieving in the country. It's not even a question of whether mothers make better leaders. Andrea Leadsom (pictured) issued a statement after a newspaper suggested she was using her status as a mother to gain an advantage over Theresa May Like anything which defines the people we are, both parenthood and childlessness can make us more sympathetic and sensitive people. Just as David Blunkett's disability made him the man he was and therefore, arguably, a 'better' politician, if one wants to think in such narrow terms so also Gordon Brown's bereavement and David Cameron's experience caring for a disabled child undoubtedly contributed to their characters and were highly relevant to their careers. Yet if these three men had not experienced these things, they would have been shaped by something else which is why such autobiographical details were never exploited for electoral support. I recall the words of my teacher, Margaret Chamberlain (probably the best I ever had). To a girl, her class considered Queen Elizabeth I the most shrewd, successful and bravest leader this country has had. 'Ultimately, though,' Mrs Chamberlain objected amid our howls of protest, 'she failed she didn't provide an heir.' But how could she? Marriage would have compromised her position and threatened the stability of the realm. No king has ever faced such a dilemma. And that's the trouble. Andrea Leadsom (pictured) reportedly said she was a better choice because having children meant she had 'a very real stake' in the future of the country Whatever her complaints about the way she was reported, Andrea Leadsom must now see that she was playing with fire. Millions of women will agree with what she says about the positive experience of motherhood. But millions of women, too, know to their cost how undermining it is to be judged on our ability to breed. These are encouraging times. We have a woman as Chancellor of Germany. We are likely to have Hillary Clinton as the next US President. And we should now have impressive women setting out a case to become only the second female Prime Minister Britain has had. Yet what ought to be a celebration has become a demeaning row. However she intended it, Mrs Leadsom has made a critical error, raising an issue likely to wound her rival and which has dragged the debate down to a place where women and that means all of us are at a disadvantage. For millennia, we have been defined by our breeding, in a way men are not. And the depressing thing about this latest hoo-hah is that we obviously still are even by fellow women, including some of the highest achieving in the country. It's not even a question of whether mothers make better leaders. Like anything which defines the people we are, both parenthood and childlessness can make us more sympathetic and sensitive people. Just as David Blunkett's disability made him the man he was and therefore, arguably, a 'better' politician, if one wants to think in such narrow terms so also Gordon Brown's bereavement and David Cameron's experience caring for a disabled child undoubtedly contributed to their characters and were highly relevant to their careers. Yet if these three men had not experienced these things, they would have been shaped by something else which is why such autobiographical details were never exploited for electoral support. I recall the words of my teacher, Margaret Chamberlain (probably the best I ever had). To a girl, her class considered Queen Elizabeth I the most shrewd, successful and bravest leader this country has had. Theresa May (pictured) is the current favourite to become the new Conservative leader 'Ultimately, though,' Mrs Chamberlain objected amid our howls of protest, 'she failed she didn't provide an heir.' But how could she? Marriage would have compromised her position and threatened the stability of the realm. No king has ever faced such a dilemma. And that's the trouble. My mother was a superb mother and an equally superb teacher. Mrs Chamberlain, as far as I know, was childless. Neither fact surprises me. Both were matchless teachers because of who they were. John Letts was arrested, along with his wife Sally, for trying to send money to their 20-year-old son, widely known as 'Jihadi Jack' It was on his third day in the dank Victorian hulk of Wandsworth Prison that John Letts, a distinguished botanist whose organic cereals have been trialled on Prince Charles's land, reached his low point. Jailed, along with his wife Sally, for trying to send money to their 20-year-old son, widely known as 'Jihadi Jack' alleged to be one of the first white Britons to join Islamic State in Syria Mr Letts had nothing to read and nothing to do, except contemplate ruin. Astonishingly, the respectable middle-class couple had been remanded in custody by a judge, despite there being no objection to bail from police or the Crown Prosecution Service. It was five days before they were freed at a special Old Bailey hearing last month and they are now awaiting trial at the Old Bailey early next year, charged with fundraising for terrorism. The judge who finally released them described Mr Letts and his book editor wife Sally Lane, 54 held at Bronzefield women's prison, Surrey as 'two perfectly decent people' who 'ended up in custody because of the love of their child'. Mr Letts, 55, recalls the dread as he stared at the window of his stuffy cell, the daylight obscured as a previous occupant had plastered the glass with Samaritans leaflets. 'That weekend was the dark night of my soul,' he says, his voice shaky. 'I was in utter despair. I was fearful for Jack, fearful for Sally, for our younger son Tyler. I thought the business I'd spent 15 years building was going to be destroyed. I thought I'd be in jail at least until our trial in January.' Today, in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, John and Sally tell of their 18-month ordeal and their enduring grief at Jack's transformation from a happy, creative child to tormented youth, beset by mental ill-health. They also describe his conversion to Islam a faith which first restored purpose to his life, only to lead him on a potentially deadly path. It is hard to imagine two people apparently less likely to fall foul of the Terrorism Act 2000 the law under which they were charged than John Letts and Sally Lane. Grandpont, the central Oxford neighbourhood where they have lived for a decade, borders the Thames and lush meadows. It is said to have a denser concentration of residents with PhDs than anywhere in England. Slight and softly spoken, Sally has divided her career between publishing, where she worked for Heinemann and Oxford University Press, and Oxfam. John, raised on a farm in Ontario, is a leading 'archaeobotanist', who has used his academic background to develop hardy varieties of organic wheat and was awarded 25,000 from the Prince's Countryside Fund for his work. Their son, Jack, (pictured) is alleged to be one of the first white Britons to join Islamic State in Syria This comfortable world was turned upside down on March 31, 2015, when their house was raided by officers from the South East Counter-Terrorism Unit (SECTU). His parents already knew Jack was in Syria, having been alerted six months earlier in an alarming phonecall. They themselves had discussed Jack's case with Government anti-extremist experts, but never expected police to come knocking on their door. The couple say they asked detectives what evidence there was against their son, as he repeatedly insisted to them he was not fighting for IS. 'If Jack has done something seriously wrong, if he is a terrorist, I want to know, and I would be the first to condemn him because that is not how he was raised,' John says. But all they have ever been shown is their own Facebook correspondence with Jack: 'There was nothing to suggest he was a terrorist at all.' Since then, there have been various extremist postings on social media credited to 'Jihadi Jack', but he claims his account was hacked. Meanwhile, SECTU began to take an interest in John and Sally, searching their house from top to bottom, seizing phones and computers including Tyler's, whose revision notes were confiscated just before his AS-levels. The family maintained contact with Jack on social media, but as last Christmas approached, it became clear his situation was becoming desperate. 'He said he was cold, he had nothing to eat, and he couldn't continue to survive by begging chips from people in cafes,' says John. 'You could just hear the desperation in his words.' They asked their police liaison officer if they could send him money. Initially, they were told they could as: 'No court in the land will convict a parent for trying to protect their child.' Two days later, however, permission was withdrawn. Perhaps naively, they went ahead anyway: 'Jack's life was more important than the risk,' Sally says. 'We decided we would do what we could to save our son.' John Letts was photographed with his son Jack in 2006. John and his wife Sally are facing trial next year The first they knew that something was wrong was another message from Jack asking: 'Where's the money?' It had been blocked. John and Sally were arrested by police in a dawn raid at their home on January 5, a few days later. John was in bed, naked, and at first, he says, was told he could not even get dressed. Says Sally: 'It was so shocking, because we'd got to know these officers well, over the previous months. They'd been at our house having tea and panettone just a few days earlier. And now one of them was asking John if was going to 'go quietly' or whether he'd have to be handcuffed.' The pair spent several hours in the cells before being questioned separately. 'We tried to answer all their questions,' Sally says. 'We co-operated as fully as we could.' Months later, on June 2, they were charged, then refused bail at that first court appearance the following week. Since their release, a Kafkaesque nightmare has enveloped their lives. NatWest closed Sally's bank account after 25 years, without giving a reason. The letting agency that manages their rented house gave them notice of eviction (they believe because of the negative publicity) without having been instructed to do so by their landlady, who has since told them they are welcome to stay. Stress forced Sally to give up work and they were broke, so when friends Gill Baron and Simon Fairlie, who run a dairy farm in West Dorset, emailed offering to pay some of their rent, they accepted. He was always the lead in the primary school play. John Letts But shortly afterwards, two SECTU officers warned Ms Baron and Mr Fairlie if they sent money, they too could be charged with supporting terrorism as the money might free up more cash for the Letts to send to Jack. 'The only way they could have known we'd made this offer was by reading our email,' Ms Baron says. 'We were shocked. They told us we couldn't even pay the money direct to their landlady. We make cheeses, and they said the only thing we could do was send them one so long as they did not try to sell it.' There were more problems ahead. John sends his grain to be washed at a special facility in France and one day, returning to Dover with a 20-ton truckload, he and his driver were stopped and questioned at length by anti-terrorist officers, while the vehicle was painstakingly searched, apparently for money John could be trying to smuggle into Britain. Jack's early childhood brought only joy to his parents, in contrast to their present predicament. As a youngster, John says, he showed promise at English, drama and music. 'He was always the lead in the primary school play.' Jack (pictured aged 10) was photographed on holiday in Falmouth, Cornwall Both parents were also highly political: 'His first demo was the London march to stop Tony Blair invading Iraq,' says Sally. 'He was seven. You could say now he's yet another victim of Blair's foreign policy.' The first signs of mental deterioration came before Jack was to do well in his GCSEs, as a promising student at Cherwell School, a big comprehensive. His father noticed 'strange little coughs and murmurs. His attention was wandering in class and he struggled to hand in work.' Jack was referred to a mental health unit, and diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A year later, he flunked his AS-levels, and enrolled at a local college to re-sit, but dropped out. Sally says he had always had Muslim schoolfriends, and while studying Islam at school, he was fascinated. Aged 16, he joined a Muslim prayer group, held in members' homes. 'I met them, and they seemed to be nice lads,' she adds. 'I think they thought it was very cool that here was a white guy who wanted to convert. 'Everything was such a mess for him because of his OCD. He was feeling really down about himself and Islam gave him support.' Later, after Jack went to Syria, one of Jack's Muslim friends told John he had been 'radicalised' by a Somali called Abdullah who attended an Oxford mosque. John says he tracked Abdullah down and confronted him outside the mosque. Abdullah denied both supporting terrorism and trying to 'brainwash' Jack. John informed the police who said Abdullah was known to them. Jack learned Arabic, and aided by a photographic memory, John says, he was 'fluent within six months'. 'He was studying the prayers, the rituals, intensely. He wanted to be a perfect Muslim.' Jack's early political upbringing also had a new focus: the war in Syria. 'He wanted to help the refugees,' John says. 'He was appalled by the regime bombings and by the West's failure to intervene. He spent a few weeks at Oxfam and did well. But now he was talking about living and working in the Middle East.' Sally adds: 'He said he wanted to go to Jordan to stay with an Oxford friend who had a place there. We gave him a hug and waved him off, saying 'see you in ten days'.' The date was May 26, 2014. John and Sally have not seen Jack since. After spending time in Jordan, Jack said he was heading for Kuwait in August for language improvement. His parents sent money for tuition and living costs. Then, out of the blue, Jack called on a bad line on September 2, saying: 'Mum, I'm in Syria.' He was studying the prayers, the rituals, intensely. He wanted to be a perfect Muslim. Mr Letts on his son, Jack 'And then the line went dead,' says Sally. Their phone calls to Jack's friends and an official from the Government's Prevent anti-terrorist scheme provided no answers. Contact with Jack since has been patchy, almost entirely via the internet. Recently, it has become even more difficult, because Jack no longer has a phone and has to borrow one. Sally says some media reports have been wildly inaccurate, such as claims Jack has fathered a child and is now known as 'Abu Mohammed', although they believe he has married a woman from Iraq. 'I was very upset that he hadn't told us he had a child,' she says. 'But when I asked him if we were grandparents, he denied it. He laughed at the idea, saying the media makes things up.' Whether naively or not, his parents accept Jack's explanation that someone hacked his Facebook account. Among the offensive posts, were vile comments mocking the Paris terror attack mourners as 'bloody fools' and praising those who killed British soldiers. Sally says Jack 'doesn't give many details' about how he spends his time. He told her he had taught English, worked at a school and a hospital. 'We've done all we can to make sure he is not pulling the wool over our eyes,' she says. 'But the mere fact I have asked for assurances that he isn't a terrorist has been used against us they say it's evidence we suspected the money we tried to send would be used for terrorist purposes.' Meanwhile, Jack Letts remains in peril. On Wednesday, after a long interval, he sent a heartbreaking Facebook message, saying: 'If I get killed tonight then consider what I just wrote in my last status as my last words to the world.' This referred to a long statement in which he reaffirmed his faith in God, adding: 'I swear I love my mum and dad.' Early yesterday, after spending two days terrified their son was dead, they received another brief message saying that for now at least he is still alive. 'He has asked us to become Muslims,' says John. 'When he was little, he used to ask if he would meet people who had passed away in heaven. 'He hopes now that, someday, we can meet again in Paradise.' A car crash in California is believed to have sparked a massive blaze that has devoured at least 800 acres of land and prompted 2,000 people to flee their homes, according to fire officials. The fire, dubbed the Sage Fire, initially was deemed a two-alarm blaze but has since been raised to a three-alarm. More than 200 firefighters aided by dropping water from aircraft, focusing on creating a perimeter around homes that were threatened. Scroll down for video A car crash in California is believed to have sparked a massive blaze that has devoured at least 800 acres of land Approximately 2,000 people have had to flee their homes in Los Angeles County, according to fire officials More than 200 firefighters aided by dropping water from aircraft, focusing on creating a perimeter around homes that were threatened By dusk, firefighters contained 15 per cent of the blaze, which is burning close to Interstate 5, the main artery connecting Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley Aerial photos showed the flames came to the property line of a ridgetop home that was covered in fire retardant. The flames were fanned by winds gusting up to 25 mph. 'We are having to battle with Mother Nature,' fire Capt. Roland Sprewell told the Los Angeles Times. 'The winds are blowing and the terrain is challenging. The firefighters are in dense, heavy brush, and after a five-year drought, all this vegetation is prime and ready to burn.' By dusk, firefighters contained 15 per cent of the blaze, which is burning close to Interstate 5, the main artery connecting Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. About 750 homes were evacuated, sheriff's officials said. 'We are having to battle with Mother Nature,' fire Capt. Roland Sprewell told the Los Angeles Times The 'Sage Fire' sprung up around 12.30pm on Saturday in Los Angeles County in a brush-heavy area, causing it to burn faster than normal Because the fire has been deemed a three-alarm blaze, air support has been flown in to battle the flames About 750 homes were evacuated, sheriff's officials said. 'The flames were jumping in circles around our house,' Victor Roman told the Los Angeles Daily News after packing his valuables and making a speedy exit with his wife. He said he saw a car crash over the side of the road at the outset of the fire and suspected the crash sparked the flames. L.A. County fire officials said Old Stone, Morning Mist and Oak Creek communities were to be evacuated, but no other areas were asking residents to leave However, fire Inspector Gustavo Medina said the cause of the fire has not been determined The fire sprung up around 12.30pm on Saturday in Los Angeles County in a brush-heavy area, causing it to burn faster than normal. 'It's a possible vehicle fire in that area that spread to the brush,' said supervising fire dispatcher Cheryl Sims to KHTS.com. 'It happened on a dirt road.' Because the fire has been deemed a three-alarm blaze, air support was been flown in to battle the flames. People with respiratory problems were advised to leave the area due to low air quality. Plumes of smoke were visible miles away from the actual blaze, witnesses reported to ABC 7. The condition of the passengers of the car crash is currently unclear. The gunman who killed five police officers in Dallas has been unmasked as a pervert accused of stalking a female colleague when he was in the US Army. Micah Johnson, 25, shot dead the officers in a killing spree that began during a march by the campaign group Black Lives Matter, held to protest against the shooting of black people by police. Now it has emerged that in 2014, Johnson was sent home in disgrace from Afghanistan by the US military after a female soldier begged for protection from him. Another colleague has revealed how the killer used to steal girls panties. Scroll down for video Dallas gunman Micah Johnson (left) sexually harassed female soldier Anna Ma (right) and was sent home in disgrace from Afghanistan Johnson, 25, shot dead five officers in a killing spree that began during a march by the campaign group Black Lives Matter Anna Ma, 25, accused Johnson of sexual harassment, according to a military lawyer who represented Johnson when he returned home in June 2014 Johnson, a private in the American Army, was deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013 with the 420th Engineer Brigade. While he was there, his colleague Anna Ma, 25, accused him of sexual harassment, according to a military lawyer who represented Johnson when he returned home in June 2014. Dallas-based Bradford Glendening said: He made unwanted sexual advances towards her. It was all verbal. He was bothering and harassing her. According to legal documents, Anna begged for a protective order against Johnson pertaining to myself, my family home and any other place of residence I may reside at. Wells Newsome, who served alongside Johnson in Afghanistan, wrote on Facebook: We all knew he was a pervert cuz [sic] he got caught stealing girls panties, but murdering cops is a different story. Johnson waived his right to a military court hearing in the wake of the allegations. Despite the claims, he left the Army in April 2015 with an honourable discharge. Glendening said: Someone really screwed up but to my clients benefit. The shootings on Thursday night were feared to be the work of a group of armed radicals, but it now appears that Johnson was acting alone before he was cornered by police and killed by a bomb carried by a robot. After his military career, Johnson worked as a driver for a group providing hospital transport for mentally disabled people. But privately, his festering hatred of white people had begun. On Facebook, he identified himself as a black nationalist and gave a black power salute. Anna begged for a protective order against Johnson pertaining to myself, my family home and any other place of residence I may reside at, according to legal documents He made unwanted sexual advances towards her. It was all verbal. He was bothering and harassing her He liked several pages including the New Black Panther Party, the African American Defense League and the Nation of Islam. He attended a gym called Academy of Combat Warrior Acts, which teaches martial arts and weapons classes. Police raided Johnsons home on Friday and found a cache of guns, a hand-written journal listing combat tactics, body armour and bomb-making equipment. Last night, Anna Ma declined to comment, saying: You should focus on the victims and their families. Im not answering any questions. Gun stores across Dallas reported a sharp increase in trade yesterday. One owner said business was up 20 per cent with customers including off-duty police officers. And there were fears of copycat attacks across America, with officers shot and wounded in Missouri, Georgia and Tennessee. Johnson, a private in the American Army, was deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013 with the 420th Engineer Brigade. Right, a photo on Facebook showed him wearing a dashiki and raising his fist A police officer has been shot while responding to a hostage situation in Alabama that started when a man killed his son's dog, set fire to his house, and then holed up in a trailer with his wife. The deputy, from the Randolph County Sheriff's Office, was taken to hospital where he is now in a stable condition and expected to make a full recovery. Meanwhile the shooting suspect, who was armed with a 9mm pistol and rifle, has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. A Randolph County Sheriff's deputy has been transported to hospital in unknown condition after being wounded during a standoff with a gunman in Alabama The incident began as a domestic dispute around noon on Saturday between the suspect and his son, before spiraling out of control, the Anniston Star reports. Police were called to the scene and at some point the deputy, who has not been named, was injured by gunfire. It is not yet clear when the officer was injured, or if police traded fire with the suspect before he took his own life. By 3pm armored vehicles, an ambulance, and dozens of police wearing armored vests and helmets were pictured on the scene. Chief A.J. Benefield, of the City of Heflin Police Department, tweeted during the incident: 'Please be Praying for our Randolph County Brother Officers, Heflin PD Officers, and all other L.E. Officers responding to assist in stopping the Madness in Randolph County.' State Trooper Chuck Daniel added: 'Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Randolph County District Attorneys office. 'Nothing further is available as the investigation is ongoing. This incident is not related to the events that have occurred across the nation this week.' The suspect is believed to have shot his son's dog, set the younger man's house and car on fire, and then holed up inside his own trailer with his wife as a hostage The shooting comes at the end of a torrid week for law enforcement agencies which saw five cops killed in Dallas, and more shot around the country. Micah Xavier Johnson, a black man and former Army reservist who served in Afghanistan, opened fire on officers during a march to protest the killings of African Americans men by cops. Earlier the same day a police officer in Tennessee was shot and wounded by another black suspect who opened fire after becoming enraged at police brutality, saying he was 'targeting whites'. Then Victor Alonzo Majia Nunez, 21, opened fire on an officer on patrol in Georgia, though did not hit the cop or their car. So far this year 26 police have been killed by gunfire in the line of duty, an increase of more than 44 per cent from 2015, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports. A huge cache of ammunition has been stolen from a British Army training camp in the Middle East and is now feared to be in the hands of Islamic State. A Mail on Sunday investigation has discovered the haul of 87,000 5.56 bullets enough to equip three infantry regiments was taken from under the noses of UK troops during a desert exercise in Jordan. Military sources have told this newspaper that the thieves possibly acting on the orders of IS cut a hole in the perimeter fence of an ammunition compound, drove a lorry inside, and towed away the container in which the bullets were stored. The theft happened in March while 1,600 British troops were taking part in Exercise Shamal Storm a series of large-scale desert manoeuvres also involving American and Jordanian soldiers. Islamic State terrorists armed with an American rifle capable of firing the 5.56 bullets that were stolen from compound in Jordan The haul of 87,000 5.56 bullets enough to equip three infantry regiments was taken from under the noses of UK troops during a desert exercise in Jordan The Mail on Sunday understands that the ammunition was not guarded around the clock but that British military vehicles regularly passed the compound. It is believed the thieves watched UK soldiers for several days and timed their raid to avoid the patrols. Crack SAS troops tried to recover the container when it was noticed it had gone missing but their efforts were in vain. The incident is thought to be the largest theft of British military equipment for decades. Last night, a member of the Defence Select Committee demanded an urgent inquiry into how the deadly haul was removed from the training area near the coastal city of Aqaba, where troops also set up a field hospital and practised dealing with chemical and biological weapons threats. The camp was close to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, parts of which are lawless and occupied by IS-affiliated terrorists who have threatened to attack holiday resorts in the region, such as Sharm el-Sheikh, which is visited by thousands of British tourists every year. The theft raises the chilling prospect that UK holidaymakers could be shot dead by terrorists using British Army ammunition. While Jordan is a staunch UK ally, it is home to around 10,000 jihadis. Reports indicate that IS has weapons capable of firing the stolen bullets. The terror group already has in its possession tens of thousands of US-made rifles, which use the same size Nato ammunition, and which it seized from the Iraqi army. British soldiers were taking part in a training exercise repelling an opposition force on an exercise in the Jordanian desert in March Around 1,600 British troops were taking part in Exercise Shamal Storm (pictured) a series of large-scale desert manoeuvres also involving American and Jordanian soldiers Last night, Conservative MP Richard Benyon, a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee, said: 'This is a very serious matter that I intend to raise immediately with the committee and the Ministry of Defence to find out what has happened. I hope the Army will learn from any mistakes made and ensure that never again will our ammunition fall into the wrong hands.' Terrorism expert Michael Burleigh described the security lapse as 'extraordinary', adding: 'This is a very dangerous situation. It is entirely possible that this ammunition could fall into the hands of illegal weapons dealers and find its way to extremist rebel groups, including Islamic State.' An investigation by the Royal Military Police cleared UK troops of being involved in the theft. The case has now been handed to Jordanian police. Details of the theft were uncovered by The Mail on Sunday using a Freedom of Information request. There was panic at Dallas Police headquarters on Saturday evening following reports of a masked man in the building's garage, however it appears to have been a false alarm. A man wearing a black mask was reportedly spotted in a parking garage at the rear of the building after police received an anonymous threat to kill cops. SWAT teams combed the area and broke down fences and doors in their search for a suspect, but nothing was found. A source told CBS DFW that a gang from Houston had threatened to attack cops in Dallas. Scroll down for video There was panic at Dallas Police headquarters on Saturday evening following reports of a masked man in the building's garage, however it appears to have been a false alarm. Above, police outside Dallas PD A man wearing a black masked was reportedly spotted in a parking garage at the rear of the building after police received an anonymous threat to kill cops. Pictured, cops at the scene SWAT teams combed the area and broke down fences and doors in their search for a suspect, but nothing was found. A second search is now under way SWAT teams were seen outside the city's police headquarters and CBS DFW reported that one of the gang from Houston was seen at Dallas Forth Worth after the threat was made. Dallas Police said no shots were fired at the police station but SWAT teams had used a device to open a locked fence. Officers swept the garage and opened a locked door in the garage with a shotgun, but found nothing. Dallas Police said it conducted a 'systematic search' of the garage and parking lot as they looked for 'a suspicious person'. Police officers were seen running inside the headquarters with guns drawn after the alert earlier on Saturday evening. Officials confirmed a threat had been made and said it was taking precautions. Television networks filming the scene were asked not to give away the position of police officers scouring the area. The threat came just two days after Army veteran Micah Xavier Johnson shot 12 officers in Dallas, killing five. Dallas Police said no shots were fired at the police station but SWAT teams (pictured) had used a device to open a locked fence There were unconfirmed reports of shots fired as cops gathered near a garage by the back of the station, but journalists at the scene said they had not heard anything Meanwhile, social media posts warned of a 'purge' in Baton Rouge set to take place on Friday evening. 'Baton Rouge purge starts July 9 at 12am and ends at 5am July 10. Rule One: Must kill every police,' the chilling message said. Street seller Alton Sterling was killed by two police officers in the Louisiana city in the early hours of Tuesday morning, sparking anger and protests across the country - including the demonstration that was taking place at the time of Thursday's shooting in Dallas. Bush says he is ready to 'kick ass' and praises Blair for backing the U.S. Details of the humiliating phone call when George Bush finally crushed Tony Blairs hopes of persuading the US President not to invade Iraq without United Nations backing have been revealed for the first time. In the extraordinary conversation just two weeks before the 2003 conflict began, a gung-ho Bush says he is ready to kick ass and praises Blair for having the cojones (a Spanish word politely translated as courage) to back the US. When a nervous Blair replies: It might be my epitaph, Bush says: Like, RIP here lies a man of courage, you mean? To which Blairs prophetic response is: Yeah, right. Details of the humiliating phone call when George Bush finally crushed Tony Blairs hopes of persuading the US President not to invade Iraq without United Nations backing have been revealed Bizarrely, Bush then asks Blairs advice on body language to make him look tougher. He then goes on to mock the French, who were against the invasion, asking: What wars did they win since the French Revolution? The exchange has been revealed by Sarah Helm, wife of Jonathan Powell, Blairs chief of staff. She overheard the conference call, in which her husband took part, when it was relayed to their London home. Ms Helm, a journalist, used parts of the conversation in her highly acclaimed play, Loyalty, about the Iraq War. Sir John Chilcot came to see it performed in London in 2011. Intriguingly, at the time he asked Ms Helm if she took shorthand. Incredibly, Ms Helms play also included Blairs Ill be with you whatever note to Bush five years before it was revealed by Chilcot in his explosive report last week. However, she has never revealed the full Blair-Bush kick ass conversation until now. It fills a yawning gap left by the Chilcot Report, which published dozens of letters from Blair to Bush, but none from Bush to Blair. In the extraordinary conversation just two weeks before the 2003 conflict began, a gung-ho Bush says he is ready to kick ass and praises Blair for having the cojones to back the US. Ms Helm believes the phone call was the moment that crestfallen junior partner Blair knew his gamble to get Bush to wait for UN backing had failed. In the silence after the line went dead I pictured him, sitting in No 10, contemplating his own epitaph, she said, adding that he possibly foresaw the disaster of the war he was entering into. She said: Blair went along with Bush because, despite premonitions of disaster, he lacked the cojones to say no. The Duchess of York is set to launch an extraordinary multi-million-pound legal battle against the former owners of the News of the World six years after the newspaper published footage of her apparently offering access to Prince Andrew for cash. The sting filmed and published in 2010 appeared to show the former Royal accepting a 27,000 cash deposit from an undercover reporter as part of a 500,000 deal to be introduced to the Prince, then a UK trade envoy. The Mail on Sunday understands the Duchess plans to bring a legal case against Rupert Murdochs News Group, seeking compensation for years of lost earnings, and claiming the story damaged her credibility and earning power. Still good friends: The Duke of York with his former wife Sarah pictured together at Royal Ascot last month Sources say the debt-ridden Duchess, 56, who has been involved in several failed business ventures in the US, believes she could be entitled to millions after the story made headlines around the world. No papers have been served, but it is understood the Duchess believes she was entrapped, and that an edit of the film failed to show the full context of her embarrassing remarks. She has consulted leading media law specialist Paul Tweed, a senior partner at law firm Johnsons. Mr Tweed said last night: It would be inappropriate to comment at this time. The Mail on Sunday understands the Duchess plans to bring a legal case against Rupert Murdochs News Group Should the case go ahead, it would be the first time a member of the Royal Family has sued for compensation. The former Sarah Ferguson was no stranger to the pages of the now defunct News of the World, and has hit the headlines several times since her marriage to the Duke of York in 1986. In 1992, photographs were published which showed her having her toes sucked by financial adviser John Bryan while she was still married to Andrew. The couple separated several months later and announced their divorce in 1996, although they remain on friendly terms. In the News of the World sting, the Duchess agreed to a private meeting in a New York hotel with a reporter posing as a businessman. The tabloid had allegedly been told by a Royal aide that the Duchess had introduced other tycoons to the Duke of York for cash, without his knowledge. The initial meeting was followed by a second rendezvous at a Belgravia private members club and a nearby flat, where the undercover footage was taken. In it, the Duchess is seen accepting $40,000 (then 27,000) in cash and discussing the wire transfer of a further 500,000. She is heard telling the undercover reporter: Five hundred thousand pounds when you can, to me open doors. Then that is then, like, then you open up all the channels, whatever you need, whatever you want, and then thats that, what, and then you meet Andrew and thats fine. She issued an immediate apology for the embarrassment the story had caused her former husband and the rest of the Royal Family and said she had accepted the money only because she was in financial difficulty. He once found himself at the centre of a sexism storm by claiming that Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was never going to be a looker. Now BBC commentator John Inverdale has been accused of casual racism after comparing Nick Kyrgios to a character from The Jungle Book. Kyrgios, 21, was beaten in straight sets by Britains Andy Murray last Monday. During TV coverage of the match, Inverdale said the Australian lumbers off like a character from The Jungle Book. BBC commentator John Inverdale (left) has been accused of casual racism after comparing Nick Kyrgios (right) to a character from The Jungle Book The comment sparked a stream of complaints on Twitter, with users calling Inverdale disgraceful. They also called for the Corporation to sack him. One wrote: Casual racism there BBC, sort it out. Another said: Thats the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, revolves around Mowgli, an abandoned man cub who is brought up by wolves in the Indian jungle. Kyrgios was born in Australia but his mother is Malaysian and his father Greek. Kyrgios, 21, was beaten in straight sets by Britains Andy Murray last Monday. During TV coverage of the match, Inverdale said the Australian lumbers off like a character from The Jungle Book The comment sparked a stream of complaints on Twitter, with users calling Inverdale disgraceful. They also called for the Corporation to sack him The BBC said it had received a small number of complaints but would not confirm whether it had spoken to the broadcaster. In 2013, the Corporation was forced to apologise after Inverdales radio comments about French player Bartoli, shortly after she defeated Sabine Lisicki to win the womens title. He said: I just wonder if her dad did say to her when she was 12, 13, 14, maybe, Listen, you are never going to be, you know, a looker. You are going to have to be the most dogged, determined fighter that anyone has ever seen on court if you are going to make it, and she kind of is. Inverdale apologised but was later dropped as the face of the BBCs Wimbledon coverage in favour of Clare Balding. British farmers have been feeling the squeeze, but many are finding new ways to do business. Opening their doors to holiday-makers is one of them. It gives children the chance to collect eggs, milk goats, feed lambs and look after ponies. So, if you and your family crave country air and fresh produce, then a farm stay should hit the spot. Here, we round up some of the best: Farms offer the opportunity for children to get close and personal with resident animals Woodbridge, Suffolk The animals at Easton Farm Park live to play, and scheduled activities include hugging bunnies, holding chicks, collecting eggs and meeting the farms Suffolk Punch horses. Set on the edge of a pretty village, this Victorian model farm was once home to a dairy herd, but is now an educational park. Accommodation is in one of two self-catering cottages or a small caravan site. The petting farm is open to the public during the summer, but stay at any other time of year and you will have the animals all to yourself. Dont miss: The Suffolk Fun Festival, July 30-31, has circus acts, music workshops, canoe trips and more. Details: From 520 for two nights self-catering (six adults and four children), eastonfarmpark.co.uk, 01728 746 475. At Easton Farm Park in Suffolk, possible activities include hugging bunnies and holding chicks Chard, Somerset Dimpsey Shepherds Hut is a stylish oak building with sheeps wool insulation in the orchard of a farm on the Blackdown Hills. Owner Emma designed the interior using only UK-made furnishings. It has a full-size shower, stone sink and wood burner. Curious cows and sheep patrol the perimeter, but avert their eyes politely when you enter and exit the wood-fired hot tub. Dont miss: The gorgeous Dexter calves born in July. Details: From 250 for two nights self-catering (two adults). A bed can be added for two children for free, dimpsey.co.uk, 01460 477770. Buckden, Yorkshire Set on 400 acres of peaty hills and owned by a charming couple whose credentials include farming and art, the converted hay barn on working eco-farm Nethergill has a window halfway up the stairs that looks in on the chickens. The farmhouse was once occupied by a cousin of Charles Darwin, who would no doubt have approved of Fiona and Chriss efforts to encourage the repopulation of red squirrels in their woodland. Guests are welcome to use bird hides, feed cattle and collect free-range eggs for breakfast. Dont miss: Painting or photographing the area, with expert tuition. Details: From 300 for seven nights self-catering in a two-bedroom cottage, nethergill.co.uk, 01756 761 126. Tractor pull: The UK is dotted with farms offering family days out Pembrokeshire, Wales Perfect for young families, the self-catering Clydey Cottages are presided over by farmer Malcolm, and feature soft-play areas, kids club, pool and, of course, a host of hungry animals to feed. Children will be kept out of your hair all day, while you relax at the on-site spa. No wonder this was voted best place to stay in Wales at the National Tourism Awards. Dont miss: Baby massage sessions show how to knead their muscles until they fall asleep. Details: From 700 for seven nights self-catering in a one- bedroom cottage (shorter breaks available in term time), clydey cottages.co.uk, 01239 698 619. North Cornwall The Olde House is a large, working farm close to the beach run by third-generation family farmers. Theres lots to do: falconry, archery, tractor rides. An indoor pet corner means even rain cant spoil the fun. Dont miss: The extra lambing season in November/December thanks to mild Cornish weather. Details: From 400 for seven nights self-catering in a one-bedroom cottage, theoldehouse.co.uk, 01208 813 219. The Olde House in north Cornwall is a large, working farm close to the beach Buxton, Derbyshire Set in the Peak District National Park, Wheeldon Trees Farm offers wonderful views of the valley. The seven stone cottages are self-catering with a communal freezer stocked with home-made dishes. You can help with animal feeding and there is baby/toddler equipment to borrow if you dont want to lug your own. Dont Miss: The breakfast baskets where everything bar the coffee is local. Details: From 235 for two nights self-catering in a one-bedroom cottage, wheeldontreesfarm.co.uk, 01298 83219. Set in Peak District National Park, Wheeldon Trees Farm offers wonderful views of the valley Cotleigh, Devon Little Snodwell Farms thatched hillside farmhouse is built in the Devon Longhouse style and dates from 1750. Matyn and Caren, the friendly hosts, allow budding farmers to feed the animals, collect eggs and even milk the friendly goats. Stay in an annexe and you will be the only guests. The beaches of Lyme Regis are close by. Dont miss: The tearooms next door were awarded the title of Best In The Country by The Lady magazine. Details: From 160 for two nights self-catering (one bedroom), littlesnodwellfarm.co.uk, 01404 831 184. Osbaston, Leics Glamping at its finest, The Dandelion Hideaway on Osbaston House Farm offers running water, flushing loos and double beds in its six canvas cottages set in mature woodlands. The property has been in farmer Johns family for 100 years, and is home to his prized dairy goats and his wifes Shetland ponies. Each tent has its own egg collecting basket and a little Alice in Wonderland door leads from the old cow shed into a secret den. Dont miss: Badger-watching from a cosy hide. Details: From 550 for three days self-catering in a canvas cottage (sleeps six), the dandelionhideaway.co.uk, 01455 292 888 A visit to the farm not only offers the chance to breathe in clean countryside air, but also gives the chance for children to do some practical learning West Lothian Select one of three stone cottage or a modern lodge with magnificent views on Crosswoodhill Farm, an isolated working farm near West Calder that boasts 100 cows and 1,000 sheep. Host Geraldine prides herself on going the extra mile for her guests, hunting down favourite foods or flowers and lending out wellies. Expect to feel thoroughly spoiled in an unspoiled Scottish location. Dont miss: Steading Cottage which has a window looking directly into a tractor barn. Its likely to be a bumper summer for staycations. With the pound weaker against the euro and dollar and further safety concerns following the recent terrorist attack at Istanbul airport, many families will be opting to remain in the UK. There is talk of accommodation being heavily booked on the home front, but if youve yet to book a getaway, worry not there is still a good amount of availability. This is particularly true towards the end of August which, as every summer, is less well sold than the preceding weeks. On the website of a leading West Country cottage agency, 282 properties sleeping four or more are available to rent for a week from August 26/27, compared with just 74 from July 29/30. Peaceful and serene: There are some wondrous spots to book up this summer in your own cottage getaway And breaks starting in late August should work well for many families this year. At lots of schools, pupils dont begin their autumn term until September 5, due to inset teacher training days being added on to the official end of the school holidays the previous week. If youre looking for a cottage, lodge or caravan to rent or somewhere to camp, improved and new websites are making it easier to book. Cottages Theres a lot to be said for turning to an agent that takes responsibility for the state of the property and requires minimum standards. Start by looking on cottages.com. A recently expanded version of cottages4you, its home to 14,000 UK properties, including those under brands such as English Country Cottages, Hoseasons and Welcome Cottages all part of self-catering giant Wyndham Vacation Rentals. There are plenty of scenic spots still available for an August cottage staycation. Pictured is the Lake District Many hundreds of cottages are discounted for this summer, and availability is plentiful: there are 200 properties sleeping four or more for a week in mid-August in the Lake District. Many are given the thumbs-up or down with reviews, and search options are comprehensive so you can pinpoint properties close to the coast or a pub, or on a working farm. I also recommend turning to lovecottages.co.uk, a useful single platform on which more than 50 independent, well-established smaller agencies, including many of the best regional specialists, promote rentals on their books. In one search, you can check for availability across the 10,000-plus properties listed on the website. However, you cant make an instant booking youre directed to the relevant agency and search filters are basic. Campsites and holiday parks Coolcamping.co.uk is my go-to website for a special campsite where a great location and laid-back vibe are paramount. Online booking was introduced last summer and, in a single search, you can view available pitches and glamping options on your chosen dates at nearly 200 Cool Camping recommended sites. Sawdays canopyandstars.co.uk is a great online resource for glamping options, all inspected by the Canopy & Stars team. You can search for availability across hundreds of UK options, and book online. Choices for late August include a safari tent in Cumbria, a Cornwall Hobbit house and a Dorset shepherds hut. Though pitchup.com has an unselective approach, it is a useful resource, featuring thousands of UK campsites and holiday parks. It shows availability and offers online booking for 850 of them, most with verified reviews. Search options range from on-site swimming pools to campfires allowed and naturists welcome. Pitchup.com is a good bet for finding a lodge, log cabin or static caravan to rent direct from the campsite or park. He's the Hollywood martial arts legend known for the nickname, 'The Muscles from Brussels'. And Jean-Claude Van Damme will return to Australia after almost two decades for upcoming speaking dates in Sydney and Melbourne. The 55-year-old action star will host an Evening With Jean-Claude Van Damme Unplugged and Unscripted next month. Scroll down for video Making a comeback: Martial arts legend Jean-Claude Van Damme (pictured) will return to Australia after almost two decades for upcoming speaking dates in Sydney and Melbourne, it has been announced It has been over 18 years since the Universal Soldier actor has paid a visit Down Under. He will be performing on 24th August at The Star in Sydney and on 28th August at the Melbourne Convention Centre. 'I love Australia and Australians,' he said in a statement. Its an amazing country and I cant wait to come back in August to meet my fans and make some new friends too. 'I made Street Fighter on the Gold Coast and look forward to making more movies there,' the Expendables 2 star added. According to a press release, the Belgian actor will 'reveal the untold stories of his incredible life, his movies, his career, the stars hes worked with, health and fitness and also take part in an open question and answer session with the audience.' Hollywood star: Jean-Claude recently confirmed on his Facebook page that he will be returning to the rebooted Kickboxer franchise. Pictured in the 1989 original film Meanwhile, Jean-Claude recently confirmed on his Facebook page that he will be returning to the Kickboxer franchise. He will be starring in Kickboxer: Retaliation, the sequel to the as-yet-unreleased remake Kickboxer: Vengeance. The series is a reboot of 1989 martial arts classic Kickboxer, one of Jean-Claude's early Hollywood efforts. Kickboxer: Vengeance is scheduled for a September release. They both starred in BBC One time travelling drama, Doctor Who, albeit not at the same time. And Billie Piper was showing her support to close pal Matt Smith at the press night of his new play, Unreachable. The pair put on an amicable display at London's Royal Court Theatre on Friday as they toasted Matt's stage success in the experimental production, created by Anthony Neilson. Scroll down for video Cheers to you! Billie Piper was supporting her close friend Matt Smith at the press night of his new play, Unreachable, on Friday Matt laced an arm around Billie's shoulders as the pair enjoyed a catch-up and a glass of wine. The 33-year-old actor was casually clad in a slogan T-shirt and edgy blazer, while Billie sported an equally trendy look. The recently single actress, also 33, showed off her flat stomach in a leopard print crop top, which she paired with baggy tweed trousers and vintage brogues. Celebriating in style: The pair put on an amicable display at London's Royal Court Theatre on Friday as they toasted Matt's stage success in the experimental production, created by Anthony Neilson Well done, mate! Matt laced an arm around Billie's shoulders as the pair enjoyed a catch-up and a glass of wine Bond for life: They both starred in BBC One time travelling drama, Doctor Who, albeit not at the same time Billie appeared to be having a great time, flashing a beaming smile as she celebrated the opening of Matt's new play. Unreachable is directed by Anthony Neilson and produced by Chloe Lamford, with costume design by Fly Davis, lighting design by Chahine Yavroyan and sound and composition by Nick Powell. The show, which will be the Royal Court Theatre from 2 July to 6 August, centres around an obsessive film director, and was created by the company while in the rehearsal room. Dapper chap: The 33-year-old actor was casually clad in a slogan T-shirt and edgy blazer, while Billie sported an equally trendy look Treading the boards: Matt was last seen gracing the London theatre scene in a musical adaption of American Psycho Top form: Billie was in great spirits as she posed alongside Lucy Prebble at the post-play bash Also joining Matt onstage are Amanda Drew, Jonjo ONeill, Richard Pyros and Tamara Lawrance. Matt is best known for playing the eleventh Doctor, preceding Peter Capaldi, between 2010 and 2013. Secret Diary Of A Call Girl's Billie starred as one of the primary companions of the ninth and tenth Doctors, playing Rose Tyler after the 2006 revival. New show: Genevieve Barr (Eva) and Tamara Lawrance (Natasha) join Matt in the production Strike a pose: Matt, who plays Maxim in the show, and Richard Pyros (Carl) posed at the party Eagerly-anticipated: The new show centres around an obsessive film director While Matt and Billie never starred in Doctor Who together, they certainly seem to share a lot of history. Matt and Billie previously shared a date in 2006, which was kept a secret until 2010 when pictures of the pair holding hands at a Surrey fete emerged. Pride And Prejudice And Zombies star Matt - whose exes include Daisy Lowe and Brazilian actress Mayana Moura - has now been in a relationship with Cinderella actress Lily James since 2014. Meanwhile Billie split from Laurence Fox earlier this year. The pair have two sons together. Innovative idea: Director Anthony Neilson went into the play without a finished script, enlisting the rest of the company to help him draft it while in the rehearsal room Animated: Matt was seen fending off unwanted attention from Jonjo O'Neill as Ivan (The Brute) Beaming: The former Doctor Who favourite was given a rousing reception from the crowd Jacki Weaver has graced her fair share of red carpets. And on Thursday, she oozed class at the premiere of her new sci-fi flick Equals at the Arclight theatre in Hollywood. The 69-year-old Australian actress wore a stylish white suit for the event and posed alongside her co-stars Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult on the red carpet. Scroll down for video Looking all white! Jacki Weaver was a picture of class at the premiere of her new sci-fi flick Equals at the Arclight theatre in Hollywood on Thursday Jacki wore tailored white trousers that loosely skimmed over her legs, teamed with a matching white blazer. She added a white top to her look which featured a sheer and lace panel across her chest and the same detailing at the hem of her sleeves. For makeup, opted for a plum lip with lashings of mascara with her blonde locks swept off her face into a sleek half updo look. The 69-year-old Australian actress wore a stylish white suit for the event paired with white top to her look which featured a sheer and lace panel across her chest and the same detailing at the hem of her sleeves Sparkle: For makeup she went with a sophisticated look pairing a plum lip with lashings of mascara and held on to a bedazzled clutch with a Martini glass motif on the front The veteran actress finished her look with black and white sandals that showed off her bright red pedicure adding a pop of colour to her ensemble. She accessorised with a pair of drop earrings and held on tight to a playful bedazzled clutch with a Martini glass on the outside. Meanwhile, her co-star Krtisen donned a revealing black lace dress with sheer cut-out panels that left little to the imagination. Fabulous group: The Australian actress cosied up beside her co-stars Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult and the films director Drake Doremus on the red carpet Fellow co-star Nicholas looked dapper in a three-piece shiny blue-grey fitted suit with silver striped necktie, crisp white buttoned-up shirt and black dress shoes. The trio cosied up with the films director, Drake Doremus, who donned a playful chequered suit for the red carpet. Jacki, who made her big break in Hollywood at the age of 63 in the film Animal Kingdom, believes the industry is welcoming of 'plain' and 'fat girls', as well as older women. The two-time Academy Award nominated actress told The Daily Telegraph that older women are in demand in Tinsletown and '60 is the new 40.' Hot property: Jacki had her first big break in Hollywood at age 63 and believes that older women are so in demand that in Tinsletown '60 is the new 40' 'There are lots of great roles for women my age,' she said. She also told the publication she had never come across sexism in the industry, nor did it affect her personally when it came to securing new acting gig. 'I have never come across any of that,' the Academy Award nominated actress noted. 'Remember, I am in my late-60s and under 5ft, so maybe those sorts of things don't apply to someone like me. Perhaps it happens to younger actors,' she concluded. Equals - by director Drake Doremus - is scheduled for a limited release on July 15. She's quickly become a fashion icon. And Sofia Vergara showed why on Friday when she attended the launch of her new perfume, called Tempting, at Beautycon in Los Angeles. The 43-year-old Modern Family star showed off her famous curves in a black body-con dress which featured a subtle pattern on the front, and fell to just above her knees. Scroll down for video Beauty in black: Sofia Vergara showed off her style on Friday when she attended the launch of her new perfume, called Tempting, at Beautycon in Los Angeles A swoop neck provided just a hint of cleavage, while spaghetti straps ensured the actress's toned shoulders and arms were on full display. Black peep toe platform heels, an elaborate beaded bracelet and some small pendant earrings rounded out the flattering ensemble. The siren's dark blonde locks, which were parted in the center, boasted a slight wave, and cascaded past her bust. Of course her make-up was perfectly applied, and consisted of some deep crimson lipstick, light blush and eye-liner. Eye-catching: The 43-year-old Modern Family star showed off her famous curves in a black bodycon dress which featured a subtle pattern on the front, and fell to just above her knees All smiles: The siren's dark blonde locks, which were parted in the center, boasted a slight wave, and cascaded past her bust After the red carpet, the Colombian stunner started making the rounds and interacting with guests of the festival. She spritzed several groups with clouds of her new fragrance, and went on to act out the namesake of her new brand, tempting guests with small, tasty treats. Her first Instagram post from the event revealed that she also took the time to take photos with fans. Who wants some? She spritzed several groups with clouds of her new fragrance Sugary sweet: She went on to act out the namesake of her new brand, tempting guests with small, tasty treats Cool gal: Her first Instagram post from the event revealed that she also took the time to take photos with fans Sheer style: Basketball Wives star Draya Michele also attended Sofia's perfume launch, in a mesh shirt over a black bra Next, she got a bit cheeky with a coconut cake, almost burying her nose in the pastry, which was apparently at Modern Family co-star Eric Stonestreet's house. The caption alluded to both her perfume and her upcoming birthday. '@ericstonestreet stop #tempting me with this happy bday cake. Its not till sunday #icantwait.' Reese Witherspoon pampered herself at a Culver City spa on Friday with a new brace on her right hand. The 40-year-old Oscar winner unveiled her sore bandaged paw on Snapchat, but did not reveal how the injury happened. The Hot Pursuit funnywoman was dressed in white shorts and a navy 'Rollins Ruffle' top, which retails for $215 on her lifestyle label Draper James. Scroll down for video On the mend! Reese Witherspoon pampered herself at a Culver City spa on Friday with a new brace on her right hand 'Ouch! I hurt my hand': The 40-year-old Oscar winner unveiled her sore bandaged paw on Snapchat, but did not reveal how the injury happened Representing: The Hot Pursuit funnywoman was dressed in white shorts and a navy 'Rollins Ruffle' top, which retails for $215 on her lifestyle label Draper James Witherspoon - who relies on stylist Leslie Fremar - finished her summery look with platform wedges and her brand's $185 'Denim Vanderbilt' tote. 'Pretty upset about my hand so I am going to my happy place,' the Nashville-born blonde - who boasts 11.3M followers - said on Snapchat. Reese - born Laura - also hit up her 'other happy place' aka the closest Barnes & Noble bookstore. 'So many new bedtime stories,' she captioned her book-browsing Snapchat. 'So many choices!' Boosting her 5ft1in frame: Witherspoon - who relies on stylist Leslie Fremar - finished her summery look with platform wedges and her brand's $185 'Denim Vanderbilt' tote The Nashville-born blonde - who boasts 11.3M followers - said on Snapchat: 'Pretty upset about my hand so I am going to my happy place' Weee! Reese - born Laura - also hit up her 'other happy place' aka the closest Barnes & Noble bookstore The Southern belle captioned her book- browsing Snapchat: 'So many new bedtime stories! So many choices!' With so much tragedy in the world, I always wonder how to talk to my kids about it. Thought this was helpful.. xo https://t.co/H8Ti1xVfqg Reese Witherspoon (@RWitherspoon) July 8, 2016 Missing from the Golden Globe winner's outing was her second husband Jim Toth and three-year-old son Tennessee. During their Bahaman family getaway, Witherspoon posed for a cute mother-daughter snap with her 16-year-old mini-me, Ava. The Inherent Vice stunner co-parents Ava and 12-year-old son Deacon with her first husband Ryan Phillippe, whom she divorced in 2007 after an eight-year marriage. The 41-year-old SAG Award winner will next play marksman Bob Lee Swagger in producer Mark Wahlberg's conspiracy thriller series Shooter, which premieres July 19 on the USA Network. Youngest child: Missing from the Golden Globe winner's outing was her second husband Jim Toth and three-year-old son Tennessee Twinning: During their Bahaman family getaway, Witherspoon posed for a cute mother-daughter snap with her 16-year-old mini-me, Ava this has to stop. love each other, please. #blacklivesmatter A photo posted by Ava Phillippe (@avaphillippe) on Jul 7, 2016 at 1:43pm PDT 'Off we go!' The Inherent Vice stunner co-parents Ava and 12-year-old son Deacon with her first husband Ryan Phillippe, whom she divorced in 2007 after an eight-year marriage Meanwhile, Reese will next voice a pig mother-of-25 called Rosita in the animated musical Sing about an animal singing competition. The Universal Studios comedy - also starring McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, and Jennifer Saunders - hits US theaters December 21 and UK theaters January 27, 2017. Last month, the Southern belle wrapped the seven-episode first season of HBO's Big Little Lies alongside castmates Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley. Witherspoon produced and starred as Madeline Martha Mackenzie in the 2017 mother-centered series based on Liane Moriarty's 2014 novel. i don't remember feeling like this so often growing up. sad my kids, our kids, have to. rp (@RyanPhillippe) July 8, 2016 Based on the 2007 film: The 41-year-old SAG Award winner will next play marksman Bob Lee Swagger in producer Mark Wahlberg's conspiracy thriller series Shooter, which premieres July 19 on the USA Network They first starred together in 2005's Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, before reuniting for the sequel in 2008. But it seems Blake Lively, America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, and Amber Tamblyn didn't just play best friends on screen - they are close pals in real life. Blake and the 32-year-old Ugly Betty star posted some Instagram snapshots on Friday with their former co-stars. Scroll down for video BFFs in real life: Blake Lively also shared a sweet snap as the former Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants costars caught up on Friday Blake, 28, wrapped her arms around Alexis while America stuck out her tongue in the photo, which Blake captioned with the hashtag '#sisterhusbands,' America captioned her selfies '#holdtighttotheonesyoulove.' The actresses cosied up to one another as Blake, 28, held her arm around Alexis, 34, and Amber, 33. 'Blake's finger in my nose': The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars got playful in the humourous snapshot America shared on Instagram Friday America's photo collage included one heartwarming image of the gal pals and one humourous pic as blonde beauty Blake got playful with her friend. '#Blakesfingerinmynose #ambersfingerinmymouth,' she added in the caption as her longtime friends goofed around with the pretty brunette. Amber reposted the same photograph and wrote: 'Needed my girls today. The world is a crazy place. Hold onto the ones you love. And pick their nose.' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants centers around four teenage girls who shared a pair of jeans, which happened to fit everyone in the group. All four actresses also starred in the sequel in 2008 and continued to document the girls, their journeys, and their love lives before handing up their magical blue jeans. 'A glutton. For this woman': America captioned a sweet snapshot kissing Amber's cheek as they spent Thursday evening together in New York City to see folk opera Hadestown The day before their reunion, America and Amber spent an evening together in New York City to see folk opera Hadestown. 'A glutton. For this woman and for #nyctheater #Hadestown #sistersbecultured,' America captioned a sweet snapshot kissing Amber's cheek. The ladies were clearly elated to spend time together as each has had a hectic schedule lately. Blake recently announced in April that she's pregnant with her second child, with husband Ryan Reynolds, 39. Girls' unite: Last month Blake shared a photo of her film cast mates in honour of the #LeanInTogether campaign America and her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the Emmy winner will be back as Amy in the second season of sitcom Superstore, which premieres September 22 on NBC and which she also produces. And Alexis is set to star in the upcoming Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which is set to land later this year. The actress - who starred as Rory in the original hit which wrapped in 2007 - will return to Stars Hallow in the highly-anticipated series return. Celebrity First Dates found Richard Blackwood arriving for his dinner with an exotic mystery woman wearing a black leather jacket, diamond earring, and basically dressed as Vincent the smooth-talking bad boy ladies man, his character from EastEnders. Oh this guys got an attitude! cheered Fred Sirieix, the French maitre d at Londons Paternoster Chop House. He did too talking about how the reason he was single was I dont settle, how as a stand-up comedian in the 90s the girls went mad when he walked on in a blazer with shoulder pads, and how the only way to follow a show as successful as EastEnders can only be Hollywood. Scroll down for video Faux pas: Richard Blackwood snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when he made the classic blunder of getting his gorgeous dates name wrong on Celebrity First Dates Sadly, he ended up giving a consummate lesson in what NOT to say on a date putting even his famous co-stars disasters on the night in the shade. Esther Rantzens dinner had gone so swimmingly she flirtatiously asked her charming Irish suitor John afterwards: how is your life in Dublin fixed for the occasional weekend I might be able to flit over? Unfortunately it prompted him to make the backhanded, blundering, compliment: If I may say so, I think for a lady of your advancing years you make splendid company. Straight from the screen: Richard arrived for his dinner with Diana basically dressed as Vincent, his character from EastEnders Did you say advancing years?! the former Thats Life star gasped disbelievingly regally. I think you must have misheard me dear, John retreated desperately. Did you say dear ? Esther pursued mercilessly. He said dear and advancing years in the same sentence! Be afraid be very afraid...John had just found out the wrath of Esther Rantzen was still not to be taken lightly. As for poor Jess Wright from TOWIE she found her hunky personal trainer to the stars Tom confessing to a secret obsession for...canal systems. Talk about a passion-killer. Richard Blackwoods fatal faux pas made even the prospect of a Personal Trainer who was into canals seem desirable. Blackwood had started the evening spelling out the damaging effect that fame could have on a mans chances of True Romance. Confident: When it came to his self-assessment of his love life, he certainly had Vincents bravado EastEnders on a bad night gets seven million viewers, he reiterated, although to be honest EastEnders on any night is a bad night. Once you do EastEnders the next big thing after that can only be Hollywood. In fact the likes of Michael Greco had proved this wasnt true. What usually followed EastEnders was doing panto. When it came to his self-assessment of his love life, he certainly had Vincents bravado. The reason why Im single - and it sounds really cheesy to say this - is I dont settle. There are people sitting there with their partners that do not even like each other! But theyre comfortable. Not Richard Blackwood. He was looking for a woman that looked exotic. Could she be Brazilian, you know? I know you guys can deliver, so Im putting it out there! Channel 4 did deliver too in the shape of Diana, aged 36, a striking independent PR, a Personal Trainer, and a woman to meet his match judging by the way she was also sporting a mean leather jacket. Ouch! Diana turned down the prospect of a follow up, telling him bluntly, smiling I didnt fancy you. I didnt feel like I liked you in that way What Im looking for, began Diana, is tall, really comfortable with themselves, open minded, ambitious. I cant bear boring people. Cheeky. Funny. They have to have decent shoes as well, and hot! In short, she was looking for Vincent in EastEnders. Richards luck was in. When Diana ordered a Prosecco it was hard to distinguish the two when he quipped see, now I want to drink a cocktail. Im not really a drinker but I dont mind sweet cocktails. Pina Colada?! mocked Diana understandably. Is that what youre going to go for? No ! Did you see the look? Richard roared to the waiter, making them laugh by effortlessly acting the fool. He had Diana in the palm of his hand not to mention the waiter. Ill have a Strawberry Daiquiri. Im going to stand my ground. But can I not have it in that big glass? Cos Im going to get destroyed! Little did he know how true these words would later prove to be only not about his choice of cocktail. All together now: The Channel 4 show's familiar faces were at hand to wait upon the celebrities hand and foot First, he gave a consummate lesson in how famous people feign reluctance regarding talking about their celebrity. Im an actor first, he told Diana when she asked what he did impressively having no idea, before correcting himself and adding: actually Im a stand up first. Although he had been a comedian for 23 years, this was debatable to say the least if not downright disingenuous. Its never been hard for me to date somebody, he reflected modestly. But its hard for me to find The One. With age you want stability. When I was a stand-up I used to come out in the blazer with the shoulder pads, like Kid Creole ! And girls went mad ! I would see a girl in the audience and think Im going to try and talk to her afterwards. In the 90s that was my thing. I think I met my sons mother than way haha! Classically he had avoided mentioning he was in EastEnders waiting for someone (the waitress) to come up and ask him about it, like waiting for someone to ask for an autograph and then casually explaining why. Whats the show shes talking about? Diana his date unwittingly prompted. Fan favourite: French charmer Fred was back on maitre d' duties for the celebrity special EastEnders, he said. Why is she asking you about that? Cos Im in EastEnders, he murmured casually. Are you? I did ask you what you did. You didnt say that, Diana remarked pertinently. This allowed him to pour forth on his theories about fame. I am a true believer that money and success bring out the natural beast in you, he posited. Because money and success gives you freedom... And what you choose to do with that freedom is a big signifier of who you are, concluded Diana, ahead of him. In Richards case this was, unfortunately, bankruptcy. Its been a rollercoaster. When I lost it all it was THE worst time in my life, he allowed graciously. The good thing about that moment when you are on the floor is the only way you can look is up. When I wasnt successful, women didnt see anything to be attracted to. They were like: yeah you might have the looks but Ive got more money than you right now ! Even then on the plus side he knew he had the looks. I havent asked you why youre single? he realised. Or your full name. Diana Booty, she said, practically causing him to choke on his Strawberry Daiquiri. B-o-o-t-i-e? he checked, not quite believing his luck. B-o-o-t-y, she corrected. Awkward: The Irish lawyer who had charmed Esther all night made a faux pas even more fatal with a back-handed compliment about her age. Big mistake Wow! he gulped. Daniella Booty! Admittedly Daniella Booty DID sound like a name dreamt up by Martin Amis in his heyday of London Fields and Money rather than Lionel Asbo. Unfortunately (for Richard) it was not her name. Did you just call me Daniella?! Diana snapped. Diana ! Sorry ! Richard retreated, trying to laugh it off by joking Cheque ! But he compounded matters by remarking: Diana Booty is not a bad name. Who said its a bad name? Diana bridled, not surprisingly given that it was in fact one hell of a name. As they left, Richard stopped off to say hi ! to Esther Rantzen saying we met once and giving her a showbiz mwah-mwah kiss presumably in the hope that it might impress Diana enough to make her forget he had called her Daniella. He then told Esther to stay blessed, high-fived Diana, told the cabdriver taking Diana away look after her, and generally acted as if everything was all fine and he hadnt just blown his chances with a beautiful woman by insulting her. She had turned down the prospect of going on another date, telling him bluntly, smiling I didnt fancy you. I didnt feel like I liked you in that way. Gulp. Harsh. He took it well or pretended to. At first he was, unusually, speechless. Eventually, he gave his verdict on her enthusing: Diana is more than girlfriend material. She is wife material ! He then attempted to put a positive spin on things by suggesting: shes actually too good. Shes a 10. I like girls that are an 8. You keep telling yourself that Richard, you thought. Poor guy. Deep down he must have known Vincent would never have made a mistake like that. Richie will no doubt have a difficult time picking his leading lady from the bevvy of beauties set to appear on The Bachelor this year. The latest glamazon to join the fray is 26-year-old hairdresser Faith Williams, a former promotions girl who believes she is 'good wife material'. Faith, who works as a senior hairstylist at Brisbane's Oscar Oscar salon, grew up near Townsville, where she worked at a local hair salon, before moving to Brisbane a few years ago. Scroll down for video Will she win him over? The latest glamazon to join the fray is 26-year-old hairdresser Faith Williams, a former promotions girl who believes she is 'good wife material' In an interview published by The Daily Telegraph, spoke about why she signed up for the wildly popular Channel 10 reality show, saying: 'My sister just kept hounding me to apply for it, because 'If it is Richie you need to go on there!'' Of her chances with Perth oil rig worker Richie, she said: 'I'd like to think I'm good wife material! I'm down to earth and have great family morals. Richie and I are very similar'. Faith will be up against 21 beauties all vying for the Western Australian native's heart in the popular Channel 10 reality series. Wifey alert! Of her chances with Perth oil rig worker Richie, she said: 'I'd like to think I'm good wife material! I'm down to earth and have great family morals. Richie and I are very similar' It seems that this season will boast some of the most colourful contestants yet; with the likes of a massage therapist, children's entertainer and a former athlete entering the fray. Richie was one of the hopefuls vying for Sam Frost during the first season of The Bachelorette last year, and the pair got quite cosy on several of their dates. Australia fell in love with the sweet guy from Western Australia, who was sent home after making it to the final three in an emotional rose ceremony. Man of the moment! Australia fell in love with the sweet guy from Western Australia, who was sent home on the last season of The Bachelorette last year after making it to the final three in an emotional rose ceremony Putting on a busty display! Faith (far left) is pictured in promotional images for the show wearing a very low-cut blue sequin gown Back for a second innings: Richie broke the news of his selection as the new star of The Bachelor in March and admitting he was stunned when Network Ten offered him the opportunity following his appearance on the sister show Meanwhile, the tables have turned and Osher explained that there have been some 'heavy' rose ceremonies in the forthcoming season. The Bachelor's host Osher Gunsberg told OK!: 'Richie is the type of man that won't be happy unless everybody in the room is smiling, so for him to be the reason why someone in the room is crying has been tough.' Richie broke the news of his selection as the new star of The Bachelor in March and admitting he was stunned when Network Ten offered him the opportunity following his appearance on the sister show. Meet the ladies! The list of 22 women vying for the attention of Richie Strahan on the upcoming fourth season of The Bachelor Australia has been unveiled She's been enjoying the summer sun with friends in Los Angeles while her native Australia freezes. And Ashley Hart again took the opportunity to bare some skin in a very short pair of studded denim shorts and matching printed singlet on yet another cloudless day. The 27-year-old model casually gripped the tiny black cut-offs that were almost completely covered in metal studs, as she flashed her toned thighs below them. Scroll down for video Sunkissed: Ashley Hart again took the opportunity to bare some skin in a very short pair of studded denim shorts and matching printed singlet on yet another cloudless day The shoulderless top showed off her well-defined arm and shoulder muscles toned by frequent workouts, while her bronzed complexion indicated she had been taking full advantage of the weather. The blonde beauty rocked flowing beach-style hair with her golden locks flowing past her slender neck as she stared seductively into the camera. She kept the accessories light with just a silver metallic watch and a few gold bangles on her right wrist. Sun with friends: Ashley Hart and Renee Bargh reunited at home in Los Angeles after Ashley made a quick visit home to Sydney to visit her family - they met up with their friends, personal trainer Aimee Fischer-Gray (2nd from left), photographer Hareth Tayem (centre), and cheerleader Courtney Watts (right) Last week Ashley met up with Australian TV presenter Renee Bargh and other friends for a day out at Venice Beach in the lead-up to the Fourth of July. Renee put on a busty display as she sat on the beach in a Mikoh bikini printed with a palm leaf pattern, and a white long-sleeved shirt thrown on over the top. A little beach obsessed, she wrote to her 71,000 Instagram followers. The TV presenter showed off her enviably slim physique with her taunt midriff visible between the unbuttoned tops edges and crossed her toned legs on a circular palm patterned beach towel. Beach obsessed: Renee put on a busty display as she sat on the beach in a Mikoh bikini printed with a palm leaf pattern, and a white long-sleeved shirt thrown on over the top Working on her tan: You could be forgiven for thinking Ashley Hart had gone topless as the bikini had no shoulder straps, showing off just her slender shoulders and arms The Emmy winner posed with her head turned slightly away from the camera sporting a pair of designer sunglasses with her beach hair hanging messily past her slender left shoulder. Ashley also took a snap of herself lounging on the beach in a bikini, though her ample assets were not visible in the close up shot taken to advertise a sunscreen brand. You could be forgiven for thinking the Australian model had gone topless as the bikini had no shoulder straps, showing off just her slender shoulders and arms. 'Sunbathing made safe. Flawless if I don't say so myself,' she wrote on Instagram. The 27-year-old closed her eyes to the Californian sun and let her golden locks spill over her collarbones. Later the blonde beauties met up with their friends, personal trainer Aimee Fischer-Gray, photographer Hareth Tayem, and cheerleader Courtney Watts. They all assembled for several photos against a wall near the beach bearing a dart board they made good use of by flirtatiously posing with the darts in one shot. Hugging her frame: She also showed off her ample assets in a tight grey singlet that hugged her torso and slapped a brown felt hat with a feather over her blonde tresses and playfully kissed Hareth on the cheek Bullseye! Ashley displayed her trim pins in short shorts while flaunting her pert derriere in one photo where she turned around to face the wall Ashley and Aimee displayed their trim pins in short shorts with the Melbourne-born model flaunting her pert derriere in one photo where she turned around to face the wall. She also showed off her ample assets in a tight grey singlet that hugged her torso and slapped a brown felt hat with a feather over her blonde tresses. In another photo she playfully kissed Hareth on the cheek. Renee slipped into a plunging white midi dress that showcased her svelte frame and barely concealed her enviable cleavage. No caption necessary! It's pretty obvious we r having a good time! Aimee wrote next to one of the photos on her Instagram. Advertisement The Melbourne house where iconic Australian movie The Castle was filmed may be saved from demolition by being declared 'socially significant.' The National Trust of Australia wants to keep the white weatherboard house at 3 Dagonet St, Strathmore standing by getting it heritage protection. However, its owner Vicki Cosentino has vowed to fight any attempt to heritage list the property, next to Essendon Airport, as she planned to bulldoze it to make way for a pair of townhouses. 'It's the vibe of the thing': The Melbourne house where iconic Australian movie The Castle was filmed may be saved from demolition by being declared 'socially significant' If it becomes heritage listed, I could lose a lot of money. Id have to fight it, she told the Herald Sun. She said a string of bad tennants and the damage caused by shooting the 1997 film, which left holes in the wall and ceiling, had cost her $80,000 over the years, and the home was 'going downhill'. The landlady said that even though pulling it down would 'break her heart', the only way to save the house would be for someone to buy it and remove it from the block. Ill take bids from $5000 if someone wants to buy my house and take it away,' she said. A clan of battlers! Australians fell in love with The Castle's quirky Kerrigan family, who lived togethere in a makeshift house they built themselves Film history! The house hardly seems to have changed since it first appeared on screens in 1997 The local council confirmed to the newspaper that a planning application had been lodged in May for two townhouses, which would require the house to be demolished. Felicity Watson, senior community advocate at The National Trust's Victorian branch, said the house was 'iconic for its very ordinariness' and could be argued to have 'social significance'. 'Classic phrases like "straight to the pool room" reflect how (the film) has become a part of the national lexicon,' she said. Iconic building: According to listing agent Brad Teal Real Estate , the three-bedroom suburban abode features three bedrooms, a lounge room with a gas heater, a central bathroom and large kitchen area 'It would be great to see it kept, but in many ways it has already been immortalised as a symbol of Australian suburbia.' The 'social significance for pop culture associations' has been used to save other properties Hanging Rock and the set of 1986 film Dogs in Space in Richmond. However, they also had historical or architectural value unlike the comparatively new The Castle setting. Dinner time: The classic Australian movie starred Michael Caton as the head of the family The house was last week listed for rent for the first time in six years - and possibly the last - for just $380 a week. The famed Kerrigan family is not up for rent, but tenants will have the opportunity to kick back and watch the airplanes jet in and out of the airport next door. According to listing agent Brad Teal Real Estate, the three-bedroom suburban abode features three bedrooms, a lounge room with a gas heater, a central bathroom and large kitchen area. Meanwhile, the house also boasts a spacious sun-room; an area that was once converted into Aussie battler Darryl Kerrigan's famous 'pool room' while The Castle was being filmed. How's the serenity? Meanwhile, the house also boasts a spacious sun-room; an area that was once converted into Aussie battler Darryl Kerrigan's famous 'pool room' while The Castle was being filmed Back on the market again: It's not the first time the house has landed on the market- it was offered for rent for just $300 a week in 2010, and was previously sold for $94,000 in 1993 There is also off-street parking and a Westfield shopping centre nearby. It's not the first time the house has landed on the market - it was offered for rent for just $300 a week in 2010, and was previously sold for $94,000 in 1993. While some fans of The Castle may jump at the chance to live inside a piece of film history, one previous tenant has said she didn't realise that it was part of a film set until after she signed the lease. Bing Qian, who lived in the house from 2006, revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald that she had no idea about the building's history until her friend called her up and told her after watching The Castle on television. 'I've had people knocking on the door, saying 'Can I speak to Darryl, please',' Bing said in 2010. Many celebrities would cringe at the thought of sharing images of themselves as an awkward teenager. But actress Naomi Watts, 47, gladly uploaded a photo of herself as a teenager sporting a rather unfortunate bowl cut hairdo on Saturday. A stony-faced Naomi is seen posing in front of a backdrop with her mother and brother. Scroll down for video 'Australia said yes, despite the #haircut': Naomi Watts, 47, gladly uploaded a photo of herself as a teenager sporting a rather unfortunate bowl cut hairdo on Saturday '#fbf to visa application day. Australia said yes, despite the #haircut fiasco going on here. #bowlhaircut #80s #mugshot', quipped Naomi in the caption. UK-born Naomi moved to Sydney at age 14 where she attended Mosman High before transferring to one of the city's top selective institutions, Sydney Girls High School. Naomi has a penchant for sharing throw-back snaps, having uploaded yet another retro photo three weeks ago on Instagram. Moving Down Under: UK-born Naomi moved to Sydney at age 14 where she attended Mosman High before transferring to one of the city's top selective institutions, Sydney Girls High School Taking to Instagram, the 47-year-old shared a flashback snap of herself from 2001 looking as fresh-faced and youthful as she does today. In the image, which was taken in 2001, Naomi is seen smiling as she poses for the snap holding onto an adorable fluffy puppy who she calls Bob. 'Throwing back to circa 2001 with baby Bob,' the Australian actress captioned the picture. Queen of the throwback! Naomi has a penchant for sharing throw-back snaps, having uploaded yet another retro photo three weeks ago on Instagram 'He's still going strong after two surgeries, a metal hip and a donkey bite!#dodogshaveninelives #throwbackthursday #tbt.' With her blonde tresses pulled back, Naomi is completely makeup free in the throwback snap, showing how her face has hardly aged. Naomi has previously spoken about her feelings towards plastic surgery and has said while she is yet to have any work done, she will 'never say never' when it comes to getting Botox. 'Sometimes, I think I need the help': Naomi has previously spoken about her feelings towards plastic surgery and has said while she is yet to have any work done, she will 'never say never' when it comes to getting Botox 'Personally I feel, for me, it's tough to do but it's also tough not to!' she told New Beauty in March this year. 'Sometimes, I think I need the help. Whatever anyone else chooses is fine with me, no judgment. 'Of course, I want to look the best I can, but I am playing characters that should match my age and the women and the material that I am interested in are usually going through something,' Naomi added. Honest: 'I have to be able to live in my face and tell the story of the character I've taken on. ButI'll never say never,' she concluded when talking about getting Botox 'I have to be able to live in my face and tell the story of the character I've taken on. ButI'll never say never,' she concluded. Naomi has two sons Sasha, eight, and seven-year-old Samuel Kai, with actor Liev Schreiber. Liev and Naomi have been together for 11 years and are based in New York City. The lovebirds have worked on three films together: The Painted Veil in 2006 as well as Movie 43 and The Bleeder in 2012. Happy family: Naomi has two sons Sasha, eight, and seven-year-old Samuel Kai, with actor Liev Schreiber, who she has been with for 11 years She's the PR Queen who hasn't let her personal life struggles interfere with her work. And it was business as usual on Saturday for Roxy Jacenko who proudly attended the grand opening of her client's Mister Fitz ice cream and Donut Time store in Brisbane. The 36-year-old beamed with delight as she posed outside the candy pink coloured building throwing her arms in the air with joy. Scroll down for video Sweet treat: It was business as usual on Saturday for Roxy Jacenko who proudly attended the grand opening of her client's Mister Fitz ice cream and Donut Time store in Brisbane Roxy went with a simple and stylish outfit for the grand opening of the store, donning a navy coloured long sleeve knit layered over a white T-shirt. She added to her look with cropped jeans paired with navy sneakers and wrapped a brightly printed scarf around her neck. For the final touch, she donned a pair of black aviator style Ray Ban sunglasses and wore her golden blonde locks loosely curled around her shoulders. Getting into the spirit of things: The 36-year-old beamed with delight as she chatted with two promotional models dressed in costume on roller skates for the opening Keeping it casual: The PR guru went with a simple and stylish outfit for the grand opening of the store, donning a dark navy coloured long sleeve knit layered over a white T-shirt Sampling the products: Roxy herself couldn't resist sampling the goods and appeared to be one of the first people in store before she strolled away from the counter with three ice cream cups in hand The PR maven giggled as she enjoyed a lively chat with promotional girls who were dressed like old school roller girls for the grand opening. They wheeled around the store on white roller skates with pink aprons tied around their waist that matched their pink bow ties worn with blue collared shirts. Roxy herself couldn't resist sampling the goods and appeared to be one of the first people in store as she strolled away from the counter with three ice cream cups in hand. Successful morning: It was a lively crowd at the store opening with plenty of people lining up to get their hands on a donut or signature ice cream sandwich from either of the stores which brought a smile to her face Another snack? Roxy strolled around the outside of the store chatting with the crowd and holding on tight to an ice cream sandwich covered with an assortment of sprinkles It was a lively crowd at the store opening with plenty of people lining up to get their hands on a donut or signature ice cream sandwich from either of the stores. Roxy strolled around the outside of the store chatting with the crowd and holding on tight to an ice cream sandwich covered with an assortment of sprinkles. Holding it up proudly she snapped a picture of the tasty treat which she later uploaded to social media. Getting the right angles: She proudly held up an ice cream sandwich and snapped a picture of the tasty treat which she later uploaded to social media Smiling through it: Roxy appeared to be in high spirits for the store's grand opening and proudly posed for pictures with the promotional girls Before jetting to Brisbane on Friday the PR guru visited her husband Oliver Curtis in prison, in what is believed to be her first trip to Parklea Correctional Centre since he was sentenced two weeks ago According to The Daily Telegraph, she sported casual attire as she visited Oliver, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit insider trading last month. The mother-of-two appeared to be alone, choosing not to bring the couple's four-year-old daughter Pixie and two-year-old son Hunter. Putting on a brave face: Roxy's trip to Brisbane for work comes after she visited visited her husband Oliver Curtis in prison, in what is believed to be her first trip to Parklea Correctional Centre since he was sentenced The businesswoman has been putting on a brave front, especially for the sake of her young children, since her husband was sentenced to two years behind bars several weeks ago. Roxy's husband Oliver was jailed for two years after a lengthy trial in Sydney where he was found guilty of conspiring to commit insider trading in 2007 and 2008. She has been sharing various snaps of herself and her children since her husband was sent to prison, showing they're still a strong family. Working through it: The businesswoman has been putting on a brave front, especially for the sake of her young children, since her husband was sentenced to two years behind bars several weeks ago She's been enjoying the summer sun in Los Angeles under almost daily cloudless skies. But on Friday Renee Bargh chose the beautiful night sky as the backdrop for her latest glamourous Instagram snap as she strode across a beach in an elegant maxi dress. The Australian TV presenter flaunted her slender frame in the floral-patterned red, white and lilac number that plunged almost to her waist to show off her busty cleavage. Scroll down for video Flawless: Renee Bargh chose the beautiful night sky as the backdrop for her latest glamourous Instagram snap as she strode across a beach in an elegant maxi dress The 29-year-old put on a very leggy display as the sides of the dress' tail fanned out on either side of the front split as she wafted across the perfect white sand. '#TGIF feet in the sand, salt in my hair = pure happiness,' she wrote on her Instagram. The night sky behind her appeared a deep blue, possibly with the aid of filters, as she trailed her petite feet across the sand to cut divots into the flat landscape. The Emmy winner has mostly appeared in daytime beach photos as she enjoys the Californian summer, most recently last week when she lounged on the sand in a bikini. Beach obsessed: Renee put on a busty display last week as she sat on the beach in a Mikoh bikini printed with a palm leaf pattern, and a white long-sleeved shirt thrown on over the top Renee put on a busty display as she sat on the beach in a Mikoh bikini printed with a palm leaf pattern, and a white long-sleeved shirt thrown on over the top. A little beach obsessed, she wrote to her 71,000 Instagram followers. The TV presenter showed off her enviably slim physique with her taunt midriff visible between the unbuttoned tops edges and crossed her toned legs on a circular palm patterned beach towel. Sun with friends: Ashley Hart and Renee reunited at home in Los Angeles after Ashley made a quick visit home to Sydney to visit her family - they met up with their friends, personal trainer Aimee Fischer-Gray (2nd from left), photographer Hareth Tayem (centre), and cheerleader Courtney Watts (right) Working on her tan: You could be forgiven for thinking Ashley Hart had gone topless as the bikini had no shoulder straps, showing off just her slender shoulders and arms The Emmy winner posed with her head turned slightly away from the camera sporting a pair of designer sunglasses with her beach hair hanging messily past her slender left shoulder. Her friend Ashley Hart also took a snap of herself lounging on the beach in a bikini, though her ample assets were not visible in the close up shot taken to advertise a sunscreen brand. You could be forgiven for thinking the Australian model had gone topless as the bikini had no shoulder straps, showing off just her slender shoulders and arms. 'Sunbathing made safe. Flawless if I don't say so myself,' she wrote on Instagram. The 27-year-old closed her eyes to the Californian sun and let her golden locks spill over her collarbones. Later the blonde beauties met up with their friends, personal trainer Aimee Fischer-Gray, photographer Hareth Tayem, and cheerleader Courtney Watts. They all assembled for several photos against a wall near the beach bearing a dart board they made good use of by flirtatiously posing with the darts in one shot. Hugging her frame: She also showed off her ample assets in a tight grey singlet that hugged her torso and slapped a brown felt hat with a feather over her blonde tresses and playfully kissed Hareth on the cheek Bullseye! Ashley displayed her trim pins in short shorts while flaunting her pert derriere in one photo where she turned around to face the wall Ashley and Aimee displayed their trim pins in short shorts with the Melbourne-born model flaunting her pert derriere in one photo where she turned around to face the wall. She also showed off her ample assets in a tight grey singlet that hugged her torso and slapped a brown felt hat with a feather over her blonde tresses. In another photo she playfully kissed Hareth on the cheek. Renee slipped into a plunging white midi dress that showcased her svelte frame and barely concealed her enviable cleavage. No caption necessary! It's pretty obvious we r having a good time! Aimee wrote next to one of the photos on her Instagram. He played a young black man campaigning for Senator Robert Kennedy in 1968 in the 2006 film Bobby. And on Friday, for the second night running, Nick Cannon marched with Black Lives Matter protesters, this time in Chicago, as he continued to speak out about the shooting deaths of African-American men by white police officers in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis this past week. And Kerry Washington, who recently starred as Anita Hill in HBO's based on a true story Confirmation, shared a heartfelt statement on her Instagram. 'There are no words that can encapsulate the pain of our bleeding hearts,' she wrote. On the street: Nick Cannon, 35, shared this image of himself at a Black Lives Matter rally in Chicago on Friday as he continued to protest the shooting deaths this past week of African-American men by police officers 'Praying for healing: Scandal star Kerry Washington posted a statement on her Instagram in which she spoke about the pain gripping the African-American community across the U.S. and called for an end to violence The two high-profile African-American stars were joined Friday by Michael B. Jordan who also issued a thought-provoking post. The actor played 22-year-old Bay area resident Oscar Grant who was shot dead by law enforcement officers on New Year's Day in 2009 and whose story was told in the 2013 film Fruitvale Station. 'Black people are being disproportionately dehumanized and murdered, this must stop!' he wrote on Instagram. Pain: Michael B. Jordan, who played victim of police violence Oscar Grant in 2013's Fruitvale Station, shared his reflection on the events of the past week on Instagram, saying he was still struggling to find the words 'It could easily have been me': The actor, 29, who starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in last year's Creed, said the killings had hit 'close to home,' and said his mission is to channel his anger into actively finding solutions Jordan said he cared about the lives of his black brothers and sisters and 'my blue ones too.' Nevertheless, the killings of black men by cops 'hits close to home,' he added. 'It could easily have been myself, my little brother, my dad, one of my friends, or any of us,' the actor, 29, explained.'When one of us is murdered becqause a police officer is 'afraid for their life', it pains us - we feel it.' 'Alternatively, violence is not the answer; it only begets more fear and violence. This is the time to unify; our communities, our churches and our homes.' Speaking out: Washington hammered home her message that 'MY life matters....And yours does too.' The actress, 39, called on communities to 'do better' Washington, 39, who plays Olivia Pope on ABC's Scandal, said she was moved to affirm again that: 'I matter. MY life matters.' 'As a human, my life matters. As a woman, my life matters. As a Black person, my life matters. My life matters. And yours does too. Whoever you are.' She added: 'Our differences do not give us the right to devalue the worth of another human being.' The violence must stop. We must do better.' Standing up: The America's Got Talent host joined protesters including Roman Catholic priest and activist Michael Pfleger after marching 24 hours earlier with Black Lives Matter protesters in New York Activist: Cannon, center, who shares four-year-old twins with ex-wife Mariah Carey, is angry at recent police brutality and says he wants to 'continue to inspire the youth to be all they can be' Cannon, 35, the host of America's Got Talent, joined protesters in new York City on Thursday night for a Black Lives Matter march. On Friday, he was in Chicago from where he shared a number of photos on his Instagram including one of himself with renowned Roman Catholic priest and social activist Father Michael Pfleger. Earlier in the day, Cannon, who shares four-year-old twins with his former wife Mariah Carey, visited with residents on the Southside of Chicago and posted a photo under which he wrote: 'In this time of pain and frustration we must continue to inspire the youth to be all they can be!' White celebrities also joined in the outpouring of reflection on Friday in the wake of the killings of five police officers in Dallas. Kate Hudson shared a poem she wrote in the aftermath and said: 'Everyday there is violence like this reported and not reported.' 'It becomes overwhelming that there could be such hatred and senseless killing.' 'I can't make sense of things': Kate Hudson shared a poem she wrote with her social media followers on Friday and mourned 'hatred and senseless killing' Gwyneth Paltrow shared a photo of black civil rights protesters holding up signs that read: 'I am a man'. She posted alongside it a quotation from Martin Luther Kig Jr.: 'We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.' Mad Men star January Jones also quoted King, but at greater length. She shared an image of the assassinated leader's 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' penned on April 16, 1963 and hwich asks why whites continued to expect 'the Negro to wait 'until a more convenient season'.' 'This was how long ago?' January captioned her Instagram post. She has been balancing her duties as a television host with a slew of brand ambassadorship roles. And so it's understandable that Jennifer Hawkins appeared to be slightly under the weather as she took centre stage to host the Myer launch of Dyson's new Supersonic hairdryer. Despite looking puffy-faced, the 32-year-old dutifully cracked a smile and took the stage to spruik the much-hyped $700 hair styling tool on Saturday. Scroll down for video Sick? Jennifer Hawkins, 32, appeared to be slightly under the weather as she took centre stage to host the Myer launch of Dyson's new Supersonic hairdryer The former Miss Universe swathed her famous frame beneath a structured military-style coat in navy blue, which she layered over a pair of skinny jeans and a white T-shirt. Leaving her balayage-blonde locks to hang in loose waves by her shoulders, Jennifer completed her look with a pair of open-toed booties and her weighty engagement ring. Her makeup was pared back, with just a touch of eye-shadow, a slick of light pink lipstick and a swipe of mascara. A true professional: Despite looking puffy-faced, the lithe beauty dutifully cracked a smile and took the stage to spruik the much-hyped $700 hair-styling tool on Saturday Subtle glam: Jennifer's makeup was pared back, with just a touch of eye-shadow, a slick of light pink lipstick and a swipe of mascara Jennifer was joined at the event by her fellow Myer ambassador Lauren Phillips, who looked chic in a brown leather biker jacket and colour-blocked midi dress. Lauren dedicated a snap on her Instagram to the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer, sharing a photo of herself standing in front of a podium of hairdressers busily attending to the tresses of potential customers. 'Come on down to @Myer Melbourne today as we officially launch the @dysonhair Supersonic. @jenhawkins_ is on her way and there at 10 of Melbourne's best hair stylists ready to give you a blow wave', the brunette wrote in the caption. In good company: Jennifer was joined at the event by her fellow Myer ambassador Lauren Phillips Chic: Lauren looked chic in a brown leather biker jacket and colour-blocked midi dress Glossy: Jennifer left her balayage-blonde locks to hang in loose waves by her shoulders Bling! Jennifer completed her look with a pair of open-toed booties and her weighty engagement ring Step up, step up! Jennifer wasn't the only one on a mission to promote the trendy new hairdryer- Myer ambassador Lauren Phillips also dedicated a snap on her Instagram to the Dyson Supersonic as she attended the brand's launch event in Melbourne on Saturday Also on Saturday, Jennifer shared a candid Instagram image of herself backstage on the set of Australia's Next Top Model. In the caption she wrote: 'Backstage. Thank you Foxtel and team @ausnexttopmodel xxx #fauxfur #AusNTM'. Jennifer has been the host of the popular modelling contest since 2012 and is set to reprise her role in this year's upcoming tenth season. She will appear on the show alongside celebrated designer Alex Perry and David Jones spokesperson Megan Gale. In the past, there has been rumours of a rivalry between Jennifer and Megan - who are both ambassadors for rival department stores, Myer and David Jones. Busy lady: A day later, she shared another candid image of herself backstage on the set of Australia's Next Top Model, captioned with: 'Backstage. Thank you Foxtel and team @ausnexttopmodel xxx #fauxfur #AusNTM' Back on the judging panel! Jennifer has been the host of the popular modelling contest since 2012 and is set to reprise her role in this year's upcoming tenth season Charlotte McKinney took advantage of her Guess girl status while running errands in Beverly Hills on Friday. The Wilhelmina Model - who turns 23 next month - looked casual cool in the denim brand's $98 'Isabel Curvy' skinny jeans. The Joe Dirt 2 starlet showcased her impossibly large bust in a cleavage-boosting black bodysuit, which she paired with a white sleeveless maxi-cardigan, and matching plimsolls. Scroll down for video Representing: Charlotte McKinney took advantage of her Guess girl status while running errands in Beverly Hills on Friday Blonde bombshell: The Wilhelmina Model - who turns 23 next month - looked casual cool in the denim brand's $98 'Isabel Curvy' skinny jeans Amply charmed: The Joe Dirt 2 starlet showcased her impossibly large bust in a cleavage-boosting black bodysuit, which she paired with a white sleeveless maxi-cardigan, and matching plimsolls As usual, Charlotte sported full make-up, peachy lipstick, and wore her natural blonde locks in coiffed waves. McKinney has been fronting the Marciano-made label for over a year now, including the latest Guess Lingerie campaign. 'For me, [Guess] was huge just because it's been so iconic my whole life. You know, I'm a curvier, more bombshell kind of girl and Guess has just always had that beautiful curvy girl and when I was part of that it was huge to me,' the Florida-born beauty told Fox News Magazine in March. 'Usually with any brands and stuff they really want to tone down, you know, your curves and your chest. And with Guess, I could just really be myself and show my curves, and show my chest more, and feeling more comfortable. It was great! It really helped me shine more than hiding it, you know?' 'It's been so iconic my whole life': McKinney has been fronting the Marciano-made label for over a year now, including the latest Guess Lingerie campaign The Florida-born beauty told Fox News Magazine in March: 'With Guess, I could just really be myself and show my curves, and show my chest more, and feeling more comfortable' Charlotte followed in the famous footsteps of Guess girls Anna Nicole Smith, Drew Barrymore, Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, Kate Upton, and Laetitia Casta. On Thursday, the Punching Bag video vixen sported a faux-bob during a shoot with photographer Dove Shore, hairstylist Frankie Payne, and make-up artist Sally Wang. 'Bob hair cuts and red lips on set today!' McKinney - who boasts 1.4M folowers - captioned the BTS set snap. 'I'm a curvier, more bombshell kind of girl': On Thursday, the Punching Bag video vixen sported a faux-bob during a shoot with photographer Dove Shore, hairstylist Frankie Payne, and make-up artist Sally Wang McKinney - who boasts 1.4M folowers - captioned the BTS set snap: 'Bob hair cuts and red lips on set today!' The high school drop-out will next play a patient in Kevin Pollak's feature directorial debut The Late Bloomer - hitting theaters this fall - alongside J.K. Simmons, Jane Lynch, and Maria Bello. And next year, audiences can catch a bikini-clad Charlotte in Paramount Pictures' Baywatch remake alongside Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Pamela Anderson, and David Hasselhoff. The former Dancing With the Stars contestant will likely celebrate the 43rd birthday of her last known beau, American Hero actor Stephen Dorff, later this month. Hitting theaters this fall! Charlotte will next play a patient in Kevin Pollak's feature directorial debut The Late Bloomer - hitting theaters this fall - alongside J.K. Simmons (2-R) and Maria Bello (R) Solid as a Rock: And next year, audiences can catch a bikini-clad Charlotte in Paramount Pictures' Baywatch remake alongside Dwayne Johnson (M), Zac Efron, Pamela Anderson, and David Hasselhoff She has made no secret of her fondness for cosmetic enhancement procedures. And Skye Wheatley, 22, announced her latest body sculpting plans on Instagram on Saturday; this time citing cellulite-reduction as her goal. In the photo, Skye is seen lying down in the chair of a skincare clinic while she received a head massage from her white-robed therapist. Scroll down for video 'Think I'm going to re start my fat fav treatments (sic)': Skye Wheatley, 22, announced her latest body-sculpting plans on Instagram on Saturday; this time citing cellulite-reduction as her goal 'Today I was lucky enough to book an appointment with Refined Skin and Body Clinic for a facial with a neck, shoulder and head massage', she wrote in the caption. 'The professional and exceptional service that I experienced today was so incredible and outstanding! This was all due to my amazing beauty therapist @sarah_payton as she went above and beyond for me'. She went on: 'I highly recommend that you all check out these services as well as all the others that are available', before adding: 'Think I'm going to re start my fat fav treatments for cellulite and tightening before I go to Bali in September! (sic)' 'Probably should squat': It comes after Skye complained about having cellulite in an Instagram post shared on Monday, in which she is seen posing in her lingerie with her back facing the camera In true Skye style, the former Big Brother Australia star concluded the post with: 'I will vlog the experience and take before and after photos so you guys can see how the treatment work'. It comes after Skye complained about having visible cellulite in an Instagram post shared on Monday, in which she is seen posing in her lingerie with her back facing the camera. 'Lazy Sundayzzz in #dontsquatwontsquat (sic),' she wrote. 'P.s loving the cellulite dimples on my left cheek probably should squat.' Going under the knife: Skye famously flew to Thailand in 2015 to transform her 'deformed' and 'wonky' breasts into a D chest and hopefully boost her confidence along the way The social media enthusiast showed off her toned legs and impressive hamstring muscles as she stood on a fluffy white rug in her bedroom. The side-on stance also revealed her ample assets that looked perky despite her well-publicised botched boob job she has frequently complained about. Skye famously flew to Thailand in 2015 to transform her 'deformed' and 'wonky' breasts into a D chest and hopefully boost her confidence along the way. Skye had been left feeling deflated for years after her A-cup right breast was two sizes smaller than her C-up left and had hoped corrective surgery would fix her a-symmetrical breasts. But fast forward a year and Skye has been left ruing the fact she had surgery in Bangkok complaining she has been left with a botched boob job. Nip and tuck! Skye had been left feeling deflated for years after her A-cup right breast was two sizes smaller than her C-up left and had hoped corrective surgery would fix her a-symmetrical breasts Ruby Rose and new girlfriend Harley Gusman have been practically inseparable in recent days. But on Friday, the 30-year-old Australian model and actress was spotted out and about in Beverly Hills, solo. Not afraid to show off her trim pins, Ruby was seen wearing a pair of denim shorts, splashed with a print of the American flag. Scroll down for video Out and about: Australian model and actress Ruby Rose was spotted in Beverly Hills on Friday The ripped shorts were teamed with a white collared blouse, while a glimpse of her midriff was also on show, revealing her tattoos. Walking along in a pair of white, laced up shoes, the Orange Is The New Black star completed her look with a pair of dark sunglasses. She was seen emerging from her car with a black bag in her left hand, while also clutching onto her mobile phone. Ruby's new girlfriend Harley Gusman certainly got the nod of approval from their famous friends earlier this week, when they made an appearance together at Taylor Swift's famous Fourth Of July party. Flaunting it: The Orange Is The New Black star showed off her toned legs in a pair of mini denim shorts splashed with an American flag print In love: Ruby was spotted without her new girlfriend Harley Gusman (pictured), after the pair have been inseparable in recent days An image shared on Ruby's Instagram account showed the pair mingling with international models Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid. The pair made their romance official at Taylor's Rhode Island celebration, where they were spotted packing on the PDA. The Orange Is The New Black star and the skincare entrepreneur were first spotted together in June while on a date at Hollywood sushi restaurant Katsuya. Their relationship comes seven months after her split from her ex-fiancee Phoebe Dahl, who is the granddaughter of Roald Dahl. Nod of approval: Ruby and Harley pictured mingling with Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid at Taylor Swift's Fourth of July party on Monday 'Look at this Aussie babe': Australian actress Ruby and her businesswoman girlfriend Harley flaunted their toned figures in swimsuits on Wednesday in another loved-up snap Over the past four weeks, Ruby and Harley have taken to their respective social media accounts to post loved-up pictures of themselves on various outings. And it's easy to see why Ruby has fallen head over heels for the nature loving adventurer. Harley, who is based in Miami, is the co-founder and head of marketing at Truly Organic a business which sells naturally-derived hair and body care products. According to her LinkedIn account, the 24-year-old has a Bachelor degree from the University of Miami with a major in creative writing and a minor in psychology. She also has five years of experience in the hospitality industry, as well as expertise in advertising and marketing. To add to her gleaming credentials, the beauty who is of Irish and Russian decent also has a modelling portfolio which spans from fashion shoots to fronting swimwear and lingerie campaigns. It's social media official: Ruby and Harley have also taken to their respective social media accounts to post loved-up pictures of themselves on various outings James Van Der Beek and his second wife Kimberly were spotted for the first time with their newborn daughter Emilia in Beverly Hills on Friday. The 39-year-old actor used his bulging bicep to gently haul their four-month-old princess resting in her carrier. 'Crazy how deeply in love you can fall with someone you just met,' the CSI: Cyber star gushed to his 628K followers. Scroll down for video Precious bundle! James Van Der Beek and his second wife Kimberly were spotted for the first time with their newborn daughter Emilia in Beverly Hills on Friday 'Crazy how deeply in love you can fall with someone you just met': The 39-year-old actor used his bulging bicep to gently carry their four-month-old princess resting in her pram Amazingly, little Emilia is the couple's fourth child after daughter Olivia, 5, son Joshua, 4, and daughter Annabel, 2. James and the 32-year-old Heads Up producer - born Brook - will celebrate six years of wedded bliss on August 1. The Dawson's Creek alum can currently be seen as DJ Diplo in a promotional video for his 13-date Mad Decent Block Party, which kicks off July 30 in Fort Lauderdale. Perpetually pregnant: Amazingly, little Emilia is the couple's fourth child after daughter Olivia, 5, son Joshua, 4, and daughter Annabel, 2 Full house! The CSI: Cyber star and the 32-year-old Heads Up producer - born Brook - will celebrate six years of wedded bliss on August 1 In the funny clip, Van Der Beek fends off sword-wielding ninja 'haters' and rides a white horse as the 37-year-old Grammy winner (born Thomas Pentz). On May 26, the Connecticut-born star revealed he plays a small part in Alexander Payne's sci-fi social satire Downsizing. 'Little sneak peek of what I'm working on,' the Drew University drop-out wrote at the time. 'Day in the life': James can currently be seen as DJ Diplo in a promotional video for his 13-date Mad Decent Block Party, which kicks off July 30 in Fort Lauderdale The real thing: In the funny clip, Van Der Beek fends off sword-wielding ninja 'haters' and rides a white horse as the 37-year-old Grammy winner (born Thomas Pentz) 'PSYCHED to get to work with one of my all-time favorite directors, if only for a few days. If you've never seen Sideways, Nebraska, Election, or The Descendants, treat yourself! Very human, often funny films, deceptively simple on the surface, but deeply complex, engaging, and masterfully told. #AlexanderPayne.' The two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter was spotted directing Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig on the Ontario set of the shrinking dramedy back on April 7. But first, James will portray American billionaire Trent Zebrisky in the British six-part sitcom Carters Get Rich, which premieres this fall on Sky 1. 'PSYCHED to get to work with one of my all-time favorite directors!' On May 26, the Connecticut-born star revealed he plays a small part in Alexander Payne's sci-fi social satire Downsizing Twinning! The two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter (L) was spotted directing Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig on the Ontario set of the shrinking dramedy back on April 7 She's no stranger when it comes to sitting in the hair and makeup chair for a glamorous transformation. And Anna Heinrich took the reins herself on Saturday as she tested out the new $699 Dyson Supersonic at David Jones in Sydney on Saturday at the exclusive product launch. The 29-year-old former Bachelor contestant cut a stylish figure for the event wearing a figure hugging plum frock. Scroll down for video Sleek and shiny: Anna Heinrich took the reins herself on Saturday and styled her own hair as she tested out the new $699 Dyson Supersonic at David Jones in Sydney on Saturday at the exclusive product launch The plum number hit her at the knee and clung tight to her svelte figure and effortlessly flared out in a chic A-line. Anna added to her look with a pair of strappy black stilettos and added a statement ring on her right hand to finish her look. For makeup she went with a natural base paired with lashings of mascara and finished her look with a subtle pinky brown lip. Anna was at the David Jones store to appear on stage and talk about the hair dryer and at one point took the device herself and had a go. Showing them how it's done: The 29-year-old former Bachelor contestant cut a stylish figure for the event wearing a figure hugging plum frock and tested out the luxury hair appliance herself Like a professional! With a barrel brush in one hand and the newly developed hairdryer in the other Anna looked right at home as she effortlessly styled her hair and looked delighted to be doing it With a barrel brush in one hand and the newly-developed hair dryer in the other, Anna looked right at home as she effortlessly styled her hair. She piled her golden blonde locks on top of her head pinned with a clip while she moved the round brush through her tresses. Not long after a professional stylist took charge of the brush and dryer and began fussing over Anna's hair while she took centre stage and chatted on a microphone. Testing it out: She piled her golden blonde locks on top of her head pinned with a clip while she moved the round brush through her tresses while on the main stage Time to relax: Not long after a professional stylist took charge of the brush and dryer and began fussing over Anna's hair while on stage and chatted on a microphone Anna sat back and relaxed while her golden locks were styled by the professionals and looked very pleased to be having her hair done. The launch of the product comes after the British manufacturer have spent $100 million over four years developing the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer, and just like its vacuuming products, the revolutionary design comes with an eye-popping price tag of AUD$699. The 'intelligent' hair dryer promises to be much quieter than conventional hair dryers, lighter in your hand, protect your hair through heat control, and most importantly, much quicker at drying your hair through a 'focused' airflow. Burgundy beauty: The plum frock hit her at the knee and clung tight to her svelte figure and effortlessly flared out in a chic A-line and her look was finished with black strappy stilettos Tough gig: Anna looked very happy to try it out and her tresses looked glossy and shiny after having the pampering treatment with the luxury product Anna looked very happy to try it out and her tresses looked glossy and shiny after having the pampering treatment with the luxury product. Last last month, she and Tim - who found love on the first series of The Bachelor Australia - returned from their whirlwind trip to Europe. While there, the pair enjoyed a trip to Italy and the Amalfi Coast as they helped her mother celebrate her 60th birthday and a trip to Greece. The pair made sure to share a number of sweet loved-up selfies together and made sure to flaunt their toned figures when they stripped off to costumes on the idyllic beaches. She's been linked to famous men in the past, including some of the male celebrities she's interviewed on Sunrise. And now Australian television presenter Samantha Armytage has raised eyebrows yet again, after posting an image of Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston frolicking on the beach - though it's Samantha's face that is Photoshopped in place of Taylor's. The 39-year-old's social media post comes a day after she told guest co-host Mike Amor that she was 'over' 35-year-old Tom, as he touched down in Australia with 26-year-old girlfriend Taylor. Scroll down for video Watch out Tay! Australian presenter Samantha Armytage posted an image of Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston frolicking on the beach on Saturday - though it's Samantha's face that is Photoshopped in place of Taylor's The paparazzi image shared on Samantha's Instagram account, showed actor Tom wearing his famous I (heart) T.S. tank top during his and Taylor's Fourth Of July celebrations on Rhode Island earlier this week. However in this case, Samantha's post showed Taylor's initials swapped for the Channel Seven presenter's. Samantha captioned the social media post: 'And he doesn't mean South Australia!! I just love our viewers. One of them made me this.... I think she has too much time on her hands...#hiddletage #armyston #tayTaycanHaveHim'. Social media post: Even though a fan sent the edited image in, the Australian television star saw the entertaining side, and happily posted it for her over 143,000 Instagram followers Original snap: Taylor and Tom pictured on Rhode Island earlier this week during Fourth Of July celebrations Even though a fan sent the edited image in, the Australian television star saw the entertaining side, and happily posted it for her over 143,000 Instagram followers. This comes after the single media personality confessed on Friday that her crush on Tom was rather short-lived. During a live cross to reporter Shaun White, who was reporting from Sydney airport as Tom and Taylor landed, Samantha's guest Sunrise co-host Mike Amor jokingly warned the Shake It Off hitmaker that Samantha may have her eyes on her man. Earlier: The 39-year-old Channel Seven star's social media post comes a day after she told guest co-host Mike Amor that she was 'over' 35-year-old Tom, as he touched down in Australia with 26-year-old girlfriend Taylor Down Under: Taylor and Tom pictured touching down on the Gold Coast on Friday morning after taking a domestic flight from Sydney 'Taylor just be warned. You might have a bit of competition,' Mike said, while pointing towards Samantha. But the bubbly blonde was quick to hit back, saying: 'No, I'm over him now... now that all of this stuff with Tay Tay, this is not good'. Meanwhile the past week has provided plenty of opportunities for Samantha to put her charms to great use in other interviews. On Sunday she interviewed Hollywood heart throb Matt Damon, before sitting down with Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates stars Zac Efron and Adam Devine on Thursday. With the boys: Meanwhile the past week has provided plenty of opportunities for Samantha to put her charms to great use in other interviews, pictured with Adam Devine and Zac Efron on Thursday They were reunited in Melbourne yesterday ahead of moving into their new home in the Victorian capital as a family. And it seems Sam Wood, 36, his fiancee Snezana Markoski, 35, and her young daughter Eve are swiftly settling into their new lives. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Sam shared a photo of Snezana's daughter Eve, who bore a striking resemblance to her mother as she posed for the snap. Scroll down for video Chip off the old block! Eve shares a striking resemblance to her stunning mother, Snezana in a snap shared by Sam Wood The photo shows the trendy 10-year-old pulling a funny face while sporting a casual ensemble of a grey jumper and blue jeans. Her personalised jumper is emblazoned with the letter 'E' by Australian brand Keep It Personal, which appears to have been gifted by Sam himself. She is also donning a pair of dark black shades to shield her eyes from the Melbourne sunlight. Sam - a personal trainer from Tasmania - decided to leave the photo without a caption, but has added the hashtags 'gangsta' and 'so cute'. Happy family: Sam and Snezana began their romance after meeting on 2015's series of The Bachelor, and it's clear Sam's relationship with his fiance's 10-year-old daughter Eve is going well Stunner! Snezana was the clear winner of Sam's heart on The Bachelor and have since been keeping their long-distance romance alive Onwards and upwards! The couple purchased their first home together in Melbourne in January for $1.65 million The loved-up couple, who began their romance after meeting on 2015's series of The Bachelor, purchased their first home together in Melbourne in January for $1.65 million. Since the finale aired, the couple have been very open about their blossoming romance, and Sam's relationship with Snezana's daughter Eve has clearly been very positive. They have taken to the limelight naturally and don't mind sharing their everyday activities with their hundreds of thousands of combined followers. And on Thursday, the tightly-knit threesome were photographed hugging and smiling at the airport after Snezana and Eve flew in from Western Australia to begin their new life with Sam. Family times: Sam proposed to Snezana in December during a holiday to Tasmania and they eventually decided to settle in Victoria They signed a contract for their house six months ago but Snezana had previously claimed she wanted to finish her degree in Perth first. Sam proposed to Snezana in December during a holiday to Tasmania and they eventually decided to settle in Victoria. The personal trainer has business links to Melbourne, including a children's gym called Gecko Fitness and a recently opened facility, The Woodshed. Like mother like daughter: Eve clearly takes after her mother, sharing similar colouring and facial features All eyes were on her as she strutted down the opulent Fendi runway on Thursday night. But Kendall Jenner proved it was back to normal life as she picked up a few groceries and headed to her brother-in-law Kanye West's apartment in Soho, New York on Thursday. The 20-year-old supermodel looked casually cool in an off-the-shoulder cropped jumper which flaunted her seriously flat abs. Scroll down for video Just like the rest of us! Kendall Jenner, 20, picked up a few groceries and headed to her brother-in-law Kanye West's apartment in Soho, New York on Thursday A peek of her black lace bra was prominent as she encased her lean legs in a pair of ankle grazing ripped jeans. Taking inspiration from the fashion capital's distinct edge she donned a shiny pair of black boots, a matching holdall and uber cool shades. Ensuring nothing would get in the way of her errands day, she scraped her brunette tresses in to a low-lying ponytail as she headed in to the luxury apartment complex. Later on, it looked like Kendall was keen on soaking up the remaining moments of her natural high following the epic poolside fashion show in Rome for the Italian luxury house. Stunning frame: The supermodel looked casually cool in an off-the-shoulder cropped jumper which flaunted her seriously flat abs Fashionista: A peek of her black lace bra was prominent as she encased her lean legs in a pair of ankle grazing ripped jeans And while Kendall sported her neutral model gaze during the show, she let loose as she enjoyed a car ride with Scott Disick later on. The half sister of Kim Kardashian flashed her style credentials in a plunging top and choker as she shared a grainy black and white Snapchat video on Friday. Chronicling her journey ahead and singing to the lyrics of a song, the reality star looked in a playful mood. Blowing off steam: While Kendall sported her neutral model gaze during the Fendi show earlier this week, she proved to let loose as she enjoyed a car ride with Scott Disick Cruising with the Lord: Scott made a few cameos in the background of the short clip as Kendall mainly centered it towards her enjoyment of the night ahead All eyes on her: The half sister of Kim Kardashian flashed her style credentials in a plunging top and choker as she shared the grainy black and white Snapchat video Meanwhile, 33-year-old Scott- who has an off/off relationship with Kourtney Kardashian- made a few cameos in the background of the short clip. Kendall also celebrated her big night at Fendi's exclusive 90th anniversary dinner straight after the show. Her gown of choice boasted a billowing silhouette, while its thigh-skimming length allowed her to show off her long, lean legs, which were further elongated with a pair of golden open-toed heels. When in Rome: Kendall attended Fendi's 90th anniversary dinner in Rome, Italy, on Thursday in a stunning billowing mini-dress Earlier in the night, Kendall wore a beautiful blue coat by the label to walk on a glass catwalk, giving the illusion she was walking on water. The platform was placed in front of the Trevi fountain, where she walked tall in the beautiful creation which flared out. She also modelled a long taupe gown which was embroidered at the front and teamed with platform lace-up heels. Joining Kendall on the runway was her pal Bella Hadid, 19, who nabbed the honours of closing the lavish show. Couture queen: The brunette beauty modelled two very different yet equally intricate and beautiful looks Muriel's Wedding is by far one of the most-loved Australian films of all time, having launched the career of a now multi-Golden Globe nominated actress. But 22 years on and Gennie Nevinson, who played the role of homewrecker Deidre Chambers, has revealed the movie's lead Toni Collette didn't really get along with her co-stars. Speaking with news.com.au in an article published on Saturday, the 65-year-old chalked Collette's frosty demeanour up to nerves, while commending her on her acting abilities. Scroll down for video 'She was not very friendly, really': Muriel's Wedding's Gennie Nevinson (left) tells of how a 'very nervous' Toni Collette (right) made her first impressions on set of the iconic Aussie film 'She was not very friendly, really. But I think she was probably very nervous and concentrating, and perhaps trying to develop a vibe between our characters,' said Nevinson. 'But shes such a wonderful actress, shes really faultless in everything shes done since.' Nevinson went on to say that while she doesn't regret appearing in the iconic film, her 'dim and selfish' character had an impact on her finding future acting work. 'Shes such a wonderful actress': The 65-year-old went on to praise the multi-Golden Globe nominated star 'People really despised Deidre Chambers... I remember being up for a big Glad Wrap commercial that was based on the Heslop family, but with Deidre, but I think that when it went out for research, they found people really didnt like her,' she said. Released in 1994, the film follows Muriel Heslop (Collette) from the fictional coastal town of Porpoise Spit who is obsessed with ABBA and sees marriage as a way of validating her self-worth. Collette starred alongside a little-known Rachael Griffiths too, who played the role of fellow social outcast Rhonda Epinstalk. Iconic: Released in 1994, the film follows Muriel Heslop (Collette) from the fictional coastal town of Porpoise Spit who is obsessed with ABBA and sees marriage as a way of validating her self-worth The actresses became household names almost overnight after appearing in the film, and Griffiths confessed to Sunday Night in April she wasn't entirely prepared for fame. 'It's a very strange experience, when you go from anonymity and privacy and just going about your business - and then all of a sudden, this - whoosh! - you know, stuff coming towards you really fast. 'I think it takes a couple of years to not be kind of thrown and intimidated (by it),' she concluded. Despite his age, he's boasted a colourful dating history in recent years. But Geoffrey Edelsten, 73, only had one woman on his mind during an outing on Saturday - his mother Esther. The medical entrepreneur was seen walking with his 93-year-old matriarch, and appeared to be looking a little frail. Scroll down for video Feeling his age? Geoffrey Edelsten was seen walking with his 93-year-old mother, Esther, and appeared to be looking a little frail His mother, on the other hand, appeared almost sprightly as they walked beside each other. Geoffrey was sporting a casual ensemble in a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket. He was also carrying a large purple bag and was wearing a worn look on his face. Laid-back: The medical entrepreneur was sporting a causal ensemble in a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket The entrepreneur has been in the spotlight in his later years with thanks to various romances with younger women. He married Brynne Edelsten, 33, in 2009 and the couple embarked on a very public and scrutinised romance. However, the pair split in January 2014, and Geoffrey began dating Gabi Grecko, 27, merely months later - swiftly moving on. Romance: Geoffrey began dating Gabi Grecko, 27, in January 2014 and they tied the knot in June 2015, before splitting in September of the same year The pair tied the knot in June 2015, however they also then split in September of that year after only five months of marriage. Gabi jetted off to New York, claiming she was jealous he had fallen in love with his long-term secretary, reports Geoffrey strongly refutes, and she hasn't returned to Australia since. The former medic was also previously married to Leanne Nesbitt from 1984 - 1988. Earlier in the day she showed off her sporty side during a bike ride with her three children. But Jennifer Garner also proved what a bookworm she is as she was later spotted picking up some new reads at a book store in California on Friday. The doting mum smiled happily as she left the store with her daughter Seraphina, seven, seeming particularly happy with her purchase of popular children's book Dream Jumper. Stocking up: Jennifer Garner also proved what a bookworm she is as she was later spotted picking up some new reads at a book store in California on Friday Jen, 44, dressed down for the sunny outing, showing off a hint of her toned tum in a of low-rise jeans. She teamed her casual denims with a black and white t-shirt which flaunted her tanned and toned arms. Jennifer kept cool in shades, while her locks were left loose around her shoulders. Big fan: The actress showed off her new purchase of Dream Jumper, a kid's book that has just been optioned by JJ Abrams, who created her hit show Alias The casual star kept comfy in flat strappy sandals as she walked side by side with her little girl, while carrying a pile of books. The actress held up her copy of graphic novel Dream Jumper, a kid's book that has just been optioned for the big screen by JJ Abrams, who created her hit show Alias. Earlier in the day Jennifer and Seraphina were joined by Violet, 10, and Samuel, four for a beachside bike ride. Her estranged husband, Ben Affleck, was absent from the fun day out, but the whole family was recently spotted together celebrating Independence Day in the Pacific Palisades. Last week marked one year since the two stars shocked the world by announcing they were separating, one day after their tenth wedding anniversary. But since the break-up neither party has filed divorce papers, and they are still working with a mediator and living in the same house. Relaxed: The mother-of-three was joined by daughter Seraphina, who wore a cute floral shirt and pink shorts According to People, Ben - who was romantically linked to his children's former nanny after the split - does not want to move forward and officially end their marriage. 'They're still figuring things out,' a source close to Jennifer told the publication. 'Ben still doesn't want the divorce and he might actually get his way.' This comes after Ben referred to Jennifer as his 'wife' in an appearance on HBO's Any Given Wednesday With Bill Simmons last month, during which he also credited her with resurrecting his career. However Jennifer apparently doesn't share quite the same sentiment, as an insider told People last month that she 'denies that she is back with Ben,' adding: 'She actually almost laughs when asked.' The source also revealed: 'She seems adamant about going through with [the divorce].' She enjoyed a series of steamy romps with Marco Pierre White Jr upon arrival in the Big Brother house. And Laura Carter proved that she still has the ability to shock on Big Brother after she discovered a 'used condom' while searching for sweets next to fellow housemate Chelsea Singh's bed on Friday's episode. Instead of letting it be, the 30-year-old glamour model proceeded to pick up the offending item and gave it sniff- causing fans to take to Twitter to express their disgust. Scroll down for video Interesting discovery: Laura Carter, 30, discovered a 'used condom' while searching for sweets on Big Brother after living off basic rations Holding up the condom, she announced to Lateysha: 'I found a used jammie. Next to Chelsea's bed.' And despite Latesha confirming it was left there as a prank, Laura felt compelled to smell it which caused a horrified social media frenzy. 'Laura sniffing condoms...That girl is filthy #BBUK' wrote one user @Daneeka, while @ZoeBabesss tweeted: Omg Laura actually smelt the used condom omg no I can't that house is disgusting I feel sick'. Make sure of its content: Instead of letting it be, the glamour model proceeded to pick up the offending item and gave it sniff Some however weren't too surprised by her stomach-turning actions as @MadameMinge stated: 'By sniffing that condom, Laura was just checking it wasn't hers...'. @Samanthapmorgan backed it up with a tweet: 'Why is Laura touching & sniffing someone's used condom. Oh yeah it's Laura', while @NicoleRoylesx went for a more direct approach and asked 'does it smell of Marco?' Horrified viewers: Her offending act caused fans to take to Twitter to express their disgust Unsuspecting: The condom was found by Chelsea Sing's bed and was labelled a 'joke' by housemate Lateysha The former fling of Justin Bieber has been at the forefront of many controversial scenes in the Channel 5 series. Her sordid romance with Marco saw her go completely topless as she admitted to having sex with the tattooed star. On one occasion, he casually lifted up her crop top and sucked on her boob. However, the steamy lust was short-lived as Marco was the first contestant to be eliminated from the Channel 5 reality show. 'Fishgate': One user referenced Laura's sexual personality when it came to explaining why she sniffed the condom 'Because it's Laura!' Another user didn't think the act was much of a surprise given her previous sexy scenes Passionate: Her sordid romance with Marco Pierre White Jr upon arrival in the Big Brother house saw her go completely topless as she admitted to having sex with the tattooed star Enjoying it while she could: The steamy lust was short-lived as Marco was the first contestant to be eliminated Laura proved to not be bothered by the departure as she was recently joined by her ex-flame Bernardo Belmar in the house. The beauty enjoyed a passionate kiss with the stud although was forced to say farewell again on Wednesday. Bernardo was brought into the house as part of this week's shopping task, where housemates were tested on their loyalty for each other. After the initial arrival of the Mexican hunky, Laura headed to the diary room and said: 'I want to thank you so much. This guy, I met in Miami two years ago, I was still engaged.' Kiss, kiss: Laura got steamy once more after she enjoyed further kisses with her ex-flame Bernardo Belmar - although she bid farewell once again on Wednesday night's episode 'We met in a club and it was pretty much love at first sight. He walked towards me - it was the strongest connection I've ever felt in my whole life. 'I went home and told all my friends and family, if I ever see that guy again I'm going to get married to him and have babies. He's the one!' But despite her strong emotions, Laura admitted that she had only met Bernardo once before. She said: 'We've met each other once, never kissed or slept together. Now he's here with me on Big Brother, this experience has to top everything that's ever happened in my whole life! He's absolutely gorgeous.' Last month they made a bold sartorial statement when they sat FROW at a fashion show in matching checked suits. And Ollie Proudlock and Emma Connolly looked just as smitten as they enjoyed a day on the beach in Ibiza on Friday. The 27-year-old Made In Chelsea star and his model girlfriend looked every inch the glamorous couple as they frolicked in the warm waters. Scroll down for video Going strong: Ollie Proudlock and Emma Connolly looked just as loved up as they enjoyed a day on the beach in Ibiza on Friday Showing off his toned chest and impressive six-pack, Proudlock wore camoflauge shorts and a chain as he made his way into the sea. Perhaps perturbed by the cold water, it took the reality star a while to get into the sea. Once in there, he made the most of it, picking his model girlfriend up on his shoulders in a rather comical display. Model behaviour: Emma cut an impressive figure, showing off her long tanned legs and toned body in a maroon coloured one-piece with stitching across the plunging neckline Leggy: The swimsuit featured a low cut corset-bound back, and a thong cut showing off her pert posterior Romantic getaway: The 27-year-old Made In Chelsea star and his model girlfriend looked every inch the glamorous couple as they frolicked in the warm waters. Cute: She wore her long blonde hair loose, shading her eyes with light-coloured sunglasses Emma cut an impressive figure, showing off her long tanned legs and toned body in a maroon coloured one-piece with stitching across the plunging neckline. The swimsuit featured a low cut corset-bound back, and a thong cut showing off her pert posterior. She wore her long blonde hair in a messy bun, shading her eyes with light-coloured sunglasses. Going make-up free, she added a dash of lipgloss as she laughed along with her beau. See something you like? Once in there, he made the most of it, picking his model girlfriend up on his shoulders in a rather comical display Fun: Going make-up free, Emma added a dash of lipgloss as she laughed along with her beau Fooling around: Ollie couldn't keep his eyes of his girfriend, picking her up on his shoulders in the water before they left the sea to enjoy a sunbathe and selfie session on the beach Sights: Later they took a speedboat to popular Ibiza haunt Blue Marlin Beach Club and enjoyed the sights of the island And Ollie couldn't keep his eyes of his girfriend, picking her up on his shoulders in the water before they left the sea to enjoy a sunbathe and selfie session on the beach. Later they took a speedboat to popular Ibiza haunt Blue Marlin Beach Club and enjoyed the sights of the island. Proudlock previously gushed about his girlfriend, telling Reveal magazine they had celebrated their first anniversary in August of last year. In love: Proudlock previously gushed about his girlfriend, telling Reveal magazine they had celebrated their first anniversary in August of last year Ripped: Showing off his toned chest and impressive six-pack, Proudlock wore camoflauge shorts and a chain as he made his way into the sea In love: 'A year ago today I met my soulmate, the most beautiful person inside and out. It's safe to say it has been the best year of my life' Oliver has gushed of his girlfriend At the time he tweeted: 'A year ago today I met my soulmate, the most beautiful person inside and out. It's safe to say it has been the best year of my life. @emmalouiseconnolly I love you to the moon and back, and cannot wait for the times ahead.' Speaking about how they met, he explained: 'It's a long story, but we met in Scotland a few years back. We didn't see each other for a long period of time, but when I got back from a trip to New York we hooked up, we met up and hung out. She's great. '[Emma] is hands down, without a doubt, the most amazing person I have ever met, and I've never loved anyone as much as I have loved her.' Selfie time: The couple posed for pictures and seemed in a world of their own on the beach Good times: They looked in good spirits, laughing and joking with their group of pals It's the most highly-anticipated series of The Bachelor yet and an air date has finally been announced. Richie Strahan will hit television screens across Australia on Wednesday July 27 at 7.30pm on Channel Ten, reports News Corp. The first episode, in which eligible bachelor Richie will meet the 22 girls vying for his love, will be followed by a second episode in the same time slot on Thursday July 28. Scroll down for video Finally! Richie Strahan will hit television screens across Australia on Wednesday July 27 at 7.30pm Fans have been eagerly waiting to meet the lovely ladies who will fight for the handsome 31-year-old's attention, and his heart, on season four of the popular reality show. And although some details have been revealed about the bevvy of beauties, it's the first episode which will offer the first real glimpse into Richie's search for love. Ages of the women range from 23 to 34, with contestants flying in from across Australia to try their luck at impressing oil rig worker Richie, who hails from Western Australia. All will be revealed: The first episode will be followed by a second episode in the same time slot on Thursday July 28 Nervous: Richie hinted that he did indeed find love on the show, saying he was 'happy' with the outcome And the man of the moment has hinted that he did indeed find someone special on the show, which wrapped filming in Bali over a month ago. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the hunk said he was 'happy' with the outcome and experience which he gained from series. 'Im definitely happy,' he stated to the newspaper. 'This has been such an unreal, crazy rollercoaster ride and Ive loved every moment of it.' Jet setters: Contestants have flown in from across Australia to try their luck at impressing oil rig worker Richie And he's certainly had an eclectic line-up of women to get to know, with one particular contestant, Alexandra Nation being a single mother of one. Another contestant is communications officer Natalie, who admitted to the The Herald Sun that she has never had a boyfriend. 'I'm almost 28 and have never had a boyfriend. I'm at the stage where I would love to share my life with someone,' revealed the slender brunette. Contestant Laura, a 24-year-old project manager, confessed to the publication that she didn't think she would ever make it onto the show. A bevvy of beauties: The 31-year-old hunk certainly has an eclectic line-up of women to get to know And in contrast, 34-year-old yoga instructor Marja, who is the oldest contestant on the show, exuded nothing but confidence. It comes after Daily Mail Australia reported that Playboy model Kirralee Morris would join the show. The brunette bombshell from Sydney has a modelling portfolio that extends to racy men's magazines such as Ralph and Zoo, and she's graced many a magazine cover. However, the glamorous stunner, who goes by the moniker 'Kiki', is described as a personal assistant in the recent Herald Sun article. Full of hope! The ladies include a yoga instructor, a Playboy model, a communications officer and a project manager Meanwhile Lara Bingle-lookalike Keira Maguire was also pinned as another contestant this year. Keira had some leverage over her rivals, thanks to her friendship with Richie's cousin Lisa Clark and former contestant Lisa Hyde. Mother-of-one Alexandra Nation was also identified as joining the program earlier this year. Top 22: Producers searched the country for potential love interests for Richie, and the ages of the ladies range from 23 to 34 Producers likely cast the actress in the hopes that she would follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Snezana Markoski, who is a mother-of-one and won over Bachelor Sam Wood. Bachelor hopeful Tolyna Baan was identified earlier this month as also joining the show. The blonde beauty, who is believed to be part Dutch, works under modelling company Wink Models and has previously appeared on an insurance TV advert. She's a social media superstar with one of the biggest blogs and Instagram accounts online. And on Saturday, Natasha Oakley and her business partner Devin Brugman gave their combined three-million Instagram followers a glimpse at how their Bikini A Day blog comes together. In an image shared to Natasha's account, the 25-year-old can be seen lying back on some steps as she snaps some photos of the busty Devin, who is striking her best pose in a black two-piece. Scroll down for video 'It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it:' Natasha Oakley showed fans how her and business partner Devin Brugman's popular blog and Instagram pages come together 'It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it,' wrote the blonde bombshell. She added: 'Shooting @devinbrugman for @abikiniaday.' The sun-kissed starlets are currently holidaying at a luxury resort in Mykonos. Lovely view! The busty blogger flaunted her sun-kissed legs in a plunging white silk playsuit on holiday in the Greek island of Mykonos on Thursday Natasha enjoyed the hot Mediterranean climate while offering a glimpse of cleavage in a white silk playsuit with a plunging lace-up neckline. The top-heavy babe proudly displayed her bronzed legs while posing for a typically Instagram-ready holiday snap as her blonde hair flicked about in the breeze. Meanwhile, Devin showed off her pin-up girl frame in a skimpy bikini from her and Devin's own range, Monday Swimwear. Lovely view! Natasha was joined by her best friend Devin Brugman (pictured), who displayed her busty curves in a skimpy white bikini The LA beauty put on a busty display in the racy white two-piece, which could barely contain her DD-cup size assets. She flaunted her perfectly toned tummy and sun-kissed legs in a pair of tie-side bottoms while posing at the Santa Marina resort. Before their trip to Greece, the busty friends took a brief trip to London to celebrate the launch of Natasha's first Women's Health UK cover. Holiday lifestyle: Natasha enjoyed the Mediterranean summer in a white silk playsuit with a plunging neckline Living the dream: Natasha and Devin, both 25, have been enjoying a sunny holiday in the Greek islands Glamour: Natasha and Devin rose to fame in 2012 after launching their popular fashion blog A Bikini A Day And previously, Natasha enjoyed a three-week romantic getaway in Italy with her model boyfriend, Gilles Souteyrand. Devin appeared to be enjoying the single life, meanwhile, as she explored the sights and sounds of her native California. Tash and Dev rose to fame in 2012 after launching their popular fashion blog A Bikini A Day. True love: Last month, Natasha enjoyed a three-week getaway in Italy with her boyfriend, Gilles Souteyrand. Going solo: Meanwhile, Devin appeared to be enjoying the single life as she explored her native California The website follows their bikini-clad travels around the world, and has earned the pair millions of followers on Instagram. They have since released their own swimwear collection, and more recently a gym-wear range, Monday Active. Earlier this year, Natasha and Devin unveiled their six-week fitness program, Body Love, which combines strength and cardio training. Zachary Quinto has joined the conversation about the decision to reveal Sulu is gay in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond movie. Quinto, who is openly gay and stars as Spock in the franchise reboot, said he is 'disappointed' that original star George Takei, who is also gay, isn't supportive of the decision to give Sulu a same sex partner. 'I get it,' the actor, 39, told pedestrian.tv. 'He has had his own personal journey and has his own personal relationship with this character, but, you know, as we established in the first Star Trek film in 2009, weve created an alternate universe.' Sad: Zachary Quinto, who is openly gay and stars as Spock in the Star Trek reboot franchise, said he's 'disappointed' that original star George Takei isn't in favor of the decision to reveal Suklu is homosexual Quinto went on: 'My hope is that eventually George can be strengthened by the enormously positive response from especially young people who are heartened by and inspired by this really tasteful and beautiful portrayal of something that I think is gaining acceptance and inclusion in our societies across the world, and should be.' He echoed the sentiments of British actor Simon Pegg, 46, who co-wrote the Star Trek Beyond screenplay. 'I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humour are an inspiration,' he told Britain's The Guardian newspaper on Friday. 'However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him.' Same character: Takei, 79, starred as Sulu in the original TV series and in six movies featuring the original Star Trek cast. He's pictured in 2009 with actor John Cho who plays Sulu in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond Mistaken: British actor Simon Pegg, who plays USS Enterprise engineer Scotty in the film, co-wrote the screenplay and had thought Takei, a gay rights activist, would be delighted to see Sulu come out as gay Pegg, who plays Scotty in the film, argued that if they had decided to bring in a new character who was gay, they could have been accused of 'tokenism.' 'We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the 'gay character' rather than simply for who they are, and isn't that tokenism?' he said. '(Director) Justin Lin, Doug Jung and I loved the idea of it being someone we already knew because the audience have a pre-existing opinion of that character as a human being, unaffected by any prejudice,' Pegg explained. 'Also, the audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek Universe from the beginning,' he added. Legacy: Takei, pictured as the Starship Enterprise navigator in the original TV series, argued that the decision to give Sulu a same-sex partner went against the vision of Star Trek creator Gene Rodenberry Takei and longtime partner Brad Altman were the first same-sex couple to obtain a marriage license in West Hollywood when gaymarriage became legal in California in 2008. They're pictured together in 2014 Takei, 79, portrayed USS Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original 1960s TV series and in six films featuring the original cast. He is a high-profile LGBT activist and he and husband Brad were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood once gay marriage became legal in California in 2008. However, Takei has criticized the new generation of Star Trek filmmakers for going against the creative vision of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. 'Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Gene's creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. In the new film that hits theatres on July 22, actor John Cho as Sulu is seen with a male spouse raising their infant child. Departure: Cho has a scene in Star Trek Beyond in which he is seen with a same-sex partner with whom he is raising a child. He's pictured as the USS Enterprise navigator in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness The past is the past: Quinto, pictured as Spock with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in the first reboot film in 2009, argued that the new set of filmmakers have created their own culturally-relevant 'alternative universe' for the franchise Takei said that when he first learned, last year, that Cho's Sulu would be revealed as gay, he appealed to director Lin to instead 'create a new character' and thus honor Roddenberry's intentions. 'I told him, 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted',' he recalled. The decision to make a long-time franchise staple character gay comes as Hollywood faces growing pressure to include more diversity in its blockbuster films. She recently returned from a sunsoaked getaway to the Greek Island of Santorini. And Jessica Wright, 30, showed off her sunkissed glow as she led the celebrity contingent at day two of Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, London, on Saturday. The TOWIE star pulled off summer chic with aplomb in a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes and a lightweight white vest top with an intricate lace hem. Scroll down for video Festival fashion: Jessica Wright, 30, showed off her sunkissed glow as she led the celebrity contingent at day two of Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, London, on Saturday She casually wrapped a blue shirt around her waist and carried her essentials in a pretty over-the-shoulder bag. Jessica finished her look with a stylish pair of mirrored shades and a metallic pair of sandals for a shimmering edge. The Essex native was all smiles as she sauntered through the festival site. Her luscious brunette locks cascaded down her front, and she added a touch of colour to her look with some bright red lipstick. Sunkissed: The TOWIE star pulled off summer chic with aplomb in a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes and a lightweight white vest top with an intricate lace hem Gal pals: She casually wrapped a blue shirt around her waist and carried her essentials in a pretty over-the-shoulder bag Summer chic: Former Made in Chelsea star Ashley James returned to the festival after wowing in a colourful all-Adidas ensemble on Friday Looking good: Ashley looked relaxed as she strolled across the grass clutching an orange beverage and carrying her belongings in a black rucksack Former Made in Chelsea star Ashley James returned to the festival after wowing in a colourful all-Adidas ensemble on Friday. This time around, the blonde beauty wore nothing but a loose-fitting green shirt tied around the waist with a quirky belt, which she teamed with some camouflage high-tops. Ashley looked relaxed as she strolled across the grass clutching an orange beverage and carrying her belongings in a black rucksack. Leggy display: Tulisa rocked urban chic in a black and gold coordinated ensemble Strutting her stuff: She teased a glimpse of cleavage and proudly showcased her legs, while the beauty covered her lips with a slick of rouge and wore dark eye make-up Game, set and match: Fittingly for Wimbledon Ladies' Final Day, Rita wore a white Adidas minidress Heartbreaker: Her 'I came to break hearts' cap certainly made a statement Surprise! Rita delighted the crowd when she appeared during Krept & Konan's set Main event: The 25-year-old singer stunned onlookers when she bounded onto the main stage for her impromptu duet Tactile: The star joined the hip-hop duo for a lively performance of their top tune Freak of the Week Top secret: Rita had reportedly kept her performance so quiet that no one even knew she was backstage at the festival Laid-back look: The former X Factor judge - who quit her mentoring duties after just one year on the panel - was rocking a sports casual ensemble for her appearance Sportswear chic: The Kosovo-born beauty added to her sportswear luxe ensemble with a baseball cap and a pair of trainers Crowd pleaser: The blonde beauty put on a very animated display at the festival Hot Right Now: Rita added a feminine touch thanks to her trademark slick of red lipstick and a bright orange necklace Centre of attention: Last week the star hit headlines, after it was reported that she and Professor Green, 32, went for dinner at popular restaurant chain Nando's in London Just friends: However, a rep for the star told MailOnline there was no romance on the cards, saying, 'Rita has been friends with Professor Green for years and they met a group of friends at Nando's' She covered her eyes with some circular shades and styled her golden locks in two plaited pigtails. Both Ashley and Jessica's glamorous make-up applications were taken care of by professionals through the Secret Spa app - described as 'UberLux' for beauty therapies. Also in attendance on the day were Rita Ora, Tulisa Contostavlos, Josh 'JP' Patterson and Neelam Gill. Fittingly for Wimbledon Ladies' Final Day, Rita wore a white Adidas minidress with white socks and monochrome trainers. Model material: Jourdan Dunn rocked nothing but an oversized black tee which enabled her to showcase her legs to the full Hanging out: Jourdan and Neelam Gill put on a close display as they posed in the park Work it! The model flashed a cut smile over her shoulder while standing in a pair of black Timberland boots Checking her out: The beauty gave Neelam the once over while holding a beverage She made a statement with an 'I came to break hearts' slogan cap and struck a selection of poses, including a plump pout, backstage. Tulisa rocked urban chic in a black and gold coordinated ensemble. She sported a flat peak cap emblazoned with Ali, an intricately patterned bomber jacket and a pair of high-tops. She teased a glimpse of cleavage and proudly showcased her legs, while the beauty covered her lips with a slick of rouge and wore dark eye make-up. Peace: Neelam Gill flaunted her endless limbs in little denim hotpants which she wore with a camo jacket and black choker Stunning: The beauty decorated her brow with gold make-up for a distinctive look Renaissance man: Craig David was typically stylish in a tan suede jacket and black jeans Old school: A$AP Ferg looked to capture the day through a disposable camera Bright and bold: WSTRN rocked some vibrant colours, ensuring they stood out from the crowd Working up an appetite: Krept and Konan enjoyed some snacks before performing Low-key: Wilkinson kept things simple with a plain green top and dark jeans VIP access: Jaden Smith watched on in front of the stage as J Cole performed Taking it all in: The star's signature dreads fell neatly from under his cap as he stood with his arms folded Exclusive: Jaden had the best view in the park and was no doubt the envy of many of the rapper's fans JP cut a cool figure in a black tee worn underneath a sleeveless monochrome top which he teamed with ripped black jeans and a flat peak cap. Neelam flaunted her endless limbs in little denim hotpants which she wore with a camo jacket and black choker. Headlining day two of the festival are British duo Chase & Status with premiere support coming from J Cole and Future. The opening day of the festival saw Taylor Swift's DJ ex Calvin Harris play a triumphant set following performances from The 1975 and Miguel. Coordinated: Josh 'JP' Patterson cut a cool figure in a black tee worn underneath a sleeveless monochrome top and teamed with ripped black jeans and a flat peak cap Stylish: Love Island's Malin Andersson wore a pretty LBD with black gladiator-style shoes On trend: Vogue Williams was another who opted for a camouflage garment Cheeky: She removed it to reveal a backless black top and tiny black hotpants Pop star: X Factor winner Louisa Johnson let her blonde locks fall free over her patterned minidress Kendall Jenner put on quite a show as she went out for dinner in New York without a bra and wearing a slashed-to-the-waist black shirt. The 20-year-old made sure to stop traffic in the brazen outfit that included in a teeny tiny pair of ripped dark denim shorts that hugged the top of her thighs. Kendall joined her sister Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick and sister Kim's BFF Jonathan Cheban for the night out in Manhattan. Scroll down for video Nothing to hide: Kendall Jenner, 20, left little to the imagination as she stepped out in NYC topless under a shirt left open to the waist and a pair of tiny dark denim Daisy Dukes and black ankle boots The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star added a pair of calf-length black boots with chunky high heels and carried a black purse on a silver chain. She had a wide black choker around her neck and wore her long raven hair in a messy topknot. Back in the Big Apple after walking the runway at the Fendi show in Rome on Thursday, she immediately caught up with Scott with whom she has been spending a lot of time lately. Close pals: Kendall wore the brazen outfit for a night out with sister Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick, 33, after returning from the Fendi show in Rome Night on the town: The pair enjoyed dinner at Cipriani followed by a stop off at Nobu before going on to a rooftop club where they partied with friends Scott who goes by the moniker Lord Disick was dressed in his usual ensemble of distressed jeans and baggy t-shirt with a black hoodie and trainers. The bearded businessman was seen escorting Kendall to their table at trendy Cipriani's where they enjoyed a meal with Cheban and two other young models before heading out to the clubs. Cheban, a self-styled publicist who has found fame via his association with the Kardashians and their reality show, also dressed down for the night out, in black ripped denims and a loud t-shirt paired with a long neck chain. Signature style: The bearded Lord Disick was dressed in his usual ensemble of ripped jeans and a baggy t-shirt with a black hoodie and trainers Scott, 33, who shares three young children with his ex Kourtney, was hundreds of miles away from his family as his daughter Penelope celebrated her fourth birthday in Miami on Friday. He is also dad to sons Mason, six, and Reign, 18 months, who are also vacationing with their mom on a beach holiday in Florida. Kourtney, 37, shared a photo on her Instagram of her daughter sitting on her lap as they spent her birthday out on the water on a yacht. Meanwhile, her younger half-sister posted a snap to her Instagram on Saturday showing her long legs stretched out as she lies on a bed with her feet in white stilettos looking out over the city at night. Living the high life: Kendall posted this snap to her Instagram on Saturday showing her long legs stretched out as she lay on a bed wearing white stilettos and gazing out over the city at night Having fun! Earlier in the evening she'd shared a Snapchat video of herself and Scott joking around in the back of a car Hundreds of miles away: Meanwhile, Scott's ex Kourtney, 37, shared a sweet photo on of herself with their daughter Penelope who turned four on Friday. They're enjoying a vacation in Miami Kourtney had taken the children to Miami over the Independence Day weekend, while Scott who stayed home in California attended the same July 4 party as Kendall and her rumored new beau Jordan Clarkson at Nobu in Malibu on Monday. The Saturday before, Kendall and Scott had been seen enjoying lunch and shopping together in Beverly Hills. Scott had also been on hand to party with Kendall at the Cannes Film Festival In May, where they were also joined by her mom Kris Jenner and big sister Kim. Family friend: Kim Kardashian's BFF Jonathan Cheban joined Kendall and Scott on their night out, wearing ripped denims and a loud t-shirt with trainers and a long neck chain She has been hailed by society bible Tatler as the new aristocratic beauty, but Lady Amelia Windsor is fast becoming a Royal rebel by changing her name to Mel, sporting a crazy wig and getting herself a tramp stamp! I spotted Amelia granddaughter of the Duke of Kent mingling with guests at the Serpentine Gallery summer party last week, and couldnt help but notice a tattoo of a tiger on her shoulder, pictured above. She also sported braided hair and a pair of pink clogs to go with her halterneck navy dress. She has been hailed by society bible Tatler as the new aristocratic beauty, but Lady Amelia Windsor (pictured) is fast becoming a Royal rebel by getting herself a new tattoo (right) The look was a far cry to the one she showed off at the Queens 90th birthday thanksgiving service at St Pauls Cathedral last month, when she dazzled in Chanel. But since starting at Edinburgh University last year, shes adopted a definite grungy look, while her friends call her Mel. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old, who is 36th in line to the Throne, avoided photographers at Glastonbury this year by wearing a huge wig, below, but she didnt escape my attention after I spotted her flashing a hospitality pass. Lady Amelia Windsor sports an afro wig as she enjoys herself at Glastonbury festival last month Meanwhile, I predict fellow Royal Samuel Chatto could soon replace Prince Harry as The Firms most eligible bachelor. Tall and always impeccably dressed, the 19-year-old Old Etonian, left, was spotted accompanying his mother, Lady Sarah Chatto, on a shopping trip in Chelsea. Royal Samuel Chatto could soon replace Prince Harry as The Firms most eligible bachelor. Pictured, with his mother while shopping in Chelsea, west London Lady Sarah, who is the Queens niece, was recently dubbed Britains favourite Royal after her star turn in a BBC documentary to mark Her Majestys 90th birthday. She's been enjoying the VIP lifestyle in Los Angeles as part of her role as This Morning's showbiz correspondent. And Ferne McCann couldn't believe her eyes when she bumped into none other than her former TOWIE co-star Mario Falcone at The Albert Pub in West Hollywood on Friday. The 25-year-old reality star was thrilled to find her fellow Essex native Mario partying at the venue, as well as Made In Chelsea original Caggie Dunlop. Scroll down for video Conquering LA: Ferne McCann was dressed to impress as she partied at The Albert Pub in West Hollywood on Friday night Ferne raced over to Mario, throwing her arms around him and wrapping her former co-star up in a friendly hug. The tattooed hunk was equally pleased to see Ferne, and the pair enjoyed a quick catch up before the brunette headed off to the SLS Hotel to keep the party going. The TV favourite was dressed to impress in a black dress with a sheer lace overlay, ensuring she was looking her best to mingle with the Hollywood set. It's a small world! The brunette beauty couldn't believe her eyes when she bumped into none other than her former TOWIE co-star Mario Falcone Overjoyed: Ferne raced over to Mario, throwing her arms around him and wrapping her former co-star up in a friendly hug Fancy that! The tattooed hunk was equally pleased to see Ferne, and the pair enjoyed a quick catch up before the brunette headed off to the SLS Hotel to keep the party going Ferne's sexy slip boasted a high neckline and a see-through skirt, making the most of her long legs. She completed her attire with a pair of strappy shoes and a metallic clutch bag, wearing her hair in a chic updo. Meanwhile, Mario and Caggie were seen partying together, heading outside for a cigarette. Height of glamour: The TV favourite was dressed to impress in a black dress with a sheer lace overlay, ensuring she was looking her best to mingle with the Hollywood set Chic: Ferne's sexy slip boasted a high neckline and a see-through skirt, making the most of her long legs Upping the glamour: She completed her attire with a pair of strappy shoes and a metallic clutch bag, wearing her hair in a ponytail Blonde beauty Caggie rocked a white crop top and a matching pencil skirt with a sexy side split, while Mario also opted for an all-white look. Ferne's appearance came after she presented her showbiz segment on just thirty minutes of sleep. The star gave her report after coming straight from a wild party in Los Angeles. Going Stateside: Meanwhile, Mario and Caggie Dunlop were seen partying together, heading outside for a cigarette Bit of all white: Former Made In Chelsea star Caggie rocked a white crop top and a matching pencil skirt with a sexy side split The Essex beauty appeared via video link to update the show's hosts Rylan Clark and his husband Dan on all the latest gossip, only for viewers, and the presenters, to point out she still looked 'smashed'. Ferne told the boys she'd been partying with the likes of Kylie Jenner and Tyga at the US reality star's Pretty Little Things Hollywood bash on Thursday night. 'The party got shut down! We turned up and it was crazy,' she gushed. While she mingled with the LA A-listers, Ferne had to head to work at 3am her time to present her regular update for UK viewers. Smooth operator: Essex boy Mario was seen working his charm on the local ladies Uruguay wins case against US tobacco firm Uruguay won an arbitration case against US tobacco giant Philip Morris, which sued the state claiming its strict anti-tobacco law harmed the cigarette maker's business, both sides said. "The Uruguayan state has emerged victorious and the tobacco company's claims have been roundly rejected," Uruguayan President Tabara Vasquez said in a televised address. He was citing a decision by the World Bank's arbitration body, the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Uruguay became the first Latin American country and the fifth in the world to ban smoking in public places under President Tabara Vazquez Joel Saget (AFP/File) Philip Morris reacted by saying "we respect" the verdict, which is binding in any case. "For the last seven years, we have already been complying with the regulations at issue in the case, so today's outcome doesn't change the status quo," Marc Firestone, vice president of the US company, said in a statement. Philip Morris had "never questioned Uruguay's authority to protect public health," he added. The case was more about getting "clarification" under international law about "an important, but unusual, set of facts," he said. Philip Morris sued Uruguay in 2010 for $25 million over legislation enacted in 2006 banning smoking in public and tobacco advertising. Uruguay became the first Latin American country and fifth in the world to ban smoking in public places under Vazquez, an oncologist who was serving a previous term as president (2005-2010) before returning to power last year. The company argued the law violated an investment treaty between Uruguay and Switzerland. Specifically, it complained about a ban on vendors selling different types of the same brand of cigarettes, and expanding anti-smoking health warnings to cover 80 percent of packets' surfaces. - Plain packaging - The Uruguay verdict adds to Philip Morris's legal losses as it seeks to defend its business from increasingly tough anti-smoking laws in several countries. The European Union's top court ruled in May that new laws in the bloc on plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes were legal, rejecting a challenge by Philip Morris and other cigarette companies. Britain and France imposed neutral packaging soon after, with retailers in both countries given months to sell existing branded cigarette stocks. Norway and New Zealand said in May that they would follow suit. The international move toward plain packaging comes as Philip Morris last year lost a four-year struggle to overturn legislation in Australia requiring cigarettes to be sold only in logo-free packs featuring graphic health warnings. America can end divisions, Obama says, as race protests simmer President Barack Obama assured a shocked America Saturday that the black army vet who shot dead five cops in Dallas was a lone wolf -- and that the country can overcome its racial divisions, as the groundswell of anger over police brutality surged on. Fresh protests were planned in at least half a dozen cities to demand justice for two African-Americans whose fatal shooting by police triggered the Dallas rampage of an angry radical bent on revenge. The nightmare scenes in Texas, where a peaceful protest turned to horror, left many fearing a new, dark chapter in America's troubled race relations. "I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested," US President Barack Obama told a news conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw Wojtek Radwanski (AFP) But as Dallas honored its slain officers, Obama sought to cut short that narrative. "I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested," he told a news conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity." Obama described the 25-year-old gunman, Micah Johnson, as a "demented individual" who in no way represented the African-American community at large. Dallas officials say they are now certain the atrocity was the work of a lone shooter -- killed in a showdown with police -- and not a group of co-conspirators as initially feared. At Dallas police headquarters, people flocked to leave flowers and messages of sympathy for the slain officers amid an outpouring of support that saw crowds in the city line up to hug police officers. After visiting the memorial Saturday, Mayor Mike Rawlings voiced hope that the shock from the killings could serve a purpose "in a grander plan to make us a stronger country, a stronger city, and a stronger world." - 'Dangerous to be black' - The Black Lives Matter activist movement, which has spearheaded months of nationwide protests over police brutality, has demanded an end to the violence -- not an escalation. As thousands marched in US cities overnight, there were nasty scenes in Phoenix, Arizona, where police used pepper spray to disperse stone-throwing protesters. And in Rochester, New York, 74 people were arrested over a sit-in protest. But elsewhere -- from Atlanta to Houston, New Orleans, Detroit and Baltimore -- protests held over the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota passed off without trouble. Cities expecting new gatherings Saturday included Seattle, Indianapolis and Philadelphia -- where organizers called for a "Weekend of Rage." Obama is to visit Dallas early next week in the effort to chart a way forward, while a raft of US politicians sought to appear as unifiers after a week of violence graphically highlighted America's racial challenges. "White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the barriers they face," Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton tweeted. That message was echoed by prominent members of the Republican Party, which has often jumped to defend law enforcement amid accusations of racial bias. "It is more dangerous to be black in America," Newt Gingrich, a Republican former House speaker tipped as a possible White House running mate for Donald Trump, said in an interview on Facebook Live. "Sometimes it's difficult for whites to appreciate how real that is. It's an everyday danger." Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio had a similar message. "Those of us who are not African American will never fully understand the experience of being black in America," he said. Trump himself put out a video statement, seated presidential-style behind a large desk, in which he acknowledged the Louisiana and Minnesota shootings and spoke of "how much work we have to do in order to make every American feel that their safety is protected." - Police on edge - The Dallas ambush marked the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Police were set further on edge as it emerged that several officers had been targeted across the country by individuals apparently angered at the recent fatal shootings. In Bristol, Tennessee, a man opened fire Thursday on a hotel, killing a woman, wounding several others and grazing a police officer with a bullet. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the gunman "may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers." And in Racine, Wisconsin, police said a 43-year-old man was arrested over threatening social media posts that read: "I encourage every Black man in America to strap up... I encourage every white officer to kiss there (sic) love ones goodbye." - Scouring social media - Described to police as a "loner," the Dallas gunman served as a US Army reservist for six years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Although the White House has ruled out any link between Johnson and known "terrorist organizations," his Facebook page ties him to radical black movements listed as hate groups. He told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops. Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at his home and were scouring his journal and social media posts to understand what drove him to mass murder. Members of an FBI evidence response team search an area that is still an active crime scene in downtown Dallas, Texas on July 9, 2016 Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP) People visit a growing memorial at the Dallas police department's headquarters on July 9, 2016 in Texas Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP) People visit a growing memorial at the Dallas police department's headquarters near the active crime scene in downtown Dallas, Texas on July 9, 2016 Spencer Platt (Getty/AFP) Rising violence in Bangladesh: what's behind it? Bangladesh has been hit by a surge in Islamist attacks in the past three years that reached new heights last weekend when 20 hostages were murdered in Dhaka. The wave of attacks has been notably brutal with many of the victims, including the hostages, hacked to death with machetes. One week on from the end of the siege at an upmarket cafe in the capital, AFP looks at some of the factors fuelling the attacks, who might be responsible and how the government is reacting: This file photo shows a Bangladeshi woman holding her smartphone with a photograph of her son, who worked at a cafe that was the scene of an attack and seige, and who was missing, in Dhaka STR (AFP/File) Are these attacks a new phenomenon? Bangladesh has been blighted by unrest since it broke from Pakistan in a war of independence in 1971 and has witnessed more than a dozen coups. Islamist groups such as Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the newer Ansarullah Bangla Team have long posed a challenge to authorities, with the JMB killing at least 28 people in a bombing campaign in 2005. The group, blamed by the government for the Dhaka siege, was banned after the 2005 attacks and is seen as a largely spent force following the subsequent arrest and execution of its leaders. While the 2005 attacks were largely indiscriminate, the recent killings have had specific targets, including secular bloggers and gay activists. Members of minority groups such as Hindus, Christians and Sufi Muslims have also been victims, with many of them hacked to death. Although a handful of foreigners had previously been killed, last weekend's siege was by far the deadliest attack. The victims included nine Italians and seven Japanese. Why is Islamist violence rising? Experts point to several factors behind the recent violence, including the execution of top Islamists over their role in the independence war. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 2013 to protest at the guilty verdicts handed down by a domestic tribunal that critics say was intent on neutering opposition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Supreme Court then barred the biggest Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the 2014 general election, disenfranchising millions of supporters. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party -- allied to Jamaat -- subsequently boycotted the polls. What was then effectively a one-horse race was held against the backdrop of firebombings across the country. Many observers say the lack of genuine democracy has made Bangladesh a fertile ground for extremists. "There is a lot of support for the organisations (Hasina) is trying to quash," said C. Christine Fair, associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington and South Asia expert. "The country is torn. She is essentially silencing, politically, half the country." Are IS and Al-Qaeda to blame? Both the Islamic State (IS) organisation and the competing Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) have claimed many of the attacks. However, the government insists international jihadist networks have not got a foothold in Bangladesh and that local extremists are culpable. There is little evidence that IS trains and funds attackers in the country, although it has recruited Bangladeshis to fight in Syria. More likely, analysts say, is that radicalised youths are being inspired by the group and pledge allegiance -- a murky line in the age of social media. During the cafe siege, IS was sent gruesome pictures of the carnage by the attackers, which it immediately distributed via its affiliate news agency Amaq. Al-Qaeda may have more of a claim of presence in Bangladesh, with Bangladeshi fighters aiding the anti-Soviet mujahedeen in Afghanistan as far back as the 1980s. "The ties to AQIS are much more credible. South Asia is Al-Qaeda territory," said Fair. Why are many of the victims hacked to death? The use of machetes has become a chilling hallmark of the murders and nearly all the slain hostages were attacked with sharp blades, even though their killers had automatic weapons. Some experts say a lack of access to suicide vests or car bombs explains the prevalence of machete attacks but others see a more deliberate reason behind the brutal killing style. "They wanted to show the world that they can go to any extent for jihad," said K. G. Suresh of New Delhi's Vivekananda International Foundation think-tank. What does the public think? Bangladesh is intensely politically polarised, characterised by a poisonous rivalry between Hasina and the main opposition leader Khaleda Zia that stretches back decades. Although around 90 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million-strong population is Muslim, mostly Sunni, the nation is officially secular. Creeping popular support for fundamentalism has led to mounting calls for Islamist representation in government and public life. One recent study found around 47 percent of Bangladeshis say suicide bombing is justifiable to defend Islam, higher than other Muslim-majority nation in South and Southeast Asia. A Bangladeshi woman walks past a banner that reads "We stand with the bereaved" in a street near an upscale restaurant which was the site of a bloody siege that ended in the death of seventeen dead foreigners and five Bangladeshis in Dhaka Roberto Schmidt (AFP/File) During the cafe siege, IS was sent gruesome pictures of the carnage by the attackers, which it immediately distributed via its affiliate news agency Amaq STR (AFP/File) Congolese student Arnold Mutumbo Muama refuses to be cowed by a spate of racist violence towards Africans in India's capital New Delhi, defiant after a friend was beaten up by security guards at his apartment block. "The guard called him a 'monster' in Hindi before taking him to the basement and beating him," recalled Muama, 29, who chairs a Congolese welfare association. Racism against Africans in India was thrown into the spotlight following the brutal stoning to death in May of Congolese national Masunda Kitada Oliver in a dispute over an auto-rickshaw. Around 30,000 Africans live in New Delhi, according to police Anna Zieminski (AFP/File) Following the attack, African ambassadors in New Delhi threatened to recommend to their governments that they don't send students to the capital "as their security is not guaranteed". Around 30,000 Africans live in New Delhi, according to police, and they have told AFP of numerous humiliations they face, from insults in the street to housing discrimination and even violent attacks. This week, television footage showed police officers in the southern city of Bangalore forcefully restraining a Nigerian woman following an altercation at a market. She was tied up with ropes before being injected with sedatives. Despite these incidents, IT student Muama believes it is "out of the question to live in fear". "You have to be aware of your rights," he said. 'They eat dogs' In Khirki Extension, a bustling set of interlacing streets in the south of the Indian capital long home to a sizeable Nigerian community, prejudices remain on display. "The way they eat, drink, live... Everything is different," said Inderjeet Singh, a real estate agent who has been in the neighbourhood for 15 years. "People say they eat street dogs, families fear they cut their children into pieces and eat them," the 53-year-old said. The number of Nigerians living in the district has dwindled since January 2014, when it was the scene of a crackdown by a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Somnath Bharti. Bharti, accompanied by supporters of his anti-corruption party and night vision cameras, took to the streets to denounce an alleged prostitution and drug trafficking network run by Nigerians and Ugandans. Bharti attempted to force the police to search several apartments and reportedly ordered four Africans to take urine tests to detect any traces of drugs. In an attempt to now tackle racist views, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj has promised an awareness campaign in neighbourhoods with large numbers of African inhabitants. "We are trying to break the communication gap between the locals and our African friends," R.P. Upadhyay, a senior Delhi Police official in charge of the campaign told AFP. "We are requesting everyone that whenever anything happens, report it to the police." 'Good friendships' The death of the Congolese student comes as India is seeking to charm African nations, seeking to rival China, which has long staked its interest on the continent. Following an India-Africa summit last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited four African countries in early July. Nigerian, Cameroonian and Congolese residents in New Delhi interviewed by AFP say that while they encounter difficulties in daily life, many Indians are open and tolerant towards them. Congolese student Loic Ipanga, 24, believes the "racist reactions" he experiences are often due to ignorance of Africa. "It is very shocking that every time an Indian sees you, he asks you if you are Nigerian, thinking that because of my skin colour I must be Nigerian," he says. "This is sometimes a disturbing issue." Yet he says he has "very good friendships with Indians, who are willing to get up in the middle of the night to help you". "We must act like adults -- mature and wise. You cannot lay a hand on anyone," he said. African students listen to a discussion about racial problems faced by African nationals in India with Delhi police representatives and members of a local residents welfare association in New Delhi Chandan Khanna (AFP/File) Somnath Bharti, a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, took to the streets in January 2014 to denounce an alleged prostitution and drug trafficking network run by Nigerians and Ugandans Sajjad Hussain (AFP/File) Beijing holds South China Sea war games before ruling Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported Saturday ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The navy Friday carried out "combat exercises" with "live missiles" between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, said on its website. State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, on the basis of a segmented line that first appeared on Chinese maps in the 1940s, pitting it against several neighbours STR (AFP/File) "The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare", said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. The PLA Daily however insisted they were "routine exercises" and unrelated to the court's ruling. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. The Philippines said Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week's legal challenge. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict. Eight protesters were killed and more than 200 others injured in disputed Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday after thousands defied a curfew following the death of a top rebel commander, officials said. Shiv Murari Sahai, a top police official in the region, told reporters that seven protesters were killed by government forces in "retaliatory action" and one drowned in a river as clashes intensified. More 100 protesters with bullet injuries were brought into different hospitals, including 50 in a hospital in the main city of Srinagar, two health officials said. Kashmiri mourners carry the body of Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the 22-year-old poster boy for the rebel movement in the restive state of Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of his funeral in Tral, south of Srinagar on July 9, 2016 Tauseef Mustafa (AFP) Sahai said that 90 government forces personnel were also injured during the clashes that spread across the disputed territory as the angry protesters reacted on the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) leader Burhan Wani on Friday. The protesters torched police stations and threw rocks at army camps in the south of the restive region. "Six of them (the injured protesters) are in a critical condition," a staff member at a hospital in the southern town of Anantnag told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. Wani, a 22-year-old commander of Kashmir's largest rebel group HM, was killed along with two other rebels during a brief gun battle with government forces. Authorities handed the body of Wani, viewed by locals as a hero since he joined the rebel group at the age of 15, over to his family early Saturday morning. He was buried as tens of thousands attending the funeral chanted independence slogans and suspected rebels fired pistol shots in his honour, witnesses said. "It was a sea of people shouting slogans in favour of freedom from India," one said. Authorities imposed a curfew in large parts of the territory and suspended mobile networks and internet to prevent wide-scale demonstrations. But thousands defied the restrictions as tensions intensified and clashes spread. Government forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition at protesters in several places. 'A new icon' Streets in Srinagar were mainly deserted except for hundreds of soldiers and police ordering people to stay indoors, but protests and clashes were reported from peripheries of the capital city. "Yes we have imposed a curfew, but of course his (Wani's) funeral was allowed," director general of police K. Rajendra told AFP. Wani's death had sparked protests and clashes throughout the night on Friday, with mosque loudspeakers blaring "Azadi" (freedom from Indian rule) in most areas, including the capital Srinagar. "After many yrs I hear slogans for 'Azadi' resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality," former chief minister of the disputed state, Omar Abdullah, said on Twitter. "Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon y'day." Resistance groups opposed to Indian rule of Kashmir have called for three days of mourning and a shutdown in the territory after the rebel commander's killing. Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since 1947, but both claim the territory in its entirety. HM is one of several groups that for decades have been fighting around half a million Indian troops deployed in the region, calling for independence for Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan. Iran missile tests inconsistent with nuclear deal: UN report Iran's ballistic missile tests in March were "not consistent" with the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed with world powers, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council. The secretary general, in a confidential report that AFP saw on Friday, left it up to the Security Council to determine what, if anything, should be done in response. The report does not clearly state whether the Iranian tests violated the provisions of the landmark nuclear deal signed in July 2015 in Vienna. A long-range Qadr ballistic missile is launched in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran on March 9, 2016 Mahmood Hosseini (Tasnim News/AFP/File) Under the agreement, Tehran agreed to curb its atomic program. Western powers accused Iran of using the program to develop a nuclear bomb, but Tehran always denied the allegation. Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday rejected Ban's report as "contradicting the text of the agreement". It instead called for a report on "America's failure to undertake its commitments in the deal, as all countries who have restored economic cooperations with Iran have acknowledged". Tehran accuses Washington of failing to reassure foreign companies and especially international banks planning to restore links with Iran. The deal led to the lifting of sanctions in January. However, Iran's ballistic missile program was not covered by the agreement. "While it is for the Security Council to interpret its own resolutions, I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing" of the nuclear deal, reads part of Ban's 16-page report, dated July 1. "I am concerned by the ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran in March 2016. "I call upon Iran to refrain from conducting such ballistic missile launches since they have the potential to increase tensions in the region." - 'It's up to us' - This is the first report regarding the application of Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes the terms of the nuclear accord. The resolution states that Iran "is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." The Security Council is set to examine the report on July 18, but diplomatic sources are not expecting a decision to be taken, or even for the 15 nations on the Council to take a joint position. "The report makes no recommendations to the Security Council," a Council diplomat told AFP. "Having a report by the secretary general is very useful but it is up to us to decide what we are going to do about it," the diplomat said. The United States, France, Britain and Germany in late March said they believed that Iran's ballistic missile launches violated UN resolutions, and asked the Security Council to address the issue. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: VNA) The visit is being made at the invitation of Mongolian President Ts. Elbegdorj and Prime Minister J.Erdenebat. Vietnam and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 1954. The two-country trade revenue reached USD28.1 million in 2014, up 57 percent compared to 2010./. Pakistan bids farewell to national welfare hero Edhi A gloomy Pakistan on Saturday bade farewell to its national hero Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founder of the country's largest welfare organisation who died Friday in Karachi aged 92. Edhi, whose death was confirmed by his son Faisal, was revered for setting up maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters and homes for the elderly, picking up where limited government-run services fell short. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced a state funeral and day of national mourning in honour of the man who owned just two sets of clothes, but whose work uplifting the nation's destitute and orphans cemented his place in the hearts of Pakistan's masses. Abdul Sattar Edhi, founder and head of the Edhi Foundation, Pakistan's largest welfare organisation, waves as he journeys to his office in the port city of Karachi on February 15, 2016 Asif Hassan (AFP/File) Edhi, known as a 'servant of humanity' and who also ran the world's largest private ambulance network, was suffering from severe kidney problems according to his son. Among those to attend the funeral was President Mamnoon Hussain, military chief General Raheel Sharif, governor of Sindh province Ishrat ul Ibad Khan, the chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab provinces and many other national politicians, notables and servicemen. Edhi's coffin, wrapped in the green national flag and covered with pink rose-petals, was carried on a military jeep into the national stadium in Karachi where there was a guard of honour as thousands paid tribute. Security officials said that a 21 gun salute was also offered. Military Chief Raheel Sharif and Edhi's son Faisal saluted the coffin as it was carried by soldiers. But thousands of ordinary people who planned to attend the funeral were stopped several kilometres away from the ceremony for security reasons. More than 3,000 security and traffic police officers were deployed as the coffin was taken for burial to Edhi Village near Karachi's main National Highway, which Edhi himself had selected as a place for his grave 25 years ago. Born to a family of Muslim traders in Gujarat in British India, Edhi arrived in Pakistan after its bloody creation in 1947. The state's failure to help his struggling family care for his mother -- paralysed and suffering from mental health issues -- was his painful and decisive turning point towards philanthropy. In the sticky streets in the heart of Karachi, Edhi, full of idealism and hope, opened his first medical clinic in 1951. Abandoned children and the elderly, battered women, the disabled, drug addicts; Edhi's foundation now houses some 5,700 people in 17 shelters across the country. - Gave until the end - The most prominent symbols of the foundation -- its 1,500 ambulances -- are deployed with unusual efficiency to the scene of extremist attacks that tear through Pakistan with devastating regularity. The foundation's adoption service sees unwanted children -- many of them girls -- left in cradles placed in front of every centre, where they can be safely cared for. Edhi has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and appears on the list again this year -- put there by Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's teenage Nobel laureate. Frail and weak in his later years, he appointed his son Faisal as managing trustee in early 2016. Edhi leaves behind his wife Bilquis and six children. He gave until the very end, his son told AFP, seeking to donate all his body organs after death -- though doctors said that due to his age he could only donate his corneas. Children would run after him, to hold his hand and for small talk whenever he would visit the Edhi village. He would refrain from taking showers to save water. "We have to conserve water for our future generations and that is why I don't misuse this precious gift of nature," he told AFP in an earlier conversation. During his last days and as his condition worsened, he refused offers to get medical treatment from abroad. The last time Pakistan held a state funeral was for military dictator General Zia ul-Haq in 1988. India's Modi pays homage to Gandhi in South Africa Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday followed in Mahatma Gandhi's footsteps in South Africa, where the liberation hero forged his famed policy of non-violent civil disobedience. Modi is on the second leg of a five-day African trip which began in Mozambique and will also take him to Tanzania and Kenya -- an itinerary designed to underline India's growing engagement with the continent. After talks with President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on Friday, Modi travelled to the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, home to most of South Africa's 1.3 million people of Indian origin -- the largest diaspora population in Africa. Indian PM Narendra Modi visits the Pietermaritzburg railway station in South Africa -- where Mahatma Gandhi was ejected after refusing to leave the first class train compartment in 1893 Rajesh Jantilal (AFP) Modi took a short, symbolic train ride to the provincial capital, Pietermaritzburg, where Gandhi was ejected at the station in 1893 after refusing to leave the first class compartment because of his race. Then a 24-year-old lawyer who had recently arrived in South Africa, Gandhi spent the night in the station and the insult was seen as formative in his fight against racial oppression during two decades in South Africa and later in British-ruled India. "It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi conceptualised his politics," Modi told a thousands-strong diaspora gathering at a stadium in Johannesburg on Friday evening. "This is the birthplace of Satyagraha (the policy of non-violent struggle)." After the train trip, Modi travelled to the coastal city of Durban, the heart of the Indian community, where he visited the Phoenix settlement founded by Gandhi in 1904 as a community based on self-reliance. Modi's African visit is seen as part of India's attempt to build ties with African nations as it vies for a greater share of the continent's natural resources. Across Africa, India's economic footprint is dwarfed by that of its regional rival China, whose trade with the continent topped $200 billion last year. In a speech to business leaders in Pretoria, Modi said that Indians "always believe in nurturing and nourishing and not in exploiting" its partners. ThyssenKrupp defends merger talks with Tata Steel German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp on Saturday defended merger talks with Indian rival Tata Steel saying the consolidation of the sector in Europe was necessary due to the "difficult economic situation". The Indian firm said Friday it was in talks with its German competitor and other unnamed groups to create a large European steelmaker but did not give further details. Tata has been considering seven bids for its UK assets since putting them up for sale in March, citing a global oversupply of steel, cheap imports into Europe, high costs and currency volatility. The Tata Steel steel plant at Port Talbot, south Wales Paul Ellis (AFP/File) "We have always said that we consider a consolidation in the European steel sector necessary due to the very difficult economic situation," Thyssen spokeswoman Nicola Roettger told AFP. "The entire steel industry in Europe is fighting to continue to have a future in a difficult economic context," she said. "Very few European steelmakers are currently making profits," she said. Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director and Tata Steel's executive director for Europe, said it was "too early to give any assurances about the success of these talks". The British government has been racing to help find a buyer for Tata's business, which had accounted for about 16,000 jobs in total, many of them at the Port Talbot steelworks in Wales, the country's biggest steel plant. Up to 300,000 Syrians 'could get Turkish citizenship' Up to 300,000 Syrian refugees living in Turkey could be given citizenship under a plan to keep wealthy and educated Syrians in the country, a Turkish newspaper reported on Saturday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 2 that Syrian refugees in the country would be offered nationality "if they want it", the first time such an idea had been proposed at the highest level. Nationality would be given step-by-step, with initial plans for 30,000 to 40,000 Syrians gaining citizenship, the Haberturk daily said. Refugees pictured at a refugee camp in Gaziantep on the Turkish-Syrian border on April 23, 2016 In total, Turkey is targeting giving Turkish citizenship to up to up to 300,000 Syrians, it added. Turkey is hoping such a move would allow skilled Syrian refugees to become citizens, the paper said. Educated refugees from other countries could choose to become nationals as well. Family members of those chosen to become Turkish citizens could also get the right to become nationals, it added. The usual obligation of living in Turkey for at least five years before gaining citizenship could be waived for Syrians, Haberturk said. Syrian refugees who become Turkish nationals would then be able to vote in elections one year after being awarded nationality. The report appeared to generate anger among many social media users, with #suriyelilerehayir ("No to Syrians") the top trending topic in Turkey on Twitter on Saturday. Erdogan has championed an "open door" policy for Syrians fleeing the over five-year civil war in their country. More than 2.7 million Syrian refugees now live in Turkey where they have guest status, according to the Turkish government. The proposal to grant Syrians citizenship comes after a widely-praised move by Turkey in January this year to allow Syrian refugees to be given work permits. Turkish media this week quoted labour ministry statistics as saying 5,502 Syrians had been granted work permits since the scheme was adopted. Activists have accused Turkey of effectively shutting its borders to any more Syrians this year but Ankara insists it will always take in those wounded and fleeing danger. Britain warns against travel to South Sudan Britain's Foreign Office warned against all travel to South Sudan Saturday after two days of fighting between government and former rebels. The Foreign Office said that its decision came as the security situation in the capital Juba had "deteriorated" since Thursday. "British Embassy staff have been on lock down and we are reducing to only essential staff in the country," it said in a statement on its website. Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers stand to attention at a containment site outside Juba on April 14, 2016 Charles Lomodong (cds/AFP/File) "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving (by commercial means), if it is safe to do so." It added: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to South Sudan." More than 150 soldiers died in fighting between the army and former rebels in Juba on Friday, according to a spokesman for rebel leader turned Vice President Riek Machar. The fighting began when President Salva Kiir and rebel leader turned vice president Machar met at the presidential palace, and initially involved each man's bodyguards. On Saturday morning tension remained high in the city, with a heavy security presence and few civilians on the streets of Juba. Barroso slammed over Goldman Sachs Brexit job Former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso faced a wave of criticism Saturday after it emerged that he will advise US investment bank Goldman Sachs on the fallout from Brexit. Barroso, who also served as Portugal's prime minister, will become a non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), the bank's international arm based in London. "Jose Manuel brings immense insights and experience to Goldman Sachs, including a deep understanding of Europe," GSI co-chief executives, Michael Sherwood and Richard Gnodde, said in a statement. Jose Manuel Barroso served as the European Commission President from 2004-2014 Patrick Hertzog (AFP/File) But his appointment drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Pedro Filipe Soares, a leader in Portugal's radical Left Bloc that supports the ruling leftist coalition, said: "This nomination shows that the European elite of which Barroso is part knows no shame." France's foreign trade minister Matthias Fekl, meanwhile, tweeted: "Serving the people badly, serving yourself at Goldman Sachs: Barroso, an obscene representative of an old Europe that our representative will change." Fekl's socialist colleagues in the European Parliament also condemned Barroso's move, calling it "scandalous". - 'Boon for europhobes' - "We call for the rules to be changed to prevent the appointment of former European commissioners," French socialist Euro MPs wrote in a joint statement, adding that the "revolving door system strongly resembles a conflict of interest". Barroso served as president of the European Commission for a decade until 2014 -- steering it through the global financial crisis -- and before that as Portugal's prime minister between 2002 and 2004. "After having spent more than 30 years in politics and public service, it is an interesting and stimulating challenge that will allow me to use my skills for a global financial institution," Barroso told Portuguese daily Expresso. Goldman Sachs was heavily involved in selling complex financial products, including subprime mortgages that contributed to the world financial crisis in 2008. Leftwing French daily Liberation described Barroso's appointment as "the worst timing for the Union and a boon for europhobes," adding that it was tantamount to giving Europe "the finger". Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Front (FN) party, said on Twitter that the appointment was "nothing surprising for people who know that the EU does not serve people but high finance". Pakistan PM returns home after surgery in London Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home from London on Saturday after undergoing successful open heart surgery in the British capital, officials said. Sharif, whose operation was carried out in the last week of May, remained in the UK for more than six weeks. It was the 66-year-old's second major cardiac medical procedure in five years. The 63-year-old former Test captain, who also leads an opposition party in the country, said people would 'celebrate' if the army took over prime minister Nawaz Sharif's (pictured) government "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's plane has landed in Lahore and he will be going to his family home in Raiwind via a helicopter from the airport," Abdullah Khan Sumbal, a senior administration official in Lahore told AFP. A close aide of the Sharif family Khawaja Ahmad Hassan said "the PM is healthy," and that "the entire family and the party workers are happy about his return". Sharif left the country shortly after the so-called Panama Papers linked his family to a series of offshore companies. The premier insists his family has done "nothing wrong", saying the claims had been investigated twice, decades ago, under the tenure of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. But the opposition has demanded his resignation after the leaked papers claimed his children owned London property through an offshore company. Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif had earlier tweeted to her almost two million followers that the surgery had been successful. Sharif took power in a landslide May 2013 general election, for the third time since 1990. 'Killing Fields' reporter Sydney Schanberg dead at 82 Sydney Schanberg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent who chronicled the Khmer Rouge's brutal rise to power in Cambodia in the 1970s, died Saturday at age 82. That gripping account by Schanberg and his story of his Cambodian friend and assistant Dith Pran's captivity under and survival of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror inspired the 1984 film "The Killing Fields" by director Roland Joffe. Schanberg had suffered a massive heart attack Tuesday. He died in Poughkeepsie, New York, said his friend and former colleague at The New York Times, Charles Kaiser. This image courtesy of The New York Times, shows then-New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg (L) talking with colleague Dith Pran in The Times office in New York on January 15, 1980 "Syd was a brilliant writer, a fearless reporter, and an important role model for me," Kaiser said in a Facebook post. "When he was filing on the fall of Cambodia in 1975, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for each new dispatch to arrive. So was every other reporter in the city room. It was some of the most dramatic journalism I have ever read." While the diplomatic community and other Western reporters fled Cambodia as the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot approached Phnom Penh in 1975, Schanberg and Dith chose instead to stay behind. The Times described Schanberg as "a nearly ideal foreign correspondent: a risk-taking adventurer who distrusted officials, relied on himself in a war zone and wrote vividly of political and military tyrants and the suffering and death of their victims with the passion of an eyewitness to history." After the Khmer Rouge took power and violence and executions became rampant, Schanberg and Dith took refuge in the French Embassy. But Dith was eventually expelled from the compound and forced to join an exodus of Cambodians into the countryside as part of the Khmer Rouge's radical, murderous social experiment: turning Cambodia into a modern-day agrarian society. People suspected of coming from educated, prosperous backgrounds were targeted mercilessly. An estimated two million people died in the genocide, from outright murder, starvation in labor camps or disease. After two weeks at the embassy, Schanberg and other foreigners were trucked to Thailand. There, he filed his first report on the fall of Phnom Penh and the hellish early days of life under the Khmer Rouge and its emptying of the capital city. - Finding Dith - Schanberg returned to New York, and while taking off time from his work at the newspaper, helped Dith's wife and children resettle in San Francisco. Schanberg won awards including the Pulitzer, which he said he shared with Dith. He also set about the gargantuan task of finding Dith, whose whereabouts remained unknown for years. In 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and toppled the Khmer Rouge. Dith escaped to Thailand in 1979 and was eventually reunited with Schanberg. Schanberg helped him get a job at the Times and move his family to New York. An article that Schanberg published in 1980 in the New York Times Magazine -- entitled "The Death and Life of Dith Pran" -- was turned into a book and inspired "The Killing Fields." Dith died in 2008. Schanberg said at the time that the two had become like brothers. "His mission with me in Cambodia was to tell the world what suffering his people were going through in a war that was never necessary. It became my mission too. My reporting could not have been done without him," Schanberg said after Dith's death, according to the Times. - 'Great typewriter in the sky' - Kaiser posted a statement on behalf of Schanberg's wife Jane Freiman and his daughters Rebecca and Jessica. "Early this morning, Jessica and Rebecca Schanberg and I helped our dearest Sydney go on his way peacefully to what he jokingly referred to as 'the great typewriter in the sky,' after he suffered a heart attack," the statement read. "We will miss his wicked sense of humor, his love, and his endless supply of damning facts about Donald Trump. "The world will never be the same without him." Iraq army seizes key airbase from IS south of Mosul Iraqi forces have captured a key airbase from the Islamic State group that can serve as a launchpad for retaking the jihadist-held city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday. The Qayyarah airbase in the Tigris valley 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul would be "an important base for the liberation of Mosul," Abadi said in a statement. He called for the people of Iraq's northwestern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, to "prepare for the liberation of their cities." Iraqi government forces drive their armoured vehicle on June 22, 2016 some 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Qayyarah, during their operation to take the city and make it a launchpad for Mosul Mahmud Saleh (AFP/File) Iraq's Joint Operations Command said two army divisions and members of the country's counter-terrorism forces took the base with air support from a US-led international coalition. Security sources said jihadists had fled towards Mosul after the base was taken. An officer taking part in the operation said bomb disposal teams were removing booby traps and mines left behind by IS fighters. No further details were immediately available on the scale of fighting for the base. At the end of last month, Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, in a major setback for IS. That focused attention on the battle to remove IS from the northwest of the country. In recent months, IS has lost significant parts of the territory north and west of Baghdad which it seized in 2014. The fighting to get into Fallujah was initially fierce, particularly on the southern side, and Iraqi forces were supported by more than 100 US-led coalition air strikes. On June 26, Abadi stood outside a hospital in Fallujah and vowed that the Iraqi flag would soon be raised over Mosul. In his statement on Saturday, he said government forces had advanced 100 kilometres (60 miles) in the past few days. "This is important revenge against the terrorist gangs, which we will crush and cleanse from all of our land very soon," he said. Rights groups have raised concerns about alleged abuses carried out by Iraqi forces during the fight for Fallujah, including executions of civilians. Human Rights Watch called on the government on Thursday to be transparent about an enquiry into the alleged abuses, which it said was "mired in secrecy". More than 80,000 people have been displaced since the start of the Fallujah offensive, bringing to more than 3.3 million the number of Iraqis forced from their homes by conflict since the start of 2014. The Sunni extremist group has responded to its battlefield setbacks by hitting back against civilians, particularly Shiites. Experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. IS said it had carried out an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad that started Thursday evening and killed 30 people. That came just days after a devastating bombing in the capital that killed 292 people. Families of detained China lawyers 'harassed': statement Families of lawyers and rights activists detained by China's Communist authorities exactly a year ago urged authorities to stop harassing them on Saturday, as they repeated calls for the release of their relatives. More than 200 attorneys and rights campaigners were held in a huge operation launched on July 9, 2015 known as the 709 crackdown -- named after the date of the first disappearance. "We strongly demand the Chinese government to release all the detainees involved in the 709 crackdown... Stop all the monitoring, harassment, shadowing and persecution towards all the detainees families," the relatives said in a statement sent to AFP. Wives of human rights lawyers detained almost a year ago, pictured on July 4, 2016, wear the names of their husbands as they walk away from an office of the Supreme People's Procuratorate Greg Baker (AFP/File) They added that they were tightly monitored by the police on a "24-hour basis". "We are tailed, force(d) to move out of our house, harassed at midnight, obstructed from work and there are children who can hardly enter a school. We can no longer continue our normal life," they said. In total, 23 lawyers and rights activists held during the 709 crackdown are still in detention, according to the document's signatories, all but one of whom are the wives of the detainees. The other is a sister. "Over the past year... our efforts were always in vain as we were greeted by the officials with indifferences and rejections." Under President Xi Jinping, who came to power in 2012, China has tightened controls on civil society, and the 709 crackdown represents its largest-scale operation in years. On Monday, five spouses of the detained men donned dresses emblazoned with their husbands' names and marched to a national prosecutors' office in Beijing -- surrounded by dozens of police. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described the detentions as "worrying", but Beijing routinely dismisses such complaints as interference in its internal affairs. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception for Chairman of the Thai Charoen Corporation (TCC) Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi in Hanoi on July 8th (Source:VTV) Congratulating the Thai group on its successful business activities in Vietnam, the PM hailed the TCCs win-win business philosophy and called on the group to increase its investment in Vietnam. He said businesses of both countries play an important role in bringing bilateral trade to USD20 billion by 2020. PM Phuc suggested TCC to continue exporting Vietnamese goods to Thailand via its retail networks in Vietnam and Thailand following its shipment of 100 tonnes of Vietnams dragon fruit to Thailand for the first time. Vietnam commits itself to creating a favourable business environment for foreign investors, including those from Thailand, the PM said. The Thai business executive said he hopes the Vietnamese Government will continue to facilitate the groups operation in Vietnam. He said Vietnam is a key market of the TCC, and the group is undertaking procedures for permission to export Vietnamese goods to Thailand and other regional countries, such as orange, sweet potato, lime and rice powder./. Two Russian pilots killed in helicopter downing near Syria's Palmyra Two Russian pilots died near the Syrian city of Palmyra when their helicopter was shot down by Islamic State fighters, bringing the total number of Russian troops killed in the Syrian conflict to 12, Moscow said. The defence ministry said a Syrian helicopter flown by Riafagat Khabibulin and Yevgeni Dolgin "came under fire" from IS on Saturday and crashed. The jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE monitoring group. A general view shows the modern town of Palmyra, adjacent to the ancient Syrian city, on April 9, 2016 Louai Beshara (AFP) The pilots "had used up all their ammunition and were on their way back when they came under the fire of terrorists and crashed," the defence ministry said, adding: "The crew died." Boko Haram raid in north Nigeria leaves civilians, soldiers dead Boko Haram gunmen stormed a town in northeast Nigeria's Borno state near the border with Cameroon killing seven people, resident said Saturday, while the army reported two soldiers died as well as 16 Islamists. Gunmen on motorcycles raided the town of Rann in Kalabalge district overnight Friday to Saturday and opened fire on homes, fleeing residents said. "They opened fire on homes as we slept and killed seven people before carting away our food supplies and drugs from the only clinic in the town," Rann resident Abba Abiso said. Women and children wait on June 30, 2016, to visit one of the UNICEF nutrition clinics, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, an area that has been torn apart for the last seven years by Boko Haram insurgents Stefan Heunis (AFP/File) The Nigerian army confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday, saying it lost two soldiers while 16 Boko Haram Islamists were killed. "The troops killed seven of the attackers instantly while quite a number escaped with gunshot wounds," the army said. "During clearance operations this morning, the troops discovered nine more Boko Haram terrorists dead bodies in the surrounding areas. Therefore the total number of terrorists killed was 16," it added. Residents had fled into Cameroon and the town of Gamboru, 28 kilometres (17 miles) away. Another witness Ari Ngamsu added: "The Boko Haram gunmen planted two high calibre explosives on the way outside the town but soldiers from Gamboru succeeded in defusing them at daybreak." Both witnesses spoke on Cameroonian phone lines, the only means of communication available following the destruction of telecom masts by Boko Haram in previous attacks. The Nigerian army also said it recovered a machine gun, a rocket propelled grenade and ammunitions from the insurgents, two of whom were captured alive. Rann and nearby villages have been been targeted in a number of attacks by Boko Haram despite successes by the Nigerian military that have pushed the Islamists out of some areas. The attacks have forced villagers to flee their homes, returning to them after they were clawed back by the military. Last month the insurgents sacked neighbouring Wumbi and Jikana villages outside Rann, killing eight people and looting food supplies. NATO to use surveillance planes against IS NATO leaders on Saturday agreed to deploy sophisticated surveillance aircraft to support the US-led fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg said a summit of the 28 NATO leaders in Warsaw had formally approved a plan for the alliance's AWACS planes to fly over international airspace and help the US-led coalition. "We will provide AWACS support and the plan is to have them to flying over international airspace and Turkey and that will allow us to look into airspace in Iraq and Syria," Stoltenberg told a news conference. A Nato AWACS plane takes off from the Trapani Birgi air base, in the southern island of Sicily on March 20, 2011 Marcello Paternostro (AFP/File) The planes are one of the few concrete assets that NATO has, with most of its military hardware belonging to individual member states. AWACS are aircraft with powerful radars that allow them to monitor airspace for hundreds of kilometres (miles) around. They can also be converted into command posts to coordinate bombing raids and other air operations. The Warsaw summit closing statement said that "NATO AWACS aircraft will be made available to support the Counter-ISIL Coalition." In May, NATO said the planes would not be directly involved in monitoring jihadists, but would instead fill in for US and allied aircraft that would be re-tasked to gather intelligence over IS hotspots. Several European NATO members have been wary of becoming too involved in the bloody fight against IS but pressure has grown after deadly terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. In Warsaw, NATO also agreed to take further steps to boost counter-terorism efforts in countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Stoltenberg said. It would deploy a team to Baghdad to start a new training scheme in Iraq, which is battling IS jihadists. "To the south we see failed and failing states. And millions left homeless and hopeless by terrorist groups like ISIL. Stoltenberg said. The alliance will also start providing support for Tunisian special forces and set up an intelligence Fusion Centre in Tunisia. Former Labour Party deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, pictured left in 2006 with Tony Blair, said he now believes the Iraq war was illegal John Prescott now believes the 2003 invasion or Iraq - carried out when he was Deputy PM to Tony Blair - was illegal, he admitted this morning. Lord Prescott made the admission in a newspaper column just days after Sir John Chilcot's report into the lead-up to the war was published and savaged Blair. The Labour heavyweight used his strongest language yet to condemn Blair's decision to take party in the Iraq War, a decision he supported at the time. Prescott, now a member of the House of Lords, wrote in the Sunday Mirror: 'I will live with the decision of going to war and its catastrophic consequences for the rest of my life. 'In 2004, the UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said that as regime change was the prime aim of the Iraq war, it was illegal. 'With great sadness and anger, I now believe him to be right.' On Wednesday, the Chilcot report returned a damning verdict on Britain's role in the US-led war, finding it joined the conflict before all peaceful options had been exhausted and that judgements about Iraq's capacities were 'presented with a certainty that was not justified'. It also disclosed Blair had written to then US president George W. Bush that 'I will be with you, whatever' eight months before the invasion. Lord Prescott said the Chilcot report was a "damning indictment of how the Blair government handled the war - and I take my fair share of blame". "As the deputy prime minister in that Government I must express my fullest apology, especially to the families of the 179 men and women who gave their lives in the Iraq War." He also welcomed current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's decision to apologise on behalf of the party for the war. Blair this week voiced 'sorrow, regret and apology' over mistakes made in the conflict. But he insisted the war was right and the world was safer without toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Sir John Chilcot's Iraq War Report savaged Tony Blair and led Lord Prescott to now believe Britain's joining of the conflict was illegal The Chilcot report strongly criticised the way former prime minister Mr Blair took the country to war in 2003 on the basis of "flawed" intelligence with inadequate preparation at a time when Saddam Hussein did not pose an "imminent threat". Sir John also said the way the decision about the legal basis for the war was reached was "far from satisfactory", but the report did not rule on the legality of the military action. Lord Prescott said he had concerns about the way Mr Blair ran his government, with Cabinet ministers given "too little paper documentation" to make decisions. He also said intelligence reports were based on "discussions at receptions and prejudiced sources", amounting to "tittle-tattle, not hard evidence". "We now learn from Chilcot that even the intelligence agencies warned of the inadequacies or reliability of such intelligence sources," Lord Prescott said. "But these concerns were never referred to in any of the intelligence documents given to the Cabinet." The ex-deputy prime minister said there was a "failure" to provide Cabinet with the reasoning behind then attorney general Lord Goldsmith's judgment that military action was legal. He said the law officer "verbally announced it was legal, but provided no documentation to justify it". Lord Prescott said the timing of the decision "was clearly designed to endorse an almost immediate action for us to go to war". He said that Mr Blair was determined to be a "special friend" to the US and president George W Bush. Referring to a previously secret memo disclosed in the Chilcot files, Lord Prescott said: "Tony's note to Bush with that devastating quote 'I am with you, whatever' was all the Americans needed to go in, without UN support." Mr Blair has defended the decision to oust Saddam and insisted that his efforts to form a close relationship with the US had persuaded Mr Bush to pursue a second UN security council resolution, which ultimately was not obtained. Some 150,000 Iraqi people were killed in the six years after British and American troops invaded, plunging the country into chaos and creating fertile ground for jihadist groups like the Islamic State. Charges filed in case of Puerto Rico boy killed at hotel SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The father of a 10-year-old-boy recently killed by unknown suspects at a well-known hotel in Puerto Rico has been charged with illegal possession of a machine gun. The U.S. Attorney's Office identified the man as Jose Romero Bonilla. He and another man were seriously injured in the July 4th shooting at the pool of the Hotel Caribe Hilton in San Juan. Officials said Friday that police found the weapon and a conversion device in a bag left at the hotel along with sixteen rounds of ammunition, among other things. Dad of Ohio girl found dead in crib gets 3 years in prison COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) A man who didn't report his toddler daughter's death for about a month before a cable company worker found her decomposed body in a crib at their apartment was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after being convicted on charges including corpse abuse. Eric Warfel also had an infant daughter die in 2013 in what was ruled a "sudden unexplained infant death," and prosecutors argued that he didn't report the death of his 21-month-old daughter, Ember, in Medina last summer because he didn't want an autopsy to be performed. But in letters asking the judge for leniency, his relatives and friends described Warfel as a gentle, protective father who was devastated after losing one daughter and made poor choices because he just couldn't cope when it happened again. Medina County Prosecutor Dean Holman, right, and defense attorney Michael O'Shea, middle, listen as Eric Warfel, left, is sentenced Friday morning, July 8, 2016, in Medina County Common Pleas Court in Medina, Ohio. Warfel, who didn't report his toddler daughter's death for about a month before a cable company worker found her decomposed body in a crib at their apartment, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted on charges including corpse abuse. (Elizabeth Dobbins/Medina County Gazette via AP) Warfel had moved to a motel with his surviving daughter, now 8, and investigators found cocaine in their room after arresting him at a mall near Cleveland once Ember's body was found. Medical examiners couldn't determine a cause of death because of decomposition but did find traces of cocaine in her hair samples. Warfel's attorney has said the girl was born with severe medical problems. Authorities initially alleged that trash in the girl's room was meant to hide the smell, but Warfel's attorney said that wasn't true and Warfel denied trying to cover up the body. Warfel, 35, was convicted on charges including tampering with evidence and drug abuse. His sentence was less than what prosecutors sought. Defense attorney Michael O'Shea, who expects to appeal, said in many ways the case was based on first impressions. "We believe that the way the prosecutor decided to prosecute the case is like putting a square peg in a round hole," O'Shea said. "We just don't believe that the facts fit the theory of law that the state of Ohio postulated." A report from a psychologist who evaluated Warfel last August said he recounted how he'd tried to revive Erin, the first daughter he lost, and indicated that he regretted describing Erin's death to his eldest daughter as God having taken her sister. When Warfel found Ember dead, he didn't know how he would tell his remaining daughter and others, "so he left to try to come to terms with the situation, but the longer he delayed, the more immobilized he became," the psychologist wrote. He had signs of depression and cocaine addiction and attributed his actions to "being unable to face again dealing with all that occurs when a youngster dies," the psychologist said. In letters to the judge, supporters recalled seeing Warfel trying to be supportive to his family despite his devastation about Erin's death. "To find Ember must have felt like the world imploding, again," one friend wrote. Supporters said Warfel had made questionable choices in marrying and then divorcing the girls' mother, who they said had addiction and other troubles, and then in his own drug use and in not reporting Ember's death but they urged the judge to order treatment and therapy instead of prison. His lawyer noted he had no criminal history. Warfel initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was found competent to stand trial and was convicted on charges including child endangering. He didn't testify. Defense attorney Michael O'Shea, left, and Eric Warfel stand after Warfel's sentencing Friday morning, July 8, 2016, in Medina County Common Pleas Court in Medina, Ohio. Warfel, who didn't report his toddler daughter's death for about a month before a cable company worker found her decomposed body in a crib at their apartment, was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after being convicted on charges including corpse abuse. (Elizabeth Dobbins/Medina County Gazette via AP) This undated photo provided by the Medina County Sheriff's Office in Medina, Ohio, shows Eric Warfel. On Friday, July 8, 2016, a judge sentenced Warfel to three years in prison following his conviction on charges including corpse abuse, tampering with evidence and drug abuse, after the decomposed body of his 21-month-old daughter Ember Warfel was found July 29, 2015, in a crib in his apartment. (Medina County Sheriff's Office via AP) Police say series of fatal shootings in Phoenix are linked PHOENIX (AP) Residents of Phoenix's west side are on edge as they wonder if a serial shooter is targeting their neighborhood. Phoenix police say they are investigating whether the same person is behind four incidents that have killed six people, including a 12-year-old girl, in the city's Maryvale area. The location, time of day and method of operation are some of the common factors among the slayings, which date back to April 1, Sgt. Jonathan Howard said. He declined to release further details. Near this block of West Berkeley Road in the Maryvale section of Phoenix, three persons died in one of a rash of shootings, shown here during the day Friday, July 8, 2016. Angela Linner, 31, Stefanie Ellis, 33, and Maleah Ellis, 12, were shot on June 12 outside a home on the street, one of the victims, Stefanie Ellis, died of her injuries this past Thursday. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Five of the victims died in shootings that occurred in a nine-day period last month. All of them were outside a residence at night when they were killed by gunfire from a vehicle. The crime scenes are within an area between 55th and 67th avenues and McDowell Road and Campbell Avenue. Police held a forum with the community this week, advising residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious people or vehicles. Margarito Castro, whose 19-year-old son was among the victims, attended that forum. "He was a good person," Castro told The Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/29tNIum). "He didn't have problems with anyone. The detectives looked at his social media, and they said he was a good guy." Manuel Castro Garcia was sitting in a car outside a house in the area of 65th Avenue and Coronado Road the night of June 10 when, authorities said, a dark sedan pulled up next to him. Witnesses heard the victim and the suspect argue and then shots were fired, according to investigators. Castro Garcia tried to drive despite being wounded, but he crashed his vehicle a few houses away, police said. He later died at a hospital. Horacio de Jesus Pena, 32, was also killed in a drive-by shooting while standing outside a residence the night of June 3. Responding officers found in in the roadway with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead at the scene. One witness reported seeing a white sedan in the road just before shots were fired. On June 12, police found Angela Linner, 31, and Maleah Ellis, 12, shot to death inside a car outside a home. The girl's 33-year-old mother, Stefanie Ellis, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition. Ellis succumbed to her injuries Thursday. Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi: Falling star or beacon of hope NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) For nearly 30 years, Aung San Suu Kyi starred as arguably the world's most prominent and revered political prisoner, a courageous champion of human rights and democracy in her military-ruled nation. As she completes her first 100 days in power, the Nobel Prize laureate's halo has all but vaporized on the global stage: Suu Kyi is being assailed for ignoring the plight of the oppressed Rohingya Muslims, failing to stop atrocities against other ethnic minorities and abetting moves to erase from collective memory the bloody history of the generals she replaced. Some have even labelled her a "democratic dictator," an increasingly aloof one-person show who surrounds herself with close friends and loyalists without nurturing a vitally needed new generation of leaders. Gone are the days when the elegant hostess would charm visitors over informal teas and reduce hard-bitten reporters to voicing soft-ball questions. FILE - In this March 30, 2016 file photo, Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and Htin Kyaw, second from right, newly elected president of Myanmar, attend a ceremony to take oaths in parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. For nearly 30 years, Aung San Suu Kyi starred as arguably the worlds most prominent and revered political prisoner, a courageous champion of human rights and democracy in her military-ruled nation. As she completes her first 100 days in power, the Nobel Prize laureates halo has all but vaporized on the global stage: Suu Kyi is being assailed for ignoring the plight of the oppressed Rohingya Muslims, failing to stop atrocities against other ethnic minorities and abetting moves to erase from collective memory the bloody history of the generals she replaced. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File) Even her supporters find it hard to cite concrete achievements of her government during the 100-day period, which ends this week, except for the freeing of most but not all political prisoners and initial efforts to stop rampant land grabs. However, to the country's Burman majority, The Lady, as the charismatic 71-year-old Suu Kyi is affectionately known, remains a beacon of hope, one who will eventually surmount an array of troubles that would buckle the best of leaders from the world's longest running insurgencies to abysmal health care and China's rampant exploitation while somehow breaking the still-powerful grip of the military. "We should give her 1,000 not 100 days given the legacy of a half century of military oppression. People are still patient, at least the majority of Burmans. But of course, for the ethnics it is different," said Ye Naing Moe, a prominent journalist and educator. In an interview with The Associated Press, Information Minister Pe Myint cited the government's main achievement to date as progress toward a two-fold "national reconciliation" between civilians and military, the majority Burman people and the ethnic minorities, which make up about 40 percent of the population. "I believe we are moving in a positive direction," he said. "The main aim is to build a democratic federal union." But criticism from foreign quarters has been withering, focused on Suu Kyi's refusal to act on the Rohingya Muslims, who were driven into squalid camps amid waves of killings in 2012, and continue to flee on perilous sea voyages from a country that denies them citizenship despite historic proof of centuries-long residence. Meanwhile, the generals continue to wage war against several ethnic groups, who rose up against the central government following Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948. Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said his group has received more reports of atrocities by the military in Kachin and Shan states in recent months than similar periods last year under the military-dominated government. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights last month said that the new government "has the responsibility and opportunity to halt these violations" and called for an end to "discriminatory policies and practices by repealing discriminatory laws." A New York Times editorial said "a woman whose name has been synonymous with human rights for a generation has continued an utterly unacceptable policy of the military rulers she succeeded." Suu Kyi has countered that she needs "space" to sort out such problems as the Rohingya and maintains that she has always stood for human rights and the rule of law. The question of maneuvering space seems to be key to Suu Kyi's power, or lack thereof. Despite her party's sweeping victory in last November's election, a 2008 constitution guarantees the military 25 percent of parliamentary seats, control of three key security ministries and a constitutional veto. The armed forces also have cornered large chunks of the economy. "People were expecting miracles (after Suu Kyi's victory). But first of all it is important to remember that this is a government with very limited power," said Bertil Lintner, an author of several books on Myanmar. "The government has hobbled along and been blamed for actions which are beyond its control." Some observers say Suu Kyi, descending from the high moral ground of a political prisoner, has simply become a pragmatic politician, one who fears that pushing the military too far on human rights and other contentious issues could stop her in her tracks if not spark a military coup and never make her laudable end-game possible. She has not taken up the cause of the Muslims, this line of argument goes, because this would alienate a key segment of her electorate, the Burman Buddhists among whom a virulent anti-Islamic movement has been growing. In another upsurge of violence, Buddhist mobs have recently burned down a mosque and attacked Muslims in several areas of the country. A less charitable view says that given her massive popular mandate and international backing, Suu Kyi has enough political space in which she could afford to alienate radical anti-Muslims and the generals, who don't appear keen for any breaks with Suu Kyi's government. Farmaner said that while Myanmar's deeply systemic problems are obviously going to take a long time to solve, "it doesn't take time to release political prisoners. This can be done immediately. Or lift humanitarian aid restrictions on the Rohingya, Kachin and the Shan. That can be done immediately, and this has not been done." More than 60 political prisoners are still behind bars with 140 awaiting trial. "She is so different from what she was before. People are really questioning who she really is now," said Tun Kyi, once an ardent Suu Kyi supporter imprisoned for 10 years following the 1988 uprising against the military which propelled Suu Kyi to prominence. The answer for many ethnics and Muslims like Tun Kyi is that while trying to resolve internal conflicts at heart, Suu Kyi views Myanmar as a Burman Buddhist country and will put Burman interests first. And despite her nearly 15 years under house arrest at the hands of the military regime, Suu Kyi retains an abiding fondness for the army something she herself has acknowledged, noting that her father, independence hero Gen. Aung San, founded the institution. Some also question the leadership mantle she has assumed. "She only wants to give orders. She is not interested in listening to those who have opinions other than her own. She has equated her own destiny to the destiny of the country," said Tun Kyi, who works with the Former Political Prisoners Society. Barred by the constitution from serving as head of state, Suu Kyi said she would "be above the president," and took on the newly created post of state counsellor. She also serves as foreign minister, minister of the president's office and heads the National League for Democracy party. President Htin Kyaw is a close friend and her personal physician Dr. Tin Myo Win acts as the inexperienced negotiator with ethnic groups. "It has got to be tempting for a woman with a huge to-do list to accumulate power in her own hands, to ignore the niceties of consultation and drive-through solutions: that would be a mistake in a brittle young democracy like Myanmar," said Tim Johnston, Asia program director of the think tank International Crisis Group. Her to-do list seems endless and it remains unclear on how some of the challenges will be dealt with since the government has yet to issue a comprehensive policy platform. Myanmar remains one of the world's least developed countries, the second largest producer of opium and this month was listed among the worst offenders in human trafficking by the U.S. State Department. Rife with corruption, it ranks 147 out of 168 countries on the latest index of Transparency International. With one-third of the population having access to electricity, the government must decide whether to pursue dam construction by China, which has wreaked massive deforestation and other environmental degradation, or risk alienating its northern neighbor by axing Chinese projects. Beijing is currently on a charm offensive to restart construction of the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam, which was suspended by the previous government after nationwide protests. "For the next generation, peace is the best legacy to pass on. Our country will develop only if it has peace," Suu Kyi said last month, as preparations began for the "Panglong 21st Century Conference" in late August to persuade more than 20 insurgent groups to lay down their weapons. The information minister said peace will be some time in coming with a key barrier the highly centralized, military-crafted constitution, which Suu Kyi and ethnic groups want amended to give greater autonomy to minorities. For some ethnic leaders, the conference will prove a non-starter unless such amendments are made and the army halts its ongoing attacks against the Kachin, Shan and others. "We want to see Suu Kyi publicly condemn the current fighting and war crimes of the past. Without this the talks will fail," said Charm Tong, a leading Shan human rights activist. She has done neither, with her government at least tacitly going along with military efforts to ban public discourse about the army's decadeslong abuses. "The main success of the government is that it is there. Although with limited powers, it is the first civilian government since 1962. And that gives the people some hope," said Lintner. The information minister described Suu Kyi's victory as a "dream come true, but people expected something more, something perfect, so they are not 100 percent happy or satisfied." FILE - In this March 15, 2016 file photo, National League for Democracy party (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in Manama's parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi starred as arguably the worlds most prominent and revered political prisoner, a courageous champion of human rights and democracy in her military-ruled nation. As she completes her first 100 days in power, the Nobel Prize laureates halo has all but vaporized on the global stage: Suu Kyi is being assailed for ignoring the plight of the oppressed Rohingya Muslims, failing to stop atrocities against other ethnic minorities and abetting moves to erase from collective memory the bloody history of the generals she replaced. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File) Dallas gun-rights activist says he was defamed by police ID FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) In a green camouflage shirt and an AR-15 strapped across his chest, Mark Hughes attended Thursday's demonstration against excessive use of force by police as an activist of open-carry, a recently-expanded Texas law that allows licensed gun owners to openly carry rifles, shotguns and pistols. Around midnight Thursday, after a sniper later identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson killed five police officers and wounded six other officers and two civilians, the Dallas Police Department tweeted a photo of Hughes, describing him as a suspect and asking for the public's assistance in locating him. The photo was retweeted hundreds of times. "The world saw him as a mass-murderer. Why? Because he was a black man carrying a gun," Hughes' attorney, Paul Saputo, told WFAA-TV. During an overnight news conference, Dallas Police Chief David Brown described Hughes, without naming him, as "a person of interest who witnesses at the scene say was involved in the shooting." The department later tweeted that the person of interest had turned himself in. Hughes was released a short time later. Hughes' brother, Cory, was an organizer of Thursday's march. While Hughes was in custody, Cory Hughes told television station KTVT that his brother was not the shooter. As soon as the shooting started, "I told him, 'Give your gun to this cop because we don't want an accident. We don't want them to come around the corner and see you with a gun and start shooting at you,'" Cory Hughes told CBS 11. The Hughes brothers claim Mark Hughes was held for 30 minutes before he was released. Hughes said police questioned him about why he wanted to shoot officers, adding that they told him witnesses saw him firing the rifle. That "is a lie," Hughes said. Hughes told CBS 11 that he was "defamed" by police. His identification as a person of interest has resulted in "thousands" of death threats on Facebook, he added. Parramatta's fine, points deduction confirmed by NRL SYDNEY (AP) The National Rugby League confirmed on Saturday that the Parramatta Eels would lose 12 competition points and be fined 1 million Australian dollars ($753,000) for salary cap breaches. Five Parramatta officials, including chairman Steve Sharp, were also banned as part of the penalties first announced two months ago after the club was handed breach notices. NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg says "we have to take a strong stand to preserve the integrity of the salary cap and the competition." The breaches date to the 2013 NRL season. Seoul says N. Korea test-fires submarine-launched missile SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Korea said that North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its eastern coast. The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul's Defense Ministry, who didn't want to be named, citing office rules. He couldn't immediately confirm how far the missile traveled and where it landed. North Korea's acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbors because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it's unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology. South Korea's mock missiles are displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 8, 2016. U.S. and South Korean military officials said Friday they're ready to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats. The announcement will raise strong objections in Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang. Korean letters on the mock missile read: "Republic of Korea Army." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturize nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests. North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it as a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with "dagger of destruction." The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Dec. 25, but that test was seen as failure, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year. The latest launch came a day after U.S. and South Korean military officials said they were ready to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats. Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help U.S. radars spot missiles in their countries. Stopped 52 times by police: Was it racial profiling? MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When Philando Castile saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror the night he got shot, it wasn't unusual. He had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offenses including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt. He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show. Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops, as several of his family members have alleged? This 2014 photo provided by Dewanda Harris shows Philando Castile of St. Paul, Minn., posing for a photo while attending a family funeral in St. Paul. Officials say Castile was fatally shot by police in Falcon Heights, Minn., Wednesday, July 6, 2016, while inside a car with a woman and a child. (Dewanda Harris via AP) The answer may never be known, but Castile's stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer, and Castile's girlfriend livestreaming the chilling aftermath. The shooting has added a new impetus to a national debate on racial profiling; a day after Castile died, a black Army veteran killed five officers in Dallas at a demonstration over Castile's killing and another fatal police shooting, in Louisiana. The Castile video "is pretty horrific," said Gavin Kearney, who in 2003 co-authored a report to the Minnesota Legislature on racial profiling in the state. "There are things we don't know about it. But we know there are certain assumptions and biases whether explicit or implicit about black men that affect how police officers interpret their actions. And we know white drivers are less likely to be pulled over." Court records dating to 2002 show Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, averaged more than three traffic stops per year and received citations for misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors. Many charges were dismissed, but Castile pleaded guilty to some, mostly for driving after his license was revoked and driving with no proof of insurance. However, those two charges also were the most frequently dismissed, along with failing to wear a seat belt. The records show no convictions for more serious crimes. No recent information is available on the racial breakdown of drivers stopped or ticketed by police in Falcon Heights, the mostly white suburb where the shooting occurred, or in other Minnesota towns. Minnesota is not among the handful of states that require police to keep such data. But in 2001, the Legislature asked for a racial profiling study and it fell to Kearney, then at the Institute on Race & Poverty at the University of Minnesota Law School, to conduct it. His study, using information supplied voluntarily by 65 law enforcement jurisdictions in the state, found a strong likelihood that racial and ethnic bias played a role in traffic stop policies and practices. Overall, officers stopped minority drivers at greater rates than whites and searched them at greater rates, but found contraband in those searches at lower rates than whites. The analysis found the pattern was more pronounced in suburban areas. In Fridley, New Hope, Plymouth, Sauk Rapids and Savage combined, blacks were stopped about 310 percent more often than expected. The St. Anthony Police Department, which employs the officer who shot Castile, did not participate in the study. St. Anthony officials have not commented on Castile's stop since shortly after the shooting. It was not immediately clear how much money governments in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area generate from traffic violations. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation following the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Missouri, found law enforcement efforts were focused on generating revenue for that city. Most of the tickets and fines were going to blacks. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, a passenger in the car, said the two officers who stopped them said the vehicle had a broken tail light. She said one of the officers shot him "for no apparent reason" after he reached for his ID. Valerie Castile said she thinks her son "was just black in the wrong place." Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said he did not believe it would have happened to a white motorist. The officer who shot Castile, Jeronimo Yanez, is Latino. His lawyer, Thomas Kelly, said Saturday that his client reacted to the fact that Castile had a gun, not his race, though Kelly would not discuss what led Yanez to initiate the traffic stop. "Police understand the concerns about choices made about who gets stopped and what happens when they get stopped," said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. But the statistics can't simply be attributed to racial bias among police. "When people call the police, they provide a description of somebody engaged in a crime. The police respond to those descriptions," said Stephens, a former Charlotte, North Carolina, police chief. "That counts for part of the disproportionality that we see in those numbers." Last year, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended police departments collect and analyze demographic data on all stops, searches and seizures. Nationally, 13 percent of black drivers were pulled over at least once in 2011, compared with 10 percent of the white drivers, according to a survey by the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey shows 68 percent of black drivers considered the stops legitimate compared with 84 percent of white drivers. The precise reasons why certain motorists are pulled over more than others are difficult to identify, said Lorie Fridell, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, who trains police departments through a program called Fair and Impartial Policing. "Our implicit biases are most likely to impact us when we're facing ambiguous situations," Fridell said. "A person reaching into a pocket is ambiguous. If I, as a white, middle-aged woman, reach into my pocket most people aren't going to experience fear. For a black male with dreadlocks, that ambiguous action would produce fear in many people." ___ Associated Press writers Jason Keyser in Chicago and Sadie Gurman in Minneapolis and AP data journalists Meghan Hoyer in Washington and Larry Fenn in New York contributed to this report. Johnson reported from Chicago. UN chief calls on Iran to stop conducting missile launches UNITED NATIONS (AP) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on Iran to stop conducting ballistic missile launches, saying they aren't in the spirit of last summer's nuclear deal with six major powers. Ban said in his first six-monthly report to the U.N. Security Council on implementation of a resolution endorsing the landmark deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program that the missile tests could increase tensions in the Mideast. The Associated Press obtained key excerpts from the report on Friday. The resolution "calls upon" Iran not to launch any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. But when several Iranian test-firings were raised in the Security Council in March, Russia said the launches did not violate the resolution because "a call" is not a demand. Iran underlined in the report that it had never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and never would. It said the resolution does not prohibit legitimate and conventional military activities. The resolution, which was adopted on July 20, authorized measures leading to the end of U.N. sanctions. When the U.N. nuclear agency certified in mid-January that Iran had met all of its commitments under the nuclear deal, many Western economic sanctions that had been in place for years were lifted, unlocking access to $100 billion in frozen assets and unleashing new opportunities for the country's battered economy. But Iran is still subject to a U.N. arms embargo and other restrictions, and the U.N. resolution includes a provision that would automatically reinstate sanctions if Tehran reneges on its promises. The U.S., France, Britain and Germany called in March for the Security Council to discuss "appropriate responses" to Iran's ballistic missile activity which they said were "destabilizing and provocative." But no action has been taken, and the divisions in the council on whether the ballistic missile launches violated the U.N. resolution make it unlikely that Iran will face new sanctions. The secretary-general is clearly opposed to any further tests. "While it is for the Security Council to interpret its own resolutions, I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing" of the Iran nuclear deal, Ban said. "I call upon Iran to refrain from conducting such ballistic missile launches since they have the potential to increase tensions in the region." Ban also expressed concern in the report at the seizure of arms shipments by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Oman on March 28. "The United States concluded that these arms had originated in Iran and were likely bound for Yemen," he said in the report. "Iran has informed the (U.N.) Secretariat that it never engaged in such delivery." Chinese official warns of grim global economic outlook SHANGHAI (AP) China's commerce minister said Saturday the outlook for the global economy remains grim despite its gradual recovery from the impact of the financial crisis. Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng's comments underscored growing concerns about the global economy, which have deepened since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, raising fears of a global recession. "In the past few years through our shared hard work, the global economy emerged from its previous low and is developing in a good direction," Gao said. But at the same time, "the deep effects of the global financial crisis can still be felt." Gao did not mention Brexit in his opening remarks at a meeting of trade ministers in Shanghai on Saturday held in the run-up to China's hosting of the G20 summit later this year. He said governments should work together to find ways to revitalize growth. "The revival and growth of the global economy is still lacking in strength," Gao said. "Low levels of global trade and investment have not recovered to their pre-financial crisis levels." Last month, the World Bank cut its forecast for the global economy this year, predicting it will expand 2.4 percent, down from the 2.9 percent it expected in January. Low commodity prices continue to vex many developing countries whose economies depend on exports of those commodities. And advanced economies are still struggling to gain momentum as they contend with aging workforces and lackluster productivity growth. AP News Guide: US unsettled after 3 shootings in 4 days In the span of four days, the United States has had to come to terms with the deaths of two black men at the hands of police the first caught on video and the aftermath of the second livestreamed on Facebook as well as the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11. The shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas are all in the initial investigation stages. Here's what we know about each: ___ BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Protesters make their way down N. Foster Dr. in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police outside a convenience store nearby, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) WHAT HAPPENED? Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot Tuesday during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store where he was selling CDs. Sterling, a father of five, was black; both officers are white. Police said that Sterling who was a convicted felon and barred from legally carrying a gun was armed, and an eyewitness said he had a gun in his pocket. WHAT WAS THE REACTION? Sterling's shooting was caught on cellphone video by an anti-violence group. It quickly spread online and sparked several days of protests in the city where 54 percent of the population is black and more than 25 percent live in poverty. The demonstrations in Baton Rouge had been largely peaceful, but there were some tense moments Friday night and early Saturday. Nearly 30 people were arrested. Baton Rouge Lt. Jonny Dunnam said in an emailed statement Saturday that the department is reviewing a newspaper website's video that appears to show an officer with his weapon temporarily drawn at one point early Saturday morning as angry protesters confronted police. "It's difficult to tell why the officer pulled his weapon. We are working to identify this officer so we can better understand the reason he might have done this," Dunnam wrote. Both officers involved in Sterling's shooting four-year member of the department Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, who was on the force for three years have been placed on administrative leave and had prior "use of force" complaints. WHAT'S NEXT? The U.S. Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting. In announcing the Justice Department investigation, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards was accompanied by black Democrats from Baton Rouge who praised him and others for quickly asking the federal government to get involved. "We know there's going to be an external investigation. I think it makes all the difference in the world," state Sen. Regina Barrow said. ___ FALCON HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA WHAT HAPPENED? Philando Castile, a black 32-year-old cafeteria supervisor at a public school, was shot Wednesday night in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, during a traffic stop that involved two officers. He died a short time later at a hospital. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, says he was shot while reaching for his wallet. Reynolds began livestreaming on Facebook from the vehicle shortly after Castile, who was bloodied, moaning and slumped in the driver's seat, had been shot. She describes being pulled over for a "busted tail light" as an officer with the St. Anthony Police Department, which polices Falcon Heights, points a gun into the car and speaks with her, saying, "I told him not to reach for it." The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is leading the investigation, has not released details about the incident. WHAT WAS THE REACTION? Black Lives Matter protesters gathered that night outside the Minnesota governor's mansion, which is close to the shooting site, and a smaller group remained there into Saturday. St. Paul Public Schools said in a statement that Castile was a "team player who maintained great relationships with staff and students alike." The officers involved, Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser, both had been with the St. Anthony Police Department for four years and were put on administrative leave. Yanez, who fired the shots, is Hispanic. Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly, who is representing Yanez, told The Associated Press that Yanez was reacting to "the presence of that gun and the display of that gun" when he opened fire on Philando Castile. WHAT'S NEXT? The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting. Ramsey County Prosecutor John Choi said Friday that he asked for a "prompt and thorough investigation," but declined to comment on it. He also said that he would decide whether to turn the case over to a grand jury once the state presents its findings to his office. ___ DALLAS WHAT HAPPENED? An Army veteran fatally shot five police officers and wounded seven other officers during Thursday night's downtown protest over the deaths of Sterling and Castile. Two civilians were also injured. Dallas Police Chief David Brown initially blamed "snipers," but authorities Friday said Micah Johnson, 25, had acted alone. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after a standoff with police. Authorities said that Johnson, who was black, told officers he was upset about recent shootings and wanted to kill whites, "especially white officers." The races of the officers who were shot have not been released. WHAT WAS THE REACTION? Video from the scene showed protesters marching along a street when shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Officers crouched beside vehicles, armored SWAT team vehicles arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said that it's within people's rights to protest, but that protests can "put our police officers in harm's way." Republican state Rep. Roger Williams blamed the words and actions of President Barack Obama and other prominent leaders for contributing to the deadly violence. Center for Media Justice director Malkia Cyril defended the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it "advocates dignity, justice and freedom, not the murder of cops." WHAT'S NEXT? Authorities are investigating the shootings. Johnson had amassed a personal arsenal at his home, including bomb-making materials, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics. Obama, who on Saturday described the gunman as a "demented individual," plans to visit Dallas in a few days to pay respects and mourn. He also planned to convene a White House meeting next week with police officers and community and civil rights activists to talk about next steps. Banners block the entrance gate as demonstrators gather outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Overseas lawyers' groups decry China rights crackdown BEIJING (AP) Overseas bar associations and lawyers' groups issued an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday criticizing China's detention of lawyers and activists exactly one year after the crackdown was launched. The letter adds to international expressions of concern over the unprecedented sweep. The letter called on Xi to release all lawyers and others it said were unlawfully detained, and ensure that the detainees can pick the lawyers who represent them and are provided medical treatment and visitation rights. Saturday marked the first anniversary of a crackdown in China on human rights lawyers and activists in which more than 200 were detained or questioned. Around two dozen are still detained, including several who could face life imprisonment after being charged with subverting state power. A woman folds a cable near her tricycle cart decorated with flowers and a poster showing Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders, parked on a street in Beijing, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Overseas bar associations and lawyers groups have issued an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping criticizing China's detention of lawyers and activists exactly one year after the crackdown was launched. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) The open letter said the lawyers' groups sought to improve the situation for Chinese lawyers and human rights defenders. "It is in this light that we wish to remind you of your continuous pledges, Mr. President, to uphold the rule of law in China," the letter said. The letter was signed by more than a dozen groups, including the Hong Kong-based China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, the Amsterdam Bar Association, the Australian branch of the International Association of People's Lawyers and the International Commission of Jurists. It was posted on the Facebook page of the Hong Kong group. Separately, the American Bar Association, or ABA, said in a statement that it has named a Chinese human rights lawyer, Wang Yu, recipient of a newly created "ABA International Human Rights Award." The ABA said Wang, who is among the lawyers and activists currently held in the crackdown, was being honored for "her dedication to human rights, justice and the rule of law in China." The lawyers' association had come under pressure in the past year from critics for not being as strident as other lawyers' groups in its criticism of the crackdown. The ministries of justice and public security did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment. State media have accused the lawyers and activists of disrupting public order. Rights groups say the lawyers are being targeted for waging social media campaigns and organizing protests outside courthouses to draw attention to cases involving hot-button social issues. On Friday, the German Embassy in China issued a statement on its website saying "the situation of the persons affected by the crackdown remains an issue of grave concern." It reissued an earlier European Union statement calling for China to act with greater transparency and observe due process in handling these cases. It said that the embassy's frequent attempts to "gain clarity on these issues" through diplomatic channels have remained unanswered. Earlier in the week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on one of his last visits to Beijing as U.N. leader told China's leaders that a flourishing civil society and free media are key to the country's development. Dallas gunman learned tactics at Texas self-defense school DALLAS (AP) The gunman who killed five police officers at a protest march had practiced military-style drills in his yard and trained at a private self-defense school that teaches special tactics, including "shooting on the move," a maneuver in which an attacker fires and changes position before firing again. Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, received instruction at the Academy of Combative Warrior Arts in the Dallas suburb of Richardson about two years ago, said the school's founder and chief instructor, Justin J. Everman. Everman's statement was corroborated by a police report from May 8, 2015, when someone at a business a short distance away called in a report of several suspicious people in a parked SUV. This undated photo posted on Facebook on April 30, 2016, shows Micah Johnson, who was a suspect in the sniper slayings of five law enforcement officers in Dallas Thursday night, July 7, 2016, during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. An Army veteran, Johnson tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, who later killed him with a robot-delivered bomb, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. (Facebook via AP) The investigating officer closed the case just minutes after arriving at a strip mall. While there, the officer spoke to Johnson, who said he "had just gotten out of a class at a nearby self-defense school." Johnson told the officer he was "waiting for his dad to arrive" and pick up his brother. No one else was apparently questioned. On Friday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings described Johnson as "a mobile shooter" who had written manifestos on how to "shoot and move." Authorities have said the 25-year-old gunman kept a journal of combat tactics and had amassed a personal arsenal at his home, including bomb-making materials, rifles and ammunition. The academy website refers to one of its courses as a "tactical applications program," or TAP. "Reality is highly dynamic, you will be drawing your firearm, moving, shooting on the move, fixing malfunctions, etc. all under high levels of stress," the website says. "Most people never get to train these skills as they are not typically allowed on the static gun range." The TAP training includes "shooting from different positions," ''drawing under stress" and "drawing from concealment." Everman declined to specify which classes Johnson took. "I don't know anything about Micah. I'm sorry. He's gone. He's old to us. I have thousands of people," Everman told The Associated Press on Saturday. The two men, however, were friendly and talked in Facebook conversations in August 2014. Everman knew Johnson had been out of the country. Army officials said he had been deployed in Afghanistan around that time. Everman suggested that Johnson "let me know when you make it down this way." "Will be great to get you back in the academy," Everman said, according to a comment thread saved by the AP before Johnson's Facebook profile was taken down. "I concur!" Johnson replied. More recently, a neighbor reported to investigators that Johnson had been seen practicing some sort of military drill in his backyard in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, said Clay Jenkins, the Dallas County judge, the county's most senior elected official. Tensions were still high Saturday in Dallas, where 20 square blocks of downtown remained cordoned off as a crime scene. The police department tightened security Saturday evening after receiving an anonymous threat. Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama called Johnson a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. "So we cannot let the actions of a few define all of us," Obama said from Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a NATO summit. The president planned to visit Dallas in a few days and to convene a White House meeting next week with police officers and community and civil rights activists. It was the third time in as many days that Obama has spoken about the fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were immediately followed by the sniper attack in Dallas. Johnson, who donned a protective vest and used a military-style semi-automatic rifle, was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the Thursday night shootings, which marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot just a few blocks from where President John F. Kennedy was slain in 1963. Johnson was a private first class with a specialty in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. The attack began Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest the police killings of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot near St. Paul, Minnesota, and Alton Sterling, who was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. Video showed protesters marching along a downtown street about half a mile from City Hall when shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Marcus Carter, 33, was in the area when people started running toward him, yelling about gunshots. Carter said the first shot sounded like a firecracker. But then they proceeded in quick succession, with brief pauses between spurts of gunfire. "It was breaks in the fire," he said. "It was a single shot and then after that single shot, it was a brief pause," followed by many shots in quick succession. After shooting at the Dallas officers, Johnson tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, authorities said. During negotiations, he said he wanted to exterminate whites, "especially white officers," the police chief said. ___ Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, and Hannah Cushman in Chicago contributed to this report. A woman walks her dog past the home where Micah Johnson, the gunman who killed several police officers at a protest march, lived with his mother Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Mesquite, Texas. On Friday investigators searched the home and removed several bags of evidence. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) A Dallas police officer receivers flowers at a roadblock outside their headquarters, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. A peaceful protest, over the recent shootings of black men by police, turned violent Thursday night as gunman Micah Johnson shot at officers, killing several and injuring others. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A flag flies at half-staff over Dealey Plaza, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Gregory Bernard Smith, who supports Black Lives Matter, stands near Dealey Plaza as he denounces the killing of five police officers, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A Dallas patrol car passes Dealey Plaza in front of the Texas School Book Depository building, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Gregory Bernard Smith, who supports Black Lives Matter, stands near Dealey Plaza as he denounces the killing of five police officers, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A man works near a mural of President John F. Kennedy, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) President Barack Obama pauses while speaking about the events in Dallas at the beginning of his news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Investigators work in the area of downtown Dallas that remains an active crime scene, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Five police officers are dead and several injured following a shooting in downtown Dallas Thursday night. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Investigators work in the area of downtown Dallas that remains an active crime scene, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday, as hundreds of people were gathered to protest two recent fatal police shootings of black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.(AP Photo/Eric Gay) UK exit puts EU in limbo, unsure whether to do more or less BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union has known some crises in its time: the constitution that never was, impossible budget deals, debt devastating the Greek economy and threatening the euro currency, strife as nations failed to manage the continent's refugee emergency together. But Brexit a British exit from the 28-nation union is the EU's biggest crisis so far. No country has ever left before. Despite some speed bumps, the EU has grown from the six nations that founded a coal and steel community in 1951 to a half-billion strong trading bloc when Croatia signed up three years ago. France's President Francois Hollande, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrive to pose for a family photo during the Balkans summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Monday, July 4, 2016.The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Balkan nations are meeting to better prevent extremists from sneaking in with migrants who are moving west across Europe. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool) Now that the British decision is winding back more than 60 years of EU integration, no one knows exactly how to pick up the pieces and move on. Should the EU do more or less? How should it interest people in a project that seems distant and difficult to understand? And is the bloc even to blame for this crisis when many simply aren't happy with their own governments, let alone distant Brussels? In the background, Greece feels marginalized as its people suffer under tough reform policies imposed by creditors to save its debt-wracked economy. Italy is bickering with Germany over whether that austerity is really necessary. And the Hungarians are going to hold a referendum on refugee quotas. This is what European political limbo looks like. While heads have rolled in Britain, where Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned and the three leading figures of the "leave" campaign tumbled or quit, no one is stepping down in Brussels. With the July-August summer recess closing in, everyone is hunkering down and looking toward a summit of EU leaders in Bratislava on Sept. 16 to see what can be done. The president of the EU's sprawling executive body which over the years has proposed thousands of pieces of legislation that impact how citizens live, study, travel or do business has been an early target for critics. Jean-Claude Juncker leads an administration of some 33,000 people. He and his policy commissioners are routinely portrayed as the embodiment of the unelected bureaucrat, imposing inane, invasive laws on ordinary citizens. Certainly many in Britain see it that way, even if most proposals are debated between member countries and the European Parliament - whose members are elected every five years - before they become law. Yet Juncker, barely two years in office on a mandate to reform, is not going to fall on his sword. "I refuse to allow the commission to be blamed for the outcome of the British referendum. We will not bare that responsibility," he told EU lawmakers Tuesday. "I haven't said that we want a 'United States' of Europe." He said the Commission was endorsed by all member nations, including the departing Britain. "This is a commission with a mandate to reform and we are doing that," Juncker said. "It has not overnight lost its legitimacy." The 61-year-old former Luxembourg premier, one of Europe's longest serving leaders, also makes an easy target amid rumors that he's not well. His employees deny this. Meanwhile the EU's newest member countries many from Central and Eastern Europe and which joined together in 2004 feel they have been sidelined for far too long. They think European heavyweights like Germany and France and soulless EU institutions have been dictating to them, in particular by imposing refugee quotas that they voted against. They argue that the British referendum on June 23, which was influenced by concerns about migration and national sovereignty, is a wake-up call for EU nations to reclaim their own powers. "It is necessary to make reforms that will reach the founding treaties implemented within the European Union," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on July 2, ushering in his right-leaning government's six-month presidency of the EU. "I reject the claim that everything is perfect and fine and that we shouldn't touch anything," he said. Easier said than done. The Treaty of Lisbon, which took effect in 2009, was drawn up after years of reflection involving all member countries, experts and civil society. Changing it would take years more. In February, pressed by Britain, other EU nations refused to revisit the treaty to try to persuade the U.K. to stay. Germany, the EU's driving power, says now is the time for cool heads, not knee-jerk reactions. "In this first phase after the British referendum, it is not about discussing structural questions or more or less Europe it is about having very concrete thoughts on all European levels, in the institutions and in the member states, about how we can create a successful and effective Europe," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert. He said Germany would do all it can not to "strengthen centrifugal forces" pulling the EU apart. "Now is the time for pragmatism," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "If all 27 don't pull together from the beginning, then a few can start." It would not be the first time. While the EU has 28 members, some nations have chosen to integrate more deeply in smaller groups. Nineteen use the shared euro currency. Twenty-six are in the passport-free Schengen travel area including four non-EU countries and 10 nations cooperate on a financial transactions tax. But as the EU looks inward for answers, disenchantment with national governments has prompted all sorts of European voters to turn to the far right or left. "People are anxious and insecure, because in just a few decades the world has changed beyond recognition. Globalization, the digital revolution and urbanization have radically changed the way we live, while our communities have become much more diverse," Dutch EU lawmaker Sophie In't Veld said. "It is a mistake to think we can weaken the anti-EU populists by weakening the EU. We have to make the EU stronger, more democratic and accountable, and more able to act and address the big challenges of today," she said. ___ Suspect's friends, family shocked by Tennessee shooting BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) Friends and family of a black Army veteran accused of shooting at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway are struggling to accept that he became violent in response to police killings of African-Americans. One woman died and three others were wounded, including an officer, as police traded gunfire early Thursday with the suspect, identified as Lakeem Keon Scott, 37. "I will never believe that, never," said his neighbor, Alan Lavasser, who is white. "Because he was always nice to me and my wife and everyone around here. No way I would ever believe that it was racially motivated." A TBI technician uses a laser mapper in the O'Reilly Auto Parts parking lot to document the crime scene connected to the shooting on Volunteer Parkway early Thursday morning, July 7, 2016. A newspaper carrier was killed and four other people were wounded when a man opened fire on cars traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee early Thursday morning. (Andre Teague/Bristol Herald Courier via AP) Scott allegedly armed with an assault rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition was wounded in the shootout and remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. In preliminary conversations on Friday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said he cited anger over the police killings of black men. "A thorough understanding of his motivation for this incident remains central to the ongoing investigative work," a law enforcement statement said. The shots rang out along a Tennessee highway hours before another black Army veteran shot 12 officers at a march in Dallas protesting this week's police killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Also Friday in south Georgia, police said one officer was ambushed when called to an apartment complex to investigate a report of a break-in. Another officer was fired upon by a motorist north of Atlanta. And just outside St. Louis, police say an officer was ambushed during a traffic stop. Other departments report being bombarded with threats; some are now requiring officers to patrol in pairs. Scott's cousin, Sarah Scott, said she is so close to him he calls her "sister." She said she is shocked by the allegations. "He's into his culture, he really is; but never would he hurt anybody," she said. He's an "open, big-hearted person." Scott, who has no criminal history, grew up in New York City and moved to Tennessee fairly recently. His cousin said he has relatives in Tennessee and likely moved there because of a lower cost of living. She said he was in the Army but was injured at some point, collected disability payments and did not have a job. Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Jennifer Johnson confirmed he served from January 1998 to June 1999. He was a private in the 5th Battalion 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, stationed in South Korea. One of Scott's brothers, Gerard Griffin, said Scott has three brothers and two sisters and often acted as their "protector." Griffin said his brother "was a little angry" when he came back from the military. "He seemed to be getting more and more frustrated with the condition of black people in America," Griffin said. Scott's neighbor, Alan Lavasser, who is white, said he will never believe the incident was motivated by racial tension over police violence. He said Scott was always nice and friendly. Lavasser and his wife moved in two years ago and became friendly with Scott. They would give him rides because he didn't have a car, and Scott would stop by and bring them food. He called Scott a "nice all-around person" who "would do anything for anybody." Civilians also have been caught in the fray of these shootings. Newspaper carrier Jennifer Rooney, a 44-year-old mother of two, was struck by a bullet as she drove to pick up papers for the morning delivery. The Bristol Herald-Courier reported that her car careened over a median and crashed through a chain link fence. "I don't think she had an enemy in her life," her husband, David Rooney, told the newspaper. "She was the type of person that could have a disagreement with someone and 10 minutes later turn around and help them, and that rubbed off on everybody who she came in contact with." The wounded included the longtime front desk clerk at a Days Inn hotel, Deborah Watts, who was in serious but stable condition. Investigators say Scott fired first at the hotel. "She is like a family to us," said Days Inn owner Kiran Patel. "It's horrible. I don't know how to explain how horrible." David Whitman Davis was also injured by flying glass from the gunfire, the TBI said. Officer Matthew Cousins was hit in the leg. He was treated for superficial injuries and released. Reflecting on the accusations against his brother, Griffin said "everything he did was wrong." "I ain't condoning nothing he did, at all. But frustration, we can all understand that," he said. ___ Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writers Claire Galofaro and Rebecca Reynolds Yonker in Louisville, Kentucky, and Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.T Dozens of shell casings lay on the ground at the scene of an overnight shooting in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say multiple people have been injured and one person was taken into custody after a man opened fire on motorists traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee. Bristol police say the incident happend early Thursday in the city along the Virginia border. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) A law enforcement agent photographs the scene of a multiple shooting in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say multiple people have been injured and one person was taken into custody after a man opened fire on motorists traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee. Bristol police say the incident happend early Thursday in the city along the Virginia border. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) Bullet holes show in a window of a Days Inn Hotel office from a shooting early Thursday morning, July 7, 2016. A newspaper carrier was killed and four other people were wounded when a man opened fire, first at the Days Inn and then on cars traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee early Thursday morning. (Andre Teague/Bristol Herald Courier via AP) Josh Devine with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, left, looks on as Bristol Tennessee Chief of Police Blaine Wade gives an update of an early morning shooting in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say multiple people have been injured and one person was taken into custody after a man opened fire on motorists traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee. Bristol police say the incident happend early Thursday in the city along the Virginia border. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) A weapon lays on the ground next to evidence markers in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say multiple people have been injured and one person was taken into custody after a man opened fire on motorists traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee. Bristol police say the incident happend early Thursday in the city along the Virginia border. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) Evidence is on the ground at the crime scene at O'Reilly Auto Parts connected to the shooting on Volunteer Parkway early Thursday morning, July 7, 2016. A newspaper carrier was killed and four other people were wounded when a man opened fire on cars traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee early Thursday morning. (Andre Teague/Bristol Herald Courier via AP) An evidence marker is placed next to a bullet hole on Bristol Tennessee police car in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Police say multiple people have been injured and one person was taken into custody after a man opened fire on motorists traveling along a parkway in East Tennessee. Bristol police say the incident happend early Thursday in the city along the Virginia border. (David Crigger/The Bristol Herald-Courier via AP) SEAL trainee's medical history questioned after drowning SAN DIEGO (AP) The drowning of a sailor who was repeatedly pushed underwater by an instructor during Navy SEAL basic training raises a host of questions, beginning perhaps with this: Why would a highly elite unit made up of some of the toughest, fittest warriors ever to wear a uniform take someone with an enlarged heart and maybe asthma or allergies? An enlarged heart would not have shown up in the medical exams that sailors are routinely subjected to before they are accepted for SEAL basic training, said Dr. Kirk Parsley, a former SEAL who also served as the Navy doctor for West Coast SEALs until 2013. Moreover, doctors say it is not uncommon for athletes to develop an enlarged heart from rigorous exercise, and the condition is usually benign, though there is a genetic type of heart enlargement that is hard to distinguish from "athlete's heart" and can be fatal. FILE - In this undated file photo released by the Naval Special Warfare Center shows Seaman James "Derek" Lovelace. Lovelace, a Navy SEAL trainee who died during his first week of basic training in Coronado, Calif. A Southern California medical examiner says Lovelace was repeatedly dunked by an instructor in his first week of basic training and has ruled his death a homicide. The San Diego County autopsy report released Wednesday, July 6, says Lovelace's cause of death is drowning with a contributing heart problem. The homicide ruling doesn't necessarily mean a crime occurred, and the instructor hasn't been charged. (Naval Special Warfare Center via AP, File) The San Diego County medical examiner called Seaman James Derek Lovelace's enlarged heart a contributing factor to his drowning death May 6 during a pool exercise in Coronado, California, near San Diego. It was unclear from the autopsy report whether Lovelace's condition was the more dangerous type. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide after finding that the 21-year-old from Crestview, Florida, had been dunked at least twice by an instructor while struggling to tread water in full gear. The autopsy also discovered Lovelace had an abnormal coronary artery that the medical examiner noted has been associated with sudden cardiac death, especially in athletes. Lovelace would have undergone a medical exam and physical fitness test before being allowed to take part in SEAL basic training, a six-month program so grueling that 75 percent of candidates drop out by the end of the first month. It's unclear from the autopsy report how much Lovelace's heart abnormalities contributed to his death. But Parsley said the stress of being repeatedly splashed and dunked could have exacerbated his problem. "I think it's an unfortunate occurrence that is rare enough that I don't think the Navy could have done anything about it," the doctor said. "You could add advanced imagery techniques, like an MRI or CAT scan, but then if you do that, where do you stop? Do you check the liver, the brain, the heart? I think they do a very thorough job and many people who would be exceptional special warfare operators never get the chance because the screening is so stringent." Dr. Byron Smith, a retired Army doctor and emergency room physician, agreed the heart problems would not have showed up in the medical screenings, but he said there were other red flags: Lovelace had a prior electrocardiogram that found an abnormal heart rate, and he got a prescription more than a year ago for Singulair, which is used to treat asthma and allergies two conditions the Navy lists as reasons for disqualifying a sailor for SEAL training. "Nobody should be on medication at that age who goes into the SEALs," Smith said. "That alone should have disqualified him." Parsley said he believes Lovelace's prescription for Singulair was probably for allergies, since no inhaler was listed in the autopsy report. The medical examiner's office declined to be interviewed, and Lovelace's family could not be reached for comment. Calls to a Florida phone number under Lovelace's father's name went unanswered. Sailors who want to become SEAL candidates must be able to pass a test that includes swimming 500 yards in 12 minutes, doing 50 push-ups in two minutes and completing 50 curl-ups in two minutes. During basic training, they run, climb, swim in frigid waters and perform other drills, often on little or no sleep. The death raises questions about the safety of the strenuous training, which some argue is necessary to create warriors with missions like the one that took down Osama bin Laden. Source: VNA The request was made during a working session between a delegation from the Central Steering Committee on Disaster and Control led by Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and a member of the committee and provincial leaders on July 8 Lai Chau is one of the mountainous provinces that are seriously affected by extreme and irregular weather conditions. Last year, whirlwinds and torrential rain in the province killed 11 people and damaged many roads, with total losses amounting to about VND130 billion (USD5.83 million). From early this year, it has suffered from numerous natural disasters, including damaging cold and freezing conditions, hailstones and whirlwinds, which killed two and injured 30 people while destroying 4,360 houses and large areas of crop with total losses of over VND27.4 billion. At the session, Lai Chau leaders asked for financial support in the work, together with the design of a national disaster map which highlights localities in high risk, as well as the setting up of a monitoring system of water levels in rivers and streams. In order to protect forests, they suggested a raise of the remuneration for forest environment protection. Deputy Minister Vuong said that Lai Chau should mobilise the engagement of the whole political system in the prevention and control of disasters, while intensifying communication to raise public awareness of the work, especially among ethnic minority groups and those who live in high-risk areas. Meanwhile, the province should upgrade disaster prevention facilities, with priorities on major works, while integrating the work in its target programmes and basic construction projects, he asked./. The Latest: NATO allies to create joint intel division WARSAW, Poland (AP) The Latest on the NATO Summit in Warsaw (all times local): 9:00 p.m. NATO allies have agreed to establish a new joint intelligence and security division to better position the U.S.-led alliance to respond to evolving threats by more effectively sharing information. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) The decision is included in the 32-page Warsaw Declaration adopted by leaders at the two-day summit that concluded Saturday. The declaration says: "The importance of intelligence in informing our planning, operations and decision-making continues to increase." It adds: "The new Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security will direct NATO's intelligence and security activities, ensuring better use of existing personnel and resources, while maximizing the efficient use of intelligence provided by allies." ___ 8:25 p.m. U.S. President Barack Obama has left Warsaw aboard his Airforce One plane and is on his way to Madrid, after attending a two-day NATO summit in Poland's capital. The president wrapped up the summit with a long news conference before taking off from Warsaw's Chopin airport shortly after 1800 GMT. The summit decided to boost security on NATO's eastern flank by deploying four battalions in Poland and in the three Baltic states. The allies also agreed to do more to help countries in North Africa and the Middle East fight against the Islamic State group. ___ 8:10 p.m. Reflecting on the prospect of serving two full terms leading a nation at war, President Barack Obama says it's important to recognize that U.S. military operations today are fundamentally different to when he came into office. Obama says U.S. military forces are not involved in active combat, but train and assist forces in nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He says an exception to that rule is direct attacks against the Islamic State group. Obama is acknowledging that confronting what he describes as "non-state actors," such as the Islamic State group is something the United States will have to grapple with for years to come. He says his goal has been to partner with countries so that they can eliminate terrorist threats, but as seen in Afghanistan, that takes time. ___ 7:20 p.m. The leaders of NATO and Ukraine say the alliance will implement a new program of support for Ukraine as it reforms its defense and state, while facing aggression from Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko held a news conference following Poroshenko's meeting with the leaders of NATO member states Saturday, the second day of the alliance's summit in Warsaw. Stoltenberg said the leaders have agreed on a new Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine that will assist the nation as it reforms its defense and security institutions, to make them more efficient and accountable. The alliance will also assist Ukraine in countering threats from improvised explosive devices and from hybrid warfare. Stoltenberg said: "An independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security." He added: "NATO is committed to helping Ukraine achieve that goal." Poroshenko pledged to continue to reform state institutions and the armed forces, which, he said, should reach interoperability with NATO forces in 2020. He also pledged to continue to fight corruption. Both leaders condemned Russia's seizure of Crimea and other hostile actions on Ukraine's territory. ___ 7:15 p.m. President Barack Obama says now is a pivotal moment for the NATO alliance, as it faces a wide range of threats around the globe, from terrorism and Russia's provocative behavior to Britain's recent vote to leave the European Union. He said the U.S. continues to pledge its unwavering commitment to defending Europe, adding that "in good times and in bad, Europe can count on the United States." He said the U.S. will send troops to Poland as part of the plan for NATO to deploy four multinational battalions to the alliance's eastern flank. Others battalions will go to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Obama also warned that all NATO members must step up and do better in the broader effort to have all the nations spend 2 percent of their national incomes on defense. NATO leaders, he said, had a "very candid conversation about that." ___ 6:55 p.m. The composition of four multinational battalions that NATO will deploy to its eastern flank is beginning to take shape. Leaders at a two-day NATO summit in Warsaw began to make commitments to the four battalions, which NATO will begin deploying on a rotational basis next year to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Each battalion will include about 1,000 soldiers from various member states, but will be commanded by one so-called "framework nation." The United States will lead one battalion in Poland to which it will also contribute troops. The force will also include one company from Britain and one from Romania. A company is made up of around 150 to 200 troops. In Lithuania, Germany will be the framework nation for a battalion that will include troops from Germany, France, Portugal, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Britain will lead a battalion in Estonia with 500 of its own troops but also a company each from France and Denmark. Canada will head a battalion based in Latvia, but there were no details yet about other contributors. NATO says that Italy and Croatia have also pledged a company each but it's not yet clear where they will go. Poland, while hosting U.S. forces, will send soldiers of its own to one of the Baltic deployments. There were no public details about the considerations behind which soldiers will go where. ___ 6:15 p.m. Poland's President Andrzej Duda has officially declared the two-day NATO summit in Warsaw as being over and says it has successfully responded to the changing security environment in Europe. Duda was the host of the summit, which some observers say was the most important meeting of the 28-member alliance since the Cold War. Duda said the meeting was a "success for NATO and a success for Poland" as it debated a wide range of security challenges and found a "real response to the changing security environment in Europe." The summit decided to boost security on NATO's eastern flank by deploying four battalions in Poland and in the three Baltic states. The allies also agreed to do more to help countries in North Africa and the Middle East fight against the Islamic State group. ___ 5:55 p.m. NATO leaders gathering in Warsaw have grappled with some of the most dangerous threats to the modern world, but also found time for light banter about the Euro 2016 soccer championship. President Francois Hollande was asked at a news conference Saturday if the championship wrapping up in his country was mentioned at the two-day NATO summit, and he said "yes!" eliciting the laughter of journalists. France defeated Germany 2-0 on Thursday to qualify for the final against Portugal on Sunday. Hollande said German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted graciously to her country's loss. Hollande said: "I think many heads of state and government had seen the match of the French football team against Germany in Marseille. Nobody told me they were delighted about the results, but Merkel was very elegant in the commentary about the match." ___ 4:20 p.m. NATO leaders say they still want a constructive relationship with Russia "when Russia's actions make that possible." In the past, NATO governments often spoke of forging a partnership with Russia, but that language was absent from a formal declaration issued Saturday by the 28 NATO allies on the second and final day of a NATO summit. The Warsaw Declaration on Trans-Atlantic Security states that "NATO poses no threat to any country" and that its member nations "continue to aspire to a constructive relationship with Russia, when Russia's actions make that possible." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Saturday NATO has not entered another Cold War, but that Russia is no longer conducting itself like a partner. Russia accuses NATO of provocative behavior with a plan sealed at the Warsaw summit to deploy alliance troops to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, areas under Moscow's sway less than three decades ago. Stoltenberg said NATO will explain the decisions taken in Warsaw to Russian government representatives next Wednesday at a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels. That forum, designed to bring together Russia and the Western alliance, last met in April after a nearly two-year break as ties deteriorated over Russian actions in Ukraine. ___ 3:10 p.m. NATO leaders have agreed to do more to support countries in North Africa and Middle East that are prey to violent Islamic extremism. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, provide assistance for Jordan, and establish a new intelligence center in Tunisia to help that country's special operations forces. Stoltenberg said NATO leaders at the summit in Warsaw also agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. NATO diplomats say they expect the flights to begin this fall. He said NATO will also launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean, Operation Sea Guardian, and cooperate closely with the European Union's efforts to halt human smuggling operations that have fueled Europe's greatest migrant crisis since World War II. ___ 2.50 p.m. A few hundred anti-NATO activists have protested in Warsaw against the decision by the alliance to deploy troops on NATO's eastern flank. The protesters marched in downtown Warsaw on the second day of the NATO summit in the city, carrying banners reading "Stop NATO" and chanting "NATO get out of here." The summit has decided to boost NATO's deterrence in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. Some protesters carried long loafs of bread Saturday and chanted "money for the hungry not for tanks." A separate group of pro-democracy campaigners gathered in a downtown square for a ceremony in which the square was named after Martin Luther King, a U.S. human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was assassinated in 1968. The gathering was organized by Poland's anti-government Committee for the Defense of Democracy. ___ 2.45 p.m. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says that the next NATO summit will be held in Brussels in 2017. The NATO leader made the announcement on Saturday at a summit being held in Warsaw. Stoltenberg said the summit will be held at the revamped NATO headquarters in Brussels, where the Western military alliance is headquartered, which will be ready in 2017. ___ 2.30 p.m. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius says he's not surprised that Mikhail Gorbachev is accusing NATO of escalating tensions with Russia, but insists the former Soviet leader is simply wrong. Gorbachev, who was Soviet president when the Cold War ended, accused NATO on Saturday of escalating tensions with Russia at a summit in Warsaw where the Western alliance has finalized plans to deploy four battalions to its eastern flank as deterrence against Russia. Linkevicius said that kind of language from Gorbachev "was expected" but argued that NATO, in building up its forces in the east, is merely "reacting to aggressive behavior" of the Russians. He also said Russia's own military buildup far exceeds in both numbers and intensity what NATO is doing. "The Russians are very creative in mixing up the consequences and the reasons," he said. "We are used to these methods." Linkevicius said the NATO plan to deploy a German-led battalion to his nation was reassuring given Russian aggression in Ukraine, even though it's only a force of about 1,000. ___ 2 p.m. NATO allies have agreed to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan, bolstered by President Barack Obama's decision to make a smaller cut in U.S. troop levels than he had planned. Obama has been urging NATO leaders gathered in Warsaw to expand their support for the war against the Taliban. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies also made commitments to continue to fund the Afghan security forces through 2020, and are "close to" the needed $5 billion per year. The U.S. has pledged to provide $3.5 billion annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as $500 million. Allies would provide the remaining $1 billion. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. Stoltenberg said it's too soon to say exactly how many troops allies will agree to keep in Afghanistan but he believes force levels will remain largely stable at about 12,000. ___ 12:25 p.m. The Belgian foreign minister says his nation will provide at least 150 soldiers to a new multinational NATO battalion based in Lithuania. NATO leaders formalized an agreement at a NATO summit in Warsaw to create four battalions of about 1,000 soldiers each to be deployed to the Western alliance's eastern flank. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders says Saturday all the Benelux countries would be "very active in the region." But he also stressed the need "keep an open dialogue with Russia, because we need to talk about Syria and Iraq." The new plan will see NATO forces deployed on a rotational basis for the first time to a swath of eastern Europe that was part of the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, angering Russia. Germany will lead a multinational battalion in Lithuania, with similar battalions to be led by the United States in Poland, Britain in Estonia, and Canada in Latvia. ___ 11:55 a.m. Mikhail Gorbachev, whose time as Soviet president saw the Cold War end, has strongly criticized NATO for escalating tensions with Russia in the alliance's summit this week. NATO's leaders on Friday announced at the summit in Warsaw plans to beef up alliance forces in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all of which border Russia. Moscow earlier this this year said it would put more troops along its western borders, including two new divisions. Gorbachev was quoted as saying Saturday by the Interfax news agency that "NATO has begun preparations for escalating from the Cold War into a hot one." He says "all the rhetoric in Warsaw just yells of a desire almost to declare war on Russia. They only talk about defense, but actually are preparing for offensive operations." ___ 11:20 a.m. Poland's foreign minister says NATO is open to Ukraine's ambition to join the military alliance but any talks will be possible only after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is solved. Minister Witold Waszczykowski spoke Saturday at the start of the second day of a NATO summit in Warsaw. In its key decision, the meeting has boosted the alliance's defenses on its eastern flank, where nations are nervous about their security after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine and supports separatists in eastern Ukraine. The NATO agenda on Saturday includes a meeting between the leaders of the 28 NATO member nations and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, who has been invited as a guest. Waszczykowski say as a political climate is building in Ukraine in favor of becoming a NATO member in the future. He also said another country, Georgia, is "eligible and is ready" to join NATO and the decision depends on the "will and the determination on our part." ___ 10:50 a.m. Over dinner, NATO leaders gave a glum assessment of Russia's geopolitical intentions, a NATO official says, agreeing that Moscow "is likely to exploit any vulnerability" in the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine. The official, who was not authorized to make public remarks and spoke on condition of anonymity, says President Barack Obama and the other alliance leaders agreed during their Friday evening discussion that they need to maintain "a firm and united stance" on Russia and that Moscow "has to deliver" on its commitments under the Minsk agreements designed to stop the fighting in eastern Ukraine. One particular focus of the NATO leaders during dinner was the Western Balkans and the independent nations that once were part of Yugoslavia, like Macedonia. John-Thor Dahlburg ___ 9:30 a.m. U.S. President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders have begun the second day of a summit meeting in Warsaw that's expected to lead to decisions about Afghanistan, the central Mediterranean and Iraq. On Friday, leaders approved the deployment of four multinational NATO battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to deter Russia, as well as a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade for the Black Sea region. The Warsaw summit, NATO's first in two years, is considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says NATO needs to adapt to confront an array of new threats to its member nations' security, including cyberattacks and violent extremism generated by radical Muslim organizations like the Islamic State group. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attend a news conference at the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. U.S. President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders have begun the second day of a summit meeting in Warsaw that's expected to lead to decisions about Afghanistan, the central Mediterranean and Iraq. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda before the start of a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrives for sessions of the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) President Barack Obama talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as he arrives for the start of a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) British Prime Minister David Cameron arrives for sessions of the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like the Islamic State, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen arrive for sessions on the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) French President Francois Hollande arrives for sessions of the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like the Islamic State, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) US President Barack Obama arrives for a family photo at the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, July 8, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries will take decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, talks with Croatian Prime Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic as they attend a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, right, talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Stepan Polotorak prior to the defense ministers session during the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State group, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, right, and his British counterpart Michael Fallon talk prior to the defense ministers session during the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State group, attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) President Barack Obama takes his seat next to British Prime Minister David Cameron before the start of a session of the North Atlantic Council at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, right, and his British counterpart Michael Fallon attend the defense ministers session during the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries are taking decisions in Warsaw on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, violent extremist organizations like Islamic State group , attacks in cyberspace and other menaces to allies' security. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Syria's military extends cease-fire but no letup in fighting BEIRUT (AP) Fierce clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government forces around Syria's largest city, Aleppo, Saturday despite a proclamation from the Syrian military that it would extend its own cease-fire through Monday. The military had declared a nationwide cease-fire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday July 6, expiring July 8 at midnight, but it had little impact on the ground, as pro-government forces choked off the last supply route to opposition areas in the contested city of Aleppo on July 7. On Saturday evening, rebels launched a counteroffensive, leading with two car bombs to open the vital Castello road to eastern Aleppo, according to activists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, which gathers information from a network of informants across the war-torn country, said the cars were driven by two suicide bombers from al-Qaida's Syria affiliate, the Nusra Front, which fights alongside rebel groups against government forces. Syrian journalist Ahmad Primo said one of the car bombs was driven by a militant from Ahrar al-Sham, another ultraconservative jihadist group fighting the government. FILE- In this file photo released on July 1, 2016, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks during an interview with Australia's SBS news channel, in Damascus, Syria. Fierce clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government forces around Syria's largest city, Aleppo, Saturday, July 9, despite a proclamation from the Syrian military that it would extend its own cease-fire through Monday. (SANA via AP, File) Rebels then launched a ground offensive on the government's newly acquired positions overlooking the supply route, according to the social media accounts for the Aleppo Conquest Operations Room and Levant Front, two rebel coalitions. Fighting for the Mallah farms continued into the night. Two Russian airman, meanwhile, were killed in the country's central Homs province when their helicopter was shot down by Islamic State fighters, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. The Russian-Syrian government military alliance has had trouble securing the country's desert interior after forcing the extremist group out of the ancient city of Palmyra in March. IS militants promptly seized the nearby Shaer natural gas fields after that, and threatened to advance on Palmyra once again. A Defense Ministry statement on Saturday reported by the state news agency Tass said the incident occurred Friday east of Palmyra. According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition. It said IS fighters broke through Syrian forces' lines east of Palmyra at the same time. The statement said the Syrians requested the crew help strike the IS fighters and the helicopter was shot down after the crew exhausted the aircraft's ammunition and were leaving the scene. The clashes north of Aleppo, for Castello road, followed a bloody 24 hours for residents inside the divided metropolis. State media reported that a rocket barrage on residential areas on the government side of the city killed 44 people Friday night. The Observatory put the toll at 38 dead, among them 14 children and 13 women. The Observatory said another nine people, including eight women and children, were killed in presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes and rocket attacks on the opposition-held side of the city. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in New York on Friday that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is "extremely concerned at the unfolding situation in Aleppo, Syria, particularly the situation for the estimated 300,000 people trapped in the eastern part." Haq noted the heavy clashes along Castello road, the only route to the rebel-held part of Aleppo. Elsewhere in Syria, airstrikes on the village of Darkoush in the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib on Friday killed 23 people, including two children, according to the Observatory. It was not clear whether Syrian or Russian warplanes were responsible. The now-extended cease-fire is set to expire at midnight on July 12. State media acknowledged the fighting outside Aleppo, saying troops were targeting "terrorists," the government's catch-all term for the armed opposition. It said the army had seized several buildings on the outskirts of the city. In Damascus, a five-member delegation from the European Parliament met with the government's newly elected Speaker of Parliament, Hadiyeh Abbas. MEP Javier Couso, who headed the delegation, called on Europe to lift its sanctions on Syria. The Syrian government has been largely blackballed by Western governments. Couso, who is the vice-chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament, accused Europe and the U.S. of "arrogance." Couso is member of Spain's United Left party. ___ Black Lives Matter protests continue, despite criticism The Black Lives Matter movement isn't backing down, despite concerns about a backlash after the killings of five police officers by a black sniper in Dallas. Organizers quickly repudiated violence against police, but also said they understand the frustration that led to Thursday's shootings. "Black Lives Matter doesn't condone shooting law enforcement," said actor and model Sir Maejor, an organizer with the movement in Atlanta. "But I have to be honest: I understand why it was done. I don't encourage it, I don't condone it, I don't justify it. But I understand it." Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers, Friday, July 8, 2016. Thousands of people marched along the streets of downtown to protest the recent police shootings of African-Americans. Atlanta Police Chief George Turner and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said earlier in the day that people have the right to protest this weekend but urged them to cooperate with law enforcement. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that before he was killed, the gunman told a negotiator he had acted on his own, and was "upset about Black Lives Matter." "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," the chief said. Police have not indicated whether the shooter had any involvement with Black Lives Matter, but the killings have put the movement under a microscope. "This is a devastating time for us as activists and organizers. We cannot bring about justice through violence," said Jeff Hood, a pastor in Dallas who said he heard the shots and saw officers fall after Thursday night's rally. The youthful organizers seem determined to keep up their pressure with angry marches, waving off criticism from some that they bear responsibility for the killings. Many others including such civil rights icons as U.S. Rep Congressman John Lewis say the protests must remain peaceful to achieve justice. "I was beaten bloody by police officers. But I never hated them. I said, 'Thank you for your service,'" Lewis tweeted Friday. That comment prompted scornful responses by some African-Americans, who seek a more combative approach despite the backlash. In Philadelphia, activists intend to channel that anger into a "Weekend of Rage." "Everyone is not going to be on our side, but those who understand will join in the struggle and help educate the masses. We are hurting. We are tired. We are fed up," said Erica Mines of the Philly Coalition for REAL Justice. Black Lives Matter began in 2013 after black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot to death in Florida by one-time community watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was later acquitted. The movement has grown as fatal shootings of blacks by police officers are increasingly recorded and shared on social media, sometimes as confrontations are still unfolding. After this week, are activists concerned about their safety? Of course, says Black Lives Matter Philly organizer Laniece Williams. "If the whole country seemed hell-bent on discrediting your organization and movement because we dare to demand that Black Lives Matter, and the media perpetuates the hate group rhetoric, would you or would you not be a little on edge?" "However, we will not be stifled or stopped," she said. "We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us." A Texas organizer of Black Lives Matter, Ashton P. Woods, said the repeated shootings by police are pushing some unstable people over the edge. "That does something to the human psyche. I don't care what color or ethnicity you are," he said. "We could say the same things about white hate groups that inspire xenophobia or hatred against Muslims." "We can't really focus on whether people are going to cast us as a hate group when we are working to dismantle hate," Woods said. ___ Reeves reported from Birmingham, Alabama. Haines Whack contributed from Philadelphia. Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers, Friday, July 8, 2016. Thousands of people marched along the streets of downtown to protest the recent police shootings of African-Americans. Atlanta Police Chief George Turner and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said earlier in the day that people have the right to protest this weekend but urged them to cooperate with law enforcement. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Protesters march during a Black Live Matter rally in downtown Dallas on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Multiple media outlets report that shots were fired later Thursday during the protest over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP) In this photo taken Thursday, July 7, 2016, a group of women light candles to form the letters BLM, for Black Lives Matter, before a vigil at the University of Michigan Diag in Ann Arbor, Mich., in honor of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men recently shot and killed by police. (Katy Kildee/The Ann Arbor News via AP) In this photo taken Thursday, July 7, 2016, a group of women light candles to form the letters BLM, for Black Lives Matter, before a vigil at the University of Michigan Diag in Ann Arbor, Mich., in honor of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men recently shot and killed by police. (Katy Kildee/The Ann Arbor News via AP) John Marshall, who was stuck in traffic heading home from work, gives a protester a fist bump on Marietta Street on Friday, July 8, 2016, in Atlanta. Thousands gathered in city streets to protest the recent shootings by police of black men. The group gathered outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights before marching to Centennial Olympic Park and surrounding streets. (Brant Sanderlin/Atlanta Journal Constitution via AP) Louisiana man's family doesn't want death to be 'race thing' BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) A Louisiana woman says she doesn't want the death of her son's father, a black man killed by white police officers, to "be a race thing." Quinyetta McMillon wouldn't say, however, whether she believes police would have treated Alton Sterling the same way had he been white. McMillon told The Associated Press on Friday that she is grieving with the families of five police officers who were killed by a Dallas sniper during a march to protest Sterling's death. Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Alton Sterling's 15-year-old son, Cameron Sterling, speaks during an interview in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, July 8, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot Tuesday, July 5, in Baton Rouge, during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store. Sterling was black; both officers are white. (AP Photo/Hilary Scheinuk) "Now, I'm walking a mile with them. We're bearing the same shoes right now," McMillon said. Sterling, 37, was killed Tuesday during a struggle with two officers outside a Baton Rouge convenience store where he was selling CDs. Sterling was black; both officers are white. Cellphone video of his shooting was posted online, setting off angry protests, and the Justice Department swiftly agreed to open a civil rights investigation. Police say Sterling was armed. A witness said police later pulled a gun from his pocket. McMillon said she didn't know Sterling to carry a gun and doesn't believe he had one with him that night. "I do not believe in my heart that there was a gun," she said, suggesting that police said he was armed "to cover up something." She called the federal investigation a "very positive step." The Baton Rouge Police Department didn't respond to this claim. The two officers who tackled Sterling, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, are on customary administrative leave during the investigation. "They should be prosecuted, the both of them. I don't want the death penalty for them. I want them to be in prison," McMillon said. Court records show Sterling had pleaded guilty in 2011 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegally carrying a weapon. He had been arrested in May 2009 after an officer confronted him selling CDs outside another store. McMillon focused on Sterling's smile, saying people knew he was a "good, genuine man." "As far as his criminal record, it has nothing to do with right now. That is the past," she said. "Right now, we're focusing on what happened to him." Protesters have gathered outside the Triple S Food Mart, first to remember Sterling and then to protest the fatal police shooting in Minnesota the next day of Philando Castile, another black man whose death was recorded and posted for all to see. Cornell William Brooks, the national head of the NAACP, said during a visit to Baton Rouge Friday that he's tired of victims of police shootings being treated as "hashtag tragedies" instead of human beings. Later Friday night, a line of officers with shields pushed away hundreds of protesters outside the Baton Rouge Police headquarters. "No justice, no peace!" shouted the sign-carrying crowd. "Y'all have guns. We have posters!" In New Orleans, several dozen protesters briefly lay down in front of the police headquarters in a symbolic die-in. Then, they moved on to the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, calling it a memorial to slavery. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said his department has strived to avoid a "military-style response" to the protests. State and local law enforcement officials briefed Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday about their public safety strategies. The governor credited McMillon and Sterling's aunt both of whom appeared with him at a news conference with helping keep the peace by urging nonviolence. He urged protesters "to keep the conversations constructive and the actions lawful and peaceful," and said the best way to honor Sterling "is by not allowing violence to tear apart any more families." McMillon said Sterling was good father to their son Cameron, 15, who has been devastated, and broke down in sobs at a rally outside City Hall. When Cameron took his first steps, his father would swoop in to catch him each time he wobbled. It's one of her best memories, she said. "Every second my son goes to stumble, he's breaking his neck to get to him," McMillon said. "And that memory will never be forgotten, because right now I use that same memory in terms of coping with my son and letting him know right now, 'You still pick yourself up.'" ___ Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana, Cain Burdeau and Kevin McGill in New Orleans contributed to this report. Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Alton Sterling's 15-year-old son, Cameron Sterling, speaks during an interview in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, July 8, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot Tuesday, July 5, in Baton Rouge, during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store. Sterling was black; both officers are white. (AP Photo/Hilary Scheinuk) Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Alton Sterling's 15-year-old son, Cameron Sterling, speaks during an interview in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, July 8, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot Tuesday, July 5, in Baton Rouge, during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store. Sterling was black; both officers are white. (AP Photo/Hilary Scheinuk) People gather in the intersection in front of a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police while selling CD's in front of the store. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Annie Lanns holds up her fist in front of a mural of Alton Sterling while attorneys, not pictured, speak in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside the convenience store by Baton Rouge police, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Photos of Alton Sterling are interspersed with flowers and mementos at a makeshift memorial in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside the convenience store by Baton Rouge police, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Protesters who arrived by bus block traffic trying to leave a prayer vigil for Alton Sterling at the Living Faith Christian Center in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police outside a convenience store, where he was selling CDs. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards had attended the vigil but left before the protesters arrived. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Members of the Living Faith Christian Center congregation sing a hymn at a prayer vigil for Alton Sterling, who was shot by Baton Rouge police in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside the convenience store, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards participates in a prayer vigil for Alton Sterling, who was shot by Baton Rouge police in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside the convenience store, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) In this Tuesday, July 5, 2016 photo made from video, Alton Sterling is held by two Baton Rouge police officers, with one holding a hand gun, outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. Moments later, one of the officers shot and killed Sterling, a black man who had been selling CDs outside the store, while he was on the ground. (Arthur Reed via AP) Attorneys Justin Bamberg, left, L. Chris Stewart, and Dale Glover, right, representing Quinyetta McMillon and her son Cameron Sterling, speak in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Cameron is the son of Alton Sterling, 37, who was shot and killed outside the convenience store by Baton Rouge police, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Members of Together Baton Rouge bow their heads in prayer at the start of a news conference, regarding the recent shooting of Alton Sterling, in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, 37, was shot and killed outside a convenience store by Baton Rouge police, where he was selling CDs. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Debate erupts: Is motherhood an advantage for UK's next PM? LONDON (AP) Two Conservative women running to become Britain's next leader are facing a question that wouldn't be raised if there were male candidates for the job: Does being a mother make you better qualified to be prime minister? A political maelstrom emerged Saturday when Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom suggested in an interview with the Times of London that her status as a mother gives her an advantage over rival Home Secretary Theresa May, who does not have children. The two women are in a runoff to replace Prime Minister David Cameron, who is resigning after British voters rejected his advice and chose to leave the European Union. May is considered the front-runner, winning the most votes as Conservative lawmakers whittled down the candidates to two. FILE - In this two photo combo, showing the two contenders to become the leader of the Conservative Party and assume the post of Britain's Prime Minister, with Theresa May, left, dated July 5, 2016, and Andrea Leadsom, right, dated July 4, 2016. Andrea Leadsom suggested in an interview published Saturday July 9, 2016, in national newspaper The Times, that her status as a mother gives her an advantage over rival Theresa May, who does not have children. (AP Photos / Matt Dunham, FILE combo) Leadsom's explosive remarks have touched off an uproar among Conservative party members who are voting in the runoff. "I don't really know Theresa very well, but I am sure she will be really, really sad she doesn't have children. So I don't want this to be 'Andrea has got children, Theresa hasn't,' because I think that would be really horrible. But genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake," Leadsom said. "She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next," Leadsom said. Leadsom, 53, immediately cried foul at the way in which the Times reported the remarks, which ran under the headline "Being a mother gives me edge on May Leadsom." She accused the Times of "gutter journalism" and demanded a retraction. "How could you?" she pointedly asked on her Twitter feed, directing her remarks to Times reporter Rachel Sylvester. The Times shot right back, releasing a voice recording of the key section of the interview. Sylvester, who noted that Leadsom had talked about being a mother during the EU campaign, told the BBC she was baffled by Leadsom's reaction to a question about whether motherhood had informed her politics. "She raised Theresa May and the fact that she doesn't have children herself," Sylvester told the BBC. "It was she who introduced Theresa May into the whole discussion." May, 59, told the Daily Telegraph in an interview published Saturday that she likes to keep her "personal life personal," but said that she and her husband Philip have "dealt with" their inability to have children. "I hope nobody would think that mattered," May said. "I can still empathize, understand people and care about fairness and opportunity." May had asked Leadsom to sign a pledge calling for a "clean" campaign. But the fact that the motherhood discussion is happening at all is a reflection of the intensity of passions and general turmoil that has engulfed British politics since the June 23 vote on EU membership. While the question of parenthood has been raised in past races, British politics expert Victoria Honeyman at the University of Leeds said that personal insults even in a heated campaign are pretty low, particularly as May has acknowledged that the subject was difficult for her. "It is plumbing some serious depths to go into that line of questioning," Honeyman said. "This is suggesting someone is deficient." Leadsom's comments have caused fury within her own party. Among those angered is Conservative lawmaker Alan Duncan, a May supporter. "I'm gay and in a civil partnership," he said. "No children, but 10 nieces and nephews. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? Vile." Cameron, who was in Poland for a NATO summit, refused to comment on the motherhood topic. For the record, he is a parent. Amid the firestorm, Leadsom emerged from her home to read a statement before media cameras. Officials: Georgia suspect said he wanted police to kill him VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) A 22-year-old recovering drug addict told investigators he wanted police to kill him when he called 911 to lure an officer to his south Georgia apartment complex and then opened fire, authorities said Saturday. Stephen Paul Beck told them he "wanted the police to shoot him as he wanted to die," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. The GBI said Beck told them he suffers from depression and does not hate police. The Georgia shooting came hours after a sniper in Dallas killed five officers and wounded seven more, but the GBI has said there's no evidence to support a connection with the shootings in Dallas. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation vehicles parks near the scene of an officer involved shooting, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Valdosta, Ga. A man who called 911 to report a car break-in Friday ambushed a south Georgia police officer dispatched to the scene, sparking a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded, authorities said. Both are expected to survive. (Gabe Burns/The Daily Times via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Authorities said Valdosta police officer Randall Hancock's protective vest took some of the bullets, but he was hit once just below it, in the abdomen early Friday. Hancock and Beck remain hospitalized. It's been a tense week between white police officers and black civilians. In this case, the suspect is Asian, and the officer is white. Beck shot Hancock multiple times after making a 911 call about a car break-in outside the Three Oaks Apartments just after 8 a.m. Friday, Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said at a news conference. The police chief said Hancock was wearing a body camera, and its video footage had been turned over to the GBI. Friends and neighbors of Beck said they were stunned. He had moved to Valdosta years ago from metro Atlanta to check into a live-in treatment center for people with chemical dependencies, but several people who knew Beck said he had turned his life around. "He's one of the kindest, most gentle people just genuinely so," said Taki Zambaras, who ran the treatment center. When Beck arrived at the treatment center, he was "an angry, insubordinate, very confused kid who wanted to leave every day," Zambaras said, but he worked hard in the kitchen and at maintaining the long clay road leading to its doors. "He left us in pretty good shape emotionally, physically and spiritually," Zambaras said. "He kept in touch with us after he left and even came back and volunteered his time with guys who were going through the program." Residents at the apartment complex where the gunfire erupted Friday recalled seeing Beck smoke on his balcony or chatting with neighbors. Darius Sheffield said they recently talked about the NBA finals and current movies. "It doesn't seem like him," he said. "The entire thing is kind of weird." Steven Bowers, 21, said he thought he was hearing firecrackers until a bullet ripped through the siding of his unit, whizzed by his roommate's head, bounced off the wall and landed on a bed. Bowers said he grabbed his own gun and looked outside when the shooting stopped. He saw the officer on the ground, but didn't see Beck until he was carried away on a stretcher with blood on his face. Beck had been a roommate of Jason Sobczak's at a different Valdosta apartment. Sobczak said he last saw Beck at a meeting about three months ago and he seemed happier and healthier than ever. J.C. Cunningham, who owns a Valdosta painting business, said he hired Beck for several months while he was in treatment. "He was a good kid ... and really remorseful, I think, about some of the troubles he had gotten into in the past," Cunningham said. "One thing I do remember him saying a couple of times is he didn't want to go back home because he didn't want to be back around the same crowds." It was not immediately known if Beck had an attorney. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia, contributed to this report. 1 dead from bull-run goring in Alicante; 2 gored in Pamplona PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) A man from Valencia died Saturday after being gored in a late-night bull run near the southern Spanish town of Alicante, while two men were gored and 12 others injured in the more popular morning bull-run race in Pamplona. The deadly goring occurred about 1 a.m. during festivities involving female cattle in the small village of Pedreguera. The Red Cross said a heifer gored the 29-year-old man through the thorax and abdomen. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead an hour later. The town suspended all bull-related festivities for the day. Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) At the famed San Fermin festival, the bull run was unusually long Saturday, with one bull left stranded at the starting gate, where he proceeded to charge and strike a couple of runners. Many other participants fell and were stampeded by the head of the pack in the 930-yard (850-meter) race. Another of the six bulls in the run got separated from the pack, did a U-turn and gored a nearby runner, lifting his body off the ground and flipping him over. A government statement said a 33-year-old Japanese man and a 24-year-old Spaniard were gored. The Navarra hospital confirmed the Japanese man had suffered a 15-centimeter (6-inch) thorax wound and was still under observation, while the local man was gored in his right arm. Both were considered to be in fair condition. The regional government said a dozen others were also taken to city hospitals for trauma care, including a 37-year-old from Barcelona and another 33-year-old Japanese man. More than 1,000 people took part in the Pamplona run, which lasted just over four minutes, about 1 times longer than usual. Meanwhile, a judge in Pamplona on Saturday ordered five men accused of sexually assaulting a woman Thursday to be jailed without bail. The assault had triggered protests in Pamplona. Bull runs are a traditional part of summer festivals across Spain. The nine-day San Fermin fiesta became world famous with Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises" and attracts thousands of foreign tourists each year. Ten people, including four Americans, were gored at the San Fermin festival last year. In all, 15 people have died from gorings at the festival since record-keeping began in 1924. ___ Oller reported from Barcelona. A reveler is chased by a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world arrive to Pamplona every year to take part in some of the eight days of the running of the bulls.(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) Spanish bullfighter Eugenio de Mora performs with a Cebada Gago ranch fighting bull during a bullfight of the San Fermin Fiestas in Pamplona, Spain, Friday, July 8, 2016. Revelers from around the world arrive to Pamplona every year to take part in some of the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) Revelers run with Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they head towards Estafeta street during the third running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) A reveler covers his head after falling besides a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A reveler touches the forehead of a bull as is chased by a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A reveler is chased by a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) Revelers run beside Jose Escolar Gil's fighting bulls as they make their way down Estafeta street during the third day of the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. A hospital official says at least one person was gored in an unusual third-day at Pamplona's San Fermin festival. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) A reveler covers his head after falling besides a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world flock to Pamplona every year to take part in some of the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) A reveler is chased by a fighting bull during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Revelers from around the world arrive in Pamplona every year to take part in some of the eight days of the running of the bulls. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza) Russian tourists hit the beaches of Turkey as ties improve ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's state-run media says the first plane in months carrying Russian tourists to Turkey has arrived in the southern beach resort of Antalya as tense relations between the two countries ease. Turkey's Anadolu Agency says airport officials greeted the passengers with flowers and a cocktail party after the Rossiya Airlines flight from Moscow landed Saturday morning with 189 passengers. Relations were strained after Turkey downed a Russian jet in November 2015. Russia responded with economic sanctions, including a ban on travel packages to Turkey. Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on travel sales after receiving a letter of apology from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month. Chinese navy holds live-fire drills in South China Sea BEIJING (AP) Chinese warships, fighter jets and submarines held live-fire war games in the South China Sea, state media reported, just days ahead of an international tribunal's ruling on a challenge to Beijing's expansive claims in the waters. The high-profile display of naval hardware is China's latest salvo in a propaganda offensive aimed at demonstrating its military might and asserting its sovereignty over the disputed region. Though China has said the exercises are routine, they come ahead of The Hague-based arbitration tribunal's ruling Tuesday in a case brought by the Philippines contesting China's claims in the South China Sea. China says the tribunal has no jurisdiction and says it will not accept the verdict. In this Friday, July 8, 2016 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese missile frigate Yuncheng launches an anti-ship missile during a military exercise in the waters near south China's Hainan Island and Paracel Islands. They are controlled by Beijing but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. China's navy is holding a week of military drills around the disputed islands ahead of a ruling by an international tribunal in a case filed by the Philippines challenging China's claim to most of the South China Sea. China is boycotting the case before The Hague-based court and says it will not accept the verdict. (Zha Chunming/Xinhua via AP) China Central Television showed video of Friday's drills, conducted by three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy in and around the Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam. The footage showed missiles and torpedoes being launched from ships, jets flying in formation and releasing flares, and submarines surfacing in the water. The drills are aimed at testing the navy's battle-readiness and are scheduled to run till Monday, CCTV said. Zhao Yanquan, a commander of a guided missile destroyer, said the scenario tested the troops' ability to locate enemy submarines, where enemy warships are attacking from and when enemy jets are taking off. "We gather the information, analyze it and make decisions upon it. For us, it is a real war situation and therefore a test to that effect," Zhao said. Earlier in the week, Vietnam protested the Chinese drill and has demanded that Beijing stop acting in a way that threatens security and maritime safety. Vietnam, China and Taiwan all claim the Paracelss, which are occupied by China, and those three along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or parts of the Spratly Islands, which are believed to be rich in natural resources and occupy one of the world's busiest sea lanes. In this Friday, July 8, 2016 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese missile frigate launches an air-defense missile during a military exercise in the waters near south China's Hainan Island and Paracel Islands. They are controlled by Beijing but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. China's navy is holding a week of military drills around the disputed islands ahead of a ruling by an international tribunal in a case filed by the Philippines challenging China's claim to most of the South China Sea. China is boycotting the case before The Hague-based court and says it will not accept the verdict. (Zha Chunming/Xinhua via AP) College-educated whites put hole in Trump coalition ATLANTA (AP) Wanda Melton has voted for every Republican presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan in 1980, but now the Georgia grandmother plans to cross over to support Democrat Hillary Clinton. "I'm not a real fan of Hillary," Melton says from her office in Atlanta. "But I think it would just be awful to have Donald Trump." She adds: "I cannot in good conscience let that happen." Melton is among a particular group of voters, whites with college degrees, who are resistant to Trump. Their skepticism comes as an ominous warning as Trump struggles to rebuild even the losing coalition that Mitt Romney managed four years ago. In this photo taken April 25, 2015, a group of women hold signs and shout their support as they wait on line to attend a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Trump insists a wide-ranging coalition of Americans will propel him to the White House, yet in the early stages of his general election campaign the presumptive Republican nominee appears to be having trouble even rebuilding even the losing coalition that Mitt Romney managed four years ago, with the skepticism of college-educated whites offering a particularly ominous warning for Trump. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) College-educated whites made up more than one-third of the electorate in 2012. Polls suggest Trump trails Clinton with those voters, especially women. "Donald Trump simply cannot afford to lose ground in any segment of the electorate" that supported Romney, said Florida pollster Fernand Amandi. Romney's strength with that group, for example, made for a close race in Florida, where President Barack Obama won by less than 75,000 votes out of more than 8.4 million cast. Some Republicans worry Trump's approach his unvarnished, sometimes uncouth demeanor and his nationalist and populist arguments guarantees his defeat, because the same outsider appeal that attracts many working class and even college-educated white men alienates other voters with a college degree. Ann Robinson, 64, is a lifelong Republican in a Trump's home state of New York, a Democratic stronghold that the real estate tycoon cites as an example of where he can "expand the map." Robinson sneers at the proposition and says she'll vote for Clinton. "It's just not a reasonable movement," she says of Trump's populist pitch. "I'm not sure he can actually be their savior. She has so much more experience. Trump has nothing." Mary Darling, 59, is an Illinois Republican who said she won't vote for Trump or Clinton. "If they could just soften his edges, people would flock to him, but that's just not going to happen," she said. Lew Oliver, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party in Florida, says he's prepared for an uphill fight in no small part because of Trump's struggle among more educated voters. "The fundamentals aren't in our favor, and some of his comments aren't helping," Oliver said. Romney drew support from 56 percent of white voters with college degrees, according to 2012 exit polls. Obama notched just 42 percent, but still cruised to a second term. A Washington Post-ABC News poll taken in June found Clinton leading Trump among college-educated whites 50 percent to 42 percent. Polling from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center pointed to particularly stark numbers among white women with at least a bachelor's degree. At this point in 2008 and 2012, that group of voters was almost evenly divided between Obama and the Republican nominee. This June, Pew found Clinton with a 62-31 advantage. Conversely, Pew found Trump still leads, albeit by a slightly narrower margin than did Romney at this point, among white women with less than a bachelor's degree. Should Trump fail to even replicate Romney's coalition, he has little hope of flipping many of the most contested states that Obama won twice, particularly Florida, Colorado and Virginia. Trump's struggles among college whites have Democrats eyeing North Carolina, which Obama won in 2008 before it reverted back to Republicans, and even GOP-leaning Arizona and Georgia. The education gap for Trump isn't new. Exit polls in the Republican primaries found him faring better among less educated groups. Trump particularly struggled with better educated Republicans when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was in the presidential race. Republican pollster Greg Strimple of Idaho says the gap is understandable. Voters without a college education, he said, are more likely to be struggling financially, to feel alienated from the political class Trump rails against and to find solace in his promise to stop illegal immigration. College educated voters "may have had relatively stagnant incomes, but they can still look at their 401(k)s and think about the future," Strimple said. "They're free to care more about things like tone." Clinton's campaign sees the persuadable portion of the electorate as being made up largely of women, many with college degrees. It has tried to reach them by hammering Trump as "dangerous" and "temperamentally unfit" for the job, while her initial general election advertising blitz focuses on her achievements in public life. Strimple said Trump must counter that with a constant "indictment of the last eight years, an indictment of Hillary Clinton. That can get some of those voters back." The question for Trump, though, is how many Wanda Meltons are already lost. "He's just not in control of himself," she says. "That personality type is not suited either to leadership or protecting the country." ___ Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP ___ What political news is the world searching for on Google and talking about on Twitter? Find out via AP's Election Buzz interactive. http://elections.ap.org/buzz Cop's lawyer blames driver's gun, not his race ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) A suburban St. Paul police officer who killed a black driver reacted to the man's gun, not his race, his attorney said Saturday, giving the most detailed account so far of why the officer drew his own weapon during the traffic stop last week. Philando Castile's girlfriend, who streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook, has said he was shot several times while reaching for his wallet, after telling the officer he had a gun and a permit to carry it. St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez was reacting to "the presence of that gun and the display of that gun" when he opened fire on Castile, Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly told The Associated Press. He declined to elaborate on how Castile displayed the weapon or what led up to the deadly traffic stop. Demonstrators gather outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Yanez "was reacting to the actions of the driver," Kelly said. "This had nothing to do with race. This had everything to do with the presence of a gun." An attorney for Castile's family, Larry Rogers, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on Kelly's remarks. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, also couldn't be reached for comment; no one answered the door at her home Saturday afternoon. Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Gov. Mark Dayton declared that police likely wouldn't have fired had Castile been white. Dayton later said he stood by his statement even though it angered some in law enforcement. Philip Smith, president and founder of the National African American Gun Association, said whether or not a black man is legally in possession of a gun might not matter in the tense moments of an encounter with an officer. "They're not getting any kind of the benefit of the doubt," Smith said. Kelly said Yanez, who is Latino, is "overcome with sadness" over Castile's shooting Wednesday in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000 that is served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department. Yanez and an officer who was with him, Joseph Kauser, were put on administrative leave, as is standard, authorities said. Both are four-year veterans of the St. Anthony force. Yanez's position with the 23-member department was his first in law enforcement, after jobs in security and contract immigration compliance work, Kelly said. The 28-year-old has a wife and child, and graduated from Minnesota State University Mankato with a degree in law enforcement in 2010. He and Kauser were classmates. Christian Dobratz, a former assistant professor at the university, said both officers excelled in courses on tactics and emergency response techniques. They were named best in their graduating class, and Dobratz said they seemed cut out for the challenges of police work. Yanez "is an intelligent person, he has a lot of common sense," Dobratz said. "Never once did I see behavior that would ever cause me to question their ethics." In 2014, the department selected Yanez to be part of a special crime prevention unit, whose members were hand-picked based on "their initiative, creativeness and varied backgrounds in law enforcement," according to the department's annual report. About the same time, Yanez joined the Minnesota chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, where he worked to raise money for and connect with Latino youth, said John Lozoya, one of the organization's founders. Lozoya recalled him as an active, passionate and approachable member. "He's a very sensitive officer, he cares about people," Kelly said. "He would drive around and stop and talk, and get out of the car, meet people and say hello." Yanez is cooperating with state investigators, who interviewed him within 15 hours of the shooting, Kelly said. Authorities said several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers don't wear body cameras. In the video she streamed on Facebook Live, Reynolds describes being pulled over for what the officer told her was a "busted tail light." The video shows her in a car next to a bloodied Castile slumped in a seat. A clearly distraught person who appears to be a police officer stands at the car's window, tells her to keep her hands up and says: "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out." "You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir," Reynolds calmly responds. Court records show the traffic stop was at least the 52nd time that Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, had been pulled over in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 2002. He had been given citations for minor offenses including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt. Kelly said the broken tail light wasn't the only reason for the latest traffic stop, but he would not elaborate. The night after Castile was killed, five police officers were fatally shot and others were wounded during protests in Dallas over Castile's killing and the fatal police shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling, who was also black, was shot after a scuffle with officers outside a convenience store. Authorities identified the Dallas shooter as an Army veteran who was later killed by police. Sterling's and Castile's families denounced the attack on the Dallas officers. ___ Gurman reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Jeff Baenen in St. Paul, Steve Karnowski and Kyle Potter in Minneapolis and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow Sadie Gurman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sgurman Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile of St. Paul, cries outside the governor's residence in St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Castile was shot and killed after a traffic stop by police in Falcon Heights, Wednesday night. A video shot by Reynolds of the shooting went viral. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - This still image taken from video by Diamond Reynolds shows a police officer pointing a gun at her boyfriend, Philando Castile, during a traffic stop on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 in Falcon Heights, Minn. The officer shot Castile, and Reynolds apparently livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook from the passenger seat. As the video and word of the shooting spread, scores of people gathered at the scene and outside the hospital where Castile died. (Diamond Reynolds via AP) This 2014 photo provided by Dewanda Harris shows Philando Castile of St. Paul, Minn., posing for a photo while attending a family funeral in St. Paul. Officials say Castile was fatally shot by police in Falcon Heights, Minn., Wednesday, July 6, 2016, while inside a car with a woman and a child. (Dewanda Harris via AP) A chalk tribute to Philando Castile marks a sidewalk across the street from the governor's residence as demonstrators gather outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Ramsey County Attorney John Choi addresses the media Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn., about procedures his office will follow in any possible prosecution of the St. Anthony police officer involved in the shooting death of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile, weeps during a press conference at the Governor'sResidence in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Philando Castile was shot in a car Wednesday night by police in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. Police have said the incident began when an officer initiated a traffic stop in suburban Falcon Heights but have not further explained what led to the shooting. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) Minnesota plGov. Mark Dayton speaks with Diamond Reynolds the girlfriend of Philandro Castile, second from left, during a press conference at his residence regarding the death of Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minn., Thursday, July 7, 2016. Also at left is Clarence Castile, Philando's uncle, and Nekima Levy-Pounds, center. Philando Castile was shot in a car Wednesday night by police in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP) A mock personalized Minnesota license plate print hangs on the fence at the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. , where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Demonstrators set up a food table outside the governor's residence Friday, July 8, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. , where protests continue over the shooting death by police of Philando Castile after a traffic stop Wednesday, July 6, in Falcon Heights. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Valire Castile, center, addresses hundreds at the JJ Hill Montessori School where her son Philando worked Thursday, July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. where a vigil was held following the shooting death by police of Philando Castile Wednesday night in Falcon Heights, Minn. after a traffic stop by St. Anthony police. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) Valire Castile is consoled as she addresses hundreds at the JJ Hill Montessori School where her son Philando worked Thursday, July 7, 2016, in St. Paul, Minn. where a vigil was held following the shooting death by police of Philando Castile Wednesday night in Falcon Heights, Minn. after a traffic stop by St. Anthony police. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) The Latest: Obama: UK decision to leave EU will 'stick' LONDON (AP) The Latest on Britain's vote to leave the European Union (all times local): 7:00 p.m. President Barack Obama says the United Kingdom and the European Union must make sure that Britain's exit from the 28-nation bloc is as sensible and orderly as possible. United States President Barack Obama addresses the media during a news conference at the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. U.S. President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders attended a second day of a summit meeting in Warsaw expected to lead to decisions about Afghanistan, the central Mediterranean and Iraq. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) He says he has to assume that Britain's decision "is going to stick," but how the process unfolds is up to both sides, and it's important that neither one harden its position in a way that damages economies at home or worldwide. The U.S., he said, will continue to be close friends and commercial partners with both. He said: "In good times and in bad, Europe can count on the United States always." Obama said he would not call himself a big booster of globalization, adding it carries a danger of increased inequality in which workers may have less leverage. But, he said, it's here to stay. ___ 1:20 p.m. Poland's foreign minister says that a group of four central European countries would like to hold talks with Britain to discuss its separation from the European Union and its future status "in a civilized way." Witold Waszczykowski spoke Saturday after he met with the foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary at the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw. The four countries form the so-called Visegrad Group that is a platform for discussing the region's local and European policy. Waszczykowski said the group wants to hold meetings and consultations with other countries. He said such talks might open "soon" with Britain to "consult in a civilized way the divorce and the future status of Britain and the European Union." British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond met with Waszczykowski later in the day and expressed "great interest" in having talks with the Visegrad Group, according to Rafal Sobczak, a spokesman for Poland's Foreign Ministry. The U.K. recently voted to leave the European Union but is still to formally request talks on the terms of its exit, or Brexit. ___ 11:05 a.m. Two Conservative women running to become Britain's next leader are facing a question that wouldn't be raised if there were male candidates for the job: Does being a mother make you better qualified to be prime minister? A political maelstrom erupted Saturday after contender Andrea Leadsom suggested in an interview that her status as a mother gives her an advantage over rival Theresa May, who does not have children. Turkish military apprehends 49 people trying to enter Syria ISTANBUL (AP) The Turkish Armed Forces says its units caught 49 people trying to cross illegally from Turkey to Syria on Friday. In a statement on daily activities, the Turkish Army also says 1,392 people who tried to illegally pass from Syria to Turkey have been apprehended. Turkey and Syria share a 566-mile-long porous border that has been a crucial escape route for 2.75 million refugees who have fled to Turkey from the ongoing Syrian civil war. At the same time, the permeable border has been used by militants to cross into Syria. Sophia Loren becomes honorary citizen of Naples MILAN (AP) Sophia Loren has been made an honorary citizen of Naples, the city that formed her and became the backdrop of many of her films. Naples Mayor Luigi de Magistris honored 81-year-old Loren at a ceremony attended by 500 residents Saturday as the Neapolitan song "O sole mio" played. Loren was wearing a black dress with a fuschia floral print and told the news agency ANSA that "I feel so much love." Sophia Loren holds a bunch of red roses as she stands in front a giant portrait of herself after being awarded with the honorary citizenship of Naples, Italy, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP) De Magistris said on Twitter that Loren and Naples have "intertwined hearts." Loren grew up near Naples, and her breakthrough role came in Vittorio De Sica's "The Gold of Naples," in 1954. She once famously told an interviewer that "I am not Italian. I am Neapolitan. It's another thing!" Naples' Mayor Lugi De Magistris confers the honorary citizenship certificate to Sophia Loren during a ceremony in Naples, Italy, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP) Citizen recordings of police interaction growing amid push ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) When police officers fatally shot Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, a powerful tool conveyed the brutal reality of their deaths to millions of people and helped fuel public outrage: cellphone video captured at the scene. As the nation debates law enforcement's actions in these two high-profile shootings of black men, a growing number of groups are training citizens to record and monitor police encounters for potential excessive force. They offer classes on rights, tips on recording better footage and ideas on where to share on social media for maximum exposure Fatal police interactions caught on video in St. Louis, Missouri; North Charleston, South Carolina; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Staten Island, New York, sparked similar angry reactions. In each case, a bystander or community advocate caught the encounter on video and posted it online before authorities had a chance to confiscate it. In this Tuesday, July 5, 2016 photo made from video, Alton Sterling is detained by two Baton Rouge police officers outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. Moments later, one of the officers shot and killed Sterling, a black man who had been selling CDs outside the store, while he was on the ground. (Arthur Reed via AP) "We have to depend on our cameras to keep us safe. We have to depend on our cameras to keep us out of jail," said Dennis Flores, co-founder of El Grito de Sunset Park, an organization that keeps an eye on police in Brooklyn's Sunset Park. Some groups, like El Grito, go out least once a week on an organized patrol. Others like the Louisiana-based Stop the Killing Inc., monitor police scanners for possible deadly police encounters. That's how an activist recorded the Sterling shooting. In addition, some American Civil Liberties Union state affiliates, like in New Mexico and California, even allow residents to download an app so users can easily record and upload footage before police can confiscate smartphones. ACLU officials can then examine the footage and details around the alleged abuse to determine if legal action is needed. A police advocate questioned the assumptions underlying the video monitoring. "This is a fad based on the premise that police officers are doing something wrong," Fraternal Order of Police executive director James Pasco said. Advocates say the phenomenon isn't just about technology but also related to people wanting to provide independent versions of deadly police encounters outside of official statements and body cam footage. It also encourages those directly involved with a police encounter or a witness like Diamond Reynolds in the Castile case to pull out a phone and start recording, advocates say. "These are images of police violence not from the perspectives of police," said David Correia, a University of New Mexico American Studies professor who led a 2014 sit-in at Albuquerque City Hall over that city's high number of police shootings. "Cellphone video allows us to see police the way they haven't been seen before." In Baton Rouge, a community activist captured cellphone video of 37-year-old Sterling being pinned down by two officers before Sterling was shot at close range. In the cellphone video, someone yells, "He's got a gun! Gun!" and gunfire erupts moments later. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said Sterling was armed but that there are still questions about what happened. In Minnesota, a video posted Wednesday night on Facebook Live appears to show the moments after 32-year-old Castile was shot by police during a traffic stop while his girlfriend and a child were in the car. In the widely shared Facebook video, a woman in a vehicle tells the camera "police just shot my boyfriend for no apparent reason." Beside her is a man whose shirt appears to be soaked in blood. And in Albuquerque two years ago, police shootings caught on a police helmet camera and a cellphone generated violent protests before the U.S. Department of Justice and the city signed an agreement to revamp the police force. A Justice Department investigation found a pattern of excessive force by Albuquerque police. "Every single person has the capability of being a police monitor now because of cellphones," said Darren White, a retired sheriff in New Mexico's most populous county. "I think officers should conduct themselves as if they are always being recorded." WeWatchCop coalition member James Crawford, 38, who, has trained dozens of advocates in Oakland, California, and Ferguson Missouri, said the training has exposed people to other communities. "This massive amount of documentation is showing people (who) are not directly impacted by police what is happening on the other side of town, in places that they don't necessarily know," Crawford said. "I think videos are actually bringing people together where we can all have a clear conversation about police misconduct." But Pasco, with the Fraternal Order of Police, said although officers welcome evidence in any case, they worry about possible doctored videos coming from unknown sources. "There is always a concern about editing and selective recording," Pasco said. Antonio Buehler, founder of the copwatch organization Peaceful Streets Project in Austin, Texas, said citizen filming officers allows information to spread mainstream. Albuquerque Police Officers Association president Shaun Willoughby cautioned that videos of police encounters tell only a fraction of the story. They don't take into account the calls for service or conversations before encounters, he said. Still, Willoughby said police should encourage recording of their interactions. "I would take it a take further. Sign up for a ride-along. Ask about use of force policies," Willoughby said. "You will see what we deal with." ___ Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/russell-contreras. Follow Deepti Hajela at www.twitter.com/dhajela. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/deepti-hajela . ___ Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela contributed to this report from New York City Russian television has broadcast video footage of what it said was a Russian police officer and a U.S. diplomat wrestling on the steps of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Reports of the incident emerged late last month. A U.S. diplomat said an embassy employee was attacked on June 6 by the officer. Russian officials said the diplomat had attacked the policeman. The night time footage, from what appeared to be a closed circuit TV camera across the street from a side entrance into the embassy compound, showed a yellow taxi pulling up and a man jumping out of the front passenger door. Russian television broadcast footage of a policeman tackling a man the report said was an undercover CIA agent trying to enter the U.S. embassy in Moscow without identifying himself In the grainy, approximately 15-second clip, the man exits a taxi and is almost immediately tackled by a policeman who emerges from a guard box and wrestles him to the ground In the ensuing struggle, the man manages to push himself through a door into the embassy compound, while the officer attempts to pin him down He moved purposefully toward the entrance, but after he had taken about three steps the door of a police sentry box in front of the entrance swung open. A man in police uniform then darted out, grabbed the man, and wrestled him to the floor about two meters from the door leading into the embassy building, according to footage broadcast by NTV. The footage then showed the police officer lying on top of the other man, who was on his back, pinning him to the floor. The man managed to wriggle his way toward the door and get it open, at which point the footage ends. The United States promptly expelled two Russian officials in response to the attack. Then, in a tit-for-tat move, Russia has now expelled two American diplomats who it claims were working undercover for the CIA. Citing deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, that it had expelled two diplomats - one who was involved in the policeman altercation and the other was 'also a CIA operative'. He said the two were declared persona non grata and added: 'We hope that they in Washington will realize all the viciousness of the aggressive anti-Russialine. 'If they decide there to move on the path of escalation, they won't be left without a response.' The incident, which took place at night on June 6, was caught on a security camera, according to the report shown on Russia's NTV channel The channel didn't describe how it obtained the footage. A still from the tussle is seen above The footage of the skirmish contradicts a version of the incident given by the Russian Foreign Ministry Washington places the blame quite literally at Russia's front door claiming the policeman attacked the diplomat. Russia claims the American tried to rush into the embassy late at night after a spying mission without presenting identification and was tackled by the policeman. In his first detailed comments about the June 6 incident, State Department spokesman John Kirby contradicted the account provided by Russia's Foreign Ministry, which said the policeman was trying to protect the embassy by checking the man's documents. 'On the 6th of June an accredited U.S. diplomat, who identified himself, in accordance with embassy protocols entering the American embassy compound, was attacked by a Russian policeman,' Kirby told reporters. Russia said that the diplomat punched the police officer after he was stopped and asked for identification Harassment of U.S. diplomats in Moscow has increased significantly over the last two years according to the US State Department 'The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee. The Russian claim the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue,' he added. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has said the police officer had wanted to check the man's documents to establish he was not a threat to embassy security, but was elbowed in the face when he tried to challenge him. She said the embassy employee was a CIA agent operating under diplomatic cover. Washington, whose dealings with Moscow has been strained by the Syrian civil war, Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and U.S. allegations that Moscow has increasingly harassed its diplomats, had tried to deal with the issue quietly. On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on June 7 and said Washington wanted to deal with it in private talks between the governments. While Kirby said he would not speak to the specifics of a particular incident, he said the U.S. was 'extremely troubled by the way our employees have been treated over the past couple of years'. The United States has accused Russia of a campaign of harassment against its diplomats in Moscow, while Russia has accused Washington of similar treatment to Russian diplomats based in the United States. CNN reported that following the expulsion of the two Russians Ryabkov told the Russian State News Agency Sputnik: '(T)he U.S. government really has demanded the departure of two staff members of the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., without presenting any complaints to them. Obama asks Americans not to fear a return to a dark past WARSAW, Poland (AP) President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected any notion that the past week's stunning violence signals a return to racial brutality of a dark past, saying that as painful as the killings of police and black men were, "America is not as divided as some have suggested." With five Dallas police officers dead at the hands of a sniper and two black men dead at the hands of police, Obama appealed to Americans not to be overwhelmed by fear of a return to 1960s-style chaos and to understand the progress that has been made in racial relations since that time. "You're not seeing riots and you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully," he said. "You've seen almost uniformly peaceful protests and you've seen, uniformly, police handling those protests with professionalism." United States President Barack Obama gestures during a press conference ending the second day of the NATO Summit, in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. U.S. President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders have begun the second day of a summit meeting in Warsaw that's expected to lead to decisions about Afghanistan, the central Mediterranean and Iraq. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Obama spoke at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Warsaw before leaving for Spain, part of a farewell trip to Europe he was cutting short by one day because of the developments at home. The comments marked the third time in as many days that Obama has spoken, from a distance, about the police-involved fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers. Seven other officers and two civilians were also injured. Obama said the Dallas shooter, a black Army veteran who was later killed by police, was a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. The president said he would visit Dallas in a few days to pay respects and mourn with the stricken Texas city. The shootings, and the ensuing protests in some U.S. cities, led to an uncharacteristic response from the president: He cut his five-day, two-country European trip to four days. On his flight to Spain, he called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to offer his condolences on behalf of the American people, the White House said. While Obama proceeded with his plan to visit Madrid, he scrapped a stop in the southern city of Seville. He was cramming two days of events into one, including meetings with interim President Mariano Rajoy and a visit with U.S. sailors stationed at a naval base in Rota. In his news conference before departing Poland, Obama said that while "there is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion" in the U.S., "there's unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans and that serves as the basis for us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way." The president said he planned to convene a White House meeting in coming days with police officers, community and civil rights activists and others to talk about next steps. He said the "empathy and understanding" that Americans have shown in responding to the events of the past few days, including Dallas police officers even as they came under attack, had given him hope. "That's the spirit that we all need to embrace," Obama said. "That's the spirit that I want to build on." But Obama, who has angered his political opponents after every deadly mass shooting by calling for tighter gun laws, made clear that he will continue to speak out about the need for such measures, which the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to go along with. He said the U.S. is unique among advanced countries in the scale of violence it experiences. The president spoke sympathetically of police officers in gun-filled communities who have "very little margin of error" when deciding how to engage with people on the street who may well be armed, whether they mean harm or not. "Police have a really difficult time in communities where they know guns are everywhere," he said. "If you care about the safety of our police officers, then you can't set aside the gun issue and pretend it's irrelevant." Citing laws allowing the carrying of guns in Texas, he said that even some of the Dallas protesters who staged a peaceful rally before the sniper attack were armed. He also cited the presence of an apparently legally owned gun in the car where motorist Philando Castile was shot dead during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Obama also tried to calm public anxiety about personal safety, saying violent crime is actually down in the U.S. "So as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, we've got a foundation to build on," he said. "We just have to have confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature." ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Seville, Spain, contributed to this report. President Barack Obama pauses while speaking about the events in Dallas at the beginning of his news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama speaks about the events in Dallas at the beginning of his news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama speaks about the events in Dallas at the beginning of his news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Barack Obama pauses while speaking about the events in Dallas at the beginning of his news conference at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Obama is in Warsaw attending the NATO Summit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) AP Interview: Gingrich says Trump is a 'necessary candidate' LE BOURGET, France (AP) Newt Gingrich says that he thinks Donald Trump is a "necessary candidate" who reflects a global anti-establishment sentiment, but that he wouldn't automatically say yes to an eventual proposal to become Trump's running mate. In an interview Saturday with The Associated Press, the former House Speaker also said a test should be devised to check the safety credentials of Syrian refugees based on Sharia, or Islamic law. "It's a very important way to vet Muslims if you believe in Western civilization," he said. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks before introducing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center, Wednesday, July 6, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Gingrich said that he thinks Trump will make his choice on a running mate late next week Thursday or Friday "so they go into the weekend with the new vice presidential candidate as a positive story leading into the convention Monday." Gingrich said he has been vetted for the job, but he has yet to decide whether to partner with Trump were he to be asked. "I think we would want to talk it through and make sure we knew what the job was and what he had in mind because it's not an automatic yes," he said. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are other possible Trump running mates. While Gingrich may be reflecting about his own choice, he said in the interview that Trump's presidential candidacy is not happenstance. "I think he's a necessary candidate," Gingrich said. The British vote to leave the EU, and electoral successes in Europe by populists, is part of "a worldwide movement toward really being angry at the establishment, really feeling cheated by the establishment, really feeling that government has failed and I think Trump is part of that worldwide movement," he said. Trump is perceived as divisive only "in the sense that the establishment is faced with a popular uprising and the establishment doesn't want to give up all of its perks and all of its power," Gingrich said. "Do I think Donald Trump is perfect? No. Do I think compared to Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump would be a radically better president? Yes. Hillary Clinton is a nightmare," he said. Gingrich was one of numerous former U.S. officials and international dignitaries attending a giant annual gathering of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran outside Paris. The exile opposition group calling for regime change in Iran is based in France. Gingrich said he counts them as modern Muslims but has less tolerance for some Syrian refugees and other Muslims. "I think particularly with regard to Syrian refugees it is just plain a lie for the United States government to suggest that they have any ability to vet who these people are," Gingrich said. Officials don't know their loyalties, he claimed, and lack intelligence capabilities in Syria to find out. A test on whether or not a person believes in Sharia law would be revelatory because belief in Islamic law is incompatible with secular law, he said. He didn't elaborate on how such a test would be administered. Gingrich also reiterated remarks made a day earlier on CNN about racism in the United States, saying white parents cannot know the fears of black parents. "It's an objective reality that if you are a white parent with teenagers you have dramatically less fear of the police walking up to them than if you're a black parent with black teenagers," Gingrich said. "And until we can have an open conversation both of how do you protect the police but also how do you protect the innocent I think we're not going to solve this problem," he said. The issue came into focus again following fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana and the slayings Thursday of five Dallas police officers guarding a protest march over those shootings. Black activists hope killings prompt more action from whites NEW YORK (AP) Since the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement three years ago, many white Americans have wrestled with how to respond. Some chose racist-tinged ridicule. Others, by word or deed, sought to show solidarity as blacks protested the deaths of fellow blacks in encounters with police. Still others, untouched personally, watched from a distance in silence. This past week, as graphic videos portrayed two more such deaths and five police officers were slain at a march in Dallas protesting the killings, whites have joined blacks in forceful calls for unity that cut across color lines. Some see hope of a turning point from these tragedies, that this might be the eyes-wide-open moment that moves white America from apathy or remorse to action in pursuit of racial reconciliation. "I definitely think there's a change in the atmosphere," said Johnetta Elzie, a black activist from St. Louis who believes the events have galvanized more white people to confront issues that afflict blacks. "I hate the fact that it is this way, but with every police violence victim story that goes national, more and more people wake up." FILE - In this Friday, July 8, 2016 file photo, Ashley Wilson, 21, left, a student at George Washington University, Janay Richmond, and Jeanne Isler, right, both with the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, attend a rally in support of the "Black Lives Matter" movement in front of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, inspired to a large degree by the killing the previous year of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida. It soon grew into both a national battle cry and phenomenon after a series of killings of blacks and other minorities by police. Over the course of the campaign, black activists have had mixed feelings about the response from whites commending those who have supported the effort yet decrying what they perceive as disinterest or hostility from a majority of whites. "Yes, White people are standing with us in response to these killings and we value that, but we need more Whites to tackle the systemic racism and discrimination that Blacks are subjected to," San Francisco activist Javarre Wilson said in an email response to questions. "White people don't have to worry whether their child will be at the receiving end of a cop's baton or handgun. White people don't have to worry about whether they will be pulled over in their cars and aggressively harassed by racist cops." To be sure, whites, Latinos, Asians and others have joined black Americans in decrying the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, made all the more palpable because videos capturing the incidents were widely shared for all to see on social media and across the Internet. The officers involved were placed on leave and investigations continue. "My heart is in a million pieces," Rachel Hockett, a white theater director in Ithaca, New York, wrote in a Facebook post. "I can't even begin to imagine how it feels to be African-American in this country. But I certainly care, to my toes, and I know how I would feel if my son or daughter were gunned down in this way." "All #blacklivesmatter. Unconditionally," Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs, declared on her Facebook page. But words are not enough, in the view of many black activists. They argue that most whites have been too slow to speak out when injustices occur and that, once they do, such expressions rarely equate to meaningful change. "It makes the killings worse to know that your disapproval of them has spared your reputations and not our lives," Michael Eric Dyson, a professor of sociology at Georgetown University, wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times after the deaths of Sterling and Castile. He addressed his piece to "white America." "You will never understand the helplessness we feel in watching these events unfold, violently, time and again, as shaky images tell a story more sobering than your eyes are willing to believe: that black life can mean so little," Dyson wrote. "You do not know that after we get angry with you, we get even angrier with ourselves, because we don't know how to make you stop, or how to make you care enough to stop those who pull the triggers." Matthew Shaw, a black law and public policy analyst at the American Bar Foundation, said too many white Americans lack empathy with blacks, and need to find ways to develop that. "If you see someone being shot while sitting in a car with his family, and you don't have some empathy, you've got some work to do," he said in reference to Castile's death. "Work on your friends, your family, people in your neighborhood." He urged whites to get active in campaigns to improve police practices and promote racial justice. "Violence is the worst response," he said. "Throwing your hands in the air and saying nothing can be done is a close second." Some whites have indeed taken steps to build support for the Black Lives Matter movement among their fellow whites, and they say they are making progress. Dara Silverman is the national coordinator of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a network launched a year and a half ago. She said it has grown from a dozen local groups to more than 150, expanding the base of whites committed to fighting racial inequality. The network encourages white activists to hold house parties and conduct door-to-door canvassing in an effort to attract more supporters. A statement issued after the deaths of Sterling and Castile also urged direct protest action. "Join us in the streets," it said. "Now is the time for white people to be visible, courageous and relentless in our public opposition to racism and the state-sanctioned murder of Black people." Many white politicians, including top Democratic and Republican leaders, appealed for tolerance and unity in the aftermath of the deadly incidents. Hillary Clinton, in an interview with CNN, called on white people "to put ourselves in the shoes of those African-American families who fear every time their children go somewhere." House Speaker Paul Ryan implored Americans to "not lose sight of the values that unite us, our common humanity." There were harsh comments as well. Joe Walsh, a former Illinois congressman, tweeted in response to the slayings of the officers in Dallas by a black Army veteran: "This is now war" and "Watch out black lives matter punks." The perpetrator, who was killed during an ensuing standoff with authorities, told officials he was upset about the police killings of Sterling and Castile and wanted to exterminate whites. He said he acted alone and not in concert with any groups. Diana Bass, an author who specializes in American religion and culture, urged white people to speak out against racism even if seen in those closest to them. "With the exception of my mother and her father, I knew no adult who ever said anything good about any black person," she recalled of her childhood years in a Facebook post. "I disavow their beliefs. I utterly, completely reject their racism. They were wrong and used race to keep others down in order to try and protect their own fragile egos and privilege." The Rev. Russell Moore, a white evangelical who heads the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy agency, wrote an essay on his personal website that put the latest incidents into historical perspective making references to slavery and to the era of segregation in which his denomination resisted black civil rights. "African-Americans have lived with trauma from the very beginning, the initial trauma being the kidnapping and forced enslavement of an entire people with no standing whatsoever before the law," he wrote. "For the black community, these present situations often reverberate with a history of state-sanctioned violence, in a way that many white Americans - including white evangelicals - often don't understand." Moore's essay ended on a note of hope: "We can work for justice in the public arena as we learn to love one another in the personal arena, and vice versa." But there also were voices of despair. "It's overwhelming to see what we are up against, to live in a world where too many people have their fingers on the triggers of guns aimed directly at black people," Peter Staley, a white AIDS/HIV activist in New York City, wrote on his Facebook page. "I don't know what to do anymore," he said. "I don't know how to believe change is possible when there is so much evidence to the contrary." ___ Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP FILE - In this Friday, July 8, 2016 file photo, Glory Yount, 17, left, marches with others along Minnesota Avenue after a gathering in response to recent shootings across the county in Sioux Falls, S.D. Earlier in the week, videos showed two black men killed by police, and five police officers were slain at a march in Dallas protesting the killings. (Joe Ahlquist/The Argus Leader via AP) FILE - In this Friday, July 8, 2016 file photo, a woman holds a sign as she and hundreds of other protesters march against the recent fatal shootings by police of black men in San Francisco. Over the course of the Black Lives Matter movement, black activists have had mixed feelings about the response from whites _ commending those who have supported the effort yet decrying what they perceive as disinterest or hostility from a majority of whites. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) FILE - In this Thursday, July 7, 2016 file photo, Michael Strickland holds a gun in Portland, Ore., outside a rally which was protesting the deaths of two black men shot by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. No shots were fired in the incident which happened the same night snipers shot and killed five Dallas police officers and wounded others at a demonstration. Strickland was arrested and charged with menacing and disorderly conduct. (AP Photo/Diego G Diaz) FILE - In this Friday, July 8, 2016 file photo, Sioux Falls City Council Member Theresa Stehly speaks to, from left, MJ Abegaz, Moussa Mahamed and Tailey Barley during a gathering in Sioux Falls, S.D., in response to recent shootings across the country. (Joe Ahlquist/The Argus Leader via AP) The search has been called off for a 24-year-old Indiana airman who vanished last week after attending a cookout near the Italian base where he has been stationed for more than a year. Italian police and the US Air Force joined forces as they spent three days scouring the area where Staff Sgt Halex Hale was last seen on July 2. Halex left the cookout in the northern town of Sacile, nine miles from the Aviano Air Base where he is stationed, and set off on foot for another friend's home that was a 15-minute walk away. The search has been called off for Staff Sgt Halex Hale, 24, who vanished last week after attending a cookout near the Aviano Air Base in northern Italy, where he has been stationed for more than a year The Indiana airman (pictured left) disappeared after attending a cookout near the Aviano Air Base in northern Italy, where he has been stationed for more than a year But the Middletown native, who is assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, never arrived. He had also left his cell phone and keys behind at the cookout. Italian police suspended the search on Saturday night. 'They found no evidence of any kind, physical or otherwise,' said US Air Force Capt Michael Hertzog. A police source claims Hale was inebriated on the night he disappeared and was staying at a friend's house located near a canal, they told CBS News. The source said it is believed Hale might have fallen into the canal, which empties into the Livenza River. Hertzog would not comment on whether Hale's cell phone, credit card or car had been used since his disappearance, saying they were part of the ongoing investigation. He added that Hale disappeared on the night of the Italy-Germany match in the European soccer championship tournament, where the streets were filled with people - thus further complicating the search. Hale (pictured with his mother Amy) left the cookout and set off on foot for another friend's house that was a 15-minute walk away, but never arrived at the home. He had left his cell phone and keys behind Italian police have circulated a missing person's bulletin on national media as well as to law enforcement in neighboring countries. Lance Hale, the airman's father, traveled to Italy on Friday to search for his son. 'We will not stop looking,' Amy Hale, Halex's mother, told WISH. 'He will not come home without our boy.' 'It's very trying. I've got to believe. Keep up the faith. Keep the prayers coming.' Hundreds have poured into the Middletown Church of the Nazarene to support the family, raising money to help cover the costs for flights and accommodations in Italy. Hale, who has been based at Aviano Air Base since February 2015, previously served in Afghanistan. He has been in the Air Force for six years and 'absolutely loved it', Amy told The Star Press. Hertzog said there were no indications that Hale had any difficulties on or off the base. Amy said the language barrier has made getting information regarding her son a challenge. But she said she's learned that several airmen from the base have also searched for Hale. 'I feel my child needs me and I can't get to him,' she said. 'I can't find him.' Italian police suspended the search on Saturday night. US Air Force Capt Michael Hertzog said they found 'no evidence of any kind, physical or otherwise' 2 Russian soldiers die after helicopter shot down in Syria MOSCOW (AP) Russia's military says two of its airmen have died in Syria after their helicopter was shot down in Syria by fighters of the Islamic State group. A Defense Ministry statement reported by the state news agency Tass said the incident occurred Friday east of the ancient city of Palmyra. According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition. It said IS fighters broke through Syrian forces' lines east of Palmyra at the same time. Obama lands in Madrid for abbreviated visit to Spain MADRID (AP) President Barack Obama has arrived in Spain for an abbreviated visit to the NATO ally. Air Force One landed at Torrej?n Air Base outside of Madrid. King Felipe IV and several other Spanish officials greeted him. Obama plans meetings in Madrid with Spanish leaders and a visit with King Don Felipe IV. He'll also travel to the U.S. Naval Station Rota to address troops. U.S. President Barack Obama disembarks the plane during his arrival at the Torrejon military air base in Madrid, Spain Saturday, July 9, 2016. On what is expected to be his last presidential visit to Europe, Obama is visiting Madrid for his first presidential visit to Spain. (AP Photo/Paul White) The White House says the visit will highlight security cooperation between the two nations and a strong political and economic relationship. The president had planned a stop in Seville, for some sightseeing. But he cut his trip short a day after the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas Thursday night. Obama flew from Poland, where he attended a NATO summit. Call to centralise police recruitment in bid to tackle inconsistencies Police recruitment should be centralised in order to tackle inconsistencies across the service, according to a new report. Under the current system applicants apply to individual forces in England and Wales. While some may collaborate on recruitment, in general they each set their own recruitment process and selection policy - with entry requirements varying from one constabulary to another. There are calls to make police recruitment more consistent across the forces There must be a standard recruitment process with standard entry requirements for someone wishing to become a police officer in England and Wales, the Commons Home Affairs committee said. Its report said: " If there is to be proper consistency in policing then this should start with the first contact between an applicant and the police. Setting standards which 43 individual forces then follow as they choose is inefficient, confusing and breeds inconsistency." Recruitment should be centralised and overseen by an expanded College of Policing, the committee recommended. It also said the problem of "inconsistent practice" in the training of new recruits must be resolved. An example of "unnecessary duplication" given to the committee suggested an officer who might be trained in driving a traffic car or response car in one part of the country would "have to start all over again from scratch" when they transferred to another force. Although a single training college would address many of the issues identified, the committee recognised the challenges involved in creating such a facility. Instead, it called for the Government to consider introducing a number of regional hubs. The report also raised concerns about variations in approach to a code of ethics rolled out in 2014. Labour MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, said: "The College of Policing continues to be a vital part of the new landscape of policing. However, there is an alarming lack of consistency across police forces, and the College of Policing faces significant challenges in implementing a national approach to raise standards. "A police officer in Leicestershire should be judged by the same criteria as one based in Suffolk. There should be no 'postcode lottery' in how we are policed." Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College, said: " It is encouraging to see the committee acknowledge the efforts put into providing those working in policing with the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent crime, protect the public, and secure public trust. "We are looking at ways to address inconsistencies including the establishment of a system of accreditation for high risk areas of policing to ensure the public get the same level of service from police regardless of where they live." Sara Thornton, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said chief constables are committed to working with the College to improve standards in policing. Meanwhile, the committee also accused the Foreign Office of refusing to provide details of the College's contracts for providing assistance and training to overseas regimes. Human rights groups have previously raised questions about arrangements under which Saudi Arabian officers were given training. Mr Marshall said the College is "committed to transparency" and " keen to help the public understand our international work as much as possible". He went on: "Details of the countries we have provided assistance to, the areas of policing covered, and the amounts paid by all regions are published on our website. Our approach to releasing this information was supported by the Information Commissioner's Office." A Government spokeswoman said it will carefully consider the committee's findings. She said the creation of the independent College of Policing "has been an important pillar in our programme of police reform". The spokeswoman added: "Given the high level of skill and expertise across British policing, it is not surprising that there is an international appetite to learn from the best. David Cameron urges European unity and wants 'hard-headed dialogue' with Russia Europe must remain united in the face of the threat from Russia, David Cameron has warned amid fears Britain's withdrawal from the EU will weaken its resolve to stand up to Vladimir Putin, Speaking at the Nato summit in Warsaw, the Prime Minister said there had to be a "hard-headed dialogue" with Moscow to prevent any "misunderstanding or miscalculation" leading to conflict. At the same time he stressed that both the EU and the alliance needed to be prepared to stand firm in face of any fresh aggression by Russia following its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. US president Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron during a group photograph at the Presidential Palace ahead of a working dinner on day one of the Nato summit His comments came after President Francois Hollande said France regarded Russia as a partner, "not a threat" and that Nato had no role in determining what Europe's relations with Moscow should be. Mr Cameron told a news conference: "Of course we must have a dialogue with Russia - there are many issues we need to discuss with Russia, not least the situation in Syria. "But there was a very strong consensus that we need to have that dialogue from a position of unity and strength over the issue of Ukraine. Boundaries are being redrawn in Europe by force by one power and Europe and Nato must be strong against that. "We are not seeking confrontation with Russia. We are working to prevent it so we will continue to pursue a twin-track approach of deterrence and dialogue. "We must engage in a hard-headed dialogue with Russia to avoid misunderstanding or miscalculation." After Nato leaders confirmed plans on Friday to station four new battalions numbering around 4,000 troops - including 650 British personnel - in eastern Europe, Mr Cameron said the Nato-Russia council would meet next week for the first time in many months in an attempt to ensure the deployments did not create new friction. The Prime Minister also confirmed that Britain is to send an additional 50 troops to Afghanistan in a training and mentoring role while extending the mission of the 450 already there to help shore up the Afghan security forces. Union boss says Labour Party 'in peril' as Angela Eagle makes bid for leadership The Labour movement was on the verge of all-out civil war as Angela Eagle prepared to launch a bid to oust Jeremy Corbyn. The challenge, which will be launched on Monday, was triggered by the collapse of peace talks between the party's deputy leader Tom Watson and the unions amid bitter recriminations. The leader of Britain's biggest trade union branded the decision by Mr Watson to pull the plug on negotiations to end the impasse over Mr Corbyn's leadership as an "act of sabotage" and warned it could lead to a schism in the party. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ahead of his speech during the Durham Miners' Gala on the old Racecourse, Durham. The crisis within the Labour ranks has seen scores of frontbenchers resign, with Ms Eagle the most senior member of the shadow cabinet to quit, and a motion of no confidence in Mr Corbyn by his MPs was backed by 172 votes to 40. Former shadow business secretary Ms Eagle said Mr Corbyn had "failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty, that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) that can both hold the Government to account and demonstrate we are ready to form a government in the event of a general election". She added: "On Monday morning I will announce my candidature for leader of the Labour Party. I will explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make." Earlier, Mr Watson had announced he had pulled out of the union talks, saying Mr Corbyn's intention to continue "come what may" meant "there is no realistic prospect of reaching a compromise" over his future. The overwhelming vote of no confidence in Mr Corbyn by the party's MPs showed he had "lost the support of the PLP with little prospect of regaining it", Mr Watson said. But Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said a workable plan to resolve bitter differences between Jeremy Corbyn and the Parliamentary Labour Party had "never been closer". Mr McCluskey said: "I am dismayed at the statement issued by Tom Watson announcing his withdrawal from talks aimed at resolving the crisis in the Labour Party. "Extraordinarily I received no notice of this statement before it was issued. I had made arrangements for a meeting of trade union leaders, Tom Watson and representatives of the PLP and the party leader for tomorrow, arrangements requested by Tom Watson and his colleagues, specifically for Mr Watson's convenience. "In that context, when the possibility of a workable plan had never seemed closer, Tom Watson's actions today can only look like an act of sabotage fraught with peril for the future of the Labour Party." Mr McCluskey stressed that Mr Corbyn's resignation had not been on the agenda for the talks and it was "deeply disingenuous" for Mr Watson to suggest that the leader's refusal to step down led to the collapse of the negotiations. Mr Corbyn has insisted that his name will automatically be on the ballot if a leadership challenge is launched against him and Mr McCluskey warned that if there was any legal attempt to prevent him fighting for his position it could risk splitting the party. Mr McCluskey said: " I must warn that any attempts to keep Jeremy Corbyn, elected just 10 months ago with an enormous mandate, off the ballot paper by legal means risks a lasting division in the party. "It is time for everyone to commit to a democratic and dignified procedure as the only way to avert such a disaster for working people." Former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith, who is also thought to be considering a leadership bid, said he would meet Mr Corbyn "to explore any and all avenues to save our party" and would do "anything necessary" to prevent a split. He said: "I am deeply disappointed that talks about the future of our party appear to have broken down. I know Tom Watson has worked tirelessly in a bid to reach agreement and respect his view that he cannot take this process any further. "I am continuing efforts to heal divisions through dialogue and intend to meet with Jeremy as soon as possible to explore any and all avenues to save our party. "This is the greatest crisis facing Labour in generations and it comes at a time when our country is in desperate need of a united Labour Party to speak for Britain. "I remain extremely concerned that a small number of people from both the left and right of our party seem intent on letting it split. The Labour movement must come together to avoid this at all costs. "I remain committed to doing anything necessary to prevent a split and unite the party." A spokesman for the party leader said it was "disappointing" that Mr Watson had walked away from the talks and added: "Jeremy is committed to fulfilling all his responsibilities as democratically elected leader and will not betray the hundreds of thousands of people who elected him for a different direction for the Labour Party and a different kind of politics. "He continues to be fully committed to working with the Parliamentary Labour Party and is ready to talk with as many people as necessary to assist that process, discussing policy initiatives and listening to ideas. "He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted." Dave Ward, Communication Workers Union General Secretary, said: "The CWU is disappointed that the PLP has abandoned talks which were aimed at securing unity in the Labour Party. "The CWU was due to join the talks tomorrow and our support for the discussions that had taken place was on the clear basis that Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Party, endorsed overwhelmingly by Labour Party members less than a year ago, was not on the table. Along with other Union leaders, we have been unequivocal this- the PLP representatives have been aware of this from the outset. "Jeremy Corbyn retains the CWU's full support and it is clear to us that the actions of some members of the PLP, in undermining his mandate from the membership, are putting the future of the party at risk." Mr Corbyn gives a thumbs-up to the gala. A triumphant end to Mr Corbyn's speech at the Durham Miners' Gala on the old Racecourse. A dignitary has a word in Mr Corbyn's ear. Angela Eagle is already in the frame to challenge Mr Corbyn's leadership of the party. Mr Corbyn insists he will not step down, citing the support of party members. General Secretary of UNISON Dave Prentis on the balcony with Mr Corbyn. A brass band plays as the miners head towards the gala event. Miners cross the bridge on their journey to hear Jeremy Corbyn speak. T in the Park sets up drugs amnesty following two deaths T in the Park revellers have been urged to dump their drugs in special amnesty bins set up at the site. Bosses at the music festival said anyone ditching the banned substances in the dedicated zones will not get into trouble. The move follows the deaths of two teenagers at this year's event. Bosses at the music festival said anyone ditching the banned substances in the dedicated zones will not get into trouble The male and female festival-goers - both aged 17 and who have not been formally named by the authorities - died as Scotland's biggest music event got under way at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire. They have been named locally as Peter MacCallum from Lochgilphead, Argyll, and Megan Bell from the north of England. Police Scotland said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths. Officers are looking at the possibility that they were drug-related. A tweet issued by festival organisers said: "Dump your drugs. Amnesty bins are now in the campsite at welfare. Bin them and you won't be in any trouble. "Look after each other. If you or your friends feel unwell, get help right away from any festival staff. "There's no safe way to take drugs. Don't take the risk." Festival director Geoff Ellis said they are doing all they can to help police with their investigation. "We remain focused on delivering a safe, enjoyable event for the rest of the fans onsite and we thank them for their positive attitude," he said in a statement. Tributes have been paid online to the teenagers. Ruth Bond wrote on Twitter: "Absolutely wiped, poor girl taken far too soon. RIP Megan, hearts go out to her family and friends xxx." Callum Talbot said Megan was "such a lovely lass and gone too soon". Ellena Davies wrote: "RIP to one of my longest friends Peter MacCallum, so heartbreaking to witness something so horrible." Officers have warned people against taking illegal substances. Chief Superintendent Angela McLaren said: "We are continuing to investigate these deaths and are following lines of inquiry, including the possibility that they may be drug-related. I would remind all persons attending the festival that there is no safe way of taking drugs. "Anyone who has any concerns for themselves or others at the festival should contact festival staff, police officers or medics for assistance." Meanwhile, police have appealed for information after a cash machine was stolen from the festival's main arena sometime between midnight on Thursday and 7am on Friday. The ATM contained a "significant" amount of cash, officers said, as they asked any witnesses to come forward. More than 80,000 revellers are expected over the weekend, with a line-up which includes Calvin Harris and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Adam Yates receives apology and white jersey after Tour de France collision Adam Yates got an apology from the organisers and the leading young riders' white jersey for his troubles the morning after suffering a spectacular collision with the flamme rouge banner in the Tour de France. The 23-year-old Orica-BikeExchange rider was sent tumbling over his handlebars late on Friday's stage seven to Lac de Payolle when the inflatable banner one kilometre from home collapsed on to the road as he was passing under - causing the peloton to stop and forcing organisers to take the time gaps from the 3km mark. Videos on social media showed just how dangerous the incident was as Yates was sent over his handlebars when the banner fell on to the road suddenly, also taking out a support motorbike. Adam Yates got an apology from Tour de France organisers following Friday's collision with the flamme rouge Yates emerged from the incident with several bumps and bruises, but also some reward late on Friday evening as organisers confirmed he had moved one second ahead of Etixx-QuickStep's Julian Alaphilippe in the young riders' classification. That decision came too late for Yates to be presented with the jersey on the podium on Friday, but organisers did their best to make up for it. On Saturday morning, Tour director Christian Prudhomme visited Yates in the team bus to apologise for the incident, and Yates was keen to move on. "(Prudhomme) just apologised for what happened," Yates said. "It's not his fault. Just my bad luck, that's all there is to it. "I'm all right. Pretty banged up but it's another day to recover. We'll just what happens and hopefully I get through okay." As fellow Briton Steve Cummings was taking a solo win up the road for Dimension Data, Yates had attacked off the front of the peloton, seeking to pick up the seven seconds required to take white off Alaphilippe. Yates admitted he had not expected to get the jersey after hitting the deck. "Not really," he said. "The whole reason I was up there was to try to get the jersey, and I'd like to thank the organisation for sorting it out. I'll try to hold on for it as long as possible." Prudhomme said the banner had collapsed after a spectator accidentally disconnected the cable which kept it inflated - causing it to almost immediately deflate. "I just wanted to say sorry to Adam Yates and to say 'Thank you' to him because he was very elegant in his speeches and interviews after," Prudhomme said. Chris Froome seizes Tour de France yellow jersey after stage eight win Chris Froome moved into the yellow jersey with a stunning downhill attack to win stage eight of the Tour de France into Bagneres-de-Luchon. The two-time Tour winner and defending champion led a select group of riders over the top of the Col de Peyresourde and immediately accelerated away, taking victory by 13 seconds from Ireland's Dan Martin, who led the chasing pack home. With BMC's Greg Van Avermaet dropped early on a challenging day in the Pyrenees, Team Sky's Froome assumes the overall lead of the race by 16 seconds from fellow Briton Adam Yates of Orica-BikeExchange. Chris Froome claimed a solo victory in Bagneres-de-Luchon to take the yellow jersey (AP) It was the fifth victory for a British rider in the first eight stages of this Tour following three early successes for Mark Cavendish and Friday's win for his Dimension Data team-mate Steve Cummings. With Froome in yellow, Cavendish in the points leaders' green jersey and Yates in white as the best young rider, the Union Flag is flying high in France. Cavendish won the opening stage here, making this only the second Tour in which two different Britons have worn the yellow jersey, following Chris Boardman and Sean Yates in 1994. In Froome's previous Tour wins in 2013 and 2015, he took control of the general classification battle by winning the first summit finish of the race, but here he made his move a day earlier than might have been expected as he chose the long descent off the last of the day's four categorised climbs. As Movistar's Nairo Quintana reached to grab a water bottle at the summit, Froome burst clear and he showed he was willing to take risks on the 16km descent to the line. Hunched low down on his bike but still pedalling as fast as he could, the 31-year-old barrelled down the mountain at speeds topping 80kmh as he edged further and further clear of the chasing pack, leading by as much as 22 seconds. "It was really just a spur of the moment thing," Froome said of his decision to attack. "I felt like a kid again, just trying to ride my bike as fast as I could. "I was taking a risk but I'm glad I did. I couldn't be happier to be back in yellow." Froome said his descending style was something he picked up racing team-mates in training, but it invited comparisons to Graham Obree, the Scottish rider who twice broke the world hour record in the 1990s and was known for his unusual positions on the bike. "You really kind of think of Graham Obree and that eccentric British element," Sky team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said. "I think that's something people can warm too. "Sometimes you take opportunities and sometimes you have to make them. "Everyone says we're predictable so we said this year let's be unpredictable and make people guess what we're going to do." Etixx-QuickStep's Martin led home a chasing pack which included GC hopefuls Quintana, Tejay Van Garderen (BMC), Fabio Aru (Astana) and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale). Yates, who insists he is not a GC contender, was also there to strengthen his hold on the white jersey he took on Friday in spite of his bizarre collision with the flamme rouge banner as it collapsed near the finish line in Lac de Payolle. Van Avermaet began the day almost six minutes clear in yellow, but the Classics specialist was no match for the Col du Tourmalet and was dropped on the famed hors categorie climb mid-way through this challenging 184km stage from Pau, coming home almost 26 minutes down. With Froome in yellow, Yates is on the same time as third-placed Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha. Martin is fourth, 17 seconds back, while Quintana is sixth, 23 seconds down and four off the pace of his team-mate Alejandro Valverde. Alberto Contador's hopes of challenging for yellow could be over after the Tinkoff rider suffered on the final climb, giving up one minute 41 seconds to Froome to fall three minutes 12 seconds off the pace overall. The Spaniard, who crashed twice in the opening days and has suffered since, said: "I did the best I can. We are going to talk with the rest of the team for the future because Roman Kreuziger is better placed than I am." Kreuziger is 12th overall, 34 seconds back. Another man to suffer was Katusha's Michael Markov, who became the first man to abandon this Tour as he succumbed to the injuries he has been carrying since the opening stage. The Tour had never previously passed stage six without a rider withdrawing. With only 16 seconds' advantage, Froome's rivals must now hope there is a way to make him suffer on Sunday, when the riders face three category one climbs and the hors categorie ascent to Andorre Arcalis as the race dips into Spain and Andorra. "I did have to spend a lot of energy pedalling on my own in the last 10km," Froome said. "I didn't have much left to be honest so let's see how tomorrow is going to be." Hundreds gather in London to protest against killing of two black men in US Hundreds of demonstrators have protested in London against the killing of two black men in the United States. Brixton was brought to a standstill as a crowd chanting "black lives matter" and "hands up, don't shoot" took to the streets on Saturday. The crowd of approximately 300 people gathered in Windrush Square before marching to the nearby police station, and then through neighbouring streets. Hundreds of demonstrators protest in Windrush Square in Brixton against the killing of two black men in the United States It followed a protest in central London on Friday after the shooting of black men by US police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and St Paul, Minnesota. Those deaths were followed by the reprisal shooting of five officers in Dallas, Texas. Demonstrators later brought traffic to a halt by staging a sit-down protest in the middle of Brixton High Street. There was a low-key police presence as the crowd chanted "racist police, off our streets". They sat down for around 10 minutes before getting up, but the crowd swelled until all traffic through the centre of Brixton had to be halted. Dozens of buses and cars were forced to queue back along Brixton Road as the protesters blocked traffic outside the Ritzy Cinema. One bus driver said he had been stuck for more than two hours. Scuffles broke out at one point after protesters said a bus driver made a derogatory remark towards them. He was punched by one protester after being ushered away by six or seven police officers. One officer told the Press Association he believed the driver had been arrested. Officers then backed away from the crowd who remained in the road playing music. Some protesters cheered as one man shouted through a loudspeaker "we have locked down Brixton". Another man, Vincent Lee, 37, and his partner Jessica Osibona came to the march as a mark of solidarity of the events in the US over the past week. Mr Lee said: "It is a mess. Predominantly it is happening in America with their gun laws but we came down to show we are united with them." He added: "It is hard because I'm mixed. I've got white family members too. The officers who got killed in Dallas, they've got families too." Ms Osibona said she felt "compelled" to join the protest having followed the Black Lives Matter movement over the past year. She said: "I was looking for some kind of inspiration as to what we can do collectively." She added it was her first such protest and had given her an "overwhelming feeling of unity". One bus - seemingly abandoned by its driver - was boarded by a group of protesters who begun singing rapper Kendrick Lamar's song Alright - a track which has been associated with the Black Lives movement in the US. Another bus driver said TfL buses through Brixton had been re-routed. Protesters call for justice over death in detention of Kingsley Burrell Protesters have called for justice more than a year after an inquest found "gross failures" contributed to the death of a father-of-three detained under the Mental Health Act. The family of Kingsley Burrell were joined on Saturday by hundreds of people on a march through Birmingham urging action by the British authorities 14 months after an inquest jury's damning verdict regarding his death. Those on the march met up with a separate Black Lives Matter protest being held, mirroring scenes in other UK cities, to campaign against the deaths of two black men in the United States. Kingsley Burrell had been detained under mental health laws In May 2015, an inquest into the death of Mr Burrell found the 29-year-old's death had been contributed to by gross failures with the coroner saying "no tragedy like this should ever happen again". After a complaint from the victim's family about the evidence of three West Midlands Police officers' during the inquest, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) carried out an investigation. In October last year it referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service "for them to consider if any criminal offences may have been committed." This week the CPS said it was still considering the matter and "will make a decision in due course". The time taken by the CPS has angered Mr Burrell's family who on Saturday repeated calls for "justice" for their loved one, the day after what would have been his 35th birthday. Protesters stopped traffic moving along a five-mile route from the Handsworth area of the city into the centre, brandishing placards reading "Justice for Kingsley Burrell". As marchers joined with the simultaneous Black Lives Matter demonstration outside Steelhouse Lane police station, Birmingham, protesters chanted: "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now." Following the inquest, relatives of Mr Burrell had secured a meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss their concerns. But the meeting has been held up by what Mr Burrell's family claim are delays by the CPS in making a decision over whether or not to charge the three officers. Mr Burrell, a student from Winson Green in Birmingham, died at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital on March 31, 2011 four days after being detained by police. He had dialled 999 claiming his life was under threat but was then sectioned and taken to a mental health unit, then days later was transferred to hospital. An inquest jury ruled there were gross failures to get Mr Burrell proper medical attention, and that the use of force to restrain him and place a cover over his head contributed to his death. The senior coroner for Birmingham Louise Hunt said she would write to the Department of Health, the College of Policing, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and the Home Office to ensure lessons have been learned nationally as a result. An initial CPS investigation back in 2014, concluded there was not enough evidence to bring criminal prosecutions against anyone involved. Desmond Jaddoo, one of the Kinglsey Burrell protest organisers, said: "The continual delay in this matter has left the Burrell family frustrated as they are no farther forward in their campaign for justice and answers." He added: "We've been told the CPS will make a decision in due course. "But it's been 14 months since the inquest, and the CPS have had the file since October last year. "We are calling for an immediate decision, and then Mr Burrell's family can decide what their next move will be." Mr Jaddoo said: "We're not going to go away and we'll keep upping the ante. "We will keep fighting for justice for Kingsley Burrell." Plunge in German industry output points to weaker growth in Q2 By Michael Nienaber BERLIN, July 7 (Reuters) - German industrial output plunged unexpectedly in May, posting its steepest monthly drop since August 2014, data showed on Thursday, suggesting Europe's largest economy lost steam in the second quarter after its surprisingly strong start to the year. The weak output figures followed data on Wednesday showed that German industrial orders were flat in May, before Britain's decision to leave the European Union, and were weaker than expected, pointing to an economic slowdown. Economists have warned that Britain's June 23 decision to leave the 28-member bloc is likely to hit German exports and reduce growth by as much as half a percentage point next year. Industrial output was down 1.3 percent on the month, data from the Economy Ministry showed, below the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll for an unchanged reading. May's slowdown reflected weaker production of capital goods and manufacturing while the April reading was revised down to a 0.5 percent increase from an initially reported rise of 0.8 percent. "Even before the June data, one thing is clear today: Production will weigh on growth in the second quarter," Bankhaus Lampe economist Alexander Krueger said, adding the main reason for the poor reading were special factors such as the strong performance in the first three months of the year. He also said there had been weak demand for German industrial goods due to a slowdown in emerging markets. The ministry said May's poor reading also reflected an unusually high number of holidays in the month. But even in the less volatile period from March to May, industrial output fell 0.5 percent, it said, adding the data pointed to slightly weaker industrial output in the second quarter. Still, it said recently improved sentiment in the sector points to a continuation of an moderate upswing in industry. ING Bank economist Carsten Brzeski said the data increased the risk of a hard landing for the German economy in the second quarter. "However, such an assessment could be too simple. In fact, the latest data only confirm the picture of a two-speed economy," he said. "While the domestic economy is booming, the former growth engines -- exports and industrial production -- are weakening. With weaker industrial production, a traditional increase in investment also becomes less likely." The German economy grew by 0.7 percent in the first quarter, its strongest quarterly rate in two years, with soaring private consumption, higher construction investment and state spending on refugees more than offsetting a dip in foreign trade. For the second quarter, analysts expect German economic growth to slow to around 0.3 percent. Separately, Germany's DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce on Thursday lowered its outlook for German exports to Britain after the Brexit vote. DIHK sees a 1 percent drop in exports to the United Kingdom in 2016, down from its previous forecast of a 5 percent rise. In 2017, it expects German exports to Britain to drop by 5 percent. U.N. chief urges US to deal with racial disparity in law enforcement UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the United States needed to comprehensively address discrimination, including racial disparities in law enforcement, after police killed two black men in the Louisiana and Minnesota. Ban also condemned the killing of five police officers in Dallas, his spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement. "There is no justification for such violence," Haq said. "Those responsible compounded the suffering that many in the United States feel following the killing of two African-American men over two days." At least one sniper killed five Dallas police officers and wounded another seven at the end of a protest on Thursday night over this week's pair of fatal shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Ban called for a "thorough and impartial" investigation into the deaths of the black men, Haq said. "They once again put the focus on the need to address discrimination, including racial disparities in law enforcement, in a comprehensive manner," he said. Famed Pakistan philanthropist Edhi dies in Karachi By Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI, Pakistan, July 8 (Reuters) - Famed philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who set up one of Pakistan's biggest welfare organisations and was revered as a "living saint" by many in the South Asian country, died in hospital late on Friday. The announcement of his death triggered a wave of accolades on TV and social media. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid tribute to him as "a great servant of humanity," and said he would receive a posthumous presidential medal and a state funeral. The 88-year-old's reputation for austerity and generosity resonated deeply in Pakistan, a country of 190 million people whose government is riddled with corruption and where public health and welfare services are weak. "There are few men who have done as much good, and made as much a difference to the lives and livelihoods of the Pakistani people as Abdul Sattar Edhi," Sharif said hours before Edhi's death. Edhi, a short man with a long white beard who often wore a traditional cap, had been ill for several years after suffering kidney failure, Edhi's son Faisal told journalists in Karachi. Sharif's government had offered to fly Edhi abroad for treatment, but he refused, saying he wanted to be treated at a public hospital in his own country. The Edhi Foundation runs a vast fleet of ambulances, orphanages and medical clinics across the country. Last year when a devastating heat wave struck Karachi - a city of about 20 million people - the foundation was at the forefront of the response: its ambulances tended to the sick, the Edhi morgue was used to store the dead and many of the poor buried their family members in the Edhi cemetery for free. Edhi's funeral on Saturday is expected to be one of the biggest in Pakistan's history. "He was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind," said Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister of India, Pakistan's historic foe. "PAKISTAN'S MOTHER TERESA" In a nation often riven by social, ethnic and religious strife, Edhi won respect from every strata of society for an ascetic lifestyle that was devoted to helping the poor regardless of their background. Edhi lived in a bare room in Karachi, alternating between his two suits of black clothes and occasionally listening to recordings of Koranic verses on a battered old tape recorder. "When my ambulance takes a wounded person who is in pain to the hospital, when people reach the hospital, I find peace in knowing I helped an injured person who was in pain," Edhi told Reuters in an interview in 2013. "My mission is to love human beings ... Each day is the best day of my life." Edhi was well-known for berating Islamist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for their attacks on civilians, criticising the government for incompetence and corruption and denouncing the elites for dodging taxes. His wife, Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the women's shelters and the adoption of orphans. They have found homes for about 25,000 children. Edhi's foundation has provided relief in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Indonesia and in the United States after Hurricane Katrina. Pakistanis took to Twitter to mourn the death of a national hero many call a "living saint" and "Pakistan's Mother Teresa". Study of S.Korean MERS outbreak finds "super-spreader" patient By Kate Kelland LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - A single "super-spreader" patient in a busy hospital emergency department spread Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to 82 people in just three days during a big outbreak of the virus in South Korea, scientists say. Those infected included patients, visitors and health workers, and the situation was made worse by overcrowding, according to researchers whose findings were published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday. The study shows the potential for outbreaks of MERS from a single spreader, the researchers said, and should serve as a warning that as long as the virus is circulating in the Middle East, governments and healthcare providers should be prepared. MERS first emerged in humans in 2012 and has been spreading in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries since then. It is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). The virus, in which patients develop acute respiratory illness with fever, coughing and breathing problems, has spread to 27 countries and killed up to 40 percent of those infected. "Emergency preparedness and vigilance in hospitals, laboratories and government agencies are crucial to the prevention of further large outbreaks not only of (MERS) infections, but also other emerging infectious diseases," said Doo Ryeon Chung and Yae-Jean Kim, professors in the infectious diseases department at Seoul's Samsung Medical Center. Their study analysed in detail an outbreak of MERS in South Korea between May and July 2015, when 186 cases were confirmed within two months. The "index patient", or Patient 1, was a 68-year-old man who had been to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar from April 18 to May 3 before returning to South Korea. He first visited the Samsung Medical Center, a large hospital with an emergency room that sees more than 200 patients a day, on May 17. He was isolated the following day with suspected MERS and finally diagnosed with MERS on May 20. But before arriving at the Center, Patient 1 had already transmitted the virus to several people in other hospitals, including a 35-year-old man - Patient 14 - with whom he had shared a ward. Patient 14 was then admitted to the Samsung Medical Center with no knowledge of possible exposure to MERS on May 27 - and it was this patient who led to the outbreak at Samsung. 9-U.S. military veteran believed to be lone gunman in Dallas police ambush By Ernest Scheyder and Marice Richter DALLAS, July 8 (Reuters) - A black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for U.S. police in the line duty from a single event since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. GUNMAN ANGRY ABOUT POLICE KILLINGS The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. A profile of Johnson's political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The U.S. Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. "HEARTACHE AND DEVASTATION" Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. The Rev. Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor's invitation, the White House said. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump canceled campaign events for Friday following the attack. Japan PM Abe says N.Korea missile launch should be strongly condemned - Kyodo TOKYO, July 9 (Reuters) - North Korea's firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. The launch comes a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after the North warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said. Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security, it added. Government forces take town east of Damascus on rebel supply route BEIRUT, July 9 (Reuters) - Syrian government and allied forces took control of a rebel-held town east of Damascus on Saturday after a 12-day battle, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, compromising a supply route into opposition territory. Maydaa was the easternmost outpost of the rebel-held bloc of territory in Eastern Ghouta and was used as a supply route into the area for weapons and money, the Britain-based Observatory said. It was the last rebel-held bit of territory before the rebel-held town of Dumeir to the east, from which it was separated by a stretch of government-controlled land. Iran, criticising Merkel, says to press on with missile programme DUBAI, July 9 (Reuters) - Iran will press on with its missile programme "with full force" based on national security needs, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding that critical comments by Germany's leader were unhelpful. Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a U.N. resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Merkel's remarks were "not constructive" and would have no bearing on the programme, according to state news agency IRNA. Reiterating Tehran's assertion that the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons, he added: "Iran will continue with full force its missile programme based on its defensive plans and national security calculations." On Friday, Iran rejected as "unrealistic" a report by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticising its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Reuters reported on Thursday that a confidential report by Ban had found the tests to be inconsistent "with the constructive spirit" of the July 2015 agreement. Responding to German intelligence reports that Iran has been trying to acquire nuclear technology in Germany, Berlin said on Friday that certain forces in Iran may be trying to undermine the nuclear deal. South Sudan's capital calm after two days of gunbattles - witness By Denis Dumo JUBA, July 9 (Reuters) - South Sudan's capital Juba was quiet but tense on Saturday, a Reuters witness and an aid worker said, after two days of gunbattles between rival troops that have raised fears for a fragile peace process. Africa's newest nation is emerging from two years of civil war. On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the latest violence was an illustration of lack of commitment to the peace process and urged the country's leaders to end the fighting, discipline military leaders and work together to implement the peace deal. After shootouts on Thursday and Friday, a Reuters witness said on Saturday there were still road blocks on some Juba streets, heavy movement of military vehicles and that most businesses were shuttered. He said he had seen the bodies of at least three soldiers. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night, however the situation is still very, very tense," Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision, said. South Sudan was plunged into war in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir sacked his vice president Riek Machar. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement in August ended the war although Kiir and Machar are yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. Young said there was a likelihood the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." Despite fatigue, NATO commits to fund Afghan forces to 2020 By Yeganeh Torbati and Robin Emmott WARSAW, July 9 (Reuters) - NATO allies agreed on Saturday to help fund Afghan security forces to the tune of around $1 billion annually over the next three years, despite public fatigue in Western countries about their involvement in the long-running conflict. Fifteen years since the United States invaded to topple the Taliban rulers who had harboured al Qaeda militants behind attacks on the United States, the West remains entangled in a costly effort to stabilise a country facing resurgent rebels. U.S. President Barack Obama said completely withdrawing from Afghanistan risked seeing the country collapse and then having to send American troops back in again to deal with a new threat. "We have an option of ... pulling out and potentially then seeing a country crumble under the strains of continued terrorist activity or insurgencies," Obama told a news conference at the end of a NATO summit in Warsaw. He defended his decision, along with other NATO allies, to reverse plans to sharply reduce troops levels, saying Afghan forces still needed training, funding and support. "The Afghans are fighting. They are much more capable now than they were when I came into office, but they still need support because it is a really tough territory and it is a really poor country," Obama said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had won almost $3 billion in commitments from allies to help the United States pay for the Afghan military until 2020, which now has ground forces but still needs to develop an air force. A senior U.S. official said, on condition of anonymity, that the allies had made pledges that put them at more than 90 percent of the funding levels agreed to at a 2012 NATO summit in Chicago. The United States has been keen to secure the target of one billion dollars annually from other countries to support more than 350,000 Afghan security forces as it draws down its own military presence in the country. The Pentagon has budgeted $3.45 billion in annual U.S. funds to pay for the Afghan forces, with the Kabul government providing an additional sum of around $420 million, for a total yearly budget of nearly $5 billion. For the United States, the stakes are high as it seeks to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for groups hostile to the West, including al Qaeda and Islamic State, also known as ISIL, which has made some inroads in the country. "We know there are al Qaeda and ISIL components in Afghanistan and if we fail there, we know that it'll be a safe haven for those," U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, the top NATO commander, told reporters on the sidelines of the summit. RESOLUTE SUPPORT Obama announced this week that the United States was shelving its plans to cut the U.S. force in Afghanistan nearly in half by the end of 2016, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there till the close of his presidency next January. That still implies a 1,400-troop reduction. There are currently about 13,000 U.S. and international troops serving in the NATO mission, called Resolute Support, in Afghanistan, with Germany, Turkey and Italy as the biggest non-U.S contributors. Their role is to train the Afghan forces. The United States has additional troops in Afghanistan focusing on counter terrorism operations. Stoltenberg said it was too early to say what troop levels the NATO allies would maintain in 2017 and said those decisions would be made in the autumn. A senior U.S. official said the non-U.S. allies would collectively contribute about the same number of troops to the mission as they do now, although individual countries' numbers may vary. The size of the NATO mission is on track to be more than 12,000 troops after the adjustments, U.S. officials said. Afghanistan faces a number of crises, including a faltering economy, a government weakened by infighting between rivals and endemic corruption. Both President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Ghani's runner-up in the 2014 presidential election, attended the NATO summit. A U.S. official said the United States and its allies were encouraged by the fact that some cabinet-level appointments had recently moved through the Afghan parliament, that the government was doing better in collecting tax revenues and that Ghani had diligently pursued anti-corruption measures. Nearly half a million leave home as storm left by super typhoon Nepartak hits China SHANGHAI, July 9 (Reuters) - The remains of super typhoon Nepartak made landfall in China's eastern Fujian province on Saturday, bringing high winds and heavy rain, and forcing the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people. At least 420,000 people in four cities including the capital Fuzhou have been urgently relocated, state news agency Xinhua reported. More than 300 high speed trains, almost 400 flights and nearly 5,000 buses have also been cancelled. The storm hit land in Fujian province just before 2 p.m., lashing Shishi city with winds of around 100 kph (62 mph), Xinhua said. More than 250 mm (10 inches) of rain fell in about four hours early on Saturday in the nearby city of Putian, where nearly 23,000 people have fanned out to check over-strained water management systems, it added. Tropical Storm Risk had rated the typhoon as category 5, at the top of its scale, but it weakened after crossing Taiwan and hit China's Fujian province as a tropical storm. In Taiwan the storm caused at least three deaths and more than 300 injuries. The storm is expected to worsen already severe flooding in parts of central and eastern China, particularly in the major city of Wuhan. Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea, picking up strength over warm waters and dissipating over land. Typhoons used to kill many people in China but the government now enforces evacuations and takes precautions well in advance, which has helped save many lives. Senior Kurdish PKK commander killed in Syria - Turkey's Anadolu By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 9 (Reuters) - A senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group has been killed in a bomb attack on a car in which he was travelling in northeast Syria, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday. If confirmed, the killing of Fehman Huseyin would be a major blow to the PKK, which been fighting in southeast Turkey since a two-year-old ceasefire collapsed a year ago. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have died in the conflict since. Huseyin, a Syrian Kurd known in Turkey by the code name Bahoz Erdal, was killed on Friday evening as he travelled to the northern Syrian city of Qamishli, Anadolu said. It cited a spokesman of a Syrian rebel group it named as the Tel Khamis Brigades as the source for the report. The spokesman, Khalid al Khasakewi, said at least eight people were killed in the car in which Huseyin was travelling and that the attack was carried out after tracking him for a long time. "We dedicate this operation...to the Syrian people," Khasakewi was quoted as saying, indicating his group had carried out the attack. While the PKK leadership is mainly based in the mountains of northern Iraq, the group is closely allied with the Kurdish YPG militia which operates in Syria. Turkey views both groups as terrorist organisations. BOMB ATTACK, CLASHES IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY Earlier on Saturday, PKK militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said. The car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers. They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations. The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region. The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said. It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition. Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said. At least 115 soldiers killed in South Sudan clashes - opposition By Denis Dumo and Elias Biryabarema JUBA, July 9 (Reuters) - At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan's rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on Machar's side "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. A Reuters witness said on Saturday Juba was calm but tense with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were shuttered. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." Britain advised its nationals on Saturday to leave South Sudan if they could do so safely, and said it was removing non-essential embassy staff. "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving by commercial means, if it is safe to do so. If safe passage to the airport is not available then we advise all British nationals in Juba to remain inside," the foreign ministry said. Syrian army extends nationwide ceasefire for 72 hours -state media BEIRUT, July 9 (Reuters) - The Syrian military has extended a nationwide ceasefire that expired on Friday for another 72 hours, state media reported on Saturday. The military high command said in a statement "a regime of calm will be extended for a period of 72 hours from one o'clock on July 9". The Syrian government uses the term "regime of calm" to denote a temporary ceasefire. The previous 72-hour truce, which was accepted by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel alliance but led to no noticeable decrease in violence, ran up to midnight on July 8. That truce was the first to be declared across the whole country since one brokered by foreign powers in February to facilitate talks to end the five-year-old civil war. That truce has mostly unravelled, and the escalating violence caused talks to break down. The Syrian army and the Russian military, which backs Assad, have since then periodically announced a number of temporary local truces in areas of intense fighting. But air strikes and fighting have often continued in spite of the declarations. During this week's three-day truce, Syrian government forces advanced towards the only route into the opposition half of the city of Aleppo, the Castello Road, bringing the road within closer firing range and trapping between 250,000 and 300,000 people. They also took territory from rebels east of Damascus. Cuban economy minister details dire austerity measures By Marc Frank HAVANA, July 9 (Reuters) - Cuba is drastically cutting electricity, imports and investment, as well as reducing fuel consumption by 28 percent through the end of the year, its economy minister said on Friday in a closed-door speech to the National Assembly published by official media on Saturday. The measures are sure to put the import-dependent economy into negative territory, despite a tourism boom in the wake of a growing detente with the United States. They also represent a huge setback for a country struggling to reform an already decapitalized and often dysfunctional system. Cuba's economy grew just 1 percent in the first half of this year after expanding 4 percent in 2015, according to the government, which says it imports 17 cents of inputs, such as raw materials, for every $1.00 equivalent of economic activity. "We planned to import $14.416 billion to support 2 percent growth this year, but with the adjustments we will spend $11.973 billion," Economy Minister Marino Murillo said, a reduction of nearly $2.5 billion, or 15 percent. President Raul Castro said on Friday that lower commodities prices were battering Cuban exports of nickel, refined oil products and sugar, while revenue from the sale of professional services to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Angola had suffered. Castro, also speaking to the National Assembly, said the economic crisis in Venezuela was affecting its oil supply to Cuba, with Venezuela's shipments of crude oil and refined products to Cuba down 20 percent this year according to a Reuters report on Friday. Murillo announced that 17 percent of planned investments for the year were being put on hold, as well as unspent credits, such as from banks, governments or suppliers to purchase goods. He said that further imports on credit would be strictly regulated by the Communist-run country where the bulk of the economy is in state hands. Cuba has a history of liquidity crises and energy rationing, especially in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cubans dread a return to the daily power black-outs of eight hours or more, dearth of transportation and other severe shortages. The current restrictions will not be as severe, but they come at a time when Cubans' expectations are higher thanks to the detente with Washington and economic reforms. Murillo took pains to explain that the cuts would be selective, for example, sparing residential electricity while cutting public lighting by 50 percent. He said electricity consumption for the year was being reduced 6 percent, but the reduction would all fall in the second half of the year, which just started, and selectively. Merkel, Erdogan try to mend ties after genocide vote By Sabine Siebold WARSAW, July 9 (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany and Turkey sought on Saturday to clear the air in their first private talks since the German parliament infuriated Ankara by branding the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, but they did not overcome their differences. Chancellor Angela Merkel met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw to discuss the tensions in their often prickly but strategically important relationship. Ties between Turkey and Germany - vital partners in efforts to curb mass migration to Europe - have been strained since the Bundestag passed the Armenian resolution on June 2. Ankara recalled its ambassador and threatened unspecified retaliation. Turkey has since denied German parliamentarians access to the Incirlik airbase where 250 German soldiers are taking part in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq, causing anger in Berlin. "We discussed all outstanding issues," Merkel told reporters at a brief news conference. "The atmosphere was constructive ... and very businesslike in an effort to solve the existing conflicts." Asked whether the issues had been resolved, she said: "The differences don't just disappear through such a discussion. But I believe it was important that we talked them through." A source close to the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had expressed his disappointment over the Bundestag resolution to Merkel, who said she would do her utmost to ensure this event would not harm German-Turkish relations. "PUBLIC SHOWS AND MARKETING" The source said Merkel also expressed satisfaction with the way Turkey was keeping its word in preventing refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece after more than one million flooded into Europe last year, most ending up in Germany. The Turkish source said Merkel had raised the issue of the Incirlik airbase and had asked Erdogan to restore access for lawmakers, who approve all military spending and investment in infrastructure at the base. Erdogan replied that the airbase was not a place for "public shows and marketing" but Turkey would consider the request in the light of German statements on relations, the source said. Iran, criticising Merkel, says will press on with missile programme DUBAI, July 9 (Reuters) - Iran will press on with its missile programme "with full force", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding that critical comments by Germany's leader were unhelpful. Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a U.N. resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Merkel's remarks were "not constructive" and would have no bearing on the programme, according to state news agency IRNA. Reiterating Tehran's assertion that the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons, he added: "Iran will continue with full force its missile programme based on its defensive plans and national security calculations." On Friday, Iran rejected as "unrealistic" a report by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticising its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Reuters reported on Thursday that a confidential report by Ban had found the tests to be inconsistent "with the constructive spirit" of the July 2015 agreement. Responding to German intelligence reports that Iran has been trying to acquire nuclear technology in Germany, Berlin said on Friday that certain forces in Iran may be trying to undermine the nuclear deal. Germany's domestic intelligence agency said in its annual report that Iranian efforts to illegally procure technology, especially in the nuclear area, had continued at a "high level" in 2015. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, criticised the comments by Ban and Merkel and denied Iran had been trying to purchase nuclear technology on the black market. Obama urges Merkel to ensure orderly EU exit deal for UK WARSAW, July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged German Chancellor Angel Merkel on Saturday to ensure an orderly transition to a close relationship between Britain and the European Union once the UK leaves the EU, a White House official said. Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw, "the President and the Chancellor reaffirmed the need for an orderly process to determine the future relationship between the UK and EU," the official said. "They agreed that a highly integrated UK-EU relationship is in the best interests of the transatlantic community." Brexit anxiety eats into NATO summit By Paul Taylor and Robin Emmott WARSAW, July 9 (Reuters) - Officially the talk at this week's NATO summit in Warsaw was all about deterring a resurgent Russia, supporting Ukraine and Afghanistan, and protecting Baltic NATO members. But in the corridors, there was only one dominant anxiety - Brexit. Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union has triggered uncertainty across the Atlantic and around the continent, which spilled over at the NATO event. Big time. "We are at a NATO meeting but most of the discussions have not been about NATO issues, they have been about the outcome of the referendum and the consequences," Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said after a dinner with his 27 NATO counterparts. Outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron, greeted with more sympathy than reproach over the result which prompted him to resign, took every opportunity to reassure allies that Britain would remain fully committed to European and international security even though it was leaving the EU. "Britain is going to think through all the ways we can keep our strength and our power in the world. This is not an exercise of national vanity, this is all about Britain's interests. It is perfectly possible to do that," he told reporters on Saturday. Indeed NATO officials said the British, who have Europe's biggest defence budget, seemed at pains to compensate for Brexit by pledging more commitments to NATO operations. Cameron also announced an early parliamentary vote on modernising Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent. U.S. President Barack Obama was keen to ensure Washington's closest ally in Europe is not sidelined or punished by European partners as a result of a vote that he had warned against. Obama quizzed the leaders of the EU's two main institution, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, in private talks about what trade terms Britain could expect and how soon a deal could be cut to reassure markets, officials present at the meeting said. QUICK SETTLEMENT "Obama was quite keen to push for a quick settlement of Brexit," a European official said. "Both Tusk and Juncker took him on a pedagogic route and stressed it is important to keep the remaining 27 (EU states) united. If we go superfast, we could lose that unity." For now, it is Britain holding up the launch of withdrawal negotiations, with Cameron leaving the decision on when to trigger the EU exit clause, starting a two-year divorce process, to his successor, who will not be chosen by the ruling Conservative party until September. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said participants in the Obama-EU meeting had recognised "just how important it is that this be done in a way that not upset financial markets that not upset global economic stability". "It was clear from the meeting that this is not going to be done in a way that is punitive towards the United Kingdom but rather as a path to finding a new relationship," he said. EU, French and German officials have made clear that Britain will not be able to keep full access to Europe's lucrative single market, notably for its big financial services sector, unless it accepts EU rules, including allowing free movement of EU workers. Both candidates to succeed Cameron have said they will restrict immigration. The Americans, who are losing their strongest advocate inside EU councils, are not alone in fearing the consequences. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asked Cameron in a private meeting who would argue for Turkey's EU membership bid once Britain was gone, said a Turkish source. The answer - Italy and the Netherlands - did not seem much of a consolation. Western Sahara's Polisario names new leader - state media ALGIERS, July 9 (Reuters) - Western Sahara's Polisario independence movement has elected a former ambassador as its new leader after the death of its chief, Mohammed Abdelaziz, who led the front through a war with Morocco and years of diplomatic struggle for self-determination. Polisario began in the 1970s as a guerrilla front fighting for independence for a territory the Sahrawi people claim as their own since Morocco took over most of the region after the end of Spanish colonial rule. Abdelaziz died in May aged 68 after more than three decades as leader of the Sahrawi Polisario Front and president of its self-declared Sahrawi Republic, with its base in southern Algeria since a ceasefire in 1991. Former ambassador to Algeria, Brahim Ghali, was elected by delegates at a congress in refugees camps in the south, where the Polisario has been based since the U.N.-brokered ceasefire following war with Morocco, state news agency APS said. Ghali, a veteran of the Sahrawi struggle and one of the Polisario's founding members, comes to the post as his movement is at a crossroads after years of stalemate over a proposed referendum on the disputed territory. Abdelaziz's death came at a delicate time after Morocco, angered by a comment by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a visit to refugee camps, expelled part of the U.N. peace-keeping mission in the territory earlier this year. The desert territory, which is rich in phosphate, has been at a diplomatic impasse for more than 20 years since the U.N.-sponsored ceasefire came into force on the understanding a referendum would be held on independence. Obama tells France, Germany, Italy, Britain to safeguard EU after Brexit vote WARSAW, July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama told the leaders of Germany, Italy, France and Britain they should "preserve the stability and well-being of the European project" after Britons voted to leave the European Union, a White House official said. The leaders of the five leading NATO states, known as the Quint, also met with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko to express their support for Kiev after Russia annexed its Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and then backed rebels in east Ukraine. "The leaders agreed that Ukraine has made considerable progress on political, economic, and anti-corruption reforms, but that more work must be done to consolidate these gains," the official said. Britain advises its nationals to leave South Sudan after fresh violence LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Britain advised its nationals on Saturday to leave South Sudan if they could do so safely, and said it was removing non-essential embassy staff, after a surge of violence in the capital Juba. "Embassy staff have been on lock down and we are reducing to only essential staff in the country," the foreign ministry said on its travel advice website. "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving by commercial means, if it is safe to do so. If safe passage to the airport is not available then we advise all British nationals in Juba to remain inside," it added. A military spokesman for South Sudan's opposition said on Saturday that at least 115 soldiers from the country's rival factions had been killed in gun battles in Juba after fighting broke out on Friday evening near where the president was meeting a former rival for talks. Daughter of Chile's Allende eyes presidential bid in 2017 SANTIAGO, July 9 (Reuters) - Isabel Allende, a ruling party senator in Chile and the daughter of deposed ex-president Salvador Allende, said she is considering running for president in next year's elections, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. Allende's possible bid for the top job in Chile could pit her against ex-president Ricardo Lagos, another member of the socialist ruling party who has expressed interest in running. Allende, whose father was ousted by former dictator Augusto Pinochet in a coup in 1973, said she has been leaning toward making a bid at the insistence of Chileans, according to local daily El Mercurio. "For me it's an honor to know that people think I'm an option. There's also a potent symbolic element, that there be another Allende," she was quoted as saying in El Mercurio. She did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Allende, a distant relative of the well-known author of the same name, is one of the few representatives of the ruling party whose popularity has not sunk alongside President Michele Bachelet's. Bachelet's approval rating hit an all-time low last month amid widening student unrest, the resignation of her cabinet chief and a sluggish economy. Allende's remarks come a day after Lagos, president from 2000-2006, said he was eyeing participating in the 2017 presidential race. "I'm thinking about it," Lagos said on local broadcaster Pudahuel. "There are days when I feel like I must do it." Allende and Lagos would have to compete for their party's nomination in primary elections early next year. The general presidential election is in November of 2017. Another ex-president, conservative Sebastian Pinera, has also said he is considering running again. Bachelet cannot run for another term in 2017 because of constitutional term limits. Two Russian helicopter pilots shot down, killed in Syria - Interfax MOSCOW, July 9 (Reuters) - Militants shot down a military helicopter near Palmyra in Syria, killing two Russian pilots on board, Interfax news agency said, quoting Russia's defence ministry. The two men had been attacking a detachment of Islamic State fighters in the Homs region on Friday, when the Syrian Mi-25 helicopter they were in ran out of ammunition, the ministry said, according to Interfax. "The turning helicopter was hit by militants' gunfire from the ground and crashed in the area controlled by the Syrian government army. The crew died," it added. Video footage published on Saturday by Islamic State's affiliated news agency Amaq showed a helicopter being shot and crashing to the ground against cries of 'It's fallen, God is greatest'. Terrorism for a different reason has hit America. Five police officers were killed and six injured by a sniper during a protest in Dallas against the recent killings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. This act of violence and terror must be denounced, but denunciation alone will not act as a deterrent. What is needed is a thorough analysis of the factors that have led to the birth of this kind of violent political action so that a comprehensive solution can be found. The killer Micah Johnson, a black Afghan war veteran, was killed with the help of a robotic bomb. Anger at racial injustice and police brutality seems to be the motive for his taking up arms. It is ironic that he decided to shoot at police officers in Dallas, which is one of the cities where the police department has taken a lot of trouble to build close ties with the minority community. Dallas practices community policing and does not use its police department as a revenue generator. Just as the angry Muslim men who committed terrorist acts in Texas, California, and Florida or the angry men with psychological problems who were allegedly entrapped by law enforcement agencies, many black men might be considering adopting violent means to fight injustices committed against them. It is only natural as the news of police killing innocent people of colour is appearing at an alarming rate. Angry black men picking up arms or advocating violence in their struggle for justice and civil rights has happened in the past. Black youth were losing confidence in the non-violent struggle of Martin Luther King even before he was killed. Under Stokely Carmichael and H Rap Brown, later known as Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the Students Non-violent Coordination Committee became more militant. Malcolm X, with his emphasis on human rights and internationalisation of the struggle and who was killed three years prior to King, became their ideal. The mass incarceration of minorities must be addressed through rewriting of laws. The establishment reacted to these developments by increasing their surveillance and infiltration of black groups (COINTELPRO) and in arbitrary arrests and even assassination of their charismatic leader Fred Hampton. As the drug epidemic took hold of the inner cities, with the law enforcement agencies at times looking the other way, and with the advent of mass incarceration of black men under the guise of war on drugs under Nixon and then Reagan, black militancy started to die down in the 1980s. The conversion of blacks into Islam also slowed down in the 1990s, removing another challenge to the white establishment. The killings of black men by police continued even as millions of black men became the modern day slaves working in the for-profit prison systems. Absence of fathers at home wreaked havoc in black families. There was no organised nationwide corrective movement, though the Louis Farrakhan-led Million Man March tried to start a spark to bring about a spiritual renewal and instill a sense of personal responsibility. This effort fizzled out too. Things could not have continued in this fashion. With the spread of mobile phones with cameras and of surveillance cameras mounted on millions of storefront and homes, videos of cold-blooded murders of black men at the hands of the police have now become a common occurrence. This has led to the inception of the nationwide "Black Lives Matter" movement which the Democratic Party has acknowledged as a genuine protest movement and the Republication Party has demonised. The rise of black militancy is occurring at a time when a tectonic shift is taking place in the American demographics. Since 2010, more non-white than white children are being born. The white majority is in a slow and steady decline and the brown population is rising. Throughout history, such a shift in demographics has led to the rise of intolerance and hatred. No religious, ethnic, or linguistic group has been immune from this as no group likes to relinquish its power or privilege easily, not even in a democracy. America is not only going through a tectonic demographic shift but its economy is not in great shape. Coupled with these conditions is the rise of xenophobia in the Republican Party. It is unfortunate that as expected Donald Trump has started to exploit the tragedy. I hope and pray that cooler heads will prevail and demagogues like Trump are not allowed to use Fox News and other right wing media to further divide the nation. A bipartisan approach with the involvement of faith-based groups must be adopted promptly to nip this trouble in the bud. The root causes of the incipient black militancy must be addressed. Law enforcement agencies must be purged of racist elements. Intensive courses on racial and religious sensitivity must be taught in police academies. Police should be trained with more emphasis on disarmament than on shooting to kill. Police training must not involve foreign nations like Israel as their culture of governance and population mix are different than ours. Instead, clergy and civic leadership from the inner cities must be more involved. The macabre and brutal terrorist attacks in neighbouring Bangladesh and elsewhere have once again rocked our conscience. The blood of unsuspecting innocents has been spilt yet again. It has also starkly displayed how educated and well-to-do youths, without any obvious reason to take up arms, have turned into cold-blooded assassins because their minds got poisoned with a deadly, extremist and hate-filled ideology. It is imperative for all those who cherish human values to speak out against such barbarities and the ideas that spawn them. In doing so, however, we should avoid a common mistake - born either out of ignorance or prejudice - to blame any particular religion, Islam in this case, for the proliferation of terrorism and violence. This is important for two reasons, first because it is factually and logically erroneous and second, that is precisely what the terrorists would want us to do - willy-nilly become a prop to their strategic game plan. Like all the major religions of the world, Islam has been in existence for centuries - about 1,400 years to be a bit more precise. And like all religions, it has its own rich and chequered history. Almost a quarter of the global population spread across several countries of the world, are followers of the Islamic faith. A Bangladeshi man stands in the rain and pays his respects to the victims of the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka. [AP photo] Like the believers of all other religions, an overwhelming majority of Muslims are ordinary peace-loving people, who abhor violence and bloodshed and have absolutely no role or connection to terrorism. Terrorism is about politics, not religion Blaming Islam for the horrendous acts of a handful of terrorists who deliberately invoke religion to pursue their own diabolical agenda wrongfully implicates a vast and internally diverse community, in its entirety. Terrorism as we witness it today is a very modern, contemporary phenomenon, which uses the latest military hardware and communication technologies for its nefarious ends. Religious fundamentalism and extremism are essentially political ideologies. Terrorism based on religious fundamentalism and extremism is a specific kind of politics, which has grown into prominence over the past few decades. If a billion people believe in or practise a religion, only a few hundred or thousand would believe in the politics of religious extremism and terrorism. Therefore, it should not be mistaken as religion per se. This is politics, which tries to masquerade as religion. In fact, the success of this kind of treacherous politics is crucially dependent on misleading people into believing that it is about religion, to cause massive polarisation in society for and against it, and thereby garner mass support. Therefore, let us not fall into that trap. The terrorist attacks in Dhaka on July 1 were preceded by attacks in Orlando in the US and Istanbul in Turkey. Following the Dhaka attacks, there have been terror strikes in Iraq's Baghdad and even at the Prophet's mosque in Medina. All these attacks have been masterminded or inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS), whose spokesperson had publicly called for a "month of calamity everywhere for non-believers" on the eve of Ramzan. The very choice of the Ramzan month - in which Muslims across the world fast from dawn to dusk to express reverence and gratitude to almighty and empathise with those who go without food - to conduct terror strikes globally, clearly exposes how perversely the ISIS views and interprets Islam. Most of the victims of these terror attacks during the Ramzan month were also Muslims. To blame Islam for the atrocities of the ISIS or the terrorists in Bangladesh is equivalent to blaming Hinduism for the destruction of the Babri Masjid or the 2002 Gujarat riots, and blaming Christianity for the rise of Nazism or the Klu Klux Klan in the West. Hinduism motivated Mahatma Gandhi during India's freedom struggle; it also incensed Nathuram Godse to kill Gandhi. Christianity inspired Mother Teresa to selflessly serve the poor in Kolkata while it was not-so-subtly invoked by George W Bush to launch his "endless war" leading to the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, killing millions. Religion is too complex and mystical to be submitted to simple binaries of the compassionate and the violent. Even the most celebrated modern day critic of religion considered it to be the "the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions". How a particular religion or its edicts are being interpreted and invoked, by whom and to what ends, matter. ISIS and global terror We need to be clear that the Islam embraced by Cassius Clay to become Muhammad Ali, to mark his protest against racial injustice, is very different from what is being invoked by the ISIS, al Qaeda and other such organisations to spread terror and mayhem across the globe. This is a particularly narrow, exclusivist and extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam, which has been characterised in academic and policy circles as Wahhabism or Salafism. People stand by an explosion site in Medina, Saudi Arabia on July 4, 2016. [AP photo] This venomous ideology not only considers people of other religious denominations as "infidels" and atheists as "sinners", but also treats all other Muslims who do not subscribe to its sectarian interpretation of Islam as "apostates". That is why the brunt of the violence unleashed by the ISIS is being borne by the Muslims in the Arab world, especially in Iraq and Syria. The birth and rise of the ISIS was a direct outcome of the occupation of Iraq by the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies and the subsequent attempts to topple the Syrian regime by arming anti-Assad rebels. US' Arab allies like Saudi Arabia have been complicit in providing ideological and logistical support to the ISIS. The cynical geopolitical games that continue to be played by the US and the Saudi regime, alongside other players like Israel, Iran, Egypt and Turkey, between or against each other in the oil-rich Middle East, account for the catastrophe afflicting the region. It is from this epicentre that the extremist ideology and terrorism have emanated and spread, causing convulsions across the globe. The ISIS needs to be militarily defeated and smashed as an immediate solution. The problem currently is that the US, the Saudi regime and Israel are more interested in regime change in Syria and Iran than fighting the ISIS together with the rest of the world. Moreover, even if the ISIS is defeated in the medium run, religious extremism and terrorism will continue to revive and thrive in mutated forms, unless peaceful and just solutions are found to the long-standing problems of that region, like Palestine or people's sovereignty over mineral resources. In other words, only another Arab Spring, a successful one this time, which can together push back the hegemonic powers, dismantle the entrenched vested interests and usher in popular democracies in the region, can politically resolve the problem of extremism and terrorism. The US-led war on terror will only perpetuate the cycle of violence and counter-violence. If a fanatic like Donald Trump comes at the helm in the US in the future, it may descend into a nuclear Armageddon. Our subcontinent In this subcontinent, we have our own problems of religious extremism and terrorism. US and NATO interventions, have as usual, played a major role in sponsoring and nourishing them, from the time Ronald Reagan hosted the Afghan mujahideen at the Oval office in 1983. Pakistan's military establishment and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have also played a deliberate part in promoting religious extremism and terrorism, which has now grown into cancerous proportions in Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Taliban and al Qaeda, causing unprecedented death and destruction within these countries as well as in India and Bangladesh. Moreover, we have our own dark chapters of history, like the Partition, which has to an extent institutionalised communal or religion-based politics in the subcontinent. Majoritarian communalism in the shape of RSS-sponsored Hindutva has inspired violence and riots at regular intervals in India, consuming the lives of thousands of people over the decades. The riots in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the targeted assassinations of rationalist scholars like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi or the lynching of Dadri's Mohammad Akhlaq on the suspicion of storing beef are the latest instances of the sordid saga. The reactions of fundamentalist and terrorist organisations claiming to fight for Muslims have also become stronger. The unresolved problem of Kashmir provides further ground to such forces to operate in the Valley. Bangladesh, with over 90 per cent of its population being Muslim, was born in 1971 out of a struggle between secular, Bengali nationalists and those who wanted Islamic rule. That struggle continues till date in determining the course of its national politics. The Shahbag protests in 2013 demanding capital punishment for the war criminals, who committed inhuman atrocities during the Bangladesh liberation war, eventually led to the hanging of the war criminals. The backlash started soon in the form of targeted killings of free-thinking bloggers, writers and publishers by the Islamist supporters, with moral support from Opposition parties like the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League government initially dragged its feet in confronting the menace. Soon the serial attacks found new targets in minority Hindu priests, LGBT activists and has finally culminated into the terror attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka. The identity of the terrorists in Dhaka and the fact that the ISIS was providing live online commentary of their barbarities inside the Holey Artisan Bakery show that the position of the Awami League government - that all such extremist killings in Bangladesh are the handiwork of the domestic Opposition and Pakistan's ISI - is not tenable. In any case, there was always a thin ideological line dividing the home-grown versions of fundamentalism in the name of Islam and the global terrorism sponsored by the likes of al Qaeda and ISIS, which has now got totally blurred. Rather than pursuing the red herring of domestic versus international terrorism, the efforts of the Bangladeshi government would be better spent in thoroughly investigating and bringing to justice all those linked to terrorist and extremist activities. Justice in the case of such gory crimes against humanity can be delivered only when the truth is unearthed in its entirety. If the truth becomes a casualty of petty political games, there can be no respite to the problem of religious extremism and terrorism. And if Bangladesh burns in the fire of extremism, eastern India, particularly West Bengal, cannot but be adversely affected. Therefore, while we condemn terrorism with all our might, let us resolve to fight the deadly mix of politics with religion, which has created the Frankenstein's monster. Let us hold our own governments to account for cutting shady deals with religious fundamentalists and extremists of all shades, deliberately botching up terror investigations and failing to secure justice for the victims. Let us realise that there is no lasting peace without justice. Let us fight to get the imperial hands off our societies, which have historically misused religious differences to divide and rule, and promote genuine international cooperation in combating the global terrorist menace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-nation tour to Africa on July 6, and New Delhis nautical stakes in the African subcontinent have never seemed more stark. In the past few years, it has become clear that for India to be a successful security provider in the Indian Ocean region, the naval effort in securing littorals must be complemented by a suitable geo-economic strategy. What is needed is a comprehensive initiative a broad security-developmental project that extends from the South Asian littorals to the east coast of Africa which accords human security concerns as much priority as trade. Such an approach would mark a clear shift from the traditional focus on naval operations in the African commons - aimed at trade convoy protection - to a more holistic model, which includes security, infrastructure creation, industrial capacity building and marine development. It would also dispel the unfair assumption in Africa that Indias maritime efforts remain confined to the anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden. While New Delhi has stepped up its developmental efforts in Africa significantly in recent years, there is a continuing impression that Indian naval ship deployment off Somalia, Mauritius and Seychelles defines the scope of New Delhis nautical interests in the region. Many in Africa feel Indias regional security policy remains focused on securing energy and resource shipment flows. That said, a change is gradually beginning to occur. Following Modis visit to smaller island states in the Indian Ocean region in March 2015, there has been renewed emphasis on maritime development and "blue economies". During his interactions in Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka, the Indian prime minister underscored the need to harness the economic potential of the maritime commons. Modis advocacy of maritime development served to expedite an agreement to develop island infrastructure in Mauritius (at Agalega) and Seychelles (at Assumption). These projects, maritime experts point out, have the potential to revive African domestic growth through the development of infrastructure, sea-air transportation, fisheries, marine sciences, renewable energy and hydrography. It is noteworthy that the accent on Africas maritime capacities aligns well with "Sagarmala", the prime ministers mega-modernisation project, which involves coastal area development, port infrastructure building, connectivity and sea-based industrial capacities. As India strives to be a defence and logistical partner for Africas eastern states, Modis domestic prioritisation of maritime development signals a positive intent, which African governments are likely to read favourably. Meanwhile, Africas own efforts to improve its maritime economy and develop a harmonising vision for the subcontinent have been significant. PM Narendra Modi with South African President Jacob Zuma. In 2013, the Africa Union announced an Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050 and "plan of action", outlining a blueprint to address the continents maritime challenges for sustainable development and competitiveness. The strategy, meant to systematically address Africas maritime vulnerabilities, marked a declaratory shift away from a period of self-imposed sea blindness. More significantly, it sought to integrate individual maritime strategies of Africas other security communities and develop a unique vision of comprehensive maritime development. In this context, the example of South Africa is instructive. In October 2014, Pretoria proposed Operation Phakisa, a maritime project aimed specifically at unlocking and developing the ocean economy. Pitched as a national movement aimed at the promotion of growth and jobs in the country's ocean economy, "Phakisa" has four priority sectors as new growth areas in the oceans economy: (a) Marine transport and manufacturing activities such as coastal shipping, trans-shipment, boat building, repair and refurbishment (b) Offshore oil and gas exploration (c) Aquaculture (d) Marine protection services and ocean governance. Importantly, these sectors also represent areas that India has been looking to partner its regional states with in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Indias own developmental experience, in fact, could go a long way in providing valuable inputs to South Africa, especially since Phakisa is based on a model that brings together teams from government, labour, business and academia. For New Delhi, partnering Pretoria in realising its National Development Plan 2030 through a sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders, would certainly be a positive gesture. This still does not address the principle challenge Africa faces in rejuvenating the maritime economy: the absence of a legal framework in managing the commons. There is an increased awareness among African nations that their major maritime dysfunction stems from a lack of effective governance in the maritime littorals. It is the illegal capture of resources overfishing in the African EEZs, rampant exploitation of the seas, drug and arms trafficking and the widespread pollution of coastal waters - that has thwarted African efforts to build an effective maritime governance system. Africa needs not only maritime administration frameworks and the local capacity to enforce regulations, but also a model for sustainable blue economy development that does not result in the destruction of its natural maritime habitat. Building a workable developmental model, however, will not be easy. A key challenge is the maritime sector's continuing inability to create jobs and a sustainable rate of production. The new blue economy may open up new avenues in areas of environment, energy, defence and food production. But it still hasnt adequately explored sea-land complementarities in creating a sustainable balance. Last year, the Blue Economy Strategic Thought Forum India, debated many ocean economy concepts, proposing ways in which blue economy could influence human activities. The Indian Ocean Rim Associations (IORA) first Ministerial Blue Economy Conference also sought to enhance cooperation on sustainable development projects in the Indian Ocean region. The conference in Mauritius identified four priority issues: Fisheries and aquaculture; renewable ocean energy; seaports and shipping; and seabed exploration and minerals for development. These are all areas in which India could develop an effective partnership with Africa. Since China already has a strong presence in Africa, New Delhi could even combine efforts with Beijing in strengthening networking, exchange of experiences and best practices for the development of the blue economy in the African littorals. Many of these goals correspond with the UN-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for blue economy, especially for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for development. As it embarks on its new initiatives, New Delhi will be aware that "blue economy" is science, technology and finance-intensive, and many African states are constrained by capability and resources in achieving desired goals. There is a need for international and regional financial institutions such as the IMF, ADB and AIIB to develop an exclusive fund for blue energy projects. Besides, transforming Africas maritime sector will require India to contribute in the creation of a coherent maritime system. Beyond infrastructure creation, New Delhi will need to offer aid in the strengthening of legal frameworks and institutions. India has the systems, personnel, experience and know-how to help Africa evolve rules and norms that can equitably manage maritime resources. Indian agencies, however, must assist African states in creating the material capacity to deal with governance challenges in critical commons especially the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Guinea, where a working law enforcement system is yet to be effectively implemented. As Modi discusses maritime development with his hosts, he will be aware of Africas need for assistance in the achievement of Agenda 2063, the Africa Unions guiding document spelling out a comprehensive vision of "development goals" and "international aspirations". Technical mission of IMF fiscal department to come to Kyiv on July 11 The technical mission of the fiscal affairs department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to come to Kyiv on July 11, according to the website of the State Fiscal Service. "Head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov met with head of the revenue administration of the IMF fiscal affairs department Juan Toro. The parties discussed the next visit of the technical mission to Ukraine to be held next Monday," reads the statement. According to the report, the meeting was held within the framework of the 20th session of the General Assembly of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations (OTA) in Bucharest. "The Fiscal Service is implementing a number of needed reforms that have been agreed with the IMF and are a prerequisite for obtaining financial support from the organization," Nasirov said. According to him, the service carries out a number of measures to fight corruption, improve controls over violation of tax legislation, establish and improve services for taxpayers. U.S. President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk discussed the maintenance of sanctions against Russia over the situation in Ukraine at a meeting in Warsaw of Friday. "They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the sanctions that are on Russia so long as there continues to be infringement on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and also affirmed their support for the Minsk process and the need for Russia to follow through on its commitments, as well as all the parties involved," Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes told reporters at a briefing. Rhodes said that some countries are incurring more strains because of the enforcement of sanctions. But in order to see a relaxation of those sanctions, Russia has to follow through on its own commitments. "We can say very clearly to our European allies that we share their interest in having more constructive relations with Russia, but the pathway to that future has to be Russia respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," he said. "We had a very strong message from the EU leadership that they remain committed to rolling over sanctions as Russia is not fulfilling its commitments under Minsk," he said. Defense ministers of NATO members at a meeting in October will discuss the possible increase of the Alliance's presence in the air and at the Black Sea, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said. "We also decided to ask our military planners to provide advice for our defense ministers in October to look into whether we can or how we can increase our presence not on land, because that will be provided with a brigade, but in the air and at sea," he said at a press release late on Friday after the Summit in Warsaw asked if NATO strengthens the security for the countries around the Black Sea. "And several of the nations addressed the need for an enhanced presence at sea and in the air but we will be more concrete about that at our defence ministerial meeting in October," he said. "We agreed today what we call tailored forward presence in the southeast and that is based on a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade, and that will provide a framework for extensive training of NATO forces, so it will be a multinational presence under this Romanian-Bulgarian brigade, and we'll then have more forces, more training, taking place in the southeastern part of the alliance," he said. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said that NATO should step up cooperation with Ukraine. The answer the question what NATO can do is to remain with Ukraine, involve it in all possible spheres of cooperation, maybe, offer a Transatlantic partnership plus formula when all possible cooperation will be without formal membership until Ukraine meets all standards, she said at the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum NATO in Defence of Peace: 2016 and Beyond on Saturday. She backed the prospect of Ukraine's membership. This will help to maintain security in the region, she said. She said that the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine remains complicated. Around 90,000 military servicemen are staying along Ukrainian borders on the territory of Russia. Some 42,000-43,000 armed persons, including around 6,500 of Russian troops, are staying on the territory of the occupied Donbas, she said. In this situation Ukraine and NATO should remain strong and united, she said. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte as part of the NATO Summit. "The head of state urged the Dutch party to approve responsible decision on the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU," the press service of the Ukrainian president reported. Poroshenko believes that the Prime Minister of the Netherlands will also facilitate the acceleration of the adoption of the decision on the introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainians. The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude to Rutte for the position that allowed the EU to continue the effect of sectoral and economic sanctions against Russia that have already proved their efficiency in the issue of termination of the Russian aggression. "The parties have also coordinated further steps in the context of the investigation of the MH-17 tragedy," the press service said. Savchenko urges NATO countries to help to free Ukrainian hostages in Russia Ukrainian MP Nadia Savchenko spoke at the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum NATO in Defence of Peace: 2016 and Beyond on Saturday. "Today I am fighting for each Ukrainian who left captive in Russia. This is not an easy fight. Do not stop at my story and help to free all Ukrainian from Russian captivity," she said. Savchenko also urged all Alliance countries to prevent war in Europe and thanked them for their support of Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak and Polish National Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz signed a protocol between Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers and the Polish government amending the agreement between the governments of the two countries in military and technical cooperation in Warsaw on Saturday. According to a posting on the website of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, the protocol was signed at a meeting of the two ministers as part of the NATO Summit. "The protocol envisages the creation of a military and technical cooperation working group. This working group will act as part of the Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation. The protocol regulates military and technical cooperation, which helps to determine promising projects of the two countries' cooperation in the area," the ministry said. Postponed to 2022 $12 per adult (18-59) $10 per senior (60+) $8 per child (317) FREE to Dayton History Members Make It Dayton Festival Held the first weekend in October, Make It Dayton Festival is presented in partnership with Make It Dayton. Carillon Historical Park comes alive with tinkerers, inventors, hobbyistsanyone who creates with their own two hands. Build it... Invent It... Create It... Try It... at the Make It Dayton Festival! This family-friendly festival celebrates the maker spirit with hands-on exhibits and activities for all ages. Here is where we showcase local artists, woodworkers, 3D-printers, and rocketeers, alongside makers and crafters of all kinds! If you have a passion for arts, hobbies, and do-it-yourself projects, then you will find that you will love the Make It Dayton Festival. We encourage all people and families to attend. And if you have that maker spirit, we would love for you to sign up and show off your talents. This festival is included with regular Carillon Historical Park admission! NATO has said in its Warsaw declaration on Transatlantic Security that the Alliance remains committed to its open door policy. "We remain committed to NATOs Open Door policy, which has strengthened the Alliance and contributed to Euro-Atlantic security," reads the declaration issued after the Summit. "We look forward to welcoming our newest member, Montenegro, to our community of values," the document says. "We believe in a Europe whole, free and at peace. NATO will provide more support to Ukraine and Georgia, and continue to assist the Republic of Moldova. We will deepen our engagement with partners in the Black and Baltic Sea regions, and in the Western Balkans," the declaration reads. "Tata Steel has now entered into discussions with strategic players in the steel industry, including ThyssenKrupp AG," the company said in a statement. (Photo courtesy: AFP/File) London: India's Tata Steel said Friday it had entered discussions with industry players including Germany's ThyssenKrupp over a possible joint venture for its European operations, as a potential alternative to selling off the UK business. The firm has been considering seven bids for its UK assets since putting them up for sale in March, citing a global oversupply of steel, cheap imports into Europe, high costs and currency volatility. But it said that continuing questions over pensions and the "uncertainties" caused by Britain's vote to leave the EU had caused it to look at "alternative and more sustainable portfolio solutions for the European business". "Tata Steel has now entered into discussions with strategic players in the steel industry, including ThyssenKrupp AG," the company said in a statement. Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director and Tata Steel's executive director for Europe, said it was "too early to give any assurances about the success of these talks". "A potential strategic combination of strip products businesses offers the best prospects to create a premium, world-class strip steel business with the scale and scope of capabilities to compete successfully on the global stage," he said. But he stressed that any agreement, especially about the inclusion of the UK business in the joint venture, depended on talks with the British and Welsh governments and trade unions, and on resolving issues about pension liabilities. Britain's government has been racing to help find a buyer for the business, which had accounted for about 16,000 jobs in total, many of them at the Port Talbot steelworks in Wales, the country's biggest steel plant. Last month, Tata agreed to sell its European piping business to Greybull Capital, a British-based family investment firm, safeguarding 4,400 jobs in Britain. Business secretary Sajid Javid met Tata's global chairman, Cyrus Mistry, in India earlier Friday and reaffirmed the British government's commitment to help. He said the news that Tata was exploring a potential joint venture was "encouraging". "We will continue to work closely with Tata to find a long-term solution for sustainable blast furnace steel manufacturing in Port Talbot," he said. The government had previously said it would contribute hundreds of millions of pounds to any potential deal and take a stake of up to 25 percent in the assets. But Britain has been rocked by the shock vote in the June 23 referendum to leave the European Union, which sent the pound plummeting and plunged the country into uncertainty. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned, leaving his Conservative party engaged in a leadership election, the winner of whom will not take over until early September. Employees frustrated Chatterjee said Tata would also begin separate processes for the potential sale of the Speciality Steels business in northern England and the Hartlepool pipe mills. "Both of these operations are largely independent of the strip products supply chain with their own specific characteristics," he said. "Tata Steel UK has already received interest from several bidders for Speciality Steels and the pipe mills in each case and a formal process will be commencing shortly." Roy Rickhuss, the general secretary of the trade union Community, said the delays and uncertainty over the sale were creating "frustration, even anger" among staff. "This new approach means that uncertainty will continue for thousands of steelworkers and their families," he said. "It seems Tata believe this is in the best interests of sustaining steelmaking in Port Talbot and its downstream operations. "But the test will come in the next steps that Tata takes and how the dialogue with ThyssenKrupp progresses." Sanjay Gupta tweeted, "Dear All KAABIL releases on Jan 26, 2017. Absolutely no change in date. Hope this clears all unnecessary rumours.Warm regards." Mumbai: Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has refuted the rumours doing the rounds that release date of his upcoming film 'Kaabil' has been postponed. Sanjay, 46, took to his Twitter handle to rubbish the rumours and confirmed that the Hrithik Roshan starrer 'Kaabil' would hit theatres on January 26, 2017, as scheduled earlier. Read: Have spoken to Hrithik and Farhan about the Raees-Kaabil clash: Shah Rukh Khan He tweeted, "Dear All KAABIL releases on Jan 26, 2017. Absolutely no change in date. Hope this clears all unnecessary rumours.Warm regards." Dear All KAABIL releases on Jan 26, 2017. Absolutely no change in date. Hope this clears all unnecessary rumours. Warm regards. Sanjay Gupta (@_SanjayGupta) July 8, 2016 Dear SRK fans There is no need to get hyper abusive. Calm down. Even I like him & will watch Raees whenever it releases. Warm regards. Sanjay Gupta (@_SanjayGupta) July 8, 2016 Speculations regarding the change in 'Kaabil's release date started when SRK recently told media, "We have spoken to Hrithik and also Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar (producers of Raees). That was a month ago, but I guess now we can do some adjustments. Rakeshji (Kaabil producer Rakesh Roshan) and Ritesh and Farhan will be meeting again. We are trying to figure things out, so we dont have a clash." Explaining his reasons further, SRK had added, I think a big film should release in 3,500-4,000 theatres. When two big films release, we dont get the magnitude of theatrical release we want. Till the time we dont have 8,000-10,000 theatres, no two big films can come. Raees is nearly ready, we are only left to shoot that last shot." Starring Yami Gautam in lead role, 'Kaabil' would clash with SRK's highly-awaited film ' Raees' at the box-office. The company alleged that Sussanne failed to execute the project based in Goa, thus cheating the firm of around Rs 1.87 crore. Panaji: A defamation suit seeking Rs 15 crore as damages was today filed against actor Bollywood star Hritik Roshan's former wife Sussanne Khan by managing partner of a real estate firm for allegedly making defamatory statements against him. Mudith Gupta, Managing Partner of Emgee Properties, filed the suit against Khan before senior Civil Division Court in Goa, Gupta's lawyer Ranjith Shetty told PTI. The court has fixed July 20 as the date of hearing. Emgee Properties has already filed a complaint with Panaji police against Khan for alleged fraud of Rs 1.87 crore. Khan has challenged the FIR before Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court. However, in a twist to the case, Gupta filed defamation suit against Khan citing various media statements made by her against him. "Khan has issued statements through media that Gupta is trying to bully her. He is trying to pressurise her being a single mother. She has also said that the firm wanted to take some cheap architect," Shetty said. "Such statements have forced us to file a defamation suit against her to the tune of Rs 15 crore before Senior Civil Court in Panaji," the lawyer said. Panaji police had registered an FIR against Sussanne on June 9 after a real estate firm filed a complaint against her for allegedly cheating them to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore by posing as an architect. She had been booked under section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of IPC. Gupta had, in the complaint before police, alleged that she represented herself as an architect and designer, and in September 2013, the company executed a written contract with her "for architectural and designing services". 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. The company alleged that she failed to execute the project based in Goa, thus cheating the firm of around Rs 1.87 crore, which was paid between September 21, 2013 to February 20, 2015. Sussanne has dubbed the allegations against her as "false" and "defamatory" and a pressure tactic by the firm. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed the initiative of possible participation of Ukraine and Romania in Visegrad Group. He welcomed the fact that different NATO member countries cooperate in various projects. NATO recommends uniting, working jointly, providing for quick compatibility and creating a concept of framework states, he said at a press conference in Warsaw on Saturday. He said that these steps increase effectiveness and readiness of the Alliance forces. Actress Madhavi, who has acted in more than 90 Tollywood films such as, Mitrudu, Parugu, Bus Stop, Darling, Race Gurram, Atharintiki Daredi and the recent A. Aa.., entered the film industry unexpectedly. I didnt wish to become an actress, as I was busy with my family life, reveals Madhavi. The actress has an MA and an MBA from Osmania University and has worked in many corporate companies before entering the glam world. I provide counselling for teachers, students and corporate employees. I recently went to Lathur to motivate 185 teachers, says Madhavi. Speaking on her debut in films, she says, While I was working in a corporate company, Jacky, choreographed an event. He insisted me to try for films. So, I attended an audition for a serial called Trisulam, the producer was impressed in the first take itself and offered me a role. Thats how my journey began, Madhavi recalls. She was then offered a role as Gopichands sister-in-law in the 2008 film called Ontari. Directors Koratala Siva, Surender Reddy and Trivikram Srinivas have encouraged me a lot, the actress says. Her family initially opposed her decision to act in films. On the first day of my shoot I reached home at 1.45 AM and my family was upset. But, I asked them to support and trust me, she says. If theres an actress caught in a scandal, her relatives immediately call her and ask her to quit acting. My husband understands me and encourages me. The film industry is not bad, it all depends on an individual. My experience in training people has helped me tackle wrong people in the industry easily, she says. When asked about why Tollywood lacks Telugu actresses, she says, Women are scared to enter the industry. But, there are wrong people everywhere, not just in the film industry. You have to learn how to deal with people and problems. Also, one must have a lot of patience. You cannot expect to achieve success overnight, says Madhavi. The actress has big projects lined up and is looking forward to give her best. Sources say that the director was also very keen on casting a Telugu-speaking girl, with Rakul in line to bag the role. Parineeti Chopras Tollywood debut may be on hold, as sources are saying that Rakul Preet Singh may take her place in the upcoming Mahesh Babu film, thats being directed by A.R. Murugudoss. The shoot for the film is set to start from July 29, but a source close to the makers say that they are still unsure about Parineeti as the female lead. The film is a bilingual made in Telugu and Tamil, so the director wants a Telugu speaking girl. They approached Rakul a couple of days ago and asked her to keep her dates free for this film, says the source. Read: Parineeti charges Rs 3.5 crore for her debut Telugu film On the other hand, another source from the unit says, The films shoot was supposed to start in June, but was delayed for some reason. If Parineeti cant adjust her dates, Rakul may bag the role. The producers have set a deadline for Saturday evening to confirm the casting. Unaffiliated volunteers were more than eight times as likely as trained response workers to suffer symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. (Photo: Pixabay) Untrained people helping at the scene of terror attacks are much more likely than trained responders to later develop post traumatic stress, a Norwegian study finds. In July 2011, Norway suffered two terror attacks in which 77 people died and many more were injured. In the first attack, a car bomb in the capital killed eight people and in the second, a shooter killed 69 teens and young adults at a youth camp. Rescue workers from various professional groups and many civilians who happened to be at the scenes assisted the victims. Later, unaffiliated volunteers were more than eight times as likely as trained response workers to suffer symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as anxiety and flashbacks, the study team reports in the journal Occupational Medicine. Lead author Laila Skogstad of Oslo University Hospital said the professional rescue workers coped well with the stress in the aftermath of the terror attacks. A substantial proportion of the non-professional volunteers, however, had significant psychological problems 10 months after the attacks, she told Reuters Health by email. Skogstad and colleagues gave questionnaires to 1,790 study participants between March and June of 2012, around 10 months after the attacks. The professional workers included doctors, nurses, psychologists, religious leaders, police officers, firefighters and trained volunteers from local organizations. The unaffiliated volunteers were people who happened to be at the site of the attack or working at the hotel hosting the victims relatives. The researchers asked people about their previous rescue training, their experience during the event, and the support they received afterward. Participants also reported any symptoms of PTSD they experienced following the attacks. Out of all the study participants, only 56 were untrained volunteers. Overall, the rescue workers felt the rescue operation was a success, although firefighters and civilian volunteers reported feeling a greater threat than the other groups Among professional workers, 2 percent had experienced some PTSD symptoms but not enough to meet all the criteria for the disorder. Less than half of 1 percent of the workers actually suffered from PTSD, the researchers estimated. Among the untrained volunteers, 24 percent reported PTSD symptoms and 15 percent were estimated to have the disorder. Females and workers who saw injured or dead people were more likely to report PTSD symptoms. Workers who felt more threatened, felt that the work was obstructed in some way or had less training were all more likely to have PTSD symptoms. Common early symptoms of posttraumatic stress are insomnia, anxiety, general unease, distractibility and loss of appetite, said Dr. Craig Katz, a professor of psychiatry and medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Skogstad noted that people with PTSD may also experience recurring memories of the event or nightmares and may become easily startled. During an attack, it is best to rely on professionals whenever possible, said Katz, who was not involved in the study. Volunteers "should hand off their efforts to the organized responders or join forces with the organized responders as soon as they can, he told Reuters Health by email. In the long term, mental health should be considered as a major part of disaster planning, Katz added. Skogstad recommended that volunteers not linked to any organization should be monitored by professionals. They are not trained for the operations and are at great risk for significant posttraumatic stress reactions even though their contributions may have been heroic, she said. The community, family and friends should not be afraid to ask, talk about and be supportive to both professionals and non-professionals after catastrophic events, Skogstad said. Hyderabad: No preventive or precautionary measures have been taken in Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad from where cases of cholera were reported. Two cases reported in the city were from Saroornagar and Mettuguda and patients are bing-treated at the hospital after culture tests confirmed cholera. Hyderabad district medical and health official Dr P. Venkateshwara Rao explained, No report has been sent to our office for action. If a report is sent, we work along with the waterworks department and collect samples of water and food from that particular area. In these two cases, no samples have been taken. The onus of sending the samples to the Institute of Preventive Medicine lies with the city health authorities and they have to collect and send it for testing. As no action by way of preventive measures has been taken; sensitisation has also not been taken up. A senior health officer explained, The original source of contamination in the 10 cases which have been reported in the last four months has not been identified due to poor communication between various health agencies. Officials have failed to act and the samples of both drinking water and food samples have not been taken or examined. Goats, which are bred mainly for production, shouldnt exhibit these tendencies. The saying puppy dog eyes may need to be updated to include goats, according to new research claiming that the two animals are more similar than we first thought. A study by Queen Mary University of London published on Tuesday in the science journal Biology Letters reveals that goats, in many ways, behave in a way wed associate with pets. Over 30 goats were put in separate test pens, while a transparent plastic box sat in the middle of the room. Food was placed on top of the box, and the goats had to move or overturn it to get to the treat. Results found that when the box was impossible to move, goats gazed at the human in the room much like domestic dogs do when they want something. The study contradicts the long-held belief that dogs were trained to be communicative in their behaviour for the purposes of domesticity. Goats, which are bred mainly for production, shouldnt exhibit these tendencies. Anthropologist Barbara J. King told the Los Angeles Times: I do firmly believe that an array of birds and mammals feel their lives deeply. Source: www.indy100.independent.co.uk The world's oldest living twin brothers, Paulus (L) and Pieter Langerock, 102, toast with a glass of red wine at the Ter Venne retirement home in Belgium. (Credit: YouTube) The world's oldest male twins, Pieter and Paulus Langerock of Belgium, turned 103 on Friday, raising a glass of wine to more than a century of living side by side. The brothers, neither of whom ever married, have lived together for most of their lives. To this day, they barely leave each other's side, sharing a room at their nursing home just outside the Belgian town of Ghent. While they sometimes regret not having had any children or grandchildren, they say they are each other's best friends and celebrated their birthday with a glass of French red wine. After their long careers as court magistrates in the middle of the 20th century, the elegantly-dressed 103-year-olds prefer speaking French and being addressed as "Pierre and Paul". They have another two years to go to break the record of U.S. brothers Glen and Dale Moyer, both of whom reached 105. Officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell raided the lodged in Kalyan in the wee hours and rescued two girls and apprehended the trio - a person running the lodge, a auto-rickshaw driver and a woman. (Photo: AP) Thane, Maharashtra: Three persons including a woman were on Saturday arrested for allegedly running a sex racket in Kalyan city of the district, police said. Officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell raided the lodged in Kalyan in the wee hours and rescued two girls and apprehended the trio - a person running the lodge, a auto-rickshaw driver and a woman, Police Inspector R M Mungekar of MFC police station said. The trio was produced before the local magistrate today, who remanded them into police custody till July 11, the officer added. A case under relevant sections of IPC and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act was registered, he said, adding investigations are underway. Bhubaneswar: At least five villagers were killed on Friday night when security personnel deployed in anti-Maoist operations at Malapanga in Kandhamal district in Odisha mistakenly opened fire on them. Preliminary reports said that the auto, carrying the villagers returning from local Baliguda market to their home, came under crossfire between the security personnel and Maoists in Gumurumaha forest under Tumudibandha police limits. The local police had information that some Maoists will pass on the route late in the evening. Along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the security personnel had positioned themselves for an ambush on the rebels. During an exchange of fire between the security personnel, the auto-rickshaw came under the firing line, Kandhamal superintendent of police (SP) Pinak Mishra said. The SP informed that detail information on the incident was awaited. Since the spot where the exchange of fire took place happens to be an inaccessible pocket and there is no mobile network, we are still not clear about the detailed casualty. Our men are in touch with the local villagers. We will surely probe if the people were killed in the firing by security personnel or Maoists, the SP said. Former Naib Sarpanch Kukal Digal and a five-month-old child of Malapanga village were among the deceased, reports said. A search operation is in progress after the firing incident. We are yet to receive detailed information about the matter. CRPF jawans have been deployed at the spot, said Kandhamal superintendent of police (SP) Pinak Mishra. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said Smart Pulse Survey will synchronise personal data which would be helpful to the government for perfect implementation of the welfare schemes. (Representational image) Amaravati: Synchronisation of public data through Smart Pulse Survey has started. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has started the initiative at his residence at Undavalli on the banks of Krishna river by giving the details of his family to the enumerators on Friday. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said Smart Pulse Survey will synchronise personal data which would be helpful to the government for perfect implementation of the welfare schemes. The survey will help the BC community get reservations. On issuing of digital code to every house during the survey, the CM urged the public to cooperate with the government by giving correct information to the survey teams. Mr Naidu said the survey was a historic step as this was for the first time in India that such a survey using modern/latest technology was being done. The SPS would continue till July 31 under Phase-1 of the programme, and from August 6 to 14 in Phase II. All required data would be collected from every house, a unique door numbers would be allotted and data belonging to the 4.90 crore public in 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh will be collected, the Chief Minister said. The aim of Smart Pulse Survey is to reach benefits of governmental schemes to beneficiaries, he claimed and opined that this survey would curb misuse of the government welfare schemes. As many as 30,000 staff are participating in the Smart Pulse Survey and each enumerator will collect data of 15 to 20 families per day. Pointing out that AP was the first state to link all government welfare schemes to Aadhaar card, Mr Naidu said now the other states were following the AP system. "The state government has successfully saved nearly Rs 30,000 crore by restraining misuse of welfare schemes through Aadhaar linkage". The survey teams will collect details of Aadhaar card, voter card, ration card, house tax, electricity bills, gas connection details, vehicle registration details, caste details, assets, bank account details and others. The CM said bank accounts would be provided to the families which were barred from bank accounts in the past. Besides this, Chandranna insurance scheme would be offered to the eligible beneficiaries of the schemes. He urged the public to cooperate with the survey teams by providing all required information without fail. Chief secretary to the state government S.P. Tucker, information technology advisor, J. Satyanarayana, collectors of Krishna and Guntur districts, Ahmed Babu and Kantilal Dande and other officials participated in the programme. Somnath: Kickstarting AAP's campaign for the2017 Gujarat assembly polls, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asked the people to get rid of "hooligans" and "corrupt" persons. Kejriwal, who is on a day-long visit to the state, visited the famous Somnath temple here and sought blessings of Lord Shiva. Thereafter, while addressing a gathering of farmers on the outskirts of Somnath city, he targeted the BJP governments at the Centre and the state. "We will have to fight these goondas (hooligans). These goondas do not understand without a fight...Now, media will say that Kejriwal's language is bad. But you need to tell a goonda that he is a goonda," he said. "These media-persons are asking me if I will fight the elections in Gujarat. I say that we are very small people and do not have the capacity to fight elections. It is for the people of Gujarat to decide whether we should fight elections here," Kejriwal said. He went on to ask the gathering if we should fight the elections to which those present answered in the affirmative. Reacting to that, Kejriwal said, "If you want me to fight, you will have to give money, you will have to go to each house and seek votes. We will together teach a lesson to these corrupt people," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal's scheduled visit to Surat tomorrow had to be cancelled after a trade body, which had invited him, withdrew its invitation, following which the AAP had alleged that this was at the behest of state BJP government. The AAP leader accused Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel of getting the Surat programme cancelled. "My original programme of Gujarat was of two days. Today we were to visit Somnath and tomorrow we had meeting scheduled in Surat. But Anandibenji put undue pressure on businessmen in Surat and got our programme cancelled. I don't know why Anandibenji is afraid of me," Kejriwal said. "Anandiben can stop my meeting of Surat. But she cannot stop my meeting with Lord Shiva, so I decided to come to Gujarat for a meeting with Lord Shiva here," he said. Like in Delhi, they are using the police to suppress the voice of those who are against them. In their view, only those who follow the ideology of BJP are patriots while all other are anti-nationals, he said. "The state government here is slapping sedition charges against people like Hardik Patel, while (former Maharashtra minister) Eknath Khadse who has talked numerous times with Dawood Ibrahim, against him no cases have been filed," Kejriwal said. He also targeted the Gujarat government on farmers' issue saying, "I have come to know that 57 farmers have committed suicide here. The government is snatching away the land of farmers and not paying enough compensation to them." Cypriot government reaffirms Kyiv in further support of international efforts to resist to Russia's aggression against Ukraine The Cypriot government has reaffirmed Ukraine in further support of international efforts to prevent aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, despite the adoption of a resolution by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus that suggests that anti-Russian sanctions be lifted, Spokesperson of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa has said. "We would like to express disappointment over the decision made yesterday by the Republic of Cyprus the resolution on lifting sanctions against Russia. The fact of adopting it arouses concerns. It is evidence that some political forces, Cypriot members of parliament neglect the core principles of international law and the position of the European Union," she said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday. "We have received affirmations from Cyprus, from the Cypriot Embassy in Ukraine, and Cyprus' Foreign Ministry that the position of Cyprus is steady. We hope that the Cypriot government would firmly stick to international law, respect European valuables and support international efforts to prevent Russian aggression against our state in the future," she said. On July 7, 2016, the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus approved a resolution that suggests that anti-Russian sanctions be lifted. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned the adoption of this resolution. New Delhi: Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the largest Islamic seminaries in the world, has issued several fatwas against controversial preacher Zakir Naik. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the main contention of Darul Uloom is that Zakir Naik is a 'Ghair Muqallidin' which refers to a person, or preacher whose perception of Islam is not in line with the four dominant school of thoughts in Islam - the Hanafi, Hanbali, Shaafi and Maliki, named after their founding Imams. Read: Govt swings into action against Zakir Naik, constitutes 9 probe teams Naik, a preacher with a global reach and much media spotlight, has had several fatwas pronounced against him. The Darul Uloom first issued fatwas against Naik in 2007. The statements made by Dr Zakir Naik indicate that he is a preacher of Ghair Muqallidin, he is of free mindone should not rely upon his speeches, one of Darul Ulooms edicts, entered as fatwa number 1541/1322=B/1429 in its official edicts list, reportedly states. Another fatwa, numbered 352=363/B, rules that his knowledge of the religion is not deep, not reliable and advises that Muslims should avoid listening to him. Read: Zakir Naik inspired 4 Mumbai youth to join Islamic State: report This notwithstanding the preachers deep knowledge of the Quran and his ability to quote the Prophet with accuracy. We are not going into whether Zakir Naik knows Quran or not. No, we are not saying that. We are saying it is important to follow one or the other maslak, all equally valid, Abur Rahman Qasimi, a former Darul Uloom student and the founder of Meerats Hidaya madrassa, said. Zakir Naik has been hogging the media spotlight for his views backing slain terrorist Osama Bin Laden and terrorist organisation al Qaeda. A speech in which he praised Laden resurfaced when it was revealed that one of the six militants involved in the Dhaka cafe attack drew inspiration from his speeches. The Maharashtra and Central governments have swung into action, constituting nine probe teams from top security agencies in India to investigate Naik. His speeches, CDs, public documents and social media posts are being screened, and foreign funding to Naik is also been examined. CHENNAI: The Madras high court has suggested to Tamil Nadu social welfare department to consider a representation which sought creation of a separate class or group for transgenders in education and employment opportunities. The First Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, said We direct the department to look into the matter in consultation with all relevant departments and take a decision in six months. In the PIL, transgenders - Swapna , Grace Banu, M. Selvi Manoj Premkumar, Living Smile Vidya and Selvam- sought permission to transgender women to appear in all examinations under the category of male and to create a separate class or group for transgenders in education and employment opportunities and to create three per cent reservation in the field of education and employment. The petitioners submitted that the legal recognition of their gender status was critical over their right to contest and to vote in the election. The Election Commission introduced an option of Other in the Voters identity card and indicated transgenders to vote or contest as a woman or other. The legal validity of the executive order on the right to contest was not clear. On October 24, 2013, they submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary, State Government to permit them to appear in all examinations conducted by the government either as a transgender or as a separate group apart from making representation to the government to create three per cent reservation in all employment for transgenders. New Delhi: Sticking to his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday posted on Twitter a photo purportedly showing the Malegaon blast case accused seated beside the Home Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond?, the Congress General Secretary said in a series of tweets along with the photograph. However, it was not clear when the purported photograph was taken. Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond ? pic.twitter.com/aG59jPNEIg digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Digvijay's reaction came after BJP termed as "baseless" his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur in 2008, when the BJP was in opposition. The Congress leader, who has in the past too made similar claims which Rajnath Singh had then denied, raked up the issue after after BJP targeted him over a 2012 video showing him praising controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him. Taking a dig over the video issue, Digvijay today tweeted, "4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! Double standards." 4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 "Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very kind and considerate towards me. Thanks for free Publicity and keeping me in News ! Dig out some more such cases. Put your full Team to find everything against Digvijaya (sic) !", he said in a series of tweets. Double standards. Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very "kind and considerate" towards me. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 BJP has been insisting that Zakir was a "threat" to national security as it was clear from his speeches that he "incited" people. Digvijay also raked up the issue of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik meeting JuD chief Hafiz Sayeed in Pakistan by posting a photo of the meeting. "Does Media and the Modi Bhakts recognise them? Hafiz Sayeed and Ved Pratap Vedic in Pakistan. We raised the issue in Parliament and Modi Govt didn't react. We raised the issue in Parliament and Modi Govt didn't react. But the Modi Bhakts were quiet and so were the Sanghi elements in Media. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 "But the Modi Bhakts were quiet and so were the Sanghi elements in Media," he said. "Pakistan Govt would have "never allowed' Vedic ji to meet Hafiz Sayeed if he was not a part of back channel Diplomacy between India & Pakistan," he claimed. BENGALURU: With pressure mounting from within the cabinet and party over the hugely embarrassing suicide of deputy superintendent of police M K Ganapati - the second in as many days - minister for Bengaluru development K J George on Friday pleaded innocence about his involvement saying the police officer met him on only one occasion to get his suspension revoked, even as the dead policeman's younger brother - also a policeman - said Ganapati was suffering from depression and was having "hallucinations." Mr George's clarification came during a meeting of the cabinet when many ministers expressed apprehension about the negative fallout of the police officer's suicide and his interviews to the electronic media hours before taking the extreme step in a hotel in Madikeri. The ministers were apprehensive about an onslaught by the combined Opposition during the ongoing legislature session as well as the adverse impact on the image of the government in the wake of two police officers ending their lives within a short span of time, close on the heels of senior women administrative service officers accusing corrupt government cronies of bullying and abuse. Mr George dismissed allegations of harassment of the police officer and reiterated that Mr Ganapati met him only for revocation of the suspension order. On his part, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah advised his cabinet colleagues to await the outcome of a probe by officers of CID, official sources told Deccan Chronicle. DySP M.K. Ganapatis suicide has put former Home Minister and two senior IPS officers on the spot. But the statement made by his brother, M.K. Thammaiah, also a DySP, may save the day for the embattled Bengaluru Development Minister. Speaking to reporters, Thammaiah said that his elder brother was being treated for clinical depression, and may have been delusional. The dead cop's younger brother said that his brother's behaviour had changed completely in the last six months. It felt like he was living in a world of illusion, that he was hallucinating, Thammaiah, DySP, Ramanagara said. Cop felt wronged over Kulashekar charge Officers said DySP M.K. Ganapati upset over his transfer after the 2008 Church attack in Mangaluru showed no inclination towards any caste or religion but demonstrated his skill while rounding up miscreants who attacked the car of superintendent of police, Satish Kumar, outside the church in Kulashekar, in Mangaluru, a day after several churches in the port city were vandalized by activists of Bajrang Dal in September 2008. When the miscreants tried to escape by mixing with the congregation, Mr Ganapati nabbed the vandals. Deeply upset over being implicated later in a fake encounter and a robbery case which damaged his reputation and led to an inquiry and his suspension, he suffered persistent memory loss and couldnt recognize his colleagues. He had sought medical treatment from a reputed hospital in the city under a false name. Named, shamed, not charged! Even as serious questions are being raised about why Madikeri police didn't register a case under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Cabinet minister and senior IPS officers in the suicide case of M.K. Ganapati, deputy superintendent of police, departmental enquiry, Mangaluru though he had named them in an interview with a local television just hours before he ended his life, legal experts told this newspaper that before the police register a case of unnatural death report (UDR) under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) the blood relatives of the deceased should mention in Column 9 of the report that they suspect foul play and abetment to their kin's suicide. " Ganapati's family had not done so. Most separatist leaders have been placed under house arrest or detained in police stations to prevent them from joining the planned mourning rallies. (Photo: Habib Naqash) Srinagar: At least, Twelve people were killed and scores injured as several areas in the Kashmir Valley erupted on Saturday, a day after new-age poster boy of militancy Burhan Muzaffar Wani died along with two associates in a gun battle with security forces in southern Anantnag district. Senior police officials while confirming the killing of eight protesters told a hurriedly convened press conference in Srinagar on Saturday evening that one of the youth died from downing in south Kashmir. The remaining deaths were also reported from twin districts of Anantnag and Kulgam in south of the Valley. A ninth person, 25-year-old Azad Hussain among the injured died in Srinagars government-run SMHS Hospital in the evening. The other deceased have been identified Amir Bashir Khan, Saqib Manzoor Mir, Aijaz Ahmed Thakur, Muhammed Asif Dar, Showkat Ahmed, Muhammad Safeer Bhat, Bilal Ahmed Shah and Shah Danish-all from southern districts of the Valley which witnessed worst street clashes and incidents of stone-pelting since Friday night, police sources said. The police officers ADG (CID) SM Sahai and IG (Kashmir range) Javed Mujtaba Gillani told reporters that the police and other security forces were faced with a very tough situation and that they only retaliated to a series of mob attacks on the police stations, garrisons, homes of politicians and the key infrastructure. Also, attempts were made to snatch the service weapons of security forces at various places, they alleged and said that as many as 96 security personnel were also injured in the incidents. Burhan Wani (right), who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday (AP Photo) The officers said that the most serious attack was on the police station in Damhal Hanjipora (Kulgam) where a mob torched the building and looted the weaponry. They used the same weapons against our men by taking 20 of them hostage, Mr. Sahai said adding Three of them were injured and three are still missing. Meanwhile, thousands of mourners turned up at the funeral of Wani in his home town Tral, 42-km south of capital Srinagar. Three youth wearing bandannas and carrying AK 47 rifles were also seen around, reports said. Read: Government will stand firm: Madhav on Kashmir situation Reports pouring in Srinagar said that deployments and camps of J&K policemen, CRPF and other security forces and an office of ruling BJP came under mob attacks in different areas. Major parts of summer capital Srinagar and several other towns in the Kashmir Valley were earlier on Saturday placed under curfew or locked down to hold back mourning rallies following the killing of Wani. Curfew and other security restrictions are being extended to more Valley areas from Saturday night, official sources said. Wani, 22, was along with two of his aides Sartaj Ahmed Sheikh and Masoom Ahmed Shah killed in a fierce two-and-a-half-hours long encounter with security forces in Kokernag area of southern Anantnag district on Friday. He was carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 million on his head. Amid heightening tensions and anger, the authorities fanned out thousands of policemen in riot gear overnight to enforce the security lockdown in parts of Srinagar, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam, Sopore, Shopian and some other towns whereas security was beefed up further elsewhere in the Valley. Most separatist leaders were earlier placed under house arrest or detained in police stations to prevent them from joining the planned mourning rallies. Read: Protests in Kashmir 'unfortunate': Congress Amarnath Yatra was suspended and no pilgrim was on Saturday allowed to move from winter capital Jammu towards the Valley to relocate to the 12,729-foot-high cave-shrine tucked away in Pahalgam hills. Those who returned to the base-camps of Baltal and Nunwun (Pahalgam) after paying obeisance at Amarnath on Saturday are likely to be escorted out of the Valley during the night time, police sources said. As many 12,500 personnel from CRPF and other central forces and another 8,000 men from the J&K police besides columns of Army are providing security cover to the 48-day annual pilgrimage which commenced on July 2. Till Saturday evening, 118,747 pilgrims had visited the cave-shrine, officials said. The authorities also suspended the Internet services on mobile phones and through dongles as a precautionary measure. Earlier many people took to the social networking sites to mourn Wanis death. Many replaced their profile pictures with that of Wani on Facebook and Twitter.com to pay tribute to the slain militant commander. Six protestors were killed in violence that erupted after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani. (Photo: H Naqash) Former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com Aftr many yrs I hear slogans for "Azadi" resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon y'day. In another tweet, he said, Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit in to militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media. Train services between Baramulla in northwest Kashmir and Banihal town across the Pirpanjal mountain ridge in Jammu division were also suspended too. Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), Kashmir University and Central University, Kashmir postponed all examinations scheduled for Saturday to Monday. In Srinagar strict restrictions under Section 144 of the Ranbir Penal Code are being enforced in areas falling under police stations of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, M.R. Gunj, Safakadal, Maisuma and Kralkhud. Elsewhere, a complete shutdown was observed to mourn Wanis killing. Late Friday night, thousands of mourners turned up at Srinagars historic Jamia Masjid to offer Nimaz-e-Jinaza Gaibana or prayers in absentia for Wani and his associates. A report from Tral, his native town, said that thousands of mourners carried the body of Wani through the streets of the town before the funeral. Funeral procession of top militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani at Shareef village in Tral some 40 kilometers south of Srinagar. (Photo: Habib Naqash) In Srinagar, clashes erupted between irate crowds of youth and security forces who fired teargas canisters into stone-throwing mobs at places, witnesses said. Deafening sound of exploding teargas canisters and stun grenades could be heard whereas mosque loudspeakers were blaring 'Tresh ma lajji Burhano' (Burhan, you may be feeling thirsty). This was reminiscent of early 1990s. Key separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest or detained at police stations to prevent them from relocating to Tral to attend the funeral of Wani or join the prayers in absentia announced to be held in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley on Saturday. Reports pouring in here from various parts of the Valley said that a youth was killed in firing at Kolpora, Koimoh in southern Kulgam district. Identified as Zubair Ahmed Khanday, the youth had sustained multiple bullet injuries in thoracic region, doctors at a local hospital said. The protesters had attacked police and a CRPF camp in the area overnight, reports said. Another person identified by locals as Aadil Bashir was killed in security forces firing at Dooru area of neighbouring Anantnag district. Firing on violent mobs were reported also from Silgam, Seer, also in Anantnag, leaving, at least three persons wounded, one of them critically, reports said. Two more youth are reported to have died elsewhere, one of them due to drowning in a river while being chased by security forces during a clash. A mob torched a police station in Achabal area of Anantnag. The BJP office in Kulgam and several police posts and deployments also came under attack in various parts of Kulgam and Anantnag districts and in northern district of Bandipore and at Warpora in Sopore township of Baramulla district A police picket guarding a cluster of houses of Kashmiri Pandits at Vessu near Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley from the south, was also attacked by a mob but without causing any casualties, police sources said. (Photo: Habib Naqash) Elsewhere, the irate crowds indulged in heavy stone pelting on police and CRPF after they came in their way. Clashes were underway at Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan in Baramulla district and several areas of Pulwama and Srinagar districts as reports last came in. More than 60 injured people have been admitted in various Srinagar hospitals, mainly SMHS hospital, doctors attending on them said. The security forces officials termed Wanis killing a spectacular win over the separatist militants in the Himalayan state and said that the same will have a demoralising impact on them. But octogenarian separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani who called for a one day shutdown in Kashmir to mourn and protest against Wanis killing said the iconic mujahids martyrdom will give impetus to the push for azadi. Mr. Geelani who has been facing curbs on his movement for the last few months also announced three-day mourning in Kashmir and said Every household will pay tributes to the Kashmiri brave-hearts for three days. The separatists have now extended the shutdown call by two more days in view of Saturdays carnage. Wani, the Internet savvy poster boy of Kashmiri militancy, was a resident of Dadsara village of south Kashmirs Tral area (Pulwama district) who days before he was to appear in his Class X examination left his home in 2010 to join the regions frontline indigenous militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. He soon rose to become its district commander and figured in the list of most wanted militants by the security forces combating a 27-year-old insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir which has already claimed thousands of lives including militants, security forces personal and unarmed civilians. Wanis father Muzaffar Ahmed Wani is a school principal who before switching his mobile phone off on Friday night told a reporter "He (Burhan) has gone to God. He has achieved what he was craving for." He also appealed people not to damage public property while venting their anger. The Congress veteran emphasized it is essential that there be a political dialogue with those whom we disagree with. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi : Asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to learn lessons from Congress' experience to restore normalcy in the valley, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding dialogue with the Hurriyat. "I fear that we are spinning into a situation in which we were in the 1990s.This government needs to learn lessons from Congress' experience, but I am afraid they are so prejudiced against the Congress that they will never learn any lessons from history," he said. Aiyar said it is alright to be hard on terrorism provided simultaneously and overwhelmingly there is also a political process that is put in motion. "And the absence of a political process owing to the fact that Mehbooba ji is being restrained by the BJP, owing to the fact that Mufti Sahab was also restrained by the BJP means that there is a political vacuum in which these kinds of acts of terror or people being attracted toward militancy does not have a suitable response," he added. The Congress veteran emphasized it is essential that there be a political dialogue with those whom we disagree with. "Modi ji says that we should talk to China even though we disagree with them. Why doesn't he talk with to the Hurriyat? Why doesn't he talk to the students? Why doesn't he allow his coalition partner Mehbooba to reach out to them? The fact of the matter is that South Kashmir is supposed to be the fortress of the Mufti family and it is there where militancy is at its worst," he told ANI. Holding the BJP responsible for the dangerous situation that is developing in the valley, Aiyar further asked Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to reach out to the dissatisfied elements. "I hold the BJP principally responsible for the very dangerous situation that is developing in the valley. They have entered into a coalition government with a party that is well-known for being sympathetically disposed to the students, who were feeling dispossessed, who were feeling unhappy, who had reported to stone throwing," he said. Meanwhile, the concerned authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have taken several measures to maintain law and order following the violence which erupted after the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in South Kashmir 's Anantnag district last evening. The 21-year militant commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter in Kokernag area of the district. Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, carried a reward of Rs. ten lakh on his head. Srinagar: As tensions prevailed in many parts of the valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, authorities on Saturday imposed curfew and suspended mobile internet services to maintain law and order. Authorities also suspended the Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp due to apprehensions of law and order problems in Kashmir Valley. "The Amarnath yatra has been suspended from Jammu base camp. No fresh pilgrims will be allowed to proceed towards the Valley today," a police official said. Though the yatra will continue from Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir, the pilgrims would be advised to stay put at these camps till further advisory on their movement is issued, he said. All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi had called for a complete state wide shutdown on Saturday and appealed to the people to participate in his funeral prayers in large numbers. In a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and 19 RR, Wani, Sartaj Ahmed and one other were killed in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Wani in his video message last month had assured that his outfit will not harm any Amarnath pilgrim as they are our guests. His video message had come in response to a senior security force official claiming that militants might carry out attacks on Amarnath pilgrims. Mumbai: Controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik who is facing probes for his alleged 'hate speech' which inspired one of the 5 Bangladeshi militants, was also reportedly followed by four more youths from Mumbai known to join Islamic State. According to reports, Areeb Majeed, who was arrested by Mumbai police upon his return to the country last year for joining IS, admitted in front of security officials that he was inspired from the speeches of Zakir Naik. According to NIA, Majeed, a student of a college in Panvel, had decided to join extremist outfit ISIS along with three other friends in May 2014. Reports are also doing the rounds that Naiks speeches were allegedly found in a Darbhanga library which is frequently visited by Indian Mujahideen members. According to a report, a number of books, speeches, and photographs of Naik were reportedly recovered from the Dar-ul-Qitab-Sunna library near Al-Hira Public School in the Karimganj area. Meanwhile, Indian government on Friday said that the speeches of Zakir Naik are being examined. His (Zakir Naik) speeches/CDs are being examined, whatever is justified will be done. As far as Govt of India is concerned, we will not compromise on terrorism at any cost, said Rajnath Singh. According to MHA sources, the Centre has asked Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry to re-examine Zakir Naik's speeches to see if any offence was made out. The home ministry will study his speeches. It will take appropriate action after studying them. His speeches, as being reported in the media, are highly objectionable, new information and broadcasting minister, Venkaiah Naidu had told the media on Thursday. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also directed the Mumbai police commissioner to investigate and submit a report on Naik. An official from the home department confirmed the development that the chief minister has told the city commissioner to investigate the preacher. Hyderabad: Union home minister Rajnath Singh will seek a report from Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi extending legal support to suspected ISIS terrorists caught by the National Investigation Agency in Hyderabad and his comments on the issue. Mr Singh assured a Telangana BJP delegation led by BJPLP leader G. Kishan Reddy and others, when they met him in New Delhi on Saturday, that the Centre will take action if Mr Owaisi is found guilty. The delegation had sought the arrest of Mr Owaisi and cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership for aiding and abetting terrorists. Mr Owaisi, however, justified his offer of legal aid to the arrested ISIS suspects stating that the Centre, too, had done it in the case of the Pakistani terrorist caught in Mumbai. We will soon launch a save Hyderabad campaign to protect the historic city from terrorists and their abettors, Mr Kishan Reddy said. NEW DELHI: More than 100 city-bred boys in Dhaka and largers much numbers of rural youths have been reported missing by their parents in Bangladesh, Hasanul Haq Inu, the countrys information and broadcasting minister, told this newspaper. The missing numbers are possibly indicative of many youth-with similar profiles and of age groups as of the five terrorists who butchered 20 people in an upscale restaurant in Dhakas Gulshan area on July 1 having joined jihadi terror groups. Again on Thursday, eight young terrorists attacked an Id gathering at the Sholakia Idgah, Kishoreganj, killing three people and injuring 14. We have reports of about 100 missing urban youths from Dhaka missing while the numbers are much more in the rural areas where parents have come to report the matter in the village police stations, Mr Inu said in a telephonic conversation. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina had sought information on youth The effort to count the missing numbers kick-started after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appealed to parents to inform the police if any of their young members are missing. We have learnt that many college and university students are missing. Dont just file a GD, give us all the information and photos, she had said on Thursday. A GD (general diary) is the initial police report. The July 1 attack terrorists, well-educated and some from very affluent backgrounds, had been missing for several months. Terming the case of missing youth a hype, Mr Inu said: It has been blown out of proportion. There are 1.5 crore young Facebook users in Bangladesh out of which 99.9 per cent have condemned the terrorist attacks. Youth joining terrorist ranks is not the general trend in Bangladesh. We are still not like Pakistan or Afghanistan, we remain fundamentally a democratic secular country, said the minister who is also a member of the Ministerial Law and Order Special Committee. Asked if his government still stood by its assertion that denied ISIS linkages and were all home-grown, Mr Inu said, As per the reports coming in and from the interrogation of the arrested terrorists from the Kishoreganj Id attack, there seems to be no organisational link with ISIS or any other international terror outfit. Asked about the involvement of others, the minister said, As of now, we are not ruling out anything. We are looking at the ISIS option, the Pakistani connection, linkages to other global terror outfits, the Jamaat-e-Islamiat and even the Bangladesh Nationalist Party linkages. All are being explored. Meanwhile, in a video released by the ISIS on Wednesday, three militants speaking in Bengali and English from a street suspected to be located in the ISIS capital Raqqa, warned that the Dhaka terror attack was just an idea of what lay ahead and that such attacks will continue till the Bangladesh government was overthrown as it seeks to govern by man-made laws while we (ISIS) want the rule of Allahs law. BEIJING, July 8 -- Launching a legal action is not always the best way to solve a dispute, and it is even more unrealistic that a proceeding illegally initiated and wantonly pursued would lead to a just solution. The so-called South China Sea arbitration, which is expected to produce an "award" next week, is just the latest case in which this is true. It may be that well-meaning spectators optimistically believe the award will help ease tensions in the South China Sea. However, for the parties who are trying all means to dramatize the sovereign dispute, their ulterior purpose is not to seek a real settlement, but to use the ruling to force China into giving in to their own order. Such intrigue will never succeed, as it is neither legally plausible nor practically possible. The arbitration, unilaterally initiated by the Philippines in breach of its commitments, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulations and China's legitimate right under the UNCLOS to independently choose dispute settlement mechanisms and procedures, is in itself a violation of international law. The arbitral tribunal set up thereof, by forcefully handling the case and willfully expanding its jurisdiction, is also flawed, making the award of the tribunal untenable and void. Based on these facts, China has made it clear on multiple occasions that it will neither accept nor recognize such an arbitration and its award whatever it might be. With constant good will and faithful practice of international law, China has adequate cause to dismiss the meaningless political provocation that will not do any good to any nations concerned. However, that does not mean China will sit idle in handling the disputes. It consistently adheres to the position of resolving the disputes in a peaceful manner through negotiations and consultations, managing the disputes by establishing rules and mechanisms, seeking win-win outcomes and securing peace and stability in the South China Sea. China believes negotiation and consultation represent the only right way forward to resolve this issue. This position will not be changed with a unconvincing arbitration award. Nor will the country be intimidated into compromise. Even upon the background that the South China Sea disputes have been complicated by regional and outside factors, China is still confident and sincere about seeking a fair and realistic solution that will bring long-term peace and stability to the waters. All parties that truthfully want to do good on the South China Sea issue need to carefully think whether provocative confrontation or peaceful dialogue is the real constructive way forward and which country really displays patience and good faith for a final solution of common interests. Hyderabad: The Centre has sought a report from Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi offering support to suspected ISIS terrorists caught by the NIA. What is the state governments stand on Owaisis statement? What is the stand of the TRS towards the MIM? Will the government support Mr Owaisis statement defending legal aid to suspected terrorists, BJPLP leader Kishan Reddy asked. Mr Kishan Reddy said the BJP delegation had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Union home minister seeking stringent action against Mr Owaisi. There is a need to get a report from the state government and the Governor. There is a need to cancel his (Mr Owaisis) Parliament membership. There is a need to deal with supporters of terrorists with an iron hand by the Centre, Mr Kishan Reddy said. Besides Mr Kishan Reddy, senior BJP leaders and legislators including Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy, N.V.S.S. Prabhakar, Baddam Balreddy and others were among the delegation. Bengaluru: Making the most of definition of a dying declaration, the state government took a stand that an elaborate interview of deputy superintendent of police, M.K. Ganapati, to a television channel hours before the officer committed suicide could not be considered his dying declaration. In an interview to Deccan Chronicle, home minister, Dr G. Parameshwar, said a person would make a declaration only about death. In Mr Ganapatis case, he did not speak about death, but only said if something happens to me. He did not speak about death. So, this cannot be construed as dying declaration, he added. When asked why police officers did not follow the normal procedure of registering cases under section 306 of IPC against those named by Mr Ganapati before he ended his life, Dr Parameshwara reiterated that the police officers interview to a television channel was not a statement and his allegations could not be the basis for filing charges. Dr Parameshwar said he did not receive any direction from the central leadership of Congress to provide details about this unsavory episode. He, however, maintained that officers of CID would certainly frame charges if they find any evidence during the investigation. The minister replied in the negative when asked whether this episode would dent the image of the state government. Hyderabad: MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in a series of tweets and at a function here on Friday night attacked the terror organisation ISIS, calling them the biggest threat to mankind and its members as dogs of hell. Mr Owaisi, under attack for offering legal help to suspected ISIS operatives held in the city, justified his action but lashed out at ISIS especially after the attack in Madina in a series of tweets. You (terrorists) caused so much pain to the Muslim community that we cant even express in words. Jihad karna ho to aao, humare musalmaano ki bastiyon mein bohot bacche hai, unko muft mein padhao (If you want to do jihad, come to Muslim localities and educate children free of cost), he said. In a strongly worded tweet on ISIS suicide bombers, he said, Yeh jahannum kay kuttay hai (These are dogs from hell), adding we will cut Baghdadi (ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) into 100 pieces. He said, Jio Islam kay liye, maro nahi Islam kay liye (Live for Islam, dont die for Islam. ISIS is not only a danger to Muslims but to the entire mankind, Mr Owaisi said. We must accept the fact that ISIS is among us...but surely they are not related to Islam and it is our big responsibility to destroy them. A resolution passed at the meeting late on Friday night, addressed by several scholars, said the ISIS had nothing to do with Islam and its tenets, and its activities were meant to strike at the roots of Islam. M.K. Ganapati is the second DySP to take his own life in three days. BENGALURU: Despite protests across the state demanding action against former Home Minister K.J. George, ADGP Intelligence A.M. Prasad and Lokayukta IGP Pronab Mohanty, who were named by DySP M. K. Ganapati before committing suicide, the state government has not initiated any action against the trio. Various organisations, including schools, have protested demanding action against those named by Mr Ganapati. But the government is not acting against them, saying the statement made by Mr Ganapati is just an allegation and it cannot act unless the allegations are proved. But the governments stand has angered even some police officers, who question whether the government would have acted in a similar fashion if a non-IPS officer was involved. There are instances where SIs, inspectors, DySPs and SPs are suspended as soon as they faced some serious allegations of harassment and corruption. But in this case, a DySP has alleged harassment and corruption and has also ended his life. But the government is blatantly ignoring it and is shielding the accused, an official said. If the government cannot suspend the accused officials, it can at least ask them to go on leave till the CID completes its probe. The government can also transfer these officials to other posts, which are considered dummy within the department. But the government has not even sought an explanation from these officers. This shows the discrimination of the government, another officer alleged. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has reiterated that sanction from the competent authority is pre-requisite and mandatory for prosecution of a public servant in criminal cases, including under the Prevention of Corruption Act. It also held that such sanction from appropriate authority is mandatory prerequisite even when the cognisance is taken by a criminal court under Section 319 of the Cr.P.C. Giving this ruling a Bench of Justices J.S. Khehar and C. Nagappan, however, said that protection of sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code is not available to police officers accused of illegal detention of an accused and offences committed during the period before the formal-arrest is recorded. Justice Khehar citing a catena of earlier verdict said the law declared by this Court emerging from various judgements leaves no room for any doubt, that under Section 197 of the Cr.P.C. and/or sanction mandated under a special statute (as postulated under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act) would be a necessary pre-requisite, before a Court of competent jurisdiction, takes cognisance of an offence (whether under the IPC, or under the concerned special statutory enactment). The Bench said the procedure for obtaining sanction would be governed by the provisions of the Cr.P.C. and/or as mandated under the special enactment. The mandate is clear and unambiguous, that a Court shall not take cognizance without sanction. Therefore, a Court just cannot take cognizance, without sanction by the appropriate authority. The C-Block housing CMO and D-Block of ministers will be demolished, followed by A and B blocks. Hyderabad: It will be work from home for ministers, government advisers and a few top-level officials of Telangana from August with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao keen on rebuilding a new Secretariat by demolishing the existing buildings. Officials are hunting for alternative buildings in the city to accommodate Secretariat staff during the construction period. However, the limited buildings that were identified can cater to the needs of Secretariat officials and staff. The chief secretary-headed committee appointed by the government has proposed that government advisers, ministers and CMO officials should be allowed to work from home till the new Secretariat is constructed. Mr Rao too will work from his new home-cum-camp office being built on nine acres in Begumpet at a cost of Rs 40 crore. It is adjacent to the existing CM's camp office and will be ready by Dasara. Though CM has asked officials to complete new Secretariat construction within a year from the date of laying foundation sometime between August and September, officials say it would take at least two years. Noted architect Hafeez Contractor had recently submitted designs for a U-shaped new Secretariat to the CM recently, which are based on the North Block and South Block of Delhi. They will be connected by the CM's block in between. The estimated cost has been pegged at Rs 200 crore. Official sources said, the C-Block housing CMO and D-Block housing ministers and secretaries will be demolished in the first phase. Later A and B Blocks will be demolished. The government will not touch the blocks allotted to AP Secretariat till they shift to Amaravati completely and surrender the buildings to TS. The shifting of Secretariat offices would begin by this month-end. The CM is expected to lay the foundation for the new Secretariat in August after the end of the ongoing inauspicious Aashada Masam. Hyderabad: In a major development, Telangana Government Doctors Association said on Saturday that the supply of sub-standard drugs by the Telangana Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation must be stopped. They cited lack of quality control in procurement as the primary reason for the botched cataract surgeries at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, which affected a total of 13 patients. Doctors are upset over the fact that they are being blamed for the saline fluids. The fungus in saline bottles seized from Nilofeur Hospital was brought to the attention of the TSMSIDC on June 30. Dr Vinod Kumar, senior member of the association said, We sent a video of the fungus growth in the saline bottle to TSMSIDC officials but there was no response. The batch of bottles was removed by the superintendent on the very same day. Cases have now been booked against five senior doctors of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, and that has upset the doctors group. Dr Lalu Prasad, another senior member of association said, How can criminal cases be booked against doctors when it is not the surgeons fault? These are experienced surgeons who have done over 50,000 surgeries. If they are in the wrong, then the mistakes would have been there throughout. At the same time, the TGDA is now asking why the TSMSIDC did not swing into action when a complaint was made by the Nilofeur superintendent on June 30. 2 lakh saline bottles seized Two lakh saline bottles have been seized by the Drug Controller Administration (DCA) of Telangana from government hospitals in the state in the last two days. A total of 93 batches of saline bottles have been sealed. There are 40 different varieties of IV fluids which are used for different purposes in different hospitals. The DCA has also taken samples of sodium chloride injections, sodium lactate injections and ciprofloxacin. A report on their quality will be out in 14 days. Meanwhile, it has emerged that there is no officer to check quality of products procured from pharma firms. The post has been lying vacant for the past six years. The states Medical Services And Infrastructure Development Corpora-tion has been reduced to a tendering agency. There are no quality checks. There are innumerable cases of substandard drugs and all government doctors have been complaining for a while now but no action has been taken, a senior official said. Pharma company Haseeb Pharmaceuticals now under investigation for the contaminated saline at SD hospital was supplying government hospitals 9.8 lakh saline bottles every year at a contract price of Rs 10 crore. State officials now say an Allahabad-based pharma company has been contracted to supply the saline. The shooting in Dallas of five white police officers by a black Army veteran cannot be justified even in a society in which the police shot down around 100 unarmed blacks in 2015, a particularly bad year for persistent racial disparities in the criminal justice system, according to US President Barack Obamas own admission. The rate of death of young black men at the hands of law enforcement personnel was five times higher than white men of the same age, according to a media survey, which just goes to show the depth of the racial problem. It is against this background that the rise of the civil rights movement named Black Lives Matter has to be seen. The two-year-old movement espousing non-violence is going to struggle to channel public anger in constructive ways. The legal aspects of a robotic bomb being used to kill the sniper is something for the US to work out. The problem of a disproportionate number of deaths of African Americans and Native Americans at the hands of policemen points to the urgent need to find justice for people of all races. A lot of people need convincing that the men in blue can be fair in dealing with people regardless of race. This cant be easy in the US, a nation of guns. The logic is irrefutable that the more guns there are in circulation, the more gun violence there will be. But that is a fundamental issue concerning their right under the Second Amendment. Finding the balance is bound to be tricky for an armed society. While ordering an investigation on Friday into the allegedly more than 1,500 extra-judicial killings in Manipur in the past decade, the Supreme Court has come down hard on the state and the Centre, questioning some of the key principles under which the Indian state has operated. The courts order and its observations while they may suffer from a lack of clarity on whether they are strictly in the context of Manipur (and not, say, also Kashmir) are a veritable essay into the rights of Indian citizens even in places designated as disturbed. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) applies to disturbed areas. This, of course, is needed. It is inconceivable how the security forces can take on armed opponents without legal protection. The AFSPA provides the forces the cover to kill without being dragged before the law for each act of killing in the way of legitimate duty, and provides the sanction in order that such killings may be deemed not to be murder. But the two-judge bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and U.U. Lalit has been sensitive to the reality that the armed forces, including the Manipur police in this case, have acted without restraint since 1958 when AFSPA was introduced in the state. The judgement, in fact, strongly notes that there is no war-like situation in Manipur, only an internal disturbance, as defined by the Constitution, and castigates the state government and the Centre for not finding ways to overcome the situation in as long as six decades. After laying this down, the bench is quite categorical that excessive force must not be applied even when AFSPA is in operation and that retaliatory fire by the security forces must be distinguishable from instances of wanton brutality. There are laws against this even in war between nations, the judges have pointed out. Significantly, they also note that armed forces personnel are liable to be prosecuted under CrPC even when AFSPA is in operation, and this is well within the purview of the Army Act as well as CrPC subject, of course, to the circumstances in which a killing may have occurred. Effectively, every civilian death is subject to enquiry. The SC has ruled out blanket cover for forces even under AFSPA. It is, of course, arguable that the SC is not competent to judge whether a war-like situation prevails or just internal disturbances. Especially in todays circumstances, parallels may be drawn between Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir. Veena Sikri, a former Indian high commissioner in Dhaka well-known for her expertise and body of work on Bangladeshi affairs, is shocked at the Dhaka carnage. She spoke to Sanjib Kr Baruah on the recent terrorist attacks in Bangladesh. For a country that was born on the edifice of nationalistic democracy, the grip of radical Islam seems to be growing. What has gone wrong? There are three dimensions to this the Bangladesh dimension, the regional dimension and the global dimension. To understand the situation in Bangladesh, one has to see each dimension separately and also keep in mind how much of it is due to an amalgamation of these three dimensions. You are absolutely right that Bangladesh was born in the cauldron of democratic secularism, but forces of radical Islam were always there in Bangladesh, even before 1947. Just after Indias Independence in 1947 there was a lot of imposition of West Pakistan on East Pakistan, as Bangladesh was known. Then in 1971 too, there were parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), which was fighting against the liberation of Bangladesh, there were the Razakars, all sorts of people; so it was a cruel birth for the nation. Then from 1975 to 1991, there was military rule even as radical forces were chipping away. There was always this see-saw battle between a Bengali identity and a Muslim one. But amid all these, the demand for a secular democratic government was very strong. This was also a time when Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina fought together for democracy. But it was from 2000 onwards that one saw the rise of Islam as a factor in politics and JeI ministers holding crucial posts. Again in the regional context, many of the Wahhabi priests trained in Saudi Arabia come from and through Pakistan. This is a germaine factor which is of very big concern to India. Radicalisation of the youth in Bangladesh is a very big development in the last two years. How are they getting radicalised, where are the funds coming from, no one is joining the dots. But with the Dhaka attack, there has been a quantum jump of what is happening locally. In the Dhaka attack, there was total coordination. The youth disappeared together and then appeared together, uploading of images, phone-calling, ISIS putting up video tapes, etc., all these indicate international linkages. The attack in Dhaka has revealed severe fractures within Bangladeshi society. Was this phenomenon pre-existent since the days of liberation or it is a new one? Bangladeshi nation-alistic identity has always been a strong one. There always has been this struggle between the Bengali identity and the Muslim one. Till the time the balance is there things are fine. But now what is happening is that the political opposition like the JeI is trying to exploit the international connections to suit their domestic aims although the country is doing well, including in terms of economy and growth rates. These interests as a result are destroying the balance of the country, which will only take it to chaos. So, it is a big wake-up call. Yet there have been many popular upsurges in recent times in Bangladesh like the Shahbag Square demonstration. Then started the attacks on bloggers, Hindu priests, Buddhist monks, foreigners, etc., all done in an extremely brutal manner. Also one thing needs to be remembered here: the relationship between the JeI and the Pakistani establishment, especially its secret agencies, have never stopped even after 1971 and continues to be close. What do you make of the new breed of young, affluent and well-educated youth of Bangladesh taken in by Salafist ideology? Bangladeshi society is shocked and shattered, they never believed this could happen there. These are children of people everyone knew. Nor are these solely madrasa youth. They are from affluent and educated families enjoying all comforts at home. As ISIS is under a lot of pressure, they were giving out calls to stage terror attacks during Ramzan. Isnt the Bangladeshi state in denial mode in the aftermath of the Dhaka attack? How far is it true and why? When Ms Hasina is saying these attacks are by homegrown elements, she is right. But there is a question of international linkages too. The terrorist are mostly locals. In 2014, the year ISIS was formed, huge chunks of territories were conquered. But after that ISIS has been losing territories because of international coalition interference. Now a lot of Bangladeshi jihadists were fighting along with ISIS and so they had started coming back home in big numbers. There is a school of thought that after the 2014 parliamentary elections, which the Islamists boycotted, Islamic radicalism has increased by leaps and bounds. What is your view? In 2014 when the elections were boycotted by the JeI and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the physical violence they resorted to in order to prevent holding of the polls has continued ever since. The present culture of violent atmosphere is a remnant of that. What are the implications of growing radicalism for India? More specifically for West Bengal and Assam? The sensitivity and implications are unbelievably huge for India more so for Assam and West Bengal. Already when Ms Hasina acted strongly against Islamists in the recent past and also when the JeI could not contest elections after differences with the Election Commission, the after effects spilled over to India. There were people who crossed over to India and set up bomb manufacturing centres, raised illegal poppy cultivations, etc. Look at what happened in the Kaluchak incident when mobs burnt down a police station in a vastly underplayed but very serious incident. Dont you find the silence of liberal sections of Bangladeshi society confounding? Terrorism has no religion. Even Ms Hasina is saying that the Dhaka restaurant terrorists are not Muslims. Bangladesh liberals have to speak up. As of now everyone is keeping quiet. 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) BEIJING, July 8 -- China on Friday dismissed the United States plea to accept any decision in the South China Sea arbitration to be announced next week. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to announce its final decision next Tuesday in territorial disputes between China and the Philippines. It is a sheer delusion to expect to force China into accepting the decision via diplomatic channels or public fanfare, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily press briefing. The senior Pentagon official responsible for East Asia Abraham Denmark said on Thursday that the United States expected both parties to comply with the decision. "The arbitration was unilaterally initiated by the Aquino administration and distorts the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), challenges the dignity of the international law and undermines the rule of law in essence," said Hong. "China will never change its stance," he added. China has signed UNCLOS and participates in its working groups. The United States is not a member as the U.S. Senate refuses to ratify the convention. More than 30 African countries have voiced support for China's stance, Hong said. Currently, at least 60 countries publicly approve of China's stance, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "The arbitration and any award are obviously unpopular," Hong said. As many as 300 fungi were screened and experimented by the scientists for the creation of nano particles of gold. (Representational Image) Lucknow: The expensive gold facial that you wanted but could not afford, will soon be within your budget. Scientists at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) here have developed an eco-friendly way to create nano particles of gold in just one minute. According to scientist Aradhana Misra, Gold nano particles can be developed by chemical methods but we have found a non-chemical approach a green way to create nanotised gold using Trichoderma viride a fungus. Quick synthesis of nano particles was possible by the use of the fungi. As many as 300 fungi were screened and experimented by the scientists for the creation of nano particles of gold. Different shapes and sizes of gold nano particles were synthesised by the biological method. Trichoderma resulted in the quick synthesis of gold. Dr Misra heads the four-member team which conducted the study. The study was published recently in an international journal called Scientific Reports. According to scientists, the quick synthesis of gold nano particles by using Trichoderma viride will not only be an eco-friendly but also a cost-effective method as it would reduce the quantity of gold required significantly. Nanotised gold is used in less amount giving the same effectiveness and quality. The scientist explained how in any field, if any material is nanotised, it would be utilised in very little quantity as compared to the quantity otherwise. For example, if a cosmetic or medicine uses 1 kg of gold normally, it would only use one gram in nanotised form. Nanotised gold is being used for various industrial purposes such as in medicine, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, she said. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The platform will also carry artificial junk in the form of small satellites known as CubeSats. Harpoons, nets and sails are to be sent into space in an effort to tackle the problem of space junk, scientists have revealed. The mission, dubbed RemoveDebris, is expected to launch early next year and will test a range of devices designed to sweep up litter orbiting the Earth.Without such technology, the scientists say, satellite-based communication, weather monitoring and navigation systems could be at risk. The problem with so much junk up there now is that it is actually starting to prove a real issue, and the chance of collisions is increasing all the time, said Jason Forshaw, the project manager of RemoveDebris at the Surrey Space Centre. Around 7,000 tonnes of space junk are estimated to circle our planet, ranging from defunct satellites to tiny fragments of debris, with the figure rising exponentially. In 2009, the US satellite Iridium 33 collided with the defunct Russian satellite Kosmos 225 in an event that destroyed them both. While objects larger than 10 cm are monitored, even tiny fragments of debris can cause damage. As Tim Peake recently revealed, a speck less than 1 mm wide produced a circular chip 7mm in diameter in a window of the International Space Station. But an international team of researchers say they have designed a range of systems to solve the problem. Presented at the Royal Societys summer science exhibition this week, and led by the Surrey Space Centre, the systems included a net, harpoon and drag sail, which scientists have incorporated into a test platform for launch into space. The platform will also carry artificial junk in the form of small satellites known as CubeSats. Once the platform is launched into space, a CubeSat will be released. The CubeSat will be ejected from the platform and then well fire the net at it, said Forshaw. The CubeSat, hopefully encased in the net, will then fall back towards Earth and burn up. In the case of the harpoon, the researchers have attached a target made of spacecraft material to a carbon-fibre boom that extends from the platform. When the harpoon impacts it, it is actually going to simulate a real spacecraft being hit, said Forshaw. At the end of the mission the third system, a drag sail will be deployed. Attached to the platform, the sail will speed up its return to Earth where it will burn up in the atmosphere. Similar systems have been proposed for future satellites to allow them to be disposed of without leaving space junk. Funded by the European commission to the tune of around 10.9m, the RemoveDebris mission is set to be one of the worlds first mission to test systems for capturing junk in space. While a full-scale mission is likely to cost significantly more, Forshaw believes it is a necessary expense. The reality is you are spending a small amount now to prevent huge disasters from occurring in the future, he said. Source: www.theguardian.com Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Modi, in a wood-paneled car with local officials, moved ahead under heavy security from Pentrich railway station to Pietermaritzburg in Durban. (Photo: Twitter) Durban: Tracing Mahatma Gandhis historic train journey that shaped his decision to resist racial segregation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a train journey to Pietermaritzburg in Durban, South Africa on Saturday. Speaking to reporters at the Pietermaritzburg station, Modi said, I am talking from the place where a lawyer named Mohandas was off loaded in 1893 while travelling. This place (Pietermaritzburg) marks the transformation of that Mohandas into Mahatma. That day, journey of Mohandas, a lawyer ended, but a new journey of a Mahatma commenced. Narendra Modi waving from the train at the Pietermaritzburg station (Photo: Twitter) He added, Memories of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela will keep inspiring the future generations. South Africa's journey has become tirth yatra for me, have visited all 3 places, significant in India's history and that of Mahatma Gandhi. The train journey was intended to commemorate the incident in which a young Gandhi in 1893 was ejected from a South African train when he refused an order to move from a first-class carriage because of his race. The encounter shaped Gandhi's decision to resist racial segregation and other injustices with non-violent protest, first while living in South Africa and then in India. In the footsteps of the Mahatma. PM @narendramodi relives the train journey to Pietermaritzburg. pic.twitter.com/1fXgOGUfXd Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Tracing the journey, Modi, in a wood-paneled car with local officials, moved ahead under heavy security from Pentrich railway station to Pietermaritzburg in Durban. Modi also opened an exhibition on Gandhi's life at the train station in Pietermaritzburg, where Gandhi was ejected. Recounting that it was the first country to cut trade relations with South Africa over its former harsh system of racial segregation, which lasted for decades and ended in the 1990s, Modi said, South Africa has fought a long battle & India has been a part of that struggle. Today South Africa & India are working shoulder to shoulder for development. WATCH: Memories of Gandhi & Mandela will keep inspiring the future generations, says PM Modi in Pietermaritzburg(SA)https://t.co/Ux39Go1Ig8 ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 In his meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma earlier on Friday, the two leaders paid tribute to what Zuma called "two liberation icons," Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, who was elected in the first all-race elections in 1994. Modi also met with members of South Africa's community of Indian origin, which numbers more than 1 million. Modi is currently on the second leg of his four-nation tour and will visit Tanzania later on Saturday and then proceed to Kenya. The tour, which began with Mozambique, is aimed at improving India's profile in Africa, where China has been gaining increasing foothold. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of Mandela-Gandhi exhibition during his visit to Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg. (Photo: AP) Johannesberg: Before the community reception here in Johannesberg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid a visit to the Nelson Mandela Foundation where he met and interacted with the heroes of the South African struggle. Many of these heroes worked closely with Madiba. Prior to this, he visited the Constitutional Hill and paid floral tributes to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi. He also inaugurated a special exhibition at the prison in Constitutional Hill where Gandhi and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela were holed up. Prime Minister Modi also met the anti-apartheid revolutionaries and families. The Constitutional Hill is a homage to a remarkable history. It housed both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Prime Minister Modi earlier on Friday addressed the business meet in Pretoria where he called South Africa a key trade and investment partner and said both the nations must look at ways to diversify the trade basket. Pointing out that the relations between India and South Africa are built on a strong foundation of history, Prime Minister Modi said Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi brought political freedom and it is the time to work for economic freedom. Asserting that India is seen as engine of global growth, the Prime Minister said 'Make in India' has become the biggest brand India has ever had. First Vice President Riek Machar (L) delivers a speech to journalists next to South Sudan President Salva Kiir (C) and Vice President James Wani Igga (R) prior to the shooting outside the presidential palace in Juba on July 8, 2016. (Photo: AFP) Juba: More than 150 soldiers died in fighting between South Sudans army and former rebels in the capital Juba on Friday evening, a spokesman for the former rebels said. The number of casualties is over 150 killed, said Roman Nyarji, a spokesman for rebel leader turned Vice President Riek Machar, adding the combined death toll may rise further. We are expecting a bigger number of casualties because the two units of the presidential guard were all engaged yesterday, he said referring to bodyguard units of Machar and his rival President Salva Kiir. The violence came on the eve of the countrys fifth anniversary of independence and represents another blow to a shaky peace deal that has so far failed to end a civil war that began in December 2013. The shooting began when Kiir and Machar met at the presidential palace and initially involved their bodyguards. The shootout, lasting about half an hour, quickly escalated from small-arms fire to heavier weapons and spread with machine-gun and artillery heard in several parts of Juba before subsiding after nightfall. Kiir and Machar described Fridays violence as unfortunate. By Saturday morning a tense calm had fallen over the city with a heavy security presence but few civilians on the streets. Narendra Modi pays homage over a bust of Mahatma Gandhi on a visit to Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg on Friday where he opened the Mandela Gandhi exhibition. (Photo: PTI) Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and met anti-apartheid revolutionaries and families here on his maiden visit to South Africa. "Amidst the lived history of an extraordinary struggle for justice. Prime Minister met anti-apartheid revolutionaries and families," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a tweet. "Reliving the life of two legends," Swarup said. The Prime Minister also paid floral tributes to Gandhiji's bust and inaugurated a special exhibition featuring both Gandhi and Mandela. "Homage to a remarkable history. PM visits Constitutional Hill, earlier a prison which housed both Gandhiji & Mandela," he said in another tweet. Modi also paid a visit to Nelson Mandela Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Mandela in 1999 to promote his vision of freedom and equality for all. Modi is on five-day four-nation tour. He visited Mozambique yesterday and is on the second leg of his tour of Africa here. He will also visit Tanzania and Kenya. Modi, wearing a 'Madiba' shirt identified with anti- apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, said India's dynamism is not about mere words but it is driven by concrete action. "It (dynamism) is defined by our commitment to change the face of the Indian economy. Not just through sustained rapid economic growth but through multiple transformations that aim to uplift," the Prime Minister said. "India's rise can be defined as HOPE, Harmony, Optimism, Potential and Energy. India's rise is a story of rare resilience, renewed resurgence, superb speed and spectacular scale," he said in his 40-minute address. He said his government wants enterprises to flourish, businesses to grow and the country to rise. "For this, we are already shaping a policy framework that strengthens India's ability to build trade, manufacturing, innovation and investment partnerships with other countries in the world," he added. Modi said his intent was to ensure that the 800 million youth of India should fulfill the dreams, not only of India but the global demand. "It is not only the economy or society that is racing ahead but the mindsets are also changing," he said while giving an overview to the audience about the developments in India which he wanted them to see for themselves. Seeking to strike a chord, Modi said as South Africa works for its economic prosperity, safety and security, it will find in India a "trusted and reliable partner". He said both India and South Africa face similar challenges and India is ready to join this country in its endavours. "India and South Africa are strategic partners. We should build a partnership that spans entirety of human endeavour," the Prime Minister said. He said while terrorism is a global challenge, fight against diseases like AIDS and Ebola are some of the other priorities. The Prime Minister noted that South Africa was the place where Mahatma Gandhi "conceptualised his politics" and is the "birthplace of Satyagraha". Describing South Africa as "karambhoomi (land of work)" of Mahatma Gandhi, he said this country "transformed Mohandas into Mahatma". He said Mahatma Gandhi held South Africa dearly as he believed that he had got rebirth in this land. Hailing the Indian diaspora in South Africa as "proud sons and daughters of Indian heritage", he said several Indians had gone to jail with Mandela and sacrificed their lives in the fight against apartheid. Modi said while India was in the lead in opposing apartheid and had boycotted South Africa during those days, it was the first to embrace the country after apartheid was over. In this context, he noted that India had hosted the South African cricket team a few months after apartheid was lifted on July 10, 1991. According to court documents, Justice was paid between USD 500 and USD 1,000 during each of several meetings he had with the undercover agent earlier this year. (Photo: Representational Image) Los Angeles: A California man charged with allegedly attempting to sell sensitive information used in military and commercial satellites to the Russians was ordered jailed without bail. Gregory Allen Justice of Culver City was arrested Thursday by FBI agents. Authorities say the 49-year-old engineer, who worked for a Los Angeles defense contractor, provided proprietary software technology and other information to an FBI agent he thought was a Russian spy. He was charged with economic espionage and violating the US Arms Export Control Act. "Justice allegedly placed his own interests of greed over our national security by providing information on sensitive US technologies to a person whom he believed was a foreign agent. In the wrong hands, this information could be used to harm the United States and its allies," Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin said in a statement on Friday. An attorney for Justice could not immediately be located, and his phone number has been disconnected. According to court documents, Justice was paid between USD 500 and USD 1,000 during each of several meetings he had with the undercover agent earlier this year. The agent said Justice explained he needed the money to provide medical care for his seriously ill wife, although some of it appeared to have been given to another woman. Her relationship with Justice wasn't explained. According to the court documents, Justice had been employed by the unnamed defence contractor since 2000, and he had most recently been working on military and commercial satellites. Authorities said he stole proprietary trade secrets from his employer and passed them on to the undercover agent he believed worked for a Russian intelligence agency. They say he also provided documents containing technical data that under federal law are tightly restricted for export. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on the espionage charge and 20 years on the Arms Export Control Act violation charge. The shooting began Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest the killings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo: AP) Dallas: An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his suburban home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics, authorities said Friday. The man identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson told authorities he was upset about the fatal police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, "especially white officers," officials said. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings, which marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot. In Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, authorities said gun-wielding civilians also shot officers in individual attacks that came after the black men were killed in Louisiana and Minnesota. Two officers were wounded, one critically. President Barack Obama and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked for the public's prayers. In a letter posted online Friday, Abbott said "every life matters" and urged Texans to come together. "In the end," he wrote, "evil always fails." Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite with a specialty in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. After the attack, he tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Brown said. Johnson was black. Law enforcement officials didn't disclose the race of the dead officers. The bloodshed unfolded just a few blocks from where President John F. Kennedy was slain in 1963. The shooting began Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest the killings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Brown told reporters that snipers fired "ambush-style" on the officers. Two civilians were also wounded. Authorities initially blamed multiple "snipers" for Thursday's attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But by Friday afternoon, all attention focused on Johnson, and state and federal officials said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman. With the lone shooter dead, Mayor Mike Rawlings declared that the city was safe and "we can move on to healing." He said the gunman wore a protective vest and used an AR-15 rifle, a weapon similar to the one fired last month in the attack on an Orlando, Florida, nightclub that killed 49 people. When the gunfire began, the mayor said, about 20 people in the crowd were carrying rifles and wearing protective equipment. That raised early concerns that they might have been involved. But after conducting interviews, investigators concluded all the shots came from the same attacker. A Texas law enforcement official identified the man killed in the parking garage as Johnson. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he said he was not authorized to release the information. Around midday, investigators were seen walking in and out of a home believed to be Johnson's in Mesquite. In Washington, the nation's top law enforcement official, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, called for calm, saying the recent violence can't be allowed to "precipitate a new normal." Lynch said protesters concerned about killings by police should not be discouraged "by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence." The other attacks on police included a Georgia man who authorities said called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the officer who came to investigate. That sparked a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded but expected to survive. In suburban St. Louis, a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop, police said. The officer was hospitalized in critical condition. And in Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans, authorities said. Video from the Dallas scene showed protesters marching along a downtown street about half a mile from City Hall when shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Officers crouched beside vehicles, armored SWAT team vehicles arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead. Demonstrations were held in several other U.S. cities Thursday night to protest the police killings of two more black men: A Minnesota officer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child, and the shooting's aftermath was livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video. A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video. The Dallas shootings occurred in an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments only a few blocks from Dealey Plaza, the landmark made famous by the Kennedy assassination. The scene was chaotic, with officers with automatic rifles on the street corners. Marcus Carter, 33, was in the area when people started running toward him, yelling about gunshots. Carter said the first shot sounded like a firecracker. But then they proceeded in quick succession, with brief pauses between spurts of gunfire. "It was breaks in the fire," he said. "It was a single shot and then after that single shot it was a brief pause. And then it was boom boom boom boom boom! Pause. Boom boom boom boom boom!" Video posted on social media appeared to show a gunman at ground level exchanging fire with a police officer who was then felled. The mayor said one of the wounded officers had a bullet go through his leg as three members of his squad were fatally shot around him. "He felt that people don't understand the danger of dealing with a protest," said Rawlings, who spoke to the surviving officer. "And that's what I learned from this. We care so much about people protesting, and I think it's their rights. But how we handle it can do a lot of things. One of the things it can do is put our police officers in harm's way, and we have to be very careful about doing that." Few details about the slain officers were immediately available. Four of the dead were with the Dallas Police Department, a spokesman said. One was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. The agency said in a statement that 43-year-old officer Brent Thompson, a newlywed whose bride also works for the police force, was the first officer killed in the line of duty since the agency formed a police department in 1989. "Our hearts are broken," the statement said. Theresa Williams said one of the wounded civilians was her sister, 37-year-old Shetamia Taylor, who was shot in the right calf. She threw herself over her four sons, ages 12 to 17, when the shooting began. Other protests across the U.S. on Thursday were peaceful, including in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. In Minnesota, where Castile was shot, hundreds of protesters marched in the rain from a vigil to the governor's official residence. We support the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, including the use of international legal mechanisms such as arbitration, says US State Department. (Photo: Representational Image) Washington: China should be held "accountable" to an international tribunal's ruling next week on the South China Sea dispute with the Philippines, the US has said, advising both countries to comply with their obligations. "We support the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, including the use of international legal mechanisms such as arbitration," the State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday. "As provided in the Law of the Sea Convention, the tribunal's decision in this case will be legally binding on both parties, the Philippines and China. It's our expectation that both parties will comply with their obligations and exercise restraint," he said in response to a question. The US, he said, has made clear to the Chinese what its expectations are in this regard. Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, said the Obama Administration and other counterparts across the world recognise the severity of the threat posed by China's aggressive, coercive actions in the South China Sea that undermine international norms. "Our Secretary of Defence and the President himself regularly list the South China Sea among the world's most concerning international friction points and raise it at the highest levels with their Chinese interlocutors, including Chinese President Xi Jinping," he said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration's tribunal deciding the Philippines' legal case against China recently announced it'll conclude its decision on July 12. "Although China is legally bound to its result, it has refused to participate and has clearly said it will not comply. I am concerned that many seemed to have written off China's non-compliance as a foregone conclusion," Salmon said, adding, "China should be held accountable to the tribunal's ruling." The Philippines has asked the tribunal to rule on a number of issues, particularly on the validity of China's nine-dash line and on the maritime entitlements generated by various land features in the South China Sea. The Law of the Sea Convention makes clear that the absence of a party or failure of a party to defend its case shall not constitute a bar to the proceeds and that a decision by the tribunal shall be complied with by the parties to the dispute, in this case, China and the Philippines, said Colin Willett Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, during a Congressional hearing on Thursday. "The world will be watching to see whether China chooses a path of diplomacy and cooperation or continues to walk a long one of confrontation with its neighbors," he said. Obama said the shooting was "vicious, calculated and despicable. (Photo: AP) Warsaw, Poland: President Barack Obama will talk about his response to the Dallas shootings, race relations in the U.S. and alliances in Europe as he wraps up his visit to Warsaw for a NATO summit. Obama is slated to take questions from reporters on Saturday before leaving the meeting of European leaders. Obama spoke about the deadly shooting of police officers early Friday. He said the shooting was "vicious, calculated and despicable." He called on Americans to focus on honoring the victims, rather than political debates. He has since been criticized for using the shooting to repeat his call for gun control. The attack has prompted Obama to return to the U.S. a day earlier than planned. From Warsaw, he'll head to Madrid before returning to Washington Sunday evening. BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China has said it is "strongly dissatisfied" by U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in the Republic of Korea (ROK), warning that the move may destabilize the Korean Peninsula. The ROK Defense Ministry announced on Friday that the ROK and the United States had decided to deploy a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system. "The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The deployment is not conducive to denuclearization of the Peninsula nor to maintaining peace and stability, according to the ministry. It said the move goes against efforts to calm regional tension, and severely harms the security interests of countries in the area including China, as well as the "strategic balance" in the region. China urged the United States and ROK to terminate the deployment of THAAD, and not to take any action which may complicate the regional situation and harm China's interests. Also Friday, China's Ministry of National Defense voiced similar stance. "We will closely watch the moves of the United States and the ROK, and will consider taking measures to safeguard the nation's strategic security and the strategic balance in the region," said Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense. People rally in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, July 7, 2016 to protest the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. (Photo: AFP) Minneapolis: When Philando Castile saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror, it wasnt unusual. He had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offences including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt. He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show. Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops, as several of his family members have alleged? The answer may never be known, but Castiles stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer and his girlfriend livestreaming the chilling aftermath. The shooting has added a new impetus to a national debate on racial profiling. The video is pretty horrific, said Gavin Kearney, who in 2003 co-authored a report to the Minnesota Legislature on racial profiling in the state. There are things we dont know about it. But we know there are certain assumptions and biases whether explicit or implicit about black men that affect how police officers interpret their actions. And we know white drivers are less likely to be pulled over. Court records dating to 2002 show Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, averaged more than three traffic stops per year and received citations for misdemeanours or petty misdemeanours. Many charges were dismissed, but Castile pleaded guilty to some, mostly for driving after his license was revoked and driving with no proof of insurance. However, those two charges also were the most frequently dismissed, along with failing to wear a seat belt. The records show no convictions for more serious crimes. No recent information is available on the racial breakdown of drivers stopped or ticketed by police in Falcon Heights, the mostly white suburb where the shooting occurred, or in other Minnesota towns. Minnesota is not among the handful of states that require police to keep such data. But in 2001, the legislature asked for a racial profiling study and it fell to Kearney, then at the Institute on Race & Poverty at the University of Minnesota Law School, to conduct it. His study, using information supplied voluntarily by 65 law enforcement jurisdictions in the state, found a strong likelihood that racial and ethnic bias played a role in traffic stop policies and practices. Overall, officers stopped minority drivers at greater rates than whites and searched them at greater rates, but found contraband in those searches at lower rates than whites. The analysis found the pattern was more pronounced in suburban areas. In Fridley, New Hope, Plymouth, Sauk Rapids and Savage combined, blacks were stopped about 310% more often than expected. The St. Anthony Police Department, which employs the officer who shot Castile, did not participate in the study. St. Anthony officials have not commented on Castiles stop since shortly after the shooting. It was not immediately clear how much money governments in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area generate from traffic violations. A US Department of Justice investigation following the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Missouri, found law enforcement efforts were focused on generating revenue for that city. Most of the tickets and fines were going to blacks. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, a passenger in the car, said the two officers who stopped them said the vehicle had a broken tail light. She said one of the officers shot him for no apparent reason after he reached for his ID. Valerie Castile said she thinks her son was just black in the wrong place. Minnesota governor Mark Dayton said he did not believe it would have happened to a white motorist. The officers races are not known. Police understand the concerns about choices made about who gets stopped and what happens when they get stopped, said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. But the statistics cant simply be attributed to racial bias among police. When people call the police, they provide a description of somebody engaged in a crime. The police respond to those descriptions, said Stephens, a former Charlotte, North Carolina, police chief. That counts for part of the disproportionality that we see in those numbers. Last year, the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended police departments collect and analyse demographic data on all stops, searches and seizures. Nationally, 13% of black drivers were pulled over at least once in 2011, compared with 10% of the white drivers, according to a survey by the US Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey shows 68% of black drivers considered the stops legitimate compared with 84% of white drivers. The precise reasons why certain motorists are pulled over more than others are difficult to identify, said Lorie Fridell, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, who trains police departments through a program called Fair and Impartial Policing. Our implicit biases are most likely to impact us when were facing ambiguous situations, Fridell said. A person reaching into a pocket is ambiguous. If I, as a white, middle-aged woman, reach into my pocket most people arent going to experience fear. For a black male with dreadlocks, that ambiguous action would produce fear in many people. Pakistan's long history of ties to terrorist groups, including those with American blood on their hands, is well documented, Congressman Poe said. (Photo: Representational Image/AP) Washington: Tired of the alleged "double game" being played by Islamabad, American lawmakers have announced to hold a Congressional hearing next week to discuss whether Pakistan is a "friend or foe" of the US in the war on terror. "This hearing will give members the opportunity to learn more about Pakistan's longstanding ties to terrorist groups and allow for a more informed reassessment of US foreign policy priorities vis--vis Islamabad," said Congressman Ted Poe Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The hearing titled "Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism" has been convened by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The US has spent tens of billions of taxpayer dollars in aid to Pakistan since 9/11. Now, fifteen years later, Pakistan's military and intel services are still linked to terrorist organisations and little success has been made to stabilise the region," said Congressman Matt Salmon, chairman of the subcommittee about the alleged "double game" played by Pakistan. "We must take a closer look at US goals, expectations and our aid spending in the region. In this hearing, we will discuss the Administration's failed policy toward Pakistan and debate the best way forward," Salmon said. Among the witnesses include former US ambassador to Afghanistan and United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad. The other two witnesses are Bill Roggio, senior editor, Long War Journal and Tricia Bacon, Assistant Professor, American University. "Pakistan's long history of ties to terrorist groups, including those with American blood on their hands, is well documented," Congressman Poe said. "Pakistan's military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provide support to various terrorist organisations, including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani network, in a bid to exert influence over Pakistan's regional rivals," Poe said in a statement. In May 2016, the leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike while in Pakistan, reinforcing Pakistan's image as an unquestionable safe haven for terrorist groups, he said. In fact, in the most recent Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department noted that Pakistan 'did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or HQN [the Haqqani network], he added. "Despite the mounting evidence of Pakistan's collusion with global terrorism, Pakistan is among the leading recipients of US foreign assistance, with Congress appropriating more than USD 33 billion to Islamabad since 2002," Poe said. Warsaw: NATO leaders will hold their next summit in Brussels in 2017 at the alliance's new headquarters, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Saturday. "We look forward to meet again in 2017 at our new headquarters in Brussels," Stoltenberg said in Warsaw, where leaders had gathered to endorse the alliance's biggest military upgrade since the Cold War. NATO's new HQ on the outskirts of Brussels is a futuristic glass-fronted building just across the road from its current nondescript offices, near the city's airport. Costing about one billion euros ($1.2 billion), the new building will house all the NATO administrative apparatus, plus offices for the 28 member nations and the alliance's partner countries. Stoltenberg said the summit in Warsaw, which gave its name to its Cold War adversary the Warsaw Pact, had shown that North America and Europe remained united in the face of a more assertive Russia following its Ukraine intervention. Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London today in a raucous and colourful protest against last week's referendum vote to leave the European Union. (Photo: AP) London: The British government on Saturday formally rejected a petition signed by more than 4.125 million people calling for a second referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. "We the undersigned call upon HM (Her Majesty's) government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60 percent based a turnout less than 75 percent there should be another referendum," the petition said. On June 23, on a 72 percent turnout, 52 percent (17.4 million people) voted in favour of Britain leaving the European Union. When a petition on parliament's website tops 100,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee considers it for a parliamentary debate. More than 77,000 fraudulent signatures were removed from the EU referendum petition. In its response, the government said no minimum turnout threshold was set when the EU Referendum Act passed through parliament. It said that Prime Minister David Cameron had made clear to parliament on June 27 that the referendum was "one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history" with more than 33 million people voting. "The Prime Minister and government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the prime minister has said, the decision must be respected," the Foreign Office said on behalf of the government. "We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations." Between 2,000 and 6,000 people were expected to join in the More In Common Picnic against Brexit on Saturday. People who are against Britain leaving the EU were to gather in London's Green Park, which is next to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II's official residence. A rally was held in London on July 3 when more than 40,000 people, according to organisers, marched through the British capital to vent their anger at the outgoing Cameron for calling the referendum. They waved European flags and chanted "We love you EU". The referendum result triggered Cameron's resignation. Members of the governing centre-right Conservative Party will choose either interior minister Theresa May or energy minister Andrea Leadsom as their next leader -- and therefore the next Prime Minister. It will be down to the new premier to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which starts a two-year clock running on a country's exit from the bloc. In this photo, Syrian refugees pass time in Aksaray neighbourhood in Istanbul (Photo: AP) Istanbul: Up to 300,000 Syrian refugees living in Turkey could be given citizenship under a plan to keep wealthy and educated Syrians in the country, a Turkish newspaper reported on Saturday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 2 that Syrian refugees in the country would be offered nationality "if they want it", the first time such an idea had been proposed at the highest level. Nationality would be given step-by-step, with initial plans for 30,000 to 40,000 Syrians gaining citizenship, the Haberturk daily said. In total, Turkey is targeting giving Turkish citizenship to up to up to 300,000 Syrians, it added. Turkey is hoping such a move would allow skilled Syrian refugees to become citizens, the paper said. Educated refugees from other countries could choose to become nationals as well. Family members of those chosen to become Turkish citizens could also get the right to become nationals, it added. The usual obligation of living in Turkey for at least five years before gaining citizenship could be waived for Syrians, Haberturk said. Syrian refugees who become Turkish nationals would then be able to vote in elections one year after being awarded nationality. The report appeared to generate anger among many social media users, with #suriyelilerehayir ("No to Syrians") the top trending topic in Turkey on Twitter on Saturday. Erdogan has championed an "open door" policy for Syrians fleeing the over five-year civil war in their country. More than 2.7 million Syrian refugees now live in Turkey where they have guest status, according to the Turkish government. The proposal to grant Syrians citizenship comes after a widely-praised move by Turkey in January this year to allow Syrian refugees to be given work permits. Turkish media this week quoted labour ministry statistics as saying 5,502 Syrians had been granted work permits since the scheme was adopted. Activists have accused Turkey of effectively shutting its borders to any more Syrians this year but Ankara insists it will always take in those wounded and fleeing danger. In March this year, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to stop refugees making the dangerous route from its western border to Europe via Greece which has led to a reduction in the number of boats leaving Turkey. Baghdad: Iraq's Prime Minister fired three officials in charge of Baghdad's security on Friday after last weekend's bombing that killed nearly 300 people and caused public outrage over the inadequacy of the emergency services and security apparatus. The bombing, claimed by the ultra-hardline Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS), was the deadliest in Iraq since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. Islamic State has lost ground since last year to U.S.-backed government forces and Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militias advancing into territories they control in northern and western Iraq, but IS retains the ability to strike the heart of Baghdad. A statement posted on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's Facebook page said he had dismissed the commanders of military operations, security services and intelligence in the capital. "The sacking of the Baghdad Operations Commander was due to accumulated mistakes that cannot be overlooked," one senior security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It is a difficult decision and came at a critical time because we are engaged in a tough battle with Daesh, but it had to be made because of the catastrophic failure," he said. Daesh is a derogatory Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The commander of the Joint Operations Command, General Talib Shaghati al-Kenani, has been put in temporary charge of security in the capital, the security official said. The Joint Operations Command coordinates Iraqi armed forces and U.S.-led coalition air support used in military operations against Islamic State. The official said the bombing was clear evidence of the weakness of the security apparatus in Baghdad. "The car bomb came from outside the capital, crossing dozens of checkpoints before reaching the target. All of them answer to the operations command," he said. Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban resigned on Tuesday, after blaming the bombing on a lack of communication between the various forces in charge of security in Baghdad. Abadi approved Ghabban's resignation on the same day he tendered it, according to a statement on the premier's website. Fears of More Sectarian Violence Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday criticised the Abadi government's failure to deal effectively with the threat Islamic State poses. "Complacency among corrupt and failed (officials) at the expense of the blood and souls of innocent civilians is unbearable and needs to be stopped," he said in his weekly sermon, read on his behalf in the Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Islamic State also claimed a triple suicide attack late on Thursday near a Shi'ite mausoleum north of Baghdad that killed at least 35 people, according to security sources. Baghdad-based security analyst Hisham al-Hashimi said this attack made an escalation of sectarian strife highly likely. Shi'ites form a majority in Iraq but northern and western provinces are mostly Sunni, including in Salahuddin where the Mausoleum of Sayid Mohammed bin Ali al-Hadi is located. Prominent Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his militia, the Peace Brigade, to deploy around the mausoleum, near Balad 93 km (58 miles) north of Baghdad. Sadr's militia is also deployed in Samarra, a nearby city that houses the shrine of Imam Ali al-Hadi, the father of Sayid Mohammed. A 2006 bombing destroyed the golden dome of that shrine and set off a wave of sectarian violence. Beijing: Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported Saturday ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The navy Friday carried out "combat exercises" with "live missiles" between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, said on its website. State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. "The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare", said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. The PLA Daily however insisted they were "routine exercises" and unrelated to the court's ruling. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. The Philippines said Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week's legal challenge. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict. He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. McCain said that Pakistan should take action against the Haqqani network "involved in killing a number of US soldiers and citizens in Afghanistan". (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Maintaining that there is clear and convincing information that the Haqqani network is operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Chairman of US Senate 's Armed Services Committee Senator John McCain said the insurgent group should not have a safe haven in Islamabad. In an interview with ARY News, McCain said that Pakistan should take action against the Haqqani network "involved in killing a number of US soldiers and citizens in Afghanistan". "Haqqani network should not have a safe haven in Pakistan," Dawn quoted him as saying. He added that Washington wants action against this common adversary and betterment of relations between the Kabul and Islamabad. The senator dodged the question about Mullah Fazlullah's presence in Afghanistan and instead reminded the interviewer about Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden's presence in Pakistan. He also reminded about Pakistan's presumed inaction against Haqqani network. "Now there is an act of Congress which says that the President has to certify that government of Pakistan will take action against Haqqani network before sending money in aid, the President could not certify," he claimed. John McCain asserted that he wants U.S. to help Pakistan in rebuilding infrastructure in its tribal areas for Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) - facilitating their return towards respectable lives in their areas. Impressed by Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif's leadership skills, he hoped that the general continues to lead Islamabad. "I saw him how he interacts with other officers in the army. In one meeting, he also brought the ISI chief to discuss issues with us. Our dialogue with him was regarding Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan and how we can improve ties between US and Pakistan," he said. Terming the situation in Waziristan agency satisfying, he lauded the armed forces for clearing Miranshah town off terrorists. "I and my fellow senators spent several hours there in Miranshah and met the military leadership. We were surprised to know that 6,000 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives and 16,000 were injured, which is a very very heart breaking number," he added McCain. Bangladeshi policemen cordon off the area near Holey Artisan Bakery, that was the target of the weekend militant attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Photo: AP) Dhaka: A Bangladeshi teenager who police say was a suspect in last week's deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week's deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over "suspicious activities", treating him as a suspect, a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. Read: Bangladesh investigating Zakir Naik's Islamist links, says minister He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. Shawon's father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his "innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family" died due to torture. "His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists," Sattar said. Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon's involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. "IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five," he said. "If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information." Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. "He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised," Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman said. The teenager's father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid al-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival. He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka's suburb. Instead his family saw him in hospital. "He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother," the father said. "He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, "Please don't hit me. Let me go," he added. Edhi who formed the famous Edhi village 25 years ago was Chairman of the Edhi foundation which was celebrated for its humanitarian work. (Photo: AP) New Delhi : Expressing grief at the demise of Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai called on the people to remember his legacy and honour him by continuing his mission. "Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away but his legacy of serving humanity will never die. His heroic work helping young and old inspired me from an early age. Edhi's humble, selfless ways and tireless efforts should inspire us all. We should learn from him that it is our duty to help those most in need," Malala said in a statement. "My prayers go out to the family of Edhi and especially his wife, Bilquis, for standing strong in his mission. Edhi helped humanity regardless of anyone's colour, gender, background, religion. Edhi changed lives and made history. Let's remember his legacy and honour him by continuing his mission," she added. Edhi passed away in Karachi last night at the age of 92 after a prolonged battle with different ailments. Edhi who formed the famous Edhi village 25 years ago which was home to the homeless, destitute, street children, elderly, abandoned babies and addicts was Chairman of the Edhi foundation which was celebrated for its humanitarian work. In October last year, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had coordinated with the Edhi foundation to bring back Geeta, a hearing and speech impaired girl who strayed across the border 15 years ago and was taken care of by the foundation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced a contribution of 1 crore rupees to the Edhi foundation last October but Abdul Sattar Edhi denied the charity. Born in Gujarat to a family of memon traders who came to Karachi during partition, Edhi started his welfare mission in 1951 opening his first home for homeless and sick in the Kharadar area in Karachi. The file photo shows Tao Zhang, currently deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC). [Photo: finance.eastmoney.com] Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced Friday her proposal to appoint Mr. Tao Zhang as Deputy Managing Director, effective August 22, 2016. Mr. Zhang is currently Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC). He will succeed Mr. Min Zhu, who steps down on July 25. The screenshot from the official website of IMF shows the statement of a proposal to appoint Zhang Tao, Deputy Governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) as Deputy Managing Director. [Photo: CRIENGLISH] In announcing her selection of Mr. Zhang, Ms. Lagarde said: "I am very pleased to propose Tao Zhang as the next Deputy Managing Director. Mr. Zhang brings a strong combination of international economic expertise, public sector policymaking, and diplomatic skills. He also has extensive experience with international financial institutions, excellent communication and negotiating skills, and a superb knowledge of IMF policies and procedures. Indeed, he is very well known and highly respected here at the Fund, having served as Executive Director for China from 2011 to 2015. Prior to his current position as Deputy Governor of the PBOC, Mr. Zhang headed the Legal Affairs Department there. Over the course of his career, he has held various positions at the PBOC, including as Director General of the Department of Financial Survey and Statistics, and then Director General of the International Department. Mr. Zhang has also worked at the World Bank (1995-1997) and at the Asian Development Bank (1997-2004). During this time, he gained significant experience in country operations, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region and small-island economies. Mr. Zhang has an M.A. and Ph.D. in International Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and B.S. Electrical Engineering and M.S. Finance degrees from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He had gone to London on May 22 for a regular medical checkup but was diagnosed with a heart complication by doctors who suggested surgery. (Photo: AFP) Lahore: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday returned to Pakistan after spending 48 days in London where he underwent an open-heart surgery. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) special plane Being-777 brought 66-year-old Sharif and the staff of his 25-member London camp office back to the country. The Prime Minister's plane landed at the Lahore airport around 7 pm local time. His brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and other PML-N leaders received him at the airport. Talking to journalists who were at the airport to receive him, Sharif said he was feeling healthy. "I am feeling quite healthy after the heart surgery," Sharif, who was wearing white shalwar kameez and a light blue waistcoat, said. To a question about Panama Paper leaks, the premier said he was ready to face any challenge. "This country does not need any sit-in. I ask the opposition to work for the development of Pakistan," he said. Sharif has been facing pressure from opposition political parties to step down after Panama Papers leak showed that his family members own undeclared offshore wealth and expensive property in London. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. Replying another question about discharging his duties, the Premier said: "I was already performing my duties from London. I used to hold video conference meetings and issued certain directions." From the airport, Sharif left for his residence at Jati Umra Raiwind on a helicopter. Several PML-N workers were gathered there to welcome him. Sharif was discharged from hospital on June 6 after he underwent an open-heart surgery on May 31. He had gone to London on May 22 for a regular medical checkup but was diagnosed with a heart complication by doctors who suggested surgery. This was Sharif's second cardiac procedure in five years. Some politicians, especially the allies of the ruling PML-N, have termed Sharif's decision to leave the country for London as "politically prudent" at a time when opposition parties were exerting extreme pressure on him in the wake of the Panama Paper leaks. Meanwhile, Imran Khan said he will move the court against the use of PIA commericial plane by the Sharif family to return to Pakistan. "Nawaz Sharif should pay the PIA from the money he stashed abroad illegally," he said. Vijay Mallya has set foot in the Formula One paddock for the first time this season but attending races outside Britain, let alone returning to India, remains a step too far for the exiled tycoon. The Force India co-owner's diplomatic passport, which he carried as a member of the Rajya Sabha, was revoked in April with a judge in Mumbai issuing a non-bailable warrant for his arrest. Indian authorities trying to recover about $1.4 billion from his collapsed Kingfisher Airlines want to question Mallya, who flew to Britain in March. He has had an indefinite right of residency there since 1992. In an interview with Reuters inside his team hospitality at the British Grand Prix, Mallya made clear his reluctance to return "unless assured of a fair trial in India, if at all there needs to be a trial. "I am willing to answer all their questions. But why only in India? And why after my passport has been revoked?" he added, saying any hearing could as easily be done in England or by video conferencing. "For me, England is as much home." "It's frustrating that you can't just get on a plane and go but hopefully the legal process will restore my rights sooner rather than later," added Mallya, who bought his country home from the father of world champion Lewis Hamilton. The 60-year-old beer baron, looking slimmer than in recent times, said he was in good shape "contrary to what people may think" and was more involved with his Silverstone-based team despite being unable to travel. "I have time to lead a far more regulated life," he said. "I have the time to focus on things that I enjoy." Mallya has fitted out his home so he can interact with the team at races but he said that was no substitute for the buzz of being on the pit wall -- particularly at a time when the team are doing so well. Force India have had two podium finishes with Mexican Sergio Perez and a front row start for Germany's Nico Hulkenberg in the last five grands prix. "I am a petrolhead, passionate about Formula One. Therefore to be here, to absorb the atmosphere, to smell the fuel... its that much more satisfying," he said. The team ownership has been under scrutiny, with the business woes of Mallya and co-owners Sahara Group raising speculation about a possible sale to raise cash. Sahara's founder Subrata Roy has been under arrest since March 2014 after the company failed to comply with a court order to refund money raised from millions of small investors. "What is happening to either Mr Sahara or myself is really irrelevant to the team itself, its own stability and own operation and path forward," said Mallya. "There is absolutely no reason why I need to sell my stake, or liquidate my stake in Formula One." Mallya said the amount owed to banks was probably half what the media was reporting, once various amounts of interest were stripped out. "I gave a limited personal guarantee which is in court because I have challenged the validity of the guarantee. There is no judgment on that," he said. "So the court has to decide whether my guarantee is valid and if so, for what amount." "The media is screaming about 900 million pounds ($1.16 billion). What nobody cares to mention is that Kingfisher Airlines has launched a counter-claim on the banks themselves under lenders liability for 380 million. Which is also being argued in court." Sahara, which paid $100 million for the Force India shareholding in 2011, sought the Supreme Court's permission in February to dispose of it and other assets to raise a combined 53 billion Indian rupees ($789.15 million). Mallya suggested that was a legal formality. "Just going to court and asking for permission to sell by no means indicates that there is some sort of deal on the table," he said. "As two major shareholders, one cannot sell without the consent of another. "I will not be able to sell without their consent... So there is nothing like that on the table at all." Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Friday said displaying the image of a broom along with that of Darbar Sahib was not an inadvertent error committed by AAP. But it was a deliberate political move aimed at targetting a particular section of the society, he said. But, the idea boomeranged and now they are running for cover, he said. Amarinder claimed the idea behind juxtaposing the image of broom along with that of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) was aimed at sending an agnostic message which the authors of the AAP youth poll manifesto thought would convey a signal of social change and equality that they did not make any difference between the broom and the holiest place for Sikhs. As part of the typical Naxalite and atheistic reflections of the AAP ideology, which does not believe in religion, the brains behind this wanted to convey the agnostic and anarchic message of social change in their own way to target a particular section of the society, without caring about the sentiments of millions and millions of people across the globe who hold Darbar Sahib in sacred and divine respect, he said. You are rubbing salt in our wounds, the former Punjab chief minister told AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warning him to desist from such foolhardy adventures that could have dangerous and disastrous consequences for Punjab. He said the state has passed through the darkest era in the recent past and warned that any such attempt could put the hard-earned peace at stake once again. Referring to Kejriwals proposed visit to Darbar Sahib on July 18, Amarinder pointed out that first AAP hurt the religious feelings of Punjabis and now, he (Kejriwal) was resorting to his characteristic theatrics by offering to visit Golden Temple in a bid to make up for his wrongs. This is what usually happens when a party is not only ignorant of ground realities but is also insensitive towards the feelings of the masses, he said. The AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to visit Golden Temple on July 18 to perform sewa (volunteer service). The move comes amid political parties criticising his party for hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Like a humble sewak (volunteer) and a true aam aadmi (common man), (Arvind) Kejriwalji will perform sewa at Sri Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar on 18th July, 2016, Aam Aadmi Party member and Senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka said in a statement issued here on Friday. The AAP, which has been eyeing to wrest power in Punjab from the SAD-BJP combine after the 2017 Assembly polls, has been under fire from political opponents for hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs. The party has been facing the ire for using the image of Golden Temple on the cover of its youth poll manifesto with its election symbol broom superimposed on it. Political opponents, including Congress and SAD-BJP, have been hitting out at the AAP leader Ashish Khetan for comparing the manifesto with Guru Granth Sahib and other religious books. Despite Khetan tendering an apology while admitting his mistake, the SAD-BJP and Congress have been unsparing in their attack on the AAP and in terming the act sacrilege. Rejecting Khetans apology, the SAD has sought an apology from Kejriwal over the issue. On microblogging website Twitter, Phoolka wrote, We will apologise from Guru. But will take Badals head on, they have been using Sikh Panth for their personal gains. In another tweet, he wrote, Badals using SGPC for their political motives. Makkar should resign as President SGPC for adopting double standard. In yet another tweet, he wrote, Reply to Badals demand for @ArvindKejriwal apology- when Majithia distorted Gurbani- did Badal apologised, did SGPC register FIR. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar said on Thursday they would file a court case against Kejriwal and authors of the manifesto Kanwar Singh Sandhu and Ashish Khetan for the blasphemous act. The AAP accused the Badal government of adopting double standards, citing a 2014 incident ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, when Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia had distorted a hymn (shabad) of tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh while campaigning for the BJP candidate from Amritsar Arun Jaitley saying that too was an act of hurting sentiments. If Majithia subsequently apologised for his blasphemous act, so did Ashish Khetan. Why then the Parkash Singh Badal-led government is adopting different yardsticks for Majithia and Khetan, said an AAP leader. The registration of an FIR against another AAP legislator triggered a political storm on Friday with party leaders slamming the Centre for implicating its MLAs in bogus cases and getting them arrested. Rivals, however, hit out at Team Kejriwal, highlighting its alleged criminal and unconstitutional ways. They demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation. Delhis Water Minister Kapil Mishra led the charge against the Centre, referring to the latest case in which Aam Aadmi Partys MLA from Deoli, Prakash Jarwal, has been booked for misbehaviour with a woman. He said the case was fake. Jarwal denied any wrongdoing and told Deccan Herald that he is a victim of a political conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The woman who has filed a case is a BJP leader and has also contested elections, said the legislator, said the legislator, vowing to fight the attempt to tarnish his partys image. He said the woman filed the case weeks after the alleged incident with political motives. Earlier, Mishra tweeted: Modi ji is so hard working. It is really a challenge to get false cases slapped on legislators and send them to jail to ensure that the corrupt and criminals are not caught. AAP leader Atishi Marlena, who is involved in drafting the citys education policy, tweeted: Why wait to file FIRs one-by-one? Why doesn't @narendramodi arrest all AAP MLAs in one go?! Breaking lawDelhi Congress said AAP legislators were breaking the law and showing disrespect to women without any fear. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should resign over his MLAs offences against women, said chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee. The recent incidents of offences against women committed by AAP MLAs show how concerned they are about their safety and security, said Mukherjee. Mukherjee also hit out at the Kejriwal government for fighting needless court cases over the issue of distribution of powers between the AAP government and the Centre. The Supreme Court has dismissed the AAP government plea to hear its plea on governance in the city, she said, claiming that the development shows Team Kejriwals immaturity and lack of experience in running a government. The BJP womens wing held a protest outside Jarwals office in his constituency and shouted slogans against over anti-women activities. The case against Jarwal was filed within two weeks of another AAP legislator Dinesh Mohaniya, who represents Sangam Vihar constituency, was arrested in the midst of a press conference. Mohaniya was booked for allegedly molesting and assaulting a woman from his constituency. He was later granted bail by court. Deoli MLA Jarwal claimed the woman told him about her problems during a June 3 function organised in the constituency to launch water tankers. I told officials to look into her complaint and solve her problem, said the legislator, denying any manhandling or misbehaving with the woman. The Delhi cabinet has approved a Delhi Slum Policy 2015 on Friday extending the eligibility criteria for rehabilitaion of those living in slums till January 2015 from 2009. According to the Delhi Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Relocation and Rehabilitation Policy 2015, no jhuggi will be demolished which has come up before January 1, 2006, and those staying in slums till January 1, 2015 will be eligible for relocation to flats. The Delhi Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Friday approved the Delhi Slum Policy, 2015. This policy was earlier approved by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) in its 16th meeting held on April 11. "Jhuggi Jhopri bastis which have come up before January 1, 2006, shall not be demolished without providing alternative accommodation (to slum dwellers)," said the policy. The cut-off date for eligibility of existence alternative accommodation to Slum & Jhuggi Jhopri dweller has been revised from June 4, 2009 to Januar 1, 2015 but Jhuggi Jhopri basti must be in existence prior to January 1, 2006, it added. The thrust of the policy is in situ rehabilitation and atrempt will be made to rehabilitate the eligible Jhuggi Jhopri dwellers at the same location or a nearby location within a radius of 5 kilometre, said the policy. No new jhuggi will be allowed to come up in Delhi after January 1, 2015. A slum dweller will be eligible for rehabilitation only if his name exits in at least one of the electoral rolls (voters list) of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and also in the year of survey. "Electricity bill has been added in the list of documents which were considered for the purpose of proof of residence," said the policy. The DUSIB will function as the nodal agency and will rehabilitate the eligible slum dwellers before removal of jhuggies, as per this policy. The city cabinet decided tl set up an implementation body, Mission Swaraj, for taking up development work in different constituencies with thr help of citizen groups - Mohalla Sabhas - as proposed for participatory governance. The Delhi cabinet, in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday decided to devolve powers to citizens and ensure their participation in governance through Mission Swaraj. "As one of the key governance reforms of Delhi Government, the Mission Swaraj will be a State Level Project Management Unit," the government said. "Possibly the largest in terms of the number of stakeholders involved, Mission Swaraj will play a vital role for the idea of Swaraj to succeed in Delhi." As the nodal agency, Mission Swaraj will oversee the execution of the Mohalla Sabhas project, including coordination between different agencies or departments of th Delhi government and the Centre as well as local bodies and external agencies, it added. "To take this Mission forward, a new Governing Council headed by the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will be formed." The main objectives of Mission Swaraj will be to carry out mapping and related activities to define the exact constitution of mohallas in Delhi. It will also define the processes through which Mohalla Sabhas will fulfill their roles and responsibilities, and frame administrative policies necessary to enable the same. It will work in close coordination with District Urban Development Agency to oversee and manage the rollout of Mohalla Sabha project across Delhi. It will form strategies for generating awareness among masses about Mohalla Sabha. Police cars gather around the El Centro College parking garage following the sniper shooting in downtown Dallas, the United States, July 7, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in Dallas, killing at least 4 police officers. [Photo: Xinhua/Tian Dan] Authorities in Dallas, Texas say they believe Thursday's deadly murder of police officers during a protest march in that city has been motivated by racial angst by the country's black community toward police. Five officers were gunned down and seven more were wounded after a sniper opened fire during a march protesting the recent police killing of a pair of black men by white police officers. Dallas police say the shooter was extremely upset by the recent killings of two African Americans in Louisiana and Minnesota, and says the shooter specifically wanted to kill white police officers. "Through our investigation of some of the suspects, it's revealed to us that this was a well-planned, well-sort out, evil tragedy by these suspects. And we won't rest until we bring everyone involved to justice." The suspect, now identified as 25-year old former Army Reservist Micha Johnson, reportedly told police during his final stand-off that he was working alone. He was later killed by a police robot deployed with a bomb after negotiations to end the stand-off failed. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch says federal officials have been brought in to work with local law enforcement to help investigate the attack. "Now after the events of this week, Americans across our country are feeling a sense of helplessness of uncertainty and fear. And these feelings are understandable and they're justified. But the answer must not be violence. The answer is never violence." Meanwhile, in the State of in Tennessee, one person has been killed and three others wounded after a gunman opened fire on a local highway. The shooter is also an African-American who targeted police officers, apparently with the same motivation as the gunman in Dallas. These incidents have once-again rekindled debate about gun control in Washington. Democrats are calling for debate on tightened gun control laws before lawmakers head home for an eight-week break starting on July 16th. However, House speaker Paul Ryan says the goal at this point needs to be national reconciliation. "Every member of this body wants a world in which people feel safe regardless of the color of their skin. And that's not how people are feeling these days. Sometimes we disagree on how to get there. Sometimes we disagree passionately on how to get there. But in having this debate, let's not lose sight of the values that unite us." Meanwhile, the largest police Union in the United States is calling for the shooting in Dallas to be investigated as a hate crime. However, the Obama administration says this is unlikely to happen, as the shooter is already dead. Drunken men slashed the abdomens of three cows with a blade after a scuffle with a crowd in Old Delhis Sadar Bazar on Thursday night, creating communal tension in the area. Two of them, Ashfaq, 28, and Rashid, 20, were nabbed by a group of people and handed over to police. A third man, however, managed to flee. Police have refused to disclose his identity as it could hamper the probe. All three were drunk, police said. Ashfaq is a labourer while Rashid owns a dhaba in the area, said police. We have arrested them under section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC, said a senior police officer. The cows were sent to a veterinary hospital, and are recovering, said police. The incident happened around 11.30 pm on Thursday when the three men were drinking on the side of the main road in Deputy Ganj. When local residents objected to their drinking, the youths started arguing with them. A little later, one youth slashed three cows nearby with a blade, said police.Provoke people They did it to show that they were unaffected by the peoples objections. They wanted to provoke them, said a senior police officer. Following this, there was commotion and policemen who were deployed nearby rushed in. Two of them were caught while one managed to flee, said a police officer. Residents of Deputy Ganj and Pahari Dhiraj protested against the incident and allegedly smashed the youths motorcycles. A large police force was deployed in the area to control the situation. Several police buses filled with policemen arrived in the morning. Police officers in their Gypsies were also here keeping a tab on things, said a local tea shop owner, who refused to be named. By Friday afternoon, the situation returned to normal and barring a few policemen most of the deployment was removed. Local residents have also returned to normal life. Bitterness remained. It shouldnt have happened. Why did they harm the cows? They hadnt done anything, said an elderly shop owner who didnt reveal his name. The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) held a meeting on Friday over the assault cases on doctors in the capital. The meeting comprised council members, police, representatives of Federation of Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association and Delhi Medical Association where they debated how to improve doctor-patient relationship. The meeting was held to find solutions to the rising number of attack cases against doctors across hospitals. Earlier, there were not as many cases reported. The DMC will come up with a white paper in the next meeting in which there will be clear guidelines on how each stakeholder like the government, public, doctors and the DMC should respond to a particular situation like a machine not working at a hospital or the non-availability of medicines, said Dr Girish Tyagi, REgistrar, DMC. There wil be clear guidelines on how to deal with the situation if there is a shortage of manpower or a machine is not in working condition. The role of government or police will also be analysed in such situations, according to the DMC. Recently, the family members of an accident victim vandalised the emergency ward and the minor OT at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini after the patient succumbed to his injuries. Six of them were arrested later and booked for rioting and use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty. Doctors are not being able to carry out their duties in a secure environment. The DMC will actively take up such cases with the authorities and the government, said Dr Tyagi. The FORDA has repeatedly agitated against the lack of security measures against doctors in emergency wards at government hospitals. Resident doctors have also gone on strike demanding better working conditions. Some possible solutions like the public needs to be sensitised through media, advertisements, single entry point at hospitals, special security attention to women doctors and that the DMC will follow up all assault cases have been discussed in the meeting. Another meeting has been scheduled later this month, said Dr Pankaj Solanki, president, FORDA. North Korea today appeared to have test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul's defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. "The North launched what was believed to be an SLBM from waters off the (northeastern) port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT)", the South Korean defence ministry said in a press statement. No further details were immediately available. North Korea previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Saturday's launch came after Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed "Supreme Leader" Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning North Korea would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US". It said any problem arising in relations with the US would be handled under its "wartime law". North Korea often issues bellicose statements against the US, but the reference to "wartime law" is rare and analysts warned of more sabre-rattling to come over the sanctions. The company, acquired by the British liquor giant from Mallya's UB Group in 2013 in a multi-billion dollar deal, made it clear that the earlier settlement reached with the Indian businessman would not absolve him of the claims arising out of the latest findings of an internal 'Additional Inquiry'. Mallya, who has been in UK for months evading an arrest warrant in India while several banks have declared him 'wilful defaulter' for non-payment of dues worth over Rs 9,000 crore by his now-defunct Kingfisher, had struck a settlement with USL in February. Under the 'sweetheart deal', he was promised an over Rs 500-crore payout to leave the company and was also absolved of any 'personal liability' at that time. At a meeting today, USL Board discussed findings of the 'additional inquiry' it had ordered to plug gaps found in an initial probe launched in April 2015 that showed improprieties in loans worth Rs 1,337 crore given by USL to the entities linked to its erstwhile promoters, the Mallya-led UB Group. "The additional inquiry prima facie reveals further instances of actual or potential fund diversions amounting to approximately Rs 913.5 crore (using exchange rate as on March 31, 2015) as well as other potentially improper transaction involved USL and its Indian and overseas subsidiaries amounting approximately Rs 311.8 crore," USL said in a BSE filing. The transactions occurred during the review period covered by the additional inquiry -- from October 2010 to July 2014 -- although certain transactions appear to have been initiated in years prior to the review period, it added. "These improper transactions identified in the additional inquiry involved, in most cases, the diversion of fund to overseas and Indian entities that appear to be affiliated or associated with USL's former non-executive Chairman, Dr Vijay Mallya," the USL filing said. The company said its mutual release agreement with Mallya in February this year, under which Diageo agreed to pay him USD 75 million dollars, will not cover the matters arising out of the 'additional inquiry'. While the matter is already being probed by markets regulator Sebi and Corporate Affairs Ministry among others, the latest findings of the internal probe are also being reported to the concerned regulators for any further action. "The USL Board has directed the management to pursue recovery from the relevant companies and individuals and undertake any action, including legal and regulatory as deemed necessary. It should be noted that the February 2016 agreement did not release the former Chairman from any claims arising out of the additional inquiry," a company spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. There were no immediate comments from Mallya. USL said the overseas beneficiary or recipients of the diverted funds include entities such as Force India Formula One, Watson Ltd, Continental Administrative Services, Modall Securities Ltd, Ultra Dynamics Ltd and Lombard Wall Corporate Service Inc "in each of which Dr Mallya appears to have a material, direct and indirect interests". The Indian beneficiaries or recipients of the funds identified by the additional inquiry included, in most cases, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), USL said. USL said it will be reporting the findings of its additional inquiry spearheaded by its Managing Director and CEO Anand Kripalu to concerned authorities for further action. "In light of these findings, and based on the expert advice received, including from senior counsel in India, the board directed that copies of the MD and CEO's report (including the additional inquiry report) be provided to concerned authorities," the company said. The company said it would cooperate with all relevant authorities in relation to these matters. USL spokesperson said the findings of the additional inquiry relate to "historical matters before Diageo consolidated the USL business in July 2014" and ruled out any further financial burden to the company. "Based on our understanding as of today, we believe there will be no further material financial implications to USL," the spokesperson added. In the BSE filing, USL said almost all of the amounts identified in the Additional Inquiry have been previously provided for of expressed in the financial statements of the company or its subsidiaries for prior periods (including by way of provisions made in relation to impairment in the value of or loss on sale of USL's overseas subsidiaries). "USL's management has recommended to the Board that a further provision of Rs 21.7 crore should be made, for the value of certain improper transactions identified in the Additional Inquiry, which have not been previously expensed or provided," it said. "Based on the information currently available, the company believes that no further provisions are required at this stage," USL added. The Board has also directed its MD and CEO to take appropriate action in relating to the employees named in the Additional Inquiry, while a further review would be conducted of the "ongoing relationships with the counter-parties involved in the improper transactions indemnified by the Additional Inquiry". Mallya is currently wanted in India and is facing charges of money laundering. A consortium of 17 banks lead by SBI has been trying unsuccessfully to recover dues of over Rs 9,000 crore from now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, which was promoted by him. Last month the Enforcement Directorate had attached assets worth Rs 1,411 crore belonging to Mallya and one of his companies in connection with its money laundering probe in the the alleged IDBI bank loan default case. Mallya is currently staying in the UK after leaving India in March this year. His passport has been revoked by the Indian government. He has been indicating against any imminent return to India in the wake of various legal and regulatory troubles. In fresh troubles for Vijay Mallya, Diageo-controlled United Spirits today disclosed fund diversion and improper transactions worth Rs 1,225.3 crore involving entities linked to the embattled former Chairman, including Kingfisher Airlines and his Formula One team. Likening Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 'Rahu' and 'Ketu', BJP president Amit Shah today said the two parties could not usher in development in Uttar Pradesh. "SP and BSP are like 'Rahu' and 'Ketu' which are eclipsing the development of the state. Uttar Pradesh's development is not possible in their regimes," he told a rally jointly organised by his party and Bharatiya Samaj Party here, claiming that development of the state would only be possible under a BJP rule. "The development 'rath' (chariot), which has started its journey in the country, gets stuck in Uttar Pradesh. The reason being the government here does not want benefits of development to reach the people," he said. Referring to Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on the dais, Shah said even when he was not within the NDA fold during the 2014 general elections, BJP and its allies had managed to win 73 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. "Now, he is with us, so Mulayamji, what is on the cards," he asked in a veiled challenge to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Highlighting various programmes launched by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, includung Jan Dhan and Mudra Bank schemes, Shah pointed at the dearth of job opportunities in Uttar Pradesh. "Whether you go to Gujarat or Maharashtra, you see a number of youths from Poorvanchal (eastern India) working there. They are forced to leave their families behind and go to other states. The country has prospered but not Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding, "whatever is sent to Uttar Pradesh, will not reach you". Alleging that jobs were distributed on the basis of caste in the state, the BJP chief said, "We do not discriminate on the basis of caste and religion. Our motto is 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'." Shah praised BSP founder Kanshi Ram as "a man with a clear heart". "But after him, Mayawati has turned BSP into a money-minting machine. If you want development, you have to dislodge SP and BSP who have taken turns to rule the state for 20 years," he said. Taking a jibe at SP, Shah said "three-and-a-half" chief ministers were currently ruling the state. "The first Chief Minister is Akhilesh (Yadav), then Netaji (Mulayam), his (Akhilesh's) two uncles and then Mohammad Azam Khan," he said and termed SP's recent merger with Quami Ekta Dal and the subsequent announcement to call it off a "drama". "First an uncle (Akhilesh's uncle and state minister Shivpal Yadav) announced the merger with Mukhtar and Afzal. Later, Akhilesh said he was against it. If you expel elements like Mukhtar, a day will come when SP will become non-existent," he claimed. Shah said there were great opportunities for development in Uttar Pradesh. "If you strengthen the arms of Modiji, I promise that within five years, we will lead the state to the number one position in terms of development," he said. The Islamic State group's Twitter traffic has plunged 45 per cent in the past two years, the Obama administration says, as the US and its allies have countered messages of jihadi glorification with a flood of online images and statements about suffering and enslavement at the hands of the extremist organisation. Among the images: A teddy bear with Arabic writing and messages saying IS "slaughters childhood," "kills innocence," "lashes purity" or "humiliates children." A male hand covering a female's mouth, saying IS "deprives woman her voice." A woman in a black niqab (veil), bloody tears coming from a bruised eye, and the caption: "Women under ISIS. Enslaved. Battered. Beaten. Humiliated. Flogged." US officials cite the drop in Twitter traffic as a sign of progress toward eliminating propaganda they blame for inspiring attacks around the world. When the US formed an international coalition in September 2014 to fight IS, the administration outlined multiple goals: military action and cutting off foreign fighters and finances, confronting the group's extremist ideology and stemming the militants' growing popularity in the Arab world and beyond. The messaging element of the campaign struggled early on. Much of the anti-IS content put online was in English, limiting its effectiveness. At the time, social media networks were only getting started with new technological approaches to the challenge of disabling accounts that were recruiting and radicalizing prospective IS members. These shortcomings have been fixed, American officials believe. Memes and images depicting the group's treatment of women, children and others are presented almost entirely in Arabic. Whereas the US previously blasted the information out itself, it disseminates messages now through Muslim governments, religious leaders, schools, youth leaders and advocacy groups with credibility in local communities. Data show the proliferation of IS propaganda decreasing. "We're denying ISIL the ability to operate uncontested online, and we're seeing their social media presence decline," said Michael Lumpkin, head of the Global Engagement Center, which coordinates the US government's approach to fighting extremist messaging. Using an alternate acronym for the group, he said "anti-ISIL audiences are increasingly vocal on social media. This only weakens ISIL's ability to recruit, a key aim of our messaging efforts." Data obtained by The Associated Press show a 6-1 ratio of anti-IS content online compared with pro-IS content - an improvement from last year. When pro-IS Twitter accounts are discovered today, they have about 300 followers each. In 2014, such accounts had 1,500 followers each, according to the data. Among social networks, the administration has primarily focused on Twitter. The platform has been most heavily used by IS to crowdsource supporters and potential attackers, though it also has used YouTube and Facebook. Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing heat over reports that one of the Dhaka attackers was inspired by his speeches, today claimed that no Bangladesh government official had said that he inspired the act of terrorism. "I spoke to Bangladeshi government people. They told me that they do not believe I inspired this Bangladeshi terrorists to do this act of killing innocent people. That is a different issue that he was my fan," Naik said. "There are millions of fans of mine throughout the world. More than 50 per cent Bangladeshis are my fans but to say that I inspired him to kill innocent human beings is devilish," Naik said in a video released here. Naik, who is in Saudi Arabia now, said the only country which had banned him from entering was the United Kingdom. "The only country that I am aware that I was once banned from entering once was the UK. I don't have any proof that any country has banned me officially. And Malaysia? It is illogical because less than three years back, I got Tokoh Mall Hijrah award and King Faisal International Prize, which is the highest award of Malaysia...," he said. "In the last 25 years, I was the fourth foreigner to get this award... Can they award a person who promotes terrorism? Indian newspapers picked up Dhaka newspaper report without verifying it," he added. A Dhaka report has said Bangladesh government was investigating Naik and examining the possibilities of banning his "provocative" speeches in the wake of two brutal terrorist attacks in the country within a week, in which 25 people died. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said its intelligence agencies were investigating the Islamic preacher. "He is on our security scanner... Our intelligence agencies are investigating his activities as his lectures appeared provocative," Khan said. Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into the speeches by the 50-year-old Mumbai-based televangelist that has kicked up a storm. Activities of his NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, are also under the scanner of the Union Home Ministry amid allegations that funds from abroad received by it have been spent on political activities and inspiring people towards radical views. DakshinaChitra in Tamil Nadu provides a peek into the idyllic lifestyle of the bygone era by bringing together a host of dwellings from the countryside, writes M A Siraj. Having grown amidst a melange of lingos, people south of the Vindhyas have tended to be extremely tolerant of cross-cultural influences. Quick to adopt new ideas, the life in Dakshina Bharata has always been culturally permeable. It takes all that comes in the stride forward with no idea of jettisoning what has kept company all along. This incongruous cohabitation is reflected in prayer rooms retaining the centrality even in high-rises, cosmetised visages flaunting strands of Mysuru mallige and rangolis adorning the threshold of villas. A healthy mix of change and continuity underlies the essence of life and development in the four (now five) states of South India. The four Dravidian languages have had a lot to exchange and lot more to preserve of what lay at the core of their cultures. Relentless onslaught of economic liberalisation has been transforming the cities of the South. Chennai, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad have become the hubs of new technologies, bringing in hordes of youths from afar. Tongas have disappeared from their streets; popular eateries like Kamats and Pais have yielded place to space-conserving Darshinis; the nostril-thrilling aroma of coffee from erstwhile Udupi restaurants has simply vanished from the air; row houses have come up where agraharas once stood; temple bells now barely find an echo. Modernity has swamped the lifestyles just as gopurams and spires are being dwarfed by the skyscrapers. Change proceeds with its inexorable pace, drawing into its absorptive embrace the art and the architecture, crafts and music, flavours and lifestyles, and society and the economy. For Deborah Thiagarajan, an American married to a Chennaite, the transition was painful. A whole lifestyle was under the threat of modernisation. The humongously huge houses of Chettinad were being pulled down merely for the sake of Burma teak. Staircase-fronted tiled homes of Syrian-Christians were up for sale in Malabar. Aina Mane (ancestral homes of Coorg) were falling victims to the elements. Deborahs sense of unease propelled her to conceive the Madras Crafts Museum and DakshinaChitra, a complex housing an array of crafts, skill-imparting centres, a thriving bazaar, homes transplanted from distant places, and spaces for performing artistes to regale the visitors with fun and music of the bygone era. Under one roof Though Deborah began the work in 1984, the museum she visualised DakshinaChitra materialised only in 1996, with all the kaleidoscopic ensemble of fanciful heritage homes, village bazaars, lotus ponds, mud houses, thatched hovels and terracotta-latticed partitions. A walk on the curvilinear pathways interlacing the charming structures inside the complex on the East Coast Road (ECR) momentarily revives the romantic memories of a childhood lived in those villages dotted with ponds and tiled homes. The complex brings together a series of beautifully crafted wooden homes, inviting in their intimacy majestic stone structures with elaborately carved windows and door lintels and homes with intricate stucco designs all reminiscent of a past that was being lost in thoughtless mimicry of the modern and the urban. According to Deborah, meticulous research went into the investigation of geography, environment, history and social groups. An army of shilpis, asaris or acharis (carpenters) worked with teams of architects and documentarists for years together to identify heritage homes, save them from the demolishers axe, dismantle them systematically with each bracket, pillar and rafter being numbered, and cart them away to Chennai. These homes with high ceilings, timber floorboards, ornate cornices, double-hung windows and solid doors often carved out of single timber planks, epitomised the identity and distinctiveness of the architectural values of the era they were built in. There were indications that some of the inheritors had tried to renovate and restore them, but all too often they used inferior material or brought in styles that were incongruous with their former selves, which, in fact, destroyed their value. Some of these heritage properties were falling in ruins as the heirs of the original owners found the maintenance cost beyond their means. The centre sought the expertise of Laurie Baker and his disciple Benny Kuriakose to locate all the 18 houses reassembled at the site from various corners of South India. A Nattukottai Chettair house, ancestral house of Chettiar businessmen from Ramnad, is a major attraction. The phenomenally rich Chettiars, who did roaring business in Malaya and Burma, had incorporated into their homes decorative elements from colonial buildings and towers from Indian palaces. These homes in their original form usually housed three generations together. Potters House from Tiruvallur and Basket Weavers House are reproductions of homes of these humble practitioners of yore. The Weavers House from Kanchipuram comes with a functional pit loom used for weaving sarees, with a kitchen, a puja room and a front hall. A whole range of Brahmin houses from Ambur (in Tirunelvelli district) replicate the living styles of an agrahara. Karnatakas housing heritage has been pieced together with Weavers House from Ilkal, coffee-grower and trader Mohammed Ismails house from Aldur (Chikkamagaluru), a house from Coorg, and a British-inspired bungalow from Bengaluru. While most houses from North Karnataka were built with stones (only locally available material), the ones in coastal region were tiled and richly decorated with lime stucco work. If houses in Tamil countryside tended to cluster around each other, Kerala followed the pattern of each house standing alone inside a farm with no one to share a neighbourhood. These houses typically used steeply sloping roofs to drain the rainwater away from walls. Richly endowed with wooden frames, these dwellings typified the egalitarian style. Technique, form and materials were the same for houses of all classes and communities, but size and embellishment determined the affluence and class of the occupants. The stately Syrian-Christian House (belonging to circa 1850 and transplanted from Puthuppally in Kottayam) represents the life of Syrian-Christians, where the main entrance led directly to the granary. Hindu houses of Nair families from Trivandrum and Manakavu in Calicut exhibit some spectacular carvings and rare joining skills of the carpenters of the erstwhile era. The craft of rebuilding An ikat weavers house from Koyyalagudem (Nalgonda district) and rounded palmyra homes of the coastal communities represent the housing heritage of Andhra Pradesh. Weavers typically chose smaller courtyards to minimise the effects of the monsoon on their weaving. The villagers from coastal Haripuram were brought to construct Chuttilu House in DakshinaChitra. These mud homes comprised two circular walls, one enclosed into another. The flat ceiling was topped by a conical thatch roof supported with bamboo beams. The circular walls were meant to deflect and effectively withstand the cyclonic winds. The museum is still in the process of acquiring a house of a Hyderabad nobility. The process of transplantation of these dwellings was no small feat. Says Lakshmi Thiagrajan, education coordinator, It was a great learning experience. The craftsmen used a variety of local measurements with variations within the same regions. For instance, the Coastal Andhra craftsmen employed kole and angulas instead of geometrical degree to measure the slope of the roof. Cost of transplantation (dismantling, carting and reassembling) often worked out to be equivalent to a newly constructed building. DakshinaChitra has emerged as a centre of education, research and training in art, and a centre for performing artistes. Ethnic style structures of Kadambari Art Gallery, Vajira Art Gallery, Activities Centre and the amphitheatre offer ample visual treat for art lovers. An IndiGo plane, carrying 180 passengers and six crew members, from Bengaluru made a precautionary landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here today due to a glitch. All passengers and crew members landed safely, airport sources said. According to THE sources, local standby was declared for IndiGo flight 6E-106 arriving here from Bengaluru at 1201 hours after the pilot reported a technical fault in the Airbus 320 aircraft to the Delhi ATC. As part of the procedure, all the duty personnel and airport security ground staff were deployed to deal with any eventuality on its landing. The aircraft, however, landed safely on runway 28/10 and there was no harm to any person onboard, they said, adding local standby was withdrawn at 1220 hours. During local standby, all aerodrome emergency services are brought to a state of readiness. The airline, in a statement, said, "Flight 6E106 en route Bangalore to Delhi made a normal landing today at IGI airport. Just before the landing, the pilot observed a nose wheel steering glitch in the aircraft. Keeping in mind the safety, the pilot took the precautionary measure and immediately informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the same." "ATC on receiving the notification of the technical snag would have made the emergency services at standby as per their procedures. However, this flight made a normal landing and the technical snag needed only a computer reset. There was no emergency declared by the pilot. The flight made a normal landing," it said. The picturesque town of Narsapuram is situated on the West Bank of the Vasista Godavari River. At this point, the river flows into the Bay of Bengal and its vicinity forms the tail-end delta area. The town is famous for cotton crochet lacemaking for over a century. Most of the rural and semi-urban women belonging to backward communities eke out their livelihood by lacemaking. It was introduced by Macre of Scotland, a nurse, working at the Missionary Hospital in Narsapuram. She wanted to teach women how they can make money staying at home. The art of lacemaking became a tradition in 30 villages in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh with every woman handing over the art to the next generation. While men worked in the fertile lands of the Godavari delta and produced bumper crops for landlords, women earned their name in making laces. Today women of this district and parts of the East Godavari district on the other side of Godavari export different varieties made out of lace to countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Australia and New Zealand, says Kondapu Satyasri, President of Godavari Delta Women Lace Artisans Cooperative Cottage Industrial Society Ltd, an umbrella organisation that provides a platform for more than 250 women artisans. The all-woman group comprises artisans of different ages who are provided with raw materials and a model of the required final product by the society. Explaining the reason for setting up the society for women artisans, Satyasri said that her mother Hemalatha, who used to sell home-made lace items in Narsapuram and its vicinity by trekking, had realised that illiterate and poor women need a common platform to end exploitation by middlemen. At that time lace artisans were exploited by exporters who used to purchase articles by paying low amount and meagre wages and making huge profits by selling them. Despite hard work there was no certainty. Also, the artisans had to work throughout the year. Their employment depended on the orders middlemen received. Middlemen had a monopoly in the entire lace business. The earnings of artisans were not sufficient for the maintenance of their families. The work involved hard labour and needed attention as they were expected to give exquisite finishing to the final product. But skilled lace workers were underpaid for years. Frustrated with the continuous exploitation by middlemen, Hemalatha approached the All India Handicrafts Board for help and she was advised to form a co-operative society. She became the founder president and designer of the society. She faced many troubles and tribulations, particularly technical problems, to get the society registered. Hemalatha, with the aim and objective of bettering the financial position of the lace artisans, travelled across the Godavari district for two years to convince women artisans to join hands. She enrolled women artisans as members and applied for registration to the government as a cooperative society. Middlemen exerted their influence to prevent the registration of the society. Members had to resort to a hunger strike on the premises of the Industries Department at the district headquarters for not registering the society. The matter was also taken at the ministerial level and at last she was successful in getting the society registered on May 19, 1979. Aims of the society are to impart technical training to members, encourage self-help, mutual aid and cooperation and strive hard for the betterment and uplift of the downtrodden members, provide better wages and profits to its members and do all such acts as may be conducive to the betterment of the members. Unity is the key as most of the raw materials are purchased from other states like thread from Delhi and Bengaluru, dye from Erode and Tirupur. Wholesale purchases made them cheaper, Satyasri said. In 1983, the society started its first business with Trade Aid, Christchurch, New Zealand, for supplying handmade cotton crochet lace goods. The artisans produce items such as rounds, runners, ovals, squares, oblongs, cushion covers, pillow covers, bedspreads, caps, jug covers, glass covers, beaded bags, denim bags, wool bags, jute with lace bags, canvas tote bags, coasters, potholders, pin flower brooches, lace necklaces, headbands, shawls, scarves, stoles, bookmarks, proverbs, wall hangings, woollen throws, baby blankets, recycled saree shawls, shawls, scarves, ponchos, blouses, skirts, tops, bookmarks and wall hanging texts. They also do Ikat hand-woven bedspreads, Kalamkari hand-block print bedspreads, cushion covers, bamboo fabric with Kalamkari print, canvas with Kalamkari print, linen cloth with Kalamkari print, Muslin with Kalamkari print. There is also an official website of the Godavari Delta artisans that allows overseas purchasers select the items they want to buy. However, the only worry these delta women have is that the new generation girls are not interested in continuing the tradition of lacemaking. They prefer to go to big cities and be a checkout girl at a big mall that pays them well on a monthly basis, Varalakshmi of Sakhinetipalli village says. Artisans like Varalakshmi say that unless the government intervenes and makes lacemaking profitable, the art will die a natural death in the cradle of the Godavari delta that has nurtured the rare art. Fishing boats are berthed in a harbor in Shenhu Town in Jinjiang City, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 8, 2016. Typhoon Nepartak is expected to reach the coast of Fujian on Saturday morning after landing at 5:50 a.m. on Friday at Taiwan's Taitung, packing winds of up to 55 meters per second. [Photo: Xinhua] China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) on Friday issued this year's first red alert for ocean waves as Typhoon Nepartak approaches the mainland. The SOA estimated that from Friday night to Saturday, sea waves as high as nine meters will emerge in Taiwan Strait, while coastal waters near Fujian Province will see waves as high as six meters. The SOA also issued a yellow alert storm tides and estimated that the sea level off Fujian Province will rise up to 150 centimeters. Nepartak landed Taiwan Friday morning and reached the Taiwan Strait Friday afternoon. It is expected to land in Fujian Province, probably in the area between Xiamen and Putian, around noon on Saturday. MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary has urged Minister K J George to tender resignation, in connection with the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathi. Before taking the extreme step, Ganapathi had told a private TV channel that two senior IPS officers and the former home minister would be responsible if anything happened to his life. The senior police officers should be suspended, he demanded. Speaking at a protest organised by the BJP Mangaluru South unit here on Saturday, he insisted on an impartial inquiry into the unnatural death of DySP. The state government should initiate action against those named by the late DySP before his death. Instead of acting against the officers named by the late DySP, the government had stooped to a low level to pressurise his brother to issue a false statement. The government should provide justice to the family of the deceased, said Poojary, adding, The party will demand for a CBI inquiry since the CID inquiry seems to be ineffective. The MLC said that the state government has failed to provide facilities to the police personnel. The administrative mechanism is totally collapsed and the officers in state are suffering insecurity. There is no chance for survival of sincerity under the Congress government, he stated, and added that the issue would be raised in the assembly sessions, which begins from Monday. Former MLA Yogish Bhat said it is a tragedy that police personnel who safeguard law and order are committing suicide. As a police official, Ganapathi had carried out a commendable job in a sensitive area like Ullal. In spite of writing a death note and alleging harassment from three persons including two IPS officers, the government has failed to act, he added. KRV stir The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) Dakshina Kannada unit has also demanded a CBI probe into the suicide of Ganapathi, at a hotel in Madikeri on Thursday. Addressing a protest rally here on Saturday, KRV district president Anil Das urged the state government to announce compensation of Rs 10 crore to the family of the deceased DySP. Action should be initiated against those persons named by the DySP, in an interview to a local channel, before committing suicide, they demanded. The members of KRV urged the state government to drop K J George from the cabinet. Karnik flays The alleged suicide of DySP Ganapathi in Madikeri has put a question on the existence of the Congress-led state government, said MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik. In a press release, he said that the DySP has committed suicide being unable to tolerate the harassment meted out to him by senior officials and a minister. The deaths and resignation of officers in the state shows that there is no place for honest police officers. The honest officers are suppressed by the government, he added. Karnik stated that a series of deaths and resignations of officers in the state shows that there is no place for honest police officers. Such incidents demoralise honest officers. Based on the statement issued to a local channel just a few hours before the suicide, the state government should drop K J George from the cabinet and suspend the senior officials, he demanded. Bring out truth Dakshina Kannada district JD(S) president Mohammed Kunhi has demanded a CBI probe into the suicide of Ganapathi, to bring out the truth. Speaking to mediapersons, he said that Ganapathi was an honest police officer. Keeping forth a trivial issue, the Congress-led government was harassing him, which forced him to commit suicide. A case should be registered against Minister K J George and two IPS officers. Another DySP Kallappa Handibag of Chikkamagaluru committed suicide recently. Anupama Shenoy quit her post as DySP in the wake of alleged interference by senior officials and ministers, he said. A memorandum was submitted to the Governor through the deputy commissioner. If the state government fails to act against those mentioned by the late DySP, the JD(S) will stage an indefinite protest in front of the deputy commissioner office in Mangaluru. Former judge of the High Court of Karnataka, M F Saldanha has sought a public inquiry into the suicide of DySP, M K Ganapathi. Saldanha said that the government can initiate public inquiry into the suicide by roping in experts from different fields including journalists. He felt that the probe by the Criminal Investigation Department and any other investigation agency would serve no purpose. Saying that a person cannot think of ending his or her life overnight, Saldanha said that it takes a minimum of six months for a person to take such a drastic step. Referring to the recent incidents involving police officers, Saldanha said that there could be a serious problem in the system that can be summed up as a constitutional crisis. He recollected that he had conducted a thorough inquiry and submitted a report to the government then, following the attack on churches in Mangaluru in 2008. Referring to a recent incident in Chennai where a medical student threw a dog from a terrace, Saldanha demanded the dismissal of the student from the college. The members of Udupi district BJP unit staged a protest in front of the Clock Tower here on Saturday demanding a CBI probe into the suicide of Ganapathi. BJP district president Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde said that the statements made by Ganapathi during an interview to a television channel before committing suicide had not been considered while filing an FIR in the case. The FIR says it is an unnatural death. The officer took the extreme step due to pressure, he said. Hegde said that around 450 farmers had committed suicide in the state in the last three years and the government had failed to provide any succour to the agrarian community. The farmers had not been paid compensation, despite the Union government releasing adequate funds. The activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged a protest in the city demanding inquiry into the suicide of deputy superintendent of police, M K Ganapathi. The protesters, led by KRV district unit president Noorulla Khan, said that the judicial probe may help bring the guilty to book. They said that the roles of Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and two senior officers named by Ganapathi should be probed. They alleged that honest officials in the department werebeing harassed, as was evident in the case of Anupama Shenoy, who resigned as the deputy superintendent, Kudligi, Ballari district. Addressing protesters, general secretary Belavadi Manjanna said that the police personnel to look for better opportunities, instead of resorting to drastic steps. District Autorickshaw Drivers and Owners Association also extended their support to protest. Earlier, the protesters took out a rally from tourist bungalow to deputy commissioners office. Madikeri Kodagu district BJP unit President Manu Muthappa has accused the State government of trying to close the case pertaining to the suicide of the DySP. Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, Muthappa alleged that the government was pressurising Ganapathis father and brother to issue false statements. He demanded a CBI probe in the case. He also urged the Chief Minister to drop Minister K J George from the cabinet. No FIR has been registered in the case so far. Ganapathi had held two senior IPS officers and a former Home Minister responsible if anything happened to his life. Stating that the law and order situation has collapsed in the State, the BJP unit president said that there is no protection for the police personnel. Provide justice Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Bana district media coordinator K T Srinivas demanded a CBI probe into the suicide of Ganapathi. He said that justice should be provided to the family of the deceased. There is no place for honest officers in Karnataka, Srinivas alleged. Bring out truth Kodagu DCC unit urged the CID officials to place the truth before the public. In a press release, DCC President T P Ramesh condoled the death of the deputy SP. Being the only woman at the workplace, you miss out on informal bathroom conversations where most of the socialising happens, said Pamela Kumar. She was speaking at ShakTII, a platform to celebrate achievements of women from various fields in society. Hosted by the IIT Kanpur alumni association, IIT Kharagpur alumni association and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, the event had several panel discussions and interactions led by women who were at the helm of IT, communications, research and such fields. Pamela, who has over 30 years of experience in the field of IT, said: If you behave like a woman, you are walked over. If you behave like a man, you are called bossy. Encouraging women to rise above these challenges and work hard, she also advised them to speak out against gender bias instead of keeping quiet about it. Male-dominated field Dr Rajeswari Rajagopalan illustrated the challenges that she faces as one of the few women working in the male-dominated field of military policy and international relations. Head of Nuclear and Space Policy at the independent think-tank, Observer Research Foundation, she said: There is a stereotype that women are better at dealing with softer issues like human rights policy and we are not aggressive enough for defence and military. This is unfortunate and untrue. Even at international platforms, gender bias exists and womens opinions and ideas are often dismissed, she said. Although there are legislations about equal pay for equal work, the ground reality is very different, she added. A few women investors Dr Parameshwar Iyer, a research scientist at the IISc who works closely with entrepreneurs and start-ups, observed that there are a fewer women entrepreneurs than men and that women as investors were very few. In my opinion, women would make great investors as they are thorough while men are usually impulsive. However, investors often look at the potential of the idea and not gender. So, women have a lot of scope in the field of entrepreneurship, Dr Iyer said. Talking about the idea behind the event, Madhur Khanna, president of ShakTII, said, I noticed that often women did not attend alumni meetings, probably because they couldnt relate to it. I had also heard about the problems my friends faced in industry. I felt there should be a platform where such issues should be discussed and the work of successful women celebrated. A youth identified as Charles Kumar (27), resident of Sandhyavanagra was stabbed to death by a relative and his associate over a financial matter at Sandhyavanagar in DJ Halli, East Bengaluru on Friday night. The police arrested Surya (25) and Dilip (27), within a few hours of the murder.Surya who was married to Charles relative a few years ago was involved in illegal business of selling animal pelt. Surya borrowed money from Charles repeatedly but never returned the money. Charles who was very upset with this, did not agree to lend Surya money again, on Friday. They got into a heated argument, and Surya repeatedly stabbed Charles who collapsed due to heavy bleeding. Charles was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead. Dilip was at Charles home when the incident took place, the police said. Two held for honey trap Banaswadi police arrested two people, including a woman, in a honey trap case. The suspects were identified as Hakkim Kom (22), a beautician from Kammanahalli and a native of Manipur and her partner Chanchu Roy (27), a native of West Bengal and a resident of Govindarajpura, said the police. The duo have been running Hair Do Spa and Salon in Kammanhalli since last year. Kom would collect phone numbers of customers and send messages. She would befriend customers and invite them to spend time with her. She would trap customers once they were in a compromising position with her with the help of her friend Roy, said the police. George, a resident of Kammanahalli, fell into Koms trap recently and was blackmailed for Rs 10 lakh. He soon realised that there was something wrong and approached Banaswadi police who registered a case and arrested the two. They confessed that they had trapped a few other customers. The two are in judicial custody, said the police. Health and Family Welfare Minister Ramesh Kumar on Saturday said that steps will be taken to ensure treatment for all types of illnesses at government hospitals in the state. Speaking on the sidelines of an inaugural function of the state-level seminar organised by All India Aids Control Employees Union on Role of Youth, Aids Prevention Workers and Mass Media to Control AIDS and TB Infection, the minister said: Patients are struggling due to lack of appropriate lab facilities in government hospitals. In the coming days, all treatments, along with examination, will be made available at the government hospitals. Steps to check dengue In the wake of increase in dengue cases in Chikkamagaluru, Chikkanayakanahalli and Udupi, the minister said that the government had initiated several measures to check the spread of vector-borne diseases. Kumar said that he will visit the dengue-affected districts after the ongoing monsoon session of the legislature. Supreme Court advocate P P Rao on Saturday said that the responsibility to check corruption in the judiciary lies with the state Bar Councils. Speaking at the two-day Southern State Bar Councillors' meet, Rao expressed his displeasure over the way judiciary is being misled by politicians. He said the judiciary cannot be left unaffected whenever a government fails. It results in burgeoning pendency in the courts. In such a scenario, the lower courts should appear stern and unbiased in their functioning in order to minimise the burden on the High Courts and Supreme Court, he explained. In his speech, senior advocate Dushyant Dave stressed on a cordial relationship between the Bar and the Bench. He lamented that the judges, these days, hardly interact with the Bar Councils, which is in a way affecting the amity between the judges and lawyers. While saying this, he lauded Justice V Gopala Gowda for being an exception. Chief Justice of Karnataka S K Mukherjee said that the lawyers should update themselves to uphold the reputation of the profession. He hailed the contribution of the Bar Council of India for leading the judiciary on the right path. Mallamma Bande, wife of Mallikarjun Bande, who was killed in a shootout in January 2014, passed away at her sisters house here on Saturday. She was 40. She is survived by a daughter and a son, both school-going children. Mallamma was suffering from a brain tumour and had been admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru. Three months ago, she was brought back to Kalaburagi on the advice of doctors. She was working as a supervisor in an anganwadi centre. Fight for compensation Mallamma, who was devastated by her husbands death, was fighting for compensation promised by the government after her husbands death. The government had promised to give the salary for the remainder of Mallikarjuns service as compensation. But even many months after the cops death, the government had not released the compensation. Mallamma had given many representations to the police department and ministers, seeking early release of compensation. The final rites of Mallamma were performed at Khajuri village in Aland taluk. COLOMBO, July 8 -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that his country is ready to push forward pragmatic cooperation with China in trade and investment. When meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Sirisena appreciated the long-time assistance offered by China to the island nation. The Sri Lankan government is committed to developing friendly relations with China, and maintaining high-level and inter-party exchanges, he said. The Sri Lankan side is ready to advance bilateral trade and economic cooperation by jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road with China, the president added. For his part, Wang said China is willing to join hands with Sri Lanka to implement the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries and promote the development of China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership. Next year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 65th anniversary of the historic Rubber-Rice Pact between China and Sri Lanka, the Chinese minister noted, hoping that both countries could boost their high-level exchanges and political mutual trust. By jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the two countries will enhance cooperation in various fields and large-scale projects, and strengthen coordination on international and regional issues, he said. To be conservation-conscious is to practically contribute towards saving precious resources such as electricity and water. With energy prices soaring at regular intervals, it is time we bring in changes for good, sooner rather than later. Manjunath Bhat, a nature lover in true sense, says he happened to see water gushing out of the thick municipal corporation pipe near the Metro station at Majestic. The water was flowing for at least three consecutive days... it was in the open, yet, no action was taken, he says. Regarding electricity wastage, he has a consciously thought point. The temperature in the city is roughly around 25 degrees Celsius. But, every single office uses air conditioners. In some offices, ACs are used even in toilets. This is such a dead wastage as ACs consume high wattage. However, none will get rid of this practice. Dinesh Kumar, manager at a popular restaurant, says that everybody is vouching for Reverse Osmosis water for good health. However, an important aspect that goes unnoticed is that to get a litre of purified water, three litres of water have to be filled in the purifier. Only a negligible amount of the users ensure that the remaining two litres is used in washrooms or for any other purposes. The rest goes in the sink. A paying guest in Indiranagar, Dinesh observes that usually people who hire accommodations, deliberately keep televisions, lights and fans turned on in their rooms even when they are out as they want to feel content of making full use of the rent they pay. Unless mindset changes, nothing can be done in this regard, he opines. In most areas of Bengaluru, we see several lights installed, but there is no power in places where it is actually required the most. In an area like HSR Layout, most lanes are left in darkness at night which is pretty unsafe for residents returning home late at night, says Linsiya Patrao, a content writer. Unnecessary flushing of toilets, water leakage due to worn-out pipelines, taking liberty to waste water for excessive washing of vehicles, improper mechanism to transport water from one place to another, overexploitation of groundwater due to excessive borewell digging are some of the issues that are never catered to. Plugging these will contribute a great deal in saving water, says Bhavya Bhat, an English editor at a software firm. A washing machine needs to be operated only in its full capacity. Using power-saving CFLs instead of tungsten bulbs is a tried and tested method to save power at homes. Leaving the streetlights on even in broad daylight is something that the BBMP needs to immediately stop, she opines. We are facing a major water shortage crisis. Why do we use 200 litres of water to wash a car when the same job can be done with 20 litres in a bucket. Brushing your teeth with a mug of water rather than under a running tap is another option, she adds. The same goes for electricity as well. It is a common tendency to leave the lights and fans on in the house even if we arent in the room. These things that we believe are ours to use or misuse, is in fact everyone's right. Let's start with a change for our future - one person at a time, echoes Deepa Prabhu, a senior analyst at a banking group. Extracting more from minimal energy consumption is no rocket science. It only takes a few readings and discussions to learn the tricks. Thereon, it is just about implementation. If a step in this regard reflects on our bills, it certainly will on the city and the country as well. Exploiting call data of a public helpline, Indian and Pakistani scientists have created a disease forecasting model that brought down the number of dengue cases in Lahore from 21,000 to 250, within a year. The success of the model comes out at a time when several Indian cities, including the national capital, are trying to grapple with the vector-borne disease that returns every monsoon. The forecasting model not only alerts the public health officials on the number of patients but also gives them adequate time to clean up the trash and remove stagnant water from areas where the disease was likely to strike. The intervention drastically reduced the cases. It was put in place following a major dengue outbreak in Lahore in 2011 that affected 21,000 people and killed 350 individuals. With the forecast model in place, the number of cases came down to 257 a year later and 1,600 in 2013. This can be easily adopted in many Indian cities where dengue is a big problem. The success of such a system also requires awareness to enable people to use such a hotline, Lakshminarayan Subramanian, the lead researcher from New York University, told DH. Subramanian and his colleague Shankar Kalyanaraman developed it with support of scientists at the Information Technology University, Lahore, and Punjab Information Technology Board, with a minimal cost. For the last five years, it is in operation and getting updated. Its principal input is thousands of calls made to a telephone helpline used by the people not only to know about dengue and its symptoms, but also for reporting mosquito breeding, requesting for fogging, reporting water stagnation and checking bed availability in hospitals. Our system not only flags an outbreak but also makes an accurate forecast of both the number of patients and their locations two to three weeks ahead of time. The ability of our system to accurately forecast patients and their locations is critical for the government to mobilise and target its resources to contain an outbreak, the researchers reported in the July 8 issue of the journal Science Advances. The hotline enabled collection of epidemic-style symptoms directly from the users in a crowdsourced manner. As dengue fever takes between 3-14 days for the symptoms to even show up in a patient, there is a big lag between the incidence of a disease and the patient actually coming to a hospital. Home Minister G Parameshwara tried to turn the tables on the BJP by saying that police officer M K Ganapathi faced an enquiry in the 2011 encounter case when the BJP was in power. Parameshwara said on Saturday that the Yeshwantpur encounter in which a rowdy was killed, took place in 2011. An enquiry was ordered by the then BJP government. The officer had probably come under pressure from the BJP. Why blame the Congress which has been in power only for the last three years? he asked. Deputy superintendent of police Ganapathi had hanged himself in Madikeri on Thursday after blaming Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and two senior police officers. Parameshwara said it was the Congress government which promoted Ganapathi six months ago. He was given a non-executive post in keeping with the rules of the police department. We helped him only after the departmental enquiry was completed. We fail to understand why the Opposition parties are blaming us for the officers death, he said. According to Ganapathis service records, he was under suspension from March 10, 2014 to April 10, 2014. He was a police inspector at Yeshwantpur station in Bengaluru from August 26, 2009 to November 12, 2011. He was promoted as DySP on April 13, 2016. Asked whether it would not be easy for investigating officers to probe the suicide case if George resigns, the home minister said prima facie there is no evidence to establish Georges involvement. Just because the late officer has named George or someone, we cannot conclude that they are responsible for the incident. We had not denied promotion or withheld his salary. He was not facing financial problems. The Criminal Investigation Department has begun the probe. Let us wait for the report, he said. Parameshwara said Ganapathi had not left any note before committing suicide at the hotel. The police have found a torn medical prescription. He was under medication, he said. The CID will go through his e-mails, WhatsApp messages, telephone conversations etc. There could be many angles to the case. Maybe he was facing personal problems, he added. Asked whether counselling sessions would be held for police personnel to handle pressure, the minister said, We can conduct counselling sessions. I am aware that the police are under pressure because of staff shortage. The recruitments are on. Eleven people were killed on Saturday as mobs clashed with security forces across the Kashmir Valley, a day after militant commander Burhan Wani was gunned down. Over 250, including 96 security personnel, were injured, police said. IGP (Kashmir) Syed Javid Gillani told reporters eight civilians and three policemen were killed in the violence. Protestors attacked police stations and camps at various locations in the Valley and tried to take away weapons from security personnel on duty. Gillani said the whereabouts of three policemen reportedly kidnapped by a mob were not known. However, late in the night, officials confirmed that the three were killed and their weapons stolen. Violence despite curfew Reports said despite curfew and restrictions, violence broke out at several places in Kashmir as protesters attacked police installations and security personnel, and tried to set on fire the BJP office in south Kashmirs Kulgam district. Authorities have suspended mobile internet services across the Valley, while telephone services were restricted in south Kashmir. Trouble started on Friday night as arrangements were being made for Wanis funeral at his native Tral, 35 km from Srinagar. People defied curfew and turned out to catch a glimpse of Wani, considered the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit. A large number of people sustained bullet and pellet injuries during the protests, which continued late into the night. The police picket in Vessu area of south Kashmir was also attacked. Mosques were reverberating with pro-freedom and pro-Wani slogans, reports said. Defying curfew, thousands assembled at the eidgah in Tral to catch a last glimpse of the tech savvy militant commander who died in a gunfight with security forces on Friday evening. Wani was buried around 5 pm on Saturday. Officials said people took a detour to reach Tral as the main highway was barricaded. Authorities on Saturday suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Wani, a top commander of the outfit and poster boy of Kashmir Valley militancy, was killed in a police encounter in south Kashmir on Friday. His killing left social media awash with anger and grief, with netizens paying glowing tributes to him. By midnight, the public response was so overwhelming that the government suspended mobile internet connectivity in the Valley. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: Mark my words Burhan's ability to recruit in to militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media. Police officials also launched a campaign on social media to put forth the khaki perspective. Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain, said in a Facebook post: On one hand, people will glorify Burhans killing and on the other, they will take their families for a weekend picnic. Yesterday, he (Burhan) was romanticised, cheered, lionised and celebrated by them. Once his associates started getting killed, a few even wondered if he was being run by agencies. Today, they mourn his death, refer to him as a shaheed, said Hussain, who has been nicknamed khaki fidayeen for his role in counter-insurgency operations. The Supreme Court's judgment holding that the Army, deployed in disturbed areas, cannot enjoy blanket immunity under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is set trigger debate. Acting on a petition pointing out 1,528 encounter deaths in Manipur, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit reiterated the view expressed by the Constitution Bench of the apex court in 'Naga Peoples Movement of Human Rights' (1997) that the use of excessive force or retaliatory force by the police or the armed forces of the Union is not permissible. Dealing with the controversial AFSPA, the apex court said that Section 6, concerning the grant of immunity from prosecution, and Section 49 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), giving protection for action taken in good faith, was not applicable to cases pertaining to extra-judicial killings in Manipur. No one can act with impunity, particularly when there is a loss of innocent life," the bench said. The court said, The law is very clear that if an offence is committed even by an Army personnel, there is no concept of absolute immunity from trial by the criminal court constituted under the Criminal Procedure Code. An online petition has been launched to seek the release of Mumbai youth Hamid Nehal Ansari, who is languishing in a Pakistani jail. Hamid Ansari, an engineer and MBA graduate, now around 30, went missing since November 2012. His parents, Nehal Ahmed Ansari and Fauzia Ansari, had left no stone unturned to trace him. In the first fortnight of January 2016, reports from Peshawar said: A divisional bench of the Peshawar High Court disposed of the case of Indian national Hamid Nehal Ansari, missing in Pakistan for over three years, after the government confirmed that he was currently in army custody and facing a trial in military courts. The Mumbai youth, who was in Kabul for a job interview in November 2012, came close to a Pakistani girl through Facebook. Ansari is believed to have reached Kohat in Pakistan in an attempt to save her from a forceful marriage to a person twice her age, following a Jirga decision. 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) MANILA, July 8 -- An impending arbitration ruling on the South China Sea case cannot be a leverage for the Philippines if it is analyzed objectively, a Philippine expert has said, stressing the country needs to talk with China to benefit itself as well as the region. Alberto Encomienda, former secretary-general of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Center of the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. An arbitral tribunal with widely contested jurisdiction will issue an award on July 12 on the South China Sea case unilaterally initiated by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague said last week. China has refused to participate in the proceedings and declared that it will never recognize the verdict, stressing that the tribunal has no jurisdiction because the case is in essence related to territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation. After the PCA set date for the issuance of the final award, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reaffirmed that the arbitral tribunal has no jurisdiction over the case and the relevant subject-matter, and that it should not have heard the case or rendered the award. Encomienda, in the interview, called for talks with China, pointing out that the Philippines and China "cannot be without each other, bow and arrow" and that China has "shown the openness to reconnect" with the Philippines and "Our issue is how to reconnect in a nice way." The former diplomat said negotiations are in form of give and take and there are a lot of issues the Philippines can bring to China for a win-win situation, adding that both sides can agree to set aside the ruling and continue with joint development. He expressed optimism on the future of the Philippines-China relations under the Duterte administration. However, he also noted that during the administration of former President Benigno S. Aquino III, the mindset of the Filipinos had been poisoned. In a separate interview, Lauro Baja, former Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary, said there is more to the relationship than a court ruling on the South China Sea disputes. He said President Duterte has already expressed readiness and willingness to have bilateral talks with China, adding, "Duterte said it because whether we lost or whether we win (in the arbitral court), we have to talk with China." Echoing Baja, strategic analyst Cel Cainglet said, "No matter what ruling says, we have to talk to China again." Cainglet also stressed that "U.S. has no right to interfere as they are not even the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) signatory," adding that the South China Sea disputes should be solved among Asians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked senior Cabinet ministers to share the workload with their junior colleagues for optimum results on various programmes and policies. Shortly after he inducted 19 new faces into his Cabinet on July 5, Modi told the senior ministers that they should not consider their junior ministers as someone who were out to curb their role. Instead, they should be involved in every major initiative as the ministries were not anybodys fiefdom, he said, according to officials. Modi conveyed his thoughts on the issue at a Cabinet meeting, indicating that his sights were on outcomes and not on individual exertions. India is keen to step up counter-terrorism cooperation with Bangladesh and has offered to ink with the neighbouring country a pact to help it fight the menace. In the wake of recent back-to-back terror attacks in Bangladesh, New Delhi is set to renew its offer to Dhaka for a comprehensive framework agreement to give a fillip to bilateral counterterrorism cooperation, including in sharing of intelligence inputs and training of the neighbouring countrys security personnel in facilities in India. Sources told the DH that India had first proposed to ink the agreement with Bangladesh during a meeting between home secretaries of the two governments early last year. The discussion on the agreement had not made much progress though, mainly because the focus of the bilateral discussion was on ratification and subsequent implementation of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and the additional protocol added to it in 2010, added the sources. The deadly terror attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery at upmarket Gulshan area of Dhaka late on July 1, however, prompted India to contemplate proposing the agreement with Bangladesh again. The seven terrorists killed 20 hostages and two policemen overnight before the commandos of the Bangladesh Army stormed into the eatery and gunned down six of them. Just six days later, a woman and two policemen were killed and 13 were wounded in a bomb explosion and gun-battle near the venue of a mass prayer on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr at Sholakia in Kishoreganj district of the neighbouring country. Reliving Mahatma Gandhis historic train journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday travelled to the railway station where the Father of the Nation was thrown out of a train compartment. The incident had proved to be a turning point in Gandhis fight against racial discrimination in South Africa. On the second day of his South Africa visit, Modi boarded a wood-panelled carriage at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg railway station where a young Gandhi was ejected from a train in 1893 for refusing to obey an order to move from a first-class compartment to a third-class one because of his race. "This is the place where the seed was laid for Mohandas (Karamchand Gandhi) to start the journey of the Mahatma," Modi told reporters at the Pietermaritzburg railway station. Paying a glowing tribute to Gandhi, the prime minister said the visit to South Africa was like a pilgrimage as he was visiting places linked to India's history and life of the Father of the Nation. "My visit to South Africa has become like a pilgrimage as I have got the opportunity to visit all the three places that are significant to Indian history and Mahatma Gandhi's life," said Modi. Modi also visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded at Pietermaritzburg. Writing in the visitors' book at the station, Modi said the incident at Pietermaritzburg had altered the course of India's history. The prime minister also inaugurated an exhibition at the waiting hall of the railway station where Gandhi had spent the night after being thrown out of the train. On the fateful winter night, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station on a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold. The CBI on Saturday arrested the managing director of a public sector company and his predecessor in connection with a corruption case involving the suspended principal secretary of the Delhi chief minister. R S Kaushik and his predecessor G K Nanda, present and former managing directors of Intelligent Communication Systems India Ltd (ICSIL), were apprehended on charges of favouring a private company in awarding of tenders. ICSIL is a joint venture of Telecommunication Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) and Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation. They were arrested as they were evasive in their responses during questioning in the case involving IAS officer Rajinder Kumar, who was arrested in connection with a Rs 50 crore scam. According to CBI claims, both Kaushik and Nanda were intimidating some of the officers whom the CBI had been calling for questioning in the case involving Kumar. The CBI claimed that investigation so far show that the money from the accounts of M/s ESPL was routed to a Noida-based firm, a real-estate company and a publication in Agra. With this, six persons have been arrested in connection with the case. Kumar, a 1989-batch IAS officer whom the CBI named the kingpin of the scam, is accused of starting a front company Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd (ESPL) to provide IT solutions and routed government work to it without tendering process from 2006. The CBI has charged them under Section 120-B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) and relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. The FIR had mentioned that there were irregularities of Rs 9.5 crore, officials said the scope of the scam got enlarged to Rs 50 crore during the probe. The accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy and caused a loss to the Delhi Government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015. There was no fair tendering and forged quotations were also obtained, CBI sources said. The CBI had also conducted searches at six premises--in Delhi, Noida and Agra--including office of Kumar's Chartered Accountant (CA) in the national capital during which they claimed to have recovered Rs 27 lakh in cash. Islamic preacher Zakir Naik may have stirred the hornets nest, but not all Muslim groups support him. Darul Uloom in Deoband, a prominent seat of Sunni Islam learning, had in a series of fatwas over the years said Muslims should avoid listening to Naik as he does not conform to the principles of Islam. In one of the fatwas, Darul Uloom said Naiks knowledge is not deep, not reliable and Muslims should avoid listening to him. Naik made the headlines again after one of the five young terrorists, who attacked a Dhaka restaurant recently, claimed that he followed the preacher. While Bangladesh launched a probe into it, Indian agencies too started relooking into his activities. The Ministry of Home Affairs is looking into whether Naiks NGO Islamic Research Foundation was using foreign funds it received for political and other purposes in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010. Investigators are also probing whether he was using the funds for conversion and whether he backed terrorism. The CDs of his speeches are also under scrutiny. Asked what it thought about Naiks work and belief and whether one should listen to him, Darul Uloom said religion should always be learnt through authorised Ulema (a body of Muslim scholars) and authentic books. From what we know of him, he has deviated from the path of well-versed Ulema. His approach seems contrary to authentic Ulema of Salaf. Therefore, one should avoid attending his programmes. However, if you happen to listen to his talks, you should not rely on him until you confirm it by any Aalim, it said. In another edict, it said he is of free mind and does not wear Islamic dress. One should not rely upon his speeches. Darul Uloom also said Naik is religiously deviated and some of his talks are unauthentic. A common man may not be able to differentiate between right and wrong; therefore people should avoid listening to his speeches lest they deviate, it added. 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 insouth China Sea. (Xinhua/Zhao Yingquan) LONDON, July 9 -- The South China Sea arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines will set a "serious, wrong, and bad example" if it is allowed to go through, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said. In a recent interview with Reuters, Liu said China will not participate in the arbitration and China believes it is illegal for a tribunal to handle this case. "The Philippines' arbitration case is against UNCLOS (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), because sovereignty and territorial disputes are not under the jurisdiction of UNCLOS," Liu stressed. Liu noted that China, like 30 other countries, made a declaration in 2006 that it will not take part in third party arbitration when it comes to maritime delimitation. "UK is one of the 30 countries. UNCLOS provides that sovereign countries have their sovereign right to make these declarations on optional exceptions," he explained. China has always called for bilateral consultation and negotiations with neighboring countries, including the Philippines, when it comes to maritime disputes, the Chinese envoy said. There had been a series of statements between China and the Philippines on how to resolve disputes before 2013 when the Philippines submitted its arbitration case. "In our view, the Philippines have turned their back on their promise and that is against international practice. Once agreed, you have to follow your commitment," he said in the interview. According to UNCLOS, Liu said, arbitration is only a supplementary means to resolve disputes, and bilateral channels are regarded as the main means to resolve a dispute between countries. "The Philippines had never come to China to talk about this arbitration. And China and the Philippines had never had serious negotiations on this subject back then," he elaborated. UNCLOS provides that a compulsory arbitration will not be resorted to settle a dispute between countries unless all bilateral channels are exhausted. If this arbitration goes through, it "is against the spirit of UNCLOS," and will "set a serious, wrong and bad example," said Liu, adding that British and Dutch experts on the Law of the Sea shared the same concern with Chinese legal experts. "Some people try to label China as not respecting international law if we reject this arbitration. But that is totally wrong. What China is doing is exactly safeguarding the authority and seriousness of international law, safeguarding the letter and spirit of UNCLOS," he told Reuters. No matter what decision this tribunal is going to make, "it has no impact on China and China's sovereignty over these islands and reefs will not be bound by it," Liu argued. "We will not fight in the court, but we will certainly fight for our sovereignty," he stressed. Citing China's record in resolving territorial disputes with its neighbors, Liu reiterated that the door remains open for the Philippines to return to bilateral negotiations with China. "The Philippines, they can put forward their proposals. And we can have our proposals and we'll meet half way. Any negotiation is a process of compromise." "Now they have elected a new government. We do hope that they will change their course, return to the negotiation table," said the diplomat. In the interview, Liu also slammed the U.S. "rebalancing in the Asia Pacific," voicing suspicion over American motives. "I think the American move in the Asia Pacific emboldened those countries to change the traditional channel of negotiation with China," making them believe in "a better deal with China" via U.S. help, he said. Describing U.S. "freedom of navigation" claims as a false argument, the ambassador said the situation in the South China Sea is calm and peaceful with no reason for military involvement from an outside power at all. "What they are doing is not for safeguarding free navigation," Liu said. "They are there to challenge China's sovereignty over the islands and reefs. And they make a dangerous provocation. China has a legitimate right to check what they are doing." IKEA said it will decide no later than Monday whether to recall chests of drawers and dressers on sale in China, as the public questioned whether the company was applying double standards after issuing a recall for the products in the US, but not in China, after they caused six child fatalities. "We are discussing the issue of a recall with the country's consumer quality watchdog today, and will give an answer to customers on Monday," Xu Lide, the IKEA spokeswoman, told the Global Times via a phone call. "If the chests of drawers and dressers can't be anchored to a wall, customers can return the item for a refund," she said, noting that IKEA has an appropriate returns policy. IKEA recalled 29 million units of Malm and other models of drawer units and dressers in the US due to a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard, which caused six child fatalities, the Wall Street Journal reported on June 28. However, IKEA took different measures in China. "IKEA will help Chinese consumers attach Malm chests and dressers to the wall, and if these items can't be anchored, they can be returned for refund," said an announcement on the Shenzhen Consumer Council's website late on Thursday. "Currently, we haven't received complaints about IKEA's chests and dressers," the China Consumers Association said Friday, adding they are investigating this issue. "I am angry that IKEA should discriminate against Chinese consumers. IKEA has to treat us equally," a 30-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing surnamed Xie, who often shops at IKEA, told the Global Times on Friday. IKEA is extremely profitable in China. In 2015, IKEA generated revenue of 10.5 billion yuan ($1.49 billion) in China, accounting for nearly one-third of its total revenue, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Friday. WARSAW, July 8, 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg(L, front), German Chancellor Angela Merkel(C, front) and French President Francois Hollande(R, front) watch the air show during the opening ceremony of the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland on July 8, 2016. The NATO summit kicked off here Friday afternoon, with Polish President Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg officially greeting participants at the National Stadium PGE. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu) WARSAW, July 8 -- Eighteen presidents and 21 prime ministers attended the first day of the Warsaw NATO summit on Friday, taking specific decisions on strengthening security. After the first session of the North Atlantic Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the strengthening of NATO's eastern flank in Poland and Baltic countries. Four battalions are to be located in four countries -- Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland -- with the countries in command respectively being Canada, Germany, Britain and the United States. NATO also regarded cyberspace as an operational zone and acknowledged the initial operational readiness of the anti-missile shield's component located in Romania. Preceding the summit's opening ceremony, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and U.S. President Barack Obama expressed transatlantic unity between the United States and Europe. Both sides discussed common political, economic, and security challenges facing Europe, especially Britain's referendum decision to leave the bloc. Addressing this matter, Obama called the European Union one of the greatest political and economic achievements of today, "which should be kept intact as the world needed a strong, prosperous, and unified Europe." He also said sanctions against Russia should remain in place until the Minsk agreement conditions were met. Juncker and Tusk, alongside Stoltenberg, signed a joint declaration marking the importance of further strengthening EU-NATO cooperation at a time of what the two blocs claimed unprecedented security challenges from the East and the South. Counteracting hybrid threats, cyber security, and maritime safety in the bloc are the key goals included in the declaration. Meanwhile, Polish President Andrzej Duda and U.S. President Obama held a meeting discussing bilateral cooperation, especially in the field of increased NATO's presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Obama said Poland will notice an increase of U.S. and NATO presence. Poland can be sure that NATO will stand hand-in-hand under any circumstances, he added, announcing around a thousand U.S. soldiers would serve here on rotary basis. Duda also met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Azerbaijan President Ilham Alijew. He also took part in an experts forum on security, where he expressed satisfaction regarding Montenegro's access to NATO and called for deepening relations, especially with Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. At the same forum, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, together with former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, discussed NATO's policy towards Russia. The first day of the summit wound up with a solemn parade of military aircraft, representing both Poland and NATO air forces. Ohio's 6-week abortion ban was a fringe idea. Heres how it became law Ohio led a slow, determined push to steadily weaken and then nearly eliminate abortion rights. It's indicative of what has happened around the U.S. Cargill to sell two Texas beef cattle feedlots to Texas-based Friona Industries US agribusiness giant Cargill Inc yesterday said that it will sell two Texas beef cattle feedlots to Texas-based Friona Industries. Under the deal, Friona Industries will acquire Cargill's cattle feedlots at Bovina and Dalhart, Texas, but retain its cattle feed yards at Yuma, Colorado and Leoti, Kansas. Friona Industries already supplies Cargill with cattle from their four feed yards. The Texas feed yards that are being sold will continue to supply cattle to Cargill's beef processing plants. Cargill did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction, but the sale comes just three days after it agreed to sell its ag-retail business in the US to Canada's Agrium Inc. (See: Cargill to sell ag-retail business in the US to Canada's Agrium) The sales are part of Cargill's plan to streamline its business by selling non-core units in order to boost its earnings. Last month, it also struck a deal to buy Five Star Custom Foods, Ltd, a company specialising in cooked protein products, soups and sauces for restaurants and food processors, and sold its US pork unit. Over the past 12 months, Cargill has announced approximately $500 million in acquisitions and capital investments to grow its North American protein business. Investments include purchase of a beef processing plant in South Carolina and a custom cooked meats, soups and sauces business with plants in Texas and Tennessee, conversion of a Nebraska ground beef plant to a specialised cooked meats plant, a new beef distribution center at the company's Kansas beef processing facility, and an expansion of egg processing capabilities at a Michigan plant. ''Selling our feed yards in the Texas panhandle allows us to redeploy many tens of millions of dollars annually into investments that will help us grow our protein business money that otherwise would have been tied up as working capital used to purchase and feed cattle,'' said John Keating, president of Cargill's Wichita-based beef business. Cargill said that the sale of Texas cattle feed yards aligns with its evolving protein business strategy which emphasises growth fueled by being the supplier of choice for customers and by providing them with superior products and services. UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid on Friday met Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry to discuss the proposed sale of Tata Steel's assets in the UK. Details of the meeting, which was ahead of the board meeting, were not disclosed. Industry sources, however, indicated that there may have been some agreement on a roadmap. ''Just finished meeting with Tata Steel in Mumbai. Now off to Delhi for talks on UK / India trade,'' Javid tweeted. The Tata Steel board also met later to discuss the future of its British operations. On Thursday, the Tata Steel UK employees union, part of the 14-million-strong Unite, threatened to go on strike against a fire sale of its more profitable speciality steel business, leaving aside the Port Talbot and UK strips plants. In a letter written to Tata Steel management, Unite asked Tata Steel to give a binding commitment on the future of Port Talbot and its UK steel strips business. Tata Steel was reported to be mulling a sale of the speciality steel business - such as the Hartlepool Pipe Mill unit - within the UK operations as part of its move to cut costs by 100 million euros before deciding to continue its business in the UK. The development follows unconfirmed reports that the steelmaker was planning to pause its proposed sale of loss-making UK units, while going ahead with a separate sale of its speciality steel business and tubes operation. The British government has been trying to help Tata Steel through special legislation aimed at lowering pension costs. It has also offered loans while investing in the business through share purchase. Javid is also reported to have met commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi later on Friday, although it was unrelated to Tata Steel. Donegal Yarns in Kilcar celebrated ten years in business this week, an amazing success story from a rural parish in the south west of the county. A local industry that faced closure has been transformed into a thriving business with an growing global customer base. From the early 2000s,, sales at Kilcarra Yarns had been declining, many operations in the industry had moved offshore, the market was not favourable.and the outlook for the company was bleak. Locals, many of whom had worked there for decades, and existing customers campaigned successfully Udaras na Gaeltachta to put the company up for sale. Tom Hayden, a yarn agent who had been selling to many Irish companies for years, formed a consortium with Sean Crannigan, Martin Buckley and Paul Cullen - who were involved in the textile industry - and formed the shareholding for the company in 2006. They were convinced that the factory and the product had played a major part in Ireland's textile industry and this was worth keeping alive, especially as customers told them that provenance was becoming ever more important. It was the start of something big, as Chris Weiniger (pictured), general manager, explains. "Each of the new company directors at the time brought a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry to the company. They looked at developing the existing customer base the business, especially in international markets, and launchings. . "Sean Crannigan's company, Knoll Yarns, took on international distribution and also opened the doors to the best of international designers. Tom Hayden was responsible for developing the Irish agency and customer base. Paul Cullens knowledge of the knitwear industry was important in developing new products. . And Martin Buckley looked after the financial management. "Part of the marketing strategy was incorporating both old and new, by rebranding the company as Donegal Yarns but keeping the logo of Kilcarra Yarns. In 2004/2005, Kilcarra Yarns had 14 staff in production and three in management, now there are thirty in production and five in management. Ten years ago, production had dropped to around 70,000 kilos of fleck yarn for the weaving, knitting and craft industry. Now, around 170,000 kilos of authentic spun Donegal yarn in produced each year. "We've built up the business by listening to and collaborating with our customers and giving them what they want," Chris says. The company has invested significantly in upgrading and retrofitting the plant and is equally committed to continuous research and development. "We're also keenly aware that it's our staff who possess the traditional skills, many of which have been handed down through generations here at this company, that make our products so special. "We're very grateful to have also enjoyed support from Udaras na Gaeltachta over the years, with R&D funding as well as training and employment grants. "As we look to the future, we're proud to say that there's now a young generation here that came in at operational level and are now being promoted to supervisory level. "In addition, our products are continually evolving to suit ever changing markets. For example, we launched a new collection this year in Italy with merino cashmere silk for finer knits and finer woven fabrics." The company will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a BBQ and disco for past and present employees on July 9 at Kilcar House. The 50th anniversary of the late Paddy the Cope was marked recently with a Mass, a tree planting and a wreath laying. Fr Aodhan Cannon, PP, was the principal celebrant of the Mass, and he was assisted by Fr Michael McCullagh, CM, who, himself, was a part-time employee in the Cope in the past. His father, the late Eddie McCullagh, had worked in the old Cope building on a permanent full-time basis in the shoe department. Paddy the Cope was the founder of the Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society, the Cope. After Mass all gathered at Paddy's grave, where a wreath was placed by Jim Gallagher, a grandson. Then it was on to the Cope car park on the other side of the road, where a tree was planted alongside the plaque by Paddy the Cope Gallagher, Jim's brother, as his cousin, Pat the Cope stood alongside him at the tree planting. Among the large gathering were Fred Sweeney and Cathal McCole, who had each worked in the Cope for more than 50 years. Pictured: The grandchildren of the late Paddy "the Cope", who founded Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society in 1906, at a tree-planting ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Photos: Danny Bonner. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Anakhanum Idayatova Trend: The US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan about the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick on Twitter. All reject war and are committed to negotiations. The US stands ready to help, he added. Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev met with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the NATO summit in Warsaw July 8. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. 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. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Home Four wheelers Datsun Delivers 50 redi-GO Models In Kollam In A Single Day oi-Ajinkya Datsun India has managed a remarkable feat with its all-new affordable offering. They have delivered 50 units of the redi-GO in the city of Kollam in a single day. The base variant of the Datsun redi-GO is priced at Rs. 2.43 lakh ex-showroom (Kollam). Customers were handed their keys by Vishvambaran, CI of Police, Kollam. Also present at the handover of the Datsun redi-GO was Shabeen Muhamedali, Dealer Principal, Pinnacle Nissan. A special ceremony at Pinnacle Nissan dealership in Kollam, Kerala, was organised for the owners. Currently, Nissan and Datsun have 274 sales and service outlets pan India. The Japanese-based automobile manufacturer plans on expanding their network up to 300 dealerships. A coverage of 90 percent will be achieved by Nissan and Datsun Indian outlets. Under the hood of Datsun redi-GO is a 0.8-litre (800cc), three-cylinder, petrol engine. The engine produces 53bhp, along with 72Nm of peak torque and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It is the same engine that is used to power the Renault Kwid. The Governments threat of pay sanctions against gardai could affect morale in the fight against crime in the Dundalk and border area. However, if there is any industrial action by the GRA (Garda Representative Association) it will not affect the public. We dont want any conflict given the huge support we have from the general public, Dundalk-based Garda Robbie Peelo said this week. Garda Peelo is the Louth representative on the GRA central executive committee. The committee members protested outside the Dail last week and called on the Government to honour the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement. The agreement expired on Friday but the gardai have refused to sign up to the new Lansdowne Road Agreement because no pay review was carried out under the Haddington Agreement as promised by the Government. Last Thursday, members of the central executive of the GRA, including Dundalk-based Garda Robbie Peelo, protested outside Leinster House and called on the Government to honour the terms of the Haddington Road Agreement. Its all about pay restoration, Garda Peelo said. We agreed to work an extra 30 hours, thats three days, for nothing. We changed rosters, and werent allowed to lodge pay claims. The Government was asked to set up a pay review body but that has gone by the wayside. So as far as the GRA is concerned the Government has failed to fulfil its part of the Haddington Road Agreement and now gardai face a freeze of pay increments and rent allowances because GRA members have not signed up to the Lansdowne Road Agreement. We have a young garda on 23,000, who got 14 days notice that he was to be transferred from Cork to Dundalk, and will get no rent allowance, Garda Peelo said. The GRA said it would not be re-engaging in talks with the Government until the Government finishes the promised review of Garda pay and conditions agreed under the Haddington Road Agreement. It has also said that industrial action has not been ruled out. Gardai cannot go on strike and the word is never even mentioned, but members of the GRA could still take action that would not affect the public. Since the death of Garda Tony Golden last October twenty-four extra gardai have been assigned to The Dundalk Garda Division. This has resulted in a drop in crime figures and more arrests. The gardai here in Louth have a very good relationship with the public, Garda Peelo said, and that will remain so. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Anakhanum Idayatova Trend: NATOs leadership has on many occasions recognized the important contribution that Azerbaijan has and is playing in the fight against terrorism and other challenges, Amanda Paul, senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, told Trend July 9. The two-day NATO summit kicked off in Warsaw July 8 with participation of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The summit participants are discussing strengthening the stability beyond NATO borders, fighting terrorism, enhancing the defence capability and deterrence means of the Alliance. Moreover, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs James Warlick (US), Igor Popov (Russia) and Pierre Andrieu (France) are also participating in the summit. Commenting on the discussions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the summit, Paul said that the international community recognizes that following the April developments, the conflict is at crucial juncture: either a return to a serious negotiating process that quickly makes progress and delivers some result, or the alternative which is a very likely a new military clash on the line and contact which is likely to be worse than in April. 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. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Airbnb recently filed suit against San Francisco over a new rule governing short-term rentals, which the citys Board of Supervisors approved last month. An Airbnb-supported law adopted earlier this year requires short-term rental hosts to register with the city, but its estimated that only about 20 percent of them about 1,400 out of 7,000 have done so. The new rule requires short-term rental listing services like Airbnb to enforce the law by ensuring that hosts advertising on their websites have registered with the city before posting ads online. When the city flags suspect rental ads, the listing service must respond with details about those properties within one business day or incur fines of up to $1,000 a day per listing, as well as face misdemeanor charges. Airbnb had vowed to fight the rule, and late last month filed suit in United States District Court. We believe we are on firm legal footing with this case because this is a piece of common sense legislation that is supported by landlords, tenants, hotels and hotel workers, said San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin. We are confident that our city attorney will successfully present our case, he told the E-Commerce Times. Airbnbs Allegations The registration system for short-term rental properties which Airbnb had supported isnt working, notes the companys complaint. However, the rule requiring listing companies to enforce registration violates the 1996 Communications Decency Act, it argues. Congress passed the CDA, Title V of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, with the goal of regulating pornographic material on the Internet. However, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997 struck down its anti-decency provisions in Reno v. ACLU. Airbnbs case is based on Section 230 of the Act, which gives immunity from liability to providers and users of an interactive computer service that publishes information provided by others. San Franciscos Reasoning Theres a dearth of rental apartments in San Francisco, which has sent rents skyrocketing and seen landlords engage in a variety of shenanigans. For example, one landlord of a North Beach apartment recently raised a tenants rent from US$1,800 a month to $8,000. In another case, landlords reportedly are seeking to evict a tenant for using the appliances in her unit. Instances like these concerned the Board of Supervisors enough that they unanimously passed the rule requiring short-term hosts to include their license numbers when advertising online. Introduced by Supervisor David Campos, a long-time opponent of Airbnb, the rule also attracted the support of Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who has fought for affordable housing in San Francisco for years. Good Intentions Arent Enough The problem is not the citys motivations but the fact that its method for achieving those goals contravenes Section 230, said Gautam S. Hans, director of the Center for Democracy & Technologys San Franciscos office. The courts wouldnt look at the effect on the housing market or anything else when interpreting the [Section] 230 claims, he told the E-Commerce Times. Airbnb has a strong case given the statute and existing case law. Further, liability cannot be based on the presence or absence of a registration number or whether the user can legally offer the service, noted David Greene, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The requirement of specific content the registration numbers of advertisers is a restriction based on speech, he told the E-Commerce Times, implicating the first amendment. Apple reportedly has declined to sponsor the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next month amid increasing concerns over the rhetoric coming from presumptive nominee Donald Trump. The company notified RNC officials that it would withdraw its support from the July convention after Trump made a number of highly charged statements targeting minority and religious groups, Politico reported last week. Apple apparently had planned to provide funding and high-tech equipment to both the Republican and Democratic conventions but has pulled its support from the RNC. The company has butted heads with the Trump campaign in recent months, with the candidate blasting Apples overseas manufacturing practices. Trump also called for a boycott to protest Apples legal fight with the FBI, which had demanded that the company assist in accessing encrypted data to further the bureaus investigation of last Decembers terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. Several other major U.S. companies reportedly have declined to help support the RNC this year, including HP, Wells Fargo and Motorola. [*Editors Note June 21, 2016] HP Inc. will not be providing financial or technical support to either convention in 2016, spokesperson Emily Horn told the E-Commerce Times. Fundraising on Pace The RNC is not without its supporters, though, according to Audrey Scagnelli, press secretary for the convention. We are working with a variety of major tech partners who are focused on being part of the American political process, she told the E-Commerce Times. While there have been many reports of who may not be supporting this years convention, whats been overlooked is the fact that we have more than 100 donors who are supporting the Host Committee, said spokesperson Emily Lauer. The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee already has raised US$57.5 million of the conventions $64 million budget, or 90 percent of the funding required, she told the E-Commerce Times. The fundraising pace exceeds that of the 2008 St. Paul convention and the 2012 Tampa convention, Lauer pointed out. While some companies have said they will not support the convention, that is different from saying they are pulling out of prior commitments, she argued. Apple has not been part of the more than 100 committed donors to the Host Committee, Lauer maintained. Apple had no comment, spokesperson Fred Sainz told the E-Commerce Times. Brand Protection Many companies were willing to give Trump the opportunity to pivot toward a broader general election strategy after clinching the nomination, suggested Darrell West, vice president for governance studies at the Brookings Institution. However, when he ramped up the rhetoric in recent weeks, they didnt want to risk tarnishing their corporate image, he told the E-Commerce Times. I think theyre worried about damage to their own brand, particularly in the tech sector, which is a very youth-oriented market, West told the E-Commerce Times. Making bigoted statements is sort of the kiss of death. Apple and other technology companies commonly invest money and resources in both major political parties, because they want to get their phone calls returned and have access to politicians when there are issues of concern on the table, he noted. The impact on the Republican general election campaign from a company like Apple withholding support goes well beyond the immediate financial blow, as the technical assistance required to run a modern political operation on a national scale is immense. Campaigns generally do not have that kind of expertise in house. Color of Change Campaign Apple is one of many corporations Color of Change has been targeting in a campaign launched several months ago. Armed with more than 100,000 signatures, the group aims to get corporations and other organizations to decline to support the Trump campaign. In addition to Apple, some of the high-profile companies on its list are Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, AT&T, Amazon, Twitter, Verizon and HP. Color of Change believes that its lobbying and advertising efforts, along with media coverage of its campaign, helped nudge Apple toward its decision. The Apple news raises the bar for other corporations, said Rashad Robinson, spokesperson for the Color of Change PAC. Not only has Apple declined to support the Republican National Convention, but theyve explicitly told Republican leaders that Trumps bigoted rhetoric is the reason that theyre sitting out. Companies continuing to support the convention need to ask themselves what their consciences are telling them, he said. History will tell the story of those who had a chance to stand up to Donald Trump and all he represents, but chose instead to throw their brands and money behind his toxic vision for America. *ECT News Network editors note June 21, 2016: Our original published version of this story included UPS, Ford and JPMorgan Chase among the companies that reportedly declined to support the RNC this year. However, those reports have not completely represented the companies positions. UPS made the decision last year not to support either political convention when it established the companys 2016 budget, spokesperson Kara Ross told the E-Commerce Times. We will not have a presence at the Republican nor the Democratic convention. It is erroneous to assert or infer that UPS decided not to support the conventions due to the identity or position of a candidate. It was not a political decision, by any means. Also, Ford is not sponsoring the host committee for either the Republican or Democratic convention, spokesperson Christin Baker told the E-Commerce Times. We will have a presence at both conventions engaging mostly through events with states where we have a manufacturing presence, like Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. JPMorgan also is not planning to sponsor either convention this year but does plan to sponsor some public-service activities that are connected to each event. 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Glenn Robert Shaw, 49, was caught with 107 loggerhead eggs, which he had stolen from a turtle as she was laying them, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Facebook post. Shaw faces third-degree felony charges for destroying, selling or molesting turtles or eggs or nests. Caretta caretta, Loggerhead turtle hatchling on the Cirali beach in the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey. Photo credit: World Wildlife Fund Shaw was arrested a few days after Florida officials received reports of a man poaching sea turtle eggs, according to the Miami Herald. Our biologists contacted law enforcement after receiving information about someone poaching sea turtle eggs from a beach behind a residence, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions post explained. Our officers began increasing patrols in the area to monitor for illegal activity. After a few days of additional patrols, officers saw a man taking eggs from a female loggerhead sea turtle as she was laying them. Fifteen of the stolen eggs were kept for DNA testing, the commission said, but the remaining 92 were buried with hopes that they will hatch later this year. Loggerhead turtles mate every two to three years. During mating years, females nest between April and September, with the peak of nesting season occurring in June, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Female loggerheads emerge on the beach at night every 14 days, laying an average of four clutches of eggs, which contain between 100 and 120 eggs each. Eighty percent of loggerhead nesting in America occurs in Florida. Loggerhead turtle swimming in open sea in Greece. Photo credit: World Wildlife Fund Loggerheads, which have been listed as threatened since 1978 under the Endangered Species Act, have been hunted in the past for their eggs and leather. But the main threats to the species include entrapment as bycatch from industrial fishing, plastic pollution, loss or degradation of habit, disorientation of hatchlings by beachfront lighting, marine pollution and disease to name a few. Last month, a loggerhead turtle was rescued after being trampled by tourists. One of the biggest concerns about the cultivation of genetically modified crops is the rise of superweeds caused by the overuse of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsantos best-selling Roundup and other pesticides. So, in an effort to beat back these herbicide-defying weeds, Monsanto and DuPont have agreed to sell an even stronger weed killer to go with their genetically modified seeds. Glyphosate is the worlds most widely applied herbicide and has faced major controversy ever since the World Health Organizations International Agency cancer research arm linked the compound to cancer. The rival seed and agrichemical companies have signed a multi-year supply agreement for the weed killer dicamba in the U.S. and Canada, Reuters reported. The new product, DuPont FeXapan herbicide plus VaporGrip Technology, will go with Monsantos new Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans which are genetically altered to resist dicamba and glyphosate. Its clear that Monsanto has high hopes for its latest project. According to Reuters, the company invested more than $1 billion in a dicamba production facility in Luling, Louisiana, to meet the demand it predicts. Xtend soybeans were planted on 1 million acres in the U.S. this year, but the company expects 15 million acres to be planted with the GMO soybeans next season and 55 million acres by 2019. Monsantos bet on dicamba represents a step away from the companys reliance on its bread-and-butter glyphosate herbicide business, Reuters noted last year. Glyphosate, the worlds most widely applied herbicide, has faced major controversy ever since the World Health Organizations International Agency cancer research arm linked the compound to cancer last year. Glyphosates future in the Europe Union is also uncertain, as a number of countries have expressed fears over the safety of the product. Glyphosate Given Last-Minute Approval Despite Failure to Secure Majority Support https://t.co/bb6ll6jF6E via @ecowatch Mark Hyman, M.D. (@drmarkhyman) June 29, 2016 According to Dr. Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, Monsantos own analysis has indicated that dicamba use on cotton and soy will rise from less than 1 million pounds to more than 25 million pounds used per year. This will only create superweeds that are resistant both to glyphosate and dicamba, Donley told EcoWatch. The indiscriminate use of glyphosate created these resistant superweeds in the first place and now these companies want farmers to indiscriminately use dicamba. You dont have to be a genius to know how this will end, Donley said. Weve been told for so long that genetically engineered crops were going to reduce pesticide use, but its a complete farce. Now two pesticides are being used where one used to suffice. Five years from now it will be three and so on and so forth. Donley said that dicamba-resistant weeds have already been found in Kansas and Nebraska, adding, The problem has already been identified and this is not the solution. As for potential ecological impacts or threats to plants or animals, Donley said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has still not analyzed how dicamba use will affect endangered species so we know absolutely nothing of the potential harms to endangered or threatened species from the use of this herbicide. He explained that dicamba, more so than most other pesticides, is extremely prone to spray drift, meaning that it likes to move offsite through the atmosphere. There is a great potential for damage to nearby crops that are not dicamba resistant, as well as damage to native plants that live in the field margins, Donley said. These plants provide some of the only habitat and nourishment for many species of animals that live in the zone of agriculture in the Midwest. The EPA considers dicamba safe for both humans and the environment but admitted we are concerned about the possibility that the use of dicamba could result in weeds becoming resistant to dicamba. While dicamba has been around for several decades, the EPA has not yet approved the use of dicamba on genetically engineered cotton and soybeans. However, according to Donley, the agency is expected to give approval soon. The EPA will also need to approve the new herbicide as well. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Anakhanum Idayatova Trend: After the Aprils escalation on the contact line of the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, new attempts at settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have become paramount, Theodore Karasik, analyst on the Middle East and senior advisor at Gulf State Analytics, Washington DC, told Trend July 9. He was commenting on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts discussion on the sidelines of the NATO summit, which is taking place in Warsaw. The two-day NATO summit kicked off in Warsaw July 8 with participation of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The summit participants are discussing strengthening the stability beyond NATO borders, fighting terrorism, enhancing the defence capability and deterrence means of the Alliance. OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs James Warlick (US), Igor Popov (Russia) and Pierre Andrieu (France) are also participating in the summit. Karasik said that in the lead up to the NATO summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin led a series of discussions between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Currently, Putin and US President Obama are discussing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts issue as part of larger negotiations, he added. 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. Thus regional issues are merging but there is a glimmer of some movement forward regarding the conflicts settlement, Karasik noted. He also mentioned importance of Azerbaijans cooperation with NATO in fighting terrorism. The expert said that Baku needs to take a strong role in counterterrorism activities. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o... Mexico City, Jul 9 (EFE).- The militant CNTE teachers union has set up new roadblocks in the Mexican capital and is maintaining the ones already in place in the southern state of Oaxaca, but it lifted seven others in the southeastern state of Chiapas. Mexico City's Civil Protection Secretariat reported intermittent blockades Friday in the capital, including on the Mexico City-Puebla, Mexico City-Cuernavaca and Mexico City-Toluca highways. Marches in support of the CNTE also were reported on avenues in different sections of the city. In Oaxaca, where blockades have been reported for the past 25 days, four intermittent roadblocks were being carried out in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region. In Chiapas, teachers and their supporters lifted seven roadblocks on Friday, 12 days after they had been set up, including those affecting two border crossings with Guatemala. The roadblocks had resulted in lines of vehicles, including some 400 cargo trucks bound for Central America, stretching for more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). Demonstrators who had been blocking one of the border crossings - Puente Talisman - said they would hold a mega-march on Monday in the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez. One roadblock on the Tutxla Gutierrez-San Cristobal de las Casas highway will not be lifted because it is being manned not only by the CNTE but also groups with other agendas, including health sector workers and members of peasant and civil society organizations. The CNTE, which is strongest in Oaxaca, Michoacan, Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico's poorest states, is demanding the repeal of a 2013 education overhaul that includes regular teacher evaluations and ends longstanding union privileges. The union says the evaluations are punitive because they fail to take into account that schools in rural areas often lack electricity and even textbooks. On Tuesday, Government Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chang, Mexico's No. 2 official, said the government had resumed talks with the CNTE and proposed negotiations on the country's current educational model. The CNTE leaders asked for time to discuss the government's proposals with the union's rank and file, according to Osorio Chang, who said that on Monday the two sides would analyze the points of agreement that "allow us to normalize the situation shortly." The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto has repeatedly stressed that the 2013 law is non-negotiable. EFE Rio de Janeiro, Jul 9 (EFE).- Brazil's armed forces carried out a series of military exercises Saturday in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the start of the Summer Games, whose opening ceremony will take place on Aug. 5. The preparatory exercises for the Olympics, which will be held in Rio through Aug. 21, were organized by the Area Defense General Coordinator, or CGDA, which will provide support to police. The troops conducted a reconnaissance of the security area and of the routes of armored patrols on the Brasil and Ayrton Senna thoroughfares and the Via Transolimpica, a rapid-access highway leading to the sporting installations that entered into service on Saturday. Marines conducted a simulation at Plaza Maua, located in the city's port district. Navy, air force and army personnel assigned to the CGDA's command posts in the city - including the Deodoro Sporting Complex, the Vila Militar and Magalhaes Bastos train stations and Barra da Tijuca, the district where most of the Olympic and Paralympic venues are located - took part in the military exercises. They were conducted just two days after the Brazilian government said international terrorism was waging a "psychological war" ahead of the Olympics. "There are efforts to recruit people via the Internet" as well as psychological war activities that are being monitored by authorities, Institutional Security Minister Sergio Etchegoyen told reporters in Brasilia on Thursday. While officials have identified no specific threat, terrorism is always a "possibility" in the case of an event such as the Olympics, he said. The psychological warfare includes threatening messages on social media from different parts of the world that may have originated with groups connected to Islamic State, the minister said. One of the peak security situations during the Olympics will be the Aug. 5 inaugural ceremony, which is expected to attract dozens of heads of state and government, Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said at the same press conference on Thursday. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Elena Kosolapova Trend The invitation to Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev to participate in the NATO summit in Warsaw demonstrates that Azerbaijan has emerged as a significant international player in global affairs economically, militarily and politically, CEO of the US Caspian Group Holdings Rob Sobhani told Trend July 9. NATO summit is underway in Warsaw July 8-9 with participation of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The summit participants are discussing strengthening the stability beyond NATO borders, fighting terrorism, enhancing the defence capability and deterrence means of the Alliance. As the major anchor of transport for Caspian energy resources to the West, Azerbaijan is critical to NATO's efforts to diversify energy resources into its member states, he said. For NATO, Azerbaijan is viewed as a responsible energy exporter it can rely on for the long term. Talking about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was among the issues discussed on the sidelines of the summit, Sobhani noted that unfortunately, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, Russia, the US and France, have not shown any serious and robust will to solve the conflict. Both for internal and external reasons, Russia, US and France cannot seem to focus on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which means that the resolution may still not be at hand, he added. What is missing is a "vision for peace" between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a vision that can show a clear and mutually beneficial settlement of the conflict, said Sobhani. 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. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@E_Kosolapova Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: NATO is aware of the need to secure the eastern periphery of Europe, to expand and deepen ties with countries that are not actually part of NATO, such as Azerbaijan, Ziba Norman, director of the UK Transatlantic & Caucasus Studies Institute, told Trend July 9. She was commenting on the fact that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was invited to the NATO summit, which is taking place in Warsaw. The two-day NATO summit kicked off in Warsaw July 8 with participation of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The summit participants are discussing strengthening the stability beyond NATO borders, fighting terrorism, enhancing the defence capability and deterrence means of the Alliance. This is a very significant moment for NATO and the western alliance, Norman said. Brexit [UKs decision to leave the EU] has forced a re-think of the structure of long-standing alliances that have maintained peace in Europe. Hence the importance of the summit in Warsaw, which confirms a unity of purpose, shows that NATO remains as strong and solid in its commitment to Europe irrespective of fissures in the EU. Azerbaijan has a significant role to play in maintaining security both for the Caucasus and Europe to prevent trafficking and terrorist activities in the Caucasus region, she added. Perhaps in the coming months we will see even deeper ties emerging between NATO and Azerbaijan, the expert said. Norman then commented on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was being discussed on the sidelines of the summit in Warsaw. Whilst the Nagorno Karabakh conflict issue is not the focus of these discussions, this is a matter for the Minsk Group, there are vey real reasons why NATO should consider progress on settlement more urgent than ever. And I believe they will, she added. The expert noted that following the Brexit, there is a palpable concern whether the UK will become more inward looking, have other considerations to negotiate, and how this might alter its place within NATO. The EU and NATO are entirely distinct organizations, and much of the scare mongering commentary on this is speculative, she said. It may well be that the fissure in the EU make it more apparent that NATO relations need to be bolstered and supported, Norman said. In short, nothing will be taken for granted, and it may be a moment when NATO finds the resolve to stand together as never before. This could well have a very balancing and beneficial effect. Additionally, this may be a time when new alliances are formed, bringing with them benefits, she added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Azerbaijans participation in NATO summit proves its geopolitical importance in Eurasia and Eastern Europe, Naciye Selin Senocak, chair holder at UNESCO Cultural Diplomacy Governance and Education, Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies (CEDS), told Trend July 9. The two-day NATO summit kicked off in Warsaw July 8 with participation of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev. The summit participants are discussing strengthening the stability beyond NATO borders, fighting terrorism, enhancing the defence capability and deterrence means of the Alliance. OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs James Warlick (US), Igor Popov (Russia) and Pierre Andrieu (France) are also participating in the summit. The expert said that Azerbaijan is an important country for NATO in fighting the global threats. Azerbaijan proved its importance for NATO in Afghanistan and Kosovo, added Senocak. The discussions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in NATO summit show that Azerbaijan always keeps this issue on the agenda, she said. The expert said that although the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed at the NATO summit, there is no point to expect decisive steps from this summit for resolving the issue. The OSCE Minsk Group didnt achieve results in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Senocak, adding that Azerbaijan, taking the advantage of the NATO summit in Warsaw, should once again draw the attention of the international community to Armenias occupation policy. The expert pointed out that it is impossible to ensure security in Eastern Europe without the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 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. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The Bharatiya Janata Party may seem invincible in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. However, the staggering numbers in terms of the party's vote share and seats in the state assembly tell a very different tale. Right from the first time it came to power on its own in 1995, till now, this article chronicles the BJP's eventful journey in Gujarat. It was around October 2000 when Haren Pandya, a cabinet minister in the Keshubhai Patel government in Gujarat, told this writer in an interview that it was not so much the stunning debacle of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the just-concluded elections to local self-government bodies that shocked him and his party. What surprised them more was that they just did not know this was coming. With the Congress pocketing 21 out of 23 district panchayats for which elections were held in September 2000, leaving two to the BJP, it was a complete reversal of the status pre-1995. Winning 2,298 taluka panchayat seats against the BJPs 1,276 in 210 talukas of 24 districts, the Congress had more taluka panchayat seats than the BJP did in 22 districts. Here, too, there was a role reversal. Even in the BJPs traditional urban fiefdom, the party lost control of two prestigious municipal corporations of Ahmedabad and Rajkot after ruling for 13 years and 24 years, respectively, though it won 227 seats, and the Congress, 193, in all the six municipal corporations. Some detailed number crunching revealed more eye-opening facts for the ruling party, for instance, the BJP, which controlled the Surat Municipal Corporation with 98 out of 99 seatsthe 99th seat having been won by a BJP rebelwas reduced to 54 seats in 2000 though it returned to power. Is sustainability an idea, a science, a philosophy or a way of life? The premise of this article is that sustainability is all of these and more. Furthermore, science and technology of both today and the future must be re-visioned to understand and enable sustainability. The idea of sustainability is not new if we understand it as coexistence of humans and nature rather than domination of nature by the human species. Without going back to hunter-gatherer days of the human species, sustainability is evident even in the industrial and post-industrial era. Practices by local and indigenous communities such as: protecting specific areas as sacred spaces since they were sources of water and biodiverse forests; practising shifting cultivation in hilly areas, with long periods of fallow (between 10 and 20 years); raising multiple crops agro-ecologically; restoration and recovery of ecosystems through seasonal fishing and grazing animals in different locations at different times of the year; accommodations between settled agriculturists and pastoralists which allowed animals to graze on crop residues while they deposited their manure on the fields, etc, are all ways of living sustainably. Built into this understanding of sustainability, are two important precepts: (i) interdependence of the resilience of human life with the resilience and stability of natural ecosystems; and (ii) the understanding of timetime for the natural ecosystem to recover, to restore, and to stabilise after use and depletion. This recovery and restoration is necessary if the resources are to be available for human needs for a long time, possibly across generations. Such a practice of sustainability is built on experiential knowledge and inherited skills of living rather than merely a theoretical understanding of ones environment. Florence, Italy - 9 July 2016: Immunotherapy reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented today at Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology (FCVB) 2016 by Professor Aida Babaeva, head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russia.1 The combination of two extra-low dose anticytokine drugs reduced rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and cardiovascular events. "Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon (IFN), which normally protect the body, attack healthy cells," said Professor Babaeva. "Patients have painful and inflamed joints. They are also at increased cardiovascular risk, particularly if their rheumatoid arthritis is not controlled." Professor Babaeva's previous research showed that treatment with anticytokine drugs can decrease the activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Extra-low dose anti-TNF reduced levels of inflammatory mediators and cytokines including C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, TNF, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The effect was more apparent and developed earlier when patients were treated with a combination of anti-TNF and anti-IFN?, both at extra-low doses. The current study investigated the impact of the combination of drugs on cardiovascular events. It included 68 patients who had suffered from active rheumatoid arthritis for at least five years. Patients were randomised to receive the combination of anti-TNF and anti-IFN? plus standard disease-modifying therapy (38 patients) or placebo plus standard therapy (30 patients). During the three year follow up period the investigators monitored rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and cardiovascular events. Patients taking the combination of anticytokines had a lower rheumatoid arthritis disease activity score, as measured by the DAS28,2 and more dramatic decreases in IL-1, IL-6 and TNF than the group on standard therapy alone. The incidence of cardiovascular events (unstable angina, severe hypertensive crisis, and deterioration of chronic heart failure) was more than double in the group on conventional disease-modifying drugs alone (37%) compared to those also taking the combination of anticytokines (13%). Professor Babaeva said: "Our findings suggest that the decreased rheumatoid arthritis disease activity with the combination of anticytokines translates into decreased cardiovascular risk. Rheumatoid arthritis promotes the development of cardiovascular disease in a number of ways. Therefore, decreasing disease activity may also reduce cardiovascular risk by slowing down or halting these processes." For example, rheumatoid arthritis is associated with dysfunction of the blood vessel lining (called endothelium), which leads to lipid accumulation in the artery wall, plaque formation and atherosclerosis. Increased disease activity is also linked with a pro-coagulant state in which patients are more prone to blood clots and thrombosis. Patients with active disease have an increase in molecules that promote inflammation, which has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In patients with hypertension, target blood pressure was reached in 71% of those taking the combination of anticytokines compared to just 32% of patients on standard therapy alone. Professor Babaeva said: "This doesn't mean that the two drugs directly impact on blood pressure. But the combination can improve endothelial function and it could be that blood pressure is more stable when disease activity is low." "We found that the combination of two anticytokines containing extra-low doses of antibodies against TNF and IFN? can improve the efficacy of standard rheumatoid arthritis therapy and decrease cardiovascular risk," said Professor Babaeva. She concluded: "We do not think that all patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be treated with this combination. In patients with highly active disease, the standard biologics are better at preventing severe complications such as progressive joint destruction and/or systemic manifestations (vasculitis, uveitis, involvement of internal organs). We recommend this new approach for preventing cardiovascular events in patients with moderate disease activity who are not receiving the standard biologics and who do not have severe complications." ### University Hospitals Case Medical Center is among the first in the country - and the first in Ohio - to offer and deploy the Abbott Absorb stent, a completely bioresorbable stent. The Absorb stent works exactly as its traditional metallic predecessors in that it opens a blocked coronary artery, with one major exception - it dissolves completely in the body two to three years after implantation. On July 8, University Hospitals (UH) implanted its first Absorb dissolving stent on a patient with coronary artery disease. There are only 50 sites around the nation which will launch the Absorb product and UH is the only hospital in Ohio. Recently approved by the FDA, Absorb is the first and only fully dissolving stent approved for the treatment of coronary artery disease which impacts over 15 million people in the United States and is the world's leading cause of death. Made of naturally dissolving material, the new device provides the same benefits as traditional stents and trial data supports its potential benefits in restoring long-term vessel function. The stent utilizes the same cath lab equipment already in place and study data supports comparable healing with the traditional metallic stent. Hiram Bezerra, MD, and Gui Attizzani, MD, of the UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, played a significant role in assisting Abbott in bringing this technology to market. "Absorb is a new, potentially game-changing therapy for coronary artery disease," said Dr. Bezerra, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Imaging Core Laboratory - UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. "While it may never totally replace traditional DES, this novel technology gives us the ability to repair a patient's artery with comparable healing and safety and reduces long-term complications." Like traditional metallic drug-eluding stents (DES), Absorb opens a patient's blocked artery but then disappears after leaving no metal behind to restrict natural vessel motion. Absorb is made of polyactic acid similar to material used in dissolving sutures. Through the process of hydrolysis, the scaffold is metabolized after two to three years. In clinical studies conducted throughout the world, the new Absorb stent demonstrated comparable short-term and mid-term outcomes compared to the leading metallic stent. After the first year of the clinical trial of approximately 2,000 patients in the United States (Absorb III randomized trial) patients who received the Absorb experienced comparable rates of specific adverse events in the intended patient population. It also eliminates the need for layer upon layer of metal in a situation where patients experience in-stent restenosis. Additionally it reduces the amount of metal in the coronary arteries when the patient requires multiple stents. "The device restores vasomotor function and pulsatility allowing the artery to move and more naturally regulate blood flow," says Dr. Bezerra, who is Assistant Professor, Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "It also avoids the long-term future complications related to metallic stents, such as inability to graft to a fully stented artery in the event that a patient needs coronary artery bypass grafting." Drs. Bezerra and Attizzani have both been involved with the imaging core lab for Absorb studies around the world. While studying structural cardiology in Italy, Dr. Attizzani, a Clinical Assistant Professor, Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine, also had opportunity to implant hundreds of Absorb BVS and participate in European studies of the device. The device has been widely used in Europe for about five years. Abbott is using Dr. Bezerra's imaging expertise to teach and train staff and physicians around the world about the importance of vascular imaging and why it makes a difference in the proper deployment technique for Absorb. ### About University Hospitals Founded in May 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 40 outpatient health centers and primary care physician offices in 15 counties throughout Northeast Ohio. At the core of our $4 billion health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center, ranked among America's best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, UH Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopaedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and genetics. Its main campus includes UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. UH is the second largest employer in Northeast Ohio with 26,000 employees. For more information, go to http://www.UHhospitals.org. Goodness gracious, this stuff never stops. From Plus Magazine: Can cats do logic? Of course they can! Any cat knows that pawing the box of cat biscuits will make it fall over and the biscuits pour out. Thats a firm grip on the law of cause and effect. But what if the box is empty? Can cats deduce this fact from the sound or feel of the box, or are they simply taking their chances? How much can cats infer from incomplete information? Its a question that has recently received a partial answer in a (refreshingly simple) experiment conducted by scientists in Japan Thirty cats took part in the study, and here is how the researchers tested them. They presented each cat with a container that did or did not rattle when shaken. The container was then turned over and an object did or did not fall out but not always in line with what youd expect. In some cases a rattling box did reveal an object when turned over, but in others it didnt. Conversely, a non-rattling box could also reveal an object, or not. Once the container had been turned over, the cat was allowed to go and explore. If cats do understand the connection between rattling and the existence of objects and if they understand gravity, then, so the reasoning goes, they should act surprised when the unphysical situation occurs. This, the researchers say, is exactly what happened. Cats spent more time looking at the containers that didnt confirm with the laws of physics, than they did at those which did. This suggests they do understand the causal connection between sound and object and have a grasp on gravity More generally the study sheds light on how ecological factors influence animals ability to make inferences from sound. It doesnt indicate that cats are likely to take up mathematical logic any time soon. Of course cats cant do logic, mathematical or otherwise, and they never will. Cats can be clever, and can make inferences about things in their environment. But they dont do logic. Because theyre cats. Logic is a system of abstract rule-based inferences. The key word is abstract. Logic is abstracted from particulars. To wit, modus ponens works for any particulars: If P then Q. P. Therefore Q. A logical statement is true inherently, independently of the particulars that occupy the place-holders. Logic is abstract thought. Logic is contemplation of universals, not particulars. What distinguishes men from animals is this: men, but not animals, can contemplate universals, independently of particulars. Animals cannot contemplate universals. Animal thought is always tied to particular things. This rudimentary fact about animal and human minds was noted by Aristotle, and was common knowledge for a couple thousand years. Moderns have forgotten it, and it has led to a morass of confusion about animal minds and the differences between human and animal thought. Animals are capable of thought only about particular things, although animal thought about particular things can be surprisingly sophisticated. This ability of animals (and people) to think about particulars was called sensus communis and identified by Aristotle in De Anima (Book III, Chapter 2, 425a27). It is the basis for the term common sense, although in philosophy of the mind it has a more precise meaning than in its everyday usage. It means the ability to think about particular things known via perception, especially about particulars known by more than one sense, and to integrate perceptions and make inferences about the particulars. Sensus communis is the power by which an animal (or a man) decides to select the larger bowl of food rather than the smaller, for example. Such selection does not mean the thinker has an abstract concept of quantity, abstracted from the particular bowls of food in front of it. Animals dont measure their food. They dont abstract universal concepts such as volume or weight from their perception of food. But they can compare bowls of food they perceive, and make judgements based on the comparisons. None of this entails abstract thought. All animal thought is tied to particular things. So cats dont understand gravity, as an abstract concept. They can learn to expect things to fall to the floor, and they are surprised when things dont, but that doesnt mean that cats are contemplating Newtons equation of gravitation or tensor calculus of the curvature of spacetime. Animal thought lacks abstraction. Animals think about particulars, and the qualities and relations of particulars. Animal thought can be quite clever and sophisticated, but it is always grounded in particular things. There has never been a demonstration of an animal who is capable of abstract thought about universals, unlinked to particulars. In fact, an animal cannot think about universals, for the simple reason that animals have no language. Contemplation of universals, abstracted from particulars, presupposes language, because thought without particulars cannot be done without language. How would an animal contemplate mercy or justice or imaginary numbers without a language with which to express the abstract concept? All thought is about something. If an animal has no language and tries to think about a universal without instantiation in a particular, what exactly would the animal be thinking about? Animals can think about particulars without language, because particulars provide an object that is necessary to have an intentional thought a thought about something. But without language, animals are incapable of thinking about anything that is not a particular. Animals think about their owner, but not about ownership. They think about food, but not about nutrition. Men can think abstractly and have language. Language is what makes abstract thought possible. This is the root of what makes us human. We dont have language in order to communicate with other people (contra evolutionary fairy tales about screeching monkeys and group selection), although language is certainly useful for communication. We have language in order to think abstractly. Men have spiritual souls, and we are able to contemplate abstractions like universals independently of particular things. Abstract thought is an immaterial power unique to the human soul, and language is necessary to it. Photo credit: rudolfoelias stock.adobe.com. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 Trend: Heads of state and government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Warsaw July 8-9 2016 have issued Warsaw Summit Communique, NATO said on its website. We continue to support the right of all our partners to make independent and sovereign choices on foreign and security policy, free from external pressure and coercion, the communique reads. NATO remain committed in its support for the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, according to the communique. In this context, we continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, as well as in the Republic of Moldova, based upon these principles and the norms of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act, the document said. We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, within the established negotiation frameworks. 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. Hi, What are the trending sectors in mechanical engineering in Australia to get a good job? What skills should be acquired? Thanks ljoekelsoey4 said: I suppose that point is true, even if my father were to sign each photograph stating this was of his house, that wouldn't be accepted as it's not independent. All in all, this country's immigration is quite obscene when compared to pretty much anywhere else in the world really... Click to expand... It is demanding but that's not the issue I have with it - my issue is that whereas immigration should be state policy and something the state deals with, pretty much all of it is outsourced and unclear. Have to do an English language test? Fine, I don't see why it's impossible to pay for them to be done in the embassies - the way it is now, it's a complete mess as to which tests are valid and which aren't and for how long the valid ones will be valid. I don't want to hear that embassies are far away to go to for some people and recognised testing centres are easily available cause that's a complete nonsense, finding one is like looking for a needle in a haystack and still involves a long travel to get to it for most people in the world who need them.House inspection so there's no overcrowding? Fine, not a problem, understandable requirement but can government not work with local councils, have the same price of a housing report for the entire country and have councils do them and only their stuff is recognised? I'm all for capitalism and a free market but when dealing with a touchy subject like immigration, surely it's better to have state organised things rather than outsource everything and then go through the lists, get confused, get rejected cause companies which said had the permission to do housing reports don't etc... apologies for the rant. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended a session of Heads of State and Government of Afghanistan and Allies and their Resolute Support Operational Partners as part of the NATO Summit in Warsaw. President Ilham Aliyev addressed the session. The head of state said: Mr. Secretary General, Colleagues, Security and sustainable development of Afghanistan is vital for the regional and global stability. Azerbaijan, as a reliable NATO partner and friend of Afghanistan, will continue its significant troop contribution to the Resolute Support Mission and provide a multi-modal transit. Azerbaijan has already several times made substantial donations to the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund. We will continue to support this Fund financially in line with the pledges we made. We remain committed to a long-term political partnership and a practical cooperation with Afghanistan. After conclusion of the Resolute Support Mission, we envisage contribution through the enhanced Enduring Partnership. Azerbaijans contribution to the stability and development of Afghanistan goes well beyond our involvement in NATO operations. We support Afghanistan bilaterally on its path of reforms towards self-reliant future by providing practical assistance in the areas of military training, education, infrastructure, transportation, investments, and increasing the role of women in society. Azerbaijan has made substantial financial and technical contribution to the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project to be completed in the nearest future. This project will connect European and Asian railroads through Azerbaijan. Afghanistan can also join this vital transportation network. Construction of the biggest international trade seaport in the Caspian region in our country provides new opportunities for cooperation in Eurasia. I am sure Afghanistan will also benefit from this project. Azerbaijan-NATO partnership is based upon the principles of international law and indivisibility of security. Regretfully, there are still violations of these principles. The continued use of force against Azerbaijan by Armenia, whose armed forces occupied almost 20% of Azerbaijans territories, ethnically cleansed about one million Azerbaijanis, and committed war crimes, not only undermines the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan but also represents a grave threat to regional security. For more than twenty years, Armenia refuses to implement the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, which demand immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan. We support the statements of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group as well as the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE saying that status-quo is not acceptable. Changing the status-quo means beginning of de-occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan. We appreciate the renewed commitment by NATO to support Azerbaijans territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, as reiterated in Warsaw Summit Declaration. Thank you. Friday, July 8, 2016 Tags: Bob Coleman, Coleman Report, Fraud Friday July 8, 2016 By Bob Coleman Editor, Fraud Friday Fraud Friday Former Community Bank President Faces Life in Prison after Guilty Verdicts Paul Doughtys ten fraud guilty verdicts by an Oklahoma federal jury has the 67-year old community banker facing life in prison. First State Bank of Altus was seized by regulators during the recession in 2009. His partner in several business ventures, Fred Anderson, pled guilty to one count of bank fraud and testified against him at the trail. The jury heard that in 2006 and 2007, Doughty and Anderson recruited buyers for 19 Colorado real estate lots priced at approximately $700,000 each. Doughty approved and issued 14 lot loans to buyers, totaling more than $10,000,000 in loan proceeds for the seller, Mountain Adventure Property Investments. MAPI was a Colorado company that Anderson had an indirect ownership interest in and where he served as president and manager. Evidence at trial showed that each loan exceeded Doughtys individual lending authority at FSB, and most of the loans were issued without approval of FSBs loan committee, including a $580,000 loan to Andersons personal company. The jury heard that Doughty and Anderson presented lots to borrowers as zero money down investments, and that the down payments for the purchases were often advanced or refunded to the buyers by Anderson on behalf of MAPI. Doughty and Anderson also assured the buyers that MAPI would make all payments on the loans to the bank. The jury heard that on the few occasions when Doughty presented a Colorado loan to FSBs loan committee, he misrepresented the source and amount of borrowers down payments and the borrowers responsibility for making payment on the loans. Second, trial evidence showed that Doughty funded five so-called senior life settlement loans through FSB in 2008. Each loan was $2.5 million, and one of the loans went to Andersons personal company. Doughty and Anderson recruited borrowers to take out these self-paying loans to provide money for investments in Altus-based Quartz Mountain Aerospace. Evidence at trial showed that a portion of the loan proceeds was invested in QMA, and another portion would pay the loans interest. The remaining proceeds on the loans would buy and maintain third-party life insurance policies, where the death benefits on the third parties were intended to repay the loans principal. The jury heard that each loan exceeded Doughtys lending authority, and that he issued at least $10,000,000 in senior life settlement loans without FSBs loan committee or board approval. With each loan, Doughty and Anderson directed $125,000 in service fee to Altus Ventures, a company under their control. The jury heard evidence that at the time the loans were issued, the fees to Altus Ventures were not disclosed to FSB or to the borrowers taking out those loans. Third, the jury heard evidence that in January 2008, Doughty arranged a $2 million loan from FSB to Ethanol Products Group, a startup company in which both Anderson and Doughty had ownership interests. Evidence showed that Doughty advanced the $2 million from FSB, above his individual lending authority, without approval by FSBs loan committee or board. Soon before issuing the loan, Doughty e-mailed Anderson his cash strategy for two other companies they controlled; the strategy showed all the EPG loan proceeds would be directed to companies controlled by Anderson and Doughty, ultimately diverting $100,000 in officer bonuses to Anderson and Doughty. The jury convicted Doughty and ten fraud charges, and acquitted him on three fraud charges. Doughty faces up to 300 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines. It just doesn't add up and probably never will, in the current equation the oceans and the top-marine predators, such as sharks, whales and tuna, can't possibly reproduce fast enough to replace what is being taken out from industrial harvesting and thus ocean ecosystems will be unable to maintain the balance created by the big marine creatures of the high seas. Where does the nuclear clock sit for the oceans, we don't know because so much of ocean life is an unseen mystery, but it can be stated with a reasonable degree of assurance that is now sailing against the wind with tattered sails. Danny Quintana, who has fighting against entrenched bureaucracies and beliefs his whole life, founded the Global High Seas Marine Preserve as an avenue for solutions to halt industrial fishing around the world, allow the fish stocks to return (which they will if left alone for a time), give national maritime forces the impetus to work together towards a common good rather than killing each other and save a resource which, if depleted and destroyed, might conceivably make big time history with a human caused genocidal disaster of Biblical proportions. The GHSMP came out of the Quintana's recent book, Space and Ocean Exploration: The Alternative to the Military-Industrial Complex, and is now gearing up for full-fledged campaign to make the case for banning all industrial and destructive harvesting of marine life in international waters. By fishing in a manner that allows for fish stock replacement gives economies and cultural life that depend on fishing to continue while ocean ecosystems and large marine predators to replenish themselves through a normal course of action. Back to national maritime forces, such as the U.S. Navy, this policy will give them a mandate to enforce the ban and assist in ocean research efforts in conjunction with private and public institutions. Even though lots of organizations are advocating for similar measure, one doesn't need to go too far find millions of people, especially in the vital and influential Western economics, who have no ideas just how dire the situation is or that it even exists. Here are a series of radio show podcasts of Danny Quintana, founder of the Global High Seas Marine Preserve, talking about various issues. Chapter Three from Space and Ocean Exploration; The Alternative to the Military-Industrial Complex, A New Role for World's Militaries Sets Tone for Book: Trading Aggression for Research May Yield Benefits in Space-Ocean Exploration In the land of trillion dollar budgets and massive government debt loads as far the eye can see, could a shift in military missions to more research in Space and in the depths of the Oceans bring far more benefits for mankind. Right now the oceans and marine species that people consume for food are under extreme pressure from industrial fishing and pollution of various kinds. Space could bring advances not envisioned as experiments on the Space Station continue and new worlds are discovered via unmanned deep space missions and telescopes. Could intense exploration of the oceans depths by the U.S. Navy and other maritime military outfits, along with a concerted effort to limit access or shut down some of the world's major fisheries, bring knowledge and a huge uptick in the fish populations that have been shown to recover quickly when left alone for a time. Danny Quintana, founder of the Global High Seas Marine Preserve, is convinced that the time has come to act boldly in terms of saving the oceans and their coastal environs by a concerted effort at cleanup and hands off when it comes to industrial fishing and in areas where fish stocks are under heavy pressure. Evidence has shown that when an area is off-limits for a time fish reproduce fast and spill out into the outlying regions that are unprotected and the fish are fair fame. Obviously, allowances will have to made by government agencies in compensating idle fishing firms and fisherman, programs already in place in many countries around the world. Here is the complete text of Chapter Three from Space and Ocean Exploration: The Alternative to the Military-Industrial Complex entitled A New Role for the World's Militaries. For more info about the book and space and ocean exploration go to http://www.SpaceOceanExploration.com One of the most amazing advances in human history has been our increasing knowledge of the vastness of the universe. In the short span of 500 years, the travel time on our planet has greatly diminished. Today, flights to the other side of the world are routine. In the mere span of 18 hours, humans can fly from Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A., to Sydney, Australia. Most of the world's major cities are connected by 22 hours of flight time. Our small planet is interconnected by the Internet, jet travel, international trade, telecommunications satellites and common laws that govern all of us who are civilized. The International Standards Organization sets over 20,000 standards for manufacturing on a whole host of industries. This furthers international trade. There are numerous international conventions on the environment, trade and crime. Law exists. Our ancestors had a much larger planet. You usually only went on the 1,600 mile Camino Real de Tierra Adentro from Mexico City to Santa Fe one time. The trip was six months long and dangerous. Travel was on horseback or foot with numerous stops. If you survived on the 2,000 mile Oregon Trail and made it to the rich lands of the northwest you did not go back. The trek would take four to five months. In addition to being subjected to the elements, the various Indian tribes who were fighting to preserve their way of life might attack you. Accidents were common. Crime was another danger. A wrong turn might mean death from starvation or thirst. The journey was not for the faint of heart. Today, the drive from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, is 13 hours driving in air-conditioned vehicles complete with music and comfortable seats on well-maintained roads. There are numerous rest stops, nice hotels, restaurants and sightseeing along the way. If you choose to fly, the trip is about two hours. National and global tourism are huge multi-billion dollar industries. All of this is possible because the planet's militaries keep the peace. Obviously, the criminals of our small planet do not feel bound by the rule of law and will rob travelers, blow up restaurants and schools, kidnap, rob, steal, sell dangerous illegal drugs and do what ill-mannered scum throughout history have done: crime. Here, the world's militaries work to keep the peace. The fact that humans can travel from the United States to places our ancestors would only dream about is itself a remarkable testimony of how much progress we have made in a mere 500 years. Law, technology and the world's militaries enable humans to visit Beijing, Moscow, Bali, Paris, Puerto Vallarta, Vancouver British Columbia, Machu Picchu, the wildlife safaris of Kenya, islands in the Caribbean or just the beautiful national parks here in the United States. The world's militaries work as global police forces to keep the peace, protect trade and travelers and enforce international laws. Because of our advancement in space research and exploration, we are now aware of other dangers. Asteroids could take out the entire planet and there is the probability of alien civilizations in other parts of our huge galaxy. In this century, the global militaries will be required to engage in mankind's most important missions. In addition to protecting the planet from criminals, in this century global militaries need to protect the planet from asteroids and develop super weapons. Scientists are reaching out to the universe, trying to contact other life forms. This is a big mistake. We should continue to discover what is out there. But contacting civilizations far more advanced than humans who are still fighting over pieces of land based upon religious books written thousands of years ago is not prudent. WHEN we encounter other life forms, they are going to be hostile, far more advanced and extremely dangerous. The physicist Stephen Hawkins holds the chair at Oxford once held by Sir Isaac Newton. He had this to say about alien life forms: "To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational," he said, according to The Sunday Times. "The real challenge is working out what aliens might actually be like." Hawking says that they could be microbes basic animals such as worms which have been on Earth for millions of years, but suggests that extraterrestrial life could develop much further. "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet," Hawking said. "I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach." The scientist, who is paralyzed by motor neuron disease, warned that contact with alien life could spell disaster for the human race. "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the American Indians." The worlds' scientists need to work together on space-based weapons for the not-so-distant threats of asteroids hitting the planet. We don't know how much time we have before we encounter other alien civilizations. Time goes by very fast. The dangers we face might be decades away or just a few years. Our efforts to contact other civilizations might have been successful. Thus humans have to work together to face common threats. Asteroids have been slamming into the earth since the planet was formed. The most common theory on the extinction of the dinosaurs is an asteroid hit the earth. The impact was so great the dust and debris blocked out the sun, altered the weather and known life on the planet ended. Humans await the same fate. But unlike the dinosaurs, we have opposable thumbs and technology. Here is what some scientists speculate would happen if a giant asteroid hit the earth: "By the time you get up to a mile-wide asteroid, you are working in the 1 million megaton range. This asteroid has the energy that's 10 million times greater than the bomb that fell on Hiroshima. It's able to flatten everything for 100 to 200 miles out from ground zero. In other words, if a mile-wide asteroid were to directly hit New York City, the force of the impact probably would completely flatten every single thing from Washington D.C. to Boston, and would cause extensive damage perhaps 1,000 miles out that's as far away as Chicago. The amount of dust and debris thrown up into the atmosphere would block out the sun and cause most living things on the planet to perish. If an asteroid that big were to land in the ocean, it would cause massive tidal waves hundreds of feet high that would completely scrub the coastlines in the vicinity. The United States trades with the world. The Chinese, Japanese, Arabs and Europeans buy American bonds. A land war with China, Russia, Germany, Japan, Mexico or any other country is highly unlikely in this century. History has just moved on from the days of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Clearly the threats from criminal elements that hide behind religion will continue for the foreseeable future. These little religious hoodlums who blow up mosques and schools and shoot girls in the face for wanting an education will not go away in our lifetime. They will continue to cause a lot of human suffering. Religious hoodlums and international drug dealers are not an existential threat to the survival of the species and all life on this planet. They just need to be prosecuted and if convicted of the numerous crimes they are committing, jailed. In a world where we are a mere 22 hours apart, like each other or not, the threats from an asteroid hitting the earth is common to all governments. Contacting alien life forms that can come to our tiny planet and devour us is a common danger. Battling super viruses that could kill life on this planet is a common threat. Fighting the criminals require the militaries of the planet to work together. Fortunately for humans, we already have the necessary military might to keep the peace. We do not have the military to protect our tiny planet from asteroids or unwelcome invaders. We need to develop a global military for a space-based planetary defense primarily to protect the planet from asteroids, not space aliens. It is a question of when, not if our planet will be hit by asteroids. Contact by civilizations far more advanced than our own is possible, the planet being destroyed by an asteroid is probable. The math is there. Life in other parts of the universe is probably. We now know there are billions of planets in the Goldilocks zone. These are planets that are close enough to a star to support life but not so far that it is too cold; it is just the right distance. There are billions of galaxies and hundreds of billions of planets capable of having life. The mathematical probability that there are other life forms out there in a universe with billions of stars and billions of planets means humans and dolphins here on this tiny planet are not alone in the universe. Fortunately we are at great distances from even the nearest star. Asteroids are a different story. To be so imprudent and arrogant as to not prepare for an encounter with aliens will place humanity and all of the life forms on this planet at great risk. If "they" can get here, they can kill us. Inviting more advanced civilizations to come hunting for us could mean the end of life on this planet. Professor Hawking's fear of space aliens while alarmist is not anywhere near as likely as asteroids destroying the planet. That in fact has happened before and without a space defense system this will happen again. From the horrific sins of my Spanish and Portuguese ancestors and the devastation of the indigenous people on this side of this very small planet to the current destruction of numerous species, we should expect the same treatment. Human history is one of genocide. Exterminating numerous indigenous people with disease as well as better weapons prevailed. Unless we work together as a planet, the same fate awaits us. The Russians, Chinese, Indians, Americans, European Union and others have excellent scientists working in the defense sectors of their economies. This research work on weapons should be accelerated but it must be a joint effort. The danger to our Earth from asteroids can only be ignored at the peril of all life on our small planet. Unlike the animal kingdom, humans do not have a contract with nature. When the lion is finished eating, the other animals will literally graze right next to the pride and not be bothered. They all understand that the meal has been provided. The lions do not kill off other animals for "sport" but only to eat what they need. Humans kill for the joy of killing, not because of necessity. Would we expect less of an alien civilization that had mastered the use of the atom for space travel? Hawkin's space aliens notwithstanding, the far bigger danger is from a collision with an asteroid that would end civilization. It is not proven science that aliens have been in contact with human civilizations. It is the subject of much science fiction, and terrible documentaries. There is no science that human accomplishments were the result of instruction of space aliens. Must of these conjectures and poorly developed documentaries have been disproven by the scientific community. Still, it is important to develop space-based weapons and better propulsion systems for inter solar-system travel and protection of all life on this tiny planet. The clearest evidence our planet has not been visited by alien civilizations is we are still alive and not occupied. The current Iron Dome and Missile Defense System that has been developed by the U.S. military and Israel needs to be expanded and deployed in outer space. A global space defense shield will protect the earth from asteroids. A global Iron Dome Missile Defense System needs to be deployed as soon as scientifically possible. Here, research must be accelerated and expanded with all military scientists working together. We all have a shared interest in survival. There are tens of thousands of asteroids just in our solar system. All it takes is one large asteroid and the present life forms on this tiny planet will be exterminated. The 1950s and '60s brought a host of projects involving the use of nuclear power for space travel. Eventually, the projects were cancelled because of lack of progress and funding. The Americans have not been able to overcome the effects of radiation and the necessity for shielding, thus the extra weight made these scientific projects unfeasible. We gave up instead of continuing with the science of the use of atomic power for space travel. Research in this area should be re-started. New propulsion systems must be developed to reduce the massive distances between planets. The ocean of our ancestors seemed to go on forever. Technology improved and the distances between continents has been shortened from months to hours. Given the distances of outer space where a Mars mission can take up to ten months, being able to get there in one week with the use of the power of the atom is something that should be pursued. The Russians have a program underway proposing the use of the atom for long distance space exploration. Anatolij Perminov, head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, announced that it is going to develop a nuclear-powered spacecraft for deep space travel. Preliminary design was done by 2013, and nine more years are planned for development (in space assembly). The price is set at 17 billion rubles ($600 million). The nuclear propulsion would have mega-watt class, provided necessary funding is available, Roscosmos Head stated. "This system would consist of a space nuclear power and the matrix of ion engines. "...Hot inert gas temperature of 1500 C from the reactor turns turbines. The turbine turns the generator and compressor, which circulates the working fluid in a closed circuit. The working fluid is cooled in the radiator. The generator produces electricity for the same ion (plasma) engine..." He said the propulsion will be able to support human missions to Mars, with cosmonauts staying on the red planet for 30 days. This journey to Mars with nuclear propulsion and a steady acceleration would take six weeks, instead of eight months by using chemical propulsion assuming thrust of 300 times higher than that of chemical propulsion. The world needs to put the tribal differences of the past aside and concentrate on the global threats to our planet's survival. This means we can look out to the universe and search for other life forms like scouts in ancient times observing the enemy. It means protecting the planet from an asteroid, something that will require global military cooperation. A space based system is too expensive for any one nation but with militaries working together, it is not outside of human capabilities. Had the indigenous people of the Americas repelled every incursion of my Spanish and Portuguese ancestors as well as those of the northern European tribes, they would not have been slaughtered. Obviously the dinosaurs were not able to move the asteroid that had a collision with the earth that wiped them out. Alien civilizations are a very small threat to humanity but one we need to at least study. But asteroids are a clear and present danger to all life forms on this tiny planet. The study of advanced weapons should continue for as long as humans occupy this planet. Scientific research on weapons and space travel is what will ultimately save mankind and our animal and plant kingdom from asteroids. We have bigger fights to prepare for than fighting each other. Religious books have their place, but asteroids could not care less about who owns what piece of land based upon 7,000-year-old texts. We live in a new age. The planet has become tiny and international travel is a reality for millions of people. We live in a interconnected global world where we can talk with friends on the other side of the planet and with proper planning visit them. We can eat Thai food while we drink Argentine wine, wear Russian clothes, drive Japanese vehicles made with Spanish parts and Mexican labor and talk on cell phones made in China with Korean parts. We are one planet. Developing space based defense systems is just an insurance policy that present day life forms will not suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the French Republic Francois Hollande in Warsaw. At the meeting, the sides had a broad exchange of views on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The presidents stressed the appropriateness of a negotiated solution to the conflict. The French President said he would actively support the settlement of this issue. They discussed the current state and prospects of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Lincoln Clean Energy swooped into Texas last year with big plans to build the states largest solar farm, a $320 million project covering 2,400 acres in the Texas Panhandle and capable of powering 40,000 homes even on the hottest days. But more than six months after construction was scheduled to begin, ceremonial shovels have yet to break ground on the Nazareth Solar project about 60 miles south of Amarillo. The problem: No one wants to buy the electricity. The Texas solar rush was supposed to take off in 2016, but as Nazareth Solar shows, it remains far from achieving its promise. At least five major solar projects expected to come online in Texas by the end of 2017 have been delayed or canceled, while some industry giants, such as SunEdison, have filed for bankruptcy. You havent seen quite the liftoff with solar yet in Texas, said Philip Moore, Lincolns vice president of development. That liftoff was expected to come over the next couple years, but the string of delays and cancellation means the state may add only about half the anticipated 2,000 megawatts of installed solar energy by the end of 2017 (a megawatt can power about 200 homes). The roughly 300 megawatts of grid-scale solar power currently available in Texas accounts for less than 1 percent of the states electricity generation, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees about 90 percent of the power grid. Despite natural advantages such as nearly 300 sunny days a year and plenty of open spaces to site projects, Texas only ranks 10th in solar installation, even behind cold-weather states such as New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Rock-bottom natural gas prices, which have lowered the cost of traditional power generation, and a lack of state incentives make it nearly impossible for solar to compete dollar-for-dollar in the Texas marketplace even with federal tax breaks, said Travis Miller, director of utilities research at Morningstar. Solar cant even compete with wind, which had a big head start in Texas and still costs roughly 15 percent less than solar, according to renewable energy developers. Texas leads the nation in wind power with an expected capacity by the end of the year of more than 20,000 megawatts enough to power about 5 million homes when the wind is blowing. In March, wind generated more than 20 percent of the states power for the first time in a month, more than coal or nuclear power. At the current costs for solar, Miller said, its going to struggle to be competitive in Texas given the low cost of gas and the huge amount of wind generation. Expanding solar, nonetheless, could prove critical for Texas as the combination of a growing population and the shuttering of older, dirtier coal plants in coming years could make it difficult to meet electricity demand. The state could lose as much as 9,000 megawatts of its generating capacity over the next few years as age and tougher pollution rules make it too costly to operate coal plants. Dallas-based Luminant the states largest power producer has already warned that some of its coal plants could shut down. More Information Top 10 The top 10 solar states by cumulative solar capacity, including utility-scale, distributed and rooftop (as of March 2016): 1. California, 13,241 megawatts 2. Arizona, 2,303 MW 3. North Carolina, 2,087 MW 4. New Jersey, 1,632 MW 5. Nevada, 1,240 MW 6. Massachusetts, 1,020 MW 7. New York, 638 MW 8. Hawaii, 564 MW 9. Colorado, 540 MW 10. Texas, 534 MW Source: Solar Energy Industries Association See More Collapse The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has planned on the state adding some 15,000 megawatts of grid-scale solar capacity by 2030 to help replace coal plants and meet new demand, but its increasingly unclear how much of that will become reality. Hopes that costs would fall further and faster, making solar more competitive with other sources of electricity, have yet to materialize. Globally, funding for the solar industry has plunged to about $1.7 billion in the second quarter from nearly $6 billion during the same period in 2015, according to Mercom Capital Group, a clean energy consulting firm. At least 100 solar firms have filed for bankruptcy or closed in the United States and Europe since 2009, including Austin-based HelioVolt, which shut down in 2014, according to Greentech Media, a market research firm. One of the biggest setbacks for the industry came in April, when SunEdison, the worlds largest renewable energy developer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. SunEdison, headquartered in Missouri, loaded on some $16 billion in debt as it kept adding massive projects before they became profitable. The company, which declined to comment, lost nearly $1 billion through the first nine months of 2015 alone. SunEdison scheduled two major solar projects in Texas to begin operations this year, but both were delayed at least into 2017. One of them, Buckthorn solar farm in Pecos County, would, if completed, make Georgetown, a community of 60,000 people north of Austin, the largest municipality in the nation powered solely by renewable sources. In Texas, solar power has mostly grown outside competitive electricity markets, supported by municipal utilities looking to diversify electricity supplies and expand their use of green power for social and environmental, as well as economic, benefits. San Antonio and Austin, both served by municipal utilities, have led the way. San Antonios electric utility, CPS Energy, has teamed with OCI Solar Power, the San Antonio-based subsidiary of South Koreas OCI Corp. In April, CPS opened the 95-megawatt Alamo 5 solar farm in Uvalde County, west of the city, and later this year it will bring its larger Alamo 6 and 7 projects online, which have a combined capacity of 216 megawatts. Another subsidiary, San Antonio-based Mission Solar Energy, opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Brooks City Base in 2012. These will allow San Antonio to get nearly 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by early next year, said Cris Eugster, executive vice president at CPS Energy, the citys utility. We believe and our community believes clean energy needs to play a part, Eugster said. You dont have that same conversation going on in the deregulated markets. 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. Austin is projected to surpass San Antonio as the states solar leader by the end of 2017, although there is a bit of buyers remorse at the Austin Energy utility. Austin will obtain 277 megawatts of power from two West Texas solar farms at prices that are a record low for solar in Texas, but will help keep the citys electricity rates above the state average. Solar is getting cheap, said Austin Energy Vice President Debbie Kimberly, but its still more expensive than what youd see with gas-fired resources, so its a challenge. While grid-scale solar projects are leading the way, solar power will need to come in other shapes and sizes to help meet growing electricity demand, including residential rooftop installations and distributed community solar farms. In San Antonio, CPS offers three programs to allow customers to invest in solar a rebate program to reimburse them for some of the cost of installing their own panels, a program called SolarHost that installs panels at no charge on homes that meet certain standards, and its Roofless Solar initiative, a community solar program that lets customers buy panels at a centralized location and receive credits on their bills. In the Texas Hill Country, Renewable Energy Systems, a British company, has launched a project to connect 15 different sites, each with installations of nearly a megawatt, to produce 15 megawatts of solar power. In Plano, Toyota plans to build nearly 8 megawatts of rooftop and on-site solar at its new North American headquarters. Houston developer Joey Romano recently completed a 1.5-megawatt solar project in Sealy. The small solar farm is selling its power through MP2, a local retail electricity company, but, Romano admits, its more expensive than average plans. Hes counting on people wanting to pay a little more to know theyre helping the environment and using locally generated energy literally a farm-to-market approach to electricity. Express-News archives contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At the Dedicated Kuts barbershop on North New Braunfels, the mood flashed from anger to dread Friday as people who live and work on the East Side railed against the fatal police shootings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana and the killing of five police officers at an anti-violence rally in Dallas. Id hate to be the parent to get that phone call and someone was telling me my son was killed by a police officer, barber Michael Calloway, 49, said over the buzz of clippers. Im a black father and a black man, with black children. I have to explain to my sons how to conduct themselves if theyre stopped by the police. The barber tells his children that if theyre stopped by an officer, they should roll down all the car windows to give a clear view and keep both hands on the steering wheel. Customers nodded their heads when Calloway said being black is like having a target on your back. But the men in the barbershop, not far from the statue of Martin Luther King Jr., agreed that killing police doesnt solve anything, and one man said good cops are paying for what rogue cops have been doing. More Information People killed by police in the U.S. See More Collapse I dont think evil has to go for evil, said customer Jeron Webb, 25. Its pain all around on both sides. Its going to get uglier and sometimes thats what it takes before people open their eyes and address it. Calloway agreed; there have been killings for decades, he said, but it has gotten worse. For cops who are supposed to serve and protect us, theyre not serving to protect, he said. How can you set up and kill a man thats sitting in a car with his family and tells you he has a concealed weapon, a license to carry, and you ask for his drivers license and he reaches for it and he gets gunned down in front of his family? Theres no justice in that at all. Calloway was referring to the case of Philando Castile, 32, who was shot through his car window Wednesday during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. Over by the AT&T Center, the stylists and clients at Js Barber & Beauty Shop were talking about the same thing as the old TV Western Bonanza blared. Owner Lawrence Jackson, 67, said there have been too many shootings. He said hes a law-abiding citizen and doesnt fear being stopped by the police, but he knows he could get pulled over at anytime. He said what happens would depend on the officer. Its very upsetting. It makes the police look bad, Jackson said as customers walked into the shop, at North Rio Grande and East Houston streets. We need to be treated like people, instead of nobody. Across the room, Keevin Menefee, 37, said camera phones and social media are making a difference. Its a way to expose whats really happening with the police, Menefee said. Its been happening since Rodney King. It was a blessing the man brought a camcorder or we never would have seen it. Its the power of the camera. Several blocks away, near Gevers Street, beads of sweat covered the faces of Frank Johnson, 56, and Oliver Jones, 61, as they loaded cargo into the bed of a pickup. Johnson said hes tired of the violence going on around his East Side neighborhood and across the country. Its unnecessary. Youre losing in both rounds, Johnson said. Need to stop selling folks those guns. His friend, Jones, lifted a large book with two hands and turned the front to his friend. This is it, he said, holding up the book with the words Holy Bible embossed in gold on the cover. This is the answer. vtdavis@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Just two days after a suspected lone gunman killed five Dallas police officers, San Antonios 100 Club tried to keep its spirits high at its 19th annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser as teams of first responders chowed down for two minutes on as many meatballs as they could muster. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office won the competition, consuming 47 meatballs. The annual event came after the Thursday incident in which 25-year-old former Army reservist Micah Johnson allegedly shot and killed five Dallas police officers and wounded seven more. The officers were escorting a Black Lives Matter protest through the city. Two civilians were also injured in the attack after which Johnson was killed by police. It is absolute insanity that something of that magnitude can happen. I dont even have the words for it, San Antonio police Chief William McManus said at the Christopher Columbus Italian Society building. The Dallas shooting happened the day after a police officer shot and killed 32-year-old Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The aftermath of the incident, which showed Castile bleeding in the drivers seat and an officer standing outside the window with gun pointing at him, was captured on a Facebook livestream by Castiles girlfriend. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed by officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday as they attempted to arrest him outside a convenience store. The shooting sparked a national outcry. In San Antonio, 26-year-old police cadet Nicolette Muniz was sitting with her nephew and cousins at the spaghetti fundraiser. A graduate from Texas A&M with degrees in psychology and criminology and only seven weeks away from graduating from the academy, Muniz tried to strike a positive tone when asked about the recent shootings. Its definitely a reality check that this is all real because you train for it, but you dont expect those things to happen, she said of the Dallas shooting. At the same time it kind of reminds us of why we decided to do this, and it motivates us to want to get out there and help the community. A native of San Antonio, Muniz grew up on the West Side of town and now lives on the South Side. She said that she did not have many interactions with police, and that she and her fellow cadets are focused on getting their training done. Were really determined and were eager and were excited, Muniz said of herself and her classmates. Regardless of all the things that are happening we all chose to pick this as our career knowing that those were some of the things that could happen. 100 Club President Richard Miller said that they hope to raise more than $30,000 this year and that he and the organization is looking at non-profits in Dallas to donate a large chunk of that to. He said such an incident sends shocks through the community. When a police officer or a firefighter every time one of them walks out the door theres a pit in the stomach of the spouse, the children, that something could happen, Miller said. While police involved shootings and misconduct have been in the news for the last two years, Muniz sees the individuals who wear the uniform and badge every day differently than others. For some people those are just police officers, but in a couple of weeks Ill be looking at my classmates as a police officer and Ill know that theyre not just police officers, Muniz said. I know them personally, I know that they have kids, husbands and wives and that they work their butt off. rdruzin@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonio Police Department Capt. Joseph Salvaggio went to bed early Thursday night in preparation for the 19th annual 100 Club of San Antonio spaghetti dinner, which raises money for the families of fallen officers and firefighters. He awoke Friday morning to his wife crying and the news that 12 officers and two civilians had been shot in an ambush. Five officers had been killed by a sniper in downtown Dallas as he slept. Waking up this morning was very hard, listening to this news and watching it in the morning. It almost brought tears to my eyes thinking about their families, Salvaggio said. When these things happen it doesnt just affect the officers, it affects the entire family. My daughter was very upset. As Salvaggio and officers everywhere struggled with their emotions in the wake of the violent attack on their own, Mayor Ivy Taylor, along with SAPD Deputy Chief Anthony Trevino, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and three City Council members, urged residents to cooperate with law enforcement when they witness suspicious activity. We all know that our city of San Antonio is a city with a deep heart, and today our heart aches with the victims and their families, Taylor said. I want to remind all of my fellow San Antonians that the way we stay safe is by staying engaged. Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said the Sheriffs Office is not aware of any credible threats in the San Antonio area but that deputies are still on alert and will remain vigilant. We are shocked and saddened by the events that occurred in Dallas. Our hearts and prayers go to the family and friends of those officers who lost their lives, Pamerleau said. We stand ready to offer our support in any way needed. Not long after local authorities released statements offering their condolences and support to the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office announced their deputies must ride two in a vehicle. SAPD Officer Douglas Greene said two officers at minimum are sent to dispatched calls and that cover is always close. Of course, our officers will be extra vigilant in the wake of Dallas, Greene said. Salvaggio said the fate of the five officers in Dallas is something in the back of every officers mind when starting the day and serves as a reminder for officers everywhere to stay vigilant. People will say, Well, its what you signed up for. Nobody signs up to die, he said. Were signing up to protect the community and do what we can. Thats the ultimate sacrifice that those guys give, and its much more than what they should have to give. Salvaggio said the 100 Club will be donating what they can to support the 100 Club in Dallas and the families of the officers who were killed. I guarantee you they didnt target their skin color, they targeted the uniform, he said of the shooter. Milo Colton, St. Marys University criminal justice professor, said the visuals of the fallen officers in the media have an effect on psyches that increases the degree of paranoia that some officers might feel when putting on the uniform and badge. Theres no way its not going to adversely affect the psychological health of an officer, he said. When youve been shot at or had a fellow officer killed, you operate in a different mindset. Im not afraid to go out there any day, Salvaggio said firmly. I dont know any officer that is. I dont think its anger, I think its hurt. Theyre truly out there to do whats best for the community. There is paranoia among people in the police profession, he said, noting that officers will not call it that but instead operate with more awareness. It doesn't paralyze us from doing our jobs, San Antonio Police Officers Association President Mike Helle said. It certainly does make us heightened and aware of our surroundings. Referring to an SAPD officer who said his wife pleaded with him not to go to work Friday, Trevino reiterated the commitment of local law enforcement of its duty to the city. That officer, he said, I can almost guarantee you he still came to work. We have an honor and a duty and an obligation to serve our community and keep our community safe. In a statement early Friday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, who is on vacation, said the department was saddened by the attack on officers. Our hearts go out to the officers, their families and the Dallas community who have been affected by this horrific attack, he said. This tragedy hits close to home, and we are monitoring the situation as it unfolds. This is a sobering reminder to our officers that they must constantly remain vigilant. We also ask all citizens to be watchful and report any suspicious activity. Trevino noted that in addition to 911 for emergency situations, residents may call authorities through their non-emergency numbers to report suspicious activity. The SAPD non-emergency line is 210-207-SAPD. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has a tip line at 210-335-TIPS. Trevino also addressed changes in SAPD, saying the department is looking at use-of-force data, identifying and measuring the amount of necessary force, as well as training officers in additional de-escalation tactics. He added that there has often been an outpouring of support from the community when asked about the relationship between police and the city. Its such an extraordinarily tragic event, that I thank God we don't have this type of incident happening here, Helle said. Any one of us couldve put ourselves in that situation during Fiesta. Its pretty scary when you have so much different video from different angles. In separate interviews, Helle and Juan Contreras of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County, said officers and deputies are not afraid, but the shootings have made them more vigilant while on patrol. Were out there. Were taking the fight, Contreras said. What my job is going to be is saying, Look, right now we need to mourn the loss of our brothers after what occurred. jbeltran@express-news.net Twitter: @JBfromSA COLUMBIA, S.C. Thousands of people reached out to Gov. Nikki Haley after the slayings of nine black people at a historic Charleston church, condemning the violence as senseless and saddening. Many of these messages, included among more than 10,000 pages released Wednesday by Haleys office, praise the Republican governor as courageous for calling for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds. But many others, while criticizing the violence, urged her to leave the flag alone rather than make a knee jerk reaction to the shootings. The messages arrived from across the state and as far away as Texas, Washington and Hawaii. Dylann Roof, the white man charged in the shootings, who posed with the battle flag and talked of trying to start a race war, is set for trial in November on three dozen federal charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of religion. A trial on a state charges, including murder, is set for January. Days after the shootings at Emanuel AME Church, amid heated conversations nationwide over race relations and the legacy of Confederate symbols, Haley held an emotional news conference to say the flag should be taken down. Released in response to open records requests, the messages she received after the slayings reflect the divisiveness of the debate over the banner. Some are just a single sentence, praising Haley or condemning her for taking her stand. Others go on for pages, even including news articles or historical information. There are racial epithets, too, aimed at the nine black shooting victims and at Haley, whose parents emigrated from India. What will you give up next when they ask. Our Bibles? Our guns? Our children? one questioned. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: S&P Global Ratings agency has assigned its 'BBB' long-term corporate credit rating to Kazakhstan-based oil producer Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO), the outlook is negative, the agency said in a message. The agency also assigned its 'kzAA+' Kazakhstan national scale rating to TCO. At the same time, the agency assigned its 'BBB' issue credit rating to the company's proposed $1 billion senior secured bond to be issued by subsidiary Tengizchevroil Finance International Ltd. and guaranteed by TCO. TCO is developing one of Kazakhstan's major oil fields, Tengiz, and accounts for about 36 percent of all the hydrocarbon liquids the country produces and 12 percent of its oil reserves. The agencys assessment of TCO's business risk as satisfactory primarily reflects its view of the company's low-cost production, which allows it to generate meaningful positive free cash flow, even with low oil prices (before the expansion project). At the same time, it incorporates the agencys view of the company's exposure to high country risk in Kazakhstan, where all of its assets are located, together with limited diversity in terms of products and geography. TCO's business risk is also constrained by its reliance on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) as a low-cost means of transportation, which currently supports above-average profitability but could meaningfully increase costs in case of any disruptions, said the message. S&P assesses TCO's financial risk profile as significant, reflecting its expectation that the expansion project will materially increase debt to EBITDA. The agency anticipated debt to EBITDA will peak in 2020-2021 at about 4.0x, with a gradual reduction thereafter. The negative outlook on TCO mirrors that on Kazakhstan, the message said. The agency expects TCO will raise debt by the end of 2016 and commence its investment project and that its shareholders will provide their share of the funding, as currently envisaged by the financing structure. S&P would lower its long-term rating on TCO if it lowers its long-term foreign currency rating on Kazakhstan or revise down the T&C assessment by one notch. The agency could also downgrade TCO if it revises down its long-term oil price assumption by at least $10 per barrel and FFO to debt drops to well below 20 percent on average. Other factors that could weigh negatively on the rating include the agencys potential view that country risk in Kazakhstan had increased, for instance due to a material revision of the local tax regulation, or if there were major disruptions to the CPC pipeline, which the agency currently doesnt expect. S&P could also lower the rating if it observes less support from Chevron and other shareholders that would adversely affect TCO's capital structure. S&P could revise the outlook on TCO to stable if it took a similar rating action on the sovereign ratings of Kazakhstan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova Kuhn Farm Machinery has upgraded the operating system across its range of mounted and trailed sprayers. Machines including the mounted Deltis 2 and Altis 2, and trailed Metris 2S, Metris 2, and Oceanis now compatible with a full Isobus control system. Isobus will also be available on Kuhns new Lexis sprayer which was launched in the UK at this years Cereals event. The operating system upgrade brings all Kuhn sprayers in line with the Isobus cross-industry system and enables the machines control system to be displayed on an in-cab terminal, such as the Kuhn Isobus CCI unit, thereby avoiding the need for, and expense of, multiple terminals. Kuhn's separate Isoclick control box provides additional operator comfort and improved ergonomics by placing the key sprayer controls within finger-tip reach at the end of the tractor seats armrest. This secondary control unit plugs into the CCI terminal and gives quick and easy access to functions such as section control, boom height and angle and can also be re-programmed to operate other machines such as Kuhn fertiliser spreaders, seed drills and gyrorakes. The Isobus system allows the following sprayer functions: Provides a universal display through a single Isobus screen; Acts as a basic task controller, recording and documenting the work carried out; Provides location-based data; Manages section control and variable rate applications; Manages and delivers all tractor information such as forward speed and PTO rpm. The new Isobus system also simplifies the rinsing function on sprayers fitted with Kuhns Diluset and e-SET controls: the Isobus display screen illustrates which section of the machine is being rinsed for improved chemical integrity and safety. Tractors may be supplied with their own Isobus terminal, or may be Isobus-ready - fitted with integral cable, but no control box. Alternatively, Kuhn can supply its own Isobus terminal as an option this can potentially be used as the control terminal for other implements (figure 4). Kuhn Isobus sprayers can also be operated via compatible existing terminals such as the Topcon X30 and John Deere GreenStar 2630 units. Beyond cable connections, Isobus systems can also be operated wirelessly and can incorporate video feeds and external lighting bars. Not only does this type of system make it easier to control Kuhn sprayers, it also saves time by simplifying tractor/implement connection, reduces in-cab clutter, and enables plug-and-play functionality through the use of standardised plugs, cables, screens and software which are also compatible with third party GPS, mapping and variable rate technologies. The Ulster Farmers Union Dairy Chairman, William Irvine, has taken part in a key meeting in Brussels on the crisis facing the dairy industry. The meeting focussed on the dairy aid package, due to be announced on 18 July, by the farm commissioner, Phil Hogan. The UFU represented the UK as part of a delegation that included Dutch, Danish, German and Republic of Ireland farming organisations. It met one of the key officials Tom Tynan from Commissioner Hogans cabinet. "We stressed that the Commissions package must offer a range of measures, including support for structural investments that encourage farmers to become more competitive and should not be limited to the single condition of cutting milk output," said Mr Irvine. At the meeting the Commission underlined its determination to tackle the problems in the dairy sector, but made clear that the new support package would come with conditions. The delegation however stressed that while supply and demand have been out of balance, markets are moving back towards a better balance. "Commodity prices are recovering with the UFU milk price indicator rising from 17.2 to nearly 19 pence a litre in the past fortnight, reflective of recovering commodity prices and exchange rate movement, post EU referendum result. "Crucially, milk production is now beginning to slow down, with the UK average daily production in mid-June nine per cent down on last year," said Mr Irvine. He added that as the UK heads towards Brexit, cutting production locally would leave the Northern Ireland industry in danger of losing export opportunities, while opening the UK market to even more imported dairy products. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: Representatives of the founders of the Sarmatia International Pipeline Company confirmed the need for implementing the project on Brody-Plock oil pipelines construction during the 15th Meeting of the EU Eastern Partnership Platform 3 on Energy Security in Brussels, the Sarmatia IPC Director General Sergiy Skrypka told Trend July 8. During the event, representatives of all the founders of the Sarmatia IPC, including the company itself presented information about the preparation of the project, said Skrypka. It is necessary to say that absolutely all of our founders supported the need for implementation of the project and confirmed their willingness to contribute to continuation of the work on it, he added. The Brody-Plock oil pipeline is currently the only incomplete part of the Euro-Asian Oil Transportation Corridor (EOTC). The EOTC project will give the Caspian states an additional reliable route for their oil supplies to the European markets, as well as new customers and opportunities to work in adjacent markets. Participants of Sarmatia are the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation Ltd (GOGC), Ukrainian UkrTransNafta, Polish Przedsiebiorstwo Eksploatacji Rurociagow Naftowych Przyjazn SA and Lithuanian AB Klaipedos Nafta. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Alzheimer's patient among those raising money in Fayetteville Jay Reinstein, a former assistant Fayetteville city manager, is among those walking to raise money for Alzheimer's research Saturday at Segra Stadium. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 9 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has proposed the Japanese businessmen to consider the possibility of participation in the implementation of large-scale projects for developing the industrial sector of the countrys economy, as well as in the construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, said the message from Turkmen government. The proposal was put forward during the meeting with representatives of Japans Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and Sojitz Corporation, Shinsuke Nippo and Toshihiro Yoshimura. During the meeting, the businessmen expressed readiness of their companies for diversification of the business partnership. The groundbreaking ceremony for TAPI's Turkmen section was held in mid-December 2015. TAPI Pipeline Company Limited has been created for constructing and commissioning the pipeline. It is comprised of gas companies of the participating countries. Negotiations continue with other potential participants. Earlier, representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the Saudi Fund for Development expressed interest in participation in the TAPI projects implementation. In line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the Saudi retail sector has taken concrete steps to generate 1 million new jobs by 2020 and provide the youth with more opportunities to work in commercial shops, vegetable markets, telecommunication shops, and several other fields.Saudi Arabia's retail sector enjoys more than SR 370 billion in investments annually and retailers will play a central role in the implementation of Vision 2030 as also realising the goal of limiting the unemployment rates in the desert country , Fahad bin Saiban Al-Sulami, Member of the Board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry told website www.arabnews.com . In line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the Saudi retail sector has taken concrete steps to generate 1 million new jobs by 2020 and provide the youth with more opportunities to work in commercial shops, vegetable markets, telecommunication shops, and several other fields. Saudi Arabia's retail sector enjoys more than SR 370 billion in investments # The retail sector, said Al-Sulami, will help bring unemployment down from 11.6 percent to 7 percent, as stipulated in the vision, while the labour market will see more female participation and an over 10 percent growth.The Ministry of Labor and Social Development's upcoming 5-year plan will see more than 1.3 million Saudi nationals enter the labour market as a result of the plan to nationalize the retail, telecommunication, taxi, travel and tourism, real estate, gold and jewellery, and vegetable market sectors, he said.Al-Sulami also stressed the need to face the major challenges facing the retail sector, such as 'cover up' practices, the high cost of available commercial spaces, labour shortages, limited investment in training national cadres, as well as inadequate infrastructure to serve the sector."Many SMEs turn to expatriate labour because they are seemingly more affordable, a situation that has increased the percentage of expatriates in the sector to more than two-thirds and created significant economic pressure," he said. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Thanks to government initiatives and a good monsoon, industry watchers expect the domestic textiles market to grow between 7 and 8 % in financial year 2017while exports could bring in $ 40 billion during the period.The onset of good monsoon and government initiatives may help in growth of 7-8 per cent of domestic textile market, which was estimated at USD 60 billion in FY16, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) Chairman Naishadh Parikh told PTI here. Thanks to government initiatives and a good monsoon, industry watchers expect the domestic textiles market to grow between 7 and 8 % in financial year 2017while exports could bring in $ 40 billion during the period. The onset of good monsoon and government initiatives may help in growth of 7-8 per cent of domestic textile market, which was... # The textiles exports, estimated at USD 40 billion, is likely to expand by 5-8 % this fiscal, he said.Referring to the Rs 6000 crore special package announced last month for the garment sector, Mr Parikh said it would further strengthen the textile value chain.India has the second fully integrated textile value chain, next only to China. The industry is looking forward to more initiatives to further bolster the sector in view of large investments taking place in Bangladesh and Vietnam towards verticalisation of the industry, the CITI Persident said.Describing Union minister Ms Smriti Zubin Irani as dynamic, progressive and result-oriented, Mr Parikh said her appointment as the Textiles Minister was most opportune as the industry is poised to translate the Prime Minister's vision of 'Make in India' and 'Skill India' into a reality.The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) also congratulated Ms Irani, for taking charge as Textile minister and expressed optimism that the industry would benefit from her enthusiastic and dedicated approach.AEPC chairman Ashok G Rajani said in a press release that , Under the new leadership we hope to reach double digit growth through better partnership between industry and government.He also appealed to the new minister to take further the special package for garment sector with early notification of new norms so that the manufacturing units could avail the benefits of the scheme. (SH) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya entered the wedlock on 8th July, in Bhopal. A live orchestra was also organised for the couple. We must say, their marriage was no less than a Bollywood affair. Divyanka looked gorgeous in red-gold lehenga with her usual radiant smile, while Vivek looked dashing in his white sherwani. Vivek made a grand entry to the venue. The excited groom danced with the baraatis. Check Out DiVek Wedding Pictures For the final wedding rituals (pheras), the actress was also seen in yellow lehenga with a red blouse with blue borders. Believe us... we couldn't take our eyes off her! (Images Source: The Wedding Story) After the marriage, the couple spoke to the media. Vivek gifted Divyanka a bouquet, for the very first time. The actress was seen all blushing! The excited dulhan said that she was the luckiest bride. The actress also shared a picture (Slide 7) and wrote, "This is it! #MrsDahiya." The couple's close friends Pankaj Bhatia, Snehal Sahay, Manish Naggdev, Vipul Roy, Rajesh Kumar, Rashami Sharma and her husband Pawan attended the marriage (Sangeet). Apparently, many industry friends couldn't make it to the marriage because of their hectic schedule. But, for them, the couple has organised for a grand reception in Mumbai on July 14. But, a few reports something else to say... It is said that the couple wanted it to be a family affair and had not invited any friends from the industry. The wedding was followed by haldi, mehndi and sangeet functions. The actress looked gorgeous in all the pre-marriage events. Not only the actress, Vivek too looked dashing in his haldi ceremony. Well, we must say, their memorable moments captured by The Wedding Story, is just perfect! The couple will be hosting a reception today (July 10) in Dahiya's hometown Chandigarh. We wish the couple, a very happy married life. Hit the comment box to wish the lovely couple. Stay locked to this space for the latest update.... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Iran's gas condensate export decreased by 31.96 percent to 4.185 million tons during the three months of the country's fiscal year (FY), started on March 21. According to the Custom Administration's monthly report, released on July 9, the country's revenues from gas condensate export also decreased by 35.21 percent to $1.69 billion year-to-year. According to the report, gas condensate shared 16.14 percent of the country's total non-oil exports, which decreased by 5.3% to $10.473 billion in the three months of current FY. Iran includes gas condensate, which is an ultra-light crude oil, in non-oil exports basket. The country also exported 7.137 million tons of petrochemicals, about 12.65 percent more than 1Q of last FY, but the value of petrochemical products export decreased by 3.78 percent to $3.542 billion. Gas condensate and petrochemical products share more than a half of Iran's total non-oil exports. The country's imports experienced a 12.99 percent decrease during them mentioned period to $9 billion. Boston - Canonical and Cloud Foundry developer Pivotal have agreed a partnership in which Canonical's Ubuntu Linux will become the preferred operating system for running Cloud Foundry, with secure certified Ubuntu images included. Cloud Foundry is one of the most popular platform-as-a-service suites for developing and deploying cloud-native applications, and versions of it are integrated in a number of platforms such as IBM's Bluemix developer cloud and HPE's Helion Stackato. The new collaboration pairs Cloud Foundry with Ubuntu Linux, which is the most widely deployed Linux distribution for running servers, especially in the cloud. "Ubuntu on Pivotal Cloud Foundry brings together the leading Linux OS and cloud-native platform for enterprise scale-out cloud deployments," said Dustin Kirkland, Canonical's head of Ubuntu ... Den vollstandigen Artikel lesen ... NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Uruguay won a landmark lawsuit against U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris, which had sued the South American country's government over anti-tobacco regulations implemented in 2009. 'The Uruguayan government has won. The claims of the tobacco companies have been roundly rejected,' President Tabare Vazquez said in a televised address on state media on Friday. 'Without violating any treaty, our country has fulfilled its inalienable right to protect the health of its people.' Vazquez, an oncologist by training and an anti-smoking champion, has implemented some of the strict anti-tobacco regulations of the world. He was the driving force behind the 2006 ban on smoking in enclosed public places in Uruguay, the first country in South America to do so. The court ruling upheld the sovereign power of the state to set its health policies and stressed the importance of putting public health over commercial interests, Vazquez said. The arbitration case was going on in the World Bank's International Centre for Settelement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The Washington-based tribunal ordered the company to pay $7 million to the Uruguay government and to cover court fee and expenses. 'We thank the Tribunal for its assessment and respect its decision,' Marc Firestone, Philip Morris International Senior Vice President and General Counsel, said. 'For the last seven years, we have already been complying with the regulations at issue in the case, so today's outcome doesn't change the status quo.' The company never questioned Uruguay's authority to protect public health, and the case was not about broad issues of tobacco policy, he said. 'The arbitration concerned an important, but unusual, set of facts that called for clarification under international law, which the parties have now received,' Firestone added. Philip Morris had alleged that Uruguay's anti-tobacco regulation that required 80 percent graphic warning on the cigarette packets and single representation for a brand were in violation of a bilateral treaty between the country and Switzerland. The company also claimed that such regulation hurt its intellectual property rights and sales as it was forced to withdraw several of its products, including some Marlboro sub-brands, from the Uruguayan market. The latest ruling is one of the many legal setbacks Philip Morris had thus far this year. In May, the European Court of Justice upheld the decision to impose plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes. An English court also upheld the British government decision to implement the plain tobacco packaging, rejecting a challenge from the company and its peers. More and more countries are adopting stringent anti-tobacco regulations over public health concerns. President Vazquez urged other countries to fight tobacco use and smoking 'without fear of reprisal from the powerful tobacco industry'. He stressed that the latest court ruling has set a precedent when such disputes arise in future. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de cSuite, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an integrated productivity application, received an equity investment from Caretta Partners. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. The investment will allow the company to continue to grow operations. Founded in 2014 by Rodrigo Coelho, cSuite provides an integrated productivity application that allows users to manage mobile communication tools (email, text, calendar, contacts, Google, Dropbox) alongside a secure, personal cloud that protects an individuals data. The company has developed an Android app while a cSuite iOS version which includes an encrypted communications platform is expected to launch in Fall 2016. FinSMEs 08/07/2016 London: Tata Steel has put the process of selling its major British assets on hold because of the uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote and surrounding pension liabilities and will now also look at forming a joint venture, the company said. Tata Steel put its British operations up for sale in March, including its Port Talbot plant in southern Wales, threatening thousands of jobs, but an industry source told Reuters on Thursday that the sale had been put on hold. The firm said on Friday the June 23 referendum, when Britons voted to leave the European Union, and issues around the pension scheme had prompted a rethink. "The bids have also been reviewed in the light of the uncertainties caused by the UK referendum and the outcome of the UK Governments consultation on the British Steel Pension Scheme," the firm said in a statement. "Consequently, Tata Steel has now entered into discussions with strategic players in the steel industry, including Thyssenkrupp." Germany's biggest steelmaker Thyssenkrupp has said it wants to play a role in any consolidation of the European steel market, which is saddled with excess production capacity and a weak demand outlook. Tata Steel said it will also begin separate processes for the potential sale of its Speciality Steels business and the northern English Hartlepool pipe mills except for its 20-inch Tube Mill. Liberty House Group, which an industrial source said on Thursday was to bid for Tata Steel's specialty steels and pipeline tubes business, said on Friday it will continue discussions with Tata about acquiring a number of assets. There were signs this week that Brexit-induced uncertainty and a sharp fall in sterling would hurt a wide range of companies, with investors warning the economy could tip into recession, hammering consumer and business confidence. Tata Steel employs some 11,000 people in the UK. Its specialty steel and tubes business together employ some 2,000 people, meaning the fate of another 9,000 steel jobs and thousands more jobs indirectly related to steelmaking is now uncertain. LONDON Liberty House Group said it would continue to discuss possible acquisitions of parts of Tata Steel's British business after the steelmaker said on Friday it was putting the process of selling its major assets on hold. Indian firm Tata said the sale of some facilities, including its Port Talbot plant, would be paused. But Tata said it will begin separate steps towards the potential sale of its Speciality Steels business and the northern English Hartlepool pipe mills, except for its 20-inch Tube Mill. On Thursday an industry source told Reuters that Liberty planned to bid for two units of Tata Steel's British business - specialty steels and pipeline tubes. "In the short term we will continue discussions with Tata about the acquisition of a number of important assets that fit well with our strategy," Liberty House said in a statement. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Whoever in the military, police, intelligence and political class, planned the operation to kill Burhan the poster boy of Kashmirs new militancy their opponents evidently planned much better. The latter would not have known when Burhan would be killed, but they were ready. The state was not. The various kinds of intelligence outfits 11 at last count apparently had no clue of what was coming. If they knew and did nothing, they should be prosecuted for treason; if they did not, they should be sacked for dereliction of duty. Throughout the day on Saturday, groups of stone-pelting boys attacked police, paramilitary and other security forces camps at several places across the valley. An attack was reported on even a BSF camp at Bandipora. One police station was entirely taken over, its armoury looted and used to lethally attack policemen who had been taken hostage. As of Saturday evening, three policemen were still missing. Given the kilometres of barbed wire, the kilns full of bricks and tons of cement bagged for bunkers, choice arms and equipment from around the world and the investment of thousands of crores of Rupees on technology upgradation for the police and the paramilitary, this is an unspeakable scandal. Over the 24 hours since Friday evening, this war has escalated to a new level. The only thing that is easy to predict is that things will get worse, much worse. It is pitiful that many analysts remain focused on how soon the Amarnath Yatra will be restored, or how soon the normalcy or tourism will. Far too many analysts and others live in a fools paradise. As of Saturday afternoon, the situation in Kashmir appeared to be heading for a far worse explosion of unrest than occurred in 2010. That year, 120 persons were killed by security forces trying to suppress unrest. There was stone pelting that summer, even in parts of the valley that had not witnessed unrest at the height of militancy in the nineties. That spiral of violence escalated over a month. If anyone thought things could not get worse than 2010, they were wrong. On Saturday afternoon, stones were pelted and teargas was fired in spots that had been calm even in 2010. Senior police officers announced that ten persons had been killed by late Saturday afternoon, and several others were in critical condition in hospitals as a result of firing by the security forces. Innumerable tear gas shells too were fired. According to doctors, ambulances had returned to Srinagars biggest hospital, broken and battered allegedly by the CRPF. One person was confirmed to have drowned, while running away from the forces. This is tragic. For at least a year, it has been obvious that Burhan had become so popular that his death at the hands of the security forces would bring out an unprecedented response. Kashmirs emotions have always run high as it was obvious in 2008 and 2010 but it was not new. Stones were pelted in 2000 also, a massive demonstration that appeared to have brought out the entire valley took place in the last week of February 1990. Hundreds of thousands congregated in Srinagar from the countryside even in 1931, during the agitation that turned Sheikh Abdullah into an iconic leader. There was no internet, phones or even roads back then, but that did not prevent word from spreading. People turned up in Srinagar carrying axes, knives, rods, and whatever else they could find as weapons. So strategists who calculated that shutting down the internet across Kashmir on Friday night, a few hours after Burhans death was declared, were way off the mark. The tactic may have worked at other times in the recent past, but Burhans popularity was unprecedented. As word spreads of Saturdays deaths, there will be even more unrest to follow on Sunday. As for Monday, there were bound to be huge protest demonstrations anyway, because of the Chahrum of Burhans death, which marks observances on the fourth day after any death. If the death toll in actions by CRPF and other forces continue to pile up until Monday evening, then 2010 might seem like a picnic in comparison with the public anger that could result. The idea that suppressing the news will help settle things down is not very sensible, it only leads to more anger and more protest. Sometimes, people need to realise how much anger has already been vented before they decide to settle down. Without a vent, anger redoubles. Some Kashmiris suspect that Burhan was captured first and then killed. To back this speculation, they point out that his injuries appeared to be from close range fire. If that is true, it was an extremely bad decision. To have brought Burhan to justice through the legal judicial system wouldve been a far smarter course. Sadly, more and more of us are giving up on the norms and methods of democracy and open society. This is reflected in the discourse on large sections of the media and on social networking sites. In the next few days, and even more so over the long term, this could damage the nation terribly. Indore: Geeta, the deaf and mute girl, who returned to India in October 2015 after being stranded in Pakistan for 13 years, on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the demise of legendary Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. Edhi, who had dedicated his life to humanity and serving the poor and was widely respected in Pakistan due to his humanitarian and social welfare works, had taken care of Geeta during her over a decade-long stay in Pakistan. "Edhi Saheb loved me like a father and used to take very good care of me," Geeta told MP government officials through sign language, who on her behalf issued a press release. Recalling her association with Edhi, she said that during her stay in Pakistan, Edhi had provided a separate room to her for accommodation and respecting her religious beliefs, he had also made idols of Hindu gods and goddesses available to her for worshipping. Edhi breathed his last at a hospital in Karachi late Friday night. On Saturday, a huge number of mourners flocked at a stadium in Karachi in Pakistan to bid their last adieu to Edhi, the co-founder of Edhi Foundation, according to reports. The hearing and speech impaired girl was seven or eight years old when she had accidentally crossed over to Pakistan and was found sitting alone in the Samjhauta Express at Lahore station by the Pakistan Rangers 15 years ago. She was then adopted by Edhi Foundation. After her return to India, Geeta has been staying at an NGO for the speech and hearing impaired in Indore. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had met Geeta in December 2015 and assured her that the government was making every effort to trace her parents. New Delhi: A forensic test of over 12 voice samples of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's suspended Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar point to alleged corruption in award of Delhi government contracts worth over Rs 50 crore to a private firm, the CBI claimed on Friday. The CBI also conducted searches at six premises in Delhi, Noida and Agra including office of Kumar's Chartered Accountant (CA) in the national capital during which they claimed to have recovered Rs 28 lakh in cash, an agency official said. Kumar and four others were arrested by the CBI on Monday for allegedly showing undue favours to Endeavours System Pvt Ltd (ESPL) for getting the contracts. The other accused are Tarun Sharma, Deputy Secretary in Kejriwal's office, Ashok Kumar, a former Delhi government employee considered as a close aide of Rajendra Kumar, besides owners of ESPL Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Gupta. The official said that a forensic report of over 12 voice samples has shown that Rajendra Kumar was allegedly seeking undue favours for the ESPL. Kumar was allegedly sending voice messages instead of phone calls to other accused and some unknown private persons to give details of bribe and modus operandi to commit the offence they all are involved in, the official added. The CBI had cross-verified these voice samples with the audio tape carrying Kumar's voice during the ongoing investigation, the official claimed. The agency official claimed that a substantial amount of bribe in the case was transferred to the ESPL through a little-known publishing house in Agra. Searches were conducted at the premises of CA Amit Goyal in Rohini area, three premises of Dinesh Gupta and a firm M/s Edocity Pedagogy of Ashok Kumar in Noida, they said. Besides, the premise of M/s Ratan Prakashan Mandir and Ravi Offset Printer in Agra was also searched by the CBI officials. It is alleged that the bribe collected by the accused was transferred in the garb of Commission by the publishing house to ESPL, the official said. CBI officials had also visited Trade and Taxes department (also known as VAT department) office at ITO area and collected evidence including a software (which was part of the contract) that was lying unused there at the instance of Sandeep Kumar, the official said. Rajendra Kumar had worked as Commissioner in Trade and Taxes department from May 2011 to October 2012. He had allegedly directed development of a software worth over Rs three crore via ESPL, the official claimed. The arrest of the top Delhi government official had triggered a political storm with the Delhi government accusing the Centre of indulging in "political vendetta" and "paralysing" governance. The CBI had registered a case in December last year alleging that Kumar had abused his official position by "favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders of Delhi government departments". The charges pressed by the CBI are under sections 120-B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), and 13(2), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct etc) for allegedly favouring the ESPL in bagging five contracts. The CBI has alleged that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy and caused a loss of Rs 12 crore to the Delhi government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015, and claimed that the officials had taken "undue benefit" of over Rs three crore while awarding the contract. Around 3 am on Saturday, around 10,000 people gathered at the Idgah in Tral district on hearing of Hizbul Mujhahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani's death. Tral, locally known as Kandahar, is a small, sleepy town in south Kashmir. It has a population of around 1.25 lakh, a majority of them are Muslims and there are a few Sikhs and Hindus. Local Kashmiris who marched to the Idgah were wary that security agencies could shut down Tral before Wani's funeral. To outwit the agencies, they ran a hectic campaign on social media, mobiles, through announcements at Mosques to ensure a huge gathering before the clamp down. Within hours the ground was full and there were many more making their way to the venue. "Youth who infused life into Kashmir resistance no more," screamed the headline of local daily Kashmir Reader. In an adjoining story, the paper called him a 'youth icon', a narrative echoed by most of the local press. "Mosques in our locality are playing songs of freedom on loudspeakers..appeals are being made to people to come out of their homes to pay a tribute and join the masses...people from villages are thronging the Lal Chowk.. and I saw many women('s) groups joining them too...," a Kashmiri friend posted on social media, suggesting that the Valley is in the throes of an uprising after Wani's death. Wani, the 21-year-old regional commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with security agencies near Kokernag a town in Kashmir that gets its name from a famous spring that resembles the claw of a koker (cock) on Friday. Since then, the Valley has been completely shut down with sporadic protests erupting in south and north Kashmir. The legend of Wani Wani ran his terror network like a corporate agency. He would hold recruitment drives, issue adverts mainly on social media and present himself as its most visible face and mascot. Wani, son of a mathematics teacher from Tral, had become a militant at the age of 15 and he made militancy look like child's play. Apart from his ideology, his hard selling of terror as a fun job that brought you money, luxury and fame was a huge threat to security agencies. In 2015, social media was abuzz with rumours that Wani had launched an ambitious recruitment drive in the month of August. He was reportedly offering Rs 35,000 to recruits along with a gadgets, guns and grenades. Only those who had cleared Class X could have applied. A video shot by his group around the same time showed a group of youngsters in army fatigues, armed with grenades, AK-57s and automatic rifles, having a good time in the orchards of Tral. Unlike militants before their generation, none of them had bothered to cover their face. Burhan had put together a simple and deadly strategy. He was selling terrorism as a mix of risk-free employment and heroism. When he was seen in videos in the company of youth, with fancy weapons, wandering around nonchalantly, it convinced others that militancy was a glamorous profession that has social sanction and carries minimum risk. It was made to be seen as the 'in thing.' Wani's father often lamented that he had wanted his sons to grow up and become police officers and bureaucrats in India. But two of them Burhan and his elder brother ended up as militants. "Burhan plunged into militancy in 2010 at the age of 15 when he was humiliated by the personnel of SOG, the police forces infamous counter-insurgency arm. He was asked to fetch cigarettes and beaten up. He picked up arms and made his base in a dense forest in Tral neighbourhood. His elder brother Khalid Muzaffar Wani was killed by government forces in the same Buchoo-Kamla forests, on 13 April, 2015 where he had gone to meet them. This was the first fake encounter during Mufti Sayeed led PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir. The officials insisted that Khalid had links with militants and died in a cross-fire," reports Kashmir Reader. Bigger threat in death The danger now is that his death could immortalise his terror legacy and act as an inspiration to other youth in Kashmir. He may prove to be a bigger enemy by being hailed as a martyr by separatists than he would have been alive. Wani is the first local youth to have risen to the rank of 'regional commander' of the Hizb. Unlike Pakistani fidayeens and militants who get killed in an attempt to cross over into the Valley and often remain unidentified and unclaimed, Wani was a known face with friends, family and fans. In the 90s, the death of local militants had inspired an entire generation of youth to take up arms in the Valley. Wani's friends are already calling his death shahadat (sacrifice) that could inspire many more to join his cause. Several reports have pointed out that resentment in the Valley against the Indian state is rising. The incumbent PDP-BJP government has for various reasons, both political and social, made youth in Kashmir insecure. To complicate matters, people say the current generation of Kashmiri youngsters have very little fear of gun and grenades, since they were born into unrest. Wani's death, inevitable though it was because of the path he had chosen, couldn't have come at a worse time for security agencies. They will have to be prepared for a long war with Wani even after his death. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 8 By Dalga Khatinoglu Trend: Iran has planned to stop producing non-euro standard gasoline and gas oil by March 2021, according an official document, Trend observed July 8. The document, prepared by Irans Oil Ministry says that the share of fuel oil (mazut) in total refining capacity also would decrease from the current 24 percent to below 10 percent in five years. Recently, the Deputy Oil Minister and CEO of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Abbas Kazemi told Trend that of the 62 million liters per day (mlpd) of domestically produced gasoline, 29 mlpd meets the Euro-4 standard. The statistics, mentioned in the document also indicate the currently Iran's Arak, Esfahan and Tabriz refineries produce 16 mlpd, 7 mlpd and 1 mlpd of Euro-4 gasoline respectively. Iran consumes 71 mlpd of gasoline and the rest of demanded fuel is imported. Since the beginning of the current fiscal year (started on March 21), Iran has imported 12 mlpd of gasoline, a part of which was stored and the remaining amount consumed. The country also consumes 79 mlpd of gas oil, of which 24 mlpd meets Euro-4 standards, the document says. Bhopal: As many as 11 people have died due to flood in Madhya Pradesh in the last couple of days as heavy rains continued to lash large parts of the state with Army shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Satna district to safer places. "Eight people have died due to flood and excessive rainfall in the last three-four days in the state," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here on Saturday. Two persons have died in Bhopal, one each in Tikamgarh, Rewa, Jhabua, Betul, Raisen and Panna, he said. "One more death was reported around this noon when Sourabh Katiyar (21) was washed away in a swollen nullah near Shahpur lake here while travelling on a motorcycle. His body has been recovered," a police official said. Earlier, one person died each in Mandla and Singrauli districts yesterday after they were washed out in flooded nullah. The CM said Narmada river was flowing above the danger mark in Hoshangabad. "Any one in distress, can dial 1079 for help," he said adding officials have been instructed to swiftly act in case of flooding. Chouhan said he has postponed the scheduled meeting with his cabinet colleagues at Halali dam near here tomorrow and asked ministers to rush to their respective districts and remain there to monitor the situation and help out people in distress. "Food packets have been sent to Bhopal. To deal with any untoward incident, NDRF team is also present there. In these circumstances we are trying to provide relief and rescue measures so that people may not suffer," the CM added. Meanwhile, the Army has shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Raghuraj tehsil of Satna district to relief camps, while the district administration has made arrangements for rehabilitating nearly 300 persons affected by swollen Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers. "Army has shifted 400 flood affected persons to relief camps in Raghuraj Nagar tehsil of Satna district on Saturday," an official of Public Relation department said on Saturday. Besides, the district administration has also made arrangements for shifting nearly 300 persons affected with flood in Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers in the district. The relief work is being carried out by Home guard, police and revenue officials and employees, the official said. Rewa district Collector has also informed the Relief Commissioner Office that an Army helicopter has rescued three persons stranded in the floods in village Sirmour Bhadra in the district. Many parts of the state have been inundated with incessant downpour in the last 48 hours. Meteorological department in Bhopal has forecast rain shower likely at most places over West and East MP. It has issued warning that heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Sagar, Jabalpur, Hoshangabad, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain and Gwalior divisions. Meanwhile, since 1 June till date, 25 districts have received more than normal rainfall in the state, 16 normal rainfall, nine less than normal and one is still deficient. The 25 districts which received more than normal rainfall are Jabalpur, Katni, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Sagar, Damoh, Panna, Chhattarpur, Sidhi, Satna, Umaria, Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Datia, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, Rajgarh and Hoshangabad. Maputo: Against the backdrop of spurt in terror attacks in various countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that terrorism is the "gravest threat" to the world and spoke about bolstering security and defence ties between India and Mozambique, which are connected by the Indian Ocean. After Modi's wide-ranging talks with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi at Maputo, a significant "long term" agreement was signed under which India will buy pulses from this country to plug its shortfall and contain prices of this commodity. Declaring India as a "trusted friend" and a "reliable partner" of Mozambique, the Prime Minister also announced that essential medicines, including those for treating AIDS, would be donated to Mozambique as part of efforts to strengthen the public health system of the African nation. India will also help build capacities of Mozambique's security forces amid Modi's vow to march with this African country on its path of development and progress. "We want development and economic progress to benefit the people. We also want safety and security of our people," he said at a joint media interaction with Nyusi after the talks during which the two leaders discussed ways to enhance trade and investment and step up cooperation in other fields. "Terrorism is the gravest security threat to the world today," Modi said, in comments that come against the backdrop of spurt in terror attacks in various parts of the world, including Bangladesh as also Saudi Arabia. He said the networks of terrorism are interlinked with other crimes, including drug trafficking, to curb which India and Mozambique signed a pact. Noting that India and Mozambique are connected by the Indian Ocean, the Prime Minister talked about the "emerging security challenges", including in the maritime areas, and said the two countries will step up security and defence cooperation. India will help build capacities of Mozambican security forces through training and equipment, said Modi who arrived here this morning on a day-long visit on the first leg of his five-day tour of four African countries. "Our partnership is driven by convergence of capacities and interest...Mozambique's strengths are India's needs and what Mozambique needs is in India. We complement each other," Modi said. He identified agriculture, healthcare, energy security, security, defence and skill development as some of the areas having potential for cooperation. Referring to the agriculture sector, he said India is committed to buy pulses from Mozambique, regarding which a "long-term agreement" was signed on the occasion. The agreement to buy pulses, he said, will meet India's requirements and help raise the farmers' income in Mozambique. Noting that agriculture development is the top priority for Mozambique, Modi said India would be partnering this endeavour through development of agricultural infrastructure and productivity in this country. "We have agreed to put this on a fast track," he said. Describing Mozambique as the "gateway" to Africa, Modi said one-fourth of India's investment in this continent is in this country. He said the bilateral trade has continued to grow and there was a need to provide a "nurturing" environment. He recalled the "sad struggles" and "sufferings" of the two countries during the colonial days and said India had been the strongest supporter of Mozambique's independence. Modi said the relationship between India and Mozambique should not remain stuck in the past and informed that his talks with Nyusi had covered the aspects like "shared vision" for the better future and partnership. He said he had chosen this country as his first stopover in the four-nation tour that will also include South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya, as Nyusi had also made India his first stopover during his Asian tour last year. Modi presented to the Mozambique President a booklet brought out by the Indian High Commission in English to act as a guide to the Indian business persons who intend to invest in this country. With regard to the agreement in pulses, officials said that India will encourage greater production of the commodity in Mozambique with an assurance that it will be purchased by India at mutually-agreed price. While India generally has shortfall of pulses leading to price rise, Mozambique grows the commodity without much consumption locally, the officials said, adding the agreement will be a "win-win" for the two countries. The two countries also signed a pact in the field of youth and sports. Modi said 20,000 Mozambicans can trace their ancestors to India and that they are the bridge to economic ties between the two countries. Later, addressing a banquet hosted by Nyusi in his honour, the Prime Minister said India remains ready and committed to share its experiences, technology, capacity with Mozambique in line with its priorities. "Today, we applaud Mozambique as one of the fastest growing economies of the world in recent decades," Modi said. Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Saturday ordered a probe into reports that at least 17 youths, including three women, from the state who travelled to the Middle East and reportedly went missing, may have joined the Islamic State (IS), with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying it is a "very serious issue". The disappearance of the youths, some of whom are medicos and engineering graduates, came to the fore after their relatives brought the matter before the authorities. Some families from Kasargod and Palakkad districts had approached Kasargod MP P Karunakaran and expressed fear that their children were missing for the past one month and they have no contact with them. The chief minister termed the issue as "very serious" and ordered an urgent probe. "This is a very serious issue. This has to be examined," he told reporters in Kochi. When contacted, DGP Loknath Behara said on the basis of information provided by the families, police has started investigation. "We do not know if children and women are part of the group. But they (families) say that some women are in the group. We also do not have any confirmation so far that the missing youths have joined the IS. But we have started investigation", Behara told PTI. Of the 17 persons, 11 hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district while the others hailed from Palakkad. There are at least three women including an eight month pregnant woman. Meanwhile, families of two more youths filed a complaint before Chandera police in Kasaragod about their disappearance. The two youths had called up to say they would return during Eid. But they have not returned and their relatives have filed a complaint, police said. However, the complaint does not state that they are suspecting IS links. All the missing persons are below the age of 30 and highly qualified, including medicos and engineering graduates, family members said. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said in Kasargode that a detailed probe would be conducted into the issue. "If they are trapped in their (IS) net and are in territory held by them, it would be a very difficult issue. A detailed probe would be conducted on this issue," he told reporters. Earlier, Kasargod MP P Karunakaran told PTI in Thiruvananthapuram that the chief minister had directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently. Kasaragod District Panchayat member VPP Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youths received 'Whatsapp' messages saying "we are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You also should join us. We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", read another message, he said, adding the veracity of the messages has to be checked. On being approached by the families on Friday, Karunakaran, Thrikarippur MLA M Rajagopalan and Mustafa informed the chief minister about the matter. Hakim, father of Hafesuddin who is among those missing from Kasaragod, said that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him. "If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," he said. Auto refresh feeds "We have young boys coming out and protesting. We have tried to impose curfews in the city today just to ensure that such kind of incidents do not take place," he said. The official also said that one of the eight people who had passed away died due to drowning. "Security installations were set on fire...It is unfortunate and sad," he said. "There are 96 security personnel who have been injured in efforts to control the situation." An official from the Jammu and Kashmir Police in a news briefing said that the death toll in Kashmir has now climbed to 8. "There have been eight casualties," said the official. There have been eight casualties: Jammu and Kashmir Police The report also said that she appealed to the people of the state to co-operate with the government and the police so that normalcy could be restored. "I express profound grief over the tragic death of the youths and extend my heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family members in their hour of immense grief," Rising Kashmir quoted an official government spokesman as saying. Four demonstrators, identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Mandoo, Mashooq Ahmad and Safeer Ahmad, all from Anantnag district, and Mohammmad Altaf Rather (from Pulwama) who were wounded a day earlier died on Sunday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh presided over a high-level meeting and then spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, offering all possible help from New Delhi. The latest fatalities took the death toll in two days of widespread clashes between protesters and security forces in the Kashmir Valley to 19 18 demonstrators and one policeman. Irfan Ahmad Malik, 17, was also killed in firing elsewhere in Pulwama district after a curfew-defying mob attacked the security forces, a senior police official said. Security forces shot dead two demonstrators at Litter in Pulwama district after a huge crowd took to the streets shouting anti-government and pro-freedom slogans, the sources said. A mob overran a bullet-proof police vehicle and rolled it down into the Sutlej river at Sangam in Anantnag district, drowning its constable driver while other policemen fled the scene, official sources said. The Jammu and Kashmir government appealed for calm as four more people died in continuing protests against the killing of a top guerrilla leader, taking the death toll to 19. Most of today's editions of the newspapers in the Valley carried classified advertisements of the cancellation of the marriage ceremony invitations. The violence in Kashmir Valley has hit the post-Ramadan wedding season, with the newspapers in Srinagar full of advertisements announcing the cancellation of feasts and invites related to such ceremonies. Opposition National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said his party was ready to contribute towards maintaining peace in Kashmir but Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti should take the lead to show the way instead of "hiding" behind spokesperson and police officers as they were not elected by the people. CM Mehbooba Mufti should take the lead instead of hiding behind spokespersons: Omar Abdullah The Cabinet also appealed to separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, as well as mainstream political parties like National Conference, Congress and CPI(M) to help restore normalcy "if they want peace in the state". - PTI The government promised to investigate if there was any instance of disproportionate use of force by security forces even as it appealed to the people not to become tools in the machinations of instigators of violence. The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, met and expressed anguish over the situation and the death of civilians in clashes with security forces following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Amarnath Yatra also remained suspended for the second day owing to the unrest in the valley in which over 200 people, many of them police and security personnel, have been injured. Kashmir continued to be on the boil with five more people, including a cop, getting killed in violence, raising the death toll to 20, even as curfew-like restrictions were in place and Mobile internet services remained suspended. Kashmir continued to be on the boil with six more people, including a cop, getting killed in violence today, raising the death toll to 21. Expressing concern over the detention of Kashmiri separatist leaders, Sharif said India should fulfil its human rights obligations as well as its commitments under the United Nations Security Council resolutions. - PTI "Oppressive measures such as these cannot deter the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," he said. The Prime Minister said it was "deplorable that excessive and unlawful force was used against the civilians" who were protesting against the killing of Wani. "The Prime Minister of Pakistan has expressed his deep shock at the killing of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and many other civilians by the Indian military and paramilitary forces," Sharif's office said in the statement. Sharif, who recently returned from London after an open-heart surgery, came out with a late night statement condemning the action of Indian security forces in Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has deplored "excessive" force against civilians in the latest wave of violence in the Valley while expressing "deep shock" over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Jammu and Kashmir: Curfew continues to be imposed in Srinagar following protests over Burhan Wani's killing. pic.twitter.com/7Kc7hz8kHV They said public transport was completely off the roads for the third day, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at few places in the areas there there were no restrictions. - PTI Shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, the officials said. Meanwhile, the strike, called by the separatist groups, also affected the normal life in the Valley. However, the situation will be reviewed later in the day and a decision taken on whether to continue with the restrictions. Strict restrictions on movement of people remain in place in Srinagar and four districts of south Kashmir since Saturday morning. Officials said that the measure has been taken to maintain law and order in the Valley. The victims comprised 21 protesters and a police driver. They were killed during clashes with security forces, mostly in Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts. The death toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir mounted to 22, as normal life continued to remain paralysed for the third day on Monday. Amarnath Yatra from Jammu base camp suspended for the 3rd consecutive day, people in hope of a 'go-ahead' for yatra pic.twitter.com/mw0po9NZ20 Amarnath yatra has been suspended for the third consecutive day. Around 15,000 yatris are stranded at the Jammu base camp for their turn to proceed to the Valley so that they can undertake the Yatra. Policing increased in many areas of Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/fE4hVTUohJ Meanwhile, police patrolling has increased in many areas in Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, Union Home Minister Rajnath will be chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the unrest in the Valley at 12pm on Monday. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the tense situation in Kashmir. - PTI "We are all concerned about J&K. It is close to our heart. So many lives have been lost. We pray for peace, prosperity and humanity," Banerjee said in a statement. - PTI West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir where clashes between protesters and security personnel following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani left 23 dead and over 250 injured. Expressing concern over the detention of Kashmiri separatist leaders, Sharif said India should fulfil its human rights obligations as well as its commitments under the United Nations Security Council resolutions. - PTI "Oppressive measures such as these cannot deter the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," he said. The Prime Minister said it was "deplorable that excessive and unlawful force was used against the civilians" who were protesting against the killing of Wani. "The Prime Minister of Pakistan has expressed his deep shock at the killing of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and many other civilians by the Indian military and paramilitary forces," Sharif's office said in the statement. Sharif, who recently returned from London after an open-heart surgery, came out with a late night statement condemning the action of Indian security forces in Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has deplored "excessive" force against civilians in the latest wave of violence in the Valley while expressing "deep shock" over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. PM has hoped for peace, has guided us and appealed that no innocent lives are disturbed: Jitendra Singh on J&K pic.twitter.com/CPc4SC6ufw "Prime Minister has appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain calm and peace so that normalcy returns in the valley," Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, told reporters soon after the meeting concluded. - PTI The curfew remained in force in many parts of the Valley including pockets of Srinagar city and Pulwama district as authorities braced for more protests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi and voiced concern over the incidents of violence in the Valley as the death toll reached 30, which included 29 civilian protesters and a policeman. I appeal everyone to help the Govt to bring back peace and normalcy in the state: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti pic.twitter.com/Q4b9UbL9Fb The J&K CM also said that she was proud of the people who had helped in saving lives during the Kashmir unrest. She also requested the parents in the state to guide their children and discourage them for joining the protests. "I request all people to think about the actions they and their children are taking," Mehbooba said. "I request all parents to discourage their children from joining the agitations." "To prevent people adding to the chaos on the streets, we gave a curfew order in Kashmir," CM Mehbooba said. "We regret the loss of lives in the violence. We will investigate if unnecessary force was used by the police," she said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti gave yet another statement on the unrest in the state and said she deeply regretted the loss of lives due to the violence. She also promised an investigation into alleged brutality by the state's police force. Security personnel were told to act calmly. Sad,despite taking all measures, lives were lost during protest: J&K CM pic.twitter.com/EZ9RtR80gH Mehbooba also said that she regretted the fact that many girls have also been killed in the violence. Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti also said that many youths, whether militants or civilians, had died in the state due to the violence so far. "Violence has taken a toll on generations in Jammu and Kashmir," she said. "Just like Muslims from any other part of the country, Kashmiris are also our brothers. We are with them and appeal to them to bring normalcy and peace," he told reporters. - IANS Umer Ahmed Ilyasi of All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques told media later that they will visit Kashmir and urge people, specially religious leaders, there to help the valley to return to normalcy. The clerics said they were satisfied after meeting the Home Minister, who assured them of all possible help in restoring peace in the disturbed valley. Home Minister Rajnath Singh met with a group of Muslim clerics, who discussed with him ways and means to restore normalcy in the Kashmir Valley. Three persons were killed and 50 injured in clashes in Kashmir between security forces and violent mobs who set ablaze five buildings including three police installations and some vehicles to protest the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter. Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in many parts of Kashmir where mobile internet services were suspended across the valley and mobile telephony services restricted in south Kashmir, the epicentre of the trouble. In view of the volatile situation, Amarnath yatra has also been suspended from Jammu base camp with no fresh pilgrims allowed to proceed towards the Valley. Burhan's funeral in Tral town was attended by thousands of people while violent protests were reported from a number of places from Khadinyar in north Kashmir to Kulgam in south, a day after the militant commander was killed. A 25-year-old youth, Amir Bashir, was hit by a bullet allegedly fired by security forces on protestors in Verinag area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir, a police official said. The youth was shifted to a hospital but he succumbed to injuries on the way, he said. Another youth was reportedly killed in similar circumstances in Qaimoh area late last night. Zubair Ahmad had multiple bullet injuries in his chest, a doctor at the Anantnag district hospital said on condition of anonymity. A 16-year-old youth identified as Saqib Manzoor was declared "brought dead" by doctors at SMHS hospital where he was taken by some people with critical injuries sustained due to use of firearms, a police official said. Besides these three deaths, there were unconfirmed reports that a youth drowned in a river at Ganeshpora as security forces chased a group of protestors. Police did not confirm the incident. Police said over 30 other youth were injured in action by the security forces against the violent mobs at several places across the valley. However, sources in various hospitals of the city put the number of injured persons at around 50. Condition of the two of the injured was stated to be critical. The protesters indulged in widespread violence and arson. They attacked police posts at several places and also damaged the office of the BJP in Kulgam area, police said. The mobs set on fire police stations at Achabal and Damhal Hanjipora while a police post at Kund in Qazigung was also set ablaze. Two government offices were set on fire by protesters in Tral town of Pulwama district as well while three buses were also set on fire at Qazigund. Groups of youth attacked police posts and police stations by pelting stones at several places including Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district, Mir Bazaar in Kulgam district, Warpora in Sopore township of Baramulla district, the police official said. A police picket meant for security of minority community in Vessu area of south Kashmir was also attacked, he said. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir Baramulla district, the official said, adding Barsoo and Shariefabad in Awantipora area of south Kashmir also saw violent protests. Minor protests were also reported from several parts of Srinagar city, he added. Meanwhile, thousands of people joined funeral prayers of Burhan who was laid to rest this afternoon in his native village of Tral. There was no deployment of security forces in Tral and adjoining areas to avoid a confrontation with the people coming to participate in the funeral. People from Tral town and adjoining areas arrived in droves to attend the funeral prayers, which had to be conducted four times to accommodate the massive number of mourners. According to official estimates, more than 40,000 people took part in the last rites of the slain militant commander. Unofficial reports put the number much higher. Burhan was laid to rest amidst 'pro-freedom' sloganeering with some youth waving Pakistani flags. Funeral prayers in-absentia were offered in almost all localities of the city following a call by separatist leaders. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace after violent protests, following killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter, led to death of at least nine persons. "I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace," he said in a statement. Singh said the central government is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring normalcy in Kashmir Valley. "Deeply anguished at the loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," he said. Nine people were killed and 126, including 96 security forces personnel, were injured as mob violence and clashes rocked Kashmir over the gunning down of Wani even as authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended mobile internet services to contain the volatile situation. Twenty-one-year-old Wani was killed, along with two of his accomplices, in an encounter in Kokernag area on Friday. "If there is no peace and stability, then people who face problems would not BE able to find solution for those," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Karnataka government at the secretariat in Bengaluru. Bengaluru: Laying emphasis on strengthening the federal set up of the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that political leaders should not only play politics to form government, but also build the nation. "If you were first to introduce startup policy, I am happy. Why? Because we are in politics not only to form the government, but also to make (build) the country," he said at a gathering at Banquet Hall on Vidhan Soudha (state secretariat) premises. "I pray God that all politicians should not only play politics to form the government, but make the country," he added. Singh said, "If Karnataka takes an initiative in any work with the spirit of making (building) the country, I think people sitting in Sikkim and North-East will feel happy - politicians will feel happy." "I do not advocate competition of who did the work first, and as far as Bangalore is concerned, the capital of Karnataka, we are proud of Bangalore. Bangalore is not known in India, but also at international level for its intellectual resources," he said. Singh said governments run by all political parties, including Congress, along with other ruling coalitions have worked towards strengthening the country's federal character, which is why India has attained number one position in terms of attracting foreign direct investment in the world. "All parties and past governments, run even by the Congress and several coalition parties, have made efforts to strengthen the federal structure of the country. Therefore, we have to work together to take the nation forward, and because of this, India has attained number one position in attracting FDI in the world," he said. Dehradun: Chief Minister Harish Rawat has accepted opposition BJP's "challenge" for an open debate on the sting operation case in which he has been purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy support of disgruntled party MLAs at the time of the recent political crisis in Uttarakhand. "I am ready for an open debate on the issue on a public platform if some of our friends want this," he told reporters here on Friday. Uttarakhand BJP president Ajay Bhatt had recently dared Rawat to an open debate on the sting CD case. "If the CM has the moral courage he should come to Gandhi Park or to any other public place and debate the sting operation with me before people in general and the media," Bhatt had said in a statement here on Thursday. The BJP leader was reacting to reports in a section of the media here, saying Rawat had given a clarification on the sting operation at his residence before a gathering of people he had invited at a programme called 'Jan Samwad'. The sting CD is currently being investigated by the CBI. Defending his decision to hold a direct dialogue with people in the form of 'Jan Samwad' on the sting CD, Rawat said it was a healthy initiative by the state government. "However, if this has not gone down well with some of our friends, I am ready for an open debate on it on a public forum," he said. New Delhi: Facing investigation over his speeches that are believed to have "inspired" two of the Bangladeshi cafe attackers, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Saturday sought support from the Muslim community against the "media trials" through his new Twitter handle "@drzakirofficial". "I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Muslim Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the "Media Trials" and Let Justice Prevail," Naik tweeted. Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, introduced his new Twitter handle @drzakirofficial on his Facebook page also. In another tweet, Naik said: "I appeal to all people worldwide to work together on the causes, ways and solutions to eliminate TERRORISM FROM OUR MIDST." Naik is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches against other religions. Within an hour of Naik's appeal for support on Saturday, his Facebook post had over 6,000 likes. The government has launched a multi-pronged investigation into controversies around Naik's speeches and "online sermons". Apart from an investigation by the Home Ministry, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is looking into issues concerning the telecast of his speeches. According to reports, some of the Indian youth who have taken to militancy are believed to have been "inspired" by Naik's speeches. On Friday, supporters of Naik took out a solidarity march in Srinagar to condemn any action that might be taken against him. Over a dozen supporters gathered in Srinagar and shouted slogans in favour of Zakir Naik. Born on 18 October, 1965, Zakir Naik is better known as a Mumbai-based "preacher". He is a medical doctor by education. Internet also describes him as a founder of Peace TV, Peace TV Bangla and Peace TV Urdu. London: Two Conservative women running to become Britain's next leader are facing a question that wouldn't be raised if there were male candidates for the job: Does being a mother make you better qualified to be prime minister? A political maelstrom emerged Saturday when Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom suggested in an interview with the Times of London that her status as a mother gives her an advantage over rival Home Secretary Theresa May, who does not have children. The two women are in runoff to replace Prime Minister David Cameron, who is resigning after British voters rejected his advice and chose to leave the European Union. May is considered the frontrunner, winning the most votes as Conservative lawmakers whittled down the candidates to two. Leadsom's explosive remarks have touched off an uproar among Conservative party members, who are voting in the runoff. "I don't really know Theresa very well, but I am sure she will be really, really sad she doesn't have children. So I don't want this to be 'Andrea has got children, Theresa hasn't,' because I think that would be really horrible. But genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake," Leadsom said. "She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next," Leadsom said. Leadsom, 53, immediately cried foul at the way in which the Times reported the remarks, which ran under the headline "Being mother gives me edge on May Leadsom". She accused the Times of "gutter journalism" and demanded a retraction. "How could you?" she pointedly asked on her Twitter feed, directing her remarks to Times reporter Rachel Sylvester. The Times shot right back, releasing a voice recording of the key section of the interview. Sylvester, who noted that Leadsom had talked about being a mother during the EU campaign, told the BBC she was baffled by Leadsom's reaction to a question about whether motherhood had informed her politics. "She raised Theresa May and the fact that she doesn't have children herself," Sylvester told the BBC. "It was she who introduced Theresa May into the whole discussion." May, 59, told the Daily Telegraph in an interview published Saturday that she likes to keep her "personal life personal," but said that she and her husband Philip have "dealt with" their inability to have children. "I hope nobody would think that mattered," May said. "I can still empathise, understand people and care about fairness and opportunity." May had asked Leadsom to sign a pledge calling for a "clean" campaign. But the fact that the motherhood discussion is happening at all is a reflection of the turmoil that has engulfed British politics since the 23 June vote on EU membership. Leadsom's comments have caused fury within her own party. Among those angered is Conservative lawmaker Alan Duncan, a May supporter. "I'm gay and in a civil partnership," he said. "No children, but 10 nieces and nephews. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? Vile." Cameron, who was in Poland for a Nato summit, refused to comment on the motherhood topic. For the record, he is a parent. Amid the firestorm, Leadsom emerged from her home to read a statement before media cameras. "Over the course of a lengthy interview I was repeatedly asked about my children and I repeatedly made it clear that I did not want this to be a feature of the campaign," she said. "I am disgusted at the way this has been presented. I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and the future of our country." However, Twitter couldn't wait to take Leadsom to task with even celebrity users villifying the politician over her remarks: Andrea #Leadsom apparently thinks the c, 20% of women who won't have children are second-class citizens. Tories steering back to 1950s? Natalie Bennett (@natalieben) July 9, 2016 Not as disgusted as we are at the comments. > RT @HuffPostUK: Andrea Leadsom says she is 'disgusted' at reporting of comments on motherhood Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 9, 2016 Against gay marriage, maternity leave & anything vaguely progressive, pro return of fox-hunting etc. #Leadsom: the candidate for the 1950s. Stephen John Sweeney (@sweeneystephen) July 9, 2016 As a father. I am quite obviously the only person who could run the country (and present Top Gear) #Leadsom Ben Fogle (@Benfogle) July 9, 2016 An end to gay marriage, promises of zero hour contracts + digs at Mays childlessness - #Leadsom making Margaret Thatcher look like Mandela Kathy Lette (@KathyLette) July 9, 2016 Not sure which is more of a low blow: trying to smear your opponent for not having children or trying to deny that is what you did. #leadsom julia hobsbawm (@juliahobsbawm) July 9, 2016 With inputs from AP Jayant Sinha holds the honourable distinction of making the headlines as a Minister of State, following a Council of minister's reshuffle that saw the induction of 19 new ministers, and a change in the portfolios of nine Cabinet Ministers and 13 Ministers of State, including some holding Independent charges. In fact, no other Minister of State in the history of Indian democracy got even a fraction of the publicity he received, and the intense public debate that his transfer generated. The debate, in fact, continues to make the headlines even three days after the Cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle, and the reason behind Sinha's transfer from junior Minister of Finance to Minister of State for Civil Aviation is being widely speculated. In a chat with Firstpost, a senior Union minister, who is well clued in to the developments, strongly refuted media speculations on the subject. He rubbished all such media reports that suggested that Sinha was shifted from Finance to Civil Aviation because he was speaking out of turn; or because he held a 'dinner' after the bankruptcy bill was cleared, where top ministry and banking officials were present, as well as some industry and investment leaders; or because there was a conflict of interest in the position held by Jayant Sinha and the position held by his wife Punita Kumar Sinha the founder and managing partner of an investment advisory firm, Pacific Paradigm Advisors, and independent director on several corporate boards, including Infosys, where she was appointed in January this year. The Minister said that Punita was an alumni of IIT Delhi (B.Tech), had a Masters in Finance and a Ph.D from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and had very strong professional credentials. She had held top management positions in some of the top international management and investment firms and had been the founder and managing partner at Pacific Paradigm Advisors, even when the Modi government assumed office in 2014, and Jayant Sinha was made the Minister of State in the Finance ministry. He also added that her appointment with Infosys, as Independent Director, early this year was in tune with her professional capacity and credentials, and had nothing to do with her husband's position in the government. As such there was "no conflict of interest," he said. There have been a number of reports in the media suggesting that Punita's ambitious positioning and her husband's support to her led to Sinha's departure from the finance ministry. It is also said that another aspect that went against Sinha was that it seemed like he and his other family members were acting like a 'family syndicate' where his father held certain interests of his own, his wife her interests and his brother had certain interests, which was not taken kindly by PM Modi. A top source with a good understanding of the working of the finance ministry said that Arun Jaitley and Jayant Sinha shared very good personal and professional relations for the last two years. Sinha had proved himself to be a good deputy to Jaitley, and the latter was very pleased with the former's work and conduct. Even on Wednesday, Jaitley gave him a very warm send off from finance to civil aviation, and walked up to the gate to see him off. Sinha became an MP because his father, former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, adhered to the party norm for persons aged 75 plus, and decided not to contest elections and to push for his son's candidature from the Hazaribagh parliamentary constituency instead. Jayant Sinha's own personal professional credentials IIT, Harvard Business School, partner at Mckinsey & company and so on are highly impressive. For long, it was speculated whether his father's public criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies had a bearing on Jayant Sinha's future. More recently, Yashwant Sinha had blasted the Modi government on India's pitch for the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) and for its Pakistan policy. Another minister quipped that the slide in Jayant's fortune was because of the "curse of Yashwant Sinha". Contrast the kind of media attention Jayant Sinha is getting with that of Minister of State Ramesh Jigajinagi, the newly inducted Minister of State for Drinking Water & Sanitation. Jigajinagi is a three-time MLA, and a five-time MP from Karnataka. He belongs to the Dalit community and was a minister in the Ramakrishna Hegde and S R Bommai governments between 1983-89. He has been the home minister. H D Deve Gowda was one of his Cabinet colleagues. Siddaramaiah was also his ministerial colleague. Between 1994 and 1998, he was the Social Welfare and Revenue minister in the H D Deve Gowda and JH Patel governments. Another famous Cabinet colleague of his was SR Bommai. When he was the Karnataka Revenue minister, DV Sadananda Gowda was a first time MLA and Ananth Kumar was a first time MP. BS Yeddyurappa was a first time leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Assembly. Another cabinet colleague of his, RL Jalappa, became a Union Cabinet minister in 1996. And look at how things panned out, his cabinet colleagues in the state went on to become chief ministers Gowda, Bomai, JH Patel and Siddaramaiah. While Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister. Yet, no one is talking about the humble 64-year-old Ramesh Jigajinagi, who has now accepted the post of a junior minister, that too in a less significant ministry at the Centre. Jayant Sinha should surely be happy with the publicity that he is getting. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 By Emil Ilgar - Trend: Irans top nuclear official criticized the latest statements of Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany as well as Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations, saying that their latest statements is doubtful and imply conspiracy, IRNA reported July 9. Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) also criticized US, warning the United States about the negative repercussions of violating the deal. Merkel told the parliament in Berlin on June 8 that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a U.N. resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. Germany's domestic intelligence agency earlier said that Iran has attempted to purchase nuclear-related equipments illegally from this country 141 times during 2015 to obtain the nuclear equipments, while the attempts have been continued even after nuclear deal, achieved in mid 2015 and commenced in January 2016. On Friday, Iran also rejected as "unrealistic" a report by Ban Ki-moon criticizing its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Salehi said that AEOI has not needed to purchase nuclear equipments from black markets, because there are legal ways, considered in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to achieve them though the legal channels. We approve of the JCPOA and will not initiate its violation, and we hope they, too, act wisely and dont violate it, he said in an exclusive interview with IRIB news agency on Saturday. However, many large European banks still refrain from engaging in transactions with Iran for fear of US penalties. My perception is that the other side will try to keep the JCPOA intact, because it well knows that the violation of the nuclear accord will harm them before harming us, Salehi said. The first damage to Americans would be that their political credibility, in the gaining of which they have invested heavily, will be tarnished, and they will have to pay dearly if the world comes to realize they have been so non-commitment, he said. Rupnagar: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday dubbed AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Golden Temple as a "political stunt" to salvage his and party's "swiftly falling graph of popularity". He also alleged the visit to perform 'seva' in the temple will not absolve the Delhi Chief Minister and AAP from the "heinous sin" which he has committed by publishing the picture of 'Darbar Sahib' along with broom on the party's youth manifesto. He said Kejriwal and his party now stood "fully exposed" as their mindset had clearly revealed their "innermost psyche" that how "scant respect" they show towards the religious sentiments of other communities be it Sikh, Hindu or Muslim. He, however, said that anyone could offer prayer and perform 'seva' (volunteer service) at Golden Temple as a true devotee who has a feeling of repentance but people like Kejriwal and his accomplices only indulged in "politicking" as there was a world of "difference between their words and actions". The visit of the AAP convener was nothing more than a "political stunt to salvage his image" and party's "swiftly falling graph" of popularity, Badal alleged. Badal said the sole aim of his party was to wrest power in Punjab "by hook or crook" to pursue their political ambitions, thereby "throwing all the norms of decency and morality to winds". With political parties criticising AAP for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs, Kejriwal has decided to visit Golden Temple on 18 July to perform 'seva' (volunteer service). On the issue of rising unemployment, Badal said his government has already launched a massive recruitment drive to provide jobs to youth in education, health, power and police departments. On the issue of regularisation of illegal colonies across the state, he said the state government is committed to regularise all the colonies and the Punjab Urban Development. Authority (PUDA) - the nodal agency had been directed to undertake the entire process of regularisation of such colonies so as to ensure basic civic amenities to the residents of these colonies. With the recent Cabinet reshuffle, the Modi government at the Centre has yet again failed in giving a blemish-free council of ministers to the country, a promise that had helped it achieve an unprecedented victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Ironically, the cabinet rejig comes after Delhi police hounded a few MLAs of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, who are now facing criminal charges. As many as seven of the 19 new ministers inducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his cabinet, after the recent Cabinet reshuffle, have criminal cases of various kinds registered against them. According to a report of the National Election Watch, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), post-reshuffle out of 19 new ministers inducted in the union cabinet, seven have criminal cases against them and out of the seven, three Cabinet ministers have serious criminal charges like attempt to murder, communal rioting, violation of electoral law, bribery, etc. against them. The seven ministers are Anupriya Singh Patel, Ramesh Jigajinagi, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Vijay Goel, Rajen Gohain, Ramdas Athavale and MJ Akbar. While former journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar has two cases against him, related to defamation, Patel, Jigajinagi and Kulaste have serious charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), like voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, criminal intimidation, rioting armed with deadly weapon and bribery. The self-sworn affidavits submitted by these ministers with the Election Commission of India (EC) show that in the 78-member council of ministers, 24 ministers about 31 percent have declared criminal cases against themselves, ranging from attempt to murder, to obscene acts and electoral violations. Also, a few of these ministers are crorepatis as well. Of the 24 ministers, some prominent ones are Uma Bharti, Dr Hash Vardhan, Nitin Gadkari, Ram Vilas Paswan, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bandaru Dattatreya, Maneka Gandhi and Rajiv Pratap Rudy. In majority of the cases, the criminal charges filed against a politician are politically motivated and done by his or her opponent. I mentioned about my case in my affidavit as per the clause of the Election Commission, but that doesnt mean that I had been involved in any criminal activities. Its the same with many of the politicians, a Union minister, whose name appeared in the ADR list told Firstpost, on conditions of anonymity. The compilation of the list of ministers with criminal cases against them has been obtained from the affidavits filed by the ministers, along with their nomination papers, and submitted to the EC, besides obtaining the copies of the affidavits from the ECIs website. The politicians have always been giving this excuse that cases against them are politically motivated. Its they who have mentioned about the cases filed against them in their affidavits submitted to the EC. Whether they are criminals or not, its for the Indian judiciary to decide, but if the political class thinks that the charges against them are politically motivated ones, they should bring amendments in the IPC through a bill in the Parliament to differentiate a political offence and a criminal offence, because IPC doesnt do so, said Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member, National Election Watch, ADR, told Firstpost. Following a 2002 Supreme Court order, the EC made it mandatory for the candidates contesting polls to submit self-sworn affidavits mentioning their income, property, and legal cases if there are any against them. It has been a matter of big debate and discussion for quite some time now on how to clean up Indian politics of political leaders with criminal background and charges. The actual problem lies in the distribution of tickets to candidates by the political parties. Why the parties on the first instance give tickets to candidates with criminal cases pending against them? Is it so difficult to find 790 candidates to be Members of Parliament without any criminal cases against them from a population of 125 crore in India?, questioned Chhokar. Why cant the political class enter into a gentlemans agreement that they wont file cases against each other, he added. The seven new inductees with pending criminal charges against them: Anupriya Singh Patel (MoS Health & Family Welfare), UP: From Apna Dal in Uttar Pradesh, Patel is the youngest minister in the Modi government. Two cases charges related to voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty, criminal intimidation, rioting armed with deadly weapon, act of endangering life or personal safety of others. Ramesh Jigajinagi (MoS Drinking Water & Sanitation), Karnataka: Originally from Janata Party and a five term MP. Two cases related to bribery. Vijay Goel (MoS Youth Affairs & Sports, Independent charge) Rajasthan: Was formerly Delhi BJP chief. Three cases related to disobedience and obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions, punishment for rioting and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from discharging duty. Rajen Gohain (MoS Railways) Assam: Four-time MP. One case related to defamation and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. Faggan Singh Kulaste (MoS Health), Madhya Pradesh: Tribal face of Modi government, who was jailed in the 2008 cash-for-vote scandal. Two cases related to criminal intimidation, rioting armed with deadly weapon, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt and charges related to obscene acts & songs. Ramdas Athavale (MoS Social Justice) Maharashtra: A leader of Republican Party, he was earlier with Congress and NCP. Two cases related to punishment and defamation. MJ Akbar (MoS External Affairs) Madhya Pradesh: Veteran journalist, originally from West Bengal, he is a Rajya Sabha member from MP. Two cases related to defamation. Dhaka: Bangladesh government said it was investigating the Islamist links of India-based controversial preacher Zakir Naik and examining the possibilities of banning his "provocative" speeches in the wake of two brutal terrorist attacks in the country within a week in which 25 people died. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that Bangladesh's intelligence agencies were investigating the Islamic preacher. "He is on our security scanner... Our intelligence agencies are investigating his activities as his lectures appeared provocative," Khan said. Khan said the investigators were also probing Naik's financial transactions in Bangladesh. He, however, added that the government was yet to decide on banning the broadcast of his 'Peace TV Bangla.' But Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the government was examining the possibilities of banning Naik's 'Peace TV Bangla' in view of his controversial speeches. "Give us some more time for taking a decision in this regard...but I can tell you we have been receiving complaints about the provocative contents of his speeches," Inu said. The comments by the two senior ministers came as Bangladesh's private TV cable operators said they await a government directive on the broadcast of Naik's television channel. "In the past, I myself used to watch the channel but after the Gulshan incident, I realised that many people do not view the channel the way I do it," Cable TV Owners' Association President Mir Hossain Akhtar told a Bangladeshi news agency. He added: "We want to stop airing the channel across the country. But in the absence of any government notification in this regard, it is not possible at this moment." The channel also airs broadcast in Bangla targeting the Bangladeshi audience. Naik, whose speeches are aired on 'Peace TV' run by his Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is a controversial Islamic preacher and his preachings were reported to have inspired some of the Dhaka attackers. Britain and Canada have banned Naik from visiting the two countries several years ago while Malaysia banned his lectures fearing that they could instigate inter-racial tensions. Experts said Naik could not be accused of openly inciting terror but his preaching were a heady mix of ingredients which could abet radicalisation of the extreme kinds. One of the slain attackers of the terrorist attack in Dhaka's high-security Gulshan area on July 1, the 22-year-old Rohan Imtiaz quoted Naik in a Facebook post in January this year where he urged "all Muslims to be terrorists." Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack. Six days later, militants attacked police guarding the largest Eid gathering in Bangladesh and killed three more people. One of the less savoury episodes in our family lore has to do with a machete. A distant relative who owned huge tracts of land in east Bengal (now Bangladesh) was so cruel, so tyrannical that one day a distraught ryot (small peasant), went at him with his trusty implement and almost hacked his zamindars left shoulder off. With an oppressors natural resilience reinforced with his riches, my relative survived; the peasant did not. An object lesson in the dual purposes the humble machete can be put to: a handy tool to clear bamboo groves and ripening rice fields and, if need be, a murderous weapon too. Those who need it as a tool in their daily lives turn to it as a weapon only out of sheer desperation, because it is the only option left to them to get revenge if not redress. History is replete with examples of the lowly machete being transformed from a utilitarian to a martial instrument to record anger and despair: By the Santhals against the British in 1855, by Brazilians during the War of the Ragamuffins in the 1830s, by the Cubans in the 1890s, against the advancing US Marines in Haiti, Nicaragua and other places in Latin America in the last century. Remember the 2010 neo-exploitation film Machete, set in the US itself, with the Chicano anti-hero organising a popular revolt against the white-dominated power structure of Texas? Not a great film, granted, but nevertheless drawing attention to the machete as a powerful symbol of popular revolt. No longer. These days the machete is more a weapon of terror, especially for terrorists with limited resources. The five men who carried out the attack in Dhakas upscale Holey Artisan Cafe, reports Praveen Swami of the Indian Express, shared a single Kalashnikov lookalike to pose for photographs that were circulated online by Islamic State, identified by the distinctive scratch-like markings visible above its trigger. Five beaming youngsters taking turns to be photographed, sharing that one cheap, China-made assault gun, basically a kind of airgun version of the Kalashnikov, with the look of the original, but not the lethality, amongst them. In most terrorist attacks around the world, the attackers have used assault weapons, such as the Kalashnikov AK47 and its variants, or the Armalite 15, says security expert Swami. But in Holey Artisan the terrorists had to make do with this lone Kalashnikov and a modest assortment of explosives which were used to frighten the inmates and repel the initial assault by the police. But the bulk of the gruesome murders of the hapless diners was carried out with machetes and knives. Even though the closest these spoilt, rich brats are likely to have come to a machete in their earlier lives was when they saw their servants prise open a green coconut or cut down plump jackfruits from overladen trees. Ditto, the Eid day attack at Kishoreganj, a short distance from Dhaka. But then, blades are considerably cheaper than bullets. Apparently, even the the low-cost .22LR cartridge that the poor-mans Kalashnikov uses was not in adequate supply at Holey Artisan. Islamic State may have claimed their grisly deeds as their own but they were certainly tardy about footing the bill. Apparently, that is Islamic State's latest strategy. Create chaos any which way believers are told, with whatever resources at your disposal. Hence the machete and its overuse in Bangladesh, a rural country already familiar with such sharp instruments. Witness the foiled attack at Kishoreganj where explosives soon gave way to sharp instruments. Even the 1971 war of liberation had seen the machete being wielded with fearsome results by the Razakars and other pro-Pakistani militia. That is how Abdul Kader Molla (who went on to become assistant general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami) earned his nickname of the butcher of Mirpur. It was his life imprisonment instead of death sentence that set in motion the chain of events that culminated in the iconic Shahbag protests and let loose the dogs of terrorism in Bangladesh. The bloggers and online activists who made the Shahbag movement so widely known soon became the targets of the fundamentalist forces and it was not long before they began to be picked off, one by one, often in the open, and the weapon of choice was primarily the machete. When Rafida Ahmed Bonya was asked to give the 2015 Voltaire Lecture of the British Humanist Association, she appropriately titled it Fighting Machetes with Pens. Bonyas husband Avijit Roy was one of the first victims of the Islamic terror now running riot in Bangladesh, stabbed repeatedly with machetes on a crowded road in front of Dhakas National Book Fair. Bonya herself was badly wounded, one of her thumbs almost sliced off. It is cruel, what the machete can do. It also reflects a mindset that is without any mercy, any pity, seething with righteous indignation, ready to descend to any depths for the chosen cause. No wonder it became the horrifying symbol of the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s where it was used to mow down hundreds and thousands of ethnic Tutsis. The medieval frame of mind the indiscriminate use of the machete indicates is in sharp contrast to the eagerness the terrorists at Holey Artisan displayed to see their actions amplified on social media. According to news reports based on accounts of hostages who have lived to tell the tale, After killing the patrons, they asked the staff to turn on the restaurants wireless network. Then they used customers telephones to post images of the bodies on the internet. Images that were dutifully posted on the worldwide net by Amaq news agency, affiliated with Islamic State. True, machetes are no match to the superior firepower all states possess. That is how all machete-dependent rebellions have been suppressed in history. Even in Dhaka, Had we been certain that the terrorists were so lightly armed, we would probably have ordered the assault far earlier, and perhaps lives could have been saved. However, that was not a call which we could take casually, with so many lives at stake, a Bangladeshi police officer told the Indian Express. But who will tame the minds that wield the machetes? It is a dark, remorseless world that the terrorists roam. There seems little hope that they can be made to see the light and lay down their machetes. A British inquiry into the Iraq War found that an aggressive purge of members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party led by the late, American-backed politician Ahmed Chalabi "had a significant and lasting negative impact on Iraq" that laid the groundwork for the deadly sectarian conflict ravaging the country today. The British investigation, led by Sir John Chilcot, found that UK and American officials sought, but largely failed, to limit post-war purges led by Chalabi and other Iraqi Shi'ite politicians that destabilized the country's ethnic and religious balance. Chilcot, who reviewed UK government records and interviewed top British officials involved in Iraq policy, reported that while U.S. and British officials assumed before the war that some kind of purge of pro-Saddam Ba'athists would have to take place, "no clear plan" for doing so was agreed before Iraq was invaded in 2003. Disagreements among U.S., British and Iraqi officials about how extensive the purge should be started almost immediately after Saddam was deposed, Chilcot found. U.S. and British officials agreed it should extend to the top three levels of Ba'ath party members - up to 5,000 individuals. But some Iraqi politicians argued the purge should cover a fourth level, exposing an additional 30,000 government employees, including schoolteachers, to unemployment. At one point, Chilcot reports, a British government internal paper commented that a purge of Ba'athists down to the fourth tier would be "excessive and detrimental to public service provision." Nonetheless, the post-war coalition authority in Iraq purged the top four ranks. The decree fired Ba'ath party members from government jobs and banned them from holding them in the future, Chilcot reported. Chalabi, a U.S.-educated financier with a history of financial troubles who died last November, then headed a De-Ba'athification Commission the Iraqis created to carry out the purge. In the months before the U.S.-led Iraq invasion, Chalabi had fed stories to the media and backers of the war alleging that Saddam's regime had weapons of mass destruction and links to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Post-war U.S. investigations established that many of the stories spread by Chalabi's group were unprovable or false. Former U.S. officials said operatives working for Chalabi managed to seize control of Ba'ath Party files over the objections of U.S. officials, the report found. These files became a key resource for the De-Ba'athification Commission. Chalabi's aides also sold some of the records for cash to U.S. agencies. Yet U.S. and British officials failed to rein in Chalabi and the council. In 2006, Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee reported that "there has been no significant change in de-Ba'athification policies," the report found. In 2007, British officials warned that de-Ba'athification was a "major inhibitor" of reconciliation between Sunnis and Shi'ites, Chilcot reported. The report concluded that "The UK chose not to act on its well-founded misgivings" about the extent of de-Ba'athification. NEW YORK Hillary Clinton repeated on Friday that she did not realise she was transmitting highly classified government secrets through her private email server while U.S. secretary of state in her first remarks since a federal investigation found this happened at least 110 times. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic Party's presidential nominee, shifted the blame onto her former colleagues at the State Department, saying in television interviews she followed their lead on whether or not information was classified. "They, I believe, did not believe they were sending any material that was classified, they were pursuing their responsibilities," she said in an interview with MSNBC. She did not address the findings by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed this week that she herself sent information on topics classified as 'top secret', the highest level of classification, through the unauthorized private server she kept in her home. The U.S. Department of Justice accepted the FBI's recommendation on Tuesday to not file criminal charges against Clinton or her staff for her use of an unauthorized, unsecure private server for her work as U.S. secretary of state. It is a crime to mishandle classified information, and while FBI director James Comey said on Tuesday there was evidence Clinton or her aides may have broken these laws, there was not enough evidence of criminal intent for a prosecution. While clearing Clinton of criminal wrongdoing, Comey said in a scathing statement that she and her staff were "extremely careless" in their handling of government secrets. He said her server was so poorly secured the FBI could not rule out the possibility its contents had not been hacked by the country's enemies. Asked if she agreed that she was "extremely careless", Clinton declined to respond directly, repeatedly saying Comey had "clarified" his remarks in interviews with MSNBC and CNN. It was unclear what clarification Clinton was referring to. In lengthier remarks before lawmakers on Thursday, Comey repeated his belief that Clinton and her staff had been extremely careless, and added that he would also describe her conduct as "real sloppiness" and cast doubt on her ability to understand the classified information system. "I don't think that our investigation established she was actually particularly sophisticated with respect to classified information and the levels and treatment," Comey said while under oath to lawmakers. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Bernard Orr) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. On Thursday, America watched in horror as a sniper gunned down twelve police officers as they worked to protect a peaceful protest against police violence in Dallas, Texas. The terrifying scene was instantly captured and streamed online as protestors ran screaming in fear. With five officers dead and seven injured, this has become known as the deadliest incident for police since 9/11. The massacre ended with the bombing of the suspect following unsuccessful negotiations. Prior to his death, he expressed his frustration and anger with white people, and his desire to kill white cops. Thursdays events were just the latest spat of violence, finishing off a week of bloodshed. Just one day after Americans celebrated their freedom, a black man, Alton Sterling, was held down on the ground and slain when an officer fired multiple shots into his chest and back following a concerned emergency call. It was later found that, while in possession of a firearm, Sterling had not touched it during the encounter and had been shot to death while effectively being bound by two officers. One of the officers involved in this incident had been in trouble in the past for shooting another black man. Only two days later, another black man named Philando Castile was shot while reaching for his wallet after informing a police officer during a traffic stop that he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and that he had one in the car with him. His girlfriend who was in the car with him, along with her four year old child, were witness to his final moments along with everyone watching her Facebook Live video stream, which captured her interaction with a police officer who held a gun on the car as her boyfriend died in the passenger seat. As the weeks events unfolded, reactions began to pour out on social media fear, frustration, anger, and mourning were predominant. People called for solidarity and unity, grieved for the lost, and had important discussions about race in America. The video footage of the two police killings racked up millions of views. More than that, though, there has been a deep expression of unease and unrest as people consider what this week means for them, for the black community, and for the future of this country. There has been an increase in warnings of the unsustainability of this culture of killing, calls to action to rise up and make a change, and calls for revolution that echo political activists in recent months. While some are calling for a revolution of love, others are calling for action, any action, that will create change in a society that has otherwise been stonewalling the black community for years in the face of an increasingly dangerous and unstable social environment. As the death toll increases, so does the frustration and the fear, and the very real need for serious and immediate change. What is important to remember is that these events did not occur in a vacuum. America is no stranger to racial tension and has not, even after hundreds of years, managed to rid itself of the oppression, segregation, and discrimination that has plagued the black community (among several others) throughout this countrys history. In 2014, riots in Ferguson, Missouri brought the Black Lives Movement to the national stage and sparked nation-wide protests and campaigns against police brutality and the grossly disproportionate killing of black people by authorities. According to one study, a black person is three times more likely to be killed by a police officer than a white person and that jumps up to five times if you compare unarmed black people with unarmed white people. Another study found that unarmed black men are at a staggeringly high risk they are seven times more likely to be killed than unarmed white men, despite making up only thirteen percent of the US population. Police killed nearly a thousand people last year alone, and nearly 600 so far this year. The number of black people killed this year has already surpassed last years total. It is within this climate that the slaughter of the Dallas police officers must be viewed and mourned. Protesters and the black community have condemned the actions of the sniper and have asked the nation to remember that these were the actions of a single person and not representative of either them or the Black Lives Matter movement. Notwithstanding this, and evidence that the shooter was not affiliated with the movement, critics of BLM have already begun circulating petitions for naming the group a terrorist organisation, trashing the movement on social media, and using the hashtag #BlueLives to counter #BlackLivesMatter. At the same time, Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organisations, made a statement that police feel unfairly painted with a broad brush, a response that, no matter how valid and true, can feel laughably ironic in the face of broad racial profiling. After Dallas, many were also quick to notice and condemn the lack of response from second amendment enthusiasts or the NRA (which has since offered a statement calling for a thorough investigation into the Minnesota shooting) in regards to Castile, even after releasing a statement in support of the Dallas police. While issuing such a statement was absolutely correct, silence can sometimes be more deafening than words, and the silence of many of those outside the black community in the wake of the murders of Sterling and Castile was heard throughout the land this week, particularly in contrast to their outcry after Dallas. Even taking down the suspect was not free from controversy and racial overtones, as many draw a parallel between this shooter and Dylan Roof. As strong as the response has been calling for compassion and unity in these past few days, how America as a nation has responded, or failed to respond, to these atrocities might prove to be a bigger divide. Only time will tell if the massacre in Dallas has brought tensions in this country past the point of no return. What we do know right now is that America is locked into a vicious cycle of violence, one that will certainly only be exacerbated by the most recent attacks on the Dallas police officers. The author holds a Masters degree in Human Rights and is pursuing a Juris Doctor at Washington University School of Law. She tweets @at_ashmoore It was February 2015. Barack Obama had just returned to the US after attending the Republic Day parade, the first US head of state to do so. Invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his India visit had gotten off like a dream. The political establishment fawned on him and an euphoric media called it 'epochal'. It was all very gooey, like warm chocolate fuzz. Interestingly, during the annual National Prayer Breakfast meeting which took place almost as soon as he returned home, the US President chose to deliver a lecture on tolerance and asked India to learn lessons anew from Mahatma Gandhi. "Michelle and I returned from India an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation," Obama had said while referring to the controversies that had been dogging the Modi administration. That eloquent homily to tolerance was never more relevant than now one and a half years after it was delivered by the world's most powerful man as his own country goes up in flames, cleaved neatly into two over racial fault lines. Three days of violence that saw controversial shootings of two African-Americans and US law enforcement officers suffering their biggest casualty since 9/11, Americans need to re-learn what Martin Luther King said about the Mahatma and the potency of his philosophy in social reform. When the time came to confront the bitter reality however, consummate orator Obama (not for the first time) was left stumbling for words as he addressed Americans from Warsaw, Poland, where the POTUS is on a NATO visit. Gone was the swagger, the staccato baritone missing its familiar fluency. Americans were "horrified", said Obama on Friday, for what he called "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement" in Dallas. "There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks... Anyone involved in these senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done." This is a testing time for Obama, largely a lame-duck president when it comes to working on any legislative proposal that this White House sends the Republican Congress to address structural racism in American society. "I spoke about are need to be concerned as all Americans about racial disparities in our criminal justice system. I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion," said Obama, sounding more like a trapeze artist than a president in control. His predicament is understandable as he must balance the anger of black Americans against police brutality, hierarchical racism and the rage of white Americans against what they perceive as criminal forces threatening their peace and security perceptions that lead to reactions like this tweet: "3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you." This tweet, by former congressman Joe Walsh, was later deleted but it exposes America's underbelly of institutionalised racism. The fact that a former US Army veteran shot five and injured seven other police officers must come as the most brutal expose of anger that burns America. The shooter, 25-year-old Micah Johnson, an army reservist who served in Afghanistan, told police who surrounded him that he wanted to kill white officers. Johnson was killed when a police robot detonated a bomb near him following a standoff that lasted several hours, Dallas police chief David Brown said on Friday. "The suspect said he was upset with white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." There's a dialogue in the 1992 movie A Few Good Men. Lt. Weinberg: Why do you like them (soldiers) so much? Lt. Com. Galloway: Because they stand on a wall and say, Nothings going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch. When an Army veteran turns against own country, not because he is deranged or has a criminal record but because he wants to shoot white police officers, it must point to the edge America has reached for constantly ignoring the institutional racism that boils just beneath the surface. On Thursday, after the shootings by white police officers of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana, Obama had made a broad diagnosis of American racial imbalance. "When incidents like this occur, there's a big chunk of our citizenry that feels as if, because of the color of their skin, they are not being treated the same, and that hurts, and that should trouble all of us... This is not just a black issue, not just a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue that we all should care about." It is also the exact same words that he spoke in 2014 while reacting to grand jurys decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died after being placed in a chokehold. His dying words started the I can't breathe movement. When anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law, thats a problem, he added. Its incumbent on all of us as Americans ...that we recognise that this is an American problem and not just a black problem. It is an American problem when anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law. It means the problem has exacerbated under his watch. It signifies Obama's biggest failure as the US President and as the world's most powerful man. He will continue to be remembered as the man who failed to reform America's criminal justice system and came a cropper in his fight for racial justice. His likely successors do not inspire confidence either. Hillary Clinton lacks any extensive record of dealing with institutional racism and may just end up taking a more conservative stance due to electoral compulsions. Her opponent Donald Trump, if anything, will try to exploit the tragic events to his advantage by pandering to racial sentiments. And the US will remain true to what the 1968 Kerner Report on racism had concluded: "Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one whiteseparate and unequal. Durban: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left South Africa for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation tour of Africa. A busy and fruitful South Africa visit ends. PM @narendramodi leaves for Tanzania, the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. On Sunday, Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. A major highlight of Modi's visit to Tanzania will be a meeting with a group of solar mamas. Solar mamas are women from developing nations who have been trained in harnessing solar energy at the Barefoot College at Tilonia village in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, which numbers around 50,000 in Tanzania. Thereafter he will leave for Nairobi, Kenya, where he will address an Indian diaspora rally on Sunday evening. Earlier on Saturday, Modi took a short train ride to the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. He then visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that Gandhi had established in 1904. He also addressed a civic reception hosted in his honour by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner in South Africa. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and President Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Durban: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with a group of South African alumni who studied in various Indian institutions under Indian government programmes. Co-partners in the knowledge revolution. PM interacts with a group of South African Alumni of Indian institutions, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the alumni included those who went to India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and the Know India Programme (KIP). Prior to this, Modi visited the Phoenix Settlement near Durban that was set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904. Earlier on Saturday, he visited the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. Later on Saturday, Modi will attend a reception to be hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and the Mayor of Durban before leaving for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. North Korea fired Saturday a submarine launched ballistic missile near the eastern province of South Hamgyong, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said as quoted by the country's media. The launch is said to have been carried out at around 02:30 GMT, Yonhap News Agency reported. Tensions over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs escalated after Pyongyang said on January 6 that it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test and put a satellite into orbit on February 7. The moves violated UN Security Council resolutions, prompting the United Nations to impose new sanctions on the North. On June 22, North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a missile that traveled about 250 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan. US and South Korean officials said two missiles were fired and that one missile failed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Durban late on Friday night from Johannesburg. Saturday was his second day in South Africa and the third in the continent. The Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs took to Twitter to keep the public informed about his various visits and other engagements that were part of his itinerary in Durban. The tweets started flowing in after he reached the Pentrich Railway Station. From there, he took a train to Pietermaritzburg, to pay respects to Mahatma Gandhi who was offloaded from the train because of his skin colour in 1893. PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled. pic.twitter.com/VAFOn1K4ev PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 9, 2016 A picture of the Prime Minister during his journey to Pietermaritzburg. pic.twitter.com/Lum5PJwDpv PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 9, 2016 The PM spoke to the media on his arrival at the station, after which he visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded. PM takes a moment to speak to the media on his thoughts on arrival at Pietermaritzburg station pic.twitter.com/g5y8KXZAvH Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 The making of the Mahatma. PM @narendramodi visits the spot where Gandhiji was offloaded at Pietermaritzburg pic.twitter.com/uxK6hDoapy Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Modi also inaugurated an exhibition at the Waiting Hall in Pietermaritzburg. A permanent memory in Pietermaritzburg. PM inaugurates exhibition at the Waiting Hall where Gandhiji spent the night pic.twitter.com/7Ze3RVBwYx Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 An event at Pietermaritzburg altered the course of India's history, PM writes in the Visitors book at the station pic.twitter.com/iyShCcYnZy Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Modi's next visit was to Gandhi's Phoenix Settlement, where Mahatma Gandhi spent the initial years of his political profession. From Pietermaritzburg to Phoenix. PM visits the farm where Gandhiji spent formative years of his political work pic.twitter.com/fq8uYDJRE4 Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 A house for justice, a home for compassion. PM @narendramodi visits Sarvodaya, Gandhiji's residence in Phoenix pic.twitter.com/RI3X7zp8t6 Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 He further planted a sapling and interacted with the people there. A sapling for sarvodaya. PM @narendramodi plants a pepper & bark tree at the Phoenix Settlement. Ela Gandhi with him pic.twitter.com/svfJ5kNNr2 Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Planting a sapling at Phoenix Settlement. pic.twitter.com/kQdzIlGHQ1 PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 9, 2016 PM @narendramodi interacts with people at Phoenix Settlement. pic.twitter.com/88G8PmtWnn PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 9, 2016 Co-partners in the knowledge revolution. PM interacts with a group of South African Alumni of Indian institutions pic.twitter.com/5bFLrcWdex Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Final engagement of the day in South Africa is a special reception in PM's Honour by the Mayor of Durban pic.twitter.com/EzSfl8U4pS Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 PM @narendramodi applauds the extraordinary diversity of Durban, says by protecting it you help advance Mandela's dream of a Rainbow Nation Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 PM: Today, you have not just honoured me. You have also recognised 1.25 billion of my countrymen. pic.twitter.com/zEoGjPemXc Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 PM @narendramodi:The sufferings of early generations of Indians under the apartheid and colonial rule are well known pic.twitter.com/DBNbDlS6Hx Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 PM turns to cricket:Being in S Africa, & especially in Durban, If I dont talk about cricket it would be a no ball! pic.twitter.com/dCEaMwR29E Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 PM: The passion and love for this game runs wide and deep in our societies. And, cricket has been an important part of our relations Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 Warsaw: NATO leaders geared up on Friday for a long-term standoff with Russia, ordering multinational troops to Poland and the three Baltic states as Moscow moves forward with its own plans to station two new divisions along its western borders. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that on the first day of a landmark two-day summit, US President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries also declared the initial building blocks of a ballistic missile system operationally capable, recognized cyberspace as a domain for alliance operations, committed to boosting their countries' civil preparedness, and renewed a pledge to spend a minimum of 2 percent of their national incomes on defense. "We have just taken decisions to deliver 21st century deterrence and defense in the face of 21st-century challenges," Stoltenberg told a news conference. He said the leaders' decision to deploy new alliance units to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on a rotational basis is "an open-ended commitment" designed to last "as long as necessary." Polish President Andrzej Duda, the summit's official host, warned that Western democratic values are being undermined by a "notorious lack of respect for international law" as well as terrorism and high-tech warfare, and said NATO needs a coherent strategy to address those problems. After arriving in Warsaw, Obama announced his decision to send an additional 1,000 US troops to Poland as part of the NATO effort to reinforce its presence on the alliance's frontiers near Russia. Following bilateral talks, Duda thanked him, saying Poles "are grateful for the goodwill, for understanding that security is where the world's strongest army is, and that army is the US Army." In a column published in the Financial Times, Obama called on NATO to stand firm against Russia, terrorism and other challenges, and to "summon the political will, and make concrete commitments" to strengthen European cooperation after Britain voted 23 June to leave the European Union. The deployment of the new NATO units, telegraphed long in advance like most items on the summit program following months of deliberations by allied governments, is vigorously opposed by the Kremlin. As Obama and the other alliance heads of state and government were gathering in the Polish capital, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is willing to cooperate with NATO, even though he said it acts toward Russia like an enemy. Russia "has always been open for dialogue" with NATO, especially to fight what it sees as a "genuine threat" terrorism, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Russia is not looking (for an enemy) but it actually sees it happening," Peskov told reporters in Moscow. "When NATO soldiers march along our border and NATO jets fly by, it's not us who are moving closer to the NATO borders." But German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, whose nation will furnish the core components of the new battalion going to Lithuania, called it an appropriate measure to counter what she called a "completely unpredictable and aggressive Russia." Washington: The Islamic State group's Twitter traffic has plunged 45 percent in the past two years, the Obama administration says, as the US and its allies have countered messages of jihadi glorification with a flood of online images and statements about suffering and enslavement at the hands of the extremist organization. Among the images: A teddy bear with Arabic writing and messages saying Islamic State "slaughters childhood," ''kills innocence," ''lashes purity" or "humiliates children." A male hand covering a female's mouth, saying Islamic State "deprives woman her voice." A woman in a black niqab (veil), bloody tears coming from a bruised eye, and the caption: "Women under ISIS. Enslaved. Battered. Beaten. Humiliated. Flogged." US officials cite the drop in Twitter traffic as a sign of progress toward eliminating propaganda they blame for inspiring attacks around the world. When the US formed an international coalition in September 2014 to fight Islamic State, the administration outlined multiple goals: military action and cutting off foreign fighters and finances; confronting the group's extremist ideology and stemming the militants' growing popularity in the Arab world and beyond. The messaging element of the campaign struggled early on. Much of the anti-Islamic State content put online was in English, limiting its effectiveness. At the time, social media networks were only getting started with new technological approaches to the challenge of disabling accounts that were recruiting and radicalizing prospective Islamic State members. These shortcomings have been fixed, American officials believe. Memes and images depicting the group's treatment of women, children and others are presented almost entirely in Arabic. Whereas the US previously blasted the information out itself, it disseminates messages now through Muslim governments, religious leaders, schools, youth leaders and advocacy groups with credibility in local communities. Data show the proliferation of Islamic State propaganda decreasing. "We're denying ISIL the ability to operate uncontested online, and we're seeing their social media presence decline," said Michael Lumpkin, head of the Global Engagement Center, which coordinates the US government's approach to fighting extremist messaging. Using an alternate acronym for the group, he said "anti-ISIL audiences are increasingly vocal on social media. This only weakens ISIL's ability to recruit, a key aim of our messaging efforts." Data obtained by The Associated Press show a 6-1 ratio of anti-Islamic State content online compared with pro-Islamic State content an improvement from last year. When pro-Islamic State Twitter accounts are discovered today, they have about 300 followers each. In 2014, such accounts had 1,500 followers each, according to the data. Among social networks, the administration has primarily focused on Twitter. The platform has been most heavily used by Islamic State to crowdsource supporters and potential attackers, though it also has used YouTube and Facebook. As Islamic State emerged from Al-Qaeda's shadow and began seizing cities and large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2013, pro-Islamic State accounts started firing out tens of thousands of tweets each day, rapidly and repeatedly opening new accounts as others were suspended. The group's enhanced use of social media quickly set it apart from Al-Qaeda and previous jihadi militant groups. Counterterrorism and law enforcement officials have pointed to Islamic State' online presence for inspiring deadly attacks in Europe and the United States, including some by individuals who never had physical contact with any of its leaders or fighters in the Middle East. These include the attackers who killed 14 in San Bernardino, California, last December. The US messages attempt to undermine many of IS' most oft-cited claims. These include the group's supposed invincibility on the battlefield or that its caliphate is good for Muslims. American partners have flooded social media with messages highlighting the group's territorial loses and inability to effectively govern or provide basic services to areas under its control. Although the US government has no formal arrangement with Twitter, its information campaign has dovetailed with new approaches by the company to identify and eliminate tweets supporting terrorism. Until recently, child pornography was the only abuse automatically flagged for human review on social media. Terrorist messaging is now also included and Twitter announced earlier this year it was using a spam-fighting technology as well. Since mid-2015, the company has suspended more than 125,000 such accounts. Officials accept that the focus on Twitter may be driving some of Islamic State' traffic to secure message platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. But such a shift means the group's propaganda is reaching a smaller audience. On these networks, it is the job of intelligence and law enforcement officials to root out any clues about future terrorist activity. The Global Engagement Center was created in May to replace a previous State Department entity for fighting Islamic State messaging, the widely criticized Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications. In addition to shifting to Arabic content and proxy messengers, the new formation harmonizes the online campaign with military and intelligence efforts, and uses data analytics from the private and public sector to gauge IS' changing online tactics and what counterstrategies are working best. For measuring pro-Islamic State versus anti-Islamic State accounts, data analysts use several dozen search strings and hashtags. For example, #Caliphate is more likely used on pro-IS accounts. #Daesh, a pejorative acronym for the group, is primarily found on anti-IS accounts. Pietermaritzburg: Reliving history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday retraced Mahatma Gandhi's train journey in South Africa as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment that proved to be a turning point in his life. On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhi's fight against racial discrimination. On 7 June 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhi's decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi. "PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled," the PMO tweeted. PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled. pic.twitter.com/VAFOn1K4ev PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 9, 2016 Remembering a memorable journey of the great Mahatma, which altered the course of human history. pic.twitter.com/elEmbOtqQp Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 9, 2016 After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister on Friday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela. "For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela," Modi had said. He further said, "We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa." ISTANBUL A senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group was killed in a bomb attack on a car in which he was travelling in northeast Syria, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday. Fehman Huseyin, known in Turkey by the code name Bahoz Erdal, was killed on Friday evening as he travelled to the northern Syrian city of Qamishli, Anadolu said, citing the head of a rebel group in Syria. The report could not immediately be confirmed. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Gareth Jones) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Karachi: Tens of thousands of people attended the state funeral for Pakistan's legendary philanthropist, Abdul Sattar Edhi, in Karachi on Saturday, officials said. Thousands more couldn't get to the stadium where the funeral was held with a military honour guard, said local government official Nasir Habib. The 88-year-old charity worker died Friday after a prolonged illness. Pakistan's top civilian and army leadership offered funeral prayers at the stadium, as the country mourned the loss of a man commonly known as the "Angel of Mercy" for his internationally-acclaimed social work. A 19 gun salute was given, Pakistan's army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, tweeted. Edhi donated his eyes and asked his family to bury him in the clothes he wore at the time of his death, his son Faisal Eidhi said. As part of his commitment to living simply, Edhi would never own more than a few items of clothing and a pair of shoes, his son said. Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his charitable foundation, Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation. He established the foundation almost six decades ago that he oversaw with his wife, Bilquis Edhi. The foundation owns and runs Pakistan's largest ambulance service, nursing homes, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters, along with rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens. His work earned him numerous awards at home and abroad, including the Gandhi Peace Award, the 2007 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize, the 2011 London Peace Award, the 2008 Seoul Peace Award and the Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Service. Edhi never finished school but later said that the world of suffering became his tutor. In Pakistan, tributes poured in for Edhi. "We the poor lost our father today," Rafiq Ahmad, a 45-year-old who attended the funeral, told reporters. WARSAW Ukraine won promises of continued support at a NATO summit on Saturday but the prospect of Kiev's eventual membership of the U.S.-led military alliance seemed as distant as ever as the West seeks a tentative rapprochement with Russia. NATO agreed during the two-day Warsaw summit to boost its eastern flank in response to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and Moscow's subsequent backing for rebels fighting Kiev troops in east Ukraine. But after more than two years of Western sanctions on Russia, some in NATO and the European Union are pushing for a softer stance towards Moscow and growing impatient with what they see as sluggish progress in modernising the economy and fighting corruption in Ukraine. Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia must stop its "political, military and financial support for separatists" in east Ukraine. "Allies are united in their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "We do not and we will not recognise Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and we condemn Russia's deliberate destabilisation of eastern Ukraine." He restated NATO's political support for Ukraine and said the alliance would help Kiev tackle risks from improvised explosive devices on top of other assistance aimed at improving Ukraine's military capabilities that had been agreed before. "These decisions demonstrate that NATO stands firmly for Ukraine," Poroshenko told the presser. "Now we have to make the necessary reforms" "They will bring us closer to the criteria and then the people of Ukraine will decide what we'll do further," he said of the prospect of Ukraine's eventual NATO membership, which had been promised to Kiev in 2008 but is now off the table. PEACE AND REFORMS For all the friendly rhetoric, Kiev has come under increased pressure from the West in recent weeks to devolve power and hold local elections in the east Ukraine, where a truce is patchy. The broader peace plan for the eastern Donbass region, negotiated in Minsk between Ukraine and Russia by Germany and France, has stalled for months. Paris and Berlin have now renewed efforts to implement it in full. That means Kiev should also grant Donbass a special legal status and decentralise the country through a constitutional reform. Moscow is obliged to help Kiev regain control of Ukraine's eastern border, and both sides must withdraw heavy arms to ensure an effective ceasefire in east Ukraine. The leaders of the United States, Germany, France and Italy met Poroshenko separately on the sidelines of the summit to express support for Ukraine, a White House official said. "The leaders agreed that Ukraine has made considerable progress on political, economic, and anti-corruption reforms, but that more work must be done," the official added. Poroshenko and French President Francois Hollande both said the six leaders worked on a 'roadmap' of security steps needed in Donbass to permit elections there in the coming months. In Germany, the head of Chancellor Angela Merkel's junior coalition partner said the West should return to the negotiating table with Russia and he had "strong doubt" whether increasing NATO's military presence in eastern Europe would help that. "I'm not in favour of us constantly escalating the relationship with Russia," Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the Social Democratic Party, said in Nuremberg. In another sign of a cautious thaw with Moscow, NATO and Russian envoys to Brussels will meet for the second time since Crimea on Wednesday, including to discuss Ukraine. Ukraine's deputy prime minister said NATO would benefit from Kiev's experience of fighting "a hybrid war" against Russia on its soil, which she said included the deployment of troops with no insignia and a massive disinformation campaign. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze defended Kiev's record on reforms and vented frustration with the criticism from the West. "Lack of prospective NATO membership for Ukraine has a negative impact on the security environment in the region," she said. "The West needs to make a very strategic, long-term choice and not look for any excuses today to turn away from Ukraine." (Additional reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Wiktor Szary, Sabine Siebold and Paul Taylor, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska,; Editing by Paul Taylor and Andrew Heavens) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NATO "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan will be preserved beyond 2016, a decision on the forces remaining in the country will be made in the coming months, Sputnik International news agency quoted the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as saying July 9. "We took three decisions today. First, we agreed to sustain our 'Resolute Support' mission beyond 2016 Additional planning will be conducted in the coming months to define our overall presence in 2017 Third, we reaffirmed our support for a long-term political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan," Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO summit underway in Warsaw. 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . A recent design leak of the upcoming Nexus 2016 by Android Police had suggested that Google might go for a completely new design language for the device with two-tone colors at the back. Now a Reddit user has recreated the colors theme which in our opinion Google should definitely consider. The Reddit user on Friday posted reimagined AP-leaked design (see below) images of the rumored Nexus 2016 in four new colors. Just to be clear, these are not the render images by Google or any sourced image that is claimed to be a real design or the colours options for the anticipated Nexus 2016. The user has just Photoshop-ed it for fun. Although it would be more fun if Google actually consider it for real. So far, most of the leaks points out to the two upcoming Nexus devices by HTC the Google HTC Nexus Sailfish and Nexus Marlin. The Nexus Sailfish is expected to be the smaller 5-inch device for this years nexus lineup and Nexus Marlin could be the bigger variant with 5.5-inch QHD display. Reddit link | Via NATO intends to leave nearly 12,000 soldiers in Afghanistan in 2017, the alliances Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said July 9, RIA Novosti reported. In turn, Afghanistan pledged to NATO to continue reforms in exchange for the assistance provided by the alliance. The Afghan government has strongly expressed its commitment to work on observance of human rights, including women's rights and fight against corruption, Stoltenberg told reporters. Image source: Tidal. Just a year after its launch, Apple Music has 15 million paid subscribers. For context, the industry leader, Spotify, took more than six years to get to that point. Of course, Apple Music benefited from the secular shift to streaming from digital downloads and physical media, which is exemplified by the fact that Spotify has also added another 15 million paid subscribers since the beginning of last year. For all intents and purposes, Apple Music is doing pretty good. But with fierce competition from big names like Alphabet's Google and Pandora , Apple is looking to beef up its position. The Wall Street Journal recently reported the company is in talks to acquire Tidal, a competing music streaming service owned by Jay-Z. With about 4.2 million paid subscribers, Tidal isn't going to catapult Apple Music to the top of the charts, but its ownership and relationships with artists and record labels could help Apple differentiate its service from the competition, leading to a long-term competitive advantage. It's all about who you know When Apple acquired Beats Electronics, it wasn't just buying a high-end headphone and speaker company or an upstart music streaming service. Apple gained access to Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, and Trent Reznor. All three have been instrumental in the development and success of Apple Music by contributing their expertise to developing the product, signing exclusive deals, producing content, and promoting the service. While Tidal doesn't have the revenue of Beats Electronic's business when Apple acquired it, it has another hip-hop mogul that could improve Apple's standing with artists. In fact, upon taking over control of Tidal, Jay-Z positioned the service as a pro-artist platform, providing ownership stakes to several high-profile musicians. As such, Tidal has managed to garner exclusive releases from several artists, which is one of the biggest reasons it's been able to attract 4.2 million paid subscribers in the face of much more well-established competition. While there's no guarantee Apple will be able to maintain those exclusive early release contracts with its artist-owners, Apple should be able to bring Jay-Z on as an executive. He should help sway artists to remain with Apple Music and continue providing exclusive content. Apple has positioned itself as more artist-friendly this year. It funded music videos for Drake and The Weeknd as well as Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour concert film. That's helped it keep their music exclusive to Apple Music for a window, and in Swift's case, helped her agree to Apple's streaming terms. Apple is also able to put its considerable marketing weight behind these artists and its service. Combined with Tidal's slate of artists, Apple Music will become the only place for music fans to stream new music. Apple should be prepared to outspend the competition Not only does Apple have more cash than any company it competes with, it also has a bigger share of the digital music business than any of them. iTunes downloads once accounted for nearly two-thirds of digital download sales, but last year, digital-streaming revenue outpaced digital downloads. Digital album sales declined 5.2% last year, and digital single sales fell 12.8%. Meanwhile, Apple is shifting its focus to growing its services revenue as hardware sales lull. In its first-quarter earnings results, the company highlighted that it now had 1 billion active devices. The company has over 800 million iTunes accounts with payment information connected. That network gives Apple a competitive advantage in selling its services, but it can't completely stop competing services from also taking advantage of its huge scale through the App Store. Not only is Apple Music leading the way to offset declines in iTunes downloads, it's tasked with propelling Apple's services revenue higher. That means Apple needs to spend more on Apple Music to ensure it can beat the competition. Google is investing in its own streaming service by combining it with premium YouTube content. It has a pretty broad audience as well. Pandora bought the assets of Rdio and plans to launch an on-demand streaming service later this year. It has nearly 80 million active listeners in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand to which it can up-sell its new service. Spotify continues to grow rapidly, with 100 million active listeners and 30 million paid subscribers. Paying up for Jay-Z, Tidal, and more exclusive content from musicians will make Apple Music an unparalleled service for music fans who need new music when it's released. Apple has the deep pockets to pull it off and the most at stake to lose to other streaming services. The article 1 Reason It Makes Sense for Apple to Buy Tidal originally appeared on Fool.com. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adam Levy owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A and C shares), Apple, and Pandora Media. The Motley Fool has the following options: 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. How can you get rich? There are plenty of paths to wealth. You could win the lottery. A long-lost uncle could pass away and leave you his stash of bitcoins. Of course, there are plenty of other methods to getting rich as well. One way to seriously consider is to buy stocks that are poised to benefit from trends that will create enormous wealth. But which trends and which stocks? Artificial intelligence (AI), China's growing economic power, and gene editing are three trends that I think hold the potential to generate a lot of money in the coming years. Here's why Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), and Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT) could be great picks to profit from these trends -- and make you rich in the process. Thanks for the (AI) memory: Micron Technology If you don't know much about AI, understand three things. First, successful application of AI involves a huge amount of data. Second, that data has to be processed by high-powered computers. Third, this processing requires a lot of memory. Now that you've got those three things down, you can better appreciate the value that Micron Technology brings to organizations focusing on AI. Micron is one of the world's biggest providers of memory chips used in AI systems. A rapidly growing application of AI is in autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles. Micron is making a big play in this market. In September, the company launched new memory chips that are designed to serve as the foundation for next-generation autonomous vehicles. It also announced partnerships with some of the top automakers to develop high-bandwidth memory technology intended to power fully autonomous vehicles. There are plenty of stocks you could buy to profit from the growth of AI. Many of them, however, are priced for perfection. Micron, on the other hand, is incredibly cheap despite the stock doubling in 2017. The chipmaker's shares trade at a little over five times expected earnings. With the kind of growth that Micron should enjoy, the stock looks even more attractive. A bull in the China shop: Alibaba China ranks as the most populous country in the world. Its gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by 6.9% in 2017, more than twice as much as the U.S. China's middle class is growing significantly -- and that creates lots of opportunities. Alibaba has already begun capitalizing on those opportunities. When it comes to e-commerce in China, Alibaba reigns as king. The company provides the internet platform that connects merchants with customers for both retailers and wholesalers. It's also China's largest provider of public cloud services. But as big as its market potential is in China, Alibaba isn't limiting itself to just one country. The company's mission is "to make it easy to do business anywhere." That's exactly what Alibaba is attempting to do. The company owns the top mobile browser used in India and Indonesia, two other fast-growing nations. It owns the largest largest mobile payment platform in India. Founder Jack Ma's goal is to serve more than 2 billion consumers and 10 million small businesses 20 years from now. If it achieves that goal, Alibaba would have a business platform that was, by itself, one of the largest economies in the world. This could very well be one of those stocks that you can buy and never sell. DNA will never be the same: Editas Medicine Gene editing, which involves inserting, deleting, or replacing DNA, has been around since 1991. But for years, actually editing genes was difficult, slow, and expensive. That changed in 2012 with the introduction of CRISPR (which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). CRISPR used a bacterial enzyme (known as Cas9) to alter DNA and ushered in a whole new ballgame for gene editing. Some of the early pioneers of CRISPR founded Editas Medicine in 2013. There are other early-stage biotechs developing therapies using CRISPR. What sets Editas apart from the pack? Patents. In 2014, the company licensed patents for CRISPR-Cas9 held by the Broad Institute and Harvard University. These patents cover any use of the gene-editing technology in humans. Unless the patents are somehow invalidated (and they've been upheld once in court already), any company that develops a gene therapy using CRISPR-Cas9 will have to pay royalties to Editas. Editas could one day have its own gene therapies. The biotech is exploring use of CRISPR in developing treatments for eye diseases as well as genetic diseases including cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and sickle cell disease. It's also working with Juno Therapeutics on using gene editing for fighting cancer. I think it's entirely possible that Editas and others developing gene therapies using its patented technology revolutionize healthcare in the coming years -- and make some investors wealthy in the process. A two-step process The process for getting rich with these three stocks is pretty simple. It involves only two steps. First, buy the stocks. Second, hold on to them for a long time. The first step is easy, but the second step could be really tough to do. All three of these stocks could be pretty volatile. That's especially true for Editas Medicine, since it isn't profitable yet and could have to raise cash through dilution-causing stock offerings. That volatility could make it difficult to stay calm at times. Each of these stocks could also shoot up a lot in a relatively short amount of time. I already mentioned that Micron stock has doubled this year. Alibaba is pretty close to doubling as well, and Editas is up more than 65%. With those kinds of quick gains, you could be tempted to sell, take the money, and run. Don't. I believe all three of these stocks are long-term plays. It will take years for AI, growth in China, and gene editing to reach their maximum impact. Buy Alibaba, Editas, and Micron now and hold on to them for a really long time. Maybe you won't get rich, but I think the chances are pretty good that you will. 10 stocks we like better than Micron TechnologyWhen 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 tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Micron Technology wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of December 4, 2017 Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Editas Medicine and Juno Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Shares of Amazon have soared nearly 70% over the past 12 months, extending its 250% gain over the past five years. After that big rally, some investors might be wondering if it's finally time to sell the stock. However, many of the bearish arguments against Amazon simply don't make much sense for long-term investors. Let's examine three such flawed arguments -- and why you shouldn't sell Amazon based on those fears. 1. Brexit After Britain stunned the world by deciding to leave the EU, shares of Amazon dropped over 5% after the subsequent two-day sell-off. Some of that was just panic selling, but some investors started wondering how badly Amazon's U.K. and European businesses would be hurt by Brexit. Image source: Getty Images. Amazon doesn't disclose exactly how much revenue its U.K. and European businesses generate, but weknow that revenue at Amazon's international unit rose 24% annually last quarter and accounted for a third of its top line. We also know that Amazon runs ten fulfillment centers in the U.K. and 21 fulfillment centers across Europe, compared to 84 centers in North America, 47 centers in Asia, and one center in South America. Based on those numbers, we can get a rough estimate that the U.K. and Europe account for about a fifth of Amazon's marketplace business. Prior to the Brexit vote, Amazon pledged to create 2,500 new jobs in the U.K. to expand its distribution network. After thevote, Amazon announced that it would create another 1,000 jobs across the country, indicating that it was still confident in the market's growth prospects. A third of Amazon's U.K. customers now subscribe to Prime, which has prompted it tolaunch its grocery delivery service in London, add one-hour delivery to nine cities, and build two new fulfillment centers in Manchester and Leicestershire to cope with demand. While a softer pound might hurt Amazon's revenues across the region, rising demand could easily offset those currency headwinds. 2. Fears of a global recession Another argument is that if the global economy crashes and pulls countries into recessions, Amazon's e-commerce business will take a big hit. However, Amazon has held up through economic crises and stock market crashes since its IPO in 1997. AMZN data byYCharts. During the financial meltdown of 2008-2009,sales of Amazon's e-books on its cheap Kindle devices offset weaker marketplace sales of physical products. Over the past few years, its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform has replaced the Kindle as its ultimate defense against a prolonged recession. AWS is the largest cloud platform in the world with an annual run rate ofaround $10 billion.It provides crucial cloud services for huge customers like NASA, the CDC, and even Netflix . It's also Amazon's fastest growing and most profitable business. Last quarter, AWS revenue rose 64% annually and accounted for 9% of its top line. But on the bottom line, the unit's operating profit soared 210% and accounted for 56% of Amazon's operating income, thanks to its much higher margins. AWS is considered nearly recession-proof, since big companies can't pull the plug on their cloud-dependent businesses without losing their data and connections to customers. Since AWS is now Amazon's biggest profit driver, its growth will likely offset any big marketplace losses caused by economic downturns. 3. Thinking that Amazon is expensive Lastly, many investors who glance at Amazon's fundamentals get spooked by its trailing P/E of over 300. However, we should remember that Amazon's profitability has been boosted by AWS, and analysts still expect its earnings to grow 330% this year before cooling off to 84% nextyear. Based on those figures, Amazon's trailing P/E and forward P/E of 74 both look reasonable. Since Amazon prioritizes generating lots of revenue and reinvesting the cash back into itself, the EV/FCF and EV/Revenue ratios give us clearer comparisons between Amazon and big tech rivals like Facebook, Netflix, and Google parent Alphabet. Metric Amazon Netflix Facebook Alphabet EV/FCF 53 45 45 24 EV/Revenue 3 6 15 5 Data source: YCharts. Amazon is only slightly pricier than Facebook and Netflix based on its free cash flow, but it's much cheaper than all three companies based on its revenue. Therefore, Amazon isn't a cult stock with unreasonable valuations -- expectations are high, but its fundamentals are still firmly rooted in reality. So when should you sell Amazon? I previously called Amazon one of the stocks I planned to "never" sell. However, two events might cause me to rethink that position -- if founder and CEO Jeff Bezos resigns, or if AWS starts losing substantial business to rival platforms like Microsoft's Azure. I don't believe that either event will happen anytime soon, but those would be much better reasons to sell the stock than the terrible ones I listed in this article. The article 3 Terrible Reasons to Sell Amazon.com, Inc. Stock originally appeared on Fool.com. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun owns shares of Amazon.com. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Facebook, and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. With geopolitical tensions rising, now is the time when many investors are looking to spend some green to pick up some gold. From junior exploration companies to senior producers, the number of choices can be overwhelming for investors looking to gain exposure to the industry. So let's dig in and look at three top companies, Alamos Gold (NYSE: AGI), Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG), where investors may be able to strike gold. Ready player #1 At $2.2 billion, Alamos Gold -- a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer -- is the smallest company among the three discussed here by market cap, but that shouldn't preclude it from serious consideration. Coming off a great 2016, in which the stock doubled, Alamos seems poised to succeed even further in 2017. In early April, the company announced that it had retired $315 million in senior debt, leaving the company debt free -- an especially advantageous position for a gold miner. According to management, this will save the company $24.4 million in annual interest payments. Image source: Getty Images. In fiscal 2017, management forecasts all-in sustaining costs (AISC) to equal $940 per gold ounce -- about 7% lower than the $975 it reported in fiscal 2016. Management also foresees a year-over-year rise -- about 6% -- in gold production, thanks to a ramp-up in production at its Young-Davidson mine in Ontario and higher mill production at the Mulatos mine in Mexico. Alamos trades at 4.5 times trailing sales, which seems attractive compared to its five-year average price-to-sales ratio of 5.3, according to Morningstar. Its price tag seems even more enticing when you consider the stock trades at 16.1 times cash from operations on a trailing-12-month basis -- considerably lower than the 37 times cash from operations it was trading at less than a year ago in July. Ready player #2 Turning to the other end of the market-cap spectrum, we find Barrick Gold, valued at $23.1 billion. Like Alamos, Barrick had a great 2016 -- rising more than 106% -- and is continuing its climb, rising more than 24% year to date. But what Alamos lacks in notoriety, Barrick makes up for in spades. And that name recognition has certainly grown recently as the company has announced a couple of major transactions. For one, Barrick announced the $960 million sale of a 50% interest in Veladero -- one of its core mines -- to the China-based company, Shandong Gold Co., Ltd. And in another major deal -- this one closer to home -- Barrick announced a joint venture with Goldcorp to develop assets in Chile. Reporting low all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of $730 per gold ounce in fiscal 2016, management expects modest gains, if any, in the current year -- it forecasts AISC between $720 and $770 per gold ounce. This shouldn't disappoint investors, however, as cash flow should still be strong. In fiscal 2016, management achieved its goal of being able to generate free cash flow, even if the price of gold fell to $1,000 per ounce, and it forecasts the same achievement this year. Additionally, the company is on track to further execute its debt-reduction strategy. The company aspires to reduce its debt by $5 billion through 2017 and 2018. On the company's fourth-quarter conference call, Kelvin Dushnisky, the company's president, reported that "Barrick wouldachieve this through a combination of cash flow fromoperations, potentially selling non-core assets and creating new joint ventures and partnerships." And the deals with Shandong and Goldcorp prove the company is executing its strategy effectively. Trading at 2.7 times sales, which is higher than its five-year average of 1.8 according to Morningstar, Barrick may seem expensive, but we're looking to buy top gold stocks and hold them for the long term. The stock may seem richly priced now, but the company's long-term potential certainly supersedes this. And it's not as if the company is unreasonably valued. NEM EV to EBITDA (TTM) data by YCharts. In fact, it's arguably a bargain. The company has an EV (enterprise value)/EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) ratio well below its closest competitor, Newmont Mining Corp. Ready player #3 Lastly, in-between Alamos and Barrick by market cap, we have Goldcorp. Climbing more than 13% year to date, Goldcorp has fared well this year, but it certainly has the potential to rise even higher. In executing its five-year strategy to grow net asset value per share, Goldcorp has demonstrated a long-term perspective that will benefit shareholders -- something we love to see. For one, the company aspires to grow its gold production about 20% from the 2.5 million ounces it forecasts in fiscal 2017 to more than 3 million in 2021. In addition to ramp-ups in production at the Eleonore and Cerro Negro mines, Goldcorp is counting on increased grade and the completion of the Pyrite Leach Project at Penasquito to affect the five-year increase in production. In terms of a farther peek into the future, we find that the aforementioned joint venture in Chile with Barrick represents a significant opportunity for the company to continuously increase its production. Additionally, Goldcorp seeks to increase its gold reserves by 20% and reduce AISC by 20% over the next five years, ensuring the company has a lustrous future. Goldcorp, with a sales multiple of 3.7, seems reasonably valued compared to its five-year average of 4.6. On the other hand, the stock may seem pricey compared to the other companies in this group. AGI Price to CFO Per Share (five-year Median) data by YCharts. Valuing a stock, however, is far from black and white. And Goldcorp's long-term prospects suggest that paying a higher price today may well pay off tomorrow. Investor takeaway Alamos, Barrick, and Goldcorp all offer compelling arguments for investment, but those looking for lower-risk opportunities would be better served by focusing on Barrick and Goldcorp. Regardless of which company investors choose, all three provide clear benchmarks that can be monitored to ensure that their long-term successes remain on track. 10 stocks we like better than GoldcorpWhen 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 tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Goldcorp wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017 Scott Levine has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. Social Security is a critical program that provides a financial foundation for seniors across America, and its importance may grow in the coming decades. As of May, based on a statistical snapshot provided by the Social Security Administration, 40.6 million retired workers are receiving a monthly Social Security benefit. By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau is forecasting that the elderly population will have nearly doubled to 83.7 million from where it stood in 2012, and nearly all of these elderly persons should be receiving a Social Security benefit. If today's reliance on Social Security is any indication -- nearly 6 in 10 retired seniors count on Social Security to comprise the majority of household income -- the strains on the program are only going to increase. These "strains" are a concern because the Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees' recently-released report for 2016 calls for the Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Trust to burn through its $2.8 trillion in excess cash reserves by 2034. Assuming Congress enacts no new laws to boost payroll tax collection or reduce benefits, a benefit cut of up to 21% could be needed across the board to ensure the solvency of benefit payments through 2090. Five ways you're reducing your Social Security benefit In other words, seniors need to ensure they're doing everything they can to get top dollar from Social Security, especially with so many relying so heavily on the program. Unfortunately, there are plenty of pitfalls that are keeping seniors from realizing their full benefit-earning potential. If you're not careful, these five pitfalls could reduce your Social Security benefit, too. Image source: Getty Images. 1. You're taking benefits before reaching FRA The most obvious way you could be shorting yourself of a healthy Social Security benefit is by claiming benefits before hitting your full retirement age, or FRA. Social Security benefits can be claimed beginning at age 62; this is the age that a little more than 2 in 5 seniors will choose to file. However, for each year that seniors wait to claim Social Security benefits, their payment increases in value by roughly 8%. This holds true until age 70, which is where benefit increases max out. An eligible beneficiary is entitled to 100% of his or her benefit upon reaching their FRA, which is a dynamic number that varies based on birth year. For baby boomers this translates to between 66 years and 67 years of age. Thus, if you're taking benefits at age 62, you're lopping as much as 25% to 30% off of your FRA for each month for the rest of your life. Waiting may not be the best approach for everyone, but the earlier you file, the lower your benefit payment will be. 2. You didn't work 35 years Another easy way to lower your Social Security benefit is simply by not working at least 35 years and instead retiring early. Image source: Getty Images. The Social Security Administration calculates your monthly benefit payment by taking two figures into account. The first is your average earnings, which means that working in a better-paying job over your lifetime should help pump up your Social Security benefit once you retire. The other is the length of your work history. Although you need just 40 lifetime work credits to qualify for Social Security benefits (which essentially amounts to 10 years of very part-time work), the SSA averages your income over a 35-year period in its monthly benefit calculations. For each year under 35 that you've worked, it averages in a goose egg ($0). The more goose eggs you have, the lower your average annual income will be, and the more your benefit will be reduced. The moral of the story is simple: try to work at least 35 years to maximize your monthly benefit. 3. You kept working after filing for benefits A lack of retirement savings could coerce a number of baby boomers, Gen Xers, and even millennials to work well past the traditional retirement age and into their late 60s or even 70s. But working after you file for benefits can have surprising consequences. Image source: Flickr user Scott Lewis. If you're still working but begin receiving Social Security benefits before reaching FRA, you could be subject to having some or all of your Social Security benefits withheld. In 2016, the SSA limits your full-year earnings ability to $15,720 if you claim benefits before reaching your FRA. For every $2 earned in excess of $15,720, $1 is deducted from your benefits. If you'll reach FRA in 2016, but aren't quite there yet, your earnings ability limit rises to $41,880. Should you reach this mark, for every $3 earned in excess of $41,880, $1 is deducted from your benefits. The SSA does not withhold benefits if you file for benefits on or after your FRA. The good news is that the benefits withheld could translate into a bigger monthly payment after you hit your FRA. Unfortunately, if you were counting on an income boost between age 62 and your FRA, and you plan to work, you may want to rethink that strategy. 4. You're paying tax on your Social Security benefits Reducing your take-home is also easy if you don't have a withdrawal plan in place during or before retirement. Uncle Sam will take his cut if you aren't careful. Image source: Pixabay. It's an oft-overlooked fact, but Social Security benefits are taxable. Per the Internal Revenue Service, individuals can earn up to $25,000 annually, and joint filers up to $32,000 annually, without having any of their Social Security benefits subject to federal taxation. However, if individual filers earn between $25,000 and $34,000 annually, and joint filers earn between $32,000 and $44,000, half of their Social Security benefits become subject to taxation. Earn more than $32,000 as an individual tax filer or $44,000 as a joint filer, and 85% of Social Security benefits are taxable. Not to mention, 13 states tax Social Security benefits, including four that have no exemptions on income. The point is that if you haven't thought about how you plan to access your nest egg during retirement, the tax implications of your distributions, combined with your Social Security income, could come back to haunt you. This is where a Roth IRA, which allows your money to grow completely free of taxation and doesn't count toward your annual income, could come in handy. 5. You failed to coordinate your benefit claim with your spouse A fifth way you could be unknowingly reducing your lifetime benefits is by failing to coordinate your claim with your spouse. Image source: Getty Images. It's a common misconception that a Social Security decision is all about you, when in reality your decision to file for benefits could have ripple effects for your spouse and/or children. On top of the 40.6 million retired workers receiving a monthly benefit are almost 6.1 million people (widows, widowers, children, and in rare cases, parents) receiving survivor benefits from eligible workers who've passed away. If you happen to be the high-income earner of your family and you choose to file for benefits early, you're reducing the survivor benefit potential for your spouse and/or children if you pass away before your spouse does. The solution here is pretty simple: Talk to your spouse and formulate a game plan that benefits you both. The article 5 Ways You're Reducing Your Social Security Benefit 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. Gunmen killed 14 people in northeastern Mexico early on Saturday in two attacks likely sparked by gang wars in the state of Tamaulipas, the local government said, Reuters reported. State interior minister Herminio Garza Palacios said the shootings took place in Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamualipas, a state on the Gulf of Mexico that has been mired in violence between warring drug cartels for years. In the first attack, armed men entered a house in a neighborhood near the center of Ciudad Victoria at 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT), killing 11 members of one family. Two of the dead were men and the other victims were all female, five of them minors, the state government said. The second shooting took place at a house further east about 45 minutes later, the government said. A man and two women were killed, and four other family members injured, Garza said. Federal and state forces were investigating the shootings, which were probably the result of a dispute between rival groups, Garza said. The city has been racked by infighting by factions of the Zetas drug gang, security experts say. Bordering Texas to the north, Tamaulipas has long been a major transit point for traffickers moving drugs and people into the United States. Turf wars between the Gulf Cartel and their former armed wing, the Zetas, have racked the state for years. Ciudad Victoria lies toward the southwest of Tamaulipas. Image source: Getty Images. Shares in Valeant Pharmaceuticals turned significantly higher in the wake of Walgreens Boots Alliance's fiscal third-quarter conference call. That may have had you scratching your head, wondering what on earth Walgreens has to do with Valeant's future. If so, know that the two companies are in the early innings of a 20-year deal that -- so far -- is working out better for Walgreens than it is for Valeant. Big money at stake Prior to intense scrutiny of Valeant's drug-pricing strategy last year, the company relied heavily on the specialty pharmacy Philidor Rx Services to distribute many of its top-selling medicines. However, Valeant Pharmaceuticals walked away from Philidor last fall when revelations of inappropriate practices cast a shadow over their relationship.Specifically, Philidor often took extraordinary measures to guarantee that Valeant's more expensive medicines were given to patients rather than lower-cost generics. The decision to cut ties with Philidor was the right one, but it also meant that the company was staring at a steep drop in volume and sales in a post-Philidor world. In hopes of sidestepping the risk of sliding sales, former Valeant CEO Michael Pearson orchestrated a game-changing new distribution relationship with Walgreens Boots Alliance last December. In that deal,Walgreens agreed to fill patient prescriptions with Valeant's drugs in return for a servicing fee. The agreement gave Valeant Pharmaceuticals a distribution and fulfillment partner with more than 13,000 retail-store locations globally, and Walgreens Boots Alliance got the benefit of a new revenue stream untied from the pricing and profitability of Valeant medicines. So far, however, the agreement is proving to be a better deal for Walgreens than it is for Valeant.Despite the scale of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Valeant Pharmaceuticals is struggling to make money on prescriptions filled by the pharmacy giant. Valeant's ability to profit from drugs filled by Walgreens depends on insurers quickly reimbursing for drugs at profit-friendly prices. However,Valeant's new CEO, Joseph Papa, indicated last quarter that insurers are taking longer to pay for drugs provided to patients through Walgreens and that payments were sometimes too low to turn a profit: Throwing a lifeline DuringWalgreens Boots Alliance's earnings conference call this week, industry watchers asked about its relationship withValeant Pharmaceuticals,and co-COO Alex Gourlay said the company is "satisfied" so far. Gourlay'ssatisfactionsuggests management will continue filling Valeant prescriptions, which is good news for Valeant because it needs a big distribution partner. But what Gourlay said at the end of his comments regarding this relationship might be even more important:He wrapped up his comments on the subject by saying, "We want to help our partner to be more successful in [this] market." Unfortunately, Gourlay didn't explain how Walgreens Boots Alliance could help Valeant Pharmaceuticals fix its reimbursement problems, but the statement suggests that they're open to considering any fixes that Valeant may propose. That's important because duringValeant's last quarterly conference call, Papa said he "believe[s] this problem isfixable." Papa also said that "It is in Walgreens' and Valeant's interest tofixthis problem," and that he's "confident that it will getfixed." Papa told investors he planned on meeting with key Walgreens Boots Alliance management to discuss the problems "in the very near future." Ostensibly those meetings are occurring, and factor into Gourlay's comments. Looking ahead The distribution deal between Valeant and Walgreens is only months into a 20-year timeline, so bumps early on aren't unexpected. However, Valeant Pharmaceuticals is struggling to regain investor confidence in the wake of sliding sales, and it's under intense pressure to boost cash flow and reduce a mountain of debt amassed over the past few years because of its acquisition strategy.Therefore, Valeant doesn't have the luxury of time that it might have otherwise. Investors want to see progress sooner, rather than later, and getting this deal on track is critical to achieving that progress. The article The Most Important Thing Walgreens Said About Valeant Pharmaceuticals originally appeared on Fool.com. Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapital to see more articles like this.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. No one is doing more to force utilities to build renewable energy more than corporate customers across the U.S. If a homeowner or a few thousand in a utility's territory decide to install rooftop solar systems and reduce demand from the grid, it'll hurt a little, but business will go on as usual. But if big corporate customers demand renewable energy and threaten to take their business elsewhere if they don't get it, the impact can be huge. In Nevada, MGM Resorts recently said it would leave the grid, despite an exit fee of $87 million, and take 4.9% of NV Energy's demand with it. I imagine that got the attention of executives all the way up to utility owner Warren Buffett in Omaha. MGM isn't the only company looking for alternatives to the grid, whether it's for the public relations boost from "going green" or the cost savings that may come with on-site generation. Corporate customers are looking at energy more closely than ever before and utilities have to find ways to accommodate those needs. And tech may be leading the charge more than you think. Amazon.com's renewable energy push Tech companies like Microsoft , Google , and Apple have long been worried about their environmental footprint, but until recently, they've had few options to go green. They often bought renewable energy credits, which are a little like planting a tree for every gallon of gas you consume and patting yourself on the back. Image source: Getty Images. The next step was to own renewable energy projects or buy energy from third-party builders. Apple owns solar assets in the U.S. and China that directly, or indirectly, powerdata centers and even its new headquarters. Microsoft and Google have also signed multiple power purchase agreements with wind and solar projects to provide energy. They're all moving from an arm's length transaction, where renewable energy could be hundreds of miles away from the point of consumption, to attempting to get closer to producing the actual electrons produced by renewable energy. But they've primarily done the legwork on their own. Amazon.com's AWS recently used its muscle in Virginia to force Dominion to buy the state's largest solar farm, an 80 MW project. It also set up a unique rate structure that allows Amazon to benefit from the fixed contracted price from renewable energy and makes sure the utility can bid energy into the PJM, or wholesale, market. If it goes well, this could be a model for more data centers in the Virginia area. One problem, two winners As corporations, particularly in technology, push to consumer more renewable energy close to their demand sources, they can either build projects themselves or work with utilities to build them. If you're a cash-rich company like Apple, Microsoft, or Google, it may make sense to build on-site generation or own a power plant nearby, if regulatory rules allow it. But Amazon and many other corporations don't have tens of billions of dollars on the balance sheet that could be put into renewable energy projects. If they want to go green, they need to do so through utilities. Finding innovative rate structures that meet corporate goals along with utility needs for consistent returns could be a win-win for both sides, too. Utilities are waking up to the fact that corporate customers have environmental goals and are going to get renewable energy from wherever they can, whether utilities help or not. So, playing ball with big customers is in their best interest, leading to a surge in renewable energy growth in the U.S. If utilities don't start finding ways to adapt to the new market realities, we could see more grid defections like MGM -- and no utility wants to see that happen. The article Tech Companies Are Forcing Utilities Into Renewable Energy originally appeared on Fool.com. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Travis Hoium owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, and Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Dominion Resources. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Farnborough Airshow -- the largest of the year -- officially opens on Monday. In recent years, Boeing and Airbus have used the semiannual air shows at Farnborough and Paris to announce big aircraft orders. In the past year, both aircraft manufacturers have experienced a slowdown in orders for the widebody planes typically used for long-haul international flights. This has made Boeing and Airbus investors anxious recently. To ease these concerns, both companies need to announce a meaningful number of widebody sales this week, particularly for their slower-selling models. It is important for Boeing and Airbus to bring in some widebody orders this week. Image source: Boeing. Boeing: It's all about the 777 For Boeing, the coming week is really all about the 777. Production volumes for the aging 747 and 767 models are fairly low and thus not very meaningful to Boeing's long-term results. Meanwhile, the 787 backlog remains healthy at more than 700 units, roughly five years of production at the current rate. By contrast, the 777 has been a huge cash cow for Boeing in recent years but has a dwindling backlog. At the end of June, Boeing had just 175 firm orders remaining for current-generation 777s. The company probably has at least a dozen open 777 delivery slots in 2017 and nearly 150 open slots in the 2018-2020 timeframe. Boeing has said that it needs to sell 40-50 777s annually for the next few years to complete the "bridge" to the next-generation 777X, which is expected to enter into service in 2020. However, it only sold 38 current-generation 777s in 2015 and has just 8 net firm orders year to date. The good news is that Boeing had 10-12 ongoing sales campaigns for the current-generation 777 as of a month ago, according to CEO Dennis Muilenberg. Most investors are skeptical about whether there is enough interest for Boeing to meet its sales goals. A couple of meaningful order announcements this week would show that management's apparent confidence is more than just hot air. Some analysts have even raised concerns about the next-generation 777X. Boeing has 306 firm orders ahead of its planned 2020 entry into service, but order activity has slowed to a crawl, with just 20 firm orders in 2015 and none thus far in 2016. However, with minimal availability until 2022, 777X orders are a lower priority both for airlines and for Boeing right now. Airbus needs A330neo and A380 orders Meanwhile, Airbus' first priority ought to be nailing down more orders for the A330neo. The A330neo faces much more immediate demand issues than Boeing's 777X. It is supposed to enter service with TAP Portugal near the end of 2017, but Airbus only had 186 firm orders as of the end of June. A330neo order activity has been fairly lackluster thus far. Image source: Airbus. Furthermore, 66 of those orders are from a single airline, AirAsia X. These orders are spread out over nearly a decade. Additionally, AirAsia X has been unprofitable for most of the past few years, forcing it to defer some aircraft deliveries. It is starting to return to profitability, but its expansion plans are clearly ambitious -- perhaps too much so. Airbus needs to diversify its A330neo customer base -- and it needs to win a lot more orders before the A330neo enters service. Right now, it doesn't have enough orders to keep the line busy for more than a couple of years after the A330neo enters production. The need for A330neo orders pales in comparison to the situation facing the A380 jumbo-jet. At the end of June, Airbus had 126 firm orders left on the books. Nearly half of those belong to Emirates. Of the other 65 orders, the majority are likely to be canceled -- fewer than 20 are solid orders. Airbus currently needs to build about 30 A380s a year just to break even on production. While Emirates loves the A380, it can't support the whole program by itself. Even if Airbus builds only 20-25 A380s annually in the near future, Emirates could be the only customer left by the end of 2018 the way things are going. Thus, winning some firm orders for the A380 is an absolute necessity if the program is to avoid reaching an untimely end. Unfortunately, it may already be too late to save the A380. Iran is a wild card In addition to the usual parade of orders, investors should be on the lookout this week for any updates on Iran's plans to buy more than 100 aircraft each from Airbus and Boeing. Both orders are in limbo for the moment, waiting for export licenses and financing to be lined up. (Boeing is also facing backlash in Congress for dealing with Iran.) Iran is interested in several of the models that Boeing and Airbus are most eager to sell, including Boeing's 777, 777X, and 747 as well as Airbus' A330neo and A380. Getting these orders firmed up and financed would be an important step in bolstering the backlogs for these models. With widebody demand starting to fade, Airbus and Boeing can't afford to go home from Farnborough empty-handed. The article This Week at Farnborough: Boeing and Airbus Need Widebody Orders originally appeared on Fool.com. Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Boeing. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. What: Despite winning FDA approval of its kidney disease drug Rayaldee last month, shares inOpko Healthdeclined 11.3% in Juneaccording to S&P Global Market Intelligence. So what:Rayaldee treats secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease patients that is caused by vitamin D insufficiency. An estimated 9 million CKD patients suffer from vitamin D deficiency and that suggests that Opko Health's market opportunity for Rayaldee is big. Despite the number of patients that develop vitamin D insufficiency, investors are taking a cautious view to Rayaldee's approval. Pessimism may stem from worry that Opko Health will struggle to win reimbursement with insurers or that its sales force will have a tough time convincing doctors to prescribe Rayaldee instead of the vitamin D supplements that are commonly used today. While pessimism may be warranted,Rayaldee delivered solid efficacy in clinical trials and that may make it easier to win over skeptics. In trials, 80% of Rayaldee patients had their vitamin D insufficiency corrected, while only 7% of people receiving placebo saw their vitamin D insufficiency resolved. Now what:Opko Health's CEO is Phillip Frost, a healthcare billionaire who is legendary for his M&A savvy. Frost sold Ivax Labs to Teva Pharmaceutical for $7.4 billion in 2005 and prior to taking over the reins at Opko Health full-time, he served as Teva Pharmaceutical's chairman. Over the years, Frost has aggressively acquired companies that he believes will transform Opko Health into a top tier healthcare company. His deals include landing the rights to Varubi, a chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting drug it later licensed to Tesaro, the acquisition of Cytochroma to land Rayaldee, and the purchase of Prolor Biotech, which landed Opko Health hGH-CTP, a long-lasting human growth hormone. Varubi won FDA approval late last year and phase 3 data for hGH-CTP is on deck later this year. If hGH-CTP's trial is a success, Opko Health could have three drugs on the market by the end of 2017. Frost is also positioning Opko Health as a major player in diagnostics and testing. Opko Health already markets the 4Kscore test for prostate cancer and last year, it bought Bio-Reference Labs, a large, specialty lab company with sales approaching $1 billion annually. Overall, it's anyone's guess if Varubi, Rayaldee, or hGH-CTP will be commercial successes, so some caution is warranted. However, I'm not betting against Frost. Frost is so confident in Opko Health that he's the company's biggest shareholder, and he spent $20 million buying shares last month as its shares fell. Given Frost's track-record, investors might want to follow in his footsteps. The article Why Did Opko Health Shares Tumble 11.3% In June? originally appeared on Fool.com. Todd Campbellhas no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned.Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle@ebcapitalto see more articles like this.The Motley Fool recommends Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. A Utah woman has died after becoming infected with the Zika virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department announced Friday. The elderly woman had an underlying health condition and had traveled to areas with mosquitoes known to spread the Zika virus. While this individual did test positive for Zika virus, the exact cause of death has not been determined, and it may not be possible to determine how the Zika infection contributed to the death. Due to health privacy laws, health officials will not release further details about the individual or the individuals travel history, the Salt Lake County Health Department said on its website. The woman died in late June. This is the first confirmed Zika-related death in the continental United States. The Salt Lake County Health Department said in its statement that there is no threat of Zika virus infection in the area. The exotic mosquito species [Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus] capable of transmitting Zika virus are not found along the Wasatch Front, said Dr. Ari Faraji, manager of the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District. In fact, so far this season, we have not detected those two species anywhere in Utah. Even in areas of the continental U.S. where mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika are found, health officials have not identified any Zika infections transmitted by local mosquitoes. For the most updated information about where mosquitoes are spreading Zika, visit the Areas with Zika section at CDC.gov/zika. Health officials caution that sexual activity can also transmit Zika virus. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should not have unprotected sex with a man who has traveled recently to an area of the world where Zika virus is circulating. Women should practice abstinence or use condoms for six months after their partners travel or, if already pregnant, for the duration of the pregnancy. This unfortunate situation is a tragic reminder of how important it is to receive proper pre-travel education and to protect yourself from mosquitoes when travelling abroad, said Dr. Dagmar Vitek, medical director for SLCoHD. In addition to Zika, travelers need to be mindful of other diseases found around the world, including mosquito-borne illnesses like Dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya. People who have traveled recently and who are concerned about any illness they may be experiencing should contact their health care provider. The Salt Lake County Travel Clinic is available to educate travelers about preventing Zika and other diseases common in their destination. While there is no vaccine for Zika virus, the travel clinic can provide necessary immunizations and prescriptions for the prevention of other travel-related diseases. Travel Clinic appointments are available by calling 385-468-4111. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton responded Friday to the killings of five police officers in Dallas, as well as the recent deaths of two black men in police shootings, with restrained remarks and by canceling most campaign events. Both presidential candidates scrapped political events hours after the officers were gunned down by a former Army reservist during a protest over fatal police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Alton Sterling was shot Tuesday after struggling with two white officers who eventually pinned him to the pavement. On Wednesday, Philando Castile was fatally shot in a car by a Minnesota officer, with the aftermath livestreamed on Facebook by his girlfriend. Hundreds of people gathered in Dallas to protest the killings Thursday night when Micah Xavier Johnson opened fire, killing five police officers and injuring seven others. Clinton went ahead with an evening appearance Friday at the African Methodist Episcopal Convention in Philadelphia, in which she issued renewed calls for criminal justice reform and gun control as well as expressing support for police officers. We cannot, must not vilify police officers. Remember what those officers were doing when they died. They were protecting a peaceful march, Clinton said. However, she also called for Americans to work to end "systemic racism" and rebuild communities. White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers you face every day. We need to try, as best we can, to walk in one anothers shoes, she said. Trump, meanwhile, canceled a speech in Miami on Hispanic issues. He instead released a lengthy statement calling the shootings in Dallas "a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe." We must restore law and order. We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street, Trump said. The senseless, tragic deaths of two people in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done. This morning I offer my thoughts and prayers for all of the victims families, and we pray for our brave police officers and first responders who risk their lives to protect us every single day, he said. In a video statement late Friday, Trump also called for unity among Americans. Now is the time for prayers, love, unity and leadership. Our children deserve a better future than what we are making them live through today, but to get them there we must work together and stand together, Trump said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The head of the Cleveland police union expressed concerns Friday about officer safety at the upcoming Republican National Convention in the wake of the Dallas murders while also criticizing politicians for fact-less rhetoric he suggested put officers lives at risk. After a sniper killed five Dallas officers and wounded seven during an anti-police brutality protest, Fox 8 reported that Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association President Steve Loomis sent a letter to officers saying, Several State Union leaders have expressed their extreme concern for us during the RNC. The Cleveland police chief reportedly agreed to a new request from Loomis to pair up officers ahead of the convention, being held in the city. Loomis urged officers to remain alert and extremely cognizant. Loomis also voiced frustration at President Obama and other officials he claims have incited those who choose to believe the false narratives and premature conclusions of a very small albeit vocal group within our national population. He reportedly wrote: When will the politicians learn that our lives stand in the balance of their politically motivated and fact-less rhetoric, not theirs? The Dallas attacks occurred at a tense time in the already frayed relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Many protested the fatal shootings by police of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana this week. But after the brutal assault on law enforcement in Dallas, city leaders appealed for support and unity. In Washington, House Speaker Paul Ryan asked for the country not to let the tragedy harden divisions. The blame lies with the people who committed these vicious acts and no one else, he said. On the campaign trail, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump canceled previously scheduled campaign events. Still, tensions flared over everything from gun control to anti-police rhetoric. Obama, speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Poland, cited the shootings in renewing his push for gun control -- and faced immediate accusations from Republicans of politicizing the tragedy. Meanwhile, former Illinois GOP Rep. Joe Walsh lashed out on Twitter at the president, saying: This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you. He later deleted the tweet, as he faced widespread criticism online for the comments. But he said in subsequent tweets that when leaders hate on cops, eventually thugs on the street will go after Cops. Baku, Azerbaijan, July 9 Trend: One person died and five were injured in an attack by militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group on a gendarmerie office in the south-east of Turkey, Milliyet newspaper reported July 9. The attack took place at about 13:00 (GMT + 3 hours) in the Turkish province of Mardin near the Syrian border. Kurdish militants blew up a car at a guard post of a military facility and opened fire at the soldiers of the gendarmerie using long-barreled weapons, but almost immediately were silenced by response fire. Fire broke out in the result of a car bomb explosion on the territory of the gendarmerie. Six soldiers were wounded. One of them, despite the efforts of doctors, died. After the attack, the militants fled using a car. A large-scale operation was launched in the region to eliminate the attackers. Hillary Clinton on Saturday proposed increasing federal money for community health centers and outlined steps to expand access to health care across the nation. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, made the proposal as a nod to primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, at the Democratic National Convention's full Platform Committee meeting in Orlando, Fla. However, Sanders, who has yet to endorse Clinton, failed in his quest to include opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal in a draft of the Democratic Party's policy positions because several amendments against the deal were voted down by Clinton supporters. The platform will be announced at the party's nominating convention in Philadelphia starting July 25. On health care, Clinton's campaign says the proposal is part of her plan to provide universal health care coverage in the United States. Clinton also is reaffirming her support for a public-option insurance plan and for expanding Medicare by letting people age 55 year and older opt in. "We have more work to do to finish our long fight to provide universal, quality, affordable health care to everyone in America," Clinton said in a statement, with the convention just a few weeks away. Clinton's campaign noted that Sanders had promoted doubling money for primary care services at federally qualified health centers. Money for these centers was increased under the Affordable Care Act, an effort led by the Vermont senator. According to the Clinton campaign, the candidates proposal would make money for these centers permanent and expand it by $40 billion over the next 10 years. Her campaign said the money would be mandatory and not subject to annual appropriation. The proposal would more than double the money for the centers, which currently get $3.6 billion annually. Sanders, in a conference call after the Clinton campaign's announcement, said her proposal "will save lives" and "ease suffering" and represented "an important step forward in expanding health care in America and expanding health insurance and health care access to tens of millions of Americans." The health care proposal follows on Clinton's recent announcement of new ways to tackle college affordability, including a plan that ensures families with annual incomes up to $125,000 pay no tuition at in-state public colleges and universities. That initiative also was seen as a response to Sanders' call for free tuition at all public colleges and universities, an idea popular with the young voters who flocked to his rallies. Clinton's policy overtures come as Sanders appears to be close to supporting her candidacy. Two Democrats with knowledge of Sanders' plans told The Associated Press that Sanders was closing in on offering his public endorsement of Clinton. The Democrats spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations they were not authorized to disclose. Clinton's campaign has announced a stop in New Hampshire on Tuesday but did not say whether Sanders also would attend. Sanders told reporters that the two campaigns "are coming closer and closer together in trying to address the major issues facing this country." Clinton and Sanders frequently clashed over health care during the primaries. Sanders campaigned on a "Medicare for all" plan that would have provided universal coverage. Clinton said that would undercut President Barack Obama's health law, rely too heavily on GOP governors and reopen a contentious debate with Republicans in Congress. Clinton's health care priorities have centered on capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and providing tax credits for families facing high medical costs. She has reiterated her support for a "public option" for states to set up their own health insurance plan to compete against private insurers. Sanders was instrumental in passing legislation that would allow that. Both supported a public insurance option at the national level but opposition from moderate Democrats prevented that proposal from being included in the health overhaul law. Sanders scored a major victory Friday when the committee approved an amendment calling for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. The self-described "democratic socialist" had repeatedly called for the increase during his surprisingly strong campaign for the Democratic nomination. Clinton, had backed a $12 minimum wage, while saying she approved a $15 minimum wage in certain places. An early draft of the platform contained language more consistent with Clintons position, saying that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour without explicitly calling for that to be the new federal minimum. However, the 187-member committee approved an amendment saying an increase from the current federal minimum of $7.25 an hour to $15 should happen over time." On the trade deal, during a combative meeting in a hotel ballroom, members of full Platform Committee voted down amendments to explicitly oppose the deal and to oppose a vote on it in Congress. Instead, they endorsed an amendment that included stronger language governing trade deals, including the TPP. Sanders and Clinton have come out against the trade deal, but President Obama supports it. Clinton supporters, including labor leaders, believed that toughening the trade language made enough of a statement without directly opposing the president, whom they did not mention during their public comments. The amendment said that trade deals "must protect workers and the environment and not undermine access to critically needed prescription drugs." It went on to say that Democrats would apply those standards "to all trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership." Labor leaders said after the vote that their amendment made clear where they stand on TPP and that they oppose "bad trade deals." But Sanders backers expressed their frustration with boos and angry shouts. Sanders supporter Benjamin Jealous, a former president of the NAACP argued that language opposing the TPP would help Democrats win the presidential election in November. "I want us to stop making it harder for us to win and start making it easier for us to win," he said. Since Clinton effectively clinched the presidential nomination, Sanders has aggressively campaigned to include his progressive policies in the party platform. He has won a number of concessions, including a win Friday with an amendment calling for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 over time, indexed to inflation. The previous platform draft had not included explicit language on a $15 federal minimum wage. The party guidelines also have language endorsing steps to break up large Wall Street banks and urging an end to the death penalty. But Sanders is looking for more before the meeting concludes. He wants the platform to support a carbon tax to address climate change and seek a freeze on hydraulic fracking. The roughly 15,000-word platform is a nonbinding document that serves as a guidepost for the party. After the Orlando meeting, the document will be voted on at the convention in Philadelphia this month. The Orlando meeting is not the final stop for the Sanders' efforts. He could seek to revive some of these issues at the convention. Sanders has so far avoided endorsing Clinton, but appears to be closing in on backing her campaign. He told reporters Saturday that the campaigns are "coming closer and closer together in trying to address the major issues facing this country." The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Obama will cut short his European trip to visit Dallas early next week, after a sniper killed five police officers Thursday night in that city, according to the White House. The president will visit on the invitation of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, also said the White House, which stated it will release more details about the trip as soon as they are available. Police have identified the shooter as Micah Johnson, a black Army veteran purportedly upset about two recent incidents in which a police officer fatally shot a black male. In all, 12 officers were shot in the sniper attack. Obama condemned the shooting of the black males, in Minnesota and Louisiana, then the police shootings, saying Friday from Poland: "There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement. Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done." Obama will return on Sunday to Washington, one day earlier than planned. He will travel on Saturday from Warsaw, Poland to Madrid, Spain, then participate Sunday in meetings with his Spanish counterpart and other government officials and later go to the Northern Mariana Island of Rota, as previously scheduled, to speak with U.S. military personnel serving there. However, his visit to Seville, Spain, was cancelled for the early departure. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Obama on Saturday urged Americans to remain optimistic about race relations in the immediate aftermath of two black males being fatally shot by police officers, then a gunman apparently retaliating by killing five Dallas law-enforcement officials, saying, We cannot let the actions of a few define all of us. The president spoke two days after a black male killed the five officers, amid several days of protests across the country about a new wave of black males dying at the hands of police. Still, Obama insisted that race relations in the United States have not reached a new low nor have regressed to the point of 1960s rioting, as some have argued. Thats just not true, said the president, speaking in Warsaw, Poland, at the end of his final NATO summit. Obama also said that he has revived the task force formed after a white police officer fatally shot unarmed black teen Michael Brown two years ago in Ferguson, Mo., and that hell soon bring members to the White House. (The shooting resulted in weeks of violent and destructive protests.) The task force will include police officers, community and civil rights activists and others who will talk about next steps. "So as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, we've got a foundation to build on," said the president, who argued that violent crime in the U.S. has decreased over the past five, 10, 15 years. In a wide-ranging press conference that included such topics as Brexit, ISIS and NATO, Obama also renewed his commitment to stopping gun violence. I am going to keep on talking about the fact that we cannot eliminate all racial tension overnight, but we can make it harder for people to carry out their anger with weapons, he said. Obama called the Dallas sniper, Micah Johnson, a black Army veteran, a demented individual just like Muslim Omar Mateen, who fatally shot 49 people and wounded 53 others last month inside a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. They dont speak for all of us, said the president, who mentioned neither by name. Thats not who we are. Officials have said that Johnson, before being killed in a police standoff, said he "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. Obama declined to answer a reporters question about whether the Dallas sniper attack was a hate crime, saying, Its very hard to interpret the motives of this shooter, as we have seen in a host of mass shootings. The president spoke sympathetically of police officers in gun-filled communities who have "very little margin of error" when deciding how to engage with people on the street who may well be armed, whether they mean harm or not. "Police have a really difficult time in communities where they know guns are everywhere," he said. "If you care about the safety of our police officers, then you can't set aside the gun issue and pretend it's irrelevant," he said. Citing laws allowing the carrying of guns in Texas, he said that even some of the Dallas protesters who staged a peaceful rally before the sniper attack were armed. He also cited the presence of an apparently legally owned gun in the car where motorist Philando Castile was shot dead during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Obama also tried to calm public anxiety about personal safety, saying violent crime is actually down in the U.S. Reflecting on the prospect of serving two full terms leading a nation at war, Obama said it's important to recognize that U.S. military operations today are fundamentally different to when he came into office. He said U.S. military forces are not involved in active combat, but train and assist forces in nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He said an exception to that rule is direct attacks against the Islamic State group. Obama acknowledged that confronting what he describes as "non-state actors," such as the Islamic State group is something the United States will have to grapple with for years to come. He said his goal has been to partner with countries so that they can eliminate terrorist threats, but as seen in Afghanistan, that takes time. Obama said the United Kingdom and the European Union must make sure that Britain's exit from the 28-nation bloc is as sensible and orderly as possible. He said he has to assume that Britain's decision "is going to stick," but how the process unfolds is up to both sides, and it's important that neither one harden its position in a way that damages economies at home or worldwide. The U.S., he said, will continue to be close friends and commercial partners with both. He said: "In good times and in bad, Europe can count on the United States -- always." Obama said he would not call himself a big booster of globalization, adding it carries a danger of increased inequality in which workers may have less leverage. But, he said, it's here to stay. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Fraternal Order of Police, the countrys largest group of sworn law-enforcement officers, is asking the Justice Department to immediately investigate the killing of five Dallas police officers as a hate crime. The U.S. Department of Justice is always quick to insert itself into local investigations, group President Chuck Canterbury said Friday. Today we expect action just as swift. We want a federal investigation into those who were motivated by their hatred of police to commit mass murder in Dallas. Police say the shooter in Thursdays attack, Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old black Army veteran, was angry about two recent incidents in which a police officer fatally shot a black male. And Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson, killed by officers in a standoff, wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. However, the Justice Departments definition of a hate crime is limited to bigotry, violence or intimidation based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability, despite the police group trying to get attacks on police officers addded to the list. If there has ever been an assassination of police officers that fits the current hate crime legislation, Dallas is it, Canterbury told National Public Radio on Friday. Though the main offender is dead, the hate crime investigation will show to the Justice Department and to the country that this was a hate-based crime. Police have said the Johnson acted alone. Three others were taken into custody amid the chaos and reports of multiple shooters. However, police have not updated their situation. That Johnson died in the attack and apparently acted alone could also hurt the police groups efforts to get the Justice Department to investigate the shootings as a civil rights violation or hate crime. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has suggested the investigation is far from over, telling reporters that police will continue down every rabbit trail until they're exhausted, ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in anyway. A hate crime is simply a crime that is committed based on the bias of the offender, Canterbury also told NPR. In the Dallas case, it's obvious that it fits within the umbrella because the individual has made statements to police that he wanted to kill white policemen. That's why we've asked for a change in the federal hate crime law. The Justice Department didnt directly answer a question Friday by FoxNews.com about whether the agency would investigate the Dallas shootings as a hate crime or civil rights violation. The Department of Justice -- including the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Attorneys Office -- is working closely with our state and local counterparts, and we intend to provide any assistance we can to investigate this attack, spokesman David Jacobs said. In recent years, the agency has indeed started civil rights or hate crime investigations in high-profile cases in which a black male died when in contact with police. Last year, the agency investigated the death of Freddie Gray, a black male who apparently was seriously injured while riding unrestrained in a Baltimore City Police wagon, then died seven days later. The agency also investigated the 2014 incident in Ferguson, Mo., in which unarmed black teen Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer. Both incidents touched off violent and destructive riots, but the agency did not file charges in either case. On Saturday, President Obama declined to answer a reporters question about whether he thought the Dallas attack was hate crime. Its very hard to interpret the motives of this shooter, as we have seen in a host of mass shootings, he said. Russia said Saturday that it had expelled two U.S. diplomats Moscow claimed were working undercover for the CIA in retaliation for Washington's explusion of two Russians last month. The State Department announced Friday that it had expelled the two Russians on June 17, in response to an attack on an American diplomat outside the U.S. embassy in Moscow 11 days earlier. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the attack was "unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee." The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed the American, who was one of the two expelled, was a CIA agent who refused to provide his identification documents and hit the guard in the face. Moscow says the policeman was fulfilling his duties defending the embassy. "Instead of the CIA employee, who was in disguise, as we understand, it could have been anyone a terrorist, an extremist, a suicide bomber," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state-owned NTV television this week. Kirby disputed those statements. "The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue," he told reporters. A video of the scuffle, released earlier this week by NTV, shows a man exiting a taxi in an area resembling an embassy entrance and striding toward the doors. The guard bursts out of a sentry box and tackles the man, who is able to crawl through the entrance doors. Kirby declined to comment on the video. The incident was the latest in what the State Department calls harassment and ill-treatment of American diplomats working in Russia. Moscow denies those accusations and says the U.S. is spreading disinformation about Russia. Ties between Moscow and Washington have sunk to Cold War levels in recent years over Russia's annexation of Crimea, its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and its actions in Syria. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Visitors at a zoo just south of Berlin, Germany were evacuated when two lions broke out of their enclosure Wednesday. According to German media outlet Bild, a female lion, Gretchen, and a male lion Massai, escaped from their enclosure around 11 a.m. local time. The female lion was able to get close to the parks entrance before a park veterinarian was able to shoot a sedative at the cat and bring her safely back to the enclosed space. The male lion reportedly stayed close to the enclosure during the escape attempt. About 100 guests were immediately evacuated from the grounds of Wild Park Johannismuhle in Baruth, which is situated in Brandenburg about 46 miles south of Berlin. Police and firefighters were called to the scene but no one was injured and zoo officials told local media that at no point during the incident were human lives in danger. According to Bild, the two lions used to perform with a traveling circus. The parks executive director, Julian Dorsch, said the outbreak was likely due to a human error. An Alabama sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded while responding to a hostage situation that ended with a suspect's death. The Randolph County deputy was taken to UAB Hospital in Birmingham and was expected to survive. Police said the deputy was shot twice, but had no further information. The Clay County Web reported the incident began Saturday when an unidentified man set fire to his son's house, yard and car. The suspect also allegedly killed his son's dog. The suspect then barricaed himself in a camper vehicle with a hostage, believed to be his wife, after shooting out the camper's front windshield. The man exchanged fire with responding officers, and it was during one of those exchanges that the deputy was wounded. SWAT officers and military-style vehicles eventually responded to the scene. It was not immediately clear how the suspect died. Randolph County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Larry Clarke told AL.com that the hostage is unharmed. Click for more from AL.com. Dallas police officers and SWAT units combed a parking garage adjacent to the department's downtown headquarters Saturday after a suspicious person was seen on the garage's second floor. Authorities confirmed to Fox News that the person was spotted in an area of the garage reserved for police officers and employees and ran away when confronted. Approximately two hours after the original sighting, a search of the garage turned up no suspicious person or object. Shortly after the search began, Dallas police confirmed that they had "received an anonymous threat against law enforcement across the city" and had taken "precautionary measures" to heighten security. The parking garage incident highlighted the heightened tension among law enforcement officers across America after a week of violence following the deaths of two African-American men at the hands of police. Maj. Thomas Castro told the Associated Press several general threats had been made against Dallas police, though nothing specific. An armored vehicle was moved to near the department's downtown headquarters late Saturday afternoon and heavily armed officers carrying rifles were seen walking nearby. Police shut down a street in front of the department's headquarters, but members of the public were still able to walk about freely around the building. One man dropped to his knees in front of the makeshift memorial and began singing "Amazing Grace." Dallas Police Department spokeswoman Sr. Cpl. Monica Cordova called the security measures precautionary. Police departments around the country have been the subject of violent threats this week after videos showing police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Mississippi. On Saturday, a suburban Chicago woman was accused of posting a threat on Facebook to shoot any police officer who pulls her over and asks her to get out of the car. Police in Bossier, La., say a man was jailed after posting a social media video in which he says he wants to shoot and kill a police officer. Investigators say the man made the video while sitting in a car that was behind a police unit at a fast-food drive-thru. And in Racine, Wis., police say they arrested a man who posted calls for black men to kill white police officers and their families. Later Saturday, the police department in the Gulf Coast town of Waveland, Miss., said it had received what authorities there deemed credible threats against officers. Police Chief David Allen told The Sun Herald newspaper the threats had come via phone and social media and involved possible gunfire attacks Saturday night and Sunday. Extra police were to be on duty during the weekend. Officials in Waveland have also notified surrounding police agencies, fire departments and emergency medical services. Mawuli Davis, an African-American attorney and activist in Atlanta, said what's happening is a continuation of events in recent years because there has been no serious dialogue over issues of race and police encounters with black people. Davis and his associates insist on peaceful protests as a means to an end, and indeed, most protests across the U.S. have gone on without a hint of violence. But until that serious discussion happens, he said he fears "we're going to continue to see this kind of tragic incident" like the Dallas attack. "From an activist perspective, you're seeing a level of frustration and anger that very well may be at a tipping point," he said. Tensions between police and African-Americans have been on the rise in recent years amid the high-profile deaths of several black men at the hands of law enforcement. The deaths have fomented unrest from Ferguson, Mo., to Baltimore and heightened calls for greater accountability of police, particularly in the urban, majority-black neighborhoods they patrol. While race has not necessarily been a factor in every case, the deaths have become a rallying cry for groups such as Black Lives Matter who are calling for solutions to problems that plague African-American communities, from poor educational opportunities to joblessness to high incarceration rates. Organizations that monitor hate groups condemned the Dallas attack, with the Southern Poverty Law Center calling it "an act of domestic terrorism." The gunman, Micah Johnson, followed black militant groups on social media. Ryan Lenz, online editor and senior writer at the SPLC, told The Associated Press that the number of black separatist groups nearly doubled in 2015, mirroring a similar increase among white hate groups that has come against the backdrop of police killings that make frequent headlines. While some committing violence may be influenced by hate groups, many who become radicalized do so without direct ties to the groups. Instead, they surf the web and allow their anger to grow in private at home, Lenz said. "In the last couple of years we've seen this violence become an ever-present reality in our lives," Lenz said. "We are in a polarized political climate right now where the `us-versus-them' mentality has started to reign supreme." Fox News' Rick Leventhal, FoxNews.com's Melissa Jacobs and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A suburban St. Louis police officer was in critical condition late Friday after he was shot in the neck in what investigators described as an "ambush" following a traffic stop. Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said the unidentified officer was walking to his car after the initial conversation with the motorist he stopped for speeding Friday morning when that driver "advanced quickly" on him from behind, firing at least three shots. The officer "had no chance at all" to pull his handgun and "was completely helpless," Scott said, noting the encounter was recorded by the police car's dashcam. "Make no mistake: We believe during this investigation that Ballwin officer was ambushed, period," St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. Scott said the officer was in critical but stable condition, and "fighting for his life" at a hospital in Creve Coeur, west of St. Louis. After the shooting, Belmar said, the suspect sped away before an officer from another police department spotted the car about 4 miles away. The suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot before being arrested about five minutes later, Belmar said. Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Friday. McCulloch said there's no evidence of any dispute between Taylor and the white officer, a nine-year veteran before the gunfire. Scott said he "can't even begin to speculate" about a motive, including whether the shooting had racial overtones. The shooting followed the previous night's attack in Dallas that killed five officers and wounded seven during a protest over the deaths of black men killed by police this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. Citing his concern about the shooting and the Dallas tragedy, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon opted against leaving Friday for an eight-day overseas trade mission as planned and instead would return to Missouri from a Philadelphia event, spokeswoman Channing Grate said. The shootings of officers in Ballwin, Dallas, Tennessee and Georgia in a 24-hour period prompted police agencies regionally and elsewhere in the U.S. to take precautionary safety measures. Earlier Friday, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said his city's law officers will work in pairs until further notice because of the Dallas killings, and that all officers must wear bullet-resistant vests when on duty outside of police stations. Belmar said his department has gone to 12-hour days now through the weekend, given the national debate about policing and minorities. "It's an unfortunate state of events we're dealing with right now," he said. "I do understand the silent majority out there supports us." Taylor is being held on $500,000 cash bond and is expected to be arraigned on the felony charges Monday morning. The Associated Press contributed to this report. They were military veterans, husbands and fathers who served the city of Dallas and died protecting the rights of fellow Americans to criticize their brethren in blue. Five police officers four from the citys main department and one from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) were killed by a racist sniper late Thursday as they guarded anti-police brutality marchers. By Friday evening, all had been identified: Brent Thompson, Michael Krol, Patrick Zamarripa, Mike Smith and Lorne Ahrens. Thompson, 43, who joined the DART police department in 2009, was the first member of the 27-year-old department to die in the line of duty. A former Marine, he had married a fellow police officer just two weeks ago, officials said. "Our hearts are broken," DART spokesperson Morgan Lyons said. "This is something that touches every part of our organization." After serving in the Marines, Thompson later worked for a private Pentagon contractor that hired and trained Iraqi and Afghan police in the concepts of democratic policing. The instruction included training in how to avoid an ambush, according to his LinkedIn page. I was responsible for the day to day operations conducted by our American police officers who trained and mentored the Iraqi Police, he wrote. Krol, 40, was a Redford, Mich. native who joined the Dallas Police Department in 2007 after working for four previous years as a sheriff's deputy in Wayne County, Mich. His mother, Susan Elkhe, released a statement Friday saying her son was "living a dream of being a police officer ... He knew the danger of the job but he never shied away from his duty." Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napolean said he was "saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas one of whom was a former member of this agency ... Those officers made the ultimate sacrifice and died honoring their oaths to protect and serve." Zamarripa, 32, a five-year Dallas Police Department veteran, served three tours in Iraq with the Navy, according to The Washington Post. He was married and was the father of a 2-year-old daughter. "He comes to the United States to protect people here," Zamarripas father, Rick, told the Post. "And they take his life." Fox4 KDFW reported Friday that Rick Zamarripa recently put his son in touch with another relative who works in government, hoping to persuade his son to leave the police force for a safer line of work. "'No, I want to stay here,"' Zamarripa reportedly told his father, "'I like the action.'" Smith, 55, served for seven years in the U.S. Army. He joined the Dallas Police Department in 1989 after graduating from Lamar University. The Dallas Morning News reported that Smith received 31 stitches on his head after he and a partner were attacked by gang members in 2009. A native of Port Arthur, Texas, Smith is survived by Heidi, his wife of 17 years, and daughters Victoria and Caroline. He was a volunteer at the YMCA and his church, and was involved in working with kids at risk, and once developed a racquetball program for kids at the local YMCA, a Dallas police newsletter from 2009 said. "He's just a really nice guy. He loved his wife, loved his daughters. He spent time with his family. The whole situation is really sad," Vanessa Smith, a friend of the officer's wife who is not related to the family, told The Associated Press. Fox4 reported that Smith family friend Barbara Durkee has set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising $50,000 to pay for Smith's funeral and other expenses. Ahrens, 48, had been with the Dallas Police Department since 2002. Prior to coming to Dallas, the Los Angeles Times reported that Ahrens had worked as a civilian for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 11 years. The Washington Post reported that Ahrens grew up in the Los Angeles area and still has family in Simi Valley. The Dallas Morning News reported that Ahrens' work desk was near that of his wife Katrina, is a Dallas police detective. The couple had two children, 10-year-old Sorcha, and 8-year-old Magnus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Senior PKK terrorist group figure Fehman Huseyin, who was also known by his code name Bahoz Erdal, has been killed in Syria, spokesman for the Syrian opposition brigade, Tel Hamis, told Anadolu Agency Saturday, Anadolu reported. According to spokesman Halid el-Hasekavi, Huseyin's vehicle was blown up at 1730 GMT Friday when he was headed towards northeastern Al Qamishli city from Himo town in Syria. At least eight people in the car, including Fehman Huseyin and his guards died following a long pursuit, the spokesman said. He termed the PKK terror organization as an "occupant on Syrian soil". The PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers, and village guards, have been martyred, and more than 5,000 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq. A suburban Minnesota police officer who shot and killed a black motorist was reacting to the man's gun, not his race, the officer's attorney said Saturday Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly told Fox News that St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez said that Philando Castile failed to comply with a "do not move" order, which led to Yanez opening fire. In addition, police scanner audio appears to indicate Yanez telling Dispatch he was pulling the car over because Castile fit the description of a wanted suspect in a armed robbery that took place a few days prior. The officer briefly describes Castille before exiting his cruiser. Kelly told Fox News that if Yanez pulled Castille over that day because he believed him to fit the description of a wanted armed robbery suspect, the officer was doing "good police work and approved police work." He called this a "standard investigatory stop." Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds was in the car and streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook. She has said Yanez shot Castile several times after he told the officer he had a gun and a permit for it and then reached for his wallet. Yanez "was reacting to the actions of the driver," Kelly said. "This had nothing to do with race. This had everything to do with the presence of a gun." Kelly said Yanez, who is Latino, is "overcome with sadness" over the shooting in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000 that is served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department. Yanez and an officer who was with him, Joseph Kauser, were put on administrative leave, as is standard, authorities said. Both are four-year veterans of the St. Anthony force. Yanez's position with the 23-member department was his first in law enforcement, after jobs in security and doing contract immigration compliance work, Kelly said. The 28-year-old has a wife and child and graduated from Minnesota State University Mankato with a degree in law enforcement in 2010. "He's a very sensitive officer, he cares about people," Kelly said. "He would drive around and stop and talk, and get out of the car, meet people and say hello." In 2014, the department selected Yanez to be part of a special crime prevention unit, whose members were hand-picked based on "their initiative, creativeness and varied backgrounds in law enforcement," according to the department's annual report. About the same time, Yanez joined the Minnesota chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association, where he worked to raise money for and connect with Latino youth, said John Lozoya, one of the organization's founders. Lozoya recalled him as an active, passionate and approachable member. "This man had the well-earned respect of his colleagues," Kelly said. Yanez is cooperating with state investigators, who interviewed him within 15 hours of the shooting, Kelly said. Several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers don't wear body cameras, authorities said. In the video she streamed on Facebook Live, Reynolds describes being pulled over for what the officer told her was a "busted tail light." The video shows her in a car next to a bloodied Castile slumped in a seat. A clearly distraught person who appears to be a police officer stands at the car's window, tells her to keep her hands up and says: "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out." "You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir," Reynolds calmly responds. Court records show the traffic stop was at least the 52nd time Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, had been pulled over in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 2002. Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Gov. Mark Dayton declared that police likely wouldn't have fired if Castile had been white. Dayton later said he stood by his statement, even though he angered some in law enforcement. The following night, five police officers were fatally shot and others were wounded during protests in Dallas over Castile's killing and the fatal police shooting of 37-year-old black man Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after a scuffle with officers outside a convenience store. Authorities identified the Dallas shooter as an Army veteran who was later killed by police. Sterling's and Castile's families denounced the attack on the Dallas officers. Fox News' Matt Dean and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Friends and family of a black Army veteran accused of shooting at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway are struggling to accept that he became violent in response to police killings of African-Americans. One woman died and three others were wounded, including an officer, as police traded gunfire with the suspect early Thursday. Thirty-seven-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott survived his wounds, and after questioning him on Friday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said he cited police killings of black men as his motivation. Alan Lavasser, a white neighbor, says Scott was nice to "everyone," and there's "no way I would ever believe that it was racially motivated." The Bahamas on Friday issued a rare travel advisory for any of its citizens visiting the United States, recommending that young men in particular take care in cities affected by recent tensions over police shootings. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns visitors to "exercise appropriate caution" in light of recent episodes involving police officers and black men. It also advises people not to get involved in demonstrations and to avoid crowds. "In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate," the statement said. The advisory comes after two black men were shot this week in Baton Rouge, La., and suburban St. Paul, Minn., and five police officers were killed and seven others wounded at a protest in Dallas -- marking the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The U.S. regularly issues travel advisories for Americans visiting other countries. In January, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau put out a warning over crime in the Bahamian capital, which prompted complaints from business owners in the tourism-dependent island nation. The statement from the Bahamian foreign ministry provided a list of consular offices in the U.S. for its citizens to contact in case issues arise. "Pay attention to the public notices and news announcements in the city that you are visiting," the advisory said. "Be safe, enjoy the holiday weekend and be sensible." State media have reported that Chinese warships, fighter jets and submarines held live-fire war games in the South China Sea, just days ahead of an international tribunal's ruling on a challenge to Beijing's expansive claims in the waters. China Central Television showed video Saturday of the drills, conducted by three fleets of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The footage showed missiles and torpedoes being launched from ships, jets flying in formation and releasing flares, and submarines surfacing in the water. CCTV said the drills, held on Friday, were aimed at testing the navy's battle-readiness, and are scheduled to run till Monday. The Hague-based tribunal will rule Tuesday in a case brought by the Philippines. China is boycotting the case and says it will not accept the verdict. Figuring out how many troops the U.S. has in a war zone such as Afghanistan is never easy. The numbers fluctuate as units move in and out, and military leaders don't like to telegraph troop strength, particularly the more secretive special operations forces, to the enemy. But the Pentagon also doesn't count scores of troops that are often in the country for months at a time. In many cases it's because they are considered temporary for some administrative reason or other. As a result, the fuzzy math doesn't always add up. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama scrapped plans to cut American forces in Afghanistan by half before he leaves office in January. He said he will leave 8,400 troops to address Afghanistan's "precarious" security situation. A look at the Afghanistan numbers: NOW: There are about 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. About 6,900 are part of NATO's train, advise and assist mission aimed at working with Afghan army and police The rest are conducting counterterrorism missions against al-Qaida, Taliban and Islamic State militants, and doing other related jobs. other nations are contributing about 5,500 troops to the NATO advisory mission. FUTURE: Obama says the U.S. will reduce its troop presence to 8,400 by year's end. U.S. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said about 6,700 will remain part of the NATO mission. That would leave 1,700 for other duties. A senior U.S. administration official said the U.S. will continue to have more than 2,000 forces committed to the counterterrorism mission which would add up to 8,700 total, using Scaparrotti's figures. The official was not authorized to discuss the numbers publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. But some U.S. troops may perform double duty, at times doing the training mission and other times doing counterterrorism operations. Also, some U.S. troops may be among those that are not formally counted. Officials say they expect the other NATO nations to contribute roughly the same as they have been. 'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams and Olivia Wilde attend the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival after party for 'The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea' sponsored by Sauza 901 at 1OAK on April 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Ilya S. Saveno) Five police officers were killed and seven others were injured following shootings at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas on July 7, Thursday. "Vinyl" actress Olivia Wilde was one of the celebrities who took to Twitter to slam the sniper attack. Demanding respect for black lives is in no way inciting violence against police officers. Murder is madness. It is never the answer. Advertisement olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) July 8, 2016 In "Vinyl," Wilde plays former actress and model Devon Finestra who was once part of Warhol's Factory scene and the wife of Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale). On June 22, HBO announced that the period drama series will not be renewed for a second season. In 2014, Wilde starred in "Better Living Through Chemistry" with Ray Liotta, Sam Rockwell and Michelle Monaghan. The "Vinyl" actress played a trophy-wife customer who enters the life of a straight-laced pharmacist and takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder. Born in New York City, Wilde grew up in Washington, D.C., particularly in the Georgetown neighborhood. Her parents and several relatives are journalists and her older sister, Chloe Cockburn is a civil rights attorney in New York. On July 8, Friday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed what federal officials had told CNN that investigators determined Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, from Mesquite, Texas, was the lone shooter in the incident. The gunman is a military veteran who had served in Afghanistan. "Through our investigation of some of the suspects, it's revealed to us that this was a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy by these suspects," the publication quoted Dallas police Chief David Brown as saying at a prayer rally Friday. It was considered the deadliest single incident for U.S. law enforcement since the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda's attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Dallas sniper attack made President Barack Obama decide to cut his trip to Europe short by one day. He plans to return on July 10, Sunday, from Spain so he can travel early next week to Dallas. "Later in the week, at the White House, the President will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities," the White House said in a statement obtained by Washington Post. The statement said Obama wants to "find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system." Watch a clip about the Dallas sniper attack here: A woman covers her face so as not to show her emotions over a certain topic. (Photo : Getty Images/ Spencer Platt) Rape complaints have recently been on the rise in Chinese media the past few days such as the Hunan woman who was placed inside a suitcase naked after she was raped and a Chinese migrant in Australia raped and killed by the husband of her aunt. On Tuesday, in faraway Liberia in Africa, a Chinese miner was accused by a 14-year-old girl of rape. The suspect works at the Bong Mines located at Fuamah District in Lower Bong County. The suspect, Pan Wuu, is a contractor with the China Union (Liberia) Investment Bong Mining Company, reported Liberianobserver. Advertisement Pan Wuu met the victim while she was walking home and asked for her phone number or if she has a boyfriend. While she said no to both question, he still gave her his number which she called the next day, June 20, according to the police. He brought her to his accommodation at the steel factory in the mines area, asked the victim to remove her clothes and had sexual intercourse with the female teen, reported AllAfrica. After sex, Wuu took her photo while she was still naked, and he posted the image on his Facebook page which was seen by someone who knew the victim and tipped police. According to the Liberia News Agency, the Chinese miner was arraigned before the Bong Mines Magisterial Court. What is quite unusual is that Stipendiary Magistrate Joel Tarkpah, upon hearing news of the rape, asked the police to assign the case to him, conducted a preliminary investigation and even detained Wuu at the Bong Mines police cell. But the parents of the victim agreed to a waiver of the rape case which resulted in the Chinese man released. Wuu then took the opportunity to flee Liberia by flying home to China on the pretext he would go on a vacation. In the comments section of the Liberianobserver, reader Emotionz Smith from Washington DC found it absurd that the parents waived a rape case. Franky Chan believes the parents were bribed. Joan George suggested that the photo of Wuu be requested from Bong Mines and ask the help of Interpol in tracking the alleged rapist and sending him to prison. Parker Waichman Wins $1.1M Verdict on Behalf of Nursing Home Neglect Victim Parker Waichman has won a $1,102,000 verdict on behalf of a Staten Island nursing home victim. The lawsuit alleged the nursing home staff failed to attend to the plaintiff's decedent, who fell in the facility and subsequently suffered fatal injuries. -- Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of nursing home abuse and neglect victims, announces that the firm helped win a $1,102,000 verdict in a nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit. Parker Waichman attorney, James G. Kapralos, Esq., successfully represented the family of a nursing home resident who died after suffering a fall at Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center Inc. in Staten Island, New York. The plaintiff's decedent suffered from complications from a fistula in December 2011. Due to her frail condition, her doctors believed she should not undergo surgery. Her medical conditions included Alzheimer's disease, dementia, hypertension, diabetes, a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), left-side hemiparesis, implantation with a pacemaker, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The plaintiff's decedent was admitted to Staten Island University Hospital in January 2011 where she was treated for severe dehydration stemming from fistula complications. After being stabilized, she was admitted to Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation in January 2011 for short-term rehabilitation. According to the lawsuit, the resident attempted to get out of bed on February 7, 2011. Upon observing this, the assigned certified nursing assistant (CNA) placed her in a wheelchair and relocated her outside the nurses' station for closer observation. Allegedly, the CNA then went on break without another assigned CNA to take her place. The nursing home was relying on all nurses to ensure that the resident did not try to get up without assistance. Unfortunately, the woman fell and broke her hip while attempting to stand soon after the CNA's departure. A security video shows that a nurse was nearby completing paperwork with his head down when the victim fell. During the trial, this nurse acknowledged that the resident should have been within his peripheral view at all times. All nurses who testified at the trial conceded that resident safety should come first, and that paperwork should come second. The lawsuit also points out that the resident's care plan involved a clip chair alarm, but no such alarm sounded when she fell. After the fall, the resident underwent hip pinning surgery. She was then sent to another nursing home, where she was found in a pool of blood by staff on March 8, 2011. The surgery and subsequent inability to get out of bed exacerbated her pre-existing medical problems, which ultimately led to her death. "The firm applauds the jury's decision," said Mr. Kapralos. "This verdict sends a powerful message: That nursing homes will be held accountable for the safety and well-being of their residents." The jury awarded $1,102,000.00 for the deprivation of the plaintiff's nursing home resident's rights, for violations of state and federal regulations intended to protect nursing home residents from accidents, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. The awarded included $100,000 for medical expenses and $2,000 for funeral expenses. Parker Waichman LLP continues to offer free legal consultations to victims of injuries allegedly caused by neglect or abuse in nursing home facilities. Please contact Parker Waichman's Nursing Home Abuse page at yourlawyer.com. Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636). For more information, please visit http://www.yourlawyer.com/long-island Contact Info: Name: Parker Waichman Organization: Parker Waichman LLP Address: 6 Harbor Park Drive Port Washington, NY 11050 Phone: 516-466-6500 Release ID: 122482 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Web Hosting Secrets Revealed Undertakes Annual Re-Review Of A2 Hosting Packages Web Hosting Secrets Revealed has updated its review of A2 hosting to reflect the latest packages and performance statistics, with in-depth analyses and consumer insights. -- Web Hosting Secrets Revealed is passionate about providing the very best information to consumers seeking the fastest, most affordable web hosting packages. Their team of writers constantly monitor providers in order to rank them, and where merited, award the coveted five stars. Their team is currently re-appraising many of their highest ranking providers, and A2 Hosting has managed to retain their five-star rating. The team has undertaken a complete re-review of A2 Hosting's packages and performance. The server speed has actually improved, with an A rating on the Bitcatcha speed test together with impressive 99.98% uptime. The A2 Hosting Review (2016 edition) also looks at the customer service and support experience, which comes highly recommended, with the business A-Rated by the Better Business Bureau. With packages starting at less than four dollars a month, they are also one of the most affordable web hosting providers on the market right now. By retaining their five-star rating, they are not only one of the best quality providers, but also the best budget providers, topping the WHSR Low-Cost Web Hosting Guide. The re-review is part of a site wide process to ensure their information is kept as current as possible, keeping pace with the rapidly evolving packages and features hosts update and promote in order to entice new customers. A spokesperson for Web Hosting Secrets Revealed explained, "We are very pleased to see A2 Hosting retain their five-star rating. Their service provision is top notch, and the statistics have improved on their already impressive performance. Together with the value for money they offer, they are as close to an all-in-one solution as possible in the current market. While others with more specialist needs may find some of our other top rated providers preferable, A2 offer the very best hosting for beginners, startups, and those with low to moderate usage requirements. We will continue to evaluate competitors throughout the year, and inform our readership if another provider can match or exceed this outstanding offer." About Web Hosting Secrets Revealed: Web Hosting Secrets Revealed review web hosting companies from the inside, based on genuine experiences of their editorial team. They signup, examine, track, and review all of the hosting companies listed on WHSR. The website regularly updates their reviews to ensure consumers always have the latest and best data available. For more information, please visit http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/ Contact Info: Name: Jerry Low Organization: Web Hosting Secret Revealed Address: Financial Park Labuan 87000 Labuan FT, Malaysia Source: http://marketersmedia.com/web-hosting-secrets-revealed-undertakes-annual-re-review-of-a2-hosting-packages/122104 Release ID: 122104 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Fresh4 SEO Marketing PPC Rankings Booster Site Rebrand & New Service Launched A new SEO marketing company service has launched after the Fresh4 company rebranding. The marketing experts offer traditional and modern approaches to SEO and PPC advertising, helping to drive more traffic to any business's website. -- Fresh4, an SEO and marketing company based in Reading, UK, has undergone rebranding and has launched a new service for business owners who want to improve their brand recognition and boost their rankings on search engines. It prides itself on letting the owner run their business while the company covers effective exposure to help achieve explosive growth. More information can be found on the Fresh4 website at: http://fresh4.co.uk. The site explains that Fresh4 can help businesses through a wide range of marketing projects, including the development of SEO friendly content and providing backlinks to help drive traffic to key areas of a business's home page. Fresh 4's philosophy is based on three key elements, starting with evaluation, progressing on to execution, and ending with results. In the evaluation stage, the company experts will thoroughly analyse each individual client's business to ensure they can capture the heart of the business with their marketing efforts. This will also give them a chance to inspect the current website to ensure it matches well with any SEO campaign launched by Fresh4. Once the plans have been developed as part of the evaluation stage, they will be implemented, whether they are small changes to the client's current online presence, or deeper redesigns. These will help lead to enhanced traffic flow, increased conversion, and improved brand recognition. The Fresh 4 site underscores that they take a modern approach to the subject of SEO. The digital marketing company is about more than search engine optimisation, it's about building relationships all across the web. This can lead to more brand awareness and increased sharing for on social networking sites. In combination with this, the company employs a Google Adwords approach with PPC search marketing, helping to increase click through rate, inquiries and phone calls. This technique can help to establish a leading presence on the first page of Google. Any interested parties looking to find out more can book in a free 30-minute strategy session to see how Fresh 4 can help to improve any business's web presence For more information, please visit http://fresh4.co.uk Contact Info: Name: Haris Chechi Email: chechi@fresh4.co.uk Organization: Fresh4 Ltd Address: Berkshire House, 252-256 Kings Rd, Reading, RG1 4HP Phone: +441183241599 Release ID: 122669 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Dallas Moving Company Expands Into New City Ultima are true professionals in every aspect of moving. They provide convenient checklists and safeguard all items during transit. -- UltimaMovers is a reputable and leading moving company that has recently expanded into the Austin area. The Dallas-based company specializes in timely and affordable residential and commercial moving services. They also specialize in long distance moving and continue to receive stellar industry ratings and customer reviews. What sets the company apart from the rest is simply their commitment to client satisfaction. From emergency moving to complete relocations, they have and continue to help countless families and businesses with trusted, reliable and timely moving services. With years of extensive industry experience, Ultima Movers now brings their expertise and quality to the Greater Austin Area. According to customer Mike Richards, "Ultima are true professionals in every aspect of moving. They provide convenient checklists and safeguard all your items during transit. Best of all, their rates and efficient moving services cannot be beat!" It's testimonials like these have propelled the company to new heights in this challenging and fast-paced industry. UltimaMovers understands all frustrations of moving. From packing and taping boxes to loading and unloading, they make this process and transition simple and smooth for all new and existing customers. With an experienced and dedicated team, they have the tools and expertise to easily help businesses and families move in a timely and efficient manner. UltimaMovers are fully licensed and insured to tackle all moving jobs. They also feature experienced movers that understand the importance of safeguarding and protecting all your valuables during transit. As always, they will load, unload, and unpack customer boxes and crates for maximum convenience. With free and cost-effective estimates, customers always have peace of mind and reassurance. With Austin continuing to grow and expand, the demand for quality movers is at an all time high. Ultima promises to meet this demand with experienced and proven moving services. They also offer precise route plans, dedicated team members, and unsurpassed customer services for all residential and commercial clients. With deep roots in Texas, UltimaMovers has forged lasting friendships and relationships with their customers. This is one of the reasons why customers continue to prefer this company for all their moving needs. With the company now expanding into Austin, they look forward to assisting one and all with the best and most reliable moving services in the state. Simply contact UltimaMovers today and get the experience and results you deserve. For more information, please visit http://ultimamovers.com Contact Info: Name: Sean Kimmel Organization: ultimamovers Address: Dallas, TX USA, 75219 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/dallas-moving-company-expands-into-new-city/122228 Release ID: 122228 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Facebook Autoresponder launches new era in Facebook page dynamics Leatherneck Tech defies convention with RocketRespondr for Facebook. When a customer visits a page in Facebook, this autoresponder provides instant responses to visitors' questions. For more information, see www.rocketrespondr.com. -- Today, Leatherneck Tech Inc. announced the release of RocketRespondr, an autoresponder for Facebook. This product will save Facebook users countless hours as it provides auto responses to inquiries in Facebook pages. Particularly useful to businesses, RocketRespondr will also provide customers with immediate gratification as it handles their inquiries instantly, 24 hours a day, every single day of the year.... and it does so, with a difference. Deryck Jones, Chief Evangelist at Leatherneck Tech Inc., said: "We wanted to try something new with RocketRespondr. Currently, most people have to directly interact with their customers on Facebook. They have to personally respond to each and every query. A couple of other products similar to RocketRespondr are out there but they are much more technical and require programming to configure and setup - RocketRespondr does not. What also differentiates us is the support and hand-holding we provide our clients to ensure their success." Having been in development since last year, RocketRespondr is being released with training videos. Leatherneck Tech will also be providing webinars and ongoing training and support to RocketRespondr users. "We strive to give our customers solutions to real problems. With RocketRespondr, there is a feeling of awe watching Facebook operating on it's own. Then, I think there is a sense of relief knowing that none of your customer inquiries are slipping through the cracks, so to speak," said Jones. Leatherneck Tech Inc. is the brain trust of a serial entrepreneur whose previous company was an award-winning IT managed services company. When asked about the goals of this and future products, Jones stated, "It has always been our goal to assist businesses in navigating the new age of visual digital marketing." To find out more about RocketRespondr, please visit www.rocketrespondr.com. For further information about Leatherneck Tech Inc, please visit at www.leathernecktech.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rocketrespondr.com Contact Info: Name: Deryck Jones Email: deryck@leathernecktech.com Organization: Leatherneck Tech Inc Address: 8220 Crestwood Heights Dr #509, McLean, VA 22102 Phone: 3392341656 Release ID: 122588 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Prominent Ohio Children's Author Laura Ceville Releases Second Picture Book A new educational children's book titled 'Everything Has a Place' and tailored to provide children between the ages of 3-5 with a fun and engaging read while teaching where their things, from toys to dirty socks, should go, has been released by Laura Ceville. -- The author and artist Laura Ceville out of Beavercreek, Ohio announced the release of her second children's book, titled 'Everything Has a Place,' providing a fun, engaging and educational experience for early readers between the ages of 3-5 years old. More information is available at https://goo.gl/yxCUCT. 'Everything Has a Place' is an educational children's picture book tailored to help parents spark and encourage their children's interest in books with an easy and engaging read while starting a discussion about where their toys, dirty socks, books and other things should go. The picture book centers around the characters of a little rooster wearing socks and his 'Mama' with a fun, age-appropriate and picture-based story to engage children between the ages of three and five years old while helping them learn and understand where their things should go. The newly published book is the latest release by Laura Ceville, the prominent children's book author and illustrator behind the highly popular 'My Dog, Jack,' published in 2013, and currently working on a third book, titled 'The Missing Baker and His Sugary Sugar Cookies,' to be released later in the year. More information on the recent 'Everything Has a Place' release, available as a Kindle e-book on Amazon, and multiple book critiques or ratings by parents along with details on the author, Laura Ceville, a United States Air Force veteran also known for her mixed media artistry, can be consulted on the website link provided above. The author explains that 'Everything Has a Place' is, "a fun, colorful read to help a child learn where things go. With patience and love, Mama helps little rooster learn that everything has a place. This charming picture book will help begin the discussion on how to teach your own little rooster or little chicken where to put their toys, books, and more." She adds that "I have had a passion for writing children's books since I was a little girl. I was blessed to have this dream come true with 'My Dog, Jack,' and now I'm continuing my love for creating with 'Everything Has a Place,' which is dedicated to my husband Braden." For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/yxCUCT Contact Info: Name: Laura Y. Ceville Organization: Ceville Designs Release ID: 122756 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Shooting, netting and gluing birds to sticks are the main methods that hunters use to kill or capture songbirds during their migration season A taskforce of over 20 countries in the Middle East and Europe will meet for the first time in Egypt Tuesday to discuss methods of curbing illegal practices that kill more than 20 million migrating songbirds each year. The taskforce, established by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 2014, will meet from 12 to 15 July, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) statement reads. The taskforce is expected to agree on a set of measures to reduce the scale of bird killing. Shooting, netting and gluing birds to sticks are the main methods that hunters use to kill or capture songbirds as they migrate from their European breeding grounds towards their winter grounds south of the Sahara. Pigeons, birds of prey and waterbirds are also vulnerable to the killing practices. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt MPs said economic and political relations with Italy should be reviewed in light of Italy's recent 'hostile' actions against Egypt Informed sources disclosed Saturday that the speaker of Egypt's parliament, Ali Abdel-Al, has asked the heads of three parliamentary committees to conduct a review of Egyptian-Italian relations. Abdel-Al's move comes two days after Egypt's parliament condemned in a statement a decision by the Italian parliament to suspend the supply of some military spare parts to Egypt. Italy's decision came as a response to what it says is Egypt's failure to cooperate with Italy in the investigation into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo earlier this year. The Egyptian parliament's statement described the Italian parliament's decision as "an escalatory step" that could negatively affect the future of Egyptian-Italian relations. Abdel-Al told reporters that "it is deplorable that this dangerous step on the part of the Italian parliament comes at a time when Egypt is leading a fierce war against terrorist organisations." "We were also surprised that this step comes after judicial authorities in both Egypt and Italy were stepping up cooperation in a bid to unravel the mystery of [Regeni's death]," said Abdel-Al. Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, the head of parliament's human rights committee, told reporters that parliament's three committees on human rights, foreign affairs, and national security and defence will hold an urgent meeting next week to consider a response to the Italian parliament's "hostile" attitude towards Egypt. "This meeting not only comes upon the orders of speaker Abdel-Al, but also upon the request of many MPs who say that there should be a complete overhaul of all economic and oil agreements and all kinds of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the area of combating terrorism," said El-Sadat, who is also chairman of the liberal Reform and Development Party. El-Sadat said the Italian parliament's decision will also negatively affect cooperation between Egypt and Italy in the area of countering illegal immigration in the Mediterranean and dealing with the fallout from the civil conflict in Libya. "While these areas are vital to the security of the two countries, the Italian parliament's decision will do a lot of harm to them," said El-Sadat. Mohamed El-Orabi, head of parliament's foreign affairs committee and a former foreign minister, left for Italy on Saturday to meet with the speakers of the Italian House of Representatives and the Senate. "I will also meet with the chairman of the Italian parliament's foreign relations committee to convey an important message to him," said El-Orabi. "We will tell him that the Italian parliament's decision will do a lot of harm to the relations between Cairo and Rome and this is not good, not only for Egypt, but for the entire middle east region." El-Orabi argued that "the role of parliaments is to contain conflicts and to build bridges of cooperation among countries... we wonder why the Italian parliament chose to move in the opposite direction," he said. Al-Orabi added that during his visit to Rome he will also attend a conference that will be held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean to discuss terrorism and cooperation among Mediterranean parliaments in all fields. El-Orabi said that he will attend the conference, which will be hosted by the Italian Senate, on behalf of speaker Abdel-Al. Many MPs told reporters that they have asked speaker Abdel-Al to open a debate on Egyptian-Italian relations in a plenary session next week. Yusri El-Moghazi, an independent MP, said there should be a public debate to discuss "the Italian parliament's arrogant and hasty decision." "The debate should not be confined to reviewing economic and political relations with Italy, but also include opening the file of Egyptian detainees in Italian prisons and the results of investigation into the killing of many Egyptians in Italy in recent years," said El-Moghazi. Ahmed Mostafa, deputy chairman of the Ethics Committee, said "the Italians have decided to use the Regeni case to exercise a kind of political extortion on Egypt." "It seems that the Italians have decided to turn this criminal case into a political extortion tool, and in light of this fact the Egyptian parliament should react strongly," said Mostafa. Tarek Radwan, deputy chairman of the foreign affairs committee and an MP affiliated with the Free Egyptians Party, said there should be an objective review for the relations between the two countries. "We should work on containing the current tensions instead of adopting retaliatory steps," said Radwan, arguing that "the Italian parliament's decision will put Egyptian-Italian relations on edge and will only serve terrorist organisations that target the security of the Mediterranean countries." Search Keywords: Short link: Ireland has pushed further ahead with beef exports to the lucrative US market, as the country plans for a post-EU future. Irish farmers will now be able to ship manufacturing beef, which is minced for products such as burgers, on top of steak cuts such as fillet, rib-eye and sirloins. Last year Ireland sold 14m (12m) of beef to the US from six approved factories after becoming the first EU country to gain market access following a 15-year break due to BSE fears. See also: 15m cut from prime cattle value, AHDB study finds Since the EU-wide ban was lifted in January 2015, the Netherlands and Lithuania have also earned access. Negotiations between the UK and US authorities are ongoing. Irish farm leaders have hailed the news, in a week where Britains vote to quit the EU has shaken the industrys confidence. Half of Irish beef production is currently destined for the UK and the trading relationship between the two countries after Brexit is unclear. Approval needed Joe Healy, Irish Farmers Association president, said work was now needed to get more plants approved for export. It is very important that real delivery is made on accessing new markets for Irish beef, particularly in light of the recent Brexit outcome, he said. The US beef market has enormous potential for exporters. Each year the country of 319 million people buys in 1m tonnes of beef, of which most is for manufacturing. Only about one-tenth of the market is currently for grass-fed, natural or organic, but sales of those kinds of beef are growing about 20% a year. Irelands farm minister Michael Creed said the announcement was the culmination of a year of discussions and checks. His country had first-mover advantage, Mr Creed said, and would be supporting the fresh access with a marketing campaign. This US market is a potentially huge prize given the size of the market and the demand we know exists there for premium grass-fed beef. As an exporting country, accessing new markets is key to the long-term sustainability of our beef sector and this extension of our access in the US has the capability to be a significant boost to the sector over a period of time. British exports British beef will not be joining Irish on the Atlantic crossing just yet. Unlike Ireland, only about one-fifth of British production is exported, but the US could be a premium, added-value market. In April, the UK government handed a 1,000-page dossier to the US Department of Agriculture that explained the hygiene and quality standards of British beef and lamb. US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said he would study the document before agreeing a series of factory inspections. AHDB head of global supply chain development Phil Hadley said the process was inching forward. He said hopefully a visit by US authorities would be arranged for the end of this year, or early 2017. Our ambition remains to make it happen as quickly as possible, Dr Hadley said. Samsung Gear S2 Latest Rumors, Updates and Release Date: Major Changes Planned For Smartwatch As the age of smartwatches continued to gain ground, a notable piece is the Samsung Gear S2. It is one of the best looking wearables to consider in the market to date since debuting in September of 2015. Though the Samsung Gear S2 is aesthetically pleasing, its features leave a lot to be desired. When compared to other smartwatches like the Apple Watch, the Korean company will need to tweak that department a bit to reel in more interested buyers. Massive update coming for Samsung Gear S2 Samsung has taken note of that pitch and is reportedly planning a massive update for the Samsung Gear S2, Sam Mobile reported. Among the features mentioned include better workout integration that can be shared on Facebook, broader choices on personal wallpaper preference and more. The two alleged features are only some of the changes to expect from Samsung on the Gear S2. Phandroid notes that these improvements could be in focus for the wearable at IFA where the successor to the Samsung Gear S2 is expected to be announced. Speculated improvements to come Aside from the exercise and photo wallpaper improvements, the rumor mill has hinted at the other potential improvements. That includes the inclusion of a sleep monitor, the ability to use the timer with the aid of S Voice plus new menus and notifications. There are likely more features worth noting but those are the ones currently at the top of the grapevine list. With regards to the Samsung Gear S2 release date, the massive patch is expected to be out in the coming weeks. Seeing how the update is being termed as massive, Samsung is likely making sure that all bugs are covered to avoid drawing the ire of Samsung Gear S2 owners. With a Samsung Gear S2 successor looming, the said update is a fitting gift for the ones who own the smart wearable before the Samsung Gear S3 takes the limelight at IFA 2016 which will be held in Berlin this September. CSULB alum wins gold at the 38th Long Beach Marathon which was his first Here is a look at public meetings planned for the Corvallis area in the upcoming days. Today Ward 7 Councilor Bill Glassmire will be the government comment corner guest from 10 a.m. to noon at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Monday The Philomath City Council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 980 Applegate St. Councilors will hold public hearings on the Chapel Drive and Skirvin Farms annexations and hold first readings on a series of ordinances relating to marijuana. In addition, new Councilor Candy Koetz will take the oath of office and join the council. The Corvallis Community Relations Advisory Group meets at 7 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 S.W. Madison Ave. The group, a mix of city, community and Oregon State University officials, is working on improving livability in the near-campus neighborhoods. Mondays meeting will include a report on recovery efforts at OSU and a discussion of a planned neighborhood survey. Tuesday The Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a goal-setting work session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Corvallis Depot, 700 S.W. Washington Ave. Thursday The Corvallis Civic Beautification and Urban Forestry Department Advisory Committee meets at 9 a.m. at the Parks and Recreation Department, 1310 S.W. Avery Park Drive. The City of Corvallis is hosting an informational meeting for potential council candidates at 6:30 p.m. at the Madison Avenue room. Those interested in running for one of the nine council seats in November will be advised about the structure of city government, key documents such as the charter and the municipal code, how to track issues as they move through the system and resources on the web. Election packets will be available. Registration is encouraged. Please call 541-766-6901 or email city.recorder@corvallisoregon.gov to reserve a spot. July 16 Corvallis has scheduled its regular government comment corner event for 10 a.m. at the library but a guest has not yet been determined. Fifteen years ago, Krstofer Evans was working as a Hotshot, part of an elite crew of federal interagency firefighters battling arson fires in eastern Kentucky. His life changed during the mopping up of a small blaze when a 67-foot black locust tree fell over and hit him on the head. Evans hardhat saved his life, but a severe spinal injury left him paralyzed below the breastbone. Late last Wednesday night, Evans died in a house fire in Philomath. Police pointed to the probable cause as the mishandling of fireworks. He was 45. Who was Krs Evans? Its not difficult to wonder about a persons life when a tragedy like we saw last week occurs. When it comes to this particular fire victim, there actually has been quite a lot written about him because of his experience in Kentucky. Bennett Hall, a reporter with the Corvallis Gazette-Times, sat down with Evans in 2009 for a feature story on efforts to overcome adversity while inventing a device that would help other firefighters. The information given to me by the police as well as the property tax record I checked showed his first name spelled as Christopher, which is what I reported in the original story. But he did go by Krs, an apparent result of an airline booking problem involving another Chris Evans that prompted him to change it. After reading Bennetts story, I felt like I knew more about the victim of this unfortunate fire. Along with the Gazette-Times story, previous pieces on his life had been written, including a 2002 feature in the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader. In this past Sundays edition, Kentucky.com published a story sharing news of his death and a look back at that 2002 story along with a couple of photos. Published with this column is a photo that accompanied the 2009 story in the G-T. Following are excerpts from Bennetts story: Evans spent two weeks in a coma, a month in intensive care and five months in rehab before being discharged. He's spent years coming to terms with his injury. Hes started a home-based business producing handy, inexpensive gadgets for his former mates on the fire line. His best-seller is a simple adapter that lets firefighters recharge their cell phones in the field using the spare battery pack for their walkie-talkie and a cord designed to plug into a car's cigarette lighter. He does a lot of the fabrication himself. "I'll sit here and I'll watch TV for an hour and make 30 or so," he said. There's also a clamp that enables a firefighter to pinch off the flow in a fire hose without trekking all the way back to the water tender. And there's a crank-operated roller to make winding the hose easier. Evans doesn't make much money on his inventions any income he earns is subtracted from his monthly workers' compensation payments. But he doesn't plan to stay at this level forever. For him, it came down to a simple choice: feel sorry for himself, or take control of his life. "I can either sit on my ass and watch TV all day and bitch about it, or I can get off my ass and do something about it. And the only way I can see to do that is to educate myself so I have some sort of marketable skill and hopefully work that into someday working for myself," Evans said. "I'm going to be that guy someday. I'm going to own the business that people use and are paying me for, or be the manufacturer who's making the little dingus that everybody uses." The Lexington Herald-Leader story quoted extensively from a website where Evans recorded details of his rehabilitation. In Sundays Kentucky.com story, he was quoted as saying, Had I not been putting out an arson fire and gotten my ass kicked by a tree, Id be back in California happily going to school, hiking and snowboarding. Instead, Im fighting for my legs in rehab. All because someone was bored and had a match. As the Kentucky newspaper wrote, Evans life was punctuated by fire. The 41-year-old police sergeant was gunned down outside a police station in El-Arish A policeman was shot dead by unknown assailants in El-Arish, North Sinai Saturday afternoon, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced in a statement. The 41-year-old police sergeant, Galal Mohamed Soliman, who was assigned to the "vehicle department," was gunned down outside a police station. Egypt's security forces have been fighting a decade-long Islamist insurgency in parts of North Sinai; a conflict that spiked following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Search Keywords: Short link: Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. The speaker of Egypt's parliament, Ali Abdel-Al, will pay a visit to Russia on Monday upon an invitation from speaker of the Russian parliament Sergey Naryshkin, Osama Heikal, chairman of parliament's media, culture and antiquities committee told reporters Saturday. Heikal said that he will be part of a large Egyptian parliamentary delegation that will accompany Abdel-Al to Russia. "A large number of MPs will accompany Abdel-Al due to the expanding relations between Cairo and Moscow and because there are many vital issues we want to discuss with Russia," he said. Heikal said that important issues like restoring Russian tourism and flights to Egypt and the final signing of the Dabaa nuclear power plant deal between Egypt and Russia will be at the top of issues to be discussed. "We have also many economic issues we want to discuss with the Russian MPs in areas of agriculture, industry and trade," said Heikal, who will be a member of the delegation. Heikal also praised Russian speaker Naryshkin for being the first among world parliamentary speakers to visit Egypt after the election of a new parliament in January. A Cairo misdemeanour court postponed on Saturday the trial of Egypt's press syndicate chairman Yehia Kalash and two other board members to 16 July on charges of harbouring fugitives inside the syndicate's headquarters. Defendant and syndicate board member Khaled El-Balshy attended the session, where witnesses were testifying, while his peer Gamal Abdel-Reheem and Kalash were absent. The trio were referred to court in June for harbouring journalists Mahmoud El-Sakka and Amr Badr, who were staging a sit-in at the syndicate headquarters to protest warrants issued for their arrest. El-Sakka and Badr, who were arrested inside the syndicate, were among many ordered arrested ahead of the 25 April protests against the Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea island maritime border agreement. Kalash, Abdel-Reheem and El-Balshy are also facing charges of "publishing false news" about the police raid on the syndicate's headquarters on 1 May that resulted in the arrest of the two journalists. Search Keywords: Short link: Kenyan police said Saturday that "more than 100" Islamist fighters raided a police station in north-east Kenya overnight, injuring one officer and making off with arms and ammunition. The attack on Diff police station in Wajir district, close to the Somali border, happened at 1:00 am (2200 GMT Friday) and was blamed on militants from the Shabaab, a Somali-led al-Qaeda group. Police chief Joseph Boinnet confirmed the attack. "Officers put up stiff resistance and fought them off despite Shabaab numbering over 100 in three trucks and heavy mortar fire," he said. A police source speaking on condition of anonymity said more than 10,000 bullets plus 13 AK-47 assault rifles, police uniforms and other items were stolen from the station. Diff police station suffered a similar raid in April this year when three officers were wounded and a police vehicle stolen. Officials said around 100 Shabaab fighters were also involved in that raid. Search Keywords: Short link: The first Russian charter flight carrying tourists to Turkey since a diplomatic crisis erupted eight months ago landed on Saturday in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya, the airport said. The Rossiya Airlines plane touched down at Antalya's international airport at around 0730 GMT after President Vladimir Putin last month officially lifted restrictions on tourism to Turkey. The plane, flying from Moscow's Vnukovo airport, was carrying 189 tourists, NTV television said. Russia had banned the sale of agency tours to Turkey as retaliation for Ankara's shooting-down of a Russian war plane in November on the Syrian border. The move dealt a crushing blow to the Turkish tourism industry, which is hugely reliant on Russian tourists especially on its Mediterranean coast. However Putin on June 30 allowed once again the sale of tours and charter tourist flights from Russia to Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to the Russian leader that Moscow said contained an apology for the downing of the jet. Analysts say that Ankara was keen to repair its relations with Moscow after the crisis with a key regional neighbour left Turkey dangerously isolated on the international stage. However, the Turkish tourism industry is expected to be dealt another blow by tourists staying away following the June 28 triple suicide attack at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul that killed 47 people. Search Keywords: Short link: Meizu MX6 spotted on AnTuTu benchmark ahead of launch on July 19 News oi -Harshita Rumors and conjectures have been hinting towards Meizu MX6's imminent launch. The company seems to be finally unveiling the phone on July 19. Chinese smartphone company, Meizu has rolled out invite for an event in Beijing scheduled for July 19, where it is expected to launch the much talked about MX6 smartphone, in two variants. The yet to be announced Meizu MX6 has also been spotted on AnTuTu benchmark test (via), which revealed a few specification details of the phone. Going by the rumored specs, the smartphone is expected to be Meizu's premium series smartphone with flagship level specifications that may, however, be less powerful than the Meizu Pro 6 smartphone. SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Wide launched: Is this the new Galaxy On7! Curved-edged display variant: As far as the specifications are concerned, the phone is likely to come with a 5.5-inch display of FHD quality with 1080x1920 pixels resolution. Rumors have it that the company might as well have a Samsung Galaxy Edge like dual-edged screen version, though there is no concrete information on this rumor. A deca-core chipset and powerful Hardware: Previously leaked reports also suggested that the phone will be powered MediaTek Helio 20 MTK6797 CPU, carrying a deca-core CPU and the Mali-T880 GPU. It could come in two versions - one with 3GB RAM/32GB of inbuilt storage, and another with 4GB of RAM/64GB of native storage. SEE ALSO: TCL 560 smartphone launched for Rs 7,999: Good and Bad about it [First Impressions] 12MP primary camera: The phone might support a 12MP rear facing snapper, paired with a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies and video chats. There is nothing more known about the smartphone, in terms of camera. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and Mi 5s Spotted Online: All You Need to Know News oi -Vigneshwar As per the new report, the Apple of China, Xiaomi is working on two new smartphones in its headquarters -- Redmi Note 4 and Mi 5s. If the rumor turns out to be true, the Redmi Note 4 will come with the oversized display, which will be around 5.7 to 6.0-inch. In a previous leak, the source has mentioned that the Redmi Note 4 will come packed with a Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB ROM and Quick Charging technology. Also, the report points out that, there are chances of two variants in terms of RAM and ROM. On the other side, the company has teased its next flagship smartphone dubbed as Mi 5s with dual camera setup. Further, Xiaomi is buying a dual case module from Samsung for its smartphones. SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Pegged for July 25 Launch: Everything You Need to Know Talking about the specifications, the Mi 5s might come packed with 5.5-inch Full HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, 6GB RAM along with Force Touch technology. Analyst Kevin Wang of IHS Technology also posted that Xiaomi has powerful products lined up for the second half of the year and they plan to achieve a record sale of 20 million devices for the third quarter. However, the above information is not official, we advise you to take it with a grain of salt. Source 1| 2 Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications 'Feels Like Home Season 2' offers something real and tangible to think about; takes home a pertinent point - if your intentions are good, there is nothing in life that isn't achievable. Update: air strikes against Daesh 7 July 2016 British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh Latest update *Monday 4 July Typhoons attacked Daesh positions in northern Iraq, destroying rocket-launchers and a terrorist muster point. *Tuesday 5 July Typhoons destroyed a mortar team and ammunition in northern Iraq. *Wednesday 6 July Tornados attacked an improvised Daesh river crossing, while a Reaper struck a terrorist observation team and a group of fighters. Detail Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to support Iraqi ground operations near Qayyarah and Sharqat in northern Iraq in recent days. On Monday 4 July, a pair of Typhoon FGR4s used Paveway IV guided bombs to destroy a number of rocket launchers near Qayyarah. The Typhoons then moved further north and attacked a terrorist muster point some 25 miles south-east of Mosul. Typhoons were again active near Qayyarah on Tuesday 5 July, where they conducted two successful Paveway IV attacks that destroyed a mortar team and a nearby ammunition stockpile. The Typhoons were two of the fifty coalition aircraft controlled over Syria and Iraq that day by an RAF Sentry E-3D, making its regular contribution to the coalition's command and control of a round-the-clock air campaign, and were, as ever, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker. On Wednesday 6 July, Tornado GR4s used Paveway IVs to strike a river crossing near Qayyarah which had been improvised by Daesh following successful coalition attacks against their supply routes. Meanwhile, a Reaper patrolled near Sharqat in support of Iraqi ground forces, and used Hellfire missiles against a motorcycle mounted terrorist observation team. It then struck a group of extremists identified manoeuvring in the open nearby. Previous air strikes 1 June: Reapers were in action again, one patrolled the skies above Qayyarah, where a camouflaged set of loaded rocket launch rails were spotted and destroyed with a Hellfire missile. A second Reaper patrolled over eastern Syria and western Iraq, and located a terrorist check-point on the Iraqi side of the border, west of Al Qa'im, which was stopping the free movement of traffic. Again, a Hellfire missile was employed and the check-point successfully attacked. Two Tornado missions provided reconnaissance and close air support to Iraqi forces around Fallujah. One pair of Tornados used Paveway IVs to conduct simultaneous attacks on two Daesh-held buildings close to a canal to the south of the city; one building housed a terrorist sniper team, the other a recoilless anti-tank artillery piece. Both targets were destroyed by direct hits. The second Tornado flight successfully silenced a heavy-machine-gun positioned in a third Daesh strongpoint after it opened fire on the advancing Iraqi troops. 2 June: Three successive flights of Tornado GR4s and Typhoon FGR4s provided close air support to Iraqi units on the southern outskirts of the city. One Tornado flight conducted four attacks with Paveway IV guided bombs, striking a bunker and three teams of terrorists armed with an anti-tank gun, rocket-propelled grenades and a heavy machine-gun. A second Tornado mission delivered simultaneous attacks on two Daesh-held buildings, then a third bombing attack on a heavy machine-gun position that had opened fire on Iraqi troops. The Typhoon flight dealt with a further artillery piece, using a Paveway IV. In northern Iraq, another pair of Typhoons struck a group of terrorists spotted advancing towards peshmerga positions near Kisik, then headed to an area south-east of Mosul where they used three Paveways to attack more extremists mustering in and around a large warehouse. 3 June: Operations over southern Fallujah continued when a pair of Typhoons conducted Paveway attacks on two Daesh strongpoints which had opened fire on Iraqi forces with machine-guns and other weapons. Two Reaper remotely piloted aircraft patrolled over the city the following day, exploiting their long endurance and excellent surveillance capabilities to provide persistent overwatch for the Iraqi troops on the ground. During the course of Saturday, the Reapers delivered five attacks, using two GBU-12 guided bombs and three Hellfire missiles, against two machine-gun teams, two Daesh firing positions and a tunnel network. They also provided assistance to five other air strikes conducted by coalition fast jets on terrorist positions. 5 June: Tornados were again in action over southern Fallujah. A factory producing improvised truck-bombs was struck with a pair of Paveway IVs, destroying two vehicles that were being prepared for use, and two further attacks with Paveways accounted for two anti-tank weapons. 6 June: Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s continued to provide close air support to the Iraqi operation to liberate Fallujah. A coalition surveillance aircraft spotted a group of Daesh terrorists taking up position in a building to the west of the city, allowing them to be quickly targeted by the Typhoons using a Paveway IV guided bomb. In northern Iraq, intelligence had located a large truck-bomb factory near Mosul and two RAF Tornado GR4s armed with 1000lb Enhanced Paveway II guided bombs were tasked with its destruction. A single EPW II destroyed the factory. 7 June: Operations around Fallujah continued when Tornados successfully attacked a weapons and ammunition stockpile hidden to the south-east of the city. 8 June: Tornados conducted three attacks to support Iraqi ground forces engaged in firefights with terrorists inside Fallujah. Despite the close proximity of the Iraqi forces, the GR4s were able to deliver simultaneous attacks with Paveway IVs against two strongpoints housing Daesh machine-gun and artillery teams. They then struck a further machine-gun position when it also opened fire on the Iraqis. Typhoons also contributed to the Fallujah operations, using Paveway IVs against two groups of Daesh extremists armed with a light machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenades. In northern Iraq, another Typhoon mission successfully attacked a Daesh-held building east of Mosul, whilst a Reaper used a GBU-12 bomb to demolish a building where another coalition surveillance aircraft had observed terrorists unloading supplies. A second Reaper patrolled over Syria and employed a Hellfire missile to destroy a Daesh truck travelling at speed on the open road south of Raqqa. 9 June: Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s continued to provide close air support to Iraqi ground forces fighting to liberate Fallujah. One Tornado flight conducted successful attacks using Paveway IV guided bombs against four Daesh-held buildings from which terrorists were directing machine-gun fire at the Iraqi forces. A second Tornado mission used a Paveway IV to destroy a building west of the city, within which a terrorist armed vehicle was reported by nearby Iraqi troops to be concealed. 10 June: A Reaper worked in close conjunction with other coalition aircraft to engage Daesh rocket and mortar teams operating near Qayyarah. The Reaper provided support to two coalition strikes on rocket positions, then used its own Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb against a further set of rocket launchers and a mortar. A Typhoon FGR4 flight was also operating near Qayyarah, and they conducted attacks against five targets: three buildings where Daesh extremists had been spotted gathering and two more rocket launcher positions. North-east of Mosul, another pair of Typhoons destroyed a heavy machine-gun team with a Paveway IV. To the south, Tornados again provided close air support over Fallujah, using their Paveways against three strongpoints which housed two machine-gun teams and a group of terrorists armed with rocket-propelled grenades. 11 June: An RAF Reaper continued to hunt terrorist rocket and mortar teams around Qayyarah, conducting three attacks with Hellfire missiles. 12 June: Another Reaper patrolled over Qayyarah, and also fired three Hellfires, its targets were two terrorist vehicles and a group of Daesh fighters. Typhoons were also active nearby, and used Paveway IVs to attack two groups of terrorists caught in the open and two Daesh-held buildings. A Typhoon mission also joined Tornados operating over Fallujah; the Typhoons used one Paveway IV against a machine-gun position, whilst the Tornados delivered five very precise attacks in very demanding circumstances, with Iraqi troops extremely close to the terrorist targets. Paveway IVs were used to destroy a rocket team, an anti-tank gun, a heavily armed pick-up truck and a heavy machine-gun team, whilst a Brimstone missile silenced a light machine-gun. During Sunday night, a pair of Tornados armed with 1000lb Enhanced Paveway II guided bombs conducted a carefully planned strike on a factory to the south-west of Qayyarah where truck-bombs were being built by Daesh. Four EPW IIs hit their targets accurately and initial reports suggest the mission was a success. 13 June: A pair of Typhoons assisted Iraqi troops as they engaged in very close combat inside Fallujah. Our aircraft delivered four precision attacks, all with Paveway IV guided bombs, that destroyed five strongpoints defended by Daesh terrorists armed with machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and an anti-tank gun. 14 June: The Typhoons continued operations over Fallujah, and again worked very closely with the Iraqi units hitting five terrorist positions including sniper and machine-gun teams. In northern Iraq, around Qayyarah, a second Typhoon flight and a Reaper supported Iraqi and Kurdish units. The Typhoons attacked a Daesh-held building with a Paveway IV, while the Reaper conducted four attacks: a GBU-12 guided bomb was used against a group of terrorists gathered at a weapons stockpile, and three mortars were attacked in turn with Hellfire missiles. The Reaper also tracked the arrival of a truck-bomb and observed it being concealed inside a garage this surveillance enabled a successful attack to then be delivered by a coalition aircraft which destroyed the vehicle. 15 June: Two Typhoon flights saw action over Fallujah on Wednesday, and between them they conducted seven successful attacks with Paveway IVs. Again all were in very close support of Iraqi ground forces, accounting for terrorist teams armed with heavy weapons, rocket-propelled grenades, and a 23mm anti-aircraft gun. 16 June: With Iraqi forces making steady progress pushing into Fallujah, two flights of Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s contributed to the coalition's air support. Our aircraft successfully attacked four Daesh machine-gun positions that were identified by the Iraqi ground forces, using Paveway IV guided bombs. 17 June: An RAF Reaper patrolling over northern Iraq, north of Bayji. The Reaper's crew identified a large mortar and a Daesh truck, both were destroyed by Hellfire missiles. 18 June: A second Reaper operated in the same area, supporting an offensive by Iraqi forces. It used four Hellfires and a GBU-12 guided bomb to successfully engage three armed pick-up trucks which were firing at the Iraqi troops, a fourth vehicle and a trench position. In north-west Iraq, in Harunah, two pairs of Tornado GR4s, armed with eight 1000lb Enhanced Paveway IIs conducted a pre-planned strike on a complex of buildings which had been identified by intelligence as a headquarters, accommodation and weapons facility for Daesh foreign fighters. All four target buildings were destroyed. Another Reaper patrolled over Syria and attacked a Daesh vehicle south-west of Manbij, destroying it with a Hellfire missile. 19 June: Typhoons were in action over Fallujah, providing close air support to Iraqi troops who had penetrated to the city centre. Six terrorist strongpoints housing machine-gun, artillery and rocket-propelled grenade teams were struck in a series of precision Paveway attacks. In northern Iraq, a Reaper used a pair of Hellfires to engage two groups of Daesh extremists north of Bayji, while Tornados used a Brimstone missile against a third group in the same area, and a Paveway IV against a rocket-launcher north of Mosul. 20 June: An armed reconnaissance patrol by Tornados over eastern Syria used a Brimstone missile to attack a truck-bomb hidden under a tarpaulin between two ruined buildings north of Dayr az Zawr. The Brimstone scored a direct hit; a massive explosion followed, which confirmed how heavily the vehicle had been laden with explosives. Further west, near Raqqah, a Reaper conducted three attacks with Hellfire missiles against a Daesh vehicle and extremists on foot. Typhoons and Tornados were again active over Fallujah, and used Paveway IV bombs to destroy four Daesh machine-gun posts engaged in very close combat with the Iraqi security forces. Since the start of the operation to liberate Fallujah, RAF aircraft have prosecuted some 96 targets in and around the city and neighbouring areas in the Euphrates valley. 21 June: Reaper patrols north of Bayji continued, and five attacks were conducted in support of Iraqi offensive operations. Hellfires accounted for two supply vehicles and a truck armed with an anti-aircraft gun, as well as an observation post dug-in on a ridgeline. A GBU-12 guided bomb destroyed a Daesh mortar team, spotted as they fired at an Iraqi position. A Typhoon flight operated further north, north-west of Mosul, where they used a Paveway IV to hit a rocket-launcher site. 22 June: Typhoon FGR4s, based at RAF Akrotiri and supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, flew close air support missions over Fallujah. They successfully attacked three Daesh strongpoints with Paveway IV guided bombs, the targets had been identified by Iraqi ground forces as being manned by machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade teams. North of Bayji, Tornado GR4s and a Reaper supported an Iraqi offensive operation. The Tornados employed one Paveway IV and three Brimstone missiles to destroy four Daesh fighting positions along a defensive embankment, whilst the Reaper used a single GBU-12 guided bomb to destroy two more positions. 23 June: A second Reaper continued support in the area into Thursday and used a Hellfire missile to eliminate a terrorist spotted with a man portable surface-to-air missile. Typhoons continued their support over Fallujah as well, conducting a Paveway IV attack on a machine-gun team. Another Typhoon flight operated over northern Syria, close to the Turkish border and destroyed two Daesh-held buildings several miles east of Azaz. 24 June: A Reaper supported an Iraqi offensive near Sharqat, west of Kirkuk. Its crew used a Hellfire missile to destroy an engineering vehicle which was being used to create defences ahead of the Iraqi advance. Tornados patrolled further north and employed a Paveway IV against a mortar position north-west of Mosul. Typhoons conducted further operations over Fallujah and were called in by the Iraqi army to destroy two machine-gun positions on the northern outskirts of the city. A total of 101 targets have been successfully prosecuted by the RAF in Fallujah and neighbouring areas since the start of the Iraqi operation to liberate the city. 25 June: A Reaper again on patrol near Sharqat, and this aircraft delivered three successful attacks with Hellfire missiles against a truck, a group of terrorists, and a van which Daesh had been seen loading with weapons and ammunition. 26 June: Intelligence had determined that Daesh were using a large concrete bunker in western Iraq as a weapons facility. Due to the massive construction, built during the Saddam era, it was decided to use four Stormshadow missiles against it, as the weapon has particularly good capabilities against such a challenging target. The missiles were launched by two Tornados, all four Stormshadows scored direct hits and penetrated deep within the bunker. Also in western Iraq, south-east of Hit, a Typhoon flight used a single Paveway IV to destroy a much smaller bunker built by Daesh south-east of Hit. In northern Iraq, a Reaper provided close air support near Sharqat for the third successive day, using its Hellfires to attack a vehicle, a group of terrorists on foot, and a team planting improvised explosive devices. 27 June: While Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s conducted reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on Daesh activity, Typhoon FGR4s and Reaper remotely piloted aircraft provided support to both Syrian democratic forces and Iraqi units. The same day, in Syria, a pair of Typhoons conducted a successful attack with Paveway IV guided bombs against a Daesh strongpoint on the south-western outskirts of Manbij. 28 June: Typhoons executed a similar attack against a mortar position close to Manbij. Over Iraq, a Reaper supported Iraqi ground forces near Sharqat in the north of the country. The Reaper used Hellfire missiles against two groups of extremists caught in the open, including a machine-gun team engaged in combat with the Iraqi troops. 29 June: Typhoons and Reapers conducted a number of attacks against Daesh terrorists fleeing in the face of Iraqi operations in Fallujah. A Typhoon struck two vehicles and a large group of extremists with Paveway IV bombs west of Fallujah and two Reapers destroyed a further four vehicles and a group of fighters, using Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb. One Reaper observed the Daesh vehicles refusing to stop and pick up fellow armed extremists trying to escape on foot. Another Reaper was active near Sharqat, where it destroyed two vehicles with Hellfire missiles and attacked a group of terrorists with a GBU-12 bomb. 30 June: With Daesh forces continuing to flee in defeat from their former stronghold of Fallujah, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s patrolled over the desert of Anbar province and located a group of terrorist vehicles a number of miles to the south-west of Ramadi. Attacks with four Brimstone missiles and a Paveway IV guided bomb successfully accounted for five trucks. In northern Iraq, a pair of Typhoons used Paveway IVs to bomb two Daesh mortar teams some 25 miles south-east of Mosul, while a Reaper conducted two attacks with Hellfire missiles against terrorists fighting Iraqi forces near Qayyarah. 1 July: The following day, Tornados used a Paveway IV to destroy a Daesh defensive position in the Qayyarah area. 3 July: Two RAF Reapers provided close air support to Iraqi security forces mounting an offensive near Sharqat. The Reapers gave targeting and surveillance assistance to three air strikes by coalition fast jets and conducted seven attacks of their own. They used six Hellfire missiles and a GBU-12 guided bomb against various groups of Daesh extremists engaged in close combat with the Iraqi troops, and a truck. In north-western Iraq, a Tornado flight used a Paveway IV to destroy a Daesh-held building near Tal Afar, while Typhoons successfully targeted a tunnel and trench network south-east of Hit, striking with two Paveway IVs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence Secretary praises RAF role in Fallujah liberation 7 July 2016 Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has praised the decisive difference made by the RAF in the liberation of Fallujah. Speaking at the Royal United Service Institute's (RUSI) annual airpower conference in London, Mr Fallon said the RAF had not operated at such a sustained operational tempo in a single conflict for a quarter of a century. Last week, the RAF used precision munitions to strike over 120 targets in the city, including bunkers, tunnels, weapons factories, sniper teams and artillery. RAF pilots have now flown more than 2800 missions in Iraq and Syria, striking 865 times in Iraq and over 50 times in Syria. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "The RAF has not operated at this sustained operational tempo in a single theatre of conflict for a quarter of a century." "Our tempo and commitment to the operation our precision targeting, our Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and our overall support to the coalition shows no sign of abating." "Our aircraft played a key role in the liberation of Fallujah. I pay tribute to the outstanding work of all RAF personnel involved." Last week also saw the first use of the Storm Shadow missile in Iraq. Speaking at the conference, Mr Fallon announced a 28 million contract to maintain the missile. Storm Shadow is currently being integrated onto RAF Typhoons and is already in service with Tornado aircraft. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "Today I can announce a contract worth approximately 28 million to maintain our state of the art Storm Shadow missile for the next year five years." "This long range precision cruise missile is able to target everything from buildings and missile sites to bunkers." "Last week it was deployed for the first time in the current conflict, destroying a bunker containing a Daesh ammunition dump." Storm Shadow is already a combat-proven missile system, deployed in previous campaigns in Iraq and Libya and operated by some of our close NATO allies. This new contract will ensure the RAF can continue to deploy the missile in the fight against Daesh, giving them vital deep-strike capability and allowing them to hit ground targets at long range. The MOD has committed 95 million to support Storm Shadow since it was brought into service in 2003. This latest support contract with MBDA will sustain 15 jobs in the company's Bristol and Stevenage facilities, in a variety of roles including software and systems engineering. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 08, 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, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Syria: -- Near Ayn Isa, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units. -- Near Mara, a strike struck an ISIL headquarters. -- Near Manbij, seven strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 17 ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle. Strikes in Iraq Attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government: -- Near Bashir, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area. -- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker. -- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIL mortar position. -- Near Mosul, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and five ISIL assembly areas. -- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system. -- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL recoilless rifle. -- Near Waleed, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL mortar system. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Obama: U.S. to be Lead Nation for Enhanced NATO Presence in Poland By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 08, 2016 On the first day of the NATO Summit in Warsaw, President Barack Obama announced that the United States will be the lead nation for an enhanced NATO presence in Poland, which will see an increase in NATO and American forces and military equipment. Obama spoke during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda after a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. "When I first came here five years ago I promised to increase our commitment to Poland's security, and that's exactly what we've done," the president said. "We now have a continuous presence of U.S. troops in Poland with our aviation detachment at Lask Air Base [and] we continuously rotate personnel and aircraft into Poland," he added. Defense, Deterrence Under the European Reassurance Initiative that Obama announced in 2014, the United States increased training, exercises and readiness, and earlier this year the president said he increased the effort four-fold, proposing $3.4 billion to preposition more U.S. heavy equipment in the region and continuously rotate an armored brigade in Europe. Today, taking more steps to bolster NATO's defense and deterrence posture, Obama announced that the United States will be the lead nation for an enhanced NATO presence in Poland as the alliance prepares to boost its forward presence in Central and Eastern Europe. "That means the United States will deploy a battalion -- roughly 1,000 American soldiers -- here in Poland on a rotational basis to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with Polish soldiers," he said. And when the new U.S. armored brigade begins rotating through Europe early next year, its headquarters will be in Poland, the president added. 'NATO Will Stand With You' In other words, he said, Poland "will be seeing an increase in NATO and American personnel and the most modern, capable military equipment because we will meet our Article 5 obligations to our common defense." Obama also thanked Poland for its continued strong support for Ukraine's efforts to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression. The president said that he and Duda discussed the importance of continuing to provide Ukraine the help it needs to strengthen its military and pursue political and economic reforms. Obama also noted that the U.S. and Poland support efforts led by Germany and France to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine diplomatically, and are united in insisting that sanctions stay in place until Russia meets its obligations under the Minsk agreements. "With the new commitments that I'm announcing today," Obama said, "the people of Poland and our allies across the region can remain confident that NATO will stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, no matter what, today and always." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Carter Discusses Issues President Will Address at NATO Summit By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 08, 2016 On his way to Warsaw, Poland, for the NATO summit yesterday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter highlighted the issues he said he expects alliance leaders to discuss during the two-day meeting. Carter told reporters traveling with him that NATO and the United States have a strong and balanced approach toward Russian aggression along the alliance's eastern border. The defense secretary also discussed the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and how it will continue following President Barack Obama's decision to keep 8,400 U.S. service members in the country into 2017. "It's the unity and combined strength of the alliance that helps it to make a difference in a number of different areas of the world," Carter said. Concerns About Russia The United States and NATO must deal with a revanchist Russia, adding that the U.S. and NATO approach regarding Russia is strong enough to deter aggression in Europe, but also is balanced, with the lines of communication remaining open to the Russians. "I think the president will be making very clear what the contributions are that his country and our Defense Department has made to and is making to moving from reassurance to deterrence," the secretary said. "Just let me remind everyone that the American presence in Europe is greatly strengthened this year relative to many years in the past by the addition of a rotational armored brigade combat team, the equipment for an armored BCT [and] the agreement by the United States to serve as a framework nation among the four framework nations that will position four NATO battalions in the Baltics and Poland." Europe's Southern Flank Operations on the alliance's southern flank also will be discussed in Warsaw, Carter said, as will instability in the Middle East and North Africa and the concomitant refugee crisis. "NATO's role in combating [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] is going to be one of the things that are discussed," Carter said. "We believe that NATO can play a useful role, and that's going to be one of the things that will be discussed there." Afghanistan and the Resolute Support mission is also on the summit agenda, the defense secretary said. NATO has been integral in the Resolute Support mission and it has made "enormous amount of progress in building up the Afghan security forces" and will continue to do so, he said. Obama's announcement that 8,400 U.S. service members would remain in Afghanistan into 2017 sets the stage for continued progress in the country, Carter said. The president made the decision in view of changed circumstances over the last year and "what we've learned over the last year in terms of what we can accomplish if we do a little more with the Afghans," he added. Flexibility The secretary praised the president for the flexibility he has shown, as U.S. presence in Afghanistan was due to drop to 5,500 troops by the end of this year. This announcement comes on the heels of the president's decision to change the authorities granted to the U.S. commander in Afghanistan to assist Afghan security forces in anticipation of need, rather than waiting until they get into a circumstance where a problem looms, Carter said. Carter gave reporters some background into the discussions that led to the president's troop decision for Afghanistan. Defense leaders got to their recommendation of 8,400 service members, he said, by looking at the tasks and functions that need to be accomplished. "An important lesson we learned over the last winter is the importance of helping Afghan security forces to reset after the fighting season, and before the 2017 fighting season begins," he said. "That is the kind of experience we took into account in making this recommendation to him. It's based on the roles that we thought we could play to give the Afghan security forces the highest chances of success there as a security force." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's ballistic missile tests in March were "not consistent" with the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed with world powers, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council. The secretary general, in a confidential report that AFP saw on Friday, left it up to the Security Council to determine what, if anything, should be done in response. The report does not clearly state whether the Iranian tests violated the provisions of the landmark nuclear deal signed in July 2015 in Vienna. Under the agreement, Tehran agreed to curb its atomic program. Western powers accused Iran of using the program to develop a nuclear bomb, but Tehran always denied the allegation. Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday rejected Ban's report as "contradicting the text of the agreement". It instead called for a report on "America's failure to undertake its commitments in the deal, as all countries who have restored economic cooperations with Iran have acknowledged". Tehran accuses Washington of failing to reassure foreign companies and especially international banks planning to restore links with Iran. The deal led to the lifting of sanctions in January. However, Iran's ballistic missile program was not covered by the agreement. "While it is for the Security Council to interpret its own resolutions, I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing" of the nuclear deal, reads part of Ban's 16-page report, dated July 1. "I am concerned by the ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran in March 2016. "I call upon Iran to refrain from conducting such ballistic missile launches since they have the potential to increase tensions in the region." This is the first report regarding the application of Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes the terms of the nuclear accord. The resolution states that Iran "is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." The Security Council is set to examine the report on July 18, but diplomatic sources are not expecting a decision to be taken, or even for the 15 nations on the Council to take a joint position. "The report makes no recommendations to the Security Council," a Council diplomat told AFP. "Having a report by the secretary general is very useful but it is up to us to decide what we are going to do about it," the diplomat said. The United States, France, Britain and Germany in late March said they believed that Iran's ballistic missile launches violated UN resolutions, and asked the Security Council to address the issue. The Western powers believe that some of the missiles could carry nuclear payloads, something that Tehran has denied. Search Keywords: Short link: International Court to Rule on Maritime Dispute in the South China Sea By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, July 08, 2016 An international arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands will soon rule on the interpretation of international law governing maritime claims in the South China Sea, and American officials urged China to accept the court's ruling, a senior Defense Department official told Congress yesterday. The Permanent Court of Arbitration will decide a case brought by the Philippines in 2013 over the Scarborough Shoals. Both the Philippines and China claim sovereignty over the area. Maintaining Sea Lines of Communication The United States is interested in maintaining the sea lines of communication through international waterways and airways, Abraham M. Denmark, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, said at a joint hearing of two subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee here. The court's ruling will mark an important crossroads for the region, Denmark said. "It will present an opportunity for those in the region to determine whether the Asia-Pacific's future will be defined by adherence to international laws and norms that have enabled it to prosper or that the region's future will be determined by raw calculations of power," he added. China and the Philippines are two of claimants of areas in the South China Sea, said Denmark, noting other nations with claims in the area include Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. China, he told the joint panel, has said it will not accept the court's ruling. The South China Sea is a critical world crossroads, with trillions of dollars' worth of goods transiting through the region. The U.S. Navy has patrolled the sea since World War II, creating the stability that has allowed the nations of the region to prosper, Denmark said. "It is central to our strategy of strengthening a principled, rules-based order that enables regional stability and prosperity," he said. China is seeking to assert its claims through occupation -- literally building islands in the Spratly Islands and placing airfields, harbors and logistics hubs that could support military aircraft and ships, Denmark said. Working to Ensure Peace, Stability in Region The United States is pursuing a whole-of-government approach to resolving the problems in the region, he said, noting that the Defense Department is working with the State Department and others to ensure peace and stability. Denmark said DoD is working along four lines of effort in the South China Sea. The first is presence. The United States has a credible, powerful capability in the region, he said, that creates stability and provides the space for diplomacy. "We've increased our military presence and we're ensuring our presence is geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable," he added. The second line of effort is an increase in the tempo of military operations in the region, he told the panel. Exercises, freedom of navigation exercises and presence operations mean DoD continues to fly, sail and operate "wherever international law allows so that others can do the same," Denmark said. DoD is also working with partner nations to enhance their capabilities and capacity, particularly through work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Denmark said. "Finally, we are engaging China directly to reduce risk. We seek to keep lines of communication with Beijing open and improve our cooperation in areas of mutual interest and to speak candidly and constructively when we disagree," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Naval Surface Warfare Center Stands Up System Depot in Support of MH-60S Seahawk Integration Program Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160708-13 Release Date: 7/8/2016 1:42:00 PM From Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division Office of Congressional and Public Affairs PANAMA CITY BEACH (NNS) -- Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division has been identified as a MH-60S Seahawk Carriage, Stream, Tow and Recovery System (CSTRS) depot. The Joint Services Maintenance Interservice Support Management Office (MISMO) has determined the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) is uniquely positioned to function as a depot for the MH-60S Seahawk Carriage, Stream, Tow and Recovery System (CSTRS). "Independent assessments performed by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) indicated NSWC PCD is expertly qualified to transition from acquisition to sustainment," said Reppen. "This NAVAIR facility at a Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) command, NSWC PCD, makes the CSTRS depot the first of its kind in Panama City." Assemblies the depot are expected to support include CSTRS subassemblies such as: base structure assembly, carriage/deployment kit assembly, automated secondary winch, actuation mechanism guide assembly, sheave system assembly, cable catch assembly, hydraulic winch assembly and a level-wind assembly. In addition, there is a Winch Control Assembly (WCA), which will interface between the operator and winch. "The WCA is an intricate electronic box that is already 100 percent designed and manufactured at NSWC PCD," Reppen said. "This was certainly a factor in NAVAIR's decision to send the entire depot work here." According to Reppen, CSTRS is designed to employ/deploy an Organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures (OAMCM) sensor from an MH-60S helicopter. It is configurable for a deployable Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) and a non-towed Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). In addition, there is prominent interest from the Department of the Navy to add an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capability very soon. All these systems are minimizing danger by taking the warfighter out of the minefield, according to Reppen. "Once these systems are fully delivered to the fleet, every three years they will need to come back for an overhaul, which is what establishing this CSTRS depot facility has as its primary focus," said Reppen. "So, when the system is broken or damaged, the fleet will be able to send it back here to NSWC PCD to be fixed." Reppen described how NSWC PCD is uniquely staffed and equipped to meet the needs of the fleet, particularly regarding how CSTRS helps facilitate the OAMCM mission requirements. "Because NSWC PCD is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), we have subject matter experts who know best how to provide a complete kit," said Reppen. "NSWC PCD will be responsible for production contracting, test support, depot maintenance, kit shipment, trouble shooting, data analysis, performance, correction of deficiencies, logistics documentation, baseline system documentation, as well as configuration control of all existing assets." Although Reppen said becoming a depot for the CSTRS system is rewarding, it is mainly achieved by NSWC PCD's high-performance engineering that earned their notoriety as CSTRS subject matter experts. "Over the years, the MH-60S team has had a large number of top-notch leadership and engineering talent. And I find that talent everywhere I go at NSWC PCD. Our job isn't just showing up, and doing engineering well. Our job is to give something to the warfighter they can rely on," added Reppen. "It's that kind of feedback from the fleet that motivates our engineers. It's knowing we're doing our part to keep the warfighters out of danger." NSWC PCD: Technical Center of Excellence for Littoral Warfare and Coastal Defense. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Frank Cable Arrives in Diego Garcia Navy News Service Story Number: NNS160708-08 Release Date: 7/8/2016 9:59:00 AM From USS Frank Cable Public Affairs DIEGO GARCIA (NNS) -- Submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) arrived at U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia for a port visit, July 8. The Frank Cable team, consisting of more than 500 Sailors and civilian mariners is currently on deployment to provide vital flexibility to the fleet commanders, extending the range and impact of U.S. naval forces. While in Diego Garcia, Frank Cable's Repair Department will provide support services to guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729). "This is what a submarine tender is supposed to do," said Capt. Drew St. John, Frank Cable's commanding officer. "We were in the Philippines only two weeks ago and as we arrive in Diego Garcia we are looking forward to showing off our repair capability supporting USS Georgia. Frank Cable is one of two forward-deployed submarine tenders and is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to conduct maintenance and support deployed U.S. naval force submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Leaders Endorse New Deployments To Eastern Europe July 08, 2016 by RFE/RL WARSAW -- NATO leaders have endorsed a major new deployment of armed forces to Eastern Europe, a direct response to growing belligerence from Russia and the largest such move by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. The decision came as heads of state gathered in the Polish capital July 8 for a two-day summit that U.S. President Barack Obama said "may be the most important moment for our transatlantic alliance" in 25 years. Aside from Russia, the alliance faces a growing number challenges including Islamic State extremists, cyberattacks, and the influx of millions of people seeking refuge in Europe. Also looming in the background is Britain's vote last month to leave the European Union. The leaders from the 28 members formally authorized four multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops to be led by Canada, Germany, Britain, and the United States. They will be stationed in Poland and the three Baltic states. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the new deployments, which had been announced earlier, an appropriate deterrence against Russia. "We have just taken decisions to deliver 21st century deterrence and defense in the face of 21st-century challenges," Stoltenberg told reporters. Much of the summit's focus is on Russia, which seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014 and backs separatists whose war with Kyiv's forces has killed more than 9,300 people in Ukraine's east. Obama reiterated that in a commentary published on the Financial Times website shortly before the summit began. "Russia's aggression against Ukraine threatens our vision of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace," Obama wrote. He highlighted attacks that have been fueled by Islamic State militants' extremist ideology, attacks that "slaughtered innocents in NATO countries, from Orlando to Paris to Brussels to Istanbul." And he focused on Britain's vote to leave the European Union, and conflicts "from Africa to Syria to Afghanistan" that have sent migrants to Europe. "I believe that our nations must summon the political will, and make concrete commitments, to meet these urgent challenges," wrote Obama, who also met with EU leaders. "In Warsaw, we must reaffirm our determination -- our duty under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty -- to defend every NATO ally." The treaty's Article 5 is the most important component of the alliance, obligating all members to come to the aid of another member if it is attacked. The clause has been invoked only once in the alliance's 67-year history: after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Russia's interference in Ukraine has increased concerns in Poland and Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which were under Moscow's thumb until the disintegration of the Soviet Union a quarter-century ago. All are now NATO members. "We are witnessing the policy of aggression and notorious lack of respect for international law, internal sovereignty, and territorial integrity," the summit host, Polish President Andrzej Duda, said in opening remarks. Further reflecting the unease many European nations are feeling toward Russia, the leaders of Finland and Sweden -- neither of whom are members -- were attending the summit for the first time. Governments in both countries have openly discussed the possibility of closer cooperation, or even outright membership, in the alliance, a possibility that prompted thinly veiled threats from Moscow. The U.S.-led battalion comes on top of an additional armored U.S. brigade, which U.S. officials announced earlier this year would begin rotating into Eastern Europe on a regular basis. That brings the number of fully manned U.S. combat brigades with a presence in Europe to three. A brigade comprises about 4,200 to 4,500 troops. Stoltenberg and other leaders also tried to offer a fig leaf to Moscow, saying alliance would "continue to seek meaningful and constructive dialogue" with Russia, which he called "an integral part of European security." "NATO does not seek confrontation.... The Cold War is history and should remain history," he said. The NATO-Russia Council, which was set up in the 1990s to address Russia's misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, is to meet next week for the second time this year. The council was suspended in 2014 following Russia's seizure of Crimea. French President Francois Hollande also sounded a conciliatory note toward Russia, saying it should not be considered a threat but rather a partner. "NATO has no role at all to be saying what Europe's relations with Russia should be. For France, Russia is not an adversary, not a threat," Hollande said. "Russia is a partner which, it is true, may sometimes, and we have seen that in Ukraine, use force which we have condemned when it annexed Crimea," he added. Earlier, Duda took an even harder line, saying NATO must stand firm in the face of what he called Russian "blackmail and aggression." "Everyone who is tempted to apply the rule of force even for a moment" must be made to "understand quickly that is does not pay off," Duda said. Ben Rhodes, a top White House official, also reiterated the stern message intended for Russia, saying Moscow's continued aggression would provoke a NATO repsonse. "What we are demonstrating is that if Russia continues this pattern of aggressive behavior, there will be a response and there will be a greater presence in Eastern Europe," said Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser. Destabilization In addition to military force, Western governments say President Vladimir Putin's Russia has used cyberattacks, propaganda, and other methods in an effort to destabilize European countries and undermine Western unity. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was "absurd to speak of a threat from Russia" and that Moscow hoped "common sense" would prevail at the summit. "Russia was and is open to dialogue and interested in cooperation -- but only on a mutually beneficial basis and taking into account mutual interests," Peskov said in a conference call with journalists on July 8. In an interview in the newspaper Kommersant, Russia's ambassador to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said the alliance has a "confrontational agenda" and that Moscow would take countermeasures. NATO leaders, however, have said Russia's aggression in Ukraine was what led to the deploying of additional forces. They have also taken Moscow to task for potentially dangerous maneuvers in recent months such as jets buzzing U.S. warships. Critics of the increased NATO deployments say they are too small to serve as a serious deterrent and may only increase Russia's ire. But former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said that "Putin needs no provoking -- he is the provocateur." "We need to remember that Putin will be far less likely to engage in provocation if he sees a NATO that is unified, strong, and determined to push back against any aggressive move on his part," Albright said at a discussion of experts held alongside the summit. One thing that is not expected is substantial movement toward NATO membership for Ukraine or for Georgia. Those two countries' aspirations join the alliance were a catalyst of a five-day war in 2008 during which Russian forces drove deep into the former Soviet republic. Montenegro, however, is participating in the Warsaw Summit as an observer after signing a preliminary agreement in May. The Balkans nations is expected to formally join the alliance next year. Beyond NATO, Obama said that "our alliance must do more on behalf of global security, especially on Europe's southern flank. NATO should intensify its commitment to the campaign to destroy (IS) and do more to help the EU shut down criminal networks that are exploiting desperate migrants crossing the Mediterranean and Aegean seas." He said his decision to maintain 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan though the end of his presidency "should encourage more allies and partners to affirm their commitment to the NATO mission to train Afghan forces." With reporting by AP, dpa, Interfax, The Financial Times, Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-summit-obama- oped-concrete-commitments/27845816.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia Extends Military Mission In Afghanistan By Six Months July 08, 2016 Australia has extended its military mission in Afghanistan for an extra six months to mid-2017 with the prospect that it could be prolonged further. Australia's caretaker government said in a statement on July 8 that Australia would also continue its $100 million a year commitment to the Afghan National Army and National Police until 2020. "It is vital to continue to build the capacity of the Afghan security forces to defend the Afghan people against the Taliban and other terrorist groups," the statement said. The announcement comes two days after U.S. President Barack Obama said Washington would scale back plans to draw down troop numbers in Afghanistan, with 8,400 to remain there next year. Australia, a U.S. ally, ended combat operations in Afghanistan in 2013. But 270 Australian troops remain in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on a training and assistance mission, which was due to conclude at the end of 2016. The troops will now stay at least until mid-2017. The international contribution to Afghanistan is under discussion at the two-day NATO summit that opened in Warsaw on July 8. Based on reporting by AP and News.com.au Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan-australia- extends-military-mission-6-months/27845983.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO In The Shadow Of Brexit July 08, 2016 by Brian Whitmore WARSAW -- The dominant vibe in Warsaw is all about unity. The results are mostly pre-cooked. And there should be few surprises. With little dissent to speak of, in the next couple days NATO is expected to beef up its forces in its vulnerable front-line states in the east; forge closer ties with traditionally neutral Finland and Sweden; and upgrade the importance of cyberdefense. "I hope that we are going to prove that the transatlantic alliance is in better shape than ever before," Polish President Andrzej Duda said. But lingering tensions lurk below the surface at a summit NATO officials describe as the most consequential since the end of the Cold War. The centrifugal forces tugging at the European Union are also threatening to strain the transatlantic alliance. The traditional differences among member states about how forcefully to confront Moscow, however latent at the moment, can easily become manifest again. A split is emerging between NATO members who see the greatest threat to the alliance coming from the east, from a revanchist Russia, and those who would prioritize the danger from the south, from radical Islam. And with populism on the rise across the West, NATO faces "stiff political headwinds," former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noted in her keynote address to the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum, a conference on the sidelines of the summit. "On both sides of the Atlantic, there are myopic voices questioning NATO's purpose," Albright said. So, what are these stiff headwinds? And what are some of the underlying issues dividing the alliance? The Specter Of Brexit The elephant in the room, of course, is the United Kingdom's vote last month to leave the European Union and fears that this could have a knock-on effect with NATO. The official line is that it won't. "Brexit will change the U.K.'s relationship with the European Union, but it will not change the U.K.'s leading role in NATO," alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum. But not everybody was convinced. James Sherr of Chatham House noted that the Brexit vote "could weaken the transatlantic impulse" in the EU. Polish President Duda suggested the effect Brexit could have on the U.K. itself, including the possible fracturing of the country, could automatically change Britain's role in NATO and weaken the alliance. And others stressed that the populist and nativist forces that drove the Brexit debate -- and were cheered on by the Kremlin -- could also work to undermine NATO. Underlying all this is a fear that Brexit wasn't a localized British phenomenon but a global trend against multilateralism. "We need to return to a transatlantic conversation about the health of our democracies," Heather Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said. Likewise, Albright said bluntly that "NATO leaders have no choice. They must do a better job of building domestic support." The Language Of Bucharest Meanwhile, 11 words in an eight-year-old declaration continue to haunt and divide NATO. A pledge made at one of NATO's most contentious summits, in Bucharest in April 2008, caused something of a minor dust-up in the run-up to this week's landmark gathering in Warsaw. Point 23 of the alliance's 2008 Bucharest Declaration began as follows: "NATO welcomes Ukraine's and Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO." And then came those 11 words: "We agreed today that these countries will become members of NATO." That pledge was the result of a frantically negotiated political compromise. The 2008 NATO summit in the Romanian capital was hopelessly divided over whether to give Georgia and Ukraine Membership Action Plans, final blueprints for joining the alliance, which Russia hotly opposed. The United States, United Kingdom, Poland, and the Baltic states were in favor. Germany, France, and Italy were against. Unable to achieve unanimity, the alliance was forced to hand Georgia and Ukraine a consolation prize -- and the "Bucharest language" has been reaffirmed at every summit since. But in the weeks preceding the Warsaw summit, the same divisions that caused the schism in Bucharest reemerged with some members pushing for the language not to be reaffirmed. In the end, NATO officials say a decision was reached to reaffirm the Bucharest language explicitly for Georgia and implicitly for Ukraine. But the very existence of such a debate illustrates that the issue of how closely to engage aspirants like Georgia and Ukraine continues to be deeply divisive. Permanent And Substantial Likewise, there are divisions among member states -- and within member states -- about how forcefully to confront Russia. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently called NATO exercises in Eastern Europe "saber rattling" -- appearing to oppose the policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government. And some southern European states, like Italy and Greece, would prefer to see NATO focus less on Russia and more on the threat emerging from instability in the Middle East and North Africa. "We don't have the luxury of a choice," Albright told the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum, stressing that the alliance must focus on both threats. Additionally, in a decision that is proving controversial, the NATO-Russia Council -- which was suspended following the annexation of Crimea -- is scheduled to meet following the Warsaw summit. Stoltenberg defended the decision in Warsaw, saying that the council was designed to be an "all-weather forum for dialogue." And despite the buildup on its eastern flank, the alliance is still trying to adhere to the NATO Founding Act, a 1997 agreement with Moscow to assuage the Kremlin's fears about former Warsaw Pact members Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic joining NATO. In the Founding Act, NATO pledged that it would not station "permanent" or "substantial" forces on the territory of its new eastern members. Permanent and substantial, however, were never defined in the Founding Act, which alliance officials say is a "political" and not a "legal" document. The Baltic states, Poland, and Romania have long argued that Russia has breached its obligations under the Founding Act. They sought at the alliance's last summit in Wales to deemphasize -- and possibly revoke -- the pledge. But the alliance opted instead to take advantage of the elasticity in the terms "permanent" and "substantial." As a result, the troops in the Baltics, Poland, and Romania will technically be a mobile force on rotation, using warehoused equipment, and backed by NATO's 40,000-strong rapid reaction unit. But the debate over "permanent and substantial" is far from over. In a speech in May, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves noted that in the Founding Act, the pledge was explicitly predicated on the security environment in 1997 -- with a relatively benevolent Russia -- remaining the same. But that environment, Ilves said, "has changed beyond recognition." In a recent interview with Deutsche Welle, Estonian Prime MInister Taavi Roivas said regardless of whether the troops are called permanent or not, "they must be constantly present. There cannot be any gaps. Deterrence has to be the new normal." The lingering divisions in NATO should not be surprising. "Everything we do is defensive, transparent, and consistent with our international obligations," Stoltenberg said. And getting 28 democratically elected leaders to agree on anything -- let alone the thorny issues facing NATO -- is going to be a challenge. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-in- the-shadow-of-brexit/27846568.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thousands fleeing violent clashes in Central African Republic - UN refugee agency 8 July 2016 The United Nations refugee agency today said that more than six thousand people from the Central African Republic (CAR) have fled into Chad and Cameroon to escape renewed tension and violent clashes since mid-June. "Refugees arriving in the two neighbouring countries, which already host tens of thousands of refugees from CAR, said they had seen killings, kidnappings, looting and the torching of their homes," Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told the regular press briefing in Geneva. "Most fled direct attacks on their villages while some said they had run away fearing the fighting would come to their homes. People reported the presence of heavily armed fighters." The exodus from CAR began on 12 June when clashes erupted between livestock herders and local arable farmers in and around the north-west town of Ngaoundaye, Ouham Pende region. Thus far, more than 5,643 refugees have been registered in the villages of Sourouh and Mini in southern Chad. Screening and registration of new arrivals is continuing. A further 555 refugees have crossed to Yamba village in eastern Cameroon. The fighting this year has also affected a further 25,000 to 30,000 people within CAR, including many internally displaced in addition to those fleeing. "New arrivals said many people had fled to the bush and might try to cross borders if the situation does not improve," said Ms. Fleming. "UNHCR shares growing international concern about the displacement and the rising tension and clashes, including in Bangui." She further said that while most of those seeking refuge are women, children and the elderly, more men are fleeing and leaving behind their livelihoods. In Chad, where people have been crossing despite the border being officially closed, about two thirds of arrivals were under 18 years of age and 450 of them unaccompanied or separated from their families. UNHCR protection staff identified more than 20 per cent of those arriving as vulnerable with specific needs. Some had health problems, including malaria, respiratory infections and malnutrition. "They are arriving in a poor state; exhausted, weak and hungry with many traumatized. These people, crammed into structures provided by the village host community, need urgent aid, including shelter, food and medical care," added the UNHCR spokesperson. The latest violence comes barely six months after the election of President Faustin Archange Touadera ushered in hopes of lasting peace after three years of escalated conflict that left thousands dead and almost one million displaced. Assistance to the refugees The spokesperson said that UNHCR and the governments are working with partners to provide emergency assistance to the new arrivals while preparing to relocate the new arrivals to host villages some distance from the border, rather than create new camps. "When these host villages are ready and people relocated, starting next week, UNHCR and its partners will provide basic social services to the refugees and host communities and encourage integration," said Ms. Fleming. The arrival, since mid-June, of refugees in Cameroon followed an influx in late April of 716 people. About 70 per cent of the CAR refugees in Cameroon live in host communities and 30 per cent live at refugee sites. On the agency's assistance programmes, Ms. Fleming said that prior the new influx, UNHCR and its partners were providing protection and assistance to over 67,000 CAR refugees in southern Chad and some 260,000 in Cameroon. She further said that there are about 415,000 internally displaced people within CAR. UNHCR has appealed for $225.5 million for its CAR operations but has only received $24.7 million about 11 per cent to date. More than three years of civil war and sectarian violence have displaced thousands of people in the CAR amid continuing clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Looking to Conduct Counter-IS Training in Iraq by Carla Babb July 08, 2016 The NATO alliance will likely decide to start conducting counter-Islamic State training inside Iraq during the NATO summit in Warsaw, according to a senior NATO official and a senior U.S. official close to the talks. "That decision will likely be taken tomorrow and I predict will be agreed," the NATO official said on the condition of anonymity. The official said the move inside Iraq would allow NATO to "scale up" the training, both in terms of the number of tasks offered to Iraqis and number of Iraqis trained. Pushing for bigger NATO role If approved by leaders Saturday, the move would come as the United States is pushing for the NATO alliance to become a coalition member in the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to senior defense officials. Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, a senior U.S. defense official said Americans at the summit would like to see NATO serve as a "military contributor" to the campaign. NATO is not fighting Islamic State forces as a bloc; instead, members have chosen to unilaterally contribute troops to the U.S.-led coalition in the region. "I think the idea of NATO being a member of a coalition is something we in the United States think is very important, given the number of threats we see now and projected out into the future," the defense official said. NATO "doesn't need to lead" the military campaign to be a contributor, the official added. But becoming a coalition member does not appear to be of such great importance to the alliance. "We're not, frankly, hung up on the title," a NATO official said. "We're much more interested in the substance of contributing in meaningful ways." Upsetting Russia Critics warn deeper NATO involvement in the campaign could upset Russia, who is targeting Islamic State forces in Syria. Tensions between NATO and Russia have been growing because of the alliance's build-up in the three Baltic countries and Poland. While NATO has labeled the build-up "assurance measures," the Kremlin says NATO is acting as an aggressor by moving its borders ever closer onto former Soviet territory. A bigger NATO presence in Syria and Iraq could further inflame tensions by bolstering Russia's perspective of NATO as acting aggressively. Though officials say Russian cooperation, especially in Syria, is critical, Daniel Serwer of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies has warned of a new role for NATO in the region. "We need Russian cooperation in Syria, especially and you're not going to get Russian cooperation if NATO is there," Serwer told VOA in an earlier interview. U.S. officials have acknowledged that some NATO allies are concerned about the possibility that increased involvement in the counter-IS campaign could ignite another NATO-Russia confrontation elsewhere. But a U.S. defense official said that logic runs counter to Russia's talking points about deploying to Syria to target terrorists. "If you're to believe the Russian concerns, then they should be happy with as many resources as possible aimed at the ISIL threat," she said. Russian President Vladmir Putin agreed to a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council next week, the second meeting this year of a consultation body that was put on ice after Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014. In addition to a NATO training mission in Iraq, American defense officials are expecting NATO to set up an airborne early warning control system, also call AWACS, over Syria and Iraq. The system could detect aircraft and vehicles from long range and help with command and control of anti-IS troops engaged in battle. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is hosting a counter-IS defense ministerial meeting in Washington on July 20, followed by a foreign ministerial meeting led by Secretary John Kerry on July 21 to follow up on progress made by NATO. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On Russia, NATO Shifts From Reassurance to Deterrence by Luis Ramirez July 08, 2016 It is being called the most critical NATO summit since the end of the Cold War. U.S. President Barack Obama put Brexit at the top of his agenda on the first of days of meetings as NATO leaders voiced concerns of what the departure from the EU of NATO's other heavy-hitter, Britain, will mean for the security alliance. The United States has a "strong and enduring interest" in a united Europe, and everyone has an interest in minimizing disruptions as the EU and Britain "forge a new relationship," Obama said Friday after meeting with EU leaders at the start of the summit. Brexit With anxiety growing on the continent over the future of European integration after Brexit, the U.S. president offered reassurance to European leaders. "I am absolutely confident that [Britain and the] European Union will work in a pragmatic fashion to ensure that the transition is orderly and smooth," Obama said. "We cannot lose sight of the achievement" that European integration has made, he added, noting that no EU member has ever raised arms against another. Those are "achievements that have to be preserved," Obama said. Highlighting U.S. concern over Britain's decision to leave the EU, Obama's meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk and the European Council's Jean-Claude Juncker was his first after arriving in Warsaw Friday. British Prime Minister David Cameron told leaders Britain would not have a lesser role in the world after leaving the EU. "We are not turning our back on NATO," he said. Russian aggression But the official agenda Friday was dominated by talks about Russia, and what American officials say is Moscow's more assertive, more aggressive posture on NATO's eastern. Russia, NATO's most militarily capable neighbor, continues to strengthen its military, and shows no sign of ending its involvement in Ukraine. U.S. officials see that as a growing potential threat to NATO members that once were part of the Soviet empire. Washington sees this as a crucial time to forge a cohesive response for the alliance, and for the first time in a quarter century, one that focuses on deterrence. "From NATO's perspective, this summit comes at a real demarcation point, or an inflection point, in the now almost 70-year history of the alliance," said Doug Lute, the U.S. ambassador to NATO. Troop readiness For the first time in NATO's history, it has a high-readiness force - 13,000 troops poised for quick deployment in a crisis, currently based in Spain, President Obama's next stop. The summit will commit to deploying what Lute describes as a "modest" force - four rotating NATO battalions - in the former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and in Poland. The U.S. has announced it will lead one of those battalions. The additional force in NATO's eastern precincts will amount to up to 4,000 troops. Obama said 1,000 American troops will deploy in Poland; Britain is contributing 650 soldiers, most to go to Estonia. Defense analysts say the added forces by themselves would not be enough to stop Russian aggression if Moscow decided to invade, but are meant to show Russia that NATO is serious about defending its members. The decision to deploy the four battalions followed pressure from the Baltic states, whose leaders complained that NATO was not fulfilling its promise to protect them. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed any suggestion that the alliance's new deterrence posture could start a new Cold War. "NATO does not want a new Cold War. The Cold War is history and should remain history," he said. Officials hope to defuse tensions with Moscow at a dialogue between NATO and Russia in Brussels on Wednesday. The decision to hold the NATO summit in Warsaw is highly symbolic. The Polish capital is where communist leaders signed the Warsaw Pact, a treaty linking what was then the Soviet Union with seven Eastern European states, known at the time as the "satellite nations" because of their domination by the Kremlin. The Warsaw Pact members were NATO's principal adversary for decades - until agreed to dissolve their military and political partnership in 1991, after Soviet power collapsed across Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact had been created on May 14, 1955 - five days after NATO added what was then West Germany as a member. Friday evening, President Obama and the other NATO leaders dined at Poland's Presidential Palace, the site where communist leaders signed their 1955 treaty. Obama began his day Friday by addressing a tragedy at home, the killings of five police officers in Dallas. The U.S. leader said he was "horrified" by the events in Texas, which he denounced as a "vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, South Korea to Deploy Controversial THAAD Missile Defense by Brian Padden July 08, 2016 The U.S. and South Korea have announced plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense - THAAD - on the Korean peninsula to counter North Korea's ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. General Thomas Vandal, the chief of staff for U.S. Forces in Korea, and South Korea's Deputy Minister of Defense Ryu Je-seung made the formal announcement during a joint briefing in Seoul Friday. "North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction, in opposition to its commitments to the international community, require our alliance to ensure that we retain the ability defend ourselves in the face of this threat," said Gen. Vandal. In February following North Korea's last nuclear test and launch of a long-range rocket using ballistic missile technology, Washington and Seoul began formal consultations to discuss the feasibility of deploying THAAD. "The joint task force team of two countries has confirmed the military effectiveness of THAAD to be operated in the Republic of Korea, and is working on final preparations to propose to defense ministers of both countries the best site where this THAAD system will be effective and where environment, health and safety can be ensured," said South Korea's Deputy Minister Of Defense Ryu Je-seung. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. It has so far proven effective against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Arms race China on Friday reiterated its strong opposition to the U.S. THAAD deployment in South Korea and urged the two countries to put a stop to it. China's Foreign Ministry summoned the American and South Korean ambassadors to lodge complaints. Beijing's Foreign Ministry said the missile defense system deployment is not beneficial to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and will seriously harm the security of countries in the region, including China. Beijing has in the past raised concerns that the THAAD radar system would be used to penetrate Chinese territory. Moscow has also slammed the defense system, warning Friday it will have "irreparable consequences" and will escalate regional tensions. Pyongyang also lashed out at the U.S. and South Korean announcement. A U.S. Defense Department statement issued Friday says "When the THAAD system is deployed to the Korean Peninsula, it will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third party nations." North advancements U.S. and South Korean defense officials say North Korea's continued advancement in developing its nuclear and missile capabilities in defiance of U.N. sanctions has prompted the alliance to move forward with the THAAD deployment, despite China's reservations. Last month Pyongyang launched a partially successful test of an intermediate-range Musudan missile. Although the missile flew approximately 400 kilometers before falling into the sea, there were indications the North Korean military had or is close to developing the capability to reach U.S. military bases in Asia and the Pacific North Korea is believed to have 30 Musudan missiles and 1,000 other Soviet model missiles that can reach targets in South Korea and Japan. U.S. authorities have also said they believe North Korea has enough plutonium to make eight to 12 nuclear weapons and the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to fit on a KN-08 long-range missile, although this capability has not yet been demonstrated. UN sanctions Since 2006 the United Nations has imposed increasingly stronger sanctions on North Korea for continuing to develop its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. This year the U.N. Security Council imposed tough new measures that include suspending currency transfers and restricting the North's lucrative mineral trade after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January. Youmi Kim in Seoul and VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A car bomb attack Saturday blamed on Kurdish militants killed two Turkish soldiers and one civilian in Turkey's troubled southeast, security sources said. At least 10 people were wounded in the attack on a post of the Turkish gendarmerie outside the city of Mardin which was carried out by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the sources said. The gendarmerie is a branch of the Turkish army which looks after domestic security. The PKK has staged near daily attacks against the Turkish security forces since a two-and-a-half-year truce collapsed last July. The government has launched military operations against the group inside urban centres in southeast Turkey which activists claim have caused needless civilian casualties. The army said Saturday that the day before security forces had killed 17 PKK militants in clashes in Semdinli in the southeastern Hakkari province and also two militants in Baskale in Van province. The PKK in June claimed a bombing outside police headquarters in Midyat, also in Mardin province, that killed six people, including a pregnant policewoman. Meanwhile the militant Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- seen as an splinter group of the PKK -- had claimed a car bombing in the centre of Istanbul in June that killed 11 people. Search Keywords: Short link: Germany Says Iran Still Trying To Acquire Nuclear Technology July 09, 2016 by RFE/RL Germany charged on July 8 that conservative forces in Iran still appear to be trying to acquire nuclear technology, likely with the goal of undermining Tehran's nuclear deal with the West. Germany's intelligence agency said in its annual report Iran's persistent efforts to illegally acquire nuclear technology in Germany continued at a "high level" during 2015. A separate report from the intelligence agency in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia this week said it had registered 141 attempts to acquire technology for proliferation purposes last year, and that two-thirds of these attempts were linked to Iran. Commenting on the reports on July 8, Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said that they made for "unpleasant" reading, but he noted that they covered a period before the landmark nuclear deal went into force in January of this year. He suggested that the Iranian procurement efforts documented in the reports may stem from forces in Iran that oppose the deal, under which Iran agreed to conduct only peaceful nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of Western economic sanctions. "There are forces within Iran for which the policies of the country's president and foreign minister are a thorn in the eye," Schaefer said. "They may be trying, one way or another, to undermine or torpedo the nuclear deal and the normalization of relations between us and Iran. We are watching this closely." Schaefer said the same conservative forces likely are behind Iran's repeated ballistic missile tests, which Germany and the United States view as violations of United Nations sanctions. "We are already talking to our partners in New York and elsewhere, and we won't hesitate to discuss this with Tehran," he said Still, he said Germany has a "great deal of faith" in President Hassan Rohani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and believes that they are doing their best to stick to the deal, which ended a 12-year standoff with the West over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose power far outweighs that of Iran's elected officials in parliament or the presidency, gave decisive support to the nuclear deal. But hardline allies of Khamenei, including the elite Revolutionary Guards, are wary of losing their grip on power by opening up to the West, and have repeatedly criticized pragmatist Rohani's foreign policy. The Rhine agency's report said Iran's procurement efforts in 2015 had been focused on so-called "dual-use" technologies that can be used in both civil and military sectors. While nuclear-related procurement attempts fell slightly, those related to Iran's missile program rose. The report said documents had been falsified to suggest technologies were destined for the oil, gas, and steel industries. Also in an apparent attempt to cover its tracks, Iran was seeking to acquire technologies via third countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China, the report said. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/germany-says- iran-still-trying-acquire-nuclear-technology-conservative- factions-opposed-nuclear-deal-rohani/27848590.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IS Assault On Shi'ite Shrine Kills At Least 37 In Iraq July 08, 2016 by RFE/RL Islamic State (IS) militants have fired mortars on a crowded Shi'ite shrine north of Baghdad, creating a state of confusion that enabled three suicide bombers in military uniforms to infiltrate the compound and blow themselves up, Iraqi authorities say. At least 37 people were killed and more than 62 were wounded, police and health officials said on July 8. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has fired the three top security officials in Baghdad following a series of deadly attacks. The latest attack occurred in Balad, about 90 kilometers from Baghdad, at the mausoleum of Sayyid Muhammad bin Ali al-Hadi. Crowds of pilgrims had gathered there to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which ends the fasting month of Ramadan. Two of the bombers detonated their explosives near the gate of the mausoleum, and a third rushed deeper into the shrine itself and threw hand grenades at pilgrims, the authorities said. At least 20 militants then overwhelmed the police and militia guards and seized control of the compound for about a half-hour before reinforcements arrived from the federal and local police and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an irregular militia. Those forces then clashed with the militants outside the shrine, killing at least seven, authorities said. The IS group issued a statement claiming responsibility for the assault, which it said was carried out by three suicide bombers wearing explosive belts. General Imad al-Zihiri, the commander of security operations in the nearby city of Samarra, told The New York Times that "a security breach took place in Balad targeting the mausoleum of Sayyid Muhammad bin Ali al-Hadi, but our forces managed to recontrol the situation." Dhamin al-Jibouri, the police commander of Salah al-Din Province, where Balad is located, told the Times that the bombers wore "military uniforms to disguise." He added, "We don't know yet what happened to the rest of the militants, but we are controlling the area again." The authorities said the mausoleum was not believed to be seriously damaged, though the third bomber came within several meters of the tomb of the imam. Outside, however, the bombs ignited fires in a marketplace. The weekend attack in Baghdad was the worst in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. IS took responsibility for that bombing, in the Karrada district, which was teeming with revelers celebrating the end of Ramadan, including many families with children. The Islamic State claimed that the bombing had killed a gathering of Shi'ite Muslims. But Karrada is a mixed area where Iraqis of all identities gather, and many Sunnis were also killed. Assaults against Shi'a by Sunni extremists make it difficult for Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, a Shi'a, to achieve meaningful progress in reconciling Iraq's majority Shi'a with Sunnis, even as his armed forces have won victories against IS militants on the battlefield. After the attack on the mausoleum, Muqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shi'ite cleric, ordered his "peace brigades" to Balad to "protect innocents' lives." "This is another terrorist brutal attack against our" holy places, he said. With reporting by The New York Times, Reuters, and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/twenty-dead-attack- shiite-mausoleum-north-baghdad-iraq/27845527.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address House Benghazi Committee Approves Report into US Consulate Attacks in Libya by Isabela Cocoli July 08, 2016 The United States House of Representatives' Benghazi committee adopted a report Friday into the deadly, September 11, 2012 attacks on U.S. Consulate in Libya. The 800-page report found no wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time and is now the presumptive 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, but revealed that she used an unapproved private email server for government business. The committee in which Republican lawmakers have the majority, voted 7-4 along party line to approve the report. Democratic lawmakers have submitted their own report into the 2012 attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The committee's chairman, Trey Gowdy (R-South Carolina), indicated Friday a review process into possible evidence of perjury leaves open the possibility that Clinton or other witnesses could be further investigated. Clinton testified under oath last October that she never sent or received emails marked as classified through her private email server when she served as secretary of state. Clinton also said that she used only one mobile device for both government and private emails for "convenience," and turned over all emails to the State Department. FBI Director James Comey testified to Congress on Tuesday that Clinton and her colleagues at the State Department were "extremely careless" in the handling of classified material they sent to each other via a private email server she established at her home in New York. Comey also said that Clinton used multiple devices for sending and receiving classified emails. But Comey said that the FBI investigative team could not find evidence going through thousands of Clinton's emails that she "clearly, willfully" sought to violate U.S. laws and that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case" against her based on the evidence uncovered during the probe. Emergency Hearing The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee called an emergency hearing Thursday where members questioned Comey for almost five hours about his recommendation to the Justice Department not to prosecute Clinton. Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) told Comey that he would request the FBI investigate whether Clinton lied under oath to Congress. "You'll have one in the next few hours," Chaffetz said, after Comey told the chairman that a referral from Congress was needed to investigate Clinton's potential lying under oath. Comey defended his decision, saying that his team found no evidence that Clinton lied under oath to the FBI or broke the law by discussing classified information in an unclassified setting. Comey vigorously rejected Republican accusations that Clinton was given special treatment. To criminally charge Clinton based on the facts the FBI's yearlong probe had found, would have been unwarranted and mere "celebrity-hunting," he said. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) dismissed the latest Republican move as purely political. "So let's get this straight: This is going to be an investigation of the decision that is an investigation of the emails that was part of the investigation of Benghazi," she told reporters. "So we had an investigation of the investigation of the investigation. How long can this go on?" Internal Investigation Separately, the U.S. State Department is reopening an internal investigation into whether Clinton and her top aides mishandled classified information when she was serving as the secretary of state under President Barack Obama. "We will aim to be as expeditious as possible, but we will not put artificial deadlines on the process," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, noting that the internal review can proceed now that the Justice Department investigation wrapped up with no charges filed against Clinton. The move came a day after Attorney General Loretta Lynch agreed with the FBI recommendation that no criminal charges should be filed in relation to the email case. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Expels Two Russians In Connection With Diplomat Altercation In Moscow July 08, 2016 by Mike Eckel WASHINGTON -- The United States has expelled two Russian officials following a violent altercation last month between an American diplomat and a Russian guard outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The July 8 statement by U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the Russians were thrown out on June 17 in connection with the incident that occurred earlier in the month in the Russian capital, but gave no further details. It wasn't immediately clear who the Russians were or even if they were accredited diplomats. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. The altercation in Moscow occurred June 6, when a man identified as an accredited U.S. diplomat was tackled and injured by a Russian security service guard outside an embassy entrance. U.S. officials said the American had just shown his embassy badge to the guard, one of several that help monitor the perimeter of the massive embassy complex and who work for the Federal Security Service, the country's main security agency. The guard then tackled the diplomat, leaving him with a broken shoulder. The diplomat was able to walk into the embassy compound under his own power and he later left the country for medical treatment, according to one U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. Russia later accused the man of being a CIA agent, and on July 7, state-controlled channel NTV released a video purportedly showing the encounter. The video showed a uniformed man spring from a guard station and tackle another man after the latter exits a taxi and heads toward the embassy door. They struggle on the floor until the American manages to force himself along the ground through the door of the embassy, whose premises are "inviolable" under a United Nations convention. NTV also identified the American, published his photograph and said he had been made persona non grata in Russia. The incident came amid an increasing number of tense encounters between U.S. diplomats and Russian security officials in Moscow and elsewhere. Moscow traffic police have stopped U.S. embassy personnel about five dozen times over the six weeks, according to the U.S. official -- an unusual number in a city where diplomats are usually afforded leeway for things like minor traffic violations. And the spokesman for the U.S. diplomatic post last week reported returning home to find cigarettes in his apartment; another reportedly returned home to find the water taps turned on. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the incident with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a phone call on June 7, the day after the altercation, Kirby told reporters July 7. In Washington, American officials have given few details publicly about any of the incidents, but stressed on several occasions that they wanted to resolve the harassment behind closed doors and without publicity. Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/us-expels-two-russians-in- connection-with-diplomat-altercation/27848044.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has authorised a package of defence support to allies in the East of Europe as they face threats such as aggression from Russia. The package includes: 500 troops to Estonia to provide reassurance and to react immediately to any crisis or incident. Thousands of troops on standby to deploy within days, wherever needed, as the UK leads NATO's quick reaction spearhead force. Around 150 personnel with equipment to deploy to Poland to operate and train alongside each other to improve interoperability. A target to train 4000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of March 2017. Attending the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Mr. Fallon said: These deployments show Britain taking a leading role in NATO, protecting the security of our Baltic allies. We can do this because we are increasing defence spending every year for the rest of the decade. These deployments are on top of the work the UK already does to help NATO bolster the defence of allies in the region. We have: These measures all flow from actions agreed at the last NATO Summit in Wales in 2014, where a Readiness Action Plan was agreed with the aim of sending a clear signal to Russia in the wake of the illegal annexation of Crimea. While at the NATO Summit the Defence Secretary was due to meet with allies including the US, France, Poland, Germany and Finland. During the meeting with his Finnish counterpart, Mr Jussi Niinisto, Michael Fallon will sign a framework agreement for defence cooperation as a demonstration of the importance placed on the UK's relationship with the country. Iraqi forces have captured a key airbase from the Islamic State group that can serve as a launchpad for retaking the jihadist-held city of Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Saturday. The Qayyarah airbase in the Tigris valley 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul would be "an important base for the liberation of Mosul," Abadi said in a statement. He called for the people of Iraq's northwestern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, to "prepare for the liberation of their cities." Iraq's Joint Operations Command said two army divisions and members of the country's counter-terrorism forces took the base with air support from a US-led international coalition. Security sources said jihadists had fled towards Mosul after the base was taken. An officer taking part in the operation said bomb disposal teams were removing booby traps and mines left behind by IS fighters. No further details were immediately available on the scale of fighting for the base. At the end of last month, Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, in a major setback for IS. That focused attention on the battle to remove IS from the northwest of the country. In recent months, IS has lost significant parts of the territory north and west of Baghdad which it seized in 2014. The fighting to get into Fallujah was initially fierce, particularly on the southern side, and Iraqi forces were supported by more than 100 US-led coalition air strikes. On June 26, Abadi stood outside a hospital in Fallujah and vowed that the Iraqi flag would soon be raised over Mosul. In his statement on Saturday, he said government forces had advanced 100 kilometres (60 miles) in the past few days. "This is important revenge against the terrorist gangs, which we will crush and cleanse from all of our land very soon," he said. Rights groups have raised concerns about alleged abuses carried out by Iraqi forces during the fight for Fallujah, including executions of civilians. Human Rights Watch called on the government on Thursday to be transparent about an enquiry into the alleged abuses, which it said was "mired in secrecy". More than 80,000 people have been displaced since the start of the Fallujah offensive, bringing to more than 3.3 million the number of Iraqis forced from their homes by conflict since the start of 2014. The Sunni extremist group has responded to its battlefield setbacks by hitting back against civilians, particularly Shiites. Experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. IS said it had carried out an attack on a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad that started Thursday evening and killed 30 people. That came just days after a devastating bombing in the capital that killed 292 people. Search Keywords: Short link: A city-sponsored cookout that will serve as a kickoff event for redevelopment efforts in the Schoolfield Village community will be held Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Hylton Avenue Park. We believe that community involvement is essential for healthy and sustainable community redevelopment, Jacqueline Wells, a planning specialist for the Community Development Department, said in a news release. We are excited to work with the residents of Schoolfield Village in these efforts. Wells said Schoolfield Village is a strong community of homeowners and renters who take pride in their neighborhood, but, like in many hardworking American communities, tough economic times have resulted in disinvestment in homes and neighborhoods. City staff members plan to canvass the Schoolfield community to gain insight about the changes needed and how the city can work with residents. Danville has programs that are open to all city residents including the Housing Rehabilitation program that offers eligible residents a zero interest loan for home rehabilitation. At the cookout, city staff will collect contact information and invite residents to join the neighborhood association. In addition, they hope to bring attention and boost the communitys engagement with next months National Night Out. From picking up the tab for lunch to well wishes and prayers, Danvillians are letting police know they are appreciative of their service. The kindness is brought forth by tragic events that have happened across the country this week. On Thursday evening, 12 police officers in Dallas were shot five of them fatally as protestors marched through the streets. Four Dallas Police Department officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police officer were killed. Protestors marched in the wake of the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota and Delrawn Small in Brooklyn, New York. Its heartbreaking whenever an officer is killed. It touches all of us, said Lt. Mike Wallace with the Danville Police Department. On Wallaces badge was a black mourning band, worn by all police officers throughout the country. Its a reminder of how dangerous the job is . . . but its an honor and a privilege to serve, he said. City officials and workers thanked officers and offered encouragement as they saw them in the hallway of the Municipal Building, Wallace said. Wallace said officers have had their tabs paid for at restaurants and food has been dropped off at the police department by anonymous residents. American National Bank on Main Street made it no secret they appreciated the police; they sent Danville Police Kentucky Fried Chicken and water bottles with the banks logo on them. Chicken, donuts and more filled tables in the police departments roll call room. Sgt. H.S. Richardson said the outpouring from the community was appreciated. Capt. Tommy Merricks said he was said the officers were killed in Dallas, and he uses his faith keeps him grounded when hes on the job. If the public only knew how many decisions police have to make on a 12-hour shift, Richardson said. Im sad for the officers and the Dallas community for this uncalled for, [and] unprovoked attack, said Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor. The officers were there to protect those who wanted to speak and be heard, he said. In a split second, those officers performed in a very spectacular manner, Taylor said. My heart goes out to them. The Dallas Police Department, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police, and the families of the slain and injured officers are in the thoughts and prayers of every Virginia State Police member, said Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty in a statement. Our department personnel remain vigilant for their own safety, as well as securing the safety of all Virginians we have taken an oath to serve and protect, the statement continued. Livingston reports for the Danville Register & Bee. WENTWORTH Jose Silvano Alvarez Jr. repeatedly broke into Troy and LaDonna Frenchs Rockingham County home. He watched them sleep. He liked the way their clothes dryer smelled. And when he was caught coming from the second floor of their house, he killed the couple to make his escape. Attorneys painted a picture of Alvarez as a man fixated by the details of the French home. On Friday, four years after their deaths, Alvarez, 29, of 2811 Cottage Place, Apt. A, in Greensboro pleaded guilty in Rockingham County Superior Court to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the Frenches. Judge Ed Wilson sentenced Alvarez to two life sentences, which will run consecutively. He is not eligible for parole. Mr. Alvarez, you will die in prison, Wilson said. Alvarez apologized in court. I do regret what happened, he said. If I could take it back, I would. I am sorry. Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer said the case is closed and that no other person is being sought in the homicides. Both Blitzer and defense attorney Vincent Rabil recounted details of what happened on Feb. 4, 2012, saying Alvarez broke into the house periodically in the six months before the homicides. On the night of the slayings, the Frenches daughter, Whitley, 19, was home. Rabil said Alvarez went to the French house out of curiosity after seeing Whitley Frenchs address on her drivers license. She was dating his younger brother and left the identification on the counter at the Alvarez home. He got into the French house using a spare key knowledge of hiding places he gained as a landscaper. Alvarez eventually made a copy of the key and broke into the French house periodically, Rabil said. Sometimes the Frenches werent home. He was fixated on smells, Rabil said, saying Alvarez particularly liked the smell of dryers. The (French) house was a model home. Everything was new and freshly painted. Rabil said he considered self-defense, Alvarezs mental health and an insanity defense as options at trial, particularly after testing by a psychologist, but determined the evidence against Alvarez was overwhelming. During one of the break-ins, Alvarez stole Troy Frenchs Hi-Point 9 mm gun, attorneys said. French never reported it stolen. Alvarez had it with him when he broke into the French house. Blitzer said that night Alvarez walked into Whitley Frenchs room, she woke up when a floorboard creaked. She screamed at the sight of a masked man and pulled a sheet over her head. Alvarez jumped on her bed to stifle her screams, hitting her arm with a knife. When she continued to scream Alvarez fled, encountering Troy and LaDonna French near the base of the stairs and shooting them multiple times. Alvarez injured himself putting away his knife and reaching for the stolen gun on the stairs, Blitzer said, leaving behind crucial evidence that would take three years and multiple crime labs to identify. Investigators were unable to identify to whom the blood belonged until mid-2015, when a lab in Texas identified it as a familial match to John Alvarez, the defendants brother who was married to Whitley French by then. Investigators asked Jose Alvarez Jr. for a DNA sample, which he voluntarily gave. The motive in the murders was just escape from that house, Blitzer said. It was not about an attraction to Whitley. The gun, knife and clothes used in the homicides and break-in were never recovered. Attorneys said Alvarez told them he threw the gun and clothing into a dumpster near his house. Blitzer and Sheriff Sam Page said they stand by Whitley, who moved out of the state after Alvarezs arrest. Blitzer also read aloud in court a letter delivered to Alvarez from the News & Record following his arrest. In the letter, Alvarez was asked to give his account of the shootings. Blitzer said the print media contributed to a negative opinion against Whitley and potentially tainted the jury pool. The French family spoke in court Friday. They said they were glad Alvarez was not given the death penalty, giving him time to think about what he did. Jordan Hayes, LaDonna Frenchs nephew, said the family is destroyed by what happened. Im glad youre going to rot in jail, he said to Alvarez. I hope you rot in hell. Jordan Hayes mother, Kathy, is LaDonna Frenchs sister. She lives next to the French house and said the death of Troy and LaDonna French has been difficult. She said her sister missed family milestones like graduations, weddings and birthdays. She and Troy have missed everything, Hayes said, crying. I miss her deep laugh and her funny ways. You have made your own family suffer, Hayes said to Alvarez. I love your parents and brother, but you have broken their hearts. Related Dallas police shoot man who charged officer at airport Thousands of protesters took to the streets in US cities Friday after a black extremist shot dead five cops in Texas during a peaceful march against police brutality. President Barack Obama said he will cut short a foreign trip and visit Dallas next week as the shooting rampage by a black army veteran bent on killing white police triggered urgent calls to mend troubled race relations in the United States. Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at the home of 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a Dallas area resident who gunned down the officers before being killed in a standoff with police. Five officers were shot dead in the late Thursday shooting, with seven other officers and two civilians wounded. While the White House ruled out any link between the gunman and known "terrorist organizations," Johnson's Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. Described to police as a "loner" with no prior criminal record, Johnson told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the recent fatal police shootings of two black men. Johnson served as a US Army reservist for six years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The shooting revives an emotional debate over lethal use of force by police, and problems of alleged police bias towards racial minorities, especially African-Americans. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest movement condemned the Dallas violence, but vowed to uphold planned weekend marches. Vast crowds marched Friday in US cities including Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, and San Francisco. One of the largest was in Atlanta, where protesters blocked a major road. In Phoenix, police in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd blocking streets after rocks were hurled at them. At least one person was arrested. Addressing a prayer service honoring the fallen officers, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings urged Americans to "step up" to heal the country's racial wounds. "We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues," he told the crowd. Rawlings echoed Obama's message that black lives matter -- and so do "blue" lives, those of police officers. "We must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way," Rawlings said. "And race is complicated." Obama, who ordered flags on government buildings lowered to half-mast for five days, said that there was "no possible justification" for violence against police. The president commented on the attacks from Warsaw, where he was attending a NATO summit. He condemned the shootings as "vicious, calculated and despicable." The White House said Obama would return home late Sunday, one day ahead of schedule, and visit Dallas early next week. The Dallas shootings sparked chaos as people ran for their lives during a march by several hundred demonstrators in the city of 1.2 million, near the site where president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The peaceful protest was one of several nationwide over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota that prompted Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. The ambush marks the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. "This must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Dallas police chief David Brown said. Johnson was killed in a tense showdown with police in a parking garage, by a bomb robot sent in by officers after hours of negotiations and an exchange of fire. "This was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil strategy," said Brown of the gunman. Bomb-making materials, weapons and ammunition were found in Johnson's home. "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Earlier, officials said three other people had been detained, but it was unclear if any remained in custody. US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the gunman appeared to have acted alone. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said police would "continue down every rabbit trail... ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in any way." The gunman told police he was not affiliated with any organized groups. But Johnson's Facebook page ties him to several organizations listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors such movements in the United States. Groups that he "liked" include the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and the Nation of Islam, both known for expressing virulently anti-Semitic and anti-white views, the SPLC said in a statement. On his Facebook page, Johnson appears with his fist raised wearing an African style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, all reminiscent of the US black power movement of the 1960s. Another of his "likes" is a group called the African American Defense League, whose leader called this week for bloody retaliation after the fatal shooting in Louisiana. "We must 'Rally The Troops!'" the post read. "It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood!" Search Keywords: Short link: A fondant creation ... Christopher Montebello at work. Photo: Eddie Jim Icing has a special place in every baker's repertoire. Not only can it turn a simple, if delicious, cake into something special, but it also has the power to transform a baking mishap into something spectacular. Apprentices spend months perfecting the art of making and using icing, but even the occasional icing user should, with practice, be able to produce a perfectly iced cake. There are many options when it comes to icing. Pettinice, or fondant icing, is usually best left to the professionals. If you want to try to achieve this perfectly flat, firm icing do what many professional pastry chefs do buy it from a cake supplies retailer. Pastry chef Christopher Montebello from South Melbourne's Let Them Eat Cake has been making and decorating cakes for 32 years, perfecting the art of baking at iconic cake shops such as St Kilda's Monarch Cake Shop, Arnold Swiss Cakes and in the kitchen at Florentino's. He recommends home bakers use buttercream icing, as it is more forgiving. Montebello is passionate about cakes and believes they are not just celebratory but are present at all important life occasions. The cake is the crescendo of every function, he says. A cake is always appropriate and always makes people happy. It provides the ooh and aah moment at every event. In demand as a baker (even making a cake for Oprah) Montebello shares his techniques and tips for the perfect icing with goodfood.com.au Before you start Sketch out a plan for your cake. Plan the colour scheme, shape and size and have the correct sized cake board for your cake. Montebello recommends going to Spotlight or a cake supplies store to source cake boards and decorations. Make sure your butter is at room temperature and don't risk heating it to warm it up. Thirty minutes out of the fridge is all you need to bring it to softness, unless it is a really cold day. Measure and weigh all your ingredients. Tips Hot weather: Ideally, once you've iced your cake keep it out of the fridge but if hot weather is likely to make your icing sweat, put it into the fridge to firm. Remove the cake from the fridge an hour before serving to allow it to return to room temperature. Cutting layers of cake: Montebello recommends cutting your buttercake into three layers and filling each layer with icing. To make this process easier, freeze your cake until firm (not frozen) then slice it into thirds, turning the cake as you cut. Wonky cake?: Icing is designed to cover all manner of baking sins. Cut away any undesirable bits of cake (crumbly edges, scorched sides) until the cake has a smooth surface and an even shape. Ice the cake and watch all evidence of your mistakes disappear. Decoration To avoid a sloppy icing, fill the layers of your cake first, then firm it up in the fridge before applying the final layer of icing. Hold the cake board in one hand and rotate it as you ice. Use a cake spreader or spatula to achieve a perfect smooth result. Steer clear of the "stucco" effect aim for smooth. Montebello suggests using restraint with decoration. Use just one form of embellishment and a simple colour theme: choose from fresh edible or icing flowers, a pretty ribbon, 100s and 1000s or silver cachous. To apply decorations such as 100s and 1000s onto the side of the cake, cup the 100s and 1000s in the palm of your hand and gently push into the icing. Flavour and colour variations: To add colour to your icing, set aside a small amount and add a drop or two of food colouring. Slowly add more icing until you have the colour you desire. Flavours: add cooled espresso to the icing for coffee flavour or melted and cooled couverture chocolate for a richchocolate taste and colour. Try pureed or chunks of fruit, praline or nuts as desired. Kirsch can be omitted from the icing altogether (a good idea for children's cakes) or substituted with another liquor of choice. Basic buttercake icing Equipment Electric mixer Rubber spatula Sugar thermometer Saucepan Cake spatula/spreader for applying the icing Large pre-prepared butter cake Cake board Ingredients 240g white sugar 145ml water 150ml egg white 490g unsalted butter, chopped 27ml kirsch (optional) Additional Large butter cake, cut into three layers Cake decorations Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. When the sugar reaches 120C (soft ball stage), remove from the heat. In the meantime beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks, then slowly add the sugar syrup, beating continuously until the whites have firm peaks. Allow sugar syrup and egg white mixture to cool slightly. With your mixer on low speed start adding small pieces of butter, continue beating until all the butter has been incorporated, then beat for a further 5 minutes. Mix in the kirsch if using. You should be left with a soft, smooth icing, the consistency of whipped cream. Ice your prepared cake immediately as the icing will be at optimum consistency as soon as it has been made. This quantity will cover one cake or a dozen cupcakes. Troubleshooting Split icing: Buttercream icing freezes well but if it seems grainy when you defrost it, warm it gently, then re-whip until it returns to the correct consistency. Over-colouring: Montebello says if you have a colouring disaster don't throw the icing away rethink your concept to adapt to the new hue or make a new batch of icing and use it to dilute the colour. Icing can be wrapped in cling wrap and frozen so the extra icing won't go to waste. Adam Liaw's salmon oyakodon. Photo: Adam Liaw Although sashimi perfection may be years away, this simple beginner's guide will have you slicing away in no time. What is sashimi? Tuna, salmon and kingfish are popular sashimi choices in Japanese restaurants in Australia. Photo: Jeffrey Chan At its most basic, sashimi is something raw, sliced and served. It can be anything - beef, scallops, even chicken - and by far the most popular sashimi is seafood. Choosing fish Almost any fish can be eaten as sashimi. In Australia, tuna, salmon and kingfish are commonly used for sashimi in Japanese restaurants. But some of the best seafood varieties for sashimi in this country are: scallop, squid, tuna, trevally, kingfish, bream, bonito, garfish, whiting, flounder, flathead, snapper and even leatherjacket. When it comes to raw fish, there's more to good sashimi than just being fresh. The flavour and texture of fish changes over time, and just like good beef, some fish improves with a bit of time to age. As a general rule smaller fish and seafood like prawns and squid are best eaten as soon as they're dispatched, and larger fish like flounder and snapper might need to be rested on ice for a few hours or overnight for their muscles to relax and their flavour to improve. Some even think very large fish like tuna are at their best aged for week or two. But be warned - ageing fish to be eaten raw is strictly for the experts and my advice when choosing fish for sashimi is to follow the advice of a good fishmonger. Preparing fish Once the fish has been selected, it is filleted and skinned (if choosing a whole fish). Then there isn't much more to the preparation of sashimi than just cutting it up. Japanese chefs can name dozens of different slicing techniques for sashimi, but you only need to know a few. Advertisement The hira-zukuri (rectangular slice) cut is the most common. Starting from the right side of the fillet (for right handers) draw the knife from its base to its tip in a single vertical stroke. This is for a clean slice of fish between half a centimetre to more than 1cm wide. The slices are stacked like books on a bookshelf. This cut is commonly used for tuna, salmon and kingfish. The angled usu-zukuri (thin slice) cut begins from the left of the fillet, drawing the knife at a nearly horizontal angle across the grain, creating a very thin, diagonal slice that is perfect for firm, white fish with thin fillets like bream, flounder and whiting. Other cuts such as the kaku-zukuri (square slice) creates small cubes of thick, soft fish like tuna and the ito-zukuri (thread slice) produces thin slivers of narrow fish and seafood like garfish and squid. For all the fancy names and techniques, what's most important is that each slice of each type of fish is the same. Slicing creates texture and if the slices are different widths, the texture of each slice will be different. Dressings and garnishes After it is cut, sashimi is nearly always arranged as a kind of landscape with three edible garnishes on the plate - ken, tsuma and karami - a base, a highlight and a spicy condiment. Ken is the base or background and sits at the rear of the dish. Popular ken include a mound of shredded and curled daikon radish or Japanese leek, or wakame seaweed. The bulk of the ken holds up the fish and its colour helps the fish stand out visually, but it can also be eaten as a kind of palate cleanser when moving from one variety of fish to the next. Tsuma literally means "wife", but in the context of sashimi it refers to a highlight or foreground element partnered with the fish. Tsuma are smaller, often vibrantly coloured piles of tiny herbs, cresses or flowers such as shiso (leaves, buds or flowers) or benitade (a peppery purple herb). Tsuma are placed below the fish in the foreground, and can be used to flavour the fish as well. Karami is any kind of pungent spice accompanying sashimi. Wasabi, the intense green horseradish we all know, is by far the most popular. But the type of karami served will vary by fish and by region. Mountain wasabi (a large brown-white root similar to Western horseradish) is popular in the north of Japan, grated ginger is served with oily fish like sardine and bonito and the preferred karami for vinegared mackerel is hot mustard. Sashimi etiquette As with most parts of Japanese culture, there are rules for eating sashimi. Some are fairly straightforward but others might come as a bit of surprise. When adding soy sauce to your individual sauce dish, add only what you need rather than filling the dish completely, which can be considered wasteful. Just a half teaspoon or so in the bottom of the dish is usually plenty to season just a few pieces of sashimi. Many say it's taboo to mix wasabi and soy sauce together for dipping sashimi into, but I know many Japanese who do just that. Personally, I think it's best to keep the wasabi (or other karami) separate and dab just a little on the fish before dipping it lightly in the soy sauce. That way you can vary the amount of wasabi for each type of fish and in any case, in a mixed plate of sashimi the karami served with each piece may be different. Wearing aftershave or perfume to a sushi restaurant (or any restaurant for that matter) is thought quite rude in Japan, as strong smells interfere with the delicate taste of the fish. Considering that our perception of flavour is mainly aroma, this is a good rule to follow to maximise your appreciation of the meal. It's easy to get confused by the rules of Japanese food even when it comes to something as simple as a few slices of raw fish, but just remember to treat them as rough guidelines rather than absolute requirements. Above all else, enjoy the food and your first forays into the world of sashimi are unlikely to be your last. SHARE By The Kansas City Star (Tns) Q. Will following your faith make my life easier? The Rev. Bob Hill, pastor emeritus, Community Christian Church: If "easier" means completely comfortable, without difficulty, continuously experiencing a laid-back existence, the answer is no. If "easier" means deeply content, more purposeful and less anxious, the answer can certainly be yes. When Jesus declared "my yoke is easy and my burden is light," he wasn't offering an easygoing gospel, but rather a reassurance about grace and overcoming perfectionism. Authentic faith according to every commendable religious tradition is fraught with toil, tears and breathtaking opportunities for transformation. For example, forgiveness is in some instances exceedingly difficult, but when realized, offers precious release and peaceableness. For another example, fulfilling the greatest commandments bequeathed by Jesus loving God, others and oneself is sometimes an excruciatingly hard challenge. But no one I know has found a better manner by which to order their steps and live well. The book of Hebrews daringly defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Living in such hope and abiding by such conviction are never easy tasks but definitely worth giving one's life for. Can following your faith lead to wisdom, stature, and favor with God and humanity? Undoubtedly. But such fidelity may also entail painful confusion along the way. Living out one's faith is a worthy struggle that always includes good measures of holy agitation. Any promise of guaranteed prosperity, luxury and leisure for those following their faith is an unmitigated sham. Chuck Stanford, lama emeritus, Rime Buddhist Center: The religion you were raised in, the one your friends and family follow, will no doubt be the easiest because it is something you already know and are familiar with. It is as comfortable as wearing an old pair of shoes. Switching to a new and different religion is always a challenge, because it is different and unfamiliar. Your question, however, was not asking which faith is easiest to follow, but rather if my faith would make your life easier and that is a very difficult question to answer. As the Buddha observed 2,500 years ago, "There are different religions, for different minds." This means some minds respond more positively to one particular religion than to others. One of the things that attracted me to Buddhism is its very practical teaching on how to end suffering in ourselves and others. The Buddha observed that all life is characterized by impermanence that nothing remains the same. Our loved ones die, our job may come to an end, our car breaks down, etc. We falsely blame our unhappiness on these circumstances, but the Buddha taught that our suffering is not the result of these things, but rather due to the clinging and grasping of our mind of not accepting the impermanent nature of life. It is through the meditation process that we begin to learn to accept the world as it is, rather than how we would like it to be. It is through this realization that we can begin to end our suffering, and this makes our life easier. Haggeo Gautier is one of seven active and four honorary chaplains serving with the Orlando Police Department. SHARE Chaplain says toll on officers remains high weeks after tragedy By David Harris, Orlando Sentinel (TNS) ORLANDO, Fla. Haggeo Gautier will never forget the expressions on the faces of the doctors, nurses even the security guards in the emergency room at Orlando Regional Medical Center as they were whisking the dozens and dozens of wounded patients from the Pulse nightclub massacre to receive medical care. "They had this glassy look over their eyes," said Gautier, a volunteer chaplain at the Orlando Police Department. "It was a look of shock." But there was also a look of determination, he said. Gautier was one of the seven Orlando police chaplains deployed at hospitals, family assistance centers and the police dispatch center that Sunday morning. Their main purpose was to comfort the officers, deputies and civilian employees, as well as families of victims. Orlando Police Chief John Mina called the chaplains an "invaluable" part of responding to the tragedy. "They are remarkable people who volunteer their time to bring comfort and assist officers, victims, witnesses, family members, and all first responders," he said. "Not only did they respond to the hospital but also made themselves available to our officers every day in the days following the shooting." Gautier received the call at 3:30 a.m. about the shooting. He didn't know the severity of it, but got an indication as he approached the hospital. "I just saw a sea of police lights," he said. "That's when I knew it was a big deal." For six hours, Gautier was at the hospital. He'd approach officers there. "I'd walk up to them and say, 'How are you doing? Can I get you some water?' " he said. Gautier described the scene as organized chaos, each person knowing what to do and where to go. Just after 5 a.m., Orlando Police Officer Michael Napolitano came into the emergency room after getting shot in the head in a gunbattle with the suspect. His Kevlar helmet blocked the bullet, and he only suffered a laceration. Whenever an officer is in the hospital, chaplains stand outside the door so other officers who want to visit know where to go. At the time, many officers did not know how serious Napolitano's injuries were. "An officer walked up to me and said, 'I didn't know what to think when I saw you,'" Gautier said. About 10 officers came in the hour Gautier was there. After another chaplain relieved him, he went to the part of the hospital where victims' family members were being taken. Gautier let the hospital chaplains talk with the families, just standing by. "It was heartbreaking," he said. "They didn't know if their loved one was OK, wounded or deceased. They held each other and wept." After Gautier left the hospital, he went to the city's dispatch center where more than 600 calls from terrified patrons came in during the ordeal. Some dispatchers felt angry, others sad or bewildered. "Many said, 'I wish I could have done more,'" he said. By about 8:30 p.m., Gautier arrived home, exhausted emotionally and physically. But his work wasn't done. Over the next few days, he sat in with officers at debrief sessions. Officers could share their feelings about how they were coping with the tragedy. Gautier wouldn't get into specifics. "What happens in the debrief sessions stays there," he said. Adam Sauceda/Standard-Times Local pastors of all denominations stand and pray with local law enforcement during a prayer vigil Friday night outside San Angelo's police headquarters. The vigil drew together more than 200 people. SHARE By Federico Martinez, federico.martinez@gosanangelo.com/ @federico_sast Garland Freeze's voice quavered in exhausted frustration as he talked about this week's shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, black men killed by white police officers. Those controversial incidents and the deaths of five Dallas officers amid protests have contributed to a rise in racial tensions across America. Freeze, president of San Angelo's chapter of the NAACP, grew up during the era of segregation, when lynchings and police brutality against black people occurred frequently, with little or no justice for the victims. "Racism is alive and well in the United States today, just like it was back in the days when blacks were being lynched," Freeze said, with a weary sigh. "There's a lot of frustration in the black community because this keeps happening over and over. "It's been going on for a long time. There's a lot of pent-up frustration." Freeze was among several community leaders who gathered Friday afternoon at the Standard-Times to take a localized look at the entangled issues this week's deaths have highlighted, including race relations in San Angelo and community relations with local law enforcement. The group, which included Police Chief Tim Vasquez, discussed what needs to be done to ensure similar incidents of violence and racial conflict don't occur in San Angelo. Vasquez said it's important for community leaders to provide residents with an opportunity to speak openly and honestly about issues and set standards that certain types of behavior will not be tolerated. "Everyone is just seething on Facebook and other social media and making comments," said Vasquez, referring to the national atmosphere. "From a law enforcement standpoint we need to continue building community and police relations." Vasquez is stepping down from his position Monday. Incoming SAPD Chief Frank Carter was not able to attend Friday's meeting because he was out of town. Other participants in Friday's discussion were Alma Perez, president and founder of San Angelo's Immigration Integration Project; Dudra Butler, a longtime NAACP member who is on the Standard-Times editorial board and a contributor to the paper and Michael Kelly, editor of the Standard-Times. Vasquez and other participants agreed that relations between San Angelo law enforcement and the community, particularly the black community, have dramatically improved over the past decade. During the 1970s, '80s and '90s relations between local law enforcement and the minority community were tense because of perceived incidents of police brutality and racial profiling, said Perez, Butler and Freeze, who are all longtime San Angelo residents. Vasquez acknowledged that racism can be found among law enforcement agencies anywhere and as a police chief he has experienced it within his department and in the community. "We have tried to create a police department that is transparent, and you have to hold your officers accountable," he said. "If a mistake is made you need to admit to it, which isn't always being done in law enforcement." Without constant efforts to improve race relations and relations between the police and community, incidents like those in Louisiana and Minnesota can occur in San Angelo "at a drop of a hat," he warned. "This is a small community, but it can happen here," Butler said. "It's part of our culture. The United States has a culture that black people, especially black men, are seen as a problem in this country." Perez, a longtime advocate for the Latino community, said racial tensions and violence have noticeably increased in recent years in San Angelo. She noted that anti-immigrant sentiments have become increasingly hostile, even against Latinos who are U.S. citizens. "We're ready to erupt," said Perez, referring to the overall community. SHARE Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Roger Ailes, Fox News CEO, for sexual harassment and retaliation. She also alleges that she endured sexist behavior from Steve Doocy, one of her former co-hosts on "Fox & Friends." Noam Galai/Getty Images FILE In this Feb. 9, 2015 file photo, Roger Ailes attends a special screening of "Kingsman: The Secret Service" in New York. Ailes, the Fox News Channel network chief executive is being sued by former anchor Gretchen Carlson, who claims she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, July 6, 2016, in Superior Court in New Jerseyis Bergen County. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) 1 in 4 women say theyve been victims By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY Network The U.S. may be on the verge of electing the first woman president, and women are making gains in the workplace, but the high-profile case involving a newswoman's lawsuit against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has put a spotlight on an issue that experts say still remains an all-too frequent reality in the workplace: sexual harassment. Former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a complaint Wednesday alleging that Ailes made inappropriate overtures toward her. She also alleges that she endured sexist behavior from Steve Doocy, one of her former co-hosts on the program "Fox & Friends." 21st Century Fox says it has "full confidence" in Ailes and Doocy and has "commenced an internal review of the matter," and in a statement Ailes said Carlson's allegations are false. While a case involving a TV personality and a powerful news executive garners headlines, surveys show that roughly 1 in 4 women say they have been harassed on the job. And with many victims too frightened to speak up, attorneys and employment experts say the actual number of such instances is likely far higher. "Yes, we have more women in our society, in our culture, in high-profile and leadership roles,'' says Maya Raghu, director of workplace equality at the National Women's Law Center. "But a big reason why most people experiencing sexual harassment don't come forward is there's still a lot of fear. As long as there is that threat of losing your job, of how you appear to your friends, your peers, that's going to continue to keep this issue from being resolved.'' Thin employer efforts to combat and deal with sexual harassment may be to blame for the prevalence of such claims. Following two Supreme Court cases in 1998, most employers have implemented policies regarding sexual harassment to shield themselves from liability if an employee claiming harassment fails to go through those steps to make their initial complaint. Despite the layers of laws, critics say many employer programs are too superficial to completely thwart such behavior. Often such efforts are "a regulatory compliance issue that doesn't have enough teeth,'' says Beth Brascugli De Lima, a human resources consultant and head of HRM Consulting in Murphys, California, noting that in California, where a state law mandates supervisors undergo training, two-thirds of the classes are on the internet. "It's extremely difficult to have an effective sexual harassment training ... if you're not in the room with an individual, having to look across the table and hear the concern in (the) voice'' of someone who feels they've been harassed. The standard definition of sexual harassment, according to Title Seven of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, "is conduct that makes the workplace hostile to a reasonable person either because of the severity of a few incidents, or because of the pervasiveness of even less severe conduct,'' says Catherine Fisk, a professor of labor and employment law at the University of California, Irvine. Another reason sexual harassment is so pervasive is different perceptions of what it is. For those who are accused of it, "a lot of this is really a lack of understanding of how to behave in the workplace,'' says Brascugli De Lima, the human resources consultant. "And what makes it difficult in some cases is what is harassing behavior to one person is not harassment to another. Most of these cases are not clear, bright lines. '' SHARE Amid the overheated, hyperpartisan reactions to the FBI decision to close the investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers without an indictment, two things are clear. First, the single greatest threat to Clinton's nomination and election the possibility she might be indicted on a charge of mishandling confidential government secrets has been removed. Her nomination at the Democratic Convention in three weeks is safe. Second, Clinton's chances in the general election against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump have been damaged by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey's searing statement disputing many of her prior claims and accusing her of "extremely careless" handling of secret information. Even without a recommendation of indictment, the report further weakens her already tattered reputation for honesty and integrity, perhaps the main reason she finds herself in a relatively close race against a GOP opponent with questionable qualifications. Comey's news conference will provide Trump with the raw material for campaign ads. But Clinton still has two big advantages. One is the contrast between her long career of public service and Trump's failure to show the experience and temperament Americans expect from a president. His recent mishandling of a tweet with anti-Semitic overtones and his inexplicable praise of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's handling of terrorism only underscore his shortcomings. Second, as Clinton's recent love-in with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her appearances with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden illustrate, she heads into her convention with a substantially united Democratic Party, in contrast to a sharply divided GOP. That contrast may be somewhat misleading. Beneath the surface, barely concealed Democratic tensions stemming from Sen. Bernie Sanders' primary challenge still simmer. This weekend's Platform Committee meeting in Orlando may determine if Clinton can resolve them before the July 25 convention in Philadelphia. These tensions reflect the same differences on issues such as trade and energy that marked the Vermont senator's campaign, but the specifics matter less than whether the result enables Sanders to end his stubborn holdout and join other top Democrats in calling for Clinton's election. In the wake of the FBI report, Clinton needs the votes of as many of the Pied Piper of Burlington's young followers as possible, lest they undercut her by staying home or backing independent candidates in what could be an uncomfortably close election. Sanders' dissatisfaction stems largely from these proposed platform sections: Trade: The draft falls far short of Sanders' call to reject the Trans Pacific Partnership, declaring there is "a diversity of views in the party" and "any trade agreement must protect workers and the environment." Minimum Wage: "We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour and have the right to form or join a union," the draft reads, adding "we should raise and index the minimum wage." While that sounds like support for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, it doesn't quite say that. Climate Change: While it favors "slashing carbon pollution and rapidly driving down emissions of potent greenhouse gases like hydrofluorocarbons," the draft omits Sanders' proposal to tax carbon emissions, which Clinton also opposes. On Wednesday, Clinton adopted a form of Sanders plan for free tuition at in-state colleges and universities for families with income under $125,000. The draft also includes Sanders-backed provisions pledging health care access for all through Medicare or a public option, "breaking up too-big-to-fail financial institutions posing a systemic threat to the stability of our economy," "real campaign finance reform now," and tax reform including "a multimillionaire tax." But the Drafting Committee rejected his proposals opposing the trade deal and supporting a carbon tax, a fracking ban, and a ban on fossil fuel extraction on public lands. Sanders wants the full committee to replace the trade provision by declaring the TPP deal "must not get a vote" in this or future Congresses. If that loses, he'll have to decide whether to force the issue in Philadelphia. He'll have more than enough delegates to do so, but would need 500 Clinton delegates to prevail. It's a dilemma for both sides. Failure to deliver an enthusiastic endorsement could damage Sanders' future Senate standing. And he risks ceding leadership of the party's liberal wing to Warren. But the FBI report ensures the email issue will continue to fester, meaning Clinton needs even more to strengthen her appeal to Sanders voters, even if means accepting some unwanted platform provisions. Carl P. Leubsdorf is a columnist for the Dallas Morning News. Contact him at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com SHARE Two things you can usually count on are that I will write an article regarding religious liberty around July 4, and I'll usually get it written a bit late. Again this year, such is the case. But religious liberty is just too important a part of why our country has survived for 240 years to not take a moment and remind ourselves just what true geniuses our Founding Fathers really were. As I mentioned last year, the original Constitution of the United States, adopted on Sept. 17, 1787, mentioned religion one time Article VI, which stated that "no religious Test shall ever be required as Qualification" for federal officeholders. This was truly a revolutionary idea, as it had never been done before. In fact, religious tests/oaths and state-established churches were in all the states except New York and Virginia, but our forefathers knew history and knew that religion combined with government power always led to discrimination in the name of God. Because even in Virginia, Baptist pastors were being put in prison for preaching without a license. Baptist leaders Isaac Backus and John Leland pushed James Madison for complete religious freedom for everyone, and that resulted in what we now call the First Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This amendment to the Constitution was adopted in September 1789. My favorite John Leland quote is, "Government has no more to do with the religious opinions of men, than it has with the principles of mathematics. Let every man speak freely without fear, maintain the principles that he believes, worship according to his own faith either one God, three Gods, no God, or twenty Gods, and let government protect him in so doing." I'm not sure our Founding Fathers really knew how this would turn out, but what's important is this: Democracy cannot exist without religious liberty. That is why it is so foolish to try to start American-style governments in the Middle East. They are generations away from understanding such a concept, because they have no concept of religious liberty. Last month the Iraqi army liberated Fallujah from ISIL. The Iraqi army mostly had Shia soldiers. Fallujah is a Sunni town, so the people there didn't want their liberators to stay around. Religion with power is destructive. Imagine the San Angelo City Council trying to govern San Angelo if only Baptists lived in Southland, only Methodists in Santa Rita, only Catholics in Lake View, and so on. And they all were trying to control city government and discriminate against those without power. That is much of the modern world because of religion mixed with government. Yet there are those who want America to declare itself a Christian nation: men such as Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, fake historians such as David Barton, retired Judge Paul Pressler and ministers such as Jerry Falwell Jr. and Franklin Graham. Should they be successful, they will ultimately accomplish three things: 1. The destruction of Christianity in America. 2. The destruction of America as a great nation. 3. The loss of freedom for everyone who does not think like they do. Every Fourth of July, thank God for our Founding Fathers, and don't mess with what has worked so well. Police have arrested four Macedonians suspected of fighting for the Islamic State group (IS group) in Iraq and Syria and are actively looking for three others, an official said Saturday. Friday's operations included raids in the capital Skopje and northwestern Tetovo, in which computers, mobile phones and passports were seized, said police official Dejana Nedeljkovic. "The police have arrested four Islamic State members who fought in Syria and Iraq," she said, adding that of the three others being searched, two were probably still fighting on the frontline. According to the Macedonian police, about 130 nationals have left to fight for the militants group in Iraq and Syria. The Albanian Muslim minority comprises only a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million-strong population, most of whom are Orthodox Christians. According to Macedonia's criminal code, joining conflicts abroad as well as recruiting citizens to fight in foreign conflicts is punishable by five years in jail. Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has said that 72 people who have returned from Syria to Macedonia are considered "potential terrorists". Syria's war began in 2011 as a popular revolt seeking democratic reform, but later morphed into a brutal civil war that attracted militants from all over the world. Search Keywords: Short link: Related Dallas police shoot man who charged officer at airport President Barack Obama assured a shocked America Saturday that the black extremist who shot dead five cops in Dallas was a lone wolf -- and that the country can overcome its racial divisions, as the groundswell of anger over police brutality surged on. Thousands of protesters marched in US cities overnight to demand justice for two African-Americans whose fatal shooting by police triggered the rampage in Dallas by an army vet bent on killing white officers in revenge. The nightmare scenes in Texas -- where the ambush turned a peaceful protest to horror -- left many fearing a new, dark chapter in America's troubled race relations. But as Dallas honored its slain officers, Obama sought to cut short that narrative -- saying Americans of all backgrounds were united in grief both at the recent fatal shooting of African-Americans and the murders in Dallas. "I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested," Obama told a press conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity." "The demented individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas, he's no more representative of African-Americans than the shooter in Charleston was representative of white Americans," he said, referring to the murder of nine black worshippers at a church in South Carolina last year. Dallas officials have now said they are certain the atrocity was the work of a lone shooter -- 25-year-old Micah Johnson, killed in a showdown with police -- and not a group of co-conspirators as initially feared. "We believe now that the city is safe," Mayor Mike Rawlings told a news conference late Friday. The Black Lives Matter activist movement which is spearheading months of nationwide protests over police brutality has demanded an end to violence -- not an escalation. There were nasty scenes in Phoenix, Arizona where police used pepper spray to disperse stone-throwing protesters. And in Rochester, New York, 74 people were arrested over a sit-in protest blocking a street. But elsewhere -- from Atlanta to Houston, New Orleans, Detroit or Baltimore -- the marches passed off without trouble. Fresh protests were planned Saturday in at least half a dozen cities including Seattle, Indianapolis and what was dubbed a "Weekend of Rage" in Philadelphia. Obama is to visit Dallas early next week in a bid to appease tensions and chart a way forward following the Dallas ambush, and the police shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, captured in now-viral video footage. Leaders from across the US spectrum have spoken out in a spirit of appeasement after a week of violence that graphically highlighted America's racial challenges. They include prominent members of the Republican Party, which has often jumped to the defense of law enforcement in the face of accusations of racial bias. "It is more dangerous to be black in America," Newt Gingrich, a Republican former House speaker tipped as a possible White House running mate for Donald Trump, said in an interview on Facebook Live. "Sometimes it's difficult for whites to appreciate how real that is. It's an everyday danger." Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio had a similar message, issuing a statement saying: "Those of us who are not African American will never fully understand the experience of being black in America." "As Americans, we are wounded by all of these deaths," Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday, echoing Obama's message that black lives matter -- and so do "blue" lives, those of police officers. "It's on all of us to stand up, to speak out about disparities in our criminal justice system -- just as it's on all of us to stand up for the police who protect us in our communities every day," he said. The Dallas ambush marked the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Police were set further on edge as it emerged several officers had been targeted across the country from individuals apparently angered at the recent fatal shootings. In Tennessee Thursday a man opened fire on a hotel and a highway, killing a woman, grazing a police officer with a bullet and wounding several others. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the gunman "may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers." And in Racine, Wisconsin, police said a 43-year-old man was arrested over threatening social media posts that read: "I encourage every Black man in America to strap up... I encourage every white officer to kiss there (sic) love ones goodbye." Described to police as a "loner," the Dallas gunman served as a US Army reservist for six years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan and had no criminal record. While the White House has ruled out any link between Johnson and known "terrorist organizations," the gunman's Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. He told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at his home and were scouring his journal and social media posts to understand what drove him to mass murder. Search Keywords: Short link: The seemingly daily drumbeat of news of disastrous citizen-police interactions makes it clear that there is a real crisis today in policing in America. If you doubt it, search the words police violence on YouTube or Google and youll see what lots of our citizens have been seeing for a long time. A cottage industry has grown up around chronicling and counting these incidents, from the Cato Institutes National Police Misconduct Reporting Project toblog The Watch, written by Radley Balko, author ofThis is not about a few bad cops or a few bad police departments. The problems we are seeing are systemic, and at some point we should no longer be shocked when a new revelation or disturbing video comes to light.Few understand this as well as Norm Stamper. A cop for 34 years, which included stints as chief of police in San Diego and Seattle, Stamper has spent his career working to help police live up to ideals for policing in a democracy. In addition to dozens of op-eds and lectures, he has written two books, 2005sand, which was published last month. Both books provide a sympathetic insight into the challenges faced by individual police officers and the organizations they work for. But they also provide solid recommendations for how to make things better.Stamper examines the larger social context in which the police operate -- the war on drugs, the proliferation of guns and the continued legacy of racism -- and offers ideas on each: Decriminalize most drugs, enact the strongest possible gun control laws, and train white male cops to recognize and manage their fear of black men. He also makes the case that we should hire far more women as police. He thinks women should make up half of our police forces, up from the current 12 percent.A theme that runs through both books is the idea of the peoples police. Stamper argues that effective policing is co-produced by citizens and police working together, with the citizens as the senior partner. They, he writes, can and should be involved in every aspect of policing, from hiring through training to disciplinary procedures. And he thinks the federal government should set standards for policing and proactively enforce them.As Stamper notes, citing areport from 2015, payouts by city and county governments for police misconduct are estimated at about a billion dollars a year. That, and untold costs in the broader economy and in our struggle to create the kinds of communities we want to live in, ought to compel us to pay attention to Stampers thoughtful and constructive counsel. Cockpit protection may not make its debut in 2017 after all, following the debut of the updated 'Halo 2' prototype at Silverstone. Now positioned further forwards to prevent a driver's head from striking the titanium-based structure in a crash, the revised version was given its maiden outing on Friday by Sebastian Vettel. "My feeling with it was not great," the Ferrari driver is quoted by Brazil's UOL. "I think the impact in terms of visibility is quite a lot." Indeed, the FIA met with F1 technical bosses on Wednesday at Silverstone and was met with a sceptical atmosphere, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. One new fear is that in the event of a T-bone style crash, Halo "could act like a guillotine", Force India's Andy Green is quoted as saying. It is understood Red Bull's Christian Horner is calling for a strategy group vote on the issue before the summer break, with Auto Motor und Sport believing a delay until 2018 is currently the most likely outcome. The German report, meanwhile, added that 'Halo 3' will now need to be developed. (GMM) Greek's flamboyant former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis may no longer have the perhaps thankless task of fronting Greek attempts to resolve its debt crisis -- but a cartoon version has him still socking it to the Eurocrats. Cartoon fans have seized on a strip depicting Varoufakis as a superhero standing up for Athens in its Brussels battle for financial survival as he looks to slay the "minotaur" of austerity -- with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble cast in the role of villain. Leftist academic and economist Varoufakis, author of "The Global Minotaur", a book looking at the root causes of the global economic crisis, gave his assent to his portrayal in a strip which has sold more than 3,000 copies since going on sale last week. It's not the first time either Varoufakis or indeed Schaueble have been portrayed at cartoonish loggerheads -- Germany-based satirist-artist Kostas Koufogiorgos once had Schaeuble order the then Greek minister to tuck his shirt in "so I can see you've really tightened your belt". In Greek mythology, the minotaur was a half-man, half-bull monster which devoured ritual offerings of young boys and maidens. It was eventually slain by the hero Theseus. Varoufakis resigned just over a year ago in the belief that stepping down would help Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras strike a better deal for Greece with foreign creditors. But he also quit after conflict with Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who presides over the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers. Last year, German television portrayed the Greek as a Terminator-type figure in "V for Varoufakis" and now the comic strip, titled "Wow", depicts a meeting with Dijsselbloem. After the Dutchman -- also featured in the cartoon strip -- accused him of destroying EU efforts to resolve Greece's debt crisis Varoufakis retorted simply when they met: "Wow." Varoufakis is now active in a pan-European pro-democracy movement, DIEM 25, urging greater transparency in the European Union. Chryssa Ariadni Kousela, who created the cartoon strip, told Greek media that Varoufakis had not only given permission to be featured but had also sent four handwritten scripts which were reproduced in facsimile form at the end of the comic. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Jenson Button has given the biggest hint yet that he could be on the way out at McLaren-Honda. The F1 veteran joined the Woking team in 2010 but McLaren now seems to be planning for the future and a race seat for Stoffel Vandoorne in 2017. "I'm happy with my drivers," team boss Eric Boullier said at Silverstone, when asked what his fantasy driver lineup would be. "I've got Stoffel on the wing as well, so Stoffel," he added. Button, 36, is linked with a potential return to Williams, where his career began in 2000, but he said at Silverstone that he also sees a future in rallycross or professional triathlon. He indicated that his time at McLaren-Honda is now nearing its end. "If I am racing next year, I will only be racing if I am in a car that is competitive," said Button. "I have enjoyed the (Honda) journey the last year and a half but there is a point where you feel you have done enough and you can't give any more to the project to help it move forward," the Briton added. "Hopefully, a little further into this season we (McLaren-Honda) will see where we are and hopefully it will be a good place to be, or somewhere else is a good place to be and I can challenge for podiums or victories." (GMM) F1's governing body is apparently unmoved by arguments its new clampdown on pit-to-driver radio communication should be relaxed. World champion Lewis Hamilton struggled with an engine issue in Baku that could not be swiftly resolved because the team was forbidden to tell him how to fix it. And in Austria, not only did Sergio Perez suffer an exploded brake disk because he didn't know it was overheating, but the controversial clash between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was triggered by the latter's overheated brakes. It is believed the latest issues have resulted in talks between the teams and the FIA, with one argument being that the radio clampdown has now become a safety issue. "There were discussions between the teams and the FIA and seeking either some more freedom on this or clarification and the FIA has been clear that they will not change their position," confirmed McLaren boss Eric Boullier. (GMM) Williams' two drivers say a new contract for Kimi Raikkonen does not affect their own next moves in F1. Williams deputy boss Claire Williams said at Silverstone that the uncertainty about Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa's futures will continue for now. "We are evaluating our options," she said. "As you'd expect those conversations are going on behind closed doors and when we're ready to make an announcement we will, but I don't foresee that being the next few races," Williams added. Finn Bottas has been linked with Ferrari for two 'silly seasons' in succession, but on Friday the Italian team said it is keeping Raikkonen for 2017. "They have made their decision and it's good for Kimi," Bottas is quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper. "Of course, I'm at Williams now so it doesn't affect me." Bottas denied that he had ever been in talks with Ferrari. Also uncertain is Massa's future at Williams, with Jenson Button strongly linked with the Brazilian veteran's seat for 2017. Massa answered "no" when asked if the Raikkonen news has any impact on him. "I think they analysed Kimi's performance and could not find anyone who could clearly do a better job than Kimi. So that's good for him," Massa told Brazil's UOL. (GMM) News that Kimi Raikkonen is staying at Ferrari in 2017 was hailed on all sides in the Silverstone paddock. Some, however, questioned Ferrari's ambition in re-signing the 36-year-old Finn when the younger Sergio Perez, Romain Grosjean or Valtteri Bottas were apparently all keen. But lead Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel welcomed the news. "I think it was the right call," he said. "We know our primary target is to catch up so we need to be all aligned and pushing in the same direction. With Kimi, there is no politics. We put our own egos aside, which is good for the team." Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, meanwhile, said Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne gave the new deal his seal of approval that has taken "pressure" off Raikkonen's shoulders. "We are looking for the interests of the team and the interest of the team was not looking for another driver but concentrating on car development," he said. "We have two good drivers so that was not an issue for us, so we remove all the pressure from the shoulders of Kimi in taking this decision," Arrivabene added. Indeed, Raikkonen seemed relieved that his extended contract would now stop the rumours. "I don't think it changes the way we work, but everything will be a little easier because they will finally stop asking me questions about the contract," he said. Finally, F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart also backed Ferrari's call. "Kimi knows how to drive, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes, he knows how to get onto the podium and he knows how to win," the former triple world champion told Finland's MTV. "If they had taken a younger person, it would have been a less balanced team. He gets along very well with Vettel, they're a good pairing at Ferrari and so this is the logical answer. "I'm not sure if he can be champion again - I think his time has passed for that. But he is still a top driver who does a fantastic job," Stewart added. (GMM) Gambia's President Yayha Jammeh announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years. In Tanzania, the high court imposed a landmark ruling outlawing marriage under the age of 18 for boys and girls. Some 30% of underage girls are married in The Gambia, while in Tanzania the rate is 37%. Before the Tanzania ruling, girls as young as 14 could marry with parental consent, while it was 18 for boys. The BBC's Tulanana Bohela in Dar es Salaam says this is a big win for child rights groups and activists, who will now have an easier time rescuing girls from child marriage. The case was brought by lobby group Msichana Initiative. Gambia's President speaking at the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan, said parents and imams who perform the ceremonies would also face prison. "If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see," he warned. Women's rights campaigners have welcomed the ban, however some say that it would be better to engage with local communities to try to change attitudes towards child marriage instead of threatening families with prison sentences, "I don't think locking parents up is the answer... it could lead to a major backlash and sabotage the ban," Isatou Jeng of the women's rights organisation Girls Agenda told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the Gambian capital, Banjul. In December last year, Mr Jammeh also outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM), with a prison sentence of up to three years for those that ignored the ban. He said the practice had no place in Islam or in modern society. Three-quarters of women in the mostly Muslim country have had the procedure, according to Unicef. On paper it was already theatrical TNT. One of the hottest directors in the world and some of France's greatest stage actors in a play warning about the slide into dangerous political populism. And "The Damned" has not disappointed. Ivo van Hove's powerful adaptation of Luchino Visconti's 1969 film about the insidious rise of fascism opened the Avignon festival in France last week to rave reviews, with critics from the right and left rising to hail it as "sublime, unforgettable, chilling triumph". With Europe reeling from Britain's vote to leave the EU after an ugly campaign sometimes marked by anti-foreigner feeling, and political strongmen on the rise across the continent, the play shows how even the most sophisticated societies can slip into dictatorship. Van Hove -- who won this year's Tony award for best director for his "A View from the Bridge" after sell-out runs on Broadway and in London's West End -- said it was no accident that he chose to bring "The Damned" to the stage now. "We see everywhere in Europe but also in America and across the world a rise in populism and the extreme right," he told AFP. "You have to start to think when a politician or a head of state urges us to follow such impulses, such deep feelings." The Belgian-born master tells the story of how the Essenbecks, a family of German industrialists -- a thinly-veiled reference to the Krupps dynasty -- are seduced and used by the Nazis. "The play shows very clearly how a society which was thought of as a pinnacle of progress, culture and democracy can give its consent to barbarity," said Denis Podalydes, one of its stellar cast drawn from France's most celebrated company, the Comedie Francaise. It is the first time the troupe, which usually performs the French classics of Racine and Moliere in Paris, has graced the huge summer festival in the south of the country for nearly a quarter of a century. And it is rarely been deployed with such cinematic or technological elan, with von Hove setting a cameraman to prowl among the actors to catch close ups of key moments, which are then shown on screens on the massive outdoor stage in the courtyard of the Palace of the Popes. In a telling twist, Von Hove even turns the lens on the audience after each Nazi murder as if to ask, "And you, what would you have done?" "I wanted the audience to feel very close to what was happening, to be in the characters' skins," said the director, who worked with David Bowie in the last weeks of the rock legend's life this year to stage his musical "Lazarus" in New York. Some critics saw in the bloody finale to "The Damned" as a clear reference to the Bataclan massacre, in which jihadist gunmen driven by an equally extreme ideology killed 90 people in the worst of the November 13 Paris attacks. Whatever the intent, all praised what the French daily Le Monde hailed "a grave triumph which rises to its subject, a chilling, grandiose spectacle that is never cold." "The Damned" is only one of a number of plays about the rise of extremism at the Avignon festival, which is celebrating its 70th year as one of the world's greatest theatre gatherings. Another theatrical big hitter, Polish director Krystian Lupa, is taking on Europe's "old demons" in "Heroes' Square" by the late great Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard. With the Alpine country to vote in a new presidential poll in October after the far-right lost by a tiny margin in May's disputed election, the tragedy tells of a professor who flees Nazi-run Vienna only to kill himself on his return after the war because its lessons have not been learnt. Lupa said he was drawn to the play because of the "new wave of xenophobia and anti-Semitism across Europe". He said he feared the continent was "turning away from the humanist progress" of the postwar period. And in what is billed as a police-type thriller "Tristesses" ("Sadnesses"), the Belgian writer-director Anne-Cecile Vandalem sets out to investigated how anti-democratic political parties have taken hold in northern Europe on the back of a "resurgence in nationalism". Meanwhile, the millions of people alienated by politics are explored in "Those who Stray are not Wrong" by the young French playwrights Kevin Keiss et Maelle Poesy. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Volkswagen will also agree to significant injunctive terms to deter future misconduct, including a new requirement that Volkswagen contractors and employees report to the California Attorney Generals office any request for or use of defeat devices. The agreement, which is subject to court approval, represents the largest amount of money recovered by the state of California from an automaker and resolves certain aspects of the California Attorney Generals claims against Volkswagen under Californias Unfair Competition Law as well as the Dodd-Frank Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010. California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced that, in addition to the historic $14.7-billion settlement with Volkswagen announced last week ( earlier post ), the company will also pay California $86 million in civil penalties as part of a second partial settlement over the companys use of defeat devices to evade emissions testing in its diesel vehicles. California will secure $1.18 billion from the initial $14.7-billion settlement. Of the $86 million in penalties, the Attorney General will direct $10 million in grants to local government agencies or academic institutions to research and develop technology to detect defeat devices and better assess on-road emissions, as well as to monitor, model, and mitigate the environmental and public health impacts of vehicle emissions, especially on children and other vulnerable populations. As part of the initial $14.7-billion agreement, Volkswagen agreed to spend an estimated $10 billion to compensate consumers and buy back or modify hundreds of thousands of its polluting cars; pay $2.7 billion into a trust fund for environmental mitigation projects; and spend $2 billion over 10 years on zero-emission technology. Of the $4.7 billion in mitigation funding and investments, $1.18 billion will come to California ($800 million in zero-emissions technology investments and $380 million for environmental mitigation projects in the state). The new partial settlement relates to Volkswagens 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel vehicles that deployed defeat devices to deceive regulators and consumers about levels of harmful emissions. An estimated 86,000 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel vehicles were sold or leased in California between 2009 and 2015. The settlement preserves Californias potential criminal claims and claims for additional civil penalties and injunctive relief under state environmental laws, as well as the Attorney Generals claims for consumer relief and environmental mitigation related to the 3.0 liter vehicles. In addition to the $86 million in civil penalties, Volkswagen agrees to strict injunctive terms as part of the settlement, including: Prohibitions on false and deceptive advertising. Affirmatively disclosing defeat devices in certification applications and other submissions to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Notifying the California Attorney Generals office and CARB of whistleblower and other complaints. Requiring Volkswagen contractors and employees who are designing engine control units or engine control software to report to the California Attorney Generals office and to CARB any request for or use of defeat devices, and to keep accurate records of software features and changes that could be used as defeat devices. Provide the California Attorney Generals office with reports of any violations, along with periodic reports regarding its efforts to implement the injunction and effectiveness of those efforts. The consent decree was filed today in US District Court, Northern District of California. Henrik Christensen, one of the most influential robotics researchers in the world, is joining the University of California San Diego. He will direct the UC San Diego Contextual Robotics Institute and serve as a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Christensen is leaving his post as executive director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the Georgia Institute of Technology to come to UC San Diego. As the faculty director of the Contextual Robotics Institute at UC San Diego, Christensen said he plans to help the more than 50 faculty members in the Institute boost research efforts; expand partnerships with industry; build educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate level; and create new robotics outreach programs for kids. In 2011, Christensen was awarded the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award, widely considered the worlds most prestigious robotics honor. UC San Diego officially launched the Contextual Robotics Institute in October 2015 at the second annual Contextual Robotics Forum. The institute is a partnership of the Jacobs School of Engineering and the Division of Social Sciences, with the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute, which has committed 3,500 square feet of space in its headquarters building, Atkinson Hall, to house parts of the Institute. The mission of UC San Diegos interdisciplinary Contextual Robotics Institute is to develop safe, useful and human-friendly robotics systems that are deeply integrated with how humans live. Christensen said he plans to double research funding for the institute in the next five years. Over the past three decades, Christensen has established a track record of leading robotics institutes and bringing them to the forefront of the robotics field. Ten years ago, he took over the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech. The institute quadrupled its funding during that time and rose to one of the top three robotics programs in the nation. He had similar success building up the Center for Autonomous Systems at Swedens KTH Royal Institute of Technology as well as the EU Network of Excellence in Robotics. Christensen is a leader in the setting of national policy for the field of robotics and has testified before Congress on the subject. He is the head of a nationwide effort to draft a robotics roadmap for the future and explore the fields potential to transform US society via new markets and industries; create new jobs; and address issues of national importance. He served as the founding chairman of the European Robotics Research Network, now a community of more than 230 research groups in academia and industry. Christensen's own research covers computer vision, artificial intelligence and robotics, and his primary emphasis has been on a systems-oriented approach to machine perception, robotics and design of intelligent machines. He has worked with a number of industry partners, including Boeing, KUKA, iRobot, BMW and Apple. Christensen has published more than 300 works in the field of robotics, vision and artificial intelligence. He and his team seek solutions that are theoretically sound, with well-defined implementations that can be evaluated in realistic situations. In addition to the 300+ journal articles and conference papers, Christensen has published more than 30 book chapters and at least 15 books (as editor or co-editor). He also serves on six editorial boards of leading publications in robotics and pattern recognition, and is the editor in chief of Trends and Foundations in Robotics. In 2013 Christensen was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and later a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) in 2015. Christensen was initially trained in mechanical engineering and worked subsequently with MAN/BW Diesel. He earned a masters and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Aalborg University in Denmark, in 1987 and 1990, respectively. Californias Environmental Justice Advisory Committee ( EJAC ) is launching a series of statewide meetings to provide residents with the opportunity to meet with local advocates and state officials to share concerns and to provide input on addressing air pollution and how to help California meet its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32); Stats. 2006, chapter 488) created a comprehensive, multi-year program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in California. AB 32 requires the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to convene an environmental justice advisory committee to advise it in developing the Scoping Plan and any other pertinent matter in implementing AB 32. The EJAC consists of representatives from communities in the state with the most significant exposure to air pollution, including those with minority or low-income populations. The statewide meetings are being organized by the EJAC with the help of the ARB. The goal of these meetings is to get input on the states Climate Change Action Plan, also known as the Scoping Plan, that is currently being developed to cut greenhouse gases 40% by 2030. Development of the Scoping Plan is a central requirement of AB 32. The plan is built on the principle that a balanced mix of strategies is the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and grow the economy in a clean and sustainable direction. Each meeting will feature a Gallery Walk showcasing large informational posters as well as World Cafe sessions in which groups will discuss specific subjects related to Californias Climate Change Action Plan. Meetings will be held in San Bernardino (Monday, July 11); San Diego (Thursday, July 14); Oakland (Tuesday, July 19); Wilmington (Monday, July 25); South Los Angeles (Tuesday, July 26); Fresno, Modesto, and Bakersfield (Thursday, July 28); and Sacramento (Friday, July 29). Meetings are also planned to be held this Fall in additional locations. So, in a sense, the news that shale producers are launching more drilling rigs is not really news at all. It was expected, the companies themselves said they are ready to start ramping-up production as soon as prices reach some more reasonable level. Whats new, perhaps, is Morgan Stanleys warning that production from the new wells being drilled could prompt a reversal of forecasts that U.S. crude production is falling and will continue to fall. In an industry where anything could happen, surprisesoften unwelcomeare hard to come by. Oil is exactly such an industry at the moment. No one is sure where oil is heading, near-tem forecasts range from $20 to $80 per barrel by the end of the year, and there are just too many wild cards on the scene. Morgan Stanley commodity strategist Adam Longson, who led the team that researched the situation, said that this reversal carries a downside risk for oil prices. According to Longsons team, The rig count in the highest initial production counties of the Permian Midland continues to march higher and is not far from its 2015 peak. Thats impressive on its own, but the other thing thats new is where all these new rigs are concentrated: in high-yield fields. This means that the ramp-up could be pretty significant. As Forbes author Art Berman wittily notes, rigs dont produce oil, wells produce oil. Whats more, even a decline in the rig count does not necessarily signal a respective decline in output. On the contrary, as a Baker Hughes figure shows, while rigs have been in steady and sharp decline since 2014, the number of wells continued to climb throughout the period to February 2016. Things may have stalled for a bit after prices tanked below $30, but now that they have recovered, shale boomers are eager to start pumping more. And prices, of course, reacted to drop well below that dream price level of $50. It wasnt just the rig count that drove them down; to be fair, Brexit had a central role, but that doesnt negate the effect of the higher rig count. Oil producers in the shale patch are aware that they are walking a very fine line. Yet, they dont really have a lot of options. Talk about rising drilling efficiency and official data that supports it doesnt pay down debt, and this is what shale boomers have in abundance. What they dont have is space for maneuvering as lenders tighten credit. Basically, they cant continue to curb production, but they must be very careful by how much they increase it. Its a precarious situation. All that shale boomers can do is continue to work on efficiency and hope that the Brexit fallout subsides quickly. Irina is a writer for the US-based Divergente LLC consulting firm with more than a decade of experience in writing on the oil and gas industry. Link to original article: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Morgan-Stanley-Warns-That-Rising-Rig-Count-Could-Undo-The-Rally.html I respectfully disagree with today's letter writer who suggested the News & Record decline to print "religiously biased letters." Of course, such selection would require subjective judgments. More importantly, if applied to some of our great historical issues abolition, civil rights, opposition to war that policy would have silenced many voices who have claimed their moral authority on the strength of their religious beliefs. Feel free to insert the contemporary issue of your choice in which your point of view may be informed by your understanding of a higher law. If I had lived in the early years of our Republic and wanted to compose a letter to the editor arguing against slavery, I would cite the Bible. Yes, many people say the Bible condones slavery. Certainly, slavery was practiced uncritically by some of the Old Testament's most venerated figures. But I would use as my authority Paul's letter to Philemon found in the New Testament. This brief essay intended to be read by a wider congregation and perhaps the entire church is the most powerful piece of persuasive writing that I know. And it is infused with the Christian ethic. Paul calls on his friend Philemon, who owes him his life, to set free a slave named Onesimus who has run away and come to Paul. The letter is packed with clever devices sure to put irresistible pressure on Philemon, but at the heart of it is a message about the true worth of a fellow human being: "Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord." The Bible and other religious texts aren't always employed for such noble purposes, but they often convey truths and wisdom that strike me as beyond human ingenuity. I could cite more examples, but suffice it to say, N&R letter writers are welcome to share their own with our readers. Activities McDonalds of the Triad and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina recently delivered 100 Happy Meals to children at the Hayes-Taylor YMCA in Greensboro. The donation was a result of a Buy One Share One campaign held in June. Ronald McDonald made an appearance during the event. *** Subaru of America and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society recently delivered 60 blankets and messages of hope to the Cone Health Cancer Center for distribution among its patients. Visitors to Subaru dealerships were given the chance to share personalized messages of hope to patients in their local communities, which were delivered alongside the blankets. Subaru and LLS are raising awareness about the need to find cancer cures and ensure patients have access to lifesaving treatments. LLSs network of 56 chapters has joined with Subarus dealers across the country to deliver over 30,000 blankets and messages of hope. Grants The Old North Canine Rescue is the recipient of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Adoption Ambassador Grant. The ASPCA award of $2,000 will help fund spay/neuter surgeries, vetting, supplies, and shelter fees. Also, through Dec. 31, the ONCR will recruit Adoption Ambassadors near North Carolinas most desperate shelter locations. These ambassadors are individuals who are willing and able to save dogs and puppies from their local shelters, promote them for adoption, and help find their forever homes. ONCR is hoping to save an additional 50 dogs during the six-month grant period. For information, visit www.oldnorthcanine.com/ASPCAAdoptionAmbassadors. *** The North Carolina Community Foundation is accepting grant applications through Aug. 9 for projects funded from its Statewide Womens Fund. Grant funds are available for nonprofit organizations that sponsor programming that supports women and/or families, with particular emphasis on womens health and leadership issues. Programs must serve areas within the NCCF service area. Grant amounts typically range from $1,000 to $3,000. To obtain an application, visit nccommunityfoundation.org. For information, contact NCCF Director of Grants and Scholarships Leslie Ann Jackson at lajackson@nccommunityfoundation.org. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak up. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Greensboro City Councilwoman Sharon Hightower boycotted the graduation ceremony for new firefighters. Out of the 18 new recruits, only one was black. She suggested that the community must encourage minorities to apply for positions. I totally disagree with her. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way. If you dont, you will find excuses. Some of the recruits didnt do well on the agility tests, written exams and other skill tests; some just dropped out. Hightower gives the impression that those who didnt make it were discriminated against. She wasnt just seeing smoke; she was blowing smoke. Please dont start a fire you cant put out. Shirley Wright Greensboro MAYODAN What makes the United States of America unique is ingrained in our history. Its core is the values and ideals that separate it as the greatest sovereign nation in the world; a strength that has always been built around the power of a united people. That was evident on July 3, as local citizens, active and retired service veterans of all branches, family of those that served, and church members of Woodbine Baptist Church gathered as one to remember, honor, and remind others of the sacrifices made to protect our freedom. For the 10 straight years, God Bless America Day has provided a service to the town of Mayodan and its surrounding communities. A tradition that took root after Marilyn Swinson, the committee chairmen for the event, felt touched by God Bless America Day herself. After witnessing her son Tim take her husband Nick a veteran of the Air Force to a service at Parkwood Baptist Church in Concord. Since then, Woodbine has added its own touch to make its event unique, things like the Hall of Honor, which recognized over a hundred local veterans of several foreign wars, with various periodicals and pictures, accompanied by military artifacts provided by the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County. On Sunday, every spoken word, presentation, song verse, and military protocol performed by the Morehead JROTC, helped remind partakers of the human backbone of freedom: the United States veteran. An unknown author once said that a veteran is someone who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America, for an amount up to and including their life, said retired 1st Lt. Zack Reynolds of the U.S. Army, who delivered the guest address at Sundays God Bless America Day. It is the veteran, not the preacher, that has given us freedom of religion. Its the veteran, not the reporter, that has given us freedom of the press. It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to assemble. It is the veteran, not the politician, that has given us the right to vote. It is the veteran that salutes the flag, and who serves under the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag. Reynolds is a career veteran of the U.S. Army and North Carolina National Guard. A recipient of the Bronze Star, National Defense Service Award, Vietnam Service Medal and the North Carolina Meritorious Service Award. The former Morehead High School JROTC leader made sure to take time to honor the veterans of Rockingham County during his keynote speech. He also reminded those in attendance that action speaks louder than words of thankfulness. Its not enough just to say thanks for your sacrifice or here is a free meal once a year, said Reynolds. We must work all year long to see that our veterans are taken care of. We must take full receipt for our Disabled veterans -- who should never lose their compensation. Our veterans do not deserve red tape -- foot-dragging or buck-passing. They deserve to get high quality medical care at no expense to their family or them. Dr. Thane Barnes, the senior pastor at Woodbine Baptist Church, was raised in the home of a patriot. His father served in World War II. Barnes remembers how common it was to come home as a youngster and hear the great John Phillip Sousa and the United States Marine Band blaring over the family stereo. His dad playing along with his trombone or trumpet to The Stars and Stripes Forever, the national march of the United States of America. I love this country, Barnes said to a congregation full of veterans, community leaders, and fellow patriots. I love the freedom that we have to even be assembled here, doing what we are doing, without one iota of fear. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. His closing remarks were based on those nine words, a verse found in the book of Psalms, the first Bible verse that Barnes ever memorized. If a nation begins to drift away from its recognition of the lordship of God, we begin to go off on tangents in all sorts of directions. I dont remember a time in my life where people were as fearful as they are today. Yet the answer is so close. The answer is right here. The answer is turning as a nation, to the God that created us. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A new study by the American Cancer Society has found a link between radon gas commonly found in Fairfield County homes and blood cancer in women. The first of its kind research shows that women living in high radon areas have a 63 percent greater chance of contracting blood cancer than those in an area with low levels of the odorless gas. Radon is naturally produced in bedrock with high levels of radioactive material, such as uranium, and can enter a home through the air or water. Radon has long been known to cause lung cancer, especially among smokers. Radon is already associated with lung cancer, and if other studies confirm the link to blood cancers, we think it would warrant strengthened public health efforts to mitigate residential radon risks, said Lauren Teras, a researcher with the cancer society. High concentrations of radon are common in coastal Fairfield County, particularly in towns such Greenwich, because of the geology under homes. Radon levels can vary from street to street, and town to town, depending on whats underground. More Information Radon facts Oderless gas produced by radioactive decay of uranium in soil Known to cause lung cancer American Cancer Society study finds link to blood cancer in women Connecticut radon concentrations by county: Source: Radon.com, based test results from test kits sold by Air Check, Inc Federal Environmental Protection Agency recomends mitigation actions if radon levels reach 4 picocuries per liter or more Windham: 31 percent of tests above 4 picocuries per liter Fairfield County: 29 percent Litchfield County: 28 percent New London: 28 percent New Haven County: 26 percent Toland County: 23 percent Hartford County: 18 percent Middlesex County: 16 percent See More Collapse Fairfield County has the second highest radon levels in the state, according to Air Check Inc., which sells radon testing kits and mitigation systems. Air Checks results show 29 percent of Fairfield County homes contain more than 4 picocuries of radon gas per liter of sample. The federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends mitigation action for levels above 4 picocuries per liter, which include installing ventilation and water filtration systems. Windham County has the highest radon levels, with 31 percent of tests coming in over the federal threshold, according to Air Check. Litchfield and New London Counties have levels 28 percent over four picocuries. Its the kind of geology you are sitting on, said Douglas Serafin, director the Greenwich environmental laboratory, referring to what influences radon concentrations. In Greenwich about half of the tests are above 4.5 picocuries. An estimated 1 in 3 homes statewide have elevated levels of radon, experts say. Blood cancer The cancer society research is the first population based study to link residential radon and hematologic, or blood, cancer in woman. There was no such association among men, the cancer society said. The analysis included 140,652 participants of which 3,019 contracted hematologic cancers during 19 years of follow-up. They found women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentration had a statistically significant 63 percent higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest radon levels, the cancer society said in a release outlining the results. They also found evidence of a dose-response relationship, the society said. Allison Sullivan, a state Department of Public Health environmental analyst, said the study is interesting for sure but does not change the health departments main focus regarding radon. We know radon poses a health risk, Sullivan said. [The public health department] suggests to all Connecticut residents that they test their homes for radon and reduce radon when levels are found to be elevated. Radon measurement should be done in the winter months and radon mitigation should be installed by a qualified professional. Sullivan said about 21,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused by radon, she noted. Women at risk The cancer society urged caution when evaluating the results of its study. The overall lifetime risk of hematological cancers in the United States is about 2 percent, so even a 60 percent relative increase would still mean a relatively small absolute risk, Teras said. Researchers say more than 171,000 new cases of hematologic cancer, and more than 58,000 deaths, are expected in the United States in 2016. Blood cancers are the most expensive cancers to treat in terms of quality of life and years gained. The cancer society said men may have a higher baseline risk for blood cancer, possibly because of more exposure to occupational or other risk factors, which reduces the impact of any additional risk from residential radon. For women, who have a smaller baseline risk, residential radon exposure might be a larger contributor to overall risk, the cancer society said. Another reason may be that the women of this generation spent more time in their homes, so had more residential exposure than men. Levels vary Norwalk Public Health Director Timothy Callahan said the city does not have as large a radon problem as other communities. He said the health department offered cheap test kits to determine radon levels but few residents responded so the program was dropped. It has not been a big problem for us, Callahan said, referring to radon levels. Callahan was not aware of the cancer society study but was intrigued by the results. This is brand new to me, he said. Serafin said Greenwich health officials do about 200 radon tests a year. We find the rate is usually a little over the EPA action level. It can be up to 25 picocuries, although thats rare. It hovers around 3.5 picocuries. He said one of the worst towns in the state for radon is Sterling in Windham County. Its on radioactive bedrock, he said. In Greenwich, radon is more highly concentrated in the southern portions of the town and Cos Cobb, Serafin said.We urge people to test their homes. Public health experts said testing for radon is cheap and easy, and mitigation action usually costs between $1,000 and$1,500. Systems to remove airborne radon generally involve placing a pump and a fan in a homes concrete slab, or installing indoor ventilation systems. The only way to know whether radon is a problem in a home is to test that home, Sullivan said. Radon is a serious health threat, but it can be easily fixed. Hire a qualified radon mitigation contractor to install a radon reduction system in your home if your radon level is equal to or above four picocuries. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH - Black Ducks used to speckle beaches and shorelines all up and down the Eastern coast of North America. Over the past 60 years, those speckles have been disappearing. Scientists know that the Black Ducks are not a conservation success story. Like so many other threatened species, the problem is disappearing habitat. Now Ducks Unlimited, a non-profit focused on waterfowl conservation in North America, is planning to study which habitat in Connecticut the ducks are choosing with the help of drones. If successful, that land can be preserved and protected and the strategy could be used with other migratory bird species. Being able to pinpoint ducks and track them could lead conservationists to troves of more frequent, accurate and useful data with ease, they said. Counting birds from the ground is difficult because they can get into vegetation and creeks and can be hard to see, said Pat Devers, science coordinator for the Black Duck Joint Venture of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We think a UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) may help us with that, but we are not sure. That is why we are testing the technology. Ducks Unlimited has partnered with Black Duck Joint Venture, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and The Conservation Management Institute at Virginia Tech University to track Black Ducks in Connecticut beginning this winter. A declining population According to the Ducks Unlimited website, black ducks are similar in size to mallards and resemble female mallards but with darker plumage. The head is a slightly lighter brown than the darker brown body, but the duck gets its name from its iridescent violet-blue feathers with black margins that look black from a distance. According to the U.S. Geological Survey of waterfowl done in 2010, about 822,000 breeding Black Ducks were counted from the upper Mississippi River across to the northeastern United States, north through northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and across Ontario and the eastern Canadian provinces, with the highest breeding densities found in Maine and Nova Scotia. While earlier counts are harder to pinpoint, scientists who study waterfowl said evidence showed a decline of Black Ducks in the 1950s that continued until the population plateaued in the 1980s. Black Ducks are hardy birds. Like other migratory birds, they tend to fly south in the winter, but have been spotted as far north as Nova Scotia and as far south as Florida during cold weather, Devers said. There are a few pairs of breeding Black Ducks hanging out in Connecticut this time of year, but the state is mainly used in the winter by ducks that have migrated south from Eastern Canada, Devers said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife migratory bird count in 2015 listed 12 breeding pairs in Connecticut. It begins with decoys Scientists plan to begin the project by planting duck decoys in an as-yet-to-be chosen region in the state but one attractive to Black Ducks, which favor salt marshes, acid bogs, lakes, stream margins and estuary margins. A drone will fly over and photograph the decoys. Different researchers will then use the photographs to count the decoys. The known number of decoys will be compared with the number counted from the photographs to determine how accurately the images will allow researchers to count ducks. Counting American Black Ducks from the ground is tricky because they are more wary and skittish than many other species of waterfowl, said John Coluccy, manager of conservation planning at the Ducks Unlimited Atlantic regional office. As a result, scientists have been using planes and helicopters to count Black Ducks since the 1950s. But that process is expensive, and makes it difficult for conservation associations to perform more than one or two counts a year, Coluccy said. Drones have recently sprung onto the scene as a less obtrusive and far less expensive way for researchers to observe what kinds of birds are using individual small spots of land. After the up-front costs of purchasing hardware, you would basically just have to pay for charging batteries, Coluccy said. That reduced cost would allow researchers to collect data on a daily basis, Coluccy said. It would help them understand what time of year the birds are arriving, when their peak local habitation is and when they leave. Scientists can also observe what the desired habitat is to determine if the ducks have enough space to flourish. Were kind of using this as a feasibility study to test this whole technique, Coluccy said. Black Ducks are pretty wary, one of the most wary waterfowl species in North America. We want to see if this will disturb the birds. Matching drone to project Drones go by many names and acronyms, and there are many different models. The one used for the Black Duck study is a Sensefly eBee. Its wings are fixed and its made of black and yellow foam, the colors of a wasp. It looks more like a small airplane than some of the helicopter-like recreational drones you sometimes see on Connecticut beaches, said Daniel Cross, chief UAS operator at Virginia Techs Conservation Management Institute. Cross learned to fly a plane in high school, once considering a career as a pilot. He still has a pilots license, despite the career change that brought him to work in higher education. When the opportunity to fly a drone for a conservation project came up, he wanted in, he said. He programs the eBee before it leaves the ground, studying maps from the area and checking out the topography to determine the best way to identify and photograph the ducks from a distance. Cross can override the pre-programmed system with a remote control if something unplanned happens a collision with a bird or a plane flying through the area. He also has a cadre of helpers checking with him. His drone is quieter than many copter-like drones recreational fliers use, which will help it sneak up on ducks, he said. This one is a fixed wing so it has a smaller engine than a quad copter would and it has only one, Cross said. You can hear it, but relative to the quad copters most people are using, it is fairly quiet. The Federal Aviation Administration currently classifies drone use for studies like this as commercial. Regulations are tight, and Cross pilots license makes him the only one allowed to fly it. The Black Duck project isnt the first time drones have been used to observe wildlife, but it will be a chance for regional researchers to spotlight Connecticut and test whether the burgeoning drone technology can improve the ways humanity protects wildlife in the Atlantic Flyway. If the project is successful, Coluccy said, the Black Duck Connecticut team may expand its efforts to include sections of New Jersey, since the Atlantic Flyway stretches the entire length of the American Atlantic coast. A successful drone/Black Duck project could lead to the method being used up and down the Atlantic Flyway, Coluccy said, to measure all sorts of species. Min Huang, the migratory game bird program leader with the wildlife division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the drone/Black Duck project is his organizations maiden voyage using drones to count waterfowl. If we can demonstrate that using drones can give accurate counts in tight spaces, we are going to open the doors for all sorts of situations and all sorts of species, Huang said. pfrissell@heartmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss If youre a regular business traveler, as I am, you may have noticed the recent increase in travelers. If you havent, youre about to. July is the busiest travel month of the year, according to the airline industry. Schools out, families are going on vacation and business travelers are trying to squeeze in as many meetings as possible before the lull in August. Related: Business Travel 101: 3 Ways to Get the Most From Your Trip According to the Bureau of Travel Statistics, in 2014, 71.8 million people flew that year during the month of July. That was 37 percent more passengers than boarded a plane in February, the slowest month. So, if youre dreading the throngs of people clogging security lines and baggage check-in areas this month, youre not alone. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your business travel this summer. 1. Know the difference between 'non-stop' and 'direct' flights. If you thought these terms were one and the same, think again. Theyre not. A direct flight may still stop, but instead of having to switch planes, youll just stay put during the layover. If your business meeting is a quick one, always opt to fly "non-stop" instead of direct. Its a waste of your time to take a day to travel there and another day to travel back. 2. Try to score an upgrade. Once youve determined your flight itinerary, try to score an upgrade by booking an economy ticket with a Y" or B booking code.That means that since the ticket is a full fare, you will receive a complimentary upgrade if there are open spots in the next class of service. You need to request the upgrade when you book your ticket and check your status 24 hours before your flight. If youre a frequent flyer, you should hear back from your airline approximately 100 hours prior to departure. Also, dress the part. Often, airlines look for people who are well-dressed who could potentially be upgraded -- for free. Wear comfortable clothes, but do dress up a bit. You never know when your seat at the back of the plane might turn into a first-class experience. And who knows? You might end up sitting next to a potential client. 3. The early bird gets the worm. If your main goal is to avoid big families headed out on summer vacation -- like mine -- fly out as early as possible. There is a better chance of your plane already being at the gate early in the morning; and even if there are delays, youll have a better chance of getting to your destination on the same day. This is especially true if youre flying out of busy airports, such as the New York City tri-state area, Los Angeles' LAX, Chicagos OHare or even Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Related: 8 Ways You Can Do Business Travel More Comfortably -- and Cheaply 4. Develop a sound packing strategy. I know this sounds simple, but you wouldnt believe the number of times Ive sat on a plane watching someone trying to stuff a rather large carry-on suitcase into a tiny overhead compartment. Then this traveler gets mad when the flight staff says the bag(s) need to be checked. While I understand that no one likes to pay those pesky fees, you cant fault the airline when your luggage aims to defy the laws of physics. Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, you must be savvy in the packing department. In 2014, airlines earned $3.5 billion in checked baggage fees according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Thats no small feat, but there are ways to circumvent those fees. First, always pack the essentials: socks, underwear, an extra shirt or pants/skirts that can all be mixed and matched with one another. Some travelers pack two shirts for every pair of pants they pack. Me, I never leave home without my cowboy boots. I may be in the concrete jungle, but Im a cowboy at heart. Plus, whatever meeting I go to, theyll remember me as the guy in cowboy boots. Next, be sure to make room for something that makes it easier to sleep: a pillow, blanket or even sleepwear. Keep extra toiletries like toothpaste and cellphone chargers in your carry-on bag in case you need them at the airport, onboard or during that unexpected delay. And if the airline loses your luggage, at least youll have your toothbrush. 5. Dont blame the weatherman, and leave plenty of time. If you are scheduled to fly out and dont take into account the weather or traffic, you have no one to blame for yourself. Planning your trip to the airport takes as much effort as planning the deck you will be presenting during your business meeting. Airlines are getting more sophisticated about offering waivers to customers when its clear that bad weather will be passing through the area, potentially cancelling your flight. If you know bad weather is coming, check with your carrier prior to heading out to the airport. If your flight is cancelled, see if the airline is allowing passengers to change their flights. However, remember that airlines will not offer any compensation if the cancellation is due to weather issues. They have about as much control over the weather as you do. Being caught in traffic can be a maddening experience for anyone, but leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport. Even if youve booked a 6 a.m. flight, dont assume youll get to the airport in no time or that youll breeze through security. Not planning ahead can (and has) proven to cause plenty of headaches that could have been avoided had you planned ahead. Another tidbit some travelers arent privy to is that, if theres a flight delay or cancellation, airlines prioritize those passengers who purchased their tickets directly through the airline. If you purchased your tickets from a discount website, youll be bumped to the bottom of the line for re-booking. Related: Business Travel Growth Lagging Due to Global Concerns One last thing to keep in mind: Charge everything youre going to need the night before. Pack every gadget, cord and accoutrement youll be needing for your flight or meeting. Put them where you can easily access them, and never, ever board the plane with an empty battery. Not every seat/airline has an outlet you can use; and if youre flying for business, but your computer batterys dead, youll lose valuable time that you could have spent taking care of emails or getting some work done. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Haiti - Social : Of Deputies give one million gourdes from their wages On Friday, a dozen deputies of the majority (G48) members of the "Parliamentary Alliance for Haiti" (APH) have traveled to Hinche, to deliver a check for an amount of one million gourdes to those responsible for of the Ste. Therese hospital. This act of generosity fulfills a promise made by Deputy Gary Bodeau, Quaestor of the Lower House, who had promised shortly after the deadly fire at a gas pump, March 17 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16899-haiti-flash-important-fire-at-a-gas-station-heavy-toll.html to offer a portion of their salary to the families victims of the deadly fire that killed 12 people and burned 30 others to varying degrees https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16943-haiti-hinche-fire-of-the-gas-station-the-death-toll-rises.html According to the deputy Gary Bodeau, this approach besides the gesture of solidarity, is also a way to invite the State to emphasize its mission of service to the community to alleviate the most vulnerable. Dr. Prince Sonson Pierre, the Director General of hospital Ste. Therese strongly thanked parliamentarians for their promise kept. See also : www.icihaiti.com/en/news-17071-icihaiti-hinche-fire-of-the-gas-station-a-sequence-of-exceptional-events.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-17003-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16943-haiti-hinche-fire-of-the-gas-station-the-death-toll-rises.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16909-haiti-social-the-president-of-the-republic-ai-dismayed-by-the-drama-of-hinche.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16901-icihaiti-fire-hinche-message-of-sympathy-from-total-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16900-haiti-hinche-the-ministry-of-interior-made-a-provisional-assessment-of-the-fire.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16899-haiti-flash-important-fire-at-a-gas-station-heavy-toll.html TB/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Security : 13 Haitian migrants rescued at sea The Office of Public Affairs of the Embassy of the United States of America informs us that 13 illegal Haitian migrants were rescued at sea earlier this week, thanks to the joint efforts of the Maritime and Navigation Service of Haiti (SEMANAH), the Embassy of the United States and the US Coast Guard. A Haitian boat that had left Port-de-Paix for Turks and Caicos Islands began losing power and to take water before sinking halfway. The captain sent a distress signal, while he was in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, near the Bahamas. The signal was intercepted by SEMANAH and forwarded to the Maritime Rescue Coordinate Center of Miami, via a liaison officer of the Coast Guard of the Embassy of the United States Port au Prince. The US Coast Guard dispatched the ship "Escanaba" in the region as well as two helicopters from the base of the Bahamian Coast Guard and began searching. In the night, they located the 13 survivors in a rescue raft and carried out the rescue operation. The US Coast Guard dispatched a small boat for the transport of 13 people. One of the shipwrecked was transferred to the Bahamas by helicopter for medical treatment. On the morning of Thursday, July 7, 2016, the US Coast Guard have returned 12 of the 13 Haitians at the base of the Coastguard of Cap-Haitien, all safe and sound. The US government recommends that anyone who would intend to immigrate illegally to not take that risk recalling that clandestine trips are illegal and dangerous. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2016/07/08 | Source The 60th Miss Korea peasant competition was held at Peace Palace in Kyung Hee University on July 8th. Advertisement Comedian Lee Kyung-kyu and actress Son Tae-young, who is a Miss Korea winner, 2000 emceed the 2016 Miss Korea competition. Boy group SEVENTEEN (SVT) and member and f(X) member Luna performed on the stage to celebrate the event. Contestant Kim Jin-sol won the title, Miss Korea Jin 2016. Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby. 13:18, 27 OCT 2022 By Jesse Wood With the Skyline Membership Corporation announcing plans to move their Watauga County customer service center to Boone, the Town of Seven Devils sought to acquire the companys property located at the towns gateway at the intersection of N.C. 105 and Seven Devils Road. In January, the company announced its intentions to move its Watauga County office to the economic hub of the county, Boone. In February, the Seven Devils Town Council met for a general discussion of the acquisition of the Skyline property and building at 157 Seven Devils Rd, according to meeting minutes. Council then gave Mayor Larry Fontaine the authority to approach the company on behalf of the town. In March, the Seven Devils Town Council agreed that while the property would be a tremendous asset to the town the biggest hurdle would be how to purchase the property. Town Manager Debbie Powers noted that she would begin to look into grants. On Friday, Mayor Fontaine told High Country Press that the idea of purchasing that property is now off the table as Skyline representatives contacted the town a few weeks ago after their board of directors meeting in West Jefferson. We made it very clear we would certainly accept it if they wanted to give it to us, Fontaine said. They decided they would continue to own it. Its not for sale. That kind of took us out of the picture. Fontaine said the property, including seven acres and the Skyline building, is worth about $1.5 million, according to the towns due diligence. Fontaine mentioned that the town intended to use the building for its town hall and then rent off any remaining space as the building was a bit bigger than the needs of Seven Devils. He noted that the acreage was also very attractive to us to have more public land for folks to enjoy. It just didnt pan out, so well be assessing it as regular property from this point on, Fontaine said. A representative of Skyline Membership Corporation familiar with these matters wasnt available on Friday. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket Huntington, WV (25701) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 62F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. An accountant, who is alleged to have misappropriated 161,000 in charity funding, has refused to say if the cash will be returned. Greg Walsh (67) told the Herald he had requested a meeting with the auditors of Carline Learning Centre to discuss allegations made against him in the High Court. However, he refused to say if he was in a position to repay the charity. Courts "I can't discuss anything. I am meeting the auditors and that is all I can say at the moment," he said. "My legal advice is that I shouldn't say anything further as the matter is before the courts." The charity, which provides educational supports for disadvantaged teenagers, receives over 500,000 a year from the Department of Education, the HSE and other bodies. Lawyers for the charity alleged in the High Court on Wednesday that Mr Walsh (inset), a board member and treasurer, had misappropriated 161,000 through "wrongful and deceitful conduct". The court was told Mr Walsh was completely trusted to look after its books and pay its bills. But it is alleged that in 2014 he began making a series of payments to himself, his business and to other companies using the charity's chequebook. Much of this money was supposed to have been paid to the Revenue Commissioners to cover PAYE and PRSI. Alarm bells rang when with the charity's external accountants completed an audit of accounts for 2014 last September, when a number of discrepancies were uncovered. Shamed Console charity chief Paul Kelly inflated his staff numbers and overestimated his annual wages bill by nearly 116,000 in a bid to dupe the HSE into giving him bigger payouts. His elaborate accounting hoax - exposed in an unpublished audit - led him to provide wildly different sets of annual accounts to various agencies. Accounts provided to the HSE, as part of his application for generous funding for the suicide bereavement charity in 2012, show he claimed to have seven staff and a salary cost of 368,074. But in the same year his accounts submitted to the Companies Registration Office (CRO) said he had seven staff and his outgoings on salaries came to 252,200. He told the HSE his administration costs that year were as low as 45,633 - giving the clear impression that as much funding as possible was devoted to frontline services. But the CRO document reveals they were more than three times higher, at 161,487. The pattern of false accounting was repeated in other years, according to the unpublished HSE audit carried out last year into Console's finances. The extent of his deceit comes as health officials and interim chief executive David Hall drew up plans to shut down Console and transfer its helpline and counselling services to other organisations, with the majority of the work to be provided by Pieta House. Some 300 people who were receiving bereavement counselling after losing a loved one to suicide will be offered the alternative service, while 12 staff will lose their jobs. The UK Charity Commission, which has frozen around 43,000 (50,000) in a bank account linked to its London counselling centre, announced it has launched a statutory investigation into Console. "The nature of the concerns reported include - but is not limited to - allegations of falsifying of accounts to obtain funding, significant private benefit, conflicts of interest and financial mismanagement," it said. Generous The HSE audit shows they handed over 855,227 in just one year. Generous public donations and fundraising topped up his charity's income to 5m between 2012 and 2014. The HSE auditors also discovered that people who donated money to Console would be sent a thank you letter - but no copies were held at Console's head office in Kildare. An ambassador for the charity organisation described the shattering impact the collapse will have on service users and volunteers. Peter Roche, whose son Colin died by suicide in 2010, said he is concerned about what lies ahead. "My heartfelt wish is that we can rake over the coals and salvage something to put some structures in place to go forward," he said. Asahi TV reported that Jong-chol became a father in August but added only that Jong-un's child was born "just after Jong-chol's." The source was quoted as saying, "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who is aware of his health problems, probably told his sons that he wanted to see grandchildren." It is unclear whether either son is married. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's sons Jong-un and Jong-chol became fathers last year, Asahi TV reported on Thursday citing a source. Whether the babies are boys or girls is not known. South Korean intelligence officials believe Jong-chol was born in 1981 and Jong-un, the heir presumptive, in 1984, though Kenji Fujimoto, Kim Jong-il's former sushi chef, says Jong-un was born in 1983. "Just as Kim Jong-il's birth year was changed from 1941 to 1942 to match the last digit of Kim Il-sung's birth year of 1912, so Kim Jong-un's birth year may be changed to 1982," a South Korean government official speculated. In that event Kim Jong-il would turn 70 in 2012, Jong-un 30 in the year marking the 100th anniversary of former leader Kim Il-sung. The North has vowed to become "a powerful and prosperous nation" by then. Kim Jong-nam (40), the North Korean leader's eldest son, is believed to have two sons and a daughter living in Macau. According to a source, Jong-nam's first wife Shin Jong-hui lives on the northern outskirts of Beijing with her son Kum-sol (14). Jong-nam's second wife Lee Hye-kyong lives in Macau with her son Han-sol (16) and daughter Sol-hui (12). Jong-nam's mistress, former Air Koryo flight attendant So Yong-la, is also believed to be living in Macau. Han-sol is at international school in Macau. A diplomatic source said, "Kim Jong-nam's house in Macau became known when Han-sol invited a female South Korean student to come over." Han-sol also attended a concert by K-pop star Rain at the Venetian Hotel in 2009. He sat in the VIP section, where seats cost W290,000 (US$1=W1,118). Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has emerged as the clear front-runner in the race to succeed Enda Kenny as Taoiseach - a contest that will be decided predominantly by Fine Gael TDs. Mr Varadkar has stolen a headstart on his nearest rivals, Housing Minister Simon Coveney and Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald, by constantly phoning colleagues to discuss their concerns, as well as entertaining fellow TDs on nights out. A lunchtime statement by the Dublin West TD yesterday also went down well among backbenchers, as it called for calm heads in relation to the upcoming leadership process. "The Taoiseach has made clear he will not lead the party in a future general election," it said. "This means there will be a leadership election at a future date. That will be the appropriate time to deal with the issue of the leadership of Fine Gael. The vacancy won't arise until the Taoiseach decides it should." The statement was released just hours after Chief Whip Regina Doherty stunned party colleagues when she told The Michael Reade Show on LMFM that Mr Kenny should clarify his intentions to avoid confusion. "Unless there's clarification of the process laid out, there will be confusion," she said. "Otherwise you're going to have me and the other 49 members of Fine Gael telling you something different. It would be fair if the Taoiseach clarified this so we could get back to normal." Bizarrely, Ms Doherty gave the interview while the Dail faced being abandoned because there weren't enough TDs present. Ms Doherty's job as Chief Whip is to ensure that there is a quorum of 20 TDs. She is understood to have infuriated Fine Gael bosses with her failure to ensure deputies were present. Contest The Herald understands that Ceann Comhairle Sean O'Fearghail was ready to suspend the Dail had a quorum not been reached within four minutes. Meanwhile, it is now widely accepted within the party that Mr Kenny will spell out his departure plan after the Budget, with a contest expected to conclude as early as the spring. However, no candidates are prepared to launch a heave. Mr Kenny is not due to speak on the matter until Tuesday at the earliest, when he travels to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Other contenders also released statements on the issue yesterday. Ms Fitzgerald said the issue of a vacancy is a matter for Mr Kenny - but did not rule herself out of contention. Meanwhile, speaking in Brussels, Mr Coveney said: "There isn't a leadership contest in Fine Gael right now, there isn't going to be any time soon." Asked if Mr Kenny would make it past the Budget, he replied: "I think Enda Kenny's going to be around for some time yet." Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and Health Minister Simon Harris are also believed to be consulting supporters. Leadership voting in Fine Gael is split between 65pc Parliamentary Party, 25pc membership and 10pc councillors. Some 310 Koreans have more than W1 billion in overseas bank accounts, an average of W8 billion each (US$1=W1,121). The account holders live primarily in Seoul's Yongsan and Gangnam districts, where the homes of the super-rich and famous are clustered. The National Tax Service on Tuesday said a probe of overseas bank accounts held by Koreans shows that 310 individuals and 368 businesses reported at least W1 billion abroad for at least one day last year. The total is W22.8 trillion. The individuals had 1,124 overseas bank accounts with a total of W2.5 trillion, while the businesses had 5,594 accounts amounting to W20.3 trillion. Last year, 302 individuals and 350 businesses reported a total of W18.6 trillion abroad. The number of accounts rose four percent but the amount a whopping 22.8 percent. Koo Jin-yeol at the NTS attributed the rise to increased pressure from tax authorities to report overseas holdings and tougher penalties rather than actually growing amounts. The NTS has been looking into whether rich Koreans and large businesses were using overseas bank accounts to dodge taxes in Korea. The biggest number of accounts held by individuals was in U.S. banks (158 people), followed by Hong Kong (43), Singapore (34) and Japan (32). But the most money was held in bank accounts in Japan (W1.14 trillion), followed by the U.S. (W665.8 billion). Some W96.8 billion was in Swiss bank accounts, down from W100.3 billion reported last year. Yet the largest number of business accounts is held in the United Arab Emirates, where Korean builders are particularly active, with 99. They had more than W6 trillion in Japanese bank accounts. "Most money is in Japan because a large number of Korean businesses deal with Japanese firms and there are also many Korean students studying there," an NTS official said. Starting this year, the NTS is publishing the names, ages, professions, addresses and holdings of Koreans who fail to report overseas bank accounts with more than W5 billion. People who fail to report their overseas holdings voluntarily face fines worth 10 percent of the amount. Last year, 78 people had to pay a total of W8 billion in fines. North Korean state TV on Monday broadcast childhood photos of leader Kim Jong-un. It broadcast a concert for pilots and displayed two photos of Kim as a child wearing a pilot's uniform as well as another of the leader in his teens sitting in the cockpit of a jet fighter. The pictures are apparently part of a campaign to stoke the personality cult surrounding Kim. The regime uses childhood events of nation founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il as material for school texts. At a Friday press conference, Taiwan police say what appears to be a pipe bomb exploded on one of the train cars near Taipei Songshan station, setting off a blaze that firefighters extinguished within minutes. Authorities in Taiwan say an explosion and fire on a commuter train late Thursday has wounded 25 passengers, some seriously. Police say they have arrested a suspect, Lin Wen-Chang, 55, of Taipei, whom they have yet to question. Lin, who was seriously injured in the bombing, remains comatose in the intensive care unit of Taipei hospital. Police have ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack and say on-site DNA samples, fingerprints, eyewitness testimony and security camera footage helped to identify Lin. There has been no claim of responsibility for the incident. Police also say Lin was a passenger and left red backpack full of explosives in the bathroom of the train car. Franklin County man guilty of killing man, hiding body Justin Hockenberry was found guilty of killing Demetrios "Jimmy" Kalathas in November 2019 and faces life in prison without parole. Another 10 U.S. states are suing the Obama administration over guidelines covering which school bathrooms transgender students can use. Friday's filing means nearly half of the 50 U.S. states are formally objecting to recent federal guidelines that recommend public schools allow students to use bathrooms corresponding to the gender with which they identify, instead of the gender listed on their birth certificates. Legal analysts said the latest development increases the likelihood that the gender dispute will wind up at the U.S. Supreme Court. The new lawsuit argues that the federal government circumvented established law in the recently issued guidelines. The complaint filed in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, says legislative history does not support an "interpretation of the term 'sex' as meaning anything other than one's sex as determined by anatomy and genetics." Nebraska, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, was joined by Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. They follow 12 other states that sued the federal government in May over the same Obama administration guidelines. The states argue that changes to federal school policies should be left up to Congress, not the White House. The Justice Department has rejected that argument, saying that federal civil-rights laws, which bar discrimination on the basis of sex, provide the legal foundation for the department's guidance. When announcing the guidelines in May, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said, "There is no room in our schools for discrimination." The Justice Department's guidelines are nonbinding, but school systems could lose millions of dollars in federal aid if they fail to follow them. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ My last column was on Britains decision to leave the European Union Brexit, as it has come to be known and I make no apologies for returning to the subject because I believe India should understand the significance of the referendum. Brexit may not seem to be of particular importance to India. There are other European countries that will be only too happy to be Indias gateway to the EU. Britain will be even more eager to trade with India. There is no threat to Britons of Indian origin. At a meeting I had with the Indian Journalists Association in London, I was told that British Asians would vote for Brexit because they reckoned that if the Europeans were kept out, there would be more room for Indian immigrants, something which seems to me highly unlikely, judging by the anti-immigrant sentiments in the referendum. But Brexit does matter to India because it is the biggest threat to globalisation since that economic doctrine started sweeping the world, including India, two decades ago. Read: UK launches bilateral trade talks for post-Brexit deal with India Brexit demonstrates the deep dissatisfaction with globalisation which exists in one of the worlds most prosperous countries. What is the reason for this dissatisfaction? Bank of America researchers have provided one answer, saying Brexit is the biggest electoral riposte to our age of inequality. It has been calculated by the renowned British think-tank Chatham House that the biggest winners from globalisation are the worlds wealthiest people, just 1% of the population. The biggest losers are the poor. In between them are the middle classes, which have done pretty well out of globalisation. The results of globalisation are greater wealth to be set against greater inequality, greater economic growth to be set against environmental degradation, and cheaper products to be set against lower wages. These results are just what are not needed in India, which is still battling with a grave problem of poverty. This is not to say that India doesnt need greater wealth and greater economic growth but Brexit raises the question of wealth for whom and growth for whom. Read: Brexit causing uncertainty, but global recession unlikely: IMF chief The Brexiteers did not address these questions. One of the scandals of the referendum is that the Brexiteers had clearly given no thought to what would happen if they won. In fact there is widespread speculation that the Brexiteer politicians who were rebel Conservative MPs didnt want to win. The shock on the face of the leading Conservative Brexiteer, former London mayor Boris Johnson, the day the results were known, his subsequent disappearance, and eventual withdrawal from the Conservative leadership contest indicate that at the very least he was thoroughly alarmed at the prospect of being responsible for cleaning up the mess his campaign had created. Brexit also demonstrates the return of virulent nationalism. The nationalism became racism when the issue of immigration was raised. Immigration was generally reckoned to be the issue that swung the vote and after the results were announced there was a marked rise in incidents of racial hatred. Much has been written about the rise of nationalism in Europe and America. But there is a warning here too for India, where there is an attempt to whip up nationalism, which all too easily deteriorates into religious hatred. Read: A contagion of nativism is oddly spreading in a globalised space The Brexit vote showed that neither of the two main political parties, Labour and Conservative, was in touch with its supporters. Both campaigned to stay in Europe and on both sides huge chunks of their supporters rejected the party line. In the north of England, a traditional Labour bastion, there was a wholesale revolt against the party line. The failure of the political leadership to influence the referendum seems to confirm the widely-held view that in Europe and America politicians have lost the respect of the people. What is needed to end the age of inequality and curb the rise of virulent nationalism? Brexit for me shows that India needs to revive its ancient tradition of seeking balance in life, not going too far one way or the other. In the second half of the 20th century the world has swung from a socialism that gave governments too much control over the economy to a capitalism that has given capitalists too much freedom. The last thing India should do is to swing back to the straightjacket of the licence-permit raj and the protectionism that went with it. India should return to its traditional middle road, find a path between radical socialism and rampant capitalism and hold in balance the nationalism and globalisation tension. The views expressed are personal If Mehbooba Mufti had not been the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, she would have definitely paid a visit to the home of Burhan Wani, the poster-boy of militancy who was shot dead in an encounter. The feisty Mehbooba -- who must be given credit for building the Peoples Democratic Party -- has a track record of visiting homes of slain militants. Her reasoning then was: they are our own boys. Burhans killing, however, has come as the biggest test for the chief minister. As she sits at her home, overlooking the picturesque Dal Lake, she would be hearing the same slogans of azadi as her neighbour and former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted about. The slogans for azadi blared from loudspeakers in mosques -- are not Mehboobas only worry. She will also be counting the number of those dying in clashes that have erupted after Burhans killing and asking herself, Will it be a repeat of the 2010 stone-pelting phase? Read| 8 killed in Kashmir clashes after Hizbul militant Burhan Wanis death That year, Omar Abdullah locked himself in his office, as youth after youth was killed in street protests. The figure crossed a hundred and the young chief minister never recovered from the political shrapnel. Today, as Kashmir erupts once again, Mehbooba must know that the seismic zone lies at the heart of the PDPs stronghold in south Kashmir. The once-gutsy woman politician, always quick to be with families of those who lost their loved ones, may be falling into the same trap as her predecessor: forlorn, handicapped, forced to hide behind a law and order script. Policemen walk past burning tires set up as a road blockade during curfew in Srinagar. (AP Photo) Mehbooba actually is worse off than Omar Abdullah, mainly because she is in alliance with the BJP, a party that is viewed suspiciously in the valley because it has often called for the abrogation of Article 370 that gives the state a special status. Mehboobas image makeover from a soft separatist to an ultranationalist is already being talked about and many of her recent statements have led to both disquiet and unrest. Read| Burhan Wani: The new face of Kashmiri militancy in virtual world Of late, the chief minister spoke of Pandits and Muslims in the context of cats and pigeons (likening Kashmiri Muslims to cats) and even berated the separatists for talking about Article 370. Another statement -- I am ashamed of being a Muslim -- soon after an attack on a CRPF convoy even worried some in the security establishment who advised her to choose her words with care because in Kashmirs new reality, locals like Burhan far outnumber foreign militants who come from across the line of control. Burhans killing is likely to give a fresh lease of life to Kashmirs new age militancy. But that is in the long run. In the immediate, Mehbooba must know that a rising death toll, the suspension of the Amarnath Yatra which was not disturbed through 2010 and postponement of exams, all point to a disturbing ground situation. The big question now: will she apply the political balm and stop the state from sliding? Read| Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani Read| Kashmirs disturbing new reality What would happen if the 19th century poet, Mirza Ghalib, were to be reborn in 21st century Delhi? Will he be able to survive, or give in to the fast pace of the city? More importantly, would he be able to claim his haveli situated in Ballimaran in Old Delhi? All these, and many more questions, rather situations, are given a comic take in the play, Ghalib in New Delhi, presented by Pierrots Troupe. Read: Delhi theatre audience is ready for different genres: Tom Alter Written and directed by Dr M Sayeed Alam, the play will be staging its 400th show at LTG Auditorium on 16 July. The play was launched in 1997, on the 200th birth anniversary of Mirza Ghalib. 19 years and 399 shows on, we speak to the plays director. The storys three main characters are Mirza Ghalib, his roommate, Jai Hind, and their landlady, Mrs Chaddha. (Monica Dawar) The play is about bringing Ghalib back to a city he loved the most. It is a comic account of the the socio-political changes the city has gone through and whether Ghalib would be able to adapt himself to the current times, says Alam. To adapt to the latest trends and scenarios, the play will show Ghalib commenting on issues like Punjab elections, recent terrorist activities and tax fraud cases. Alam shares some interesting facts about Ghalib, and his attachment to Delhi. He had many opportunities to move out of the city, but he chose to stay and was often quoted as saying, Dilli ke alawa aur kahin doosra janam nahi loonga (I refuse to be reborn anywhere, but Delhi), adds Alam. In the play, Ghalib is reborn in the ISBT area of Kashmere Gate and shares a room with a Delhi University student, Jai Hind, who has rented a room that belongs to Mrs Chaddha. Ghalib tries to understand and adapt to the changed times. (Monica Dawar) The story plays out between these three main characters. Alam says, Jai Hind speaks a dialect of Bihari and broken English, while Mrs Chaddha talks in the characteristic Dilliwali Punjabi. Ghalibs chaste Urdu adds to this linguistic mix and shows the cosmopolitan nature of Delhi. Read: World Theatre Day: Does a theatre background help in Bollywood? Alam attributes the success of his theatre group to this particular play and the audiences love for it. Out of 400 shows, around 300 shows have been staged in Delhi. I would like to dedicate this play to the audiences here, as whatever success this play has seen, its because of our audience in the city. At a time when nobody knew of Pierrots Troupe, the play used to open to a full house, and still continues to get the same kind of love and appreciation, he signs off. Catch it Live Where: LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House When: July 16 Timings: 7:30pm Nearest Metro station: Mandi House on Blue Line and Violet Line Follow @htlifeandstyle for more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Gaurav Arora watched Emraan Hashmi on the big screen in the 2004 film Murder, he had no idea that, 12 years later, he would end up doing a film alongside the Bollywood star. The young actor will soon be seen with Emraan in the next instalment of the Raaz franchise. Read: See pics: Raaz Reboot team meets Apple CEO Tim Cook Apparently, when Gaurav was shooting for the film in Romania, he would often go out of his way to observe Emraan and learn from him. Even on the days that Gaurav didnt have a scene scheduled, he would drop by the sets to watch Emraan work and observe his method. It was an opportunity that he didnt want to miss. Whenever possible, Gaurav would also have discussions with Emraan about films in general. It was a high for him to work with Emraan, says an insider. Read: I know that people will be shocked: Emraan Hashmi on Azhar When contacted, Gaurav says, When I had watched Murder, I couldnt imagine that one day, I will work on a film with Emraan. I have learnt a lot by working with him and by just observing him. When Priyanka Chopra was awarded the Padma Shri in April this year, she wanted to throw a party for popular personalities from the media industry. But her plans didnt materialise due to time constraints she had to travel to the US to finish working on her international project. However, she hosted the get-together in Delhi last week. Read: Pics of Priyanka Chopras London vacation with mom will make you jealous Read: Priyanka Chopra is humbled by her Time magazine cover The party also gave the actor a chance to indulge in some social service. Apparently, a large quantity of food was left over after the dinner. Usually, the caterers throw the food away, but Priyanka didnt allow that to happen. She ensured her team distributed the food to the underprivileged. A source close to the actor says, Priyanka is particular about not wasting food. After the party ended, she asked her team to pack the leftover food and distribute it among the underprivileged. Her staff members gave the food to slum dwellers in the locality. We tried contacting Priyanka, but she remained unavailable for a comment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In her second book, The Dynasty: Born to Rule, journalist Sunita Aron tackles a subject that is rarely thoughtfully addressed. Dynastic politics is a hard reality today in many parts of the world, undoubtedly an antithesis of democracy as it stifles openness, dissent and opportunities. But the bigger reality is that even if people discuss, debate and detest dynastic politics, they do not dump dynasts, she writes. The author begins with Sonia Gandhis entry into politics, compares her to mother-in-law Indira, follows her rise to power in 2004, looks at the rise of Rahul and Priyanka, and at the fall of the party in the 2014 polls. It is ironical that the dynasty that helped in the spectacular comeback of the Congress in 2004, proved a liability in 2014. Party workers saw it coming but they perhaps preferred defeat to dynasty. Not even once did they question the Gandhis or their decisions, she writes. Aron goes beyond the Nehru-Gandhis, the first family of Indian politics, and looks at other political families in the country Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh, Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, Sharad Pawar, his nephew Ajit and daughter Supriya Sule, Bal Thackeray and his family, the Badals in Punjab, and M Karunanidhis brood in Tamil Nadu. Read:Scindia on dynasty politics: Family name just a stepping stone Moving from national politics to regional parties, she examines how each of these families has built itself as a brand and studies the psyche of party-workers and voters who believe political acumen is in ones genes. The author provides a wealth of information about each political dynasty and draws skillfully from existing writing to present insights about the financial position of political parties and about how members of dynasties manage to survive: Principal dynasts rarely lose elections as their victory is quite often scripted and stage-managed. They survive even when their party sinks either the voters spare them or their rivals oblige them, she writes. Dynasties grow as their opponents allow them walkover by fielding weak candidates in elections after elections. She also talks of rivalries within the dynasties. Mulayam Singh Yadav (R) with his son and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav at the partys office in Lucknow. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times) Talking about marriages that are also political alliances, Aron cautions, However, there is a flip side to these political weddings too as mother-son, brother-brother, son-in-law and father-in-law, husband-wife have often clashed in the electoral arena. Aron delves into these dynamics without trying to influence the reader one way or the other and lays bare the positions of todays prime political players without passing judgement. Readers are allowed to draw their own conclusions. The big question comes in the epilogue: Will dynasties survive? I think dynasties may ebb in years to come not because the party workers or the public would move out of the feudalistic mindset, but because the new generation politicians lack the political wisdom and passion of their forefathers who had to struggle hard for their families to grow in the political world. The fact is that they have not earned their positions but have been served on a platter, writes Aron. A book this rich in content deserved a better editor. But the nitty-gritties of language should perhaps matter little to the serious student of Indian politics at whom this book is aimed. The Dynasty: Born To Rule Sunita Aron Hayhouse Rs 699; Pages 352 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The weekend after I got my copy of A Pictorial Field Guide to Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by multiple authors, I used it during a quick one-day birding trip. 800 pages of glossy paper give this field guide substantial heft. Fairly well-organized, it has a crisp introduction, and beautiful photographs for most of the 1200+ bird species found in our region. The introduction by Carol and Tim Inskipp, well-known for their bird guides, including one that is very popular among Indian birders, offers a succinct view of the state of bird life in the subcontinent. It includes a concise history of birding in the area and the personalities who play key roles in it. Its a great read for anyone trying to get a grip on the vast range of our birdlife, their environs, and what is being done to ensure the survival of these birds. Towards the end, the Inskipps make a good point about the lack of scientific data to actually say whether Indian birdlife is improving, suffering or changing. Read:Bird-watching in summer? Heres a sneak peek of what you will get to see This field guide includes not just an index but a complete checklist of birds and a taxonomic checklist of birds and their IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status. One of the books nicer aspects is that the latest taxonomic conventions have been followed. This means it includes the latest accepted scientific names. Older birders like me who used the BNHS Oxford Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent as beginners still refer to some birds the old way. This book is great to transition to the newer names and taxonomic organization. The full-page interludes with a single species are nice but tend to affect usability as it makes the reference inconsistent. Id have preferred each species referred to in a consistent manner layout, inset images, and so on. However, this book is a joy to browse with its beautiful images of birds in their natural habitats including photographs of some exceedingly rare ones. Some of the full page images are especially gorgeous. Identification of birds in the field is aided by the accurate colour rendition of bird images; something very important for a photographic guide. Incidentally, there are some critically endangered birds in India that still havent been photographed. Read:A bird in hand: Extract from Valmik Thapars Winged Fire Still, usability as a field guide is where this volume fails. And it is a major failing. The weight of the book would make it uncomfortable to refer to in the field for extended periods of time, or perhaps even carry in a backpack with a camera and binoculars (as I realized). The graphic layouts and the smaller inset photographs are not consistent. The inset photographs could be sex related (gender, breeding/non-breeding), the birds growth stage (juvenile, sub-adult), morphological (morph), or just a different image of the same species. Surprisingly, there is no index to the graphic layout. The book just jumps from the introduction into references for each species. There is no guide to understand the layout, range map and description and use of inset photos. Then, the layout for each species includes a difficult-to-read range map allowing for identification by eliminating species that arent found in your geography. All this is jarring. A kingfisher holds a prey at Dal Lake in Kashmir. (Getty Images) One of the issues of photographic guides is the selection of images. Despite the now substantial number of bird images to choose from, its difficult to maintain the quality of images while trying to stick to a standard layout. For example, you couldnt possibly find images of every bird species as a juvenile. It would have helped if the authors had included a table of characteristics to aid in the identification of bird groups that are difficult to identify larks, wagtails and warblers. Even experienced birders struggle with identification within these groups. Also missing are pictures of birds in flight, especially accipiters. In the field, one is likely to see these in flight and positive identification is difficult based on photographs of them at rest. At the price, this book offers good value. The fantastic introduction and images and the revised checklists balance out the usability flaws. This would make a good second or third field guide for a birder. I wouldnt make it my primary field guide; there are better, lighter and better designed books for that. All said, this is a good book to add to a collection of bird books, or to use as a comparative reference. (Abhijit Kadle is an avid birdwatcher and collector of books. He presses buttons for a living.) A Pictorial Field Guide to Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Bikram Grewal, Sumit Sen, Sarwandeep Singh, Nikhil Devasar and Garima Bhatia PP791, Rs 1500 OM Books International Consider this. It is the late 11th century and Qutub-ud-din-Aibak, a Turk, has his sights on Delhi. But to reach Delhi, he has to cross Punjab. Innkeepers, to house the passing army, pick up Turkish. Aibaks chefs, to make him kofte, go to the market to pick up meat and vegetables, and in the process, Punjabi as well. Sufis in Delhi, around the same time, drop their language (Persian) to popularise Sufism and speak the language of the street, Hindvi/Dehlavi, a form of Hindustani. Mughal emperor Akbar receives an embassy sent by Queen Elizabeth. Akbar was active in getting Persian manuscripts translated in Braj. Aurangzeb wrote love poetry in the same language. (Donald Cameron / Christies) In the 15th century, Emperor Akbar, an Agra boy, is busy backing Braj and getting Persian manuscripts translated in his adopted tongue. When the Turks next set their sights on Gujarat and eventually the Deccan, the language travels with them. In other words, Dehlavi becomes Gujri, which in turn is transformed into Deccani. By the time the Turkish armies return to Delhi, kingdoms have been won and lost, the last great Mughal, Aurangzeb is on his deathbed he did neat love poetry in Braj by the way -- and the language to communicate all this history is being done in Urdu, which, as it turns out, is then called Rekhta. So, the languages of India are the carrier of all these memories, quarrels and oneupmanships. Directed by writer Rizio Yohannan Raj, ILF Samanvay, the Indian Languages Festival held annually in Delhi, is flagging off its sixth edition (November 5-7) with a conversation on the languages of Delhi on July 13. Tibetan poet-activist Tenzin Tsundue (centre) at the 5th Samanvay festival in Delhi (HT File photo) The larger theme is Language as Public Action, says Raj. This is not a lit-fest. We are not looking at languages literarily, but as intersections of various cultures language as performance, visual art, food Heritage activist Sohail Hashmi, cultural commentator Alok Rai and educationist Syeda Hameed will participate in the panel discussion. Diversity is fundamental to creativity and the languages of Delhi are a good illustration of this creativity born in diversity, says Rai, an academic, who is the grandson of Munshi Premchand, one of the most celebrated writers of Hindi. The division of Hindustani was effected by the British as their foothold strengthened in India, says Sohail Hashmi. If you wrote it in the Nagri script, they called it Hindi. If you wrote it in Persian, they called this Urdu. This story isnt over yet. When: July 13, 7 pm Where: Amaltas Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON But why, asked the very nice lady at Immigration at Heathrow, would you not take a British passport if you were born in London? I am used to the question by now, so I gave my standard reply about being a proud Indian and that despite the undoubted advantage a Brit passport offered a frequent visitor (you dont need visas for most countries), I was very happy with my Indian passport. At the Langham, some of the expat staff may have to go back and they werent thrilled by the prospect (The Langham Hotels) But of course, the UK I remember is very different from todays UK. When I was born, the Commonwealth was The Big Thing. Commonwealth citizens didnt need visas and it was brown people who made the National Health Service possible and West Indians who ran the buses, tubes and trains. Over the decades the Commonwealth contribution to the UKs cultural life pretty much transformed the country. The West Indians gave the Brits reggae and we gave them Bhangra and Bollywood. Britains iconic curry is a dish invented by migrants, who contributed greatly to the local cuisine (Shutterstock) Thousands of hardworking East Pakistani (later Bangladeshi) immigrants set up curry houses. Though, in a historic misjudgement that continues to blight the image of Indian food in the UK to this day, they chose not to serve the delicious cuisine of Bengal but a mishmash of bogus, made-up Indian dishes. (Cue: thunder and lightning. The last time I wrote about the UKs curry houses, they passed resolutions condemning me!) But I reckon that the Commonwealth dream died around the time Idi Amin threw out the Ugandan Indians in the early 1970s. Many of those expelled had British passports. But the British government informed the hapless refugees that this did not guarantee right of residence in the UK. (Yes, I know this sounds bizarre but UK Immigration policy from the late 1960s can the summed up in one phrase: Keep the Blacks and Browns out!) Even liberals took to telling us, you know, there is only so much immigration a society can absorb. Those Ugandan Asians who were let in (on humanitarian grounds) demonstrated to the UK what hard work was all about. They came with nothing, set up little corner shops, worked 18-hour days and today hundreds of them are millionaires: a triumph of Gujarati and Punjabi enterprise. But by the early Seventies, the UK had a new obsession. After having been kicked around by Charles de Gaulle for years, Britain was finally allowed into the EEC or the European Economic Community, a common market. The old Commonwealth Passports queues disappeared at Heathrow. Europeans (nearly all of them white and many, blonde and blue-eyed) were told they could just walk through the immigration counters. We, on the other hand, were told to get visas, a process that still can take weeks. The British voted to stay in the EEC in 1975 but soon the Common Market gave way to a quasi-political structure called the European Union and any European was guaranteed right of residence, employment, benefits etc in the UK. The old Commonwealth guys who had helped construct post-War Britain were told that they were still welcome to stay (we are a multi-cultural society) but could they please ask their relatives and friends to stay at home in Dhaka or Delhi or Nairobi or wherever. (If however they had White relatives in Sydney or Montreal, well then, old boy, we shall certainly do our best to help bring them over.) The staff at Lurra, which served a good steak, believed that there are better opportunities outside of the UK, even as far as Australia (Lurra) So why did Britain fall out of love with the Commonwealth (except for the Queen, who, God bless her, still loves the Commonwealth) and rush into bed with Europe? Well, I guess we had outlived our usefulness. Europe made economic sense. (Or not, depending on which side you chose to believe during the referendum debate.) White people were easier to absorb into British society. And, I suspect, the UK establishment could never reconcile itself to Britains post-Empire role as just another small island of no great consequence. Being part of Europe made them feel like part of some big, great power bloc again. And the same liberals who had supported curbs on immigration when it helped to keep black and brown people out only so much immigration a society can absorb dropped their objections as white Europeans moved to Britain. As you may have guessed, Im ambivalent about Europe. In Britain, to be a Eurosceptic is akin to being a Neanderthal. All my British friends are determinedly pro-Europe and regard anyone who opposes the idea (i.e. the majority of the British people) as being anti-globalisation (hurrah for that, I say!) small minded, poorly educated and racist. So, throughout this London trip I have been treated by old friends as a moron who cant possibly be expected to understand the issues, because I live in Delhi. Cant I see that all the people who voted to leave are really racists? At the glamorous Park Chinois most of the staff are European and didnt care about Brexit as they would find work elsewhere (Park Chinois) Racist? Hello? Why is it racist to oppose the EU? Well because the anti-Europe side includes people like the odious Nigel Farage who attacks hard-working Polish builders who take jobs away from those Brits who are not prepared to work as hard as them and expect more money, anyway. (All the anti-European immigration sentiment is always framed in anti-Eastern European terms. Western Europeans like the French and the Italians are as lazy as the Brits.) Its the bit about racism I find particularly ironic. A nation that has imposed virginity tests on brides coming from India and has passed a series of legislations aimed at keeping brown and black people out of the UK has now clambered on to the moral high ground, claiming to be anti-racist because liberals are standing up for the residency rights of White Polish builders! One of the possible consequences of the UKs exit from the EU is supposed to be the collapse of Londons reputation as the gourmet capital of the world. I have never been convinced by this argument. (Or by the claim that London is actually the gourmet capital of the world.) London has some wonderful European chefs but many came in before the UK joined the EU: the Roux brothers, for instance. The whole Italian restaurant revolution of the Sixties (led by men like Mario, Franco, Lorenzo, and Alvaro) had nothing to do with the EU. And Britains reputation as a foodie haven is largely due to Brits themselves and some Commonwealth types: Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, Heston Blumenthal, Peter Gordon, Brett Graham, John Torode, Phil Howard, Alan Yau and others. On the other hand, the people who are really hurting are the Indian restaurateurs. The Sylheti restaurant owners have complained again and again how they cant get visas for their relatives their restaurants tend to be family establishments. Indian restaurants run by Indians also face a huge crisis because it is next to impossible to get visas to import good chefs from the subcontinent. The people within the restaurant trade who may be hurt are the front of the house staff. I went to Lurra, a Spanish restaurant famous for its Galician steak (nice but not in the same league as Kitty Fishers) and asked the guy who served our table if he was worried. No, he said. It will take two years and in any case, there is less and less scope in England. I want to go to Australia. At Alan Yaus glamorous Park Chinois (where, unlike the last time, I had a really great evening with superb food, excellent wine and great jazz) most of the staff are European. (A trend pioneered by Mr. Chow in the Sixties where Italians served Chinese food.) I asked the sommelier at Park Chinois, who is Bulgarian, what he made of Brexit. He didnt really care, he said. He had spent years in Italy and would go back there. (Shutterstock) But there will be people who will mind. I stayed at the wonderful Langham Hotel which merges Asian hospitality with super-efficient service from a largely European staff. Some of them may have to go back and they werent thrilled by the prospect. As I explained to the lady at Immigration, Im not British and I dont live in the UK. (No doubt the next racist Immigration or Nationality Act they pass will take away my right of abode as well.) So, I have no locus standi to express an opinion. It is their country and their problem. But, speaking only for myself, I rather like the idea of an EU-less Britain. Even if it has meant the loss of the honourable and decent David Cameron and the possible ascent of Teresa May. (Personally, I would have liked to see Boris Johnson as Prime Minister: at least he would have been entertaining.) And I do feel bad for the wonderful Eastern Europeans who do such an excellent job working in the front of the house at Londons restaurants. If they do have to go, I shall certainly miss them. From HT Brunch, July 10, 2016 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The rivalry between Andhra Pradesh and Telangna took a new turn earlier this week, in what some called a new low in the simmering tension between the two southern states. In a letter written to Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, the Telangana minister for Industries and Information Technology, K T Rama Rao accused his neighour of stealing data. The plagiarism charges is only the tip of the fight between the two states over who gets to lead in the Ease of Doing Business dashboard set up by the Modi government for investors to compare and choose which state to park their money. The final pecking order is yet to be frozen, but for now Telangana leads over Andhra Pradesh by a mere 0.17%, that puts it second on the list led by Uttarakhand. Other states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat for over two decades have fought bitter battles over wooing investors but they have rarely become street fights ending in police stations. For now Telangana has lodged a formal complaint with the states cyber crime squad. The two generals leading this fight over investments are Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana minister K T Rama Rao, son of the state chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Naidu is no stranger to fights. Naidu without any doubt is the first technocrat chief minister in an Indian state, who rose to fame, some seven years before Modis exploits with Vibrant Gujarat. His rival across the border, despite his relatively limited political experience, is also a technocrat in his own right. He holds two post graduate degrees in bio-technology from two Indian universities and an MBA in marketing and e-commerce from University of New York. This fast talking 40-year old politicians charm seldom goes unnoticed. At a recent ceremony to announce Apples entry into the state with its latest and largest development centre outside the US in Hyderabad, Rao opened his five and half minute welcome address thus: Firstly, Tim, the one question I have been getting over the last couple of months is whats cooking. Finally (pointing to Apple Inc CEO on the stage) Mr Cook himself is here. Turning a few degrees to face Cook he went on to add, We are a new state. We would like to call ourselves a startup state. Talk of turning a weakness to strength. The lynch-pin, as Rao puts it, to draw investors into Telangana is ease of doing business, cutting through ceremonial red-tapism. Telegana promises approval of setting up businesses in 15 days, and if it fails the state says the project will be deemed approved. Also on the accountability front, if the government does not deliver on its end of the deal, it is liable to face self imposed penal action. Investors seem to appreciate these efforts. Telangana, according to state officials has received investment proposals worth Rs 33,101 crore with an estimated work opportunity for 25,000 and 1.25 lakh indirectly. After the enactment of Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System (TS-iPASS) last year, the state has attracted new investments worth Rs 2,167.47 crore from as many as 18 companies which are estimated to potentially generate 13,817 more jobs. Most of the big names who have committed so far are global tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, Cognizant and engineering and manufacturing leaders like Airbus and ITC. Andhra Pradesh, led by its deal maker chief minister, is way ahead in this race, at least at the MoU signing level. In 2015-16, the state signed MoUs worth Rs 4.75 lakh crore with the potential to generate upto a million new jobs. Malaysias Petrogas, Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Queensland Coal Corp, Asian Paints, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam, HPCL and Hero Motocorp are some of the marquee investors who have committed in green-filed projects in the state. A spokesperson for a US-based tech giant called the two chief ministers as Modi-microcosms. Like Modi, both have been on a whirlwind tour of countries since 2014. As investors we dont see this as a fight. These are siblings with the same genetic coding. Saif Ahmed, a 24-year-old PhD scholar in Delhis Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), flipped through the pages of Rashtriya Arakshan Niti Aur Aligarh Muslim Vishwavidalaya for a few minutes, and said sullenly: Things are volatile again. They indeed are. The Centres controversial affidavit opposing Aligarh Muslim Universitys (AMUs) minority character will be heard in the Supreme Court (SC) tomorrow. The outcome of the case could set a precedent for a similar legal battle in the Delhi High Court over the status for JMI, also a minority institution. Read: Centre withdraws UPA-era plea, AMU could lose minority tag The 103-page book argues that since the Constituent Assembly, Parliament and the judiciary had accepted that AMU is a central university, the institution should follow the reservation policy for SC/STs and OBCs as mandated by the law. Read: NDA says AMU not minority institution While this is the crux of the argument of the book, which has a photo of BR Ambedkar on the cover, the underlying tone in it is that AMU is bypassing the quota requirement by waving the we are a minority institution flag. The Constitution --- Article 15(5) --- exempts minority institutions from the SC/ST/OBC reservation. The validity of this clause has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Most students would not understand the long-winded legal arguments made on the minority tag issue but, yes, it is being discussed in Jamia and in AMU. We are aware that the BJP is raking it up for gains in the UP polls next year, Saif told me. There is resentment over this in the campuses. The legal aspect of the AMU debate is complicated. In 1920, the Indian Legislative Council set up the university, and assets of its precursor Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College (MAO) were transferred to it. Those defending AMUs minority tag say that this was done by an Act as that was the only way a university could be set up at that time. In the Azeez Basha versus Union of India case (AMU was not a party) in 1967, the SC ruled that AMU was not a minority institution as it was set up by the British legislature, and not by Muslims. In 1981, Parliament passed an AMU Amendment Act, which accepted that the institution was set up by Muslims. Some groups challenged the admission policy of AMU and the Allahabad High Court in 2005 ruled that the 1981 Act was ultra vires of the Constitution, and that AMU was not a minority institution. The universitys appeal against the order was dismissed, but the SC stayed the HCs decision, and so AMU remained a minority institution. Last week, the Centre withdrew an appeal filed in the SC by the previous Congress-led government that had sought to retain the minority tag for AMU. In an insightful piece on the controversy, Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, wrote in Hindustan Times last week: No one has ever doubted the minority character of Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO College). The Supreme Court in 1967 and Allahabad High Court in 2005 admitted the so-called deep green character of the college. The moot question is: Has the college on its conversion in 1920 into Aligarh Muslim University through an Act of Governor-General-in-Council lost its minority tag? Section 5 of the AMU Act says AMU shall inherit not only all debts, liabilities, etc. of the MAO College but also all its rights. Thus, common sense tells us that AMU has inherited the minority tag of MAO College. Read: Aligarh Muslim University is facing a minority test ELECTION SEASON The AMUs minority tag issue, which has now been raised again by the BJP, is designed to polarise voters ahead of the UP elections. While the BJP is trying to put out a rights-based argument in favour of SC/STs and OBCs to bolster its case, other members of the Sangh parivar are quite open about the its usefulness as a purely election issue. In June, the RSS made it clear that the controversy over AMUs minority tag will be one of the key elements in its already hefty stockpile of other poll issues such as scrapping Article 370, implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the cow slaughter ban issue. An aside is that the book is published by the Society against Conflicts and Hate; the acronym: SACH (truth). I searched online for more SACHs website to know about the kind of issues it takes up but drew a blank. No surprises there. Such organisations are known to pop up for a specific purpose. To know the other side of the story, I rang up Mustafa Zaidi, associate professor at AMU. He trashed the Centres argument. The admissions for all courses have 50% internal and 50% external intake. Then there is a 20% nomination quota of the vice-chancellor where SC, ST, OBC, children of government servants posted in Aligarh, children of employees, children of alumni, distant state residents, outstanding debaters/speakers, outstanding sportspersons are admitted, he told me. The policy has been that whoever applies in the SC/ST category is offered admission through nomination. And that is why, there has never been any court case regarding denial of admissions to a student belonging to this category. The other argument is that several surveys on the educational status of Muslims in the country have placed the Muslims at the bottom of the education pile, even lower than the Dalits. The implication is that AMUs historical association with providing modern education in a largely Muslim ethos, in the Muslim mind, makes a larger number of Muslims from many far-off places feel comfortable to apply here. And so, the present set-up must not be tampered with. In fact, Zaidi reminded me that BJP stalwarts AB Vajpayee, LK Advani and even Subramanian Swamy of the erstwhile Janata Party had supported the minority character for AMU during the 1970s and 1980s, and the issue was part of the party manifesto; the first two supported the Bill in Parliament as ministers and Murli Manohar Joshi as HRD minister offered 50% reservation for the Muslims to AMU during NDA rule, provided it agreed on a common entrance test. It is not difficult to understand why the issue has an electoral promise for the BJP: It has the potential to break the ruling Samajwadi Partys Muslim and OBC support base and the Bahujan Samaj Partys Dalit and Muslim vote bank. Critics also believe that this focus on the SC/ST/OBCs right to quality education is also because the government is trying to recover the ground it lost due to the mishandling of the Rohith Vemula case (a Dalit scholar who committed suicide in January). His death led to protests in his alma mater the Hyderabad Central University and other campuses. Strangely, while on the one hand, the Centre is batting for better educational opportunities for the STs, on the other its doing its best to dismantle a law that is crucial for the economic and social development of the STs: The Forests Rights Act. The FRA is not an issue in UP, and so the BJPs doubletalk will not scrutinised. Moreover, what about the other problems of the higher education sector? One of the main reasons why quotas are so popular is because there arent enough good quality universities which can meet the demand. But India, quotas are the biggest poll freebies you can give because it keeps the electoral pot boiling and parties can reap rich (short-term) dividends. Which political party can deny such a feast? chanakya@hindustantimes.com Odd though it may seem there are lessons for us in the chaos thats overtaken British politics after the Brexit referendum. Im not talking of the disarray or meltdown, as the British media calls it. Thats clearly avoidable. I have in mind the manner in which leaders of major parties have either willingly, or under pressure from their colleagues, accepted responsibility. Our politicians behave very differently. Read: Corbyn apologises on behalf of UKs then ruling Labour party for Iraq war Within hours of the result, Prime Minister David Cameron accepted responsibility and stepped aside. This was despite the fact Brexiteers had formally asked him to continue. But Mr Cameron knew his position had become invidious. Bowing out was not just the decent thing to do, the Conservative Party, the government and the country required new leadership. Clinging to office would have been a setback for all three. Jeremy Corbyn has come to the opposite conclusion. Hes determined to stay on but his shadow cabinet colleagues have taken the initiative. Nearly two-thirds have resigned or, in one instance, been sacked whilst the Labour parliamentary party massively endorsed a vote of no confidence. Even if Mr Corbyn refuses to listen the party has accepted it must respond to the Brexit outcome, change its leadership and present itself anew to the country. Read: Next British PM will be a woman, May and Leadsom emerge as top contenders In fact, this is how British political leaders always behave when they lose elections. Last year, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, and Nicholas Clegg, the Liberal leader, resigned within hours of the Conservatives getting a majority. If the Conservatives had lost Mr Cameron would have similarly fallen on his sword. Of the two main parties, the Tories can be particularly ruthless. If their leader is out of sync with the country they dont hesitate to manoeuvre a change even if it means ousting a sitting prime minister. That happened to Margaret Thatcher in 1990. It happened to Neville Chamberlain in 1940 and Anthony Eden in 1957. In contrast, nothing makes our failed leaders budge. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi reduced the Congress to just 44 seats in the Lok Sabha and, now, six state governments nationwide but they sit so securely on their seats one might think theyre glued to them! The BJP is no different. Surprise defeat in 2004 didnt affect its leadership one jot. Age or illness might have removed Mr Vajpayee but Lal Krishna Advani obstinately continued. Even a second defeat in 2009 couldnt remove him. It was the unstoppable rise of Narendra Modi which, finally, displaced him but only acrimoniously. Read: Farage quits as UKIP chief; Brexit faces legal challenge The first lesson we should learn from the British is a simple one: When a leader fails his party, its time to step aside and give someone else a chance. Thats essential if the party is to recover. Its also recognition the country didnt vote for you and deserves to be offered a new face rather than persist with the old one. I know its difficult for political leaders to accept this. The examples of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, whove won alternate elections, or Mr Badal and the Abdullahs, whove repeatedly brought their parties back to power, suggest theres a utility in continuing. But only if your personal ambition is greater than the interest of the party and the countrys democracy. Theres also a second lesson: How to choose a new party leader particularly when the successor will automatically become prime minister? The Tories are doing it democratically and in full media glare. Ours emerge from behind closed doors, after secret confabulations, leaving the party no choice but to accept the imposed choice. The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Security officials were sent into a tizzy when a man called up the police control room on Saturday and claimed to have planted a bomb at a popular cinema hall in New Delhis Connaught Place. The call was received around 1.15pm, following which several police teams, fire tenders and bomb disposal squads were rushed to the Odeon complex, and the premises were evacuated, a Delhi fire department official said. An official later said the call turned out to be a hoax. District officials on Saturday issued an order enforcing the ban on sale of Chinese manjha, an abrasive kite string of plastic, with immediate effect, a day after a plastic kite string slit a 52-year-old bikers throat on Thakurdwara Flyover in old Ghaziabad. I have directed the additional district magistrates and sub divisional magistrates to ensure that sales of the item are stopped with immediate effect, said Ghaziabad district magistrate Vimal Kumar Sharma. An Allahabad High Court order of November 2015 banned the sale of Chinese manjha or plastic manjha. The state government shall adopt all appropriate steps for enforcement in accordance with law, including necessary steps to prohibit manufacture, use and sale of Chinese Manjha in any form whatsoever, said the order by a bench of then chief justice Dr Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud and justice Yashwant Varma. The decision was taken on a PIL that highlighted the need to prohibit the manufacturing or sale of manjha after many incidents of injuries and death were reportedly caused by it. But manjha continued to be freely sold. Fridays accident showed that plastic manjha continued to be sold, despite the ban. Read more: Kite string slits bikers throat on Ghaziabad flyover Kite-flying is celebrated with much fervour during the monsoons, especially in Ghaziabads old city. Often the kites abrasive string kills or injures birds too. Animal activists also said the ban was necessary to curb such incidents. There has to be some enforcement by officials if the court had issued orders in this regard. During kite-flying season, the birds get injured due to kite string and are even found dead several times, said Ruchin Mehra, an activist from People for Animals society, Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, Ghaziabad superintendent of police Salmantaj Patil said they registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against unidentified persons at Kotwali police station. The police on Tuesday arrested two men for allegedly thrashing an Ola cab driver. The incident was reported in the wee hours of June 21 from northwest Delhis Rani Bagh area. The police have recovered a WagonR cab from the mens possession. The accused, Goverdhan and Vijay Singh, told the police that they along with their associate robbed the cab to smuggle illicit liquor from Haryana to Delhi. The incident was reported on June 21 when Mohan Shyam, cab driver, was waiting for a passenger in his Ola cab near Shiva market in Pitampura, at 2.30am. The three men approached Shyam and asked him to roll down the window. The moment he did, one of them took out a country-made pistol and held him hostage at gunpoint. Shyam was shifted in the leg space between rear and front seat of the cab and one of the three took to the steering. They robbed him off his gold ring, a wrist watch, mobile phone and wallet before dumping him in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad, DCP northwest Vijay Singh, said. During investigation, police received information about the two men hiding at Palwal in Haryana. A police team was sent to the Ola cab office in Gurgaon to find out the location of the robbed cab and a raid was conducted. By the time police team reached Palwal, the robbers had left for Delhi in the cab. We then chased the robbers and overtook them near Sarita Vihar and apprehended two of them. One of them is still absconding and will be arrested soon, Singh said. Channels such as Peace TV that aired the sermons of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik were banned by the information and broadcasting ministry at least half a decade ago. But they continue to be beamed into a large number of drawing rooms in the city through small cable operators, according to the cable operators associations. We have warned our members to abstain from showing banned channels. But some cable operators continue to show channels such as Peace TV, Hum TV, QTV and Madani Channel, said Vinay Patil, chief adviser with a cable operators association in Mumbai. Read: Controversial preacher Zakir Naik faces FIR, ban on TV channel The operators do it under pressure from viewers and get away owing to the polices ignorance, he said. But a senior IPS official said the police keep a tab on airing of banned channels. The violations mostly take place under pressure from certain religious communities, the officer said. The I&B ministry has published a district-wise list of nodal officers with their mobile numbers on its website so that viewers can report such offences. All you need to do is pick up the phone and expose such offenders. We do not encourage airing channels that might lead to communal tensions, said Roop Sharma, president of the Delhi-based Cable Operators Federation of India. A section of Muslim youth that did not approve of Naiks preaching said the ban made little difference. There are several clips of his talks online. It is very easy to download and circulate them, said Hunaid Khan, an engineering student. Read | Totally against terrorism and killing of innocent: Zakir Naik The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which is conducting the countrywide UGC-NET exam on Sunday, has postponed the test in Srinagar where curfew-like restrictions have been imposed following protests over the killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter by the security forces.The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which is conducting the countrywide UGC-NET exam on Sunday, has postponed the test in Srinagar where curfew-like restrictions have been imposed following protests over the killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter by the security forces. All the candidates appearing in UGC-NET scheduled to be held on July 10, 2016 at Srinagar city are informed that due to unavoidable circumstances, this examination is being postponed, CBSE said in a statement on Saturday. The National Eligibility Test (NET) takes place twice in a year and establishes the eligibility of the candidate for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) award and lectureship in universities and government colleges. Read: 8 killed in Kashmir clashes after Hizbul militant Burhan Wanis death The next date of examination for all these candidates will be announced soon, it said. There are 16 examination centres in Srinagar and 10255 candidates had registered for the examination. Eight persons were killed and 50 injured in clashes in Kashmir between security forces and violent mobs who set ablaze five buildings, including three police installations, and some vehicles to protest the killing of Wani in an encounter. Read: How Hizbul commander Wani created a new militancy and became an icon overnight Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in many parts of Kashmir where mobile internet services were suspended across the Valley and mobile telephony services restricted in south Kashmir, the epicentre of the trouble. (With PTI inputs) New Zealand has denied visas to thousands of Indian students after immigration authorities determined that most of the applicants from the country were not really coming for studies, a media report said on Friday. According to figures provided under the Official Information Act, 51 institutions, including half of New Zealands polytechnics, have visa decline rates for Indian students of more than 30%. At most of these institutions, more than half the applications are being turned down and at one the decline rate is 86%, Radio New Zealand said in a report. The figures covered the six months from the start of December 2015 to the end of May 2016 and were only for institutions with at least 10 visa applications from Indian students. They showed that Immigration New Zealand turned down 3,864 visa applications for the institutions, and approved 3,176 during that time. Immigration New Zealand said that most of the declined applications in the first four months of this year were because it did not believe the applicant was really coming to study, or because it did not believe they had enough money to support themselves. In 2014, Immigration New Zealand warned New Zealand Qualifications Authority that high refusal rates could indicate problems with tertiary institutions. Immigration New Zealand said it had increased its audits of providers with high decline rates and was now assessing information obtained from the 10 establishments it had visited so far. Hundreds of Kashmiris paid tributes to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on social media hailing him as a hero, a day after he was killed in an encounter in Anantnag district, as mobile internet services remained snapped and clashes were reported on Saturday morning from across the valley. Read: Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani Twenty-one-year-old Wani - a top militant of the Hizbul who became the face of the separatist movement - was immensely popular amongst a section of Kashmiri youth. Soon after the news of his killing broke on Friday night, people gathered to offer funeral prayers in absentia across Kashmir amidst slogans of Hum kya chahte/Azaadi and Tum kitne Burhan maaroge, har ghar se Burhan niklega. Videos and photos of such gatherings were shared widely on Facebook and other social media platforms. In Wanis hometown of Tral, thousands of people sat with his body and funeral prayers are expected later in the day. (Waseem Andrabi/HT photo) In Wanis hometown of Tral, thousands of people sat with his body and funeral prayers are expected later in the day. His funeral is expected to draw huge crowds and police have put in place security measures, blocking access to several areas in Kashmir to control the situation. The hardliner-Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for a shutdown on Saturday and said tributes would be paid to Wani and his two slain associates for the next three days. Wanis funeral is expected to draw huge crowds and police have put in place security measures, blocking access to several areas in Kashmir to control the situation. (Waseem Andrabi/HT photo) In Srinagar, streets were completely deserted and shops and establishments shuttered and the Amarnath Yatra was suspended over security concerns after Wanis death. Read: Burhan Wani: The new face of Kashmiri militancy in virtual world On social media, many Kashmiris wrote about the killing and what followed. They also paid tributes to the martyr. Many changed their profile pictures on Facebook to a black square to mourn his death, while others quoted from poems to describe the martyrdom of Wani. Some even used Wanis image as their profile pictures. The 22-year-old had become an icon of militancy in the Valley during the last 18 months. (Waseem Andrabi/HT photo) Martyrs dont die, their blood waters the roots of resistance, and shakes the very foundations of occupation and oppression. You have left us in grief, Burhan! May you join your brothers in jannah. Allah is with the oppressed. Woe unto the oppressor! social activist Essar Batool wrote on Facebook. Read: Burhan Wanis death first step in new chapter of Kashmirs militancy Kashmiri Twitter user @Qadri_Inzamam wrote: Burhan is an idea, a phenomenon, that will live for epochs. Indian can never kill an idea that has taken deep roots in our hearts and minds. Many users wrote about the overwhelming outpouring of emotions just after the news broke. Hundreds of Kashmiris paid tributes to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani hailing him as a hero. (Waseem Andrabi/HT photo) People ran barefoot, to the reach the village across the fields for funeral prayers in absentia. But he was present too, in slogans and tears. Eternity is his name now. Resistance is his name. Rest in Power, Commander! Umar Lateef Misgar, a graduate student of international relations and popular blogger, wrote. And, for many Wani had achieved in his short span of life what many could not in a lifetime. Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Kashmirs largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in the fighting after Indian troops, acting on a tip, cordoned a forested village in Kashmirs Kokernag area, said Police Director-General K. Rajendra. A life lived well. His 22 years better than a hundred years of a hundred thousand of us. Salam, jigar, journalist Najeeb Mubarki wrote. Read: Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani On the other hand, journalist Fahad Shah wrote on Facebook about the implications of Wanis death - a topic that has become the talking point since Saturday morning. The killing of Burhan Wani will not be a big success for government of India - its impact will have different connotations. If his presence meant being a poster boy, his killing will mean more inspiration for young people, Shah said. It will be a major challenge to deal with this - even if there wont be much protests visible but in the background there will be a lot going. At least 11 people were killed and scores wounded in southern Kashmir on Saturday as violence erupted over the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, sparking fears of an upsurge in militancy in the region. Wanis body was buried in his hometown Tral amid mass wailing and angry anti-India slogans, a day after security forces gunned down the 21-year-old militant who was the face of militancy in Kashmir over the last five years. Protesters hurled stones, looted police weapons and set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in towns south of Srinagar. Scores were injured on both sides and three policemen have gone missing, source said. Saturdays violence and its fallout are seen as a major political test for chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her alliance with a party largely unpopular in the region, the BJP. Read: Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani Experts fear Wanis killing could become a rallying point for militants to revive an insurgency that has flagged from its peak in the 1990s when attacks were reported daily, the local economy tanked and residents fled the region in droves. Burhans ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he did on social media Kashmirs disaffected got a new icon yday, former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted on Saturday. The conflict has officially killed some 40,000 people over the past quarter-century, although rights groups put the fatalities at more than twice that number. Read: How Hizbul commander Wani created a new militancy and became an icon overnight Saturdays deaths were reported from Anantnag, Kulgam, Bijbehara and Kokernag. One person drowned in the Jhelum as security forces sought to disperse a violent mob. Expecting trouble during Wanis funeral, thousands of armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear fanned out across the region and drove through neighbourhoods, warning residents to stay indoors. 96 policemen were injured in clashes with protesters following Burhan Wanis killing. (AFP Photo) Additional director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, SM Sahai, told reporters that officers were forced to fire at the crowds after being attacked. He said 96 policemen had been wounded. Government sources in Delhi said the Centre had rushed additional paramilitary forces to Kashmir. We expected trouble after his killing We hope the situation to calm down by tomorrow, said a senior home ministry official who is not authorised to speak to media. Read: Burhan Wani: Better living than dead Many Kashmiris took to social media to pay their tribute to Wani, who joined the Hizbul when he was just 15 and became the poster boy of militancy in the Valley, recruiting scores of youngsters with provocative videos and posts. Wani, the son of a school headmaster, took up the gun 10 days before his Class 10 board exams after his brother, Khalid, was reportedly humiliated by the armed forces during the 2010 street protests that shook Kashmir and left more than 100 people dead. He was buried next to his brother, who was killed in crossfire between militants and police last year. Witnesses said at least two militants fired pistol rounds in the air to salute their fallen commander. Read: Kashmirs disaffected have a new icon: Omar Abdullah on Burhan Wanis death Despite the violence, the BJP-PDP coalition government indicated it will not back down, with BJP leader Ram Madhav saying an uncompromising fight against terrorism is important for development Authorities closed the Jammu-Srinagar highway and prevented fresh batches of Amarnath pilgrims from proceeding to Srinagar from Jammu. Railway services were suspended and examinations scheduled for Saturday postponed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON From a murder site to the police station to court to a child rescue home, the trauma just does not seem to end for seven-year-old Sania. Read: Hyderabad businessman hacks wife to pieces, burns body for seeking divorce Her father Rupesh Mohanani allegedly killed his wife, a Congo national Cynthia Vechel, cut her body into 9 pieces and drove along with Sania to a desolate spot on the outskirts of Hyderabad to burn the severed corpse on Monday. Villagers spotted blood stains on his vehicle, stopped him and got him arrested. Read: Congolese womans murder by Indian husband sparks reprisals in Kinshasa Now with her father in jail and a dead mother, Sania is an orphan, with an insensitive state neither able to decide where to send her nor showing the empathy for what the young mind must be going through. Instead of producing Sania before the Child Welfare Committee, which is empowered to provide her temporary shelter with family members, police took her to court on Wednesday. The judge sent her to the Childrens Rescue Home in Kachiguda area of Hyderabad. It is most shocking that Sania was sent to a place where destitute are put up. Not someone who is a victim of circumstances at such a young age. Not someone who has extended family members who are willing to look after her. She needs tender loving care now, it is not a custody issue we are dealing with, an angry Isidore Phillips, a child rights activist, says. Even though the option to let Sania stay with her paternal grandmother, with whom she has a very good equation, exists, neither the police nor the court exercised that choice. We can see that Sania is very attached to her grandmother, Naveen Chand, Cyberabad (West) commission of police. But the police cannot take the decision on who she should live with. Only the court is empowered to take that call. What followed on Friday was worse. The Ranga Reddy court asked Sania to be present in the courtroom on Friday. When she was produced, the judge asked her to be taken to the family court. The judge at the family court rejected the case arguing it was not his jurisdiction. He then said Sania should be sent back to the Ranga Reddy court. No thought was paid to how intimidated the child must have felt by the atmosphere in court. Unable to take a decision, the court sent her this time to another childrens rescue home in Rajendranagar area of Hyderabad for the weekend. A tragic case of a child traumatised over and over again. Burhan Wani skillfully used social media to spread his message of militancy to young Kashmiris. On Saturday, a day after his death, the virtual world was flooded with tributes to the Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy while some also praised the security forces for claiming a top prize. Read: 8 killed in clashes over militant Burhan Wanis death in Kashmir #BurhanWani was a top Twitter trend through the day. Many Kashmiris changed their Facebook profile pictures to either a black square or the militants own mug. Others quoted from poems to describe his martyrdom. Martyrs dont die, their blood waters the roots of resistance and shakes the very foundations of occupation and oppression. You have left us in grief, Burhan! May you join your brothers in jannah. Allah is with the oppressed. Woe unto the oppressor! Srinagar-based social activist Essar Batool wrote on Facebook. Read: Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani A tweet by @Qadri_Inzamam read, Burhan is an idea, a phenomenon that will live for epochs. Indian can never kill an idea that has taken deep roots in our hearts and minds. People spoke of the outpouring of emotion soon after news of Wanis death broke. People ran barefoot to reach the village across the fields for funeral prayers in absentia. But he was present too, in slogans and tears. Eternity is his name now. Resistance is his name. Rest in Power, Commander! student and blogger Umar Lateef Misgar wrote. Read: How Hizbul commander Wani created a new militancy and became an icon overnight On the other end, there were posts abusing Wani and loaded with suggestions on sending the likes of him to Pakistan. There wasnt much real-time tweeting from Wanis hometown of Tral in south Kashmir, observers said, as mobile internet services were snapped on Friday itself. Read: Burhan Wani: Better living than dead During his time as his outfits top operative in the Valley, 21-year-old Wani was a constant presence on social media, posting images of himself armed and dressed in battle fatigue, exhorting the youth to join the holy war via audio and video messages. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON There is nothing political about NDA governments decision to withdraw an appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government challenging the Allahabad high court verdict holding that AMU is not a minority institution, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi has said. I must tell you that there is nothing political about it. The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was set up by an Act of the Parliament when India was not free. It was under British rule. Therefore, it is not correct to say that it was set up by Muslims. There is a judgement of the Supreme Court of (October 20 1967) of a bench of five-judges declaring that the AMU was not a minority institution and that legal position still holds, Rohatgi told a television news channel. The top law officer was responding to a query posed by the India Today news channel with regard to reasons for filing the affidavit on behalf of the Centre for withdrawing its appeal against the high court verdict. Government had told the Supreme Court a few days ago that it will withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government in this regard. Read: Centre withdraws UPA-era plea, AMU could lose minority tag Rohatgi said there was an attempt in the 1980s to try and reverse the position of AMU by way of an amendment. That amendment was not enough to overturn the view (of the Supreme Court). That amendment was challenged in the high court. The HC has struck down the amendment saying that 1967 judgement is still binding. The AMU has also filed a petition challenging the verdict of the HC. They are entitled to carry on with their appeal and contend that it is a minority institution, but I have already told you that the Supreme Court has already held 50 years ago that it is not a minority institution. So that issue will be again decided by the Supreme Court in this appeal, he said. Read: Aligarh Muslim University is facing a minority test Besides the Centre, the varsity administration had also filed a separate plea challenging the high court verdict on the matter. Authorities suspended the Amarnath Yatra on Saturday morning to avoid any possible tensions in Kashmir Valley following the death of Burhan Wani, a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander killed by security forces a day earlier. While a new batch of devotees were stopped from making the pilgrimage, curfew was imposed in part of Srinagar as hundreds gathered to attend the funeral procession in Tral, Pulwama, where Wani was from. Protests had erupted on Friday as news of Wanis killing spread, with people pelting stones at police men, burning tyres and blocking the Srinagar-Anantnag highway. Read | Burhan Wanis death first step in new chapter of Kashmirs militancy On Saturday, authorities closed off the Srinagar-Jammu national highway to traffic, and trains connecting Baramulla in Kashmir region to Banihal town in Jammu were suspended. As a precautionary measure, we did not allow any batch from Bhagwati Nagar base camp this morning. Around 1,700 pilgrims are in the base camp, said Jammu deputy commissioner, Simrandeep Singh, who is also the nodal officer of the Yatra in Jammu. Considering the restrictions in place, Singh said the new arrivals of pilgrims would be adjusted across other community halls in Jammu. Meanwhile, pilgrims travelling in private vehicles may be stopped at Banihal and Ramban on the Kashmir highway. We are monitoring the situation, he added. A top official from Kashmir said that nearly 18,000 pilgrims on the twin axis of Pahalgam and Baltal might be kept at the base camps and allowed to move only when the situation is considered safe. Clampdown in the Valley With security forces expecting large scale agitation over Wanis death, restrictions were imposed in the entire district of Pulwama and in the towns of Ananatnag, Shopian, Pulgam and Sopore, officials said. Further, areas falling under seven police stations in Srinagar, including Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, MR Gunj, Safakadal, Maisuma and Kralkhud, were put under curfew. Authorities also suspended mobile internet services in the Valley to check anti-social elements and activity. Schools were shut down and all school board exams scheduled for the day were postponed. As crowds swelled at Wanis funeral, roads leading to his village Sharifabad in Tral (south Kashmir) were blocked, a senior J-K Police officer said. But it isnt only the funeral we need to worry about. He (Wani) fired the imaginations of Kashmiri youth and we will have to watch out for those who might want to step into his shoes, added the officer. Read | Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani The 21-year-old militant had become notoriously popular for his social media videos calling on youth in Kashmir to join militancy and the cause of an independent Valley. He was killed in an encounter on Friday after being cornered in Bumdoora village of Kokernag by a joint team of police and army. Two other militants were also killed in the operation. (With inputs from agencies) Read more | Kashmirs disturbing new reality The prospects of a nationwide goods and services tax (GST) have brightened with the government indicating its willingness to reach out to the Opposition and hammer out a solution on the key demand of specifying a cap on rates. Once adopted, GST will dramatically alter Indias indirect tax structure by replacing a string of central and local levies such as excise, value added tax and octroi with a single unified tax and stitch together a common national market. In a major shift of stance, the Congress Jairam Ramesh said Saturday that the partys demand for a cap on GST rate in the Constitution amendment bill is not cast in stone. If the cap in the Constitution amendment bill is unacceptable, then the government can explore the option of keeping it in the GST bill If the government wants, a creative use of the English language can solve the impasse. If the cap were to be kept in the GST bill, which would be passed after the 122nd Constitution amendment bill, the government would not have to amend the Constitution each time it needed to impose a levy. The Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, was also quoted as saying the party wanted the government to ring-fence the tax rate. Sources told HT the government saw this statement as an opportunity to find a way out of the impasse, which has been the main hurdle to its reforms initiative. The Congress had been pressing for a GST ceiling rate of 18% specified in the main bill itself. This was different from the bill passed in Lok Sabha in May 2015 that did not specify a rate, and left it to a GST council headed by the finance minister with state finance ministers as members to decide the rates. Top government sources told HT that while it would not agree on capping the GST rate in the Constitution amendment bill, a ceiling on the rate can be specified in some manner in the supplementary legislations that will have to be passed after the main central law is enacted. These include the state GST law, the central GST law and the integrated GST law all enabling legislations necessary for rolling out the new tax system. Fixing the rate in the legislation would make the system extremely rigid as the Constitution would have to be amended with a two-thirds majority if the rates needed to be changed in the future. The supplementary legislations, however, can specify a range within which rates should ideally be maintained, a source said. The government, led by finance minister Arun Jaitley and parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar, may initiate discussions with the Congress-led Opposition to iron out the glitches ahead of Parliaments monsoon session, which begins on July 18. There is heightened expectation that the government will introduce the bill this session depending on Rajya Sabha chairperson Hamid Ansaris concurrence. Lack of political consensus has kept the Constitution amendment bill stuck in the upper House, where the ruling NDA is in a minority, since May last year. Both Houses and at least half of the state assemblies will have to ratify it before it finally becomes law. It has missed several rollout deadlines, including the last one of April 1, 2016. A Delhi court on Saturday revoked the permanent exemption from personal appearance granted to businessman Vijay Mallya in connection with the alleged violation of foreign exchange rules. The order comes on the request of the Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating allegations of money laundering against the liquor baron. Read: Hopefully, legal process will restore my rights: Vijay Mallya The ED argued that the court should recall its December 2000 order as a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai had issued an open-ended warrant against Mallya. A special PMLA court recently declared Mallya, who fled the country on March 2, a proclaimed offender. A person can be termed a proclaimed offender in a criminal case probe if the court has reason to believe that the accused against whom a warrant of arrest has been issued has absconded or is concealing himself so such a warrant cannot be executed. Read: Will not lose anything more in battle with Mallya: Banks The ED has alleged that Mallya violated the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act when he signed a contract with London-based firm Benetton Formula Ltd in December 1995 for promoting his Kingfisher liquor brand abroad. He allegedly paid the money without prior approval of the Reserve Bank of India. In a move that could potentially save Rs 1,800 crore every year, the centre has allowed the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to hire contract labour in emergency situations. Solicitor-general Ranjit Kumar informed the Supreme Court on Friday that the ministry of labour had issued an order on July 6 that the FCI need not call upon its departmental or permanent staff for grain-handling during night hours. Kumar made his submission before a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, and said contract labour was being reintroduced in FCI depots after 40 years. FCI counsel YP Rao told HT the government order would drastically reduce the financial burden on the corporation. He said FCI has to pay extra to its labourers, in the form of incentives, if they are summoned during non-office hours. The order will not affect the permanent staff, who will continue to draw their monthly salary, Rao said. In a November 2015 judgement, the Bombay high court noted that in some cases the monthly salary of permanent labourers went up to Rs 4.5 lakh and asked the centre to look into the possibility of employing contractual labourers. This move, however, was challenged by the FCI employees in the apex court. The Supreme Court formally issued a notice to the FCI and the government on the appeal. The petitioners counsel, senior advocate Amit Sibal, got liberty from the bench to file a fresh petition assailing the government order. On the last hearing, the CJI expressed surprise that around 370 departmental labourers were paid Rs 4.5 lakh a month as salary, which the judge said was more than what the President of India drew. Labourers in FCI have an aggressive past. Officers have been murdered. There is a clique that is operating there and FCI has become a hen that lays golden eggs for them, he said. The FCI is literally held to ransom by the labourers and their unions, and there is something seriously wrong with it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Geeta, the deaf and mute girl, who returned to India last October after being stranded in Pakistan for 13 years, on Saturday expressed sorrow over the demise of Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi. Edhi had taken care of Geeta during her stay in Pakistan. Geeta, who is now staying at Indore Dead Bilingual Academy (IDBA), an NGO for the speech and hearing impaired, recalled her association with Edhi and expressed her desire to interact with his family members. IDBA manager Monica Punjabi said Geeta was informed about Edhis death Saturday afternoon. She (Geeta) recalled that Abdul Sattar and his wife Bilkis Bano had kept her like their daughter and showered special attention on her, Punjabi said. Punjabi said Geeta told her that Edhi had even made a small temple for her so that she could continue. Geeta, who is yet to find her real parents, told Punjabi that she has pleasant memories of staying in Pakistan and misses her friends there. Edhi, who set up the Edhi Foundation in 1974, passed away on Friday So far several attempts have been made to trace Geetas parents, but without success. Recently, Geeta made a request that she should be allowed to travel by train all over the country in the hope that she would be able to recognise the place from where she boarded the train before being separated from her parents. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had met Geeta last December here and assured her that the government was making every effort to trace her parents. The rise of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen commander gunned down by security forces on Friday, coincided with the return of numerous Kashmiri youngsters to the militant fold after more than a decade. Some might even argue that the 21-year-old Wani played a key role in attracting Kashmiri youngsters to the Hizb, thanks to his use of slick propaganda videos and social media tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp. For the past year, Wani had been the most visible face of the Hizb, the most powerful of the indigenous militant groups active in Jammu and Kashmir, appearing in videos that taunted the security forces and warned of more attacks. Read | Militant at 15, killed at 21: Hizbul Mujahideens poster boy Burhan Wani The rakish militant, usually seen wearing combat fatigues and holding an assault rifle, was the embodiment of the new recruits attracted by the Hizb: More educated, tech-savvy and frustrated with the lack of movement in resolving the Kashmir issue at the political level. Burhan really created the new militancy he became an icon overnight and was a driving force for the youth to join militancy, Shujaat Bukhari, the editor-in-chief of Rising Kashmir newspaper. He essentially represented the face of the indigenous Kashmiri militant, who had disappeared for close to 10 to 15 years. After the foreigners took over the militancy, the ratio of indigenous militants had declined to almost 30%, said Bukhari told Hindustan Times on phone from Srinagar. Experts argue that once the Pakistan-backed foreign fighters took over the militancy in the mid-1990s, Kashmiri youngsters began shunning the terror groups as they were fed up of the unrelenting violence and the heavy handed tactics of the foreigners. This trend was followed by the rapprochement between India and Pakistan in 2003, which gave rise to political engagement with the Kashmiri leadership and even talks of a settlement of the Kashmir issue. According to former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, the two sides came close to a solution based on his four-point formula, which envisaged no changes to the regions borders, gradual thinning down of troops and some amount of self-governance. But Musharrafs ouster led to the Kashmir issue falling by the wayside and the 2008 Mumbai attacks resulted in the breakdown of ties between India and Pakistan. Read | Kashmirs disturbing new reality All this gave rise to a sense of despondency in Kashmir. The people feel the issue is only being seen as a law and order problem and not the political issue that it is, said Bukhari. The rise of intolerance across India also pushed some Kashmiris towards violence, he added. Wanis killing marks a tactical gain for the security forces engaged in anti-militancy operations but there are some who argue that the commander could be more dangerous dead than alive. In pics | As Valley remains tense, Kashmiris pay tributes to slain commander Wani There is a possibility he could become a stronger rallying point for militants if he is projected as a martyr. The militants have become more sophisticated in their use of social media as a tool for indoctrination and recruitment, said a security official who did not want to be named as he wasnt authorised to speak to the media. Bukhari argued that the only way forward is tackling the matter as a political issue and working towards a political settlement, which would necessarily mean engaging with Pakistan too. Though the BJP is part of the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, experts feel it is the central government which will have to take the lead in this process. There isnt much in hand for the state government to do, said Bukhari. (The views expressed by the writer are personal. He tweets as @rezhasan) Read more | Wanis funeral today: Amarnath Yatra suspended, curfew in parts of Kashmir SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The demolition of a shopping complex in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning killed four members of a family and injured one person, triggering protests and tension in the area. Authorities rushed rescue personnel and a team of the National Disaster Relief Force to the western UP town as experts warned many more people could be buried under the rubble. Police registered a case against officials of the Meerut Cantonment Board that carried out the razing as hundreds of angry traders and local residents gathered around the site, shouting slogans and alleging negligence. Jagmohan Shakal, former member of Cantonment Board, feared that more people may be trapped in the debris. (HT photo) A four-storeyed shopping complex and many individual dwellings were constructed on the premises of 210 B Bungalow of defence estate over the period of time. The board petitioned the lower court against the construction and the court directed them to demolish it. (HT photo) Four members of a family were killed and five others injured during demolition of an unauthorised shopping complex in Sadar area here on Saturday morning, sparking tension in the area. (HT photo) We have registered a case against the chief executive officer, executive engineer and the demolition team in Sadar police station, said deputy inspector general Laxmi Singh. The district magistrate ordered an inquiry. Police identified the deceased as 42-year-old Deepak Sharma, his son Honey and brother-in-law Pankaj. One more family member remained unidentified. Sources said Deepak ran a food joint at his residence near the complex and got trapped under the rubble along with his family. Sources said the property dispute began when a four-storeyed shopping complex and housing units were constructed on 210 B Bungalow estate which reportedly belonged to the defence forces -- in 1996. The board approached the lower court, which ordered that the buildings be demolished. The builder then moved the Allahabad high court, which upheld the demolition order. The board officials attempted to demolish the building a few days ago but were compelled to go back due to public protests. They came back again on Saturday morning along with police, administrative officials and army jawans and began demolishing the building when the incident occurred. Jagmohan Shakal, a former member of the Cantonment Board, termed the incident as a massacre, and accused army and administrative officials of running away from the spot instead of rescuing the trapped people. Local residents shouted slogans against local BJP parliamentarian Rajendra Agarwal when he visited the spot and forced him to go back. They also protested outside the residence of the Cantonment Board CEO and at the boards office, forcing officials to leave the premises, sources said. Sunil Dua, president of the Sadar Vyapar Mandal, demanded the termination of the board officials for allowing the illegal construction and demolishing it in an allegedly haphazard manner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his visit to South Africa is like a pilgrimage as he is getting to visit places that are significant to Indian history and Mahatma Gandhis life. This visit is like a pilgrimage to me as I am getting the opportunity to visit three places that are significant to Indian history and Mahatma Gandhis life, he told the media after alighting from a train at Pietermaritzburg railway station, where Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. This is the place where the seed was laid for Mohandas (Karamchand Gandhi) to start the journey of the Mahatma, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled by train to Pietermaritzburg railway station on Saturday. (PTI) Modi boarded the train at Pentrich railway station and reached Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal province, after a short ride. PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pitermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled, the Prime Ministers Office tweeted. On the wintry night of June 7, 1893, Gandhi, then a young lawyer, was on his way to Pretoria for a court case when the conductor asked him to move to a third class compartment because of his race. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves from a train at Pietermaritzburg railway station on Saturday. (PTI Photo) When Gandhi refused, saying that he held a valid first class ticket, he was evicted from the train. A plaque at the station reads: In the vicinity of this plaque MK Gandhi was evicted from a first-class compartment on the night of 7 June 1893. This incident changed the course of his life. He took up the fight against racial oppression. His active non-violence started from that date. Modi inaugurated an exhibition titled The Birthplace of Satyagraha at the station waiting room where Gandhi had spent the freezing night and wrote on the visitors book. He also visited the spot at the station where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves from a train at Pietermaritzburg railway station on Saturday. (PTI Photo) After Pietermaritzburg, Modi will visit Gandhis Phoenix Settlement on the outskirts of Durban. On Friday, the Prime Minister visited Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, where Gandhi was incarcerated in 1906 for resisting racism and apartheid. Later on Saturday, Modi will have an interaction with the Alumni Network and attend a reception to be hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and the Mayor of Durban before leaving for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels from Pentrich railway station to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on Saturday. (PTI Photo) On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. (PTI Photo) This is Modis first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. In just three years since its emergence as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the group based in Raqqa, Syria, has changed the face of global terrorism and thrown up a set of complex challenges for security agencies around the world. Older terror organisations such as , and closer to home, groups such as Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, have been built around the model of a core leadership and cells of fighters recruited and specially trained to carry out attacks, but the Islamic State has turned this concept on its head by co-opting any jihadi anywhere who is willing to act on its behalf. The danger posed by such a strategy was driven home to Indian security officials when a group of home-grown jihadis stormed an elite cafe in the diplomatic quarter of the Bangladeshi capital last week and butchered 20 hostages, including a young Indian woman, before they were gunned down. According to most accounts emerging from Dhaka, the men who carried out the attack a mix of youngsters educated in Bangladeshs top schools and universities and madrasa students had links to the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. And yet it was IS that claimed the attack and posted gruesome photos of the victims, along with an accurate body count, hours before the siege was ended. A photo from IS magazine Dabiq showing purported Bangladeshi fighters The IS outlined its strategy of outsourcing attacks as far back as September 2014, when the groups spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani essentially said no permission is required for standalone assaults. In a message advocating attacks by Muslims on civilians in all countries opposing the IS, al-Adnani had said: Do not ask for anyones advice and do not seek anyones verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling. Both of them are disbelievers. Both of them are considered to be waging war (the civilian by belonging to a state waging war against the Muslims). The chilling message was repeated in al-Adnanis speech calling for lone wolf attacks during the holy month of Ramzan this year: The smallest action you do in the heart of their land is dearer to us than the largest action by usDo not ask for anyones permission. 2014 Sept.: IS spokesman Abu Muhammad al Adnani calls for attacks on US, France and other countries involved in the coalition to destroy the group. He says no permission is required for stand-alone assaults. Dec. 16: A gunman allegedly acting on ISs behalf seizes 17 hostages in a cafe in Sydney, Australia. 2015 Jan 7: Two gunmen, Said and Cherif Kouachi, attack the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 11 people. A third assailant, Amedy Coulibaly, carries out a synchronised attack on a kosher supermarket, taking hostages and killing four people. Coulibaly reportedly declares allegiance to the Islamic State. Nov. 13: IS carries out a series of coordinated attacks in Paris, killing 130 people. Dec. 2: A married couple allegedly inspired by IS kills 14 people in San Bernardino, California. 2016 June 12:A gunman attacks a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing more than four dozen people and injuring at least 53. The attacker, identified as Omar Mateen, reportedly called police during the attack and pledged allegiance to IS, who later claimed responsibility for the attack. June 28: Three suicide bombers kill at least 40 people at the Ataturk airport in Istanbul. The Turkish government suspected that IS was behind the attack. July 1: Local jihadis with IS sympathies kill more than 20 people at a restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh. July 3: IS militants carry out a suicide bombing that kills more than 200 people on a busy shopping street in Baghdad. The attack, which occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was ISs deadliest bomb attack on civilians to date. July 4: Suicide bombers attack three locations in Saudi Arabia, including the Prophets Mosque in Medina. July 7: Militants attack a police patrol at Sholokia grounds in Bangladesh. Source: Wilson Center An IS video released after the Dhaka attack too called on Muslims to carry out attacks in their country if they are unable to travel to Syria. The video, which featured three Bangladeshi fighters, said: If the kafirs (disbelievers) close the door of hijrah (migration) on you, then open the door of jihad on themCertainly, your smallest deed on their land is more praiseworthy than our biggest deed here. It is of more use to us and more damaging to them. Giving an analogy, a senior Indian intelligence official said: In the old days, people looking for jobs sent in applications, appeared for interviews and were employed. In todays digital age, you are connected everywhere and you can work from home. The IS model is like the work-from-home model. And it makes our jobs tougher, said the official, who didnt want to be named because he wasnt authorised to brief the media. Security and intelligence agencies, the official explained, traditionally track terrorist cells through the movement of known members and intercepts of communications between the cell and a groups core leadership. The tracking of Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, Osama bin Ladens trusted Pakistani courier, helped American agencies to zero in on the leader, he pointed out. But when you have no movements, no connection between the cell and the IS leadership, no long-term communications, what do you track? he asked. Read: Indian NSG team to travel to Dhaka to study Bangladesh terror attacks In at least two recent attacks claimed by the IS the San Bernardino, California shootings that killed 14 and the attack on the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 49 dead the attackers pledged their bayah or oath of allegiance only during the assault. Omar Mateen, who attacked and killed more than four dozen people at an Orlando nightclub on June 12 (REUTERS) In San Bernardino, Pakistani-origin shooter Tashfeen Malik declared allegiance on Facebook while Omar Mateen, the Afghan-American attacker in Orlando, made his bayah to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a 911 call during the carnage. The case of Omar Mateen is truly perplexing. This was a guy who pledged allegiance to IS and showed solidarity with al-Nusra Front, which is opposed to IS. Recent revelations about his conflicted sexual identity mean Omar Mateen would hardly have been welcomed with open arms if he had gone to Raqqa, said another intelligence official, who too spoke on condition of anonymity. The official was referring to reports that Mateen could have been a closet homosexual as he frequented gay bars and used gay dating apps. The IS is strongly opposed to homosexuals and there have been several reports of gay men being executed by the group by being thrown off high-rise buildings. Animesh Roul, executive director of Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict, a New Delhi-based think tank, said the time had come for a change of approach for security agencies involved in countering groups such as IS. I had someone ask me about IS camps and leaders in Bangladesh. Headquarters, organisations, structures are things of the past. The IS is a completely different beast, he told Hindustan Times. Bangladesh should be an area of focus for us despite the Dhaka governments repeated denials of the presence of IS and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The infrastructure for radicalisation, such as madrasas, exists there and this presents an opportunity for IS and AQIS, Roul said. Besides, there is a lot of evidence of the presence of Bangladeshis from Britain and Canada in the ranks of the IS. Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, the head of the IS chapter in Bangladesh, was recently identified by counter-terror experts as Tamim Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi Canadian who graduated from the University of Windsor with bachelor of science degree. Read: Terror attacks in Islamic countries casts shadow over Eid celebrations in India According to the latest estimates from Indian security agencies, up to 27 Indian men have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight with IS, and at least six have reportedly died. Almost 25 others have been arrested while in Syria or on their way to the war-torn country. In May, the IS released one of its trademark slick videos that featured at least five Indian fighters, including Aman Tandel, an engineering student from Thane the first time its propaganda material has focused on India. Read: 16 Kerala Muslim youths missing, relatives fear they went to Syria, Iraq But these figures could be just the tip of the iceberg. We may never be able to get a fix on everyone in India who may be in touch in some way with the IS, said the first intelligence official. We cant be complacent even for a minute though the majority of Muslims in India dont back groups like the IS. Security officials rued the fact that there were few moderate Muslim voices in the public space to counter groups such as IS and more visible preachers and clerics who espouse hardline Islamic or Salafist views. There has to be a counter-narrative but we just arent seeing it, said an official. Lt Gen (retired) Kamal Davar, former head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, said India does have to worry unduly about the IS in the near-term but it cannot afford to let down its guard. Though the ISIS is endeavouring to expand its evil footprint in the entire subcontinent, yet it has not managed to make any appreciable headway in India. However, it is also a fact that a few of our misguided, educated Muslim youth are getting swayed by Wahabi propaganda, he said. We have to be conscious of it, we have to watch the madrasas and put our clergy on the job. Were fortunate the Indian Muslim behaves differently. Hence we have to reach out to him and make sure the idea of India remains an inclusive one. Read: Rise of extremism: Struggle for the soul of Bangladesh Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accused his Gujarat counterpart Anandiben Patel of getting his programme in Surat cancelled, as he kick-started AAPs poll campaign for the 2017 state elections. Kejriwal, who landed in Rajkot this morning with his family members, first paid a visit to famous Lord Shiva temple in Somnath before launching the campaign. The AAP national convenor was accompanied by party leader Kumar Vishwas and his family. My original programme of Gujarat was of two days; we were to visit Somnath on Saturday, and on Sunday we had a meeting in Surat. But Anandibenji put undue pressure on people and businessmen in Surat and got our programme cancelled, he told reporters. In democracy, everybody has the right to express their views. Ours is a democracy, the AAP chief said. During the tour, Kejriwal will also visit some villages of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Rajkot district to meet farmers to understand their problems. Kejriwals scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation, which AAP alleged was at the behest of state government. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday sounded the poll bugle in Gujarat ahead of the 2017 assembly elections by offering prayers at the historic Somnath temple. Addressing a 2,000-strong gathering, Kejriwal promised to come back to fight goons. The Union government revoked a historic Rs 3 crore crop damage compensation package passed by the AAP government in Delhi. I revoked their order, said the AAP leader. Kejriwal, who landed in Rajkot with Kumar Vishwas, appealed to the Patidar community and farmers, as the AAP prepares to contest on all 182 seats in the state. Hardik Patel was charged with sedition for raising his voice for his Patidar community. But Eknath Khadse, who speaks to Dawood Ibrahim, will not be charged with sedition, Kejriwal said. Pointing to Vandana Patel, a member of Hardiks Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, Kejriwal said, She spent three months in jail. She was charged with attempt to murder, again for fighting for the community. The Delhi CM opted to have meetings in the coastal belt of Saurashtra, which is a Patidar-dominated region. He blamed chief minister Anandiben Patel for the cancellation of his July 10 meeting with Surat traders. Organisers, who wanted a solution for heavy taxes, were threatened. I do not understand why Anandiben Patel is scared of us, he said. The crowd, consisting of mainly farmers, came from various districts of Saurashtra and central Gujarat. Most of the Saurashtra farmers were mobilised by BJP rebel Kanu Kalsaria, who had successfully got a cement plant scrapped over environmental concerns in the coastal belt. Before Kejriwals arrival, AAP volunteers kept the crowd engaged by comparing the Delhi and Gujarat government models. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kerala government announced on Saturday a probe after 15 Kera youths, who had travelled to Middle East, reportedly went missing and were suspected to have joined the Islamic State (IS),with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying it was a very serious issue. The families of the youths, including a couple, from Kasaragod and Palakkad districts have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies. The missing persons are below the age of 30 and highly qualified, including medicos. The matter came to fore with the families of the youths approaching local leaders, including an MP, after suspicion that they may have joined the IS. While 11 youths hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district, others are from Palakkad district. A detailed probe would be conducted into the issue. If they are trapped in their (IS) net and reached in (their territory), it would be a very difficult issue. A detailed probe would be conducted on this issue, revenue minister E Chandrasekharan told reporters. Kasaragod district panchayat member VPP Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youths received Whatsapp messages saying we are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You also should join us. We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims, read another message, he said adding the veracity of the messages has to be checked. On being approached by the families on Saturday, Karunakaran, Thrikarippur MLA M Rajagopalan and Mustafa informed the chief minister about the matter. Police in Kerala on Saturday launched a probe into the disappearance of several people from two northern districts even as a woman came forward to complain that her daughter was among the missing suspected to have joined militant outfits in the Middle East. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the mysterious disappearances from Kasargode and Palakkad districts were a serious issue and that central investigative agencies were in touch with the state police to determine the whereabouts of those missing. Kerala has a history of being a breeding ground for radical Islamic ideology. Last year, a journalist from the state employed in Qatar joined a militant outfit fighting the government of President Bashal al-Assad in Syria. Four others were deported from the UAE for alleged ties to the Islamic State (IS) outfit. HT on Friday was the first to report that 16 youth have been missing from the state for the past one month. Police intelligence officials, however, said the actual number of people missing could be 20 or more. The police are investigating the authorities of a prominent public school chain and a Kozhikhode-based publishing firm for their suspected role in radicalising the missing persons. A woman meanwhile went public about her missing daughter. Nimisha, 20, she said, has been missing since June 3 after she had converted to marry one Eeza. The woman said her daughter hasnt contacted her since she left for Sri Lanka with her husband. In last November I lost contact with my daughter all of a sudden. When I rushed the college I was told she had married a Muslim youth, she said. Later she filed a habeas corpus petition in High Court but the judge let her daughter go with the husband since she was 18 years of age. I was shocked to see my daughter, who loved to wear casual dress, in full purdah (veil). I was not allowed to talk to her fearing I may change her mind, she said, adding that she somehow managed to revive contact with her later. A man whose son is among the missing reported having received a message from him a couple of weeks ago. Right now I am here living with izzah (pride) as a Muslim under the shade of Alhamdulillah, the son said in the message, exhorting his entire family to join him. With several layers of touts and doctors and margins of Rs 20 lakh per case, the illegal kidney transplant racket is rampant across the country and agencies are finding it difficult to crackdown on these. NGOs estimate that donors are paid as little as Rs 40,000 while the receiver pays over Rs 20 lakh for the same kidney, and that is why organ transplant trafficking is one of the fastest and least reported crimes in India. Last month, police busted a kidney racket which lured poor people from several states to sell their kidneys, and arrested several people, including the personal secretaries of a neurologist of Apollo Hospital, in this connection. NGOs working in the field claim many donors dont even know they have undergone kidney transplants and that awareness at the village level could solve the problem. Many donors dont even know where to complain. In far flung villages in West Bengal and Bihar, most of the villagers live with one kidney and operations are performed locally. It is a thriving market, with touts preying on poor, said Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini NGO that works in rural areas. Investigators claim donors are known as Pappu among touts and the nexus is so strong that two people involved in the racket often dont know each other. We stumbled on the racket when we saw two people fighting. The touts call donors Pappu and many a times it was difficult to reach the next level. They used to target the poor and pay them as less as Rs 25,000. It is difficult to bust the organized gang. Complainants are not willing to come forward, said Manzil Saini, who was responsible for busting the infamous Gurgaon kidney racket in 2008. She is now SSP, Lucknow. A rough estimate suggests that over 1,00,00 kidney transplants are performed illegally across the world. In big hospitals, many a times, doctors performing the operation do not even know that the receiver has got the kidney illegally. The touts forge documents to show that the donor is a relative and obtain the necessary clearance. Receivers, on the other hand, are ready to pay hefty amounts in order to save their lives. In such a scenario, everyone is a victim apart from the touts, who get commission, said Rakesh Senger of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, who feels the racket is far bigger than the number suggests. A Nepal-based NGO, Forum for Protection of Peoples Rights (PPR), conducted a study on 36 people who were trafficked for organ transplant and are now living in Nepal. While the main reason for their plight was poverty and lack of education, many were promised a house and huge amounts of money, which they never get. Of the 36 victims they talked to, 11 were unaware where the transplant happened, but 18 of them said the transplant happened in Chennai, 6 said it took place in Chandigarh and one person mentioned Delhi. In most of these cases, Delhi was the transit point. Because of the good health care system in South India, most victims were taken to Chennai. Post their return, the victims are treated badly by locals and termed as kidney seller. There is obviously a health effect, said Satish Sharma of PPR. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid allegations of misuse of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in J&K and the North East, the Supreme Court on Friday said security personnel committing crime did not enjoy absolute immunity. Read: Here are 10 things to know about controversial legislation Afspa A bench headed by Justice MB Lokur said, The law is very clear that if an offence is committed even by Army personnel, there is no concept of absolute immunity from trial by the criminal court constituted under the Criminal Procedure Code. Rejecting the Centres argument that it would demoralise the forces, the bench said, To contend that this would have a deleterious and demoralising impact on the security forces is certainly one way of looking at it, but from the point of view of a citizen, living under the shadow of a gun that can be wielded with impunity, outright acceptance of the proposition advanced is equally unsettling and demoralising, particularly in a constitutional democracy like ours. Agreeing to a probe into alleged 1,528 cases extra-judicial killings by security forces in Manipur during 2000-12, the bench, also comprising Justice UU Lalit, said, This is the requirement of a democracy and the requirement of preservation of the rule of law and the preservation of individual liberties If members of our armed forces are deployed and employed to kill citizens of our country on the mere allegation or suspicion that they are enemy not only the rule of law but our democracy would be in grave danger. Defining extra-judicial killings as use of excessive or retaliatory force by the State leading to death, it said all such cases should be thoroughly enquired into. It does not matter whether the victim was a common person or a militant or a terrorist, nor does it matter whether the aggressor was a common person or the State. The law is the same for both and is equally applicable to both, it said. The top court said, Before a person can be branded as a militant or a terrorist or an insurgent, there must be the commission or some attempt or semblance of a violent overt act. A person carrying a weapon in a disturbed area in violation of a prohibition to that effect cannot be labeled a militant or terrorist or insurgent. Mere membership of a banned organization did not incriminate a person, it added. One of Hizbul Mujahideens prominent commanders, the 21-year-old Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on Friday in the Kokernag area of south Kashmir. Read | Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani killed in J-K gunfight As news spread, protests erupted across Kashmir, with people blocking the Srinagar-Anantnag highway, burning tyres and pelting stones at police. In some areas, funeral prayers were offered to Wani and the two militants who were killed in the operation, and youth raised slogans in praise of the slain. Read | Burhan Wanis death first step in new chapter of Kashmirs militancy Despite his young age, Burhan Wani had risen through the ranks in the Mujahideen, becoming popular for his social media campaign aimed at drawing more youth to his cause. Security forces also regarded him as the brains behind a several attacks on them while Wani himself had threatened to target them. Hizbul Mujahideen is one of several rebel groups fighting for Kashmiri independence, a cause that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians, since 1989. Educated and media savvy, Wani powered a huge recruitment drive for the militant group through videos posted online, attracting similarly minded, young and educated youth to the decades-old fight for independence of the disputed region. Read | Burhan Wani: The new face of Kashmiri militancy in virtual world Photographs of him in military fatigues and brandishing rifles surfaced in 2014, seemingly firing the imagination of many. Wanis unabashed call to others to join made him an inspiration for Kashmirs largely young demographic. Such became his popularity, he was increasingly being regarded as a local hero and a revolutionary. A Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head only amplified this stature. The son of a school principal and a high scoring student, Wani picked up arms when he was just 15 years old, spurred by the violent treatment meted out to his elder brother, Khalid. Khalid had been beaten up by security forces based on allegations that he was recruiting militant cadre during the 2010 unrest. He was killed last year while travelling to meet Wani in a forest hideout. He became a militant not only because he was oppressed but because he saw so many others being oppressed by the army. He couldnt take it anymore, said Burhans father, Muzaffar Wani in an interview to Hindustan Times last year. Read | Kashmirs disturbing new reality When asked what drove Wani, his father said, Freedom from India Its not only his motto but everybodys. Even mine. For security forces, Wanis death is shot in the arm. It is a huge success for security forces. It will dent the strength of Mujahideen in the (Kashmir) valley, inspector general of police for the region, Javaid Gillani, said, adding that they had acted on specific intelligence on Wani. Funerals of militants usually draw huge crowds in the state, and young Wanis is expected to draw the maximum. Police have put in place security measures, blocking access to several areas in Kashmir to control the situation. Read | Kashmirs disaffected got a new icon: Omar Abdullah on Burhan Wanis death Energy was never too far from Prime Minister Narendra Modis mind as he embarked on his four-nation tour of Africa. There has been a long-standing trade in South African coking coal and briquettes. In Mozambique, he put a stamp on Indias ambitious investment plans in a country emerging as the worlds third largest gas exporter. Even in Tanzania, Modi offered Indian know how in that countrys nascent gas sector. India has imported oil from Nigeria, Angola and Egypt and coal from South Africa for years, but has been a marginal player on the continent. However, global circumstances have placed India in a prime position to expand its energy stake in the continent. The shale revolution has robbed Nigeria and many West African countries of the North American oil and gas market. This is one reason Nigeria is the second-largest source of crude imports to India in recent times. Chinas attempts to reform its economy have meant its energy imports have slowed down. The collapse in oil and gas prices has given India the opportunity to not only seek long-term supply contracts at low prices. Under some economic distress, African governments are more willing to offer equity in their energy assets. ONGC Videsh Limited says it plans to double its $8 billion worth of investments in Africa over the next three years. It already has oil and gas stakes in Mozambique, the two Sudans and elsewhere but is now eyeing North Africa, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In pics: Modi visits South Africa station where Gandhi was thrown off train India is now in a position to provide a combination package of aid, security and other forms of investment to African governments when it goes to seek energy investments. This is important as many African states lack the infrastructure to allow the extraction and transport of their oil, gas or coal or dont have trained personnel to run mines and refineries. New Delhi is now willing and able to provide that sort of support. While this benefits Indian companies, it also supports Indian security and diplomatic interests. India has three good reasons to try and build up an energy relationship with Africa, despite the political risks involved with dealing in such countries. OVLs investments in Libya, for example, are not in great shape. One is that African energy assets are often the cheapest. A McKinsey study looked at what the cost of liquefied natural gas from gas fields around the world would be for the Indian market. Most of the lowest LNG prices were from fields in Africa and North America, largely in the $ 8 to 12 mmbtu price range. Australian and Russian fields, for example, were in $12 and $14 range. Read: In South Africa, PM Modi hard-sells Indias growth story, harps on HOPE Two is that India has, until now, run a relatively balanced energy trade with Africa. While it imported a lot, this was offset by large exports of petroleum products from Indian refineries. In places like Kenya, private Indian hydrocarbon firms like Reliance and Essar invested in refineries and retail outlets. Since 2003, in fact, the rough pattern of Indian hydrocarbon trade with Africa was India importing from West and Central Africa and exporting to East Africa. However, as Indias oil and gas consumption surges at home it will have less and less refined petroleum products to sell overseas. This seems to already be happening, with Indian petroleum products exports falling drastically the past year. In an unusual case of theft, a gang of robbers broke its way into the Mariamman temple complex in Virudhunagar district, 420 km south of Chennai, and looted a most unusual object human hair. Turning a blind eye to the ancient temples gold, silver or cash, they stole 800 kg hair that was being processed for auction. Devotees shave their heads and give their hair as offerings. Such hair from temples, especially Tirupati, is sought after in Europe and Asia for wigs. While hair from Tirupati is also auctioned online, other temples in Tamil Nadu still prefer traditional auction systems. The hair stolen by the burglars was valued at Rs 45 lakh. A formal police complaint was lodged by N Ramaswamy, a fifth-generation priest at the 400-year-old temple, which is located at Irukkankudi village near Satur. The priest discovered the theft on Friday morning when he opened the temple for rituals. The human hair, that is offered by devotees in return of wish fulfilment and blessings, was being stored for the past three years, the priest told HT over the telephone, adding that right now the hair was being processed being separated according to length and texture for auction. Hair was last auctioned here three years ago and it earned the temple Rs 3.33 crore, Ramamurthy said. Fortunately, only a portion of the hair stored in three rooms was stolen. Sixteen gunny bags of hair were carted away, police said. Police suspect it to be the handiwork of locals who are well-versed with the ways of the temple. In all, there were some 80 gunny sacks full of hair stored in three rooms at the temple. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A social group started an online petition on Saturday to press for the release of Hamid N Ansari, a Mumbaikar who is languishing in a Pakistani jail for nearly four years. An engineer-cum-MBA, Ansari, 31, a resident of Andheri suburb, had gone to Kabul for a job interview in November 2012. He befriended a Pakistani girl on Facebook and reportedly crossed over into Pakistans Kohat to save her from being forcibly married off to a person twice her age. The petition started by Prasanna Chandrasekar, claims the girl shared her despair and asked Ansari for help. Details of their online interaction show that Ansari agreed to save her. All contact with Ansari was lost two days before he crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan at Jalalabad and headed to Peshawar. However, he was detained by the Pakistani authorities. He was taken into custody by the Pakistan army, and was tried in a military court there. He was sentenced to three years in jail on November 14, 2015. These facts came to light in Jaunary after his mother Fauzia Ansari filed a petition. Mumbai Congress ex-legislator Krishna Hegde said the Peshawar high court urged the concerned authorities to consider including the three years Ansari had already spent in jail as an undertrial and also announced his expected release date. The online petition claims that almost four years on and Ansari has still not been released, much to the despair of his parents, Nehal and Fauzia, who have been making consistent efforts for his return. They have written to top authorities in Indian and Pakistani governments, seeking their intervention for Ansaris early release. A day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a probe into Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks activities, the Mumbai police were busy going through his published material available in public domain. The enquiry has been handed over to the special branch which is now scanning documents, digital video CDs and books. The enquiry is to find out if his speeches and sermons have been anti-India, provocative or objectionable. In that case further action can be initiated, said a senior Mumbai police officer. Read: Controversial preacher Zakir Naik faces FIR, ban on TV channel The police are also likely to question Naik on his return to India. Officials said action would depend on what came up in the police probe. Police said Naik had been shuttling between Mumbai and Saudi Arabia in the recent past. Investigators said the most recent case against him was registered in 2013, when he was booked by the Kurla police station for insulting sentiments of Hindus. Read: Despite ban, you can still watch Zakir Naik on TV Details of cases and complaints against him, his speeches, gatherings, funding to his organization, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), is being enquired into. It will be put up in the report to be submitted to the state government, added the officer. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered the enquiry into Naiks activities, asking Mumbai police commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar to submit a report soon. . The suicide of a deputy police superintendent, MK Ganapathy, in a lodge in Kodagu district on July 7 is the latest in a series of scandals that have hit the Karnataka home department in the last couple of years. Just hours before his suicide, Ganapathy, 56, gave an interview to a local TV channel, accusing the former state home minister, KJ George, and his seniors AM Prasad, additional director general of police (intelligence department) and inspector general Pronab Mohanty, who heads the Lokayukta Police unit of harassing him. He alleged that Prasad had demanded money from him. The government is yet to register an FIR, but a team headed by senior CID official Hemant Nimbalkar has been sent to the place of the incident Vinayak Lodge in Madikeri. This has caused some misgivings as a case needs to be registered before investigation. But the registration of an FIR would mean the powerful individuals named in the incident would have to be arrested. Ganapathy committed suicide in full uniform, along with his medals and service revolver. It was earlier said a two-page note was found in his pocket, but nothing has been revealed so far. He was said to be a technically savvy officer, and many believe some information may have been left on his computer. Ganapathy joined the force in 1999 and had a chequered career, marked by controversies and suspensions. He was posted in Mangalore during a series of church attacks in 2008, and transferred out shortly thereafter to Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru. Here he faced flak for the killing of a rowdy-sheeter, 20-year-old Prashant, in an alleged encounter. He was also accused of extorting money from businessmen in his beat. His recent promotion and posting as deputy superintendent of police in Mangalore was delayed by over five years on account of these controversies, and he was unhappy about his posting as well. Interference and harassment In another incident, in June this year, Anupama Shenoy, deputy police superintendent in Kudligi in Ballari district, submitted her resignation, citing interference and harassment by Parameshwar Naik, the then labour minister, who hails from the district and wanted her to favour the liquor lobby in her area. She made a number of strong allegations and demanded Naiks resignation as well. Six months before her resignation, Shenoy was transferred after she put the ministers call on hold to take a call from her superior. She was reinstated to the posting after the minister was caught boasting about the incident. Naik was dropped from the cabinet in the recent cabinet reshuffle and expansion in Karnataka, largely due to this misadventure. Just two days before Ganapathy took his own life, Chikmagalur deputy police superintendent Kallappa Handibag committed suicide in his father-in-laws house following his suspension after investigation into a businessmans kidnapping revealed his complicity in the plot. Handibags colleagues came out in his support and alleged that harassment, demands from higher-ups for money in exchange of transfers and promotions was what led to his suicide. Promotions for more than 50 vacant posts of deputy superintendents of police are being held up for this reason. We joined in 1994 but have got just one promotion. IPS officers who also joined in the same year have moved up thrice in the same time, said one of Handibags colleagues. Huge sums of money change hands for preferred postings and promotions, said another deputy police superintendent. This can be even up to Rs 30 lakh for plum posts. Mass leave Also in June, the rank and file of Karnatakas constabulary raised an unprecedented banner of revolt by applying for mass leave and threatened to stay away from work. The protest, called by the Karnataka State Police Association, was dealt with an iron fist by the government, which issued stern warnings including jail terms and dismissal. The police personnel were protesting against poor working conditions, increasing political interference and low salaries. The practice of allotting orderlies meant that trained police constables were made to do menial tasks for senior officers in their houses. For a state facing huge shortage in its police force, this was a poor usage of its forces and had demoralised a large section of the younger lot as well as increased work pressure on the rest of the force. On the outcome of the protest, a deputy police superintendent said there was a definite positive impact: Leave is much easier to get and the harsh treatment by seniors is definitely reduced. And the system of being made to do menial work in senior officers houses by the constables has been stopped. The suicides of two DySPs, especially Ganapathys suicide, has certainly shaken up the department. The system of orderlies was withdrawn by the government, and promises to look into their salary structure and housing arrangements were also made. Housing for police personnel is another huge issue in the state, and prompted some of the family members to come out to protest against the poor quality and quantity of housing available to them. The name of former home minister KJ George, now minister in-charge of the development of Bangalore and town planning, also came up in the controversial suicide on March 15, 2015, of a young IAS officer, DK Ravi, who was the then additional commissioner for enforcement in the commercial taxes department. At the time of his death, Ravi was pursuing the non-payment of taxes by a number of real estate firms, including those owned by George and DK Shivakumar, another powerful minister in the Karnataka cabinet (no relation to Ravi). Ravi, known to be a highly motivated and idealistic young man, had just a few months earlier taken on the sand mafia as the DC, was much loved in the Kolar district, but also made powerful enemies there. He was shifted to the post in the enforcement department at the request of his father-in-law, who wanted to protect him. In his new posting, he was able to collect Rs 100 crore in unpaid taxes in just a month, said his colleagues, and was planning to conduct raids on several builders when the news of his alleged suicide came. After days of uproar in the assembly, the case was transferred from the state CID to the CBI, which found prima facie evidence of suicide and filed a closure report in the latter part of 2015. Yes, Ganapathy was my batch mate and I knew him well, said a deputy superintendent of police from Bangalore on condition of anonymity. Two days ago, DySP Kallappa Handibag committed suicide in Belagavi after being booked in a kidnapping case. He was young and maybe got overwhelmed by the events. But Ganapathy had 24 years of service. It is hard to think what made him so terrified as to commit suicide. Sadistic superiors All of us undergo terrible stress due to sadistic superiors. I myself have been issued 50 memos in one month, whereas I hadnt got even one earlier, he added. Pronab Mohanty, one of the officers named by Ganapathy, has a mixed reputation: He is considered NGO-friendly and cooperative. He was very good at finding ways of collaborating and moving things forward, said a senior NGO representative, who has worked with Mohanty during his previous charge in dealing with human trafficking issues. It is hard to think that his junior faced difficulty in dealing with him. But not everyone agrees with that assessment. I used to steer clear of him when I encountered him, said an NGO veteran, who has worked extensively with the Karnataka police. Kempaiah, a retired IPS officer close to chief minister Siddaramaiah, has been a consultant with the state home department since the beginning of his tenure, but there has been no notable improvement in the departments functioning. Hindustan Times was unable to reach the chief minister, KJ George, present home minister Dr G Parameshwara or the home secretary for comment for this report. Calls for KJ Georges resignation are gaining steam, and Opposition leaders, including Kumaraswamy, Eashwarappa and BS Yeddyurappa, have lambasted the government for its handling of the incident. There is nothing but gunda raj in this state. We demand that KJ George be dropped from the cabinet immediately, said Yeddyurappa. The tenures of both the present home minister and his predecessor have not seen any remarkable change in the quality of policing or administration. And, in extension, there has been no positive development in the lack-lustre performance of the home department. The department has called for applications to fill over 1,000 posts. The hope now is the new entrants do not have to face the barriers of bribery, nepotism and inaction that appear to plague its ranks, particularly at higher levels. Congress on Friday termed as unfortunate the protests in Kashmir over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, saying people should not mourn for militants who are responsible for killing hundreds of innocents. As far as Burhan is concerned, he was a terrorist. There is no doubt that he was not an innocent and was a terrorist. It is unfortunate that people in Kashmir mourn when a terrorist dies. People should not condole the death of terrorists, who are responsible for killing hundreds of innocent people, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said. Burhan Wani, the 21-year-old poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, was shot dead in an encounter on Friday by security forces along with two of his accomplices in Kokernag area, 83 km from Srinagar. This led to violent protests in many parts of Kashmir, with protesters attacking police posts and security personnel in several areas and targeting the BJP office in Kulgam. Authorities also suspended the annual Amarnath yatra from Jammu to base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam in the Valley which has been gripped by tension. Saas-bahu sagas are nothing new. However, here is one with a twist. A Russian bahu is sitting on dharna at the doorstep of her in-laws in Indrapuri locality of Agra, seeking her husbands share from her mother-in-laws property. Olga Efimenkova is so adamant not to end her protest till her husband is provided their share, that despite rainfall, she sat on dharna on Saturday. Olga had married Vikrant Singh Chandel in 2011 and they have a son. The couple had been residing in Goa, but after suffering losses in business, they returned to Agra. However, when the couple reached their house, they were not allowed entry as Vikrants mother Nirmala Chandel had gifted the property to her daughter who runs a school there. Agitated over her husband being deprived of his share in the property, Olga went and sat on a dharna at the doorstep of her in-laws. She is being supported by her husband Vikrant. When asked, Olga said that she had informed New Agra police and Russian Embassy, but police did not register a case as they said it was a case of property dispute between family members. Olgas mother-in-law Nirmala Chandel maintained that she is living in a single room and had gifted the house to her daughter who is estranged from her husband. My daughter runs a school on the premises. I have already given Rs 11 lakh to Vikrant. Now I have nothing left with me to give to him, she said, adding that her son and daughter-in-law gamble and consume liquor and have not cared about her. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court will hear on Saturday the plea of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi seeking a stay on the Bombay high court order, refusing to quash the defamation case against him over his remark on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The apex court had earlier in April adjourned the plea till second week of May. Gandhis counsel argued that there are several judgements and evidences that would prove that the defamation case filed against him was frivolous. According to reports, the Gandhi also turned down the SCs offer to express regret for his comment holding the RSS responsible for Mahatma Gandhis assassination and get the defamation case filed against him buried. Earlier, Gandhi had also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS of trying to create disruption in plural but harmonious social fabric in Assam. Even as central employees threaten to go on a nationwide strike to protest the Seventh Pay Commission hikes, about 3,000 to 4,000 Group A officers continue to do odd jobs at the grade and pay of mid-level bureaucrats. These employees belonging to the Central Secretariat Stenographer Services (CSSS), Railway Board Services, Armed Forces Headquarter Services and the Ministry of External Affairs serve as principal private secretaries (PPS), senior PPS and principal staff officers (PSO). Their job profile requires them to attend phone calls, arrange files, pay office bills and even perform personal tasks for the officials they are attached to. The service has its roots in the administrative reforms brought in by the British empire in 1919, and continued till the 1990s. Though computers replaced typewriters around then, they were still recruited through a competitive examination conducted by the Staff Selection Commission. These stenos or personal assistants are upgraded to the post of private secretary either through a limited departmental examination or a departmental promotion. After PS, they are promoted to the posts of PPS, senior PPS and, finally, the PSO. However, they just continue doing the same job at different pay grades. For instance, a PSO takes home Rs 1.5 lakh per month for doing the same job as a steno who earns Rs 30,000. The problem was taken into account by the Sixth Pay Commission in 2006. There is no justification for maintaining a distinct stenographers cadre in any government office, the report said. It also recommended that the Central Secretariat Services (CSS) and the CSSS cadres be merged, and begin recruiting multi-skilled personnel at the assistant or steno level to act as designated executive assistants who will discharge the functions of present-day assistants, besides performing all stenographic functions. Ten years have passed, but the government is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter. The Seventh Pay Commission has also made no recommendation in this regard. A PSO of CSSS cadre is equivalent to a director in the CSS cadre in terms of remuneration, but the (PSO) does the same job as that of a stenographer or a PA. This is because the work profile does not change with the upgradation of posts, said a PPS on the condition of anonymity. While many experienced government officials in the middle and lower bureaucracy are sitting idle, officials in other departments such as Income Tax are facing a severe staff crunch, a senior PPS said. Sanjay Kothari, who has just retired as the secretary of DoPT, refused to comment on the issue. The Seventh Pay Commissions recommendations for 2006 are yet to be implemented because it takes time to lay down rules and procedures, said KS Datawalia, DoPT spokesperson. The prime minister is always talking about minimum government, maximum governance. The government has also constituted a task force for the optimisation of human recourse in various ministries, as stated by the finance minister in his budget speech. It is hoped that the DoPT will implement the decision at least now, says a senior officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eight people were reported killed and several others including three policemen injured as violence erupted across the Valley on Saturday, in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani the previous day. Local police intelligence chief Shiv M Sahai said seven men were killed in retaliatory action by government troops. Another man drowned as he tried to flee government troops. Sahai said that protesters attacked several police and paramilitary posts in the region. Around 90 government troops were injured, he said. Mobs also attacked police stations and a BJP office at Kulgam to protest his killing. A police officer said groups of enraged youngsters pelted stones at police posts and stations at Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district, besides Mir Bazaar in Kulgam district and Warpora in Baramulla district. Earlier in the day, the 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander was wrapped in a Pakistani flag and his body was kept at the burial ground in Tral even as the crowd chanted Tum kitney Burhan maroge, har ghar se burhan nikley ga (How many Burhans will you kill, every house in Kashmir will produce one). Wani is to be laid to rest next to his brother, Khalid, who was also killed in the crossfire between militants and security forces last year. Two other militants were also killed in the encounter. Police handed over Wanis body to his family late Friday evening, following which people from places across the Valley started pouring into the area. The entire region shut down as news of Wanis death spread. Every house in the area hosted mourners who came from other parts of the state, said a resident. Even militants reportedly dropped by to pay their respects to Wani. Read | In pics: As Valley remains tense, Kashmiris pay tributes to slain commander Wani Curfew-like restrictions were imposed on many parts of Srinagar and south Kashmir after the incident, and mobile internet services were suspended to prevent coordination between the dead militants sympathisers. The authorities closed the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and prevented fresh batches of Amarnath Yatris from proceeding to Srinagar from Jammu. Pilgrims at the base camps, however, were allowed to continue their journey. The yatra will be restored after the violence has abated. We will ensure the safety of the yatris, said ADG SM Sahai. Railway services were suspended, and many examinations scheduled for Saturday postponed. Policemen remove a roadblock set up by protesters during a protest in Srinagar,J-K, Saturday, July 9, 2016. (AP) Separatist leaders were either taken into preventive custody or kept under guard at their residences. Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was supposed to lead the prayers in Srinagar, was barred from leaving his house in Nageen area. Wani became the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen in 2014, when he posted photographs and videos of himself and other militants in full combat gear on a social networking website. This was the first instance of militants fearlessly identifying themselves before the public, and using the social media as a recruitment tool. Police, meanwhile, are showing maximum restraint while taking on protesters because they believe retaliatory action could lead to a vicious cycle of violence. Many places that had last witnessed protests only in 2010 have erupted. Relatively peaceful areas have also witnessed heavy stone pelting, said a police officer. In the face of the uproar across the Valley, security forces fear Wani will become a bigger icon in death. Amarnath Yatris in Jammu on Saturday, July 9, 2016. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended to avoid possible tensions in Kashmir Valley following the death of Burhan Wani, a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander on Friday. (Nitin Kanotra / HT Photo ) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah also expressed similar apprehensions in a series of tweets since Friday night. Mark my words. Burhans ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he did on social media, the National Conference leader said. Abdullah, who was at the helm during the 2010 street agitations, said the pro-separatist sentiment became as alive after Wanis killing on Friday. After many years, I hear slogans for Azadi resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmirs disaffected got a new icon yday, he added. The United Jihad Council (UJC) the conglomerate of militant organisations of which Hizbul Mujahideen is a part paid tributes to Wani by saying that he gave sleepless nights to eight lakh Indian armed forces and also provided the Kashmir freedom struggle with a new lease of life. UJC chief Syed Salahuddin described Wanis death as a painful incident. Under the banner of Hizbul Mujhadeen, Burhan Wani produced scores of Burhans, and every drop of his blood will continue to produce thousands of Burhans in Kashmir Valley, Salahuddin said. Read | How Hizbul commander Wani created a new militancy and became an icon overnight SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sticking to his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday posted on Twitter a photo purportedly showing the Malegaon blast case accused seated beside the Home Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. . Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond ? pic.twitter.com/aG59jPNEIg digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 However, it was not clear when the purported photograph was taken. Digvijays reaction came after BJP termed as baseless his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur in 2008, when the BJP was in opposition. Digvijaya also tweeted out a picture of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik who met 26/11 terror mastrmind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan in 2014. Does Media and the Modi Bhakts recognise them ? Hafiz Sayeed and Ved Pratap Vedic in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/u911mHllyo digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 The Congress leader, who has in the past too made similar claims which Rajnath Singh had then denied, raked up the issue after a BJP targeted him over a 2012 video showing him praising controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him. I am being criticised for sharing stage with Zakir Naik, but what about Rajnath Singh-ji meeting bomb blast accused Pragya Thakur, the Congress leader tweeted. Pragya is an accused in bomb blast, is there a case against Zakir Naik as yet? What about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-ji sharing stage with Zakir, he further tweeted. Naik is under the scanner following revelations that two of the five young militants who massacred 20 hostages, including an Indian, at a popular cafe in Bangladeshs capital Dhaka on July 1, drew their inspiration from his speeches. If Rajnath Singh visits Malegaon bomb blast accused Pragya Thakur, is that nationalism, Digvijay Singh told the media. Sri Sri Ravishankar ji shares the stage with Zakir Naik, thats nationalism, but if I share the stage with him, I become anti-national? What kind of double standards are these? What is the allegation against Zakir Naik? Is he a terrorist, is there a case against him? Is he a criminal, he further said. Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches aimed against other religions. Talking to a news channel on Friday Digvijaya Singh said: I was invited by Zakir Naik to speak on how to bring communal harmony, peace and why Islam is against killing of innocent people. I dont regret sharing the dais with him as he was speaking against acts of terrorism and how Islam was against killing innocents, he added. Singh also said that the entire issue of Zakir Naik has been raised to polarize the society. The entire issue of Zakir Naik has been created and propagated by people who thrive on polarization. BJP is beneficiary of this polarization and Congress is in fact losing because of this, said Singh. Read: If Zakir Naik is involved in IS, take action against him: Digvijaya to govt He said: I am a practising Hindu and believe that this country should not support any religious fundamentalism. Congress has always been liberal, modern and secular and I respect all religions. Asked what he thinks about Zakir Naik, Digvijaya said: Naik is an Islamic preacher, fiery and articulate speaker. Let the government probe if his speeches inspired those who were behind acts of terror in Dhaka. Read: Not just Dhaka attackers, Dr Zakir Naik also inspired Malwani man When Zakir Naik denies the videos, and says that the videos are doctored, let the government probe it, he added. Questioning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Singh said: Has any BJP leader said anything against Giriraj Singh, Yogi Aditya Nath, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti? Would ask the government to look into provocative speeches made by people like Sadhvi and others. With inputs from Agencies Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Saturday sought support from the Muslim community against what he called was a media trial over allegedly provocative statements promoting militant views that have triggered calls for his arrest. Introducing a new Twitter handle -- @drzakirofficial the Mumbai-based preacher also appealed to people around the world to eliminate terrorism from our midst. Naik has come under the scanner of the Indian government after reports emerged that two among a group of terrorists who killed 22 people in a posh Dhaka cafe last week were allegedly inspired by his speeches. 6 terrorists were also killed by security forces I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Muslim Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the Media Trials and Let Justice Prevail (sic), Naik tweeted. Naik, 51, founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), also introduced his new Twitter handle on his Facebook page. Read| Zakir Naik unfit to preach, Muslims should avoid listening to him: Darul Uloom Within an hour of Naiks appeal, his Facebook post had more than 6,000 likes. According to reports, several Indian youth who have taken to militancy are also believed to have been inspired by Naiks speeches, made at public functions and through his television channel Peace TV. He is also the founder of Peace TV Bangla and Peace TV Urdu. Naik, a doctor by profession, is banned in Britain and Canada for alleged hate speeches. The Indian government launched multi-pronged investigation into controversies around Naiks speeches and online sermons. Officials at the ministry of information and broadcasting said on Saturday that Naiks Peace TV was illegal and warned cable operators that action will be taken for transmitting the channel. Reports are being received of such content being broadcast through private satellite TV channels, such as Peace TV channel, which are not permitted by this ministry for downlinking into the country, ministrys deputy secretary Shankar Lal said. Read| Kashmiris take to streets, social media in support of preacher Zakir Naik In Mumbai, police identified at least three properties belonging to him and his Islamic Research Foundation in Dongri-Mazgaon belt. The officials said that identifying number of properties owned Naik and IRF is one of the important focus areas of the enquiry. The police are likely to submit the report to the state government next week following which a decision will be taken whether to initiate criminal proceedings against Naik. Read| Zakir Naik: From a suave doctor to a polarising preacher on security radar Popular Muslim televangelist Dr Zakir Naik, who reportedly had a fan in one of the Holey Cafe attackers in Dhaka, often offers apologetics for his discourse, including that he is misunderstood. What is his theological doctrine in a country that has greatly influenced Sunni Islamic thought? What is little known is the caveat to his work from Darul Uloom in Deoband, a globally recognised seat of Sunni Islam, and its wide body of clerics, albeit on theological ground. Darul Ulooms main issue is that Naik is a self-styled preacher unattached to any of the four schools of Islamic thought, called maslak. Since 2007, Darul Uloom has issued a series of fatwas against Naik. Darul Uloom propagates the Hanafi school of thought, the dominant discipline in much of western Asia, lower Egypt and the Indian subcontinent. The other three are Hanbali, Shaafi and Maliki schools, each named after their founder imams. Read | Police poring over Zakir Naiks sermons, books and speeches Islam doesnt have a Pope or the Vatican, so many of the worlds Sunni Muslims either turn to Cairos Al-Azhar University or Indias Darul Uloom for guidance. Darul Uloom has gone so far as to publish a series of fatwas or edicts against Naik. To be sure, Naik, a preacher with global reach, is said to instantly impress with his knowledge of Islam. He can quote from the Quran, verse for verse. Or cite a whole collection of sayings attributed to the Prophet Mohammed, called Ahadith, from memory. But Darul Ulooms fatwas reject Naik as a ghair muqallidin, a term used in Islam to describe those whose understanding of Islam is not directly sourced to any one of the four accepted schools of Islamic thought. I dont agree with his polemical approach. Islam is a religion of dialogue. As far his sources are concerned, he has a Salafi line of thinking. But one thing is clear that he doesnt preach wanton violence as is often accused, Akhtarul Wassey, professor of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, said. Salafism refers to an aggressive, fundamentalist movement within Islam. Many Indian Muslims have routinely sought Daruls views on Naik, according to the seminarys records seen by Hindustan Times. The statements made by Dr Zakir Naik indicate that he is a preacher of Ghair Muqallidin, he is of free mindone should not rely upon his speeches, one of Darul Ulooms edicts, entered as fatwa number 1541/1322=B/1429 in its official edicts list, states. Another fatwa, numbered 352=363/B, says his knowledge is not deep, not reliable and Muslims should avoid listening to him. We are not going into whether Zakir Naik knows Quran or not. No, we are not saying that. We are saying it is important to follow one or the other maslak, all equally valid, Abur Rahman Qasimi, a former Darul Uloom student and the founder of Meeruts Hidaya madrassa, said. Read | Despite ban, you can still watch Zakir Naik on TV Naiks speeches have sometimes been held to be bigoted, often a mix of proper Quranic discourse and harsh anti-American rhetoric. I am absolutely against Muslims who kill, but what is the US doing? Dr Naik told the New York Times, after winning the Saudi governments state recognition for service to Islam in 2015. Dr Naik has put out a recorded message on his Twitter account to refute charges of inspiring the Dhaka terrorist. Ninety per cent of Bangladeshis know meThats a different issue that he (the attacker) may have been my fan but to say I inspired him to kill innocent human being is devilish, Naik says in the video. In 2010, a British court validated a UK government decision to bar him. The court referred to speeches in which he appears to justify al Qaeda. If hes (Laden) terrorising the terrorist, I am with him, if hes not I am against him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist. Whether he is or not I dont know So dont go and tell outside that Zakir Naik is for Osama bin Laden. I dont know what he is, I cannot base my judgment only on news, he tells his audience in that lecture. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 23 2021 , 3 2021 2022 ". A 41-year-old inspector with the states food and civil supplies department allegedly killed his 14-year-old cognitively disabled son before committing suicide on Thursday night. According to the police, Mahesh Kumar Pawar used carbon monoxide to kill his son and take his own life in his car. His wife Manshi and another relative found the two bodies in the car, parked near his home at Sector 5 in CBD Belapur, around 8.30 am on Friday. The police said Pawar told his wife that he was going for a drive with his son Kaushal around 8pm on Thursday. They left in a Maruti Alto but did not return home that night. Manshi tried calling his number several times but got no answer. Early on Friday morning, she went to Belapur police station and registered a missing-persons complaint. She then began to search for her husband and son in the neighbourhood with a relative. They soon found the two bodies in the car a few yards from their house. A door on the right side of car was open when his wife found it. The police recovered a cylinder of carbon monoxide and a mask from the car. It appears that the Pawar opened the cylinder inside the car and put the mask on his sons face, making him inhale the gas. After his son died, he held the mask to his own face and ended his life, said Prashant Khaire, deputy commissioner of police (zone I). So far no suicide note has been recovered from the car or his residence. We found his mobile phone (which was switched off) and the bill for the cylinder inside the car. Pawar had bought it from a shop in Mumbai on July 2, said Dhanraj Dayama, assistant police commissioner, Nerul division. We have learnt from his family that Pawar was mentally disturbed as his son was cognitively disabled. He had taken him to several doctors but to no avail. We think he had been planning this for a long time. Kaushal was their only child, he said. Pawar had been posted at Sangli before being transferred to Navi Mumbai last month. He joined his new office at Konkan Bhavan in CBD Belapur on June 1 and his family moved to the city on June 8. They lived in a rented flat in Sector 5 of CBD Belapur. We dont know if the boy went to school when the family was in Sangli but he did not attend school in Navi Mumbai. They had shifted here just a month ago, said P Karad, assistant inspector, Belapur police station. The police sent the two bodies to NMMC Hospital in Vashi for post-mortems. For now we have registered a case of accidental death. After receiving the preliminary medical reports from the hospital we may register a murder case too, said a police officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab and Haryana high court pulled up the special investigation team (SIT) looking into the Jagdish Bhola drug racket case for not probing the role of a gentleman, whom the court also compared with famous Bollywood villain character, Mogambo. The high court bench of justices, Surya Kant and Darshan Singh, was hearing a bail plea of accused Maninder Aulakh on Friday. Also read | Bhola drug racket: HC asks SIT to complete probe review by July 31 The court sought a report on the investigation with regard to the role of two absconding NRIs, Satpreet Singh alias Satta and Parminder Singh Pindi, who allegedly had a link with a Punjab minister. Formed in October 2015, the court-appointed SIT comprises three inspector general-rank officers Ishwar Singh, G Nageshwar Rao and V Neerja. It was asked to re-look into the FIRs registered in the racket and remove chinks in the investigations already done. It was to complete the probe by December 31 and submit supplementary chargesheets, if required. In May 2016, it was given more time to complete the investigation. Why this gentleman is there in every meeting. If he does not have anything to do with the matter, what is he doing with these people? the HC bench said without naming anybody. Who is here Bollywood Mogambo? the high court bench said, questioning the SIT on probe, stating that investigations created doubts on the conclusion reached at by the SIT. Also read | Bikram Majithia plea against bail to AAPs Sanjay Singh quashed Must read I Facts, figures and falsehoods of Punjabs drug problem, in 5 points The report was submitted in a sealed envelope and while perusing it, the high court without referring to any names asked SIT how it probed two persons who were part of a 2009 meeting but ignored the role of the third person. They were not there for social service. Genesis of everything starts from this meeting, the HC bench observed. As one of the SIT officials tried to reason that it was altogether a different case and nothing was supplied, the HC bench further questioned when money exchanged hands, which obviously was not for social cause, the role of third person should have been probed. The report was sought by the high court, asking the SIT whether Punjab Police had shown the same zeal in the investigation against these two NRIs as in other cases involving businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal and Sukhjit Sukha. The SIT was also asked to list the efforts made to nab them. Later while posting the matter for August 3, the bench expressed displeasure over the investigation and sought a fresh status report. It also looked dissatisfied over the EDs probe report, observing that the agency could not investigate clues it got during the initial questioning of some people in the case. A fresh report has also been sought from the ED as well. HT Analysis | Politics behind Punjabs flip-flop on battle against narcotics Opinion | By the way: Udta Punjab is scared of deeper reality Taking responsibility for the mistakes made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders during the release of the youth manifesto on July 3, partys state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur apologised on behalf of his party on Friday in his position as the head of the AAP family in Punjab. Chhotepur had convened an emergency meeting of party leaders here to devise a strategy to control the damage following the manifesto blunders and also appeal for better coordination within the party. Though prominent leaders of the party were not present, Chhotepur went ahead with the three-hour meeting, announcing his resolve. Chhotepur said he was taking the entire blame on his shoulders for the cover page design of the manifesto (that had the AAP symbol, a broom, superimposed on a picture of the Golden Temple) and Ashish Khetans statement comparing the manifesto to religious scriptures and Guru Granth Sahib. Being the head of the AAP family in Punjab, I take full responsibility for the mistake on the part of any member of the party. From the core of my heart, I tender an unconditional apology for the mistake on the part of any office-bearer of the party. I beg pardon from all Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Hindus for comparing our youth manifesto to holy scriptures of all these faiths, he said in a statement issued following the meeting. Also read |HT ANALYSIS: After AAPs self-goals in Punjab, Team Kejri on the defensive Chhotepur also asked party leaders to not speak loosely about issues, especially those related to the religion. Things are only going to get worse in the days to come. If there is anything to be said on religion, let me handle it, said Chhotepur. The party chief had on Thursday rued that he was not consulted by those preparing the manifesto about its design and mistakes could have been avoided had everyone been taken on board. What has happened cannot be undone. We can only promise that there will be no such mistakes in the future, he said. Sources said Chhotepur intended to discuss some other issues as well regarding lack of coordination within the party, but these couldnt be discussed as most of top leaders were absent. Those who attended the meeting included Himmat Singh Shergill, CD Kamboj, Baljinder Kaur, Aman Arora and Yamini Gomar. The leaders who remained absent were Bhagwant Mann, Sadhu Singh, Harjot Singh Bains, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Kanwar Sandhu. Manifesto with new cover AAPs youth wing president Harjot Singh Bains said the distribution of youth manifesto with a brand new cover would begin from Khatkar Kalan village in SBS Nagar next week. The youth wing will take the manifesto to all households of the state and explain what we are offering. The teams will start spreading the message from the native village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, he said. Fatehgarh Sahib district will be announced as open defecation-free (ODF) by the Union government on July 14, informed deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, here on Friday. We are proud to say that our district will be the first one in Punjab to be open defecation free, said Sangha here in a press conference. Toilets have been constructed in 9,000 selected rural households of the 440 villages of the district with a government subsidy of Rs 15,000 each under the Swachh Gramin Mission of central government. Many union ministers, state government and village panchayats of other districts appreciated the toilet-cum-bath model adopted by Fatehgarh Sahib. Moreover, other districts sent their panchayat members to Fatehgarh Sahib for workshops on strategy for public awareness and sensitisation. It is a big achievement and the credit goes to team spirit of people, including JEs, XENs, other administrative staff and specially the volunteers and motivators, said Sangha. The motivators handled a bigger task of convincing people to get a toilet instead of defecating in open, he added. Police have booked hostel warden of a school owned by Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri for allegedly for sodomising a minor. In her complaint to the police, the minors mother alleged that her son, a hosteller, was studying in Class 5 at Cambridge International School and was sexually harassed by the warden, Gulshan Kumar, 28, of Kokhar Fojjian village for over six months. Police have registered a case under Sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against the accused on Saturday. The accused is yet to be arrested. The victim tried to lodge a complaint with the school authorities, but the warden allegedly threatened him with dire consequences. His mother also met Sekhri and sought action against the warden, but to no avail. Later, she filed a complaint with Batala senior superintendent of police Daljinder Singh on June 29. When contacted, Ashwani Sekhri denied allegations and said it was one-and-half-year-old case and the victim left the school after it. I even asked the victims mother to lodge a complaint with police, Sekhri added. Denying Sekhris claims, the victims mother alleged that the accused was physically abusing her son since September 2015 and it was in March 2016 when her son narrated the incident to her after which she shifted him to other school. When questioned about Sekhris claim that the boy had left the school one-and-half-year ago, she said: I have my sons certificate which was issued by the school principal for the second term of session 2015-2016. Also read | Four sexual assaults in a day shame Ludhiana, 3 victims are kids Punjab and Haryana have the worst sex ratio. Punjabs drive to save its missing girls by tracking pregnancies lost momentum till neighbouring Haryana got proactive a year ago and took up the fight against foeticide. Its crackdown on ultrasound centres conducting sex determination tests extends to Punjab. The recent raids in Barnala and Sultanpur Lodhi hold out hope for Punjab. Chitleen K Sethi tells how: Its midnight but the air is pregnant with excitement in a dingy room of the century-old Ambala Civil Hospital, 45 km from here. Twelve Haryana health department employees are on a mission. Last-minute briefings are on to ensure everything goes as planned. A woman employee, in her third trimester, is the star of the cast. If she goes wrong in dialogue delivery, weeks of labour will be lost. Civil surgeon BB Lala is the man behind the show. It is his 68th raid, using a decoy, to catch those determining the sex of the foetus. Six hours on, the decoy meets the conduit. The woman takes her to a doctor, who happily announces that its a male foetus. We arrested the doctor and the conduit. Its a shame that the doctor didnt tell my colleague (the decoy) that there was a problem with the foetuss lungs. The infant died within days of his birth, says Dr Lala. HELPING HAND Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar taking a selfie with girls who had called on him in Chandigarh after the launch of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign in 2015. (HT Photo) The conduit charges Rs 30,000 for the complete package. The ultrasound centre takes Rs 15,000 and if the foetus is female, it recommends an abortion centre that costs another Rs 15,000, says Dr GL Singal, the coordinator of Haryanas Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme. Under the programme, Dr Lala and his team are fighting a brave battle for the girl child since May last year. The campaign for the stringent implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act is beginning to show results. Till March 2016, the sex ratio at birth data (SRB) showed that nine Haryana districts had crossed the 900 mark and 10 the 850 mark. Punjabs private eye A decade ago, Punjabs Nawanshahr (now Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) district fought female foeticide by tracking every pregnancy till delivery. Health and social workers joined hands to mould the patriarchal mindset and fight foeticide. The drive lost steam with the health department failing to crack down on unregistered ultrasound centres or illegal abortion. Today, its a well-oiled machine reeking of corruption, says a health department source requesting anonymity. The Punjab government hired a private detective agency to track conduits with the help of decoys. The agency caught two doctors and conduits in Amritsar and Balachaur in April. Haryana steps in The principal secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh met last September and allowed inter-state inspections to fight foeticide. Since then Haryanas health department is stealing Punjabs thunder. Teams of doctors from the neighbouring state have busted 11 rackets, the latest in Barnala on July 6 that led to the arrest of four persons. Forget cooperation, Punjab health officials opposed our team from Kaithal when it raided an ultrasound centre 70 km from Patiala, says Dr Singal. Punjab principal secretary, health, Vini Mahajan is, however, upbeat. Things are improving. We are positive about the results shown by the private detective agency, she says. Dr Ranjit Guru, who is coordinating Punjabs fight against foeticide, says its a long-drawn, uphill task. We have mapped all registered ultrasound centres through the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre in Ludhiana. A round-the-clock helpline, 104, enables people to report cases of foeticide, Dr Guru says. What rules say The law says every medical centre using an ultrasound machine has to be registered with the government and maintain records of patients and tests. The test is done after a prescription of the doctor to assess health of the foetus. In case an abortion is needed, it has to be done at a registered centre following the doctors note. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Medical emergency or call it a money spinning exercise, the number of urban C-section deliveries in private hospitals has increased by 55% in three years in the Kapurthala district. However, government hospitals criticised for poor facilities have recorded more normal deliveries than private hospitals, stated a report by the health department. Private hospitals recorded 2,569 cases this year while the number was 1,142 three years back. Government hospitals recorded 1,269 C-section deliveries this year while the number was same as private hospitals three years back, projecting a slow rise. These hospitals get an average of 200 such cases every month. The district has recorded 94.4% institutional deliveries, the rest 5.6% at home. Why C-section? Sources in the health department said complicated cases are mostly referred to private hospitals, where the doctor advises Caesarean surgery for safer delivery and reduced labour pain. Another reason could be that these surgeries cost double than normal deliveries. Compared to that, government hospitals charge less for both normal and C-section. On conditions of anonymity, a senior obstetrician said it was a medical call in most cases because the mother has to bear intense labour pain during a normal delivery. To avoid pain and a safe birth, most mothers want a way out that is least stressful for the baby. The health department is also concerned about the increasing number of C-section deliveries. It held a meeting with doctors in private hospitals to know why there was a surge in these deliveries. Kapurthala civil surgeon Dr HS Kahlon said Caesarean deliveries in private hospitals were on the rise but government hospitals preferred normal, adding that private hospitals had been asked to cite a reason for the same. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The employees of a local petrol pump were robbed of Rs 6.93 lakh at a bank on Friday. The entire incident was caught in the cameras installed inside the banks branch. The police said petrol pump employee Brijesh Kumar and his manager Jaswinder Singh reached the local branch of Union Bank of India at about 12 pm to deposit the amount, when an unidentified accused, posing himself as bank employee, took away the money with ease. Jaswinder engaged in a conversation with one of the banks employees, while Brijesh queued up to deposit money. The CCTV footage showed that the unidentified accused approached Brijesh and took him to bank managers room, said Harbans Singh, station house master of Kotwali police station, The SHO said that the accused might have known that the bank manager was on leave. Brijesh said the accused introduced himself as a bank employee and told him to sit in bank managers room. The accused then assisted Brijesh in counting Rs 2 lakh and left the room with cash on the pretext of depositing the money. SHO Harbans said in the video clip, the accused was first seen leaving the bank with Rs 2 lakh and then returning to take rest of the money from Brijesh. Brijesh kept waiting for the accused to turn up, but he didnt. He then briefed his manager about the whole incident. But when they inquired, the employee turned out to be fake, the police said. The local police station was informed almost one hour after the incident, following which the officials and forensic team collected CCTV footage and other evidences. We are investigating the matter as the pictures of the accused were visible enough for further identification, the police said. The petrol pump association observed strike till 5pm. The association gave ultimatum for indefinite strike from July 18 onwards, if the police failed to trace the accused till then. The Moga Municipal Corporation (MC) is facing severe staff crunch, from commissioner to clerk level, which is affecting the routine work in the civic body. The MC has been without a commissioner for the past four months. Districts deputy commissioner Kuldeep Singh Vaid is shouldering the additional responsibility of commissioner, but due to his busy schedule, he is rarely present in the MC. A source said that MC employees have to travel three kilometres from MC to mini-secretariat, each time they have to get signatures of DC. Similarly, the posts of assistant commissioner and secretary are also lying vacant. In the building and road (B&R) branch, there is only one executive engineer (XEN). Besides, there are zero sub-divisional officers (SDOs) in both B&R and (operation and maintenance) O&M wings. The two wings are relying on junior engineers, who are also less in numbers. Further, MC sources said that mayor Akshit Jain, senior deputy mayor Anil Bansal, and deputy mayor Jarnail only come to attend the meetings. Also, the MC is also falling short of 15 clerks against the sanctioned number of 40. The sources said that apart from piling applications for new water pipelines and sewerage connections, approval of building drawings and others, the authorities are also finding difficult to check violating of rules, including wasting of water, illegal hoardings and use of polybags. Anil Bansal said that the functioning of a corporation has been paralysed in the absence of a permanent commissioner. The higher authorities should either provide permanent commissioner or give more powers to XENs, he said. Vaid said that he has been requesting for staff from higher authorities but to no avail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Criticising the police department and district administration for inaction, parents of the two sisters, who were crushed to death by a private bus belonging to Jujhar transport on June 13, blocked the traffic at Ayali Chowk on Ferozepur road on Friday. The Ludhiana unit of the Mahila Congress also joined the protest. The protesters led by Mahila Congress president Leena Taparia marched from Ferozepur Road to Baddowal and raised slogans against the owners of Jujhar transport and ruling government. The girls mother, Paramjeet Kaur, said, Even when a dog dies, people living nearby areas are moved. But the government representatives have not visited us till now. Where is Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who advocated the cause of the girl child in state? The owners of Jujhar bus are close to the Badals and they can manipulate this case at anytime, she said. Mahila Congress president Taparia said, We have come to block the road for buses belonging to Jujhar transport. But somebody informed them about the plan and they re-directed their route from Ferozepur Road. But we will continue our fight against the owners of Jujhar transport until, the family of deceased get justice, We demand that these buses are taken off the road immediately, she said. Meanwhile, commuters were hassled as the protesters blocked the national highway at Baddowal for about 15 minutes. Karan (22) brother of the girls, said, Bowing down to the pressure at the heat of the moment, cops booked the driver under section 302 (death sentence or life imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but as things subsided owing to inaction on administrations part. It has been more than a week since, we submitted a memorandum to the Ludhiana deputy commissioner but no action has been taken so far. Even rumors of government job to me and Rs 30 lakh compensation were circulated. Later, sub-divisional magistrate Richa and additional deputy commissioner of police Joginder Singh met the girls parents at Circuit House and assured speedy justice. An FIR has already been registered in the case, now law would take its course. We will take up the issue of compensation as well, added Richa. If all goes well, actor Kajal Aggarwal will work with Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar in his next yet-untitled Tamil project. Confirming it, a source from the films unit said: The makers have approached Kajal, and shes said to be very excited. Although shes yet to officially sign, it looks like she will be on board soon. To be helmed by Siva, the film will be predominantly shot across exotic locations in Europe. Read: Not doing Bollywood just for the heck of it, says Kajal Aggarwal Read: Personal agenda with actor Kajal Aggarwal This is the third film to come out of the combination of Siva and Ajith, who had previously delivered blockbusters such as Veeram and Vedalam. The film will have music by Anirudh Ravichander. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Actor Shirish, who has come up for much praise for the Tamil film Metro, described the unexpected success of the thriller as rewarding. It had boosted his confidence to continue experimenting without worrying about the outcome, he added. We never anticipated such an overwhelming response. We thought the film might have a decent run, but we definitely didnt expect it to create this kind of an impact. Although a small film, the way audiences have received it, has made it big, said Shirish. Directed by Ananda Krishnan, it has been three weeks since Metro released and it is still going strong at the box-office. Read: Team behind Tamil film Metro to work again on its Telugu remake The films success has boosted my confidence and helped me understand what audiences seek from films nowadays. Ive realised that its possible to make a socially relevant film in a way it will appeal to public, without being preachy, he said. While the critics and audiences loved the film, appreciation has also come from industry peers. The most unexpected appreciation came from director AR Murugadoss and M Sasikumar. Actor Vishal called and appreciated my work and even tweeted positively about the film, said Shirish, who has already earned the sobriquet Metro anna. In the interiors of Tamil Nadu, people couldnt pronounce my name right. Hence, they started calling me Metro anna (brother) when I went on theatre visits. I didnt mind because it only shows how much theyve accepted the film, he added. Watch the trailer of Metro here: The success has added pressure on Shirish to keep up the good work. The fact that audiences have accepted me means a lot. They made me responsible and I should live up to their expectations by continuing to experiment, said Shirish, who doesnt want to restrict himself to hero-centric scripts. Read: Metro review | A stylishly captivating Simha makes it worth a watch Any character with scope for acting is fine by me. I want to establish myself as an actor and not get caught up in the hero image. I like to take up roles that challenge me and push me to experiment. I dont even mind playing a negative character provided there is scope to perform, said Shirish, whose latest passion is singing. He has crooned a song in upcoming Tamil tele-film Thaal. Ive composed and sung nearly half a dozen songs. One my friends who heard my songs requested that I sing for his film and I thought why not. The track has been received very well, he said. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop At the risk of sounding like a sassy coming-of-age chick-flick, what this really is about is the more mundane details of growing up. Some part of it does happen as in the movies, adventures where you least expect them, but most of it is fairly dreary. Adulting is mostly plain, pedestrian and painful, with a few friends and fun days thrown in unevenly. So what does happen when as a single young adult you move to a different city to work? A lot of (mis)adventures, reality checks and some great learning. House hunting. The struggle is real I have changed six houses in the last two years. No, I am not a bad tenant (if I may say so). Ive had to change homes for several reasons official transfers, landlord selling the house, wanting to live with a best friend but that has never made the process any less exhausting. I have shared a hall, lived in a room on the roof (too much of Ruskin Bond, cant help it), been in the front seat of large transport trolleys and I know almost all the brokers in my area by their first name. As for my packing skills, needless to say, I have become such a pro, it should be on my resume. The anonymity. My own invisibility cloak. Now I understand why everyone I have met in the last two years know most of the characters of American/British television series better than their own siblings. Its because living away from home allows you a certain aloofness and personal space. For when you have family and friends that can fill up a large banquet hall, there is hardly any room for Jon Snow or Piper Chapman. As it happens, I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. For the first time (I know, I know). Being broke is a way of life. So is thinking about food. By the second week of every month. (YouTube grab) I started living hand-to-mouth before I found out what it meant. The next month never seemed to get better: Bills, bills everywhere, not a penny to spare. It doesnt help matters when youre constantly thinking of how to manage the next meal. That your mother is a brilliant cook doesnt help either, especially when its not an inheritable magical quality. And hiring a cook or ordering food from tiffin centers do not work for long. So, what do you do? You live on coffee, sandwiches and everything else that doesnt need sauteing, or frying, or a hot stove. In fact, anything that doesnt require being in the kitchen. Finding a maid. Who actually works and doesnt steal. This is like looking for The One the true love you would gladly marry if it came to it. I never considered it a real problem until one day I had no washed clothes or utensils left. It is a matter of sheer luck to find domestic help that doesnt require locking everything up or whose work timings actually match your free time. If you have found someone, make them your Bae right away and never let go, for theyll be the only one there after everyone else leaves, quite literally! Conversations with the landlord. Fewer the better. Too much noise, too many late nights, too frequent visits from friends and too late for rent irrespective of the topic of conversation, your landlord will be annoyed most always, and you, awkward. And if you happen to work late, may the good god bless you. Half of my independent life has been spent on finding a house whose owner lives in a land far far away. A different city if I can help it, but, preferably an entirely different country. Animated discourses. Its like catching a butterfly. Well, now that you are in a new city all by yourself, youll meet interesting people, plenty of them actually. But not every animated conversation will turn into a substantial acquaintance. Even the rare ones you will want to follow up on will not materialise on most occasions. This, however, should not stop you from putting yourself out there. As Dory says, just keep swimming. Who knows, you may just reach the end of the rainbow one day. The author tweets @sneha _bengani SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Works of art are received in various ways. Standing before a painting, you may get its meaning. Or you may realise it after knowing the context. The exhibition of British art from the 20th and early 21st centuries, on display at the British Council, Delhi, falls into the second category. From the London Underground posters of the 1920s and the abstractions of Terry Frost, a World War II soldier, to the mixed-heritage angst of Chila Kumari Burman, the spot-paintings of the internationally-acclaimed Damien Hirst and the 2012 London Olympics posters here, in one exhibition, is a glimpse of everyday Britain, its resilience and anxieties, its highs and lows, expressed through art. Read: The Africa you never did with Roger Ballens photographs Maracus II, an oil on canvas by British-Jamaican artist Hurvin Anderson. The sharp colour demarcations in his work suggests his dual heritage (British Council) Britains power play of the late 19th century birthed colonies and eventually led to its participation in two world wars. The cumulative effect on its national culture was debilitating. In the absence of an art scene, Frank Pick, the publicity officer of the London Underground, decided the train station could be used as an open-art gallery. Around Bhupen, a 2009 oil on canvas by Timothy Hyman. Hyman was a visiting professor in Baroda. This painting is an expression of his friendship with, and affection for, the painter Bhupen Khakhar. (British Council) From commissioning the iconic Underground map (not included in this exhibition) to transforming it into a space for advertisers to draw attention to their products through posters, Pick made art meet commerce in a post-war economy. Three posters of the BCL exhibition are from that period. The mixed media works of Hurvin Anderson (a British-Jamaican) and Chila Burman (a British-Indian) show that while dual heritage may yield interesting art, it may be personally unsettling. British-Indian artist Chila Kumari Burmans mixed media work Band of Gold (British Council) The designed chaos of Burmans work, Band of Gold, for instance, seems to express the limits of assimilation. There are limits to how British an Indian can actually be, even in a multi-cultural society. At first sight though, if her work of mixed media seems as if a cheetah, bindis, the phrase Hot dates and female figures have been randomly thrown onto the canvas, take a deep breathe. Pause. And think. Be warned: several artworks of the exhibition may demand this effort. A Damien Hirst etching Like a Snowball Down a Mountain. Hirsts works on display in Delhi are from the series In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things Vol. 1. Hirst is the most prominent member of the Young British Artists group who dominated the UK art scene of the 90s. (Raj k Raj / HT Photo) Howard Hodgkins hand-coloured etching, Indian Tree. (Raj k Raj / HT Photo) Painter and print-maker Sir Howard Hodgkins works (he won the Turner Prize in 1985) in tumultuous reds, oranges and blues also seem to be drawn from private memory. An associate of the famous Indian architect Charles Correa who built the British Council, it is Hodgkins mural of a banyan tree that is on the BCL facade. Read: Personal collection - the many facets of artist Bhupen Khakhar Visitors at the exhibition (Raj k Raj / HT Photo) The BCL collection showcases 45 works of art of 20 artists. If many on the exhibition list, dont ring a bell, they are there for a reason: the BCL collection focuses on the work of young and emerging artists. At: Catch The British Council Collection at The British Council, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, till October 10. Open: 8am to 8pm (Monday to Thursday) 9am to 6 pm (Sunday) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The death of Abdul Sattar Edhi has robbed Pakistan of one its most loved personalities. This was a man who set up a dispensary in 1951 when he discovered how poor the state of healthcare was in Pakistan, following the death of his mother at a government-run hospital. At the time of his death, Edhi was running the largest social welfare organisation of its kind, not just in Pakistan, but possibly in South Asia. His ambulance service is arguably the largest in the world, especially in a country where government ambulances, save a few cities, are almost non-existent. This is the story of a man who was known as Maulana but never used religion to either further his cause or collect donations. In fact, so particular was he about donations that he never took money from the government and rarely from any foreign entity. He would proudly proclaim that his entity was 100 per cent indigenous and he steered clear of all foreign-funded NGOs that wooed him for their own reasons. Read: Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi dies in Karachi From humble beginnings in Bantwa, Gujrat, Abdul Sattar Edhi learnt his lessons on charity from his mother who would give him money to give to poor people and on days he forgot to do so, she would berate him. It was this desire for charity that turned him into a social worker. But his early life and austere upbringing made him very cost conscious. He would rarely spend money on himself or his family, and would engage in arguments with his wife when she spent on what he saw was luxuries, like taking the children out for an ice-cream. His grey khaddar kurta pajama was his trademark. But sometimes it worked against him. In 1984, he was asked to leave an airport reception line waiting to receive former Indonesian President Suharto at Karachi Airport as the protocol staff said he was not properly attired. But, for others, his austere life meant that he spent all on his charity. It was not only the rich Pakistanis that made donations to Edhi, but also the poor. When Edhi was raising money for the victims of the Bangladesh cyclone, it was Bengali-speaking beggars who gave the most. With Edhi, it was all about trust. Millions of rupees would flow into his charity daily. The other quality that made Edhi unique was his zero discrimination policy. All were welcome, irrespective of caste or creed. Unlike many other charities in Pakistan, everyone was treated. And Edhi led from the front. During the tumultuous years of Karachi violence in the mid-80s, it was Edhi who would lead his fleet of ambulances into strife-torn areas and rescue the wounded or pick up the dead. Apart from ambulances, Edhi offered funeral services to all. His morgue continues to be the main facility in Karachi and other cities. At the Edhi centre, dead bodies are washed and buried if required. Otherwise they are transported to wherever the family wants to take them, free of cost; but only if the family cannot pay. His was a unique accounting system whereby all accounts would be checked by him. The money is given to me by people. I am responsible for it, he would say. Over the years, the range of services he offered grew. The most talked about was the cradle placed outside the 300-odd Edhi homes across the country. Anyone wanting to abandon their baby could do so here instead of killing it or throwing it in a dump as was usually the case with unwanted pregnancies. Edhi built orphanages, old peoples homes, homes for mentally challenged people and also an animal welfare centre. His charity was not restricted to Pakistan. Over the years, he helped in the Sabira-Shatilla camps in Lebanon, in the Gujarat earthquake, in the earthquake in Cairo, and in different war zones across the world. At the drop of a hat, his organisation would be able to put together a massive relief operation after a natural disaster or calamity in Pakistan. This was the level of expertise his team achieved. Today, there are a number of Edhi services for every phone user, just like emergency numbers. Most people rely on Edhi rather than the government machinery. Edhi also had many close shaves with death. In one or two instances, he was saved from being killed because of his quick thinking. But the biggest scare came in 1994, when he had to flee to London after former ISI chief, General Hamid Gul, pushed Edhi to join a political campaign to save Pakistan by backing Imran Khan. When Edhi dithered, his foundations services were attacked. The message was that he would be used to unseat the then PM, Benazir Bhutto. But Edhi would have nothing to do with it. When he fled to London and explained what had happened, the pressure was withdrawn. But Edhi made it very clear that he would have nothing to do with politics in Pakistan. Possibly, that is why he was not stopped from doing his work for the next two decades. With his death, the huge empire that Abdul Sattar Edhi has created will now be run by his son, Faisal, who was already managing it during Edhis illness over the past few years. But one wonders if Faisal would be able to fill the large vacuum created by the death of Abdul Sattar Edhi. The bigger challenge would now be to continue the legacy that had been put into place and to improve on it. In most instances in Pakistan, one sees that this usually does not happen. But for the sake of the millions who benefit from the Edhi Foundations work annually, the hope would be that Edhis name lives on for many years to come. Bhutans gross national happiness philosophy seems to have put the ambitious sub-regional road connectivity plan involving Bangladesh, India and Nepal on a bumpy turf. Concerns over a large number of vehicles entering Bhutan after it ratifies the pact have given rise to many stakeholders protesting against the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiative. The BBIN initiative is a sub-regional architecture to formulate, implement and review quadrilateral agreements across areas such as transport, water resources management, connectivity of power, and infrastructure. Environment protection is one of the four pillars of Bhutans gross national happiness, with sustainable development, promotion of cultural values and good governance being the others. The pact passed the important legislative hurdle of lower house of the Bhutan parliament, National Assembly, with some difficulty last month. The upper house, National Council, is expected to debate it in November. In a bid to placate the opposition, transport operators and vocal citizens, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said the pact will not allow free flow of foreign vehicles into the country but regulate the cross-border movement of vehicles in the sub-region. But it may be a bumpy ride ahead for the pact, which has been ratified by the three other countries. Though certain restrictions are allowed in the pact, any other exemptions need to be ratified by all stakeholders. Under the BBIN agreement, the contracting parties will allow cargo vehicles for inter-country cargo, including third-country cargo and passenger vehicles or personal vehicles, to ply in the territory of another contracting country subject to the terms of the agreement. All vehicles, however, will require a permit for plying through the other country. The larger objective is the seamless flow of people and goods in the region. Any restrictions, which are beyond the reasonable, can bring trouble for any such agreements, said a government official. Then all these changes need to be agreed upon by all the four countries. After Pakistan scuttled plans for a South Asian road and rail connectivity plan, India moved to a sub-regional format to roll out the integration plan. Officials familiar with the developments say Bhutan has been pushing for a cap on vehicles entering its territory for some time. These issues were discussed during the transport officials meeting in Dhaka in March. Being a British royal certainly has its benefits. Prince George fulfilled the dreams of many young boys Friday when he sat in the cockpit of a jet plane. Prince William helped his son, who turns three later this month, into the Hawk aircraft used by the Red Arrows display team, as it was parked on the tarmac at the International Air Tattoo. Prince George wears ear defenders against the roar of aircraft during a visit to the Royal international air tattoo at RAF Fairford, Britain. (Reuters) The little boy, who was wearing blue ear defenders, also sat inside a Squirrel helicopter with his mother Kate, with William sitting in the instructors seat. Prince George sits in the cockpit of a red arrows plane while wearing ear defenders against the roar of aircraft during a visit to the Royal international air tattoo at RAF Fairford, Britain. (Reuters) It was the same helicopter in which the second-in-line to the throne, known formally as the Duke of Cambridge, had trained as a pilot seven years ago. Prince George sits in the back seat of a "Squirrel" helicopter similar to the one that his father Prince william trained on as he visits the Royal international air tattoo at RAF Fairford, Britain. (Reuters) As I suspected, Prince George was a bit overawed with the noise and being inside the helicopter, said Flight Lieutenant Jim Hobkirk, who escorted the royals. Prince George looks up at the tail rotor of a "Squirrel" helicopter similar to the one that his father Prince william trained on as he visits the Royal international air tattoo at RAF Fairford, Britain. (Reuters) The little prince was very interested in the tail rotor. I imagine the duke has told him about helicopters because he knew what it was. He kept saying tail rotor, he said. Prince George wears ear defenders against the roar of aircraft during a visit to the Royal international air tattoo at RAF Fairford, Britain. (Reuters) It was the first time George, the eldest of William and Kates two children, had accompanied them on an official royal engagement in Britain. Prince George is lifted out of the cockpit of a red arrows plane by his father Prince William. (Reuters) The tattoo is the worlds largest military air show, held at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford, southwest England. Chinese warships, fighter jets and submarines held live-fire war games in the South China Sea, state media reported on Saturday -- just days ahead of an international tribunals ruling on a challenge to Beijings expansive claims in the waters. The high-profile display of naval hardware is Chinas latest salvo in a propaganda offensive aimed at demonstrating its military might and asserting its sovereignty over the disputed region. Though China has said the exercises are routine, they come ahead of a Hague-based tribunals ruling Tuesday in a case brought by the Philippines contesting Chinas claims in the South China Sea. China is boycotting the case and says it will not accept the verdict. Read: PLA submarines in Indian Ocean legitimate: China China Central Television showed video of Fridays drills, conducted by three fleets of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy. The footage showed missiles and torpedoes being launched from ships, jets flying in formation and releasing flares, and submarines surfacing in the water. The drills are aimed at testing the navys battle-readiness and are scheduled to run till Monday, CCTV said. Zhao Yanquan, a commander of a guided missile destroyer, said the scenario tested the troops ability to locate enemy submarines, where enemy warships are attacking from and when enemy jets are taking off. We gather the information, analyze it and make decisions upon it. For us, it is a real war situation and therefore a test to that effect, Zhao said. Read: China paper warns US of price to pay in South China Sea Earlier in the week, Vietnam protested the Chinese military drill and has demanded that Beijing stop acting in a way that threatens security and maritime safety. Vietnam, China and Taiwan all claim the Paracel islands, which are occupied by China, and those three along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or parts of the Spratly islands, which are believed to be rich in natural resources and occupy one of the worlds busiest sea lanes. Hillary Clinton has refuted FBIs charge that she was extremely careless with classified information as secretary of state and tried to put the blame on other officials as she offered her first public comments since a probe into her use of private email server was closed this week. The presumptive Democratic nominee in interviews to several US networks tried to move past the controversy that was hung over her presidential bid, saying her use of a private email account as secretary of state during President Barack Obamas first term was a mistake. She strongly disputed the assertion by FBI director James Comey that she and her aides were extremely careless with classified materials, and instead appeared to be putting the responsibility to her State Department staff. There are about 300 people in the government, mostly in the State Department, but in other high positions in the government with whom I emailed over the course of four years - they, I believe, did not believe they were sending any material that was classified, Clinton told CNN. They were pursuing their responsibilities. I do not think they were careless. And as I have said many times, I certainly did not believe that I received or sent any material that was classified, Clinton said in the interview. Comey on Tuesday had recommended that no charges be brought over Clintons email use from 2009 to 2013. The next day the Justice Department accepted the recommendation, bringing the probe to an end. However, Comey said that the FBI had found that Clinton was extremely careless in sending classified information via her personal email account, and that 110 emails had contained classified information. But Clinton yesterday brushed aside the rebuke from Comey in several other interviews. With respect to the handling of classified material, I take it very seriously, and the 300 or so people with whom I e-mailed on the course of my time in the State Department do as well, she told PBS news. The material that they sent to me, they didnt believe was classified. The very, very few examples that Director Comey pointed to have also been clarified, as he accounted yesterday. The State Department has said two of the three that he had pointed to were human error. They were not to be classified, she said. So, Im very proud of the work that we did over four years. And Im very proud of our diplomats and our other professionals, who have to act in real time. They are responding to heads of state, to press inquiries. And they are doing the best they can. I do not believe they were careless, Clinton said. In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton said there was no evidence of hacking of the server which hosted her emails. There is no evidence. There is no evidence. And he (Comey) did not contradict that. I think he was speculating. But if you go by the evidence, there is no evidence that the system was breached or hacked successfully, she said. Clinton has been under fire from Republicans this week after Comey announced that she mismanaged classified material. NATO allies on Saturday agreed to provide increased military support to countries in the Middle East and North Africa that are targets of Islamic extremism, including using NATO surveillance planes in the fight against the Islamic State group. Alliance leaders also agreed to launch a new naval mission in the Mediterranean, and made commitments to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020. Were moving forward with the most significant reinforcement of our collective defense any time since the Cold War, US President Barack Obama said at a news conference at the end of a crucial NATO summit in Warsaw. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, a country he called central in the fight against IS. NATO is also working to establish an intelligence center in Tunisia, a major recruiting ground for IS, and will shortly start providing support to Tunisian special operation forces. Today we have taken decisions to strengthen our partners and to project stability beyond our borders, Stoltenberg told reporters. He said millions of people in Africa and the Middle East have been rendered homeless and helpless by radical organizations like IS and that the extremist groups are also to blame for organizing terrorist attacks in Europe and America. Read: Nato to hold talks with Russia on ceasefire in Ukraine post Warsaw summit Obama, who was attending his last NATO summit, called it a pivotal moment for our alliance. In nearly 70 years of NATO we have perhaps never faced such a range of challenges all at once security, humanitarian, political, he said. But he concluded that with the multifaceted efforts being made, NATO is as strong, as nimble and as ready as ever. Stoltenberg said Obama and leaders of the other 27 NATO countries also agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria and Iraq. NATO diplomats say they expect flights by alliance AWACS planes to begin this fall and Stoltenberg labelled the move a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism. He said the alliance will launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean called Operation Sea Guardian, whose responsibilities will include counterterrorism. NATO will also cooperate with the European Unions efforts to shut down human smuggling operations that have fueled Europes greatest migrant crisis since World War II. The alliance will also increase cooperation with Jordan, and is preparing to help the new government in Libya design policies and institutions to help it better defend itself against extremist organizations, Stoltenberg said. We will provide greater support to our partners, so they can secure their countries and push back against violent extremism, he said. Pakistan will give a state funeral on Saturday to social worker and philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who is credited with setting up an alternate social welfare and medical system for millions of poor people in the country. Abdul Sattar Edhi, who set up the Edhi Foundation in 1974, passed away on Friday aged 88, his son, Faisal Edhi, told the media. Recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award in 1984, the Edhi Foundation set up one of the worlds largest volunteer ambulance system and helped millions with medical help as well as burial and other services. Born in Bantwa, near Junagadh in Gujarat, Edhi belonged to the Memon community and migrated to Pakistan in 1947. He worked as a trader and then as a commission agent before setting up a volunteer dispensary in 1951 to offer free medical services after his mother could not be saved because of inadequate medical care at a government hospital. He founded the Edhi Foundation in 1974 after operating for almost two decades as a loosely knit set-up that served people irrespective of caste or creed. In the 40 years of its existence, the foundation has created an unparalleled ambulance service, burial service, and homes for orphans, old people, mentally challenged individuals, and also started care centres for animals. In a country where state medical institutions have proved woefully inadequate, the Edhi Foundation managed to fill the gap with its charitable services, run largely by volunteers. Edhi was known for his ability to reach out to areas that needed medical help. He travelled to Gujarat in India to help the victims of the earthquake as well as to Lebanon, Egypt, Bangladesh and other parts of the world where catastrophe struck. Most of his work, however, was in Pakistan, assisting victims of accidents and natural disasters. His health deteriorated over the past three years and was under treatment at a local hospital for his failing kidneys. His son told the media that his father wished to be buried in the same clothes he used to wear. He also wanted to donate his body parts, but only his cornea could be donated. On June 10, he declined an offer from former president Asif Ali Zardari to be flown abroad for medical treatment. In the past, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and real estate tycoon Malik Riaz also offered help but Edhi turned them down as well. When Philando Castile saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror, it wasnt unusual. He had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offences including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt. He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show. Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops, as several of his family members have alleged? The answer may never be known, but Castiles stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer and his girlfriend livestreaming the chilling aftermath. The shooting has added a new impetus to a national debate on racial profiling. The video is pretty horrific, said Gavin Kearney, who in 2003 co-authored a report to the Minnesota Legislature on racial profiling in the state. There are things we dont know about it. But we know there are certain assumptions and biases whether explicit or implicit about black men that affect how police officers interpret their actions. And we know white drivers are less likely to be pulled over. Court records dating to 2002 show Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria supervisor, averaged more than three traffic stops per year and received citations for misdemeanours or petty misdemeanours. Many charges were dismissed, but Castile pleaded guilty to some, mostly for driving after his license was revoked and driving with no proof of insurance. However, those two charges also were the most frequently dismissed, along with failing to wear a seat belt. The records show no convictions for more serious crimes. No recent information is available on the racial breakdown of drivers stopped or ticketed by police in Falcon Heights, the mostly white suburb where the shooting occurred, or in other Minnesota towns. Minnesota is not among the handful of states that require police to keep such data. But in 2001, the legislature asked for a racial profiling study and it fell to Kearney, then at the Institute on Race & Poverty at the University of Minnesota Law School, to conduct it. His study, using information supplied voluntarily by 65 law enforcement jurisdictions in the state, found a strong likelihood that racial and ethnic bias played a role in traffic stop policies and practices. Overall, officers stopped minority drivers at greater rates than whites and searched them at greater rates, but found contraband in those searches at lower rates than whites. The analysis found the pattern was more pronounced in suburban areas. In Fridley, New Hope, Plymouth, Sauk Rapids and Savage combined, blacks were stopped about 310% more often than expected. The St. Anthony Police Department, which employs the officer who shot Castile, did not participate in the study. St. Anthony officials have not commented on Castiles stop since shortly after the shooting. It was not immediately clear how much money governments in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area generate from traffic violations. A US Department of Justice investigation following the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Missouri, found law enforcement efforts were focused on generating revenue for that city. Most of the tickets and fines were going to blacks. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, a passenger in the car, said the two officers who stopped them said the vehicle had a broken tail light. She said one of the officers shot him for no apparent reason after he reached for his ID. Valerie Castile said she thinks her son was just black in the wrong place. Minnesota governor Mark Dayton said he did not believe it would have happened to a white motorist. The officers races are not known. Police understand the concerns about choices made about who gets stopped and what happens when they get stopped, said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. But the statistics cant simply be attributed to racial bias among police. When people call the police, they provide a description of somebody engaged in a crime. The police respond to those descriptions, said Stephens, a former Charlotte, North Carolina, police chief. That counts for part of the disproportionality that we see in those numbers. Last year, the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended police departments collect and analyse demographic data on all stops, searches and seizures. Nationally, 13% of black drivers were pulled over at least once in 2011, compared with 10% of the white drivers, according to a survey by the US Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey shows 68% of black drivers considered the stops legitimate compared with 84% of white drivers. The precise reasons why certain motorists are pulled over more than others are difficult to identify, said Lorie Fridell, an associate professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, who trains police departments through a program called Fair and Impartial Policing. Our implicit biases are most likely to impact us when were facing ambiguous situations, Fridell said. A person reaching into a pocket is ambiguous. If I, as a white, middle-aged woman, reach into my pocket most people arent going to experience fear. For a black male with dreadlocks, that ambiguous action would produce fear in many people. Two Indians were arrested for allegedly assaulting a teenage Taiwanese girl inside the lift of a five-star hotel in Beijing early on Friday. The two Indians, who were a part of a group of tea traders travelling through Shanghai and Beijing, were arrested after the 17-year-old girl complained to hotel authorities about the incident on Thursday night. Following her complaint, the two men aged 30 and 49, were picked up by the Jianguomen Police from the same hotel early on Friday morning. The incident occurred at around 10pm on Thursday in the Beijing International Hotel in the Chinese capitals central business district where the men and the girl and her parents were staying. The girls family was visiting her elder sister, a student at the prestigious Peking University. According to the girl, the men entered the lift on the 10th floor while the girl was already inside it. First, the young man and then his older companion asked to take photographs with the girl. After clicking the photographs, the younger man forcefully kissed her and the older man then did the same. As the elevator came down to the first floor, the girl tried to rush out but was pulled back by the older man. The duo then swiped the elevator card up to the 10th floor again and the older man assaulted her. When the lift came down to the first floor again, the victim wriggled free and escaped. During the preliminary interrogation, both suspects denied the incident, saying that the girl was making up the story. But their defence crumbled when police showed them the footage from the elevator camera that corroborated the sequence of events narrated by the girl. Subsequently, the two men confessed to their crime. Source said the two men, who are both from Haryana, would be kept in detention till July 14 and then deported. In May, a Chinese airline launched an investigation into an allegation made by a woman traveller that an Indian man sexually harassed her during an international flight. China Eastern issued an apology to the complainant, assuring her that the matter would be looked into. Two Russian pilots died near the Syrian city of Palmyra when their helicopter was shot down by Islamic State fighters, bringing the total number of Russian troops killed in the Syrian conflict to 12, Moscow said. The defence ministry said a Syrian helicopter flown by Riafagat Khabibulin and Yevgeni Dolgin came under fire from IS on Saturday and crashed. The jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE monitoring group. Hindustan Times asked four residents of South Asian origin if they felt insecure post-Brexit or if the British legacy of multiculturalism would stay strong MONI MOHSIN A Pakistani writer Mohsin divides her time between Lahore and London, she is a freelance journalist and an author After Brexit, does the new debate about national identity make you nervous as a South Asian? A lot has been reported about the increase in racist sentiment post Brexit. But I also know that there has been widespread condemnation of it in parliament, in the media, and in the public at large. So yes, Im aware of it but not nervous. After decades of settling into being a multicultural society, have you been shocked again while facing/hearing of friends facing racism on British streets? Is it any different now, post-Brexit, from the past? Xenophobia is a persistent unacknowledged undercurrent in most societies. The nastiness voiced during the Brexit debate has emboldened closet racists in Britain. Im disappointed but not shocked that its reared its ugly head again. Personally, neither I nor my family have experienced any change of attitude since Britain voted to leave the EU. That said, I live in London, which is one of the most diverse cities in the world, has a very popular South Asian mayor and voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. So perhaps I am insulated in London from the mood in the rest of the UK. Read: With the post-Brexit spike in racism, should the Indians in the UK be worried? Have you heard it said that Asians are eating into British jobs? Most British people who voted out because of their concerns about migration were more worried about EU migrants than South Asian ones. But Ive also heard it said about Asians over the years. I dont think that particular narrative has become more intensified post Brexit. But again, I live in London and I am self employed so Im not at the sharp end of the stick. Is the nature of racism faced by all Asians equal in the UK? I think, among South Asians, Muslims receive the worst of it. Women in hijab, for instance, have been the butt of racist taunts recently far more than other South Asian women. Poonam Saxena SHRABANI BASU A journalist and an author Basu has written books (Spy Princess The Life of Noor Inayat Khan, For King and another Country, Victoria & Abdul) on the shared histories of India and Britain. She lives in London with her daughters. In the time of Brexit, when the UK is forced into a new debate about national identity, how does this churn affect a British Indian in England now? Most people in Britain have multiple identities. I moved here when I was 25, so I see myself as an Indian who is very comfortable living in London. My daughters, who were born here, have more of a British Asian identity. There has never been any conflict with all of this. London is a cosmopolitan city, eight out of ten people in a tube carriage are from different countries. This is what makes the city so vibrant, and one of the best places to live. Recently, London elected its first Asian Muslim Mayor. His deputy is of Indian origin. This is why Londoners were stunned with the result. There have been large demonstrations in favour of Europe in the city after the Brexit result. It is a truly international city. You can probably taste the cuisine of every nation in the world sitting in London. But having said that, there are always stray racist elements in every place, and there were racist incidents in London as well. The UK is considered among the best equal opportunity employers of the world. But post-Brexit what are the challenges for an Indian at the workplace? What do you think you may now have to do better or more, or what can you no longer take for granted? I have Indian friends who are married to Europeans, and everyone was in shock after the result. A close friends husband is half-German and half-Spanish. She herself is half-Bengali and half Punjabi. The day the results came out she was really depressed. She told me that for the first time in thirty years she felt like an outsider in Britain. Her husband said he might have to return to Germany if things got bad. That evening we went to eat dosas in a cafe in Harrow and, of course, the waiting staff were mainly from East Europe. Only in London would you find an Indian restaurant where the waitresses are from Poland and Latvia, serving up sambar and dosas! These young girls were feeling insecure about their future. Have you ever experienced racism in any public place recently? If yes, how different or blatant is its expression now from the past? I have never faced racism on the streets or public place, but then I live in London, which is very different from the rest of the UK. London is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures. Have you heard this said openly or indirectly that Asians are eating into British jobs? I have heard the sentiment on television programmes. However, the anti-immigration sentiments seems to be focused more sharply against East European migrants rather than Indians. I heard a young Asian filmmaker on television saying that she was crossing the road and a car did not stop till it was inches from her. When she threw up her hands in a gesture saying, What are you doing?, he rolled down his window and yelled Paki, go home at her! She said she has lived in London most of her life and never been called a Paki. There were also clips on social media showing a woman in a hijab on a bus being harassed and a newsagents shop was fire-bombed in Walsall near Birmingham. The Polish cultural centre in Hammersmith in London was covered in racist graffiti. But the positive side was that people took flowers to the Centre as well, and there were some English people who apologised on behalf of their countrymen. Thankfully, these incidents seem to have died down now, so hopefully they were a one-off in the days immediately after the result. Is the nature of racism faced by all Asians equal in the UK? Those making racist remarks or taunts on a street and public place dont know the difference between Indians, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis. They are a uniform block. However, a woman in hijab is more likely to face racist taunts, so that boils down to prejudice against Muslims. How openly can you state your position on Brexit among friends and among colleagues? I have no problem stating my stand on Brexit. London voted for Remain, and most people are shocked and dismayed at the result. Paramita Ghosh LORD MEGHNAD DESAI Desai is an Indian-born, British economist and a member of the UK House of Lords What are your views on Brexit? I had voted to remain. UK had been a part of the EU for years and I felt it should have continued to be a part of it. There have been reports of increased hate crimes against immigrants since Brexit... There is no doubt that Brexit has inspired an increase in hate crimes against immigrants. There is a feeling among some, especially among the right wingers, that all foreigners should go. But I have no doubt that it is a temporary phase and will soon be checked. So you think UKs multicultural past can survive this? Definitely. As I said, I believe this to be a temporary phase Do you think Brexit has created a rift within the Asian community in the UK? The Asian community in the UK never was united. There were always differences among them. But there were few outright cases of violence. There is some antagonism against certain communities today because of terror attacks across the world. Muslims and East Europeans have to bear the brunt of it. But having said that, we also have Muslims in very respected and influential positions. So it will be wrong to say that all Muslims are targeted. Many Indians go to study and work in the UK. Do you foresee problems for them post-Brexit? We do not know yet what immigration policies will be post Brexit. Immigrants from all parts of the world might get affected. It does seem possible though that policies for Indians will not get any easier, if they do not get tougher. But I cant say now what it will be. Poulomi Banerjee LORD KARAN BILIMORIA Bilimoria is an Indian-origin entrepreneur and founder of Cobra Beer and a member of the UK House of Lords What do you think of Brexit. Do you support the move? Brexit will hugely damage our economy, our businesses, our citizens, our stability and our standing in the world. I voted to remain in the EU, and far from being Independence Day I believe June 23 was the day that the UK shot itself in the foot. As part of the EU, the UK had the best of both worlds and has retained its sovereignty. We have been in the EU but not in the Euro, we have been in the EU but not in Schengen, we pour our beer in pints, we measure our roads in miles. Leaving the EU, we face ongoing uncertainty, lower growth and looser monetary policy. The Governor of the Bank of England is already talking of economic post-traumatic stress disorder, whilst the Economist Intelligence Unit projects a 6 per cent contraction in the economy by 2020. We have lessons to learn here the younger generations in the UK simply must turn out to vote for their futures. In this referendum, 72 per cent of voters under 25 wanted to remain in the European Union but, sadly, just over one-third of them turned out to vote, whereas 83 per cent of those over 65 turned out to vote and they overwhelmingly voted to leave. How do you think Brexit will affect Indian business interests in the UK? Indians are the largest ethnic minority population in the UK and the most successful by far. Many Indians come here to study and do business, and we must keep our doors wide open to these people. Measures to reduce net migration in the UK would deter Indians from coming to the UK and this would threaten our economys global reach and our standing in the world. Many Indian businesses view the UK as their gateway to Europe. There is no doubt that the UK within the EU is a much more attractive trading partner for Indian businesses, providing access to the largest single market in the world. Poulomi Banerjee Bleary-eyed and battered, I had just finished a twelve-hour overnight shift when the sun began to glare down on a new day, a new dawn. Britains Independence Day, some called it. The UK had just voted to leave the European Union. Despite needing sleep, I couldnt close my eyes. This was a huge event, it had caught many off guard and the news just wouldnt stop. My friend came round to mill over the news. Everyone I passed on the way here was talking about it, he said. Later that evening, the pub was buzzing with Brexit. This was London, the one region in England that had voted to remain within the EU. While the majority who voted to leave had cried we want our country back, the capitals bubble was collectively staggering around in the new dawn wondering what has my country done? While we had been warned of the financial uncertainty of Brexit - during the campaign Project Fear (as it was dubbed) saw gloomy economic predictions emanated seemingly from 10 Downing Street, the Bank of England and the City of London. But when Brexit dawned in the early hours of Friday 24 June the stories that came to proliferate were ones of a different sort of fear. Not only financial nor economic but now racial too. Read: Will the British legacy of post multiculturalism prevail post Brexit? I first became aware of it on the Sunday after the result when a friend of mine wrote on her Facebook page: Yesterday someone pointed at me and shouted go home as I was on my my bike. There are always reports of racism in the capital, but the fact that my friend was told to go home was somewhat new. Video emerged later that week which appeared to show three youths shouting at Juan Jasso Jr, a US army veteran, on a tram in Manchester. Shouts of go back to Africa and you dirty f****** immigrant...Get deported, were reportedly heard. At Channel 4 News, we interviewed a young woman called Harj Sahota who experienced racism three times in one day, with one person chanting: We voted leave, now you can f*** off. At the BBC, one of their journalists was called the p word in her hometown of Basingstoke, the first time shed heard such an insult in 30 years. Both Jasso and Sahota believed the referendum result had contributed to their experiences, with Jasso saying Brexit had maybe has pushed people to somehow justify that they think its okay now to act out in this way. Read: Lessons from London: But will we learn? While the anecdotes were few, they were backed up by recent statistics from the National Police Chiefs Council: more than 3,000 hate crimes were reported between 16-30 June, a 42% increase on the same period last year. On the Saturday after the vote, hate crimes reached a peak in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 289 on a single day. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, told the House of Lords that there was a level of poison and hatred that I cannot remember in this country for very many years. But these stories were a side issue to a larger whirlwind of emotions around the UK. For many, Brexit was a revolt against the political elites. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition campaigned for Remain and 52% ignored their advice. It was put to Tony Blair during the recent publication of the Chilcot Report that it was the Iraq War that possibly started the deep mistrust many have with the political class today. For them, a small number of stories about racism was being used to diminish their victory. blatant #PostRefRacism seen on bus shelter this morning. Called in to @TfL vandalism hotline. pic.twitter.com/yGNznmdEuA Latimer_Curtis (@Latimer_Curtis) 29 June 2016 For the Remainers, the result and the initial apparent consequences caused defiance. Thousands marched on Parliament to speak up for the 48% that voted to stay within the EU, many of them Londoners - the one region in England that voted to Remain. Scotland began to demand another independence referendum to stay part of the EU while there were calls in Northern Ireland for unification with South after 55.8% also wanted to Remain. Was the UK beginning to fall apart? Furthermore, the killing of Jo Cox MP by a lone gunmen was a huge shock to population, with more people descending on Trafalgar Square just before the EU referendum to ask for a kinder form of politics, and to criticise the language of todays politics. Many commentators pointed towards the language of the Leave campaign, a notable moment being former Ukip leader Nigel Farages unveiling of a poster using an image of refugees at the Slovenian border under the banner: Breaking Point. That was unveiled the morning of Ms Coxs death. Mr Farage apologised for the timing. Yet for the Indian observer, it is worth noting the strong Commonwealth migration thread within the Leave campaign. Whenever he was accused of racism, Mr Farage was quick to point out that he wanted to make it easier for migrants from the Commonwealth to come to the United Kingdom over EU individuals, who enjoy freedom of movement. On that point, Priti Patel, a government minister and prominent Leave campaigner who was born in the UK to Ugandan Indian parents, called on the voters to Save the Great British Curry. She argued that curry houses in the country were closing at a startling rate because they could not recruit trained chefs from the continent due to the difficulty of obtaining the paperwork. Of course, that may not make Nikhil Pandhi feel any better. The Indian graduate studying and living in Oxford, experienced his own form of racism after Brexit at an airport in Lisbon. Three British people were standing next to me and they were talking about Brexit. I was holding my residence permit and this man, who was in his early or late thirties, just sort of slyly smiled at me and snatched my permit. He asked where Pandhi, who was wearing a kurta, was from. India, he replied. Looking at the bearded Pandhi on the permit, he said: Oh, you look like a terrorist. Pandhi says he was shocked, slighted and shaken, while others around him laughed. But Pandhi doesnt take the view that Brexit was linked to his experience. I would always be very cautious in making these connection because Brexit or no Brexit, racism is racism, intolerance is intolerance, he told me. For Pandhi, the make huge post Brexit assumptions would be to take a giant leap. After his experience, he thinks that racism is more insidious than I thought it was. And that for me is the thrust of it: racism clings onto political fault lines because it is convenient. As Luke Gittos, a lawyer and legal editor, told Channel 4 News, the racism seen in the aftermath of Brexit shows that a small number of individuals are feeling emboldened by this referendum because theyve interpreted it as support for their views. But the key point is that they are wrong. This referendum was not a victory for racism and bigotry. Immigration was not the key reason they voted. Last night a Sikh radiographer colleague of mine was told by a patient "shouldn't you be on a plane back to Pakistan? we voted you out" Dr. M. Ali Abbasi (@drmaliabbasi) 26 June 2016 Indeed, Lord Ashcrofts thorough polling showed of the referendum result showed that nearly half, 49%, of Leave voters said the biggest single reason for wanting to leave the EU was the principle that decisions about the UK should be taken in the UK. The referendum was about sovereignty and democracy for them. There is, therefore, a mood among some sections of complete despair and uncertainty. Thats partly because there seems to be no clear plan on how the UK leaves the EU, especially as our Prime Minister has resigned and the key Leave campaigners, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, are leaving the political limelight. For the Indian living in the UK or visiting, has Britains multiculturalism shifted? Does that small minority who are using Brexit to voice their racism in new, shockingly vocal form mean the atmosphere has changed for non-whites? Certainly there are those who feel Brexit has opened the floodgates for immigrants of all colours to be targeted. Read: A contagion of nativism is oddly spreading in a globalised space But the thousands who marched in London in support of Remain did so also as a demonstration against intolerance. That display of unity showed that there are many within the capital who will not allow the few to frighten their friends. For those in London at least, Brexit has not shifted attitudes as much as hardened them: the multicultural and accepting nature of the capital will not be altered no matter what. But within that bubble of confusion and countless questions, post Brexit racism cannot be discussed with huge certainty, for we are still only two weeks on from that historic vote. And if those last 14 days are anything to go by, there is a lot more to come in terms of the identity and the mood of the United Kingdom. The writer is a journalist with Channel 4 News based in London. Angry farmers turn a Wisconsin town into a battlefield when they riot against conscription. BY ADAM J. KAWA A crowd gathered around the steps of the Ozaukee County courthouse in Port Washington, Wisconsin, on November 10, 1862. For the first time ever, Wisconsin men were going to be drafted into the army, and not even the cold rain that was falling that day could keep people away from this historic and potentially life-changing event. But as county draft commissioner William A. Pors drew the first name, the thump of a cannon resounded through the streets. Pors turned. Marching toward him was a mob of angry citizens wielding clubs and bricks and carrying banners scrawled with the words No Draft! Thinking the demonstration was merely a protest, Pors went back to drawing names. He had made a grave miscalculation, and if he lived to tell what happened next, he would be fortunate indeed. Only one year earlier, few in Wisconsin would have believed conscription would ever be necessary for the Union army. As in most Northern states, the men of Wisconsin, brimming with patriotism, had rushed to enlist in 1861. So many men volunteered nationwide in the wars first months that, in early 1862, Edwin Stanton, the new secretary of war, slowed the Federal drive for recruits, believing that the swelled army ranks would be sufficient to put down the Southern rebellion. But by summer, the war showed no signs of coming to a speedy conclusion, so, in July, President Abraham Lincoln called for 300,000 three-year volunteers. Again Wisconsin responded, supplying enough men to create 14 new regiments. However, a few weeks later, on August 4, Lincoln and his administration tried to mine the Northern states for an additional 300,000 troops, this time to serve nine-month terms. If the number of volunteers any state raised fell short of the Federally assigned quota, that state would have to conduct its own draftand soon. The states had only until August 15 to recruit volunteers. For its part, Wisconsin faced a quota of 11,904 enlistees. Governor Edward Salomon was uneasy. His state was rapidly running short of willing men, and the quota seemed out of reach. Salomon immediately petitioned the War Department for a postponement. Wisconsin was a state of farmers, he explained, and if the draft were delayed until after the autumn harvest, many of them would join the army willingly. The War Department responded by extending the deadlineto August 22, one week later. Only a handful of Wisconsin men volunteered for these nine-month stints, but several counties managed to meet their quotas and avoid the draft. The additional week, however, was not nearly enough time to fill this latest statewide quota. A half-dozen counties lagged far behind the others in enlistments, and the farthest behind was Ozaukee County. These six counties were mostly rural, and their populations included a high proportion of Catholic immigrants. According to 1860 census figures, 15,000 people lived in Ozaukee County, just north of Milwaukee on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, and most of them were German. Like many other European immigrants, they were farmers who had come to the United States to find a better life in what they believed was the land of freedom; they had no intention of fighting someone elses war. They said the Lincoln administration was tainted by abolitionism, nativism, and the godlessness of German anti-church liberals. Lincolns Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued on September 22, only further angered them. The Milwaukee See-Bote, the newspaper of Wisconsins German Catholics, expressed horror that immigrants would be used as fodder for cannons in an abolitionists war. The Federal deadline had come and gone, and Wisconsin had still not met the War Departments quota. So, even though Salomon knew it would be extremely unpopular, he prepared to conduct a draft. The governor ordered each countys sheriff to compile a list of all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45 with no special restrictions. All of these men would be eligible for military service. Each sheriff was to post his completed roll publicly and send a copy to the state government in Madison. Ozaukee Countys immigrant farmers were incensed by what they perceived as the unfairness of these enrollment lists. Many members of the Republican Partythe governors partywere conspicuously absent from the rolls, the farmers claimed. Several German farmers responded to Salomons draft plans by declaring themselves aliens and thus ineligible for armed service. As plans for conscription progressed, threats of mob action arose not just in Port Washington, but also in Milwaukee, Sheboygan, and West Bend. A letter from a Port Washington citizen that appeared in the Wisconsin Daily Patriot explained the growing tension: What has caused all this trouble is not a desire to shirk responsibilities, but it is the belief, which is common, that the government officials have exempted about one half the men of the county, who should be liable for military service, and the consequence is that nearly 4/5ths of those returned on the enrollment lists are to be drafted. This was peculiarly hard on the few, while the many escaped. The threats of violence personally embarrassed Salomon. The governor was an immigrant himself; he had fled from his native Prussia in 1848, the same year Wisconsin entered the Union. Salomon refused to be intimidated by his former countrymen, and after tallying the eligibility rolls from across the state, he set quotas for the individual counties on October 21. If the number of new volunteers failed to meet these quotas, a draft lottery to fill the deficiency would begin on November 10. In it, a draft commissioner appointed for each county would draw names from a box and continue until his countys quota was filled. Wisconsins Democrats immediately started to use Salomons unpopular decision against the Republicans in the upcoming elections. The Democrats had a grudge against Salomon, who had defected to the Republican Party after years as a Democrat. The snubbed Democrats accused the governor of postponing the draft so his party mates would have a better showing in the November elections. In many counties, Democrats were swept into office. Charles A. Eldredge was particularly successful. Once a dark-horse Democratic candidate for Congress, Eldredge ran on an anti-draft, anti-taxation platform. Playing on the fears of the electorate, he won his election by 200 votes. By voting in favor of the Democrats, Ozaukee Countys farmers seemed to think they had avoided the draft. But their newly elected representatives could not prevent it, and finally, draft day arrived. Angered by what they felt was fraud at the states highest levels, the immigrants were determined to take matters into their own hands. At 9:00 a.m. on November 10, Pors, a local attorney appointed by Salomon to administer the draft in Ozaukee County, arrived at the courthouse in Port Washington with his assistants. A small group of citizens gradually gathered to witness the proceedings. After setting up his equipment, Pors was beginning the draft when a cannon blast reverberated in the distance. Startled, the commissioner halted the lottery and looked through the sheets of rain. Voices in the distance grew louder as a group of angry farmers some 200 strong marched toward the courthouse. The banners reading No Draft! made the reasons for their demonstration clear, and the clubs and bricks they carried made it clear they meant it. But Pors continued; if these people wanted to protest, he thought, they had that right. Pors drew a few more names until rocks, bricks, and shouts of No more draft! fell on him along with the rain. The mob rushed the courthouse steps. Before Pors or any of his assistants could escape, the rioters overwhelmed them. Pors was beaten mercilessly, then thrown down the steps and into the street. The mobs ringleaders snatched the enrollment records and, despite the rain, set them ablaze. Other rioters, meanwhile, charged to the top of the courthouse and tore down the American flag. Pors struggled to his feet and staggered to the post office, where he locked himself in the cellar and waited for a chance to escape. Meanwhile, the mob headed to his house, one newspaper later reported, and attacked and demolished the doors and windows, destroyed the fence, shrubbery, gates and everything in reach out of doors. They then entered the house and literally destroyed everything within it. According to another account, the furniture was smashed up and dumped into the street. Jellies, jams, and preserves were poured over the Brussels carpet, and ladies apparel [was] torn into shreds. While the crowd was destroying his home, Pors boarded a carriage driven by a friend and fled south to Milwaukee, where he wired news of the riot to state authorities in Madison. The furious farmers barely noticed he was gone; targeting other prominent Republicans, they had moved on. The town physician, Dr. H. Stillman, who was also a draft clerk, had his fence broken down, shrubbery ripped from his property, and had every door and window demolished, one newspaper reported. The mob stole about $200 to $300 worth of medicine from his office while every looking glass, picture, bed, chair, sofa, clothing, indeed everything [was] just turned into rubbish. The doctor and his family, however, were not hurt; fearing the persistent threats of mob action, they had fled before the draft began. With two houses destroyed, the mob fed on its own fury, and the violence spread. The rioters drifted to the warehouse of a Mr. B. Blake, who had earlier denounced opposition to the draft. The crowd, which had grown to more than 1,000 people, shattered every window in Blakes building, broke in, and dumped several thousand bushels of wheat that were stored inside into the streets. Next, the enraged farmers headed to Julius Tomlinsons stone mill, one of Port Washingtons main businesses. In addition to breaking all the windows, the mob gutted the office, destroyed books and papers, and stole $60 from the safe. Tomlinsons only apparent crime was his membership in the Republican Party and his employment of other Republicans. The rioters also damaged nearby Wolfs tannery, threatening to hang every Republican worker, and gutted the Freemasons hall because most of the countys Masons had managed to have their names removed from the draft rolls. Heightened by the mobs frequent stops at saloons, the violence continued through the day. Law-abiding citizens tried to get out of the rioters path, but many of them failed. Even when nightfall quieted the riot, no one was completely safe from danger. The next morning, Salomon learned the disturbing news and realized that an armed force was needed in Port Washington to quell the riot. He ordered Colonel James M. Lewis of the 28th Wisconsin Infantry, which had mustered in at Milwaukee only four weeks earlier, to send a detachment of troops to the besieged town. He also dispatched W.D. McIdoe, the provost marshal general of the state, to Milwaukee that evening to join the six detached companies of the 28th, which had a total of 600 men. About 9:00 p.m. on November 11, the propeller ship Kenosha brought the soldiers word that the mob had effectively taken over the town. The enraged farmers had three pieces of artillery, and one was planted on the pier and two were on a hill with a commanding view of Lake Michigan. They posed a serious threat to any troops who tried to land at the port. Lewis devised a plan of attack. The soldiers would land five miles south of Port Washington and then march into town before daybreak. Two companies would march in from the rear while the other four charged in from the front. McIdoe and the men from the 28th left Milwaukee at 3:30 a.m. on November 12 on two state-chartered ships, the Comet and the Sunbeam. The six companies landed south of town without incident and split up. The two marching in from the rear advanced and soon met part of the unruly crowd. Taken by surprise, 50 rioters surrendered immediately while others retreated wildly to the other side of town. There, they ran head-on into another advancing line of soldiers. The armed men gradually surrounded the rioters. They were found in cellars, bars, saloons, and in bed, and in every conceivable hiding place, one soldier said. One was even found four feet deep buried in hay, and he would not come out until he was persuaded by a bayonet. The arrival of the troops left the farmers dumbstruck; they had not expected an armed response. A story in the Manitowoc Herald reported that the alleged ringleader, a Mr. Kemp, had had a change of heart as soon as the soldiers arrived. Kemp, the ringleader, made boasts before the troops arrived in Port Washington that there were not enough soldiers in the state to take him, the report stated. When Col. Lewis, Marshall McIdoe, and a few others repaired to his house, however, and took him into custody, he was as tame as a chicken, and wrang his hands in agony of cowardice. Soon, all the rioters were in custody, caught amid the ruin and destruction they had created. According to one of the soldiers in the 28th Wisconsin, streets once trembling with angry words and threats soon began echoing with laughter and cheers. We were greeted with shouts of joy and exultation from ladies at almost every house, he recalled. The scene was truly affecting. We could frequently hear them say, Bless God! We can say our souls are our own. We can breathe free again. God bless you! You wont go and leave us today, will you? A general feeling of gratitude and thankfulness and of security seemed at once to take the place of great personal fear. The soldiers celebrated their nearly bloodless victory by restoring the national flag to the top of the battered courthouse. They had captured more than 150 of the most conspicuous rioters. The next day, a provost court examined the cases of those arrested and declared 82 of the men guilty. They were taken to Camp Washburn in Milwaukee, but when subsequent arrests raised the number of those found guilty to 126, the prisoners were moved to Camp Randall, a larger facility in Madison. A soldier stationed there described the conditions the prisoners faced. They were closely confined in a single room, or board shanty, about 30 feet wide and 50 feet in length, he wrote. There was one stove in the room, but no bedding, not even straw to lie upon. The prisoners were not permitted to leave the shed under any pretense whatever. The Ozaukee rioters remained prisoners at Camp Randall for about a year before they were finally released. An event that started with the blast of a cannon was officially over, but it could not be forgotten. More than a half-dozen homes had been damaged, and Tomlinsons mill, which had sustained thousands of dollars in damage, was closed for months. Dozens of citizens had been injured, and many more had feared for their lives. But there had been no loss of life, no usurpation of power, and no change in the governments draft policy. Shortly after the riot, Pors returned to Port Washington. This time, with armed troops by his side, he finished the draft. Twenty-five miles away, Milwaukee Countys draft commissioner wisely waited a week before conducting his lottery, long enough for Union soldiers to arrive. He had learned a lesson. Adam Kawa of Kenosha, Wisconsin, researched the Port Washington riot while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It came without warning, raining hell down upon everyone in its path. In a land accustomed to death descending from the sky, the Woodward tornado of April 9, 1947, still ranks as the deadliest ever to hit Oklahoma. In its wake were the bodies of 185 dead, more than 1,000 injured and a mystery that remains unsolved 60 years later: What happened to 4-year-old Joan Gay Croft, who was taken from the local hospital by two unidentified men in the aftermath of the horrendous storm? A few days earlier, a warm Pacific low had come ashore and collided with a strong cold front near Amarillo, Texas. Winds just north of Amarillo were clocked at more than 100 mph. Six major tornadoes dropped out of a storm many described as resembling an atomic mushroom cloud. The twister that ravaged Woodward first touched ground near Canadian, Texas. Its base measured 2 miles across, and it retained that killer dimension for six hours as it traveled for 100 miles at speeds reaching 50 mph. At 7 p.m. it hit Glazier, Texas, some 14 miles from Canadian, killing 16 people and destroying 25 structures. In nearby Higgins, the tornado destroyed all but three buildings. A woman who had crawled under herbed for safety was sucked up into the wire bedsprings when the tornado passed directly over her house. She was one of 45 people killed in the town. Though Glazier and Higgins were devastated, no word of the approaching disaster reached the Oklahoma towns just across the border from the Texas Panhandle. It was the third day of a national telephone strike, and only emergency operators were running the switchboards across the country. Grace Nix and Bertha Wiggins were the operators on duty in Woodward when they received their first warning. The operator in Shattuck, Okla., fewer than 20 miles from Higgins, called to ask if they were all right. From Shattuck the operator was watching a massive black cloud make its way toward Woodward. A few minutes later, a second call came in from the small town of Cestos to the south. Theres a dark cloud over Woodward, the Cestos operator told the two women. It looks terrible! The time of the call was 8 p.m. At 8:15 the tornado leveled the small farming town of Gage, 21 miles southwest of Woodward. The 2-mile-wide funnel rapidly churned through the sagebrush of western Oklahoma, chewing up 60 farmhouses and killing eight people as it raced northeast toward Woodward. As the distinct funnel form came upon Fargo, the next farming town, 8-year-old Leroy Fennimore ran up Main Street shouting: Were going to have a tornado! Yippee! He had heard about tornadoes but had never seen one. Seconds later Fargo was leveled. Woodward was only 12 minutes away. Many in the community of 5,000 had remarked on just how muggy the air was that night. Otherwise, it was an ordinary Wednesday evening. Churches held services and other activities. The two downtown movie theaters were filled with high school students. Ingrid Bergman was starring in Rage in Heaven at the Woodward Theater while the Terry Theater was showing The Devil on Wheels. Down the street a few blocks, the local pool hall had its usual patrons. The high school band had just finished practicing for its trip to Alva, Okla., the next day. Two students stayed behind to practice a little more as Paul Nelson got on his bicycle and headed home. Dr. Joe Duer, head physician at the 28-bed Woodward Hospital, was walking into Gills Cafe for his ritual cup of coffee as Erwin Walker drove past on his way to work at the power plant on the north side of town. The wind was blowing hard now. Large raindrops spattered the sidewalks, followed by hail. Paul Nelson was getting soaked as he peddled harder against the wind, the hailstones striking his back. As the tornado passed over Experimental Lake on the west side of town, it sucked up water colored red by the clay soil typical of Oklahoma. The level of the lake dropped by a foot. The time was 8:42 p.m. At the power plant, Walker saw the funnel coming directly at him. Live electric lines were snapping all across Woodward. Walker threw the master switch, cutting off the towns power, just as the tornado struck the building dead center. Walker was killed, but his act was credited later for saving countless lives. George MacLaren usually stayed at the pool hall until 11 p.m. But as he was about to walk inside, he noticed the fully grown trees in the nearby park bending all the way to the ground. He flagged a taxi and headed for home. At his cafe, Gill Gillard had just refilled a customers cup. The rat-tat-tat of falling hail got everyones attention. Gillard turned to look at the barometer hanging on the wall it had bottomed out. Then the lights went out, and Woodward fell into pitch black save for the violent electrical storm directly overhead flashing brief images all around like massive strobe lights. MacLarens taxi was buffeted by the strong winds as it zigzagged down residential streets to avoid downed trees and power lines. But when MacLaren stepped out of the taxi, everything was calm. No wind, no hail, no rain. Then he noticed the leaves of the trees rushing straight up into the night sky. He ran across his back porch and into the house just as the porch enclosure was torn away. MacLaren screamed for his children to get down as he ran into the living room. There was a thunderous roar, repeatedly described by survivors as sounding like a freight train coming down on them. MacLarens son, Gayner, watched the top of the rooms walls separate from the ceiling, fall back into place and then separate again before the windows imploded. He soon found himself lying in the front yard, rain hitting his face. His father was standing on the rubble that had been their home trying to find Gayners younger brother, Merrit, in the debris. A chill filled the air as sleet and snow began falling. The T-shirt Gayner had put on for bed was now covered with his own blood. He walked over to his father to see if he could help. George MacLaren was pulling loose boards from the pile in a panic to find Merrit when he looked down at his bloodied son. Are you all right? George asked. Gayner nodded and his father replied: Go find help! Hurry! Gayner ran in the direction of the large fires illuminating downtown. It was now just before 9 p.m. By this time, Paul Nelson, who had been pelted with red mud from Experimental Lake as he rode his bike home, had gotten into the bathtub to scrub the strange mud off when there was a sudden deafening roar. He looked up to find his house had been lifted away. All that was left was the floor and young Paul sitting naked in the bathtub in the reddish rain. The attached plumbing had prevented the bathtub from going with the house. His friends who had stayed late to practice at the high school were not so lucky. Their bodies were found in the rubble a few days later. What sounded like a roaring train could be heard inside both the Woodward and Terry theaters, as well as explosions and screams for help. People tried running out the front door but were stopped by theater staff. One man who made it out of the Terry Theater was picked up by the wind and hurled down the block to his death. Suddenly the buildings roof gave way, and people ducked under the theater seats, whose stiff metal backs kept the fallen ceiling from crushing them. A large, bulky air-conditioning unit broke through a rear door, enabling some to escape into the night. Elsewhere, one mother heard the tornado coming and tried to go to her childrens bedroom. Without warning, a wall collapsed and pinned her over a lit heating stove. She could feel her back beginning to burn. Desperate, she grabbed at the curtains of a nearby window, yanking them down and stuffing them behind her to snuff out the fire. Downtown was ablaze as factories, warehouses and the grocery store were in flames. Trees were torn out of the ground. Deadly debris filled the air, falling along with the hail, snow and reddish rain. Streets were blanketed by rubble, bodies, power lines and downed trees. Telephone poles and timber beams were driven into the walls of the Woodward County Courthouse. Above, the sky rippled with an unearthly lightning display. The 2-mile-wide tornado leveled 100 city blocks with wind speeds ranging from 225 to 440 mph. It exited to the northeast, traveling close to 45 mph toward the Kansas border. There were no fatalities along its new route, but 36 more farmhouses were destroyed in the darkness and 30 more people were injured. Somewhere to the west of Alva, the Woodward tornado lifted back into the storm cloud that had generated it. In Woodward, Dr. Duer took charge of the hospital that was filling with people the majority of them children many of whom had compound fractures. It just broke your heart, Duer said later, looking at the children and prioritizing who should be treated first. The Baker Hotel was quickly converted into a hospital for those with minor injuries. The hotels windows had been blown out by the storm, but the building was structurally sound, and eventually there were two patients for every bed. All the patients were covered with mud from Experimental Lake. There was no running water, however, to clean wounds, wash patients or flush toilets. One girls eyes were so heavily caked with mud that it pinched an optic nerve, and she was left blind for several weeks. Duer held an infant covered with slivers of wood. The child looked like a cocklebur, he said of the baby who died soon afterward. Also he could do nothing for a badly injured young woman in a house across the street from the hospital. A 24 had impaled her near the pelvis. The front lawn of the hospital was transformed into a temporary morgue as trucks started going up and down residential streets to collect the dead. Thelma Irwin was a young mother of two. When the tornado hit, her husband Raymond, who was taking a nap on the living room couch, grabbed their young son, Joe T., and held him to the floor. Thelma had just run into the bedroom where their baby girl, Jennifer, slept when the twister threw a delivery truck through the wall. The next thing Thelma knew, someone was washing her face off with milk as she lay on her front lawn. She closed her eyes for what she thought was a brief moment only to sense she was being lifted. When she opened them, she discovered that she was surrounded by unresponsive bodies lying beside and underneath her. She tried to scream but could not move her mouth. Then she lost consciousness. When she woke again, she found she was lying among the dead on the front lawn of the hospital still unable to make a sound. Somehow she caught the attention of a passing nurse who took her hand. Come here, doctor, Thelma remembered hearing the nurse say. I dont think this womans dead. Searchers found a confused Gayner MacLaren roaming the streets just before midnight and took him to the hospital as he cried: My brothers trapped! My brothers trapped! A nurse sedated him. He woke up around 3 a.m. on a cot with a reddish bandage around his head and a pool of drying blood beneath him. A person he knew in the cot next to his told him Merrit had been killed. Scenes of gruesome death were everywhere. The pool hall where George MacLaren was going to spend the evening had been flattened. The five men inside were so badly mangled they could only be identified by their wristwatches. A Mrs. Chance, an elderly woman, had been sucked out of her home and was found in a field rolled in barbed wire. Her granddaughter, who had come to Woodward to visit her, was found in the house covered with planking held to her body by nails. A Mrs. Boatmann was on her way to the hospital to volunteer when she saw a babys arm sticking up from out of the mud. When the little hand moved, she quickly dug the infant up and ran home. She sat the child in the sink to clean the mud away from its eyes, ears and mouth. A naked little girl covered in red mud was brought to Wilma Nelsons apartment. She wrapped the child in a blanket and tried to rock her to sleep. But now and then the girl would start screaming, and each time a boom of thunder came, she mumbled, There goes a tattered wagon rolling down the hill. When dawn came, Wilma decided to wash the mud off the little girl with dishwater that was still in the kitchen sink. Thats when she discovered the girl was covered with wooden splinters. She rushed her to the hospital only to be told by a nurse that there were more critical injuries to deal with. Telephone wire chief L.L. Orel and Carl Brown traced down the lines south from Woodward for three miles before being able to flash word to Oklahoma City of the devastation. Eight striking telephone operators reported to work to help with the crisis; a week later, their union dismissed all eight. As with all tornadoes, the Woodward storm left oddities in its wake. Besides Paul Nelson sitting naked in his bathtub with no house, hundreds of chickens were roaming around without feathers. A milk bottle sat upright and undisturbed at the top of the back steps to a house that was no longer there. The grown children of Sam and Jessie Smith picked their way through the debris field that had been downtown Woodward, bracing for the worst. The Smith home was at the center of the destruction, but they found it unscathed. Their elderly parents were just waking up, unaware the tornado had ever taken place. Aid rushed in as 3 inches of snow blanketed Woodward. With telephone lines down, local Boy Scouts delivered messages around town on their bikes. Giant bulldozers moved the remains of what had been homes and businesses only 48 hours earlier. The closed Woodward Army Air Base was reopened for housing and was quickly dubbed Tornado Town. Barracks were divided into apartments. Families stood guard over rubble in order to prevent looting. One guilty party was caught, jailed for 18 hours and then driven 15 miles from town and told to start walking. The badly injured were flown to Oklahoma City, while the less serious cases were loaded onto freight cars and taken by train to the hospital in Alva. The bodies of a 12-year-old blonde girl who chewed her fingernails and a 6-week-old baby girl were never identified. Some speculated that the powerful storm blew them in from Texas, even though the farthest a human body was known to have been carried by a tornado was a mile. The biggest mystery in Woodward, however, was Joan Gay Croft, a little girl who simply vanished in the midst of so much chaos. The four-year old had a pencil-size splinter embedded deep in her left calf. Her mother, Cleta, a telephone operator, had been killed when the tornado struck their home. Her stepfather, Olen, was so badly injured that he was transported to Oklahoma City. Joan and her half-sister, Jerri, ended up in the Woodward hospital, where, after a frantic search, they were located by an aunt. Leaving them in the care of the staff, the girls aunt went to volunteer at the hospital in Moreland, 10 miles to the east, where more of the Woodward injured had been taken. The night after the storm, two men dressed in khaki Army uniforms came into the hospital and asked for Joan. As they started to carry her out, Joan cried, I dont want to leave my sister! One of the men was overheard telling her not to worry. They promised to come right back for the older girl. Joans protests drew the attention of the hospital staff, who challenged the men. One of them said they were friends of the family and were simply taking Joan to another hospital where her family was waiting. The men were allowed to leave with the child. Joan Gay Croft was never seen again. When he learned that Joan had been taken, Olen Croft, still not entirely recovered from his injuries, hurried back to Woodward. He and Joans grandfather, Raymond Goble, went from town to town posting fliers and placing missing persons ads on local radio stations. Goble died soon afterward, however, of a massive heart attack. For the next 40 years, Olen Croft scoured one small, dusty High Plains town after another, following up on a tip, a hunch, a rumor of where Joan might be. He died in 1986. In 1994 the NBC TV series Unsolved Mysteries aired a story about Joan Croft. Within 48 hours, Joans aunt received more than 200 telephone calls with potential leads to her long-lost nieces whereabouts. One was particularly intriguing: a woman living in Phoenix, Ariz., who had the same blood type as Joan and whose left leg was scarred in the same place where Joan had been injured on the night of the tornado. A Croft family member even stayed with the woman for two weeks and was convinced that almost 50 years of searching had finally come to an end. But DNA tests showed that the woman was not related to the Crofts. The Croft family never speculated publicly as to the identities of the two men or why they took Joan. But local researchers K.P. Simpson, who interested Unsolved Mysteries in the story, and his son, Rick, developed a few theories of their own. First, Olen Croft had some money. He wasnt what you would call wealthy, said Rick Simpson. But he was better off than most were in Woodward at the time. Joan could have been kidnapped for ransom, but no ransom demand has ever surfaced. The second theory is that Joans mothers family might have taken her after learning that Cleta had been killed. You have two men walking into the hospital and asking for her by name, said Simpson. How would they know her name? And why did the men ask for her by name and not her half-sister? According to Simpson, Woodward authorities and Olen Croft himself questioned Cletas family. They found nothing to suggest that the family knew anything about Joans disappearance. To this day, Joan Gay Crofts whereabouts are unknown. This article was written by Mike Coppock and originally published in the April 2007 issue of American History Magazine. For more great articles, subscribe to American History magazine today! Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the Indians the two explorers encountered are, to say the least, the favorite subjects of sculptor Richard V. Greeves. When the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebrations ended in 2006, it would have seemed easy for Greeves to walk away from that subject. After all, he helped close the festivities at the Autry National Centers Museum of the American West in Los Angeles with an exhibit, Lewis and Clark Among the Indians, featuring more than two dozen of his sculptures, including Bird Woman, a life-size bronze of the Shoshone Sacagawea. He also took part in a symposium at the museum, The Art and History of Lewis and Clark, observing the 200th anniversary of the conclusion of the famed expedition. But the 72-year-old Greeves, who has completed perhaps 35 sculptures of the Lewis and Clark expedition, says he isnt done. Ive come to the conclusion that Ill probably work on it the rest of my life, he says from his studio in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. Ive worked on it the first half, so why shouldnt I just keep going on it? Theres so much material there. My gosh, that was one of the epics in history of the United States. I had originally thought 40 pieces of work might cover the journey, but theres just so much material it just keeps going on and on and snowballing and, besides that, its what Ive been interested in. That interest began as a child in St. Louis. I wasnt born very far away from one of the largest depositories of Lewis and Clark memorabilia thats in existence at the Missouri Historical Society and as a kid, why, I was within a bike ride of that place, and I just haunted that place to the point where the people in the museum there would just see me hanging around and theyd just give me gopher work, which also gave me the opportunity to rummage through all their stuff. Wonderful place for a guy whos interested in the things that I am. He was also interested in art. His mothers family included Venetian marble cutters and mosaic artists. His fathers family included ornamental plaster workers. So Greeves figures his art career began when I was waiting in line to be born. When he was 15, he decided to strike out on his own. That was kind of interesting for my mom, he recalls. Being a good 100 percent Italian mother, she almost went to the ceiling when I told her I was leaving. But that dont matter even if youre 30 years old, if you have an Italian mother and you tell her youre leaving. By his mid-20s, he had bought a local trading post on Wyomings Wind River Reservation, converting it into his home and studio, complete with 26-foot-high ceilings, plenty of room for a sculptor. And, for Greeves, no better location could be found to find inspiration. Everything all went hand in hand, he says. A member of the National Academy of Western Art, Greeves has exhibited his work at the Prix de West at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City (winning the James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award in 2000), as well as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, home to one of his most popular pieces, The Unknown. Weve all been out in the hills somewhere, sitting and looking off at a wonderful vista and wondering what it was like when the first man ever saw that, he says of the 14-foot sculpture depicting six Indians, from a young boy to an old man, looking onto a horizon. Its kind of fun to listen to different people who look at it, because each person comes up with their own conclusion, Greeves says. Some of them say theyre busy looking at a wagon train or something like that. I never myself had that thought, just thought what it would be like to be with some of your close buddies, sitting on the side of the mountain, looking out on a whole valley. But its Lewis and Clark for which Greeves is best known. There isnt one page you cant turn to in the journals and find it just fascinating, he says. When they left there wasnt even a real map of the area. It was totally unknown. I know we cant quite pull that one off on Earth anymore. It wasnt so long ago eitherthats the thing of it. And it didnt take long to change it, did it? If you look at Florida's Treasure Coast, you find a large algal bloom here. This slimy green green shade looks even more gooey from outer space, as confirmed by the July 2nd pictures of NASA's Landsat 8 satellite. Florida's Lake Okeechobee can show you billions of green microbes in a crazy spawn spin. This blue-green algal bloom was seen first in the lake in early May. As it has been fuelled by agricultural wastes, it has been growing and reached an estimated 239 square miles, which cover about one-third of the lake. Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in Martin and St. Lucie counties earlier this week, and he later added Lee and Palm Beach counties. Scott "blamed the federal government for neglecting repairs to the lake's aging dike that's considered one of the country's most at-risk for imminent failure." The blooms began to inhabit downstream coastal communities in Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, and Lee Counties many weeks ago. The US Army Corps of Engineers started to discharge lake water through special channel locks, so that the water does not flood towns and sugar farms in the southern parts. As the nytimes reported "An aging dike system forces the Army Corps of Engineers to release controlled discharges through channel locks east and west from the lake to protect nearby towns from flooding. However, those discharges, which carry pollutants from agricultural lands that flow into the lake from the north, pour into rivers and lagoons downstream, which eventually dump into the ocean." The Californian residents are worried, even as the place is beginning to "smell like wet garbage." There is the worry that the blooms are composed of microcystis that can be toxic to human and animal life. As the green algal blooms are raising public outrage, the Army Corps is reducing the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee. However, if the green muck continues to spill to regions in the south, it is a mess that someone else will have to handle. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Almost half of the popular sunscreens available in the market today do not meet the sun safety standards as required. That is, most of the popular sunscreens in the United States fail to meet the recommended guidelines for sun safety. These are the findings of a new study conducted by a team of researchers at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, in Chicago. During the study, the research team looked at the sun protection labels of 65 different sunscreens being sold on Amazon. The selected sunscreens were among the top 1 percent of products preferred by people and sold by the e-commerce website. The team found that almost 40 percent of the selected products were devoid of minimum resistance to water and sweat, as compared to the recommended levels set by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The research team also observed a great difference in the price range of the products. For example, for some of the products, the cost was 3000 percent more than the product with similar sun protection benefits. According to the study, author Dr. Steve Xu, the study results are surprising indeed. However, it also shows that the definition of sunscreen had broadened over a period of time. People no longer opt for pure sunscreen-specific products but are attracted to less-protective moisturisers that act as a substitute. This is the primary reason why there are a number of products that do not meet the recommended AAD guidelines when it comes to sweat- and water-resistance capabilities. According to researchers, making sure that the skin product is sweat- and water-resistance is important when people are exposed to water or conditions that lead to high perspiration. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have banned the use of the terms "waterproof" or "sweat proof" on sunscreen labels. However, the AAD recommends that people should look for sunscreens that state that it is "water-resistant." @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a shocking study, a very strange phenomena came to light. Men who drink too much cola may be causing adverse effects on their penis. Scientists reveal that someone who drinks one liter of fizzy beverages in a day could lose his sperm count by almost 30%, causing erectile dysfunction. Men who had self-proclaimed addiction to coca cola, Pepsi and the likes, their sperms were found to be far less effective than the ones who prevented drinking these beverages, revealed researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital. For the purpose of the study, 2,556 men were observed and it was found that the sperm count in cola drinkers was 35 million per milliliter, as compared to 56 million per milliliter in someone who didn't indulge in cola drinking much. Even though 35 million sperm count is considered normal, it still puts men at a greater risk of impotency. The study also discovered that caffeine levels in cola and other drinks had no direct link. Hence, it is safe to say that the low sperm count in men could be attributed to another ingredient. There was also a link established between men who drank a lot of cola or other fizzy drinks and the ones suffering from erectile dysfunction. Scientists at Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Professor Franciszek Lukaszczyk Memorial Hospital in Bydgoszcz in Poland, found the link between the two. Scientists explained that getting an erection relies on several factors, that includes physical and psychological elements. However, certain ingredients in fizzy beverages may lead to erection problems. The sweetener present in drinks can harm the arteries in penis, causing disruption in flow of blood through the muscle. Scientists said that enjoying a can of cola every once in a while will not have such devastating effects. However, drinking too much cola is bad, not just for your manhood but also your overall health. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Before he became an internet sensation, Irvin Randle was just a well-dressed elementary school teacher in Houston. The 54-year-old often posted selfies on his Facebook page of his slim-fit, trendy looks and garnered likes from friends who admired his style. Then in late June, some of his photos were shared on a fashion blog. He doesn't even remember its name. The images were quickly snatched up by other blogs and websites, and somewhere along the way Randle was dubbed #MrStealYourGrandma for his style, good looks and swagger. Within 24 hours, Randle had gone viral. The Houston Chronicle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Essence, the Daily Mail, Huffington Post and hundreds of other news outlets around the world posted his photos. He had more than 800 messages on his cellphone and more than 600 Facebook friend requests. His Instagram followers grew from 300 to 132,000. Randle says he found out about his viral fame from his daughter, Jessica Randle, 24, who lives in Los Angeles with her 6-month-old son. She called to say he was "trending on Twitter," then had to explain to her dad what "trending" meant. (Randle also has a son, Marcus, 27, who lives in Seattle and has a daughter, 4.) Other friends called, emailed and texted that he was about to "break the internet." "I was amazed at first," he says. "Now, I'm overwhelmed." At the recent Essence Festival in New Orleans, Randle was flanked by two bodyguards as hordes of women tried to take selfies with him and touch his salt-and-pepper beard. His "celebrity" status got him backstage, where he rubbed shoulders with singers Patti LaBelle and Maxwell, actress Kim Fields and Oprah Winfrey. Randle blushed when LaBelle turned to him and said: "You're the internet guy. Bless you." Though his comfort zone is in the classroom teaching third-graders at Dogan Elementary, Randle says he's enjoying the spotlight. He also appreciates being a style role model for mature men. "I've always dressed like this. I've just been wearing things a little tighter, that's all," he says. About five years ago, Randle started working out in the gym regularly because he didn't want to be the "old, out-of-shape guy." He especially wanted to be active for his two young grandchildren. "They motivate me and make me want to push harder," he says. "My hair may recede, but I'm going to keep my body together as much as I can. I want to live a good, long life, and taking care of myself is crucial." Randle, an only child, was born and raised in Houston's Third Ward and South Park communities. His mother, who now lives in Pearland, worked at the old Sakowitz department store, and his great-grandmother took him on shopping trips to Battlestein's department store downtown. Both stores closed in the mid-1980s, but the retail experiences helped Randle develop a keen sartorial eye. His dad was a sharp dresser, too. A graduate of Sterling High School, Randle attended Prairie View A&M University for three years until his father pulled him out of school for failing grades. Randle acknowledges he partied too much. He finished his undergraduate studies at Texas Southern University, then earned a master's degree in education from Prairie View A&M and is working on a second master's in curriculum and instruction there. Randle worked for an airline before turning to elementary education in 1996; his specialty is reading. He taught at Blackshear, Gregg, Cornelius and Peck elementary schools before joining Dogan in the Fifth Ward. "I love every moment of teaching, and I treat the children like they are my own, " he says. Peck Elementary principal Carlotta Brown says not only was Randle an excellent teacher but inspired students to dress better. "He was always very dapper and stylish, and the children took notice. His students were mannerable and cordial, and they always had their shirts tucked in." But Randle's trendy style was sometimes a little much for the classroom, Brown adds. She recalls a pair of knickerbocker pants Randle wore to work. The pants gathered just below the calf. "I just had to remind him the children are very impressionable," she says with a laugh. Randle has become a style guru for many of his followers. Fit, he says, is the most important thing - and having a good tailor, such as Angel Alterations on Cullen. He's a trendy shopper and frequents stores including Zara and H&M and the online site Asos.com. "I'll go buy a suit from K&G or Suitmart and take it to my tailor and have her trim it down to make it tight. Everyone thinks it's a designer suit." Now, as far as his social media moniker, MrStealYourGrandma, Randle says he'd much prefer a different one. "I don't know why they are calling me that. I much prefer the aunties than the grandmas. They are much sassier." Style hero: Billy Dee Williams Pairs of shoes: 100 Should toss but can't from your closet: 30-year-old plaid jacket Recent purchase: Adidas T-shirt and Topman sneakers Favorite vacation destination: New York Favorite food: Tacos Favorite dessert: Red velvet cake Favorite cocktail: Crown Royal Regal Apple Whisky Favorite movie: "The Butterfly Effect" (2004) Most hated household chore: Taking out the trash Celebrity you'd like to have dinner with: Mariah Carey Surprising thing about you: "I started wearing a beard because the razors I used were expensive. I was spending $50 a month on razors. As it grew out, I got more and more compliments." Theme song: "I Can Do That" by Montell Jordan They call Nestora Salgado "La Comandanta" "the commander." In 2012, in hometown in southern Mexico, she began leading a "community police" militia, fighting the area's crime, cartels and corruption. Now Salgado is touring the U.S. And on Monday, July 11, she visits Houston to ask Americans for support in her fight against "a continuous persecution and fabrications of charges against community leaders who are fighting for their rights." It's a topic she knows well. In August 2013, Salgado was detained and imprisoned by the government for more than two years on charges that she says were trumped up. Following an international outcry, the Guerrero state government dropped some charges and a judge dismissed others. In March, Salgado was released from maximum-security prison. Her U.S. tour is something of a homecoming: Salgado, a nationalized U.S. citizen, spent much of her adult life in Seattle, Washington. To hear Salgado What: "Each Political Prisoner Has a Name and Face," a speech by Nestora Salgado. Where: The University of Houston, Student Center South, Room 219. When: 12 p.m. Monday, July 11. For more information: See the Houston Peace and Justice Center's website. See More Collapse We spoke with her recently. Here's an excerpt, translated from Spanish and edited for clarity. How is it that you, an American citizen, became a leader of an indigenous community in Mexico? I came to the U.S. when I was very young and was married here. But I never stopped paying attention to what was happening in my community of origin. I supported my people. I used to send money for community projects, helped them find legal advice for their protection against land robbery, finding doctors willing to offer services for very low-income people. So I became more and more involved. I went back to Olinala for long periods, and people started seeing me as a leader in the community. What are your community's problems? We have lived a repressive situation in the state of Guerrero for a long time. Guerrero is a very rich state, and everybody wants to have a hand on it. We have the richest mines and fertile land, and we have attracted big corporations exploiting our communities but not investing in them. And then we have attracted drug producers, opium growers, narco-dealers, organized crime. And we have corrupt and crocked government officials profiting from both sides. But our indigenous communities have always defended themselves, because this is our land. In the middle of the exploitation, corruption and organized crime that we live in, Guerrero has been a state of resistance where the communities organized to defend their rights. Our people have fought against the impunity of the government for the rights of the indigenous population, and have resisted the theft of their lands. Why were you in prison? Olinala rose up in arms in 2012 because the people in the community was fed up with the rampant crime, robbery, beheadings, and the extortion (of workers and business owners) by the cartels. It was a social uprising of people taking matters into their hands to control the cartels because the government was doing nothing. (Editor's note: Media accounts confirm that people created militias during the uprising to fight against cartels and that the organized crime activity diminished substantially.) Did you organize that uprising? What I helped to organize was the creation of a community policing force, which is completely legal within the state. We have never been outside the law. When we started our community policing, we began to receive complaints from the region's population and realized what was happening: sexual violations of women and children, theft of cattle, killings, car theft, extortion, headless bodies... We had reports that the president of Olimala Municipality, Eusebio Gonzalez Rodriguez, and the trustee Armando Jimenez and other officials had links with the narcos. Our policing wasn't welcomed by some authorities. At some point, we got a person stealing meat, a businessman that sold the cheapest meat because it was stolen, but he had ties with Gonzalez and Governor Angel Aguirre Rivero. (Editor's note: Salgado has made the same allegations previously in public and to Mexican press.) Why were you imprisoned? Our community policing was uncomfortable for the municipal president because we knew what was going on in our community. He went then against me because I was the most visible person. I was accused of kidnapping four young women. I never kidnapped them. The girls were found at the house of a crime organization where the leaders fled when we went after them. The leaders escaped us. We put the girls in a re-education program with the authorization of their mothers. The mothers supported me. Then Gonzalez offered money (to the mothers). He provided a car to carry them around and to go to denounce me with fabricated charges. The state's attorney general has been making these allegations against me. But when people started learning about the existence of this pornographic videos with kids between 7 and nine years old, and you should see the tremendous pain they were causing those kids... these young women were carrying those videos in their cellphones, videos showing the kind of damage these criminal organizations were doing to our community. I have them. Mutilated people, beheadings. These people were not innocent. Have you ever shown them? Do you have the videos? We showed them to the municipal president Gonzalez, but he did nothing about it. I have the videos, but I don't want to show them to the public for the moment. They are cruel. I am also afraid for my family if I make them public. I have family living there still. You were taken to prison. Please tell us about that experience. I was taken to a federal maximum-security prison even though I was being accused by the state prosecutor for a non-federal alleged crime. I couldn't see a lawyer until after nine months of reclusion. They had me in absolute hopelessness, violating all my rights. When a state judge dismissed the charges, they kept me in prison anyway, and they charged me again. A federal judge also dismissed charges against me. A state judge dismissed the charges; then a federal judge dismissed more charges from Guerrero accusing me of murder. I proved them wrong myself when I was asked by the press and on live TV, I showed media reports showing me at a different place when the alleged murders occurred. It has been a nightmare all these false accusations. It was only thanks to the pressure of protests and the international community, and thanks to the support of the United Nations working group on arbitrary detention, that I was released. They didn't have anything to prove their fabricated charges. This battle is not finished, however. I am still fighting for my freedom because the Guerrero attorney general's office continues to charge me in appellate courts. Olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter: @oliviaptallet Mississippi possesses the blues mythology, with tales of murder and mystery, crossroads and pacts with the devil. And while nobody can say with any certainty that the blues sprang like the devil from a cloud of smoke along the Mississippi River, the state's music was so unquestionably vital and influential it didn't matter. Documentation of the blues in Texas lacks the breadth, depth and panache of its fellow Gulf Coast state. But it's an equally rich musical tradition that, at the least, ran concurrently to the famed music of Mississippi. Blind Lemon Jefferson, a Texas native, was recording as early as 1925, which predated recordings by Delta blues giants Charley Patton, who first recorded in 1929, and Robert Johnson (1936). The visage of Sam "Lightnin' " Hopkins - fedora, sunglasses and gold-toothed grin crimped around a cigarette - exists as the enduring image of Houston blues. But he was a flash point in the middle of the music's long history here, nearly 100 years of remarkable singers, writers, instrumentalists and stylists - some who came to the Bayou City, others who left it and those who built the infrastructure of one of the nation's premier blues hubs. The blues in Houston may have existed before their arrival, but the Thomas family settled here from Arkansas around 1900 and laid down a solid foundation. More Information Houston Blues Playlist "Baby Please Don't Go,"Lightnin' Hopkins "Bedroom Blues," Sippie Wallace "Last Kind Words," Geeshie Wiley "Hound Dog," Big Mama Thornton "Rock a While," Goree Carter "Leaving You Baby," Sweet Pea Addie Spivey "Black Snake Blues,"Victoria Spivey "Pack Fair and Square," Big Walter Price "Houston, the Action Town,"Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner "The Freeze," Albert Collins "Cry Cry Cry," Bobby Bland "Brown Skinned Woman,"Clifton Chenier "Dirty Work at the Crossroads,"Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown "Jack o' Diamonds,"Mance Lipscomb See More Collapse George Thomas was a piano-playing teen when he fell under the spell of the barrelhouse piano style prevalent in Texas. He was surrounded by musical family members: his daughter Hociel, a classic blues singer; his brother Hersel, a pianist and composer; and his sister Beulah, who'd become famous as Sippie Wallace, a blues singer of inestimable influence. All but George were born in Houston, and all split to pursue careers elsewhere, to places like New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago and New York, where there were fledgling recording industries in place. Each made recordings in the early- and mid-1920s. Wallace lived long enough to enjoy rediscovery during the '60s folk revival, and later cited as a key influence by Bonnie Raitt. Another family, the Spivey family, enjoyed success outside its Houston home. Most notable was Victoria Spivey, who was recording at least as early as 1926. Her "Black Snake Blues" became a much-circulated blues standard, and Spivey enjoyed renown as an entertainer for decades, even starting her own record label - a young Bob Dylan played harmonica on one of her recordings. Sister Addie "Sweet Peas" Spivey made recordings dating back to 1929. The blues classic "Last Kind Words" was recorded in Wisconsin in 1930 and released on Paramount Records by a Houston resident, Geeshie Wiley. These players were contemporaries of Jefferson, Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter, Henry Thomas (an almost indescribable blues stylist notable for playing a set of pipes made of reeds) and Alger "Texas" Alexander, a distinctive songster who took Hopkins out on the road to accompany him on guitar. So while Hopkins was playing in the 1920s, he didn't get around to recording his own songs until November 1946. In Los Angeles. These are storied names, many buried elsewhere because they made their names elsewhere. But Houston saw the rise of its own recording and distribution infrastructure, at which point the blues finally took on a particularly local identity. About two years after his first recordings, Hopkins made some recordings in Houston for Bill Quinn's Gold Star label. At that point Hopkins became a fixture in Houston, particularly along Dowling Street and in the city's juke joints. He'd become a central figure in the '60s folk revival, which also drew newfound and wider attention for players in this region like zydeco king Clifton Chenier and Navasota songster Mance Lipscomb. In 1949, Don Robey launched the Peacock record label, which changed things for blues in the city. He recorded Houstonians and outsiders like Ruth Brown and Little Richard. A golden era for the music began. Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton moved to Houston in the late-'40s and scored a hit in 1953 with "Hound Dog." Robey, in 1952, acquired the storied Duke label in Memphis, Tenn., and ran Duke-Peacock along with his Bronze Peacock club on Erastus. Orange native Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was working in San Antonio, when Robey drew him to Houston to work and record for the label. Guitar greats distinguished themselves here, like Wayne Bennett, an Oklahoma native who worked with Bobby "Blue" Bland, the famed blues singer who made some of his best recordings for Robey's labels, with further local accompaniment by pianist Teddy Reynolds. Clarence Holliman was another remarkable picker, who played sessions for Duke and Peacock, as well as touring with "Gatemouth" Brown and Thornton. Producer and arranger Joe Scott and songwriter Joe Medwick were crucial contributors to the Duke/Peacock sound. As the styles evolved, Houston native Goree Carter may have invented rock 'n' roll with his 1949 single "Rock Awhile." He recorded the song when Elvis Presley was 14, and with a guitar approach that Chuck Berry would later use to acclaim. Sorting through Houston's blues history, the players are so deep, so acclaimed, the temptation becomes to just list names: More guitar greats like Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and Joe "Guitar" Hughes. Recent times, though, have been tough on the scene as many of the players from past era have been lost over the past decade, including Pete Mayes, Little Joe Washington and Earl Gilliam. A few players, like Milton Hopkins and Roy Gaines, remain conduits to another time and place. Pinning down a single figure as the essence of the blues from this eclectic city will always be a thankless task, akin to figuring out the origin of the blues itself. The best guiding principle might rest in the opening line of what may be Jefferson's first recording, "Got the Blues": "Well, the blues come to Texas loping like a mule." Plenty of blues from these parts burn with fire under their feet, be it the crackle and pop of guitarists or some big brassy accompaniment. But that longer lope defines the blues of Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner, a criminally underappreciated poet, singer and guitarist whose late-'60s recordings capture the trials of a poor Houston black man in tumultuous times. That lope is also evident in Hopkins' syrupy drawl. "Man, I was born March the 15th, you know, the year 19-hundred-and-12," he sang in "Goin' Back and Talk to Mama." "Yes, you know ever since that day, poor Lightnin' hasn't been doing so well." DALLAS - Dallas Police officers are angry and hurting, but they will resist blaming protesters for the acts of a lone shooter who killed five police officers and injured seven others, Ron Pinkston, president of the Dallas Police Association said. Thursday night's shooting during a peaceful march in downtown Dallas to recognize the deaths of young black men at the hands of police earlier in the week in Louisiana and Minnesota, set off reactions, ranging from a yearning for unity and frustration with the Black Lives Matter movement. Blame should fall on the "cowardly" shooter, not the protesters "who had a peaceful march until at that point and it turned violent," said Pinkston, after visiting several of the families of the slain officers Friday. "All those people weren't out there shooting police. It was a few. And we can't label those people like those few. And we won't do that." Police identified the shooter as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25. During an hours-long negotiation with police before police killed him with a robot-detonated bomb, Johnson said he wanted to kill white people, particularly white police officers. Pinkston said people need to take a step back and begin supporting law enforcement again, but said officers will not let the act of one man deter their mission in the Dallas Police Department. "We're going to continue to go out and serve all the citizens of the city of Dallas. We're not going to let this hatred dictate any of that," he said. Following the shootings, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took a different perspective on Friday. He blamed Black Lives Matter for the shooting, saying the movement's "hatred towards police" led to the shootings. "All those protesters last night, they ran the other way expecting the men and women in blue to turn around and protect them," he said in an interview. "What hypocrites!" After five police officers were fatally shot by a sniper during a nonviolent protest in Dallas late Thursday, some Black Lives Matter supporters braced for a backlash that could set back their efforts to expose and end police brutality. Authorities said Friday that 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, who had served as an enlisted soldier during a tour of duty in Afghanistan and was in the Army Reserve for six years, was the sole gunman whose blasts hit 11 police officers, killing five. The Dallas-area man's ambush was the deadliest attack on law enforcement officers since Sept. 11, 2001. Police killed Johnson by remotely detonating a bomb in a downtown Dallas parking garage where he was cornered after negotiations failed. Authorities said Johnson had said he was upset about recent police shootings and that he "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Organizers of the protest have condemned the killing of the police officers and stressed that their movement is non-violent. Still, some worried that the shooting rampage could have a negative impact on Black Lives Matter at a time when it was trying to focus the public's attention on officer-related shooting deaths of black men in Baton Rouge, La., and St. Paul, Minn. "I think it's going to make it tougher. I think it's going to raise tensions a little bit," said Jerry Ford Jr., an activist who became involved in the movement a few years ago as a Texas Southern University student. "The people who were already against it are going to be a little louder, a little more upset, a bit more polarized." Response to police shootings More Information Key events of the Black Lives Matter movement Feb. 26, 2012: Trayvon Martin, 17, is fatally shot by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla. The hashtag "#BlackLivesMatter" is born on Facebook shortly afterward. In July, 2013, a Florida jury finds Zimmerman not guilty of murder or manslaughter. July 17, 2014: Eric Garner, 43, dies when an officer uses a chokehold while arresting him for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes. The medical examiner rules the death a homicide, but a Staten Island grand jury decides there is not enough evidence to charge the officer. Aug. 9, 2014: Michael Brown, 18, is shot by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer after a confrontation over moving onto the sidewalk and stolen cigarillos. Three months later, a St. Louis County grand jury declines to indict the officer who shot Brown. Nov. 22, 2014: Tamir Rice, 12, is shot by an officer at a Cleveland, Ohio park after a 911 caller reports someone waving a gun, which turns out to be a toy. Rice dies the next day. Thirteen months later, a grand jury declines to indict the officer. April 4, 2015: Walter Scott, an unarmed 50-year-old black man, is shocked with a stun gun and shot in a parking lot in North Charleston, S.C. A police officer shoots Scott in the back as he flees a traffic stop and struggle. April 19, 2015: Freddie Gray, 25, dies after Baltimore city police arrest him following a foot chase and put him into a police van. He dies a week after the van ride of a severe neck injury. Six officers are indicted; the two tried so far have been acquitted. July 13, 2015: Sandra Bland, 28, is pulled over for a traffic violation in Waller County and jailed after she refuses an order to put out a cigarette, leading to a heated exchange with a state trooper. Days later, she is found hanged in her jail cell in a case that is ruled a suicide. Trooper Brian Encinia is fired in March and faces criminal perjury charges over his justification for arresting Bland. Encinia maintains his innocence. July 19, 2015: Samuel DuBose, 43, is shot in Mt. Auburn, Ohio. A University of Cincinnati police officer struggles with DuBose after stopping him for a missing license plate. DuBose tries to drive away, and the officer shoots him in the head. July 5, 2016: Alton Sterling, 37, is shocked with a stun gun and shot in a parking lot in Baton Rouge, La. Police officers are responding to reports of an armed man at a convenience store. Video recorded by a bystander shows that Sterling was on the ground when he was shot. Witnesses give conflicting accounts about whether he was holding a gun. July 6, 2016: Philando Castile, 32, is shot in St. Paul, Minn., by a St. Anthony police officer after a traffic stop. Castile tells the officer he has a weapon in the car, according to his fiancee. She says he was reaching for his wallet when the officer fatally shot him. Sources: The Washington Post database and other Chronicle wire services (Compiled by Andrew Kragie) See More Collapse Ashton P. Woods, an advocate with Black Lives Matter Houston, said that the Dallas shooting spree will not deal a setback to the movement. "The Black Lives Matter movement is not responsible for a lone wolf," he said, referring to the sniper. Woods wondered if the one-time serviceman suffered a mental break. "Black Lives Matter is peaceful," he said. "We don't condone bloodshed. We will keep dismantling the systems of oppression and racism. We will keep doing the work we've always done. We can't live in fear of judgment of what we're trying to do." The movement grew out of the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter following the Feb. 26, 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old who was walking in a residential community in Sanford, Fla., when he encountered George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain. Martin was fatally shot during an altercation with Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of murder in Martin's shooting death. The effort quickly migrated from the digital space to the streets and organizational structures in local communities. Questions surrounding police shootings of black men grew this week. Early Tuesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot and killed by a white police officer in a parking lot in Baton Rouge, La. Officers were responding to reports of an armed man at a convenience store. Video recorded by a bystander shows that Sterling was on the ground when he was shot. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts about whether he was holding a gun. On Wednesday night, 32-year-old school cafeteria manager Philando Castile was shot in suburban St. Paul, Minn., by a police officer after a traffic stop. Castile's fiancee - who filmed the immediate aftermath of the shooting - said he told the officer he had a concealed permit to carry and that he had a weapon. He was reaching for his license and registration, as requested by the officer, when the shots were fired, she reported. The video, which was widely reported by news organizations, and has been viewed by millions. 'Horrible' or 'admirable'? Then came Thursday night's massacre. Vivian King, a Houston criminal defense lawyer who is involved with the city's NAACP branch, said she is "saddened and heartbroken" about the recent shootings. She believes there need to be special efforts by political leaders and authorities to "validate" African American men and their experiences in America, to prove that black lives matter. Before the Dallas massacre, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, said Thursday that police wouldn't have shot and killed Castile if he had been white. The head of a national police group later said Dayton "exploited what was already a horrible and tragic situation." However, King is interested in more such expressions from state executives. "I think what the governor did in Minnesota was admirable, but let's hear the governor of Texas say that. Let's hear the governor of Louisiana say that," she said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, noted that "every life matters" in an open letter in response to the Dallas shootings and called for healing. In contrast, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blamed Black Lives Matter for the police executions, saying that the movement's "hatred for police" created such situations. He called movement supporters "hypocrites" for criticizing the same law enforcement officers who protect protesters. Tammie Lang Campbell, the founder and executive director of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, said anyone who would use the Dallas shootings of police to diminish Black Lives Matter is searching for an easy scapegoat. "Here's the deal: As we know, this is I think an unprecedented response of a black person who was emotionally distraught. Out of desperation, that person tried to make black lives be seen in a way that people are standing up for themselves, but was fighting back in the wrong way," said Campbell, whose Fort Bend County-based nonprofit focuses on diversity, civil rights, parenting and children's needs. "This is an unexpected, non-pattern type of response and it's only one black person. I don't think this could hurt black people or Black Lives Matter." 'Getting us nowhere' Charles X. White, a former gang interventionist and police sensitivity trainer who hosts community discussion breakfasts in Houston, called for a serious focus in local jurisdictions on repairing the relationships between law enforcement and communities of color. He believes the Louisiana and Minnesota shootings stem in some ways from unaddressed issues, such as high unemployment that causes unrest. "In a lot of communities that are called underserved and vulnerable, there's a different attitude from government and law enforcement about service delivery and customer service - it's lacking or missing." The Dallas shootings came barely 24 hours after nearly 200 people had gathered at Discovery Green to protest police killings of blacks and discuss how to respond. On Friday the organizer of that rally, Chantz Alexander Smith, called the Dallas attack "disappointing and very sad." "People have to understand that their emotions is not the focus," said Smith, a rap artist from the north side who said he does not affiliate with the Black Lives Matter movement. "Now I feel people are understanding that it's really getting us nowhere making decisions based on emotions." He said a rally planned for July 8 at Discovery Place would be held as planned. Andrew Kragie contributed to this report. Mayor Sylvester Turner has endorsed state Rep. Borris Miles to succeed Rodney Ellis in Houston's Senate District 13, lauding the outspoken legislator as an "energetic warrior for the people." Turner's endorsement - dated July 1 but distributed by Miles Thursday - comes in the middle of an unusual three-week race to take Ellis' place as the Democratic Party's nominee in the urban district of more than 800,000. Local Democrats selected Ellis two weeks ago to replace the late Precinct 1 Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee on the November ballot, forcing the 26-year state senator to bow out of his legislative race. State rules dictate that the party's replacement nominee now must be chosen by Senate District 13's 95 Democratic precinct chairs, 78 from Harris County and 17 from Fort Bend County, according to the state party. Ellis was unopposed, meaning the candidate selected on July 16 is all but guaranteed to take office in January. The three major contenders are Miles, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and former City Controller Ron Green. Turner, a former state representative, cited Miles' experience and commitment to Democratic priorities. "From giving misguided kids a second chance at a better life, to doubling fines for outsiders who dump their trash in our neighborhoods, to increasing access to health care and expanding educational opportunities for all of us - Borris gets the job done," Turner said in an endorsement letter. Thompson, who first was elected in 1972, has picked up a slew of endorsements from area Democratic congress members and state legislators. They include U.S. Reps. Al Green and Gene Green, as well as state Reps. Alma Allen, Garnet Coleman, Harold Dutton, Jessica Farrar, Ana Hernandez, Ron Reynolds, Hubert Vo, Armando Walle and Gene Wu. Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage and the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation also have endorsed Thompson, among others. "Over her 22 terms of public service, Senfronia Thompson has been an energetic and consistent advocate of initiatives to help better the lives of working families," Texas AFL-CIO president John Patrick said in a statement. "Her knowledge of how state government works is what sets her apart from the other candidates." Miles also touted Dutton's support, in addition to that of former Mayor Annise Parker, state Sen. John Whitmire and state Rep. Jarvis Johnson, among others. Dutton could not immediately be reached for comment to clarify which candidate he has in fact backed. Asked if he has received any endorsements, Green said he is focused on earning precinct chairs' support. Senate District 13 stretches from northeast Fort Bend County to Houston's northeast corner. A Houston man was convicted late Thursday of capital murder in the killing of a man over expensive Air Jordans shoes. Daron Taylor, who was 16 when he helped gun down 22-year-old Joshua Woods, was automatically sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Prosecutors could not seek the death penalty because he was a juvenile at the time of the crime. Jurors deliberated into the evening on Thursday after several days of testimony before visiting state District Judge Mike Wilkinson in a Harris County court. Prosecutors said Taylor, now 20, was among four people who followed Woods and a friend home from Willowbrook Mall on Dec. 21, 2012, after Woods had bought three pairs of Nike Air Jordans at $185 each. As Woods arrived home, they approached his car armed with guns and demanded the sneakers. Woods tried to drive away and was fatally shot. The four people then fled the scene, leaving the shoes behind, prosecutors said. On Wednesday, Taylor's mother, Deborah Ann Perry, said her son had turned down a plea bargain of 55 years, which would have meant parole eligibility after 27 years. Taylor maintained that Neal Bland, 21, was the shooter who killed Woods. Prosecutors said Taylor fired bullets into the vehicle but that gunshots fired by Bland caused Woods' death. Bland was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in February for his role in the shooting. Anthony Quinn Wade, 23, and Kegan Arrington, 22, remain in the Harris County jail awaiting trial. Both are on the docket for next week to determine when they will go to trial. The death led Woods' mother, Dazie Williams, to launch an effort called Life Over Fashion to pressure Nike into changing the way it does business. She wants the multimillion-dollar corporation to either provide enough shoes to meet the demand or sell them online only. She has said the massive lines of people waiting for each new release of the shoes' popularity also attract predators. Williams had a message for Taylor in her victim impact statement after his conviction on Thursday. "I hope you can find in your heart to love someone else and prevent them from going down this road," she said. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. 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IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. My roommate received this email from a Microsoft recruiter today. pic.twitter.com/90Qwr78eGO Patrick Burtchaell (@pburtchaell) July 6, 2016 The memo was sent to prospects from the San Francisco Bay area, asking them to come meet with company big-wigs for Internapalooza an massive networking event between the next generation and companies like Snapchat and Uber. Advertisement The email invited the youngins to come "get lit on a Monday night" with "hella noms, lots of dranks" and "Yammer beer pong tables." ... *Pause for effect* Advertisement gg @microsoft, you really synergized the bae paradigms the millennial market segment seems to be trending towards https://t.co/awkiHNlvs5 LizardRumsfeld (@LizardRumsfeld) July 6, 2016 Has anyone at microsoft ever *seen* a millennial. quinntro bajeena (@quinncarnation) July 6, 2016 A Microsoft spokesperson later told Gizmodo that "the email was poorly worded and not in keeping with our values as a company. We are looking into how this occurred and will take appropriate steps to address it." And with that, a moment for Microsoft in recognition of a valiant effort. Also on HuffPost Detention Slips Only A Millennial Could Get See Gallery Photo: Sanjin Avdicevic, - Sto Te Nema? monument,Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto, July 11, 2014 For most, the Srebrenica Genocide has become a footnote in history once again linking horrific crimes against fellow man that many thought could "Never Again" occur after the horrors of the Holocaust, particularly on the same continent, Europe. For me, it is still a responsibility to demand accountability from those who not only committed the crime but also who allowed it to happen, a shameful betrayal. However, for the families of the victims, the moment of loss persists more than two decades later. Bodies, or more accurately fragments are being recovered still today and awaiting identification and proper burial after being dispersed in multiple sites in efforts to conceal the crime. Mothers, wives and children still await the knock on the door thinking that perhaps a son, husband or father may actually walk back into their lives. A cup of Bosnian coffee brings back the senses to a happier time for families, villages and towns, but these cups will never be drunk. They remain full of memories, hot and very personal to each who continue to suffer this terrible loss and still awaiting closure. When I had the opportunity to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington soon after it had opened as Ambassador to the UN and then Foreign Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina, several exhibits moved my intellect and emotions but none more than the loads of empty shoes of those who were murdered. Extermination speaks of numbers, but murder translates into the loss of each individual life and the void left within the families and communities of those killed. A cup of coffee, waiting to be drunk and remaining full represents Srebrenica, indeed all of BiH, the lost moments and yearning for thousands - it is the empty shoes of the Holocaust. As the organizers of this monument write: Advertisement "Conceived as a participatory nomadic monument, "Sto Te Nema?" (Where Have You Been?) travels to a new location annually, enabling different communities to commemorate the Srebrenica Genocide collectively and in a public space on its anniversary. The monument consists of a growing collection of fildzani, small porcelain coffee cups, continuously collected and donated by Bosnian families from all over the world. The number of fildzani roughly corresponds to the growing number of body remains found, identified, and buried to date. Every July 11th, the public is invited to participate by placing the collected cups on the ground and filling them with Bosnian coffee prepared on site throughout the day. This year, the chosen host city is Boston, and the host organization of the project is New England Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: Carlos Serra, 10th version of Sto Te Nema? monument, Geneva 2015, comprised of more than 5,000 donated cups ***** First created by Aida Sehovic 11 years ago, I had the opportunity to witness the 2nd annual version of the "Sto Te Nema?" monument at the United Nations. Sehovic's history is also of loss, originally from Banja Luka, another BiH city ethnically cleansed over two decades earlier. Advertisement "Using the mechanism of social engagement, Sehovic's work seeks to reconcile histories of loss, trauma and violence that peoples and nations have suffered and perpetrated on each other. Since 2006, her participatory nomadic monument, "Sto Te Nema?" has been traveling to a new location annually, and was thus far set up in cooperation with different communities in Geneva, Istanbul, The Hague, Stockholm and Toronto, among others. Sehovic's group exhibitions include the Queens Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, Trinity Museum and the Flux Factory, among others." Photo: Carlos Serra/ Aida Sehovic with survivors of Srebrenica Genocide, Geneva, 10th version of Sto Te Nema? monument, Place de Saint Genvais, July 11, 2015 ***** We know that "never again" remains an elusive commitment, and thus "never forget" calls upon all of us to be active in countering intolerance, hate and the symptoms of an illness that would make identity a rationale for persecuting or murdering the other. Forgiveness is also possible, but too many of those who committed the crimes and their apologists remain unrepentant or even celebratory in rationalizing the extermination. Many of the victims/families are still subjected to continuing efforts to complete genocide and/or consolidate its consequences. Those who betrayed Srebrenica, and failed to protect the UN and NATO "safe area" from the murderers, seek to repel demands for a true inquiry or change to reverse the consequences of genocide. (See: "Smoking Gun on Betrayal & Genocide") For victims, their families to forgive, there needs to be a request for forgiveness. Thus, "never forget" is an active verb for most Bosnians and Herzegovinians. For those families and friends though that have suffered the loss of a loved one, this monument reminds of what was lost and what could have been of the lives and life. ***** Invitation from Edina Skaljic Photo: Carlos Rigau/ Passersby pouring coffee for those killed, Sto Te Nema? monument, Washington Square Park, NYC, July 11, 2013 Advertisement "Sto Te Nema?", (#StoTeNema#Srebrenica) besides being an exceptionally meaningful tribute to those who are no longer with us, is also unique in its collaborative nature. This year, the volunteers and contributors list includes a very diverse group of individuals of all background, who collectively take a strong stand against genocide, as a crime against entire humanity that affects us all, directly and indirectly. To add an even more special meaning to the construction of the monument, a Boston staple, the Trinity Church, has graciously agreed to grant "Sto Te Nema?" water access- a crucial necessity to adequately execute the logistics of the project. The Bosnian American community in the area sees this as a beautiful sign of positive interfaith relations, and a show of true Bostonian spirit. If you happen to be in Boston, pass by Copley Square, take in the smell of freshly made Bosnian coffee and contemplate the role and responsibility that each one of us has in making sure that "Never again" is not only an overused empty phrase but rather a reality for people all around the world because as we speak, the "Never again" unfortunately has turned to "Once again" in many places around the globe. (See: Sto Te Nema? Press Release for July 11, 2016 Monument details) Image: A Ukrainian postal stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Stepan Bandera's birth. Public Domain Symbols were important during the Soviet era. The hammer and cycle was the premier example. Then there were the statues of Marx, Lenin and Stalin, and the names of notable Soviets on streets across the empire. But a lot of the countries that fell under the Russian yoke -- because, in truth, the Soviet empire was just another manifestation of the Russian empire -- deeply resented the Soviet symbols. In their minds, they were reminders not of solidarity across the empire but of the repression that Russia imposed on them. Advertisement Since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, most of those countries have been casting off Soviet symbols by toppling statues of Communist ideologues and dictators and renaming hundreds of their streets. And some have created symbols of their own to counter Soviet myth. These efforts have precipitated snarling in Moscow. It sees the perpetrators as ingrates who refuse to appreciate the stability of life under the Soviet system. Recently, some countries have upped the ante in the symbols war by honoring nationalists whom the Russians despise -- because those men fought against the Red Army in World War II. Ukraine set off howls in Moscow this month when it renamed Moscow Avenue in its capital of Kiev for a nationalist who fought with the Nazis to try to rid Ukraine of its Soviet occupiers. Advertisement Stepan Bandera's initial effort to free his homeland was fighting a guerrilla war against Poland before World War II. At the time, Poland owned much of what is today's western Ukraine. When the Germans invaded Poland and then attacked the Soviet Union, Bandera fought with the Nazis against the Red Army. He believed Germany would grant Ukraine independence -- or at least considerable autonomy -- after the war. Russia, which assassinated Bandera in Munich in 1959, has always considered him a traitor. So the Kremlin considered Ukraine's decision to rename a major Kiev thoroughfare for Bandera a provocation. Given the hostility between Ukraine and Russia over Russia's invasion of Crimea and support for eastern Ukrainian separatists, Kiev is always looking for a way to get under Moscow's skin -- and lionizing Bandera does the trick. So it was no surprise when Ukraine renamed the street for him. Many in the former Soviet Union were surprised, however, when Armenia erected a statue in the capital of Yerevan to a nationalist whom Moscow also considers a traitor. Advertisement Armenia usually tiptoes quietly around the Russians because Moscow has an economic and military stranglehold on it, supplying most of Armenia's gas, owning its biggest electricity company, and having two military bases in Armenia. So the Kremlin was shocked -- and angered -- when Armenia unveiled a statue in Yerevan this month to Garegin Nzhdeh. Although Nzhdeh fought in an Armenian volunteer unit in Russia's campaign against Ottoman Turkey in World War I, the Russians dislike him on two counts. First, he mounted a losing military campaign against the Bolshevik takeover of Armenia in 1920 and 1921 before fleeing to Persia. Second, In 1942 he formed an Armenian Legion, made up of former Armenian war and political prisoners, to fight with the Germans, although the legion ended up seeing little action. Nzhdeh said the main reason for creating the unit was to guard against a Turkish invasion of Armenia in the event the Nazis won the war. The Soviets countered that the legion's formation was actually aimed at liberating Armenia from Soviet rule. Advertisement They threw him in prison in 1948, four years after he turned himself over to the Red Army in Bulgaria. He died in prison in 1955. Armenians see him as a hero because he fought against the Turks and the Bolsheviks. The Russians see him as a traitor for working with the Nazis. Russia's response to the Nzhdeh statue going up was curt. "We cannot understand why that statue was put up," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Moscow opposes "any revival, glorification or other manifestations of Nazism, neo-Nazism and extremism," she asserted. Russia has also howled about Ukraine, the Baltics, Uzbekistan and other countries toppling statues of Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and Josef Stalin's homeland of Georgia removing statues to him. The problem stems from the fact that Russia sees the statues as reminders of a glorious past, while the countries whom the Soviets subjugated sees them as reminders of repression. Advertisement Even Kazakhstan, which has been a close partner of Russia -- likely out of fear more than anything else -- provoked Russian anger when it erected a memorial in its capital of Astana in 2012. The monument honored the 1.5 million Kazakhs who died when Stalin forced collectivization on the rural population during the drought of the 1920s and 1930s. Russia's anger over the monument was rooted in its contention that it suggested that Stalin deliberately used famine to kill Kazakhs. To try to minimize Russian anger, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev dedicated the memorial with little fanfare. Ukraine erected a memorial to the 2.5 million victims of Stalin's forced collectivization of Ukrainian farms last year. It wasn't just the memorial that irked the Russians -- it was also Ukraine's depiction of Stalin's collectivization of farms during a drought as genocide. Russia's reaction to the street renamings, the toppling of Communist-system statues and the memorials to Soviet victims has long been to snarl about the ingratitude of those behind the changes. Advertisement It has never admitted that the repression it oversaw during Soviet times is what has ushered in the changes. That acknowledgement is long overdue. Police officer in bulletproof vest outdoors, back view The horrendous revenge murder of five Dallas police officers by a deranged anti-white, anti- police militant armed with an SKS rifle, at an otherwise peaceful protest, yesterday is the latest, in a long line of police deaths at the hands of extremists. The lone killer, Micah Johnson, liked various militant groups including the New Black Panther Party, a black separatist organization on Facebook. Dallas Police Chief David Brown stated, "The suspect said he was upset at white people [and] stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." The Dallas attack comes during a week of outrage across the nation following the release on social media of highly disturbing video showing the killings of two African-American men after being stopped by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. Advertisement For well over a century, one half of police officers have been in the crosshairs not only of criminals, but of extremists across the ideological spectrum as well. The Dallas attack is the single worst loss of life for American law enforcement since 9/11. Other officers have also been targeted for attacks since the Dallas massacre in Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri. Over the last decade, officers have been killed or injured in traffic stops and enforcement activities involving anti-government or white supremacist extremists. In the 1960s through the 1980s left-wing, Black liberation and Puerto Rican independence extremists among others injured or killed law enforcement. Let's hope that all Americans will embrace the exhortation of Dr. King during this painful time for both our African-American friends and those in law enforcement as well. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that Representative Sampling of Mass Violence Directed At Police By Extremists Over The Last 150 Years 9/11/2001 72 NY Law enforcement officers were killed responding to al Qaeda 9/11 terror attacks, with more succumbing to illnesses from working at the attack scene. 11/24/1917 11 police officers killed after bomb left at church by suspected anarchists explodes at Milwaukee Central Police Station 4/19/1995 8 Federal agents are among the 168 killed during the bombing of Oklahoma City 's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building by anti-government extremist Timothy McVeigh. 5/4/1886 8 Officers killed at Haymarket Square labor rally bombing and gunfight along with at least 4 civilians 10/30/1950 8 Puerto Rico police officers are murdered in coordinated attacks by the independence oriented Nationalist Party Advertisement 7/7/2016 5 Dallas Police officers (including a transit officer) are murdered by a deranged anti-white extremist 12/31/1972-1/7/1973 A Black Panther Sniper kills 5 New Orleans area police officers. 4/4/2009 White supremacist Richard Poplawski kills 3 Pitsburgh police officers and wounds another who were responding to a domestic dispute. Sources: Officer Down Memorial Page; Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism TORONTO, ON- JULY 27 - Pascale Diverlus yells into microphones during a Black Lives Matter protest that marched from Gilbert Avenue to Allen Road on Eglinton Avenue. The protest shut down the southbound Allen Road for around 30 minutes, causing traffic to reverse and exit through Lawrence Avenue. (Melissa Renwick/Toronto Star via Getty Images) From 1961 until April 4th, 1968 I served as a political advisor, personal lawyer, and draft speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Next month, August 28th, will be the 53rd Anniversary of the March On Washington For Jobs and Freedom. The "March" occurred four months after peaceful protesters against racial segregation in Birmingham,AL, including hundreds of school children,were viciously attacked by police dogs and high pressure firehoses. Advertisement Pictures of the Birmingham,AL police treatment of these peaceful demonstrators appeared on the front pages of newspaper and on evening and morning TV networks across America. During the next four months 1300 demonstrations against racial segregation and police brutality occurred in more than 400 cities in 40 States across the nation. It was against this background, on June 21st, 1963, that the then major civil rights organizations announced their plans to convene a "MARCH ON WASHINGTON" on August 28th of that year. On that date more than approximately 275,000 people, 25% of whom were white, assembled in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. It was there on Wednesday afternoon August 28th, 1963 that Dr.King delivered his now famous "I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH" His speech was a public appeal to the conscience and decency of most white people in the United States to end racial segregation and police attacks against peaceful demonstrators opposing continued segregation and racism across our nation. Advertisement The March on Washington was the appeal of African-Americans,with the support of many white people, to stop the police from brutalizing our children and other instances of killing Black men as the first option in any confrontation with them. SO IT IS TODAY. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL US WE ARE "ANTI-POLICE" OR ENCOURAGING ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS. NO, NO, WE ARE SIMPLY SAYING TODAY, 53 YEARS AFTER DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH TO STOP KILLING BLACK MEN. FOR ADULTS OF MY GENERATION, A PLEA TO STOP KILLING OUR SONS. 123 BLACK MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED BY POLICE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS OR LESS. YES, WE UNASHAMEDLY SAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO SAY "BLACK LIVES MATTER"! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I have repeatedly tweeted and written that : UNLESS OUR NATION RESPONDS IMMEDIATELY TO SUPPORT OUR DEMAND TO END THE KILLING S BY POLICE OF BLACK MEN WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY AND SILENTLY INTO THE NIGHT. WE WILL BY ANY MEANS, PEACEFULLY AND NON-VIOLENTLY NECESSARY, WITH AS MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL JOIN US AND SUPPORT US TO PEACEFULLY CLOSE THIS NATION DOWN. AMERICA HAS A CHOICE: END RACIST POLICE KILLING OF BLACK MEN OR THERE WILL BE NO PEACE AND TRANQUILITY. Advertisement YES WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING "SICK AND TIRED"! Are we anti-Police? No; we are simply anti-racist based police shooting of Black men. Do we respect the police? Yes, we do, when they apply their law enforcement powers equally and the same to white people as they do to Black men. In the context of the legacy of the institution of slavery, racial segregation, white supremacy, and historic incidents like Birmingham, AL in April and May of 1963, the police killing of 129 Black men recited above,UNDER CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, police in America, must earn our respect. Therefore, this AUGUST 28th, 2016, with the support of current communication technology, people of good will in every city and town across our nation should gather locally in their community in commemoration of THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM AND DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" AND PEACEFULLY SHOUT IN UNISON: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! STOP RACIST BASED POLICE KILLING OF BLACK PEOPLE! Blue light flasher atop of a police car. City lights on the background. I'm really starting to take a hard look at the media...not just networks and cable, but especially pundits...some of whom I like to call the "Yeah, but" crowd. They're the people who see a story about a tragedy, but then pull out, "Yeah, but..." to justify the actions. And this is not limited to one side or the other. Guilt is all around. I just read a story about the man who was shot during the traffic stop, who later died. The writer then pulls out, "Yeah but he had a petty criminal record, he looked like an armed robbery suspect from two days prior, and his concealed-carry may not have been a full concealed-carry." Advertisement Really? Wow...I didn't know that. Now there is complete justification for him to have been shot four times! Do you see how insidious this is? And mark my words...I guarantee you that a lot of people will read that and will think, "Well, I guess there was justification." This is no longer about justification. This is about looking out for each other, and making our best efforts to change and grow and survive together. And no, I'm not talking about an "Everything Is Beautiful" sea change, because people are people, and you can't make someone like someone else just because it's the right thing to do. What I am talking about is the basic right, or at minimum expectation, that I'm going to get to go home tonight...whether I'm black, or wear blue, or have love for someone of the same sex, or walk to my car after a Cardinals game. Advertisement Something has to change this "We vs. Them" mentality that is so prevalent right now. This is a time where we have to figure out where we go from here...together. Things are so broken, and trying to justify the fractures is just causing more... freaking... fractures. If you're a parent and your kid jumps off a moving swing and breaks his arm, does it really make things better to say, at that moment, "Serves you right..."? Hell no. You bring that kid to the urgent care and hope he's not stupid enough to do that again. And if you have taught your child at all, he'll remember the pain and will likely try to avoid it again. Of course if he does it a second time...all bets are off. (kidding) So for the "Yeah, but" crowd who tries to justify a wrong, especially writers...be it an officer who freaks out and shoots a motorist, or the person who somehow justifies the massacre in Dallas by saying, "It's wrong, but at least now they know what it feels like to be targeted,"... LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 6: Former Prime Minister, Tony Blair arrives for a press conference at Admiralty House, where responding to the Chilcot report he said: 'I express more sorrow, regret and apology than you may ever know or can believe on July 6, 2016. in London, United Kingdom. The Iraq Inquiry Report into the UK government's involvement in the 2003 Iraq War under the leadership of Tony Blair was published today. The inquiry, which concluded in February 2011, was announced by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 and is published more than seven years later. Mr Blair said that the report contained 'serious criticisms' but showed that 'there were no lies, Parliament and the Cabinet were not misled, there was no secret commitment to war, intelligence was not falsified and the decision was made in good faith'. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images) The very long (and indeed very long awaited) report of the Chilcot Inquiry was finally published in London on July 6th. Set up in 2009, its much-delayed arrival allows us one last large-scale public examination of the key event that so profoundly destabilized the modern Middle East - namely the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. It enables us to ponder again the arrogance of the Bush Administration in Washington, and of Tony Blair's New Labour Government in London; and to ask - in relation to the latter - why did Blair do it? Why did Tony Blair join so enthusiastically in the neo-con inspired overthrow of Saddam Hussein? Sadly, the Chilcot Inquiry does not fully answer that particular question, though it gives us many of the elements that such an answer inevitably needs. The Inquiry's task was different: to report on what exactly happened in relation to Iraq between 2002 and 2009, and in what sequence, rather than to report on why that sequence occurred, or whether its outcome was in any sense a legal one. But from within the parameters set by its own restricted terms, the Chilcot Inquiry drew a string of scathing conclusions, in the process criticizing a previous British prime minister with a severity that is unprecedented in recent British politics. Sir John Chilcot might speak in the quiet and understated manner of the career civil servant that he was, but that did not stop him or his team from speaking truth to power in a quite remarkable fashion. Advertisement There are lessons in what he said, and in the memories he stirred, which are of great value not simply to a British audience, but to an American one as well. I The Chilcot Inquiry simply declined to accept Tony Blair's 2003 justifications for the invasion of Iraq; and by implication, declined to accept the justifications offered by the Bush Administration as well. Both Bush and Blair presented the invasion as essential and timely, and its immediate results as desirable and worthy of support. The Inquiry concluded, to the contrary, that the timing of the invasion was premature: "that Britain chose to join the US invasion before peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted." It suggested that the case for invasion presented to the House of Commons by Blair in September 2002 was an inadequate one - that the dossier used in September of that year to build the case for war did not support the Blair claim that Saddam Hussein had an expanding program of chemical and biological weapons. The clearest summary of the Report's lengthy findings, available from both the BBC and The Guardian in London, includes the following. Advertisement That there was no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein in March 2003; that a strategy of containment could have been adopted and continued for some time; and that the judgments about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction - WMDs - were presented to the House of Commons by Tony Blair "with a certainty that was not justified". That despite explicit warnings to the prime minister from his intelligence sources and others, the consequences of the invasion were underestimated; and the planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam were wholly inadequate. One result: that in spite of the heavy casualties involved both immediately and thereafter, the UK government failed to achieve its stated objectives. Whatever the invasion of Iraq was or was not, it was not a success story. According to The Guardian, "the report also demolished Blair's claim made when he gave evidence to the inquiry in 2010 that the difficulties encountered by British forces in post-invasion Iraq could not have been known in advance. 'We do not agree that hindsight is required,' Chilcot said. 'The risks of internal strife in Iraq, active Iranian pursuit of its interests, regional instability, and al-Qaida activity in Iraq, were each explicitly identified before the invasion'." II In making these judgment calls long after the events themselves, the Chilcot Inquiry reinforced what was well recognized at the time by the bulk of Blair's critics - namely that the UK's involvement in the Bush Administration's ill-judged and falsely-justified invasion of Iraq was very much Tony Blair's own decision - and a very poor one at that. And there were critics of that decision even before it was made - lots of them indeed. More than a million people marched through London to oppose the war before the invasion actually started; and in the weeks and months immediately following the military action, buyer's remorse built up quickly in the minds of many of those supporting the invasion as the reasons given in justification of invasion turned out to have been misplaced. Jeremy Corbyn, the current leader of the Labour Party in the UK, spoke for many of those critics in his response to the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry report, when he apologized for the invasion to the families of the troops killed/injured because of it, and to the many more Iraqi families whose lives have been forever changed by what Bush and Blair together decided to do. As the Chilcot Inquiry report serves to remind us, there were problems for Tony Blair from the outset about the timing of the invasion, about the adequacy of the reasons given to justify it, and about the credibility of a prime minister taking the UK to war on the basis of those inadequate justifications. These were problems, all of which were well and truly evident at the time. It was obvious to many people then, and the Inquiry team now, that the Blair rush to war was the product of a particular fusion of his world vision and temperament with a political system in which determined prime ministers can exercise excessive degrees of personal autonomy. And as was noted at the time, it was a fusion that created its own enormous problems. Blair claimed that the invasion of Iraq was a just war, his critics that it was just a war. Blair claimed that the invasion was vital to stop the use by Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction: his critics that, in the absence of those weapons, the invasion was a mistake heard around the world, one whose negative repercussions reverberate to this day. Blair claimed that the invasion could not be delayed - Hussain's weapons could get in the wrong hands, and anyway the troops were already deployed and must be used or stood down. Stand them down, his critics said: why rush to war when the UN inspectors are simply asking for more time, and when no successful vote for a second UN resolution is on the horizon? III Thanks to the Chilcot Inquiry, we now have a fuller record of how the decision to invade was arrived at, implemented and later justified. But what the Inquiry does not give us - because it was not its brief to do so - is a full and clear understanding of the underlying causes of the events it details. But we have known those causes too from very nearly the onset of the invasion itself. They were extensively discussed at the time in - among many other places - a study of Blair's War published in 2004; and because those causal drivers have not entirely gone away, they too are worth visiting here in at least summary form. It is worth beginning any explanation of the Blair decision to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Bush in 2003 - his decision to insist privately to him that "I will be with you, whatever," - with the recognition that Blair had first inserted himself as a key Bush supporter immediately after 9/11. Indeed, it is matter of record that leading figures in the Bush Administration did not initially welcome that insertion, or know precisely what to do with it. But they soon found out. They soon discovered just how good an advocate for their positions Tony Blair could be on the world stage - so much better indeed than Bush himself - which is why in consequence the UK prime minister then found himself traveling from world capital to world capital, building for Washington a coalition of the willing designed initially simply to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and to deny al Qaeda safe havens in Afghanistan. But once so mobilized as the Bush Administration's leading traveling salesman, Tony Blair found himself rather drawn to the job, and in any case was unable or unwilling to step back/aside when what was being sold in Washington DC subtly changed. From being an outside ally, Tony Blair found himself increasingly sucked into the role of an internal player, heavily invested in the debate inside the Bush Administration between those who wanted to use 9/11 to complete unfinished business from the first Gulf War and those who did not. "The fucking crazies have taken over the asylum," Colin Powell told Jack Straw, the UK's foreign secretary, in an unguarded moment in 2002; and Tony Blair was in there with Powell, trying to keep the crazies under some degree of UN control. This, from Blair's War: What seems to have happened to the New Labour Government as the events leading to the invasion of Iraq unfolded was that in part they became victims of their own prior statements. Having argued in Texas in April 2002 that there were certain regimes in the world that were too dangerous to be left in place, and that it was essential that the international community act to contain or remove them, by early 2003 Tony Blair had reached the moment he had long tried to postpone. He had reached the moment at which the dilemma written into the linkage he laid out in April could be avoided no longer - the moment, that is, when the condemned regimes were still in existence but the multilateral coalition to remove them was not. How then to jump? Had the status of the regime been changed by the absence of an international will to remove it? No, of course not. Was the regime too dangerous to leave in place? Blair was on record as saying so. So the case for unilateral action won, as it were, by default. Blair did not want to act without UN backing, but he couldn't get that backing; and he had argued himself into a corner in which inaction against the regimes being criticized was no longer a possibility. Tony Blair took the UK to war alongside the United States in March 2003 because by his public statements he had locked the UK onto a path of confrontation with Iraq, by standing alongside the US in its condemnation of the Iraqi regime. It was not a path from which escape was then possible without loss of face, and without imperiling the relationship with the US to which he had given unique priority and on which he was prepared to surrender New Labour's commitment to multilateralism and, if need be, his party's fortunes. Nor was it a path from which escape was possible without bolstering the self-confidence of the Iraqi regime that both the US and UK governments claimed was so dangerous. So the UK went to war in a comedy of errors, locked into a sequence of events that its Government had worked so hard to avoid. Comedies of errors of this kind can be avoided in the future, of course, by the early adoption of verbal restraint. They can be avoided, that is, if and to the degree that, whenever next the US singles out a rogue state, UK ministers are more cautious in their opening statements. But similar 'comedies' (really tragedies of course) will occur nonetheless, unless UK governments in addition make a sharp break with the 'unique UK world role' arrogance inherited from the imperial period, the very arrogance indeed that led Tony Blair to put the UK on that US-specified path in the first place. The best way to avoid 'accidents' of the Iraqi war kind happening again, that is, is to make a sharp break with the mind-set that generated this one. IV Tony Blair spent a full afternoon this week - the Wednesday afternoon following the release of the report in the morning - apologizing publicly for many of the consequences of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, whilst continuing to defend the legitimacy of the process that led him to join George W. Bush in authorizing it. It was a pretty desperate, thin and ultimately unconvincing afternoon performance - the inadequacy of which is everywhere evident in the image of a beaten-down Blair that adorned the front pages of the UK press on Thursday, and in the string of critical editorials and reporting which accompanied the image. For there is no easy way to deny the persistence and the ubiquity of the shadow thrown forward by the grievous mistakes made by the Bush Administration and the Blair Government in 2003; and that shadow is, of course, no minor affair. It still entirely dominates international relations, homeland security, and public policy on a raft of issues from immigration control to welfare reform. For what Bush and Blair started, no one has yet found a way to end. The 'mission accomplished' by the invasion of Iraq turned out not to be the creation of a stable democratic Iraq, liberated in the manner of a Germany or a Japan in 1945. It turned out instead to be the destabilization of an entire region, with the arrogance of those invading that region in 2003 being matched only by their ignorance of the conditions they were actually destabilizing. So no matter how often Tony Blair now denies it, or George Bush simply declines to discuss it, it remains the case that the full horrendous cost of their lethal fusion of arrogance and ignorance when in office is being borne today by the civilian populations of the Arab world, and by the families of the many casualties of the war and terror that the invasion released. And because the scale and scope of those costs is so vast and so apparently permanent, the call will inevitably appear again, in the wake of the publication of the report of the Chilcot Inquiry, for particular individuals to stand trial. The call will come - indeed it already has - for those who took us to war in 2003 to be tried both for the war crimes they orchestrated and for those which their policies subsequently released - if not the invasion, then the rendition; if not the decision, then the deceptions used to justify it. And why not? African dictators, after all, regularly receive such trials at The Hague these days, the better to discourage dictators in Africa in the future. So why not Bush, Cheney and Blair as well, for similar reasons here? Yet in that particular rush to personal judgment and blame, there is one reason at least for some caution and wider reflection. For those subject to the excesses of dictatorship - in Africa and elsewhere - can at least legitimately claim that they were not consulted ahead of the crimes being committed in their name. They can claim that their hands are entirely clean and their consciences entirely clear. But neither the Anglo-American political class not their electorates can be so easily excused, or excuse themselves. If we are to avoid Chicot Inquiry equivalents in years to come, it is the ignorance and arrogance that we all carry that now needs to be both investigated and held to account. The Bush/Blair mindset that left them so confident about their right to rearrange other people's political furniture in a country far removed from their own is a mindset that has not gone away: and it needs to. We would all be horrified if some outside power turned up in either Washington or London, set on using military force to change the entire political order. Indeed, the British celebrate their resistance to Hitler in 1940 on precisely those grounds, as do the Americans do in relation to the British themselves, on every 4th of July. It is surely time, therefore, for all of us to break decisively with the double standards that sit at the center of the imperial mindset that produced the invasion of Iraq, and seek instead a world order built on the principle of doing unto others only what you would have them do unto you. And where better to start that search than back at the United Nations whose potency for global good was another immediate casualty of the Bush/Blair rush to war in the heady days of 2003? After being in Europe the past two weeks for work, I'm returning home to the U.S. today deeply shaken and with a heavy heart. Last night was a special occasion. A colleague of mine is retiring, and we held a beautiful celebration for her. I returned to my hotel room at the end of a long day, around 11 p.m. London time, to share a few pictures on Facebook from the retirement party. Instead, I was drawn to a post from my dear friend and co-worker, Darnel, a black man: It doesn't matter what you wear. It doesn't matter how you act. It doesn't matter how educated you are. Man, it doesn't even matter how much money you have. The violence will continue until there is a cultural change in the perception of black people. We are not your enemies. We eat, drink and breathe like you do, so why treat us so unjustly? Advertisement I scrolled through other Facebook posts to see what had happened. And I also saw this headline in my email from the Star Tribune, the Minneapolis newspaper: Another black man killed by police in the Twin Cities:A St. Paul man named Philando Castile, 32, died Wednesday night after being shot by police during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights ... I went to sleep horrified that the place I've called home for 20 years, where my husband and I raised our daughter, was yet another data point in this troubling pattern of violence. Events such as what happened this week in Minneapolis and Baton Rouge are occurring far too often in cities around our nation. Just last night, we saw tragedy strike in Dallas, resulting in more fatalities, including five police officers. My heart aches for the loved ones of all those affected by this senseless violence. When I woke up this morning, my phone rang. It was my colleague and friend, Julie Sweet, our CEO of North America, calling me in the middle of her night. We grieved the hatred and senseless violence and discussed Accenture's unwavering promise to stand united in justice and equality for all - and to stand united against violence of any kind. This heightens our concern for our country and the need for all of us to come together as citizens and organizations to address this systemic problem. Advertisement As soon as I landed this afternoon, I called Darnel - the man who posted on Facebook - to see how he was and to let him know how I was feeling. I cried, and he listened. I felt terrible because I called to see how he was doing but was overcome with my own emotion. We talked about the importance of being able to have open dialogue at work, to share how we feel and to have real conversations about what is going on in our country - and in this case, about social injustice for black people. The fear, sense of loss and injustice deeply sadden me. Using my voice Thinking of nothing else on my long plane ride home, I contemplated my voice as Chief Leadership & HR Officer at a company of 375,000 people. Interestingly, I gave a talk on the topic of using one's voice just last week at Inspirefest, a conference that celebrates inclusion and diversity in the fields of science, technology and the arts. I told Accenture's gender diversity story and reflected on how a single voice, amplified by others, can drive real change. In my talk, I credited my dad, Manny Axelrod, for teaching me how to use my voice. I shared the story of my dad, a school administrator, who was asked by the commissioner of education of the state of New York to serve the integration orders in our district (and many others) so that black children and white children would attend school together, transcending neighborhood boundaries for the first time. I was seven years old, and this had a profound impact on me. My dad's conviction for education equality for everyone, regardless of skin color, was so strong that he persevered, despite enduring hardships because the idea of integrating schools was not universally accepted. So, as I think about my voice, I'd like to share a few reflections that stand out. They help me think about a path forward in the midst of the sadness I'm feeling right now: Every single voice has the power to change the world. Don't wait for someone else to speak up or ask a question on the path to equality. Leverage the power of your own voice within your circle of influence. And, when others do the same, you have a powerful chorus of voices that can amplify and accelerate change. I am personally committed to using my voice to deliver on Accenture's promise of an inclusive and diverse workplace and standing united in justice and equality for all - regardless of skin color or any other difference. Advertisement We need to reach out to each other. I'm not talking about superficial discussions. Rather, we need to make real efforts to connect as individuals. Open conversations like the one Darnel and I had are crucial - sharing and listening to each other - and striving to understand and respect the concerns and fears that arise from the horrific events we saw this week. That's because when we connect with and get to know each other as human beings we build bridges, not walls. This is the key to our path forward ... to our future. Equality and education go hand in hand. In memory of my dad, I feel compelled to talk about schools. We need to level the playing field so that the zip code where he/she lives does not define a child's destiny. If we don't do more to address diversity and equality in our education system, we're missing an important root cause of inequality and a breeding ground for discrimination in our society today. For inspiration, check out Alex Bernadotte's story and the Beyond 12 program she founded. In a radio address to America in 1931, George Bernard Shaw startled his audience with the following proposition: "Every person who owes his life to civilized society, and who has enjoyed . . . its very costly protections and advantages, should appear at reasonable intervals before a properly qualified jury to justify his existence," which, Shaw added, should be "summarily and painlessly terminated if he fails to justify it." I do not advocate such a program. But every one of us who enjoys the hard-bought protections and advantages of our system of self-governance has a responsibility to justify his or her existence under it. Abner J. Mikva, who passed away on the Fourth of July at the age of 90, would clearly have passed this test with flying colors. The Hon. Abner J. Mikva grew up in Milwaukee during the Depression. After serving as a navigator in World War II, he attended college and then entered the University of Chicago as a law student in 1948. In his application for admission to law school, Ab declared: "I am fired up with an ambition and a desire to do well in a field of endeavor in which I can apply my reasoning powers as well as the formal education I have acquired. The logical answer is law." Ab emphasized, however, that although "my plans for applying the training of law are not yet crystallized, I have a desire to enter public service." Inspired by the idealism of Democratic reform candidates Adlai Stevenson and Paul Douglas, who were running for Governor and Senator respectively in Illinois in 1948, Ab, a first-year law student, decided to volunteer to do some election work in Chicago's 8th Ward. This led to an exchange with a ward committeeman that demonstrated the conflicting worlds of an entrenched political organization and an idealistic young liberal: "Who sent you?" asked the committeeman. "Nobody." "We don't want nobody nobody sent. We ain't got no jobs." "I don't want a job," said Ab. "We don't want nobody that don't want a job. Where are you from anyway?" "University of Chicago." "We don't want nobody from the University of Chicago in this organization." Advertisement Returning to the rather more secure confines of his legal education, Ab excelled and, indeed, served as editor-in-chief of the University of Chicago Law Review. In this capacity, Ab wrote a truly memorable letter. In 1950, the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review wrote a letter to the deans of all law schools that did not then have a law review of their own, offering to sell subscriptions to the Harvard Law Review to the deprived students of such schools at a discount. Although the University of Chicago Law School had, in fact, published its own quite distinguished law review for some eighteen years, its existence apparently had escaped the attention of the students at Harvard. When Dean Edward Levi received the invitation from the editors of the Harvard Law Review, he passed it on to the then editor-in-chief, Ab Mikva. In his letter responding to the invitation, Ab expressed his appreciation for the Harvard Law Review's generosity, but pointed out that the University of Chicago had a law review of its own. He suggested, however, that the editors of the Harvard Law Review might be interested in a merger of their two institutions. Advertisement Noting that there might be some disagreement over the name of the new journal, Ab, demonstrating his emerging political skills, suggested a compromise. "I suggest," he wrote, that "we adopt the first half of our name and the second half of yours. The new journal would then sensibly be known as the University of Chicago Law Review." After graduating from Law School in 1951, Ab served as law clerk to Justice Sherman Minton of the United States Supreme Court. He then returned to Chicago to practice law, but as indicated in his law school application, his ultimate goal was public service. Over the next twenty-five years, Ab battled the Chicago Democratic organization as a state representative, a congressman, and a private citizen, always fighting with boldness and tenacity. Early in his law practice, for example, Ab represented Times Films in a suit against the Chicago Police Movie Review Board. Chicago was then one of the few cities where every movie that opened had to be screened by a movie review board, which, in Chicago's case, was made up of the widows of policemen. As one might expect, there were many movies the widows did not like. Ab took the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which held in a landmark decision that the city was required by the First Amendment to provide prompt judicial review of each of the widows' decisions. In time, the widows' review board simply dribbled out of existence. Advertisement In 1956, Ab became the first liberal independent to wrest a seat in the Illinois House from the Chicago Democratic machine. In that role, Ab fought vigorously for fair housing and against government corruption, earning him the enmity of then-Mayor Richard J. Daley. After ten years in the Illinois legislature, Ab was elected to the United States Congress from Illinois' 2d District in Chicago. Two years later, Mayor Daley, who insisted on always referring to Ab as that "Mr. Mifka," re-drew the district lines so as to eliminate Ab's district. Undeterred, Ab promptly moved to a Chicago suburb, where he won several more terms in the United States House of Representatives. While in Congress, Congressman Mikva was an ardent champion of civil right and civil liberties, advocating for minority voting rights, abortion rights, gun control, and an end to the death penalty. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed Congressman Mikva to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he distinguished himself as one of the most prominent jurists in the nation and, in so doing, remained true to the vision he had first brought to his legal education thirty years earlier. Judge Mikva's opinions as a jurist lay bare a keen analytical mind, a ferocious commitment to individual freedom, a deep respect for precedent, and a passion for clear, straightforward and honest exposition. In many of these decisions, Judge Mikva boldly protected core constitutional rights in a range of complex and often controversial settings. Advertisement To cite just one example, as early as 1993 Judge Mikva wrote an opinion holding unconstitutional the Pentagon's ban on gays serving in the military. Mikva explained that "the Constitution does not allow government to subordinate a class of persons simply because others do not like them," adding that "America's hallmark has been to judge people by what they do, and not by who they are." Although his decision was soon overturned, the nation eventually came around to his position eighteen years later. After fifteen years on the bench, the last four of which as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia - a position now held, by the way, by Merrick Garland - Judge Mikva was appointed Legal Counsel to the President by President Bill Clinton. Thus, in a career spanning more than half-a-century, Judge Mikva served at both the state and federal levels, and in all three branches of the federal government. He also found time to be a distinguished private lawyer -- with a particular bent for public issue litigation, a lecturer, an educator, and even a scholar. Indeed, after leaving the White House, Professor Mikva returned to his alma mater and, as a member of the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School, taught courses and seminars in "The Legislative Process," learning experiences that were consistently described by his students as, and I quote from student course evaluations, "brilliant," "insightful," "enriching," and "inspiring." In later years, Ab served as Senior Director of the University of Chicago's Mandel Legal Aid Clinic; as an international election monitor of Ukraine's contested presidential election; and as chair of the Illinois Human Rights Commission, to name just a few of his many post-government service contributions to the public good. To add icing on the cake, in 1997 Ab and his incredible wife Zoe established the Mikva Challenge, a civil leadership program for Chicago youth that serves thousands of young people each year by getting them involved in the democratic process and by creating civic activism projects that enable them to work to improve their school and local communities. Advertisement Through it all, Ab brought a rare intelligence, wisdom, integrity, decency and generosity of spirit to all he accomplished and to all the many lives he has touched - including my own. He is, indeed, the exemplar of the public citizen. WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, testifies during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee July 24, 2013 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony from the panelists on 'Closing Guantanamo: The National Security, Fiscal, and Human Rights Implications.' (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) This week a coalition of mostly far-right "Christian" organizations hosted a conference in Washington that claimed to be defending persecuted minorities in the Middle East. Given the very real threat facing vulnerable ancient religious communities at the hands of barbarous groups like ISIS, one might be inclined to commend the organizers for their timely initiative. However, after examining the groups involved and list of invited speakers, the conference's purposes appear to be dangerously provocative and even sinister. Among the featured speakers are a handful of notorious Islamophobes and a strange collection of individuals who claim to have been "radical Muslims", of one stripe or another, all of whom say they have now converted to Christianity and have come forward to tell their conversion stories. Advertisement One of the headliners is Frank Gaffney who heads an organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identifies as an "anti-Muslim hate group". Gaffney is one of the main propagators of the notion that President Obama "may be a Muslim" and that Hillary Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, is a secret operative of the Muslim Brotherhood. Another speaker representing an SPLC-listed hate group is Retired General William Boykin, a Bush-era Pentagon official who gained notoriety when it was revealed that he had repeatedly compared the Iraq war to the Crusades boasting that the US/Christian side was bound to win because "our God is bigger than theirs". Boykin has also said that "Islam is evil" and should not be protected by the First Amendment. Among the others scheduled to address the event were a number of evangelical preachers, Trump supporters, and Christian missionaries devoted to converting Muslims. To inspire the attendees, organizers invited a number of "converts" to share their stories. One of them, Tass Saada, claims to have been a "PLO sniper" until he saw the light and converted to Christianity. He founded "Hope for Ishmael" to lead other Muslims to convert. Joining him will be Daniel Shayesteh, an Iranian American who claims to have been an "Islamic extremist" at age 9. He later became a Christian and has since founded "Exodus from Darkness". It was especially troubling that a number of conservative Republican Members of Congress and State Department officials were scheduled to speak to the conference. Their presence was intended to give legitimacy to the event. Advertisement On being made aware of the conference, my organization, the Arab American Institute, crafted a letter to the congressmen urging them to withdraw their support, detailing the dangers this gathering posed for the very people it claimed to be supporting. Endorsed by the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, our letter, in part, read, "We write to you to convey our deep concern with an upcoming conference, "The Bridge: The Annual Conference on the Persecuted Church"... The conference's program gives a platform to well-known anti-Arab and anti-Muslim activists whose work advances a dangerous agenda of fear and misunderstanding. "We share with you the belief that it is of utmost importance to defend the rights of persecuted Christians and other vulnerable faith communities across the Middle East. Moreover, we believe that it is critical that we work to ensure that these faith communities not merely be protected as minorities but guaranteed full and equal citizenship rights in every country in the region. While some in Washington, D.C. believe that the interests of persecuted Christians can be advanced through bashing Islam and its adherents, the truth is that these tactics do nothing to advance or defend the rights of persecuted Christians. "At a time when the public discourse in the United States has looked at Arab and Muslims across the world with acute suspicion, it is critically important that our public officials help combat hateful rhetoric and elevate leaders who speak to our highest ideals of mutual respect and understanding... We are concerned that this conference may have the unfortunate consequence of legitimizing the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim messages and policies that are associated with its speakers and will in the end do more harm than good to the persecuted communities the conference organizers claim to be defending. We believe that your participation and/or endorsement of this event would empower these voices of bigotry, not defend the rights of religiously persecuted Christians, as the conference claims to do. With these considerations in mind, we respectfully request that you withdraw from participating in this event." The Members of Congress did not withdraw, but on the day the before the conference was to begin Frank Gaffney's name was removed from the speaker's list. When my mom was a teenager, she decided she wanted to play in the high school orchestra. She went to the music director and asked if she could join. He said, "What do you play?" She, bright and chipper, replied, "What do you need?" He paused, looked at her, and told her they needed a bass player. "Amazing!" she said. "That's exactly what I play!" The man showed her the school's string bass and said she could take it home to practice. He also told her the names of the strings, pointing to each one as he did. I'm thinking he probably did not entirely buy her story. In practice, she watched the other bass player (a real one), and figured out where to put her fingers, more or less. As the school year wore on, though, it got harder and harder to get anything out of that bass. Soon she was sawing like mad and making no sound at all. Finally her stand partner took pity on her and explained that you have to apply rosin to the bow hair every time you play, so pulling the bow back and forth will create friction on the strings. No rosin, no friction; no friction, no sound. Advertisement After that semester she left the bass behind and returned to the piano, on which she was actually pretty decent (and which required no rosin). But she could always say this: for a season, she played string bass. At about the same time my mother's bass career was flourishing, my father, a recent immigrant from war-torn Europe, was drafted into the U.S. Army. (This was long before the two met; he was quite a few years older than she.) Not too keen on joining the infantry and being sent to the front lines, he managed to wangle a position in the Army band. There was, he learned, an opening for a piccolo player. Amazing! as he explained to the presiding officer at his initial conscription meeting. Piccolo was exactly what he played! "Oh, that reminds me," said the officer as my father was about to leave. "We just got in a shipment of instruments. Would you like to check out the piccolos?" Advertisement My father was in a bit of a tight spot. He could play a very credible violin, and viola, and (unlike his future wife) string bass. He had never in his life played a piccolo. He'd probably never even touched one. He did, however, play a mean recorder. (He gave lessons to the Von Trapp family, who he reports were not quite as delightful in person as Julie Andrews and her film brood.) Recorder, piccolo ... how different could it be? In fact, the two are as different as driving a stick shift is from riding a skateboard. But he wasn't in much of a position to quibble. They walked out back to the newly arrived shipment. The officer opened a crate, pulled out a brand new piccolo, and handed it to my father. My father took the thing, looked it over, sighted down the bore, tapped a few keys -- kicking the tires, so to speak. Finally, seeing no way to delay further, he put it to his lips, doing his best to imitate every flute player he had ever seen ... and managed to get some sort of breathy note out of thing. Messing with the keys as he blew, he found one note he could trill on, and he did so for a good few seconds with casual expertise. Advertisement He then took the terrifying little beast down from his lips, nearly passing out from the expended breath, and gave it the El Exigente thumbs up. And then dashed off to beg a few emergency lessons from a friend, who was principal flutist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, in the two weeks before he had to report for duty. Alas, his piccolo career didn't last. Once command realized he spoke German like a native (because he was one), they yanked him from the band, transferred him to Intelligence, and stuck him out in the field as an interpreter. Not only on the front lines, but often ahead of the front lines. Still, for a season, he did play the piccolo. And quite enjoyed it, too, because its notes cut so sharply through the instrumental texture that he found he could control the tempo of the entire band. If the conductor in him didn't care for the way the band leader was conducting this particular piece, he could hijack it and mold it more to his taste. My point in these two stories is not that they happened, but that my parents told them to me, often enough and with so much evident delight that they became an embedded part of how I came to see the world. In my world -- the world according to the stories I heard growing up -- you can become whatever you want to become and do whatever you set out to do. From bass to piccolo, the world is your oyster. Advertisement When I was thirteen, my mother was taking a group of her middle school students to Greece to perform Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, and she needed someone to set the choruses to music. She asked me to do it. Me?! I didn't see how that was possible. I'd never composed music before. I was only thirteen. At the same time, though, there was also a little voice inside whispering, "Amazing -- composing is exactly what I do!" So I did, and went on to an early career in composition. When I was seventeen I was part of a group of friends who started our own high school. When people hear that story they sometimes say, "You were teenagers! Start your own school? How could you possibly do that!" Because in the world we lived in, that was not only possible, it was inevitable. Of course, we didn't know how to go about doing it, any more than my teenage mother knew how to play string bass. But we thought, Start a high school? Amazing -- that's exactly what we do. So we did. Now that we're grownups, it's up to us all to choose which stories we tell our children -- and tell ourselves. Advertisement We could tell stories about how unfair the world is. About how mean people can be. How you should be reasonable in your expectations. Or how money doesn't grow on trees. To me, those stories are no fun, not interesting, and uninspiring. They are not the fabric of the world I want to live in. One of my favorite stories is the one about the American president who got up in front of Congress and said we would put a man on the moon, and get him back safely, and do all that within the next ten years. When JFK made that ridiculous claim, we no more knew how to get a man onto the moon than my friends and I knew how to start a high school, or than I knew how to compose music, or than my teenage mother knew how to play string bass. But what did we all collectively say? "Put a man on the moon? Amazing -- why, that's exactly what we do!" You've probably heard the expression, "Shoot for the moon, and you'll probably clear the treetops." Balderdash.I say, shoot for the moon -- and hit the moon. Western Europe in 2035 as envisioned by Express Gazeta. Map courtesy of Express Gazeta What do the denizens of the Kremlin and their new tsar dream about? Wealth? Perhaps. With a personal fortune estimated to be anywhere from 14.5 billion dollars (Forbes) to as much as 200 billion dollars, it's hard to believe that Vladimir Putin dreams about amassing even more wealth. The rest of his gang is nowhere as rich, but one imagines that all of them have gotten a generous share of the Russian spoils that now flow through the Kremlin. Power and might? A return to the glory days of the Soviet Union and the restoration of the Russian state's historic status as a superpower? Perhaps. Back on June 9, 2012, the Russian tabloid Express Gazeta published a series of maps that depicted how the nations of Europe might look in the year 2035. Advertisement The Gazeta claimed that its projections had been put together using "open source" information that it had obtained from the CIA and other intelligence agencies, and after consulting well-known futurists and foreign policy and geopolitical analysts. The tabloid has not historically functioned as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin. Nor is it visibly affiliated with any of the various factions that dominate the higher echelons of the Russian government. In Russia it is considered a sensationalist tabloid. Nonetheless, so far, in light of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine and the recent "Brexit" vote in the United Kingdom, its projections are proving to be remarkably prescient. In the 2012 maps, the Crimea was shown as Russian territory, two years before the actual seizure of the region by Russian forces. The Donbas basin in eastern Ukraine, much of it currently under the control of pro-Russian separatists, was shown as having been incorporated into Russia, as was the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine from the Don River to present day Moldova. Scotland was shown as being a separate, independent nation. Northern Ireland had joined Ireland and Great Britain had been reduced to its 13th century boundaries of just England and Wales. All very plausible scenarios in light of the UK's recent vote to leave the European Union (EU). Advertisement What about the rest of Europe? According to the Express Gazeta, Europe in 2035, is a continent in disarray. Powerful separatist currents driven by ethnic and nationalist sentiment have significantly disassembled centuries of European nation-building, leaving many countries far smaller than their present boundaries. The tabloid makes no reference to the state of the EU, but it is hard to see how the EU would have survived these powerful nationalist forces of disintegration and ethnic conflict. Southern Europe and the Balkans in 2035 as envisioned by Express Gazeta. Map courtesy of Express Gazeta In 2035 Europe, ethnicity and nationalism are the dominant forces shaping European politics. Italy has divided into four separate nations; the rich industrialized North has finally cut loose the indolent South. The new border now runs between Tuscany and Lazio. Sardinia and Sicily have both gone their own way. Spain, too, is a fragmented version of its former self, with Catalonia and the Basque country both having achieved independence. In the latter case, the new Basque nation also absorbed portions of France. In what must be the ultimate Polish nightmare, Germany has expanded eastward, reclaiming its former regions of Pomerania, Silesia and East Prussia, while Russia has seized additional Polish territory in the east. This must have been the third German-Russian dismemberment of Poland. Advertisement For its part, Russia has also reclaimed a broad region of ethnically Russian territory from the Baltic states to Romania. The Gazeta makes no references to what kind of diplomatic and political influence the Kremlin can now extend over Europe, and especially over its former satellites, but given the obvious disarray of the EU and European politics, it's safe to assume that Russian influence would cast a long shadow over European affairs. The tabloid makes no reference to NATO, but it's hard to see how NATO would have survived this continent-wide political upheaval. France has retained most of its historic territory, with the exception of Corsica, which is now independent, and the former regions of Alsace and Lorraine, which are now part of Germany. French Savoy has become a separate "Islamic Rhone-Alpes" where Paris, finally realizing that it would never assimilate its Islamic citizens, has resettled its Muslim nationals in their own independent state. Elsewhere the forces of disintegration reign supreme. Belgium has disintegrated into ethnic halves, with the Flemish portion joining its Dutch cousins. The Balkans have returned to their 19th century chaos. Bosnia-Herzegovina has disappeared, having been divided between Croatia and Serbia. Turkey has seized the predominantly Turkish ethnic areas around Burgos in southeast Bulgaria, while Hungary has regained some of its historic, pre-World War I lands. While the maps are hardly an official statement of Russian foreign policy aims, their underlying implications are in fact consistent with the broad themes of the Kremlin's policy in Europe. Advertisement First, that a powerful Russia is a force of stability in Europe and is the only power able to contain German ambitions. Significantly, in the Russian projections of 2035 Europe, Germany is the only major European country that actually enlarges its borders, and it does so by reclaiming territories from Poland and France that have historically been at the center of long-standing and bitter conflict. Eastern Europe in 2035 as envisioned by Express Gazeta. Map courtesy of Express Gazeta Secondly, those countries in the "Near Abroad," both former Soviet states and satellites who turned their backs on their historic Russian protectors and tried to cozy up to Western Europe and the US, from Poland to Romania to Bulgaria to Georgia, are punished by the loss of significant territory, while those countries that remained loyal to Mother Russia, like Serbia, see their territories expand. Here again, the message is unmistakable, neither the EU nor NATO nor the United States will ultimately protect Eastern Europe from either German revanchism or Russian retribution. Better to accept your place in the Russian world order now or accept the inevitable consequences of defiance later. There is no mention of what role the United States would play in Europe in 2035. With the principal multilateral organizations in tatters, how would the US project its power and influence on the continent? Would the US maintain a military presence there or would it have withdrawn altogether? Perhaps this is the ultimate Putinesque fantasy, as it was for Stalin in 1946, that Washington would withdraw from the continent and that a fragmented, disintegrating, chaotic Europe would fall under Russian influence, if not direct control. Advertisement Is this a Kremlin fantasy? A Putinesque daydream? In light of the Brexit vote and the steady rise of Euro-skeptic parties on the continent, it is a fantasy that is at least based on powerful forces of nationalism and ethnicity that are real and substantial, and that are pushing Europe in the direction of fragmentation and chaos. Budapest's announcement on July 5, that it had set October 2, 2016, for a referendum on whether it should accept Syrian refugees, further underscores that the fallout from Brexit will be far reaching and has only begun to be felt. Whiskey judging at the International Wines and Spirits Competition To the whisky aficionado there can be no greater calling than to be a whisky judge. Imagine the prospect of making a living by spending your time evaluating the world's whiskies. International beverage companies ship pallets of their finest offerings to your home for evaluation, while you spend indolent days discussing the finer points of a dram with like-minded judges. Then you wake up. If it sounds too good to be true - it's because it is. Being a whisky judge is much more mundane and actually a lot of work. Recently I spent three days judging spirits for the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). The IWSC is an annual wine and spirits competition designed to select the world's best wines and spirits. Winners receive one of five awards: Bronze, Silver, Silver Outstanding, Gold and the highest award of all, Gold Outstanding. The organization was founded in 1969. Thousands of submissions are received each year from more than 80 countries, in 1,500 different categories, covering wines, spirits and liqueurs. The IWSC uses around 250 specialists, drawn throughout the world from the wine and spirits industry, media and academia, to conduct the judging. On average it takes six months to evaluate each year's submissions. The highly coveted awards are handed out at the annual IWSC banquet held at the City of London Guildhall during the month of November. Advertisement The judging is organized into panels. My first day was devoted to world whiskies, with offerings from such disparate places as India, South Africa, Ireland, Italy and Bulgaria. Yes, they make whisky in Bulgaria. The second day was devoted to Scotch whiskies, while the third day featured Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. My first panel evaluated 79 whiskies, a higher number than average, organized into 39 separate flights, grouped by like characteristics. A dozen blended Irish whiskies were in one flight, ditto for a similar number of Indian malt whiskies. The whole session lasted four hours, followed by lunch. Typically, a panel will evaluate about 60 samples a day. A flight of whiskies awaiting evaluation Samples are evaluated against other submissions in the same class. That means a 3-year-old whisky (YO) is judged against other 3 YO whiskies in its peer group. You can be a Gold Outstanding 3 (YO) whisky compared to your peers, even though you might still lack, for example, the flavor or aromatic complexity of a 15 YO that didn't medal in its peer group. Neat or with water? That's a matter of personal preference. Participants from the distillation side of the business seem to almost always add water, anywhere from a drop to a third of the sample size. Others are more varied. For my part, I prefer not to add water. From a judging standpoint, there seemed to be little difference in the scoring between those judges that added water and those that didn't. Advertisement Tasting 60 or more whisky samples in four hours doesn't give you much time to savor any particular offering. Pity, because some were quite superb. Mostly its taste, spit, write and repeat. No, you never swallow. No matter how good the whisky is. You'll absorb plenty of alcohol just swishing the whisky about in your mouth. No point compounding that by swallowing also. Its considered very bad form to get tipsy at a whisky judging. There is one exception. I do have a tradition, however, of swallowing the best dram in the last round. Invariably this is always a flight of ultra-aged offerings. My first panel consisted of seven judges - two from South Africa, two from Europe, two from Asia and one (me) from North America. This was typical of the other panels also. You can't get more international than that. All judging is done blind. Each sample comes with a number. All you know is the country of origin, age and basic characteristic, i.e., a blend, a single malt or a grain whisky; or a peated or sherried one, and so forth. The IWSC's annual awards banquet is held at the City of London Guildhall Are judges partial to whiskies from their corner of the world? If they are, there wasn't any evidence of that. Indeed, what was remarkable was how close and consistent the scoring was. In virtually every case most scores were within 10 percent of the average mark. Not surprisingly, from time-to-time there would be disagreements. Usually these revolved around perceived faults. Was there a little too much sulfur in a particular sample? Lots of room for disagreement there since an individual's sensitivity to sulfur can vary quite dramatically. Or was that last sample a little to tannic? Yes, whisky can get tannic if you use a lot of new barrels in its maturation. This has increasingly become a problem with the use of "bespoke," or custom made sherry casks, that are used for maturing or finishing whisky. There is much higher demand for sherry casks in the whisky industry than the sherry producers in Jerez, Spain, can supply. Some distilleries simply make their own, "renting" the sherry to condition casks for a period of several months to several years, and then returning the sherry to the producer and keeping the casks for their own use. Advertisement The problem is that before a cask is used for maturing sherry, it would traditionally be used for maturing wines for one or more decades. By the time it is used for maturing sherry, the influence of the oak wood has been dissipated and the wood itself is considered "neutral." Newly made casks, on the other hand, are anything but neutral, and even if they have held sherry for several years, can still contribute significant wood influence, especially tannins. There's one more thing about judging whisky. You drink a lot of water in an effort to stay hydrated. In fact, you drink a lot more water than you do whisky. In a typical four-hour session, you will easily consume two to three liters of water. That means as the day wears on you are constantly excusing yourself to go to the bathroom. Frequent "pit stops" are an inevitable consequence of being a whisky judge. As far as the fringe benefits of being a whisky judge, well there aren't many. Forget about beverage companies shipping pallets of their finest whisky to your home. You might get the odd bottle now and again. This is usually their higher volume, mainstream offerings that they want to promote. The really rare stuff rarely goes out to critics or judges. The medal catagories awarded by the IWSC He was always "Syd" for those of us who knew him and worked for him at the New York Times. Other than the editors who applied the celebrated institutional byline Sydney H. Schanberg to his dispatches, I can't recall anyone referring to him as "Sydney." Except perhaps the late Gloria Emerson, his equally celebrated Times colleague and contemporary, who'd exclaim, "O Sydney, Sydney, Sydney" when they both covered the Vietnam War. Gloria always had her journalistic adrenalin pumped high; Syd was an emollient for her. Notwithstanding his own high-energy personality, and his endless ambition, Syd had a gift for calming - and for charming - people. I had read Syd's dispatches for the paper from India; from the front lines of the war between India and Pakistan in 1971 that transformed the former East Pakistan into Bangladesh; and later, of course, from Southeast Asia. I knew of Syd well before I met him after his hero's return to the Times' cavernous and messy newsroom on West 43rd Street in Manhattan to become metropolitan editor. His deep love for India was evident from those dispatches, even in the articles that were critical of political corruption and of misgovernance, especially during the rule of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Syd told me that in later years, whenever he visited Asia and his flight took him over India, he always felt a strange, soothing spirit course through his body. Advertisement Syd's courage was displayed in his coverage of Pol Pot's brutal takeover of Cambodia: Times editors implored him to leave that country, but Syd, along with his trusted assistant Dith Pran, stayed behind to bear witness. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage, an award that should have been given to him earlier for his dispatches about the war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Hollywood made an acclaimed film about Syd, "The Killing Fields." Dr. Haing S. Ngor, a Cambodian physician playing the role of Dith Pran, won an Oscar. But Sam Waterston, as Syd Schanberg, should have won one, too. Syd died early Saturday of a massive heart attack. After he came back to New York, I worked under him when he was metropolitan editor at the New York Times. He always looked out for me, and was both a mentor and friend to many young reporters. Great man, great career, great legacy. As I write this, it occurs to me that all the heroes of my journalistic generation are gone. They included: Abe Rosenthal, Arthur Gelb and Lou Silverstein of the Times; James W. Michaels of Forbes; Jack Freeman of NBC and The Earth Times, an environmental newspaper that the late Theodore W. Kheel, the labor negotiator, and I founded in 1991 in anticipation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, more widely known as "The Earth Summit," that was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. I ran that not-for-profit newspaper for a dozen years until the onerous task of raising funds simply wore me out, and, out of sheer mental and physical fatigue, I fled journalism to embrace book writing. Not one of my journalistic heroes is around now: I'm looking at a void that can never be filled. At 68, an age when I should be retired, but am forced to continue working, I've been delivering too many eulogies at too many funerals. In morbid moments, I wonder what my own funeral will be like, who will turn up, and what they will say. Advertisement So thank you, Syd, for everything you taught me in journalism; and thank you for showing us all what courage is all about. Syd never bragged about his courage; he didn't need to - his foreign correspondence exemplified that quality. Syd never wore his ambition on his sleeve; he didn't need to because only a driven man could have produced his kind of reporting. Syd never boasted about his resourcefulness; he didn't need to because the difficult places he slid into, often under the official radar, are testimony to his ability to get to any place at any time in the cause of journalism. His journalism was deeply reported. Yes, it was emotional because the suffering he saw often shook him. Yes, it was sometimes far too full of details because Syd had a hard time editing himself. Yes, Syd prided himself on his liberal views. But they did not color nor distort his writing. Syd's journalism was always engaging and readable for audiences everywhere. Syd, as patriotic an American as anyone, was not a flag waver. He was distrustful of self-styled "patriots" whose often-secretive actions - such as carpet-bombing Cambodia - ran contrary to the humanitarianism that they publicly espoused. It's tempting to say that Syd's brand of journalism will be missed. Of course it will. But the apex of his creativity and enterprise was 40 years ago, and it was a very different time then. Advertisement A Dallas police officer, who did not want to be identified, takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning after a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. At least two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas on Thursday night; some of the officers were killed, police said. (AP Photo/LM Otero) It's no longer "Enough is enough!" It's "Too much is too much." The horrors of the past few days in Baton Rouge, Minnesota, and Dallas ring across America like the "fire bell in the night" that Thomas Jefferson said "awakened and filled [him] with terror" in 1820. He referred, of course, to the question of slavery and its expansion, and he feared that it might be "the [death] knell of the Union." It is the legacy of slavery that threatens our Union still, and voices of extremism, hatred and violence that are heard across the internet and from some political and media quarters constitute a menace capable of destroying our nation. Advertisement We must find common ground. A substantial majority of Americans of all races, ethnicities, and religions condemn both police murders of black people and the murder of police. Yet the horrifying violence of recent days has not led some to abandon their hate. Many are pointing fingers at President Obama and Black Lives Matter for their condemnation of police killings as what led to the Dallas shooting. For example (and there are many others), former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) wrote in a tweet, later deleted, that Obama and Black Lives Matter protesters should "watch out" because "real America" is coming for them. Beyond its implicit threat of violence against the president and African Americans, he was indicating that black people are not part of "real America." That is the same sort of outrageous talk that has led so many to hate the nation's first African American president and believe almost any nonsensical story about him. Advertisement What we absolutely DO NOT need is the totally irresponsible promotion of division and violence of the sort that appeared on the cover of Rupert Murdoch's New York Post today: That despicable front page promotes exactly what terrified Jefferson in 1820. And it may be worth pointing out to the Post editors that one sniper does not constitute an army engaged in Civil War. They need to get a grip. We also absolutely do not need the kind of outrageous statement that Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made, accusing demonstrators of being "hypocrites" for "running the other way expecting the men and women in blue to turn around and protect them" while they were protesting police violence. The only sane response to that comment is: WTF? Lt. Gov. Patrick's statement is a perfect example of what we must not do: divide into camps that are either on the "side" of the police, no matter what they do, or on a "side" against the police. Everyone needs to come together and condemn both police violence and violence against police. It is important to note that the percentage of African Americans who would vocalize any support for the shooting of police officers in Dallas would round off to zero; yet a considerably higher percentage of whites are ready to back police even when they shoot black people without cause. Advertisement We need the police. Most police officers are good people performing a dangerous and absolutely necessary function for society. Some of them, however, do terrible things. We can--and must-- fully support the former while condemning the latter. The police need to do the same. The "Thin Blue Line" that protects society cannot continue to protect bad cops. The police across the nation need to be willing to condemn the few among them who do the kinds of things that were done to Rodney King, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and many others. The use of lethal force by police officers in Minnesota and Baton Rouge has once again sparked protests over the violent dynamic between citizens and the police. The ideal today is "democratic policing," a concept developed by scholars like Gary T. Marx at MIT. Broadly, this refers to a police force that is publicly accountable, subject to the rule of law, respectful of human dignity and that intrudes into citizens' lives only under certain limited circumstances. Partly in response to this ideal, policing in America has evolved considerably over the past 50 years. There have been changes in hiring, how relations with civilians are managed and what technologies are used. Advertisement The 20th century has seen a slow but steady integration of minorities and women within police forces. Different managerial models aimed at improving relations with citizens have also influenced policing over the last 40 years. The most prominent among these are community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing and intelligence-led policing. Policing has also been deeply transformed by the rapid integration of new technologies leading to computerization of police forces such as the profiling of crime hotspots, access to a broader range of weapons like tasers and the deployment of surveillance technologies like drones and closed circuit TV. Some of these changes have been positive, but as recent events show, many problems remain. Why hasn't more progress been made? Not all police forces are equal One problem is the inequality inherent in the system. For example, Washington, D.C. has 61.2 police officers per 10,000 residents, while Baton Rouge has just 28.7. Advertisement Policing in America is not a standardized profession guided by an established set of procedures and policies. There are at least 12,000 local police agencies in the United States, making it one of the most decentralized police organizations in the world. There are more than 600 state and local police academies across the country delivering training programs that vary tremendously in content, quality and intensity. This, inevitably, has an impact on the skills of their graduates. Differences in policing also reflect the quality of leadership and the availability of resources. Police chiefs and commanders represent a critical source of influence. They provide the doctrine by deciding whether to focus on prevention or repression of crime. They design strategies like police visibility or zero tolerance. And they identify the practice to be adopted - rounding up the usual suspects or systematic stop-and-frisk. Often, however, these police practices are not aligned with public expectations. Citizen review boards - such as those in New York City or San Diego - are the exception rather than the norm. And then there is the money issue. Police departments that are financially crippled are simply not able to provide regular training and therefore don't have the expertise to pursue certain kinds of crime. The policing of fraud, for example, requires financial expertise and specialized units. Advertisement From public relations policing to intensive policing Policing styles in America vary according to the targeted audience. Police work in an affluent neighborhoods is often characterized by "soft" policing strategies. In other words, policing in those areas is more a question of making people feel secure than actual crime fighting. However, in disadvantaged, multi-ethnic neighborhoods, police presence and activity are often more intense. They are there to target crimes that have been identified as priorities by police leadership and elected officials. In fact, one policing model, predictive policing, can exacerbate racial tension between law enforcement and African-American communities. Predictive policing is based on crime analysis and computerization. This model helps law enforcement mobilize their resources in places where crime tends to concentrate. These crime clusters tend to be located in poor and disadvantaged communities. However, trying to prevent crime by focusing police forces on some addresses, street corners and blocks increases police-citizens encounters. Some of these encounters - even between police and law-abiding citizens caught up in the dragnet - can turn violent. Another noticeable trend that is front and center in the media today is the "militarization" of police. Advertisement This blurring of the distinction between the police and military institutions, between law enforcement and war, began in the 1980s and has only intensified since. It was reinforced by public policy rhetoric calling for a "war on crime," "war on drugs" and "war on terror." Police forces began to acquire military equipment and implement militarized training with little or no accountability. For instance, in the wake of 9/11, several local police departments received funding from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense with little or no guidance on how to spend the money. This led to the unnecessary purchase of military equipment including armored cars, bulletproof vests for dogs and advanced bomb-disarming robots. Author provided As a result, we have seen a booming of SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams: 80 percent of cities with 25,000 to 50,000 inhabitants now have a SWAT team. From the late 1990s, through the 1033 Program, the Department of Defense has authorized the transfer of military equipment to police departments across the country. Since 2006 the police have bought 93,763 machine guns and 435 armored cars from the Pentagon. All this has only heightened the real and perceived potential for deadly force by police officers. Now I see you Another significant change in modern policing is the increasing capacity to monitor criminal activity and the population in general. Police agencies now have access to a vast network of closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitors, allowing the surveillance of public and private spaces. Just to give a few numbers, the Chicago Police Department has access to 17,000 cameras, including 4,000 in public schools and 1,000 at O'Hare Airport. Drones, too, are increasingly in use. The U.S. Border Patrol deploys them to monitor smuggling activities. They have been purchased by a number of local police departments, including those in Los Angeles; Mesa County, Arizona; Montgomery County, Texas; Miami Dade; and Seattle. Advertisement A mirror of society In many regards, police agencies are a mirror of our beliefs and values as a society. When applying this assumption to the phenomenon of intensive policing, it is not surprising, I would argue, that a country that has the highest rate of gun ownership among Western countries, the highest murder rate by guns among advanced democracies and the largest military apparatus in the world would see a militarization of its police. The same reflection can be made about the use of police surveillance technologies in a society where information technology increasingly defines our interactions. Ultimately, policing is inseparable from politics. Police organizations are constantly influenced by political pressure, such as the nomination of a new chief of police or new laws that police must enforce. The state of our police system, in other words, for good or for ill, is an accurate proxy measure of the state of our democracy. Frederic Lemieux, Professor and Program Director of Bachelor in Police and Security Studies; Master's in Security and Safety Leadership; Master's in Strategic Cyber Operations and Information Management, George Washington University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. It updates a story originally published in 2014. The investigation into Secretary Clinton's use of a personal email server has come to a close. There are two general conclusions that frame the result of the investigation: Secretary Clinton is not being charged with a crime, and Secretary Clinton has acknowledged that having a private email server was a mistake. That's what happened. The rest of the public chatter is unsubstantiated speculation about whether the process was legitimate and what pundits and others think should have been done, as well as the details of what actually happened. The FBI conducted its extensive investigation apart from the political sturm and drang that surrounded this issue on the outside. Investigators followed the evidence and the law in reaching their conclusions. No one could accuse FBI Director Comey of being soft on Secretary Clinton. He made harsh remarks about the use of a personal email server, reflecting his assessment of the situation. Advertisement As to what should have been done, there are plenty of arm chair lawyers and investigators passing judgement without evidence and in most cases without a clear understanding of the law and how it is applied. They apparently wanted a specific result--charges to be leveled, or at least they wanted others to believe that charging the Secretary was somehow justified despite the fact that the investigation led to an opposite conclusion. In this regard, it is useful to read exactly what Director Comey said in his news conference about the investigation "In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these (the investigation's) facts." The facts do not support prosecution no matter what pundits and politicians may say. The more complicated issues pertain to what happened. The gist of Director Comey's critical comments reflect his concern about the handling of classified material. To be sure, there must be great deference and respect in the treatment of all classified information. No one is questioning this. The issue raised by Director Comey is whether there was a breach of responsibility in this case. His conclusion was that there was carelessness in the handling of some emails that may have contained classified information. He expressed particular concern that these emails were particularly vulnerable because they "were housed on unclassified personal servers not even supported by full-time security staff..." Hacking is a problem, but it is naive to think that government systems or even the private emails of government officials are protected because of existing security systems or full-time security staff. Advertisement There have been efforts to hack with some success computers at the White House, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Department of State (after Secretary Clinton's tenure), the Department of Defense, and the personal emails of the Director of the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence and the Deputy Director of the FBI. We are all vulnerable, and more must be done to make public and private systems more secure. But with respect to this investigation, there is no hard evidence, only conjecture, that Secretary Clinton's email server was hacked. The other issue that needs to be reviewed in a non-partisan way is the US Government classification system. It is flawed and confusing. A 2012 report issued by the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB), which was established by Congress, called for an overhaul of the U.S. Government Classification system. Then PIDB head, distinguished national security expert Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, clearly made the case for an overhaul of the U.S. Government classification system, "Our report makes the case that a redesign of the classification system is needed. The current system is 70 years old and is wholly incapable of dealing with the enormous volume of information generated today. Our national security professionals must operate very differently today to keep our nation safe. New policies that promote information sharing, limit classification, and allow for technology use to sift through petabytes of information is essential." A 2008 article by Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists discussed an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) review of US classification policy that was intended to try and develop a government wide system. Aftergood concluded that "There appears to be no common understanding of classification levels among the classification guides reviewed by the (ODNI) team, nor any consistent guidance as to what constitutes 'damage,' 'serious damage,' or 'exceptionally grave damage' to national security... There is wide variance in application of classification levels." What this means in practice is there can be confusion on the part of those working on national security issues as to what should be classified in an email and what should not. This is not an excuse to abuse the classification system, but it is an explanation of how some in government may have a legitimate interpretation of what is classified, differing from others handling the same information, particularly if that information is unmarked with a classification level. Advertisement While there are two general conclusions that frame the result of the investigation, there are two issues that the investigation raises that must be dealt with to improve security and lessen confusion. The first is to update and make more efficient the government-wide classification system, working with experts like the ODNI and others to ensure that the system will be secure, clear and uniformly implemented. This will help prevent confusion in the future over such issues as to what can be shared on an unclassified system and what must be protected. The second issue is the need to do more to protect government computer systems from attack. We are vulnerable as a nation to attacks by governments and individual hackers. The recent hacking of government computers is a warning sign that must be heeded. The intelligence community has its "hair on fire" about the need to address this issue. The Government, Congress and the private sector must work together to sort out these and other cyber-related issues that have an impact on our national security. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Representative Mike McCaul (R-TX) have introduced legislation that would establish a commission to look at digital security and related issues, which Secretary Clinton mentioned in her recent speech at Stanford University. Setting up such a commission is a good place to start to get a better handle on how to respond to this pending crisis. KAREL PRINSLOO via Getty Images South African President Jacob Zuma (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend the South Africa-India Business Forum at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria on July 8, 2016.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his Africa tour to South Africa on July 8, seeking to boost trade between two countries that he said 'shared values, suffering and struggles'. / AFP / KAREL PRINSLOO (Photo credit should read KAREL PRINSLOO/AFP/Getty Images) PRETORIA -- Presenting India as the one of the most open economies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited South African businesses to participate in its transformation march and tap the huge opportunities by enhancing investment and diversifying the basket of trade. Addressing top business leaders of India and South Africa, he invoked the "greatest leaders" Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi to underline the historical ties and asked the companies to take advantage of the geographical links as well. Advertisement Modi said South African business excellence and Indian capacities must leverage each other for growth and development in our two countries. Out to hardsell India, he described the country as "a bright star in the global economy" as he referred to its high growth rate of 7.6 per cent and spoke about efforts to improve 'ease of doing business' in an environment-friendly manner. "Our leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi brought political freedom for us. Now, it is the time to work for economic freedom. Thus, our relations rest upon our common desire to fulfil the aspirations of our people," Modi told the business meet attended by South African President Jacob Zuma as well as about 500 top captains of business and industry. Advertisement "We have been friends in adversities. Now we should franchise in opportunities," he added. Talking about the opportunities, Modi said, "India today is among the most open economies. We have liberalised our FDI regime in most of the areas and in all possible ways. We have rationalised our norms and made it simple for businesses to establish and grow." Leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi brought political freedom for us. Emphasising that the "scope is tremendous", he said, "The potential is increasing day by day. This is because both countries are strengthening their economic fundamentals. Therefore, we must look at ways to diversify our trade basket, to complement our needs and to serve the people. Amid India's keenness to make inroads in resource-rich Africa where China has already taken a big lead, Modi apparently drew a contrast between the two models of business, saying "We have always believed in nurturing and nourishing not in exploiting." In this context, he invoked Mahatma Gandhi, saying his philosophy was to see everybody satisfied. The Prime Minister said his advise to Indian companies doing commerce in Africa was that "the spirit of African humanism, UBUNTU, should reflect" in their business ethos. "For Indian companies, South Africa is a home in this continent. Many leading Indian companies have a foot-print here. They are engaged in a wide range of activities. Many Indian CEOs are here with us. My advice to them is to see that their business results into socio--economic transformation of this great country," he said. Advertisement "I have been advocating three 'P's for India -- Public Sector, Private Sector and People's Partnership. I have been emphasising on the Personal Sector. The same applies here. Skill development and community empowerment should be central to your business plans," he said. Modi said it was encouraging to see that the business engagement between India and South Africa was not one way. "South African companies are also active in India. Many of them have presence on ground. We have learnt from your knowledge and benefited from your innovative products," he said. Talking about the steps taken by his government over the last two years to attract more foreign investment, like easing of norms and regulations, Modi said "all this is having a good impact on expansion of job market and rise in purchasing power of the people. This finally leads to India becoming a place with better quality of life and higher living standards." He said his government has ensured that "our growth is inclusive and embraces both rural and urban communities. We are taking a leap towards next generation infrastructure in both core areas and social sectors. Advertisement Emphasising the "unique" complementarities, Modi said socio-economic challenges of both India and South Africa are more or less same. "My advice is that the wheels of development should not be re-invented," he said. The Prime Minister said both the countries have immense natural resources and there is a need to properly harness them and to use them sustainably for welfare of the common man. "We can learn a lot from each other in this," he said. "We particularly want to engage with your world class mining companies. Some of them are already active in India. But we want strategic engagements on this front. Our interest in this sector is not one sided," Modi told the South African business leaders. Secondly, the challenge of climate change and the need of fast track development is before both the countries, he said. Advertisement For Indian companies, South Africa is a home in this continent. "We are both committed to clean and green pathways to progress. At the same time, we need energy resources," he said. "Our two countries have the unique benefit of opposite seasons. When it is summer or mango season in India, it is winter here, and vice versa. We can leverage this geographic advantage to market each other's fruits, vegetables and other perishables," he said. Pointing out that India has huge domestic market which offers massive opportunities for South African food processing industry, Modi said, "Our collaboration in this sector will bring value for our farmers and our villages." He said India is working on very ambitious plans of infrastructure, a "task which is pending from the days of Independence has to be completed fast now," an apparent dig at the previous governments. Advertisement "Together, we can do a lot to fill these gaps. India is best suited to help you in technology and skills. Efforts are already underway in these areas," the Prime Minister said. He said India and South Africa can work together in a number of areas, from defence to dairy; from hardware to software; from medicines to medical tourism; from soft skills to science and technology. "There are opportunities for us." He thanked the South African government for introducing 10-year BRICS visa for regular business travellers, saying the Indian industry is quite encouraged by the move. "In February this year, we launched our e-Visa programme for South Africa. This is valid for short term tourist and business travellers. You can now get your visa for India sitting at home in your email, and that too free of cost," he added. (Reopens FGN36) Earlier, the South African President Zuma said economic power in the world was still very much imbalanced between developed and developing countries. Advertisement "We have to take our destinies into our own hands," Zuma said. "Our two countries hold tremendous economic opportunities which must be unleashed through the India-SA Forum. "We need to explore ways and means of increasing and diversifying our trade initiatives in the different economies," he said. Zuma said the two countries were major players in the global economy and in shaping the global economy through organisations such as IBSA and BRICS. "We have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to the level of USD 18 billion by 2018," Zuma said, adding that a South-Africa-India Joint Trade Committee would be set up to supplement existing platforms. Modi and Zuma also heard inputs from the South Africa- India CEOs Forum, which met earlier in the day. Advertisement Vivian Reddy, South African co-chair of the Forum, which has met for the first time in five years, said that the Forum would play a crucial role in improving trade between the two countries. "South Africa provides the most viable base for exports into sub-Saharan Africa for India," Reddy said, adding that the Forum would be the midwife for Indian business on the African continent. Adi Godrej, Indian co-chair of the Forum, said both Indian and South African members of the Forum had decided to ramp up business amid the renewed sense of optimism among Indian business because of the reforms in India in the past two years. Advertisement Contact HuffPost India Also see on HuffPost: Advocates say healing takes time after former police officer arrested After a former Hutchinson police officer was arrested in a series of rapes and sexual assaults, victim advocates worry some victims might stay silent. Flying Cloud Institutes Executive Director to Step Down at Years End NEW MARLBOROUGH, Mass. Flying Cloud Institute has announced that Jane Burke will step down as executive director at the end of 2016 after 32 years in that role. As Flying Clouds founder and first executive director, Burke has overseen the organizations growth from an inventive experiment on a family farm in New Marlborough to a highly respected and effective educational force reaching more than 3,500 young people and hundreds of teachers through science and arts programs in schools and through other local partners throughout Berkshire County. Flying Cloud is thriving as never before, said Amy Rudnick, chair of the board of directors. With Jane as our leader, we have a strong set of effective programs, managed by a talented team of professionals, a solid financial footing and a number of trusted collaborative partners throughout Berkshire County. We have ample time to conduct a thoughtful search and transition successfully to new leadership. Our board, staff and donors are committed to seeing that the next generation of students can avail itself of the invaluable resource of Flying Clouds programs. Flying Cloud is a leader in science and arts professional development for teachers and innovative programming for youth in Berkshire County. Among its outstanding programs are its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in the Schools program that reaches students from Sheffield to Pittsfield; Young Women in Science, which inspires girls in grades 3-12 in the areas of STEM subjects and its renowned SMArt Summer Program for children ages 5-14. Its been a joy to do this work over all these years, Burke said. I have had the privilege of pursuing my personal passion for sharing science and art ideas with children while building a significant community resource. I never imagined that Flying Cloud Institute would continue after me. Im grateful that our Board, staff and donors value this work and are committed to continuing the programs for the next generation of young people. I look forward to having time to complete my curricular efforts on the Chemistry of Art for the classroom and to support innovative educational initiatives. Burke was publicly acknowledged for her work of several decades at the Berkshire Museum in March when she was named one of the 2016 recipients of the Berkshire Award for her significant contribution to the wider Berkshire community working to create, keep and promote our artistic, historic and natural heritage. A search committee, led by Rudnick and supported by Jennifer Dowley of Dowley Associates, has been formed to search for Burkes successor. As part of the transition plan, Flying Cloud Institute has moved its office from the New Marlborough campus to Great Barrington and will be a tenant at the newly renovated St. James Place on Main Street. The summer program remains on the New Marlborough campus. In addition, Lisa Lesser, an experienced educator from the Framingham, Massachusetts school district, has been hired to be director of Flying Clouds STEM in Schools Program. Imperial Valley News Center FTC Requests Public Comment on American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.s Application to Approve Divestiture of Assets to Matheson Tri-Gas Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application by American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. to sell some of its assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., a Delaware-based subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Snso Corporation of Japan. The divestiture is required by the FTCs May 2016 proposed order settling charges that the $13.4 billion merger of industrial gas producers American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. would likely harm competition in several U.S. and regional markets. In its application, American Air Liquide seeks to divest to Matheson all bulk oxygen, nitrogen, and argon assets; all retail packaged welding gases assets; and parts of its bulk liquid carbon dioxide assets, as specified in the proposed order. The Commission will decide whether to approve the proposed divestiture after expiration of a 30-day public comment period, beginning today and continuing through August 8, 2016. Comments can be filed electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the Supplementary Information section of the Federal Register notice. (FTC File No. 161 0045, the staff contact is Roberta Baruch, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2861). Anniversary of Crackdown on Lawyers and Rights Defenders in China Washington, DC - The Department of State remains deeply concerned about the continued detention in China of at least 23 defense lawyers and rights defenders and denial of access to independent legal counsel. These actions violate Chinas international commitments. A year ago, the Chinese government launched a nationwide campaign of intimidation against defense lawyers and rights defenders. More than 300 people have been interrogated, detained, arrested, placed under residential surveillance, or forbidden from leaving the country. This campaign undermines Chinas development of a judicial system that respects the rule of law. Jailing those who seek to defend the legal rights of others harms Chinas international image and its ability to build a rule of law society, which is a critical component to fostering innovation and creating sustainable prosperity in the 21st century. To this end, we urge Chinese authorities to immediately release the lawyers and rights defenders still in detention, drop the charges against them, and allow them to move freely and reunite with their families who they have not seen in a year. Mongolia's National Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I extend my best wishes to the people of Mongolia as you celebrate your 95th National Day on July 11. "When I visited Ulaanbaatar last month, I was deeply impressed by how the Mongolian people have combined your ancient traditions with a modern, forward-leaning society. "In the short 26 years since Mongolias transition to democracy, you have made remarkable progress in developing a robust free-market economy, promoting human rights both at home and around the world, and strengthening democratic institutions as exemplified by your recent parliamentary election and the transition of power from one political party to another. "The United States is deeply committed to helping Mongolia continue down its road to economic and democratic development, and we stand with you as you celebrate this important day." Kabob's Acquistion, Inc. Recalls Not Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible E. Coli O121 Contamination Washington, DC - Kabob's Acquisition, Inc., a Lake City, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 44,850 pounds of raw intact and heat treated, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) meat and poultry products that may be adulterated with E. coli O121, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The not ready-to-eat meat and poultry hors doeuvres items were produced on various dates between Dec. 8, 2015, and Jan. 15, 2016. The following products are subject to recall: Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Uncooked Chicken Breast Strip Fritter with Pecan Coating with case code 2005 and packaging date code PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Chicken Gyoza Potstickers with case code 3625 and packaging date code PM16A13. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Chicken Wonton with case code 370 and packaging date code PM15M23. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Cuban Style Frank in a Blanket with case code 179037 and packaging date code PM15M22. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Beef and Vegetables Topped with Mashed Potatoes with case code 7055 and packaging date code PM15M16. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Uncooked Mini Chicken Breast Meat and Ham Fritter with Cheese with case code 713 and packaging date code PM15M18 or PM15M11. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Beef Pastelitos with case code 7159 and packaging date code PM16A12 or PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Beef, Cheese and Vegetables in Pastry with case code 715 and packaging date code PM15M17 or PM15M11. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Latin Inspired Chicken and Cheese in Pastry with case code 7172 and packaging date code PM16A15. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Latin-Style Chicken & Cheese Turnover with case code 717 and packaging date code PM15M12, PM15M17, PM15M23, PM16A13, PM15M09, PM15M21or PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Duxelle, and Sherry in Puff Pastry with case code 725 and packaging date code PM15M15 or PM15M16. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Duxelle, and Sherry in Puff Pastry with case code 725 and packaging date code PM15M08 or PM15M09. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Petite Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Duxelle, and Sherry in Puff Pastry with case code 7261 and packaging date code PM15M15. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Chicken Quesadilla with case code 765 and packaging date code PM15M11. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Southwest Style Burrito with case code 784 and packaging date code PM15M09. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Chicken Marsala Mushroom Tart with case code 7273 and packaging date code PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Petite Uncooked White Chicken Meat & Mushroom Duxelle In Puff Pastry with case code 7279 and packaging date code PM16A13. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Uncooked White Chicken Meat and Mushroom Duxelle In Puff Pastry with case code 727 and packaging date code PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Eggs, Cheese and Bacon Crescent with case code 7893 and packaging date code PM15M17. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Mini Tart with Pizza Sauce, Cheese and Sausage with case code 7951 and packaging date code PM15M09. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Uncooked Coconut Chicken with case code 805 and packaging date code PM16A14. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Uncooked Sesame Chicken with case code 810 and packaging date code PM16A15. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Pad Thai Style Springroll with case code 8630 and packaging date code PM15M10 or PM15M11. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Buffalo Style White Chicken Springroll with case code 8639 and packaging date code PM15M10, PM15M16, PM15M18 or PM15M22. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Cashew Chicken Springroll with case code 863 and packaging date code PM15M22. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Pepperoni, Cheese and Vegetables In Dough with case code 885 and packaging date code PM16A15. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 100 pieces of Chorizo, Cheese and Beans Wrapped In Dough with case code 886 and packaging date code PM15M11 or PM16A15. Boxed plastic tray packages containing 200 pieces of Philly Brand Cheese Steak Springroll with case code 7280 and packaging date code PM15M09. The products subject to recall bear establishment number Est. 6640 or P-6640 inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to hotel, restaurant, and institutional locations nationwide. The problem was discovered when a supplier notified Kabobs Acquisition, Inc. that flour sold to the establishment was recalled by General Mills due to possible association with a multi-state Escherichia coli O121 illness outbreak. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these Kabobs Acquisition, Inc. products. General Mills recall can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm509693.htm Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), such as STEC O121 because it is harder to identify than STEC O157. People can become ill from STECs 28 days (average of 34 days) after consuming the organism. Most people infected with STEC O121 develop diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is uncommon with STEC O121 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Imperial County June Primary Election Update El Centro, California - The Imperial County Registrar of Voters office has certified the election results from the June 7, 2016 primary election. This elections voter turnout increased from 30% to 38% compared to the last election with 6,421 more residents voting. There are 63,133 registered voters in Imperial County with 169 precincts, of which 117 precincts are vote-by-mail and 52 are polling sites. The voting process on Election Day is a substantial undertaking that requires months of preparation and is supported by Imperial County Elections Department staff and more than 150 hard-working volunteers. Another option for registered voters is to vote pre-election day through early voting at the Registrars Office. Although not many voters took advantage of the early voting alternative, additional outreach will be done before the next election to inform the public about the opportunity. During this election, the Registrar of Voters identified several issues which were immediately addressed. Due to clerical error by the Registrar of Voters in adjusting the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) precinct lines, it was discovered that 413 registered voters received ballots that failed to include the IID Division 2 race. In addition, 54 voters received ballots that inadvertently included the IID Division 2 race. These errors, even if each of these voters properly participated in the election, would not change the outcome of the Division 2 race election results. The two candidates running for the IID Division 2 Director position are Bruce Kuhn and Dilda McFadden. The Registrar of Voters certified election results for the IID Division 2 race shows that Mr. Kuhn received 2,703 votes while Mr. McFadden received 1,991 votes providing Mr. Kuhn with 712 votes margin of victory. Even assuming 100% of the ballot errors were tabulated in favor of Mr. McFadden, Mr. Kuhn would still have won the election by 245 votes. The certified election results can be viewed online at the Registrar of Voters webpage at www.co.imperial.ca.us/regvoters. The Registrar of Voters will present for acceptance the certified election results at the Imperial County Board of Supervisors regular meeting next Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at the Westmorland Union Elementary School Multipurpose Room at 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Registrar of Voters office at (442) 265-1060. FTC and Florida Charge Tech Support Operation with Tricking Consumers Into Paying Millions for Bogus Services Washington, DC - The FTC and State of Florida have taken action against defendants who ran an international tech support operation and allegedly misrepresented to consumers that malware or hackers had compromised their computers and that the operation was associated with or certified by Microsoft and Apple to fix their computers. A federal court has temporarily shut down the defendants operation, frozen their assets, and placed control of the businesses with a court-appointed receiver. The complaint alleges that defendants, based in Florida, Iowa, Nevada, and Canada, relied on a combination of deceptive online ads and misleading, high-pressure sales tactics to frighten consumers into spending hundreds of dollars for dubious computer repairs and antivirus software. Scammers like these use incredibly deceptive tactics that make consumers think they are receiving warnings from legitimate technology companies, said Jessica Rich, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. We are proud to work with the Florida Attorney Generals Office to put an end to these fraudulent practices. According to the complaint, the defendants caused consumers computers to display advertisements designed to resemble security alerts from Microsoft or Apple. These ads warned consumers that their computers could be infected with malware and urged them to call a toll-free number in the ad to safeguard both their computer and sensitive personal information stored on it. According to the complaint, consumers who called the numbers in these ads were routed to the defendants call center in Boynton Beach, Fla., where telemarketers purported to run a series of diagnostics that inevitably discovered the existence of grave problems that must be immediately fixed at a cost of $200 to $300 by one of the defendants certified technicians. The defendants also frequently told consumers that they needed to spend an additional $200 to $500 to replace their existing antivirus software, which the defendants always claimed was outdated and ineffective. The complaint notes that consumers can acquire this software for a fraction of the cost charged by the defendants. In many instances, the software sold by the defendants to consumers with Apple computers is available as a free download. The defendants in the case are BigDog Solutions LLC (doing business as Help Desk National and Help Desk Global); PC Help Desk US LLC (doing business as Help Desk National and Help Desk Global); Inbound Call Specialist LLC; BlackOpteck CE Inc.; 9138242 Canada Corporation; Digital Growth Properties, LLC; Christopher J. Costanza (doing business as CJM Consulting, LLC); Suzanne W. Harris; Muzaffar Abbas; Gary Oberman; Donald Dolphin and Justin Powers. The defendants are charged with violations of the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The FTC and State of Florida are seeking to permanently stop the alleged illegal practices and obtain refunds for the victimized businesses. The FTC has taken numerous law enforcement actions against tech support operations since 2010, shutting down the scams and collecting substantial consumer redress. The FTC has extensive consumer education materials about tech support scams, including a new video. The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 3-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The court entered the temporary restraining order on June 28, 2016. Department of State Promotes U.S. Aerospace and Defense Technology at the Farnborough Air Show Washington, DC - Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tina Kaidanow will join a delegation of senior U.S. officials attending the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom from July 11-13, 2016. The delegation will advocate for U.S. selection in foreign commercial and defense contracts, promote U.S. defense sales abroad, and discuss how Export Control Reform supports our partners and allies. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will head the U.S. delegation, which also includes Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Frank Kendall, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley, and Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey. Senior military leadership from the U.S. European Command will also attend. The U.S. government promotes and supports U.S. industry through the daily efforts of employees in more than 200 U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. Every day, our diplomats work to promote U.S. companies wherever they operate driving exports, creating jobs, and accelerating our economic renewal with the knowledge that superior U.S. technology, expertise and innovation keeps U.S. goods and services among the most competitive. Marking the 12th Anniversary of the Murder of American Journalist Paul Klebnikov Washington, DC - In marking the anniversary of the murder of American journalist Paul Klebnikov, we remain deeply concerned about violence against journalists, impunity for such crimes, and increasing threats to the right to freedom of expression in the Russian Federation. Paul was dedicated to building the institution of independent media. His courageous work to expose corruption in Russia cost him his life. Twelve years later the perpetrators of the crime have not been brought to justice, and those who seek to shine a light on abuses of power in Russia often find their voices silenced by censorship, repressive legislation, or violence. We again call upon the Russian government to respect freedom of expression, to aggressively pursue those who commit acts of violence against journalists - including those responsible for Pauls death - and to end the culture of impunity. Support for Facilitation of National Dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the recent Inaugural Meeting of the Support Group for the Facilitation of the National Dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While not a member of this Group, the United States endorses the conclusions of the meeting, in which participants reaffirmed the crucial importance of holding a successful national dialogue with all Congolese stakeholders; called on stakeholders to create a conducive environment for the dialogue; offered support to the Facilitator and the dialogue process; welcomed ongoing efforts to urgently revise the voter registration list; and appealed for partner support for voter registration and to address Congos economic challenges. The United States urges Congolese political leaders to seize the opportunity afforded by this international Support Group; to ensure protection of political space and democratic rights enshrined in the Constitution; and to work constructively with the Facilitator appointed by the African Union to proceed quickly to an inclusive National Dialogue to find a consensus path forward on DRCs electoral timeline and its first democratic transfer of power. NATO Warsaw Summit Washington, DC - On July 8-9, 2016, President Obama and the heads of state and government of our 27 NATO allies, plus new observer state Montenegro, will gather in Warsaw, Poland, for a pivotal NATO Summit, the 27th since the signing of the Washington Treaty that established the Alliance in 1949. The last NATO Summit occurred in September 2014 in Wales. The summit will underscore NATO unity as allied leaders focus on defense, deterrence, and projecting stability beyond NATOs borders, ensuring the Alliance adapts to meet the full range of 21st century security challenges. To the east, Russias aggression against Ukraine threatens our vision of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. To the south, the terrorist threat from ISIL poses a growing danger to more allies, while the refugee and migrant crisis poses new challenges to Europe. At the summit, NATO will ensure it is able to respond to the full spectrum of security challenges from any direction. Strengthening and modernizing NATOs deterrence and defense posture will be a key deliverable at the summit. The 2014 Wales Summit focused on assurance and beginning to improve the readiness of allied forces. At the Warsaw Summit, allies will mark the full implementation of NATOs Readiness Action Plan including the tripling in size of the NATO Response Force with a brigade-sized high-readiness spearhead force at its core able to move within in a matter of days. Leaders will note solid progress towards the pledge on defense investment, and go beyond the assurance paradigm by modernizing the Alliances deterrence and defense posture. Specifically, allied leaders will take decisions to enhance collective defense by enhancing NATOs forward presence on the eastern flank through the deployment of one rotational battalion each in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, as well as developing a tailored forward presence in Romania and Bulgaria. In addition, NATO will further develop the Alliances ballistic missile defense capabilities, and ensure its nuclear deterrent remains credible, safe, secure, and effective. Allies will also take steps to build resilience against non-traditional challenges such as hybrid tactics, cyber vulnerabilities, and terrorist threats as essential components of credible deterrence and defense. Each of these efforts supports the explicit commitments allies have to one another in Articles 3 and 5 of the Washington Treaty regarding our individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack, the indivisibility of our security, and our mutual responsibility to contribute to collective defense. Together, these measures represent the largest reinforcement of NATOs collective defence and deterrence since the end of the Cold War. NATO does not seek confrontation, but will defend all allies against any threat. Everything NATO does is defensive, proportionate, and in line with each allys international commitments. Our deterrence and defense aims not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent one. Allies will also decide at the summit to expand the Alliances efforts to project stability beyond NATOs borders. All NATO allies are members of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (C-ISIL), and the Alliance will take additional steps at the summit to bolster C-ISIL efforts, including through direct NATO support to the C-ISIL coalition as well as through enhanced training of the Iraqi Security Forces. In the Aegean Sea, NATO is already providing capabilities to support EU and national efforts to address the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, and will seek to decide to further enhance our maritime security cooperation with the European Union to help address the security challenges in the Central Mediterranean Sea. NATO is also focusing and intensifying its defense capacity building and other areas of security cooperation with regional partners, such as Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania to address the root causes of instability. Allies will also modernize their approach to partnerships more broadly. NATOs partners are crucial security providers, many having contributed to NATOs ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo. At the summit, NATO will also highlight closer cooperation with the European Union as key to dealing with the evolving security environment and challenges faced by both organizations in concrete areas, such as fighting hybrid and cyber threats, supporting our partners in defence capacity building, and increasing maritime security. This collaboration is enhanced by the Alliances deepening cooperation with regional partners like Sweden and Finland, whose leaders will participate in Warsaw. NATO continues its assistance to partners in the East, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to strengthen resilience and boost self-defense capabilities in particular, with a comprehensive package of assistance for Ukraine and by strengthening the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package agreed at Wales. The Alliance remains committed to Afghanistans stability. At the summit, allies will agree to continue the Resolute Support train, advise, and assist mission in a flexible regional format beyond 2016, and just as crucially to sustain donor financial assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces through 2020 so the Afghans can defend their country and push back violent extremism. In December 2015, allies unanimously agreed to invite Montenegro to begin accession talks with NATO, and in May 2016 signed the Accession Protocol that will lead to membership once ratified by all NATO members. Montenegro will participate in all Warsaw Summit meetings. Its forthcoming membership will enhance stability in the Western Balkans and demonstrate the Alliances enduring commitment to its Open Door policy. Watch: Man Dodges Car But Ends Up Being Hit By Traffic Sign in Most Unusual Accident Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More often than not, actors will have a go-to answer for the majority of questions thrown at them by journalists. For instance, when speaking about the Coen Brothers, the duos numerous collaborators often call them whacky, incredible and like 'one minds in two bodies. In all fairness, the hyperbole does make a nice headline, but its not as revealing as some fans would like. Luckily, Josh Brolin has had enough. Having worked with the pair on numerous projects, including Hail, Caesar!, No Country For Old Men, and True Grit, the actor has told the press enough bullsh*t about the creative pair. Instead, he wants to set the record straight. In an interview with The Independent to promote the DVD release of the aforementioned Hail, Caesar!, Brolin spoke candidly about the Coen Brothers - Ethan and Joel - detailing the moment he died in his own bullsh*t talking about the directors on live TV and how the pair work on set. Also in the phone interview - which took place while Brolin was doing research for his upcoming film Granite Mountain - he praised Marvel (Why cant bigger movies be well acted?), revealed minor details about the George Clooney directed, Coen Brother written Suburbicon, and said how uncomfortable he feels being an actor. Read the full transcription below. Youve worked with the Coen Brothers numerous times now - Hail, Caesar!, No Country for Old Men - what makes you click with them? Maybe the absurdity factor. I just really enjoy their sensibility, I get it. I dont know why. You wouldnt think, because we come from extremely different backgrounds, and charismatically we come from very different backgrounds. But I think, I just get it. What they chuckle at makes me chuckle. Even this new movie, Suburbicon, which were going to do for George [Clooney] which Jo and Ethan [Coen] wrote, he called me and asked if Id be interested in doing a few scenes and I already knew it was a yes, because I knew it was written by Jo and Ethan. But then I read it and Im laughing out loud, and its not very often you laugh out loud at their stuff. Also, theres almost a mentorship in our relationship because they see in me the ability to play things, so they trust me to find my way through a role, that I wouldnt necessarily pick for myself. No Country, maybe not, but True Grit, we came up with something a little different for that. And with Hail, Caesar! we came up with something different. Its fun to create with them. I feel like all of us are on the ground with a lot of play-doh. Coen Borthers working on Hail, Cesar! Sounds like a fun environment to work in. Exactly, Lego and Play-doh. We do what we feel like doing. Just look at the movies theyre doing, like The Big Lebowski. Not even a hit when it first came out, they just made their money back. Everyone was satisfied, but then 20 years later it turns out to be a big cult hit, so you never know with their movies. I remember seeing Fargo and not quite getting it. Then I saw it three years later and thought it was the most brilliant movie I had ever seen. Theres something about when you know someone is doing movies that arent pandering to anybody but their own whimsical natures, theres something wonderful about that. Confusing but wonderful. When other actors have described working with them, theyve said theyre like one mind in two bodies. Is that the feeling you have working with them? Yeah, but you have to understand Ive done years of publicity on them. We all play up this thing - George does and I do - we all play up this thing about how weird and f*cking strange they are, and quiet, and all this stuff. But its really not. Like, Ethan said I saw you on a talk show the other day when we were coming out with Hail, Caesar! and I felt so bad for you. Because there was a moment where I didnt believe my own bullsh*t anymore. You tell the press things like theyre really weird and theyre like one mind in two heads and [the press] are like, one mind in two heads, thats a good soundbite, or whatever it is. You just lend yourself to it and you know youre doing it. I just caught myself, in an interview in front of millions of people and I died in my own bullsh*t for a couple of seconds. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The truth of the matter is, theyre the most pleasant, collaborative, incredibly creative guys Ive ever worked with. Theres nothing I would say no to. It could be horrendous and Id still say yes. They could say were going to do a Walt Disney story about pornography, and Id be like great, lets do it. I dont care. I just get it, its fun being with them. And its not necessarily fun, Im not on the set laughing the whole time, but I very much appreciate their level of discomfort and what I think makes them great writers. Thats all they have you know. Films to watch in 2016 Show all 30 1 /30 Films to watch in 2016 Films to watch in 2016 Hail, Caesar - 5 February The Coen brothers' latest film might be their most ambitious yet. Telling the story of a Hollywood fixer struggling to keep A-listers in line, it has a movie within a movie, an amazing cast, and, judging by the first trailer, some luxurious visuals Films to watch in 2016 Deadpool - 12 February Comic book superhero movies have been getting slowly more self-referential and self-parodic lately, and Deadpool looks to be taking itself even less seriously than Guardians of the Galaxy or Ant-Man. It looks as though fans will finally be getting the comic book-faithful, foul-mouthed version of the character they wanted, but it remains to be seen whether Deadpool will actually be funny, or just descend into toilet humour Films to watch in 2016 Zoolander No. 2 - 12 February Zoolander's return was derailed somewhat by backlash over a trans/gender fluid character played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The long-awaited sequel will no doubt do well at the box office, but I'm not sure if the fashion industry is as fertile for satire now as it was in 2001, and the trailer relies too heavily on honouring old gags rather than creating new ones Films to watch in 2016 Knight of Cups - 4 March A new film from Terrence Malick should have been a huge cause for celebration, but Knight of Cups has been swimming in post-Cannes purgatory for months now. In March it will finally get a theatrical release. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman, it sees a man return home from New York and get sucked into the hollow hedonism of LA, fighting to extricate himself from it Films to watch in 2016 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - 4 March Based on journalist Kim Barkers 2011 memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this dark comedy sees Tina Fey play a foreign correspondent reporting in the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom, where she develops a weird relationship with a fellow journalist played by Martin Freeman Films to watch in 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - 18 March The wind seems to have gone out of the sails of the Man of Steel series in spite of the addition of a new Batman, and there's a more palpable anticipation for Suicide Squad (which arrives later in the year) Films to watch in 2016 Everybody Wants Some - 15 April Coming off the back of multi-Oscar winner Boyhood, this Richard Linklater film looks a lot like Dazed and Confused if it was set in the 80s, albeit pitched more towards comedy Films to watch in 2016 The Jungle Book - 15 April Disney is trampling on its own hallowed ground with this live action remake. Elf and Iron Man director Jon Favreau is a fairly safe pair of hands though, and Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito and Bill Murray are all on board Films to watch in 2016 Money Monster - 13 May 'Financial TV personality Lee Gates, who offers up stock advice on his hit show "Money Monster," is held hostage by a viewer, Kyle Budwell, who lost all of his money following a bad tip from Lee during his show' Films to watch in 2016 Snowden - 13 May Platoon director Oliver Stone takes on a very important and timely story. But can he make it entertaining the way The Big Short did with the financial crisis? Films to watch in 2016 X-Men Apocalypse - 27 May 2016 will see a ninth X-Men film. Ninth. Every cast member you would expect will be back to collect their paychecks, which might require a crane Films to watch in 2016 Finding Dory - 17 June The Finding Nemo sequel will focus on Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful blue tang fish. It's expected to have an anti-SeaWorld message, which should make it strike a chord with parents as well as children Films to watch in 2016 Independence Day: Resurgence - 24 June Will Smith isn't in it. Moving on Films to watch in 2016 The BFG - 1 July There's still a lot of love for Roald Dahl's stories, and this one is being adapted by none other than Steven Spielberg. There hasn't been a huge amount of buzz around it but it's early days, and Mark Rylance is an interesting casting for the titular Big Friendly Giant Films to watch in 2016 La La Land - 15 July There's a lot of expectation on director Damien Chazelle's shoulders following the success of Whiplash, one of the smallest films ever to have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. La La Land will certainly be different, a musical comedy-drama about a young pianist and an actor played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone respectively Films to watch in 2016 Ghostbusters - 15 July This is something of a question mark. On one hand, it's landed a cast of incredibly funny actresses, but on the other, another reboot? Really? There's also thought to be a very meta all-male version in the works from the creators of Jump Street, set in the same universe as Men In Black no less Films to watch in 2016 Star Trek Beyond - 22 July If you thought Abrams' Star Trek films were bad, feast your eyes on the trailer for the next one from the director of the Fast & Furious franchise. Expect major face-palming from Trekkies in July. Hopefully the new TV show will offer something a bit less action-orientated and a bit more cerebral Films to watch in 2016 Untitled fifth Bourne film - 29 July The Bourne series completely went off the boil with Jeremy Renner as its lead, but now both Matt Damon and original director Paul Greengrass are back to steady the ship. This might well be Jason Bourne's last outing, so I hope they send him off in style Films to watch in 2016 Suicide Squad - 5 August Harley Quinn was one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year, despite the holiday falling months before the release of the film she's in. That says a lot about the hype over this comic book adaptation, which revels in the villains rather than the heroes for once and sees Jared Leto step into Heath Ledger's size 58 boots as the new Joker Films to watch in 2016 Sully - 9 September Friendly-looking dad named Chesley Sullenberger who saves a plane load of people? Tom Hanks is your guy. Clint Eastwood will direct this biopic, about an airline captain who was hailed as a national hero in the US after successfully executing an emergency water landing on the Hudson River off Manhattan Films to watch in 2016 Bridget Joness Baby - 16 September It's 2015 and Bridget is now pouring her soul into an iPad rather than a diary. This sequel might perfectly skewer the frustration of growing up in an increasingly youth-orientated world, or it might just serve to tarnish the originals like with Sex and the City 2 Films to watch in 2016 The Magnificent Seven - 23 September I'm not convinced there's the demand for Westerns that Hollywood seems to think there is. We'll find out in September with Antoine Fuqua's remake of 1960's The Magnificent Seven. Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke are among the gang Films to watch in 2016 Masterminds - 30 September Based on the 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina, this comedy comes from the man behind Napoleon Dynamite. Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis form a strong cast, but there are no trailers to go on yet Films to watch in 2016 The Girl on the Train - 7 October That book everyone was reading on the commute inevitably makes it cinemas in October, with Emily Blunt playing Rachel Watson, an alcoholic whose husband left her for his mistress, and who witnesses a murder and starts to realize that she may have been involved in the crime Films to watch in 2016 Doctor Strange - 4 November Doctor Strange might not have been the most obvious character to take to the big screen, but by this point Marvel could make $1billion at the box office from a comic an exec once scrawled on a piece of toilet paper Films to watch in 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 18 November J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut adapting her own book here, with a film that takes place in the Harry Potter universe but is well removed from Hogwarts Films to watch in 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 16 December Disney is releasing a Star Wars movie every year between now and 2020. This first standalone 'anthology' film centres on a Death Star heist, but may prove to just be filler while Star Wars 8 is in production Films to watch in 2016 Passengers - 21 December 'A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single passenger is awakened 60 years early. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he eventually decides to wake up a second passenger' Films to watch in 2016 Jumanji - 25 December Is nothing sacred? Everyone is so pissed about this remake of the Robin Williams cult hit that it will be a miracle if it escapes a critical drubbing Films to watch in 2016 Silence - sometime in 2016 Martin Scorsese's next film doesn't have a mafioso or corrupt banker in sight. Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield star, playing two Jesuit Portuguese Catholic priests who face violent persecution when they travel to Japan to seek out their mentor and spread the teachings of Christianity Almost every time you hear about the Coen brothers, it really is always how strange and amazing they are, but it just sounds like they are just nice people to work with and good fun. They are, just very pleasant. And now I dont expect anything. I think, in the beginning, it was a little tougher because a lot of directors are feeding you a lot of stuff. Theyre telling you - I dont get this very often, but I know this is a general feeling - you either get yelled at or manipulated into a certain performance of what they think theyre manipulating you into, over-directing. Or there are other people who dont really know what theyre doing or feeding you lots of compliments thinking that will help. But Joel and Ethan dont do either. They just do the job. Theyre pleasant while they do it, but many, many, many times have I finished a scene and then looked for their approval, but theyre already moving to the next set because were done. Thats the point, were done with that scene. Theres no point being like Oh my God, Josh. Youre amazing. Youre incredible. Thank God we hired you. Theres none of that, ever. There was one thing that they did say, and they didnt say it to me directly, but they did say youll be under-appreciated for this movie [Hail, Caesar!], which I appreciated very much. How did that get to you? Because somebody told me, who I trusted. They said that, even though the character is a very big character, hes a through line, and theres a lot of extreme personalities and caricatures that come at me. Like Tilda [Swinton], who - even though shes a real person - its naturally a very heightened tone. Even the way Eddy [Brolins character] speaks, all that sh*t that he does, its still toned down compared to most people in the film. Tilda is big. George [Clooney] is big. Even Alden [Ehrenreich], who I thought was the best person in the movie, even he is big. I was having this conversation with a colleague earlier, because the other actors in the film are big, yet, youre always quite understated and relaxed. In other films, you often have this edge. Was it different to be this all round nice guy, compared to those other roles? It was necessary for me to do. It just came at the right time. I was tired of all the intensity. Seriously, people in my life dont understand because they say 'youre so not that guy sitting there brooding. Thats not why I did the movie, but Im at a point and an age in my life where Im interested in trying other things. I feel like Ive been respectfully accepted by the art world and thats wonderful, and Im very grateful for that, and the movies Ive been chosen to do, like Hail, Caesar! or Inherent Vice, or W. Some crazy, f*cking weird ass movies. But at the same time, Im interested in expanding, and I dont know what that looks like. One thing that Marvel has done that I really appreciate, even though were doing this Marvel movie - and its one of the reasons Im doing it - what I love is that Who is the Incredible Hulk? Just say that, The Incredible Hulk. You cant help but smile because youre talking about The Incredible Hulk. But Mark Ruffalo is the Incredible Hulk. Thats f*cking cool. Thats amazing. All these actors that are coming up for Marvel, Ive got to hand it to them and their movies are doing so well. Whether you like the movies or not, thats beside the point, people are coming in and acting these roles well. And I think that says a lot for people like Marvel. Why cant bigger movies be well acted? Why is it only the small art movies that nobody sees that are well acted, or at least thats the perception. I like the idea of expanding and having other directors as well. Were doing a follow-up to Sicario and its not going to have the same director, but Im excited. A lot of people are coming out of Europe, a lot of great people. The contrast between Marvel and something like Hail, Caesar! is quite interesting because in one youre this big blue guy in a floating chair, Thanos, the other a regular guy trying to get by in Hollywood. You go from one end of the spectrum to the other, and if you feel comfortable doing that, thats great. But I dont feel comfortable. Thats why Im doing it. I dont feel comfortable doing any of this stuff for the most part. Hail, Caesar! is comfortable for the most part, as it was. But its a hard thing, an unnatural thing. You try walking around talking in an accent, or before you do a scene - its hard to get your voice down there because I dont smoke anymore. So youre going Yellow letter, red letter. One. Two. Three. One. One. And you feel like an idiot. Its a fashion of humiliation. At the end of the day, which is all that really matters, when the movie comes out you hope that people are going to enjoy it and think that what you do is the easiest thing you can do as a profession. What sort of role would you feel comfortable in? Theres not a role. There is no comfort in it. I know people who were in high school plays who are like Oh my God, isnt this so fun, and I never got that. I wanted to, but I never got it. Then why do it? Because Im fascinated. Im fascinated by the process, I think going around - traveling to all these places - I think thats great. In what other profession do you get to do that? I just went to Arizona to learn about firefighting, and I get to completely saturate myself in that sort of stuff, which is totally great. Then Im going to go play some 50s guy who runs a studio. Then Im gonna go play a guy who is dealing drugs on the US-Mexican border. Hail, Caesar! is available to own on Digital HD now and on Blu-ray & DVD from 11th July, courtesy of Universal Pictures (UK). On October 25, the complainant who charged Eldose with assault, rape, murder-bid and defamation charges, filed two more cases against him - for assaulting her again and disrespecting womanhood. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Where are you at the moment? Driving to work to do some filming right now. Are you a big Star Wars fan? Huge! I grew up on the original trilogy, my parents showing them to me on video. Then I was just the right age for the prequel trilogy when growing up, watching them in the cinema. Its interesting that so many generations are affected by Star Wars. Of course, I grew up when the original trilogy started while you caught up with them on DVD. Well, VHS! Haha, yeah. There are so many generations of Star Wars fans now, and now Episode VII has opened it up to a whole other generation that may have not otherwise even dipped into the DVDs from the past films. Its fascinating. I still find it odd when I meet people who havent seen Star Wars. You just dont think they exist, but they do actually exist. Its very strange when you talk to someone who has no clue. I did a little Vox Pop thing called Star Watch when I went up to people on the street to talk to them about Star Wars and it was quite surprising how many people didnt have a knowledge of Star Wars even though it's one of the biggest franchises in the world. There are still quite a lot of people who dont know. I asked one woman whats the Millennium Falcon and she thought it was a pub! It was incredible. There are so many references to Star Wars in pop culture that there must be jokes people dont understand. Oh yeah. Its part of our popular culture, isnt it. If you don't know Star Wars you miss out on a lot of stuff in other things that are nothing to do with Star Wars. Talking about our love for Star Wars, when did yours begin? When I was seven and went to see Star Wars in the cinema. Prior to that, I think Id seen Bambi, which is a great film. But when you see Star Wars its this whole new thing, and from that point, I loved going to movies. I wouldnt say it was a moment where I wanted to be an actor or a filmmaker. A lot of people say it changed their lives and gave them the answer to what career they should have, but for me it was just, I love that film. I remember reciting, almost word for word, the whole thing to my mum. Its interesting looking back at that time and not know Star Wars would be such a massive part of my life and career, for the last 35 years now. Because there arent many projects that you do in your career which you continually talk about and feel like you just worked on. Its an honour. Youre talking about 35 years ago when you were Wicket in Return of the Jedi. Do you still enjoy the series as much as you did back then? No, because when I watch films - be it Star Wars or any other film at the moment - I have to separate the actor Warwick Davis and the fan Warwick Davis. I see them in two different ways, and still enjoy them as much from a fan perspective, but also, I cant help but analyse them as pieces of filmmaking. I think I can still enjoy them as much as everyone else can. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Simon Pegg said a similar thing before he was in Star Wars. He didnt want to be in it because it might take away that magic. I didnt have a chance to worry about it, because when I was in Return of the Jedi I was 11. It was, of course, a chance to get closer to this thing that I love. It was like Wow, I get to go and be part of that Star Wars universe now and interact with my heroes. If anything, it has enhanced my experience of it. To go to these things, like Star Wars Celebration, to talk about Star Wars, I have to be a fan of it, because hosting events would be hard without having a passion and sharing that with the fans. Its not the hardest thing in the world to sit there and talk about it when youre a fan. Sounds like a dream job for a fan! It really is. I think it is. Whats interesting is you get the fans in the audience who know more about our characters than we do sometimes, which is quite scary. Im not a mine of information about Star Wars, but I do need to know enough to have intelligent conversations with people about it. As I said, there could be worse jobs in the world. Before every celebration, I watch all the films again, just so theyre fresh in my head because theres so much in them. It doesnt matter how many times youve seen them. I can recite every line from Star Wars: A New Hope, but I still watch them. It must be difficult when you gets those questions about Star Wars book number 4008. Thats the expanded universe. Im not so hot on it, and if you do go off into that realm I will quite gladly say I dont know what youre talking about and Ill ask them to enlighten me and we all learn something. Youre hosting the Star Wars Celebration. How does doing an event for a singular franchise compare with doing those for multiple franchises, such as Comic-Con? Its more focused - a huge number of people sharing one thing they enjoy - its a lot more focused. Its a lot more than just the films; its the toys, the video games, everything surrounding it. Its not even just a particular age group, the demographic is very wide. Now youve got Episode VII, with more fans, and people like me, who grew up watching the classic trilogy. A real community of people who have grown up with these films. Theyre the ones who come to these events, share stories, memories, and enjoy everything Star Wars has to offer still. And now were into this whole new set of films because we had this period where there wasnt anything new, but the fans were still there, still loyal, but nothing new to get particularly excited about. Now you have the movies, everything, so its an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. There's so much coming out, Rogue One and Episode VIII, its like, after so many years, just waiting for the prequel trilogy, its all come at once. Its too much at once! We dont know which way to turn because we have Rogue One, then Episode VIII, then Han Solo, then the new video-game. Its feast or famine in this situation, but here we are. At the Celebration, we have many discussions going on about Rogue One, Episode VIII and Han Solo, with lots of exclusives. Speaking of the new projects, are you in either Rogue One or Episode VIII? I cant discuss that or can talk about any of the future films Im afraid. Never mind, worth a shot! Lets talk about your past work then, because you were in Phantom Menace in multiple roles, including playing Yoda and one of Anakins friends. How did working on that film compare to working on Phantom Menace? Because you were with George Lucas on one, then JJ Abrams on the other, was there a different feeling on set? The reason those films were different was because of the techniques used. Phantom Menace was a film exploring new technologies. We had the use of CG which was very prominent. For me, as a performer, and some of the other actors, we had very little to work with. Many of the sequences were simply a green screen environment, and you had to imagine everything you were going to see. We had storyboards, sometimes animated ones to give us a sense of what was around us. I thought it was all amazing, the technology, giving the freedom to the filmmaker in that sense. Going onto Episode VII it felt a lot more like a traditional filmmaking process again. The reason for that was Kathleen Kennedy, she said 'When we go into Episode VII Im going to use all the tools in the toolbox. In other words, youve got CG, youve got puppeteering, youve got creature performers, youve got model making; all these techniques that have been used over the years and been honed by Star Wars. To take all of these techniques and use the most suitable application to whatever youre trying to make, thats the way to go. Not just to try and use one technique just because you can. You have to ask whats the best way to make this particular thing work. Sometimes it's a case of all of those techniques, and I think thats what made Episode VII feel traditional, like the Star Wars I remember seeing when I was seven. There are elements of green screen, but it was great seeing puppeteers and performers working together to create these characters. Its fascinating, because when you see these CG characters on screen, theyre amazing, but as a human being you look at these characters and theres this lifelessness to them. Look at a performer in a suit, there a subconscious something from that performance that makes you believe there is life in it. Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Show all 45 1 /45 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art It seems more organic. Yeah, because its not because of the way it looks. You can have a CG character thats brilliantly rendered, yet, still, to me when theres a performer there it feels more, as you say, organic. Like theres life in it that even comes through the screen. Thats incredible. Im a big supporter of that performance element because thats where I started. Episode VII, not just the effects but the story, all harkened back to those older Star Wars films. It was celebrating what came before but to move on to the next chapter, and it did it brilliantly. I think thats because it involved humour, not taking itself too seriously at times, which is what people love. Because we love that retrospective, not taking itself seriously, which is all a bit bonkers, but are we having a good time or what. Thats what I remember Star Wars being and I think it captured it so well. Your daughter was also in Force Awakens. Does she share your enthusiasm for the series? Well, shes grown up with Star Wars. She was born when I was doing Phantom Menace. My wife normally comes with me to these locations, but she couldnt as she was pregnant with Annabelle. Of course, when she was older we revisited those films, and she comes to these events with us. Its more normal than something shes chosen to follow, but she was excited to be in it. She got the part before I did. And she loves seeing it, and the further expanded stuff, like graphic novels that involve her character, so its exciting for her to see the characters take on a life of their own outside the film. Thats whats interesting about Star Wars as you can be a minor character in the film, but then outside be quite a major character outside of it. Boba Fett is a great example, where initially he doesnt have a huge amount of screen time, but his life beyond the movies is huge. There were rumours there was going to be a Boba Fett spin-off film, which is crazy when you think he only had five minutes of screen time before being eaten in Return of the Jedi. But many fans do profess he is still not dead. I dont know whether he didnt get digested or he managed to get out, but I do enjoy telling fans he is definitely dead. Just trust us on that. But they wont have it - who knows how he got out. Its great that youve embraced Star Wars because many people in these sort of projects try and leave them behind. I think you have to embrace them. Ive embraced everything Ive been in in my career. I dont think Ive ever done anything I want to just sweep under the carpet because its all lovely. Star Wars more than any, Harry Potter a close second, I have embraced that. I dont think a day goes by when I dont end up talking about or doing something that relates to Star Wars in some way. There are so many facets that I enjoy, which is fascinating. Imagine being in a project that you didnt like, that kept coming back to haunt you, that would be horrendous. Fortunately, I do enjoy it. Even some people related to Star Wars probably didnt have the best experiences. Its probably the luck of the draw, but it is what you make of it. Just look at Wicket, hes just an Ewok who wasnt a major character with lots of screen time, but a certain group of fans looked back to that character and there are people who had the teddy bear of that character. Well, you brought him to life and now hes in the hearts of thousands of people, which must feel great. It does, I mean, you look at my son who is playing the new Lego Force Awakens game and it starts at the end of Return of the Jedi, and Wicket is one of the main characters who you play. Hes a dude with a bow. Its a weird moment watching my son play him, but its very cool. Star Wars Celebration takes place at London ExCeL centre 15th July-17th July. For tickets and more information, visit here. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Star Trek Beyonds decision to make Sulu gay seemed less of a nuanced character choice than a desperate attempt to shoehorn in an LGBT character, and George Takei certainly felt it. Sulu, played by John Cho, will be pictured with a male spouse raising their infant child in the new sequel, something Simon Pegg worked into the script as an homage to Takei, who previously played Sulu and is a well-known LGBT activist. Pegg and Lin probably presumed Takei would be honoured, but he is anything but. "Im delighted that theres a gay character," he told The Hollywood Reporter, [but] unfortunately, its a twisting of Genes [Roddenberry] creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think its really unfortunate." The actor went on to explain how fastidious Roddenberry was in his character creation, Sulu being named after the Sulu Sea off the coast of the Philippines, and that the Star Trek creator always saw Sulu as heterosexual. John Cho as Hikaru Sulu When he learned of Sulu's sexuality change, he implored the producers to: "Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted." But surely its fine if they take the character in a different direction?, I hear you cry, sure - except that the new trilogy is set before the original TV series (in which Sulu presumably goes back into the closet?!) "I really tried to work with these people when at long last the issue of gay equality was going to be addressed," Takei said. "I thought after that conversation with Justin that was going to happen. Months later, when I got that email from Simon Pegg, I was kind of confused. He thinks Im a great guy? Wonderful. But what was the point of that letter? I interpreted that as my words having been heard." Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition Show all 10 1 /10 Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641472.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641477.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641479.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641476.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641478.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641475.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641471.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641470.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641473.bin Picture preview: The 45th anniversary Star Trek art exhibition 641474.bin Simon Pegg has since responded to the Guardian, saying: I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humour are an inspiration, he wrote. However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him. Hes right, it is unfortunate, its unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasnt featured an LGBT character until now. We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the gay character, rather than simply for who they are, and isnt that tokenism? It's a fair point, but implies that it's impossible to introduce a gay character without their sexuality being their defining characteristic. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Earlier this week, on casting Scarlett Johansson as the lead protagonist in Ghost in the Shell, producer Steven Paul said: Ghost in the Shell was a very international story, and it wasnt just focused on Japanese; it was supposed to be an entire world. Thats why I say the international approach is the right approach to it. From those comments, as well as the rest of the interview, you would be inclined to think the upcoming film is distancing itself from being inherently Japanese, therefore offering some explanation as to why Johanssons character isnt played by a Japanese actor. (Plus, Paul added that Major Kusanagi, as she is known in the manga comics, will only be referred to as The Major in the film, again distancing the Hollywood production from its Japanese roots.) Yet, in an interview with AP, Kaori Momoi, a Japanese actor who appeared in Memoirs of a Geisha, was revealed to be playing Johanssons mother in the film, confusing fans once more as it turns out the main character is at least half-Japanese. Hollywood whitewashing controversies Show all 11 1 /11 Hollywood whitewashing controversies Hollywood whitewashing controversies Scarlett Johansson cast as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell Blonde, white US actress Scarlett Johansson was announced to be playing the clearly Japanese character Motoko Kusanagi in Hollywood's Ghost in the Shell remake, much to the dismay of Asian film fans Hollywood whitewashing controversies Tilda Swinton cast as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange Marvel sparked outrage when Anglo-Scottish actress Tilda Swinton was cast as Tibetan mystic The Ancient One alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange Hollywood whitewashing controversies Zoe Saldana was criticised for 'blacking up' to play the considerably darker-skinned soul singer Nina Simone in Nina AP Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Prince of Persia The half Jewish, quarter Swedish actor was cast to play a Middle Eastern Prince in Disney's 2010 film Hollywood whitewashing controversies Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily in forthcoming film Pan Mara was been cast in the role of American Indian Tiger Lily, sparking an online protest from angry film fans Warner Bros Hollywood whitewashing controversies Christian Bale plays Moses in Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings Ridley Scott claimed he would never cast 'Mohammed so-and-so from such-and-such a country' in a lead role in his Biblical epic, and went on to cast an entirely white cast instead Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jim Caveziel plays Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ Catholic star Mel Gibson chose to cast a Caucasian American actor in the role of Jesus for his controversial film AP Hollywood whitewashing controversies Micky Rooney plays a Japanese neighbour in Breakfast at Tiffany's Who better to play Holly Golightly's Japanese neighbour IY Yunoishi than American actor Mick Rooney. At least Hollywood has come some way since 1961 YouTube Hollywood whitewashing controversies Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo Ben Affleck became the subject of a few editorials in Latin American newspapers for casting himself (an American with English, Irish, Scottish and Swiss ancestry) as a Mexican CIA operative Hollywood whitewashing controversies Jennifer Connelly plays Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind Alicia Lopez-Harrison de Larde was a naturalised US citizen from El Salvador, but was played by an actress of Jewish, Irish and Norwegian descent YouTube Hollywood whitewashing controversies Chinese actresses cast in Memoirs of a Geisha What better way to alienate Japanese cinemagoers than to cast three Chinese actresses in the lead roles in a film about Japanese culture REUTERS To many fans, this has come as quite a contradiction, as why would they distance The Major from the Kusanagi, only to make her half-Japanese? It's also surprising that the filmmakers are persuing the Japanese aspect of the character, yet haven't hired a Japanese actor. Of course, there could be numerous explanations - perhaps she is adopted - but the news has not sat well with some fans. Momoi went on to praise Johansson, saying I felt blessed to have worked with her, while also describing Hollywood as an amazing opportunity for Asian actors. "Compared to Japan, there is so much potential and recognition in the U.S. for independent films, she told the news agency. Meanwhile, comic author Jon Tsuei said of Ghost in the Shell: You can Westernise the story if you want, but at that point it is no longer Ghost In the Shell because the story is simply not Western. The film hits UK cinemas 31 March 2017. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After months of speculation, Alicia Vikanders appointment as the new Lara Croft in Tomb Raider was welcomed with open arms (despite some fans wishing Daisy Ridley got the role). Finally, the film has a released date, and its a little later than the expected 2017 release date. Warner Bros. has announced the video-game based film will reach cinemas 16 March 2018, while their Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson starting thriller, Unforgettable, is set for 21 April 2017. The March 2018 date was previously saved for an untitled DC film, thought to be The Flash, yet the studio has so far not offered a release date for that film. Tomb Raider will be directed by The Waves Roar Uthaug. Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Show all 17 1 /17 Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider lara1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider lara-1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider 4642tombraider_pack_xbox18.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider 3096TRL_PSP_Ess_PFT_PEGI.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider lara-croftv1_WWII_SOS_02.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider laraoriginal.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Lara_GreatEscape_01.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider early-lara-croft-2.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider 9Lara-Croft-Confrontation_1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider lara-croftBIKE1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider lara-croft_WWII_SOS_01_1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider early-lara-croft3.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Lara-Croft-Hanging-on-for-l.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Lara-Croft-ENTRANCE.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider Lara-Croft-Must-hide_1.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider laraold.jpg Lara Croft: from shy girl to Tomb Raider larateen_1.jpg The last time we saw Tomb Raider on the big screen, Angelina Jolie played the titular character, starring as Croft in both 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and 2003's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Vikander was last seen in The Danish Girl alongside Eddie Redmayne, a role for which she won an Oscar. In 2016, the actor will star in Matt Damons Jason Bourne and The Light Between Oceans, alongside Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A homeless Lithuanian man who beat a fellow rough sleeper to death in a senseless act of violence has been sentenced to life in prison. Tadeus Sareiko, 45, was given a term of at least 25 years for the murder of Normunds Kazdins, 39, from Latvia. Community support officers found Sareiko in a drunken state and helped him back to the garages in Jessop Close, Woolwich, south London, where he was sleeping. Inside, they found a body covered up. It appeared to have been seriously beaten, a police statement said, and attending paramedics confirmed the body was dead. Sareiko and another man present at the scene were arrested on suspicion of murder. The second man was later eliminated from detectives' enquiries and released with no further action. The victim was later identified as Mr Kazdins, who was also believed to be homeless. A post-mortem examination gave his cause of death as blunt force trauma to his head and chest, and indicated he had been punched, kicked and stamped on, the statement said. It continued: When interviewed by detectives, Sareiko admitted he knew the deceased as Sergi [Popov] and by a nickname of 'Millionaire'. He told officers that he had been drinking heavily in the week before Mr Kazdin's death was discovered, and found it difficult to remember days and events in that time. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2022 Visitors at the PoliNations garden in Victoria Square, Birmingham, which is made up of five 40ft high tree installations and over 6,000 plants. The PoliNations programme aims to explore how migration and cross-pollination have shaped the UKs gardens and culture PA However, Sareiko did admit that when he was drunk he could become violent if provoked. He denied intending to kill Mr Kazdin, but admitted he did lose control. And when Sareiko was told a significant witness had reported him as saying 'I killed the man', he stated he could not recall or remember this. Sareiko was charged with murder on Friday, 1 January. He denied the charge but was convicted on Tuesday, 5 July following a two-week trial. Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn, who led the investigation, said: "Normunds died in a senseless act of violence and I hope his family take some comfort at this difficult time from this conviction. I also want to thank the local community, many of whom knew Normunds, for their help in securing this result." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Dozens of protesters who staged a march over recent police killings in the US have blockaded a crossroads in south London, bringing a number of major streets to a standstill. Demonstrators chanted "black lives matter" and "racist police, our streets" as they drew large crowds to Windrush Square in Brixton. Traffic was halted for at least four hours as local buses were re-routed, and there were reports of scuffles between protesters and disgruntled drivers. The sit-in protest developed after hundreds marched from the square to the local police station, calling for justice over the fatal shootings of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. A police helicopter flew overhead and scores of officers were deployed to the edge of the protest, but with tensions running high police seemed reluctant to get too close. Some protesters cheered as one man shouted through a loudspeaker "we have locked down Brixton". Another man, Vincent Lee, 37, and his partner Jessica Osibona told the Press Association they came to the march as a mark of solidarity of the events in the US over the past week. Mr Lee said: "It is a mess. Predominantly it is happening in America with their gun laws but we came down to show we are united with them." He added: "It is hard because I'm mixed. I've got white family members too. The officers who got killed in Dallas, they've got families too." Ms Osibona said she felt "compelled" to join the protest having followed the Black Lives Matter movement over the past year. She said: "I was looking for some kind of inspiration as to what we can do collectively." She added it was her first such protest and had given her an "overwhelming feeling of unity". Dozens of buses and cars were forced to queue back along Brixton Road as the protesters blocked traffic outside the Ritzy Cinema. One bus driver said he had been stuck for more than two hours. Scuffles broke out at one point after protesters said a bus driver made a derogatory remark towards them. He was punched by one protester after being ushered away by six or seven police officers. One officer told the PA he believed the driver had been arrested. Officers then backed away from the crowd who remained in the road playing music. The protest was one of a number planned in the UK since the shooting incident at a Black Lives Matter rally in Dallas on Thursday night, when five white police officers were killed. A suspect in the shooting was later killed by a police-operated explosive, and named as 25-year-old Micah Johnson. On Friday, sections of central London came to a standstill as protesters marched in the Houses of Parliament, in a rally organised by the Black Lives Matter London movement. And another protest has been organised for Sunday morning, beginning in Oxford Circus at 10am. Update: The Brixton sit-in protest cleared at around midnight on Saturday Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two teenagers who died at the T in the Park music festival in Perthshire have been named as Megan Bell and Peter McCallum. The 17-year-olds were from County Durham in the north-east of England and Lochgilphead on the west coast of Scotland respectively, according to a report in the Sunderland Echo. While the police are treating their deaths a suspicious, investigating officers are looking at the possibility they were drug-related. As a result, T festival organisers have set up amnesty bins for in the campsites to anonymously dump recreational drugs. They said in a tweet: "Dump your drugs. Amnesty bins are now in the campsite at welfare. Bin them and you won't be in any trouble. "Look after each other. If you or your friends feel unwell, get help right away from any festival staff. "There's no safe way to take drugs. Don't take the risk." 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 Chief Superintendent Angela McLaren said: "We are continuing to investigate these deaths and are following lines of inquiry, including the possibility that they may be drug-related. "I would remind all persons attending the festival that there is no safe way of taking drugs. "Anyone who has any concerns for themselves or others at the festival should contact festival staff, police officers or medics for assistance." Police are also appealing for information after a cash machine was stolen from the festival's main arena sometime between midnight on Thursday and 7am on Friday. The ATM contained a "significant" amount of cash, officers said, as they asked any witnesses to come forward. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK's oldest person has died at the age of 113. Gladys Hooper died in Highfield Nursing Home in Ryde, Isle of Wight, on Saturday. The former concert pianist had her birthday in January and had celebrated it with a cup of tea and cake. The same month, she had said I don't feel very different to when I was 75. Born Gladys Nash on January 18, 1903, she was brought up in Rottingdean, Brighton, East Sussex, and went on to study at college. Later, she became a concert pianist in London and played with famous band leaders of the time such as Jack Payne, Debroy Somers and Maurice Winnick. In addition to playing the piano, she started one of the UK's first hire car companies and later ran Kingscliff House School, which went on to become Brighton College. Gladys aged four (PA) Mrs Hooper was widowed in 1988 when her husband, Leslie, who was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps in both World Wars, died. At 112, she had a hip replacement following a fall. Gladys Hooper and her husband, Leslie, on their wedding day in 1922 (PA) Following the operation, she moved into the Highfield Nursing Home in Ryde from a flat connected to the home of her son, Derek Hermiston, 85, where she had lived for 12 years. Mr Hermiston, a retired pilot, said: I am very proud of her, I have known her for quite a long time and I have seen her life when she was young, when she was a very agile person and always the centre of parties. People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015. She was a great pianist, I remember going to the Dorchester Hotel in London a few times where she was playing. Music gave her a very happy life, she met a lot of people through music". He added that he believed music sustained through her in her later years. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Andrea Leadsom has insisted that her views were misrepresented and is disgusted with the presentation of a report that claimed she was a better candidate for prime minister because she had children and Theresa May did not. Ms Leadsom, a junior energy minister who is competing with the Home Secretary for the keys to Downing Street, went on the defensive after The Times ran a front page story with the headline: Being a mother gives me edge on May Leadsom on Saturday. Speaking outside her home in Northamptonshire, Ms Leadsom, reading from a statement, said: In the course of a lengthy interview yesterday I was repeatedly asked about my children and I repeatedly made it clear that I did not want this to be, in any way, a feature of the campaign. I am disgusted at the way this has been presented. I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and in the future of our country, that is what I believe. It is what Ive always believed. I have repeated my instructions to my campaign team that this campaign must be principled and honourable. The Times, however, released both a transcript and an audio recording of the interview with Ms Leadsom, which verify the newspapers quotes. The comments also drew criticism from senior Conservative politicians. Ruth Davidson tweeted: I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I like everyone else have a very real stake in our country. In the interview, Ms Leadsom, who has two sons and a daughter, was asked whether she felt like a mum in politics. She responded: Yes. I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesnt have children so I don't want this to be Andrea has children, Theresa hasnt because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake, she said. But Penny Mordaunt, the Armed Forces minister who is one of Ms Leadsom's most high-profile backers, said the report was an attempt to smear the leadership contender. Ms Mordaunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: Im afraid this is an attempt, I think, by a paper that has declared for the other candidate to smear Andrea. We have had a pretty unedifying contest so far, including people trying to prevent Andrea getting on the ballot paper. From my understanding of the interview, you could not have come away from that interview with the impression that The Times have clearly decided to write a headline on, which is something that she did not say. Rachel Sylvester, the journalist who wrote the article, told the BBC the report was fairly written up and she was baffled by Ms Leadsoms rather aggressive reaction. I asked her a very straightforward question... She raised Theresa May, she said. I asked her directly, what are the differences between you and Theresa May?. She said, economic competence and family... she clearly thinks that is a big selling point with her. Ms Sylvester added that she thought Mrs Leadsom was naive to make that comparison and not think it would become an issue. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Andrea Leadsom has claimed that Britain will continue trading tariff-free with Europe after Brexit despite several warnings from high-profile EU officials that the UK cannot have access to the market a la carte. Ms Leadsom, the junior energy minister who is running against Home Secretary Theresa May for leadership of the Conservative party, also dismissed the single market as not a term that is any longer relevant to this discussion. Earlier this week Donald Tusk, the European Council President, said that access to Europes single market means Britain must accept the EUs four freedoms people, goods, capital and services as he reiterated his stance that the UK cannot have the tariff-free market a la carte. Writing on his Twitter account, Mr Tusk said: We wish UK as close partner. Access to the single market means acceptance of all four freedoms. No single market a la carte many expect Europe to do better. Europe brought hope for decades. Our responsibility to return that. But Ms Leadsom has explicitly pledged to end the freedom of movement. In her leadership campaign launch, she said: Freedom of movement will end and the British parliament will decide how many people enter our country each year to live, work and contribute to our national life. Speaking to The Times, Ms Leadsom added: The size of our economy means we will be the key trading partner for the EU, and we have also have 43 years aligning our goods and services. We start with zero tariffs. All we actually need to do is continue as before. Asked about the EU imposing tariffs, Ms Leadsom responded: Why would they do that? Once we leave the EU we will be back in control of immigration. People going on holiday or travelling on business or to collaborate on science will be able to do that but the right to reside and the right to work here will be under work permits, she added. One of Ms Leadsoms most high-profile backers Penny Mordaunt, the Defence minister, promised the Tory leadership candidate would set out a third way to solve the apparent dilemma over the single market and free movement but this is yet to materialise. After the Leave campaign won on a promise to cut immigration, the new Prime Minister will be under great pressure to get a deal that does not include acquiescence to freedom of movement rules. But the two contenders running to succeed David Cameron have, so far, failed to outline how they will negotiate this relaxation of the EUs four freedoms in the face of such vocal opposition from the 27 other EU member states. Mr Tusk said that models for Britains relationship could include Canada, which has access to the single market for some of its goods, but crucially not financial services; Norway, which has single market access but abides by freedom of movement rules; and Switzerland, which has single market access for industries, but not for the banking sector, and accepts freedom of movement. Ms Mordaunt added to the Press Association: If she's on the ballot paper tonight you will see her throughout the campaign outline different elements of this in more detail. But what, if you like, the unique selling point of Andrea is, that the other candidates haven't got anywhere near, is that she understands the single market and the free movement issue but there is a third, and that is restoring certainty and stability, she said. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Andrea Leadsom has come under fire from senior Conservatives over the "vile", "insulting" and "wrong" suggestion that being a mother meant she had a "a very real stake" in the future of our country as she talked about Theresa May's "really sad" lack of children. The incendiary comments were published just hours after the Home Secretary had pledged to fight a clean campaign and urged her rival to do the same. Speaking yesterday Ms May, who is hedging her bets on being the unity candidate in the contest, said the public are tired of people acting like politics is a game, so a clean campaign is what our party and country deserves. Ms Leadsom, who has two sons and a daughter, was asked in an interview with The Times whether she felt like a mum in politics. Yes. I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake," she said. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next. Recommended Read more How Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom compare on policy It means you don't want a downturn but never mind 10 years hence it will all be fine, my children will be starting their lives in that next 10 years so I have a real stake in the next year, the next two. Her comments sparked outrage from fellow Tory MPs. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I like everyone else have a very real stake in our country." Anna Soubry, minister for small business, industry and enterprise, said the interview shows Andrea Leadsom is not PM material". "She should do us all a favour including herself and step aside ... we need a PM [with] real experience at the highest level, proven competence, a safe pair of hands, a compassionate on nation Tory AL [Andrea Leadsom] way out of her depth," she tweeted. Conservative MP Sir Alan Duncan said: I'm gay and in a civil partnership. No children, but 10 nieces and nephews. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? Vile. And Sam Gyimah, another Tory MP, added: Wrong and insulting for Leadsom to say those who are childless care less about the future. Being a parent doesnt qualify you to be PM." Deputy Commons Leader Therese Coffey, another supporter of Mrs May, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Andrea is a friend, I know she's not a malicious person". But she also added: I don't think it matters whether somebody has children. The next prime minister, what matters is what they are going to do for every child in this country. "I believe Theresa May has got the proven leadership, she has got the qualities, she could be prime minister tomorrow. Just last week Ms May had spoken about how her and her husband, Philip, were affected by being unable to have children. Ms May told the Daily Telegraph she likes to keep her personal life personal but says that she and her husband dealt with the fact they couldn't have children and moved on. I hope nobody would think that mattered, she said. I can still empathise, understand people and care about fairness and opportunity. Ms Leadsom, a junior energy minister who entered the Commons six years ago, responded to the story claiming The Times had misreported her comments. Truly appalling and exact opposite of what I said. I am disgusted, Ms Leadsom said on Twitter. The 53-year-old added in direct message to the interviewer: This is despicable and hateful reporting. You must now provide the transcript this is beyond disgustingthis is the worst gutter journalism Ive ever seen. I am so angry I cant believe this. How could you? Emma Tucker, the Times' deputy editor, went on to release a partial transcript of the interview with Ms Leadsom and an audio recording. But Penny Mordaunt, the Armed Forces minister who is one of Ms Leadsom's most high profile backers, said the report was an attempt to "smear" the leadership contender. Ms Mordaunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm afraid this is an attempt, I think, by a paper that has declared for the other candidate to smear Andrea. "We have had a pretty unedifying contest so far, including people trying to prevent Andrea getting on the ballot paper. "From my understanding of the interview, you could not have come away from that interview with the impression that The Times have clearly decided to write a headline on, which is something that she did not say. "Andrea is a mother and she has done a huge amount of work on parents and infants, that's a major part of who she is and the social reform agenda she pushes." The Independent was unable to reach Ms Leadsoms team for a comment. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government has rejected a call for a second referendum on European Union membership in a petition that was signed by more than 4.1 million people following the Brexit vote. It was the most-signed Government petition since the process was introduced in 2011. However in an official reply, the Foreign Office said 33 million people had had their say and the decision must be respected. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU, it said. The petition, which was set up by a Brexit supporter before the referendum was held, had called for the Government to annul the results if the Remain or Leave vote won by less than 60 per cent on a turnout of less than 75 per cent. Government petitions which reach over 100,000 signatures must be considered for debate in parliament. 6 ways Britain leaving the EU will affect you The Foreign Office said: The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Act set out the terms under which the referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper. The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout. As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 27 June, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say. The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once-in-a-generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations. Recommended Read more Brexit campaigner admits he set up second EU referendum petition In the wake of the Brexit vote, the petition was shared widely on social media by Remain supporters. As the number of signatories soared, the petition's original author, Leave activist William Oliver Healey, disowned it, saying his opinions on the need for a high turnout and high level of support for one side had been hijacked by EU supporters. The Governments decision will come as a blow to those who hoped to find a parliamentary means of stopping Britains withdrawal from the bloc. However, calls for a second referendum on the terms of Britains departure from the EU are gathering pace. Four out of 10 people would like to see a second referendum before Britain leaves the EU, according to an opinion poll for The Independent. The survey of 2,000 people by ORB found that 40 per cent agree that there should be a referendum on the exit deal that the Government negotiates, and that the UK should seek to Remain in the EU if the public rejects the terms. Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Show all 12 1 /12 Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A woman poses with a home-made European Union flag as Remain supporters gather on Park Lane in London to show their support for the EU in the wake of Brexit PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Remain supporters demonstrate in Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Tens of thousands of people gathered to protest the result of the EU referendum PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A majority of people in the capital voted to remain in the European Union Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Protesters chanted: What do we want to do? Stay in the EU PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The march follows a similar rally in Trafalgar Square that was cancelled due to heavy rain but which tens of thousands of people turned up to anyway Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum by 52 per cent to 48 per cent Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London But support for the Leave campaign in urban areas and among young people was significantly lower Rex features Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Marchers gathered at Park Lane at 11am and marched towards Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Some protesters held up baguettes in a display of affection for our continental neighbours PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The disparity between different parts of the country has promoted a four million signature petition calling for a second referendum and even a renewed push for Scotland to cede from the UK PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The events organiser, Kings College graduate Kieran MacDermott, wrote: We can prevent Brexit by refusing to accept the referendum as the final say and take our finger off the self-destruct button" Reuters Such a course was supported by 12 per cent of people who voted Leave last month. A second vote was backed by 68 per cent of people who supported Remain last month. Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, is among a number of MPs backing a referendum on the exit terms. Lawyers have also said MPs must vote to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, under which the UK joined the EU. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A married MP who ran for the Conservative leadership has been accused of hypocrisy after allegedly sending sexual messages to a woman. The Times reports that devout Christian and Department for Work and Pension Secretary Stephen Crabb sent messages to the woman on Whatsapp. The messages allegedly show Mr Crabb telling the woman he wanted to kiss her everywhere and stating his desire to perform a sex act on her. The exchanges also allegedly show Mr Crabb discussing the issue of MPs being involved in public scandals, saying: Most MPs are risk takers to one degree or another. Usually in the areas of money, sex, political opportunism. Add in the adrenalin, the attention u get, and the time away from family toxic mix. Crabb launches leadership bid An anonymous source reportedly leaked the exchange to the newspaper after they became concerned that his claims to be a family man with strong Christian values amounted to hypocrisy in light of the alleged communications. Mr Crabb married Beatrice Monnier when he was 23 years old. The couple met at Bristol University and have two children. He has spoken of his devout faith and addressed the Conservative Christian Fellowship in December, commenting on the importance of prayer in his life. The MP withdrew from the Conservative leadership race this week after conceding he did not have adequate support from other MPs within the party. Mr Crabb told The Times that he had no comment regarding the alleged messages, but defended the remarks he was quoted as making regarding MPs as risk takers, telling the newspaper: Ive got nothing to add to that, I mean thats a true observation isnt it? The Independent has approached Mr Crabb for comment. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Labour leadership has been accused of petty and vindictive behaviour after advisers working for MPs who resigned from the shadow cabinet were reportedly denied entry to the House of Commons. An email sent to the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms, who is responsible for security, listed a number of advisers who had lost their roles after the MPs they worked for resigned from Jeremy Corbyns front bench. The email was allegedly sent on behalf of Karie Murphy, who works in Mr Corbyns office, and has angered some former cabinet ministers after the Labour leader publicly said he was attempting to heal the rifts in the party. Despite the MPs stepping down, many aides are still being employed by them. According to the Guardian, one aide said: I had my pass taken away. Another person went to the gym at lunch time and couldnt get out... One member doesnt have the right to revoke the pass of another members staff. Chris Bryant, the former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, told the paper the move was petty, vindictive, gratuitous nastiness. It is the kind of thing youd expect from a ludicrous authoritarian City bank," he said. "It completely misunderstands that MPs do actually have a job to do and is classic bully-boy tactics not to have the courtesy to tell people when weve suspended their right to go into the office. The row comes as former Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle announced she will launch a formal leadership bid to oust Mr Corbyn next week. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers. Owen Smith, the former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, is also considering a leadership bid, though it remains unclear whether he will go ahead following Ms Eagles announcement. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Embattled Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he is under no pressure whatsoever, just hours after former Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle launched a leadership challenge against him. Mr Corbyn who was recently subject to a vote of no confidence by his own MPs was speaking at the Durham Miners Gala, an event he said was about solidarity. However, a number of Labour MPs were uninvited from the event by the organisers because of their opposition to the Labour leader. During his address to the audience, Mr Corbyn said: Theres a lot of debate about whats happening in the Labour party at the present time. And I am inundated with questions, questions, questions all the time. And I have patience that is infinite to answer questions, questions and questions. Recommended Read more Angela Eagle to stand against Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leadership "But one I got today really did puzzle me. They said: 'How are you coping with the pressure that's on you?' I simply said this: "There is no pressure on me, none whatsoever. "Real pressure - real pressure - is when you don't have enough money to feed your kids, when you don't have a roof over your head, when you are wondering if you are going to be cared for, when you are wondering how you can survive, you are wondering how you are going to cope with the debts you have incurred, you are wondering if your lovely employer is going to give you a call to give you a couple of hours work or not bother, or change their mind when you are on the bus on the way to do that job. Becoming impassioned, Mr Corbyn said low pay, rent, homelessness and zero hours contracts were the kind of brutal pressure that is put on people every day of the week in this country. However, journalist Kevin Schofield later tweeted the reaction of one MP to the speech: Thats not what hes saying in private. Despite indirectly addressing his own position, Mr Corbyn failed to talk about the recent vote to leave the European Union, which is likely to have far reaching implications for workers rights. He also avoided the topic of Trident. A vote on Britains nuclear capability was recently announced by David Cameron and Mr Corbyn has been a lifelong opponent to the weapons. But the industry surrounding Trident also employs many union members, who Mr Corbyn counts among his core support. The Gala was also marred by evidence of some Labour division. Some Labour MPs, who had been planning to attend had their invitations rescinded by the organisers, Durham Miners Association. Local parliamentarians such as Jenny Chapman, Roberta Blackman-Woods, Tom Blenkinsop, Anna Turley, Helen Goodman, Emma Lewell-Buck were excluded from the event due to their votes of no confidence in Mr Corbyn. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Angela Eagle is to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership of the Labour Party, she has revealed, adding she will explain my vision for the country on Monday. The former Shadow Business Secretary made the bid to oust Mr Corbyn shortly after he had pleaded with the party to come together as union-backed peace talks aimed at resolving the stand-off between the partys left-wing and the majority of its MPs broke down. His spokesman insisted Mr Corbyn would remain as party leader and would not betray the hundreds of thousands of people who elected him to bring about a different kind of politics. A crisis meeting had been expected to take place in Brighton on Sunday in a final effort to break the deadlock, but Deputy Leader Tom Watson announced on Saturday that he was pulling out of the talks because there was no realistic prospect of a compromise. Ms Eagle thanked Mr Watson and the union movement for trying to find a solution to the impasse Labour faces with a leader who has failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party that can both hold the Government to account and demonstrate we are ready to form a government in the event of a general election. On Monday morning, I will announce my candidature for leader of the Labour Party, she said. I will explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make. She has the 50 nominations she needs from fellow Labour MPs or MEPs to launch a leadership challenge, and already has a team in place to run her campaign. The Yorkshire-born Ms Eagle, who is openly gay, was elected to Parliament in 1992 at the age of 31 and is seen as champion of women's rights, diversity and the rights of minorities. But she is criticised from the left for some of her past policy decisions she is strongly pro-Trident and voted in favour of the Iraq War and air strikes on Isis in Syria. Owen Smith, the former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, is also considering a challenge to Mr Corbyn. However, it was unclear whether he would now go ahead with his bid following Ms Eagles announcement. A crucial issue now, however, is whether Mr Corbyn is automatically entitled to a place on the ballot paper, or whether he, like other leadership contenders, must seek the nomination of at least 50 MPs and MEPs. Mr Corbyns office have obtained a legal opinion which says that he has an automatic right to stand for re-election if challenged, but Labours general secretary, Iain McNicol, has also consulted a lawyer and is reported to have been given the opposite advice. Mr Corbyns supporters are also buoyed by the huge increase in Labour Party membership. They believe that the majority of the 113,000 who have signed up since the referendum have joined to support Mr Corbyn. However, Labour MPs voted by 172 to 40 to support a motion of no confidence in his leadership. The Labour leader has also received the backing of constituency parties including Ms Eagles own Wallasey constituency, which announced on Wednesday that they had passed a motion of support for Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party with an overwhelming majority. Mr Watson said he had cancelled the talks with union leaders because it was clear Mr Corbyn was not going to resign. Since the talks began, Jeremy has publicly declared his intention to continue as leader come what may. This means there is no realistic prospect of reaching a compromise that satisfies the majority of colleagues in the PLP [parliamentary Labour party], he said. It is with regret and profound sadness that I have concluded there is little to be achieved by pursuing wider conversations with our union affiliates at this time. The Labour party was founded with the explicit aim of pursuing the parliamentary path to socialism. Every Labour leader needs to command the support of their MPs in the parliamentary Labour party, as well as party members, in order to achieve that. It is clear to all that Jeremy has lost the support of the PLP with little prospect of regaining it. I want to thank Len McCluskey for the good faith he has shown during our conversations, which have been conducted in a spirit of openness and comradeship throughout. Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Show all 6 1 /6 Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been described as too untidy, too scruffy for the tastes of many voters Rex Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader One of Mr Corbyn's appealing qualities is that people believe he is truthful. He should keep that central to his image and dress to suit his personality Rex Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader Beige is not the colour to choose when trying to come across as the most powerful, assertive person in the world Rex Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader There's no need for Jeremy Corbyn to go to Savile Row for a pinstriped suit. All thats required is a little sharpening up from geography teacher to headteacher perhaps Rex Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader Mr Corbyn has been described by one of his own activists as the only man who buys his clothes at the Dalston Co-Op Rex Jeremy Corbyn: Sharpening up his style Fashion tips for the Labour leader By wearing a tie Jeremy Corbyn shows he knows how to conduct himself in business meetings or dealing with foreign leaders AFP We need a strong and united Labour party in Parliament. I will continue to do everything I can to achieve this. If circumstances change I hope talks can be resumed. However a union source told the Press Association that the first they knew about Mr Watsons decision to pull out of the talks was when they saw his statement. As far as we are concerned these talks are still on, the source added. Mr Corbyn, who urged colleagues to unite in opposition to the Government, told Sky News: Our union colleagues, who do a great deal to support the party and whose members do a great deal to support the party at ground level, want our party to come together, want our party to come together to oppose what the Tories are doing. I urge all my colleagues to listen very carefully to them and indeed come together to oppose what this Government is doing to the most vulnerable within our society. A spokesman for the party leader said: Jeremy Corbyn has reached out to Labour MPs and made clear he wants to work with them to carry out his role as elected leader of the party. Jeremy regards the talks with trade union leaders as a vehicle to bring people together, and it is disappointing that some have walked away from them. Jeremy is committed to fulfilling all his responsibilities as democratically elected leader and will not betray the hundreds of thousands of people who elected him for a different direction for the Labour Party and a different kind of politics. He continues to be fully committed to working with the Parliamentary Labour Party and is ready to talk with as many people as necessary to assist that process, discussing policy initiatives and listening to ideas. He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 115 soldiers have been killed in heavy fighting in South Sudan on the anniversary of the countrys fifth year of independence. The outburst of violence has thrown a fragile peace into jeopardy a peace agreement ending a two year civil war was only negotiated in August 2015. British nationals have been advised to leave the country and non-essential embassy staff are being withdrawn. South Sudan today marked the most horrifying Independence Day in the world this year, said government official James Gatdet Dak on Facebook. Another resident, Buay Joshua De Kapduel, wrote simply: "Unhappy 5th Independence Day". Clashes between the forces of former rivals President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar began for unknown reasons on Thursday and continued on Friday. Gunfire erupted near the presidential residence in the capital, Juba, where the leaders were meeting for talks. Witnesses later reported seeing corpses on the lawn. Both leaders said they did not know what had triggered the fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Mr Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 [dead] from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on the side of Mr Machar "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation. The fighting was not restricted to Juba and also hit a UN compound south west of the city. Fighters reportedly waited until women and children went into the base to fire on it. Unicef has condemned the violence and in a statement said it is deeply alarmed by the news. Children and their families in South Sudan have suffered enough from violence, displacement and killings in this brutal conflict. It is time that peace becomes more than agreements on paper, but a reality for those who are most vulnerable, said Unicef's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Leila Pakkala. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in the capital since Mr Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. Witnesses said Juba was calm but tense on Saturday, with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were closed. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Mr Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." On Saturday, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised British nationals in South Sudan: "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving by commercial means, if it is safe to do so. If safe passage to the airport is not available then we advise all British nationals in Juba to remain inside." Vehicles belonging to the US embassy shot at by government forces on Thursday night, CNN reported. However, no one was hurt and State Department spokesman John Kirby said he believed the vehicles were not intentionally targeted. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Mr Kiir sacked Mr Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Mr Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Mr Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Mr Kiir and Mr Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A police officer has been decomissioned after he appeared to mock the death of Philando Castile in the hands of law enforcement. Anthony Venable of the Metro Nashville police force wrote on Facebook: Yeah, I would have done five, referring to the fact that Mr Castile was shot four times through the open window of his car during a routine traffic stop. Mr Venable, who worked in the department for eight years, told his superiors that his comments were a form of sarcasm on his personal social media page, according to a police statement. Mr Castile, a school cafeteria manager, was shot in front of his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter after he was asked to show the officer his license and he moved to retrieve it. His girlfriend Diamond Reynolds addressed the officer, Jeronimo Yanez, while Mr Castile was slumped over and bleeding in his seat, You shot four bullets into him, sir. Ms Reynolds filmed a 10-minute video [Warning: contains graphic content] of the aftermath of the killing via Facebook Live on her phone. The St Anthony, Minnesota police officers do not wear body cameras. Diamond Reynolds, Mr Castile's girlfriend, is determined to fight for justice (REUTERS) Mr Venable, who won one of the departments Officer of the Year awards in 2014, was suspended on Thursday afternoon after the Nashville police department learned about his comment. He is now under investigation. The police department is treating this matter very seriously and took immediate action, regardless of what he claims the context to have been, police chief Steve Anderson said in a statement. The Facebook comment came just hours after Mr Anderson had posted a statement concerning the deaths of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by police. Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Show all 10 1 /10 Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Gerald Herbert/AP Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Bryn Stole/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Bryn Stole/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Bryn Stole/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Brittany Weiss/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Brittany Weiss/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Bryn Stole/Twitter Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Alton Sterling/Facebook Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Google Maps Protests after Baton Rouge police fatally shoot Alton Sterling Family Handout I am extremely concerned and disturbed by the videos and the accounts we have heard thus far coming from Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, said Mr Anderson. "I ask Nashvillians to please not judge or associate MNPD police officers they may see on patrol, at the scene of a crime, or in a restaurant as having any association or connection." Mr Anderson said his officers have undergone training to acknowledge implicit bias. Our training emphasizes the sanctity of human life. Minimizing use of force necessarily begins with proper communication skills, especially in tense and fast moving situations. The news comes as the lawyer for Minnesota officer Mr Yanez, Thomas Kelly, said in a statement: This heartbreaking incident had nothing to do with race. It had to do with the presence of a gun. Ms Reynolds said in the live video as her 32-year-old boyfriend lay dying: Hes licensed to carry, he was trying to get his ID, his wallet out of his pocket and he let the officer knew he had a firearm and was reaching for his wallet. Mr Yanez had approached Mr Castile on the drivers side of the car and opened fire, while another officer, Joseph Kauser, was standing on the passengers side. Both officers have been suspended. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Bahamas has officially warned young black men to exercise extreme caution when visiting the US after a week in which two black men have been killed by police in questionable circumstances. The islands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has noted the tensions in the US, where five police officers were shot dead in Dallas by a black former Army veteran, who was then killed by police using a robot carrying a bomb. In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate, it said in a statement. Pay attention to the public notices and news announcements in the city that you are visiting." The ministry said visitors not to get involved in demonstrations and to avoid crowds. It also asked young black men to get in touch with the Bahamas consular offices in the US rather than deal with any potential conflict themselves. The advice was criticised by a law professor. Marjorie Cohn, of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, said: I dont think its victim blaming, but its advising them [black men] to the extent that they could become paranoid. A lot of the black men stopped by the police or who are racially profiled are doing nothing wrong, illegal or out of the ordinary. "They are 'driving while black' and 'walking while black' and nothing they do can prevent that, unless there are structural changes to policing. Professor Cohn said citizen review boards should be introduced to act as a police watchdog to help reduce the number of shootintgs. She also called for training for police in different cultural practices and how to use humane techniques as a first line of defense. The Bahamian government issued the advice after the US police killed two black men this week, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, and Philando Castile, in Minneapolis, in circumstances which have caused international outrage. Mr Sterling was selling CDs outside of a convenience store in his usual spot when police slammed him to the ground and shot him. Mr Castile was shot dead during a routine traffic stop in front of his girlfriend and her daughter. Dallas police chief David Brown and Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings (Rex Features) At a peaceful protest in Dallas against their deaths, five white police officers were killed and six more were wounded by Micah Johnson, a black former Afghanistan veteran who reportedly said that he wanted to kill white police officers. Within 24 hours, two more men opened fire on police officers on a highway in Tennessee and in a house near Ballwin, Missouri. The United Arab Emirates has also warned its citizens not to wear traditional Muslim dress when visiting the US following a spate of Islamophobic attacks. Reverend Graylan Hagler, from the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington DC, which just held a meeting on police violence, said the Bahamian advisory reflected the reality in the US. Black parents have to advise their children differently than white parents, he said. The US police does not have any federal agency that requires them to submit data on shootings, so there are no official numbers on how many black people are killed by law enforcement. It could be five, it could be 10 [a week], who knows, said Reverend Hagler. The tensions, the racial tensions, have been emboldened by the presidential rhetoric, particularly by Donald Trump. He has staked out this territory and emboldened those that already have this latent idea [of racism]. The fact is that government has not dealt with acts of violence against black people. They have shot young black men with impunity and have got off. There is anger and angst." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} On Friday evening at the corner of Jackson and Griffin Streets in downtown Dallas, 24 hours and less than two blocks from the spot where a gunman was killed by police after shooting dead five officers and wounding seven more, Naida Hairston and Britney Brown stopped to offer their condolences and express their gratitude to a pair of motorcycle cops standing sentry. Ms Hairston, 33, who is black, and Ms Brown, 34, who is white, share an apartment a few hundred yards from where the violence unfolded on Thursday night. Both were shocked not only by the actions of the shooter, but by the fact that he chose to target law enforcement in a city where the police department is considered a model of transparency and community engagement. A task force recently convened by the White House to tackle the thorny relationship between US police forces and the black community took Dallas as a case study. Its bizarre that this happened here, because people in Dallas have a real respect for the police force, said Ms Brown. Theyre part of the community. Since the new chief took charge, crime has gone down, the number of excessive force cases have gone down. Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters that he and his colleagues had taken part in organising the peaceful rally against police brutality that was in progress before the bloodshed began. His officers even posed for pictures with protesters, contrary to the division and confrontation that has characterised similar demonstrations in other cities. One marcher, Sharay Santora, grew emotional in an interview with CNN on Friday, as she spoke of how police officers had protected us from beginning to end. She went on: We love Dallas PD. Theyre great to us, theyre great people. They walk the streets, they talk to us, they make my children feel comfortable where we usually fear officers in other places. Appointed to his post in 2010 after 30 years with the department, Chief Brown is credited with introducing reforms that led to a 64 per cent decrease in complaints about use of force by Dallas officers between 2009 and 2014, including an online tool that provides public data on officer-involved shootings and other use of force incidents. For a police chief, he is uncommonly committed to transparency, posting the names of problem officers he has fired and his reasons for firing them on Facebook and Twitter. He imposed new guidelines regarding the foot pursuit of suspects, beefed up deadly force training for patrol officers and invited the FBI to review all the departments police-involved shootings which have fallen from 23 in 2012 to just two so far this year, including Thursdays attack. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings praised Chief Browns reforms. This police department trained in de-escalation far before cities across America did it, he said. Were one of the premier community policing cities in the country and this year we have the fewest police officer-related shootings of any large city in America. In 2014, the murder rate in Dallas was at its lowest since 1930: proof, wrote the Washington Posts criminal justice blogger Radley Balko, that You can embrace policing policies that are community-friendly, open and transparent, and dedicated to minimising the use of force and violence and still enjoy the same or greater drops in crime were seeing elsewhere. Of course, just because the Dallas Police Department inspires respect in the community doesnt mean African-Americans and others dont share the same concerns as people elsewhere in the US. The unjust violence that my brothers and sisters have experienced is very frustrating, Ms Hairston said. But I dont think the response to that should be violence. Chief Brown, himself black, has previous personal experience of such violence. His younger brother was shot dead by drug dealers in 1991, three years after his former police partner was killed in the line of duty. In 2010, shortly after he took over as chief, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr, shot and killed a police officer and another man while high on PCP, and was subsequently shot dead by police. Later that year, Chief Brown told the Dallas Morning News: The families of victims, I know what they go through. My family had to go through that. Those experiences undoubtedly helped to prepare him for the past 24 hours, during which he has articulated the grief and shock of a department and a city compelled to confront the unthinkable. We are heartbroken, he said at a press conference in the small hours of Friday. All I know is that this must stop this divisiveness between our police and our citizens. One must hope that police and protesters elsewhere in the US heed his words. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It is more than half a century since Dallas first became synonymous with violence, as the site of President John F Kennedys assassination. The Texas city will now make another unwelcome appearance in the history books, after the deadliest day for American law enforcement since 9/11 unfolded on its downtown streets. Five Dallas police officers were killed and seven others wounded by gunfire on Thursday evening, amid protests over the fatal police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week. The first shots rang out at around 8.45pm, as hundreds of demonstrators processed through the centre of the city, chanting the now-familiar slogan of the Black Lives Matter movement: Hands up, dont shoot! Witnesses said the gunman, later named as 25-year-old Micah Johnson. appeared to wait until the protesters had passed before opening fire on officers who were policing the rally. Video footage from the scene showed the crowd scattering in panic at the sound of multiple gunshots. Everyone just started running, 21-year-old Devante Odom told the Dallas Morning News. Recommended Read more Everything we know about Dallas shooter Micah Xavier Johnson The attack turned into a lengthy standoff between police officers and the shooter. Wearing body armour and armed with an SKS semi-automatic rifle, Johnson retreated to a covered car-park, exchanging fire with police and telling them that there were bombs planted across the city. After approximately 45 minutes of failed negotiations, he was killed by a bomb robot, the first time such a device has been used with lethal force by US police. Automatic Gunfire Rings Out in Dallas City Center During Sniper Shooting Johnson, who was 25 and lived in Mesquite, a Dallas suburb, reportedly had no known criminal history or links to extremist groups. On his Facebook profile, however, he described himself as a black nationalist and liked several militant groups including The New Black Panther Party and the African American Defense League. His sister Nicole posted a message to Facebook after Johnson was identified, insisting: Those that knew him know this wasnt like him. Dallas police reported that detectives found bomb making materials in the suspects home, along with "ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics". Police Chief David Brown told reporters that the shooter had said during the stand-off that he was upset about the recent police shootings, that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, and that he was acting alone. Mark Hughes, a protester whose photo was shared widely online as a possible suspect during the attacks, was cleared as a person of interest by police. A former US Army reservist who was deployed to Afghanistan as a carpenter from 2013 to 2014, Johnson is believed to have lived at home with his mother. A black SUV found at the scene of the shootings was said to be registered to a Delphine Johnson. Despite the gunmans claims, no explosives were found in two extensive searches of the Dallas downtown area. Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Show all 20 1 /20 Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance in Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Emergency services help an unknown patient on a stretcher as law enforcement officials stand nearby at the emergency receiving area of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police shield bystanders after shots were fired, during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings of black men AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Bystanders run for cover after shots fired at a Black Live Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police check a car after snipers opened fire on police officers in Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A man raises his hands as he walks near a law enforcement officer, following the shootings of several police officers in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer steps out of a vehicle as he arrives in front of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police officers face protesters on the corner of Ross Ave. and Griffin street after police officers were shot during a peaceful protest in Dallas EPA Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer covers his face as he stands with others outside the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Law enforcement officials escort a couple in through the emergency room entrance at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police cars sit on Main Street in Dallas following the sniper shooting during a protest AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Police officer stands guard at a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police stand near a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police check a car after detaining a driver after a shooting in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police order people away from the area after several police were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police move to detains a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police detain a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP Retired FBI Special Agent Steve Moore told CNN that, given the amount of ammunition and weaponry involved, the attack most likely required some level of advance preparation. This was an attack planned long before, waiting for an opportunity to go, Mr Moore said. They may not have planned the location, they may not have planned the vantage point. But they had prepared for an attack before last nights shooting is my guess. Four of the officers killed were from the Dallas Police Department. The fifth, 43-year-old Brent Thompson, was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer. The agency said he was recently married, and that his wife was a fellow transit officer. Dallas Police Officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32, a Navy veteran with a toddler daughter, was also among the deceased, as was 40-year-old Michael Krol, who previously served in the Sheriffs Department of Wayne County, Michigan. Recommended Read more Black Americans eight times more likely to be murdered than whites Most of the injured officers were released from area hospitals early on Friday. Two civilians were also injured in the attack, including Shetamia Taylor, 37, who had attended the protest with her four teenage sons. Her sister told the Associated Press that Ms Taylor flung herself across her children to protect them as the bullets flew; she was struck in her right calf. The protest came in the wake of two recent police killings of black men, both of which were captured on video. On Tuesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot multiple times while pinned down by officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following day, 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot dead during a traffic stop near St Paul, Minnesota. His fiancee live-streamed the aftermath of the killing on Facebook. In recent years, police killings of black men have led to violent unrest in communities such as Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. Two officers were targeted in a retaliatory double-murder in Brooklyn, New York in December 2014. But an attack on police of this scale and deadliness represents an unprecedented escalation of the civil strife between US law enforcement and the civilians they serve. Other similar demonstrations passed off peacefully on Thursday in cities including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta. Protester Wyatt Rosser, a 20-year-old from Dallas, told the Los Angeles Times that the shooter was a radical who did not represent the strength, solidarity and peaceful action of the crowds who had attended the march. It was actually the most peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration Id been to, Mr Rosser said. The protest in Dallas was not directly organised by Black Lives Matter, which has no local chapter, but by another group, the Next Generation Action Network. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement nonetheless condemned the violence, tweeting: #BlackLivesMatter advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder. Some, however, were quick to blame the protests for creating an environment in which police had become potential targets. Speaking to Fox News, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick described the protesters as hypocrites, saying: They turned around and ran the other way, expecting the men and women in blue to protect them. Mr Patrick, who is also a conservative talk radio host, went on: I do blame people on social media with their hatred towards police. I do blame former Black Lives Matter protests... This has to stop. The attack took place close to Dealey Plaza, the traffic intersection made infamous by Kennedys murder in November 1963. President Barack Obama said he was horrified by the shootings, which he called a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Speaking from Warsaw, where he was attending a Nato summit, Mr Obama said he had talked by phone to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, offering his condolences and federal assistance. Police across America, which is a tight-knight family, feels this loss to their core, Mr Obama said. And were grieving with them. The White House later said President Barack Obama would cut short his trip and visit Dallas early next week. Reluctant to speculate on the motives of the suspect or any of his potential accomplices, Mr Brown, who is black, pleaded simply for peace. Were hurting, the Dallas police chief said. Our profession is hurting. There are no words to describe the atrocity that happened in our city. All I know is that this must stop this divisiveness between our police and our citizens. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US President Barack Obama has insisted that America is not as divided as some have suggested, following the murder of five Dallas police officers on Thursday, amid a peaceful rally over the recent police shootings of black men. After announcing plans to cut short his current European tour to return to the US, Mr Obama said: Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police. Mr Obama, who was previously scheduled to travel back to Washington DC on Monday, will instead depart from Spain on Sunday night, returning to the US to pay tribute to the fallen officers and address national anxieties over race and policing on a trip to Dallas early next week. Speaking in Warsaw, where he was attending a Nato summit, Mr Obama argued that alarm regarding police misconduct and support for the police in general were not mutually exclusive attitudes. There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion about next steps, he said. But there is unity in recognising this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans. He went on: We cannot let the actions of a few define all of us. The demented individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas is no more representative of African-Americans than the shooter in Charleston is representative of white Americans, or the shooters in Orlando or San Bernardino are representative of Muslim-Americans. As the first black US President, Mr Obama is unique among occupants of the Oval Office in his capacity and willingness to address racial tensions. Yet he has also presided over a period in which those tensions appear to be as fraught as at any time since the Civil Rights era. Rejecting the idea of a return to the 1960s, however, Mr Obama said he would reconvene an existing, White House-led task force of activists, civil rights leaders and law enforcement officials to tackle the troubled relationship between police and the black community. He also singled out the Dallas Police Department as a great example of a department that is taking police shootings seriously. It is almost two years since Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking violent unrest in the St Louis suburb that was repeated months later when a grand jury cleared the officer of wrongdoing. Since then, police killings in Baltimore, New York, Cleveland, Charleston and elsewhere in the US have generated a series of protests some peaceful, some less so and lent increasing prominence to the anti-police brutality Black Lives Matter movement. Last week, the fatal police shootings of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile, 32, in Minnesota, were both captured on video, causing renewed and widespread anger, with demonstrations organised in several US cities. Hours before the violence broke out in Dallas, Mr Obama lent his support to the Black Lives Matter movement in a speech that argued for law enforcement reform while also urging appreciation and respect for police officers, whose work he described as hard and often dangerous. When people say Black Lives Matter, that doesnt mean blue lives dont matter, he said. As news of the Dallas attack broke, Mr Obama returned to the podium in Poland to say he was horrified by the shootings, which he called a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Some conservative politicians and pundits nevertheless accused Mr Obama of complicity in fomenting the attack, with Republican Texas congressman Roger Williams saying in a statement: The spread of misinformation and constant instigation by prominent leaders, including our president, have contributed to the modern day hostility we are witnessing between the police and those they serve. Speaking to right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, commentator Heather MacDonald accused Mr Obama of having embraced the Black Lives Matter myth that there is a racist war by white officers against black civilians in this country. On Friday, peaceful demonstrations over police brutality went on in cities including Atlanta, Philadelphia and even London, where hundreds marched through Westminster chanting the now-familiar Black Lives Matter slogan, Hands Up, Dont Shoot. In Dallas on Saturday morning, a makeshift memorial to the dead continued to swell with flowers, candles and cards as members of the public mingled with officers in the plaza outside police headquarters. I love you police. You are brave, went one simple tribute from a child. Another hastily scrawled message read: All Lives Matter #Obama #Hillary #Trump. Eva Weathers, 61, had come with her family from the nearby suburb of Grand Prairie to pay her respects. This has brought the community and the police closer together but there wasnt any tension before that, said Ms Weathers, who is African-American. Dallas is different. The black community is much closer to the police than in other cities. Were proud of that. Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said she would continue to call for criminal justice reform even as she mourned the loss of the five Dallas officers, telling a conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia: There is too much violence, too much hate, too much senseless killing, too many people dead who shouldn't be. No one has all the answers. We have to find them together. In an uncharacteristically measured response to the bloodshed, Ms Clintons Republican rival, Donald Trump, cancelled campaign stops and said in a recorded video that the Dallas shootings had shaken the soul of our nation, but added: The deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota also make clear how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The family of of Philando Castile have condemned a shooting at a protest in Texas that left five police officers dead and wounded seven, marking the deadliest day for US law enforcement since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Gunfire started at round 8:45pm at Thursdays protest in Dallas where hundreds of people had gathered to demonstrate over the fatal police shootings of two black men - Mr Castile and Alton Sterling - this week, whose deaths also sparked many other protests across the US. Witnesses said the gunman, later named as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, appeared to wait until the protesters had passed before opening fire on officers who were policing the rally. The attack turned into a lengthy standoff between police officers and the shooter and after approximately 45 minutes of failed negotiations, he was killed by a bomb robot. Mr Castile, 32, was shot dead in his car during a traffic stop near St Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday. A day earlier, 37-year-old Mr Sterling was shot multiple times while pinned down by white officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Show all 20 1 /20 Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance in Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Emergency services help an unknown patient on a stretcher as law enforcement officials stand nearby at the emergency receiving area of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police shield bystanders after shots were fired, during a protest over two recent fatal police shootings of black men AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Bystanders run for cover after shots fired at a Black Live Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police check a car after snipers opened fire on police officers in Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A man raises his hands as he walks near a law enforcement officer, following the shootings of several police officers in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer steps out of a vehicle as he arrives in front of Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police officers face protesters on the corner of Ross Ave. and Griffin street after police officers were shot during a peaceful protest in Dallas EPA Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Dallas police officer covers his face as he stands with others outside the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Law enforcement officials escort a couple in through the emergency room entrance at Baylor University Medical Center AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police cars sit on Main Street in Dallas following the sniper shooting during a protest AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas A Police officer stands guard at a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Police stand near a barricade following the sniper shooting in Dallas AFP/Getty Images Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police check a car after detaining a driver after a shooting in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police order people away from the area after several police were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police move to detains a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas police detain a driver after several police officers were shot in downtown Dallas AP Police officers killed by sniper at protests in Dallas Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas Dallas Morning News/AP The shootings stoked racial tension that has flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Police Chief David Brown told reporters the shooter had said during the stand-off that he was upset about the recent police shootings, that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, and that he was acting alone. Dallas Police identified the officers killed in the attack as Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens, and Michael Smith. Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer Brent Thompson was also shot dead. Speaking to CNN, Valerie Castile says her son would not have approved of the shootings "because he believed that all lives matter." His fiance, Diamond Reynolds who was present in the car when Mr Castile was shot and live-streamed the aftermath of the killing on Facebook, said: "I just want justice for everyone. Everyone around the world. Not just for my boyfriend and the good man that he was. A police officer deploys pepper spray towards a protester at a demonstration in Phoenix, Arizona (Reuters) "This is bigger than Philando [...] This is bigger than all of us." Mr Castiles uncle, Tracy, said while the video of his nephews death is horrific he is glad it was made public. He said the family are looking for due process and that he wants the officer involved to be treated like any other criminal. On Friday, Arizona police in riot gear used pepper spray against protesters as thousands took the streets of US cities in further demonstrations over the deaths of Mr Castile and Mr Sterling. Protesters clogged roads in New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baton Rouge and Phoenix, where local media reported that some demonstrators threw rocks at officers. Demonstrators march through downtown Atlanta to protest the shootings of two black men by police officers (AP) The largest demonstration appeared to be in Atlanta, where thousands marched chanting and waving signs demanding justice, shown in videos posted to social media. Footage from broadcasters showed a large crown facing off with dozens of police vehicles blocking a local interstate highway. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, but around 10 people had been arrested. US President Barack Obama is set to abandon a European visit and travel to the site of the shooting in Dallas in an effort to ease anxieties about gun use and police treatment of African-Americans. Mr Obama will head to the city early next week, cutting short a planned tour of Spain, in an effort to bring people together to support out police officers and communities, and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing racial disparities in our criminal justice system, his press secretary, Josh Earnest, said. Automatic Gunfire Rings Out in Dallas City Center During Sniper Shooting The Bahamas issued a rare travel advisory for any of its citizens visiting the US on Friday, recommending young men to take particular care in cities affected by recent tensions over police shootings. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns visitors to "exercise appropriate caution" in light of recent episodes involving police officers and black men. It also advises people not to get involved in demonstrations and to avoid crowds. "In particular, it added, young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate. Additional reporting by Associated Press Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A passenger jet has accidently landed at at a military air force base in South Dakota, 10 miles from its correct destination. A Delta A320 jet carrying 130 passengers landed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, rather than its scheduled destination of Rapid City Regional Airport. The two airports' runways are oriented nearly identically from northwest to southeast so perhaps looked similar from the air. Passengers on Delta Flight 2845 told the Rapid City Journal newspaper that they waited in the plane at Ellsworth for two-and-a-half hours while military personnel entered the cabin with a dog. The plane then flew to Rapid City. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the incident. Colonel Gentry Boswell, the commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at the air base, told ABC News: "The Radar Approach Control gave instructions to the Delta flight in this instance and pointed out both runways to the flight crew to alleviate any issues with identification of the correct airport and the crew replied they had the landing runway at Rapid City Regional Airport in sight. "This was a gross breach of the security of our Airfield that present[ed] a potential threat to both our Airmen and our resources. "Incidents like this occur when pilots fail to execute the basic measures of airmanship." 10 secret perks passengers should be taking advantage of on flights According to the FAA, a Northwest Airlines flight on its way way to Rapid City also accidentally landed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2004. Delta said in a statement they have contacted passengers offering a "gesture of apology for the inconvenience", adding: "Delta will fully cooperate with that investigation and has already begun an internal review of its own". Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An elderly woman in Utah infected with the Zika virus has died the first such death in continental US, according to authorities. The resident of Salt Lake County, Utah died in late June. She has not been identified. The woman reportedly had an underlying health condition and had travelled to areas known to spread the virus. Recommended Read more US Open champion Johnson withdraws from Rio 2016 over Zika virus fears While this individual did test positive for Zika virus, the exact cause of death has not been determined, and it may not be possible to determine how the Zika infection contributed to the death, the health department said in a statement. The department only discovered the woman had Zika after looking at her death certificate. Due to health privacy laws, health officials will not release further details about the individual or the individuals travel history. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the death and said that 1,132 cases of Zika have so far been reported in the US. Zika is not known to be fatal, although pregnant women are at risk from contracting Microcephaly, a birth defect which affects the size of a baby's head. As of 23 June, there are close to 300 pregnant women in the US with the Zika virus. The Zika virus - in pictures Show all 5 1 /5 The Zika virus - in pictures The Zika virus - in pictures A three-month-old, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil. A rise in microcephaly cases is thought to have been caused by the spread of the Zika virus in affected countries Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A mother holds her baby who has microcephaly Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A five-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A pediatric infectologist examines a two-month-old baby, who has microcephaly, in Recife, Brazil Getty Images The Zika virus - in pictures A baby affected with microcephaly Officials said this is the first death in the continental US related to the virus. This unfortunate situation is a tragic reminder of how important it is to receive proper pre-travel education and to protect yourself from mosquitoes when traveling abroad, said Dr Dagmar Vitek, medical director for Salt Lake County health department in a statement. In addition to Zika, travellers need to be mindful of other diseases found around the world, including mosquito-borne illnesses like Dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya." The death of the woman in Utah follows the first death from Zika in Puerto Rico in April as a result of severe internal bleeding due to lack of platelets in the blood. There have been no reported cases of locally transmitted Zika in continental US. Most people - around 80 per cent - who contract the virus show no symptoms, but symptoms can include joint ache, fever and red eyes, according to Dr Vitek. Congress has still not approved the $1.9bn of emergency funding which the White House requested in February. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A county medical examiner has ruled the death of montessori school employee Philando Castile a homicide. This individual died of multiple gunshot wounds. Manner of death is homicide, said a press release issued by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. Recommended Read more Facebook video captures police shooting of Minnesota black man State investigators also identified Mr Castiles shooter as St Anthony Police officer Jeronimo Yanez, a four-year veteran on the force. He has been placed on administrative leave. Investigators have not announced charges for Yanez or the other officer involved in pulling over Mr Castile, Joseph Kauser. Thursday night, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) outlined the sequence of events when they identified the officers. Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Show all 19 1 /19 Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors demand justice for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors lie in an intersection during a demonstration for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors lie in an intersection during a demonstration for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protestors demand justice for Philando Castile on July 7, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters march throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters march throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters are arrested by NYPD as they call for justice throughout New York City. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Protesters are arrested by NYPD as they call for justice throughout New York City. AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police AFP/Getty Images Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Getty Protests and outrage across the US following killings by police Getty At approximately 9.05 pm Wednesday, the two St Anthony police officers conducted a traffic stop, the BCA statement reads. Castile was the driver of that vehicle. Officer Yanez approached the vehicle from the drivers side and Officer Kauser from the passenger side. At one point during the interaction, Officer Yanez discharged his weapon, striking Castile multiple times. No one else was injured. A gun was recovered at the scene. Mr Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, documented the aftermath via Facebook livestream, where she recounted the moments before Yanez fired four or five shots into Mr Castile. Her four-year-old daughter was in the back of the vehicle at the time of the shooting. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Police used pepper spray and tear gas on people protesting in the name of civil rights in Pheonix, Arizona, after a week of police and anti-police violence across the US. Three people were arrested during the protest after they reportedly threw rocks at police officers. Footage captured from the event shows police dispersing tear gas and dousing people with pepper spray. Police chief Joe Yahner said the protest was successful in that the protesters had made their voice heard, but the time had come for officers to disperse the crowds. Around 1,000 people gathered at 8pm Friday by the Phoenix City Hall. Yet in a reported span of around 15 minutes, between 10.45pm and 11pm, Mr Yahner declared the crowd represented an unlawful assembly. Although police officers had sustained no injuries, they would use pepper spray on members of the public. The march was led by Reverend Jarrett Maupin, an outspoken critic of police aggression. Mr Maupin was confronted by bystanders during the march, which remained peaceful for several hours. He organized the protest following a period of extreme violence in America, including the killing of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by white police officers. The two deaths led to a protest in Dallas, Texas. During the same evening, 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson shot dead five white police officers and wounded six more. Johnson was killed by a police bomb after an hours-long stand-off broke down. Thousands of people gathered to protest against police brutality on Friday, including in New York, Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Arkansas and Washington DC. A total of 74 people were arrested during a march in Rochester, New York, including mistakenly arresting two journalists, and four people were taken into custody in Maryland for refusing to move when asked by police. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Filipino authorities say nine people have been killed in anti-drug attacks following President Rodrigo Dutertes call on communist factions to kill drug traffickers and dealers. One raid in the southern town of Matalam, about 900 kilometres south of Manila, left eight drug personalities dead on Saturday, including a woman, regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo told Agence France-Presse. In Manila, police found an unidentified dead man, his entire head wrapped in tape, on a poorly lit road late on Friday. His torso was covered with a cardboard sign reading: I am a pusher. Civil rights groups are demanding an investigation amid fears of summary executions. The 71-year-old president, who built a reputation for tough anti-crime methods while mayor of the southern city of Davao, won the 9 May election overwhelmingly on a bold promise to end criminality and corruption in the first three to six months of his presidency. This included a pledge to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals with the help of the authorities and the general public. The pledge has won him support but also sparked alarm among human rights groups. More than 100 suspects have been killed in the seven weeks since Mr Dutertes election. Police officers investigate the dead body of an alleged drug dealer, his face covered with packing tape on a street in Manila. (AFP/Getty) Civil rights campaigners including two legislators called on Friday for an inquiry into recent months police operations amid concerns at least some of the dead suspects could have been summarily executed by the lawmen. Police have said they had operated within the boundaries of the law in killing 103 suspects between 10 May and 7 July. The Manila newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirers kill list of suspected criminals shows 119 victims of suspected summary killings up until 7 July, including 13 unidentified ones, since the elections. Extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, human trafficking and other human rights violations have decreased in the Philippines in recent years, but cases still exist and remain unsolved, according to Human Rights Watch. The Philippines authorities must urgently address the recent rise in killings of suspected drug criminals. Far from serving as a quick-fix, such killings violate both Philippines and international law, lead to the deaths of innocent people, and divert attention from long term measures that address crime effectively, Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Amnesty Internationals Philippines Researcher told the Independent. Suspects should be arrested, investigated, tried in a court which is the only authority allowed to mete out punishments. Allowing law enforcement officials to take the law into their own hands will deliver neither the justice people in the Philippines need, nor the security the authorities seek. Mr Duterte, a former prosecutor, has encouraged police and even ordinary citizens to shoot suspected drug dealers if they resist arrest and fight back, promising cash rewards if they turn in drug lords. Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as the Philippines' president 30 June and quickly vowed to wipe out drug traffickers (AFP/Getty) In recent weeks, dozens of suspected drug dealers have been killed in alleged gun battles with police or have turned up dead under mysterious circumstances, some with cardboard signs warning the public not to imitate the slain suspects. Mr Duterte said there are many officials, Chinese nationals and police involved in the drug trade and suggested he would disclose their identities soon. Last Friday the Philippines new police chief ordered officers linked to narcotics trafficking to surrender within 48 hours or be killed. And on Saturday Mr Duterte vowed to kill not only drug traffickers, but drug addicts. If I couldnt convince you to stop, Ill have you killed if youre into drugs, Im very sorry. Ill have to apologise to your family because youll surely get killed, he said in a speech, adding: The problem is once youre addicted to shabu (methamphetamine), rehabilitation is no longer an option. Additional reporting by AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev has accused Nato of preparing for "offensive operations" against Russia. As the Western alliance held a summit in Warsaw, Poland, Mr Gorbachev criticised Natos decision to deploy 4,000 more international troops in Eastern Europe. Tensions have been mounting between Russia and Nato member states, in particular the US, as diplomatic spats and military excercises have increased in frequency. Mr Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, said: Nato has begun preparations for escalating from the Cold War into a hot one. All the rhetoric in Warsaw just yells of a desire almost to declare war on Russia. They only talk about defence, but actually they are preparing for offensive operations. However, Natos Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the organisations decision to triple its military presence in Eastern Europe was a purely defensive move. Nato poses no threat to any country. We do not want a new Cold War. We do not want a new arms race. And we do not seek confrontation," he said. The move comes after concerns among Western countries regarding the intentions of President Vladimir Putin after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Prior to the Nato summit, Russia assembled troops, trucks and equipment at its Baltic bases, highlighting its military readiness. Russia-Poland border closure clouds NATO summit In a speech after Nato leaders agreed to increase troop numbers in eastern Europe, Mr Stoltenberg said: What we have seen is a Russia which has invested heavily in modern defence capabilities over many years, which has modernised its forces, its equipment, and has used military force against a sovereign nation in Europe, violating Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that's the reason why we have increased our presence in the eastern part of the alliance. Russia is neither a strategic partner we are not in the strategic partnership with Russia which we tried to develop but we are neither in a Cold War situation. We are in a new situation which is different to anything else we have experienced before. As part of the reinforcement, Britain will send a 500-strong battalion to Estonia and a further 50 troops to be stationed in Poland. Canada will send a battalion to Estonias Baltic neighbour, Latvia, and US President Barack Obama announced on his arrival in Warsaw that the United States would deploy 1,000 troops to Poland to serve shoulder to shoulder with Polish soldiers. 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 Meanwhile, tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions between Russia and the US have continued. On Saturday, Russia expelled two American diplomats it claims were working undercover for the CIA. "After their unfriendly step two employees of the US Embassy had to leave Moscow," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a statement. The move is seen as retaliation for the US expulsion of two Russians, which came in the wake of a scuffle between a Russian policeman and an American diplomat outside the U.S. embassy in Moscow in June. Mr Ryabkov continued: "They were declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status." "We hope Washington recognises all the same the perversity of its anti-Russian line. If they decide there to move further along the path of escalation it will not remain unanswered." Russia claimed the American tried to rush into the embassy late at night after a spying mission, without presenting identification, and was tackled by the policeman. But footage purporting to be of the incident, broadcast on Russian television, showed the policeman burst through a door and tackle a man without warning. The diplomat involved is one of the two Americans expelled, Mr Ryabkov said on Saturday. US officials serving in Russia have also reported suffering harassment from Russian security services. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In the wake of the publication of the Chilcot report, a woman who was taken as a sex slave by Isis has described how she and other young women were captured and repeatedly raped by members of the terror group. Nadia Murad, 22, was one of more than 5,000 Yazidi women kidnapped by Isis when the group took hold of territories in northern Iraq. Speaking to the Mirror, Ms Murad revealed how in the summer of 2014 Isis fighters rounded up all Yazidis in the village of Kocho, where she lived in Iraq, killing 312 people and taking the younger women as sabia slaves. Isis told Yazidis Convert to Islam or die, said Ms Murad. But no one agreed to convert. Nadia Murad, 22, was one of more than 5,000 Yazidi women kidnapped by Isis when the group took hold of territories in northern Iraq (Getty Images ) (Getty Images) They laughed at us. They said, You are owned by IS. You will be married to us. Ms Murad says she was taken to Mosul with 150 other girls where they were scrutinised by fighters and forced to marry them. She described being taken as a slave by a man with a wife and daughter, who Ms Murad never met, however she would see his daughters name Sarah light up on his phone as he raped her. I never met her or his wife, but they knew what he was doing to me. They accepted their men were raping us. To IS women, we are not worth the value of animals, she said. In November 2014, Ms Murad sucessfully escaped from her captor after three months of abuse and torture, and made her way via a refugee camp to seek asylum in Stuttgart, Germany. She said she escaped knowing she would be killed if caught - I preferred to be killed and just finally stop it, she said. Recommended Read more Isis using Whatsapp and Telegram to sell sex slaves She told the UN that an earlier escape attempt led to her being beaten up and gang raped by six militants as a form of punishment. Following the publication of the Chilcot report, which found that former Prime Minister Tony Blair had overstated the case for military action in March 2003 as there was no imminent threat posed by Saddam Hussein, many have reiterated the case that the Iraq War may have contributed to the rise of Isis. Isis began as an off-shoot of the militant group Al-Qaeda. It can trace its origins back to the Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who in 2004, a year after the invasion of Iraq, allied himself to Osama Bin Laden and formed al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). In 2006, after Zarqawi's death, AQI created an umbrella organisation, Islamic State in Iraq. In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work Assessments made by Britains Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) in 2005, which are referenced in the Chilcot report, said Islamist insurgencies launched in response to the invasion had strengthened aql-Qaeda in the area. Al Qaeda has capitalized on the Iraq jihad," an assessment in April said. A later assessment in June said: The merger of Al-Zarqawis organization with Al-Qaedahas firmly placed it in a pre-eminent position in Iraqa unified jihadist command may be emerging. Iraq is now seen by Al Qaeda as its main theater of operations. An estimated 3,000 Yazidi women and girls are currently held captive by Isis. The majority were taken prisoner in 2014. The Yazidis, a religious Kurdish community, have been attacked and killed by Isis in both Iraq and Syria, in what constitutes an act of genocide according to United Nations' investigators. Attempts have been made to rescue the women, but many who do so are killed, according to the Associated Press. Ms Murad is now campaigning for European governments, including Britain, to do more to help Yazidis. A Change.org petition has been set up by Rozin Khalil, a Yazidi teenager who came to Britain from Iraq in 2008, asking Home Secretary Theresa May, Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening, and Foreign Minister Philip Hammond to prepare an action plan to help the Yazdidi women and children held captive by Isis. Ms Murad said: What IS has done to the Yazidi people is genocide, the UK must offer more asylum to refugees. So many are in camps and they have been through terrible suffering. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Russian military helicopter has been shot down by Isis near Palmyra, Syria, killing both pilots. The men have been named as Ryafagat Khabibulin and Yevgeny Dolgin. The Mi-25 aircraft was reportedly conducting a test flight in the area when it received a request for assistance from the Syrian military, who were under attack from a group of Isis militants to the east of Palmyra. But after running out of ammunition, the helicopter was shot down, Russian news agency Sputnik reported. A statement from the defence ministry said: The crew received a request from the Syrian unit's command to strike the advancing fighters. The captain, Ryafagat Khabibulin, made a decision to attack the terrorists. The skillful actions of the Russian crew thwarted the terrorists' advance. When the helicopter's ammunition was spent and it changed its course to the opposite direction, it was shot down by terrorists from the ground and crashed in an area controlled by the Syrian government army. The helicopter's crew was killed. The total number of Russian fatalities in Syria is unknown. While Moscow has maintained only 10 soldiers have died, many journalists and analysts believe the real number is greater. Russia, allied with the regime of Bashar al-Assad, has engaged in frequent air attacks in Syria, purportedly againt terrorist targets. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis But rights groups have criticised their air campaign and said about 2,000 civilians have also been killed in Russian bombardments, including those on markets, schools and hospitals. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Bridlington, East Yorkshire Theres something no-nonsense about Bridlington, the east coast port and resort which celebrates its annual seafood festival this weekend. A day on the beach at Brid is what generations of Yorkshire children have grown up with and it is in many ways still the perfect family day out. Not as full-on as Scarborough or as genteel as Filey, both a little way up the coast in North Yorkshire, Bridlington has its own east-coast character, and a history going back a thousand years or more, when it started out life as a simple fishing village. Two fabulous sand beaches do the honours, and with the fishing harbour set between them you can buy a line and reel and go crabbing off the pier. There's a funfair on the prom, donkeys on the beach, boat rides from the harbour, and plenty of places to buy fish and chips and soak up the seaside vibe Audrey's on Queen Street is our pick, but there are lots of good places. If the town behind the harbour fails to inspire, that's because the true glory of Brid is in its Georgian Old Town, set a mile or so inland and more antique shop and tea-room than seaside rock and candyfloss. The 12th-century Priory Church and nearby Bayle Museum give a flavour of more prosperous times, while afterwards you can head out of town to the 400-foot-high chalk-cliff promontory of Flamborough Head for thousands of nesting seabirds and dramatic sea views. No wonder David Hockney now calls it home. Cool Places is a website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk) Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Q We were flying on Emirates from Brisbane to Singapore on the way back to the UK. We had been sitting in our seats for some 45 minutes, when the pilot told us that a cargo plane has landed on the runway with no undercarriage down. He said that as it was dark, no runway inspection could take place until daylight hours. When daylight came the pilot then told us that the crew where now out of hours and a new crew was on its way. We, the passengers, where really fed up and hungry as we had had no food at all because we did not fly. We had been confined in a secure area within the airport with just a water fountain and a cleaner running up and down the area. No sleep and no food. When it was light the runway was examined and we continued our journey once the fresh crew had arrived. Can we make a claim against the airline? David Smith and Marcelle Paton-Smith A Sorry to hear about your experience. You are not entitled to any compensation under EU rules because this took place on a foreign airline outside Europe. As far as I know there is no similar local legislation in Australia that would benefit you. Therefore any claim would need to be within the scope of the Montreal Convention on international aviation. For a claim to succeed, you would need to demonstrate actual physical harm or financial loss as a result of the delay. If you have neither, then I am afraid I can see no prospect of a successful claim. Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a readers question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Independent did not support Andrea Leadsom as a candidate to be prime minister. Our view has been vindicated by this weekends developments. In an interview with The Times, she managed to imply that a mother would be better qualified to run the country than someone who, like her opponent Theresa May, is childless. The kindest interpretation of her words is that they reveal her inexperience. We have been here before, as recently as this time last year, when Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham used their experience as parents as part of their pitches for the Labour leadership. However, they avoided making any direct comparison with Liz Kendall, their childless rival. Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyns grown-up son merely worked on his campaign. Ms Leadsoms approach was different. Inadvertently deploying the device of Greek rhetoric known as apophasis, she told The Times what she was not going to say about her opponent. I don't want this to be, Andreas got children and Theresa hasnt. Because I think that would be really horrible. If that had been all she had said, she would have been entitled to protest, as she did, that she had been misrepresented. The trouble is that she went on: But, genuinely, I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. There is no way of interpreting that except as saying that Ms Leadsom has a stake in the future of the country because of her children, and that Ms May does not. That not only would have been a really horrible thing to say, it was really horrible. Nor did Ms Leadsom do herself any favours in her lashing out yesterday at The Times and the media generally. In the course of a lengthy interview yesterday, she told the BBC, I was repeatedly asked about my children and I repeatedly made it clear that I did not want this in any way a feature of the campaign. That is such a dishonest attempt to rewrite her interview that it casts only further doubts on her qualification for high office. We have our disagreements with Ms Leadsoms policies, on Europe and gay rights in particular, but we invite the 150,000 members of the Conservative Party who will make the final choice between Ms May and Ms Leadsom to consider whether the latter is really ready to go straight from a junior ministry to the top job. The presentation of her work in the City in her CV crossed the line between best gloss and misleading, and her refusal so far to publish her tax returns suggests that she is not entirely comfortable with the level of scrutiny that whatever one thinks of it goes with the job of prime minister these days. The people of Britain are entitled to know what kind of people aspire to lead them. And that includes their life story and their family background. But we are progressing as a nation to a future in which gender, sexuality and whether or not one has children will not be regarded as relevant to judging leadership. For that reason if no other we welcome Angela Eagles decision to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership of the Labour Party. It could mean that the two main parties in the UK and the three main parties in Scotland would be led by women, all of them judged on their ability to lead regardless of gender, sexuality and parenthood. When we say we hope that Ms Leadsom fails in her campaign to become Conservative Party leader and prime minister, we do so not because she is a woman and a mother but because, among other things, that outcome would put progress into reverse. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The EU has been described as "undemocratic" in the election of its leaders, but consider this: the next leader of this country will be chosen by a few tens of thousands of Conservative Party members who pay their annual 25 for this considerable privilege. Similarly, the leader of the Labour Party was chosen by a tiny fraction of the UK electorate, many paying a mere 3. The remedy? If you want to have your say next time, join a party preferably one whose aims you believe in and buy yourself an upgrade to Democracy Plus class. A price worth paying perhaps? As for the EU leaders? They were elected by Europe's national leaders (Tusk) or by the elected MEPs, in the case of Juncker and Schulz. Duncan Kelly Amersham The return of the Cold War Now that Nato is bulking up its forces on Russia's borders, and the British Defence Secretary talks of "deterring Russian aggression" can I be the first to coin the phrase "Cold War II" to describe the period into which we are entering? Colin Burke Manchester I joined Labour to get rid of Corbyn I read your report on the surge of new members to the Labour Party and your suggestion that the increase in members shows the massive support for Jeremy Corbyn among the grass roots. I joined the Labour Party last week for the first time for two reasons. First, I felt guilty I hadnt been more involved in the Remain campaign and had moaned about the Leave campaigners but hadnt done anything about it. Second, I wanted a vote so that I could vote out Jeremy Corbyn. Kevin Johnson Clitheroe We need a change from the old order Brexit supporters have unwittingly shaken up the old order or so it seems. If that is genuinely the case, we have an unexpected chance to show the world a new kind of politics, based on a female model of co-operation instead of endlessly repeating the public school/white male establishment one of aggressive competition within and between nations. It is a lost opportunity if Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom fail to come up with something new and exciting between them in this time of national turmoil. They dont even have to break new ground. That was done by Nobel Prize winners Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams in Ireland over 40 years ago now. Jane Sherwood Taunton Women do not play minor roles in warzones I found it rather tasteless that a BBC report on TV yesterday referred to women as having had "only" auxiliary or medical roles in the Armed Forces and particularly in Afghanistan. It was in relation to Cameron's new initiative to have them more on the "front line". Nurses have been killed in Afghanistan so it is not "only" a minor role to have. T Maunder Kirkstall Donald's next declaration? After the Dallas shootings, will Donald Trump now call for all US army veterans to be banned from the country? David J Williams Colwyn Bay Leadsom should be ashamed It was cruel of Andrea Leadsom to highlight the fact that she has children and Theresa May does not and make this an issue in the Conservative leadership campaign. Whatever the context, shame on her. Julie Corbett-Bird Address supplied Declaration of love When did John Rentoul first realise that he was hopelessly in love with Tony Blair? I think we, your readers, should be told. Bernard O'Sullivan London, SW8 Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The past three weeks have seen a political whirlwind in Britain, with a Prime Minister unseated and a previous Prime Minister savaged. But if politics have dominated the headlines, do they really change peoples lives at least in the developed world as much as they seem? There are of course moments of history that change everything: the string of dreadful political decisions that led to the First World War. But they are few and far between. By contrast, the thing that really changes peoples lives is surely technology. If the vote for the UK will leave the European Union seems a momentous political decision, consider this. Would the lives of people in Switzerland be radically different now had the Swiss decided to join the EU? (It withdrew its long-standing application last month). So what is the decision that has most changed our lives over the past decade? It is, I suggest the invention of the iPhone, launched on 29 June 2007. That was just a few months before the great financial crash, which did certainly change many peoples lives in the developed world. But most countries have recovered, in those that havent such as Italy and Greece, the problems go deeper. World Economic Forum: Focus on technology in Africa Look at the world now and the big change is surely the spread of mobile phone technology. This is what makes 2016 different from 2006. This is a shift of quality as well as quantity. It is not just that there are now more mobile phones in the world than there are people, or that we are two years past the point when more people access the Internet from a mobile device than a fixed one. We can do things with mobile communications that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Doubtless in another decade we will be doing things that are unthinkable now. For most people, most of the time, technology trumps politics. So where might the next decade lead us? If something is unthinkable, we cannot by definition think what that might be. But we can all think of areas where we would like to see radical advances, and the question is whether technology will fulfil those desires. The genius of Steve Jobs was to understand what we wanted before we really knew it. I can see four such areas: three obvious, one less so, where technology may change things. Readers will see many more. The most obvious is the falling cost of storing electricity. As it continues to fall, electric vehicles may become cheaper to make than comparable internal combustion vehicles within ten years. That would be the tipping point when we all switch to electric cars and it could happen very quickly. The switch in commercial aircraft from the piston engine took only ten years. The next is healthcare. Here the switch will be to people monitoring their own health, via electronic devices, rather than needing so many making visits to the doctor. Of course the basic structure of health care will remain. There will still be doctors and hospitals. But it will soften as people will become better able to use technology to look after themselves. The third is education. The instant availability of information is already changing education at every level but we are in the early stages of learning how to use what we have. We are still at the pub-quiz level of using information by comparison with what is to come. Again, the structure wont change, or at least not much. What will change will be the attitude towards education: the questioning of experts, rather than the sneering at expertise. All that is obvious enough less so will be the impact of technology on ideas about equality and fairness. Most of us across the developed world would like to see fairer societies, and generally this means greater equality. The point that is often missed is that technology is potentially a great equaliser. You have to be able to use it of course, just as that great equaliser of the first part of the 20th century, the motor car, required people to learn to drive. Driving is the most difficult thing most human beings have to do, requiring hand/eye coordination, a sense of road-craft, an intuitive understanding of physics (cars cant stop suddenly), and so on. Using the new technologies is much easier. But we do need to use technology to push the world towards fairness, rather than be self-indulgent in its use. A bit less Boaty McBoatface, please. Despite Spain and Portugal being in the budget firing line, in the post-Brexit landscape, no one will be keen to rock the economic boat The shifts in the European Union's post-Brexit political landscape are beginning to emerge. On the one hand, a new post- referendum economic nervousness look favourable for Spain and Portugal, who by rights should be in Brussels' firing line for breaching the bloc's deficit rules. On the other hand, Britain's withdrawal process is already starting to feel like a reality - and one that has reinvigorated EU lawmakers long hamstrung by the UK's half-in, half-out attitude. Ideas that would have been unthinkable before the referendum - such as the move this week to shed light on the beneficial owners of trusts, a proposal inserted last-minute into the EU's new anti-money laundering rules and which the UK opposed - are now seeing the light of day. EU negotiators have also reached a deal on new rules for occupational pensions, a subject that had been put on ice ahead of the referendum. The UK hasn't yet filed for divorce, but the cracks are already showing in its relationship with its jilted partner. At the same time though, the new geo-political uncertainty looks likely to rein in so-called austerity hawks, undermining Brussels' long time commitment to tough budgetary discpline. That is playing out in the European Commission's handling of Spain and Portugal, which were this week threatened with fines for breaching the bloc's deficit rules. The question is, should the EU impose fines on already cash-strapped countries when there is so much market volatility and economic uncertainty around after the UK result? The issue will go down to the wire on Tuesday when EU finance ministers will be called on to decide whether the two countries have taken "effective action" to reduce their deficits. The European Commission says they haven't, and it must decide how best to deploy its new post-crisis powers to enforce discipline. Spain was due to bring its budget deficit below the EU's 3pc limit by the end of this year, but at a projected 3.9pc it is likely to come in way off the mark. Portugal had until last year to do the same, but its 2015 deficit was confirmed by the EU's statistics agency at 4.4pc. Both were warned in May that they risked breaching budget rules, and given until now to come up with new savings. Both had already been given repeated extensions to the deficit reduction deadlines, so the Commission is now obliged to come down hard on them or face accusations of political weakness or complaints from deficit hawks such as Germany, the Netherlands and Finland. But France and Italy got away unscathed when they broke the budget rules last year. EU auditors said as much in a report earlier this year, accusing the EU executive of being overly lenient and not even-handed, but Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was defiant when asked why Paris was not given a slap on the wrist. "Because it is France," he said. But the EU's arcane budget rules are actually providing the Commission - and Spain and Portugal alongside it - with a lifeline here. While the Commission is legally obliged to impose fines if finance ministers agree with their "no effective action" assessment - which they are more than likely to do - Spain and Portugal can make an appeal to reduce or scrap the fines blaming "exceptional circumstances." And in the post-Brexit landscape, no one will be keen to rock the economic boat. "These are complex but intelligent rules that must be applied in an intelligent way," said EU economic affairs chief Pierre Moscovici this week. "There is no will to punish at all." One well-placed EU official said this week that the results of the UK referendum will cause "increased uncertainty, not only for the next couple of weeks and months", hitting investment next. He also warned that Brexit is "the downside risk that everybody would identify" in terms of Ireland's economy. "The repercussions don't just kick in on the day when the UK may leave the European Union, they are here with us now," said the EU official, who did not wish to be named. "Outside the UK, Ireland, of course, stands to be impacted." While there is awe in EU circles at Ireland's economic growth rate - which outpaced even China's last year, one official noted - there are lingering concerns about the banks and the property market, which the Brexit vote could yet impact. The fact that EU officials are worried about Ireland's economy is a plus for the Government in seeking special consideration in the looming British divorce proceedings. But Taoiseach Enda Kenny will have to be careful about hammering the point home too hard, or risk alienating their European partners in the process. Other EU countries - Cyprus, for example, which is in the Commonwealth - also claim their own close ties to Britain. Sarah Collins Brussels Ownership of Dundrum Town Centre has officially changed hands after retail property firm Hammerson along with Allianz Real Estate concluded a consensual borrower agreement with previous owners Chartered Land. Hammerson and Allianz acquired loans secured against the shopping centre as part of Nama portfolio Project Jewel in October of last year. The partners reached an agreement with Joe O'Reilly's Chartered Land to take control of one of Ireland's most popular shopping destinations. The two real estate firms shelled out around 1.85bn late last year for Project Jewel, which also included stakes in the Ilac Centre in Dublin's city centre and the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords, north Dublin. Pending a pre-emption process both companies will take over direction of the Ilac and Pavilions. Hammerson chief executive David Atkins said Dundrum provides the firm with a "unique opportunity" in the Irish market. "Acquiring Dundrum, one of Europe's leading shopping destinations, is a game-changing step for Hammerson and increases the diversification of our prime European retail property portfolio. "This will provide us with immediate scale and market leadership from which to capitalise on the strong consumer backdrop in Dublin," he said. The Hammerson chief said that Dundrum's performance since the company acquired it has "reaffirmed" the potential within the portfolio. Chartered Land executive chairman Joe O'Reilly was pleased by the deal and expects more investment in the centre. Clerys Department Store in Dublin was bought following a number of secret meetings as part of a plan called 'Project Clock', the High Court has heard. The claim was made by one of the inspectors conducting an investigation into the collective redundancy of the store's 460 workers in June 2015. That happened hours after the group of companies that owned and operated Clerys was sold to a joint venture called Natrium by its previous owners, the US Gordon Brothers group. Natrium is a joint venture of Cheyne Capital Management in the UK, and a company of Deirdre Foley who is the owner of property firm D2 Private. The inspectors, appointed by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), are opposing a challenge brought by D2 and Ms Foley against the WRC concerning the powers of the inspectors, who seized documents and a computer from D2's offices in May. In a sworn statement, one of the inspectors, James Kelly, said events, including secret meetings, had taken place as part of a plan called 'Project Clock', concerning a takeover of the department store on June 12, 2015. He said the decision to wind up the company was not taken on June 12, as has been claimed. He said while Ms Foley and D2 say the transaction concerning Clerys was bona fide and above reproach, he said they had concealed information that seriously called into question the position being adopted. It was also alleged the High Court was misled when an application to wind up the company that operated Clerys came before it hours after the takeover. Representations made to the court on that date were utterly false, Mr Kelly said, adding that "a makeshift set of affairs" was presented to the court. The decision to wind up the company was not made at arm's length nor was it independent of the applicants, Mr Kelly said. Information was given to the High Court that impeded and complicated the investigation, he added. Ms Foley, in a sworn statement rejected "in the strongest possible terms" the inspector's claims which she described as "far fetched" and "irresponsible". There were "no credible basis for such assertions" which were just "hearsay", she said. She said the decision to liquidate the company, which was insolvent, was not taken by her or D2 or Natrium, who were never the employers of the workers. It was taken independently by directors of OCS Operations Ltd, which had operated the stores and employed the workers. Other parties, including an employee of D2, Mark Redmond, the OCS directors who took the decision to liquidate the company, Brendan Cooney and James Brydie, and Eamonn Richardson of KPMG who was appointed liquidator of OCS, also strongly rejected allegations of impropriety. The information given to the High Court in respect of the winding up petition was accurate, Mr Cooney said in a sworn statement. The hearing, before Mr Justice Michael Twomey, resumes next week. Martin Shanahan, ceo, IDA Ireland; Tom OConnor, managing director of MEIC; Goncala Moura Martins, ceo, Mota-Engil; and Minister of State for the OPW Sean Canney. Photo: Aengus McMahon TWO companies are to create a total of 60 new jobs after opening new offices in the west of Ireland. Water and waste solutions firm Glan Agua and civil engineering company MEIC have both opened new offices in Loughrea, Co Galway, and are looking to add 60 new jobs over the next five years. Both firms are owned by construction group Mota- Engil, which is expanding its Irish operations and creating a UK and Ireland headquarters in Loughrea. Mota-Engil chief executive Goncalo Moura Martins said the firm is committed to developing career opportunities for local engineers. "With the opening of new offices and the goal of creating 60 new jobs in Ireland in the coming years, Mota-Engil is reaffirming its commitment to this market and our intent to continue to invest in this country in order to be a leader in the technical areas in which we operate," he said. Glan Agua currently employs 63 people after being founded in 2008 in Ballinasloe in east Galway. Jobs minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor welcomed the announcement. "I am delighted that this will benefit Loughrea and the surrounding areas. "One of my priorities as Minister is creating an environment where job growth can thrive, particularly in rural Ireland. "I believe only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for the services needed to create a fair society." Glan Agua and MEIC will be looking to fill a number of positions including civil, mechanical, and environmental engineers to facilitate their expansion. As the saga surrounding Console unfolded this week, another deeply concerning controversy was brewing at another State-funded charity. Carline Learning Centre may not have been as well known as Console, but its services for disadvantaged teenagers in west Dublin are no less vital than those provided by the suicide bereavement charity. Expand Close Carline Learning Centre's Treasurer Greg Walsh (67), whom the charity alleges has misappropriated 161,000 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carline Learning Centre's Treasurer Greg Walsh (67), whom the charity alleges has misappropriated 161,000 It receives over 500,000 a year from the Department of Education, the HSE and others to help children aged 12 to 18 who find themselves in difficulty get back into mainstream education. Its board includes several pillars of the community, including former school principals, a garda representative, legal and finance professionals and two nuns. So it was something of a bombshell when lawyers for the charity alleged in the High Court on Wednesday that one board member, Greg Walsh (67), had misappropriated 161,000. The charity alleged that he had engaged in "wrongful and deceitful conduct". Mr Justice Paul Gilligan observed that what was being alleged amounted to "deceit, fraud and embezzlement". Mr Walsh, a low-profile accountant with past links to Fine Gael and business addresses in Kimmage, Dublin, and Celbridge, Co Kildare, had been treasurer for a number of years and a director since May 2014. The High Court heard that he was completely trusted to look after the charity's books and pay its bills. But it is alleged that in 2014 he began making a series of payments to himself, his business and to other companies, using the charity's chequebook. Much of this money was supposed to have been paid to the Revenue Commissioners to cover PAYE and PRSI commitments. Alarm bells first started ringing with the charity's external accountants when they completed an audit of accounts for 2014 last September. A number of discrepancies were uncovered and concerns were communicated by email to the board. However, the issue didn't come to the fore until May of this year, when the board sought a copy of the audited accounts. The accountants advised the board these could not be signed off and met with its chairman, John McKernan. Soon after, the charity requested that the accountants carry out a more thorough investigation of its payment history with Revenue between January 2013 and June of this year. This involved retrieving cashed cheques from Permanent TSB. When the process was completed last month, the accountancy firm compiled a report advising the charity that Mr Walsh had misappropriated 161,337 and had left it owing 72,309 to the Revenue. The report outlined how the majority of cheque stubs detailed as payments to Revenue or where a stub was left blank had in fact been paid to Mr Walsh or his business, Walsh and Company. Some of these cheques were subsequently paid to Revenue by Mr Walsh or his company, the report found. One payment made to the Revenue came from the bank account of another company linked to Mr Walsh, which had no connection to the charity. But huge gaps remained and the report found that 91,199 was owed by Mr Walsh to Carline for 2014, 30,604 for 2015 and 39,534 for half of 2016. Sums still owed to the Revenue amounted to 34,282 for 2015 and 38,027 for this year. According to an affidavit sworn by Mr McKernan, he met with Mr Walsh several times over the past two months to discuss the discrepancies. He said Mr Walsh agreed on May 27 to furnish a detailed report, but all that arrived was a half-page letter on June 14. In the letter, Mr Walsh claimed that he began the practice of paying Revenue through his client account in 2013 as there had been difficulty with Permanent TSB paying direct debits to Revenue. He said in the letter that things worked well until he changed his client bank account in May 2014, but forgot to change the bank account listed with Revenue's online service. Mr Walsh claimed that he did not become aware that payments had not gone to Revenue for some time and that he had updated the details and resubmitted the payments. However, Mr McKernan's affidavit said this was not a credible explanation. It described the letter as "a work of fiction, which was not in any way substantiated by paperwork and figures to hand". Carline's chairman said that when he challenged Mr Walsh, the accountant claimed that he developed the practice of drawing down cheques from the charity and paying Revenue out of his own client account with the consent of the charity. But this has been hotly disputed and Mr McKernan said such consent was never sought by Mr Walsh. He said there were no circumstances under which the charity would have agreed to the practice due to the obvious risks involved. Carline's barrister, Eamon Marray, told the court on Wednesday that the charity had genuine concerns that it wouldn't get satisfactory answers from Mr Walsh. However, by the following day, Mr Walsh had given an undertaking that he would consent to orders sought by the charity, compelling him to return the money and explain what had happened to it. The charity says he has also voluntarily stepped aside from the board. A meeting between him and the charity's auditors is set to take place before the case returns to court next Thursday. Mr Walsh told the Irish Independent that the meeting was taking place at his request, but declined, on legal advice, to comment further. When asked if he was in a position to repay the funds allegedly misappropriated, Mr Walsh said: "I can't discuss anything. I am meeting the auditors and that is all I can say at the moment." Christina Estrada, the former Pirelli calendar model, has been awarded 75m (88m) against her billionaire ex-husband, the largest "needs award" arising from a divorce in English legal history. Ms Estrada won the amount, which includes a 53m (62m) cash settlement, against Walid Juffali, a Saudi businessman. The settlement was boosted by approximately 22m (26m) in assets, which include gifts from Mr Juffali that Ms Estrada is now able to keep. The total is less than half of the 196m (230m) she had sought from Mr Juffali. A statement from Ms Estrada's lawyers said: "The judge accepted that Walid Juffali and Christina Estrada had lived an extraordinary and exorbitant life and that this should be reflected if not replicated in the award." Justin Warshaw QC, representing Mr Juffal (61) asked the judge to give his client until the end of this year to pay Ms Estrada. "You have got to give him months to pay," said Mr Warshaw. "It's going to take him months and months to raise this kind of money. It's not a case of writing a cheque." Mrs Justice Roberts gave Mr Juffali until 4pm on July 29 to comply. Ms Estrada, who has lived in the UK since 1988, said she was "very grateful for today's ruling", adding: "I always wanted to resolve the matter amicably. This process has been incredibly bruising and distressing. "Walid and I were happily married for 12 years and have a beautiful daughter together. He took both a second wife and divorced me without my knowledge. "His use of diplomatic immunity to try and prevent me from access to a legally binding settlement set a worrying precedent." As for the size of her financial award, Ms Estrada said: "Having grown up in a middle-class family and having enjoyed a successful career until my marriage, I am fully aware that the spectacular life Walid and I led was immensely fortunate and rarefied. "And I fully understand how this can be perceived in the wider world. My focus now is to support my daughter and move forward with our lives." Ms Estrada said she needed the money to maintain the lifestyle to which she and her daughter are accustomed The figure is said to have included a significant amount for clothing, three properties including staff and a number of vehicles. Mr Juffali had initially offered Ms Estrada 37m (43m) including the use of properties in Beverley Hills and London. Award The award to Estrada is the latest in a series of big money divorce cases to pass through the High Court. In 2014, the same judge, Mrs Justice Roberts, awarded Jamie Cooper-Hohn, the estranged wife of financier Sir Chris Hohn, 337m (395m). At the time, legal experts said that was "certainly" one of the highest made in the UK, but there may have been even bigger payouts which have not been made public. Of those which did get into the news, it was reported in 2011 that Galina Besharova, former wife of the late Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, had agreed to accept between 165m (194m) and 220m (258m) as part of a settlement. Confirmed then as the "largest award ever", it superseded the previous record of 48m (56m) awarded to Beverley Charman, the ex-wife of insurance magnate John Charman in 2006. A 59-year-old Dublin woman, who suffers ongoing shoulder pain and can no longer lift her grandchildren since she slipped and fell on yoghurt in a Tesco store four years ago, has been awarded 55,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court. Dee Kenny told the court that in April 2012 she was shopping in Tesco, Ballybrack, Co Dublin, when she slipped on yoghurt and fell on her right side. Ms Kenny said she suffered immediate pain in her right hand and hip. She was helped up by her son and a customer and went home after speaking with a Tesco manager. She told her barrister, Kieran O'Callaghan, that her hand and hip were very sore the following day and she went to St Columcille's Hospital. The court heard that X-rays revealed no fracture. Ms Kenny, of Watson Drive, Killiney, Co Dublin, had suffered bruising to her hip and a sprain to her right thumb. She said she developed pain in her right shoulder a few weeks later. Following further medical examinations, an ultrasound revealed that she had suffered a tear to her shoulder rotator cuff. The court heard that the accident had exacerbated a pre-existing degenerative condition in her shoulder. Ms Kenny told Judge Francis Comerford that she had given up her job as a laundry operative because of ongoing pain in her shoulder. The court heard that she underwent surgery last year. She said she was attending physiotherapy sessions and her pain was expected to improve. She said her life had been affected, as she could not lift her grandchildren and had to give up swimming activities. She sued Tesco Ireland Limited for negligence. Mr O'Callaghan said the store accepted the accident had happened and Ms Kenny's case had become an assessment of damages only. Awarding Ms Kenny 55,000 damages, the judge said he was satisfied that her shoulder pain had developed a few weeks after her fall. Sean Kyne, the Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources Photo: Tom Burke More than 60 Irish language translator jobs in European Union institutions are open to qualified applicants. Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources Sean Kyne has issued a final reminder to all intending applicants for the upcoming EU competition for the Irish language translator position. The deadline for applications is Tuesday next, July 12. This competition is being held by EPSO (the European Personnel Selection Office) in order to fill up to 62 positions for Irish language translators in the EU institutions. The posts, which have a starting salary of 4,384 a month, will be based in Brussels and Luxembourg. Applications to the recruitment competition can be made through the recruitment website www.jobs.eu-careers.eu. The competition is open to university graduates, including those graduating this summer, with an excellent command of Irish and a thorough knowledge of at least two other official EU languages including English, French or German. Irish was recognised as an official and working language of the European Union in 2007. Since then, a derogation on the level of Irish language services to be provided has been in place. In December 2015, the European Council adopted a regulation aimed at ending the derogation by the end of 2021. EU institutions are now preparing to gradually provide Irish language services at the same level as those provided for the other official languages of the EU. With salaries and job opportunities falling here, hundreds of qualified teachers are foregoing Irish classrooms to take up attractive tax-free opportunities in schools across the Middle East. Next month some 50 Irish teachers will be flying out to take up positions with primary and post-primary schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Expand Close Nicola Edwards, Emer O'Brien and Aine Ni Mainin Photo: Doug O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nicola Edwards, Emer O'Brien and Aine Ni Mainin Photo: Doug O'Connor A sense of adventure is the attraction for some, with others viewing the opportunity as a chance to build up savings towards a house back home - something many said they felt was nigh impossible to do on current Irish teachers' salaries. "As a couple, my husband and myself have been working 11 years as teachers and in all that time we've barely been able to save towards our future," said Myra Reddington (33), who is heading to Dubai from Mayo in five weeks. "We're actually going to be paid a little bit less than what we're earning here but with nothing going to the tax man and our accommodation paid for, between us we'll be coming out almost 2,000 ahead each month." Seeking adventure, newly qualified teacher Katie Fortune (23) said she could not wait to "get out of damp Ireland and get some sun in Abu Dhabi". Expand Close Julianne Murphy Photo: Doug O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Julianne Murphy Photo: Doug O'Connor Less than a month after completing her Masters, the Wexford native is heading to the UAE capital with three of her friends. "This is a great way of seeing a different part of the world and save money at the same time," she said. Among the two dozen or so teachers that met up this week in Dublin ahead of the move to Abu Dhabi, Donegal-based Julianne Murphy (27) offered a different perspective on why she was leaving Ireland. "When I qualified four years ago, I got a school near to where I grew up. At first I was delighted, especially when I saw where many of my friends ended up," she said. "But after awhile I grew really jealous of them because they got to experience somewhere new. I'm at the stage now where I don't even go out in Donegal because I'm so fed up. "That's why I decided to go abroad, to just get a taste of something new." Expand Close Billy Waters, Vida Novak and Sharon Loscher Photo: Doug O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Billy Waters, Vida Novak and Sharon Loscher Photo: Doug O'Connor At a time of rising enrolments in both primary and second-level schools, driving up demand for staff, it may seem strange that teachers are looking abroad. Myra said, however, that she was earning less now than she was seven years ago following a one-year career break in Australia. "Here you can have two people doing the same job in a school on very different pay scales. Over there, that isn't the case - the school I'm heading to, for example, very much goes out of its way to reward staff who perform well, offering incentives and bonuses." "For us, this is an investment in our future," said Ronan Murphy (35), who is leaving Cavan to head to Abu Dhabi alongside his wife and three children. Expand Close Graham Carroll Photo: Doug O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Graham Carroll Photo: Doug O'Connor "We're excited to take up a new challenge after 14 years teaching in Ireland. Financially it's a sound investment, and it's a chance for our children to experience a different culture." Peter Mullan of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) said he was not surprised that Ireland would be losing nearly 50 teachers in a month's time. "I'd say that's just the tip of the iceberg; remember that's just with the one agency (Teach and Explore), there's several more out there too offering to help Irish teachers to find work abroad. "Due to the pay cuts imposed on new teachers, and the fact that, particularly at second level, there are a lot of people who can't get full hours here, it's no surprise that we've hundreds of teachers looking to take advantage of more attractive pay packages in other countries." Mr Mullan said that there was an ongoing frustration among teachers at the difficulty in getting a permanent job, with up to half of teachers under 35 employed working only a handful of hours every week. Expand Close Myra Reddington with her husband and fellow teacher Kieran McDonagh Photo: Doug O'Connor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Myra Reddington with her husband and fellow teacher Kieran McDonagh Photo: Doug O'Connor Starting salaries can vary but on average many newly qualified teachers in permanent positions in Ireland will earn less than 29,000 annually. Mr Mullan pointed out that teachers working in Ireland often faced high rents and large transport costs. A former Console ambassador in Galway has told of his shock at the sudden closure of the suicide prevention charity, describing it as being "like a bereavement". Former Galway Mayor Peter Roche, who lost his son to suicide, said the closure was "shattering news". "I suppose it was on life support for the past 10 days and now that life support has been withdrawn. The curtains have come down on something very special," he said. Mr Roche said that steps must now be taken to urgently plug the gap left by the loss of Console. Expand Close Console founder Paul Kelly Photo: Robbie Reynolds / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Console founder Paul Kelly Photo: Robbie Reynolds Read More "There was an extraordinary network of people working for and supporting Console right around the country, even during the height of the recession. "I spoke to one of the councillors in Galway yesterday who told me they were seeing the same number of people and the same need despite what has happened recently. "If you look beyond the fact that all these people are losing their own jobs, their greatest concern is that people they were helping will have nowhere to turn. Read More "The positive work they did resonated with people, they were the first line of inquiry if someone was feeling unwell. Now that lifeline is gone," he said. He said the closure had "sucked the life out of the counsellors as well as from Console". "There is a real crisis nationally. I honestly thought in my heart that it could be rebranded under new people and survive. Just because Console is gone doesn't mean the need is gone," he added. The bankrupt farmer whose cattle were shot by army rangers last week has been served with a 3.48m tax bill from the Criminal Assets Bureau. John Hoey, from Carrickmacross, Monaghan, was slapped with the tax assessment for unpaid income tax over five years, according to his bankruptcy file. Mr Hoeys file also reveals that his bankruptcy supervisor, Chris Lehane, was advised not to search Mr Hoeys property without a significant armed detachment of Gardai. This weekend, Mr Hoeys partner, Aisling, said the details in Mr Hoeys bankruptcy file had nothing to do with the shooting of five heifers on his farm last Tuesday. He does not see why his animals should have to suffer because of his bankruptcy, she said. The shooting of Mr Hoeys cattle generated outcry amongst farming and animal welfare groups and was widely criticised in the Dail last week. The herd was among the assets seized from Mr Hoeys 200 acre farm by his bankruptcy supervisor to help repayment his debts In interviews last week, Mr Hoey last week said he was destroyed after witnessing eight army marksmen shoot dead five of his herd of Red Limousin heifers. He said three heifers dropped dead in front of him, and another was shot dead as he ran towards her. Read More The Official Assignee, Chris Lehane, said most of the herd was removed from the farm, but five animals proved difficult to catch, they were wild and dangerous and after exhausting all possibilities the Defence Forces were brought in to shoot the animals in a controlled environment. Documents in Mr Hoeys file reveal that he was declared bankrupt in February over a debt of 262,691 owed to John Kelly Fuels. Chris Lehane, the court appointed bankruptcy supervisor, stepped in to take control of his assets but according to court records, he suspected Mr Hoey was concealing some of his property from him. Mr Lehane applied to the High Court for warrants to search premises including a hotel where he believed that trailers, a hay turner, a hopper, a hydraulic harrow, a fertiliser spreader, and a fodder beet crushing machine, were being stored, the documents show. Read More In his sworn statements, Mr Lehane said he contacted Gardai in Carrickmacross in line with Insolvency Service protocol. He said he was advised that Mr Hoey is known to gardai and that under no circumstances should he or the bankruptcy inspector attempt to execute any search warrant or warrant of seizure...otherwise than in the presence of a significant armed detachment of An Garda Siochana which it is believed is essential to preserve the safety" of his "staff and the public". The file reveals that security firm, Risk Management International, was paid 47,584 last month for providing security services to Mr Lehane. The file also includes statement from Eugene Corcoran, now an assistant commissioner in charge of the CAB. He said was a real and imminent risk that John Hoey would sell or move goods, machinery and livestock on his property to put them out of reach of the official bankruptcy assignee. Mr Hoey owes 449,987 to secured creditors, and 511,554 to unsecured creditors, according to court records on file. They lost their seats in the last General Election, but these politicians havent gone away. Especially on Twitter. Former Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore is just one in a list of retired and electorally-rejected TDs who continue to use the title of TD on Twitter since #GE16. Despite what his account would tell you, Gilmore is no longer Labour TD for Dun Laoghaire. Although he appears to have taken a step back from Twitter since Februarys election, Mr Gilmore still found the time to like a tweet last month. Expand Close Former Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore Photo: Arthur Carron / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore Photo: Arthur Carron Eamons not alone in still living the TD dream on social media. Former Dublin Central TD Joe Costello also describes himself as Labour TD for Dublin Central on Twitter and has even kept @JoeCostelloTD as his handle. Hes been using his account much more than the former Tanaiste though, tweeting up to the end of last month. Former Dublin South Central TD Eric Byrne describes himself as former Dail Deputy for Dublin South Central but has held on to the @EricByrneTD Twitter handle. Expand Close Labour TD Joe Costello / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Labour TD Joe Costello Besides this Byrnes account appears to have lain almost dormant since he lost the first of two Labour seats in the constituency, with the exception of one retweet last April. Interestingly, the Twitter accounts of Anne Ferris and former Education Minister Ruairi Quinn have never sent, responded to or retweeted a tweet. But the accounts of both former TDs still carry the marks of a TD. Expand Close Sandra McLellan. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sandra McLellan. Photo: Tom Burke Sinn Feins Sandra McLellan, who was replaced in the last General Election by Pat Buckley, still describes herself as Sinn Fein TD for Cork East on Twitter. Another whose Twitter handle hasnt yet managed to catch up to the electoral results earlier this year is that of the colourful, former Socialist TD Joe Higgins. Although his Twitter bio describes him as a former Socialist Party TD, his handle still reads @JoeHigginsTD. And this is certainly no inactive account. Other former TDs, Galways Brian Walsh, Longford Westmeaths James Bannon, and Corks Aine Collins are among those who use a Twitter handle with TD in the name. Changing a username or handle on Twitter takes less than a minute. All that is required of a user is to click on the settings option in the top right hand corner of the homepage and amend the username. The site will let a user know immediately if the new name is available and if it is, all a user has to do next is hit save changes at the bottom of the page and enter their password to confirm the change. Independent.ie attempted to contact the former TDs still using their TD accounts but none responded. However spokespeople for Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Sinn Fein said they do not manage the Twitter accounts of TDs or former TDs and are not responsible for how the accounts are presented. Businessman Denis O'Brien offered to guarantee a 5m loan sought by businessman Paddy McKillen from the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) four years ago, Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy claimed in the Dail. Ms Murphy said that Mr O'Brien gave a personal guarantee in order to secure a bridging loan for the property developer Paddy McKillen, when both owed large amounts to the bank. "Astoundingly, despite serious concerns from some about Mr McKillen's ability to repay the amounts he owed IBRC - far in excess of 5m - the bridging facility was granted. "Essentially, a man with huge debts to IBRC was granted a loan from the IBRC on the guarantee of another man who owed significant sums to IBRC while there were questions over both men's financial ability to fulfill original loan agreements with IBRC," Ms Murphy said. "Those making the decision were directly connected with the Siteserv deal and other transactions." She made the claims during a Dail debate on legislation to grant extra legal powers to the inquiry into IBRC transactions. Ms Murphy said that in 2012, "the then heavily indebted developer Paddy McKillen sought a bridging loan of just 5m from IBRC when he had a cashflow problem following his unsuccessful litigation against the Barclay brothers. "As part of that process, Richard Woodhouse, a man connected with the Siteserv sale, and Mr O'Brien advised members of the IBRC, including (former CEO Mike) Aynsley and Tom Hunerson - people connected directly with the Siteserv deal - that Mr O'Brien would provide IBRC with a guarantee of 5m to support the loan for Mr McKillen." A Commission of Investigation was set up to probe 38m worth of deals by IBRC. Ms Murphy has been campaigning for more transparency in relation to these deals. Mr Justice Brian Cregan is studying a series of deals to see if they were commercially sound, including the sale of contracting firm Siteserv to Mr O'Brien's Millington, with a write-down of 119m. An interim report issued two months ago indicated there were issues around confidentiality that are preventing the judge from making progress. Now under the Commission of Investigation (Irish Bank Resolution Corporation) Bill 2016, the Commission has been given extra powers to address issues raised. The Commission will also be given the same powers, rights and privilege of the High Court or a High Court judge in relation to its probe into IBRC. The Department of Justice said the legislation will be enacted as soon as possible. Mr O'Brien's spokesman said he had no comment to make. Part of the Cliffs of Moher have become 'dangerously unstable' and are at risk of falling into the sea Visitors to one of Irelands most popular tourist destinations have been warned not to stray from official paths. Part of the Cliffs of Moher have become dangerously unstable and are at risk of falling into the sea. Following several recent landslides at Irelands second most popular tourist attraction visitors have been warned to stay on official paths and to not trail close to the edge of the cliff. A spokesperson for the Cliffs of Moher said the official path is the inner path and not the bare earth track created by walkers. There have been several events in recent years where parts of the cliff face have collapsed into the sea 700 feet below. A noted north Dublin pub that was raided by gardai and Revenue officials was still closed last night following a joint agency operation. The doors remained locked at the Edenmore House after the premises were searched for more than two hours by customs officers and gardai in a raid that began at around 6pm on Thursday. Sources said the raid had been planned by Coolock gardai and customs officers for several weeks. "This operation was to do with licensing legislation as well as outstanding Revenue matters," a source said. "There may be further developments in this matter in the future." Feud In a completely separate development not linked to the Edenmore House in any way, gardai in the area are monitoring a feud between young criminals. The dispute has seen a number of violent incidents in recent weeks. Tensions are running high after a row broke out between youths based in the Edenmore estate and the nearby Ayrfield area. It has emerged that up to 60 young men, mostly aged between 18 and 35, are involved in the "simmering conflict". It has led to weapons including swords and knives being hidden at "discreet locations" in the Edenmore estate. Sources said the rival Ayrfield faction have been driving into the Edemore estate on a weekly basis "in convoy with a view to taking out the opposite side". While no shooting incidents have been linked to the low- level feud, sources have reported a number of serious assaults and stabbings. Gardai have been made aware of a number of the att-acks, which have included an attempt by one criminal to slit another young man's throat and a brick being thrown through a car window in a separate attack. "The nature of this feud is unique to its own small area," said the source. "What has been happening a lot is that small-level drug dealers from both sides are being ripped-off by each other. "Meetings are being set up, drugs are being stolen. Fellas are being beaten up." Sources said a prominent grouping in the Edenmore faction are a crime-based family suspected of a catalogue of crimes in the locality, including armed robbery. They were the subject of garda drugs raids last May. Trigger On the opposing side, much of the power is in the hands of a Coolock drug dealer aged in his late 20s. This up-and-coming criminal had close links to the late gangster Patrick 'Dutchy' Holland who was named during one court case as having pulled the trigger in the shooting of journalist Veronica Guerin 20 years ago. 'Do you know what you're doing?" asked Ben Farrell cheekily, when a consultant at Crumlin Hospital didn't stick to his regular routine of first "sleepy medication" and then anti-sickness tablets. Little Ben, who's only five, is being treated at the Dublin children's hospital for a rare form of cancer. His mum Valerie Farrell says her little boy is facing a battle no child should ever have to face, but despite it all, he's still smiling - and he's still wearing his beloved Batman mask, keeping everyone at the hospital entertained with his antics. "He does it all while remaining happy and singing and cracking up the nurses. He is full of life and full of character," Valerie says. "He's a really happy little boy and we want to do everything we can to keep him that way." Ben, from Finglas in north Dublin, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on Christmas Eve 2015. He has a stage IV Wilms tumour, which doctors here are struggling to treat, despite 19 rounds of radiotherapy. "We are in the devastating position where our options are limited and have all but run out in Ireland," says Valerie. Expand Close Five-year-old Ben Farrell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Five-year-old Ben Farrell "His treatment in Ireland is not working and we need to raise a lot of money in a short time for a clinical trial in America." Ben is suffering from a form of cancer where the cells in his body are making his tumour particularly hard to treat. And his family say that because his doctors here are stumped, they are now exploring every alternative option to do whatever they can to save little Ben's life. "None of the consultants in Ireland has seen these cells before," says Valerie. "They've contacted America and Europe for treatments but nothing so far has been proven to work." "There are clinical trials for Ben's cancer in the US that have shown promising results in the labs. "They'll do testing on Ben's tumour and they'll see what's unusual about it and see if a particular treatment will work," she says. "It's a trial so the results haven't been proven, but we've few options left." The treatment, which would take place in the Children's Hospital in Washington, costs an estimated 260,000, and the family have launched a Go Fund Me page to help raise the potentially life-saving cash. "We'll have extra expenses too to get to Washington but if we can fund the treatment we'll find a way to cover the other costs," says Valerie. The family's ordeal began at Christmas time last year when Ben began complaining of a sore tummy. "We thought he just had a bug or it was an excuse for him to sleep in our bed," his mum recalls. "His pain wasn't excruciating, and it would come and go." Valerie brought Ben to a doctor who told her he had acid reflux. But something told her that it wasn't that simple. "Being a mother, I knew it wasn't acid reflux. My mammy instincts kicked in and I brought him straight to the hospital," says Valerie. The day before Christmas Eve, Valerie got the news that is every parent's worst nightmare. Doctors told her that she was right - it wasn't reflux. In fact, Ben had a tumour, and more than likely it would turn out to be cancerous. "Never in a million years could I have imagined they would say that," she recalls. "It was the most devastating news. We were in shock. It couldn't be real. It didn't make sense. "The next day on Christmas Eve we met our consultant and he told us there was a spot free in the theatre if we wanted to operate on Ben to confirm his tumour was cancerous, or we could go home and enjoy Christmas and come back afterwards. "I asked the consultant was he a father and when he said he was, I asked what he would do if he was in our situation. He told us he would hit the ground running - and so we did. Ben went into surgery and started chemotherapy on Christmas Day. There was no Christmas in our house that year. We're blessed that Ben's two-year-old brother Jack is so young, so he doesn't understand what's happening - but he cries every time Ben leaves to go to the hospital." On March 4 ,a lump was removed from Ben's kidney. It was the largest cancerous lump in his body, but the cancer has spread to other places. And the progress of his illness was leaving doctors fighting a losing battle. "After 19 rounds of radiotherapy, our consultant looked at us and said he didn't think he could cure Ben," Valerie says. But the Farrells were not going to give up. They are now spearheading a campaign to fight as hard as they can for Ben, and exhaust every available avenue in pursuit of a potential cure. When Valerie heard about the trials in America, she knew immediately that the family had no choice but to try and get Ben on the programme. "Going over to the US, I knew the costs were going to be through the roof, but we know what we need to do. "We need to go as soon as possible because the trial will close. It mightn't stay open much longer." The Children's Hospital in Washington, she says, must receive the funds before Ben can start his treatment there. But the deadline has just added urgency to their campaign. "Faced with many uncertainties, one thing is clear to us," says Valerie. "We must fight. We must give Ben every chance no matter how far or what the cost. "We know treatment in America runs into hundreds of thousands and we need help to give us more options." Meanwhile, the Farrells are trying to keep life as normal as they can for the little boy. Valerie says that Ben was annoyed he missed Ireland play France in the Euros 2016 on Sunday, as he was in Crumlin for teatment. "He gets so excited at the national anthem and at the shouting when people score. He loves the Ireland team." Valerie praised Ben's school, St Margaret's National School in Dublin, and his teacher Ms Keegan for being so "encouraging, inclusive and for making him feel so special" on the days he's well enough to attend school. "The whole community have come out in force. I never realised the support and kindness people are capable of giving. "I've been overwhelmed by their support. People have even brought over food and these small gestures have blown me away." You can donate money to help Ben's treatment in the US at www.gofundme.com/batmanben Premium What will it take to unite Ireland? Opinions are divided There are those for whom Northern Ireland is a geographical fragment of the UK holding true to empire on its western flanks, and those for whom partition is a century-old wrong that must be overturned. Somewhere in the middle are the persuadables people willing to accept either unity or union, so long as the justification is logical. One way or another, the unity conversation is in the air. There is no denying that the Brexit decision is a blow to the EU. The response of the EU will be pivotal. There is a real risk that the 27 EU countries will start pursuing national interests at the expense of the common EU interest. If they do, everyone will lose. Methods that worked in a union of six countries will not work with 27. The 27 states must help the EU to regain the popular support by allowing it demonstrate an ability to get results, and to do so in a much more visibly democratic manner. The banking union and the single services market must be completed, as both will benefit European savers and consumers in a visible way. EU states must also show respect for EU rules, and to show that the EU can do business efficiently with the rest of the world. That would be the best response to Brexit. The EU needs a new narrative, one that highlights its ability to stand up for the consumer against vested interests, whether these interests be national or multinational. This will not be easy. The European Union is not a monolith. It is a voluntary union of 28 states, with no independent tax raising power. It operates on the basis of rules, which its 28 members must freely respect. If they fail to do so, the EU ceases to mean anything. These rules are made under the authority of the EU's treaties, which have been ratified by all member states, and the treaties can only be amended if all 28 states agree. The more members the EU has, the harder it becomes, by a form of geometric progression, for the EU to amend its treaties, or to make deals with the outside world. A club that has no power to change it basic rules will eventually fossilise and die. The EU makes trade deals on behalf of its members, using the extra bargaining power that its size gives it. But because it negotiates on behalf of 28 states, not just one, it can be harder for the EU to finalise a deal. In the case of some trade deals, it is sufficient that they be ratified by the 28 governments and the European Parliament alone. In others, all 28 national parliaments must ratify too, which makes it much more difficult for the EU to be an effective trade negotiator. If one or more member states get into a habit of failing to respect EU rules or directives, the EU ceases to be operational, particularly if the states failing to respect the rules are bigger states. Recently France has threatened to flout an existing EU directive because efforts to amend it, in a direction France wanted, are being blocked by the national parliaments of 11 EU states. In response, the French Prime Minister, Michel Valls, is threatening not to implement the existing directive, which would completely undermine EU rulemaking. That is a direct threat to the EU from a founding state. It is really dangerous Likewise, if it becomes too difficult for the EU to complete trade agreements because a few states within the 27 hold up the agreement, the EU's utility as a trade negotiator fades away. Commission this week conceded, under pressure from national governments facing early elections, that the trade deal with Canada must not only be ratified by the European Parliament and the 28 governments, but by the 28 national parliaments as well. This is a risky decision. If the EU's deal with Canada fails because of this, years of work by Canadian and EU negotiators will go down the drain. Other countries will begin to doubt if negotiating with the EU is worth their while. The Brexit advocates will have won part of their argument. It has become accepted wisdom in every EU capital now that treaty change is off the agenda. This is because of the requirement to have a referendum in Ireland, the voluntary decisions of France and the Netherlands to have referenda on EU matters, and the expectation that a treaty change would be preceded by a cumbersome convention. The net result is that the EU is reluctant to consider treaty changes at all, even ones that might make it more democratic. If treaty change were to be permanently off the agenda, the EU would eventually freeze up, because it will not be able to respond to new circumstances. While there is no need for a comprehensive review of the treaties, a change to respond to concerns that emerged in the UK referendum campaign should not be excluded. The EU was frequently criticised on the UK as not being democratic enough. So changes to make the EU more visibly democratic should be considered. For example, treaty changes could be envisaged to 1.) Have the President of the European Commission elected directly, in a two-round election, by the entire electorate of the EU. 2.) Have the President of the euro group similarly elected by the citizens of eurozone countries 3.) Give national parliaments of the EU, if a minimum number agrees, a power to require the Commission to put forward, for consideration, a legislative proposal within the EU competence in the treaties. National parliaments already can delay EU legislation, so why not allow them make a positive proposal? This further democratisation of the EU could take place without changing any of the EU's powers. But it would give EU citizens ,whether in Donegal or Dubrovnik, a greater sense the EU belongs to them, and not to a supposed insider elite. That is needed if the EU is to be effective as an instrument of democratic control of globalisation in the 21st century. On Thursday night I headed for the popular coffee shop 23 Seats in Crowe Street for the official book launch of Ink Princess a first novel by well-known body piercer and modification artist Baz Black from River Lane. It is a fictional story about a girl who survives on the streets whom, after a rough time becomes involved with a tattoo shop where she learns her trade and becomes a famous tattoo artist. As fame and fortune beckons she is interviewed on television about her work, she reveals about a stalker she has had for the previous seven years, and the story then really takes off! I wasn't too long in the door when I caught up with Ed Collins and Jenni Hickey both from Drogheda. Ed said that he's half way through the book and is really enjoying it while Jenni said it's a really good story and a gripping read. Also in their company was Baz' apprentice Gabriele Ptuau from Bridge Street who assured me it is a really good read and an excellent debut. I then caught up with Baz's brother David Black from Drogheda who recently finished the novel and said it's a brilliant read and wanted to wish him all the best with it. He was standing having a laugh with Trevor Myles originally from Bay Estate, now hanging his hat in Drogheda who is a long-time friend of Baz who was there to get his signed copy and said he couldn't wait to read it over the weekend. Not too far away I then met up with Robbie McDermott from Bolivor who told me he has had work done by Baz over the last few years and was delighted to be able to come down for the launch. He was there with Andy Byrne from Athboy and Darragh Reilly from Clonmellon who were enjoying the night. After this I headed over for a chat with Aly Quinn from Faughart, Jennifer Quigley from Tallanstown and Baz' wife and tattoo artist Emma Ray from Blackrock who was responsible for the front cover of the book a beautifully painted tattoo gun. Emma said that the book had taken him a year to write and she was pleasantly surprised by the finished edition and said it was a big success so far with everyone who had read it and was sure that this was going to be continued. Not too far away I met up with Asia Muller from Poland and Kassie Benton from the UK who is currently doing advanced training with him and wanted to wish him every success for the future with his book. I then headed over for a word with Baz' parents Jim and Bridgetta Black from Drogheda who were extremely proud of their son. Bridgetta said that she had already read the book on line on her phone and just couldn't put it down and wanted to wish all the best with his latest venture. Next I met up with Barry Keating from Market Street who had managed to get a pre-copy of the book but hadn't started it yet. Barry has been working for a number of years as a feature film and video game writer, he has recently returned home to live in Dundalk after living in Madrid to focus on his own writing and already has had two films screened in the Cannes film festival and has another coming up in N.I.F.F.F. in Neuchtal Switzerland in July and wanted to wish all the best to Baz on his debut. After this I got a word with Arthur Flynn from Seatown who has known the author for years and was delighted to be there for the launch. Not too long later I met up with well-known musician and his wife Jagger and Poonah Murray from Drogheda who told me he has been a friend of Baz for over 20 years and wanted to wish him all the best with Ink Princess. Jagger and his band Black Swan are playing in the Spirit Store on August 20th along with Words that Burn and Suet Kant. I then had the pleasure of talking to Felicity Rawson and Arabella Scot both from Mary Street South who know Baz very well with Emma having tattooed Felicity and Arabella now having 20 piercings from the main man. They are very proud of their friend and wanted to wish him every success with his book. I then headed for to a table where I met up with Jennifer and Darren Lenihan from Castleblaney who said that Darren and Baz are good mates and Jennifer said that they're heading on holidays on Sunday and couldn't wait to have a good read of it while she was away. Not too long later I got talking to Emma's dad Tom and sister Lucy ray from Dublin. Lucy said she really liked the book and would certainly recommend it, while Tom hadn't read it yet, but promised me he was going to, it's in print now Tom, so you're gonna have to! Finally, I caught up with Alan Graham and Ulrike Wangner from 23 Chairs in Crowe Street on of the best coffee houses in town who told me they were delighted to be hosting the launch and wanted to wish Baz all the best with his first book. Baz is best known for his tattoos and piercings and this is his first venture into print, it is a gripping piece of writing that should certainly be investigated by all readers. It's available from Baz Black Piercing in River Lane, Carroll's Bookshop in Park Street and on Amazon. Fergus McArdle, Tony Nordon, Oliver Nixon and Gay Berkery, Dundalk Rotary Club with Bikes at Aura Leisure Centre for the Bikes for Africa Project Dundalk Rotary club are helping children in Gambia to access education through an unique 'bikes to Africa' scheme. In the wake of National Bike Week, which saw many school kids across Louth encouraged to get on their bikes, the local Rotary club launched their scheme, which sends unwanted bicycles to children in Gambia, to help them get to school each day. Aura leisure centre and swimming pool also got behind the initiative, acting as a drop off centre on Saturday last for any unwanted bikes. Seamus McDermott, Dundalk Rotary Club said they were delighted with the donation of 35 bicycles at the pool. 'In total we have collected 70 bicycles which are ready to go. But we are still accepting any that are suitable for children aged six and over, and are in good or fixable condition.' The unique project sees prisoners at Loughan House in Cavan, who are accredited in bicycle repair, fix the bikes for use before they are sent off to Gambia. 'It's a really excellent project as prisoners are trained up and achieve this accreditation in bicycle repair which they can leave with, and they are providing their expertise in fixing the bikes to be distributed in communities for children have difficulty getting transport to school.' Seamus explained that in Gambia many children live in townships miles away from their nearest school, and having a bike can make all the difference in relation to them being able to access education. Transport is particularly difficult in many rural parts of the country, posing one of the biggest problems for children who don't live near a school in gaining access to education. 'This scheme which began in the UK, and has actually been running in Ireland for the last few years has a proven impact on children,as it has resulted in a 25% increase in educational outputs in recent years,' said Seamus. He added that the Dundalk club have also joined forces with Newry rotarians to collect as many bicycles as possible for donation. 'The Harbour Commissioners at Warrenpoint Harbour have very kindly agreed to allow us the use of a container to store the bicycles before they are shipped off to Africa.' Seamus added: 'We are delighted with the response to appeals for bikes over the last week. So many people have donated, and there are more set to come in.' 'A bicycle might not mean that much to a child here in Ireland, but for kids in Gambia it really can make the difference between them being able to get to school, and not being able to access education.' Anyone who has a bicycle in fairly good, or repairable condition, can still donate to the Dundalk Rotary 'bikes to Africa' scheme by contacting Seamus on 087 2634942. Five young musicians from Music Generation Louth travelled to Dublin to perform for guests at the American ambassador's residence in the Phoenix Park, including US Vice-President Joe Biden and US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley. The members of the Music Generation Louth Harp Ensemble performed an energetic and diverse repertoire of traditional and contemporary music under the direction of their tutor Deirdre Ni Bhuachalla. Speaking at the performance, Music Generation Louth Coordinator Gemma Murray said: 'It is such an exciting opportunity for this group to perform for Vice President Joe Biden and the US Ambassador to Ireland. They have been working hard to present a great repertoire and sound fabulous. Rosaleen Molloy, National Director, Music Generation said: 'I would like to congratulate these senior members for their truly engaging performance in such special surrounds. 'It is a privilege for us to have the opportunity to perform at such prestigious venues and it will have been particularly memorable for the young people to have played in the company of the US Vice President Joe Biden. 'We are very grateful to the US Embassy in Ireland for providing a platform to bring the music of the group to an international stage'. Fr George Murphy will celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest with a special mass in St Marys Church, Marist at 1pm this Sunday Clinging to a statue as hurricane flood waters devastated the parish church beneath him, Dundalk born Fr. George Murphy could have been forgiven for doubting his move to Mississippi in the 1960's. A young Irish priest in a foreign country, not accustomed to the extreme conditions that often swept through the USA, Fr. Murphy was understandably shocked by the incident. But, it seems, surviving the devastating storm only strengthened his resolve to remain working in the 'bible belt' during some of the most challenging times in America's cultural and political history. He still vividly recalls that night in 1969 when he, along with the parish priest Fr. Cavanaugh, spent the night clinging to two statues to avoid being drowned by the waters that poured into the church as Hurricane Camille battered the region. 'I was only 26, so young, so naive, it was almost a blessing,' said Fr. Murphy as he recalls the incident which saw the two priests make headlines across the world. Having also experienced the wrath of hurricane Katrina in 2005, it was that terrifying incident which it seems has remained with him throughout his fifty years in the priesthood. Ordained in 1966, he left his home in Dundalk, having known, he adds, 'since my teenage years that I wanted to leave Ireland.' 'So, when I got the offer to work in a parish in Mississippi I jumped at it. It was the enthusiasm of youth, I suppose too. But I've never regretted it.' Recently retired, Fr. Murphy is back home in Dundalk this month to celebrate his 50th anniversary, with a special mass of thanksgiving in the Marist church this Sunday, July 10th. Speaking to the Argus about a fascinating vocation spanning six decades, he recalls the turbulent early years, and remarks on the modern day upheavals which are also causing concern. 'When I moved firstly to Gulfport in Mississippi the Vietnam war was raging, and many American soldiers were being sent over there to fight, a lot of whom died there.' Gulfport was the last stop for soldiers on route to Vietnam, so he saw first hand the impact it hand on young men who left to fight in a war many knew little about. 'The civil rights issue was also at its height, and the southern states were the real focus at that time,' he recalled. 'It was a lot for a young Irish man to be confronted with. But I loved my work in the parish, loved my time there.' It wasn't long before he felt at home in the southern states, saying 'I'm a Mississippi boy now I tell people.' Over the years, he served in six different parishes, including Biloxi, which has been the setting for many well known books. The catholic population of the area has dwindled over the years, added Fr. Michael, and like parishes across the world, have been hit by the scandals which have rocked the church. 'We have maintained a fairly steady church going population, but yes the catholic church in America has experienced a haemorrhage too like many other countries.' Recent societal changes have struck a worrying chord, he adds, with the growing popularity of Donald Trump in the presidential race. 'Trump has exposed an ugly side to the American political scene. Some of the support he is gathering, the racism and xenophobia, has always been there, but he has brought it to the fore.' Nonetheless, he feels it is 'a huge worry' to see such issues being at the forefront of the campaign to be the next president. A confirmed Hillary Clinton supporter, he says many people feel concern at the 'lack of a voice at the moment, a space which has unfortunately given risen to Trump.' 'I would be very unnerved by Donald Trump. I don't think he has a moral core. My only hope as an American citizen is that the support he is currently getting has a ceiling, which he will hit before the election.' Coming back to Ireland, which he says he has done fairly often in recent years is 'always a strange thing' as he now calls Mississippi home. 'I love to come home and visit family. But at times it feels like a foreign country here, and sometimes I don't even recognise Dundalk! The town is so different that I have got lost a few times!' Still, despite the passing years, he felt it important to mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination here in Dundalk, and is keen to invite family, friends, and local people to the mass in celebration on Sunday at 1pm in the Marist. A north Louth woman described an emotional meeting with American Vice President, Joe Biden during his visit to Cooley last week. Joanne McCann, from Carlingford, was one of the lucky locals who managed to meet the Vice President when he went 'walk about' in the village during his visit to Louth. Shaking hands, and briefly chatting with the second most powerful person in the USA, she was delighted when he readily agreed to a 'selfie' despite the crowds waiting to meet him on what was an historic day for the village. Describing the 'positive aura' surrounding the Vice President, she said she was humbled to have met a man who has endured much tragedy in his life. And she decided to tell the nation how inspiring a moment it was. Having contacted Ryan Tubridy's RTE radio programme, Joanne revealed the struggles she endured, which made meeting Joe Biden so special. Her letter was read out on air by the presenter. 'I'm not the kind of person that usually writes into radio shows but I just felt I had to on this occasion.' 'I had the pleasure of meeting US Vice President Joe Biden in my home town of Carlingford, where I run a small relatively new business. This man is really an inspiration to me as having researched his personal life, I realised he has experienced such tragedy, his wife and one year old daughter being killed, and more recently his son dying of cancer.' Mr. Biden's first wife and baby daughter were killed in a car accident in December 1972, and his son Beau died in 2015 from brain cancer. Joanne, who owns Kajo boutique in the village added 'this man has such a positive aura about him it really inspires me as a person who also experienced a lot of tragedy.' 'I lost my mum to breast cancer at age of eight, then my godmother, who was my first cousin, died in a car accident with her entire family (husband and two young kids) when I was 13. My dad also died of bowel cancer when I was 14.' She said meeting the Vice President had a profound impact on her. 'It just made me realise how anyone can achieve anything, once they as a person stay positive. 'This man, whom I shook hands with, could easily have given up politics in 1972 when he lost his wife and daughter and hid under a rock of self pity, but no he didn't, he went on to achieve his goals and eventually become Vice President. 'I've listened to mixed opinions on this visit to our small town, some like me saying it's great honour, then others saying it cost our country money. But we, as a country, need positivity now more than ever .. and even if the small minority of people like myself take a little leaf out of Mr Biden's book and change our attitude, this country could and will achieve great things,' said Joanne. 'Sometimes, a visit like this inspires young people like me to achieve and keep achieving.' The immediate concern following last month's Brexit vote remains currency fluctuations, according to Dundalk's Local Enterprise Office (LEO) who are advising that those who deal in sterling and euro should seek professional hedging/currency advice. A spokesperson for the LEO said: 'Although the UK decision is to leave the EU, this decision will not take effect for some time. 'The UK is still an EU member, so in the short-term Louth businesses can continue to trade with the UK on the same terms as before, and Irish citizens can continue to move freely on the island of Ireland, and to and from the UK. 'The precise implications of the UK referendum result will now depend on the period of negotiation ahead, involving the UK and our EU partners. 'The government has undertaken planning in recent months for the contingency of this result, and it will now take this work forward to ensure that Ireland's interests are represented fully in the negotiating process. 'Minister Mitchell O'Connor has acknowledged that there is a lack of clarity as to how the negotiation process will proceed and she will be working to ensure that there is certainty as early as possible on the terms of future trading relationships, including the extent of access by the UK to the EU's single market. Dundalk businesses needing advice on Brexit can check outwww.enterprise-ireland.com/en/news/in-the-news/brexit. A County Armagh businessman, who imported 220 tonnes of bleaching earth knowing it was to be used for laundering diesel, has received a suspended sentence after an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Liam Muldoon (42), Castle View, Jonesborough, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Friday. The defendant pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one charge of, 'being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of excise duty by taking preparatory steps' contrary to Section 170B of CEMA 1979. In March, 2013 officers from Border Force at Belfast docks referred a freight container, with more than a 1,000 bags of bleaching earth inside, to HMRC for investigation. Muldoon was the owner of Automation Security Systems Ltd, an electrical installation company, the delivery address for the container. HMRC investigators discovered that he had imported 11 containers of bleaching earth between December, 2011 and March, 2013, which he didn't declare in his VAT returns to avoid paying more than 20,000 in tax. Steve Tracey, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: 'When we interviewed Muldoon he said that he had hoped to double his money by selling the bleaching earth.' It's back and it's set to be the best yet! The 2016 Irish Maritime Festival takes place in Drogheda this weekend with up to 40,000 people expected to attend the two- day event. The organisers promise something for everyone. This year, it's in association with Maxol and is hosted by Louth County Council and Drogheda Port Company and will be staged in the port area. Once again, the quayside will be lined with ships of all sorts including The Spirit of Oysterhaven, the Celtic Mist, vintage lifeboats and customs cutters. There is an opportunity, when the tide is high, to board to these ships. Weather permitting, Drogheda will welcome the truly beautiful 112ft long twin-masted Brigantine "The Phoenix". The 4,000sq. ft. of sail, is instantly recognisable to movie lovers as "The Sancta Maria" from the epic film "1492: Conquest of Paradise", the fictionalised story of Christopher Columbus directed by Ridley. A series of river races will take place including the 14 km long Inver Colpa Rowing Race from Clogherhead to Drogheda, the Howth to Drogheda yacht challenge and the legendary Drogheda Raft Race. Perhaps the most gruelling and personally challenging of all the races is the Boyne Swim, where 200+ swimmers of all ages will take to the river for the 2.5 km past the festival site. This year, the Boyne Swim welcomes a delegation of 25 swimmers who have travelled from Finland just to take part. One of the festival innovations for 2016 is the addition of live cameras to track the activities on the river. A combination of steady cam and drone footage will be fed to a big screen broadcasting live on the festival site. New for 2016 is the arrival of The Vikings. Watch out for a 45 strong marauding hoard as they take over Drogheda Port and go into battle twice daily. They'll take over and set up their Viking Village, giving visitors to the festival an idea what it's like to live like a Viking. 10 family tickets for the day Family is very much the keyword for this year's festival according to Festival Director Mary T. Daly of Louth County Council. 'Kids can join the pirate parade, visit the Viking Village, touch the sea creatures in the marine touch pool, build their own paper boats, laugh at Punch and Judy and marvel at the magic show.' Admission for a family is just 10 for the day and that includes two adults and two children. There are special prices for teens, students and senior citizens. Ticket Prices: Adult (inc. 1 child) 5.00 Children under 3, Free Family (2 adults / 2 Children) 10. Additional Children (aged 3-16) 2.00 Student (with ID) 4.00 Over 60s4.00 No need to pre-book. Tickets are purchased at the Festival Gate. Lions Club sponsored Cliff Walk: the ladies from Yinn Dee Massage and Bray Lions set off from the Bray End of the Cliff Walk Despite some bad weather, members of a number of local Lions clubs joined forces recently to walk the cliff walk between Bray and Greystones. Some of the group started their journey in Bray, others in Greystones, and they met along the way. About 40 people participated in the walk. Danny Bohan of Bray Lions said that there are a number of sponsorship cards still out, and to date they have raised 2,000. While they were unlucky with the weather on the day, it did dry up, and walkers said they enjoyed the outing very much. Clubs from Killiney, Leopardstown, Dun Laoghaire, Bray, Greystones, Wicklow and Bray took part in the event as part of their contribution towards a 25,000 playground at Marino school. Half of the proceeds from the walk were donated to Open Door Day Care Centre Principal of Marino Oonagh Kenny and her family took part in the sponsored walk. Marino community special school in Bray is looking forward to getting its new playground in September, following months of fundraising work by the zone Lions clubs. The specialised playground facility will support therapeutic intervention and learning. It will include a turtle and whale springer, soft play areas, and an integrated slide structure. Aisling Foran and her sons Aidan and Odhran having a sensory experience with Josh Loveridge Local autism support group Wicklow Triple A Alliance hosted an exciting interactive autism exhibition in Hillside Church, Greystones last week. The exhibition was developed by AsIAm in conjunction with young people with autism. AsIAm is an organisation working to change attitudes around Autism in Ireland, through empowering those living with the condition and educating broader society. Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, explained that young people with Autism face very specific challenges in society which are often a result of a lack of understanding or awareness. These include bullying, unemployment and mental health difficulties. Over the past number of months, they have developed an information campaign targeting 16-22 year olds. The aim of the campaign is to enable young people to understand, respect and experience life with Autism, with a view to changing attitudes. Alice O'Donnell from local support group Triple A Alliance expressed her delight at being the first group to host this national exhibition. She said that the exhibition was designed to help young people to gain a better understanding of what it is like to live with autism. Visitors to the exhibition learned how people with autism adapt every day. They learned how they can make the community more autism-friendly. Many of the adaptations needed are simple ones, for example Daly's Supevalu in Greystones has introduced an autism-friendly shopping evening on Tuesdays to make shopping easier for those with autism and their families. This involves turning off the music and PA system and dimming the lights. 'These are very simple steps which cost nothing to implement,' said Alice. The girls of the St David's class of 1966 got to see each other once again at their recent reunion, which Winnie Killeen (nee McCormack) said was a day beyond all expectation. There were 14 in the final year of 1966, and one girl who had left in fifth year. Two of their number have sadly passed away, and two were unable to make it, however they had a fantastic turnout of 11 women. They met in the car park in Greystones and drove down to the school together, where they were given a tour. 'We were gob-smacked,' said Winnie. 'In our day it was basic Irish, English, maths, history, geography and so on,' she said. They were delighted to see state of the art facilities including science labs and a kitchen. 'We did domestic science in an annex with two cookers and two sewing machines.' They then made their way to Bocellis for a lovely meal and chat. One of the guests came all the way from Australia, another from London and another from Belfast. One woman made her way on the Dart from Malahide on crutches, just weeks after a hip operation. They gathered just after midday and stayed together until after 5 in the evening. 'Everyone made such a great effort to be there,' said Winnie, who's daughter had made a cake for the occasion with 'Class of 1966' and the school crest. The unoccupied La Touche Hotel is a cause of much concern to councillors in Greystones. 'If young people are going inside there could be a fire,' said Cllr Grainne McLoughlin. 'Then there would be no La Touche Hotel, and possible tragedy as well as putting members of the fire service at risk.' She and Cllr Derek Mitchell brought a notice of motion to the table suggesting that it should be listed as a derelict site 'in view of the lack of progress following the grant of planning permission.' District Administrator Myra Porter said that in a report from the planning section they said that an inspection would be carried out. A certain procedure would be followed in the event it was deemed derelict. Or if not, a letter would be sent to the owner to request cooperation in improving its appearance. 'This building has not been maintained properly,' said Cllr Derek Mitchell. 'There was some maintenance done some years ago. There has been no movement since planning permission was granted.' Cllr McLoughlin said that the objective was to put pressure on the developer to do something with it. According to last month's Irish Independent, owners New Generation Homes may be seeking to sell the site, which changed hands in 2014. Last year, planning permission was granted for a development of 26 houses. The La Touche closed its doors in 2004 and subsequently deteriorated. Live music is a huge part of the 2016 festival. There will be TWO live music stages featuring a selection of Ireland's top up and coming artists. "Visitors to the festival can chill out and relax in the summer sunshine and listen to these fabulous musicians as they give it their all on stage. We are so lucky to have the support of Tom Anderson of A Bagfull of Songs and Gerry Hodgers of The Purple Sessions in curating our live music stages" explains Karen Healy. "They have an in-depth knowledge of the music scene in Ireland and invite a host of great performers to guest perform at the Irish Maritime Festival. We are especially thrilled to welcome, fresh from her performance at Glastonbury, Aine Cahill. 'We can't wait to welcome back 12-year-old Finn Fitzgerald from Duleek as he returns to the Festival stage for his second year in a row." Visit www.maritimefestival.ie/music for the live music schedules and to check out the Music at the Maritime artists playlist on Spotify. ...And there's more "We are trying to grow and diversify the festival each year to ensure that there are new, interesting and exciting activities for all our visitors. We hope that the mix we have created this year will have something for everybody visiting the festival," states Festival Producer Karen Healy. Perhaps the biggest addition to the 2016 festival is the Fuchsia Fashion Health and Beauty zone. Karen continues "This dedicated marquee will include fashion shows, beauty makeovers and demos, free alternative health and well-being therapies and loads of great insider beauty and fashion secrets. Special guests fashion blogger @JamesPatrice and beauty blogger @MakeUpFairyPro will share their top tips on fashion and beauty and of course their specialist skill of blogging. 'Admission to the fashion health and beauty zone is free as part of your festival visit however there is an option to upgrade to a VIP beauty experience hosted by our special guests. Taking place daily at 11.30am, it genuinely promises to be great fun. Tickets for the VIP experience are limited and can be pre-purchased at Fuchsia in Scotch Hall. There may be some tickets available at the door on the day however pre-booking is definitely advised. Full details are available on www.maritimefestival.ie/VIP" The sponsors A number of sponsors have come on board to back the festival again, with chief among them, Maxol, a family owned and managed company, who are now in their second year as main sponsors of the Irish Maritime Festival. Watch out for the Maxol Festival Cafe, serving delicious food and refreshments. Virgin Media are new to the festival sponsorship team this year and are bringing with them a fantastic big screen to broadcast all of the action from the river. They will also be providing high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots on the festival site. Other festival sponsors include Aura Drogheda Leisure, Coca-Cola International, Failte Ireland and Glanbia, each of whom provide invaluable support to the development of this festival. These sponsors are joined by FloGas, Irish Rail, Briscoe's Xpert Megastore, the West Court Hotel and Fuchsia Make Up and many, many other. Here is a story from a paper from 1855 and centres on a Drogheda man called James Smith who spent 34 years working in England, until one day.... 'He was born in Drogheda, and on the 4th of January 1820, being then about ten years old, he went to England, where he remained uninterruptedly for 34 years until he was shipped back to this country, about three weeks since, from London. He worked in England as a cabinet-maker, but for many years was chiefly engaged in making boxes, at which employment he was always able to earn a competence. He lived during almost the entire of the 34 years at Chelmsford, in Essex, where, about 12 years ago, he married an Englishwoman, by whom he has had eight children, three of whom are now living. During all this period he maintained himself and family without aid, with the exception of one fortnight, about eight years since, when he received an allowance from the parish of Chelmsford, while he was sick. In February last his health failed him, and he was obliged to apply for relief, being unable to work. The medical officer pronounced him a fit object for aid, and it was granted. He remained chargeable on the rates for some months, when he asked the doctor if he might return to work, but was forbidden to do so, as it would be injurious to his health. The guardians reduced his allowance, and told him to do the best he could. But, in a short time after, the relieving officer, brought him before the magistrate of the district and one of the guardians. He was interrogated on oath, and the fact was elicited that he had been born in Drogheda. He was told he could return to his native place. Being anxious to remain in the country of his adoption, where he had resided for 34 years, and reared up a family, he removed to an adjoining parish called Springfield, in the hope of escaping from the authorities. He resumed work, and was going on satisfactorily for a month, not seeking relief from any source, when the relieving officer entered his house one morning, and told him he should immediately prepare to go to Ireland. He remonstrated against this treatment, but was informed it was useless to waste time. His wife was unwell, and he asked to be allowed to remain until she was better, but even this request was refused, and the officer, having procured the assistance of three police constables, cleared himself, his wife and three children out of the house, locked up the furniture and retained the key. They were hurried up to London, given the sum of 2s., and were taken to the steamer for Ireland. When the poor man landed in Dublin he knew no person and the family were admitted into the North Dublin Union Workhouse. What became of James Smith.... The Run of The Country - a charitable Motorcycle Run - is launching a promotional video "Bike & The Mechanic" produced by Ablevision, to promote their 6th annual charity run and proceeds of this year's run will go to Malta Services Drogheda. The Run of The Country is a 250 mile charity bike run over scenic twisty roads, with four checkpoints, when finally the destination is revealed to the riders. To date The Run Of The Country has raised over 60,000 for local charities. Bike & The Mecanic is a 3 minute video made by Ablevision some of whose actors and film crew attend Malta Services Drogheda. Ablevision Ireland is a media production and training company for people with Intellectual Disabilities. The story, shooting and actors of Bike & The Mechanic was created in its entirety by the participants of Ablevision. Malta Services Drogheda, the beneficiaries of this years event, support over 100 adults to live a life of their choosing. The Run Of The Country needs 50 motorcyclists to partake in the run and the video is seen as way to promote the event out in the motorcycle fraternity and the wider public. Registration fee for the 'Run' is 65 that covers accommodation and a target of 185 sponsorship is suggested for each of the riders in the run. The event takes place on 10th September 2016, leaving Malta Services after a hearty breakfast between 9:00am and 10:00am. Michael McCormick the event organiser said "This is a great event to be involved in. The riders love to see where their fundraising money is going and really look forward to meeting everyone at Malta Services Drogheda on the morning of the run." "Great roads, great organisation, great craic and great company. It's really worth putting on your gear for." Says sponsor Jimmy Kennedy of Kennedy Motorcycles. "Height For Hire are delighted to be associated with The Run Of The Country motorcycle event. It is a highly successful event that contributes significantly to supporting people with Intellectual Disability in our community" says Harry McArdle of Height for Hire. Claire Byrne, Service Director of Malta Services Drogheda says '' we are delighted that The Run Of The Country are doing their charity run to support our service. I know many of the people we support just love motorbikes and there will be a great buzz here when they roll out on the morning of the 10th September" For further information contact Michael McCormick Phone 087-1318363 E-mail mmcormick1@me.com youtube link to Bike & The Mecanic https://youtu.be/w5_8ePOePn0 Colours - vivid, clear, imaginative, dramatic, soft. They all formed part of the fabric, the essence of Breda Geraghty (Flanagan). Maybe Thomas Merton's famed quote "God Gave us memory so that we can have roses in December' is truly appropriate this week for family and friends of a dearly missed inspiration. When she passed away this time last year, the sense of grief was immense. Breda, a native of Monasterboice, and living in Kilsaran, trained as an interior designer and worked as a Design Consultant with Wogans of Dunleer, Reilly Interiors, Eddie's Interiors and Murtagh Interiors in Drogheda, during her career. She provided an indispensable service, visiting people's homes and advising in all areas of decor. Indeed, her guidance was invaluable to her husband Anthony, in his painting and decorating business. Breda, in the short span of years allotted to her, enjoyed life to the full. She travelled extensively throughout Ireland, America and Australia, often in the company of her dear friend, Marie. She touched everyone she met with her sense of fun and her love of life. She was seldom parted from her trusty camera on these trips and built up a pictorial archive of her adventures. Naturally, life changed considerably when Breda and Anthony met and married. But she remained staunch in her past friendships, often having her lifelong friends visit her loving home, The Four Gates at Salterstown. And then came the shock breast cancer diagnosis in 2010 But this she faced with courage and was undeterred. She took on the task of raising awareness of breast cancer and raised over 10,000 from a tea party, which she presented to the Oncology Unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. She spoke on radio of the need to support this worthy cause and people came from everywhere to back her. She was filled with admiration for the doctors and nurses who helped her through the difficult days. During this time, she referred to Anthony as her 'rock'. Her family and friends walked the difficult path with her, encouraging and supporting all the way. Breda lived a life of strong faith and often expressed the thought that she had no fear of dying. 'We can be sure that as she enjoys the reward of a life well lived, she will be conscious of the sadness and grief at her passing. But we take heart at the thought that we were granted the privilege of having been touched by the life of a good and loyal person, one who remains forever in our hearts,' Anthony stated. He also thanks those who have supported him every day since Breda's passing. 'She was a beautiful person, always smiling,' he adds. Breda's anniversary mass is on Friday, July 8 at 7.30pm in St Mary's, Kilsaran. Local health and environmental groups are keen to highlight future plans for two Duleek based facilities who between them could have the capacity to burn up to 10 million tons of mixed and hazardous waste over next decade or so. The group say they are 'not about closing anybody' but simply want more answers from the EPA in relation to this technology. They want the authorities to properly investigate the proposed technology before approving it and to also consider the size and amounts concerned. They also being calling for greater environmental policing for this region, given the many environmental challenges present, including a regional EPA Office for the North East Area, continuous on site monitoring systems, and a bypass of Duleek to be constructed. They say that anybody who wishes to make a free submission to the EPA in relation to Irish Cement's latest application, can do so by writing to them at EPA Johnstown Castel Estate, Wexford, Ireland, or can also be done by e/mail at licensing@epa.ie. The application is on line at www.epa.ie. Drogheda will host a Pride Festival in August, organised by the Drogheda lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender group (LGBT). The event will get underway at noon on Friday August 12 at St Peter's where the guests will be former Miss Gay Ireland Caitriona McCaughley and former Mr Gay Louth, Carl Nash. Peter Nugent, founder of the Drogheda LGBT group will also address the gathering. 'It will be a family event and we'll have Chloe Leech and her team to do face painting for the kids and then we will be off to Rockin' Joes in the Town Centre for a raffle and more family fun,' Peter stated. Later that evening, there will be a celebration in Odd Mollies. Stockwell Artisan Cafe will host a Pride breakfast on Saturday morning, August 13, from 9am and all are welcome. There will be another family fun day gathering in the Barbican at noon and that runs until 3pm. The main venue will then be McHugh's from 3pm on with special guests drag queens Victoria Secret and Sophie Heart. Also headline acts include Matthew Nolan, The High Life and Michael Owens amongst others. Admission is 8. The night will be followed by the resident DJ with the Vogue disco following in Fusion. The last of the events is on August 14th at Odd Mollies with a barbeque at 3.30pm. All are welcome and admission is 5. Fundraising to support the event is ongoing and more details may be had from Peter Nugent at 0834842064. Planning for the festival began some months ago and a fundraising walk took place last weekend from the Barbican to Bettystown. The group also organised a book of condolence in the Tholsel recently for the Orlando shooting tragedy. A young Balbriggan man who made hoax bomb calls to Intel in Leixlip last year has been sentenced to three months in prison for a drugs offence after he failed to admit full responsibility for his actions. Colin Hammond (21) had nearly 500 worth of cannabis herb for sale or supply at his home address when gardai searched it last year. The search arose out of the investigation into the hoax bomb calls Hammond admitted making to Intel in Leixlip in January 2015. At that time he claimed he was drinking and taking tablets with a friend, who paid him 30 to make the hoax calls from a phone box in the town because the friend didn't want to go to work at Intel the following morning. Hammond's actions shut down a motorway, disrupted air traffic control and prevented 4,000 Intel staff from going to work and lost the company an estimated 6,000 production hours. Described by Dublin Circuit Court Judge Martin Nolan at the time as 'profoundly stupid,' Hammond made two 999 calls claiming there were bombs located at Intel which would go off in 12 hours. 'You will not find them. This is a warning, we're everywhere now,' Hammond told emergency services. When asked who was making the call, he replied 'Islamic State.' He was given 200 hours community service for making the false report giving rise to apprehension for the safety of persons or property at Bath Road on January 13th, 2015. Defence solicitor Fiona Kelly told Judge Dermot Dempsey at Swords District Court that these hours are now completed. Hammond, of Cardy Rock estate in Balbriggan pleaded guilty to being in unlawful possession of the cannabis herb at his home address on March 26 last year. Ms Kelly said a Probation Report states Hammond 'lacked sufficient positive role models in his life.' Judge Dermot Dempsey had previously stated he would consider imposing 200 hours community service work in lieu of a three month prison sentence. However, as Hammond failed to accept responsibility for his actions through the Probation Services, Judge Dempsey imposed the default order of three months. Hammond immediately lodged an appeal. Earlier this year Hammond received a 100 fine and conviction for the theft of a 5 wallet from Penney's at The Pavilions Shopping Centre, Swords. He claimed he stole the wallet last December 15th as a 'dare' and admitted it was a 'completely stupid mistake.' Ms Kelly previously told the court Hammond had made other purchases on the day he stole the wallet and told her 'I don't understand what I did. It was completely stupid.' A Balbriggan-based councillor has slammed news that Fingal County Council will not be compensated for any revenue losses as a result of the rates revaluation process. Cllr Malachy Quinn (SF)said he had received confirmation from his Dail colleagues Eoin O Broin and Maurice Quinlivan that local authorities adversely affected by last year's Global Valuation for rates will not be compensated by central Government for their losses next year. Speaking in response, Cllr Quinn said: 'This is an absolute disgrace. Last year's revaluation mainly benefited large and highly profitable companies. 'Although last year, Fingal was not affected by the Global Valuations, this will see an estimated 5.6 million reduction in rates to Fingal. This figure it is expected will not be compensated by Central Government.' 'Last year, the Department of Environment made arrangements for compensation of a payment of 16.65m to be distributed to other affected local authorities to cover some of the losses. ' That only covered 72% of the adjustment but that was at least a cushion. This year the Minister has stated there will be no compensation. 'It is shocking to think that Fingal will miss out on millions in revenue because of this decision by Minister Coveney and that the shortfall will be made up on the backs of ordinary people and local businesses through increases to their rates, Local Property Tax hikes or cut-backs in the provision of Council services. "The figures for the expected loss for Fingal of 5.6 million is staggering, with more small businesses struggling to survive in our towns and villages, it is unbelievable that large utility companies are being facilitated to increase their large profits at the expense of ordinary people & small business" He has called on Minister Coveney to immediately reverse this position and ensure that all local authorities adversely affected are compensated accordingly. 'Moreover it is time now to look at a more progressive rates system,' he said Sinn Fein spokesperson on Local Government Eoin O Broin added: 'At the Housing, Planning and Local Government Committee meeting on the estimates I asked Minister Coveney whether there were any discussions between his Department and the Minister of Finance to repeat the 2016 payment of 16.65m to local authorities in 2017. 'Minister Coveney stated that no such discussions were taking place and he didn't anticipate any such conversations. This is deeply disappointing as it will mean a significant cut in Government funding for local authorities across the state next year." Cllr Quinn concluded: 'As Minister with responsibility for Local Government, Minister Coveney should be advocating for the maximum level of funding for Councils in the run up to budget 2017. 'This means not only advocating for a repeat of the 2016 payment of 16.65m but seeking an overall increase in the Local Government Fund to allow Fingal to deliver the full range of services that our local communities require.' PayPal, one of Ireland's leading employers, has signed the Diversity Charter Ireland as part of its Diversity Inclusion Week. The charter - a seven-point plan - is supported by the European Commission and reflects PayPal's commitment to prevent discrimination and promote equality in the organisation. It was signed by Raffaella Bonomonte, Director of PayPal in Ireland. Louise Phelan, PayPal's Vice President of Global Operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: 'It's a powerful statement of our commitment to ensuring that we support a culture that is characterised by respect and appreciation for each individual's diversity. 'Inclusion is one of our cultural values here at PayPal; it's about respecting and valuing uniqueness and diversity of thought.' In its commitment to promote diversity within the company and across Ireland, PayPal has been a strong supporter of the Dublin Pride Parade for the last two years. This year, PayPal will be an official silver sponsor of the event, with a float in the parade promoting equality and inclusion. Louise Phelan concluded: 'We were delighted to be an official Silver Sponsor of the Dublin LGBTQ Pride Parade this year. At PayPal, we know that ideas are richer and execution is stronger when everyone feels included and that is what helps us grow as a company. ' I believe that when you are yourself, you can perform to your maximum potential. That's why we invest in programmes like our Diversity and Inclusion workshops; it is why we support women in business both in PayPal and our industry as a whole; why we advocated for a 'yes' vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum; and why we support the Dublin Pride Parade. 'As a signatory to the Employment Charter, we make a special effort to include people from the live register in our recruitment. PayPal is an extremely diverse workplace because we support our customers and merchants through 12 languages from our centres of excellence in Dublin and Dundalk. .' Legislation that could force an increase in domestic waste charges must be annulled and be replaced with a fairer system, according to a local councillor. Pickets were organised by the local Sinn Fein branch in Balbriggan and Swords with local councillor Malachy Quinn calling for a mobilisation of all liked minded people, organisations and parties to come together to oppose the green waste charges. He made the call despite a commitment from Environment Minister Simon Coveney and waste operators to implement a 12-month price freeze. Cllr Quinn said:''The announcement from the Minister and the IWMA (Irish Waste Management Association) does not go far enough with a price freeze for a year. 'The issue here is the profiteering by private waste management companies and the increase in standing charges that effectively places the majority of working people in a position that they are unable to afford a bin service.' 'Sinn Fein tabled a motion in the Seanad to annul the legislation. This legislation and the price freeze announced don't seem to benefit anyone except the waste collection companies.' Cllr Quinn said the price freeze would only postpone the problem of price hikes by 12 months and allow the companies to fine tune their PR. 'By defeating this bill in the Seanad, it would have allowed us the time to reassess the privatisation agenda and put a stop to any further attempts at gouging ordinary people. 'The only option was to stop the legislation in the Seanad but so called independents and Fianna Fail supported the Government in opposing it . 'Myself, Louise O'Reilly TD as well as my council colleagues will continue to campaign for the abandonment of this charge.' Earlier in the year, I wrote about the breathing difficulties faced by Pugs and other flat-faced breeds of dog. One recent study found that around 80% of these dogs suffer from some degree of continually difficult breathing. Since my article, I've been involved in a campaign to make practical changes to improve the welfare of these unfortunate animals. Veterinary Ireland, the group that represents Irish vets, has committed to a goal that, within a decade, all Pugs should be able to breathe without needing surgery. Last month, I travelled to the UK, where I attended a scientific meeting for an update on the research into the problem. After that meeting, I was asked to help to draw up a list to specify what vets, as a profession, might be able to do to improve the situation. There are two groups that need help. First, the Pugs that have already been born: these need to be kept as comfortable as possible. And second, the much bigger group of Pugs that remain to be born: what can we do to ensure that healthier Pugs are born in the future. For the individual dogs who already exist, the most important task for vets is to ensure that owners are aware of what can go wrong. They should learn the signs of discomfort. Vets need to take time to tell them that when their dog snuffles and snorts, it isn't cute: it's a sign of distress. We need to advise owners take particular care to ensure that their dogs are not over-stressed when exercising or when in a warm place, so that their breathing is not put under too much pressure. We need to advise about the huge importance of keeping short-nosed dogs slim: when they're overweight or obese, their breathing is put under even more pressure. And we need to let them know that if their dog does often struggle to breathe, they can be helped by surgery. What about helping the short-nosed dogs of the future who have yet to be born? One colleague told me that the only answer was for certain breeds to be banned, but this isn't realistic. Can you imagine people being fined or going to jail because they were trying to sell Pug pups? I would suggest, however, that it may be realistic for breeders of dogs that predictably develop severe health issues to be prosecuted for cruelty to animals under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. With compulsory microchipping, it's now easy to identify the breeder of a puppy, and they could easily be held accountable. Vets - with the permission of the dogs' owners - could report severely affected dogs to a central authority who could then take action against the breeder. This would not be popular - nobody likes the idea of reporting others to the authorities - but if we are serious about preventing suffering in dogs, it's something that should be considered. What else can vets do to encourage the breeding of healthier dogs? There are three areas where we can take action. First, we can influence public opinion about these breeds. Dog breed choice is more linked to fashion than any other factor. If vets can help to spread the word about the difficulty breathing that causes many of these dogs to suffer, over time, they should gradually become less popular. Vets could focus more on people planning to buy a dog, with open evenings for potential dog owners, and the publication of a veterinary guide to the top twenty most popular breeds/crossbreeds (e.g. "Thinking of buying a dog?"). Second, vets, as a group, can put pressure on the Kennel Club take action. This should include modifying the Breed Standard for the most severely affected breeds. We know from the scientists that there are key aspects of the shape of these dogs that make them prone to obstructed breathing. In particular, there is an index that can be used: the Cranio Facial Ratio. This is the figure produced by dividing the length of the muzzle by the distance from the bridge of the nose to the back of the skull. Studies have shown that this can be used as a yardstick to predict the likelihood of difficulty breathing. So if the breed clubs dedicated to short nosed dogs agree that they will not accept registration of dogs with an unhealthy Cranio Facial Ratio, the most severely affected dogs will no longer be desirable, and breeders will stop producing them. Vets can also put pressure on the bodies that show dogs to insist that prize winning dogs should undergo some sort of exercise tolerance test before winning the top accolades. It's easy to get a dog to trot up and down for a few minutes, and if a dog cannot do this because of difficulty breathing, then they should not be given a prize. Vets can be the objective people to carry out this test. If the top dogs are healthier individuals, there will be a trickle down effect, with people aspiring to have healthier dogs that resemble these prize winning dogs. Third, vets can work with other campaigners to stop unhealthy flat faced dogs being used so widely in advertising campaigns. A Facebook group (CRUFFA - Campaign for Responsible Use of Flat Faced Animals) has been set up for this purpose, and vets should support this type of initiative. For their own good, Pugs and Bulldogs could do with being less popular, and we all need to work together to achieve that. Several shop units in Gorey Shopping Centre are to be amalgamated It's proposed to amalgamate several of the retail units in Gorey Shopping Centre. Hurley Property ICAV (Irish Collective Asset Management Vehicle) is seeking a determination from Wexford County Council that its plans fall into the category of 'exempted development,' and therefore is exempt from planning. It's proposed to amalgamate Unit 3, which measures 23.6 sq.m. and Unit 4, which measures 121.2 sq.m. into one unit. It also wants to amalgamate Unit 6, which measures 194.8 sq.m. and Unit 8, which measures 99.8 sq.m., into a single unit. This would see Unit 7, which measures around 16.1 sq.m. moved from beside Unit 6, to the adjoining Unit 8. Permission was granted for the centre in 2005. In recent years, it has seen several shops close on the mall. One of the larger tenants, Click, relocated to Gorey town centre. Dunnes Stores remains the anchor tenant at the centre which has 24 units. Gorey Shopping Centre was part of a portfolio of six regional shopping centres which was sold late last year to US investor fund Davidson-Kempner for 118 million. The portfolio went on the market early last year on the instructions of Paul McCann and Stephen Tennant of Grant Thornton, who had been appointed as receivers. The shop units in the centre have an overall floor area of 3,251 sq.m. Wexford County Council has given the go-ahead for a new access road on to the old N11 Gorey to Enniscorthy road at Gorey Hill and Ramstown Lower. Quotomas Investments Ltd., whose managing director is listed in the planning file as Ann Meyler, applied for permission to construct and open the access road onto the R772 regional road. The access is less than 25 metres from the location in a previous application in 2007. The company was also recently granted permission for the retention and completion of a steel frame unit, with associated site works. It was one of two units originally granted permission around ten years ago. This application also included permission for a sewerage pumping station which would also connect to the existing units on the site at Ramstown Lower and Gorey Hill. A protected structure, the former Gorey Union Workhouse, is on the same site but will not be affected by the proposed development. Simon Harris with Caoimhe Wade at the count centre in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, after he was re-elected to the Dail in February He's used to negotiating tough political deals but Health Minister Simon Harris had a much more pleasant task, if not slightly more nerve-wracking, at the weekend when he proposed to his long-term girlfriend Caoimhe Wade from Gorey - and she said 'Yes'. 'We are delighted for them,' said her father, Gorey pharmacist Michael Wade. 'They are a private couple, and they are very happy.' Caoimhe and Simon (29), broke the news to her parents Michael and Ann on Saturday, and the celebrations began immediately. Caoimhe (28), is the second eldest of four in the family. She works as a nurse in the cardiac unit in Crumlin Children's Hospital. She and the Wicklow TD have been together for six years. 'He is a very conscientious and hard-working politician,' Michael told the Gorey Guardian. Teacher, Bernie O' Hara, Carnew National School retires after 34 years of service, pictured with school principal, Kevin O' Donnell and 6th year students, back, Ciaran Kinsella, Jade Rooney, Ellie Ryan and Tiffany Kenny. Front, Marire Deegan and Lucy Kemple The pupils and staff at Scoil Aodan Naofa Carnew said an emotional farewell to teacher Bernie O'Hara last week as she retired after more than thirty years at the school. A special reception was held at the school on Wednesday in Bernie's honour as she stepped down after 34 years of service to the profession. Bernie was accompanied by family and friends who came out in force to recognise and celebrate her contribution to school life and the community over the years. Presentations were made by staff, the Board of Management and the school's Parents' Association. Some of the sixth class pupils also read out some of their memories of their time with her. In an emotional speech, Bernie thanked everyone present, and her family and friends, for their support over the years, and she urged them to continue to work together as a united team for the future good of the school. Principal Kevin O'Donnell thanked her for all of her work, and wished her well for the future. A still from the short animated film that accompanies J.K Rowling's latest Harry Potter story and tells the tale of young Kerry born witch Isolt Sayre and her adventures in America Everyone knows about Kerry's connection to the Star Wars galaxy but now The Kingdom has become part of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter universe. Ahead of the release next November of the latest Harry Potter film - spin off 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' - Rowling has released a new short story and animated video to explain its back story. The new film is set in 1920's New York and involves the American version of Hogwarts, the wizard school that provided the back drop for the Harry Potter books. Rowling's new story concerns the founder of that US school - named Ilvermorny - and it turns out she's a Kerry woman. According to the new Rowling story - which was published just last week on her Pottermore website - the American school for wizards and witches was founded by Isolt Sayre who was born in 1603 in Coomloughra valley in the foothills of Carrauntoohil. Rowling's story reveals that Isolt was a descendant of Irish witch Morrigan a well known figure from Irish pagan mythology. The story sees a young Isolt eventually move to nearby Hag's Glen with her aunt - the villain of the piece - before fleeing to England and eventually on to America aboard the Mayflower. Kerry's place in the latest Harry Potter story raises some interesting possibilities for the county. The upcoming 'Fantastic Beasts' film is to be the first in a trilogy - with Rowling co-writing the screenplays - and the movie is predicted to be a major commercial hit. Plans for the sequels are currently the subject of much speculation among Potter fans but it is expected that they will delve into the past of the American Hogwarts and its newly unveiled founder. Should the future films examine the story of Isolt Sayre then what better place to film the story than in the spectacular surrounds of Hag's Glen and Carroauntoohil. Kerry may well be set for a starring role in another major film franchise. A father frantically dug his son out from under a collapsed sand bank with his bare hands following a freak accident in Kenmare on Sunday. The 13-year-old had been digging into a rabbit burrow under the sand bank with a shovel when the entire mound of earth and sand suddenly slipped, completely covering the young lad. But for the quick actions of his two first cousins who were with him at the time of the incident, Kenmare might now be dealing with a vastly different outcome. They ran immediately for help, alerting the young man's father nearby who dashed to the scene to save his young son. Again, luck was on the young lad's side as his father chose exactly the right spot to start digging. Neighbour and Kerry County Councillor Dan McCarthy was on the scene within minutes. He hailed the two young girls, aged just 11 and seven, as heroines for their quick actions. The teenager is now recovering in Cork University Hospital where he was airlifted by the Coastguard. His condition was described as stable by CUH. "He's a very lucky lad, but for the quick actions of these two young girls it could have been a lot worse," Cllr McCarthy told The Kerryman. "The sand bank was no more than eight feet high, but had probably been weakened already by burrowing rabbits when it collapsed onto him. Only for his father digging in the right spot with his bare hands was he saved." The incident occurred in Inchimore to the north of the tourist town with emergency services, whom Cllr McCarthy described as 'absolutely brilliant' arriving on the scene within minutes. The number of serious criminal offences in Kerry declined sharply in the first three months of the year, new statistics reveal The first three months of the year has seen a sharp decline in the number of serious criminal offences in Kerry, according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office. The new figures from the CSO - for the first quarter of 2016 - show that the number burglary, theft and public order offences over have dropped considerably compared to the same period in 2015. However, drug offences county-wide are on the up - year on year - as the CSO recorded a 25 per cent increase in the number of people being prosecuted for possession of drugs for personal use. The largest percentage drop seen in Kerry was in the number of burglary offences recorded by Gardai. This decreased by almost 60 per cent from 197 in the first six months of 2015 to just 81 in the same period this year. The CSO figures also showed a decrease in the number of thefts which fell by 24 per cent. Meanwhile public order offences fell by 15 per cent and criminal damage was down by one third. Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan said that communities must continue to pull together in light of the positive figures released by the CSO. "Kerry is one of the safest counties in the whole of Ireland and I think that these figures show that," he said. "An Garda Siochana will ensure that older people in particular can enjoy their older days and get out of the house without the fear of intrusion by other people," added the Superintendent. While the figures contain much good news for Kerry in the national context the number of public order offences here remains extremely high compared with most rural counties. Outside of the major cities Kerry had the second highest rate of public order offending in the country. In all 304 public order offences were recorded in Kerry. This was the second highest figure for any rural county and was just behind Donegal, where 312 public order offences were recorded. Only Dublin, Cork city, Galway and Limerick had higher public order arrest figures. The figure for Limerick city and county was only slightly higher than Kerry at 315. In fact Kerry's public order offence rate was higher than the individual public order offending rates recorded in Dublin's Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Divisions. In the capital only the North and South Central garda divisions recorded more public order offences than Kerry. Two more parishes in the county are now without a resident priest following changes to ministry in the Diocese announced by Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne last week. Ballyheigue and Duagh will no longer be served by resident parish priests when the new changes take effect on Wednesday, July 20, next - a source of great concern to many in both of these parishes. The move brings to five the number of parishes in Kerry that will be without a resident priest in an alarming sign of the times for the Catholic faithful of the county. An ageing clergy and serious illness were cited by Bishop Browne as the major factors putting pressure on Diocesan administrators to provide blanket ministry for the county. However, there is good news for the Catholic faithful with one deacon set to be ordained as a priest later this year and four students from the Diocese now preparing for the priesthood in the first positive news for church vocations here in many years. In signalling the changes, Bishop Browne said he tried to keep them to a minimum following last year when a large number of changes were made. The Bishop also acknowledged the 'upset' caused by the withdrawal of resident priests from parishes. "In the past nine months five priests of our diocese have died, may they Rest in Peace," Bishop Browne stated. "All were retired and of a good age and had given long years of great faith-filled service. Last year, three priests of our diocese retired having passed the age of 75. This year one priest retires on this ground. At the moment three of our priests are coping with long-term serious ill-health." Speaking of the further reduction in priest cover, he added: "The appointments involve two more parishes without a resident priest. I realise that this in particular will cause upset and be unsettling for both priests and people. The total number of parishes without a resident priest is now five. The challenge is that these parishes and all our parishes have the fullness of Church life in a time of less and less priests." Both Duagh and Ballyheigue will now be served by the priests of their surrounding 'pastoral areas' under two separate moderators. Ballyheigue and Duagh were slated for the loss of a resident priest on consideration of the following factors, a spokesperson for the Diocese told The Kerryman this week: "The Pastoral Area's personnel and capacity to support the parishes within it: the workload in the parish and the workload in the Pastoral area and the profile of the priests in the Pastoral area." Allihies, Valentia and Tarbert are the other parishes without a resident priest. A powerful, internationally linked, Chinese Triad gang is becoming a main player in Kerry's criminal underworld The Kerryman can reveal. The Triad gang - which has its base in Limerick city - is moving to take control of many criminal enterprises once run by the now defunct McCarthy/Dundon gang. This includes Kerry's drug market which has operated in a power vacuum since the death of the McCarthy/Dundon gang's local kingpin in 2014. The Asian gang - a branch of the Sun Yee On Triad which has a presence across the UK and Europe - has been operating in Limerick since the early 1980s. Though a discreet operation - at least in Irish criminal terms - the gang has grown into a major force in the Irish underworld and is a well known part of Limerick's crime world. Its main areas of operation are drug smuggling and dealing; people trafficking; illegal gambling and protection rackets. The protection rackets mainly target and 'tax' Chinese businesses and members of the Asian community. On several occasions in recent years people trafficked into Ireland by the gang have been found working in Kerry businesses, with the employers often coerced into hiring them. Typically the family controlled Limerick Triad operate under a veil of secrecy and - unlike the McCarthy/Dundon's - they are not known for overt violence. However, they have been linked to several vicious killings including the murder of a Chinese chef - who was cut down by a cleaver and hammer wielding gang - in Patrickswell in 2002. The gang also has close working ties with a Birmingham-based Vietnamese drug gang who have been linked to several huge cannabis growing operations - including several in Kerry - that have been uncovered by gardai. In the last two years the Limerick Triad has increased its focus on Tralee and some of its known associates have taken control of a number of business premises and residential properties in the town. They have also acquired a number of residential properties across North Kerry. Some of the properties are known to be used for prostitution and also as illegal gambling dens for the Chinese community. Sources familiar with the drug trade in Tralee and north Kerry have also confirmed the gang has struck up working relationships with number of local Irish and Eastern European drug dealers who are now peddling the Triad's drugs. These drugs are primarily potent cannabis, ecstasy and, so called, 'head shop' drugs. Gardai say they are aware of the Triad's operations but senior sources admit that the culture of secrecy and fear that surrounds such Asian gangs means it is very hard for them to make major inroads in their investigations. The mother of Tralee teen Donal Walsh has said she and her family feel betrayed by Console boss Paul Kelly after the charity they set up in their son's name donated over 30,000 to Console centres across the country. Elma Walsh said that she and her husband Fionnbar were left disgusted when details of Mr Kelly's elaborate spending of Console funds emerged last week, given that her late son's name is associated with counselling rooms in four Console centres, including Tralee. Donal Walsh, of course, made national headlines before his death in 2013 when appealed to the public, particularly teenagers, to seek help if they were feeling suicidal. Following his death, his parents set up the Donal Walsh #LiveLife Foundation, which subsequently provided30,000 for counselling rooms in console Centre across Ireland. Mr Kelly visited Tralee last October to officially open the Donal Walsh Room at the Console centre - the facility which he also officially opened in the town in 2013. While Elma Walsh said the revelations at Console have left her family angry, she insisted that their contribution was thankfully used for what it was intended. "We were left stunned, disappointed and really angry that this was allowed to go on so long, so there are a lot of questions to be answered" Elma told The Kerryman. "We were all betrayed by that man, but thankfully we know that our money was used as we had intended. "The hard thing is though, that people up and down the country are doing charity work for this organisation so your heart would go out to the staff and counsellors. Despite the disturbing revelations about Mr Kelly, his wife and their sons spending - which amounted to almost half a million euro on personal luxuries such as cars, holidays, restaurant bills and designer clothes - Elma is appealing to people to not give op on the charity. The last thing I want to do is target the charity or tar all charities with the same brush, because whatever has happened here, you cannot take away from the amazing work that the charity does and the benefits that people have got from it, she said. That would be wrong. The staff and counsellors have done nothing wrong and continue to offer amazing support so it would be a shame if that was affected. Its bad enough if people were to stop supporting Console financially, but the worst case scenario would be for people to stop attending counselling. It would so be wrong if it was the most vulnerable people - the families of those bereaved - who suffered because of this. Inistioge played host to the annual George Brown Commemoration in late June, with numerous events taking place in the village. This event, which has been held on the last weekend of June since 2008, remembers George Brown, a son of Inistioge, who fought with the XV International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War and who died at the Battle of Brunete in July 1937. This year's commemoration was especially poignant as the opening session on Friday evening was a tribute to the organising committee's late chairman, Paddy Murphy of Brownsford. It was Mr Murphy's strong desire that George Brown's sacrifice in the name of democracy be not forgotten that a commemorative event was first organised. And it was the respect in which he was held in the community that ensured its success. Paddy's devotion to his family and friends, his community, his work, his country and its cultural heritage, was fully acknowledged in the contributions of SIPTU President, Jack O'Connor, his long-time friend and comrade, Sean Garland, and by Joe Doyle, a member of the Inistioge George Brown Committee. As in previous years, papers delivered at the gathering in St Mary's Church of Ireland covered aspects of the Spanish Civil War, Ireland's own national struggle, and present day issues that beset us both nationally and internationally. Harry Owens related in graphic detail the unsuccessful efforts by Franco's rebel troops, backed by German and Italian airpower, to take Madrid, the privations endured by its populace, and their defiant response. Historian Mary MacAuliffe, spoke engagingly of the role of women in the period leading up to Independence and in the years immediately following. She dealt in particular with the radicalisation of many working-class women during this period, but also how many of the gains made during the independence struggle were lost under the conservative nationalist governments - both Cumann na nGaedheal and Fianna Fail - culminating in the 1937 Constitution which accorded women a subservient role. The Saturday session, chaired by UNITE Irish Regional Secretary, Jimmy Kelly saw the focus turn to current affairs. Stephen Collins, a solicitor with the Irish Refugee Council, highlighted the folly of the direct provision system adopted as part of Ireland's response to the refugee crisis, describing the government approach as morally wrong and as an injustice for which the country will ultimately pay a high price. Dr Tom Healy of the Nevin Economic Research Institute called into question the current economic model. Events concluded in Woodstock with a tree-planting ceremony - this year a noble fir - carried out by Terry Bannon. Larena Marshall (nee Banville) - who passed away peacefully in mid-June - was a woman who was dependable, kind, trustworthy and great fun. Late of Grange Road, New Ross, Larena died aged 61 following an illness at University Hospital Waterford on June 14. Born in Wexford to Laurence and Clare, she attended Loreto secondary school where she made many life-long friends. She loved music and dancing from a young age and had a zest for life which was infectious. Larena's family moved to New Ross in the early 1970s and her parents opened the Hotel Delare on South Street, where she helped out before moving to the bright lights of Dublin. There she worked for her friend Stuart Kenny at Kenny Bookmakers and such was Kenny's faith in Larena that he asked her to open a bookmakers in New Ross which she ran until 1977 when she moved to England in search of a new challenge and some adventure. She ran a number of pubs in the Essex area and enjoyed getting on her bicycle to explore the area. Sadly Larena's father passed away. Her mother married Denny Dunne and Laren's family grew over the years. Comnig from a large family Larena didn't have to be asked twice to come home for a family occasion and she made many trips across the water during her time in England for happy family occasions. She enjoyed many holidays and loved meeting new people and seeing new places. Larena returned to Ireland in 2002 and worked at Celtic Bookmakers in New Ross, where she was very popular with customers. She settled into the quiet rhythm of life in her hometown after many years away and lived in Grange Road. She loved spending her free time with her mother. She became ill in 2012 and endured her illness with great courage and determination. She contented herself going on day trips with her mother Clare and is remembered by her family and many friends as someone who was very dependable, kind and trustworthy. Her sister Miriam said: 'She was always there to help out when needed.' Larena's brother Dr Dermot Dunne celebrated her Mass at St Mary's & St Michael's Parish Church in New Ross, which was attended by many of her family and old school friends from Wexford. She was laid to rest afterwards in Taghmon beside her father. Larena is survived by her partner Joe; sisters, Joanne, Clare (Anderson), Miriam (Conway), Denis Dunne, Brendan Dunne, Declan Dunne, Deirdre (Maher), Fr Dermot Dunne; nephews; nieces; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; family and friends. Three local business owners will be chosen to represent the East Region at the inaugural National Local Development Enterprise Awards during a regional heat on July 11. A group of shortlisted businesses from Wexford will come to The Riverside Park Hotel to find out whether they will be taking on the national final in Dublin this September. Each of the three finalists will also receive a prize of 1,000 each, along with a professional videography to showcase and promote their business on social media. This will be put on display at the National Awards Ceremony later in the year and can also be used on their business websites. All of those shortlisted are businesses that have been supported by Wexford Local Development under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme (BTWEA) or Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA). Wexford Local Development will host the evening, which will begin at 6 p.m. sharp. While the main aim of the evening is to announce the three overall finalists, it will also serve as a networking evening and a chance to showcase the products and services offered by the businesses. The new national award has been established to recognise people who have successfully set up their business and have grown the business and demonstrated potential for further growth. It is a brand new initiative in 2016 which seeks to recognise the success that these individuals have achieved both on a personal level and to our local economy. The overall winner of the National Local Development Enterprise Award announced on September 15 and will receive 3,000, while the runner up will receive 2,000 and the business in third place will receive 1,000. Representing a wide range of services and products from all over County Wexford, the 20 shortlisted businesses include: Alice J Kelly Millinery; Collette Murphy Portrait Artist; Glass 2 Sand; Gorey Institute of Beauty; Grainne Kenny Design; Irish Fairy and Folk Crafts; Joe Shannon Construction and Maintenance; Lyng International; Mairead McDaid Chartered Physiotherapy and Neurological Rehabilitation; Menapia Guitars; Pedal Revolution; Pure Soul Style; Scrap Metals Collected; Sean Cahill Lawnmower Sales and Repair; Tate Guerin Design; The Pram Doctor; The Red Door Coffee Shop and Deli; The Red Kettle; Time Walsh Counselling Psychotherapy and Training and Wexford Lavender Farm. CEO of Wexford Local Development Brian Kehoe was involved with the selection process for the finalists. He said that all of them are bound to benefit from the upcoming event. 'Being a finalist in the competition will get businesses recognition for their work,' he said. 'On the night they will have the opportunity to network and promote themselves. It is a public event and we have also sent out invitations to various guests around the county.' Students from Ursuline College Sligo were welcomed to AbbVie's facility in Ballytivnan recently to exchange ideas with employees based there on how innovative thinking is making a difference in the workplace as well as in schools and local communities. The visits formed part of the Young Social Innovators (YSI) initiative, a programme, which challenges young people across Ireland to use their creativity to bring positive change to an issue affecting them or their communities. Gayle O'Regan, a teacher and YSI Guide at Ursuline College, Finisklin said: "My students really enjoyed the visit to the AbbVie facility and got a better appreciation of how AbbVie's approach to innovation is making such a difference to patients' lives. The girls were also able to see how similar the approach taken by them in their YSI project is to that employed by AbbVie engineers." AbbVie aspires, alongside a wide range of stakeholders, to help transform education by narrowing the achievement gap in science and literacy. The company is committed to making resources available to students today so that they are prepared to succeed tomorrow. In addition to being given a tour of the state-of-the-art medical devices centre of excellence facility students attended information sessions with AbbVie teams to witness how innovation was being used in all sectors of their business. AbbVie employees then heard of the innovative actions the students were taking to address the social issues of particular concern to them. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Young Social Innovators, Rachel Collier, commended AbbVie on the initiative and said: "We are delighted to be partnering with AbbVie in this unique and innovative way. I have no doubt that those who volunteered their time from AbbVie have been inspired by these incredible students who are helping to reimagine our society as a fairer and equal place." Joe Kumor, Site Director, AbbVie Ballytivnan said: "AbbVie is committed to supporting our local communities and one way we do this is by working to increase students' interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). We were delighted to welcome the young people from Ursuline College to our facility. Their visit gives AbbVie an opportunity to expand the horizons of students on career opportunities they may not have thought about before and to explain the diverse range of roles within a company like ours. "During the visit, the students updated us on issues concerning them by presenting on their social innovation project. Discoveries are possible at AbbVie because of the environment we've designed. "It's one that fosters creativity and rewards innovation and it was stimulating to experience the imagination and ingenuity of these young people as they work to improve their community," he added. Young Social Innovators is a youth organisation that believes in the power of young people to bring about change in their communities and wider society. Founded in 2001 the organisation focuses on empowering young people through education for social innovation. The people of the tight-knit community of Tourlestrane have shown what can happen by working together. They managed to raise a whopping 23,000 for a charity that helped a local family who sadly lost a loved one abroad and had to go about bringing his remains home. Tourlestrane hosted the Martin Brennan Tractor Run, which is an annual event, two weeks ago. This year the organising committee decided to raise money for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, which assisted in bringing the remains of Paul Walsh home. The 33-year-old was tragically killed in a workplace accident in Australia last April. He was a former player with Tourlestrane GAA and had been living in Australia for a number of years. The Walsh family were assisted by the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust during the difficult time. The Trust helps bereaved families by providing financial assistance to repatriate loved ones who died outside Ireland. It was set up by Colin and Eithne Bell in memory of their son, Kevin, who died in New York in 2013. The Bells help out in what is a difficult process both emotionally and financially for families hit by tragedy. They offer support and advice during a harrowing time for families. Organisers of the Martin Brennan Tractor Run said they wanted to thank everyone who helped fundraise and for the many people who donated towards raising 23,000 for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. County Councillor Jerry Lundy has called for stronger cooperation and fresh momentum on an EU Atlantic Strategy to help coastal communities in Sligo and the North West. Cllr Lundy is one of just nine Irish councillors on the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) which gives a voice to local politicians in Europe. Cllr Lundy spoke at a meeting in Brussels between the CoR and fund-managing authorities to discuss progress on the Atlantic Strategy. "We're trying to get more funding from the EU for coastal communities, island people and fishing communities," he told this newspaper. "We're trying to get insurance down for people setting up businesses here and who need transport, anything to keep young people in the Regions," he said. "There are sections of the community that have been bypassed. With the Wild Atlantic Way here now, why not create little hubs along the coast of seafood plants, give local fishermen better access to fishing grounds and simplify fishing regulations?" he said. The next meeting takes place in Dublin on September 27th. The literary world is mourning the death of Leland Bardwell who died aged 94 last Tuesday. She was regarded worldwide for both her writing and poetry and was a close friend to the likes of the lauded greats Patrick Kavanagh, Seamus Heaney and Dermot Healy, who lived nearby her quaint cottage in Cloonagh, near Ballyconnell in North Sligo. This area is renowned for its literary residents and fellow author Brian Leyden, who was a close friend of Leland's, says it's another sad loss to the close-knit community. He told The Sligo Champion: "Dermot's second anniversary was Wednesday, a day after Leland died which is remarkable. The pair of them used to joke about this being their headland out here. "Leland had been in good form, she was living in Mowlam nursing home for sometime, where she had good care and she was fine despite her old age, she burned the candle to the very end," Brian said. The tributes have been led by President Michael D Higgins. "Leland was a truly unique poet and novelist, passionate, unsparing, accurate and, in her fashion, wise. She was generous and hospitable to new voices, and through her work in Cyphers, Aosdana and the Irish Writer's Co-operative, created spaces for others to flourish. She was indeed a friend at a crucial point in their lives to many writers who have gone on to gain considerable reputations. Leland has left an impressive body of work, which has given us warm, witty, deeply personal descriptions of the truth and beauty that is everyday life. She had a sophisticated imagination that could accept and value the local, a deliberate simplicity of style that was everywhere at home. She was widely loved. "At a time when the world of an Irish writer was often narrow, bitter and constrained, she turned from a full and often hectic life to pursue her own truth, furnishing the world with poems, plays, novels, radio plays and a memoir, work that is distinctive for its compassion, its wise detachment, its humour and its acceptance of human frailty. She has been able to touch many lives and will be missed not only by her friends and family but by all those who value and enjoy the power of a well chosen word." Being close neighbours and having the literary connection, Brian Leyden, became a dear friend to Leland since she moved to the rugged headland where she finally called home. "Leland bought the cottage in Cloonagh here which she called her little meadow in the early nineties. This was the first place she bought and it really became home to her, she'd been in Monaghan, Dublin, London and other places but Cloonagh was the first house she bought and it was very special to her. "There's a big community of writers, poets and artists and she loved it here, we will all miss her. Friends that she'd met in the other places would regularly visit here, Leland was always great with her hospitality and she was very much a part of the imaginative group living out here," Brian added. Leland's other great love aside from writing and music was the sea and it's little wonder she fell in love with a cottage jutting right out almost into the Atlantic Ocean. Rugged beauty at its finest and Leland savoured every inch of it. Brian continued: "She would take a dip in the sea every day, she loved the water. Anyone who is familiar with where her cottage is situated knows it is very much on the edge. "Turning a car there can be difficult, in case you reverse into the sea! When Leland was still driving, which was not that long ago, she used to take great pleasure in seeing people who thought they were great drivers getting into difficulty. Of course she was delighted at showing how well she was able to manoeuvre it," Brian laughed. When Leland (rather stubbornly) gave up driving her gold Renault, Brian and a number of her neighbours helped bring her to Sligo town to do her shopping, where she'd enjoy chatting to many acquaintances met down through the years. She was recognisable for her love of hats too, which she was rarely seen without. "There was a great liveliness to her and she was recognised in the poetry world for her work, maybe she should have had even that bit more. "She had all the respect from fellow writers as being a fine poet and also a writer, which is a rare thing." Leland was involved in setting up the Scriobh Writing Festival, which was the major festival in Sligo for many years, bringing national and international writers to the Northwest. She even managed to incorporate her Cloonagh landscape into the setting for one of her plays. "She staged her play, Jocasta, performed outdoors by the sea with Sligo's Fionnuala Gallagher several years ago. It was performed on the rocks, in very dramatic fashion," Brian recalled. One of Leland's last publications was a very fine novel called Mother to a Stranger, another book that shows how good a writer she was, he added. She wasn't afraid to say it like it was in everyday life and this also was the case in her writing. "Leland was very well viewed as a writer. She wasn't afraid to speak about violence to women, abuse, alcoholism, things that would have been shocking when they first appeared. She tended to look after those in poorer circles, the marginalised and women in particular, as says the title of Different kinds of Love, which was about various kinds of love." Born Leland Hone to Irish parents in India, she was two years old when the family returned to Leixlip, where she grew up in what was a difficult childhood, her mother convincing her she was ugly. She got her education in Alexander College in Dublin and then it was off to London, where she spent many years with an artist group in Soho getting to know the likes of Kavanagh and other well regarded writers and painters. "She was very friendly with Patrick Kavanagh and they remained friends when she moved back to Dublin. Luke Kelly was another friend, in later years such as the seventies, she got to know Neil Jordan and Paul Durcan and many more writers including Mary Branley." Brian said Leland was always willing to help or guide fellow writers too, including himself. "She was always generous to writers and a very fine reader of work. Being in the same profession, we'd often talk shop and Leland was a great critic. She will be hugely missed by everybody who knew her. Everyone looked out for her, embraced her and recorded the place through her." Ellen's pub in Maugherow was a place the community met to share stories and tales and Leland was among this contingent. Brian said: "Leland set a good example of working in the morning and then come evening time getting out and meeting people, that was a favourite of hers." She married Michael Bardwell in 1948, they would later separate. Leland has six children who also share her love of writing and music. Jackie is a dancer in the UK, twins Anna and Billy, also live in the UK and are a nurse and engineer. Johnny is a composer living in Donegal, Nicholas is a poet based in Kerry and she has another son, Eddie as well. "Leland was regarded as a true bohemian - I know that word gets bandied around a lot, but she truly was. She was able to go with the flow without question, with her beret at a different angle. I may be talking to her about a piece I was writing that I was happy about and she'd say something, at first I'd question it, until I went home and think she's so right and had absolutely nailed it. She was so clear right to the end." A sad ailment for Leland whose life surrounded reading, was being deprived of the ability to read much following a stroke. "She was dealt the cruel blow after a stroke in 2009 but she kept on going. Leland also loved music, and said many times how she'd have loved to be a concert pianist in another life, her favourite song to sing was Frankie and Johnny. "She almost made it to the century and what a century it was. Leland certainly would have seen WB Yeats and Maud Gonne many times, her father ran a furniture shop on Grafton Street in Dublin and his wife had paintings. WB and Maud came in regularly to see them. She was friends with many, including Seamus Heaney. Leland was a wonderful lady and I will miss her greatly," Brian said. She was honoured by Sligo County Council for her contribution to literature and Leland was also awarded an Honorary Masters of Arts Degree by St Angela's College in 2010. This journalist remembers being tasked with writing a feature on Leland for The Sligo Champion a few years back for her 90th birthday. The first thing I recall is trying to decipher Leland's directions around the myriad of roads in Ballyconnell then landing at this narrow road that I was sure was going to tip into the ocean. But no, there perched metres from the cliff edge was this white cottage. A nearby neighbour confirmed this indeed was Leland's residence. Out she came and immediately her sense of devilment was evident. "Those bloody guards won't let me drive anymore because I can't get my licence renewed," she was saying. With a stroke causing eye problems in her later life making it hard for her to read, driving would have been near impossible. Her stubbornness was clear and she certainly wasn't going down without a fight. "Nearly four hours later and we were still talking. Her life fascinated me, her way of telling stories, her crisp memory, saying it like it was. Her love of writing was something else and she took pride in signing a copy of Different Kinds of Love for me. Speaking about the eye condition, which clearly infuriated someone who loved reading so much, she was talking about 'idiots' saying sure there's always Friday night's television to watch. She loved travelling, meeting different people and she had an incredible curiosity to learn about people's lives. She spent so much time asking me about various things it was nearly like she was interviewing me! Her cats too had a bit of curiosity about them. I could have spent many hours more listening to her wonderful tales She will be missed. Leland's memorial service has not yet been announced as her body has been donated to the College of Surgeons. MEP Marian Harkin says there's a deep sense of sadness in Brussels at the decision of British voters to leave the EU. Over a week on from the referendum, Ms Harkin said the initial response was one of shock especially from Britons living there. "They could not believe it. The reaction ranges from anger to resignation but there is also a deep sadness from the perspective of both the EU and the UK," she said. She added that it remains to be seen what access Britain will have to the EU when negotiations on its exit are concluded most likely towards the end of 2018. There's not going to be a simple or straightforward exit she believes and it's one that may yet end up being put before the British voter once more. The MEP also believes that if Britain wants continued access to the single market it will be at a cost and this something that is really only emerging in the past few days. "Britain has never said what it wanted. "It was in or out, that was the issue. Being outside the EU was never addressed. So the question now is what does Britain want? "I think now the understanding is beginning to emerge that Britain has to forge a new relationship with the EU," said the MEP. She said it was a very worrying time for small businesses, farmers and those living in border areas. "It won't be simple. Say for example a farmer in County Fermanagh who could have future access to the single market with no rules and a farmer in Sligo who has several to comply with - how is he going to compete with that?" "Negotiations will obviously be starting soon enough and we'll see where they finish and see what access Britain will have to the EU," she said. The MEP said the vote to leave posed a major challenge to Ireland's economy as it emerges from the trauma of recent years and the EU owed Ireland special consideration in any conditions governing the exit of the UK. "In particular, there could be no change to the free movement of people within Ireland or the reinstatement of border controls which would adversely affect economies on both sides," she said. The MEP added that the referendum result was a reflection of the failure of the EU to convince the citizens of the UK that they benefit from EU membership but it also reflects voter disenchantment with the main political parties. "The close economic relationship between Ireland and the UK requires that the EU should have special regard for that connection in any decisions taken as negotiations on leaving develop," she said. The MEP urged the Government to immediately take steps to reassure citizens and businesses by engaging immediately with the British Government on "matters of common interest." She said UK politics was in a state of flux after the referendum and the result partly reflected voter disenchantment with the main political parties. It's no longer making the news, the humanitarian crisis that sees hundreds of refugees fleeing war torn Syria trying to get to Greece across a ten kilometre stretch of water in dinghies. "You know it's no longer news when you see on the day recently when a gorilla being shot dead in a zoo in the United States got more attention than the fact dozens of refugees were drowned off the Greek islands," says Sligo Garda Raymond Wims who recently received an award from President Michael D Higgins for his work with the refugees. He has already spent two periods working on the Greek islands, assisting those coming ashore and is hoping to return this December with a couple of Garda colleagues. And, it is in the winter that most drownings occur when the seas are rough. "It's just a short crossing really but in winter it's treacherous and the refugees still come, feeling that the chance of a new life in Europe is worth the risk," says Raymond. It was that distressing picture of a young boy washed up dead on a beach in Greece that sparked an international response and also Ray's desire to do something. Listening to the often heartwrenching reports from Valerie Cox on RTE's Sean O'Rourke show also stirred Ray into action. "It's awful easy to do something about it rather than just saying, this is terrible and isn't it awful. All you have to do is book a flight and go," he says. And that's what he did having been moved by the image of three year old Alan washed ashore as his family attempted the crossing to the Greek island of Kos. Ray, along with some Garda colleagues from other stations visited the Greek islands twice, in October and December last year. Their working day would start around 1am, the time refugees would start arriving in dinghies on the beaches of Kos, Lesbos and Leros. Crammed 6o to a boat, they would just keep coming and coming, up to five hundred or more a night. "We expected that there would be some officials there to meet them but there wasn't, just volunteers like us. "We'd take them ashore and get them food and clothing. Dozens of volunteers would be helping, many from Scandinavian countries. By the time of our second visit in December the UN and Red Cross had a presence." Ray has been involved in the Irish Guidedogs for the Blind charity before but this was the first time he has become directly involved. He has travelled with Garda colleagues Damien McCarthy and Alan Cummins from Pearse Street and Kilmainham in Dublin and Pauline Farlane, Glenties, the latter having served previously in Ballymote. Garda Wims says a number of other colleagues hope to go with him on his next trip which he is planning for in December. Their efforts were well received amongst fellow volunteers and the refugees themselves. The majority of refugees he says have been from Syria, fleeing a country torn apart with war. Most are well educated or qualified professionals such as doctors, dentists or teachers. "They all have a minimum of two languages each and they al want to go to Germany, that is their goal for the vast majority. "Few if any would have heard of countries like Ireland. It's Germany they want to go to as they are aware of Chancellor Merkel's wish to take in one million refugees. "When they eventually get to Germany the process of registration can take three to four months and during that time they must learn German." When refugees land at one of the Greek islands they are looked after with food, accommodation and health checks before being brought to a police station where they are given a ticket. A ferry brings them onwards to Athens with a passage then the hope of many to Germany. "They are so desperate to start a new life for their families. Despite their plight, landing with barely nothing to their name not one of them ever asked for money," says Ray. "Many of the refugees we helped told us how they paid 2500 per person to smugglers to make the short journey across the Argen Sea in dangerous dinghies under nightfall (6 to 12 miles depending on the crossing) from Asia to the EU via Kos. In a surprisingly kind gesture by the smugglers, babies travel free. "We believe that over 800,000 refugees have arrived in Greece on unseaworthy, overcrowded dinghies so far this year. For refugees arriving in Greece, this is merely the beginning of their journey in the EU. If they choose to leave Greece then they face days of 'illegal' travel through Serbia and Macedonia, and possible tear gas and beatings on the Hungarian border while on their quest to reach Germany. But this is considered better than what so many have left behind. "Talking with some of these refugees and we listened to horrific tales about torture, bombing, forced conscription to murder innocent civilians and family members being disappeared. "There are also too many hair-raising stories of Turkish people smugglers who have beaten and abused pregnant women too scared to get in the overcrowded boats, life jackets being filled with plastic rather than foam and the mentions of the organ trade offering to buy kidneys. "Both Damien and myself are now planning our next trip later in September/October 2016, which on this occasion will also include the Island of Lesvos which appears to be the access point to the majority of refugees arriving on the Greek Islands. "We are keen that our expertise and reputation is not diluted by over-expansion too soon, so we are developing our role to suit our skills. We have identified that each refugee needs to be welcomed from their perilous journey with a supply of fresh water and fruit, dry clothes and with easy access to a hot meal. "Furthermore, we note that children need to be consoled with a small toy and assessed for shoes. In many instances the children's shoes (or lack of) was of major concern. Adults also benefited from being supplied with a rucksack - and for the mothers, baby slings were essential for those traveling with infants. "We established our kitchen on Kos in October 2015 and then handed the running to MercyCorps and UNHCR. To date this project has seen over 100,000 meals have being provided to the refugees arriving in Kos and Leros, but we are keen to see this expanded; especially upon Leros and Lesvos. "Our experience is that the NGOs have the administration and structures, but these are not always targeted to where they are needed most. "With our skills, experience and reputation as seasoned police officers who operate unarmed in Ireland we are focusing on identifying the needs at the front line and ensuring that other organizations are coordinating and operating to a cohesive plan. (Logistics and people management). We are wise enough to avoid politics on our trips because getting involved in this would seriously be a waste of time resources. "We are in the process of setting up our own organisation to directly assist refugees and provide information to volunteers planning on traveling to assist. It is called The Tiny Lighthouse Foundation" and the website is www.tinylighthouse.org "By keeping our organization as small body capable of auditing the humanitarian response, we can ensure the integrity of the work we are carrying out and as mentioned previously, as police officers, we will ensure that all volunteers working with us perform with the best interests of the refugees at heart. "In other words, by keeping our organization under control we can quickly adapt to other disaster areas as the need arises. "We remain disappointed at the lack of response from governments and the EU and we are still appalled at the widespread ignorance on these people's plight," he says. He adds: "Damien and I were so lucky that we are given this chance to show how much we are prepared to give to ensure people have a better, safer life. But it's up to us to reject fear and propaganda and seize the moment and effect change. "I see volunteers welcoming refugees to Germany with hugs and blankets. I see the gratitude of refugees and their children who land here in Kos when we give them water and a fruit and a blanket to keep them warm when they arrive on a beach during the night. "I see the smiles on the faces of a Syrian children when I give them toys donated by own my three children, Each one of us has the power to help others in their hour of greatest need. "It's up to us all to unite in common cause and step up and exhibit that rarest, but most precious of human attributes, the quality of kindness. "It was very difficult to leave eventually leave Kos, not knowing how refugees will be looked after and ultimately having the knowledge that more refugees and their children will die on their journey to the EU. "We definitely will return to Kos and I am deeply indebted to my wife Inez, our families, neighbours and friends who generously supported and donated to make our mission possible. "Of course, there are millions all over Europe who want to help and hate the way our governments are acting on our behalf, but kindness is being drowned out by a well-oiled fear machine. "It's hard to get our voices heard. It's not just refugees who feel powerless. Most of us feel we are too small and unimportant to have any effect on events. But this isn't true. "This refugee crisis gives us an opportunity to drastically change the course of people's lives for the better." Sligo-Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon has issued an apology in the wake of a Dail question he tabled about Muslims. The Ballymote based Deputy had asked the Minister for Justice for the number of Muslims who have applied for Irish citizenship in the past three years; the number of these who are legally living here for the past three years; and if she would make a statement on the matter. In response, Minister Frances Fitzgerald said a person applying for citizenship had no requirement to disclose their religion. Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, provides that the Minister may, in her absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled. These conditions require that the person applying for citizenship must be of full age and good character. They must also have been resident in Ireland for a certain number of years and have promised to faithfully observe the laws of the State. Deputy Scanlon said he didn't mean to cause any offence. He said the question had been "misinterpreted" and apologised for any offence caused. Deputy Scanlon said: "I put down a parliamentary question in relation to the number of Muslims who have applied for Irish citizenship as a constituent was inquiring about this issue. "It has come to my attention that my parliamentary question has been misinterpreted and I wish to apologise for any offence caused which I can genuinely assure you was completely and utterly unintended. "There are people of many different ethnic beliefs and nationalities in Ireland and they all make a tremendous contribution to Irish society." Deputy Scanlon has been widely criticised in the wake of the question with many asking why it mattered what religion someone was when applying for citizenship. Chair of the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, Sheikh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said: "Why would he ask these questions? "Obviously, he was assuming that all Muslims are refugees and they're all probably problematic, they're not integrating and all that. That coming from a TD, which is very worrying." Dr Al-Qadri said it was "good" that Mr Scanlon had apologised but he believed there had been pressure on him to do so. Dr Al-Qadri said that generally Ireland was a "very welcoming community" but was "not immune to bigotry". Deputy Scanlon was first elected as a TD in 2007 but lost his seat in 2011. He was re-elected this year and is one of four TDs in the Sligo'Leitrim Constituency alongside FF colleague Deputy Marc MacSharry, Deputy Martin Kenny of SF and Deputy Tony McLoughlin, FG. Councillors and Wicklow County Council officials were welcomed to Arklow's newest manufacturing plant for a tour last week. Members of the council along with staff members including CEO Bryan Doyle and Arklow Chamber president Ann McGovern made their way to Arc Building Products, which is situated in the Arklow Business Park at Ballynattin. They were met by David Orr, Chris Vickers and Martin Nolan who gave a tour of their new production plant, R & D and warehousing facilities. Arc Building Products is Ireland's largest manufacturer of tile adhesives, grouts and floor levelling compounds and we supply over 400 builders merchants, hardwares and tile shops throughout the 32 counties from the new company base in Arklow. 'The purchase and move to Arklow has already allowed us to expand our manufactured range of products and we are committed to further expansion of the plant. We were delighted to meet the delegation from Wicklow County Council who welcomed us to Arklow,' said Mr Orr. Residents at Urban Villas in Wicklow town are up in arms over the foul smell emanating from the Veolia operated sewerage plant on the Seafront. The residents have written to all local councillors and to the management at Wicklow County Council venting their frustration over the ongoing problem. In the letter they said the plant is emitting a disgusting and unnecessary foul smell all over Urban Villas and its surrounds. The letter claims that the smell is affecting their health and that of their children and causing worry and upset to all who live in this section of Wicklow Seafront. In the letter they outline how the worst periods of this foul stench is when the winds are from the north east, the east and the south east. There is a constant smell both day and night. They said that had conducted their own survey as to the dates and times of the offending smell and called on Wicklow County Council, the Department of the Environment and Irish Water to enforce better management practices at the plant. They also requested an urgent meeting with Wicklow County Council to express their concerns about the plant. Cllr Gail Dunne said there is an ongoing problem in the area and that something needs to be done to sort it out. A lot of the residents cant even go outside because the smell is that bad. Other nearby estates and businesses are affected too. Surely the EPA should be able to carry out some tests there. Its time to get this matter sorted once and for all, he said. The residents have had to put up with the smell for far too long. Something has to be done. The residents cant even leave their windows open because of the smell. When Wicklow County Council operated the plant there were never any smells associated with it. Its only since Veolia took over. Residents feel they are just getting the run around. It is also very bad for tourists coming into the town and walking along that area. It gives a very bad impression of the town, said Cllr Dunne. Arklow will be the half-way point for a charity cycle on Saturday, July 23 in aid of the Shankill-based Suicide or Survive (SOS). Dozens of cyclists will gather at the Igo Inn in Ballybrack, Co. Dublin and head south to Arklow, the town where SOS was founded. The group will break in Arklow before travelling back to Dublin to complete the 120km challenge. There will also be a shorter 30-40km route option available to Kilpeddar. Funds will benefit Suicide or Survive, a national mental health charity that runs programmes aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health. Cyclists will be welcomed back to Brady's pub in Shankill for an evening BBQ and fun late into the evening. 'We're absolutely buzzing about this year's event. Last year was a huge success and was a real community affair. People of all backgrounds and abilities got involved and it really helped us continue our work,' said SOS founder Caroline McGuigan. For information to to register for the cycle, call 1890 577 577 or email info@suicideorsurvive.ie Barry Corcoran was last seen on July 6, 2015 Gardai have renewed appeals for information over missing Wicklow town man Barry Corcoran to coincide with the first anniversary of his disappearance. The dad-of-one was last seen on Cremona Road in Ballyfermot, on the night of Monday, July 6. He left behind his mobile phone and passport at his home in Ocean View, Wicklow town. Mr Corcoran went to the post office in Wicklow town on the morning of July 6, before taking a bus to Dublin. The 39-year-old spent some time in the north inner city before boarding the Luas Red Line to Kylemore Stop on the Naas Road. He arrived there at 2 p.m. He was met by a friend and bought some goods in a local shop at 2.30 p.m. He returned again at 6.45 p.m. Later on he met some friends on Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, and was last seen by them that same night. Mr Corcoran is five foot one inch in height and of medium build with grey hair. When last seen he was wearing dark jeans, black Puma runners, and a light blue mac. A dig for Mr Corcoran's body took place in County Kildare in March after Gardai received intelligence but concluded without success. Since his disappearance, Mr Corcoran hasn't accessed any of his funds and hasn't contacted any family members or friends. He was reported missing a few days after his last known sighting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gardai in Wicklow or the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666111. Simon Harris with Caoimhe Wade at the count centre in Greystones after he was re-elected to the Dail in February He's used to negotiating tough political deals but Health Minister Simon Harris had a much more pleasant task, if not slightly more nerve-wracking, at the weekend when he proposed to his long-term girlfriend Caoimhe Wade from Gorey - and she said 'Yes'. 'We are delighted for them,' said her father, Gorey pharmacist Michael Wade. 'They are a private couple, and they are very happy.' Caoimhe and Simon (29), broke the news to her parents Michael and Ann on Saturday, and the celebrations began immediately. Caoimhe (28), is the second eldest of four in the family. She works as a nurse in the cardiac unit in Crumlin Children's Hospital. She and the Wicklow TD have been together for six years. 'He is a very conscientious and hard-working politician,' Michael told this newspaper. Simon is son to Greystones couple Mary and Bart. He has one brother, Adam, and one sister, Gemma. Attempts to contact the Minister for Health were unsuccessful. Italian actress Isabella Rossellini has said she finds it condescending when people tell her she is beautiful. The star of films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her has been rehired as the face of luxury French cosmetics house Lancome - some 20 years after she was dropped from its campaigns. Rossellini, now 64, has also lamented the lack of roles for actresses between the ages of 45 and 60. She told The Guardian: " When people tell me, 'You look so glamorous, you look sophisticated or elegant,' it's wonderful. But when people say, 'You're beautiful,' I find it a little condescending. Worse now, because they say, 'You're still beautiful.' "In Italian, we say it's a knife with both edges, because I know that they mean it to please me, but it's almost like saying to a black woman, 'You're not so dark, you don't look so black.' I am old: this is what 65 looks like." The daughter of Swedish screen siren Ingrid Bergman says her famous mother cautioned her of the lack of jobs for actresses in a certain age gap. She said: " My mum told me that there is no job for women between 45 and 60, because you are in-between. You are not young enough to play the young girl, but you are also not old enough to play the matriarch, the witch or grandmother. "So there is a period of 15 years where you're in limbo and they don't know how to hire you. Then after 60, a lot of work comes back. That was true for my mum. And you see, Maggie Smith is the hottest thing on Earth. Helen Mirren is the hottest thing on Earth. Then there is this gap." Other celebrities who have signed up to front Lancome campaigns include Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o, Julia Roberts and Kate Winslet. Jim Carrey carries the coffin of his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White, in her home village of Cappawhite, Co Tipperary ahead of her funeral Jim Carrey has said it is a "shame" that details of his ex-girlfriend's private life have been released to the public in the wake of her suicide. The Hollywood star issued a statement following the publication of a coroner's report into the death of Tipperary make-up artist Cathriona White. Ms White, 30, died after taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs at her Los Angeles home in September. The Los Angeles county coroner's office released a report into her death earlier this week, which revealed she left a note for Carrey saying she was "just not for this world". Expand Close Cathriona White / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cathriona White In a statement following the report's release, Carrey said: "When I came to Hollywood to make it as a comedian, I soon learned that the details of my private life would be handed out to the media like free dinner vouchers. I never dreamed that the people I love most in the world would also be on the menu. What a shame." The statement was signed "regrettably, Jim Carrey". Read More The coroner's office said California law states that it must release post-mortem reports as part of the public record and, in this case, it was in touch with Carrey's lawyer before the information was made public. Carrey, 54, was a pallbearer at Ms White's funeral in the village of Cappawhite, Co Tipperary, in October. He and Ms White had broken up a week before she was found dead on September 28, according to the coroner's report. Ms White's cause of death was given as "multiple drug effects" after a toxicology report discovered prescription drugs in her system. The coroner ruled her death was suicide. The Samaritans can be contacted by phone at 116 123. This number is FREE to call. The 1life Freephone is available 24 hours a day at 1800 247 100 or text the word HELP to 51444. The 1life service is of particular relevance to people who are feeling very low, have had suicidal thoughts. People take part in an installation titled Sea of Hull by artist Spencer Tunick Thousands of people have stripped and been painted blue as they starred in a huge installation to celebrate Hull's relationship with the sea. Hull City Council said 3,200 people took part in the event - the largest of its kind ever to be staged in the UK by New York-based artist Spencer Tunick. Tunick's Sea of Hull installation involved participants from 20 countries, including American Stephane Janssen, 80, who has posed for him on 20 previous occasions. The hundreds who gathered at dawn were daubed with four shades of blue body paint in celebration of Hull's maritime heritage and then posed for a series of site specific installations around some of the city's best known historic locations. These included the former Queens Dock, now a city centre park, the Guildhall and the award-winning Scale Lane swing bridge over the River Hull. Tunick's latest work has been commissioned by Hull's Ferens Art Gallery. It will be one of the highlights of the gallery's programme in 2017, when Hull is UK City of Culture. The council said Saturday's turnout is the largest number of participants taking part in any of Tunick's previous UK artworks, beating Gateshead in 2005 and Salford in 2010. Tunick said: " The Sea of Hull installation was one of the most fantastic projects I've ever done, and it was inspiring to be able to intertwine the city's maritime heritage against an urban backdrop throughout the whole piece. "The photo incorporates some of the city's unique locations including the architectural steel-structured masterpiece that is Scale Lane Bridge, framed by Georgian and Victorian buildings, adding to the striking shots captured during the installation. "It's always wonderful to see the various-sized people covered in paint walking through the streets of a city I admire. I'm looking forward to the exhibition of my final works made here in Hull in the spring of 2017." Curator of art for Ferens Art Gallery Kirsten Simister said: " When we announced this back in March we were excited but we had no idea how many people here would respond. "It took off like a rocket from day one with an overwhelming number of people signing up and we are delighted to see how Spencer has brought them together today to create some remarkable new images and unforgettable memories for themselves." Martin Green, chief executive and director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, said: " Spencer Tunick is the first major artistic commission to be announced for 2017. The team at the Ferens Art Gallery have worked incredibly hard to bring this world-class artist to Hull, adding to the excitement of it being UK City of Culture. "It's also a fantastic opportunity for people locally and further afield to be involved ahead of 2017 and I can't wait to see the resulting images when they are unveiled at the gallery next year as part of an exciting exhibition." Married couples have been blessed with a flitch of bacon after going on trial to prove their undying love for each other. Ralph and Helen White, who have been married for 36 years, were among those who won the prize after convincing a jury of "six maidens and six bachelors"' that they "had not wished themselves unmarried for a year and a day". They were taking part in the Dunmow Flitch trials in Great Dunmow, Essex - a tradition that goes back to the early 12th century, where successful couples take an oath and are presented with a flitch of bacon. The retired couple, who live in north London, said they believed working hard and spending time together had made them closer, adding that they rarely argued. "We're great believers in avoiding that," said Mr White, 61. "Some people say 'oh you need the occasional row to clear the air' but I don't believe that myself because it can become an everyday habit." Mrs White, 57, added: "It's very, very rare that we argue - it's never now." The couple said they would be having a cup of tea to celebrate, after they were interrogated by "barristers" in a packed marquee-cum-courtroom. There was applause from the audience when Mr White said: "We surprise ourselves how happy we are, it actually gets happier every day." Caroline Bradley, one of the barristers representing Mr and Mrs White, said the couple were "genuinely beautiful", arguing that there was no better pairing for which a pig could give its life. After just 15 minutes, the jury unanimously found Mr and Mrs White were telling the truth when they said they were enjoying wedded bliss. Having being carried on a bench to a town square, the couple knelt on pointed stones as Judge Dave Monk passed sentence on them, saying: "For this is the custome of Dunmow well known, Tho' the pleasure be ours, the bacon's your own." The Whites were the first of five couples to be "tried" at this year's Dunmow Flitch Trials. The trials are held every four years in the small Essex town, near Stansted Airport. The origin is commonly thought to date back to 1104, when Lord Reginald Fitzwalter and his wife dressed as humble folk and begged the prior of the Augustinian Priory of Little Dunmow for his blessing, a year and a day after they were wed. The prior, so impressed with their devotion, gave them a flitch of bacon. Lord Fitzwalter then revealed his true identity and gave his land to the priory, on condition that a flitch should be awarded to any such couple similarly devoted. By the 14th century the Dunmow Flitch had become well known, but it was not until 1445 that the winners of the flitch were recorded. The trials were alluded to by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the Wife Of Bath, one of the best known of his Canterbury Tales. David Cameron is to remove the ban on women serving in ground combat roles in the British military. The British Prime Minister will announce that women will be able to serve in infantry and armour units after the service chiefs last month unanimously recommended the move following a detailed study of the issue. Sources said he is expected to announce the move at the Nato summit in Warsaw this weekend. A phased relaxation of the ban will see jobs in tank units open to women within a year and infantry jobs opened up later. The UK government has previously signalled it wants to open up ground combat roles to women, bringing Britain into line with allies such as America, Canada and Australia. Mr Cameron said last year: "We've already lifted a number of barriers in our Armed Forces with the introduction of female submariners and women reaching the highest ranks in all Services. "We should finish the job next year and open up ground combat roles to women." Internal reviews led by Gen Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the General Staff, have spent two years looking at whether women are physically strong and tough enough to serve in frontline infantry units, and whether they are more prone to injury. Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after a pensioner who asked a man to stop urinating on a wall was punched in the face. Police released photographs of the elderly man in his seventies who was beaten in an attack in Manchester this week. Derek Laidlaw (70) saw a man urinating against his partners house in Oldham at around 10.45pm on Saturday July 2. When he asked the man to stop he was held against a wall and beaten. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) released an image of Laidlaw with severe bruising and facial swelling in an appeal for witnesses. Police said that even after Laidlaw had collapsed on the floor, having already been punched in the face, the attacker continued his violent attack. They reported the man who assaulted the pensioner to be white, in his 40s or 50s and of a stocky or muscular build. Now, a 46-year-old man from Oldham has been arrested, Greater Manchester Police said. Detective Constable Kelly Bragg, of GMPs Oldham borough, has implored anyone with information to get in touch. This is a horrendous act of brutality that has left a man with severe injuries to his face. Im hoping that by issuing this photograph, people will see the true extent of Dereks injuries and want to work with us to bring his attacker to justice. Andrea Leadsom has come under fire from senior Conservatives over the "vile", "insulting" and "wrong" suggestion that being a mother meant she had a "a very real stake" in the future of our country as she talked about Theresa May's "really sad" lack of children. The incendiary comments were published just hours after the Home Secretary had pledged to fight a clean campaign and urged her rival to do the same. Speaking yesterday Ms May, who is hedging her bets on being the unity candidate in the contest, said the public are tired of people acting like politics is a game, so a clean campaign is what our party and country deserves. Ms Leadsom, who has two sons and a daughter, was asked in an interview with The Times whether she felt like a mum in politics. Yes. I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake," she said. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next. It means you don't want a downturn but never mind 10 years hence it will all be fine, my children will be starting their lives in that next 10 years so I have a real stake in the next year, the next two. Transcript from the key part of the interview with Andrea Leadsom this morning in @thetimes pic.twitter.com/aFtIECBIiC Emma Tucker (@emmatimes2) July 8, 2016 Her comments sparked outrage from fellow Tory MPs. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I like everyone else have a very real stake in our country." Anna Soubry, minister for small business, industry and enterprise, said the interview shows Andrea Leadsom is not PM material". "She should do us all a favour including herself and step aside ... we need a PM [with] real experience at the highest level, proven competence, a safe pair of hands, a compassionate on nation Tory AL [Andrea Leadsom] way out of her depth," she tweeted. Conservative MP Sir Alan Duncan said: I'm gay and in a civil partnership. No children, but 10 nieces and nephews. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? Vile. And Sam Gyimah, another Tory MP, added: Wrong and insulting for Leadsom to say those who are childless care less about the future. Being a parent doesnt qualify you to be PM." Deputy Commons Leader Therese Coffey, another supporter of Mrs May, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Andrea is a friend, I know she's not a malicious person". But she also added: I don't think it matters whether somebody has children. The next prime minister, what matters is what they are going to do for every child in this country. "I believe Theresa May has got the proven leadership, she has got the qualities, she could be prime minister tomorrow. Just last week Ms May had spoken about how her and her husband, Philip, were affected by being unable to have children. Ms May told the Daily Telegraph she likes to keep her personal life personal but says that she and her husband dealt with the fact they couldn't have children and moved on. I hope nobody would think that mattered, she said. I can still empathise, understand people and care about fairness and opportunity. Ms Leadsom, a junior energy minister who entered the Commons six years ago, responded to the story claiming The Times had misreported her comments. Read More Truly appalling and exact opposite of what I said. I am disgusted, Ms Leadsom said on Twitter. The 53-year-old added in direct message to the interviewer: This is despicable and hateful reporting. You must now provide the transcript this is beyond disgustingthis is the worst gutter journalism Ive ever seen. I am so angry I cant believe this. How could you? Emma Tucker, the Times' deputy editor, went on to release a partial transcript of the interview with Ms Leadsom and an audio recording. But Penny Mordaunt, the Armed Forces minister who is one of Ms Leadsom's most high profile backers, said the report was an attempt to "smear" the leadership contender. Ms Mordaunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm afraid this is an attempt, I think, by a paper that has declared for the other candidate to smear Andrea. "We have had a pretty unedifying contest so far, including people trying to prevent Andrea getting on the ballot paper. "From my understanding of the interview, you could not have come away from that interview with the impression that The Times have clearly decided to write a headline on, which is something that she did not say. "Andrea is a mother and she has done a huge amount of work on parents and infants, that's a major part of who she is and the social reform agenda she pushes." The Independent was unable to reach Ms Leadsoms team for a comment. Police have arrested a man after a woman was stabbed in the back as she walked in a busy shopping street. The 35-year-old victim was attacked outside Barclays Bank in London Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, at 3.20pm on Saturday. Eyewitness Gary Hale told the Portsmouth News: "There was a woman with a knife sticking out of her back. It was awful. "I went over straight away and another woman was screaming for an ambulance. She looked in shock so I kept talking to her to tell her that she was going to be okay but I could tell she was petrified." It is understood that the woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is in police custody." Indian prime minister Narendra Modi points at a bust of Mahatma Gandhi on a visit to Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg (AP) Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has marked an historic train journey by Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi during the final day of his visit to South Africa. Mr Modi's ride commemorated the incident in 1893 in which a young Gandhi was ejected from a South African train when he refused an order to move from a first-class carriage because of his race. The encounter shaped Gandhi's decision to resist racial segregation and other injustices with non-violent protest, first while living in South Africa and then in India. Saturday's train ride, with Mr Modi sitting in a wood-panelled car with local officials, moved ahead under heavy security. Mr Modi also opened an exhibition on Gandhi's life at the train station in Pietermaritzburg, where Gandhi was ejected. India's government says it was the first country to cut trade relations with South Africa over its former harsh system of racial segregation, which lasted for decades and ended in the 1990s. In Mr Modi's meeting with South African president Jacob Zuma on Friday, the two leaders paid tribute to what Mr Zuma called "two liberation icons", Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, who was elected in the first all-race elections in 1994. Mr Modi has also met with members of South Africa's community of Indian origin, which numbers more than one million. He moves on to Tanzania and then to Kenya on a four-nation tour meant to raise India's profile in Africa, where China's presence has been strong. He began his visit in Mozambique. AP Nato allies have agreed to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan, bolstered by President Barack Obama's decision to make a smaller cut in US troop levels than he had initially planned. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the allies also made commitments to continue to fund the Afghan security forces through until 2020, and are "close to" the five billion dollars (3.8 billion) per year needed. "We are very close and I am certain we will reach that level," Mr Stoltenberg told reporters following a meeting on Afghanistan on the second day of a Nato summit in Poland. Mr Obama has been urging Nato leaders gathered in Warsaw to expand their support for the war against the Taliban. The US has pledged to provide 3.5 billion dollars (2.7 billion) annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as 500 million dollars (386 million). Allies would provide the remaining one billion dollars (772 million), and those are the commitments that Mr Stoltenberg said are nearly complete. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan army troops and police officers. Mr Stoltenberg said it is too soon to say exactly how many troops allies will agree to keep in Afghanistan under Nato's Resolute Support training and advisory mission. But he said he believed that, based on commitments made on Saturday, force levels will remain largely stable at about 12,000. Specific numbers will be finalised this autumn, he said. Earlier this week, Mr Obama announced he would keep 8,400 US troops in the country, rather than cut their numbers to 5,500 as he had once planned. The Warsaw summit, Nato's first in two years, is considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. Mr Stoltenberg said Nato, founded in 1949, needs to adapt to confront an array of new threats to its member nations' security, including cyberattacks and violent extremism sparked by radical Muslim organisations such as Islamic State. On Friday, Nato leaders approved the deployment of four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to deter Russia, as well as a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade for the Black Sea region. Germany will lead a multinational battalion in Lithuania, with similar battalions to be led by the United States in Poland, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Those moves were strongly criticised on Saturday by Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president during the Cold War. "Nato has begun preparations for escalating from the Cold War into a hot one," Mr Gorbachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "All the rhetoric in Warsaw just yells of a desire almost to declare war on Russia. They only talk about defence, but actually are preparing for offensive operations." U.S. President Barack Obama observes a ceremony to honour NATO soldiers killed in the line of duty prior to the meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the Warsaw NATO Summit (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Dallas. The name was already a byword for political violence before Thursday's massacre - the place where Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F Kennedy in 1963 and shattered America's post-war innocence. Now, five local policemen lie dead, killed while serving their community. Others fight for their lives. The bloodshed at what was supposed to be a peaceful rally on Thursday night was plainly a hate crime. But how do we define this hate? Was this an act of terrorism, an assault inspired by racial tensions, or both? Whatever the motives behind this madness, race is back at the top of the agenda in America. The country's first black president may be in Poland, at a Nato summit designed to stamp on Russian aggression, but he could soon need to return to put out the flames in his own country. That is not the progress he promised. For black Americans, innocence was lost long ago. Violence has been the norm for centuries. Last year, US police shot at least 102 unarmed black suspects dead - five times the rate of unarmed whites - and the protest at the centre of Thursday's horror was a response to the 'death-by-cop' this week of two more African-American men. America prides itself on being an experiment in democracy that guarantees the rights of all. Yet racism remains a fact of everyday life. One hundred and fifty years after slavery was ended and 50 years since segregation was outlawed, some black citizens still live in fear of their own police - and are still more likely than whites to grow up in a single-parent household in poverty or to go to jail. We mustn't stereotype: a black middle-class certainly exists. The problem is that American democracy is racialised. It always was: racism is its original sin. Ta-Nehisi Coates once observed that "America begins in black plunder and white democracy." When the first colony was constructed in Georgia, slavery was banned for a mix of moral and economic reasons. It was the poor white colonists who insisted that it be introduced: growing demands for popular representation and white supremacy went hand-in-hand. The American Revolution of 1776 was a cry for freedom by men who, in many cases, owned slaves. Intellectually and emotionally, they associated being enslaved to the British crown with the racial binary of a black slave owned by a white master. Their revolution was thus an assertion, subconsciously, of their dignity as white men. "No one can govern me because I am not black." I don't base that notion upon inference but the words of the founding fathers themselves. In the 1780s, Thomas Jefferson wrote 'Notes on the State of Virginia', a philosophical thesis on what it meant to be American. When justifying the existence of slavery, Jefferson said abolition was undesirable partly because of white prejudice and the potential for black backlash. But also because blackness and freedom were irreconcilable: "Whether the black of the negro resides in... the colour of the blood, the colour of the bile, or from that of some other secretion, the difference is fixed in nature." African-Americans, concluded Jefferson, were intellectually and perhaps morally incapable of being full citizens. Citizenship was, thus, colour coded. And that is the attitude that has overtly or subconsciously shaped race relations throughout American history. There are those who argue that black people get arrested or even shot more often than whites because they commit more crime. This overlooks two cultural problems. The first is a history of institutional racism - of militias, police forces and individual citizens arming themselves specifically out of fear of supposed black criminality. Racism in America has often been official policy, and that official policy has, over the decades, left an imprint on the minds of some white people. There is an irresistible correlation between the dogs being turned on civil rights protestors in the 1960s and the invidious 'stand your ground' laws that today empower citizens to shoot if they feel threatened. One study found that juries sitting on a 'stand your ground' case are twice as likely to convict the perpetrator of a crime against a white person than against a person of colour. People sometimes question why the campaign group Black Lives Matter insists on saying "black" rather than "all lives matter" - but the uneven application of the law suggests their political bias is a rational response to the bias they experience in everyday life. The second problem African-Americans face is one of class. There are poor whites - far more of them are on food stamps than African-Americans. But while white incomes have risen, then plateaued, in the past few decades, what's striking about black incomes is the continuous stagnation and disproportionate levels of unemployment. The problem is partly cultural: rates of fatherlessness and gang membership have a role to play. But, argue civil rights activists, these challenges are themselves products of that lingering cultural assumption that black people cannot handle freedom. Never accepted as full citizens, many angry young African-Americans have found other sources of validation: drugs, sex, crime. The search for dignity is difficult when society constantly asserts that you don't have it. American democracy has a surface ideal that is beautiful and universal. But its practice on a local level in the last 250 years has too often shown the triumph of prejudice and the persistence of ancient lies about colour. Black and white people have become victims of America's legacy of racial injustice. ( Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (right) faces an internal investigation over the possible mishandling of classified information Picture: Reuters The US State Department has reopened an internal investigation of possible mishandling of classified information by Hillary Clinton and senior aides. Spokesman John Kirby said the emails probe is restarting now that the Justice Department is not pursuing a criminal prosecution. The State Department suspended its review in April to avoid interfering with the FBI's inquiry. Mr Kirby set no deadline for the investigation's completion. Mrs Clinton was secretary of state until early 2013, and most of her senior advisers left shortly afterwards, But Mr Kirby said former officials can still face "administrative sanctions". The most serious is loss of security clearances, which could complicate Mrs Clinton's naming of a national security team if she becomes president. Apart from the Democratic frontrunner, the probe is most likely examining aides Cheryl Mills, Jake Sullivan and Huma Abedin. Earlier The director of the FBI strongly defended the decision not to prosecute Ms Clinton over her private email set-up. James Comey said there was no evidence that she or any of her aides knew that anything they were doing was against the law or had lied to federal investigators. His appearance at the US Congress marked his first public statements since an FBI announced they had removed the threat of criminal charges against Mrs Clinton. North Korea has test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, the US and South Korea said. The missile was fired from a location near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, said an official from Seoul's defence ministry. The official could not confirm how far the missile travelled or where it landed. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it presumed the missile successfully ejected from the submarine's launch tube but failed in its early stage of flight. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile probably flew only a few miles before exploding in mid-air, but the defence ministry official could not confirm the report. The US Strategic Command also said that the missile was tracked over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, where it apparently fell. "We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," said Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman. North Korea acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for rivals and neighbours because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it is unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge that the North is making progress on such technology. North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturise nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests. North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with "dagger of destruction". South Korean defence officials said then that the missile flew about 30 kilometres (19 miles) before probably exploding in mid-air. The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on December 25, but that test was seen as a failure, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year. Saturday's launch came a day after US and South Korean military officials said they were ready to deploy an advanced US missile defence system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats. Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help US radars spot missiles in their countries. The deployment decision for THAAD was announced hours after North Korea angrily reacted to new US sanctions on leader Kim Jong Un and other top officials for human rights abuses, with Pyongyang's foreign ministry saying such measures were tantamount to declaring war. North Korea has already been sanctioned heavily because of its nuclear weapons programme. However, the action by the Obama administration on Wednesday marked the first time Kim has been personally targeted, and also the first time that any North Korean official has been blacklisted by the US treasury in connection with reports of rights abuses. The US stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrent against potential aggression from North Korea. AP President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected the notion that this week's stunning violence is a signal that the US has returned to some of the darkest days of its past, saying that as painful as the killings of police and black men were: "America is not as divided as some have suggested." "Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether it's in Dallas or any place else," Mr Obama said from Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a Nato summit. "That includes protesters. It includes family members who have grave concerns about police conduct and they've said that this is unacceptable," Mr Obama added. "There's no division there." The comments marked the third time in as many days that Mr Obama has spoken, from a distance, about the police-involved fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were immediately followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers on Thursday night. Seven officers and two civilians were also injured. "This has been a tough week," the president said. Mr Obama said the Dallas shooter, an Army veteran who was later killed by police, was a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans, any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. Mr Obama said he would visit Dallas "in a few days" to pay respects and mourn with the stricken Texas city. He said that while "there is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion" about how the US moves forward "there's unity in recognising that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans and that serves as the basis for us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way." "So we cannot let the actions of a few define all of us," Mr Obama said. The president said he planned to convene a White House meeting next week with police officers, community and civil rights activists and other to talk about next steps. He said the "empathy and understanding" that Americans have shown in responding to the events of the past few days, including Dallas police officers as they came under attack, had given him hope. "That's the spirit that we all need to embrace. That's the spirit that I want to build on," Mr Obama said. But Mr Obama made clear that he will continue to speak out about the need to tighten access to guns in the United States, steps the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to go along with. "I am going to keep on talking about the fact that we cannot eliminate all racial tension in our country overnight," he said. "We are not going to be able to identify, ahead of time, and eliminate every madman or troubled individual who might want to do harm against innocent people. But we can make it harder for them to do so." AP South Sudan is marking the fifth anniversary of independence Soldiers have brought scores of bodies to a hospital in South Sudan's capital after gunfire erupted throughout Juba, a doctor said. A total count of the dead was not available because soldiers were not allowing doctors to examine the bodies, but the morgue was full at Juba Teaching Hospital, the doctor said. The majority of the bodies were of soldiers, the doctor added. The gunfire began on Friday outside the presidential compound as President Salva Kiir was meeting first vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar and soon spread through the city. The former rivals issued a joint call for calm as fears grow in Juba of a return to civil war. Residents were reporting quiet streets on Saturday morning, on South Sudan's fifth anniversary of independence. Many people remained indoors. Gunfire continued into the night outside a UN base in Juba sheltering more than 25,000 people. Budbud Chol, who oversees security at a clinic inside the base, said they had received about 40 people wounded by gunfire, all but three of them men. "They are still coming up to now. All of them are gunshot," Mr Chol said. He said many of the wounded were hit in crossfire outside the UN base. One woman was hit by a stray bullet inside the base, Mr Chol said. The latest violence began on Thursday night with shooting between opposing army factions who are supposed to be carrying out joint patrols under a fragile peace deal reached last year. That shooting, which killed five soldiers, was similar to the skirmish between soldiers in Juba in December 2013 that led to the civil war in which tens of thousands of people were killed. AP People attend the funeral of Pakistan's renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi in Karachi (AP) Tens of thousands of people have attended the state funeral of Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi in Karachi. Thousands more could not get to the stadium where the funeral was held with a military honour guard, said local government official Nasir Habib. The 88-year-old charity worker died on Friday after a prolonged illness. Pakistan's top civilian and army leadership offered funeral prayers at the stadium as the country mourned the loss of a man commonly known as the Angel of Mercy for his internationally acclaimed social work. A 19-gun salute was given, Pakistan's army spokesman, Lt Gen Asim Bajwa, tweeted. Mr Edhi donated his eyes and asked his family to bury him in the clothes he wore at the time of his death, his son Faisal Eidhi said. As part of his commitment to living simply, Mr Edhi would never own more than a few items of clothing and a pair of shoes, his son said. Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his charitable foundation, Mr Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation. He established the foundation almost six decades ago which he oversaw with his wife, Bilquis Edhi. The foundation owns and runs Pakistan's largest ambulance service, nursing homes, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters, along with rehabilitation centres and soup kitchens. His work earned him numerous awards at home and abroad, including the Gandhi Peace Award, the 2007 Unesco Madanjeet Singh Prize, the 2011 London Peace Award, the 2008 Seoul Peace Award and the Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Service. Mr Edhi never finished school but later said that the world of suffering became his tutor. In Pakistan, tributes poured in for Mr Edhi. "We the poor lost our father today," Rafiq Ahmad, a 45-year-old who attended the funeral, told reporters. AP Williamston Police Chief Tony Taylor SHARE Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart By Mike Ellis of the Independent Mail The shooting of police officers in Dallas has some officers in South Carolina wondering if law enforcement is the best choice for them, said Williamston Police Chief Tony Taylor. "They're wondering if this is what I want to do, is this the best thing to do for my family," he said. "It's decision time for some officers and I think you'll see that throughout the state." Taylor said he is talking to his officers one at a time, telling them to remember why they signed up in the first place. "I'm telling them how much we appreciate them and how much the community appreciates them," Taylor said. "What I want them to know is that they have a gift they can give to the community and as long as they feel they have that gift, we want them to stay." Supportive calls and emails have been coming to officers since the shooting, said Taylor and other local law enforcement leaders. Anderson area law enforcement officers should not expect to change day-to-day tactics because of the shooting of police officers in Dallas even as they grieve, several of the leaders said. Some of the country's major police forces, including Las Vegas and Boston, will be having officers patrol in teams rather than solo. Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said his deputies will continue on generally solo patrols and they will be on high alert, but they have been there for some time. He said he will again be stressing to officers that they need to be vigilant. Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart said officers will not normally be teamed up. He said they are naturally concerned about the deaths of their fellow officers. "For us it's business as usual," he said. "We will be more cautious, we won't take anything for granted, but we will stick to our normal plan: Go out and deal with shoplifters, domestic calls, assaults, drugs and our normal routines. If there is something suspicious, we may have to step back for a moment." Stewart said the biggest change in the policing approach will likely be at major events and protests. There will likely be more officers assigned and more angles covered in the future, the chief said. "This was in Dallas," he said. "But it feels like it was next door." Officers throughout the nation are linked together, Stewart said, through good and bad. He said officers everywhere were tied to questionable police shootings earlier this week, getting a bad reputation, but on the flip side officers are also tied to the slain Dallas officers and are receiving support today. Citizens have been thanking officers and deputies in person, on social media and over the phone, Skipper said. "There's only a very small number of individuals who are trying to create havoc," he said. "We have gotten so much support, it makes our people and our agency feel good to know that our people are behind us." Bea Thompson, an Anderson City Council member and founder of the Law Enforcement and Community Relations Task Force in Anderson, said the news all week has been stunning. On the heels of two highly-publicized officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota came the shooting of officers and a civilian in Dallas. "We're all sitting around and we don't know what to do," Thompson said. "Our team was put together to get people to work together in respect to identify problems and find ways to solve them." The plan to help Anderson is prayer, with a rally planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Wilson Calvary Baptist Church in Anderson, Thompson said. "We'll pray," she said. "We'll pray for peace for one thing, and for guidance and mercy and to restore the community through love and understanding." Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM SHARE Jawunn Simmons (middle) does jumping jacks at his station while Doug Ware (front) and Joyce Willingham (back) participate at the Westside High School walking track during an evening boot camp workout with friends. Simmons says he works out for his health, dropping more than 100 pounds from a previous 350 pounds body, and controlling type 2 diabetes. The drop-in style evening workouts attract around a dozen participants, moving from cone-to-cone outdoor drills without membership or fees. Sonja Freeman (left) and Jawunn Simmons, both of Anderson, begin a run down Greenville Street in Anderson. Tracy Willingham of Anderson lifts weights at a workout station during a boot camp workout at the Westside High School walking track. Doug Ware of Anderson leads a group of six runners down Greenville Street in Anderson. The group of all over-40 adults have been meeting with leaders Jawunn Simmons and Sonja Freeman for a variety of volunteer workouts in an effort to live healthier. By Frances Parrish of the Independent Mail It took 11 years for Anderson resident Jawunn Simmons to get serious about his journey to get healthy after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2004. Simmons weighed about 250 pounds when he finally decided to start going to gym on a regular basis last year. "It really hit me hard when I got older and my kids needed me," he said. "I had to do something ... I want to keep it (diabetes) under control so, it won't defeat me." With the help of two of his friends, Simmons started working out in a gym. "When you work out with someone the motivation to workout is there," he said. Then, one day Simmons' longtime friend Tracy Willingham invited him to exercise with her outside, and then the exercise group exploded. Willingham said she prefers to exercise outdoors because she said she feels more like herself outside. "This is my gym. It's the environment. Being outside is better than being in four walls," she Willingham said. Simmons invited his friends from the gym to exercise with him and Willingham. For about a month it was just five of them. In April, they began videotaping their workouts and posting them on Facebook. In a short time, their exercise program drew about 20 people a week. "We didn't think something this small would grow so huge," Simmons said. "We didn't anticipate any of this. We did this for fun." They have increased the workout times from two to five times a week. Willingham added a rotation that has increased to 13 exercises, and recently, added a 3 mile run to their routine. "This is the motivation to look young," Simmons said. "I'm drinking that Benjamin Button juice because every year I get older, I want to look younger. I don't want to feel old and look old." Now, he weighs 220 pounds and the doctor has dropped three of his seven prescriptions for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. "My strive is to get rid of it all," Simmons said. "I'm glad these two (Andrigues Belton and Willingham) push me to go out there, because some days I don't want to go out there." Everyone cheers for each other through cardiovascular workouts at McCants Middle School and strength training at Westside High School. One day, Cynthia Frazier, of Anderson, and her friend were walking on the McCants track when they ran into the exercise group. Simmons invited them to participate and have since they were invited about a month ago, Frazier said. The workouts are not set in stone, and everyone contributes ideas for different exercises. "Everyone brings something to the table, even if it's just their presence," said Belton, one of the original group members. "Our vision is to continue to have a fun, informative, down-to-earth and hardworking atmosphere." The rotations include weights such as kettle bells and dumbbells, as well as a minute of jumping jacks and squats, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Frazier initially found the upper body workouts and flipping a tractor tire difficult to do for 1 minute. "Everyone else is telling you, 'You can make it through that minute,'" Frazier said. "The atmosphere is wonderful. We're getting healthy together one step at a time. We're finding out we're stronger then we thought we were." The group exercises Monday at 8 p.m. at the McCants Middle School track, and Friday and Sunday at 8 p.m. near the Westside High School practice field. On Tuesday, the group runs for three miles beginning at the Anderson Area YMCA at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the group meets at 7 a.m. at McCants. Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM SHARE By Mike Ellis of the Independent Mail His guest sermon for a Dallas congregation has been planned for months and the Rev. Michael Duduit of Anderson said the words still fit after a shooting there left five officers dead. Duduit said the sermon, about turning weakness into strength, is based on Gideon and in hindsight must have had more divine inspiration than he knew when he drafted it. Dallas has been weakened by the shooting but, like Gideon, the city, and the nation, can turn that into a positive, said Duduit, dean of Anderson University's College of Christian Studies and executive editor of Preaching magazine. "We are a nation that is on the edge of tearing itself apart over racial violence," he said. "I think it's important to know that God has something so much better for us than hatred and division. The church has a calling to be his ambassadors into the cultures. Christians need to reach out to one another in love and then reach into the culture in our communities." Duduit is traveling to Dallas this weekend to speak at the E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference and to deliver a sermon at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, about 5 miles from where the shooting happened. One of Duduit's former students, the Rev. Johnnie Bradley, is senior pastor of the church. Duduit said he will continue to speak about Gideon, a Biblical figure who led an intentionally small army in victory against a larger enemy in part by using the light of torches and the blasts of trumpets to inflate their apparent numbers. "In a moment of crisis, God took him and turned him into a leader to help the people," he said. "It was not because of his strength but because of his weakness. The whole story of Gideon is about that fact: Ultimate victory only comes from dependence on God. So I've decided that the Lord laid that text on my heart and I'm going to preach it." Duduit said he has never preached about Gideon before and he checked with Bradley months ago to make sure his former pupil hadn't touched on the passages. It will be difficult to preach to the people of Dallas, Duduit acknowledged. About 900 pastors, most of whom are black, from across the country are expected to be part of the conference, Duduit said. "There is a lot of hurt in the African American community," Duduit said. "I expect to spend a lot of time there this week just hearing people, spending time with them. But I know God's timing is impeccable. God knows the need before we get there. God is never surprised." Follow Mike Ellis on Twitter @MikeEllis_AIM Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors. 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The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. mangalam Who wouldn't want a yoga trainer like Bipasha Basu. But what if the actress herself teaches you some tough yoga postures? During an event on International Yoga Day last month, the organisers thought Bipasha's participation would make it a superhit affair, which it did. But now, the Bollywood actress has found herself dragged in a controversy around payment of dues! Bipasha found herself under fire after being a part of the International Yoga Day celebrations in Karnataka. Apparently, the private organisers raised a bill of 45 lakh for the 'Bend It Like Bipasha' programme that barely lasted an hour. The government reportedly has refused to pay the actress for her participation and directed the organisers to authenticate the expenditure. jantakareporter A source close to Bips has however denied the news. "Bipasha attended the event only with the intention of promoting yoga and creating awareness on health and physical fitness amongst the youth. It was not for her name to get dragged into it. The news that has appeared is not true." newindianexpress While the event was a successful one, its repercussions seem to be far-reaching. Bipasha, who is on a travel spree ever since she tied the knot with beau Karan Singh Grover in May, doesn't seem to be in a mood to get dragged in any such controversy. We just hope, this matter doesn't force her to pull out from any future yoga related events. We seriously look up to her in terms of fitness! Kashmir continues to be tense after sporadic violence across the state even as thousands joined the funeral of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist who was killed by security forces on Friday. The funeral was held in his native village Tral on Saturday. AP Meanwhile mobile and internet services remained suspended in the valley even as violence continued. At least eight people have been killed, in separate incidents of police firing on Saturday. AP Around 50 people have also been injured in clashes between security forces and violent mobs who set ablaze five buildings, including three police installations, and some vehicles. ANI Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, the official said, adding Barsoo and Shariefabad in Awantipora area of south Kashmir also saw violent protests. Minor protests were also reported from several parts of Srinagar city. Mumbai-based preacher Dr Zakir Naik, who is under the scanner after two of the Dhaka terrorists claimed he was an inspiration, seemed to have been followed by four youths from here who had run away to join the Islamic State. BCCL Areeb Majeed, one of the protesters supporting Zakir Naik's clash with police in Srinagar, who returned last year and was arrested for links with IS, is believed to have told interrogators of the National Investigation Agency that he was inspired to delve deeper into Islam after hearing the lectures of Naik. BCCL Copies of Naik's lectures were also found in a Darbhanga library frequented by Indian Mujahideen members. The Centre and the state are studying preacher Zakir Naik's lectures and videos after Bangladesh said his sermons, which draw wide audiences on TV and online across the world, inspired two of the seven young terrorists who slaughtered 20 hostages on Friday night in a posh Dhaka cafe. BCCL Sleuths from Darbhanga in Bihar, where a module of the Indian Mujahideen was busted in 2010-11, claimed that many hard copies of Naik's lectures were found in a library that was frequented by the members of the terror module, including founder-member Yasin Bhatkal. Also Read: Who Is Zakir Naik,The Controversial Indian Islamic Preacher Followed By Two Of The Dhaka Attackers? Like the Dhaka terrorists, the youths from Kalyan Areeb Majeed, Fahad Shaikh and Amaan Tandel who joined IS are from well-to-do families and were studying engineering. Only Saheem Tanki, who went with them, had failed HSC. BCCL TOI has learnt that Majeed told the NIA he became very religious after hearing Naik, known as an expert on comparative religion. As he began trying to read more about puritanical Islam, around January 2014, he learnt about the IS and their drive to establish a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Soon, he was bombarded on Facebook and other social media and spoke to people in Turkey, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US, who began indoctrinating him. Also Read: Zakir Naik Makes A U-Turn On ISIS, Says Osama Clip Doctored, Not Surprised The Dhaka Attacker Knew Me In Darbhanga, a number of books, speeches, and photographs of Naik were recovered from the Dar-ul-Qitab-Sunna library near Al-Hira Public School in the Karimganj area. Yasin Bhatkal, who was arrested by NIA from Raxaul in 2012, used to frequent the library during his stay in Darbhanga, mostly during 2010-11. "During the visit, he confessed other IM members like Kafeel Akhtar alias Chota Kafeel and Tahseen alias Monu used to visit the library," said a security official. BCCL "They used to provoke religious feelings for anti-national activities and indoctrinated many youth citing atrocities like Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots. The library was stuffed with books and hard copies of Zakir's speeches," he added. Naik had addressed a public meeting in minority-dominated Kisanganj in 2012. Brain-washed, Majeed started reading about IS on social media and finally got in touch with a woman, Tahirah Bhatt, who told him how to join the banned group. Majeed contacted Shaikh, Tanki and Tandel and left for Iraq in May last year. Presently, Majeed is in jail, Tanki is said to have died fighting, and Shaikh had contacted his family a few months ago. There has been no news of Tandel. 1. At Least Eight Killed In Clashes As Kashmir Remains Tense Following The Killing Of Hizbul Terrorist Burhan Wani Kashmir continues to be tense after sporadic violence across the state even as thousands joined the funeral of Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist who was killed by security forces on Friday. The funeral was held in his native village Tral on Saturday. Meanwhile, mobile and internet services remained suspended in the valley even as violence continued. 2. Heavy Rains Trigger Flash Floods In Madhya Pradesh, Army Begins Rescue Operation The torrential monsoon rains have triggered floods in Satna and Rewa districts of Madhya Pradesh and the Indian Army has already started the rescue operations. Around 300 people were airlifted from Amiliya Village of Satna while at least eight people have lost their lives. The downpour, which began on Tuesday, did not relent as six houses and a bridge collapsed and water was flowing 6 feet above Satna bypass. 3. IIT-Kharagpur All Set For Global Business Model 'Empresario 2017', Will Be Backed By Stanford, Harvard and Brigham IIT-Kharagpur's entrepreneurship cell is all set for Empresario 2017, India's only global business model. The competition will be held in association with IBM's International Business Model Competition (IBMC) which is co-hosted by Stanford, Harvard and Brigham Universities. The best entries in all categories will get an opportunity to participate in the semi-final rounds of IBMC 2017, which will be conducted abroad. 4. Ammu, The Bengaluru Stray Dog Whose Eight Pups Were Killed In Front Of Her, Dies Ammu, the stray dog from Bengaluru who had to witness her eight new-born puppies being killed, the poor creature has died. The dog, who had been in the care of a family since the horrific incident in March, died of canine distemper, a serious viral disease on Friday. 5. Pakistani Philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Who Took Care Of Deaf And Mute Indian Girl Geeta, Dies Noted philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founder of Edhi Foundation, Pakistan's largest charity, has passed. He was 88. Edhi was admitted in Karachi hospital but his condition worsened on Friday. He was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2013 but was unable to get a transplant because of his frail health. 6. It's Not Just The Dhaka Attackers, Even The Kalyan Youth Who Joined ISIS Were Inspired By Zakir Naik Mumbai-based preacher Dr Zakir Naik, who is under the scanner after two of the Dhaka terrorists claimed he was an inspiration, seemed to have been followed by four youths from here who had run away to join the Islamic State. Areeb Majeed, one of the protesters supporting Zakir Naik's clash with police in Srinagar, who returned last year and was arrested for links with IS, is believed to have told interrogators of the National Investigation Agency that he was inspired to delve deeper into Islam after hearing the lectures of Naik. After the unexpected decision of the Supreme Court in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation, where it recriminalised homosexuality, efforts have increased to either amend or scrap Section 377 from the Constitution. It is conceded even by members of the ruling dispensation that Section 377 violates the right to equality and right not to be discriminated on the basis of sex as well as right to life and liberty as enshrined in the constitution. Some of the steps taken in this regard are enumerated below. business-standard Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 On April 24, 2015, The Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014, which provides for reservation in education and jobs, financial aid and social inclusion for transgenders. It is rare for any house of the parliament to pass a private members bill, and this particular bill, moved by DMKs Tiruchi Siva, became the first bill in 45 years to be passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Government has also assured to bring an updated bill in the Lok Sabha after removing some technical anomalies. Curative Petition on Sec 377 in Supreme Court HT The Supreme Court is currently hearing oral submissions on a curative petition filed against its judgment recriminalising homosexuality. It is rare for the judges to hear oral submissions on a curative petition, and decisions on such petitions are taken usually after the judges confer with each other. However, this departure from practice is being seen as an acknowledgment by the apex court of the changing social realities. It is to be noted that the curative petition against Sec 377 is the last legal resort for the petitioners to get any relief on this issue. Medical Opinion Medical Opinion in India has undergone a radical change since the days when arguments were repeatedly advanced claiming homosexuality to be a disease that can be cured. The Indian Psychiatrists Association, in a statement released in February 2014, said that there is no evidence to substantiate the claim that homosexuality is a mental illness or a disease. Earlier in 2011, in representations before the Supreme Court, the Vice President of the Indian Medical Association submitted that homosexuality is not a disease or mental illness. Emerging Political Consensus reuters In view of international developments with regard to the issue of homosexuality, political consensus in India is also slowly building up. From Arun Jaitley of the BJP to P. Chidambaram of the Congress, political leaders have expressed their opinions supporting homosexuality. The RSS too has climbed down from its earlier position of vehement opposition to the decriminalisation of homosexuality to maintaining ambiguity on the issue. The Aam Aadmi Party and the CPI(M) have outrightly demanded the reversal of the Supreme Court Judgment in Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation. Pride Parades and Awareness Building reuters The most stringent opposition to homosexuality comes not from the legal or political circles, but from the society where it is still frowned upon. However, the LGBT community has taken a number of steps to spread awareness about same-sex couples and homosexual relationships, including the organisation of various pride parades in major Indian cities and constituting LGBT groups in many college campuses. Various internet magazines and radio channels are dedicated to covering LGBT issues and spreading their culture. LGBT issues have featured prominently in Bollywood films such as My Brother Nikhil, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. and Aligarh leading to a slowly building acceptance of the community. The Road Ahead reuters With major developed countries like the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, France etc. legalising gay marriage and homosexuality in general, it would be tough for the Indian government to drag its feet any longer. One can reasonably expect the Supreme Court to either strike down Sec 377 or for the current parliament to pass a bill decriminalising homosexuality in the country. In short, the question is not of if, but more of when. It is hard to believe that an innocuous looking kite thread could actually kill man in the goriest manner unless you saw the half severed neck of fifty-two year old Yogesh Sharma. He was killed on Friday afternoon when his neck got entangled in razor sharp kite strings near Thakurdwara flyover slicing his neck into two while on his way back to his Delhi home from Sikandarabad on a bike. TOI According to police Yogesh Sharma a small time property dealer was returning to his Delhi home in Maujpura on his bike. "At around 5.45 pm he was crossing Thakurdwara flyover when suddenly his neck got entangled in a kite thread and he drove to few meters before collapsing" says Salmantaj Patil, SP City. BCCL "As per an eyewitness who immediately called police blood was oozing from his neck with kite thread wrapped around" adds Patil. "When police reached the spot Sharma's body was lying in a pool of blood and he was rushed to MMG Hospital where he was declared brought dead" continues Patil. BCCL Sharma's cousin Rakesh who was informed by the police after obtaining his number from deceased's phone was in a state of shock. "What kind of death is this?" said a shocked Rakesh. "I'm still unable to comprehend, I could not look at his body more than a second as the sight was so gory" says Rakesh. Dr Jitendra Tyagi, Chief Medical Superintendent, MMG Hospital says "victim's wind pipe, jugular vein was sliced and he had lost lot of blood and was declared brought dead on arrival." Vishal Goel of Uma Kites a Modinagar based industry who deals in producing kite thread says "traditionally for kite flying we used threads made of cotton which has very little tensile strength and snaps even at a little force. " BCCL "But these days Chinese thread which is in vogue these days are made of nylon which has a very high tensile strength and to add to it deadly glass granules are laced to it which makes it very sharp like a razor and often birds and even kite flyers injure themselves" adds Goel. "It is banned in many states as it has killed and wounded many people all over the country but in Uttar Pradesh or Ghaziabad I don't know whether it is banned or non" continues Goel. BCCL Vimal Kumar Sharma, district magistrate meanwhile says "About seven months ago we had banned the use of Chinese thread for kite flying and prima facie it appears that the ban has been not been enforced." "An FIR has been lodged and an inquiry initiated" says Salmantaj Patil. The body of Yogesh Sharma meanwhile has been sent for post mortem. The horrific shootings that took place in Dallas, United States, was one of the many instances of violence that shook the world this week. But unlike other acts of terrorism around the world, the Dallas police shootings were apparently carried out but an Afghan war veteran. The Dallas police shooter, identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, is understood to have transformed into a cop-hating 'Black Panther' after he dropped out of the army according to his friends. Barely a year after he dropped out of the army (April 2015) he went on to shoot 12 officers, killing five at a Black Lives Matter protest. This is his story. Local Tv Wreg He ended up mixing with the wrong people. Apparently, Johnson was not the best soldier, he also wasn't a great shooter. But he returned from the battlefield as a decorated serviceman. According to an article done by Fox News, his friend from the 420th Engineer Brigade said that he really changed after returning from the war zone. "When he came back from Afghanistan, he got in touch with some bad folks and went all Black Panther," said the man who wished to remain anonymous. "He did have some anger issues but never said he would hurt anyone. His shots were terrible... He was absolutely normal, a really good friend. We lost touch once he deployed to Afghanistan and I stayed back. I don't really know how or why it got to the point it did." he added. The other servicemen who worked with Johnson also said that he did seem a bit "off" but was never suspected to be a murderer. It came as a shock to his other friends as well. In Facebook posts, Johnson's bunk mate Wells Newsome said, "We all knew he was a pervert cuz he got caught stealing girls panties but murdering cops is a different story." While some of his friends from high school remember him being a "fun-loving guy who liked to have a good time," there are others who described him as a "loner" whose personality became really dark and twisted after he returned from the war in Afghanistan. His online activities after returning from war suggest he got pretty inclined towards black militant groups after returning from the war. abcnews He would call himself a black nationalist, with his profile picture showing him wearing a dashiki. He also followed Richard Griffin from the hip-hop group Public Enemy who promotes and embraces radical Afrocentrism. Daily Beast also reported that Johnson used to attend a gym called Academy of Combat Warrior Acts which is a weapons training class in addition to the traditional martial arts selection. Dave Brown, the Dallas Police Chief, claims that Johnson wanted "to kill white people, especially white officers" as they had a four-hour-long gun battle on the streets of Dallas. "The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was also upset about the recent police shooting of black suspects," said Brown. heavy,com What happened that night? Johnson, wearing body armour, carrying an AR-15 rifle and a handgun, went on a shooting spree, targeting only the police officers. He shot 12 cops and two civilians in the attack, killing 5 cops. The Black Lives Matter group that was in a silent protest that night has distanced themselves from the attack. Black activists have even raised a call to end the violence and not escalate the matter. Johnson was eventually killed after a police robot was used to detonate a bomb. ISIS is trying their best to make sure they destroy every little piece of history left in Syria right now. Some time back we did a story that shows just how badly the war has devastated the once beautiful town of Palmyra in Syria. As if that wasn't enough, ISIS is trying its best to erase every little part of Syria's rich history and culture remembered by Christians, Sufi and Shiite origin. AFP A year after they took over the town of Palmyra, the group has released a new video that shows the militants destroying artefacts and crushing Syrian mummies with bulldozers. Islamic State militants are even shown destroying the city's museums. An unidentified structure is seen being brought down to rubble with an explosive. Five mummies, who were once a part of the Palmyra National Museum, were brought out on the streets and crushed by a bulldozer. According to a report by National Geographic, 95% of the collections were saved by Syria, but the fate of the mummy was still unclear. AP Although the city of Palmyra has been completely ravaged, archaeologists and preservationists with the Digital Institute of Archaeology have been trying to restore these sites via 3D technology. But the museum administrators have found a silver lining in all this destruction. They say that they're more knowledgeable about preserving precious artefacts from the wrath of a war. Check out the upsetting video- A German court has convicted two men of sexual assault in a New Years eve mob attack on women in Cologne. Reuters The incident had sparked outrage and hardened public opinion against migrants in the country. The two convicts, a 20-year-old Iraqi and a 26-year-old Algerian were handed a one-year suspended sentence each for the crime they committed on new year's eve. The Iraqi man Hussein A was given a one-year probationary sentence after he kissed a young woman against her will and licked her face. The second man, an Algerian known only as Hassan T, was also found guilty of being an accomplice to a sexual assault that was carried out by a group of 15 to 20 men. AP He is said to have made threatening gestures toward the young women and directly threatened two girls saying to them in broken English, Give me the girl, give the girls or death." Hussein A who spoke in the court through a translator said "I apologize for what happened," while Hassan T. showed the opposite of remorse when he left the courtroom as he laughed and smiled upon being set free on his one year suspended sentence. Daily Mail Their victims who were present inside the court broke down while describing their ordeal. The shocking assaults sparked a debate on sexual violence and immigration in Germany. AP Since the attacks, Germany has toughened its rape laws to make groping a sex crime and has enabled prosecution of entire groups. Under the new law where no means no, a victim who refused verbally to give consent would be able to file a criminal complaint. China tops the world in Magnesium reserves, production capacity and volume as well as the export. Its development signals the future of the global Magnesium industry. MAGNESIUM CHINA 2016 will showcase its core to the world in the heart of industrial Asia, Shanghai. The event will gather the leaders in Magnesium smelting and processing as well as equipment and technology providers in each key session of the industry chain. Facilitating a world-class platform for setting up business meetings, networking and training opportunities, MAGNESIUM CHINA will bring magnesium to Life at Shanghai New International Expo Centre! Is NATO Necessary? By Stephen Kinzer July 09, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Boston Globe " - Britains vote to quit the European Union was a rude jolt to the encrusted world order. Now that the EU has been shocked into reality, NATO should be next. When NATO leaders convene for a summit in Warsaw on Friday, they will insist that their alliance is still vital because Russian aggression threatens Europe. The opposite is true. NATO has become Americas instrument in escalating our dangerous conflict with Russia. We need less NATO, not more. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in 1949 as a way for American troops to protect a war-shattered Europe from Stalins Soviet Union. Today Europe is quite capable of shaping and paying for its own security, but NATOs structure remains unchanged. The United States still pays nearly three-quarters of its budget. That no longer makes sense. The United States should remain politically close to European countries but stop telling them how to defend themselves. Left to their own devices, they might pull back from the snarling confrontation with Russia into which NATO is leading them. Russia threatens none of Americas vital interests. On the contrary, it shares our eagerness to fight global terror, control nuclear threats, and confront other urgent challenges to global security. Depending on ones perspective, Russia may be seen as a destabilizing force in Europe or as simply defending its border regions. Either way, it is a challenge for Europeans, not for us. Yet the American generals who run NATO, desperate for a new mission, have fastened onto Russia as an enemy. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter preposterously places Russia first on his list of threats to the United States. Anti-Russia passion has seized Washington. This weeks NATO summit will be a festival of chest-thumping, with many warnings about the Russian threat and solemn vows to meet it with shows of military force. The United States plans to quadruple spending on NATO military projects on or near Russias borders. In recent weeks NATO has opened a new missile base in Romania, held the largest military maneuver in the modern history of Poland, and announced plans to deploy thousands more American troops at Baltic bases, some within artillery range of St. Petersburg. Russia, for its part, is building a new military base within artillery range of Ukraine and deploying 30,000 troops to border posts. Both sides are nuclear-armed. NATO views trouble between Russia and nearby countries as a military problem. That makes sense. NATO is a military alliance run by military officers who think in military terms. Our conflict with Russia, however, is essentially political, not military. It cries out for creative diplomacy. NATO is a blunt instrument unequipped for such a delicate task. If Europeans believe tit-for-tat escalation is the best way to deal with Russia, let them pursue it. But it should be their choice, not ours. NATO commanders and their political masters in Washington do not want to surrender control over European security. They fear Europeans would seek conciliation with Russia rather than follow the NATO model of in-your-face confrontation. That prospect is abhorrent to American generals, politicians, and defense contractors. By continuing to finance NATO, we buy the right to flash our swords on Russias borders. Some Europeans are unhappy with Americas use of NATO to intensify military pressure on Russia. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany called the recent maneuvers in Poland, in which 14,000 American troops participated, saber-rattling and war cries. In a clear rebuke to NATO, he added, Whoever believes that a symbolic tank parade on the alliances eastern border will bring security is mistaken. We are well-advised to not create pretexts to renew an old confrontation. NATO helped to keep peace in Europe during the Cold War. It is not suited to the 21st century. By stoking tension with Russia, it contributes to instability, not stability. Europe needs a new security system. Unlike NATO, it should be designed by Europeans to meet European needs, run and paid for by Europeans. That would allow the United States to step back from a long mission that may have been noble, but should not last forever. Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. Follow him on Twitter @stephenkinzer. See also Propaganda alert: NATO agrees to deploy troops in north-eastern Europe despite Russian concerns : The 28-nation Western defence alliance decided to move four battalions totalling 3,000 to 4,000 troops in north-eastern Europe on a rotating basis to display its readiness to defend eastern members against any Russian aggression. Propaganda alert: NATO agrees to reinforce eastern Poland, Baltic states against Russia : The 28-nation Western defence alliance decided to move four battalions totalling 3,000 to 4,000 troops into northeastern Europe on a rotating basis to display its readiness to defend eastern members against any Russian aggression. Russia Painted as Enemy by NATO and Obama : U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama urged NATO leaders on Friday to stand firm against a resurgent Russia over its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine, saying Britains vote to leave the European Union should not weaken the western defense alliance. Propaganda alert: Greece signs arms deal with Russia : Senior Nato officials have raised concerns that attempts by Greece to forge a defence pact with Moscow could seriously undermine efforts to present a united front against further acts of Russian aggression. NATO Takes Over U.S.-Built Missile Shield, Amid Russian Suspicion: : This means that the U.S. ships based in Spain, the radar in Turkey and the interceptor site in Romania are now able to work together under NATO command and control, Were Waging Two Wars In Syria By Tulsi Gabbard July 09, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Medium " - There is much at stake as we look toward the next 5 months, and beyond. We must be engaged. Our voices must be heard on the many important issues that we are tackling such as environmental protection, health care, education, criminal justice reform, social security, jobs, veterans, campaign finance reform, and more. There is one issue that impacts all the rest: If we continue to spend trillions of dollars on costly interventionist regime change wars, overthrowing dictators we dont like, we will not be able to afford to make any real progress on all the other issues that are so important to all of us As progressives, we care about the well-being of others. We are soft-hearted, and have aloha, respect, compassion for others and we dont like to see anyone suffering. As a result, sometimes its easy to believe that maybe we should support a regime change war if we believe that war will relieve human suffering. Proponents of the interventionist wars in Libya and Iraq argued that these actions were justified because of humanitarian concerns. It was pointed out over and over that these countries were in the grips of evil dictators who had to be removed. That is precisely the same argument being used today to justify our war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad. Hoping to garner the support of the American people, proponents of regime-change wars routinely cite humanitarian concerns to justify military intervention in foreign countries. But here is the reality: As a direct result of our intervention in Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, human suffering increased dramatically. Terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda took advantage of the Maliki Shia-led governments persecution and oppression of the Sunni people, and gained a stronghold in Iraq, kidnapping, terrorizing, raping, and killing thousands and thousands of innocent people. In Libya, when the U.S. led the bombing campaign to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi, which began with a no-fly zone, the result was enormous loss of life, and total chaos Libya today is a failed state, and a haven for ISIS and other terrorist organizations. There is no denying that the interventionist wars in Iraq and Libya that were propagated as necessary to relieve human suffering actually increased human suffering in those countries many times over. Theres an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions . Unfortunately, even after seeing how disastrous those wars in Iraq and Libya were, many people who championed those wars are behind the ongoing war to overthrow the Syrian government even pushing to escalate that war, saying yet again that humanitarian concerns justify overthrowing yet another dictator we dont like. Unfortunately, most people dont know that were actually waging two wars in Syria. The first is the war to defeat ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other jihadist groups. This is a war against the terrorists who have declared war on America, and one we must win. The second is the counterproductive war to overthrow the government of Assad, an illegal war that has not been authorized by Congress, which we must end. Our war to overthrow the Assad government has strengthened rather than weakened our enemies like ISIS. Working with Saudi Arabia and Turkey we are fueling the brutal civil war that has caused the deaths of over 400,000 Syrians and millions of refugees. If this war is successful and the Assad government is overthrown, the strongest force that will take over Syria is ISIS and al-Qaeda. This will result in a far worse humanitarian and refugee crisis, a genocide against religious minorities, secularists, atheists, LGBT, and any who do not prescribe to their specific extreme ideology, and will present an even greater security threat to the region and the world. Recent news of 51 State Department diplomats calling on the President to bomb the Syrian government is unfortunately not surprising. These kinds of bombings and escalation are what will occur if Secretary Clinton does what she says she will do as President, which is establish a so-called safe zone or no fly zone. This action would cost billions of dollars and require tens if not hundreds of thousands of ground troops and a massive U.S. air presence. It will escalate the war to overthrow the Syrian government, causing more death, destruction and chaos, worsening the refugee crisis, and strengthening ISIS and al-Qaeda. The first action to implement a No-Fly Zone would be to bomb Russian and Syrian anti- aircraft defense systems, leading to direct confrontation between the worlds two nuclear powers: the U.S and Russia. Many people simply have not learned from the past. Theyve learned nothing from Iraq & our overthrow of Saddam Hussein; learned nothing from overthrowing Gaddafi in Libya, where ISIS is strongest and most dangerous. The only way to prevent this is for the American people to come out strongly now, before a new administration comes into power, and say, the war to overthrow the Syrian government must end now. In order for this to happen, the Obama Administration and Congress need to hear your voices. On Thursday, I offered an amendment on the House floor that would have begun this process of ending the interventionist war in Syria. 135 bipartisan members of Congress voted for the amendment. However, too many Democrats voted against it, many who consider themselves progressive, many who are well-intentioned but who need to understand that this war, just like the one in Iraq and Libya, will not help the Syrian people. It will simply compound the devastation, suffering, and chaos, making their lives far worse than before. I have introduced a bill, HR 4108 to end this regime change war in Syria and urge you to call on Congress to support this bill. This is an issue that well have to continue to fight on, but its an issue that confronts us right now, because we know there are people in this Administration and in the State Department who are trying to pressure and convince President Obama to escalate this war. We have to let him know that the solution is not an escalation of this war, but rather whats needed is an end to this regime change war in Syria. President Obama showed tremendous courage back in 2013 (it was my first year in Congress) when he chose not to carry out airstrikes against the Assad government, to begin yet another war. He needs to hear from us to exercise that same courage once again. Whether its through a petition, sending letters, social media, letting your member of congress know we need to send a strong message that this war must end. Many of you stood up and protested the war in Viet Nam. Many of you stood up and protested the war in Iraq. And many of you stood up against the war to overthrow Gaddafi in Libya. Now, Im asking you to stand up once again stand with me to demand an end to the war to overthrow the Syrian government demand an end to interventionist wars. Let leaders in Washington know that we will not stand idly by and allow our nation to escalate an already devastating war. Let leaders in Washington know that we do not support overthrowing any dictator we want, acting as the worlds police, as if its Americas responsibility to use military force to attempt to remake the world however we want it to be. Let leaders in Washington know that we must stop wasting our valuable, limited resources on these regime change wars, and instead focus our resources on investing in and rebuilding our nation and communities here at home. We simply cannot afford to do both. We CAN bring about change when we the people stand up and let our voices be heard. Tulsi Gabbard - Soldier. Veteran. Surfer. Member of Congress. Doing my best to be of service. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard at Peoples Summit: We must end our war to overthrow the Syrian government now. A Cape Town woman and her Nigerian husband, together with four Nigerian accomplices, were arrested on Thursday in connection with an alleged online dating scam. According to a police statement, the six are to appear in the Cape Town District Court on Friday on fraud charges. Police said two were arrested in Burgundy Estate and the others at their apartment in Summer Greens. The arrests resulted from an ongoing investigation into an online dating scam in which unsuspecting female victims were targeted and robbed. Thus far, seven victims have come forward who have been conned out of a combined amount of close to R400,000 police said. It is alleged that the suspects created fake accounts on online dating sites to lure women. The suspects chatted with the victims for a while before starting to come up with different scenarios which would see women depositing or transferring money to the banking details which the suspects provided. The 31-year-old Cape Town woman, who allegedly received the money via money market transactions, was found with R50,000 in cash when she was arrested. All women who had been victims of online dating scams were urged to come forward so that their matters could also be investigated. Source: enca.com In what will come to many Gunners as a shock, Arsenal forward, Alexis Sanchez has reportedly turned in a transfer request at the North London club. His agent Fernando Felicevich has informed the Gunners that the 27 year old wants to move to Juventus and some reports claim that Arsenal have already rejected a 25.7m bid for the Chilean. Juventus are seeking a replacement for Alvaro Morata having made the switch back to Real Madrid after the Spanish side exercised their buy back option. Juventus are expected to make another bid for the forward and it is thought that a bid in the region of 35 million will convince the Gunners to let him go. The United States Government has given the President Muhammadu Buhari administration a pat on the back for a job well done, in spite of the daunting challenges. The outgoing U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, who gave the commendation yesterday in Abuja, pointed out that President Buhari has been able to put the country on the path to economic recovery. Mr. Entwistle, therefore, urged Nigerians to exercise patience with his administration. According to the outgoing U.S envoy, the economic downturn was as a result of some problems inherited by the present administration such as poor infrastructure in the petroleum sector and others. He also expressed confidence that the country would recover from the economic downturn. He said: I give the president a very good mark and lets see how he marches forward in the next few months. I think we have to remember what he inherited. And in my own opinion, we have to be neutral. I think Mr. President and his team have done a good job. I think he has put in place some things. Though I am not an economist, what he has done with the exchange rate and fuel subsidy are great. Entwistle drew similarities between the situation confronting Buhari and what President Barrack Obama inherited when he came to power in the U.S. He said, In my country, a lot of people forgot a very difficult situation President Obama inherited. The same thing is happening to President Buhari to a certain degree. It is completely understanding that the people have a high expectation, they are impatient they want to see change. But Mr. President inherited a very difficult set of circumstances and some of the things that he has identified that need to be done to end corruption that we found in the petroleum sector and the crisis in the North-East. These are things that even if we work as fast as we can, it will take a very long time, Entwistle added. 30-year-old Daniel Henrys was found dead in his rented flat in Nalasopara. Henry, whose business visa had expired in April, may have been electrocuted, cops believe. The matter came to light on Thursday night when neighbours complained of foul smell. MUMBAI: A 30-year-old Nigerian national whose business visa had expired in April was found dead in his rented flat in Nalasopara on Thursday night. The Tuling Police has ruled out murder and suspect the victim to have been electrocuted in the kitchen. Inspector Kailash Barve said that Daniel Henry may have died around three days ago due to electrocution in the kitchen of his flat in Moregaon, Nalasopara (east) where the body was found. The matter came to light on Thursday night when neighbours complained of foul smell from Henrys flat. They informed the police who broke open the main door. The body was decomposed, said the police. His right hand fingers and wrist were touching the compressor of the refrigerator indicating that he could have died of electrocution. Police suspect that he may have touched the compressor in a drunken state. Henrys business visa had expired on April 22. The flat was rented out to him by the owner, Qadeer Syed, in December 2015. Building residents said that while Henry stayed alone, he often invited male friends for parties that went on till late night. The police have not got any details about Henrys family. Police said that they will contact the Nigerian consulate for information about Henry. The body has been sent to J J hospital for autopsy. The flat owner has been summoned to the police station for details on Henrys family. The flat has been sealed. Source: Times of India The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may not participate in the September 10 governorship election in Edo State if the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to await the final outcome of court cases on leadership tussle in the party, is anything to go by. Two factions of PDP led by National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ahmed Markafi and disputed National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, conducted separate primaries to pick candidates for the Edo guber poll. While the Makarfi camp backed by all organs of the party, including the Governors Forum and the Board of Trustees, conducted its primary on June 20 in Benin and elected Osagie Ize-Iyamu as candidate, the Sheriff faction on June 29, conducted its own primary also in Benin, where Matthew Iduoriyekwemwen, emerged as flag bearer. The Makarfi primary was witnessed by INEC as required by the Electoral Act but that conducted by Mr. Sheriff was not supervised by the commission. The leadership crisis in the party was made worse by two separate court judgments giving credence to the Sheriff and Makarfi factions. While Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja on June 30, affirmed Mr. Sheriff as the PDP National Chairman and ordered INEC to recognise any candidate presented by him, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Liman, on July 4, held that the May 21 national convention that removed Sheriff as chairman and constituted the National Caretaker Committee was duly constituted. Justice Liman also declared that the dissolution of the Sheriff-led National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee by that convention, was valid and the appointment of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee was legal and in line with the provisions of PDP Constitution. Speaking on the conflicting court judgments, the Deputy Director, Voter Education and Publicity of INEC, Nick Dazang, said the commission was yet to take a position on which candidate it would accept from the two factions for the forthcoming Edo polls. Insisting on final pronouncement of the court of the issue, Mr. Dazang said, as at now we have not received the certified true copy of the July 4 judgment of a Federal high Court, Port Harcourt, on the matter. We are waiting for that judgment and other judgments so that we can study them. The commission, after studying the judgment and the advice from its lawyers, will then take a position, but we are still waiting for the last judgment which was the one on July 4. It will be like from next week by the time we receive them and when the commission sits, a position will be taken. It is when the commission has done that that it will then decide on any faction or candidate it is going to accept. (NAN) The deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Engr. Segun Oni, has urged Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State to explain how he came about the billions of naira found in his bank accounts. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had frozen the Ekiti governors personal bank accounts with Zenith Bank after it traced multi-billion naira payments from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the accounts. Oni, who spoke on a live interview programme Heart of the Matter on ADABA 88.9 FM monitored on Friday, berated Fayose for attempting to hide under immunity to play games with the commonwealth of Ekiti people. The APC chieftain, himself a former governor of the state, insisted that Gov. Fayose has a lot of explanations to give on the management of public funds. He described the emergence of Fayose as the governor in the June 21, 2014 governorship election as a very costly mistake for all Ekiti people, stressing that the state needs to be rebuilt as soon as the incumbents tenure ends in 2018. Mr. Oni also absolved Ekiti people of blame for electing Fayose as their governor for a second term, saying the June 21, 2014 governorship poll in the state was not ordinary as latest revelations have not only proved that it was neither free nor fair, but it was massively rigged. He also queried what the governor was doing with N250million monthly security vote when according to him, the state is not at war. The ex-governor also said the EFCC was empowered by law to freeze accounts where slush funds and other funds which do not pass the integrity test are kept to sanitize the system and to show to the whole world that nobody is above the law. He said: I cannot imagine where he (Fayose) got the money (in the frozen accounts), does he have an oil well? Anybody who cannot explain his wealth; that I have this so so amount in this account and this is how I got it, must be made to account for such funds. He is shouting about immunity, immunity what? Immunity to continue to steal? Let him address the issue of stealing, people may call it various names like embezzlement of what have you but theft has no other name. If somebody wears a good cloth and he was discovered to have stolen, he is wearing the cloth of a thief. Immunity was put in the Constitution so that elected chief executives can do their jobs without distractions but not to the extent of stealing, immunity does not say the person in question cannot be investigated. Let him be investigated, his prosecution is waiting for him when he finishes his tenure. Talking about the IGR accounts, those accounts are only known to Fayose and this is wrong. Fayose should come out and tell the people. This guy cannot be transparent because he is dubious and that is why everything is shrouded in secrecy. He cannot be transparent because he is dubious. Fayose was a very costly mistake for all of us, whatever we didnt do right, he is the least qualified person to rule any state. His education and work experience are too low to be considered for the office of the governor and all of us are now paying for that mistake. I believe the elite will learn from the mistakes, people should not be talking on the social media only, they should go to the grassroots to back their words with action and that was what the Osun people did. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says it is opening an investigation to determine the causes behind the electrocution of six residents of Tudun Wada village, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Confirming this to journalists after visiting the site of the incident, the Acting Director General of the Commission, Mr Anthony Akah, said that the panel of enquiry will investigate the exact numbers of casualties as well as the role or otherwise of the distribution company. Mr Akah also gave assurances to the victims that government will take responsibility for the cost of their treatments. Residents of Tudun Wada says six people lost their lives and about 40 others, including children, were injured in the incident. Punch A community relations expert, Mr. Olufemi Adabale, has tasked the Lagos State Government to consider the plight of residents of remote communities who have yet to be connected to or benefit from its mega city project. Vanguard ALL Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in the just concluded governorship primaries in Edo State, Mr. Casely Omon-Irabor, narrowly escaped death when assassins invaded his home in Warri, Delta State. Thisday The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos Sector Command, Hyginus Omeje has warned motorists and the general public against taking laws into their hand by assaulting Marshals while on duty. The Sun PRESIDENT Muhammadu has said that the virtues of the late Umaru Shinkafi, the Marafan Sokoto, in which he had distinguished himself would outlive him. Daily Times Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed a suit seeking to remove Senators Andy Ubah, Stella Uduah and others from the National Assembly based on an earlier judgment over the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party Anambra State chapter. Guardian The former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall, Adesola Amosu and 10 others arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N22.8b fraud have commenced a plea bargain process at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Daily Trust The governor of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, has urged the electorate to vote for candidates of their choice in the local government and local council development areas elections slated for October 8 in the state. The Nation Following his detention in the past six months over $2.1billion arms deals, a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, yesterday filed a N15billion suit against the Department of the State Security Service (DSS), the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). New Telegraph A mild drama occurred yesterday when Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja refused to hear Abia State Governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazus application for stay of execution in the June 27 judgment of the court removing him (Ikpeazu) as the governor. President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration will not hide anything from Nigerians in its resolute commitment to restore the economic fortunes of the country and deliver prosperity to Nigerians. He gave the assurance when he received the Northern Christian Leaders Eagles Eyes Forum at the State House, Abuja on Friday. President Buhari appealed to the religious leaders not to lose hope in the unity, stability and progress of the country. He also stressed that the Federal Government will continue to prioritise the safety of lives and property, in addition to equipping Nigerian farmers with the right tools, technology and techniques to boost agriculture. A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted Mr. Buhari as saying: You must tell your followers the truth about the country. We have nothing to hide because we have no other country but Nigeria. Tell them to give us a chance to stabilize the country. Your concern for the security, unemployment, anti-corruption campaign and the frequent altercations between herdsmen and farmers are genuine concerns. I know the Ministry of Agriculture and the Governors Forum are doing a lot to resolve the lingering crisis between herdsmen and farmers, we must give them a chance. He also expressed appreciation to the Christian leaders for their support to the Federal Governments anti-corruption campaign and other policies geared towards reviving the economy. It is saddening that some of those who stole from our national resources put the money in their personal accounts. However, it is gratifying that those who stole money and shared funds meant for the purchase of arms for our military are regretting their actions and they will regret more. Those caught in corruption will have themselves to blame, President Buhari asserted. In his remarks, leader of the Forum, Pastor Aminchi Habu, called on Nigerians to support the presidents anti-corruption war and his vision to restore the lost glory of Nigeria. In your administration, I see a new Nigeria where the fear of bribery, corruption and extortion is the beginning of wisdom. I see a new Nigeria, where tribalism, religion and ethnicity is no longer a barrier that separates us but a bond that unites us for a greater tomorrow, he said. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State on Saturday paraded three suspects aged 34, 35 and 24 who were caught with a human head. Confirming the arrests to newsmen, Mr Philip Ayuba, the state Commandant of NSCDC, that the suspects were arrested in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state. I invited you here to see three suspects that we arrested on the ground of possession of a human head. He said, After we arrested them, they confessed to us that they own the human head. Ayuba said the suspects who all are indigene of Ekpa village in Mokwa were arrested on Thursday while trying to sell the head in Mokwa. Our personnel pretended to be bargaining with them on how much to pay before they were arrested, he said. The NSCDC boss said that the suspects had made confessional statements in writing, adding that they would be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. A teacher of the Faith Academy, Gowon Estate, Lagos, has reportedly been charged to court after a pupil she flogged sustained serious injuries. The tutor, identified simply as Mrs. Onakoya, reportedly flogged Michael Modupe, a JS3 pupil after a misdemeanour, leaving him with cane marks and serious injuries. A source close to the family told our correspondent that the parents of the boy were shocked to see their son with his skin peeled off by cane. The boy was beaten ruthlessly because he went to the bathroom without the teachers permission. He was beaten almost to a state of coma for not obtaining the permission of the teacher. He said he tried to explain but she flogged him mercilessly. The beating was so severe that he had to be taken to a hospital for checks. The parents have commenced legal action against the teacher to serve as a deterrent because we know that she could not have flogged her own child like that, she said. Meanwhile, the Principal, Mr. Ishola Ayoade, has denied knowledge of the suit. While admitting that the incident happened, Ayoade said the school had written a letter to the parents to resolve the matter. When you are a soldier, you should not be surprised to hear the sounds of gunshots. There are peculiarities of running a school and the teacher involved has been sanctioned. We are not aware that the teacher has been sued. The school has written the parents and the sanctions given to the teacher was communicated to them. As a mission school, discipline cannot be compromised but there are procedures to follow. We do not condone indiscipline from both teachers and pupils. There are times that pupils will anger you so much that you will misbehave if you are not careful. The teacher has been sanctioned but it is an internal matter such that the details cannot be discussed with you, he said. Source: Punch The Nigeria Police in Lagos has arrested five suspected armed robbers, including two members of a gang that attempted to break into a shop in Mushin According to The Nigerian Tribune the other three persons were arrested by policemen from Apapa divisional police station at New Point Hotel in Apapa. Confirming the arrests, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos said that two locally made pistols and axes were recovered from the Apapa gang, while one pump action gun, six live cartridges, one locally-made revolver pistol with 9mm live ammunition, iron cutter and spanners were recovered from the Mushin gang. The Lagos State Police Command said it had arrested two suspected militants, who attempted to attack Igando community, a suburb in the state. Spokesperson of the command, SP Dolapo Badmos, disclosed this in Lagos on Saturday. Badmos said that the suspects were nabbed on Thursday and three guns and ammunition were recovered from them. She said that some residents of Igando alerted the police of the attempted attack by suspected militants, who came in a boat through the waterways. Immediately, the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, deployed more men to the area. Two suspects were arrested with some weapons. The security of the area has been beefed up; the command has begun investigation into the attempted attack. The police will find out who they are, where they come from and their mission. We advise members of the public in the area and other parts of the state not to panic as the police are on top of the situation, she said. The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotu Idris has said that promotion in the force will now be strictly based on merit as he promised to look into the cases of officers and men who are due for promotion. The IGP while on a two-day visit to the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello at his official residence in Minna yesterday. I have said that the Police Force will operate by the rule of law. So if anyone is due to be promoted, we will see to it that they are promoted based on merits. If there is any miscarriage of justice, He added, i can assure you that anything that violates the law and every irregularity that goes against the operations of the Nigeria Police Force are going to be addressed. He restated his commitment to the protection of lives and property of every Nigerian, adding that the Police Force will work side by side with the Nigerian public in order to address the issues of criminal elements in their midst. A gun believed to be owned by the orderly of Senator Ita Enang discharged accidentally on Friday at the ticketing area of the Murtala Muhammed Airport 1 in Lagos severely wounding the orderly and a female passenger. The incident caused some stir among travelers and the people inside the airport The victims were initially rushed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) clinic before they were transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for further treatment. The Federal Government has given insight into why it would not negotiate with the Niger Delta Avengers, in spite of the militant groups ruthless precision attacks on critical oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta. The group, which is the new face of militancy in the region, has vowed to continue carrying out acts of sabotage on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta in an effort to cripple Nigerias economy, until its demands are met. Speaking a day after three more trunk lines in Bayelsa and Rivers States were blown up by the militant group, Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) said that they (Avengers) are not freedom fighters but economic warriors, who are fighting for their own private pockets. Professor Osinbajo, who delivered the second foundation lecture of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo state entitled The Future is here earlier than we thought, declared that the so called avengers are not freedom fighters but fighting for their own economic benefits. They are avenging for their private pocket and that is why government is not talking with them. He, however, said that the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to tackle the menace of pipeline vandalism in the Niger/Delta region. While condemning the activities of the militants, who claimed responsibility for the vandalization of petroleum pipelines in the Niger/Delta region, Vice President Osinbajo said the previous government neglected the region for several years, hence the current challenges in the region. The Federal Government has however put machinery in motion to curtail the activities of Niger/Delta Avengers. He also lamented that the activities of the avengers were responsible for the epileptic power supply in the country as well as the inability of state governors to pay workers salaries due to the low revenue generated in the oil sector as a result of the attack on pipelines. Government officials have intensified their scrutiny of the Hong Kong self-storage industry after a fire ignited yesterday inside a storage unit on the eighth floor of the Cheong Fat Industrial Building on Un Chau Street. Two teenage siblings were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, and a firefighter was admitted for undisclosed injuries. All three were listed in stable condition, according to a source. The fire is the second inside a Hong Kong self-storage facility in recent weeks, prompting officials and service agencies to call for increased regulation of self-storage operations and a suspension of storage development inside industrial buildings. It took responders more than nine hours to put out the Cheong Fat fire. Self-storage was listed on the third, fourth, fifth and eighth floors of the structure, which wasnt equipped with a sprinkler system. The available self-storage units belong to multiple businesses. The father of the hospitalized teens told a news outlet the teenagers lived inside a storage unit with their mother and stepfather, a source reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Although investigators believe the blaze ignited in a storage space where wooden planks divide the units, the Fire Services Department said the unit didnt belong to one of the listed self-storage businesses. An initial investigation of the building, however, found at least two storage facilities in breach of fire-safety regulations, according to a source. Government officials have committed to spending the next two months examining 487 self-storage locations, with an emphasis on 154 facilities inside 86 industrial buildings that dont have automatic sprinklers, a source reported. The initial investigation is expected to take a month, with a second four weeks devoted to examining 333 storage facilities in 173 buildings, according to Fung Chung-kam, a divisional officer with the Fire Services Departments building-improvement division. Thus far, fire examiners have inspected about 90 facilities since two firefighters were killed last month battling a blaze inside an SC Storage facility that occupied the first seven floors of the Amoycan Industrial Centre building in the Kwun Tong district. The fire consumed the third and fourth floors, destroying more than 200 units, a source reported. Dangerous goods subject to regulations on approved storage premises and licensing from the director of fire services were found on the first, fourth, fifth and sixth floors. Initial investigations have found several violations among self-storage locations. "We encountered irregularities including insufficient passageways, insufficient hose-reel coverage and obstruction to fire-service installations arising from the configuration of mini-storage facilities," Terrance Tsang Wing-hung, deputy chief fire officer, told a source. Government departments were prepared to take immediate action against violators, he said. Michael Pang Yuk-lung, chief building surveyor for fire safety at the Hong Kong Buildings Department, told a source his division had inspected about 40 self-storage facilities and found similar violations, including narrow passageways that inhibit safe emergency evacuation. Storage units were also found to block fire-service installations. Representatives from the fire, buildings, lands and labor departments had met self-storage operators and officials from Self Storage Association Asia, a trade association dedicated to assisting self-storage operators and industry suppliers working in emerging markets along the Pacific Rim, Tsang Wing-hung said. Discussions included the need to increase fire-safety measures, such as the presence of more management and security staff, and enforcing regulations on stored items and banning dangerous goods. The legal troubles of the father and son executives of an Iowan egg farm could have repercussions for businesses everywhere: In a case involving a 2010 salmonella outbreak, an appeals court has decided that you can get prison time for violating federal regulations, even if you didnt know you were breaking the rules. Its a unique decision, and one that the Supreme Court should examine. The defendants Jack DeCoster, owner of Quality Egg LLC, and his son Peter, the CEO are hardly sympathetic. The Food and Drug Administration identified their facilities as the source of a July 2010 salmonella outbreak that sickened some 56,000 people nationwide. An FDA search found live and dead rodents and frogs, manure piled to the ceiling, and other things that you dont want to hear about but that might make you stop eating eggs unless you buy them from the farmer yourself. The salmonella infection rate at their facilities was 39 times the national average. A criminal investigation found that Quality Egg had failed to follow its own food safety and pest control measures, lied to auditors, falsified packing dates, and bribed a federal inspector to release eggs that were red-flagged for safety violations. The company pleaded guilty to three felonies and paid a fine of $6.8 million. The DeCosters personally pleaded guilty to federal misdemeanors under the Food and Drug Cosmetic Act and were fined $100,000 each. A federal trial judge, though, went one step further: On the grounds that the DeCosters were not mere unaware corporate executives, he sentenced them to three months each in federal prison. This was a bold move, because they argued that under Supreme Court precedent, they shouldnt be imprisoned if they were merely negligent in their failure to establish an effective salmonella protection regime. They had to have meant to commit a crime. Until July 2010, there was no legal obligation to test eggs for salmonella, even after a company detected the bacterium in its egg-laying environment. (You read that right. Ugh.) Quality Egg did occasionally test its facilities before July 2010, and it did occasionally get positive results for salmonella. But it didnt test its eggs, because it wasnt required to. In their appeal, the DeCosters argued that they didnt know the eggs were contaminated at the time of shipment. They couldnt be convicted of failing to test the eggs, because it wasnt a crime before July 2010. A split panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the prison sentences. It said the DeCosters convictions werent for vicarious liability legal responsibility for the acts of others but rather for their own failure to remedy the conditions which gave rise to the charges, namely the shipment of the tainted eggs. Given conditions at their facilities, they either knew or should have known that they might be shipping contaminated eggs. They were therefore criminally liable for negligently failing to prevent the salmonella outbreak. The court further held that it didnt matter that the DeCosters had no mens rea, law-Latin for guilty-mind knowledge that you are committing a crime. The three-month sentence, the court held, was relatively short, did not do any added damage to the defendants reputation, and was consistent with congressional intent. The best legal support for the majoritys holding comes from a 1975 Supreme Court case that also applies to corporate executive liability under the FDCA. The court held that an executive could be found criminally liable if he had the power to prevent or correct violations of the law and didnt do so. Dissenting Judge C. Arlen Beam saw the case differently. He cited more recent cases in which the Supreme Court has supported the traditional mens rea requirement unless Congress has said otherwise. He also pointed out that the 1975 case did not involve prison time, and asserted that there is no precedent that supports imprisonment without establishing some measure of a guilty mind. This case is tough enough to justify consideration by the Supreme Court. On the one hand, its been established since 1943 that executives can be found guilty of a corporate crime based on acts of others otherwise it would be impossible to criminalize many violations of administrative regulations. On the other hand, prison time for a merely negligent act deviates from the strong common-law tradition of requiring a guilty mind for a crime. Congress shouldnt be assumed to have made such a deviation unless it says so clearly. The best legal result here would have been to find the DeCosters guilty of misdemeanors but not sentence them to prison time. Their malfeasance isnt pretty. But thats at least partly the fault of the government for failing to establish adequate safety standards for eggs and maybe ours for not looking too closely into the horrors of the industry. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Our Approach We innovate and create business outcomes to drive lasting positive change. We do this by focusing our efforts on doing good for our people and our industry, our communities, and our world. Click each box to learn more about our areas of focus. Le minorenni che vivono in Paesi colpiti da conflitti hanno oltre il 20% di probabilita in piu di sposarsi ancora bambine rispetto a quelle residenti fuori dalle zone di conflitto. E quanto emerge da una nuova analisi di Save the Children, lOrganizzazione internazionale che da oltre 100 anni lotta per salvare le bambine e i bambini a rischio e garantire loro un futuro, pubblicata in occasione del decimo anniversario della Giornata internazionale delle giovani ragazze, che lOnu ha scelto di celebrare ogni 11 ottobre. Il nuovo rapporto di Save The Children, Global Girlhood Report 2022, si intitola Girls on the frontline [Ragazze in prima linea, ndr]. Il rapporto Save The Children Otto dei 10 Paesi con i tassi piu alti di matrimonio precoce, infatti, stanno vivendo crisi umanitarie tra cui conflitti e disastri climatici che, causando linterruzione dellistruzione, rendono piu difficile la ricerca di lavoro, fanno aumentare i costi del cibo e la poverta oltre che indebolire le reti di protezione che riescono a tenere i bambini al sicuro dalle violenze. Sono quasi 90 milioni ovvero 1 su 5 a livello globale le bambine e le adolescenti di eta compresa tra i 10 e i 17 anni che vivono in zone di conflitto con impatti devastanti sul loro benessere fisico e mentale e sulle loro opportunita future. Se le bambine che vivono nellAsia orientale e nel Pacifico, in America Latina e nei Caraibi e nellAsia meridionale sono le piu esposte al rischio di matrimonio precoce legato ai conflitti, lAfrica occidentale e centrale una regione colpita da conflitti ed emergenze climatiche, che causano poverta e scarsita di cibo ne registra i tassi piu alti al mondo. La Nigeria e il Paese che, attualmente, ha il numero piu alto di matrimoni precoci al mondo, nonostante la legge lo vieti. Nel 2021 il rischio di violenze di genere e stato classificato come grave o estremo nel 95% delle crisi umanitarie. Le azioni per affrontarlo, pero, hanno ricevuto meno fondi di qualsiasi altra forma di protezione fornita nellambito delle risposte umanitarie. La Giornata Internazionale ONU delle Giovani Ragazze Il rapporto che ha analizzato i dati riguardo oltre 2 milioni di donne in 56 Paesi negli ultimi trentanni prendendo in considerazione quelli relativi alle ragazze che si sono sposate da bambine e che vivevano nel raggio di 50 km da un conflitto armato esamina anche i progressi compiuti per porre fine ai matrimoni precoci e da quando, nel 2012, e stata proclamata la Giornata internazionale delle giovani ragazze. Sebbene si stimi che tra il 2008 e il 2018 siano stati evitati 25 milioni di matrimoni infantili a livello globale, siamo ancora ben lontani dal raggiungere la scadenza dellObiettivo di sviluppo sostenibile globale di porre fine al matrimonio infantile entro il 2030. Secondo le proiezioni, infatti, la crisi del Covid-19 e il suo continuo impatto sulla disuguaglianza di genere spingeranno 10 milioni di ragazze in piu verso il matrimonio entro il 2030, il primo aumento dei tassi globali in piu di due decenni. Questo numero, pero, potrebbe aumentare ulteriormente perche gli effetti della pandemia da Covid si combinano con lemergenza climatica, laumento dei conflitti e laumento del costo della vita. Nella maggior parte dei Paesi, le ragazze cresciute nelle famiglie piu povere hanno una probabilita quattro volte maggiore di sposarsi precocemente rispetto alle ragazze provenienti dalle famiglie piu ricche. Laumento della poverta potrebbe ora mettere a rischio un numero maggiore di ragazze. Nel terzo trimestre del 2016 il prodotto interno lordo, espresso in valori concatenati con anno di riferimento 2010, corretto per gli effetti di calendario e destagionalizzato, e aumentato dello 0,3% rispetto al trimestre precedente e dello 0,9% nei confronti del terzo trimestre del 2015. Lo sostiene lIstat. La crescita congiunturale e la sintesi di un aumento del valore aggiunto nei comparti dellindustria e dei servizi e di una diminuzione nellagricoltura. Dal lato della domanda, vi e un contributo ampiamente positivo della componente nazionale (al lordo delle scorte), in parte compensato da un apporto negativo della componente estera netta. Nello stesso periodo il Pil e aumentato in termini congiunturali dello 0,7% negli Stati Uniti, dello 0,5% nel Regno Unito e dello 0,2% in Francia. In termini tendenziali, si e registrato un aumento del 2,3% nel Regno Unito, dell1,5% negli Stati Uniti, dell1,1% in Francia. Nel complesso, il Pil dei paesi dellarea Euro e cresciuto dello 0,3% rispetto al trimestre precedente ed dell1,6% nel confronto con lo stesso trimestre del 2015. I dati Istat sul Pil sono in linea con le stime del governo ha commentato il ministro dellEconomia, Pier Carlo Padoan, arrivando alla Camera per lincontro con il gruppo Pd sulla legge di Bilancio. ll titolare di via XX Settembre in un tweet, poco prima, aveva sottolineato come i dati Istat confermano che leconomia e sulla strada giusta e le stime di crescita sono affidabili. Ma occorre spingere per accelerare The annual impact of leaving the EU on the UK after 15 years (difference from being in the EU) EEA Negotiated bilateral agreement WTO GDP level central -3.8% -6.2% -7.5% GDP level -3.4% to -4.3% -4.6% to -7.8% -5.4% to -9.5% GDP per capita central* -1,100 -1,800 -2,100 GDP per capita* -1,000 to -1,200 -1,300 to -2,200 -1,500 to -2,700 GPD per household central* -2,600 -4,300 -5,200 GDP per household* -2,400 to -2,900 -3,200 to -5,400 -3,700 to -6,600 Net impact on receipts -20 billion -36 billion -45 billion *Expressed in terms of 2015 GDP in 2015 prices, rounded to the nearest 100 Adapted from HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives, April 2016. Leave supporters discounted such economic projections under the label "Project Fear." A pro-Brexit outfit associated with the U.K. Independence Party, which was founded to oppose EU membership, responded by saying that the Treasury's "worst-case scenario of 4,300 per household is a bargain-basement price for the restoration of national independence and safe, secure borders." Although Leavers stressed issues of national pride, safety, and sovereignty, they also mustered economic arguments. For example, Boris Johnson said on the eve of the vote, "EU politicians would be banging down the door for a trade deal" the day after the vote, in light of their "commercial interests." Labor Leave, the pro-Brexit Labour group, co-authored a report with a group of economists in September 2017 that forecasted a 7% boost to annual GDP, with the largest gains going to the lowest earners. Vote Leave, the official pro-Brexit campaign, topped the "Why Vote Leave" page on its website with the claim that the U.K. could save 350 million per week: "We can spend our money on our priorities like the NHS [National Health Service], schools, and housing." In May 2016, the U.K. Statistics Authority, an independent public body, said the figure was gross rather than net, which was "misleading and undermines trust in official statistics." A mid-June poll by Ipsos MORI, however, found that 47% of the country believed the claim. The day after the referendum, Nigel Farage, who co-founded UKIP and led it until that November, disavowed the figure and said that he was not closely associated with Vote Leave. May also declined to confirm Vote Leave's NHS promises since taking office. Brexit Economic Response Though Britain officially left the EU, 2020 was a transition and implementation period. Trade and customs continued during that time, so there wasn't much on a day-to-day basis that seemed different to U.K. residents. Even so, the decision to leave the EU had an effect on Britain's economy. The country's GDP growth slowed down to around 1.4% in 2018 from 1.9% in both 2017 and 2016 as business investment slumped. The IMF predicted that the country's economy would grow at 1.3% in 2019 and 1.4% in 2020. The Bank of England cut its growth forecast for 2019 to 1.2%, the lowest since the financial crisis. The U.K. unemployment rate hit a 44-year low at 3.9% in the three months to January 2019. Experts attribute this to employers preferring to retain workers instead of investing in new major projects. In 2018, the pound clawed back the losses it suffered after the Brexit vote but reacted negatively as the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit increased. The currency could rally if a soft Brexit deal is passed or Brexit is delayed. While the fall in the value of the pound helped exporters, the higher price of imports was passed onto consumers and had a significant impact on the annual inflation rate. CPI inflation hit 3.1% in the 12 months leading up to November 2017, a near six-year high that well exceeded the Bank of England's 2% target. Inflation eventually began to fall in 2018 with the decline in oil and gas prices and was at 1.8% in January 2019. A July 2017 report by the House of Lords cited evidence that U.K. businesses would have to raise wages to attract native-born workers following Brexit, which is "likely to lead to higher prices for consumers." International trade was expected to fall due to Brexit, even with the possibility of a raft of free trade deals. Dr. Monique Ebell, former associate research director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, forecasted a -22% reduction in total U.K. goods and services trade if EU membership was replaced by a free trade agreement. Other free trade agreements were not predicted to pick up the slack. In fact, Ebell saw a pact with the BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa) boosting total trade by 2.2% while a pact with the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand was expected to do slightly better, at 2.6%. "The single market is a very deep and comprehensive trade agreement aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers," Ebell wrote in January 2017, "while most non-EU [free trade agreements] seem to be quite ineffective at reducing the non-tariff barriers that are important for services trade." June 2017 General Election On April 18, May called for a snap election to be held on June 8, despite previous promises not to hold one until 2020. Polling at the time suggested May would expand on her slim Parliamentary majority of 330 seats (there are 650 seats in the Commons). Labor gained rapidly in the polls, however, aided by an embarrassing Tory flip-flop on a proposal for estates to fund end-of-life care. The Conservatives lost their majority, winning 318 seats to Labor's 262. The Scottish National Party won 35, with other parties taking 35. The resulting hung Parliament cast doubts on May's mandate to negotiate Brexit and led the leaders of Labor and the Liberal Democrats to call on May to resign. Speaking in front of the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street, May batted away calls for her to leave her post, saying, "It is clear that only the Conservative and Unionist Party"the Tories' official name"has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons." The Conservatives struck a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats, to form a coalition. The party is little known outside of Northern Ireland, judging by a wave of curious Google searches that caused the DUP's site to crash. May presented the election as a chance for the Conservatives to solidify their mandate and strengthen their negotiating position with Brussels. But this backfired. "The election served to diffuse, not concentrate political power, especially with regards to Brexit," wrote Sky News political correspondent Lewis Goodall. "Ever since election night, Brussels hasn't just been dealing with Number 10 but in effect, the House of Commons too." In the wake of the election, many expected the government's Brexit position to soften, and they were right. May released a Brexit white paper in July 2018 that mentioned an "association agreement" and a free-trade area for goods with the EU. David Davis resigned as Brexit secretary and Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary in protest. But the election also increased the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. The Financial Times predicted that the result made May more vulnerable to pressure from Euroskeptics and her coalition partners. We saw this play out with the Irish backstop tussle. With her position weakened, May struggled to unite her party behind her deal and keep control of Brexit. Scotland's Independence Referendum Politicians in Scotland pushed for a second independence referendum in the wake of the Brexit vote, but the results of the June 8, 2017 election cast a pall over their efforts. The Scottish National Party lost 21 seats in the Westminster Parliament, and on June 27, 2017, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her government at Holyrood would "reset" its timetable on independence to focus on delivering a "soft Brexit." Not one Scottish local area voted to leave the EU, according to the U.K.'s Electoral Commission, though Moray came close at 49.9%. The country as a whole rejected the referendum by 62.0% to 38.0%. But because Scotland only contains 8.4% of the U.K.'s population, its vote to Remain (along with that of Northern Ireland, which accounts for just 2.9% of the U.K.'s population) was vastly outweighed by support for Brexit in England and Wales. Scotland joined England and Wales to form Great Britain in 1707, and the relationship has been tumultuous at times. The SNP, which was founded in the 1930s, had just six of 650 seats in Westminster in 2010. The following year, however, it formed a majority government in the devolved Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, partly owing to its promise to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum That referendum, held in 2014, saw the pro-independence side lose with 44.7% of the vote; turnout was 84.6%. Far from putting the independence issue to rest, though, the vote fired up nationalist support. The SNP won 56 of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster the following year, overtaking the Lib Dems to become the third-largest party in the U.K. overall. Britain's electoral map suddenly showed a glaring divide between England and Wales, which was dominated by Tory blue with the occasional patch of Labour red, and all-yellow Scotland. When Britain voted to leave the EU, Scotland fulminated. A combination of rising nationalism and strong support for Europe led almost immediately to calls for a new independence referendum. When the Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 3, 2017, that devolved national assemblies such as Scotland's parliament cannot veto Brexit, the demands grew louder. On March 13 that year, Sturgeon called for a second referendum to be held in the autumn of 2018 or spring of 2019. Holyrood backed her by a vote of 69 to 59 on March 28, the day before May's government triggered Article 50. Sturgeon's preferred timing was significant since the two-year countdown initiated by Article 50 ended in the spring of 2019 when the politics surrounding Brexit could be particularly volatile. What Would Independence Look Like? Scotland's economic situation also raised questions about its hypothetical future as an independent country. The crash in the oil price has dealt a blow to government finances. In May 2014, it forecast 20152016 tax receipts from North Sea drilling of 3.4 billion to 9 billion but collected 60 million, less than 1% of the forecasts' midpoint. In reality, these figures were hypothetical, since Scotland's finances are not fully devolved, but the estimates were based on the country's geographical share of North Sea drilling, so they illustrate what it might expect as an independent nation. The debate over what currency an independent Scotland would use was revived. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who was Scotland's First Minister until Nov. 2014, told The Financial Times that the country could abandon the pound and introduce its own currency, allowing it to float freely or pegging it to sterling. He ruled out joining the euro, but others contended that it would be required for Scotland to join the EU. Another possibility would be to use the pound, which would mean forfeiting control over monetary policy. Upsides for Some On the other hand, a weak currency that floats on global markets can be a boon to U.K. producers who export goods. Industries that rely heavily on exports could actually see some benefit. In 2015, the top 10 exports from the U.K. were (in USD): Machines, engines, pumps: US$63.9 billion (13.9% of total exports) Gems, precious metals: $53 billion (11.5%) Vehicles: $50.7 billion (11%) Pharmaceuticals: $36 billion (7.8%) Oil: $33.2 billion (7.2%) Electronic equipment: $29 billion (6.3%) Aircraft, spacecraft: $18.9 billion (4.1%) Medical and technical equipment: $18.4 billion (4%) Organic chemicals: $14 billion (3%) Plastics: $11.8 billion (2.6%) Some sectors were prepared to benefit from the exit. Multinationals listed on the FTSE 100 saw earnings rise as a result of a soft pound. A weak currency was also a boon to the tourism, energy, and service industries. In May 2016, the State Bank of India (SBIN.NS), India's largest commercial bank, suggested that Brexit would benefit India economically. While leaving the Eurozone meant that the U.K. no longer had unfettered access to Europe's single market, it would allow for more focus on trade with India. India would also have more wiggle room if the U.K. was no longer under European trade rules and regulations. UK-EU Trade After Brexit May advocated a "hard" Brexit. By that, she meant that Britain should leave the EU's single market and customs union, then negotiate a trade deal to govern their future relationship. These negotiations would have been conducted during a transition period once a divorce deal was ratified. The Conservatives' poor showing in the June 2017 snap election called popular support for a hard Brexit into question. Many in the press speculated that the government could take a softer line. The Brexit White Paper released in July 2018 revealed plans for a softer Brexit. It was too soft for many MPs belonging to her party and too audacious for the EU. The White Paper said the government planned to leave the EU single market and customs union. However, it proposed the creation of a free trade area for goods which would "avoid the need for customs and regulatory checks at the border and mean that businesses would not need to complete costly customs declarations. And it would enable products to only undergo one set of approvals and authorizations in either market, before being sold in both." This meant the U.K. would follow EU single market rules when it comes to goods. The White Paper acknowledged that a borderless customs arrangement with the EUone that allowed the U.K. to negotiate free trade agreements with third countrieswas "broader in scope than any other that exists between the EU and a third country." The government was correct that there was no example of this kind of relationship in Europe today. The four broad precedents that existed were the EU's relationship with Norway, Switzerland, Canada, and WTO members. The Norway Model: Join the EEA The first option was for the U.K. to join Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein in the European Economic Area (EEA), which provides access to the EU's single market for most goods and services (agriculture and fisheries are excluded). At the same time, the EEA is outside the customs union, so Britain could have entered into trade deals with non-EU countries. But the arrangement was hardly a win-win. The U.K. would be bound by some EU laws while losing its ability to influence those laws through the country's European Council and European Parliament voting rights. In September 2017, May called this arrangement an unacceptable "loss of democratic control." David Davis expressed interest in the Norway model in response to a question he received at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "It's something we've thought about but it's not at the top of our list." He was referring specifically to the European Free Trade Association, which like the EEA offers access to the single market, but not the customs union. EFTA was once a large organization, but most of its members left to join the EU. Today, it comprises Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland; all but Switzerland are also members of the EEA. The Switzerland Model Switzerland's relationship with the EU, which is governed by around 20 major bilateral pacts with the bloc, is broadly similar to the EEA arrangement. Along with these three, Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association. Switzerland helped set up the EEA, but its people rejected membership in a 1992 referendum. The country allows the free movement of people and is a member of the passport-free Schengen Area. It is subject to many single market rules, without having much say in making them. It is outside the customs union, allowing it to negotiate free trade agreements with third countries; usually, but not always, it has negotiated alongside the EEA countries. Switzerland has access to the single market for goods (with the exception of agriculture), but not services (with the exception of insurance). It pays a modest amount into the EU's budget. Brexit supporters who wanted to "take back control" wouldn't have embraced the concessions the Swiss made on immigration, budget payments, and single market rules. The EU would probably not have wanted a relationship modeled on the Swiss example, either: Switzerland's membership in EFTA but not the EEA, Schengen but not the EU, is a messy product of the complex history of European integration andwhat elsea referendum. The Canada Model: A Free Trade Agreement A third option was to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU along the lines of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, a pact the EU finalized but didn't fully ratify with Canada. The most obvious problem with this approach is that the U.K. had only two years from the triggering of Article 50 to negotiate such a deal. The EU refused to discuss a future trading relationship until December of that year at the earliest. To give a sense of how tight that timetable is, CETA negotiations began in 2009 and concluded in 2014. But just over half of the EU's 28 national parliaments actually ratified the deal. Persuading the rest could take years. Even subnational legislatures can stand in the way of a deal: the Walloon regional parliament, which represents fewer than four million mainly French-speaking Belgians, single-handedly blocked CETA for a few days in 2016. In order to extend the two-year deadline for leaving the EU, Britain needed unanimous approval from the EU. Several U.K. politicians, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, stressed the need for a transitional deal of a few years so that (among other reasons) Britain could negotiate EU and third-country trade deals. But this notion was met with resistance from hard-line Brexiteers. Problems with a CETA-Style Agreement In some ways, comparing Britain's situation to Canada's is misleading. Canada already enjoys free trade with the U.S. through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was built on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This means that a trade deal with the EU was not as crucial as it is for the U.K. Canada's and Britain's economies are also very different: CETA does not include financial services, one of Britain's biggest exports to the EU. Speaking in Florence in Sept. 2017, May said the U.K. and EU "can do so much better" than a CETA-style trade agreement, since they were beginning from the "unprecedented position" of sharing a body of rules and regulations. She did not elaborate on what "much better" looked like, besides calling on both parties to be "creative as well as practical." Monique Ebell, formerly of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research stressed that even with an agreement in place, non-tariff barriers were likely to be a significant drag on Britain's trade with the EU. She expected total U.K. foreign tradenot just flows to and from the EUunder an EU-U.K. trade pact. She reasoned that free-trade deals do not generally handle services trade well. Services are a major component of Britain's international trade; the country enjoys a trade surplus in that segment, which is not the case for goods. Free trade deals also struggle to rein in non-tariff barriers. Admittedly Britain and the EU started from a unified regulatory scheme, but divergences would only multiply post-Brexit. WTO: Go It Alone You want out? You're out. If Britain and the EU weren't able to come to an agreement about their relationship, they would have had to revert to WTO terms. But this default solution wouldn't have been straightforward either. Since Britain is currently a WTO member through the EU, it will have to split tariff schedules with the bloc and divvy out liabilities arising from ongoing trade disputes. This work has already begun. Trading with the EU on WTO terms was the "no-deal" scenario the Conservative government presented as an acceptable fallback, though most observers see this as a negotiating tactic. In July 2017, U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said, "People talk about the WTO as if it would be the end of the world. But they forget that is how they currently trade with the United States, with China, with Japan, with India, with the Gulf, and our trading relationship is strong and healthy." But for certain industries, the EU's external tariff would have hit hard: Britain exports 77% of the cars it manufactures, and 58% of these go to Europe. The EU levies 10% tariffs on imported cars. Monique Ebell of the NIESR estimated that leaving the EU single market would reduce overall U.K. goods and services tradenot just that with the EUby 2230%. Nor would the U.K. only be giving up its trade arrangements with the EU: under any of the scenarios above, it would probably have lost the trade agreements the bloc struck with 63 third countries, as well as progress in negotiating other deals. Replacing these and adding new ones would have been an uncertain prospect. In a September 2017 interview with Politico, Trade Secretary Liam Fox said his office, which was formed in July 2016, turned away some third countries looking to negotiate free trade deals because it lacked the capacity to negotiate. Fox wanted to roll the terms of existing EU trade deals over into new agreements, but some countries were unwilling to give Britain (66 million people, $2.6 trillion GDP) the same terms as the EU (excluding Britain, around 440 million people, $13.9 trillion GDP). Negotiations with third countries are technically not allowed while Britain remains an EU member, but even so informal talks have begun, particularly with the U.S. Impact on the U.S. Companies in the U.S. across a wide variety of sectors have made large investments in the U.K. over many years. In fact, American corporations have derived 9% of global foreign affiliate profit from the United Kingdom since 2000. In 2014 alone, U.S. companies invested a total of $588 billion into Britain. The U.S. also hires a lot of Brits, making U.S. companies one of the U.K.'s largest job markets. The output of U.S. affiliates in the United Kingdom was $153 billion in 2013. The United Kingdom plays a vital role in corporate America's global infrastructure from assets under management (AUM), international sales, and research and development (R&D) advancements. American companies have viewed Britain as a strategic gateway to other countries in the European Union. Brexit will jeopardize the affiliate earnings and stock prices of many companies strategically aligned with the United Kingdom, which may see them reconsider their operations with U.K. and European Union members. American companies and investors that have exposure to European banks and credit markets may be affected by credit risk. European banks may have to replace $123 billion in securities depending on how the exit unfolds. Furthermore, U.K. debt may not be included in European banks' emergency cash reserves, creating liquidity problems. European asset-backed securities have been in decline since 2007. This decline is likely to intensify now that Britain has chosen to leave. Who's Next to Leave the EU? Political wrangling over Europe is not limited to Britain. Most EU members have strong euroskeptic movements that, while they have so far struggled to win power at the national level, heavily influence the tenor of national politics. In a few countries, there is a chance that such movements could secure referendums on EU membership. In May 2016, global research firm IPSOS released a report showing that a majority of respondents in Italy and France believe their countries should hold a referendum on EU membership. Italy The fragile Italian banking sector has driven a wedge between the EU and the Italian government, which provided bailout funds to save mom-and-pop bondholders from being "bailed-in," as EU rules stipulate. The government abandoned its 2019 budget when the EU threatened it with sanctions. It lowered its planned budget deficit from 2.5% of GDP to 2.04%. Matteo Salvini, the far-right head of Italy's Northern League and the country's deputy prime minister, called for a referendum on EU membership hours after the Brexit vote, saying, "This vote was a slap in the face for all those who say that Europe is their own business and Italians don't have to meddle with that." The Northern League has an ally in the populist Five Star Movement, whose founder, former comedian Beppe Grillo, called for a referendum on Italy's membership in the eurothough not the EU. The two parties formed a coalition government in 2018 and made Giuseppe Conte prime minister. Conte ruled out the possibility of "Italexit" in 2018 during the budget standoff. France Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's euroskeptic National Front, hailed the Brexit vote as a win for nationalism and sovereignty across Europe: "Like a lot of French people, I'm very happy that the U.K. people held on and made the right choice. What we thought was impossible yesterday has now become possible." She lost the French presidential election to Emmanuel Macron in May 2017, gaining just 33.9% of votes. Macron has warned that the demand for "Frexit" will grow if the EU does not see reforms. According to a February 2019 IFOP poll, 40% of French citizens want the country to leave the EU. Frexit is also one of the demands of the yellow vest protesters. When Did Britain Officially Leave the European Union? Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 31, 2020, at 11 p.m. GMT. The move came after a referendum voted in favor of Brexit on June 23, 2016. What Were the Reasons Behind Brexit? There were many reasons why Britain voted to leave the European Union. But some of the main issues behind Brexit included a rise in nationalism, immigration, political autonomy, and the economy. The Leave side garnered almost 52% of the votes while the Remain side received about 48% of the vote. How Many Countries Are Part of the EU Post-Brexit? Britain's departure from the European Union left 27 member states. They are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden, The Bottom Line The European Union was established in November 1993 with the Maastricht Treaty. The original members included Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Fifteen other countries would gain membership in the union. Rising nationalist sentiment, coupled with concerns over the economy and British sovereignty led the majority of voters in the U.K. to leave the EU. Britain left the union at the end of January 2020 in what is commonly called Brexit. But the move didn't come without challenges. It required two years of negotiating a deal and a year-long transition period before everything became final. The Irish-born Bishop of Dallas Kevin J. Farrell, 69, has said the sniper killing of five Dallas policemen was not a complete shock and that semi automatic guns must be banned. He was speaking to The Irish Times. When you listen to the rhetoric that we are dished every night on television from our so-called leaders and politicians, what do you expect to happen? This tension in the country is at an all-time high, he said. Farrell, a native of Drimnagh in Dublin who has lived in the U.S. since 1965, spoke at a special vigil for the dead officers and those wounded on Wednesday. His brother Bishop Brian Farrell is attached to the Curia in Rome. He stated Americans desperately needed to listen and learn from people with opposing views. Our society and there are many philosophical reasons for this but we have become more and more isolated from each other, and hatred is what happens when somebody else doesnt do what I want them to do. There is little communication between people, he said. He said he agreed with the Second Amendment for hunting, but not with the public being allowed to have semi-automatic weapons. Texas has open carry laws, but the bishop has banned all weapons from Catholic churches in his diocese. Thank you to all of those who came to @DallasCathedral to pray at the Candlelight Vigil tonight. pic.twitter.com/8nYc66wq1F Bishop Kevin Farrell (@Bishop_Farrell) July 9, 2016 What are you doing with an AK-47 in your house? They are meant to kill people, he said. People need to be reasonable and we are just not. It is my way or nobody elses way. There is no dialogue or communication and they are to blame for this because that is the tone they are setting in the country, he said, speaking of the failure of leaders in Washington to compromise. Racism has reared its ugly head again he said. The eight years of the Obama presidency showed that racism was still alive and well. Bishop Farrell had also issued an earlier statement saying: We have been swept up in the escalating cycle of violence that has now touched us intimately as it has others throughout our country and the world," said Farrell, who has blogged in the past several months about the escalating gun violence across the country and world. "All lives matter: black, white, Muslim, Christian, Hindu. We are all children of God, and all human life is precious. We need to pray for the strength to love God and love our neighbor. And then we need to find ways to share that love in every moment. Bishop Kevin Farrell (@Bishop_Farrell) July 9, 2016 He said the people of Dallas were still in shock after what happened which followed on from the deaths of two black people at the hand of police in Baton Rouge and Minnesota. Bishop Farrell, who is in Dallas ten years, said Dallas police chief David Brown had found it extremely difficult to break the devastating news to the families of the slain officers. How do you go and tell a wife, a mother, children that their father was out there protecting people who were protesting against them, that he was there protecting them and all of a sudden somebody shoots him? he said. Its time for our country to show some semblance of respect for those in law enforcement, he said. Bishop Farrell, said that it would take a long time for the city to recover. As the mayor said today, before we were known for one thing and that was the death of Kennedy and now we are known for this thing too, he said. One of England's brands, if you could call it that, is continuity. As other nations lurch from crisis to crisis, England has traditionally kept calm and carried on. If you think about it this has been true, more or less, for centuries. Events out in the wider world kept them occupied of course. For a long time they had to administer the largest empire the world has ever seen. But even then one had the sense that in London, the seat of empire, all the grandfather clocks kept time and tea was served at 4 p.m. just as it always had been. Every global conflagration was responded to and eventually absorbed or overcome through the steely self-confidence that comes from bone deep conviction and self-belief. From Eton and Harrow to Oxford and Cambridge to the City and the Houses of Parliament, the path of these formidable empire builders ran smoothly, having been paved by four centuries of their illustrious forbearers. So it is no small thing to see the custodians of English continuity tear up the very things that made them prosper: stability, a stoic commitment to the wider U.K., an understanding that their economic prosperity was dependent on a deep engagement with the wider world. The British establishment were once famous for out-thinking all the other global players. They used to have a contingency plan prepared to snatch victory from every looming defeat. But now they look more like the Roman Coliseum than the Roman Senate, because with their openly backstabbing leaders and their shocking lack of forethought they have led the country to the brink with no clue about how to save when it falls. Predictably, there are loud self-interested voices in the media reminding us that the Brexit vote was taken and the results are in. Voters chose to leave the EU, they insist, what's done is done, get over it. These voices are trying to imitate the unquestionable self-confidence of the old establishment, but the truth is they're really just as panicked and stunned as the losing side. Look at the recent string of high profile resignations. First came Prime Minister David Cameron, then Boris Johnson, then Nigel Farage all roughly within a week. Victory for the winning side never looked more like a defeat. Having poisoned their own political well, the Conservative Party is now faced with the prospect of Michael Gove as their leader, a man who has just admitted that what the U.K. now needs is to renegotiate a new relationship with the EU, based on free trade and friendly cooperation. Some sort of union with Europe? If only there were some sort of membership arrangement, whereby all European partners could agree on a set of rules. Like a union, maybe? Thatcher's most entitled children, the generation of Conservatives in waiting that grew up among the boom for some and the bust for many 1980's, had no consideration for the rest of the U.K. or the EU then and their transparent actions reveal they have none now. To them there was only Oxbridge and then the City. To them the wider U.K. and EU was a depressed and depressing place filled with their traditional political opponents. So Brexit was simply a public confirmation of a privately held view. No one in Ireland is going to be terrifically surprised that the top tier of the Conservative Party holds the wider European Union and of course the Republic in contempt. Conservative chauvinism has never been subtle, after all. What is new is that England has voted to leave and Northern Ireland has voted to remain in the European Union. This is more than just a political realignment. It's an earthquake. Irish people living in the U.K. might wake up to find themselves subject to deportation proceedings soon. Nationalists in the North are discovering that they will no longer necessarily be permitted dual citizenship of the U.K. and the EU. Soon they will be expected to give their allegiance to a monarch, a bridge too far for lasting political stability. Border checkpoints could also reemerge, a thing that most people thought they had left behind, and all of us will be forced to take a number as the Brits try to work out what they did and why they did it. But their identity crisis is not Europe's. An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics. The man identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson told authorities he was upset about the fatal police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, "especially white officers," officials said. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings, which marked the deadliest day for US law enforcement since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot. In Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, authorities said gun-wielding civilians also shot officers in individual attacks that came after the black men were killed in Louisiana and Minnesota. Two officers were wounded, one critically. President Barack Obama will cut short his European trip and visit Dallas early next week. He had been scheduled to return to Washington on Monday. Instead, he will leave Spain on Sunday night after meeting the interim prime minister and visiting US military personnel. Mr Obama is currently in Warsaw, Poland, for a Nato summit. The White House said the president will focus next week on efforts to support police officers while addressing "persistent racial disparities" in the criminal justice system. Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite who specialised in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. After the attack, he tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Mr Brown said. Johnson was black. Law enforcement officials did not disclose the race of the dead officers. The bloodshed close to where President John F Kennedy was killed in 1963. The shooting began on Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest against the killings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and suburban St Paul, Minnesota. Mr Brown told reporters that snipers fired "ambush-style" on the officers. Two civilians were also wounded. The authorities initially blamed multiple "snipers" for Thursday's attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But later, all attention focused on Johnson, and state and federal officials said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman. With the lone shooter dead, Mayor Mike Rawlings declared that the city was safe and "we can move on to healing". He said the gunman wore a protective vest and used an AR-15 rifle, a weapon similar to the one fired last month in the attack on an Orlando, Florida, nightclub that killed 49 people. In Washington, the nation's senior law enforcement official, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, called for calm, saying the recent violence cannot be allowed to "precipitate a new normal". She said protesters concerned about killings by police should not be discouraged "by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence". The other attacks on police included a Georgia man who authorities said called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the officer who came to investigate. That sparked a shoot-out in which both the officer and suspect were wounded but expected to survive. In suburban St Louis, a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop, police said. The officer was critically ill in hospital. And in Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans, authorities said. North Korea has test-fired what appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its eastern coast, South Korea has said. An official at Seoul's defence ministry on Saturday could not immediately confirm how far the projectile travelled and where it landed. North Korean efforts to develop submarine-launched missile systems are a serious concern for rivals and neighbours because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. The launch came a day after US and South Korean military officials said they are ready to deploy an advanced US missile defence system in South Korea to cope with North Korean threats. The missile was fired from near the North Korean coastal town of Sinpo, where analysts have previously detected efforts by the North to develop submarine-launched ballistic missile systems, the defence ministry official said. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it presumed the missile successfully ejected from the submarine's launch tube, but failed in its early stage of flight. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile probably flew only a few miles before exploding in midair. North Korea acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development for its neighbours because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. While security experts say it is unlikely that North Korea possesses an operational submarine capable of firing missiles, they acknowledge the North is making progress on such technology. North Korea already has a considerable arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles and is believed to be advancing its efforts to miniaturise nuclear warheads mounted on missiles through nuclear and rocket tests. North Korea last test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it as a success that strengthened its ability to attack enemies with "dagger of destruction". South Korean defence officials then said that the missile flew about 19 miles before exploding in midair. The North also test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Christmas Day, but that test was seen as failure, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North first claimed a successful submarine-launched missile test in May last year. Seoul and Washington launched formal talks on deploying the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year. China, Russia and North Korea all say the THAAD deployment could help US radars spot missiles in their countries. The deployment decision for THAAD came after North Korea reacted angrily to new US sanctions on leader Kim Jong Un and other senior officials for human rights abuses. Pyongyang's foreign ministry said on Thursday such measures were tantamount to declaring war. North Korea has already been sanctioned heavily because of its nuclear weapons programme. However, the action by the US on Wednesday marked the first time Kim has been personally targeted, and also the first time that any North Korean official has been blacklisted by the US Treasury in connection with reports of rights abuses. The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggression from North Korea. Newly filed accounts for The Square Management Ltd show that the companys revenues for the 12 months to the end of September declined marginally to 6.34m. The pre-tax loss was up from a loss of 939,834 in the preceding 12 months. Interest payable of 736,735 resulted in the widened loss. On an operating basis, The Squares losses more than doubled last year, to 441,273. Some 5.5m was generated in service charge revenue and an additional 790,013 in car-parking revenues. The company had accumulated losses of 16.2m at the end of September. Its cash pile fell from 1.729m to 1.5m. In the accounts, the companys directors said: The company is actively redeveloping part of the property and the site surrounding The Square with a view to realising additional value. The company owns the freehold to The Square and is responsible for its maintenance and other services to tenants, and the operation of its car park. Numbers employed by the firm last year totalled 16, with staff costs amounting to 884,825. The accounts state that Nama has acquired the firms loans and a note attached to the accounts says that the company continues to receive financial support from the agency. During the year, the company received, and continues to receive, financial support from Nama, which is subject to certain conditions being met by the company. "This financial support is in the form of the periodic release of funds to enable the company to discharge its overheads, state the accounts. The directors said they believe that Nama will continue to support the operations of the company for the foreseeable future. The note adds: However, if Nama were to discontinue its provision of funds to the company, the company may be unable to continue realising its assets and discharging its liabilities in the normal course of business. As with any company placing reliance on other entities for financial support, the directors acknowledge that there can be no certainty that this support will continue, although, at the date of approval of these financial statements, they have no reason to believe that it will not do so. The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) says the UKs decision to leave the EU will hit inward investment, until there is clarity about the countrys position in Europe and measures to counter the effects of Brexit. Mr Osbornes reaction to the Brexit fallout was to lower the UKs corporation tax rate from 20% to 15% to show the British economy is still open for business. But no timeline for the move has been given. The signalled cut was criticised by EU leaders as a race to the bottom, while EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, warned it would cause a considerable loss of receipts for the UK economy. Cebr president, Douglas McWilliams, who describes Cebrs analysis as fascinating and says cutting corporation tax is a great idea that needs to be done soon, says if the change is made in April, 2017, government borrowing will have fallen 5.2bn by 2026. Investment will climb 10.7% higher and GDP 1.5% higher, over the medium term, he says. Both are in line with the medium-term calculation of initial loss caused by Brexit. So, in practice, lower corporate taxes would offset the losses from Brexit, though the timings are different, Mr McWilliams says. Cebr is one of the UKs most prominent economic think-tanks and akin to the ESRI in Ireland, and McWilliams also advocates a greater reduction in corporation tax. Indeed, there is an argument for moving to a system where corporates are taxed at an ultra-low rate and taxes only charged on distributions through dividends and corporate pay. "A 10% corporate-tax rate could, according to the model, boost GDP by nearly 5% additionally and would pay for itself in five years. The cut has increased concern in Ireland about the impact here on foreign direct investment. Economist Jim Power says the planned corporate tax cut was always a threat to Ireland and it is a massive challenge to us. Steady as she goes is no longer a viable policy. In response, government agencies here are preparing to step up their marketing campaigns to attract foreign investment and compete for companies that may choose to leave the UK in the aftermath of the vote. It is understood those agencies may discreetly approach UK companies and sell Ireland as a potential base, rather than mount a public campaign to woo them to these shores. Leading seaman Alex Caseys last tour of duty there was on LE Niamh, which came across some appalling tragedies. Just before LE James Joyce departed Haulbowline yesterday, the leading seaman described how, on his last trip, he had come across 14 refugees who died after being locked into the hold of a barge and then, some days later, a barge which had capsized. There were 700 people on board it, said Mr Casey. We recovered 39 bodies but we believe more than 250 drowned and their bodies were never recovered. I think the people smugglers are despicable. The last time he was in the Mediterranean his partner, Aoife, was heavily pregnant. Now the couple has a six-month-old daughter, Holly, and Alex readily admitted it would be tough not seeing either for the next 12 weeks. Leading seaman Katie OLeary, who is one of five women on board, remembered when she was on last years mission with LE Eithne. The Bere Island native acts as a security officer. The migrants are scared. Theyre hugging you after getting out of the water. The women are handing you their children, she said. They are so grateful to be rescued and that makes you feel good. When they get on board, many refugees are very dehydrated and hungry and thats where able cook Robert ONeill comes in. He also served on LE Eithnes mission last year. We prepare food in advance for the migrants and have to feed the crew as well, he said. We give them rice or pasta dishes, porridge, high-energy drinks, and liquid supplements. When we feed them we have to replenish the meals. LE James Joyce, under the command of Lt Cmdr Neil Manning, is expected to arrive in the area of operations just off the Libyan coast on July 16. We have been training over the past two months for this mission. Everybody is ready, he said. His ship is replacing LE Roisin, which arrives in Cork next Friday. The Ireland South MEP stressed the importance of effective management and co-operation between national governments, authorities, and the EU to address the threat posed by ash dieback. The fungal disease, which has been traced to an outbreak in Poland in 1992, has spread rapidly across much of Europe. It is characterised by leaf loss and crown dieback. Mr Kelly hosted a seminar in Limerick yesterday. The threat posed by the disease to hurleys, which are made from ash, was discussed at the event. Mr Kelly referred to Department of Agriculture figures which show that around 115 cases of ash dieback were recorded across 19 counties in Ireland by January of this year. Ash dieback spores can be transported more than 15km by the breeze, and can survive on woodland ground for up to five years. Solidarity and co-operation are required to tackle ash dieback, said Mr Kelly. In sharing experiences, all countries are better able to assess methods that may help prevent the spread of plant diseases. Leading hurley maker John Torpey said that his company, which was established in 1981 and which is located near Kilkishen, Co Clare, manufactured up to 70,000 hurleys a year. I have been going to the Netherlands for 18 years now for ash, because, as the business grew, we could not get enough in Ireland, said Mr Torpey. Education Minister Richard Bruton will propose that schools be allowed set aside no more than one in four places for those whose mother or father attended during the passage of his new Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 which was published yesterday. Although some secondary schools argued that no limits should be set on how many places can be held for past pupils sons or daughters, an Oireachtas Education Committee report in 2014 suggested a total ban on the practice. That emerged from extensive consultations on a draft bill put forward by previous education minister Ruairi Quinn, including a 25% cap on spaces that could be held. After publishing a similar bill over a year ago, Mr Quinns successor and Labour Party colleague Jan OSullivan suggested a compromise figure of 10%. However, Mr Bruton now plans to go back to the 25% figure, and Fianna Fail is set to back the proposal. The main opposition partys education spokesman, Thomas Byrne, said he would put forward a number of amendments to reflect the partys position, but 25% was in the ball park. Broadly, that seems OK, its clearly an issue in some parts of the country. Well be putting our own amendments to this bill on a range of issues, including the religious issue and this, he said. However, the National Parents Council-Primary believes it is not fair that a child has to have had a parent attend a school to increase their chances. Its not an issue raised with us a lot, but it certainly doesnt fit in with efforts to make a system fair and equitable, just like the issue of waiting lists, said council chief executive Aine Lynch. Mr Bruton intends to proceed with a ban on schools operating waiting lists that allow parents put a childs name down for enrolment in a school at birth, or from a very early age. There are some concerns, however, that families who already have childrens names down with schools could have a legitimate expectation of being placed, leaving schools open to legal challenge. While they both support the ban, Mr Byrne and Ms Lynch agreed there should be a transitional phase over a number of years for families who had names on waiting lists already. While a period of about five years is likely to be put forward, a spokesperson for Mr Bruton said any decision on an acceptable phasing out period will be made after engagement with stakeholders. The bill does not address the recent pressure on Government to remove exemptions to equality law that allows religious-controlled schools give priority to children of the same faith. Equate Ireland urged Mr Bruton to fast-track consideration by the Oireachtas of a bill on the issue, introduced by the Labour Party. The campaign group wants an end to the so-called baptism barrier that requires thousands of families to have their children baptised just to get into local schools. It welcomed the provision in the new bill that schools must provide details in their admissions policies of how they will cater for students who do not wish to attend religious instruction. The possibility of a change of Taoiseach has escalated significantly the chances of an early general election. The development comes following another day of chaos in the Dail which was moments away from collapse after Fine Gael TDs failed to show up, causing a 40- minute delay to the start of business. Chief whip Regina Doherty was under fire last night from party colleagues and the Opposition on two fronts. She was rebuked for failing to marshall her TDs on time and also for comments in a radio interview which appeared to heap pressure on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to clarify when he is stepping down. Regina Doherty In an interview on LMFM, she said the Taoiseach must clarify the process for him stepping aside as Fine Gael leader to avoid causing confusion. Unless theres clarification of the process laid out, there will be confusion, said Ms Doherty. Otherwise youre going to have me and the other 49 members of Fine Gael telling you something different until it is clarified. It would be fair if the Taoiseach clarified this so we could get back to normal, Ms Doherty added. However, the Irish Examiner can reveal that change of Fine Gaels leadership will not be tolerated by Fianna Fail. Several Fianna Fail sources, speaking privately, have said they are not willing to let Fine Gael gain momentum from a change in the leadership. The partys finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, told the Irish Examiner such a change could destabilise the current arrangement. Michael McGrath I do think that a change in leader or a change of Taoiseach could be a destabilising issue in the current arrangement, he said. There is no doubt that that succession issue within Fine Gael is a potential destabilising issue in the current arrangement. It is something that would be a concern within Fianna Fail, when that plays out. Yesterday, three of the likely candidates for the leadership Ministers Frances Fitzgerald, Leo Varadkar, and Simon Coveney all sought to take the sting out of the damaging week for Fine Gael. A spokesman for Ms Fitzgerald said: There is no vacancy. When a vacancy arises is a decision for the Taoiseach. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Coveney said: There isnt a leadership contest in Fine Gael right now, there isnt going to be any time soon. A vast, vast majority of us in Fine Gael trust the Taoiseach to be able to make appropriate decisions around that and its his call and hell make it. Asked about a poll which showed Mr Varadkar is the current favourite to succeed Mr Kenny, Mr Coveney said: Im pleased for Leo, hes a good friend of mine, its nice to see that hes popular. Leo Varadkar Fine Gael was dealt another blow yesterday morning when the Dail struggled to reach a quorum. Business finally began almost 40 minutes late at 11.15am after chief whip Regina Doherty rushed into the Dail, only to receive a dressing down from ceann comhairle Sean O Fearghail. With just two Fine Gael TDs present when business was due to start an urgent text message was sent to avoid business collapsing. Please attend in chamber NOW or business will collapse, read the text. Describing the delay as fairly unprecedented, Mr O Fearghail said TDs need to be aware of their responsibilities. Speaking in the Dail, Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary described the delay as a farce and said: I understand the person in charge of business was on her local radio station talking about Fine Gael leadership which is a matter for the Fine Gael party. When it impinges on the business in the House, it is not good enough. The claim was made by one of the inspectors conducting an investigation into the collective redundancy of the stores 460 workers in June 2015, hours after the group of companies that owned and operated Clerys was sold to a joint venture called Natrium by its previous owners, the US Gordon Brothers group. Natrium is a joint venture made up of Cheyne Capital Management in the UK, and a company of Deirdre Foley, the owner of property firm D2 Private Ltd. The inspectors, appointed by the Workplace Relations Commission, are opposing a challenge brought by D2 and Ms Foley against the WRC concerning the powers of the inspectors, who seized documents and a computer from D2s offices in May. In a sworn statement to the High Court, one of the inspectors, James Kelly, said events, including secret meetings, had taken place as part of a plan called Project Clock, concerning a takeover of the department store on June 12, 2015. He said the decision to wind up the company was not taken on June 12, as has been claimed. He said while Ms Foley and D2 say the transaction concerning Clerys was bona fide and above reproach, he said they had concealed information that seriously called into question the position being adopted. It was also alleged the High Court was misled when an application to wind up the company that operated Clerys came before the High Court hours after the takeover had been completed. Representations made to the court on that date were utterly false, said Mr Kelly, adding that a makeshift set of affairs was presented to the court. Ms Foley, in a sworn statement in reply to the allegations, rejects in the strongest possible terms the inspectors claims, which she described as far-fetched and irresponsible. The claims against her and other persons and entities associated with the purchase of Clerys have no credible basis for such assertions, and were just hearsay. She said the decision to liquidate the company, which was insolvent, was not taken by her, D2 , Natrium, which was never the employers of the workers. It was taken independently by directors of OCS Operations Ltd, which had operated the stores and employed the workers. Her counsel, Eoin McCullough, said the claims were prejudicial to his client and irrelevant. Other parties, including an employee of D2, Mark Redmond, the directors of OCS operations who took the decision to liquidate the company, Brendan Cooney and James Brydie, and Eamonn Richardson, of KPMG, who was appointed liquidator of OCS Operations, also strongly rejected allegations of impropriety made against them by the inspectors. The inspectors claims were made on the second day of judicial review proceedings brought by Ms Foley and D2 Private against the WRC concerning the powers of the inspectors, who seized documents and a computer from D2s offices in May. Ten minutes after the Dail was due to start, just two Fine Gael members were in the chamber Limericks Tom Neville, and minister of state David Stanton, who had to be there to bring forward legislation. A last minute text was sent out in a bid to drum up a few more Fine Gael TDs to meet the quorum of 20. URGENT: Please attend the Chamber NOW or business will collapse, it read. On the other side of the chamber, a gaggle of Fianna Fail deputies joked and chatted; they were relatively well represented in comparison, with 10 members. A full 30 minutes after business was due to commence, the Ceann Comhairle decided to wait until 11.15am before calling it a day. Can the names of all who attended be recorded, Independent Dr Michael Harty earnestly asked. Where is the shop steward? Dara Calleary jibed across to the lonely Fine Gael benches. But as the minutes ticked down, the jokes turned to dismay as TDs, many from far-flung constituencies who had cancelled clinics and stayed up to attend, began to realise they may be sent home without getting to speak. And so there were cheers when Finian McGrath arrived in followed by a flustered chief whip Regina Doherty. It didnt go unnoticed that the shepherd had failed to gather her flock. When business eventually got going, Mr Calleary said: I understand that the person in charge of business was on her local radio station talking about Fine Gael leadership, which is a matter for the Fine Gael party. When it impinges on the business in the House, it is not good enough. With her husband waiting in the Dail car park after rushing her up to the chamber, it is understood Ms Doherty confided in party colleges that she feared the blunder would cost her her job. There was a further telling off from the Ceann Comhairle, who described the mornings 40-minute delay as unprecedented. Some members need to be aware of their responsibilities to be here in the chamber when legislation is to be debated, he said, adding: There is a particular responsibility on those who have the formal responsibility of ensuring attendance that they see that that attendance actually happens. And with that, Ms Doherty scuttled out of the chamber. Social Democrat TD Catherine Murphy yesterday raised questions around the provision of an AIB loan to Mr OBrien. Speaking under privilege in the Dail she also raised the chilling effect of powerful individuals on the media and others in this country. During a discussion on the Commission of Investigation (IBRC) Bill 2016, Ms Murphy said at a time when the business sector was screaming that it could not get credit just to get staff paid, an AIB loan was paid to Mr OBrien to help facilitate the purchase of Siteserv. It is interesting to note that the AIB group chief credit officer at the time the loan was advanced went on after leaving AIB to join the boards of Siteserv, Topaz, and the Beacon Hospital, all owned by Mr Denis OBrien. Why was that? My point has always been that while there may be perfectly legitimate answers to these questions, they stand out as very obvious questions to ask, she said in relation to Mr OBrien, who also owns a number of Irish media organisations. She said it had been just over a year since she raised a complex web of cosy relationships, outrageous financial dealings and convenient transactions that benefited far more than others, all at the expense of ordinary citizens which she believed was in the public interest. I have since discovered a whole other world that I did not know existed, she told the Dail, adding that she and her staff had been put under immense pressure. Ms Murphy told the Dail there can be no doubt that the chilling effect of powerful individuals is a problem in this country and certainly it has appeared to be the case that the thicker the wallet, the thinner the skin. Our defamation laws, as they stand, allow that to be the case. Aside from the chilling effect, there is also very real concern regarding media ownership. Even an adverse or a satirical comment will invariably produce a writ to RTE. Then we wonder why we do not see programmes by the likes of Prime Time about particular individuals, whether or not about this particular topic. That definitely has to be questioned, she said. She called for the establishment of a commission on the future of the media in Ireland which the National Union of Journalists has already lobbied for. We should not just heed that call, we must commit to providing for that to happen as a matter of urgency, she said. Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe yesterday said the immediate repeal of FEMPI measures would be premature. Instead, he said there would be a phased approach of the Lansdowne Road Agreement which would deliver pay restoration over the next three years at a total cost of 844m in 2018. There is no limitless pot of money from which I can draw. Decisions must be made. Priorities must be identified. While the outrage of some on the opposition benches is seemingly limitless, I assure them that taxpayers money is not, Mr Donohoe said to a near-empty chamber. The debate, which had been due to continue until 5.30pm yesterday and resume again next week, ended at 3.15pm yesterday after all who attended and wished to speak were given a chance. Afterwards, Mr Donohoe tweeted: A pity that those who called for debate on FEMPI legislation in the Dail didnt turn up for it. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail also made his frustration known in the Dail and said: The House had ordered that this debate might continue until 5.30pm and be further continued at another date in that the House envisaged an adjournment. I regret that there are no further deputies present to contribute and, therefore, I call on the minister to respond to the debate. This will bring this important debate to a conclusion. The Dail was almost 40 minutes late starting yesterday morning as the Ceann Comhairle waited for a quorum of 20 TDs. David Corcoran, aged 50, of Collinswood, Whitehall, in Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Philip Fitzgerald who suffered dental injuries during the incident at Clanwilliam Terrace on July 1, 2015. Judge Michael Walsh said Corcorans actions were completely disproportionate but he ruled that he can avoid a criminal record and a possible sentence by paying 3,930 to cover Mr Fitzgeralds medical expenses and new false teeth, and he must donate 2,500 to charity. Garda Brian Cleary told Dublin District Court that Corcoran was walking along Clanwilliam Terrace when a cyclist approached on the footpath. Gda Cleary said Corcoran shouldered Mr Fitzgerald off his bicycle causing him to fall to the ground. The incident happened at about 10.30am. The court heard Corcoran punched Mr Fitzgerald in the face and head and got him into a headlock and kneed him while he was in a headlock. The attack was stopped when members of the public intervened and broke up the fight. Mr Fitzgerald suffered dental injuries and his face was scratched. He told Judge Walsh he has recovered and the court heard he faced 3,930 in medical expenses. Pleading for leniency defence solicitor Eugene Dunne said his client was a senior company executive who had no prior criminal convictions. He said cyclists using the footpath had been a problem in the area. Vans were parked on the side of the path and his client leaned in and the hit the bike causing the cyclist to come off, the solicitor said. But Judge Walsh said the businessman went further than that and had used the strap of the victims helmet to try and strangle him, the effect was strangulation. Mr Dunne said Corcoran is apologetic for his behaviour and prepared to pay the cyclists out of pocket expenses and to donate money to charity. The judge accepted it can be annoying but said we live in a congested city and sometimes needs must. The defence solicitor said the cyclist should not have been on the path, however Judge Walsh described Corcorans actions as disproportionate. It was not more than a very temporary minor nuisance, we have it on every street of the city but we do not get someone by the throat and try and strangle them, the judge said, adding it was a very serious offence. However, he was also told by Gda Cleary that Corcoran was co-operative and the victim was happy if he gets his dentures replaced and he will be able to put it behind him. Noting his remorse, Judge Walsh adjourned the case saying he will strike it out if Corcoran pays 3,930 to the victim to cover his dental injuries and donates 2,500 to the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin which helps people in need. Patrick Moran, aged 40, of Woodstown Rise, Knocklyon, Dublin, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sample charges of stealing cash, falsifying documents, and using a false instrument on dates between November 2011 and January 2013. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Judge Martin Nolan on July 31, 2015. Moran successfully appealed his sentence yesterday and, accordingly, he was resentenced to three years imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended. Giving judgment in the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Alan Mahon said Moran diverted funds to a PayPal account and ultimately to his own account. The loss to the injured party was approximately 281,000. The fraudulent activity was unearthed by an internal investigation. When gardai were contacted, Moran made full admissions. Patrick Gageby, defending, submitted criticism for the sentencing judges failure to suspend a portion of the sentence. Mr Gageby said his client had never offended before and there was ample evidence before the Circuit Court that there had been de facto rehabilitation. Mr Gageby said Morans employers were out of pocket to a substantial amount but there was no stash or hidden money. The court heard that there was a civil judgment against him plus costs. Fergal Foley, prosecuting, submitted that the reliability of Ireland as a place to do business was challenged by this type of offending and the sentence that was imposed was the least the judge could have done in all the circumstances. Christina Estrada, 54, was fighting for 230m from international businessman Sheikh Walid Juffali, 61, to meet her reasonable needs. Her lawyers said the total settlement she is to receive, taking into account her own assets, is in the region of 88m. She rejected an offer which, added to her own assets, would have given her some 43m to live on. Her lawyers said that the award of approximately 75 million (sterling) is by more than 50m the largest needs award ever made by an English court. Ms Estrada said in a statement: I am very grateful for todays ruling. I have lived in the United Kingdom since 1988 and am thankful for access to the British courts. Thanking her legal team for their help, she said: I never wanted to be here. I always wanted to resolve the matter amicably. This process has been incredibly bruising and distressing. Walid and I were happily married for 12 years and have a beautiful daughter together. He took both a second wife and divorced me without my knowledge. His use of diplomatic immunity to try and prevent me from access to a legally binding settlement set a worrying precedent. Having grown up in a middle-class family and having enjoyed a successful career until my marriage, I am fully aware that the spectacular life Walid and I led was immensely fortunate and rarefied. And I fully understand how this can be perceived in the wider world. My focus now is to support my daughter and move forward with our lives. For her sake and the sake of our wider family, I hope we can resolve matters sensibly. Ms Estrada was intensively cross-examined in court on her needs, including her claim that she requires Stg1m a year for clothes, including 40,000 for fur coats, 109,000 for haute couture dresses and 21,000 for shoes. She told family judge Mrs Justice Roberts: I am Christina Estrada. I was a top, international model. I have lived this life. This is what I am accustomed to. She said of her 13-year marriage: It is difficult to convey the extraordinary level of luxury and opulence we were fortunate enough to enjoy. Although her final award fell short of her stratospheric target, Justin Warshaw QC, appearing for Dr Juffali, said: Fifty-three million to a lady who has 20m (in her own assets) is an astonishing amount of money. The complicated situation is being examined by senior officials and industry umbrella groups, as the political and economic crisis in Britain continues to cause havoc to the countrys financial planning. In the coming days, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will meet with German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin, and French President Francois Hollande, in Dublin, to re-emphasise their personal relationships post-Brexit. Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan also travelled to Germany yesterday to hold a bi-lateral discussion, during a short trade mission with his counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Mr Flanagan has a similar meeting with Italian foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni, in Dublin, on Tuesday. Charlie Flanagan In addition, during Euro-group and Eco-fin EU finance minister meetings next week, Ireland is expected to emphasise its ongoing role in the single market, while the countrys export trade council will meet in the coming days. However, behind the scenes, more detailed plans are being put in place, to help Irish-based firms and the exchequer itself to benefit from the crisis in Britain. Officials are keeping a close watch on changing economic policy under British chancellor, George Osborne, while internal discussions are likely to examine how Ireland can convince firms currently based in Britain to transfer to Ireland, among other matters. However, unlike potential EU rivals, such as France, Irelands approach is understood to be based on subtle manoeuvres which do not publicly antagonise Britain, due to the sensitive relationship between both nations. While it was projected by IDA Ireland that the Brexit fallout would cause a 0.5% fall for the Irish economy next year, its impact in 2018 and 2019 is unclear. The High Court yesterday set aside the closure and referred the matter for further consideration. The West Cork Bar Association said it was hugely relieved with the judgment and said it was time to take a stand against the closure of rural courthouses. The Courts Service told the Irish Examiner it was considering the judgment. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan said the information used by the Courts Service to close the courthouse, particularly three differing sets of cost savings, was manifestly mistaken and fatal to the decision. He also found that the West Cork Bar Association had been left in the dark by the Courts Service as to the reason for the decision to close. For both reasons, he set aside the closure decision and remitted the matter for further consideration. Colette McCarthy of the West Cork Bar Association said they were delighted and hugely relieved. We see this as an acknowledgment and recognition of the needs of West Cork residents to access justice locally. A Skibbereen-based solicitor with Wolfe & Co, she said the association had challenged the decision of the Courts Service as they felt it was not justified. The courthouse in Skibbereen is owned and managed by Cork County Council. With so many services being shut down throughout rural Ireland the West Cork Bar Association believed it was important to take a stand on behalf of the people of West Cork, said Ms McCarthy. Having lost seven court venues in West Cork in recent years, our association is very aware of the implications for rural West Cork if the local courthouse is closed, as has been evidenced by the recent closure of Kinsale District Court. In his judgment, Mr Justice Noonan said the Courts Service had suffered very significant reductions in its budget since the economic collapse. He said a review in 2012 identified 41 courthouses for consideration for closure and a decision was made to close Skibbereen courthouse in October 2013. The judge said there were three cost savings attributed to the closure of Skibbereen Courthouse: 15,783, 8,000, and 13,168 per annum. Mr Justice Noonan said there was no dispute about the fact that an error was made on the savings. The material put before the board [of the Courts Service] before it reached its decision was manifestly mistaken, he said. He said three figures were given for ostensibly the same thing. Whilst it might be said the amounts involved were in absolute standards fairly modest, nonetheless the highest figure put forward was almost double the lowest. Clearly at least two of the figures were wrong and perhaps all three were wrong. In my view, therefore, the errors of fact made in this case must be viewed as fatal to the decision. A Courts Service statement said: The Courts Service is considering the contents of the judgment. A study by the National Competitiveness Council shows that Dublin is one of the most expensive cities in Europe for homeowners with a mortgage as well as for those who are renting. Only Amsterdam and London had higher mortgage affordability rates than Dublin. The NCC report shows that owning or renting a home is more expensive in Dublin than in Berlin, Copenhagen, Brussels, or Helsinki. The council also warns that there is no quick fix for the housing crisis and advises the Government to take a long-term approach to the problem rather than attempting short-term solutions. A well-functioning housing and construction sector is critical to the overall health of society and the economy, said NCC chairman Peter Clinch in a foreword to the report. Affordability matters for the individual household, for society as a whole, and for national competitiveness. For the individual or household, buying a house is their single biggest lifetime purchase, while the cost of owning or renting a home takes a large share of household income. From a societal perspective, a stable and functioning housing market that meets the needs of all of the people living in Ireland is an essential contributor to social cohesion. The report shows that in cities such as Cork and Galway, those in rented accommodation are now paying more every month to their landlord than they would for a mortgage. Affordability is increasingly challenging for renters who aspire to purchase and must save a significant deposit whilst simultaneously paying relatively high rents, states the report. Many Irish cities fare less well in terms of rent affordability than in terms of mortgage affordability. Given that many in the rental sector now have to save substantial deposits if they are to buy a house, affordability concerns for this cohort are particularly significant. The report concludes that the mortgage finance market acts as a major determinant of the overall affordability of house purchase. Ensuring a competitive mortgage finance market is important in terms of improving the affordability of Irish housing, it says. A number of international cities have higher price-to-income ratios than Irish cities, suggesting that current Irish affordability levels could persist in the medium to long run. It says that Central Bank constraints on mortgage lending are affecting housing construction. To incentivise increased supply, prices need to exceed costs. However, as a result of the Central Bank mortgage rules, prices are, in effect, capped relative to incomes. Therefore, there is a need to better understand the elements constraining supply and to then reduce development and construction costs relative to income and prices, states the report. The Hollywood star issued a statement following the publication of a coroners report into the death of Irish make-up artist Cathriona White. Ms White, 30, died after taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs at her Los Angeles home in September. The Los Angeles county coroners office released a report into her death earlier this week, which revealed she left a note for Carrey saying she was just not for this world. In a statement following the reports release, Carrey said: When I came to Hollywood to make it as a comedian, I soon learned that the details of my private life would be handed out to the media like free dinner vouchers. I never dreamed that the people I love most in the world would also be on the menu. What a shame. The statement was signed regrettably, Jim Carrey. The coroners office said California law states that it must release postmortem reports as part of the public record and, in this case, it was in touch with Carreys lawyer before the information was made public. Carrey, 54, was a pallbearer at Ms Whites funeral in the village of Cappawhite, Co Tipperary, in October, following which she was laid to rest beside her late father, Pat. The Canadian-born actor and Ms White had broken up a week before she was found dead on September 28, according to the coroners report. In a note addressed to Carrey, Ms White wrote: Ive spent 3 days now in disbelief that youre not here. I can go on broken-hearted and try to put the pieces back. I could, I just dont have the will this time. Im sorry you felt I wasnt there for you. I tried to give you my best part. Ms White signed off the note with the word Dewdrop, the report said. A second note, also written to Jim, asked for his people to sell her belongings and give the money to her family. I dont really know about burial or that sort of thing. You are my family so whatever you choose will be fine, she wrote. Please forgive me. Im just not for this world. Ms Whites cause of death was given as multiple drug effects after a toxicology report discovered prescription drugs in her system. The coroner ruled her death was suicide. Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday insisted there is no vacancy at the moment after a poll revealed he is favourite to take over from Mr Kenny. Speaking in Brussels, Housing Minister Simon Coveney said there isnt a leadership contest in Fine Gael right now, there isnt going to be any time soon. It comes after an Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll found Mr Varakdar is the favourite to become the next Fine Gael leader on 31%. Mr Coveney is on 21%, while Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald is on 10%. Some 5% of those polled opted for Simon Harris, while 3% said they would like to see Paschal Donohoe take over. It comes after a difficult week in which Fine Gael, forced to provide Independent ministers with a free vote on Mick Wallaces abortion bill, were knocked back on a North-South forum on Brexit, and faced major leadership woes. The party was also dealt another blow yesterday morning when the Dail struggled to reach a quorum of 20. Simon Coveney Responding to the poll yesterday, Mr Varadar said that his focus is firmly on his work in the Department of Social Protection. The Taoiseach has made clear he will not lead the party in a future general election. This means there will be a leadership election at a future date. That will be the appropriate time to deal with the issue of the leadership of fine Gael. The vacancy wont arise until the Taoiseach decides it should. This was echoed by Ms Fitzgerald who reiterated her support for Mr Kenny last night. Her spokesman said: There is no vacancy for the Fine Gael leadership. When a vacancy arises is a decision for the Taoiseach. The Tanaiste fully respects the Taoiseachs right to make that decision, as he has outlined already. It would be inappropriate to comment any further. Mr Coveney said he was certain Mr Kenny would still be leader for the budget in October, adding he is going to be around for some time yet. He continued: There are many who are trying to create political storms around leadership contests and so on. I think, to be honest, thats a distraction. Asked whether Mr Kenny should provide a succession timeline, Mr Coveney said: Im not going to start dictating to my party leader what he should be doing on these issues. I trust him to make his own judgements on these things and I expect hell do that. Earlier in the day, chief whip Regina Doherty, speaking on LMFM radio said: It would be fair if the Taoiseach clarified this so we could get back to normal. Regina Doherty She added: Unless theres clarification of the process laid out, there will be confusion. Otherwise youre going to have me and the other 49 members of Fine Gael telling you something different until it is clarified. She later clarified her stance by saying she fully supports the Taoiseach. Mr Kenny made no mention of a leadership raceor his intentions around stepping down in a weekly message to supporters last night. The attempt by Paul Collins, of 6 St Annes Terrace, off St Marys Rd, Cork, was ill-fated as Garda Graham Desmond caught up with him and charged him. The incident happened at around 11.30pm on February 16 last year. Yesterday at Cork District Court, Collins pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing a drugs search and having heroin for his own use. Inspector John Deasy said that on the date in question, Garda Desmond was dealing with a domestic incident on Shandon St when he noticed Collins placing something in his mouth. Collins then took off running but was caught a short distance away. Collins admitted to gardai that he had swallowed two nodges of cannabis enough to make two joints. In a follow-up search, a package of heroin containing five individually wrapped deals fell out of his underpants. It turned out to have a street value of 140. Defence solicitor, Eddie Burke, said the accused did not attend Cork District Court earlier in the week as friends and family were assisting him to go cold turkey to get off heroin by staying at home and clear of all drugs for a number of days. Collins was in court yesterday where he asked Judge Olann Kelleher if he could send him directly into a residential treatment programme. Judge Kelleher said he could not do that but imposed an overall sentence of six months suspended on condition that the accused would take his own immediate steps to get on to a drug treatment programme. Mr Burke said the accused never touched drugs before he went to jail in 2013 for 18 months for two assaults. He was introduced to heroin at the Midlands prison and became addicted. Their second child was stillborn, only to go into full organ failure having already been resuscitated. Nearly four years later, the Dublin couple has three healthy children, and Marie credits the support she received through counselling, Enable Ireland, and various medical professionals for the life her family lives today. I had a job that I really loved, I was going out on maternity leave, and then my life changed completely. It was August 2012, I went in for a scan on a Tuesday, I was 39 weeks and six days on my second child. I went in because I had reduced foetal movements. Thea Breen: Doctors told her parents she was not going to be OK, but almost four years later she is thriving. They put a trace on and said there was a sign of stress, and they decided that I needed an emergency C-section. The baby came out and there was no noise. The baby was given to the paediatric team and there was still no noise, I just looked at Lorcan and I knew there was something wrong. There was a tiny cough, and I thought, OK shes fine, Marie told the Irish Examiner. But her baby was not fine; in fact, she was in a critical condition. We were told that she was not going to be OK, and she was probably going to die, that she had full organ failure, and they couldnt get her settled on a ventilator. We called her Thea it means a gift of God. We got a friend of ours, whos a priest, to come in and say prayers and we called our parents. However, a doctor in Holles Street, whom Marie describes as incredible, made a life-saving move in the middle of the night. The doctor, she was just incredible, said she couldnt get her stabilised. She said she was going to try one more thing and when she came back to us at five in the morning, we just looked at each other, thinking this was it. But she said she had got her stabilised on an oscillating ventilator. Within 10 days, they had Thea off the ventilator. She was medically fine, she had a heart and lung problems, and an acquired brain injury but we didnt know the extent of it. Thea then had an MRI scan at 10 days old. We were told there were marked changes, thats called cerebral palsy, and theres a spectrum and its different for each child. Marie Breen with her daughter Thea at their home in Killiney, Co Dublin. Thea, who will be four next month, is walking and talking, and will be going to mainstream school. Picture: Stephen Collins Its a wait-and-see situation. If you see a scan of a brain that doesnt tell you about a persons capacity for change, their capabilities, you have to leave the door open for hope, for that childs individuality. Now, almost four years later, Thea is a thriving child. Thea is walking and talking and has the cognitive abilities of a three-and-a-half-year-old, and will go to mainstream school. Last Thursday morning, Marie was listening to the Ryan Tubridy Show, when a person texted in to ask listeners if they had any advice in relation to going to counselling. Marie attended counselling for a year after the birth of Thea, and wanted to share her life-changing experience on air. Part of the issue for me going to counselling was, the day before she was born, she had a completely different life path, and after she was born, it was completely different. Who we were before we had her is different to who we are now. Its very complex for peoples emotional wellbeing. Because of the number of appointments Thea had, Marie could not return to work after her maternity leave was over. This meant my life was very insular and revolved around Thea and her care. When you have a child with a disability, you have high levels of anxiety all the time because of your concerns about their future. I went to the doctor to talk about how I was going to go back to work, all I thought about was the child. The GP said I think you need counselling, youre experiencing post-traumatic stress, said Marie. She rang three different counsellors before settling on Anne, who she felt she was able to engage with completely. The counsellor I went to was absolutely phenomenal and at no stage did she say do this, or you should do that, she let me come to the conclusions. It has never crossed my mind not to tell to people I went for counselling, Im not one bit embarrassed to say I needed help with this; going to counselling was a thoroughly empowering experience for me. I wanted to go back to being the confident person that I was. Marie Breen and Thea, with Theas younger brother, 18-month-old Cillian: Marie returned to work last month for the first time since Theas birth. Picture: Stephen Collins However, counselling, friends, and family were not Maries only form of support. Thea started attending Enable Ireland in February 2013, and Marie reached out for a parent support group there. Two of the social workers in Enable Ireland started a coffee morning once a month for parents of service users. This morning is a hub of support, empathy, and compassion for like-minded parents, said Marie. We [the parents] started a WhatsApp group and never has a WhatsApp group been such a source of counselling and support. In June, and after having a third child [Cillian, 18 months], Marie returned to work. Having Thea was a life-changing experience. Parents of children with a disability can define themselves by their child, but I am and we are, so much more. The Charity Commission said that it is to investigate Console in the UK following allegations of falsifying of accounts to obtain funding, significant private benefit, conflicts of interest, and financial mismanagement at the Irish arm of the organisation. The commission said it has already frozen the accounts of the UK-based charity. Due to the links between the Irish charity, the UK charity, and the High Court action that has taken place in Ireland, the commission considers that the impact of the actions taking place in Ireland affect public trust and confidence in the UK charity, said the Charity Commission yesterday. The recent events and actions also indicate that the assets of the UK charity may be at serious and significant risk of harm and that this requires further examination and action by the commission. The inquiry is to focus on the relationship between the UK and Irish charities and the financial management of the UK charity, and will assess whether there has been any misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees of the UK Console. In a statement, the commission stressed that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The development comes as Irish Consoles interim chief executive, David Hall, and HSE officials are expected to meet again with a number of organisations, including the Samaritans and Aware, over the weekend in a bid to find a way forward for the transfer of Consoles services to the other charities. On Thursday, it emerged that Console is to be wound up because the financial scandal surrounding its disgraced former chief executive, Paul Kelly, means the service is damaged beyond repair and is set to run out of money within days. Paul Kelly Although no definitive confirmation has emerged, it is widely expected that the Samaritans and Aware will take on Consoles 24/7 national helpline and bereavement counselling services. However, such a development can only take place if the HSE with the permission of the Department of Health provides additional finances to the groups taking on services to ensure they are adequately resourced to meet the increased demands. One of cinemas most enduring characters returns in The Legend of Tarzan (12A), which opens in 1890 with our eponymous hero, aka John Clayton, the Earl of Greystoke (Alexander Skarsgard), journeying from London to the Congo in an ambassadorial role for the British government. Accompanied by his wife Jane (Margot Robbie) and American emissary George Washington Williams (Samuel L Jackson), Clayton is ambushed by the dastardly Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), a Belgian scheming to enslave the native Congolese population in order to swell the coffers of Belgiums King Leopold. The history is as fuzzy as the CGI effects in this latest offering from David Yates (he also directed four of the Harry Potter movies), although its probably fair to say that historical accuracy has never accounted for the appeal of the Tarzan legend. Instead were fascinated by one of fictions great archetypes, a blend of nature and nurture, a man embodying the finest aspects of the human and animal kingdoms, and on that score Skarsgard doesnt disappoint. A powerful, lithe creature of the jungle, he is a noble but flawed man its easy to see why the idealistic Jane (a dazzling performance by Robbie) and the base Leon Rom (Waltz being as creepily salacious as ever) might both be entranced by the King of the Jungle. Those ropey CGI effects tend to undermine the more dramatic sequences, particularly when Tarzan is at war with various terrifying apes, but for the most part Yates has given us a good old-fashioned yarn that is a solid if not entirely spectacular addition to the cinematic Tarzan canon. Maggie (Greta Gerwig) is a New York singleton desperate to have a baby, and Maggies Plan (15A) is straightforward: shes going to get pregnant courtesy of former schoolmate Guy (Travis Fimmel). Things become complicated, however, when Maggie falls in love with aspiring novelist John (Ethan Hawke), not least because John is married to Georgette (Julianne Moore), and already has two children of his own Writer-director Rebecca Millers film is something of an homage to mid-period Woody Allen, featuring ravishing shots of New York, a subdued jazz-influenced score and a wonky merry-go-round of intersecting relationships, failing marriages and bright young things determined to experience love on their own terms. Greta Gerwig shines in the central role, delicately tip-toeing through a performance that requires her to be emotionally clumsy as she pursues the naive ideal of all-or-nothing love, and she gets very strong support from Hawke as a needy slob of a writer whose personal tragedy is that he can only ever see his mistakes in retrospect, and Moore, whose fragile Ice Queen facade is constantly cracking as her bottled-up desires well to the surface. Meanwhile, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph, playing Maggies married friends, provide terrific light relief with their vicious bickering; Travis Fimmel, despite being criminally underused, steals every scene hes in with a blend of intensity and offbeat comedy. Poking gentle fun at its characters while also subverting the cliches of the conventional romantic comedy, Maggies Plan is an enjoyably spiky bedroom farce from the talented Rebecca Miller. The Neon Demon (18s) is LA itself, a luridly beguiling siren that lures the young and the beautiful in order to feed on their life-force. That seems to be the thesis of Nicolas Winding Refns latest film, which opens with 16-year-old Jesse (Elle Fanning) arriving in Los Angeles with dreams of stardom. Jesse has the deer-in-the-headlights thing that Los Angeles loves, according to her new friend Ruby (Jena Malone), a quality that Ruby and her fellow coven members Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee) beautiful, but empty have long since lost. As Jesse wends her way through LA, via photography studios, model agencies and increasingly bizarre parties, the cynicism of her new friends erodes her innocence, and Jesse, ostensibly a fresh-faced ingenue, comes to understand the corrupting power of her innocent appearance. Nicolas Winding Refn is a director fascinated by the striking image, and the first half of The Neon Demon is superbly set up as he chillingly deconstructs the fetishisation of women, the tone cold and almost mockingly intense as it investigates the shallowness of LAs glitz and glamour. Fanning is stunning in the main role, protean in the way she so seamlessly evolves from terrified teen into fearless vamp, although Refns emphasis on the motifs of vampires and witches means the second half of the film rather loses its focus and becomes an overblown, metaphorical satire. Even so, The Neon Demon is never less than visually arresting, and Elle Fannings performance as Jesse morphs into a vapid narcissist is one of the finest of the year to date. Despite the enormous popularity of the grape variety this is actually quite a common bias among wine journalists almost as common as the bias against chardonnay is among consumers. However, unlike many consumers I meet who never (knowingly) drink chardonnay I would never claim to dislike all sauvignon. Im quite a fan of Springfield Estate Life From Stone sauvignon (South Africa) and I like the better versions from the Loire Pouilly Fume, Sancerre, etc. From Chile I like the simpler styles but am less of a fan of the herbal over-ripe versions that often smell of asparagus (I consider this a wine fault although some would disagree). As for New Zealand I tend to look for subtlety and while this is not always easy to find, the standard of winemaking is so high that I actually look forward to the New Zealand wine fair every January, despite the fact that I will have to taste at least 30 sauvignons. Clyde Sowman of Walnut Block in New Zealand was in Ireland recently and he is the kind of New Zealand producer I like. He and his brother Nigel farm their 17 hectares fully organically and make fresh clean wines best of all they sell them at a fair price. Only 5% of New Zealands vineyards are organic which is a surprisingly small number given how suited the country is to organic farming (according to Sowman). Organic growing gives us better quality grapes with more depth of flavour and less aggressive acidity, he said. Sowman adopts the French approach where the wine is made in the vineyard, not in the winery. This philosophy also gets a vote of approval from me. I didnt have room below for its stony green apple scented, restrained and layered 2013 single vineyard sauvignon blanc which was a favourite on the night but it is worth seeking out. Quality from New Zealand is difficult to find under 15 but it is available watch for supermarket specials and head to www.curiouswines.ie which has a sale on Australian and New Zealand wine until the end of the month. BEST VALUE UNDER 15 Treasures McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012, Australia 13.59 (was 16) Stockists: Curious Wines Cork and Naas www.curiouswines.ie McLaren Vale is around 40km from Adelaide and is always a good source of rich wines, especially grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. Rich chocolate, mint and smoke-scented wine with blackberries and soft dark fruit flavours and a touch of tar on the palate. Rich and mouth-filling, this is on special offer this month while stocks last. Caldora Chardonnay Terre di Chieti IGP, Abruzzo, Italy 13.60 Stockists: JJ ODriscolls, Karwig Wines www.karwigwines.ie From a co-op based in the coastal region of Ortona-Chieti on the Adriatic in Abruzzo in central Italy, this is a classic Italian take on chardonnay made with no oak and a lightness of touch. Pale straw colour with fine pear and sweet apple aromas and tropical hints, fresh and light but with some softness on the middle palate and a crisp finish. Domaine de Chatenoy Menetou-Salon 2012, Loire, France 15 Stockist: ODonovans Menetou-Salon could be seen as a poor-mans sancerre with similar limestone soil and grape varieties. Mineral and stony on the nose with restrained green apple fruit and a dry crisp palate and finish. This is fairly benchmark sauvignon for the Loire and an interesting contrast to the average New Zealand version. BEST VALUE OVER 15 Walnut Block Collectables Pinot Noir 2014, New Zealand 21.95 Stockists: Ardkeen Stores, No. 21 Midleton, Searsons, www.searsons.com The collectables series from Walnut Block features a 19th century stamp on the label commemorating New Zealands oldest walnut tree on the family estate. Carefully handled and de-stemmed before pressing this has earthy and red fruit aromas, textured and supple on the palate but with restraint and not a little elegance (13.5%). Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc 2015, New Zealand 16.95 Stockists: Ardkeen Stores, No. 21 Midleton, Searsons, www.searsons.com Picked at night to preserve acidity and stainless steel fermented at cool temperatures for maximum effect. This has lively green fruit aromas kiwi, gooseberry and a touch of under-ripe pineapple, tastes fresh on the palate with (thankfully) no herbal or asparagus flavours just pristine fresh fruit. Walnut Block Nutcracker Pinot Noir 2013, Marlborough New Zealand 32 Stockists: Ardkeen Stores, No. 21 Midleton, Searsons, www.searsons.com The grapes for the Nutcracker are from Burgundy clones and organically grown. Grapes are hand picked and chilled overnight to preserve delicacy and ensure balanced flavours before being fermented on wild yeasts and aged in French barriques. Dense and rich, full ripe red cherry and raspberry fruits, silky and lingering with good density and concentration. It there was a Brexit effect at Masterpiece, it was not obvious. The leading London fair for art and design which covers collectibles from antiquity to the present day, ran up to Wednesday of this week. And, while the Leave vote appeared not to have an effect on attendance, the international art market is contracting right now, but thats not because of Britains decision to leave the EU. Masterpiece Art Fair is held every summer in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and attracts around 40,000 visitors annually. Described as the billionaires art fair, Masterpiece brings out the A-listers along with the oligarchs. The top end of the market is fairly immune to potential money changes. It is inhibited only by a shortage of supply as sellers hold off. The art market contraction is at the middle and lower levels. Masterpiece, which is global, offered glimpses of the kind of art the seriously rich collect and invest in right now. In the wake of current political crises, it might have seemed the timing in 2016 of a fair established seven years ago to replace the old Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, could not have been worse. Nothing could be further from the truth. Michael Caine, Shakira Caine and Julian Lennon at Masterpiece Americans, in particular, found that their dollar went further all of a sudden, but the effect wasnt limited to the Anglophone world. There were buyers from across the board, and the world, in London this week. The Sladmore Gallery reported their best ever Masterpiece opening. Long-Sharp Gallery sold 17 works of art to collectors from the US, UK and Asia. New exhibitor Lindsey Ingram sold multiple works on paper to a range of international collectors. There were sales too of classic modern, British works and Italian post-war art. The fair offered masterworks by artists like Monet, Pissarro, Picasso, Schiele, Freud, Kandinsky, Wesselman, Calder, Kitaj, Fang, Hockney, Dali, Warhol and Kiefer. Mick Jagger at Masterpiece. So, do people buy for investment or pleasure, or a combination of both? There is undoubtedly a lot of investment in the art market, but it is not like other markets. Supply is the key. An individual who buys for investment tends to see a price tag when they look at their art. If you buy for pleasure you enjoy the artwork in a more meaningful way. Jasper Conran, the designer who now heads up the Conran empire. At the lower levels of the market, the advice has to be always to buy what you like. After all, you are the one who will be living with it. Money helps, but good taste can and should prevail without serious funds, A few sticks and stones and a pot of white paint can help create an artistic interior. Mr Picasso developed a whole new school of art based on found objects when art materials were impossible to come by during the Second World War. Gary in the Pool by David Hockney, 1978, was priced at 650,000 at Offer Waterman London. You do not need to be rich to collect, but at Masterpiece you do need lots of money. A budding collector seeking Lucian Freuds only known Irish work, a drawing of a boat in Connemara, would have to part with a cool 1.35 million. The work was on the Masterpiece stand of Stephen Ongpin Fine Art. Business at Masterpiece remained buoyant all week. Many galleries continued to report new sales as the week went on. Trinity House had a price tag of 24,000 on Elegante au chapeau by Paul Cesar Helleu. A fair of this nature offers an important opportunity for leading galleries to meet new clients. This is ever more important in a global marketplace where the art market is no longer dependant on just a handful of countries. Underlining this changed reality is the fact that registered bidders from no fewer than 75 countries participated in ten days of art sales at Christies up to the end of June. The auction series celebrating Christies 250 years in business saw 20 new artists records. Among them was Eve, a 1992 work by Sean Scully, which made 902,500 over a top estimate of 600,000. Fluent Irish speaker Sile Seoige has been working in TV and radio for 17 years. Recently shes added another string to her bow by becoming a certified yoga teacher. A native of Spiddal in Connemara Co. Galway and the youngest of four children, Seoige is extremely connected to her roots, and her passion for her home county is visceral. This, is her Galway. My first realisation that I came from Galway was when any rich dark, red colour was known as Maroon, not burgundy or berry or wine. Its MAROON! Being a Galwegian defines me in many ways, but mostly because I like a large chips in SuperMacs. The place I find solace in every time I visit is walking the Salthill prom. When I am away for a long period of time, I crave delicious seafood fresh from the Atlantic while the sun sets. The most unique thing about Galway, and the thing that sets it apart from all others, in my opinion, is the warmth and humour of the people. Galway is famous for its great food, and rightly so. "There are too many gorgeous places to recommend just one, but I would say you wont go far wrong if you stick to produce from the sea. A perfect day for me to spend in my county would start with an early morning walk along on the beach to build up an appetite for breakfast. "I would gather together my family and friends and tour around Connemara, stopping off in Gaynors pub in Leenane for a pint and a before watching the sun set on the sky road in Clifden. The place that takes my breath away is Dogs Bay in Roundstone. Its magic. On a sunny day, you could be on a beach in the Caribbean When I need a culture fix I head straight to any of Galways theatres, The Town Hall, Druid or An Taibhdhearc. Galway is one of the countrys greatest cultural centres, and our theatres are an excellent example of the arts that are celebrated throughout the year. The best live music can be found in Galways West End. Choose from Monroes, Roisins and The Crane Bar, the list goes on, and each one is better than the next. I dont know a better place to have some wine and a gossip than Sheridans wine bar, just above their cheesemongers. Such a great spot for delicious wines, chats, craic and even the occasional singsong late in the night. When I want to unwind, no place calms me like being beside the sea. Galway is home to some of Irelands most beautiful beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean has a particular resonance for me. If you visit one place in Galway, make it Connemara Or the Aran Islands! Five things to do in Galway 1. Settle in for a pint and a good old trad session at Tig Coili on Mainguard Street every Monday night. 2. Blow off the cobwebs by jumping off the Blackrock Diving Tower at Salthill. Just make sure to check the tide tables first. 3. Buy a coffee and soak up the atmosphere at the Spanish Arch preferably on a Saturday. 4. Head on a day trip to the Aran Islands. The boat may be slightly rocky, but it is worth it. Bring rain gear, and prepare to bike around the island for the day, before settling in one of the local pubs for a pint and a feed. 5. Walk The Connemara Way. The walk extends from Galway city along the shores of Galway Bay through An Spideal (Spiddal), An Cheathru Rua (Carraroe), Ros Muc and Carna, then northwards to Letterfrack and Glen Craff to join up with the Western Way. Its quite long, at 77km but there are lots of Irish-speaking B&Bs to bunk in along the way. The worlds most exquisite bars are being made in a garage in Ho Chi Minh City. There is nothing unusual, not in this era, about being a tiny, artisanal, single-origin chocolate maker. But the artisanal, award-winning chocolate Ive come to see is being manufactured by a tiny operation called Marou in a factory on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, with beans that were hand-picked on a skinny strip of an island called Tan Phu Dong in the Mekong Delta. Vietnamese chocolate is unlike any other. Its made mostly from a bean called trinitario, an 18th-century blend of forastero - the high-yield bean now used by Big Chocolate - and the rarer, more nuanced criollo. Marous chocolate has a particular complexity and variability, because unlike most chocolate makers, they can create theirs from beans they select at the source. This means they have control of everything, from farm to bar. The result is chocolate with unusual aromas - licorice, say, or tobacco. The company was founded in 2011 by a Franco-Japanese named Samuel Maruta, who first came to Vietnam as a schoolteacher, and Vincent Mourou, a Franco-American former advertising executive. We make a very French chocolate as far as technique goes, Maruta told me in Ho Chi Minh City. Most Vietnamese like much sweeter, blander chocolate. But as far as the raw material goes, its also distinctly Vietnamese. That morning, Maruta and I set off to see where the beans that supply Marous Tan Phu Dong 85% and Treasure Island 3/4 were grown. We drove three hours south into the Mekong Delta - past flat, baked land dotted with farmhouses and paddies - to visit Tan Phu Dong island. Its here that Pham Thanh Cong, one of Marous suppliers, has his cacao plantation. Cong made us lunch, and then we tasted some of his raw fermented beans. The brightly coloured cacao pod, when sliced open, looks like a mangosteen, with a cluster of seeds coated with a sweet white membrane. The seeds are fermented for six days in wooden crates, and then dried in the sun on bamboo mats. From here, the ones that Maruta and Mourou select are taken back to their factory in a quiet, anonymous suburb of Ho Chi Minh City. Then theyre roasted, shucked from their husks and ground into a paste that is heated and mixed with sugar until it forms a fine liquid that fills the air with a beautiful toasty aroma. This liquid is whisked and spooled for about two days before being poured into moulds, cooled and wrapped. The chocolate from Tan Phu Dong had a bright freshness to it, and tasted a bit like hazelnuts: creamy and intensely dark. But when I offered some to Cong, he shook his head. Dont like it, he said, as Maruta had predicted he might. Too dark and sour for me. And there it was: a reminder that serious chocolate (so to speak) hasnt quite caught on in Vietnam yet. I, however, took 20 bars back home to Bangkok. They might not be appreciated in their birthplace, but they were coming with me. These range from big players like the Samaritans and the now-notorious Console to small community groups like Dunfanaghy Family Resource Centre in Donegal and the Ballyfermot Advance Project in Dublin. That suicide prevention is at the heart of communities is little wonder, given that suicide rates here are traditionally high and that the number of people taking their own lives accelerated notably during the downturn. Overall, there were 458 such deaths in 2007; by 2009 this had jumped to 552 and to 554 in 2011. In addition, Ireland has long ranked among the worst countries in Europe for suicide rates among men aged 15 and 26. Those working in the sector say some of the small players can be little more than a Facebook page that offer mental health support or a so-called mom and pop organisation set up in memory of a loved one to offer a listening ear. They are all doing different things in different ways to meet their different aims. This isnt necessarily always a bad thing, especially when its a community meeting its needs in a way that works. But there are parts of the country with scant support, others with a glut of competing groups. Six years ago, the Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS) began to make the Department of Health aware of the need to implement basic standards across this fragmented sector. It commissioned the University of Ulster to complete a 30,000 study on how to introduce an accreditation programme for voluntary suicide prevention organisations. The IAS said the introduction of quality standards to the sector would bring credibility to affiliated members and give the public confidence in the service they contacted. IAS president, retired Fine Gael TD Dan Neville, warned suicide prevention charities must have integrity as its a subject that people respond to instantly as its so emotionally loaded. If you have 252 different charities, you are bound to have some people who will try to misuse the charity for their own purposes, he said. Six years later, there is no sign of it.The department was initially behind the idea but six years later, nothing has happened, said Mr Neville. As recently as last week, the department mentioned it at an annual meeting but no action has been taken. Yes, the Charities Regulatory Authority has been set up with its emphasis on corporate governance, but quality of service remains an unknown in the smaller schemes. A spokesman for the National Office of Suicide Prevention said funded agencies are regulated under the governance requirements attached to the grant aid agreement and service level agreement conditions. However, we saw how these were disregarded and undermined by Console. It said that its Connecting for Life strategy includes plans to develop standards and guidelines for statutory and non-statutory suicide prevention organisations. Six years ago, those plans existed too. But, vulnerable people and their families are being put at preventable risk if such projects arent expected to operate to minimum standards. Will it take another scandal for action to be taken? It is often said a leader without followers is merely a man going for a walk. After a week to forget for Enda Kenny, the most successful Fine Gael Taoiseach ever is now facing into the end of his time as leader. Calls from throughout his party for him to signal quickly a timescale for his departure has shortened significantly the process of departure. Yes, he stands a badly damaged and isolated figure and his bizarre decision to re-appoint failed TD turned senate appointee, James Reilly, as deputy leader is seen by many Fine Gael supporters as the last straw, as one TD put it yesterday. However, notwithstanding his bad week, there is simply no appetite within Fine Gael for a heave. Supporters of the main leadership contenders Simon Coveney, Leo Varadkar, and Frances Fitzgerald said there is no benefit in moving against Mr Kenny at the moment and they genuinely want to allow him space to step down with dignity. Frances Fitzgerald Clearly, the scars of the botched heave of 2010 still loom large but in Fine Gael they tend not to put the boot in as easily as their new best friends in Fianna Fail. However, it is clear that while they will tolerate Kenny taking some time, that time is limited. Many TDs speaking to me said that they would prefer to know his views sooner rather than later, pointing to the summer recess as their preferred option. Even some of Kennys most senior ministers have called on the Taoiseach to move quickly to minimise uncertainty. Yesterday, chief whip Regina Doherty heaped pressure on her boss on local radio. The Taoiseach must clarify the process for him stepping aside as Fine Gael leader to avoid confusion, she said. Speaking on The Michael Reade Show on LMFM , Ms Doherty said the leadership issue must not become a distraction. Unless theres clarification of the process laid out, there will be confusion. Otherwise youre going to have me and the other 49 members of Fine Gael telling you something different until it is clarified, she said. It would be fair if the Taoiseach clarified this so we could get back to normal, Ms Doherty added. However, the likely wiggle room granted to Mr Kenny brings up another aspect to this saga which has so far been overlooked. Just how many people within Fine Gael still support him. Over 14 years, he has repeatedly rewarded loyalty over merit and ability. Hence why people like John Deasy, Brendan Griffin, and Jim Daly have been overlooked repeatedly. A rough calculation would show that half of the party have benefitted from his patronage and been given a promotion. Will that preferment be good enough to secure their support over the coming months? However, as one political sage yesterday observed, if you put your trust in princes you will perish. Mr Kenny, who has generally been tolerated as leader, rather than loved, will not be able to rely on his loyalists who realise change is in the air. They will not think twice about deserting him if they feel it is in their longer term interest. However, whenever Mr Kenny does decide to go, the perceived wisdom is that Mr Varadkar will be his successor. Leo Varadkar Several opinion polls, the latest in yesterdays Irish Times, showed he has a commanding lead over his main rival, Mr Coveney. Mr Varadkar spoke this week of his strong desire to lead Fine Gael. Of course Id love to lead my party. Ive been dedicated to it since I was 17 or 18 years old, he said. He too in recent weeks and months has engaged in a soft yet intensive campaign regarding TDs and senators. He clears his Wednesday nights to ensure he is available to TDs as he feels it is important they have access to ministers. This is a policy he has pursued since 2011 and it is also known that he made sure to ring most, if not all, Fine Gael TDs who lost their seats in the general election earlier this year. He also reached out to those who tried and failed to make it into the Senate all the time reassuring them that they have a sympathetic ear in him. He has also has moderated his comments on abortion since 2015 in a bid not to alienate the more conservative elements in the party. In addition, he has made a big play to ensure the new intake of TDs has been reached out to. Having got tickets from Horse Racing Ireland, Mr Varadkar invited a small number of TDs to the Leopardstown Races on Thursday, a move seen as significant given the current events. Invitees were asked via text from Varadkar, who promised a good time. Good music and good craic, hope you can make it, L, went the text to some of the invitees. A source close to Varadkar played down the significance of the meeting saying it was in the pipeline long before the events of this week took place. The source said he loves the races and he regularly goes with some TDs on a purely social basis. However, it is clear that Mr Varadkar has a group of hard-core fans within the party, whose affection for him borders on worship. They are getting itchy feet and they see it is their mans chance to secure the leadership of the party and perhaps become the first openly gay Taoiseach. However, Mr Coveney, while certainly trailing Mr Varadkar at the moment, has also been putting in the groundwork to court the support of his colleagues. Simon Coveney Supporters of Mr Coveney have said mr Varadkar may have had more chance to woo the backbenches given his is a department that isnt the most demanding, whereas Mr Coveney has had a baptism of fire since becoming housing minister. Water charges, the housing crisis, and bin charges have dogged his short tenure. Mr Coveney is seen as a safer pair of hands than Mr Varadkar and in the heat of a campaign, TDs and senators who will be key in deciding the new leader could be swayed by this. Mr Varadkar, by his own admission, may be too fiery and loudmouthed for some elements within the party and his capacity to go rogue at times has infuriated his elders. Some have also referred to his arrogance and lack of interest during talks with the Independent Alliance after the general election. Independent ministers like Shane Ross and John Halligan repeatedly highlighted Mr Varadkars unwillingness to engage with them during the talks and were he to become Taoiseach, how long could the current arrangement last amid such hostilities? There is a real chance that a vote for Mr Varadkar is a vote for an early election, and this could be another reason why people may drift to Mr Coveney. Another factor to consider is Fianna Fail. Will it stomach supporting a Fine Gael led by Mr Varadkar or Mr Coveney? Well, speaking to my colleague Elaine Loughlin, Michael McGrath made it clear any change would be destabilising. I do think that a change in leader or a change of Taoiseach could be a destabilising issue in the current arrangement. Thats quite understandable, if there were to be a change how would that be managed, what would the approach be of a new leader, are Fine Gael looking at changing leader as Enda Kenny remains on as Taoiseach until the next election? We simply dont know, he said. Mr Kenny will be given some time to walk of his own volition, but if he is not careful, he could find himself pushed against his will. Everywhere you look, there are concrete frames, newly poured, nearly finished. The air is grey with the fumes of clogged, erratic traffic. The streets are alive with people walking furiously, as if they are all part of a campaign to march the Ethiopian economy into double digit growth. So it looked last week when Mary Robinson landed in the city with the chiefs executive from Concern, Goal, and Trocaire. Robinson is the UNs special envoy on climate change. Three months ago she had added to her brief responsibility for reporting to the UN on El Nino, a phenomenon that is wrecking havoc in large areas of eastern and southern Africa. Robinson and the Irish delegation were in town to drag the eyes of the West to the impact of climate change in the developing world. Mention climate change in this country and those who even contemplate the issue think in terms of the future. Nobody wants to hand the planet over to unborn generations in a terminally damaged state. The reality, however, is that climate change is already here, and being felt by those least able to absorb its worst effects. El Nino sounds cutesy but is a harbinger of misery. It occurs every two to seven years when a warming of surface water leads to a rising of temperatures across the equatorial zone of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, affecting circulation and ultimately leading to a depletion of rain. It peaks around December. Last year was the worst El Nino in half a century, rendering a further major blow to the regularity and quantity of rainfall that is disrupting the lives of millions in the developing world. This, according to numerous studies not to mind plain logic is directly attributable to climate change. A report published by Trocaire earlier this year outline many of the problems now being faced in the developing world due to the ongoing attack on the planet. In eastern Africa, this has led to the main growing season declining by approximately 15% since the 1980s. The report goes on: The most prominent trend has been towards reduced rainfall amounts with the growing season length (March to May) across much of eastern Africa. Occuring during the main grown season in poor countries dependent on rain-fed agriculture, these declines are societally dangerous, impacting adversely on household livelihoods and food security and have been assocated with human induced warming of the Indian Ocean. On Wednesday, the UN stated that up to 100m people could be adversely affected by El Nino and La Nina, which usually follows on from the former and causes major flooding. Despite the efforts of many of the counties affected, the UN estimates that $4bn is required to address the havoc that has been wrecked. Nowhere has this misery been more devastating that in Ethiopia. As anyone over 45 will testify to, that country has long been associated with the famine of the mid 80s, Live Aid and Bob Geldof. Bob Geldof The world has moved on since those days. Addis Ababa is a thriving city, although the frenzied activity may not be as productive as it appears on first glance. But out in the rural heartlands where 90% of the 95m population live hunger has again become a critical issue. The outcome of two harvests failing last year has been 10.8m suffering from malnutrition. It means parents unable to feed their children, subsistence farmers selling their livestock for food, despite being fully aware that they are selling next years food. For those worst affected, its a matter of selling off anything that raises cash to keep the hunger at bay. Among those affected are 3m children who have had to leave school as a result of the drought. One-in-six children in affected areas are categorised as suffering severe malnutrition. Can you imagine an existence where you instinctively look to the sky to call for rain so your children might eat? Fate had dealt Ethiopia a poor enough hand without having to deal with the effects of climate change. As the countrys health minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said after meeting with Robinson last Tuesday: We have contributed nothing [to climate change] but we are the victims. And although we are the victims we want to be part of the solution. He has a point. The average Ethiopian is responsible for 0.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, compared to 8.8 metric tonnes for the average Irish person. In other words, it takes 88 Ethiopians to emit as much carbon dioxide as one Irish person. The reality is that the West regards the impact of climate change with one blind eye. Leaders gather and pay homage to Saint Augustine with a plea to be made pure, but just not now, not this side of the next election. Tackling the phenomenon is relegated in the hierarchy of priorities among leaders because of the fear than firm action will impact to a greater or lesser degree on domestic economies. Courage is in short supply. Take our own great leader, Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. Last December, he talked the passionate talk at the COP21 climate change conference in Paris, pledging that we are obliged to save the planet. Then he made a special pleading for Ireland to get an exemption from the agreed emission target as it might impact on agriculture in particular. Enda Kenny On a bigger stage there is the Trumpites who simply deny the phenomenon because of what it might cost to address it. The fall-out from Brexit is likely to relegate further the imperative of tackling the issue, as a raising of trade barriers may lead to a lowering of standards in carbon emissions, in order to make investment more attractive in places like the UK. Thats the fractured world we live in. While children die, and the life is sucked out of towns and villages across east Africa, due to man-made damage, the West tells itself it hasnt happened yet, that theres time to talk some more about it. Ethiopians are a proud people. Unlike most other African countries, theirs was never colonised when the western powers ran amok in the 19th century. Today, the main damage being done to the country is coming once more from the excesses of the West, which bears the brunt of responsibility for warming the planet, and depleting the rains. The strong are once more impacting negatively on the lives of those who dont have the same resources to fight or defend themselves. Guns are not being used this time, but blind indifference is already doing much the same job. We still dont know all the facts. What we do know is that there has been a vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement, Mr Obama said in a brief statement to reporters. He called the shooters motives twisted and vowed that justice will be done. There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement, he said. Mr Obama spoke with Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings and offered his support and condolences. He said the FBI is also in contact with Dallas police. He spoke from Warsaw, Poland, where he is meeting with Nato and EU leaders. He arrived early yesterday shortly before the snipers opened fire, killing five police officers and injuring seven others during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. Immediately after landing in Warsaw, and before the shootings, Mr Obama made a point of expressing solidarity with protesters. In a hastily arranged statement to reporters, he called on Americans to do more to fight injustice and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The remarks appeared aimed at ensuring Mr Obama did not appear to be withdrawn from the roiling public debate over police brutality. The president has acknowledged becoming out of touch with the public mood during past foreign travels and seemed determined not to let that happen this week. In this case, Mr Obama also proved to be grimly attuned to the potential for violence directed at police and criticism that the protesters were hostile toward law enforcement. Theres no contradiction between supporting law enforcement and working to see that biases in the justice system are rooted out, Mr Obama said. So when people say Black Lives Matter, that doesnt mean blue lives dont matter, he said, referring to police. Brett Barna had been employed for six years at Moore Capital, the $15b hedge fund run by billionaire Louis Bacon. Mr Barnas personal judgment was inconsistent with the firms values. He is no longer employed by Moore Capital Management, the firms spokesman, Patrick Scanlan, said in a statement. Barna could not immediately be reached for comment. His Fourth of July pool party last weekend made waves on social media, with revellers posting pictures under the hashtag #Sprayathon of crowds of people dancing, drinking and spraying bubbly. Many people commented on how the party reminded them of The Wolf of Wall Street movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The New York Post newspaper reported that the owner of the house planned to sue Barna for $1m, saying he had claimed the party would be a fundraiser for an animal charity, and that only 50 guests would attend. Instead, 1,000 people showed up, the owner told the newspaper. But the only animals there were the people, a thousand of them, the owner said. They drowned themselves in champagne, they had midgets they threw in the pool, they broke into the house, trashed the furniture, art was stolen, we found used condoms, he claimed. So many people were there that the concrete around the pool crumbled and fell into the water. Were waiting to serve him. Brett was last seen on Sunday chugging champagne with two midgets, the New York Post quoted the owner as saying, without revealing the identity. The suspect, named by officials as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, died after a stand-off with police following the attacks which left five officers dead and seven injured during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. Police chief David Brown said at a news conference that Johnson told negotiators he was acting alone and was unaffiliated with any group. Mr Brown said officers killed him with a robot-delivered bomb after the failure of hours of negotiations in a city-centre parking garage during which he made threats about bombs. Police sealed off the city centre but later tweeted that primary and secondary sweeps for explosives were complete and no explosives had been found. Although Johnson apparently said he acted alone, it remains unclear if that was the case. Mr Brown said earlier that three other suspects were in custody, but he declined to discuss those detentions and said police do not know if investigators have accounted for all participants in the attack. The gunfire broke out as hundreds of people gathered to protest over incidents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and St Paul, Minnesota. The Dallas shootings killed four city police officers and one officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, which operates buses and the state of Texass largest municipal rail system. Mr Brown told reporters snipers fired ambush style on the officers, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said two members of the public were wounded in the gunfire. Video footage from the scene showed protesters marching about half a mile from City Hall, when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Mr Brown said that it appeared the shooters planned to injure and kill as many officers as they could. The attacks made Thursday the deadliest day in US law enforcement since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The search for the shooters stretched throughout the city centre, an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses, and some residential apartments. The area is a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza, where President John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on street corners. Everyone just started running, Devante Odom, 21, told The Dallas Morning News. We lost touch with two of our friends just trying to get out of there. Carlos Harris, who lives nearby, told the newspaper that the shooters were strategic. It was tap, tap, pause. Tap, tap, pause. Video posted on social media appeared to show a gunman at ground level exchanging fire with a police officer who was then felled. Authorities have not determined whether any protesters were involved with or were complicit in the attack. One woman was taken into custody in the same parking garage as the stand-off, Mr Brown said. Two others were taken into custody during a traffic stop. Mr Rawlings said at a news conference that authorities were asking people to stay away from the city centre: This is still an active crime scene. Were determining how big that crime scene is. A map was being posted online showing an area where people should avoid, he said. Theresa Williams said one of the injured civilians was her sister, 37-year-old Shetamia Taylor. Ms Williams said her sister was at the protests with her four sons, aged 12 to 17. When the shooting began, Ms Taylor threw herself over her sons, Ms Williams said. She was undergoing surgery after being shot in the right calf. Texas governor Greg Abbott released a statement saying he had directed the Texas Department of Public Safety director to offer whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time. In times like this we must remember and emphasise the importance of uniting as Americans, Mr Abbott said. Wrong suspect A man identified by police on Twitter as a suspect in the attack has said he turned himself in and was released. Dallas Police put out a photo on its Twitter account of a man wearing a camouflage shirt and holding a rifle with the message: This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him! The man, Mark Hughes, told Dallas TV station KTVT he flagged down a police officer immediately after finding out he was a suspect. He said police lied during a 30-minute interrogation, saying they had video of him shooting. Videos online show Mr Hughes walking peacefully in the shooting and later turning over his gun to a police officer. Philando Castiles girlfriend streamed live on Facebook the gruesome aftermath of his shooting in a St Paul suburb this week. Castile, a school cafeteria supervisor, had been shot for no apparent reason while reaching for his wallet, after telling the officer he had a gun and a permit to carry it, said Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend, in the video. Would this have happened if those passengers would have been white? I dont think it would have, Governor Mark Dayton said. Hours after Daytons remarks, gunmen shot and killed five police officers in Dallas, amid protests over Castiles killing and over a second fatal police shooting of a black man. Alton Sterling, 37, was killed on Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after he scuffled with two white police officers outside a convenience store. Portions of that shooting were also caught on video. Castile was shot in Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000, served primarily by the nearby St Anthony Police Department. In the video, Reynolds describes being pulled over for a busted tail light. Reynolds told reporters that the 32-year-old Castile, of St. Paul, did nothing but what the police officer asked of us, which was to put your hands in the air and get your licence and registration. The video shows her in a car next to a bloodied Castile, who is slumped in a seat. A distraught person, who appears to be a police officer, stands at the cars window, telling her to keep her hands up and says: I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out. You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir, Reynolds calmly responds. State investigators named the two officers as Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser. Both had been with the St Anthony Police Department for four years and were put on administrative leave. Yanez approached Castiles car from the drivers side, and Kauser from the passenger side, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The agency said Yanez opened fire, striking Castile multiple times. Several videos, including squad car video of the incident, have been collected, but St Anthony officers dont wear body cameras. The bureau did not give the officers races. Reynolds described the officer who shot Castile as Asian. The St Anthony Police Departments 2015 annual report points to Yanezs volunteerism; he gave a tour of the station to a local Cub Scout troop and volunteered with St Pauls Cinco De Mayo celebration, participating in a parade with other members of the National Latino Police Officers Association. The previous years report includes a photo of Yanez solemnly guarding a memorial to fallen officers at the state Capitol. Many of the people killed by police in recent years were unarmed, in custody or trying to flee, according to the 109-page report. Authorities have said that in most cases, the police had come under attack, but prosecutors told the rights group that in the majority of the cases there was no confrontation. The city is gearing up for the Olympic Games that begin on August 5, with security as one of the main concerns. Rights groups have condemned the increasing use of excessive force in slums and outlying areas. Human Rights Watch said the lack of investigation and prosecution of officers to some extent unravelled a security overhaul that had shown progress. You cant be an effective police officer in a community if people distrust you, fear you, they even hate you, said Daniel Wilkinson, managing director of the Americas division at the organisation. Its compromising any effort to improve public security and fulfill this promise for the Olympics. Rio police have had a long track record of carrying out extrajudicial killings with more than 8,000 deaths by law enforcement since 2006. However, Wilkinson said police killings dropped between 2007 to 2013 after an effort to reduce crime in violent slums through the use of a new community police force. However, police killings have been rising in the past three years in Rio de Janeiro state, with 645 people killed in officer-involved shootings in 2015, against 416 in 2013. They failed to deal with this basic problem, which is that there are a lot of cases of police executing people, Wilkinson said. Theres almost zero accountability. These cases arent investigated, they are not prosecuted and people can get away with them. It was no surprise that after initial progress, the problem of police killings started to bounce back. The rate of 3.9 police killings per 100,000 people in 2015 is almost five times that of South Africas and nearly 10 times that of the US. The New York-based rights group interviewed 34 current and former police officers who detailed a culture of combat that rewards them for killing instead of arresting drug-trafficking suspects. They said they covered up killings by planting guns on victims, or removing them from crime scenes to deliver dead people at hospitals, destroying evidence in the process. Autopsies in 20 cases showed the dead had been shot at close range, which is not typical of shootouts. The stories of the officers gunned down in a sniper attack in Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings of black men emerged yesterday as their identities became known. Officer Brent Thompson, 43, had worked as an officer for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) authority for the last seven years. The group posted on its Facebook page that there would be more violence to come, and made specific threats to Baton Rouge police chief Carl Dabadie Jr. The suspect in the Dallas gun attack told officers he was upset over recent police shootings of black men and wanted to kill white people, particularly police, according to officials. Micah Johnson, 25, died after a stand-off with police following the attack during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men. Police chief David Brown said officers killed Johnson with a robot-delivered bomb after the failure of hours of negotiations in a city-centre parking garage during which he made threats about bombs. He said Johnson told negotiators he was acting alone and was unaffiliated with any group. We don't feel much support most days, let's not make today most days, please we need your support: Dallas police pic.twitter.com/oXRpf8m0Aj Reuters (@Reuters) July 8, 2016 Johnson was a US army veteran. A search of his home revealed firearms, ammunition, bomb-making equipment, and a personal journal. There were also reports last night of attacks on police in Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri. US President Barack Obama called the Dallas killings a vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement. The gunfire broke out as hundreds of people gathered to protest over the shooting dead of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castille in St Paul, Minnesota. Sterling, 37, was shot dead on Tuesday after police pinned him to the ground. His death was filmed by two people on smartphones, and has been widely viewed online. Castille, 34, was shot during a routine traffic stop. The aftermath of his shooting was also filmed, by his fiancee Diamond Reynolds, who said officers had asked Castille for his ID and he was just reaching for his drivers licence. Her four-year-old daughter was in the car. He killed him for no reason, Ms Reynolds said on Thursday. He was never a bad man. He was the quietest, most laid-back person. Nothing in his body language said intimidation. Nothing in his body language said shoot me. Nothing in his body language said kill me. He refused to criticise the home secretarys opponent Andrea Leadsom when asked if there would be security risks if the relatively inexperienced junior minister won the leadership. But he highlighted Mays track record, saying she was committed to keeping the UK safe. Mr Fallon told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think at this point she (Ms May) has the experience, the track record, to take this country forward now, to stabilise the economy. Asked if there would be risks if Leadsom became prime minister, Fallon replied: Im not going to knock her opponent, but Im committed to Theresa May, Ive worked with her on security day in, day out. She has the experience, she is already a member of the National Security Council, she works to protect homeland security, just as I deal with threats abroad like Daesh (Islamic State) and our commitments to Nato and we work together. And Ive seen her deal with crisis, Ive seen her chair the Cobra emergency committee, Ive seen her handle these things, and shes absolutely committed above all to keeping this country safe. The UK is on course to have its second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher, as May and Leadsom begin canvassing Tory members around the country. Around 150,000 Conservative members will decide the identity of the partys new leader, who will also take the keys to Number 10, with the result to be announced on September 9. But a campaign by former party chairman Grant Shapps to speed up the contest so a new PM is chosen by the end of this month now has the backing of 44 Tories and one Labour MP. A quicker contest could favour the higher-profile May, but Shapps, who supports her, has insisted he is acting in the national interest, and stressed the campaign has the backing of supporters of both candidates. Mays campaign received a boost with an endorsement from The Sun newspaper, which proclaimed on its front page that the new Mrs T must be Tezza not Leadsom. Following the bruising EU referendum campaign and the resignation of David Cameron, the home secretary has insisted she can unite the party. Leadsom was a prominent Brexit-backer and hopes that her support for leaving the EU will win her votes from eurosceptics in the Tory grassroots. Boris Johnson ramped up the pressure on May to guarantee that EU nationals living in Britain can remain here after Brexit. Leadsom has moved to guarantee their status but Ms May has said it should be included in Brexit negotiations. Johnson, who backs Leadsom, told BBC News: Theres one very important thing I think that both candidates have got to make clear EU nationals living here now have absolutely no problem and they are welcome, they are a vital part of our economy. "Andrea has made that clear I think but I think Theresa should make that clear as well. The law, passed by a Republican-led legislature and signed by a Republican governor, is due to take effect on August 1. The lawsuit was filed in the US district court in Austin on Wednesday. The law permits concealed-handgun licence holders aged 21 and older to bring handguns into classrooms and buildings throughout the University of Texas system, one of the nations largest, with an enrolment of more than 214,000 students. Compelling professors at a public university to allow, without any limitation or restriction, students to carry concealed guns in their classrooms chills their First Amendment rights to academic freedom, the lawsuit stated. The lawsuit filed by professors Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa Moore and Mia Carter names defendants including the states Republican attorney general, the schools president and the universitys board of regents. Attorney General Ken Paxton said the law is constitutionally sound and he will defend it. This lawsuit is not only baseless, it is an insult to the millions of law-abiding gun owners in Texas and across this country, Paxton said in a statement. The professors argue that they discuss controversial and emotionally laden subjects such as reproductive rights, and it would be inevitable for them to alter their classroom presentations because of potential gun violence. There has been heightened concern about gun violence on US college campuses after several mass shootings in recent years. University President Greg Fenves in February approved plans for holders of concealed handguns to bring pistols into classrooms, saying he had been forced to do so by the new law. University officials said they were reviewing the lawsuit and typically do not comment on pending litigation. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said the law could prevent mass shootings because someone with a licenced concealed weapon could confront a gunman. The so-called campus-carry law allows private colleges to opt out, and most of the states best-known private universities have done so, saying the measure runs counter to protecting student safety. Eight states allow people to carry concealed weapons on public post-secondary campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Texas law takes effect on the 50th anniversary of one of the deadliest US gun incidents on a US college campus. Student Charles Whitman killed 16 people by firing from a perch atop the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin in 1966. Business The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (July 9, 2016) Burger King in Burma, Hitachis big plans, a fresh round of foreign bank licenses, Telenor Myanmars new CEO, and efforts to boost trade with Thailand. Burger King opens in Burma, but only for outbound flyers The first Burger King outlet in Burma opened at the start of July, but the restaurant at Rangoon International Airports new terminal will remain off-limits to most people in the country. The Facebook page for Rangoons airport announced the opening the day before it launched on July 1 in the brand new T1 terminal. The restaurant is available to departing passengers only, however, as it sits airside of immigration controls. The same goes for American ice cream shop Swensens, which also opened on July 1, according to the Facebook page, although that chain already has branches in Rangoon. Both are operated in Burma under a franchise held by the Bangkok-based Minor Food Group, the Myanmar Times reported. The company holds the franchises for both chains in Thailand, according to its website. At the moment, to visit the restaurants, you have to be on a flight with one of three airlines currently operating out of the new terminal: Myanmar National Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Air Asia. Yangon Aerodrome, the company that operates the airport, inaugurated the new terminal building in March. The company is a subsidiary of Asia World, a massive conglomerate that is blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury for its links to the illegal heroin trade. Japans Hitachi has big plans for Burma Japanese electronics and infrastructure conglomerate Hitachi is reportedly planning to increase by a factor of five the size of its operations in Burma. Nikkei Asian Review reported comments from Hitachis president and chief executive officer, Hiroaki Nakanishi, who visited the capital, Naypyidaw, this week. The CEO would be meeting with government officials to propose new projects as the company looks to expand its operation to 300 billion yen (about US$299 million) by 2020, the report said. Hitachi, along with fellow Japanese company Mitsubishi Corporation, won a Myanma Railways contract in May last year for upgrades on Burmas dilapidated rail network. The $24 million project, due for completion in June 2017, includes installing systems to coordinate signals along a 140-kilometer stretch of track between Rangoon and Pyuntaza, Pegu Division. On top of the electrification of the rail system, we will present proposals to the government, including a comprehensive plan to develop the transportation infrastructure, Hiroaki was quoted saying. Hitachi wants to help improve the governments database of maps using GPS, which would provide a launching pad for resource exploration, disaster prevention, flood control and other related operations across a wide spectrum, the president was quoted as saying. Hitachi will also work with Japan Post to help Myanmar Post offer e-money services, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported. A press release on Wednesday said a unit of the group, Hitachi Solutions, had also won a tender last year to implement an electronic data interchange system for Burmas Port Authority. The company also said it would host a Social Innovation Forum in Naypyidaw to boost its sales in the country. Last year, Hitachi announced plans to expand our business in [Burma] and increase the number of local employees five timesfrom 200 to 1,000by 2020, Hiroaki was quoted in the statement saying. We are very much on track and I am pleased to share that our employee numbers have more than doubled to over 500 in just one year. Next round of licenses for foreign banks underway A Vietnamese bank has received its license to conduct banking operations in Burma after the government said in March it would award four additional banks permission to do business in the country. Following a round of awards in 2014, nine overseas banks were granted licenses that allow them to conduct limited operations in the country, although they are not permitted to do retail banking. In March, the government said it had decided to award additional licenses to the State Bank of India, E. SUN Commercial Bank of Taiwan, Shinhan Bank of South Korea and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV). Reuters reported that the four banks would have a year in which to demonstrate that they could deliver on their business plans before getting a permanent license. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the four banks are each required to invest at least US$75 million of capital and have 12 months to fulfill business commitments outlined in their initial applications. They should also take all necessary measures to ensure functional banking operations from day one of business. Reports from Viet Nam News and the Chinese state newswire Xinhua said this week that Burmas Central Bank had now granted BIDV its license, allowing the Vietnamese bank to commence operations from this month. In the coming period, the bank will focus on providing modern banking products and services to [Burmas] enterprises and foreign firms in the country, especially those from Viet Nam and countries with close links to [Burma], such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China), Viet Nam News said. The other three [] are yet to meet the set requirements for final approval for service licenses, Xinhua said. South Koreas Shinhan Bank, which plans to operate its branch in [Rangoon] in the first quarter of 2017, said [Burma] will play a crucial role in tapping deeper into the market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Efforts to boost Burmas trade with Thailand Following the visit of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi to Thailand last month, during which she met with the Thai junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha and addressed Burmese migrant workers in the country, the two countries are reportedly targeting bilateral trade worth up to US$12 billion next year. The Nation reported the target in an article citing Thai Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn, ahead of his delegation attending a meeting this week of the two countries Joint Trade Commission (JTC) in Naypyidaw. The Bangkok-based newspaper said the two-day meeting would work out ways to push trade to $10-12 billion from its 2015 level, $7.74 billion. At the JTC meeting, the ministers will discuss cooperation on Mae Sot-Myawaddy border trade and the setting up of a CLMVT (Cambodia, Laos, [Burma], Vietnam and Thailand) Business Council led by the private sector to solve trade-related problems, The Nation said. Under the JTC, Thailand and [Burma] will also support the use of local currencies in special economic zones (SEZs) and other areas, while seeking ways to facilitate investment from both countries. Telenor appoints new CEO for Burma Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor is replacing its CEO for Burma, almost two years into its operations in the country. The current chief financial officer, Lars Erik Tellmann, 44, will become CEO from Aug. 1, a statement said. He replaces Petter Furberg, who led the companys entry into Burma in 2014. Since it launched in September of that year, the company has built a subscription base of more than 15.5 million, based on its most recent statistics, published in April. It also has a network of more than 5,000 cellphone towers. Under Petters guidance, Telenor has established itself as a preferred mass market operator in [Burma]. He hands over a company with a clear vision, a well-established strategy, and a strong foundation for future growth, Telenor Group CEO and President Sigve Brekke said in the statement. Tellman, who has been with Telenor Myanmar from its start, suggested there would be continuity in terms of strategy. Telenor has a solid market and network presence in [Burma] and with a proven strategy and business model we are well set-up for future growth, he was quoted saying. Dateline Irrawaddy: We Have to Reform the Entire Administrative System The Irrawaddy speaks with former Information Minister Ye Htut and political commentator Yan Myo Thein about the role of permanent secretaries within the ministries. Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the U Thein Sein governments motives for reintroducing permanent secretary posts in the ministries, appointing their men to these posts, and whether the appointments were designed to restrict or cause trouble for the National League for Democracy (NLD) government elected by the people. Former Information Minister and sole presidential spokesperson for the previous government U Ye Htut and political commentator Dr. Yan Myo Thein will join me for the discussion. Im Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe. U Ye Htut, President U Thein Sein articulated the idea of permanent secretaries in 2014, and made appointments in 2015. Many permanent secretaries were appointed throughout 36 ministries, and most of them were government officials, former colonels, deputy colonels and majors. This retained the parachute policy [when high-ranking military officers were dropped in from above to preside over ministries and other administrative departments] first adopted by dictator U Ne Win in 1962. From a political point of view, can this be seen as an honest move? Ye Htut: I deny your allegation. We did that with absolute honesty in the hope of delivering the best outcome for our country. As we initiated reformsafter making reforms in the political and economic sectorswe made studies to undertake administrative reforms. We found that in a democracy, elections will usually be held about every five years and the government will change at least every five to ten years. So, we deemed it necessary to continue the permanent secretary postwhich was adopted in the time of Burma Socialist Program Partyto help keep the administrative mechanism going no matter which government or minister is in office. We did not have much time left in office and therefore could not reform the entire administrative system. We could only create the permanent secretary post as a mechanism to help during the transition period. If you ask me if these appointments are beneficial or not, I would say that it was not the outgoing ministers who took on the primary responsibility of transferring authority [to incoming ministers] during the transfer of power, but the permanent secretaries who took the overall responsibility, by compiling reports and proving explanations to the incoming ministers. We introduced the post with the intention of brining benefits [to the country]. It is fair to say that permanent secretaries played a useful role in the power transfer. As you have said, it is true that most of the permanent secretaries are former military personnel. That is because most of the director-general level senior officials were former military personnel. They were included inevitably. KZM: We have heard talk that most of the permanent secretariesI dont mean all of them, many of them may be cooperative and helpfulact as gatekeepers and do not get on well with the policies of the new ministers. Doesnt this pose a problem to the new government? YH: In a ministry, the minister decides the policies. Permanent secretaries and departmental heads implement the ministers policies in line with concerned departmental procedures and regulations. This means that if a ministers policy is against the law, he [the permanent secretary] has to say so; and, if there is a way to make the policy comply with the law, he has to present it. If he refuses to implement the ministers policy while it is compliant with the law, the minister may report this to the president and dismiss him. KZM: Ko Yan Myo Thein, what have you heard about this? What is your response to U Ye Htuts statement? Yan Myo Thein: There were permanent secretaries in the democratic parliamentary system. But after the coup in 1962, those permanent secretaries were replaced with director-generals. As to the reappointment of permanent secretaries by the previous government, I think it just makes the government bloated. Although they replaced the director-generals, they also led to the creation of new positions such as deputy permanent secretary and assistant secretary. If government expenditure in our countrywhich is one of the poorest countries in South East Asiais too high, it will burden the people. There were almost 100 ministers and deputy ministers in U Thein Seins government. I think the appointment of permanent secretaries does not suit the current situation. If the new government continues to work within the configuration left by the previous government, changes that will serve the interests of the people are unlikely during next five years. KZM: But the new government has kept the permanent secretaries. Because the new government is working for national reconciliation on the political front, I guess it intends to keep a political spaceor is attempting a political maneuverby accepting the permanent secretaries appointed by the previous government. If there are people who oppose the policies of the new government, can the new government dismiss them? YH: The Constitution grants the president the power to appoint and dismiss the heads of government agencies. In response to what U Yan Myo Thein said, I would say that the administrative system was reformed only once. When we gained independence in 1948, we adapted and continued the permanent secretary system, which was a legacy of the British. Afterwards, [U Ne Win] came to power in 1962 and talked about adopting a system that suited the socialist constitution around 1969, and introduced a new administrative system in 1972. Even after 1988, the Socialist Program Party system was modified in practice. We adopted permanent secretary posts with the intention of facilitating the power transfer. We could change the heads but there is no mechanism in which permanent secretaries are trained and promoted through the ranks from deputy township officers, township officers, sub-divisional officers, deputy commissioners and commissioners, like in the past. My suggestion is that the lower structure be changed when the upper structure is changed. It is another question to consider whether the Socialist Program Partys policy was right or wrong and a success or failure. But the party systematically studied and adapted an administrative system that was appropriate for the socialist system, even though it failed. Because we are on a democratic path now, we have to thoroughly study the civil service system and administrative system for a year or two, to see what suits democracy and then make reforms. Otherwise, the upper structure and lower structure will not be able to work together well. It may work to a certain extent, but it wont work 100 percent. It is not because people are uncooperative and unwilling; they are simply incapable. KZM: I heard from high-ranking officials in Naypyidaw that while the new ministers do not yet know about their ministries, the permanent secretaries and director-generals are key players there and staff sometimes have to submit to them and follow their instructions. How should the new government quickly change this? YMT: While the ministers should listen to the voices of the permanent secretaries and director-generals, they also need to gather feedback from officials and others in lower ranks separately. Because we are thinking of making changes, those changes should be innovative and competitivethe kind of changes that could be compared with our neighbors. Ministers should establish that goal and make the necessary preparations. Regarding ex-military officers who are in the civil service, that is a separate consideration. There are many records that show that these appointments have restricted the chance of career progression for civil servants. Ministers need to think about how to prevent such transfers in the future and how to change this. KZM: If I am not wrong, Ko Myat Nyana Soe from the NLD opposed [in Parliament] when the proposal for the appointment of permanent secretaries was submitted in 2015. They thought these appointments aimed to hinder [the new government]. I heard that permanent secretaries have informal communication and counseling with [former] ministers, although Minister U Ye Htut is not one of them. Although this cannot be called a continuation of the former governments policies, is it a barrier to the current government? YH: After we retired, former president U Thein Sein told us to avoid frequent communication with departmental personnel [former colleagues] in the post-transition period no matter how close we were to them, because he was afraid that there might be a misunderstanding like the one you have just mentioned. He said that even though there was no communication [between former ministers and their former colleagues], third parties might say this and that to the ministers. If this makes the ministers doubt that their subordinates will follow their instructions, then there might be strain in vertical relations. I never contact my former colleagues when I am in Naypyidaw. When I have to contact them for my pension, I keep the conversations formal. I avoid interpersonal communication with them. Some [permanent secretaries and senior officials] may have [interpersonal contact with their former ministers] as you have said. If so, the [new] ministers may take action against them. I agree with what Ko Yan Myo Thein said. Ministers need to keep communication channels open. They might not know about their ministries because they have just taken office, and need to open several channels in order to learn about them. If they filter the news from various channels and the media, it could be quite difficult for a permanent secretary to control a minister. KZM: Since 1962, the military or the Socialist Program Party during the U Ne Win era transferred ex-military officers to senior positions within the ministries, which we call a parachute policy. That system could be called a political legacy and it still has not been changed up until now. That dynamic is still going on. How long will it continue? When should those people be removed? YH: The caretaker government [of Ne Win] transferred military officers to special officer posts in the civil service. There were 100 of them at first, I think. The policies of the caretaker government were a success at that time. Then, the Revolutionary Council came into power. We can conclude from their speeches in the early days that they thought bureaucracy could be a barrier to a socialist revolution. They started to transfer [military officials to the civil service] to exercise checks and balances on existing civil servants, which they called cadre infiltration. You cant drive out all existing people now. It will just lead to a more complicated situation. But you can set a standard. You can remove people who do not meet a standard in line with civil service regulations. We have to reform the entire administrative system to suit the multi-party democratic system we are practicing. If you ask me if we couldnt do that beforewe couldnt. Our first priority was political reform and then economic reform. Therefore, we focused on those during the first wave of reform. When we initiated administrative reform in the second wave, we could only ease some regulations and reorganize some departments. But we could not change the system for selecting and training civil servants from the lowest levels to the permanent secretary levelpreviously we called them junior staff and senior staff. We lack a system to turn out senior staff as well as criteria to assess their capacity. I think the new government should systematically study the administrative mechanism and reform the lower level to suit the political system of the upper level. KZM: U Ye Htut, what would your advice be to permanent secretaries appointed by the previous government to work together with the current government to ensure a smooth democratization process in Burma? YH: In the final months of our government, we frequently talked about this with our ministry staff. Individually, civil servants can vote for a party they like in a democracy. But collectively as a civil service entity, they are responsible for implementing their ministers policies to the best of their abilities in line with procedure. We urged civil servants to follow those instructions. I understand that they might be confused by the current separation [of military, government and other institutions] after living in a one-party system and under centralized military control for ages. The newcomers do not have complete trust in the staff and the staff might be worried that they would be scapegoated if something happened. Mainly, I would urge them to work cooperatively with the attitude I have mentioned above. They need to dispel doubt and work cooperatively. I would suggest that they first build trust and cooperate rather than pointing the blame at each other. KZM: Thank you for your contributions! The Crab Nebula is the most popular one of its kind or, at least, it is the most photographed. For the first time, scientists are getting an exciting look inside the cloud of gas. As Nature World News reports, the photos of the inner workings of the Crab Nebula were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Inside, scientists found an exploded star. Reportedly, the star is so strong that it is capable of 30 complete rotations in a single second. In addition, the force of the star is 10 billion times stronger than steel. Much like the recently found star, the Sun was also born from a cloud of gas and dust, known as the Solar Nabula. According to Space.Com, it formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The Sun is about 5,500 degrees Celsius or 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Impressively, the core of the sun is estimated to be about 15 million degrees Celsius, which is roughly 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. NASA has stated that 100 billion tons of dynamite would need to explode every second in order to match the energy that the Sun produces. In another statement, NASA described Crab Nebula as a cloud filled with "mysterious filaments." The space agency then went on to say that these filaments are both complex and yet appear to have less mass than what was expelled in the original supernova. The Crab Nabula was also born from the first ever recorded supernova explosion. Pulses of radiation and large waves of charged particles were also found within the Crab Nebula. These pulses and waves were embedded into its magnetic field. Scientists were able to achieve this data by stacking numerous images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. These photos spanned over a decade, which resulted in an something that resembled a time lapse. From this technique, scientists were also able to create a 3D version of the nebula. Samsung has built quite a following on the claim that their Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are waterproof. In fact, that they can last under water for as long as 30 minutes without any damage being done to the phone. Unfortunately, the same is not the case for their Galaxy S7 Active. Chicago Tribune reports that a well trusted product-tester, Consumer Reports, claims that the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is not a recommended purchase. Despite the Samsung's claims that the Active is water proof as well, Consumer Reports' tests proved otherwise. After 30 minutes under water, the Active's screen flashed green and then other colors, according to the publication. It was also unresponsive to touch at that point. Further, bubbles appeared on the camera lenses. The company did try with a second Galaxy Active, only to receive the same results. Samsung has since reacted and shares that they have not received many complaints in the device. Samsung did release a statement, however, saying that "There may be an off-change that a defective device is not as watertight as it should be." Consumer Reports did stress, however, that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge stay true to their claims. Meanwhile, The Guardian claims that the iPhone 6S, while a lot more durable than its predecessors, did not survive even 30 minutes dunked under water. Could this crack on the surface spell trouble for Samsung? According to Forbes, no. In fact, the publication claims that the Korean tech giant is beating out Apple with no trouble at all. Samsung has definitely bounced back from their lackluster smartphone sales last year, due partly because of strong competition from Apple. Apparently, Samsung is currently experiencing their largest operating profit in two years. And while a great percentage of that is due to the sale of their smartphones, particularly the S7 and S6 Edge, Samsung has other products that are definitely getting traction. That is, with the public getting more and more excited over virtual reality, Samsung is also profiting from pre-orders of their Gear VR. Telstra is slashing more than 300 jobs in its customer service centres, with most of the work to be outsourced to the Philippines. The planned move has angered the powerful Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) with many of its members employed by the big telco. The planned job cuts were confirmed by the company late on Friday, with 326 jobs to be axed, including 109 in its CBD Melbourne contact centre and a further 94 in its Perth centre, along with cuts in other parts of its business. These latest job cuts come as Australias dominant telco pursues an aggressive global investment strategy and overseas expansion, including in the Asia Pacific market, particularly in China and follows the announcement in October that 400 jobs would be axed from Telstras Hobart, Launceston, Perth, Ballarat and Townsville call centres. Defending the latest decision, Telstra said its contact centre teams look after tens of thousands of customers each day and its business is rapidly changing with the national broadband network and advancements in technology. As a result, we need to focus on supporting growth in our core business and simplifying how we work so we can deliver a better customer experience. We have made some key performance and productivity gains in our contact centres which have enabled us to consolidate some work types across centres in Australia and the Philippines. According to Telstra, with more than 50% of its customer interactions now online there is less need for call centre workers. And, the telco says it has talked to its staff and takes its responsibility to support employees through this period very seriously and we absolutely understand the impact announcements like this can have on our staff. But, according to the CPSU, the job cuts are being planned due to a restructure and the centralising of sales and technical support roles in the Premium Services Group, and consolidation in its sales and services business. The union also claims another 150 jobs could go in the coming weeks as Telstra continues outsourcing to offshore locations. Criticism of the proposed job cuts and the sending of Australian jobs overseas comes in the wake of critics slamming the telco over recurring outages and significant disruption across its network, and chief executive Andy Penns announcement of plans to invest $250 million to make the network more resilient and to improve performance. AMDs new Radeon RX 480 has been the subject of one of the most concerted "hype" programmes ever. And rightfully so its new Polaris architecture packs a lot of punch for a reasonable price. AMD was out in force briefing Sydney-based media and gamers. International guests Korhan Erenben, AMDs business development and product manager and part of the Radeon Technology Group (RTG), and James Prior, AMD product manager in its compute and graphics business unit, told an interested crowd that AMD/RTG sole mission was to win in graphics". I think James would have liked to add, and in the CPU space as well, with its Zen-based CPU (central processing unit) and APU (advanced processing unit with integrated Radeon graphics). More on that another time. The elephant in the room the RX480s excessive wattage and amperage usage at launch was addressed. A new driver has fixed the issue of drawing more than 150W from the PCI-E slot and shifts the load to the six-pin power connector direct from the power supply. The new driver also has a compatibility mode that lowers the overall power usage, but gamers want to overclock everything for maximum performance, so it is off by default. Erenben spoke on the strategy behind the new RX series the 460, 470 and 480. "Eighty percent of gamers spend between US$100-300 on a card and 95% play games at 1080p or lower. There are 100+ million streamers and 1.7M active broadcasters. The RX 480 starts at US$199. Of course, that US$199 has the Australia tax added and our exchange rate is pretty poor, so it costs about A$400, for an RX480 with 8GB GDDR5. Interestingly, this time, AMD has produced not only the silicon chip but the whole board which it sells to its manufacturing partners ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, HIS, PowerColor, Sapphire, VisionTek, and xfx. What that means is apart from the cooling system (one, two, three fans), branding, and packaging, every RX480 card should have the same performance. I asked Erenben about this, and he said it was important for AMD to get this right at launch and for the interim, it would supply the whole kit to its assemblers. That makes sense, but he added the RX 460 and 470 would be available as silicon only. He also spoke about the gaming market regarding the three distinct types of players and how the three RX chips addressed that. RX stands for Radeon eXperience, and it is our gaming brand; 480 is for premium gamers and VR, 460 for gamers happy with 1080p, and the 460 for eSports, streaming, and notebooks. He did not affirm or deny that AMD may produce a higher specified card in the future there were lots of questions about dual GPUs. Features of the RX 480 include (for a full overview read iTWires article here) 14 nm FinFet technology for better cooling and power usage Fully DirectX 12 and Vulcan support AMD FreeSync (with compatible monitor) Liquid VR and compatibility with most VR headsets Stream and record games up to 4K, H.265 @60fps Radeon WattMan (formerly AMD Overdrive) for customisation of customization and per state control overclocks, voltages, and temperature as well as game profiles 36 compute units, 2304 stream processors, 256 bit GDDR5 Occupies 2 card cage slots one PCI-e bus connector 2.2 TFLOPS HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDR support Erenben stressed the future-proof and native benefits of the RX 480 referring to the support for the latest codecs, its outputs, and that the drivers are a lot more customisable. You wont have to upgrade this card for a long while, he said. The one item that interested me was what he called Asynchronous Compute essentially hyper threading that allows the GPU to process both graphics and compute at the same time. Previously, its Radeon GPUs had a start/stop when doing both. Erenben glossed over the RX 470 that uses the Polaris 10 core and the 460 that uses a Polaris 11 core. Essentially these have less compute cores, lower memory bandwidth, use less power, and lower prices. AMD will ship the silicon only to its assemblers so expect to see more variations and use in different devices. iTWires Alex Zaharov-Reutt attended and has posted a video of the event here. Also on display were some interesting gaming machines and a live demonstration of the HTC VR Vive which was a bitch to set up but once we got it going it was fine. They were talking about the placement of its two external sensors to allow for hand-held wands. They also commented that fluorescent light affects the sensors as well. VR using HTC Vive (note a sensor on a tripod top middle) A mother of a gaming machine Alienware UCB-C external Radeon RX 480 A tri-winged AMD RX Fighter Odeon Lee Valley Telephone: 0871 2244007, www.odeon.co.uk The Inbetweeners 2 (15), Guardians of the Galaxy 2D/3D (12A), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2D/3D (12A), How to Train Your Dragon 2 2D/3D (PG), The Nut Job 2D/3D (U), Hercules 2D/3D (12A), Earth to Echo (PG), The Purge: Anarchy (15), Step Up: All In 2D/3D (PG), Transformers: Age Of Extinction 2D/3D (12A), The House of Magic (U), Rio 2 (U) Odeon South Woodford Telephone: 0871 22 44007, www.odeon.co.uk The Inbetweeners 2 (15), Guardians of the Galaxy 2D/3D (12A), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2D/3D (12A), How to Train Your Dragon 2 2D/3D(PG), The Nut Job 2D/3D (U), Hercules 2D/3D (12A), Earth to Echo (PG), The Purge: Anarchy (15), Step Up: All In 2D/3D (PG), Transformers: Age of Extinction 2D/3D (12A), Rio 2 (U). Divorce rumors continue to plague Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's marriage. The couple may be setting out to debunk these baseless speculations, though. Just Jared reported that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made a rare appearance together last Independence Day, Jul. 4, for a grocery run. The couple went shopping at Gelson's Market in Los Feliz, California. The 41-year-old "Maleficent" actress wore a long, flowing dress as she was joined by husband, Brad Pitt, during the grocery run. The publication noted that this is the first time that the high-profile couple was spotted together in a while. According to the Daily Mail, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt went grocery shopping with their kids Shiloh, 10, as well as seven-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Shiloh pushed the cart through the parking lot while the twins unloaded the groceries into the trunk of their black Tesla. There have been a lot of divorce rumors surrounding Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. This rare outing together appears to indicate that there may be hope for their marriage. Meanwhile, In Touch reported that the couple was recently at odds after Jolie learned that Pitt "was in communication" with his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston. Apparently, the actor reached out to the "Friends" star after her mother, Nancy Dow, died last May. "It was their first moment in months without the kids or staff around," a source told the publication. "Angie thought a good one-on-one conversation would enable them to finally catch up on their lives. Then, Brad casually mentioned that he'd reached out to Jen to send his sympathy after her mom passed away in May. He didn't think it was a big deal." The source added that Angelina Jolie was "furious that they'd reunited." The confession was even deemed as "dropping a nuclear bomb." It was previously reported that Angeline Jolie and Brad Pitt are very close to separating. Their problems are believed to have stemmed from the "Maleficent" actress' suspicions that the actor may have cheated on her with stars Marion Cotillard and Lizzy Caplan. Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Jaime (left) and Drew Baker show off freshly picked squash blossoms at their small farm, called Love Rock Farm, near New Glarus. Jaime is one of 17 farmers, nationwide, recently accepted into a program that mentors people on a wide range of agricultural practices. Credit: Mark Hoffman By of the On a 10-acre farm near New Glarus, Drew and Jaime Baker raise chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and sheep. They also grow vegetables for 30 families that are regular customers. That's a lot for a young couple on a small farm, especially considering they both work off-farm jobs. "We are pretty new to the farming game," Jaime said, noting that she is from Milwaukee and Drew is from Sturgeon Bay. Jaime is one of 17 farmers, nationwide, recently accepted into a program that mentors people on a wide range of agricultural practices. Moreover, six of the 17 participants in the Beginning Farmers Institute class of 2016 are from Wisconsin. The program is sponsored by the National Farmers Union and is purposely kept small so that participants can better interact with the instructors and learn from each other. "This is the biggest class we have ever hosted. We get more applications than we can accept," said Tom Driscoll, the union's director of conservation policy and education. The program doesn't have a strict definition for "beginning farmer." Instead, the emphasis is on how someone would benefit from the training, what they could offer others in the classes and how they would share what they learned afterward. The Bakers were in the food service industry before they became farmers. Among other jobs, Jaime was a manager at a Whole Foods store and a Starbucks coffee shop. Drew was a cook for Bartolotta Restaurants. They wanted careers where they could work from home, have their own business and still be involved with food now at a grass-roots level on the farm. Earning a living on a farm is difficult these days, however, given that commodity prices are low and there's intense competition among small farms that provide products direct to the public and local restaurants. "When we first started, I think our family thought we were nuts. But they really see it and get it now. ... It's always been about our family," Jaime said. Near Beloit, Dane and Betty Anderson are carving out a living on a 40-acre farm called The Old Smith Place. Betty, a U.S. Navy veteran of 12 years, also is enrolled in the Beginning Farmers Institute. "This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with people from across the country. It is just a super blessing," Betty said. The Andersons raise fruit and vegetables for a farmers market. Like the Bakers, they have kept off-farm jobs while they build up their farming business. "If we don't end up making a living off the farm, we really hope that we will leave the place a little better than when we found it," Betty said. In Amherst, Tommy and Samantha Enright raise chickens, turkeys, ducks and rabbits on their Black Rabbit Farm. They also grow vegetables, and they sell their goods to restaurants and at a farmers market. Tommy grew up in De Pere and worked in the music industry in Seattle before he and Samantha returned to Wisconsin in 2013 to become farmers. Tommy, enrolled in the Beginning Farmers Institute, is the production manager at a specialty coffee roaster. Samantha also has an off-farm job as a medical assistant. The young couple have a 6-month-old son and a baby on the way. They're both first-generation farmers. "We are kind of learning as we go. Between family life, my job and the farm, I am pretty much going nonstop," Tommy said. None of the Wisconsin participants in this year's Beginning Farmers Institute is a dairy farmer. There are other training programs for them, although the dairy industry also is worried about cultivating the next generation of farmers and leaders. How do farming leaders persuade people to enter the career field at a time when so many have retired or left for another way to make a living? "That's a huge problem, and it's one that we hope to address through (farm) policy advocacy. We are very lucky in this country that so many people still feel passionately about farming. They cannot imagine themselves doing anything else," said Driscoll with the farmers union. The only cost for participants in the Beginning Farmers Institute is a $100 registration fee. Other costs, including travel expenses, are covered by the program's sponsors. In previous years, participants formed lasting relationships and even discussed going into business together. They addressed issues they had in common, such as how to control costs and market their products. About 10 miles from Stevens Point, Chris Holman's Nami Moon Farms raises poultry, meat, vegetables, mushrooms and honey that's sold to Madison-area restaurants. Holman completed the Beginning Farmers Institute program in 2014. Holman and Maria Davis run their 41-acre farm that they started while he was preparing for a doctoral degree in Arabic studies. Holman, originally from Oceanside, Calif., was an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Army for six years. He and Davis raised 3,600 chickens in their farm's first year. The catalyst for their business came from a Madison restaurant that wanted poultry raised in a natural way. Now, in their seventh year, "Our farm is going strong," Holman said. "Instead of trying to grow the farm to be bigger and bigger, we are kind of refining what we do." Holman said he formed friendships in the Beginning Farmers Institute program that also have sharpened his business skills. "To this day, we still communicate with each other on a regular basis, and we help each other out with our businesses," Holman said. His class, like the 2016 class, had participants from across the country representing a wide range of agricultural practices, including big, conventional farms. Farmers from large and small operations don't always see eye-to-eye on issues. "We don't agree on everything, but we are a very strong group," Holman said about his Beginning Farmers Institute class. He added: "We have relationships that are hard to find. ... We can weather disagreements, have difficult conversations and still be friends. We respect each other, and that's the direct result of having had a shared experience." Denver If you're hoping to buy a home in Denver or Boulder, Colo., these days, you might want to bring your checkbook. Demand for housing is outstripping supply at an astonishing pace, with more than 100,000 people moving into the Rocky Mountain state in 2015 alone and only 25,000 new housing units constructed during the same year. The story is much the same in many Western states, which appear to have bounced back faster and higher from the Great Recession than states in other parts of the country including the Upper Midwest. The natural question is "why?" The answers aren't simple. However, demographics and the size of the workforce appear to be a common theme. Keeping talent at home and attracting it from elsewhere is a recurring theme in the West, which offers a lesson to Wisconsin. The westward migration that began in earnest with the Gold Rush of 1849 renewed with a fury in the 1990s and continues to this day, fueled in part by economies that adapted to change and embraced innovation. Colorado is a prime example. Between 1990 and 2015, its population grew by 2.1 million people a total larger than the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Today's total of nearly 5.5 million represents a 65% increase over that period, vs. 28% for the United States as a whole. Other Western or Southwestern states with rapidly growing populations include Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Texas, Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota, although North Dakota appears to have peaked with the end of the oil-and-gas boom. Those same states ranked high in a recent Denver Post index of job growth in 13 sectors covering the period April 1990 through April 2016. Along with Colorado, those 10 states occupied 11 of the top 13 spots among the 50 states. "The number one reason companies locate here is the labor market, and that has three components: cost, quality, supply," James Wood, director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah told The Denver Post. "We (the West) have done very, very well on all three." Wisconsin didn't fare poorly in the newspaper's rankings it ranked 24th, two spots ahead of California. Other Midwestern states were down the list, which examined jobs in mining, government, construction, leisure and hospitality, retail trade, information, education and health services, wholesale trade, financial services, business and professional services, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Many attractive factors Most people are familiar with two staples of the Colorado economy: the oil and gas sector and the legal marijuana industry, which hit $1 billion in sales in 2015. The drive along the U.S. 36 corridor between Denver and Boulder not only offers stunning views of the mountains that make up Colorado's Front Range, but impressive perspectives on the rest of the state's economic growth. Technology companies in life sciences, telecommunications, energy and aerospace have found a home along the often-congested corridor, which is among many physical examples of Colorado's business boom. Observers credit a mix of factors beyond the outdoors hooks: A regional government approach in the Denver area that keeps municipalities from fighting among themselves, a pro-business governor with an entrepreneurial background, the lure of Denver International Airport, the energy boom, labor stability, and major research universities and federal labs across the state. There's also a culture of entrepreneurism that is cross-generational, with older entrepreneurs mentoring newcomers and sometimes the other way around. Younger workers and companies have clustered in areas where there's a mix of lifestyle attractions and cohesive working spaces. Colorado has also seen an explosion in business accelerators and other support groups, and attracts much of its venture capital from outside its borders. Wisconsin has a strong start on much of that ingredient mix, as noted in the most recent Wisconsin Portfolio report by the Wisconsin Technology Council. This annual report looks at angel and venture capital trends, which are often an indicator of emerging company growth. While total dollars invested in 2015 declined from the previous year, the number of deals rose by 13% and there were more $1 million deals (from 38 to 47) and greater diversity in terms of geography and business sectors. Wisconsin can stay on the path to prosperity by keeping more talent at home and attracting more from elsewhere. That includes making wise investments in Wisconsin's higher education system, which is a source of talent as well as ideas and emerging companies. The nation's biggest job-creation states are also states that have attracted and retained the most people. Wisconsin can't sprout mountains, but it can stay the course in encouraging its high-growth, innovation economy. That's a mountain worth climbing. Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He can be reached at news@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com. SHARE Bill Kravit By of the More than three out of 10 people covered by Medicare nationwide opt for Medicare Advantage plans sold by private companies and that percentage is even higher in Milwaukee County. A bit more than four out of 10 people, or 41%, opted for Medicare Advantage plans in Milwaukee County last year, according to a recent study of 20 markets by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The study shows how popular Medicare Advantage plans have become in the past decade. It also provides a look at how the Milwaukee market differs from many throughout the country. Nationally, enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has tripled since 2005 and continues to increase. Roughly 17.6 million people, including 411,000 people in Wisconsin, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans this year. Medicare Advantage plans have lower premiums than stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans combined with Medigap and other supplemental insurance. Medicare Advantage also typically offers additional benefits, such as some coverage for dental care. The trade-off is many plans have limited networks of doctors and hospitals, and the plans can have higher out-of-pocket expenses if someone needs care. Out-of-pocket expenditures are capped at $6,700 a year, though most plans have lower limits. But the cap doesn't include some costs, such as cost sharing for drugs and care for hospitals and doctors who are not in a plan's network. Switching from a Medicare Advantage plan to traditional Medicare also can be difficult and costly. However, some Medicare Advantage plans in the Milwaukee market have no premiums. (The statewide average is $56 a month this year.) And the premiums are the same if you are 85 or 65. In contrast, premiums for Medigap and other supplemental insurance plans which are designed to cover most of the roughly 20% of hospital and doctor bills not covered by Medicare increase each year as a person ages. A Medigap plan also can start at more than $2,000 a year for someone who is 65, and the cost increases from there. Medicare Advantage plans are particularly appealing for people on limited incomes: More than half of the people in the plans have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty threshold, or $23,760 for one person this year. The plans also appeal to people who are 65 and healthy. Bill Kravit, president of FHK Insurance Services, estimates that 70% of his clients opt for Medicare Advantage plans. He also is seeing people move from Medigap plans to Medicare Advantage plans. "The math is very compelling," Kravit said. But the Milwaukee market differs from many other markets throughout the county, based on the recent Kaiser study. The study was the first to look at the Medicare Advantage networks, and it found that the Medicare Advantage plans available in Milwaukee County include most, if not all, of the hospitals in the market. That in all likelihood contributes to the plans' popularity. The first question people ask is if their doctor is in a plan's network, said Jeff Lisota, a vice president with Robertson Ryan & Associates Inc., an insurance broker. In the Milwaukee market, there's a good chance that the doctor will be in a plan's network. The Kaiser study looked only at hospitals. But it found that the plans sold in Milwaukee County had broader networks than most markets. The average Medicare Advantage plan had 11 of the 16 hospitals in Milwaukee County. In contrast, the average Medicare Advantage plans nationally had about half of the hospitals in a county. Further, 90% of the people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans picked plans with broad networks that included 70% or more of the hospitals. The Milwaukee market also is dominated by UnitedHealthcare, which has a licensing agreement with AARP and sells Medicare Advantage plans with the broadest network. UnitedHealthcare had 83% of the Medicare Advantage market in Milwaukee County last year, according to the Kaiser study. Humana was second with 14% of the market, and Anthem was third with 3% of the market. The Kaiser study also found that the information on the hospitals in Medicare Advantage plans' networks often is inaccurate. This wasn't the case, though, in the Milwaukee market. The information on the Medicare Advantage plans in Milwaukee County did not contain any egregious or obvious errors, said Gretchen Jacobson, an associate director who focuses on Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. That didn't hold for some markets. Eleven out of the 231 provider directories for 2015 examined in the study, for instance, included hospitals that had been closed or torn down. There probably are more errors for physicians. A report by the Government Accountability Office last year found that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reviewed less than 1% of all provider directories. The Kaiser study noted that the federal government could require plans to provide information on their networks in a uniform format and develop an online tool that could make it easier to compare networks. In a blog post, America's Health Insurance Plans, the trade group for health insurers, said that keeping provider directories current is challenging. Information, such as whether a doctor is accepting new patients, changes and quickly becomes out of date. Staff must keep track of a long list of different health plans. The organization this year began a pilot project in three states and with 12 health insurers to simplify the process and improve the accuracy of provider directors. One problem common to all markets is finding the provider directories on health insurers' websites. It's hard even for brokers, said Lisota of Robertson Ryan & Associates. That can make it more difficult to compare Medicare Advantage plans, particularly in markets with many plans tied to so-called narrow networks. "And even if someone can find provider directors on the website," said Jacobson, a co-author of the Kaiser study, "they still may not have accurate information." Which has the advantage? Medicare Advantage plans have lower premiums than stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans combined with Medigap and other supplemental insurance. Medicare Advantage also typically offers additional benefits, such as some coverage for dental care. The trade-off is many plans have limited networks of doctors and hospitals. The plans also can have higher out-of-pocket expenses if someone needs care. By of the With the growth of connected devices has come another fast-emerging trend: mobile payments. PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Square Cash, Google Wallet, Visa Checkout, Walmart Pay and many more competitors offer ways for consumers to make purchases, pay bills, and send or receive money using a web browser, text message or smartphone app. There is even a service, called clearXchange, that allows customers of participating banks to send funds via email or a mobile phone number to another person in the network. Not everyone is jumping on the trend. Mobile payments are more likely to be used by millennials or generation Xers mostly people who are under the age of 50, according to a survey released in May by The Pew Charitable Trusts. However, the number of mobile payment users is growing, said Ben Van Handel, investment analyst at North Star Asset Management in Menasha. U.S. consumers made about 9% of their e-commerce purchases on a mobile device in 2013, Van Handel said. That figure has grown to about 19% today, he said. Survey respondents identified ease, speed and convenience as the primary reasons for using online payment systems, according to a report by the FICO software company of San Jose, Calif. Some companies are poised to benefit from the rise in mobile payments. PayPal Holdings Inc. (PYPL), San Jose, Calif., enables digital and mobile payments on behalf of consumers and merchants worldwide. PayPal's goal is to "democratize the management and movement of money," CEO Dan Schulman has said. It is aiming to do that by continuing to develop an open platform where customers can use any medium to make payments anywhere, Van Handel said. Originally started for online shopping in the late 1990s, PayPal has 170 million users around the world. It allows customers to log in to make payments, without having to provide credit card or bank account numbers to the retailer. The company in 2013 made a big move into mobile transactions with its acquisition of Chicago-based Braintree, parent company of Venmo, Van Handel said. Venmo has had "viral growth," particularly on college campuses where students use it, rather than checkbooks, to pay rent, cover bar tabs and send money to each other, he said. "PayPal is the only competitor in the payments area that started online and now is doubling down on its focus on mobile payments," Van Handel said. The biggest risk here is the pocketbooks of PayPal's competitors, he said. Visa CEO Charlie Scharf, for example, has said many times that his company intends to compete fiercely with PayPal, particularly because of the way the San Jose company encourages users to fund PayPal accounts with their bank accounts rather than with debit or credit cards. "Visa, Apple Pay, Android Pay they're all trying to solve the mobile payments problem, too," Van Handel said. "They all want to get in and get consumers' mind share." These shares have a 52-week range of $30 to $42.55. They could reach as high as $40 in the next 12 to 18 months, he said. Apple Inc. (AAPL), Cupertino, Calif., makes mobile phones and other technologies. Apple Pay struggled when it came out in 2014 because users needed to have an iPhone 6 and retailers needed to activate the near field communication chip in their terminals, Van Handel said. But now Apple Pay is gaining traction, he said. Apple users on average earned $85,000 a year, vs. $61,000 a year for Android users, according to a 2014 report by Comscore. They also spend 45% more on apps than Android users, Van Handel said. As Apple grows its Apple Pay network, it has potential to increase the 0.15% of each transaction it receives from retailers, he said. The biggest risk here is that Apple Pay, although a hot story, may not be able to have a big impact on its parent company's bottom line, Van Handel said. These shares have a 52-week range of $89.47 to $132.97. They could reach as high as $145 in the next 12 to 18 months, he said. About This The Journal Sentinel focuses on one Wisconsin money manager or analyst in this weekly feature, looking at a trend that helps investment pros make their decisions. SHARE By , Milwaukee police are investigating two overnight shootings of two male victims, both of whom are expected to survive, officials said Saturday. Investigators said the first shooting occurred about 9:45 p.m. Friday on N. 16th Street, between W. North Avenue and W. Lloyd Street. A 23-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk when a vehicle drove by and the occupants opened fire on him, investigators said. He arrived at the hospital without an EMS transport. Police described his injuries as non-life threatening. The second shooting took place about midnight near W. Wisconsin Avenue and N. 35th Street. Investigators said witnesses found a 21-year-old man in the median with a gunshot wound. Milwaukee Fire Department responders transported him to the hospital. His injuries are serious, but he's expected to survive, police said. The circumstances of the shooting were unknown. Police didn't release the names of the victims Saturday. Investigators are searching for suspects in both shootings. Creek at Twilight by Birger Sandzen is one of two paintings by the artists that have been stored at Milwaukees Washington High School. Alan J. Borsuk Commentary on Education SHARE Mountain Symphony by Birger Sandzen is one of two paintings by the artists that have been stored at Milwaukees Washington High School. Birger Sandzen Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery Like the piano man in the old Billy Joel song, maybe it's time for me to try to play a melody that might put people in a better mood, given what is going on around us. Troubled city, troubled nation, troubled world. So I'll tell a story: In 1927, the graduating class at Milwaukee's Washington High School wanted to give a gift to the school. Many contributed to a fund and the school's principal met with the director of the Milwaukee Art Institute about obtaining artwork for the school. Paintings by an artist named Birger Sandzen were on exhibit at the time at the institute. Sandzen was born in Sweden, but lived for many years in Lindsborg, Kan., where he taught art at Bethany College and worked on his own paintings. The two agreed on purchasing two American landscape paintings by Sandzen, each five feet wide and four feet tall, for the school's senior class gift. For many years, they were displayed in hallways of the north side school. Sandzen gained a following by the time he died in 1954 and his works have increased in value since then. But the two paintings at Washington High went into eclipse, ending up stored behind a boiler. In 2004, there was a gathering at Washington High to induct one of the school's distinguished alumni, Martin F. Stein, into the school's hall of fame. Stein, who died in 2006, was a local businessman whose accomplishments in spurring philanthropy and good things in Milwaukee are (and should be) legendary. One of the people at the ceremony was another alum and businessman named Kurt Van Engel. The visit got Van Engel curious about what had become of some of the school's artwork, which led him to a second visit, accompanied by an art dealer. They were shown to the boiler room. The dealer, Tom Lenz, told me later that he looked at some "big, old prints" stored there that were nice, but not particularly valuable. "All of a sudden whoa, this is not a big, old print," Lenz said. It was one of the Sandzen paintings, with the second one there also. He knew immediately that they were quite valuable. There were appraised at the time at $250,000 for one, $240,000 for the other. The school's principal at the time, Nancy Conner, decided to sell them with the goal, among other things, of paying down the budget deficit the school was running. Conner insisted that she did not do anything underhanded, but records showed she wasn't entirely candid with Milwaukee Public Schools administrators. At one point, she asked permission to sell some art that might be worth more than $1,000. This didn't seem like a big deal to the people she told and she was given the OK, with no notification to MPS higher-ups. She signed a contract with an art auction house in Connecticut and the paintings were shipped there. But word got around. I was covering education for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel then. I put in calls to some MPS administrators. They were startled. Among other things, members of the School Board and the superintendent contended MPS, and not Washington High, owned the paintings and no one gave permission to sell such valuable property. They set out to stop the sale. The resulting dispute went on for months, with the conclusion that MPS owned the paintings and that the paintings would be returned to Milwaukee (after a settlement with the Connecticut auction house). MPS officials, some of whom plainly had had enough of the dispute, ordered that the paintings be stored in a secure place. And so they were, and so they remained for years. But they weren't forgotten, at least not by leaders of the Washington High School Alumni Scholarship Foundation. Since 1961, the foundation has awarded about $500,000 in college scholarships to about 500 Washington High School graduates. At the time the paintings were uncovered, some of the alumni leaders wanted to sell them and use the proceeds to increase the scholarship fund. Last fall, several alumni leaders decided they wanted to make a fresh push. A meeting was arranged with Superintendent Darienne Driver and other MPS administrators. "That was one of the easiest meetings I've ever encountered," Steven Brown said a few days ago. Brown is a veteran of many meetings he is senior human resources manager for GE Healthcare. He also is president of the alumni foundation board and, 30 years ago, received one of the alumni scholarships himself. Everyone thought selling the paintings and using the money to grow the scholarship fund was a good idea. It took a few months to reach a formal agreement. On June 30, the School Board gave unanimous approval. Among provisions: full-size reproductions of the two paintings will be hung at Washington High School. And some hope the paintings will be displayed publicly in Milwaukee (for the first time in decades) before they are sold. How much are they worth now? Kristen DeCato, director of procurement and risk management for MPS, said they were appraised in 2014 at about $300,000 each. The reality in the unpredictable world of art is that they are worth whatever someone pays for them. Howard Rubin, one of the alumni who pushed for the agreement, said, "This has been a labor of love for all of us that really want to see the kids get the scholarships." In its more than 100-year history, Washington has gone through a lot of changes. It's been one of the premier schools in Milwaukee. It's been one of the most troubled. It has served students of just about every ethnicity, race and economic level. But Washington sails on, with continuing school pride and with graduates of previous generations reaching out to help students of now and the future in ways that are on track to get bigger as they continue without end. Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School. Reach him at alan.borsuk@marquette.edu. SHARE By , A committee of state legislators will try to determine if too much data is being collected on students and if the information being compiled is safe. The goal of the Legislative Council Study on Student Data is to make recommendations on possible bills for the upcoming 2017-'18 legislative session that would limit the amount of data collected on students and improve security of that information from outside organizations, such as advertisers. "There has been a growing concern about the amount of data collected on students and whether it is necessary," said Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac), chairman of the committee. "In our digital age, we need to find more effective ways to safeguard student data." Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee), a member of the committee, said he wants to ensure that officials aren't eliminating data that is essential to anyone who is trying to improve schools. As an example, he said, he would want to make sure data on after-school programs was not cut. "Essentially, school data is used to map how to better schools," Bowen said. "I am making sure we are not using a mallet to knock things out, but a scalpel if we need to and are not hindering those who need data in low-performing schools." Bowen emphasized that the committee needs to make sure student data is not being used for the wrong reasons. He said he is concerned over voucher schools getting access to public school directories and advertising themselves to public school students. Thiesfeldt did not offer any specific incidents where security on student data had been breached. The committee chairman did say too much information being collected by outside vendors. An example of an outside vendor collecting data on students would be the ACT. "We hear every month about a new hack on a major computer system," Thiesfeldt said. "It's a concern when outside, private organizations come in and collect data for schools and we don't know if they are selling it." The committee is comprised of six legislators and nine public members, the majority of whom are from school districts around the state. They will meet for the first time on Tuesday. The committee will look to limit the types of student data collected by the Department of Public Instruction. DPI officials will appear at the meeting to explain what data they collect on students, why they do it and how they protect it. The concern of overcollecting data on students, and the security of it, has grown nationally. In an article by Education Week, parents raised concerns over transparency on the data collection of students. The worry is that parents have no idea what information is being collected about their kids and the use of target advertising based on that data. According to a USA TODAY article, in Dublin, Ohio, a father unsuccessfully sued the suburban Columbus school district after contact information about his child was shared with outside groups. The article also said a University of Kentucky student tried to ban the practice of making the student directory accessible online, which prompted the school to make sure students are aware they can restrict what information is made available. In an article by THE Journal, a K-12 education magazine, a survey done in 2014 about student data revealed 89% of respondents are "very or somewhat concerned about advertisers using kids' personal data to market to them." After marching from the Wauwatosa Police Department, a large group gathers at Mayfair mall Friday to protest the killing of Jay Anderson, who was shot by an officer June 23 in Madison Park. Credit: Aaron Mak By of the Wauwatosa About 100 people marched from the Wauwatosa Police Department to Mayfair mall on Friday to protest the killing of Jay Anderson, a 25-year-old African-American man shot by an officer who found him sleeping in his car June 23 in Madison Park. The name of the officer has not been released. Demonstrators shouted at police outside the station Friday to demand the officer be identified and dashboard video of the shooting be released. The group proceeded to walk down the middle of W. North Ave. and Mayfair Road, holding up rush-hour traffic, with cars from local law enforcement agencies in tow. Marchers held "Black Lives Matter" signs and yelled, "justice for Jay." They eventually entered Mayfair mall and congregated on the second floor to chant together, while shop owners and customers watched from behind closed doors. "People are angry, not just about what happened with Jay but with the murders around the country," protester Jerrae Carrol said. Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber provided initial information at the scene June 23, saying officers were investigating a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot and saw it was occupied by a person with a gun. The officer "fearing for his safety discharged his own weapon striking that person," Weber said. Wauwatosa police referred the case to Milwaukee police to fulfill a state law that requires a team of at least two investigators from an outside agency to lead investigations of officer-involved deaths. "I'm as impatient as anyone," Weber said of the unreleased information. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Capitol reporters Jason Stein (left) and Patrick Marley. Credit: Journal Sentinel files SHARE Washington Bureau Chief Craig Gilbert at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Mike De Sisti JS on Politics Loading... Election 2016 Visit our election section for complete coverage of the 2016 spring and fall local, state and national elections. By of the One of my favorite newsroom images is Washington Bureau Chief Craig Gilbert sitting in front of a television camera in our newsroom, laptop balanced on one knee, mobile phone in one hand, microphone clipped to shirt, earpiece barely hidden from view. It's an almost comical vision of multitasking. It's also a testament to the demand for expertise from our newsroom. On virtually any day during key points in a campaign season, Patrick Marley and Jason Stein might be on the radio, Mary Spicuzza and Dan Bice on television, and Bill Glauber on the phone with a national reporter looking for local insight. At times, we have to filter the requests so they don't get overwhelmed. All of this is done while aggressively continuing their reporting, and responding to questions and comments from readers like you by phone and email. Earlier this year, in the days leading up to the Wisconsin primary, we tried to keep track of where our lead political reporters appeared in many cases, more than once. Take a deep breath; here's the list: ABC News, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos"; Al Jazeera America, "America Tonight"; C-Span, "Washington Journal"; CBS News Radio, New York City; CNN, "CNN Tonight" with Don Lemon; CNN, "CNN New Day"; CNN, "CNN Newsroom" with Carol Costello; CNN, "CNN Newsroom Weekend" with Poppy Harlow; Compass Media Networks, "This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal." Fox Business News, "Neil Cavuto: Coast to Coast"; Fox Business News, "Mornings with Maria Bartiromo"; Fox Business News, "Varney and Co."; Fox News, "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren"; Fox News, "Happening Now with Jon Scott and Jenna Lee"; Fox News Radio, "Brian Kilmeade and Friends"; Hearst TV, "Matter of Fact with Fernando Espuelas"; KABC Radio, Los Angeles; KPHX Radio, Phoenix; KSRO Radio, San Francisco; KNX Radio, Los Angeles. MSNBC, "All In with Chris Hayes"; MSNBC, "Live with Jose Diaz-Balart"; MSNBC, "Hardball with Chris Matthews"; MSNBC, "Jansing and Co."; MSNBC, "The Place for Politics"; MSNBC, "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell"; MSNBC, "The Rachel Maddow Show"; MSNBC, "Weekends with Alex Witt"; MSNBC / Bloomberg, "With All Due Respect"; National Public Radio, "On Point with Tom Ashbrook." NBC, "Today"; PBS, "Washington Week" with Gwen Ifill; Sirius XM, "P.O.T.U.S" political talk radio; The Blaze TV, "Glenn Beck"; WABC Radio, New York; WGN Radio, Chicago; Wisconsin Public Television, "Here and Now"; Wisconsin Public Radio, "Central Time"; WCCO Radio, Minneapolis; WIND Radio, Chicago; WISN TV, Milwaukee, "UpFront with Mike Gousha"; WUWM Public Radio, Milwaukee, "Lake Effect." Later this month, Republicans and Democrats will gather for their national conventions. Gilbert will be in Cleveland and in Philadelphia, along with our colleagues at the USA TODAY NETWORK, to cover the events. And in the months to come, our reporters will continue breaking ground on this transformative presidential race, as well as our U.S. Senate race, U.S. House races, and numerous state and local contests. They'll provide coverage in print, online, on your tablet or phone, using text, audio, video, podcasts whatever works for you. Along the way, I'm sure they'll also be fielding requests for their own insight. Those requests are a sign, in our era of political polarization, that there remains a desire and a critical need for accurate, impartial coverage, delivered with a sense of authority by journalists who have put in real reporting time. It's one thing to traffic in opinions that foment divisiveness and incivility. It's quite another to sift through the spin and deliver clear-eyed information with context and breadth. Thomas Koetting is Deputy Managing Editor/News and Enterprise for the Journal Sentinel Shop owners share horrors of the Waukesha parade tragedy For shop owners along the Waukesha parade route, the Darrell Brooks Jr., trial resurfaced bad memories and generated renewed sympathy for victims. SHARE A 4-foot-long ball python that has been on the loose in Mishicot for more than a week has been found. It is shown here after being captured on an apartment patio. By , Mishicot- A ball python that reportedly attacked a dog last month and has been on the loose since has been captured. Police were called at 10:15 p.m. Thursday to 559 S. Main St., for a report of a snake on someone's patio, according to a Mishicot Police Department news release. The address is in the same area from which the 4-foot snake went missing June 27 after being thrown from an apartment balcony. Officials from Wildlife of Wisconsin helped authorities catch the snake, which was hiding behind a large plastic container. The snake does not have any injuries, but will not be returned to its owners. Instead, it is being turned over to Wildlife of Wisconsin. On the morning of June 27, police responded to a report of a large snake attacking a poodle in a Main Street apartment. The tenants told authorities they heard their dog yelp and found the dog with their python biting its ear and coiling around it. One of the residents then threw the snake off the balcony, according to police. The snake's owners have received citations for obstructing an officer for misleading authorities during the investigation. sleduc@greenbay.gannett.com 'Like' Shelby Le Duc on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @pgshelbyleduc Reddit Email 20 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Revised The United States continues to be peculiar in handing out powerful magazine-fed firearms to almost anyone who wants one and not requiring background checks on private purchases even if these are made at gun shows. 80% of civilian-owned firearms world-wide are in the US, and only Yemen vaguely competes with us for rates of firearm ownership; Yemen is a violent mess with Shiite insurgencies, al-Qaeda taking over cities from time to time, tribal feuding, southern separatism and US drone strikes. And even it has fewer guns per person than the USA. It has gotten to the point where the increasing epidemic of mass shootings now threatens law enforcement, with the deaths of 5 policemen in Dallas at the hands of an unhinged Black ultra-nationalist. The US is downright weird compared to civilized Western Europe or Australia (which enacted gun control after a mass shooting in 1996 and there have been no further such incidents). I should just have a robot post this thing every week. https://t.co/obPr5Y9kBx pic.twitter.com/WugoNph1Lm Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) October 1, 2015 In 2013-2014 (the twelve months beginning in March), there were 29 fatalities from gun-related crimes in England and Wales (equivalent to 144 because UK is smaller than US). Number of Murders by Firearms, US, 2014: 8124 Percentage of all Murders that were committed by firearms in US: 68% Suicides in US 2013: 41,149 Gun Suicides in US, 2013: 21,175 Percentage of all murders in England and Wales that were committed by firearm: 5.4 percent. Number of suicides in England and Wales, 2011: 4871 (equivalent to about 25,818 in US or 31% lower) Number of suicides by firearam in England and Wales, 2011: 84 For more on murder by firearms in Britain, see the BBC. The US has the highest gun ownership in the world and the highest murder rate in the developed world. It seems pretty clear, as well, that many US suicides would not occur if firearms were not omnipresent. There is some correlation between high rates of gun ownership and high rates of violent crime in general, globally (and also if you compare state by state inside the US): h/t Christopher Majka In the case of Britain, firearms murders are 53 times fewer than in the US per capita. [Dont bother with flawed citations of Switzerland or Israel, where most citizens are the equivalent of military reservists.] Do hunters really need semi-automatic AR-15 assault weapons? Is that how they roll in deer season? The US public doesnt think so. PS this is a revised version of an older column; if they keep refusing to legislate rationally and go on causing these massacres, I can keep writing a similar column. Related video: AFP: Guns in the US Reddit Email 0 Shares TeleSur | The western military bloc has been increasing its presence and activity around Russian borders. Polish President Andrzej Duda welcomed on Friday the decision of NATO to station a U.S. battalion in Poland to bolster the eastern flank of the military alliance, increasing troop numbers by up to 4,000. We are pleased that the United States is providing such a decisive support to the reinforcement of the military potential of the North Atlantic alliance in our part of Europe, Duda said as he delivered joint statements with U.S. President Barack Obama. The 28-member NATO alliance will formally agree to deploy four battalions totaling 3,000 to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and Poland on a rotating basis to reassure eastern members. According to NATO, the troop increase is to defend them against any Russian aggression. Poland is going to be seeing an increase in NATO and American personnel and the most modern, capable military equipment because we will meet our Article 5 obligations to our common defense, Obama said. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all NATO members have requested a permanent NATO presence, citing fears that Moscow will seek to destabilize their pro-Western governments through cyber attacks, stirring up Russian speakers, hostile broadcasting and even territorial incursions. Russia cites the same concerns regarding the United States and its allies, who contibute millions of dollars per year for these type of activities against Russias government through U.S.-funded bodies such as the National Endowment for Democracy and Radio Free Europe. The Kremlin said it was absurd for NATO to talk of any threat from Russia and it hoped common sense would prevail at the Warsaw summit. Moscow remained open to dialogue with NATO and was ready to cooperate with it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists. Since the Ukraine Crisis and Crimea reunification in 2014, NATO broke off ties with Russia. The U.S. has had more of a presence in the region in an attempt to reassure its allies in Eastern Europe as well as to deter Russia. Russia has said NATO is an aggressor given recent movement of troops and military hardware further into Eastern and Central Europe, as well as continued recruitment of these states into NATOs sphere of influence. In May, Russia called a U.S. missile defense site in Romania a security threat. The United States said the US$800 million shield will help defend Europe from attacks. Via TeleSur - Related video added by Juan Cole: AFP: US to deploy 1,000 troops for NATO battalion in Poland The Gambia and Tanzania announced the end of the practice of child marriage along with prison sentences for those who continue the tradition. Gambian President Yahya Jemmah [BBC profile] on Wednesday announced [eNCA report] that [a]s from today, July 6, child marriage is illegal and is banned in The Gambia. He also announced [Daily Mail report] the penalties from violating the practice are steep. The adult spouse will spend 20 years in jail, the parents will spend 21 years in jail, and those who know about child marriage but fail to do anything about it will spend 10 years in jail. He then instructed the Gambian congress to pass a bill by July 21 to outlaw the practice. On Friday, the Tanzanian High Court [official website] ruled [HRW report] child marriage was illegal by ruling provisions of the Tanzania Law of Marriage Act unconstitutional. The ruling makes any marriage by anyone under the age of 18 in the country illegal, even with parental consent. In recent years, the practice of child marriage has been criticized in many areas of the world. In November, The Guatemalan Congress approved legislation [JURIST report] to raise to legal age for marriage to 18. In April of last year Malawi raised the minimum marriage age to 18 [JURIST report] for both boys and girls. The move came after HRW called on Malawi to end the practice, [JURIST report] detailing how child marriage exposes girls to domestic and sexual violence. In 2014, Bangladeshi officials approved [JURIST report] the Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2014, requiring a two-year jail term for any person who marries a girl under the age of 18. Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] signed a package of controversial anti-terror bills [materials] on Thursday. These bills were drafted earlier this year as a response to the 2015 attacks in Paris and the bombing of an A-231 jet liner in Egypt. This package places high penalties on individuals found guilty of engaging in or financing terrorism including a possible sentence of life in prison for those engaging in international terrorism. Among several controversial alterations, the bill lowers the minimum age for being prosecuted for terrorist activities from 16 to 14. The bill also requires [press release] communication companies to store client information for up to three years and record phone calls, messages, and transferred files for six months. Companies who fail to comply with these regulations face hefty monetary fines. Businesses have protested these changes arguing they are forced to bear the entire cost. Many nations have passed controversial anti-terrorism laws in recent years. Last December China passed a new anti-terror law [JURIST report] that requires technology companies to provide information to the government obtained from their products and make information systems secure and controllable. In August 2015 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi approved [JURIST report] a 54-article counter-terrorism law, which has been met with significant controversy as many believe it to be an infringement on freedom of the press. Tunisias parliament voted to approve a new anti-terror law [JURIST report] despite strong criticism from NGOs and human rights groups last July. In January 2015 Amnesty International called on [JURIST report] Pakistan to stop sentencing people for violation of the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act, which they described as so vague that almost all crimes fall under [its] definition. Nine bloggers were jailed in Ethiopia in April 2014 for violation of Ethiopias broad anti-terrorism laws [JURIST report], although five of them were acquitted the following October. [JURIST] Ten additional states, including Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio, have filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] against the Obama administration for its directive for schools to allow transgender to use the restroom correlating to their gender identity. The Obama administration, through the Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Justice (DOJ), previously issued a letter informing states that transgender people are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, dealing with employment, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, handling federally funded schools. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson contends that the agencies bypassed necessary procedures in creating new federal regulations. The lawsuit asks for a temporary injunction on enforcing transgender use of restrooms intended by the administration pending the outcome of the lawsuit. A similar lawsuit was brought [JURIST report] earlier in May by 11 states. Transgender access to public restrooms has been a controversial topic and has created a wave of legislative and judicial actions. Earlier this week the Massachusetts legislature approved [JURIST report] a bill set to stop discrimination of transgender citizens in places of public accommodation, including public restrooms. In May the Florida American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against the Marion County school district, challenging their bathroom policy as anti-transgender. The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] in May challenging North Carolinas controversial House Bill 2. #SPC Group Deceased factory worker's family sues bakery giant SPC chairman The family of a young worker who died while working at an affiliate factory of food and beverage giant filed a complaint against the group's chairman on charges of violating the w... LINCOLN (AP) A ballot measure that could reinstate Nebraskas death penalty survived a legal challenge before the state Supreme Court on Friday when justices rejected arguments that Gov. Pete Ricketts should have been listed as a sponsor. The courts ruling was a setback for death penalty opponents, who alleged that the Republican governors involvement wasnt properly disclosed. Lawmakers abolished the death penalty in May 2015, overriding Ricketts veto and prompting capital punishment supporters to begin the petition drive. Ricketts disputed that he was an official sponsor, but donated $200,000 to the Nebraskans for the Death Penalty campaign after the override vote. Nebraska requires petition organizers to disclose official sponsors to ensure the public knows who is behind a campaign. In Fridays opinion, Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman noted that Ricketts support was disclosed through the groups financial statements filed with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Disability Rights Nebraska was created to assist individuals with disabilities and their families in protecting and advocating for their rights. From its beginning, Disability Rights Nebraska has promoted the principles of equality, self-determination, and dignity of persons with disabilities. Disability Rights Nebraska is independent of any public or private agency which provides treatment or services to people with disabilities. The board of directors will be conducting its annual public meeting at The Archway on June 11. A part of the meeting will be a public comment period from 11-11:30 a.m. Anyone with concerns about abuse or neglect of a person with a disability, access to community services, special education, employment, voting rights, or any other issues that affect people with disabilities have an opportunity to share these concerns. For more information visit the website at www.disabilityrightsnebraska.org John Lakey, Kearney The Legacy Theatre 101 E. Lawrence, Springfield Downtown Theater & Comedy Based on a true story, Charlie Price has inherited his fathers shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.Trying to save the family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible. A moving and powerful story, Kinky Boots will have everyone dancing in the aisle and discovering why, sometimes, the best way to fit in is to stand out.Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best 800-838-3006 197 Shares Share Health care providers are often uncomfortable discussing issues of religion with patients, despite studies that indicate nearly 9 in 10 Americans believe in some sort of spiritual power. As a medical student, I have noticed that religion plays an important role in many patients lives, and that conversations about spirituality can build rapport between doctors and patients. As the United States becomes increasingly diverse across religious lines, it is imperative for physicians to have a working knowledge of the health care-relevant practices of major religions, a concept known as religious literacy. In other words, while religion or spirituality may not play a major role in our own lives, we must become familiar with it in order to better understand our patients. The best way to create doctors involves educating medical students about religious practices. Here are some strategies for integrating discussions of religion and/or spirituality into medical school curricula. 1. Frame religion as a social determinant of health. Medical education around health disparities and issues of diversity has become increasingly popular over the last several years. Therefore, one method of discussing religion in a non-threatening manner involves integrating it into lessons about social determinants of health. While there is a relative paucity of research into the specific question of the effect of religion on various health outcomes, existing research has suggested that patients religious practices can have both negative and positive effects on health. While beliefs in divine intervention can deter patients from seeking time-appropriate cancer screening, organized religious communities can serve as focal points for culturally-tailored patient education programs around chronic conditions such as diabetes. 2. View religious community organizations as public health partners. Surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy has stated that he wants to move American health care further toward preventive medicine, and that faith-based organizations have an important role to play in supporting these efforts. Indeed, multiple studies have shown that religious organizations engender a high level of trust in communities, and that religious leaders can be important advocates that build bridges between local communities and health providers. From my anecdotal experience on the South Side of Chicago, I have noticed that decades of discrimination and disenfranchisement have caused many populations to thoroughly distrust the health care system. Some doctors lament that this historical legacy means that patients choose the county hospital with a six-month waiting list rather than receive care at our hospital. Therefore, partnerships with local faith-based organizations would go a long way towards regaining our communitys trust. 3. Educate medical students about major religions, but avoid generalizations. Medical students should receive foundational training on practices in major religions that impact health care delivery. For example, topics might include the fact that Jehovahs Witnesses decline blood transfusions, Muslims often fast during Ramadan, and that Sikhs often decline to cut their body hair. Such knowledge may become helpful when treating an increasingly diverse patient population, especially when working directly with communities. However, we must avoid one of the major criticisms against the culturally-competent care, and avoid making assumptions about a patients behavior based solely on their cultural background. Therefore, medical students should be educated to have a basic understanding of various religions, but always be encouraged to take cues from patients in terms of the importance of religion and spirituality. This can be elicited by non-judgmental questions in the history-taking process, such as, How important would you consider religion/spirituality is in your life? Normalizing these questions and asking them to all patients may encourage more patients to speak up about religious beliefs or practices that impact their lives. I conclude with a story about the dangers of delegitimizing doctor-patient conversations about religion. Ms. P is a veteran who has struggled to quit smoking. She tried numerous tactics such as nicotine patches, but was unable to stop. However, one day, she said that after praying to God for help, He made the cigarettes taste awful in my mouth, and then I knew that I could never smoke another one. Unfortunately, since her physician did not take her story seriously, she felt that her experience was invalid. Within a few days, she was back to smoking. Ms. P is still interested in quitting, and she feels that she can do so with the help of a health care provider who encourages her to stay in touch with her faith. In this situation, it did not matter whether Ms. Ps doctor shared her religious convictions. Religion had helped Ms. P quit smoking, and her doctor should have worked within that framework to maintain her non-smoker status. Educating medical students about religion and helping them become comfortable with these conversations will go a long way towards strengthening doctor-patient communication and attempting to rebuild trust in the health care system. Aamir Hussain is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 806 Shares Share Many of us now have high-deductible health insurance plans, which makes us cash-pay patients until we meet our deductibles. According to a Health Affairs health policy brief, high deductible plans are now much more prevalent in both individual and group markets. The higher the deductible, the lower the monthly premium. If you have a high deductible plan and dont consume much medical care, you are most likely a cash pay patient. You might even avoid medical care because of the out of pocket cost. I know I have. I talked with a friend yesterday who has a $9,000 deductible. She has a torn meniscus. She is avoiding the surgery because she isnt even close to hitting her plans deductible. I suggested she try asking for a cash pay price from her surgeon and the hospital or surgery center where her procedure would be performed. Negotiating cash pay prices for medical treatment has become a common practice. Often a cash-pay price for medical care can be much less than what youd have to pay if you havent met your deductible. But be aware, cash-pay prices only work if your provider does not submit your bill to your health insurance company. According to the a Los Angeles Times article, Even if you have health insurance, you may want to pay cash, Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research said, If your insurance has a high deductible you should always ask for the cash price. After my familys past health insurance company pulled out of the health insurance market, we chose a Blue Shield plan. They have already denied a medication Ive been taking for years. Even after my doctor filed an appeal, they refused, and suggested I try similar medications that were obviously less expensive for them and not what my doctor prescribed. I decided I was not going to let Blue Shield dictate my treatment if I could help it. I spoke to my pharmacist and asked for the cash-pay price for the medication if we didnt submit to my health insurance. It was too expensive. I called a few pharmacies and asked for their cash price for my medication. I took the lowest price back to my pharmacy and asked if they would match it. They agreed. You too can shop around for cash-pay prices and not just for medications, but for other medical services. For example, if you need an MRI, call a few imaging centers and ask for their cash-pay price. Be sure you make it clear you do not want it submitted to your health insurance. You can then negotiate with the provider of your choice. Tips for a discounted cash price: 1. Offer to pay up front at the time of service in exchange for a discounted cash price. Medical providers wait long periods to get paid by health insurance companies and some welcome being paid quickly. 2. Offer to pay the equivalent to the price that your doctor or other health care provider might receive from your health insurance company. What many patients dont know is that health insurance companies dont pay what doctors or other providers bill. They negotiate a reduced fee, so the provider is paid less than what is initially billed, according to the Medical Billing Advocates of America. 3. Offer to pay by check or cashiers check and avoid the use of a credit card since an extra charge might be tacked onto the bill. My husbands anesthesia bill from his surgery last year was paid with a credit card from our past health insurance company. The anesthesia group added a $45 additional fee for credit card processing that was passed down to us. I put a stop to that. So can you. 4. Go to Healthcare Blue Book, Clear Health Costs or New Choice Health and look up the desired medical service to get an idea of how much local doctors and hospitals charge for what you need. You might find that there are vastly different prices for procedures done in various facilities. 5. Negotiate a cash price before you have a medical procedure, if possible. Be sure to note the name of the person you negotiated with at the medical providers office, the exact price, and date of the discussion. 6. You can negotiate a cash-pay price after a procedure or treatment, but its easier ahead of time. If you receive medical bills from a hospital, per say, you can still ask for a discount. Try this: I can pay 30 percent of the bill now if you will write off the rest. If they do not agree, they might come back with an alternative reduction you find acceptable. If you think that negotiating cash-pay prices for medical care has an unseemly quality, you might consider how unseemly it is for health insurance companies to deny medical treatment that physicians deem necessary for their patients. The drawback to paying cash for medical services is that by not submitting your claims, medical bills wont count toward your deductible. If you anticipate a major medical expense, such as surgery or a hospital stay, consider putting your medical services through your health insurance so that the anticipated expense has a better chance of being covered. Martine Ehrenclou is a patient advocate. She is the author of the Take-Charge Patient and Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Kiplinger's spoke with Scott Norton (pictured left), 29, cofounder of Sir Kensington's, a New York City-based maker of premium ketchup, about how he started his business with college friend Mark Ramadan, 29. Read on for an excerpt from our interview: Why focus on ketchup? We met at Brown University, where we collaborated on class projects. After college, Mark worked in consulting, I was in finance, and we stayed in touch. We love food and are devoted eaters. Mark is half Lebanese and Im half Armenian. We both grew up with strong flavors and have adventurous palates. We were dissatisfied with commodity ketchup and wanted to create a better one. How did you develop your recipe? We learned about the history of ketchup and explored homemade recipes. We made six versions and invited 30 friends to a tasting party. The winners became our classic and spiced ketchups. Now we collaborate with chefs, high-end grocers and other people with fantastic palates. Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up What makes your ketchup different? We use whole tomatoes instead of concentrate, to avoid adding a ton of sugar, salt and flavoring agents. We dont use high-fructose corn syrup. Who is Sir Kensington? Without a reputation or an advertising budget, and because every other ketchup is synonymous with Americana, we knew we needed to be dramatically different. So we created a posh English character to represent our premium brand [read his story at sirkensingtons.com (opens in new tab)]. How did you launch? In 2010, we attended the Fancy Food Show in New York City, where we located producers who could meet our requirements, help us commercialize our recipes, make sample batches and figure out pricing. What does commercializing a recipe mean? Taking a recipe from your kitchen to large-scale production isnt a simple, one-to-one translation. You must determine which ingredients and processes create the flavor and consistency that youre looking for and do it affordably. How did you sell your ketchup? We started selling online and in stores in New York, like Murrays Cheese and Dean & DeLuca. Then Sur La Table, Whole Foods and Williams-Sonoma brought us on, and weve grown from there. Our own sales team works with more than 500 restaurants and hotels across the U.S. Food brokers help us reach buyers for retail stores. How did you finance your start-up? Our friends and family invested more than $1 million. In 2015, we raised about $8.5 million from a private-equity firm called Verlinvest, whose primary focus is healthy food and beverages, and a few other investors. How have you grown? Weve doubled or tripled our sales every year, and were on track for the same this year. In 2015, we sold more than 2.5 million jars of our products, which now include ketchups, mustards, mayonnaises, a dijonnaise, a special sauce, and Fabanaises, our vegan mayos [buy the ketchup duo online for $10 and a sampler of ketchup, mustard and mayo for $18]. This is our livelihood, and Mark and I are salaried. We employ 30 people now. Theyre our secret ingredient. This building, which previously housed the Concentrix call center, may become the new home of alternative programs for Central Kitsap School District. (Kitsap Sun file) SHARE By Christina Henry of the Kitsap Sun EAST BREMERTON Central Kitsap School District is likely eyeing the former Sprint call center as a home for its alternative education programs. The school board on Wednesday authorized Doug Newell, executive director of business and operations, to pursue a purchase and sales agreement on an East Bremerton property that could serve as a central location for the district's alternative high schools, an online program and the off-campus program, which offers on-campus support to families who want to educate their children at home. Newell on Thursday said the district has a preliminary agreement with the owner of a 60,000-square-foot building well suited to house nontraditional education programs that are now scattered throughout the district. Combining alternative programs in one location would have academic benefits and staffing benefits, Newell said. The agreement signed by the board, giving Newel the go-ahead to firm up terms of the sale, does not list the location of the property, since state law exempts real estate sales under negotiation from disclosure under the Open Public Records Act. But the former call center on McWilliams Road is the only available building in East Bremerton that answers the description. "It's a very nice open floor plan that's easily adaptable to the type of education we're doing in our alternative programs," Newell said. "It has a lot of attributes that were very attractive to us." These include a cafeteria, a large parking lot and a central location on a bus line. The final sales agreement must be publicly discussed and approved by the school board. The property is listed as available for lease by the CBRE Group, Inc., of Tacoma, which calls it the "former Sprint call center." Concentrix employed about 500 call center workers there until closing down operations in March. Concentrix declined to name its client, but outgoing workers told the Kitsap Sun it was Sprint. Although some tenant improvements will be needed, buying a suitable existing building is far cheaper than building new, Newell said. About 500 of the district's roughly 11,000 students are served by alternative programs, according to the document approved Wednesday by the board. The building also would accommodate transportation employee training and office space for some district support services. The district will fund purchase of the building from a variety of sources, including federal impact aid for communities with large military populations. The district now qualifies for Department of Education construction funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Congressional reauthorization of No Child Left Behind that was approved in December. The district also gained funding by scaling back plans for a new transportation, food service and maintenance facility it is building with funds from an expiring capital levy. Training rooms that were to be at the facility will be located at the McWilliams property, if all goes as planned. The district must make pre-sale inspections of the property and confirm that it can obtain permits to convert it to an educational facility. Final approval of the sale is expected at the board's Aug. 10 meeting. The consolidation of alternative programs is planned as the district embarks on major capital projects, including construction of a new Central Kitsap High School and Middle School, major renovations to Olympic High School and Klahowya Secondary School, and other work throughout the district. Major projects will be funded by a $220 million bond voters approved in February. Tracyton Elementary School. SHARE Submitted photo Water damage inside Tracyton Elementary was caused by vandals damaging the roof of the school. The Central Kitsap School District plans to demolish the closed school, which otherwise would need an estimated $6 million in repairs. By Angela Dice Central Kitsap School District plans to tear down a large portion of Tracyton Elementary School next summer. Some work will begin this fall. District administrators say the building deteriorated after it closed in 2007. The main building on the south side of the campus along Tracyton Boulevard needed repairs when it closed. The problem was compounded when vandals damaged the roof. Demolishing the main building would reduce district liability and allow the district to qualify for more money from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to build the new Jackson Park Elementary School and for other new construction, said David McVicker, CKSD's executive director of business and operations. The CK School Board this week approved plans for the school. Tracyton was built in 1944, with several additions and improvements since. An annex with eight classrooms was added north of the main building in 1974, and several portable buildings went in north of that in later years. By 2004, the district estimated that the building needed $6 million worth of repairs, McVicker said. Repair cost was a factor in the district's decision to close Tracyton and Seabeck elementaries in 2007. The district's primary reason for closing schools was to address enrollment declines and resulting reduced revenue. Since then, district crews did some maintenance. The building was heated to about 55 degrees and some repairs were made to the roof and sides of the building. The roof was already in need of repair when the building closed, but since then people have climbed onto low sections of the roof and skateboarded on or even tore up pieces of a protective membrane. District crews re-coated the roof and tried to prevent roof access. However, water seeped into the building in several areas, including into roof beams. "Now we're into structural issues inside," McVicker said. Starting this fall, the district will remove covered walkways and further obstruct access to the roof. Next spring, it plans to replace the roof on the annex, which the district plans to use for storage. And in summer 2013, the district plans to tear down the main building on the south side of the campus. The district may plant a grass field over the area. Altogether, administrators estimate the work will cost almost $1.1 million. The money would come from the district's capital projects fund, which is designated for building, repairs and technology. It is separate from the general fund, which is used to pay for salaries and operations. By demolishing the building, administrators believe the district will qualify for an additional $4 million in state grants. School districts can apply for renovation grants from OSPI, but the state allows districts to use the money to build new school space if it replaces the old within five years. In this case, CKSD plans to put some of those funds toward building Jackson Park Elementary School. Some money may also be used to add space to Silverdale Elementary School when it begins renovations there and for an auxiliary gym at Klahowya Secondary School. Population is not expected to grow in Tracyton in the next 10 years, according to a district demographic study completed this year. However, the district does not yet plan to sell the 16.7-acre site. Property in that area is scarce and if there is a future population boom, the district is unlikely to find a similar site, McVicker said. SHARE Alyce Eagans in 2009, giving a presentation at the Kitsap County Historical Society Museum, one of many local groups she was involved with. Eagans died Loxie Eagans Sr. and Alyce Eagans in the 1940s. (Contributed photo) By Christian Vosler, christian.vosler@kitsapsun.com BREMERTON Alyce Eagans, a beloved local activist and civil rights pioneer, died Wednesday from complications of cancer. Eagans, 86, arrived in Bremerton in the late 1940s and set up roots in myriad areas of civic life. Friends and family remember a hardworking mother, energetic community member and friend. Phyllis Eagans Molina said her mother was an efficient multitasker who didn't let anything slow her down. "She was never tired," she said, adding that her mother was "always working for her family, the community, her church. She was always such a go-getter." Because of this work ethic, Eagans struggled with not being able to be active when she got sick, her daughter said. Cancer wasn't new to Eagans she had previously battled breast cancer on multiple occasions over the past 50 years. Phyllis said her mother always remained positive. "She went through all the things that people do when they have cancer, she just took it like it was just one more event or one more project that she had to get through," she said. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1929, Eagans moved to Bremerton with her family in 1946. She married Loxie Eagans in 1949, and together they helped to found the Kitsap Chapter of the NAACP alongside other community activists James and Lillian Walker and Al and Hazel Colvin. They had two children, Phyllis and Loxie Jr. Loxie Eagans Sr., who died in 1981, is the namesake for the road in Bremerton. But Alyce Eagans was a pillar of the community in her own right. After settling in Bremerton, she worked in the supply office at the shipyard for 20 years. Once she retired, she moved on to a career in the Bremerton School District, where she worked in the superintendent's office for 17 years. Eagans continued to volunteer with the school district even after retirement, according to her daughter. During her 70 years in Kitsap County, Eagans routinely took on leadership roles. From the beginning as a PTA president when her children attended school in Bremerton, Eagans later served as the president of the local NAACP chapter and of the Washington State United Christian Church Ushers. She worked with Dianne Robinson to help found the Black Historical Society of Kitsap County, and was an active member of the YWCA, the Bremerton Central "Lady Lions" and the Kitsap County Historical Society. Robinson said Eagans was a motivating leader who always seemed to have a plan and a direction for projects. "Bremerton lost a great icon that worked in the community for many years and helped make the community a better community to live in," Robinson said. Eagans' energy and gumption was evident across all aspects of her life, from her commute to Seattle to take business classes at Edison Vocational School, to her dedication to her church, friends say. Eagans attended Sinclair Missionary Baptist Church, but didn't confine her outreach to within those walls. Bishop Larry Robertson, pastor at Emmanuel Apostolic Church, saw her as a mentor. "She was kind of one of the mothers of the community," he said. "Alyce had a way of making everything better. When she was around she made you better, she made the city better, she made the community better." While for many Eagans was a prolific community member and activist, for others she was just "Mom," or "Grandma." She loved to travel, and made the best pound cake. ""She taught me a lot about life," said Dina Molina, Eagans' granddaughter. "If there was an opportunity, to always take that opportunity, and if one door closed than I should try another way." Mya Molina, another granddaughter, said Eagans taught her never to hold a grudge. Loxie Jr. remembers her donating food on Christmas Day to those who might not otherwise have something to eat. Tracy Flood, a longtime friend, even reached out to a local congressman to present a lifetime service award to Eagans. "(She was) just a real go-getter and a wonderful spirit," Flood said. "She was a stalwart, she had endless energy." Eagans is survived by her two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned on July 20 at 1 p.m. at Sylvan Way Baptist Church, 900 Sylvan way, Bremerton. USA Today report: In the latest move to deny citizenship to those who balk at Swiss culture, authorities rejected the naturalization application of two Muslim girls who refused to take school swimming lessons because boys were present. The girls, ages 12 and 14, who live in the northern city of Basel, had applied for Swiss citizenship several months ago, but their request was denied, Swiss media reported Tuesday. The girls, whose names were not disclosed, said their religion prevents them from participating in compulsory swimming lessons with males in the pool at the same time. Their naturalization application was rejected because the sisters did not comply with the school curriculum, Basel authorities said. Whoever doesnt fulfill these conditions violates the law and therefore cannot be naturalized, Stefan Wehrle, president of the naturalization committee, told TV station SRF on Tuesday. The case shows how those who dont follow Swiss rules and customs wont become citizens, even if they have lived in the country for a long time, are fluent in one of the national languages German, French or Italian and are gainfully employed. More countries should do this. If people are unwilling to integrate (not assimilate) then why have them? If you dont want to have your country with gender segregation, then why let people in who do believe in gender segregation? Another recent case sparked widespread outrage in Switzerland when two Muslim brothers refused to shake hands with their female teacher, also citing religious restrictions. Shaking hands with a teacher is a common practice in Swiss schools. After that incident was widely publicized, authorities suspended the naturalization request from the boys father, an imam at the Basel mosque. There are many many countries one can live in where there is gender segregation. You think your beliefs means it is wrong to shake hands with a woman fine go live somewhere where that is the norm, rather than try and change another countrys culture. In Switzerland, unlike in the United States and many other countries, integration into society is more important for naturalization than knowledge of national history or politics. Candidates for citizenship must prove that they are well assimilated in their communities and respect local customs and traditions. What a good idea. In Switzerland, local town or village councils make initial decisions on naturalization applications. If they decide a candidate is not an upstanding member of the community, the application will be denied and not forwarded to canton (state) and federal authorities for further processing. Thats what happened in 2014 to Irving Dunn, an American who has lived in Switzerland for nearly 40 years. He was denied Swiss citizenship because he could not name any of his Swiss friends or neighboring villages, authorities said. The applicants answers have shown that his motive for naturalization is not about integration but about the personal advantages it offers, the naturalization commission ruled. I like the idea of delegating the decision to local communities. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr The Herald reports: Tamara Crowchief may have yelled I hate white people as she carried out a violent assault on a white person, but that doesnt mean her attack was racially motivated, a Canadian judge has ruled. The attack occurred outside a pub in Calgary, Canada, on Nov. 1, according to the Calgary Herald. Crowchiefs victim, identified as Lydia White, lost a tooth in the assault, the paper reported. Prosecutor Karuna Ramakrishnan had tried to put Crowchief behind bars for 12 to 15 months by arguing that the indigenous womans unprovoked actions represented a hate crime, the paper reported. But Judge Harry Van Harten of the provincial court strongly disagreed. The offender said, I hate white people and threw a punch, Van Harten told those gathered in the court during his ruling. There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether . . . she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim. I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that this offense was, even in part, motivated by racial bias. I dont actually believe in having hate crimes as a separate criminal category. But if you do have them, they should apply equally. If someone said I hate black people and punched a black person, you would conclude they were motivated by racial bias. If someone said I hate homosexuals and punched a gay man, you would conclude they were motiviated by dislike of homosexuality. But some people seem to go out of their way to ignore someones plain spoken words. The Orlando shooter told Police multiple times he was killing all these people due to his religious beliefs and support for Islamic State. However you then get people saying Oh no, ignore what he said, it is because . I believe in these situations, you apply Occams razor. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 62F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 35F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Thelma M. Perrin and Lt. Ross W. Perrin SHARE J. Ross Greene salutes his Uncle Bud in 1944. By Paul Bingley, Special to the News Sentinel British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said that writing a book was like an adventure. "To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant." First-time novelist J. Ross Greene, formerly of Knoxville, knows only too well. Ever since 2012, Greene confesses "an albatross was hanging from my neck." A graduate of Knoxville East High School Class of 1958 and University of Tennessee (1962 and 1964), Greene initially forged a career as a structural engineer. Seeking a different type of challenge in 1979, he established his own financial consulting practice in Atlanta. But an obsession with his hometown never left him. In 2011 he launched an online museum celebrating Knoxville's school heritage (www.knoxvilleheritage.com). Since then, he's followed up by authoring a website devoted to its World War II connections. This fascination with Knoxville's past was borne of a close family tie. In 1944, a then-3-year-old J. Ross Greene saluted his beloved "Uncle Bud," who marched off to war. The youngster never saw his "hero" again. Second Lt. Ross Perrin Jr, a B-17 bombardier with the Eighth Air Force, was killed in action over Germany just two weeks before Christmas Day. Perrin's young wife, Thelma, learned of his fate two months later, by which time she'd given birth to their only daughter, Rosalind. It was she who set Greene on his Churchillian undertaking. In 2009 Rosalind discovered almost 1,000 letters stowed away in her mother's attic. They'd been written during her father's time in the US Army Air Forces. Greene, who'd been researching the stories of 136 Knoxville High School graduates lost during World War II, was handed the letters because several had specifically mentioned him. Greene was astounded to discover they included six written by his own hand (under the guidance of his mother), one of which contained some Teaberry chewing gum which he'd sent his uncle in Easter 1943. Another read: 'for Christmas I want you to come home. When you do, I will never let you leave again'. Greene's letters were found among Perrin's possessions when he failed to return from his mission to Mannheim, Germany on Dec. 11, 1944. Sixty-five years on, the revelation heralded the start of a journey that would have a significant impact on Greene's life. Prior to the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a philosophical battle raged in the U.S. over America's possible involvement in the rapidly escalating war in Europe. Perrin and a group of like-minded friends enlisted the help of their former Knox High School history teacher, Miss Jessie Lou Neubert, to sort through the implications of this division and learn "what the world faces today, why we face it and what might be in store for us in the days ahead." He soon felt armed with the perspective he needed and immediately volunteered for military service. It was the start of a consequence that still reverberates today. Six years in the writing, Ross Perrin's story is central to Greene's recently-published fact-based novel, "A Fortress and a Legacy." Using the wartime letters as a basis for inspiration, Greene has woven a story of Bud Perrin's passage to war, his profound love for Thelma (a 1940 Miss Knoxville winner and Miss America contestant) and Greene's own journey of discovery. The result is 'the gift of a WWII bombardier's true story to the daughter he never knew' with Rosalind the focus of its legacy. Drawing on interviews with veterans of Perrin's unit (the 381st Bombardment Group), Greene has worked hard to incorporate the recollections of his uncle's former comrades, as well as friends and family in Knoxville. With an intense desire for historical accuracy, Greene has also succeeded in adding rich context to his uncle's story. Numerous poignant back stories assist the reader in understanding the effects of global conflict on one American family. Judging by Greene's attention to detail, it's easy to see how the ripples still permeate today. Greene's research took him across the Atlantic to his uncle's former base at Ridgewell, England. Along the way he visited Perrin's training sites, the pubs he frequented during his time in England, and Pinetree, the 8th Air Force Headquarters in High Wycombe, which was ultimately responsible for sending men like Ross Perrin on their hazardous missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. But it was one destination in particular that provided the culmination of Greene's literary adventure. On Oct. 8, 2012, at the invitation of officials from the German city of Mannheim, he visited the location of his uncle's crash site. He also met witnesses to the tragic event. The emotional day was marked by the flying of Old Glory alongside the German flag over Mannheim's town hall. Many books have been written about World War II, but few have managed to successfully capture the innermost thoughts of those who fought its battles. "A Fortress and a Legacy" is a body of work written by two generations 70 years apart. So evocative is it that one can almost hear Bud Perrin narrate its passages. Described as a "love story" by its author, it is one that pays tribute to a Knoxville man who answered the call of duty in the most ethical and modest of ways but paid the ultimate price. Greene deserves acclaim for delivering a poignant testament to his "Uncle Bud," and a legacy for the daughter he never knew. Signed copies of the book are available from the author at: www.A FortressAndALegacy.com or unsigned through Amazon. Paul Bingley of Essex County, England, has written about and worked in the aviation industry for 29 years. He is a noted WWII historian and a volunteer tour guide at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England. He has just been elected President of the RAF and USAF WWII Museum at Ridgewell, England. SHARE By Matthew Price, Newsday (TNS) When the Civil War broke out, William Tecumseh Sherman didn't want any part of it. The future Union general blamed the crisis on partisan Northern and Southern politicians, but he ended up one of the conflict's most famous figures celebrated in the North as a hero, reviled in the South as the devil incarnate. Sherman brought the bitter taste of war to the Confederate home front as his Union army cut a wide swath of destruction across Mississippi, Georgia and the Carolinas. In the Southern iconography of the war, the burning of Atlanta mythologized in "Gone With the Wind" looms large, forever associated with the name "Sherman." His tactics, a harbinger of 20th century warfare, were both psychological and military, as much about delivering object lessons as killing enemy troops. Military historians and biographers galore have scrutinized Sherman's life and his generalship. James Lee McDonough's massive "William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country" is a solid if plodding contribution to Sherman studies. McDonough, author of several Civil War-themed books, gives the general a full cradle-to-grave treatment, recounting Sherman's Ohio boyhood, his time at West Point and his experiences in California as an Army officer and banker. Overcoming his reluctance about the war financial considerations may have played a part, McDonough suggests Sherman rejoined the Army. He fought at Bull Run and then was stationed in Kentucky, where he suffered a mental breakdown. Much has been made of this episode. The press brayed on about Sherman's freakout, which in turn fueled his hatred of journalists, but McDonough coolly chalks up Sherman's troubles to lack of sleep, an unhealthy regimen and a genuine horror of war. Sherman was not the beast of legend, McDonough writes, but "a sensitive man, naturally tenderhearted, who required time to accept and adjust to the mass bloodshed and inherent cruelty of war, particularly when he served as a leader." Keep these words in mind as you wrestle with Sherman's complexities. For Sherman, the war was no crusade to end slavery, but one to keep the Union whole. He had many Southern friends and contacts, and vigorously opposed the use of black soldiers in the Army. ("We ought not to engraft a doubtful element in the army now," he wrote his brother John, a U.S. Senator, in 1864.) And still he proved one of Abraham Lincoln's most lethal weapons in a war that both preserved the Union and destroyed slavery. In partnership with his friend Ulysses S. Grant, Sherman moved from the western theater Sherman's renown began at the savage 1862 Battle of Shiloh into the heart of the South. The capture of Atlanta was a huge boon to Union morale, but Sherman was just beginning. A logistical genius, Sherman cut loose from supply lines "I will subsist luxuriously," he vowed and marched to the coast, his troops living off Southern stores and produce as they ripped up railroad track and destroyed infrastructure. In a series of turns and flanking maneuvers, he steered his 60,000-man army, avoiding the kind of bloody, head-on clashes that consumed Grant's forces in Virginia. "I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah," he famously wired Lincoln in December 1864. McDonough's account of this vital chapter of the war and the sweep of Sherman's life is detailed and authoritative, but also curiously muted. The author refrains from Margaret Mitchell-style melodrama, but there is something missing from these pages, an animating spirit that would make Sherman fully live and breathe. I am trying to learn more about the vase in the attached photo, which we believe to be Champleve. It has been in my family for many years, but little is known about it. Could you shed some light on this and perhaps tell us its age and value? This is a rather convoluted story that starts in the Bronze Age but authorities are still quarreling about exactly when that time period occurred in China. But for our purposes, I will go with the National Gallery of Art that considers 2000 BC (or BCE) to be the starting point of the Bronze Age in China with an end around 771 BC when the Iron Age replaced it. It is said that the Chinese started decorating bronze objects at the beginning of their Bronze Age by casting and carving relief decorations. Cloisonne decoration, which involves soldering wires (initially bronze, later followed by easier-to-work-with copper) to a bronze base and then filling the little cells or cloisons in French) with colored enamel (powdered glass). Cloisonne was not invented in China and was not widely made until the Ming Dynasty (circa 16th century), but most of what is found on today's market is post (often much after) 1850. Champleve is a similar product except that the pockets for the enamel are gouged into the surface of the metal and filled with the powdered glass. After the pockets are filled, the piece is heated until the enamel fuses. After this the surface is polished but generally not as finely finished as it is with cloisonne. On H.P.R.'s piece, for example, I see pits, a lack of shading and abrupt color changes. The pits can be a sign of age, but the lack of shading and abrupt color changes are signs that the piece is of lesser export quality. The sources I have consulted suggest that China (for the most part) stopped making champleve some time ago and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Japanese took up the craft and made pieces that appear to be Chinese but are not. They produced large quantities of champleve wares and some of them even bear spurious Ming Dynasty reign marks. The marks found on the vase in today's question are not those indicating a specific reign. The characters do appear to be Chinese and I am unable to translate them (I know of no one who can because they do not appear to be well struck). This is probably an inscription of some sort, perhaps a poem, and it is the sort of thing that the Japanese might have placed on the bottom of a piece they intended to make look as if it were Chinese in origin. The work on this piece suggests to me that it pre-World War II, but probably from the early 20th century, say circa 1920. As for value, H.P.R. failed to tell me the size, which means I am only able to offer a guess of the worth based on an assumed size. It looks fairly large in the photographs, and if it is indeed a good size say 10 to 14 inches tall, it should have a retail value in the $150 to $200 range. Submit questions to Joe Rosson, c/o News Sentinel, 2332 News Sentinel Dr., Knoxville, TN 37921, or to rossoncrane@yahoo.com. Questions will only be answered in this weekly column. Political forums and political party "get out the vote" rallies begin today for voters to meet candidates in the Aug. 4 elections. The Knoxville/Knox County League of Women Voters will sponsor forums for some contested races for the County Commission, although one event almost didn't come off because a major candidate isn't attending. Candidates in the 1st and 8th District commission races will participate at 3 p.m. today at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA, 124 S. Cruze St., with Brandon Rook of WATE-TV, Channel 6, as moderator. Democrat Evelyn Gill, seeking the 1st District seat, won't attend because she is out of town, said Ann Strange, the league's voter services chair. Republican candidate Michael Covington and Independent candidate Tyrone LaMar Fine will be there. "I never did talk to Evelyn. She finally sent an email she was going to be unavailable. She held me up for a long time," Strange said. Strange added she decided to go ahead with the forum. Gill said Friday she was in Mississippi on a planned trip. Strange said she coordinated with the Rev. John Butler, chairman of the local NAACP chapter. Butler tried to hold a forum where all three 1st District candidates could attend, but scheduling became a problem, he said. The 8th District candidates participating are County Commission Chairman Dave Wright, a Republican seeking re-election, and Don Wiser, a retired Knoxville police investigator running as an Independent. The league will sponsor another forum at 7 p.m. July 18 for candidates for the 4th, 5th and 6th district commission seats at the Emporium, 100 S. Gay St. Liza Zenni, director of the Arts & Culture Alliance, will moderate. The league said confirmed candidates are Republican Hugh Nystrom and Democrat Marleen Kay Davis, 4th District; Republican John Schoonmaker and Democrat Sheri Ridgeway, 5th District; and Republican Brad Anders and Democrat Donna Lucas, 6th District. Strange said she could not get a forum with the 9th District candidates because only Republican Carson Dailey responded to inquiries. He faces Independent Tom Pierce and Democrat James "Brandon" Hamilton. The Knox County Republican Party has a "get out the vote" rally at the Knox County Republican Club annual cake auction at 5 p.m. Monday at Rothchild's, 8807 Kingston Pike. The Knox County Democratic Party "get out the vote" rally features Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at party headquarters, 311 Morgan St. Early voting begins Friday. Knoxville leader takes helm as Urban League CEO after national search The Knoxville native and public servant brings community leadership experience and a passion for equality to follow Phyllis Nichols as its leader. Nick Meanza, left, and Mark Jendrek are two of the many residents of Cavett's Station subdivision trying to protect possible unmarked graves on a tract of land just outside the borders of the Mars Hill Cemetery in West Knoxville where a housing development has been proposed for the land. Meanza and Jendrek are pictured on that tract of land on Thursday, July 7, 2016. Cavett's Station residents hired a dowser and have tentatively identified where the unmarked graves, which are marked by the blue flags. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE A stone marker is the centerpiece of the Mars Hill Cemetery in West Knoxville. It was placed there in 1921 by the Tennessee Society Sons of the Revolution. Just beyond the trees is a tract of land that a housing development has been proposed. Residents of the Cavett Station subdivision argue that there may be old unmarked graves beyond the cemetery's borders. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) The Mars Hills Cemetery on Thursday, July 7, 2016. The cemetery dates back to 1793 and has been maintained by residents at Cavett's Station subdivision for the past five years. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) By Travis Dorman of the Knoxville News Sentinel Two centuries ago, a thousand Creek and Cherokee warriors descended on Knoxville, seeking vengeance for lands stolen and lives taken by white settlers. Deterred by a cannon blast at dawn that morning of Sept. 25, 1793, the Indians turned their rage on Alexander Cavett's fortified cabin eight miles from town. The bloody battle that ensued resulted in the surrender of 11 members of the Cavett family to Cherokee leader Bob Benge. But war chief Doublehead had another idea: he slaughtered the pioneers as they emerged from the cabin. Now, members of a Knoxville community are fighting a different kind of battle on the grounds where Cavett's blockhouse once stood. Residents of the Cavett's Station community in West Knoxville are protesting a housing development plan that would build 30 homes on the land next to the Mars Hill Cemetery where Cavett's family is thought to be buried. "You only get one chance to preserve something like this," said Mark Jendrek, an attorney whose house borders the cemetery. "If it gets paved over, it's done. We've got a chance, and it'd be a shame to blow it." Jendrek and his neighbor Nick Meanza, an Air Force veteran who works at the University of Tennessee, have spent countless hours researching the history of the area and poring over century-old land deeds. They believe AKP Properties LLC plans to pave a road over the unmarked graves of slaves and Indians who might have been buried beyond the graveyard boundaries in the 1800s. David Alley, the owner of Alley Realty and Auction, parent company of AKP Properties, said Friday was the first time he had heard about Jendrek and Meanza's investigation. He said he was aware of the existence of the cemetery, but he didn't know there might be graves on the property he aims to purchase. If that proves to be the case, Alley said his company will "go back to the drawing board." "If there's a situation where we run into bodies or graves or anything, we would respect that wholeheartedly," Alley said. "We're about trying to do a very quality development in the community, and doing it right." If graves are confirmed to lie outside the cemetery, state law would require AKP Properties to alter construction plans to accommodate 10 feet of space around the gravesites or dig up the remains, rebury them and notify any surviving heirs of the process, according to Rakeisha Elliot, a clerk at the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. Jendrek and Meanza have a few reasons for believing bodies may be buried beyond the graveyard. From their research, they determined the cemetery's boundaries were not defined in deeds until 1857, and settlers previously could have been interred outside the wooden fence posts that mark the property line. The pair also learned from discussions with historians and archaeologists that most of the cemeteries in Tennessee that were active in the 1800s have graves on the periphery. Slaves, free blacks, Indians and others considered second-class citizens at the time were deemed unfit to share the same dirt as white settlers, so they were relegated to burials outside hallowed ground. Jendrek recruited a dowser to help him mark potential gravesites. He acknowledges those findings would not hold up in court, so he intends to have the earth scanned by ground-penetrating radar on Aug. 1. He then plans to take his findings to the Metropolitan Planning Commission, which will review the development plan. SHARE By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel For a little more than two hours, about 70 University of Tennessee students, faculty and staff members gathered Friday to share and to reflect on the week's national news. Sometimes, voices rose with emotion. Other times, there were moments of laughter. And for several, tears flowed. Friday's "A Time for Reflection" was first planned on Thursday morning after the fatal shootings by police of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., said Tanisha Jenkins, the director of multicultural student life. Her office, along with the Office of the Dean of Students and the Counseling Center, planned the discussion at the Frieson Black Cultural Center. The need for that discussion increased Thursday night when five police officers were fatally shot during a Black Lives Matter protest march in Dallas, she said. "We just wanted to provide an open space for our campus community to be able to process and work through the different emotions, thoughts and feelings that many of us are feeling right now," Jenkins said. Organizers would not allow reporters to attend the discussion. Several attendees called the exchange raw and authentic. For Chrystina Williams, a senior, the dialogue was something she wanted to avoid at first, because she didn't want to confront her feelings. "But I knew it would be good for me," she said. Williams, a student worker at the cultural center and in Multicultural Student Life, said it was good to hear from others and have a safe haven after recent police shootings. "(The recent shooting victims) could have been one of my family members," she said, noting she is biracial. Amber Thornton, a psychologist at the counseling center, said minority students can sometimes feel invisible or like their opinions aren't valid. So an open dialogue where other people are saying "I see this, too" helps validate their feelings, Thornton said. Keith McGee, a senior, said the discussion allowed people to talk about the recent shootings and to grieve, but also to talk about how to heal and how to have a plan for the day-to-day. Thornton said many people wanted to know what to do next, how to help others cope and how to heal the relationship between police and minorities. A feeling of helplessness was brought up several times, she said. Thornton said it's important to remember self-care such as eating well, sleeping, exercising and reaching out to a support network. She said positive activism helps, too, as people see they are making change and helping others. McGee said he hopes a more diverse group of people from the campus community will join conversations like the one on Friday. Jenkins said talking with others is part of self-care and it's also OK to step back from social media and refocus. Thornton agreed. "Know your limits," she said. The news on the human slavery front was not good last week. It was horrible, in fact. The International Justice Mission, a global organization that partners with local law enforcement and criminal justice systems worldwide to rescue victims, announced one of its attorneys, his client and a cab driver had been killed in Kenya. The day before, the U.S. State Department released its 2016 Trafficking in Persons report. Whatever tepid global progress State reported was overshadowed by the crimes in Kenya, which epitomized the problems facing the efforts to end modern slavery. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, weighed in on both the report and the Kenya calamity. "I am profoundly saddened to learn of the deaths of Willie Kimani, Joseph Muiruri and Josephat Mwenda, three individuals who gave their lives in pursuit of justice for others," Corker said. "I strongly condemn this violence and call for a thorough and impartial investigation, with swift apprehension and prosecution of those responsible." Corker, who advocates for trafficking victims through the End It movement and legislative action, spotlighted a huge global sticking point: the system often sides with perpetrators. "It appears that Willie, Joseph and Josephat were abducted as they departed judicial proceedings on police abuse," Corker added. "Impunity carries with it a stigma on law enforcement and the justice system within a country that is struggling still to reassert respect for the rule of law. Effectively prosecuting this case will help Kenyans, and others, believe the state is interested in justice." "The police charged our client (Mwenda) with what we believe were false charges related to drug possession and possession of a weapon," Eric Ha, the International Justice Mission's general counsel, told Christianity Today. "Kenya, like too many countries around the world, from time to time experiences corruption," said Mark Clookie, IJM's vice president of investigations and law enforcement development, in the same report. IJM, Clookie said, was invited by the Kenyan government to help corral corruption. The State Department report said the Kenyan government "increased efforts to prevent human trafficking" but "made inconsistent efforts to protect child trafficking victims, and efforts to identify and assist adult victims remained weak." While Kenya invested in anti-trafficking initiatives, the sums were perhaps understandably paltry, given the East African nation's weak economy. The report makes clear Kenya is not alone in its challenges to end corruption and attack the people trade. Secretary of State John Kerry rightly praised the report. "If there is a single theme to this year's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, it is the conviction that there is nothing inevitable about trafficking in human beings," Kerry said. "That conviction is where the process of change really begins with the realization that just because a certain abuse has taken place in the past doesn't mean that we have to tolerate that abuse in the future or that we can afford to avert our eyes. Instead, we should be asking ourselves what if that victim of trafficking was my daughter, son, sister, or brother?" Corker agrees and makes the case that America must engage, not shrink from its global moral responsibilities. "More than 27 million people are enslaved worldwide, and I strongly believe a U.S.-led, global effort is necessary to end this evil," said Corker. But Corker knows the challenges and recognizes the need for real, reliable data for real change to come. "In order for the TIP report to be an effective tool for holding governments accountable, all judgments must be based on measurable progress on anti-trafficking efforts," Corker said. "Following what were clear flaws in last year's TIP process, the committee will carefully examine the 2016 report and conduct public hearings to determine the integrity of the findings." Kenya, and the whole world, has much work to do to end corruption, to end the atrocity of human trafficking. Lives depend on it. Joyce Tarbell had been stewing for a while before she wrote a letter to the editor urging women to take more personal responsibility for avoiding becoming victims of rape. She had saved articles about campus sexual assaults and believed they showed many young women could have headed off attacks with a little "common sense." "It's an egregious crime," she said. "It is horrible. "But if you hadn't been so drunk, you would not have been in that situation. ... If you leave your keys in the ignition and someone steals your car, are you surprised?" Tarbell, who turns 68 this month, is married, retired in Tellico Village and active in her church. After the letter was published, "I talked to several of my peers, my age group," she said, "and they said: 'Right on.' The 50-and-older crowd seems to think you take some responsibility for yourself." Although she has written letters to the editor in the past, she hesitated on this one "because I didn't want all this backlash." But she wrote anyway, and the backlash came, especially on Twitter. "This is absolutely DISGUSTING. Instead of telling women to 'take responsibility,' tell men to stop raping," tweeted Aralyn. "WOMEN ARE IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR BEING RAPED. Remove this article," tweeted Summer. "@knoxnews What kind of idiots are you for endorsing that women are to be blamed for being raped?" Jacqui tweeted. "Stop victim blaming." Stephanie tweeted: "why are women afraid to report attacks?? Perhaps bc people say things like this. Why was this published!???" To be clear, the newspaper wasn't endorsing women being blamed for being raped, even if that was what Tarbell was saying and I think that oversimplifies her message. The News Sentinel publishes letters every day espousing viewpoints it doesn't endorse, and it has done so for decades. We do that because a newspaper's role is to present a mix of information and opinions for a community to debate. It's our job to help supply the "marketplace of ideas," a concept that dates back at least to the English poet John Milton. "Who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter" with Falsehood? he asked in 1644. John Stuart Mill expanded the concept in "On Liberty" in 1859, and Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes enshrined the metaphor in American jurisprudence when he wrote a famous defense of the First Amendment in 1919. "The ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas," Holmes said. "(T)he best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market." The principle is simple. Suppressing bad ideas doesn't stop them. They must be replaced by good ideas. So if people disagree with Tarbell's letter, they shouldn't howl for its removal. They should offer reasoned responses, as a few letter writers subsequently have. "The letter evidently has stirred up a controversy," Tarbell noted. "Maybe it will get some people thinking." That's the idea. Now, discuss By Choi Sung-jin "Our hearts are burning deep inside but we cannot say so openly." That's what an executive said who works for a conglomerate with strong business interests in China, commenting on the decision Friday to deploy the U.S. antiballistic missile system known as THAAD, a move that drew strong objections from Beijing. The business community is deeply concerned about the troublesome effects the military move will have on their trade with and investment in the world's second-biggest economy, which is also Korea's largest export destination, but cannot express it in public. "Damages on exports are inevitable because of the missile shield's deployment here," another executive said, requesting anonymity. "We are of course worried about our business with China but finding it hard to raise issue with it. At stake is national security." Their biggest concerns are possible trade retaliation from the Chinese government. As soon as Korea and the United States announced the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System, Beijing expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," in an unusually swift response. Some observers here, while noting that China has long opposed the deployment of THAAD in Korea, feel that Beijing might have already prepared its next move. "Beijing and Seoul have made great efforts developing their bilateral relationship to the present level. Such efforts, however, can be destroyed by one thing (THAAD)," said Chinese Ambassador to Korea Qiu Guohong, during his meeting with Kim Jong-in, interim leader of the largest opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, in February. "Once destroyed it will be difficult and will take a long time to restore." As to possible forms of trade retaliation, business sources here point to Beijing's possible use of various nontariff barriers. Kim Jong-in By Choi Sung-jin Kim Jong-in, interim chief of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), is widely regarded as a conservative politically. So Kim drew unusual attention Thursday when he called for introducing "universal basic income," advocated by the leftist Justice Party. "I introduced the concept of basic income for the first time in Korea through my National Assembly address recently," Kim said. "Some may ask whether I am in my right mind talking about the issue, but the nation needs to discuss it seriously in considering the plight of the future generation." Proponents of universal basic income a state stipend payable to all citizens regard it as an alternative welfare system in these times of sagging demand, unequal income and declining jobs, but opponents criticize it as the final piece of populism. Even in wealthy European countries, including Finland and the Netherlands, universal basic income has caused social controversy between its pros and cons. Last month, the Swiss rejected its introduction with more than three quarters of the voters casting nay ballots. Behind Kim's mention of the controversial system is his political calculation, political observers note. The conservative politician was the author of the "economic democratization" platform of President Park Geun-hye in the 2012 election, but he left Park once it became clear the nation's first female president had no intention of putting her biggest campaign pledge into action. Now, Kim, 76, wants to reignite the political debate about a more equal economy by taking up one of the leftists' issues, as he did in the April parliamentary polls and won a handsome victory, observers say. The MPK appears set to take the lead in the debate of economic polarization, differentiating itself from the ruling Saenuri Party and the third-largest People's Party, both of which are mired in intra-party factional feuds. Prior to the opening of the workshop, Kim met with leftist leaders and exchanged views about the widening income gap and the "inclusive growth" theory. "Kim's participation in the event organized by the leftists is significant in itself," an MPK official said. Critics, however, say Kim may be going too far by connecting universal basic income to his economic democracy theory, saying the introduction of the state stipend is facing opposition even in Western European countries, which spend more than 20 percent of their gross domestic product on welfare programs. In Korea, even some progressives are opposed to its introduction here. "In a country such as Korea that has a loose social safety net, the introduction of universal basic income might even end up reducing the existing welfare benefits for a number of people," said an expert. "Instead of giving a uniform amount of money to all people, it will be more realistic for the government to increase and improve respective benefits, such as the national pension and medical insurance." Yet the analysts said Kim's attempts to bring popular attention to welfare issues and a more equal economy will prove timely and desirable given the huge sense of disappointment widespread among Korean voters against the Park administration and the conservative governing party. By Choi Sung-jin "I live on Jeju Island. A company in Seoul told me to come for a job interview. I bought an air ticket after confirming the schedule a day before the interview. But the company cancelled it one-sidedly, with less than 24 hours left, saying the interviewer had something else to do." His was but one of numerous cases of young job-seekers suffering because of high-handed and disgraceful employers and interviewers, according to a survey of 1,068 youngsters by a presidential panel, which released its results on Friday. As many as 64.8 percent of the job seekers who had interviews said they had "unpleasant experiences." Specifically, 26 percent pointed to improper questions, followed by the bad behavior of the interviewers (19.2 percent) and insufficient interview time (13.2 percent). Some interviewers talked down to the job seekers as soon as they met them. Others belittled the interviewees, even about their looks. One job seeker recalled the interviewer saying, "You appear as if you could survive in a jungle, but seems quite sensitive at heart." A woman was told to "lift a chair and remain in that state" by an interviewer, who stressed the need for a strong physique for the job. Another took issue with a job seeker's age, saying, "You are already 28. How long do you think you can work?" "Employment should be made by focusing on the job seeker's suitability for work, but the reality seems to be somewhat different in many cases," said Park Yong-ho, chief of the Youth Committee. Also harassing job seekers are long waiting times for interviews and unilateral changes of schedules or their cancellations. Some job seekers received notices of success in text messages, only to be later notified of cancellation citing administrative mistakes. "We hope interviews for employment will be made based on mutual respect and consideration, not reflecting only the standpoints of benefactors and beneficiaries," a panel member said. Among the respondents of the survey, the largest portion (43.3 percent) wanted to learn interviewing techniques such as speech-making know-how, followed by getting correct corporate information (39.3 percent). Considered the most needed support system in particular, 44.1 percent cited consulting services. The United States remains in contact with Chinese and Russian leaders "at the highest levels," the Pentagon said Friday, as Beijing and Moscow protest strongly the planned deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system to South Korea. South Korea and the U.S. announced earlier that they have officially decided to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to South Korea to cope with ever-growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. China, which has long voiced opposition to THAAD in the South, strongly protested the decision, saying the deployment does not help achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and hurts peace and stability in the region. Russia also expressed similar protests. "As we have long said, THAAD is a purely defensive system designed to counter short- and medium-range regional ballistic missiles. It would not undermine China's or Russia's strategic deterrent," Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, told Yonhap News Agency. North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Saturday, but the missile failed in its initial flight stage, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The missile was fired from waters southeast of the coastal port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, at around 11:30 a.m., according to the military. "The SLBM was ejected from the submarine normally, but (we) estimate the initial flight was unsuccessful," the JCS said in a brief press release. "Our military strongly denounces such provocative acts by North Korea," the JCS noted. North Korea's ballistic missile launches are direct violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including its Musudan missile launches on June 22 and the latest launch, the military said. Military sources said the latest SLBM appears to have exploded at an altitude of some 10 kilometers after being fired from a submerged 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarine. The missile flew only a few kilometers before the presumed explosion, they said. Police protests Alton Sterling Philando Castile The Bahamas issued a travel advisory for its citizens who plan to travel to the US, citing the recent shootings of black men by police officers. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has taken a note of the recent tensions in some American cities over shootings of young black males by police officers," the statement says. "We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the US but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally," it continued. "In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate." This advisory comes after two black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot and killed by police earlier this week, the latest in a series of similar incidents, as well as the killing of five police officers in a coordinated sniper attack in Dallas on Thursday. You can read the full statement here. NOW WATCH: US ATTORNEY GENERAL: Don't let this week of violence 'precipitate a new normal' More From Business Insider South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold their first meeting on development issues on Friday, as the three nations seek to expand trilateral cooperation on the international stage, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The inaugural session will take place in Washington with delegations from each country's foreign ministries in attendance, the South Korean ministry said in a press release. "The three countries, in the era of sustainable development, plan to share their policies and experiences in terms of development cooperation, discuss new plans for development cooperation aimed at enabling sustainable development, and seek possible areas of trilateral cooperation, including joint projects and volunteer exchanges," the ministry said. The talks will be led by Lee Yong-soo, director-general of the South Korean ministry's development cooperation bureau; Kurt Tong, principal deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs; and Keizo Takewaka, deputy director-general of the Japanese foreign ministry's International Cooperation Bureau. (Yonhap) The Seoul city government held a free K-pop concert in Bangkok this week in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the two cities' establishing sisterhood relations, officials said Friday. The Seoul Prime Concert in Bangkok 2016 was held on Thursday evening (local time) at the IMPACT Arena, Exhibition & Convention Center featuring South Korean girl group Sistar, boy band Monsta X and other artists. Some 12,000 people filled the auditorium, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The tickets were distributed to Bangkok citizens free of charge in the city and they ran out within five minutes, a city official said. Famous Thai artists, Season Five and Kangsom Tanatat, were also included in the lineup. It would be difficult to tell that she's not Korean if someone were to chat with her on a mobile messenger. Hanieh Sadat Kazami, 18, is Iranian, but she can text in Korean slang and abbreviations on mobile messengers just like any other Korean. While most Iranian women use Germany-based Telegram to chat over smartphones, Kazami even uses Kakao Talk, South Korea's most popular mobile messenger application. "I use Telegram for my Iranian friends and Kakao Talk for my Korean friends," Kazami said. On June 23, she won a Korean language speaking contest in Tehran. At the event organized by the South Korea-sponsored King Sejong Institute, contestants were divided into two groups -- elementary and intermediate -- based on their Korean speaking skills. Kazami topped the intermediate class, although she only has studied Korean about a year. "Her speaking, writing and reading levels are very high," said Choi Yeon-suk, chief of the institute's Tehran branch. "If foreigners want to speak Korean like Kazami in just a year of learning, they should have very good linguistic sense and study very hard." Kazami said she began learning Korean after watching Korean TV dramas. "Last year, one of my friends showed me the South Korean drama 'You're Beautiful' with Iranian subtitles, and I loved it," she said. "I was looking to learn another foreign language in addition to English. I decided to go with Korean after watching the drama." Kazami then searched Korean textbooks online and self-studied the language until she registered at the institute's Korean language school in Tehran this March. Among five classes offered by the school, Kazami was able to enter the second most advanced class. "When I first saw Korean characters, it was like a picture," she said. "But now, I speak Korean first even when I'm surprised. I think this is because Korean is the language that can best express human emotions." Kazami said she is now interested in Korean culture too. "I was amazed that there are lots of similarities between Iran and South Korea," she said. "For example, women here wear the hijab, and it was interesting that South Korean women in the old days wore a long veil called 'sseugae chima.'" As a winner from Iran, Kazami will enter the Korean speaking contest finals in Seoul in September. She said she also wants to finish first at the contest where winners from other countries can also join. "I have eight textbooks from the Sejong Institute, but I have to read four of them in the next two months," she said. "It already makes me nervous." Kazami, however, said she is happy to visit South Korea and wants to go to some K-pop concerts. "I want to study Korean more and become a person who can serve as a bridge between South Korea and Iran," she said. "If I have a chance, I want to study in South Korea, majoring in industrial design." (Yonhap) Van Jones CNN Commentator Van Jones made an unconventional point on Saturday about the ongoing discussion of race relations and law-enforcement in America. "[Black people and the police] literally are having and describing the same experience," Jones said, "the police say they feel vulnerable that's exactly what the kids in Black Lives Matter are saying." After a mass shooting targeting police in Dallas on Thursday and at least two more shootings of police officers in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, some law-enforcement representatives have said they feel like the ones with targets on their backs. Radio host and conservative political commentator Ben Ferguson noted this week that officers told him "we feel like people want to kill us." Here's more from Jones: "If, to both sides, it seems that the world is misunderstanding them, it's a good time to say let me open my heart ... listen to the pain of the law-enforcement community, listen to their fear, their sense of being labeled and wronged and misunderstood. Listen to those African-American kids. They can't take off their badge, they can't take off their uniform, but they still feel like they've got a target on their back because of their skin color ... there's now enough pain in both communities that we should be able to understand each other." Philando Castila vigil people hugging crying Another media influencer took issue with Jones' suggestion. The Daily Beast's editor-at-large, Goldie Taylor, said of black people, "They don't have the same experience. They don't have the same power." Taylor is referring to the fact that police have the power to detain, arrest and, in some cases, kill under the protection of the law. Speaking from Poland, President Obama said that he doesn't believe America is as "divided as some have suggested." Story continues "This is not who we want to be as Americans, and that serves as the basis of us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way," Obama said, referring to this week's unprecedented violence in the US. Obama's hopefulness echoed a message posted by Facebook user Natasha Howell on Friday describing an unexpected encounter she had with a police officer. Howell, whose post has since gone viral, said she went into a store where a white police officer was talking to a clerk. In the post, Howell says the officer asked her how she was doing. "I'm tired," Howell said. "Me too," the officer responded, adding "I guess it's not easy being either of us right now, is it?" According to Howell's posting, they both hugged it out. Watch Van Jones' commentary below: NOW WATCH: TRUMP SPOKESWOMAN: Why the Republican Party has 'miserably failed' More From Business Insider Donald Trump Donald Trump's latest reality show: The public teasing of who he will pick as his running mate. It's like something straight out of an episode of "The Apprentice." For the past week, Trump has, in an unprecedentedly public way, announced meetings with potential running mates and dropped additional clues about his thought process. Aides with the Trump campaign have given wide-ranging information, such as when he will announce the pick to who is really and who is really not being considered. Trump reached peak showman on Wednesday when he called into Fox News to announce he had roughly 10 names left on a short list more than had been previously reported and said it included two generals and some names "that haven't surfaced yet." "Well I'm actually looking at 10 people, and three or four called me up, very big names, Senate and governors and all," the Manhattan billionaire said. "And they want to be considered. And we're looking very, very strongly." Asked about the idea of having a general serve as his running mate, he said he likes the "concept of the generals." "We're thinking about actually there are two of them that are under consideration," he said. "We really, we're looking to go more the political route in terms of getting legislation passed, which is what they do. And I think frankly, we don't want to do the executive orders, like Obama's been doing. He just sits down, signs executive orders all day long. That's not the way it's supposed to work. So I really have been thinking in terms of the politicians, but we're looking at two generals." Gens. Michael Flynn who the New York Post reported Tuesday was in the vetting process and Stanley McChrystal have been two that are often named as potential fits to be Trump's running mate. Trump and Newt Gingrich campaign Later Wednesday, at a large rally in Ohio, Trump went very far in teasing the man many pundits believe is his most likely choice former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Story continues Trump told the Cincinnati crowd that Gingrich would somehow be a part of his theoretical administration as the crowd started cheering "Newt! Newt! Newt!" "Wow. ... I like that too," he replied. "We like Newt!" "Newt has been my friend for a long time," he continued. "And I'm not saying anything, and I'm not telling even Newt anything, but I can tell you, in one form or another, Newt Gingrich is going to be involved with our government." "He's smart. He's tough. He gets it," Trump said, amid louder cheers. "And he says I'm the biggest thing he's ever seen in the history of politics." The Manhattan billionaire dropped the biggest wink-wink hint when he brought up the vice-presidential debates. "I'm not saying it's going to be Newt, but if it's him, no one's going to be beating him in the debates," he said. Around the same time Trump dropped hints about Gingrich and his short list, some of the names most closely connected to the presumptive Republican nominee took themselves out of consideration. "The only people who are not interested in being the V.P. pick are the people who have not been asked!" Trump tweeted on July 4, shortly after posting about meeting with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst over the weekend. He'd later post about meeting with Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, ahead of the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee introducing him at a North Carolina rally where he promptly praised deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for being great at killing terrorists. Shortly after the meetings, both Ernst and Corker would take themselves out of consideration for the role. Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump listens as Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) speaks at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., July 5, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts On his way off the island, Corker dropped a mini-bomb of his own. "You know, the Trump family is most impressive," Corker said Wednesday. "His best running mate, by the way, would be Ivanka." "I know that wouldn't pass muster probably," he said of the idea of Trump's daughter serving as his vice president. "But I don't know that I've met a more composed, brilliant, beautiful-in-every-way person." Although Trump himself would not comment on that suggestion, his son, Eric Trump, told Fox & Friends Thursday that, "Hey, she's certainly got my vote." Shell just be 35, he said. Her birthday is at the end of October, so she just makes it by seven or eight days. Lost amid all the drama was the status of one of Trump's longest major supporters, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who's been rumored as a potential running mate since he endorsed the bombastic billionaire in late February. Christie has repeatedly been named as a member of Trump's short list in recent months. But unfortunately for Christie, it seems as if his time as a part of the veepstakes is coming to an end. A source told The Newark Star-Ledger that Christie filled out more than 100 pages of disclosure documents for the Trump campaign, simply because "it would be embarrassing not to be vetted." With less than 10 days to go before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Trump told multiple outlets recently that the announcement will "probably" be made "sometime prior to the convention." "People are calling me that you wouldn't even think about," he said in his recent Fox News interview. "They want to have their names thrown into the hat. And we're gonna look at some people. So we have a lot of interest in it, believe me." NOW WATCH: Heres the footage that Republicans suggest shows Hillary Clinton lied under oath More From Business Insider The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more Donald Trump Donald Trump had an intense, testy exchange with Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona one of his sharpest Republican critics on Capitol Hill during a closed-door meeting with GOP senators on Thursday in Washington, DC. The Washington Post reported that when the Arizona Republican stood up and introduced himself, Trump said, "You've been very critical of me." "Yes, I'm the other senator from Arizona the one who didn't get captured and I want to talk to you about statements like that," Flake responded, two Republican officials told the Post. Flake was referring to Trump's comments from roughly one year ago when he questioned whether Sen. John McCain of Arizona was a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War. Trump said he preferred people who weren't captured. According to The Post, Flake told the Manhattan billionaire that he wants to be able to support him but is still uncomfortable doing so. Trump noted he had yet to start attacking Flake and threatened to start. Flake then urged Trump to stop attacking Mexicans, according to the report. The presumptive Republican nominee predicted Flake would lose his reelection bid, to which Flake shot back that he's not on the ballot until 2018. Sources told CNN's Manu Raju that Trump also threatened to defeat Flake in an election. Flake declined to elaborate on the exchange when asked by reporters afterward. "No, I'll just leave it," he told reporters, adding that "my position remains. I want to support the nominee. I really do. I just can't support him given the things that he's said." A Flake spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the Post account was accurate. Trump also called out Republican Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, according to The Post. Kirk recently unendorsed Trump, while Sasse has been fiercely critical of the real-estate magnate. Trump characterized Kirk as a loser. "I guess he lit me up," Kirk later told The Post. Story continues Jeff Flake During a recent interview with Business Insider, Flake said anybody who uttered the protectionist rhetoric on trade that Trump has "is not what I'd call a Republican." He also said it's "quite possible" Trump could lose in his state of Arizona, a GOP stronghold, and that he thinks Republicans should consider confirming Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in October if it looks like Trump is going to lose the election. "Mr. Trump's problem is not just being dissatisfied with the status quo," he said. "It's that he's gone out and gone after specific groups and organizations. The Mexican judge comments. The Muslim ban, although he seems to be backing off of that. It's just the general statements on too many groups he's going to need to win an election. So I think he's still got to change quite a bit." He added that "we just don't know" if Trump is capable of change. "Sometimes he'll walk something back one day and be back with the original policy the next," he said. "So we'll see what holds. He's 70 years old, and it's tough to change. He's made many statements about how he won the primary and why change it. He may, for a time, use more appropriate rhetoric or statements, but I just don't know if that can last. I really don't." NOW WATCH: Donald Trump defends his praise of Saddam Hussein More From Business Insider PRESS RELEASE For War and Terrorism: Erinnyes Are Just Getting Started on Blair July 8, 2016 (EIRNS)The attack on those, led by Tony Blair, who used the 9/11 attacks for illegal and aggressive wars and set loose international terrorism, is escalating. On a day when the new Philippines President called out Blair and the United States as the sources of terrorism, and U.S. Congressmen called for a mobilization to force out the evidence on the Saudis and British, Blair also faced a growing suit by British military families and the prospect of prosecution. The London Telegraph reported it had been told by legal sources that the Chilcot Commission Report provided grounds for legal suits for damages, against Blair, by wounded veterans of Iraq and families of soldiers who died there. It said that 29 families of dead soldiers have so far asked the law firm McCue & Partners to pursue a claim against Blair "for every penny," and many others are expected to join. The firm expects to bring a civil case of "misfeasance in public office," showing Blair had "acted in excess of his powers and that in doing so harm has been caused, and that the harm could have been predicted." Misfeasance in office allows potentially unlimited damages. The Telegraph observes that Sir John Chilcots investigation found "Mr Blair should have seen the problems that resulted from the invasion in 2003, and came as he could to suggesting the military action was illegal." It also notes that Blair "has made a fortune estimated at 60 million pounds.... Reg Keys, whose son Tom was one of six Royal Military Police killed at Majar al-Kabir in 2003, said: Tony Blair has made a lot of money from public office which I believe he misused. " "Roger Bacon, whose son Matt Bacon, a major in the Intelligence Corps, was killed in a roadside bomb in 2005, said: The misfeasance case allows us to sue him for unlimited damages. I would like those damages to be out into a fund for the rebuilding of Iraq. It would go some small way to make recompense for what happened there. " Separately, the BBC published an expert legal analysis of the question, "Could Tony Blair face legal action over the Iraq War?" Its legal correspondent Clive Coleman reports that "war of aggression," the gravest war crime, would be the most apparent criminal charge against Blair. But, says Coleman, the 1998 Rome Treaty forming of the International Criminal Court took aggressive war prosecutions away from nations, but put off agreement for the ICC to do so until at least 2017! More likely in Blairs future, then, Coleman finds, is a prosecution for "misconduct in office," for which the Chilcot Commission report provides the grounds. The criminal charge is serious, and bears obvious resemblance to the "misfeasance in office" for which the families intend to sue "for every penny." EIR Founding Editor Lyndon LaRouche believes Blair has been found so corrupt, and so discredited, by the Iraq War report that he can hardly escape prosecution. But, LaRouche observed, it may not happen quickly because of the sheer chaos now spread across the British financial and political establishment. PRESS RELEASE Chinese Reporting of South China Sea Issue Continues To Cover EIR July 8, 2016 (EIRNS)The Chinese governments China Watch special supplement in the July 8 Washington Post, reporting senior diplomat Dai Bingguos speech on the South China Sea issue at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace July 5, quoted EIRs Washington bureau chief Bill Jones that "Dai gave an excellent speech and presentation of the Chinese position. I hope it is widely understood and widely read by people in the [U.S.] administration, although sometimes I doubt whether they will change their views." Since the Carnegie invitation-only seminar and the following days press conference by China scholars and the Schiller Institute, Chinese coverage of these eventswhich China considers crucialhave noted EIRs participation and remarks. Chinese-American collaborators and contacts of EIR and LaRouche PAC in the United States have enthusiastically reported seeing this coverage. Jones told China Watch, There certainly were casualties of last months landmark Brexit vote think British mutual funds but among some of the earliest beneficiaries have been American homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages, and the lenders providing the capital. Investors have piled into super-safe U.S. Treasury bonds after Britains vote June 23 to leave the European Union, pushing yields on 10-year notes this week to below 1.4% for the first time on record. And with mortgage rates tied to that yield, the average rate for a 30-year mortgage fell to 3.41%, mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Thats a level not seen since April 2013, and just a hair above the all-time low of 3.31% in late 2012. All that cheap money has prompted homeowners to refinance older, higher-interest loans, causing a surge in loan applications nationwide, according to the Mortgage Bankers Assn. trade group. Advertisement During the week ended July 1 the first full week after the Brexit vote the volume of refi mortgage applications climbed 21% from a week earlier, according to MBA figures. Its been a busy last couple weeks, said Bryan Sullivan, chief financial officer of Foothill Ranch lender LoanDepot, one of the nations largest mortgage lenders. Its hitting us from all sides. Were in the heart of the home-purchase season, and now weve run into this refi boom. Still, while more volume is good for LoanDepot and other lenders, Sullivan said big jumps are difficult to handle. Its always boom and bust in the mortgage industry, he said. When things are good, you go hire a bunch of people. Then when things change, you have to make some hard decisions. Borrow, repay, repeat Consumer advocates and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have all manner of problems with payday lenders, saying their short-term loans are too expensive, lead to excessive bank overdraft fees and lack any kind of underwriting. But the biggest complaint is what the CFPB calls a debt trap: Customers take out loans because theyre strapped for cash, but when payday comes and the loans are repaid, theyre short of funds once more and have to borrow again. A report issued last week by the California Department of Business Oversight, which monitors state payday lenders, adds to an already significant body of research backing up that complaint. The report, based on annual filings from more than 200 payday lenders licensed in the state, shows that 32% of payday loan borrowers took out at least 10 payday loans last year while 22% of borrowers took out only one loan. More than half of borrowers in the state took out at least five loans. Whats more, about 70% of repeat customers took out a new loan within one week of paying off a previous one. The figures raise questions related to the debt-trap issue that is central to the debate over proposals to more strictly regulate the industry, Department of Business Oversight Commissioner Jan Lynn Owen said in a statement accompanying the report The CFPB has proposed a raft of new rules for the payday lending industry, including ones that would limit the number of loans that customers can take out in a year. The Consumer Financial Services Assn. of America, a trade group for the payday lending business, has said the new rules will cut off access to emergency credit for millions of Americans. Spokeswoman Amy Cantu said the group rejects the notion of a debt cycle or debt trap, saying consumers who take out payday loans are using them to pay other bills. They are arguably better off for having taken the loan as they may have been worse off if they had not paid that debt or incurred more costly overdraft charges or late fees, she said in response to the report. Milken as myth in La Jolla A group of young Jewish financiers from California set out to buy a massive, struggling East Coast conglomerate. But they, and the junk bonds they employ to fuel the deal, are looked down on by the companys waspy management and the deal quickly turns hostile. Change a few details and this could be the story of any number of big deals of the 1980s, when upstart entrepreneurs, backed by the likes of high-yield bond king Michael Milken and the Beverly Hills office of pioneering investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert, used leveraged buyouts to take on the corporate establishment. Its also the story told in Junk: The Golden Age of Debt, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar. It will debut later this month at the La Jolla Playhouse before, Akhtar hopes, heading to Broadway. With Junk, Akhtar said he wanted to tell a broad tale about the financialization of modern American life about the rise of money as not just a tool but a product unto itself through a fictional, even mythic retelling of the high-flying days of the 1980s. That was a time, he said, when many of todays rules and mores about business and money were not yet settled, allowing a creative class of outsiders Milken chief among them to help shape the modern financial world. The Revlon deal, the RJR Nabisco deal, theyve become mythic stories, and these guys have become heroes, Akhtar said, referring to two of that eras big, precedent-setting buyout deals financed with junk bonds. Though the play hearkens back to those days, it is not about Milken or Drexel or any other specific players. Rather, Akhtar said hes taken some of the archetypal characters of that period to tell a story about the world they helped create. I think [Milkens] a genius. But those who come to the play looking for a straight line to him might be disappointed, said Akhtar, whose play Disgraced won the 2013 Pulitzer for drama. Junk opens July 26 at the La Jolla Playhouse and runs through Aug. 21. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren Airfares from the U.S. to Britain have dropped about 15% since the U.K. voted to pull out of the European Union last month. But a study by Boston flight research site Hopper.com said fares to other destinations in Europe also have dropped, suggesting that other factors are at play besides the so-called Brexit vote and the resulting drop in the value of the British pound. The study found that flights from the U.S. to Edinburgh, Scotland; London; and Manchester, England, dropped 7% to 18% in price since the Brexit vote. But flights to Paris, Madrid, Rome and Frankfurt, Germany, comparably dropped 14% to 17%. Advertisement One possible explanation is that airlines cut prices after noticing that demand softened for many European destinations following the terror attacks, the Greek debt crisis and the refugee emergency, among other events, said Patrick Surry, chief data scientist for Hopper. The Brexit vote may have been the last straw, he said. It looked like a deliberate act by the airlines, Surry said. It seems like weve already had various reports early in the summer that people were seeing lower demand. How long will the lower fares last? That depends, he said, on how fast Americans snap up the discounted fares to Europe. It seems unlikely that they are going to drop lower than they are now, Surry added. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. Fronting the Strand north of the Hermosa Beach Pier, this pink-hued Italian villa captures the essence of coastal living on a grand scale. The three-story homes extravagance begins at the entrance. Custom copper doors close with a vacuum seal upon entry; artful mosaic tile and ornate ceiling details add embellishment to a dramatic foyer. A spiral staircase and retractable 16-foot skylight provide access to a rooftop deck overlooking the coastline and sand. The details Advertisement Location: 2806 The Strand, Hermosa Beach, 90254 Asking price: $25 million Year built: 2011 Architect: Edward Carson Beall House size: 7,900 square feet, five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, five powder rooms Lot size: 5,324 square feet Features: Italian mosaic-tile floors; custom copper front doors; chefs kitchen with La Cornue range; formal living and dining room; great room with 800-gallon saltwater aquarium; themed wet bar; home theater/memorabilia room; ocean-facing balcony with built-in heaters; rotation skylight; rooftop deck About the area: In May, 12 single-family homes sold in the 90254 ZIP Code at a median price of $1.79 million, according to CoreLogic. That was a 27.9% increase in price over May 2015. Stunning photos, celebrity homes: Get the free weekly Hot Property newsletter Agents: Raju Chhabria and Rupesh Singh, (310) 698-4545, Shorewood Realtors To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to homeoftheweek@latimes.com. The gig: Technology companies collect data about the pages people look at, the links they click on, and the things they search for. At Airbnb Inc., its Elena Grewals job to figure out what all that data means. Grewal, 31, is the interim lead for data science at the $25.5-billion San Francisco start-up. Drawn to data: The daughter of an immunologist and a chemical engineer, Grewal always thought shed follow her parents path into science. I like to joke that Im still a scientist, she said. She studied economics and political science at Yale University, during which she spent a summer in India working on a project to bring clean water to children who had acute diarrheal disease. I realized a lot of the challenges to public health werent necessarily about bringing the best kind of medicine, Grewal said. Instead, many problems were systemic, and in order to solve them, researchers first needed to identify them. That was when she first started dabbling with data, doing on-the-ground surveys in India to better understand the issues. Advertisement Data in education: After Yale, Grewal moved west to be a research assistant at Stanford Universitys school of education. There she dabbled again with data, studying whether there were ways to predict attrition among teachers. She developed a love for data analysis because its a very powerful lens for thinking of how to create change, she said. Instead of treating symptoms, it allowed her to help identify the root causes of problems, and potentially find long-lasting solutions. A bit of everything in a doctorate: Grewal remained at Stanford for a doctorate in education and used data at the school of education in her research. While there, she also took classes in computer science and learned to code. Venturing into tech: Most of Grewals work had been academic, so in 2012, with a year of her doctorate left, she wanted to see where else she could apply her skills. A friend in Silicon Valley put her in touch with Airbnb which, at the time, was hiring its first data scientists. Grewal had used Airbnb and was drawn to its mission of connecting people around the world, so she signed on to the team of five data scientists (the company now has more than 50). Her coding skills quickly came in handy -- she was able to write programs that combed through and organized data being collected. Data at Airbnb: Airbnbs data science team touches every part of the companys platform, Grewal said. For example, if the data science team sees that lots of people are searching for lodging in a particular city but arent booking anything, then perhaps theyre not finding enough homes available for rent, and the company should invest resources into growing that market. Were basically interpreters, Grewal said, we distill the voice of our customers and use that voice to help inform our products. Diversity with data: Grewals team has used data science to help diversify the companys predominantly male workforce. To figure out why so few women were being hired on to the data science division, the team identified the point at which many female applicants dropped out of the recruitment process: the take-home exercise. We took a close look at this and realized that the people who were grading the exercise had no clear rubric, so we changed this and made it clear what we were looking for, we made the grading consistent, and if a person was successful they were moved to the next round. The percentage of women on the data science team has since doubled to 30%. Getting in: To get into data science, it helps to have a questioning and logical mind, Grewal said. She also recommends training in statistics, computer programming and developing strong communications skills. But theres no need for a degree to start analyzing data, and anyone interested in doing it should start doing it on their own, she said. When I was in my PhD program, I was blogging about my work and doing fun analyses on the side, Grewal said. It was a great way for me to learn about different ways to do data analysis, and it helped me get a job because people could see what Id done. Outside the office: Grewal lives in San Franciscos Mission District. She is a vocal supporter of diversity in tech and often writes blog posts, appears on panels and gives talks at Silicon Valley events about using data to improve diversity. tracey.lien@latimes.com Twitter: @traceylien Artist Tony Berlant surveyed the sunken, Spanish-style living room, teary eyed and sparking with memories. A sampling of the Los Angeles art worlds elder statesmen Gemini G.E.L.s Sidney Felsen, former gallerist Margo Leavin, philanthropist Eli Broad and architect Frank Gehry, to name a few fanned out around him, nibbling on petite roast beef and chicken salad sandwiches and sipping white wine. So many parties here Berlant said, his voice trailing off. Indeed, the art soirees at the home of the late Elyse and Stanley Grinstein in the 1960s and 70s are legendary. The arts patrons and co-founders of Gemini G.E.L., one of the countrys foremost publishers of art lithography, threw raucous affairs that brought together artists and entertainers from both coasts Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Mick Jagger, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Moses, Philip Glass. Advertisement The events helped fuse a young and geographically disconnected L.A. art scene. And debauchery unfurled on a grand scale. Guests would stream out to their cars the next day, wincing in the early-morning sunlight; others would stay for weeks on end, until the next party blossomed. Go big or dont bother, Elyse Grinstein, the architect of these events, would often say. Grinstein died last week at 87. Not surprisingly, her private memorial reception on Friday afternoon at the Grinstein family home was no small affair. Nearly 500 people artists, collectors, curators and museum directors, among them gathered to celebrate the notable architects life and to pay one last homage to the storied home itself, to which so many in attendance had intimate ties. I met my wife right here, said Berlant, standing by his 1966 sculptural installation The House. The metal-and-enamel piece, which looks like a childs A-frame playhouse, has been sitting in that same spot by the stairs for 30 years, joked artist Chuck Arnoldi, passing by. Berlant shrugged, continuing his story. I was standing here. She came up and said: Wow, they must have a pretty big dog! I said: This is my sculpture. Land artist Lita Albuquerque and her husband, Carey Peck, were married in the Grinstein home 26 years ago. It was right here, Albuquerque said heading out to the backyard, where cocktail tables dotted the grassy lawn and bartenders doled out generous pours of champagne. Super Bowl Sunday 1990, about 200 people, she said, planting herself by the sparkling, kidney-bean-shaped pool. Whyd we decide to get married here again? she asked Peck. Because it was the coolest house in town, he said. Nearby, guests relaxed on Isamu Noguchi stone chairs, which were flanked by spindly Eucalyptus trees on one side and a 7-foot-long cast-resin sculpture of John Baldessaris foot on the other. Major artworks, in fact, were casually situated at every turn, from a Wallace Berman stone sculpture painted with Hebrew lettering in the homes entrance way to Warhols Campbells Soup can prints embedded in the kitchen cabinets. In the living room a spare, cavernous space housing more art work than furniture artists Peter Alexander, Arnoldi and Laddie John Dill along with Hauser & Wirths Paul Schimmel clustered around a coffee table, just as Eli and Edythe Broad pulled up their chairs to join them. Well hello, sweetheart, Alexander said to Edythe Broad, who shot him a warm smile as she settled in. Then Alexander leaned back, dwarfed beneath a wall-length Rauschenberg piece hanging above the sofa, and took in the crowd. Wow, this is quite an event, he said. I remember being here in the 60s naked, out in the pool, along with everyone else. Everyone just got to be so friendly back then, Arnoldi recalled. The Grinsteins brought all the artists together and pumped up the scene. We were young and kind of poor and needed that. And this was the unofficial clubhouse, Alexander added. On the end table, a Roy Lichtenstein sculpture sat wedged between a Rauschenberg print encased in plexiglass and a Judy Chicago ceramic bowl all beneath a wall-mounted, early Moses painting on rubber. The works faced others by Baldessari, Donald Judd and Ellsworth Kelly. With LA County Museum of Art curator Stephanie Barron circling the adjacent buffet along with artist Judy Chicago, who spoke at the memorial service earlier in the day, and with the Broads still sitting a few feet away, the moment felt like something of an art echo chamber, with art world influencers hobnobbing near either their own work or work by artists collected in their museums. Ack, mines upstairs somewhere, Alexander said of his piece. Elsa Longhauser, director of the former Santa Monica Museum of Art, now the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, called the Grinsteins collection very personal, highly refined and magnificent, adding, They were icons in the community because of their generosity toward artists. Its something that gallerist Michael Kohn said he and his buddies took for granted when they were growing up with the Grinstein daughters. They had these Carl Andre bricks, he recalled of being in the house as a teenager. The work wed think was kind of silly oh, look at that weird art but we never forgot it. It was my first lasting impression of contemporary art. During the memorial service, friends and family described Grinstein as a 4-foot-10 lightning bolt of a woman, who would whoosh into a crowded room ensconced in a perfumed breeze, gold polish glinting on her toenails. She was tough and exacting, adventurous and independent, they said, with myriad edges to her personality like the contemporary-looking buildings she designed. But she also was a quiet intellectual, soulful and deep, a voracious reader. Often, after the party shed orchestrated had gotten underway, shed slip upstairs to be alone with her books. When you walked in, she may not have been the first person you saw, but you felt her presence deeply, her daughter Nancy Grinstein said. Gehry, who counts Grinstein as one of his closest lifelong friends, certainly felt her presence Friday. Hed flown in that day from Israel, he said, and when he arrived on the Grinsteins doorstep from LAX airport, he paused, discombobulated for a split second. I havent digested it yet. I came to the door and said, Wait, wheres Elyse? Gehry said, his eyes welling up. Its unimaginable what the world would have been like without this family. She was the perfect art world hostess, Chicago said of Grinstein at the memorial. And Grinsteins home, her youngest granddaughter, Dia Rabin, added, was more than a place for parties: It was a vessel for creativity and love. ALSO The boldest thing about John Leguizamos Latin History for Morons is its title How a camera, a blog and Eastside Luv led Rafael Cardenas to capture the art of everyday L.A. life Drones see the world in a way human photographers cant: See Dronestagrams winning contest photos Rafael Cardenas didnt set out to be a photographer. For a time, he worked as a paralegal. Then he worked at a doctors office. There were other gigs in between. But since he was a kid, he has carried a camera be it a pocket-sized Kodak 110 or an old Canon Rebel, with which he shot film. He used these to capture images of friends and family and whatever else struck his fancy. But Cardenas didnt get serious about picture-making until roughly half a dozen years ago, when he bought a professional Canon EOS 10D from a colleague at an old job. I sat him down and bought him a beer so that he could show me a little bit about the camera, Cardenas says. That informal session functioned as his photography master class. Advertisement Sign up for our free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter Cardenas has since used that machine (and various others) to capture the gamut of Los Angeles life, primarily on the Eastside. This includes black-and-white photos of playful boys suspended in the bright waters of a swimming pool, a skater sailing along a sun-bleached street and a man lifting his shirt to reveal a broad chest tattoo of a Superman logo not to mention countless moments of revelry and quiet contemplation. The photographer, who was raised in East L.A. and now lives in Boyle Heights, has gathered a collection of more than a hundred of these images in the new, limited edition artist book Mas Aca (Over Here) which features an introductory essay from fellow artist Harry Gamboa, one of the founders of the collective Asco. The book will officially debut on Friday evening with a special event at the Boyle Heights design space Espacio 1839. Cardenas says that Mas Aca, in many ways, represents the culmination of an experiment. Shortly after he acquired that first professional camera, in 2009, he decided he would take a picture a day and post it to a blog. (Its something he still does on his website, rafa.la). I did it so that I could get used to the camera, he says. I shot like that for a whole year and halfway through it people started telling me to do an exhibit. Within that first year, hed had a small show of photographs at the Boyle Heights bar Eastside Luv. That showing led to other exhibitions and opportunities with Cardenas becoming a professional photographer in the process. (He works as an independent event photographer.) The challenge is to make it good and make it for me. Its doing it for the art. Rafael Cardenas, photographer But its the artistically minded work inky, black-and-white images that play with the subtleties between darkness and light that most impassions him. In 2014, Cardenas led a community portraiture project during the 40th anniversary of the nonprofit arts space Self Help Graphics. That same year, he began shooting for the Public Radio International project York & Fig, a series that explored the topic of gentrification in Highland Park. And last month, his street images went on long-term view at the Hollywood and Highland Metro station in Hollywood. One of the things Ive experienced is how lucky I am that people have watched me as Ive learned, he says. This is my learning process. Over the years that process has led to a panoply images depicting Eastside life from neighborhood cultural figures to kids smashing pinatas as well as late-night diners at a local burger stand and protesters at an immigration rally. As his Boyle Heights neighborhood becomes a focal point in struggles over gentrification and displacement, Cardenas says he has given some thought to the fact that he is capturing his neighborhood during a period of inexorable change. But even so, its the picture that always comes first. I honestly dont go out with an intention to shoot a specific thing, he explains. I kind of just go about my day and carry my camera and shoot whatever is around. The challenge is to make it good and make it for me, he adds. Its doing it for the art. +++ Mas Aca Rafael Cardenas Limited artist edition (11 x 13; series of 100): 112 pages, $200 A more economical 10 x 8 version will be available for order via the artists website, rafa.la, starting this weekend. Where: Cardenas launches Mas Aca at a special launch and artist talk at Espacio 1839, 1839 E. First St., Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, rafa.la and facebook.com/Espacio1839 When: Friday, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. After-party: After the book launch, guests are invited to Eastside Luv, the bar next door (1835 E. First St.), for an informal gathering. Exhibition: Prints from Cardenas book will be on view at Espacio 1839 through July 31. Find me on Twitter @cmonstah. ALSO Rafael Cardenas: Individual portraits capture a community Ive been flashed. Ive been mooned: The Hollywood Boulevard adventures of artist Tim Youd, who is spending July retyping John Rechys Numbers at Griffith Park As Gronks set designs go on view at CAFAM, the artist talks opera, painting and B-movie crab monsters Without spandex or superhero cleavage, artist Gina Wynbrandt creates a funny, very real comics heroine with a Justin Bieber problem Investigating Carmen Miranda and fighting the biennial effect: Two Latin American artists in L.A. prepare for Pacific Standard Time L.A. artist Carl Chengs darkly amusing supply kits for the apocalypse UPDATES: 10:28 p.m.: Updated with information about the exhibition at Espacio 1839. This article was first published at 4:53 p.m. July 8. Attorneys for Fox News Chairman and Chief Executive Roger Ailes are denying allegations of decades-old incidents of sexual harassment that are surfacing in the aftermath of the lawsuit filed by former anchor Gretchen Carlson. The incidents, reported in New York magazine, are from women who contacted attorneys representing Carlson, who filed a sexual harassment and retaliation suit against Ailes on July 7. Two of them spoke on the record to Gabriel Sherman, the author of a 2014 unauthorized biography of Ailes. The most recent account in the magazine report is from 1989. Kellie Boyle, 54, a former Republican National Committee field advisor, said Ailes suggested she have sex with him in return for helping advance her career in politics. Advertisement Boyle had received an introduction to Ailes through her husband, at the time a communications executive for CNBC. She describes a conversation she had in Ailes car after they met for dinner in Washington. He said, You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys. I was so taken aback. I said, Gosh I didnt know that. How would that work? I was trying to kill time because I didnt know if he was going to attack me. I was just talking until I could get out of the car. He said, Thats the way it works, and he started naming other women hes had. He said thats how all these men in media and politics work everyones got their friend. Ailes had been President George H.W. Bushs chief media advisor in 1988, but never had an official role with the RNC where Boyle worked. The other on-the record account is from Marsha Callahan, a 73-year-old former model, who alleges that Ailes propositioned her for sex when she auditioned for him to work on The Mike Douglas Show in the late 1960s. Ailes was a producer on the syndicated talk program at the time. Four other unnamed women also gave their stories the magazine. Three were identified as former models who said they were subjected to inappropriate behavior by Ailes when he was a TV producer in the 1960s. The fourth woman, identified as a former TV producer, said Ailes asked her to have sex with him when they met at his New York apartment for a job interview in 1975. Barry Esen of Epstein Becker Green, the firm representing Ailes, denied all of the accounts in a statement. It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue, Esen said. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are false. Carlsons suit alleges that Ailes made sexually inappropriate comments to her. It also says he damaged her career in retaliation for her rebuffing sexual advances and complaining about a hostile work environment. After Carlsons suit was filed, Smith she said received numerous calls from women wanting to relate their own experiences with Ailes. Ailes, 76, has denied Carlsons charges. Fox News parent company, 21st Century Fox, is conducting an internal investigation. Today, six brave women voluntarily spoke out to New York magazine detailing their traumatic sexual harassment by Ailes, Smith said in a statement. We are hearing from others. Then, Barry Asen, Ailes lawyer, accused Gretchen of litigating in the press and, without any investigation, within three hours, claimed that the allegations are false. How does he know that? Women have the right to speak out whether Ailes likes it or not even about trauma they endured years ago and that haunts them to this day. On Friday, Ailes attorneys filed a motion asking that Carlsons case not be heard in court. They cited Carlsons contract with Fox News, which had a clause requiring any employment incident be handled in a confidential arbitration hearing. The motion filed by Ailes attorneys said Carlsons filing of the case in court was done so that her counsel could tar Mr. Ailes reputation publicly, try this case in the media press, and coerce him to settle. Carlsons attorneys said they intend to fight for her right to a public jury trial. Carlson, 50, was an anchor and co-host on Fox News for 11 years. Her contract with the network was not renewed after it expired on June 23. Fox News has cited her ratings as the reason for her release from the cable news channel. Twitter: @SteveBattaglio ALSO Ousted Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson hits Roger Ailes with sexual harassment suit Why Viacom Chief Philippe Dauman is fighting his longtime boss, Sumner Redstone Univision sues Charter Communications over post-merger carriage fees When Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocande had an opportunity to tour the Minarc-designed Appleton house in Venice several years ago, they walked away knowing they had found a template for the way they wanted to live. It was one of the nicest modern homes we had seen, recalls Bradley. It wasnt fussy. It was laid-back, elegant and livable. We liked that understated feeling. Years later, the couple found themselves living in a third-floor condo in Beverly Hills with their Labrador retriever, Roxy, and feeling constrained. It was time to move. Advertisement They looked at about a dozen new homes in Beverly Grove, but were unimpressed. They felt too big, explains Bradley, a real estate investor. It wasnt really modern to me. We dont want rooms that we are not going to use. It doesnt make any sense. The couple also considered prefab and modular designs, but felt limited by the inability to customize the dwellings. So they turned to Erla Dogg Ingjaldsdottir and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson of Santa Monica-based Minarc, the team that had designed the Appleton house that had first captivated them years earlier, and got to work. The couple purchased a 1924 Spanish-style teardown in Beverly Grove and over more than a year proceeded to build a new home using the designers interlocking mnmMOD system, which uses prefabricated panels for energy-efficient and highly customized construction. In a neighborhood populated with massive developer boxes that spread from lot line to lot line, the 2,800-square-foot home stands out because it does not overwhelm in terms of scale and style. This is especially apparent from the street, where a cedar garage door and rotating entry offer a warm greeting, set against the geometry of a stucco facade and dark brown stained cedar panels. Rather than consume maximum square footage, the home features just two master suites on the second floor. And with an emphasis on outdoor rooms, the home embodies the modernist ideal of indoor-outdoor living. Id rather give up some room to have outdoor space, says Bradley. We like to go outside. We wanted that breathing room. 1 / 23 Designer Erla Dogg Ingjaldsdottir of the Santa Monica-based firm Minarc walks up to the Beverly Grove home she and her husband, Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, designed for Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocande. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 23 A pivoting cedar door blurs the lines between the front door and the garage door so that it appears to be one long panel. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 23 A raw, rough steel stairway seemingly floats up to the second story of Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocandes Beverly Grove home. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 23 Working with landscape architect Alison Terry of Terry Design, the couple chose a prehistoric ginkgo biloba tree from Berylwood Tree Farm in Somis as a centerpiece. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 23 Polished concrete floors throughout the first floor give the interior a a loft-like feel. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors offer easy access to a small pool, fire pit and banquette, deck and a separate meditation room. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 23 Modernist retreat (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 23 Vanessa Bradley and her Labrador retriever Roxy relax in the living room. The classic purple sofa is from B&B Italia. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 23 Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocande wanted an indoor-outdoor feel in a house that didnt overwhelm its lot. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 23 Water flows into the small pool through a sleek U-shaped metal channel in the backyard of Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocandes home in Beverly Grove. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 23 Vanessa Bradley sits at the edge of her pool with her dog Roxy at her side. He home and its walnut deck have a geometric design. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 23 Vanessa Bradley has a birds-eye view of the pool from the outdoor lounge on the second floor. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 23 The couple purchased a 1924 Spanish-style teardown in Beverly Grove and over more than a year proceeded to build a new home using Minarcs interlocking mnmMOD system, which uses prefabricated panels for energy-efficient and highly customized construction. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 23 One of two open concept master bedrooms in the home features a large bathtub in the bedroom instead of the bathroom. A skylight overhead helps to create a distinctive bathing experience. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 23 Modernist retreat (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 23 Vanessa Bradley and Roxy relax in the library area between the two master bedrooms. The outdoor lounge is at right. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 23 Vanessa Bradley and Michel Bocande wanted an open concept home where the kitchen flows directly into the outdoor dining room and the backyard pool area. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 23 Modernist retreat (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 23 Two white ceramic pots holding succulents hang in the kitchen. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 23 The home wraps around a Tree of Life, which is visible from rooms on both floors. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 23 The bright yellow blossoms of a palo verde tree add color and design to the drought-tolerant front landscape. The cedar panels in the background have been stained dark brown. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 23 At left, a ginkgo biloba tree the couple call The Tree of Life. Right: A zen garden off of the meditation room at the rear of the property. The mixed-media piece is by Senegalese artist Aly Kourouma, who is based in Los Angeles. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 23 Tall grasses gently blow in the breeze, and the yellow blossoms of a palo verde tree provide color and help define the front of the home. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 23 Modernist retreat (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) The demarcation between indoors and out disappears on the first floor where floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors offer easy access to a small pool, fire pit and banquette, deck and a separate meditation room. There are no rugs, only smooth polished concrete floors that make kid-friendly pool parties a breeze and give the interiors the loft-like feel the couple wanted. A breezeway located off of the kitchen serves as an informal place to congregate and have a meal. We are casual, says Bradley. We didnt want a dedicated space for dining. In a thoughtful move, the designers installed a built-in barbecue that faces the dining area to invite interaction with guests. Cooking is such an art, says Thorsteinsson. Youre missing a part of the process if you dont see it. Adds Ingjaldsdottir, We want to make things easy to do. The homes centerpiece is a ginkgo biloba Tree of Life that can be viewed through the floating raw steel stairs that connect the first floor to the second. The prehistoric tree, which the couple found at Berylwood Tree Farm in Somis, brings the outdoors in and adds a lovely silhouette of green to the light-filled spaces. Upstairs, the couple chose to install an outdoor lounge in lieu of a third bedroom or television room that is surrounded by glass and offers views of the Hollywood Hills. Bocande, a photographer, hopes to use the inviting outdoor space as a sleeping porch. To add privacy and give the house a greater sense of seclusion, the home is placed far back from the property lines. In addition, there are no windows on the eastern side of the home, which means no one is looking into anyone elses home. The home feels like a modern interpretation of what the original Spanish bungalow might be today: simple, elegant, comfortable. Its so peaceful here in the middle of an urban city, Bradley says. Were so happy and grateful to be here. lisa.boone@latimes.com Twitter: @lisaboone19 ALSO: More home tours Minarc townhouse makeover in Malibu Minarc family-home remodel in Santa Monica Despite the weeks deadly police shootings in Dallas, Americans remain united in addressing issues of inequality and injustice, President Obama said Saturday, rejecting comparisons between the recent violence and the turbulence of the late 1960s. Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw at the end of a NATO summit, Obama said the perpetrator of Thursdays shooting rampage targeting police officers was no more representative of all African Americans than the shooter in last years massacre at an African American church in Charleston, S.C., was representative of all white people. As painful as this week has been, I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested, Obama said. Advertisement As tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, weve got a foundation to build on. President Barack Obama As tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, weve got a foundation to build on. We just have to have confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature, he said. Obama said it was too difficult to untangle the motives of the shooter. He also repeatedly defended bringing up his quest for stronger gun control measures in the immediate aftermath of the Dallas shooting, saying it is impossible to separate the issues. We cannot eliminate all racial tension overnight. We are not going to be able to identify ahead of time and eliminate every madman or troubled individual who might want to do harm against innocent people, he said. But we can make it harder to do so. The remarks came at the end of a NATO summit during which Obama has had to divide his attention between discussions about the global fight against terrorism and mounting concerns at home. His comments about race relations on Saturday were his third public remarks in Poland about domestic shootings first the killings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana by white police officers, and then the killings of five white police officers by a black sniper in Dallas. With more protests expected in the U.S., Obama is cutting short his trip to Europe and coming home early. He plans to visit Dallas next week. As he spoke in Warsaw Saturday, the president cautioned Americans not to overreact to the violence or to concerns about racial division. Black Lives Matter activists are angry about the attacks on police in Dallas, he said, and whites all over the county are angry about the police shootings of Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Minn., and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. Theres no division there, Obama said. There is sorrow ... but there is unity in recognizing this is ... not who we want to be as Americans. Full Coverage: Dallas police shooting Obama noted that the widespread availability of cell phones has brought greater awareness of violence, even though the rates of crime have dropped since the 1960s. Previously, mainly black Americans were aware of racial bias in the criminal justice system, he said. Now, because of the camera phones like the ones that captured the images of Sterlings and Castiles deaths, no one can turn a blind eye. At the same time, the videos demonstrated how the licensed possession of firearms by civilians can escalate a police confrontation, Obama suggested. The guns that police believed Sterling and Castile caused, in some fashion, those tragic events. Police officers, he said, face the reality that anyone they encounter may be armed, even with a deadly assault weapon designed for war. Memoli reported from Warsaw and Parsons from Washington, D.C. ALSO Protests erupt across California over police violence but are tempered by Dallas massacre Dallas police used a robot to kill the gunman, a new tactic that raises ethical questions The Game, Snoop Dogg lead march to LAPD headquarters, meet with Chief Charlie Beck UPDATES: 11:13 a.m.: This article was updated with additional remarks from President Obama. This article was originally published at 10:41 a.m. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are each vetting potential running mates as the White House hopefuls prepare for their national party conventions in late July. Here are some of the top contenders for vice president: DONALD TRUMP: Newt Gingrich | Chris Christie | Mike Pence | Jeff Sessions | Mary Fallin | Tom Cotton HILLARY CLINTON: Tim Kaine | Elizabeth Warren | Sherrod Brown | Julian Castro | Cory Booker | Tom Perez DONALD TRUMP, Republican Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich introduces Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally. (John Sommers II / Getty Images) (Test) Newt Gingrich Former Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives Age: 73 Background: Gingrich, who served in Congress from 1979 to 1999, was the architect of the Contract with America that helped Republicans take the House in 1994. As House speaker when Bill Clinton was president, Gingrich passed welfare reform and the first balanced budget since 1969. Gingrich resigned after a House reprimand for ethics breaches and embarrassing losses in the 1998 election. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. Advantages/Disadvantages: Trump has sought a running mate who knows how Washington works, a key asset for Gingrich. He is the consummate insider, yet his blunt talk can come off as anti-establishment, a fitting quality for 2016. Hes a talented campaigner and sharp debater, unfazed by hard-edged attack politics. Weighing down his prospects could be Gingrichs age, ethical lapses, stormy marital history and out-sized ego. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tells an audience that his proposed school funding would improve education for all students. (Mel Evans / AP) (Test) Chris Christie Governor, New Jersey Age: 53 Background: A former U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Christie unseated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in 2009 and won reelection in 2013. His battles against public employee unions made him a national star in the GOP. As chairman of the Republican Governors Assn., he built a large fundraising network for his failed 2016 White House run. Christies image was badly marred by a scandal over his aides punishing a mayor by closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to create traffic jams in his town. Advantages/Disadvantages: Christie proved his talent as an attack dog in the New Hampshire primary, lacerating Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in a debate. Christie is media savvy and good at raising money. But he is deeply unpopular in his home state, which strongly favors Democrats for president. Christies temper can be volatile, and critics say hes a bully. The bridge scandal could also prove troublesome; Trump himself has cast doubt on Christies assertion that he knew nothing of the lane closings. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence launches his campaign for reelection during an event in Indianapolis. (Michael Conroy / AP) (Test) Mike Pence Governor, Indiana Age: 57 Background: An Indiana native, lawyer by training and former talk radio host, Pence served six terms in the House before winning the governorship in 2012. He focused early on education and economic issues, winning praise for communications skills and bipartisanship. He sparked an outcry in 2015 by signing legislation that, critics said, let businesses discriminate against gays and lesbians. After initially standing by it, Pence signed a hastily passed measure clarifying that discrimination remained illegal. Advantages/Disadvantages: Pence is a favorite of evangelical Christians, whose support is crucial to Trump. He has described himself as a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. Trump hopes to win the presidency with stronger support than Republicans normally get in the industrial upper Midwest. But Indiana unlike such nearby states as Ohio and Michigan leans Republican in presidential elections, so Pences presence on the ticket could produce little, if any, regional edge. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill to discuss the Supreme Courts immigration ruling. (Alex Brandon / AP) (Test) Jeff Sessions U.S. Senator, Alabama Age: 69 Background: Sessions, a former federal prosecutor, is one of the Senates most conservative members and one of Trumps top supporters in Washington. Some of his aides have gone to work for Trump. President Reagan appointed Sessions as a federal district judge in 1986, but he failed to win confirmation after Senate hearings explored allegations of racism, which Sessions denied. Advantages/Disadvantages: Sessions is among the most hard-line opponents of illegal immigration, which would play to Trumps base. He also has the federal lawmaking experience that Trump is seeking, as well as the fierce loyalty that Trump demands. But Sessions would offer Trump limited, if any, ability to expand Trumps base of conservative white voters. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin attends a meeting of the State Board of Equalization in Oklahoma City. (Test) Mary Fallin Governor, Oklahoma Age: 61 Background: Fallin, a former congresswoman, is the first woman elected governor of Oklahoma. A onetime hotel manager and real estate broker, she served as lieutenant governor for 12 years. She is a staunch small-government conservative who has stressed expansion of gun rights and limits on abortion. Advantages/Disadvantages: Fallins record of traditional red-state conservatism could play well with the Republican base; she has been a national leader in opposing President Obamas agenda to fight global warming. It could also help Trump, who is deeply unpopular among women, to have a woman on the ticket. But Fallin served only four years in Congress, giving her little of the lawmaking expertise that Trump is seeking. And she would carry minimal appeal among swing voters in battleground states. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) speaks on Capitol Hill. (Alex Brandon / AP) (Test) Tom Cotton U.S. Senator, Arkansas Age: 39 Background: Cotton, a lawyer, joined the Army and was awarded a Bronze Star for serving in Afghanistan. He was elected to the Senate in 2014 after one term in the House and quickly made a name for himself with his hawkish foreign policy views. He sent an open letter signed by several lawmakers to Irans foreign minister during negotiations on the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, an unorthodox move that defied the norms of foreign policy being conducted by the governments executive branch. Advantages/Disadvantages: Cottons brash profile lends itself to the customary running mate role as chief attack dog. But his youth and short tenure in Congress would give Trump little of the institutional know-how he wants in a running mate. Cottons conservative red-state profile also would give no geographical advantage to Trump, who is already highly popular in the South. HILLARY CLINTON, Democrat Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) listens on Capitol Hill. (Lauren Victoria Burke / AP) (Test) Tim Kaine U.S. Senator, Virginia Age: 58 Background: Tim Kaine is Virginias junior senator, elected in 2012, and previously served as the states governor and the mayor of its capital, Richmond. Kaine served as Democratic National Committee chairman for two years, and was on President Obamas shortlist for running mate in 2008. Advantages/Disadvantages: Republicans need to win Virginia, and Kaines presence on the ticket could help keep the state in the Democrats column in November. Clinton may be facing pressure not to pick a white man as her running mate, but Kaines resume could mitigate some of the pressure: He is a fluent Spanish speaker with blue-collar roots and focused his law practice on housing discrimination. He also has strong ties to party leaders and donors across the nation because of his stint as DNC chairman. But he is a centrist, potentially alienating Bernie Sanders supporters. And he can be dull. Sen. Elizabeth Warren addresses a witnesses during a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing in Washington, D.C. (Kris Tripplaar / TNS) (Test) Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator, Massachusetts Age: 67 Background: In less than four years in the Senate, Warren has established herself as one of the American lefts most popular leaders, on a par with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. A former law professor, Warren advised President Obama on setting up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crash. In 2012, Warren ousted Republican Sen. Scott Brown, then quickly built a huge national following with her unabashed advocacy of liberal causes, from fighting Wall Street abuses to cutting the cost of a college education. Advantages/Disadvantages: Warren has strong potential to mobilize Sanders voters who have resisted Clintons candidacy. The historic nature of an all-female ticket could enhance Clintons prospects. Warren has relished taking on Trump, mocking him with apparent glee. But with loyal Democrats already strongly motivated to vote against Trump, Clinton could be better served by a running mate more appealing to moderate swing voters. Its also unclear how the outspoken Warren would adapt to the subservient role of vice president. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in Cleveland. (Andrew Harnik / AP) (Test) Sherrod Brown U.S. Senator, Ohio Age: 63 Background: Brown served in the House from 1993 until his election to the Senate in 2006. He is known for his opposition to free trade deals and helped rally Republicans and Democrats against NAFTA in 1993. Advantages/Disadvantages: Clinton gets along well with Brown, and Ohio will be a critical battleground state in November. Brown is also popular among the blue-collar voters whom Trump is trying to pull into his column. But if Clinton taps Brown as her running mate and they are elected, the Democrats will lose a member in the Senate because Ohios Republican governor will get to pick Browns temporary replacement. Brown is also a career politician known for having a sharp temper. He would not bolster Clintons hopes of attracting moderate Republicans who do not support Trump. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro takes part in a news conference at the Texas Democratic Convention. (Eric Gay / AP) (Test) Julian Castro U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Age: 41 Background: The former mayor of San Antonio has served two years as President Obamas HUD secretary. The identical twin of a Texas congressman, Joaquin Castro, he worked as a White House intern when Bill Clinton was president. Castro is a lawyer by training. He gained national attention with his keynote speech at the 2012 Democratic national convention in Charlotte Advantages/Disadvantages: Castro could help Clinton secure Latino support in three battleground states: Nevada, Colorado and Florida. His youth and charisma could prove to be an asset to Clinton, who is 68. But his limited experience in federal affairs could be troublesome. And Trump has already so thoroughly alienated Latinos that its unclear that Clinton needs help from her running mate to expand her support in that community. Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker addresses a gathering during a naturalization ceremony at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. (Mel Evans / AP) (Test) Cory Booker U.S. Senator, New Jersey Age: 47 Background: Cory Booker has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2013. He was previously the high-profile mayor of Newark, N.J., known for his lively Twitter feed and on-the-ground work with constituents. He shoveled snow for residents and once ran into a fire to save a woman. Booker developed a national political profile with frequent appearances in the media. He is socially liberal but displays some centrist tendencies, such as supporting education reform and defending private equity. Advantages/Disadvantages: Booker is young and African-American, adding diversity to the ticket. He is dynamic on the stump, a fluent Spanish speaker and a cheerful attack dog who appeals to the coalition of voters who turned out in record numbers to put Obama in the White House in 2008. Bookers approach to crime and economic revitalization could help neutralize what some see as the criminal justice failures of Bill Clintons administration. He does nothing for Clinton geographically since New Jersey is safely in Democratic hands. If Clinton taps Booker as her running mate and they are elected, the Democrats will lose a member in the Senate because New Jerseys Republican governor will get to pick Bookers temporary replacement. U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez speaks at a news conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik / AP) (Test) Tom Perez U.S. Secretary of Labor Age: 54 Background: The son of Dominican immigrants, Perez is a former federal prosecutor who was deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights when Bill Clinton was president. Perez later served as Marylands labor secretary. In 2009, President Obama named him assistant attorney general for civil rights. Four years later, Obama promoted Perez to the Cabinet, appointing him as labor secretary. Advantages/Disadvantages: Perez has close ties with organized labor, a major base of support for Clinton. He could help Clinton win Latino support in key battleground states, but thats not necessarily a top priority in a campaign against a Republican who is deeply unpopular among Latinos. ALSO Voters are fascinated and repelled by their presidential campaign choices Newt Gingrich: Whites 'don't understand being black in America' Will the violence across America change the presidential campaign? In new ad push, Hillary Clinton goes after Donald Trump on foreign policy The state attorney generals office has reached an $8.5-million settlement with an online charter school it had accused of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The settlement, announced late Friday, closes the states civil investigation of the 13 branches of California Virtual Academy, but it does not end the challenges for the schools and Virginia-based K12 Inc., which the state had accused of controlling the charters for the companys benefit. The California-based schools still could face action from the state Department of Education, which has brought in the state controller to conduct an audit. And the schools teachers have launched a union organizing drive. Advertisement All children deserve, and are entitled under the law, to an equal education, state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris said in a statement. K12 and its schools misled parents and the state of California by claiming taxpayer dollars for questionable student attendance, misstating student success and parent satisfaction, and loading nonprofit charities with debt. Under terms of the settlement, K12 and California Virtual Academy, or CAVA, admitted no wrongdoing. They also agreed to abide by state law going forward and pledged to establish new training and oversight, that, in the companys words, go well above and beyond current independent study and charter school laws and regulations. In an interview Sunday, company Chief Executive Stuart Udell denied wrongdoing and emphasized that there was no finding of fact that the company has done anything inappropriate. We have always completely followed the law, Udell said. Udell also challenged that states assertion that the charters were under the control of K12. The $8.5 million will settle outstanding claims, refund state education dollars and cover the cost of the investigation. In addition, the company also will provide debt relief to the charters it manages, a provision designed to remove these operations from under the control of K12. Charter schools are operated outside the direct authority of local school districts and are exempt from some state education laws. Online charter schools always have had potential for profit because education funds are based primarily on enrollment and attendance and online charters lack the considerable expense of brick-and-mortar campuses. In California, however, profit-minded companies have run up against laws requiring charters to be run by nonprofits, as a safeguard for state education funds. A few entrepreneurs have sidestepped these boundaries by paying themselves high salaries, for example, or by making money through contracts for additional services to a school. K12s strategy allegedly involved driving the opening of nonprofit charters up and down the state. These schools then contracted with K12 for substantially all of the management, technology and academic support services in addition to curriculum, learning systems and instructional services, according to a state complaint filed last week. The CAVA nonprofits became shells for the activities of the for-profit corporation, according to allegations in a second, separate complaint, which was filed under the authority of the state in conjunction with whistleblower Susie Kaplar, a former CAVA teacher. K12 helped find willing school districts, typically small ones, to authorize the charters in exchange for providing the district a 1% to 2% share of the revenue, which is permitted under state law. Such an influx could have a significant impact on a small school system. Meanwhile, once a local school system authorized a virtual academy, it could accept students from the county in which the district is located and all adjacent counties. K12 soon had access to the states major population centers, from which it currently enrolls nearly 14,000 students, more than any other online operation in California. The authorizing district in Los Angeles County is the West Covina Unified School District, about 20 miles east of downtown L.A. The state accused CAVA and K12 of making inflated statements about academic achievement and parent satisfaction. The state also alleged that the K12-managed schools falsely asserted that they offered the full range of courses needed for admission to California public universities, and that all students would have access to a flexible, individualized learning plan. In addition, the state alleged that the school promised a free education but that families incurred costs for Internet access and supplies, and they failed to receive high-quality loaner computers that were promised. The company takes issue with all the allegations, asserting, for example, that it goes to great lengths to provide students with appropriate technology for their schoolwork. The complaint filed in conjunction with Kaplar goes further, accusing the schools of submitting fraudulent student attendance records to obtain more state education funds than they were entitled to. CAVA students are frequently credited with attendance despite providing no evidence that they spent any time on schoolwork on particular days, according to the complaint. The complaint alleged that teachers were pressured to record a full day of attendance for 30 minutes of work or to sign fabricated attendance registers. Kaplar alleged that her teaching contract was not renewed after she refused to sign doctored records. Recent articles in the San Jose Mercury News cite former employees who made similar allegations. At the time, the states investigation was confidential. Udell also denied these allegations, both in the interview and in a statement. Opponents of K12 and skeptics of public online education have spent years making wild, attention-grabbing charges about us and our business, Udell said. The state of California used the full authority and investigative resources of the office of the attorney general to investigate these charges for over eight months. In the end, we demonstrated industry-leading levels of service and compliance with regulations and benefits to families. The company reported revenue of $651.4 million for the nine months ending in March from operations in 37 states. One of the strongest reactions to the settlement was from the California Charter Schools Assn., which typically defends charters. CCSA condemns the predatory and dishonest practices employed by K12 Inc. to dupe parents [by] using misleading marketing schemes, siphon taxpayer dollars with inflated student attendance data, and coerce CAVA School nonprofit employees into dubious contracting arrangements, the charter association said in a statement. A proposed state law would prohibit for-profit corporations from running online charters. The charter association said it supported the effort but would like to see revisions to the current version of the bill. The California Teachers Assn. is among the sponsors of the legislation. The union said it would continue its push to represent the schools teachers and also called on more resources to be provided to students. howard.blume@latimes.com Twitter: @howardblume UPDATES: 5:40 p.m. June 10: This post has been updated with a statement from K12 Chief Executive Stuart Udell and additional details from state documents. This post was originally published July 9 at 8. a.m. An armored car guard and suspected armed robber were both in critical condition Friday after a shootout outside a credit union, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department said. The Brinks Inc. armored car guard was leaving a Golden 1 Credit Union branch on Florin Road in south Sacramento with a bag of money about 9:30 a.m. when a masked man armed with a handgun approached on foot, Sheriffs Sgt. Tony Turnbull said. Both were wounded in the ensuing shootout. It was a quick exchange of fire, Turnbull said. Advertisement Deputies found the 38-year-old guard shot once in the upper body. The suspect was shot multiple times, and Turnbull said officials were still trying to learn his identity. Two semiautomatic handguns and a black bag containing plastic bags of money were strewn around on the pavement outside the credit union after the shootout, along with black boots and articles of clothing. Nina Pancho, 21, of Sacramento said she was sitting in a chair near the front of the credit union, waiting to open an account, when she spotted the Brinks guard and the suspect. Pancho said she saw the robber coming up with his gun. He was by himself and coming, walking diagonal across the parking lot. He mustve plotted it because he waited until the guy came out to try and rob him. The suspect was wearing sunglasses, boots, a hat and appeared to be wearing clothing similar to the guard, as if he were trying to copy what the Brinks guys wear, she said but he had a surgical mask over his face. A lady was at the ATM when the robber came and she heard him say to drop the money and obviously he dropped it. The robber shot first, she said. When I heard the shots fired, I ran to the back. Paramedics were still tending to the guard and suspect when she was allowed to leave the credit union about 10 minutes later. A second Brinks employee was in the armored car nearby but was not involved in the shootout, Turnbull said. Golden 1 said the credit union branch would remain closed during the investigation. Brinks spokesmen did not respond to a request for comment Friday. ALSO Man accused in deadly homeless attacks had set man on fire in 2010 Santa Clarita family wants to take tribal custody case to state Supreme Court Respect is key: The Game, Snoop Dogg lead march to LAPD headquarters, meet with Chief Charlie Beck Los Angeles police received a call early Saturday of an unusual smell in a Brentwood neighborhood. Officers and a cadaver dog were dispatched to an apartment building on Kiowa Avenue, said Sgt. Zach Hutchings of the Los Angeles Police Department. They were looking for a possible body, he said. When authorities searched a dumpster on the property, they found the source of the foul odor, said Officer Joseph Celis. Advertisement The body turned out to belong to a dead chicken. abby.sewell@latimes.com Twitter: @sewella ALSO Crash on 91 Freeway in Artesia kills man and two children Brush fire burns 450 acres in Stevenson Ranch area, prompts evacuations Home Depot worker hurt after man throws knife at him in store, police say The foster parents of a 6-year-old Native American girl pledged Friday to take their fight to keep her to the state Supreme Court after a lower court ruled that the child was to live with extended family in Utah. In March, before a crowd of weeping protesters and news cameras, Los Angeles County social workers carried out a court order and removed the child from foster parents Rusty and Summer Page so she could be relocated to live with blood relatives, who include a half-sister. A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in downtown Los Angeles upheld that order. Advertisement The Pages are obviously extremely disappointed with the courts decision, but they believe in our judicial system and remain hopeful that they will ultimately prevail, said the familys attorney, Lori Alvino McGill, in a statement. As a mother, it is very difficult for me to fathom what the Pages, and [the girl], are going through right now. We remain focused on [the girls] rights under the law, which supports her being reunited with her family in California. In the meantime, it is our hope that [the girls] extended family members will look into their hearts and allow her to speak to the family she knows as her own. Alvino McGill said the Pages would petition the state Supreme Court to hear their case. Because the girl is 1/64th Choctaw and her father is an enrolled member of the Oklahoma-based tribe, the federal Indian Child Welfare Act -- intended to limit the breakup of Native American families through adoption or foster care placement -- applies to her case. The Times is not naming the girl because she is a minor involved in a custody dispute. Central to the Pages claim is whether the amount of time that the young girl had lived with and bonded with her foster family -- more than four years -- has made removal so traumatic for her that she should stay with them. The Pages have fought the girls removal, and she remained with them and their three children for years as appeals dragged on and as the California appeals court identified mistakes by the lower courts. The girl went to live with the Page family in December 2011, about the time the relatives came forward, according to court documents. Her father, who has an extensive criminal background, discontinued efforts to regain custody in 2012, and social workers initiated work to transfer her to Utah, according to court records. The Choctaw tribe preferred the Utah family for placement for the girl partly because a sibling lives in the home and another lives nearby. Alvino McGill told the appeals panel at a hearing last month that the girl had flourished under her clients care and that it was in her best interest for her to stay with them. Its utterly undisputed that this child has viewed these people as her parents and this family as her own, Alvino McGill said. She became a person with an entire world and relationships that this court cannot ignore. Christopher Blake, a court-appointed attorney representing the child, said at the hearing that the Pages knew full well that if reunification with the girls father failed, she would be placed with her out-of-state relatives. The girl, Blake said, has always known she was a foster child and had regular visits and Skype conversations with the Utah family. An expert agreed upon by all parties determined that she was capable of making the transfer, he said. The longterm benefits of placement with her extended relatives far outweigh the difficulty of moving her, Blake said. joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. Times staff writer Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report. ALSO We will get justice: Family pleads for investigation into fatal police shooting of unarmed teen Respect is key: The Game, Snoop Dogg lead march to LAPD headquarters, meet with Chief Charlie Beck Carlsbad babysitter and boyfriend plead not guilty to molesting children and filming the acts Gregory Allen Justice had a sick wife, a job at which he felt unappreciated and a fascination with cinematic secret operatives such as Jason Bourne and James Bond. He had a special love for The Americans, the FX series about KGB spies in the United States. As an engineer on the night shift at a large defense contractor, Justice, 49, of Culver City had access to sensitive technical data about military and commercial satellites, according to federal authorities. He was arrested Thursday on charges that he sold information to a man he believed was an agent of Russian intelligence. He told the supposed spy who was really an undercover FBI agent that he needed money to pay his wifes mounting medical bills, according to an FBI affidavit. But he sent thousands of dollars including much of what he got from the FBI to a mysterious woman in a Long Beach apartment who entreated him for cash and gifts, said the affidavit, which identified her as C.M. Advertisement From December 2015 to May 2016, the FBI said, Justice sent C.M. more than $21,000 in FedEx envelopes, and over the past year and a half, sent her gifts that included a Dyson fan, a Vizio television, a purse, a blanket and another TV, as well as money for a $900 iPhone, the FBI said. Now being held without bail in federal custody, Justice could face 15 years in prison if convicted on a charge of economic espionage, plus 20 years on charges of violating the Arms Export Control Act, the government said. Its like getting punched in the stomach, his father, William Justice, said of the arrest. Hes a good kid. Ive never known him to do anything that was inappropriate. Reached by phone in Redding, he said his sons wife had a variety of health problems, including diabetes and chronic accident-related back pain. I think it will look a little different when the facts come out, he said of the case, but he said he knew few of the details. The government did not name the defense contractor, but Justices father said his son worked for Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo. NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily Gregory Justice had worked for the contractor since 2000, according to the FBI affidavit, and began meeting with the undercover FBI agent in February. It is not clear exactly how Justice first came to the FBIs attention. But in January, the FBI said, a court-authorized search of his car turned up handwritten notes bearing the addresses of the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Russian consulate in San Francisco. At his first meeting with Justice at a Los Angeles coffee shop, authorities said, the FBI agent told him, Youre very, very important to the Russians. I know you said you want a relationship, yes, and I was curious in what you want, expect. Justice portrayed himself as desperate to pay down his sick wifes mounting medical bills, according to the FBI. Over the course of five meetings, the affidavit said, Justice gave the agent USB thumb drives with satellite information in exchange for payments of cash, in stacks of $500 or $1,000 bills. He used the fake name Brian, the FBI said, and it was not until the end of their final meeting in May that he revealed his real name to the agent as Greg, the FBI said. In more than one meeting with the agent, the FBI said, Justice mentioned that he loved The Americans, the TV drama centering on a pair of Russian spies posing as a suburban American couple. In February, a surreptitious recording of Justice in his car captured him expressing frustration with his inability to get promoted. Im going to stop trying, he said, according to the FBI. Why put out the effort if theres not going to be any reward? Im tired and Im done. What I cant do is keep putting myself out, without being rewarded for it. Justices resume said he studied mechanical engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, the FBI said. Our nations security depends on the honesty and integrity of those entrusted with our technological secrets, Eileen M. Decker, U.S. attorney for Californias Central District, said in a statement Friday. In this case, the defendant sought to undermine our national security by attempting to sell proprietary and controlled information about satellites to a foreign governments intelligence service, she said. Fortunately, law enforcement agents were able to timely and effectively intervene to protect this critical technology. christopher.goffard@latimes.com Twitter: @LATChrisGoffard MORE LOCAL NEWS Metrolink approves $1.5 million to repair defective cab cars He is white, in his late 20s or early 30s, with tattoos on his upper left arm, and he sometimes wears sunglasses and rides a motorcycle. San Diego County authorities have dubbed him the Hipster Bandit suspected of robbing eight banks. His latest heist occurred Saturday at a Wells Fargo Bank inside a Vons grocery store on El Camino Real near Aviara Parkway in Carlsbad, FBI Special Agent Davene Butler said Friday. No other information about the robbery was released. Advertisement In previous hold-ups, which began last summer, the bandit has similarly targeted bank branches inside grocery stores and used a demand note. He typically waits in line, greets the teller and shows him or her the note, FBI officials said. About 2:20 p.m. on May 18, he robbed a Union Bank inside a Ralphs grocery store on Old Grove Road near Mission Avenue in Oceanside. That came 10 minutes after a failed attempt at Vons on College Boulevard near state Route 76, FBI officials said. The same man is also believed to be responsible for robberies at a Wells Fargo in a Vons on Clairemont Drive in San Diego on Jan. 9, a Wells Fargo in a Vons on Scripps Poway Parkway in San Diego on Nov. 2 of last year, a U.S. Bank in an Albertsons on Mission Road in Fallbrook on Sept. 25, 2015 and a U.S. Bank in an Albertsons on Fletcher Parkway in La Mesa on July 2, 2015. See the most-read stories this hour Investigators say he also has robbed a bank and tried to rob another outside of San Diego County. Authorities have not disclosed how much money the Hipster Bandit has gotten away with. The suspect is further described as 5-feet-3 to 5-feet-5 and thin, about 110 to 140 pounds, with brown hair. In addition to riding either a Harley Davidson or Triumph motorcycle, authorities said he is believed to have also used a blue SUV in some robberies. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. MORE LOCAL NEWS L.A. organizers plan Saturday protests against police shootings 9-year old boy, father killed in triple shooting in San Bernardino Mega Millions finally has a $540 million winner but not in California The massacre that left five Dallas police officers dead comes 46 years after a notorious ambush in Santa Clarita that left four California Highway Patrol officers dead. The CHP killings, known as the Newhall Incident, changed police training and brought a number of memorials over the years. Heres a report from 2008 from Times Staff Writer Bob Pool: For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that Bobby Augusta Davis was serving four life sentences at Pelican Bay State Prison. Davis committed suicide in prison in 2009. It was the 4 1/2 minutes that forever changed the California Highway Patrol. Advertisement In 1970, four CHP officers died in a fierce gunfight with a pair of heavily armed motorists outside a Valencia coffee shop after a seemingly routine traffic stop. In 2008, a five-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in Santa Clarita that runs past the shooting scene was renamed in honor of the dead officers as surviving family members and witnesses recalled what generations of CHP officers know as the Newhall Incident. Grandchildren of the slain patrol officers helped unveil one of the large signs that will proclaim the freeway as the CHP Officers James E. Pence, Jr., Roger D. Gore, Walter C. Frago, George M. Alleyn Memorial Highway. During the unveiling ceremony a few miles from the site of the shootout on April 5, 1970, state and local leaders proclaimed the four slain officers heroes. And pointing into the crowd of about 300, they singled out Palmdale resident Gary Kness and bestowed the same label on him. Kness was a passerby who ran toward the gun battle as shots were still being fired. He tried to drag the mortally wounded Alleyn out of the line of fire. When one of the two assailants began firing at him, he grabbed Alleyns service revolver and shot back, wounding the attacker. Now 69, Kness was hugged by Alleyns relatives. A long line of CHP officers and other law enforcement authorities formed to shake his hand. Ive always heard of you. Ive wanted to meet you all my life, said retired San Fernando Police Officer Fred Iversen. Kness shrugged off the hero designation. I was driving to work as a computer operator when I turned the corner on the Old Road and saw the gunfire, he told Iversen. I saw two CHP cars and a red car. I always say my brain said to get out of the way, but my feet ran the wrong way. As he struggled to pull the 24-year-old Alleyn to safety by his service belt, Kness grabbed a CHP shotgun lying on the ground and aimed it at one of the gunmen. The shotgun was empty, however. Kness snatched Alleyns service revolver from the ground, aimed with both hands and fired, hitting gunman Bobby Augusta Davis in the chest. When Davis kept advancing toward him, Kness tried to shoot again, but the CHP pistol was out of bullets. I was upset there werent four or five more rounds in there, Kness said. After that, I ran and jumped in a ditch. The dumbest thing is, I still had the service revolver in my hand. I was afraid when more police came theyd think I was one of the gunman. So I put it behind me and said, They went that way. One of the arriving backup officers, retired CHP Sgt. Harry Ingold of Canyon Country, recalled that one of the gunmen shot at him as he pulled his cruiser into the parking lot of Js Coffee Shop. Js was full of customers, including members of a church choir who had stopped in for a late-night snack, when the gunfire broke out at 11:55 p.m. By midnight, Ingold could see a cloud of gun smoke hanging over the four officers lying on the ground. The two gunmen were fleeing. Everybody was pointing toward where the gunmen had gone. I was in a state of shock, recalled Ingold, now 64. Later, I circled all four bodies with chalk and wrote their names on the pavement so wed know where theyd fallen when they were taken away. In the end, gunman Jack W. Twinning, 35, of Winston-Salem, N.C., killed himself as Los Angeles sheriffs deputies closed in on him. The wounded Davis, 29, of Houston surrendered without incident. He was sentenced to four life terms and committed suicide in prison in 2009. Patrol officials said the rampage permanently changed the agency from a corps of highway helpers to hard-core cops. It also prompted police departments across the country to adopt tough procedures for cautiously pulling over cars and carefully taking suspects into custody. There was much debate in the coming months and years about what went wrong and how training could be improved to prevent future loss of life. The CHP discussed these changes on a web page devoted to the shooting. In the weeks immediately after the four deaths, the emotionally charged follow-up investigation sometimes lingered on fault-finding, but ultimately achieved the desired catharsis - a completely revamped set of procedures to be followed during high-risk and felony stops, with emphasis at every step on officer safety, the agency wrote. If there can be such a thing as a silver lining in a cloud this dark, it would be the renewed focus on officer safety. Backers of a controversial ballot measure intended to shift billions of dollars in state bond money from high speed rail to water storage projects say they will rewrite the stalled initiative in an effort to gain broader support. The original proposal, despite receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from conservative and corporate agriculture interests, fell short of its money-raising goals and divided Central Valley growers. The measure has been promoted as a means of redirecting money earmarked for Californias proposed bullet train. Advertisement But it is fundamentally about water and would amend a key clause of the state constitution and direct more than $10 billion in taxpayer money to water-storage projects sought by agri-business particularly farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, where drought and environmental restrictions have slashed the regions irrigation deliveries. Supporters hoped to take advantage of drought-driven water concerns and the publics dwindling enthusiasm for the $64-billion bullet train project that would connect Southern California and the Bay Area. They ran into opposition on several fronts, however, with some critics calling it a badly written attempt to weaken state environmental protections. The measures backers were originally aiming for the November ballot but, in the spring, decided to wait until 2018 to put it before voters. Still, they continued to raise money and collect signatures to qualify the existing language by a July 25 deadline. It soon became clear that the effort would fall short. On July 1, they announced that they plan to start over again next year with revised language and a fresh signature-gathering campaign. If they want to try a different path, wed welcome working with them on it. David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association of Sacramento Valley water suppliers The delay will allow the initiatives proponents another shot at raising money, said Anthony Azevedo, a board member of the California Water Alliance, the farm group behind the initiative. Rewriting the initiative could attract broader support, he said. Growers in the Sacramento Valley and the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, for example, worry that the measure as written would undermine their chances of getting reservoir money from a 2014 water-bond funding that a state commission is getting ready to spend. Environmentalists, meanwhile, see the constitutional amendment as an effort to put fish and wildlife at the end of the water line. And legal experts say the language is so confusing, it will spark endless litigation. Its going to be a big mess if it passes, said UC Berkeley environmental law professor Holly Doremus. Its going to be a big mess if it passes UC Berkeley environmental law professor Holly Doremsus, discussing the measure as currently written Aubrey Bettencourt, the water alliance executive director, said it was too soon to know how the measure will be revised, or if the constitutional amendment will be dropped. Her group hopes to work with people who had concerns, she said. Were going to start with the language we have and work from there. As now worded, the initiative would amend Article X of the California Constitution to make the states highest priority water uses domestic and irrigation. Though the state Water Code has long done that, attorneys said putting it in the constitution could bolster legal challenges to state requirements for environmental flows in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and rivers that supply the Central Valley. It could be a whole new ballgame, said Craig Wilson, a former chief counsel of the State Water Resources Control Board. It could change the mandate of the water board from having to balance all the different reasonable uses. The initiative would move $8 billion of voter-approved rail bond money to reservoir and groundwater storage projects and take the $2.7 billion earmarked for storage in the 2014 bond, which was approved by voters as Proposition 1. In the process, the proposal would drop Prop. 1 spending criteria that stipulates that state funds can only pay for the public benefit portions of new storage such as flood control, recreation and providing water for ecosystem improvements. They want taxpayers to subsidize private benefits for their earmarked projects Doug Obegi, staff attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council Initiative proponents say the additional storage would supply water for the environment. But the initiative suggests otherwise. One section specifies that water deliveries from the new facilities shall only be made if their primary purpose is for domestic and irrigation use. They want taxpayers to subsidize private benefits for their earmarked projects, argued Doug Obegi, a staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. Despite endorsements from Congressman Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, and the California arm of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch-brothers backed nonprofit, the initiative campaign raised only about half the $2 million it had budgeted for at the beginning of the year. Many of the biggest contributions came from conservative donors and well-known farming operations on the San Joaquin Valleys west side, including growers with land in the sprawling Westlands Water District. Azevedo, partnerships in the Stone Land Co. where he is the farm manager and Stone Land contributed a total of $138,500 to the initiative campaign, according to the state Fair Political Practices Commission. About 7,000 acres of Stone Lands 10,000 acres is in Westlands. As one of the last big districts to join the federal Central Valley Project, Westlands is among the first to suffer when south-of-the delta deliveries are cut due to drought or state and federal environmental restrictions. Im living it, Azevedo said. I dont have enough water to farm with. I have 1,500 acres of our ranch that is not being farmed right now. I dont have enough water to farm with. I have 1,500 acres of our ranch that is not being farmed right now. Anthony Azevedo, California Water Alliance board member The top single initiative donor, according to state campaign records, is Forrest Lucas, who contributed $100,000 last month. The co-founder of Lucas Oil Products, a Corona-based company that makes lubricants and additives, he owns a large Missouri cattle ranch and lives in Indiana. Lucas, who did not respond to interview requests, also founded Protect the Harvest in 2014. One of that organizations missions, according to its website, is to respond to the activities of radical groups by opposing their efforts to pass laws or enact regulations that would restrict our rights, limit our freedoms, and hinder our access to safe, affordable food. Bettencourt, whose family farms on the San Joaquins Valley west side, is on the board of Americas Food Security Foundation, which donated $45,000 to the initiative. The foundation is part of Ag America, a coalition dedicated to electing public officials with a proven record of supporting American agriculture through the application of commonsense free market principles at all levels of government, according to the website. David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association of Sacramento Valley water suppliers, which opposed the initiative, said his group is willing to sit down with the alliance. It was just unfortunate the way this kind of evolved, he said. If they want to try a different path, wed welcome working with them on it. bettina.boxall@latimes.com Twitter: @boxall Lawrence A. Bock, an Encinitas biotech entrepreneur who founded the San Diego Science Festival and used it as a model to create the USA Science and Engineering Festival, has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 56. His death Wednesday was confirmed by USA Science and Engineering, the nations largest science festival. This year, the event drew more than 350,000 people. In a statement, the festivals executive director, Marc Shulman, called Bock a brilliant entrepreneur and passionate philanthropist. Bock was born Sept. 21, 1959, in Brooklyn, N.Y. A short time later, his family moved to Chappaqua, a hamlet in nearby Westchester County. Advertisement Bock earned a bachelors degree in biochemistry at Bowdoin College in Maine and a masters in business administration from UCLA. His wife, Diane Bock, said he had wanted to go to medical school, but he didnt get in. Instead, he took a job at biotech firm Genentech, which was then a startup. He worked in the lab and very soon became interested in the business side of science, she said. Bock went on to found, advise or finance dozens of biotech companies, including Gen-Probe and Idec Pharmaceuticals. He also co-founded San Diegos Illumina, which is now the world leader in technology for sequencing genes. Larry was one of the best venture capitalists I have ever known, said Ivor Royston, a San Diego oncologist and managing member of Forward Ventures, a life-science venture capital company. He said Bock also was very concerned about the state of science and engineering education in schools. He wanted the nation to produce better scientists and to have them become more competitive throughout the world. That impulse led Bock to establish the San Diego Science Festival in 2009. It became an annual event that today is known as the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering. Bock also founded the USA Science and Engineering Festival to promote science, technology, engineering and math education nationally. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2014: As a society, we get what we celebrate. We celebrate athletes, pop stars and Hollywood actors and actresses, but we dont celebrate science and engineering. The festival aimed to correct that, he said. His wife said he was proud of what the festival had become. It reflected his love of science, entrepreneurship, jovial spirit, sense of adventure and his fondest hopes and dreams as a dad, she said. in addition to his wife, Bock is also survived by two daughters, Quincy Bock Stokes and Tasha Bock, and his mother, Uli Proctor of Sierra Madre. Robbins writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com Sydney H. Schanberg, a former correspondent for the New York Times awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the genocide in Cambodia in 1975 and whose story of the survival of his assistant inspired the film The Killing Fields has died. He was 82. The Times reported that Schanberg died Saturday in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The newspaper cited Charles Kaiser, a friend and former New York Times reporter, who said Schanberg had a heart attack Tuesday. Sydney Schanberg was an historic and courageous correspondent, Dean Baquet, executive editor of the New York Times, said in a statement. He was part of a generation of war correspondents who made America understand what was truly happening in Vietnam and Cambodia. Advertisement When communist guerrillas overran the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in the spring of 1975, the New York Times said, Schanberg and his assistant, Dith Pran, refused pleas by their editors to evacuate. Sydney Schanberg was an historic and courageous correspondent. Dean Baquet, executive editor of the New York Times Schanberg and Dith were captured briefly by guerrillas, but later fled to the French Embassy. Dith then was expelled and joined civilians fleeing into the countryside. Two weeks later, Schanberg evacuated to Thailand, reporting on massacres and the displacement of millions of people along the way. Dith was not heard from for several years until he escaped to Thailand in 1979. After being reunited in New York, Schanberg wrote a cover story for the New York Times magazine about Diths harrowing experience, surviving beatings, starvation and backbreaking labor. That story later was turned into the 1984 film The Killing Fields, starring Sam Waterston and Dr. Haing S. Ngor as Dith. Ngor, a Cambodian who also survived the horrors, won an Academy Award for best supporting actor. With Schanbergs help, Dith was hired as a photographer for the Times. Dith died in 2008. Im a very lucky man to have had (Dith) Pran as my reporting partner and even luckier that we came to call each other brother, Schanberg said after Diths death, according to the Times. His mission with me in Cambodia was to tell the world what suffering his people were going through in a war that was never necessary. It became my mission too. My reporting could not have been done without him. Schanberg joined the New York Times in 1959 as a copy boy and remained there for 26 years. He later wrote a column for New York Newsday. Besides the Pulitzer, he won two George Polk Memorial awards, two Overseas Press Club awards and Sigma Delta Chis distinguished journalism prize. ALSO Sydney H. Schanberg was a dogged journalistic role model; journalism will miss him Bill Cunningham dies at 87; iconic New York Times photographer who chronicled fashion high and low Noel Neill dies at 95; first actress to play Lois Lane Larry Bock dies at 56; biotech entrepreneur launched science festivals President Obamas final NATO summit wrapped up Saturday as a testament to stalled progress he sought on two fronts at his first alliance meeting seven years ago: a bolstered commitment to Afghanistan to allow the U.S. to wind down its role there, and the pursuit of a constructive relationship with Russia, as he put it in 2009. Instead, the alliance is preparing for a mission in Afghanistan that will continue into a third decade, and its leaders detailed on Saturday an increased military presence in Eastern Europe in a bid to thwart continued Russian aggression. A day earlier, the U.S. announced that 1,000 American troops will be stationed in Poland with complementary numbers from NATO allies in three Baltic states. Officials called it the largest deployment of military personnel by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said NATO leaders were encouraging the Russian government to meet its obligations under the Minsk agreement. NATO leaders were encouraging the Ukrainian government, not Russia. If Russia continues this pattern of aggressive behavior, there will be a response and there will be a greater presence in Eastern Europe, White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes said. We will not be in any way deterred from fulfilling our commitments by anything that Russia says or does. Advertisement The ongoing political and civil unrest in Ukraine has been the most obvious example of how Russian President Vladimir Putin has pushed what was first a Cold War alliance to return to its roots, even as it seeks to reorient itself to take on 21st century threats. Obama and other key leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization met Saturday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko not only to demonstrate a united front, the White House said, but also to encourage the Ukrainian government to continue implementing its obligations under the 2015 Minsk agreement that called for an end to war in Ukraine. NATO is also close to declaring that it has a working missile defense system in Eastern Europe, seven years after Obama scrapped plans for a separate system that would have been stationed in Poland and the Czech Republic. The change in plans was emblematic of how the U.S. and other Western nations were caught surprised by Russias actions, said Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). The United States was pursuing the reset plan while Putin was pursuing a reset of the Soviet bloc, said Turner, who attended the summit as president of NATOs parliamentary assembly. It took too long for the leadership of NATO to realize that they had a real adversary and they needed to respond. Russia has also complicated Western efforts to end Syrias civil war; Putin is aligned with the Syrian government, which is fighting some U.S.-backed rebel groups as well as Islamic State extremists. A Russian helicopter was downed Friday by the militant group, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Saturday, according to Russia Today television. The helicopters two-man crew was killed in the crash. On Afghanistan, the presidents decision this week to scale back planned reductions in U.S. troop levels helped lock in commitments to sustain the NATO-led military effort there through 2020. Afghan security forces will carry on fighting against the Taliban, Islamic State and other terrorist groups with the support of the international communitys train, advise and assist mission. The president acknowledged that history will record him as the first to serve two full terms with the nation at war. But because U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have shifted from combat to training and assisting local forces against militant groups, they are fundamentally different from when he took office, Obama said. He acknowledged that against terrorist groups, the end of a conflict might not be as discrete as it once was, citing the example of Gen. Douglas MacArthur meeting with Japanese Emperor Hirohito at the end of World War II. Because theyre nonstate actors, its very hard for us ever to get the satisfaction of MacArthur and the emperor meeting and a war officially being over, Obama said. He did reiterate to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that the U.S. was open to reconciliation talks with the Taliban, should the latter be open to returning to the negotiating table. It was a clear message for the militants to lay down arms and join the peace process. Otherwise, the international community is committed to fighting them, said Gen. Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry. The support for the Afghan government would potentially affect the Talibans operational leadership. Waziri added, The Taliban are losing hope as they learn that we are capable of fighting them. The reality on the ground belied his optimism. The Taliban controls more territory in the country than it has since the U.S.-led invasion 15 years ago, according to U.N. estimates. And more than 5,500 Afghan troops were killed last year in combat with the Taliban that revealed significant shortcomings among Afghan security forces. The White House billed the summit announcements as a testament both to the strength of the military alliance, even as its European members face an uncertain future with Britains vote to leave the European Union, and to Obamas role in forging that unity. We talk about NATO unity a lot every time theres a summit, said Elissa Slotkin, the acting assistant secretary of Defense for international security. But I think it was a particularly poignant message today, a few weeks after Brexit, and particularly because its both President Obamas and [British] Prime Minister [David] Camerons final summit. Obama declared the outcome as a fulfillment of his overarching foreign policy goal: to strengthen Americas alliances. We have delivered on that promise, he said Saturday. NATO is as strong, as ready and as nimble as ever. Special correspondents Sultan Faizy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Nabih Bulos in Berlin contributed to this report. michael.memoli@latimes.com For more White House coverage, follow @mikememoli on Twitter. ALSO NATO could be at its most critical point since the Soviet Union broke up Obama says troop levels in Afghanistan wont be cut as he once pledged Dallas police used a robot to kill a gunman, a new tactic that raises ethical questions UPDATES: 2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with developments in Syria. This article was originally published at 11:19 a.m. 5:50 P.M. Slain Dallas transit officer was a newlywed who had just married a fellow officer Dallas Area Rapid Transit Ofcr. Brent Thompson was the first officer killed in the line of duty in the departments history, authorities said. (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Dallas transit officer Brent Thompson, who was among five policemen fatally shot during a peaceful protest in the citys downtown Thursday night, was the first Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer to be killed in the line of duty since the agency established a police force in 1989. Thompson, 43, had married a fellow DART officer within the last two weeks, DART Chief James Spiller told Good Morning America. Thompson served in the Marine Corps from 1991 through 1994 and left the service as a private first class, according to his military service record. He was based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. He joined the DART police department in 2009, authorities said. Spiller told the Dallas Morning News that Thompson was a patrol officer who was assigned to the downtown area because he had a good personality. We deal with all kinds of people down here, so we try to have someone with the personality to deal with all kinds of individuals, someone with a personal touch and not a heavy-handed approach, Spiller said. And Brent was really good at that. Thompson worked as a contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked with American officers training Iraqi police, according to his LinkedIn account. 5:00 P.M. One officer killed in Dallas shooting was a former member of the L.A. County Sheriffs Department . 4:24 P.M. Obama will visit Dallas next week, and hes cutting short his trip to Europe (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) President Obama will cut short his trip to Europe and visit Dallas next week at the invitation of the mayor, the White House said Friday. Obama canceled a sightseeing jaunt to Seville, Spain, that was tacked on to his trip to Poland for the NATO summit. Obama will instead fly from Warsaw to Madrid on Saturday night and meet with Spanish officials, then return to Washington on Sunday night, a day earlier than planned. Obama will visit Dallas early next week, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. He gave no further details. Read more 4:12 P.M. Dallas shooter was armed with at least one handgun and one semi-automatic assault rifle Investigators document the crime scene in Dallas, where a sniper killed five police officers and wounded seven others. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) A federal official told The Times that shooter Micah Xavier Johnson was armed during the ambush with at least one handgun and one semi-automatic assault rifle, and had a pile of ammunition. Read more 3:39 P.M. Shooter was the lone gunman in this incident, Dallas mayor says A Dallas police officer wipes away a tear as other officers adjust flowers on a police cruiser. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said Friday that he believed the gunman who attacked police Thursday night was a lone shooter. Rawlings said Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was the lone gunman in this incident. This was a mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, Rawlings said. He did that. He did his damage. But we did our damage to him, too. Police questioned two other men and a woman after the shooting, but they have been released, Rawlings said. When the shooting started, he said police spotted 20 people in camo gear, but they were not shooters. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the states former attorney general, said that while there was only one gunman, he would not rule out potential accomplices. I want to make sure we button down every corner before we rule out any potential co-conspirators, Abbott said. We do not know who might have known what the gunman was going to do. Abbott met with Dallas Police Chief David Brown before joining Rawlings for the Friday briefing. But Abbott emphasized that he had no information to indicate that the gunman had any potential co-conspirators. 3:27 P.M. This was a man we gave plenty of options to, to give himself up peacefully, and we spent a lot of time talking. He had a choice to come out and we would not harm him, or stay in and we would. He picked the latter. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings 3:23 P.M. Remember this: We know what the mayor said about the gunman. What we dont know is who, if anybody, may have known what the gunman knew, what he was going to do, may have assisted him in any of his efforts. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott 3:15 P.M. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says Dallas gunman appears to have acted alone Investigators search the crime scene outside El Centro College in Dallas where a sniper unleashed a barrage of bullets, killing five police officers and wounding seven others. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) At a press conference Friday afternoon, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said that there appears to have been one gunman in the Dallas shootings. The gunman, Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, had no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization, Johnson told reporters. The shooter acted with a depraved misbelief that the murder of police officers solves a problem, he said. Just as the gunman does not represent those who protest for change, police officers who use excessive force do not represent all of law enforcement, the secretary added. Violence is never the answer. Violence directed at our police officers is never the answer. Violence directed at police officers endangers them, and it endangers the very public they are sworn to protect, he said. 2:11 P.M. Gunman bantered with police negotiators Dallas police respond after shots were fired during a protest over recent fatal shootings in Baton Rouge, La., and Minnesota. (Maria R. Olivas / Dallas Morning News) Dallas gunman Micah Xavier Johnson bantered with police negotiators, a federal official said. Johnson did not appear nervous, indicated he was not afraid to die in a hail of gunfire and told officers he had been preparing for the assault. Read more 1:31 P.M. How to explain another shocking week of violence to your kids Mac Bevans, left, and Karone Tolliver, 5, march with protesters in Los Angeles on Thursday after the recent deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of the police in other states. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) As Americans coped with one tragic moment after another this week, with the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile followed by the shooting of a dozen police officers in Dallas, the countrys parents had an added task: explaining each act of violence to their children. If [children] see a bunch of this on television, they can become the indirect victims of trauma, said Suzanne Silverstein, director of the Cedars-Sinai Psychological Trauma Center. African American children might be afraid for their own lives or for their friends and families when they see black men being shot. Children of law enforcement officers might be even more afraid for their parents after learning what happened in Dallas. Read more 1:19 P.M. Obamas trip to Europe could be cut short because of Dallas shootings (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) White House aides did not rule out the possibility Friday that the Dallas shooting may cut short President Obamas trip to Europe, where he was receiving regular updates on the investigation as he shuttled between NATO summit meetings in Warsaw. Obama feels not just a need but a desire to communicate with the American public about his perspective on these issues, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said of the racially tinged violence that has roiled the nation over the past three days. Americans heightened concerns about safety are understandable after the Dallas massacre and two shooting deaths of black men by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota, particularly given how the advent of social media and readily available recording technology relay those episodes more directly and immediately, Earnest said. But he said Obama saw reason for optimism in the positive response of some political leaders as well as demonstrations of support around the country. The president hopes the response this time might be a little bit different than what it usually is, Earnest said. Obama is due to travel to Spain for a two-day visit after the conclusion of the NATO summit here in Warsaw on Saturday. Read more 12:53 P.M. Officers afraid after Dallas massacre, Gardena police chief says For more than two decades now, law enforcement agencies have pushed officers to build bonds with the communities they patrol, shedding the warrior cop image in favor of cooperation and collaboration. Many police leaders believe community policing has improved law enforcement relations with minority communities at least to some degree. But the Dallas shooting complicates matters, officials said. This tragedy makes police officers more apprehensive than ever at a time when we are encouraging more engagement with the community, said Ed Medrano, Gardenas police chief. It is harder for them put themselves in the community because they are concerned for their safety. So are their families. Read more Richard Winton and Cindy Chang 11:59 A.M. Key locations in the Dallas shootings 11:18 A.M. Gunman joined Facebook groups that referred to the Black Panther Party (Screenshot / Facebook) In his Facebook profile photo, Dallas shooter Micah Xavier Johnson wore a purple, yellow and gold dashiki and thrust his fist into the air. His cover photo displayed the red, black and green stripes of the Pan-African flag. He had joined several groups that made allusions to the Black Panther Party, including a group called the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, named for the black power groups co-founder. The group, which was founded last year to oppose police brutality, teaches its members self-defense and conducts what it calls armed patrols through neighborhoods where the police have killed black men. Wed never seen him and we dont know him, said member Erick Khafre by phone. The gun club isnt affiliated with him in any way. (Screenshot / Facebook) Last week, Johnson shared a video of pilot whales being killed in the shallow waters off the Faroe Islands. Look at the joy on their faces, Johnson wrote . Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings? He continued: The church members and regular citizens (offspring of terrorist invaders) who stood around watching, cheering, eating food with their families while watching one of our ancestors be beaten, noose tied around their neck, hung up high for all to see then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person. 10:20 A.M. Family identifies slain Dallas police officer as Iraq war veteran Patrick Zamarripa The father of a Dallas police officer who served in the Navy before joining the police force has identified his son, Patrick Zamarripa, as one of the five officers killed by a gunman Thursday night. My son was shot and killed by a sniper along with four other police officers, Rick Zamarripa wrote on Facebook early Friday, saying he was at Dallas Parkland Hospital waiting to see his son be moved to the medical examiners office. Need prayers to get through this, he wrote. Patrick Zamarripa, 32, was an Iraq war veteran based with the Navys 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain, according to military service records. He enlisted in the military less than a month before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Rick Zamarripa told the Washington Post that his son had joined the Dallas Police Department about five years ago, after getting out of the military. Patrick Zamarripas Twitter biography said he was addicted to the thrill of this job. He regularly posted selfies of himself in uniform, grinning, and of his 2-year-old daughter, Lyncoln Rae. My new reason for...life. #daddysgirl #princess Zamarripa wrote on Twitter in December 2013 with a photo of his baby girl, who was frequently seen in later posts wearing Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers clothing and hair bows. Rick Zamarripa sent a text message to his son Thursday night after seeing television reports that shots had been fired in downtown Dallas during a peaceful protest, according to the Washington Post. Hey Patrick, the elder Zamarripa texted. Are you okay? He got no response. Lyncoln, the little girl he adored, cried out for him Thursday night, Rick Zamarripa told the Post. Patrick Zamarripas cousin, Gilbert M. Martinez, posted photos of Zamarippa in his military and police uniforms on Facebook on Friday morning. No words can express the ignorance of todays society, Martinez wrote. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, and the kids he leaves behind. ... #bluelievesmatter. 10:35 A.M. Gunmans sister: I keep saying its not true The sister of Micah Xavier Johnson, a gunman in the Dallas shootings, spent Friday mourning the loss of her brother and questioning why he had gone to the downtown demonstration. I keep saying its not true. My eyes hurt from crying, Nicole Johnson wrote in a post on Facebook that she later deleted. Minutes later, she posted again. The news will say what they think, but those that knew him know this wasnt like him, she wrote. This is the biggest loss weve had. 10:32 A.M. Quintessential example of democracy in Dallas torn apart by shooting, ACLU says The ACLU of Texas called on mayors throughout the state to bring heads of law enforcement agencies, leaders of community organizations and local activists together in the aftermath of the Dallas shooting. Texans must work together to ensure the violence is met with reason and action, the organization said in a statement. If the night had gone as the protesters and police planned, this would have been a demonstration of what makes our country great: a citizenry publicly proclaiming their objection to government wrongs, and public officials protecting the citizenrys constitutional right to air their anger and disapproval, the ACLU said. The group added: Tragically, this quintessential example of democracy was ripped apart. Reflecting on the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana, Philando Castile in Minnesota and the five Dallas police officers, the ACLU asked: How much is enough? 10:20 A.M. Dallas gunman was a former Army Reserve soldier Micah X. Johnson, the gunman in the Dallas police shooting, was a former Army Reserve soldier who once served in Afghanistan, according to military records. Johnson joined the Army Reserve in March 2009 and served in a troop program unit in Seagoville, Texas, for 4 1/2 years. Members of the Army Reserve program typically spend one weekend per month on duty and perform two weeks of additional training each year. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and served eight months as a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineer Brigade. Johnson received several medals for his tour of duty in Afghanistan, including an Army Achievement Medal and a NATO Medal. 10:13 A.M. How does something so beautiful... turn into something so evil so quickly? Rev. Jeff Hood, a Baptist minister based in Dallas, helped organize the protest that preceded the shooting as a way for people to gather and vent. The organizers announced the event on Facebook, as they had nearly a dozen past gatherings, and drew close to a thousand people. It was a peaceful protest, no question about it. The entire thing was peaceful, said Hood, 32, who wears his beard long, pairs a suit and tie with sandals and winds a string of prayer beads around his wrist. Hood worked with organizers from the Next Generation Action Network and police to plan the rally route, expecting a large crowd. We were interested in creating a space where anger could be let out. We were interested in creating a space where people could grieve, he said, to network and face head on the problem of police brutality. That rally did those things, he said. When the group started marching, Hood and his wife fell in step with a police sergeant. We were talking about how great this has been, how nonviolent, Hood recalled. They were marching in front of several hundred people when Hood heard rapid-fire gunshots. Immediately I looked up and saw two police officers that had gone down, he said. I saw it. I mean, I saw people drop. I knew. He initially lost his wife in the chaos, and feared for her safety. He had a small cross and held it up above the crowd, he said, guiding them like a shepherds crook. Many of them kept asking him why the shooting happened. He wondered the same thing. At the end of the night I found myself alone, in tears, simply asking how does something so beautiful -- hundreds of people nonviolently expressing their grievances -- turn into something so evil so quickly? he said. The gunman who killed five police officers and wounded nine other people in Dallas this week had been accused of egregious sexual harassment in the Army and spent years accumulating a stockpile of weapons, according to investigators and his military lawyer. The new details about Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, emerged Saturday as Dallas grieved and police remained on edge following the nations deadliest attack for law enforcement officers since Sept. 11, 2001. Mourning at a memorial site outside the downtown police headquarters was interrupted in the afternoon by a report of a suspicious person in a parking garage behind the headquarters. Advertisement About a dozen officers could be seen rushing into the structure as police cruisers and a SWAT vehicle arrived as reinforcements. The police used explosives and a shotgun to breach locked fences and doors but did not find any suspects. Johnson was killed by a police robot carrying a pound of C-4 explosives in a claw arm after he ambushed officers at a demonstration Thursday protesting recent high-profile police shootings, police said. Investigators believe that he had assembled an arsenal of bomb-making materials, five handguns and a semi-automatic SKS assault rifle within the last two years, according to a federal law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case. The first three handguns were purchased in September 2014, the officer said. Officials have said that Johnson, who was black, kept a personal journal filled with combat tactics and wanted to kill white police officers following recent high-profile police shootings of black men. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, the countys chief executive, said the journal shows that Johnson had a detailed plan and that it wasnt a journal of incoherent ramblings. Neighbors saw him doing military exercises in his backyard in the weeks before the attack, said Jenkins, adding that Johnson told a police negotiator he had been practicing for months. Johnson also took a simulated handgun class at the Academy of Combative Warrior Arts in the Dallas suburb of Richardson about two years ago, according to an employee. Micah just took basic self-defense with us. We dont know anything about him, said Justin Everman, the schools owner. President Obama on Saturday called Johnson a demented individual who did not represent the feelings of other Americans. Investigators were digging into Johnsons military history and are seeking to corroborate reports that he was sent home from Afghanistan after a woman lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against him in 2014, another federal law enforcement official said. Bradford Glendening, the lawyer who represented Johnson, told the Associated Press that the military recommended an other than honorable discharge, adding, In his case, it was apparently so egregious, it was not just the act itself. Im sure that this guy was the black sheep of his unit. According to a court filing Glendening read to the AP, the victim said she wanted Johnson to receive mental help and sought a protective order to keep him away from her and her family. Johnson was ordered to avoid all contact with her, Glendening said. The Army said it was not authorized to comment on any administrative action taken against Johnson. Johnson joined the Army Reserve in March 2009 and served in a unit based in Seagoville, Texas, for 4 1/2 years. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 420th Engineer Brigade in 2013 and served eight months there as a carpentry and masonry specialist. Johnsons former high school classmates were bewildered by his transformation from an easygoing junior ROTC member into a solemn aficionado of radical black separatist movements, said Patricia Phillips, 26, of Mesquite, Texas. Thats not the guy that I knew in high school. He was just generally funny, said Phillips, adding that Johnson didnt seem to care about her race. He hung out with all kinds of kids. Phillips said fellow graduates of the class of 2009 at John Horn High School were just kind of flabbergasted, you know, just knowing that we walked the halls with him and talked to him and had classes with him and knew this completely different guy than what happened and what we saw on Thursday. Investigators were still examining whether others might have been involved in Thursdays attack, said Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, who stopped by the memorial Saturday. We know there is only one shooter but were not sure if there were conspiracies involved, Paxton said. Mourners placed bouquets, cards, candles and other tributes on top of two cars parked in front of the buildings entrance, one belonging to the department, the other from Dallas Area Rapid Transit. DART Officer Brent Thompson, 43, who had worked for the department since 2009, was among those killed. He was the departments first officer to be killed in the line of duty. A fellow officer said Thompson was quiet and determined, and was working to transfer to the departments motorcycle division. Obama orders flags at half-staff at federal buildings as Dallas victims are mourned Among those paying tribute to Thompson on Saturday was fifth-grader Victor Becerra, who didnt know him by name. Victor just called him his police officer friend. The 10-year-old met Thompson after having emergency surgery for appendicitis. Thompson stopped by his hospital room to say hello and make him laugh. At one point, Victor who wants to be a police officer confided in Thompson, Im afraid of dying. No, Thompson told him. God is with you. When Victor spotted two soldiers standing at attention at the memorial Saturday, he joined them and saluted too. The four Dallas police officers killed included Patrick Zamarripa, a 32-year-old father and Navy veteran who enlisted as a teenager just before the Sept. 11 attacks. Zamarripa survived three tours in Iraq, where he worked as a military policeman, and saw the downtown Dallas police beat as good training for future assignments, according to his father, Rick, who drove to the headquarters Saturday to see the memorial and where his son died. Policing was always his passion, said Rick Zamarripa, 61. He was patient, helpful. He was always very giving. He gave his life to protect people. And he paid the ultimate price. Zamarripa would like to see a permanent monument erected to honor the sacrifices made by his son and other officers. Patrick was a humble, passionate, giving person. He was a hero, his father said. The city of Dallas should have a memorial for all the five fallen officers and all the other fallen officers. The names of the other victims had not been officially released Saturday, but local media identified them as Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, 48, a former Los Angeles County sheriffs dispatcher; Officer Michael Krol, 40; and Sgt. Michael J. Smith, 55. Seven other officers were injured in the shooting, some of whom were still hospitalized Saturday. DART officers Omar Cannon, 44, and Misty McBride, 32, were still recovering but doing well, said fellow Officer Terry Mack as he paid his respects at the DART police car. Charissa Williams, 41, drove overnight from Baton Rouge, La., to pay her respects. She placed balloons and flowers at the memorial. Although she supports aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement, Williams, who is black, said, Not all officers are bad officers. Im not against police officers; Im against wrong, she said, including the recent police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn. She noted that the Dallas protest was a peaceful march, and one individual just came in and turned it into a catastrophe. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings also stopped by the memorial before entering police headquarters Saturday. He urged the city to overcome its racial divisions. Its all about race, Rawlings said. Lets get over it, build a bridge and get over it. Times staff writers Nigel Duara in Dallas and W.J. Hennigan in Washington contributed to this report. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com matt.pearce@latimes.com del.wilber@latimes.com ALSO Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says Dallas gunman appears to have acted alone Dallas gunman joined Facebook groups that referred to the Black Panther Party Gunman bantered with police negotiators UPDATES: 9:44 p.m: This article was updated with new details. 7:53 p.m: This article was updated with additional details about the shooter. 6:38 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details about the shooter and the victims. 4:54 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Johnsons weapons purchases. 4:41 p.m.: This article was updated with an unspecified threat at the Dallas police headquarters 4:09 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the memorial site. This article was originally published at 1:55 p.m. When Atlanta Police Chief George Turner heard that five police officers had been fatally shot at a protest rally in Dallas, his heart dropped. He knew the police chief there, and felt for him. He also instantly realized that his own officer would now be on edge. People were upset, he said Saturday. They were feeling as if they were a target for issues they were not responsible for. As thousands gathered in protest this weekend over the recent fatal shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana, the tension was tangible and the mood uneasy as a familiar ritual protesters on the march and police standing by returned to the streets of America. Advertisement In Rochester, N.Y., there were scuffles Friday night as officers attempted to push back the crowd, ending in the arrest of dozens of protesters. In Phoenix, confrontations broke out as police tried to prevent demonstrators from blocking ramps to a local interstate. Police in riot gear used pepper spray and fired bean bags, prompting some protesters to retaliate by hurling rocks, according to the Arizona Republic. And in Baton Rouge, La., protesters threw plastic bottles of water and cups of ice at officers in riot gear. In California, the largest of several demonstrations was in downtown San Francisco, where an estimated 1,000 gathered. A smaller demonstration was held at the Huntington Beach Pier, and in Sacramento hundreds showed up holding signs outside the state Capitol and shouting a familiar call: Hands up. Dont Shoot. At least two hecklers shouted at the demonstrators, but were quickly quieted by the crowd. And in Baton Rouge, La., state troopers and members of the New Black Panther Party faced off on a highway on the outskirts of town the troopers in riot gear, the protesters with their clenched fists raised. Many police departments and protesters have adapted since the violent clashes in Ferguson, Mo., where there was widespread unrest in 2014 after a grand jury declined to indict Darren Wilson, the former police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American man. Ferguson police were criticized broadly for escalating confrontations, bringing in tear gas and military-grade riot gear and chasing protesters, resulting in a long week of gunfire, fires and looting. A year and a half later, many police departments across the country are operating more gingerly, as they interact with Black Lives Matter campaigns. As protesters swung into action in Atlanta late Friday, the citys Police Department worked to develop a less antagonizing presence policing remotely, via CCTV cameras and a helicopter, as well as asking officers to wear regular beat uniforms, rather than militaristic garb. Before protesters took to the streets, Chief Turner, an African American and 35-year veteran of the city police force, called Dallas police chief to discuss how to best shift police tactics to avoid confrontations. We were able to tweak the way we deploy resources, he said, noting that more Atlanta officers worked undercover Friday night. As opposed to being very overt, we have more police that are covert Its all part of the strategy we have to avoid intimidating the crowd. Protest organizers, in turn, also worked to de-escalate conflict. Atlantas demonstration, organized by the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, the nations oldest grass-roots civil rights organization, worked with law enforcement to secure permits and plan the demonstration route. It also trained people to peacefully lead and disband the protest. I think everyone is upset, but this is not us versus law enforcement, said Gerald Griggs, an attorney and vice president of the Atlanta NAACP. We love our law enforcement officers, but we also want the citizens to return home safely and not be gunned down after a traffic stop. In New York City, the Rev. Al Sharpton told a gathering Saturday at his Harlem headquarters that the killings of the Dallas police officers were wrong and reprehensible. We are not anti-police, he said, as he appeared with Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died in police custody two years ago in a case that helped inspire the Black Lives Matter movement. We are not trying to kill police. We are trying to stop the killing of us. Outrageous for RPD to handcuff two African American @13wham reporters for doing their jobs covering protests. Chuck Samuels (@ChuckSam13_31) July 9, 2016 As 500 people gathered Saturday evening in a plaza in lower Manhattan at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, several dozen police officers stood along the periphery of the crowd. There was little interaction between them and the protesters. As the crowd grew, additional officers arrived on the bridge and nearby streets, but seemed to keep their distance from the protesters. Sabrina Johnson, 19, who was visiting from Virginia Beach, Va., said she had been very upset by the events of the week, and joined the protest for that reason. When I see these shootings happen, I see my little brother, my cousin or father in that position, she said. I dont want to see their names become hashtags. In many parts of the country, the protests were small and peaceful. In South Los Angeles, Jelecia Smith, 23, joined a small group of people standing on the corner of Florence and Normandie avenues, holding photos of people shot by police. Smith, who was born the year the officers who beat Rodney King were acquitted, and Florence and Normandie became the flashpoint in the riots that ravaged her neighborhood, said the shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota were the last damn straw. Theyve killed too many people who look like my brother. In Tampa, Fla., three dozen protesters stood Saturday in the Centro Ybor neighborhood, waving signs and chanting, What do we want? -- Peace. When do we want it? -- now. Rappers the Game and Snoop Dogg lead a march Friday morning to the Los Angeles Police Departments headquarters in downtown L.A. In other cities, there were strained moments. Four Texas organizers of the Black Lives Matter protest that culminated in the shooting of the Dallas police officers were confronted Saturday morning when they attended a memorial in front of police headquarters. They said they were there out of respect. As the Black Lives Matter activists surveyed piles of homemade sympathy cards, flowers and other tributes, a white man shouted, cursed and condemned them for smiling and taking pictures in front of this. The activists backed away a bit as the crowd of several dozen people on the bustling street corner looked on, seemingly stunned. Before long, the man left. There was nothing for us to say to him, said a member of the group, Dominique Torres, an attorney for the Dallas-based non-profit group Next Generation Action Network, which organized Thursdays protest. In Atlanta, a crowd of about 2,000 people including Mayor Kasim Reed attended a march organized by the NAACP. At one point, Sir Maejor, 28, who is president of the Greater Atlanta Black Lives Matter, said SWAT teams began to advance when protesters shut down Peachtree Street, causing activists to worry they might use tear gas or fire rubber bullets. We all had our hands up and shouted, Hands Up. Dont shoot, Maejor said, noting that seemed to calm the situation. How can you shoot people with their hands up? Later, a group of protesters engaged in an hours-long standoff on the ramp of a downtown highway with state troopers, who formed a line to block demonstrators from marching onto the highway. Were respecting their 1st Amendment rights, Reed told reporters at the scene. Were the home of Dr. Martin Luther King. The only thing I ask is that they not take the freeways. Dr. King would never take a freeway. By the end of the night, three Atlanta protesters had been arrested by troopers one for entering an interstate ramp, two for refusing to leave an exit ramp. At about 3:30 a.m., the mayor managed to persuade a final knot of protesters to calls it quits and leave the highway ramp. Standing back, state troopers gave him the thumbs up and saluted him. I bent down, as if taking a bow to let them know: Thank you. Jarvie is a special correspondent who reported from Atlanta. Staff writer Molly Hennessy-Fiske reported from Dallas, and Kate Mather reported from Los Angeles. Special correspondents Vera Haller and Les Neuhaus contributed to this report. Haller reported from New York and Les Neuhaus from Tampa Bay. UPDATES: 6:58 p.m.: This story was updated with of the South Los Angeles gathering. 3:15 p.m.: This story was updated with details of New York City gathering. El Chapo fake escape story On Friday, rumors that Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman had escaped from a Mexican prison for the third time began appearing on social media. According to Mexican news site La Silla Rota, Friday's false report was driven by a false story from February, a month after Guzman was recaptured, which was reposted (citing the Associated Press) by Abcnews.com.co, a site that appears to be a spoof of ABC News. The article posted on the Abcnews.com.co site quotes "Fappy The Anti-Masturbation Dolphin," who called Guzman "brave" for "stopp[ing] all the masturbation at his prison." It also quotes a "U.S. Marshal" who appears to give post-escape orders inspired by Tommy Lee Jones' character in the Harrison Ford movie "The Fugitive." A discerning reader would likely notice all the issues with that story and conclude it to be false. But the Mexican government twice burned by Guzman's brazen escapes apparently didn't want to risk letting reports of Guzman's supposed breakout spread. El Chapo Guzman fake escape story prison photo On Friday night, Mexico's interior minister, Miguel Osorio Chong, tweeted a photo of Guzman that appeared to show the kingpin in a bare prison room, seated at a table, as shadowy figures, likely guards, look on in the background. "For the rumors, an image ..." Chong wrote. At this time, however, Guzman remains in a Mexican prison outside of Ciudad Juarez, where he is fighting extradition proceedings that are underway against him. NOW WATCH: 1 YEAR LATER: Heres what may come next for 'El Chapo' Guzman More From Business Insider A white cop shoots and kills an unthreatening black man at point-blank range during a traffic stop, and liberal activists demonize law enforcement. A black sniper executes five officers from one of the most reform-minded police departments in the country, and conservative commentators demonize the Black Lives Matter movement. Our dominant political culture in this country is sick, and we have ourselves largely to blame. From Ferguson, Mo., to Dallas, too many of us organize our reactions to news events not by fact or principle, but by antipathy to hated political tribes. #DallasPoliceShooting has roots in first of anti-white/cop events illuminated by Obama, tweeted the reliably inane Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) yesterday. Black Lives Matter, Rush Limbaugh informed his listeners, is a terrorist group. At press time there was no evidence linking killer Micah Xavier Johnson to BLM. Advertisement Democrats did not fail to sink to the occasion, either. If this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all of the bloodshed on the streets of America, whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether its at the hands of criminals, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) told reporters Friday morning, using the opportunity to advance his partys gun-control agenda. The New York Post, like all great tabloids, knows that conflict sells, headlining its morning-after coverage CIVIL WAR. But ever since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, the rest of us have been far too willing to play into the hands of the countrys professional polarizers, dutifully herding ourselves into Team Rudy Giuliani (the reason theres a target on police officers backs is because of groups like Black Lives Matter) or Team Al Sharpton (We need national reform for a national disease.). So we have the war on cops (title of a new Heather Mac Donald book), even though fewer officers were fatally shot in 2015 than in all but two years over the last decade. And we have a war on people of color (as Beyonce declared this week on her website) even though the number of citizens shot by police has plummeted since the early 1970s. As ever, the accusations flying from opposing camps are as dramatic as they are ahistorical. Just ask a Los Angeles Police Department veteran or veteran critic to talk about the differences between cop/race relations in 1986 and 2016. The same habit of mind that creates enemies out of fellow citizens seems destined to block much-needed [criminal justice] reform. This hyperbolic war of words is unfolding even as the federal criminal justice reform movement, which could greatly mitigate the tension, is collapsing precisely because we insist on viewing the world through tribe-colored glasses. The events in Ferguson brought to the forefront many criminal-justice issues that had been percolating for decades among social conservatives, libertarians, and progressives: overincarceration, prosecutorial immunity, the militarization of police, and so on. Meanwhile, the proliferation of cellphone cameras and social media kept these issues in the news. A newfound sense of urgency gave rise to some unlikely coalitions the Koch brothers and the American Civil Liberties Union, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Grover Norquist and President Obama. And as of this spring the betting money was on these stars aligning to make long-overdue changes to a system that most Americans now recognize as being far too susceptible to injustice. But the constellation of sentencing reform bills that would have finally undone some of the damage signed into law 20 years ago by then-President Bill Clinton got hung up last month, ironically, by the same concept that allowed Hillary Clinton to escape from prosecution this week: mens rea, or criminal intent. Republicans on Capitol Hill argue that people who dont know they are committing a crime shouldnt be prosecuted. Democrats, however, smell a monocle-wearing rat. Mens rea proposals could allow white collar criminals to escape prosecution, warned the ostensibly pro-reform Center for American Progress earlier this year. As FBI Director James Comey told hostile Republicans on Capitol Hill on Thursday, We dont want to put people in jail unless we prove that they knew they were doing something they shouldnt do. Its a great principle regardless of whether its being applied correctly in this case and it should be extended to people not named Clinton. But Senate Democrats have said mens rea is a poison pill that they refuse to swallow before the July 15 congressional recess. And now anti-reform conservatives are using the Dallas shootings to drive a stake through the heart of compromise. Its time for GOP leaders to finally just say no to the empty the prisons agenda of Black Lives Matter and other agents of blue hate, trumpeted Americans for Limited Government on Thursday. The same habit of mind that creates enemies out of fellow citizens seems destined to block much-needed reform. If theres a safe bet to make, its that the politics of this lousy week will produce many more victims. Matt Welch is editor at large of Reason and a contributing writer to Opinion. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook To the editor: James Kirchicks attempt to divide human rights movements is absurd. (Politics on parade: How Black Lives Matter halted a gay pride parade in Toronto, Opinion, July 6) The truth of Black Lives Matters cause too many police killings of blacks resonates with us all. Perhaps its tactics may not always be perfect, but movements begin in the hearts of the people who have suffered the most. Their leaders may or may not have been schooled in the etiquette of organizing, but they learn going forward. As a gay man, I stand with Black Lives Matter because their cause is just, and they are right to demand justice. Advertisement William Skeen, Santa Barbara .. To the editor: Its hard to believe that a few Black Lives Matter protesters bullied the thousands of people attending Torontos gay pride parade. What were they riding, an aircraft carrier? It seems the white gay community of Toronto honored Black Lives Matter with a float ride. Well, it was certainly ungrateful, since it held the parade up for 30 minutes demanding that black-related gay issues like jobs for black transgender women be given some play. Then it (gasp!) highjacked the event to further their own anti-cop agendas. After all those nights the cops have gone from park to park and bar to bar making gay lives better, how dare they be accused of harassing gays and blacks by those hard-left activists? Gail Christian, Palm Springs .. To the editor: Black Lives Matter resorts to disruptive tactics because black voices have been historically ignored in public discourse. Indeed, there is racism in the LGBT community, and LGBT people of color are routinely marginalized in gay culture and society more broadly. Pride celebrations often magnify this marginalization. And to suggest that gay rights groups have largely won legal equality demonstrates a very superficial understanding of both the gay rights movement and the nature of homophobia in American society. Craig M. Loftin, Long Beach Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To some of The Times letter writers, 2016 is shaping up to be the hold your nose and vote election. This week, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton learned she will not face criminal charges related to her extremely careless use (FBI Director James B. Comeys words) of a non-government email account while secretary of State. Meanwhile, Republican candidate Donald Trump fended off accusations of anti-Semitism after sending out an tweet accusing Clinton of corruption that included an image of a six-pointed star over a pile of money. Although both candidates still have ardent supporters among our letter writers (more so for Clinton), readers are increasingly expressing dismay over their choices this November. Here are some of their letters. Advertisement Glendora resident Rick Trudeau reconsiders the importance of voting in 2016: Trump has a record of sketchy, allegedly fraudulent practices with Trump University and with some of his casinos in Atlantic City, N.J. Now Clinton has been admonished yet absolved from any criminal wrongdoing in her email misjudgment. Are these two individuals the best the country can come up with to serve the taxpaying, voting public? This will be the first time in 40 years that I feel it is useless to cast a vote. Bill Toth of Studio City wonders if these are the candidates we deserve: Unfortunately, the term lesser of two evils is not adequate to describe this presidential election. On the one hand, we have a bigoted, bloviating bully who might not be able to pass a fourth-grade civics test. On the other, we have a pandering liar whos upside is at least she is not going to be charged and convicted. The bar has been set so low that we are cheering schoolyard taunts and the absence of an indictment. Perhaps these are the candidates we as a society deserve. Victor Volpe of Camarillo makes a lesser of two evils argument: While Clinton can be characterized as untrustworthy and extremely careless when it comes to her handling of her sensitive information sent over email, I am not prepared to vote for a borderline demagogue who divides this nation based on race and religion, demeans women and disabled people, professes patriotic virtues while having avoided military service and has encouraged violent behavior among his supporters. Clintons misdeeds can be held in check by the division in power in our government. Trumps behavior is damaging to a country that need a consensus to govern such a culturally diverse nation and provide leadership in a world transforming through a globalized economy. Brea resident Larry Lasseter says Clinton looks good standing next to Trump: Certainly Clintons questionable email practices constituted a major error that did not reflect well on her judgment and also provided fodder for her opponents. However, in comparing the presidential readiness of the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees, the serial deceit of the braying buffoon that is Trump makes Clinton look like Mother Teresa. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Many of Californias Democratic delegates backing second-place finisher Bernie Sanders share a notable trait with their candidate they are new converts to the party. About one in three is a recently registered Democrat, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of the state party delegation. Jonathan Holt, 53, was previously a Republican and a no party preference voter. He changed his party affiliation and registered as a Democrat to support Sanders. For the last two decades, he said, he wrote in dead yellow dog on his ballot instead of selecting a candidate. Advertisement I just got thoroughly disgusted with both Republicans and Democrats, so I became what you would consider a protest voter, said Holt, a teachers aide who lives in an unincorporated part of Lake County. Now, Holt is among the more than 200 Californians about 11% of Sanders roughly 1,900 delegates who will attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this month. Their goals are to push the partys platform to the left, overhaul how the party picks its nominee and win the nomination for Sanders. Despite their resolve, the Vermont senator will not leave the convention as the nominee. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won more votes, more delegates and more states than Sanders, and clinched the partys nomination in early June with the inclusion of superdelegates elected officials and party leaders who are unbound and can vote their will. Traditionally, delegates tend to be longtime loyalists politicians, activists and donors. Clintons delegate roster is a whos who of Democratic insiders. In California, it includes former Gov. Gray Davis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Compton Mayor Aja Brown, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred and many state and local elected officials. About one in 10 of her California delegates recently registered as Democrats, according to The Times analysis. Sanders has far fewer boldface names the most prominent are actresses Rosario Dawson and Shailene Woodley, and RoseAnn DeMoro, the head of the National Nurses United labor group. More than 70 of his delegates either switched their party registration or registered as Democrats in the past year after he launched his bid, according to The Times analysis. Among them is Noemi Tungui, 23, who registered in May so she could support Sanders in Californias June primary. She immigrated legally to the United States from Mexico as a 3-year-old, but didnt apply for citizenship until last fall. I originally applied to be a citizen because of Bernie, so I could be able to vote for him, said the Cal State Northridge student, who is majoring in psychology and political science. Im fighting next to Bernie. Hes fighting as a Democrat, so Ill stand as a Democrat. In April 2015, when Sanders filed his statement of candidacy, he declared that his party affiliation was with the Democratic Party. But throughout his political life, Sanders has identified as an independent and a democratic socialist. He has regularly expressed disdain for both major political parties in 1989 he labeled them Tweedledee and Tweedledum though he frequently voted with Democrats in Washington. During his presidential campaign, he sharply challenged the partys establishment. Tungui said her allegiance is with Sanders ideals notably tuition-free public college, equal pay and healthcare for all not with the party. At this point, I feel like no party really represents me, she said. I wouldnt want to be placed in a party, just because theres corruption in the whole political system. So Im not sure how Ill be registered next election time, or even in November. Im not sure how Ill be registered next election time, or even in November. Bernie Sanders delegate Noemi Tungui, 23 A critical question for the Democratic Party is whether it can capture the energy and affection of voters such as Tungui, or whether a rift will grow, leading to a movement like the tea party, which has weakened the GOP establishment. DeMoro, the nurses union chief, said the rise of a third party was inevitable if the Democratic Party did not heed Sanders supporters concerns. The Democrats either have to change or die, she said. Party officials are hoping to bring Sanders supporters into the fold. Philadelphia shouldnt be the end of the journey, it should really be a launching pad for people to work for progressive change in their own communities, said Michael Soller, spokesman for the California Democratic Party. Soller pointed to the state Democrats platform, which is more liberal than the national partys on issues that Sanders has prioritized, such as universal healthcare and fracking. We stand for a lot of the things those delegates want to see, he said. Look, those are our values, lets go fight for them together. Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America, said party officials needed to show respect and patience with the delegates, and not take the inevitable disagreements personally, to ensure Sanders supporters turn out in November. If the political revolution is not embraced by the party, Im not worried about them voting for [presumptive GOP nominee Donald] Trump. I am worried about them staying home, said Chamberlain, whose group was founded by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in 2004 to harness the progressive momentum from his unsuccessful presidential bid. The Democratic Party establishment needs to use the convention to make clear to the political revolution: We dont just want you to have a seat at the table, we want to hear your voice and we want you to be a part of this party. Some Sanders supporters say they are skeptical. I definitely think that those who have the most power today in the Democratic Party see us as a nuisance, and at the local level, most of the time were insulted or ignored, said Joseph Aszterbaum, a former member of the Peace and Freedom Party who recently registered as a Democrat. The 41-year-old Sanders delegate from Hemet said he saw Sanders candidacy as a return to the Democratic Partys ideals during the period between the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter, and a repudiation of the centrist tack taken during President Bill Clintons tenure in the 1990s. Several delegates said they would decide whether to try to change the party from within based on Sanders next moves. Since it became clear that Clinton would be the nominee, Sanders has delayed endorsing her as he seeks platform concessions and a speaking slot at the convention. He is expected to endorse her next week in a joint appearance in New Hampshire. I support Sen. Sanders and Ill be taking my cues from him on that, said Michael Wilson, 55, an Ontario translator who was a Republican and a no party preference voter before joining the Democratic Party in February. Id like to make the Democratic Party into a vital, vibrant, truly representative legitimate party in politics again. Id like to see that happen, but Im not totally convinced it can happen. Times staff writer Ben Welsh contributed to this report. Hillary Clinton vows to expand funding for healthcare centers, Sanders lauds effort as two move toward unity (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Hillary Clinton pledged Saturday to double federal support for primary care at community health centers serving low-income patients nationwide, building on her plans to expand the Affordable Care Act. The move drew quick praise from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, her one-time rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. And it underscored Democrats commitment to expanding the reach of the health law that President Obama signed in 2010. We have more work to do to finish our long fight to provide universal, quality, affordable health care to everyone in America, Clinton said. Already, the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage to 20 million Americans. As president, I will make sure Republicans never succeed in their attempts to strip away their care and that the remaining uninsured should be able to get the affordable coverage they need to stay healthy. Clintons plan, which would commit another $40 billion to clinics over the next decade, would augment new investments in the clinics made by the health law. These clinics, which serve many minority communities, have historically been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. But they would be threatened by repeal of the health law, which presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to do if elected. The Clinton campaign did not indicate how the new funding would be paid for. Sanders, who is set to campaign with Clinton in New Hampshire on Tuesday, applauded the proposal in a conference call with reporters on Saturday. Its a very, very significant step forward in providing universal primary health care for all Americans, he said of Clintons plan. During the Democratic primary, Sanders, who has yet to formally endorse Clinton, called for universal health care and a single-payer option. When asked if he will formally end his campaign and endorse Clinton this week, Sanders acknowledged they are making progress. Its fair to say that the Clinton campaign and I are coming closer and closer together, he said. Burbanks urban forest with oak, magnolia and camphor trees only some of the species planted within its boundaries has led to the Media City being designated a Tree City USA for 38 consecutive years. A growing number of the citys trees, however, are becoming more easily prone to disease and bug infestations under the stress of the drought. Councilman David Gordon began noticing a difference in his two birch trees planted at his home on University Avenue. The trees had thrived for the 23 years he has lived there, but as soon as he reduced his watering earlier this year, their health dramatically declined. He suspects that one has died completely, and the other is only partially alive. I probably wont replant the trees, he said. An estimated 150 trees in Burbank could die because of the drought, according to city officials, which is the reason why the Parks and Recreation Department is working with Burbank Water & Power to begin a new marketing campaign to teach residents how to care for trees. We have very precious resources in this community and we are all hoping to educate our community on how to save both water and trees, said Marisa Garcia, assistant director of the parks and recreation department. Residents will not be advised to stop watering their trees until the city reaches stage six of water restrictions, said Glen Williams, Burbanks landscape and forestry superintendent. The city is currently in the third stage. Williams is concerned that under the current restrictions, residents are cautious to care for trees. You can plant a lawn in a weekend, but to grow a tree is 30, 40 years, he said. Tips for watering trees during a drought can be found on the citys website at burbankca.gov/treecare. To start, one suggestion is to use a screwdriver or similar tool to determine whether a tree needs watering. Once the tool is 6 to 8 inches into the ground, observe the soil to see whether its crumbly and dry. If so, the tree needs water. Younger trees need watering one to three times each week; older trees could survive on one to two times each month. The most crucial tip is to water trees deeply, so the roots are nourished about 2 to 3 feet under ground. If hand watering, which is allowed under current restrictions on any day of the week before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m., a hose should be set on a low-flow level and focused on the soil around the trunk. Burbank Water and Power board member Sharon Springer knows when her citrus trees are thirsty their leaves begin to wilt. Her own trees and the ones in the parkway are of equal concern, particularly with the recent climate trend with higher temperatures every year. The hotter we get, the hotter were going to get, she said. Theyre so important in keeping us cool. If we lose 150 trees, thats just too many. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan Two healthcare-provider chains on the West Coast are merging and looking to combine their medical expertise to improve mental-health services, officials from both chains announced on Wednesday. Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health and Services, which operates Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, and Irvine-based St. Joseph Health combined to form Providence St. Joseph Health making it one of largest nonprofit healthcare groups in the United States. The new healthcare group will now be operating 50 hospitals and overseeing more than 100,000 employees across seven states California, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. In Southern California, St. Joseph Healths seven Orange County facilities will work with Providences six medical centers in Los Angeles County. Its an incredible opportunity for two fantastic healthcare providers in separate counties to come together and combine the best practice to advance healthcare for our communities, said Erik Wexler, the Southern California regional chief executive for Providence during a ceremony at Providence St. Joseph, where the announcement was made. The fact that the organizations have been talking for about a year or so on coming together, today is a very special day for our organization. Annette Walker, interim chief executive for St. Joseph Health, said it was obvious to bring together two medical groups that have similar goals and aspirations. She said she thinks that the level of service for the hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties will be elevated because of the merger. All the organizations we have are really fine organizations, but were always striving to improve things, she said. The healthcare environment right now is becoming increasingly challenging, for patients, consumers and people who deliver care. Together, we can help fix that puzzle to make sure that as things change in healthcare, they just get better for the communities we serve. Though the merger announcement was exciting for the healthcare officials, many people at the ceremony were more excited about the new medical groups plan to address mental health. Providence St. Joseph will now be the home to the Institute for Mental Health and Wellness, which will work with various organizations and nonprofits to come up with a way to address mental-health issues. To help their efforts, the medical group created the Foundation for Mental Health and Wellness and invested $100 million to be used by any of the medical organizations hospitals or surrounding nonprofits. Julie Sprengel, chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, said it is important to work with the other hospitals and organizations to develop better ways to treat those that have mental illnesses. We have the ability to give different viewpoints, Sprengel said. Our six [Providence] hospitals here in South California, theyre so different culturally and socioeconomically. We need to be the voice of our patients. Wexler said that the stigma surrounding mental-health issues needs to go away in order for the new medical group and other healthcare providers in the country to tackle the problem. Theres a lack of funding out there and a lack of reasonable reimbursement to help treat these diseases, so I am immensely proud to be a part of an organization that is this taking this step forward and making a statement to the entire country about mental health. -- Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio In less than a week, Frances Richardson will turn 104 years old. However, the Burbank resident is paying no mind and is taking life as it comes. Theres no secret, she said. Just take it one day at a time. This past Thursday afternoon, the centenarian played bingo with her neighbors from the Evergreen Retirement Residence, where she lives.. She and four others tossed a nickel into a white basket, each hoping to be the winner of the 25-cent pot. As the little electronic bingo moderator read out the letters and numbers, Richardson said she doesnt think about her birthday this coming Thursday. All she is focused on is pulling down the transparent red shades on her bingo card whenever she hears one of her spaces called. Shes a sharp lady, said Camille Feigan, the activities director at Evergreen. Shes very friendly and outgoing. She participates in almost everything we do, like exercise classes and organizing parties. Everybody likes her and say they want to be her when theyre her age. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Frances Richardson, who spent most of her life in Kentucky, will celebrate her 104th birthday in Burbank next week. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) Richardson has lived in Burbank for only four years, after her family decided to move her from her hometown of Henderson, Ky., where she had lived all of her life. Although she is closer to her family now, Richardson said that she misses her friends and the good country living back in Kentucky. "[California] is all right, she said with a laugh. Its nice, but its not Kentucky. I miss the food there. Theres food out here that I dont care about. Its not Kentucky food. Richardson said that she never expected to live so long, and she really doesnt care about how many years she has left. She said that she doesnt do anything differently to make her live longer. All she does is try to be nice to everyone she meets and to not worry about anything. You dont think about living this long, she said. You just live. -- Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio Its official: The Internet is over. So is the Web. Its hard to believe, I know. Just last year, it seemed these two powerhouses ruled the world. But as of this summer, theyre done. Kaput. Over. Dead as e-mail. Meet their replacements: the internet and the web. Youll see these substitutes anywhere the Associated Press Stylebook is used. At the beginning of June, the latest edition of the AP Stylebook went into effect, ushering in style changes such as a lowercase I in internet and lowercase the W in web. The changes reflect a growing trend toward lowercasing both words, which have become generic terms, AP standards editor Thomas Kent told Poynter, a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based journalism institute. These new capitalization rules are just a few of the changes to the new AP guide, which include allowing spokesperson where before there were only spokesmen and spokeswomen and allowing DJ instead of deejay on first reference. The results will be seen far and wide, even if they wont be noticed. Many news outlets, magazines, wire services, business publishers and, of course, the Associated Press itself follow this style book. So the official guideline for those outlets is now to lowercase internet and web. But heres the thing most people dont get: Neither AP nor the publishers of the Chicago Manual nor the Modern Language Assn. nor any other stylebook publisher makes rules about language. They make rules about their respective editing styles styles that apply to anyone who wishes to follow them and to no one who doesnt. Style guides are playbooks with several objectives, a main one being consistency. For publishers, following a style helps avoid the appearance that the left hand doesnt know what the right hand is doing. Without these guidelines, you could have one article that reads A 9-year-old in Fresno, Calif., emailed the deejay on Tuesday next to one that reads A nine year old in Fresno, CA, e-mailed the DJ on 6/28. Many big names in publishing prefer to go their own way. The New York Times has its own style guide. So does the Los Angeles Times, which is similar to AP but has different rules for percentages, how to format phone numbers and other little publishing conventions youd never notice unless you were being paid to. Whats more, each style guide has its own default dictionary the reference to which it points users for any matter not covered in the style guide. These dictionaries sometimes disagree with each other. For example, Websters New World College Dictionary APs longtime go-to treats healthcare as one word. Merriam-Websters Collegiate prefers two words, health care, which you might hyphenate when youre using it as an adjective health-care policies. So no AP style rule restricts you if you dont want it to. But it does affect you. The more popular a language convention say, using email instead of e-mail the more ingrained it can become. If these trends gain enough momentum, they can become officially correct, the same way teen-ager and good-bye became teenager and goodbye. In fact, thats how email continues to emerge as the victor over e-mail. Some people will applaud the changes, arguing that internet and web have been generic terms for years. Others will lament them, perhaps wondering why things have to change at all. As someone whose job is to enforce style changes, youd think I would have an opinion. I dont. On most style points, Im happy to have someone else make the call. I wouldnt have wanted to be in charge of deciding when good-bye should lose its hyphen, just as I couldnt have known when Web would become a generic term. I just do what the style guides tell me right up until they tell me to do something different. -- JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Best Punctuation Book, Period. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com. Some artists use a brush. Others use a blowtorch. Heather Miller is among the latter. With a steady hand, the Newport Beach resident demonstrated her technique recently by gripping a torch canister and guiding blue and orange flames over wax. She could then target the drippings as they fell on canvas and reheat them to further manipulate her designs. Miller, of Newport Beach, practices encaustic painting, made by heating beeswax-mixed pigments. After discovering the medium a little more than two years ago, she has dedicated herself to the craft. I couldnt stop once I learned it, said Miller, who lives in Newport Beach. I like working with an open flame because its mesmerizing. Its almost like meditation for me. Her encaustic paintings of abstract forms are on display at Annes Boutique Wines in Costa Mesa through April. Artist Heather Miller uses a blowtorch to create works made of fire and molten wax. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) Miller, who took well-known artist Pamela Smith Hudsons class at Otis College of Art and Design, in Los Angeles, said she has painted with oils, sculpted and carved stone but became particularly interested in learning more about the hot-wax technique after she had seen the artistic results a few times. Encaustic painting is one of the oldest mediums still in use today. The Greek word enkaustikos, meaning to heat or burn in, can be traced back to portraits painted in 100 to 300 A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt. The wax-based paint, composed of beeswax, resin and pigment, is kept molten on a heated palette and then applied to a surface and reheated in order to fuse the paint. The art form regained popularity in the 1990s when people began using electric irons on surfaces like paper and pottery, since the medium is not limited to certain applications. In preparation for the exhibit, Miller experimented with the heat of the torch, playing with adding layers to enrich the texture and color of the work. She said she finds inspiration in nature and organic repetitive lines, like sea shells and water. With her installation, titled Immersed, she aimed to capture the movement and fluidity of the sea and the connection people have to water. Miller said she reflected on the oceans elements, the smell of the sea, the salt in the air and rolling sets of waves crashing onto sand, and their power to energize or pull viewers into a form of relaxation. After an artist friend shared one of Millers drip paintings on social media site Facebook, Anne Nutten, owner of Annes Boutique Wines, to reach out to Miller to ask her to be a featured artist at the 17th Street retail store. Artist Heather Miller uses a blowtorch to create works made of fire and molten wax. Miller is currently having a show at Annes Boutique Wines in Costa Mesa. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) Nutten, an artist and glassblower, combined her love of art and wine when she opened the wine shop in 2008. She has featured art exhibitions by nearly 100 local artists in art mediums that include metal, glass and photography. Its an opportunity for customers to view art and sample wines from Nuttens collection, while giving artists a platform for displaying and selling their work. Nutten regularly meets with artists looking to display their work in the shop. Some are displaying their art for the first time, while others have developed a following and are more established. Annes Boutique Wines currently has a one-year waiting list for artists to be featured there. Clients become regulars and they expect us to have different kinds of art up, Nutten said. The art enhances the store. Its a gallery with the bonus of wine. The collaboration between Miller and wine proprietor began six months ago. I really dig her art, Nutten said. The artist finished 46 pieces for her installation, and since its opening March 7, has sold six works and confirmed a few commissions. Its been a huge sense of self-discovery, Miller said. For me, it was just taking that leap and overcoming my own fears. Its been interesting. * IF YOU GO What: Immersed solo installation When: noon to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays until April 30 Where: Annes Boutique Wines, 270 E. 17th St., Suite 14, Costa Mesa Information: (949) 631-6627 or visit annesboutiquewines.com Irvines aging Woodbridge Village Center, which is beset with a high-vacancy rate, will soon receive a $30-million face lift. The Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. announced Wednesday that the 37-year-old shopping center, which is located off Barranca Parkway between Creek and Lake roads in Woodbridge, will undergo a series of renovations and updates aimed at revitalizing the shopping center. A two-story, mixed-use office building will be removed and the inner courtyard will be expanded into a larger front porch setting for outdoor dining and community gatherings with views of North Lake. For years, visitors and families have sat in the courtyard to eat, relax or watch their children play on Woody and Bridget, two popular ceramic frogs. Woody and Bridget, which have fallen into disrepair, will be replaced with two new frogs. The courtyard-area tiles that neighborhood children hand-painted in the early 1990s salvageable because of their age, however, the Irvine Co. will take a photos of each and keep them on file for viewing. Were taking everything that people love about Woodbridge Village Center and transforming it into even more of a community gathering place with new amenities and updated features, said Dave Moore, president of Irvine Co. Retail Properties. It will still be the ideal spot to take in a movie, enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee or just somewhere to get comfortable and take in the beautiful scenery. Removing the building in the middle of the center will reduce the square footage of the 17-acre site by nearly 15,000 square feet. Construction, which is expected to begin in August, will likely be complete by late 2017. The discount movie theater Woodbridge Village 5, as well as longtime retailers Rubys Diner and Barnes & Noble will remain. The future of smaller shops like Sticky Fingers candy store a cherished location for area children for decades remains uncertain. Moore said the Irvine Co. is meeting with all of the tenants to determine future plans. The Irvine Co. will also be bringing in a mix of new tenants, including more restaurants and a small-format national grocer that will take the place of Assi Natural Market, which shuttered several years ago after only nine months. Company officials are confident that a grocery concept will work well as long as it is the appropriate size. Previous concepts were unsuccessful, in part, because they needed a large customer base to succeed, Moore said. The offering will be right in line with what we think the Woodbridge community would like to see, he said. The Irvine Cos plans put to rest years of concerns from tenants and residents who were fearful that the developer would raze the struggling center and build housing. The reality was we wanted to keep it a retail center, Moore said. We just needed to be more relevant in todays retail community. We had to determine how to preserve what the community has come to expect and come to enjoy over the last 40 years and at the same time make it relevant and economically viable. Less than 50% of the center is currently leased. Costa Mesas Owen Mansour and Irvine resident Arjun Gaggar are among 12 award winners in the PBS Kids Writers Contest, which received more than 300 entries from students in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Owens first-grade teacher at St. Joachim Catholic School in Costa Mesa encouraged him to enter the contest, according to Owens mother, Suzi. The young writers fictional story told of him and his younger sister being chased by a monster. After dashing to the airport and buying a ticket to Dubai, they were able to escape from the fiend. They ended up living in a mansion in the desert and lived happily ever after, Suzi Mansour said with a laugh. Owens never been to Dubai, but he would like to go. He has a fascination with the place. For the contest, the students could enter short stories based on fact, fiction, prose or poetry, along with their own illustrations. Arjuns story was inspired by a dream he had. I like animals, and in my dream I was afraid they were all about to go extinct, said Arjun, a third-grader at Fairmont Private School in Tustin. The main character of his story, Abraham, sailed to an island of animal ghosts. When he asked the animals how they died, a panther said he was killed for his fur and an elephant said he was killed for his tusks. Abraham then wrote a letter to the president about how animals need help and that Earth would suffer without them. Contest winners received certificates, medals and trophies during a ceremony Wednesday at the PBS SoCal studio in Costa Mesa, where they had the opportunity to read their stories aloud to guests. The contest started accepting story submissions in January from kindergartners through third-graders. The winners were selected by April. The Irvine Spectrum Center is installing two light-emitting diode (LED) signs near the 405 and 5 freeways that will advertise the shopping and dining centers tenants. The signs are part of the malls ongoing $150-million reinvestment plan to ensure it remains contemporary and a key economic contributor to the city of Irvine, said Irvine Co. spokesman John Christensen. In the quickly evolving and highly competitive retail world, this new technology helps provide much-needed tenant identification at Irvine Spectrum Center in a regionally competitive marketplace, Christensen said in a statement. The signs were approved by Irvines Planning Commission in 2015, according to Christensen. * Irvine Public Storage center in the works Public Storage is nearing completion of Orange Countys largest storage facility at 16700 Red Hill Ave. in Irvine. Once finished, the site will have more than 3,000 storage units spread over 10 acres. The final construction phase is scheduled to be finished by the end of July. The facility had soft openings earlier this year and has units available. * SpaceX signs lease for Irvine office Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) recently signed a 63-month lease for an Irvine creative office. The rocket and spacecraft company will be operating at 96 Corporate Park, near The District at Tustin Legacy. * Bascom, Village Partners form new venture The Bascom Group, a private equity firm in Irvine, and Village Partners, a real estate development company in Newport Beach, have formed a new joint venture called Village Partners Ventures LLC. The group will focus on transit-oriented and mixed-use multifamily development opportunities in Southern California, with plans to invest $200 million in the next four years. * Indiana company acquires Irvine electronics firm Royal Adhesives and Sealants LLC of South Bend, Ind., has acquired Irvine-based Bacon Adhesives. Bacon develops and manufactures electrical and thermally conductive adhesives for aerospace and defense communications, avionics, satellite and other applications, according to a news release. * Wienerschnitzel offering specials for companys 55th anniversary Irvine-based Wienerschnitzel will offer chili, mustard or kraut hot dogs for 55 cents each in celebration of the companys 55th anniversary Monday. Customers can order up to 10 hot dogs for the 55-cent price. Costa Mesas Wienerschnitzel is at 1951 Harbor Blvd. Irvine has a location at 14705 Jeffrey Road, and Newport Beachs restaurant is at 4501 Jamboree Road. Proposed landscape and street improvements along Irvine Avenue that were previously rejected by Newport Beach council members will be heading back to the City Council on Tuesday. The council voted 4-3 on June 14 to reject part of a roughly $1.7-million bid to complete street and landscape work on Irvine Avenue between Santiago and University drives, adjacent to Upper Newport Bay. The move meant that public works staff likely would have to offer the project for bid again, which could delay the work for months, staff said. However, Councilman Ed Selich, who originally voted against the proposal, asked his colleagues to reconsider the item at Tuesdays meeting. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Selich said he was initially concerned that the city was spending too much money on the Irvine Avenue median work and might have to forgo other median projects in the city. However, after the June 14 meeting, he met with city staff members who told him there was enough money in the budget to cover the Irvine Avenue project and still replace other browning medians with green ground covers, which are more drought-tolerant. They convinced me we have enough in the budget to get it done, he said. Staff on Tuesday will again propose entering a contract with All American Asphalt to reconstruct sidewalks, curbs and gutters, access ramps and pavement, as well as fix the irrigation and plant new drought-tolerant landscaping on the median. The grass along that stretch of road is currently dead or brown. Councilman Scott Peotter had suggested the city scrap the landscaping portion, estimated to cost about $500,000, and instead put down wood chips or hydroseed grass. Councilman Tony Petros took issue last month with Peotters proposal to go with lower-cost landscaping. If you want to make something just hideously ugly, lets just put some wood chips down on one of the most beautiful ... spots in the city, Petros said. -- Hannah Fry, hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN The Costa Mesa Planning Commission will consider whether to approve a proposed expansion of a Westside senior-living facility during its meeting Monday. The project represents the next phase of Vivante on the Coast, an upscale retirement community at 1640 Monrovia Ave., according to city planning documents. The request would scrap a previously approved 42,000-square-foot office building planned for the site and instead build a 111-unit independent- and assisted-living facility. The applicant, Nexus Development Corp., had proposed the office building but now is seeking approval to amend the master plan for the site to replace that project with the new living facility for Vivante. Given the success of the first phase of Vivante on the Coast, we feel that this proposed amendment to the master plan would be more compatible and more consistent with the vision for the overall project, Rob Eres, vice president of development for Nexus Central Division, wrote in a letter to the city. As proposed, the new facility would be four stories and have 15 studio units, 77 one-bedroom units and 19 two-bedroom units. Vivante currently has 185 units, including 40 designed for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. The new project would be built on the northern 2.25 acres of the 6.8-acre Vivante site, which stretches between Monrovia Avenue and Babcock Street. The proposal also calls for a 1,700-square-foot fitness center, a 3,900-square-foot community events center, a dance studio, a cafe, a bar/lounge, activity rooms, a library/computer room, an art room, an outdoor plaza park, office space for management services, and surface and underground parking lots with a combined 125 spaces. The amenities would add to an array of high-end offerings already in place at Vivante, including an indoor saltwater pool, a fitness center and courtyards with fire pits. City staff is recommending that the Planning Commission approve the project, partly because it would provide housing opportunities to senior residents and employment for healthcare professionals in a mixed-use setting, according to a staff report. Nexus bought the property in 2005, and development stalled for a time amid the subsequent recession, Nexus President Cory Alder said during a media tour of the Vivante facility shortly before it opened in 2013. Alder said at the time that Vivantes Westside location was a desirable spot, in part because of its proximity to Hoag Hospital about a mile away. Mondays Planning Commission meeting will start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. City tours of the Grayson Power Plant, the Scholl Canyon Landfill and other key facilities that provide services to Glendale residents recently won an award from a public sector association. Conceived nearly two years ago, the citys Work Boot Tuesdays, which gave residents an inside look at key services and departments, earned the Winston Crouch Award for Innovation in Government from the Southern California chapter of the American Society of Public Administration. Work Boot Tuesdays were conceived because of a lull in the number of afternoon meetings on the second day of the work week, said city spokesman Tom Lorenz. Management staff thought holding meetings out in the field would add a new perspective outside of council chambers, he said. Join the conversation on Facebook >> You can ask questions sitting on the dais, the city manager can listen to his department head like the general public does every Tuesday about a project thats being proposed, but its a whole different story when you ask that question or you make that presentation when youre standing in the center of it, Lorenz said. In addition to the landfill and power plant, Work Boot Tuesdays have also been held at the Glendale Police Department, where those in attendance tried out a shooting simulator that depicted several scenarios. There was also a walking tour of the Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant, where waste water is turned into recycled water, and a ride around town on the citys Beeline bus system. While some of the events were well attended, others werent with only council members and city staffers showing up. However, Councilman Ara Najarian said even with a low turnout, he still learned something, just like any resident could have. You really cant make sound decisions in a vacuum. You have to be out there seeing, feeling and smelling the different departments and really grasping whats involved when it comes to making those decisions, he said. With the announcement of the award, Lorenz said two additional Work Boot Tuesdays will be planned for the fall. One will be a tour of the Glendale Fire Departments firefighter training facility and then an inside look at the Glendale library system. Exact dates have yet to be announced. Three workshops centered on developing a South Glendale Community Plan are also being labeled as Work Boot events because they will include presentations about the inner workings of the city, Lorenz said. The first meeting will focus on the development history in south Glendale, and it will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the citys Planning Hearing Room, located at 633 E. Broadway, Room 105. -- Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com Twitter: @ArinMikailian An ophthalmologist who practices in Glendale and has researched families with macular degeneration, hopes his teams recent discovery of a gene mutation that causes the eye disease called North Carolina Macular Dystrophy will someday help restore vision loss in patients who suffer from the disease. North Carolina Macular Dystrophy is a type of macular degeneration that affects the macula, a small spot near the center of the retina and the part of the eye needed for sharp, central vision, which lets people see objects that are straight ahead and is vital for tasks such as reading. The dystrophy is a hereditary condition and similar to age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in the United States for people who are around 65 years old. However, macular dystrophy can affect people at a younger age. As part of his research, Kent Small, 59, began collecting DNA samples from families with macular degeneration in 1987, and went on to gather a huge amount of data that stood the test of time, he said, when reached by phone this week. As the technology used to analyze the data revolutionized in the past several years, it became faster and cheaper for Small and other scientists to evaluate the data they collected. With help from Edwin Stone, a professor in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, and researchers at the Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research, the gene mutation that causes macular dystrophy was discovered last year in the noncoding region of DNA. Its unknown what specifically causes the gene mutation, Small said. Small said hes hopeful that scientists can someday combat the disease by potentially using stem cells to grow maculae, more than one macula, in a petri dish and then replace them in patients to restore their vision. Smalls upcoming plans involve sharing his findings and rounding up more families to study. Next week, hell serve as the keynote speaker at the Global Ophthalmology Meeting in Chicago. It became much more than a project, Small said of his research. It became a passion. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan Malala Yousafzai, the teenage campaigner for girls education in Pakistan, told journalists on Monday that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan assured her he would free 219 abducted schoolgirls being held by Islamist militants. Malala, who survived a 2012 attack by Pakistani militants opposed to the education of girls, marked July 14 as Malala Day by visiting the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and pressing Jonathan to do more to free the schoolgirls. But her visit came as a chilling new video surfaced in which Abubakar Shekau, leader of the militant group Boko Haram, said he would not set free his captives unless the government released his fighters from prison. Advertisement Nigerians are saying bring back our girls, and we are telling Jonathan to bring back our arrested warriors, our army, Shekau said in the video, handed to Agence France-Presse news service. The video was released Sunday, the same day Malala met with parents of the missing schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from a boarding school in Chibok village in northeastern Nigeria on April 14. She also met with five girls who managed to escape from captivity. During her meeting Monday with Jonathan, the Nigerian president agreed to a meeting with the parents of the abducted schoolgirls for the first time, Malala later told reporters. He also promised scholarships to all the girls once they were released. Malala told journalists after the meeting that the president assured her the girls would be safely recovered. She said that he seemed pained about their fates and referred to them as his daughters. The president has expressed his solidarity with those girls and his sadness, she told reporters. He has assured that these girls will come back home safely. He has several options but that he will choose the best to ensure the girls are released safely. In the Boko Haram video, Shekau claimed responsibility for simultaneous bomb attacks last month in Abuja and Lagos, the nations commercial hub. He also sent greetings to Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri; Abu Bakr Baghdadi, head of Islamic State, an Al Qaeda offshoot; and prominent terrorist leaders in Afghanistan, Yemen, Algeria and Pakistan. Boko Haram, which means Western education is a sin, is fighting an insurgency to create an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria, a country of more than 170 million people divided between Christians and Muslims. The group sees democracy, banking, secular education and Western culture as sacrilegious. Malala, who turned 17 on Saturday, visited Nigeria in support of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, designed to pressure Nigerian authorities to do more to release the Chibok girls. My birthday wish this year is bring back our girls now and alive, she said at Sundays meeting in Abuja with Chibok parents and several girls who escaped from Boko Haram. Malala survived the assassination attempted by the Pakistan Taliban after writing a blog on girls education, and she nominated July 14 as a day to stand up for girls education. She promised to continue speaking out for the kidnapped girls until they were released, referring to them as her sisters. Nigerian officials have hinted at progress on rescuing the girls in recent weeks, but Jonathan has publicly ruled out negotiating with Boko Haram. The military has said it wont attempt a rescue operation because many people would be killed. There are reports of behind-the-scenes negotiations to secure the girls release. However, there are hundreds of other women, girls and boys being held by Boko Haram, abducted over the past 18 months in smaller groups. Shekau posed for the latest video in front of two armored personnel carriers and two pickup trucks surrounded by his men, all armed. At the end of the video, he fired an AK-47 rifle into the air. Shekau said he had sent a female suicide bomber last month to explode a bomb in Apapa, a district in Lagos where there are many fuel depots. The woman detonated a car bomb next to a oil tanker. Had the blast ignited the tanker and spread to the nearby fuel depot, it would have been devastating, analysts say, potentially killing many people and disrupting the countrys fuel supply. At the time, authorities misled the public about the incident, according to analysts, when they blamed it on an accidental gas cylinder blast. We were the ones that detonated bomb in Abuja, that filthy city. We were responsible for the bomb in Kano, in Plateau, Shekau said in the video, referring to other recent bomb attacks. We were the ones that sent a female bomber to the refinery in Lagos. Shekau thanked several leaders of terror groups, although it wasnt clear whether he was thanking them for concrete assistance, inspiration or for something else. To you my dear brethren, Muslims, those who are true believers and not those that practice democracy, not those who believe in constitutions, not those who believe in Western education ... I thank you all, he said. Follow development in Africa on Twitter at @robyndixon. thaad missile lockheed martin The most advanced missile system on the planet can hunt and blast incoming missiles right out of the sky with a 100% success rate and it appears to be headed to North Korea's backyard. On the heels of bilateral sanctions by Seoul and Washington, plus layers of UN sanctions, the Pentagon agreed to equip South Korea with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile-defense system. "North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction require the alliance to take this prudent, protective measure to bolster our layered and effective missile defense," US Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of US forces in South Korea, said in a statement. The pressure to deploy THAAD began after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and then launched a long-range rocket on February 7. "Oh, it's going to happen. It's a necessary thing," US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York in April. "We need to defend our own people. We need to defend our own allies. And we're going to do that." "We are aware of the open source announcement regarding THAAD to Korea," US Army Col. Shana Peck, who, as commander of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, oversees all five THAAD batteries as well as four Patriot missile defense battalions, told Business Insider. "If directed by our higher headquarters, we are postured to execute and meet deployment and mission requirements," Peck added. thaad With its unmatched precision, Lockheed Martin's $800 million THAAD system can equalize tensions around the world with its mobility and strategic battery-unit placement. "It is the most technically advanced missile-defense system in the world," US Army Col. Alan Wiernicki, who previously led the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, told Business Insider. Story continues "Combatant commanders and our allies know this, which puts our THAAD Batteries in very high global demand," Wiernicki added. And that demand seems poised to rise. Deploying America's THAAD Currently, there are five THAAD batteries each of approximately 100 soldiers assigned to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. One of those batteries was deployed to Guam in April 2013 in order to deter North Korean provocations and further defend the Pacific region. thaad Meanwhile, negotiations to equip South Korea with a THAAD battery have been ongoing since South Korean President Park Geun-hye's October 2015 visit to the White House. However, China argues that deployment of the THAAD system will further destabilize the region. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "[China] knows full well that the THAAD being deployed to South Korea is not aimed at it at all," Yoo Dong-ryol, who heads the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy in Seoul told Reuters. "It just doesn't like more American weapons system being brought in so close to it." Depending on THAAD's location in South Korea, the system is capable of countering almost all incoming short-and medium-range ballistic missiles from North Korea by using "hit to kill" lethality. thaad range Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohong warned that deploying THAAD would irreparably damage relations between the countries, The Chosunilbo reported. THAAD deployment, Qiu said, "would break the strategic balance in the region and create a vicious cycle of Cold War-style confrontations and an arms race, which could escalate tensions." During US Secretary of State John Kerry's February visit to Beijing, he explained that the US was "not hungry or anxious or looking for an opportunity to deploy THAAD," CNN reported. "THAAD is a purely defensive weapon. It is purely capable of shooting down a ballistic missile it intercepts," Kerry said. "And it is there for the protection of the United States." THAAD's 'hit to kill' lethality The THAAD interceptor does not carry a warhead. Instead, the interceptor missile uses pure kinetic energy to deliver "hit to kill" strikes to incoming ballistic threats inside or outside the atmosphere. Each launcher carries up to eight missiles and can send multiple kill vehicles at once, depending on the severity of the threat. Lockheed Martin's missile launcher is just one element of the four-part antimissile system. The graphic below shows the rest of the components needed for each enemy-target interception. thaad gfx THAAD's first line of defense is its radar system. "We have one of the most powerful radars in the world," US Army Capt. Kyle Terza, of Space and Missile Defense Command and a former THAAD battery commander, told Business Insider. Raytheon's AN/TPY-2 radar is used to detect, track, and discriminate ballistic missiles in the terminal (or descent) phase of flight. The mobile radar is about the size of a bus and is so powerful that it can scan areas the size of entire countries, according to Raytheon. thaad amanda raytheon Once an enemy threat has been identified, THAAD's Fire Control and Communications (TFCC) support team kicks in. If there is a decision to engage the incoming missile, the launcher fires an interceptor to hunt for its target. Here's what a launch looks like from far away: While in flight, the interceptor is designed to track the threat and obliterate it in the sky. The following infrared imagery shows THAAD demolishing the target: By the end of 2016, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is scheduled to deliver an additional 48 THAAD interceptors to the US military, bringing the total up to 155, according to a statement from MDA director Vice Admiral J.D. Syring before the House Armed Service Committee. According to the US Missile Defense Agency, there are more than 6,300 ballistic missiles outside of US, NATO, Russian, and Chinese control. The United Arab Emirates became the first foreign buyer after signing a deal with the Department of Defense for $3.4 billion. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have "expressed interest," according to Richard McDaniel, vice president of Patriot Advanced Capability programs at Lockheed Martin. "We expect deals," he added. Currently, the US maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea. NOW WATCH: Meet America's THAAD: One of the world's most advanced missile-defense systems that has China spooked More From Business Insider Screen Shot 2016 07 09 at 12.45.22 PM In June, US President Barack Obama passed a grim milestone. His administration has been at war longer than that of any other US president. When Obama ascended to office, he pledged to end what has become America's longest war. The conflict in Afghanistan has been ongoing since 2001. But at Obama's last NATO press conference on Saturday in Warsaw, one reporter noted that he could end up being the only president in the nation's history to have served two complete terms with the country at war (if the US stays in combat in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan until the end of his second term). And, as such, he asked Obama whether Americans should be "resigned" to living in this state of perpetual war. Obama first responded by pointing out that there has been a shift in military operations over the last several years. "I think you'd recognize that our military operations today in Iraq and Afghanistan are fundamentally different than the wars we were engaged in when" he came to office, he said. The troops are involved "in train-and-assist situations," he continued, adding that the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan today pales in comparison to the six-digit figure from when he came to office. However, he also touched on the notable shift in how countries deal with conflict. Macarthur_hirohito "There are fewer wars between states than ever before, and almost no wars between great powers," he said. Rather, he continued, "we're dealing with nonstate actors." And "because they're nonstate actors, it's hard for us to get the satisfaction of [Gen.] MacArthur and the [Japanese] Emperor [Hirohito] meeting and the war officially being over," Obama observed, referencing the end of World War II. Obama also stated that the US's ultimate goal is to partner with countries that have "limited capacity" to deal with the nonstate actors that operate within them so that they can secure their borders and eliminate terrorist threats themselves. Story continues "But, as we've seen in Afghanistan, that takes some time," he continued. The Afghans "are much more capable now than when I came into office, but they still need help" given the "tough territory," low literacy rates, and their lack of "things we take for granted like logistics." The US has the option to go in and take out Al Qaeda, pull out, and "potentially see the country crumble under the continued strain of terrorist insurgency and then go back in," he said. Or the US can maintain a "limited partnership" and selectively take action. marine afghanistan Still, as The New York Times' Mark Landler noted earlier, it's also true that Obama has "approved strikes against terrorist groups in Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, for a total of seven countries where his administration has taken military action." "The president has tried to reconcile these truths by approaching his wars in narrow terms, as a chronic but manageable security challenge rather than as an all-consuming national campaign, in the tradition of World War II or, to a lesser degree, Vietnam," Landler wrote back in May. "The longevity of his war record, military historians say, also reflects the changing definition of war." Ultimately, it's interesting to think about how the state of conflict might have changed over the last century or, at least, how the definition of war may have changed in the eyes of the Obama administration and how might his successor might address these questions in the future. NOW WATCH: EX-PENTAGON CHIEF: These are the 2 main reasons ISIS was born More From Business Insider Jul 8, 2016, 4:54pm ET Google car burns; police blame paranoid man's Molotov cocktail The suspect allegedly claimed Google was \"watching him,\" according to police reports. A paranoid arsonist has been blamed for several attacks on Google Street View vehicles. The suspect, Raul Diaz, allegedly used a Molotov cocktail to destroy a Street View car parked outside the company's Mountain View headquarters, according to an affidavit cited by Ars Technica. The first sign of trouble dates back to May 19 when two broken beer bottles were found near a Street View vehicles. Diaz is accused of returning to the scene several weeks later and firing a gun, however the first arson attempt and shooting did not appear to result in any damage. As police continued to investigate the first incidents, Diaz allegedly returned and successfully torched a company vehicle. Investigators spotted a 2004-2005 Volkswagen Touareg in multiple security footage recordings, coinciding with the crimes. Google security finally closed in on Diaz last week when they spotted his vehicle in the area once again. Mountain View Police Department officers arrived and pulled over the car for speeding, however they also noticed a gun case and an apparent improvised incendiary device in the vehicle. Diaz allegedly confessed to both arson attempts and the shooting. He claimed the mystery device was not a bomb, but rather a tube filled with cotton and bullets that was to be used for target practice. "Diaz told officers that his motivation behind the attacks was that he felt Google was watching him and that made him upset," the affidavit notes. "Diaz said that he kept journals of the times that he felt Google had been watching him." Despite the apparent confession, it is unclear if Diaz plans to plead guilty or innocent. The expected federal arson charges are said to carry potential jail terms of up to 20 years. Micah Xavier Johnson Texas state officials confirmed that the man accused of shooting and killing police officers in Dallas acted alone. The suspect in the shooting Thursday night that left five police officers dead and seven others wounded has been identified as 25-year-old Dallas resident Micah Xavier Johnson, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings announced during a press conference Friday afternoon. "We believe, given the facts, that Mr. Johnson was the lone shooter in this incident," Rawlings said, "we believe now that the city is safe, and that the suspect is dead, and we can move on to healing." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added that investigators don't know "who, if anybody, may have known what the gunman knew," or "who may have assisted him." Johnson died after a long standoff with Dallas police officers. CBS has reported that Johnson was not on any FBI watch lists. Military experts have said one of the attackers appeared "tactically professional" and "focused" in videos taken of the ambush. A Texas law-enforcement official told CBS News' David Begnaud that Johnson claimed to be a US Army veteran during his standoff with the police. The Army confirmed Johnson had served as an enlisted soldier and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. It said Johnson was trained in the Army reserves as a carpentry/masonry specialist. It was unclear what type of firearms training he had. Photos of Johnson, apparently taken from his Facebook page, were being shared on social media Friday morning: Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown initially said Friday that two snipers staged the attack from "elevated positions" near what had been peaceful protests over recent police killings of black men and that the department thought the attackers coordinated the ambush. Johnson's specific role in the attack was unclear. Story continues By Friday morning the police had killed one suspect, who was later identified as Johnson, using a robot-controlled bomb after negotiations in a standoff in a Dallas parking garage. Brown said the suspect said he was "upset about Black Lives Matter" and that he "wanted to kill white people." "We cornered one suspect and we tried to negotiate for several hours," Brown said in a press conference on Friday. "Negotiations broke down and we had an exchange of gunfire with the suspect," he said. "We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on it for it to detonate where the suspect was. Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. The suspect is deceased, as a result of the detonating of the bomb." Mayor Rawlings confirmed on Friday that the device contained the explosive, C-4. Brown added: "The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Brown corrected earlier reports that said the suspect had killed himself. Dallas shooting police chief David Brown Johnson's Facebook page, which has since been taken down, seems to corroborate what Brown described about his anger toward white people. The page featured images of Black Power and the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. He appeared in his profile photo with a raised fist in a Black Power salute, and posted an angry rant against white people on Facebook last Saturday, July 2, Reuters reported. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in the post in a Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi. "Then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person. They even go to our homeland and shoot our endangered wildlife for sport." From Reuters: "Among the pages that Johnson had 'liked' on the social media site belonged to a group calling itself the African American Defense League. On Friday morning, the group posted a message calling on "gangs across the nation" to 'attack everything in blue except the mail man.'" Johnson's neighbors in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas, told CNN that he lived with his mother and seemed reclusive. Brown said previously that Johnson had said "the end is coming" as he exchanged gunfire with the police and also said he would "hurt and kill" more police officers. Brown said the man also claimed to have placed bombs inside the El Centro College garage where the shootout took place. No bombs have been found, however. The standoff at the garage ended shortly before 3 a.m. CT on Friday. Dallas map US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement on Friday that the Department of Justice will assist in investigating the Dallas shootings. The incident was part of the deadliest day for police officers since September 11, 2001, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. NOW WATCH: 'Vicious, calculated, and despicable': Obama comments on the attack in Dallas More From Business Insider An 80-bed behavioral health center is being pitched on a Bethlehem property at Center Street and Dewberry Avenue that's previously been mired in controversy. The 5-acre site is owned by developer Abe Atiyeh, who in 2013 received City Planning Commission approval to build a hospital on the property. Planners restricted the facility from being a drug treatment center. Acadia's submission to the planning commission is almost identical to Atiyeh's, although it calls for a three-story building instead of one-story. The application does not elaborate on how the facility would operate and who it would be treating. "I was going to build it myself and I was looking for an operating partner," Atiyeh said. "Acadia is a publicly traded company and they can't partner with a private individual, so I decided to sell it to them. They are a better operator than me." The plans call for 125 parkings spots, more than the 58 required, and state that the center would employ 50 people. There would be a right turn entrance and right turn-only exit on Center and a two-way entrance and exit on Dewberry. An Acadia representative said Friday that no one was available to discuss the plans for Bethlehem. A Tennessee-based company, Acadia operates 587 inpatient behavioral healthcare service facilities with about 17,4000 beds in 39 states, the United Kingdom and Puerto Rico, according to its website. The company provides psychiatric and addiction services to patients in many settings, including "inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, outpatient clinics and therapeutic school-based programs," its website states. They bring an expertise that Atiyeh said he cannot. Acadia has entered into an agreement of sale with Atiyeh, who said he plans to attend the planning commission meetings to ensure it is approved. Greg Zebrowski, of the North Bethlehem Action Committee, said the group will review the new plans with its attorney. But the residents believe this is just another attempt to bring a drug treatment center into a residential neighborhood with a school and playground nearby, he said. "A treatment center is a treatment center. This is not a hospital," Zebrowski said. "He (Atiyeh) should stop playing games." Legitimate hospitals are allowed under the zoning but this is just an attempt to call a treatment center by another name, he said. Hospitals adhere to strict standards set by the Department of Health and this plan does not, Zebrowski said. "It is not a drug treatment center because I wouldn't allow it. I own one in Catasauqua and I'm building another one," Atiyeh said. "I wouldn't sell to a competitor." The land is zoned institutional and a hospital is allowed, he said. "The neighbors concerns are all fear-mongering," Atiyeh said. "They are trying to scare the neighbors to think I am putting a treatment center in there." Zebrowski said the neighbors are tired of Atiyeh's changing plans for the site. "Mr. Atiyeh made a bad investment and he's looking for the community to bail him out because he bought a bad piece of land," he said. "That's not our responsibility." The planning commission in 2008 approved Atiyeh's plans to build an assisted living facility at 1838 Center St. Then he pitched high-end apartments, but the city zoning board in 2010 rejected the plans because apartments aren't a permitted use on the property. In 2011, the planning commission denied Atiyeh's plans for a detox center and psychiatric hospital on the site. Those plans garnered major objections from nearby residents, who earlier this summer expressed skepticism over Atiyeh's desire to subdivide an adjacent property. The city planning department will review the submission and provide a response, which will include questions about the nature of the hospital, said Tracy Samuelson, assistant director of planning. It may make it to the commission's August agenda, but it could be September, she said. Atiyeh has permission to build a drug treatment center on 12th Avenue in the city but he hasn't pursued those plans. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and on Facebook.. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A glimpse into what lies beneath Burnside Plantation only deepened a mystery with roots in the American Revolution. In late May, a Kutztown University professor and three students brought in technology to search for remains of underground structures at the Bethlehem preserve. "We didn't get the answer we wanted, but we've raised two or three other questions," said Bob Windolph, a trustee with the Burnside land's owner, Historic Bethlehem Partnership Inc. Windolph has been leading the search for personal papers and possessions described in a book about Bethlehem's history as having been stored on the plantation by George Washington in 1777, when he was a general in the Continental Army. Lore has it that the materials were stored in a brick kiln, guarded by 40 soldiers, until that Christmas Eve. Kutztown associate professor of geology Laura Sherrod and her students scanned the land May 20, using a magnetometer and ground-penetrating radar. The idea was to study where underground remnants of the kiln might be, as described in the book about Bethlehem's roots as a settlement for Moravians from Germany. "There is no indication on the study that those foundation walls are there," Windolph said. But he's not giving up. It may be that changes in the course of the Monocacy Creek, over centuries, altered the reference points used to narrow down the search area, Windolph said. Or construction of the creekside railroad tracks may have played a role in changing the lay of the land. "It's possible that a number of dumping of soils were done in that meadow area and that the ... foundation walls, if they are here, might have been buried deeper than the ground-penetrating radar can pick up," he said. Alternatively, an 18th-century brick kiln may not have had the foundation and walls that Windolph expected to find. The account of 40 troops guarding Washington's belongings is cause enough to soldier on, said Charlene Donchez Mowers, president of Historic Bethlehem Partnership, parent of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. "Forty soldiers at that time was a huge number," she said. Moving ahead, Donchez Mowers plans to check on records of troop movements during that time with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Windolph intends to explore more records of activities at Burnside with the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, repository of diaries from that era. He'll also seek out more records of Washington's whereabouts with stewards of the founding father's plantation in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Windolph has admitted there's no hope of finding any of Washington belongings at Burnside. But it would be a good history lesson to share with school groups who visit the land and at activities its hosts, such as the Blueberry Festival coming up July 16-17 at the 1461 Schoenersville Road plantation. Donchez Mowers said she hopes to have more information on the effort in September. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A man who made obscene gestures at Northampton County sheriffs deputies, pointed his hand like a gun at them and refused to leave the courthouse will likely be charged with a crime, according to the county's deputy sheriff. Northampton County Deputy Sheriff Chris Zieger said Hellertown area resident Desean Redwine started acting up in the courthouse around 12:30 p.m. He was not a participant in a case but appears to have come to court in connection with a protection-from-abuse order under consideration. Northampton County sheriff deputies and an Easton police officer respond to a disturbance outside the courthouse involving Desean Redwine on July 8, 2016. "He was acting up outside the courtroom to the point where one of our deputies and someone from court administration told him he had to leave," Zieger said. Zieger said sheriffs are investigating whether Redwine threatened someone in connection with the hearing. After Redwine was escorted outside, he made faces and obscene gestures through the window at deputies inside, Zieger said. Then he motioned with his hand like a gun as though he were shooting the deputies through the window in the building, Zieger said. When deputies came out to confront Redwine he ran away, Zieger said. He drove away but returned to the area in a car, driving back and forth in front of the courthouse and revving his engine, Zieger said. After leaving and coming back again he allegedly parked in a handicapped spot in front of the courthouse. When deputies asked him to leave, he began yelling. "At that point our guys took him into custody," Zieger said. Zieger said sheriffs deputies are conferring with the district attorney's office but he expects Redwine will be charged with disorderly conduct and possibly making terroristic threats. "Our guys used tremendous restraint in dealing with him," Zieger said. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. A cannabis growhouse estimated to be worth 290,000 has been discovered by gardai in a house on Main Street Ballyroan. As part of on-going intelligence led operation targeting the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the Laois/Offaly area, gardai seized the cannabis herb and plants last Wednesday, June 29. At approximately 10pm on the night, gardai from the Portlaoise district carried out a planned search of a house on Main Street, Ballyroan, Laois. During the course of the search cannabis herb with an estimated street value of up to 50,000 and cannabis plants with an estimated street value of up to 240,000, pending analysis, were seized. Three Chinese nationals, aged 24, 33 and 54, were arrested at the scene and were detained under the provisions of section 2 of The Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Portlaoise Garda Station. All three men were brought before Dublin District Court CCJ on Saturday, July 2, charged with the cultivation of cannabis, and having drugs for sale or supply. In addition, there were charges relating to immigration offences. A garda spokesperson has confirmed to the Leinster Express that one of the men had identification but his visa had expired, while the other two men did not have identification. All three gave addresses in the Portlaoise area. Following an objection to bail by the gardai, the men were remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill Court this Thursday, July 7. The garda spokesperson confirmed that the discovery of the growhouse came about through information given to Abbeyleix gardai, in conjunction with the Portlaoise Detective Unit. A press release from the gardai on the drug seizure explained that: These operations use advanced analytical and intelligence methods to disrupt criminals and dismantle their networks. Drug seizures play a critical role in targeting the livelihood of criminals and reducing their ability to carry out illegal activities. Drug seizures also help protect communities from the devastating impact of drugs and the associated criminality, the press release concluded. The discovery of a major drug factory on the main street of a quiet Irish village like Ballyroan is a worrying sign that criminal gangs are getting more daring in their operations. An article on the Times Red Box website examined the potential for a Liberal Democrat comeback following the EU Referendum. I spoke to the journalist who wrote it, Natasha Clark, and may have compared Tim Farron to another Liberal leader from across the Atlantic: They had a dynamic leader who made the case, harnessed the mood of the people with a very simple message. I think we will soon have a majority of people who dont want to leave the EU, and we will be there to make that case. Tim Farron was also interviewed and he had a right go at Theresa May: Farron is, understandably, not a fan of any of either candidate for the Tory leadership, in particular the home secretary, who he slams for her inaction during the referendum campaign. Theresa May makes Jeremy Corbyn look like a grafter, he jeered. In the sense that she can step into the breach having done nothing to save the country she may have had more of an impact than if Jeremy Corbyn did. The economy is going down the plughole because of that cowardice. In contrast, he made it clear what he and the Lib Dems have to offer: I want to build a movement of people who can run the country, take on the Tories and deliver the internationalist, economically competent, decent government that Britain deserves. He reached out to moderate Labour and Conservative supporters: Farron predicted that Labour will split, and wants to be there to catch the moderates when it does. I cant see a happy ending for the Labour party, he said with a slight air of sadness, predicting a carnage of deselections of moderate MPs if Jeremy Corbyn is booted out as leader. That would make the run up to the formation of the SDP look like a tea party in comparison. And to the Conservatives, he calls out to the One Nation Tory, the good, liberal minded people to look to his party. His offer to them is unity, a youthful, energetic party with a belief in social justice and a desire to win elections. He also has his sights on nicking the Conservatives territory of economic competence. He added that the Tories had trashed both the economy and their own brand. Also quoted is Daisy Benson, from Yeovil: Daisy Benson, a young activist based in Somerset, says the EU referendum is bigger than fees, and the partys intense focus on mental health will drive further support. People are mobilising around us and the fact we appear to have a plan. A plan about our future prosperity, she said. You can read the whole article here. () * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings In the days after the Referendum, Nicola Sturgeon assembled a team to advise the Scottish Government on all aspects of Brexit. Academics, financial, legal and constitutional experts will be making sure that Sturgeon and her team get well-informed advice. Former Lib Dem Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore, now an adviser with PwC, welcomed this move and said that the UK Government should do the same. The Herald has the story: He praised the expertise of those who will be advising the First Minister. Everybody on that panel, you can see how they have earned their place, and they are also quite independent-minded. (For instance) Charles Grant, who is probably one of the most pre-eminent European experts in the UK and Europe, is the kind of guy who can go in and talk to the top officials and ministers anywhere on the continent. The First Minister and others deserve credit for having a broad range of people, who wont just go along with a particular view. They are there to offer expertise and presumably also to challenge. He also expressed concern that civil servants will now have to focus a lot of their time and energies on Brexit potentially to the cost of other important policies, such as the devolution of new powers to Scotland. Whitehalls bandwidth is remarkably narrow, he said. In normal times officials would regard the new powers included in the Scotland Act as their first priority because (the transfer) is huge and difficult. And the bandwidth for that has been squeezed. The Scottish Government panel will be led Glasgow University Principal Professor Anton Muscatelli. The line up also includes Professor Anne Glover, the former chief scientific advisor to the president of the European Commission, David Frost, the chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, who is currently fighting Scottish ministers plans to introduce minimum alcohol pricing, and two of Scotlands MEPs, Labours David Martin and Alyn Smith from the SNP. The First Minister has also announced that membership of the panel will be flexible to ensure that we have access to appropriate advice as it is required. Most of the progressive side of social media is frothing in collective disgust at Andrea Leadsoms comments in todays Times (). There is no doubt that they were absolutely disgusting. After explaining that, as a former banker, she understands how the economy works and can really focus on turning it around unlike, by implication, the home secretary she stresses that she is a member of a huge family and thats important to me. My kids are a huge part of my life, my sisters and my two half brothers are very close so I am very grounded and normal. Mrs May, of course, has spoken of her heartbreak at realising that she could not have children. In case the contrast is not clear enough, Mrs Leadsom goes on: I am sure Theresa will be really sad she doesnt have children so I dont want this to be Andrea has children, Theresa hasnt because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next. There is also an empathy that comes from motherhood, she suggests, when you are thinking about the issues that other people have: you worry about your kids exam results, what direction their careers are taking, what we are going to eat on Sunday. Lest you think the Times might be making it up, heres the audio: Listen to the key part of our interview with Andrea Leadsom https://t.co/Q97ZUFjPxM pic.twitter.com/TksFWL4Wqx The Times of London (@thetimes) July 9, 2016 It should go without saying that whether you have children or not, whether thats by choice or not, has no bearing on whether you care about the future of our planet. However, what Leadsom did was made even nastier because she knew perfectly well that Theresa May and her husband had not been able to have children. The pain of infertility is really tough to go through, as you come to terms with the fact that your life is going to be different than you thought it would be. It gets harder as you see your contemporaries all having children and embracing family life. Leadsom disproves her own argument, that being a mother gives her more empathy. This has been the year of I never thought Id see the day when as all sorts political earthquakes shock us on a daily basis. This was particularly true last night for me. I never thought Id ever want to give Theresa May a hug, but I did. There are three things that strike me about Leadsoms comments. First, for someone who values motherhood so much, shes not so keen on maternity leave. Secondly, her reaction was to throw up her hands in horror and accuse the Times of not playing fair despite the fact that she clearly said what they said she said. Does this remind you of the behaviour of the Leave campaign? They just cried foul when they were caught out on lies and accused others of scaremongering when they spoke what we now know perfectly well was the truth. Thirdly, suggesting that this is all about Leadsoms naivety and lack of experience infantilises her unnecessarily. Shes not stupid. She has had a long career at a senior level. Shes been in politics for long enough to know exactly where her words would be carried. She didnt care about those of us who would be horrified by her comments. Her target audience is round about 75,000 people, round about half the membership of the Conservative Party. Lets face it, the clue is in the name. They arent progressive people. Quite a lot of them hold views that wouldnt have been out of place in the century before last. If the guy on the tube was right, her priorities, including waging a war on political correctness are pretty scary for anyone who happens to fall in any marginalised group. Its easy to see how she could set back decades of progress towards equality. Concerns have already been raised over her connections to groups who preach an explicitly anti-gay message. Leadsom is reaching out to that part of the Conservative Party for whom the thought of equalities legislation is about as welcome as waking up to a cat with an upset stomach. Saying something pretty controversial that taps into the same sort of base instincts that Vote Leave successfully manipulated, and getting it on to the top item on the BBC News may well lead her to think that today is a good day for her campaign. The Conservative leadership race is not in any way inspiring. Its fair to say that either of the candidates as Prime Minister is enough to make any liberal wince. On one hand you have the Home Secretary who wants to snoop on all our emails and was behind the racist Go home vans and on the other you have Andrea Leadsom, who thinks its ok to use whether someone has children as a political weapon. Where will Conservative members, naturally leaning towards Brexit and therefore Leadsom, make their choice? The job of unravelling this countrys four decade association with the EU and dealing with the associated economic turmoil is not going to be an easy one. You have to wonder if Michael Gove did himself and Boris a favour by getting them both out of the race. Tim Farron is right that the people who make this decision are by no means representative of the population. The sooner we have an election the better. UPDATE: Jonathan Calders memory is better than mine hes remembered that Leadsoms campaign manager Tim Loughton had a go at Sarah Teather for not having children. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings WERE here today and were gone tomorrow. We had our good times, enjoyed each other and made the most of each other. Were all passing on through. Those were Alphie McCourts poignant words during one of his visits to Limerick in recent years, as he spoke about the death of his famous brother Frank, of Angelas Ashes fame in 2009. On that occasion, he travelled from the US to unveil a bust of his Pulitzer Prize winning brother outside the Frank McCourt museum. He would return again to see the musical production of Angelas Ashes on stage in the Lime Tree theatre, and again to unveil a plaque in memory of Frank at Souths Bar as part of the Limerick literary trail. Alphie, a writer himself, who penned two memoirs and wrote for many notable publications including The Washington Post, passed away on Saturday last in New York after taking an afternoon nap. He dedicated the first of those works, A Long Stones Throw, to his brothers for blazing more than a few trails, to his daughter Allison, the music in my life, and to his wife Lynn, his pulse. I felt I should tell my part of it because my experience was very different from my brothers, he said. Somebody asked me that before and I said So I would not be a footnote in the history of my own family! It is the second death in the family in the past year, leaving Malachy McCourt, 84, as the only surviving son of Angela and Malachy from the backlanes of Limerick. Brother Michael, 79, a much-loved bartender in San Francisco, passed away in September last. Just a week before he died, Alphie, 75, spoke of the importance of creative writing and the innovation of the University of Limerick in that field, at an event in New York to commemorate his brother Frank. Professor Joseph O'Connor, who holds the Frank McCourt Chair of Creative Writing at UL, said Alphie was admired and widely respected all throughout New Yorks Irish community, and among the citys writers and literary circles he was absolutely loved. A gentle, funny, courteous and witty man, he was a strong supporter of ULs inaugural Frank McCourt Creative Writing Summer School; indeed, he spoke at our Tribute To Frank McCourt in New York last weekend and brought the house down with the funny, heartfelt and moving speech he made with his brother Malachy. Alphie, a gifted writer himself, will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know him, said Professor OConnor. In a brief video recorded at that event, Alphie spoke about his own writing process, and how as a member of the Limerick Debating Society in his youth there were endless debates about the need for a university in Limerick. Then he said Limerick were the poor relations in terms of third level education, but he now praised the university as forward looking and open to innovation. There is nothing more forward looking or innovative than creative writing, he added. Since his sad passing, tributes have been paid on both sides of the Atlantic to Alphie. Dominic Taylor, of the Limerick Writers' Centre, was saddened to hear this news but said it was a privilege to have known him. Adam Howell, who produced the musical of Angelas Ashes, staged for five nights in the Lime Tree theatre in Limerick in 2013, also paid tribute. He became a great supporter, confidant, advisor and friend. I used to joke with him that I had to pinch myself sometimes because hed always been a character in a book and film and now I knew the real person, said Mr Howell. He always found that funny, I think. He was extremely generous and giving, he wrote. Born in Limerick in July 1940, Alphie grew up in the city, before emigrating to America in 1959, spending a good part of his life in the restaurant and bar trade. During his youth he toyed with the idea of journalism, and later undertook a degree in law at University College Dublin, which he didnt finish. While Alphie went to the Christian Brothers, played rugby with Young Munster and was a member of the Limerick Debating Society, he said he always felt a little bit removed from Limerick life. He left for the land of opportunity at the age of 19, and alternated between living in New York, then Montreal in Canada, before moving down to California, and settling back in New York. He built swimming pools in California - a different kind of university, and was drafted into the army for two years, where he was a food inspector. The youngest of seven, Alphie was the last to leave Limerick, and left with his mother Angela, now immortalised in his brother's first memoir, Angelas Ashes. It was very difficult breaking away, he recalled in an interview with the Limerick Leader in 2010, especially as there was a polite understanding with his mother that he would come back. His funeral was held this Wednesday at the Riverside Memorial on Amsterdam Avenue in New York. There is also a planned memorial later in the year. A LARGE number of people feel that their wheelchair does not meet their needs, according to research results presented to a member of Seanad Eireann this week by the University of Limerick. Presenting the research to Sen John Dolan at Leinster House, ULs Dr Rosie Gowran said that the results illustrate the major position of inequality to access daily life, school, work and leisure for some wheelchair users. The 273 people who took part in the survey included parents of children, adults with spinal cord injury, progressive neurological conditions and other conditions such as acquired brain injury and stroke. The findings showed that 38% felt that their wheelchair did not meet their needs. The survey highlights a lack of uniformity in wheelchair provision across the country, with delays as each stage of the process, waiting for assessment, funding and delivery of the wheelchair, with only 17% receiving follow up within six months of receiving their new wheelchair, the research stated. Dr Gowran said that, while there is evidence of improvements in assessments, the entire system lacks uniformity. Loss of personal mobility without an appropriate wheelchair can affect growth and development; increase the risk of pressure ulcers and impact greatly on a persons mental health. She said that a policy platform needs to be established to address short- and long-term issues needed for the 40,000 wheelchair users in the country. Wheelchair provision is relevant to the whole of society, as any one of us could become a wheelchair user, these results are stark. Irish people would like to know that if they, their child, or parent needed a wheelchair that an appropriate chair would be provided and looked after in a timely and efficient manner to ensure people can live their lives as independently as possible, she said. Dr Margaret Kennedy, who was recently awarded her postgraduate degree in Posture, Seating and Wheelchair Mobility at UL, said that people have had their human rights breached. Dr Kennedy, who welcomed the survey, said: It is extraordinary that disabled people who need and use wheelchairs should find HSE services are inadequate to provide them and that when they do 38% of respondents said the wheelchairs do not meet their needs. The assessments for wheelchairs is a highly skilled process where posture, seating and type of wheelchair has to be examined by engineers, physiotherapist and occupational therapists working together to get the right 'fit' for the type of impairment of the wheelchair user. Users may need straps, splints, different armrests, leg , neck, head, shoulder supports, and differing cushions and moulded backs to enable comfortable and safe wheelchair use. Each part of ones body needs examination for the right support needed. The provision of wheelchairs is not just about giving a chair on four wheels, not just about being able to go to the shops for milk and bread. Wheelchairs are a human rights issue. The human right to be equal in society, to avail of all that the world offers. An appropriate wheelchair offers control, power and equality to wheelchair users. 38% of respondents in this study , from my perspective have had their human rights breached, she told the Leader. Ms Kennedy and her sister, Ann, were awarded fellowships at a recent Mitochondrial European Educational Training symposium, in Holland. FINE Gael is investigating allegations almost half of members due to vote in the contest to replace Maria Byrne on the council were not eligible to do so. The probe by the Limerick City constituency executive has been ordered by the partys national headquarters. The selection convention to replace the newly elected senator on Limerick City and County Council was cancelled with just hours to go last month. This came after Patrickswell man Fergus Kilcoyne who was due to face Elenora Hogan for the council seat made a formal complaint. Ms Hogan a cousin of Ms Byrne would have been the clear favourite given the number of people available to vote in the partys James Reidy city branch. But senior Fine Gael sources have this week revealed to the Limerick Leader that they believe between 35 and 40 members of the 82 members in the James Reidy Branch were not eligible to vote. These include eight people living in close proximity to a high-profile business, who are believed to be no longer based at these addresses, documents seen by the Limerick Leader reveal. Under Fine Gaels own constitution, people living in the City West constituency which stretches from the Watergate flats, near the Milk Market, out to Patrickswell would have only been allowed to vote in the selection convention. But according to the register of voters seen by the Limerick Leader, some members had addresses in Nicholas Street, Clareview, Adare and Janesboro, all are outside City West. It was this document which was submitted to party headquarters ahead of the cancelled selection convention at the South Court Hotel, the Leader understands. There are claims that some people listed as being eligible to vote in OConnell Avenue have not been there for a number of years, with a Fine Gael source saying many are living in other parts of the province, including elsewhere in Co Limerick. The possibility of James Reidys branch members not being allowed to vote when the selection convention finally does take place has also been raised. This is because rule ten of FGs constitution states where any branch fails to carry out instructions issued by the constituency executive then either the registered members of such branch, or the branch, whichever shall be appropriate, shall forfeit all voting rights in the party for the following 12 months. It has been alleged that this is the case, as the affiliation form was not filled properly ahead of the selection convention. Ms Byrne said: Its a private list. Its a situation between Fine Gael and Dublin and whoever is writing the letters, so Im not going to comment on it. Who is being inducted into the prestigious APS writers hall of fame? Jul 8, 2016, 10 AM The American Philatelic Society Writers Unit No. 30 will induct three new members into its hall of fame at the APS Stampshow in Portland, Ore. The American Philatelic Society Writers Unit No. 30 will induct Cheryl Ganz, Arthur Groten, the late John K. Tiffany and the late Hiram E. Deats to its hall of fame at the APS Stampshow in Portland, Ore. The show will take place Aug. 4-7 at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Cheryl Ganz Ganz is chief curator emerita of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, where she wrote numerous books about its exhibitions. She was editor of the Zeppelin Collector for 35 years and also has edited the Chicago Philatelic Societys newsletter. Among the publications Ganz has written articles for are the American Philatelist, Jack Knight Air Log, German Postal Specialist, Airpost Journal, Collectors Club Philatelist, Chronicle of the U.S. Classic Postal Issues, Philatelic Exhibitor, and many others. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Ganz is a member of the United States Postal Services Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee. At the APS Stampshow in Portland, she will receive an APS Luff award. Ganz previously has received several of philatelys highest awards, including all of the American Air Mail Societys major awards, the Federation Internationale des Societes Aerophilateliques (FISA) gold medal, Saul Newbury award for service to Chicago philately, Royal Philatelic Society Londons Lee medal, U.S. Philatelic Classics Societys distinguished philatelist, Philatelic Foundations Neinken medal, Elizabeth C. Pope award for lifetime contributions to philately, Briefmarkenfreunde Dusseldorfs Carlrichard Bruhl medal, and the Collectors Club of New Yorks Alfred F. Lichtensteins award. She also is a member of the Wisconsin philatelic hall of fame. She was president of the American Air Mail Society (1992-93) and the Chicago Air Mail Society (1984-85), and board member of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (1986-90), among many other local, national and international society offices. Ganz holds a doctorate in U.S. history from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Arthur Groten Dr. Arthur Groten has been researching and writing philatelic literature for almost 40 years. A retired radiologist from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Groten has owned his own firm, Postilion Publications, specializing in publishing new research and reprinting out-of-print research. Among the books and pamphlets he has written are The Flying Camel, The Levant Fairs of Mandate Palestine; Plating Canadas 2 Stamp of 1864; and The Postal History of St. Helena during the Napoleonic Exile. Innovations he has brought to the stamp hobby include paraphilately, a hybrid of philately and ephemera collecting; and writing auction catalogs designed to be handbooks. Groten has written extensively for the Airpost Journal, for which he won the L.B. Gatchell literature award; and American Stamp Dealer & Collector magazine. His articles also have been published in American Philatelic Congress books, American Philatelist, BNA Topics, Collectors Club Philatelist, Journal of the Poster Stamp Collectors Club, Meter Stamp Society Bulletin, Philatelic Exhibitor, Postal Label Collectors Club Bulletin, Scott Topical Time. He has served as president of the Poster Stamp Collectors Club, Postal Label Study Group, and Ephemera Society of America, and has held additional offices in other philatelic groups. Groten received the 2013 Luff award for distinguished philatelic research. Hiram E. Deats was born May 20, 1870, in Flemington Junction, N.J. He started collecting stamps as a child, and at age 16 in 1886 he joined the APS as a founding member. His first passion was U.S. and Confederate stamps, of which he had one of the best collections at the time. Deats also started forming a philatelic library that was second only to John K. Tiffanys, much of which he donated to the Free Library of Pennsylvania in 1952. Deats served as president in 1904-05. He also was a founding member and first librarian of the Collectors Club of New York in 1896. Around 1895, Deats and business partner E.B. Sterling paid the equivalent of more than $40,000 in todays money for 10 railroad boxcars of waste paper from the U.S. Treasury Department. The haul included thousands of stamps, proofs, essays and covers, plus important correspondence related to revenues. With G.L. Toppan and A. Holland, he authored An Historical Reference List of the Revenue Stamps of the United States Including the Private Die Proprietary Stamps, published in 1899 and reprinted in 1979. He also wrote the introduction to Some Notes on the New York Postmasters Provisional Five Cents, Black, 1845, by O.S. Hart He was the publisher of the Index to The Quaker City Philatelist [for 1886-94] and editor of the Collectors Ledger journal in 1888. He also wrote articles for the American Philatelist and the Daily Stamp Item. Deats signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1933, was made an honorary life fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London in 1943, and an honorary member of the American Revenue Association in 1953. Deats was inducted into the APS hall of fame in 1963. He died March 16, 1963, at age 92. John K. Tiffany John Kerr Tiffany was born in St. Louis on Feb. 9, 1842. He started collecting stamps as a child living in Paris, where his parents took him to learn French. He graduated from Harvard University in 1865, and began studying law, passing the bar exam in November 1868. He then returned to St. Louis to practice law. Already collecting philatelic literature, Tiffany published The Philatelical Library: A Catalogue of Stamp Publications in 1874, and Les Timbres des Etats-Unis dAmerique in 1883. The later work was revised and expanded as History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America in 1887. His other works include The Stamp Collectors Library Companion, Part I (1889) and Addenda (1890); Proofs and Essays sections of the American Journal of Philately (1889); The Stamps of Peru in the Metropolitan Philatelist (1891); and with R.R. Bogert and Joseph Rechert The Stamped Envelopes, Wrappers, and Sheets of the United States (1892). He published his results of the plating of the St. Louis postmasters provisionals in the monograph A St. Louis Symposium (1894). In 1886, he was member No. 1 of the American Philatelic Society (called the American Philatelic Association at the time), and served as president from 1886 to 1896. Tiffany died March 3, 1897. In 1901, Charles J. Phillips purchased Tiffanys philatelic library for James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. Later, Lord Crawfords library, still including Tiffanys, was donated to the British Museum in London, where it remains today. Tiffany was named a Father of Philately by the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists on its 1921 launch. He was inducted into the APS hall of fame in the first group of inductees in 1941, and today the APSs endowment fund is named in Tiffanys honor. This years inductees are all extremely important leaders and innovators in the history of U.S. philately and all philately, said Dane S. Claussen, chair of the 2016 APS Writers Unit hall of fame committee. Inducting these four individuals into our Hall of Fame is long, long overdue, by several decades in the cases of Tiffany and Deats, he said. The other members of this years committee are Ken Trettin and Alan Warren. All three committee members are APS Writers Unit hall of fame inductees and former presidents of the Writers Unit. Keep reading about the American Philatelic Society: American Philatelic Society show Aug. 4-7 in Portland Monday Morning Brief | American Philatelic Society election results American Philatelic Society seeks input on revised judging manual Apr 29, 2021, 6 PM In the late 1940s, A. August Tiger of New York produced a set of six cinderellas championing stamp collecting. One of the cinderella stamps (second from the right) pictures Franklin D. Roosevelt and a quote from him about his passion for the hobby. Author Steve Swain was initially drawn to the detailed engraving of the Hotel Kingsborough on this 1948 cover sent from Gloversville, N.Y. When he looked at the back (right), he found a nice surprise affixed to the envelope flap: an A. August Tiger poster By Steve Swain Franklin D. Roosevelt once said about stamp collecting that it dispels boredom, enlarges our vision, broadens our knowledge, makes for better citizens and in numerable ways enriches our lives. Recently, Roosevelts better citizens message was prominently echoed on a piece I acquired for my advertising cover collection, and I got more than what I had bargained for. When first viewing the cover highlighting the Hotel Kingsborough in Gloversville, N.Y., its primary attraction was a sharply engraved rendering of the hotel and the gray-black 3 Immortal Chaplains stamp (Scott 956) tied to the cover with a solidly struck duplex cancel. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Opening just after the turn of the 20th century, the Kingsborough quickly gained a reputation for being the leading hotel at the foothills of the Adirondacks, renowned for its food and spacious dining room. Without a doubt, this was a very attractive and desirable advertising cover. When I turned the envelope over to look for backstamps or other significant markings, Roosevelts message rang loud and clear through an additional feature a cinderella, or stamplike label affixed to the cover. The mailing most likely had been sent by a collector who affixed a Stamp Collecting Builds Better Citizens poster stamp to the lower part of the envelopes back flap. (For more information about collecting poster stamps sometimes called cinderellas visit the website of the Poster Stamp Collectors Club at www.posterstampcc.org.) The stamp, one in a set of six promoting the benefits of stamp collecting, was created in the late 1940s by A. August Tiger of New York. A strip of the six stamps is pictured nearby. Note that the bottom selvage states that an order of 120 stamps cost just $1. As the stamps declare, not only does stamp collecting build better citizens, but the hobby also builds friendships, brings the world into your home, and makes facts exciting. Another stamp advises you to collect air mail stamps because you can enjoy your own indoor airport. Interestingly, one of the stamps in the set depicts Roosevelt sitting at his desk with his collection. But instead of the builds better citizens message, the choice for this stamps announcement of the benefits of collecting is Roosevelt saying how he owes his life to his hobbies, especially stamp collecting. I am an avid stamp collector and the first to readily admit that it is not the flashiest of hobbies. Sometimes I find it difficult to adequately explain my passion for these little pieces of paper and postal history. Nonetheless, I have never apologized for the time I devote to the hobby, for I am truly confident of the many benefits it provides. And if I am a better citizen for it, all the better! Read more about cinderella stamps: Have a ball with cinderella stamps without losing your slipper Kiddle cinderella collection shines at Grosvenor sale The quest for information about 1911 Glasgow Exhibition labels Apr 27, 2021, 9 AM Arthur Sasses photograph of a Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue is shown on the stamp issued by Croatian Post Ltd. Mostar and on the first-day cover. The photo was taken after Einstein had attended a birthday celebration. A new set of stamps from the Isle of Man features both Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking and representations of their theories. Jersey issued stamps and souvenir sheets May 11 on the 100th anniversary of the publication of Albert Einsteins The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity. This sheet includes the six stamps in the set. By Denise McCarty In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the publication of Albert Einsteins general theory of relativity, the Isle of Man issued stamps July 1 honoring both Einstein and Stephen Hawking. In announcing the stamp issue, the Isle of Man Post Office said: Professor Hawking is arguably the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Albert Einstein and certainly the most famous scientist of modern times. These two great minds have contributed so much to our understanding of the cosmos. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter The 74-year-old Hawking endorsed the stamps, saying: I am honoured to have both my face and lifes work featured alongside Albert Einstein and the commemoration of 100 years since the publication of his theory of general relativity. This limited edition collection of six stamps, created in collaboration with the Isle of Man Post Office and Glazier Design, displays some of the equations over the past century that have led to significant scientific discoveries and, in turn, have had a profound impact on the world. Much of my lifes work has been to encourage young people in the study of cosmology and astrophysics and to help inspire them to better understand our universe and beyond. I hope that this unique set of stamps goes some way towards achieving this. Portraits of Einstein and Hawking are shown on the 45-penny and 50p stamps, respectively. The former stamp includes Einsteins equation E=mc2, and the latter includes Hawkings entropy of black hole equation, S=A. The designs of the other four stamps are related to black holes. Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines a black hole as a celestial object that has a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape it and that is believed to be created especially in the collapse of a very massive star. The 2.44 high denomination of the set shows a representation of a black hole. The 1.69 stamp depicts two black holes colliding, and the 95p denomination shows gravitational waves powered by two colliding black holes. Pictured on the 1.27 stamp is Hawking radiation, which is produced by black holes. Cartor Security Printing of La Loupe, France, printed the stamps by offset. A special iridescent foil printing technique was used for the profile silhouette of Queen Elizabeth II and the words Isle and Man in the countrys name. The stamps were produced in sheets of 10, in a souvenir sheet with all six designs se-tenant (side-by-side), in a prestige booklet with text and illustrations in addition to the stamps, and as self-adhesives in a pane of six. More Einstein Other postal administrations have commemorated the 100th anniversary of the publication of the theory of relativity on new stamps, including Jersey and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Croat Administration). Einstein published the paper The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity on May 11, 1916, and Jersey Post issued a set of six stamps (48 pence, 60p, 66p, 76p, 88p and 1) and two souvenir sheets on the 100th anniversary date. Melanie Gouzinis, head of philately for Jersey Post, said: Einstein is the embodiment of genius, eccentricity and free-thinking and has had a colossal impact on science and technology of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is so exciting to think that 100 years since he published his paper, as we have seen in the news recently with the proof of the existence of gravitational waves, he continues to inspire scientists, philosophers and students around the world. The press release announcing the stamps describes the designs as featuring iconic photographs of Einstein with background detail alluding to aspects of his work. One souvenir sheet contains the six designs se-tenant. The other contains a large stamp, almost 3 inches by 3 inches, showing a chalk drawing of Einstein in the foreground with equations and illustrations in chalk on the blackboard behind him. Included on the left side of the selvage is the Einstein quote, Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. The London firm Hat-Trick Design designed the stamps and souvenir sheets, and Cartor printed them. The stamps were issued in panes of 10. Croatian Post Ltd. Mostar issued a single Einstein stamp March 20 in panes of eight with a central label. The design of this 90-pfennig commemorative is based on a photograph of Einstein taken on his 72nd birthday in 1951. As Einstein was leaving a birthday celebration at Princeton, UPI photograph Arthur Sasse asked him to smile for a picture. In response, Einstein stuck out his tongue. Einstein liked the photograph so much that he requested nine copies of it. The design of the stamp also includes a light bulb and Einsteins famous equation. Marin Musa designed the stamp; it was printed by Zrinski. More stories about recently issued stamps: China salutes opening of Shanghai Disney Resort: New Stamps of the World It was supposed to be instant, so why is this Olympian getting a stamp four years late? Weather front and center on new stamps from Norway, Poland Radian Group Inc. RDN announced new capital plan in its efforts to return to investment grade ratings in the future. This plan follows the redemption of $325 million surplus notes by Radian Guaranty Inc., the mortgage insurance subsidiary of Radian Group. Radian Guaranty redeemed the surplus note due, which immediately inflated Radian Groups liquidity by $325 million to $700 million as of Jun 30, 2016. The announced capital plan includes buying back up to $ $125 million worth shares through Jun 2017 and redeeming the remaining $196 million face value of its 9.00% Senior Notes due 2017. The capital plan also involves the gradual removal of outstanding Convertible Senior Notes from its capital structure and the likely redemption, repurchase or exchange of a portion of its other outstanding senior debt. Based on the closing price on Jul 5, 2016, the buyback translates into 12.7 million shares or 5.9% of shares outstanding as of Mar 31, 2016. In Dec 2015, Radian Group transferred $325 million of cash and marketable securities to Radian Guaranty against a surplus note with maturity scheduled on Dec 31, 2025. Subsequently, Radian Guaranty obtained regulatory approval to redeem the entire note on Jun 30, 2016. Radian Group remains in compliance with the PMIERs and, as of Jun 30, 2016, estimates that Radian Guarantys Available Assets exceeded its Minimum Required Assets by about $150$200 million. While the capital plan is intended to enhance shareholder value, it should also fortify the capital position of Radian Group at the same time. To that end, Radians Chief Executive Officer S.A. Ibrahim stated The Board of Directors and management team continue to believe that Radians business fundamentals, growth prospects and long-term strategy are not reflected in the companys current stock price. With our common stock trading at a significant discount to book value, we believe a share repurchase program represents an extremely attractive investment opportunity. Radian is poised for long-term growth on declining delinquency, lower levels of paid claims and an improving risk-based capital ratio, which reflect an improvement in its operating environment. The expected long-term earnings growth is currently pegged at 12.6%. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has been on uptrend and we expect the momentum to continue. Story continues RADIAN GRP INC Price RADIAN GRP INC Price | RADIAN GRP INC Quote Zacks Rank and Other Stocks Radian Group carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Investors interested in multiline insurers can also look at Assurant Inc. AIZ, Cigna Corp. CI and MGIC Investment Corp MTG. Each of these stocks carries the same Zacks Rank as Radian Group. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report RADIAN GRP INC (RDN): Free Stock Analysis Report ASSURANT INC (AIZ): Free Stock Analysis Report CIGNA CORP (CI): Free Stock Analysis Report MGIC INVSTMT CP (MTG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images. Almost half of Russians fear a third world war due to Moscows worsening relations with the West, according to a new poll. The Kremlin has hit back at a decision by NATO to station several thousand troops in Baltic countries and Eastern Europe, amid rising tensions between Europe and Russia, as "anti-Russian hysteria." At a NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland on Friday, the military alliance is expected to formally agree to deploy four battalions with a total of 3,000 to 4,000 troops to the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland on a rotational basis. The deployment comes amid increasing concerns in those areas (all of which were under Soviet control during the Cold War) that Russia could be prepared to try to increase or regain its sphere of influence . In a statement on Thursday, NATO also said it would "strengthen political and practical cooperation with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova" - all former Soviet republics experiencing increasing tensions with Russia due to their political and economic relations with the EU. In addition, the EU and NATO signed a declaration on Friday aimed at bolstering the region's security ahead of the full NATO summit Friday afternoon. Left out in the cold from NATO and ostensibly the reason for such a deployment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reportedly hit back at the alliance, saying its actions were akin to "anti-Russian hysteria." "If one needs badly to look for an enemy image so that [one can] promote anti-Russian, so to say, hysteria, and then, with this emotional background, to deploy more and more air force units, ground troop units, getting them closer to Russian borders, then one can hardly find any common ground for cooperation," he was quoted by Russia's Itar Tass news agency as saying. Peskov was also quoted by Reuters as telling reporters that it was "absurd to talk about any threat coming from Russia at a time when dozens of people are dying in the center of Europe and when hundreds of people are dying in the Middle East daily," adding that "you have to be extremely short-sighted to twist things in that way." Story continues Relations between the EU and Russia are at a low ebb after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for a pro-Russian uprising in east Ukraine . A fragile peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine known as the "Minsk agreement" is in place, but the EU and U.S. have said that sanctions remain until Russia fully implements the conditions of the agreement. The meeting of the U.S., EU and NATO is seen as an opportunity to "underline transatlantic unity and discuss common political, economic and international security challenges," the European Council said in a statement. The EU and NATO marked the strengthening of their cooperation on Friday by signing a declaration on "increasing practical cooperation in selected areas. These include hybrid threats, cyber security, coordinated exercises and strengthened maritime security cooperation." The declaration was to be followed by the NATO summit itself which is focusing on "projecting stability to the East" with an increasingly nationalist and bellicose Russia a key focus of concern. U.S. President Barack Obama and European leaders gave a show of unity on Friday ahead of the NATO summit and warned any "opponents" that any "attack" on the European Union was the same as attacking the U.S. Speaking on Friday, Obama praised the EU's political and economic union and said the U.S. would "always be a strong and steady partner of the EU" on the political, economic and security front. "The security of America and Europe is indivisible," Obama said, commenting after meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland. "Here in Europe, we'll continue to support Ukraine as it undertakes important economic and political reforms. The U.S. and EU are united in our commitment to maintaining sanctions on Russia until they fully implement its obligations under the Minsk (Ukraine ceasefire) agreement," he said. The U.K.'s vote to leave the EU last month reflected years of anti-EU sentiment both in the U.K. and on the continent and the result was heralded by anti-EU and anti-establishment parties across the region, with several calling for their own votes on EU membership. Analysts believed that Russia was likely pleased with the result too as it could destabilize and weaken the EU at a time of increasingly tense relations between the country and its neighbors. On Friday, Tusk said that any "opponents" hoping that the split would herald the end of the EU would be disappointed, however. "We know that the geopolitical consequences of Brexit may be very seriousbut it is equally important to send a strong message to the whole world today that Brexit, as sad and meaningful as it is, is just an incident and is not the beginning of the process," he said. "To all our opponents on the inside and out who are hoping for a sequel to Brexit, I want to say loud and clear that you won't see on the screen the words 'to be continued'." "We know that between the 'Old World' (of Europe) and the 'New World' (of the U.S.) there is a world apart, with different values and different strategic aimsand it would be good if we state clearly today that whoever turns against America, harms Europe; whoever attacks the European Union, harms America. And whoever undermines the foundations of liberal democracy harms one and the other." Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. More From CNBC The Food and Drug Administration recently made a perhaps surprising recommendation: Don't eat raw flour. The warning issued last week came in response to an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened at least 42 people in 21 states since December. The FDA tracked the outbreak to a batch of General Mills flour sold under the brand names Gold Medal, Gold Medal Wondra and Signature Kitchens, triggering a recall. Most people who read the recommendation probably already knew they weren't supposed to eat cookie dough because of the raw eggs in it (though people dont always do what theyre supposed to do). But the flour recommendation was flummoxing, particularly because of the FDA's explanation: Flour is a field food, the agency said in a June 28 consumer update. If pathogens get into the wheat plants while they are growing in a field via wild animal waste, for example they'll stay in through the milling process. That advice makes sense. Except that people eat lots of field foods raw. If raw flour is dangerous, what about a spinach salad or a bowl of fresh strawberries? Why hasn't the FDA declared all raw foods a no-go? [Top 7 Germs in Food That Make You Sick] Live Science spoke with an FDA expert and an outside food safety researcher who had the answers. Bottom line: Yes, salad can cause illness, and produce has been linked to many more outbreaks than flour. But the risk of illness from raw produce is better understood than the largely unquantified risk from grains. And fruits and vegetables are processed under the assumption that people will eat them raw, whereas flour isn't. New awareness The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly half of foodborne illnesses are caused by produce. So why raise the red flag over flour? "We just want to provide consumers with the best information to take steps to reduce their risk," said Jenny Scott, a senior adviser in the office of food safety at the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "The same thing happens when we have a produce outbreak." But the ways that people traditionally use flour did influence both the timing and the content of the recommendation. Typically, Scott told Live Science, people don't eat raw flour in large quantities. "Because people dont think of raw flour as being a concern, that's one of the reasons we're making the effort to get the information out," she said. The risk of illness from raw flour is low, she said, but then, so is the risk from raw produce. The current flour-related outbreak is the second of two such outbreaks in the past seven years. The earlier one was a 2009 outbreak of another strain of E. coli caused by Nestle Toll House prepackaged cookie dough, which surprise, surprise people were eating raw. Exhibiting a clear-eyed realism about human nature, Nestle opted to start heat-treating all of the flour in its raw cookie dough. Some recent changes in consumer behavior may explain the appearance of this newest flour-related outbreak, Scott said. Some pizzerias, for example, have started giving kids balls of raw dough to play with while they wait for their meals. But also, improvements in epidemiology now allow researchers to detect and track outbreaks that might have gone unnoticed in earlier years, she said. "It happens once, you think, 'Well, that's a fluke, not really an issue,'" Scott said. "It happens twice, you start thinking, 'Hmm, maybe there is something here.'" Known unknowns Food safety experts are now aware of the flour risk, but are only beginning to understand it. Outbreaks related to produce have been studied intensively for two decades, starting with a massive outbreak of infection with the parasite Cyclospora in 1996 (it eventually was traced to raspberries imported from Guatemala). By comparison, there isn't much data on the prevalence of pathogens in flour, said Ben Chapman, a professor of food safety at North Carolina State University. "Over 20 years, we have a pretty good understanding, or a better understanding, of fresh produce consumption, but when it comes to flour, we don't know," Chapman told Live Science. "It's hard to make risk-management decisions based on unknowns." No one really knows how General Mills' flour became contaminated, or if contamination is a widespread problem among other brands. E. coli can spread through animal feces, so wildlife pooping in and around fields might be the culprit. But untreated irrigation water could spread the bacteria, too, Chapman said, or there could be some sort of cross-contamination during the milling process. No one knows how long E. coli or other pathogens persist in dry foods like flour, he said. "It's still relatively new for us to be looking at this as a community," he said. As for produce, which is currently responsible for far more outbreaks than raw flour, the FDA is making strides on safety. The agency recently released a new Produce Safety rule under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act that requires specific water quality guidelines and testing for irrigation water, rules for manure and compost use, and standards related to worker hygiene and equipment and tools. Raw sprouts, the culprit in 42 outbreaks between 1996 and 2014, get special attention under the new rule. [Top 10 Science Buzzkills: Studies that Ruin Your Fun] Grains aren't covered under the new Produce Safety rule, but both producers and regulators will likely be looking at ways to reduce the risk of contamination, Chapman and Scott said. Widespread heat-treatment of flour seems unlikely at this point due to the lack of infrastructure and technology to treat the grain supply, according to Scott. But with huge grain-consuming companies like Nestle and General Mills linked to outbreaks, producers will be examining their supply chains and processing practices, Chapman said. "It's bad business, being linked to outbreaks," he said. Original article on Live Science. Paracanthurus hepatus is also known as a regal blue tang, palette surgeonfish, hippo tang and many other common names. One of the biggest movie stars of 2016 is Dory, a precocious and forgetful fish featured in "Finding Dory." Dory is a cartoon depiction of a Paracanthurus hepatus, a type of surgeonfish that also has many common names. This fish's common names include palette surgeonfish, flagtail surgeonfish, blue surgeonfish, common surgeon, doctorfish, letter six fish, Pacific blue tang, Pacific regal blue tang, regal blue tang, regal tang, royal blue tang, hippo tang, wedgetail blue tang and blue tang. Even someone without Dory's memory issues would be hard-pressed to remember all those names! In addition, Oceana, an environmentalist group, points out that an altogether different species of fish, Acanthurus coeruleus, is also called a blue tang. Size & description Regal blue tangs (the name we're going with in this article) are identified by their bright blue coloring, oval bodies and yellow, flag-shaped tails. Their pectoral fins are also yellow. Adults have a narrow line of dark blue along their dorsal fin that curves back at the tail. Its resemblance to the numeral 6 gives the fish one of its descriptive names. Coloration changes as regal blue tangs mature, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW). Though in "Finding Dory," baby Dory was blue with a yellow tail, in real life juvenile blue tangs are bright yellow with blue spots by their eyes, and their fins have light blue tips. Their bodies become blue as they mature. Surgeonfish get their name from the scalpel-like spines along the top and bottom of their bodies. These fish have a sharp and venomous spine at the base of their caudal fin, or tail fin, to protect themselves from predators. The caudal spine contains a toxin that can cause severe pain, to small predators as well as humans. Adult regal blue tang fish typically weigh around 21.15 ounces (600 grams) and are 4.72 to 14.96 inches (12 to 38 centimeters) long. Males are typically larger than females, according to the ADW. Habitat As one name implies, these fish live in the Pacific Ocean, but they are also found in the Indian Ocean, from East Africa to Micronesia, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their homes are the coral reefs that grow along the shores. They especially like to hide in the protecting branches of cauliflower coral, according to the ADW. Diet These fish typically feed on algae, using their small, sharp teeth to keep their coral protectors clean. These fish are very important to the lifecycle of the coral reef. They eat excess algae in the reef, which prevents the coral from suffocating. Coral reefs provide homes and food for around one quarter of all ocean species, even though they cover less than 1 percent of the Earth, according to the Smithsonian. Habits These fish are somewhat social and are usually found in pairs or in small groups. Often, they form schools with 10 to 12 members. Regal blue tangs dont just hang out with their own kind, either. They include several different species of surgeonfish and tang in their schools. When faced with a predator, regal blue tangs often "play dead" by lying on their side and remaining motionless until the predator passes them by. Males are often aggressive toward one another, having "sword fights" with their caudal spines. They achieve dominance this way, and more dominant males have larger breeding grounds, according to the ADW. Offspring When it is time to reproduce, regal blue tangs congregate in breeding groups. Females expel their eggs into the water above the coral, and the males expel sperm, and fertilization occurs externally. About 40,000 eggs are expelled per spawning session, according to the ADW. After spawning, the "parents" swim off, never caring about their offspring. The fertilized eggs are cast adrift and become part of the plankton "soup," according to the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA). About 26 hours after fertilization, the eggs hatch and live in the soup until it is time to metamorphose into juveniles. At that point, they settle into a coral habitat, where they complete the metamorphosis. Baby regal blue tangs are called larvae. Maturity is measures by size rather than age, according to the ADW. Males are considered mature when they reach 11 cm (4.3 inches) in length; females when they are 13 cm (5 inches) in length. Regal blue tangs can live more than 30 years in the wild. Classification/taxonomy Here is the classification of the Paracanthurus hepatus, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Osteichthyes Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei Superorder: Acanthopterygii Order: Perciformes Suborder: Acanthuroidei Family: Acanthuridae Genus: Paracanthurus Species: Paracanthurus hepatus The order Perciformes is the largest vertebrate order and includes over 148 families containing roughly 9,300 species, according to Sea World. Conservation status According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Paracanthurus hepatus are not endangered and are listed as least concern. Their populations are widespread and it is believed that the population is not declining. These fish are a popular aquarium species, and some environmentalists are concerned that these fish will be victims of increased popularity due to the movie, "Finding Dory." Other animals have suffered after being featured in recent films. Some call it the "Finding Nemo Effect." According to the Aquarium Welfare Association (AWA) after that movie came out in 2003, demand soared and hatcheries could not keep up. They had to resort to to buying wild caught specimens. This, in turn, led to population declines in several natural habitat areas. Also, many people bought the clownfish without knowing how to properly care for them. Inspired by a line in the move, hundreds of children flushed their clownfish down the toilet in the hope of setting them free, according to the AWA. There has been no success in breeding regal blue tangs in captivity; so increased demand will necessarily cause more fish to be caught, which will decrease populations. Additional resources Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. David Brown Dallas The week began with images of a black man sprawled across the ground in Louisiana, a victim of a shooting critics say was another example of a quick trigger-pull from police. In Minnesota the next night, the world watched a surreal live Facebook recording of a woman in Minnesota narrating her boyfriends death by a police officer during a traffic stop. The week ended with images of the deadliest single incident aimed at police since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on US soil. A gunman killed at least five officers and wounded seven others amid what had, to that point, been a peaceful protest of the two previous incidents. Together, the three incidents further divided a nation increasingly torn over racial issues amid national attention on police shootings and the most divisive presidential campaign in recent memory, featuring Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as their parties' presumptive presidential nominees. "CIVIL WAR," blared the Friday cover of the New York Post. The Drudge Report was quickly rebuked for a banner that said: "Black lives kill." The week of bloodshed fueled both the broad fracture in the country as well as calls for constructive solutions to change. What route to take has now become a matter of national urgency. The incidents stirred sentiments of past summers of historic violence in America 1965 in Los Angeles, 1967 in Detroit and Newark, and 1968, in which Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, followed by brutal clashes at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Today, a study from the Pew Research Center exposed the burgeoning racial divides on issues like policing, inequality, and racism. Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to say black people are treated less fairly in a variety of situations, from the workplace to restaurants. Moreover, blacks (61%) are far more likely than whites (45%) to say race relations are generally bad. Story continues Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the week it reminded her of the division in San Francisco after the murder of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician to be elected to office in the state. Trump, in an unusually measured statement, said "our nation has become too divided" and that "too many Americans feel like they've lost hope." "I know this, we have in this country a terrible and growing problem. A growing and festering cancer in our country that is dividing us against one another in ways that we have not seen in half a century," added Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, who ran for president in 2016. As these statements were made, police were still gathering facts about each of the three incidents. In Dallas, David Brown, the police chief, said a suspected gunman who was killed in a standoff with police told them during unsuccessful negotiations that he wanted to "kill white people, especially white officers." Police in Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri were also targeted in separate incidents this week, according to the Associated Press. Black Lives Matter protest Brown spoke for his city, but also much of the nation, in a press conference Friday. "We are heartbroken. There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," he said. President Barack Obama, traveling in Poland for a NATO summit, was twice in less than 12 hours forced to speak on the horrific domestic incidents, as he carefully moved to navigate a litany of different viewpoints about the country's racial divide. Late Thursday, he discussed the racial disparities in the US justice system after the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Eleven hours later, he called the Dallas shooting a "vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement." "Even as yesterday I spoke about our need to be concerned, as all Americans, about racial disparities in our criminal justice system. I also said yesterday that our police have an extraordinarily difficult job and the vast majority of them do their job in outstanding fashion," Obama said. dallas woman officer holding hands He spoke to an American public whose political divisiveness has gone hand in hand with the increased racial tensions. Those divisions have grown over the past decade, and they have been exacerbated in a presidential campaign that has seen a major party's presumptive nominee make inflammatory statements about Mexicans, Muslims, and other racial groups. Trump's rallies have seen unprecedented violence by recent historical precedent. Critics have argued his words have spurred more violence. In general, according to the Pew Research Center, people from each political party view the other party with more antipathy now than at any point in recent memory. Today, 58% of Republicans have a very unfavorable impression of the Democratic Party, an increase from just 32% during the 2008 election year. And 55% of Democrats view the GOP in a very unfavorably way, compared with 37% in 2008. In just more than a week, Republicans will gather in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, to be followed by the Democratic version the next week. Cleveland's police, already expecting a tense event full of protests, have already taken steps in the wake of the Dallas shooting to beef up security. In the aftermath of the week's violence, Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke to the mood of the nation. She urged its citizens to take the better path. "This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss," Lynch said. "After the events of this week, Americans across the county are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty and of fear. These feelings are understandable and they are justified. But the answer must not be violence. The answer is never violence." She added: "We must reject the easy impulses of bitterness and rancor and embrace the difficult work of finding a path forward together." More From Business Insider John Riddle is a man who knows all about Longfords tourism potential. A native of Brisbane in the northeastern state of Queensland, the father of one is the founder behind an online website and Facebook page aimed at unearthing Longfords hidden gems on camera. Aptly entitled Discovering Longford his two twinned approach is something he has remained firmly committed to for well over a decade. This week, the affable Aussie popped in for a quick chat as he also took time to launch his 2017 Discovering Longford calendar. I just love getting out and photographing as many places as possible when we come home, he said. His use of the term we brings the conversation to the real reason behind his ever deepening association with Longford. Married to Ballymore GP Marie Higgins, the pair met while John worked as a driver during their time spent working for an after hours doctors service company. Now based along the sun baked Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane, the couple return home to Longford every year accompanied by their five-year-old daughter Aoife. We first came back to Longford in 2005 to meet Maries family, added John, prompting nine consequent visits in the interim. A keen photographer for many years, Johns ability behind the camera is probably best illustrated by the hundreds of photographs that are dotted across his own website and Facebook page . His latest offering of visual excellence, illustrated in his recently launched calendar is a publication you would more commonly associate with those who rely upon photography to make ends meet. Picture postcard images of the dolmens in Aughnacliffe to Ballymahons perfectly still Brannigan Harbour are mere flavours. I should have gotten into it (photography) a bit younger, but I was travelling a lot you see, John admitted. I did get a bit more serious about it just before my daughter was born six years ago but when Aoife came along my time as you can imagine was taken up quite a bit. John, however, is not one for making excuses. And despite an attempt to relocate back home in 2014, he still manages to juggle home life and that of his favoured pastime with consummate ease. The launch of his Facebook page the year previously and his own website has even managed to bring in a few additional euros to the Riddle household. Yeah, things have been going pretty well, he smiled. I have sold a few photos to Longford County Council for the county development plan and I have had a few orders of prints from the website from people in Europe. To read this story in full, see this weeks Longford Leader. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases Here at MFM we're no strangers to raw new mum pics , often taken just after delivery. A mum from North Carolina, USA, has been praised across social media for her utterly open and honest postpartum pic, which reveals her wearing a "giant mom diaper" shortly after giving birth - and has resonated with hundreds of thousands of people across the world. But this one stood out for us, because it shows like no other we've seen the truly messy, and unglamorous side of post-pregnancy that no one ever really talks about. Accompanying the photo, in a post titled 'Motherhood uncensored', Amanda wrote: "I'm sharing this picture because it's real. This is motherhood; it's raw, stunning, messy, and freaking hilarious all rolled into one. "Having a baby is a beautiful experience, and the realities of postpartum life aren't spoken enough about. And definitely not photographed enough. Some people probably find this uncomfortable, but why? "I seriously don't get it! It's probably because this part isn't talked about. We all should try and educate, empower and embrace every aspect of childbirth, including moments like this. "And do it while having a sense of humor. Nothing says welcome to motherhood like an adorable squishy baby, and a giant mom diaper. ? "Edit: My husband didn't post this. He doesn't even have Facebook. I did." Amanda's post has been shared - wait for it - 117,000 times - and has received 94,000 comments. Gulp. One fan said: "From a midwife: thanks for sharing the less talked about sides of childbirth! Grats on your beautiful baby ? and: nice tush!" And another commented: "This is so true and real!! Those mesh panties are the best to hold in those giant diaper pads!!!" It's certainly true that after having a baby, like Amanda's photo reveals, you'll probably want to invest in some panty pads or disposable knickers as you'll have bleeding ("lochia") for around 6 weeks after you've delivered. And one thing's for sure - people like Amanda sharing such open and honest posts will definitely get people talking about stuff around birth that otherwise might be swept under the carpet a bit, which we think is a good thing - don't you? Read more A report about school funding is set to be discussed at the councils Schools Forum on Tuesday. The paper sets out the proposed funding approach for 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 and includes comments from all of the affected schools. If approved, the council would change the criteria for schools to be eligible for growth funding. Local authorities can topslice the dedicated schools grant to create a growth fund which is used to support maintained and academy schools which are required to provide extra places to meet the basic need. The growth fund is only designed to support a school temporarily and was introduced in the borough for 2013-2014. The proposed scheme for the next three years would see schools only eligible for growth funding when the decision to provide an extra class or expansion in the number of places is agreed in advance with the council and must be related to basic need. The report considers an approach to fairer funding. It states: The proposal has to accommodate the different types of school and the different scales of expansion over time while being fair. Under the new scheme, five schools would face a clawback; one would see a reduced allocation and four schools would not receive any growth funding despite having additional pupils. If the council adopts this approach it will mean schools with an expectation of receiving funding will now receive a lower level than previous years. A total of 12 schools have responded to the proposed funding changes, including Furze Platt Junior school and Furze Platt Senior School. The report states Furze Platt Junior School will be worse off and it would have a massive impact on the school. The forum will meet in the council chamber at 2.30pm. To read the full report visit the council website at: www.rbwm.gov.uk Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Outcome of Assam Elections and its Impact on Other North-Eastern (...) by Kadayam Subramanian The BJP, which fared badly in the recently concluded State Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Union Territory of Puducherry, nevertheless did remarkably well in the Assam State Assembly elections. The party won 86 out of 126 seats in the State Assembly with its alliesthe Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Organi-sation (BPO). The reasons for the remarkable success call for an analysis. The basic issue of contestation in the 2016 electoral battle in Assam related, among others, to illegal immigration from neighbouring over-populated Bangladesh. The issue has led to continuous political conflict and turmoil in the State since 1947, when the partition of India led to the emergence of Pakistan and then again the division of Pakistan in 1971, which led to the emergence of Bangladesh in the North-East. The Assam movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s led to the enactment of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act of 1983 to check and eliminate illegal migration of population from Bangladesh into Assam. In 2005, the Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India, which said that it had resulted in massive illegal migration from Bangladesh to Assam and had created insurmountable difficulties in the identification of unauthorised immigrants. The Supreme Court was responding to a Public Interest Litigation filed by Sarbananda Sonowal, the present Chief Minister of Assam who was then a leader of the All Assam Students Union (AASU). During the 2016 election campaign, Sonowal, as a BJP Member of Parliament, promised to usher in a Khilonjia Sarkar or a government of indigenous people, if he came to power, which went down well with the people. The previous two State governments led by the Assam Gana Parishad (AGP), a party which had arisen from the Assam Movement of the 1980s, had failed to do much to address the problem of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. It remains to be seen whether Chief Minister Sonowal of the just set-up BJP Government of Assam would be able to do anything significant about the complicated issue. Indias ruling BJP repackaged its core Hindutva agenda in the Assamese context and took an inflexible stance on the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh and chose the local leaders from Assam to lead the election campaign. It did not quibble about ideology. Sarbananda Sonowal, a local leader, had been proclaimed as jatiyo nayak (national hero) by the Assamese middle class for his successful effort in getting a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court judgement on the IMDT Act declaring it unconstitutional; he was selected to lead the BJP-led ruling coalition government. The charismatic and able Congress party dissident and former Congress Chief Minister Tarun Gogois close colleague, Himanta Biswa Sarma, was recruited to the BJP to supply organisational inputs with his established talents. Further, the party discarded its overcentralised model of electioneering and went with the local leaderships assessment on alliances and candidates. The party openly positioned itself as the protector of the khilonjias and indigenous Assamese identity and interests and appealed to both Hindus and Muslims. But it astutely whipped up the fear of Badruddin Ajmal, the leader of the Muslim-centric All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), in order to prevent the Opposition Congress party from taking advantage of the situation and collaborating with him. This had an effect on the Hindus of the Barak Valley and caused a split in the Muslim vote. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJPs mentor, which has been active in Assam for a long time provided support for the BJPs election campaign with its 22 front organisations and over 100,000 volunteers. The BJP successfully produced a Hindu-Muslim political polarisation and isolated the Congress party and AIUDF from mobilising the Muslims of Assam, the second largest community after the Hindus. It inducted Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the electoral campaign only in the last stages of the contestation. It made sure that the chemistry of the electoral campaign, if not its arithmetic, went in its favour. It entered into an effective electoral alliance with the regional partiesthe Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodo Peoples Organisation (BPO). Thus, the BJP, with 29.3 per cent of the vote- share, managed to bag 60 seats in the State Assembly for the party while the Congress party with 31 per cent of the vote, could muster only 26 seats.With the support of the AGP (14 seats) and the BPO (12 seats), the BJP had a tally of 86 seats out of the total 126 seats in the State Assembly. The Muslim-dominated All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by Badruddin Ajmal won 13 seats. Surprisingly, the several ethnically divergent and mutually differing tribal groups in the State too voted for the BJP. The corrupt, inefficient and dynastic Congress party, led by Tarun Gogoi, was out-manoeuvred in the State Assembly elections 2016. Hindus constitute over 60 per cent of Assams population and Muslims are over 34 per cent. This is a sharp and significant division. The victorious BJP thus used two trump cards: i) the anti-incumbency wave against the corrupt and inefficient government led by Tarun Gogois Congress party; and ii) the anti-immigration issue which weighs heavily with the Assamese middle class. The immigration issue was highlighted in the BJPs Vision Document. A survey found that 75 per cent of Assamese Hindus and 68 per cent of Bengali Hindus saw the illegal migration issue as important. This remarkable Hindu coalescence around the BJP was, however, not matched by a counter-consolidation of Muslims behind any one party. In a State where Muslims constitute 34 per cent of the population, Muslim voters were divided. While language has ceased to be a factor in determining Hindu political preferences, it continues to be a factor with Muslims. Whereas two-thirds of Assamese-speaking Muslims voted for the Congress, among Bengali-speaking Muslims, the vote was divided almost equally between the Congress and AIUDF. The Hindu-Muslim divide was thus so strong that it overpowered every other identity, social characteristic or political opinion. The surveys questions on political matters elicited diame-trically opposite answers. As high as 76 per cent Muslims were satisfied with the Congress Governments performance, as opposed to just 47 per cent Hindus. Hindu preference for Sarbananda Sonowal as the Chief Minister was 15 times more than the preference for him among Muslims. This diver-gence among Hindu and Muslim preferences on political matters has been seen in the past Assam elections too, but never was the divide so sharp. Of the seven States in the North-East of India, the ruling BJP is now in control of two States: Assam, the biggest State (population: 31 million) and Arunachal Pradesh, the second smallest State in population terms (1.3 million). The partys control over the latter was established in controversial circumstances. There were defections from the then ruling Congress party and the State Governor played a partisan role. Of the remaining five States in the region, three (Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram) are Congress-controlled just as Assam was before the elections; while Tripura is ruled by the Communists and Nagaland by the Naga Peoples Front (NPF). It is far from clear whether the recent controversial Naga Peace Process would have an impact on the electoral processes in the State. After its recent victory in the Assam elections, the BJP has set up the North-East Democratic Alliance under the party strategist and Assamese leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma, to activate party work across the region. In Manipur elections are due next year. The BJP performed well in the previous November by-elections. It also did well by bagging 10 out of the 27 seats in the State capital Imphal Municipal Corporation elections; the Congress got 12 seats and Independents five. The party feels that this performance will help it in the State Assembly elections in 2017. The agitation in the valley for the introduction of inner line permit to prevent immigration is opposed in the Hills, which also demands Sixth Schedule provisions for the autonomous tribal districts. The BJP would have to mollify both groups in different ways to gain the upper hand in elections. The Manipur valley is predominantly Hindu and the Hills are Christian. How the BJP/RSS will deal with these differences would be interesting to watch. In Meghalaya too there is an internal revolt in the ruling Congress party which the BJP will try to take advantage of to gain power. Mizoram (population: one million) too suffers from internal dissensions though it appears to have a stable Congress Government right now. The ruling political parties in the North-East (except in the Communist-ruled Tripura) often shift loyalties depending on who is in power at New Delhi: the Congress or BJP. They do this knowing fully well that governance in the region depends crucially on significant financial hand-outs from whichever party is in power in New Delhi. Since the BJP is in power at the Centre and has just won a major victory in the most populous State of the North-East, its magnetic attraction is likely to be greater. The Lok Sabha in Parliament has 542 seats and the Rajya Sabha has 241 seats. The seven North-Eastern States have together 23 seats in the Lok Sabha (Assam13; Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripuratwo seats each; and Nagaland and Mizoramone seat each). They have together 13 seats in the Rajya Sabha (Assam7; and the six Statesone each). The then undivided State of Assam has given rise to the present tribal-majority States of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh in the North-East. Manipur (about three million) and Tripura (about 3.7 million) are former princely states which were integrated into India in 1949. All the six States became autonomous States of the Indian Union in 1972. The total population of the seven North-Eastern States (about 45 million) can play an important role in shaping the course of Indian politics if they are united. This is at present not the case. All of them now compete for the Central Governments attention. Assam shares with other North-Eastern States the problems of insurgency, poverty, poor human development et al. Political change in Assam affects developments in the rest of the region. Finally, the extremist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), with its lasting demand for independence from India, did not exercise much influence in the State Assembly elections, 2016. The organisation today is divided into three factions, the Paresh Baruah, the Arabinda Rajkhowa and the Anup Chetia factions. The first is intransigent while the other two seem to have opted for a dialogue process with the Government of India. In Manipur, which boasts of several still-active extremist groups, the government needs to address the persisting hill-valley divide. Though political benefits could occur in the long run, electoral benefits depend on immediate results. Apart from Nagaland, the States of Mizoram and Meghalaya are Christian majority States. However, Manipur, like Assam, has a Hindu majority and could fall prey to the BJPs Hindutva agenda. The RSS too has a base in the districts of the Manipur valley. The BJP has a presence of two members in the Manipur State Assembly. The party may benefit by supporting the demand amongst a section of the majority Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe status though the demand is opposed by the tribal communities in the Hills. The ruling Congress in Manipur, like its counterpart in Assam, completes three conse-cutive terms in office this year and will face anti-incumbency and corruption charges. The BJPs success in the Assam elections will push the partys fortunes forward in Manipur. The author was a Director-General of Police in North-East India. He is the author of State, Policy and Conflicts in North-East India (Routledge, 2016). Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Assam Election Results 2016: Challenges to Pluralist Ethos by Ram Puniyani This time around (2016 elections) the BJP has managed to come to power in Assam, though as a coalition with its allies. Its vote-share this time came down to 29.5 per cent from the earlier 36.5 per cent (2014); still because of the strategically stitched alliances it beat the Congress in the number of seats won. The BJPs election appeal was centred on the divisive issue of Bangaldeshi immigrants. It took care to regard the three per cent native Muslims on the ground of Native Assamese identity while the Bengali Muslims (32 per cent) were singled out as immigrants, outsiders. The Bengali immigrant Hindus were projected as refugees. The BJPs propaganda was on the lines of Hindus versus Muslims. Cleverly it was presented as natives versus outsiders. Elections 2016 Taking recourse to communal historiography the election was presented as the second battle of Saraighat, where Lachit Burfukan had defeated the Mughal Army in 1671. As such the many commanders and soldiers of Lachit were Muslims also like Bagh Hazarika. The Mughal Army had many Hindu Generals and soldiers. But the tale was spun directed against the Mughals who were projected in the form of Badruddin Ajmal; the latter was the main target as he was presented as a symbol of Bengali Muslims. At the electoral level the Muslim votes got split between the Congress and Ajmals party. Now the new government is planning to identify the Bangaldeshi immigrants and throw them out. As such Assam has been witnessing the harassment of Muslims and many of them have been denied voting rights by putting them in the D voter category (D for doubtful). Background The immigration has been presented in the communal colours in Assam. Essentially the problem is due to pressures related to jobs and other livelihood issues. In the decade of the 1980s, the parochial forces gave the slogan Assam for Assamese quite on the lines of Maharashtra for Marathis by the sectarian Shiv Sena in Mumbai. The first major catastrophe in this context occurred in the 1980s, when the All Assam Students Union (AASU) demanded exclusion of Bangladeshi immigrants from the electoral rolls. In 1983, over 3000 people were killed in Nellie, near Guwahati. Those killed were Muslims, dubbed as illegal migrants and occupants of land that belonged to the Lalung tribe. The Tribhuban Das Tiwary Commission was constituted to inquire into the Nellie massacre, but the AASU, now the Assam Gana Parishad (AGP), after coming to power dropped all the criminal cases against the culprits and the report of the Commission was never made public. A decade later there was another series of violence, the victims of which are still living in relief camps. At another level the agitation of the Bodos led to the creation of the Bodo Territorial Council (BTC), giving most powers to Bodos in the four districts, Khokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udal-giri; three of which have undergone massive violence in July 2012. This violence was preceded by a rumour that people from Bangladesh have brought in a huge cache of armaments. This rumour soon triggered into violence that left lakhs of people displaced and some killings. The claim that Bodos are a majority and need to preserve their ethnic identity and interests in the area, does not hold any water since the estimate of percentage of Bodos in this area varies from 22 to 29 per cent only. With full powers given to them under this Council they have marginalised the other sections of society very badly. The other point of view is that despite the formation of Bodo Territorial Council, the Bodos did not surrender their arms, which was one of the conditions for accepting the demand of this Regional Council. Bengali Immigration: History The study of population statistics will make it clear that the beginning of the coming of Bengali- speaking Muslims in Assam was due to the policy of the British in the early part of the 20th Century. There is a long history of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. For example, there were close to five lakh Muslims in Assam in 1931. In the beginning Bengal was a very populous and politically the most aware area. Assam at that time was sparsely populated. The British undertook a human plantation policy in the beginning of the twentieth century. The basic idea of the British policy was three-fold. One was to ensure the shifting of people from the overpopulated Bengal to Assam. Two, it aimed to reduce the incidence of famine and unrest in Bengal. And three, the British wanted to make Assam habitable and collect revenue from that area. Irrespective of the propaganda about Bangla- deshi infiltrators, research based on population statistics of the last century shows that Muslims in the region are settlers from pre-partition Bengal to begin with. Later, there was some migration at the time of partition in 1947 and still later in the aftermath of the 1971 war with Pakistan, leading to the formation of Bangla-desh. Nilim Dutta in Myth of Bangladeshi and Violence in Assam shows that migration has taken place over a period of time and the increase of population stops after 1971. The Assam Accord of 1985 granted citizenship rights to all those who had settled in Assam till 1971. This accord recognises all those living in this area as legal settlers and so most of the Muslims fall in that category. Not to deny that that a small number of illegal immigrants, the ones forced to migrate for economic reasons, may also be there. Despite these facts, the issue has become a big fodder for communal politics, which keeps harping on Bangaldeshi infiltrators. They go on with the propaganda that Hindu migrants from Bangladesh are refugees while the Muslims are infiltrators. Even the 2012 violence was labelled by the communal forces as the consequence of strife between Bodos (nationa-lists) and Muslims (foreigners!). The plight of the Muslims who speak Bengali is pathetic as not only are they marginalised and looked down upon, many of them do not even have voting rights and some of them are put in the category of D voters. There is an active hate-industry blaming the ruling party of encouraging infiltration for the sake of votes while in reality the economic migration, which is associated with regional disparities, has also come down heavily with the Bangladesh economy looking up in the last few decades. The Political Challenges During the last Lok Sabha elections (2014), the BJP won seven (out of 14) MP seats from Assam. Though the present victory of the BJP is not due to its vote-share, still it has brought the BJP Government to power and is giving it further opportunity to strengthen the work of the RSS combine in the State. The RSS has been very active in the State and has started Ekal schools (nearly four thousand), Sarswati Shishu Mandirs (590), nearly 100 student hostels. There are nearly 12,000 RSS shakhas in Assam. It is these thousands of RSS volunteers who campaign during elections for the victory of the BJP. Through Seva Bharati they are running health services in villages. All in all the challenge for the democratic forces will increase tremendously as these RSS- run organisations now will have more influence due to direct state patronage. The RSS indoctri-nated teachers and volunteers will be spreading their sectarian ideology in a more cohesive way. Already there is a plan to open RSS-run schools in most of the areas. Tasks Ahead The Bihar experiment of mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) did tell us that it is possible to halt the march of the communal forces if the political elements believing in pluralism and democracy come together. At another level the social and cultural work to promote the values of pluralism and amity are the need of the hour. The major acts of violence have been precipitated on the issue of Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. As these Muslims have a long lineage in India, they need to be given due justice as Indian citizens. The process of identification and exiling them leads to great harassment to many Bengali- speaking Muslims. The plan of the RSS-BJP to identify and exile them needs to be opposed. The role of the BJP has been of exerting pressure to target them to create a social divide. Social groups have to take up the challenge of communal politics at multiple levels, not just on the electoral ground. (Courtesy: www.kafila.org) The author, a retired Professor at the IIT-Bombay, is currently associated with the Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, Mumbai. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > A Distinguished Political Reporter TRIBUTE Krishan Kumar Katyal, who died in New Delhi on Wednesday (June 8) at 88, was a distinguished political reporter who had a nose for news, persistence in following up on tips and a talent for cultivating sources in political parties as well as several wings of the government. In the world of journalism, he was universally known by his initials and took jokes on KKK, matching the infamous Ku Klux Klan in America, in his stride. We were colleagues on the political reporting team of The Statesman in New Delhi at a dramatic time in Indian politics. The tempestuous political saga began with the Bangalore session of the undivided Congress, which led to the first split in the party engineered by Indira Gandhi. But it was an act of many scenes as Indiras men, subsequently known as Congress (R) for requisitionists, and their opponents, Congress (O) for organisation, battled it out. The objective of both sides was the media before the age of television news came into play. They were hankering after headlines in print, with each section scheduling their press meets late into the night to have the last word. Imagine the plight of political reporters working late into the night, night after night, to cope with this strange competition. In The Statesman, it was KKK and I who had to take turns so that we could catch up on some sleep before starting work the next morning. KKK was (later) with The Hindustan Times in Chandigarh, and I often had the feeling that he had left part of his heart behind. He was an impressive, tall man with a Punjabi fondness for good food. He later worked for The Hindu. It is a somewhat different world in the media today, influenced in part by profusion of private TV channels, which often give a breathless quality to reporting. In the days of KKKs prime, the accent was more on assiduous cultivation of sources, patient pursuit of leads and the greatest accolade a political reporter looked forward to was to be greeted by fellow journa-lists on a scoop in the Central Hall of Parliament and MPs glee or moroseness, depending upon which side of the fence they were on. Despite moments of drama and political upheavals, those were more leisurely times. There was bonhomie in the Press Club and in coffee houses, and perhaps a greater sense of belonging to a unique profession. KKKs cremation took place Wednesday (June 8) afternoon. He leaves behind his wife Darshan and two talented daughters, Anita and Sugita, who have chosen to follow their fathers profession. (Courtesy: The Indian Express) The author, a veteran journalist, who edited several newspapers in New Delhi, is a prominent columnist. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Formidable Journalist, Outstanding Chronicler TRIBUTE In the death of Inder Malhotra, India has lost its most outstanding chronicler. As a young man of 17, Inder Malhotra was there somewhere in the multitudes of people who went up Raisina Hill to watch the birth of free India at the stroke of midnight of August 14-15, 1947. From then, the careers of both India as a free nation and Inder as an aspiring journalist ran parallel to each otheruntil Saturday (June 11) when he breathed his last. Over nearly 70 years, Inder watched and reported on the shaping of a new India, and analysed and commented on the nations travails of Partition, its ups and downs, its hopes and moments of despair as faithfully as he could first as a young reporter in UPI, precursor to the UNI, and later, in The Statesman and The Times of India. When I joined the profession, Inder Malhotra was a big name as the political correspondent of The Statesman, a job to reckon with in those days of the early 1960s. He went on to become its Resident Editor before migrating to The Times of India to work with two other giants of the newspaper world, Sham Lal and Girilal Jain. Later, he branched off as a syndicated columnist, a Nehru Fellow and a writer. All along, he continued to report India for the most respected British newspaper, The Guardian. He also wrote a substantive political biography of Indira Gandhi. During his last few years, he regularly wrote an immensely popular column called Rear View in The Indian Express, where he was Contributing Editora gripping narrative of some of the most significant events of the history of contemporary India, curated from the pages of his reporters notebook. He looked back and forth like any good chronicler ought to, commenting on how Indira was facing succession battles, the making of the Constitution, the course India had chosen in the 1971 War, the Emergency and its aftermath, the era of coalitions and instability, the rise of dynasties, and much else that goes with a big emerging nations career. He also recorded the plus points and short-comings of leaders, their ego clashes, and how these had an impact on decisions. Politics, ambitions, at times behind-the-scenes intrigues, did not escape his sharp eye. He closely followed the war with China in 1962, the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, and the negotiations with Pakistan on Kashmir with a rare objectivity that can be emulated even now. By 1965, he had become a formidable journa-list. I was just two years into the profession, when UNI told me to cover the infiltration in Kashmir. I found myself on the same flight as Inder Malhotra. For a while, I did get a kick that I was on the same assignment as Inder. But later, some trepidation sneaked in that Inder, with his immense contacts, would do a much better job. Luckily, he was too senior to stay away from Delhi for too long. I spent three weeks more in the Valley, and went on to cover the Hajipir Pass battle. On my return, I found him very appreciative of my efforts, which was encouraging. Besides being an outstanding political corres-pondent, he has been perhaps the best defence correspondent since Independence. His commen-taries on Indias defeat in the 1962 China war were unsparing. Despite being a Nehruite who wasnt those days? he was critical of the policy and flawed decision-making at high levels. Unlike these days, Inder never mixed comments with news reporting. He never got too close to a political leader. He chose to be a detached observer. He never disclosed his sources. It is not just Prime Minister Narendra Modi who can call President Obama Barack, Inder would not hesitate to call his interlocutors by their first names, sometimes surprising his colleagues at press conferences. During the last two or three years of his life, he was in and out of hospital, fighting a battle against the odds. However, he did manage to write his columns whenever he was able to physically, drawing from his tremendous memory and lifelong habit of keeping notes. At the end of the day, he would still like to write a column or two more. The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. However, there comes a time when even the spirit gives in. (Courtesy: The Indian Express) Former ambassador and erstwhile nominated Member of the Rajya Sabha, H.K. Dua is a senior journilist who was the editor of leading newspapers in the Capital. He is currently an Adviser in the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Quality of Journalism When l was studying in a journalism school abroad, l was told by my professor that a news story should be like a skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to be attractive. Over the years, the story has assumed the shape of pontification and inevitably padded. When senior journalists are kicking the bucket, the question that stares at us is: what kind of journalism will be there in future? Of course this is not confined to India. All countries, whether in the West or the East (barring the totalitarian regimes), are asking the same question: which is the Lakshman rekha that journalists should not cross? Or should there be any Lakshman rekha at all? Individuals are increasingly posing the question: why are journalists prying into their private affairs? Journalists, in turn, defend themselves on the ground that if they were not to probe, the skeletons would not come out of the closet. The government has a standard reply: some things cannot be disclosed in the public interest. In this way even big scandals are covered up. I recall that when l wrote against the supersession of three Supreme Court judges, Hegde, Grover and Shalat, l was criticised by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who argued that journalism did not mean preaching about the commitment of judges. She did not elaborate what that commitment was. I can understand the judges having commitment to the Constitution, but not to a person however high he or she might be. What Mrs Indira Gandhi was demanding from the judges was a commitment to follow her way of thinking. That is the reason she appointed Justice Ray, a junior judge in the Supreme Court, as the Chief Justice, ignoring the seniority of three others. She did not show even the courtesy of informing them beforehand. They heard the news on All India Radio. This kind of political manipulation runs contrary to the transparency that a democratic system cherishes. Indeed the structure of democracy stands on the pillars of both the division and limitation of power. For example, the Army does not interfere in the affairs of the government because it is a force under the civil administration. Some countries, like Pakistan, have gone under because the military, although it has recently gone back to the barracks, is still very much there. The same is true of Bangladesh, although in that country some journalists do dare to criticise the armed forces. Democracy expects all its wings to function independently but still in a way that sovereignty stays with the people. It is another matter that rulers themselves become authoritarian and behave like the worst of the Mughal emperors. Those who ensure that democracy functions in the interests of the people are the judges who even have the power to go into the pronouncements of the legislature. The debate about whether the judiciary is supreme or the executive is an ongoing discussion. If there is criticism of what judges do, or even the manner in which the legislature functions, that comes from journalists. It is the duty of journalists to do so. If they are afraid of carrying out what is expected from them, it is unfortunate for the system. I have experienced how during the Emergency, which completed fortyone years this week on June 26, the entire Press caved in. Initially, there were protests and a large number of journalistsincluding editorsassembled at the Press Club in Delhi to pass a resolution that Press censorship, an integral part of the Emergency, was not acceptable to them. Yet, as days went by, fear engripped them and they became part of the system, even accepting the orders of Mrs Gandhis son, Sanjay Gandhi, an extra-constitutional authority. I recall that as a member of the Press Council of India, I went to its then Chairman, Justice Iyer, to urge him to summon a meeting of the Press Council, an apex body. I did not know by then that fear had also made him subservient. He told me there was no use of summoning a meeting of the Press Council because there would be no publicity about its proceedings. My argument was that if there were no protests then many years later, when the archives would be opened of this shameful chapter, there wouldnt be any record about any protest by the Press Council, the journalists. After hearing me, he reluctantly convened a meeting of the local Press Council members. To my horror I saw in the White Paper, issued after the lifting of the Emergency, that he had written to the then Information Minister, V.C. Shukla, explaining how he (Justice Iyer) was able to stall the effort by Kuldip Nayar to convene a meeting of the Press Council. The same question about the independence of journalists comes before us again and again in different situations. And I find that increasingly we, the journalists, are failing in the standards required from us. None of this has been helped by the new digital technology that promotes very short stories or sound bites. In fact things have deteriorated to such an extent today that news columns can be bought. It is an open secret that several stories are nothing more than paid news. Some leading newspapers feel no shame in selling the space to whoever wants to buy it. For them it is purely a question of revenue. How low have we sunk from the heights that we once enjoyed! There was a time when we were able to bring before the public such scandals as the Mundhra insurance scam during the time of Finance Minister T.T. Krishnamachari. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister, forced him to resign from the Cabinet. But even when I subsequently met TTK, he did not seem to realise the harm he had done to the polity. India is oblivious to the privations of individuals. In contrast the UK media has in the past been prepared to take up cudgels on behalf of innocent victims from different walks of life. For example, the Sunday Times, for which I was a stringer, is still remembered with affection and gratitude for the work it did on behalf of those parents whose children were born handicapped because of the Thalidomide drug prescribed to the patient. Public pressure eventually forced the drug manufacturing company to pay out the needed compensation. Can we emulate those examples today when our very integrity as journalists is being questioned, not to speak of the high standards we once followed? The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on last day said that the government will not compromise on terrorism at any cost. He also added that the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's speeches are being examined, after it was emerged that two of the Dhaka attackers were inspired by him. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed the Mumbai police commissioner to investigate and submit a report on Mr Naik. Google also admits that Malayalam, the official language of Kerala is the most difficult Indian languages to speak or learn. If we googled the 'hardest language of India', the answer will be the language Malayalam. It had been said that if one can speak Malayalam, they could learn any other language. Malayalam is one of the 22 schedule languages of India and was designated as classical language of India in 2013. Due to its lineage deriving form both Tamil and Sanskrit, the Malayalam alphabet had the largest numbers of letters among the Indian language orthographies. Team ENSTA Bretagne from France won the 11th edition SAUC-E competition, the Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge - Europe. The 2nd prize went to the Tom Kyle team, from the University of Applied Sciences of Kiel (Germany). The UNIFI team with the robot Marta from the University of Florence was awarded the 3rd prize. The other prizes were awarded to: the AUGA team, from the University of Vigo with ACSM, that won the Collaborator Award; the ROBOTUIC team, from International University of Canarias, that won the Rookie of the Year Award; the ENSTA Bretagne team 2, from France, that won the Tenacity Award; the UnivPM team, from University-Polytechnic of Marche, that won the Innovation Award; the UWE team, from the University of the West of England, that won the Persistence Award; the UNIFI team, from the University of Florence, that won the Data Visualisation Award. The first three winners prizes for the main competition are 2000, 1000 and 500 Euros to be used to improve their equipment for future competitions. One team, ROBOTUIC from International University of Canarias, was at its first participation in SAUC-E. SAUC-E 16 also hosted for the second time two teams (University of Florence, University-Polytechnic of Marche) from Italy, which is the venue country for the competition. The challenge was held from 3 to 8 July 2016 for the 7th time in a row by the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), and it was back to La Spezia after the euRathlon-linked edition held in Piombino (Italy) last year. Each year SAUC-E challenges multidisciplinary University teams (consisting at least of 75% students members) to design and build Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) capable of performing realistic missions. The students Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) must perform a series of tasks autonomously facing real life conditions such as limited visibility in the sea, with no control, guidance or communication from a person or from any off-board computer including GPS systems. The new 2016 missions tasks included also the search of a missing person underwater, represented by a realistic mannequin. At SAUC-E, teams are fostered to test multi-vehicle collaboration to improve precise sonar based navigation, data processing and mission reporting in real time. Collaboration may be between two AUVs from the same team, one AUV and one Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) belonging to the same team or even two AUVs from two different teams. The new twist for this edition was the connection with the Robocademy FP7 EU project www.robocademy.eu, organising a parallel workshop in the final day of SAUC-E with 12 PhD international students coming from 10 institutions all around Europe (Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom). Robocademy activities at CMRE will continue until 13 July as a hands-on experience on underwater robotics for young international talents. The Project in fact aims at establishing a European training and research network to develop key skills and enabling technologies in the field for the exploration of the oceans. Veronika Yordanova, student coming from Atlas Elektronik, was presented the Best Oral Presentation Award during the SAUC-E 16 Award Ceremony. SAUC-E 16 was organised thanks to the support of the Office of Naval Research Global (ONR Global) and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) which are also two of the main promoters of the competition, along with the CMRE and the Italian Navy. Other international sponsors included VideoRay, SSM and BTS which offered in-kind material, internships or free registration vouchers for technical workshops. Exhibitors such as SBG Systems and ISME contributed to the prizes. On 8-13 July 2016, CMRE also hosts the Robocademy FP7 EU project Workshop, training the next generation of specialists in underwater technologies. Tom Kyle Team Photo CMRE UNIFI Team Photo CMRE Seaboard Marine will launch a new weekly service commencing on Sunday, July 24, 2016, from New Orleans connecting U.S. exporters to Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica in addition to Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The expanded service, which previously served only North Central America, will now provide U.S. importers and exporters in Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica with fast, direct transit to the United States Gulf. Jose Concepcion, Seaboard Marine Vice President, said This is a positive development for our existing customers as well as those currently moving cargo between the Gulf and Central and South America. We are very excited about this new weekly fixed day service and the broad possibilities for increased trade that such a fast transit time, both southbound and northbound, offers our clients. Deutsche Bank or Dumb Bank? Deutsche bank (DBK) shares dropped to fresh new lows with the various news announcements, as well as a feeling that Germany will not be capable of bailing out the bank. The imminent outcome for DBK is bankruptcy while the world will have to bear the brunt of the fallout from all of the complicated derivatives which are being held by Deutsche Bank. DBKs outstanding derivatives exposure is 20x the German GDP and 5x the Eurozone GDP. Amongst all of the chaos, DBKs head of currencies trading and emerging-markets debt trading, Ahmet Arinc, has left the company which is the most recent negative news to impact the banks financial status. Traders slammed the stock by more than 6% during that trading session, to touch intraday lows of $12.5 after which the stock recovered marginally to close at $12.97. Germany will not be able to bail out DBK: The latest bank which might require a bailout is the Italian lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena which is the worlds oldest bank. The European Central Bank warned that the Italian bank is holding dangerously high levels of bad debt. Italy wants a bailout for Monte Paschi, however, the Germans are opposing any such move. Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German Finance Minister, stated in a news conference, in Berlin, that Italy intends to stick to the banking-union rules, as was conveyed to him by his Italian Counterpart, Pier Carlo Padoan. Italian Prime Minister hits back at Germany: However, Italy did not wait before hitting back at Germany and it came from none other than the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. Mr. Renzi stated that the difficulties facing Italian banks over their bad loans are miniscule by comparison with the problems some European banks face over their derivatives. He reminded the Germans that there were other European banks which had much bigger problems than Monte Paschi, in an indirect hint towards DBK. If this non-performing loan problem is worth one, the question of derivatives at other banks, at big banks, is worth one hundred. This is the ratio: one to one hundred, Renzi stated, reports Reuters. More troubles ahead for DBK: The bank is likely to lose its place in the STOXX 50 index, according to analysts at Societe Generale. The bank will face renewed selling pressure as the index funds will have to reposition themselves, post the change, which is more than likely to bring about a fresh round of selling. According to a statement by the IMF, DBK is now the most dangerous bank in the world. DBK is currently the riskiest bank which will bring down the entire financial banking system, globally. Gold is the key asset to own: The bond king, Jeff Gundlach, stated that things are shaky and feeling dangerous. Regarding the European banking crisis, the Double Line bond king noted: Banks are dying and policymakers dont know what to do. Watch Deutsche Bank shares go to single digits and people will start to panic youll see someone say, Someone is going to have to do something. Gundlach stated that gold remains the best investment amid fears of instability in the European Union and prolonged global stagnation, as well as concerns over the effectiveness of central bank policies, reports Reuters. Conclusion: The belief by Wall Street that Germany will not allow DBK to fail is fading. Post the Brexit, tensions are running high among the remaining members, as seen in the spat between Germany and Italy. Due to the earlier hard stance of the Germans, it is likely that any move to bailout DBK will face considerable resistance from all of the member nations. If allowed to fail, DBK will cause a crisis many times over that of which Lehman Brothers did. The final meltdown commences! Americans need to pay attention to this European Financial Crisis because its very contagious and going to spread here. Gold remains the asset to invest in, as I have been advising my subscribers for a long time now. DBK is failing and not even the ECB will be able to stop its plunge into oblivion! Next week I will share with you another asset class rarely mentioned or invested in which could explode in value going forward and actually become a major asset/currency world wide Stay Tuned! Chris Vermeulen is full-time trader and research analyst for TheGoldAndOilGuy Newsletter. Author does not currently have any position in Deutsche Bank at this time. Chris Vermeulen Join my email list FREE and get my next article which I will show you about a major opportunity in bonds and a rate spike www.GoldAndOilGuy.com Chris Vermeulen is Founder of the popular trading site TheGoldAndOilGuy.com. There he shares his highly successful, low-risk trading method. For 7 years Chris has been a leader in teaching others to skillfully trade in gold, oil, and silver in both bull and bear markets. Subscribers to his service depend on Chris' uniquely consistent investment opportunities that carry exceptionally low risk and high return. Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. MARTINSVILLEThe incident in Dallas is a sad reminder of the dangers police officers face daily. That's how Martinsville Police Chief Sean Dunn and several other local officials see it. This is a tough time to be in law enforcement, Dunn said on Friday. In spite of the challenges, we are totally committed to our community. We are a community oriented, community engaged police department. We have worked very hard to build trust with our community and depend very much on this relationship to maintain the safest community possible. We will stay the course. Some police departments and other law enforcement agencies took precautions this weekend, wanting to be careful after Thursday night's shootings. A total of five Dallas police officers were killed, while seven other officers and two civilians were wounded as at least one sniper opened fire after a protest over the recent killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. According to Dallas police, that one suspect, 25-year-old Micah Johnson, said he attacked the police because of those earlier killings, telling them before he died that he had wanted to shoot white people, especially officers. As a result, caution was the word of the day for law enforcement. Virginia State Police troopers were "strongly encouraged" to wear their ballistic vests during their shifts, according to VSP Public Relations Director Corinne Geller. It wasn't mandatory, Geller said, but something urged in the wake of Thursday's incident. In Martinsville, people reached out to the police, wanting to show their support. Dunn made it clear how much that meant to both himself and his officers. "We thank the many citizens who have taken this opportunity to send a special thanks to our brave men and women," Dunn said. "The community support and sincere appreciation is a great reminder of why we selflessly serve our great community. Please continue to stand with us as we will always stand to protect you." He added that the city's department is working with local, state and federal partners to make sure they do their best to keep both the community and all officers safe. Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper echoed those comments, saying that his office urged officers to be aware of their surroundings. Both the sheriff's office and police work hard to build relationships in the community, officials said. Draper pointed to community policing efforts by the police department and increased officer visibility by both groups as a reason that's happening. In Henry County, Capt. D.W. Davis of the Sheriff's Office said their department wouldn't be taking an additional precautions. He added that deputies "are regularly reminded to be vigilant and aware of their environment at all times. The suspect in the Dallas shootings had served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2009 to 2015, Pentagon records show. During that time, he served seven months in Afghanistan and later received an honorable discharge. As investigators work to put together the how and whys behind the crime, on the local side law enforcement officials say they trust their people to handle themselves in the right way. "At the end of the day, I am confident in our deputies, who are well trained and know how to treat people with respect," said Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith. "I constantly remind our deputies to guard against complacency and to look for hidden threats. This attack against our brothers in Dallas is a tragic example of that." Smith said that his officers understand the risks, but still show up to work. They know the dangers inherent in this job, and they also know they have a job to do and citizens to serve," he said. AGAWAM -- Like the feel and look of the leather upholstering in the waiting room chairs at Sarat Lincoln in Agawam? Then you can order that same leather in a new Lincoln automobile. Same goes for the wood grain of the shelving and display case holding the pamphlets. The same product comes as trim in a new Lincoln, said Jeff Sarat, general sales manager. It's part of an immersive, luxury-themed experience at the new Sarat Lincoln dealership building, which opened in October at the Sarat complex of dealerships on Springfield Street in Agawam. The Sarats renovated a former equipment rental store at a cost of $2.5 million as the first phase of building upgrades. The second phase, a $2 million redo of the Ford dealership building next door, opened just before the all-important Presidents' Day car-buying weekend in February. Sarat said this week that his family is planing renovations at the Family Ford of Enfield location it owns, and work may begin later this year. Their remaining dealership, Ford of Northampton, is already a top-notch facility and is not slated for renovations, Sarat said. At the Lincoln dealership, the placement of the wood and the leather available in the cars is, of course, no accident. Ford and its Lincoln division have dealer programs that help Ford and Lincoln stores like Sarat finance improvements. In return, Ford and Lincoln get approval on pretty much everything from the floor tile to desks used by the sales staff to the restroom commodes. Not that Sarat is complaining. "You know that very often when you look at an artist's rendering of a building, the building you get is never as good as the rendering?" he said. "This project was more than we expected." But the decision to invest in Lincoln didn't come easily. Ford offered Sarat the Lincoln rights for the Pioneer Valley in 2008 after a competitor decided to close a Lincoln dealership. But that offer came with the stipulation that Sarat build a dealership building for the luxury marquee. "And my father and I held off for as long as we could," Jeff Sarat said last week, referring to his father, Jack. "The market conditions weren't right. We didn't know if the Lincoln would be around." But Ford has invested in the brand, he said. Once a mid-sized Ford sedan and its Lincoln counterpart would have the same design team. No more, he said. "The design is totally separate, the marketing is separate. The advertising is separate," he said. "Lincoln customers don't want a dressed up Ford Focus. They want something special." And now they can get something really special. Sarat was recently designated a Black Label dealership. Being a Black Label dealership means Sarat offers interior and exterior colors and other fit-and-finish items other Lincoln garages don't have, he said. Black Label decorating schemes are organized on themes like "The Muse" or "Indulgence." As it stands, Sarat is the only Lincoln dealer in a swath of territory from Connecticut to Vermont and New Hampshire and from Worcester west to Berkshire County. Archival Cadillac no longer has any dealerships in all of Western Massachusetts. The Lincoln garage has a bay where Sarat's staff back new cars in under a video monitor where costumers watch videos instructing them on how to use the self-parking technology, 23-setting seats and other equipment on their new Lincoln. At Lincoln and at Ford, service customers pull up to a drive-through garage doors to drop cars up for service. When cars are ready -- at either dealership -- staffers pull them back around to the waiting area. The service bays even have cameras that check tire wear, Sarat said. As they do every year, the editors of Wine Spectator, the authoritative print publication on the subject of wine, have announced the winners of their 2016 Restaurant Awards, which recognize outstanding wine programs. Awards are presented at three levels - an Award of Excellence, a Best of Award of Excellence, and, most prestigious of all, the Grand Award, an elite group of only 88 designees worldwide. Blantyre in Lenox and Topper's at the Wauwinet in Nantucket were the only Massachusetts restaurants to receive the coveted Grand Award. The Grand Award is designed acknowledge the world's best restaurant wine programs. Wine lists afforded this designation deliver serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the restaurant's menu, and superior wine presentation and service. An Award of Excellence recognizes restaurants whose wine lists feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the operation's menu in terms of both price and style. Best of Award of Excellence recipients offer more extensive selections on their wine lists, with significant vintage depth and excellent breadth across multiple regions. Here in Western Massachusetts several restaurants have been honored on this year's "Wine Spectator" list. The include the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland and Chandlers Restaurant in South Deerfield (both Awards of Excellence), the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge and and Wheatleigh in Lenox ("Best of" Awards). The full list of awardees will be available in print in "Wine Spectator's" August issue, which goes on sale July 19, or online at Restaurants.WineSpectator.com This year the list, along with other helpful information, is also available as a free Restaurant Awards app for iPhones and iPads. Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College's hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 40 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01101; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com BROCKTON& #8212; A 22-year-old Brockton woman was shot and wounded Friday when the gunman tried to steal an iPhone the woman was trying to sell. Stephanie-Bien-Aime was transported to a Boston hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. Authorities say she is expected to survive. Brockton police told the Enterprise that they found Bien-Aime lying on the ground with a wound to the leg just after 12 Noon Friday. Investigators said Bien-Aime and her brother had gone to a downtown cellphone store to see if they could sell a spare iPhone. While at the store another customer offered to buy the phone and the three arranged to meet at another location. The three met up later and when Bien-Aim showed the phone, the buyer attempted to snatch it from her. The two struggled and the man pulled a gun and fired one shot, hitting Bien-Amie in the leg. The shooter fled into a nearby park. Brockton police say the incident remains under investigation. SPRINGFIELD -- A lawyer for the man charged with threatening Mayor Domenic J. Sarno's wife has withdrawn from the case, citing a breakdown in communication with her client. "The defendant has become hostile and created a threatening feel to the attorney/client relationship," defense lawyer Kelly Auer wrote in a motion to withdraw from representing Anthony M. Stone, 39, of Longmeadow. Anthony Stone, 39, of Longmeadow Stone is charged with two counts of threatening Carla Sarno, his sister, during a telephone call in May. He pleaded not guilty in Springfield District Court and was released on $2,000 bail, with orders to stay away from the home of his sister and the mayor, observe a curfew and wear a GPS electronic monitoring bracelet. As his court-appointed lawyer, Auer planned to file a motion last month to dismiss the charges; instead, during a pretrial hearing on June 24, she asked Judge Patricia Poehler to remove her from the case, citing Stone's behavior. Poehler approved the motion, and stated in court records that Stone missed the hearing. "The defendant got mad that he had to wait around and left," the judge wrote. Stone, who has a history of drug abuse and an extensive criminal record, allegedly threatened Carla Sarno on the evening of May 4 after she called to ask about her mother's well-being, according to the arrest report. The mayor's wife was concerned because one of her mother's neighbors in Longmeadow had called to report her "wheelchair was in the middle of the street," the police report stated. Stone, who lives with his mother, took the call, but refused to put her on the phone, according to police report. As the argument escalated, the defendant threatened to assault Carla Sarno and vandalize her home, according to the report, which said Stone had damaged his sister's home and vehicle in 2009. "If you think 2009 was bad, wait until you see what happens tonight," Stone said, according to the report. Stone has 41 convictions on his criminal record on charges ranging from drug possession and breaking and entering to cruelty to animals and violating restraining orders, Assistant District Attorney Cary Szafranski said during his arraignment. He also violated his probation 15 times and had nine restraining orders issued against him, the prosecutor said. In May, the mayor released a statement following Stone's arrest. "Like many other families in society today faced with the burden of dealing with a drug-addicted family member, my family and I are not immune to it," Domenic Sarno said. "My brother-in-law is a serious drug addict with a history of violent tendencies. I will do whatever it takes to protect my wife and daughters. Hopefully, he will get the help and treatment he needs." Sarno said he would have no further comment on the case. Stone is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on July 27. WEST SPRINGFIELD One of two clerks at the Cumberland Farms convenience store on Park Avenue was stabbed Saturday morning as an armed robber took about $100 in cash from the store. West Springfield Police Sgt. Timothy Smith said the female clerk was injured, but police have yet to determine what type of weapon was used. Smith said it may have been a small knife or a hypodermic syringe. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and later released. Smith described the suspect as standing approximately six-feet tall and was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and khaki shorts. The suspect also wore a goatee beard. Smith said the robber fled the store on foot, headed toward the North End bridge. That put police on the east side of the river on alert and before long both Springfield police and a State Police trooper had detained men fitting the description broadcast over the WMLEC or Western Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council radio channel. Springfield officers found a man on the I-91 overpass on West Street, while the trooper detained a man at the Pride convenience store just over the North End Bridge. The suspects were held as police combed surveillance footage taken at the time of the robbery. Eventually, police determined neither man was a match and both were released. Smith said the investigation into the robbery is continuing. Presidential candidates on the campaign trail week of July 3 FILE -In this April 14, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-V.t, right, speaks as Hillary Clinton listens during the CNN Democratic Presidential Primary Debate at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders threw his support behind rival Hillary Clinton's plan to grow investments in community health centers Saturday, calling it "an important step forward in expanding health care in America." Sanders, who is expected to endorse the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee next week, released a statement in support of the health care proposal, on which he said Clinton worked with his campaign. According to the former first lady's campaign, if elected president Clinton will double funding for primary care services at Federally Qualified Health Centers that deliver community-based care to those with limited access to health care. Specifically, Clinton's proposal would expand the current mandatory funding by $40 billion over the next decade, her campaign said. She would further affirm her commitment to giving Americans in every state the choice of a public-option insurance plan and allow people 55 and older to opt-in to Medicare. Although the expected Democratic presidential nominee acknowledged more work needs to be done to ensure universal, quality, affordable health care is available to all Americans, she offered that her plan would build on the work of the Affordable Care Act. "Already, the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage to 20 million Americans. As president, I will make sure Republicans never succeed in their attempts to strip away their care and that the remaining uninsured should be able to get the affordable coverage they need to stay healthy," she said in a statement. Sanders agreed that the goal of health care overhauls in America should be to guarantee health care as a right for all, but called Clinton's proposal an important step toward that end. "I congratulate Secretary Clinton for this extremely important initiative. It will save lives and ease suffering. It will improve health care and cut health care costs," he said in a statement. "It is a significant step forward as we advance toward the goal of health care for all Americans." The Vermont senator added that Clinton's plan will address current crises in primary health care, such as access to doctors, dental care, mental health counseling and low-cost prescription drugs. "Together these steps will get us closer to the day when everyone in America has access to quality, affordable health care," he said of his rival's proposal. With Hillary Clinton expected to be crowned the Democratic presidential nominee at the party's convention later this month, Western Massachusetts delegates representing Bernie Sanders have pledged to push for his policies and platform in Philadelphia. Delegates, who gathered in Holyoke late Thursday to discuss their plans for the upcoming Democratic National Convention, offered mixed thoughts on Clinton's expected nomination, but remained firm in their commitment to continuing Sanders' so-called "political revolution." Holyoke City Councilor Jossie Valentin, a Congressional District 1 Sanders delegate, said delegates are being instructed to continue the Vermont senator's push for more progressive policies at the convention. "The message we are getting right now as delegates is that we are going to Philadelphia to continue to push the Democratic Party to have the most progressive platform that we can see," she said. DNC Platform Committee member Nancy Stenberg of Easthampton said those progressive policies include: ensuring the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal doesn't come up for a vote in Congress, pushing for stronger language in support of a $15 minimum wage, banning hydraulic fracturing, instituting a carbon tax, creating a "Medicare for all" health care system and expanding access to higher education. Stenberg, who traveled to Orlando, Florida, on Friday to push for Sanders' policies at a Platform Committee meeting, added that whatever doesn't make it into the the party's platform then will be taken to the convention floor for delegates to vote on. "Other than that, we have no idea what else is going to happen. It seems to be a state secret what is going to happen at that convention," she said -- adding that she doesn't know anything about the reported talks going on between the Clinton and Sanders campaigns. Ed Collins Jr., an at-large Sanders delegate from Springfield, said he expects the 2016 convention to be much different and more contested from those he attended in 2000, 2004 and 2012. "Hillary has the votes to lock the nomination in, but there's enough, as you see here, loyal Bernie folks that there's some fights that are going to happen around the platform that may shape up to make this the most exciting convention of the ones I've ever been to," he said. "I'm looking forward to that because they can be rather dull and mundane affairs sometimes." Collins, however, said he's had some angst in the lead-up to the convention over Sanders supporters who could refuse to get behind Clinton if she is named the party's nominee, even with Donald Trump as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "There's an element among the Bernie supporters that are just not really ready to face up to the fact that he isn't going to be the nominee and they almost seem at times -- and it's nobody here tonight -- but, some of the stuff I'm hearing on the conference calls and online, they almost seem like it's more important to beat Hillary than it is to beat Donald Trump, which is nutty," he said. Collins, a self-described longtime Sanders supporter, said he thinks a lot of work has to be done to ensure the fighting in the Democratic Party ends after the convention. Acknowledging the split among Democrats, Maurice Taylor of Holyoke, a Congressional District 1 Sanders delegate, said he expects to see some passions boil over at the Democratic National Convention. "I know it's crazy to say, but a lot of racism, a lot of police, a lot of oppression, but that's one side of it," he said of his expectations for Philadelphia. "I'm expecting a lot of passion, a lot of dedication from both sides. A lot of push from the Bernie campaign, a lot of frustration." Taylor, however, said he remains committed to continuing Sanders' political revolution beyond the 2016 election, stressing that the movement "belongs to the people." "I like to call it an evolution, not a revolution because a revolution is a 360-degree turn from where you started," he said. "This belongs to the people and part of that is our responsibility to wake other people up and connect with other people." The Democratic National Convention will kick off July 25 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. BOSTON - Just a few hours after he was introduced by the Boston Celtics, big man Al Horford made his way over to Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch before the series opener between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Even with his son hanging from his legs, Horford managed to, eventually, get the pitch to friend David Ortiz. Watch the video above as Horford is welcomed by Boston's fans and gets Friday's game going with a pitch. Craig Kimbrel,Robinson Chirinos Boston Red Sox's Craig Kimbrel examines a new ball after giving up a three-run home run to Texas Rangers' Robinson Chirinos, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Boston, Tuesday, July 5, 2016. The Rangers won 7-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) (Michael Dwyer) BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was unavailable to pitch during the team's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays after he experienced left knee discomfort before Friday night's 6-5 win. According to Red Sox manager John Farrell, Kimbrel complained of discomfort after shagging fly balls during batting practice. Kimbrel was sent for an MRI Friday evening, and the team will not have an update on his condition until tomorrow. "Everything we did early he was fine, but then he felt something while the running was taking place -- unfortunately in BP when he shagged," Farrell said. Farrell went on to say that Kimbrel will likely miss the All-Star Game. "I'd probably venture to say he's not going to be available for that," Farrell said. In his first year with the Red Sox, Kimbrel has gone 1-3 with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP while picking up 17 saves in 19 opportunities. Most of his struggles this season have come in tie games or in non-save situations. Friday evening, the Red Sox turned to Koji Uehara in the ninth inning of a two-run ball game with the Rays. Uehara gave up a solo home run to Evan Longoria, but the Red Sox held on for a 6-5 win. The Red Sox were also without reliever Junichi Tazawa, who has been dealing with shoulder tightness since his outing against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on July 3. In that appearance, he gave up two runs on three hits in one inning of work. Tazawa has not had a MRI for the discomfort and, as of Friday night, was not scheduled to have one. by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, July 8, 2016 Earlier this week, Comcast made headlines for bringing Netflix's app to set-top boxes. But today, the cable giant is in the news for reasons that aren't as consumer friendly. Comcast -- which already has legions of dissatisfied customers -- is introducing its unpopular data caps to more markets, including Chicago. "If you get your internet from Comcast, we're so sorry," Chicagoist writes in a new blog post. The author adds that Comcast -- already "terrible -- is "about to get worse." Starting Aug. 1, Comcast's broadband customers in Chicago who consume more than 1 Terabyte of data per month will face overages ranging from $10 to $200. People also will be able to pay an extra $50 per month for unlimited data. advertisement advertisement The 1 TB maximum is more generous than Comcast's former cap, which was set at 300 GB a month. The company revised the cap upward in April, shortly after the Federal Communications Commission required Charter to promise to avoid data caps for at least seven years as a condition of its merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. That mandate was seen as a signal that regulators weren't happy with data caps. Thousands of customers who were hit with overages for exceeding the old caps complained about the company to the FCC. Many of those people said they subscribe to Comcast because it's the only high-speed Web provider in their neighborhoods. "There are 6 people living in my household who use the internet daily so we go over the limit pretty fast," one customer wrote to the FCC last October. "I have no choice but to pay the fees due to there being no other adequate Internet service provider in Miami." Consumer advocacy groups urged the FCC to investigate whether Comcast was implementing data caps in ways that undermine net neutrality rules by giving subscribers incentives to avoid consuming online video offered by competitors. The advocates focused specifically on Stream -- a relatively new $15-a-month service that gives broadband-only subscribers access to many of the same programs that cable customers can watch. Videos watched through Stream are exempt from the data caps. Comcast's move to increase the data cap seems to have staved off criticism of the service, given that less than 1% of customers consume 1 TB of data per month. Comcast says one TB is enough to stream 700 hours of HD video, play 12,000 hours of online games, and download 60,000 high-res photos. But even if the caps are sufficient for most households today, that may not always be the case. Data consumption will only increase when more high-bandwidth services -- like telemedicine, for instance -- grow more popular. by Larissa Faw , July 8, 2016 Rasmus Bjurstrom departs from OMD to join Perfect Fools as strategic director, a new post at the agency. Starting in August, Bjurstrom will have wide-ranging responsibilities as the international creative shop seeks to boost its strategic offerings. Some of his key priorities will include "developing brand strategies and evolving its media offering across all consumer touch-points in owned, earned and bought channels," as well as developing new strategic tools and processes to bring together the creative and technical teams. And he will recruit several new team members as the agency plans to round out its strategy department. Bjurstrom will report to CEO Ann Ysten and sit on the agency management team. He will be based in Perfect Fools' Stockholm office. Bjurstrom joins from OMD Sweden where he was creative director with brands including PepsiCo, Orkla, and Disney. Previous OMD client work includes Carlsberg, Asics and McDonalds. advertisement advertisement "Rasmus brings valuable knowledge both from the digital and media world, which is timely given that more clients look to us for their overall communication strategy," says Ysten. "Rasmus fits well into the Perfect Fools culture of talented and ambitious creative thinkers with a makers mentality. Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Advertisement Speaking ahead of the vote, the bill's proponent Mick Wallace said he wanted to see the proposals tested in the country's Supreme Court. "It will add urgency to the fact that there's at least four or five women every week in Ireland having to travel out of the country to have a fatal foetal abnormality dealt with," he said. Abortion is illegal in Ireland unless there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, and a woman convicted of having an illegal termination faces 14 years imprisonment.However, women are free to travel abroad for abortions and thousands do so every year, mainly to England. Defeat for the proposed legislation does not mark an end to the controversy over an issue that has polarised Irish society for generations. Parliament is due to debate a separate bill seeking a referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment within the next three months.It will also top the agenda for discussion at a Citizens' Assembly composed of a random sample of the adult population, which the government has pledged to create before the end of the year. The Eighth Amendment was passed overwhelmingly in 1983, with 67 percent voting in favour and 33 percent against.However, opinion polls over the last few years have consistently indicated strong support for reform and Ireland is now also coming under increased international pressure over its current stance. Last month the UN Human Rights Committee found Ireland's abortion laws "cruel, inhuman and degrading".Source: AFP The Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis, met at the Foreign Ministry on Friday, 8 July, with the Council of Europes Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks. During the very friendly meeting, the collocutors focused on the issue of the refugee and migration crisis, the phenomena of nationalism and racism developing in Europe, and the repercussions of the economic crisis for human rights in the European countries most affected. Mr. Muiznieks briefed Mr. Xydakis on the meetings he carried out during his visit to Athens, stressing the excellent impression he took away from his talks with members of the cabinet. The collocutors took a common approach to the matter of the refugee crisis as a phenomenon that requires global vigilance, stressing that the solution to the issue needs to be based on strengthened cooperation and solidarity, not only among EU countries, but also on the part of the international community as a whole. Also stressed was the need to improve the performance of refugee relocation and resettlement mechanisms, as well as the process for reuniting families. Special mention was made of the need to protect the unaccompanied minors among refugees. Mr. Xydakis briefed the Commissioner on the programme under way for handling the issue, stressing the need for Greece to be supported, both economically and in terms of human and material resources. He underscored, however, that in the unstable European environment, particularly in the wake of the Brexit referendum, we are seeing a retreat from the common European positions on receiving refugees, noting the risk involved in referendums, like the one planned by the Hungarian government, on implementation of the common European decisions that have been taken. Commissioner Muiznieks stressed that Greece has made progress in confronting racism, through the implementation of the anti-racism law, and highlighted that he sees it as very significant that cases against Golden Dawn have been brought before the justice system. Moreover, he noted as very positive the differentiation he has observed in the public dialogue regarding refugee and migrant rights. Mr. Muiznieks also briefed Mr. Xydakis on the positions and initiatives being taken on a European level to achieve solutions in the field of human rights. Referring in particular to the economic crisis, he noted that its results differ from country to country, and he praised the Greek government for keeping political respect for human rights a high priority under these conditions. He stressed that he will stand by Greece in its efforts towards recovery. Finally, the collocutors referred to the situation in the wider Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan region. Mr. Muiznieks showed interest in the developments in the Cyprus issue. Mr. Xydakis reaffirmed Greeces desire for the best possible solution to be found. Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met on Friday, 8 July, with the Foreign Minister of Canada, Stephane Dion, within the framework of the proceedings of the NATO Summit Meeting, in Warsaw. During the meeting, which took place in a constructive atmosphere, there was an examination of the course of bilateral relations and a discussion of ways to further strengthen the political cooperation between the two countries. It was agreed that political consultations will be carried out between the two Foreign Ministries. Finally, the two Ministers exchanged views on international and regional issues impacting the global security environment, and Mr. Kotzias invited his Canadian counterpart to visit Greece. The campaign, posted on the Gofundme.com website, raised contributions for the family of Alton Sterling from some 13,000 donors in its first 23 hours. The scholarship campaign was launched by actress-writer Issa Rae, who describes herself on the Gofundme page as "sympathetic and empathetic" to the plight of the family that Sterling has left behind. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the video-recorded killing of the 37-year-old Sterling, a black man who police say had a gun as he wrestled with two white officers outside a Baton Rouge convenience store. He earned a living selling CDs outside the store. The investigation covers 430,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles with model years between 2008 and 2011 and that have an anti-lock braking system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday. Riders reported that the brakes on the hand lever and foot pedal did not work, causing one driver to crash into a garage door. NHTSA said it received 43 complaints, three reports of crashes and two reports of injuries. The agency said it is possible that some riders who experienced brake failure did not change the motorcycle's brake fluid every two years as recommended by Harley-Davidson. The old fluid may corrode valves in the anti-lock braking system, NHTSA said. Even if riders did not change the fluid, the sudden brake failure "is a concern," the agency said. Representatives of Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning. HURON COUNTY Michigan Sugar Co. is Huron Countys biggest employer, with 550 employees. The Huron County Economic Development Corp. (HCEDC) compiled data last month that shows the top 10 industrial employers and the top 10 service/retail employers. Michigan Sugar is very proud to be a leading employer in Huron County and across Michigans Thumb and Saginaw Valley, said Ray Vandriessche, director of community and government relations for Michigan Sugar. We value our strong relationships with the communities we call home across the region. Every day, hundreds of employees and farm families work hard to keep the cooperative going strong and when Michigan Sugar is successful, were able to boost the economy in local communities. Michigan Sugar in Sebewaing contributes to the total production of 1.25 billion pounds of Pioneer beet sugar annually. In the Thumb and Saginaw Valley, Michigan Sugar employs 890 people year-round and 1,460 people seasonally, Vandriessche said. Tower Automotive is second with 482 employees, followed by Huron Casting Inc. with 452 employees. Manufacturing took a dip during the recession, but thats come back, said Carl Osentoski, executive director of the HCEDC. The top two service/retail employers are Scheurer Hospital with 420 employees and Huron Medical Center with 401 employees. The fourth industrial revolution has reached the county, according to Osentoski. The biggest jobs trend in the county for the last five to 10 years is more technology jobs in both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, Osentoski said. Its a dramatic change, he said. Global positioning in tractors and robotics in manufacturing are reasons why software-related jobs are increasing, he said. We expect that pace to pick up as technology improves, Osentoski said. Looking at the countys top employers indicates what opportunities are available, said Alan Bean, community planner at the Spicer Group in Saginaw. Bean is working with the Huron County Planning Commission and Huron County Board of Commissioners to draft a revised master plan for the county. The master plan will include this latest job data. In order to develop goals for future land-use planning, officials need to look at current trends, said Jeff Smith, director of the Huron county Building and Zoning Office. The municipality that has the most manufacturing employers in the county is Pigeon, with 11 of the countys 43 locations, according to HCEDC data. Bad Axe has eight; Harbor Beach has six; and Ubly has five. Sebewaing has four; Elkton and Caseville have three each; Bay Port has two; and Port Austin and Port Hope have one each. The full list of the top 10 employers and their number of workers, according to the HCEDC, are as follows: Top Ten Industrial Employers 1. Michigan Sugar: 550 2. Tower Automotive: 482 3. Huron Casting Inc.: 452 4. Valley Enterprises: 261 5. Gemini Plastics: 251 6. Thumb Tool & Engineering: 226 7. Blue Diamond Steel Casting LLC: 223 8. Gemini Precision Machining Inc.: 155 9. Dow AgroSciences: 140 10. Regency Plastics: 136 Top Ten Service/Retail Employers 1. Scheurer Hospital: 420 2. Huron Medical Center: 401 3. Wal-Mart: 255 4. Huron County Medical Care Facility: 227 5. Harbor Beach Community Hospital: 159 6. Huron County Building: 156 7. Northstar Bank: 110 8. McDonalds Food & Family Center: 105 9. Huron Behavioral Health: 99 10. Huron County Road Commission: 96 Our commissioners want to blame the state and federal government instead of accepting responsibility for what they have allowed to happen in Huron County. From 2005, when the first wind development began in Ubly, residents were voicing their concern and opposition to the inadequate regulations the county created with the help of the wind developer. The commissioners did not listen but were looking for the money. For the past 11 years, many concerned residents and several professionals have offered input, assistance and guidance to steer our County toward better regulations. The commissioners turned a deaf ear to all. Here we are today with hundreds of wind turbines and our commissioners saying they cant do anything about it. Nonsense! Schoolcraft County, Emmet County and Mason County were not afraid to adopt better regulations. Mason County, under their original wind ordinance, allowed construction of a 56 turbine development that resulted in a lawsuit by an adjacent property owner. That property owner now sits on the county planning commission and the countys wind ordinance has been amended to include stronger regulations. Mason County likely will never see any more turbines built within its boundaries and they have not been sued. Neither has any other municipality that has adopted better and stronger zoning regulations across the state, which includes dozens of townships. Nowhere in the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act does it state that our county shall zone for wind turbines. In fact, Section 125.3207 states that A zoning ordinance or zoning decision shall not have the effect of totally prohibiting the establishment of a land use ... in the presence of a demonstrated need ... Where is the demonstrated need for more? Both DTE and Consumers Energy have met the states renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 10 percent. So why do our commissioners continue to listen to poor legal advice when the tools are already in place to put a stop to the continued wreckage of Huron County? Louis J. Colletta Lake Township 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. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. After a false start two years ago, the F-35B is finally days away from making its first appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 11, riding a wave of optimism as operational milestones near. The Marine Corps' F-35B short takeoff and vertical lift variant of the aircraft will be featured at the show, marking the first time the fifth-generation fighter will appear in the U.K. and the first time it is flown overseas by American pilots. Six F-35s -- three F-35Bs and three of the F-35A variant used by the Air Force -- made the trans-Atlantic flight from the U.S. on June 30 and July 1 ahead of the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in England. Due to limited hangar space, the F-35A will not appear at Farnborough, returning home after RIAT later this month. The F-35B was originally supposed to make its first appearance at Farnborough in 2014. Those plans were scrapped when an F-35A fire on the runway at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida caused the Defense Department to ground all F-35s and cancel the aircraft's participation in Farnborough. It's possible that the cutting-edge aircraft is in a better position now to take advantage of the publicity that Farnborough offers than it would have been in 2014. Despite ongoing concerns about software glitches, an F-35A ejection seat issue that may create risk of neck damage for lighter pilots, and a ballooning lifetime cost to operate the aircraft, the Joint Strike Fighter has achieved key milestones in recent months. The Marine Corps F-35B achieved initial operational capability on schedule last July and has since activated two squadrons of the aircraft, replacing units of legacy F/A-18 Hornets and AV-8B Harriers. The first deployment of the F-35B to Japan is planned in January. Reports from RIAT indicate the F-35A is still on track to reach IOC before the end of this year, at which point the service will have between 12 and 14 fully mission-capable aircraft. During a hearing before a House Armed Services Committee panel on military readiness July 6, Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation Gen. Jon Davis lavished praise on the fighter. During a recent Weapons and Tactics Instructor drill in Yuma, Arizona, he said, the aircraft modeled a series of exacting threat scenarios that the Marines' legacy platforms usually take on. "Generally, about half the airplanes that go into the [range of military operations] for high-end threats ... about half don't make it through," he said. "The F-35s had a 24-0 kill ratio, killed all the targets. It was like Jurassic Park, watching a velociraptor. It kills everything." One of Davis' sons wants to fly the aircraft for the Marine Corps in the future, the general said, and the other may pursue doing so as well. Mark Gunzinger, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, told Millitary.com other positive signs for the F-35 program included a decrease in developmental problems, indicating that the platform is maturing, and a decrease in unit cost, as predicted by the Joint Program Office. Gunzinger said he had spoken with test pilots and trainees who raved about the aircraft after having the chance to familiarize themselves with it. "It's well known the F-35 really does have a magic cockpit and the ability to take multiple sources of information,: Gunzinger said. "Its situational awareness is unparalleled." The appearance of the F-35 at Farnborough may also have significance for international customers considering investing in the aircraft. One of the three F-35Bs at Farnborough is intended for England's Royal Air Force. According to a 2015 strategy document, the U.K. ultimately hopes to buy 138 of the STOVL variant of the aircraft. According to reports, nearly 50 U.K. military personnel are training to fly and maintain the aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, and the U.K. plans to stand up its first operational F-35 unit in 2018. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck. Related video: Jelbert has spent the last five years researching the psychology of happiness. His first book, The Happiness Animalbecame a best seller and is recognized as the first practical exercise guide to happiness. In April 2016, Jelbert released a new narrative of happiness, 25 Days. His alternative careers guide, Jobs Verse will be published in June 2016, and he is currently working on a series of five illustrated children's books about five happiness animals. (publisher and release date TBC). Jelbert was born in Cornwall, the far South Western edge of the United Kingdom, and grew up on a fourth generation family farm two miles outside of Penzance. Yes, the Penzance that made the Pirates famous. Jelbert's childhood was spent walking the cows in for milking after school, sorting through potatoes on the harvester, and driving the tractor while Jelbert's parents and grandparents cut cauliflower. By age eighteen, Jelbert had developed an aptitude for languages, thanks in part to the many conversations with the girls next door during the family's holiday trips to Brittany. Jelbert left the farm to study modern languages at Exeter University. After graduating, Reuters offered Jelbert a job translating French and German market information into English. Over the next ten years Jelbert worked in London, Geneva, and New York and took a year-long assignment to India in 2005 before relocating to Sydney in 2006. Jelbert became an Australian citizen in July 2010. After a year living in Denver, Colorado, Jelbert now lives in New York. Since 2013 Jelbert has offered happiness coaching sessions to both individuals and groups, as well as running a regular happiness exercise class in Union Square. He has appeared in two interviews with the BBC in the UK, and participates in the annual 'Happiness and its Causes' world happiness conference in Sydney, Australia. He also receives commissions to write articles on happiness. Jelbert continues his studies of happiness and psychology through Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. severe weather July 8.JPG A National Weather Service graphic shows storms expected on the evening of July 8, 2016. (Courtesy) UPDATE: The severe thunderstorm warning for east central Washtenaw County and southern Wayne County expired at 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The storm weakened and is no longer considered severe, but gusty wind and heavy rain are still possible. -- SALINE, MI - The National Weather Service is cautioning those at the Saline Celtic Festival to take shelter immediately. A severe thunderstorm was located about 7:23 p.m. Friday, July 8, near Milan, moving east at 45 mph, according to a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning. The warning is in effect until 8:30 p.m. in southern Washtenaw County, Monroe County, northeastern Lenawee County and southwestern Wayne County. Carleton, Monroe, Milan, Tecumseh, Flat Rock, Saline, Dundee, Manchester, Ida, Willis and Petersburg may also be impacted, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph and quarter size hail are expected hazards with the storm and wind damage to roofs, sidings and trees is possible, the service reported. Torrential rainfall may also lead to flooding. Residents in affected areas are encouraged to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Darcie Moran covers cops and courts for MLive and The Ann Arbor News. Email her at dmoran@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter @darciegmoran. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Car enthusiasts took to downtown Ann Arbor to show off and admire interesting rides on Friday, July 8. Bill Crispin Chevrolet and the Main Street Area Association hosted the 21st Annual Rolling Sculpture Car Show, which featured more than 300 exotic, antique, classic, and concept cars. Houston, Texas resident Sarah Gish drove 1,300 miles in her art car, called "Phoenix Rising," to attend the car show. Gish was born in Ann Arbor but moved out of state when she was just 6 months old. This was her first time exploring the city as an adult. "I love it here!," Gish said. A DJ provided classic car-themed music, and hot dogs were available from a food vendor as downtown streets were lined with the rolling sculptures. DETROIT - Summer Starling said she did not necessarily choose to come down to a rally in downtown Detroit supporting the "Black Friday" movement. "I didn't have a choice," the Detroit resident said Friday night. "Since I've been born it's been an obligation, really," She said she was showing solidarity with other American cities where tragedy has struck several resounding punches this week. On Wednesday a Minnesota police officer shot to death Philando Castile, a St. Paul Public Schools employee, and a woman who he was with in the car livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook. A young child was in the car with the couple. That was just a day after police in Baton Rouge shot Alton Sterling to death in front of a convenience store, where he was known for selling CDs. These were only the most recent incidents in which black men (and in other cases women) were killed under questionable circumstances that were caught on video. With this as a backdrop, on Thursday night a protest in Dallas turned deadly when a gunman opened fire, apparently targeting police officers. He killed five Dallas police officers, and wounded seven others. And on Friday, authorities said police officers were shot in individual attacks by civilians in Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, the Associated Press reports. Two officers were wounded in the attacks, one of whom was in critical condition Friday evening. In Detroit, the rally Friday night remained peaceful, but impassioned. It began at Campus Martius with about hundred people before growing to several hundred supporters, with speakers led in part by City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield giving passionate pleas for change. "In this country, the educational system is messed up, because they don't want our kids to learn," she said. "It ain't just Detroit, it's in cities around the country." She urged people to get out and vote, and help set policy that would lead to better education for the city's youth. "Protesting is good but policy is just as important," she said. Along the sidelines, Malik Shabazz,a civil rights activist and leader of the New Black Panther Party in Detroit, said that "all lives matter." And he said it's a shame that, in the 21st century, the words "black lives matter" even have to be uttered. Such a movement however is necessary to recognize the historic oppression that African Americans have faced in the U.S for the past 480 years, as well as the recent shootings of unarmed black men, which lately have seemed "as American as apple pie," he said. After about an hour, the rally became a march, snaking through downtown Detroit for several hours, with chants such as "We fired up! We fed up!" and "Black lives matter!" and "No, justice no peace! No racist police!" Several motorists honked their horns in support and pumped their fists out of vehicles' windows. Later, as the rally came to an end near its original location in the heart of downtown, several people were hugging. For friends Damirah Hawkins, Alexis Ellis and Tia Harris, who came down to the march holding signs, the night was about showing that Detroit stands with places such as Ferguson, Baltimore, Baton Rouge and other places in solidarity and frustration. "We're just tired of it," said Hawkins, of Detroit.. "There's just too many people dying for no reason." Police say an officer feared for his life when he shot an unarmed woman five times while trying to make a traffic stop in Dearborn about 4 p.m. Jan. 27. Janet Wilson, 31, who suffered from mental illness and might have been off her medication, according to relatives, attempted to flee police following a disturbance she caused at Fairlane Town Center Mall. MLive reviewed more than 400 pages of documents obtained by state police during their investigation of the shooting, including witness statements, police statements, evidence receipts and the personnel file of the officer who fired the fatal shots. The documents offer conflicting accounts of the level of danger posed to the Dearborn police officer who pulled the trigger. The Disturbance An employee at Solstice Sunglasses in the mall wrote in a statement to police that Wilson entered the store in an agitated state, "yelling angrily about her being a 'light skin' woman." Wilson, with unkempt hair and a noticeable red blemish -- possibly an injury -- on her right cheek, wore baggy, black sweatpants and a tattered, red winter jacket. She used duct tape to patch the holes, wrote the shop employee. "I approached her and asked how she was doing and if she was looking for anything in particular," the employee told police. "She told me ... I didn't need to know about her business. "I politely responded that this was my store and I was doing my job, but if she did not want me to do my job, she did not have to stay in the store. She then threw the white Gucci frames down on the ground ... and began to yell at me." The shop employee called security, who arrived and urged Wilson to leave the mall. Witness reports say Wilson continued to berate the guards, allegedly calling them "bitches," as well arguing with customers as security guards corralled her toward the parking lot through JC Penney. Police were notified. One guard said in his statement that he approached Wilson in his security vehicle, intending to jot down her license plate number. When she noticed him, she began driving her SUV at a high rate of speed in his direction. About the same time, a Dearborn police officer pulled into the mall parking lot. Wilson spotted him, stopped driving toward the guard and instead sped for the exit, the guard wrote. Following Wilson's death, State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said she attempted to hit two security guards with her vehicle. Wilson pulled out of the mall parking lot and into thick traffic on Hubbard Drive. Police quickly caught up with her. The shooting Police and multiple witnesses say Wilson ignored repeated commands to get out of her vehicle after being stopped in her Chevrolet HHR on Hubbard, outside the mall parking lot. She was accused of driving in the direction of the officer, who then opened fire. One witness, a 25-year-old who worked at the nearby American Auto Association (AAA) headquarters and was on his way to school that windy winter afternoon, claimed to have watched the entire incident unfold. The man wasn't initially questioned, but a state police investigator tracked him down two days later, investigative documents reveal. "I remember one officer at her right front fender, the other at her back left door," said the witness, whose name was redacted from police documents. " ... The officer on her side was trying to open her door, but it was locked. She starts to flee the scene in her vehicle and then I see the officer at her front right fire three shots at her. "Then the officer looks at me, which I'm guessing is to see of any rounds hit me." Witnesses gave varying accounts of how many gunshots they heard. The figures ranged from three to six. According to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's autopsy, Wilson suffered five gunshot wounds, three to her upper-right chest and two to her right arm. Once the officer on Wilson's passenger side opened fire, her SUV proceeded forward until two other police vehicles strategically wedged the SUV and brought it to a stop, multiple witnesses said. "I do not feel like either officer was in danger," the AAA worker told Michigan State Police Sgt. Joseph White on Jan. 29. "It did not seem like the officer who shot was in front of her car or its path." State police: "Was the officer who shot ever standing in front of the lady's car?" Witness: "Possibly, before she was moving." State police: "Was he in front of her car when she started moving forward?" Witness: "No" Another version Several other witnesses gave statements to state police following the shooting that support claims the officer appeared to be in danger. One witness, who seemed unsure of Wilson's gender and referred to her in his statement as a man, said police surrounded Wilson's vehicle in a "non-threatening manner." "As officer on passenger side approached to the front passenger side, suspect started to move around in the vehicle," he wrote in a statement. "There was commotion in the vehicle. I heard the suspect's vehicle rev up. "I heard a shot that looked like a warning shot. The vehicle clipped the officer as it was speeding away. Two to three more shots were fired." Another witness leaving work at the nearby AAA headquarters said it appeared the officer moved to the side, avoiding the vehicle before he opened fire. The officer who fired and two others who witnessed the shooting refused to give a public statement to the state police investigator conducting the investigation. They provided a Garrity statement, a protected interview granted to police. Garrity law says the content of those interviews cannot be used in criminal proceedings and are exempt from FOIA requests. In addition to witnesses interviewed the evening of the shooting, Dearborn police IT Department employees scoured social media for comments about the shooting. According to the state police, Dearborn police were searching for more witnesses. "This happened right in front my eyes couldn't even video tape it cause my hands were trembling [sic]. I wish I didn't witness this," read one of the social media posts gathered by police A state police detective tracked down the alleged author. The report doesn't say how he located the person. "She stated that she was in the general area but did not observe the incident; she was too far back in traffic and just saw the police cars," the detective reported. "I read her the posting and she displayed a 'sheepish grin' then said that she may have embellished." Beyond the witness statements, the state police investigation mentions "in-car video," collected on six DVDs that might be useful in determining whether police were justified. Dearborn and state police have to date refused to release dash-cam video footage. Personnel records show the officer who killed Wilson was previously issued a warning for mistreatment of a prisoner on Dec. 27, 2014. A summary of the findings says the officer, "without malice," forced the disorderly prisoner's head against a sign in the sally port on the way into the jail. The use-of-force incident review says a protruding screw likely caused the prisoner's injuries. Lingering decisions It's been more than a month since state police submitted their findings to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's Office. Worthy says the matter remains under investigation and refuses to offer a timeline as to when she might issue a ruling on whether the shooting was justified. The prosecutor also has another investigation under review in a Dec. 23, 2015 Dearborn police shooting that resulted in the death of Kevin Matthews, who was also unarmed and believed to have suffered from mental illness. Detroit police conducted that investigation and submitted it to Worthy's office more than a month ago. Matthews, while walking, disobeyed a Dearborn officer who ordered him to stop, according to police. The officer, first in his patrol car and then on foot, followed Matthews. Matthews was shot multiple times after a scuffle in the backyard of a home. Police Chief James Craig said after the killing there were indications Matthews might have tried to grab the officer's firearm. The Detroit Free Press obtained a privately conducted autopsy that shows Matthews was shot at least five times. OAKLAND COUNTY, MI -- A 75-year-old Independence Township man was killed Thursday night when suspects fleeing from Oakland County deputies crashed into the van he was driving. The man was transported to McLaren Hospital - Oakland where he was later pronounced dead, according to a news release from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office. The chase was sparked following a call to the CVS Pharmacy in the 3400 block of Baldwin Road in Orion Township for a prescription fraud in process around 7:43 p.m. on Thursday, July 7. The suspect had dropped off a fraudulent prescription at the pharmacy, according to the release. Oakland County deputies put the suspect under arrest inside the pharmacy as he attempted to pick up the fraudulent prescription. Four other suspects who were waiting in a blue SUV in the parking lot at the time of the arrest fled the scene when other deputies arrived, according to the release. A deputy attempted to make a traffic stop, but the suspects in the vehicle refused to stop. The SUV ran a red light at Waldon and Baldwin roads and hit the van the man was driving, according to the release. The man was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. All four suspects in the SUV were transported to local hospitals for serious injuries. Through further investigation, deputies found the SUV the suspects fled in was previously reported stolen from Pontiac, according to the release. The suspect arrested at the pharmacy was lodged at the Oakland County Jail pending charges. The driver of the SUV was arrested and is currently under watch by deputies at a local hospital. The other three suspects were released at the hospital pending further investigation, according to the release. The suspect arrested at the CVS is a 22-year-old resident of Pontiac and the driver arrested following the chase is a 30-year-old man from Pontiac. The other three suspects are a 20-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, and an 18-year-old woman, all of Pontiac. No further information was available at this time. Amanda Emery is a police reporter for MLive-The Flint Journal. Contact her at aemery@mlive.com or 810-285-0792. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Lagos (AFP) - Boko Haram gunmen stormed a town in northeast Nigeria's Borno state near the border with Cameroon killing seven people, resident said Saturday, while the army reported two soldiers died as well as 16 Islamists. Gunmen on motorcycles raided the town of Rann in Kalabalge district overnight Friday to Saturday and opened fire on homes, fleeing residents said. "They opened fire on homes as we slept and killed seven people before carting away our food supplies and drugs from the only clinic in the town," Rann resident Abba Abiso said. The Nigerian army confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday, saying it lost two soldiers while 16 Boko Haram Islamists were killed. "The troops killed seven of the attackers instantly while quite a number escaped with gunshot wounds," the army said. "During clearance operations this morning, the troops discovered nine more Boko Haram terrorists dead bodies in the surrounding areas. Therefore the total number of terrorists killed was 16," it added. Residents had fled into Cameroon and the town of Gamboru, 28 kilometres (17 miles) away. Another witness Ari Ngamsu added: "The Boko Haram gunmen planted two high calibre explosives on the way outside the town but soldiers from Gamboru succeeded in defusing them at daybreak." Both witnesses spoke on Cameroonian phone lines, the only means of communication available following the destruction of telecom masts by Boko Haram in previous attacks. The Nigerian army also said it recovered a machine gun, a rocket propelled grenade and ammunitions from the insurgents, two of whom were captured alive. Rann and nearby villages have been been targeted in a number of attacks by Boko Haram despite successes by the Nigerian military that have pushed the Islamists out of some areas. The attacks have forced villagers to flee their homes, returning to them after they were clawed back by the military. Last month the insurgents sacked neighbouring Wumbi and Jikana villages outside Rann, killing eight people and looting food supplies. Boko Haram which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing more than 2.6 million people since 2009. The Madina Divisional police have arrested a mechanic apprentice for allegedly stealing a Toyota Corolla car belonging to a lecturer of the University of Professional Studies Accra. Three others who purportedly stole a Rama 150 motorbike valued at GH5,000, have also been nabbed. The suspected car thief, Edem Dzigbordi, 20 years of age, allegedly bolted with the vehicle, registered GC 285-12, and re-sprayed it into a taxi when the lecturer took it to his master for repairs, but the three others allegedly broke into the house of the motorbike owner and stole the vehicle, which had been locked. They are Ibrahim Frank, 20, driver; Michael Osei Boakye, 23, unemployed and Evan Ayim, 22, a painter. The four have provisionally been charged for stealing and are being processed for court while investigations into the case continue. Confirming the story to DAILY GUIDE, Chief Superintendent Natongma Yakubu, the divisional commander, said Edem was arrested from his hideout at Ashongman Estate in Accra, while the suspected motorbike thieves were apprehended at a house close to the Action School. Touching on the stolen car, Chief Superintendent Yakubu said the lecturer took it to the mechanic shop at Nsamanpom, near Madina, for repairs. The master of Edem took delivery of the car and asked the owner to return later in the day for it. . According to Chief Superintendent Yakubu, Edem, who was only one week old at the shop, stole the keys to the car from his master and bolted with the vehicle after re-spraying it into a taxi, and changed the registration number from private to commercial. He was apprehended when he had an accident with the vehicle and was being investigated. Chief Superintendent Yakubu said the three motorbike thieves committed the act on July 1, 2016 and were arrested the following day. By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey 09.07.2016 LISTEN The twists and turns about Ghana's energy crisis continue unabated. After a momentous announcement about government subsidy for electricity bills, President John Mahama has quickly abandoned the project, unashamedly creating an impression of being misunderstood. Communication experts should not have challenges conveying their thoughts or even orders. When such announcements are shrouded in befuddlement, it is because the source of the message is seeking to conceal something unsavoury. This situation as a result, is characterized by counterstatements, withdrawals and the claim of skewed reportage by the media, among other excuses. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), a company to which many a state institution is indebted to almost an overwhelming pitch, he said, is doing a realignment to bring relief to consumers. This, he said, is what was misunderstood by Ghanaians to mean a subsidy. Unfortunately, the ECG can hardly come out to dispute the president's presentation although the inherent contradiction is not too difficult to discern. Each elapsing day churns out new developments, complicating an already gloomy and confused energy situation. . The president ran away from the word 'subsidy', apprehensive of the implication when same comes to the notice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) administrators of the bitter pill, subsidy being a no-go area for subscribers of the Bretton Wood path. There are so many segments to the energy story that no sooner are we done with composing one than a fresh development makes landfall. So far though, the president's about-turn on electricity subsidy has attracted a blend of scorn and opprobrium. The true picture of the energy crisis is far from being clear as government is not ready to let go the necessary details. It is sad though that the intelligence of the Ghanaian is insulted constantly by state players, especially the Presidency. Otherwise, why would somebody tell Ghanaians as the president did, that the ECG is going to do realignment when the company is not even aware about what he is talking about? Whatever such realignment means does not matter if it does not lead to an affordable billing system for the ordinary or domestic consumer and the industrial. The ECG cannot be this generous as to undertake a realignment that would bring relief to consuming Ghanaians. The president treated Ghanaians to another bout of political theatricals when he attributed the current inadequate gas supply to the activities of the Niger Delta militants although he was not as brusque. If he cited sabotage in Nigeria as being responsible for the stoppage of our gas supply, we are compelled to want to know whether our indebtedness to that country is no longer an issue and not the main reason for the worrying state of affairs. Such contradictions deny the president's remarks the credibility they deserve. We have heard so much so far about why our electricity supply is intermittent, but the more we do, the more we get befuddled. So much talk, yet little to smile about. The embattled Montie FM afternoon political programme host and two members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team, who have been on the public spotlight for threatening the lives of judges on a live radio show, have dared the courts to order their arrests and jail them. On June 23, 2016 the day the Supreme Court justices ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to submit the list of NHIS card holders whose names were in the voter register Salifu Maase, popularly called Mugabe, and his panellists threw caution to the wind and lambasted the justices on the show, after which they dared the judges to arrest them. It was Mugabe, the host of the political talk show called 'Pampaso' on Montie FM, a pro-NDC radio network and sister station of Radio Gold at Laterbiokoshie, Accra, who first threw the challenge to the judges. The panellists, including Alistair Tairo Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, both NDC activists, openly threatened the lives of the judges when they said they would chase them to their houses. They have since been cited for contempt of court, with the Supreme Court summoning them and the radio owners to appear before the justices. While Ako Gunn preferred to run down Justices Sule Gbadegbe, Jones V. Dotse and Chief Justice (CJ) Georgina Wood, Alistair promised that somebody called Nash of Mataheko was ready to 'marry' the Chief Justice when war broke out. It's not clear why Nash would want to marry the Chief Justice, knowing full well that the CJ is happily married. CJ As President Mugabe specifically accused the CJ of using the Supreme Court to usurp the work of the EC so that there could be power vacuum to enable her to become President of Ghana. He then roared on air, They should come and arrest all of us and jail us. He also said the Chief Justice wanted to set the country on fire. Ei, and so now it is the Supreme Court that is Ei then they should take the work to the Supreme Court for them to do it themselves. They should take the register to Georgina Wood for her to do the work herself. She wants to set fire in the country, Mugabe said. Cocaine Scandal Alistair said he had always insisted that the Chief Justice should be removed because she got embroiled in a cocaine scandal, and accused her of trying to 'pour oxygen' in the fire by directing the EC on what to do. If you bring trouble, Justice Georgina Wood, Nash says I should tell you he's at Mataheko; he says I should tell you, Georgina, that if you let war break out in this country, he will marry you, he said boastfully, repeating, During war, he will marry you for you to see. You think you are comfortable. As leaders, you get rewards and benefits and your position is secure. . Today you want to sit there and use your left hands [referring to the judges] to point at things to destroy this nation. We know your homes. Mugabe, the High Court judges, I can stand at one junction and tell you where all of them live or most of the influential ones live. And so their homes are not far-fetched. Fallacious Positions Ako Gunn described some of the positions taken by the judges at the Supreme Court regarding the orders to the EC on the voter register as 'fallacies.' Look, three fallacies took place yesterday. They said from Justice Sule Gbadegbe, he said 'EC, we will not sit down for EC to plunge this country into chaos' and if you wouldn't sit down, what have you been doing? What interest do you have in it? he queried. He added something else: 'there is too much tension in this country.' Who determines the tension? Is it the Supreme Court? You sit there, and then you come out and say anything. It means that as you sit there, you are itching that there is tension so what shows that you aren't the ones who are stoking the fires that Abu Ramadan should be allowed to come back? How do you determine that there is tension? And everybody said that this case is a clear case. So what is your problem again? Err, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, another fallacious statement that she made. You see, Mugabe, that is why I am telling you that if someone has to travel, the person should wait till next week. Supreme Court, we are waiting for what they will say. Because you want to know how they will clean it. Who are you? Since when did Supreme Court direct EC? If Theodora Wood is going on pension, she should go. Else she should come to President Mahama with a letter, Ako Gunn articulated. Montie FM Begs Meanwhile, following the contempt charge slapped on the radio station, management of Montie FM has banned the two panellists who threatened to eliminate the justices of the Supreme Court until further notice. The radio station, in a statement signed by its General Manager, Mutala Mohammed, also apologised to the Chief Justice and justices of the Supreme Court over the seemingly incendiary comments. The management of Montie FM wishes to render its sincerest apologies to Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court and the Bench in general, for the use of its platform by certain panellists recently to make statements that appear to threaten the safety of the Supreme Court Bench. Management condemns absolutely the said statements which it considers regrettable and dissociates itself from those statements, management said. By William Yaw Owusu The Kotokoli chief of Madi na, Accra, Uoro Salifu Harouna, has predicted victory for the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in this year's presidential election. Chief Uoro Harouna, who heads 36 Kotokoli chiefs in the Greater Accra Region, indicated that There is every assurance that the majority of the Ghanaian voters, at least three-quarters, this time, are with him. We don't want any Ghanaian to make the mistake after the voting and say that 'if we had known we would have voted for Nana.' The chief made this assertion when Nana Akufo-Addo called on him at his palace, in the heart of Madina, on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, during the latter's tour of the constituency. He told the NPP flagbearer that he is in very safe hands (in the midst of the Kotokoli people) and in the hands of his lovers, adding that very soon, he will be our president. To the Ghanaian electorate, the chief stated that since the belief is that elections are won at the polling station, we are urging people that they have to be wide awake, alert and make sure that the right thing is done at the right time. Tribal Politics Nana Akufo-Addo urged the chiefs and people of Madina Zongo not to entertain the politics of tribalism and ethnicity, which will be waged by opponents of the NPP, but should rather vote based on the competence and the track record of the various political parties and their respective candidates as well as their ability to deliver decent standards of living for the citizenry. All the various tribes and religions in Ghana live in harmony. However, when the time for election is due, there are some who will come with their messages of division, trying to set tribes and religions against one another. Please, do not pay heed to such people. We are all Ghanaians; and let us continue to live in unity and harmony, he urged. On the miserable state our country finds herself in under President Mahama, Nana Addo stated that Ghana, a land rich in natural resources, was drenched in poverty because of the poor policies and programmes implemented by the Mahama government over the last seven years. All Ghana needs, he said, is a leader with good heart and love for Ghana, and one who is not in office just to steal the resources of our country or to take bribes. I am into politics because I want to use the little wisdom and knowledge God has given me to help move Ghana forward and bring relief and wealth to every part of the country. His government, he indicated, would institute measures to bring jobs and wealth to all parts of the country. . Nana Akufo-Addo also reiterated his message of establishing a Zongo Development Fund aimed at enhancing infrastructural development in Zongo communities and improving the lives of the people when elected President of the Republic, in spite of attempts by the ruling NDC to discredit the policy. This year, I need your help. Look at the elephant and look at me, and put your confidence in me. This is my third attempt (at the presidency). Help me go through the door and give Ghana a good government, he appealed. Whilst in the constituency, Nana Akufo-Addo also called on the chairman of the Madina Zongo Council of Chiefs, who is the La-Nkwantanang chief, Nii Kotei Djor. Ramadan Greetings The NPP flagbearer used the opportunity of his visit to wish all Muslims a happy Eid-ul-Fitr and urged them to vote for the party's parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface. In his message to the Muslim community over the successful completion of the 30-day Ramadan fasting, Nana said, On the occasion of the celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, I extend fraternal greetings of peace and blessings to the Muslim community in Ghana and the world over. Good leadership is multi-dimensional and hard to define but most management experts can identify a few core characteristics that we can all intuitively hang our hats on. Articulating a clear guiding vision for the enterprise being led is one of them. Having a well-defined mission is another. Assembling a competent team is a good idea. Focusing on one key issue and sustaining change on that issue is key to instituting change. In our environment, the key issue is non-application of our laws and related to this is endemic corruption. In this case, the enterprise in question is the well-being and prosperity of about 25 million people in a country once called Ghana that is not entirely recognizable as such any more. For many decades the brand of this enterprise was associated with a bold, almost grandiose forward looking vision rooted in the very idea of excellence in all aspects of its activities. Generally, its leaders though with differing political ideologies, held the very idea of excellence as a national ethos at the center of all our national pursuits. Being the first to be free from colonial domination in Black Africa, being the leading exporter of cocoa in the world, creating the largest man-made lake in the world at the time, having the fastest woman in the world, on and on and on. This was the brand. If you announced anywhere that you were a Ghanaian, it was assumed you were smart and the best at whatever you did. Everyone seemed articulate, the creative arts flourished and our athletes were fearless in competition. Second place simply wasn't good enough. As my late father, E. A. Ulzen of blessed memory from our greatest generation would say, failure is not an option." So what is expected of those who offer themselves as leaders of such a storied franchise with an unlikely symbol of a Black Star that shines in the night? I must say, our history is not one without blemishes, for way back in the 60s, in the midst of all the firsts, we had a moniker "Ghana - land of the dash." Along with our national identity of fast paced achievements, was this lingering backdrop of bribery, gift giving and yes, begging (oh, dash me something or as for this one, you will leave it with me). The origins of this pervasive idea that tokens of some sort must be presented at decision points in a transaction remain obscure. Through the 18th and 19th centuries the Dutch paid "kostgeld" annually to all the chiefs of Elmina for unspecified services and cooperation and also paid "rent" annually to the Asantehene, for Elmina Castle which was on the land of his military ally on the coast. In any event, whether the Ford Expedition which was presented to H.E. John D. Mahama was a gift or a bribe remains to be determined. This matter cannot simply be allowed to whither on the vine and disappear without proper accounting. We live in a constitutional democracy and all our actions must be guided only by that standard. For all the freedoms that are freely exercised on the airwaves, we must be mindful of the fact that all freedoms, rights and privileges of citizenship come with responsibilities. The constitution is unambiguous about presidential conduct that merits censure or dismissal from office. Chapter 8; Section 69 (1) The President shall be removed from office if he is found, in accordance with the provisions of this article - (a) to have acted in willful violation of the oath of allegiance and the presidential oath set out in the Second Schedule to, or in willful violation of any other provision of, this Constitution; or (b) to have conducted himself in a manner - (i) which brings or is likely to bring the high office of President into disrepute, ridicule or contempt; It is clear that actions that cause ridicule, disrepute and embarrassment to Civitatis Ghanesis should result in parliamentary legislative actions to investigate such occurrences. Is there enough political will to proceed with impeachment? If the president has done nothing wrong, then he should welcome a lawful and transparent process to clear his name and the now apparently sullied office of the president. He is not a hereditary chieftain. He is a constitutionally chosen leader and must abide by the constitution. Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana states, 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. In this matter involving the Burkinabe contractor, Mr. Kanazoe, at a minimum, his actions represent poor judgement and at worst, if proven, a criminal act attracting appropriate punishment. His own record of dealing with wayward appointees has been prosaic and consistent with poor leadership, guided by political expediency and crony capitalism. The opposition have a constitutional duty to initiate impeachment proceedings against him even if they are not likely to succeed, because we cannot cherry pick from our laws and give preferential treatment to some above others. It is only through due process, that the integrity of the presidency be will be preserved. Students of organizational behavior and dynamics tell us that such events are often not isolated incidents but likely an indication of a culture of management which covertly or blatantly approves such conduct within its ranks. This Ford Expedition symbolizes a larger problem which will be laid bare, with lawful inquiry. If this does not happen, then we are all guilty of receiving this gift or bribe whether we like it or not. Curiously, the Ghana Bar Association has not offered an interpretation of the constitution on the issue of the president receiving a gift or a bribe. They were also silent when the BNI stole defendants away after a court of law had granted them bail in the NPP/ South African security trainers debacle. However, recently when judges were allegedly threatened on the airwaves, they piped up. Has the GBA become a self-serving organization? There was a time when the GBA educated the public on the legal implications of matters of public interest. The president's remarks following these revelations have been pedestrian, to say the least. Some of them have been indicative of poor judgment. His remark that he prefers Toyota to American cars was most unfortunate, and unbecoming of a leader of a country with multiple trading partners. Besides the comment is not relevant to the issue of whether the Ford Expedition should have been accepted by the president. He defends himself by saying frequently that it is God who chooses kings." First of all, Ghana is not a Kingdom and secondly this remark diminishes the importance of every single vote in our democracy. At a minimum, the president has compromised the highest office in the land by creating the appearance of a conflict of interest and that is not defensible. He should have known better. As a product of a political party that has essentially superintended over a steady decline in the fortunes of the country, there seems to be little basis for another 4 years of this cynical and transactional administration. We are in a democracy and others may have a completely different assessment of Mr. Mahama's stewardship. This coming election provides the best opportunity to break away from the culture of corruption, impunity and lawlessness which has been fostered and nurtured over the past 6 years under Mr. Mahamas leadership. Realistically, the main opposition NPP, and the distant third PPP along with the more regional PNC must present clear pathways and programs of transformation of our processes because the therein lies the problem. The CPP's current leadership appears to be on the wrong side of this issue and the party is so fractured that it is unlikely to be a factor in this election. Who is best equipped to manage the task of transforming our processes best? The veteran politician Mr. Akuffo-Addo of the NPP or Dr. Nduom of the PPP, who is steadily gaining attention from voters but has a steep hill to climb. The next election should really be about the ethical management of our economy and the transformation of our value system as a nation and our culture of governance. It should be less about ideology. Ghana is in sore need of defined leadership in change management and more significantly change leadership from individuals in the political space who are proven to be ethical in their public dealings and also skilled in large scale effective leadership. We should not forget that the inspiring leadership of the first republic was eventually felled by poor management of our economy. Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future. - Elie Wiesel T. P. Manus Ulzen is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the University of Alabama and Author of Java Hill: An African Journey A historiography of Ghana. [email protected] javahillelmina.wordpress.com Twitter: @thaddeusulzen www.javahillelmina.com July 8, 2016 The Ghana Police Service has announced that the list of approved applicants from its recruitment process will be posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. According to a statement from the service signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Cephas Arthur, the list will be posted at all Regional and District Police Commands as well as all Police Training Schools. The list will also be published on the official website of the Police Service www.police.gov.gh on the said date. The statement directed applicants who are approved to present themselves at the Recruitment centres in their respective regions from July 18 to July 22, for the next stage of the recruitment process. The approved applicants are to bring with them, a copy of the print out of the reply to their online application indicating their qualification to the next stage, an original copy of their birth certificate, an original copy of their Junior High School (JHS) certificate, an original copy of Senior High School (SHS) certificates and two passport-size photographs. Although the new online system has encountered some technical challenges with many applicants having difficulties accessing the forms, this years recruitment process has largely been devoid of the problems seen in previous years. Heres the full statement from the Police Service: POLICE RECRUITMENT The Police Administration wishes to inform the general public, especially Police recruitment applicants, who have qualified to the next stage of the recruitment process that the selection exercise has been scheduled for Monday 18th July to 22nd July, 2016. Furthermore, the list of all qualified applicants will be posted at all Regional and District Police Commands as well as all Police Training Schools across the country by Wednesday 13th July, 2016. All qualified candidates are, hereby, requested to visit the above-named Police Commands and Police Training Schools closest to them on Wednesday 13th July, 2016 to find out where they have been placed for the selection exercise. Applicants can also log onto police website: www.police.gov.gh with effect from 13th July 2016 for the same information. On the reporting day-18th July, 2016, qualified candidates are required to bring along the following document and items. Copy of the print out of reply to online application indicating their qualification to the next stage. Original copy of birth certificate. Original Copy of J.S.H certificate. Original copy of S.H.S certificate Two (2) passport-size photographs Candidates are also advised to make arrangement to stay for the entire duration of the process. Recruitment centres across the country are as follows: S/NO. REGION CITY VENUE 1. Greater Accra Accra National Police Training School, Tesano 2. Eastern Koforidua Police Training School 3. Central Cape Coast Jubilee Park 4. Western Sekendi-Takoradi Jubilee Park 5. Volta Ho Police Training School 6. Ashanti Kumasi Police Training School 7. Brong Ahafo Sunyani Jubilee Park 8. Northern Tamale Jubilee Park 9. Upper East Bolgatanga Police Training School, Pwalugu 10. Upper West Wa Jubilee Park The Police further wishes to caution applicants that anyone who produces forged or fake document, either academic certificate or birth certificate, will be arrested and prosecuted. SGND DIRECTOR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS [CEPHAS ARTHUR] SUPERINTENDANT OF POLICE By: citifmonline.com/Ghana The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over the unavailability of copies of papers in a key piece of legislation laid before the house by government related to the conduct of this year's election. These legal instruments are the Public Election Regulation 2016 and the Representation of the people (Parliamentary Constituencies) Instrument 2016. The regulations are meant to guide the conduct of the elections if passed by the House. Though the Minority in parliament has made known their concerns over the missing papers being laid, the document has still been laid and referred to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee for consideration. Speaking to Citi News' Duke Mensah Opoku after proceedings in the House on Friday, the MP for Akuapem North and the acting leader of the minority during the days sitting, W.O Boafo, said the concerns were raised because they did not want to begin the process of dealing with the new legislation without knowing its content. Mr. Boafo explained that time was needed for the both sides of Parliament to scrutinize the content of the papers and prevent them from rushing through the process. There is the need for us to have them in time for study and if we have any comments, we sent them to the committee before it comes to the house because it is not like the bill that will go to the consideration state we want the time to scrutinize those two bill and make sure that that, with regards to the peoples Representation Parliamentary Elections Regulations, we must make sure every bit of our electoral areas are include in the schedule describing the constituencies. Minority's' concerns misplaced But the Deputy Majority Leader , Alfred Agbesi, has said that the concerns of the Minority are misplaced. They want the assurance that copies are available or the papers are ready and I gave the my assurance that the papers are available, copies are available and they are ready to be laid, he stated to Citi News. Deputy Majority Leader It is after laying when the Speaker gives the direction that they can say that they have not been given. But you don't raise that concern when the papers are about to be laid The order says when sufficient copies are available then Speaker will allow it to be laid, he explained. According to Mr. Agbesi, when sufficient copies have been made available to the clerk in Parliament, it can then be laid for scrutiny. Once the clerk at table as given indication that the papers, sufficient copies have been made available to the clerk at table then whoever, the minister or the majority leader for that matter can lay it and that is exactly what happened this morning. Their concerns are misplaced. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonlline.com/Ghana By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA Accra, July 9, GNA - The Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) has presented a cheque for GH E 10,000 to Dr Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, the National Chief Imam, in appreciation of his contribution to peace and continuous benevolence to humanity. The donation forms a part of the GFZB's corporate social responsibility activities. Speaking at a ceremony at the residence of the National Chief Imam in Fadama, Hajia Hanatu Abubakar, the Investor Support Services Manager of GFZB, said the donation was a way of appreciating the National Chief Imam as Muslims celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr. She said the donation was their widow's might to support the Chief Imam's efforts at feeding the vulnerable and less privileged in society, particularly during the Ramadan. Hajia Abubakar said: 'In this regard, the GFZB is supporting the Chief Imam in whose house the needy, homeless, helpless and the aged find their solace and daily sustenance.' She noted that Muslims just ended Ramadan, a very important month in the calendar of Islam where they are enjoined to abstain from food, drinks and intensify act of worship that pleads God. Eid-Ul-Fitr is a moment when families and communities come together to share and strengthen their relationships, to be charitable towards the less privileged and to learn to live in harmony with their neighbours. Hajia Abubakar said the annual donation had been a tradition which began in 2012 and by God's grace they had been able to sustain it. Sheik Nuhu Sharubutu, who received the cheque on behalf of the entire Muslim community, offered prayers for GFZB and thanked the members for their continuous generosity towards Muslims. He said all Muslims must thank Almighty Allah for bringing them to the end of the Holy month of Ramadan and prayed for the sustenance of peace in the country. 'The Holy Quran teaches us not to fight among ourselves but rather co-exist and learn to tolerate each other,'' he said, and called on Ghanaians to stay united so as to ensure peace before, during and after the 2016 election. GNA London (AFP) - Britain's Foreign Office warned against all travel to South Sudan Saturday after two days of fighting between government and former rebels. The Foreign Office said that its decision came as the security situation in the capital Juba had "deteriorated" since Thursday. "British Embassy staff have been on lock down and we are reducing to only essential staff in the country," it said in a statement on its website. "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving (by commercial means), if it is safe to do so." It added: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to South Sudan." More than 150 soldiers died in fighting between the army and former rebels in Juba on Friday, according to a spokesman for rebel leader turned Vice President Riek Machar. The fighting began when President Salva Kiir and rebel leader turned vice president Machar met at the presidential palace, and initially involved each man's bodyguards. On Saturday morning tension remained high in the city, with a heavy security presence and few civilians on the streets of Juba. Saturday is the fifth anniversary of the country's independence. The killing of five Dallas police officers during protests against the shooting of black men by white policemen is the latest manifestation of a social cancer that will destroy the United States if it is not brought to an end. The Dallas protests formed part of a widespread reaction to the shooting, one or two days earlier, of two blackmen, in separate incidents in different states, by white police officers. Such shootings are so common in the US now that they have passed the point of rational analysis. As soon as a white police officer shoots a black person, no-one in the African- American community feels the need to ask for details. Its happened again! they tell one another. And they ponder what manner of reaction would be appropriate. For although the circumstances of each shooting incident are necessarily different of course essentially, the pattern contains the same main ingredients: white police officers stop a blackman, usually a motorist. The white police ask the blackman for a driving licence or other ID document. The white police may be doing this because the black motorist is suspected of having done something against the law like jumping red lights or driving a car whose licence is out of date. Or, as often happens, the blackman has only been stopped because a racist white police officer has taken it into his head that the blackman has no right to own such a car and must have stolen it! So he demands documentary proof of ownership of the vehicle. Such requests usually agitate a blackman, for subconsciously, he realises that he might not come out of the encounter alive. He knows he has only been picked upon entirely on the basis of the colour of his skin. He already probably harbours enormous resentment against the way he is routinely treated in the United States. He resents the difficulties he has in obtaining the sort of jobs he desires. He may detest the neighbourhood in which he is forced to reside. All these resentments he has been actively suppressing, boil to the surface when a white policeman stops him even though he has committed no offence that merits his being stopped and frisked. Or at the very least, asked for identity documents. Experienced black men and women tell their youngsters not to become resentful and jittery when they are stopped by white police officers. But that is more easily said than done, for adrenalin is adrenalin! So, as he reaches for an ID card, either from his pocket-book or the glove compartment of his car, the blackman may utter a curse or otherwise make a move which is misinterpreted by the white police officer as a threat. And the white police officer opens fire. The blackman dies. Another statistic is added to the figures of blacks shot by white policemen in America. The Rev Jesse Jackson describes such a scenario as an execution. And many other black Americans agree with him. Currently, these are the terrible facts about such executions in the US: # Police killed at least 102 unarmed black people in 2015; [that is] nearly two each week. # Nearly 1 in 3 black people killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed, though the actual number is likely higher due to under-reporting. # 37% of unarmed people killed by police were black in 2015 despite black people being only 13% of the U.S. Population. # Unarmed black people were killed at 5x [times] the rate of unarmed whites in 2015. # Only 10 of the 102 cases in 2015 where an unarmed black person was killed by police resulted in officer(s) being charged with a crime, and only 2 of these deaths resulted in convictions of officers involved. Only 1 of 2 officers convicted for their involvement in [one of these deaths] death received jail time. SOURCE: http://mappingpoliceviolence.org/unarmed/ Amplifying these figures, the London Guardian newspaper wrote: QUOTE: Young black men killed by US police at highest rate in year of 1,134 deaths [The] final total of people killed by US police officers in 2015 shows that young black men were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers A Guardian study recorded a final tally of 1,134 deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers this year.. Despite making up only 2% of the total US population, African American males between the ages of 15 and 34 comprised more than 15% of all deaths logged this year by an ongoing investigation into the use of deadly force by police. Their rate of police-involved deaths was five times higher than for white men of the same age. Paired with official government mortality data, this new finding indicates that about one in every 65 deaths of a young African American man in the US is a killing by police. This epidemic is disproportionately affecting black people, said Brittany Packnett, an activist and member of the White House taskforce on policing. We are wasting so many promising young lives by continuing to allow this to happen.UNQUOTE Details of the shootings in Dallas were still coming in, as this piece was written. But I have no doubt at all that a person or persons most probably African-Americans have taken it into their heads to wreak vengeance on white police officers on behalf of the unarmed blacks killed by the police. President Barack Obama has again tried to arouse the consciences of white Americans over the killing of black people by white police officers. But his outrage is usually so restrained that it annoys his fellow black Americans. Now that he has nothing to gain by appeasing the whites, it is to be hoped that he can take some executive action to try and improve the situation of blacks in America vis-a-vis the racist police forces that are dotted all over the country. Is it possible for the Federal Government to extend FBI (that is federal government) surveillance of the state police forces, for instance? Obama is in charge of a government machinery that can kill the enemies of the USA several thousand miles away from the US with drones. It does this because it believes foreign terrorists should be taken out before they can threaten American lives. Surely, American lives are being more than threatened at home by racist police forces? These racists no longer use the paraphernalia of the Ku Klux Klan. But they are just as deadly as the KKK ever was. Obama should crush them with all the force at his command as US commander-in-chief. Otherwise, his presidency will mean very little to black Americans and by extension, to all back people all over the world. For the future will be bleak for all America if the current situation persists into the future. James Baldwin has warned that it will be THE FIRE NEXT TIME. If this prophecy is fulfilled, America will have itself to blame. For another book, far less accommodating than Baldwins book, warned more than half a century ago that there can also be NEGROES WITH GUNS! www.cameronduodu.com I see myself as an engineer sent out here to superintend the construction of a broad highway of progress along which the races of the Gold Coast may advance to those far-off cities of promise, the cities of final development, wealth and happiness. Those were the words of the Royal Engineers officer of the British Army when he landed on the Gold Coast to commence his assignment. Brigadier-General Gordon Guggisberg the man credited with landmark infrastructural development in the Gold Coast did not appear to many as one who could effect a major turnaround of the colony handed over to him in 1919. From Accra to Takoradi his lasting legacies stand prominent a constant reminder of a selfless personality who sadly passed away a pauper in a nursing home in his old age. He was born at the turn of the 18th Century to Polish Jews at a time when conscription into the Russian Army was at its peak. In order to avoid conscription his father took refuge in a Swiss village, Guggisberg, name which he adopted as his surname. In 1869 the Guggisbergs migrated to Ontario, Canada where in 1869 Frederick's wife gave birth to a son who was named Frederick Gordon Guggisberg. At the age of four, the young boy lost his father whereupon he and his mother moved to Toronto where the widow met an English Admiral Ramsey Dennis who took her and the young boy to England. The young boy who was to shape the history of the Gold Coast had his education as fate would have it in England. He was admitted into the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich where upon his commissioning was posted to the Royal Engineers at the age of 20. He was posted to Singapore where he served in the Malay Submarine Mining Company of the Royal Engineers. In 1897 when he returned to England, he was appointed at the Royal Military Academy as an instructor in Fortification and Geometric Drawing. In 1900 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and posted to the Colonial Office as Assistant Director of Surveys, an appointment which brought him in direct contact with the Gold Coast. It was to be an association lasting until his death in 1930. The survey department had a correlation with the military hence the appointment of military officers to deal with mapping and other geodetic activities in the Gold Coast. Perhaps that accounts for the presence of the Survey Department in a military environment. Gordon Guggisberg as Assistant Director of Surveys arrived in the Gold Coast a year after the appointment of Major Alan Watherston as head of the newly created Mines Survey Department at the behest of Governor Nathan Mathew. This was a time when the Gold Coast was largely unmapped and gold coast prospecting on the ascendancy. After six years, Guggisberg was appointed Director of the department upon the appointment of Major Watherston as Commissioner of the Northern Territories. Under the direction of Gordon Guggisberg, the department was moved from Takoradi to Accra with its emphasis shifting from mines surveying to mapping. So much progress was made that by 1906 a map of the Gold Coast was in place depicting districts and the main boundary with Ashanti. Surveying and mapping virgin lands at this period of the history of our part of the world was a herculean task and Guggisberg had to rely on the benevolence of local people along the way. The tools of the industry were not up to scratch and he had to improvise, as it were, his African labourers supporting him immensely. Sometimes the food stock was depleted and the local people were contacted for replenishment as Guggisberg and his men soldiered on. By the time the assignment was over some Africans had been trained sufficiently enough to become qualified surveyors. He learned a lot about Africans' experience which proved valuable later when he became a Governor of the Gold Coast, position which he managed so well that he was described as the greatest occupant of the Government House. In 1908, he was ordered back to England, the Army impressed with his achievement; a source of his promotion to the rank of Captain and decoration with a CMG. Between 1910 and 1914 he served as Director of Surveys of Southern Nigeria and as he awaited his posting to the Gold Coast to head the Public Works Department (PWD), World War I broke out and played from 1914 to 1919. The PWD was an important colonial outfit responsible for almost all infrastructural development in the Gold Coast colony as well as the protectorates and territories. He was recalled by the Army and posted to France where he served until the end of the war by which time he had risen to the rank of Brigadier General, a One-Star General. At the time of his ascension to the position of the Governor of the Gold Coast in 1919 succeeding Governor Hugh Clifford, he was 50. The man who was to prove his mettle as arguably the best governor in the Gold Coast suffered questions of qualification for the position he was going to take up. His earlier request to be transferred to the Administrative Service was not obliged. He tried again and was once more turned down. Then he applied to be considered as Chief Commissioner for the Northern Territories but this too was turned down. The above played a part in informing those who opposed his appointment as Governor in persisting in their cause. Perhaps they were peeved that somebody whose requests for the Administrative Service and later as Chief Commissioner were turned down would be elevated to such a top position. Governor Hugh Clifford is said to have vilified Gordon Guggisberg; their relationship not too good. Guggisberg's spouse Decima was said to have influenced the appointment of her husband through her relationship with Elinor Glynn whose friend was Lord Milner who lobbied the Secretary for the Colonies. His tenure saw the blossoming of the exploitation of the extractive and cocoa industries, proceeds from which went into the development of legacies such as Achimota School, Takoradi Harbour and the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. His personality, tall and handsome, is said to have impacted positively on his success. His engineering background in the military played an important role in what he achieved for the Gold Coast in terms of infrastructural development. Upon his arrival in the Gold Coast from Liverpool in October 1919 as Governor, he presented a 10-year- development plan for the colony to the Legislative Assembly which stood at twenty four million, six hundred and eleven thousand pounds. The projects envisaged were the Takoradi deep sea harbor, a railway system and a road and public building projects. Also to be tackled were water supplies and town improvement projects. It was Guggisberg's view that an efficient transport system is important for development and so set aside three quarters of the total ten-year development budget towards this goal. Given his obsession for the construction of the Takoradi harbor, he sent a dispatch to the Secretary of State which read So profoundly convinced am I of the unlimited potentialities of the colony if modern transportation facilities are provided that I unhesitatingly place the deep sea harbor at the head of my programme.' On 3rd February 1921 he appointed an advisory committee of experts that included Africans like Nana Ofori Atta I, EJP Brown and CJ Bannerman to appraise the project. The committee recommended Amanful as the location of the harbor. Guggisberg faced some opposition but eventually raised a loan from a London market and awarded the contract to Messrs Steward McDonnel. A private legal practitioner, Edudzi Tamakloe has criticised the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Ayikoi Otoo for his comments describing the recent apology offered by Montie FM as hypocritical. Ayikoi Otoo had told Citi News that Montie FM had a reputation for incendiary comments , and that prior to its two panelists threatening the lives of judges on air, they have been known for slandering and bashing the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) According to Edudzi Tamakloe, Ayikoi Otto's dismissal of the stations's apology and his criticism of the panelists was unfortunate and unethical, as a lawyer of his standing should know the case was still before the court. It's simply unfortunate and this should not be coming from him. In any case, these are persons who have been charged with a quasi-criminal offence and have a right to be heard, he said. While this matter is sub judice, a lawyer of the standing of Ayikoi Otoo is effectively asking for them to be crucified. What has happened to our ethics, at least as lawyers? This is not right. Edudzi Tamakloe argued that Ayikoi Otoo's comments that the apology from Montie FM be disregarded because of previous verbal attacks on the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was out of place. Ayikoi Otoo According to him, the alleged comments made by the panellists on the radio programme were directed at the judges so any link to Nana Addo was superficial. When you listen carefully to Ayikoi Otoo, what you hear him say is that Montie has been attacking Nana Akufo Addo and for that matter, their apology should not be heard. The reason why the gentleman are in court, has nothing to do with an attack on Nana Addo, he stated It's an attack on the judiciary, that the allegation. So on what basis would he be drawing inferences from the attacks on Nana Addo to say their [Montie FM] apology is not genuine. It's simply unfortunate and this should not be coming from him. Montie FM panelists, host face Supreme Court on July 12 The Supreme Court has scheduled Tuesday July 12 2016, for the hearing of the contempt suit brought against owners of Accra-based Montie FM, the host of the station's 'Pampaso' programme, and two panelists, who threatened to kill judges over their handling of the Abu Ramadan suit on the credibility of the voters' register. By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana The Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNET) has presented a total of 25 million cedis in dividends for 2015, to the government of Ghana for its share in the company. The payment was concluded when the company presented a 10 million cedis interim dividend cheque to the Ministry of Finance on Friday. Deputy Finance Minister Mona Quartey who received the cheque on behalf of government expressed optimism at the fortunes of businesses for the rest of 2016 and 2017 despite acknowledging the challenges facing the economy. According to her, government's policies targeted at macro-economic stability have largely been satisfactory which should reflect in the profit margins of businesses and dividends to be paid to investors. We expect that business will pick up significantly for the rest of 2016 and 2017 because our macroeconomic stabilisation efforts have been successful and broadly satisfactory and therefore we are expecting growth in all sectors of the economy therefore we expect to see more in terms of dividends to investors. We also expect to see an increase in our revenue collection performance. Mrs Quartey was also hopeful that some State Owned Enterprises (SoEs) which have been unable to declare dividends to their respective shareholders including the government, would be able to do so following a stability in the economic fundamentals. The Executive Chairman of GCNET, Dr. Nortey Omaboe commended the government for its collaboration in tax collection over the years. He also attributed the performance of the company to the huge investments made as part of efforts to enhance the various systems it has deployed. Dr. Nortey Omaboe however assured of his outfit's commitment in improving the public private partnership in revenue mobilization. We are committed to the government's primary objective of revenue mobilization and as a private partner, to fulfilling our dividend obligations to the government. We look forward to enhancing and deepening our collaboration with the government as far as the single window is concerned. This is one that has been in existence for several years and we are fully committed to ensure the full potential is realized to the benefits of the country, he stated. Meanwhile the GCNET has equally paid 5 million cedis and 2.5 million cedis to Ghana Shippers' Authority and the GCB Bank respectively. GCNET pays 51 million cedis in taxes for 2015 The Executive Chairman has also revealed that the company paid a total of 50.983 million cedis in taxes for 2015. The amount comprised 24.5 million cedis, 5.4 million cedis and 21 million cedis as Income Tax, withholding tax and VAT respectively. For the first six months of 2016, GCNET has paid a total of 21.7 million cedis comprising Income tax, VAT and withholding taxes. By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana 09.07.2016 LISTEN By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA Accra, July 9, GNA - Mr Abdalfatah AL Sattari, the Palestinian Ambassador to Ghana, has called for international support in the wake of the injustice and atrocities being meted out to Palestinians by Israelis to ensure a total liberation. The Ambassador made the call at the commemoration of the 'International Quds Day' in Accra organised by the Socialist Forum of Ghana on the theme: 'Palestine is Still an Issue'. He said the killing of their women and children was enough for the State of Palestine and all that the state needed was to occupy its land in the Middle East. 'We call on the world to provide international support and protection for Palestinians because we want to live in freedom, dignity and in peace in our land like other people of the world, we want to see our children smile like other children in the world,' he said. The event is usually marked every last Friday of the Ramadan month to show solidarity to all oppressed and suffering people all over the world, especially the Palestinians in the moment of their struggle. It was attended by representatives of political parties, the Islamic sect, the Rastafarian Council, members of the Palestinian Community in Ghana and students groups who shared solidarity messages in support of Palestine. Mr Mohammed Soleyani, Iran's Ambassador to Ghana, prayed that one day Palestinians would celebrate republican status like Ghana does on July 1. Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, a member of the Socialist Forum, debunked the notion that the struggle is between Christians and Muslims, saying it is a struggle for national liberation. He said it was time the campaign was intensified to inform the world to support Palestine to be free. Professor Edmund Delle, the National Chairman of the Convention People's Party, said: 'We must vow here that when we return next year, we will be celebrating victory. If one country is not free, then we're all not free. I declare a total fight for the liberation of Palestine.' Paa-Quecy Adu, President of National Union of Ghana Students, said to ensure freedom of Palestine, students across the globe must play a pivotal role to achieve it. He called on students to champion the course of freedom for Palestine to ensure her total development. The International Quds Day was instituted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and oppose Israel's control. Quds Day is also held in several countries in the Arab and Muslim world with protests against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem. GNA By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA Accra, July 9, GNA - Educationists, political party leaders and other stakeholders have endorsed pupils' arts and crafts work tailored towards peace in the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The maiden Peace and Arts Competition was opened by the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Education Directorate on May 30 for pupils to come out with peace focused arts and crafts work. Sixteen schools from the municipality took part in the competition. Some of the paintings by the kids portrayed a group of people holding high the Coat of Arms, the National Flag, and a fist up with inscription: 'Ghana First'' and 'Strength in Unity,'' among others. On Thursday, June 30, political and opinion leaders and other stakeholders converged at the Municipal Education Directorate and signed a peace pledge to endorse the drawings of the basic school pupils. They pledged to maintain the peace to enable the pupils to develop their God given talents in order to take up responsible positions in future for the nation's development. Mr Yaw Fosu-Danquah, the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Director of Education, said the nation could not develop without educating the young ones adding that anything that would derail the education of the children was of great concern to all educationists. 'We call on our political leaders and parties to pledge peace to this nation, we also call on the main referee, the Electoral Commission of Ghana, to do everything possible to ensure free, fair and transparent elections because the peace or otherwise of the country hinges so much on these principles. If we fail in this direction, our children today and posterity will never forgive us,'' he said. 'If education helps people become useful members of society, helps them develop an appreciation of their cultural heritage, and for them to live more satisfying lives, we, Directors of Education, also pledge to mould Ghanaian children into educated persons who are knowledgeable, skillful, culturally oriented and emotionally balanced to fit in, and positively contribute to the development of this country,'' he said. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Gyan Kyereko, the Kpeshie Divsional Commander, said the Ghana Police Service would deploy its men and women to ensure that the country's peace was not compromised. He appealed to the youth to desist from any form of violence that would disturb the peace and that anyone found culpable would be arrested and dealt with according to the law. Reverend Father Clement Wilson of the St Annes Catholic Church, Teshie, who chaired the programme, entreated Ghanaians to preserve the peace for the growth of the nation. GNA 09.07.2016 LISTEN Accra, July 9, GNA - Mr Prosper D.K. Bani, the Minister of the Interior, has renewed the curfew hours on four townships in the Volta and Northern regions effective Friday, July 8, 2016. They are Alavanyo and Nkonya Townships from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am, Bimbilla Township from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, and Kpatinga and its environs from 12:00 midnight to 4:00 am. However the curfew for the Bunkprugu Township from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am is effective Tuesday, July 12. A statement signed by the Minister and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the curfew was renewed upon advice from the various Regional Security Councils and by Executive Instrument. It urged chiefs, opinion leaders, the youth and the people of these areas to exercise restraint in the face of the challenges confronting them. The statement said meanwhile, there was total ban on all persons from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapon and that any person found flouting the order would be arrested and prosecuted. GNA By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Kumasi, July 9, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday advised the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research to partner stakeholders in construction to ensure quality roads and other development projects. He said the BRRI, which was established years ago at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to facilitate the construction of quality roads and other projects, had the expertise to transform the construction industry and allay the fears of Ghanaians on poor road works. President Mahama gave the advice when he addressed the graduation ceremony of the KNUST Graduate School in Kumasi. In all 476 students made up of 425 in Masters of Philosophy in various disciplines and 51 in Doctorate of Philosophy graduated. President Mahama said as a science and technology university, the KNUST needed to avail its expertise to other stakeholders to speed up growth and development especially in areas of agriculture, engineering and technology. "The mark of a good university is not about the great performance on campuses, but its ability to transform people and institutions outside for meaningful development," he said. The President, therefore, called on the university to make its courses influential by demonstrating its capabilities to development partners. He promised to re-tool all educational institutions in the country so as to perform professionally and realise their potentials in the various programmes they had developed for their students. President Mahama said government had released GH E 37 million cedis to the Controller and Accountant General's Department to be paid to appropriate recipients as their books and research allowance as part of government's resolve to facilitate teaching and learning at the tertiary institutions. He commended KNUST for its initiative in establishing a Teaching Hospital as it would go a long way to increase enrollment for nursing and other paramedical students in the university and beyond. President Mahama promised that the Government would offer the university all the necessary support that would enhance the completion of the project at the stipulated time. Professor Samuel Ellis Otu, the Vice Chancellor of KNUST, promised to introduce more useful courses that would stimulate development in the country. He called for support in the equipment of laboratories and workshops to enhance teaching and learning. GNA Nana Ansah Adu Baah II, Chief of the Yamfo Traditional Area, in the Tano North constituency, says the current economic hardships and difficulties confronting his people require nothing short of a change of government in this year's elections. Re-echoing the sentiments of his linguist, Nana Badu, who prayed to the gods for a change in government, Nana Ansah Adu Baah II stated that we have suffered too much in this country and we need change. I am a Chief and I don't engage in partisan politics. However, I will never 'spoil' my vote. According to the Yamfo Chief, If you live in a country and you're suffering, be minded by what our father, President Kufuor, said sometime back which was 'take a look at the circumstances of your life and vote wisely. Over the last few years, we have seen those who are in politics to help us and those who are in for their own selfish, parochial interests. Nana Ansah Adu Baah II made this known when the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Yamfo, on Friday, July 8, 2016. The Chief of Yamfo bemoaned the situation in Ghana where anytime policies and programmes are outilined by a particular political party and parliamentary candidate, the chorus that follows this is it cannot be done and it is impossible, only for some to turn around and try to implement it. Nana Ansah Adu Baah II Additionally, he noted that because of politics, some who don't even know Nana Akufo-Addo have demonised and bastardised him. That is what hurts me. Do not be perturbed by this. God will fight your battles for you and has already ordained you to lead this country. Ahead of this year's elections, Nana Ansah Adu Baah II stressed that we are going to vote and elect someone who is coming to help Ghana. As I sit here I am suffering, my people are suffering. If you want to kill me because of what I have just said, go ahead. What matters is how Ghana moves forward. We need to elect someone who has Ghana at heart and will work for the benefit of successive generations, so that Ghanaians will know that the country, which was once in a deplorable state, only moved forward under the able leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo. He urged NPP supporters to emulate the leadership style and patience of the NPP flagbearer in their discourse with opponents, indicating that this is the only way by which others who don't belong to your political party can be brought in. To Nana Akufo-Addo, Nana Ansah Adu Baah II appealed to him not to forget the people of Yamfo when you win the elections. We have no jobs here, except engaging in agriculture. In the 1970s, Yamfo was the leading producer of cocoa in Ghana. We have an abundance of food stuffs and we want to add value to them. He continued, If we do not adhere to your vision of '1-District-1-Factory', very soon all the young people will migrate to the city centres in search of non-existent jobs. Starrfmonline business Tata Steel to not exit UK, may consider sale of specialty units After months of negotiation with worker unions and the UK government, Tata Steel has decided to cancel the sale of its assets in the country. you are here: < After suffering through auto transmission and home plumbing repairs, my summer vacation budget is woefully low. I might be able to swing a day trip to Milpitas or San Martin, but only if I stick to ramen or peanut butter sandwiches for the next month or two. As every family I know seems to be heading out on the open road, I fantasize about my dream vacationa trip to Egypt. It is probably not one of the destinations that the State Department cheerfully recommends to tourists these days, but I have always been fascinated by the ancient Egyptians. What a sight it must be to gaze upon the pyramids at sunset, or to walk in the footsteps of Howard Carter, who uncovered the wonders hidden deep inside the tomb of King Tut. Between the political unrest of the area and my legendary anxiety regarding flying (turbulence!), a trip to Egypt is probably not in the cards for me anytime soon. < I love hearing about some of the past travel experiences of our seniors here at Live Oak Adult Day Services. It is predictable that when they tell us about the glories of Paris or Honolulu, my first question is always, How was the plane flight? Any turbulence? They roll their eyes, but kindly indulge my quirks. Ramon has always dreamed of going to Hawaii. Photos have enticed him, but health issues got in the way of an actual trip. Randy and Susan also mention Hawaii as their dream destination, Randy specifically to feast his eyes on bathing beauties on the beach. Susan would also love to go to England and Switzerland, the homelands of her parents. She has never had the opportunity to visit the locations she heard them talk of so fondly during her childhood. Greg wistfully recalls a trip he made to Puerto Vallarta many years ago, having thoroughly enjoyed the white beaches, the music and the great food. Paul opts for the opposite climate, hoping he can make it back to Alaska someday. A trip there many years ago left many indelible memories of snow, glaciers and fantastic salmon fishing. Marie visited Europe so long ago that she doesnt remember the exact year, but she didnt get her fill of castles and art museums. Then Cathy pipes up that she doesnt need a dream vacation, because she is happy wherever she finds herself. < That positive attitude inspires me to watch The Mummy and read a book about the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. I may not get to the actual locations, but I can still dream. Just in case Marie, and Randy, and Ramon and all the other seniors here dont have their dream trip in the works, I think well have a Hawaii Day here at the center this summer so we can learn to hula, make those cheesy volcanoes that erupt with baking soda and vinegar, and munch on coconut or pineapple. Then well have Alaska Day, perhaps with a gold-panning lesson, a visit from a husky dog and a taste of Baked Alaska. Maybe Switzerland Day or England Day will follow. We can refer to them as virtual field trips! < Youll find us here at Live Oak this summer, as usual, but in our minds well be sunning on Waikiki, gliding along the glaciers with our sled dogs, or braving the threatening avalanches as we scale the Alps. And if they finally build a really long bridge, Ill be driving to Egypt and sending back some great postcards of the pyramids at sunset. < Cheryl Huguenor is the program director at Live Oak Adult Day Services, 651 W. Sixth St. #2, Gilroy. For more information call (408) 847-5491 or visit liveoakadultdaycare.org. AUSTIN, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called protesters who ran away from the hail of bullets that rained down on downtown Dallas on Thursday night hypocrites during an interview Friday on Fox News. All those protesters last night, they turned around and ran the other way expecting the men and women in blue to protect them. What hypocrites! an audibly emotional Patrick said. As Gov. Greg Abbott issued on open letter calling on Texans to calmly unite and come together, Patrick took a more combative tone. He blamed Black Lives Matter protesters for the violence against police and said people with big mouths are creating situations like we saw last night. We have to have their back, Patrick said of police. And Im sick and tired of those who are protesting our police and putting their lives in danger. Patrick said he saw some of the slain officers wheeled past him at a Dallas hospital Thursday night. If the violence against police doesnt stop, he said, police will stop working to protect citizens. I do blame people on social media with their hatred toward police, he said. I do blame former Black Lives Matter protests. . This has to stop. His tone was diametrically opposed to Abbott, who took a more measured approach in calling for Texans and Americans to support one another in the aftermath of the tragic Dallas ambush that left five officers slain following a protest of police-involved shootings this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. Every life matters, Abbott wrote. With each innocent life lost, we lose more of our humanity. It is time for us to unite as Texans, as Americans, to say no more. 2016 The Dallas Morning News Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. One officer was a newlywed. Another had survived multiple tours in Iraq. A protester was shot trying to shield her sons. The stories of those killed or wounded in a sniper attack in Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings of black men emerged Friday as their identities became known. Authorities say five officers were killed and seven others wounded in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Two civilians also were shot. ___ SLAIN OFFICERS: ___ NEWLYWED STARTING A SECOND FAMILY Brent Thompson, 43, had worked as an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority for the last seven years. There he found love, marrying another transit officer within the last two weeks, according to DART Chief James Spiller. "Brent was a great officer," Spiller told MSNBC early Friday. "He has served admirably during his time here at DART." Thompson had six grown children from a previous marriage and had recently welcomed his third grandchild, according to Tara Thornton, a close friend of Thompson's 22-year-old daughter, Lizzie. Thornton said Thompson and his close-knit family would often get together and have classic rock singalongs, with Thornton and his son, Jake, playing guitar. He lived an hour's drive south of Dallas, in Corsicana. "He was a brave man dedicated to his family," said Thornton. "He loved being a police officer. He instantly knew that's what he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to save lives and protect people. He had a passion for it." On Thursday, he became the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the agency's police force was founded in 1989, according to spokesman Morgan Lyons. Before joining the DART force, Thompson worked from 2004 to 2008 for DynCorp International, a private military contractor. According to Thompson's LinkedIn page, he worked as an international police liaison officer, helping teach and mentor Iraqi police. Thompson's last position was as the company's chief of operations for southern Iraq, where he helped train teams covering Baghdad to the southern border with Kuwait. He also worked in northern Iraq and in Afghanistan, where he was a team leader and lead mentor to a southern provincial police chief. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our alumni," said Mary Lawrence, a spokeswoman for Virginia-based DynCorp. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this most difficult time." ___ NAVY VETERAN WITH AN URGE TO SERVE Patrick Zamarripa had an urge to serve first in the Navy, where his family said he did three tours in Iraq, then back home in Texas as a Dallas police officer. "Patrick would bend over backward to help anybody. He'd give you his last dollar if he had it. He was always trying to help people, protect people," his father, Rick Zamarripa, told The Associated Press by phone Friday. "As tough as he was, he was patient, very giving." Zamarripa, who would have turned 33 next month, was married with a toddler and school-age stepchild. He joined the Navy shortly after high school in Fort Worth, serving eight years on active duty and then in the reserves, according to the Navy. The Navy doesn't release deployment details, but a Dallas Morning News reporter encountered Zamarripa in 2004 as he helped guard one of the offshore oil platforms that help fuel Iraq's post-war economic rebuilding. "We're protecting the backbone of Iraq," Zamarripa, a petty officer who also used the first name Patricio, told the newspaper. "A terrorist attack here would send the country down the drain." After doing security work in the Navy, a police career seemed a natural fit once he returned to Texas in 2009. Zamarripa joined the Dallas force about five years ago and recently was assigned to downtown bicycle patrols, his father said. Zamarripa realized policing was a dangerous job. His father recently put him in touch with an in-law who works elsewhere in government, hoping his son might leave the force. "'No, I want to stay here,'" he said, according to his father. "'I like the action.'" Rick Zamarripa knew his son was assigned to patrol Thursday's demonstrations, so when he saw news of the shooting on TV, he texted his son to make sure he was all right. The father did that whenever he heard officers were in danger. Typically, his son would text back quickly to say he was fine and would call back later. This time, no reply came. "He went over there (to Iraq) and didn't get hurt at all, and he comes back to the states and gets killed," his father said. Zamarripa is survived by his wife, Kristy Villasenor, whom he'd known since high school; their 2-year-old daughter, Lyncoln, and a 10-year-old stepson. ___ 'HE NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM HIS DUTY' Michael Krol, 40, was a caring person and had always wanted to help others, his mother said Friday. "He knew the danger of the job but he never shied away from his duty as a police officer. He was a great caring person and wanted to help people. A wonderful son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend," said Susan Ehlke, from Redford, Michigan, in a prepared statement. Krol's family said in a statement that he moved to Dallas to become a police officer in 2007 because Detroit wasn't hiring. He was a deputy at the Wayne County jail before the move. Meanwhile, family members told the Detroit Free Press that Krol was single with no children, but had a girlfriend in Dallas. He graduated from the Dallas Police Academy in 2008. "He was a guy that was serving others," said Brian Schoenbaechler, Krol's brother-in-law. "And he gave his life in service of others." ___ THE INJURED: ___ A BULLET BROKE HER SHOULDER Misty McBride, an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority, was shot in the arm and abdomen, according to her father, who said the bullet that struck her arm broke her shoulder. Overall, McBride was doing "fine," her father, Richard McBride, told reporters as she awaited surgery at a Dallas hospital Thursday night. Richard McBride and his wife learned from one of his daughter's colleagues that she fell to the ground when shot and started crawling toward a police car. Another officer picked her up and drove her to the hospital, where her family soon joined her. "I'm just glad that she's alive, really," her 10-year-old daughter, Hunter, told reporters. "I said that 'I love you and that I'm glad you're here.'" ___ SHOT PROTECTING HER SONS Protester Shetamia Taylor was shot in the calf after trying to shield her sons when gunfire erupted, according to her sister. Taylor, 37, came to the march with her four sons, ages 12 to 17, her sister, Theresa Williams, said. She had surgery Friday. Two of Taylor's sons left the demonstration with her, but the other two, Jamar, 12, and Kavion, 17, were stuck behind a police barricade at a hotel near a parking garage where police exchanged gunfire with a suspect, Williams said. Taylor's other sister, Sherie Williams, said her own four children "can't sleep because of what's going on." Williams said she could hardly believe her sister had been shot just over a year after her own 26-year-old son was shot in Minneapolis. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles; Denise Lavoie in Boston; Jennifer Peltz in New York; Kimberlee Kruesi in Boise, Idaho; Emily Schmall in Dallas; Mary Hudetz in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I dunno calling a spade a spade is not losing it to my way of thinking, the people of crimea decided to rejoin russia which skewered u.s. designs to push the russian navy out of it's sea port. East ukraine pretty much the same mostly russian speaking so russia offering a moral hand to it's countrymen should not be too tough to grasp. Still the lame stream media uses terms like russian invasion and aggression solely to demonize but remain mute on assorted u.s. hawk visits to kiev....justin jumping in with both feet earns him his hawk wings. Socialist or no we need more like hollande that can see through washington, what role does nato have in eu internal affairs... none, diddly, zilch. As mentioned if conflict erupts the eu will be ground zero so targeting putin with meaningful rhetoric instead of missiles would be in their best interest imo. Germany was poised to conquer europe and africa as the u.s. watched until japan attacked pearl harbour forcing america to respond. Hitlers big mistake was biting off more than he could comfortably chew, reniging on his soviet non aggression pact he attacked russia, stalin and the weather trounced his forces. Allies finished the task bombing the crap out of germany and japan, for a short time europe, the u.s. and russia were on the same wavelength. BREAKING NEWS: Government REJECTS petition calling for second Brexit referendum signed by four million people By Darren Boyle for MailOnline 9 July 2016PM David Cameron has formally rejected a second Brexit referendum despite an official petition which received more than 4.1 million signatures.The petition, which was started by a Brexit supporter William Oliver Healey, urged a re-run in case there was a narrow Remain victory.However, the Government rejected the petition claiming it was now time to exit the EU and 'ensure the best possible outcome for the British people'.Normally when a petition on parliament's website hits 100,000 signatures, the Petitions Committee considers it for a parliamentary debate.However, the government has decided to push on with Brexit without a debate on a second referendum.In a statement released by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the government was now fully committed to securing a Brexit deal.According to the statement: 'The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.'The Act set out the terms under which the referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper.'The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout.'As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on June 27, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say.'The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected.'We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations.'According to the petition: 'We the undersigned call upon HM (Her Majesty's) government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60 per cent based a turnout less than 75 per cent there should be another referendum.'The referendum on June 23 attracted a turnout of 73 per cent with 17.4 million people voting in favour of Brexit with a 52 per cent share of the vote.However, parliamentary watchdogs discovered the petition had attracted more than 77,000 fraudulent signatures.Meanwhile, an estimated 6,000 people are expected to join in the More In Common Picnic Against Brexit this afternoon.People who are against Britain leaving the EU were to gather in London's Green Park, which is next to Buckingham Palace.A rally was held in London on July 3 when more than 40,000 people, according to organisers, marched through the British capital to vent their anger at the outgoing Cameron for calling the referendum.They waved European flags and chanted 'We love you EU'.The referendum result triggered Cameron's resignation.Britain can only formally exit the EU after Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered, starting a two-year deadline on leaving.Once started, the deadline can only be extended with the agreement of all EU member states. Some government officials and politicians are ... Jurgens and Price Mike and Jackie Price of Fremont announce the engagement of their son, Brandon Price, to Whitney Jurgens, daughter of Gary and Janice Jurgens of Beatrice. The future bride is a 2005 graduate of Beatrice High School and attended Sam Houston State University of Huntsville, Texas. She works at Creative Hair Design as a stylist. Her fiance is a 2004 graduate of Fremont High School and attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He is director of operations at Jet Mobil in Omaha. The couple is planning an Aug. 20 wedding in Beatrice. Drugs found by TCSD View Photos Sonora, CA Tuolumne County Sheriffs deputies searched the Sonora area couples home and found not only narcotics but five children living in the house. Deputies searched the residence on the 16000 block of Estralita Drive near the Phoenix Lake Cedar Ridge area early Friday morning, after stopping 50-year-old Steven Wright, who was wanted on a warrant, leaving the home. Deputies found methamphetamine on Wright and brought him back to the house. Once inside the home deputies discovered more meth, drug paraphernalia, scales, and evidence of narcotics sales. Wright confessed to selling the drugs out of the home. He was arrested and booked into the Tuolumne County Jail for possession for sales, transportation of a controlled substance, and child endangerment. His wife, 44-year-old Wendy Wright, was also arrested at the house. She was booked into the jail for possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment. Both are being held on $25,000 bail each. The children living in the home ranged in age from thirteen to seventeen years old and were turned over to a family member. A man and a woman are facing second-degree murder charges in the Bernadine Montgomery homicide case, Leesburg Police officials said Saturday. Bernadine Montgomery, 84, was last seen June 15 Police think she was killed at her Leesburg home Man, woman facing 2nd-degree murder charges At a news conference, detectives said Tracie Jo Naffziger and David Adam Mariotti will be charged in the 84-year-old woman's death. Detectives from the Leesburg Police Department and Putnam County Sheriff's Office are working together to recover Montgomery's body in an unknown location in Putnam County. Mariotti is in Gilchrist County Jail, waiting to be transitioned to Lake County. Naffziger was already in Lake County Jail for unrelated charges. She will face a judge at a first appearance Sunday morning, deputies said. Police think the two were acquaintances with Montgomery. Motor vehicle grand theft charges have been dropped against Jeremy David Gentry, who was arrested Thursday, June 23, after police said he was seen in Montgomery's vehicle. Leesburg Police think Montgomery, who was last seen June 15, was killed in her home and then taken away shortly after. A concerned neighbor reported her missing June 22 after not seeing her for more than a week. This is an ongoing investigation, police said. An elderly patient who died at the end of June was the first Zika-related death in the continental U.S., CNN reported Friday. Elderly Utah resident infected with Zika died Death marked 1st death in continental US related to Zika The person, who has not been identified, was a resident of Salt Lake County and had traveled abroad to an undisclosed area where the Zika virus is circulating. "This person had an underlying medical condition and tested positive for Zika, so we know it contributed to [the death], but we don't know that it was the sole cause [of death]," said Dr. Dagmar Vitek, medical director for the Salt Lake County Department of Health told CNN. The patient had another health condition, but health officials won't release any more information about the person, citing health privacy laws. In April, CNN reported that a 70-year-old Puerto Rican man infected with Zika had died. He had other health problems, but they weren't life-threatening. Zika causes only a mild illness in most people, but it can lead to severe birth defects in unborn children. It is spread primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. A Plainview law firm has decided to pull out of a multi-million dollar, high-profile lawsuit. "I'm not following the lawsuit," said Kelly Hollingsworth, an attorney at Plainview's Laney and Bollinger law office. Back in November 2015, Hollingsworth and the Plainview law office planned to file a $15 million lawsuit on behalf of Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Irving student arrested after his homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb. Ahmed's story made global headlines after he was arrested at MacArthur High School. Hollingsworth, who had formerly worked in the Irving and Dallas area, came to know the family and was later chosen to represent the Mohamed family as they sought damages for the arrest and the backlash that ensued against the boy. In November 2015, the law firm sent letters to the City of Irving demanding it pay $10 million and the Irving Independent School District demanding it pay $5 million for damages suffered by the Mohamed family because of the teenager's arrest. But Hollingsworth said he has pulled out of the case in what seems to be conflicting strategies between the law firm and the Mohamed family. "Our stock and trade as attorneys -in addition to our courtroom skills, which only would come into play later-is the strategic planning and advice that we give based on that strategic planning. And when it's not being followed by the client or people around this young man, then it's no longer affective for us to be their counsel," said Hollingsworth in a brief quote released Friday. Hollingsworth didn't go into much detail after that as he wanted to keep attorney and client information confidential. Though young Ahmed Mohamed made national rounds on television after the arrest, Hollingsworth said in November the family was constantly being harassed. Even after the announcement that Hollingsworth was chosen to represent Mohamed, nicknamed "Clock Boy," the Plainview office received numerous calls and even death threats. Because of this, Mohamed was withdrawn from Irving ISD and the family relocated to Qatar. Hollingsworth said he would communicate with the family through video chat. However, news reports in December 2015 stated Ahmed missed his Texas home and wished to return. Whether the Mohamed family has returned to Texas has not been confirmed. No word has been released on whether the Mohamed family has found new legal representation. Former Chronicle society columnist Grace Eaves Prien, who from the 1940s to the 1970s reported on the celebrity gossip of the day the antics of the white-glove world died in her sleep Thursday at home at the San Francisco Towers. She was 101. Mrs. Prien, born March 9, 1915, in San Francisco, was a lifelong inhabitant of the social circles she later wrote about, reporting on parties, interior design, philanthropic causes and cultural change. Her proudest moment as a journalist, she told The Chronicle last year, was her coverage of the Links African American Cotillion in the 1960s. A skeptical Time magazine editor, she remembered, called her at her desk to ask if the story about black debutantes was true. After she assured the caller it was, the national magazine hired her to do a freelance piece for its readers. Mrs. Prien, the daughter of Helen and Dr. James Eaves, was educated at the Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, but was denied an opportunity for a college education, she told friends, because of the Great Depression. She had two marriages, one to Richard Oddie, and the next to Henry Prien. Both ended in divorce. She had no children and devoted much of her life to her career in journalism and, later, public relations. I. Magnin model As a young woman, she modeled at I. Magnin, and during World War II volunteered with amputees at Letterman Hospital. She also volunteered with the Junior League, the Arthritis Foundation and the San Francisco Silent Film Foundation, and was made an honorary member of the Modern Art Council at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. But much of her life was spent in front of a typewriter. Mrs. Prien was hired by The Chronicle as a society writer in 1949, leaving in 1952. She served a brief stint at the rival San Francisco Call-Bulletin from 1956 to 1959. She returned to The Chronicle in 1959 and worked until 1978, writing the Chatter Box column and stand-alone stories about parties, interior design and cultural events. She also helped to gather items for The Chronicles Frances Moffat, whose five-day-a-week society column was gobbled up by readers in a world before cable TV and the Internet. She later started a public relations firm. Mrs. Prien was regarded as a consummate lady always dressed smartly, hair immaculately coiffed and never a mean word (and certainly not an obscenity) for anyone. She was also a consummate journalist. Despite being relegated to the womens pages, as the features section was known in decades past, she took her work seriously and enjoyed discussing the state of affairs in The Chronicles newsroom with newspaper friends. More for you Secrets to aging gracefully with a 100-year-old woman It was her interest in ideas that led to the formation in the late 1980s of a womens business group that met at Trader Vics, which evolved in 1995 into the Monday Group, a current affairs salon for upper-crust Bay Area residents. Big-name speakers The Monday Groups speakers have included power brokers and other influential people such as the late polemicist Christopher Hitchens, economist Paul Erdman and Carmen Policy, who once ran the San Francisco 49ers, to name a few. Chris Boskin, a Monday Group veteran and former chairman of the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, lauded Mrs. Prien for her class and integrity. She was the last of a breed of journalists and women in an era that we dont have anymore, Boskin said. Its a real loss. If she was correct in public, Mrs. Prien was looser in private, sharing arch opinions about people around town something she would have been aghast to read about herself. Henrik Rasmussen, her longtime hairdresser and friend, remembered her insights when he arrived here from Denmark 37 years ago. Grace helped me a great deal, maneuvering around the social set, a world she knew so well, he recalled. She was a wonderful human being and down-to-earth, with the best sense of humor about both good and bad. As for revealing her age, she refused to budge, until she hit the century mark last year. In a Chronicle story about her 100th birthday, she attributed her long life to exercise in the form of walking up and down Nob Hill to work every day; eating small meals mostly fish, chicken and vegetables; and abstaining in later years from alcohol and cigarettes. Her miracle in a jar She talked about the changes in fashion, society and culture, noting that she disliked the mini dress and didnt care for the Kardashians. As for her famously flawless complexion, she owed it not to Botox or face-lifts, she said, but to an inexpensive miracle in a jar: Ponds cold cream. Mrs. Prien is survived by a half sister, Sally Eaves Lewis of Napa, and a half brother, Jackson Eaves of Mountain View. Services are pending. Carolyne Zinko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: czinko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @CarolyneZinko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Protesters outraged by the police killings of two African American men in Louisiana and Minnesota gathered to demonstrate in downtown San Francisco and march to City Hall on Friday night, a day after five people were arrested during an Oakland rally of about 2,000 activists who shut down Interstate 880 for hours. More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the foot of Market Street under a huge banner that read, Stop the Racist Police Terror in the U.S. Remain peaceful Speakers at the rally were calling for a peaceful observance after five police officers in Dallas were fatally shot Thursday by a sniper during a peaceful rally in that city, one of several rallies and marches across the U.S. held to protest the two shootings by police. More than anything else, remain peaceful, said Lawrence Shine of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition of San Francisco, addressing the gathering crowd. Violence in response to violence will beget more violence. Our anger must be controlled and strategic, he added. Love will overcome hate. Oakland activist Aejay Mitchell read aloud what he called an open letter to police. Yes, I want you to live and go home to your families, but I also want to live and go home to my family, Mitchell declared. Please stop killing us. Edwin Carmona-Cruz of the social justice group Answer Coalition said his heart does go out to those five police officers who were killed though we cant forget why were here. San Francisco hunger striker Edwin Lindo, one of five who fasted during the spring in an attempt to force the removal of former Police Chief Greg Suhr, told the crowd, I dont want to keep coming here I want to make sure we dont have to be back here. After a half hour of speeches, the crowd which had grown to more than 1,000 began marching down Market Street to the cadence of a loud large drum. No justice, no peace, no racist police! the crowd hollered. Near the head of the march was Destiny Williams, 17, of Petaluma, who was holding a stop sign to which she had added, at the bottom, the words Corrupt Cops. I dont think I can sit here and not do anything, she said. Just because we want justice and we dont want our people to be shot down doesnt mean we hate police officers. When the march reached Market and Powell streets, the crowd which had now grown to about 2,000 sat down in the middle of the street while speakers read a list of names of people they said had been killed in officer-involved shootings. Police at City Hall After a march of about an hour, the crowd arrived at City Hall, where a small line of police blocked the entrance to City Hall and a larger group of officers monitored the crowd from the rear. By 10:30 p.m., the protest was winding down. Protester Gwenth Kenny, 29, of San Francisco who was holding a sign that read, Pro Black is Not Anti-Blue said that Black Lives Matter is not about hating police, its about equality. Other sponsors of the march and rally were the Justice 4 Mario Woods Coalition, San Francisco Black Leadership Forum, San Francisco Black Lives Matter and West County Toxics Coalition. The collective action comes after the deaths over the past week of Philando Castile, a cafeteria supervisor at a magnet school, and Alton Sterling, who sold CDs outside of the convenience store where he was shot. Sterling, 37, was killed Tuesday in a scuffle with two police officers in Baton Rouge, La. Video footage showed Sterling was pinned to the ground by officers when he was shot. Castile, 32, was shot Wednesday during a traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, Minn. Thursday nights protest in downtown Oakland resulted in five arrests and one citation after starting in Frank Ogawa Plaza, heading to the Oakland Police Department and moving to Interstate 880. Another rally and demonstration that some said would take place Friday in Oakland did not occur. Vandalism in Oakland Oakland police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said one person was arrested on suspicion of vandalism Thursday after the glass doors of the departments administration building were scratched, broken and covered in red paint to symbolize blood. The department expected to make more arrests in connection with the vandalism. Two people were arrested for throwing water bottles at police officers during the rally, and one person was arrested for burglary. One person was arrested and a citation was issued for graffiti incidents at Chase Bank at 14th and Broadway and another on columns in the 1000 block of Broadway. None of the arrested suspects was identified. Other incidents Thursday night include a small fire on I-880 that was quickly extinguished and broken windows at the Foot Locker store on Broadway. Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein contributed to this report. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Richmond police officer has been placed on paid leave amid an internal affairs investigation into contact that the citys cops may have had with a teenage sex worker, officials said. Jerrod Tong is a school resource officer, a specialized role that involves being stationed in schools and working with youths. He was given notice Thursday, Police Chief Allwyn Brown said in a message to city officials. The move was part of the departments investigation into a sexual misconduct scandal that has ensnared officers across the Bay Area after a young woman said she had sex with almost 30 cops, some while she was underage, Assistant Police Chief Bisa French said. Richmond police have not said how many employees are being investigated, but the young woman at the center of the scandal who has asked to be identified by her online name of Celeste Guap told KGO-TV she had contact with six of the citys officers. She has also described interactions with officers from Oakland, Livermore and San Francisco as well as sheriffs deputies in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Last month, the Alameda County district attorneys office fired an inspector and former Oakland police captain, Rick Orozco, over alleged online communications with Guap. Ricardo Perez, a Contra Costa County sheriffs deputy, resigned recently after Guap, 18, told The Chronicle he had sex with her several times while she was 17. Perez remains the subject of a criminal investigation. In Oakland, where the scandal originated, three officers have been placed on administrative leave, and two have resigned. Guap, whose mother works as an Oakland police dispatcher, told The Chronicle that a few of the officers paid to have sex with her, while others tipped her off about undercover prostitution stings or ran the names of people she was curious about through confidential databases. Investigators were first alerted to possible misconduct when Oakland Officer Brendan OBrien committed suicide in September and left a note referring to Guap, who said she had a sexual relationship with OBrien while she was underage. Another officer who had sex with her told her to hurry up and turn 18, Guap said. She said she refused to reveal his name to investigators. Amid the investigation, Oakland saw three different police chiefs step down in less than two weeks. City Administrator Sabrina Landreth is now heading the department as city officials search for a new chief. The police departments with accused officers have begun internal affairs investigations and reassigned some to administrative work or positions that do not involve regular contact with young people. Oakland police and Alameda County prosecutors are looking into possible criminal charges for some officers. East Bay public defenders, meanwhile, said they would examine closed and active cases, especially those involving prostitution, to see if any were tainted by the officers. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Private First Class Christopher Jones ... Specialist Stephan Mace ... First Lieutenant Andrew Bundermann ... chances are that if you served in the military during wartime, you either fought alongside soldiers like them, or you were one of them. These were just some of the Army soldiers of 1st Platoon, B Troop 3-61 Calvary, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, who would soon find themselves in one of the most epic firefights of the war in Afghanistan the Battle for Combat Outpost (COP) Keating. Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor, by Clinton Romesha, is a remarkably frank, no-holds-barred account of the battle not only written by a soldier who was there, but who also earned the Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Romesha was a staff sergeant serving as Alpha Section leader of Red Platoon as part of a larger contingent of soldiers preparing to shut down COP Keating, the most remote and inaccessible outpost in a string of bases built by the military in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after its construction, the Army was ready to concede what ground troops had known immediately: COP Keating was too isolated and dangerous to defend. In October 2009, after years of constant smaller attacks, the Taliban finally decided to attack the outpost with a vengeance only three days before it was to be shut down. More Information Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor By Clinton Romesha Dutton, $28 See More Collapse Unlike most other authors of books on military battles and acts of extraordinary heroism, Romesha gives the reader a realistic counter to the common narrative. He points out that while civilians may harbor the impression that a platoon of soldiers quickly becomes a band of brothers, the truth is that not everyone comes together for the common good effortlessly. Simply put, the military is a microcosm of society and not everybody is going to get along. The Battle for Keating was an intense 13-hour combat operation that would test every man and claim the lives of eight of them. Romesha writes that they were all soldiers who were plagued by fears and doubts, and who bickered endlessly and indulged in all manner of pettiness. They were men who battled a litany of conditions that included depression, addiction, apathy and rage, but were able to set those flaws aside as the bullets and RPGs came downrange. The Taliban initially had the upper hand because it repeatedly attacked the outpost in advance in order to gather intelligence on battle drills and strategic response patterns. The enemy began the attack by targeting generators, the mortar pit and gun trucks, and did not begin the ground assault until they had achieved decisive fire superiority on Keating. Romesha says candidly that there is no manual for combat heroism. Generally, it boils down to a gut instinct, an innate understanding that the time has arrived to transition out of one leadership role and into another. Prior to the battle, no one really knew the fury that was about to be unleashed by the two combat forces: one bent on annihilation of its foe, the other on survival at an outpost that might as well have been on the other side of the moon. For the 50 Americans inside the wire at Keating, every iota of military training they had ever received was about to be put to the test. Red Platoon is not about the daring heroics Romesha executed against overwhelming enemy forces and firepower, nor is it a comprehensive review of a battle destined to be a touchstone of our involvement in Afghanistan. Instead, its a gripping tale about soldiers from all walks of life that fate brought together on an isolated outpost, and then challenged them to not only fight for their country, but most importantly, for each other. Vincent Bosquez is a retired Marine Corps captain and coordinator of Veterans Affairs at Palo Alto College. Red Platoon is his 100th book review for the Express-News. Mike Nielsen named one of his beef animals after a star in the sky. Thats because he knew shed do well in the show ring. But he gave the name, Jenny, to a bucket calf that was born without eyes. Inspired by the movie Forrest Gump, Nielsen named Jenny after one of the films characters, because he was impressed by her persistence. Jenny would end up being a winner shining as brightly as any of the other animals hed shown. This year, Nielsen was in the show ring on Saturday during the Fremont 4-H Fair. But before he took a 1,300-pound market steer into the ring, the 18-year-old Fremonter looked back on his 4-H career. Nielsen was 15 when he came to the Masonic-Eastern Star Home for Children in Fremont in 2014. That year, he was put in 4-H. I was a little bit scared at first, but also excited, the amiable young man recalled. It was a new experience. I had never worked with a farm animal before. His first animal was a black angus, bucket calf, which Nielsen named Max. Nielsen brushed and cleaned Max and led the animal around a show ring in a barn on the Masonic Home grounds. Over time, I began to bond with him, Nielsen said. I started to realize that every animal has its own personality. Max loved to be playful and loved to be lazy. Heading into the show ring at a fair would be a little unnerving, but his farm director, Maria Kriete, told him to stay calm. Do your best and youll be fine, she said. He took that advice. I ended up doing really well, he said. I ended up getting a purple. After the Fremont 4-H Fair, he showed Max at the Dodge County Fair. He was very sad when Max went to market, but came to accept the situation. We really love these animals, but like everything their time comes, he said. I miss Max. He was a good pal. The next year, he got a market heifer, which he named Arctura after the star Arcturus. I believed shed incredibly smart and I believed shed stand out above the rest and Arcturus is one of the brightest stars in the sky, he said. Arctura turned out to be quite intelligent. Calves arent supposed to escape their halters, but this one found a way to do so. I think you may have transferred your smarts to her, the farm director told Nielsen. After that, they put Arctura in a special halter. She was by far the smartest calf I ever had, he said. She did exactly what she was supposed to do in the show ring. Nielsen also got Jenny that year. I liked the name, because as I worked with her more and more, she continuously inspired me, he said. One time, when she was out in her pen, she didnt know where anything was at. She would run into fences. She had other obstacles. Cattle are herd animals, but the problem was that she didnt know where the other calves were. So often Id find her on one side of the pen, but the rest of the calves would be on the other, he said. Yet Nielsen would become inspired after discovering that Jenny had started using her sense of hearing and her familiarity with things around her. When shed head for a fence, Jenny would realize it was there and turn away as she was nearing it. So she didnt run into it. She began recognizing the sounds that the rest of the calves made, so shed go with them because she knew where they were. Nielsen was impressed by her persistence and ability to be a quick learner. At one time, it was difficult to lead her, he said. She would use every muscle in her body to not walk with me, but as I gained her trust, she became the easiest walker. She learned to trust me. Nielsen got a purple ribbon with Jenny at the Fremont 4-H Fair that year. He earned the reserve champion award with Jenny at the Dodge County Fair in Scribner. With Arctura, he won a purple in Fremont and two purple ribbons at the Dodge County Fair. Now in 2016, he was preparing to show a steer which he named Sagittarius after a massive black hole in the center of the galaxy. I believed hed be a leader and that black hole keeps all the stars and planets where they should be in our galaxy. It keeps the earth from going too far out of orbit and becoming uninhabitable, Nielsen said. He had another reason for naming the steer after a black hole because the animal is black. Nielsen anticipated that Sagittarius would do well in the show ring and has enjoyed his time in 4-H. A 2016 graduate of Fremont High School, Nielsen will go to the University of Nebraska at Omaha for cytotechnology. Its a job most people have never heard of, he said. Theyre the lab techs in the hospital, he said. They take the tissue and fluid samples and analyze them to determine whether the patient has cancer or bacteria or a virus and then they let the doctor know what the patient has and then the doctor can go about treating the patient. Looking back, Nielsen said he didnt know hed be doing all of this when he entered the Masonic Home and started participating in 4-H years ago. Its incredible, he said. You learn a lot of life skills. Now, it looks like Nielsen will shine as brightly if not brighter than Jenny or Arctura. A 22-year-old San Antonio man pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon Thursday and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Jonathan Avila, 22, admitted shooting and killing Terrell Stephens, 26, and causing bodily injury to then 13-year-old Caral Lopez and Anthony Trevino, then 26, on Dec. 8, 2012. A San Antonio man accused of forcing a young runaway girl into prostitution was arrested Tuesday, according to police. Jacob F. Leon, 19, of Universal City, was charged with trafficking of persons, an arrest warrant states. Leon allegedly befriended the girl in November 2014 after she ran away from home, taking her into his house because she had nowhere else to go, according to the arrest warrant. Then, Leon allegedly told the girl who was 14 at the time that she needed to offset her living expenses by becoming an escort, the warrant said, then posted photos and videos of her on the website MocoSpace. According to the warrant, the girl was paid by unknown men to perform sexual acts. Leon allegedly contacted the girl again through Facebook in June 2016, the warrant said, instructing her to meet up with him once again to make some money. Two hundred and forty years before Brexit, there was Amexit, also known as the American Revolution. In terms of historical consequence, the Brexit vote and the American Revolution dont occupy the same universes, but they are connected by a belief in popular sovereignty and a refusal to be governed by a remote authority with only an attenuated mechanism if that for representation. In Brexit, the British people decided that their Parliament should trump the governing machinery of the EU, and in our Revolution we decided that our Colonial assemblies should trump the governing machinery of the British Empire. Both acts exhibited a punctiliousness about government by consent that struck critics as unreasonable and even dangerous. The Revolution fed off popular passions that shocked and embarrassed some Colonial elites who were more cautious about separating from Britain, in an echo of the elite reaction to Brexit. John Adams pushed back against the sneers and snubbs directed at the multitude, the million, the populace, the vulgar, the mob, the herd and the rabble, as the great always delight to call them. (Im in the debt of the magisterial new book Toward Democracy for this and other quotes.) If the pro-Brexit forces seem overly touchy about British sovereignty, consider the sensitivity of the architects of the American Revolution. They believed that if government merely has the leeway to rule arbitrarily, it is already tyrannical. It is necessary, Adams warned, to nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud. The founders sought to protect the bedrock principle that the people, again the words of Adams, are the Source of all Authority and Original of all Power. Alexander Hamilton wrote that the only distinction between slavery and freedom is whether man is governed either by the will of another, or by the laws to which he has given his consent. By this standard, the case against the British Parliament was highly intuitive: Members of Parliament didnt live in the Colonies, and the colonists didnt elect them. If the arguments were often complex could Parliament impose external taxes but not internal ones? the crux of the matter wasnt. Benjamin Franklin wrote that either parliament has the right to make all laws for us, or it has the power to make no laws for us. When it came, the American Revolution was a very British affair. Its supporters cited British writers like John Locke and Algernon Sidney; long-standing liberties under the informal British constitution; and their own rights as Englishmen. Perhaps there was never a people, Samuel Adams wrote, who discovered themselves more strongly attached to their natural and constitutional rights and liberties than the British Colonists on this American Continent. History didnt come full circle, but it did look over its shoulder when a leading advocate of Brexit, the Tory politician Michael Gove, cited the American Revolution as inspiration for Britains separation from the EU. Of course, the circumstances are vastly different. The EU didnt suspend the British Parliament. It isnt sending a fearsome fleet across the Channel to crush all resistance and hunt down Nigel Farage, leader of the U.K. Independence Party. Britain obviously didnt become a newly independent nation upon the passage of Brexit. But the Brexit vote is a reminder that the threat to self-government never truly abates; it just takes different (and more or less benign or noxious) forms. This is why self-government always needs to be jealously and zealously guarded something our forefathers understood and acted upon. Levi Preston, a captain at the Battle of Concord, explained decades later why he fought: What we meant in going for those redcoats was this: We had always governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didnt mean we should. Its a sentiment as relevant now as it was more than 200 years ago and will always remain so as long as men yearn to be free. comments.lowry@nationalreview.com In striking down the Obama administrations hydraulic fracturing rule that would have put more regulations on fracking on federal lands, Judge Scott Skavdahl of the U.S. District Court of Wyoming got it right for the environment. When it comes to oil and gas production, each state is different because the geology, regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, economics, industries, tax laws and political climate are different. One size does not fit all. State regulators and policymakers have more experience, expertise and local knowledge than the federal government does. Thus, states are better at ensuring that industry, government and other stakeholders work together to produce oil and gas; protect the land, water and air; disclose the composition of frack fluids; and provide a local tax base that allows for further environmental protection. State primacy is the best solution for the environment in this case and other issues as well. Should agricultural practices in Florida follow the exact standards as those in Oregon? Should Colorado be told it cannot sell marijuana? Should New York be required to allow fracking in the Marcellus Shale? Are there cases where federal regulation makes sense? Of course. For example, particulate pollution or safety standards for food, which cross state boundaries. Is the state oil and gas regulatory process perfect? Of course not. That is why state regulators share best practices and experiences, and are always improving. Are all states prepared today to regulate oil and gas? No. But does that justify the Interior Departments statement that Skavdahls ruling prevents regulators from using 21st century standards to ensure that oil and gas operations are conducted safely and responsibly on public and tribal lands? No, it does not. There are local, and mostly temporary, effects of drilling, such as increased noise, dust, roads and lights. On rare occasion, wells can leak methane through surface casing designed to protect groundwater; valves can leak methane; and surface storage pits can leak water. Also on rare occasion, pressure from disposal of produced water deep in the earth can cause a natural fault to shift sooner than it would have on its own, creating a low-magnitude earthquake. Are these environmental impacts acceptable? No. The industry must continue to improve, and it does. Are the impacts large-scale and systemic? No. They are local, and they are the exception. Of course, understanding the rarity doesnt help if such an event happens in your backyard, any more than would occurrences of contamination from an industrial-scale chicken farm, or a chemical battery, fertilizer or solar-panel manufacturing plant. Do we have energy options better than oil and natural gas that can be deployed immediately? Some say yes, but that is mostly a political answer. Thermodynamics are less definitive. To replace 50 percent of base-load coal, natural gas and nuclear-generated electricity with intermittent solar and wind power is a massive undertaking, because these alternatives are very low-density sources of energy. Collecting and converting them into dense, useful energy will result in environmental impacts on a major scale, including construction, mining, land use, power lines, shipping and transport, chemical-battery manufacturing, waste disposal, bird kills and other forms of heavy industry. Unfortunately, scale matters. No form of energy is environmentally perfect. As we consider energy, the economy and the environment, and how to improve all three, it is best to remain objective, fact-based and educated. Balanced research funding from government, nongovernment and, yes, industry sources helps to ensure that the most complete data are used, that the results do not stray too deeply into the potentially biased worlds of any particular group, and that rigorous and thoughtful exchange and peer review among experts goes on throughout the process. When dealing with topics that we are passionate about, we all migrate toward results and outcomes that confirm our biases, even when faced with objective, measurable, repeatable results with which we may not agree. Scott W. Tinker is the state geologist of Texas, the director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, and the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Re: The Next Million, special section, June 26: and How will city stand up to a tidal wave of growth? editorial, June 26: Thank you for the special section, and I agree completely with your editorial on managing this future growth of our metroplex. Transportation, housing, education and control of sprawl are big priorities. Any long-term plan must exist within the context of the climate change crisis. We are again in the hottest year ever, with extreme weather everywhere. Phoenix at 120 degrees; massive flooding in West Virginia, South Carolina, Texas and around the world; record-breaking wildfires, droughts, tornadoes and hurricanes. The warmer atmosphere now holds 5 percent more moisture, altering all weather. San Antonio must step up its role as a leader in the shift away from fossil fuels and in the conservation of water. We must also realize that sprawling all over the fragile Hill Country is a bad idea, that our semiarid region has a carrying capacity that will be reduced as the region becomes more arid. National and state governments are almost paralyzed on this issue due to the influence of fossil-fuel interests. Cities must lead the world into a sustainable future. Darby Riley Ban cars, trucks Recent headlines in your newspaper seem to indicate that not only do guns kill people but also pickups and SUVs. Pickups and SUVs crash into people and kill them. So if liberals think that guns kill people, then all these modes of killing should be banned! Brenda Kuehner Clinic reparations Re: Courts decision on abortion hollow victory for providers, front page, June 29: I congratulate pro-choice supporters for taking their case to the Supreme Court, which upheld the unconstitutionality of the Texas restrictions on abortion providers. Abortion providers who were almost ready to close can now stay open. But I am disturbed that those who have already closed will face obstacles before they can reopen, including the possibility of paying a $5,000 fee for license renewal. If the law that led to the closings was unconstitutional, as the court ruled, then the facilities that were forced to close should be able to reopen immediately without any costs, penalties or other hardships. If their licenses had not expired when they closed, those licenses should be restored at no cost and their expiration dates extended for the time they were illegally forced to close. Any expenses borne by their reopening should be borne by the state. I would not be surprised if the state forces clinics to sue before such reparations are made, and if that is the case, I would be happy to contribute to their legal fees, which would surely be refunded and accompanied by compensatory and punitive damages. There is no excuse for what legislators did to these organizations. Surely they know that the law was unconstitutional if they do not, they should be removed from office and sent back to elementary school where they can learn to read. Bruce Gardner Right to kill? Re: Justices strike down Texas abortion rules, front page, June 28, and Woman gets life for babys death, Nation Briefs, June 28: On the front page is an article regarding the Supreme Court decision against certain regulations relating to abortion. The regulations would not prohibit abortions but make them more difficult to obtain. The article depicts the satisfaction of women who contend they have the right to an abortion. In the inside pages of the same issue is an article about a 21-year-old woman sentenced to life in prison without parole. While a college student she had given birth in her sorority house and shortly thereafter killed the infant. If women believe they have a constitutional right to kill an infant before its birth, why not the same right shortly after the birth? Where is the real distinction between the woman who arranges for a child to be killed before its birth and one who kills it shortly thereafter? Is the use of the word abortion merely a cover to soften what has actually occurred? Kenneth E. Ratcliff, Cibolo Unworkable plan Re: Texas Republicans like Trumps ideas, State, June 28: Its so easy to hand off solutions to someone else without actually thinking things through (witness the sudden backpedaling by English Brexit leaders). If the Texas barking dogs ever caught the immigration car, what would they do? Would they pony up for the mega-billions required to make it happen? No, theyd expect the government to pay for it, the same government they complain is too big. Further, have they even done the math? Think about it. If by some miracle 1,000 individuals could be bumped out of the country every day, itd take 30 years to transport 11 million people. Donald Trumps not going to do it; no ones going to do it. Far better to demand your representative get his/her head out of the sand and deal with some make-sense immigration reform. Hugh Barr Two of a kind Re: Clinton, Warren join in attacking Trump, Nation & World, June 28: I just saw something revolting on TV, which was then reported by your newspaper Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren campaigning together. Hillary was wearing what looked like a set of Chairman Mao pajamas, in a bluish tint, and Warren was wearing an almost matching unflattering get-up. Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. It doesnt matter which is which; they are interchangeable, equally offensive and untruthful. Liar, liar, pantsuit on fire! Gene Peterson This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The last vote in Californias 2016 primary has finally been counted, just over a month after the polls closed in the June 7 election. Friday was the deadline for the states 58 counties to complete their vote counts and forward the totals to the secretary of state, who will certify and release the final results next week. The numbers show that Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clintons 12 percentage-point lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on election night dropped to a still-comfortable seven points. In the race for U.S. Senate, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez trailed Attorney General Kamala Harris by 21 percentage points instead of 24. And in San Francisco, independent Preston Picus nosed out Republican Bob Miller by 50 votes for the right to get thrashed in November by Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who collected 78 percent of the primary votes. But the 2016 primary was anything but a controversy-free election. There were plenty of conspiracy theories about how the snails-pace tally along with the more than 2.5 million votes left uncounted after election day was part of a plot by Clinton and the Democratic establishment to steal the election, and the presidency, from the more progressive Sanders. More for you Judge orders Sen. Gomes placed on primary ballot A rash of Internet stories, many of the tinfoil-hat variety, accused state officials of massive election fraud, barring Sanders voters from the polls and distorting the numbers of what they said would have been Sanders landslide to give Clinton a comfortable victory. But most of the complaints were less about the results and more about the time it took to get them. Theres no excuse for why it takes so long to count ballots, said Ben Tulchin, a San Francisco pollster working for Sanders. A lot of mail ballots came in early ... and still the count was painfully and unconscionably slow. Theres plenty of blame to go around, with the Democratic Party, the state and Sanders supporters all earning a piece of it. While the monthlong window to count ballots has been part of California election law for decades, its seldom an issue. Most years, the election comes, late-arriving mail ballots and a handful of provisional ballots are quickly counted, and everyone goes away happy. But every four years, a presidential primary changes everything. Instead of every voter getting the same ballot, which now is typical in California elections, each political party decides who gets to vote in its presidential primary. While the states Republicans kept everyone but party members out, Democrats let independent voters in, but only if they asked. Sanders campaign focused its efforts on getting young people with no party preference to vote in the Democratic primary. But many of those voters, especially those voting by mail, never returned the card requesting a Democratic presidential ballot. So they arrived at the polls and were forced to cast provisional ballots. The remedy to election day problems is to have someone cast a provisional ballot and say that well worry about it later, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., which tracks election data for campaigns. And plenty of people, many of them Sanders supporters, did just that. More than 700,000 provisional ballots were cast in June, the most in recent memory. And those votes, combined with late-arriving mail ballots, helped Sanders outpace Clinton by nearly 75,000 votes in the ballots counted after election day. Problem is, theres no fast way to count provisional ballots, which take about 2 minutes each to process. Californias commitment to ensuring that everyone has a chance to vote and that every vote gets counted also plays a role in the long count. With more than 60 percent of the voters casting their ballots by mail, more and more of those ballots are turned in on election day, ensuring they wont be counted for days and sometimes weeks. And the states new Postmark Plus Three program allows mail ballots arriving after election day to be counted, adding to the vote total and stretching out the count. Laws vary across the country, but California has a robust effort to allow more people to vote, said Sam Mahood, a spokesman for Secretary of State Alex Padilla. For example, some states have strict early voting limits, while California allows voters to cast ballots by mail almost a month before election day. With the state making every effort to expand voting, county election officials are dead set against shortening the 30-day counting period. Under the current constraints, thats impossible, said Neal Kelley, Orange County registrar and president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. Counting a ballot is not simply ... recording a vote. For instance, to tally a single vote-by-mail ballot there are about seven or eight steps that are required before a ballot is scanned. That doesnt mean changes couldnt speed up the count, Mahood said. Padillas proposal to send mail ballots to every voter and open voting centers 10 days before the election could result in more ballots arriving early. The measure, SB450, is making its way through the Legislature. New technology, such as electronic poll books, can also help, by eliminating the need for many provisional ballots, Mahood added. But theres also the question of whether theres any need for a quicker vote count. The ability to call an election is trivial compared to getting it right and making sure every vote is counted, said Mitchell, whose company closely follows voting trends. What harm is (the delay) causing, except to reporters and candidates? Gale Kaufman is a veteran Democratic political consultant who has spent plenty of time over the years holding the hands of nervous candidates and clients desperately waiting to know how an election turns out. But she doesnt see the current way of counting votes as a bad thing. The truth is that in this era of everyone wanting to know everything immediately, sometimes things just take time, she said. I think voters appreciate that. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth WARSAW -- NATO leaders shifted the focus to conflict-plagued Afghanistan and Ukraine on Day Two of a summit that produced a plan to deploy military forces to member-states near the border of an increasingly assertive Russia. The 28-nation Western alliance is set to extend its Resolute Support mission, which trains and advises Afghan security forces following the withdrawal of the bulk of foreign troops at the end of 2014. NATO is also expected to continue financing Afghan forces with about $4 billion a year through 2020. We are committed to assisting the Afghan forces to secure their country and to ensure it never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorism, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the July 8-9 summit in Warsaw. U.S.-led forces entered Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in 2001 and drove the Taliban, which had harbored Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, from power.But the insurgents have not been defeated and by some accounts now hold more territory than at any time since 2001. U.S. President Barack Obama announced on July 6 that the United States would keep 8,400 troops in Afghanistan through the end of his term in January 2017, the latest in a series of decisions to slow the drawdown of U.S. forces there. Ahead of the NATO summit, Obama said his decision should encourage more allies and partners to affirm their commitment to the NATO mission to train Afghan forces. Resolute Support now involves about 13,000 troops from 39 countries. In the afternoon of the second and final day of the Warsaw summit, alliance leaders are to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for a session of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. NATOs moves to bolster its defenses in the east have been prompted largely by concerns about the intentions of Russia, which seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014 and backs separatists whose war with Kyivs forces has killed more than 9,300 people in eastern Ukraine since that April. Cease-Fire Violated A French- and German-brokered peace deal known as the Minsk agreement imposed a cease-fire, but it is violated frequently and the separatists continue to hold parts of Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Progress on political aspects of the Minsk agreement, which was meant to resolve the conflict and restore Kyivs control over Ukraines entire border with Russia, has been slow. On the first day of the summit, July 8, NATO leaders from the 28 members formally authorized four multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops to be stationed on a rotating basis in Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. They will be led by the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany. Russias aggression against Ukraine threatens our vision of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace, Obama wrote in a commentary published on the Financial Times website on July 8. He said NATO must reaffirm our determination -- our dutyto defend every NATO ally. The U.S.-led battalion comes on top of an additional armored U.S. brigade, which U.S. officials announced earlier this year would begin rotating into Eastern Europe on a regular basis. That brings the number of fully manned U.S. combat brigades with a presence in Europe to three. A brigade comprises about 4,200 to 4,500 troops. Russias interference in Ukraine has increased concerns in Poland and the three Baltic states, which were under Moscows thumb until the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union a quarter-century ago. All are now NATO members. In addition to military force, Western governments say that under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has used cyberattacks, propaganda, and other methods in an effort to destabilize European countries and undermine Western unity. Russia has criticized NATOs deployment plans. Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper parliament house, likened them to building a dam in the desert, and Putins spokesman said on July 8 that it was absurd to speak of a threat from Russia. Stoltenberg said that "NATO does not seek confrontation and will continue to seek meaningful and constructive dialogue" with Russia. He and other NATO leaders say Russias actions in Ukraine have forced the alliance to bolster its defenses. Obama said that even as our nations remain open to a more constructive relationship with Russia, we should agree that sanctions on Russia must remain in place until Moscow fully implements its obligations under the Minsk agreement. The NATO-Russia Council, which was set up in the 1990s to address Russias misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, is to meet next week for the second time this year. The council was suspended in 2014 following Russias seizure of Crimea. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP, and Interfax The Los Angeles Times weighed in on how the Calfornia private equity fee transparency legislation sponsored by Treasurer John Chiang, who sits on the boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS, has had one of its initial supporters, himself a former head of CalPERS Investment Committee, go into opposition against the bill. We wrote earlier about how Michael Flaherman, who has also been a private equity executive and now is a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley, who not only backed the bill but actually provided some of its original language, is campaigning actively against the bill, AB 2833. As much as it is gratifying to see the Los Angeles Times take up the controversy, it is also frustrating to see it miss or mischaracterize some of the underlying issues. The reason legislation like this is so important is that the SEC described the private equity industry as engaging in widespread abuses, including what amounted to embezzlement, in a landmark 2014 speech. Note that we had written about private equity abuses the year before. In addition, the agency made clear that investors like CalPERS and CalSTRS enabled these violations by entering into agreements that did a poor job of protecting their interests. Shortly after the SEC revelations, major stories in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal described a wide range of misconduct in detail, implicating major firms like KKR, Blackstone, Apollo, Carlyle, and TPG. The SEC has entered into settlements with some of these players and has said more enforcement actions are coming. This is weak tea compared to the scale of the grifting, but at least one can no longer deny that there is gambling in Casablanca. Yet the Los Angles Times does not make clear that the most important motive for transparency legislation it to expose all the ways that the private equity firms are hoovering cash from the companies they control. That will reduce the amount of misconduct, and also reveal the true cost of investing in private equity. Professor Ludovic Phalippou of Oxford has estimated it at a staggering 7% per annum of funds invested; CalPERS confirmed that it viewed this estimate as reasonable by including it in a private equity workshop last year. Bear in mind that there is no excuse for fiduciaries like CalPERS and CalSTRS to have only a dim idea of the fee and expense drag of investing in private equity. Fiduciaries are obligated to consider the reasonableness of fees and costs when evaluating an investment strategy. So the Los Angeles Times unwittingly does Chiang and his fellow complacent CalPERS and CalSTRS board members a favor (save CalPERS JJ Jelnicic, the only board member who has kept after these issues). The story attributes Chiangs initiative as the result of an embarrassing episode at CalPERS last year. We broke the story that Chief Operating Investment Officer Wylie Tollette said CalPERS had no idea what it was paying in carry fees, and further compounded the damage by falsely claiming that no one got the information. That incident was one of several in which CalPERS staff was caught out not understanding the basics of how private equity fees work. So while the Los Angeles Times is narrowly correct in that Chiang was trying to position himself as being on the right side of an escalating controversy, it misses the what is really at stake: the regularity with which private equity firms either outright violate their own agreements, the fact that those contracts also have gotcha provisions that investors appear not to understand, and the degree to which limited partners like CalPERS and CalSTRS are captured by private equity. These investors are not only afraid to rock the boat; they regularly side with private equity to the detriment of their beneficiaries and California taxpayers. Nevertheless, the article does make clear that AB 2833, which was supposed to sail through the California legislature and give Chiang a talking point in his gubernatorial bid, has become controversial: A bill that would require more disclosure from private equity firms that manage money for Californias public pension plans has been weakened, prompting a former state investment official and early backer of the legislation to pull his support Michael Flaherman, a former board member of the California Public Employees Retirement System who had promoted the legislation, argues that the change has gutted the bill. The private equity industry clearly intends to fool the Legislature and the public with the most recent amendments to AB 2833, Flaherman, who has also worked for private equity firms, wrote in a letter sent to legislators last week The original bill would have required firms to report the total fees paid by the companies within a particular private equity fund. Now the bill only requires the firms to report the share of fees proportional to a California public pensions investment in a particular fund. Flaherman said thats a crucial change. Because of the way that private equity deals are often structured, it would make it impossible to know how much companies are really paying. Thats a problem, he said, because the fees, which can add up to millions of dollars, can be a big burden for the companies paying them potentially cutting into their profitability or ability to grow and therefore harmful to investors. Mind you, this isnt the only serious failing of the bill. Weve described others: that general partners can structure related party payments to escape reporting and that the definition of portfolio company allows payment to be routed through other entities. Taken together, these shortcomings mean the bill is fatally flawed. Notice the misleading defense that Chiangs office gives for this Potemkin measure: Deputy Treasurer Grant Boyken said a complete accounting of fees the kind that the bill originally called for is an admirable goal but that getting the share of fees paid by pension funds is Chiangs main concern. Our immediate goal is to look at what California pension funds are paying, Boyken said. The language we have now does that. The bigger story with private equity is not how much were paying, but are we paying too much? We cant have that conversation until we know how much we are paying. You can see how much of a backtrack this is when you go back to Chiangs announcement last fall. He deemed the more detailed Institutional Limited Partners Association fee template (then in an advanced draft state) to be insufficient. And the Los Angeles Times finds a dubious expert to provide the obligatory limited partner and industry PR: CalSTRS in particular had raised concerns that if the bill became law it could endanger those returns because some private equity firms might choose not to work with California pension funds, preferring instead to take money from investors who dont have such strict disclosure requirements. Timothy Spangler, a UCLA law professor who has worked with private equity firms and investors, said thats a legitimate concern. If youre producing 30% returns year in, year out, you have a lot of people who want to invest in your funds, he said. Spangler, a law professor and not a finance expert, shows he is not competent to discuss private equity returns. Just a few of the many reasons his flip statement is incorrect. Private equity funds do not deliver returns remotely as high as he says, much the less with machine-lke regularity. First, its been well documented that there has not been persistence in top private equity returns in this century. In fact, the most recent studies have found that a top-tier firm is slightly less likely to deliver top-tier performance in its next fund than by merely investing randomly! Second, these returns need to be adjusted for the idiosyncratic risks of investing in private equity. When all those risks are included, private equity not only does not outperform, but it underperforms. Third, private equity executives have warned that private equity returns are going to fall, and stock market valuations of the public equity fund managers that are private say that they expect the decline to be significant. Spangler also makes the intellectually dishonest argument that the SEC should ride into the rescue and impose transparency regulations. As we pointed out in a Bloomberg op-ed last year: One can only conclude that the state and local officials are trying to shift responsibility to the SEC for their own failure to perform their fiduciary duties. This is clearly cynical, because theres not much the SEC can do. The agency is already struggling to get private equity managers to improve the very general annual disclosures that regulations currently require. Often masterpieces of obfuscation, the documents describe the types of fees received, but not the amount. More detailed disclosure would require a radical rewrite of existing rules. Private equity executives would argue that they give investors plenty of opportunity to do due diligence and that the investors all have their own lawyers who signed off on these deals. What is seldom acknowledged is the public funds outside counsel often invest in private equity funds, sometimes on a preferred basis relative to their clients, and typically earn far more working for private equity portfolio companies than advising public funds. Moreover, private equity firms are big political contributors: They have been barred from contributing to state treasurer elections, but they still spread vast sums around state legislatures. The most realistic solution lies with the SEC but it wont be what the state officials have in mind. If public pension funds persist in feigning helplessness, the agency should consider rescinding their accredited status. This designation allows large and sophisticated investors to operate with minimal oversight. It requires that they be competent to review legal agreements and negotiate terms, including disclosure and audit rights, when the SEC has not reviewed the offering documents for accuracy and completeness. Without it, the pension funds would not be able to invest in private equity unless the latter submitted to the higher cost and disclosure of registering their offerings with the SEC. Losing accredited status would be a huge embarrassment. As such, it could serve as a wake-up call, forcing complacent and captured public pension fund trustees and staff to just say no to private equity shenanigans. Despite its shortcomings, the Los Angeles Times article does hit the most important issues: that Chiangs bill fails to achieve its original promise, and that big investors like CalPERS and CalSTRS are doing an poor job of oversight through their longstanding failure to understand the economics of investing in private equity. The more heat on these issues, the better. Update July 9, 9:45 PM: A law professor who has written extensively on private equity sent this message: Spangler is actually not a law professor at UCLA. Maybe he has taught as an adjunct, but hes just a practitioner with PE clients. If you check the UCLA law schools website, it has only only dead links to some courses Spangler taught (presumably as an adjunct). More important, Spangler is not listed on the UCLA law faculty profile page. So why didnt the Los Angeles Times do basic fact checking? Another reader e-mailed later: SHARE Carlos Dearmas A semi-truck driver shot into the passenger side window of another truck in a fit of road rage, spraying glass on the truck's driver, according to Collier County sheriff's reports. Carlos Dearmas, 32, of Miami, was arrested Thursday and charged with shooting into a vehicle at the Immokalee sand mine on Edwards Grove Road. The victim, whose face and right hand was cut by flying glass, told deputies he was turning off Interstate 75 onto Corkscrew Road headed to the mine when Dearmas cut him off as he was trying to merge. The two drivers got into an argument on a radio channel commonly used by truckers going to the mine. They argued over who had the right of way, the victim told deputies. When the victim got to the mine, Dearmas got out of his truck, ran alongside the right side of the victim's truck and saw Dearmas raise his arm, the victim told deputies. The victim said he heard a loud bang and the passenger side and driver side windows shattered. Priscilla Grannis introduces the school board candidates at the Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, July 8, 2016. (Annika Hammerschlag/Naples Daily News) SHARE District 2 candidate Louise Penta speaks at the Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, July 8, 2016. The event was hosted by the Women's Republican Club of Naples. (Annika Hammerschlag/Naples Daily News) District 4 candidate Erick Carter speaks at the Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, July 8, 2016. The event was hosted by the Women's Republican Club of Naples. (Annika Hammerschlag/Naples Daily News) District 4 candidate Lee Dixon speaks at the Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, July 8, 2016. The event was hosted by the Women's Republican Club of Naples. (Annika Hammerschlag/Naples Daily News) District 2 candidate Stephanie Lucarelli speaks at the Tiburon Golf Club on Friday, July 8, 2016. The event was hosted by the Women's Republican Club of Naples. (Annika Hammerschlag/Naples Daily News) By Annika Hammerschlag Collier County School Board candidates differed Friday over the authority schools have to implement federal Common Core guidelines. All four candidates attending the forum hosted by the Women's Republican Club of Naples agreed they would like to see changes in the Common Core, and District 4 candidate Lee Dixon and District 2 candidate Louise Penta explicitly stated they wanted to get rid of the federal learning standards, which are the foundation of the Florida Standards now in place at public schools. "I'm not a fan of the Common Core, but the school board has no say, that comes from the state," said District 2 candidate Stephanie Lucarelli. "I 100 percent agree that there are many issues with it, but we can't break the law and say we can't teach common core." Dixon countered, saying passage of Senate Bill 864 granted schools the right to choose their own curriculum. "It's not illegal, Common Core has to go," he said. Penta provided various reasons why she was against the federal guidelines, and stressed her dissatisfaction with the amount of standardized testing. "Our kids have been the guinea pigs. It's very regimented, there's no spontaneity," she said. Lucarelli offered a solution: "What we can do is give more autonomy to the states and we have the opportunity to lobby the state and say what we want to see." The candidates also discussed their opinions on zero based budgeting, a process of starting each annual budget discussion from scratch to justify all requested expenditures. While Penta and Dixon stated they were for zero-base budgeting, District 4 candidate Erick Carter and Lucarelli said they preferred a risk assessment system. "We shouldn't go in and start reinventing the wheel right away," Carter said. "We don't want to start micromanaging employees, because then we'll loose them." Dixon was the only candidate to mention the school grades released Friday by the Florida Department of Education. "Collier County schools went from an A to a B," he said in his closing statement. "We're the 16th biggest [school] district in the state but we spend the 3rd most amount of money. I'm not satisfied with what we're doing." Ralph Maccarone: Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalist Meet Ralph Maccarone and his cause, Who We Play For. Ralph is one of four finalists chosen for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian award for his dedication to helping children. WARSAW -- NATO signaled unity in support for Afghanistan and a mix of "defense and deterrence" with dialogue to handle an assertive Russia at a crucial summit, seeking to address an array of challenges faced by the Western alliance and the wider world. At a two-day summit that NATO leaders said was a defining moment for the alliance, its members also agreed to step up its role in the fight against Islamic State extremists and combat terrorism and human trafficking with a Sea Guardian mission in the Mediterranean. "In an unpredictable world of challenges from the south and east, NATO remains an essential source of stability," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 9, wrapping up the main results of the gathering at a Warsaw stadium ahead of a final meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. NATO must "project stability" beyond its immediate region and become "even more of a training alliance" to help other countries fight terrorism and other threats instead of sending large NATO contingents in to do so, he said, announcing a plan to begin a new training effort in Iraq to aid in combatting Islamic State fighters. "Prevention is better than intervention," Stoltenberg said. New Battalions Day One of the summit was dominated by the formal authorization of plans for multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops each to be stationed on a rotating basis in Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania -- a direct response to Russian belligerence and the biggest such move by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. The battalions will be led by the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany. "The main message is that the alliance is united, that we stand together in our approach based on defense -- strong defense -- and collective dialogue," Stoltenberg said on July 9. Asked by a Russian reporter whether he saw any imminent threat against a NATO ally, Stoltenberg said no, but added a "more assertive" Russia has built up its military capabilities, modernized its armed forces, and tripled its defense spending in recent years. Moscow, he said, has been "willing to use military force against neighbors, against Ukraine, illegally annexing Crimea, and destabilizing eastern Ukraine." Stoltenberg said NATO's enhanced response forces could be used not only on the alliance's eastern flank but also to tackle potential threats stemming from the turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa. He said that while NATO is not in a "strategic partnership" with Russia, despite what he said were efforts to build one after the Soviet breakup, it is also not engaged in a new "Cold War." "We are in a new situation which is different to anything else we have experienced before," he said. Russia stunned the West in March 2014 by seizing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and backing separatists whose war against Kyivs forces has killed more than 9,300 people in eastern Ukraine since that April. The interference in Ukraine has increased concerns in eastern NATO nations such as Poland and the three Baltic states, which were under Moscows thumb until the Soviet breakup a quarter-century ago. WATCH: Poroshenko Hails 'Unique' NATO Support In addition to military force, Western governments say that under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has used cyberattacks, propaganda, and other methods in an effort to destabilize European countries and undermine Western unity. Addressing a news conference following Poroshenkos meeting with NATO leaders, Stoltenberg reaffirmed the alliances support for Ukraine and called on Russia to halt its "political, military and financial support for separatists" battling Kyivs forces in the east of the country. Poroshenko, meanwhile, hailed NATO solidarity with his country, saying he had secured from the alliance a strong commitment to supporting Ukraine in increasing our defense capability in the form of an assistance package. The Kremlin said in a July 9 statement that Putin held a call with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the Ukraine crisis and that Putin urged his counterparts "to influence more actively the Ukrainian side" during their planned meetings with Poroshenko. In downtown Warsaw, a few hundred anti-NATO activists protested against the planned deployments on July 9, carrying banners reading "Stop NATO" and chanting "NATO get out of here." Russia, which has long accused NATO of jeopardizing security by expanding eastward, has criticized NATOs deployment plans. Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper parliament house, likened them to building a dam in the desert, and Putins spokesman said on July 8 that it was absurd to speak of a threat from Russia. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that "NATO has begun preparations for escalating from a Cold War into a hot one." "They only talk about defense, but actually are preparing for offensive operations," Gorbachev was quoted as saying. NATO leaders dismiss such accusations, saying that the alliance is not seeking confrontation but that Russia's actions have made it necessary for the alliance to bolster its defenses. Stoltenberg said during the summit that NATO will continue to seek meaningful and constructive dialogue" with Russia. The NATO-Russia Council, which was set up in the 1990s to address Russias misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, is to meet next week for the second time this year. The council was suspended following Russias seizure of Crimea. 'Long Haul' The NATO summit also produced an agreement to continue training Afghan security forces into 2017, prolonging a support mission in a country that still faces serious instability a decade and a half after the Taliban was driven from power. Taliban fighters and allied insurgents have regrouped since the U.S. invasion in 2001, and by some accounts now hold more territory than at any time since then. That has prompted the United States and NATO to slow their drawdown of troops. Speaking after leaders of the 28-nation alliance met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Stoltenberg said that Afghan forces will continue to be funded through 2020 "at or near" the current level of $5 billion a year. Most of the money comes from the United States, but Stoltenberg said other allies have promised to put up about $1 billion a year. "Our message is clear: Afghanistan does not stand alone, and we are committed for the long haul," the NATO chief said at a news conference. Stoltenberg said the number of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2017 will remain at about 12,000, but that exact numbers will be decided in the fall. Obama announced this week that the United States would leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan though the end of his term in January 2017 instead of cutting their numbers. In an interview in Warsaw with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Abdullah said that around the time that NATO ended its combat mission, Taliban insurgents thought they could "win militarily" -- but that this "did not happen" thanks to the Afghan security forces and support from the international community. WATCH: Afghan CEO Says IS 'A Problem' For His Country "The people of Afghanistan do not want the country Talibanized again," he said. The government is keeping "the door open for negotiations," Abdullah said. "But unfortunately the Taliban have given us a negative response and are prolonging the conflict in Afghanistan." On Iraq, Stoltenberg said NATO leaders agreed on the use of AWACS surveillance aircraft to support the fight against Islamic State extremists, who seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and have killed and abused uncounted civilians.Thats in addition to a new "training and capacity-building" effort there. Stoltenberg also announced plans for an intelligence center in Tunisia and support for Tunisian forces, and said NATO leaders agreed to launch a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea, to help fight trafficking, terrorism, and grapple with the influx of migrants seeking entry in Europe. A French- and German-brokered peace deal known as the Minsk agreement imposed a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, but it is violated frequently and the Russia-backed separatists continue to hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Progress on political aspects of the Minsk agreement, which was meant to resolve the conflict and restore Kyivs control over Ukraines entire border with Russia, has been slow. Ahead of the summit, Obama said that even as our nations remain open to a more constructive relationship with Russia, we should agree that sanctions on Russia must remain in place until Moscow fully implements its obligations under the Minsk agreement. With reporting by Mustafa Sarwar of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP, and Interfax A national organisation that campaigns with, for and on behalf of older people is headed by a Clonmelwoman. A national organisation that campaigns with, for and on behalf of older people is headed by a Clonmelwoman. Mairead Hayes is CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, which was thrust into the spotlight in 2008 when it organised the widespread opposition to the governments plans to abolish the medical card for the over 70s, a protest movement that became known as the silver revolution and the grey vote. We were absolutely astonished by the response of the older generation and even younger people, she says. People who were never on a protest march in their life became involved. Mairead is daughter of the late Bill Hayes, a psychiatric nurse at St. Lukes Hospital, while her late mother was the former Mae Prendergast from Kilsheelan. The family lived in Abbey Road and Mairead went to school at the Presentation Convent. She will renew acquaintances with her classmates at a school reunion at Hotel Minella on July 23. When she left school Mairead joined Aer Lingus in Dublin, working in the financial and business departments before settling into a developmental role. She took early retirement shortly after 9/11 (when the airline industry went into meltdown) and with a desire to become involved in some area of training started work in 2002 on a part-time basis with the Senior Citizens Parliament, eventually becoming its development officer before successfully applying for the post of CEO in 2007. The following year the organisation achieved national prominence with its successful campaign against the medical cards issue, although Mairead points out that since then the thresholds for the over 70s who qualify for a medical card have been lowered. The not-for-profit, non-political Senior Citizens Parliament, based in Fairview Strand in Dublin, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It has a 21-person executive, divisions in some areas of the country and John Walsh from Mooncoin was recently elected president. Since 1994 it has advocated with, for and on behalf of older people on a whole range of issues to ensure that they have adequate income and access to services. The basic pension rate has remained the same but several cuts introduced in recent years have affected people, says Mairead. The bereavement grant has been done away with while the majority of the household benefits package has also been abolished, including the free phone allowance, while free units that contribute towards heating and electricity bills have been reduced. Medical prescription charges is another huge issue for those who have medical cards. The loss of the medical card for older people is a cause of major concern as it is, for many, a means of accessing services which are vital to them if they are to be supported to live at home as they age. Reform is urgently needed to restore confidence in the Health Service. Mairead Hayes makes the point that some older people are looking after their grandchildren five days a week while others are financially supporting their adult children. She believes that for older people adequate income is all about having enough to live on, being able to pay your way and have a night or a day out without worrying about the cost. She says that for the last six years the Parliaments role has been mostly about helping older people survive instead of making progress on issues. She wants Budget 2015 to redress some of the cuts that older people have had to endure. While recognising that the country has come through an era of austerity and that everybody has to take their share of cuts, she regards the basic pension rate, the travel pass, television licence and timely access to health services through a medical card as untouchables. The Parliament is in favour of having a minister solely responsible for older people and also supports the introduction of the national Positive Ageing Strategy, which was published by the government but never implemented, she added. 1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, have gathered in Warsaw at a defining moment for the security of our nations and populations. We are pleased to have been joined by Montenegro, which we have invited to become the 29th member of our Alliance. 2. NATO's essential mission is unchanged: to ensure that the Alliance remains an unparalleled community of freedom, peace, security, and shared values, including individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. We are united in our commitment to the Washington Treaty, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), and the vital transatlantic bond. To protect and defend our indivisible security and our common values, the Alliance must and will continue fulfilling effectively all three core tasks as set out in the Strategic Concept: collective defence, crisis management, and cooperative security. These tasks remain fully relevant, are complementary, and contribute to safeguarding the freedom and security of all Allies. 3. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to all the brave men and women from Allied and partner nations who have served or are serving in NATO-led missions and operations and in Allies' missions and operations that contribute to the security of the Alliance. We honour all those who have been wounded or paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our common purposes and values. 4. Since our last Summit in Wales in 2014, we have taken a range of steps to reinforce our collective defence, enhance our capabilities, and strengthen our resilience. We have committed to providing our armed forces with sufficient and sustained resources. Today, faced with an increasingly diverse, unpredictable, and demanding security environment, we have taken further action to defend our territory and protect our populations, project stability beyond our borders, and continue the political, military, and institutional adaptation of our Alliance. 5. There is an arc of insecurity and instability along NATO's periphery and beyond. The Alliance faces a range of security challenges and threats that originate both from the east and from the south; from state and non-state actors; from military forces and from terrorist, cyber, or hybrid attacks. Russia's aggressive actions, including provocative military activities in the periphery of NATO territory and its demonstrated willingness to attain political goals by the threat and use of force, are a source of regional instability, fundamentally challenge the Alliance, have damaged Euro-Atlantic security, and threaten our long-standing goal of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. Our security is also deeply affected by the security situation in the Middle East and North Africa, which has deteriorated significantly across the whole region. Terrorism, particularly as perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)/Da'esh, has risen to an unprecedented level of intensity, reaches into all of Allied territory, and now represents an immediate and direct threat to our nations and the international community. Instability in the Middle East and North Africa also contributes to the refugee and migrant crisis. 6. The changed and evolving security environment demands the ability to meet challenges and threats of any kind and from any direction. Based on solidarity, Alliance cohesion, and the indivisibility of our security, NATO remains the transatlantic framework for strong collective defence and the essential forum for security consultations and decisions among Allies. The greatest responsibility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. And so renewed emphasis has been placed on deterrence and collective defence. At the same time, NATO must retain its ability to respond to crises beyond its borders, and remain actively engaged in projecting stability and enhancing international security through working with partners and other international organisations. 7. Allies confront a wide range of terrorist challenges that pose a direct threat to the security of our populations, and to international stability and prosperity more broadly. In the past months, we have faced terrible terrorist attacks on our soils and in our cities. In particular, ISIL/Da'esh poses a grave threat to the wider Middle East and North Africa region and to our own nations. In response, all NATO Allies and many NATO partners are contributing to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. Thanks to that determined action, the Global Coalition campaign has made considerable progress, building on our experience in working together and with partners in NATO-led operations, training, and exercises. ISIL/Da'esh is losing territory, control of strategic supply routes and resources, as well as its leaders, fighters, and followers. To ensure ISIL/Da'esh's lasting defeat, our nations remain committed to sustaining the momentum and work of the Global Coalition. In this context, it is important for the Iraqi authorities to continue to promote policies to ensure inclusivity at all levels of government, including the defence and security forces. We also recognise that an effective and enduring fight against ISIL/Da'esh in Syria will only be possible with a legitimate government in place, and stress the need for an immediate and genuine political transition in this country. We condemn ISIL/Da'esh's unrelenting barbaric attacks against all civilian populations, in particular the systematic and deliberate targeting of entire religious and ethnic communities. We also condemn in the strongest terms ISIL/Da'esh's violent and cowardly acts in Allied territory. If the security of any Ally is threatened, we will not hesitate to take all necessary steps to ensure our collective defence. In light of the dramatic humanitarian consequences of this crisis and its repercussions on regional stability and security, Allies are offering security and humanitarian assistance across the region. 8. The global threat of terrorism knows no border, nationality, or religion. We will continue to fight this threat in accordance with international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, with determination, and in solidarity with those Allies and partners that have been victims of terrorist attacks. We are ready to do more to counter this threat, including by helping our partners provide for their own security, defend against terrorism, and build resilience against attack. While we enhance our cooperation to prevent, mitigate, and respond effectively to terrorist attacks, including through our efforts to project stability, we are also mindful of the need to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. 9. For over two decades, NATO has striven to build a partnership with Russia, including through the mechanism of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). Russia's recent activities and policies have reduced stability and security, increased unpredictability, and changed the security environment. While NATO stands by its international commitments, Russia has breached the values, principles and commitments which underpin the NATO-Russia relationship, as outlined in the 1997 Basic Document of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act, and 2002 Rome Declaration, broken the trust at the core of our cooperation, and challenged the fundamental principles of the global and Euro-Atlantic security architecture. Decisions we have taken, including here at our Summit, are fully consistent with our international commitments, and therefore cannot be regarded by anyone as contradicting the NATO-Russia Founding Act. 10. Russia's destabilising actions and policies include: the ongoing illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, which we do not and will not recognise and which we call on Russia to reverse; the violation of sovereign borders by force; the deliberate destabilisation of eastern Ukraine; large-scale snap exercises contrary to the spirit of the Vienna Document, and provocative military activities near NATO borders, including in the Baltic and Black Sea regions and the Eastern Mediterranean; its irresponsible and aggressive nuclear rhetoric, military concept and underlying posture; and its repeated violations of NATO Allied airspace. In addition, Russia's military intervention, significant military presence and support for the regime in Syria, and its use of its military presence in the Black Sea to project power into the Eastern Mediterranean have posed further risks and challenges for the security of Allies and others. 11. NATO has responded to this changed security environment by enhancing its deterrence and defence posture, including by a forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, and by suspending all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia, while remaining open to political dialogue with Russia. We reaffirm these decisions. 12. As we agreed, talking to Russia allows us to communicate clearly our positions, with the crisis in and around Ukraine being, in current circumstances, the first topic on our agenda. We remain open to a periodic, focused and meaningful dialogue with a Russia willing to engage on the basis of reciprocity in the NRC, with a view to avoiding misunderstanding, miscalculation, and unintended escalation, and to increase transparency and predictability. We also have military lines of communication. We have agreed to continue to use all these channels to address the critical issues we face, and call on Russia to make good use of all lines of communication. 13. Reciprocal military transparency and risk reduction has the potential to improve stability and security in the Euro-Atlantic area. In this context, we call on Russia to constructively engage in the ongoing discussions in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to modernise the Vienna Document, to help close the loopholes that reduce military transparency. 14. The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia. But we cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest. NATO will continue to be transparent, predictable and resolute. 15. As we agreed at our Wales Summit, we will continue our strategic discussion on Euro-Atlantic security and our approach to Russia. As we also agreed at Wales, we continue to believe that a partnership between NATO and Russia, based on respect for international law and commitments, including as reflected in the NATO-Russia Founding Act and Rome Declaration, would be of strategic value. We regret that despite repeated calls by Allies and the international community since 2014 for Russia to change course, the conditions for that relationship do not currently exist. The nature of the Alliance's relations with Russia and aspirations for partnership will be contingent on a clear, constructive change in Russia's actions that demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities. Until then, we cannot return to "business as usual". 16. An independent, sovereign, and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security. We stand firm in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and Ukraine's right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act. We strongly condemn Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine and its continued violation of international law and its international obligations, which have serious implications for the stability and security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. 17. Russia bears full responsibility for the serious deterioration of the human rights situation on the Crimean peninsula, in particular the discrimination against the Crimean Tatars and other members of local communities. We demand that the Russian de facto authorities take the necessary measures to ensure the safety, rights, and freedoms of everyone living on the peninsula. International monitoring structures must be allowed to carry out their essential work in view of the protection of human rights. We condemn Russia's ongoing and wide-ranging military build-up in Crimea, and are concerned by Russia's efforts and stated plans for further military build-up in the Black Sea region. 18. We are committed to a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed nearly 10 000 lives, and reintegration of the areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by the Russian-backed militants. This will require full implementation of the Minsk Agreements based on a comprehensive ceasefire and an internationally verified withdrawal of weapons. We urge all signatories to fully comply with the commitments they signed up to. 19. Russia, as a signatory to the Minsk Agreements, bears significant responsibility in this regard. Despite its declared commitment to the Minsk Agreements, Russia continues its deliberate destabilisation of eastern Ukraine, in violation of international law. Russia continues to provide weapons, equipment, and personnel, as well as financial and other assistance to militant groups, and to intervene militarily in the conflict. We are extremely concerned by the destabilisation and deteriorating security situation in eastern Ukraine. We call on Russia to desist from aggressive actions and to use its considerable influence over the militants to meet their commitments in full, especially to allow for the observation of the ceasefire regime, implementation of confidence-building measures, and disarmament. 20. We fully support the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), which has a key role in helping to de-escalate the conflict and stress the importance of full and unhindered access by the OSCE monitors. Impediments to the SMM's work, which continue to occur overwhelmingly in areas under the control of the Russian-backed militants, represent a violation of the Minsk Agreements and seriously hamper the monitoring function of the SMM. We call on those responsible to stop any attacks against OSCE observers, and for the perpetrators to be held accountable. We also commend the work of the EU Advisory Mission to assist Ukraine in the field of civilian security sector reform, including police and the rule of law. 21. We welcome the efforts of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group to advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements to open the way to the full reintegration of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including passing a local election law for eastern Ukraine; carrying out local elections, when the security situation allows, in accordance with Ukrainian law and relevant OSCE standards and with a strong presence of international observers; implementation of special status and amnesty; withdrawal of foreign forces; and restoration of Ukraine's control over its side of the international border. We condemn the militants' use of residential areas to launch heavy weapons. We urge all parties to take concrete steps to reduce civilian casualties and to adhere strictly to the requirements of international humanitarian law. 22. We remain committed to a continued coherent international approach, in particular between NATO and the European Union (EU). NATO's response is in support of this overall effort, which includes sanctions as decided by the EU, the G7 and others, to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict and to address Russia's actions. 23. We face evolving challenges in the Baltic and Black Sea regions, the North Atlantic, as well as in the Mediterranean, which are of strategic importance to the Alliance and to our partners. Russia continues to strengthen its military posture, increase its military activities, deploy new high-end capabilities, and challenge regional security. These developments have resulted in increased unpredictability that could be mitigated through reciprocal transparency and risk reduction measures. Recognising the indivisibility of Allied security, we will continue to closely monitor the situation in these regions. Our response will be tailored to specific circumstances in each region. We will also work with interested partners to enhance our situational awareness and to develop common approaches to evolving challenges. In the Baltic Sea region, where the security situation has deteriorated since 2014, the Alliance has developed mutually beneficial partnership relations with Finland and Sweden on a broad range of issues. We appreciate the significant contributions of Finland and Sweden to NATO-led operations. We are dedicated to the continuous process of further strengthening our cooperation with these enhanced opportunities partners, including through regular political consultations, shared situational awareness, and joint exercises, in order to respond to common challenges in a timely and effective manner. In the Black Sea region, the security situation has also deteriorated in recent years. We will continue to address the implications for NATO of developments in the region and take them into account in the Alliance's approaches and policies. We will continue to support, as appropriate, regional efforts by the Black Sea littoral states aimed at ensuring security and stability. We will also strengthen our dialogue and cooperation with Georgia and Ukraine in this regard. In the North Atlantic, as elsewhere, the Alliance will be ready to deter and defend against any potential threats, including against sea lines of communication and maritime approaches of NATO territory. In this context, we will further strengthen our maritime posture and comprehensive situational awareness. 24. We continue to support the right of all our partners to make independent and sovereign choices on foreign and security policy, free from external pressure and coercion. We remain committed in our support for the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. In this context, we continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, as well as in the Republic of Moldova, based upon these principles and the norms of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act. We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, within the established negotiation frameworks. 25. The continuing crises and instability across the Middle East and North Africa region, in particular in Syria, Iraq and Libya, as well as the threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the region and beyond, demonstrate that the security of the region has direct implications for the security of NATO. In addition to the spill-over of conflict from failing and failed states, terrorism and violent extremism, we face other common transnational security threats and challenges, including trafficking of small arms and light weapons, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means, and threats against maritime security and energy supply. Criminal trafficking gangs have exploited this situation at the expense of displaced people. Peace and stability in this region are essential for the Alliance. Therefore, we emphasise the need to do more to achieve lasting calm and an end to violence. 26. We are adapting our defence and deterrence posture to respond to threats and challenges, including from the south. At the same time, we are continuing to draw on our cooperative security network to enhance political dialogue, to foster constructive relationships in the region, and to increase our support for partners through practical cooperation, as well as defence capacity building and crisis management. We are also exploring options for possible NATO contributions to international efforts to bring stability in the region, building on decisions taken by our Foreign Ministers in May. 27. We remain concerned and vigilant towards the ongoing crisis in Syria, which has direct ramifications for regional stability and for the security of NATO's south-eastern border. The dynamics of this conflict including terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations, the humanitarian tragedy it has caused, and the massive flow of migrants present challenges and threats for international stability, security, and prosperity. We reiterate our full commitment and determination to defend NATO territory and borders against any threats and address challenges emanating from the Syrian conflict. We condemn all kinds of indiscriminate violence against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We also condemn in the strongest terms the unabated and indiscriminate campaign of bombardment, including the use of incendiary weapons, and violence by the Assad regime and its supporters deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. We also condemn indiscriminate violence against civilians, in particular by ISIL/Da'esh, the Al Nusra Front, and other groups designated as terrorist organisations by the UN. 28. We call on the Syrian regime to fully comply with the provisions of all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), and to immediately take steps for a genuine political transition in accordance with UNSCR 2254 and the 30 June 2012 Geneva Communique. We underline that stability and security cannot be reinstated in Syria without a genuine political transition to a new, representative leadership, based on an inclusive and Syrian-led political process. In this vein, we support the political process under the auspices of the UN and the efforts of the International Syria Support Group to assist the political process. We call for full implementation of the humanitarian provisions of the UNSCR 2254 and the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) agreement. We strongly condemn the violations of the CoH, in particular by the regime and its supporters. These violations constitute a serious hindrance for the political process. We call upon the parties to the CoH to remain committed to the agreement and its full implementation. 29. We stand in support of Iraq in its efforts to build institutions that could restore stability and security in the country. We commend the success to date of the Iraqi security forces in pushing back and reclaiming key territories from ISIL/Da'esh. The participation of all Iraqis through national reconciliation and inclusive governance is crucial, and we therefore encourage the Iraqi authorities to continue to implement policies to bridge ethnic, sectarian, and religious divisions, and ensure inclusive representation in all governmental institutions, and to develop the country's security forces. 30. We welcome the political developments that have taken place in Libya since December 2015: we support the UN and Libyan-led efforts, which have led to the Libyan political agreement, and recognise the Government of National Accord as the sole legitimate government of Libya. We encourage full implementation of the political agreement, and we express support to efforts by the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidency Council towards an inclusive political process aimed at promoting national reconciliation in order to establish functioning state structures. These efforts mark an important step to strengthen Libya's democratic transition. The unification of all Libyan forces under the authority of the Presidency Council will be key for Libya's ability to fight terrorism. 31. Terrorist acts and the trafficking of arms, drugs, and human beings across the Sahel-Sahara region continue to threaten regional and our own security. We welcome the efforts of the UN and the EU, and underscore the importance of a strong commitment by the international community to address the complex security and political challenges in this region. In Mali, we welcome the endorsement of the peace agreement, the steps taken in its implementation, and the support of the international community to the stabilisation of the country. We also welcome the robust military commitment of Allies in the Sahel-Sahara region, in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries in the region, and of the security of the Alliance. We commend our African partners' action to deepen regional cooperation to confront security issues in the Sahel. 32. The Alliance military posture is defensive in nature. Deterrence and defence are at the heart of the Alliance's mission and purpose as the fundamental means of preventing conflict, protecting Allied territories and populations, and maintaining the Alliance's freedom of decision and action at any time, as well as upholding the principles and values enshrined in the North Atlantic Treaty. We will ensure that NATO has the full range of capabilities necessary to deter and defend against potential adversaries and the full spectrum of threats that could confront the Alliance from any direction. 33. All of the actions that we have taken to strengthen our deterrence and defence posture require appropriate investment in capabilities and the development of highly-capable and deployable forces. Our overall security and defence depend both on how much we spend and how we spend it. Increased investments should be directed towards meeting our capability priorities. It is essential that Allies display the political will to provide required capabilities and deploy forces when they are needed. Allies also need to ensure forces are deployable, sustainable, and interoperable. The Defence Investment Pledge we agreed at the Wales Summit is an important step in this direction and today we reaffirm its importance. Through this Pledge we agreed to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets, to make the most effective use of our funds, and to further a more balanced sharing of the costs and responsibilities. 34. Since Wales, we have turned a corner. Collectively, Allies' defence expenditures have increased in 2016 for the first time since 2009. In just two years, a majority of Allies have halted or reversed declines in defence spending in real terms. Today, five Allies meet the NATO guideline to spend a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product on defence. Ten Allies meet the NATO guideline to spend more than 20% of their defence budgets on major equipment, including related Research & Development. Output is also important, in particular deployability and sustainability of Allied forces. Allies continue to make important contributions to NATO operations, missions, and activities, as well as the NATO Command and Force Structures. Allies invest considerable resources in preparing their forces, capabilities, and infrastructure for Alliance activities and Allies' operations that contribute to our collective security. There is still much work to be done. Efforts to achieve a more balanced sharing of the costs and responsibilities continue. Defence Ministers will continue to review progress annually. 35. In Wales, we approved our Readiness Action Plan (RAP) to respond swiftly to the fundamental changes in the security environment on NATO's borders and further afield that are of concern to Allies. It responds to the challenges posed by Russia and their strategic implications. It also responds to the risks and threats emanating from our southern neighbourhood, the Middle East and North Africa. Less than two years later, it has already contributed to a substantial adaptation of NATO's military posture. The RAP has significantly enhanced our readiness, responsiveness, and flexibility required to deal with the changed security environment. We welcome the Plan's implementation. 36. The Readiness Action Plan Assurance Measures have provided continuous military presence and meaningful activity in the eastern part of the Alliance, on a rotational basis, for the past two years. These defensive measures demonstrate our collective solidarity and resolve to protect all Allies. Assurance Measures provide the fundamental baseline requirement for assurance and deterrence. In addition, tailored assurance measures for Turkey to respond to the growing security challenges from the south contribute to the security of the Alliance as a whole, and will be fully implemented. Assurance Measures are flexible and scalable in response to the evolving security situation, and will be kept under annual review by the Council. 37. Through the longer term Adaptation Measures of the Readiness Action Plan, we have: a. Enhanced the NATO Response Force (NRF), increasing its readiness and substantially enlarging its size, making it a more capable and flexible joint force comprised of a division-size land element with air, maritime, and special operations forces components. b. Created a new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), able to begin deployment within two to three days. It has been certified, exercised at short notice, and on stand-by since 2015. Seven VJTF framework nations1 have been identified and a VJTF rotation plan established through 2022. c. Established eight multinational NATO Force Integration Units on the territory of Allies in the eastern part of the Alliance to assist in training of Alliance forces and in the reception of reinforcements when needed. d. Taken the necessary steps to increase NATO's ability to reinforce through new infrastructure projects and increased flexibility in the rapid movement of forces across national territory. e. As part of the NATO Force Structure, made the Headquarters of a Multinational Corps Northeast in Poland fully operational, and established the Headquarters of a Multinational Division Southeast in Romania to take command of the NATO Force Integration Units and to provide flexible command and control options in their regions. f. Decided to enhance NATO Standing Naval Forces with additional capabilities. g. Delivered a more ambitious NATO exercise programme. National exercises are an important part of this effort. In 2015 alone, NATO and Allies conducted 300 exercises, including NATO's largest and most complex exercise in over a decade Trident Juncture 2015 in Italy, Portugal, and Spain. h. Enhanced advance planning and enabled accelerated decision-making to ensure both military and political responsiveness. i. Agreed a strategy on NATO's role in Countering Hybrid Warfare, which is being implemented in coordination with the EU. j .Established a framework for NATO's adaptation in response to growing challenges and threats from the south. These Adaptation Measures will remain a major driver of NATO's military adaptation and need to be sustained over time. 38. In light of the changed and evolving security environment, further adaptation is needed. Therefore, we have decided to further strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture. Building on the success of the Readiness Action Plan, today we are adopting a broad approach to deterrence and defence which draws upon all of the tools at NATO's disposal. This will provide the Alliance with a range of options to be able to respond to any threats from wherever they arise. Given the different nature, types and origins of threats, we will tailor our response to specific circumstances. Taken together, the measures we are approving at this Summit will enhance the security of all Allies and ensure protection of Alliance territory, populations, airspace and sealines of communication, including across the Atlantic, against all threats from wherever they arise. In this context, our response is united and adequate to the new security environment, demonstrating our ability and willingness to defend one another. As part of the Alliance posture, these measures are defensive in nature, proportionate, consistent with our international commitments and demonstrate our respect for the rules-based European security architecture. 39. As a means to prevent conflict and war, credible deterrence and defence is essential. At the same time, as part of the Alliance's overall approach to providing security for NATO populations and territory, deterrence has to be complemented by meaningful dialogue and engagement with Russia, to seek reciprocal transparency and risk reduction. Those efforts will not come at the expense of ensuring NATO's credible deterrence and defence. 40. We have decided to establish an enhanced forward presence in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to unambiguously demonstrate, as part of our overall posture, Allies' solidarity, determination, and ability to act by triggering an immediate Allied response to any aggression. Beginning in early 2017, enhanced forward presence will comprise multinational forces provided by framework nations and other contributing Allies on a voluntary, sustainable, and rotational basis. They will be based on four battalion-sized battlegroups that can operate in concert with national forces, present at all times in these countries, underpinned by a viable reinforcement strategy. We welcome the offers of Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States to serve as framework nations for the robust multinational presence in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland respectively. We have also accepted the Polish offer to provide an existing division headquarters as a basis for the establishment of a multinational division headquarters, pending agreement on the modalities by the Council. We recognise the integral role host nations will play in enhanced forward presence. We further welcome additional contributions from across the Alliance to support this important endeavour. We recognise the significant resource commitments of Allies. 41. We will also develop tailored forward presence in the southeast part of the Alliance territory. Appropriate measures, tailored to the Black Sea region and including the Romanian initiative to establish a multinational framework brigade to help improve integrated training of Allied units under Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast, will contribute to the Alliance's strengthened deterrence and defence posture, situational awareness, and peacetime demonstration of NATO's intent to operate without constraint. It will also provide a strong signal of support to regional security. Options for a strengthened NATO air and maritime presence will be assessed. 42. As part of the Readiness Action Plan and as a contribution to our deterrence and defence posture, we have established a framework for NATO's adaptation in response to growing challenges and threats emanating from the south. The framework focusses on better regional understanding and situational awareness, the ability to anticipate and respond to crises emanating from the south, improved capabilities for expeditionary operations, and enhancing NATO's ability to project stability through regional partnerships and capacity building efforts. We will proceed with the implementation of this framework. 43. As part of a broader approach and the concerted efforts of the international community, we also need to deter and defend against non-state actors that have state-like aspirations, capabilities, and resources, and that threaten or affect the security of Allied populations and the integrity of Allied territory. We have agreed a series of measures to respond to this threat, including ensuring that it is appropriately monitored and assessed and that relevant plans will be updated as necessary. 44. We will not accept to be constrained by any potential adversary as regards the freedom of movement of Allied forces by land, air, or sea to and within any part of Alliance territory. Alliance capabilities, training, and exercises contribute to our ability to operate freely. We remain ready to rapidly reinforce any Ally that comes under threat, when needed, to counter all contingencies. 45. We will ensure that NATO has the full range of capabilities necessary to fulfil the whole range of Alliance missions, including to deter and defend against potential adversaries, and the full spectrum of threats that could confront the Alliance from any direction. In line with our defence planning priorities, we are committed to delivering heavier and more high-end forces and capabilities, as well as more forces at higher readiness. The primary responsibility for achieving this remains with Allies, individually. Multinational approaches are valuable in meeting these vital needs. 46. We will ensure that the NATO Command Structure remains robust and agile, and able to undertake all elements of effective command and control for simultaneous challenges across the full spectrum of missions. In light of the changed and evolving security environment and the increased overall requirements, we will conduct a functional assessment of the current structure. 47. We will further improve our strategic anticipation by enhancing our situational awareness, particularly in the east and south and in the North Atlantic. Our ability to understand, track and, ultimately, anticipate, the actions of potential adversaries through Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and comprehensive intelligence arrangements is increasingly important. These are essential to enable timely and informed political and military decisions. We have established the capabilities necessary to ensure our responsiveness is commensurate with our highest readiness forces. 48. The Alliance maritime posture supports the four roles consisting of collective defence and deterrence, crisis management, cooperative security, and maritime security, and thus also contributes to projecting stability. The Standing Naval Forces are a core maritime capability of the Alliance and are the centrepiece of NATO's maritime posture. They are being enhanced and will be aligned with NATO's enhanced NATO Response Force to provide NATO's highest readiness maritime forces. We will continue to reinforce our maritime posture by exploiting the full potential of the Alliance's overall maritime power. Work is under way on the operationalisation of the Alliance Maritime Strategy, as well as on the future of NATO's maritime operations, which are key to NATO's maritime posture. Allies are also considering complementary maritime governance initiatives to contribute to this endeavour. 49. Interoperability of our armed forces is fundamental to our success and an important added value of our Alliance. Through training and exercises, the development of NATO standards and common technical solutions, the NATO Response Force, Assurance Measures, forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, and joint operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean, all Allies are also reinforcing their interoperability within NATO as well as with partners, as appropriate. This enables our armed forces to work together successfully, be it in NATO operations or in national, coalition, EU or UN formats, which contributes to our common security. 50. We welcome the many concrete multinational and national initiatives, carried out independently or under the auspices of Smart Defence or the Framework Nations Concept, which strengthen the Alliance. They contribute directly to capability development and to our strengthened deterrence and defence posture. We will ensure overall coherence and unity of effort across all elements of Allied capability development and military presence, including between forward presence and Allies' multinational and national military activities and initiatives. 51. The greatest responsibility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. No one should doubt NATO's resolve if the security of any of its members were to be threatened. NATO will maintain the full range of capabilities necessary to deter and defend against any threat to the safety and security of our populations, wherever it should arise. 52. As a means to prevent conflict and war, credible deterrence and defence is essential. Therefore, deterrence and defence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional, and missile defence capabilities, remains a core element of our overall strategy. A robust deterrence and defence posture strengthens Alliance cohesion, including the transatlantic link, through an equitable and sustainable distribution of roles, responsibilities, and burdens. NATO must continue to adapt its strategy in line with trends in the security environment including with respect to capabilities and other measures required to ensure that NATO's overall deterrence and defence posture is capable of addressing potential adversaries' doctrine and capabilities, and that it remains credible, flexible, resilient, and adaptable. 53. Allies' goal is to bolster deterrence as a core element of our collective defence and to contribute to the indivisible security of the Alliance. As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance. The strategic forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States, are the supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies. The independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute to the overall security of the Alliance. These Allies' separate centres of decision-making contribute to deterrence by complicating the calculations of potential adversaries. NATO's nuclear deterrence posture also relies, in part, on United States' nuclear weapons forward-deployed in Europe and on capabilities and infrastructure provided by Allies concerned. These Allies will ensure that all components of NATO's nuclear deterrent remain safe, secure, and effective. That requires sustained leadership focus and institutional excellence for the nuclear deterrence mission and planning guidance aligned with 21st century requirements. The Alliance will ensure the broadest possible participation of Allies concerned in their agreed nuclear burden-sharing arrangements. 54. The fundamental purpose of NATO's nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression. Nuclear weapons are unique. Any employment of nuclear weapons against NATO would fundamentally alter the nature of a conflict. The circumstances in which NATO might have to use nuclear weapons are extremely remote. If the fundamental security of any of its members were to be threatened however, NATO has the capabilities and resolve to impose costs on an adversary that would be unacceptable and far outweigh the benefits that an adversary could hope to achieve. 55. Missile defence can complement the role of nuclear weapons in deterrence; it cannot substitute for them. The capability is purely defensive. The threat to NATO populations, territory, and forces posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles continues to increase, and missile defence forms part of a broader response to counter it. 56. At our Summit in Lisbon in 2010, we decided to develop a NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) capability to pursue our core task of collective defence. The aim of this capability is to provide full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations, territory, and forces against the increasing threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles, based on the principles of indivisibility of Allies' security and NATO solidarity, equitable sharing of risks and burdens, as well as reasonable challenge, taking into account the level of threat, affordability, and technical feasibility, and in accordance with the latest common threat assessments agreed by the Alliance. Should international efforts reduce the threats posed by ballistic missile proliferation, NATO missile defence can and will adapt accordingly. 57. At our Summit in Chicago in 2012, we declared the achievement of an Interim NATO BMD Capability as an operationally significant first step. At the Wales Summit, we welcomed the forward deployment of BMD-capable Aegis ships to Rota, Spain that could be made available to NATO. Today a new milestone in the development of NATO BMD has been reached and we are pleased to declare the achievement of the NATO BMD Initial Operational Capability. This is a significant step toward the aim of NATO BMD that offers a stronger capability to defend our populations, territory, and forces across southern NATO Europe against a potential ballistic missile attack. The Aegis Ashore site in Deveselu, Romania represents a significant portion of this increase in capability, and the command and control (C2) of the Aegis Ashore site is being transferred to NATO. We also welcome that Turkey hosts a forward-based early-warning BMD radar at Kurecik and that Poland will be hosting an Aegis Ashore site at the Redzikowo military base. We are also pleased that additional voluntary national contributions have been offered by Allies, and we encourage further voluntary contributions, all of which will add robustness to the capability. 58. As with all of NATO's operations, full political control by Allies is essential and will be ensured over the BMD capability. We will continue to deepen political oversight of NATO BMD as the capability develops. It is essential that the functionality of the Alliance C2 network for BMD matches that development. In this context, the next necessary major milestone for NATO BMD capability will be the completion of the next core element of the NATO BMD C2. Overall completion of the NATO BMD C2 will then provide the additional functionalities required for the BMD system to reach maturity. 59. We will develop further our engagement with third states, on a case-by-case basis, to enhance transparency and confidence and to increase ballistic missile defence effectiveness. This could involve information exchange, consultation, and cooperation. NATO missile defence is not directed against Russia and will not undermine Russia's strategic deterrence capabilities. NATO missile defence is intended to defend against potential threats emanating from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. We have explained to Russia many times that the BMD system is not capable against Russia's strategic nuclear deterrent and there is no intention to redesign this system to have such a capability in the future. Hence, Russian statements threatening to target Allies because of NATO BMD are unacceptable and counterproductive. Should Russia be ready to discuss BMD with NATO, and subject to Alliance agreement, NATO remains open to discussion. 60. NATO BMD is based on voluntary national contributions, including nationally funded interceptors and sensors, hosting arrangements, and on the expansion of the BMD capability. The command and control systems for NATO BMD are the only portion for NATO BMD that is eligible for common funding. 61. We also task the Council to regularly review the implementation of the NATO BMD capability, including before the Foreign and Defence Ministers' meetings, and prepare a comprehensive report on progress and issues to be addressed for its future development by our next Summit. 62. Arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation continue to play an important role in the achievement of the Alliance's security objectives. Both the success and failure of these efforts can have a direct impact on the threat environment of NATO. In this context, it is of paramount importance that disarmament and non-proliferation commitments under existing treaties are honoured, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, crucial to Euro-Atlantic security. Allies therefore continue to call on Russia to preserve the viability of the INF Treaty through ensuring full and verifiable compliance. 63. We remain deeply concerned by the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), as well as their means of delivery, by states and non-state actors, which continues to present a threat to our populations, territory, and forces. Addressing serious proliferation challenges remains an urgent international priority. 64. Allies emphasise their strong commitment to full implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Alliance reaffirms its resolve to seek a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons in full accordance with all provisions of the NPT, including Article VI, in a step-by-step and verifiable way that promotes international stability, and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all. Allies reiterate their commitment to progress towards the goals and objectives of the NPT in its mutually reinforcing three pillars: nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 65. After the end of the Cold War, NATO dramatically reduced the number of nuclear weapons stationed in Europe and its reliance on nuclear weapons in NATO strategy. We remain committed to contribute to creating the conditions for further reductions in the future on the basis of reciprocity, recognising that progress on arms control and disarmament must take into account the prevailing international security environment. We regret that the conditions for achieving disarmament are not favourable today. 66. We call on all states to commit to combatting effectively the proliferation of WMD through the universalisation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, negotiation of the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, and through the Proliferation Security Initiative. Continued use of chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria, which we condemn, further underscores the evolving and increasing WMD threat to the Alliance. 67. We are deeply concerned about the persistent provocative behaviour by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and we strongly condemn the DPRK's nuclear test of 6 January 2016, the 7 February 2016 launch using ballistic missile technologies, and multiple tests of ballistic missiles since then. We urge rigorous implementation of UNSCR 2270 and other relevant Security Council resolutions. We call on Pyongyang to immediately cease and abandon all its existing nuclear and ballistic missile activities in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner and re-engage in international talks. 68. We commend the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the E3/EU+3 and Iran, signed on 14 July 2015, and its ongoing implementation since 16 January 2016. We also underscore the importance for Iran to fully cooperate in a timely manner with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in implementation of the JCPOA. However, we remain seriously concerned by the development of Iran's ballistic missile programme and continuing missile tests that are inconsistent with UNSCR 2231. 69. We remain committed to conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security. Full implementation and compliance with these commitments is essential to rebuild trust and confidence in the Euro-Atlantic region. Russia's unilateral military activity in and around Ukraine continues to undermine peace, security, and stability across the region, and its selective implementation of the Vienna Document and Open Skies Treaty and long-standing non-implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty have eroded the positive contributions of these arms control instruments. Allies call on Russia to fully adhere to its commitments. Allies are determined to preserve, strengthen, and modernise conventional arms control in Europe, based on key principles and commitments, including reciprocity, transparency, and host nation consent. We underscore the importance of modernising the Vienna Document to ensure its continued relevance in the evolving security environment, including through its substantive update in 2016. 70. Cyber attacks present a clear challenge to the security of the Alliance and could be as harmful to modern societies as a conventional attack. We agreed in Wales that cyber defence is part of NATO's core task of collective defence. Now, in Warsaw, we reaffirm NATO's defensive mandate, and recognise cyberspace as a domain of operations in which NATO must defend itself as effectively as it does in the air, on land, and at sea. This will improve NATO's ability to protect and conduct operations across these domains and maintain our freedom of action and decision, in all circumstances. It will support NATO's broader deterrence and defence: cyber defence will continue to be integrated into operational planning and Alliance operations and missions, and we will work together to contribute to their success. Furthermore, it will ensure more effective organisation of NATO's cyber defence and better management of resources, skills, and capabilities. This forms part of NATO's long term adaptation. We continue to implement NATO's Enhanced Policy on Cyber Defence and strengthen NATO's cyber defence capabilities, benefiting from the latest cutting edge technologies. We reaffirm our commitment to act in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and human rights law, as applicable. We will continue to follow the principle of restraint and support maintaining international peace, security, and stability in cyberspace. We welcome the work on voluntary international norms of responsible state behaviour and confidence-building measures regarding cyberspace. 71. We will ensure that Allies are equipped for, and meet requirements tailored to, the 21st century. Today, through our Cyber Defence Pledge, we have committed to enhance the cyber defences of our national networks and infrastructures, as a matter of priority. Each Ally will honour its responsibility to improve its resilience and ability to respond quickly and effectively to cyber attacks, including in hybrid contexts. Together with the continuous adaptation of NATO's cyber defence capabilities, this will reinforce the Alliance's cyber defence. We are expanding the capabilities and scope of the NATO Cyber Range, where Allies can build skills, enhance expertise, and exchange best practices. We remain committed to close bilateral and multilateral cyber defence cooperation, including on information sharing and situational awareness, education, training, and exercises. Strong partnerships play a key role in effectively addressing cyber challenges. We will continue to deepen cooperation with the EU, as agreed, including through the on-going implementation of the Technical Arrangement that contributes to better prevention and response to cyber attacks. We will further enhance our partnerships with other international organisations and partner nations, as well as with industry and academia through the NATO Industry Cyber Partnership. 72. We have taken steps to ensure our ability to effectively address the challenges posed by hybrid warfare, where a broad, complex, and adaptive combination of conventional and non-conventional means, and overt and covert military, paramilitary, and civilian measures, are employed in a highly integrated design by state and non-state actors to achieve their objectives. Responding to this challenge, we have adopted a strategy and actionable implementation plans on NATO's role in countering hybrid warfare. The primary responsibility to respond to hybrid threats or attacks rests with the targeted nation. NATO is prepared to assist an Ally at any stage of a hybrid campaign. The Alliance and Allies will be prepared to counter hybrid warfare as part of collective defence. The Council could decide to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. The Alliance is committed to effective cooperation and coordination with partners and relevant international organisations, in particular the EU, as agreed, in efforts to counter hybrid warfare. 73. Today we have made a commitment to continue to enhance our resilience and to maintain and further develop our individual and collective capacity to resist any form of armed attack. Civil preparedness is a central pillar of Allies' resilience and a critical enabler for Alliance collective defence. While this remains a national responsibility, NATO can support Allies in assessing and, upon request, enhancing their civil preparedness. We will improve civil preparedness by achieving the NATO Baseline Requirements for National Resilience, which focus on continuity of government, continuity of essential services, security of critical civilian infrastructure, and support to military forces with civilian means. In this context, we welcome the Resilience Guidelines approved by Defence Ministers in June 2016. 74. We will ensure that NATO continues to be both strategically and operationally prepared with policies, plans, and capabilities to counter a wide range of state and non-state Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats, based on NATO's Comprehensive Strategic-Level Policy for Preventing the Proliferation of WMD and Defending Against CBRN Threats that we endorsed in 2009, and look forward to a report on its continued implementation at our next Summit. 75. At Chicago in 2012, we launched the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) initiative. JISR is a high-value, complex, and wide-reaching capability area. Following up on our commitments, we welcome the February 2016 declaration of the initial operational JISR capability, centred upon enhancing the situational awareness of the NATO Response Force through heightened proficiency in collecting and exchanging information and intelligence. Allies also intend to work together to promote intelligence-sharing, as appropriate, by using NATO platforms and networks and optimising use of multilateral platforms and networks to enhance overall JISR efforts, including but not limited to the JISR Smart Defence project. 76. Moving forward, we will sustain these achievements and support future NATO Response Force rotations with the necessary JISR capabilities. We will also expand the scope of our JISR initiative, making the most effective use of Allies' complementary JISR contributions to enhance both strategic anticipation and awareness. It is within this context that we also note the significant progress made on NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS). This capability will become operational in 2017 as planned, and will be complemented in some cases by Allies' contributions in kind. 77. NATO's Airborne Early Warning and Control Force (AWACS) continues to prove itself instrumental not only to monitoring our airspace, but also as a critical part of NATO's command and control capabilities. NATO AWACS will continue to be modernised and extended in service until 2035. By 2035, the Alliance needs to have a follow-on capability to the E-3 AWACS. Based on high-level military requirements, we have decided to collectively start the process of defining options for future NATO surveillance and control capabilities. 78. Multinational and national initiatives provide an important contribution to capability development and our strengthened posture. NATO will continue to work closely with the EU, as agreed, to ensure that our Smart Defence and the EU's Pooling and Sharing initiatives are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and to support capability development and interoperability with a view to avoiding unnecessary duplication and maximizing cost-effectiveness. At the Wales Summit, six Allies launched a multinational effort, led by Denmark, to address their requirements for air-to-ground Precision Guided Munitions. We welcome the progress achieved in this group since then, including its expansion by two Allies and the processing of its first multinational acquisition employing the US Lead Nation Procurement Initiative. We welcome the progress made in implementing NATO's Framework Nations Concept. A group of 16 Allies, led by Germany, is working on establishing larger formations to deliver usable forces and capabilities. Another group, led by Italy and composed of six nations, is developing programmes and activities aimed at supporting the Alliance's operational commitments. We welcome the United States' European Reassurance Initiative, including the rotational Armoured Brigade Combat Team and US Army prepositioned stocks. We welcome the Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training Initiative (TACET), which will promote capability development, interoperability, and training, and will enhance NATO resilience in response to the challenges in the Baltic region. We also welcome the Combined Joint Enhanced Training Initiative (CJET), which provides similar engagement with Romania and Bulgaria. We welcome progress on delivering the United Kingdom-led Joint Expeditionary Force, made up of high readiness, flexible, integrated forces from seven Allies. We also welcome the validation, through an exercise in 2016, of the UK-France Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, which will enhance the Alliance's ability to respond rapidly to any challenge. We welcome the decision of the Visegrad Group to provide rotational presence in the Baltic states in 2017 to conduct exercises in support of Allied activities. We further welcome the Letter of Intent on multinational cooperation for the provision of Airborne Electronic Attack. We welcome Allied efforts to address, as appropriate, existing dependencies on Russian-sourced legacy military equipment. 79. To position the Alliance in responding to evolving threats, NATO intelligence reform must be an ongoing, dynamic process. The importance of intelligence in informing our planning, operations, and decision-making continues to increase. To improve NATO's ability to draw on a wide range of intelligence resources, we have agreed to establish a new Joint Intelligence and Security Division to be led by an Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. The new Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security will direct NATO's intelligence and security activities, ensuring better use of existing personnel and resources, while maximizing the efficient use of intelligence provided by Allies. 80. Against the background of an increasingly unstable, global security environment, and based on a broad and strengthened deterrence and defence posture, we seek to contribute more to the efforts of the international community in projecting stability and strengthening security outside our territory, thereby contributing to Alliance security overall. 81. Our efforts to enhance the Alliance's role in projecting stability will be guided by enduring principles, including a 360 degree approach, commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, complementarity with international actors, in particular with the UN, EU, and the OSCE and focusing on NATO's added value, local ownership and buy-in, partner involvement, inclusiveness, tailored cooperation, long-term commitment, prioritisation and sustainability, and overall coherence. 82. The Alliance is already responding to these challenges and will continue to do so, building on its recognised experience and its crisis management and cooperative security toolkit. NATO's added-value in contributing to the international community's efforts includes its ability to offer defence reform assistance and advice in a coherent way, its recognised track record in the training and development of local forces, including in more difficult circumstances, and defence education. The Defence and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative that we adopted in Wales has proven a particularly important tool to help project stability, providing support to Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, and the Republic of Moldova. We are committed to further develop and adequately resource our capacity building efforts. 83. While retaining our ability to respond to crises beyond our borders, NATO will continue to pursue cooperative security through partnership with relevant countries and other international organisations, and investing in capacity building and training efforts enabling countries to enhance their resilience and to provide for their own security. 84. NATO will continue to enhance its role in projecting stability, including through enhancing regional understanding and situational awareness, further adapting to the challenges and threats from all directions, reinforcing its maritime dimension, and developing a more strategic, more coherent, and more effective approach to partnerships. These efforts will draw upon the important contributions that partners can bring. The Alliance, including with partners where appropriate, will continue to help manage challenges before, during, and after conflict where they affect Alliance security. The implementation of the agreed Alliance policies and initiatives must also continue. At the same time, we will continue to consider the political implications of our effort. 85. We are facing long-term challenges, and we are committed to ensure that NATO has a long-term and sustainable approach to projecting stability with adequate and sustainable resources and structures, making best use of existing funding mechanisms. We task the Council to evaluate progress made regarding the implementation of our efforts to project stability, including the specific areas put forward by Foreign Ministers in May 2016, emphasising how efforts can become sustainable, better organised and supported, and to report by the time of the meeting of our Foreign Ministers in December 2016. 86. In a separate declaration issued today, together with Afghanistan and our Resolute Support operational partners, we have reaffirmed our mutual commitment to ensure long-term security and stability in Afghanistan. NATO and its operational partners have committed to sustain the Resolute Support mission beyond 2016 through a flexible, regional model, to continue to deliver training, advice, and assistance to the Afghan security institutions and forces; continue national contributions to the financial sustainment of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, including until the end of 2020; and strengthen and enhance the long-term Enduring Partnership. Afghanistan has made a significant set of commitments. NATO and its operational partners will continue to play an important supporting role in their delivery. 87. Together with the rest of the international community, our aim remains that Afghanistan will never again become a safe haven for terrorists who can pose a threat to our security, and that it is able to sustain its own security, governance, and economic and social development, while respecting human rights for all of its citizens, notably those of women and children. We remain resolute and united in our commitment to a secure and stable Afghanistan. 88. Good neighbourly relations, and regional cooperation and support to a secure and stable Afghanistan, remain essential. The pathway to a sustainable resolution of the conflict is an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, which respects the Afghan constitution and human rights, including notably the rights of women. The region and the international community at large must respect and support such a process and its outcome. 89. In accordance with UNSCR 1244, the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) will continue to contribute to a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo, working in close cooperation with the Kosovo authorities and the EU. While we welcome the progress achieved through the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the security situation in Kosovo is broadly stable, though challenges remain. Changes in our troop presence will remain conditions-based and not calendar-driven. Furthermore, the Alliance will continue to support the development of the security organisations in Kosovo, including through the NATO advisory team on the ground and in accordance with Allied decisions, and will keep the nature of further support under review. We note Kosovo's request for an enhanced relationship with NATO and will respond no later than the December Foreign Ministerial on ways to further develop our support. 90. NATO has made an important contribution to international efforts to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia through Operation Ocean Shield, which has achieved its military strategic objectives. We note that the last successful pirate attack in the Indian Ocean took place in May 2012. While we have agreed to terminate the Operation at the end of 2016, NATO will remain engaged in the fight against piracy by maintaining maritime situational awareness and continuing close links with other international counter-piracy actors. 91. We have transitioned Operation Active Endeavour, our Article 5 maritime operation in the Mediterranean, which has contributed to the fight against terrorism, to a non-Article 5 Maritime Security Operation, Operation Sea Guardian, able to perform the full range of Maritime Security Operation tasks, as needed. 92. Following decisions by our Defence Ministers in February 2016, Allies have swiftly contributed maritime assets to international efforts to stem the flow of irregular migration in the Aegean Sea in the context of the refugee and migrant crisis. The NATO activity has added value by providing real time information on irregular migrant flows to Turkey, Greece, and the EU's Border Management Agency, FRONTEX. The activity is being conducted in cooperation with relevant national authorities and through the establishment of direct links between Maritime Command (MARCOM) and FRONTEX at the operational level. It is an effective contribution to existing efforts in controlling irregular migration in the area, and has also offered new opportunities for enhanced cooperation with the EU at tactical and operational levels in the context of stemming irregular migration. This activity will be evaluated in September and reviewed in time for the meeting of our Defence Ministers in October. 93. We have agreed, in principle, on a possible NATO role in the Central Mediterranean, to complement and/or, upon European Union request, support, as appropriate, the EU's Operation Sophia through the provision of a range of capabilities including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and logistics support; through contribution to capacity building of the Libyan coastguard and navy, if requested by the legitimate Libyan authorities and/or the EU; and in the context of the implementation of UNSCR 2292 on the situation in Libya, in close coordination with the EU. 94. We reaffirm our commitment to a long-term partnership with Iraq, as well as to assisting the country through the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative agreed in Wales. We are committed to strengthening Iraq's defence forces and institutions through the defence capacity building assistance measures agreed in August 2015, on the basis of Iraq's request. We have made progress in implementing the tailored package of DCB assistance for Iraq as agreed, taking advantage of the availability of the King Abdullah II Special Operation Forces Center in Jordan and of training and education centres in Turkey. 95. Through DCB activities being implemented in Jordan, which include counter-improvised explosive devices, explosive ordnance disposal and demining, as well as civilian-military planning and advice on security sector reform in Iraq, NATO is training Iraqis in selected areas. Building on this effort, we have decided to respond positively to the 5 May 2016 request of the Prime Minister of Iraq and agree to provide in-country NATO training to Iraqi security and military forces, in agreed areas, including, as part of the DCB programme, to continue to support institutional capacity building, in order to contribute to effective and efficient structures and policies to sustain advancement in Iraqi training capacity over the medium- and long-term. This NATO effort in Iraq will continue to be conducted so as to ensure complementarity and added value; inclusiveness; local ownership; sustainability and prioritisation; overall coherence; and tailored cooperation. The continued inclusivity of the Iraqi government and defence and security forces, will be of key importance. The initial planning for implementing these activities in country should be completed in time for Defence Ministers' review in October, which will enable the training and capacity building to start in Iraq by January 2017. 96. Bearing in mind the threat that ISIL/Da'esh poses to all our nations and populations, we have agreed in principle to enhance the Alliance's contribution to the efforts of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL by providing direct NATO AWACS support to increase the coalition's situational awareness. This support is planned to start in the autumn, pending national approval procedures, and the NATO Military Authorities are now developing the details. By providing such support, we reaffirm our resolve to help tackle the security challenges coming from the south, including terrorism. This contribution to the Global Coalition does not make NATO a member of this coalition. 97. In accordance with our Wales decision, we are ready to provide Libya with advice in the field of defence and security institution building, following a request by the Government of National Accord, and to develop a long-term partnership, possibly leading to Libya's membership in the Mediterranean Dialogue, which would be a natural framework for our cooperation. Any NATO assistance to Libya would be provided in full complementarity and in close coordination with other international efforts, including those of the UN and the EU, in line with decisions taken. Libyan ownership will be essential. 98. NATO's partnerships are, and will continue to be, essential to the way NATO works. The success of NATO partnerships is demonstrated by their strategic contribution to Alliance and international security. Over the last decades, the Alliance has developed structured partnerships Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and partners across the globe with countries interested in pursuing political dialogue and practical cooperation, and engaging actively with other international actors and organisations on a wide range of political and security-related issues. Together we have built a broad cooperative security network. The complexity and volatility of the security environment underscore the need for a more tailor-made, individual, and flexible approach to make our partnership cooperation more strategic, coherent, and effective. We reaffirm our commitment, based on the objectives, priorities, and principles of the Berlin Partnership Policy, to expand political dialogue and practical cooperation with any nation that shares the Alliance's values and interest in international peace and security. We will further develop our partnerships so that they continue to meet the interests of both Allies and partners. 99. We salute the ongoing and substantial contributions that our partners make by deploying together with Allies in operations and missions, and contributing to practical cooperation activities, including Trust Funds and capacity building efforts. Partners are also serving alongside the armed forces of several Allies outside existing formats, in particular to combat terrorism. This has increased our interoperability and strengthened resilience in a changed security environment. 100. At Wales, we endorsed the Partnership Interoperability Initiative, launching the Interoperability Platform, which has become a key format for working with partners on the broad range of issues related to interoperability and preparedness for future crisis management. Since then, the number of partner units certified and evaluated to NATO standards has increased, new partners have joined interoperability programmes, and opportunities for partner participation in NATO exercises have been widened. Here at Warsaw, Interoperability Platform Defence Ministers endorsed a roadmap to guide our joint work on preparing for crisis management for the coming year and discussed future opportunities for NATO-partner cooperation to project stability. 101. As part of the Partnership Interoperability Initiative, at Wales we also agreed to offer enhanced opportunities for cooperation to Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan and Sweden, in recognition of their significant operational contributions to NATO. These partners have been increasingly involved into NATO's work on our common security challenges. Their participation at this Summit testifies to the deep links we have built with them. We engage with each of them individually, according to our and their needs, circumstances, and ambitions, and in line with NATO's own security interests. We have developed our practical cooperation to varying degrees and in different formats: enhanced opportunities partners are now pre-approved for a range of NATO exercises; they are also engaged in NATO defence capacity building work, participating in the enhanced NATO Response Force and developing joint threat assessments with us. We stand ready to consider offering enhanced opportunities to other partners as their contributions and interests warrant. 102. We welcome the opening of diplomatic missions to NATO Headquarters by several of our partners as an important step in our cooperation. In line with our Berlin Partnership Policy and the Brussels Agreement, we encourage other partners to follow the same path. 103. We will continue to develop our partnership with countries of the Middle East and North Africa region through deeper political dialogue and enhanced practical cooperation. The Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) remain complementary and yet distinct partnership frameworks. We remain open to welcoming new members in both partnership frameworks. We are providing assistance to 11 partner countries in the region to help them modernise their defence establishments and military forces, through the MD and the ICI. 104. MD and ICI are unique frameworks that bring together key NATO partners: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. Regular political consultations improve our mutual understanding and our situational awareness. We have also developed tailor-made Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programmes with all our MD and ICI partners. We will continue to enhance practical cooperation, including through further support in the areas of counter-terrorism, small arms and light weapons, counter-improvised explosive devices, and military border security. 105. Bearing in mind the strategic importance of the Gulf region, we look forward to the establishment of regular working-level ties between the international secretariats of NATO and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and to the launch of practical cooperation with the GCC as well as with its member states. Increased information exchange to promote a better mutual understanding of our functions and policies would be a solid basis for more regular political dialogue and possible practical cooperation regarding our shared security challenges. We task the Council to report on progress to Foreign Ministers at their December meeting. 106. We welcome the long-standing partnership with Jordan, a key partner in the Middle East, and the success of NATO's existing Defence and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) assistance to Jordan. Our efforts are in seven priority areas: information protection; cyber defence; military exercises; counter-improvised explosive devices; communication, command and control; harbour protection; and border security. We remain committed to strengthening NATO-Jordan relations through enhanced political dialogue and practical cooperation in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue, as well as through the DCB Initiative and the Interoperability Platform, including the enhanced opportunities. We are grateful to our partner Jordan for its contributions to NATO-led operations over many years, and for hosting our DCB training activities for Iraq. 107. The Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance, as demonstrated by our long history of cooperation and operations in the region. We remain fully committed to the stability and security of the Western Balkans, as well as to supporting the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of countries in the region. Democratic values, rule of law, domestic reforms, and good neighbourly relations are vital for regional cooperation and for the Euro-Atlantic integration process. We welcome recent progress on border demarcation in the region. The Alliance will continue to work closely with the Western Balkans to maintain and promote regional and international peace and security. We task the Council to prepare a report on NATO's activities and relations in the region for submission to Foreign Ministers in December. 108. Strengthening NATO-Serbia relations are of benefit to the Alliance, to Serbia, and to the whole region. We welcome the continued progress made in building the NATO-Serbia partnership and support further political dialogue and practical cooperation to this end. We also welcome the progress achieved in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and encourage both parties to implement the agreements reached and to sustain continued progress. We welcome Kosovo's aspirations to improve its ability to ensure safety and security for all its inhabitants, as well as to contribute to security in the Western Balkans. 109. The invitation to Montenegro in December 2015 to join our Alliance and the subsequent signature of the Accession Protocol in May 2016 recognise the reforms Montenegro has undertaken, the commitment it has shown to our common values, and its contribution to international security. Montenegro now has Invitee status and is integrating into NATO activities. We look forward to the expeditious conclusion of the ratification of the Accession Protocol, and to Montenegro's continued progress on reform, before and after accession, in order to enhance its contribution to the Alliance. We appreciate the significant contribution Montenegro makes to NATO-led operations. 110. Today we reaffirm our commitment to the Open Door Policy, a founding principle of the Washington Treaty and one of the Alliance's great successes. Montenegro's presence with us today is a tangible demonstration of this, and we look forward to welcoming the country as our next member as soon as possible. Euro-Atlantic integration advances democratic values, reform, and respect for the rule of law. The freedom and prosperity of our societies are built on these foundations. Euro-Atlantic integration also provides a path to stability and strengthens collective security. Successive rounds of enlargement have enhanced our security and the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region. NATO's door is open to all European democracies which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, which are in a position to further the principles of the Treaty, and whose inclusion can contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. Decisions on enlargement are for NATO itself. We remain fully committed to the integration of those countries that aspire to join the Alliance, judging each on its own merits. We encourage those partners who aspire to join the Alliance Georgia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia2, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue to implement the necessary reforms and decisions to prepare for membership. We will continue to offer support to their efforts and look to them to take the steps necessary to advance their aspirations. 111. At the 2008 Bucharest Summit we agreed that Georgia will become a member of NATO with MAP as an integral part of the process; today we reaffirm all elements of that decision, as well as subsequent decisions. We welcome the significant progress realised since 2008. Georgia's relationship with the Alliance contains all the practical tools to prepare for eventual membership. This year's parliamentary elections will be another key step towards the consolidation of democratic institutions. We encourage Georgia to continue making full use of all the opportunities for coming closer to the Alliance offered by the NATO-Georgia Commission, the Annual National Programme, its role as an enhanced opportunities partner, its participation in our Defence Capacity Building Initiative, and the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package. NATO highly appreciates Georgia's significant and continuous contributions to the NATO Response Force and the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and recognises the sacrifices and contributions the Georgian people have made to our shared security. 112. We welcome the important progress made in implementing the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which we initiated at the Wales Summit. More than 30 experts from Allied and partner countries are now supporting Georgia across various areas of cooperation. Georgia is doing its part in allocating significant resources to this effort. The Joint Training and Evaluation Centre, which helps strengthen Georgia's self-defence and resilience capabilities, is up and running. We will continue to provide the resources needed to implement the Substantial Package, which aims to strengthen Georgia's capabilities and, thereby, helps Georgia advance in its preparations for membership in the Alliance. We have agreed additional practical ways to intensify efforts, including support to Georgia's crisis management capabilities, training and exercises, and improvements in strategic communications. Allies will provide support to the development of Georgia's air defence and air surveillance. We will also deepen our focus on security in the Black Sea region. 113. We reiterate our support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. We welcome Georgia's commitment not to use force and call on Russia to reciprocate. We call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia as independent states, to stop its construction of border-like obstacles along the administrative boundary lines, and to withdraw its forces from Georgia. NATO does not recognise the so-called treaties signed between the Abkhazia region of Georgia and Russia in November 2014, and the South Ossetia region of Georgia and Russia in March 2015. These violate Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and blatantly contradict the principles of international law, OSCE principles and Russia's international commitments. We encourage all participants in the Geneva talks to play a constructive role, as well as to continue working closely with the OSCE, the UN, and the EU to pursue peaceful conflict resolution in the internationally recognised territory of Georgia. 114. We reiterate our decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit and reiterated at subsequent Summits that NATO will extend an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia2 to join the Alliance as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue has been reached within the framework of the UN. We therefore strongly urge intensified efforts to find a solution to the name issue. We encourage further efforts to develop good neighbourly relations. We also encourage the building of a fully functioning multi-ethnic society based on full implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Given concerns over political developments in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which have taken the country further away from NATO values, we urge all political leaders in the country to fully implement their commitments under the Przino Agreement of June/July 2015, as the framework for a sustainable solution to the political crisis. Acknowledging initial steps on implementation, we renew our call to all parties to engage in effective democratic dialogue and to put in place the conditions for credible elections, strengthening the rule of law, media freedom, and judicial independence. We will continue to follow closely Skopje's progress in these areas, which reflect NATO's core values. We appreciate the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's commitment to international security, as demonstrated by its steadfast contribution to our operations, its participation in fora and organisations for regional dialogue and cooperation, and its commitment to the NATO accession process. 115. We reaffirm our commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a stable and secure Bosnia and Herzegovina and our full support for its membership aspirations. We encourage the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue demonstrating political will and to work constructively for the benefit of all its citizens in pursuit of reforms. We will offer our continued support to defence reform efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We welcome the recent agreement by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on principles for the defence review and urge its completion as soon as possible. We welcome the progress made on registration of immovable defence property to the state, but we look to the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accelerate efforts toward meeting the requirements set by NATO Foreign Ministers in Tallinn in April 2010 so that its first Membership Action Plan cycle can be activated as soon as possible, which remains our goal. Allies will keep developments under active review. We commend Bosnia and Herzegovina for its contributions to NATO-led operations and for its commitment to regional dialogue, cooperation, and security. 116. In Wales, we extended the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative to the Republic of Moldova. Since then, Allies and partners have provided expertise and advice in support of the ongoing defence reform process to strengthen the capabilities of the Moldovan armed forces and the defence sector. Allies remain committed to this work so that the country can enjoy a stable, secure and prosperous future in accordance with the values shared by European democracies. In order to realise such a future, it is important that the Republic of Moldova remains committed to the implementation of reforms that benefit all its citizens. We thank the Republic of Moldova for its contribution to NATO-led operations. 117. Ukraine is a long-standing and distinctive partner of the Alliance. At our Summit here in Warsaw, we are meeting with President Poroshenko and issuing a joint statement. An independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security. We stand firm in our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and Ukraine's right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act. Russia continues to violate Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. Despite these challenging circumstances, Ukraine's government is making progress in implementing wide-ranging reforms towards European and Euro-Atlantic standards, based on democratic values, respect for human rights, minorities and the rule of law, which will be essential in promoting prosperity and long-term stability. We welcome the steps Ukraine has taken to fight corruption, maintain International Monetary Fund conditionality, reform the judiciary, and move towards decentralisation, but substantial challenges remain and continued efforts are required. We strongly encourage Ukraine to remain committed to the full implementation of these and other necessary reforms and to ensuring their sustainability. Recalling our previous Summit decisions, NATO will continue to support Ukraine in carrying out its reform agenda, including through the Annual National Programme in the framework of our Distinctive Partnership. 118. NATO-Ukraine cooperation is an important part of the Alliance's contribution to the international community's efforts to project stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond. We welcome Ukraine's intent to further deepen its Distinctive Partnership with NATO, as well as its past and present contributions to NATO-led operations and the NATO Response Force even while it has been defending itself against Russia's aggressive actions. Ukraine's choice to adopt and implement NATO principles and standards, for which its Strategic Defence Bulletin provides a roadmap, will promote greater interoperability between our forces. The Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade is an important element of this effort. It will also enhance Ukraine's ability to better provide for its own security, through functioning security and defence institutions under civilian democratic control that are accountable, sustainable, and effective. Ukraine's participation in the Defence Education Enhancement Programme is an important effort in this respect. NATO will continue to provide strategic advice and practical support to the reform of Ukraine's security and defence sector, including as set out in the Comprehensive Assistance Package which we are endorsing together with President Poroshenko at today's meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. The Comprehensive Assistance Package is aimed at consolidating and enhancing NATO's support to Ukraine, including by tailored capability and capacity building measures for the security and defence sector, which will contribute to enhance Ukraine's resilience against a wide array of threats, including hybrid threats. 119. In light of NATO's operational experiences and the evolving complex security environment, a comprehensive political, civilian, and military approach is essential in crisis management and cooperative security. Furthermore, it contributes to the effectiveness of our common security and defence, without prejudice to Alliance collective defence commitments. NATO has developed a modest but appropriate civilian capability in line with Lisbon Summit decisions. We will continue to pursue coherence within NATO's own tools and strands of work, concerted approaches with partner nations and organisations such as the UN, the EU, and the OSCE, as well as further dialogue with non-governmental organisations. We look forward to a review of the 2011 Comprehensive Approach Action Plan for consideration by our Foreign Ministers in 2017. 120. As challenges to international peace and security multiply, cooperation between NATO and the United Nations is increasingly important. We welcome the continued growth in political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and the UN, covering a broad range of areas of mutual interest. At last year's Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping, NATO pledged to enhance its support to UN peace operations, including in the areas of counter-improvised explosive devices, training and preparedness, improving the UN's ability to deploy more rapidly into the field, and through cooperation on building defence capacity in countries at risk. We stand by this commitment and remain ready to further deepen our interaction in these and other fields, including through NATO's participation in the follow-up conference to be held in London in September of this year. 121. The European Union remains a unique and essential partner for NATO. Enhanced consultations at all levels and practical cooperation in operations and capability development have brought concrete results. The security challenges in our shared eastern and southern neighbourhoods make it more important than ever before to reinforce our strategic partnership in a spirit of full mutual openness, transparency, and complementarity, while respecting the organisations' different mandates, decision-making autonomy and institutional integrity, and as agreed by the two organisations. 122. We welcome the joint declaration issued here in Warsaw by the NATO Secretary General, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission, which outlines a series of actions the two organisations intend to take together in concrete areas, including countering hybrid threats, enhancing resilience, defence capacity building, cyber defence, maritime security, and exercises. We task the Council to review the implementation of these proposals and to report to Foreign Ministers by December 2016. 123. We welcome the European Council Conclusions of June 2016, calling for further enhancement of the relationship between NATO and the EU. We also welcome the presentation of the Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy. 124. NATO recognises the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence, which will lead to a stronger NATO, help enhance the security of all Allies, and foster an equitable sharing of the burden, benefits and responsibilities of Alliance membership. In this context, we welcome the strengthening of European defence and crisis management as we have seen over the past few years. 125. Non-EU Allies continue to make significant contributions to the EU's efforts to strengthen its capacities to address common security challenges. For the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, non-EU Allies' fullest involvement in these efforts is essential. We encourage further mutual steps in this area to support a strengthened strategic partnership. 126. We welcome the Secretary General's report on NATO-EU relations. We encourage him to continue to work closely with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the High Representative, on all aspects of the NATO-EU strategic partnership and provide a report to the Council for the next Summit. 127. NATO and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe both play important roles in maintaining stability and addressing security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic area. We appreciate the OSCE's comprehensive approach to security, covering the political-military, economic-environmental, and human dimensions. We also value the OSCE's important role in trying to bring an end to several protracted conflicts in the Euro-Atlantic area. The crisis in Ukraine has once again highlighted the significance of the OSCE for international efforts to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts, confidence- and security-building, and as a platform for cooperation and inclusive dialogue on security in Europe. We also underline the value of confidence- and security-building and transparency measures within the framework of the OSCE. We are committed to further enhancing our cooperation, at both the political and operational level, in all areas of common interest, including through the newly appointed Secretary General's Representative for the OSCE. 128. NATO's cooperation with the African Union (AU) encompasses operational, logistic and capacity building support, as well as support for the operationalisation of the African Standby Force, including through exercises, and tailor-made training, in accordance with the AU's requests to NATO. We look forward (NaturalNews) Longtime readers ofare already aware that global honeybee populations are on the decline so much so, that now researchers are quickly trying to develop "robo-bees" to replace them.The problem is, no one really knows if bot bees can mimic the pollination techniques of thebees responsible for pollinating one-third of the world's food supply.One of the primary dangers to bee populations, scientists have noted, is insecticides the kind that are widely used in agriculture. In fact, as reported a year ago by the UK's, some researchers believe that an insect form of Alzheimer's disease is being caused by aluminum contamination, and could be a large part of why bee populations are dwindling Researchers from the universities of Keele and Sussex, who published the findings from their study in the journal, discovered that honeybees had elevated levels of aluminum in their bodies, an amount that could cause toxicity and brain damage in humans "Aluminium is a known neurotoxin affecting behaviour in animal models of aluminium intoxication," said Professor Chris Exley, an expert on human aluminum exposure. "Bees, of course, rely heavily on cognitive function in their everyday behaviour and these data raise the intriguing spectre that aluminium-induced cognitive dysfunction may play a role in their population decline are we looking at bees with Alzheimer's disease ?"To conduct their research, scientists from the University of Sussex collected pupae from colonies of bumblebees that foraged in the wild, and then sent them to Keele University for analysis and measurement of aluminum content. Pupae are sacks in which bumblebee larvae are developed before hatching into their adult forms. Pupae in the study were found to contain between 13 and 200 parts per million (ppm) of aluminum; only 3 ppm is "considered as potentially pathological in human brain tissue," said researchers.Earlier studies indicated that bees don't actively avoid nectar that is contaminated with aluminum as they forage. But the Sussex and Keele study was the first to actually demonstrate the consequences of that behavior."It is widely accepted that a number of interacting factors are likely to be involved in the decline of bees and other pollinators lack of flowers, attacks by parasites, and exposure to pesticide cocktails, for example," said Prof. Exley.Other factors that may also be affecting bee populations neurologically are the neonicotinoids found in a certain family of pesticides. These are systemic pesticides that are designed to infiltrate every portion of a plant, which of course would include the plant pollen and nectar. Because of their harm to pollinators, three neonicotinoids have already been banned in Europe.A pair of recent studies published in the journalalso provide hints that bees could be attracted to plants that are treated with neonicotinoids, and in fact prefer them over plants that are not treated with those pesticides. That may be due to the fact that those pesticides contain a chemical that is close to nicotine; researchers believe that bees may be getting addicted to it, just as humans become addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes "There's a conundrum that they are attracted to the stuff that actually is having a negative impact on their motor function and their ability to collect food and forage," said researcher Geraldine Wright of Newcastle University. Wright and colleagues offered honeybees and bumblebees a choice between sugar water solutions either containing or not containing low doses of neonicotinoids. The bees drank more from the pesticide-laced food sources.The second study, conducted by scientists and researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Royal Holloway, University of London, found that bees infected with parasites were much more likely to feed from neonicotinoid-laced nectar than healthy bees. They also found that the pesticide appeared to slow the progression of the infection, but did not increase life expectancy for afflicted bees. 'It was very satisfying' Painstaking research and record-gathering (NaturalNews) Americans especially the Millennial generation have been brainwashed by the political Left into believing that carbon dioxide is some "greenhouse gas" that is destroying the world, when in fact any rational scientist will tell you that CO2 is essential for life on planet earth to exist But that said, there are still those who say that we must rid the planet of excess carbon dioxide, and fortunately there is a place on our planet where an ecosystem exists that appears to be tailor made for that task: California's ancient redwood forests.According to a new study, the forests are not just beautiful to behold and among some of the oldest living things on earth. They are a very potent absorption mechanism for excess CO2 and that makes them prime tools in the battle against global warming As reported by, the tall trees are capable of removing and storing more carbon from the atmosphere than any other forests anywhere in the world, and that includes the lush tropical rain forests, say researchers who believe their finding may influence a raft of activity including logging and how parks are preserved, even as California lawmakers grapple with climate change. "The story of the carbon is huge," noted Robert Van Pelt, a research scientist at Humboldt State University who helped head up the study. "The carbon part of a redwood may be more important than the lumber part in the coming decades."Redwoods grow to enormous heights and scientists have long known that they are capable of capturing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, since they live more than a millennium. The accomplish this through normal processes of photosynthesis, a natural phenomenon whereby plants utilize energy from the sun to change carbon dioxide into water and sugars that assist them in growth, while simultaneously releasing oxygen.However, a team of researchers from Humboldt State and the University of Washington launched a study to tediously measure just how much carbon the huge, towering trees some of which are more than 300 feet tall and began growing during the Roman Empire are vacuuming out of the atmosphere.Beginning in 2009 the research team, in tandem with scientists from the University of California-Berkeley and the conservation group Save the Redwoods League, selected 11 forested regions between Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near the border with Oregon, and UC's Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve in Big Sur, some 500 miles away.Forested areas in the north part of Jedediah Smith state park stored 2,600 metric tones of carbon per hectare, which covers an area of about 2.5 acres, according to the study. That is more than two times the 1,000 metric tons estimated to be held by ancient conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest and the massive eucalyptus forests of Australia and Tasmania, the paper reported.What is equally complex and exhausting is the manner in which the research team measured the CO2. In each of the studied regions the team established a scientific station and recorded every tree that was more than two inches in diameter. Researchers counted and measured every single leaf, branch, shrub and log in every one of the 11 plots. Time- and resource-consuming, to say the least."We finally got the numbers," Van Pelt told the paper. "No one has ever gotten them before. It took an army of people seven years to get all that. It was very satisfying."Not every leaf was counted by hand. Rather, the research team devised 180 formulas for the different kinds of trees and shrubs, measuring height and diameter of each one. After plugging those figures into a formula they were able to obtain the number of leaves on each.Samples of leaves from each were then taken to an elemental analyzer at UC Berkeley's Center for Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry, which is a machine that is designed, in part, to measure what percent of a substance consists of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements. Then they simply did the math and came up with the amazing results.The team also concluded that Redwoods hold more carbon because they live longer.What is also good for the environment is growing your own food , because it places far less carbon in the atmosphere than commercial farming.Sources: Fight against fracking The public has spoken (NaturalNews) The Wayne National Forest (WNF) is located in the hills of southeastern Ohio. It is home to many unique and endangered species including bobcats, Indiana bats, timber rattlesnakes and cerulean warblers. It features over 300 miles of stunning trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.Soon, all this splendor may come to an end. Millions of animals could lose their homes, as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its district manager, Dean Gettinger, are about to lease 18,000 acres of the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest for oil and gas development via horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking)."It's unconscionable that we could ever permit drilling in Ohio's only national forest," said Jen Miller, Director of Sierra Club Ohio. "This forest is owned by the people for their enjoymentnot for the oil and gas industry to destroy. Permitting fracking will disrupt wildlife, threaten clean water resources, and reduce recreation and tourism. It should and must be preserved for this generation and those to come."The people of the county feel powerless and angry, since the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has sole regulatory authority over oil and gas drilling activities. Public concerns about the negative impact that fracking may have on air quality, water quality, wildlife and climate change have consistently been ignored.However, area residents and anti-fracking activists, led by the Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN), are not giving up on the forest just yet. The BLM and WNF have failed to inform the people properly and hold a public meeting on the issue, which led to the Athens County Commissioners holding a meeting of their own.All individuals who wished to speak were given two minutes. Over 20 people voiced their opinions, and 60 people attended the two-hour long meeting. Those who took the floor expressed their concerns about potential fracking impacts on aquifers , groundwater and air quality. They were disappointed that Wayne National Forest Supervisor Tony Scardina was not present to hear their concerns.Recently, Scardina informedthat the decision will be made by a regional forester in Milwaukee, in consultation with Scardina, leaving no room for the opinion of the public."Well, I think that's bull," Reik said during the hearing. "Now is the time to ask the questions. We don't know where the aquifers are. We don't know where the water is coming from. We need to have these questions answered. And he, as the (Wayne) National Forest Service manager, has an ethical responsibility to know the answers to these questions before he consents."Environmentalists say that the potentially carcinogenic chemicals used during the process may escape and contaminate ground and drinking water. To avoid cancer-causing heavy metals and toxins like these in your own drinking water, there is only one solution: filter it with an effective gravity water filter Crissa Cummings of Millfield noted that she has sent Scardina peer-reviewed studies that provide evidence of the harmful effects fracking has on the environment and human health. Unfortunately, she hasn't heard back from him."We actually have science to back up the fact that fracking is harmful ... just so people know, he (Scardina) is playing with us when he says he doesn't have the power to withhold consent," Cummings said.According to Athens City Council member Chris Knisely, the city has been trying to protect the water supply and air quality of Athens residents for years. She noted that horizontal hydraulic fracturing uses more water and generates more waste than conventional vertical drilling, and that she was happy to see that so many people had turned up to protect public and environmental health."As members of city council, we swear we take an oath that says we will protect the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens," Knisely said, adding that the safety of area citizens is "inextricably linked" to the health of Wayne National Forest. "I am glad to see so many people stand strong about this." The U.S. Senate has passed on Thursday a federal law that would require the labelling of foods that contain ingredients from genetically modified crops. In a 63-30 vote, the Senate advanced the bill that would require all states to display food with GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, with words and pictures, as well as a barcode that can be scanned by smartphones, Reuters reported. The U.S. Agriculture Department would decide which ingredients would be considered genetically modified. The bill was sponsored by Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas and Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. In a statement, Stabenow said the bipartisan bill would ensure that consumers in all U.S. states would have access to information about their food. Not without criticism The food industry and farmers praised the nationwide standard, while critics said there are still loopholes to this federal law. For instance, some ingredients may not fall under the law's definition of GMO. The law's vagueness and even usage of a QR (quick response) code may also cause confusion and exclusion of some GMO products. NPR reported that food companies also opposed GMO labels, believing that consumers may incorrectly interpret the labeled food as unsafe to eat. Senators from Vermont also attacked the bill, saying that it strikes down the state's own law requiring GMO labels on the packages itself. They also said the Senate bill is less stringent than the state law. The United States is the world's largest market for food made with genetically modified ingredients. Yet around the world, the debate whether GMOs are safe or not continues. While usage of GMOs could produce a higher yield and can be engineered for preservation, issues hounding GMOs are the usage of gene transfer in plants and potential allergen triggers, according to Live Strong. Recently, more than 100 Nobel laureates signed a letter on the issue of Golden Rice, a genetically modified crop. It said studies have shown GMOs to be safe, and that environment organizations such as Greenpeace should stop its campaign against GMOs. The Senate bill has not yet been considered by the House. Fossil fuels have long been the center of the energy debate. While the economics favor its usage, the environment's response is the opposite. Fossil fuels are natural resources such as coal, oil (including gasoline and diesel fuel) and natural gas. For centuries, these energy resources have powered more than half of the planet, but they have left severe environmental impacts, too, including air and water pollution, environmental degradation and extreme global warming. While fossil fuels give significant benefits to human's way of life, these fuels have also left massive consequences that humans and our planet have to deal with. Below, we enumerate some of the pros and cons of fossil fuels. PROS Fossil fuels are economically cheap Fossil fuels are generally concentrated in big deposits and are readily available. In fact, a coal power plant is one of the cheapest means of electricity production, making it highly ideal for third world countries. Fossil fuels do not need much investment Fossil fuels are created by the decomposition of organisms that existed millions of years ago which technically means we do not need high-cost investments for start up alternatives, unlike for renewable energies, such as PV panels or wind turbines. Fossil fuels can be efficient Energy Informative said its long existence has given us time to harness the energy in fossil fuels. It is one of the main reasons that fossil fuels have been used to power our world for many decades. CONS Fossil fuels have a severe impact on the environment Coal is a fossil fuel that is burnt in order to produce electricity for humans. But while it satisfies our energy needs, it also poses damages to the environment. The Union of Concerned Scientists notes that coal plants are a top source of carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of global warming, making it a "dirty" source of energy. It severely affects human health Aside from carbon dioxide, it also releases nitrogen oxide that results in air pollution and acid rain that can be harmful to both human and wildlife. In addition, coal mining is a tough and dangerous job that often endangers the lives of laborers. Fossil fuels are non-renewable Fossil fuels are non-renewable, which is why they would surely deplete one day. As explained by National Geographic, fossil fuels cannot be replenished in a short period of time, as it was formed hundreds of millions of years ago, even before the dinosaurs existed. Because of its significant use, completely eliminating fossil fuels may be intimidating, but its consequences must also be considered. Dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters snarled traffic in San Francisco Saturday as they denounced police brutality by blocking on-ramps to Interstate 80 before marching to Union Square. Police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan took to Twitter around 2 p.m. saying that people should expect delays in the vicinity of 5th and Byant streets due to "peaceful demonstrations." California Highway Patrol officials said via social media that police activity has shut down the 5th Street on-ramp to eastbound I-80. They asked people to avoid the area. Officials said around 3:30 p.m. that the freeway had been reopened as demonstrators moved toward in downtown San Francisco, blocking Market and 5th streets. However, protesters then proceeded to block Essex and Harrison streets and the Essex Street on-ramp to eastbound I-80, according to CHP officials. As of 4:45 p.m., law enforcement officials had prevented the group from getting on I-80. Shortly after 5 p.m., CHP reported that the Essex Street on-ramp had reopened to traffic. San Francisco Municipal Railway bus lines were being rerouted, officials said. As of 5 p.m., delays on lines 8, 30, 45 and 47 had been cleared. As of 7 p.m., the protest was winding down and people began to disperse. The protesters never managed to get onto the Bay Bridge, according to CHP Officer Vu Williams. Witnesses tweeted videos showing officers in riot gear climbing out of police vans. Rallies are sweeping the United States on the heels of two police-involved shootings in as many days and the gunning down of five police officers in Dallas. Another Black Lives Matter in San Francisco Friday evening started at Justin Herman Plaza. Hundreds of outraged demonstrators marched to a well-guarded City Hall. Emotions ran high in reaction to the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. "Stop killing black people," protester Imani Brown said. "We're human beings. We matter just as much as anyone else. The murders of black women's sons should matter as much as the murder of white women's sons." An estimated 2,000 people also marched in Oakland late Thursday. A group of marched onto Interstate 880, shutting down all lanes of the highway, until the early hours of Friday. Bay City News contributed to this report. MASON CITY The first of several unexpected visitors to drop by the Mason City Police Department bearing gifts on Friday were the smallest. A local woman and children stopped by with cards and muffins to show support for local police in the wake of the killings of law-enforcement officers at a rally in Dallas Thursday night. It was a pleasant surprise, said Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley. She had three, four, munchkins from about yea big to yea big that she brought with her, he said. And they all had drawn pictures and wanted to say thanks and had them all packaged in envelopes with their names. The kids message was simple: We like you and thank you. That one just kind of hit me, Brinkley said. Little kids. Thats why we do what we do. Others dropped by throughout the day. By late afternoon, the mail room table was covered with an array of cookies, a sheet cake and even some apples all gifts from community members. Their support was a response to the deaths of five officers working a protest in downtown Dallas. Twelve officers and a civilian were shot at the event, which was one of multiple protests across the country to call for change in the wake of deadly police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Though the Texas incident was some 800 miles away, it raises questions for law-enforcement officers in North Iowa, Brinkley said. It has officers thinking about how to balance the publics right to assemble, carry weapons and utilize the freedom of expression while at the same time keeping the public and officers safe. Its a matter of just always constantly evaluating how were doing it and why were doing it, Brinkley said. Making sure that those two things balance out as it relates to civil liberties, free speech, public assembly. Though sad, the killing of police officers in Dallas arent going to stop police from protecting the public or intimidate them from doing their jobs, Brinkley said. When you call us, were still going to come, he said. I dont care what the threat is. I dont care what you think about us. I dont care whether you like us or dont like us. To me, this strengthens our resolve to do our job, but also (has us) looking for ways to do it better and do it safer, he said, and do it in a way we can try to do it without infringing on peoples rights, but also keeping everyone safe. A retired PG&E engineer testified Friday that he wrote a dubious white paper justification for the companys avoidance of costly inspections of gas pipelines a document he said he quickly destroyed after auditors failed to raise the issue before the San Bruno blast. The existence of such a policy is a key element of the governments case against the company for obstructing the federal accident investigation into the 2010 San Bruno pipeline disaster that left eight people dead. In April 2011, the company asserted that it never had an approved policy to not inspect its lines following pressure surges and the document it provided federal investigators was an unapproved draft. Former senior gas engineer William Manegold testified Friday that he considered the gas pressure surge/inspection issue his number one concern coming into the audit slated for May 2010. At the time, PG&E had a number of aging pipelines that had never been inspected with high pressure water to account for potentially defective welds. Federal regulations called for costly inspections on those lines if pressure surged beyond prescribed levels. Federal auditors told PG&E in 2005 that a surge of pound over the prescribed maximum was one pound too many. The federal pipeline safety agencys website specifies that any overage, no matter how small, triggered the inspection requirement. But on the eve of a state audit in May 2010, Manegold and his colleagues were still struggling with the issue. Manegold said he reluctantly took on the task of writing a regulatory white paper to justify the companys decision to state regulators, should they ask. In it, Manegold cited an allowance for a 10 percent pressure drift above regulatory maximum levels that operators are allowed to accumulate before pressure relief devices kick in. He borrowed that ten percent margin in permitting pressure surges below that level to escape expensive tests for pipeline integrity. Did you think you writing a white paper was the best solution short of assessing over pressurized lines? Assistant U.S. Attorney Hartley West asked Manegold. I did, he replied. But just before the state audit, Manegold had doubts. In fact, in one email exchange, Manegold scoffed when his supervisor concluded that the allowance of 10 percent appeared reasonable and justifiable. Thats what Custer told the lieutenant who said, Lets stop here, Manegold said, referencing General George Custers Last Stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Like Custer, I thought we were going to get killed in the audit, he explained to the jury. I thought we were going to get slaughtered. But state auditors never asked PG&E about pressure surges. Manegold kept silent at the behest of his superiors. I was asked not to answer questions that were not asked, he acknowledged from the stand. When the audit was over, I shredded it, Manegold said of his white paper rationale. I didnt like it -- the intent of the memo was to be a white paper with a technical rationale, but he did not provide one. So you go rid of it? West asked. Yes, Manegold replied. It turned out that the problem was indeed a significant one. The problematic pressure surges occurred on some 84 miles of pipelines that PG&E failed to inspect with high pressure water before the San Bruno blast. Prosecutors also asked Manegold about his having grumbled to a longtime colleague after then-company president, Chris Johns, visited the office one month after San Bruno. Johns asked for people to speak up, so Manegold recounted how the company needed to spend more to replace its aging lines. Manegold told his friend he wished he had gone further and said: Dont assume that the people working on this stuff now are a bunch of idiots that should be ignored (as it seems to me has been done). Manegolds colleague, Wayne Ciardella, complained about what he called near-criminal cuts in the electrical division of the company over four decades, which he said were part of a deliberate and tragic strategy to funnel money away from safety to other investments. Such safety spending, Ciardella told Manegold, might mean not meeting the authorized rate of return for PG&E investors. Protests are sweeping the United States on the heels of two police-involved shootings in as many days and the gunning down of five police officers in Dallas, and hundreds made their voices heard Friday in San Francisco. The Black Lives Matter rally kicked off at Justin Herman Plaza and outraged demonstrators marched to a well-guarded City Hall, demanding change. Emotions were high at the protest, which was organized in response to the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. "Stop killing black people," protester Imani Brown said. "We're human beings. We matter just as much as anyone else. The murders of black women's sons should matter as much as the murder of white women's sons." The citys acting Police Chief Toney Chaplin spoke to young hopefuls at the Police Activities League graduation, less than a day after peaceful protestors in Texas ran for cover as a gunman fired and hit 11 officers and one civilian. Protesters at guarded City Hall. Demanding fewer police. pic.twitter.com/JWsjTCq3HA Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) July 9, 2016 #blacklivesmatter sit for a bit at 5th and market. pic.twitter.com/EkTnfCjoYw Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) July 9, 2016 At 11: standing together demanding change. pic.twitter.com/tFZOBYLBIM Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) July 9, 2016 At 11: #blacklivesmatter protest in SF. Police monitoring on rooftops pic.twitter.com/GWY0NvYTnc Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) July 9, 2016 This is a challenging time for law enforcement across the nation, he said. At Fridays demonstration, officers planned to facilitate the first amendment rights of the protestors and ensure their safe movement wherever they go, Chaplin said. After the shooting at a similar protest, however, Chaplin stationed police officers on rooftops and the ground. When asked about officer safety, the chief said staffing will be similar to other demonstrations. For us, the focus must be organizing in the street, Chaplin said. March in SF underway on market street. pic.twitter.com/27J1mRJqan Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) July 9, 2016 Frank Lara, with the Answer Coalition, said he expected the event to remain peaceful. We all have a reputation of being an organized and disciplined group, he said. In San Francisco, we expect the same tonight. For her part, Brown said: "I'm here to call attention to injustice. I'm fed up and sad, and I don't have anything else to do except be here and be peaceful and protest." Thousands also marched in Oakland late Thursday. A group of marched onto Interstate 880, shutting down all lanes of the highway, until the early hours of Friday. On Friday, Illinois politicians responded to Thursday night's tragic shooting at a Dallas protest that left five police officers dead. The ambush attack on Dallas police officers in outrageous, Gov. Bruce Rauner said in a statement. The men and women who work every day to protect everyone, including those exercising their right to free speech, deserve our respect and support. In total, 12 officers were shot by gunmen in what police believe to be a coordinated ambush attack that began at the close of a rally that stood in solidarity with two men killed in police-involved shootings this week. Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police at a Baton Rouge gas station Tuesday. Philando Castile was shot and killed by police Wednesday during a routine traffic stop in Minnesota. Both men were reportedly carrying firearms. The killings of Sterling and Castile have caused a great deal of backlash throughout the country, much like the videotaped killings of Trayvon Martin and Chicagoan Laquan McDonald. Mayor Emanuel sent condolences to the victims and families affected by the Dallas shooting. As a country and as a city we can never accept acts of violence anywhere, at any time, against anyone, for any reason, Emanuel said in a statement. We cannot be a country where our differences define us be it profession, race, creed, or sexual orientation. We must recommit ourselves to our common values to confront corrosive violence. We must build a dialogue that builds trust between us all. That is the foundation of this nation, that is what binds us together, and that is what we all must strive towards every day. Sen. Dick Durbin mourned the tragedy, sending prayers to the officers recovering from the attack. Durbin also stressed that the shooting shouldnt be politicized. Those who try to exploit this Dallas tragedy for political purposes or ignore the disturbing shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana do not add to the critical national dialogue we need, Durbin said in a statement. It is time for leaders to come forward calmly and honestly to end this senseless cycle of hate and violence." Sen. Mark Kirk tweeted his support for the city of Dallas Friday morning. We stand with the Dallas community today and the officers who risk their daily lives every day to protect Americans, Kirk wrote. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who faces Kirk in the November general election, sent condolences and condemned the heartless, calculated and unjustifiable shooting. Last nights coordinated ambush on Dallas law enforcement officers is an atrocity, Duckworth said in a statement. It will only serve to distract from and undermine the efforts of peaceful protesters seeking an end to the needless violence that took the lives of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile this week." Duckworth also pushed for unity and warned against stoking the violence with divisive rhetoric. Let us be vigilant in our words to be sure we dont escalate this tragic situation or inflame emotions further, Duckworth said. Now is the time for our nation to come together and unite against all hateful voices. Rep. Robin Kelly noted her personal connection to the tragedy and sent condolences to victims in Dallas, as well as Sterling and Castile. "I come from a family of cops so my admiration for law enforcement runs deep," Kelly said in a statement. "So does the concern and fear I hold as a mother of a black son who feels like it's open season on him in America. We have to find the balance where there is respect for life on both sides. We must find common ground in a greater understanding of our shared stakes in creating a fairer, safer society for us all." Rep. Luis Gutierrez also mourned the fallen officers, calling for an end to the nation's violence. The Dallas attack was cold-blooded murder and terrorism and cannot be tolerated or explained, Gutierrez said in a statement. The deep veins of anger, hatred, distrust, and factionalism in America are frightening and violence is a daily result. There is a corrosive wave of Americans hating each other and killing each other at alarming rates that we as a nation must come together to resolve and terminate." Rep. Bob Dold called for unity in the wake of the tragedy and sent condolences to the victims. In the wake of the attack on our law enforcement community in Dallas, as well as the deeply disturbing shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week, let us be strong enough as a nation to pursue justice and unity while also recognizing the news to repair deep roots of division that have brought us to this moment, Dold said in a statement. Rep. Mike Quigley sent condolences to victims and families, calling the shooting despicable and heart wrenching. While many questions still remain at this time, it is clear that the killers were full of hate and had only one goal in mine to kill, Quigley said in a statement. It is more important than ever that all Americans come together as one to stand collectively, hand-in-hand, against hatred and violence of all kinds. Rep. Bobby Rush expressed sympathy and called for peace and healing in the wake of the tragedy. "We cannot resort to violence or cast blame and hatred against one another," Rush said in a statement. "We all share in the grief of the violence taking place accross this country from Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and for the five officers killed. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, 'an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world bline.' We must call for healing in our nation." The Chicago Police Department also issued a statement Friday. In light of the tragic events across the country this week, including the unspeakable police assassinations in Dallas, CPD has designated that all officers must be paired up with their partners to increase visibility and strengthen officer safety, the statement reads. This weeks events are also important reminder of our work with community partners to continue promoting positive engagement between officers and the residents were sworn to protect. Superintendent Johnson will be reaching out to the Dallas Police Department to offer CPDs deepest condolences, and offer any assistance the city may need in responding to this tragedy." Three inmates were stabbed and a correctional officer injured during a brawl at the Cook County Jail Friday afternoon, authorities said. Fire officials received a call shortly before 4 p.m. reporting three prisoners stabbed at 2834 W. 31st St., according to fire media affairs. The Cook County Sheriff's office said a fight broke out between two detainees on a general population tier in maximum security Division 9. As many as 20 detainees joined in and became involved in the fight, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. One detainee used what is believed to be a pen or "other writing instrument" to "inflict non-life threatening injuries on three detainees, officials said. The fight last only a couple of minutes after one correctional officer used pepper spray to break it up, according to authorities. One prisoner was transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and two others were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital. All were listed in serious-to-critical condition, fire officials said. A correctional officer was injured and "overcome" with pepper spray, authorities said. The officer was taken to St. Anthony's Hospital in fair-to-serious condition. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with American law enforcement officers who have been attacked in the past 24 hours," the statement from the sheriff's office read. A suburban Chicago woman has been charged after she allegedly posted on Facebook that she would shoot any police officer who pulled her over and ordered her out of car. Jenesis Reynolds, 24, was arrested at her Evergreen Park home Friday and charged with disorderly conduct, the Chicago Tribune reports. Reynolds is reportedly accused of posting a message on her Facebook page that read, all I know is if the police stops and request me to get out of the car I'm shooting instantly. It may not solve anything and yes I will die but Jenesis will be revelation for my people. She also allegedly said she was willing to take one for the team. "I have no problem shooting a cop for simple traffic stop cuz they'd have no problem doing it to me, she wrote, according to the Tribune. The post comes on the heels of the sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers and injured seven others Thursday. A gunman ambushed the officers at a peaceful protest against nationwide police-involved shootings. Police say officers have also been targeted in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri in the aftermath of two high-profile killings of black men by law enforcement officials. Philando Castile, 32, was fatally shot during a traffic stop Wednesday in Minnesota, the aftermath of his death published live on social media. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot Tuesday while officers tried to arrest him in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His shooting death was caught on camera and garnered national attention. Branford police are looking to identify the suspect in two smash and grab burglaries overnight. Police say surveillance video shows the same suspect breaking into two businesses Friday into Saturday. He is described as a male, mid to late 40s with curly black hair and a bald spot. He was wearing short-sleeve white tee shirt, light colored sweatpants, and white sneakers. The suspect was driving green commercial flatbed truck, which was reported stolen by its owner, East Haven Building Supplies in East Haven. The truck is believed to be a 2008 Kenwood 300 FB with Connecticut plate K66596 Anyone with information should contact Branford police. Hudson Bradley is 4-years-old. He's from Auburn, New Hampshire and loves to play sports; but what he calls his "lucky fin" makes him do things differently. I was born that way as a baby," said Hudson. "It was how I was needed to be made. He joined dozens of other children and teens coping with limb loss at Camp No Limits, which is being hosted at Quinnipiac University for the weekend. Campers and their parents learn how to adapt to recreational and every day activities with the help of Quinnipiac students, teen and adult amputee mentors, physical and occupational therapists and prosthetists. Learning to tie shoes for the first time, learning to put their hair in a ponytail, learning how to ride their bike.. learning how to run all those basic life skills maybe we take for granted, said Mary Leighton, an occupational therapist from Maine who founded Camp No Limits with four campers in 2004. The camp has since grown to 10 locations nationwide, serving hundreds of families across the nation. Hudson told NBC Connecticut what he's most excited about learning this weekend: how to ride a bike. This time I have a bicycle arm," said Hudson, who does every day skills without part of his right arm. "Theyre going to teach me how to do it better with my arm so I dont feel not comfortable pushing. Shawn McLaughlin, who was born without a leg below the knee, said hes looking forward to just being himself. It makes me feel better because I can actually see people who are just like me and know what it feels like, said the Natick, Massachusetts 11-year-old. At Camp No Limits, the ultimate message for kids like Shawn and Hudson is they can do anything they set their mind to. Camp ends on Sunday. A body of a 39-year-old Branford man who was reported missing after leaving to go to a Phish concert in New York during Fourth of July weekend was found in a car in Meriden on Friday and the cause of his death is not clear. Jason Czech disappeared on July 1 and his family reported him missing on July 4. On Friday, his gray 2003 Honda Accord with Connecticut license plate 865-SJE was found on Mattabasset Drive in Meriden. Police could not confirm immediately confirm if the body was Czech, but his family members said Czech's body was the one found in the car. On Saturday his sister posted on Facebook that the Office of the Medical Examiner identified the body as Czech. The family is working to organize a memorial service. Czech left home to go to a concert in Saratoga Springs, New York on Friday, July 1. The cause and manner of his death might not be available for another four to 12 weeks, according to the office of the chief medical examiner. State police arrested a New Hampshire man on traffic and gun charges after a traffic stop Saturday. Police say a trooper was conducting speed enforcement on Interstate 395 in Thompson when he picked up on a vehicle driving 92 miles per hour. The trooper stopped the vehicle and when he approached he noticed a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines in plain view on the front passenger seat. The driver, identified as Cory Lounsbrough, 25 of Laconia, New Hampshire, did not have a permit for the handgun. The gun and ammunition were seized and Lounsbrough was arrested without incident. Lounsbrough was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle and weapons in a motor vehicle. He was held on a $2,500 bond and expected to appear in Danielson Superior Court on July 21. Despite the grey skies, people flocked to New Londons waterfront for the second day of Sailfest on Saturday. Some strolled through the streets before the vendors had officially opened at ten oclock. Im excited about it. I want to see whats going on. Theres lots of vendors, lots of food. Theres lot of things happening. I especially want to go on a tall ship, said Susanne Nowak who visited from Windham with her husband and mother-in-law. The Mystic Whaler, the oldest continuously sailing ship in Connecticut, cruised the harbor for one hour tours. Well be looking at historic Ft. Griswold in Groton, Ft. Trumbel here in New London, and all the vessels that will be assembling here to watch the fireworks, explained the ships captain John Eginton. The Mystic Whaler the only tall ship sailing at the festival this year. A hydroelectric boat they had planned to sail, ran into trouble getting to the festival. Improvements to the Amestad, another favorite tall ship, was not finished in time for the festival. The festivals focus has shifted from when it started 39-years ago. When it started out it was actually a sailboat race, explained Barbara Neffs, the festivals executive director. Now, there are 250 craft and food vendors drawing visitors from across New England and beyond. Im looking forward to going to the booths and the food, said Barb Cook of Bellview, Ohio. People call and want to know when this event is so they can build it around family vacations, Neffs explained. We have a lot of friends and family in the area so its fun to come down here and see everyone and celebrate. Its a big event every year, said Kristi Dervos of Groton. Organizers expect at least 250,000 people to attend the festival over three days. With some communities canceling their fireworks this year, including Hartford, the city could swell to over 300,000 for Saturday nights big show in the sky. When it comes to the best part of Sailfest, visitors let their taste buds do the talking. Uh, the food, laughed Nikki Salaun of Westerly, RI. Come for lunch, and stay for dinner and dessert, they advised. I like the shish kebobs and the rice and the desserts, she added. A gyro, is Nowaks favorite festival fare. Italian sausage grinder, chimed in her mother-in-law, Grace, of Mansfield. I love fair food, said Nowaks husband Steve. Whether its sweet treats or hardy eats, American or International, youre sure to sail away satisfied. NBC Connecticut is a proud sponsor of Sailfest. Make sure you stop by our booth Sunday say hello to some of your favorite members of the news team. Heidi and Todd will be there from 1:00 to 2:30. Kevin and Tara will be at the booth from 2:30 to four o'clock. MASON CITY Matthew Ryan Hauge, 26, of Mason City, formerly of Forest City, died Monday, July 4, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Celebration of life services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, 2016, at Fertile Lutheran Church with Pastor Dave Halvorson officiating. Visitation and viewing will be held 5-8 p.m. on Monday, July 11, 2016, at Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, 505 North Clark St., Forest City, Iowa. Burial of cremains will be held in Brush Point Cemetery in rural Fertile, with military honors provided by the Iowa Army National Guard Honor Guard. In lieu, of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Matthew Hauge memorial fund in care of the family. Arrangements are with Cataldo Schott Funeral Home in Forest City. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.cataldoschottfh.com. A tow truck operator was arrested after leading police on a chase while drunk and intentionally ramming an unoccupied Connecticut State Police cruiser on I-95 in Greenwich early Saturday morning, police said. According to Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, police in White Plains, New York, notified Troop G that they were in pursuit of a Bobs Towing truck on I-95 Northbound. Police in White Plains, New York, stated that the truck was responsible for a possible hit and run accident involving a pedestrian. Troopers positioned themselves on I-95 Northbound at exit 8 with stop sticks. The truck did not strike the sticks and continued on I-95 Northbound. The driver of the truck, Jheison Callecastro, 21, exited the highway at exit 14, then reentered I-95 Southbound. Troopers set up more stop sticks at exit 8 southbound, which deflated one tire. Callecastro continued driving and encountered more stop sticks at exit 4, which again deflated a tire. With the two front tires deflated, Callecastro encountered two unoccupied state police cruisers in the median at exit 3. Callecastro intentionally swerved into the state police cruiser stopped in the median. Both the cruiser and the tow truck sustained heavy damage. The tow truck became fully engulfed in flames. Callecastro was taken into custody and charged with multiple crimes including criminal attempt/assault on a police officer, assault with a motor vehicle, criminal mischief, engaging in a pursuit, reckless driving and DWI for alcohol. A Maryland woman will spend 180 days in jail for keeping 66 dogs in deplorable conditions in her home. A district court judge sentenced 47-year-old Katherine Ting Tiong, of Rockville, to more than 16 years in prison with all but 180 days suspended. She also will be placed under three years probation and has been ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. The judge said the dogs would have been better off euthanized than continue living in her home. Ting Tiong was charged earlier this year after police rescued the dogs on New Years Day. The dogs were found in varying levels of distress, according to the Animal Services Division of the Montgomery County Police Department. Many of the animals had dirty fur soaked in urine, infections or suffered from other untreated diseases. Three of the dogs had to be euthanized, and another also died. Ting Tiong told authorities she was operating a rescue service called Forever Homes Animal Rescue. Before sentencing Friday, Ting Tiong told News4's Kristin Wright she had lined up a rescue in New Jersey to pick up 30 of the dogs. The police investigation officially began after one of the dogs bit a woman at a Potomac pet adoption event in December. Most of the surviving dogs have been adopted, but some of them are still working through issues with their new families, according to Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center. Three of the dogs are still up for adoption. To adopt, call 240-773-5900. Michael Krol, an eight-year Dallas Police Department veteran, was among the five police officers gunned down in Dallas overnight at a peaceful protest. Krol had also worked as a jail worker with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Detroit, Michigan, from 2003 to 2007, Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon said in a statement. "He got into law enforcement and worked really hard to be a police officer," Krol's uncle Jim Ehlke told NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit. "He spent some time at the correctional facility. It wasn't quite what he was looking for, so he worked pretty hard to find a job and got one in Dallas." Ehlke said the family always worried about Krol's safety, but knew he was committed to the job. [NATL-DFW] Dramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown Dallas "He was all in," Ehlke told the station, "he was all in." "We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas one of whom was a former member of this agency and also the wounding of the other officers, said Napoleon. "Those officers made the ultimate sacrifice and died honoring their oaths to protect and serve. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and also the Dallas Police Department." Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement, "We didnt need this tragedy to be brought home to feel its impact, but still it hurts more this way." NBC affiliate WWLP in Massachusetts reported Krol graduated from East Longmeadow High School in 1994. Derek Holland took his first step towards getting off the 15-day disabled list and back on the mound. For the first time since injurying his throwing shoulder in late June, Holland played catch from 90-feet. He tossed 25 balls in what could be described as a low stress, throw-and-catch session. "I feel good, I'm playing catch today. I'm very excited about that. But, today is day one. So, we're going to go from there. I don't have anything else as far as what we're going to do after that. I'm hoping for a week and a half and then I'll be on the mound." Holland feels the urgency to get healthy considering how depleted the starting pitching staff is with injuries to Colby Lewis, Yu Darvish and of course Holland himself. He's ramping up the rehab process in hopes that he'll be back before August. Before he returns to the Rangers, Holland will likely make one or two starts with either Triple-A Round Rock or Double-A Frisco. A North Texas Army veteran has been identified as the lone gunman responsible for the sniper attacks that killed five police officers and injured seven others in Dallas, authorities say. Micah Xavier Johnson, of Mesquite, ambushed officers at a peaceful protest against nationwide police-involved shootings in Dallas on Thursday, police said. The investigation into Johnson's attack is still ongoing, and much remains is still unknown. But a picture is beginning to emerge of what went on inside the standoff a source tells NBC Investigates that the 25-year-old was wounded by gunfire before being killed by a robot outfitted with a bomb and how he prepared for the deadly assault. LONE GUNMAN Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed Friday what multiple senior U.S. law enforcement officials had told NBC News Friday afternoon: Micah Xavier Johnson was the lone gunman in the rampage. "This was a mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and he did that. He did his damage," Rawlings said. Officials told NBC News the investigation so far has yielded no additional suspects that may have played a role in the shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that there is no information about additional co-conspirators, but if any are found, they will be brought to justice. Sources tell NBC News they have found no ties between Johnson and any extremist groups so far. "We believe now, that the city is safe," Rawlings said. "The suspect is dead, and we can move on to healing." INSIDE THE STANDOFF Johnson was laughing and singing and not at all anxious during the standoff at the El Centro College building, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the incident told NBC 5 Investigates senior reporter Scott Friedman. Johnson told police he had specifically been training for this event and working out in preparation for Thursday night. NBC 5 Investigates has also learned Johnson was wearing a military-style bulletproof vest. Johnson told police he spent time in the military and was carrying a military-style rifle. Johnson was hit by gunfire before going into the El Centro college building and that officers followed Johnson's blood trail into the building, according to a law enforcement source. Officers found him on the second floor, and then fired more rounds through a wall, apparently hitting Johnson again and wounding him. After that, the negotiations began and spanned several hours. Johnson threatened many times to charge the officers, according to the source. Johnson at first said that he only wanted to talk to black police officers he said he didn't want to have anything to do with white people. He shared police conspiracies and his dislike for police officers, a law enforcement source said. Officers cornered Johnson and negotiated with him for hours before talks broke down, police said. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson told officers he was upset about recent shootings involving police and "wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." After an exchange of gunfire, officers attached an explosive device to a bomb robot and detonated it near Johnson, killing him, Brown said. A police source tells NBC 5 Investigates that the robot carried 3/4 of a pound of C-4, a plastic explosive. The robot reportedly suffered some damage but may not be a total loss. The decision on how much to use was made by Dallas SWAT officers trained in explosives along with ATF experts on the scene. A law enforcement source told Friedman on a scale of 1 to 10 this situation was a 30. MILITARY HISTORY The Army said Johnson served in the Army Reserve and did one tour of duty in Afghanistan, from November 2013 to July 2014. Johnson was a private first class and his military occupational specialty was carpentry and masonry. His service dates, as provided by the Army, were March 2009 to April 2015. Dallas police said Johnson has no criminal history. During a search of his home Friday, detectives found bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics, police said. Texas authorities said two officers shot and killed a gunman on Houston's south side early Saturday morning. Houston Police Department officials said the shooting happened at about 12:40 a.m., when officers saw a man with a revolver standing in the road. Police said after officers asked the man to put down the gun, he instead pointed the revolver in the air, then at the officers. The officers then fired numerous times. The unidentified man died at the scene. Bystander Eric Puckett told KTRK-TV the victim was a black male. The officers' races were not immediately known. KTRK said one of the unidentified officers is a 10-year veteran of the force, and the other is a 13-year veteran. The officers will be investigated by internal affairs, along with Harris County. An investigation is ongoing. Several dozen people marched through the streets of downtown Fort Worth Friday night to protest police shootings across the country. I hear people say all lives matter, and they do, said rally organizer Donnell Ballard. But at the same time, we got way too many African American who are being killed. The rally, which began at the former Fort Worth police headquarters and then circled Sundance Square, was organized before Thursday nights ambush in Dallas. My heart bleeds for those people, said protester Angela Darden, of Fort Worth. I dont think that anyone should have to lose a loved one, but I need them to also remember were losing loved ones, too. Fort Worth police stepped up patrols for the protest, and their increased presence along with the protesters worried some people out for a Friday night in downtown Fort Worth. Its kind of sad, said Katie Moore, who lives in downtown Fort Worth. Usually when police are around you feel safe, but now it seems if police are around theyre kind of targeted, so youre not safe anywhere you go. A lawyer for the police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile said the officers reaction had nothing to do with race, NBC News repotted. In a statement to NBC News Saturday, Jeronimo Yanez's attorney said he is cooperating with law enforcement and is deeply saddened for Castiles family. "This case has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the presence of a gun. Again, it has nothing to do with race, it has everything to do with the presence of a gun, said Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly. Yanez, of the St. Anthony Police Department, was placed on administrative leave, along with his partner Joseph Kauser, the Minnesota Department of Public Safetys Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, said. Castile, 32, was killed Wednesday during a routine traffic stop in Falcon Hills. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, recorded the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton called this week's two police involved shootings and the ambush shooting of police officers in Dallas vicious and appalling" during a speech in Philadelphia Friday. Clinton addressed the 50th Quadrennial Session of the African Methodist Episcopal General Conference in Philadelphia the day after the attack in Dallas, which left five officers dead and seven others injured. "There is too much violence, too much hate, too much senseless killings, she said. We know there is something wrong with our country. During her speech, Clinton listed some of the fatal shootings that have taken place across the country, including the two latest. On Tuesday, Alton Sterling was tackled and shot by officers during a confrontation outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following day, an officer shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in a St. Paul, Minnesota, suburb. Castiles girlfriend recorded the events after the shooting. CARSON, CA OCTOBER 13: Philip Rivers #17 of the Los Angeles Chargers plays during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Dignity Health Sports Park October 13, 2019 in Carson, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) Implicit bias still exists in our society even in our best police departments, she said, calling on an end to the systemic racism that plagues our country. She urged white Americans to do a better job of listening when African-Americans talk, something she said would help quell racial disparities and the tension many black people feel when dealing with law enforcement. "There is clear evidence that African-Americans are much more likely to be killed in police incidents than any other group of Americans," she said. Clinton postponed an earlier campaign event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Vice President Joe Biden hours after the Dallas attack. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump also put off Fridays campaign event, which was scheduled in Miami. Due to the horrific events taking place in our country, I have decided to postpone my speech on economic opportunity- today in Miami, he tweeted Friday morning. Due to the horrific events taking place in our country, I have decided to postpone my speech on economic opportunity- today in Miami. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2016 In a video posted to Facebook, Trump called Thursday's attack in Dallas "brutal," and said Americans must stand in "solidarity with law enforcement." "Every American has the right to live in safety and peace," he said. "The deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota also make clear how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected." President Barack Obama, speaking from the NATO summit in Poland, condemned the attack Friday morning. "There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement," Obama said. "Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done." He said Friday should be dedicated to honoring the victims and their families. Other politicians echoed these sympathies on Twitter as well, including former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who praised the bravery of the police. "Men & women of law enforcement selflessly run into harm's way to save the lives of others," he wrote. "May God protect them and bring peace upon Dallas." Senate Minority Leader and Nevada Senator Harry Reid also issued a statement about the attacks Friday morning, calling for those responsible for the attack to "be brought to justice and held accountable for these horrific crimes." Jay Z has released an emotional new song in response to this week's fatal police shootings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. On "spiritual," Jay Z raps, "Got my hands in the air, in despair, don't shoot, I just want to do good." In a statement accompanying the song's release, the rapper says he began working on it "a while ago." He says someone encouraged him to release it following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, but he says he knew Brown's death "wouldn't be the last." He says he's "saddened and disappointed in THIS America we should be further along," He adds, "WE ARE NOT." The song is available on Tidal, the subscription-based streaming music service that Jay Z owns. On Thursday, Beyonce, who is married to Jay Z, devoted the entire homepage of her website to condemning the injustices. FOREST CITY A rural Winnebago County woman has complained to the Board of Supervisors that two chicken manure piles near her home stink and draw flies. The board said it couldnt fix the stink but it did try to help. Susan Langerud lives in Newton Township, where two chicken manure piles were recently placed in a farm field near her house. The piles stem from Rembrandt chicken facilities and Farm Nutrients, a manure distribution company. A Titonka farmer reported a similar issue with Farm Nutrients in 2014. All summer long I will be dealing with the smell and the flies, Langerud said during a board meeting in late June, adding the stink was so bad one Sunday that it drove her back inside her house. As a country resident she understands the need for manure but shes not happy the two piles will be in the nearby field until the fall when the manure is spread on the fields. After a discussion at the board meeting, Adam Cook of Farm Nutrients said the piles would be pushed into one pile which would reduce the odor. Also, as rain falls on the pile, the manure settles and the odor lessens significantly, Cook said. We will push the piles together, Cook said. After a week, the piles will be evaluated. If Langeruds concerns continue, a new location, possibly a tarp and other ideas would be considered, Cook said. A smelly issue in Titonka TITONKA | Lifelong farmer Kent Rode was born and raised on the Titonka farm he now works. Supervisor Mike Stensrud said he talked with the Department of Natural Resources and was told the situation was not governed by the county. He and other supervisors said they wanted to help Langerud get a solution. Langerud wanted Farm Nutrients and Rembrandt to store the chicken manure in a building until fields were ready for its use. Cook said chicken barns are cleaned in the summer for safety reasons. Temperatures above 80 degrees lessen the chances of avian flu, he said. If the traffic to remove manure happens during the summer, that protects the chickens, Cook said. Also, Rembrandt does not have the indoor space to store all the chicken manure that will be used by farmers, Cook said. Building another building seems like the easiest route, Supervisor Bill Jensvold said. The company makes a good income from the sale of chicken manure, he said. A building that holds 10,000 tons of manure near Leland would cost about $1 million, Cook said. Thats not exactly financially feasible, he said. Langeruds neighbor, Dale Helgeland, said if Rembrandt expects to operate such a large operation then its big enough to have inside storage for the manure. If Rembrandt and Farm Nutrients cant figure out how to better deal with manure, Helgeland said, hell go to the Legislature to get a solution. One member of the Legislature was at the June meeting. Rep. Tedd Gassman, R-Scarville, urged Cook to push the two piles into one and cover it with a tarp. Cook had said earlier in the meeting that tarps on other manure piles have failed. Hegleland said the two manure piles near Langeruds home were not the required quarter of a mile from her home. Manure hauler Jordan Branstad said the state rules were followed when the manure piles were placed on the fields. As news of the ambush and slaying of five police officers following a peaceful Dallas protest on Thursday began to break, city leaders, politicians and celebrities began to issue statements on social media. "Murdering the innocent is always evil, never more so than when the lives taken belong to those who protect our families and communities," said Former President George W. Bush, who resides in Dallas with his wife Barbara. Both presidential candidates reacted to the tragedy. Donald Trump offered prayers and condolences then postponed a speech on economic opportunity in Miami. Hillary Clinton tweeted, "I mourn for the officers who were shot while doing their sacred duty," and canceled a campaign stop in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Vice President Joe Biden. House Speaker Paul Ryan said anger over the police shootings in Dallas must not be allowed to harden the nation's divisions. Speaking Friday on the House Floor, Ryan said it had been a "long month for America" and that the nation has seen terrible and senseless things. But in debating how to respond, he urged unity. "A few perpetrators of evil do not represent us; they do not control us," he said. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took the floor after Ryan, joining in his expression of grief and thanking Dallas police officers for their service. Among the celebrities, Lady Gaga took to Twitter imploring people to "stick together during this divided time." Some of those posts can be seen below: Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2016 Sad day for our city.. Prayers for the families and strength to believe this violence will stop on all fronts #DallasStrong Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) July 8, 2016 Canadians are shocked by the cowardly attacks against police in Dallas. Our solidarity is with all victims of violence on this tragic week. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 8, 2016 We mourn the police officers killed beside ful protesters seeking justice 4 #AltonSterling & #PhilandoCastile in #Dallas. @NAACP Rev. Cornell William Brooks (@CornellWBrooks) July 8, 2016 To all victims of tonight's horrible tragedy, our prayers are with you. We must act in Congress to #EndGunViolence We cannot remain silent!! US Rep E.B.Johnson (@RepEBJ) July 8, 2016 Through our collective and deep sadness may we as a city be strengthened. #PrayForDallas pic.twitter.com/8jJKKdFa62 Baylor Scott & White (@bswhealth) July 8, 2016 Our thoughts and prayers are with the police officers who were shot in #Dallas tonight. Awaiting further details. Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) July 8, 2016 Dallas,we mourn those who lost their lives protecting us and stand together, united, to cherish those we live and work next to #DallasStrong Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 8, 2016 An Escondido woman accused of filming the molestation of two girls in her care recently worked for an Oceanside youth care center where she passed a background check, the organization said Friday. Brittney Lyon, 22, was arrested by Carlsbad Police following a tip police received July 5 from Oceanside Police. Carlsbad Police say Lyon would take two 7-year-old girls she was babysitting to her boyfriend's relatives home in the Bressi Ranch Community where he allegedly molested them while she recorded the acts. One of the victims is a child with special needs. "We had a 7-year-old female report to her mother that she didnt want to go to the babysitters, because the babysitter used to bring her over to Sams house," Carlsbad Police Lt. Marc Reno said. Investigators say they uncovered video evidence when they executed two search warrants at the home on Greenhaven Drive, north of Poinsettia Lane and west of El Fuerte Street. Lyon and her boyfriend, 22-year-old Samuel Cabrera, Jr. were arraigned Friday on eight felony counts that included conspiracy and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of fourteen. They could face up to 90 years in prison if convicted. Lyon and Cabrera met in high school, and the alleged assaults started in January 2015, and happened repeatedly with the same two victims, for over a year. The special needs victim was incapable of communicating the details of the incident to her parents, officials said at the arraignment Friday. Lyon worked at Mottino Family YMCA in Oceanside for six days before her arrest July 7. The YMCA of San Diego County told NBC 7 that Lyon cleared a background check before her employment. Prior to the Oceanside location, Lyon worked at the Palomar Family YMCA in Escondido from May to August 2014. The YMCA said it is working with Carlsbad Police in the investigation. In a written statement, the YMCA added, we have no reason to believe any child in the care of the YMCA has been harmed by this individual. Lyon has been placed on unpaid leave of absence until the investigation is complete. Lyon advertised her services on Sitter.com, saying she was taking college classes online and had two years of experience as a special needs sitter. A spokesperson for the website told NBC 7 they could not comment specifically on Lyon's profile but did say it had been removed from the site and that they were working with Carlsbad police. Anyone can post a resume on Sitter.com. The website only does background checks when requested by users and for an additional fee. Cabrera also had Lyon hide a video camera in her purse and record women undressing in gyms and dressing rooms, according to officials at the arraignment. Both suspects have been booked into Vista Detention Facility. Bail for Lyon was set at $100,000 and bail for Cabrera was set at $2.3 million. Investigators believe there may be more victims. Anyone who has further information is asked to call Carlsbad Police Departments tip line at (760) 931-2293. The YMCA of San Diego County requires that all employees and volunteers complete Child Abuse Prevention training and sign a Code of Conduct statement. Here is the statement in full: The following is a statement from the YMCA of San Diego County regarding yesterdays announcement from the Carlsbad Police Department: We strive to provide excellent service to the community through high quality safe and enjoyable programs and facilities. The safety of our children, staff and volunteers are of the utmost importance and our number one priority at any YMCA of San Diego County facility. The YMCA of San Diego County received notification about the arrest of Brittney Lyon from the Carlsbad Police Department on July 7, 2016. We are actively working with the Carlsbad PD on this ongoing investigation and appreciate all they are doing with the disturbing allegations. We can confirm that Brittney Lyon was employed with the Mottino Family YMCA in Oceanside for six days before the arrest was made. Ms. Lyons is on an unpaid leave of absence until further information or investigation is complete. Background checks are performed for every YMCA staff member and volunteer, and we have confirmed that Ms. Lyons check came back clear. Carlsbad PD confirmed that she had no prior record. Ms. Lyon was also previously employed by the Palomar Family YMCA in Escondido from May 2014-August 2014. At this time we have no reason to believe any child in the care of the YMCA has been harmed by this individual. The YMCA has zero tolerance policy for any type of abuse against a child, and any abuse is cause for immediate dismissal. Every YMCA employee or volunteer is required to complete Child Abuse Prevention training and signs a Code of Conduct statement. At no time during a YMCA program may a staff person be alone with a single child. Additionally, YMCA policies prevent employees or volunteers from any interaction with children or babysitting outside of YMCA programs. YMCA staff is also not allowed to transport children in personal vehicles. At the YMCA we share a commitment to nurturing the potential of all members, giving back and supporting our neighbors. We encourage anyone with information or concerns to contact the Carlsbad Police Departments tip line at 760-931-2293. A man arrested in a series of violent homeless killings told NBC 7 San Diego he is innocent. "I look like that person, I'm innocent," said Anthony Alexander Padgett, 36, of Chula Vista, from the back of a police patrol car. San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Homicide Division Capt. David Nisleit announced Thursday that authorities had arrested Padgett on allegations of murder and attempted murder in a series of violent killings against homeless San Diegans. At this time, we have probable cause to arrest Mr. Padgett for these heinous crimes, Nisleit said. But as the patrol car carrying Padgett in the back pulled up at the jail, Padgett fought back. When asked how he would be defending himself, Padgett yelled back, "innocent," as the car drove off. Padgett was arrested around 10 a.m. Thursday near Broadway and H Street in Chula Vista. Nisleit said police believe Padgett is responsible for killing two homeless men and critically injuring two others, leaving them with significant trauma to their upper bodies. Read more about the attacks here. A source confirmed Padgett was arrested in 2010 for setting a homeless man on fire. Nisleit said investigators believe Padgett is the same man spotted on surveillance footage buying gasoline minutes before a homeless man was set on fire Sunday, the first in the series of killings. On Monday July 11, homicide investigators announced Padgett had been released from custody because officials said they have examined the evidence in the case and found reason to exclude Padgett as a suspect. No motive has been assigned to the attacks. Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach will join zoos and aquariums across the nation Saturday to raise awareness of the plight of the vaquita, the world's most endangered marine mammal, and of steps people can take to help prevent it from going extinct. The vaquita is a rare species of porpoise found only in the northern part of the Gulf of California. Growing only to a length of about 55 inches, the vaquita is the smallest cetacean -- whale, dolphin or porpoise -- on the planet. According to the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, only about 60 vaquitas are left, a decline of more than 92 percent since 1997. International Save the Vaquita Day is designed to spread a message of conservation by teaching people about the little-known marine mammal, encouraging donations to conservation efforts and supporting efforts to stop illegal fishing. "We need to eat more of the right types of seafood to save marine species and support human and ocean health,'' according to Kim Thompson, manager of the aquarium's Seafood for the Future program. Aquarium of the Pacific will offer activities and education booths to teach visitors more about the vaquita's plight. Part of that effort will be to call on Mexico to extend a gillnet fishing ban enacted last year and to enforce regulations cracking down on illegal fishing. The Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita estimates that without such actions, the vaquita could be extinct within five years. Aquarium officials said an initial step people can take is to support businesses and restaurants that sell seafood from environmentally responsible sources, information on which can be found online at www.fishchoice.com. People can also sign a letter of support for the vaquita at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' website at https://www.aza.org/vaquita-letter. International Save the Vaquita Day activities will be held at the aquarium, 100 Aquarium Way, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additional information on the vaquita is available on the aquarium's website at www.aquariumofthepacific.org/seafoodfuture. A couple in a legal battle with a desert city in Southern California will have a chance next week to settle a five-year dispute over the height of their hedge. Douglas Lawellin and Steven Rohlin allege in a federal lawsuit that the city of Indian Wells is unfairly singling them out over a city ordinance that limits hedge heights to 9 feet. They're seeking $10 million in damages and are set for a mediation conference next Wednesday. They say their hedge has been as tall as 24 feet over the last five years, and they have repeatedly fought orders to trim it. "This is a mature, 15-year-old hedge," said Lawellin. "If you do that to a mature tree, especially in the desert, you're going to kill those trees." Indian Wells Mayor Dana Reed said he couldn't comment on pending litigation, but hopes for a resolution soon. The row over the hedge height began in 2011, when a neighbor complained that Lawellin's and Rohlin's ficus trees blocked her view of the mountains. After the City Council passed an ordinance restricting hedges on setbacks to 9 feet later that year, the neighbor complained again and city officials ordered the couple to comply with the law. "The city was confronted with the following choice: either enforce its ordinances, or walk away from them," said Brian Harnik, the neighbor's attorney. "They made the right choice, to enforce the law." Lawellin and Rohlin, who said they chose their house partly because of its tall hedge, ignored the city's demands. In 2012, the city sued them. A superior court judge ordered the hedge be cut down and awarded the city nearly $100,000 in attorneys fees, according to court documents. Lawellin and Rohlin filed their lawsuit in 2013 and said they are refusing to pay the attorneys' fees until an outcome is reached in their federal case. "It's only being enforced against certain owners," said Ernest Franceschi, the couple's lawyer. "That violates equal protection." City officials defended the ordinance in court documents, saying they're not acting arbitrarily. They enforce the code when a neighbor complains. "Doing so comports with both common sense and the Constitution," said a motion filed for the city. Family and friends mourned Friday night the loss of a former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department technician, who was one of the five police officers gunned down in Dallas Thursday night. Lorne Ahrens, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley and spent years as a dispatcher at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, was remembered as a gregarious, loving friend and colleague. "He always wanted to be in law enforcement," said Capt. Ken McWaid, a former colleague of Ahrens at the LASD. "You could tell that when you first met him. He was always there, always had smile on his face. He was a big guy with a big heart and you could always count on him. "He really loved what he was doing." The department paid tribute to him on its Facebook page. "The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is saddened to learn that one of the fallen Dallas Police Officers was a former member of the #LASD," the post said. He served as a deputy at the LASD from 1991 to Jan. 23, 2002, then began his service with the Dallas Police Department two days later, his colleagues said. He was killed Thursday after a sniper opened fire on officers in at the close of a peaceful protest against officer-involved shootings in Dallas. Twelve officers were shot, five fatally. "Lorne was a big guy with an even bigger heart," said former colleague Capt. Merrill Ladenheim in the LASD Facebook post. "He will be sorely missed by the LASD family. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to Lorne's family and all the men and women of the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police and the great state of Texas." [NATL-DFW] Dramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown Dallas While in Southern California, Ahrens served at the Lennox and Lancaster Sheriff's stations and was "a highly regarded and respected public servant." The post said colleagues described him as someone who "always had a smile on his face and greeted you with kind regard." He was "an incredible dispatcher" who served the patrol deputies in the field by always looking out for them and taking officer safety into account when dispatching calls for service, deputies said. "It really hit home," McWaid said. "We all feel together. I just really feel for his family." Police say officers have been targeted in Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia in the aftermath of two high-profile killings of black men by law enforcement officials. In Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a Tennessee highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African-Americans, authorities said Friday. One woman died and three others, including one police officer, were injured in the rampage early Thursday morning. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that initial conversations with the suspect, 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott, revealed he was troubled by several incidents across the U.S. Scott, who is black, was wounded in the shootout with police, remains hospitalized and has not yet been charged. All those shot were white, police confirmed. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation alleges Scott armed with an assault rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition fired shots through the window of the Days Inn on Volunteer Parkway. Meanwhile, a suburban St. Louis police officer was "ambushed" during a traffic stop Friday and injured critically after he was shot at least once from behind as he walked to his patrol car, authorities said. Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Friday at a news conference. Taylor is being held on $500,000 cash bond and is expected to be arraigned on the felony charges Monday morning. Authorities have not provided the race and identify of the officer, who was described as a 9-year law enforcement veteran. Also Friday, a man who called 911 to report a car break-in ambushed a south Georgia police officer dispatched to the scene, sparking a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded, authorities said. Both are expected to survive. The shooting in Valdosta, just north of the Georgia-Florida state line, happened hours after five police officers were killed Thursday night in an ambush in Dallas. Despite saying the officer was lured to the scene by the gunman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said there was no immediate evidence the shootings were related. "We're putting pieces together to understand what happened and why, developing witnesses," said Scott Dutton, spokesman for the GBI, which is handling the case at the request of local police. "There's nothing to indicate there's a connection to that." Officer Randall Hancock was shot multiple times as he responded to a 911 call about a car break-in outside the Three Oaks Apartments just after 8 a.m. Friday, Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said at a news conference. "The officer called out on the radio screaming for assistance," Childress said, and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed the apartment complex. The GBI later identified the suspected gunman as 22-year-old Stephen Paul Beck and said it was Beck who also placed the 911 call. Both Childress and Dutton identified the suspect as an Asian male. Charges against Beck were still pending Friday as he was being treated at a Florida hospital, Dutton said. The officer is white, according to Valdosta city spokeswoman Sementha Mathews. Dutton said one gunshot hit the officer in the abdomen, just below his protective vest. Other shots hit Hancock's vest. The officer fired back and wounded the suspect. Hancock underwent surgery at a local hospital and was stable Friday as he rested with his family by his side, Childress said. The suspect was also considered stable, he said. "I'm relieved that my officer is fine," Childress said. "I am also equally relieved that the offender is going to make it." The police chief said Hancock was wearing a body camera, and its video footage had been turned over to the GBI. Childress declined to comment on any possible motive when asked about his officer being shot so soon after the Dallas attacks. The Dallas officers were shot during a protest over the recent killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. "You start to wonder," the police chief said. "But any motive of why this happened this morning, it would be speculation." Sharing a home with a four-legged friend can be one of life's greatest joys. But while pet ownership is rewarding, it's also a big decision. Dogs require lots of time, money and responsibility 10 to 15 years' worth, in many cases. Dr. Pia Salk, author and spokeswoman for the non-profit pet adoption website AdoptaPet.com, warns against taking home a pet on a whim or because you feel it's "love at first sight." "Do your research and carefully consider all aspects and implications of owning a pet before you make a decision," Salks advised. "When you adopt, you need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life." Here are few things shelters hope prospective pet parents will consider: Stay informed about local news and weather in Southern California. Get the NBC LA app for iOS or Android and pick your alerts. TIME COMMITMENT Falling in love with a tail-wagging Maltese or adorable boxer is easy. But pets can't be ignored on those days when you're too tired or busy. Dogs require daily food, water, exercise and companionship. You'll have to account for your pet in making all kinds of decisions, including travel, social life and overtime at work. If you work long hours or travel often, you'll need to arrange for someone to walk or dog-sit your pooch, according to Alberdina Schmidt, director of A Different Breed Animal Rescue in Dallas, Texas. Most cities have dog-walking and boarding services, as well as swanky day spas, if you can afford the investment. COST OF PET CARE As a pet parent, owners have an obligation to care for their furry friends in sickness and in health. The first year of pet ownership will cost about $1,300 for a small dog and upwards of $1,800 for a larger one not including emergency visits to the vet, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Those figures include initial one-time expenses like spaying, vaccinations, training and start-up supplies (such as a collar and leash), as well as the annual cost of food, treats, pet insurance, grooming and vet visits. Make sure you're prepared for emergency expenses if Buddy swallows his chew toy or your earrings. Every subsequent year, dog owners should expect to spend about $700 on their four-legged friends. Owners of small mammals will spend closer to $300, while bird owners will spend $200. Fish are the least expensive, at just $35 a year, the ASPCA estimates. If you're thinking of bringing a dog home and are concerned about the financial overhead, don't be discouraged. Dogs from shelters and rescues are usually neutered and up to date on shots, eliminating that expense from the first-year total. You can check out some other cost-saving tips here. ENVIRONMENT Is your living arrangement suitable for the animal you have in mind? If you live in a shoe-box apartment, a large dog may not be the best choice. Do you have a backyard? Make sure your fence is properly secured before bringing your new puppy home, especially if the dog is a smaller breed. Pet-proof your home to make sure toxic materials and valuables are out of reach. It is also important to know if and how you are limited by housing-related pet policies. Some landlords don't allow pets or have size restrictions. Many rescue groups, such as A Different Breed, require renters to provide written permission from the property owner as part of the adoption application. Certain breeds are often excluded from homeowner insurance policies, so it's important to double-check before bringing home your new best friend. RESPONSIBILITY If you're adopting a pet for your kids, understand the responsibility is ultimately yours. Jacque Lynn Schultzm, companion animal programs adviser for Petfinder.com, said children by nature often tire of things that were once new and exciting and this includes pets. Expecting to impose the sole pet-care responsibility on a child is not fair to the child or dog, Schultsm said. Research different breeds and figure out what size, age and energy level is most appropriate for you and your family. BASIC TRAINING Whether you buy a puppy from a breeder or adopt an older dog from a shelter, your pooch is going to need some basic training. Pets need plenty of guidance when it comes to abiding by human rules. Diane Summers, program manager at the Orange County Animal Services in Florida, urges pet owners to plan for a several-week adjustment period during which there will be challenges. Remember, bringing a new dog into your home is just as much an adjustment for the dog as it is for you. Private training costs vary widely. An expert trainer in New York City, for example, can charge as much as $200 an hour. Nationwide pet retailers like Petco and PetSmart offer six-week training courses starting at about $109 (Check with your provider about how the coronavirus outbreak has led to social distancing changes). According to Angi.com, states dont require that dog trainers be licensed, so make sure to ask about the trainers education, credentials and experience. You can also ask your local veterinarian for recommendations or, if professional training is out of your budget, for suggestions on a good how-to book. SHELTER OR RESCUE? So you've done your homework, reviewed your checklist and even brainstormed a few names. Now you're ready to bring home your new best friend. The last question to consider is: From where do you adopt? Public animal shelters are run and funded by local governments. Also known as "the pound," these facilities house animals that have been seized by animal control for various reasons or picked up as strays, according to Jennifer Jacobsen, director of shelter programs at AdoptaPet.com. Local municipalities also subsidize private shelters affiliated with the Humane Society or SPCA, Jacobsen said. Humane societies only take in animals when they have room, unlike animal control, which must house all strays. There are two types of shelters: "kill" and "no kill." Pets in "kill" shelters are given a grace period for adoption, then humanely euthanized as the shelter runs out of room. "No kill" shelters have limited admission and usually don't accept animals over a certain age or with medical or behavioral issues. Animal rescue organizations, on the other hand, are funded mainly by private donations, staffed by volunteers and typically have limited admission, according to Adoptapet.com. Unlike shelters, which house pets on-site in kennels, rescue animals are fostered into temporary homes until they find a "forever home." The biggest difference between shelters and rescue organizations is the adoption fee. Because animal rescues rely solely on public and private donations, a higher fee is used to offset some of the veterinary and pet-care expenses. "When you adopt a pet, your new best friend is usually spayed or neutered and up to date on shots, etc., and the adoption fee is often a fraction of what was spent to do those things and care for a pet with food and supplies in the time leading up to adoption," explained Diana Puglisi of AdoptaPet.com. Whether you choose to adopt through a shelter or rescue, you'll be saving two lives the one you take home and the space it opens up for another dog to take over. Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward held a demonstration against police violence Saturday in Fort Lauderdale. Saturday afternoon, South Florida community activists were holding their signs, sharing their voices and coming together with heavy hearts after a rough week of shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas. "It's so close I have family in Louisiana who actually knew the person who was selling CD's and this something that could be in our backyard and we need to wake up and realize that we are that closer to being a hashtag," said an rally organizer. Those walking across this bridge say they are fed up with the loss of life, so it's time to get to work and raise awareness in South Florida. The peaceful demonstration took place at Stranahan Park located at 10 E Broward Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. "It's love out here. Everybody is happy and peaceful, it's not something that we are coming to tear another race down," said the organizer. Event organizers add that the rally was a strictly a non-violent, non-combative event. Legal aids, police liaisons, folks leading the rally, and people trained to monitor the surroundings will be present. Organizers say our country is on edge and one protester says she sees what it's doing to young people everyday: "Being a teacher in the public school system I'm seeing how the system is damaging self esteem. Anyone of these people could be our students or our men." A Miami-Dade home was riddled with bullets overnight and a 12-year-old boy was caught in the crossfire. Miami-Dade Police were on the scene investigating shortly after midnight. Police say about 13 shell casings were seen by the home near southwest 132nd avenue and 278th street. Damian Escovedo, 12, had been in Miami with family since Monday. The boy's family says he was visiting from Tampa and was just sitting on the couch watching television when multiple bullets came flying in through the sliding glass doors. "It got crazy. I grabbed the little kid and I took him down the hallway because he got shot," said a family friend, inside the home during the shooting. "Bullets went right by my face. Right by face as soon it happened, I just ducked down and I ran." During the chaos the boy ended up getting shot twice in the leg. "He wasn't even paranoid. he wasn't screaming. He didn't know he got shot until I told him you got shot," said the family friend. According to Miami-Dade Police, Escovedo was transported to Kendall Regional Hospital where he underwent surgery and is expected to be okay. Authorities have not released what was the motive behind this drive by shooting or who they're searching for. Meanwhile, neighbors are stunned. "Scary, it's scary because he had nothing to do with it. He's innocent," said Yami, a neighbor who heard the gunshots. This is a developing story, check back with NBC 6 for updates. HERNDON, Va., July 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K12 Inc. (NYSE:LRN), today announced that it has reached a $2.5 million settlement with the State of California, bringing to an end a lengthy investigation of K12 conducted by the Office of Attorney General Kamala Harris. K12 will also contribute $6.0 million toward the Attorney Generals investigative costs. The settlement with the state includes no finding or admission of liability or wrongdoing by K12 or by the public, non-profit California Virtual Academies (CAVAs) managed under contracts by K12. The Attorney Generals claim of $168.5 million in todays announcement is flat wrong, said Stuart Udell, K12s Chief Executive Officer. Despite our full cooperation throughout the process, the Office of the Attorney General grossly mischaracterized the value of the settlement just as it did with regard to the issues it investigated. There is no debt relief to the CAVA schools. The balance budget credits essentially act as subsidies to protect the CAVA schools, its students and teachers against financial uncertainties. CAVA schools have not paid that money to K12 and K12 never expected to receive it given Californias funding environment. K12 never accrued these balance budget credits on its financial statements, and the CAVA schools similarly never incurred financial statement liabilities, Udell added. In the final judgment announced today, K12 and the CAVA schools agreed to improve, or in some cases accelerate, a number of planned and ongoing academic and business program initiatives. In addition, on a number of issues, K12 and the CAVA schools agreed to implement new policies and procedures that go well above and beyond current independent study and charter school laws and regulations. The settlement with the state resolves both K12 and CAVAs participation in the investigation by the California Department of Justice into an industry-wide probe of for-profit virtual schools, and a separate private lawsuit alleging misreporting of attendance at the CAVA schools. As part of the settlement, K12 will reimburse the state for the costs of the Attorney Generals lengthy investigation, and take certain steps to ensure that students who enroll in the CAVA schools can succeed academically. These changes will further the CAVA schools and K12 as industry leaders. The CAVA boards have led the charge to ensure the California Virtual Academies are well run and governed, Udell added. They have been supportive of the efforts to vigorously defend their schools and provide choice for the families of California. Todays agreement with the state recognizes that K12 will be strengthening its support for the non-profit public schools where the company provides management services. It provides for timetables and action by K12 and the CAVA schools to improve the customer experience, provide additional information and data to families, and improve the training of corporate and school staff. Among the provisions in the agreement are new requirements for the student attendance reporting process that exceed those found in current law. Other actions specified in the final judgement include: offering the opportunity for parents to request counseling sessions prior to student start dates to discuss the benefits and challenges of learning in a virtual school environment; adopting policies and conducting trainings for staff related to the services available for limited English proficient students and families; providing timely updates to data related to parent satisfaction and academic performance; continuing progress already made to ensure that the schools learning environment is accessible for students with disabilities; and, working with an independent, third-party expert to review and enhance K12s special education policies. Udell also detailed the financial portion of the settlement, which involves no fines or penalties. K12 will be making an $8.5 million payment to the state. Of that amount, $6.0 million is to defray the cost to taxpayers of the Attorney Generals investigation, and $2.5M are settlement costs related to the separate private lawsuit alleging misreporting of attendance at the CAVA schools. In addition, K12 and the CAVA schools will implement a series of conduct provisions, most of which K12 had planned on investing in over the next three years. These include accessibility improvements in the companys curriculum and technology platform. Udell pointed out that these investments would have been made by the Company in the ordinary course of compliance and product and service enhancements to improve the student experience regardless of the Attorney Generals actions. Opponents of K12 and skeptics of public online education have spent years making wild, attention-grabbing charges about us and our business, said Udell. The State of California used the full authority and investigative resources of the Office of the Attorney General to investigate these charges for over eight months. In the end, we demonstrated industry leading levels of service and compliance with regulations and benefits to families. There is a reason families keep coming to our programs and it's because we are committed to deliver valuable education services within the laws and rules of every state. Conference Call The Company will hold a conference call for investors and analysts on Monday, July 11, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. eastern time (ET) to discuss the Settlement Agreement. To participate in the live call, investors and analysts should dial (877) 407-4019 (domestic) or (201) 689-8337 (international) at 8:15 a.m. (ET). No passcode is required. A replay of the call will be available starting on July 11, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. ET through August 11, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. ET, at (877) 660-6853 (domestic) or (201) 612-7415 (international) using conference ID 13641198. Special Note on Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as anticipates, believes, estimates, continues, likely, may, opportunity, potential, projects, will, expects, plans, intends and similar expressions to identify forward looking statements, whether in the negative or the affirmative. These statements reflect our current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to us. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties, factors and contingencies include, but are not limited to: reduction of per pupil funding amounts at the schools we serve; inability to achieve sufficient levels of new enrollments to sustain or to grow our business model; failure of the schools we serve to comply with regulations resulting in a loss of funding or an obligation to repay funds previously received; declines or variations in academic performance outcomes as curriculum and testing standards evolve; harm to our reputation resulting from poor performance or misconduct by operators or us in any school in our industry and in any school in which we operate; legal and regulatory challenges from opponents of virtual public education, public charter schools or for-profit education companies; discrepancies in interpretation of legislation by regulatory agencies that may lead to payment or funding disputes; termination of our contracts with schools due to a loss of authorizing charter; failure to enter into new school contracts or renew existing contracts, in part or in their entirety; unsuccessful integration of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; failure to further develop, maintain and enhance our technology, products, services and brands; inadequate recruiting, training and retention of effective teachers and employees; infringement of our intellectual property; non-compliance with laws and regulations related to operating schools in a foreign jurisdiction; entry of new competitors with superior competitive technologies and lower prices; and other risks and uncertainties associated with our business described in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information in this release is as of July 8, 2016, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Companys expectations. About K12 Inc. K12 Inc. (NYSE:LRN) is driving innovation and advancing the quality of education by delivering state-of-the-art, digital learning platforms and technology to students and school districts across the globe. K12s award winning curriculum serves over 2,000 schools and school districts and has delivered more than four million courses over the past decade. K12 is a company of educators with the nation's largest network of K-12 online school teachers, providing instruction, academic services, and learning solutions to public schools and districts, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families. The K12 program is offered through K12 partner public schools in 33 states and the District of Columbia, and through school districts and public and private schools serving students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. More information can be found at K12.com. Colombianos seldom need a reason to party and el Dia de la Independencia or Independence Day is no exception! The party atmosphere for the event commonly known as El Veinte de Julio will be in full swing next Saturday July 16th when hundreds of Colombian and non-Colombian citizens are expected to flock to Tamiami Park for the biggest Colombian Independence Day celebration in South Florida. The now traditional MegaRumba Colombia will include an all-day Colombian heritage celebration fit for all ages featuring a wide range of traditional food and drinks, arts and crafts as well as folkloric performers from the South American country. Comedian and social media sensation Alejandro Ospina will be at hand to emcee the primetime events on the main stage with a lineup that includes special guests like world renowned salsa music group El Grupo Niche, Reggaeton artist Reykon, ChocQuibTown, Locos Por Juana and vallenato idol Jorge Celedon just to name a few. Mega Rumba Colombia starts at 12noon and it runs through 11pm on Saturday July 16th at Tamiami Park, located at 11201 SW 24th Street in Miami with free parking included. For more information on the event and to find out where to buy tickets visit www.MegaRumbaColombia.com. Cuban-American Rapper and business man Armando Christian Perez better known globally as Pitbull is about to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In recognition of Mr. 305 remarkable entrepreneurial work and talent the Hollywood California Chamber of Commerce announced it will unveil Pitbulls Walk of Fame star under the category of Recording in a special ceremony set for next Friday, July 15th in Hollywood, California. Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez says the Hollywood Chamber is delighted to welcome Pitbull to the worlds most famous landmark. The world is fascinated by Pitbulls story and his remarkable talent. The Hollywood community welcomes him with open arms and applauds him for his work by placing him on one of the worlds most famous landmarks, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies. American motivational speaker, personal finance instructor Mr. Tony Robbins and the man better known as Uncle Luke from the rap group 2 Live Crew, Luther Campbell will be at hand to help emcee the special ceremony. Mr. Worldwide rose to fame in 2004 with his album M.I.A.M.I and during the span of his successful career has landed No. 1 hits in over 15 countries worldwide. The Miami born artists relentless work ethic has transformed him into a Grammy-winning international superstar, visionary entrepreneur, fashionista and successful actor. You can catch the ceremony live via www.walkoffame.com on Friday July 15th starting at 2:30pm eastern time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Bahamas has issued a travel advisory for citizens traveling to the United States. The advisory comes in the wake of recent tensions in some American cities over shootings of young black males by police officers. The ministry advises all Bahamians traveling to the United, but especially to the affected cities, to exercise appropriate caution and in particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution. Bahamians traveling to the United States are asked to not get involved in political or other demonstrations under any circumstances and avoid crowds, says the ministry Authorities say if Bahamians face any issues, to please allow consular offices for the Bahamas to handle them. The Bahamas has consular offices in New York, Washington, Miami and Atlanta and honorary consuls in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago and Houston. President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected any notion that the past week's stunning violence signals a return to racial brutality of a dark past, saying that as painful as the killings of police and black men were, "America is not as divided as some have suggested." With five Dallas police officers dead at the hands of a sniper and two black men dead at the hands of police, Obama appealed to Americans not to be overwhelmed by fear of a return to 1960s-style chaos and to understand the progress that has been made in racial relations since that time. "You're not seeing riots and you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully," he said. "You've seen almost uniformly peaceful protests and you've seen, uniformly, police handling those protests with professionalism." Obama spoke at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Warsaw before leaving for Spain, part of a farewell trip to Europe he was cutting short by one day because of the developments at home. The comments marked the third time in as many days that Obama has spoken, from a distance, about the police-involved fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers. Seven other officers and two civilians were also injured. Obama said the Dallas shooter, a black Army veteran who was later killed by police, was a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. The president said he would visit Dallas in a few days to pay respects and mourn with the stricken Texas city. The shootings, and the ensuing protests in some U.S. cities, led to an uncharacteristic response from the president: He cut his five-day, two-country European trip to four days. Obama proceeded with his plan to visit Madrid but scrapped a stop in the southern city of Seville. He was cramming two days of events into one, including meetings with interim President Mariano Rajoy and a visit with U.S. sailors stationed at a naval base in Rota. In his news conference before departing Poland, Obama said that while "there is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion" in the U.S., "there's unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans and that serves as the basis for us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way." The president said he planned to convene a White House meeting in coming days with police officers, community and civil rights activists and others to talk about next steps. He said the "empathy and understanding" that Americans have shown in responding to the events of the past few days, including Dallas police officers even as they came under attack, had given him hope. "That's the spirit that we all need to embrace," Obama said. "That's the spirit that I want to build on." But Obama, who has angered his political opponents after every deadly mass shooting by calling for tighter gun laws, made clear that he will continue to speak out about the need for such measures, which the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to go along with. He said the U.S. is unique among advanced countries in the scale of violence it experiences. The president spoke sympathetically of police officers in gun-filled communities who have "very little margin of error" when deciding how to engage with people on the street who may well be armed, whether they mean harm or not. "Police have a really difficult time in communities where they know guns are everywhere," he said. "If you care about the safety of our police officers, then you can't set aside the gun issue and pretend it's irrelevant." Citing laws allowing the carrying of guns in Texas, he said that even some of the Dallas protesters who staged a peaceful rally before the sniper attack were armed. He also cited the presence of an apparently legally owned gun in the car where motorist Philando Castile was shot dead during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Obama also tried to calm public anxiety about personal safety, saying violent crime is actually down in the U.S. "So as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, we've got a foundation to build on," he said. "We just have to have confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature." Police made 74 arrests in Rochester, New York, during a protest over the shooting of black residents across the nation. The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle said the arrests occurred late Friday night and early Saturday morning. Police say the arrests were for disorderly conduct. Demonstrators on Friday protested the fatal shooting of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota and also the deaths of some local residents this year. https://www.instagram.com/p/BHn9IU No police officers were injured and there was no property damage reported. Police told protesters they were blocking the streets. Ashley Gantt, one of the protest organizers, says people sat on the ground when a SWAT team arrived because they did not want to appear aggressive. Gantt urged those being arrested to remain calm. Two reporters were briefly detained. About 300 people took to the streets of New York City to protest the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, just one day after five police officers were killed and seven others wounded during a protest in Dallas. The protesters gathered in Manhattan's Union Square Friday night and chanted "hands up, don't shoot" and "no justice no peace." After a spate of speeches, with some urging the crowd to behave, the protesters split into small groups escorted by police. One group marched across the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn while another went uptown and marched through Grand Central Terminal, chanting "black lives matter." The protesters mostly kept to the sidewalks. "We're not walking against police," said one rally leader at the Williamsburg Bridge. "We're against bad cops. These guys have family." The crowd listened and stuck to the walkways of the bridge, avoiding traffic. It was a drastically different tone for a protest against police brutality, with the massacre in Dallas still fresh in people's minds. "Our condolences go out to those people," said protester Anthony Robeldo. "The same way we lost family members, they lost family members." The protesters were still demanding justice for black men killed by officers and were still holding signs saying "Black Lives Matter." But some also held signs saying, "We mourn for Dallas too." "There are a lot of cops that do protect and serve and are honest and do good things -- and there are a lot of cops that are not," said Jamilla Wright-Coleman. Police were present in big numbers, too, some talking with protesters. Many blocked traffic ahead of protesters to clear the way for them to march. Unlike the protests in New York City Thursday night, there were no outbreaks of violence or arrests. Forty people were arrested in Thursday's protests in New York City before news of the Dallas shootings broke. Authorities believe the suspect in Thursday night's attack in Dallas acted alone. He was killed by a police robot-delivered bomb. The NYPD said Friday it has received 50 threats against officers since the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling but none of those threats have been deemed credible. The department issued a memo requiring all officers to double up on patrols and to take their meals and breaks in pairs. Activists and community members are urging North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to veto a bill that would limit the publics access to law enforcement recordings, such as police body cameras and dash cam recordings, NBC News reported. They presented McCrory with a petition of more than 3,800 signatures on Friday, according to Southeast Asian Coalition of Charlotte, North Carolina. Under HB972, recordings made by law enforcement agencies would not be public records. Agencies would decide whether to release the recordings. If denied, an individual would have to obtain a court order to view or obtain the recording. A Vietnamese-American woman with bipolar disorder was shot and killed by an officer in 2014. Her family wasnt allowed to see the officers body cam footage for more than two years. When they did finally see the video and hear the audio, they felt it didnt match the officers testimony about what happened, advocacy group 18 Million Rising said. The officer was cleared of wrongdoing after an internal investigation, but has resigned from the police department. The Congressional Black Caucus has called for more stringent gun control measures including a ban on assault weapons, NBC News reported. "The two acts of murder this week must be addressed by law enforcement and it must be addressed by the Congress of the United States. If we fail to act this will be a long hot summer," Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill, said Friday. The Caucus Chair and other members declared the police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling and the killings of five Dallas police officers as the continued problem of easy access to guns in America. "If this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all the bloodshed on the streets of America whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether it's at the hands of criminals, we bear that responsibility if we don't act," said Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who represents Baton Rouge, Louisiana. WEST HAVEN, Conn., July 9, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Watson Inc. is proud to announce a roundtable discussion to be held at the IFT Food Expo in Chicago, Illinois. The title of the roundtable is "Beyond Masking Taste & Improving Stability the Benefits & Technology Behind Today's Innovative Microencapsulation Techniques". The discussion will be held in a meeting room at the Watson booth on the IFT show floor. Leading this discussion will be Gary Wada, Process and Technology Operations Director at Watson. Gary Wada obtained his bachelor's in Chemical Engineering at the Stevenson Institute of Technology. Wada has nearly 30 years of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing experience, specializing in fluid bed technology. Microencapsulation is more than just masking flavors or improving stability. Encapsulation also allows for changing physical properties such as color or form, for example changing an oil into a free-flowing powder. Microencapsulation can also be employed to control or delay the release of an active. In this roundtable discussion, Wada will explain the applications and benefits of different microencapsulation technologies, such as hot melt, solvent-based, aqueous, and spray drying. Electron microscope photography used in the presentation will help to illustrate the evaluation of a microencapsulation matrix. Encapsulation is critical to such products as medical foods, nutraceuticals, and meal-replacement products, where characteristics such as stability, bioavailability, delivery, and effectiveness are closely regulated. In the roundtable, participants will discuss control of release point, or release parameters. Through controlled-release micro-encapsulation, formulators control when the core or active material is released. In this way, active material can be released at a specific pH, or temperature. Flavors can be released during chewing. Reactive materials can be released at the point in the process where the chemical reaction is desired. The release mechanism may be a specific condition, such as the change in pH, the introduction of a chemical agent, a temperature point, application of pressure, increase in moisture level, or other condition. Additional information on microencapsulation can be found on the company website: http://www.watson-inc.com/our-capabilities/microencapsulation/ Additional information on this and other events, as well as registration information, can be found on the Watson website at this link http://info.watson-inc.com/ift-2016 About Watson: Watson is one of the highest quality suppliers of products and services geared towards enhancing human health and nutrition around the world. We are a leader in developing quality products and innovative ingredient systems for the food and supplement industries. Expertise in custom nutrient premixes, microencapsulation, agglomeration, micronizing, spray drying, and film technology allows us to develop unique formulations and products using Watson manufactured, value-added ingredients. For more information on Watson, see www.watson-inc.com. Company info: Watson Foods Co., Inc. DBA Watson Inc. Corporate headquarters: 301 Heffernan Drive, West Haven CT 06516 CEO: James T. Watson Website: www.watson-inc.com Employees: 300 A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40790 A 29-year-old professional bullfighter was killed when a bulls horn pierced his chest in front of spectators during a fight in Spain, NBC News reported. Victor Barrios death was broadcast live on television, and was confirmed on Madrids Las Ventas bullring, where he started as an apprentice bullfighter in 2010. Barrio is the first bullfighter to die in a ring since the turn of the century. A 28-year old Spaniard in a village near Valencia was killed during a bull run, while a 33-year-old Japanese man and a 24-year-old Spanish man were both injured in the bull runs in Pamplona. Many of Spain's towns hold summer festivals involving bulls, and several people die each year. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. For the fourth night in a row, marchers in Philadelphia protested the deadly shootings of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. The march, hosted by Philly Coalition for REAL Justice, began at Mascher and Cambria streets at 6 p.m. Saturday and ended at the city's 24th and 25th police district building on 3901 Whitaker Avenue where they continued to protest late Saturday night. Police Terrorism is a daily reality in our communities, an organizer for the march wrote on Facebook. In the last three days, two black men (Alton Sterling and Philando Castile) were murdered at the hand of the police. In Philadelphia, the police consistently terrorize the Black and Brown community through stop and frisk, beatings, threats, and state sponsored executions. A group is marching to Phillys 24th and 25th police district building to protest the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The protest was one of many that have occurred nationwide in response to the police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minnesota as well as the murder of five police officers in a sniper attack in Dallas, Texas. Towards the end of the protest, marchers yelled at officers standing outside the district building, referring to them as pigs and repeatedly chanting, "F*** the police." "The police kill people, they're killing us and I think yelling at the police is a way to get out some of our aggression," said Ariel Taylor, one of the protesters. Supporters of police officers also showed up to the protest holding up signs. "What happened in Dallas is disgraceful and I don't want to go to any more funerals," said Megan Diaz, the daughter of a police officer who was among the police supporters at Saturday night's protest. Around 10:30 p.m., protesters remained outside the 24th and 25th district building, blocking the intersection of Whitaker and Erie avenues. Police told NBC10 no one was arrested in connection to Saturday's protest though they also said a teen spray painted, "F*** the police," on a local business. Rather than arresting the teen, the officers told him to meet with the shop owner, police said. The teen then agreed to clean up the shop. Police told NBC10 they understood that the protesters wanted a forum to be heard and didn't believe arrests were helpful or necessary in regards to the situation. They also said officers who were at the protest did a good job not reacting to the comments from the protesters. On Friday, an estimated crowd of 250 people marched in Center City to protest the deaths of Sterling and Castile while a different group marched in support of the slain Dallas police officers. The Lower Merion Police Department also said a woman and her son delivered a stack of pizzas to their officers Friday while another woman and her daughter brought them coffee and doughnuts Saturday. During another march Wednesday, protesters blocked I-676 by holding hands and lying on the pavement which led to arrests. No arrests were made during Fridays Philadelphia protests however. An estimated crowd of 250 activists took to the streets of Philadelphia Friday evening. It was the third evening in a row that protesters marched to protest police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Friday's protest included a group marching in support of police just a day after five officers were gunned down following a peaceful protest in Dallas, Texas.[[386087361, C]] Another crowd was organized by the same group that marched Wednesday, leading to arrests after protesters blocked I-676 by holding hands and lying on the pavement. Two separate groups marched from North Philadelphia to City Hall, to South Philadelphia and back with one stopping for a time in front of Police Headquarters to chant. Around 11 p.m. the crowd blocked streets near 15th and Market. A larger police presence could be seen. Similar protests happened across the country Friday from Massachusettes to California and Utah to Georgia. No arrests were reported in Friday's protests in Philadelphia.[[386087281, C]] Utah health officials say a resident infected with Zika has died, which they say marks the first death related to the mosquito-borne virus in the continental United States. Authorities said Friday the unidentified person from Salt Lake County tested positive after traveling to an area of the world where mosquitoes are known to spread Zika. The Salt Lake County Health Department says the exact cause of the death in late June isn't clear because the person was elderly and also had an underlying health condition. Health officials say they aren't releasing more information on the person or where they traveled due to privacy laws. Officials say there's no threat of the virus is being spread in Utah, though they cautioned people to protect themselves from mosquitoes when traveling abroad. Raymond Chavez may be 104 years old, but hes not letting that get in the way of his workout routine or the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The centenarian, who lives in Poway, in northeast San Diego, lifts weights, does sit-ups and rides a stationary bike with the help of his personal trainer. Chavez was serving on a minesweeper Navy ship in Pearl Harbor on that infamous day in 1941 and remembers it well. "On December sixth it was very quiet, but on December seventh everything broke loose," he told NBC 7. Chavez was born in San Bernardino and returned to California after leaving the Navy, but said hes never forgotten Pearl Harbor. Were going back because I feel part of it, Chavez told NBC 7. Right here the programs are very good, very nice, but over there I feel different, completely different. I feel like I am one with them, and they are part of me. And it just reminds me of December the seventh with all the men that were lost and the ships that were sunk. I go and say a little prayer for their souls and that makes me feel better. Chavez and his daughter have been to Pearl Harbor a few times in the last decade, but this year is special Its the 75th anniversary. They plan to attend the remembrance ceremonies and the memorial services for all the people who lost their lives in the attack. I did have a few friends who were lost and I never saw them again, Chavez said. Thats another reason I go. I like to be there with them. Sean Thompson has been training Chavez at Personally Fit in Poway for the last three years. He said when Chavez first started he was sedentary and weighed just 92 pounds, but after six months of coming in twice a week, he had gained 20 pounds of muscle. Not only is Chavez the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor, but according to Thompson, hes also one of the fittest. Pretty astonishing results for someone over 100 to make 20 pounds of muscle, Thompson said. His body was still craving exerciseHes definitely a hero in my eyes. Thompson and Personally Fit mutually decided to raise money to send Chavez and his daughter first-class to Pearl Harbor, pay for their accommodations, a luau and, if they get enough donations, pay for more survivors to make the trip. They collaborated with the Scripps-Poway Rotary Club and put together a 501c3 to raise money. The three of us kind of collaborated to get it done and Personally Fit went ahead and got the tickets, so hes going no matter how much we raise, but Im pretty confident that well be able to cover that expense and actually send some more of our vets, Thompson said. The more we get the more we can send. I never will forget that as long as I live because people have been very, very good and very nice, Chavez said about the people who had donated money to help him get to Pearl Harbor. Very helpful too. People who want to donate to Pearl Flight can visit the Gofundme page. The officer-targeted police massacre in Dallas Thursday night has sent aftershocks through law enforcement agencies far and wide. Department leaders are asking themselves what more they can do in the way of community policing is there something theyre still missing? "It's not 'us against them', San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told NBC 7 in an interview Friday. To the extent that we let that happen, we all lose. We are part of the community, and we are stronger when the community feels that and they work with us in community policing." Gore, a former local agent-in-charge for the FBI, says hes emphasizing training de-escalating confrontational situations. His department has lost nine deputies in the line of duty over the years. But Gore says he didn't think he needed to double up patrol units last night, as several police chiefs, including San Diego's did. SDPD's Shelley Zimmerman, whose department has buried 34 officers with solemn honors, Is carrying on a "community policing" tradition begun in the '70s by the late Bill Kolender -- another San Diego police chief, who went on to become a three-term. Zimmerman told NBC 7 that there's been an outpouring of support for her "thin blue line". Many emails, many text messages, many phone calls, she said. We just had somebody stop by delivering flowers to our police department, and a very heart-warming note to our police officers -- letting them know how much they appreciate what our officers do every single day." At the time of the Dallas sniper attack, social media was hit with a flood tide of hatred, directed at the law enforcement community. It was called out and denounced to the point where it subsided. But the angry sentiments remain evidence of deep-seated societal divisions that need healing. The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics assistance to help locate a Sterling, Virginia, teenager who was reported missing on July 8. Katie Zamora-Hernandez, 13, left her residence on E. Charlotte Road on her own accord. She is possibly in the Herndon area with another juvenile. Katie is described as a white female, 4 feet 11 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with any information regarding her possible whereabouts is asked to call Sgt. D. Hill at 703-777-0475. xenok wrote: I am actually quite puzzled by the lack of love/respect (maybe both) that IMD gets in this forum. Perhaps it is the age issue, since IMD does look for MUCH more experience than most places. IMD is a fantastic school. It is a school built by businesses, and it is a school for businesses. Note, IMD is NOT a school built by banks or consulting firm, it's a school built by BUSINESSES. What is your definition of an UE b-school? IMD qualifies in any definition that comes to my mind, that's why I don't see how it doesn't belong in the UE category. I understand where bsd_lover is coming from but let me try to address his concerns. 1) Class size. Would you rather have a larger network that you know loosely or a much smaller but much more intimate network? Additionally, it is not the size of the network that matters, but the "value" of the network. IMD selects some of the most accomplished applicants from the world. In terms of accomplishment, I think IMD alums rank up there with the very best. 2) Finance and MC. Yes, these two industries offer some of the most competitive starting salaries coming out of b-school, however we are talking about BUSINESS schools, not banking or consulting schools. I don't necessarily even view this as a negative. As long as the placement stats are among the best, why should the industry matter that much? If IMD consistently places its graduates in fantastic companies with great compensation, should it matter what industries they are in if we're trying to compare UEs vs Es? Remember, we are trying to rank the very best BUSINESS schools, not just schools for banking and consulting. Yes, IMD may not be the right school for the less experienced, nor for those wanting to make a career switch (note, this is for career switchers) into banking, nor for those who want to switch into consulting. However, it is an extremely competitive school to get into, it does offer a world-class education, it is academically rigorous and demanding, and it does offer an international network of amazingly successful alumni. In what area is IMD lacking that stops it from being classified as a UE? Some superficial like class size? Surely not! Great post xenok +1. I'm all for IMD's industry focus in terms of what a business school should be about (I even mention that in my last post). But, I dont control what the overwhelming majority wants a b-school for. After the crisis most of us have wondered about the higher purpose of a business school. But, whether rightly or wrongly, an elite contemporary business school is expected to have a certain qualities. If you consider all other ultra elite schools (H/S/W/K/B/M/C/LBS/Insead) they all share certain common traits. Class size and diverse placements are two of those qualities. Lumping IMD in this category just doesn't quite work for me.But lets not be too hung up on IMD's status. IMD is a top school and if you go there, you will get an oustanding education; and no one will deny that (least of all me). What about some opinions on some of the other schools ? Am I being fair ? Do all the spanish schools deserve there Elite status ? Does the concept of Regional Elites work ? Inside Boston's The Private Office Barbershop, owner Sandler Lacrosse, known to most as Dr. Boogs, cuts hair while speaking on issues facing black men specifically involving law enforcement. "It's not just the past 10 years, this from when I was growing up too," he said. "There's always been some type of racial profiling or unjust causes for me getting pulled over in my car." Lacrosse talks about the plight many men of color say they deal with. Incidents like officer-involved shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon, Minnesota, are just a few of those that these men feel are a threat to their lives. "I'm 41 years old and what I've had to deal with and what I've seen as a black man in America is a travesty, that people still live like this in 2016," said Boston resident Steven Wilson. "One of the reasons I don't like to drive to work is for all of this, all that anxiety, everything that comes along with it," said Joel Richards. "So I just like to walk to work." Richards says he has a fear of something happening because of driving while black, and decides to take extra precautions when being pulled over, like taking the key out of the ignition and placing both hands on the steering wheel. "They ask you to step out of the car, I always repeat the question, 'you want me to step out of the car? You want me to get my registration and license?' This is very conscious things that I think about. "It's dangerous being a black man anywhere on this planet," said Wilson. While these men don't agree with killing of police officers like in Dallas, they are hoping something will change in the hearts of Americans to feel a sense of understanding. "Any type of violence is kind of uncalled for and kind of unnecessary, especially on the level that is being displayed right now," said Lacrosse. Even on the most routine calls or patrols, police officers in Burlington, Vermont will now always have a partner with them; no more flying solo. "I think, in Burlington, it's unprecedented, but that's because this situation is unprecedented as well," Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police Department said. Del Pozo enacted the new policy Friday morning after the sniper-style murders of five police officers in Dallas. Seven other officers were injured, as well as two civilians. Del Pozo said he has no reason to believe any of his personnel are in danger, but explained the seeming randomness of the Texas ambush and the tone in the country around policing right now left him unwilling to take chances. "Until the window for copycat attacks or attacks inspired by this diminishes--until the rhetoric cools down--I don't want officers out there by themselves," del Pozo told necn. "They can't have eyes in the back of their heads." The police chief said Burlington is already planning to send representatives to Dallas for the officers' funerals, once those arrangements are set. First, however, there are renewed calls to build bridges here at home. "We are fighting for lives here," said Mary Brown-Guillory of the Champlain Valley area chapter of the NAACP, who said more needs to be done in the Burlington area to ensure fair and equal treatment by police when interacting with people of all races. The NAACP is planning a vigil and prayer service from 7-10 p.m. Saturday night at the top of Church Street in Burlington. According to the group's Facebook page, the event was designed as a protest of the recent killings of two black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. "We live in a very peaceful community," Brown-Guillory said of Burlington in an interview with WPTZ-TV. "But we have to keep the lines of communication open. We have to be more respectful of other people's cultures and differences." Dallas Police Chief David Brown said the Texas shooter told authorities that he was upset about the recent shootings of black men by police and wanted to kill whites, "especially white officers." Brown-Guillory said the event she will be a part of Saturday night in Burlington should be prayerful and peaceful. She said she hopes representatives of the Burlington Police Department will attend to speak with participants. Across the city Friday, flags flew at half-staff. A Burlington Police Department employee hand-stitched mourning bands so all officers on duty could wear one on their badge. The department, even while deeply saddened by the killings of the Texas officers, did get a bit of a boost Friday. Citizens moved by the tragedy sent the station flowers and donations for coffee, Cpl. Bonnie Beck told necn. "It says there are a lot more good people than there are bad eggs in this community," Beck said of the small gifts. "And they all come through when a bad thing happens like this." The doubling-up policy is set to remain in place for the foreseeable future, Chief del Pozo said. In a joint statement from the Vermont State Police and Vermont Department of Public Safety, Col. Matthew Birmingham and Commissioner Keith Flynn expressed their condolences to the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department, and the entire Dallas community. "The Vermont State Police will continue to remain vigilant and assess any threat that would jeopardize the safety of our troopers or the communities we serve," the statement read. "Our members are among the most highly trained and dedicated law enforcement officers in the nation and will continue to serve all Vermonters with the highest standards of professionalism and respect." A 57-year-old disabled woman, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, was assaulted by an assailant she did not know after a violent home invasion on Friday night in Raynham, Massachusetts. The suspect arrested is Bridget St. Germain, 25 of Taunton, Ma. Raynham Police report that they responded to a mobile home park at 1540 Broadway, where the victim resides, at 7:45 p.m., regarding an assault. When officers arrived, St. Germain fled on foot into a wooded swamp area. The victim told officers that St. Germain had broken the door to the home, threw a rock at the rear window of the victim's vehicle and had struck the victim in the face and leg inside the home. St. Germain was looking for another woman who was not home at the time. When the officers surrounded the area, St. Germiain refused to surrender and Rayhnam Police K-9 Kyro located her in the swamp. The victim was treated at the scene but she refused further treatment. St. Germain was taken to Morton Hospital where she was treated and released for a dog bite to her leg. Bail is set at $5,000 and St. Germain is scheduled to be arraigned on July 11, 2016 in the Taunton District Court for burglary and assault on a disabled person. If recreational marijuana becomes legal in Massachusetts, it won't be just for smoking. Edible marijuana products - a broad category that could include such treats as cookies and candy - would also be permitted under the ballot question nearly certain to go before voters in November. As the legalization debate heats up, the smoke-free forms of the drug are quickly emerging as a central focus of discussion. Edibles caught the attention of the state Supreme Judicial Court, which this past week pointedly ordered revisions to a summary designed to explain the question to voters. The justices said it was misleading not to specify that legal marijuana could include food products. A group of state senators who earlier this year visited Colorado - the first state to legalize recreational marijuana - said edibles now comprise roughly half the retail market there and pose among the greatest public health concerns for regulators. "Many of these products can be mistaken for other products already on the shelves, as the differences in taste, color and smell may be close to undetectable," the senators wrote in a report. "Edibles such as cookies and candy can be particularly appealing to children." Colorado recently banned pot-infused gummy bears and products that resemble animals and fruits. The state is also considering new limits on the potency of marijuana products, which could make other edibles illegal. Critics say marijuana-infused food often contains levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, several times more potent than the smokable forms of the drug and pose unique risks of overconsumption. The edibles are often produced by extracting marijuana concentrate from the plant and adding it to food or beverages. Many users report edibles produce a less immediate, though eventually more intense and longer-lasting high. According to the organization backing the Massachusetts ballot question, lessons learned from states like Colorado warrant a careful approach toward smoke-free marijuana products. A 15-member regulatory board would be created to oversee all aspects of the proposed law. "What's important for Massachusetts voters to know is that the cannabis control commission has full authority over what can be sold and what cannot," said Jim Borghesani, spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "It won't be the retailers who determine what's sold, what type of products, what shape, what size, what look." Opponents of legalization contend the proposed law specifically allows marijuana edibles to be sold and would tie the hands of regulators. "It they wanted to put in some of these protections they could have done it in the ballot question but did not," said Corey Welford, spokesman for the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts. "It's sort of like, 'pass it, and then we'll figure out how to protect consumers.'" If approved, the ballot initiative would allow people 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes and grow up to six pot plants at a time in their homes. It would also impose a 3.75 percent tax on retail sales. The state's medical marijuana law, approved by voters in 2012, allows edible forms of the If recreational marijuana becomes legal in Massachusetts, it won't be just for smoking. Edible marijuana products - a broad category that could include such treats as cookies and candy - would also be permitted under the ballot question nearly certain to go before voters in November. As the legalization debate heats up, the smoke-free forms of the drug are quickly emerging as a central focus of discussion. Edibles caught the attention of the state Supreme Judicial Court, which this past week pointedly ordered revisions to a summary designed to explain the question to voters. The justices said it was misleading not to specify that legal marijuana could include food products. A group of state senators who earlier this year visited Colorado - the first state to legalize recreational marijuana - said edibles now comprise roughly half the retail market there and pose among the greatest public health concerns for regulators. "Many of these products can be mistaken for other products already on the shelves, as the differences in taste, color and smell may be close to undetectable," the senators wrote in a report. "Edibles such as cookies and candy can be particularly appealing to children." Colorado recently banned pot-infused gummy bears and products that resemble animals and fruits. The state is also considering new limits on the potency of marijuana products, which could make other edibles illegal. Critics say marijuana-infused food often contains levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, several times more potent than the smokable forms of the drug and pose unique risks of overconsumption. The edibles are often produced by extracting marijuana concentrate from the plant and adding it to food or beverages. Many users report edibles produce a less immediate, though eventually more intense and longer-lasting high. According to the organization backing the Massachusetts ballot question, lessons learned from states like Colorado warrant a careful approach toward smoke-free marijuana products. A 15-member regulatory board would be created to oversee all aspects of the proposed law. "What's important for Massachusetts voters to know is that the cannabis control commission has full authority over what can be sold and what cannot," said Jim Borghesani, spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "It won't be the retailers who determine what's sold, what type of products, what shape, what size, what look." Opponents of legalization contend the proposed law specifically allows marijuana edibles to be sold and would tie the hands of regulators. "It they wanted to put in some of these protections they could have done it in the ballot question but did not," said Corey Welford, spokesman for the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts. "It's sort of like, 'pass it, and then we'll figure out how to protect consumers.'" If approved, the ballot initiative would allow people 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes and grow up to six pot plants at a time in their homes. It would also impose a 3.75 percent tax on retail sales. The state's medical marijuana law, approved by voters in 2012, allows edible forms of the drug but requires they bear no resemblance to any commercially available candy.drug but requires they bear no resemblance to any commercially available candy. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton will campaign at Portsmouth High School on Tueday, July 12, 2016. She will be discussing her commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. According to a report last week, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been discussing the event in Portsmouth, during which Sanders would endorse Clinton. Robert DeNapoli knows all too well the trauma that goes with being shot on the job. "And that's all I thought I'm going to die in this parking lot, I can't believe this, I didn't even have a chance." He was the first officer on the scene during the Musto Jewelers heist in Woburn back in 2011. One of the suspects was in the parking lot when he arrive, and DeNapoli was shot six times as he got out of his cruiser. DeNapoli's 17-year career on the force would come to an end because of his injuries. The shooting came less than a year after Woburn Officer John Maguire was shot to death chasing a suspect after a robbery at Kohl's. It was a brutal year for the Woburn Police force. "Danger, sure, it's part of our job," said DeNapoli. "Getting shot is not part of our job." So as word came about the tragic shootings in Dallas, DeNapoli knows all too well what the police, the families and that city are going through. "What's going on out there is just they've lost respect for the law, and now police are a little more edgy," said DeNapoli. "You don't want a police officer to hesitate either because of the stuff that's going on out there." As he watches the heartache in Dallas, DeNapoli wonders why it's come to this -- a sniper opening fire on law enforcement. "This climate out there of 'let's take cops out,' I don't get it, I don't understand it," he said. Even though his injuries kept him from returning to the police force, he's still heavily involved with the law enforcement community, often speaking to police officers and families about the dangers of the job. DeNapoli is co-founder of the Violently Injured Police Officers Organization. Donald Trump is reportedly considering a 57-year-old retired general from Rhode Island, who is a registered Democrat, as his running mate, according to the Washington Post. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn previously ran the Defense Intelligence Agency, and he's a fierce critic of President Obama. Four people familiar with the vetting process told the Post that Trump is intrigued by the idea of tapping Flynn in order to project strength and know-how on national security. They also stated that this turn towards a military figure is driven by Trump himself, rather than his advisers. Trump believes that national unrest may demand a "tough and steady" presence alongside him on the ticket. In an interview with the New York Post, Flynn did not deny tha the was under consideration. "All I would say is that I have been honored to serve my country for the past three decades and look forward to serving in other ways now that I'm retired from the U.S. Army," said Flynn, "I've been a soldier too long to refuse to entertain any request from a potential commander in chief." Trump is reported to have said, "I like the generals. I like the concept of generals. We're thinking about - actually there are two of them that are under consideration." Trump has been "really looking to go more the political route." Flynn's book, "Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies," comes out July 12, 2016. The book demonstrates a willingness to be an attack dog, a role often played by vice-presidential candidates. Police across the country are still hard at work with the tragic shootings in Dallas, Texas still fresh in their minds. In Merrimack, New Hampshire, roll call was particularly difficult and more emotional on Friday. "I know it's all been on our minds, what's happened in Dallas," said Lt. Theodore Dillon as he started the pre-shift meeting. "Let's back each other up even more tonight." The message came just one day after one of the deadliest days in United States law enforcement history unfolded on Thursday night. "Those officers went out on duty last night having no idea that this was going to happen," said Merrimack Police Chief Mark Doyle. Doyle said there's no imminent threat of a copycat crime in New Hampshire, but that doesn't mean his officers aren't prepared. "You need to constantly assess where you are and what it is you're doing from a safety and survival standpoint," Doyle said. At 1 p.m. Friday, departments across New England joined Dallas for a moment of silence. Dispatcher Michael Piccolo said making that call over the radio never gets easier. "It's been tough to be honest," Piccolo said. Early Friday morning outside the Manchester Police Department, Officer Nate Linstad brought the flag down to half staff. "It's a stark reminder for all of us here in this police department and across the nation that you don't necessarily go home at the end of your shift," said Manchester Police Lt. Brian O'Keefe. As they don their uniforms for their next shift, that added black mourning band across their badge is another reminder. "These are the risks we take each and every day," said Chief Doyle. And he admits no amount of training can protect anyone from evil. "If you've got an individual destined to harm police officers they will harm police officers, and I think that rang true last night," Doyle said. Police in Merrimack, Salem, Londonderry, and Manchester told necn they have not received any specific threats toward their departments. In a heartening tale of karmic retribution that also somehow involves Trump son-in-law and anti-Semitism defender Jared Kushner, a woman who tried to evict a subletter about to undergo surgery for breast cancer will soon be evicted herself, after her landlords caught wind of her scheme. The NY Post reports that Joy Keithline, a retired teacher, had been subletting her $600/month East Village studio for $1,000/month since 2012, all along to the same tenant, 61-year-old Jeanne DiCarlo. Meanwhile, Keithline was living upstate, though she also owns properties in Staten Island and Florida, according to The Real Deal. For years Keithline and DiCarlo had a seemingly benign tenant-subletter relationshipthat is, until Keithline decided to mix things up this March by evicting DiCarlo on the very day the subletter was scheduled to undergo surgery for her breast cancer. DiCarlo suspects it was because Keithline was hoping for a buyout from Kushner Companies, the real estate company that's owned by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and that purchased Keithline's apartment building in 2013. It was horrible, DiCarlo told the tabloid. I had to cancel my surgeries. The eviction battle made it to court, and Keithline was reportedly ordered to pay DiCarlo $25,000 in overcharges. Still, DiCarlo was evicted because she didn't have a leasethat is, until Keithline's landlords caught wind of the situation, at which point they said they'd make sure the predatory tenant will be evicted, but that DiCarlo is able to remain in the unit. "Ms. Keithlines deplorable actions have no place in our building," a Kushner Companies spokesperson told the Post. "We are outraged that Ms. DiCarlo was being taken advantage of." It's worth noting that the Post, which first reported this story, has endorsed Trump for president, so it's not clear how much of the tabloid's breaking of this story has to do with running damage control for its preferred candidate's son-in-law, who landed himself in hot water this week when he defended an anti-Semitic Trump tweet. But landlord stuff aside, there's a nice little life lesson here: when running a profitable-if-legally-questionable subletting scheme, maybe err on the side of not evicting your cancer-stricken subletter, lest you wind up blog fodder on a slow Saturday news day. A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Dereham churches help people to help themselves A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training. Read more Executive assistant and nursery manager jobs SOUL Church is a vibrant, welcoming and growing church in Norwich. They are seeking an organised and versatile Executive Assistant to provide key support to the churchs Senior Pastors, as well as a qualified Nursery Manager to head up SOUL Nursery. Read more Halloween light in Gorleston church On Halloween this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event. Read more An opportunity for Norwich to pray for the nation Rev Nigel Fox, who has served as a Methodist Minister for 15 years in Norwich, shares an open invitation to pray for the nation at a crucial moment. Read more Norwich church seeks musicians Kingdom Ambassadors International Church is appealing for instrumentlists, keyboardists and guitarists to be part of their worship experience. Read more Please keep Rishi in your prayers Andy Bryant urges us to pray for our political leaders, especially the new Prime Minister, and avoid unhelpful judgementalism. Read more Emilys art boosts growing Yarmouth foodbank A pupil at a primary school in Bradwell has been selling her pictures in order to raise money for the Yarmouth and Magdalen Foodbank, which is expanding its capacity and is seeking more volunteers. Read more Patrick Regan helps Norwich to bounce forwards On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope. Read more Painting and biblical feasting in Overstrand There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk. Read more Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more Norma's care home jigsaw challenge complete A resident at Norwich-based care home Corton House has completed an incredible 70 jigsaw puzzles in celebration of the homes 70th anniversary this year. Read more Norwich charity's appeal to support Palestinian students A Norwich educational charity, set up in memory of a Norwich Anglican priest, to support students from a Palestinian refugee camp, is inviting people to support its Christmas appeal to be launched on November 29. Read more Norfolk drug and alcohol charity pays tribute to its founder Andy Sexton, CEO of the Matthew Project, introduces a series of tributes from the charity to its founder, Peter Farley. Read more Cliff look alike at Cromer Church breakfast Cliff Richard tribute performer Will Chandler will be the speaker at a special Mens Breakfast at Cromer Parish Hall next month, and all men are welcome to come along. Read more Heartsease Lane Methodist church to close As part of a reorganisation of the Norwich Methodist Circuit, Heartsease Lane Methodist Church will be closing towards the end of the year. Read more Free Julian of Norwich reflection and prayer day The Friends of Julian of Norwich present a free Quiet Half-Day with Robert Fruehwirth, author and former Priest Director of the Julian Centre, on Saturday November 12, 10.30am-2pm. Read more Following Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson's allegations from earlier this week that she'd been fired from the station after rebuffing sexual advances from CEO Roger Ailes, at least a dozen more women have contacted Carlson's attorney claiming they too were harassed by Ailes. Six of these women shared their stories with NY Mag, and they are harrowing indeed: one woman even says Ailes once pulled out his genitals, which were "red like raw hamburger," and asked her to kiss them when she was only 16 years old. NY Mag interviewed Kellie Boyle, a former Republican National Committee field adviser; Marsha Callahan, a former model; and four women who wished to remain anonymous, all of whom say they were harassed by Ailes while trying to get a job from him. Boyle told the publication that Ailes blacklisted her when she was supposed to sign a major contract with the National Republican Congressional Committee in 1989. "[H]e said, You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys,'" she said. "[H]e said, Well you might have to give a blowjob every once in a while." Callahan says that in the late 1960s Ailes told her she'd have to sleep with "me and a few of my select friends" if she wanted to be featured on The Mike Douglas Show. And a 66-year-old former model who also tried to get on the show says she had a particularly horrifying experience with him: I was 16 years old living in Radnor, Pennsylvania. I was sent over for a walk-on part on The Mike Douglas Show in the winter of 1967. It was 6:30 in the evening and the place was totally closing up. Ailes took me into this big office and locked the door with a key. He reclined on a couch in a seating area under a map that had flags of all the cities they were syndicated in. He proceeded to pull down his pants and very gingerly pull out his genitals and said, Kiss them. And they were red like raw hamburger. He was pretty meticulously dressed, with long white shirttails coming out. It was like he was just at the end of a long day and I was supposed to know what to do. I was a kid, Id never seen a mans privates before. I jumped up, but the door is locked and nobodys out there. He chased me around the office and at some point it dawned on him that this just wasnt going to happen. He finally pulled up his trousers. He was very angry and rushed over to his desk, pulled open a door and had a reel-to-reel tape recorder going. He said to me, Dont tell anybody about this. Ive got it all on tape. I think he knew I was sixteen. A former TV producer alleges that when she was in her 20s, Ailes made it clear to her that "If you want to make it in New York City in the TV business, youre going to have to fuck me, and youre going to do that with anyone I tell you to;" another says she was forced to perform a sexual act with Ailes, and another says he forced her to kiss him and said that "no girls get a job here unless theyre cooperative." According to Carlson's lawsuit against Ailes, he told her, "I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then youd be good and better and Id be good and better"; told her she was a "man hater" when she complained that her Fox and Friends co-host Steve Doocy treated her poorly; and demoting her to a lower-marketed show with a lower pay rate. Ailes says Carlson's allegations are false, and filed to move the suit to arbitration yesterday. "It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are false," Ailes attorney, Barry Asen, said in a statement. Officials say that a fatal ambush of Dallas police officers during an otherwise peaceful protest march was the act of one man. Authorities say that Micah Johnson, 25, carried out a sniper attack by himself, killing five officers and wounding seven others plus two civilians in downtown Dallas on Thursday night. Johnson was killed during an hours-long standoff with the police in a parking garage. In what seems to be the first such use, the Dallas Police Department sent in a robot with a bomb and detonated the device; Police Chief David Brown said, "Other options would have exposed the officers to grave danger." According to Brown, Johnson told officers that he was upset by the police killings of black individuals and that he "planned to injure and kill as many officers as they could." Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said," This was a mobile shooter who had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and that's what he did... As we've started to unravel this fishing knot, we've come to realize this shooting came from one building at different levels." Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson emphasized in a NYC press conference, "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman with no known links to, or inspiration from, any international terrorist organization." The gunman, Micah Johnson, lived in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas. The NY Times reports, "He was a military veteran who had served in Afghanistan, and he kept an arsenal in his home that included bomb-making materials" Dallas police say they "found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics" in the home. Officials believe he was planning an attack for a while; CBS News reports, "Law enforcement will check where and when he bought his guns, vest, and bomb-making material to determine how long he has been planning an attack. The source said the police shootings this week were the trigger for Johnson to commit the massacre, and the march was the opportunity." Chief Brown called it a "well-planned, well thought-out, evil strategy." Johnson was in the Army Reserve from 2009 to 2015, and the Washington Post notes, "Johnson, who had no criminal history, deployed to Afghanistan with the U.S. Army from November 2013 through July 2014... Army records show that Johnson, whose home was listed as Mesquite, Tex., had served with an engineering brigade before he was sent to Afghanistan. He did not have a combat job and was listed as a carpentry and masonry specialist." He left the reserve in what the Times calls "a cloud of sexual harassment charges made by a fellow soldier who sought an order of protection against him and said he needed mental health counseling." Social media postings by Johnson expressed dismay at the recent deaths of blacks by police"Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings"and support to black power groups. From the Times: On his Facebook page, Mr. Johnson liked two groups that seem to shed light on his ideological views. One was the New Black Panther Party, which was founded in Dallas, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Anti-Defamation League calls it the largest organized anti-Semitic and racist black militant group in the United States. The other group was the African American Defense League, which was formed in 2014 by a man named Mauricelm-lei Millere. Millere is known for calling for violence against police specifically, on a regular basis, said Oren Segal, the director of the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. Usually after a high profile police-related shooting he takes to social media to encourage violence against police. After the killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, Mr. Millere called for death to every blue, bastard, hypocrites, killer pig across the nation, according to Mr. Segal. , "Johnson formerly attended the 'self-defense and personal protection[' gym Academy of Combat Warrior Arts in Richardson and Fort Worth, Texas, gym owner and CEO Justin Everman told The Daily Beast. The gyms Twitter account says it provides 'eality based training for todays Urban environment.'" Army Lt. Col. Michael Waltz, a former Special Forces officer and White House aide, told Reuters that based on video of the shooter taken during the ambush suggested that Johnson was not only trained, but well trained... The way he raises and lowers the rifle to his shoulder, apparently firing two rounds at a time, with discipline in his movements and use of cover, is what makes it seem as though he has military training." Johnson's movements turned the protest march into a chaotic scene. At 9 p.m., an officer said on the radio, "Weve got a guy with a long rifle. We dont know where the hell hes at." Church by the creek Sunday Country church with music will be led by Terri Kunz and Rick Wine on Sunday, July 10, at 10 a.m. at the Clancy United Methodist Church, 6 N. Main St., by the Clancy Creek behind the church. Everyone is welcome to come and to stay for the potluck and fellowship. *** Republic of Georgia choir The Helena community will have a unique opportunity to hear the accomplished Choir of E.Mikeladze Central Music School on Sunday, July 10, at 4 p.m. at St. Peters Cathedral. The choir is from Tbilisi, Georgia, and has traveled to the United States to participate in the International Choral Festival in Missoula (held once every three years). T The choir members, ranging in age from 11 to 22 years old, are separated into three voices and sing traditional Georgian folk songs and chants that reflect the centuries-old traditions and cultural heritage of Georgia. Since its founding in 2010, the choir has performed throughout Europe and competed in several international choral competitions, including the Idaho International Choral Festival in 2013, and San Franciscos 2012 Golden Gate International Children's Choral Festival. Conductor Badri Jimsheleishvili a professional composer and recording artist -- was invited to the E.Mikeladze Central Music School in 2004 to teach traditional Georgian folk music. Since 1990 until today he has conducted the Chanters of the Church of St. Panteleimon the Healer, and was a member of the Georgian state choir in 1992-1994. The public is invited to attend this free public concert and visit with the musicians after the performance. For additional information contact Kerry Krebill at 406-933-5246. *** 'The Power of Compassion' presented at Plymouth Congregational Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist monk who fled Tibet to join his Holiness the Dalai Lama in India, will give a presentation on Friday, July 29, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational Church on the corner of Winne and Oakes. Rinpoche immigrated to Seattle and now teaches in Seattle and Alaska, Montana, Washington, and Canada. His public teaching in Helena is on how compassion transforms your mind and life into one of kindness, patience and love. This event is free and open to the public and donations for the support Rinpoche are appreciated. For more information, call 406-417-1011; or email jamtseling108@gmail.com. What if one blood test could screen for more than 50 types of cancer? Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 News18 Blogs Politics Gandhi: The name won't seal victory File photo of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. All major parties are eyeing the crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh to clinch power in the pivotal state. For the Opposition parties, victory in the most populous state in the nation means becoming influential power brokers at the centre. For the BJP, victory sets the tone for the 2019 general elections as Modi prepares the groundwork for a second term. The stakes are high, and the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP are poised to lock horns in a bitter tussle for power. On the other hand, Congress once again has shown its reliance on a name for political prowess, this time easing the pressure on party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and turning to another political novice - Priyanka Vadra. The Congress party is gearing to project Ms Vadra as the chief campaigner for the assembly elections. The announcement is likely to be made later this month to kick start a blitzkrieg campaign across the vast and diverse expanse of Uttar Pradesh. It has been over 30 years since the Congress has been in power in Uttar Pradesh and the party's influence in the state has only dwindled. In the 404-seat state assembly, Congress only holds a measly 28 seats and is placed in 4th place. Even though the state is the home of the Congress bastions of Rae Bareli and Amethi, which the Gandhi family has held for decades, at the Assembly level the reality is completely different. The Congress party does not hold a single assembly constituency within Sonia Gandhi's MP seat of Rae Bareli, four controlled by the Samajwadi party and one by the Peace party. In Rahul Gandhi's Amethi, the Congress only holds 2 of the 5 assembly segments, with the rest held by the Samajwadi party. Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP and Mayawati's BSP are influential players on the Uttar Pradesh chess board with power changing hands and even being shared by them over the past two decades. BJP has recently become a major player after clinching a whopping 73 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2014 general elections. The Congress lingers far behind these three parties. Projecting Priyanka Vadra on such a weak wicket is dangerous for Congress' image as well as the ego of the Gandhi family. She may be able to enthuse the party cadre in the state who dream of a 'Gandhi' resurrection, but absent a political and administrative track record and a robust party infrastructure, she cannot uproot or even damage the political roots laid by the 3 big parties. Her apolitical link with the Congress organisation will not be able to protect her from the 'corruption' tag that has clung to the party ever since UPA II, primarily due to her husband Robert Vadra's dubious land deals. Come campaign season, the SP, BSP and BJP will furiously beat that drum, that is if they even choose to pay attention to the Congress. If the Gandhi name is all Congress has to offer the voters of Uttar Pradesh, the political battlefield of that state is the worst place to test its authority. In order to empower that title, it is time the party reassess its strategy and dispatch both heirs to states where it still has a fighting chance. Around the same time as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab goes to the polls, and the Congress unit there has a strong chance to wrestle power from the Akali-BJP combine which has been in power for 10 years. With a margin of 22 MLAs and anti-incumbency against the rule of the Badals, it is anybody's game in the state. Headed by veteran party leader and former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, the Congress must energetically project Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra in the campaign period to seal their names with the prospect of a victory. In past elections, where Congress has secured victory in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka, the Gandhi family's presence has been minimal during the campaign period. Any victory has been credited to the state unit no matter how many times party spokespersons laud the Gandhi family on national television. It is time the Gandhis step out of the background. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra are set to be elevated at a time when the Congress organisation is crumbling across India, with a demoralised cadre and defections in multiple states. The party clearly feeds off the authority of the Gandhi name, and politically bolstering Rahul and Priyanka is key to its survival on the national stage. This is not the time to test clout, but to gather and hone it. While Uttar Pradesh will be a crushing blow to the party, the Congress heirs can propel their image in states where the party is a contender for power and in turn they will energise the cadre across the country. The neo-Gandhis must be the faces of every Congress victory in India that is key for Rahul Gandhi to build his stature as a contender for the PM's chair. It may not be his dream, but it is something his party desperately needs. News18 Blogs Politics Zakir Naik And Indian Secularism File image of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh with Zakir Naik Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is worried. A very senior journalist, who until recently was editing a national daily is also worried. Both of them are worried over the fate of Zakir Naik, India's most talked-about preacher of Islam. They apprehend that two "communal" governments one led by Narendra Modi at the Centre and the other lead by Devendra Phadnavis in Maharashtra are all set to harass and arrest the Mumbai-based televangelist, following complaints arising from Bangladesh that he has a large following of fanatic Muslims in that country, some of whom killed 22 people in a terror-attack at a coffee shop in Dhaka last week. Both the veterans, one from the oldest national party of India which ruled India almost 54 years and the other who made his name and fame at one of the most influential media houses of the country claim themselves to be diehard secularist. For them, Zakir Naik cannot be said to be guilty as he has not been proved to be so by a court. They seem to be of the view that Naiks inflammatory speeches should be seen along with the similar inflammatory speeches by many BJP and RSS leaders. If the latter can be prosecuted, how can the former be taken to task, so run their argument. I do not know if the former editor had some association or acquaintance with Zakir Naik. But the veteran Congress leader, who once had addressed Osama bin Laden as Osama ji and notorious Laskra leader Hafiz Saeed as 'Saeed Saheb', had in 2012 shared the dais with Zakir Naik. Going by a video of the occasion, Singh had described Zakir Naik as a man "who spreads peace in the world". In fact, he had appealed that "Zakir Naik should travel all over India...I am very happy that he is spreading the message of peace....We need your message to reach the country." No wonder why both Singh and the former editor have been telling everybody that the controversy over Zakir Naik is created by the ruling BJP to give a communal angle to the issue. According to Singh, The entire issue of Zakir Naik has been created and propagated by people who thrive on polarisation. BJP is the beneficiary of this polarisation, Congress is in fact losing because of this. Congress has always been liberal, modern and secular." Going by this logic, it is secular to defend Zakir Naik, even though the televangelist has been banned from entry in countries like the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Indonesia for his inspiring sermons to the terrorists. Naik is the founder and president of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), a non-profit organisation which also owns and broadcasts the free-to-air global Peace TV channel from Mumbai. Incidentally, the Peace TV is not legal in India. But because of its popularity among Muslims, no Indian government has dared to take any action against it, lest its secular image would be tarnished. This was particularly true in the UPA days when leaders like Singh were highly influential. It may be noted that since Naik, unlike typical mullahs, wears western dresses (with a tie) and preaches mostly in English, his supporters are predominantly educated and well-to-do. That, perhaps, explains why the likes of Singh and the aforesaid editor the typical Indian secularists - like Naik. That also explains why the no sophisticated and traditional Muslim preachers do not consider Naik to be a true follower of Islam. In fact, following the recent attacks in Bangladesh, clerics of the Barelvi order in Bareilly city of Uttar Pradesh have demanded Naiks arrest and a ban on his TV station. "Naik's activities are against Islam and Indian culture, says Maulana Asjad Raza Khan Qadri, Bareilly city qazi. I have often argued that the more one talks of secularism in India the more communal he or she is in reality. In fact, these secularists cause as much harm to Islam as a religion as the terrorists and their supporters. The idea of Islam for the terrorists is simple. And that is that Islam, the way they interpret, must prevail all over the world. They believe that once upon a time the Muslims were the most powerful and that their power has been lost in modern times because Islam has been abandoned by many Muslims, who have reverted to the condition that preceded Gods revelation to the Prophet Muhammad. But if Muslims now return to the original Islam, they can preserve and even restore their power, so runs their argument. And this original Islam, revealed by the God through the Prophet, provides the one and only solution to all questions in this world, from public policy to private conduct; it possesses an immutable law, revealed by God, that deals with every aspect of life, and it is an ideology, a complete system of belief about the organisation of the state and the world. This law and ideology can only be implemented through the establishment of a truly Islamic state, under the sovereignty of God. In my considered view, unlike terrorists of other religions, Islamic terrorists, invariably, justify their actions in the name of their religion. And unlike terrorists of other religions, whose goals are political and country-specific, Islamic terrorists have an international dimension. They all believe in Wahabism that talks of the absolute supremacy of Islam over all other religions. They do not believe in pluralities of paths to reach the God. They have no faith in the concept of peaceful coexistence. They fight to strengthen their ultimate goal of establishing the Islamic domination all over the world. If they die in the process, they are confident of going to paradise of their God. Unfortunately, Dr. Zakir Naik is one such Islamist. Let alone his justifications of suicide bombings and sex-slaves, he once said the following in reply to a question - Water is called by different names in different languages God is called by different names as Allah, Ram or Jesus; is it not one and the same? You can call water by various names in different languages, like water in English, paani in Hindi, tanni in Tamil, mai in Arabic, apah in Sanskrit, jal in shudh Hindi, jal or paani in Gujarati, pandi in Marathi, neer in Kannad, neeru in Telugu, vellam in Malayalam, etc. If a person tells me that his friend has advised that everyday early in the morning he should have one glass of paani, but he is unable to drink it because when he drinks it, he feels like vomiting. On enquiry he says that the paani stinks and it is yellowish in colour. Later I realise that what he is referring to as paani is not water but urine. Thus you can call water by different names having the same meaning but you cannot call other things as water or paani. People may think that the example is not realistic and I agree with them because even an ignorant person knows the difference between water and urine. He will have to be a fool to call urine 'water'. Similarly, when any person who knows the correct concept of God, sees people worshipping false Gods, he naturally wonders how a person cannot differentiate between a true God and false Gods. Similarly, when asked Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them 'kafirs'?, Naik replies, Kafir is derived from the word 'kufr', which means to conceal or to reject. In Islamic terminology, 'kafir' means one who conceals or rejects the truth of Islam and a person who rejects Islam is in English called a 'non-Muslim'. If any non-Muslim considers the word 'kafir' i.e. 'non-Muslim' an abuse, he may choose to accept Islam and then we will stop referring to him as or call him a kafir, i.e. a non-Muslim. This is the peace that Naik talks and Digvijay Singh is highly appreciative of. And for this Naik, our former editor is so worried now. After all, the typical Indian secularists that they are, there has to be one set of rules for majority Hindus and another set of rules for minoritiesone can lambast Hindu beliefs, but he or she has to be very sensitive when matters pertain to minorities; the government can make and regulate laws for Hindus and their places of worship, but it cannot dare to touch the minorities, particularly the Muslims. Let us realise the fact that Naiks brand of Islam - Wahabism - is totally opposed to Sufism, the main guiding force of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent for ages that talked of peaceful and harmonious co-existence with other religions. But the vote-bank politics in recent years for politicians like Digvijay Singh and intellectuals like our editor is so pervasive that they are totally defensive and often apologetic to the champions of the xenophobic Wahabism that is dividing not only the Indians but also other world citizens. If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," Hakim said. Mustafa said among the missing were Dr Ijas and his dentist wife. They had left home saying they were going to Lakshadweep, he told PTI. As many as 16 young Muslims went missing from Kerala over the past one month and some of them may have sent messages to their parents that they have joined the Islamic State, sources said on Saturday.Most of them were from the districts of Kasaragod and Palakkad and sources said the group included seven couples and two children.Security agencies suspect they may joined the terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria.PTI quoted Kasaragod district panchayat member VPP Mustafa as saying they sent messages to their parents on Eid claiming "Divine Rule" and even asked the elders to "join them"."We are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You also should join us" read one of the messages while the other message said, "We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", Mustafa said.The veracity of these messages are yet to be checked.Most of the missing are well-educated, with reports saying there are doctors and engineers in the group. All of them are from middle class families and had been showing keen interest in religious matters since the last two years, Mustafa said.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed "grave concern" over the news and ordered the state police to launch a probe into the matter.Hakim, father of one of the missing men Hafesuddin from Kasaragod, told television channels that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him.While 11 hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district of Kerala, others are from Palakkad district.Abdul Rasheed, an engineering graduate, had left home with his wife and a two-year old daughter, stating that they were going to Mumbai for a job.(With Inputs from PTI) Terming IS as a tool in the hands of anti-Islam forces, Muslim organisations representing all schools of Islamic thought on Friday condemned the terror attack in holy city of Madinah, terming it as an attack on Islam and all Muslims of the world. Addressing a massive public meeting organized by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), leaders and religious scholars said the attack by so-called Islamic State (IS) near Prophet's mosque was the handiwork of enemies of Islam. A resolution passed unanimously at the meet strongly condemned attacks in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world, during the holy month of Ramadan. "The ISIS has nothing to do with Islam and its principles and tenets, and, in fact, all its activities and terror attacks are meant to strike at the very roots of Islam. The ISIS is not only unIslamic but acts as a tool in the hands of Western forces who are enemies of Islam. In the garb of Muslims, they are defaming Islam," said the resolution. "This band of 'neo-Kharijis' had the audacity to proclaim itself to be a so-called world-wide caliphate and appointing a self-styled caliph in 2014. These armed thugs have been letting loose a reign of terror in some parts of Iraq and Syria and spreading their subversive activities to other countries in the Gulf and North Africa, as well as to other Muslim nations and European, Asian and African countries," it added. It said during Ramadan, the ISIS killed innocent Muslims and non-Muslims in terror attacks in Baghdad, Istanbul and Dhaka, killing 300 persons and injuring scores of others. "They sought to disturb the peace and tranquillity of one of Islam's holiest sites - the Prophet's mosque at Madinah. The suicide bomber was stopped in his tracks outside the mosque complex and four Saudi security men were martyred and five were injured." "The perpetrators of this violence at the holy city have incurred the wrath of Almighty Allah and the world will soon witness the destruction of these unholy men who are making attempts to harm Islam and demonise the Muslims," the resolution said. It noted that through its sustained but distorted propaganda on the social media, the IS has been making attempts to spread its nefarious designs and tentacles to various Muslim and non-Muslim countries, by seeking to recruit youth and enlist the support of fringe terror groups operating in those countries. "This massive gathering of Indian Muslims appeals to their co-religionists, especially the youth, to be wary of the propaganda and activities of the ISIS, and do their utmost to foil the nefarious attempts of this anti-Islamic group to disturb peace and tranquility and create ill-will and hatred against the Muslims among their compatriots in this great country," it added. Prominent among those who addressed the meeting are MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Mufti Khaleel Ahmed of Jamia-e-Nizamia, Syed Mohammed Qubool Pasha of Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Deccan, Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed of Jamiat-ul-Ulema, Maulana Khaled Saifullah Rahmani, secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Hamed Mohammed Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami, Raheemuddin Ansari of AUnited Muslim Forum, Safi Ahmed Madani of Jamiat-ul-Ahle-Hadees, Shia cleric Moulana Syed Nisar Hussain Hyder Aga and Shaikh Mansoor Bhai of Dawoodi Bohra community. Funeral prayers for Burhan Wani, Hizbul Mujahideen operative in Tral in Pulwama district of J&K pic.twitter.com/gQGSAy95t4 ANI (@ANI_news) 9 July 2016 At least 11 people were killed and several others including security personnel were injured as clashes rocked Kashmir on Saturday over the gunning down of militant commander Burhan Wani.Violent mobs attacked installations of police and paramilitary forces at various places in the Valley and set ablaze several buildings including three police installations.Eight were killed in "retaliatory" firing as mobs attacked security personnel. The Jammu & Kashmir police said they acted with restraint even in the face of violence from the side of the protesters."The focus is on making an appeal to people to stay calm, we want to prevent loss of young lives. Police acted with restraint and did nor retaliate even when a police station was set on fire," ADGP SM Sahai said.Three policemen were also missing after a large mob attacked a police station, set it ablaze and used its weaponary to shoot and injure three cops, police saidAuthorities imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended mobile internet services to contain the volatile situation. The Amarnath Yatra was also suspended in view of the worsening situation, with police saying it will be resumed "as soon as it is possible to ensure security of yatris".As many as 50,000 people turned up as Burhan, the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was laid to rest in his native place Tral. There was no deployment of security forces in Tral and adjoining areas to avoid a confrontation with the people coming to participate in the funeral.Separatist leaders were, however, stopped from proceeding to Tral to address mourners.Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed for calm while expressing "profound" grief and agony over the deaths during the protests and asked security forces to avoid use of disproportionate force for crowd control.Train services between Baramulla in Kashmir and Banihal across the Pir Panjal mountain range have also been suspended for the day as the trains have been targeted by mobs in the past.Shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance. Public transport was off the roads.Educational institutions in the Valley were closed on account of the ongoing summer vacations. Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education and Central University of Kashmir have postponed examinations.(With inputs from PTI) Islamic preacher Zakir Naik collected large amounts of money in the name of his charity and later diverted it to his controversial propaganda channel Peace TV, an investigation by CNN-News18 has revealed. The investigation revealed that the money received by Islamic Research Foundation International, his NGO registered in the UK were pumped into Peace TV. Documents accessed by CNN-News18 showed the NGO received 8.7 million donations from 2008-2015 of which 7.8 million - more than 90% - were spent on his television channel. The controversial TV channel has often been accused of broadcasting extremely objectionable content in India and abroad. Millions of pounds of money has been collected in the name of UK based charity by Naik's Islamic Research Foundation International. Enquiries also showed that the Mumbai-based Harmony Media prepares production content for Peace TV and that both the offices are located in the same building. Amir Abdul Mannan Gazdar is the director of both Harmony Media and IRFI. The NGO was incorporated in 2007 with the stated aim of promoting education and communal harmony but it turned out its main purpose was to fund Peace TV which is accused of airing content which could incite communal violence. Harmony Media officials refused to comment when a CNN-News18 correspondent in Mumbai tried to get their response to the expose. On 7 June 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third- class compartment. Reliving history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday retraced Mahatma Gandhi's train journey in South Africa as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment that proved to be a turning point in his life.On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhi's fight against racial discrimination.Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night.He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhi's decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there.The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi."PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled," the PMO tweeted.After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister on Friday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela."For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela," Modi had said.He further said, "We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa." July 8 At 8:57 a.m. An Officer met with an individual at the Law Enforcement Center and took a report of a theft of a bank card. At 9:46 a.m. An Officer met with an individual at the Law Enforcement Center and took a report of a possible theft of coins. At 12:33 p.m. An Officer responded to the 900 block of Jackson St. for a welfare check on a male. The Officer located the male and transported him to the hospital for his own well being. At 1:12 p.m. An Officer took a report of a theft of medications from the 200 block of Miller St. At 1:33 p.m. An Officer took a report of a theft that had occurred in the 1800 block of Lyndale Ave. At 2:27 p.m. An Officer responded to the 100 block of N. Rodney for a female at this location that had a warrant for her arrest. The female, age 26, was placed under arrest for a District Court Warrant (petition to revoke) and transported to the LCSO Jail. At 3:14 p.m. An Officer served a warrant to a female that was already incarcerated in the LCSO Jail. The female, age 30, was served a warrant out of Municipal Court for Contempt of Court. She remained in the custody of the LCSO Jail. At 6:40 pm. An Officer took a report of a theft that had occurred in the 1000 block of Washington St. At 6:37 p.m. An Officer took a report of a theft that had occurred in the 3100 block of Saddle Drive. At 11:38 p.m. An Officer was dispatched to the 1400 block of Missoula Ave. for a welfare check on a male that was lying next to a vehicle. Prior to the Officer arriving in the area, the male had got into the vehicle. Investigation into the matter led to a male, age 25, (Big Sky resident) being placed under arrest for DUI (1st), misdemeanor possession of dangerous drugs (marijuana) and possession of drug paraphernalia (glass pipe). He was booked into the LCSO Jail. July 9 At 2:45 a.m. An Officer took a report of a theft of a wallet that had occurred in the 3100 block of HWY 12 East. Investigation into the theft led to a female, age 27, being issued a citation for misdemeanor theft. She was referred to Helena Municipal Court. Patna: A youth was killed, and six security personnel were injured, when his motorbike collided head on with a jeep in the cavalcade escorting Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav in Patna district on Saturday, police said. The collision took place near Devdahan village under Dhanarua police station when the Minister of State for Rural Development was going to Patna and the youth was on his way home in Bir village under the same police station. Rahul Kumar (18) died on the spot while the escort jeep overturned injuring the six security men, police said. The injured policemen have been admitted to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital here. The Minister termed the incident "tragic" and expressed grief and sympathy to the deceased's family. "It was a tragic incident. I express my profound grief and sympathy to the family of the deceased. The incident happened suddenly," Yadav said. The Minister was on his way to Patna after inaugurating 'Ujjwala' scheme at Masaurhi, the area which falls under his Lok Sabha constituency Patliputra. Mumbai: Great Grand Masti is releasing just a little over a week after Sultan hit the screens. Vivek Oberoi, one of the lead actors of the adult comedy, says he is not worried how the Salman Khan starrer will affect his movie as he feels every film has its own audience. Asked about the chances that the business of Great Grand Masti will get affected by Sultan, Vivek told IANS: "I think people are unanimously loving 'Sultan'. I loved the promos and because I have been promoting this film ('Great Grand Masti'), I didn't have time to see it." "I am really looking forward to go and see the film and see what the whole team has done. We as a fraternity should be able to praise each other's work, enjoy each other's success and that's how we will grow as an industry. You can't grow in isolation." He added: "I think every film has a run and every film has an audience. So, there is an audience for our film." Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal arrived in Gujarat on Saturday to officially kickstart the party's campaign for the 2017 Assembly polls in the BJP-ruled state.Kejriwal is scheduled to offer prayers at the Somnath Temple in adjoining Gir-Somnath district in the afternoon, following which he will launch the party's campaign, Kanu Kalsariya, Gujarat unit leader of the party, said.The Chief Minister is accompanied by party colleague Kumar Vishwas, said Gujarat AAP media convener Harshil Nayak.Kejriwal's sojourn to the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumes significance as AAP has decided to contest all the 182 Assembly seats in the polls slated in late 2017, he said.The party has also organised ward-wise protests across major cities of Gujarat over demolition of slums and lack of basic amenities.Kejriwal's visit to Gujarat comes at a time when tensions between his government and the Centre are increasing over the arrest of AAP MLAs. The last time Kejriwal visited Gujarat was in March 2014, during the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused his Gujarat counterpart Anandiben Patel of getting his programme in Surat cancelled, as he kick-started AAP's poll campaign for the 2017 state elections here. Kejriwal, who landed in Surat with his family members, first paid a visit to famous Lord Shiva temple in Somnath before launching the campaign. The AAP National Convenor was accompanied by party leader Kumar Vishwas and his family. "My original programme of Gujarat was of two days; today we were to visit Somnath, and tomorrow we have a meeting in Surat. But Anandibenji put undue pressure on people and businessmen in Surat and got our programme cancelled," he told reporters. "In democracy, everybody has the right to express their views. Ours is a democracy," the AAP chief said. During the tour, he will also visit some villages of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Rajkot district to meet farmers and understand the problems faced by them. Kejriwal's scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation, which AAP alleged was at the behest of state BJP government. Oxygen is the secret of my energy #keepsmilingnomatterwhat A photo posted by Aanchal Khurana (@iaanchalkhurana) on Jul 6, 2016 at 11:26pm PDT Popular TV actress Aanchal Khurana, escaped an almost death-like experience when she recently suffered cardiac arrest.Khurana, who earned huge popularity after winning the eight season of reality show MTV Roadies, was reportedly admitted to the hospital in Delhi after her heart got numb. Aanchal Khurana's photo from her official Instagram account.[/caption]In an interview to a popular website, she explained, It happened five days back. All of a sudden, my heart got numb and I started feeling weak. Hence, I went to the doctor who advised me to get admitted in the hospital immediately. In just a few moments, my pulse rate went up to 180-190 leaving my body pale and dead. I started vomiting and my eyes also rolled up. Doctors were shocked seeing my condition. My parents panicked and burst into tears as for a moment everyone thought that I will be dead." Aanchal Khurana's photo from her official Instagram account.[/caption]"It was God's grace that my health became normal. Later, I was informed that I suffered a minor cardiac arrest. I am still recuperating at the hospital. Luckily, I was in Delhi with my parents. I will never forget the day as I had a close brush with death. Pray and wish me good health," she was quoted as saying.If the recent photo of the actress on her Instagram account is anything to go by, she is recovering. Juba: At least 115 people have been confirmed killed after heavy gunfire erupted at the presidential palace in Juba, where President Salva Kiir was meeting his onetime rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, Xinhua news agency reported. The fighting on Friday was apparently sparked by a shootout between Kiir's and Machar's bodyguards. Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-1O) spokesman William Gatjiath said on Saturday that the majority of the bodies were of soldiers, noting that the mortuary at Juba Teaching Hospital was full. Gatjith said the SPLA-IO, which is being led by First Vice-President Riek Machar, incurred a number of casualties, adding that a search is still on for bodies at the State House and suburb of Juba a few hours after the gun fight. "We have counted 35 bodies of the first circle of our bodyguards, while in Sudan People's Liberation Army in Government (SPLA-IG) that were deployed outside the fence of State House were 80 soldiers," Gatjiath told Xinhua in Juba. Heavy gunfire including artillery fire had been heard from around the presidential compound since about 5:30 p.m. on Friday where President Salva Kiir, First Vice-President Riek Machar, and Vice President Wani Igga were having a meeting following Thursday's brawl that left five soldiers dead and two wounded. The shooting spread to nearly all neighbourhoods of the city, including outside the UN base near Jebel where some 28,000 displaced people were sheltering. Under a peace deal agreed in August 2015, the two armed factions took up positions in Juba in April. However, the deal to end a 20-month civil war has failed to quell unrest. Juba is in lockdown as South Sudan, the world's newest country, marks the fifth anniversary of independence from neighbouring Sudan. Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Saturday blamed homegrown terror group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the two recent terror attacks, including the Dhaka cafe siege, and dismissed ISIS claims over the deadly assaults. "The five terrorists killed at Gulshan (cafe) were JMB members. Police had their details and been looking for them for a while," Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque told reporters. Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan area of the capital on July 1. During a joint operation police killed six of the attackers. Six days later, militants attacked police guarding the largest Eid gathering in Bangladesh and killed three more people. Haque said the same group was responsible for both attacks. He said one of the suspects who was arrested from the site of second attack admitted that they had contact with the attackers of the Holey Artisan restaurant. Asked about the ISIS claims over the attacks, the police chief reiterated his earlier stance negating the claim. He said identical claims were made after every such assault, but "we can't find any link as to why they do it". Several security analysts said despite being a homegrown outfit JMB had ideological closeness with ISIS while Ansarul Islam Bangladesh (ABT), another banned Islamist outfit, was inclined to al Qaeda. "ISIS might not have directly carried out the attacks, but JMB could be operating as their local agent in Bangladesh because of its ideological inclination," Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) president retired major general ANM Muniruzzaman said. Meanwhile, a teenager who police say was a suspect in the July 1 Dhaka attack died in custody and his family said he was tortured by the security forces. Police and doctors said Zakir Hossain Shawon, a kitchen assistant in the cafe, died yesterday at a state-run hospital in the capital. His family insisted that he was a hostage. "My son is completely innocent...he was the main breadwinner (as the kitchen assistant) for the family," father of 18-year old Shawon's father told newsmen in Dhaka. His father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death as "his entire body carries marks of torture". Warsaw: US President Barack Obama on Saturday tried to unify a fractured nation, insisting the shock shootings in Dallas and simmering racial tensions would not derail a common sense of purpose. Obama lamented a "painful" week, in which five police officers were gunned down during a protest against the police killings of black Americans, but he rejected comparisons with the civil unrest of the 1960s. "I firmly believe America is not as divided as some have suggested," Obama told a press conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity. This is not who we want to be as Americans." Obama has said he will cut short his foreign trip and visit Dallas next week after a black extremist opened fire on officers protecting a peaceful march against police brutality. Thousands of protesters marched in US cities late Friday, with many remembering the slain officers, but anger remains over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, two African-American men killed by police. While acknowledging the need to heal divisions, Obama played down talk of wider unrest. "When we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization and we're back to the situation in the 60s and -- that's just not true," Obama said. "You're not seeing riots, you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully." Obama pointed out that crime was now substantially lower and that US society had stronger foundations to build on than half a century ago. Obama said Dallas shooter Micah Johnson, 25, who was killed in a standoff with police, was "demented" and did not represent African Americans. "The demented individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas, he's no more representative of African Americans than the shooter in Charleston (in South Carolina) was representative of white Americans," Obama said. Dylann Roof, 22, is accused of gunning down nine African American churchgoers in Charleston last year. Prosecutors in his case have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Obama added that it was difficult to untangle Johnson's motives. While the White House has ruled out any link between the gunman and known "terrorist organizations," Johnson's Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. Obama meanwhile said he was going to keep discussing race issues and gun control in the wake of a series of mass killings. A black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for U.S. police in the line duty from a single event since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. GUNMAN ANGRY ABOUT POLICE KILLINGS The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." If it is about looking flawless each time they make a public appearance, Bollywood stars can give all celebrities a run for their money. From choosing the right outfit to sporting the most apt look, they do it all. Heres a look at this weeks best dressed celebrities. On her recent trip to Delhi, Priyanka Chopra wore a dress by Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko with black Louboutins. Needless to say she looked fabulous. (Photo courtesy:Instagram/Yogan Shah) All of the Fourth of July festivities are coming to an end, but here at LCHS there are a few critters who have yet to find their independence. Austin and Carly are just two amazing critters looking to find their forever homes! Carly, the astounding jumping bean, has been ready to leap into someones heart for quite some time now. This fearless Jack Russell Terrier knows all about staying active, and she hopes to find someone as active as she is! Carlys list of talents includes giving kisses, sniffing every plant she sees on her walks, jumping into pools, and learning new tricks (although she needs some work on learning new tricks). Cute and goofy, Carly is the ultimate people-pleaser, and would hate to share you with other cats, dogs, and children. Life hasnt always been easy for Carly, and she desperately seeks a stable home to call her own. Loveable lap-cat, thats our Austin! This handsome four year old is quite the companion, and despite his great personality he just cant find his forever home! We believe it has to do with his fondness for being the only cat he just cant make friends with other felines! He assures you that you dont need another feline in your life if you adopt him, he has so much love to give and hes always happy to shower you with affection. Austins perfect day includes sunbathing, watching TV, and snuggling with his people while receiving a chin scratch or two. This very outgoing guy has been searching for his home since early April hes been homeless a whopping 76 days! Austin does great with dogs and people of all ages and eagerly awaits his forever family at Petco! Beat the summer heat and stop by the Lewis & Clark Humane Society (2112 East Custer) from noon to 4:30 p.m. today to meet the cool cats and hot dogs searching for their forever homes! A Lynchburg man faces charges in connection with a string of larcenies from vehicles around the city. Antoinne Dishon Brown, 27, turned himself in to police Wednesday after police filed 27 warrants pertaining to auto theft, larceny from vehicles and tampering with vehicles. Det. D.S. Dempsey, of the Lynchburg Police Department, said the recovery of two stolen vehicles helped lead officers to a suspect. A stolen Ford Fusion was recovered June 21. Dempsey said the driver fled the scene and was not immediately apprehended. The next day, officers pursued and recovered a stolen Chevy Colorado. A 17-year-old and 16-year-old were apprehended. The 17-year-old was charged with vehicle theft and attempting to elude police and the 16-year-old was charged with grand larceny. Detectives used the property from the stolen vehicles with additional evidence to identify Brown, who knew one of the teens. Dempsey said from April 7 to Thursday, 114 larcenies from vehicles, 15 auto thefts and 15 tampering with vehicles were reported in the areas of Old Forest Road, Rivermont Avenue and Fort Avenue. Locking cars, Dempsey said, is how we prevent crimes like this. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected to be filed, Dempsey said. Brown is held without bond in the Lynchburg Adult Detention Center, according to online jail records. The department asks anyone who has been the victim of a larceny from a vehicle or had a vehicle tampered with to call the Lynchburg Police Departments compliant desk to make a report at (434) 455-6041. An Amherst man was arrested Friday in connection with a shooting on Coolwell Road in Madison Heights on Wednesday while another suspect remains at large. Nathen Joseph Rynkowski, 28, was arrested in Lynchburg at 3 p.m. Friday without incident, according to an Amherst County Sheriffs Office news release. Rynkowski was charged with two misdemeanor counts of accessory after the fact of shooting into an occupied vehicle and two felony counts of principle in the 2nd to malicious wounding. The news release said 24-year-old Steven Lee Higginbotham of Amherst is wanted in connection to the shooting. Higginbotham is wanted on numerous charges including shooting into an occupied vehicle, malicious wounding, robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. He is considered armed and dangerous. At about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Justin Braswell, 27, of Madison Heights was shot in the leg on Coolwell Road in Madison Heights. Braswell was admitted to Lynchburg General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Capt. John Grieser with the Amherst County Sheriffs Office said in an email there was no known relationship between the three men. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is asking the public for help in solving a case involving seven deer that were killed in the Norris area over the holiday weekend. A call came in Sunday, July 3 from a landowner off Sterling Road, about 15 miles north of Ennis, who found a dead white-tailed doe on his property. In responding, a warden found another deer this time a young mule deer buck on an adjacent property. The owner of that adjacent property then found an additional five mule deer on his property, all shot and left to waste. FWP is asking anyone who may have heard or seen anything related to this case particularly on Saturday, July 2 to call 800-TIP-MONT. Callers may remain anonymous. More than 1,100 miles away from Dallas where late Thursday a sniper killed five police officers and wounded seven more local law enforcement agencies in the Lynchburg area took to social media Friday to express their condolences. We at the Lynchburg Police Department stand in solidarity and support of the fallen and wounded officers in Dallas, as well as their families. Our thoughts and prayers are also with their community who is going through this horrific experience, Lynchburg Police Chief Raul Diaz said in a news release. He went on to plead for an end to divisiveness, stressing the citys police are members of the community like any other citizen. We will not let the elements of disunity pull us apart, Diaz said. Residents in Bedford took time Friday to approach their local law enforcement officers and convey their support, according to Police Chief Todd Foreman and Sheriff Michael Brown. Weve had people stop officers and give them basically condolences and tell them its a sad day for law enforcement, Foreman said in a phone interview Friday afternoon. Brown said his deputies too received well-wishes throughout the day, and the department held several moments of silence and hung a wreath to honor the fallen Dallas officers. We are in a state of heightened alert, Brown said in an email Friday evening. He explained employees in tactical arenas are refreshing and adding several options for consideration, in light of the shooting. While Foremans department isnt considering changing its policies or procedures, he said officers remain alert in the field. The issue, though, is we just need to be more diligent and watch our tactics while dealing with events. Theres no way to know an ambush will happen, but you just have to use the tactical training you have to protect yourself and your citizens, Foreman said. Its a very sad day for police officers in Dallas. Its a sad day for all police officers. In an emailed statement Friday afternoon, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said the departments personnel will remain vigilant for their own safety as Texas authorities continue their investigation. There are truly no words to describe the pain we share with law enforcement worldwide in the wake of what took place overnight in downtown Dallas, Geller said. City police and the Campbell County Sheriffs Office did not respond to inquiries Friday about any changes to policies and procedures in light of the shooting. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in the Marvel Universe ... and he's a mutant! No, really. Is starting the holiday season sooner and sooner every year Santa's Marvel mutant power? Pan celebration of Manning Manning died early Saturday morning at the San Fernando General Hospital. It was definitively not a sad occasion at the venue. A former panman himself, Manning as PM made the pan the national musical instrument (August 1992). Pan Trinbagos president, Keith Diaz praised Manning for his involvement in the pan movement. Mr Manning gave one of our past president, Sydney Gallop, a place to live by giving him a house when he needed one. It was he who made pan the national instrument and he was always close to the pan movement, Diaz said. I would like on behalf of the pan movement to convey sincere condolences to his wife Hazel and her family on his passing. Minister of Community Development, Culture and The Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly was on hand to witness the sweet music produced by the steel orchestras. Of all the bands on the evening, bp Renegades seem to have the best repertoire for the occasion. Their rendition of Sparrows Memories and Kitcheners The Carnival is Over was perfect for the occasion and even had patrons dancing. Renegades also played Besame Mucho, Falling in Love, Fools Rush In, Carnavale, Wide Wide World, Somebody a Kitcheners medley including Fever, My Pussin and Rainorama, Boots and Cheers to Life. At the beginning MC Michael Scobie Joseph asked for a minute silence in honour of Manning before Single Pan champions Marsicans began the show. They started with Somewhere over the Rainbow, followed by Thinking out Loud, Sonita, Cheers to Life, Calypso Music and Say Say. Another champion steel orchestra, Arima Golden Symphony (Small Category) continued with Isnt She Lovely, Yesterday, Dancing Mood, Doctor Love and Cheers to Life. Fusion Steel followed with a mixture of vocals and steel and had the audience dancing and singing to Long Time Band, Missing Generation, Natures Plan and a Superblue medley. The music was punctuated by dance routines from the The Neptune Dance Troupe and drumming from the Komasi Drummers. Southern Marine Steelband Foundation got going with a Fifth of Beethoven into Carnival Time Again and Human Nature. Vocalist Derrick Hinds led the band with Ribbon in The Sky and Ganges and the Nile before delivering High Mas. Eight-year-old Malaki Joseph was superb on the drums during the session. The next band, Pan Elders, referred to as The Pride and Joy of San Fernando lived up to the name with a good performance with Master Blaster, Nani Wine, Feeling to Party, This Melody Sweet and Me eh Fighting. At exactly 10 pm, the floodlights on the field went out and caused a little panic among organisers but the lights from the pavilion remained on so the show continued. MC Joseph was highly annoyed saying once again, They treating pan like a bastard child. According to Joseph, he was assured that the lights would remain on until midnight an hour after the show would have finished. Paradise, but not really This Greyfriars isnt the beaten-down monument to neglect and urban decay that featured prominently on front pages and headlines in 2014 and 2015. This cobalt rendering of the building features several cannon pointing outward of walls felled by demolition crews, Josh Lus Greyfriars sits on tracked suspension, ready to barrel down Frederick Street at a moments notice. Joshua Lue Chee Kong stood in the building hoping that his body would shield the frame of a forgotten giant, the excavator never stopped, today a parking lot stands in the place of a building that dated back to the 1830s. I was part of the whole campaign in terms of trying to prevent Greyfriars from being demolished from the beginning to the end, he recalled standing opposite his clay sculpture. At the end I was there and they still continued, even though I was inside they still went on doing their job. It was that experience we have to thank for Paradise, he calls it the whole catalyst for this exhibition. His 2014 exhibition Moulded Memories at Medulla was the start of his conversation, a playful juxtaposition of ancient cultures and American art retailer, Kidrobots, Munny vinyl figurines. Now, as a member of Citizens for Conservation, the tenor of his discourse has changed. Whereas the first exhibition was more fun, happy and cool this was more my personal take on how we view paradise in Trinidad and Tobago, he explains. This is my platform for how I express my viewpoint, there are writers who put editorials in the newspaper, mine is clay. Hes speaking to the countrys inherent violence, especially against the more vulnerable sections of our society as well as its disregard for tradition. With nods to Afro futurism, the exhibition is equal parts, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, its title smacks of sarcasm. Josh Lu laments the lip service we pay to the preservation of the place we market as a Paradise We are very vocal, we love telling stories (about paradise) but in terms of actually preserving history, he cuts his thought with a grimace: I think oil has a lot to do with it actually, he continues: we have so much money and we dont care about the old and build new structures. Moving beyond colonialism, a lot of the old structures after independence were demolished in our push for progress, this affected our built heritage in particular. Groups like Citizens for Conservation are fuelled by good intentions, but these arent enough to meet the cost of restoring some of this country. Even though people want to preserve these structures, he says, it costs so much to do it, so we end up demolishing them, maybe government can help subsidise materials for this effort, he suggests. And yet Josh Lu isnt totally caught up in the fantasy, he admits that his 16 pieces may not effect immediate change. I dont expect my exhibition to change peoples views the most I want to do is bring a realness to our particular situation, our violence, how we treat women, how we treat our architectural history, our culture, he says. His pieces run the gamut from extraterrestrial Red Houses to macabre folkloric characters with dollops of theology and Egyptology. Josh Lus ego hasnt caught up to his talent, which works in his favour. Standing among an impressive array of interpretations of his ideas, theres little in the way of brashness, his ability to articulate his vision in a way that engages his audience unmasks his openness about sharing his ideas. Some of the pieces of Paradise on display at Medulla Art Gallery Wanted killer shot dead, cop wounded However, one of the police officers identified as 35-year-old PC Darren Francis, was shot in the left arm during a shootout with the suspect, 32-year-old Jason Khan. Francis has been a police officer for the past 15 years. He was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he remained up to press time in a serious condition. Newsday understands that the area around Francis left elbow was shattered during the shooting attack and that doctors are trying to save his hand. According to reports, Khan spent two years in prison for the possession of marijuana and was released from prison one year ago. He is first believed to have fled into the forest in Balandra, but after several searches proved futile, police redirected their searches. Newsday was told that early yesterday, Inspector Ken Lutchman received information that Khan was hiding in a house at Guaico. Lutchman, together with officers of the Task Force, Sangre Grande CID and Crime Suppression Unit (CSU), which included Corporal Castillo, PCs DAbreau, Baptiste, Smith, WPCs Hamid, Stevens, Moses went and surrounded the house shortly before 7.30 am yesterday. It is alleged that Khan ran through the back door of the house and into a neighbours house. Officers went to the house and spoke to a woman who said that there were two other occupants inside. Police said while speaking to the woman, two shots were heard and PC Francis was shot in the left arm. Officers then contacted officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch, under ASP Aguilal and the Northern Division Task Force under Sergeant Harewood and the Valencia Police. Inspector Roger Alexander of the North-eastern Division was also alerted and the joint team of officers confronted Khan. A shootout allegedly ensued and Khan, who sustained gunshot wounds, was rushed to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Yesterday, officers led by Senior Superintendent John Trim, Superintendent Phillip, ASP Kanhai, and Lutchman were at the scene of the incident and they also visited Francis at the hospital. Officers prayed with relatives of Francis for his swift recovery and his colleagues are expected to receive counselling. On May 13, Khan was confronted by Lloyd and Ryan Ramkissoon who accused him of being irresponsible for failing to secure his pet pit bull. The father and son informed Khan that the dog had bitten them on several occasions and was also responsible for eating livestock. According to reports, Khan became enraged, pulled out a gun and shot his neighbours dead. Yesterday relatives the Ramkissoons expressed relief that the suspect had been found and was killed by police. Hospice: Please send painkillers! The hospice provides free nursing and medical care 24/7 to up to 12 patients, with the facility funded by public donations and fund-raising. Sabga echoed the concerns recently expressed by Vitas House Patron, Her Excellency Reema Carmona, over inadequate assets and limited medication, despite which staff press on, firm in their belief that each life is valuable, to the very last breath. Sabga alleged that successive governments had failed to provide adequate medications in ample supply for pain relief to all patients. This problem is grievous and is way past in humane ! stormed Sabga. Regime after regime , Minister of Health after Minister of Health, have all failed to rectify this problem. It is a human right to die pain free and with dignity!. Newsday was unable to contact Health Minister, Terrence Deyalsingh, for a comment. Sabga hoped that Vitas House could serve more people, in light of Carmonas suggestion for the hospice to set up homes in South Trinidad and in Tobago, and maybe across the Caribbean. As highlighted by Her Excellency, the facility needs a duplication, and this we are working on ardently, said Sabga. Team Vitas House is committed to providing this service to everyone. It is a remarkable facility and is filled with the most dynamic team . There is no greater pride than what I feel for this organisation. Sabga endorsed Carmonas call for employers to be more empathetic to their staff who are relatives of terminally- ill patients - who must be allowed time to tend to the sick - and to their employees who are ill but remain working. There are patients that still work, that have no choice , but who in-between need some time for treatments, revealed Sabga. This is a journey. No one wants a diagnosis of cancer - it has plagued us for a lifetime and had accumulated countless lives - but where there is life there is hope, and the understanding of all those involved is pivotal. She said Team Vitas House will continue their work to give palliative care. We will never give up until the right changes are made and the accessibility to medications necessary to all is achieved, she vowed. Vitas House remains the most powerful and peaceful place I know. It houses beautiful patients at various stages of life , each of them living still, each of them teaching us lessons, giving us hope, changing the path of our lives, and making my team and I better people. In hope there is strength. Rowley, Kamla pay respects The casket arrived in a white hearse at about 9.30am and was carried by eight members of the Defence Force drawn from the Regiment, Coast Guard, Air Guard and Reserves up the stairs to the east of the building, took it inside and then slowly and sombrely removed the flag. Mannings widow, Hazel, looked on, accompanied by her sister, Meagan Marshall. (Joanne Buppy) Other relatives, such as Petronella Manning and Mannings nephew Chinua Alleyne, later joined the receiving line. President Anthony Carmona was once more the first to view the body. He was followed by Rowley who paused, reflected with his head bowed, then moved on to warmly greet Mrs Manning with a kiss on the cheek. Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George, and about a dozen members of Cabinet also paid their respects. Members of the Opposition present at the early stage included Persad-Bissessar who took a break from ongoing High Court proceedings, attending in court clothes; Dr Tim Gopeesingh Wade Mark and Gerald Hadeed. Civil servants included Head of the Public Service Sandra Jones, former head Sandra Marchack and former Protocol Officer at the Office of the President Lenore Dorset. Former Udecott chairman Jearlean John was also among those present. Hundreds waited in the early morning heat, under four tents, with not a single bottled- water or snow cone vendor in sight. There was a boisterous rush outside the auditorium when members of the public were allowed through. However, police officers ensured a line was form and it slowly snaked its way outside the south of the building which has been largely closed over several months and Waiting in the searing heat amid the bustling crowd under a tent, members of the public remained eager. Its just something you have to do, said Diane Garcia Charles, 60. Look at the things he left us with, what he has done for us. He really opened up education and allowed people who could not afford degrees, said Kurt Banfield, 32. I am just paying respect to a great leader who has done amazing things for this country, said Patricia Carter, 63. For me and for my children this is the least we can do. Olivierre thanks Manning Olivierre said she was amongst that group of nationals. In my pre-political life, I was part of the delegation pursuing the investment opportunities in Ghana, she added. Olivierre also said Mannings vision for the energy sector, has directly resulted in a focus on development- both as individuals and local companies in providing support services to the industry. She said Mannings vision is a major reason why, we are now poised to export this expertise to our South American neighbours who represent part of the new frontier in hydrocarbon exploitation. Identifying liquefied natural gas (LNG) as one of the hallmarks of Mannings energy policy, Olivierre said the developers of the Atlantic LNG (now Atlantic) plant in Point Fortin, will testify to the role the played in ensuring this project was implemented. Olivierre also said if there is any doubt about the impact which Manning had with respect to energy, just compare where we have reached with our natural gas industry with countries like Venezuelawhich has significantly greater resources but have not succeeded in monetising them. Law Assoc split on no-confidence motion In fact, Rajcoomar went on to state that he wished to put on the record that he had every confidence in the president and vice president and will not support the no-confidence motion. I also wish to put on record that I have every confidence in the president and vice president of the Association and will not support any motion of no-confidence in either Mr Armour SC or Mr Brooks. I have no difficulty in my position being made available to the membership prior to the meeting as this sets out what I will say at the meeting, he said in a letter which he wrote to the Associations president on Thursday. On June 30, the council of the Association was served with a request to convene the special general meeting to consider the no confidence motion. The request also made inquiries as to the position taken by the council on the Strategic Services Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and, alleged a lack of consultation with members of the legal profession in relation to a meeting between Armour and Brooks and the Attorney General on the Bill. A notice was published in the press earlier this week of the special general meeting, carded for July 25, and it calls upon Armour and Brooks to disclose to members whether any substantive position was articulated to the AG on behalf of the Association. The notice also noted that at the meeting, a motion for a vote of no confidence in both men will be moved for failing to consult with members on the SSA (Amendment) Bill 2016 prior to meeting with the AG. The notice also listed the names of attorneys who requested the special general meeting, among them Rajcoomar and several attorneys from his chambers. In his letter, Rajcoomar said he was somewhat surprised by the motion. He noted that the special meeting had an important function with regard to the operation of the Association, the most important of which is to allow full expression of views and opinions by discussion. Therefore such meeting should be encouraged with a view to membership having a full picture of the facts, matters and issues raised. It gives the council an opportunity to hear the views of members and may in fact lead to change and understanding. It should not be used as a political tool, Rajcoomar said. He noted that he sat on the Associations Criminal Legislation Committee together with other members and the comments in the legislation were drafted by himself and he stood by those comments. He also noted that the comments were taken before the full council which considered and approved them. Both the President and Vice President were mandated by Council and did meet with the Honourable Attorney General, Rajcoomar noted in his letter. He said, in his view, the meeting with the AG was necessary as the Association is non-political and comments are usually made in the public interest without political bias. San Juan Market vendors want rent reduced Nanda Permanand, president of the Dry Goods Coordination Group, told Newsday yesterday they believe the increase is unfair and expressed intentions to continue to lobby the San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporation. The vendors staged a protest outside the Corporation on Monday. Our protest was successful, and we intend to continue taking action against the Corporation until we can come to some kind of agreement about the fees, Permanand said. We have to pay $800, per month for facilities here in San Juan, while the vendors in the Port-of- Spain Market, pay $350 per month for their stalls, which are equipped with sinks. This is unfair. Other vendors echoed Permanands sentiments calling the decision by the Corporation unjust. They say such an increase in rates would damage livelihoods and plunge already struggling vendors into absolute poverty. One vendor urged the Corporation to carefully consider the consequences of raising the rent, as many young men depend heavily on their earnings as vendors, adding that a rise in fees from $300 per month to $800 per month would force many young men employed as vendors towards a life of crime in order to make ends meet. Ummah T&T: Declare who got Eid money This is the call being made by Muslim lobby group, Ummah T&T. The group is also calling on line Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly to outline the criteria used to select the organisations that received the money and what measures are in place to ensure accountability and transparency. Chairman, Imam Rasheed Karim, said he is concerned that the process is shrouded in secrecy. The group is concerned that in the past, more than 80 mosques across the nation were recipients of a flat sum, totalling, $25,000, regardless of location, affiliation, or ethnic composition of their membership, Karim said. Karim warned that the uncertainty and suspicion caused by the inept handling of the issue has the potential of dividing the tight-knit local Muslim community and breeding mistrust and antagonism which could have undesired consequences. We call for an immediate declaration of all the facts surrounding the handing-out of the assistance to the 15 groups, including how much each was given and on what basis the allocation made. The entire Muslim community deserves no less. He said the organisation has observed and that their research has revealed that those jamaats which are being assisted by the Government are those which already possess considerable resources while those in genuine need have been ignored and not given equitable treatment. Karim made a plea for jamaats whose congregations are dominated by believers of African descent who have been marginalised over the years and are in dire need of assistance to help in their community work of feeding the poor and needy, clothing the underprivileged, maintaining their in-house programmes, and developing their infrastructure. He said Ummah T&T is compiling a list of the organisations which have not received any funding and requested that those organisations to contact them at 308-5318. Thanks to FDA, Women Will Be Told of Their Breast Density BUTTE -- The Madison County Republican Party violated campaign laws by, among other things, not reporting the expense of a newspaper ad it took out in May against a GOP legislator it opposed, a ruling this week by Political Practices Commissioner Jonathan Motl is being cheered by a former Republican lawmaker who now lives in Florida who filed the campaign complaints and by state Rep. Jeff Welborn, a Republican from Dillon who is now running for the state Senate. The local party has accused Welborn and Rep. Ray Shaw, D-Sheridan, of being too liberal and helping outnumbered Democrats in the Montana Legislature get key bills passed. The GOP committee took out a $159 ad against Shaw before the June 7 primary that Motl says it failed to report. That and other deemed violations could result in fines to be determined later. Shaw and Welborn cruised to GOP primary wins on June 7 that all but guarantee their election in November. Aside from Madison County GOP Central Committee running a lawless operation, I find it intriguing that a select few from the radical right are so out of touch with the rank-and-file Republicans in southwest Montana, Welborn said Friday. Jesse OHara, a former longtime GOP lawmaker from Great Falls who filed the campaign complaint, said the Madison County party and some others in Montana dont want to get anything done if it means working with any Democrat. Regardless, he said, they had to follow campaign laws. When these wingnuts break the law, they need to be held accountable, said OHara, who lives in Florida now but says he still cares about politics in Montana. Marilyn West, treasurer for Madison County Republicans, said earlier she was new in her role but thought she had until May 31 to file required campaign finance forms. She said Friday she had not seen Motls ruling but had only paid for the ad criticizing Shaw two days ago. As to that and other violations, she said, It is obvious they are just trying to find something to pick at. In a decision last month involving the Cascade County Republican Party, Motl said it did not violate state law for political party committees in Montana to favor some candidates over others. That local committee supported some 2016 GOP candidates and opposed others. This selective action by the Central Committee would seem to present problems within the Republican Party itself but it does not give rise to a campaign practice violation, Motl said in that ruling issued June 15. That is being hailed by Cascade County GOP Chairman George Paul, who says has wide implications for all political party committees in Montana. Before the ruling, some people felt local parties cant speak up before a primary election and say who you support and dont support, Paul said Friday. We can actually do that, Paul said, citing the ruling. They know for a fact that in primary races they can speak up and pick and choose. But Motl determined the Cascade County GOP had violated some campaign practices by filing late campaign finance reports, not listing contributions to some candidates and not filing reports electronically. He said the Madison County GOP filed its first statement of organization this year on May 31, but it should have been made within five days of its first expense. Those expenses began by at least Feb. 25, the ruling said, and continued regularly in March, April and May. The party took out an ad in The Madisonian newspaper censuring Shaw for voting for a bill in 2015 that it says undermined a GOP lawsuit against Montanas open primary system. A censure is simply a central committees rebuke of someone. The ad also listed 10 votes Shaw took in the 2015 legislative session that were in direct conflict with the Montana Republican Party platform, including bills to expand Medicaid and increase state spending. Motl said the committee failed to report the $159 ad expense and did not list Shaw as a candidate it spent money on. Dan Happel, a member of the Madison County GOP, told The Montana Standard in May that Welborn and Shaw were among Democrat light Republicans who helped minority Democrats get key bills through the GOP-ruled Legislature. A phone message was left Friday seeking comment on Motls ruling. West, the committees treasurer, said she thought she had followed reporting requirements. I did feel like I have done everything right, she said. When told that Motl ruled last month that political party committees could pick and choose who to support, she said about the GOP obviously there is a division in the thinking. Despite public criticism from the Madison County GOP, Shaw won 60 percent of the vote in the June 7 primary for House District 71 to 39 percent for Robert Wagner of Harrison. Welborn won 57 percent to 42 percent for Dale Stewart in Senate District 36. No Democrats filed for either seat. Welborn said those results point to how out of touch many of our GOP central committees have become and they dont reflect the majority of Main Street, conservative voters in southwest Montana. I only hope that these types of illegal activities in Madison County will serve as a wake-up call for traditional Reagan-Eisenhower type Republicans all over Montana to get engaged, he said. (Newser) When New Zealander Ashleigh Hicks couldn't find her cat, Moses, last Thursday, she set up a Facebook closed group called #freethefurbabiesand quickly learned that her case appears to be far from the only one in Timaru. She says some 50 cats seem to have gone missing in similar circumstances from the area over the past year, and 100 people have already joined the group, pooling times and dates of disappearances and photos of the pets, reports the Guardian. Hicks has counted 18 missing cats in the past two months alone, many from the same part of Timaru. "There are heaps of gorgeous cats missing," says Rachel Wilson, whose cat, Summer, has been gone since January. "There is something weird about it. There is no sign of these cats, something has happened to them. It hurts too much to think about what could have happened." And while the Facebook group says its concerns aren't being investigated by the police and that they're considering a public protest, the Timaru Herald reports that all the press and talk on social media have prompted police to at least urge cat owners to contact them if they think their pet is missing or the victim of foul play. "People should not take the matter into their own hands because it could cause an undue risk to them and others," one sergeant says. Hicks, for her part, doesn't sound convinced. "In their minds we are a group of crazy cat people who have nothing better to do with our time." (At least cat carcasses aren't being found by the dozens with their heads cut off.) (Newser) Oops: Some 130 Delta passengers were stuck on the tarmac for hours Thursday night after they were mistakenly taken to a military airport instead of a civilian one. The airline says Flight 2845 landed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota instead of Rapid City Regional Airport, which is around 5 miles away, KEVN reports. Armed military personnel walked through the cabin while the plane was at the base and passengers were ordered to keep their window shades closed. This was a "gross breach of the security of our Airfield that present[ed] a potential threat to both our Airmen and our resources," Col. Gentry Boswell, 28th Bomb Wing commander at the base, tells ABC. Boswell says the runways at the two airports are oriented in roughly the same direction, though the one at the Air Force base is much longer and wider than the Rapid City one the Delta crew had been cleared to land at. "Incidents like this occur when pilots fail to execute the basic measures of airmanship," he says. The passengers arrived at their destination more than two hours late after a new crew was dispatched. Delta says it is investigating the incident and passengers were offered a "gesture of apology," reports the AP, which notes that there have been at least 35 wrong landings of commercial flights in the US over the last 25 years. (In 2014, a Southwest Airlines pilot had to do a lot of heavy braking after mistakenly landing at an airport with a runway much shorter than the one he expected.) (Newser) More details are emerging on Micah Johnson, who is now believed to be the lone shooter in the attack that killed five police officers Thursday night. The 25-year-old former Army reservist was sent home from Afghanistan in 2014 after being accused of sexually harassing a female soldier, the AP reports. Bradford Glendening, the military lawyer who represented him, says the woman sought a protective order to keep Johnson away from her and her family. The Army sent Johnson stateside, recommending an "other than honorable discharge." "In his case, it was apparently so egregious, it was not just the act itself," Glendening says. "I'm sure that this guy was the black sheep of his unit." He says Johnson was set to be removed from the Army in September 2014 because of the incident, but inexplicably got an honorable discharge months later. In other developments: Johnson had no criminal history, according to authorities. Local court records show his parents were divorced in 1996. He was believed to have shared a two-story tan brick home in Mesquite, a Dallas suburb, with family members. He graduated from John Horn High School in Mesquite, where he was a ROTC member, school district officials say. The military says that for six years starting in 2009, Johnson served in the Army Reserve as a private first class with a specialty in carpentry and masonry. Friends say Johnson didn't seem interested in politics, but his Facebook page suggests otherwise: He liked an assortment of black militant groups, his profile photo showed him wearing a dashiki and raising his fist over the words "Black Power," and his cover shot carried the red, black and green Pan-African flag. One of the groups Johnson liked on Facebook, the African American Defense League, posted a message earlier in the week encouraging violence against police in response to the killing in Louisiana. Another group he liked was the New Black Panther Party, whose leaders have "long expressed virulently anti-white and anti-Semitic opinions," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Johnson's Facebook page also contained information on Public Enemy member Professor Griff, a fierce critic of police violence who rejected any link to the Dallas shootings. "'No Mr white officer I do not train snipers to kill cops.'" he tweeted. A family friend who knows Johnson's mother through church says Johnson was a changed man when he came back from Afghanistan. "He was withdrawn, didn't want to talk to people anymore, didn't believe in God anymore," 62-year-old Myrtle Booker tells the Dallas Morning News. She says he was more interested in guns. "But all that hating white peopleno, we didn't know any of that." The Morning News reports that starting in 2015, Johnson worked at Touch of Kindness, an agency that helps children and adults with learning disabilities. He is also believed to have worked for defense contractor General Dynamics at some point, though employees there say they have been told not to speak to the media. Israel Cooper, a friend who played often basketball with Johnson, says he had a "cool vibe" and didn't seem violent at all. "It's the quiet ones that just do the most devastating stuff. You never see it coming. But then it's more expected, like 'I should have known,'" he says. (One of the five officers killed has been identified as a Navy veteran who served three tours in Iraq .) (Newser) A Black Lives Matter protest led to mass arrests Friday night in Rochester, New York, USA Today reports. Police Chief Michael Ciminelli says 74 people were arrested when protesters blocked traffic around 10pm. According to NBC News, police thought the protest was going to end earlier in the evening; officers put on riot gear when it didn't. Ciminelli says there were more than 100 officers and 400 or so protesters on the scene. He says officers didn't "blindly make arrests." But protesters say arrests shouldn't have been made at all. "There wasn't anything wrong," one protester tells USA Today. "We were peacefully protesting. Organizer Ashley Gantt says protestors sat down when police moved in to avoid being seen as aggressive. "I'm not disappointed because I wouldn't expect anything less from the police," she says. Protests over the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were held around the country Friday, including actions in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Nashville, and San Francisco, CNN reports. The protests were largely peaceful, with Black Lives Matter having condemned violence against police officers in a statement earlier. In Phoenix, police used pepper balls to keep protesters away from a freeway and arrested three people for throwing rocks. Around 2,000 protesters blocked an interstate ramp in Atlanta. Back in Rochester, Ciminelli and the city's mayor apologized to two TV reporters who were briefly detained during the protest. Despite 74 arrests, there were no reports of property damage or officer injuries. (Read more Black Lives Matter stories.) (Newser) In a reversal of how this kind of thing normally works, the Bahamas issued a travel advisory Friday to its citizens visiting the US, NBC News reports. According to BBC, the advisory was brought on by the deadly week in the US. Or as the Bahamas' Ministry of Foreign Affairs puts it: the "shootings of young black males by police officers." The advisory states: "In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational, and co-operate." Bahamians, who are 90% black, are also advised not to join protests and to avoid crowds. Monday is a national holiday in the Bahamas, and many residents are expected to travel to the US for vacation. While the US has issued similar travel advisories to citizens heading to places like Laos and Nicaragua, it's relatively rare for the country to be on the receiving end of such warnings, the Washington Post reports. However, France warned its citizens about traveling to St. Louis, Baltimore, and Cleveland during riots last summer. And Canada and Germany have issued travel advisories in the past regarding US gun violence. The US also has a travel advisory out for the Bahamas. It warns travelers to avoid "jet-ski rentals on New Providence or Paradise islands." (Read more Bahamas stories.) (Newser) Hillary Clinton proposed making a public option insurance plan available to residents in every state and doubling funding for community health centers in an announcement Saturday, USA Today reports. Reuters calls the move evidence as to how much influence the campaign of Bernie Sanders has had on her positions. Clinton campaign aides tell the Huffington Post both proposals are ones that had been pushed for by Sanders. On the heels of Clinton announcing a college tuition plan similar to that of Sanders, Saturday's announcement is expected to clear the way for Sanders to endorse her Tuesday. "Its fair to say that the Clinton campaign and our campaign are coming closer and closer together," Sanders said Saturday. "[We] will have more to say in the very near future." Clinton's proposal for a public option would create a government-run insurance plan to go up against private insurance plans available through ObamaCare. She supported a public option when she ran for president in 2008, and Sanders fought for one in 2010. Sanders also won $11 billion in funding for community health centers in 2010. A third proposal from Clinton announced Saturday would allow people to enroll in Medicare at 55. The proposals expand health care funding by $40 billion over the next decade. Sanders says Clinton's healthcare plan will save lives, it will ease suffering, it will improve health care in America, and it will cut health care costs." He had implied in the past that he wouldn't endorse Clinton until her policies got more liberal. (Read more Hillary Clinton stories.) (Newser) The US Air Force is searching for an airman from Indiana who vanished last week in Italy, the AP reports. The Air Force issued an all-points bulletin Friday for Staff Sgt. Halex Hale. The 24-year-old from Middletown is assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, about 50 miles northeast of Venice. Hale was last seen July 2 at a cookout at a friend's house in Sacile, Italy, about nine miles from the base. His mother, Amy Hale, tells the Muncie Star Press that her son left the cookout on foot to visit another friend's home about 15 minutes away, but never arrived. Her husband, Lance Hale, traveled to Italy on Friday. She says the family is "just devastated" by Halex's disappearance in Italy, where he's been based since February 2015. (Read more Air Force stories.) NEW YORK Can this really be America in 2016? Three tumultuous days have brought echoes of decades past and made clear a public that elected a black president hasn't reconciled its fractured history with race, that a country that lived through unrest and assassinations in the 1960s and 1970s still bubbles with resentment and rage, and that bloody images of violent tragedy aren't going away. "America is weeping," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, reflecting an entire nation's mounting anger, tension and despair. It started Tuesday, with a familiar scene: A black man, on the ground, shot by police, with the incident captured on cellphone video. That killing, of a 37-year-old ex-convict named Alton Sterling, who was carrying a gun while selling CDs outside a Louisiana convenience store, ignited public outrage, and added Baton Rouge to a long list of places where the death of a black male at the hands of police has come under a cloud of suspicion. It might have remained just that, with Sterling's name added to a sorrowful litany alongside Michael Brown and Eric Garner and Freddie Gray. Then came Wednesday. In Falcon Heights, Minn., another black man was shot dead by an officer, this time after a traffic stop. As 32-year-old Philando Castile sat bloodied and dying, his girlfriend made a live broadcast on Facebook that gave an eerie look into the aftermath. As the video freezes and the woman loses composure and lets out a scream, the sweet voice of her 4-year-old daughter chimes in to comfort: "It's OK, I'm right here with you." And then, like clockwork in a new deranged norm, came another evening, another night of tragedy. As demonstrators amassed in Dallas on Thursday to mark what had transpired in the two preceding days, five police officers there to help keep the peace were shot and killed and seven other officers and two civilians were wounded. Authorities said it was the work of at least one sniper. A suspect, who was killed by police, had said he was upset by the recent shootings and wanted to kill whites, particularly white officers. It was a devastating climax to three horrific days that Americans are struggling to understand. At the Justice Department, Attorney General Loretta Lynch called it "a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss." In Chicago, Catholic Archbishop Blase Cupich said, "Every corner of our land is in the grip of terror." On Capitol Hill, civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said, "We feel the pain. We feel the hurt." Kevin Boyle, an American history professor at Northwestern University, thought of the late 1960s and the 1992 Los Angeles riots, seeing "terrifying parallels" and "echoes for me of other really incredibly tense points." The presence of video documentation of the incidents calls attention to strife that had previously existed only in agonizing private memories. "It's not that the incidents are new," he said, "it's our ability to see them." At the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., Kim Hernandez welled with tears Friday as she took stock of the week. "There's just a really scary sense of humanity right now," she said. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know how we can fix it, but it doesn't seem like talking is working." At Bible Way Temple in Raleigh, N.C., Darnell Dixon Sr., the chief pastor, wondered why more positive change hasn't come. He presided over the funeral of another black man who was shot by a white officer earlier this year, and was part of a dialogue with police that followed and brought him a sense of healing. "I started feeling better," he said. "But yesterday set me back. It bewildered me." As rancor grew, a handful of violent incidents against police arose across the country, including the shooting of an officer in Valdosta, Ga. Authorities said a man called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the responding officer. Some lashed out at the movement that was born of police shootings of blacks and even at President Barack Obama, accusing him of fueling divisions among people of color and whites. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called Black Lives Matter a "terrorist movement," while U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, said the "spread of misinformation and constant instigation by prominent leaders, including our president, have contributed to the modern day hostility we are witnessing between the police and those they serve." Black Lives Matter organizers condemned the violence in Dallas, and police haven't given any indication that the shooter had anything to do with the group. If the gravity of it all seems clear, the road from here does not. Does the assemblage of killings by police around the country and the resulting Black Lives Matter movement lead to more than candlelight vigils and calls for change? Does the anger that seemingly fueled the shootings in Dallas precipitate and lead to similar attacks on police akin to Black Panther-style violence of long ago? Is this a turning point or simply a continuation? Jeanine Bell, an Indiana University professor who authored "Policing Hatred: Law Enforcement, Civil Rights, and Hate Crime," said the week will not go down as a pivotal point unless it leads to substantive change by police that goes beyond simply diversifying forces and introducing anti-bias training. "Until there is a call for reorganization of policing practices, not just small changes, then it's very hard to call this a turning point," she said. Pew Research Center, in a survey released last month, found more than 4 in 10 blacks doubt the nation will ever make changes necessary for racial equality with whites and that nearly two-thirds of black adults believe blacks are treated less fairly than whites in the workplace. This week's killings come in the midst of a divisive presidential election, amid fears of terrorism and on the heels of the latest mass shooting that claimed 49 innocent lives. The killings in Dallas happened just blocks from the book depository where another sniper took aim at President John F. Kennedy in 1963. It ended his life and a period of American history that became regarded as "Camelot," and became a presage to the strife, unrest and other assassinations that followed. Two blocks from the shooting site, in Dallas' historic West End district, Joe Groves owns Ellen's Southern Kitchen & Bar, where dinner was under way when the gunfire sounded. Many of the officers who were assigned to Thursday night's demonstration are friends of his, and as the violence erupted, he tapped out three words to two of his uniformed friends: "Love you man." Though Groves is white, most of his 72 workers are black and Latino; his clientele is diverse as well. The tension that came to a head in the shootings wasn't something he'd experienced personally, until now. On Friday, his restaurant was open again, but the atmosphere was noticeably different. He said people are speaking more quietly, and the enormity of it all seemed to weigh. He sees some good coming of it all, a connectedness between strangers that is rarely there, a willingness to make eye contact. And even though he thinks race relations may have reached their rock bottom, he sees a reason for hope there, too. "The good news about rock bottom," he said, "is the only way out is up." Srinagar: Kashmir continued to be on the boil with six more people, including a cop, getting killed in violence today, raising the death toll to 21, even as curfew- like restrictions were in force and Mobile internet services remained suspended. Amarnath Yatra also remained suspended for the second day from Jammu due to the Kashmir unrest in which over 200 people, many of them police and security personnel, have been injured. However, the yatra from the base camps in Kashmir continued. The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, met and expressed anguish over the situation and the death of civilians in clashes with security forces in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The government promised to investigate if there was any instance of disproportionate use of force by security forces even as it appealed to the people not to become tools in the machinations of instigators of violence. The Cabinet also appealed to separatists, including Hurriyat Conference, as well as mainstream political parties like National Conference, Congress and CPI(M) to help restore normalcy if they want peace in the state. In Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation that has developed in Kashmir and spoke to Mehbooba Mufti, assuring her of all possible help. The state police also urged protesters not to resort to violence, saying it does not bring the right consequences, and that it would like to avoid the killing of the youth. Even as curfew-like restrictions remained in force, violence was reported from a number of places. One person was killed this evening in reported firing by security forces in Tengpora in Srinagar, marking the first death in the capital city. An 18-year-old youth Irfan Ahmad Malik was critically injured in clashes between protestors and security forces at Newa in Pulwama this morning, a police official said. He was rushed to SMHS hospital here but succumbed to injuries. An unidentified person was brought to district hospital Pulwama in a critical condition but succumbed to injuries, he said, adding efforts are on to ascertain his identity. A police driver Feroz Ahmad was killed after a mob pushed his mobile bunker vehicle into river Jhelum at Sangam in Anantnag district, the official said. Efforts were on to fish out the body of the deceased cop. One more civilian was killed in a clash with security forces while another, who was injured yesterday, succumbed to injuries today, police said. In another incident, a head constable of police was shot in both legs by militants last night at his residence in Tral area of Pulwama district, the official said. Three policemen, who went missing after a large mob attacked a police station in Damhal Hanjipora yesterday, are still untraceable, said state Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, who is the government spokesman. One more police post was burnt by some mobs today. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Ringing Bells, the company that created a stir a few months ago by claiming that it will come up with the cheapest smartphone, started first phase of delivery of Freedom251 from July 8. We will start delivery of 5,000 Freedom 251 phones in the first phase in online and offline mode from tomorrow, Ringing Bells Director Mohit Goel said here while unveiling other products that included LED TV priced Rs 9,990 per unit. He claimed that the company is ready to ship 2 lakh units of the smartphone for Rs 251 each, but only if it gets government support. Goel further said some 30,000 customers went ahead with the booking despite a glitch and 7 crore people signed up. But the company withdrew the product and refunded the money to customers after government agencies mounted a closer scrutiny. Later, the firm said it will deliver the phone through cash-on-delivery to those who had placed the order. As for the cost of the phone, Goel claimed to have tied up with mobile applications, including with Hike Messenger, a Bharti Softbank venture, for keeping the price so low. The company also unveiled four new feature phones in the range of Rs 699-999 and two smartphones between Rs 3,999 and Rs 4,499. Pietermaritzburg (SA): Reliving history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today retraced Mahatma Gandhis train journey in South Africa as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment that proved to be a turning point in his life. On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhis fight against racial discrimination. On 7 June 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhis decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi will also visit the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi. PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled, the PMO tweeted. After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister yesterday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela. For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth - Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, Modi had said. He further said, We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lahore: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan after spending 48 days in London where he underwent an open-heart surgery. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) special plane Being-777 brought 66-year-old Sharif and the staff of his 25-member London camp office back to the country. The Prime Ministers plane landed at the Lahore airport around 7 pm local time. His brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and other PML-N leaders received him at the airport. Talking to journalists who were at the airport to receive him, Sharif said he was feeling healthy. I am feeling quite healthy after the heart surgery, Sharif, who was wearing white shalwar kameez and a light blue waistcoat, said. To a question about Panama Paper leaks, the premier said he was ready to face any challenge. This country does not need any sit-in. I ask the opposition to work for the development of Pakistan, he said. Sharif has been facing pressure from opposition political parties to step down after Panama Papers leak showed that his family members own undeclared offshore wealth and expensive property in London. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. Replying another question about discharging his duties, the Premier said: I was already performing my duties from London. I used to hold video conference meetings and issued certain directions. From the airport, Sharif left for his residence at Jati Umra Raiwind on a helicopter. Several PML-N workers were gathered there to welcome him. Sharif was discharged from hospital on June 6 after he underwent an open-heart surgery on May 31. He had gone to London on May 22 for a regular medical checkup but was diagnosed with a heart complication by doctors who suggested surgery. This was Sharifs second cardiac procedure in five years. Some politicians, especially the allies of the ruling PML-N, have termed Sharifs decision to leave the country for London as politically prudent at a time when opposition parties were exerting extreme pressure on him in the wake of the Panama Paper leaks. Meanwhile, Imran Khan said he will move the court against the use of PIA commericial plane by the Sharif family to return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif should pay the PIA from the money he stashed abroad illegally, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Dhaka: Bangladesh police blamed homegrown terror group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the two recent terror attacks, including the Dhaka cafe siege, and dismissed ISIS claims over the deadly assaults. The five terrorists killed at Gulshan (cafe) were JMB members. Police had their details and been looking for them for a while, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque told reporters. Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan area of the capital on July 1. During a joint operation police killed six of the attackers. Six days later, militants attacked police guarding the largest Eid gathering in Bangladesh and killed three more people. Haque said the same group was responsible for both attacks. He said one of the suspects who was arrested from the site of second attack admitted that they had contact with the attackers of the Holey Artisan restaurant. Asked about the ISIS claims over the attacks, the police chief reiterated his earlier stance negating the claim. He said identical claims were made after every such assault, but we cant find any link as to why they do it. Several security analysts said despite being a homegrown outfit JMB had ideological closeness with ISIS while Ansarul Islam Bangladesh (ABT), another banned Islamist outfit, was inclined to al Qaeda. ISIS might not have directly carried out the attacks, but JMB could be operating as their local agent in Bangladesh because of its ideological inclination, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) president retired major general ANM Muniruzzaman told PTI. Meanwhile, a teenager who police say was a suspect in the July 1 Dhaka attack died in custody and his family said he was tortured by the security forces. Police and doctors said Zakir Hossain Shawon, a kitchen assistant in the cafe, died yesterday at a state-run hospital in the capital. His family insisted that he was a hostage. My son is completely innocent...he was the main breadwinner (as the kitchen assistant) for the family, father of 18-year old Shawons father told newsmen in Dhaka. His father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death as his entire body carries marks of torture. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: The Islamic State groups Twitter traffic has plunged 45 per cent in the past two years, the Obama administration says, as the US and its allies have countered messages of jihadi glorification with a flood of online images and statements about suffering and enslavement at the hands of the extremist organisation. Among the images: A teddy bear with Arabic writing and messages saying IS slaughters childhood, kills innocence, lashes purity or humiliates children. A male hand covering a females mouth, saying IS deprives woman her voice. A woman in a black niqab (veil), bloody tears coming from a bruised eye, and the caption: Women under ISIS. Enslaved. Battered. Beaten. Humiliated. Flogged. US officials cite the drop in Twitter traffic as a sign of progress toward eliminating propaganda they blame for inspiring attacks around the world. When the US formed an international coalition in September 2014 to fight IS, the administration outlined multiple goals: military action and cutting off foreign fighters and finances, confronting the groups extremist ideology and stemming the militants growing popularity in the Arab world and beyond. The messaging element of the campaign struggled early on. Much of the anti-IS content put online was in English, limiting its effectiveness. At the time, social media networks were only getting started with new technological approaches to the challenge of disabling accounts that were recruiting and radicalizing prospective IS members. These shortcomings have been fixed, American officials believe. Memes and images depicting the groups treatment of women, children and others are presented almost entirely in Arabic. Whereas the US previously blasted the information out itself, it disseminates messages now through Muslim governments, religious leaders, schools, youth leaders and advocacy groups with credibility in local communities. Data show the proliferation of IS propaganda decreasing. Were denying ISIL the ability to operate uncontested online, and were seeing their social media presence decline, said Michael Lumpkin, head of the Global Engagement Center, which coordinates the US governments approach to fighting extremist messaging. Using an alternate acronym for the group, he said anti-ISIL audiences are increasingly vocal on social media. This only weakens ISILs ability to recruit, a key aim of our messaging efforts. Data obtained by The Associated Press show a 6-1 ratio of anti-IS content online compared with pro-IS content - an improvement from last year. When pro-IS Twitter accounts are discovered today, they have about 300 followers each. In 2014, such accounts had 1,500 followers each, according to the data. Among social networks, the administration has primarily focused on Twitter. The platform has been most heavily used by IS to crowdsource supporters and potential attackers, though it also has used YouTube and Facebook. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. It's an age-old problem for parents: how to prevent their kids from hitting the summer slide. Over the past few years, new research has provided a growing body of understanding of how reading books during the summer can prevent the loss of reading proficiency and boost confidence. Worried about math too? Here's how to address the summer slide in both reading and math: Check out books that teach kids about money and economic concepts in the context of fun. As a bonus, many of these books also provide number-crunching lessons as part of the journey. Here's a sample, culled from about a dozen financial education experts around the country who responded to my request for their favorite reads: Books for younger kids "The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies" by Stan and Jan Berenstain, in which both brother and sister develop a bad case of the "greedy gimmies." Other books in this popular, long-running series teach money lessons too, including "Trouble with Chores" and "Trouble with Money." "Sammy's Big Dream" by Sam Renick. It teaches young grade schoolers to dream big and save money while improving reading skills. "Curious George Saves His Pennies" by H.A. Rey, in which the famous monkey decides to save for a toy train and doesn't realize how long it will take or how hard he'll have to work for his money. "The Money Savvy Kids Club" by Susan Beacham and Lynnette Khalfani, in which a group of friends form a club that solves money mysteries. "Amelia Bedelia Means Business" by Herman Parish. Young Amelia will do almost anything for a shiny new bicycle. This teaches lessons about earning and saving money. "Beatrice's Goat" by Page McBrier. A true story of how a poor African girl was able to attend school after receiving a goat as a gift and selling its milk to get the money to buy her books. Books for older kids "Not Your Parents' Money Book: Making, Saving and Spending Your Own Money" by Jean Chatzky. The personal finance columnist's book is targeted at 12- to 14-year-olds and offers advice on practical money skills. There is a section on smart shopping and credit cards. "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. This is not a typical personal finance book, though it does cover basics such as saving, investing and budgeting. One of the messages that could resonate with older kids: Live on less. "Nest Egg: How to Build Yours ... Then Turn It Into Something Extraordinary" by Jeff Goble. This book offers financial wisdom that college-age students would appreciate. One piece of advice: Avoid depreciating assets, such as new cars, as much as you can. "Finance Is Personal: Making Your Money Work for You in College and Beyond" by Kim Stephenson and Ann Hutchins. In the words of Stephenson, "we wrote the book so the reader can take into account their own personality, their own money story, and have a method that works for them, not a one-size doesn't fit anybody generic solution." "You Only Live Once" by Jason Vitug, which is about making a plan, setting a goal and then charting how to get there. "This should be a mandatory read for graduating high schoolers or college freshmen. ... It's both inspirational and provides practical steps to achieve financial independence," said financial educator Leslie Girone. If none of these books captures your kids' interests, there are always board games, websites and, yes, even comic books. Try "Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket's Power Plan," a Marvel financial educational comic released in May in cooperation with Visa. MONTICELLO The morning of Oct. 5, 1990, first responders went to the home of Sheryl Houser, 29, to check on her welfare after she failed to show up at Carle Foundation Hospital for her morning shift as a nurse. Her 5-year-old son told an emergency medical technician that his mommy was out in the garage sleeping, but he couldn't wake her up. She was found seated on the garage floor of her rural Mahomet home, her upper torso stretching toward the ceiling, with a yellow nylon rope tied tightly multiple times around her neck. The original autopsy showed that the cause of her death was compression of the neck. A coroner's jury could not decide whether it was a homicide or suicide, so the manner of death was officially declared undetermined. Almost 26 years later, another inquest was held in Piatt County Circuit Court on Friday morning to hear new evidence, including that a condom found just outside the garage contained DNA from Sheryl and her estranged husband, Gregory Houser. After deliberating for 15 minutes, the jurors ruled that Sheryl Houser's death was a homicide. In the gallery, her family members embraced each other and gasped in relief. This ruling clears the way for the prosecution of Houser, 56, for first-degree murder. Although the case has been considered cold because of the extraordinary length of time involved, the Illinois State Police, the lead investigating agency, has never closed its investigation. The state police always thought it was a staged suicide, said Piatt County State's Attorney Dana Rhoades, after the jury delivered its verdict. They have continually been working on the case. Rhoades said a decision on whether to charge Houser with first-degree murder will be made within four months, after additional evidence is gathered. Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Dobson said that new technology regarding DNA processing was a key element in moving forward with the case. Jurors heard testimony from a forensic expert in strangulation deaths who said her death was not a suicide. Renee Fehr, Sheryl Houser's sister, testified that Sheryl was a domestic violence victim who was looking forward to her life with her three young sons following her divorce. Houser, who was 30 at the time of his wife's death, was awaiting trial on charges of criminal sexual assault for allegedly tying Sheryl to a bed with nylon rope and raping her on Sept. 20, 15 days before her death. He was free on bond the morning first responders found her on the floor of her attached garage, located between Mahomet and Mansfield. He was acquitted by a jury of sexual assault at a trial, held in Macon County due to a change of venue, in May 1991. On Friday, Houser responded to all questions by Dobson by saying he was invoking the Fifth Amendment, in order to not incriminate himself. Dobson informed him that the Fifth Amendment did not apply to answering questions such as whether he had been married to Sheryl or whether he had children, but he repeatedly said he was taking the Fifth in response. When he took the Fifth on a question on his height and weight and Dobson challenged him on that, several spectators burst out laughing. In spite of the repetitious responses, Dobson presented her line of questioning, to inform the jurors of Houser's possible culpability. You could easily pick up Sheryl and move her around? Dobson asked the burly former volunteer firefighter, who was dressed in blue jeans, a blue plaid shirt and brown canvas boots. You're a hunter, are you not? she asked. You're familiar with tying up and lifting up deceased animals? You know how to tie knots that secure animals? She asked him if it was his usual practice to have sex and then throw a condom on the floor, leaving it on the floor while their young children were in the house. Have you provided false information to police agents involved in this investigation? Dobson asked. He finally broke his pattern, when she asked him if he intended to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to all questions she asked. Yes, he said, before he was dismissed from the stand. Fehr, an attorney who works in Bloomington, testified that her oldest sister was the most tender-hearted, kind, loving person she knew. That's why she went into nursing; she always wanted to take care of people, said Fehr, who struggled with her emotions throughout her testimony. Sheryl Houser took care of numerous animals that arrived on their family farm while they were growing up, including birds, mice, dogs, cats and a raccoon, which she dressed in doll clothes. She chose to specialize in neonatal nursing, the intensive care unit for new babies. She loved that job, Fehr said. More than anything, Sheryl Houser wanted to get married and have babies. She met Greg Houser in high school, and they had three boys together, who were 5, 3 and 18 months old at the time of her death. When Fehr was 24 years old, a lawyer in Florida, Sheryl Houser called her and said she was getting a divorce. She said her husband was violent toward her and was beginning to hurt the children. The couple separated, and he was allowed supervised visits with the children. The night before she died, she was at her parents' house, talking about future plans. She ordered a new mattress but hadn't picked it up. She was cleaning out the house, Fehr said, She was cleaning out his stuff, to get rid of his stuff. Toward the end, we saw some happiness in her eyes. My sister did not commit suicide. She loved those boys. She would have died for them. She would have never left them alone. She said her mother was in frail health and was not in the courtroom, but her 81-year-old father was present. It would be closure for him to have on the death certificate this is a homicide not a suicide, Fehr said. Forensic pathologist Dr. Scott Denton testified that her death was not a suicide, based on numerous factors, including bruises on her neck, which were not consistent with a hanging. Denton said he believed she died of manual strangulation based on several factors, including the extensive reddish spotting on her face, petechiae, the result of blood vessels bursting in her face and eyes. That doesn't happen in suicidal hanging, Denton said. There was on and off pressure in her neck. He said the horizontal wounds caused by the rope, which was wound three times around her neck, were not caused by hanging. Suicidal hangings result in wounds that are upward and toward the rear. The rope around her neck was not consistent with a suicidal hanging, Denton said. Other indicators included a lack of a suicide note, her diary which said nothing about her being depressed and the fact there were children in the house. It would be unusual for a mother to do this with children in the house, he testified. Her feet were bare and clean, while she was found in the middle of the garage on a dirty floor. Fresh abrasions on her ankle and elbow seemed to indicate a sexual assault, the result of her body hitting on something hard. The bruising in the neck is totally inconsistent with hanging, Denton said, adding that a fingertip of a latex glove was found in a knot in the rope. She was not wearing gloves. The knot (in back of her neck) was so tight it actually broke blood vessels. Denton said Dr. Grant Johnson, who performed the original autopsy, was not trained in forensic pathology. He asked for outside help in the case and did not determine that it was a suicide. Rhoades said she remembers when she first heard about the case in 1990, when she was on a break from college. Shortly after she took office as the county's top prosecutor in 2008, she contacted the state police and met with them to discuss their investigation. The state police is continuing to follow different leads and information, she said. We need to follow up on all of them. DECATUR It's a long drive from Virginia to Illinois, especially if you're a 6-week-old osprey traveling in a crate. Since 2013, the young birds have been making that journey as part of an effort to re-establish the species in Illinois, where they are endangered. This year, they got to fly. Also, instead of being processed as soon as they arrived at the Illinois Raptor Center, the birds got a night to themselves. We just thought this year, let's let them chill out, said Jacques Nuzzo, program director at the center. Let's let them stretch their legs. Get a bite to eat. Get a drink. Perhaps thanks to the rest, the 12 birds processed Friday seemed healthier than previous groups, Nuzzo said. The project takes a village and then some. It is part of a federal grant awarded to University of Illinois at Springfield associate professor Tih-Fen Ting through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Illinois Audobon Society donated $3,000 to transport the birds by plane this year, in collaboration with the aviation program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. DNR staff worked with Ting, students and research personnel from the university, and Nuzzo and Executive Director Jane Seitz from the raptor center to get the birds ready for their new lives. They carefully measured and drew blood from each osprey, making sure to check that they were hydrated. Ting attached two bands to each bird, and their breasts were painted with temporary colors to make them easier to identify in the field. The birds were then taken to two hack sites, one near Lake Shelbyville and the other near Canton. At the sites, they will be kept in boxes and fed twice a day by members of Ting's team for two to three weeks. My field crew, they become the foster parents, Ting said. The ospreys will eventually migrate south. The hope is that, when they mature in several years and get ready to breed, they will return to the familiar haunts of their youth. Over years involved with the project, Nuzzo and Seitz said they've learned a lot about the birds. For instance, osprey food: It has to be fish, and it has to look like fish. You can't get them fish filet. They don't recognize fish filet, Nuzzo said. If it's got eyeballs and lips and a tail on it, they're like hey, that's great. To accommodate, Scovill Zoo donated trout, and Nuzzo himself caught some bluegill. The raptor center is raising money for a new Superflight facility that would allow it to better rehabilitate large birds, such as ospreys. To learn more, visit the center's website at illinoisraptorcenter.org. As reported by WisPolitics.com, the Joint Finance Committee approved redirecting more than $21 million in bonding to offset rising costs for Milwaukee and Racine counties as they build new facilities for young offenders. Meanwhile, one committee member warned inflation will likely raise the Connecticut still ranks high among states in the use of antipsychotic drugs for elderly nursing home residents, but its rate of use has dropped 33 percent since 2011 a bigger decline than the national average new government data show. The data released in June by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, show nursing home residents in Connecticut, many with dementia, are still more likely to be given antipsychotics than their counterparts in 31 other states. But the states usage has fallen in the last 4 years at a greater rate than the average drop of 27 percent, and it is now about the same as the national average 17.4 percent. Thats down from 26 percent in 2011. CMS has been working with states for the past five years to address the overuse of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes. While the drugs are an important treatment for patients with certain mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, they have potentially fatal side effects when used in elderly patients with dementia. Still, some nursing homes use the drugs off-label to calm residents who are agitated or confused. In Connecticut, Ann Spenard, a vice president of Qualidigm, the states Medicare quality improvement consultant, said a statewide effort led by Qualidigm the Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, part of a national program has helped to train nursing home staff in alternatives to antipsychotics, while also educating families about how to ask questions about a residents medications. Two behavioral health agencies MedOptions and Harvest Healthcare have provided targeted help to nursing homes with high prescribing rates, she said. In addition, some homes have put in place music and memory programs, funded by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, that have been found to help with agitation and other behavioral health issues related to dementia. Theres been a lot of work to reduce (antipsychotic prescribing), and it continues to grow, said Spenard, who compared the states progress to past efforts that reduced the use of physical restraints. It takes years of purposeful intervention. (But) theres a real commitment by the long-term care industry to get the rates down. The most recent Medicare data show that 35 of the states 227 nursing homes, or about 15 percent overall, have antipsychotic use rates for long-stay residents at or exceeding 25 percent, meaning one in four residents is being given the drugs for unapproved reasons. Meanwhile, 23 homes have antipsychotic use rates of less than 10 percent, including one facility in Fairfield County, Glen Hill Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Danbury. Four have rates under 5 percent: Touchpoints at Bloomfield, Hughes Health & Rehabilitation in West Hartford, Pilgrim Manor in Cromwell, and Curtis Home St. Elizabeth Center in Meriden. At Touchpoints, administrator Jaime Faucher attributed the low rate of antipsychotic use to the homes evolving range of services, especially post-acute and rehabilitative care. When a short-term resident comes into the facility with a prescribed antipsychotic medication, our treatment team often finds these medications are unnecessary and unsupported with a diagnosis, Faucher said. He said the staff of Touchpoints receives ongoing training in non-pharmacological interventions and individualized recreation activities and makes use of the music and memory programming. Nursing homes were required to start publicly reporting their use of antipsychotics in 2012 a requirement that advocates of Medicare transparency say has helped to bring down rates. CMS, working with providers and advocacy groups, had set a goal of a 25-percent reduction in antipsychotic use among long-stay residents by the end of 2015. The new report says that goal was met, and it singles out Utah and Vermont for the most significant reductions (41.7 percent and 36.1 percent, respectively). Hawaii, Wyoming and New Jersey now have the lowest usage rates, while Louisiana, Illinois and Mississippi have the highest. Among New England states, Vermont has the lowest prevalence rate (16.2 percent), while Massachusetts has the highest (18.9 percent). Other CMS data show that Connecticut has a relatively high rate nationally in terms of the number of days that nursing home residents received antipsychotics over a snapshot seven-day period. More than 20 percent of residents received the drugs for the full seven days a higher rate than 38 other states, according to the data. Spenard said Qualidigm, elder care providers and state officials are committed to further reducing Connecticuts rate of antipsychotic usage although she added, We dont really know what the appropriate rate is. There will always be some people who need the medications, which are approved to treat schizophrenia, Huntingtons disease and select other illnesses. The CMS report notes a slight increase in the percentage of nursing home residents nationally diagnosed with schizophrenia. The report says the agency is exploring potential consequences of the crackdown on antipsychotics, including prescribing shifts to anxiolytics or sedative/hypnotics. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org). This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Contributed photo / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Brookfield Police Department is inviting residents who are conducting business by e-commerce, such as eBay or Craigslist, to make transactions at police headquarters. According to a Facebook post, the department headquarters and parking lot, which are under 24-hour surveillance, are considered a safe zone for legal transactions. Remarks by Prime Minister at India-South Africa Business meet in Pretoria South Africa, Sat, 09 Jul 2016 NI Wire The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing the India-South Africa Business Meet, in Pretoria, South Africa on July 08, 2016. The President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Jacob Zuma is also seen. His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, Hon'ble Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Hon'ble Minister of Trade and Industry, Captains of South African and Indian Industry, Ladies and Gentlemen! I am happy to be with you today. India-South Africa relations are built on a strong foundation of history. We were directed together by destiny; We are driven together by dreams. Our history had many common chapters. With struggle and sacrifice, we changed the course of history. Fortunately, in this process, we had the guidance of the greatest leaders which the human race has seen. Friends, Our leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi brought political freedom for us. Now, it is the time to work for economic freedom. Thus, our relations rest upon our common desire to fulfil the aspirations of our people. We have been friends in adversities ; Now we should franchise in opportunities With the blessings of our great leaders, both the countries have marched on the path of development. Both South Africa and India are important players in the BRICS economies. Our people at home and the world at large are looking at us with great expectations. We can join handsto fulfil these twin expectations. It is heartening that we have had very active and fruitful engagement on all possible fronts. This august gathering is also an important part of the same process. Friends, I admit that I am little late in visiting this great country. However, President Zuma and I have met several times in last two years. South Africa is India's key trade and investment partner. In the last ten years, bilateral trade has grown almost 380%. The story of investments also continues to be bright. There is continuous flow of investments both ways. More than 150 Indian companies are operating in South Africa. Similarly, many companies of South Africa are doing excellent work in India. However, the scope is tremendous. The potential is increasing day by day. This is because both countries are strengthening their economic fundamentals. Therefore, we must look at ways to diversify our trade basket, to complement our needs and to serve the people. Our active partnership across various facets and forums is a testimony to the fact that such engagement is possible. Friends, For Indian companies, South Africa is a home in this continent. Many leading Indian companies have a foot-print here. They are engaged in a wide range of activities. Many Indian CEOs are here with us. My advice to them is to see that their business results into socio--economic transformation of this great country. I have been advocating three Ps for India. (Public Sector, Private Sector and Peoples Partnership). I have been emphasising on the Personal Sector. The same applies here. Skill development and community empowerment should be central to your business plans. The spirit of African humanism , UBUNTU , should reflect in your business ethos. This is equal to our philosophy of This is what Mahatma Gandhi stood for. We have always believed in nurturing and nourishing not in exploiting. Encouraging fact is that our business engagement is not one way. South African companies are also active in India. Many of them have presence on ground. We have learnt from your knowledge and benefited from your innovative products. South African business excellence and Indian capacities must leverage each other; for growth and development in our two countries. Friends, In last two years we have worked very hard on all fronts to set the economy right. We have got very encouraging results of our sincerity and hard work. Today, India is a bright star in the global economy. We are being seen as the engine of global growth. India has become the fastest growing large economy in the world. At a time of global slowdown, we have registered 7.6% growth in GDP. World Bank, IMF and other institutions have projected even better growth in the coming days. Not only that, in 2014-15, India contributed 12.5% of global growth. Its contribution to global growth is 68% higher than its share of the world economy. The FDI in this year has been the highest ever. The ratings agency Moody's has said that FDI inflows were all-time high in 2016, highlighting the success of our 'Make in India' initiative. Make in India has become the biggest brand that India has ever had. Both within and outside the country, it has captured the imagination of people, institutions, industries, businesses, media and the political leadership. As part of the Make in India exercise, we have given emphasis on Ease of Doing Business. We have taken decisive steps to ease the licensing processes and rationalize the provisions relating to clearances, returns, and inspections. If I talk of some other indicators: India has consistently been ranked as the most attractive investment destination by several global agencies and institutions. We have jumped 12 ranks in the latest global ranking by the World Bank on ease of doing business. India has also improved its UNCTAD ranking of investment attractiveness. Against 15th so far, now we are at 9th place. India has also jumped 16 places on the World Economic Forums global competitive index. Due to positive impact of our policies and practices, our confidence has gone up. This also gives us motivation to further simplify our processes to become an easier place to do business. An innovative Start-up India programme has also been launched to incubate ideas and develop them into enterprises. All this is having a good impact on expansion of job market and rise in purchasing power of the people. This finally leads to India becoming a place with better quality of life and higher living standards. We have ensured that our growth is inclusive and embraces both rural and urban communities. We are taking a leap towards next generation infrastructure in both core areas and social sectors. Friends, Socio-economic challenges of both our countries are more or less same. My advice is that the wheels of development should not be re-invented. Our two countries are very uniquely positioned to complement each other. For example: Nature has been kind on both of us. We have immense natural resources. The need is to properly harness them and to use them sustainably for welfare of the common man. We can learn a lot from each other in this. We particularly want to engage with your world class mining companies. Some of them are already active in India. But we want strategic engagements on this front. Our interest in this sector is not one sided.v Secondly, the challenge of climate change and the need of fast track development is before both of us. We are both committed to clean and green pathways to progress. At the same time, we need energy resources. With the help of a number of countries, we have formed the International Solar Alliance. I hope that we will enrich and take advantage of this forum. Our two countries have the unique benefit of opposite seasons When it is summer or mango season in India, it is winter here, and vice versa. We can leverage this geographic advantage to market each other's fruits, vegetables and other perishables India with its huge domestic market offers massive opportunities for your food processing industry. Our collaboration in this sector will bring value for our farmers and our villages. We in India are working on very ambitious plans of infrastructure. The task which is pending from the days of independence has to be completed fast now. Together, we can do a lot to fill these gaps. India is best suited to help you in technology and skills. Efforts are already underway in these areas. At the India Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi last year, we under-took to educate and train 50,000 Africans in India over the next five years. These are just a few examples. We can work together in a number of areas. From Defence to Dairy; From Hardware to Software; From Medicines to Medical Tourism; From Soft Skills to Science and Technology. There are opportunities for us. India today is among the most open economies. We have liberalised our FDI regime in most of the areas and in all possible ways. We have rationalised our norms and made it simple for businesses to establish and grow. Friends, To conclude, I would like to say that we have added institutional depth to our partnership. Our BRICS business engagement and CEOs Forum have helped to expand and enrich our partnership. Today, we have successfully held the 3rd Meeting of the India-South Africa CEOs Forum. We value your recommen- -dations and look forward to putting them into practice. We are thankful to the South African government for introducing 10 year BRICS () visa for regular business travellers. The Indian Industry is quite encouraged by the move. In February this year, we launched our e-Visa programme for South Africa. This is valid for short term tourist and business travellers. You can now get your visa for India sitting at home in your email, and that too free of cost! Friends, Let us join hands once more; Let us commit ourselves together once again; This is necessary to fight the enemy of poverty; This is perhaps much more challenging; But we have to succeed; And this only can be our real tribute to our great leaders. Thank you. Source: PIB OTTAWA, July 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, on Nunavut Day, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Fred Caron to the role of Chief Federal Negotiator (CFN) for Nunavut Devolution, effective immediately. Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna and Cathy Towtongie of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) also welcome Mr. Caron to his new role as Canada's CFN on these important negotiations. Mr. Caron, an experienced negotiator on Indigenous issues, will represent the Government of Canada in continued discussions with the Government of Nunavut and NTI on an Agreement-in-Principle towards devolution of lands and resources in the territory. The transfer of responsibilities over land and resources is an important step in the Government of Canada's renewed commitment towards improving the lives and well-being of Nunavummiut while ensuring that Nunavut remains an attractive place to live, work and invest. Quotes "The Government of Canada remains steadfast in our commitment to advance Nunavut Devolution and put decision making on lands and resources in the hands of Nunavummiut. I'm confident that Mr. Caron's knowledge and expertise on issues impacting Indigenous Canadians will allow for renewed, good-faith negotiations to begin in the context of a renewed Inuit-to-Crown relationship. I look forward to working with Mr. Caron and our partners in Nunavut on this important process." The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs "Our territory's self-reliance and future success depends on sound economic and resource development. Nunavut's devolution is a critical step towards this realization. We are excited to return to negotiations and to step forward together to develop an agreement in principle on devolution with the Government of Canada and NTI." Peter Taptuna Premier of Nunavut "I welcome the appointment of a federal devolution negotiator. Ownership and control of Nunavut's natural resources is fundamental to the future of Nunavut. NTI has advocated and supported this for years. It is time to move ahead from talk to action." Cathy Towtongie President of NTI Quick Facts Formal negotiations on reaching an Agreement-in-Principle began in October 2014 . . The Lands and Resources Devolution Negotiation Protocol was formally signed in 2008, and guides negotiations toward a devolution agreement in Nunavut . . Nunavut Day marks the passing of the historic Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and the Nunavut Act on July 9, 1993 . Related Products Biographical note Fred Caron Associated Links Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr. You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds or e-mail. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.aandc.gc.ca/subscriptions. SOURCE Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada For further information: Sabrina Williams, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, 819-997-0002; Media Relations, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, 819-953-1160; Yasmina PepaChief, Public Affairs, Office of Premier Peter Taptuna, 867-975-5059, [email protected]; Kerry McCluskey, Director of Communications, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, 867-975-4914 WARSAW, Poland, July 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Canada is playing a strong and constructive role in the world by making concrete contributions to international peace and security including at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Canada worked closely with our Allies to adjust NATO's strategy to address the evolving security concerns around the world including Russia's interference in Ukraine, and the arc of instability across the Middle East and North Africa. At the Summit, Canada and our Allies took steps to enhance NATO's forward presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that Canada will join the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany as one of Four Framework Nations that will lead multinational NATO battlegroups in Eastern Europe. The NATO leaders also agreed to bolster support for Iraq through defence capacity building, and will provide air surveillance capabilities to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. On Canada's behalf, the Prime Minister announced that Canada will contribute to NATO's counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) capacity building efforts for Iraq. The Prime Minister and his counterparts also discussed the future of Afghanistan and the important role that NATO must continue to play there. The Government of Canada announced a comprehensive package worth $465 million of security support and development assistance to Afghanistan. This funding will be used to sustain the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, to support women's and girls' rights and empowerment, and to help meet the basic needs of Afghans. Quote "Canada has been a committed member of NATO since the Alliance was founded almost 70 years ago, and all Canadians are safer for it. In Warsaw together with our Allies and partners we took important steps that will promote international peace and security, and help us to better respond to today's complex security challenges. Canada's key contributions to NATO, including our decision to establish an enhanced forward presence in Central and Eastern Europe, will reinforce our collective defence and support regional stability." Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Quick Facts The Prime Minister also announced that Canada will periodically deploy air assets to NATO for operational tasks including air policing and bilateral exercises, and will continue to deploy a frigate as part of NATO's maritime task force under the framework of Operation REASSURANCE. will periodically deploy air assets to NATO for operational tasks including air policing and bilateral exercises, and will continue to deploy a frigate as part of NATO's maritime task force under the framework of Operation REASSURANCE. Allies also met with representatives from Georgia and Ukraine , and affirmed NATO's continued support to these partners. Related product Associated links This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca Backgrounder CANADA RENEWS ITS SECURITY SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN On July 9, 2016, the Government of Canada announced a comprehensive package of $465 million in security and development support to Afghanistan. While important progress has been made, Afghanistan remains one of the world's least developed, poorest and most fragile states, and continues to be characterized by pervasive human rights abuses, conflict and violence. This funding will be used to sustain the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF), to support women's and girls' rights and empowerment, and to help meet the basic needs of Afghans. Security programming Security and political stability are key to Afghanistan's ability to meet its citizens' basic needs, strengthen sustainable economic growth, and reduce its aid dependency. Canada will provide $195 million over three years to sustain the ANDSF, and to fulfill the commitment made by NATO in Chicago (2012) of an enduring partnership with Afghanistan. This funding will contribute to building the ANDSF's capacity, including the recruitment, training and retention of women in Afghanistan's security sector, ensuring respect for international humanitarian law, and the better protection of civilians. These activities are in line with commitments made by Canada and Afghanistan under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Development assistance Canada has had an active development presence in Afghanistan for decades, and is committed to helping Afghanistan achieve its development goals. These goals include meeting the basic needs and reducing the vulnerability of the Afghan people, especially women and girls. Building on this commitment, Canada will invest $270 million in development assistance for Afghanistan over the next three years. The funding will be critical to sustaining the progress already made in the country and contributing to a secure and stable Afghanistan. Through a "Women's and Girls' Rights First" approach to its development assistance programming toward education, health, and human rights, Canada will: increase the self-reliance of the Afghan government to deliver basic services to its people; help empower women and girls through targeted activities to promote and protect their rights; increase access to economic opportunities for women and girls; reduce the vulnerability of women and girls to the impact of climate change; improve access to health services specifically for women, newborns and children; promote reproductive rights; and increase access to safe, quality basic education. Canada, along with other donors, has supported the enrollment of 8.4 million children in Afghan schools. This new funding will help reach the remaining 4 to 5 million children who are not yet enrolled in school. Canada's continued support to health will further contribute to decreasing the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan. Canada will also continue to support the promotion and protection of human rights, especially by addressing violence against women and promoting their full participation in society. SOURCE Prime Minister's Office For further information: PMO Media relations: 613-957-5555 TORONTO, July 8, 2016 /CNW/ - To continue the warm Canadian welcome that started at the airport for the 56 flights that landed as part of the Government of Canada's Syrian Refugee Program, Toronto Pearson International Airport launched the Propeller Project Syrian Newcomer Transit Pass Program. This program used funds collected from passengers and employees in the in-terminal coin globes from December to March and matched them through Toronto Pearson's Propeller Project to provide transit passes for the government-sponsored Syrian Refugees who have settled in the GTA, both those who have already arrived and those who will continue arrive through the rest of 2016. Why transit passes? Easy access to transportation is essential for Syrian newcomers to be able to access important programming and essential tools, as well as build fulfilling, independent lives in Canada. Quick Facts: Toronto Pearson's Propeller Project will provide government-sponsored Syrian newcomer settled in the GTA with transit passes. Approximately 600 families arrived under the Government of Canada's program. Each family will receive two transit passes with a total of 82 fares. Contributions were collected through the Propeller Project giving globes located in Terminals 1 and 3 at Toronto Pearson specifically to support the Syrian Newcomer Transit Pass program. Passengers and visitors at Toronto Pearson contributed $50,000 . The GTAA and its employees contributed another $100,000 to develop the $150,000 program. Metrolinx is supporting this program by waiving the fee for 1,200 PRESTO cards. That is equivalent to providing $7,200 . Transit passes will be distributed via COSTI, the resettlement organization helping Syrian newcomers in the GTA. Toronto Pearson has also provided TTC tokens for Syrian Newcomer parents to travel to and from English conversation classes while their children, age 6-11, receive a free weekly music education through the CultureLink Nai Children's choir. This music program provides a place for healing and learning with a focus on the well-being of newcomer children and their parents. Quotes "At Toronto Pearson, we believe being a good neighbour means investing in local communities. That's why we are investing in transit passes for Syrian Newcomers with the support of our partnership agencies," said Howard Eng, President and CEO, GTAA. "As Canada's largest and busiest airport, we know that connectivity is important. For newcomers, this means that children can get to school, and parents can access the programs and jobs they need to help them live meaningful lives in a safe country." "A refugee newcomer's first year is busy with English classes, job search and running children to various activities all done on a tight budget. The GTAA's Propeller Project Syrian Newcomer Transit Pass Program will provide welcome financial relief to these newcomers while facilitating their access to important services for their integration," said Mario Calla, Executive Director, COSTI. "Metrolinx is happy to support this important program," said Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO of Metrolinx. "Newcomers to our region will have the benefit of having one card that will allow them to use transit seamlessly across the GTHA whether on GO Transit, TTC or 10 other transit systems. We're pleased to help make one part of their difficult journey a little easier." "The key to settlement success is accessibility to services" said Ibrahim Absiye, CultureLink's Executive Director, "We are very grateful to Toronto Pearson International Airport for providing transit support to our choristers' parents since day one of the Nai Children's Choir. The TTC tokens we received not only helped bring refugee children to this free music program, but also enabled the parents to walk out of isolation, learn English and connect to local volunteers. " About the GTAA The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is the operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport. With 41 million passengers in 2015, Toronto Pearson is Canada's largest airport, and North America's second largest international passenger airport, as measured by the total number of annual international passengers. Toronto Pearson is a hub for the movement of people and goods across the country and the continent, and also around the globe. The focus of the GTAA continues to be on growing Toronto Pearson's status as an international gateway: enhancing the customer experience, safety, security, the success of our airline partners and the regional economy. About the Propeller Project At Toronto Pearson, we believe being a good neighbour means investing in local communities. The Propeller Project provides funding and support to get great neighbourhood-building initiatives off the ground. torontopearson.com/propellerproject Stay connected: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #PropellerProjectYYZ SOURCE Greater Toronto Airports Authority For further information: Media Office: (416) 776-3709 About 115 soldiers from South Sudans rival factions were killed in gun battles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposit... About 115 soldiers from South Sudans rival factions were killed in gun battles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war.Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks, Reuters reported.Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm.William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machars military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks.In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machars faction) and 80 people from the government forces, he said.Deng said the death toll could rise on Machars side because there are some soldiers seriously wounded.The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba.At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. There was confusion at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Friday following a gunshot ... There was confusion at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Friday following a gunshot which was believed to be an accidental discharge.Two people were injured in the incident when a man identified as an orderly of a Senator accidentally fired the gunshots, it was learnt. He was trying to remove the magazine of his gun when the discharge occurred leaving him and another woman injured.The incident also caused panic within the terminal as travelers and airport workers scampered for safety on hearing the gunshot.Eyewitness report indicated that the security man was to travel on Arik Air and he wanted to dislodge the magazine from the gun in line with standard practice in air travel but incidentally the gun released its bullet. It hit him and the woman on the leg, it was gathered.An eyewitness said, It is a standard practice in air travel for anyone with a gun to pull out the bullet. This is what the security man was trying to do but incidentally the gun released the magazine which splattered and hit him and the woman on the leg as he bent down to pull out the magazine from the gun.They, however, trekked out of the terminal to the vehicle that conveyed them to the hospital without any assistance. According to the source, the injury was not that severe.General Manager, Public Affairs of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati, confirmed the incident. He said what transpired was an accident which occurred while the man was trying to remove the magazine from his gun as a standard procedure because guns are not allowed on-board aircraft but they are usually checked in, in the luggage compartment.Dati, who described the incident as minor, assured air travellers that all the airports are safe and secure, adding that in recognition of the security challenges in the country and around the world, security at Nigerian airports has been fortified. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) yesterday secured a warrant from a court to detain a former Deputy Governor of Osun S... The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) yesterday secured a warrant from a court to detain a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Otunba Iyiola Omisore in connection with the ongoing investigation of N1.310billion illegally allocated to him and three companies by the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).The cash was part of the N4.745billion slush funds allegedly disbursed by ONSA.The N1.310billion was remitted as follows: Fimex Gilt Limited(N160m)-8/8/2014in UBA; Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)9/7/14 in First Bank; Sawanara(N300m)1/8/14 in First Bank and Metropolitan Consortium(N350m)-1/8/14 in First Bank.His other accomplices include Governor Ayodele Fayose and ex-Minister of Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, who has gone on self-exile in the United States.According to a source in EFCC, the depth of the ongoing probe demanded that Omisore should be in custody for a while.The source said: We have secured warrant from a court to detain Omisore for a while as we intensify investigation into how N1.310billion was given to him and three firms by ONSA.The former Deputy Governor has been responding to issues raised by our operatives on how he came about the slush funds.The EFCC approached the court for the detention order in line with its commitment to the Rule of Law.So, Omisore will spend more days legally with us in custody to enable us conclude our investigation in record time.After a three-month trail, the ex- Deputy governor was arrested on Sunday at his 1, Kainji Crescent in Maitama, Abuja at about 6am.The anti-graft agency through a letter, CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/ STF/Vol.3/116 of April 7, 2016 invited Omisore for interrogation.The letter, signed by Abubakar Madaki on behalf of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, reads in part: The commission is investigating an alleged case in which your name featured prominently.In view of the above, you are kindly requested to interview the undersigned on Monday, 11th of April 2016 at No.30, Harper Crescent, Wuse Zone 7 at 10am.Your cooperation in this regard is solicited.Instead of honouring the invitation, Omisore wrote a letter through one of his lawyers, Wole Jimi-Bada and Co. that the interview should be rescheduled to Thursday, April 14, 2016.The counsel said in part: Your letter dated 7th April 2016 and addressed to our client and delivered to his gateman at our clients residence has been passed on to our chambers.We regret to inform you that our client travelled briefly out of Abuja but will return by Wednesday evening accordingly to our instructions. Consequently and unfortunately, he will not be able to attend the interview scheduled for Monday, 11th April 2016 as requested in your letter under reference. Sundays U20 AFCON qualifier between hosts Sudan and Nigerias Flying Eagles will be 6pm Nigerian time as against earlier announced time of 8pm.The return leg will be played in Nigeria on July 22.The overall winners will qualify the 2017 U20 AFCON in Zambia.Sudan won a protest against Kenya for fielding ineligible players after both teams played out 1-1 in Sudan.Nigeria beat Burundi 3-1 on aggregate to reach this final qualifying playoff. The Borno State Government on Friday announced the death of Alhaji Shettima Ali-Monguno a former Minister of Mines, Power and Petroleum. The Borno State Government on Friday announced the death of Alhaji Shettima Ali-Monguno a former Minister of Mines, Power and Petroleum.Alhaji Jidda Shuwa the Secretary to the State Government, who announced this in a statement in Maiduguri, said the elderstaesman died on Friday in MaiduguriIt is with a deep sense of loss and profound sadness that we announce, on behalf of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State and the Borno State Government, the passage of our father and distinguished Statesman, Alhaji (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno.He said the deceased would be buried on Saturday in Maiduguri after a funeral prayer at 2 p.m. at his residence.Shuwa prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and his family and entire people of Borno the fortitude to bear the loss.The deceased was born in 1926 in Monguno, BornoHe attended Monguno primary school, Teachers College Bauchi and Katsina, College of Arts, Science and Technology Zaria, Moray House college of Education and the University of Edinburgh.He served as a parliamentarian in the First Republic and was appointed the Minister of Air Force and Internal Affairs between 1965 and 1966. For 24-year-old Osas Uwagie, an indigene of Edo State and a tanker driver, nothing more explains why he diverted a tanker loaded with ... For 24-year-old Osas Uwagie, an indigene of Edo State and a tanker driver, nothing more explains why he diverted a tanker loaded with 33 thousand litres of diesel than bad company.Osas who was said to have been recruited by a Lagos-based oil and gas firm (name withheld) was en-route Abuja to supply the said products. He, however, diverted the tanker to Okene in Kogi State, where he sold 400 litres of diesel to one of his clients for N230,000 cash, and the remaining 32, 600 litres sold to a filling station in the same location for N1.5 million which he was promised payment later.Crime Guard gathered that after selling off the contents of the tanker, Osas and his accomplices drove the tanker along the Abuja-Lokoja Road and set the tanker ablaze. It was learned that when the company could not locate Osas, the matter was reported to the police at State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba where investigations commenced into the matter. Subsequently, it paid off, as Osas who had absconded was arrested in Kogi State.I bribed policemen with N200,000 to let me goNarrating his own side of the story, Osas said, I am from a very poor background. I could not go to school due to financial constraint. When I grew up, I had to find something to take care of myself. I met a friend who was a tanker driver and I started following him. He taught me how to drive tanker and I was absorbed in the same company where he works. My friend is currently in prison for also diverting a tanker.He was the one who talked me into diverting the tanker as well as selling off the contents. On the day of the incident, I had loaded the tanker with 32,000 litres of diesel which I was supposed to supply to a filling station in Abuja. I, however, saw it as an opportunity to perfect the plan my friend in prison and I, had.I drove to Okene in Kogi State, stopped at a particular location there and sold off 400 litres for N230,000. While I was driving out from the spot, I was stopped by the police. They asked me a few questions for which I couldnt give appropriate answers. They then started suspecting that I had diverted the tanker. I came out straight and told them the truth.I gave them N200,000 to let me go. Later, I contacted an old time friend called Kabiru to connect me to people who could buy all the products. Kabiru sent one of his boys called Joseph Kola to take me to a filling station where I could get a buyer. When I got there, the owner of the filling station asked why I wanted to sell the diesel and I told him that the management of the company I work with had authorized me to do so. The man then told us he didnt have money to pay. So, I instantly called Kabiru who asked me to wait there, that he would send someone else to take me to another possible buyer. He sent one Oyeko who then took me to another filling station. We met with the owner and I told him I wanted to sell only 400 litres, but the man insisted I sell the 32,600 litres to him. I saw reasons with him and decided to do as he said.Setting the truck ablazeOsas continued: Surprisingly, after discharging the diesel, they told me there was no cash on ground and requested I leave my account number, that they would get back to me. I then asked them what would happen to the truck and they said it was best I set it ablaze and disappear. They asked me to follow them as they drove in front of me. When we got to Abuja road, they asked me to park the truck close to a drainage, so that it would look like it fell and the diesel poured out. They came out, opened the bonnet of the tanker, poured fuel on it and then sparked the battery head and fire engulfed the tanker.An anonymous source who spoke to Crime Guard intimated that Osas has worked with the company for more than two years and was even trained as a tanker driver by the company. The tanker which was set ablaze, the source added, had just been acquired by the organization. The source also put the total cost of the diesel and the truck at about N22 million. Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has denied being on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial ... Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has denied being on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).In November 2015, EFCC had declared him wanted over his alleged role in the N2bn pensions biometric contracts scam, and listed him on its website as one of its wanted persons.Three months earlier, Maina was charged alongside three others before a federal high court on a 24-count bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining money under false pretences.But responding to EFCCs 7 most wanted fugitives a report published by TheCable on Friday, Maina said the anti-graft agency never listed him in the charges but merely mentioned his name.I am not wanted by the EFCC or any anti-graft agency in the country. Secondly, and important too, I was never at any time joined in any suit with the ex-head of service, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, who I have much respect for, he said.The EFCC did not list me in the charges but merely mentioned my name over the biometric exercise which I am ready to defend myself [on] given the enabling environment.He further said his lawyer, Esther Uzoma, had issued a statement to EFCC demanding his exoneration of the alleged crime.The lawyers statement reads in part: The EFCC should come clean on the matter of my client, Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina. When I appeared before His Lordship, Justice Kolawole on July 21, I made it clear that the EFCC was yet to file any charge as well as serve any summons on Dr. Maina. It is trite law that you cannot say an accused is on the run when there is no charge preferred against him or any invitation extended to him.During the hearing for the bail application, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN, wanted the court to direct me to produce Maina in court at the next sitting which I argued that there are clear procedures, which the EFCC is familiar with and should follow.Naturally, the court agreed with my submission on the position of law. Therefore, it is misleading for the EFCC in its statement of Monday to mislead the public that there exists an order for Maina to be produced in court when there is no invitation extended to him talk-less of a charge preferred against him by the commission.Maina also claims that his main accuser, Kabiru Gaya, a senator, told The Sun Newspaper of April 12, 2016 that he lied against me and the Pension Reform Task Team.These are his very words: You remember I was a member of the 6th and 7th Senate and I am still a member of the 8th National Assembly. During the 7th Senate, we were able to do a probe of the pension scam. I was a co-chair of that committee. During that investigation, we were able to discover N195 billion stocked in accounts of various Departments, Agencies and Ministries (MDAs) for pension and they were not using those monies. These are kinds of money that form part of the TSA and it is a welcome idea. It is an excellent idea. Now, we can use money we have to achieve what we want.The ex-pensions boss also made available to TheCable, a court order vacating the order for his arrest.Maina is on the wanted list of INERPOL and has been away from Nigeria since 2013. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has called on the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nige... The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has called on the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) workers to call off its industrial action in the interest of the nation.A statement signed by the Deputy Director (Press) in the ministry, Samuel Olowokore, quotes the minister as saying that strikes neither solve industrial disputes nor contribute to the industrial growth of any society.The oil workers have been on strike since Thursday over what they termed unresolved issues, while a meeting between the workers and government representatives failed to hold on Friday as the union stayed away, saying the date was not convenient for them.According to the statement, strike neither solves industrial disputes nor contributes to industrial growth.Our economy is already reeling from severe hemorrhage occasioned by decade-long mismanagement.Further action, which stunts the efforts currently being made to reverse the trend, should therefore be shunned.A situation where oil workers leave their offices and oil loading base will not make for an increase in oil export or assist to make available enough petroleum products in this time of deregulation.This will only compound the vandalisation in the Niger Delta, occasioning low output and export in our OPEC quota, apart from the unwarranted hardship on the populace.The time therefore calls for more patriotism, more so when negotiations have already been kick started with PENGASSAN and International Oil Companies (IOCs) on most of the areas, especially the issue of cash calls and arbitrary sack of personnel.The Federal Government therefore urges PENGASSAN to urgently call off the strike so that all sides will freely negotiate. I am very optimistic that when we sit for negotiation on Monday, July 11, issues that have led to the situation on the ground will be resolved in the greater interest of the nation. Former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Emmanuel Ibe-Kachikwu, said in his handover rem... Former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Emmanuel Ibe-Kachikwu, said in his handover remarks yesterday that the corporation, which he said had never made profit before, made N217 million profit under his watch.I am happy to announce that in our May results, for the first time in the history of this company, the NNPC made a profit of N217 million, he told the gathering at the NNPC Towers while handing over to the new GMD, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, in Abuja. .On the production volume that has reduced owing to the vandalisation of oil pipelines by the Niger Delta Avengers, Kachikwu, who remains the chairman of NNPCs board of directors and Minister of State for Petroleum, said, We are doing 1.9 million barrels.According to him, the Federal Government had been working on bringing an end to the crisis in the Niger Delta.He added that he was still studying what created the gap in order to further engage the people and bridge the gaps.He said: We are working on it and I need to meet with Mr. President for I have just returned and obviously there is a lot more engagement that is required.There are gaps that seem to have developed and I need to understand what issues warranted that.But we will work towards closing those gaps.Asked when Forcados would come back on stream, the minister said by the end of this month.By the end of July, he said.Kachikwu expressed joy for holding four positions at the same time, stressing that surprisingly, for 11 months, he managed the sector as the GMD of NNPC, Minister of State for Petroleum, President of OPEC and President of APPA before his recent appointment as board chairman.The minister said: It is surprising that in the 11 months Ive managed to serve as GMD of NNPC, as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, as OPEC President, as the President of APPA and Ive just been appointed the Chairman of NNPC board; all in 11 months.There are not many people in the world who would have those opportunities within that time frame or be given that opportunity by a leader. So we all have the President to be very thankful to.Kachikwu however promised to give full support to the new GMD in order to ensure that he succeeds.He said that there had been very massive restructuring at the NNPC, which had been able to set out various parameters of the business to be profit-focused entities on their own.On reducing cost, the minister said: Working with (the Ministry of) Finance, we have been able to cut operational cost close to about 30 per cent, which was one of the first things that we did and it saved a lot of money for the group.We undertook deregulation at the time nobody thought it was possible. And if theres anything we leave for this industry, it must be the legacy of that deregulation.Today our consumption of fuel has gone down by 30 per cent. Wwe have no queues in the filling stations.We have one and a half months of self sufficiency. We have strategic reserves that we are putting together and we have a funding scheme to enable the downstream to be able to adequately fund itself.We have succeeded in removing subsidy and saving over N1.4tn for this country on a yearly basis.We have reduced upstream contracting period from the average of between two and a half years to between six and nine months, and we have started a massive commercialisation of every aspect of our business.Refineries have challenges but we have been able to take them to a point where the three refineries are working for the first time in about 10 years, but still not at the capacity that we want.We need to find a structure, and we have started, in which private funds will go into the refineries and we will be able to rebuild our refineries to 90 or 100 per cent capacity.Ive already made a commitment that by 2018, 60 per cent of refined products importation will stop, and by 2019, we must become a net exporter of refined petroleum products. Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five ... Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said Friday.The president has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week, spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode vicious, calculated and despicable. Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians.Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of blacks by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After traveling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system.According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid on Saturday. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington Sunday night. The Bring Back Our Girls movement has lamented the inability of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to meet any of its demands... The Bring Back Our Girls movement has lamented the inability of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to meet any of its demands, a year after its first parley with the president.In a statement read Friday during a special sit-out in Abuja to evaluate its achievements one year after engaging with the president, BBOG said it is extremely disappointing that none of the five demands has been completed. On 8th July 2015, the #BringBackOurGirls movement, parents of our abducted #ChibokGirls and representatives of the Chibok community had an engagement with the new President, Muhammadu Buhari. This was necessitated by the need to establish fact, the urgency of our cause and dispel misconceptions about our movement, especially considering the treatment we had received from the preceding administration. At the time of that engagement, our 219 girls had been in captivity for 450 days and the President acknowledged government failure with regards to the rights of our girls and victims of the insurgency. As part of our submissions to the President, we presented Our crowd-sourced Citizens Solution to End Terrorism, Verification, Authentication and Reunification System (VARS), and a List of Demands, the group said in the statement which w as jointly signed by Dr Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu. Its initial demands were the implementation of the Verification, Authentication and Reunification System VARS, Protocol of Engagement with the Citizens among others.We proposed that a team be tasked with the credible implementation of VARS. The primary task of the team was to work with every abducted victims family and community to accurately ascertain the true identity of such individuals. Following their accurate identification, the comprehensive program for Recovery, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Reintegration was to be made available to them. It was also supposed to entail the setting up of a Missing Persons Register. We requested that the President direct relevant Government representatives to work with the BBOG Family to commence work immediately on an Accountability Matrix, which will define the protocol for obtaining and sharing information with citizens. We also suggested a monthly meeting between security operatives and community stakeholders in communities most affected by these acts of violence e.g. Chibok, Gwoza and Bama. We believed at that time that it would encourage much needed collaboration and information sharing to bridge the identified communication gap.We requested that the President direct the establishment of a Commission charged with the task of transparently investigating and reporting on the security lapses that caused their successful abduction and the operational leadership failures that led to their long captivity in terrorist enclave. This Commission was also to review the allegations of corruption within our security services that has hindered its capacity to perform effectively We requested that the President direct that the Report of the Presidential Fact Finding Committee of the Chibok Girls and the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North East be made public immediately. We suggested that the Government begin, in earnest, a holistic process of proper sensitization and enlightenment to curb this trend of youth radicalization and extremism. The BBOG Family indicated willingness to work with the Government to design the programme. We departed with the hope of re-engaging the administration towards setting clear timelines and deliverables for the five requests.A year later, it is extremely disappointing that none of the five demands has been completed. Specifically, a failure to implement VARS means we still do not have a cohesive system of identifying liberated citizens or even a database of those affected. Thanks to an initial partnership between the #BringBackOurGirls movement and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a coalition of Government Agencies led by the NHRC has begun the initial processes towards the establishment of a National Missing Persons Register. We acknowledge this, but ask that the work is fast-tracked and completed for the benefit of displaced Nigerians. This morning, a year after our engagement and close to six months since the President directed the setting up of a committee to carry out investigation into the abduction of our girls, we read of an approval of the members of the committee. Again the lack of urgency in the dispatch of responsibilities towards the rescue of our girls is alarming.At this rate, it begs the questions when will the committee be constituted? When will they be mobilized to start work? What time line will they work with and the reports submitted? Under what timeline will the government study and act on the report? What does this mean for our Chibok Girls who do not have the luxury of time and whose plight worsens with every passing hour, minute and second? The non-release of the Report of the Presidential Fact Finding Committee of the Chibok Girls and the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North East is also unacceptable. We demand an immediate release of these reports as their importance for lessons learned about the abductions and insurgency in general cannot be overemphasized. We reiterate our position that sensitive areas with implications for national security as repeatedly mentioned can be blotted out of the public document. Global best practice supports this. These lessons learned while providing information to the public will justify the need for expenditure of public resources, provide metrics for scrutiny and acceptance of the new report and factual evidence for the prosecution of all benefactors of the diversion of funds for arms procurement, BBOG noted. The Ministry of Tourism in Plateau on Saturday said it was planning an elaborate naming ceremony for its new Lion King Lalong brought in... The Ministry of Tourism in Plateau on Saturday said it was planning an elaborate naming ceremony for its new Lion King Lalong brought in from the Sanda Kyarimi Zoo in Maiduguri.The Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Peter Mwankon, told newsmen in Jos that the prime beast was named after Gov. Simon Lalong in appreciation of his commitment to the tourism sub-sector of the states economy. He said that the one-and-half-year-old cub replaced the older lion killed last year following its escape from cage during routine feeding in the Jos Wildlife Park.Mwankon added that authorities regretted the killing of the lion which was due to some limiting circumstances. He explained that the involvement of marksmen from the military and the police in tracking and killing the lion was to save the immediate community from danger as it could have turned untamed.The commissioner said it was unfortunate that some animal rights campaigners claimed that the act constituted cruelty to animals. He noted that the new replacement was through a trade by barter with the Sanda Kyarimi Zoological Park in Maiduguri, Borno, to add to the tourism potential of the Jos Wildlife Park.He described the lion as a prime attraction to the park, expected to boost the states Internally Generated Revenue and developmental projects.He gave an assurance that the management of the park had put modalities in place to forestall animals escaping from their cages within the park.The administration of Gov. Simon Lalong is poised to ensure the escape saga of last year does not occur again and more varieties of animals are acquired. The state government is also working toward getting tranquilizers in quelling animals when an escape incident occurs rather than kill them.Such drugs require some bureaucratic process to get because of its function. Besides, he said, more personnel were being trained on captivity skills, animals husbandry and other related skills to build their capacity in discharging their duties.NAN reports that the lion escaped from its cage during one of its routine feedings last year and it was killed as the authorities lacked the means to recapture and return it alive. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 82F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low near 65F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotu Idris, has promised to look into the cases of officers and men who are due... Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotu Idris, has promised to look into the cases of officers and men who are due for promotion.The IGP added that promotion in the force would now be based strictly on merit.He gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit on the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello at his official residence in Minna yesterday.Expressing his determination to give the personnel of the force and the citizenry a sense of dignity, the IGP said he will run a fair and just Police Force that will ensure that there will be no miscarriage of justice against its members or anyone in the country.He said: I have said that the Police Force will operate by the rule of law. So if anyone is due to be promoted, we will see to it that they are promoted based on merits.If there is any miscarriage of justice, I can assure you that anything that violates the law and every irregularity that goes against the operations of the Nigeria Police Force are going to be addressed.He reiterated his commitment to the protection of lives and property of every Nigerian, adding that the Police Force will work side by side with the Nigerian public in order to address the issues of criminal elements in their midst.Ibrahim Idris was accompanied on the two-day visit to the state by the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Kabila Joshua.In his remarks, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, expressed optimism that the Acting Inspector General of Police will reposition the Police Force as one to be reckoned with in the world.He stated that the appointment of the Inspector General of Police was based strictly on merit, stressing that Nigerians would see a new way of addressing the countrys security challenges.By the grace of God, you will succeed, and I pray to Allah to guide you and your family and to protect you, add to your wisdom and give you all the courage to do what is necessary to provide us with a safer Nigeria, he said.Governor Bello however warned the new IGP to beware of hypocrites and sycophants within and outside the force. The Federal Government explained yesterday why it has refused to enter into dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers who has continuousl... The Federal Government gave the explanation a day after the Avengers blew up three more trunk lines in Bayelsa and Rivers. Meanwhile, residents of over 75 riverine communities Delta state have cried out over the pollution of their environment and environment by the activities of the Avengers and other militant groups.Giving reason why the Federal Government was not holding talks with the Niger Delta Avengers on how to put an end to the bombing of pipelines, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that they are not freedom fighters but economic warriors who are fighting for their own private pockets.Professor Osinbajo who delivered the second foundation lecture of Elizade University,Ilaramokin, Ondo state entitled The Future is here earlier than we thought, declared that the so called avengers are not freedom fighters but fighting for their own economic benefits.They are avenging for their private pocket and that is why government is not talking with them.The Vice President however said that the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to tackle the menace of pipeline vandalism in the Niger/Delta region. While condemning the activities of the militants who claimed responsibility for the vandalization of petroleum pipelines in the Niger/Delta region, said the previous government neglected the region for several years, hence the current challenges in the region.The Federal Government has however put machinery in motion to curtail the activities of Niger/Delta Avengers.He also lamented that the activities of the avengers were responsible for the epileptic power supply in the country as well as the inability of state governors to pay workers salaries due to the low revenue generated in the oil sector as a result of the attack on pipelines.The NDA, however, continued its crippling attacks on the nations economy, blowing up the Nembe 1, 2 and 3 trunk lines in Bayelsa and Rivers states, in the early hours of Friday.The group, which maintained in an electronic mail that it would not beg government for dialogue, later on its website claimed responsibility for the attack, saying: At about the of 3.00 am to 5.00 am, the Niger Delta Avenger blew up Nembe 1, 2, and 3 trunk-lines in Bayelsa/River States. Its spokesperson, self-styled Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, asserted We are using this medium to warn the general public of impostors Facebook accounts. Niger Delta Avenger is not on Social network anymore.It was however, gathered that residents are worried that the rampaging militants vowed to attack and shoot villagers who dare to interrupt their operations.The Niger Delta Avengers, also yesterday, said it does not care if the Federal Government hires mercenaries from Saudi Arabia or anywhere to fight them. Reacting to online reports that the federal government had concluded agreement with Saudi authorities to deploy Saudi Blackwater mercenaries to the Niger Delta region to tackle militants that had been bombing oil facilities, spokesperson of the group, self-styled Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, told newsmen that NDA was not perturbed.A staff in The Royal Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria supposedly confirmed the $280 million deal, as part of the agreement in the Saudi-led Islamic coalition against terrorism to Vaxity. Anwar Eshki, a retired Major General, in the Saudi armed forces is reportedly the head of Blackwater, which undertakes such assignments for the Saudi Arabian government.Niger Delta Avengers in its reaction, said: The Niger Delta Avengers do not care if the federal government hires or concludes plans to bring in Bluewater, Graywater, Pinkwater, Whitewater or Blackwater mercenaries from Saudi Arabia. It is none of our business, the Saudi Arabia, has its own problem of terrorism, so coming here to help Nigerian government is funny. The Niger Delta region will win this war, the group added.The Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, also responding to the alleged move by government to hire Saudi mercenaries, said: We want to reiterate that bombing Niger Delta communities or wasting $258million to hire fighters to fight the Niger Delta Avengers will not stop Niger Delta quest for self-determination. Rather, it will aggravate and teach aggrieved youths better warfare and how to go about acquiring modern equipment to fight back tomorrow.The group in a joint statement by the national president and spokesperson, Austin Ozobo and Daniel Ezekiel, said: We wonder why the government is so bent on wasting such huge amount of money to hire fighters from Saudi Arabia to fight a region that has fed the country for the past 58 years. We are also surprised at the presidents decision to hire his Muslim allies to fight Niger Delta people. It asked: Why not Nigeria soldiers?What happened to the 100 gunboats, 5 warships and 3 fighter jets earlier deployed to the creeks to fight Niger Delta Avengers, which turned into a venture of intimidating innocent people and invading communities? A top CSKA Moscow official has expressed sadness following the departure of Nigeria star Ahmed Musa to English Premier League champions Leicester City.On Friday, Musa signed a four-year contract with the Foxes for an undisclosed fee, which is subject to Premier League and FA approval.CSKA General Director Roman Babaev told clubs official website: With a heavy heart we agreed to accept this offer.Over the past few years Ahmed became one of the key players for our club. At the same time we didnt want to put up obstacles for the player who is wanted by the reigning champion of England.Leicester made a great offer for the club and for Ahmed. Musa has made an outstanding progress during the last four and the half years with us, we shared many unforgettable moments and he fully deserved the step up to the next level. We wish him all the success in the future career.Musa made his debut for CSKA on 21 February 2012 in the Champions League match against Real Madrid. He made 168 appearances for the Russian champions and scored 54 goals. The ruling party, All Progressives Congress says the anti-corruption war of the Muhammadu Buharis government is neither selective nor par... The ruling party, All Progressives Congress says the anti-corruption war of the Muhammadu Buharis government is neither selective nor partisan.John Odigie-Oyegun, chairman of the APC, reiterated this claim in an interview with The Punch, where he noted that Peoples Democratic Party chieftains are being investigated because most of them received funds from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser.He said that when the former NSA was sharing money from his ATM machine, he didnt extend an invitation to members of the opposition party.Dasuki, who has been in custody since 2015, is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged diversion of funds meant to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.Prosecution depends on evidence. Once there is evidence, if anyone has evidence, let him provide it. This generalised rumour is not basis for serious action of that type. And in any case, there are a few APC leaders who are being called to question. It is not as one sided as it seems and it is not something to be apologetic for, Oyegun said.When the then National Security Adviser was disbursing funds from his Automated Teller Machine, he did not call an opposition person to say take money. So, its a natural course of events. This administration- if anybody can read; the President will not mind whose ox is gored so long as justice is done. It just happens that as at now, those whose hands are found in the till happen to be preponderantly in the PDP. But you can see that a lot of other investigations are ongoing and quite a few involve some APC leaders.Oyegun also said the ruling party is not interested in an opposition that is enmeshed in crisis, insisting that the APC is not in any way responsible for the internal strife in the PDP.All I can say is that they cannot eat their cake and have it. When their factional chairman left us, they were celebrating, they were happy saying oh, weve got a big fish. Now that they see the kind of man he is, they are crying wolf. We have nothing to do with the travails of the PDP because in reality; we want a virile opposition. We want an opposition that is responsible, that has ideas to contribute.They have failed to do this so far. So, it is not of any value to us that they are heating up and that they are losing the little bit of the sense of direction they had left. They are just looking for a scape goat. We have absolutely no interest in what is going on in the PDP. If you recall, we once urged their members who were trooping into the APC -as soon as we won the election- to remain in their party to give us the kind of opposition that will strengthen our democracy.This shows we mean well for them. We asked them to go and re-engineer themselves and be as we were- a responsible opposition party. I just pray for them and hope that they will be able to rediscover themselves, to be able to start the process of rebuilding themselves. Maybe, it is even good that what is happening is happening, because it will give us the time to take the tough decisions that the country which they ruined requires.The APC chieftain further stressed that the federal government isnt investigating the campaign finds expended by the PDP, but rather, public funds that were pumped into the 2015 election.Oyegun said individual donors, businesses and companies who contributed the election campaign of the PDP arent under investigation.That is not the issue. There is a great misunderstanding. We are not investigating PDP campaign funds. We are investigating records as to how public funds were hijacked for illegal purposes which were not budgeted for by the National Assembly. Nobody in business who contributed a lot of money has been dragged to any tribunal because he gave PDP funds.Public funds, public resources, money that belongs to you, me and the people of this country were stolen and diverted. Crude oil was being illegally sold to fund the campaigns and other political activities. Not just the campaigns, people just shared money and pocketed.Its not company XYZ limited giving PDP X amount and about being dragged before EFCC, that is not what is going on. Anybody who steals from the treasury either to fund campaign, or to put in his pocket or to buy an estate in every part of the world would be asked questions. It must not be allowed. Nobody must be allowed to get away with that. It is not the same with campaign funding. We are not investigating PDP campaign funds. Notable elders and traditional rulers from Bayelsa State, Saturday, told President Muhammadu Buhari that some of his aides were frustrat... Notable elders and traditional rulers from Bayelsa State, Saturday, told President Muhammadu Buhari that some of his aides were frustrating the proposed peace talks between his government and the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).The elders who eulogized the President for taking a decision to lead the dialogue, however, said discordant tunes among presidential aides created doubts in the process.They said the avengers became skeptical of the dialogue following signs of deceit, fraud and disharmony among the aides.The elders under the auspices of Bayelsa Elders for Progress, Peace and Good Governance (BEPPGG) led by their Coordinator, Chief Ayibatonye Goodnews and Secretary, Chief Lucky Ebifaghe, wondered why attacks on pipelines had continued despite dialogue and ceasefire.They alleged that the recent activities of key aides from the region including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachichukwu and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh, were frustrating the peace efforts of the Federal Government.The concerned elders, in an open letter to the President said: President Buhari should investigate the genuiness of purported meetings held between the Presidential Amnesty Boss, Paul Boroh and Dr. Ibe Kachichukwu.How can they claim to have met stakeholders and the militant attacks continues? They met some fake militants and stakeholders and wasted scarce resources of the Federal Government on jamboree.The Amnesty Boss,who claimed to have relocated to the creeks of the region was only sighted in Tompolos community with cladestine meetings without solution to the continued bombing of the Oil and Gas facilities.Buhari should investigate the money expended on the jamboree without result. We insist that the Presidential Amnesty Office should be probed following the alleged failed sharing of resources to fake avengers.The lack of knowledge on key issues of the region and wrong signals sent to militants along the creeks are frustrating the needed peace process. Many of the purported stakeholders have made money from the self created jamboree in the region. Genuine Niger Delta Stakeholders should be consulted for sustained peace. CAMDEN -- In nearly 20 years working for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Christine Shah has prosecuted countless serious crimes. But even the veteran assistant prosecutor had to take a few moments of pause as she laid out what authorities believe were the final, horrific hours of nearly 2-year-old Ariana Smyth's short life. Shah outlined the case authorities have so far against Michael Disporto Jr., the 22-year-old Manahawkin man charged with murder and first-degree aggravated sexual assault in Ariana's death, during Disporto's arraignment Friday afternoon. Ariana's mother, 26-year-old Amber Bobo of Gloucester City, is also charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with her daughter's death, ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma. Shah referred to Ariana, who's since been identified by family and friends, in court by the initials A.S. and said the girl wasn't even a juvenile child, but still a baby who would have turned two in two weeks. Shah told Judge John T. Kelley that according to Bobo, she and Disporto -- whom Bobo had been dating for just about two weeks -- picked Ariana up from her father's home in Cape May County on Saturday night at about 6 p.m. and went to Bobo's residence on South King Street in Gloucester City. There, Disporto took Ariana to a park alone to "get to know her better" and later took the toddler to a field across the street from the residence to watch fireworks, while Bobo stayed home stating she was too tired to go. When they returned, Bobo put Ariana to bed in the bedroom where the mother and daughter usually slept and then watched TV in the living room with Disporto. Bobo went to bed at about 11 p.m., leaving Disporto to spend the night on the couch. But when Bobo woke up at 7 a.m., Ariana wasn't in the bedroom but instead on the couch, wrapped in a blanket as Disporto smoked a cigarette outside. When Bobo unwrapped the toddler from the blanket two hours later, she found her daughter was bruised on both sides of her forehead and was wearing a different outfit than the one she was wearing when Bobo put her to bed. Disporto first denied knowledge of the injuries, and then said the toddler must've fallen in the park. He refused Bobo's suggestion to take Ariana to the hospital and instead said to put ice on the bruises and let her sleep. Bobo only noticed the bruises on Ariana's back and genital area when she went to bathe Ariana at 11 a.m., since Disporto earlier insisted on changing the toddler's diaper. When confronted about the bruises, Disporto again denied knowledge and convinced Bobo not to seek medical attention for Ariana since he was worried "what people would think," Shah said. Instead, the pair took Ariana to the Deptford Mall, where they covered her bruises with a hat despite the 80-degree weather. Ariana began to vomit at about noon. They returned home two hours later to give the toddler, who then vomited again, another bath and change her clothes before they returned to the mall and shopped until 3:30 p.m. After arriving home again, Bobo noticed her daughter's eyes rolling back in her head. Ariana had vomited a third time and was motionless. Disporto again rebuffed Bobo's attempts to take Ariana to the hospital, stating he was "just tired" and after Bobo insisted, said he would never see Bobo again. Ariana was unresponsive when EMTs arrived at about 6 p.m. to take her to Cooper University Hospital, where she was found to have bleeding and fluid on her brain, bruising and swelling consistent with sexual assault, a broken arm, bruising and fluid in the lungs and both blood and urine in her abdomen. She was rushed into brain surgery, but after doctors could not detect any brain activity two separate times on Tuesday, July 5, she was taken off life support and died at 6:26 p.m. As Shah laid out the timeline of events in court on Friday, Disporto closed his eyes and shook his head throughout Shah's comments. He scoffed and reacted with surprise multiple times throughout the proceeding. He only spoke to confirm his identity and say he couldn't reach his family Friday, but they were attempting to obtain an attorney for him. Ariana's father and about a dozen friends and family in the courtroom cried and supported each other throughout the proceeding. They requested privacy and declined comment outside the courtroom. Shah said she'd been contacted by an attorney in Newark who might get involved in the case and notified him of Friday's arraignment, but no attorney for Disporto, who is unemployed, was present in court. Judge Kelley granted Shah's request bail be set $1.5 million. Despite Disporto's clean record, Shah said the high bail was necessary because of the seriousness of the crime and the likelihood Disporto would receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole due to state law regarding murder convictions connected to sexual assault. Bobo remains in Camden County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail cash or bond. "This case is every parent's worst nightmare, to have a child stolen from their own bed and then victimized by an adult in the most despicable way imaginable," said Shah. "There is no more serious crime than this." Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find NJ.com on Facebook. arsonistpressercamden Camden County Police Captain Richard Verticelli discusses the arrest of Charles E. Ricks Jr. in connection with 14 arsons in the city over the July 4th, 2016 holiday weekend at a July 8, 2016 press conference. (Michelle Caffrey | For NJ.com) CAMDEN CITY -- The serial arsonist who "terrorized" the city by setting more than a dozen fires that left seven firefighters injured over the holiday weekend is now in custody, according to authorities. Camden County Police and city fire officials announced the arrest of Charles E. Ricks Jr., 44, at a press conference Friday afternoon, stating Ricks was responsible for 14 of the 16 fires set in the city over a 48-hour period. Investigators are continuing to work to connect him with the other two arsons. The majority of the fires consumed abandoned buildings, but the constant, often back-to-back efforts of firefighters to bring the blazes under control caused many to suffer heat and physical exhaustion. One firefighter suffered a burnt hand and dislocated thumb, while another is still recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, according to Camden City Fire Chief Michael Harper. All seven have been released after receiving treatment, and one firefighter remains out of work as he recovers. "It was overtaxing, some of our guys went down because they left one fire and went to the next because that's the kind of drive that they have," said Harper. Authorities credited the quick apprehension of Ricks -- who has addresses in both Camden City and Philadelphia -- to a combination of old-fashioned detective work canvassing neighborhoods with high-tech tools including facial-recognition software and the creation of a video timeline using the department's "eye in the sky" and local surveillance cameras. Detectives first obtained a description of Ricks by witnesses near the fires, and then used that description to comb through hundreds of hours of surveillance footage to piece together evidence linking him to the location of the crimes. Police identified Ricks, who was then apprehended by Det. Keith James when James saw him walking on Federal Street away from the downtown area at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning. He was taken into custody without incident, and following hours of what Camden County Police Captain Richard Verticelli called an extensive interview, Ricks confessed to setting the majority of the blazes. He's believed to have acted alone. "This was an all-hands on deck investigation, the city of Camden was terrorized over the Independence Day weekend," said Camden County Police Captain Richard Verticelli. Assistant Chief of Police Orlando Cuevas said detectives worked around the clock, abandoning plans to go home for the holiday weekend, to put a stop to Ricks' crimes. "[Detectives] worked dilligently performing some of the best detective work I've seen in my 26 years in the police department to bring this to a resolution," said Cuevas. Ricks has been charged with 13 counts of second-degree aggravated arson in connection with 14 of the 16 arsons, and authorities said the investigation is ongoing. Ricks remains in Camden County Jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail. "A serial arsonist has been removed from the city streets, which renders Camden a safer place," said Verticelli. CAMDEN: 700 Blk of Mt Vernon, DWELLING, HEAVY FIRE, PHOTOS BY: John Amet pic.twitter.com/8ZK7YpcAPT SouthJerseyFireWire (@SJFireWire) July 2, 2016 .@SJFireWire Here's how the Camden fire looked from the @Phillies game a few minutes ago; looks better now. pic.twitter.com/qHvtsKIwLg Jim MacMillan (@JimMacMillan) July 2, 2016 Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Hip-hop producer Just Blaze was pulled over by a police officer in New Jersey on Thursday and live-streamed part of the encounter on social media, saying that he faced undue scrutiny because he is black. Puzzled by the reason for the stop, Blaze, born Justin Smith, said the officer had one question for him -- "Is your car legit?" In a video posted to streaming app Periscope after the incident, Smith said he was "completely thrown" by the officer's question. When broadcasting the original encounter on Periscope, Smith alluded to the need to be cautious in light of the recent deaths of two black men after police shootings. Both of those incidents, which spurred nationwide protests, were chronicled by video. The music producer had been taking his Lamborghini to get a car wash when the officer, who Smith says was riding in a "sheriff SUV," spotted him. I'm being pulled over by police. -- Just Blaze (@JustBlaze) July 7, 2016 Bored casing on periscope just in case @@ Name is Justblaze -- Just Blaze (@JustBlaze) July 7, 2016 Smith, who hails from Paterson, is well known for collaborating with high-profile hip-hop artists including Jay Z and recently worked on several tracks for Beyonce's "Lemonade" album -- mostly notably the song "Freedom." He tweeted that the police stop happened in northern New Jersey but didn't specify exactly where. He said he keeps his wallet on the car seat next to him, not in his pocket -- heeding the words of an old Richard Pryor bit -- but stores the rest of the paperwork for his car in the glove compartment. When the officer again pressed him to prove how his car is "legit," Smith told him about the documents in the glove compartment, though he was wary of reaching for them. "But again, I don't want any issues," he said in a video describing the encounter, adding that he didn't understand why the officer didn't just request his license and registration to run through a computer. "I don't want to be an accident," he said. The officer, Smith said, explained that if he didn't tell him what was "going on," he would have to impound the car. But Smith said he recently purchased the car. After the officer took Smith's paperwork, he asked him to drive down the block and stop. Smith then started streaming video of himself from his car on Periscope -- "Just in case," he tweeted. "We'll see what happens," Smith said. "This is amazing, though." "First thing out of his mouth is, is my car legit?" he said. "First question." "I think ultimately it will be fine, but given the environment we are living in right now, I obviously am not taking any chances," he continued. "This could happen to anybody anywhere, as we all know." As Smith was pulled over, social media was still reeling from the deaths of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn. and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. Both men were shot by police and their last moments were captured by video and shared on social media -- in Castile's case, streamed on Facebook Live by his girlfriend after they were stopped by police for a broken tail light. On Thursday night, police said that Micah Xavier Johnson, an Army veteran angered by the shootings who said he wanted to kill white police officers, opened fire in Dallas, killing five officers. Initially the officer told Smith that his registration for the car was expired, he said, but Smith pointed out that the car and temporary registration were both new. The officer also asked Smith why he didn't have a front license plate, but Smith was confused as to how that could be the reason for pulling him over since the police car was behind him. "Just do me a favor, get that front plate," the officer can be heard saying as he gives Smith back his documents. "Crisis avoided," Smith told his followers in the video. He said that after someone who works in the neighborhood recognized the voice of the officer on his Periscope video, he received an apology from police for the incident. He said he was told that the officer did not know who he was -- which he called "irrelevant" -- and that they've had "a lot of problems with exotic cars in the area." Along with the apology, he said he received a dinner offer. Smith made light of the police query -- "At least I know what my vanity plate will be now. #2LGT2QUIT," he tweeted. But he also pointed to recent news as a reason to take precautions. "Obviously we're all on edge," Smith said in his second Periscope video, after the stop. "When I say 'we' I mean us as people right now. Not just minorities but the people who understand basic human rights." "I'm not one of those people who has a problem with all cops," Smith said in the video, adding that he has close friends who work in law enforcement. "I trust them with my life," he said. Smith added that he believes if he was "an older white guy, or even a middle-aged white guy ... not a young black guy," driving the Lamborghini, and police still wanted to check that he owned the car, they would not have opened with the "legit" question. "I'm not even mad at you," he said, addressing the police officer in his video. "Just think about the way you approach people." Some folks put 2 and 2 together and That police dept got a call not long ago. They sent apology and offered to buy me dinner. [?] -- Just Blaze (@JustBlaze) July 7, 2016 Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. NEWARK -- The brother of a 52-year-old city woman who was fatally shot earlier this week stood outside her apartment this morning, watching as people walked by a makeshift memorial of candles he had set up. Angel Martinez, 42, propped up the cardboard box and placed two candles in it after his sister Myriam Martinez -- a mother of two and grandmother of three -- was shot and killed late Thursday outside her apartment near the corner of Clinton Place and West Runyon Street. Myriam Martinez, who was known by many as "Cana," a nickname she was given for her lighter hair as a baby, was shot about 11:41 p.m. Thursday and died less than an hour later, authorities said. "How you going to kill a woman?" Angel Martinez asked, wearing a black Oakland Raiders hat while staring at the memorial. "She was funny, outspoken, a good person all around. ... Why it happened, I don't know." Myriam Martinez leaves behind two daughters, both in their 20s, and three grandchildren, all boys, who were the "loves of her life," her brother said. Angel Martinez said his sister lived in the neighborhood for two years. She would often help out at the grocery store attached to her apartment by making sandwiches, even though she didn't work there, he said. The two were born in Puerto Rico, but their family moved to Paterson where they were raised, he said. "We ended up here in Newark -- I guess that was a bad move," said Angel Martinez, who lives down the street from the scene and said he heard the gunshots that fatally wounded his sibling. As he leaned against his vehicle near the memorial, three investigators got out of a car and began knocking on doors. One said he could not comment about the ongoing investigation. "Yeah, it's the police," one said on the phone after knocking on the building Myriam Martinez lived in. "Can you come downstairs? We need to speak to you." Myriam Martinez was one of three people shot and killed in the city within a 24-hour period this week. Authorities identified one of the victims as 24-year-old Dondre Williams, who was shot in the 200 block of Keer Avenue and died at University Hospital at 4:30 a.m. Friday, police said. Officials also said another man died Friday afternoon after he was shot near Parkview Terrace and Goldsmith Avenue. As of Saturday afternoon, no one has been arrested or charged for any of the three killings, said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the prosecutor's Major Crimes Unit. Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook and Twitter. NEWARK -- More than a hundred people took to the streets of downtown Newark on Saturday to protest the recent shootings of two black men by police. The group started with about two dozen people around noon and grew quickly as the crowd marched through the city's downtown business district, holding signs and making calls for racial unity. Some of the crowd remained on the streets well into the evening. During the day, city police blocked traffic for the protesters, but many drivers didn't seem to mind the wait, honking car horns in solidarity with the marchers and joining in with the "Black Lives Matter" chant. As someone who works with black youth, Deidra Chatman said she came out to protest because hearing about the shooting of the two men by police this week broke her heart, though she said she didn't watch the videos circulating social media. "I couldn't bring myself to watch someone's death," the 32-year-old from Bloomfield said. When asked why he joined the rally, 23-year-old Michael O'Neil immediately said, "because black lives matter." "In light of the recent tragic events, we felt it was time to mobilize in order to make everyone know how crucial this is," he said outside Penn Station. In the evening, the protesters, many of whom said they are not anti-police, made their way Prudential Center, where pop star Justin Bieber was performing. The group marched through the area, holding hands and temporarily blocking off some of the entrances to the concert while shouting, "hands up, don't shoot" over Bieber's "Baby." Demonstrators and fans trying to enter the building clashed once or twice. Maya Rosado, a 17-year-old from Elizabeth, said she was cursed at by some fans walking by. "It was really disgusting," she said. "We need support and want to unite. This isn't a race war." As for Bieber fan 22-year-old Kerianne Westphal and her sister, the two planned to go to the concert but held off from going inside to join in on the protest, embracing members of the group. "They're protesting for people to live, and I am behind that," Westphal said. Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said there were no arrests and the protest was peaceful. Protests have been held in cities around the country in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. A peaceful protest in Dallas erupted in violence Thursday night when a sniper ambushed and killed five police officers. Seven others were hurt before police used a robotic device to kill the heavily armed shooter. Luke Nozicka may be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukenozicka. Find NJ.com on Facebook. -- Dozens of protestors gathered outside Newark's police headquarters Friday for a rally to condemn the killings of black men by police officers. The rally came a day after a sniper ambushed and fatally shot five police officers in Dallas at a Black Lives Matter protest against killings at the hands of police. Seven others were wounded in the attack before authorities killed the gunman. Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement also hosted a rally Thursday that snarled traffic in Newark's downtown. No arrests were made and the event was peaceful. The protests were held in response to the deadly shootings of Alton Sterling by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castil in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said his officers would be "more vigilant" at protests planned around the city Friday and Saturday after the Dallas murders. "We are going to ensure that people have their first amendment rights," Ambrose told NJ Advance Media in an interview Friday. "But, we have to make sure security [is in place] in case of any copycats." Friday's rally, planned by the Newark AntiViolence Coalition before the Dallas killings, was also designed to show support for civilian oversight boards for local police. Ema AHP.JPG Ema Klugman (Photo by AK Dragoo) Ema Klugman, the daughter of Jeni Klugman and William Jack of Washington, D.C, became the 2016 AHP Student Award Winner on June 17, during the AHP May the Horse Be with You Seminar in Orlando, Fla. Klugman is a cum laude graduate from the Maret School in Washington, D.C. and starts her freshman year at Duke University in August. "I have relished the broad array of experience that my life has offered so far -- from riding to music, travel, study, and writing," said Klugman. An accomplished equestrian competitor, her riding experience extends through the two-star international level in eventing with horses she produced herself, building on the skills learned as a Pony Clubber and training young horses. She learned to ride in Nairobi, Kenya when she was 7 years old, but she is originally from Australia. Earlier this year, she was hired as a working student at Offbeat Safaris, a horse safari operation based out of Kenya, interned at the Akilah College for Women, and taught at a music school for young children in Kigali. Horse Radio Network's Glenn Hebert interviewed Klugman on the Stable Scoop Radio Show soon after the AHP seminar where he met her. Asked about when she started writing, Klugman said she had a fascination for words from the time she learned to spell. English was her favorite subject and she discovered that she could combine her passion for horses with something she was good at. Klugman became the Editor-in-Chief of The Maret Literary and Visual Arts Magazine which required leading a team in selecting pieces, organizing meetings, communicating with printing companies, and laying out the annual publication. She also worked for two years on the Maret newspaper, The Woodley Leaves. "Similarly, these experiences taught me that publishing necessitates innovative problem solving," said Klugman. "The synergic environment our literary and artistic teams generated inspired my own creativity." About a year ago, Klugman started writing for Eventing Connect (www.eventingconnect.today) a global eventing website published in Ontario, Canada. Recently promoted to Assistant Managing Editor, her responsibilities now include more managerial tasks, such as access to the back-end of the site and proofing the articles before they are published. She is also hoping to develop new, creative ways of presenting the material to the site's readers. Between writing, riding, traveling, practicing on her piano, and preparing for her first year of college, Klugman managed to squeeze in a gig as a working student for Gold Medalist, Marilyn Little of Raylyn Farms, an international competitor in show jumping and eventing. Klugman gets to ride fabulous horses and receive instruction for her own two horses. Klugman said she had no idea how vast an opportunity there was in equine publishing before learning of the Student Award contest on social media. She found networking during the seminar a valuable opportunity and looks forward to pursuing her freelance writing in the horse industry as well as at Duke. Stephanie Church, Editor-in-Chief of The Horse and former AHP Student Award Winner, evaluated this year's Student Award applicants' resumes and wrote Klugman, "With your ambition, hard work, and talent, you're bound to go far in this industry." From one Student Award Winner to another, that is high praise. Klugman was one of three students who were selected as AHP Student Travel Award winners and received $750 cash awards to attend the seminar in Orlando. The other two finalists were Kaitie Marolf, a print journalism major who will graduate from Kansas State University in May, 2017, and Bianca McCarty, who is studying photography at Colorado Mountain College. Both young women are talented in their fields. Marolf won the AHP Equine Media Award for Student Equine Journalism and McCarty's photographs have been published in multiple equine magazines and calendars. The Student Award Committee interviewed the three finalists in Orlando and selected Klugman as this year's winner. As the 2016 Student Award winner, Klugman received a framed certificate and lapel pin from American Horse Publications, $1,000 cash award from AIM Equine Network, and an all-expenses paid trip to a Two-Day Customer Education Seminar presented by Publishers Press, Inc. in Shepherdsville, Ky. As runners-up, Marolf and McCarty were each presented with a cash award of $400 sponsored by AIM Equine Network. The 2016 Student Award presentation was held on Friday night at the Student Award Party named Horsewarts School of Equine Media. The theme tapped into one of Orlando's most popular attractions, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. "Re-creating the Great Hall at Hogwarts in a hotel ballroom was a fun challenge," said Chris Brune, AHP Executive Director. "While not every attendee was a Harry Potter fan, everyone experienced a magical evening and learned about the wizarding world." The three student winners received their own magical wand based on their favorite Harry Potter character. Event sponsors for the evening were The Horse Media Group, Sidelines Magazine, Freedom Health's SUCCEED(r) and the Morris Media Network Equine Group publications, Barrel Horse News, Equine Journal, Quarter Horse News and Western Horseman. The AHP Student Fund is supported by contributors and buyers at the silent auction held during the seminar. Proceeds fund three $750 Travel Awards to attend the annual AHP seminar to students pursuing a career in equine publishing as well as provide complimentary Student membership and seminar registration certificates to all Student Award applicants. Shopping the Student Fund silent auction is always a fun activity for seminar attendees and this year's event offered a wide variety of over 90 items. AHP Student Program Coordinator, Judy Lincoln, organized this year's auction which raised $3,329. The raffle and sale of the ButterBrew signature drink added another $515 for a grand total of $3,844. The highest bid item was an iPad Mini with custom seminar logo case donated by Horse Health and purchased for $195 by Jeremy McGovern. The second highest bid item was a helmet, sunglasses and gloves donated by Uvex and purchased by Jessica Hein for $180. The silent auction is not possible without generous support from fellow AHP members and friends. The year's donors included: Jean Abernethy, Absorbine, Acuswede, Breyer Animal Creations, Kimberly Brown, Rick Buckley Racing Photographics, Certified Horsemanship Association, Susan Count, Draper Equine Therapies, Dressage Sport Boots, Elite Equestrian Magazine, Farnam, Freedom Health, Tracy Gantz, Gumbits, Marsha Hayes, Jessica Hein, Holistic Horse, Horse Illustrated, Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Marion Cultural Alliance, MediaRadar, Metlar Premium Performance Saddlery, Mid-Atantic Thoroughbred, NRHA, Noble Outfitters, Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals, Premier Equestrian, Publishers Press, Johnny Robb, Sherry Ross, RSB Animal Health, Dave and Ann Russo, Schleese Saddlery, SmartPak, Larri Jo Starkey, Straight Arrow Products, The Chronicle of the Horse, Trafalgar Square Books, Uvex, Vita Flex, Weatherbeeta USA, Wellpride, Western Horseman, and World Equestrian Brands. The auction items provided a great opportunity to shop for horse-related gifts and products. A big thank you goes to those who won the final bids: Jackie Baker, Summer Best, Jennifer Bryant, Gary and Marian Carpenter, Ann-Marie Chalmers, Liz Cornell, Alex De Armas, Janet DelCastillo, Christine Hamilton, Marsha Hayes, Jessica Hein, Mark Herron, Jaci Hoffmann, Erin Hsu, Julie Kitzenberger, Ema Klugman, Emily Koenig, Danielle Koren, Gary Lincoln, Kaitie Marolf, Elizabeth McCall, Jeremy McGovern, Christina Miller, Jen Miller, Katie Navarra, Shelley Partridge, L. A. Pomeroy, Johnny Robb, Sherry Ross, Christie Schulte, April Sellers, Susen Shields, Larri Jo Starkey, Catie Staszak, Abby Strawder, Noelle Vander Brink, Art Vasquez, Patrick Warczak, Christy West, Jan Westmark, Beth White, Holly Wiemers, and Gil Williams. American Horse Publications offers students interested in a career in equine publishing with several opportunities to participate in its association. High school seniors and undergraduate college students pursuing a career in equine publishing are encouraged to compete for the 2017 AHP Student Travel Awards and Student Award. Guidelines and applications will be available in the Fall. To request information about any of AHP's student programs, please contact: Judy Lincoln, American Horse Publications, 386-760-7743, e-mail: ahorsepubs2@aol.com. Information is also available online at the AHP web site at www.americanhorsepubs.org nder "Students." For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition. Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com To subscribe to the print edition call 908-237-7310. For advertising e-mail mchapman@N.J.advancemedia.com. Find Horse News on Facebook lead1.JPG John Leadbeater in Kearny in a 2009 file photo. (DAVID JOLKOVSKI | The Jersey Journal) A former Kearny councilman was sentenced this week to 60 months in prison for his role in a $13 million mortgage fraud scam that used phony documents and "straw buyers" to make illegal profits on overbuilt condos in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, authorities announced. John Leadbeater, 59, of Kearny, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in March 2015 to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Simandle imposed the sentence Thursday in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Leadbeater and his conspirators located condominiums overbuilt by financially distressed developers in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. They then recruited "straw buyers" from New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Arkansas, and California, to purchase those properties, according to court documents. Leadbeater admitted to personally participating in fraudulent activity related to nine properties in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. He admitted causing mortgage lenders to fund $4,711,557 worth of mortgages based on the bogus loan applications and closing documents prepared by him and his conspirators. In addition to the prison term, Simandle sentenced Leadbeater to five years of supervised release. A restitution hearing has been set for July 28. According to authorities, the straw buyers had good credit scores, but lacked the financial resources to qualify for the mortgage loans. The conspirators created false documents, including loan applications that contained fraudulent financial and employment information, to make the straw buyers appear more credit-worthy and induce the lenders to make the loans. Once the loans were approved, Leadbeater and his conspirators created and signed fraudulent closing documents in order to induce the mortgage lenders to send the loan proceeds in connection with real estate closings on the properties, according to authorities. Once the mortgage lenders sent the loan proceeds, Leadbeater and his conspirators took a portion of the proceeds, having funds wired or checks deposited into various accounts they controlled, authorities said. They also distributed a portion of the proceeds to the other members of the conspiracy for their respective roles. From 1990 to 1999, Leadbeater was a Kearny councilman for the 4th Ward, which covers the east side of Kearny from Belleville Turnpike to Quincy Avenue. Leadbeater also led three unsuccessful attempts to unseat current Kearny Mayor Al Santos, most recently in 2009. President Serzh Sargsyan has arrived to the Republic of Poland where he will participate at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the NATO member and non-member states dedicated to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. The meeting will be held in framework of the NATO Summit. At the venue of the Summit, the Heads of the delegations were greeted by the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg and President of Poland Andrzej Duda. In Warsaw, the President of Armenia will meet with the US Secretary of State John Kerry. Gifts as Bribes? Financial Disclosures of Top Armenian Officials Fail to List Sources According to Armenias Public Service Employment Law, civil servants or government officials are forbidden to accept gifts that are in any way connected to carrying out their assigned duties. Simply put, such gifts/gratuities are regarded as nothing more than bribes for said civil servants to either turn a blind eye to various infractions or as incentives to apply the full power of their office if such a measure suits the gift-giver. Unfortunately, in Armenia, its hard to gauge whether gifts, often amounting to thousands of dollars, listed in the financial disclosures submitted by officials, are aimed at manipulating the powers that be. The reason is simple. Financial disclosures filed by government officials in Armenia do not disclose the source of those gifts. Ministers and Their Relatives The only minister who has officially disclosed any gift while in office has been Arpineh Hovhannisyan., Armenias Minister of Justice. In 2012, when a Republican Party of Armenia MP, she received a 3 million AMD ($6,300) gift. While no other minister has disclosed such gifts on their financial reports, their relatives and friends have. In 2014, when Armen Mouradyan assumed the post of Minister of Health, his family received a gift of $43,000. The same year, Mouradyans wife Yelena Amirkhanyan received a $15,000 gift and $10,000 the following year. The ministers mother received 4.3 million AMD in 2014. His daughter Gayaneh received $4,000 in 2014 and $5,000 in 2015. Deputy Ministers Deputy ministers in Armenia have also received gifts, often larger ones. Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Arsen Karamyan received $100,000 in gifts since 2011. While Karamyan has served as minister since 2009, his financial disclosures, as is the case for other top officials, start in 2011. Artur Poghosyan, deputy culture minister since 2009, disclosed $18,000 two years later. In 2011, when serving as Tavoush Provincial Governor, Deputy Minister for Urban Construction Armen Ghoularyan received a $20,000 gift. In 2014, Deputy Health Minister Tigran Sahakyan received a 52 million AMD ($109,000) parcel of land as a gift. (Tigran is the eldest son of parliament president Galust Sahakyan) Deputy Minister of Finance Atom Janjoughazyan received a 12.7 million apartment as a gift in 2015. Hasmik Martirosyan, his wife, received 216,000 AMD as a gift in 2011. According to the Public Sector Employment Law, all gifts over 100,000 AMD must be allocated for charitable purposes or regarded as the property of said ministry. Wives of Deputy Ministers Maneh Haroutyunyan, wife of Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hayk Haroutyunyan, received a gift of 20 million AMD in 2015, one year after her husband took office. Sofya Makaryan, wife of Deputy Minister of Agriculture Robert Makaryan, received commercial property valued at 1 million AMD in 2015. Bella Baghinyan, wife of former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Grisha Baghinyan, has received $17,500 since 2013. (Grisha Baghinyan and his two assistants were dismissed in June) Children In 2013, Rafayel Poghosyan, son of Deputy Minister of Health Vahan Poghosyan, received a gift of 23 million AMD ($48,2500. Daniella, daughter of Deputy Minister for Diaspora Affairs Vahagn Melikyan, received a $10,000 gift in 2012 and 29.9 million AMD the following year. In 2014, Hayk, the 19-year-old son of Deputy Minister of Finance Pavel Safaryan, received a gift of $52,600 dollars. He the purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Armineh and Mary, daughters of Deputy Minister of Defense Movses Hakobyan, received 7 million AMD each in 2015. Other Income This is a convenient catch-all category for revenues other than wages, interest and dividends, inheritance, rents and gifts. For example, in 2013 and 2014 Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan declared 40 and 30 million AMD respectively in other income. There is no information regarding the source. Julietta Abrahamyan, the prime ministers wife, declared 218 million AMD ($458,000) in other income between 2011 and 2015. Alisa Grigoryan, wife of Minister of Nature Protection Aramayis Grigoryan, has declared 118.3 million AMD in other income in 2013-2015. Last year, Siranoush Sahakyan, president of Armenias High Ranking Officials Ethic Committee, purchased an apartment in Yerevan for 57.6 million AMD (US$119,570). When this reporter asked Sahakyan, who receives an annual salary of 9.3 million AMD ($19,510), where the money came from, she said she had taken out a loan of 70,000 Swiss francs. (Thats around $71,200 at todays exchange rate) Her only other sources of income last year were 600,000 AMD ($1,259) for lecturing at Yerevan State University and the American University of Armenia, and 5.5 million AMD ($11,538) when she sold her Mercedes Benz CLK350. Sahakyan also had various foreign currency bank accounts to tap. At the start of 2015, she had 20,000 Euros, US$7,200, and 23,000 Swiss Francs. By the end of the year she only had 4,000 Euros left. The bank savings, money from the Mercedes sale, and the loan went towards the purchase of the apartment, Sahakyan told this reporter. When I asked why she took out the loan in Swiss Francs, Sahakyan replied to diversify the risk. I try to spread out the risks. At the time, given the scenario, I preferred to get the loan in Swiss Francs, Sahakyan said. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Baron Hill is vowing to walk 500 miles beginning Tuesday in South Bend. That walk across Indiana will cover a lot of territory. Hill will hold a rally with supporters at 10 a.m. Central at UAW Local 5 before walking 15 miles to Elkhart. His next steps (pardon the pun) will take him to Goshen, then Syracuse, then Pierceton. In response to Dallas Indiana Gov. Mike Pence met Friday morning with law enforcement and civil rights leaders following Thursday's assassination of Dallas police officers. Pence directed the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and the Indiana State Police to reaffirm efforts statewide to work toward meaningful solutions to social problems and safeguard communities. As we mourn with those who mourn, now is also a time for Hoosiers to humble ourselves and reflect on how each of us might build bridges of opportunity and hope in struggling communities across our state. To heal our land, we must stand with those who protect and serve and continue to reach out with generosity and compassion for those in need, Pence said in a prepared statement. In light of the horrific ambush on law enforcement officers last night in Dallas, it is important that we reaffirm our commitment to public safety while encouraging and protecting the rights of all citizens because all lives matter, said Indiana Civil Rights Commission Executive Director Rick Hite. Less acid dropping Yellow striping on corn leaves is more prevalent this year than in the past, and you might be able to blame the federal government for it. Cleaner air resulting from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules could be causing a sulfur deficiency in the soil. "We used to get quite a bit of sulfur from rainfall. The power plants would burn coal that had sulfur in it, so sulfur would be deposited in rainfall or absorbed directly from the air by the soil," said Purdue Extension soil fertility specialist Jim Camberato. "But over the last 20-25 years, these emissions have been reduced, so perhaps now the amounts in rainfall and atmosphere deposition are low enough that plants are not getting enough that way anymore." Wet deposition of sulfur, or sulfur absorbed into the soil from rainfall, decreased by an average of 62 percent in the eastern United States from 1989 to 2013, according to data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The primary source of wet sulfur deposition is through precipitation, known as acid rain. When yellow striping occurs on corn leaves, it is best to send soil and tissue samples to a private lab for nutrient analysis, Camberato said. Samples should be taken from both healthy and affected areas of the field for comparison. Gregg appeals to women A Women for John Gregg fundraiser is planned for next Wednesday at Woodland Park in Portage. Organizers are urging support for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gregg, who they say is "the candidate who supports women and families." Tickets start at $50. News from the East Branch office The National Park Service is seeking public comments on the just-released environmental assessment for the East Branch Little Calumet River Use Management Plan for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This document is a joint effort by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Urban Waters Initiative. It looks at recreational opportunities and their environmental impacts. The 30-day comment period began Friday. Read the environmental assessment online or at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N. Ind 49 in Porter or Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore headquarters, 1100 N. Mineral Springs Road in Porter. You're also invited to a public meeting on the plan from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. July 20 at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. Comments must be received by Aug. 8. Use the form online or mail them to Paul Labovitz, Superintendent; Attention: Gia Wagner, Branch Chief, Natural Resource Management; Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; 1100 N. Mineral Springs Road; Porter, IN 46304-1299 DeKryger nails Purdue board A familiar name in Jasper County has been been appointed to the Purdue University Board of Trustees to serve a three-year term through June 30, 2019. Malcolm S. DeKryger, is president/CEO of Belstra Milling Co. Inc. DeKryger is also president of the Covenant Christian High School Board, a member of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Advisory Board, and a member of the Purdue University College of Agriculture Deans Advisory Council. He received his undergraduate degree from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his graduate degree from Purdue University. How I spent my summer vacation U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., highlighted U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East and Asia following his bipartisan trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Israel. Donnelly serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Terror attacks on our homeland are often inspired or orchestrated by violent extremist groups based overseas," Donnelly said. "I traveled to Israel, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to discuss shared security concerns with foreign leaders and review U.S. and partner nation counterterrorism operations firsthand. While we face complex security challenges, what I saw on this trip confirmed without a doubt that our nation has the best, most advanced military in the world, working every day to keep us safe. I had the honor of spending Independence Day with some of the brave Hoosiers deployed now in Afghanistan, protecting our security, and defending our freedoms. We owe these men and women a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service. It is also clear that in order to defeat violent extremism, we need a coherent, comprehensive counterterrorism strategy, both at home and abroad. In Afghanistan, Donnelly visited Hoosier servicemembers at Camp Resolute Support in Kabul and met with American servicemembers training the Afghan Air Force and other elements of the Afghan security forces. Donnelly and the delegation met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah. He also spoke with U.S. leaders there. In Pakistan, Donnelly and the delegation met with the countrys civilian and military leadership to discuss ongoing counterterrorism operations. Donnelly also traveled to Miram Shah in North Waziristan, once a hotbed of terrorist activity, to review Pakistans frontline efforts to improve security along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In Israel, Donnelly and the delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed the U.S.-Israel counterterrorism partnership, including ongoing negotiations on a new 10-year security military aid package between the U.S. and Israel. Traveling with Donnelly were Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; and Ben Sasse, R-Neb. Caring about Medicare Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, highlighted $59 billion in improper Medicare payments because of fraud or bureaucratic mismanagement during his 47th Waste of the Week speech on Thursday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers Medicare, "is one of the worst offenders in the federal government for improper payments, totaling $59 billion in a single year, said Coats. To put this in perspective, $59 billion represents nearly 10 percent of the total amount Medicare spent that year. Last month, the Medicare trustees projected that Medicare Part A will be insolvent by 2028. Coats highlighted the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Recently, the Strike Force uncovered a ring of over 300 people from physicians and pharmacists to nurses and government officials that allegedly conspired to defraud Medicare out of over $900 million. Some of the bills were for procedures the providers claim took place after the patient passed away. Others were for home health care, which is reserved for bedridden seniors, for services that weren't even provided. George Lucas has given up on plans to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art which would feature Andy Warhol, N.C. Wyeth and other artists from his $1 billion personal collection in Chicago, but an architect is making a last-ditch Hail Mary to bring it to the former U.S. Steel South Works site. New York City-based Michael Sorkin envisions a new museum campus on the site on Chicago's far South Side where U.S. Steel made metal for more than a century. He pleaded his case in an open letter to George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, urging them to "Come back to Chicago!" "Im writing urgently with a suggestion for another location that could solve many problems for both you and for the City of Chicago, yielding a far superior result," Sorkin wrote. "It's the 600 acres formerly occupied by U.S. Steel, jutting magnificently into the lake, engaging panoramic views to the Loop, bounded by Lake Shore Drive, and served by Metra. More, it is completely clear and ready to build. No need to tear down a huge building, no need to back away from the lake, no need to take park land, no need to cram into an overcrowded architectural zoo!" The letter was first sent to the commercial real estate blog Chicago Curbed. A plan by McCaffery Interests to build a city-within-a-city development on the site fell apart in March. Sorkin, president of the Terreform Center for Advanced Urban Research, said that was "divine serendipity" and U.S. Steel was "doubtless eager to be rid of the place." A U.S. Steel spokeswoman has said the company is looking at options for the property near the mouth of the Calumet River, which has sat vacant since the closed in 1992. Sorkin suggested the city of Chicago could acquire the northern portion of the site from the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker and expand its park system there, including by building "a great South Side Chicago Community Art Park." He envisions a fleet of Millennium Ferries boats decked out to look the the Millennium Falcon in the "Star Wars" films that would bring people from the Lucas Museum to the Museum Campus, Millennium Park, Navy Pier and other attractions. Other institutions could cluster around the museum, including a lakeside amphitheater, a larger South Shore Cultural Center, a railway museum, an all-weather amusement park, and The Mellody Hobson Institute of Environmental Research and Technology, according to Sorkin. "You build your project according to its original design," he wrote in his plea directed at Lucas. "It will look so much better here, offer excellent access to an enlarged constituency of visitorscoming from north, south, and westand do so much more good." Sorkin said he admired the wish Lucas and Hobson "have expressed to make your museum extremely accessible, especially to those communities who have been so ignored by traditional cultural institutions." "By building your project on this waiting site in South Chicago you will dramatically assert this principle of inclusion in the strongest terms and offer this neglected part of the city tremendous dignity and the opportunity to create its own narratives," he wrote. Call it the ultimate of cover bands. The Hollywood Vampires, the new mega-group starring macabre rocker Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and actor Johnny Depp, is touring the country this summer with a playlist of rock hits largely made famous by bands from the 1960s and 1970s. The group performed its only Chicago-area concert Thursday at RiverEdge Park in Aurora. If anyone is going to perform cover songs as the basis of a show, it should be done by the caliber of talents featured in this group. The Hollywood Vampires put together a rich set list of iconic tunes and delivered them with high-spirited energy and dynamic showmanship. Cooper took the helm on vocals on the majority of the songs while ruggedly smooth entertainer Depp and powerhouse rocker Perry performed on guitars. The trio occasionally talked to the audience with Depp frequently tossing guitar picks to fans. Throughout the show, photographs of various musicians and artists whose tunes they covered flashed across the back screen. Cooper also told audience members how the moniker Hollywood Vampires came to be. It was a name that referred to the club he and other iconic musicians were in during the 70s. It started as a drinking club in Los Angles at The Rainbow Room, Cooper explained. It included famed musicians such as John Lennon, Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix and others. Theyre all gone, except for me, Cooper said. Among set list highlights were performances of David Bowies Rebel, Rebel; The Doors Break On Through To The Other Side; T. Rex Bang A Gong (Get It On); and Led Zeppelins Whole Lotta Love. They did stellar versions of The Beatles Come Together, Coopers Schools Out and the hands down top rocker of the night, Aerosmiths Sweet Emotion. To learn more about the group, visit hollywoodvampires.com William Mendoza knows the makings of a delicious burger. Mendoza, director of food and nutrition at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, is a semi-finalist in Jennie-O's How America Burgers Contest. He's one of 10 semi-finalists in the national competition and recently won $500 for the creation of a Stuffed Pizza Turkey Burger. The food director said he was extremely happy when he received the news that he was a semi-finalist. "It makes me feel good. I didn't expect to win," said Mendoza, adding it's great the hospital also is getting more exposure in the national spotlight through this contest. Mendoza's $500 semi-finalist winnings will benefit St. Catherine Hospital Christian Awareness Committee. Now Mendoza's creation is up against the other nine creative chef's recipes for a grand prize. Among grand prize winnings will be a monetary reward as well as the chance to have the winning burger featured on packages of Jennie-O Turkey nationwide. In addition, the competitors are vying for a cameo on a Food Network segment with Simon Majumdar. The person who wins the grand prize of $5,000 can donate the money to the charity of his or her choice, Mendoza explained. "I'll donate it to the hospital," he said, adding it will go toward the various charitable programs the hospital is involved with, including scholarships, Nazareth Home and others. Mendoza has served the special winning burger a few times so far in St. Catherine's Harbor Cafe. He said he and the food staff are always looking for new and interesting recipes to serve at the hospital. "We try to promote healthy eating and always try to do something different," he said. Mendoza, who's been on staff at St. Catherine's for 21 years, said his cooking philosophy is pretty simple. "I believe everything is good as long as it's taken in moderation." Hospital fans and community members are encouraged to vote for Mendoza's burger to make it to the finals. The contest ends July 15. To vote, visit facebook.com/jennieoturkey. For more information, visit howamericaburgers.com. HAMMOND An alleged gang member accused of conspiring with the Latin Kings to participate in racketeering activity faces up to 20 years in prison under a proposed plea agreement filed Friday in U.S. District court. Francisco Vino Gamez, of Hammond, plans to plead guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, but could see a shorter sentence in exchange for his cooperation with federal authorities. He also faces a fine not to exceed $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Gamez is accused alongside other alleged Latin King gang members of shooting at rival gangs Aug. 16, 2013 in Hammond. Court records show Gamez served as a lookout for rival gangs in Latin King neighborhoods, used a firearm while working with the Latin Kings, and paid dues into the criminal organization. Charges filed Friday accuse Gamez of racketeering conspiracy dating back to at least 2008 involving murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping and narcotics distribution. Gamez was also indicted April 25 on a federal charge alleging he used a firearm while working with the Latin Kings street gang. Hes also accused of conspiring with the Latin Kings to participate in racketeering activity to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The LaPorte County Sheriffs Department will not be increasing the number of officers patrolling this years fair, which kicks off a week of activities on Sunday. But the department and others around the Region are taking steps to ensure visitor safety as the busy summer festival season ramps up in an era of increased threats at public gatherings both here and abroad. Were definitely in a heightened state of awareness with the big events going on, said LaPorte Sheriff police Capt. Mike Kellems. The LaPorte County fair gets underway less than a week after a homemade bomb was discovered in a ditch at the north end of the county in Michigan City. The bomb, made with two quart-size Mason jars, a flammable liquid and short pieces of galvanized pipe containing some type of powder, was detonated by authorities, who still are attempting to identify its maker. It also was just three years ago when police said they discovered two 16-year-old boys carrying a homemade sparkler bomb in a backpack at the LaPorte County Fair. While police said they did not believe the youths intentions were to harm anyone, the bomb had the potential to injure or even kill people. Kellems said his department is approaching security at this years fair by staying in close contact with local and federal authorities about potential threats. There also will be uniformed and plain-clothed officers circulating at the fair and other large-scale events, such as next months pyrotechnic convention at the same fairgrounds site. Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said his officers typically experience nothing more than the occasional over-intoxicated person and/or juveniles pushing one another around during the annual Nativity Fest, which is underway through Sunday in the city. But officers are prepared for the unexpected, he said. You have to check things out that look odd, Williams said. Changing with the times A shooting occurred late last month in a grocery store parking lot across the street from the St. Thomas More Parish Festival in Munster, which left one woman injured and landed an 18-year-old man behind bars facing two counts of criminal recklessness. Williams said all the problems occurring both here and abroad have resulted in a better informed public, who help out police by serving as extra eyes and ears. Lake County Sheriff John Buncich also is urging the public to alert officers about any suspicious activity or abandoned items during Pierogi Fest July 29-31 in Whiting and the Lake County Fair Aug. 5-14 in Crown Point. He said his officers are briefed on what to look for these days, and more will be on hand at each event to head off problems. We have to change with the times, Buncich said. There are no plans, he said, to begin using metal detectors, which now are commonplace at area county and federal court buildings. Porter County police officers will be making their presence known at their county fair, July 21-30, sheriffs spokeswoman Cpl. Jamie Erow said. Officers will patrol the midway and are assigned for security during the events at the grandstand, she said. Emergency medical personnel also will be on hand. Fair officials have attempted to head off problems by enacting a ban several years ago on all gang colors or other types of gang-specific clothing, Erow said. This includes jackets and vests worn by motorcycle clubs. While there are no plans to assign additional officers to this years fair, the county SWAT team will be demonstrating its ability to respond to emergency situations, she said. Strengthened presence Williams and others pointed out there have not been a lot of problems at large events across the Region. His department and others have teamed up on occasion to head off perceived threats, which resulted in some criticism. One such saturation patrol was assembled in late May in response to a charitable event hosted by the Hells Angels motorcycle group at The Mill Bar & Grill along U.S. 20 in Burns Harbor. As many as 45 officers from seven agencies also had come together in late March in response to the appearance of two hip-hop artists police said have a potentially dangerous following. That action resulted in the arrest of nationally known musician Twista, whose legal name is Carl Terrell Mitchell, on a misdemeanor charge of possessing marijuana. That charge later was dropped. Williams said there is value in just the sight of uniformed police officers. That in itself you hope is enough to deter some things, he said. HAMMOND A Northwest Indiana man previously convicted on felony charges was arrested Thursday for trying to sell ammunition and what appeared to be a firearm to a government informant. Arthell Gilmore Jr., 24, of Hammond, allegedly sent a photo via text message June 24 depicting a pistol and ammunition that he was offering to sell to the informant, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District court Thursday. Outfitted with audio and video recording devices, undercover agents met with Gilmore at a Hammond business to make the exchange, according to a probable cause affidavit. There, informants observed Gilmore place what appeared to be a firearm into the backpack and hand it over in exchange for $350. The backpack also contained 49 rounds of Geco .45 caliber ammunition, court records state. The firearm turned out to be a BB pistol. Gilmore was convicted in February 2012 for burglary and sentenced to four years with the Indiana Department of Correction. Gilmore also was sentenced to two years with DOC for criminal recklessness. A special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in his affidavit enough probable cause exists to issue a criminal complaint against Gilmore for being a felon in possession of ammunition. HAMMOND Homes along a stretch of Lyman Avenue were briefly evacuated Saturday as a precautionary measure while the Porter County Bomb Squad unit conducted a search of a suspicious vehicle in the area. Police were called about 12:30 p.m. Saturday to the 6600 block of Lyman Avenue in Hammond for a report of a suspicious driver. He was holding some type of rag over his face, according to reports to police. A strong chemical odor was present when police stopped him a short time later. A search of the vehicle yielded the discovery of a cache of illegal fireworks and drugs, police said. A piece of steel pipe also was found in the vehicle. A 49-year-old Valparaiso man was taken into custody for probable cause for a hoax device, and more charges may be added later, Hammond Police Lt. Richard Hoyda said. His name is being withheld pending any formal charges being presented to the prosecutor's office, Hoyda added. Despite rumors in the neighborhood to the contrary, no bomb threat was made, according to Hoyda. No one was injured. The residence where the vehicle was stopped and six neighboring homes were evacuated as a precaution, according to Hoyda. The scene was being cleared as of 4:15 p.m. A woman who lives on that block and had asked not to be identified said a vehicle in her driveway was being investigated. The woman said she was sleeping when police came to her door around 1 p.m. and told her and her son they had to evacuate because of the potential threat. VALPARAISO A 38-year-old Kouts man pleaded guilty to a felony count of child seduction and a related charge based on allegations of forcing two underage girls into having various forms of sexual contact with him, including one girl undergoing the abuse for several years. Joseph DeMarco Sr. struck the proposed deal with prosecutors, who agreed to drop 10 other charges, according to court records. The proposed agreement calls for DeMarco to be sentenced to 4 1/2 years behind bars, followed by six years of formal probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and comply with all the limitations and rules. Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper will consider accepting the deal and carrying out sentencing Aug. 23. The case came to light in December when one of the girls told a relative about the abuse, according to charging information. The girl reportedly told investigators DeMarco had sexual contact with her in December. At some point along the way, he ceased the activity, saying, "We need to stop or we'd get in trouble." The girl said DeMarco had kissed and touched her inappropriately a week earlier, police said. The revelation resulted in a second girl coming forward with allegations that DeMarco began massaging her in sixth grade and that the abuse progressed until she was 17, according to charging information. The abuse reportedly occurred three to four times a week. The girl told investigators DeMarco would apologize after each encounter, saying things like, "If you tell, I'll shoot myself." HAMMOND As children rode bicycles up and down Cleveland Avenue, friends and family of John Lee Hennington gathered in his honor Thursday night in front of the slain teenagers home. They stood in the same spot where the 15-year-old was shot and killed less than 24 hours earlier as Henningtons cousin, Brittnee Buck, of Hammond, bowed her head in prayer on the front steps. It wasnt right the way he got put down, Buck yelled out to the crowd that spilled from the sidewalks and out into the street. I want to let you know something. The devil dont care how old none of you are if hes planning to pick you all off. All the stuff they doing out in these streets, it aint worth it. It aint worth losing your life over. Police say Hennington was shot about 1:31 a.m. Thursday as he talked on the phone outside his home in the 1100 block of Cleveland Street in Hammond. Henningtons sister, who was in the living room, heard what she thought sounded like a speeding vehicle, squealing tires and a gunshot, police said. The sister told her mother, who called police. Buck, who recently moved back to the area to minster with a local church, said she believes her cousin was targeted. She last saw him on the Fourth of July when he stopped by to help her work on her motorcycle. We was going to pick him up for Sunday service, but didnt get a chance to, Buck said, tears in her eyes. Thursdays brief, but heavy, rains swept away candles that had formed the words Lil John on the sidewalk. Despite the rain, people stayed many tucked together beneath umbrellas. Henningtons sister, Taisha Graham, 18, were among those at the vigil who wore red or black Henningtons favorite colors to honor his memory. She said her brother turned 15 just last week. She bought him cupcakes and they had a small gathering for him with his family June 30, she said. Many offered condolences and hugs to Henningtons mother, Minerva Graham. She briefly spoke after the crowd released red and white balloons into the sky. Dont make your mama hurt like I am right now, Graham told the young crowd on her front lawn. But Im going to be all right cause my son looking at me right now, telling me Im going to be all right. School City of Hammond Superintendent Walter Watkins said earlier Thursday Hennington was a freshman at Hammond High School and previously attended Eggers Middle School. Its my understanding that this was the result of a Facebook beef, Watkins said. It had been ongoing for a while. Family of the teen said they are working closely with police but have been asked not to discuss what may have led someone to pull the trigger on him. Shanda McFadden, Henningtons aunt, declined to say whether any disputes on social media may have led to her nephews shooting. We dont know if he was targeted. Theres chatter but theres also rumors, McFadden, of Hammond, said of her nephews shooting. She described her 15-year-old nephew as smart and ambitious, who always had a really big smile on his face. He was always very respectful, and very kind, she added. Protests over police-involved killings were still held in the city Friday, but on a smaller scale because of the Dallas tragedy. NY1's Na'eem Douglas filed the following report. Protestors took the streets in Union Square and Harlem, among other places. The message: end police brutality. One protester asked, "When do the killings stop?" She was referring to the shooting deaths of three black men at the hands of police this week. The first came on Monday in Brooklyn, followed by deadly altercations in Louisiana and Minnesota that were caught on cell phone video. "My child could be asking that. 'Is my daddy next?' And what I'm here to say is, no. Your daddy is not next. My kid's daddy is not next," Friday's demonstrations drew a lot fewer people than the night before, just an estimated 300 people citywide. Some say it was just the rainy weather, but others suggested the protests needed a night off. That's because of the murder of five Dallas police officers by a sniper looking to retaliate for the shootings earlier in the week. Still, many who showed up said the fight for justice never rests. "If we take the day off, does it bring those lost lives back? If we take the day off in memoriam of what they did, then where is the day off for Eric Garner? Where's the day off for Tamir Rice, Darron Small? Where's the day off for Akai Gurley? We don't have have that," said one protester. "In light of what happened, at the end of the day, I'm a father. I didn't come out here with violence. I'm out here with my daughter. I come out here in peace," said another. Each of the protesters NY1 talked to said they came out to peacefully protest and that any violence toward police only hampers the conversation they're trying to have. Lawyers for the Fox News chairman Roger Ailes filed a motion on Friday arguing that the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him by a former anchor, Gretchen Carlson, should be moved from a New Jersey Superior Court into federal court and submitted for arbitration. Mr. Ailess lawyers said Ms. Carlsons suit, which they called a tar-and-feather campaign, was a breach of her contract. The contract, they said, included a confidentiality agreement stipulating that any disputes should first go into arbitration. The motion was filed on Friday in a federal court in Newark. The motion also contends that the case should not be heard in a New Jersey Superior Court since Mr. Ailes maintains that his primary residence is in Garrison, N.Y., not in New Jersey, as the lawsuit said. Ms. Carlson lives in Connecticut. Gretchen Carlson had an arbitration clause in her contract, stating that any employment dispute regarding her employment at Fox News must be done via confidential arbitration, Barry Asen, Mr. Ailess lawyer, said in a statement. Because Ms. Carlsons lawsuit violated the arbitration clause, a motion was filed in federal court to have the case arbitrated. The federal court is the proper court to decide the motion because Ms. Carlsons primary residence is in Connecticut and Mr. Ailess primary residence is in New York. When Thomas Pogge came to Yale University in 2008, his hiring was heralded as a major boon to its philosophy department, which had been struggling in recent years. Professor Pogge, a renowned German-born scholar of moral philosophy and international affairs, brought to Yale impressive academic credentials, and a dose of star power. But just two years later, Professor Pogge was accused of sexual misconduct by a recent Yale graduate named Fernanda Lopez Aguilar. Ms. Lopez alleged, among other charges, that Professor Pogge had groped her and made a series of inappropriate remarks, referring to her as the Monica Lewinsky to my Bill Clinton. When she brought her case to the schools University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct, Professor Pogge essentially went unpunished. Other allegations soon followed. Several professors in the field said that Ms. Lopezs charges should have come as no surprise to the university: As a tenured professor at Columbia University, Professor Pogge had been disciplined after similar accusations of sexual harassment behavior Yale knew about when hiring him. At the same time, in interviews with more than a dozen professors, administrators, students and experts, many wondered whether Yale could fairly adjudicate such cases when its process relied upon school personnel who may have had a stake in maintaining the universitys reputation. In Ms. Lopezs case, final authority rested with Peter Salovey, Yales president. While serving as provost, Mr. Salovey acted as the decision maker for the committee, which found insufficient evidence of sexual harassment in Ms. Lopezs case, and later rejected her appeal of its ruling. Mr. Flanagans decision to hold hearings in August in the village itself came two days after the State Assembly scheduled water-quality hearings for early September, with a broader mandate to examine contamination statewide. PFOA is involved in the making of Teflon. Last year, the chemical was confirmed in dangerously high levels in the villages water supply, which is drawn from municipal wells near a factory, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. State officials say the factory was the source of the contamination. Mr. Flanagans decision came after months of pressure from local residents and some lawmakers, who denounced the lack of public hearings on the contamination. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his staff have bristled at the suggestion that they had not acted aggressively enough to address the problem. On Friday, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, once again defended his response, citing efforts to hold accountable the companies tied to the pollution Saint Gobain and Honeywell International, which preceded Saint Gobain on the site as well as putting in new water filtration systems. I cant think of what else we could possibly do, Mr. Cuomo said, adding that monitoring PFOA and other chemicals was going to be a challenge, not just for the state, but also for the federal Environmental Protection Agency. THURSDAY night in Dallas, a calm and peaceful protest was shattered by a brutal precision attack against officers at the scene. Just moments before, some of those same officers had been amiably chatting with young families and others in the diverse group of demonstrators. As the news spread that five officers had been slain and seven others, along with two civilians, wounded, my colleagues in departments around Dallas responded as if family members had been shot. My neighbor asked me, Why are you crying? You said you didnt know any of those guys, one friend who recently retired said to me. I dont even know how to explain to him how hard this hits me. Along with palpable grief, the most common reaction I heard was pride. Those of us who couldnt be there were glued to the television, watching officers charge toward the gunfire, engage the gunman and protect civilians. We heard a radio call for plainclothes officers to suit up in their body armor many didnt want to waste the time. The cost of college is choking off opportunity in the United States, preventing some young people from getting an education and leaving others struggling to pay off their debt. Eager to woo young voters who cheered the proposal by Bernie Sanders for tuition-free public colleges, Hillary Clinton unveiled a similar initiative this week. Mrs. Clintons plan would allow families with incomes of up to $125,000 to attend in-state public colleges or universities tuition free. A big chunk of the bill would go to the states, which would match federal contributions according to a formula that has not yet been determined. The initiative would begin by covering students from families earning $85,000 a year or less. The yearly income cap would rise by $10,000 a year, reaching the $125,000 ceiling in 2021, when it would cover about 80 percent of American families with college-age children. The broad proposal Mrs. Clinton laid out on Wednesday is a credible start, but it could face the same hurdles that she identified in Bernie Sanderss plan. His plan called for free tuition at public colleges for everyone, even the wealthy, through a federal matching program that would place one-third of the tuition burden on states. Mrs. Clinton dismissed Mr. Sanderss proposal as impossible to carry out because it would require Republican-led states to supply the money needed upfront the same states that have largely refused to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Her plan would require a lesser, but still substantial, commitment from those states. Dallas On Friday, the city of Dallas was in mourning, and so was I. We lost five police officers. They were gunned down at a peaceful protest on Thursday night that took place just a few blocks from where I live. I was at that protest too. So was my friend Angela. She stayed longer than I did, leaving right before the shots rang out. Peaceful crowd. Sprits lifted and prepped for action. Sad to see it turn out like this, she later wrote on Facebook. Everyone is sad to see it turn out like this. The city planned a prayer vigil for noon on Friday and I decided to go and maybe to stay until the end this time. I walked to Thanks-Giving Square, where the vigil was held, down a street lined with police officers in their dress blue uniforms. They were pleasant to everyone who greeted them. Some people took pictures. I took a photo of some people posing with the police too. They said that it might have been an excessive use of force and that it set a precedent, adding that they were concerned that other departments across the country could begin using the same tactic. The further we remove the officer from the use of force and the consequences that come with it, the easier it becomes to use that tactic, said Rick Nelson, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former counterterrorism official on the National Security Council. Its what we have done with drones in warfare. In warfare, your object is to kill, he added. Law enforcement has a different mission. Other law enforcement officials supported the decision, suggesting they could take a similar approach if the situation called for it. At a news conference on Friday, New Yorks police commissioner, William J. Bratton, said that while he was waiting to find out precisely what the Dallas police did, we have that capability. This is an individual that killed five police officers, he added. So God bless em. The use of the robot and explosive device comes amid questions about whether police departments, which have bought equipment from the Pentagon that was part of efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, have become too militarized. During the turmoil in Ferguson, Mo., two years ago, local law enforcement quelled protests with military-style equipment, angering many who said they felt intimidated. The Obama administration has declined to stop the Pentagon from selling the equipment, saying that a vast majority of it strengthens local policing. While Chief Brown offered no additional information about the use of the robot, it appeared that officers had repurposed a remote-controlled bomb disposal vehicle that is normally used to inspect dangerous crime scenes or pick up suspected explosive devices for detonation or dismantling. Ten more states sued the federal government on Friday over a directive to public schools on bathroom use by transgender students, adding their objections to those of 11 states that brought a lawsuit soon after the directive was released in May. The latest lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Nebraska, says that federal agencies like the Justice Department and the Education Department overstepped their authority with the directive, which requires schools to allow students to use the bathrooms that match their gender identity. The government, the lawsuit said, essentially redefined the word sex in federal codes to include gender identity and undermined school districts authority. If you look at the history of Title IX, Congress never interpreted sex to be so broadly defined, Douglas Peterson, Nebraskas attorney general, said in an interview. After the killings in Dallas, David O. Brown, the citys police chief, became the face of the nations shock. At multiple news conferences, he sorted through a jumble of reports, some of them wrong, as he narrated the standoff between his officers and the gunman. But he also offered simple, emotional words: Were hurting, he said on Friday morning, in a moment of shared public grief. His appearances may also have evoked a more personal grief. Just weeks after Chief Brown became the leader of the Dallas Police Department in 2010, his own son fatally shot a police officer and another man before being killed in a confrontation with the police. My family has not only lost a son, but a fellow police officer and a private citizen lost their lives at the hands of our son, he said in a statement at the time. That hurts so deeply I cannot adequately express the sadness I feel inside my heart. WARSAW As Air Force One headed for Europe on Thursday afternoon, President Obama holed up in the planes office editing a Facebook post meant to express his anguish at two deadly shootings by police officers. Given what had happened, he told his aides, he didnt think it was enough. Wrestling with what the appropriate thing to do instead was the start of a wrenching 10 hours in which Mr. Obama would find himself whipsawed by grim events back home, forcing him to once again search for the right tone in a moment of national shock and mourning. In that time, Mr. Obama delivered a trans-Atlantic call for racial justice after the gruesome deaths of two black men at the hands of the police, only to face the same television cameras hours later to denounce the killings of five officers by a black sniper. For Mr. Obama, the killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul and the bloody reprisal in Dallas encapsulated the challenge he has faced throughout his presidency: how to confront a justice system that he views as tilted against the very people whom he, as the nations first black president, seemed singularly equipped to help. As someone who knows well the persuasive power of speech, Mr. Obama has sought to use the authority of his office to amplify and support the emerging Black Lives Matter movement while striving not to become an unwitting megaphone for anti-police sentiment that has at times fueled violent protests and police shootings. This presidents role, and his unique quality, is to try to be reassuring and empathetic, said Marc Morial, head of the National Urban League. To try to be healing, but also to try to understand the pain both of the families of the victims in Baton Rouge and Minnesota and the pain in Dallas. Mr. Obama had left for a five-day trip to consult with European and NATO leaders hours after the bloody aftermath of the second police shooting in two days was streamed live on Facebook. Four hours into the flight to his first stop, Warsaw, the president stopped his press secretary, Josh Earnest, in a plane corridor. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Abdul Sattar Edhi, the Pakistani philanthropist whose name became synonymous with charitable causes and who achieved an almost saintly status in Pakistan, died on Friday in the southern port city of Karachi. He was 88. His son Faisal said Mr. Edhi had been undergoing treatment for renal failure at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation when he died. The death was widely mourned in a country that is hungry for role models and heroes. To many, Mr. Edhi was known as the Father Teresa of Pakistan. We have lost a great servant of humanity, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. Abdul Sattar Edhi was the real manifestation of love for those who are socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless and poor. If anyone deserves to be wrapped in the flag of the nation he served, it is him. Alison Bernstein, who expanded opportunities for learning and tackled challenging social problems as an educator and as an official of the Ford Foundation, died on June 30 at her home in East Hampton, N.Y. She was 69. The cause was endometrial cancer, her partner, Johanna Schoen, said. Ms. Bernstein was a polymath who brought her broad knowledge to bear on an array of causes during her time at the Ford Foundation, where she worked from 1983 until 2010, with a break in the early 1990s. She started as a program officer, determining which projects merited financing, and later became a vice president overseeing other grant-makers for the foundations Education, Creativity and Free Expression Program (now called Creativity and Free Expression). Susan Berresford, the Ford Foundations president during much of Ms. Bernsteins time there, said that Ms. Bernsteins abilities were immediately apparent. She was a lively and curious and wonderfully imaginative person, and this all came across in 10 minutes during their first interview, Ms. Berresford said on Friday. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Even as advertisers are embracing new configurations of families two dads, say, or grandparents raising grandchildren theres one group that feels left out. Women who are childless. Or as they also call themselves, the child-free. Or even the NotMoms. According to census figures, more women in the United States are childless than at any other time since the government began keeping track in 1976. Nearly half of women 47.6 percent between the ages of 15 and 44 did not have children in 2014, up from 46.5 percent in 2012. And 15.3 percent of women ages 40 to 44 are childless. The numbers are growing internationally as well. Despite these statistics, the majority of marketing talks to adult women like they are all moms or want to be mothers, said Adrianna Bevilaqua, chief creative officer at M Booth, a public relations company. Melanie Notkin has made a career of catering to women who dont have children but love them she is the founder of the website SavvyAuntie; coined the term professional aunt, no kids, or PANKs; and is the author of Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness. She wonders why companies, always eager to target a potentially lucrative demographic, seem to be ignoring this one. Each Saturday, Farhad Manjoo and Mike Isaac, technology reporters at The New York Times, review the weeks news, offering analysis and maybe a joke or two about the most important developments in the tech industry. Mike: Good morning, Farhad! After a week of unequivocally bad news from across the country, I need to start thinking about something nice, possibly tech-related. Although Ill settle for nice. Tell me something, anything, nice. Farhad: Hmm. Do you like Taylor Swift? I read this amazing theory that her very public relationship with British actor Tom Hiddleston might be an elaborate bit of performance art that shes getting the paparazzi to follow her and her beau around the world as part of creating some kind of visual album or statement on celebrity worship. I very much want this to be true. Imagine Taylor Swift as Banksy! Mike: I said something nice. This ruins my belief that true love exists. A few things happened this week. Facebook announced it planned to add an end-to-end encryption option to its Messenger app, in line with a bunch of other messaging companies doing similar things. The security community loudly complained about how bad the implementation was, but mostly to fulfill their daily quota of complaining about things in general. To the Editor: Re The Law School Bust (by Noam Scheiber, June 19): A consequence of the J.D. glut is that state bar associations are saturated with new bar members with no experience in the actual practice of law. As in medicine or teaching, time in actual practice is critical for a new lawyer to become competent. The answer is paid training, but state bar associations are not responsible to provide it. Paid opportunities are a function of market forces, and the market is dismal, as The New York Times has well documented. The tough reality is that a new bar member who does not find real employment close to graduation loses his law school knowledge and confidence over time, and the longer the graduate is out of work, the greater the loss of knowledge and confidence. Peter DeAndreis Eureka, Calif., June 24 The writer is a lawyer and a member of the Oregon bar. This is not about black lives, or brown lives or blue lives, he added. This is about America. Police culture all but forbids one officer from publicly criticizing or second-guessing the actions of others. For that reason, officers interviewed on Friday would not comment directly on the videos taken during and immediately after the shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. But one fact was clear: When a new video showing what appears to be police misconduct surfaces, it affects officers everywhere. One of the worries that cops have is that no cop can control what another cop does, but all cops will be judged by what the other cop does, Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police Department said. Well sit there in the roll-call room, watching police videos all over the country, trying to make sense of what were seeing and trying to make sure were doing the best job we can. There is much to watch. Any time there is a traffic stop made, the cellphones come out, said George Hofstetter, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. The people taking them out have nothing to do with the incident, but they feel the need to videotape it. Its like they think, I am not going to stand across the street, I am going to become part of the problem. Chief del Pozo echoed that thought. On top of all the legitimate issues in policing, he said, street cops worry that there are people looking to foment confrontation to generate the next headline in situations where people just sort of complied before. Officers, privately, do not march in lock step after watching videos, the Queens detective said. There are people that are like, Oh, the cops right, he said. Im not one of those people. It is what it is. But he said he had often perceived a rush to judgment after the release of a video and the fanning of the emotions. Officer Pedro Serrano, a 12-year veteran of the New York Police Department, said that as a Hispanic he could sympathize with the anger felt by members of minority groups after shootings like those in Louisiana and Minnesota. 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. Growing up, I hated the police, he said. They abused me for no reason. Its just because I was in the neighborhood and a person of color. WASHINGTON BEFORE Fayad Tayih abandoned the Islamic State earlier this month, he detected a striking trend: More people inside the self-declared caliphate were signing up to become suicide bombers. Mr. Tayih had been working in an administrative job for the jihadist group in Deir al-Zour, in eastern Syria, at the time. Those who were working with me noticed the same thing, he told me over Wickr, an encrypted messaging app. Statistics released by the Islamic State confirm his observations. According to monthly updates from Amaq, the groups official news outlet, the Islamic State was carrying out 50 to 60 suicide attacks per month in Iraq and Syria last November. Today the number of such attacks is 80 to 100 per month, an average of two to three operations a day. The trend peaked in March, with 112 members blowing themselves up in Syria and Iraq. The Islamic State is shifting tactics, and not just on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq. The group is reverting to insurgency tactics it relied on before June 2014, when it took over Iraqs second-largest city, Mosul, and declared the formation of a caliphate. This operational change has been on plain display in recent weeks: Hundreds of civilians were killed in a spate of suicide attacks attributed to the Islamic State in Turkey, Iraq, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. In Baghdad last week, more than 280 civilians were killed when a car bomb exploded outside a shopping mall. Some people have suggested that this is a sign of the groups desperation and weakness. In fact, it demonstrates its strength and long-term survival skills. The Islamic State has known for years that it would suffer setbacks and have to find ways to adapt. In The Management of Savagery, a foundational text for the Islamic States ideology and strategy published in 2004, the author pointed out that in the 12th century, Muslims defeated the Crusaders with small bands and separate, disparate organizations. The group has not forgotten that message. The new American sanctions on North Korea are hardly surprising, since the regime brutally controls 25 million people, has an aggressive nuclear program and is improving its ability to launch missiles that could one day hit the United States. The question is: Are these sanctions connected to a strategy beyond punishment? On Wednesday, the Obama administration sanctioned North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, for human rights abuses for the first time. The sanctions, which freeze assets in the United States and prohibit doing business with Americans, were also applied to 14 other senior officials in the intelligence and security ministries and other entities. A State Department report, mandated by Congress, detailed the officials responsibility for extrajudicial killings, forced labor and torture. It is estimated that 80,000 to 120,000 North Koreans are in political prison camps. Administration officials said it was important to include the functionaries at the core of the brutal system because the public exposure puts them on notice that if the political situation on the peninsula changes, they can be held accountable. London ITALIAN bureaucracy is legendary for a reason. Italians spend so much of their lives waiting in line an estimated 400 hours a year per person that some are now willing to pay freelancers to wait on their behalf. The rich can pay a codista, a neologism for a trained line sitter, to maunder at the post office or bank while they get on with something more important. Im not quite sure what training is required to stand in place and occasionally shuffle forward, but maybe there is more skill to waiting in line than meets the eye. And it seems that Italy is not the only bureaucratically overwhelmed nation with its own waiting industry. Brazil has its despachantes, meaning dispatchers. Venezuela has its coleros, which, oddly, can translate to top hats; and Spain its gestores or agents. Meanwhile, in South Africa there is a company called Q4U that takes care specifically of the irksome business of applying for a British passport. In New York City, the cash-rich and time-poor use the service Same Ole Line Dudes, which describes itself as New Yorks only professional line sitting team. The Dudes will charge you $25 for the first hour, plus $10 for each additional 30 minutes, to put in the necessary time to obtain coveted concert tickets or rare new sneakers. Their slogan is, We wait for your wants. I am told that they will even wait at the Department of Motor Vehicles for you. WHATEVER drama plays out when Republicans meet in Cleveland next week to nominate their partys presidential candidate, the most consequential story line might well be the nationally televised debut of the awkward political partnership between Donald J. Trump, the presumptive nominee, and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the highest-ranking elected Republican and thus chairman of the convention. But it offers just a sample of the spectacles sure to ensue between them should Mr. Trump become president. How could Mr. Ryan, for years his partys self-styled ideas guy, share power with a president whose ill-formed, often baffling ideas are in significant cases the opposite of his own, and of conservatives generally on trade, Medicare and Social Security, immigration policy and more? Could Mr. Ryan, as he suggests, really expect compromise from Mr. Trump, who has already served notice that Republican congressional leaders should just be quiet and leave running the country to him? Might Mr. Ryan even use the Houses legislative power to block some initiatives, though President Trump would be certain to claim a mandate for them? Where difficult trade-offs are needed to bring Trumpian ideas into legislative reality, can Mr. Ryan corral support from his fractious Republican colleagues (and even a few Democrats when necessary)? That last question suggests another, bigger one that predates the Trump ascendance: Can Mr. Ryan himself compromise in the interest of getting legislation signed into law? Many in both parties have come to doubt it after 17 years in which the 46-year-old congressman from Wisconsin has held increasingly influential positions in the House, with Republicans holding a majority for all but four of those years. WASHINGTON IT says a lot about our relationship with Hillary Clinton that she seems well on her way to becoming Madam President because shes not getting indicted. If she were still at the State Department, she could be getting fired for being, as the F.B.I. director told Congress, extremely careless with top-secret information. Instead, shes on a glide path to a big promotion. And thats the corkscrew way things go with the Clintons, who are staying true to their reputation as the Tom and Daisy Buchanan of American politics. Their vast carelessness drags down everyone around them, but they persevere, and even thrive. In a mere 11 days, arrogant, selfish actions by the Clintons contaminated three of the purest brands in Washington Barack Obama, James Comey and Loretta Lynch and jeopardized the futures of Hillarys most loyal aides. MILAN I WAS not surprised by the Brexit vote. Only by those who were surprised. Hadnt the opinion polls showed the two sides neck and neck for weeks? Havent the British been talking about this for decades? I was not surprised and even less was I outraged. Had I had the right to vote, which I have lost after 30 years living in Italy, I would have voted to remain in the European Union. But I do not think it a scandal that others think differently. If it was a scandal that people voted to leave, then surely it was a scandal to have held a referendum at all. And if it is a scandal to hold a referendum on an issue central to the destiny of a nation and about which its people feel deeply, then I have misunderstood the meaning of freedom and democracy in the West. So why the extraordinary incredulity and indignation? Why the sense of betrayal? Why do so many people find this result unacceptable? It seems that over the last 30 or 40 years the idea has taken hold that there can be no peaceful or productive future for Europe without the European Union. As a result, anyone who voted to be outside it must be discredited as pernicious or ignorant, perpetrator or victim of some sinister populism. In the United States, this unhelpful reaction has taken the form of likening the leaders of the Leave campaign to Donald J. Trump. But Britain is not America and this was not a presidential election. Immigration played a role, but no one in the Leave campaign was suggesting Muslims be banned from Britain. On the contrary, some Muslims supported the Brexit vote. To see the debates of other countries in terms of ones own internal politics is always a failure of imagination. All this shock, horror and kneejerk denigration might be understandable if the European Union were notching up important successes and resolving its member states many problems, or if, at the very least, it had a figurehead with whom European citizens could identify, someone of whom one might say, However badly things are going, I have faith in so and so, I believe he or she really does have the interests of my nation at heart, really is concerned about unemployment in my town, be it Newcastle or Naples. Contract for Renovations We are planning to have the kitchen and bathroom of our condo renovated this summer and have found a contractor we would like to hire. But the only contract from the contractor consisted of some language about payment at the end of his estimate. I would like to draw up a formal contract to protect our down payment, the building and us. I could cobble together something from online sample forms, but I wonder if it is necessary to engage a lawyer. I would rather not invest the time and money, and potentially alienate our contractor from the beginning, but I want to be protected. South Park Slope, Brooklyn The list of things to worry about when you remodel your home should not include fear of offending the contractor. Presumably you are about to pay him a large sum to rip apart your bathroom and kitchen. What will transpire, when it will happen and how it will get done should be clear to all parties before anyone begins wielding a sledgehammer. When we prepare and sign a contract, its to protect us every bit as much as our client, said Jos Dudgeon, a principal of Tristate Sustainable, a general contractor in Manhattan. You likely need the written consent of the condominium board and will have to sign an alteration agreement with the board, said Dennis H. Greenstein, a Manhattan real estate lawyer. Hire a lawyer to review the agreement and craft a separate agreement with the contractor that meets the boards demands. Consider the legal fees you pay upfront as a kind of insurance: It would probably be much more expensive to hire a lawyer after things have gone awry. On the last day of the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago, Mr. Morris resigned as chief campaign strategist for President Clintons re-election bid because The Star, the sister publication of The National Enquirer, revealed Mr. Morriss affair with a prostitute who claimed he had a penchant for sucking her toes. The National Enquirer followed that bombshell with news of another mistress and a love child in Texas. When he quit the Clinton campaign, Mr. Morris issued a statement: I will not subject my wife, family or friends to the sadistic vitriol of yellow journalism. I will not dignify such journalism with a reply or an answer. I never will. Now he is the chief political commentator and correspondent for The National Enquirer. Mr. Morris said he didnt bear ill will against either of the scandal sheets that brought him down. Listen, the story was accurate, he said quietly. It changed my life completely, and it made my marriage much stronger. In a zigzag career, Mr. Morris has had many highs and lows and reboots. In recent years, he has had many foreign clients, including the nationalist Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary; in 2002 and 2004, he did media strategy in Britain for the party of Nigel Farage, a cheerleader for the so-called Brexit. Mr. Morris has made a living denouncing Bill and Hillary Clinton in books, columns, blogs and television appearances. In a video on his website, Mr. Morris argues that Mrs. Clintons email scandal still has legs, saying Indict Hillary for lying to Congress! Redfin has raised about $166 million from venture capitalists and institutional investors, and Mr. Kelman hints that the next round of fund-raising for Redfin could be an initial public offering. A number of technology companies have switched or are in the process of switching their contractors to employees for reasons similar to those of Redfin, including Shyp, a parcel shipping service; Luxe Valet, which offers a valet parking app; and Munchery, a food delivery service. Honor, an on-demand service for home health care professionals, is making the move to improve training. Honors chief executive and co-founder, Seth Sternberg, even spent time with Mr. Kelman at Honors offices in the Bay Area to quiz him about moving to an employee model. Mr. Kelmans advice was to do everything you can to create a sense of one cohesive work force at Honor, rather than two, consisting of engineers the rock stars at tech companies and health care professionals. That schism was a problem in Redfins early days. As engineers strutted around headquarters working on the companys website, agents felt as if they were doing the real work in the field. Some of the tensions that exist in society around whether tech is a coddled elite that really earns its pay existed here, Mr. Kelman said. The tensions were defused at one of Redfins all-employee meetings about seven years ago, when a group of engineers donned T-shirts that said, I love agents, according to Bridget Frey, Redfins chief technology officer. Chelsea Goyer, then a Redfin real estate agent, said the tactic worked. It was basically a message that we are at your beck and call, said Ms. Goyer, now a director for partner programs and expansion at Redfin. Were here to make you a better agent. Were all on the same team, Ms. Frey said. Thats held through the years. Americans owe $1.3 trillion in student loans. More than seven million borrowers are in default, and millions more are behind on their payments. Borrowing for college is common across the globe. Even in Sweden, where tuition is free, most students borrow. Whats exceptional about the United States is that so many borrowers are behind on their loans. So what do other countries do that makes their systems work better than ours? Sweden is often put forth as a softer alternative to the United States. After all, tuition is precisely zero in this Scandinavian welfare state. But according to Christina Forsberg, director of Swedens student aid system, 70 percent of Swedish students borrow for college. In the United States, a comparable 70 percent of holders of bachelors degrees borrowed to fund their undergraduate studies. (Borrowing is lower among the half of American college students who do not earn a degree.) And Swedish students borrow a lot. The typical student debt in Sweden is 172,000 kronor, or about $20,000. In the United States, undergraduate debt is less than $10,000 for those who dont complete a B.A., and about $30,000 for those who do. It felt like a watershed moment for a scattered and still-young civil rights movement. Inside Black Lives Matter, the national revulsion over videos of police officers shooting to death black men in Minnesota and Louisiana was undeniable proof that the groups message of outrage and demands for justice had finally broken through. Even the white governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, in a pained public concession, embraced the movements central argument. Would this have happened if those passengers the driver and the passengers were white? he asked. I dont think it wouldve. Then, in an instant, everything changed. Black Lives Matter now faces perhaps the biggest crisis in its short history: It is both scrambling to distance itself from an African-American sniper in Dallas who set out to murder white police officers and trying to rebut a chorus of detractors who blame the movement for inspiring his deadly attack. What I saw in Dallas was devastating to our work, said Jedidiah Brown, a Chicago pastor who has emerged as an outspoken Black Lives Matter activist over the past year. The moment he learned of the attack on the police, he said, he immediately sensed that any emerging national consensus would tear down the middle. The thing I vividly remember thinking was, this is going to show exactly how divided this conversation is, he said. For those who have harbored doubts or animosity toward Black Lives Matter among them police unions and conservative leaders the Dallas attacks are a cudgel that, fairly or not, they are eager to swing. GARLAND, Tex. There was a time when he was known as a well-mannered young man a regular at his church and a pleasant presence on a tree-lined, suburban, multicultural street in a neighborhood called Camelot. He grew up to serve his country in Afghanistan. But on Thursday night, 25-year-old Micah Johnson, an African-American, drove his car to a rally against police violence and began killing officers in downtown Dallas, hoping to single out the white ones. In the process, he also managed to bring his war back home, killing at least one fellow military veteran and heightening fears that the nation he had been deployed to protect overseas was now failing to address its growing racial divide at home. The Dallas police remained on edge Saturday. In the late afternoon, officers drew their weapons and cleared an area near the back of their headquarters after a report of a suspicious person in a department parking garage. The agency later said that no one had been found. In the past several days, as demonstrators jammed the streets in a number of American cities, protesting police violence, new details emerged about Mr. Johnsons life. They revealed a young man who had returned in disgrace from his stint abroad in the Army Reserve, but then continued a training regimen of his own devising, conducting military-style exercises in his backyard and reportedly joining a gym that offered martial arts and weapons classes. A Dallas County official also revealed Saturday that Mr. Johnson who killed five officers and wounded seven others, as well as two civilians, before the police killed him with a robot-delivered explosive device had kept an extensive journal and described a method of attack in which a gunman fired on a target and then quickly moved to another location to confuse an enemy. Although it did not seem to be a precise plan for Mr. Johnsons ambush, it was strikingly similar to the tactics he used. Image Micah Johnson enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2009. Credit... via Agence France-Presse Getty Images Its talking not only about how to kill but how to keep from being killed, said Clay Jenkins, Dallas Countys chief executive and director of homeland security and emergency management, who said he had not read the original journal but had reviewed summaries of it. It shows that hes well prepared. Mr. Johnson showed an affinity for radical black-power organizations on his Facebook page. Organizers of the Black Lives Matter network and others have denounced Mr. Johnsons shooting spree. In a news conference on Saturday in Warsaw, President Obama said it was very hard to untangle the motives behind the shooting. As weve seen in a whole range of incidents with mass shooters, they are, by definition, troubled, Mr. Obama said. By definition, if you shoot people who pose no threat to you strangers you have a troubled mind. What triggers that, what feeds it, what sets it off, Ill leave that to psychologists and people who study these kinds of incidents. On Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said in a statement that Mr. Obama had called him to offer condolences. Mr. Abbott said he had thanked the president and reiterated the need for Americans to unite after the shooting. Tensions remained high, however. In San Antonio, the police were investigating reports late Saturday that gunshots had been fired at their departments headquarters, Chief William McManus said at a briefing. Officers said that they heard gunshots hitting the building just before 10 p.m. and that a number of shell casings were recovered, Chief McManus said. There were no injuries. ST. ANTHONY, Minn. A lawyer for the suburban police officer who fatally shot a black man during a traffic stop said on Saturday that the race of the driver, Philando Castile, played no role in how his client responded, and that the officer was reacting to the presence of a gun when he opened fire. The comments from the lawyer, Thomas Kelly, provided the fullest accounting yet of Officer Jeronimo Yanezs version of the shooting Wednesday night, even as many details remain unclear. Officer Yanez, of the St. Anthony police, is on leave while state authorities investigate the shooting, which has prompted protests and raised questions about what role race might have played in the stop. The shooting had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the presence of that gun, Mr. Kelly said in an interview, noting that Officer Yanez is Latino. Amid boos from the sidelines, allies of Hillary Clinton and President Obama on Saturday beat back an effort by the Bernie Sanders campaign to have the Democratic Party officially oppose a congressional vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. At a sometimes-raucous meeting in Orlando, Fla., of the partys platform committee, which is drawing up policy goals for the Democratic National Convention this month, lieutenants of Mr. Sanders argued that the trade deal would lead to a loss of jobs and competitive wages and that it would ultimately harm American workers and labor unions. Given that Mrs. Clinton, the partys presumptive presidential nominee, has said she opposes the trade deal, the Sanders allies argued that her supporters on the committee should agree to try to block any congressional vote to ratify the agreement. But opposing a vote on the partnership would line up the party against Mr. Obama, who is championing the deal and who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last month. Her allies on the platform committee regarded the Sanders effort as a rebuke to the president and merely a symbolic move because the committee cannot dictate to Congress. Morning briefing: After a day of horror, a night of protests and vigils, anger and sorrow WARSAW President Obama expressed optimism on Saturday that the killings of young black men and white police officers this week have not left the United States as racially divided as it was during the strife and riots that racked the country in the 1960s. Speaking in Warsaw at the conclusion of a security summit meeting with European leaders, Mr. Obama said the United States had suffered a tough week, but he pledged to try to build upon good will among protesters and police officers alike. There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion about next steps, Mr. Obama said at the start of a news conference. But there is unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans. The president said he would visit Dallas early next week to pay homage to the police officers who were killed there. And he said he would invite activists, police officials and others to the White House next week to seek constructive actions that are actually going to make a difference. Some have begun to call public schools government schools, a calculated pejorative scorning both education and anything related to government, he wrote. That elicited a response from Bob Weeks, the host of WichitaLiberty.TV, a show about Kansas politics and public affairs. It is surprising to me that liberals and progressives object to the term government schools, he said on the show. They like government, dont they? These people want more taxation and government spending, dont they? Well, when we think about our public schools, we find they have all the characteristics of government programs. Dave Trabert, the president of the Kansas Policy Institute, which advocates limited government, said in an interview: Its certainly something that some people use to kind of separate between whats government and whats not. Technically, its accurate. It would not be the first time that conservatives have used semantics to sway public opinion, experts said. George Lakoff, a linguistics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has been tracking the trend for decades. He pointed out that the right has been more successful than the left at framing issues related to abortion, health care, labor unions and the concept of government itself, among other issues, with carefully contrived catchphrases: Tax relief. Pro-life. The Democrat Party. Death panels. (Obamacare was originally an attempt by the right to saddle President Obama with the repercussions of the Affordable Care Act, until he embraced the term himself.) Besides coining phrases, Dr. Lakoff said, the right has co-opted certain words a practice that was demonstrated, he said, in President George W. Bushs second inaugural address, which used freedom, free or liberty 49 times in 20 minutes. The right has taken over the words freedom and liberty, Dr. Lakoff said. JUBA, South Sudan Fighting between competing factions of South Sudans government in its capital left the worlds youngest country teetering on Saturday, the fifth anniversary of its independence. The government reported dozens of casualties, and there were unconfirmed reports that up to 150 people had been killed. Outbreaks of shooting on Friday night between forces loyal to the countrys president, Salva Kiir, and forces loyal to its vice president, Riek Machar, surprised both leaders, said Ateny Wek Ateny, a spokesman for Mr. Kiir. Heavy gunfire was exchanged across neighborhoods during the night, including outside the presidential palace, where the two leaders were meeting. Mr. Machar became the leader of a formal rebellion in December 2013, until he returned in April to join the government. Mr. Ateny said many people, mostly soldiers, had been killed in the latest bout of fighting. It is too early to talk about the number of casualties because the fighting was heavy, and the military is actually forming a committee to investigate, he said. sometime before 10, there were would be a loud persistent knock on my door as I was in bed.//So I opened the door in my underwear and outside in the alley, //was a number of people dressed up in official uniforms, telling me they were from state security and here to search my house. SLATE: FOR 9 YEARS PETER DAHLIN RAN AN ORGANIZATION TRAINING LAWYERS TO FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA SLATE: ON JAN 4TH 2016 HE WAS DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING BY CHINESE AUTHORITIES. 00:17:09- So I was kept in a specialized new facility for what I assume must be longer terms interrogations and investigations. there would be a period of 10 or maybe 12 days there would be full light on, 24 hours a day,// Most interrogation sessions would last 4 to 6 hours// often in the evening when you were a little bit tired, they would start it.// //I would have two main interrogators. The one that would interrogate me for the first three days// His role was very likely to be that of the bad cop. 00:26:49 // He would get very angry if I asked questions back, instead of simply giving him a straight answer, which I would do quite often// DAHLINS CHINESE GIRLFRIEND WAS ALSO DETAINED. My girlfriend was pressured quite heavily to cooperate and inform on me. Her refusal to do that meant that they would deprive her of food and sleep I believe for 3 days. TAPED CONFESSIONS AIRED ON CHINESE STATE TV HAVE BECOME COMMON SINCE CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING CAME TO POWER. (GRAPHIC TO COME WITH STILLS OF CONFESSIONS) for the interview, they would give me a paper with the questions and answers written down. And they would give me a few minutes to memorize these answers. // ***When I saw the questions and answers, it became even clearer, okay, this is part of a PR campaign, this is going to be on CCTV. Im going to be a star. //the intention in the audience is for them to think that Im admitting doing or supporting illegals acts. But thats not actually something I say. The charge against me//using foreign funding for illegal activities in China that are harming national interests, stability of the state. So the scale of punishments ranges from 5 to 10 years. 01:22:21-I was in for 23 days, beginning on the evening of January 3rd, I was deported in the afternoon on the 25th. 01:24:43-// daydreamed about this kind of thing happened before, I thought maybe I would have regretted it. But once it actually happened, theres //no regrets of the way I spent my time in China. NEW DELHI Indian police officers killed at least 10 people on Saturday when they fired on protesters in Kashmir, where thousands defied a curfew to attend a prayer service for a top separatist militant killed by Indian forces a day earlier. Initial reports said 10 civilians had been killed in the confrontations with the police, said Javid Gillani, the inspector general of the police in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. About 30 civilians were injured, said another police official in Srinagar, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, and at least 96 security officers were injured by protesters with rocks. The police said in a statement later Saturday that a mob at one police station had looted some weapons and fired on officers. A curfew had been imposed on Saturday morning in parts of the Kashmir valley, and the authorities blocked access to the internet, Mr. Gillani said. In Japan, this years campaign did little to reflect the concerns of the youngest voters. Prime Minister Shinzo Abes Liberal Democratic Party focused on a platform of broad economic goals, military security, increased local investment, and support for creating better access to day care and nursing homes. What Im worried about is they just gave the voting rights without creating any policies for young people or taking into account what young people think or want, said Aki Okuda, 24, the leader of Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy. The group, which opposes many of the Liberal Democratic Partys policies, has encouraged young people to participate in the election. At this point, said Mr. Okuda, who showed up for an interview wearing a shirt on which the words Dont Trash Your Vote were emblazoned on the back, all we are telling them is, Lets go to vote. Scarcely mentioned by Mr. Abe was his partys aim of securing two-thirds of the seats in the upper house, the majority needed to revise the countrys postwar Constitution. Currently, that document includes a clause requiring that Japan renounce all war. Mr. Abe and the Liberal Democrats previously proposed revisions to that clause to allow for a more active military, along with other amendments that could limit free speech and expand emergency powers for the prime minister. Polls last week showed that the Liberal Democrats and their coalition partners were likely to reach the two-thirds threshold on Sunday. The party and its allies already hold a similar majority in the lower house of Parliament. In surveys, a majority of 18- and 19-year-olds have said they do not see a need for constitutional revisions, and the Liberal Democratic Party carefully kept any mention of its ambitions out of its campaigns to woo young voters. On its website, the party posted a manga comic and video aimed at 18-year-olds, featuring a high school girl who decides to vote as a way of attracting the attention of a boy she likes. The effort, from a party that has repeatedly called for a society in which women can shine, failed to take off after critics on social media called it sexist. LONDON A dispute erupted Saturday in the contest between the two women vying to become Britains next prime minister after one of them seemed to suggest in a newspaper interview that being a mother would make her a better leader than her rival, who does not have children. The controversy over the remarks is the latest twist in a fierce campaign to succeed David Cameron as the leader of the governing Conservative Party and prime minister. After losing last months referendum over whether Britain should remain in the European Union, Mr. Cameron said he would resign in the fall. The final two contenders to succeed him are Theresa May, the home secretary, and Andrea Leadsom, the energy minister. Saturdays dispute arose after The Times of London quoted Ms. Leadsom, who is a mother of three, as saying in an interview that having children meant she had a very real stake in Britains future. Ms. May and her husband do not have children. NATO had already agreed to establish battalions of 800 to 1,200 multinational troops in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, as well as a brigade of four more battalions to be based in Romania and Bulgaria. The battalion in Poland is to be commanded by the United States and composed almost entirely of American forces. Mr. Stoltenberg called it the biggest reinforcement to our collective defense in a generation. While the reinforcement was prompted by Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and by what the Western alliance regards as continuing belligerent behavior from Moscow, NATO leaders insisted the reinforcement did not constitute the advent of a fresh Cold War. Neither, Mr. Stoltenberg said, has the alliance achieved the closer relationship it wished to forge with Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We are in a new situation, which is different from anything we have experienced before, he said. Despite concerns that some NATO nations were softening in their support for sanctions against Russia, Mr. Cameron insisted that the alliances message to Russia had not changed. We are not seeking confrontation with Russia, he said. Indeed, we are working to prevent it. So we will continue to pursue a twin track of deterrence and dialogue. Some issues have not changed during Mr. Obamas presidency. NATOs leaders agreed to extend its mission in Afghanistan through 2017, after the presidents announcement on Wednesday that the United States would keep 8,400 troops in the country. Mr. Stoltenberg said the alliance was close to reaching its goal of $1 billion to finance the Afghanistan mission. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany made clear that worries about mass migration one million migrants arrived in her country last year from Afghanistan and elsewhere had factored into the decision to further support the Afghan government. On a recent afternoon, Ms. Hawladar, 27, was stitching Under Armour yoga pants for export to the United States. She has been in the job two years, working for about $155 a month, plus overtime, and a room and meals. Her goal is to stay a bit longer to save enough money to build a house in her home village. Every week, her children call and ask when she is coming home. Every week, she says, Soon. Western Union sends agents directly to the factory floor. Bangladeshi migrants around the world sent $15 billion in remittances back home last year. Replacing workers like her with Syrian refugees, some economists say, would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul rewarding those fleeing war to the detriment of others fleeing poverty. Not far from the industrial zone, leaning over rows of cucumbers on a vast farm close to the Syrian border, were migrant workers from Egypt, Pakistan and Syria, plus a few Jordanians. In May, after the loosening of work rules, the farms owner, Jamal Muhammad Zoabi, obtained permits for the 100 or so Syrians who used to work for him illegally. Ms. Hadahed, the grandmother, was one of them, having taken over the job from her son after he was picked up in a police raid last year for working without a permit. He was deported back to Hama, the Syrian province now partly controlled by the Islamic State. Exhausted, ailing, her head spinning some days in the heat, Ms. Hadahed supports herself, her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren on her $270 monthly wage. She does not have much of a choice. Every time she speaks to her son on the phone, he warns her: Whatever you do, dont come back. Mr. Zoabi, the farmer, knows something about the perils of life on the other side. Before the war, he grew watermelon in Syria. He went back last year to collect some money he was owed, only to be detained, he said, by Islamic State fighters at a checkpoint. Mr. Zoabi said they had held him for six hours. They made him watch as they beheaded an entire family and then threw the heads into an icebox. Mr. Zoabi said he had paid the fighters close to $3,000, before being allowed to leave. It was the worst trip of my life, he recalled. Imagine living there. TEHRAN The first news report, to a nation usually kept in the dark about military matters, was shocking: 13 Iranian soldiers, all with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, had been killed in an ambush near the Syrian city of Aleppo. What followed this spring may have been even more surprising. Details about the soldiers appeared extensively in the Iranian news media, which not only gave the names of the dead but lionized them with sweeping life stories. Poster-size portraits were plastered all over their hometowns. For years, Iran covered up its military activities in Syria and Iraq, so the government could deny any official involvement on the ground. Coffins arrived with the bodies of soldiers who went unidentified, referred to only as defenders of the shrines of the Shiite saints. When the bodies began to come home in larger numbers, the state news media began calling them volunteers. No longer. Now every Iranian killed in action is named, his picture published, his valor lauded in elaborate tributes in the hard-line news media and on Instagram accounts dedicated to the fighters. The reason for the change, analysts say, is not some newfound dedication to transparency but a rift between the Iranian establishments hard-liners, who control the military, and the moderates. The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, D.C., in April 2016 BEIRUT, Lebanon Relatives of Marie Colvin, a veteran American war reporter who died more than four years ago in an artillery barrage in Syria, have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Syrian government, accusing it of targeting and killing her as part of a systematic strategy to silence civilian journalists and activists covering the war. The civil complaint, filed Saturday in federal court in Washington, contends that high-ranking Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assads brother Maher and other top advisers, worked in concert to locate, track and target foreign journalists and Syrians who had helped them. It lays out new details of the events leading to Ms. Colvins death, citing witnesses and government sources and documents uncovered in what the familys lawyers described as a three-year investigation. Ms. Colvin, a longtime correspondent for The Sunday Times of London, was killed on Feb. 22, 2012, along with a French photojournalist, Remi Ochlik, when Syrian government forces shelled an apartment building used by journalists. The attack occurred during weeks of bombardment of the rebellious neighborhood of Baba Amr in the city of Homs the first of many operations in which government forces used siege tactics and indiscriminate shelling against rebel-held areas and before the emergence of extremist Islamist militant groups like the Nusra Front and the Islamic State. MOSCOW Two Russian airmen died in Syria after their helicopter was shot down by fighters of the Islamic State, Russias military said on Saturday. The episode occurred on Friday east of the ancient city of Palmyra, according to a Defense Ministry statement reported by Tass, the state-run news agency. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist websites. The two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition, the Defense Ministry said. It said Islamic State fighters broke through the lines of the Syrian government forces east of Palmyra at the same time. Last week was yet another week that tore at the very fiber of our nation. After two videos emerged showing the gruesome killings of two black men by police officers, one in Baton Rouge, La., and the other in Falcon Heights, Minn., a black man shot and killed five officers in a cowardly ambush at an otherwise peaceful protest and wounded nine more people. The Dallas police chief, David O. Brown, said, He was upset about Black Lives Matter and about the recent police shootings and was upset at white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. We seem caught in a cycle of escalating atrocities without an easy way out, without enough clear voices of calm, without tools for reduction, without resolutions that will satisfy. There is so much loss and pain. There are so many families whose hearts hurt for a loved one needlessly taken, never to be embraced again. There is so much disintegrating trust, so much animosity stirring. So many too many Americans now seem to be living with an ambient terror that someone is somehow targeting them. SANTA ANA After graduating from UC Irvine with a bachelors degree in International Studies a couple years ago, Andrew Kincare got a minimum wage job at a grocery store. I hadnt put my resume out there, the Santa Ana resident and U.S. Air Force veteran recalled. Soon after, Kincare interviewed and was hired as a volunteer coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach through AmeriCorps and OneOC, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the success of other nonprofits through volunteer training and consulting. After graduating from the OneOC AmeriCorps program on Thursday, Kincare, 31, has more than admission to graduate school at UC San Diego under his belt. At first I was thinking more about the educational benefits I could take forward in my career, he said. But here, I learned that just helping people without thinking about what you might get can be a positive influence for the rest of my life. Kincare was one of 36 OneOC AmeriCorps fellows honored at the graduation at the Delhi Center after serving at least 1,700 hours each, over one or two years, at several dozen nonprofits and schools across Orange County. Half of the graduates, including Kincare, participated in the AmeriCorps VIP program, building volunteer numbers at local nonprofits and educational organizations serving high-need children and families. The other half worked in the CalPREP section initiating college readiness mentorship programs at educational institutions. CalPREP fellow Christina Cendejas, who spent two years with Tustin Ranch Elementary School, said the hard work paid off when she saw shy students open up to learning. For some students, their mentor was the only person who asked how their day was, Cendejas said. In the past four years, Tustin Unified School Districts high school graduation rate grew to 98 percent, topping the statewide figure, and the number of students taking Advanced Placement tests increased 35 percent, said Superintendent Gregory Franklin. We dont think AmeriCorps did that by themselves; we dont think we did it by ourselves, Franklin said. Youre going to do so much more in the world when you do it with other people. Though OneOC and AmeriCorps have partnered on the fellowship program for years, this is the first class that got a proper graduation versus simply a goodbye celebration. They contributed their passion, skills, an outpouring of energy and a new perspective for nonprofits and the education world, said OneOC AmeriCorps director Abbey Edmunds, adding of the graduation, Well do it every year going forward. Bill Basl, director of AmeriCorps for the Corporation for National and Community Service, encouraged the graduates to recruit more fellows to follow in their footsteps. Thats in the plan for Kincare. I think Ill keep volunteerism for the rest of my life which I had not thought about before, he said. Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong SACRAMENTO Its ironic that San Francisco, the city so closely identified with the burgeoning sharing economy, would be defending an onerous law that undermines one of the tenets that enables these web-based companies to flourish. Its the latest example of the citys hostility to the companies that buoy its economy. San Francisco officials recently passed a law thats meant to crack down on residents who improperly rent out their properties as short-term rentals. A previous law allowed property owners to rent out their homes and apartments, provided they follow myriad regulations and limitations. One rule: They must register with the city. Enforcing this law has been tricky, so the citys Board of Supervisors recently passed an update saying websites like Airbnb can be punished if people listing homes on their sites havent registered with the city, according to Bloomberg. This rule targets room-sharing companies, but if the approach takes hold, it could pose a threat to any internet company that connects buyers and sellers. Anaheims draconian approach banning room-sharing businesses is unreasonable, but San Franciscos threatens the entire sharing economy. The same city that cant fix its bureaucratic business registration process is going to fine and possibly jail employees of room-sharing companies for the actions of those who post rooms on their sites. Consider what it would mean if, say, Facebook were liable for anything any of its 1.6 billion users posted. Thats the basis of Airbnbs new lawsuit against the San Francisco law. As the company explains on its blog: Since 1996, the Communications Decency Act an important federal law referred to as the linchpin of the vibrant and successful internet we know today has prevented local governments from holding websites responsible for content published by their users as the city is attempting to do here. Airbnb argues the new law violates the federal Stored Communications Act, which creates uniform privacy protections for internet users and prevents cities from simply demanding that platforms turn over user information without a subpoena or other legal process. As the Hill reports, Airbnb also alleges that San Francisco law violates federal privacy safeguards by requiring them to give up user information without a subpoena. The company is also raising a First Amendment claim that the law restricts speech. The city said it is not punishing hosting platforms for users posts. In fact, its not regulating user content at all its regulating the business activity of the hosting platform itself Its simply a duty to verify information thats already required of a regulated business activity, according to a city statement published by TechCrunch. But verifying such information, in reality, means being responsible for users content. Everyone in the new economy ought to hope Airbnb prevails here. It is ultimately about corporate responsibility, said Supervisor David Campos, as quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle. About an industry that has made and continues to make tens of millions of dollars in this line of work taking responsibility for the negative impact that they are having on the housing stock. Its nonsensical, but many San Francisco officials blame room-sharing platforms for the citys housing crisis. San Francisco has some of the nations most-stringent housing regulations. The city and Bay Area communities make it enormously difficult to build new housing. Local regulations dramatically drive up the cost of building anything. In 2014, KALW public radio reported thousands of (possible rental) units are simply being kept off the market. Some estimate up to 10,000 of these units exist. Many sit unrented because tenants are proving too risky an investment for some property owners. Because of rent control and tenant laws, its nearly impossible to get rid of a bad tenant. And tenants stay in the price-controlled, below-market apartments as long as they want to stay. Many owners would rather leave apartments vacant than find themselves in a scene from the horror movie Pacific Heights. STRs rarely comprise more than a small percentage of a citys housing stock. The problem is the lack of supply. Instead of cracking down on roomsharing, city officials ought to relax rent-control and land-use restrictions and permit more housing development of all types. Maybe San Franciscos leaders ought to stop attacking businesses and take a look at their own policies for a change. Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. He was a Register editorial writer from 1998 to 2009. He is based in Sacramento. Cannabis Science Inc. has moved its corporate headquarters to Irvine from Colorado Springs, Colo., the company announced last week. Cannabis Science develops cannabis-based medicines. The company said in a news release that the move puts it closer to laboratory resources, distributors and patients. We are excited to be able to build a much stronger company at the right time, right in the midst of all these historic industry changes, said president, CEO and co-founder Raymond C. Dabney in a statement. The company also mentioned historic voting in November as a reason for the move. On Nov. 8 Californians will vote on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. If approved, Californians 21 and older will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, 8 grams of concentrated cannabis and six plants. The companys new headquarters are at 19800 MacArthur Blvd. The Irvine headquarters are temporary. The company is looking to eventually move to Washington, D.C. The company has around 10 contractors in Southern California who work remotely. The number will triple once a company lab is opened, Dabney said. Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans The problem isnt new. A police officer is accused of wrongfully shooting an innocent man. A president is accused of protecting lawless conduct by subordinates. Its a foundational principle of American government that no one is above the law, and no one is beneath it. The rule of law means we have a government of laws, not of men. What do we do when we dont? In the case of police misconduct, the U.S. Justice Department can step in. But what do we do when the integrity of the Justice Department is in question? The country has wrestled with this issue since the Teapot Dome scandal. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge appointed two special prosecutors, one Democrat and one Republican, to investigate high-ranking administration officials appointed by the late President Warren Harding. The attorney general was charged but eventually acquitted, and the Interior Secretary went to prison. In 1973, U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson appointed a special prosecutor, Archibald Cox, to investigate the growing Watergate scandal. President Richard Nixon later ordered Richardson to fire him, but Richardson resigned instead, and so did Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. Nixon appointed another official, Robert Bork, as Acting Attorney General. Bork executed Nixons order. This infamous Saturday Night Massacre triggered congressional hearings and a push for legislation to guarantee the independence of special prosecutors. In 1978, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act, providing for the automatic appointment of a special prosecutor, later called an independent counsel, when a high-level official was suspected of serious misconduct. There were frequent battles over reauthorizing the five-year law. But one president reauthorized it enthusiastically, calling the law a foundation stone for the trust between the government and our citizens and a force for government integrity and public confidence. That was Bill Clinton. What a long, strange trip its been from that July day in 1994 to the recent day in Phoenix, when former president Clinton marched across a hot airport tarmac and up the stairs of Attorney General Loretta Lynchs private plane for a 30-minute private chat with the woman who would decide whether his wife would face criminal charges. The independent counsel law expired in 1999, but President Obama could have appointed a special prosecutor for the email investigation. He declined to do so, as he declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS targeting of conservative nonprofit groups two years ago. A different decision would have been, in Bill Clintons words, a force for government integrity and public confidence. When FBI Director James Comey announced that he was recommending no criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, he carefully explained facts that proved she has repeatedly lied to the American people. And heres why that matters. Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Thats in the Declaration of Independence. Officials who lie to the public and candidates who lie to get elected cannot claim to have the consent of the governed. Theyre not exercising the governments just powers. Theyre dealing in raw, arbitrary power. Without honesty in government and the transparency and accountability of laws like the Freedom of Information Act there is nothing to prevent the immense powers of the state from being used selectively, and coercively, to help friends and destroy enemies. Thats the way its done in countries where there is no freedom. So if you mock the importance of honesty in government, if you make it secondary to policy or party or power, then you are contributing to the erosion of justice and freedom in America. And thats how free countries destroy themselves. Susan Shelley is an author, a former television associate producer and was two-time Republican candidate for the state Assembly. The outcome of the Hilary Clinton controversy does not change my thinking because I have never thought she was qualified to be president. I dont think it will matter whether or not her opponents continue to hammer on the issue of her email deception because I dont think the American people think or care anymore about the character of the people they elect to political office. I agree with Roger Burtner, whose letter appeared July 6, except that I believe we are beyond hope because American voters have let injustice, incompetence and corruption continue so long that the devastation to our country cannot be reversed. In my mind, neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump has the character or qualifications to make reversal happen, so we will just move further away from the nation America was founded to be. The outcome of the Hillary Clinton email controversy tells me that people in power are allowed to be above the law and excused from actions that would put a person of lesser prominence in jail. I see that the establishment takes care of its own with the complicity of the media and the academy. It appears that this is as it has been, and will continue to be so because we lack the will to demand better. Zona McKibben Santa Ana Anyone who values honesty in our political leaders should question Hillary Clintons character as a qualification to lead this nation. Before making the pronouncement that charges should not be filed, FBI Director Comey spent the bulk of his time listing all the things she and her staff did wrong, including those that violated her own policies. She did not tell the truth about the handling of this nations secrets, and even her own emails revealed her dishonesty about the Benghazi travesty. If she did not intend to violate laws, she at the very least demonstrated dishonesty and incompetence that should cause voters to reconsider. Bruce A. Moore Fountain Valley It appears that the Obama administration can pick and choose who beats a federal wrap. Arent we still hunting Snowden? The FBI white-washed their investigation of Hillary Clinton by reclassifying her emails. I am sure that Comey felt his highly paid position and future were on the line. Like a lackey, he came through for Hillary and the president. We can no longer trust the Feds. J. Edgar Hoover just turned over in his grave from total embarrassment. Once again, the American people have been had. The only things America can be proud of are veterans and Ol Faithful. Clayton G. Carver Fullerton My father, the most honest man I know, was a good attorney and later a top administrator in the federal courts. Through his career, I have grown up knowing honorable judges and lawyers at the local, state and federal levels and have had faith and trust in our judicial system. But in one solitary act, FBI Director Comey has shattered that faith. One of the greatest aspects of our government is the system of checks and balances. He could have made his case and his recommendation as he did, but still let the system work, passing this on to a grand jury and letting reasonable prosecutors participate in the process. His boss, Attorney General Lynch, has already declared her position in advance, showing she lacks the judicial fortitude to allow due process, and worse, further showing evidence of her complicity in the unfairness by meeting with Bill Clinton. She can still bring respect and justice here. She does not have to call for an indictment herself, but refer this to a grand jury and let the great system we have run its due course. Sadly, I doubt she will. As impassioned as most of us are with each of the remaining candidates in the election, with the same emotion we should show our dissatisfaction with the failure demonstrated by our justice system. What a tragic day after we have just celebrated our nations 240th birthday. Billy Christ Irvine What has been clearly established by the FBI is that Hillary Clinton was extremely careless with our nations security. If she is allowed to continue in public service, we can expect more of the same. Neal Young Villa Park I am outraged but not surprised that the FBI has given Hillary a pass, saying there were no signs of intent and I think this is a major mistake letting her escape charges. The FBI overstepped its authority. This is just business as usual when she receives preferential treatment from the Democrats in charge. It is obvious they think the ruling class is above the law as they shred the Constitution and rule of law to protect and serve themselves. In my opinion she showed intent and gross negligence when she purposely and willfully made personal unprotected email servers to hide her emails from we, the people. She has jeopardized our country when our enemies can read these high-level top secret conversations. The Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar is sitting in jail in Virginia after pleading guilty to hacking these accounts, commenting they were easily hacked. Out of 3,000 emails that werent erased, the FBI found 110 to be classified and eight of them top secret. She deleted 30,000 emails, and the percentages were the same: there were 1,110 classified emails that our enemies could have accessed. If they can prosecute Gen. David Petraeus from much less, they should at least turn the information over to a grand jury to review. She is unfit to be president. She is a liar and one of the most corrupt politicians of all time, selling American influence to foreign countries. If she gets elected we will continue to loose our sovereignty, continue our decline into oblivion, poverty, and ungodliness. Woe is us. Dina Beattie Mission Viejo Is he guilty or innocent? HBOs new limited dramatic crime series The Night Of will keep you on edge as it unfolds the fate of Nasir Naz Khan, an American-born college student of Pakistani descent from Queens trying to fit into an America that is often hostile. A night that begins with promise ends up going very wrong for Naz, played by Riz Ahmed, who takes his fathers cab without permission to go to a party with girls in Manhattan. When an attractive young white woman named Andrea Cornish (Sofia Black-DElia) gets into the cab believing hes on duty, Naz cant turn her away. Then one thing leads to another, and he ends up back at her apartment playing some kinky sex games. Later, he wakes to find her brutally stabbed to death and flees, but after a series of coincidences he is soon in police custody and eventually sent to Rikers Island facing a murder charge. Based on a BBC series called Criminal Justice, the eight-part limited series premiering Sunday is from Steven Zaillian (Schindlers List) and novelist Richard Price (Clockers). While The Night Of is on the surface a procedural, it has something of the feel of the podcast Serial or the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer as it explores the tangled case, with elements of racism and a justice system overburdened and filled with human failings. Zaillian and Price cleverly unwind the night of the murder in thick detail, bringing in elements that may or may not fit later on but force audiences to pay attention. Detective Dennis Box played with appropriate weariness by Law & Order alum Bill Camp is heading the interrogation and doesnt seem interested in looking beyond Naz for suspects. So he cozies up to the frightened young man, who meekly cooperates until warned not to talk by a lawyer. (Too late, though.) Small-time attorney Jack Stone (John Turturro) gloms onto the case after spotting Naz at the police station, thinking the young man is there on some minor charge. When hes informed about the real possible charges by the desk sergeant (Bill Shenkman), Stone realizes its more than he bargained for. He is nothing, however, if not dogged and possesses street smarts. The role of Stone was originally going to be played by James Gandolfini, who filmed the original pilot. When he unexpectedly died, the project was put on hold until Turturro was cast. (Some of the pilot remains in the first episode.) The Night Of is a return to form for HBO, which of late has been in a slump dramatic-wise with a disappointing second season of True Detective and a misfire with Vinyl. Veteran actor Turturro, a New Yorker through and through, is perfectly suited for this knotty atmospheric murder mystery, giving Stone credibility as a fighter. The Night Of is also populated with a number of top-flight character actors, like Michael K. Williams as a Rikers inmate who protects Naz, who add to the series. In many ways, though, the story pivots on Ahmeds Naz. While we may have sympathy for the Muslin-American, we are not sure he really isnt guilty. In a compelling performance Ahmed who will be seen in the upcoming Jason Bourne and in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gives the character vulnerability but also hints there may be other, darker sides to him. As the case becomes more sensationalized, the series is somewhat weighed down by its twists and earnest tone, but by then you are likely to be too heavily invested to care. HBO only made seven episodes available, so we dont know how The Night Of turns out. It doesnt break any new ground, but unlike most crime procedurals, its neither facile nor jokey. Whether in the end Naz is guilty or innocent may not matter. The series ultimately succeeds on its mystery and as a provocative trip through the justice system. When it comes to keeping history alive, one could say it runs in Melanie Tallmadge Sainzs blood. She practically grew up at the Winnebago Indian Museum in the Wisconsin Dells since her parents ran it from 1953 until it closed in 2000. Sainzs mother Bernadine Tallmadge donated the vacant museum and its art collection to Little Eagle Arts Foundation (LEAF) which was founded by Sainz and named for her father Roger Little Eagle Tallmadge. Now the familys tradition of preservation continues. But Sainzs endeavor with LEAF which recently celebrated its third anniversary follows a broader line than just displaying artifacts for the public to view. One of the goals of LEAF is to maintain a gallery, gift shop, cafe, and public programs that maintain a reputation for exceptional American Indian art and American Indian cultural art education. Authentic thats the term were trying to bring back, said Sainz, LEAF foundation director. The authentic culture of the Dells area. Before the popular tourist city became known for its waterparks, the area drew a mixture of tourists coming from all over to take in the natural beauty of the Wisconsin River, its landmarks, and the traditions of the native people, according to Sainz. The aptly named Native Presence Art Gallery and Learning Center which officially opened the second weekend of June introduces a major step for LEAF toward their ultimate goals. Native Presence is meant to serve as an art incubator for new and emerging Native American artists to help them grow and thrive, Sainz said. While several shops in the Dells area sell souvenirs or decor that resemble native objects or art, many of them arent authentic. Theres such a juxtaposition between the made in China dream catchers downstairs and the authenticity were trying to bring here, Sainz said. An art educator by trade, Sainz wants to instill opportunity in unknown or lesser known artists to help further their careers. After spending 30 years teaching art, it seems like a natural next step. I want my fellow Ho-Chunk people to experience that same success in terms of their art careers, she said. Thats why LEAF was created. Despite occasional homesickness while living in Pheonix, Arizona, Sainz said the time away was good because she was exposed to a community of native artists who were thriving in their craft. Down there, the native arts are so everywhere and people are making a good living off of their art, she said. Because there are gatekeepers like the gallery here...Being that were revitalizing the downtown Wisconsin Dells, part of the revitalization movement is infusing it with the arts. Whether its culinary arts or performing arts or visual arts, youll start seeing more of that here. In the Dells, artists used to have a lot more opportunity for selling art before stores turned to the cost reducing alternative of purchasing items wholesale from Japan or China. We want to help in terms of the overall economic security for artists, she said. Our competition is about imported work that is native inspired. We like to work with inspired natives the direct source. The gallery serves as a sort of time machine that allows visitors to go back to a time when the handmade goods or artwork created by Ho-Chunk members were easily accessible in shops or roadside stands. One particularly common item that tourists could purchase were hand woven baskets. In almost all homes the mothers made baskets it was an income, said Ho-Chunk elder Lenore Sweet. It was our bread and butter, according to Ho-Chunk elder Connie Lonetree. There were little basket stands all around Ho-Chunk country and there were cottage industries to sell baskets or bead work and the tourists loved it. When Sainzs mother donated the Winnebago Indian Museums art collection to LEAF, 40 different baskets came with the collection. Those baskets are going to be used in basket workshops to provide students with examples that they can carefully handle. We want to make them available and not just put them behind glass, said Sainz. A basket workshop is already scheduled for August along with a finger weaving workshop in September and a raised beadwork workshop in October. Although the gallery is a new addition to LEAF programming, the foundation has been hosting educational programs since its inception with partners like the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo. In July the gallery will be the home base for two different youth art programs for children 9 to 11 and then children 12 to 14. Well still have art on the wall, but the kids will be here at the tables, Sainz said. One day well do soapstone carving and well walk down to the river to collect sandstone, because thats what we used for carving materials. So then they can see the natural world and the creative things they want to do. When August rolls in, LEAF will be busy creating a mural with guest artists Christopher Sweet whose art is currently at the Native Presence Gallery and Wesley May after receiving a grant from the First Peoples Fund out of Rapid City, South Dakota. The mural will depict what happened to Chief Blue Wing and his family in Reedsburg in 1871. According to Sainz, military forces came to the area in 1871 to round up all of the Ho-Chunk, put them on stock trains, and send them out west. But at the time, the Blue Wing family was so well regarded by the community that the non-native people came and protested the move. The mural will be created in the first week of August in the Harvest Park area in Reedsburg and it will be dedicated on Oct. 8 and 9 during Fermentation Fest. Well have native youth, community youth, non-Indian youth, coming together to paint this mural, Sainz said. Well probably have over 10,000 people as a part of this festival. That just shows the enthusiasm for it. WASHINGTON In this heated and deeply divisive campaign year, Americas presidential candidates responded Friday with striking reflection and restraint to the weeks killings of five police officers and two black men. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump quickly scrapped most political events, hours after the officers were killed in Dallas during a protest over the fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Clinton did go forward with a late afternoon appearance at the African Methodist Episcopal Convention in Philadelphia, where she focused on violence from all quarters and declared there is something wrong with our country. Addressing the shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul, Clinton said that as president she would urge white Americans to gain a better understanding of the anxiety many blacks feel in dealing with law enforcement. She also spoke sympathetically of the police officers who were killed and their families who lived every day with the fear that something like this would happen and will always be proud of their service and sacrifice. Her audience applauded when she noted that the police died protecting a march protesting police violence. However, she also said Americans must acknowledge that implicit bias still exists across society and even in the best police departments. As president, she said, she plans to commit $1 billion to find and fund training programs and research to deal with that. Trump canceled a speech in Miami on Hispanic issues. He instead posted a Facebook video urging people to stand in solidarity with law enforcement, which we must remember is the force between civilization and total chaos. He also called Sterlings and Castiles deaths a reminder of how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected. Now is the time for prayers, love, unity and leadership, Trump said, while vowing to make America safe again. Sterling was shot Tuesday after struggling with two white officers who eventually pinned him to the pavement, an altercation that was captured on cellphone video. The following day, Castile was fatally shot in a car by a Minnesota officer, with the aftermath livestreamed on Facebook by his girlfriend. Hundreds of people gathered in Dallas to protest the killings Thursday night when a gunman opened fire, killing five police officers and injuring seven others. Two civilians were also wounded. The shootings marked the second time the fledgling general election campaign has been upended by violence. Just one month ago, Clinton and Trump also scrambled their schedules following mass killings at an Orlando gay nightclub. The political response to that attack was almost instantly contentious, as Republicans and Democrats debated whether the shooting argued for stricter gun laws or tougher anti-terror policies. The gunman had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State, but law enforcement said there were no indications he had direct ties to extremist groups. Trump was widely criticized, even by his own party, for taking credit for being right on terrorism after the Orlando attacks and for saying he appreciated the congrats. He was noticeably more measured in his statement Friday but reappeared on Twitter late in the day, taking Clinton to task for her answers to questions in a TV interview about her email practices. Isnt it sad that on a day of national tragedy Hillary Clinton is answering softball questions about her email lies on (at)CNN? he tweeted. The response to the shootings from some of Trumps fellow Republicans was also notable. While GOP officials are often seen as siding with the police in recent altercations with black men, some high profile Republicans were pointed Friday in acknowledging racial disparities in policing. All of us need to acknowledge that this is about more than just one or two recent incidents, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said of this weeks shootings. The fact is that there are communities in America where black families tell us that they are fearful with interacting with local law enforcement. How they feel is a reality that we cannot and should not ignore. Newt Gingrich, one of the top contenders to be Trumps running mate, said black Americans are substantially more likely to end up in a situation where the police dont respect you and you could easily get killed. I think sometimes for whites its difficult to appreciate how real that is and how its an everyday danger, Gingrich said. President Barack Obama addressed the police shootings from Warsaw, Poland, where he is attending the NATO summit. He said the focus Friday should be on the victims and their families, but added that when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately, it makes attacks like these more deadly and more tragic. In the days ahead, we will have to consider those realities as well, Obama said. Experts from Orange County universities say there are lessons to be learned about racial justice and law enforcement from this weeks shooting deaths of two black men by police shootings now linked to the fatal sniper attack in Dallas on Thursday night. Jarret Lovell, professor of criminal justice at Cal State Fullerton, noted theres no evidence that Dallas gunman Micah Xavier Johnson is associated with the Black Lives Matter movement that has brought attention to police killings of black people. Police on Friday said Johnsons attack was driven by racial hatred and revenge, with his motivation being police killings of black people. I do not believe its fair to hold BLM accountable for the actions of a lone gunman who doesnt even represent the movement, wasnt acting on behalf of the movement and wasnt advancing the mission of the movement, he said. Lovell believes the Dallas shooting is unlikely to dramatically alter public opinion of the BLM movement. Supporters and detractors of the movement are both too entrenched in their views, he said. Those who already sympathize with or support BLM will continue to do so, he said, while those who seek to diminish or tarnish the movement as anti-cop will continue to do so. Davin Phoenix, assistant professor of political science at UCI, said he understands the arguments of BLM activists can be unsettling and challenging to some people. But the group has never encouraged violence, and was part of a peaceful demonstration when shots rang out in downtown Dallas. Im hard-pressed to draw a line of correlation between the rhetoric of BLM and the depraved actions of the individual or individuals behind the senseless loss of life in Dallas, he said. Addressing the shootings earlier in the week of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in Louisiana and Minnesota, Lovell said the question of whether to hold a law enforcement agency accountable for the actions of an individual officer is a lot more difficult. Especially when these officers are wearing a uniform that represents the entire force and when they receive training from the agency, he said. An officer can err of his own volition, but what if those errors were the result of policies that systematically place officers in conflict with minority communities? To address this concern, Lovell believes law enforcement agencies need to move away from zero-tolerance policies and practices that tend to stereotype communities. These strategies often disproportionately impact poor minority communities, he said, and they often lead to a more aggressive style of policing. The deaths of Sterling and Castile were captured on video, and quickly amassed millions of views online. Technology is transforming the modus operandi of civil rights activism although this is nothing new, Lovell said. Social justice movements have always been aided by new media technology, because new media provide the public with new information about the behaviors of authorities, he said. It was television that, for the first time, brought to the entire nation images of attack dogs and water cannons being used against peaceful protesters in the U.S. South. It was the ability to broadcast events in real time that exposed to the nation images of police beating on anti-war protesters outside of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago 68. What is new, though, is that smartphones capable of recording an incident and uploading the footage onto social media in seconds have turned bystanders into citizen journalists. Social movements are no longer dependent on journalists and large news outlets to bring their issues or images to a mass audience, Lovell said. Now, citizen journalists can do so, as was the case with the Facebook live-stream of the aftermath of the St. Paul shooting, he said, referencing the dramatic video streamed live by Castiles girlfriend onto Facebook moments after Castile was shot during a traffic stop. Elliott Currie, professor of criminology, law and society at UC Irvine, fears Thursdays attack in Dallas will fuel the cyclical sort of violence that wreaks havoc on law enforcement agencies and minority communities alike. If I were a police officer, it would be hard not to feel an increased sense of threat after an incident like this, Currie said. And that sense of being threatened and vulnerable is part of why we see so many incidents of police killings of civilians in the first place. While the sniper attack that killed five officers was shocking and saddening, Currie said it was not entirely unexpected, considering the discrimination minority communities have historically suffered at the hands of law enforcement. Given the extreme divisions in America that have been caused in part by the last few years of police killings of black Americans, it is scarily not altogether surprising that someone would take this extreme and devastating course of action in response, he said. The hard fact is that weve been steadily creating the conditions that make this kind of extreme violence possible for a very long time. That in no way justifies or excuses the violence, Currie added. But it does mean that we have to take seriously the scary possibility that there may be more of it. Currie pointed to the many law enforcement agencies working to reform discriminatory policing practices as a sign of encouragement, but he cautioned that it is a slow process. He identified strong leadership within police departments as a key to achieving real, lasting reform. Police forces need leaders who are clear about when violence is permissible and needed and when it is not, Currie said. And when violence is committed, police agencies need leadership that holds officers accountable when they engage in it. Currie stressed that Black Lives Matter is a peaceful movement, one that has consistently disavowed violence. BLM activists have condemned the actions of the shooter, who has no apparent links to the group. Were mistaken if we think that asking them to do more will do the trick, he said. In his opinion, the violence in Dallas is not a problem only for the black community, or only for law enforcement. It is the consequence of a nation-wide system of discrimination that entangles everyone. Its a crisis that we all have to confront together as a society, or we are unlikely to make much progress, Currie said. Bottom line: we really must build a national sense of urgency about dealing with the larger shame of racial inequality in America, or neither police officers nor minority community residents will be truly safe from sudden and tragic violence. Phoenix, the assistant professor at UCI, pointed to a wide variety of factors that contributed to this weeks tensions. Many of the tensions extend far beyond law enforcement. We need to consider the role played by the interaction of housing policies, public school funding and employment practices that lead to areas of the country that are majority black and poor being policed by people who live in majority-white suburbs, he said. Phoenix, who specializes in racial attitudes, urban politics and mobilization of marginalized groups, said that there is a fundamental disconnect between the life experiences of the police and the people they are charged with policing. It seems apparent that many police officers like many people in the U.S. broadly presume that the black individuals they encounter are inherently violent and threatening, he said. For some activists, the grief over the killing of five law enforcement officers was laced with fear that the backlash against the attack could harm their efforts to end killings by police. Nationally, the Black Lives Matter movement condemned the attack that killed five and wounded seven others Thursday in Dallas, saying that to blame the movement for the gunman was dangerous and irresponsible. This is a tragedy both for those who have been impacted by yesterdays attack and for our democracy, the groups statement reads. There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this. In Southern California, the frustration with the expected change in dialogue was widespread. Now the conversation is going to change. The conversation is going to now focus on what happened in Dallas, versus the questionable shootings of African Americans in the country, said Jasmyne Cannick, a political and social commentator. If our nation wasnt divided before, were extremely divided now. I hope, though, we can bring it back to looking at what its like for African Americans and police in this country. Cannick said on Twitter hours before the Dallas shooting that being pro-black doesnt mean being anti-white or anti-police, but on Friday, she wrote an essay saying she wouldnt take part in the narrative of disavowing a shooting just because the shooter shared her skin color. Common sense will tell you most black people arent OK with the random killing of anyone, she said, noting that white people werent expected to renounce the Ku Klux Klan. Respect goes both ways. No ones life is more important than anyone elses. For years, former community organizer Simone Hall cloaked her anger, trying not to play into the angry black stereotype. White peoples fear of black people and other nonblack peoples fear of black people has been happening for a long time, said Hall, 22, of San Bernardino. They cross the street when they see a black guy or me. That happened before Black Lives Matter, before the Civil Rights era in the 50s and 60s. All week, shes seen Facebook videos of police showing restraint when dealing with armed, aggressive white men restraint she didnt see in the police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Nonblack peoples fear of black people, she said, literally kills us. But she wasnt going to deny herself or the problems she sees. Were going to make sure America knows black lives matter, Hall said. Were not going to take this systemic, institutionalized oppression any longer. The Rev. Chineta Goodjoin, of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Orange, knows too well the pain this violence delivers: Just over a year ago, her best friend was one of nine victims in the Charleston, S.C., church massacre. Even so, this week has hit hard, she said. I can truly tell you Im dismayed and just almost numb, said Goodjoin, who works with her congregation and other churches and organizations to speak out against police and gun violence. Weve protested, weve marched, weve walked, and all of those things have their place, she said. But I think for me, the bottom line comes down to if we do not find ways to appreciate the diversity in this country well continue to see this happening. The one conclusion that I can come to this morning is we have to embrace diversity, Goodjoin said. Its just gotten to be too much. Enough is enough. The sniper in Dallas and his apparent intent to target whites and police officers clearly hurt the cause of groups like her church and Black Lives Matter, she said. But its important to make sure people know that his actions are just as abhorrent to advocates for ending police violence as they are to anyone. He also said he was upset with Black Lives Matter, Goodjoin said. He seemed to have a problem with many different people. And so the level of his mental health, the level of his own sense of hopelessness, made him pick up ammunition and go on this kind of racial hate. Theres no easy answer, she said. Families are grieving, and you know what? Grief doesnt discriminate. This kind of pain is real for the families that lost their fiances and boyfriends, whether they were police officers or whether they were people trying to abide by the law. Goodjoin is African American, as is most of her congregation. One of her strongest allies in the faith community is Pastor Mark Davis, who is white like most of his flock at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Davis said Friday that he hopes people keep a clear sense of perspective in how they view or judge the deaths of Alton Sperling, Philando Castile and the five officers in Dallas. The first thing I think is really necessary is that persons like me insist on distinguishing between the horrific act of violence toward the Dallas police and the quantifiably different act of protesting police brutality, Davis said. What I saw last night and this morning were many photos of protesters and police cooperating well and respecting each other. I think its a false dichotomy that youre either on the side of the police or on the side of Black Lives Matter, he said. In fact I would say that one way we show respect for the persons we arm in our society is by maintaining a higher standard for them. Frankly, most of the police officers I know, they expect that for themselves. Its also crucial that people from different sides of these issues not shout one another down but instead try to understand and hear one another, Davis said. Its incredibly important to listen through this whole thing, he said. Listen, listen, listen. Thats part of the whole Black Lives Matter movement, this demand to be heard. And its a matter not just of hearing people bellyache about their problems but actually hearing a perspective that is easily dismissed, easily lost, easily covered up in the public conversation. Like many who see the injustice in the way police have treated minorities, Jessica Millward, an associate professor of history at UC Irvine whose specialties include African American history, said she worries that the Dallas ambush killings will change or harm the debate over police violence going forward. The fact that this broke out at last nights protest, the fact that the suspect they have is African American, I dont think it will hasten attacks on police officers, Millward said. If anything, it will increase attacks on African Americans. What we have now is fear and hostility on both sides of the equation, she said before offering a glimmer of hope that the events of Baton Rouge, La., of Falcon Heights, Minn., and of Dallas might lead to change in time. Ive seen a number of African American leaders stepping up, making sure that the notion of peace rings a bit louder, Millward said. I dont think that Black Lives Matter will change, but I do think theres a different level of seriousness. Certainly the two shootings did not help, she said of Sperlings and Castiles deaths at the wrong end of a police officers gun. By the time we get to Dallas, what is this world weve produced? This is not just about race relations, its about gun control, its about feeling dispossessed in the system. Its a very complicated system. This is time for a real call for humanity, because the stakes have increased even higher. A former member of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department was among the police officers gunned down in Dallas by sniper, officials said Friday. The stories of those killed in a sniper attack in Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings of black men emerged Friday as their identities became known. Authorities say five officers were killed and seven others wounded in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Two civilians also were shot. LORNE AHRENS: A BIG GUY WITH A BIGGER HEART Lorne Ahrens, 48, worked with the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department for 10 years at the Lennox and Lancaster stations. He was a dispatcher before he began working with the Dallas Police Department in 2002. His colleagues described him as the type of person who always had a smile on his face and greeted people with kind regard as well as an incredible dispatcher who served the patrol deputies in the field well by always looking out for them. Lorne was a big guy with an even bigger heart, Capt. Merrill Ladenheim said. He will be sorely missed by the LASD family, according to a statement by the Sheriffs Department. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to Lornes family and all the men and women of the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police and the great state of Texas. BRENT THOMPSON: NEWLYWED STARTING A SECOND FAMILY Brent Thompson, 43, had worked as an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority for the last seven years. There he found love, marrying another transit officer within the last two weeks, according to DART Chief James Spiller. Brent was a great officer, Spiller told MSNBC early Friday. He has served admirably during his time here at DART. Thompson had six grown children from a previous marriage and had recently welcomed his third grandchild, according to Tara Thornton, a close friend of Thompsons 22-year-old daughter, Lizzie. He was a brave man dedicated to his family, Thornton said. He loved being a police officer. He instantly knew thats what he wanted to do. He had a passion for it. On Thursday, he became the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the agencys police force was founded in 1989, according to spokesman Morgan Lyons. Before joining the DART force, Thompson worked from 2004 to 2008 for DynCorp International, a private military contractor. According to Thompsons LinkedIn page, he worked as an international police liaison officer, helping teach and mentor Iraqi police. PATRICK ZAMARRIPA: NAVY VETERAN HAD URGE TO SERVE Patrick Zamarripa had an urge to serve first in the Navy, where his family said he did three tours in Iraq, then back home in Texas as a Dallas police officer. Patrick would bend over backward to help anybody. Hed give you his last dollar if he had it. He was always trying to help people, protect people, his father, Rick Zamarripa, told The Associated Press by phone Friday. As tough as he was, he was patient, very giving. Zamarripa, who would have turned 33 next month, was married with a toddler and school-age stepchild. He joined the Navy shortly after high school in Fort Worth, serving eight years on active duty and then in the reserves, according to the Navy. The Navy doesnt release deployment details, but a Dallas Morning News reporter encountered Zamarripa in 2004 as he helped guard one of the offshore oil platforms that help fuel Iraqs post-war economic rebuilding. Rick Zamarripa knew his son was assigned to patrol Thursdays demonstrations, so when he saw news of the shooting on TV, he texted his son to make sure he was all right. Typically, his son would text back quickly to say he was fine and would call back later. This time, no reply came. He went over there (to Iraq) and didnt get hurt at all, and he comes back to the States and gets killed, his father said. MICHAEL KROL: HE NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM HIS DUTY Michael Krol, 40, was a caring person and had always wanted to help others, his mother said Friday. He knew the danger of the job but he never shied away from his duty as a police officer. He was a great, caring person and wanted to help people. A wonderful son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend, said Susan Ehlke, from Redford, Mich., in a prepared statement. Krols family said in a statement that he moved to Dallas to become a police officer in 2007 because Detroit wasnt hiring. He was a deputy at the Wayne County jail before the move. Meanwhile, family members told the Detroit Free Press that Krol was single with no children, but had a girlfriend in Dallas. He graduated from the Dallas Police Academy in 2008. He was a guy that was serving others, said Brian Schoenbaechler, Krols brother-in-law. And he gave his life in service of others. MICHAEL SMITH: SO DEDICATED, HE WON A COPS COP AWARD A veteran officer, Sgt. Michael Smith, 55, was known as conscientious and professional, an officer who cared so deeply that he would even dip into his own pocket to pay for his training if needed. He consistently received outstanding performance awards, including a Cops Cop award from the Dallas Police Association. That training came in handy a few years ago when he and a partner were working near downtown Dallas, according to a 2009 write-up in the DPA magazine. Sgt. Smith and his partner made contact with a pair of gang members which they did not know. While Sgt. Smith was searching one of the members, he noticed that the other gang member lunged at his partner with an unknown object in his hand. Sgt. Smith intervened to protect his partner and was cut with an unknown object on the head. Sgt. Smith was taken to the hospital with a large laceration. It took 31 stitches to close the wound. The article noted that Sgt. Smith was married with two children. Staff writer Susan Abram, The Associated Press and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report. While states and cities in the U.S. look to higher minimum wages and mandated benefits to reduce poverty, Swiss voters last month considered a different path: guaranteed monthly checks from the government for all adults and children, regardless of other family income or employment. This particular expansion of the welfare state was a bridge too far for the Swiss, 77 percent of whom voted against it at the ballot box. Still, the idea of a guaranteed government check has gained traction here at home, and it has found an unexpected spokesman: former union boss Andy Stern. Stern served as president of the Service Employees International Union from 1996 to 2010, increasing its membership and establishing it as a big-spending surrogate of the Democratic Party. Stern and his lieutenant, Anna Burger, were two of the most frequent visitors to the White House in President Barack Obamas first year and a half in office, and their union was a key ally in the political fight for the Affordable Care Act. Today, Stern holds court as a senior fellow at Columbia University, and hes appeared frequently in the media lately to promote his new book, Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream. In it, Stern argues that the only way to save the American worker from the perils of offshoring and automation is to provide Americans with a $1,000 cash stipend each month. Sterns argument for this universal basic income has boosters on both sides of the political spectrum, and readers interested in the nuances of the argument can read about them elsewhere. Whats more important than understanding the solution is acknowledging the active role that Stern and his former union have played in creating the problem. Since 2012, the SEIU has spent over $70 million to popularize a $15 minimum wage with federal, state and local legislatures. A handful of states and localities have embraced this unprecedented wage proposal, with predictably terrible consequences for the entry-level job markets. (Dozens of real stories of the damage are available at FacesOf15.com.) When employers cant offset cost increases from future or past wage hikes through higher prices, they instead look to self-service alternatives. That means, for instance, placing your order at a touch-screen device instead of with an employee. Even proponents of the $15 policy acknowledge that it will force businesses to pursue widespread automation at the expense of less-skilled employees: One report from labor-aligned researchers at the University of California, Berkeley estimated that more than 40,000 jobs would be lost from automation associated with a $15 wage in New York. Even though the Fight for $15 was launched two years after Sterns departure, hes not off the hook for our current slide toward self-service. Stern and the SEIU advocated strongly for the Affordable Care Act, which added another layer of labor costs for low-margin companies to contend with. Three years ago, Stern acknowledged these consequences in an opinion piece he co-wrote in the Los Angeles Times and then shrugged them off: What is sometimes understated is the likelihood of low-wage jobs being automated, a real and growing threat. If raising the minimum wage leads to productivity gains through investment in automation, so be it. In the meantime, we need to reward American workers for their efforts. In retrospect, the reward that Sterns union has delivered to low-skilled employees is a hollowed-out job market with less opportunity for people and more opportunity for computers. Im happy to see that Stern is seeking a solution to the coming labor market crisis, but the first step is putting the brakes on the upward spiral of labor costs for which he and his former union bear responsibility. Michael Saltsman is research director at the Employment Policies Institute. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O Connor T.D. has presented the top prize in the National Enterprise Awards to Applied Concepts, an Offaly-based manufacturer and exporter of blast machines used by builders and restoration companies. Set-up by Mark Clendennen and supported by Local Enterprise Office Offaly, the Kinnitty-based company began trading in 2010 and employs ten people. Its machines are used in building and restoration projects in countries such as Finland, Estonia, Venezuela and Ethiopia. The local company was nominated for the awards by the Local Enterprise Office Offaly, which has supported the company through business expansion grants and mentoring assistance. Speaking at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Offaly, Orla Martin, was among the first to congratulate the Offaly winners, saying: Mark Clendennen and his team at Applied Concepts are wonderful ambassadors for the county and are truly a national success story. Under Marks direction, the company has achieved impressive international growth and has brought all manufacturing in-house, rather than outsourcing it abroad. With distributors now in place in the UK, Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Estonia, Applied Concepts is very well-placed for future growth and expansion from their Offaly base. Anna Marie Delaney, Chief Executive of Offaly County Council wished to congratulate Mark and spoke about his accomplishment, saying: I am delighted with Marks success, he is a deserving winner and has done Trojan work in building up his business, now employing 10 people. Economic development and job creation are a top priority for Offaly County Council and the county has a growing indigenous jobs base. We want to expand on that and provide the necessary support through our Local Enterprise Office & Business Support Unit. The key to success is everyone working together. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Fianna Fail TD for Offaly Barry Cowen says the Finance Minister needs to move quickly to put a strategy in place to ensure the Credit Union sector can grow and develop. The call comes following concerns about new restrictions which have been placed on Credit Union deposits, which imposed a maximum limit of 100,000 on individual members savings. As part of the Fianna Fail Confidence and Supply Arrangement, Minister Michael Noonan pledged to support the growth and development of the Credit Union sector. Deputy Cowen commented, Fianna Fail has been fighting the cause for Credit Unions over the course of the last Dail term. We recognise the fact that Credit Unions are rooted in community and provide a local service to local people. In many towns and villages across Offaly, Credit Unions are the go to financial institution for savings and loans. Their community ethos and local knowledge adds to the trust in which theyre held and at a time when banks are increasing charges and reducing services, Credit Unions provide an important choice for consumers. After new legislation governing Credit Unions was passed last year, a maximum limit of 100,000 was imposed on individual members savings by the Registrar of Credit Unions. We raised concerns about these limits and the possible reputational damage that they would have on the sector. Following a Fianna Fail Private Members motion on the issue, the Central Bank agreed to allow Credit Unions that held individual members' savings in excess of 100,000 at the time of the regulations coming into force, to apply for approval to the Central Bank to retain these savings, subject to certain criteria. These unnecessary constraints being placed on Credit Unions sent out a signal that people should be worried about the amount of money that they were keeping in their local branch. This has caused unwarranted stress and anxiety for Credit Union members and staff. Minister Noonan must lead the way in restoring confidence in Credit Unions by moving on his promise to develop a strategy for the growth and development of the sector without delay. Four men, all believed by police to be part of a Chilean theft group that steals wallets at a sandwich restaurant chain and then uses victims credit cards to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of Apple iTunes gift cards, were charged Friday with doing just that in Madison nearly four months ago. The four came from Los Angeles and traveled to the Chicago area, and along the way stopped at numerous Panera Bread restaurants in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to steal wallets, then used stolen credit cards at Target stores, one of the men told an FBI agent after the group was arrested in the Milwaukee suburb of Glendale a week after the Madison theft, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court. The agent is part of a law enforcement task force formed specifically to track down the theft group, which had been working the same scheme across the U.S. since 2011, according to the complaint. Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the task force is made up of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Glendale Police Department, several Minnesota police departments and the Los Angeles Police Department. Charged on Friday with several counts of identity theft for financial gain were Cristian Emanuel Carrasco-Figueroa, 26; Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez, 47; Antonio Ceballos-Manqui, 23; and Kevin Bastian Fuentealba-Cortes, 19. All four also use other names, under which theyve been charged in other counties and states. Carrasco-Gomez, for example, is also known as Jorge Ayala and Rene Velasquez, among other aliases. He was charged in 2014 with similar crimes in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, according to media reports. Also in 2014, he was charged in Milwaukee County and was sought on a warrant until his arrest in March. He pleaded guilty in June to three counts of misappropriating identification and will be sentenced in August. He remains in the Milwaukee County Jail. Carrasco-Gomez was also charged in March in Eau Claire County with the same scheme, pickpocketing from Panera diners and using stolen credit cards to buy gift cards at Target. The incidents there happened in 2012 and 2013, court records state. Ceballos-Manqui and Fuentealba-Cortes were extradited from Wisconsin to face charges in Dakota County, Minnesota, while Carrasco-Figueroa is in jail in Lake County, Illinois, after being extradited to face charges there. According to the complaint in Dane County: A woman realized that her wallet was missing after eating lunch on March 12 at Panera on Junction Road. Before she even realized it was gone, the thieves had used her credit cards to make $16,000 in purchases at Target stores on Junction Road in Madison and on McKee Road in Fitchburg. In all, after stopping at other Target stores, the thieves charged $41,630 on the womans credit cards, buying iTunes gift cards in $4,000 increments. On March 19, the four were arrested in Glendale. At the time of their arrests, police found $39,000 worth of iTunes gift cards in their possession. Police said the group buys the cards and then ships them by FedEx to California. The complaint does not state what was done with the iTunes cards once they were sent to California. In an interview with the FBI, Fuentealba-Cortes admitted to taking part in the pickpocket and iTunes card-buying scheme. From surveillance video taken at Madison-area Target stores, Fuentealba-Cortes identified himself and co-defendants as they bought iTunes cards at stores in Sun Prairie and Fitchburg and on Lien Road and Junction Road and at Hilldale in Madison. More female entrepreneurs and investors are focusing on largely unmet medical needs: their own. Women are the health care industrys biggest customers, due in part to their need for reproductive care, and they make 80 percent of the health care decisions for their families. Tired of having their conditions misunderstood or dismissed, they are starting up and investing in female-focused companies, many of them in digital health, a market valued at $55 billion in 2014, according to KPMG. Obviously, women have unique health experiences that men dont, says Halle Tecco, a co-founder of venture capital fund Rock Health and now an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. It is a huge market. And therein lies the rub: More than 90 percent of investing partners at the top 100 venture capital firms are men, research by startup-tracker CrunchBase shows. People invest in ideas that they feel comfortable with, and thats why women are leading the charge on female health, said Albert Wenger, a partner at Union Square Ventures in New York. There is a bias that results from the fact that a lot of venture investors are male, Wenger said. We are five white guys who are exhibit A in the nondiverse case. Its just the reality of it. Thats changing, but slowly. Female health is attracting more investors of both sexes. Nine digital health companies focused on women raised $82 million through the third quarter of last year, up from $29 million in 2014, according to Rock Health, whose board and investment team are mostly female. One of them, Progyny Inc., raised $34 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and TPG Biotech. That amount pales in comparison to the $4.5 billion that poured into digital health companies overall. So women are once again trying to shrink the gap by investing in female-focused enterprises. In April, Cindy Whitehead, who raised $100 million for Sprout Pharmaceuticals before it was bought by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International for $1 billion, started another company, The Pink Ceiling. It will make investments and do strategic consulting for companies working on womens issues. It was an advantage for me to be a woman leading Sprout, which made the first pill for low sexual desire, Whitehead said. Women shared their stories with me. We did a year of diligence and just by listening I had such a better appreciation of the devastation for women. Being a woman is less of a bonus when raising money for a womens health business. I had to get past the locker room jokes and giggles to get to a serious and frank scientific discussion with potential investors, Whitehead said. She adapted by understanding how fiercely I needed to come out of the gate with science. Wengers Union Square, an early backer of Twitter Inc., saw a clear need for Berlin-based Clue, which helps women track their menstrual and fertility cycles. Wenger said the business case was strong: More women are going to have easy access to a smartphone than to birth control, creating an opportunity to educate women about their bodies and contraceptives. That pitch didnt appeal to everyone, said Clue founder Ida Tin, whose company has raised $10 million and has 5 million users. One thing is understanding something intellectually, another thing is having that experience which is anchored in your body emotionally, Tin said. Sometimes people would say, You know its really interesting, but I cant use the product myself. I only invest in products that I can use myself. And thats of course the problem if all are male investors. The solution? More female investors. Tecco has invested in EverlyWell, a direct-to-consumer at-home testing business, and recently joined the advisory board at startup Celmatix, which uses data analysis and genomics to improve a womans chances of conceiving. Both companies are led by women. With women becoming more financially independent, and living longer than men on average, this a huge business opportunity, said Anula Jayasuriya, a doctor who oversees a womens health care entrepreneurship and investment fund, EXXclaim Capital. She has invested in Wildflower Health, whose Grow application enables women to track the health of their families and tap into resources provided by a health plan or other sponsor. The proportion of venture capital deals involving companies founded by women has doubled since 2006, yet is still only 18 percent, according to data from Pitchbook, which tracks private equity, venture capital and merger and acquisition activity. Besides a lack of female mentors and investors, Whitehead said she thinks womens health suffers because issues are often assumed to be psychological. We have a lot of preconceived notions where we reflexively assign issues to biology for men and to psychology for women, she said. Were under-serving men that way, too. Hormones are a key marker of disease that are consistently overlooked by medical professionals, said Heather Bowerman, who started Dot Laboratories in 2014. The company makes hormone test kits that rely on saliva samples, which can be sent through the mail to a lab. Users track the results over time using a mobile app. Research is revealing the breadth of the differences between the sexes, with genes, hormones and gender roles influencing the course of conditions such as heart disease, dementia and depression. With more women involved in the health business, the foundation is there to capitalize on such discoveries. The wheels have been set in motion now for a very, very positive development in terms of increases in female investors, female entrepreneurs, female-founded business that will build long-term success, Wenger said. PERU, Neb. One-room country schools may be rapidly disappearing from the rural landscapes of Nebraska and Iowa, but interest in their history is not. Nearly 100 people filled a conference room at Peru State College on Friday for the first-ever Nebraska Country School Conference. Iowa has held similar conferences for the past 16 years and boasts an Iowa Rural Schools Museum in Odebolt. But Nebraska hadnt held such a convention until this year, when one was organized by Betty Stukenholtz of Nebraska City, who has preserved the one-room school she attended near Julian, Nebraska. The response, she said Friday, was overwhelming. Not only did attendance outpace expectations, but more than 200 people nominated country school teachers for listing on a plaque Stukenholtz will place in her school, Harmony School. Dozens of stories about attending or teaching at rural schools were submitted for inclusion in a book Stukenholtz is producing. And Gov. Pete Ricketts declared Friday One-Room Heroes Day. She said she has already scheduled a second Nebraska conference on country schools next year at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on July 14-15. And, she said, formation of a country schools association in the state is in the works. This has been a great experience, she said. I cant believe all the wonderful stories. Nearly 20 former country school teachers were among those attending Fridays events, including several who graduated from Peru State, which was originally called Nebraska State Normal School. The colleges main job was to train teachers. The teachers shared stories about filling inkwells, stoking wood and coal stoves, and teaching the three Rs reading, writing and arithmetic for as little as $40 per month. Back in the early 20th century, someone could graduate from high school, take nine credit hours of preparation classes over the summer, and start teaching in a country school by the next fall. Pat Ramold of Nebraska City said she was presented a 6-foot-long black snake by a mischievous student on her first day of teaching at the Smallfoot School in Nebraskas Otoe County. As punishment, the boy had to present the snake to his mother after classes ended. Ramold said he eventually turned into a decent student. I always taught hope, Ramold said. If you teach hope, the kids will find themselves, eventually. But like corner drugstores and mom-and-pop groceries, the schools are disappearing rapidly. Otoe County once had 109 country schools, but only 20 of the structures remain, and most of those have been converted for use as homes or shops. Across Nebraska, state officials said there are only six schools left that employ only one teacher, and three of them are alternative schools in cities. There are at least a couple of country schools in the Sand Hills with more than one teacher. Iowa once had 12,623 country schools, according to Sandra Yost of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum. Now, only 220 remain. If we dont save them now, its not going to happen, Yost said. In Odebolt, about a two-hour drive northeast of Omaha, residents raised $100,000 to restore the one-room Willow Tree School and move it to a historical park in town in 2011. The 1883 school is filled with artifacts from the heydays of country schools, from lunch pails to slate writing tablets. During World War II, students at Otoe Countys Dist. 90 Pleasant Hill school collected milkweed for use in Navy life preservers and participated in contests to gather iron scrap for the war effort, according to Mona Kuhlenengel of the Otoe County Genealogical Society, which presented the conference. Times were so bad during the Depression, she said, that the monthly salary for the teacher was slashed from $87 a month to $40 a month. The conference concludes today with a visit to the Little Red Brick Schoolhouse on the campus of Peru State College. Later, there will be visits to schools in Brownville and Julian before a final stop at the Harmony School. Contact the writer: 402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com Dr. Deann Akins-Lewenthal, director of food safety and microbiology for ConAgra Foods, will discuss Food Safety: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at the next Omaha Science Cafe at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Akins-Lewenthal leads and directs the corporate food safety and microbiology function for ConAgra Foods, including consumer and commercial business units, product development, manufacturing and supplier quality. She has been with ConAgra Foods for more than seven years in various roles. Prior to joining ConAgra Foods, she held a postdoctoral position at the University of Florida. Pizza will be provided for the first 50 people. For more information about Science Cafes, go online to unmc.edu/sciencecafe. Other community news and events planned include: Cold War topic of discussion for breakfast event The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, will hold a breakfast event with Sean M. Maloney, professor of history from the Royal Military College of Canada. The event will be at 9 a.m. July 16 and will include a presentation by Maloney on the Cold War. The program includes comments from the museums curator, Brian York, on the missions and operations of the Vulcan, a British Cold War bomber. Weather permitting, the event will conclude with a tour of the museums Vulcan. Reservations for this event are required. The event is part of the museums general admission $12 adults, $11 military or seniors, $6 youths ages 4 to 12 and breakfast is free for guests who register for the event on the museums website, SACMuseum.org. Big band performance, dancing at The Center The Gaylin Sudik Orchestra will perform big band music for dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at The Center, 714 S. Main St. in Council Bluffs. The dance is open to anyone age 21 and older. Admission is $5 for Center members, $10 for nonmembers. In case of inclement weather, call The Center at 712-323-5995. Or go online to bluffscenter.org or Facebook.com/bluffscenter. Neighborhood group to hold meeting The Northwest Omaha Neighborhood Alliance will hold its quarterly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th St. The focus of the meeting will be on grant writing. Drums corps summer tour coming to Omaha Drums Corps International summer tour will come to Omaha at 7 p.m. Monday in Buell Stadium, 14905 Q St. Drums Across Nebraska will perform at the event. Tickets are $10 to $30. For more information, go online to dci.org. Sunday festival celebrates ragtime The Great Plains Ragtime Society hosts the 2016 Ragtime to Riches Festival on Sunday. The event, held at First Central Congregational United Church of Christ, 421 S. 36th St., will feature concerts, a workshop, a silent movie and more. Doors open at 1 p.m. and tickets are $10. Teen Chat Circle to focus on peer pressure Nebraska Childrens Home Society will hold a Teen Chat Circle for young women ages 12 to 18 from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at Boys Towns South Omaha location, 4612 S. 25th St. This chat circle will assist teens with identifying sticky situations, and teach them how to work through these situations independently and feel confident in making decisions to resist peer pressure. Lunch will be provided. Transportation assistance is available. For more information or to register, call 402-982-9136 or email jdonaldson@nchs.org. Summer musical: The Omaha Public Schools music department presents its summer musical, Peter Pan. The musical is based on the book by Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie that tells the story of a mischievous young boy who can fly and spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the island of Neverland. A cast of 55 elementary, middle and high school students district-wide are part of the show, both on stage and behind the scenes. The final performance is at 7:30 p.m. July 9 at the Benson High School Performing Arts Center, 5120 Maple St. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for students/children and can be purchased at the door or from any cast, crew or orchestra member. Summer schools out: Three OPS summer school programs held activities on the final day of summer school June 28. Details of the events were as follows: Ashland Park/Robbins Elementary summer school students watched the Omaha Street Percussion in the schools gym. The group played percussion instruments made out of trashcans, tin can lids, etc., and has appeared on Americas Got Talent. One of the members of the group is married to an Ashland Park/Robbins teacher. Chandler View Elementary third-graders presented an original musical, Character Keys, in the schools gym. During the performance, students sang seven songs as well as presented their thoughts on one of five traits: truthfulness, perseverance, respect, responsibility, kindness. Morton Magnet Middle School students and staff engaged in academically engaging games and a community service project at Maple Village Park. The event aimed to enhance academic achievement, fostered learning outside the classroom and encouraged community service. Annual auction: The Omaha school district held its annual public auction on Friday at the Omaha Public Schools Service Center, 4041 N. 72nd St. Items sold included vehicles, industrial/tech power tools, industrial kitchen equipment, mowers and a pottery wheel and cabaret organ. Dress up: Sheridan Elementary School students in Lincoln will dress as their favorite Harry Potter character or craft their own costumes, then play games at the schools final reading celebration from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday. Science kid: Discovery Education and 3M announced that Sharvil Kaware, a fifth-grade student at Calvert Elementary in Auburn, Nebraska, has been named the state merit winner for Nebraska in the 2016 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national science competition for students in fifth through eighth grades. Kaware was chosen as one of only 27 state merit winners nationwide for developing a solution to an everyday problem that could ultimately reshape the way we live our lives. Kaware has been recognized for his project on Anti-slip Footwear using Carbon Nanofibers. Kaware will receive special recognition on the challenge website, youngscientistchallenge.com, and a technology prize pack. C-SPAN Conference: Mallory Charvat, a social studies teacher at Beadle Middle School in the Millard district, is one of 30 educators from across the nation selected to attend C-SPAN Classrooms 2016 Educators Conference in Washington, D.C., Monday and Tuesday. The conference provides educators with the opportunity to explore C-SPANs programs and C-SPAN Classrooms free primary source materials. Charvat competed with middle school teachers from across the country to secure a place at the conference. C-SPAN provides round-rip airfare, hotel accommodations and meals for the two days. Nebraska Sen. Dan Watermeier received the Harris Van Oort Friends of Children Award on June 23 during the annual meeting of trustees at the Nebraska Childrens Home Society. The award was established by the organizations board in 1998 to recognize recipients for their leadership on behalf of children in keeping with the mission and values of the Nebraska Childrens Home Society. Morgan Holen of Omaha received a $2,500 cash scholarship for being selected as one of 10 finalists in the Distinguished Young Women National Finals competition. Holen also earned a $1,000 preliminary competition award in the self-expression category. Holen is a graduate of Elkhorn South High School. In the fall, she will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with plans to become a broadcast journalist and a public relations professional. On June 18, Metropolitan Community Colleges Khristina Jost became the first female elected to junior vice commander officer of the Nebraska Disabled American Veterans. Jost served more than three years in the U.S. Army before a serious injury ended her service. Jost also became just the second female elected to any position with the Nebraska Disabled American Veterans organization. Jost also serves students at Metro as a financial aid associate on the colleges Fort Omaha Campus. Plum Thicket Farms in Gordon, Nebraska, was awarded the Beef Improvement Federations Commercial Producer of the Year Award and Bill Rishel of North Platte, Nebraska, received a BIF Pioneer Award at the Federations annual conference in June. The Commercial Producer of the Year Award is presented annually to a producer to recognize dedication to improving the beef industry at the commercial level. The BIF Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle, honoring those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle. Other Nebraskans recognized were: Ronnie Green, Lincoln, a BIF Pioneer Award, and Steve Kachman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln statistics professor, a BIF Continuing Service Award. Nebraska Cattlemen also recognized the Frank Baker Memorial Scholarship Award recipients, Kathleen Ochsner and Kashly Schweer, both from UNL. The Nebraska Cattlewomen announced the results of the 2016 Nebraska Beef Ambassador Contest held in June in Broken Bow. The Nebraska Beef Ambassador Program provides an opportunity for youths ages 14 to 24 to become spokespersons and future leaders for the beef industry. Elisabeth Loseke of Columbus took home the first-place rank in the collegiate division along with a scholarship from the Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation. Savannah Schafer of Newhawka was awarded second place and Katie Nolles of Bassett came in third. Senior contestants Sydni Lieneman of Princeton received first place, Marie Meis of Elgin was second place, and third place went to Alexis Gerritse of Plymouth. The first-place winners of each division were awarded a cash prize and a custom-made buckle, while all place holders received a cash prize. Kejriwal visits Somanth Temple with family; media coverage banned Ahmedabad oi-Shubham Ghosh Ahmedabad, July 9: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday (July 9) visited Gujarat with his family to pay obeisance at the Somnath Temple. The Somnath Trust banned media coverage of the visit for security reasons, said local sources. It is for the first time that the media has been completely disallowed from covering the event for at other times, it is allowed to a certain level for the coverage. Authorities said the decision was taken at a time when a number of terror attacks have been occurring all over and they did not leave security to chance. The AAP, however, felt that there was a political ploy behind the ban. [Why AAP is working hard for Punjab, Goa and Gujarat polls but not UP] Kejriwal's two-day visit to Gujarat during when he is expected to meet party workers, is seen as a preparation for the Assembly election scheduled to be held in late 2017. Gujarat is being ruled by the BJP for 21 years now and the AAP is aiming to make inroads in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by cashing in on the Patidar agitation. Modi served as the chief minister of the state between 2001 and 2014 before heading for New Delhi after the BJP won a massive mandate in the 2014 general election. [G Mission 2017: Will AAP be a threat to BJP in Goa and Gujarat?] Kejriwal was scheduled to visit Surat on July 10 but the trip was cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation. The AAP considered it as an act which was done at the behest of the state government. Kejriwal even accused Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel of cancelling his Surat visit. He later tweeted saying though the CM got his visit to Surat cancelled but he was "called" by Lord Shiva to visit Somnath Temple. The AAP has announced its plan to contest in all 182 seats in Gujarat Assembly. Besides Gujarat, Kejriwal has also targeted Goa and Punjab Besides Gujarat, the AAP is also eyeing two other states where the BJP is in power and will go to election in 2017---Goa and Punjab. While Kejriwal has already announced that his party would win 35 out of 40 seats in the Goa Assembly polls, he is set to visit Punjab on July 18, the seond time within a fortnight, to perform 'sewa' at the Golden Temple. Oneindia News AAP vs LG fight again and this is time it is on Gandhi Jayanti Recollecting the Mahatma's fight for equality on Durban train Feature oi-Pallavi Sengupta As Indian premier Narendra Modi commemmorates the Father of the Nation-Mohandad Karamchand Gandhi's contribution in South Africa, the former encounters history as it is, taking a ride in the same train from where the latter was thrown out. That is when the seed of equality was sowed and South Africa saw an emerging figure, a champion in the cause of equality. Here's recollecting the day as it unfolded into a revolution. On June 7, 1893, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was travelling in an all-whites carriage. He was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg for not obeying the segragation that was maintained in all the trains. A young practicing lawyer from India, this incident proved to be a turning point in his life that influenced his struugles for equality. In the early 1900s, Gandhi was instrumental in protesting against the policies of segregation in South Africa, especially the ones that affected the Indians. This segregation affected the lives of Indians in a major way as they were forced to pay 3 poll tax for their race. [Read: Narendra Modi relives Gandhi's train journey to Pietermaritzburg ] Gandhi formulated strategies of passive resistance to protest the discrimination. In fact, the resistance influenced civil rights movements across the world and was later known as Satyagraha or the force which is born out of Truth, Love and non-violence. Gandhiji was even jailed for designing this kind of protest. Why AAP is working hard for Punjab, Goa & Gujarat polls but not Uttar Pradesh Feature oi-Shubham Ghosh The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is putting in a lot of hard effort to do well in three states where the BJP is in power---either solely or in partnership. The point is simple: Go on attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the tallest leader in the country at the moment, so that we can also remain in the headlines and grow in our stature. Afterall, success nowadays is mostly determined by the degree of publicity one succeeds in attaining. Those who fail to do so lose their way. For example---the Congress and Left Front, the two traditional powerhouses but have lost out in the race to remain in the positive focus of the media. But it is also interesting to note that a party, which is ruthlessly ambitious in its plan to emerge on the national stage, is not putting enough focus on Uttar Pradesh---politically the most important state in the country. Is this an irony of sort? [Kejriwal visits Somnath Temple with family; media coverage banned] Why AAP's focus is on Punjab, Gujarat & Goa: 5 reasons The AAP's focus on three BJP-ruled states, i.e., Punjab, Gujarat and Goa is centred around a number of reasons that are narrow and region-specific. First, the AAP is mainly challenging the Modi cult through its aggressive plan on these three states more than grow genuinely as a party. Its aim is more on attracting media coverage for every move it makes targetting Modi and his Co., there will be a reaction and repercussion and that will give one more day to live for a party with limited reach. [Kejriwal's G Mission 2017 in Goa & Gujarat] Secondly, the AAP is trying to make up for its organisational weakness by focusing on the anti-incumbency sentiments in all these three states. The BJP is in power in Punjab (the government being led by the Shiromani Akali Dal) for a decade while in Gujarat, it is ruling for 21 years now. In Goa, though the BJP is about to complete five years in government, but it already has generated enough anti-incumbency and the people of the state are eager to find a new alternative to the time-tested Congress and BJP. Be it the Patidaar problem in Gujarat or the Dalits in Punjab or corruption in Goa, the AAP could be the best alternative to look forward to. Thirdly, the AAP is also willing to fill up the leadership vacuum in these three states. The exit of Modi from Gujarat and Parrikar from Goa and the ageing chief minister in Parkash Singh Badal in Punjab have created an opportunity for Kejriwal to offer a new alternative to the people of these states. Fourthly, the AAP has identified these three states not just because elections are due there in some time but also because they are urbanised states that have been hit by the anti-incumbency. Being a party which is preferred mainly by the middle class, the AAP knows very well that this is the time to strike and topple the BJP---also a party with strong middle-class rooting. Finally, all these three poll-bound states have a largely bipolar political system where the BJP or its ally has been doing better than the Congress. The AAP also senses its chances in this situation. Just like it had done in Delhi where it destroyed the bipolar system and pushed the Congress out of the scene, it feels the same can be done in Punjab, Goa and Gujarat. Even if it fails to win the election, a second position from nowhere will give Kejriwal the much-needed platform to launch his national dream. [Shift in Indian politics? BJP, AAP in; Congress, Left out] When it comes to UP, none of these reasons exist and hence the AAP feels less excited. None of these 5 reasons exist in UP Modi wave not that strong now in UP In UP, for instance, there is no established Modi cult like in Gujarat. The PM himself is also trying hard to ensure that the BJP repeats its 2014 performance and prove that the wave then was not a fluke. His party has not yet succeeded to come up with a credible face for the UP election, something which suggests that the BJP will have to do a lot more work to remain in the contention to win the throne of Lucknow next year. AAP organisationally weak in UP This reality invariably makes it less exciting for the AAP, which has no organisational strength to cover a huge state like UP and could fancy its chance if a Modi factor was dominant in UP like it was in 2014. Then, Kejriwal himself had contested against Modi in Varanasi---a constituency with which he had no relation---and though he lost, he conveyed the message that he is not afraid to take on even the strongest of the enemy. UP has no leadership vacuum for the AAP to readily fill in The AAP is also not giving UP much of a thought because there is no leadership vacuum in that state. The likes of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati are always tough customers to beat in their own den while the possibility of seeing a Priyanka or Rahul Gandhi entering the electoral ring is also there this time. Even a Varun Gandhi proves to be a popular leader in that state. The AAP, with no face of its own, finds it non-profitable to put into an effort in UP. UP not as urbanised as Delhi, Goa or Gujarat UP is also not as urbanised as Delhi, Goa or Gujarat and its politics is also determined by social complexities like caste and religion. That, again, is not the AAP's forte and it is bound to fall flat if it tries to master the social engineering which is seen in UP politics. UP politics is not bipolar as it is Goa, Gujarat or Punjab Moreover, the politics in UP is neither bipolar in nature and the parties that dominate states like Goa, Gujarat and Punjab---the BJP and Congress---are themselves not among the first two in this state. Hence, the plan of targeting the BJP by eating into the Congress's vote-share is not going to work in UP. In fact, that model is not going to help the AAP in any state where one or two regional parties are the dominant forces. The AAP had tasted the bitter pill of contesting and losing difficult elections in UP during the last general poll. It has learnt its limited capacity in taking on the electoral challenge in UP. But the party leadership must also understand that to see its national ambition getting translated into the reality, it has to show its magic in UP---just like Modi had shown in 2014. Minus UP, the AAP's prospects will only remain less. With Hizbul Mujahideen's poster boy Burhan dead, another worry emerges in the Valley Feature oi-Vicky By Vicky In the death of Abdul Burhan Wani, there is a great deal of success for the security forces. However there is another worry that the security forces in Kashmir would have to deal with and it is the making of a martyr. Burhan who put a face on the militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an encounter yesterday. Wani joined the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen at the age of 16 and since then he has been very active on the social media. He had become the poster boy of the outfit and had been termed as a new age militant of the Valley. Hizbul Mujahideen's 21 year old commander Wani killed in encounter at Kashmir The worry Intelligence Bureau officials say that every attempt would be made to ensure that the death of Burhan becomes a rallying point in Kashmir. He has already been termed as a martyr. Moreover his death has led to the suspension of the Amarnath Yatra as security agencies fear escalation of violence. His use of the social media had propelled him to fame in the Valley. In fact it was because of him that the number of local militants in Kashmir outnumbered the foreign terrorists. The highly educated Burhan had become a household name in the Valley and at his home town of Tral he was a hero. The change in Burhan occurred when he was beaten up by policemen while returning home on a motor cycle with his brother. He was 15 at that time. He left home and then joined the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen. There were no negative reviews that he got for joining the Hizbul. In fact several youth supported him outright and felt that he had done the right thing. Roping in the educated Wani has ensured that the Hizbul functions in a more sophisticated manner. Intelligence Bureau officials have warned that if the situation is not controlled then there could be wide spread violence. It has been seen in the past as well the number of people who have turned up at the funeral of militants. IB officials have warned that the situation will be volatile and all efforts should be taken to ensure that the situation does not spiral out of control. DySP Ganapathy suicide: Protests in Mangaluru India oi-PTI Mangaluru, Jul 9: Various organisations today staged protests in the city demanding arrest of persons named in the TV channel interview of DySP Ganapathy who allegedly committed suicide on July 7. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Mijar, speaking at the protest organised by the party before the Deputy Commissioner's office, demanded arrest of the alleged abettors in the case. He said Ganapathy was an honest police officer and alleged that harassment by a former Home Minister and two senior police officers had led to his suicide. Speaking to protestors in front of the DC office, Dakshina Kannada district president of the 'Karnataka Rakshana Vedike' Anil Das said persons named in the DySP's pre-death declaration should be arrested. The Rakshana Vedike wanted the government to provide Rs 10 crore compensation to Ganapathy's family. Dakshina Kannada district JDS president, Mohammed Kunhi told reporters at a press meet here that the suicide was an example of the "anti-people" policies of the Congress government. The Karnataka government has handed over to CID the investigation into alleged suicide of the Mangaluru DySP which has triggered a storm with the police official in his pre-death declaration accusing a senior minister and two top officials of harassing him. PTI Commenting on racial tension in America, then-President Bill Clinton said: We have to understand the roots of black pain and white fear. That tension rages 20 years later in videos on cellphone cameras. A bystander captured the arrest of 18-year old African-American woman Genele Laird outside East Towne Mall three weeks ago. The amateur video showed one of two white cops kneeing, punching and Tasing the physically petite Laird into submission. The rough tactics were deployed as Laird kicked, scratched, screamed and spit at the officers. Police were called after Laird showed a knife inside the mall in a dispute over her missing cellphone. The ugly incident prompted Madisons leading black and white progressive leaders to protest, calling out the police for using excessive force. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne was so appalled he didnt charge Laird with a crime for her performance. He instead referred her to a restorative justice program for misdemeanor offenses. The arrest is being reviewed by the Dane County Sheriffs Office. But on my radio show last week, Madison Police Chief Mike Koval addressed the use of force during an arrest: If the suspect has the will and capacity to resist, it only becomes more difficult and protracted. Gaining and maintaining control and getting the suspect ready for transport is almost never a clean process, he said. I asked about the difficulty the two male officers seemed to have in controlling a relatively small young woman. Not referring specifically to the Genele Laird arrest, Koval said, Its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the heart in the dog. All of this comes after the Madison City Council voted to spend $400,000 to review the procedures and culture of the police department. A recent council meeting became so intense Ald. Samba Baldeh said he felt uncomfortable with the armed Koval sitting by him. As for Kovals statement on his blog to the council, Ill be watching you, Koval said he meant he would be watching what council members do on public policy. The chief chuckled that the comment was never about surveillance. On the Southwest Side of Madison, residents are putting up signs that say, We support Madison Police. About 250 signs went up fast, and 500 more were expected to go up within days. As of this writing, more than 1,600 signatures had been collected on a petition showing support for the cops. Neighborhood organizer Dave Glomp says the signers are multi-racial. Neighbors appreciate more patrols after 800 residents showed up demanding more police at a public hearing in 2007. The city added 20 more officers after that. All of this theater comes at a time of almost daily videos of white cops shooting black men in Baton Rouge, the Twin Cities, Chicago and elsewhere, followed by a sniper shooting 12 cops in Dallas and killing five. In the Minnesota case, the victim announced to the cop he had a permit to carry a firearm. While he reached for his drivers license, the cop shot him four times in front of his girlfriend and a small child. The woman in the car was amazingly calm on her cellphone video of the aftermath. It shows an unhinged white cop with his gun still drawn not attempting to assist the unarmed man as he sat dying in a pool of blood. It all comes back to black pain and white fear. African-Americans feel the pain of being seen as a threat to whites. It could be a case of being stopped unjustly or, as a black friend described to me, the pain of having an usher ask him to show his ticket at a Bucks game when no such question was asked of his white office mates. White fear was described by presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008. He said his white grandmother was afraid of black men walking behind her. Its time to calm down. Instead of a $400,000 consultant, buy the Madison cops body cameras so we can always see what they do in tense situations. As for black suspects, innocent or otherwise, your loved ones dont want you to die. Do what the cops say and keep your hands behind your head or on the steering wheel. It may be humiliating, but the cops have guns, and they can shoot you dead. Gujarat: Former BJP MLA Yatin Oza to join AAP India oi-PTI Ahmedabad, Jul 9: Former BJP MLA Yatin Oza today said he was going to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He said he will meet Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Rajkot tomorrow morning and in New Delhi next week. "This is an informal meeting with Kejriwal but you can consider myself as having already joined AAP. A formal meeting will take place in Delhi coming Tuesday," he told PTI. Oza, a practising lawyer at Gujarat High Court, said after joining AAP he will target Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the "rampant corruption promoted by his government". "I am aggrieved at the way Modi is attacking judiciary and such attacks are being made to weaken it. Second, Modi government did nothing to stop future trading of essential commodities as per his election promise and this has caused rise in prices of food items," Oza said, when asked about his reasons for joining AAP. Modi had a "tacit understanding" with NCP president Sharad Pawar so as to counter Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, he said. "Third, there is a rampant corruption in the government and nothing is being done to address the problem. The BJP today has become a party of two people - Modi and Amit Shah. I have heard grievances of party members who have been pushed out because they are not sycophants," he added. Oza, who had once joined Congress and contested against Modi from Maninagar constituency in 2002 before coming to BJP, said as an AAP member he will corner Modi and the BJP government on corruption with documentary evidence. Oza was elected twice as BJP MLA from Sabarmati here. He parted ways with the party but later returned to BJP. PTI How Pakistan uses its doctors against India India oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 9: The Pakistan's ISI always has a trick up its sleeve when it comes to India. The latest is sending in doctors from Pakistan to various countries who in turn have been told to spread an anti India message. India which has profiled several of these doctors have learnt that they are sent to troubled neighbouring countries and apart from providing aid, they are told to spread an anti India propaganda. A report by the Intelligence Bureau suggests that nearly 80 per cent of these doctors have studied medicine at institutes run by the armed forces in Pakistan. The sending of such a huge number of doctors who have studied medicine in such colleges raised a doubt which then led to a profiling being done by the Intelligence Bureau. Doctors in disguise: An attempt to send such doctors was first made in Nepal when an earthquake hit the country. However the offer was rejected by Nepal on the ground that their citizens may not like getting treated by Pakistanis. However Pakistan continues to identify trouble prone zones and send these doctors. What the Intelligence Bureau has learnt is that most of these doctors have been in touch with the ISI. It made no sense for a doctor to be in touch with officers in the Pakistan intelligence, said an Indian IB official. According to the IB, these doctors are sent in to spread hate against India. Doctors are the best bet since patients trust them. Moreover due to their social standing and the help they are offering, many would often buy what they are talking. Indian officials say that they are closely monitoring these doctors. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, July 9, 2016, 10:45 [IST] Man calls up police claiming he 'planted' bomb at cinema hall India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jul 9: Security officials were sent into a tizzy today when a drunk man called up the police control room today and claimed to have planted a bomb at a popular cinema hall in Connaught Place area in the heart of the city. The call was received around 1.15 PM, following which several police teams, fire tenders and bomb disposal squads were rushed to the Odeon complex, and the premises were evacuated, a Delhi Fire Department official said. "The building was thoroughly inspected. It later turned out to be a hoax call," Additional DCP (New Delhi) Romil Baniya said. Around three hours later, the caller, a 58-year-old former railway employee, was tracked down at central Delhi's Paharganj area and detained at Parliament Street police station where he is being interrogated by officials of police and intelligence agencies. "He was in an inebriated state when he was detained. From preliminary investigation, it appears that he was drunk at the time of making the call as well. However, we can't take chances and he shall be subjected to intensive interrogation," a senior police official said. An FIR is also likely to be registered in connection with the matter. PTI California man arrested on spy charges involving satellites International oi-PTI Los Angeles, Jul 9: A California man charged with allegedly attempting to sell sensitive information used in military and commercial satellites to the Russians was ordered jailed without bail. Gregory Allen Justice of Culver City was arrested Thursday by FBI agents. Authorities say the 49-year-old engineer, who worked for a Los Angeles defense contractor, provided proprietary software technology and other information to an FBI agent he thought was a Russian spy. He was charged with economic espionage and violating the US Arms Export Control Act. "Mr. Justice allegedly placed his own interests of greed over our national security by providing information on sensitive US technologies to a person whom he believed was a foreign agent," Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin said in a statement yesterday. "In the wrong hands, this information could be used to harm the United States and its allies." An attorney for Justice could not immediately be located, and his phone number has been disconnected. According to court documents, Justice was paid between USD 500 and USD 1,000 during each of several meetings he had with the undercover agent earlier this year. The agent said Justice explained he needed the money to provide medical care for his seriously ill wife, although some of it appeared to have been given to another woman. Her relationship with Justice wasn't explained. According to the court documents, Justice had been employed by the unnamed defense contractor since 2000, and he had most recently been working on military and commercial satellites. Authorities said he stole proprietary trade secrets from his employer and passed them on to the undercover agent he believed worked for a Russian intelligence agency. They say he also provided documents containing technical data that under federal law are tightly restricted for export. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on the espionage charge and 20 years on the Arms Export Control Act violation charge. AP Doctors Without Borders urges PM Modi to maintain medicine supply to South Africa International oi-Shubham Ghosh Pretoria, July 9: Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a humanitarian agency on Friday (July 7) ran a campaign seeking the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently touring South Africa, to maintain the production and supply of affordable generic medicines from India to millions in that country as well as in the rest of the African continent, IOL News reported. Read more on Modi in Africa 2016 A billboard trailer was seen at the Union Buildings here with the following message for Modi: "Prime Minister Modi, Don't Shut Down The Pharmacy Of The Developing World!", the report added. MSF's South Africa spokesperson Claire Waterhouse said the billboard campaign was meant to raise awareness on developments that are occurring in the global pharmaceuticals sector and not any kind of protest, the report said. "We want South Africans to know that there is an issue and we want Prime Minister Modi to know that we are watching the developments in India closely and we are asking him to stand strong against the pressure he is facing because lives all over the world will be affected (if he succumbs)," the report quoted Waterhouse as saying. "Our message to the Prime Minister is that South Africans will be directly affected if he rolls back pro-public health patent laws in India, as he is currently being pressured to do by the United States and their multi-national drug corporations. We are asking that he stand strong in the face of this pressure and continue to allow India to provide lifesaving generic medication to the developing world at affordable prices." South Africa imports the maximum number of medicines from India for a wide range of diseases. Oneindia News Modi leaves SA for Tanzania where he will be meeting 'Solar Mamas' International oi-Shubham Ghosh Johannesburg, July 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his two-day visit to South Africa on Saturday (July 9) and left for Tanzania. Modi, who called his visit to South Africa a "satisfying" one, will land at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar-es-Salaam, the largest city of the African country and also an important economic centre of the region. Read more on Modi in Africa 2016 The PM is in the middle of a four-nation visit in Africa over five days that began with his arrival in Mozambique on July 7. Besides South Africa, Modi visited Mozambique and will wind up his tour with a visit to Kenya. "Thank you South Africa! A visit filled with the presence of the past & the promise of the future ends as PM departs," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup. Modi, who had taken part in a number of events in South Africa during his visit---including political and socio-historical, also expressed his pleasure. In a post on the social media, Modi said: "It's been a satisfying South Africa visit, where I have been able to attend such a wide variety of programmes & interact with so many people. This South Africa visit has been a 'Tirth Yatra' for me. Got an opportunity to visit places so closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. My gratitude to the people & Government of South Africa for extending a warm welcome & the memorable hospitality during my stay here." Modi to meet Tanzanian Prez to enhance cooperation In Tanzania, Modi will meet President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli to enhance mutual cooperation on major issues of common interest. Stressing the importance of Modi's stop in Tanzania, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Amar Sinha had said while briefing the media in New Delhi on July 4: "On Sunday, we are reaching Tanzania. So, every hour there is a new programme. So you will have to carefully go through this. Sinha said they were grateful to the Tanzanian government for accepting an official visit on a Sunday. "Tanzania was not only happy but in fact they were the first off the mark in terms that they immediately said that they would definitely want it and they would not want Indian Prime Minister to just fly over them between Durban and Nairobi. So we have decided that we will stop there and the whole Sunday would be spent there. There are the same elements on the official part. I can tell you what else he is doing there besides the official engagements. He (Modi) is meeting the Indian community," Sinha said. India focuses on 'Solar Mamas': A move towards strengthening Solar Alliance? Focussing on the 'Solar Mamas' training programme, Sinha said: "Solar Mamas are these grandmothers from villages who are brought by Barefoot College. He will also be meeting a group of 40 or so of Solar Mamas from different parts of Africa, which Barefoot College has trained. We are also actually funding setting up of one of the Barefoot College centres in Tanzania. "So, that we thought was a good opportunity for PM to actually see because this connects with our new Solar Alliance, that we already have a cadre of well trained people even at the village level, who are solar technicians, who have already been electrifying villages. So this will actually plug in with the overall initiative in Solar Alliance." Prime Minister Modi also emphasised on his visit to Tanzania, saying, "On Sunday 10th July, I will be in Tanzania for a brief but crucial visit to give an impetus to ties with Tanzania, a valued friend in Africa. "There will be extensive talks with President Dr. John Magufuli, where we will chalk out the road ahead for bettering India-Tanzania relations in a wide range of areas. I will also be meeting 'Solar Mamas', a group of rural women solar engineers from Africa, who have been trained under GOI-supported programmes to fabricate, install, use, repair and maintain solar lanterns and household solar lighting systems in their villages," Modi said before starting his second visit to Africa. Modi's tour will conclude with his visit to Kenya on Monday. Oneindia News Modi most effective leader India has had in a long time: US International oi-Sandra Marina Fernandes Lahore, July 9: Praising prime minister Narendra Modi, Chairman of US Senate's Armed Services Committee Senator John McCain has said that Modi is probably the most effective leader that India has had in a long time. According to a report in Dawn, during an interview with Ary News, McCain said that US wants improvement in relations between Pakistan and India. "There is no doubt that Modi is probably the most effective leader that India has had in a long time and the relations between US and India have improved because Modi is co-operative," said McCain. He said that U.S. has no intention to sacrifice its relationship with Pakistan to benefit its relationship with India, negating the impression that US was moving closer to India abandoing ties with Pakistan. He added that he believed that a good relationship with Modi will be effective in order to normalising ties between the two countries. McCain also said that Pakistan should take action against the Haqqani network that has resulted in the death of several US soldiers in Afghanistan. OneIndia News PM Modi likely to visit Arunachal on Oct 30 to inaugurate greenfield airport PM Modi pays tribute to Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj on his jayanti Narendra Modi relives Gandhi's train journey to Pietermaritzburg International oi-Sandra Marina Fernandes Durban, July 9: Prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday boarded a train at the Pentrich railway station to Pietermaritzburg station. Modi was accompanied by Premier of Kwazulu Natal during the train journey. Modi boarded the train in memory of the 1893 incident in which Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment on account of his skin colour. Recollecting the Mahatma's fight for equality on Durban train PM Modi boards a train to Pietermaritzburg from Pentrich railway station in Durban (South Africa) #ModiInAfrica pic.twitter.com/x1TietajbC ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 Durban, South Africa: PM Narendra Modi boards a train at Pentrich railway station pic.twitter.com/ABkUZ6oKYq ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 In the footsteps of the Mahatma. PM @narendramodi relives the train journey to Pietermaritzburg. pic.twitter.com/1fXgOGUfXd Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) July 9, 2016 After arrving at the Pietermaritzburg railway station, Modi spoke to mediapersons and said: "My trip to South Africa has become a sort of a pilgrimage. I am talking to you from the place where a lawyer named Mohandas in 1893 was thrown from a train." "I am fortunate that I got to visit a place where a man's journey had ended and a Mahatma's journey began," he added. Modi arrived in Durban on Friday night from Johannesburg on his third day in South Africa. Following the train journey, the Indian prime minister will be visiting Gandhi's Phoenix Settlement. A grand reception will be held in Durban hosted by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner to South Africa before Modi leaves for Tanzania. OneIndia News PM Modi likely to visit Arunachal on Oct 30 to inaugurate greenfield airport Modi in South Africa: Business leaders sign 8 agreements International oi-PTI Pretoria, July 9: Top business leaders from India and South Africa on Friday (July 8) signed eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) leading to increased cooperation in a wide range of areas between the two nations. Read more on Modi in Africa 2016 The MoU were signed at the South Africa-India CEOs Forum on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit here aimed at further bolstering cooperation on economic, political, social and international areas. Hindustan Zinc Limited signed two MoU with Minova Africa for development and supply of rock support systems for underground mining in India; and with Feremel for the supply and maintenance of underground mining equipment to improve safety, efficiency and productivity in modern mechanised underground mines. MMI Holdings and Aditya Birla Nuvo signed an MoU to form a Joint Venture in the health and insurance sector in India. India's Ion Exchange Safic, a leading waste and water treatment company with a presence in South Africa, will collaborate with Stefanutti Stocks SA in large scale water and effluent treatment projects in South Africa. SAAB Grintek Defence and Tata Power signed an agreement for production of land electronic defence systems in India. An MoU signed between Pioneer Global Enterprises of India and Armscor to produce ultrasonic broken railway detector systems for Indian Railways also includes an emphasis on technology transfer. Gordon Institute of Business Science has signed an MoU with ISB Hyderabad to collaborate on a senior executive programme, student exchange, faculty exchange and joint research. The biggest MoU is signed between the Dube Trade Port in Durban and Cipla India, which will see a Rand 1.3 billion biosimilar plant being set up in the special export zone to produce cheaper drugs for local government and private sector supply as well as export. A number of other bilateral agreements and MoUs are expected to be finalised in the next few months. The areas of cooperation in these include Information Communication Technology, Tourism, Sport, Culture, Grassroots Innovation, Renewable Energy, Audio-Visual and Visa Simplification Procedures. South African co-chair of the Forum Vivian Reddy said he and his Indian counterpart Adi Godrej were committed to ensure that the body meet more regularly to achieve the objectives of enhancing trade and investment between the two countries. Reddy said they had committed to meet at least twice a year, with the next meeting scheduled to take place during the BRICS conference in India later this year. Godrej highlighted the massive changes that had occurred in India since the last meeting, citing the 'Make in India' campaign introduced by Prime Minister Modi as one of these which had opened up areas such as defence, railways, and pensions for overseas investment. He called on the business leaders to find ways to urgently address and reverse the decline in bilateral trade which had declined from USD 11 billion a year earlier to USD 9.5 billion in 2015. Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Planning Ramesh Abhishek said that India was committed to helping with skills development and growth of small and medium industries in South Africa. Reddy said that South Africa was keen to strengthen trade between the two countries since diplomatic relations with India were resumed in 1993 after a break of almost four decades as India led the international fight against the minority white apartheid regime. South Africa's trade statistics also show that India's exports to South Africa increased from R29 billion in 2011 to R54 billion in 2015, while South Africa's exports to India increased from R24 billion in 2011 to R41 billion. While the trade surplus is in favour of India, efforts are underway to promote South African exports of especially value added products. PTI Will China be upset with South Africa for backing India's NSG bid? International oi-Shubham Ghosh Johannesburg, July 9: China will be closely watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to South Africa where he spoke to South African President Jacob Zuma on India's bid for full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Read more on Modi in Africa 2016 President Zuma nodded his head after Modi thanked him for South Africa's "support" for India's membership of the NSG. He said: "We know we can count on the active support of our friends like South Africa." South Africa's support to India's bid to become a full member of the NSG despite the latter not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is likely to irk China and other nations that are opposed to her entry into the elite club. Modi secured the backing of the US and most other countries on the matter of entering the NSG but China and a few other countries objected to it. It was also said that South Africa was one among them but New Delhi downplayed it. Beijing has been firm on its stand that some countries can't be exempted and all should abide by the criterion of signing the NPT to become an NSG member. President Zuma said India and South Africa would work on expanding co-operation in deep mining, defence, renewable energy and health besides agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and development of infrastructure. The South African authorities also relaxed the country's visa norms to make it easier for Indian travellers to visit there. Oneindia News Can American democracy survive this presidential election? We assume any framework that has endured through the Civil War, the Great Depression, the violent upheaval of the 1960s and more can survive anything. But no earthly institution is eternal, and its hard to think of a campaign that has done more damage to our system of government than this one. Amid our misery, we take comfort in the belief that once the election is over, things will get better. More likely, they will get worse. On the Republican side is a candidate who appears incapable of telling the truth, trying to gain a basic understanding of policy or speaking in anything but childishly simplistic sound bites. Donald Trump has made himself so radioactive that for the first time in memory, dozens of Republican politicians are shunning their nominee, repudiating many of his statements and boycotting their national convention. Has any major-party nominee ever been tarred with the brush of racism by the partys highest-ranking officeholder as Trump was by House Speaker Paul Ryan? Has any former president in the past century refused to endorse his own partys nominee much less two former presidents as both Bushes have done? On the other side, has any major-party candidate ever come so close to being indicted just before being nominated as Hillary Clinton did? Has one ever been criticized more thoroughly and damningly by the director of the FBI than she was on Tuesday, when James Comey presented a picture of her as dishonest, reckless and incompetent? None of this comes as a shocking discovery. From their decades in the public eye, we knew Trump as a bombastic fraud with an ego as big as the Titanic and Clinton as a ruthless power seeker with a compulsion to deceive. Yet the political order has enabled them to reach the threshold of our highest office. The latest Gallup Poll found that these two arouse more negative feelings than any presidential nominee in the past 60 years. Barry Goldwater was perceived in highly unfavorable terms by 26 percent of Americans on his way to one of the most crushing defeats in American history. Clinton is regarded that way by 33 percent of Americans, and Trump by 42 percent. Those figures came in before the FBI directors report and before the controversy over Trumps use of anti-Semitic imagery. They also come before the candidates and their allied super PACs have spent hundreds of millions of dollars showcasing the flaws of the other. By election night, the loser may qualify as the most hated person in America and the president-elect may be the runner-up. The problem is not so much that voters will spend the next four months being disgusted by Trump and Clinton before having to suppress nausea long enough to cast a ballot for one of them. Its that the citizenry will be forced to submit to one or the other of them for four years that may feel like 40. Consider how bitter and polarized the climate has grown under Barack Obama, a president who has a temperate disposition, is careful with words and has managed two terms without a major scandal or catastrophe. Under him, two costly wars have wound down, the economy has climbed back from the worst downturn since the Depression and crime has declined. But many Republicans regard him as not only unsatisfactory but completely illegitimate. They will almost certainly greet Clinton with even more hostility. If Trump wins, though, Democrats will not be alone in seeing him as an intolerable usurper. After George W. Bush emerged victorious from the five-week legal battle over the 2000 election, his inauguration attracted thousands of demonstrators chanting, Hail to the thief, with a few throwing eggs and bottles. Imagine the protests that would engulf the capital for a Trump inauguration. Is America lurching toward collapse, disintegration or civil war? It may sound far-fetched. But delegates to this years Texas state Republican convention spent two hours debating whether to put a plank on secession in their platform. The simple fact is that the next president will be detested by half the country, if not more, from day one. How long till impeachment hearings begin? We dont know who will be in charge of the next administration. But it already has a haunting theme song: Eve of Destruction. Forget the past: Mamata sends EC three basketful of mangoes Kolkata oi-Shubham Ghosh Kolkata, July 9: She fought the hardest battle of her life even two months back when election was underway in her state. Apart from the Congress-Left electoral understanding, the charges of corruption against her party's top leaders and ministers and the tirade of the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the campaign of a section of the influential media---she also had to tackle an unrelenting Election Commission while fighting all the way to the winner's podium. But now, everything looks settled. So much so that Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sent three baskets of mangoes to Chief Election Commissioner Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi as a goodwill gesture, a report in Anandabazar Patrika said. The entire poll commission office is now busy tasting the variety of mangoes that Banerjee has sent from her state, the report said. After winning her second successive term in office, could the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo have done better other than this Gandhigiri of the first order? [What after central forces go home, Mamata asked voters during Assembly election] The Bengal government has submitted its written complaints to the commission over whatever the latter had done in the state during the April-May election---like removing of bureaucrats and police officers including the Kolkata Police commissioner. But at the same time, it has also resorted to the mango diplomacy, the report said. [Oppn, media, EC: Mamata has too many enemies] The chief election commissioner was impressed with the move. He said whatever the EC does during election is not politically motivated since it is accountable to the democracy. Mamata seems to have deserted the collision course in her second stint as CM Banerjee's avatar in her second stint as the chief minister has caught many eyes. She has not displayed her mercurial nature this time and is showing an intent to cooperate. She has also avoided making statements in the media that can snowball into controversies. She has even expressed her support for the much debated GST Bill, giving hope to the BJP-led NDA government of succeeding to get it passed in the Upper House. The change in Banerjee has been welcomed by many and it will be interesting to see how this calm-looking leader lays out her future course of politics at the time of the next Lok Sabha election. Oneindia News Advisory against Peace TV in effect from today New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, July 9: An advisory would be in place to keep a track of any attempt to broadcast the Dr Zakir Naik run Peace TV. This television channel which does not have a license to broadcast in India was still being transmitted illegally by cable operatives. As per the advisory issued to all states, a directive has been issued to ensure that the channel is not broadcast. The advisory also states if any broadcast of the channel had been found then action be initiated under the Cable Television Network (regulation) Act. Peace TV continued transmission in India despite I&B ministry refusing licence The Intelligence Bureau had red flagged Naik's Peace TV along with 23 other channels. In a report submitted to the government in 2012, the IB had red flagged 24 channels including Peace TV. In its report the IB said that these channels focused on religious affairs and more often than not deliver controversial messages. The government had sought for a report from the IB following communal riots in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Hyderabad and Assam. The IB found that most of the these television channels had been putting out communally sensitive content which was influencing the youth. The IB also noted that these channels were being illegally broadcast. It was the UPA government which had denied the Peace TV and others a license due to offensive content. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, July 9, 2016, 10:11 [IST] Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India Jammu & Kashmir violence: 5 killed; 30 injured; separatists' strike extended Srinagar oi-Shubham Ghosh Srinagar, July 9: Protests against the killing of Hijbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on Friday (July 8) led to violence in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday (July 9) and the death toll went up to five by the evening. Of the dead, three are in Anantnag district while two in Kulgam district. More than 30 were injured. [With Burhan's death, another worry emerges in Valley] The separatist leaders in the state extended the strike for two more days, the Indian Express reported. The protesters attacked police posts, security personnel and also the office of the BJP in Kulgam. Youths were seen pelting stones at the police posts and stations at various places in Anantnag district. Mobile services were also suspended in the wake of the violence. A number of buses were left stranded on the Pahalgam-Srinagar highway, said the daily. Meanwhile, sources in the government and the BJP praised the security forces over killing Wani, saying it proved India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Oneindia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, July 9, 2016, 17:28 [IST] 16 from Kerala suspected to have joined ISIS Thiruvananthapuram oi-Vicky Thiruvananthapuram, July 9: The Kerala police have initiated a probe after it had been reported that 16 persons including a doctor had gone missing. Their families had complained to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinrayi Vijayan about these persons missing. What has raised alarm bells is the message sent by one of the missing persons. In his message, he had said, "we have reached our final destination." While four of the missing are from Palakkad the rest are from Kasargod in Kerala. The police suspect that they may have reached Syria or Iraq, but also add that the case is under investigation. We have reached our destination The message that we have reached our destination is what has set the alarm bells ringing. At first the family members suspected that they had reached Afghanistan as the number belonged to that country. However it was later on found that they were not in Afghanistan which led to the doubt that they may be either in Iraq or Syria. An officer in Kerala informed OneIndia that it is still not clear whether they had left together or in separate groups. However each one of them had told the family members that they were going on a pilgrimage. The police in other parts of the country while investigating similar cases had found that the missing persons had quoted a pilgrimage before making their advent into ISIS territory. The police officer says that it is too early to come to any conclusion and only further probing will help ascertain the right details. OneIndia News 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. PIX 11 15 Nov 2021 What's in a name? Well, for Ji-Young, the newest muppet resident of Sesame Street, her name is a sign she was meant to live.. Rumble 25 Oct 2022 Thousands of mourners on Tuesday (October 25) marched in the funerals of five Palestinians who were killed in one of the largest.. Jerusalem Post 10 Apr 2022 Two Bulgarian politicians were arrested for throwing red paint on the Russian Embassy and live streaming it over Facebook. Rumble 27 Jul 2022 Proof the Democratic party is trying to stop Trump because MAGA took over the controlled Republican party - Trump going after CNN.. Energy Daily 26 Oct 2022 Paris (AFP) Oct 26, 2022 Businesses must be compelled to reveal their impact on nature, more than 300 firms said in an.. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more So he parked the car and headed straight to the packaged goods store to bring his goodwill gift a six-pack of beer and a big bag of pretzels... Honey-wheat, Pockets favorite. Between his old Chicago accent and the sputter of crumbs, Pocket was sometimes harder to understand than his well-spoken boss, but it was worth it. And Pockets wasnt quite as guarded as the professional old pol he worked for. Hed been reading something online, just the other day, about a vote fraud case in Minnesota , and as long as it was on his mind, he thought he might stop by and see if he could gain some insight from his old friends. Now it had been a while since hed been back; the folks moved out of the ward, and hed gone away to college but he still stopped by occasionally to talk with his old friends, Committeeman Bill Marcy (The Boss) and his trusted deputy committeeman, Pockets, who fancied themselves the boys mentors, and predicted that hed be Alderman someday until his parents had the poor judgment to move out of the ward. When he was a teenager, unable to get a summer job in Obamas summer of recovery, his parents encouraged him to volunteer at the local party office. It would be a learning experience, Mr. and Mrs. Syerov had told him. And was it ever. Pavel Syerov, Jr. was home from college, doing errands, when he found himself in the old neighborhood, about to pass by the old 51st Ward Party Headquarters where he had spent so much time as a youth. Join us, as our fictional young campaign volunteer learns the benefits of postponement... to a party that practices vote fraud As Pavel walked in the door, ringing the little bell on the string, he marveled once again at how everything at headquarters was still so old-fashioned. A little bell attached to the door chain, a couple of beat-up old collating tables, surrounded by beat-up old chairs for the old ladies to use when seated around it for collating literature, even the old ladies themselves were old-fashioned, with their shabby old clothes, two of them still with yesterdays racing form sticking out of their purses (should have thought to bring a snack for the ladies too, darn it...), old metal bookshelves, full to overflowing with old literature, boxes of buttons and pins and childrens toys, boxes of those door-hanger plastic bags to fill with literature for when the final General Election arrives Boy, what a shabby joint. But theres something new, off to the left: in Pockets corner, amidst the stacks of papers and binders and reports that surround his old desk and credenza, there were several brand new shiny electronics He was brought back to the business at hand as Pockets shouted out from the back Pauly! Izzat you? Long time no see, college boy! Lemme look at ya! The old man shuffled to the front, and his eyes lit up even more as he saw the goodwill offering. A beer? For me? Thank ya kindly, Paully, I dont mind if I do! Pavel chuckled and said Here, have a seat, and let me put the rest of them in the fridge. Be back in a minute. Here, have a grenade! Pavel set down the bag of pretzels, handed Pockets a bottle, and headed to the back of the office to put the rest of the six-pack in the refrigerator. By the time Pavel returned, Pockets was already a third through with his beer already, munching on the open bag of pretzels. What had it been, 45 seconds?! So hows college, Paully? Ya learnin stuff? Gettin your moneys worth up there? Yes indeed, Pockets, Pavel replied. Double major, and Im working on two minors, two. They keep me busy! Wow. So ya dont come home much, huh? No, not much, Pockets. Once in a while, maybe once every month and a half, if that. Working through my vacations and breaks whenever I can get hours. But itll all be worth it in the end, when I get that degree and head into the real world! Ah, Paully, I hope so. I hear its tough out there, nowadays. Pockets shrugged his shoulders. I got a great-nephew, he graduated a couple years ago, couldnt find a full-time job for a year. I offered to help, ya know, get him a job with the city, but his grandma, she said no. Pockets looked down, especially sad, for a moment, and took a swig. She wouldnt even let me see what I could do for him. Pavel remembered Pockets sister-in-law disapproved of how Pockets earned his living. The idea of taking a patronage job from the party would hardly have appealed to her! Pavel quickly changed the subject to spare him further reflection on the mater. Yeah, well, I was kind of in the neighborhood this morning, running a few errands, and I just read a story online this morning that politics on my mind, so I figured Id stop by in case you were in the office! Glad I did! Oh yeah, Paully, Im always here on Saturdays, ya know, specially in an election year! Glad ya stopped by! Pockets shoveled another pretzel in his mouth, then asked Hey, ya notice anything different around here? Pavel paused to consider. Its still the same place, evoking a classic episode of Hoarders that it always had and then he remembered the electronics hed noticed when he walked in. You have some new electronics on your desk is that it? Got it one, Paully! Pockets beamed with pride at his pupil. Nothin gets past you, does it? Yup, we got some new stuff. All a dis talk about identity theft got us nervous, so da Boss and I, we got ta thinkin, and we decided it was time. Pockets took a long swig of his drink, and continued. So we went out an bought our own detachable hard drive. Its a stand-alone thing so ya can back up everything on a separate device. If some hacker in India or China or Kenilworth or somethin decides ta pull our data offa da Cloud, well still have it right here! Pockets patted his new toy proudly, then pointed to another unit on the floor, between his desk and the wall. Ya know what dat is, Paully? Its a server! A server? Yup, its our own email server! We figured, if Hillary can get her own private server, so can we, eh, Paully?! Pockets polished off his beer, and held it up as if in a toast: After all, anything Hillary can do, we can do too! Were both from Chicago, ya know! Umm it didnt really end all that well for Hillary, though, did it, Pockets? I mean, she was investigated by the FBI for it! The old pol laughed a good old belly laugh. Sure she was investigated! But she beat da rap, Paully, and dats what counts! Havent you been paying attention to me all deze years? Pavel forced himself to chuckle along with him it just wouldnt do to let Pockets see any disapproval in his eyes. He stood up and said Here, let me get you a refill! As Pavel walked back to the refrigerator for another beer, he remembered a famous scene from Guys and Dolls the scene where Big Jule, the gangster from Chicago, says I used ta be a bad kid, but I went straight, as is proven by my record: 32 arrests, no convictions Frank Loesser and Damon Runyan sure understood Chicago well Here you go, Pockets, have another grenade! said Pavel, as he handed him the beer. Tank ya kindly, Paully! he responded, beaming as he opened what was probably already his fourth beer that morning. So hey, ya said something caught your eye online, huh? What didja see? Excellent. Pavel had hoped to be able to get to it quickly. If the Boss got in before he was done, that would add another half hour, and the Boss was sometimes less careless in these discussions than his hard-drinking deputy. Well, I saw this piece about a vote fraud trial in Minnesota. Hed actually read several columns and news articles, but he wasnt about to admit to Pockets that hed been reading PowerLine Blog and the American Thinker It said that one of the things the plaintiffs are claiming is that onsite registration is basically a fast track to vote fraud. Is that true? Well, now, Paully, dats a good question, Pockets replied, as he leaned forward to grab a fistful of honey-wheat pretzel braids Man, I love dese things thanks for bringin em in. I might polish off da whole bag! And it certainly wouldnt be the first time, thought Pavel. So lets see now, Pockets paused for a moment, and asked, Why might ya think that onsite registration would be a good thing, in the first place, Paully? Pavel replied Well, I guess because people put things off, just generally. Who doesnt procrastinate, right? Nobody wants to go out of their way to head to city hall or a township office to register, so they put it off when they turn eighteen, or when they move, and they keep planning on doing it as part of their errands, but they never get around to it... and then before ya know it, the registration period is over. But you have a Constitutional right to vote, so onsite registration allows it. Makes sense, right? Exactly our point, Paully! Exactly our point. Pockets assumed his best, good-government look pose, and said Onsite Registration is necessary to enable our busy citizens to practice their patriotic duty! and with that, Pockets collapsed back into his overstuffed leather office chair, shoveled a pretzel and his mouth, and cackled until he took his next swig of beer. But it makes sense, doesnt it, Pockets? Pavel asked. If the government has to allow people to vote, why should the date of registration matter? Its the vote that counts, and youre only letting them vote once, anyway. So can there really BE any vote fraud, if, by definition, theyre just showing up at the polling place and casting that one vote? Pockets sat back and picked up a pretzel, this time to use as a pointer in the air, as he often did. First, lets think about what ya need to register to vote. Whaddaya need, Paully? Well some mixture of birth certificate, state ID, drivers license, college student ID, a utility bill, an apartment lease varies from state to state, I suppose. Right. And when ya register a month in advance, what does da election office have time ta do? Ummm OMIGOSH! A month gives the election board time to CHECK all that stuff. If its on election day, theres no time to check the persons paperwork! Good fakes will get through! Or legitimate IDs that have problems, like if the person is a felon or a non-citizen! Right-O, Paully! Gold Star. Pockets smiled, never ceasing to be proud of his pupil. And what do we know about da people who work at da polling places, Paully? Pavel wasnt sure where he was going with this one. That they arent necessarily on our side? Well, yeah, sure, but what else? Umm that they vary considerably from precinct to precinct? Bingo! Dey vary considerably. Dats a nice way to put it. The old man shoveled another pretzel in his mouth and continued without a break. Deres precincts what got careful professionals, people wholl look closely at the drivers license, check da student ID ta see if its da current year, check da copy of da utility bill ta make sure it hasnt been altered wid Liquid Paper ya know, stuff like dat. And there are precincts where they wont check at all, or they wont notice a decent fake! Right, Paully. Deres all kinds. And on top of that, deres da whole issue of time of day, ya know? Pockets paused for a swig of beer, and Pavel nodded his head, remembering how Pockets had told him in the past of how times of day affected vote fraud. There are things a corrupt pollworker can get away with in slow times that he couldnt pull in fast times, and there are things you can get away with in fast times that you could never pull during a lull. So you mean, even a diligent pollworker is more likely to miss a fake registration if hes in a hurry, like during a lunch rush? Oh yeah, Paully, especially then. And try it at 6:00pm in a presidential year! Brudder, youll get away wid anything at 6:00pm, when deres a line out da door and only an hour left! Pavel pondered this a moment, then said but arent these just provisional ballots anyway, so if theyre wrong, theyll get found out and tossed? Heh, heh. Yeah, Paully, you keep tellin yourself that! Pockets replied, almost snorting out his beer. When I started out, 50-some years ago, dere was just ballots and dat was dat. Now, deres dis provisional ballot and dat provisional ballot, da onsite registrations and da ballots dat didnt read right in da feeder and da envelope of absentee ballots dat came in da morning and da envelope of absentee ballots dat sometimes arrive at night as da polls close, and on and on. At a lot of precincts, in a lot of states, its impossible ta keep em all straight. Dey all get mixed up together, and dey all get counted. Pockets munched another pretzel, and said And den deres alla doze people dat get dropped from da list because dere felons, and da ones who moved away but didnt throw away their IDs wid same-day registration, dey all get ta register again, and vote again. And again. And again. Pockets took another swig, then continued: Heck, Ive seen precincts where a ballot didnt feed, so we had ta make a substitute ballot (one Republican pollworker and one Democrat pollworker, cooperating, of course!) to feed through instead, copying those votes line by line.and then accidentally got them mixed up so both the original and the substitute got counted! Ya can get away wid anything if da pollworkers are newbies, or if dere in a hurry, or if its just a busy precinct on a high-profile presidential election! Pavel didnt ask where he had seen those particular mistakes or if Pockets himself had been the one to make sure that both the original spoiled ballots AND their replacements got counted but he had a feeling. Pockets adopted one of his thoughtful poses, and said wistfully yeah, ya know, ya can get away wid anything in some states, on some days. But ya never know, do ya? and he polished off that bottle too. As he walked back to get Pockets another beer, Pavel made a mental note to stop bringing both beer and pretzels; it would have to be one or the other, in the future. Between the crumbs and the slurring, Pockets was getting awfully hard to understand in his old age. So, what youre saying, Pockets, is that onsite registration isnt so much a method of vote fraud on its own, but it enables other types to work, even better, huh? Exactly, Paully! the old man said, popping the cap and diving in without delay. Deres always been fake registrations, but dere easier ta get away with on election day than a month ahead. Dereve always been people who move away and get dropped from da list, and its easier ta get away with voting in both places on a busy election day wid a long line pushin for speed. Pockets picked up another pretzel and gestured again. Hey, Paully, when you started at college, where did ya live? In a dorm. Why? Didja have a student ID wid your address on it? Some schools do, some dont Yes, ours had our dorm address on it. Didja give back your ID when ya moved? No, they just issue a new one. We keep the old ones as a spare, but I know that varies from college to college. Pockets smiled from ear to ear. And how many places didja live in while in college? Ummm, four, actually. I had a different dorm freshman and sophomore years, then a different dorm for the summer I spent on campus, then the fraternity Im in an off-campus apartment with roommates now Ive been all over the campus! Pockets asked All different polling places too, then, Ill bet, eh Paully? Yes indeed, all different. So wid all dose different IDs, plus your registration at your familys old house in the city and the new one in the suburbs (ya should never have moved, Paully; ya coulda been alderman someday, ya know!) you could easily be voting six times in every election if ya wanted to. A few by absentee, a couple in person wid same-day registration (even if yad already been deleted from da rolls, as long as ya still got ID to present!!!) dats how its done, Paully! No way in hell would I ever do that, thought Pavel, but he kept silent on that point, instead saying but surely you wouldnt always get away with it! Wouldnt you be caught occasionally? Sure, Paully, sometimes people get denied. Da pollworkers see through a bad fake ID or a doctored piece of mail, and dey send da person always. But its not like dey arrest ya. So it doesnt hurt to try, eh Paully?! Pavel remembered something hed encountered in class, and asked In one of my Poli Sci classes on the Cold War, the professor was talking about the theory of MAD. Mutually Assured Destruction. He said that President Reagans Project High Frontier was designed to work that way, like youve been saying, so that we could get out of the problem of the MAD approach to the nuclear threat. Hows dat again, Paully? Pockets asked. Im not following ya. Well, its like this. Everybody was afraid that we might launch 300 nukes at Russia and they might launch 300 back at them. MAD was the assumption that this total destruction would dissuade people from starting a nuclear war. Right, yeah. Where ya going wid dis, though? Im lost, Paully. Well, Project High Frontier was the proposal to build a missile defense that might not stop all of the incoming ICBMs, but it would stop lots of them. The Left said it was no good because even one ICBM was too much, so it was pointless unless you could stop every nuke. The Right said it was great, because uncertainty was all we needed to further dissuade the Russians. They would have to think, what if three quarters of our nukes are stopped? What if almost all are stopped? What if we only wind up destroying minor cities, and the USAs major installations and major bases escape unscathed? Then that uncertainty would dissuade Russia from ever starting a nuclear war, just as well as MAD did, and even better, because of the lower risk if it did wind up happening! Ah, I gotcha, Paully. Dat makes sense. Pockets nodded as he took another drink. So youre sayin what Im sayin dat we should go ahead and try it, and we can have da same person try ten onsite registrations on election day, and den its fine even if a couple are stopped, cause well still have six or seven more votes than we wouldve if we hadnt done it. Yup, dats it in a nutshell. Dats how it works. Pavel left unmentioned his other thought: that eliminating onsite election day voter registration would make even more sense, because even though it wouldnt stop all the vote fraud, it sure would stop a lot of it. A heck of a lot more than were stopping right now. So for all intents and purposes, Pavel said in conclusion, Same day onsite voter registration really is just a gift to the practitioners of vote fraud, so the challengers in this Minnesota case are correct after all, huh? Yes indeed, Paully, yes indeed! smiled the old man, conspiratorially. To onsite voter registration! Heres hoping the case fails! he said triumphally, as he raised his glass in a toast. Pavel joined him, raising his pretzel and jovially pretending to clink glasses trying his best not to let on that the two of them were hoping for the exact opposite outcomes. Man, its getting late, Pockets, Pavel said suddenly. I didnt realize how long Id been here. Ive gotta get going. Errands to run! Hey, no problem, Paully, been great talkin wid ya! Say hello to The Boss for me, when you see him, Pockets! Oh yeah, hell be in soon Ill tellim ya said Hi! Take care a yourself, buddy! As Pavel headed out, he realized not for the first time that things were much worse than hed expected. Same-day onsite voter registration is more pervasive now than ever before, and he now realized it was just a great big gift-wrapped present to whatever party wanted to practice vote fraud. And we all know which party that is. He was going to have to have quite a conversation when he got home, to update his folks and boy, was he going to have some material to discuss in class, when he gets back to college. Copyright 2016 John F. Di Leo John F. Di Leo is a Chicago-based international trade lecturer, writer, and actor. A former area chairman of the Maine Township GOP and County Chairman of the Milwaukee County GOP, he has now been a recovering politician for over nineteen years. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to any real persons, living or dead, is coincidental, though the many types of vote fraud discussed in these stories are, sadly, all too real. Permission is hereby granted to forward freely, provided it is uncut and the IR URL and byline are included. Follow John F. Di Leo on Facebook or LinkedIn, or on Twitter at @johnfdileo. Reprinted from Reader Supported News You said: "All of us as Americans should be troubled by the shootings." All of us are. To make matters worse, 12 police officers have apparently been shot in Dallas at a demonstration to protest the shootings. Reportedly five of them are dead. Attorney General Lynch is the best-positioned person in the nation to confront excessive police violence. As the head of the Department of Justice she has more powerful tools at her disposal than any other law enforcement officer in the nation. But she will not use the power that she has. Instead, she and Vanita Gupta, who heads the department's Civil Rights Division, launch investigation after investigation for political cover, always deciding in the end not to proceed with charges. Yes, for the record, Civil Rights charges in many of these cases can be brought. Most recently in the case of black Chicago police officer Aldo Brown. Brown was in fact charged and convicted on Civil Rights charges for beating a suspect armed with a gun, in violation of the constitution. So it can be done. Neither of your Attorney General appointees however has ever chosen to do it. So here we are in the middle of a bloodbath that can only be mitigated by justice. Not justice for some, but justice for all. You also said, "We have extraordinary appreciation and respect for the vast majority of police officers." Would you like to have less respect for American police officers? Watch this video. I guarantee you will never respect a police officer again. As of today, The Guardian's count of people killed by police officers in the U.S. this year stands at 566. Last year it was over 1,200. Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, the man killed by police as he sat in his car, said it plainly, "We're being hunted, every day. It's a silent war against African-American people as a whole." To separate police officers shot from people shot by police officers expands the conflict. To end the conflict, there must be justice for all. I've said it before, most recently in January of this year, you and Attorney General Lynch must act. Until you do that, the violence is going to continue to escalate. This is a problem that cannot be solved at a podium. It must be confronted with federal authority when local jurisdictions cannot or will not act. You must. It will only get worse until you do. Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News. Reprinted from Paul Craig Roberts Website The Israeli agents who comprise the Neoconservatives, a collection of war criminals that control US foreign policy, have already handed you your death certificate. The neoconservatives have far more power than they have intelligence or humanity. At the recent St. Petersburg International Economic Conference, President Putin excoriated Western Journalists for endlessly repeating Washington's lies that are driving the world to nuclear war. He asked Washington's bought-and-paid-for-whores, the scum who comprise the Western news media: "How do you not understand that the world is being pulled in an irreversible direction toward nuclear war?" Yes, indeed, how is it possible for the Western media to be totally blind? The answer to this question is that Americans live in the system of lies that comprise The Matrix, and media are paid to support the system of lies. The determining questions are: Can Americans escape their captivity in time to save life on earth? Do Americans have what it takes, or are Americans already a proven failed people who cower in ignorance under the threat of implausible "foreign threats"? How much confidence can we place on the intelligence and judgment of the American people? That remains to be seen. Life on Earth depends on the American people's ability to perceive their government as the greatest threat to their existence. To make the crisis clear for my readers and for all peoples, Washington is surrounding Russia with nuclear missile sites that can be silently converted from ABMs to first-strike nuclear missiles that can reach Russian targets in a mere few minutes. Washington attempted to disguise this first-strike capability with the explanation that the missiles were there to protect against an Iranian ICBM attack on Europe. This explanation was given by the US government despite the fact that everyone knows that Iran has neither ICBMs nor nuclear weapons. As Putin asked the Western presstitutes, we know and you don't? It is dangerous for any writer to assume that intelligence any longer exists among Western peoples. But assuming that somewhere in the West, under a rock perhaps or on Tatooine with Obi-Wan Kanobi, a bit of intelligence and a speck of humanity still exists, the important question is: Do you believe the Russians will sit there awaiting a nuclear strike, or will they pre-empt it with a strike of their own? The fact that the entirety of the US government lacks the intelligence to have asked this question tells us why we are doomed. As I have previously written, the government in Washington is the concentration of the entire evil of the universe. No greater danger to life has ever existed than the government of the United States. After squandering many of Russia's opportunities in hopes of diplomacy, Vladimir Putin now sees the West for what it is: An immoral, power-crazed entity that will destroy the planet before it gives up its goal of hegemony over the entirety of the Earth. Why should the "indispensable, exceptional people" settle for anything less than hegemony over the world? The crazed American government drowning in its own hubris has set us on a course to nuclear war. Can America produce a leader who can reverse course? ELEVEN YEARS AGO today [July 7], three suicide bombers attacked the London subway and a bus and killed 51 people. Almost immediately, it was obvious that retaliation for Britain's invasion and destruction of Iraq was a major motive for the attackers. Two of them said exactly that in videotapes they left behind: The attacks "will continue and pick up strengths till you pull your soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. ... Until we feel security, you will be targets." Then, less than a year later, a secret report from British military and intelligence chiefs concluded that "the war in Iraq contributed to the radicalization of the July 7 London bombers and is likely to continue to provoke extremism among British Muslims." The secret report, leaked to The Observer, added: "Iraq is likely to be an important motivating factor for some time to come in the radicalization of British Muslims and for those extremists who view attacks against the U.K. as legitimate." Click Here to Read Whole Article Older folks will remember the Andy Griffith Show, where the Mayberry law enforcement team of Andy Griffith and Barney Fife maintained security through community policing. Okay it was TV, with a context of generally happy, middle class white folk living in small town America. But the idea was good. It's still good. And it's an idea much needed at this time. We don't really need to review the symptoms. Folks, especially of color, are being gunned down left and right. We need to find answers. We need systemic change. There are elements within policing agencies and government at large that are ripe with corruption and ideology, neither of which contribute to a healthy community. The coding of empire is deepest within the law enforcement and military culture, the brainwashing most complete. And so it is here where we must focus to create peace. Most of our police folk are good people, and most of us know a few police officers. But this element of racism and hate is killing us. We need and deserve a better way forward. It's the only reasonable alternative. No one's going to do it for us. We have to see into the heart of the problem. Here's what writer Simon Balto had to say last year:"As someone who has spent years researching a book on the CPD's relationship to black Chicago, I can attest that the police department's stultifying opacity on officer misconduct cases would be an almost impressive feat of obfuscation, were it not so maddening and socially harmful." The Chicago situation is not unique. An impressive amount of obfuscation is the rule when it comes to police wrong doing. The culture of never speaking out against another cop, regardless of his/her bad behavior, is a culture of bullshit. The culture that believes their uniform and guns give them power over others and above the law is bullshit. The culture that allows black folks to be killed wantonly by police is beyond despicable. Horrible. The FOP is a central force in maintaining these wrong-headed cop-culture dynamics. 'Lie and Deny', the classic response of the guilty, is their main strategy to dissipate outrage at the bad behavior of some cops. As Trevor Noah pointed out on The Daily Show, why is video evidence incontrovertible in every case unless police are involved? Then we have 'the wrong angle' or 'Don't believe your lying eyes' or the cameras fell off or some other form of obfuscation. More on the FOP below. On July 7th, 2016, a sniper in Dallas during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest killed five and wounded seven police officers. This sort of resistance to those sworn to 'protect and serve' isn't surprising when the headlines from the two previous days were of black men murdered by police. Indeed, in 2016 there's pretty much a murder of a black person every day. We seem to be in this terrible nightmare where the veneer has come off, and haters - cops and whackos alike - are just going off on black folk. The current wave seems to have started with George Zimmerman killing teen Trayvon Martin back in 2012. How many murdered black folk since? Yeah. And how many before 2012? Countless. Within this context, is it really that surprising the a former army soldier, Micah Xavier Johnson, would elect to start shooting cops? How much violence, trauma and pain can we expect our darker skinned sisters and brothers to take? How long do we imagine it will be until the wretched legacy of subjugation and slavery is truly a thing of the past? What is certain is that Mr. Johnson's actions have created a new dynamic. It's an opportunity for police officers to think again, especially if they've been part of the problem. It's a new form of pushback to a great injustice. And it's potentially empowering for an ethnic group long disrespected and abused. It's fighting back. Does a World5 mindset condone this response? No. No more than we condone the murder of innocent black people. Our intent is always peace and love. Will we defend ourselves if attacked? That is for each of us to choose based on our inclinations and the situation. Our revolution is peace and love. There's nothing implicit in the passage of time to suggest that these conditions will improve and that the police culture will change. "The arc of history may well be bending toward justice." - Martin Luther King, but that's one long arc, and we don't have that kind of time. We need radical change, and we need it now. Funny how so many areas of our lives point to the need for revolution. For police reform, let's get back to the FOP. We need to transform the FOP from a bad cop protecting nightmare institution into a 'how do we rebuild our communities' leader. Because it's never been subjected to union-busting like every other union, we sometimes forget it is a union - a place for folk to build stronger ties to each other and their communities. What if the FOP had as it's focus the strengthening and rebuilding of the communities they served? How much more engagement with their citizenry would there be? How many new initiatives might be generated? How many citizens, especially poor and dispossessed, would benefit? And finally, how much safer and richer would the lives of our police be under such FOP guidance. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The duopoly that serves as our 'democracy' is again poised to install another corporatist into the White House. Oh goody. If you believe corporate media, there's no point in resisting. And yes, we'd better support Clinton to keep Terrible Trump from becoming president. Especially now that, according to MSM sources, Bernie will endorse Hillary for president this week. I hope they're dead wrong. The Green Party and Jill Stein have made it clear they would welcome Bernie with open arms, putting him at the top of their ticket. He would be the Green Party nominee for president. Millions of us who have joined together to embrace Bernie's Revolution hold this as our dream ticket. But if sources are true that Mr. Sanders will endorse Ms. Clinton this Tuesday, on that day the Revolution begins to leave Bernie in search of a new leader. Maybe it will be Jill, who has all of Bernie's progressive positions and then some. She's a clear advocate for peace. In her recent article about the need for a Second American Revolution, she states: " And the founders' fear about the dangers of a standing army were discarded after WWII, leading to the creation of the most powerful war machine the planet has ever seen, accumulating an increasing share of the nation's political power and resources." She understands the vast inequality we face, the urgency of addressing global weather chaos, our messed up electoral process, and all the other tenants that we who are awakening see. With the unpopularity of the duopoly, Clinton and Trump, a Green Party candidate with the support of Independents has the chance to dramatically change the system. And because in such a scenario we are no longer beholden to the Democratic Party, we are no longer under the thumb of Neoliberalism as well. Which likely means we could take greater strides in creating the Second American Revolution. If Bernie endorses Hillary, he loses us. It was laughable when President Obama this week said: "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton." Oh reeeeaaaallly??? This revolution is not about Bernie Sanders, as he readily admits - #notmeus. The question isn't even what happens to this revolution if Bernie abandons it in favor a candidate who's integrity is, well, she has none. We will move forward with the energy and leadership available to us. Jill Stein and the Greens are certainly part of it. Occupy, Black Lives Matter, truly progressive unions, and disaffected Americans across this great and wounded land are all part of it. We don't know yet the forms our revolution will take - political, social, media or otherwise. But we are not going away, and we are not going back. The question of the moment is Bernie's choice. As this is a revolution of peace and love, there will be no animosity if Bernie endorses Hillary. Disappointment, yes, but not anger or hate for his decision. It's his to make. Still, this blog post is a last plea for him to continue to lead us. A last plea to be part of the Revolution. A last plea not to give into a corrupt and broken system. Go Green, Bernie! Reprinted from Gush Shalom Israel power (Image by israelfaxx.com) Details DMCA A PALESTINIAN youngster breaks into a settlement, enters the nearest house, stabs a 13-year old girl in her sleep and is killed. Three Israeli men kidnap a 12-year old Palestinian boy at random, take him to an open field and burn him alive. Two Palestinians from a small town near Hebron enter Israel illegally, have coffee in a Tel Aviv amusement quarter and then shoot up everybody around before they are captured. They become national heroes. An Israeli soldier sees a severely wounded Palestinian attacker lying on the ground, approaches him and shoots him in the head at point blank range. He is applauded by most Israelis. These are not "normal" actions even in a guerrilla war. They are the manifestations of bottomless hatred, a hatred so terrible that it overcomes all norms of humanity. THIS WAS not always so. A few days after the 1967 war, in which Israel conquered East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, I traveled alone though the newly occupied territories. I was welcomed almost everywhere, people were eager to sell me their goods, tell me their stories. They were curious about the Israelis, much as we were curious about them. At the time, Palestinians did not dream of an eternal occupation. They hated the Jordanian rulers and were glad that we had driven them out. They believed that we would leave soon, allowing them to rule themselves at long last. In Israel, everyone spoke about a "benevolent occupation." The first military governor was a very humane person, Chaim Herzog, a future President of Israel and the father of the present chairman of the Labor Party. Within a few years, all this had changed. The Palestinians realized that the Israelis did not intend to leave, but that they were about to steal their land, quite literally, and cover it with their settlements. (Something similar happened 15 years later in South Lebanon. The Shiite population greeted our troops with flowers and rice, believing that we would drive the Palestinians out and leave. When we didn't, they turned into determined guerrilla fighters and eventually founded Hezbollah.) By now, hatred is everywhere. Arabs and Israelis use different highways, but it is far worse than South African apartheid, because the whites there had no interest in driving the blacks out. It is also far worse than most forms of colonialism, because the imperial powers did not generally pull the land out from under the feet of the natives in order to settle there. Nowadays, mutual hatred reigns supreme. The settlers terrorize their Arab neighbors, Arab boys throw rocks and improvised fire-bombs at passing Jewish cars on the highroads where they themselves are not allowed to drive. Recently, the car of a high-ranking army officer was stoned. He got out, pursued a boy who was running away, shot him in the back and killed him -- in flagrant violation of army rules for opening fire. TODAY, SOME 120 years after the beginning of the Zionist experiment, the hatred between the two peoples is abysmal. The conflict dominates our lives. More than half of all news stories in the media concern this conflict. If the founder of modern Zionism, the Viennese journalist Theodor Herzl, were to come to life again, he would be totally shocked. In the futuristic novel he wrote in German at the beginning of last century, called Altneuland ("Old-new Land"), he described in detail life in the future Jewish State. Its Arab inhabitants are portrayed as happy and patriotic citizens, grateful for all the progress and advantages brought by the Zionists. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). When I search for the phrase "here's what we know," Google returns 9.4 million results. A depressing proportion of those results are the headlines or ledes of news stories about then-current events. For example (I'm writing this on July 8, 2016), "Here's What We Know About Confirmed Dallas Shooter Micah Xavier Johnson." Too often, "what we know" turns out to be "what someone told our reporter," or "what we heard at a press conference," or "what we read in a press release." And "what we know" (again too) often turns out not to have been true at all and to instead have just been "what we thought we knew at the time, and now what you will go on thinking because you don't have time to keep up forever with our changing versions of every story." For example, I suspect that if I asked fifty random people on the street what kind of gun Omar Mateen used in his June 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a majority who thought they knew would think they knew that the gun was an AR-15. After all, major newspapers "knew" that's what it was for the better part of a day until they found out it was actually a Sig Sauer MCX. Or to reach a bit further back in history, in 1898 US newspapers told Americans with solemn assurance that the USS Maine had been destroyed in Havana Harbor by a mine. Many people still consider that confirmed fact, and it made a great excuse for the Spanish-American War. But to this day, we still don't know what actually happened to the Maine. The idea behind use of the phrase "here's what we know" is to convey the message "here are some facts you can take to the bank." But lately I've begun reading it as "we are hubris, hear us roar." Socrates, the father of philosophy, is quoted by his disciple Plato thusly: "I am wiser than this man, for neither of us appears to know anything great and good; but he fancies he knows something, although he knows nothing; whereas I, as I do not know anything, so I do not fancy I do." I'd love to see that motto inscribed over the entrance of every journalism school in America, as a caution against reporting rumor as fact, against treating speculation as evidence, and against putting being first ahead of getting it right. Argentina's Independence Day Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to the people of Argentina as you celebrate the bicentennial of your nations declaration of independence on July 9. "The United States and Argentina are regional leaders and long-time friends. Our two peoples are bound together by common interests and shared values, including support for democracy, human rights, and gender equality. President Obamas historic visit to Argentina last March underscored the importance of our partnership and reflected the broad cooperation between our nations. We look forward to building upon our two centuries of close collaboration and strong friendship in the years to come. "As you gather with friends and family in Tucumanthe cradle of Argentine independenceand throughout the country, I join you in the national brindis to say, Congratulations, Argentina, on 200 years of independence! Reflections Memorial Day May 30, 2016jsc __________________________________________________ "Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images "A U.S. Marine salutes at a makeshift memorial for fallen soldiers during Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C. For those who served during the War on Terror, there's no formal way for..." WASHINGTON -- Seven thousand U.S. troops have died fighting terrorism, but they may never be memorialized on the National Mall like fallen soldiers of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Pittsburgh veteran Andrew Brennan is leading an effort to make sure his fallen comrades get a memorial to their service and that survivors of the war on terrorism get a tribute of their own on the National Mall, a place to gather with fellow veterans of the war on terror. First, he has to persuade Congress to overturn the 1986 Commemorative Works Act, which requires a war to be over for 10 years before a memorial can be built. The reason: The global war on terror is being fought on multiple fronts around the world and may never end. That "The global war on terror ... may never end" certainly speaks a basic truth about the age of terror in which we live ... the war on terror, war forever, is widely accepted as our future. United States of America's veterans of the war on terror are seeing no end to the war on terror in sight. They grow impatient for recognition of their valor in this war even as this war is not over. Their legal efforts to get a monument built are blocked by laws that assume war ends and builds into law a ten-year period of grace after war before war monuments can be erected. With no end of war in sight, what to do in the meantime to formally honor the dead of the war on terror? That understandable query aside, what about the grave danger present in the belief that this war "may never end". Sun Tzu, arguably one of the greatest military philosophers, predicts unending war, war for the sake of war, ends in catastrophe war. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). July 5, 2016 One of the many ways that banks and finance companies, payday loans, have fostered more debt and hardships on many Americans has been challenged by President Obama and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) founded. Typically have rates of 390 percent and often higher have soaked the public in need of some short-term money during this time of national financial difficulty. The agency will accept comments on the proposed rule until Sept. 14, 2016. Those comments will then be examined and considered before the final rule is released. Let us get behind this new rule and support it, putting a strong "dent" in the "octopus" of financialization. Here's a statement from one of the payday lenders: Brace yourselves. The APR typically ranges between 260% and 1825%. You might be alarmed to see rates this high, but remember that these loans are only short term, and therefore the interest is applied for only a fraction of the time you would associate with standard credit options. Arn H. Specter, Philadelphia ____________________________________________________________ Reprinted from Code Pink Co-written by Alice Slater The Flag Of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (Image by dreamstime.com) Details DMCA Donald Trump angered the D.C. establishment when he said that NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, may be obsolete and the U.S. should reassess its spending on the alliance. Hillary Clinton has used Trump's comments as another example that he is a dangerous, loose cannon. But Trump has brought up an issue worth exploring and this month, when NATO will hold its Annual Summit in Warsaw, Poland on July 8-9, is an excellent opportunity to do so. Indeed, activists are planning to show up on in Warsaw during the Summit and in New York City there will be a demonstration on July 9 in Times Square. Formed in the early years of the Cold War, 1949, with the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, UK, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France, by 1952 this post-WWII alliance included Greece and Turkey, and had rejected the Soviet Union's request to join. In 1956, when West Germany was admitted to NATO membership, the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact in response and the Cold War was then on, full-blown. Missiles and nuclear weapons from each side pointed menacingly at each other, with the United States parking nuclear weapons in five NATO countries (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey), where they remain to this day. NATO doctrine provides that nuclear weapons will be used if necessary, at will, on behalf of all its members. After the Berlin wall fell in 1989 and Gorbachev miraculously let go of all the Soviet-occupied Eastern European countries, dissolving the Warsaw Pact without a shot, the U.S. promised Gorbachev that if he didn't object to East Germany's inclusion in NATO, we would never expand NATO further eastward. Russia had lost 27 million people to the Nazi onslaught during World War II and had good cause to fear a military alliance on its borders. Despite U.S. assurances to Gorbachev, today NATO has expanded to include 12 new countries in eastern and central Europe, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and Croatia. NATO now extends right up to Russia's border, and has even been discussing membership with Georgia and the Ukraine. One can only imagine what the response would be in the United States if Russia were to invite Canada and Mexico into its military alliance. Let us not forget how close we came to war when the Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba. And part of the deal President Kennedy made with President Khrushchev for their removal was to take US missiles out of Turkey. Then George H.W. Bush turned around and put the missiles back in Turkey in 1991, and they were only removed this year after huge objections from Russia. Meanwhile, in 1991 the U.S. government withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty we had signed with the Soviets in 1972 and put new missile bases in Poland and Romania. Although NATO took no military action during the Cold War, during the first Gulf War it deployed forces for the first time, and then acted unlawfully when it bombed Yugoslavia without UN authorization. The UN Charter, devoted to preventing "the scourge of war," allows nations to use force only in self-defense when under threat of imminent attack, or when authorized by the Security Council, neither of which had occurred when NATO bombed Yugoslavia in the 1999 Kosovo war. Since then NATO has taken part in many military actions, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. But this year it has been particularly aggressive and provocative, conducting massive military maneuvers on Russia's borders. It is totally unacceptable to be taking these provocative measures when the U.S. and Russia have nearly 2,000 nuclear warheads on hair-trigger alert, loaded on missiles, submarines and airplanes, poised and ready to fire in minutes. Next year, the Pentagon plans to quadruple military spending in Europe to $3.4 billion and begin rotating an armored brigade through Eastern Europe -- in addition to extra NATO forces to be deployed to Poland and the Baltics. The U.S., the main force behind NATO, is already in a deadly proxy war in eastern Ukraine. In June NATO launched the largest war games since the Cold War, involving hundreds of tanks and jets, as well as 31,000 troops from 24 countries. The war games in Poland included air-ground assaults and electronic warfare scenarios. Airborne units, infantrymen, medics, military police and aviation units have operated jointly throughout the exercise, which culminated in a massive live-fire event led by the U.S. military. A naval exercise involving NATO forces has just begun in Finland. Meanwhile, there is an ongoing "Saber Strike" operation in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. One can only wonder how, 25 years after the end of the Cold War, we find ourselves rattling our sabers, nuclear and conventional, in this untenable dilemma. Surely President Eisenhower's prescient warning way back in 1961 that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex" is a potent warning for today, more than half a century later. The time has come to spread the word about the dangerous mischief NATO is causing on Russia's border. With the recent breakup of the old paradigm after the UK just left the European Union, there may be a new opening for change. It has been reported that Germany and France have been talking about ending the sanctions on Russia imposed after the Ukraine events and are now recommending a less aggressive posture for NATO. America too, could do its share to make good on the UN promise to "end the scourge of war" by ratcheting down the hostilities towards Russia and working for the abolition of NATO. You don't have to be a Donald Trump supporter to recognize that it is time to rethink NATO. This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. Dirty war on #Syria (Image by leighblackall) Details DMCA Corporate media messaging about the war on Syria is corrupt to an unprecedented level, despite years of sustainable evidence that contradicts the lies. The "West", including U.S.--led NATO, the Persian Gulf Monarchies, and Israel, are waging a proxy war against Syria. ISIS or Daesh is the designated enemy, but it has long been (publicly) acknowledged that the real enemy is President Assad of Syria, not ISIS. All of the invading, un-islamic mercenary terrorists are the West's "strategic assets," including ISIS. Engineered islamophobia is all part of the Western psy- op to demonize all Muslims, to create fear, to create racism, and to create hatred -- vital components for illegal wars of aggression. Empire seeks to replace the democratic, pluralist, progressive government of President Assad with a Wahhabi-inspired, compliant, stooge government. We have witnessed Empire's genocidal handiwork in Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and beyond -- all part of a neo-con project for global dominance, globalized war, and globalized poverty, but Syria and its allies, including Russia and Iran, have seemingly drawn a red-line with Syria. Empire's unipolar ambitions are being frustrated on Syrian soil. The war is not a "clash of civilizations" as some warmongers might profess; it is a clash of one civilization, Syria's, against Western barbarism. Criminal mainstream messaging, however, has created a state of mass political imbecilization amongst Western media consumers. In a classic case of "reverse-projection", people's engineered perceptions present President Assad and Syrians as the "bad guys", while the invading terrorists are viewed as the "good guys". Repeated messaging of these false narratives, coupled with sophisticated confusion-mongering, continues to weld these lies into the collective political consciousness of Western media consumers. How did the "Establishment" orchestrate such a coup? Ostensibly "neutral" information sources are not neutral at all. So-called "Non-Governmental Organizations" (NGOs), including very governmental sources such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) the CIA, Mossad etc. as well as oligarch (ie Soros) funded foundations, are all embedded with the terrorists, and these are the sources that are the foundation for corporate/mainstream media (MSM) "news" stories. The White/al Qaeda Helmets, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and Avaaz are just a few of the many corrupt NGOs lying about the War on Syria. Add to this Qatari -based Al Jazeera, and Western media's modus operandi of trotting out "experts" who have conflicts of interest but who nevertheless pose as "neutral" sources of information, and we see that the media serves as an agency for imperial war, rather than as an agency for truth and justice. Meanwhile, voices of truth, justice, and peace are suppressed. Writer/Professor Tim Anderson, an expert on the war, and author of The Dirty War on Syria, recently posted these words: In my country (Australia) we have seen five years of a near monolithic war narrative on Syria, and associated wartime censorship of dissenting views. Although I have probably written more than any other Australian academic on the conflict in Syria, I have been effectively black-listed from the Australian corporate and state media, because what I say does not fit the official line. Not only are the lies enabling the siege of Syria and its peoples, but they are also propelling us blindly towards a possibly cataclysmic nuclear war against Russia and its allies. The stakes are high. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) July 9, 2016: The assassination of five white police officers in Dallas by a lone black sniper reminds me of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963. According to the still official myth, a lone sniper named Lee Harvey Oswald supposedly assassinated President Kennedy. But I don't find that official myth convincing. In the 1960 presidential campaign, then Senator Kennedy had supported the civil rights efforts of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who later on was himself assassinated in Memphis in 1968. Also in 1968, the Democratic anti-war candidate Senator Robert M. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles. In addition, in 1968, we had the infamous police riot in Chicago at the time of the Democratic Convention there, which was covered by television news. At the present time, both the Republican Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia are scheduled to occur in the near future. It remains to be seen if we will have a televised riot at one or the other, or both. No doubt the televised news coverage of white resistance to Dr. King's non-violent civil rights demonstrations helped advance white support for the black civil rights movement. No doubt the televised news coverage of black urban riots after Dr. King's assassination helped advance white resistance to the black civil rights cause to which Dr. King gave his life, as Philip Jenkins notes in his book Decade of Nightmares: The End of the Sixties and the Making of Eighties America (Oxford University Press, 2006). Figuratively speaking, our tragic American heritage has been likened to the Christian myth of originally sin that St. Paul and St. Augustine constructed as one way to interpret the biblical story of Adam and Eve. In Christian mythology then, the tragic crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth at the time of the Passover festival in Jerusalem under the local authority of the Roman Empire is interpreted along lines suggested in the Suffering Servant Song in the book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12) -- in that interpretation, the suffering and death of the historical Jesus of Nazareth supposedly bring redemption from the original sin attributed to Adam and Eve. But can suffering somehow bring redemption? If it can, how can this possibly happen? After all, the suffering that Jenkins describes in his book about our American decade of nightmares in the 1960s did not bring redemption -- instead, it brought us the political ascendancy of anti-60s conservatives. Oddly enough, the anonymous prophet known as Second Isaiah, who was a later disciple of Isaiah of Jerusalem, was not the only ancient author who envisioned redemption emerging somehow from suffering, as it does in the Suffering Servant Song. In the ancient Greek polytheistic tradition of thought, the battle-tested warrior and playwright Aeschylus (525-456 BCE) also envisioned suffering as somehow leading to a kind of redemption. He works out that vision in in his trilogy of plays known collectively as the Oresteia. Briefly, Orestes' mother kills his father when he returns victorious from the ten-year Trojan War, because he had at an earlier time killed their daughter to get the assistance of the gods to enable his stranded fleet of a thousand ships to set sail again to Troy. As a result of killing his mother, Orestes is then haunted by the Erinyes (also known as the Furies). In the last of the three plays, the Eumenides, the goddess Athena's intervention in Orestes' favor also includes restructuring the mission of the Furies to serve as the guardian spirits (the Eumenides) of Athens, the city named after Athena -- and the city where Aeschylus' three plays were performed publicly. Athena was the goddess of war -- and of victory in war (Athena Nike). In the book Aeschylus: The Creator of Tragedy (Clarendon Press of Oxford University Press, 1940), the Australian-born but British-educated classicist Gilbert Murray (1866-1957) comments perceptively on the play's ending: "The Erinyes are the Law of Justice seen from the outside by those on whom it is imposed, Law as the terror of the transgressor. The Eumenides are the Law seen from the inside by those to whom it is not alien but a thing of their own, an ideal to keep human society at peace with itself and with God [here meaning Zeus]. And what exactly is the change that has taken place in the Furies, to explain this change of attitude in the play? It is that they have given up their claim for a purely mechanical working of the Law that the Doer must Suffer, and have accepted Athena's principle that not only the deed shall be considered but everything that caused or surrounded the deed. They accept . . . the sanctity of the spirit which persuades and hears Persuasion; that is, they will listen to Persuasion and will think again. They become no longer a mechanical Law of Retribution which operates blindly; but a Law which thinks and feels and seeks real Justice. In such a conception, as we are told in the last words of the trilogy, Zeus who sees all and Moira, or the blind Law of what must be, are united" (pages 203-204). The art of rhetoric (meaning civic rhetoric) that emerged in ancient Greek culture has long been known as involving persuasion. To this day in American culture, civic rhetoric involves persuasion. In addition to civic rhetoric involving persuasion, we in contemporary American culture are also subjected to non-civic forms of rhetoric involving persuasion such as advertising designed to move us to buy certain products or services. No doubt the nightmares of the 1960s triggered in anti-60s conservatives the flight response in the evolutionary layer, or part, of the human brain that is the biological base of the fight/flight/freeze response. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump - Caricatures (Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA Caricature of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Though the Repubs convene in Cleveland between July 18-21 and the Dems cavort a week later in Philadelphia between the 25th and the 28th, from here unless there's some unforeseen revolt overturning the primary results, these conventions will be the usual superfluous affairs of frivolity and nonsense they've become with the "Donald", Donald Trump the Repubs nominee and the "Hillerator", Hillary Clinton the Dems nominee. On the other hand, Rob Kall, Editor in Chief of OPEDNEWS holds, "It is still not over". "There's 18 days before the Democratic convention. A lot can still happen. The GOP convention could repudiate Trump...investigations of Hillary's Clinton Foundation criminal activity could break out...so she has to drop out. House Republicans could make an issue of Hillary's perjury under oath while testifying before Congress". [1] All valid points but with regard to Hillary; after she was recently interviewed by the FBI, Director James Comey said he wouldn't indict her for criminal conduct though he harshly criticized her actions as Secretary of State,(read Glenn Greenwald's [2] recent take on Comey's actions). So if he won't take action against her the flap over her using a personal email server when she was Secretary will blow over. Sure she received preferential treatment not afforded to us lesser plebeians. What else is new. When Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lied to Congress (a federal offense) not only was he not prosecuted he was not fired and remains in office. Dubya Bush lied about WMD in Iraq, Colin Powell lied before the UN...on and on it goes. As for Trump he received the most primary victories putting him way over the top in delegates committed to him. Under these circumstances if he didn't get the Repub nomination there undoubtedly would be a backlash, possibly violent. Just can't see the delegates provoking such a revolt. But here's the thing assuming it's the "Donald" vs the "Hillerator" in November ; in the final analysis it comes down to who is the more dangerous? As for the "Donald" he's never held elective office, shoots off the hip denigrating Muslims as potential terrorists entering the country, he'd kill terrorist relatives, build a wall on the southern border with Mexico and have them pay for it. He's a self important egotistical billionaire real estate magnate and a reality show host. How any of this qualifies him to be president is to say, only in America. Yet Trump has said he opposed Bush's Iraq war, asks what are we doing in Syria, said he'd be a neutral arbiter between the Israeli's and the Palestinian's and said he'd work with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Contrast these positions with the :Hillerator". She voted for Bush's Iraq war as a Senator, wants to escalate the conflict in Syria, is clearly one sided in favor of Israel over the Palestinian's and has called Putin "the new Hitler"-not exactly a sign she'd work with the Russian leader. If these times were "normal"-which they obviously are not-Trump would be seen as a buffoon, ridiculed and been long gone from the scene. Clinton would easily be seen as a neo-con war monger and someone who could never be trusted with her finger on the nuclear button. No sane party-which the Democrats and their super delegates are not-would give the nomination to someone so unfit for the presidency as Hillary Clinton. Even Bernie Sanders-who rightfully criticized Clinton as being unfit to be President- has said he'd still vote for her to keep Trump out of the White House. Lastly, check out Paul Craig Roberts [3] latest article and his take on Hillary. "What does seem clear is that if Hillary is elected, more war, including war with Russia, will be our future". Regrettably, that's my take as well. Hillary is the more dangerous. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Submarine Hospitality, a new restaurant group from rising star chef Joshua McFadden and business partner Luke Dirks, has purchased Ava Gene's, the Southeast Portland Italian restaurant McFadden helped put on the map. Duane Sorenson, the Stumptown Coffee founder who opened Ava Gene's in 2012, first approached McFadden about buying the restaurant last year. The sale allows him to focus on his first restaurant, The Woodsman Tavern, and on Roman Candle, the cafe-bakery adjacent to Ava Gene's. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move is a splashy acquisition for Submarine Hospitality, the recently-formed restaurant group from McFadden and Dirks. And it comes one month before the launch of Tusk, the vegetable-inspired Middle Eastern restaurant helmed by former Ava Gene's chef de cuisine Sam Smith. As first reported by The Oregonian, Tusk takes over East Burnside Street's former Levant space in August with a menu built around whole-grain flatbreads dipped in borlotti bean spread or wrapped around hearth-fired skewers. For the space, McFadden envisions something light and bright, with candles in the bathroom, music that's just a bit too loud and a large photo of Keith Richards floating in a pool behind the marble bar. "Portland beats you over the head with smoked ice cubes, bourbon and Edison light bulbs," McFadden says. "I want this to be a very feminine restaurant. That's why we named it after a Fleetwood Mac album." The restaurant combines the talents of Smith, who helped open Philadelphia's influential Zahav and, earlier this year, traveled to Morocco; chef Wesley Johnson, who briefly reimagined Cafe Castagna's menu with Middle Eastern flavors last year; and bar manager Tyler Stevens, who earned his stripes at downtown Portland's Teardrop Cocktail Lounge. If Tusk has a secret weapon, its Nora Antene, the former Le Pigeon pastry chef whose rosemary baklava was a highlight of the crew's recent LaMama popups. Dirks, who grew up in Salem, met Sorenson while working at a Seattle restaurant. He took a job at Stumptown as it expanded from the Northwest to New York City, rising to director of East Coast sales. After leaving the coffee roaster, he became the director of operations and an eventual partner in Happy Cooking Hospitality, Gabe Stulman's West Village restaurant group. He returned to Portland last year. Dirks expects to be "very hands on" during the first few months of Tusk. "I want Tusk and anything we do to really marry the high and the low of the restaurant industry," Dirks says. "Not just the casual and the fun, not just the excellence and attention to detail, but both under the same roof." -- Michael Russell A Washington County judge on Friday gave a 54-year-old man jail time for sticking an object that resembled a gun out the window of his Cornelius home and prompting police to shoot him during an April encounter. Judge Janelle Wipper found Greg Howard Moore guilty of menacing, a misdemeanor, during a bench trial that spanned two days in Circuit Court. She sentenced Moore to 90 days in jail, five years of probation and ordered him to undergo drug and mental health treatment. The trial provided the first detailed account from law enforcement about what happened at Moore's home the night of April 7. Ultimately, authorities concluded that Moore held an iron J-hook out the window and that deputies believed it was a gun. At about 8 p.m., deputies responded to Moore's home in the 700 block of South 25th Place after a neighbor reported that he was breaking windows and damaging his property. The neighbor also noted that Moore's roommates could be home. Moore was on post-prison supervision for 2013 convictions of possessing methamphetamine and attempting to assault a public safety officer. He faced a warrant for failing to report to the probation department two days earlier, according to Washington County Parole and Probation records. At trial, police testified that the warrant came with a warning for officers that Moore had "violent tendencies." When Deputy Wes Johnson arrived, he spoke with Moore through a front kitchen window, he testified. He said Moore complained of being hungry and seemed upset. Johnson asked if deputies could come inside, and Moore said no. Moore became agitated and eventually disappeared out of sight into the house, Johnson said. Johnson and other deputies set up in Moore's backyard. Johnson held a duty rifle with a scope and light; Deputy Ryan Tack carried a weapon that fires large rubber rounds; and Deputy Micah Akin brought his police dog. The deputies spoke to Moore through his elevated bedroom window, which had no glass. Much of the time, they could not see him, they testified. Moore turned up Tina Turner music, they said, and threatened to shoot deputies and the dog. They told Moore they weren't leaving because he had a felony warrant. He told them he didn't believe warrants were real, they said. At one point, Moore stuck a vanity mirror out the window, the deputies said, and they believed he was trying to spot them. The backyard encounter was captured on video from a camera mounted on Akin's dog. The footage, played in court, shows Moore quickly sticking something out the window, about 50 minutes after police first arrived at the home and soon after he had used the mirror. Johnson, the video shows, responded by shouting, "Gun!" and firing three times from his rifle. The shots went through the siding on Moore's house and broke apart. Moore, who quickly drew the object back inside, was struck by shrapnel in his arm and along his side. Police, according to the video, told Moore to surrender with his hands up. He told police he'd been shot. Johnson testified that he didn't think he had really hit Moore because police bullets aren't designed to penetrate drywall. The deputy said Moore also told police he'd been shot six times, and Johnson knew he hadn't fired that many shots. Moore later told police detectives that after being wounded, he crawled into a corner near his bed and passed out. SWAT officers responded to the home, and Moore was taken into custody about 90 minutes later, according to authorities. Moore was then taken to OHSU Hospital in Portland. At the hospital, he told detectives he was angry at his roommates because they weren't paying rent, and that he had taken methamphetamine earlier that day. He pointed the railroad J-hook out the window during the police encounter because he was frustrated, the told them. He acknowledged to police that the object would have looked like a gun in the dark, according to a detective's testimony. He later told another detective during a jail interview that he was using the J-hook to clean broken glass from his window sill when he was shot. The detective testified that the J-hooks police seized from his room were about 17 centimeters long, or roughly 6 to 7 inches. During his closing arguments, Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski told the court that Moore's actions coupled with his threatening statements to police led them to "conclude that he was armed and dangerous." The J-hook Moore held, Lesowski said, looked "remarkably like a gun." Moore's defense attorney, Kelsyn Bevins, argued that her client's statements to the deputies were "ambiguous." Moore also told detectives that he hadn't meant to aim the J-hook at anyone, Bevins said. He also hadn't intended to cause the officers fear, she said. Judge Wipper decided the outcome of the case right away. The video evidence, the judge said, was something Moore could not escape. "Given the specific actions that you took, in conjuncture with what you said, your intent was to have the officers believe that you had a gun," the judge told Moore. "That was what you had decided in that split second on that day." Soon, Moore addressed the judge. "I made a mistake," he said. "It was a misunderstanding." He said he's learned from his actions that day. He's learned to not say things that he doesn't mean and of the negative effects of taking drugs. He should have just listened to the police, he told the judge, and walked out of his house when they asked him to. He said he understands why police felt the way they did. He doesn't blame them for shooting him. And he extended an apology to the cops. The judge told Moore the shooting could have ended much worse. And he agreed. "I'm blessed," he told her. -- Rebecca Woolington 503-294-4049; @rwoolington The letter from a top Oregon regulator delivered good news: Tisha Siler had won approval of her application for a medical marijuana dispensary license. Siler, a California pot grower, would be a "valuable asset" to Oregon, the letter gushed. There was more. The notice offered, in essence, to hand over a total of seven dispensary licenses without bureaucratic hassle, giving Siler a competitive advantage in Oregon's expanding cannabis trade. Problem was the October 2014 letter, right down to its official-looking letterhead, was fake. The letter plays a key role in a state investigation into Siler, CEO of Cannacea, a dispensary that opened last fall in Northeast Portland. The fraud inquiry is the first of its kind in Oregon's marijuana industry. Investigators also are examining the role of a company that Siler hired to help attract investors. The firm, Green Rush Consulting, worked with a felon previously convicted in a financial scam. Cannacea soon had a group of backers who were drawn to the state's new recreational pot trade and the tantalizing prospect of sharing in a booming market expected to generate an estimated $181.2 million this year. That vision of wealth unraveled. Relationships soured between Siler, a self-described herbalist and holistic counselor, and many of those she hoped would bankroll her operation. The venture spiraled into nasty accusations, multiple court claims against Siler and her dispensary and demands from investors that she return their money, according to court documents and the state's investigative file on the case released to The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to a public records request. No one disputes that the letter was fake. But no one admits to writing it and state investigators can't pinpoint the author. A Canadian entrepreneur said he invested $168,000 after one of Siler's associates showed the letter to him. At least three other investors had material that included false claims about the business; it's unclear how many of them made investments based on the bogus information, the state's investigation indicates. This is the medical marijuana dispensary Cannacea in Northeast Portland on June 10, 2016. Siler, 45, who sells marijuana products she billed as treatments for chronic illnesses, has denied wrongdoing. She told investigators that the Green Rush consultant fabricated the letter without her knowledge. In a statement, Siler described herself as the unwitting victim of people who tried to exploit her vision so they could turn a quick profit. "There are people getting into the cannabis industry who were essentially run out of their last business and trying to reinvent themselves as cannabis industry specialists," Siler wrote. Regulators in Washington and Colorado, the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use, have so far seen only a few financial fraud investigations related to their new markets, but securities law experts caution that the pot industry, viewed by some as "the next big thing," is ripe for deception. The federal prohibition against marijuana keeps most banks from working with sellers and producers, in turn giving potential investors few avenues to assess a company, said Keith Ketterling, a Portland attorney whose practice focuses on securities law. "It makes it really hard to look at these operations," he said, "and figure out financially where they really are and what they have really done." Officials with Oregon's Office of Consumer and Business Services declined to comment on their investigation into Siler and Green Rush Consulting. Speaking generally, however, agency spokesman Jake Sunderland advised pot investors to do their homework. "Anytime there is a hot new industry, there is always room for bad actors to take advantage of the excitement around it," Sunderland said. "The key thing is to be aware of things that sound too good to be true." *** In 2014, Siler said, she searched online for an adviser to help her raise money for a Portland dispensary. She found Green Rush Consulting, an Oakland, Calif.-based company that offers to help people get business licenses for marijuana enterprises around the country. (The company is not affiliated with the Portland-based Green Rush Advisory Group.) Siler said she paid about $25,000 for its services, which included drafting materials to solicit investors. Email records show Siler began working with David Jacobs at Green Rush. He identified himself on emails to potential investors as director of development services for the company. The players Tisha Siler: Subject of fraud investigation by Oregon's Office of Consumer and Business Services. Siler, 45, has denied wrongdoing. She sells marijuana products she bills as treatments for chronic illnesses and operates Cannacea, a Northeast Portland medical marijuana dispensary that has temporarily closed. David Jacobs: Worked as a contract consultant for Green Rush Consulting. Siler said she hired the company to help her attract investors for Cannacea. Jacobs has a criminal history that includes fraud convictions. Siler says he fabricated a letter used to draw investors. Jacobs is back in federal prison. He denied writing the letter. Paul Mann: Canadian entrepreneur who later became Siler's business partner. He said a letter he later learned was bogus prompted him to invest $168,000 in Cannacea. He said he has asked for his money back but hasn't received it. Green Rush Consulting: Also a subject of the state's fraud investigation. The Oakland, Calif.-based company offers to help people get business licenses for marijuana enterprises around the country. At one point, the company worked with Jacobs. The company is cooperating with state investigators, the company's attorney said. Harvard Properties U.S.: Canadian company that in 2015 bought the Northeast Portland building for Siler's dispensary and the 13-acre property in rural Clackamas County for a marijuana cultivation operation, according to court and property records. In April, Harvard Properties filed lawsuits in Multnomah and Clackamas County circuit courts against Siler and Cannacea, trying to eject them from the dispensary and the growing operation. In 2005, Jacobs was sentenced to prison by a federal judge in Oklahoma for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for accessing victims' bank and credit card information to obtain between $15,000 and $20,000, court records show. He was released in 2013, federal officials said. By August 2014, he was working with Siler, according to emails included in the state's file. It was Jacobs and later Canadian businessman Paul Mann, Siler told state regulators, who created materials for investors that promoted her unique reputation among state officials and the multiple medical marijuana dispensary licenses she would receive -- elements that also ended up in the letter. Those weren't the only suspect claims. The materials were riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods, including academic degrees Siler never earned and prestigious honors she never received. "Tisha Siler," one of the documents noted, "can demonstrate a direct connection to state officials who want her working in their state." At one point, according to emails in the state's file, Siler blasted Jacobs for including an award in investment materials that she said she didn't receive. She said she gave him only "basic information" about her work, though at least one resume she appears to have emailed to Jacobs includes an associate's degree from Corpus Christi State University; the institution, since renamed Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it has no record of anyone named Tisha Siler ever having attended. At least four investors ended up giving money to Siler. Brian Fox, a St. Louis investor, told a state investigator that he didn't recall whether Siler or Green Rush gave him the information about Siler's company, Cannacea. Fox told the investigator that he was more inclined to invest if Siler had the licenses she claimed but said it wasn't "a huge factor" in his decision. He said the letter strengthened his interest in the company, but he would have invested $50,000 anyway because Siler was a friend. Another investor, Ryan Carstens of Sanibel, Florida, told investigators he decided to invest on the advice of Fox, who he said was a friend. He told investigators he wouldn't have invested had he known the claims about Siler and Cannacea were false. Fox and Carstens didn't respond to telephone messages for comment. A Pennsylvania woman, Wendy Baur, told investigators she met with Jacobs and Green Rush owner Zeta Ceti. She said Jacobs emailed what she described as "Cannacea documentation," which she reviewed before she invested $45,000. It's not clear what information Jacobs emailed her and whether it contained the false information about Cannacea, but she told an investigator that she understood Siler was "tied into" Oregon's marijuana program. At some point in fall 2014, the Green Rush owner fired Jacobs, according to emails in the state's file. Ceti then began working directly with Siler. The emails indicate Siler played an active role in reviewing at least some versions of materials produced by Green Rush. "Forwarding you back the draft (which is looking EXCELLENT!!) with notations in red," says one email to Ceti dated Nov. 20, 2014. Siler promised to reply soon with additional information Ceti requested. "Believe me, I am on it." In another, she appears to have forwarded a photographed copy of the phony letter to Ceti. The email is signed by Siler. "I have scanned in a copy of the letter that was actually sent to me in Cali from the chief operating officer of the OHA," states the email dated Oct. 27, 2014. "As it is a physical letter, I have scanned it and sent as a pic. ... Let me know if you need anything else." Cannacea CEO Tisha Siler notified the Oregon Health Authority on June 17, 2016, that she planned to temporarily close Cannacea due to a dispute with her "partners." Siler, in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive, said she "did not compose" either email. She said someone faked them, but she didn't know who. Jacobs, according to U.S. Bureau of Prisons records, returned to federal prison last year for violating the terms of his post-prison release. Jacobs said he was sent back to prison because he left New York and headed to California without first getting approval from probation officials and then failed to check in with them while he was there. He said his return to prison had nothing to do with his role at Green Rush. He denied creating the fake letter and said the information in the material drafted for potential investors came from Siler. She was deeply involved in preparing the material and the two were in in touch numerous times a day, he said. "I didn't have any reason to question it," Jacobs said in a telephone interview this week from prison in Kentucky. "I took whatever information she gave me to be acceptable. I didn't go through and personally vet everything she told me." Siler personally told him of her special relationship with Oregon regulators and the prospect of multiple dispensary licenses with limited red tape, Jacobs said. He was present when Siler made the claims while wooing backers - that she would have "favored nation status, that she could acquire additional licenses, that she would have first dibs," he said. He became associated with Green Rush, he said, after answering a Craigslist job ad. He said he didn't know if Green Rush's owner was aware of his criminal history, saying there was "no reason why he should have been." Green Rush is cooperating with the Oregon investigation, said Katy Young, a San Francisco-based attorney representing the company. She declined to answer questions about what Green Rush knew about Jacobs' criminal past when it arranged for him to work with Siler, citing the investigation. *** Mann, the Canadian businessman, said it was the letter that prompted him to invest in Cannacea in the first place. He said he first saw it in late November 2014 during a meeting with one of Siler's early associates in Cannacea, Brian Dawe. Mann said in an interview that he knew Dawe from their work in the prison industry. Dawe worked with an association of correctional officers. Mann said he owns a company that sells protective equipment to corrections agencies. Mann recalled meeting with Dawe at a Nashville hotel, where a corrections conference was being held. He said Baur, the investor from Pennsylvania, also was in the room. Mann said Dawe showed him the letter and described Siler as an experienced cannabis grower with a popular following among medicinal consumers. Mann was impressed. Dawe, in an email responding to questions about his role in Cannacea, said he planned to help Siler start her marijuana business. He said Mann was looking for opportunities for "investor friends in New York." "He said he thought he might be able to help us in Portland and asked if I would introduce him to Tisha Siler," Dawe wrote. "He never offered to invest a penny of his money, only of others, and I never asked him to." Cannacea on Oct. 1, 2015, the first day recreational marijuana was legal to buy in Oregon. Mann said he met Siler for the first time the following month, in December, and remembered how she "made a point of the fact that she managed to get these six (other) licenses and no one else had." Siler told him, Mann said, that Oregon officials "had approached her" about setting up her business in the state. He decided to loan Siler about $168,000 to finish construction on the dispensary and cover other expenses, he said. He began as an investor and eventually became Siler's business partner involved in daily operations, he said. He saw Oregon's new market as a potentially lucrative one. State lawmakers allowed medical marijuana dispensaries to sell to anyone 21 and older starting last fall, kicking off recreational marijuana sales. Mann said he incorporated the claims about multiple licenses and Siler's reputation among regulators in a presentation he made to six investors in early 2015; five did not invest, he said. But he said a broker he showed it to shared it with representatives of Harvard Properties U.S., another Canadian company. Mann said Harvard representatives came to Portland to meet Siler. In 2015, Harvard Properties bought the Northeast Portland building for Siler's dispensary and the 13-acre property in rural Clackamas County for a marijuana cultivation operation, according to court and property records. In all, Harvard Properties, paid more than $3 million for both parcels, court records show. Mann said he never questioned the veracity of Siler's claims or the letter. He made no effort to contact the state to verify the letter's authenticity. "Without that letter," Mann said, "I would not have gotten involved. There is no question." *** Oregon officials first learned about the letter in July 2015 when an investor, Baur, called the Oregon Health Authority to ask about the status of the six additional medical marijuana licenses she assumed the state planned to issue Siler. The agency regulates medical marijuana dispensaries. By then, Baur had split with Siler and Cannacea, according to records in the state's file. Baur's money was refunded. She signed a nondisclosure agreement, prohibiting her from discussing what happened. However, documents included in the state's file show Baur believed she "had been taken advantage of" by Siler. Baur emailed a copy of the letter to Margaret Lut, a compliance specialist with the medical marijuana program. "I'm sorry to say but the letter appears to have been created by someone," Lut wrote to Baur on June 30, 2015. She went onto say that the state official whose name appears on the letter never signed documents for the medical marijuana program. The agency forwarded the letter to the state Department of Business and Consumer Services, which opened a fraud investigation into Siler. On Oct. 15, about a month after the agency opened its investigation, two officials from that department made an unannounced visit to Cannacea. They wanted to know what Siler knew about the letter. Siler was already on the state's radar after she allowed a vendor to give away marijuana concentrates and joints in the dispensary parking lot on the opening day of recreational marijuana sales, violating state rules. She paid a $2,500 fine, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Siler told the regulators that the letter was fake, according to investigator Dwayne Edsinga's notes of the meeting. She said Jacobs had written it based on some questions he'd asked her. It isn't clear from Edsinga's notes what those questions were or how she responded to them. She told the regulators that she didn't use the letter to drum up investors. Mann, who sat in on the meeting, said he was stunned by Siler's statement. If the letter was fake, he wondered, why did she share it with him? Once the meeting was over, Mann said he talked with Siler about the letter. He said she "did not have a good explanation" of what happened. He said he told her he would no longer try to find investors. He said he alerted an attorney for Harvard Properties, the company that had bought the properties for Siler's business. He said he'd tried ever since to get his original $168,000 investment back. He said Siler also owes him about $125,000 for professional services he provided. *** In April, Harvard Properties filed lawsuits in Multnomah and Clackamas County circuit courts against Siler and Cannacea, trying to eject them from the dispensary and the growing operation. The complaint alleges Siler lives on the Clackamas County property in Mulino, which, according to the original real estate listing, includes a custom-built, two-story home featuring a chef's kitchen and "awe-inspiring entry." In its Clackamas County complaint, Harvard Properties is asking for nearly $70,000 from Siler, claiming she hasn't paid rent since September 2015. This is the entrance to a 13-acre property in Clackamas County that Cannacea was using for its marijuana cultivation operation. It includes a custom-built house. Cannacea CEO Tisha Siler was living there, but has been asked to leave, according to court records. The company filed a similar claim in Multnomah County for about $87,000 related to the dispensary property in Northeast Portland. In that case, Harvard claims it has repeatedly asked for rent and has received nothing. Paul Hill, chairman and CEO of the Hill Companies, the parent company for Harvard Properties, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the company isn't doing business with Siler or Cannacea at this point; the company said in court records that it had tried to negotiate a business deal with Siler, but those talks fell apart. Hill said the Oregon venture was "too far away, too complicated." The company plans to sell both properties. Siteworks Design Build, a Portland design and construction company, has also filed a lien against the Northeast Halsey Street property, citing unpaid work amounting to nearly $64,000. The lawsuit asks the court to order that the property be sold so Siteworks can be paid what it is owed. Siler, meanwhile, notified the Oregon Health Authority on June 17 that she planned to temporarily close Cannacea due to a dispute with her "partners." She said she plans to reopen by July 15. *** The state's investigation into Siler and Green Rush continues. The records released to The Oregonian/OregonLive, which include more than 1,000 pages, show extensive negotiations between Siler's former attorney and the state over what role Siler played in creating and distributing sham investor material and whether Siler should pay in civil fines. The state can issue a proposed order spelling out the wrongdoing and imposing a fine. The parties can either negotiate a resolution, which typically involves agreeing to a set of findings and paying a fine, or the case goes before an administrative law judge. The person involved could potentially sign the order but not agree to the findings or deny them. The state could also conclude that no wrongdoing occurred. In March, William Caffee, Siler's lawyer then, questioned the state's ongoing interest in Siler and Cannacea. He emailed Dorothy Bean, a lawyer for the state, claiming Siler "made honest albeit naive mistakes of judgment" in working with certain people. He blamed Jacobs and Mann for creating misleading investor materials and pointed out that ultimately no Oregonians invested in the business. Bean, who went back and forth with Caffee for months over Siler's role, pushed back. "Rather than monitoring her business properly," Bean wrote, "Tisha buried her head in the sand and allowed blatant, irresponsible misrepresentations and forged documents to form the 'mix of information' that a reasonable investor would consider in making a decision to invest in Cannacea. "Ignorance," she wrote, "is not a defense, nor is reliance on professionals." Caffee, in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive in June, said he no longer represents Siler. He declined to say why. Mann, who said he had no experience with the marijuana industry until he came to Portland and got involved in Cannacea, said he just wants his money back. "I have some damaged relationships within my own money network," he said, adding, "I am a big boy. That's business for you." -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Mike Marshman failed miserably 14 years ago when he choked his former stepson while pinning the teenager to a wall. He responded forcefully this week when he released the 2006 police investigation into the alleged assault, as well as his personnel file. And at the end of a terrible and violent week, most of us are suspended between those reactions, trying to decide if this Portland police chief, unlike the last one, is worth our time and trust. When Mayor Charlie Hales asked Marshman last month to take charge of a bureau undone by Larry O'Dea's deceit and the mayor's laissez-faire incompetence, Marshman hesitated. "When you're asked to lead the police bureau at this time in policing history, it's just a big, big job," he told Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian/OregonLive. "I wanted to give it some consideration, and frankly, consider, 'Am I up to the job? Can I tackle this?' "It's a hard community to police in." The times are far uglier than the crowd, dude. O'Dea proved an abject embarrassment when he accidentally shot a buddy on a Harney County squirrel safari, he lied to local sheriff's deputies about his role in the camp-fireside mishap. Hales never reported O'Dea's involvement to the city's Independent Police Review Division, then suggested O'Dea was smeared in the ensuing "trial by media." Worse, this burlesque unfolds as cops, most recently in Louisiana and Minnesota, are killing African Americans without restraint or justification, and snipers in Dallas ambushed and killed five police officers Thursday at a protest over those shootings. Everyone is wired, on edge. It's not hard to imagine the turmoil in this city if the Portland Police Bureau's next explosive use of excessive force involves a black man rather than a misfit with mental-health issues. A responsive, responsible, unimpeachable police chief is essential. Which is precisely why Marshman's 2002 reaction when his 16-year-old stepson talked smack gives one pause. The bureau was alerted to the fracas by two anonymous letters to the Internal Affairs Division in 2006, a year after Marshman and the boy's mother, Stacy Cole, divorced. When Detective Karen Mack interviewed the victim, her August 2006 report notes, he "stated that his dad choked him and he couldn't breathe and then he dropped him." The impact of the fight left what investigators described as "indentations" in the wall of their Sauvie Island home. According to the police report, Cole told detectives she didn't report the fight because of her concerns about Marshman's career, but added that photos clearly showed handprints on her son's neck. "According to Stacy Cole," Mack writes, "everyone has an idea of discipline and choking a child is not one of them." Marshman doesn't address the enormity of that when he notes, "I realize that this encounter was not my finest hour as a parent and is a moment that I regret." State Sen. Sara Gelser, a fierce advocate for child welfare, fired off a tweet to Hales, saying, "Leaving lasting bruises on child's neck & dents in wall with child's body are not 'challenges as a stepparent.' That's child abuse." "It happens too often with child abuse, especially with teenagers, that we blame the kid," Gelser added in a Thursday phone conversation. "I recognize a lot of time has passed. But I want to make sure the chief public safety officer in the largest city in the state takes child abuse seriously, and the mayor knows there's never an excuse for abusing a child." Although Charlene Woods, an assistant district attorney in Multnomah County, declined to prosecute the case in 2006, the police report raises questions about the way Marshman handles conflict and stress. Cole told detectives that counseling did little to heal the rift between Marshman and her son in the final years of their marriage. There was no further physical violence, Cole said, but Marshman would often leave the room when her son walked into it. He refused to make eye contact with her son. "Cole went on to state," Mack writes, "that Mike's father died a couple of months ago and Mike wouldn't let them go to the father's funeral because they weren't family." When a family unravels, as this one did, we need to be cautious in weighing the post-mortems. Marshman has done much right in the last 10 years. He also seems to understand what's at stake at this pivotal moment in the city's history. "This is a time," Marshman said in his July 5 statement, "where the members of the community as well as the members of the Portland Police Bureau have lost faith in its leaders." He'll need to be more patient, more open, and more measured as a police chief than he ever was as a parent if he hopes to reverse that trend. -- Steve Duin stephen.b.duin@gmail.com 1afghanistan.JPG U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on the deployment of U.S. troops in Afghanistan July 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) By Dana Milbank Five years and two weeks ago, President Obama addressed the nation about the end of the war in Afghanistan. There would be no more Americans in combat in Afghanistan in 2014, he said, vowing to match what he'd already accomplished in Iraq. "Tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding," he said. "We've ended our combat mission in Iraq, with 100,000 American troops already out of that country. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end." Some time later, he said the United States would have no more than a normal embassy presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2016. But on Wednesday, the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner announced that the war would go on -- into the term of his successor and with an 8,400-troop force that will be more than 50 percent larger than he had set in his last announcement that he was slowing the pullout from Afghanistan. "The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious," Obama, in charcoal gray, said from the Roosevelt Room, his defense secretary and his top uniformed officer at his side. He allowed that "Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be" and that "the Taliban remains a threat." The 15-year war, already well longer than the Soviets' 10-year adventure there, goes on. "Today's decision best positions my successor to make future decisions about our presence in Afghanistan," Obama said. For Obama, it was another acknowledgment that, as he put it in 2014, "it's harder to end wars than it is to begin them." He pulled American troops out of Iraq, but a power vacuum and Islamic State violence there has caused the military presence to creep back up, to nearly 5,000. Since Obama surged troops into Afghanistan and then pulled them out faster than his generals wanted, he has had to keep a larger presence there than he had planned as the Taliban has rebounded. He successfully decapitated al-Qaeda, only to see the terrorist hydra spread in the form of the Islamic State and other groups, making the world seem more chaotic and dangerous. The terrorism prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which Obama pledged to close, remains open. U.S. forces have been involved in bombing campaigns in Libya, Syria and elsewhere, and Obama has exponentially increased the use of targeted killings in places such as Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The administration recently announced that such strikes have killed about 2,500 members of terrorists groups and between 64 and 116 civilians, though human rights advocates say the civilian figures are dramatically understated. Certainly, there are far fewer U.S. troops in harm's way than there were at the start of the Obama presidency, but to revisit his speeches over the years is to see his journey from hope to hard reality. In mid-2011, despite concerns in the military, he began what he said would be a "steady" Afghanistan withdrawal. "Let us responsibly end these wars and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story," he said. A few months later, he triumphantly announced that the last troops would leave Iraq, and he was still ebullient in May 2012: "My fellow Americans, we've traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon." Two years ago, Obama announced that "this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan," declaring that by the end of 2016 the military would have but "a normal embassy presence." But by October 2015, Obama reported that "Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be," while "the Taliban has made gains." He said he would drop the military presence only to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. That's the number Obama increased Wednesday. "When we first sent our forces into Afghanistan, ... few Americans imagined we'd be there in any capacity this long," he said Wednesday. Still, "we have to deal with the realities of the world as it is." He spoke of the need for troops and funds to "keep strengthening Afghan forces through the end of this decade." It was a sensible, perhaps inevitable decision. But it felt a long way from Oslo. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, Milbank. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group 1chaffetz.JPG House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, left, confers with House Select Benghazi Committee Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 7, 2016, as FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to explain his agency's recommendation to not prosecute Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton about her private email setup during her time as secretary of state. (The Associated Press) By Margaret Carlson Say this for Donald Trump: He can make political hay with whatever is at hand. His unique skills were highlighted by the ham-handed Republicans in Congress, who spent their time on the fruitless task of trying to prove that FBI Director James Comey's recommendation not to indict Hillary Clinton was evidence of bias. Trump, meanwhile, is concentrating on what Comey said, not what he didn't do. On Tuesday, Trump dramatized Comey's findings, zeroing in on the destruction of more than 30,000 emails that Clinton's lawyer unilaterally deemed personal. As President Barack Obama embarked on his first campaign trip with Clinton, extolling how qualified she was for his job, Trump said the only thing she is good at "is getting out of trouble." It's true that she has a talent for dodging bullets. Just look at Whitewater, Troopergate, cattle futures, Paula Jones, the Travel Office firings, the Lewinsky scandal, the Mark Rich pardon and furniture being moved out, and back into, the White House. But she hasn't escaped entirely unscathed. By refusing to indict, the FBI chief handed Clinton a clean legal bill of health but not a political one. Republicans now have in hand Comey's exposition of the facts to contrast with Clinton's evasions, justifications and explanations. Spliced together, they make for a devastating video that can be shown in a continuing loop from now until November, disappointing only to those who want Clinton in prison stripes. Imagine if Republicans got their indictment. The Democrat that Donald Trump has the best chance of beating would have been chased from the race. Enter Joe Biden, and no wave of white working-class voters who want to build a wall, bar Muslims, start a trade war, and, possibly, a nuclear one would save Trump from defeat. While Congress saw an opportunity to attack Comey's integrity at a televised hearing, Trump seized on the fresh ammunition he was given to use against "Crooked Hillary." Trump crowed to the New York Post, "I would rather face her than almost anybody else." Grandstanding members of Congress who clumsily grilled Comey proved no match for the FBI director whose name is synonymous with straight-shooter, a star who once served as deputy to the independent prosecutor Ken Starr and as President George W. Bush's deputy attorney general. Yet moments after Comey's announcement, Republicans decided to tear down one of their own. Former prosecutors rushed to TV studios to attack his integrity, among them former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former White House counsel Boyden Gray. Then Comey was summoned to the Hill to play the villain in a morality tale scripted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Sure, instead of allowing him the courtesy of taking the oath privately, they got the frisson of forcing Comey to raise his right hand in public like a tobacco company executive called to the Hill to discuss a lethal product. But that was their last triumph. Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, tried to inoculate himself by declaring: "I love the FBI. My grandfather was in the FBI," But the the theme of the day was that Comey practiced a double standard of justice: one for ordinary people and one for the powerful. Comey replied that prosecuting Clinton would have shown a double standard. Chaffetz inexplicably name-checked Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, who brought the country the Benghazi hearings. That was like turning to the captain of the Titanic for pointers on sailing. Gowdy conducted a lengthy law school tutorial on intent and exculpatory statements, while instructing Comey to please keep it short. It's a given, he said, that Clinton was "treated differently than the rest of us" and this was not presented in the form of a question. Apropos of nothing, Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, asked Comey if he'd seen "Hamilton." Neither had. After all, they are men of the people, and tickets to the blockbuster Broadway musical can cost $1,000. It was just a long windup for Mica to call Comey's decision "choreographed." It brought forth Comey at his G-man best: "Look me in the eye and listen to what I'm about to say: I did not coordinate that with anyone." Committee members gave Comey a soft target with their insistence that Clinton's behavior was worse than that of Gen. David Petraeus, who had to step down as head of the Central Intelligence Agency and cop a plea when he was found to have mishandled classified information. Comey testified that Petraeus was much more culpable, intentionally sharing a vast quantity of classified information with his mistress and lying about it to prosecutors. It turns out that the general even hid documents from the FBI in his attic. That was not the bombshell Republicans were hoping for. This is not to say that a wounded Clinton makes Trump strong. He still has to run against himself: He campaigns by tweet and keeps insisting that an anti-Hillary ad featuring a Star of David on a pile of money was benign: Just your ordinary sheriff's star or the kind found in a Disney sticker book from the movie "Frozen." He's not an anti-Semite because he has Jewish grandchildren. And he added Saddam Hussein to his list of admired strongmen. Deflated, Chaffetz demanded that the FBI investigate whether Clinton had lied under oath to Congress. Comey told Chaffetz he would need to make a formal request. "You'll have one," he chortled, "in the next few hours." Perhaps, Benghazi-like, they could spend another year and $7 million on nothing. Instead, they should call it a day and realize that by not finding enough reasons to indict her, Comey enumerated for them persuasive reasons not to elect her. Watching the drama, or lack of it, play out, it was hard not to think that they had sitting in front of them a person they should treasure in their party -- and who may even be presidential material (are you listening "Never Trump" Republicans?). He's such a straight-shooter, however, he wouldn't consider it. Margaret Carlson is a Bloomberg View columnist. For more columns from Bloomberg View, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/view. (c) 2016, Bloomberg View benson.jpg Benson High School, the largest school building in Portland Public Schools, might be partly rebuilt if voters approve a mammoth school construction bond in November. Benson proponents want it to be fully done, rather than ungraded in two phases. (Faith Cathcart/staff) Less than a week after Portland City Council voted to place a $258 million bond for affordable housing on November's ballot, Portland Public Schools officials indicated they'd ask for money, too. The district's likely request -- $750 million -- prompted one newsroom wag to joke about the Billion Dollar Ballot. If only it were so small. Portlanders also will join voters throughout the state in voting on a broad-based sales tax in the guise of a corporate gross receipts tax. It would generate about $3 billion per year. Call it the Zillion Dollar Ballot. http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg Editorial Agenda 2016 Get Oregon centered Better leadership in education Make Portland a city that works Build Oregon prosperity Protect and expand personal freedom Get pot right _______________________________ Even voters who may agree wholeheartedly with the purposes for these taxes -- helping low-income people live in Portland; building better and safer schools; raising more money for education and other basic services -- may feel a certain degree of unease. They should, and not only because the ballot's price tag has so many zeros. Voters should be uneasy, too, about the quality of leadership -- both local and state -- that brought us to this point and will push us further along the same path unless voters demand change. Start with Portland. The affordable housing bond will, ironically, increase the cost of keeping a roof over your head in one of the nation's hottest real estate markets. Even so, a voter who considered the bond in isolation might think it reasonable for middle-class Portlanders to absorb a little extra pain in order to relieve the burden on those less well-off. But the funding request doesn't exist in such a vacuum. It exists in a context that includes, among other things, the following: significant increases in impact fees for park construction; a construction excise tax for affordable housing; and costly deconstruction requirements for old houses. All of these have been imposed by City Council during a period of soaring housing prices and all will drive costs further upward, a reality most commissioners take almost comic pains to ignore. Middle-class families struggling to pay for housing in Portland can't ignore the results, however. It's a pity for their sake that this City Council cares little about the struggles of the middle class, from which it now wants nearly $260 million more. Oregonian editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. are Helen Jung, Erik Lukens, Steve Moss and Len Reed. To respond to this editorial: Post your comment below, submit a , or write a . If you have questions about the opinion section, contact Erik Lukens, editorial and commentary editor, at or 503-221-8142. The quality of leadership in Portland Public Schools has been little better. Under Superintendent Carole Smith, accountability has been a foreign concept. School principals have failed with little consequence. No-bid contracts have proliferated. High levels of lead have been discovered in drinking fountains and ignored. A culture of "whatever" has flourished under Smith and spread even to the school board that supervises her. The board has allowed Smith to linger on for another school year in a protracted farewell. And now, having failed to hold accountable a superintendent who herself shies away from accountability, the board is poised to ask voters for $750 million. That takes some nerve. Meanwhile, Oregon's public employee unions want voters to approve a multibillion-dollar tax hike, a proposal that also has a context. The new revenue would address the looming shortfall in Oregon's public pension system, which state legislators have declined to confront during the past two sessions even as they've increased the cost of living and doing business in Oregon through such policies as the low-carbon fuel standard, mandatory paid sick leave, so-called "coal to clean" legislation and, of course, huge increases in the minimum wage. And now, public employee unions would like Oregonians squeezed by all of these mandates to cough up billions more through a stealth sales tax. Unions are free to seek whatever changes they'd like through the initiative system, to be sure. What's particularly noteworthy, rather, is the squirming of the state's top elected official, Gov. Kate Brown, who has refused to take a position on the tax hike (despite releasing a plan to spend the money), just as she's refused to debate Republican opponent Bud Pierce until late September. The University of Oregon's mascot should sue her for malicious impersonation. Brown, it seems, doesn't believe voters will hold her accountable for bad leadership any more than city and school leaders in Portland believe their constituents will. And as long as voters fail to prove them wrong -- by reflexively approving funding requests, for instance, and by supporting the same candidates and political parties as a matter of habit -- nothing will change. Portland City Council will continue to ignore the middle class until it wants more money. Portland Public Schools will remain a consequence-free zone with a growing appetite for bonds. And Salem will remain a one-party town led by a governor who avoids tough positions (and her constituents) while setting the table for public employee unions. This may be just fine with some people. But those who want change will have to vote for it. It won't happen on its own. 1santorum.JPG In this photo taken Jan. 19, 2016, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum meets with voters in Greenfield, Iowa. (The Associated Press) By Ramesh Ponnuru Forget about Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich. The logical running mate for Donald Trump is former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Before Trump entered the race, Santorum was the only Republican presidential candidate who argued that low-skilled immigration reduces wages for American workers. Trump rails against the North American Free Trade Agreement. Santorum voted against it. Trump frets about the fate of American manufacturing. In previous presidential campaigns Santorum stood out among Republicans by advocating government support for manufacturers. Trump says he wants the Republicans to be "a worker's party." Santorum wrote the book on it, literally: His "Blue-Collar Conservatives" was reportedly an influence on Trump's campaign. Speculation about Trump's veep choice has centered on Christie and Gingrich, but Santorum has also been reported as a possibility. (Other politicians, such as Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Joni Ernst, of Iowa have been considered but have said in public they do not want the vice-presidential nomination.) Christie, New Jersey's governor, and former House Speaker Gingrich of Georgia are not nearly as close to Trump on immigration and trade policy as Santorum is. They would have to either renounce their records on those issues, making themselves look insincere, or undercut Trump's message by noting their disagreement with it. Political scientists say that vice-presidential nominees rarely swing their states toward their ticket. To the extent they matter, though, Santorum makes more sense than Gingrich or Christie. The 2012 presidential race was tighter in Pennsylvania than in Georgia or New Jersey. Santorum's geographic background complements Trump's message: Trump clearly wants white working-class voters in the Rust Belt to view him as their champion. Like Gingrich but unlike Christie, Santorum would also bring Washington experience to the ticket. As a former member of the Senate Republican leadership, he could be a bridge between Trump and the party's elected officials. Santorum is best known as an outspoken social conservative. Social conservatives have their doubts about Trump, and Trump knows he needs to court them. They trust Santorum. They don't have nearly the same level of trust in Christie. Choosing Santorum would have its downsides, of course. He has often made impolitic comments, as when he promised that as president he would use the bully pulpit to denounce contraception. If Trump chose Santorum, Hillary Clinton would use it as more evidence that Trump is an extremist on social issues himself. Since Trump so clearly does not care about social issues, though, it may prove difficult to make the charge stick. And Santorum's gaffes are tame by Trumpian standards. Santorum, Gingrich and Christie would all attack Clinton and defend Trump: In that respect they would all be roughly equally useful to Trump. All might be equally spoiled in his eyes because they have political identities independent from his; and Trump has said that he does not think it wise for bosses to hire people smarter than them. But if Trump is looking for a conventional Republican politician to nominate for vice president, Santorum has an advantage over other potential candidates. Trump wants to run as an economic nationalist allied to social conservatives. Santorum is just the Republican running mate to solidify that brand. Ramesh Ponnuru, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a senior editor for National Review and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. For more columns from Bloomberg View, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/view. (c) 2016, Bloomberg View Most remember David Gilkey the man, the war photographer killed in Afghanistan June 5. But at his memorial service Friday afternoon, his mother, Alyda Gilkey, remembered "David the boy." In front of a crowd of 200 at the Portland Art Museum, she recounted stories of her adventurous son, the one who would wiggle his crib around the room, who loved the book "Go Dog Go" at bedtime and who couldn't sit still long enough to take a test. "If David the boy wanted to go somewhere, he would find a way," she said. She said her son learned about photography before he could walk from his father, Richard Gilkey. From there he went on to take a high school course and then major in photojournalism at Oregon State. He left without graduating to take an internship at the Boulder Daily Camera because "he learned by doing," his mother said. Fifty-year-old Gilkey worked at the Detroit Free Press and NPR, while taking too many trips to count to Iraq and Afghanistan from the first 2003 invasion to his final trip a month ago. He eventually claimed his middle initial "P" stood for "photographer." Press passes from his trips abroad were piled in a bowl alongside other David memories, like the Peabody Award for his coverage of the Ebola virus and his old cameras. Two walls of the dimly lit auditorium displayed six of David's best photos. One was a photograph of a ballerina -- that was his parents' favorite. At the memorial, his family, colleagues and high school friends took turns on stage remembering the man who was a loyal friend and good mentor, who loved Taco Bell and learning military acronyms, who was a smart aleck and often a "grumpy old kook." But also a man who would share his last water bottle with a friend in 120-degree weather in a warzone. "What is better than being remembered as a true friend, for being remembered as an inspiration, a dedicated worker, a great son, a world-class journalist and for simply being David P. Gilkey," said lifelong best friend Rick McCartney, or "Ricky" as David would call him. Monika Evstatieva, an NPR producer, met David May 16, exactly 20 days before his convoy was attacked and he and his Afghan translator, Zabihullah Tamanna, were killed. Evstatieva said those were the best 20 days of her life. She said she was always laughing, sometimes even crying laughing, when she was with David and Zabihullah, who David always called "Zabi dabi doo." Evstatieva said the two of them had a serious "bromance." "You guys take care of each other in heaven," she said. Nancy Andrews, the director of photography while David was at the Detroit Free Press, was one of many who flew to Portland for the memorial service. Andrews said the location at the art museum was "beautifully appropriate" because David was an artist. "David could do work to make you weep, to make you feel," she said. "He could find the beauty in the horror." Quil Lawrence, of NPR, said David excelled at "embracing the suck" while he was on assignments overseas. But he kept going back because he promised the people, soldiers and friends he made that he'd keep coming back. "I wish he had broken his promise," Lawrence said. But there wasn't anyone who would've kept going back if he hadn't, Lawrence added. He said David loved taking care of the people he was photographing. "David the boy grew into an amazing man who lived life to the fullest," his mother said. "But a piece of the boy remained with him, which makes it seem so fitting that he died with his cameras beside him and a flower in his hand." David's photos played on a slideshow throughout the service. And at one point, his voice played on it, too. "It's not just reporting; it's not just taking pictures; it's do the visuals, do the stories, do they change somebody's mind enough to take action?" he said in the recording. "I think at the end of the day that what it's about ... is getting people to do something." -- Natasha Rausch nrausch@oregonian.com 503-294-5961 @n_rausch21 Shortly after Christmas, one of the most celebrated and protected trees in Portland toppled to the ground, cut down by a mystery outlaw atop a hillside offering panoramic views of downtown. In a city chock-full of tree-hugging activists, virtually no one made a sound. Heritage Tree No. 255 was an Abies grandis - better known as a grand fir - and it stood 100 feet tall on an undeveloped lot nestled between million-dollar homes in an exclusive Northwest Portland neighborhood. It had been among more than 300 trees citywide given a special designation by the City Council supposedly safeguarding it from being axed. In truth, though, the tree received less protection than others. The felling of the grand fir is now exposing deep flaws in Portland's controversial tree code. Prompted by protests in neighborhoods such as Eastmoreland, city leaders in April beefed up rules hoping to better protect big trees standing in the path of new housing. Cutting down a single tree 36 inches in diameter - even a tree lacking city protections - now costs a housing developer $300 an inch, or at least $10,800 per tree. But the penalty imposed by Portland for cutting down a designated Heritage Tree on private property? Just $1,000. City leaders have done little to highlight the discrepancy. The unauthorized chopping of a Heritage Tree - a first, apparently, in Portland - was but a footnote in a City Council document from May stating a tree had been "removed." Officials didn't publicly volunteer details until asked by Mayor Charlie Hales and then spent just 90 seconds of an 11-minute presentation discussing the situation. The Oregonian/OregonLive had been looking into the cutting since before that presentation. Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who oversees Portland Parks & Recreation and tree protections, acknowledged challenges during an interview this week. But Fritz said she worried publishing a story about the city's problems could lead to more cutting and scolded the news organization for being "irresponsible." "It is clearly something that needs to be fixed," Fritz said of the tree-cutting fine. 'I didn't cut down the tree' Clark Binkley swears he and his wife, Gail Neuburg, have no idea who cut down their Heritage Tree. They were out of town for the holidays when it happened. They returned home in the wee hours Dec. 28 to find the tree had been axed. "I didn't cut down the tree," Binkley told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "Somebody cut down the tree and I ended up paying the fine. And that's ridiculous." Binkley and Neuburg bought their West Hills property along Northwest Maywood Drive in 2013 for $1.8 million. Binkley is the chief investment officer and managing director of GreenWood Resources, a timber harvesting company. Neuburg is executive managing director of the Portland branch of ARA Newmark, a real estate investment advisory firm. Binkley and Neuburg fell in love with the home's view - their 3,500-square-foot colonial overlooks downtown and includes an adjacent 1.5 acres of hillside above the Hilltop Condominiums, just north of West Burnside Street. The Heritage Tree had been part of their neighboring property. It didn't block their view, although Binkley said he suspects it may have blocked the view of some neighbors. Binkley said he and Neuburg didn't know the tree was protected when they bought their property from Jim Declusin, the former chief executive officer for Oregon Steel Mills, who died last month. Declusin's wife, Maria, submitted paperwork to protect the tree in September 2003, records show. Although that designation was supposed to be documented on the property deed, it wasn't. Binkley said the tree didn't have a plaque, either. It wasn't until last year, Binkley said, that he and his wife discovered the tree's protected status while randomly searching their address on the internet. Public records reveal someone else began asking the city of Portland about that Heritage Tree last year, too. A woman using a gmail account requested documentation in May about the tree's designation. Then, in October, she followed up to ask who was responsible for recording the tree with Multnomah County - the city or the property owner. An internet search by The Oregonian/OregonLive quickly revealed that the woman works for Neuburg. Binkley confirmed that Neuburg asked an employee to research the situation. Binkley said he wanted the information because he planned to complain to the Declusins about not disclosing the tree's protection. Maria Declusin didn't respond to a request for comment. Binkley declined to disclose if he received any compensation from the Declusins as a result of his complaint, saying it was a private matter. Two months later, the tree mysteriously got chopped down. Because it was behind a locked, chain-link fence, Binkley said, he doesn't know what more could have been done to protect it. He reported the incident to Portland on Dec. 30, noting that someone had cut down a "large tree" on his land. Binkley said he and his wife have no plans to develop or sell their property. He has "no idea" if it's worth more or less with the Heritage Tree gone. Asked why someone would cut down the tree, Binkley said: "I think somebody did it because they wanted a better view." Does that mean Binkley thinks one of his neighbors is responsible? "It would be pure speculation who did it," he said. "All I know is I'm the guy who ended up paying." 'Out of whack' Portland began its Heritage Tree program in 1993 to recognize trees that are of "special importance" to the city because of their age, size, type, historical association or horticultural value. More than 325 trees have been designated over the years, with about 30 ultimately removed from the list - usually because the tree died or failed. Decommissioning a tree requires majority support from the city's volunteer Urban Forestry Commission and approval by the City Council. Only one grand fir had been designated a Heritage Tree. Now it's gone. In the end, city officials say, it's irrelevant who cut down that tree. No matter intent, city code spells out the penalty. The maximum fine Portland can impose for cutting down a Heritage Tree on private property is $1,000, said Jenn Cairo, the city forester. But that's not what members of the Urban Forestry Commission were told earlier this year. According to meeting minutes, Binkley and Neuburg were facing a $1,000 fine plus mitigation fees of $300 per inch, or $7,350 total, for their 24.5-inch diameter tree. Cairo said the minutes or meeting information were inaccurate. "We levied the maximum penalty that we could under the city's code," she said. According to city rules approved by the City Council, that $1,000 fine is plenty. "Enforcement actions ... are established to be effective deterrents for egregious or willing misconduct and are intended to escalate for the severity or repeated nature of the violation," city rules state. Asked if $1,000 is an effective deterrent, Cairo demurred. "We don't really know," she said. "We've had a lot of concern about this since this violation." Parks officials did require Binkley to plant new trees totaling at least 24.5 inches in diameter. Binkley said he did. Parks officials assume that happened. But they haven't inspected the property and couldn't provide details, two months after closing out the case. Parks officials also acknowledge another problem. The tree cutting occurred in a special environmental protection zone. Under city rules, the Bureau of Development Services was supposed to be notified and could seek penalties or other enforcement action. But parks officials didn't do so until after The Oregonian/OregonLive pointed out the city's own rules. In response, officials again decided the $1,000 fine was sufficient, according to Portland Parks & Recreation. At least one homebuilder ridiculed the city's oversight. Jeff Fish already dislikes the new $300-per-inch fees that developers must pay when removing large trees while building homes. He said the City Council is reactionary and can't believe they've approved a system that allows someone to cut down a Heritage Tree for $1,000, yet housing developers must pay upwards of $10,800 for each large tree they take down. "I think that's self evident," he said of the discrepancy. "The people we've got in office in the city of Portland aren't the brightest people in the world, and you can quote me." Cairo acknowledged the inconsistency. "I would say yes," she said, "that is out of whack." Meryl Redisch, a member of the Urban Forestry Commission, said she hopes the City Council will approve new penalties for cutting down a Heritage Tree. But, she concedes, that may not happen for 18 months or longer. "We have to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again," she said. "To have a $1,000 fine on a tree of that size, it's a travesty." Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Binkley's title. -- Brad Schmidt 503-294-7628 @cityhallwatch Michael Strickland, the 36-year-old man accused of pulling a gun on Don't Shoot PDX protesters marching outside Portland's Justice Center, had a round in the chamber of the loaded handgun he swept in front of the crowd and five other magazines of ammunition on him Thursday night, according to court records. Multnomah County deputy district attorney Kate Molina Friday successfully argued for Strickland's bail to be set at $250,000 after two felony counts of unlawful use of a firearm were added to misdemeanor allegations of menacing and second-degree disorderly conduct. Four sheriff's deputies then placed him in handcuffs and led him to jail directly from arraignment court at the Justice Center. Strickland had an extended clip in what appeared to be a Glock 26 that he swept at chest level multiple times in front of protesters and a plain-clothed Portland police officer, the prosecutor said. Hundreds of protesters had gathered downtown to demonstrate against the deaths of two black men in back-to-back police shootings this week in Minnesota and Louisiana. Portland Officer Branden L. Combs was in Chapman Square during the protest and heard people running by him yelling, "Gun! Gun!'' and "He's got a gun,'' according to a probable cause affidavit. One of the protesters told police that he had recognized Strickland from other demonstrations where he had tried to "incite or instigate others," and attempted to tell Strickland to leave Thursday night. That's when he saw Strickland reach under his shirt and pull out the weapon, the affidavit said. Officer Combs was standing about 20 to 25 yards from Strickland when he saw him sweep the crowd with the firearm, Molina wrote in the affidavit. Once Strickland was arrested, police found an extended clip in the handgun, a round in the chamber of the gun, plus two magazines of ammunition in a belt pouch on his left side, two magazines in his front right pants pocket and one magazine in his left front pants pocket, Molina said. He also had a pocket knife in his right front pants pocket. Strickland's attorney Chris Trotter countered that Strickland was a journalist with a concealed weapons license who "has every right to protect himself.'' He said he'd never heard of such a high bail sought for a defendant with no past criminal record. Trotter accused the district attorney's office of "making an example'' of his client in front of a courtroom with media and news cameras, and amid a climate of heightened sensitivity to guns. Molina said she took offense at the characterization. "Given that Mr. Strickland pulled a gun on a crowd of people in front of the steps of the Justice Center" while heavily armed, and has a past police report alleging "possibly race-based threats'' against an attendee at a Portland vigil for the victims of last month's nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, the heightened bail is justified, Molina responded. The Portland incident unfolded as gunfire erupted Thursday night during a Texas protest, killing five Dallas police officers and wounding seven others. Two civilians also sustained injuries. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Leslie G. Bottomly set Strickland's bail at $250,000, citing the seriousness of the allegations and to ensure that he returns to court. Strickland, who films videos for the website, "Laughing at Liberals,'' was captured on other people's videos grabbing a gun from his waistband and sweeping it across Southwest Third Avenue, yelling, "Get the hell back!'' as marchers approached. People in the crowd yelled, "He's got a gun!'' and several walked up to him, shouting at him to put the firearm away and leave. Strickland told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday night that he was surrounded by "anarchists'' who were pushing him and telling him to leave. Strickland told court authorities he was videotaping the protest and that protesters went after him. He also said he's self-employed and that part of his income comes from filming controversial events. Last month, police were alerted to harassing text messages and phone calls that Strickland allegedly made to a person who had attended a candlelight vigil in Portland for the 49 victims of the June 12 nightclub shooting in Orlando. The vigil participant asked Strickland to leave, as he believed that Strickland was a "white nationalist anarchist.'' In the days that followed the vigil, the participant began receiving numerous threatening text messages and phone calls, which cited the vigil participant's race, Molina wrote in her motion for the bail increase. Strickland has not faced any criminal charges stemming from that incident. The two counts of unlawful use of a firearm added Friday accuse Strickland of intending to use a gun unlawfully against protesters and the undercover officer, and threatening the use of the firearm, according to court records. If he makes bail, he must not possess any weapons as he awaits trial, the judge ordered. His next court date is July 18. Strickland's lawyer called the state's allegations "conflated and confused.'' It's Strickland, Trotter said, who has been previously assaulted during his work. Strickland declined comment in court, often hiding behind an unidentified man who attempted to block other media from photographing Strickland. Portland Police Chief Mike Marshman said earlier Friday that Strickland's alleged actions during a peaceful protest were "fully unacceptable," and he praised his officers for taking Strickland into custody and allowing the march to continue without violence. Many in the area say they recognize Strickland and his pursuit of self-branded journalism through his YouTube channel "LaughingAtLiberals." According to the website, the channel has more than 21,000 subscribers. The channel claims its videos specialize in "exposing the lunacy of the left, and various other tidbits." The channel does not identify Strickland as its producer, but people have identified him through social media. Liela Forbes, the president of Portland State University's Associated Students, has been the subject of a LaughingAtLiberals video after a Students for Trump event and counterprotest. Forbes, who took part in the counterprotest, said she recognized Strickland at Thursday night's Don't Shoot PDX demonstration. "When I saw him separating from the audience I started telling folks around me who he was, and then someone shouted 'He's got a gun' and I turned and looked back and saw him waving it," she said. State records show Strickland registered in 2014 a corporation called the 2nd Amendment Action Center, but the nonprofit was dissolved by the state. The state dissolves corporations when it doesn't receive annual reports or fees, and doesn't notify the state of changes to its registered agents or offices, according to state law. Staff Writers Lizzy Acker, Tony Hernandez and Jim Ryan contributed to this report. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Don't Shoot PDX Protesters gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland on Thursday, July 7, 2016, for a rally organized by Don't Shoot PDX. The rally was organized in response to deadly police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota this week. Rebeca Bagdocimo/Staff (Rebeca Bagdocimo) Portland religious leaders plan to gather Sunday to pray for peace in the wake of three high-profile U.S. shootings this week. Faith leaders are coming together at Augustana Lutheran Church to "look at where we are as a country," the Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson said Saturday afternoon. He said that prayers will be offered for everyone affected by gun violence. The gathering comes after a week marked by violence and tragedy. On Tuesday, Alton Sterling, 37, was fatally shot as he tussled with police officers in Louisiana. A day later, Philando Castile, 32, was shot to death during a traffic stop in Minnesota. The deaths of two more black men involving police sparked protests nationwide, including in Portland. On Thursday night, a gunman opened fire during a march in Texas, killing five Dallas police officers and injuring seven others. Police said the suspected shooter, who was black, told them he targeted white officers before he was killed in a standoff. Portland civic, police and community leaders held a joint news conference on Friday to denounce the violence. Local clergy say they will "lift up" those affected by the recent violence during the Sunday service and call for stronger gun control measures and "real community policing," Knutson said in a statement. Knutson said Saturday that he expects at least 500 people, representing a cross-section of the community, at Sunday's interfaith service. He said students from as far as Roseburg, the site of the worst mass shooting in Oregon history, are planning to attend. The event starts at 6 p.m. at Augustana Lutheran Church, 2710 N.E. 14th Ave. Knutson said jazz and gospel performances start at 5 p.m. -- Molly Young myoung@oregonian.com 503-412-7056 @mollykyoung A man who called 911 to report a car break-in Friday ambushed a south Georgia police officer dispatched to the scene, sparking a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded, authorities said. Both are expected to survive. The shooting in Valdosta, just north of the Georgia-Florida state line, happened hours after five police officers were killed Thursday night in an ambush in Dallas. Despite saying the officer was lured to the scene by the gunman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said there was no immediate evidence the shootings were related. "We're putting pieces together to understand what happened and why, developing witnesses," said Scott Dutton, spokesman for the GBI, which is handling the case at the request of local police. "There's nothing to indicate there's a connection to that." Officer Randall Hancock was shot multiple times as he responded to a 911 call about a car break-in outside the Three Oaks Apartments just after 8 a.m. Friday, Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said at a news conference. "The officer called out on the radio screaming for assistance," Childress said, and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed the apartment complex. The GBI later identified the suspected gunman as 22-year-old Stephen Paul Beck and said it was Beck who also placed the 911 call. Both Childress and Dutton identified the suspect as an Asian male. Charges against Beck were still pending Friday as he was being treated at a Florida hospital, Dutton said. The officer is white, according to Valdosta city spokeswoman Sementha Mathews. Dutton said one gunshot hit the officer in the abdomen, just below his protective vest. Other shots hit Hancock's vest. The officer fired back and wounded the suspect. Hancock underwent surgery at a local hospital and was stable Friday as he rested with his family by his side, Childress said. The suspect was also considered stable, he said. "I'm relieved that my officer is fine," Childress said. "I am also equally relieved that the offender is going to make it." The police chief said Hancock was wearing a body camera, and its video footage had been turned over to the GBI. Childress declined to comment on any possible motive when asked about his officer being shot so soon after the Dallas attacks. The Dallas officers were shot during a protest over the recent killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. "You start to wonder," the police chief said. "But any motive of why this happened this morning, it would be speculation." Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, Friday announced legislation he has introduced to address unlawful mass picketing, condemning what media reports have described as paid for, mostly out-of-state protesters who Wednesday demonstrated at the Midland home and property of state Attorney General Bill Schuette. The website of Earth First! Thursday claimed that more than 60 activists had gathered at Schuettes home to protest Enbridge Energys continued use of an oil pipeline between the lower and upper peninsulas that runs along the bottom of Lake Michigan west of the Mackinac Bridge. The groups website also quotes an Earth First! activists characterization of the protest which made clear that demonstrators intended to make whoever was home at the Schuette residence feel threatened. One resident of Michigan present at the protest commented on the escalation of tactics: If public officials continue to threaten our safety, then we will continue to threaten their security. Schuettes wife, Cynthia, was home at the time and believed the goal was to break the front door down. Schuettes press secretary, Andrea Bitely, called the protestors a mob and stated they defaced the home, throwing substances on the house and in the driveway, seemingly to simulate spilled oil, as well as set up signs and gravestones around the yard. For about 30 minutes, about 40 thugs pounded on the doors and windows, attempting to intimidate the attorney generals family and the attorney general in his role as the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Michigan. Glenn said if enacted, House Bill 4643, legislation he sponsored last year at the request of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, would directly apply to demonstrations like the Earth First! protest at Schuettes home. The main focus of the bill is to increase fines for already illegal so-called mass picketing that eliminates an employers ability to conduct business, such as blocking the parking lot and drive-through line at a McDonalds restaurant to intimidate customers or block their ability to access the property. Current law also already makes it illegal to block any public roadway or otherwise restrict normal traffic flow. But Glenns bill would also prohibit such demonstrations at a private residence, applying equally without regard to whether the home owner is a private citizen or a public official. The bill specifically states it would prohibit engag(ing) in picketing a private residence by any means or methods whatever, but further states that the prohibition does not apply to picketing that is authorized under the Constitution of the United States or the state constitution. Glenn said the mob action at Attorney General Schuettes home was not peaceful, did not comply with existing trespass, vandalism and restricting flow of traffic laws and did not respect the home owners privacy and property rights. Thats the distinction. The reported trespassing, property damage and intimidation tactics at Attorney General Schuettes family home in Midland ... went far beyond our First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and should be aggressively prosecuted, said Glenn. Mr. Schuettes wife was alone at home as dozens of protesters, she reported, pounded on her homes windows and front door so hard that she thought they might break the door down. Glenns bill would empower home and business owners to seek a court injunction against such activity on their private property, and establish a fine of $1,000 per person per day for individuals who engage in such illegal activity in violation of a court order. The fine would be $10,000 per day for any organization such as Earth First! that claims or evidence indicates is responsible for organizing, sponsoring or financing such illegal activity. The bill has been referred to the House Commerce and Trade Committee, of which Glenn is a member, and whose chairman, Rep. Joe Graves, R-Argentine Township, is a cosponsor. Glenn said he expects the committee to take the bill up for consideration later this year. See full text of HB 4643: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2015-HB-4643. Jacob Hamilton | The Bay City Times via AP BANGOR TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) A truck hauling part of a wind turbine went off a road in Bay County, prompting sheriff's deputies to shut down traffic for a few hours. The Bay City Times reports that the truck was carrying the wind turbine generator Friday in Bangor Township when it crashed about 7:30 a.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) A man who called 911 to report a car break-in Friday ambushed a south Georgia police officer dispatched to the scene, sparking a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded, authorities said. Both are expected to survive. The shooting in Valdosta, just north of the Georgia-Florida state line, happened hours after five police officers were killed Thursday night in an ambush in Dallas. Despite saying the officer was lured to the scene by the gunman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said there was no immediate evidence that the shootings were related. Tensions between law enforcement and the African-American community flared this week following two instances where white officers fatally shot black men. Videos of those shootings or their aftermath went viral. In the shooting in Valdosta, police said the suspected gunman is Asian. "We're putting pieces together to understand what happened and why, developing witnesses," said Scott Dutton, spokesman for the GBI, which is handling the case at the request of local police. "There's nothing to indicate there's a connection to that." Officer Randall Hancock was shot multiple times as he responded to a 911 call about a car break-in outside the Three Oaks Apartments just after 8 a.m. Friday, Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said at a news conference. "The officer called out on the radio screaming for assistance," Childress said, and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies swarmed the apartment complex. The GBI later identified the suspected gunman as 22-year-old Stephen Paul Beck and said it was Beck who also placed the 911 call. Both Childress and Dutton described Beck as an Asian male. Charges against Beck were pending Friday as he was being treated at a Florida hospital, Dutton said. Dutton said one gunshot hit the officer in the abdomen, just below his protective vest. Other shots hit Hancock's vest. The officer, who is white, fired back and wounded the suspect. Friends and neighbors of the suspect said they were stunned Beck would be accused of such violence. He had moved to Valdosta years ago from metro Atlanta to check into a live-in treatment center for people with chemical dependencies, but several people who knew Beck said he had turned his life around. "He's one of the kindest, most gentle people, just genuinely so," said Taki Zambaras, who ran the treatment center when he met Beck about three years ago. When Beck arrived, Zambaras said, he was "an angry, insubordinate, very confused kid who wanted to leave every day." But he said Beck worked hard in the center's kitchen and at maintaining the long clay road leading to its doors. "He left us in pretty good shape emotionally, physically and spiritually," Zambaras said. "He kept in touch with us after he left and even came back and volunteered his time with guys who were going through the program." At the time of the shooting, Beck lived at the Three Oaks Apartments where the gunfire erupted Friday. Residents recalled seeing Beck smoke on his balcony, or occasionally engaging in casual talks with him. Darius Sheffield, who moved into the complex five months ago, said he would regularly see Beck outside his apartment. He said they recently talked about the NBA Finals and had discussed current movies. "The entire thing is kind of weird," said Sheffield, who was at work when the shooting occurred. "It doesn't seem like him. ...It's shocking to everyone." Hancock underwent surgery at a local hospital and was stable Friday as he rested with his family by his side, Childress said. The suspect's condition was also stable, he said. "I'm relieved that my officer is fine," Childress said. "I am also equally relieved that the offender is going to make it." The police chief said Hancock was wearing a body camera, and its video footage had been turned over to the GBI. Steven Bowers, a 21-year-old apartment resident, said he had just awakened Friday when he heard three pops of what he thought were firecrackers. But then, he said, a bullet ripped through the siding of his unit, whizzed by his roommate's head and bounced off the wall to land on a bed. Bowers, who did not know Beck, said he grabbed his own gun and looked outside when the shooting stopped. He saw the officer on the ground. He said he did not see Beck until he was placed on a stretcher and saw that there was blood on his face. Before Beck moved into his current apartment, he had been roommates with Jason Sobczak in Valdosta. Sobczak said he last saw Beck at a meeting about three months ago and he seemed happier and healthier than ever. "He was adopted, but he came from a good family," Sobczak said. "At heart he's a teddy bear. Stephen had really turned his life around. He was very active, pro-active and he looked good." J.C. Cunningham, who owns a Valdosta painting business, said he hired Beck for several months while he was in treatment. "He was a good kid ...really remorseful I think about some of the troubles he had gotten into in the past," Cunningham said. "One thing I do remember him saying a couple of times is he didn't want to go back home because he didn't want to be back around the same crowds." It was not immediately known if Beck had an attorney. There was no answer Friday evening at the door of an address listed for Beck's parents in Kennesaw, north of Atlanta. A message left at a home phone listing for the family was not immediately returned. Childress declined to comment on any possible motive when asked about his officer being shot so soon after the Dallas attacks. The Dallas officers were shot during a protest over the recent killings of black men by police in Minnesota and Louisiana. "You start to wonder," the police chief said. "But any motive of why this happened this morning, it would be speculation." ___ Brumback reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia, contributed to this report. ST. LOUIS (AP) The Latest on the shooting of a police officer in suburban St. Louis (all times local): 6:30 p.m. The St. Louis County prosecutor's office says the officer who was critically wounded during a traffic stop is white. St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch on Friday charged 31-year-old Antonio Taylor with three felonies, including assault and weapons charges. He concurred with the police assessment that the shooting was an ambush. Authorities say the shooting happened earlier Friday after Ballwin officer, who has not been identified, stopped Taylor, who is black, for speeding. Police say the officer was walking back to his police car to check Taylor's driving status when Taylor ran up behind the officer and fired three times, hitting the officer at least once. Police say they don't yet have a possible motive in the shooting. The officer remained hospitalized Friday night. ___ 4:55 p.m. A prosecutor says a 31-year-old black man has been charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession in the shooting of a suburban St. Louis officer during a traffic stop. St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Friday at a news conference that Antonio Taylor has been charged with the three felonies in the incident, which happened during a traffic stop. Taylor is being held on $500,000 cash bond and is expected to be arraigned Monday morning. Authorities have said the officer, who is in critical condition and whose race has not been identified, was ambushed while walking back to his car after an initial conversation. St. Louis Police Chief Jon Belmar has said Taylor was on probation for a weapons violation in St. Louis and had served time and was paroled in 2015. ___ 3:30 p.m. The St. Louis County police chief says the suspect the shooting of a police officer was on probation for a weapons violation in St. Louis. Chief Jon Belmar said Friday at a news conference that the suspect, who police say shot the officer as he was walking back to his car during a traffic stop, also had been on probation for a stolen vehicle in Oklahoma and was picked up for a firearm violation in California. He was paroled in 2015. Belmar said that the man likely will be charged in the shooting, which occurred shortly after 11 a.m. Friday in the west St. Louis suburb of Ballwin. Police said three shots were fired and the officer was at least hit once. He is in critical but stable condition in a local hospital. Authorities did not provide the race or identity of the officer or the suspect. ____ 3:20 p.m. The St. Louis County police chief says a suburban St. Louis police officer was "ambushed" by a man in his 30s. Chief Jon Belmar said Friday at a news conference that the man likely will be charged in the shooting. Authorities did not provide the race of the officer or the suspect. Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said the investigation is ongoing and that he did not know the motive. Scott says the officer, who has not been identified, has been one for nine years, two of which with the Ballwin department. ___ 3:10 p.m. A suburban St. Louis police chief says a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop. Chief Kevin Scott said Friday at a news conference that the incident was captured on video. The officer is in critical condition, but stable. His identity was not released. Scott said at least three shots apparently were fired, and the officer was hit at least once. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar has told KMOV-TV that a suspect in the Friday morning shooting is in custody and that a gun was recovered. ___ This item has been corrected to show that the officer was shot once, but that three shots were fired. ___ 12:35 p.m. Authorities say a police officer is hospitalized after being shot during a suburban St. Louis confrontation with a motorist. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar didn't offer any immediate word about the medical status of the officer wounded during the shooting shortly after 11 a.m. Friday in Ballwin. But Belmar tells KMOV-TV (http://bit.ly/29VeKKY ) the officer took "a hard hit." Belmar says a suspect is in custody, and a handgun has been recovered. Details about what led to the officer's initial interaction with the motorist weren't disclosed. But Belmar says that after the shooting, the suspect sped away but abandoned that car and ran after it was spotted by a St. Louis County officer. The suspect was arrested after a short foot chase. The wounded officer's name wasn't released. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Wednesday, July 6 12:07 a.m. A deputy was sent to the Midland County Jail for a report of damage to a cell. The damage is set at more than $1,000, and the inmate, a 16-year-old Midland boy, is accused of causing it. 12:45 a.m. A package, containing items valued at a total of $20.95 that was mailed to a county home, was stolen. 11:14 a.m. Police were called to the 200 block of West Ellsworth Street for a parole violation. 4:07 p.m. Police were sent to an Eastlawn Drive address for a domestic assault. 5 p.m. Property was stolen from the 600 block of South Saginaw Road. 5:14 p.m. Police were called to a hit and run traffic crash at East Lyon Road and Bayliss Street, and made arrests for driving on a suspended license as well as warrants. 7:57 p.m. A deputy was sent to the emergency room to investigate a case of child abuse. The mother of a 6-year-old Mount Haley Township boy stated her boyfriend had assaulted the child, who suffered minor injuries. Child Protective Services was notified. 9:09 p.m. A Larkin Township man, 22, reported he was assaulted by a 20-year-old Homer Township man. A report listing charges of aggravated assault, tampering with a 911 call and threats is being sent to the prosecutor. 11:15 p.m. A Florida man, 38, was arrested in Florida on a Midland County warrant for nonpayment of child support. A report was sent to the prosecutor for extradition purposes. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Friday, July 8 2:58 a.m. Police were called to a domestic assault at a Dublin Avenue address. Thursday, July 7 2:54 a.m. A 39-year-old Larkin Township man was arrested in Lee Township for drunken driving. Deputies also investigated a report of a 39-year-old Lee Township woman brandishing a firearm. A report is being sent to the prosecutor. 11:48 a.m. Tools, valued at a total of $170, were stolen from a Lincoln Township address. 2:08 p.m. Deputies conducted a well being check at a Mount Haley Township home, and served a personal protection order. 3:30 p.m. Five old transmissions, a total value of $250, were stolen from a Homer Township business. 7:35 p.m. Property was stolen from the 300 block of Hemlock Street. 8:35 p.m. A deputy was sent to a Jerome Township home for a report of loose pigs. The second detachment of the U.S. Air Contingent to the Philippines, U.S. Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 138 expeditionary detachment, recently completed training alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines for routine operational missions that enhance regional maritime domain awareness. Following its arrival June 15, 2016, VAQ 138 conducted a 15-day mission with supporting units from across the Department of Defense, providing an opportunity for U.S. service members to reinforce the historically strong relationship with the Filipino people. Subject matter expert exchanges were held June 27-29 to provide an exchange of tactics and procedures that boost interoperability in future missions. "The focus of the SME exchanges was to provide insight for our Filipino partners into how the U.S. military conducts operations at home and downrange," U.S. Navy CDR Aaron Tabor, the VAQ 138 commanding officer, said. "This allows them to see what has worked for us and potentially apply it to their existing military procedures." The Air Contingent was viewed as a success by Philippine counterparts. "Doing these exercises and the [prior] coordination is preparing for the implementation of this type of operation, if needed," said Philippine Air Force Maj. Gen. Raul del Rosario, PAF First Air Division commander. "I hope that we can improve the way our countries do things in the future and be more specific in the shared goals that we hope to achieve together." U.S. and Filipino senior military leaders met throughout the Air Contingent's second iteration to discuss ways in which to further enhance the bilateral nature of future iterations and build upon accomplishments to date. "Maj. Gen. del Rosario and I held some very productive talks about how we can improve future Air Contingent iterations to develop inter-active events that fully benefit both Filipino and U.S. joint air forces," said Brig. Gen. Dirk Smith, Director of Air and Cyberspace Operations at Pacific Air Forces. "We both recognize the importance of partnering closely to help identify opportunities that will cultivate stronger bilateral capabilities and relations between our nations." After departing Clark Air Base, the VAQ 138 detachment redeployed to Misawa Air Base in Japan to resume a previously scheduled deployment to the western Pacific. The first temporary Air Contingent here in April was comprised of five U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt aircraft, three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and approximately 200 personnel deployed from multiple Pacific Air Forces units. Routine operations such as these Air Contingents and exercises like Balikatan will continue to be scheduled in order to promote regional security and foster the historically strong relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines. MONTICELLO The morning of Oct. 5, 1990, first responders went to the home of Sheryl Houser, 29, to check on her welfare after she failed to show up at Carle Foundation Hospital for her morning shift as a nurse. Her 5-year-old son told an emergency medical technician that his mommy was out in the garage sleeping, but he couldn't wake her up. She was found seated on the garage floor of her rural Mahomet home, her body stretching toward the ceiling with a yellow nylon rope tied tightly multiple times around her neck. The original autopsy showed that the cause of her death was compression of the neck. A coroner's jury at the time could not decide whether it was a homicide or suicide, so the manner of death was officially declared undetermined. Almost 26 years later, another inquest was held in Piatt County Circuit Court on Friday morning in Monticello to hear new evidence, including that a condom found just outside the garage contained DNA from Houser and her estranged husband, Gregory Houser. After deliberating for 15 minutes, the jurors ruled that Sheryl Houser's death was a homicide. In the gallery, her family members embraced each other and gasped in relief. Piatt County State's Attorney Dana Rhoades said a decision on whether to charge Gregory Houser, now 56, with first-degree murder will be made within four months, after additional evidence is gathered. Although the case has been considered cold because of the extraordinary length of time involved, the Illinois State Police, the lead investigating agency, has never closed its investigation. The state police always thought it was a staged suicide, said Rhoades after the jury delivered its verdict. They have continually been working on the case. Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Dobson said that new technology regarding DNA processing was a key element in moving forward with the case. Jurors heard testimony from a forensic expert in strangulation deaths who said her death was not a suicide. Renee Fehr, Sheryl Houser's sister, testified that Sheryl was a domestic violence victim who was looking forward to her life with her three young sons following her divorce. Gregory Houser, who was 30 at the time of his wife's death, was awaiting trial then on charges of criminal sexual assault stemming from an incident with her on Sept. 20, 15 days before her death. He was free on bond the morning she was found and later was acquitted. On Friday, Houser responded to all questions, including whether he was married or had children, by saying he was invoking the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination. Fehr, an attorney who works in Bloomington, testified that her oldest sister was a tender-hearted, kind, loving person. That's why she went into nursing; she always wanted to take care of people, said Fehr, who struggled with her emotions throughout her testimony. Fehr said Sheryl Houser told her she was getting a divorce and that her husband was violent toward her and beginning to hurt their three sons, then ages 5, 3, and 18 months. The couple separated, and on the night before she died, she was at her parents' house, talking about future plans. She was cleaning out the house, Fehr said, She was cleaning out his stuff, to get rid of his stuff. Toward the end, we saw some happiness in her eyes. Forensic pathologist Dr. Scott Denton testified that her death was not a suicide, based on numerous factors, including bruises on her neck, which were not consistent with a hanging. Denton said he believed she died of manual strangulation based on several factors, including the ruptured blood vessels in her face and eyes. That doesn't happen in suicidal hanging, Denton said. There was on and off pressure in her neck. Other indicators included a lack of a suicide note, no indication of depression in her diary and the fact there were children in the house. BLOOMINGTON Bloomington police officers were dispatched in pairs Friday in the wake of the deaths of five officers shot Thursday night in Dallas, and Police Chief Brendan Heffner said the new policy will remain in effect until further notice. Calling the attack in Dallas "a cowardly, calculated attack aimed at law enforcement," Heffner said he cautioned his officers to be careful in the wake of incidents this week in Louisiana and Minnesota in which white police officers shot and killed two black men. "We realize some citizens' sensitivities towards law enforcement will be heightened in a negative way," he said. All three incidents plus others in which officers were wounded this week in Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee bring home the reality that broken relationships between police and minorities can produce devastating consequences that cross racial boundaries, local law enforcement and community leaders said Friday. The Dallas officers' deaths are mourned by police everywhere and send a message that the streets are a more dangerous place for men and women in uniform, said McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage. "This incident shows us we're living in a different world now. I think officers will be even more aware of their surroundings as they do their job," said Sandage. Sandage agreed with comments Friday from Dallas Police Chief David Brown that "our profession is hurting" in the wake of the recent gun violence. "When things like this happen it makes those in our profession feel pretty unappreciated. It makes us want to go out and do our jobs better," said the sheriff. The feeling that police are not always held accountable for their actions is more than a perception, said Quincy Cummings, president of the McLean County Chapter of the NAACP. "The reality is there is a lack of justice in police shootings and that was at the heart of what we saw last night, and in Ferguson and Baltimore. It plays over and over. People have lost confidence when it comes to an officer-involved shooting," said Cummings. Cummings said he urges anyone who has an issue with the police to file a complaint and work to resolve it. "Things continue to happen when there's no accountability," said the NAACP leader. The dialogue that takes place between police and groups like the NAACP and the local Minority and Police Partnership can address a problem before it becomes a polarizing issue, said Cummings. Linda Foster, MAPP co-facilitator, called the shootings "disturbing. ... (It) makes you feel like we're not making the strides we should be making." Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner has seen four officer-related shootings in his 25 years with the department all of them deemed justified after review by an outside agency. No officer goes to work expecting to shoot someone, he said. "The concern is always there, and it's heightened now. There's a certain level of stress that always lies under the surface," said the police chief. Normal patrol Sgt. Adam Kapchinske said the shootings were a topic of conversation among officers at Friday morning's roll call. "Everybody was still trying to process what had happened and get their mind around it," said Kapchinske. For Normal Officer Melissa Zabukovec, the shootings are heartbreaking and represent "an officer's worst nightmare." At times when police conduct is the target of national scrutiny, people will go out of their way to offer support, said Zabukovec. "In the past year or two I've never been thanked more often," she said. The BPD and NPD received gifts of cookies Friday from a resident appreciative of their service. Mike Matejka, a member of the Not In Our Town initiative formed 20 years ago to address discrimination, said the ongoing violence "speaks to a need for a cultural change and the cultural change is respect." The Rev. Kelly Becker, pastor of First Christian Church in Bloomington, said the church will host a prayer service Monday night "to lift up police officers and all those affected by these tragedies." Becker contends that recurring incidents of violence are rooted in fear. "We have this fear of the other and the unknown. Our nation doesn't seem to recover from one tragedy before we go on to the next," said Becker. Adam Kinzinger, the former McLean County Board member who today is a congressman representing a swath of Illinois stretching from Rockford to Gibson City, really, really wants to be a good Republican and support his partys nominee for president. But if its Donald Trump, Kinzingers not sure hell be able to do it. Kinzinger, youll recall, was among the first in his party to try tamping down enthusiasm for Trump, warning voters nearly a year ago that Trump is a con artist and unfit to be commander-in-chief. The congressman readily admits hes under a lot of pressure these days to fall in line and, even if he cant endorse Trump, at least calm the criticism. Fellow members of Congress friends of mine are telling me that if youre not helping Trump, youre helping Hillary, Kinzinger tells me. Hes also hearing from constituents. People who have supported me are enthusiastic for Donald Trump, he says. Take, for example, a nearby county thats part of his 16th Congressional District. With 11 presidential wannabes on the GOP primary ballot four months ago, 46 percent of LaSalle County Republicans voted for Trump seven points above the statewide average, and 19 points higher than what Trump tallied in McLean County. I dont begrudge them for supporting Trump, Kinzinger says. But Im an American before Im a Republican. Kinzinger particularly worries Trump has poor impulse control and lacks knowledge and sophistication in foreign affairs to an alarming degree. One of the things thats misunderstood is that the president has almost unchecked power when it comes to foreign policy, Kinzinger says. This is our moment when we determine foreign policy for the years ahead. Trumps closed-door meeting with House Republicans on Thursday didnt make Kinzinger any more comfortable. Nor did he detect much enthusiasm among colleagues whose focus may be on maintaining GOP control of the House and Senate. Kinzinger says he could get more comfortable if Trump chooses a running mate who deeply understands how the world works, beyond building a hotel someplace. Its not just about bombing. Its about building coalitions and understanding. Kinzinger also would have to be convinced Trump would actually listen to his vice president. Even then, Kinzinger is reluctant to say Trump would be a better president than Hillary Clinton. But Im a never Hillary guy, he says. Im not voting for Hillary. I may not vote for Trump, but Im definitely not voting for Hillary. Kinzinger doesnt expect a Free the Delegates (aka Dump Trump) effort will succeed at the Cleveland convention. Having supported Jeb Bush early on, Kinzinger plans to spend a couple days there, but spend little time on the convention floor. But well be watching to see if Kinzinger lets the Trump bandwagon pass by, or whether he dutifully hops aboard, ever so reluctantly, to hurdle a political predicament. How did we get here? Kinzinger asks me, rhetorically referring to the fact both major parties appear ready to nominate candidates disliked by so many Americans. I didnt tell him about my recent dream. It was opening night of the GOP convention, and Trump told his delegates (and a national audience), Just kidding! Youre all fired because I really never wanted to be president that I can tell you. I just wanted to prove how tremendous a Trump candidacy could be. It would be really great. But listen. Im going back to building 'yooge' hotels. And believe me, folks, Ill never release my tax returns. It was just a dream. But for a lot of reluctant Republicans, including Adam Kinzinger, it wouldnt necessarily be a nightmare. DECATUR It's a long drive from Virginia to Illinois, especially if you're a 6-week-old osprey traveling in a crate. Since 2013, the young birds have been making that journey as part of an effort to re-establish the species in Illinois, where they are endangered. This year, they got to fly. Also, instead of being processed as soon as they arrived at the Illinois Raptor Center, Decatur, the birds got a night to themselves. We just thought this year, let's let them chill out, said Jacques Nuzzo, program director at the center. Let's let them stretch their legs. Get a bite to eat. Get a drink. Perhaps thanks to the rest, the 12 birds processed Friday seemed healthier than previous groups, Nuzzo said. The project takes a village and then some. It is part of a federal grant awarded to University of Illinois at Springfield associate professor Tih-Fen Ting through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Illinois Audobon Society donated $3,000 to transport the birds by plane this year, in collaboration with the aviation program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. DNR staff worked with Ting, students and research personnel from the university, and Nuzzo and Executive Director Jane Seitz from the raptor center to get the birds ready for their new lives. They carefully measured and drew blood from each osprey, making sure to check that they were hydrated. Ting attached two bands to each bird, and their breasts were painted with temporary colors to make them easier to identify in the field. The birds were then taken to two hack sites, one near Lake Shelbyville and the other near Canton. At the sites, they will be kept in boxes and fed twice a day by members of Ting's team for two to three weeks. My field crew, they become the foster parents, Ting said. The ospreys will eventually migrate south. The hope is that, when they mature in several years and get ready to breed, they will return to the familiar haunts of their youth. Over years involved with the project, Nuzzo and Seitz said they've learned a lot about the birds. For instance, osprey food: It has to be fish, and it has to look like fish. You can't get them fish filet. They don't recognize fish filet, Nuzzo said. If it's got eyeballs and lips and a tail on it, they're like hey, that's great. To accommodate, Decatur's Scovill Zoo donated trout, and Nuzzo himself caught some bluegill. The raptor center is raising money for a new Superflight facility that would allow it to better rehabilitate large birds, such as ospreys. To learn more, visit the center's website at illinoisraptorcenter.org. ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) A suburban St. Louis police officer was "ambushed" during a traffic stop Friday and critically injured when he was shot at least once from behind as he walked to his patrol car to check the suspect's driving status, authorities said. Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, is charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm, St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Friday. McCulloch said there's no evidence of any dispute between Taylor and the officer before the gunfire. Ballwin Police Chief Kevin Scott said he "can't even begin to speculate" about a motive, including whether the shooting involving the white officer, a nine-year police veteran, had racial overtones. Authorities have not named the officer, and the criminal complaint identifies the officer only as "M.F." The shooting followed the previous night's attack in Dallas that killed five officers and wounded seven during a protest over the deaths of black men killed by police this week in Louisiana and Minnesota. The officer was walking to his car after the initial conversation with the motorist he stopped for speeding when that driver "advanced quickly" on him from behind, firing at least three shots, Scott said. The officer "had no chance at all" to pull his handgun and "was completely helpless," Scott said, noting the encounter was recorded by the police car's dashcam. "Make no mistake: We believe during this investigation that Ballwin officer was ambushed, period," St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said. After the shooting, Belmar said, the suspect sped away before an officer from another police department spotted the car about 4 miles away. The suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot before being arrested about five minutes later, Belmar said. The suspect was on probation for a weapons violation in St. Louis, Belmar said, had been on probation for a stolen vehicle in Oklahoma and was picked up on a gun charge in California, drawing a prison term for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was paroled in March 2015. Citing his concern about the shooting and the Dallas tragedy, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon opted against leaving Friday for an eight-day overseas trade mission as planned and instead would return to Missouri from a Philadelphia event, spokeswoman Channing Grate said. The shootings of officers in Ballwin, Dallas, Tennessee and Georgia in a 24-hour period prompted police agencies regionally and elsewhere in the U.S. to take precautionary safety measures. Earlier Friday, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said his city's law officers will work in pairs until further notice because of the Dallas killings, and that all officers must wear bullet-resistant vests when on duty outside of police stations. Belmar said his department has gone to 12-hour days now through the weekend, given the national debate about policing and minorities. "It's an unfortunate state of events we're dealing with right now," he said. "I do understand the silent majority out there supports us." Taylor is being held on $500,000 cash bond and is expected to be arraigned on the felony charges Monday morning. ___ Associated Press reporters Maria Fisher and Bill Draper in Kansas City, Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri, and AP researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. ___ BALLWIN, Mo. A Ballwin Police officer was in critical condition after he was shot in the neck during a traffic stop late Friday morning, police said. The officer had stopped the car for speeding on northbound New Ballwin Road about 11 a.m., police said. As the officer went back to his car, the driver got out, "advanced quickly" and fired three shots at the officer, police said. Said St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar: "Make no mistake, we believe that Ballwin officer was ambushed." The gunman fled north on New Ballwin Road and was captured in Manchester several miles northeast of the shooting scene, after jumping out of the car and running, police said. A semiautomatic handgun was recovered, according to St. Louis County Police, who are taking over the investigation. The male officer was taken to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, in Creve Coeur, where he was in critical but stable condition, "fighting for his life," Ballwin Chief Kevin Scott said at an emotional press conference Friday afternoon. "Today my heart aches for men and women of Ballwin police department and entire law enforcement family," Scott said. An in-car camera caught the shooting on video, Scott said. He urged anyone with any video of the incident to call police. The suspect, 32, had a weapons violation out of St. Louis, for which he was put on probation. He was picked up with a firearm in California and paroled in March 2015. His name will be released once warrants are issued, police said. Police had no information about motive. Scott said this is a very "devastating time for us emotionally." "Emotionally, our relationship with this officer and the fact that it was one of ours is very, very difficult to deal with," Scott said. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger called it a "tragic act." "We want them to know we appreciate work they do and risk they take every day," he said of police. "We stand by those who have stood by us during difficult times like this." The attack happened along New Ballwin Road south of Old Ballwin Road. A suspect was arrested in the area of Burgundy Lane in Manchester. An older-model blue Ford Taurus with an Illinois temporary license plate, believed to be the car the gunman used, was found in that area, where it had knocked down a mailbox post. The suspect was captured nearby after a foot chase. 'They all need our prayers' A woman living in the 300 block of New Ballwin Road near the scene of the shooting said she heard two gunshots and ran out her front door to see what happened. After seeing the wounded officer, she grabbed a towel to put on his neck to try to stop the bleeding. "I tried to help the officer," the witness said. "I just hope he's OK." The woman who helped the officer said she isn't trained as a nurse or first responder. "I'm just a mom," she said. She said her friend called 911 while a nurse performed CPR. Other residents living near the scene of the shooting said they heard gunshots but didn't know what they were. "I thought it was kids or firecrackers or something," said a resident on the street. "I'm looking outside at many, many police officers. They all need our prayers." Suspect tackled, arrested A landlord from Phoenix, Danny Luster, was doing work on a home he owns at Valley View Drive and Lenjer Drive in Manchester when he saw the suspect run behind some houses. He said pursuing police tackled the man and subdued him with a Taser. He said he overheard police say they had found one gun but were looking for another. Luster said the arrest was made in the back yard of Liz Lavin's nearby home, in the 700 block of Valley View. Lavin said she was watching CNN coverage of the Dallas police killings when she heard her kitchen door open and close, causing her dog to bark furiously. She said she initially thought it was her boyfriend, and within seconds saw police swarm her back yard. She heard an officer shout, "We found the weapon!" Lavin said she never saw the suspect, and has no idea who had opened the door. She said police checked inside her house, kept part of her yard roped off into Friday afternoon and searched nearby woods. Ballwin, with a population of about 30,000, is in west St. Louis County, along Manchester Road, west of Highway 141. Officer 'cautious,' careful Ballwin Alderman Raymond Kerlogan, of Ward 4, said the officer who was shot had taken him on a a ride-along on Tuesday. "I spent about four hours with him," Kerlogan said. "Just watching him, how cautious he was." Kerlogan said he remained in the police car when the officer stopped someone and ran the person's drivers license. He recalled the officer being "very conscious" and careful when approaching the vehicle. Kerlogan called the officer a "caring" and "great guy." The "19 Kids and Counting" star is caught under fire after sharing a 4th of July photo of herself and her husband. Jill Duggar shared their photo on Instagram, which alarmed most of their fans who were concerned with her husband's (Derick Dillard) deteriorating appearance. According to Inquisitr's report on the couple, fans were alarmed after seeing Derick Dillard lose so much weight. Though there isn't any update from Jill Duggar of Derick Dillard Derick himself about his health status, fans were keen to notice his thin, unhealthy physique. Happy Independence Day from the Dillard's! #4thofJuly So thankful for freedom! A photo posted by Jill Dillard (@jillmdillard) on Jul 4, 2016 at 2:20pm PDT Most of them speculated that Derick Dillard is going through something that is affiliated with his missionary work. Fans suggest that the couple should just go home as their mission work make Derick Dillard look undernourished thinking that he's not getting enough food while on the trip. Others however suggest that his previous jaw surgery might have affected his appetite and his capability to eat solids. But it was then discarded after he was seen munching of Buffalo wings. Some commenters then mentioned that he looks like he's heavily addicted to heroin and opioids. Though the thought of heroin addiction may be far out, being hooked on sedatives and opioids may be possible. It was mentioned that his surgery medication might have caused have to het hooked. People once mentioned that Derick Dillard has a surgery wherein he had hi palate extended. While they were on their El Salvador trip, Jill Duggar mentioned that Derick Dillard already found a suitable surgeon to work on his orthodontic piece that was damaged while they were on a mission. Speculations then emerged that the doctor might have not been able to fully repair the damaged piece, thus causing Derick Dillard to suffer from long term side effects of the failed repair. Both Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard has been mum about his drastic weight loss. Both parties have not released an official statement as to what might have made him look so sickly. One contested thing about school that scholars can't agree upon is the value of homeworks. Do homeworks help students understand their lessons more or does it overwork them and they lose their enthusiasm all together? The Washington Post sought the expert help of cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, wherein he tackled the efficacy of homework on student performance and learning. He starts his The Washington Post guest entry with curiosity over a famous research in 2006 that claims homeworks have little effects on older students and no effects at all on younger students. Willingham is curious why the aforementioned study found that homeworks do not help when in theory, they're supposed to challenge the understanding of students and practice them to apply the lessons they learned. He points three reasons that the academe has talked about: one, homeworks are not of good quality; two, homeworks are done at home when there is no immediate feedback; three, maybe participants in researches did not compute the time they spend doing their homework accurately which is an important variable in most studies. A recent study, according to Willingham, was able to record the amount of time participating students used to finish a specific homework. Engineering students were tasked to do a homework using a Smartpen that would measure the amount of time they spent to finish it. Aside from the measurements the Smartpen declared, the students were also to report how long they spent doing the homework. It turns out that 88 percent wrongly reported the length of time they used, more than what their Smartpen said they consumed. Because of this loophole, it becomes hard to reliably link homework with any outcome, agreeable or disagreeable with the merits of homework. According to another The Washington Post article, all previous studies about homeworks given to elementary students have not found any benefit of homework in any form. There is no positive correlation on the amount of homework given and the learning achievement gained by the students. Nonetheless, the study about the homework and Smartpen made Willingham suggest that previous researches might have been wrong in its calculation of the value of homework. Measurements of variables may have not been accurately given, and should be reviewed again before judging the importance of giving homework. Instead of dismissing homeworks entirely, another way to prove its doubters wrong is to improve its quality. As per Inquiries Journal, there are guidelines for successful assessment of homework according to Education consultant Ken O'Connor. Not every homework should be graded and should solely be given to see student's efforts and how much they've learned. There should be a standards based approach in grading homeworks, and that the students formative growth should be assesed together with the information they were able to understand. In your opinion, do you think giving homeworks to students from all levels is important? Sound off your thoughts in the Comments section below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. The success of "Jurassic World" triggers fans to expect too much from its sequel. At the time, the hype about "Jurassic World 2" continues to grow. According to reports, the sequel is taking the dinosaurs to a crazy new level. Dinosaurs Will Be In A Crazy New Level In 'Jurassic World 2' According to Christian Times, "Jurassic World 2" is taking the dinosaurs in an expected light. Fans will see the dinos in a crazy new level that will surely make the film more fun and exciting. Per the report, this plot has to do with Dr. Henry Wu's (B.D. Wong) escape in the first "Jurassic World" film. Wu will reportedly work with Vic Hoskins (Vincent D'Onofrio), the geneticist who stole the dinosaur embryos from Isla Nublar laboratory. The two will join forces to create a military of weaponized dinosaurs and they will be successful. In fact, there are rumors that there will be badass dinosaurs who will be fighting cries in "Jurassic Word 2." However, there will always be twists and challenges along the way. On a side note, Parent Herald reported that there would also be domesticated dinosaurs in "Jurassic World 2." These creatures will be living an urban life together with the families who look after them. The dinosaurs are good as pets. If these reports are true, then "Jurassic World 2" is indeed taking the dinosaurs in crazy new level. Who would even think of a military and weaponized dinosaurs? Moreover, have you ever considered a dinosaur as your pet? This is something fans should look forward to in the "Jurassic World" sequel. 'Jurassic World 2' Plot Remains A Secret Meanwhile, Bryce Dallas Howard disclosed that the production wants to keep the plot of "Jurassic World 2" under wraps. The stars have to deal with restrictions on communications. This is not surprising because filmmakers want to surprise their fans that's why they want the plot to leak to the public. "Whenever I have the chance to be around that group, that crew I like get information. [laughter] J.A.'s over in Europe right now, so I haven't seen him in person. I'm sure he wouldn't... because you know what, the emailing and texting, you can't go on record," Dallas Howard told CinemaBlend. "You can't write anything down, commit to anything in writing. So, tonight I'll just be like, 'Can you verbally explain to me what's happening?' But we'll shoot it next year." Although the plot is kept under wraps, Parent Herald reported that the new director will bring more horror in "Jurassic World 2." Bayona is popular in horror films like "The Orphanage" and "Penny Dreadful." Are you excited for "Jurassic World 2?" Do you want to see the weaponized and domesticated dinosaurs on the big screens? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. The legalization of marijuana in the 25 states of America is creating a threat over the pockets of several pharmaceutical companies. With the endless rocketing of prescription drug costs, most Americans are now considering alternatives to their popping pills and move towards much healthier choices by using this herb. The Health Affairs stated that, "Using data on all prescriptions filled by Medicare Part D enrollees from 2010 to 2013, we found that the use of prescription drugs for which marijuana could serve as a clinical alternative fell significantly, once a medical marijuana law was implemented." The said study was the very first one conducted in order for the people to know and understand the effect of the legalization of the medical marijuana towards doctors, entrepreneurs and its customers. Research published in Health Affairs Wednesday, shows how some claims for prescription medications are declining since marijuana has recently became legal in the US, as posted by the National Public Radio. People behind the study also added that the possible reason is the effectiveness of the medical marijuana to treat anxiety, depression or chronic pain, making the herb a healthier and cheaper choice as compared to other often-prescribed drugs. The researchers' conclusion was strengthened because of some information generated through the study that showed how some recommended drugs were not affected. These drugs are those that do not have the same effect like that of the medical cannabis like blood-thinners. Their sales have remained unchanged. Because of the findings, more and more lawmakers are now expressing their eagerness to embrace the medical cannabis to be legalized in their own locality. In fact, people from Missouri and Florida are already considering and are now planning to come to a vote this November. Because of the demand, a certain federal agency is also in the process of reclassifying the herb under national drug policy just to be able to increase its supply. Hemp-oil dependent epileptic kids are now in danger of seizures and other attacks because of the possible permanent banning of cannabis at the Canadian border. Parents of the kids are ranting about this. CTV News reported that families of 19 hemp oil users say that their source of the hemp oil in Colorado has informed them last month that they are no longer taking Canadian orders since border agents are not allowing them to ship it anymore. Canada Border Services Agency, on the other hand, justifies the act by claiming that it is their obligation to seize the packages because marijuana and all its derivatives are still illegal in Canada. Health Canada says that Canadian families may consume made-in-Canada marijuana oil as a replacement. Another option is to apply for an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). The families would not want to take the first option because the Charlotte's Web oil they import from Colorado is the one that is effective for their kids. Marijuana was legalized in Colorado two years ago. The oil got its name from a five-year-old Colorado girl who was suffering from epilepsy and experienced improvement after having treated with marijuana oil. Alex Repetski from Thornhill, Ontario creates and uses the oil for his four-year-old daughter, Gwen to treat her epilepsy. Gwen's developmental issues are delayed but the oil has provided help especially in keeping her from seizures for twenty months. According to Repetski, "CBD has no psychotropic effects and shouldn't be banned under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act." He added that if kids will stop taking the drug to control their seizures, we could expect for a catastrophic impact. Cases like that of Gwen's and other kids in Canada should be reckoned with and reconsider the legalization of marijuana. The Border Agency has the right not to allow the oil to pass through them but the health department should work on the exemption because the defenseless kids suffering from epilepsy will terribly put up with it. It is saddening and disheartening to see all of the recent attacks that have occurred against innocent African-American lives. Stopping these unlawful and quite frankly disgusting attacks is one of the reasons why there are a lot movements started in the first place. However, some experts believe that for black lives to matter in the extent the movement wants, black education should be considered as a matter of undoubted importance as well. It could be a piece of news that is quite easy to overlook, says the Washington Post, but it should not. The annual conference of Save Our Schools is being held just a few days after multiple bouts of fatal shootings all across America. The conference consists of "a coalition of educators, parents, students and concerned citizens fighting against corporate school reform and for the health of America's public education system." Hopefully, these people can think of ways to improve the state of America's educational system. A primary problem in today's schooling is that schools in America are starting to become just as segregated or even more so than they were back in the 1960's. Luckily, these types of movements have regularly been putting pressure on legislators and policy makes to put more of an emphasis on the equality of education instead of just improving its state for the middle and upper, predominantly white socioeconomic classes. Experts believe that equality in education can lead to equality in society as well. The Twitter "undercoverBAT" of the "Badass Teachers Association," which is a group of thousands of teachers, who are highly against reform, recently came out with a very powerful statement. "For black lives to matter, black #education has to matter," they tweeted. These teachers are looking towards the Save Our Schools conference to make black lives matter by making their education matter too. Google is starting to gain ground in the educational sector after recently releasing numerous projects that aim to help teachers in the classroom and help students reach their educational goals. Now, Android co-founder Rich Miner is attempting to help Google further flourish in this field. It is worth noting that Miner has been a general partner with Google Ventures since 2009, but now it seems he is ready to take on a bigger role within the company. According to a report from Digital Trends, it is currently unknown whether the project Miner will be working on will be released for free or if it will be sold in order to make profit. However, there are large implications that it will be a philanthropic effort seeing as how Google's past few educational projects have been released completely free of charge. Reports from Fortune states that "Miner finds it difficult to locate "educational apps and other kid-focused internet services that [aren't] primarily either babysitters or ad delivery devices." Miner's project could potentially involve the use of already released educational technology from Google such as their Chromebooks as well as their virtual reality technology. Digital Trends also states that it is important to keep in mind that this new educational project exists only within Google and not in any of the other companies owned by Alphabet. Google's Educational platforms have been attracting plenty of users lately. Google's Apps for Education has approximately 50 million users, while there are 10 million teachers and students who use the cloud-based service, Google Classroom. Google has also recently released quizzes on Google Forms, which has been becoming more and more popular as time goes by. The use of virtual reality technology in education has also allowed whole classes to take field trips to places that were previously seen as impossible to go to. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Earlier this morning Patently Apple discovered a new court filing that was filed yesterday and made public today. The USA/FBI's application for a search warrant is to search an account on Apple's iCloud servers that they believe will provide evidence for a case relating to child pornography and sexual exploitation as noted below in full. The FBI filed their application for the search warrant with the Pennsylvania Middle District Court in Harrisburg on July 8, 2016. As of 10 a.m. MST there is only a single document for this case to be found on the court docket as noted above. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments. The 2016 Religious Freedom Annual Review sponsored by BYUs International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) concluded early last evening. It was an exceptionally rich set of meetings, and I really enjoyed my attendance at it. Owing to some pre-existing conflicts, I was unable to attend all of the conference, but I did enjoy hearing the remarks of Elder Lance B. Wickman (Defending Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: Fundamental Principles, Practical Priorities, and Fairness for All), who is an emeritus member of the Seventy and who currently serves as general counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was followed by Matthew S. Holland, the president of Utah Valley University, who is an authority on the thought of the American Founders. President Holland addressed the topic of Religious Liberty v. Secularity: Is the American Founding Still Useful? There followed four breakout sessions, of which it was possible to choose only two. I sat in on a presentation by Imam Muhammad Musri, who serves as president and chairman of the board of the Islamic Society of Central Florida. He spoke on Muslims, America, and Religious Freedom. Then I attended a presentation by the nationally syndicated religion journalist Terry Mattingly, a senior fellow at The Kings College in New York City. He tried to help us with Understanding Media Coverage of Religion. During the final session, I enjoyed presentations by David Masci, of the Pew Research Center; Thomas Berg, from the University of St. Thomas School of Law; Tim Schultz, of the First Amendment Partnership; and Brett Scharffs, who is the newly installed director of the ICLRS. Owing, first, to prior engagements and, then, to being caught up in really interesting out-in-the-hall conversations, I missed a number of promising presentations on Friday, finally making my way into the meetings only in the late afternoon. But I still managed to hear the remarks of Hannah Smith, from the Becket Fund, on The Roberts Court and Religious Freedom, and of Gene Schaerr, who is an adjunct professor at BYUs J. Reuben Clark School of Law, on What Will the New Supreme Court Do on Religious Freedom? The final session was on Current Developments in Europe, and featured David M. Kirkham, J.D., Ph.D., of BYU, who is an expert on the United Kingdom, and Michael L. Jensen, who is area legal counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cole Durham, the fabled founder of ICLRS who only recently stepped down as its director, gave the closing remarks. Here are two newspaper reports on parts of the meetings: LDS Churchs chief lawyer says not all religious freedoms should be defended the same The first report covers the speeches of Elder Wickman and President Holland. The second covers the discussions of the Supreme Court of the United States by Hannah Smith and Gene Schaerr. Last evening, my wife and I, along with two longtime friends from here in Utah and another from Orlando, Florida, enjoyed a pleasant meal with Imam Musri, from Central Florida. I found him quite impressive for his intelligence, his sympathetic understanding of other faiths, and his general good humor. I like him very much. P.S. To point up the importance and even urgency of this topic of religious freedom, heres a recent story: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/437637/euthanasia-catholic-nursing-home-belgium-fined Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. (Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, 1964.) You have heard that it was said, Jesus once remarked, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This short imperative is, well, lets just say it is challenging to our American fascination with violence and guns. This teaching from the Sermon on the Mount is routinely dismissed and ignored by Christians, especially by evangelicals who seem more intent on clinging to the 2nd amendment than the Sermon on the Mount. I often wonder why that is. American Christianity has never included any widespread adherence to Jesuss teaching on violence. Why is the Christian peace movement so small? Why are so many Christians willing to ignore the clear command to love your enemies? Could it be that there was no other way to drive Native Americans off their land but through superior firepower? Or perhaps it is because there was no other way to control millions of black slaves without guns and whips? Maybe it is because our Christian identity is not nearly as powerful as our American identity? In fact, the problem predates any of that. The Constantinian Shift, a term popularized by John Howard Yoder and Stanley Hauerwas, is meant to describe the impact of Constantines legalization of Christianity via the Edict of Milan, 313. (Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380). The term names the fundamental shift that occurred within Christianity when it was officially sanctioned by the Roman Empire. Christianity very quickly moved from being a fringe Jewish sect, persecuted by Rome and by the Jews, to being a protected and even favored religion. The Constantinian Shift meant that Christian identity would no longer be established, narrated, shaped, supported, passed on, and protected by the church, but by the state and the surrounding culture. Evidence for how thoroughly this shift has impacted American culture can be seen every time Christians insist that America is a Christian nation. Christians only do this when they dont believe the church can instill Christian identity in its members. They need the state to do the work. This conflation of church and state fundamentally changed in the nature of Christianity and the church. Christianity vanished into the realm of the invisible, the private, and the personal. For all intents and purposes the Constantinian Shift meant that Christianity had become co-opted by the state. Give your heart to Jesus, but your body belongs to Rome. Apart from the Anabaptists, the church ended up looking more like the Roman Empire than like Jesus and his first followers. Christianity became a civil religion, an apologetic for the state and the prevailing norms of culture. Today most Christians are oblivious to the fact that the entire early church had a strict ethic of nonviolence. With The Constantinian Shift so far in the past, Christians today can cling to their guns with blatant pragmatism. And the need for violence does seem self-evident, that is, if you are not willing to take up your cross and die at the hands of other violent people. Despite Jesuss rejection of violence, despite the fact that he allowed the violence of others to become displayed on his body, despite his teaching that his followers do the same, most American Christians have no imagination for how nonviolence can change the world in powerful ways. Most Christians in our society cannot imagine living non-violently in such a violent world. We have no imagination for what it might mean to turn the other cheek, offer our cloak to those who demand our tunic, or go the extra mile in order to allow injustice and violence to be displayed on our own bodies. Why Do Many Christians Trust the 2nd Amendment More Than the Sermon on the Mount? Because they simply dont think that Jesuss way will work. Hauerwas has honed the perfect answer to this blatant pragmatism. He says that Christians are not committed to non-violence because they think it will be an effective strategy to rid the world of war or violence. Christians are (or should be) committed to non-violence because they follow Jesus, and thus they cannot imagine ignoring his example and instruction. Go ahead and take that sword out of Peters hand, Jesus, but keep your paws off my guns. I do not think there is only one obedience. Im sympathetic to the fact that this is a complicated issue, especially given the fact that we live in such a violent culture. Espousing nonviolence is a difficult stance to take in the face of so much fear. But Christians take many difficult stances against powerful cultural forces. Were good at it. Why do we ignore Jesuss call to nonviolence? Why let this pitch pass us by? Is it fear? Is it a lack of discipleship? Is it a lack of leadership? I do pray for the imagination to try to live in the world non-violently, and it takes great imagination. I pray for courage to use my voice to speak out for those who live on the margins of our world, for this takes much courage. I pray for the strength to submit my body to injustice, as Christ did, in order to allow evil to show its true colors on me, and it will take so much strength. A wholesale renewal of the Christian imagination in regard to violence is an essential step in our discipleship if we are ever going to make a real impact on the world around us, if we are ever going to bear witness to a better way. I find it impossible, after the cross, to believe Christian non-violence is an ancillary teaching of the church. If Christ was God in the flesh, and he didnt take up arms to inaugurate the kingdom, then the only way we as Christians will ever participate in this kingdom is to live a life that is in step with this Messiah and his kingdom. We must heed Jesuss call to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. We must live nonviolently. Man Who Was Imprisoned in Iran for Posting Jokes on Facebook Denied Timely Appeal Verdict 07/09/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Computer engineer Soheil Babadi, who was imprisoned in Iran for posting jokes on a satirical Facebook page, has been waiting close to a year for a ruling on his appeal against his prison sentence. The authorities have meanwhile refused to release him on bail or allow him to receive medical treatment outside of Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj (west of Tehran) where he has been held in Ward 12-where political prisoners are kept-since October 1, 2014. Soheil Babadi has written an open letter detailing the torture he experienced during interrogations. Soheil Babadi has written an open letter detailing the torture he experienced during interrogations. An informed source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Babadis appeal was filed more than 10 months ago, and that the Appeals Court last looked into his case in April 2016, but the case judge has neither issued a verdict nor agreed to release Babadi on bail. Those in charge of this case have deliberately prolonged Babadis prosecution, added the source. Now he needs to go on medical furlough [temporary leave] to get treatment for his kidney problem, but the officials refuse to allow him until he gets a final verdict. Political prisoners in Iran are singled out for harsh treatment, which often includes denial of medical care. After his arrest on May 22, 2012, Babadi, 39, was held for more than 200 days in Ward 2-A of Tehrans Evin Prison, which is controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). During that time he was tortured and denied basic rights, according to an open letter he wrote from prison on September 7, 2013. In May 2011 I posted ten short pieces of satire on a Facebook page called the Campaign to Remind Shiites about Imam Naghi without using any insulting words, said the letter. A year later I was arrested by the IRGCs Intelligence Organization without a warrant and held in Ward 2-A, the IRGCs exclusive detention center, and beaten and interrogated for 24 hours. Babadi continued: Then someone named Ghenaatkar (from Branch 3 of the Security Court) formally read the charges against me, including insulting the Prophet Mohammad, insulting the sacred, assembly and collusion, insulting the supreme leader, propaganda against the state, membership in a group planning to overthrow the state and acting against national security-all for writing ten jokes on Facebook. Facebook crucified - cartoon by Bozorgmehr Hosseinpur I was interrogated while blindfolded in the corner of a room, he added. The agent wanted me to confess to the charges against me, and when I refused he severely beat me. I was constantly under psychological pressure as the agents probed into my personal life and tried to accuse me of sexual relations with friends and relatives, even with my sister-in-law, and even of homosexual relations with one of my friends, Mostafa. But they didnt succeed and kept me in solitary confinement for 225 days. The practice of forced confessions in Iran, including those elicited under torture or the threat of torture, has been well documented by international human rights organizations. Babadi indicated in his letter that his basic rights were denied primarily because his jokes were turned into a security case. During his interrogation his back was injured after severe beatings, he was held incommunicado for months in solitary confinement, and he was detained for a year before his first trial. Babadi was arrested in 2012 after allegedly posting jokes on the Campaign to Remind Shiites about Imam Naghi Facebook page, which satirizes political and religious issues while focusing on Ali al-Naghi-the tenth Imam according to Shia Islam. The page, which has nearly 33,000 fans, gained popularity after the song Naghi by musical artist Shahin Najafi went viral in early May 2012 and at least two senior theologians issued fatwas calling for Najafis death for insulting Naghi. Babadi was first charged with insulting the sacred and insulting President [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad], and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison, 74 lashes and two years in exile in the city of Beshagard near the southern port of Bandar Abbas. In a second trial in September 2015 Judge Mohammad Moghisseh of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Babadi to an additional seven years in prison for assembly and collusion against national security and insulting the supreme leader. Branch 26 of the Appeals Court has yet to issue a verdict on the appeal against Babadis sentence. All of the charges against Babadi relate to his Facebook posts. If Article 134 of Irans New Islamic Penal Code is applied to his case, his combined sentence could be reduced to seven-and-a-half years in prison and he could be released on probation after four years. Abbas Kiarostami's body arrives in Tehran among mourning crowds of artists 07/09/16 Report by Radio Zamaneh; photos by Mehr News Agency On 8 July, Abbas Kirostamis body arrived in Tehran from Paris; a crowd of Iranian film directors, actors, actresses and other artists were in Tehran airport to pay their respects. Abbas Kiarostamis body in Tehran airport with his signature on the coffin (photo by Ehsan Naderipour, Islamic Republic News Agency) Kiarostami, a director whose films served a poetic introduction to the lives of the ordinary Iranians, died Monday, July 4, at his home in Paris. He was 76 and battling gastrointestinal cancer. His sons Ahmad and Bahman Kiarostami had attended a funeral service for him in Paris on 8 July 2016 before his body was air transported to Iran. Abbas Kiarostamis funeral service in Paris The crowd that had gathered for this service in Paris held a vigil by the river Seine. They then allowed the Seine waves to take photos of Kiarostami that the crowd had left on the river floating. It was symbolic moment of saying goodbye to a film director that many Iranians have come to passionately appreciate. There is funeral scheduled for Sunday 10 July in Tehran. Kiarostamis body will be escorted from the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults were Kiarostami first started his job as a filmmaker. Kiarostami has mentioned in many interviews that the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults was where he became a filmmaker the place for the making of an artist. Abbas Kiarostamis body on the shoulders of his fellow artists and friends Kiarostamis son, Ahmad will not be able to attend his fathers funeral in Tehran. He has been involved with Diaspora dissident organizations and has security concerns for travelling to Iran. In an emotional Facebook post, Ahmad Kiarostami asked anyone who is attending his fathers funeral to wear their most beautiful attires: if you are going to say goodbye to my father, wear your best attire that would be appropriate for a celebration of my fathers productive and creative life. Many famous Iranian filmmakers and artists had gathers in the House of Artists in Tehran and they all went to the airport together to pay their respects to the body of Kiarostami. The Ministry of Islamic Guidance officials were also there and they had paved down a red carpet. Tehran airport: Iranian artists pay their respects to the body of late Abbas Kiarostami on the night of 8 July 2016 Reza Mirkarimi, a director, screenwriter and the current CEO of Iranian House of Cinema , made an emotional speech criticising the spectacle of the red carpet that was paved by the Iranian government. Mirkarimi in the presence of officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said: Hello, welcome home master. Take this welcoming ceremony of all the other welcomings that were never extended to you. Bahman, Kiarostamis son who is also a filmmaker has accompanied his fathers body from france but was not feeling well and did not make a speech. In sorrow of passing of Abbas Kiarostami cartoon by Mehdi Motazedian, Shargh dalily Before the arrival of Kiarostamis body, hundreds of Iranians attended a candle vigil ceremony to mourn his death on the streets of Tehran Iranian politician, mostly from the moderate reformist groups, also flooded the twitter with condolence messages. President Hassan Rohani said on Twitter on July 5 that the directors deep concern toward life and invitation to peace and friendship will be a lasting achievement of his work. The great directors films are marked by his gaze at human relations in times of struggles and death. His films are about life and strive of humans to stay alive and feel empathy for the other. His death became the main headline of numerous media inside Iran and in the past week people of Iran have been mourning him on social media networks. Kiarostamis cinema was made in Iran but was close reading of human relation with the other and as such this cinema found global audiences. His film Taste of Cherry which is about a man driving around in town and looking for help to commit suicide, received the prestigious Palme dOr at Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Chess is very popular among the Iranians, Anatoly Karpov says 07/09/16 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - Seven-time World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov, who has come to Iran to attend the first edition of Chess Stars Cup, says that the sport is very popular among the Iranian people. The prestigious competition will take place in Bandar Anzali Free Zone, northern Iran, from July 9th to 21st. FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov will also attend the Chess Stars Cup. 1st Chess Stars Cup LIVE! "I have a good relationship with Iran Chess Federation and this is the second time I come here. Now, so many schools have compulsory chess lessons. For example, there are 15,000 chess schools in Romania," Karpov told the reporters in the press conference held at the Iran Chess Federation in Tehran, Iran. "At the moment, I am focusing to spread Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess around the world. We've opened 200 schools around the world so far. In my opinion, you need to have more teenage players in your country. I think the chess is very favorite sport among the Iranian teenagers. When I arrived at the Imam Khomeini Airport, so many people knew me and took selfie with me. In Moscow's Airport also the Iranians took picture of me. It shows that chess is very popular sport among the Iranians," he added. "The most important role of the Iranian federation is to support the juniors since study is just not enough. Availability of information resources can help the chess players to shine in the world tournaments," the grandmaster stated. Asked him is there any chance for the Iranian chess players to play their Russian counterparts in friendly matches, Karpov said, "The Russian federation is always ready to enter new challenge and we can arrange the matches between the two countries. Each year, we organize the matchs between the Russian and Chinese players. At first, the Chinese women were better than Russian women but our men players were superior. Now, we've improved in two sections," the legend concluded. Want to have a group trivia contest on Skype? Microsoft announced updates to the bot functionality in Skype on Friday that let digital quizmasters and other automated participants take part in group text conversations. Developers that use the functionality can open their robotic conversation partners to groups of friends and coworkers, similar to what Slack offers today. Skype also now supports visual cards that let users see pictures, receipts and more, similar to what Facebook offers bot makers through tools for Messenger. Its all part of Microsofts push to promote conversations as a computing platform. CEO Satya Nadella laid out the vision at its Build conference in March, describing a future in which intelligent assistants like Cortana work with special-purpose bots to help humans perform tasks like making hotel reservations and booking flights. Developers building Skype bots can also now allow users to log into a service, like a hotel loyalty program, making it easier for them to keep interacting with a business without having to log in constantly. The Skype-specific news comes alongside updates to Microsofts Bot Framework, a set of developer tools that make it easier for people to create conversational bots for Skype and other services. The Bot Framework is now better integrated with Skype so developers can automatically configure bots made with the platform to work on Skype, rarther than having to copy and paste configuration data. In addition, the Bot Framework supports new controls for developers, so its easier for their bots to send messages that include clickable elements like cards and carousels. Thats important as more messaging services allow bots to incorporate those rich elements, which make it easier for people to interact with them. Tech companies all over the place are taking part in a massive bot arms race. Facebook, Slack, Telegram, Google and a host of others all want to host the new bot invasion, since that could put them in a lucrative position, similar to where mobile app store owners are right now. Members of the San Bernardino County Bar Association gave nearly unanimous approval Thursday to the idea of leaving the downtown San Bernardino headquarters theyve occupied since 1972 and moving to Redlands. The associations board members previously passed a motion to seek another location but wanted the rank and files opinion. They got it at the associations annual meeting gathering when, after a brief discussion, all but one of the roughly two dozen members present said aye. The move is not definite, but a few potential new office locations have been identified and preparations are underway, said Victor Herrera, association president. Wed prefer to rent, because if things pick up in San Bernardino, we may want to move back, Herrera said. President-elect Michael Reiter said board members had been considering leaving their location on Arrowhead Avenue at Sixth Street for about eight years. The problems with our location on Arrowhead is our staff, which is all-female, is confronted with vandalism, people stealing copper wire and other problems like that, Reiter said. Reiter added that the association wont abandon the city and will continue using it for meetings like Thursdays, which was held at the DoubleTree Hotel on Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino. Other than a few brief questions, such as the difference in rent costs (higher in Redlands) or whether Hospitality Lane had been considered (yes, but there was too little foot traffic), none of the members spoke for or against the chance to move before giving the nod. The citys community development director, Mark Persico, met with Herrera the day before the vote to assuage concerns, said city spokeswoman Monica Lagos. Wed hate to see them go, so as part of our ongoing efforts to retain businesses, we listened to their concerns and we talked to them about what was coming downtown, Lagos said. That includes the development of Carousel Mall and Theater Square, the San Bernardino Transit Center and the five-year plan to bolster the police department. Although Redlands, unlike downtown San Bernardino, does not have a courthouse and other legal buildings, an increasing number of attorneys including both Herrera and Reiter work in Redlands. About half of Californias county bar associations are located in a city other than the county seat, according to Herrera. Contact the writer: ryan.hagen@langnews.com; @rmhagen Riverside officials are working with several firefighters to straighten out a pension mess in which the workers may have been offered the wrong retirement benefits. Four firefighters filed claims with the city in June alleging they were offered jobs with the promise of a 3 percent at 50 pension formula but later were told they wouldnt be eligible to retire until five years later, at age 55. Assistant City Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez, who oversees the citys Human Resources Department, declined to comment on personnel matters. Together, the claims are estimated to be worth more than $100,000, though theres not an exact figure for the cost difference between the two different retirement benefits. Riverside City Firefighters Association President Tim Strack said more employees could be affected by the apparent glitch, but hes not sure how many. Two firefighters who filed claims, Michael Dobyns and Jacob Proctor, did not return a call for a comment. A third, Erik Collins, said hes waiting to see how his claim is resolved before discussing it publicly. Eric LeBlanc, the fourth firefighter, had been working for the city of Alameda. When he decided in June 2015 to join the Riverside department, he said, he gave up higher pay and a retirement benefit of lifetime medical care. But based on the citys offer, the 34-year-old LeBlanc said he thought hed be keeping his old pension plan: eligible to retire at 50, with 3 percent of his final salary times his years of service. A few months into his new job, he looked himself up on the California Public Employees Retirement System website and found he was on a 3 percent at 55 plan. After raising the issue with Human Resources officials, LeBlanc said, he was told in person and in writing that the city mistakenly offered him the better benefit because it had forgotten to update a job ad and its internal paperwork. Riverside firefighters who were hired before 2011 received 3 percent at 50 plans. Those hired after 2011 who had previous experience, like LeBlanc, could receive a 3 percent at 55 benefit. Strack said the union is actively working with the city to resolve this issue in a mutually beneficial manner. Its a frustrating situation, he said, because some firefighters may have accepted a job with Riverside based in part on the retirement benefits they expected. LeBlanc said he hopes the city will honor its offer. What is five years of your life worth being able to retire and go about your business, or having to work another five years? Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 or arobinson@pressenterprise.com On scalding June 20, summering Little School teacher Katie Johnson and a brood of boys were far from alone when they tried to fry eggs on pavement, an attempt that I chronicled. A quick recap: With guests visiting and air conditioning cycled off by Southern California Edison in exchange for a discount at her sisters East Hemet home Johnson supervised an effort to fry eggs in the street in 112-degree heat. They wanted to see if the adage hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk could be true. In their case, it wasnt. Despite waiting about three hours on the very hot day, only fringes of their eggs cooked. Little did they know, like-minded Press-Enterprise readers across the region made similar attempts during that weeks extreme heat. In Palm Desert, it was even hotter when Riverside resident Candi Kersey hosted her grandchildren in an annual summer vacation at a timeshare. When the temp climbed to 120 plus, we decided to do the same thing, Kersey wrote. We were on the remote parking lot blacktop of our timeshare, used a bit of oil, to hopefully avoid sticking (that didnt work). We were almost successful. Just like Ms. Johnson, it took awhile to achieve our results. Because it was too hot to wait in the heat during the slow cooking, they left a note announcing the eggs were in the midst of an experiment and they would be back to clean up any mess. We had told a checkout clerk at the local Ralphs and reported back our results, showing her our pictures, Kersey wrote. She loved our success and started telling others in the store. It does work, but not something you would want to eat for sure. In Murrieta, Jim Millers creative 9-year-old grandson Aiden Miller visited from Coopersburg, Pa., during the heat wave. Aiden decided to perform the same experiment; however, he chose our wooden deck, Miller wrote. Needless to say, our egg went uncooked even when he converted it to a scrambled egg. We thought about the hood of our car, but no one volunteered to clean up afterward. Frank Schiele of Menifee had the best egg-cooking result. He successfully cooked on synthetic grass that was remarkably hot June 20. I fried an egg on my artificial turf when the outside temperature was 113 and turf was 195 degrees, he wrote. It took about 20 minutes. Had to keep moving the frying pan so it would not cool down. The photos he sent depicted an egg that actually cooked in minutes, unlike the others that merely sort of fried in hours. After 20 minutes, it looked like a sunny-side up egg on a plate in a photo Schiele emailed me. Despite its properly cooked appearance, Schiele opted not to consume his experiment. The egg was a little runny, so I did not eat it, he wrote. Marilyn Kaplan, who moved to Ontario after living in Bullhead City in the Arizona desert along the Colorado River for 25 years, said she often attended a lively egg-frying competition in nearby Oatman, Ariz. This years 26th staging of the Oatman Egg Fry sizzled, as usual, from its noon start on the Fourth of July. It is normally so hot the eggs do fry, Kaplan wrote. Of course, over the years the egg fryers have come up with lots of gimmicks. Using foil, magnifying glasses, etc. Sounds like a challenge to Riverside Countys June20 heat wave outdoor egg cookers. I am in favor of a Press-Enterprise readers egg-frying team taking on the field in Oatman next July. Contact the writer: 951-368-9078 or bpratte@pressenterprise.com San Jacinto City Council members will be asked to approve road work on two major streets when they meet Tuesday, July 12. Southern California Gas Co. wants to install new gas lines on Ramona Boulevard and Sanderson Avenue. The proposed construction would in start in the fall and last until February, requiring portions of Ramona Boulevard to be closed and traffic detoured. In a separate project, the city would spend $400,000 for improvements on Esplanade Avenue, between San Jacinto Avenue and Freedom Way. Work would take place in August and September and Esplanade would remain open. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the San Jacinto Unified School District Board Room, 2045 S. San Jacinto Ave. Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@pressenterprise.com UPDATE (Thursday, Oct. 6): ABCs 20/20 investigates overturned conviction of Coronas Kimberly Long Kimberly Long knows how long she has been out of state prison 30 days but what she doesnt know is if shell get to stay out. A cloud remains over her life as the Riverside County District Attorneys Office announced Friday, July 8, that an appeal had been filed of a judges decision last month to vacate her conviction in the bludgeoning death of her boyfriend in 2003. Long has denied involvement in the crime and about five years ago the California Innocence Project, dedicated to the release of wrongfully convicted inmates, took on her defense. Supervising Deputy District Attorney Gerald Fineman, who tried Smiths murder case that led to her conviction in 2005, told Judge Becky Dugan about the appeal and the judge imposed a stay on Superior Court proceedings until at least Jan. 6, to await any 4th District Court of Appeal action. After a week long hearing, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Patrick Magers found last month that Longs public defender did not provide effective legal counsel for his client. Magers found the defense attorneys actions came up short in several areas, including not calling forensic pathologists as witnesses to address the time of death, not completing DNA testing on certain evidence and not introducing important circumstantial evidence for the jury to consider. Long didnt have any blood on her or her clothing despite a blood-spattered crime scene, but her defense did not introduce that evidence. From the archives: Coverage of Kimberly Longs first 2 murder trials District attorneys spokesman John Hall would not comment on the reasons for the decision to appeal. Other options included filing murder charges anew, or letting Magers decision stand, ending the prosecution. Last month Magers ordered Long, 40, released on $50,000 bail. The California Innocence Project is based at California Western School of Law in San Diego, so Dugan modified Longs Riverside County travel restriction to expand to San Diego County so she can meet with her attorneys. Outside court, her team of attorneys expressed their conviction that Long is innocent and will represent her going forward. While disappointed that the district attorney didnt drop the case, Long said, Ive been here before. The only difference is Im not convicted and I can vote. I registered to vote right away. Long described freedom as fantastic and said she doesnt dwell on the past. I dont waste my time on being bitter or angry, she said. In October 2003, Long had spent the evening with friends and returned home to find her boyfriend, Oswaldo Ozzy Conde bludgeoned to death. Conde had been hit in the head three to eight times with a blunt object, possibly while he was asleep, according to testimony at trial. The weapon was never found and a key witness, who had been with Long that night, died in a traffic collision before trial. His recorded interview with law enforcement was used in the preliminary hearing. Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson2pressenterprise.com Tourism is an important part of the regional economy in the American Southwest. The California desert, for example, welcomed more than 3.8 million visitors to Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve in 2015. These visitors contribute significantly to the regions economy. This past year, visitors to the two local national parks and the national preserve added more than $225 million to the regions economy, supporting over 3,100 jobs. Thats why were delighted that earlier this year President Obama added to the attractions of the California Desert by designating the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains national monuments. Each new monument contains exceptional historical, ecological and geological features not to be missed. In Sand to Snow National Monument, for example, there are plants and animals not found anywhere else on our planet. With these special places protected, local communities, chambers of commerce and businesses must plan how to market the new monuments to visitors. We have a golden opportunity to grow our economy by bringing visitors to the area who will eat in local restaurants, stay in at hotels and bed and breakfasts and buy and bring home tokens of their trips to the California desert. To help this process, we should look to the example of other communities in the Southwest with recent monument designations. Since they have gone through this same process, we can learn from their experience. In 2014, President Obama designated the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, encompassing 496,330 acres of public land in southern New Mexico. The monument is at the crossroads of New Mexicos diverse history and culture, graced with natural wonders and incredible hunting and recreational opportunities. Following the designation of this national monument, the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce developed a marketing toolkit to help local communities promote the destination to visitors. This toolkit, which included national monument promotional materials such as visitor brochures, posters, decals and marketing talking points, helped local businesses and governments get the most out of new tourism opportunities. Local businesses also seized the opportunity by offering monument-inspired beverages and desserts, selling iconic monument photography and running tours for visitors. Since the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument designation, southern New Mexico has been recognized in a number of national publications, listed as one of the top 10 best places to visit in the United States by Lonely Planet and hosted a number of conferences all because of a new national monument. The Mojave Desert Land Trust, with assistance from the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce, will be working to develop a similar marketing toolkit for the new California desert national monuments. Lets seize this opportunity to grow our economy, highlight local businesses and welcome visitors. Danielle Segura is executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust and Carrie Hamblen is the CEO/presidentof the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. For more on this effort, email the Mojave Desert Land Trust: danielle@mojavedesertlandtrust.org. The alert came Thursday night on her cell phone. Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens read the message and thought, Not again. Following the December 2014 ambush of two police officers in Brooklyn, N.Y., five more were killed and seven wounded in Dallas on Thursday. And the ambushes continued Friday in Georgia and Missouri, with more officers wounded. The latest attacks on police in apparent retaliation for the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota punctuated a harsh reality for Hutchens: Her deputies can take every possible precaution and still fall helpless to a snipers bullet. The reality is you go out on the street and somebody decides to take you out, thats hard to guard against, Hutchens said. Now we have to worry about copycats. While the targeting of police continued Friday, law enforcement throughout Southern California wrapped their badges in black bands and continued to hit the streets, some partnering up like the Westminster Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Leaving behind worried spouses and children struggling to understand, the officers reported to their jobs on a stress-filled day. Before he left for the night shift Friday, Orange County Sheriffs Sgt. Steve Torres got a hug from his 15-year-old daughter, who made him promise he would return safe. I told her I would do my best, Torres said, knowing there are no guarantees. I have the responsibility to the community, to the dead cops, to keep going. Since the 2014 ambush in Brooklyn, Hutchens reminds her deputies to be extra vigilant and to call for backup. Complacency leads to bad things, she warns them. Hutchens said she understands the tension exploding nationally over officer-involved shootings. Not all shootings are going to be good shootings. But the narrative now is all shootings are bad and a video clip and a statement by a family that is distraught is immediately broadcast to (the Associated Press) and judgment is made before we know what the facts are, Hutchens said. Were not afraid of what the facts are. Im not defending every shooting that occurs. Hutchens speaks from experience. She was involved in a fatal shooting as a young Los Angeles County deputy. It has a devastating impact on people, she said. Hutchens said the threat to the public and to police has grown, making it harder to weed out the enemy. Theres a lot of emotion out there, the combination of ISIS and then our homegrown violent extremist, she said. In totality, its relatively safe, but people should take precautions and listen to law enforcement. As the tension mounted Friday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell called for a national conversation on police shootings and racial discord, led by national leaders. We cant leave anybody out of the conversation, said McDonnell. We have to hit it head on and be open about it how do we move forward? Understanding is needed on both sides, he said. Nobody calls us when they are having a good day, McDonnell said. Were trying to put order to chaos. Overwhelmingly were able to do that. And the cases where that doesnt happen, that has been the entire focus. He said many of his deputies came to him Friday morning with the same question: How do I explain this to my kids? Said Orange County Sgt. Torres: How do you explain madness? Veteran Hawthorne Police Department Sgt. Chris Cognac was so distraught by Thursdays shooting he took his family Friday to see the light animated film, The Secret Life of Pets. But Cognac, founder of the Coffee With a Cop community policing program, believes both police and community members must re-engage in an effort to talk through violent encounters between law enforcement and residents. He believes Coffee With A Cop, now a part of policing efforts in 35 U.S. and Canadian cities, is the most important program of its kind in the nation. It builds trust, Cognac said. It humanizes us. It humanizes the people we serve. Its intimate communication. Its not talking at somebody. Its talking with somebody. And thats what we need to do as a nation. We need to sit down and talk. Police officials agreed Friday that building trust in advance helps create a foundation to fall back on when bad things happen. Its the responsibility of each officer, each deputy sheriff, each agency to do outreach to the community, said Sheriff McDonnell. Some officers said Friday they couldnt help but replay the shootings and resulting ambush in their minds. Ive been through that process a million times, Paul Wegner, who retired from the Long Beach Police Department as a sergeant in 2011, said of the Castile shooting. In my mind, I cant understand why it happened. I do know for a fact that it clearly set off a fireball. What happened in Dallas is part of the job, but not what we expect to happen. Im afraid of whats going on in the political arena. Both sides got majorly fueled by the events. The assassinations in Dallas not only stunned the law enforcement world, but those who study police. The shootings on the police officers in Dallas are a catastrophe that could make a very bad situation even worse when it comes to relations between police officers and the communities that they serve, said Robert Snyder, an associate professor of journalism and American studies at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J., and an expert in police/community relations. My fear is that the shootings in Dallas will only sharpen fears and suspicions that have led to the deaths of innocent men, particularly black men at the hands of police officers. He said many black men and police officers face a similar dilemma of feeling they have targets on their backs, which instills in them a sense of fear and/or paranoia when confronted by one another during traffic stops or on the streets. And those tensions can reach a boiling point in the aftermath of deadly police shootings. This is a poison dynamic that shakes the behavior of everybody involved, and the shootings in Dallas are the worst kind of nightmare come true, Snyder said. Contact the writer: Staff writers Dakota Smith and Tim Grobaty contributed to this story RELATED Video of police shooting make everyone witnesses Recent shootings prompt protest march from Rancho Cucamonga to Ontario The Game, Snoop Dogg lead peaceful march to LAPD headquarters in wake of police shootings Recent shootings prompt protest march from Rancho Cucamonga to Ontario Remote-controlled killer may be a first Shooting suspect told police he wanted to kill white officers Officers in several states targeted in attacks Southern California law enforcement reacts to fatal shootings of officers Leaders of Black Lives Matter condemn violence in Dallas Inland congressional delegation reacts A 33-year-old convicted Riverside County murderer is among two prison inmates suspected of a fatal stabbing at a Sacramento-area prison, investigators say. Michael Robles has been named as a suspect in the 1:30 p.m. slaying Thursday, July 7, of Humberto Torres, also 33, at California State Prison-Sacramento, prison officials said in a written statement. Robles is serving a 200 years-to-life sentence for second-degree murder and was imprisoned Feb. 25, 2005, then transferred to his present prison in May 2013. He and 38-year-old Rudy De Lossantos were apprehended in connection with the prison stabbing after guards fired six 40-millimeter rubber bullets along with two crowd-control grenades and pepper spray to disrupt the attack. De Lossantos is serving 25 years-to-life for a murder conviction in Orange County. He was imprisoned Nov. 1, 2006, then transferred to his present prison in May 2013. Torres was stabbed repeatedly and died less than 30 minutes later, prison officials say. Three prison guards were taken to a hospital for treatment of what were described as minor injuries. LAS VEGAS In case you werent scoring at home, heres the chaotic buildup to Saturdays epic and tumultuous UFC 200. On Wednesday night, the main event between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was called off after Jones was notified of a potential anti-doping violation. On Thursday morning, Jones held an emotional press conference, denying he knowingly took a banned substance that resulted in a metabolite showing up in his June 16 drug test. On Thursday night, MMA legend and former UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva agreed to fill in for Jones and fight Cormier at 205 pounds in a non-title bout. For the sake of consistency and lunacy, the hits kept coming Friday morning at the UFC 200 weigh-ins. With seven minutes before the 10 a.m. deadline, three fighters had yet to show up for the weigh-ins including womens bantamweight champion Miesha Tate. She arrived at exactly 10 a.m. and stepped on the scales at 134.5 pounds. Which meant an additional three-quarters of a pound would have turned her main-event bout against No. 4 Amanda Nunes into a non-title fight. And one extra minute would have caused the fight to be canceled altogether. As if the UFC brass hadnt had enough drama, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks came in just under the deadline shaking and looking shockingly gaunt. He weighed in at 171.25 pounds, a quarter-pound over the one-pound grace limit. He was penalized 20 percent of his purse, which will ironically go to opponent Kelvin Gastelum, who appeared to have his own weight issues. Gastelum showed up with minutes to spare and came in at 171 pounds. So after all that, UFC officials are breathing a huge sigh of relief, yet arent holding their breaths in the likelihood more drama ensues. Heres a look at the UFC 200 card presuming everything is status quo. But hey this is Las Vegas after all. Tate vs. Nunes Tate is making her first title defense since putting Holly Holm to sleep with a rear-naked choke in March. Tate (18-5) is known for her grappling, tenacity and chin. Nunes (12-4) is an aggressive striker and fast starter but tends to slow as the fight goes on. With this being a five-round title fight, the edge should go to Tate, but will the difficult weight cut affect her? Lesnar vs. Hunt A bevy of suplexes and body slams from WWE superstar Brock Lesnar (5-3) wouldnt be a surprise. The former UFC heavyweight champ, back in the Octagon for the first time in five years, probably wont want to trade on the feet with Mark Hunt (12-10). The eighth-ranked New Zealander is known as a one-hitter quitter each of his past five wins have come by knockout. Cormier vs. Silva Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier goes from a five-round title fight against a heated rival to a three-rounder against one of the all-time greats who is actually doing him a favor by agreeing to this fight on two days notice. Cormier (17-1), who appeared to have a tough time cutting to 206 pounds, will have a significant size advantage over Anderson Silva, who weighed in at 198.5. Silva (33-7) is also seven weeks removed from gall bladder surgery and hasnt been training lately. Aldo vs. Edgar Two former champions square off for the interim featherweight title since Conor McGregor doesnt seem interested in defending his belt. Top-ranked Jose Aldo (25-2) is looking to rebound from his 13-second KO and first loss in 19 fights courtesy of McGregor in December. Second-ranked Frankie Edgar (19-4-1), the former lightweight champion, is on a five-fight win streak and says hell finish this fight within five rounds. Velasquez vs. Browne Ranked No. 2, Cain Velasquez (13-2) is looking for another shot at reclaiming his heavyweight belt. The two-time champ has elite wrestling and exceptional cardio for a 242.5-pound fighter. Seventh-ranked Travis Browne (18-3-1), though six inches taller, will have only a two-inch reach advantage. The 6-foot-7 Hawaiian, who trains at Glendale Fighting Club and has won just two of his past four fights, will need to use his kicks to keep Velasquez from shooting in. Zingano vs. Pena This womens bantamweight scrap could determine who gets the next title shot. Cat Zingano (9-1) is ranked third but hasnt been in the Octagon in 16 months since her shocking 14-second armbar loss to then-champ Ronda Rousey at UFC 184. Julianna Pena (8-2) is ranked fifth and has fully recovered from a devastating knee injury in 2014. The former Ultimate Fighter winner is 3-0 in the UFC with two first-round knockouts. Hendricks vs. Gastelum Each welterweight has had a history of difficult weight cuts, and Friday morning was no different. Each has also lost two of his past three fights. Hendricks, the former champion, is now ranked sixth. Gastelum, a former Ultimate Fighter winner, is now ranked 12th. Dillashaw vs. Assuncao Top-ranked T.J. Dillashaw (12-3) is back in the cage for the first time since losing his bantamweight belt to Dominick Cruz in January. Third-ranked Raphael Assuncao (23-4) has won seven in a row five by decision, including a split decision over Dillashaw in 2013. Northcutt vs. Marin Sage Northcutt (7-1), 20, was targeted as the next big thing at lightweight until he was upset by Bryan Barberena while battling an illness in January. Enrique Marin (9-3) hasnt fought since November when he lost a split decision to Erick Montano in the welterweight finale on TUF: Latin America 2. Sanchez vs. Lauzon Lightweight Diego Sanchez (28-8), who won the middleweight final on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter, is known for his intensity, but has dropped four of his past seven fights. Joe Lauzon (25-12) is regarded as one of the smartest fighters in the UFC. He has used that and his skill and toughness to earn a UFC-record 13 performance bonuses. Mousasi vs. Santos Gegard Mousasi (38-6-2), ranked eighth in the middleweight division, has won three of his past four fights and is angling for a title shot against new champ Michael Bisping. Thiago Santos (13-3), ranked 15th, is 5-2 in the UFC with four consecutive victories. Miller vs. Gomi Two veteran fan favorites kick off the show. Jim Miller (25-8, 1 NC) has 14 wins by submission, but has lost four of his past five fights. Takanori Gomi (35-11, 1 NC) was one of the most explosive and popular champions in Pride Fighting Championships. He has gone 4-6 since joining in the UFC in 2010. Domestic flights have been grounded at Ghanas Kotoka International Airport (KIA) following a declaration of strike by staff of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The strike follows a series of warnings by angry GCAA staff, who are demanding the return of appropriated lands at La Nkwantanang that had been earmarked for aviation traffic purposes. The staff began a phased strike on Tuesday July 5. During the first phase of the strike, there were disruptions to services at the following units: Audit and Finance no issuance of some cheques; AIS no circulation of domestic NOTAM and flight plans; Drivers no transportation services after picking and dropping staff; Safety Regulations no inspections; Exit and Procurement no services to external clients. The staff, however, declared a full-scale strike after negotiation with authorities hit a dead end on Friday. On June 21, the staff served notice of the intended strike and warned that the appropriation of lands reserved for aviation traffic purposes by private developers and politicians risked compromising aviation security and safety in Ghana. In a statement, the staff said lands at Adenta (La Nkwantanang) and Labadi (La Wireless) meant to be developed into receiving and transmitting stations, respectively, have been appropriated for residential purposes, thus, exposing Ghanas air transport safety and security to vulnerability. For months, HF equipment, purchased by GCAA, worth over 600,000 Euros for installation at La Nkwantanang to enhance communication are still in GCAA's stores. Our engineers have been denied access to the site to make a preliminary preparation ahead of the arrival of their foreign counterparts due in the country on the 1st of July, 2016, the statement said. Our inability to install the HF equipment, as well as other navigational equipment at the site, will have a dire consequence on aviation safety in Accra airspace. The control of aircraft over the Oceanic is seriously being hampered by this unfortunate situation. We are aware that the management of GCAA, as well as the Ministry of Transport, has made several appeals and has justified the need to, at least, give about 250 acres of the land back to GCAA, but all to no avail. We want to reiterate that if the said land is not released for the installation of this vital equipment, the system can shut down and we may not be able to provide Air Traffic Services over the ocean and other portions of the airspace. This will have safety and security implications for the country and the industry in general, the staff warned. Below is the first statement issued by the staff before their strike: AIRCRAFT SAFETY UNDER THREAT The staff of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) wish to bring to the notice of the general public the likelihood of our inability to provide Air Traffic Services in the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR Accra Airspace) due to unavailability of land for the installation of vital safety equipment for Communication, Surveillance, and other Navigational Aids. Two parcels of land were acquired for Aviation development and expansion at Adenta (La Nkwantanan) and Labadi (La Wireless) for use as receiving and transmitting stations respectively, and for future aviation development and expansion. In 2007, the government at the time forcefully took over part of the Wireless lands for residential purposes leaving only a fraction for aviation development. Today the AU village is now a private gated housing community. Under the current government, almost the whole of the La Nkwantanan land, between Madina and Adanta, has been taken over by "the powers that be" for non-Aviation developments. These lands are currently under the control of private developers and investors, putting commercial interest over Aviation safety and development. These actions of politicians in the last 10 years have been detrimental to the Aviation industry and have the tendency to erode all the gains achieved by the country in Aviation. For months, HF equipment purchased by GCAA worth over 600,000 Euros for installation at La Nkwantanan to enhance communication are still in GCAA's stores. Our engineers have been denied access to the site to make a preliminary preparation ahead of the arrival of their foreign counterparts due in the country on the 1st July, 2016. Our inability to install the HF equipment, as well as other navigational equipment at the site will have a dire consequence on aviation safety in Accra airspace. The control of aircraft over the oceanic is seriously being hampered by this unfortunate situation. We are aware that, the management of GCAA, as well as the ministry of Transport, has made several appeals, and has justified the need to; at least, give about 250 acres of the land back to GCAA, but all to no avail. We want to reiterate that if the said land is not released for the installation of this vital equipment, the system can shut down and we may not be able to provide Air Traffic Services over the ocean and other portions of the airspace. This will have safety and security implications for the country and the industry in general. It is against the backdrop of such improper encroachment and/or virtual annexing and grabbing of government acquired lands intended for aviation use that the Ghana Air Traffic Controllers Association (GHATCA), Ghana Air Traffic Safety Electronics Association (GhATSEA), the Ghana Aeronautical Information Services Association (GHAISA), Aviation Safety Inspectors Association of stakeholders of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, express our displeasure and indignation with the current development on the La-Nkwantang land. In the light of the above, we are appealing to the government and all other parties to get the La Nkwantanan land back to GCAA as a matter of urgency. 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. Featured Video Domestic flights within Ghanas airports have resumed operations. This follows an intervention by a government delegation led by the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah on Saturday. Workers of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had threatened to lay down their tools on Saturday to protest the size of the parcel of land offered them for the installation of aviation equipment, which they say is small. Citi Business News understands that although the meeting between the government delegation and the leadership of the GCAA ended inconclusively, the workers have agreed to resume work to allow for the domestic airlines to fly. The staff union has also been asked to report to the Flagstaff House on Monday, July 11 for the matter to be settled amicably. Domestic flights grounded All domestic flights in the country were grounded on Saturday morning due to a strike by the workers of the GGCAA. Citi Business News gathered that a visit to the site by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources on Friday concluded with an offer of 20 acres out of a total of 640 acres of land belonging to the Authority. But the workers union insist the offer is inadequate hence their decision to halt services to the domestic unit of the Kotoka International Airport. Per the directive, only emergency and military flights of the domestic unit of the airport will be attended to. The workers earlier on Friday suspended this action but reverted to it after the said meeting with the sector Minister for the Lands and Natural Resources ministry ended with dissatisfaction. The workers have warned of some dire consequences on air safety and possible cases of judgment debts for the Authority or government should Ghana fail to install equipment worth over 600,000 Euros. GCAA allays fears over threats to air safety Despite the insistence of the staff of the GCAA, management of the Authority allayed fears of a threat to air safety. The Director General of the GCAA, Simon Allotey, earlier this week assured that his outfit will continually engage the Ministry of Transport to find a lasting solution to the development. The Management of the Authority and the Ministry of Transport are liaising with the relevant departments to have lands restored to the GCAA. Management is also engaging with the workers and we have appealed to them to exercise constraint, he observed. Source: Citi News 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. Featured Video Nestle Ghana Limited, manufacturers of varying food specialties in Ghana have organized a Healthy Nutrition Education Campaign dubbed Nido Nutrition School Day in Accra. The campaign which was held in Osu, a suburb of Accra saw a mother and her son, a pupil of Osu clusters of schools, winning a scholarship package of GHS 500 in this years Nestle Ghana Nutrition Education competition. Nestle Ghana, since the inception of the educational outreach in 2015, has in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), embarked on numerous campaigns across the various regions of the country including Volta, Central, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions to promote Healthy Nutrition Education as part of its commitment to Nutrition, Health and Wellness for the optimal growth of children. According to the Managing Director of Nestle, Mrs. Freda Y. Duplan Education plays an important role in promoting good nutrition and healthy lifestyle that contribute to the development of families especially children. She added that Mothers are offered the opportunity to learn about good nutrition through drama, interactive games and practical lessons Nestle has made a global commitment to help reduce the risk of under nutrition through micronutrient-fortification and aims to reach 200 billion annual servings of micronutrient-fortified foods and beverages worldwide by 2016. In the Central and West Africa Region, Nestle provided its consumers with 58 billion daily servings of micronutrient-fortified foods and beverages in 2015 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. Featured Video A new resource center that will provide services and guidance for persons living with autism has been opened in Accra. Located off the Spintex Road in Accra, the facility built by Haven International - an organization that seeks to promote the interest of people with autism in Ghana, will provide support to children and parents who need information on autism and other intellectual disabilities. Autism is a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the person's communication and social interaction skills. It is a lifelong condition that affects millions of people worldwide. According to the US- based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 percent of the worlds population have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Experts say the inability of many persons to be well-versed on the condition has led to the stigmatization of persons with it globally. This well-equipped Haven International Austism Center will therefore serve as a hub for research, training, and provide answers to persons who need help. Speaking at the opening of the center, Dr. Genevieve Kumapley, the founder and Executive Director of Haven International, Ghana, bemoaned how autistic children are treated in Ghana due to inadequate information. She said people need to be informed to know it is a disorder and not a curse or punishment from God. She said the center has doctors, volunteers and other professionals who would readily assist people who walk in. The resource center provides access to resources and tools for providers and caregivers of special needs individuals. Tools available include access to books, videos and , playground and other informative materials. Dr. Genevieve Kumapley said she was inspired by the women of Autism Society of Ghana (ASOG), when she arrived in Ghana five years ago, adding that as a parent who also has a son with the condition, raising awareness is a priority. Some affected parents at the launch shared some of their sentiments on autism, including the high cost of managing it in Ghana. They commended Haven International for setting up the facility, which will get a lot of people in the country to be aware of the condition. The Haven International Austism Center is sited off the Community 18 junction road (Spintex), close to Devtraco. Established in 2011, Haven International provide services that support the development of professionals; parents and caregivers of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders. The organization has since 2012 been holding autism training for teachers in schools, healthcare professionals, parents and care givers across Ghana. About 980 individuals have so far benefited from the training program; 60% Teachers, 15% Health Care Professionals, and 25% Parents/Caregivers. The Non-profit organization vision is to pioneer and facilitate the establishment of centers of excellence in Sub-Saharan Africa, where Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including autism is a diagnosed and treated. It provides Therapy Sessions, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Biomedical Interventions. The commissioning of the center was supported by many individuals and organizations connected to the national and global autism response. They included the Focus for Health Foundation, Autism Think Tank, New Jersey (USA), Autism Society of Ghana (ASOG), Jadens Voice (U.S.A), the Autism Research Institute and the St Peters University Hospital among others. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Gambia and Tanzania have banned child marriage, with tough penalties for those who breach the rulings. Gambia's President Yayha Jammeh announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years. In Tanzania, the high court imposed a landmark ruling outlawing marriage under the age of 18 for boys and girls. Some 30% of underage girls are married in The Gambia, while in Tanzania the rate is 37%. Before the Tanzania ruling, girls as young as 14 could marry with parental consent, while it was 18 for boys. The BBC's Tulanana Bohela in Dar es Salaam says this is a big win for child rights groups and activists, who will now have an easier time rescuing girls from child marriage. The case was brought by lobby group Msichana Initiative. Gambia's President speaking at the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan, said parents and imams who perform the ceremonies would also face prison. "If you want to know whether what I am saying is true or not, try it tomorrow and see," he warned. Women's rights campaigners have welcomed the ban, however some say that it would be better to engage with local communities to try to change attitudes towards child marriage instead of threatening families with prison sentences, "I don't think locking parents up is the answer... it could lead to a major backlash and sabotage the ban," Isatou Jeng of the women's rights organisation Girls Agenda told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the Gambian capital, Banjul. In December last year, Mr Jammeh also outlawed female genital mutilation (FGM), with a prison sentence of up to three years for those that ignored the ban. He said the practice had no place in Islam or in modern society. Three-quarters of women in the mostly Muslim country have had the procedure, according to Unicef. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President John Dramani Mahama, last Thursday, inaugurated 11 small town water projects in the Upper West Region, and trumpeted the strides the country had made in the provision of potable water to the people. On his Accounting to the People tour of the Region, he inaugurated one of the projects at Welembele in the Sissala West District to symbolically cover the other beneficiary towns. Beneficiary communities Among the other towns where the other projects are located are Wichiau, Nator, Gorepie, Manwe, Piina and Jeffesa. The projects were financed by UNICEF. The water systems will provide clean drinking water to more than 40,000 people. The Welembele project, the inauguration of which was greeted with joy by the people, will pump 60,000 gallons a day. Seven standpipes have been put at vantage points of the town for the people to fetch water. President Mahama encouraged the people to connect the water to their homes. The small town water system is provided for communities with a population of not less than 5,000. Strides President Mahama said 76 per cent of Ghanaians had access to clean drinking water, the highest in West Africa. The Ghana Water Company Limited estimates that the country will attain 100 per cent access to potable water by 2025. President Mahama said 400 small town water systems were being constructed across the country with 61 of the projects already completed. He described the socio-economic development that the government had achieved as phenomenal. In education, water, roads and healthcare infrastructure among other projects, the President said the achievements of his government were incredible. President Mahama gave an assurance that the Upper West Region would receive its fair share of development, and urged the people to continue to have confidence in the government. 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. Featured Video The wife of a Nigerian man beaten to death in Italy has been granted refugee status in Italy, as the country debates how society and lawmakers should respond to racism. Italys interior ministry announced on Friday that Chinyery Emmanuel had been given asylum a day after her husband, Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, died from injuries sustained in the attack in Fermo, a small town in central Italy. The couple had arrived in Europe from Libya last year, after reportedly fleeing the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, and were being hosted by the church community in Fermo. They were walking in the town on Tuesday when an Italian man allegedly called Namdis wife a monkey. The episode ended violently with Namdi falling into a coma and dying in hospital the next day. His wife has since been moved to alternative accommodation and is being cared for by a group of doctors and nuns. Speaking at a vigil for her husband, Chinyery Emmanuel said her life had been destroyed. God, where are you? Why do you leave me in this wicked world without Emmanuel? Its very painful for me to stay, she said. An autopsy is due to be carried out on Friday and Namdis funeral is expected to take place on Sunday in the towns cathedral. A local man, Amedeo Mancini, 39, has been arrested. His lawyer, Francesco De Minicis, said Mancini felt pained and regretful about the incident. De Minicis said: He said that hes not a fascist. Hes a very simple guy. Hes not studied Hes not a well-off person. Paolo Calcinaro, the mayor of Fermo, said the town had a history of welcoming outsiders. He said: This is a very calm place, from this point of view Ive never come across racism. Now the community finds itself under the spotlight with negative publicity that is not justified. Recently church buildings have been hit by makeshift bombs, believed to be linked to the religious community hosting between 150 and 200 refugees and asylum-seekers. The mayor said Europe should do more to help Italy cope with the arrival of migrants, while at a local level it was important to be aware of any shift in attitudes. He said: We must open our eyes and pay attention to every possible sign of an increase in racism. Cecile Kyenge, an MEP who was Italys first black minister, said the country was in need of a political and cultural change. Politicians who express phrases which incite racism have a devastating effect on society. Perhaps they dont realise, but they effect people, in their discourse at home, within their family, with friends, she told the newspaper La Stampa. Source: theguardian.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. Featured Video A 26-year-old girl has died after she was knocked down by a vehicle while helping to provide refreshment at her fathers funeral at Suhum in the Eastern region. The deceased, Afua, from Prestea met her untimely death at the Suhum Fire Service junction Saturday. The body has since been deposited at the Suhum Government Hospital morgue. Afua joined her family from Prestea to attend the funeral of her father, Adu Maxwell, who also reportedly died through an accident last month. She was serving mourners when a speeding saloon car heading to Suhum from Kumasi skidded off the road and veered into the funeral grounds, crushing her in the process. Her sister also collapsed after the accident but has regained consciousness. Meanwhile, two other mourners attending the funeral from Accra were also involved in an accident Saturday dawn. The Suhum Police commander, Supt. Yahaya Muchiraru, has confirmed the incident. Source: starr FM 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. Featured Video The Electoral Commission has said it will outline how it plans to delete the names of the 56,000 voters whose names were captured on the voters register, using the National Health Insurance Scheme card as proof of Ghanaian citizenship. The Commission is taking the appropriate steps to comply with the Courts directives and would make same public in the coming week, a statement signed by Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, Deputy Chairperson at the EC said. There have been calls from a section of Ghanaians including the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Civic Forum Initiative, for the EC to declare steps it is taking to delete the 56,000 voters. The statement also said the plan will state modalities for the exhibition of the 2016 Provisional Voters Register, which is scheduled to start on July 18 2016, in all polling/exhibition centres across the country. The Supreme Court on July 4 2016, ordered the EC to delete the 56, 000 names of NHIS voters that was presented to it. The order was made after an application filed before the Supreme Court by former Nation Youth Organizer of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Abu Ramadan, and one Evans Nimako, who were challenging the eligibility of the register. Below is the full statement from the Electoral Commission: EC TO ANNOUNCE MODALITIES FOR DELETING NHIS CARD REGISTRANTS The Electoral Commission welcomes the specific directives given by the Supreme Court on Tuesday July 05, 2016 regarding those who registered as voters in 2012 using the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards as evidence of their citizenship. The Apex Court, in clarifying its earlier judgment of May 05, 2016 on the matter, asked the Commission to immediately delete the names of such persons from the current provisional voters register. The Court added further that these persons should thereafter be given the opportunity to reregister after establishing that they are Ghanaian citizens, who are 18 years and above and of sound mind; and enabled to take part in the 2016 general elections. The Court was very clear in stating that its order supercedes the relevant provisions of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91). This essentially means the Commission is now empowered to delete such names, while ensuring that they are not disenfranchised. The Commission welcomes this new development which will help the EC and all stakeholders to ensure a clean and credible register ahead of the elections. The Commission is taking the appropriate steps to comply with the Courts directives and would make same public in the coming week. The announcement next week will also outline the modalities for the exhibition of the 2016 Provisional Voters Register which is scheduled to start on 18th July, 2016 in all polling/exhibition centres across the country. Signed: GEORGINA OPOKU AMANKWAA (MS.) Deputy Chair, Corporate Services 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. Featured Video The man suspected of yesterdays mass-shooting in the U.S. city of Dallas, that killed five police officers and injured nine other people, including two civilians, has been identified as a 25-year-old army veteran. Police believe that Micah Xavier Johnson, who served in Afghanistan between 2013 and 2014, and received awards including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, was the sniper behind the shootings. The attack occurred at a Black Lives Matter protest in the city, in the wake of high-profile police shootings of two African American men, Alton Sterling and Fernando Castile, in the days prior. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that Johnsons motive was to kill white people, especially white officers. Although three other people were taken into custody in relation to the shootings, it is now believed he acted alone. Johnson was killed by a remote-controlled bomb robot, with Dallas police saying they saw no other option than to deploy it, as any other operation would have exposed officers to great danger. A search of Johnsons home, in the nearby suburb of Mesquite, turned up bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics. So far, the names of three of the officers killed in the shooting have been released Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa and Michael Krol. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has called for calm, saying: This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss. To all Americans, I ask you, I implore you, do not let this week precipitate a new normal in this country. Let us support one another. Let us help heal one another. Source: News Corp. Photo: Supplied. Anyone who has ever slandered Australias newspaper duopoly has never really examined the sheer depth and breadth of options available to the nations readers. After all, how can News Corp and Fairfax be accused of homogenising the market when the NT News replete with a designated UFO and croc reporter sits cosily next to the staid and responsible takes available in the Herald Sun? Now, thanks to the arrival of celebrity couple / portmanteau Hiddleswift, another tabloid has officially carved out their niche the countrys rich media landscape. Oh yes, you better believe The Gold Coast Bulletin today welcomed their new overlords to the city, while essentially handing Taylor Swift an editorial position: While the Walkleys are likely devising an award for T-Swizzle right now, her and apparent partner Tom Hiddlestone have managed to stay largely out of the spotlight. FWIW, Hiddlestone who is Down Under to work on the latest installment of Thor did go for a run before meeting a young fan in case thats the kind of thing youre interested in knowing. A photo posted by Swiddleston Nation (@swiddlestonworld) on Jul 8, 2016 at 11:51pm PDT For more information, you might have to join the press gang that are camped outside their digs. Surely, while they wait, theyre busy at work crafting their own super-spicy Swift lyric headlines, but the pinnacle may have already been reached. #hiddleswift watch in #goldcoast A photo posted by Jeremy Shawn Emerman (@jeremyemerman) on Jul 9, 2016 at 12:38am PDT Source and photo: Gold Coast Bulletin / Twitter. The Black Lives Matter movement isn't backing down, despite concerns about a backlash after the killings of five police officers by a black sniper in Dallas. Organizers quickly repudiated violence against police, but also said they understand the frustration that led to Thursday's shootings. "Black Lives Matter doesn't condone shooting law enforcement," said actor and model Sir Maejor, an organizer with the movement in Atlanta. "But I have to be honest: I understand why it was done. I don't encourage it, I don't condone it, I don't justify it. But I understand it." Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that before he was killed, the gunman told a negotiator he had acted on his own, and was "upset about Black Lives Matter." "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," the chief said. Police have not indicated whether the shooter had any involvement with Black Lives Matter, but the killings have put the movement under a microscope. "This is a devastating time for us as activists and organizers. We cannot bring about justice through violence," said Jeff Hood, a pastor in Dallas who said he heard the shots and saw officers fall after Thursday night's rally. The youthful organizers seem determined to keep up their pressure with angry marches, waving off criticism from some that they bear responsibility for the killings. Many others -- including such civil rights icons as U.S. Rep Congressman John Lewis -- say the protests must remain peaceful to achieve justice. "I was beaten bloody by police officers. But I never hated them. I said, 'Thank you for your service,'" Lewis tweeted Friday. That comment prompted scornful responses by some African-Americans, who seek a more combative approach despite the backlash. "Everyone is not going to be on our side, but those who understand will join in the struggle and help educate the masses. We are hurting. We are tired. We are fed up," said Erica Mines of the Philly Coalition for REAL Justice. Black Lives Matter began in 2013 after black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot to death in Florida by one-time community watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was later acquitted. The movement has grown as fatal shootings of blacks by police officers are increasingly recorded and shared on social media, sometimes as confrontations are still unfolding. After this week, are activists concerned about their safety? Of course, says Black Lives Matter Philly organizer Laniece Williams. "If the whole country seemed hell-bent on discrediting your organization and movement because we dare to demand that Black Lives Matter, and the media perpetuates the hate group rhetoric, would you or would you not be a little on edge?" "However, we will not be stifled or stopped," she said. "We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us." A Texas organizer of Black Lives Matter, Ashton P. Woods, said the repeated shootings by police are pushing some unstable people over the edge. "That does something to the human psyche. I don't care what color or ethnicity you are," he said. "We could say the same things about white hate groups that inspire xenophobia or hatred against Muslims." "We can't really focus on whether people are going to cast us as a hate group when we are working to dismantle hate," Woods said. Seemingly on the heels of Hillary Clinton's address to the African Methodist Episcopal Convention in Philadelphia Friday afternoon, a protest march organized by the Black Lives Matter organization in downtown Philadelphia. PennLive staff Julia Hatmaker and Daniel Zampogna were in Philly to cover Clinton's speech and were live-tweeting the protests. You can view their coverage below. A Cornwall borough councilman has been charged with assault after Lebanon County detectives say he punched out his neighbor last month, according to a report from the Lebanon Daily News. Steven Levengood, 48, has been charged with aggravated assault and simple assault for the June 27 incident, officials said. Officers found Darnell Pemberton, 45, lying in his driveway just before 10 p.m., with an apparent with a head injury. Police said he was incoherent but was eventually able to walk into his home and wait for an ambulance. Police said Levengood punched Pemberton once in the face, knocking him to the ground. Pemberton suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the assault and was hospitalized for several days, investigators said. "Pemberton told police that on the night of the assault, he was installing no trespassing signs on his property in response to signs posted by Levengood. Levengood confronted him in the driveway and kept shining a flashlight into his eyes. Pemberton said Levengood held the light a few inches from his face and he knocked the light away from his face, according to a police affidavit," the report states. Naturalization ceremony at the Dauphin County Courthouse Court of Common Pleas Judge Bruce F. Bratton announced this week that he will be retiring effective Aug. 31. PAUL CHAPLIN, The Patriot-News (PennLive archives) Dauphin County Judge Bruce Bratton put in a notice he was resigning one week after a public defender named him in a court motion claiming racism and inappropriate relationships at the courthouse, according to a report. ABC27 noted in a story published Friday afternoon that Lynn Ellenberger, the public defender, filed the motion at the end of June. The story said that Ellenberger's client is Emanon Shannon, who is serving a prison sentence of 45 to 90 years. Shannon was found guilty of robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping, among other charges. Shannon is African-American, and Ellenberger's motion claimed he cannot get a fair trial in Dauphin County, citing "the appearance, if not the actuality, of a bias and prejudice." To further make her point, she attached several offensive email chains to the court paperwork that she said were received by Bratton, among others. A spokesperson for Dauphin County said in a statement Friday that Bratton had announced his retirement for personal and family reasons, effective Aug. 31. Bratton, 67, was appointed to the bench by Gov. Tom Ridge in 2001 to fill the vacancy of retired judge Clarence C. Morrison. He was elected to a full, 10-year term later that year and won retention in 2011. He served as Civil Calendar judge and presided over civil, family, criminal and Orphans Court matters. ed marscio.jpg Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico (File photo) (Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com) A federal public defender's claim that every Dauphin County judge should be barred from hearing an appeal by a convicted robber and kidnapper because of supposedly inappropriate emails some court officials received is "frivolous and outlandish," District Attorney Ed Marsico said Saturday. Defender Lynn Ellenberger made that recusal request in a motion filed in March on behalf of 37-year-old state prison inmate Emanon K. Shannon, court records show. Ellenberger claimed that supposed racist and other inappropriate emails were on a chain sent to county Judge Bruce F. Bratton and the late Judge Bernard L. Coates Jr., as well as to Marsico and other court officials. That constitutes a potential bias against her client, who is black, the defender contended in asking that the court and Marsico's office be removed from the case. http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/07/dauphin_county_judge_named_in.html#incart_river_home_pop County Judge William T. Tully issued a memorandum in early June citing his intent to dismiss her motion for recusal and deny Shannon's latest appeal, but gave Ellenberger time to contest his decision. Bratton said Saturday that there is no connection between his decision to retire and its timing and the Ellenberger recusal plea. He said he wasn't even aware of the recusal filing before he formally submitted his retirement notice to Gov. Tom Wolf early this week. The Shannon case isn't even assigned to him, he said. In an announcement issued Friday, county officials said the 67-year-old Bratton's plan to retire on Aug. 31 is based on family and personal reasons. Bratton said he has been considering retirement for months. As for the emails, he said he had previously asked the sender to remove him from the chain. Those familiar with Bratton weren't surprised at the retirement announcement because he has been talking about retiring for at least a year, Marsico said. The judge would have faced mandatory retirement at age 70 under current state law. County President Judge Richard A. Lewis said Saturday that Bratton began talking with him about a retirement date last fall and that the discussion "increased in recent months." The reasons given in the statement the county issued on Friday formally announcing Bratton's retirement are "quite accurate," Lewis said. He said the retirement decision was made before Bratton, who has no involvement in the Shannon case, even knew about Ellenberger's recusal plea. "He first learned about that filing from me yesterday," Lewis said. Lewis said he didn't think it would be appropriate for him to comment on the Ellenberger filing, which is part of an active case. Bratton, who was appointed to the county bench in 2001 and retained by the voters in 2011, did handle criminal cases during his career, but in recent years has served almost exclusively as a civil court judge. The Vietnam War veteran also presides over the county's Veterans Court. He is the third judge to depart the 10-judge county bench in less than a year. Coates died last fall following a battle with cancer death and Judge Todd A. Hoover recently retired due to illness. Harrisburg attorney Lori K. Serratelli has been confirmed by the state Senate to fill one of the judicial vacancies. All three judgeships left vacant by the death and retirements will be up for election in 2017. Records show Bratton had only minimal involvement in Shannon's prosecution for a 2005 crime committed in Harrisburg. At the time, Shannon already had other criminal convictions, including for aggravated assault and drug dealing, that barred him from possessing firearms. Bratton's only involvement with Shannon's robbery and kidnapping case, which is the subject of the appeal Ellenberger filed, was to issue a writ to have Shannon appear in court in December 2005 for a hearing that was later rescheduled by another judge. Coates, who died last fall after a battle with cancer, had no involvement with the Shannon case, according to court filings. Shannon was convicted and sentenced to 45 to 90 years behind bars following a jury trial in 2006 that was presided over by county Judge Lawrence F. Clark Jr., who is now a senior judge. Shannon's conviction and sentence was upheld by a state Superior Court panel in 2007, but he has continued to file a string of so far unsuccessful appeals. "As they often do, the federal defender's office has filed a frivolous and outlandish motion that has no basis in the law," Marsico said. "In no way was Mr. Shannon deprived of a fair trial. He's clearly guilty of the charges." As for the email chain in question, "over 100 people in our area have been the recipients of that, including half the bar (attorneys) in central Pennsylvania," Marsico said. He said he did open some of the emails, found the attempts at humor "sophomoric," and asked the sender to remove him from the chain. "You can't control what's in your inbox," he added. "Last year I got over 32,000 emails, many of which were unsolicited." This story has been updated with comments from Judge Bruce F. Bratton and President Judge Richard A. Lewis and a clarification of DA Ed Marsico's interaction with the emails. As officials around the world reacted to the killings of uniformed police officers in Dallas on Thursday, and the killings by police that may have prompted them, officials in Pennsylvania did so as well -- echoing pleas for unity and peace and concerns about issues of race and policing currently at the center of an historic week of American bloodshed. A "Standing with Black Lives Vigil" slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Penn Square in Lancaster will also going forward as planned, an organizer said, despite Thursday's violence in Dallas which occurred during or at the end of a protest with a similar message there. "What happened last night was the act of the uninformed," Kevin Ressler, organizer of the Lancaster event, told PennLive. "It further emboldened the necessity of meeting tonight to say 'violence can stop a life but never solves a problem.'" Ressler added, "The extrajudicial execution of innocent black citizens by police of any race is unacceptable and immoral and must be firmly spoken against, especially by good police officers, unions, and departments. When good police defend bad police, citizens understandably lose faith in law enforcement. No amount of distrust of the police justifies the targeted murder of the police. Not only does it not solve our systemic, historically driven racialized policing problems but exacerbates the challenges [of] solving the crises." Lancaster city police were unavailable for comment Friday afternoon, but Ressler said they had permitted the event and "actually went out of their way to provide us with a bullet point sheet on what we are allowed to do [in order] to peaceably assemble." In a written statement, Lancaster mayor Rick Gray said this week's violence in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas, "serves as a chilling reminder that we have a long way to go in achieving 'a more perfect union.'" Rick Gray, left, mayor of Lancaster, Pa., speaks at a news conference at a news conference at the state capitol Thursday, April, 26, 2007, in Harrisburg, Pa. Gray added, "Violence that stems from stereotypes based on race or profession diminishes our own humanity and is a threat to the unity and peace to which we aspire. ... We condemn violence and the hatred that begets violence." Gray's office said he did not plan on attending the "Stand with Black Lives Vigil" in his city tonight, because he is out of town. But he urged community members and others to reflect on the events of this past week, adding "These are times that call for somber reflection." In Harrisburg, meanwhile, police chief Thomas Carter blamed Thursday's violence in Dallas on a social media environment that he feels has stoked anger against the police and racialized matters following a number of high-profile killings of black men, often by white officers, in recent years. "Social media has made us the enemy," chief Carter told PennLive on Friday. "And we're paying for the sins of a few." Others blamed misguided police tactics for the backlash, especially when viewed repeatedly through the lens of widely circulated cellphone videos. In Washington, DC, lawmakers also renewed their calls for federal action or an inquiry in the wake of the recent violence. "It has been a week of pain and sorrow for our nation," Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said in a statement Friday. "The deaths in Dallas came on the heels of shooting incidents involving police in Louisiana and Minnesota that once again raised questions about the appropriate use of force in our policing and criminal justice systems." He added, "As we offer prayers and condolences for the families of all of the victims, we must, as one nation, commit to addressing these challenges." By Friday morning, information about what may have motivated the Dallas gunman to shoot nearly a dozen police officers, killing five, continued to emerge through traditional media and social media outlets. Police in Dallas said the shooter had claimed, during hours of tense negotiations with officers late into the night Thursday, that he acted out of anger towards white police and anger about the "Black Lives Matter" movement. In Lancaster, Ressler said issues of race remain central to Friday's vigil, but that it would not focus just on the police killings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, but also on a nation "so sick with the disease of systemic racism that we cannot uniformly condemn the disproportionate murder of our fellow black citizens by the very police those people's taxes employ." Ressler added: "What happened in Dallas does not change the circumstances of their homicides but reveals the American delusion that violence is ever somehow capable of providing solutions. It is not." LANCASTER -- For many in the U.S., Thursday's mass violence against uniformed police officers in Dallas was their worst fear realized after years of growing tension around issues of race and policing in America. For those in the Black Lives Matter movement -- a group born at the intersection of those two things -- the violence in Dallas presented an added challenge, with the lone gunman invoking the movement's name as well as the police killings of two black men just days prior. Both killings were vigorously protested by the Black Lives Matter movement in the days leading up to Dallas. And while Black Lives Matter spokespeople were quick to condemn Thursday's killings of police in that city, their critics were even quicker to connect rhetoric employed by the group with the actions of the 25-year-old gunman, Army veteran Micah Johnson. Johnson had reportedly invoked the Black Lives Matter movement's name and expressed anger towards white people, as well as anger about the killings of two black men - Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana -- both at the hands of police officers earlier this week. Johnson's shootings of 11 police officers, 5 fatally, occurred during a protest against the police killings of Sterling and Castile late Thursday. Nearly a day later in Lancaster, a "Standing with Black Lives Vigil" originally scheduled to mourn both Sterling and Castile went ahead as scheduled with a minimal police presence, it appeared. The event had been scheduled prior to Thursday's violence in Dallas. More than a hundred were in attendance, many holding signs reading "hold police accountable," "denial of racism is racism," "justice for Alton Sterling," and just as often "Black Lives Matter." There appeared to be no shedding of the Black Lives Matter label on the heels of Dallas as some might have expected, and event organizer Kevin Ressler was defiant in saying that the Black Lives Matter movement must not waver in response. "It [Dallas] provides an opportunity for articulation about what the conversation [or BLM movement] is about. There is no Black Lives Matter group that supports the violence against police. So to conflate those two is to have not done the basic research of Googling what Black Lives Matter is about," Ressler said. Critics are unlikely to be swayed, however, and some of the national outrage on Friday was directed at the BLM movement, with people like Rush Limbaugh calling it a "terrorist group" and some police groups renewing their criticisms. In Lancaster on Friday, Ressler said he was disheartened to see so few police on hand for the event there, hoping they weren't staying away out of fear for their safety. "I'm afraid they feel unsafe and I never want anyone to feel unsafe around me," Ressler said. Asked if the Dallas shooter's invocation of the Black Lives Matter name caused him any hesitation in invoking the name himself, Ressler said "no." Instead, he said, he was more concerned that "individuals like [the shooter] continue to have access to guns." An attempt to reach Lancaster City police spokespeople for comment was unsuccessful Friday. Meanwhile, protests under the Black Lives Matter banner continued on Friday in cities across the U.S., where some sought to distance themselves and the movement from the actions of the shooter in Dallas. Police have yet to indicate whether Micah Johnson had any direct involvement with the BLM movement, but his actions and invocation of the name have put the BLM movement and its members under even greater scrutiny. Law enforcement have described Johnson as a black militant. And while some see that term as synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement, the group's members are likely to disagree. Ressler, for one, said he shuns violence against any person and points to the BLM movement's advocacy for peaceful, albeit forceful, protest and civil resistance. But critics say there are more extreme elements within the group as well, or within parallel and symbiotic organizations, as is often the case with a group so large and varied. The BLM movement says it has no leader or hierarchy and instead refers to itself as a "decentralized network." And while condemning the violence against police, some of those under the Black Lives Matter banner say they also understand the origins of that violence and anger. Sir Maejor, an organizer with the BLM movement in Atlanta, was quoted by the AP as having said on Friday, during a protest there: "Black Lives Matter doesn't condone shooting law enforcement, but I have to be honest: I understand why it was done. I don't encourage it, I don't condone it, I don't justify it. But I understand it." After Dallas, the movement has shown no signs of slowing down, instead doubling down on a message that first rose to prominence after the shooting of Trayvon Martin and which has grown in the years since alongside a steady string of high-profile and increasingly controversial police killings. "Everyone is not going to be on our side, but those who understand will join in the struggle and help educate the masses," said Erica Mines of the Philly Coalition for REAL Justice. "We are hurting. We are tired. We are fed up." UPDATE: This article has been updated with additional information about the Black Lives Matter movement and additional quotes from some of its members. REDBLUE AMERICA GRAPHIC.jpg By Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday said he recommended no criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a personal email system while secretary of state. But Comey made clear he believed Clinton had acted badly. "Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information," he said, "there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." Angry Republicans afterward said Clinton should have faced charges in the matter. Is the system rigged? Does the scandal mean Clinton shouldn't be president? Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, debate the issue. JOEL MATHIS Hillary Clinton's decision to use a private email server was selfish, unwise and - it seems - borderline illegal. But it was also kind of understandable. For most of the nearly three decades Hillary and Bill Clinton have been at the heart of American public life, and Republicans have hunted them with Captain Ahab-like zeal, launching years-long investigations by congressional committees and independent counsels at every sign of a misstep - no matter how big or small, real or imagined. Congressional Republicans just concluded a four-year investigation of Clinton's activities during the 2012 attacks on Benghazi, Libya; they were desperate to pin a crime on her and spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to do so, yet came up with virtually nothing of import. Again. It's in that context we can best understand the email scandal. Hillary Clinton was widely mocked in the 1990s when she spoke of a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. The personal email system was an attempt to evade GOP scandal-mongers and to avoid the scrutiny she knew they would bring to bear no matter how benign her activities. Here's where it's worth noting that the Clintons have continually assisted their tormentors. Whether it's sex in the White House or taking payments from foreign governments at the Clinton Foundation or, in this case, trying to avoid public-disclosure laws, Bill and Hillary Clinton were often careless and occasionally unable to curb their own worst impulses. They never seemed to understand that the appearance of a conflict of interest can be just as bad as an actual conflict. So it's both the case that the Republicans overzealously pursued the Clintons - and that the Clintons were dumb enough not to let it force them to cling to the highest standards of appearance and conduct. It's enough to make you tear out your hair. Fortunately for Hillary Clinton, it seems her Republican opponent for the presidency will be Donald Trump, which likely means the GOP will get another four to eight years to pursue their white whale. Lord, help us all. BEN BOYCHUK Hillary Clinton lied. Over and over again. That's what she does. Clinton lied about her private email server. She lied when she claimed she turned over all work-related emails to the State Department and the FBI. Then she lied when she insisted she hadn't sent or received classified emails. By maintaining a personal, unclassified email server, Clinton recklessly endangered the national security. The FBI confirmed that foreign agents hacked her aides' email accounts. It's likely that the Russians and the Chinese (and the Iranians and the North Koreans) got everything Clinton had, too - and in real time. That's what they do. Comey laid out in excruciating detail the extreme carelessness Clinton and her flunkies took with U.S. secrets. My Gmail account is more secure than the email system Clinton used. Yet Comey said "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring a case against Clinton based on the facts he has. Since when are prosecutors reasonable? The U.S. attorney last year, for example, went after a Naval reservist named Bryan Nishimura for mishandling classified materials in almost exactly the same way as the former secretary of state. Nishimura even admitted to downloading top-secret briefings to his personal electronic devices. He had nothing untoward in mind; he just wanted to work from home. Nishimura was fined $7,500, received two years probation and, naturally, will never again be allowed to have security clearance. So when Comey speaks of what a "reasonable prosecutor" would or would not do, what he really means is no prosecutor would be crazy enough to pursue charges against the presumptive Democratic nominee for president and the first woman in U.S. history to hold such a distinction. If Clinton wins the presidency, she will be expected to swear an oath to "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States," and will to the best of her ability, "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." But she's already demonstrated that her fidelity isn't to preserving the laws but to her own self-preservation. She lies. She'll keep lying. And she'll get away with it - if we let her. Ben Boychuk (bboychukcity-journal.org) is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathisgmail.com) is associate editor for Philadelphia Magazine. Visit them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/benandjoel By Jim T. Ryan Staff Writer Perry County will consolidate its transportation operations into the York-based Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, also called rabbittransit. The county commissioners unanimously approved a resolution backing the consolidation of Perry County Transportation Authority into rabbittransit on June 27. The move is expected to expand transit options for Perry residents, as well as help save money, authority staff and board members said. "By doing this, we'll keep costs down and won't have to raise fares for years to come," said Stacey Nybeck, the authority's executive director. Rabbittransit originally served York and Adams counties until 2012. Northumberland County was added that year. In December, the state cleared the way for it to expand its operations. Cumberland County signed on with rabbittransit in January. Rabbittransit also is the umbrella for the rideshare programs in Columbia, Union, Snyder and Montour counties. Perry County's addition to rabbittransit could be fully complete by October, said David C. McCluskey, vice chairman of the authority board. "I think it's pretty much a done deal," he said. The Perry County board has to sign off on the consolidation and it has to be approved by rabbittransit's authority board. There will be cost savings to Perry County transit, without staff or service reductions, said McCluskey and Nybeck. Perry County's transportation staff of 48 people -- mostly part-time bus and van drivers -- will remain intact, Nybeck said. She will remain as the local transportation coordinator. "There will still be Perry County staff providing service to the communities we love," Nybeck said. That's how rabbittransit prefers to work these mergers, said Richard Farr, its executive director. The partnership it has with other counties is about streamlined services and cost savings, but it still takes local people to provide that transportation to customers, he said. "We're able to step in and help with many different issues these authorities are facing," Farr said. Perry County's transportation services are funded fully by fares, Nybeck said. The merger will save money over the long term. The savings are hard to quantify because much of it could be due to in-kind services the county provides, such as human relations work or other administrative costs. "It'll help us in purchasing," Nybeck said. Perry transportation can continue using local businesses to service its fleet and for other purchasing needs, she said. Rabbittransit, with its eight counties, can get better prices on bulk purchases. Farr said savings through staff reductions will be done only after someone leaves or retires. By rearranging jobs and allowing people to specialize, rabbitransit can improve service and cut costs, he said. Rabbittransit has used that process to cut 17 positions across all of its counties since 2011 for a $713,440 annual savings, according to its numbers. This year's budget requests for state transportation money showed a nearly $345,000 cut to administrative costs from its seven counties outside York and Adams. The state has been urging local transportation agencies to consolidate into regional efforts for more than a decade. With transportation funding not expected to increase at the state level, Nybeck said, this effort will help contain costs, streamline and coordinate transportation, and provide better options to county residents. "Under a bigger transportation authority," Nybeck said, "it opens up all kinds of locations to our passengers." Perry County transportation could offer more commuter routes in the future, she said. Better technology and larger vehicles also will be available to Perry residents, said Phillip Robbins, the authority chairman. "We're limited now," he said, because the authority operations are not paid for by county tax money. As part of the deal, Perry County will get two seats on rabbittransit's board, Robbins said. The Perry County authority is expected to meet July 18 at 11 a.m. in the commissioners meeting room to formally adopt the consolidation. Rabbittransit's board was scheduled to meet July 7 to vote on the consolidation. Jim T. Ryan can be reached via e-mail at jtryan@perrycountytimes.com We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund President Craig W. Floyd released the following statement on the Dallas shooting: "As dawn broke over our country this morning, we were left to witness the aftermath of a horrific tragedy. Last night, in a matter of hours, a peaceful protest in the streets of Dallas turned into one of the deadliest days in our nation's law enforcement history. "That peace was shattered when law enforcement officers were ambushed while protecting the First Amendment rights of their fellow citizens. Twelve officers were shot, five of whom lost their lives, in the deadliest day for law enforcement since 72 officers died on 9/11. The Dallas (TX) Police Department lost four officers, while the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police Department lost one. Sadly, the State of Texas has already lost ten officers this year so far, more than twice as many line of duty deaths as any other state in the country. "The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund honors law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty. So it is only natural that we, like all Americans, are deeply saddened about yesterday's events. It is truly a dark day for law enforcement. However, much more troubling is the disturbing trend of officers being killed in ambush attacks, like the one in Dallas last night. Already this year, eleven officers have been killed in ambush attacks, and another 23 officers were gunned down similarly in 2014-2015. "These five officers who gave their lives last night are the same officers we see walking down our streets, helping our communities, and who we immediately call upon when we face danger. These are the officers who go without a thank you on a day-to-day basis. "Our country must do more to protect our law enforcement officers. While we cannot turn a blind eye to the recent events in Louisiana and Minneapolis, we must allow the justice system to run its course. We must also call upon the media, our elected officials, and our community leaders, along with every law-abiding citizen in this country, to come together in partnership to create communities where trust can be found among each other. This should be our collective solemn obligation as a way to honor the service and sacrifice of the five fallen law enforcement heroes from Dallas." The five fallen Dallas-area officers killed Thursday were remembered today for sacrificing their lives in the line of duty. All were killed during a protest in downtown Dallas that was ambushed by at least one sniper the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Seven other officers were wounded, and most have been released from the hospital, NBC News reports. Lorne Ahrens Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, 48, served 14 years on the Dallas Police Department. Michael Krol Krol, an eight-year Dallas Police Department veteran, was a former jail worker with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Michigan from 2003 to 2007. All the 40-year-old suburban Detroit native ever wanted was to become was a police officer and he set his sights on Dallas, family said. Michael Smith Sgt. Michael Smith was known as a cops cop and had the award to prove it from the Dallas Police Association. Brent Thompson Thompson, 43, was the first officer killed in the line of duty in the 27-year history of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority, or DART. Patrick Zamarripa Zamarripa, a six-year Dallas Police Department veteran, served eight years in active duty with the U.S. Navy and another five years in the reserves. He was a Petty Officer 2nd Class and Master at Arms in the U.S. and Iraq, where he survived three tours of duty. The married father of a 2-year-old daughter was a devoted family man. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Clinton derangement syndrome and Obama derangement syndrome march in lockstep in current Republican discourse. It is an unhealthy obsession built on racism, misogyny, and kooky conspiracy theories. And the Religious Right is not about to let Donald Trump outdo them where crazy is concerned, as the American Family Associations Bryan Fischer demonstrated Thursday. According to the fact-challenged Fischer, who has a list of hates so long I cant list them all here, 107 people have died under suspicious circumstances in and around the orbit of the Clintons, and it is hard to believe that that is just coincidental. Well, at least nobody gets accidentally shot in the face around the Clintons. But hey, watch this schmuck courtesy of Right Wing Watch: You know, the Clintons have a whole history, and I read a list one time of the number of people that have died under suspicious circumstances in and around the Clintons. Im not saying they had anything to do with any of them. Im not saying that. But a hundred and seven people have died under suspicious circumstances in and around the orbit of the Clintons. I mean, think about your own life for a second. How many people do you know that have died under mysterious circumstances? I mean, I havent even been able to think of one! You might be able to think of a handful of people that died under unexplained circumstances but a hundred and seven! It is hard to believe that is just coincidental. Oh boy. Sorta reminds you of Glenn Beck inventing a bunch of dire things and then demanding to know why nobody is talking about them, doesnt it? This must be some more of that Rovian math Republicans do. This is funny because the Clintons know a lot more people than any of us, including Bryan Fischer. Just in terms of sheer numbers they are going to know more people who die. Thats basic math. You know, not math Republicans do but actual, genuine math. First of all, Fischer could have gotten his list almost anywhere. Google it and you will see what I mean. Snopes exhaustively examined this rumor and pronounced it false way back in 1998: Multiple versions of lengthy lists of deaths associated with Bill Clinton have been circulating online for about twenty years now. According to those lists, close to fifty colleagues, advisors, and citizens who were about to testify against the Clintons died in suspect circumstances, with the unstated implication being that Bill Clinton or his henchmen were behind each untimely demise. [] The bottom line on this piece of e-lore? Its a badly worked laundry list dressed up to appear significant. The promised damning connections to the Chief Executive are missing, with innuendo misinformation offered up in their place. Nothing ties Clinton to any of these deaths, something this list (and others of its ilk) conveniently glosses over. What evidence is offered that would compel a rational person to believe there was Clinton involvement in any of these deaths? Clinton was acquainted with some people who died thats about all one can make of this list. In the end, Fischers Im not sayin, Im just sayin' is a load of long-debunked BS from beginning to end. But its Hillary Clinton who is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in 2016, and conservatives just cant help themselves when her name comes up. You can try this at home when people arent dying under mysterious circumstances. Just say her name and watch the stupidity flow. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Newt Drop Trou for America Gingrich is a popular choice right now, but the Indiana GOP wants Donald Trump to pick Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, and the Indianapolis Star pointed to many who say Pence is the likely pick. Republican praise does not amount to anything other than an endorsement of bigotry, and lets face it: not much can be said for Pence, who met with Trump over the weekend, other than the fact that he hasnt said no yet. Thats no small virtue when, like Trump, youre awash in a sea of people who dont want anything to do with you. It will be remembered that Pence offered a personal expression of support for Ted Cruz during the primaries, but he quickly less than a week later endorsed Trump, and we can be certain the reality star will be willing to overlook something so trivial for a guy who is willing to say yes. Pence has hinted he would say yes to Trump, and also seems interested in not being a Sarah Palin-type quitter, announcing Even if I become vice president, I can fill out my term. Well theres a unique idea. And it might even be true, though how fair it will be to Hoosiers is open to question. As CNN has pointed out, Time is running out for both Pence and Trump: Pence has to decide by July 15 whether to run for re-election as governor or join Trump, since Indiana law prohibits doing both past that date. One thing that might factor into Pences decision-making paradigm is that his days as governor might be numbered, whether he chooses to run in Indiana or not. He is the extremist, you will remember, who screwed up big time with his infamous religious freedom bill that had companies ready to stampede out of Indiana. As of the end of April, his support was at 49 percent, in a virtual dead heat with Democrat John Gregg, whom he narrowly edged out in the governors race in 2012. And Indiana Republicans wont necessarily be sorry to see Pence move on, given his religious freedom fiasco and what they see as the increased chance of winding up with a Democratic governor. But hey, thats the kind of judgment Trump likes. And he said hed choose next week, though if youre committed to a colossal error in judgment, why wait? Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print This has been a pretty devastating week for the United States of America. First, a video surfaced of 37-year-old Alton Sterling a black man being shot dead by police as he was pinned to the ground and unable to move. Just a day later, another African-American male Philando Castile was shot multiple times by a police officer, even after he informed the officer that he was carrying a firearm and reaching for his wallet. Diamond Reynolds, his girlfriend, filmed the aftermath as her 4-year-old daughter looked on from the back seat of the car. Then, on Thursday night as peaceful protestors gathered in Dallas to mourn those tragic losses, a lone shooter killed five police officers and wounded seven others. One heartbreak after another. As if this week hasnt done enough to damage our collective psyche, there are those using this opportunity to further deepen the divisions in our country. Before the active shooting situation even ended, former Congressman Joe Walsh issued a threat on Twitter saying, This is now war. Watch out Obama. Real America is coming after you. Walsh has since taken down his shameful post, but there are plenty of divisive ones remaining, like this: 10 Cops shot. You did this Obama. You did this liberals. You did this #BLM. Time to defend our Cops. Wake up. https://t.co/Zoc3x2xlMk Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 8, 2016 Rudy Giuliani also joined Walsh in trying to pull us apart, saying on MSNBC today that police officers are targeted because of groups like Black Lives Matter that make it seem like all police are against blacks. Despite the former New York mayors rhetoric, leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement quickly condemned Thursdays shooting, saying the group advocates dignity, justice and freedom. Not murder. On the other side of the coin, there were some who took to Twitter to say they hoped the wounded police officers wouldnt survive their injuries. One despicable tweet said that its nice to see someone taking some action against law enforcement officers. Others decided that this was a good chance to attack whoever their political opponents may be, whether its President Obama, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. All of them are wrong, and we should do ourselves a favor and stop listening to them. Each tragedy that took place this week from the senseless killings by police to the horrific attack on police should bring us together, not only in anger and sadness but in common cause. We should be asking ourselves how we can unite and work to end all kinds of violence and inequality. We should be listening to and emulating those who bring us together, not using this moment to worsen tensions that were bad enough before this week began. Last night in Dallas, when protestors and law enforcement gathered for a peaceful exercise of American democracy, a lone gunman did his best to take that away. In those chaotic moments, both the police officers and organizers joined together to ensure the safety of as many people as possible. Law enforcement protected protestors, and protestors helped law enforcement track down the deranged killer. America should respond in the same way by joining together and recognizing that one abhorrent and senseless act of violence, whether its by or against the police, whether its committed by a white man or black man, does not fully represent either group of people. You can be upset and outraged that Alton Sterling and Philando Castile had their lives taken from them and still think highly of the vast majority of law enforcement officials who serve their communities with honor. You can also be sickened by the events of last night and still recognize that protestors in Dallas and elsewhere have every right to be speaking out against real inequalities that exist in our criminal justice system. Those who say we must pick a side are wrong, and we should stop giving them a platform on which to spew their divisive rhetoric. As Robert Kennedy said on the day Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. The vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land, he said. As we mourn those weve lost this week and grapple with how to move forward as a country, wed be smart to remember Kennedys words. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse * As America crawls, ever so painfully slow, toward another general election, and indeed after the big day, many pundits and politicians alike will be parroting the term, elections have consequences. Of course elections are important in a representative democracy and without question they are the only way to foster change; if the people come out to vote. Republicans certainly comprehend how important elections are, and except for disaffected emoprogs most Democrats understand that unless they turn out at the ballot box there will never be any changes, much less transformative changes to shift the direction of the nation. However much most Americans and all politicians comprehend the importance of elections, there is one career establishment politician who doesnt buy in to the whole elections have consequences or are crucial to change mindset. This week Senator Bernie Sanders, the registered Independent from Vermont, met with House Democrats and told them that winning elections isnt the only thing they should focus on. Instead, Sanders said it was for people to embrace his ideas of transforming the country. Thats right, as one Democratic source said, To say, as he did, that the goal is not to win elections but for people to embrace his ideas is disconnected from what we are trying to do here; win elections, take back the House and Senate and keep the White House in Democratic control. Then, and only then, will Democrats have an opportunity to address the issues important to Senator Sanders and Democrats. In what is being labeled as a tense meeting on Wednesday, and the Democratic convention mere weeks away, House Democrats queried Bernie Sanders on when he would endorse the presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton and help foster party unity. Instead of answering the House Democrats, Sanders complained about how the Democratic Party runs its primaries and specifically how the super-delegate process works, something Sanders knew about before he signed on as a Democrat-in-name only. By now it is fairly common knowledge that one of his campaign advisors, Tad Devine, helped create the current Democratic super-delegate system and process. Bernie knew how the process worked before he signed on as a Democratic candidate for president. The House Democrats were not impressed, or even mildly entertained, by Bernies whining and after he told the assembled representatives that The goal isnt to win elections, the goal is to transform America according to multiple lawmakers and aides in the room they were stunned. That comment drew a chorus of boos from the shocked gathering and one cannot help but wonder exactly how Bernie Sanders thinks any transformation will ever occur if Democrats do not focus on winning elections. All the House Democrats asked of Sanders was how he might help them win back the House, not how he, Bernie Sanders, would transform the country into his image. Apparently, rank-and-file House Democrats are flummoxed as to why the Vermont Independent has not yet officially dropped out of the race and thrown his support behind Hillary Clinton. One senior Democrat, speaking anonymously, said, It was frustrating because hes squandering the movement he built with a self-obsession that was totally on display. Sanders delivered his opening statements with his typical stump speech about campaign finance, income inequality, Wall Street reform and trade; all important issues that will never change unless Democrats stay focused on, and actually succeed at, winning elections. Later, Senator Sanders told Wolf Blitzer on CNN that the real problem with Democrats, and why they booed him for saying their focus should be on his transformation agenda, was that we look at the world a little bit differently. That is likely a very accurate statement; Democrats comprehend that if they dont stay focused on, and win, elections, Republicans will continue winning and it wont matter what kind of transformation Democrats or Bernie Sanders want to advance. As if to make the point that he and House Democrats look at the world differently, Sanders said, What Im trying to do, and the reason I ran for president, is to help transform this country. To deal with income and wealth, inequality, a declining middle class, the fact that so many of the young people are leaving school deeply in debt. Now, for dogs sake, even Bernie Sanders understands, or at least he should understand, that dealing with the issues important to him and many Americans entails electing Democrats to control the House and the Senate. Despite his prioritizing a one man effort to transform the country over winning elections, nothing is going to change on one mans crusade. This is America, and one mans vision is just not how government works to transform anything; only focusing on winning elections up and down the ballot will begin to accomplish even one of the Senators favorite issues. The House Democrats, including John Garamendi (CA) and Joyce Beatty (OH) asked specifically when the Senator would get behind Clintons candidacy, questions that drew cheers and applause from the other House Democrats. In fact, Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY) drew applause when he asked, When are you going to run as a Democrat? This is the Democratic Caucus. Sanders didnt give the Dems an answer and repeated that elections are not necessarily about winning. It is likely the oddest statement ever uttered by a career politician and one he likely would not have made if he were the presumptive nominee looking to unite the Party and win the big election in November. Besides, if winning primary elections were not his overarching focus over the past several months, why did he use the Democratic Party and why did he ask for campaign donations, if not to win elections? According to a Democratic aide in the room, He had a chance to talk about getting things done and instead talked about prolonging his process. Now, the things Senator Sanders says he wants to get done, addressing income inequality, Wall Street and banking reform, wages, student debt are exceedingly admirable goals. They arent new goals, by any means, but they are admirable. In fact, they are goals Barack Obama campaigned on in 2008 and 2012 and pushed heroically over the past eight years. And, if not for Democrats focus on winning a big election in 2008 where they won control of Congress, none of the achievements like financial reform and healthcare reform would have ever been enacted. Transformation in a representative democracy is incumbent on winning elections. Unfortunately too many Democrats fail to comprehend that very simple fact, particularly in the midterms. Americans who want transformation have to understand that it will never happen if Republicans continue winning elections; because that is their primary focus and only goal. One who follows closely the comments of politicians from both sides of the aisle is, frankly, stunned at Senator Sanders remarks. What is apparent is that in his deepest heart of hearts Senator Bernie Sanders certainly understands that focusing on winning elections is of paramount importance for people who want progress and for every politician who has ever run for office. Any politician who really believes elections arent important is in the wrong business because prioritizing transforming the country over winning elections is the quickest way to help the Koch Republicans win more elections. Except for the White House, they have succeeded miraculously in congressional races and state legislatures and are perilously close to transforming the country in the Kochs image. Elections have consequences and if they are not Democrats only focus from this moment onward, this country will be transformed to fit the Koch vision because Republicans are only focused on winning elections. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse * For the most part wars begin over a reaction to some kind of affront, whether it involves a personal or national insult or a dispute over land and resources. America has had more than its share of wars and save the first and second world wars, they were wars of imperialism seeking resources and influence; that is just an historical fact. After the heinous ambush on Dallas police officers supervising what was hailed as an admirably peaceful protest in response to two recent cold-blooded murders of African American men by law enforcement, a malcontent Republican and a conservative mouthpiece claimed America is now in a race war. It is with no small amount of despair to say there has been a race war in this country for at least 165 years when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation; sadly, that war shows no signs of ever letting up or reaching a conclusion. As an American with several law enforcement officials as immediate family, and several more as personal and family friends, it was nearly as heartbreaking to learn 5 Dallas police officers were killed as it was learning that two more African American men were killed by law enforcement officers in the past week. What is striking about the events in Dallas is that it was executed by an African American Veteran who had seen enough of legalized institutional massacres against other African Americans and he said enough is enough; that is what Republicans considered the start of the race war theyve been panting for. Now, this screed is in no way excusing the actions of the shooter, but this idea that one fed up African American striking back at law enforcement officials was the start of a race war is simply preposterous. The current iteration of Americas century-and-a-half race war began in earnest on November 4, 2008 when Americans elected an African American man as president and culminated in the horrific ambush against Dallas police; a police department, by the way, that is regarded as progressive by any standards. What is despicably true is that the escalation was incited by Republicans as much as the white supremacists still fighting the Civil War. It is noteworthy to mention that nearly as soon as Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President, calls for a race war began ramping up among many in the conservative movement because no small number of Americans could comport an African American man sitting in the Oval Office. Any idea that America had turned the corner on blatant racism because a Black man was elected by the people was dispelled with hateful comments about the Presidents race that Republicans never condemned. In fact, Republicans at all levels of government have spent the past eight years perpetuating white racial angst by disparaging African Americans as surrogates for President Obama. Regardless of what anyone thinks about Hillary Clinton, she made a very prescient observation that white America should heed before they claim a fed-up African American man started a race war. She called on white Americans to put themselves in the shoes of African Americans who fear every time their children go somewhere; who have to have the talk about how to really protect themselves when theyre the ones who should be expecting protection from encounters with the police. Im going to be talking to white people I think were the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African American fellow citizens. As a noted sociology professor wrote on Friday that no matter how many atrocities are committed against the African American community, whether it is deliberately underfunding schools or being murdered by police officers, white America refuses to listen. There is no doubt whatsoever that if African American police were gunning down innocent white males with impunity, or Black politicians were robbing funding from white neighborhood schools to enrich African American neighborhoods, or passing laws to stop and frisk white kids because they are white, or restricting their right to vote, there would be an enormous outcry and rioting in the streets. What happened in Dallas was not the start of a race war; it was one angry man who has had to sit and watch, often literally on video, white law enforcement officers murder African Americans with veritable impunity. As an aside, if any reader is unaware of the gross disparity in how white males are treated by police compared to African Americans, an experiment was videotaped, with police knowledge, specifically to show precisely why there is a war against African Americans. That one fed up African American retaliated is a testament to the restraint of the African American community at large, while the calls for retribution by Republicans reveals that the same restraint is non-existent among many official white Americans. Some of those official white Americans are firmly ensconced in the Republican Party whether it is House Speaker Paul Ryan disparaging African American males as lazy or the conservatives on the Supreme Court giving state-level Republicans constitutional authority to deny entire Black communities their right to vote. What really exposes the gross hypocrisy of many white Americans, is that when a white Confederate massacred 9 African Americans while they were in their place of worship, the event was not remotely considered an act or start of the race war because it was a white confederate murdering African Americans. The Dallas ambush was, however horrid, bound to happen sooner rather than later. In fact, it is amazing nothing similar has happened before now. Remember, there are roughly 40 million African Americans in the nation and they have had to watch or read about, over and over again, innocent African Americans being gunned down with extreme racial prejudice. When Blacks loosely banded together to remind Americans that Black Lives Matter as much as white lives, they were immediate labeled as thugs by Republicans and threatened with retribution by white supremacists. If African Americans knew how to make the racial animosity driving the war against them stop, they would certainly take action. As Michael Eric Dyson wrote, Day in and day out, we [African Americans] feel powerless to make our black lives matter. We feel powerless to make you believe that our black lives should matter. We feel powerless to keep you from killing black people in front of their loved ones. We cannot hate you, not really, not most of us; that is our gift to you. That we cannot halt you; that is our curse. Sadly, on Thursday night, one fed up African American Veteran wrongly decided that he was not powerless if he had a firearm and did what many white people would do if they were in the same situation. It is a terrible tragedy that the Veteran was pushed to the limit and a bigger one that nothing will change because this is America and there has been a race war against African Americans for decades and there is no end in sight. h/t MichaelEricDyson Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trumps latest display of poor judgment is that he is seriously considering retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn to be his running mate. The Washington Post reported: After weeks of focusing on a group of current and former elected officials in his search for a running mate, Donald Trump is increasingly intrigued by the idea of tapping retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn in order to project strength and know-how on national security, according to four people familiar with the vetting process. . The turn toward a military figure is being driven by Trump himself rather than by his advisers, the people said, and comes as the real estate mogul is telling his friends that national unrest may demand a tough and steady presence alongside him on the ticket. . While warming toward Flynn, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, among several others, are being vetted and many of his associates are urging him to go with a seasoned governor or senator who could help to unite the party. Trump is said to be understanding and open to that argument but he is slightly bored by the prospect of going with a traditional Republican. As a longtime celebrity, he has countered that advice with points about the need for surprise and star power. But he is torn about whether his gut instincts should outweigh political calculation, the people said. Trump feels like he needs to look strong instead of picking a running mate that help reassure the country that the complete novice who knows nothing about policy or government will at least surround himself with competent people. Flynn has been an advisor and a surrogate for Trump, who is full of Islam bashing and all in on the Hillary Clinton email scandal. Trump has already proven that he has no idea what is in the Constitution or any interest in following it if he is elected president. Trump acts like a B-movie strongman, who consistently expresses his love for dictators. Picking a retired general for VP would be a disaster for the Republican Party. The decisions that a candidate makes while campaigning offer insight into how that person might govern if elected. In the case of Donald Trump, his decisions have been awful, his judgment has been terrible, and his presidential campaign is non-existent. At least once a day Donald J. Trump can be counted on to float at least one idea that demonstrated why he should never be president. Todays bad idea is an unqualified military man for VP. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Megyn Kelly, sometimes the voice of reason on Fox News, switched into full-blown stupid mode again Friday by saying that Especially in the days of iPhonesand social media where, you know, every encounter gets caught on camera. It doesnt necessarily mean that its happening more. She appeared with racist Ex-LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman, who is frequently trotted out by Fox News to cover racially-charged events, like when Freddie Gray was shot in Baltimore and Fuhrman (again appearing with Kelly) called blacks these people, and was told by liberal guest Richard Fowler that I really think you live in an alternate universe. Well, hello, Fox News. Watch the most recent alternate reality segment from Fridays The Kelly File, courtesy of Media Matters for America: MEGYN KELLY (HOST): Theres been, you know, a big brush. A lot of these folks paint with a very big brush, Mark, and they find a couple of shootings that are deeply problematic. Theres no question weve seen that over the past year and try to push a narrative that all cops are bad, and all cops are out to kill innocent young black men. MARK FUHRMAN: Well, Megyn, we could have done this for the last five decades, 10 decades. You can always find something that doesnt look like justice was served one way or another, where somebody made a mistake, somebody was overzealous, somebody was overaggressive. If youre going to take this micro-moment in the history of a city, a county, a state or a country and use that as a movement, you can never combat this. Theres always going to be something. Its like having a perfect family. It doesnt exist. KELLY: Especially in the days of iPhones, Brad, and social media where, you know, every encounter gets caught on camera. It doesnt necessarily mean that its happening more. Its getting caught on camera more. But the vast majority of police officers out there want to protect us and want to enforce the law and dont run around shooting innocent people. However, you dont hear that message forcefully brought by all the people in power. So what are the facts and how do they compare with Kellys and Fuhrmans alternate reality? Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, told The Washington Post on Friday that police feel unfairly painted with a broad brush. Well, we could say in response that blacks feel unfairly painted with bullets. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who has faced double-condemnation from conservatives by being both black and Muslim, told CNNs Chris Cuomo Thursday, There is a systematic targeting of African Americans and a systematic lack of accountability when police use excessive force. This is a national problem. Its deeply disturbing. And it has real-life effects. According to The Washington Post, Philando Castile was at least the 506th person shot and killed by police so far in 2016 and one of 123 black Americans shot and killed by police so far in 2016 (emphasis added). The Post pointed out that about 10 percent of black victims were unarmed at the time of shooting. Castile was legally licensed to carry his firearm and had even told the officer he had it, but was reaching for his wallet. The Post says 990 people were shot and killed by on-duty police officers during 2015 (well more than double the average number reported annually by the FBI over the past decade) and reported that, A review by the Minneapolis Star Tribune conducted last year found that since 2000, at least 143 people have been killed by police in Minnesota and no officers have been charged in any of these deaths. Politifacts PunditFact looked at the 2014 claim of Michael Medved that More whites than blacks are victims of deadly police shootings. and determined that yes, more whites are shot than blacks, but whites also represent a much bigger chunk of the total population. A 2002 study in the American Journal of Public Health found that the death rate due to legal intervention was more than three times higher for blacks than for whites in the period from 1988 to 1997. Medved said at the time, If you defer and dont try to challenge a police officer, he may insult you but he wont kill you, and Megyn Kelly herself has said, Even If You Know The Cop Is In The Wrong, Comply And Complain Later. Obviously, Castile did nothing either Medved or Kelly would have disapproved of (short of being a black male) and ended up dead anyway. Yes, social media meant it could be live-streamed. But the pervasiveness of iPhones and social media dont mean these events dont happen more often to black people than to white. Megyn Kelly and Mark Fuhrman are wrong. As a percentage of the population, blacks are victims of police shootings more often than whites, and it doesnt only seem that way because of iPhones and social media. As Punditfact concluded in 2014, Medved said that police kill more whites than blacks. In absolute terms, that is accurate. However, the statement ignores that there are more than five times more whites than blacks in America. When comparing death rates, blacks are about three times more likely than whites to die in a confrontation with police. The police may feel like war has been declared on them, but in absolute terms (the terms preferred by Kelly and Fuhrman), it would seem more true to say the police have declared war on the rest of us. According to USA Today, 26 police [have been] killed so far in 2016, up 44% from 2015 when the total at this time of year was 18. So much for Fox News whitesplaining, and Kellys false and outrageous message that since blacks arent being shot more often now than before, quit griping. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The guy Trump is vetting as Vice President shared a super racist conspiracy oriented video about Muslims. I know, youre shocked. Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn tweeted in February, Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU General Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016 The retired General somehow overlooked the Muslims serving in our armed forces. Underneath the Youtube we have a rant of epic proportions, of which I will only share in small bits because I just ate: And please keep in mind that term Islamophobia is an OXYMORON since having a Phobia means having an IRRATIONAL FEAR. Fearing Islam which wants 80% of humanity Enslaved or EXTERMINATED is totally RATIONAL and hence cannot possibly be called a Phobia. This video is not limited to any one religion but the following is true: Then they go on to list attacks done by people they say was/were a Muslim. Naturally they do not list the long list of wars and attacks started by Christians, because you know, that would be awkward. Islamophobia is actually quite real and it too often leads to hate crimes. The Huffington Post started a running list of violence, harassment and intimidation and bigotry against Muslims in the United States and Canada since the self-described Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that killed 130 people in Paris. Its not pretty. As of December 2015, there were at least 73 incidents of Islamophobic acts since the November 13 Paris attacks. In December of 2015, Omar Alnatou wrote a piece in Huff Po titled Muslims Are Not Terrorists: A Factual Look at Terrorism and Islam. One of his points is shared below (please note the study cited is from 2013): If you are scared of Muslims then you should also be scared of household furniture and toddlers: A study carried out by the University of North Carolina showed that less than 0.0002% of Americans killed since 9/11 were killed by Muslims. (Ironically, this study was done in Chapel Hill: the same place where a Caucasian non-Muslim killed three innocent Muslims as the mainstream media brushed this terrorist attack off as a parking dispute). Based on these numbers, and those of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the average American is more likely to be crushed to death by their couch or television than they are to be killed by a Muslim. The conspiracy video goes on to raise many false flags, which Im not including for monotony reasons. Theres a lot more weirdness and then they claim Muslims are happy in the UK because of welfare benefits (conservatives cant stop equating welfare with minorities even though this is not accurate in the U.S.). Theres more misery and fear-mongering and then it ends with the usual conservative whine about how horrid it is to be called a hate monger for being one, Please forward a link to this video to help spread the word that virtually all terrorism today throughout the world is ISLAMICand risk being called a hate monger for telling the truth about Islamic hate mongers. This is the man Donald Trump is vetting for VP. Mind you, Trump has not ruled out refusing to take the job as president if he wins, so ostensibly, this charming conspiracy monger could be our next president. The Military Times reported that Flynn was reportedly forced out of his role after sparring with Obama advisers on a range of policy decisions, and has called for Clinton to suspend her presidential campaign while justice officials review whether she and her aides mishandled classified information during her time in Obamas Cabinet. Flynn told Foreign Policy that he is a registered Democrat. It should surprise no one that Trump, who cant or doesnt care to vet information to save himself, would be drawn to someone else who spreads a conspiracy-oriented racist video. WASHINGTON Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week to the lowest level since May 2013, driven down by financial tumult in Europe. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac says the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell to 3.41 percent from 3.48 percent a week ago. A year ago, the 30-year rate stood at 4.04 percent. The 15-year mortgage rate dropped to 2.74 percent, down from 2.78 percent last week and 3.20 percent a year ago. After Britain's recent vote to leave the European Union, worried investors fled to the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the yield on 10-year Treasury notes, which fell to 1.37 percent Wednesday from 1.75 percent before the Brexit vote. The 30-year fixed rate is now close to its all-time low of 3.31 percent in November 2012. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. ADVERTISEMENT The average fee for a 30-year mortgage remained at 0.5 point this week. The fee for a 15-year loan was unchanged at 0.4 point. Rates on adjustable five-year mortgages averaged 2.68 percent this week, down from 2.70 percent last week. The fee remained at 0.5 percent. They're not household names such as McDonald's or The UPS Store, but small franchises beyond the usual restaurant groups and retailers are attracting buyers who want something new or different and see greater challenges and opportunities with lesser-known businesses. Franchise buyers are taking chances on ideas such as a nursing service, a personal assistant company and a used clothing retailer -- companies that are tiny or growing but don't yet have the name recognition of thousands of locations. "I like the feeling of family and a team, and I don't feel you can get that with a big corporate franchise," says Tom Wicklow, who's buying a franchise of Let Mommy Sleep, which provides baby nurses and other help to new parents. "A service business, especially one that helps new families grow closer and live happier, offers something that money can't buy." Wicklow, a former Marine who recently got his MBA, had considered a Domino's Pizza franchise but didn't believe it would be fulfilling. He's getting involved instead with Let Mommy Sleep, which is based in Bristow, Va., and has one franchise open so far in Philadelphia. Wicklow, who lives in Stanhope, N.J., plans his franchise to cover the northern part of the state and hopes for 10 employees in the first year. But to be sure that a smaller franchise such as Let Mommy Sleep would be a good deal for him, Wicklow asked a mentor from SCORE, the organization that gives free advice to small business owners, to evaluate the franchise agreement papers first. ADVERTISEMENT About 4,000 different franchises exist in the United States. Fast-food restaurants and hotel chains have the most outlets, along with a smattering of retailers and service providers such as auto repair companies. Many of these businesses have thousands of locations Subway has nearly 27,000 in the U.S., and The UPS Store has more than 4,500. But 80 percent of the 1,200 franchise parent companies who belong to the International Franchise Association have fewer than 200 locations, and of that subset, 80 percent have fewer than 100, says Scott Lehr, a senior vice president of the trade group. While the economy was more uncertain, parent companies, known as franchisors, had held off creating new franchises. Loans for people to buy franchise locations also were harder to come by. But Lehr says new franchises have been created as the economy recovers from recession. "There are opportunities for people to get on board with these younger, smaller, less-established companies. And they're going to get bigger," he says. Buying a franchise can be appealing for people who want to own a business because they don't have to come up with an idea from scratch. Some of the hard parts are already taken care of -- there's a logo and marketing campaign, and if it's a restaurant, there's a menu and decor. In some franchises, the corporate parent provides food items or other inventory. But the franchise owner must bring in customers and make the business a success like any other company. Charmaine Hunt, who used to work for a startup that sold medical devices and liked the job, didn't want a well-known company with a long track record when she began her franchise search. She turned down opportunities such as hair salons and massage spas that already had plenty of franchisees. "I wanted to go away from that direction. I wanted something that's brand new and that has the ability to grow," says Hunt, who lives in Nashville, Tenn. She's now about to become the second franchisee for Lifesquire, which provides personal assistants who run errands and take care of chores for clients. Hunt wasn't daunted by the fact that a Lifesquire franchise hadn't yet been proved a long-term success; the first franchise, in Edmond, Okla., is nearly a year old. Opening any business, even a well-established franchise, carries risks, Hunt says. ADVERTISEMENT "I never thought about (Lifesquire) being any more difficult than opening a Subway," she says. Adam Scott looked at several relatively small companies before deciding on Clothes Mentor, which has nearly 140 shops in about two dozen states that sell women's used clothing. Scott, who previously owned a franchise that shipped packages, was looking for a team atmosphere that he felt huge franchises with thousands of locations didn't offer. "I wanted a certain culture," says Scott, who lives in Knoxville, Tenn. "I could tell they really have an interest in the success of their franchisees." Scott asked other franchise owners about their experience with Clothes Mentor, something that's recommended anyone do before buying a franchise. What he heard persuaded him that even though Clothes Mentor isn't on the tip of consumers' tongues, it was a good fit for him. "I have to feel that I'm going to like who I'm in business with," he says. PARIS The stars mingled among the tailors, dressmakers and seamstresses at the Chanel couture fashion show Tuesday that saw Karl Lagerfeld transport the behind-the-scenes ateliers to the catwalk floor for their 15 minutes of fame. It proved that the fashion industry does, occasionally, give back the love. Here are some highlights of the fall-winter 2016 collections. Chanel's stars Will Smith and daughter Willow were among headlining front row VIPs at Chanel's Grand Palais show, swooping in to thank Lagerfeld effusively after the show. The couturier held court after the collection next to the myriad artisan tables, sewing machines, mirrors, silk and cotton bobs, mannequin busts and real-life atelier seamstresses who worked diligently in front of guests even as the show took place. Fashion Week regular, Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain, praised Lagerfeld for championing the workers who rarely get a piece of the glory, yet who have often been with the house for decades. ADVERTISEMENT "Sometimes, with each piece you forget how many hours are spent on the beading and the intricacy of the embroidery of each piece," Chastain told The Associated Press, wearing a pale embroidered Chanel jacket and sheer silk blouse. "It was very special to have that showcased. I love these women. I love the work that they do. And I think that this collection actually really personified the Chanel house and also the work that goes behind everything," she added. Lagerfeld said that since the famed rue Cambon atelier was too big to transport in its entirety, tailors and dressmakers who didn't get a chance to attend the morning show would have their moment in the spotlight during a second showing. Chanel's designer added that despite huge advances in technology such as laser cutting and enhanced embroidery, much of the design work "is still made in the way it was made a hundred years ago." Flat-fronted chic It was a graphic and highly structured collection this season for Chanel that riffed nicely off the steely architecture of the Grand Palais venue. Large angular often tubular arms defined the clothes' architecture, worn by waif-like models in chic black high-heel boots that rode high up the leg like ruffled pants. Piled-up ethereal hairstyles added to the play on shapes. ADVERTISEMENT Lagerfeld's fashion mastery was on full display to produce what he called his "modern graphic effect." Shoulders were beveled and cut at extreme angles to create an optical "standing up" style that gave the illusion of a flat-front to many of the looks. They were delivered, as ever, in fastidiously beaded clusters on autumnal shades, or else embroidered in shimmering threads. Eveningwear was, so said Lagerfeld, inspired by the work of 19th-century English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley whose graphic drawings were evident in shoulders and hems sporting crests of feathers, and dresses that flared out in soft cages. Armani prive Square shoulders against geometric patterned jackets, skirts and pants were the essential formula for Giorgio Armani's rather mature fall couture show. The Italian couturier is such a master that it doesn't seem to matter if he doesn't reference the trends and fads associated with wearable styles that have hit runways. He's bigger than that. The 81-year-old deftly produces, season after season, timeless sheeny designs. ADVERTISEMENT Tuesday's show saw plays with hound's-tooth and crisscross motifs on peaked jackets. They merged into ball and dot motifs on long coats and pant looks, with raised 30s hairstyles that evoked Katharine Hepburn. Brand ambassador Cate Blanchett, one of Hollywood's most classical-looking stars who also immortalized Hepburn in "The Aviator," aptly held the front row in a dark floral Armani dress. Kenzo launches perfume Actor Bradley Cooper was among celebrity guests who partied the night away with canapes and champagne at the storied 19th-century town house the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild. The uber-cool strobe-lit event marked the launch of Kenzo's new fragrance the first created by the current designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. Leon and Lim said the scent mixes the freshness of their home state of California with a dash of French flowers. The soiree also saw a screening of Spike Jonze's new modern dance-themed Kenzo campaign film, and the night also featured a totally wacky dance class led by the choreographer of Sia's hit music video "Chandelier," Ryan Heffington. J.Mendel New York's J.Mendel presented his first official couture collection in Paris, showing that couture as an industry is alive and kicking and can boast an ever-expanding calendar. The intimate 39-piece collection showcased private fur designs that the couturier, whose real name is Gilles Mendel, has been making for many years. It was all about the shoulders. Truncated upper-chest silhouettes, that sensually exposed the shoulders, created a sense of delicate femininity. This was complemented by mid- to floor-length gowns that featured subtle plays on perforation, or else showcased delicate sheer silks embroidered with fine beads. Not since Karl Lagerfeld's Fendi couture presentation, which triggered controversy last year, has there been such a decadent display of fur in Paris couture. A black fur coat, with cut out sections, had a decadent weighty feel as its hem stroked the historic wooden show venue floor. Elsewhere, a brown fur coat had a deftly sensual shape, with shoulders that opened up and dropped, as if in a state of seductive undress. Residents in several Rochester apartment buildings began reporting a similar issue about a month ago a problem with telephone-operated entry systems and building managers are growing frustrated with a lack of a solution. Residents at Newbridge Apartments and Central Tower have in the past been able to use their apartment telephones to buzz in visitors to the buildings. That tele-entry system about one month ago abruptly ceased to function for residents with Charter Communications phone service, building managers told the Post-Bulletin. For some of the residents of these buildings, the loss of the tele-entry capability was a mere nuisance; for others, it represented a serious issue. Newbridge provides subsidized housing exclusively for disabled and low-income tenants. Central Tower provides subsidized housing for disabled people, and for people 62 and older. "We're subsidized apartments exclusively for low-income people with disabilities," Jeff Vert, operations manager at Newbridge, said. "A lot of them are dependent on using that system to let in their help. "It's not just an inconvenience. It's a real medical problem." ADVERTISEMENT Vert and Todd Stellmaker, building manager at Central Tower, have also had similar experiences in attempting to get the problem resolved. Both have contacted Custom Alarm, the company that installed and maintains the tele-entry system, and Charter. Though only Charter phone customers have reported the tele-entry issue at the buildings, Charter has said the issue is not with its service, according to both building managers. "They (Charter) don't tell us why it's not working they don't even acknowledge that there is an issue or that anything has changed on their part, which is strange," Vert said. "Why would all the phones work up to a certain date and now none of them work?" Stellmaker said the issue affects about 10 of his tenants and the problem is more than a nuisance issue for half of those. The issue could be more widespread Vert also manages Oakridge Apartments, where he said the same problem exists. He had also contacted other apartment managers, who said the problem is at Fontaine Tower and Park Tower. Stellmaker is out of options. "I don't know what else to do," he said. They (Charter) have checked and everything is fine on their end. That seems to be the response. Obviously there's something going on. "It would be nice to figure out what so that we can get the handful of people who rely on not having to leave their apartment to let someone in not have to do that anymore." ADVERTISEMENT In response to a request from the Post-Bulletin, Kim Noetzel, a senior manager in Charter communications, offered this response: "In a small number of buildings, older internal wiring impacts Charter's standard tele-entry solution. Charter is working with the apartment management and residents on education and resolution," Noetzel wrote in an email. How the locks-and-dams system came to be on the Upper Mississippi River: When the first European explorers came to the Upper Mississippi Valley maybe 350 years ago, the river had a braided channel that would rise with snowmelt and rain and fall when they stopped. When European settlers began pouring in in the early to mid-19th century, rivers were the main artery for moving people and goods. The Mississippi, however, wasn't always deep enough; also, railroads were coming on strong and were becoming monopolies. To help it, Congress in 1866 told the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to start work on a 4 1/2-foot channel; it began work in 1878. The idea was to build wing dams, which are long rock structures built from shore about a third of the way across to force the river, in essence, to push most of the power into the middle, and it would dredge itself. The corps also closed many side channels so the river then had one main channel. In 1907, Congress approved a 6-foot channel, basically by adding to the 4 1/2-foot channel work. ADVERTISEMENT In 1914, the Panama Canal was opened, making it easier to move freight from the east to west coasts than from the Midwest to the coasts. That brought a push for locks and dams and a 9-foot channel. In 1922, the federal commerce commission ruled that because railroads had no competition from barges along the Mississippi, the railroads had to dramatically raise their rates. This frightened Midwest business leaders and added more interest in a 9-foot channel. On July 3, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the 9-foot-channel bill, beginning the creation of the locks and dams. In May 1937, the dredge William A. Thompson arrived in the Upper Mississippi to begin dredging; it was retired in 2012 and replaced by the William Goetz. (Source: John Anfinson in his book "The River We Have Wrought, A History of the Upper Mississippi.") Minutes after a police officer fired the shots that would kill Philando Castile, his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds said in a video he was licensed to carry a gun. "He's licensed to carry. He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out his pocket and he let the officer know that he was ... he had a firearm and he was reaching for his wallet, and the officer just shot him in his arm," Reynolds said. Gun carry permit records aren't public in Minnesota, so it hasn't been confirmed if Castile had a permit or not. But to get or renew a permit in this state, would-be gun carriers need to go through training. According to Reynolds' Facebook video and subsequent remarks, Castile seemed to be following protocol for a gun carry permit holder. But many details about the deadly traffic stop are still unclear. ADVERTISEMENT Michael Briggs owns Minnesota Firearms Training, an Anoka, Minn., firm that provides carry permit training. He joined All Things Considered host Tom Crann to discuss how permit holders are typically instructed to handle traffic stops. Here are some of the key takeaways from their talk: If you have a permit to carry and are pulled over for a traffic violation, Briggs says people should be friendly and keep their hands on the steering wheel. When the officer asks for identification, he says, carriers should say they have a permit to carry and have a firearm. It's not required in Minnesota to state up-front that you have a permit to carry. But Briggs says he always hands his permit over with his driver's license. Briggs doesn't know of any requirement for how law enforcement should handle stops of gun carry permit holders. Briggs said he's been to many carry permit classes, and they have something in common: "I have not been to a class yet where they do not address how to handle routine traffic stops." It might not be an overstatement to say Jackie Booth's grace could change the world. After a day in which the nation reeled in shock, grief, confusion and anger, her simple response at a prayer vigil in Rochester was a powerful balm. "Chief, we hear you," Booth told police Chief Roger Peterson. "I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm going to give you some of my faith, and I'm going to trust you to get my son home safely." Minutes earlier, Peterson had asked the crowd of 120 or so who had gathered for a prayer vigil for peace and unity at Rochester Community Baptist Church to give him a chance. "As you can see, I don't wear a uniform," he said. "I don't bring a gun to public meetings, and most of the time, I don't wear one at all. Tonight, I'm going to tell you the real reason why, and it's something not many people know." ADVERTISEMENT Peterson then shared a story about a young family who years ago came to him for help. The two children, about 4 and 6, seemed frightened. "When I leaned back in my chair, their eyes got about this big around," Peterson said, making large circles with his forefinger and thumb. "They were scared to death, and it was me they were afraid of." The move in his chair had exposed the gun on his hip, he realized. "There's no worse feeling than to have children look at you with fear in their eyes," Peterson said, "and there's no greater failure in law enforcement than to have people fear you and that's where we are today. People are afraid of the police. "If you're not being policed the way you feel you should be, then I'm failing," he said. "I'm asking you for your faith. Give me the chance, and I promise I won't fail you." Moments later, Booth, who is black, came to the front of the church. "Yesterday, I went to the Peace Plaza," she said, to participate in a call to action rally held by Rochester for Justice in the aftermath of the killings of two black men at the hands of police officers. It was a good thing, and Booth was feeling positive when she went home. ADVERTISEMENT "Then this morning, when I saw these five officers had been shot down and killed because of something that other officers did ..." She stopped, overcome with emotion, then apologized. "There's a lot of pain in my heart," Booth said. "But I started praying, and the Lord gave me this salvation." She went on to quote Philippians 1:27, which encourages people to "conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ" and to strive for unity. She went to the bank Friday afternoon, she continued, wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt. "And some man said to me, pretty nasty, 'All lives matter.' And I said, 'You're right. They do, but what you don't understand is, we're under attack right now.'" That's when she turned to Peterson. "I love this town. I love my church," Booth said, "and I'm going to give you some of my faith and hold you to your word. I'm asking God to hold you and protect you. I'm praying for those men who lost their lives, and I'm praying for your safety." She began to make her way back to her seat, then looked up to see Peterson standing, arms out. The two embraced. ADVERTISEMENT After the event, Booth said she was "very surprised" by Peterson's gesture. "What it did for me was, it made his words more believable," she said. Kindra Ramaker, who is white, cried as she approached Booth, then asked for a hug. The messages Friday, she said, encouraged her "to be brave about talking to people, having heartfelt conversations about racism with people who keep trying to silence it. I have cherished colleagues and friends who I can't help but reconcile the fact that we're both mothers, but my son doesn't have to fear" the same things. "To see a black woman who has every right to be angry put her trust in a white leader showed me the way to lead," Ramaker said. "I came here tonight to listen because the strength of black women needs to be shown. "She absolutely humbled me." FALCON HEIGHTS A Minnesota prosecutor said Friday he has asked for a "prompt and thorough investigation" following the police killing of a black motorist whose girlfriend streamed the shooting's gruesome aftermath live on Facebook. Ramsey County Prosecutor John Choi said the video is part of the investigation into Wednesday's shooting of Philando Castile in suburban St. Paul. The school cafeteria supervisor was shot "for no apparent reason" while reaching for his wallet during a traffic stop, after telling the officer he had a gun and a permit to carry it, his girlfriend said in the video. Choi declined to provide details about the incident. Police also have refused to say what led up to the traffic stop, why Castile was pulled over or why the officer drew his gun. But the prosecutor said the shooting highlighted the need for better interactions between police and black residents. "We must do better in our state and in our nation to improve police-community interactions to ensure the safety of everyone in this country, but particularly the safety of African Americans, who disproportionately lose their lives as a result," Choi said during a news conference Friday. ADVERTISEMENT He also acknowledged the wide reach of the Facebook video, noting "what is depicted in the video, it just makes you sad to watch all of that unfold." His comments came a day after Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton jumped into a suddenly reignited national debate over how law enforcement treats people of color, saying police likely wouldn't have fired if Castile had been white. "Would this have happened if those passengers would have been white? I don't think it would have," Dayton said to a crowd gathered outside his residence Thursday. Hours after Dayton's remarks, gunmen shot and killed five police officers and wounded six more amid protests in Dallas over Castile's killing and the fatal police shooting of 37-year-old Alton Sterling. Sterling, who also was black, was killed Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after he scuffled with two white police officers outside a convenience store. Portions of that shooting were also caught on video. Castile was shot in Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000 served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department. Choi said his office has not yet met with Castile's family, saying it wouldn't be appropriate until investigators completed their work. He said the ongoing investigation was a top priority and that he would decide whether to give the case to a grand jury after investigators presented their findings to his office. In the video, Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, describes being pulled over for a "busted tail light." Reynolds told reporters Thursday that the 32-year-old Castile, of St. Paul, did "nothing but what the police officer asked of us, which was to put your hands in the air and get your license and registration." The video she streamed Wednesday night on Facebook Live shows her in a car next to a bloodied Castile slumped in a seat. A clearly distraught person who appears to be a police officer stands at the car's window, tells her to keep her hands up and says: "I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out." ADVERTISEMENT "You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir," Reynolds calmly responds. State investigators said the two officers involved were Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser, both four-year veterans of the St. Anthony Police Department. Both were put on administrative leave, as is standard. Yanez approached Castile's car from the driver's side, and Kauser from the passenger side, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The agency said Yanez opened fire, striking Castile multiple times. The agency said several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers don't wear body cameras. The bureau did not give the officers' races. Reynolds described the officer who shot Castile as Asian. The St. Anthony Police Department's 2015 annual report points to Yanez's volunteerism. He gave a tour of the station to a local Cub Scout troop and volunteered with St. Paul's Cinco De Mayo celebration, participating in a parade with other members of the National Latino Police Officers Association. The previous year's report includes a photo of Yanez solemnly standing guard at a memorial to fallen officers at the state Capitol. Yanez's attorney, Thomas Kelly, didn't return a call seeking comment Thursday. The U.S. Justice Department, which quickly launched a civil rights investigation into the Baton Rouge shooting, said it would monitor Minnesota's investigation. Dayton said he and other state officials would ask for stronger federal involvement. ADVERTISEMENT At a vigil Thursday evening outside the Montessori school where Castile worked, his mother, Valerie Castile, called her son "an angel." She recalled cautioning him to always comply with police, but she said she never thought she would lose him. "This has to cease. This has to stop, right now," she told the crowd. Hundreds of demonstrators braved rain and gathered outside the governor's mansion in St. Paul. The group swelled to over 1,000 for a time late Thursday, as people marched from the school vigil. Dayton waded through the crowd as protesters chanted: "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" President Barack Obama called on law enforcement to root out bias in its ranks, saying the Minnesota and Louisiana shootings were symptoms of a "broader set of racial disparities" in the justice system that aren't being fixed quickly enough. "When incidents like this occur, there's a big chunk of our fellow citizenry that feels as if it's because of the color of their skin, they are not being treated the same," Obama said several hours before the Dallas shootings. "And that hurts. And that should trouble all of us." Speaking later, he said America was "horrified" over the Dallas shootings and there was no possible justification for the attacks. MINNEAPOLIS The University of Minnesota Rochester has its sights set on growth. Now that UMR has reached a "stabilization period" with enrollment, leaders are ready to focus on ramping up the number of students on campus. Chancellor Stephen Lehmkuhle presented preliminary plans Wednesday to the University of Minnesota system's governing body, the Board of Regents. The college soon will launch a formalized planning process to grow its "influence, size and impact on students," according to documents prepared for the meeting. "When building something new, especially in a start-up mode, you simply can't anticipate how all the moving pieces will fit together," Lehmkuhle said at Wednesday's meeting. "We admitted our first class in fall 2009. And until that class graduated in May 2013, it is fair to say that we were building and flying the plane at the same time." Rocky enrollment numbers have concerned leaders at the college for the last few years , but in February the college reported it had admitted a record number of students . The college's vice chancellor, Lori Carrell, told the Post-Bulletin the school expected that uptick to translate into increased fall 2016 enrollment. ADVERTISEMENT The college is using "evidence-based decision-making" to guide the type of students that are recruited and what its future as a university will look like, said John Hachtel, UMR director of communications. During the 2015-16 school year, the school had about 416 students , according to Hachtel. Lehmkuhle said he estimates the campus eventually could educate anywhere from 900-1,200 students. For fall 2016, it's too early to provide an enrollment estimate, Hachtel said, "but based on the number of students committed to attending, we're confident we're already past the enrollment for the year before." UMR's ideal student has a "passion to care for and serve others a fire lit inside them that resulted from some life experience," according to Lehmkuhle. "As we graduated several classes, we could now ask our graduates why they were attracted to UMR and why they were successful at UMR," he said. "Learning about the experiences of our graduates reshaped our recruitment approach." But this also can be challenging, he said, because if a student decides to change his major say to something that falls outside of the school's two health care-focused undergraduate degrees that means he'll have to transfer to a different institution. But leaders said they're looking for growth beyond numbers they also want to increase UMR's influence. ADVERTISEMENT They hope on-campus growth will coincide with growth the city of Rochester is expected to see because of Destination Medical Center , the $5.6 billion economic development plan to make Rochester the world's "premier destination for health and wellness." Though Lehmkuhle said he knows UMR can't fulfill the city's health care workforce needs alone, he said the college plans to "contribute significantly" to DMC efforts and the "continued development of the Rochester community." That's one of the reasons school leaders chose to build the campus downtown, "immersed in the community, and not separate from it," according to Lehmkuhle, who also noted UMR "couldn't be in a better place in the U.S." Students are in a community of more than 30,000 health care workers, which creates "creative collisions" between students and the health care community. "We know that we are beginning to develop the talents around health and wellness that Rochester will need to achieve its vision as a Destination Medical Center for the world," Lehmkuhle said. WASHINGTON Republicans summoned FBI Director James Comey to Capitol Hill on Thursday to question him about his determination that Hillary Clinton did not break the law with her use of a private email server. They termed it an "emergency" hearing, and their questions were correspondingly urgent. "Have you seen the Broadway production 'Hamilton'?" Rep. John Mica of Florida, the most senior Republican on the House Oversight Committee, asked Comey. The witness looked puzzled at the line of questioning: Was Mica going to challenge him to a duel? "Not yet," Comey replied. Mica explained that "Hamilton" had won the Tony for best choreography, which, in the lawmaker's fertile mind, makes the musical just like Comey's statement recommending no prosecution of Clinton: A case of "choreography," he alleged, between President Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Comey. ADVERTISEMENT Mica displayed a "Clinton Timeline," with photos, to tie his conspiracy together. "There is something fishy about this," Mica announced, between clicks of his tongue. "I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but there are a lot of questions on how this came down." Comey, who otherwise endured nearly five hours of questioning with patience and calm, denounced the "insinuation" Mica had made and told him what he should tell his constituents: "Look me in the eye and listen to what I'm about to say," the FBI chief said. "I did not coordinate that (statement) with anyone. The White House, the Department of Justice, nobody outside the FBI family had any idea what I was about to say. I say that under oath. I stand by that. There was no coordination, no." Republicans didn't just disagree with Comey's decision, or demand new investigations, which is their right. They alleged that the justice system is rigged and corrupt. This doesn't hurt Comey or even Clinton as much as it undermines a building block of civilized society: the rule of law. Until now, nobody questioned the probity of Comey, a longtime prosecutor and former No. 2 official in George W. Bush's Justice Department. House Speaker Paul Ryan had said "his integrity is unequaled." Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the oversight panel, had said he and his Republican colleagues would "probably" accept his recommendation because "in all of government, he is a man of integrity and honesty." But now Ryan is saying Clinton got preferential treatment, Chaffetz says Comey made a "political calculation," and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump alleges the attorney general was bribed. Republicans could simply accept the political gift Comey presented them. He said Thursday that Clinton met the very "definition of negligent" in her mishandling of classified information. And he portrayed her as a Luddite who lacks basic familiarity with the treatment of classified material and didn't even have a computer in her office. They could also use the occasion to fix a system that classifies too much but still doesn't protect the most important secrets. Clinton is hardly the only one to mishandle government secrets. In the same hearing room four years ago, Chaffetz publicly exposed the existence of a CIA facility in Benghazi. The Obama administration has repeatedly complained that members of the committee have divulged the names of U.S. government informants, airport-security details and information from a sealed wiretap warrant. Instead, several Republicans attempted to impugn the character of a model public servant. "Obviously, this is very suspicious, just the optics of it all," charged Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., tying Comey's announcement to "Secretary Clinton is flying around in Air Force One with the president." Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said an "inside the Beltway mentality" was keeping Comey from bringing charges. ADVERTISEMENT Comey, who delivered his opening statement and fielded questions without notes, calmly explained that to prosecute Clinton, the government would have to rely on a 1917 statute of dubious constitutionality that has only been used once in 99 years. Comey said that his "all-star" team of 15 to 20 people who "didn't give a hoot about politics" was unanimous after their year-long probe that Clinton shouldn't be charged. He said they couldn't prove that she knew she was receiving classified information or retaining it on her server. And, because the facts in the case wouldn't be used to prosecute a "John Doe," he said, trying to prosecute Clinton with these facts would be "celebrity-hunting." That, of course, is what Republicans wanted Comey to do. Instead, he showed integrity. "In my experience, which is three decades, no reasonable prosecutor would bring this case," he said. "I know that frustrates people, but that's the way the law is." Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post. We have reached many milestones and witnessed plenty of success stories at the Guam Department of Labor during my current tenure, but I will b Read moreGDOL wants to be a part of your employment solutions Obamas statement in Warsaw on the shootings in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights refers to racial disparities while omitting any acknowledgement of the related behavioral disparities that account for them. The implication that they represent a racist criminal justice system at play is a lie of the bald-faced variety. The dirty little secret of the assault on law enforcement in the name of racial disparities is the underlying behavioral disparities that account for them. The existence of the underlying behavioral disparities is a taboo enforced more stricly than the Victorian taboo against public discussion of sex. This was the point of my my Power Line series Deep Secrets of Racial Profiling. Michelle Alexanders execrable book The New Jim Crow is the bible of the lefts assault on the criminal justice system. I wrote about it in part 4 of the series. To take just one example of the underlying behavioral disparities, this 2011 Department of Justice report report notes that blacks committed homicide at a rate 7.64 that of whites over the period 1980-2008 and that black on white homicides are approximately twice as frequent as white on black homicides. Michael Walshs January 2016 New York Post column The myth of the cop-killer epidemic' takes up the issue in the context of police shootings of blacks. The Manhattan Institutes Heather Mac Donald represents the voice of truth in this fraught matter. City Journal has compiled Heathers invaluable essays here. Her new book The War On Cops only constitutes her most recent contribution. Rush Limbaugh invited Heather on his show yesterday to take up the issues in light of the events of the past few days. The transcript is posted here. What is to be done? Heather offered a novel approach: Rush, I would try something absolutely unique in this area which is truth. I think that when the Black Lives Matter movement has been allowed to thrive by a deliberate ignorance cultivated ignorance about the problem of black crime, that you cannot understand police activity without understanding patterns of crime. And the media have basically suppressed any knowledge about how bad things are in inner cities. So I would start by giving the data on black crime that explains why officers are in inner-city neighborhoods trying to save lives. President Obamas agitation against the police on racial grounds goes back to his first days in office. At Heat Street Stephen Miller recalls 5 times Obama hated on the police. Obamas statement makes six. Miller puts it this way: Before the facts were determined in either St. Paul or Baton Rouge, President Obama was on television making broad statements about the practices of law enforcement nationwide. Not that allowing an official investigation to take its course has mattered much to him before. Miller therefore provides a short history of Obamas habit of jumping to conclusions when it comes to the police. Yesterday Sean Hannity played an audio collection of Obama/Clinton attacks on the police and praise of Black Lives Matter. The murderer of Dallas officers turns out to have been one Micah X. Johnson; Johnson credited Black Lives Matter for its inspirational impact on him. At his site Hannitys staff introduces the audio with this explanation: Over the past several years, President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have made a number of statements that could be seen as divisive, driving a wedge between members of the Black community and police. This is a compilation of many of those statements. 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 World Malaria Day is celebrated every April globally. This year, great speeches were made and articles written in Nigeria. But not much has changed, medical experts say, as more people are affected by the scourge. The vice president of the Commonwealth Medical Association, Osahon Enabulele, says the government is not doing enough to eliminate the top killer. Mr. Enabulele, a family health consultant and former president of the Nigerian Medical Association, advises women must be given top platforms in the countrys malaria project. PREMIUM TIMES: Do you think Nigeria is doing enough to stop malaria? ENABULELE: Until Nigeria and other African countries understand that they cannot but take their destinies in their own hands by being in the forefront of the push for the allocation of malaria, they will continue to move in circles. And will continue to record alarming deaths due to malaria. As I speak to you, African countries are still waiting upon the Western world to discover a vaccine for prevention of malaria. We should be in the forefront of research and whatever mechanisms are needed to stop malaria in this continent because it is largely an African malaise; an African problem. PREMIUM TIMES: But there are many medications out there used in managing malaria. Are they not enough? ENABULELE: Yes, there are so many medications now, but again, they are just palliatives for managing the condition when it comes. But we are talking about eliminating it from the African continent and that takes into perspectives, the research abilities, capacities and commitments of our government in Africa, including Nigeria. But as long as we are not ready to devote that huge investments in the search for permanent solutions to the malaria scourge, we would continue to throw about figures and statistics about the malaria affectation in the African continent and within Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES: Are you saying the government is not making efforts in eliminating this killer disease? ENABULELE: I appreciate that efforts have been made in the past and are still being made, but those efforts are not huge enough to bring about the end date, in terms of the end date for malaria. In terms of the eradication of the malaria scourge, that is, saying goodbye to malaria in Nigeria and the African continent. PREMIUM TIMES: So, where is the government getting it wrong? ENABULELE: It has to do with the political commitments to the whole malaria campaign, and the whole malaria ending project, and also involving huge investments in malaria. Just as I speak to you, the budget for health in Nigeria is an abysmal 3.65 percent and that cannot take us anywhere. PREMIUM TIMES: But, there is a global economic crisis while Nigeria is swimming in hers. Is that not a contributing factor to the 3.65 percent awarded health in the 2016 budget? ENABULELE: Irrespective of what anyone will say, that it is as a result of the global economic crisis or it is a Nigerian economic crisis, but nations that have made progress in health and their prosperity have always prioritized health interventions. So, even in budgeting, you prioritize it. It should be prioritized. It shows that perhaps we are still in the era of being literary to fundamental health interventions in our country. As much as I appreciate efforts that have been made in the past, those efforts are just like a drop in the ocean. For as long as we are not in the front seats in terms of driving real research interventions, into possible permanent solutions to the malaria scourge, we would just be scratching the surface. PREMIUM TIMES: I was managed for malaria in the United States two years ago, since then, I have never come down with it. Before then, every time, I would treat malaria in Nigeria and would have another bout in less than a month. Are our medications or medical management style faulty in Nigeria? ENABULELE: Certainly malaria management is not a one directional management pathway. In managing malaria, a lot of social issues and determinants of health come into play. Basic education is key. PREMIUM TIMES: Such as? ENABULELE: For instance, the preventive approaches to malaria management. So, if we have an uneducated man who does not understand or appreciate the simple fact that malaria is all about transmitting the plasmodium into the bloodstream of the host (individual) and from where the whole business of infection takes place, there is therefore the need to ensure that even your environmental issues, such as sanitation is taken care of to reduce the level of exposure. For as long as that sensitization, education, and of course, enlightenment is not at optimal level, then we will continue to have individuals who will be subjected to wild level of exposures. Even if they take the medications, they will only work for a while, they cant prevent the plasmodium being inoculated into the individual. PREMIUM TIMES: So, what should such individuals do to prevent inoculation of the plasmodium into them? ENABULELE: The only thing that can be done is to adopt individual and community approaches in terms of sanitation, hygiene, and of course, preventive measures. The basic issues of ensuring that there are no stagnant forms of water, clear your surroundings so that you have environmental friendly infrastructures, the fact that people know where to seek help when they notice a rise in temperature are all issues in malaria management. It is a broad spectrum which plays in keying into the overall management all forms of determinants of health in terms of the issues of education and poverty. PREMIUM TIMES: You are saying poverty contributes to the malaria malaise. How? ENABULELE: Poverty will limit people from even embracing or investing in those issues of determinants of health. For instance, if somebody has to get a mosquito net, and does not have the opportunity of having free access, then the person will have to look into his own internal resources to get that. So, how many Nigerians can afford to have those resources to get some of those needed ingredients that will help to prevent exposure to malaria? PREMIUM TIMES: But, the Nigerian government has been distributing millions of treated mosquito nets for several years and hospitals, like the government say, give them out for free. Is the government lying? ENABULELE: Inspite of the so-called distribution of free mosquito nets all over the place, there are still people who do not have access to it. What I am saying in essence is that, it is not all about taking a western medication, there are a lot of issues that go into it because if you take a drug now and you get exposed to the plasmodium, or mosquito bites you, preeminently the anopheles mosquito, irrespective of whatever drug you have taken, if you are very susceptible to malaria, you are likely to come down with malaria in the next 10 to 14 days. And you will begin to wonder why are you coming down with malaria, is it that you took a fake drug? No, you exposed yourself. So, that is where the preventive strategies are very important in managing malaria, for as long as we are yet to get appropriate vaccines to inoculate individuals to prevent them from coming down with it in the first instance. PREMIUM TIMES: Statistics indicate there is a disproportionate malaria burden more on women and children, particularly, those of reproductive age. So, what about women being at the centre of malaria programmmes in the country? ENABULELE: Absolutely, I buy into that. PREMIUM TIMES: Will that really help in stopping the killer? ENABULELE: Absolutely, we have no choice but to use the platform for women involvement in the whole malaria management. Like you said, the statistics are overwhelming in terms of the affectation of women in the reproductive age group and children, especially the under-five. So, any interventionist policy, must key into it, these two groups: women and under-five children. PREMIUM TIMES: So, how can interventionist policies key into these two groups: women and under-five children? ENABULELE: In terms of women empowerment and ensuring they are well educated, enlightened, all those preventive approaches, must involve them and integrate them. We have to make them the centre place for all the approaches and management strategies that need to be involved. Women need to be empowered so they can have financial empowerment and all sorts of environmental empowerment. They need to be able to have that level of decision making, to know that when their child is having fever, they can run to the nearest health facility without any obstacle or obstruction either at the home front or whatever. So, they have to access health facilities to ensure their children are treated quickly. PREMIUM TIMES: So, what you are saying is that, if not treated quickly, that means there are consequences. What are they? ENABULELE: Delay in treatment can result to what we call cerebral malaria and all sorts of severe malaria which increase the mortality profile. Once they are able to promptly respond, that means, some level of empowerment given to the women, to be able to take decisions on time and access both physically and financially health facilities within her locality, then we would be making a headway. PREMIUM TIMES: I feel health facilities within many localities I have been to, are rather too far from the people, so women travel to access treatments. Like developed countries, isnt there a standard measurement for the location of health facilities in Nigeria? ENABULELE: There is in Nigeria. Health facilities must be at least not more than five kilometer radius. It contributes in reducing the whole burden, disability and mortality associated with malaria and other health conditions both with the woman and the child; particularly women of reproductive age group because malaria can be transmitted from the mother to the child. PREMIUM TIMES: So, are you saying it is a must that women be given preeminent platforms in the malaria ending project? ENABULELE: Yes. PREMIUM TIMES: Why? ENABULELE: Women of reproductive age group are very critical in the whole reduction of morbidity and mortality. Because a woman that is pregnant and has malaria has chances of affecting the child and it is always very overwhelming even before the child is born. So, a lot of challenges can occur in terms of pregnancy complications among others. There is no emphasizing the fact that women need to be preeminently given a platform in the whole preventive and eradication approaches in the malaria ending project. Fierce overnight artillery and gunfire fight has left more than 100 soldiers dead in South Sudanese capital, Juba, on the fifth anniversary of the countrys independence. The fight started on Friday evening as President Salva Kiir, first Vice president Riek Machar and second Vice President Igga Wani, met to discuss the cause of fighting which left five soldiers dead on Thursday. South Sudanese local media reported the casualties at 150 dead, including 36 soldiers from the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-Opposition (SPLM-IO) loyal to Mr. Machar and 80 from President Kiirs side. Mr. Machar remains the Commander-In-Chief of the forces loyal to him while Mr. Kiir maintains the command of the overall national security forces as part of a peace deal ending months of conflict. Meanwhile, the fight at the Presidential Palace led the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan to issue a travel advisory. The advisory warned against non-essential travel to the vicinity of the palace and elsewhere in Juba. The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens that small arms fire has occurred in the vicinity of the Presidential Palace and elsewhere in Juba. Citizens should avoid the area of the Presidential Palace and exercise caution. Once in a safe location, U.S. citizens should shelter in a place preferably away from doors and windows and avoid non-essential movement, stated the advisory. During the Friday fight, gunfire also rocked the UN compound, where thousands of people displaced by the 2013 political crisis have been sheltering. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it was outraged at the outbreak of the violence in Juba, which severely affected the civilian population. The heavy fighting in Juba town and in close proximity to the UNMISS compound located at UN House, Jebel, prompted hundreds of internally displaced people to flee from the UNMISS protection of civilians site. The UN said several rounds of ammunition hit the buildings in the house. UN peacekeepers have increased their presence on the perimeter of PoC sites one and three and enhanced their patrol inside and in the vicinity of the sites. The UNMISS said its staff were providing assistance to those injured during the fighting. The South Sudanese Ministry of Defence confirmed the fighting stopped on Saturday, the official day for the celebration of the independence anniversary. However, authorities in South Sudan announced there would be no national ceremony to mark the Independence Day celebrations due to the lack of finances to organize the event. The country, recovering from crisis which broke out in 2013, took the step to withhold the national celebrations. But the president planned to issue a televised national address on economic and political governance progress since the signing of a peace agreement with his vice. Both leaders called for calm when the sound of gunfire and mortar shells rang close to the presidential palace as the three leaders finalized a meeting on the countrys national security status. (PANA/NAN) President Muhammadu Buharis National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, and the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), Lawal Daura, are locked in a bitter battle for supremacy, PREMIUM TIMES has been reliably informed. The cold war between two of the nations most senior security officers has festered to an extent that it is beginning to have implications on national security, government officials said. Sources told this newspaper that the two officials have stopped talking to each other, and President Muhammadu Buhari has been unable to make them call a truce. The row started last August when Mr. Buhari directed the NSA to set up a committee to probe military procurement from 2007 to 2015. Multiple security sources said as Nigerias secret police, it was taken for granted that the SSS would be represented in the committee. But at the point of choosing members of the panel, Mr. Monguno declined to allow representation from the SSS, they said. According to our sources, when asked why the SSS official was turned back, the NSA said he wanted the panel, made up of mainly retired military officers and a representative from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to be closed-nit, to avoid leakage of confidential information about the committees work. The DG of the DSS found that insulting, our source said. According to him it was rude and illogical to claim that an agency in charge of intelligence gathering and other serious confidential security issues for the entire country is not considered worthy of keeping information about a committee. From then the relationship between both men deteriorated and has not recovered, officials said. Unending turf war in the Villa Last year, PREMIUM TIMES obtained a memo sent by Mr. Buharis aide de camp, Mohammed Abubakar, a lieutenant colonel, dated June 24, ordering SSS operatives to stay away from the interiors of Aso Rock presidential villa, and restricting them to the perimeters of the villa. Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama. However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa, he said in the memo. Despite a counter memo from the presidents Chief Security Officer at the time, Abdulrahman Mani, who said Mr. Abubakars directive should be ignored, SSS personnel still guard only the periphery of Aso Rock, our sources said. Mr. Daura, a kinsman of President Buhari, is still seething about that too, officials told PREMIUM TIMES. According to our source, Mr. Daura accuses Mr. Monguno, a retired Major General and former Chief of Defence Intelligence, of supporting the expulsion of SSS from inner Aso Rock. Arrest of Mohammed Umar PREMIUM TIMES also learned that the relationship between the two men was further strained following the arrest of Mohammed Umar, a member of the presidential arms panel. Mr. Umar was arrested by the SSS. According to our source, Mr. Monguno, who is a close ally of the retired Air Commodore, was furious about the manner the SSS raided Mr. Umars house, before detaining him. Mr. Monguno repeatedly complained to security officials close to him that he loathed the way Mr. Daura carried himself as if he was the NSA. Mr. Monguno also complained that Mr. Daura appropriated the job traditionally assigned to the office of the NSA, our sources said. The NSA is complaining that the DG of the DSS is over-reaching himself and performing his duties, our source stated. The duties of the NSA include the coordination of departments of internal security, and counter-terrorism operations and lawful interceptions. That means that security agencies including the SSS are supposed to report to the NSA and regularly brief him on intelligence gathered and take directives from him. However, since both men no longer see eye to eye, the SSS stopped briefing the office of the NSA and hardly takes directives from that office, our sources said. Mr. Daura, according to those sources, however argued that the NSA was never available for his work. He said Mr. Monguno was in the habit of travelling around the world with President Buhari, leaving a vacuum in the co-ordination of national security. Both officials could not be reached to comment for this story. Mr. Daura did not answer or return calls. Mr. Mongunos media contact insisted the NSA is not enthusiastic about discussing the development. The Nigerian Army and Nigerian lawyers are set on a path of war over an order by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, compelling all civil lawyers appearing before a military court to be robed. Mr. Buratai, a Lt. General, gave the order on July 4 in a convening order for a special Court-martial to try two military officers Major General P. A. Falola and Major General I. Sani. The army chief said he derived powers for the dress code order from section 131 (2) (d) of the Armed Forces Act, which deals with convening special court-martial to try offending officers of the Nigerian Army. While military lawyers will continue to dress in army uniforms to appear before military tribunals, the army chief insisted that civil lawyers appearing before the tribunal must be fully robed in wig and gown, an order that have angered the legal community. No robed judge, no robed lawyers Conventionally, Nigerian lawyers appearing before judges that are themselves not robed are not required to dress in wigs and gowns. Usually, only judges from High Court and above are robed. As such, lawyers appearing before them are required to be robed. The Legal Practitioners Act currently specifies how and when lawyers are to dress in wigs and gowns. The military court-martial, which is the equivalent of a tribunal, falls below the category that requires full regalia for lawyers. If the special court-martial is presided by an equally robed military lawyer- officer presiding, then it is all well and proper, for lawyers to be robed in appearing before him, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria said. If, however, he wears his usual professional military uniform, then it becomes infra dig and abominable for a fully robed professional lawyer to appear and take a bow before a khaki-wearing military officer. The latter scenario is what the army has ordered and Mr. Ozekhome says it will be demeaning, and a great insult to the revered legal profession. Its Akin to requiring a reverend father wearing his priestly cassock to take a bow before a Chief Priest who wears no such cassock, but his Dibia regalia, in his shrine. That is absolutely not acceptable. he added. Jibrin Okutepa, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, called for a total boycott of the order. Such directive is to say the least, unconstitutional, illegal and should be ignored, he said. He argued that the Army Chiefs order is inconsistent with the Legal Practitioners Act. The LPA allows lawyers to dress in robes in High Courts, Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts of Appeal, where the presiding officers are robed. If they are not robed, you cannot be robed for a person who is not robed. Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, told PREMIUM TIMES the directive is unwarranted and unconstitutional. First and foremost, the right of counsel is a constitutional right. And it is not the Chief of Army Staff that regulates that right. He has no business regulating it, Mr. Obla said. The military court-martial does not involve only the army, it involves the three arms: Army, Air Force and the Navy. And he is not in the position to even speak for the two other arms. He should have limited himself to how military lawyers representing the army appear. Secondly, a court-martial is actually a tribunal. When lawyers appear before tribunals; be it election tribunal or commission of inquiry tribunal, nobody expects them to wear the robes that we wear in conventional High Courts or Courts of Appeal, so why does he now want us to begin to wear robes? Mr. Obla added that the army chiefs directive is an expression of his opinion because he has no right to make such an order. The Nigerian Bar Association is yet to take an official stand on the matter. But many young lawyers who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES also agreed with the senior colleagues. Many argued the army chiefs order was invalid. The validity of the army chief order will be tested in the coming weeks when the army tribunal resumes. Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was today (Saturday) struck with grief as hundreds of mourners turned out from within and outside the state to bid their foremost elder statesman, Shettima Ali Monguno, final goodbye. Mr. Monguno, a former Minister of Petroleum died at 95 in his home, adjacent the Borno Government House, Maiduguri, on Friday. The elder statesman was given a befitting state burial as his funeral rite was carried out at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai Alamin Elkanemi. Hundreds of mourners wept profusely as the remains of nonagenarian left his GRA Maiduguri home for the Shehus palace. A delegation of of the Federal Government, led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno, joined other multitudes of mourners to fill up the expansive Shehus palace. Security personnels and government protocol officials who organised for the funeral prayers of the philanthropist to be held outside the palace became overwhelmed by the surging crowd. The corpse had to be placed inside the inner chambers of the palace to avoid stampede, while other congregated outside for the prayers. Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, and his deputy, Usman Mamman Durkwa, led other officials of the state government to attend the funeral. The Chief Imam of Borno, Liyasu Ibrahim Ahmad, led other Islamic clerics to perform the funeral prayers for the late Nigerias former permanent representative at the United Nations General Assembly. After the prayers, the remains of the late sage was interred at Gwange Cemetery in Maiduguri. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that only respected illustrious sons of Borno are accorded such burial formalities in the palace of the Shehu. One of Nigerias foremost elder statesman, and former minister of mines and petroleum in the first republic, Shettima Ali Monguno, has passed on. Mr. Monguno died on Friday at his home in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He was 95. Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, officially announced the demise of the respected nonagenarian through a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Jidda Shuwa. The statement said; It is with a deep sense of loss and profound sadness that we announce, on behalf of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State and the Borno State Government, the passage of our father and distinguished Statesman, Alhaji (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno.He died this evening, Friday, 8th July, 2016. His burial will, insha Allah (by the grace of God) take place tomorrow, Saturday, 9th July, 2016 at 2pm at his residence, near Government House, Old GRA, Maiduguri. May Allah (SWA) forgive his sins and grant him abode in Aljanat Firdaus, and may Allah grant his family and the entire people of Borno State the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.. Mr. Monguno, a former presidential candidate during the 1990 option A4 political arrangement, was known in the last three decades as a philanthropist who committed his time and resources to charity through his Shettima Ali Monguno Foundation that focussed mainly on the education of poor children especially the girl child. Until his final retirement from public function some three years ago, Mr Monguno was the chairman of the Borno Elders Forum. Before his retirement from public life, the elder statesman did not only witness Boko Haram devouring his dear state, but was also a victim of the outlawed groups hostility when he was abducted in broad day by gunmen at a mosque where he had gone to pray on Friday, May 3, 2013. The former President of OPEC was to be freed some three days later when he was found in far away Marte Local government area where government officials and security personnel picked him and brought him home safely and unhurt. Since then, his GRA Maiduguri home, adjacent the Borno State Government House, remained guarded by armed security personnel. Mr. Monguno was born in 1926 in his home town Monguno in the present Borno state. He was said to have attended Monguno primary school, then proceeded to Teachers college, Bauchi and then Katsina. He also attended the College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, and then the University of Edinburgh. He was an MP in in 1959. He later became Education Secretary and councillor for education, works and social welfare Borno Local Government 1959-65; Federal minister for Air Force and internal affair 1965-66; federal commissioner for trade and industries 1967-7; minister mines and power, petroleum and energy 1972-75. He was President of OPEC between 1972 and 1973. He was also Chairman, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and member Constituents Assembly in 1977-78. In 1990 when the military experiment a failed transition to civil rule, he was Presidential Candidate during the Option A4 Elections. He was the leader of Nigerian delegation to UNCAD II New Delhi in 1968 and member of the countrys delegation to United Nations for over 10 years. He received keys to the cities of New York, Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru. Mr Monguno also served as Pro-chancellor University of Calabar 1978-80; Pro-chancellor University of Nigeria 1980-84. He received a national honours from Ethiopia, Republic of Egypt, Sudan and Cameroon in 1970. He was Trustee, Girl Guides Association of Nigeria 1970-90; a Deputy National Chairman National Party of Nigeria December 1980-84. He was conferred with National Honour Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic CFR in 1982. He was Director, Nigbel Bank Nigeria Ltd, 1988; Chairman, Borno Education Endowment Fund 1986; and an Honorary Road Marshall. About a decade ago, late Shettima Ali Monguno set a record as one of the largest donors to the Borno state Library board when he relinquished his life collection of books free of charge to the Borno State government. Within the same period, he was said to have sold his only home in Abuja and used part of the proceed to build a female hostel at the University of Maiduguri as part of his charity work towards advancing girl child education in Borno state. He is survived by his wife, children and many grand children. PREMIUM TIMES Nigerias leading investigative newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, is facilitating another round of dialogue session on Parenting for Nation Building. The programme is aimed at emphasising the role of families in nation building. The event is holding today (Saturday) at the Auditorium of the Central Bank Training Institute Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja. A similar event was held in June at the Secretariat of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Lagos. Notable speakers expected at todays event are the first ladies of Kaduna State, Hadiza El Rufai, and Kebbi State, Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu. The event will be declared open by Sunday Dogonyaro, at 10:00am prompt. Other confirmed speakers to the event are Binta Max-Gbinijie, Chief Executive Officer Stanbic IBTC Trustees; and Sonye Allanah, DGM Government Relations/Corporate Communications Total Plc Topics to be discussed straddle the broad stretch of Work-life Balance Imperatives for Parenting; Money, Values and Children; Parenting by Example and Critical Life Values as well as the Nutritional Culture of Families and their interface with nation building. Follow our liveblog of the event below. 10.44 am: Arrival of guests at the event. 10.46 am: Singing the National Anthem as event commences 11.17 am Mr. Dogonyaro talks about values that drive a person to take certain actions. When I look at our nation today, the foundational values have been lost. The evidence is palpable, all that is happening speak volumes, he says. Foundational values are issues we have to deal with. Foundational values are picked up in our formative years and as adults they play out. 11.37 am: Binta Gbinije talking on Children Money and Value 12.05 pm: Guest asking questions 12.05 pm: Her excellency, Hajiya Hadiza (L) Kaduna State First Lady 12.18 pm Mr. Dogonyaro makes further clarification on how to understand our collective nature, despite our differences. A participant, identified as Austin, a university lecturer, says most of the worlds problems relating to parenting arise because people dont really know what is wrong. Mr. Dogonyaro makes a few clarifications. He adds that the problems in the society start first in the family,and in schools. He also says government has also contributed to the problem. 12.19 pm Enang talks briefly about addressing real life issues with our children. PREMIUM TIMES Ifeyinwa Uzoka introduces the speaker for Money, Values and Children, Binta Max-Gbinije. 12.21 pm Mrs. Gbinije says, Its key that children and teenagers know how important it is to spend wisely. Openness is a key point, she says, Money is usually a sore point for a lot of families. Mentor and coach them about money. She says many parents wrongly believe in giving everything their children want because they didnt have cool things when they were younger. When the children cannot find same cool things, they engage in unpleasant things just to belong, she warns. As a parent, learn to restrict giving too much, teach them to work hard for their own money. Teach your children to be generous, it will come back to them. Teach them to save so they can have a healthy financial future. Help them outline a budget to determine what comes in, what they spend money on and what they can save. Encourage them to set proper financial goals. Use popular faces to motivate them. Reward their efforts, it doesnt have to be money, instead, invest for them, set up a trust fund for them. Giving them money directly may not be as valuable as investments. Delaying the purchase of an iPhone 6 for your teenager and investing the money instead which will grow into a considerable amount of money in a number of years is a better option. Put them to work for now, let them use their talents to make money. Your children can give you peace when you train them to use their talents. 12.30 pm: Enang introduces Kaduna State First Lady, Hadiza El-Rufai, to the guests. Mrs. El-Rufai says the way children turn out in the end is not dependent on parenting but on DNA make-up, as well as the behaviour of their parents. Children learn by copying their parents in behaviour the good, the bad and the ugly. How can you tell your child to behave well when you abuse drugs or alcohol and do not live a life of tolerance or honesty and compassion, she asks. Mrs. El-Rufa is speaking on the topic, Parenting by Example. Despite losing two children, I live a life which is exemplary to my other children so they can learn from me in terms of handling adversity, she says. Parents need to stay involved in their childrens lives. They need to be comfortable in sharing their feelings with you. Parenting by example is hard but always worth it at the end of the day as children are always watching their parents. 12.48 pm: Enang introduces Sonye Allanah, who will speak on The Imperatives of Work-Life Balance on Parenting. Parenting has been placed on the back burner, she says. When I started at the ministry of external affairs, I was asked if I was sure I wanted to work there because of the demands of the job. But I got married and I had children. When you find your center, you are able to balance both. What matters most to you as a parent? Is it the children or work? Both mothers and fathers struggle when it comes to balancing work and family especially when the children are young. One of daily stresses during the work day is child-care needs. Most parents are just breeders they do not bring them up.We are raising a sad generation, the way forward is not buying children expensive things but spending time with them. 12.57 pm: Dr. Adewumi Edward Ayodele Speaking on Reconsidering the nutritional Culture of Families and its effect on Childrens Health What do parents teach their daughters and sons these days? How do they learn the art of manhood and womanhood? Ask yourself Do you sleep enough? Do you finish your to-do lists? Do you do things for yourself? Are you fulfilled? Do you spend quality time with your spouse and children? If no, find a better balance. Prepare the night before. Plan meals ahead. Buy food items in bulk, if possible. Utilize the internet for paying bills, do online transfers, do online researches. Make a family calendar of events, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. Hang in the kitchen. 1.05 P.M. Mrs Sonye Allanah talked on Work, Life and Balancing Mrs. Alannah contunes, Being organized will help your children be more organized whether they are male or female. Leave work at work, work will never finish. 37 per cent of parents find it difficult to switch off from work mode at home. Learn to listen to your children when they come to you. Focus on quality rather than quantity of time. Set aside one evening a week, to do something you enjoy. Divide and conquer, let your spouse and children help with workload. Teach your children cultural heritage, traditional values, societal norms and social skills, self-confidence, ethnic and religious tolerance and the Nigerian pride. 1.24 pm: Adewumi Ayodele starts his speech on the topic: Reconsidering the nutritional culture of families and its effect on childrens health. I am here to speak about food, he says. Parents have a role to teach the children when and how to eat. The Army headquarters on Saturday afternoon released the statement below announcing the killing of 16 Boko Haram terrorists who attacked troops stationed at Rann, in Kala Balge local government areas of Borno State. Read full statement below. Yesterday evening remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in their numbers attacked our troops location at Rann, Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State. The terrorists came with Motorcycles Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (MCBIED), Anti-Aircraft Guns and other weapons at about 5.00pm and the exchange of fire lasted for some hours before they were overwhelmed by the troops firepower. Unfortunately, one of the terrorists suicide bomber detonated himself at a gun truck killing the driver and the gunner. The truck and the mounted weapon were also damaged beyond repairs. In addition 2 soldiers were wounded in action while 3 others sustained minor injuries. The troops killed 7 of the attackers instantly while quite a number escaped with gunshot wounds. During clearance operations this morning, the troops discovered 9 more Boko Haram terrorists dead bodies in the surrounding areas. Therefore the total number of terrorists killed was 16. The troops also recovered a General Purpose Machine Gun, Rocket Propelled Grenade, ammunitions and captured 2 of the terrorists alive. The bodies of the two fallen heroes and the wounded in action soldiers have been evacuated to Maiduguri, while reinforcement was sent from Gomboru Ngala. In a related development, troops have also discovered and safely detonated 2 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted along Gomboru-Rann road. It is believed that the IEDs were planted yesterday to prevent troops reinforcement to Rann while the attack lasted. The Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion has visited the troops and held durbar with them. He commended them for their doggedness during attack and also urged them not to lower their guards. Despite the incident, troops morale remains very high and they have continued with their clearance operations. Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman Acting Director Army Public Relations The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said it has arrested some suspects in connection with the killing of a woman preacher in Kubwa, FCT. The FCT commands Spokesman, ASP Anjuguri Manzah confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja. He said the Commissioner of Police, Alkali Usman, has directed the homicide section to take over the investigation. We have made some arrests and they are helping in our investigation. The commissioner of police has ordered the homicide section of the command to take over the investigation of the case, he said. The spokesman, however, did not mention the number of suspects arrested. He said that personnel of the command had visited the scene of the incident and that investigation had begun. NAN reports that the woman, whose name was not disclosed, was killed while preaching in the early hours of the day around the pipeline area of Kubwa, a satellite town of the FCT. (NAN) Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, on Friday urged civil servants in the state to accept the 50 per cent cut in their salaries in good faith. The governor made the appeal in Lafia in his speech at the commencement of sale of 150 metric tons of fertilisers at subsidised rates to farmers in the state. He urged the striking workers to go back to work and suspend their strike in the interest of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers embarked on the strike in protest against the decision of the government to cut the salaries of public officers and civil servants by 50 per cent across the board. The governor, however, stated that the 50 per cent slash in salaries is a sacrifice every one needed to make. He added that the sacrifice had become imperative in view of dwindling revenue accruing to the coffers of the state. Mr. Al-Makura explained that despite the drop in its resources, government decided to subsidise the price of fertilizers sold to farmers at N3,000 per bag. He said the gesture was intended to boost farming in the state in line with federal governments drive to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on revenue from sale of crude oil. We would continue to support farming activities in the state to enrich our farmers by supplying them with fertilizers and other farm inputs at subsidised rate. We are more than ever before determined as a government to invest in other sectors of the economy given the current problems that have bedeviled the entire country. This is a moment of sober reflection as a nation, hence our resolve to continue to subsidise farm inputs for farmers in order to guaranty better and quality live for the people in the state, the governor said. Responding on behalf of the farmers, Mauzu Ishaq, Nasarawa State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), expressed gratitude to the government for supporting farmers in the state. He appealed to the government to facilitate and encourage mechanized farming by reintroducing tractors hiring unit in the state Ministry of Agriculture for easy access to farmers. Most farmers in the state are so poor that they cannot afford to buy their own tractors, hence the need for the government to reintroduce the scheme,Mr. Ishaq said. (NAN) As the Niger Delta Avengers continues to bomb oil pipelines and sabotage Nigerias wobbling economy, refusing the governments plea to lay down arms, one man from Akwa Ibom State appears to think differently about the militants. Ata Ikiddeh, a former special assistant on diaspora matters to ex-Akwa Ibom Gov. Godswill Akpabio said recently on Facebook that it took five blown up oil pipelines to get Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, and a former Minister of Aviation, out of prison. Mr. Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West/PDP) is the Senate Minority Leader. This government is a joke, Mr. Ikiddeh said of the Buhari administration, apparently referring to the government handling of its war against corruption. Mr. Fani-Kayode, alongside former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, is standing corruption trial for allegedly diverting N4.6 billion belonging to the federal government for political and personal use. After spending days in prison custody, both Mr. Fani-Kayode and Mrs. Usman, were freed on bail by Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos. When asked by a Facebook commentator, Edim Asanaenyi, if the militant group was now a military wing of the PDP, Mr. Ikiddeh responded, I am afraid to admit that but thats what this government is turning the Avengers into: the resistance wing of the PDP. A very dangerous scenario is unfolding. I wouldnt be surprised if a copycat group in the North becomes the clandestine military wing of APC, not with their permission of course, but this is how these things begin to take shape, they get out of our control, Boko haram is our perfect example. Mr. Ikiddeh said his analysis on the Niger Delta Avengers has never been defective. If I tell you all PDP members in detention will be released by the end of July, youll wonder where I got that from (I dont actually know how many there are but I know Omisore was arrested and detained yesterday) just watch and start counting. I am not sure of Dasuki and Kanu, the rumour of a coup has made their releases a security risk to the state. But I wouldnt be surprised if some kind of House arrest is fangled out for this two. PREMIUM TIMES spoke with Mr. Ikiddeh on telephone on Friday evening, and he confirmed that the Facebook comments were his. Mr. Ikiddeh, who denied having any link with the militant group, said he was concerned with the effects the crisis was having on Nigeria. I am not bothered about whatever anyone says. I am only expressing my opinion. And I am doing so as a patriot. I love this country. Nigeria is still playing politics with the Niger Delta crisis. Why cant we have a national conference, organized by the international community, on the Niger Delta? Mr. Ikiddeh had in a previous article he shared on Facebook likened the Niger Delta Avengers to a spider that attacks only when its peace is disturbed. The article, titled Buharis Calamity And The Spider In A Monkey Shadow reads in parts: The spider will not attack until its disturbed. Its quite a unique creature, it can starve itself for days, spread out on its web and not move until one of its feet picks up a tremor coming from any of the many angles from its kingdom. The disturbance sets its digestive juices in motion as it heads for the spot where a prey has been caught, its instinct to kill and devour takes over as it weaves its iron silk around its meal, sealing all escape routes. The spider will often attack prey larger than itself. Remember, the spiders killer instinct takes over only when its webbed kingdom is disturbed. Have this in mind as I explain why the Avengers will keep bombing more oil installations in Nigeria and why the next phase of oil pipeline vandalisation will be more devastating. When the Niger Delta Avengers came on the scene late last year, they made a bucket list of demands. The demands may have sounded incoherent but there was a trail of consistency. The following featured prominently, implementation of the CONFAB report, a review of oil blocs licenses, Clean up of oil spill communities and Fiscal Federalism. But one key demand this government has consistently ignored is its refusal to stop harassing members of the opposition. The harassment and detention of defenceless PDP members has angered the Avengers. They feel the only way they can protect and defend the PDP from being completely destroyed by Buharis APC government is to strangle Buharis government economically by chewing up Nigerias oil pipelines, this is the crude method theyve devised to defend the party they love, the only way they can tell Buhari, to hands off the PDP! Now, again when I say these things, I come under a torrent of abuse, when it happens exactly as I stated it, I am called a spokesperson of the Avengers. These are warnings from my tea leaves, as long as the Monkey government is bent on emasculating the opposition, the Spider will retaliate by attacking oil installations, that is the next phase of this war and its going to be devastating and humongous in scale. As usual I have warned! The All Progressives Congress, South South Zone, in June accused the PDP of sponsoring the Niger Delta Avengers against the Buhari administration. The zone is cocksure that the nefarious and ruinous activities of the Avengers are not driven by any patriotic and altruistic impulse, the APC had said in a communique after the partys zonal meeting in Benin, Edo State. We have compelling reasons to strongly assert that these activities are sponsored and instigated by the opposition PDP to derail and frustrate the APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari because of its determination to fight against corruption, stabilise and put our country on the path of sustainable development. The renewed attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta is said to have brought Nigerias oil production to a 30-year low. In response to an anti-Fayose protest on Thursday, private sector workers under the umbrella of Conference of Ekiti Private Sector Unions(COEPSU), trooped out in Ado-Ekiti on Friday to rally support for embattled Governor Ayo Fayose. The group used the rally to decry what they described as the persistent use of agencies of the Federal Government to harass and intimidate the governor. The rally came a day after the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties(CNPP), the All Progressives Congress(APC) and other interest groups in the state staged a protest calling on Mr. Fayose to wave his immunity and face the challenge of proving his innocence following his linkage with the N4.7billion alleged fraud at the offices of the National Security Adviser. COEPSU is the amalgamation of drivers unions (NURTW, RTEAN, COOP), tailors, caterers, hunters, tipper owners, musicians, theatre practitioners, beer sellers, artisans, okada riders, saw millers, timber merchants, bricklayers, technicians, independent broadcasters, medicine sellers among others. The secretary of the union, Lanre Agbede, said the coming together of the workers was aimed at defending their rights of the people and that of the state government. The workers are miffed by what is being witnessed in the State today, in which the party that was openly rejected by the people has persistently waged war against the person elected by Ekiti State, he said. Most importantly, we are not unmindful of the use of the federal government apparatus against the government of Ekiti State, and we wish to State that under a federal system of government that is being practiced in Nigeria, the federal government should not bully any State government under whatever guise. Even though we support the ridding of Nigeria of corruption, especially in the public service, it is our opinion that there should be no two laws in Nigeria. In its fight against corruption, attention of the federal government must be on all Nigerians irrespective of their political parties and anti-corruption agencies of the federal government must operate within the ambit of the laws. A situation where the bank accounts of our governor will be frozen by the EFCC despite that he enjoys absolute immunity is not acceptable to us and we condemn it totally. While addressing the protesters, Mr. Fayose noted that his problems with the EFCC were orchestrated by the APC in its bid to ensure the PDP did not win the coming governorship election in 2018. They said I collected a sum of N1.3billion from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki to fund my election. Some even said I collected it through Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, he said. Let me put it on record that I did not know Col. Dasuki and Obanikoro has not come out openly to indict me, because he has not returned from abroad . They said a similar thing in 2006. It was all about second term then, because they didnt want me to contest for second term. They said the N1.3bn project which I initiated was a scam, but God brought me back. The APC and EFCC conspirators took me before a Judge and I got justice. The governor vowed to continue his criticism of the federal government despite his current predicament at the hands of the EFCC and the APC. Three male residents of Ilara/Ijoun Road located in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State have died after inhaling generator fume. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, on Friday, gave the identities of the victims as Ope Leon(38),Loron Ope(40) and Sherif(32). He said the deceased persons, all nationals of Ikpobe in neighbouring Benin Republic, had gone to bed on Thursday night, after leaving the generator running in their closed apartment. Mr. Adejobi said at about 7.30am on Friday, a co-tenant, Bernard Ope, noticed that the trio were not awake. He said the tenant forced the door to the parlour open, where he discovered the occupants were all dead. He said the families of the deceased declined conducting autopsies, and that the corpses were released to them for burial. He said no foul play was suspected. "GOD'S COMPASSION" What we say and how we say it, our every word and gesture, ought to express God's compassion, tenderness and forgiveness for all. BUILDING BRIDGES Communication has the power to build bridges, to enable encounter and inclusion, and thus to enrich society. How beautiful it is when people select their words and actions with care, in the effort to avoid misunderstanding, to heal wounded memories and to build peace and harmony. Words can build bridges between individuals and within families, social groups and peoples. "CONSTANT ENCOURAGEMENT" The words of Christians ought to be a constant encouragement to communion and, even in those cases where they must firmly condemn evil, they should never try to rupture relationships and communication. NEVER LOSES HOPE Our political and diplomatic language would do well to be inspired by mercy, which never loses hope. MEASURING STICK The Gospel of John tells us that "the truth will make you free"... The truth is ultimately Christ Himself, whose gentle mercy is the yardstick for measuring the way we proclaim the truth and condemn injustice. TRUTH AND LOVE Our primary task is to uphold the truth with love... Only words spoken with love and accompanied by meekness and mercy can touch our sinful hearts. Harsh and moralistic words and actions risk further alienating those whom we wish to lead to conversion and freedom, reinforcing their sense of rejection and defensiveness. COMMUNICATION AND SHARING Communicating means sharing, and sharing demands listening and acceptance. Listening is more than simply hearing. Hearing is about receiving information, while listening is about communication and calls for closeness. POSITIVE COMMUNICATION The encounter between communication and mercy will be fruitful to the degree that it generates a closeness which cares, comforts, heals, accompanies and celebrates. ONE HUMAN FAMILY In a broken, fragmented and polarized world, to communicate with mercy means to help create a healthy, free and fraternal closeness between the children of God and all our brothers and sisters in the one human family. (Source: Message for World Communications Day, 1/24/2016) NATO summit day two in Warsaw (photo by Andrzej Hrechorowicz / KPRP) Polish President Andrzej Duda is very satisfied with the result of the NATO summit held in Warsaw, the president's chief aide Krzysztof Szczerski said on Saturday, the second day of the meeting. "President Andrzej Duda is very satisfied with the results of the summit, with all the decisions made, with all the talks taking place here," Krzysztof Szczerski told reporters. The talks confirmed that the "summit has been a summit of unity", according to Szczerski, who added that the allies had proved that a joint and tangible response to all threats was possible. Krzysztof Szczerski added that "each ally contributes to common activity, each NATO member is (both) a recipient and provider of security to the Alliance and the Alliance's partners". "Poland is emerging from the summit as a country that has been strengthened by allied activity," Szczerski stressed. A great number of delegations have congratulated Poland on the summit's organisation, according to Krzysztof Szczerski. (PAP) NATO and Poland have achieved success at the Alliance's summit in Warsaw, its conclusions are favourable for both Poland and NATO, Polish President Andrzej Duda told a Saturday press conference summing up the two-day gathering. "These were long-lasting negotiations and now one may say that NATO achieved success at the summit and that Poland achieved success as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance," said the president. Andrzej Duda stressed that the summit participants conducted "long discussions but in the end the conclusions drawn are beneficial for the Alliance and for Poland." The president welcomed the fact that the goals set before the summit by him and his associates were achieved. According to the president, the summit means "a real response" to the changing security environment in Europe and adjustment of NATO's actions to those changes. "For Poland this above all means an enhanced presence of the North Atlantic Alliance's forces on our territory." The president said that declarations were voiced during the summit on the presence of allied forces in Poland. He mentioned that Great Britain pledged to send 150 soldiers to Poland; also the president of Romania declared readiness to send soldiers. "We are thankful for these declarations. Allied detachments are being formed now so that the summit-passed assumptions on the Alliance's enhanced, forward presence in the Baltic States and in Poland could be implemented next year," said President Duda. President Duda stressed that the Warsaw summit clearly showed the Alliance's unity, cohesion and solidarity. "The summit ended with the passing of very important decisions, some even say that they are of historic significance." The president observed that the summit decisions concerned not only NATO countries but also the situation on the "Alliance's southern outskirts." The talks also concerned Ukraine and NATO's support for that country. "Decisions on all these issues have been taken and this is a cause for great satisfaction not only for me but also for all the heads of state and government present at the summit," stressed Andrzej Duda. The president thanked all the leaders who came to Warsaw. He directed special thanks to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and his associates. Meanwhile, Jens Stoltenberg ending the Warsaw NATO summit thanked President Andrzej Duda for the "excellent organisation" of the event, and participants in the event for the discussion and work. "We showed that NATO is united," the secretary general told a joint press conference held with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko. (PAP) 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. DUBLIN, July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global 4K2K TV Market 2016-2020" report to their offering. The report forecasts the global 4K2K TV market to grow at a CAGR of 33.81% during the period 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from sales of 4K2K TVs by display size: 40-49 inches 50-59 inches 60-69 inches 70-79 inches 80 inches and above A trend which is boosting the market is the high numbers of Chinese players entering the market. The increasing productivity and efficiency of Chinese players is posing a threat to well-established South Korean and Taiwanese players. According to the report, a key driver of market growth is the rising popularity of 4K UHD content. The introduction of high-resolution TVs in the market has created opportunities for broadcasters and media organizations to enhance video quality. For instance, Netflix started offering 4K UHD movie services to its consumers. Similarly, Amazon started its 4K UHD streaming services. Currently, Amazon's series such as Alpha House and Transparent are shown in UHD format. With the rise in awareness of 4K UHD content and its advantages, many players in the market are increasing their investment in the technology. Further, the report states that one challenge that could hamper market growth is the discrepancy in the demand-supply ratio for LCD panels. Panel makers are increasingly facing issues with capacity conversion, growth in the average size, and a strong Chinese market. Key vendors: Hisense LG Electronics Panasonic Samsung Electronics Sony Key Topics Covered: PART 01: Executive summary PART 02: Scope of the report PART 03: Market research methodology PART 04: Introduction PART 05: Market description PART 06: Market landscape PART 07: Market segmentation by display size PART 08: Buying criteria PART 09: Geographical segmentation PART 10: Key leading countries PART 11: Market drivers PART 12: Impact of drivers PART 13: Market challenges PART 14: Impact of drivers and challenges PART 15: Market trends PART 16: Vendor landscape PART 17: Appendix For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rm695g/global_4k2k_tv Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets MoneyGram recognizes that modern-day Filipino heroes or "Heroes of the Sea" don't need to do great feats or wear capes to be called heroes. They battle bouts of loneliness and nostalgia each day as they are separated from their loved ones. At the same time they continuously strive to work hard to be able to provide a better life for their families back in the Philippines. This is already a legitimate reason to salute and celebrate them. "For more than 70 years, MoneyGram has been helping people around the world and their families to stay connected across borders and boundaries, oceans and countries. It is our honor to be able to assist and support our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in sending money to their loved ones and becoming their bridge to a better life," says Yogesh Sangle, senior regional director of MoneyGram for Asia & Pacific. MoneyGram offers global network of approximately 350,000 locations in 200 countries and territories worldwide and more than 12,000 locations across the Philippines. This allows Filipinos to send cash from anywhere in the world. Receivers can conveniently claim their remittances in the Philippines through trusted partner locations. Additionally, OFW family members can now send their remittances directly to loved ones' bank accounts at any of the participating 20 banks in the Philippines through MoneyGram's cash-to-account service. Each family member plays an active and vital role in pulling the family closer together in the absence of one or both OFW's parents. The amount of emotional devotion that is required from them is something that both MoneyGram and Robin Padilla admire. "I am delighted to be a part of MoneyGram once more because I believe in what they stand for. OFWs are there for their family and friends to assist them with every live situation," shares Padilla. "MoneyGram's priority is to connect our consumers with their loved ones by providing convenient and reliable financial connection for life's essentials and daily needs. We allow them to be as close as possible by providing support and financial needs for their children," adds Sangle. With reliable, 10-minute money transfers MoneyGram positively impacts millions of people every day by offering industry leading customer experience at every interaction and an access to financial services for consumers and businesses around the world. MoneyGram is a leading money transfer company, enables consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs. MoneyGram offers bills payment services in the United States and Canada and money transfer services worldwide through a global network of more than 347,000 agent locations including retailers, international post offices and financial institutions in 198 countries and territories. To learn more about money transfer or bill payment at an agent location or online, please visit www.moneygram.com or connect via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/moneygram. Media Contact: Maria Bankiet-Kaminska MBankietKaminska@moneygram.com p: +48 22 377 2185 Related Links http://www.moneygram.com SOURCE MoneyGram NEW YORK, July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement being issued by Rabbinical Alliance of USA and Canada: New York's Orthodox Jewish community will be holding a demonstration on Monday, July 11, in front of the Israeli Consulate at 800 Second Avenue in Manhattan, to protest against the State of Israel's forced drafting of religious young men into their army. The rally will begin at 3:15. At 4:00 the protestors will march to the offices of Friends of the IDF at 60 E. 42nd Street, near Grand Central Station. The rally will continue until 5:30. About a dozen Orthodox Jewish men are currently serving time in Israeli prisons for their principled refusal to enlist. The most recent case was Yosef Levy, a 20-year-old, who sparked special attention last Sunday after Israeli police attacked a solidarity demonstration on his behalf with characteristic brutality, arresting seven, including a leading rabbi. "There are only two other countries in the world that draft their citizens in peacetime," said Rabbi Aron Jacobowitz, one of the organizers of the demonstration. "And even they grant exemptions in reasonable circumstances certainly for religious convictions. Here the Israeli police break into this boy's home in the middle of the night, drag him out and throw him in jail for a year and a half, just because he doesn't want to be influenced by the irreligious and immoral environment of the Israeli army. And this, at a time when the same Israeli army recently turned away 50,000 qualified recruits. Clearly, they don't need the Orthodox their only goal is to force them to abandon their beliefs. "More fundamentally, religious Jews refuse to enlist because they are opposed to the State of Israel. According to the Torah, Jews are forbidden to create a state of their own, or to fight wars. We will never serve in the military of a state that we don't recognize. "Young men like Yosef Levy are heroes standing up for what is right and ignoring their own personal suffering. All of us need to come out in the streets and show our support for him. "And to the Israeli government we say: Stop the brutality! Stop the cruelty! Orthodox Jews in the Holy Land have the right to refuse to take part in your actions." For a video of Israeli police brutality last Sunday, July 3 click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3SH1LOjXm0 SOURCE Rabbinical Alliance of USA and Canada SIOUX CITY, Iowa, July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (CRC) issued a response to a demand letter First Liberty sent three days ago on behalf of an Iowa church. Read the Iowa CRC press release "We're taking the state at its word that it will not encroach on the church in any way," Chelsey Youman, Counsel and Chief of Staff for First Liberty Institute, says. "However, if it does in the future, we stand ready to use the full force of the law to protect the church's free exercise of religion and free speech under the Constitution." "I accept the Iowa Civil Right Commission's public apology, with clear reservations. We will continue to monitor their activities and stand ready to defend all churches at any time," Cary Gordon, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach for over 21 years, says. Read more about the case and access a copy of First Liberty's demand letter at FirstLiberty.org/CornerstoneChurch About First Liberty Institute First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at FirstLiberty.org. SOURCE First Liberty Institute Related Links https://firstliberty.org WASHINGTON, July 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is saddened by the loss of Teamster brother Philando Castile in this week's tragic shooting in Minnesota. Brother Castile was a 14-year member of Minnesota Teamsters Local 320 which represents public and law enforcement employees. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Brother Castile's family and friends," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "We must continue to address issues of racial and economic inequality to ensure that tragedies such as Brother Castile's death cease to occur." The Teamsters call on the state and federal governments to hold transparent and fair investigations to ensure that justice is served in Brother Castile's brutal death. "I have known Philando 'Phil' Castile since he joined the Teamsters back in 2002 and he was an amazing person who did his job at St. Paul Public Schools because he loved the children he served," said Sami Gabriel, Teamsters Local 320 President. "He will be deeply missed by his colleagues and his community." "Teamsters Local 320 lost a union brother and my deepest condolences are with his family in their time of grief," said Brian Aldes, Secretary-Treasurer and principal officer of Teamsters Local 320. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout North America. Contact: Bret Caldwell, (202) 355-3409 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Related Links http://www.teamster.org 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 London, July 7 : Britain insisted on Thursday that it cannot begin negotiations with Brussels about leaving the European Union. Minister of Foreign Affairs Philip Hammond said the country is "not in a position" to negotiate and therefore activating Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty would be "unwise". "Article 50 sets a clock ticking and I don't think at the moment, for various reasons -- not least of which, we don't have the new Prime Minister in post -- for the moment we are in a position to begin substantive negotiations immediately," Efe news quoted him as saying. Hammond denied that the country would "unilaterally" guarantee the rights of EU citizens in Britain without first negotiating with EU members to be certain there is reciprocity. He added this was for the next Prime Minister of Britain to decide. Hammond showed he was willing to have informal conversations with Brussels about the status of expatriates, but lamented that European institutions do not want to discuss anything until Article 50 is triggered. "If the bureaucrats in Brussels would say today we are happy to sit down and talk to British Government about a deal that assures the mutual rights of citizens in each others countries, I'm sure Britain would be happy to engage in this process," he said. The British Conservative Party is immersed in internal elections to choose a substitute for Prime Minister and party leader David Cameron, who resigned after the Brexit campaign's victory. Panaji, July 8 : Despite contributing little by way of manpower to the Indian armed forces, Goa has more than made up by giving an Army hief and a Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar said on Friday. "A small state like Goa has given an Army chief in General Sunith Francis Rodrigues. Now, it has also given a Defence Minister. Despite its small population of 15 lakh, Goa has thus filled up its quota in a big way," Parrikar said at a government function in Margao town in south Goa, 35 km from Panaji. Rodrigues was Army chief from 1990 to 1993 and also served as Punjab Governor from 2004 to 2010. Goa was home to around 5,000 ex-servicemen, Parrikar said adding that Goans did not tend to gravitate towards the armed forces because it was not a border state and also due to possible lack of information about the defence forces. Parrikar, who took over as Defence Minister in November 2014, said his ministry had made lot of efforts to streamline army recruitment rallies which, he said, put candidates through a lot of hardships and the quality of selection suffered in the process. "Organising recruiting rallies for soldiers is a peril unto itself. (In) Jaipur... Haryana for a recruitment of 1,000 boys, as many as 25,000 to 30,000 people used to turn up. There was rioting, fighting and the tests used to suffer," Parrikar said. The minister said technology was being used to streamline recruitment in the defence forces. "We conducted a study and last year we changed our (recruitment) methodology. From now on, if we hold a recruitment rally, we have an online registration after declaring the venue in advance and call 1,000-odd boys based on names generated by a computerised list," Parrikar said. Kolkata, July 8 : Virtually defying the party stand, senior Congress leader Manas Bhunia on Friday formally accepted his appointment as the chairman of West Bengal assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The move comes a day ahead of a meeting of the West Bengal Congress leaders and legislators to decide on the issue of Bhunia's appointment as the PAC chief. Turning down the plea of Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan, of the Congress, to appoint Communist Party of India-Marxist's Sujan Chakraborty to the post, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee had announced Bhunia's appointment. While the Congress has been urging him to resign from the post, Bhunia, the former state Congress president, claimed he was never "officially informed about the party's stand". "Today I got my letter of appointment as the chairman of the PAC and it was my duty to meet the speaker and acknowledge the receipt of the letter," Bhunia told media persons after meeting Banerjee. "Any party decision is conveyed during a formal meeting. Since the last meeting on June 17, there has been no Congress Legislative Party meeting till date. Nobody has said anything about this to me, I came to know only through the media," said Bhunia arguing his stand was not in defiance of party stand. While admitting that he was informally asked to resign, Bhunia hit out at Mannan for painting him as "a villain". "On July 4 when the speaker announced my appointment as the PAC chairman, Mannan asked me to turn down the post. But I told them that inside the assembly, certain procedures need to be followed. Even if I said verbally, that would have no effect. "Ignoring my repeated urge for a meeting to discuss the issue, Mannan not only staged a walkout with the legislators but later at a press meet he indirectly called me a conspirator," said Bhunia. On the issue of state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sending him messages urging to resign, Bhunia iterated the absence of any official stand of the party. "In reply to Adhir's message, I asked him to call a CLP meeting and ask the members if in any meeting an unanimous resolution was passed recommending Sujan Chakraborty to the post," added Bhunia. Dhaka, July 8 : India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has written to Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs A.H. Mahmood Ali in the aftermath of the Gulshan cafe attack reiterating New Delhi's support to Dhaka in fighting terrorism. Sushma also offered on Friday a "comprehensive approach" in fighting terrorism, reported bdnews24.com. Both President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned the July 1 terror attack on the cafe in which 20 hostages, mostly foreigners and an Indian, were killed. Modi also phoned up Prime MInister Sheikh Hasina. Sushma reiterated the support in a letter. "India stands firmly with Bangladesh in this hour of grief and will work shoulder to shoulder with government of Bangladesh against terrorism and to protect our societies from the threat of ideologies of hate, violence, and terror," she wrote. "We need to adopt zero tolerance policy and a comprehensive approach in fighting terrorism at all levels," she said, bdnews24.com said quoting from the letter. Sushma Swaraj said it was particularly "unfortunate that such mindless violence should be perpetrated during the holy month of Ramadan when the minds of true believers would be turned to spiritual pursuits". "This has shown us that terrorism has no religion and no faith." She said she was "confident that the government of Bangladesh will do its utmost to bring those responsible for this cowardly attack to justice so that such attacks are not repeated in future". On Thursday, Bangladesh witnessed a fresh attack on the Eid day at Kishoreganj's Sholakia, in which four persons, including two policemen, were killed. President Mukherjee in a statement strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Eid congregation and expressed India's support to Bangladesh in defeating forces of terror. "I am shocked and distressed to hear about the terrorist attack in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, today (Thursday) on Eid. I condemn the perpetrators of this attack in the strongest of terms," the President said in a statement here. New Delhi, July 8 : Post its June referendum to leave the European Union, Britain on Friday initiated the process of recasting its trade relations with India dating to colonial times with a meeting here between British Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Indian Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Post Brexit (vote to exit EU), the UK Business Minister has now made the outreach to India, informally, now with this visit here. We are happy to engage niformally with the UK on trade and investment," Sitharaman told reporters here after meeting Javid. "These talks will have to be followed-up step by step, then formalised, before we can indicate whether we are looking at a preferential trade agreement (PTA) or a free trade agreement," she said. Noting that Britain was a "major component of our trade with the EU", Sitharaman said that she has invited the chief negotiatiors from both sides to start the process of informal negotiations. "Having recognised Brexit has happened, the talks on a trade agreement have to start afresh. There is great potential for goods and services trade between India and the UK, and services in particular with us being a member of the Commonwealth," she added. Javid told reporters: "We had very positive and constructive discussions and are ready to build on the constructive releationship that the UK and India already have." Britain accounts for 15 per cent of India's total merchandise trade. It is also the third largest inward investor into India, after Mauritius and Singapore, with cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) equity investments of $22.7 billion (from April 2000 to December 2015), or eight per cent of the total FDI inflows. In turn, India is the third largest investor, based on the number of projects, into Britain. Sitharaman also said negotiations would continue for an FTA with the European Union. Javid however declined to take queries regarding his meeting earlier on Friday in Mumbai with Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry along with Tata Steel top brass on the issue of the company's proposed sale of its steel assets in Britain. Islamabad, July 9 : Pakistan's celebrated humanitarian and Edhi Foundation Chairman Abdul Sattar Edhi has passed away at the age of 92 in Karachi, his son said on Saturday. Sattar Edhi passed away on Friday night at a hospital in Karachi, Dawn online quoted his son Faisal Edhi as saying. His funeral will be held on Saturday afternoon, his son said. Edhi was heading a foundation which supported thousands of needy people and children. He was conferred several highest national civilian awards due to his services for humanity. The Edhi Foundation is one of Pakistan's largest public welfare organisations and runs one of the biggest fleets of ambulances, dozens of clinics and orphanages in the country. Lucknow, July 9 : At least four persons were killed and over half-a-dozen injured when a disputed building in Meerut collapsed during its demolition on Saturday, police said. Five persons were pulled out of the rubble and rescue and relief operations were underway, a district official told IANS. The three-storey building is located in the Cantonment area. It was under dispute and Cantonment Board officials had gone to demolish it. Local shopkeepers opposed the drive but by then one pillar of the building had been pulled down. Over a dozen persons standing inside the building were trapped under the rubble. Cantonment Board officials and other staff members fled the scene as the building caved in. Los Angeles, July 9 : Actor Zac Efron says he would like to try blind dating -- and "maybe do like a roundtable of dates". The "Baywatch" actor believes that he is good at dating, reports dailymail.co.uk. "I'm a nerd, dude. I love comic books and video games. I just love chilling. My dates have all been successful. That's the problem. Maybe I am good at dates," Efron said. The 28-year-old has previously been in relationships with actress Vanessa Hudgens and model Sami MirA. Now that he is single, the "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" says that he is ready to try something new. ready to try something new in his bid to find love again. He said: "I think I'd like to go and just try something totally different, like blind dating. Maybe I should do like a roundtable of dates." Mumbai, July 9 : On the birth anniversary of late actor Sanjeev Kumar on Saturday, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor described him as an "effortless actor." The actor also shared that they did a film together, which never saw the light of the day. He tweeted: "Remembering the great Sanjeev Kumar on his birthday. We did one film together which never released. Effortless actor." The "Bobby" star shared how the film got embroiled in financial mess, and came to a grinding halt. "The film was 'Maang Sajado Meri'.Directed by Prayagraj produced by dear friend Raj Bhatija had Asha Parekh, Ranjeeta. Ready film got messed up. Financial mess up. Absolutely ready film never got a release 1984," Rishi tweeted Sanjeev Kumar, who died on November 6, 1985, was one of the most famous stars in 1960s and 1970s. He is known for his iconic roles in the films like "Sholay", "Trishul", "Shikar", and "Pati Patni Aur Woh". Dhaka, July 9 : In wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Bangladesh, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, will pay a two-day official visit to Dhaka from Sunday. During her visit to the capital city, Biswal will meet with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and the Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali and other senior government officials, reported Daily Star. "She may also call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Washington said. Biswal will discuss the security situation in Bangladesh following the July 1 terror attack on a cafe, in which 20 hostages, mostly foreigners including a Bangladeshi-born US citizen was killed. US has offered to support the investigation into the Gulshan attack, also assuring security for US embassy officials and US facilities in Bangladesh. Biswal last visited Dhaka on May 5 and 6, after the brutal murder of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) staff and a gay rights activist, Xulhaz Mannan in Dhaka on April 25. At least 20 hostages, including nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi-American and two Bangladeshis along with two police officials were brutally killed during the siege on July 1, before the commandos launched their rescue operation, codenamed as 'Operation Thunderbolt', in the popular hangout, Holey Artisan Bakery and O'Kitchen Restaurant, in Dhaka's diplomatic zone the next morning. Washington, July 9 : America's top cop had called her "extremely careless" in guarding the nation's secrets. But Hillary Clinton couldn't care less as she sauntered down Air Force One emblazoned with the presidential seal with the Commander-in-Chief in tow. Hours earlier, FBI Director James Comey had in a stinging rebuke demolished step by step her defence of using a private email server to do official business as Secretary of State for four years and yet declined to bring criminal charges against her. Contrary to her public statements, Clinton had sent or received 110 classified emails, including eight chains with 'top secret' information, on an email system even less secure than Gmail that may well have been hacked by hostile actors. And here was the Democratic nominee-to-be addressing a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina standing in front of a lectern with the "Seal of the President of the United States" as Barack Obama sat clapping on a backless stool beside her. Her rival turned boss, who had upset her applecart eight years ago, was now ready to "pass the baton" to her saying, "There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton, ever, and that's the truth." And by the evening, Attorney General Loretta Lynch had accepted Comey's recommendation that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring a criminal case against Clinton. The reprieve from the country's top law officer came just a week after Lynch had kicked up a firestorm when Bill Clinton by "chance" came over to her plane to say hello and "chat about their grandkids" in the midst of a probe of his wife's email practices. Democrats suggested Clinton's email troubles were over with her "vindication of sorts". Not so fast, said the Republicans and their standard bearer to be Donald Trump. "FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow! #Rigged System", he tweeted in Donaldspeak. "I don't think the voters will forget the rigged system that allowed Crooked Hillary to get away with 'murder.' Come November 8, she's out!" the Manhattan mogul said in another tweet. The House Republicans called in Comey for a painful grilling for almost five hours without a "humanitarian" bathroom break that he gamely declined as he defended his decision not to charge Clinton or any of her aides. Even as he acknowledged a federal employee would face "consequences" including dismissal for similar conduct, Clinton and her aides were let go as FBI found no evidence of "intentional and wilful mishandling of classified information." Nor did she lie to FBI, Comey asserted, though he was "unqualified" to say whether Clinton lied to the public. He was also no more qualified than any American citizen to answer "why should any person follow the law if our leaders don't." "The broader question is for democracy to answer, not me," said Comey. The "dishonest" liberal media, as Trump has branded it, too was quick to come to the aid of the Democratic nominee to be. "Clinton was 'extremely careless.' That is not a crime, but she must do better in the future," admonished the Washington Post editorially as others like The Week wondered "Why the Clintons always escape the axe." "The Clintons - both Hillary and Bill - are very smart, but also quite reckless," said an opinion piece in the New York Times while suggesting Comey's refusal to bring charges against "Ma'am Survivor" also "seems to be the right call". For days the media also pilloried Trump for sending a graphic tweet with a picture of Clinton on a pile of cash with "most corrupt candidate ever" written over a six-pointed star saying the 'Star of David' evoked anti-Semitic imagery. Trump first changed the star to a circle, but as the media firestorm grew fiercer he defiantly sent out another tweet featuring a famous Disney book with a similar six pointed star. "Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the 'Star of David' also? Dishonest media! #Frozen", he asked suggesting a star is a star. Meanwhile, with the FBI probe over, the State Department decided to reopen its own investigation into Clinton's email saga leaving a political cloud still hanging over the former first lady. As they say, it's not over until the fat lady sings and she is not going to sing until November 8 when the American voter gets to choose between the lesser of the two evils, as the media would have it - a wily politician or an unscrupulous businessman. (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) New Delhi, July 9 : The Congress on Saturday attacked the Narendra Modi government, questioning the Naga accord signed last year and wondered if the Centre had entered into an agreement with the NSCN(IM) "compromising India's sovereignty". The Congress also wanted to know if the Modi government had promised the Nagas a separate flag other than the Tricolour and separate passports other than Indian passports. The Congress attack follows an interview given by T. Muivah (82), general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), to The Hindu newspaper in which he said that the Nagas had not given up on their demand for sovereignty. Muivah, whose NSCN-IM signed the framework agreement with the government last year, said that a separate flag and passport for Nagas was not just a 'demand' but a 'right' as the Nagas were never under Indian rule. "Whether the Modi government has entered into an agreement with NSCN(IM), compromising India's sovereignty? Has the government agreed on a shared sovereignty of India for the Nagas?" asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. "Press statements made by the NSCN(IM) general secretary talk of an agreement with Modi government questioning our integrity. This has stunned the nation," he said. Surjewala further pointed out: "NSCN(IM) said a separate flag and passport for Nagas was not just a demand but a right, as Nagas were never under Indian rule. He also said the framework is secret because until a complete settlement is done, some secrecy will have to be kept." Surjewala said the Modi government must give details of the agreement with the Nagas. "Has Modi government promised a separate flag for the Nagas other than the Tricolour? Has Modi government agreed to give separate passports other than Indian passports? What are the details of this secret framework agreement entered into by Modi government?" Surjewala asked. Ghaziabad, July 9 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged a sit-in outside a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad in protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Addressing the workers outside Sihani Gate police station, BJP leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh's son Neeraj Singh said that it is a state-level programme organised by the party against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. "The UP police is extorting money throughout the state. The innocent public is the victim of favouritism, casteism and nepotism. The police stations are being run on contract basis. If the situation is not changed, the BJP would come with a thumping majority in the state," added Neeraj Singh. Hundreds of local party workers participated in the agitation against the police. Neeraj Singh recalled the Mathura case in which innocent police officers had to sacrifice their lives. Kairana, Mathura, Birada are the burning issues for the upcoming assembly elections in the state and the party is sure it would come to power with a thumping majority. Kabul, July 9 : At least seven persons were killed and eight injured in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Saturday, police officials said. In one incident, three children were killed and six persons were injured after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) struck a vehicle in Kandahar province, Xinhua news agency reported. "The struck vehicle was carrying nine persons. It touched off the IED along a road between Arghistan and Spin Boldak districts. The injured, including three females, were shifted to a nearby hospital by the security forces," an official said. Three policemen were killed in a drive-by shooting at a security checkpoint near Gardez in Paktia province. The attackers fled the scene after the attack, an official said. In Kunduz province, Nemat Ullah, a Taliban IED expert, was killed and two others wounded after an IED he was making detonated accidentally in a house in Dasht-e-Arch district of the province, the official added. Security forces defused an IED and detained one militant after he tried to attack a target in Kabul. About 600 civilians were killed and more than 1,340 injured in conflict-related violence and Taliban-led attacks in the first quarter of the year, according to the UN mission in the Asian country. New Delhi, July 9 : Facing investigation over his speeches that are believed to have "inspired" two of the Bangladeshi cafe attackers, controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Saturday sought support from the Muslim community against the "media trials" through his new Twitter handle "@drzakirofficial". "I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Muslim Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the "Media Trials" and Let Justice Prevail," Naik tweeted. Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, introduced his new Twitter handle @drzakirofficial on his Facebook page also. In another tweet, Naik said: "I appeal to all people worldwide to work together on the causes, ways and solutions to eliminate TERRORISM FROM OUR MIDST." Naik is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches against other religions. Within an hour of Naik's appeal for support on Saturday, his Facebook post had over 6,000 likes. The government has launched a multi-pronged investigation into controversies around Naik's speeches and "online sermons". Apart from an investigation by the Home Ministry, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is looking into issues concerning the telecast of his speeches. According to reports, some of the Indian youth who have taken to militancy are believed to have been "inspired" by Naik's speeches. On Friday, supporters of Naik took out a solidarity march in Srinagar to condemn any action that might be taken against him. Over a dozen supporters gathered in Srinagar and shouted slogans in favour of Zakir Naik. Born on October 18, 1965, Zakir Naik is better known as a Mumbai-based "preacher". He is a medical doctor by education. Internet also describes him as a Founder of Peace TV, Peace TV Bangla and Peace TV Urdu. Srinagar, July 9 : At least eight protesters were killed in clashes between security forces and people protesting the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. At least 95 people, including security personnel, were injured, said Additional Director general of Police, CID, S.M. Sahai and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S.J.M. Geelani at a press conference here. The protesters killed were identified as Aijaz Ahmed Thokru, a resident of Siligam in Anantnag, Yawar Manzoor Kondru of Anantnag, Khursheed Ahmed of Kulgam and Zubair Ahmed also of Kulgam, who was injured on Friday but succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, Adil Bashir of Dooru, Anantnag, Abdul Hamid Mochi, or Arwami village in Anantnag, Shaukat Ahmed of Bijbehara and Mohammad Asif of Kukurnag. All except Kondru who drowned in the Jhelum as security forces sought to disperse a violent mob were killed when security forces retaliated to attacks by violent mobs on police stations, mobile posts, security force pickets, police patrol and security force vehicles, the officials said. According to the officials, the mobs also burned down a police station in south Kashmir, and also attacked private and public vehicles on the highway. The administration also announced that all exams from school to university level had been postponed as well as the National Eligibility Test and interviews of the State Public Commission. Meanwhile, the separatists announced that they will continue their shutdown on Sunday and Monday too to protest the "killing spree by the Indian security forces". Protests swept the entire Kashmir Valley after the death of Wani, along with two of his associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday. He was buried on Saturday in his home village Tral in Pulwama district in the presence of 20,000 people who defied curfew. Ankara, July 9 : The first charter flight carrying 189 Russian tourists from Moscow to Turkey landed in Antalya city on Saturday after seven months of sanctions imposed by Russia, which banned travel agencies from selling tour packages to Turkey. The plane operated by Russia's state-owned Rossiya Airlines landed at the airport of Antalya, Efe news reported. The landing ends bilateral tensions that have severely affected the tourism sector throughout Turkey, where Russian tourists have made up the second largest group after Germans in recent years, with 4 million visitors in 2015. Moscow had previously banned travel agencies from selling tour packages to Turkey after Ankara shot down a Russian fighter on the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015 and refused to apologise, although individual tourism continued. The apology offered in late June by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thawed relations, so Moscow announced on July 7 the lifting of the tourism sanctions. Durban, July 9 : Continuing his visits to places associated with the life of Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the Phoenix Settlement near here, a community settlement established by the leader of India's freedom struggle in the early 20th century. "From Pietermaritzburg to Phoenix. PM visits the farm where Gandhiji spent formative years of his political work," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted. Modi was guided around the place by Gandhi's granddaughter Ela Gandhi. Gandhi established the community settlement called Phoenix at Inanda, some 20 km north of Durban, in 1904. "The settlement, devoted to Gandhi's principles of satyagraha (passive resistance) has played an important spiritual and political role throughout its long history, promoting justice, peace and equality," the Ulwazi Programme, a digital library on indigenous knowledge promoted by the Durban Public Library, states. "Gandhi established the settlement as an communal experimental farm with the view of giving each family two acres of land which they could develop," it states. "He believed that communities like Phoenix which advocated communal living would form a sound basis for the struggle against social injustice." It cites Ela Gandhi as saying that Gandhi used the Settlement "to train political activists called satyagrahis as well as house their families, while they were engaged in the campaigns against unjust laws". Indian Opinion, later renamed Opinion, the newspaper Gandhi founded in 1903 to create awareness about inequality, racism and other human rights issues, was published from Phoenix Settlement from 1904. Gandhi's son Manilal was its longest serving editor and the newspaper ran till August 1961. During his visit, Modi inaugurated an exhibition and also signed the visitor's book after lighting a lamp. To mark his visit to the settlement, he planted the sapling of a pepper and bark tree. The Prime Minister also visited Sarvodaya, which served as Gandhi's residence till his return to India in 1914. The house was razed to the ground during the apartheid violence at Inanda in August 1985. The South African government reconstructed it and it was reopened by then South African President Thabo Mbeki on February 27, 2000. Phoenix was the third place Modi visited during his South African tour that is associated with the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Earlier on Saturday, he visited the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment on a wintry night in 1893 on account of his skin colour. Modi told the media that his South African trip was turning out like a pilgrimage as he was getting to visit three places that were very significant for Indian history and Mahatma Gandhi's life. On Friday, the Prime Minister visited Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, where Gandhi was incarcerated in 1906 for resisting racism and apartheid. Later on Saturday, Modi will have an interaction with the Alumni Network and attend a reception to be hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and the Mayor of Durban before leaving for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and South African President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 Kolkata, July 9 : A day after senior Congress leader Manas Bhunia formally accepted the post of chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) despite opposition from his party, the party's West Bengal unit on Saturday officially requested him to quit the post. Turning down the plea of Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan, of the Congress, to appoint Communist Party of India-Marxist's Sujan Chakraborty, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on July 4 announced Bhunia's appointment. While his party including state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had urged him to resign, Bhunia on Friday formally took up the post contending the party did not officially ask him to resign. At a meeting of the state Congress, where 39 legislators were present, it was decided that they would formally send a proposal in this regard. "Bhunia has himself said that he is disciplined worker of the party. The legislators of the party will send a proposal to him urging to resign as the PAC chief and not fall prey to Trinamool Congress' trap," said Chowdhury after a meeting with party legislators here. He said that since the decision was taken by the AICC, Bhunia should quit the post. Chowdhury also questioned as to why "on the very day an arrest warrant was issued against the Bhunia, he was rewarded with the PAC chair". Formally accepting his appointment, Bhunia on Friday had claimed that although he was informally asked to resign, the party did not officially conveyed its stand of wanting Chakraborty as the PAC chair. Chandigarh, July 9 : AAP leaders said on Saturday that they will carry out voluntary service at the Golden Temple complex on Sunday even as Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal termed the proposed visit of party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for "sewa" (service) as a "sham". Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and lawyer H.S. Phoolka said on Saturday said he and other volunteers will seek forgiveness for the mistake done by the party (AAP) by doing 'langar sewa' and service at the 'Jora ghar' (shoe house). "AAP leader H.S. Phoolka will seek forgiveness from Guru Granth Sahib by doing sewa on July 10 (Sunday) from 3 am to 5 a.m. at the langar hall and from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. at the 'Jora Ghar' along with party volunteers," said a party statement. The AAP courted controversy when the cover page of its 'Youth Manifesto' carried a picture of the Sikhs' holiest shrine, Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, along with AAP election symbol of a broom. Phoolka had said on Friday that Kejriwal will do "sewa" at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on July 18 after charges that the AAP had hurt Sikhs' religious feelings. Chief Minister Badal on Saturday however said that Kejriwal's visit to 'Harmandar Sahib' on July 18 for performing 'sewa' was merely a sham. "It would not absolve him and his party in any case from the heinous sin committed by publishing the picture of Sri Darbar Sahib along with broom- their election symbol," Badal said. Badal said that anyone could offer prayers and perform 'sewa' at the shrine as a true devotee who has a feeling of repentance. "But people like Kejriwal and his accomplices are only indulging in politicking as there is a world of difference between their words and actions. The proposed visit of AAP convener is nothing more than a political stunt to salvage his image and party's swiftly falling graph of popularity," he said. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh accused Kejriwal and AAP of "trying to enact a political drama by seeking forgiveness from Darbar Sahab after the blasphemous acts of his party". "Who is Kejriwal to seek forgiveness and why is he seeking the forgiveness?" Amarinder asked while interacting with the media in Balachaur town, 65 km from here, on Saturday. "It was a deliberate act of the party and not an inadvertent mistake. By seeking forgiveness, Kejriwal and his party had already admitted to having committed blasphemy. Now it is for the Akal Takht to decide the quantum of punishment and not Kejriwal and the party. "What logic are they going by, by first committing the crime and then deciding the quantum of punishment themselves," Amarinder said. Kejriwal is likely to do service at the 'Langar hall' and also at the 'Jora ghar' of the Sikh shrine, which gets thousands of devotees daily. In further problems for AAP, its leader Ashish Khetan has been booked on charge of hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs by equating the manifesto with Guru Granth Sahib, the Bible and the Gita. Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal activists, including women, on Friday protested in Punjab against the "insensitivity" of the AAP leadership towards religious sentiments of various communities. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the mini-parliament of Sikh religious affairs, is mulling legal action in the matter. Imphal : Imphal July 9 (IANS) An all-party meeting held on Saturday in the office of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh resolved to pass another anti-migrant bill in the forthcoming session of the Manipur Assembly. On May 11, President Pranab Mukherjee had withheld the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 and sent the two other bills -- The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Manipur Shops and Establishment (2nd amendment) Bill, 2015 -- back for consideration. Though the President's decision was conveyed to the Manipur government, Ibobi did not divulge it till June 7 when the delegates of all political parties had rushed to Delhi for a meeting with Home Minister Rajnath Singh. It was decided in the meeting that legal and constitutional experts shall re-examine the two bills which were sent back for consideration. It was proposed that the third bill should be renamed as the Manipur Local People's Protection Bill, 2016. In the withheld Bill the base year was 1951. However in the new bill it will be 1972. M. Nara, the state Communist Party of India (CPI) Secretary said, "Tribals had objected to the three bills. The central government would never give assent to the bills since there will be a divide among the people. The new bill should be acceptable to all sections of the people." N. Sovakiran, President of the Manipur People's Party said, "It has come rather late in the day. Manipur goes to polls in February and official indications are that it may be advanced to December. It means that by the time the bill is referred to the Centre what we will have in Manipur is merely a lame duck government." Tombi, the state President of the Janata Dal (United) said, "We will urge the national leaders of our party to take up the issue of the Inner Line Permit system in Manipur." The Manipur Assembly had passed the three bills on August 31, 2015. One student supporting the bills was killed in Imphal and nine tribals were killed in Churachandpur district while protesting against the bills. Till date the bodies have not been claimed and are kept in a morgue. Brussels, July 9 : Striking down the previously reached agreement over US surveillance concerns, the European Union (EU) accepted the Private Shield law that would allow US companies to transfer Europeans' private data to servers across the ocean. The deal is aimed at protecting trans-Atlantic data flows, the European Commission said on Friday, paving the way for its formal adoption and implementation, reported RT.com. "Today member states have given their strong support to the EU-US Privacy Shield, the renewed safe framework for transatlantic data flows," Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip and Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova announced in a statement, also adding that the agreement ensures "a high level of protection for individuals and legal certainty for business." The agreement is aimed at replacing its predecessor, the Safe Harbor framework with the US, which the EU's top court struck down last October as "invalid" following Edward Snowden's revelations in 2013 of mass spying by US intelligence authorities. "It [the Privacy Shield] is fundamentally different from the old Safe Harbor: It imposes clear and strong obligations on companies handling the data and makes sure that these rules are followed and enforced in practice," Ansip and Jourova said. The newly adopted agreement will come into force from Tuesday. The deal, which is said to be aimed at protecting European citizens' private data, defines the rules of how the sharing of information should be handled. It gives legal ground for tech companies such as Google, Facebook and MasterCard to move Europeans' personal data to US servers bypassing an EU ban on moving personal information out from the 28-nation bloc. RT.com reported. The agreement covers everything from private data about employees to detailed records of what people do online. "For the first time, the US has given the EU written assurance that the access of public authorities for law enforcement and national security will be subject to clear limitations, safeguards and oversight mechanisms and has also ruled out indiscriminate mass surveillance of European citizens' data," the statement said. The Privacy Shield was first introduced and agreed upon in February, but its implementation was then delayed by European data protection regulators as they demanded more "security guarantees", while expressing concerns over "the possibility that is left in the Shield for bulk collection which if massive and indiscriminate is not acceptable." The new deal now grants greater guarantees to European customers and provides "accessible and affordable redress mechanisms" in case any disputes concerning US spying arises. An ombudsman will also be created within the US State Department to review complaints filed by EU citizens. Major US and UK tech companies applauded the agreement. Among those supporting the move was Industry group, DIGITALEUROPE, which represents Apple, Google and IBM. The TechUK, which represents 900 firms in the UK called Privacy Shield as "restoring a stable legal footing". Privacy Shield, however, has also faced sharp criticism. Concerns about extensive US spying activity were raised in Europe, after whistleblower Edward Snowden released a trove of controversial material on Washington's surveillance practices. Digital rights group Privacy International (PI) said that the newly adopted pact had been drawn up on a "flawed premise" and "remains full of holes and hence offers limited protection to personal data", the news website reported. London, July 9 : British Labour Party politician Angela Eagle on Saturday said she will announce her bid for the leadership of the Labour Party on Monday. Eagle, who has resigned as shadow Business Secretary, said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had failed "to lead an organised and effective" party. Corbyn's spokesman insisted that he would remain as leader of the party and would fight any leadership challenge, BBC reported. Corbyn has refused to step down despite a vote of no confidence passed by the party's MPs last month, and many resignations from his shadow cabinet in the wake of the EU referendum. Confirming her leadership bid, Eagle said she would "explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make" on Monday. But Corbyn, speaking at the Durham Miners' Gala, urged the party to unite, BBC added. Navsari (Gujarat), July 9 : The Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Saturday seized a consignment of party drug Mephedrone, also called M-Cat or meow-meow, valued at around Rs 90 lakh from three persons linked to a Mumbai-based Nigerian drug racket. ATS Sub Inspector C.R. Jadav said the three persons were arrested from around Chikhli area of Navsari in south Gujarat following a tip off. Gaurang Virjibhai Chandel, 23, a native of Kathvadi Machhivad village in Valsad who is into boat business in Mumbai, Nimesh Jayantibhai Patel, 37, of Halar in Valsad and Bhavesh Ishwarbhai Patel, 27, a resident of Gandevi in Navsari, were nabbed near Bagladev temple located besides Valvada-Chikhli highway. According to ATS, Chandel had brought 894.63 grams of Mephedrone, also known as 4-methyl methcathinone or 4-methyl ephedrone, and synthetic stimulant drug from a member of a Nigerian drug racket in Mumbai. The trio was caught while Chandel was delivering it to Nimesh and Bhavesh. The price of Mephedrone, a banned drug, in the international market is estimated at Rs 1 crore a kg, and the seized drug is around Rs 89.66 lakh, Jadav said. Two old two-wheelers were also seized from the three, he added. He said the Chikhli police were investigating what was the drug's final destination and efforts were on to get at the Nigerian national who delivered the drug to Chandel. Srinagar, July 9 : Ten people were killed and nearly 200, including 96 security personnel, injured in violent clashes between mobs protesting the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed deep grief and agony over the death of youths during protests at various places in Kashmir Valley on Saturday and appealed for calm, even as authorities indicated curfew would be more strictly enforced on Sunday. Defying prohibitory orders, a surging crowd of over 20,000 people on Saturday attended the burial of Wani in Tral town in Pulwama. Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners appeared surcharged and youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani's path. Wani, 21, a poster boy of militancy with thousands of followers on social media, was killed along with two associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday. The authorities, allowing the burial procedure, withdrew all security forces deployed around the ground to prevent clashes with the agitated people. Meanwhile, mobile internet services were suspended throughout the Valley to prevent the spread of rumours. Movement of pilgrims for the Amarnath Yatra was also suspended in view of the unrest and the pilgrims kept in transit and security forces camps. A decision on resuming the pilgrimage will be taken on Sunday, officials said. However, 15,684 pilgrims who had already reached the shrine had 'darshan' on Saturday. The eight protesters killed on Saturday were identified as Aijaz Ahmed Thokru, a resident of Siligam in Anantnag, Yawar Manzoor Kondru of Anantnag, Khursheed Ahmed of Kulgam and Zubair Ahmed also of Kulgam, who was injured on Friday but succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, Adil Bashir of Dooru, Anantnag, Abdul Hamid Mochi of Arwami village in Anantnag, Shaukat Ahmed of Bijbehara and Mohammad Asif of Kukurnag. All except Kondru who drowned in the Jhelum as security forces sought to disperse a violent mob were killed when security forces retaliated to attacks by violent mobs on police stations, mobile posts, security force pickets, police patrols and security force vehicles, the officials said. Two more injured succumbed to injuries in hospital but were yet to be identified. At least 96 security personnel were injured, said Additional Director general of Police, CID, S.M. Sahai and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S.J.M. Geelani at a press conference here. Three policemen were missing, they said. According to the officials, the mobs also burned down three police stations in south Kashmir as well as a tehsildar's office in Tral and attacked private and public vehicles on the highway. The administration also announced that all exams from school to university level had been postponed as well as the National Eligibility Test and interviews of the State Public Commission. Separatists, including hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik earlier called for a day's strike to protest Wani's killing. Later, they announced to continue their shutdown on Sunday and Monday too to protest the "killing spree by the Indian security forces". Lashkar-e Taiba militant outfit and Asiya Andrabi, the radical chief of women separatist outfit Dukhtaran-e-Milat, called for a three-day shutdown in the Kashmir valley. Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti, urging for calm, sought people's cooperation in restoration of normalcy in the Valley. "Violence only brings miseries to the people and tragedies for the victim families," she said and appealed people, especially the youth not to fall prey to the machinations of the vested interests, who play politics over the dead bodies of Kashmiris. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced apprehension of a likely spurt in militancy in the Valley in the wake of Wani's killing. "Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit in to militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," the National Conference leader said in a series of tweets. He also asserted that Wani had become the new 'icon' for the disaffected community in the valley. "After many years I hear slogans for "Azadi" resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon yesterday," he said in another tweet. Dhaka, July 9 : As investigations into the terror attacks at the Gulshan cafe and the Eid grounds at Sholakia are underway, Bangladesh police chief A.K.M. Shahidul Haque said on Saturday that the attacks were carried out by militants of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). When asked about the involvement of Islamic State (IS) in the attacks, the Inspector General of Police said that the IS claimed the responsibility of every attack wherever it took place. "We can't find any link as to why they (Islamic State) do it," said Haque, reported The Daily Star. Police had been looking for the five Gulshan cafe attackers for a long time, the IGP said, adding that the law enforcers had information about them. "They were JMB members," the IGP said. "We primarily found evidence of JMB's link with the Sholakia attack," he added. An injured man, who was detained in connection with the Sholakia attack, admitted that they had contacts with the attackers of the Holey Artisan Bakery, the police chief added. A case is likely to be filed in connection with the Sholakia attack that left four people dead on Eid day, Haque said, adding that "In the Sholakia attack, one attacker was killed and another was injured." Quoting the policemen who were present at the terror site during the attack, IGP Shahidul said, "Five to six men took part in the attack but several other persons might have assisted them. We are trying to detain them." On July 1 terrorists killed 22 people, including 17 foreigners and two policemen, shortly after taking a number of hostages at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe and O' Kitchen Restaurant in Dhaka's diplomatic zone. Six militants were also killed during the incident and one was captured alive. A day after the brutal killing, IS claimed responsibility for the Gulshan cafe attack, according to US-based Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group. Barely a week later, the terror attack at the Sholakia Eidgah took place, claiming the lives of four people, including two policemen, as hundreds of thousands gathered for Eid congregation on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, a day before the Sholakia attack, Sirajul, father of Abir Rahman, the suspected attacker who died in a gunfight with police at Sholakia in Kishoreganj, had filed a complaint at Bhatara Police Station over his son going missing. As per the General Diary missing complaint, Abir, a student of North South University, had been missing for four months since March 1, police said, quoting his family, reported bdnews24.com. Asked why they were filing the GD after so many days, police informed the local media that Abir had left home upset about the disagreement over his going abroad, as he wanted to go to Malaysia and his father wanted to send him to Australia and so his father assumed that he must have flown to Malaysia and would return. "He (Sirajul) said he came to police as suspicion tickled his mind after the Gulshan attack," added police. Washington, July 9 : Among the five policemen killed in a sniper attack in Dallas one has been identified as a newlywed officer of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) authority and another an Iraq veteran-turned police officer of the agency. Five officers died and seven were injured in the Thursday night attack, the mayor's office said, reported CNN. The five officers who died during the attack were Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens and Michael Smith. Thompson, a Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer, was the first officer to die in the agency's line of duty. "Brent was a great officer," said James Spiller, the Police Chief of DART. "He was an outstanding patrol officer as well as a rail officer. We have the highest respect for him," added the chief. A nearly seven-year veteran of the transit force, Brent, got married two weeks ago, Spiller said. His spouse was a fellow transit officer. Thompson was an international police liaison officer for DynCorp International for nearly five years, starting in 2004, his LinkedIn profile said. He was in southern Afghanistan as well, according to the profile, where he was a "Team Leader" and "Lead Mentor" to the "Southern Provincial Police Chief." Another DART officer who died was Patrick Zamarripa, a US Navy veteran who was deployed to Bahrain as part of the Iraq War effort, stated military records. He was the father of two children and greatly loved by his own father, Rick Zamarripa. The third officer who sacrificed his life in the line of duty was Michael Krol, whose lifelong dream was to be a police officer, said his uncle, Jim Ehlke. Krol worked with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office from 2003 to 2007. Another Dallas Officer, Lorne Ahrens also gave up his life for the nation. He was a great co-worker, said Sgt. Anthony Gunn of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "I had the honor of working with Lorne at LASD's Lennox Station in the early 1990s and at Lancaster Station in the late 1990's," Gunn said. Michael Smith was also among the dead DART officers. He joined the department in 1989, his sister said. The sniper unleashed an attack on the police when a multi ethnic protest against the killing of two Afro American men by the police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and in the Minnesota suburb of Falcon Heights, was concluding. Durban, July 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the second and concluding day of his visit to South Africa, lauded the diversity of the city of Durban and praised the achievements of its people of Indian origin. "One of the hallmarks of this beautiful nation is its vibrant diversity.," Modi said at a civic reception hosted in his honour by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner at the Durban City Hall. "And, no city celebrates this diversity better than the city of Durban and the province of Kwazulu Natal," he said. "This celebration of plurality of dialects and languages, of belief in multiplicity of faiths and of cultural traditions, is an integral part of this city's heritage." He said that the first batch of 342 Indians arrived in Durban on November 16, 1860. "Today, over a century and a half later, Durban is the largest Indian city outside India," the Prime Minister said.. "It is home to the largest population of people of Indian origin in South Africa." Of the 1.2 million people of Indian origin in South Africa, most of whose ancestors were brought as indentured labour, 800,000 live in Durban. Modi said that despite the sufferings of early generations of Indians under apartheid and colonial rule, they preserved their culture and values. "And, today, they are proud, successful and loyal citizens of this country," the Prime Minister said. "They are contributing to their country in education and scientific research, as entrepreneurs and leaders of businesses, as lawyers and judges, and as bankers, doctors and engineers." Stating that these people of Indian origin were not living only for themselves, he said they were leading efforts to uplift the poor and the under privileged, and for the care of the sick and the elderly. "They are running old age home, centres for the terminally ill, AIDS and cancer patients, and orphanages," he said. According to Modi, the history of the people-to-people ties provides a strong foundation to build the modern day partnership between India and South Africa. "Today, India is undergoing an economic transformation. And, South Africa is one of the leading economies of Africa. Our trade and investment partnership is already substantial," he said. He said that he and South African President Jacob Zuma have agreed to advance the India-South Africa strategic ties across the whole range of social and economic sectors, including trade and investments, development of small and medium businesses, information and communication technologies, and capacity and institution building. "Today, in our inter-dependent world, India's growth story is one of the brightest spots," Modi said. "But, India's economic advance is not for the benefit of our society alone. The embrace of our partnership is open to the larger good of Africa and our friends like South Africa," he stated. Earlier on Saturday, Modi took a short train ride to the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. He also visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that Gandhi had established in 1904. Later on Saturday, the Prime Minister will leave for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation African tour. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and President Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Apart from Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, Modi will also visit Kenya. London, July 9 : Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Saturday that the British Parliament will vote on the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system on July 19. A replacement for the system was estimated to cost between $19 billion and $20.5 billion. The force currently consists of four submarines which are each capable of carrying up to 16 ballistic nuclear missiles which can hit targets up to 7,500 miles away, The Independent reported. At any moment in time, at least one submarine is actively on patrol in case an attack is considered following a severe threat or strike against Britain. Announcing the vote date at the NATO summit in Warsaw, Cameron reiterated his support for the scheme. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential, in my view, not just to Britain's security but, as our allies have acknowledged here on Saturday, to the overall security of the NATO alliance," The Independent quoted Cameron as saying. Ahmedabad, July 9 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bardoli Prabhu Vasava and Gujarat Minister of State for Tribal Development Kanti Gamit on Saturday led a public demonstration against what they called "too high" highway toll tax. Both the BJP leaders led locals to protest against toll levied at Songadh tax booth on highway connecting Hazira to Nagpur, popularly known as the Dhulia interstate highway, and claimed the previous UPA government was responsible for it. "Our agitation is not against our party's government in the state or at the ventre. The agreement for toll was signed during the UPA government and we are protesting against that," Vasava told local journalists. He said the region was dominated by tribals who find it difficult to bear high cost of toll while traveling on the highway. "A trucker earns Rs 900 for a trip but has to spend as much as Rs 700 on toll. It is not viable for those in the business," he added. Durban, July 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left South Africa for Tanzania on the third leg of his four-nation tour of Africa. "A busy and fruitful South Africa visit ends. PM @narendramodi leaves for Tanzania," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. On Sunday, Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. A major highlight of Modi's visit to Tanzania will be a meeting with a group of "solar mamas". "Solar mamas" are women from developing nations who have been trained in harnessing solar energy at the Barefoot College at Tilonia village in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, which numbers around 50,000 in Tanzania. Thereafter he will leave for Nairobi, Kenya, where he will address an Indian diaspora rally on Sunday evening. Earlier on Saturday, Modi took a short train ride to the Pietermaritzburg railway station, the same station where Mahatma Gandhi was evicted from a train compartment in 1893 on account of his skin colour. He then visited the Phoenix Settlement near here that Gandhi had established in 1904. He also addressed a civic reception hosted in his honour by the Mayor of Durban and the Indian High Commissioner in South Africa. Modi arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his African sojourn. On Friday, India and South Africa signed four agreements after bilateral discussions led by Modi and President Zuma in Pretoria. The Prime Minister also addressed an Indian diaspora rally in Johannesburg that was attended by over 11,000 people before leaving for Durban. This is Modi's first visit to mainland Africa and is also the first prime ministerial visit from India to South Africa since then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in 2013 for the G20 summit in Durban. Warsaw, July 9 : The leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) agreed on Saturday to formally maintain 12,000 troops in Afghanistan in 2017. The troops are part of NATO's Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, Efe news reported. "We will maintain a military presence and continue funding Afghan security forces," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to journalists at the Warsaw summit, adding that they are "committed" and "ready to stay", but that it is a strictly non-combat mission. Stoltenberg acknowledged that there is "some presence" of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan, including several Taliban groups who pledged their allegiance to the group, but insisted that the most important thing was to "continue to strengthen the Afghans". "It is going to continue to be a challenging situation in Afghanistan," he said, adding that "there is no reason to believe all the problems in Afghanistan will be solved, that is why we will continue to support them." In addition to their role in the Resolute Support Mission, US forces will also be continuing their counter-terrorism efforts. US President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that at the end of his presidency, 8,400 of the current 9,800 US troops present in Afghanistan are due to remain. New Delhi, July 9 : Appealing for peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress on Saturday said that it was the responsibility of the central and PDP-BJP state governments to ensure law and order. Congress also blamed the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state for all the "wrong decisions that may have adverse consequences in the long term". "To the youth or the elderly people of Jammu and Kashmir, we will convey the message that violence is not the solution to any problem. Peace, harmony and brotherhood are the only answers," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told media. "Both maintenance of law and order and maintenance of peace are the responsibilities of the Centre government and the government of Jammu and Kashmir," he added. At least 10 protesters, were killed and over a 100 others injured in clashes between security forces and people protesting death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani across Kashmir on Saturday. Nearly 100 security personnel were also injured and three policemen were mssing. New Delhi, July 9 : The Delhi government appointed Ramesh Negi as the acting Chief Secretary in the absence of K. K. Sharma, who will remain on leave till July 25. A Delhi government official said that Negi, who is Principal Secretary in Urban Development Department and is retiring on July 31, has been given the charge. Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung had appointed Shakuntala Gamlin as the acting Chief Secretary last year when Sharma had gone on a similar personal leave. This move had sparked a clash between the Lt. Governor and the Delhi government, which alleged that the appointment was done without its consent. Kolkata, July 9 : Following the recent terror attacks in the neighbouring country, the Bangladesh government has assured that safety of potential Indian travellers will be ensured, a top official said on Saturday. "The safety of Indian tourists will be ensured. We are committed to the issue," said Jyotirmoy Burman, Joint Secretary in the Bangladesh Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. "It is unfortunate that such attacks have taken place in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has categorically stated the country will convert this grief into strength to fight these forces," he said at the 'Travel and Trade Fair' here. "The Sheikh Hasina government has been pro-active to overcome the situation and regain the confidence of prospective travellers. It is a question of our image. Our government has been pro-active in handling the situation and the entire process is being conducted under the direct supervision of our Prime Minister," he said. Emphasising the Bangladesh Government's "zero tolerance" approach for such terrorist activities, Barman said she has categorically stated that the country will "convert this grief into strength" to fight against such forces. To attract Bengali-speaking tourists, the Bangladesh government with the help of tour operators plans to arrange a three-day programme to commemorate the occasion of February 21 International Mother Language Day. The visit would start from February 20 and end on February 22 during which Indian tourists would be assisted to visit various places of interest in Bangladesh and also taste a variety of cuisines. Among foreign tourists to Bangladesh, the Japanese accounts for the maximum number followed by those from Italy, he said. According to estimates of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, four to five lakh foreign tourists visit Bangladesh every year out of which about 1.5 lakh are from India. In American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst (Doubleday; pub month, Aug.; Reviews, June 27), journalist Toobin provides the definitive account of the 1974 kidnapping of teenage newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst in Berkeley, Calif., by a group of self-described revolutionaries calling themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. Its been more than 40 years since Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a group she later joined. Why do you think the story still resonates? It is an extraordinary window into a wild era: the poisonous, toxic 70s, when the idealism of the 60s yielded, for many, to an angry, anarchic rage. The kidnapping and its aftermath comes out of that madness. But it also has an enduring appeal for a simpler reason. Its a mystery. Why did an apolitical 19-year-old heiress with one of the most famous names in America do what she did? Could the Hearst kidnapping have occurred anywhere but 1970s California? California is indispensable to this story. By the 70s, the idealism reflected in San Franciscos summer of love and the Berkeley free speech movement had curdled. What was left of the counterculture descended into bitter anger. Its revealing that when the SLA went on the run after the kidnapping, they kept being drawn back to California. It was the only place where they could even hope to find allies in their mad crusade. You interviewed many people associated with Hearst during her days as a fugitive and also had access to primary (written, audio, video) sources. Was there any one source that you found more reliable than others? The turning point in my research came when I obtained 150 boxes of material from Bill Harris, a former member of the SLA. This was a gold mine of previously undisclosed material: all the FBI interviews with witnesses, all the secret grand jury testimony, all the evidence in all the trials. Also, a 60-page narrative of the saga compiled by private investigators for the SLA defendants gave me great insight into the surviving kidnappers view of events. Of course, I did not accept anyones account as gospel, but tried to find the truth amid the competing versions of what happened. You are up front when it comes to your opinions concerning most of the figures in this book. For instance, it appears that you dislike Hearsts mother, Catherine Hearst; Hearsts ex-fiance, Steven Weed; and attorney F. Lee Bailey. Would you call American Heiress an objective account? Id quarrel with your characterizations. Catherine had a stormy relationship with her daughter. Most of the complaints about Catherine in the book come from Patricia, not from me. Weed was a haughty figure in the months after the kidnapping who managed to alienate Patricia, the FBI, and the SLA. Bailey made some poor strategic judgments in defending Patricia; Ill stand by those characterizations, though I regard Bailey as one of the great characters Ive had the privilege to write about in several books. Sitting over a cappuccino in Caffe Reggio in New Yorks Greenwich Village, listening to the novelist Amor Towles speak about the Russian Revolution, its not difficult to imagine that this scene is taking place half a century ago. Not much has changed at Caffe Reggio since its opening in 1927, and Towles moves with such ease among Anton Chekhov, Edith Wharton, and current international affairs that he seems to embody the kind of adroit conversationalist who, we like to complain, is lacking from our abbreviation-happy era. But, as Towles points out, each generation has its own codes for social etiquetteof which codes he is an attentive observer. Towles is just as likely to touch on Mark Zuckerbergs strategic wardrobeA billionaire in sweats!as the latest Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation of the Russian classics. And although Towles has been writing fiction his whole life, he spent two decades working in finance before publishing his first novel, Rules of Civility, with Viking in 2011. A Gentleman in Moscow, his new novel, is due out from Viking in September. The gentleman of the title, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, comes from a 19th-century world, and has a 19th-century sensibility, Towles explains. As the novel begins, Rostov is a man dangerously out of step with his time. A poet and duelist in his youth, concerned with matters of honor and selecting an appropriate dinner wine, the charming count is the prototypical Russian aristocrat. When he returns to Moscow from Paris after the 1917 Bolshevik coup, the only thing that keeps him from being executed like many other members of the aristocracy is a poem published under his name in 1913, which is judged to be full of revolutionary sympathy. Instead of being shot, the count is sentenced to house arrest at Moscows luxurious Hotel Metropol, indefinitely. From 1905, when it opened, to 1950, its extraordinary what has happened inside that hotel, Towles says. Built to rival the best hotels of Europe, the Metropol still stands in the center of Moscow, a short walk from Red Square, diagonally across from the Bolshoi Theatre. Towles notes: During the October Revolution, imperial forces used the Metropol as a bastion to defend the Kremlin, and the Bolsheviks were in the street firing at the hotel. Every single window was shot out. When the great American writer John Reed arrived in Moscow and went to find a place to stayin the midst of the revolutionthe captain of the Metropol told him, We do have a room for youas long you dont mind fresh air. Reed wasnt the Metropols most storied visitor for long. Towles, who was born and raised near Boston, has visited Russia and stayed at the Metropol himself, but in his research he drew most heavily on the writings of other notable Metropol guests. The hotel was full of them: the Bolsheviks, Towles says, in its efforts to establish diplomatic relations with other governments, didnt want to advertise the direness of postrevolutionary conditions in Russia. So the Metropol very quickly had food and liquor and music that nobody else had, he adds. It became, in the imagination of many Russians, this unattainable, amazing place. It shows up in the literatureChildren of the Arbat, The Master and Margarita. Foreign visitors included Lillian Hellman, John Steinbeck, New York Times correspondent Harrison Salisburyand, in Towless fiction, not a few representatives of foreign intelligence. In the course of writing the novel, Towles was doing intelligence-type work himself. That doesnt mean he was snooping around the Metropolthe present-day hotel staff were more than happy to let him do a little behind-the-curtain exploration during his stay there. Instead, it was a challenge for him to decide which aspects of the hotels history to include in Rostovs story, which spans more than 30 years. Rostov, Towles says, is vaulted forward by the revolution into this modern thing. He adds: Russia vaulted forward dramatically in every sphere, not just politically. In the decades after the revolution, Russia was among the most modern of the European nations in ways that we dont think aboutit immediately became a secular nation, created equal rights for women, made it easy to get divorced, and made an effort to industrialize. As Rostov ingeniously makes a place for himself at the Metropol, Towles notes that the novel, too, shifts: The count is evolving, but the narrative style is also evolving, and youre moving from Tolstoy toward Casablanca in narrative form. Its important to recognize, Towles says, that Russias vaulting forward came at a great cost to human life. Individual lives, rather than broad historical epochs, are what interest him. After a first draft, which took him a year and a half to write, Towles revised A Gentleman in Moscow three times in two years, from beginning to end. With each revision, he brought out the patterns and complexities of individual characters. Part of the editing process is bringing someone to greater life, he explains. The same sentiment is borne out in the novel. What can a first impression tell us about anyone? Towles asks in the book. Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration. By considering and reconsidering his characters, Towles has escaped the pitfall of many a historical novela ponderous recitation of facts and dates. The Wall Street Journal described Rules of Civility as a very good... sharp, sure-handed evocation of Manhattan in the late 30s. Towles is drawn to the social worlds of cities in flux. All the historical elements should feel organic to the story but not hammered down to serve a purpose, he says. Im not writing about the Depression or Soviet Russia. My books are both about an individual whos transforming in a broader context of social transformation. Has Towles himself been transformed in the writing of A Gentleman in Moscow? The novel once included several pages of a separate, never-published first manuscript, also set in Russia, but those pages didnt make it into the book. Instead, Towles says, the experience of reading major Russian writers with a small group of friends has been a much bigger influence and an infusion of helpful information and insight. Towless own graduate-student past has also subtly informed the book, linking art and life in the kind of pattern novelists dream about. In a library at Stanford, where he studied, Towles happened upon a collection of Chekhovs correspondence and read a letter the playwright sent to his sister from Berlin. The footnote said that in the Soviet edition, the line about Berlins excellent bread was expurgated, presumably because of that compliment. I read that in 1988. I xeroxed it, I put it in a file, and it stayed with me. It is one of the seeds of my interest in 20th-century Russia. The Communist governmentthey viewed that as dangerous, even though all it said was that the bread in Berlin was delicious. But they thought: A sentence like that could bring down our government. Take it out! Its a window to not only the complexity and willpower of the Soviet government but on the Russian relationship with the written word. In A Gentleman in Moscow, a university friend of the counts embarks on a project inspired by that very line, which helps keep him alive during his time in labor camps. As awful as the crimes of Stalinism were, Towles says, the vast majority of the Russian population was trying to survive, to love, to have a sense of purpose. It is this human world that A Gentleman in Moscow explores. Even in times of great adversity, repression, and personal danger, Towles says, there is still a will to joy. Vera Kean is a writer living in New York. The Democratic Party platform drafted in St. Louis is an excellent start in bringing forth policies that will help end the 40-year decline of the American middle class. These initiatives, if implemented, will create millions of good-paying jobs, significantly improve health care and reverse the dangerous trend in this country toward an oligarchic form of society. But, let us be clear, this is a document that needs to be significantly improved by the full Platform Committee meeting in Orlando on Friday and Saturday. Here are some very positive provisions in the platform as it stands today: At a time when huge Wall Street financial institutions are bigger now than they were before the taxpayers of this country bailed them out, the platform calls for enacting a 21st-century Glass-Steagall Act and for breaking up too-big-to-fail banks. The platform calls for a historic expansion of Social Security, closes loopholes that allow corporations to avoid paying taxes, creates millions of jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, makes it easier for workers to join unions, takes on the greed of the pharmaceutical companies, ends disastrous deportation raids, bans private prisons and detention centers, abolishes the death penalty, moves to automatic voter registration and the public financing of elections, eliminates super PACs, and urges passage of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, among many other initiatives. These are all major accomplishments that will begin to move this country in the right direction. I congratulate Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Platform Drafting Committee, and all 15 members of the panel for their hard work. But, unfortunately, there were a number of vitally important proposals brought forth by the delegates from our campaign that were not adopted. My hope is that a grassroots movement of working people, environmentalists, and human-rights advocates will work with us to demand that the Democratic Party include these initiatives in the platform to be adopted by the full committee in Orlando. We need to have very clear language that raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour, ensures that the promised pensions of millions of Americans will not be cut, establishes a tax on carbon, and creates a ban on fracking. These and other amendments will be offered in Florida. Further, one of the most important amendments that we will offer is to make it clear that the Democratic Party is strongly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In my view, the Democratic Party must go on record in opposition to holding a vote on this disastrous, unfettered free-trade agreement during the lame-duck session of Congress and beyond. Frankly, I do not understand why the amendment our delegates offered on this issue in St. Louis was defeated with all of Hillary Clintons committee members voting against it. I dont understand that because Clinton, during the campaign, made it very clear that she did not want to see the TPP appear on the floor during the lame-duck session. If both Clinton and I agree that the TPP should not get to the floor of Congress this year, its hard to understand why an amendment saying so would not be overwhelmingly passed. Lets be clear: The trade agreement is opposed by virtually the entire grassroots base of the Democratic Party. Every trade union in this country is strongly opposed to the pact. They understand that this agreement will make it easier for corporations to throw American workers out on the street and move factories to Vietnam, where workers are paid 65 cents an hour. Virtually every major environmental group is opposed to the TPP because they understand that it will make it easier for the biggest polluters in the world to continue despoiling our planet. Major religious groups are opposed because they understand that it will reward some of the biggest human-rights violators in the world. Doctors Without Borders is strongly opposed to this agreement because its members understand that it would increase prescription-drug prices for some of the most desperate people in the world by making it harder to access generic drugs. This agreement also threatens our democracy. We cannot give multinational corporations the ability to challenge our nations labor and environmental laws simply because they might reduce expected future profits through the very flawed Investor State Dispute Settlement system. That would undermine the democratic values that our country was founded on. During the coming days and weeks our campaign will be reaching out to grassroots America to do all that we can to oppose the TPP and make sure that it doesnt get passed. Registration underway for fall BHC classes Registration for fall classes is underway at Black Hawk College. Classes begin Aug. 22. The fall class schedule is available at bhc.edu/schedules. New students are encouraged to work in person with a Black Hawk College adviser. For more information, call 309-796-5300. Kids can learn to swim this summer at BHC The next session of Swim School for ages 4-15 begins July 18 at Black Hawk College in Moline. Daily summer classes meet Monday-Thursday for two weeks. Choose from five class times -- 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 4:15 p.m. or 5:15 p.m. Classes are 45 minutes. Cost is $55 for eight classes. To register, call 309-796-5601. For more information, visit bhc.edu/swim. LinkedIn, Facebook, Windows 10 classes coming up Black Hawk College has a variety of computer classes for the community. Upcoming classes at the colleges Outreach Center in East Moline include: LinkedIn: Thursday, July 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $35. Facebook: Mondays, July 25 to Aug. 8, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Cost is $42. Getting Started with Your Computer (Windows 10): Mondays, July 25 and Aug. 1, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Cost is $35. Introduction to PowerPoint (2013): Thursdays, July 28 and Aug. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $60. To register, call 309-796-8223. BHC offering food handler training in Geneseo Black Hawk College offers training in Geneseo for restaurant and food-service workers. In Illinois, all food handlers must receive basic safe food handling principles training within 30 days of employment. The next Food Handler Training will be July 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., at the Geneseo Public Library. Cost is $28. To register, call Black Hawk College at 309-796-8223. Apply by Aug. 1 for new Veterinary Assisting program Black Hawk College is launching a new Veterinary Assisting Certificate Program at two college locations. The one-year, college-credit program is ideal for those who want to combine their interest in science with their compassion for animals. The program will be offered at the colleges East Campus near Kewanee and the Quad-Cities Campus in Moline. Only 24 students per campus will be accepted each fall. Students must apply by Aug. 1. The program has a fall-only start with classes beginning Aug. 22. For more information or to download the application, visit bhc.edu/vet. DAVENPORT -- Davenport officials hope to decide by the end of the month who the next city administrator will be, Mayor Frank Klipsch said Friday. Davenport residents will have a chance to meet the three finalists for the job during a reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at River Music Experience, 129 Main St. Interim city administrator Corri Spiegel; Stephen Riley, town manager for Hilton Head, S.C.; and Kevin Woods, city manager for Stallings, N.C., are remaining contenders from a field of 34 applicants. Mayor Klipsch said the informal event will allow people to meet the finalists and speak to them. On Tuesday, the city administrator search committee will conduct public interviews with the three finalists. The schedule for the interviews, which will be in the city council chambers, has Ms. Spiegel at 8:30 a.m., Mr. Riley at 10:15 a.m., and Mr. Stallings at noon. Mayor Klipsch, who is on the 11-member search committee, said the committee's decision will then be forwarded on to the city council. A final decision, he said, could be made at the July 20 or July 27 city council meeting or sometime in early August. "My role is to bring the candidate to the city council for approval," Mayor Klipsch said. "Ultimately, the council makes the final decision." The city has been without a permanent city administrator since the departure of Craig Malin in June 2015. The finalists:* Ms. Spiegel, who serves as interim city administrator and was assistant to the city manager from August 2014 to June 2015. She has 13 years of experience in municipal government. Prior to coming to Davenport, she was economic development manager for Centennial, Colo. She holds a Master of Science of Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University and a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University. Mr. Riley is town manager of Hilton Head, S.C., where he has served for 25 years. . He has more than 30 years of experience working for municipalities. He holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Nebraska. Mr. Woods is city manager of Stallings, N.C. Prior to that, he served as vice president of Versar, Inc., a global engineering and construction management firm. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He also holds a Master of Arts in Operational Planning from the U.S. Army Advanced Studies Program. * Candidate information provided by the City of Davenport MILAN -- The Quad City Animal Welfare Center and Tippi Yogis are partnering to offer kitten yoga from 10 to 11 a.m. July 16 at the center, 724 W. 2nd Ave. Attendees will practice yoga while shelter kittens play in the room. Spots are limited for this event, and attendees must sign up in advance. Attendees must bring their own yoga mats. Cost is $15 to participate, with $10 donated to the shelter. You can reserve a spot online at qcawc.org/KittenYoga.html through PayPal, or in person at the center. If someone reserves a spot and cannot attend, the payment will be considered a donation to the shelter, with no refunds available. Teens 16 and older are welcome, and children ages 12-15 can attend and participate if they are accompanied by a participating adult. ANNAWAN -- Catherine Nelson is combining her love of music and ministry in her summer work at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, Ill. Ms. Nelson choreographed the dances for the 2016 LOMC Swing Choir Tour, July 22-29, with 11 performances throughout Illinois, according to its website, lomc.org. The daughter of Marty and Judy Nelson, of Annawan, Ms. Nelson is a 2012 Geneseo High School graduate who graduated this year from Augustana College in Rock Island, majoring in religion and communication studies. A veteran LOMC camper, she had the dances choreographed when choir members arrived at camp and taught the routines during daily rehearsals. This year's eight-day tour includes stops in northern Illinois and the Chicago Metro area. I also accompany the choir while they are on tour to make any necessary changes to the dances, because church sanctuaries come in many different shapes and sizes, she said. "Music has always been a love of mine, so I hope to keep it as part of my ministry in the future." The swing choir consists of Illinois and Wisconsin teens in grades 9-12 under the direction of Chris Parkinson, of Freeport. The choir has performed in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin churches for 30 years. Many choir members have performed together for several years, with new members joining every year. A year-round retreat facility and summer camp, LOMC is a ministry of the Central/Southern Illinois, Metropolitan Chicago and Northern Illinois Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. LOMC director Russ Senti said the swing choir tour is one of many summer-camp programs it offers. "With its camp and retreat facilities, and 640 acres of forest and prairie, pond and hills, more than 10,000 annual visitors find LOMC a beautiful place to learn and grow in their faith, he said. Ms. Nelson said she has attended the camp since her seventh grade confirmation at First Lutheran Church in Geneseo. "Going to LOMC with my church introduced me to camp and therefore introduced me to swing choir, she said. I was a part of the choir all four years of high school and this is my third year as choreographer for the swing choir. Ms. Nelson said each year she choreographs new songs for the performances. She also is a camp counselor, working with the different campers who, each week, attend program camps at LOMC. Based on the program, we do different activities and teach Bible studies every day, she said. She said she plans to attend seminary in South Carolina and become an ordained pastor, with concentrations on chaplaincy and youth and family ministry. Before she begins those studies, she plans to travel to the United Kingdom with Young Adults in Global Mission for a year of service. I am currently waiting to hear about what my job will be while I am there to serve, she said. "My year of service will begin Aug. 16, and end dates vary based on the job that I am given. She said she will take her memories of summer camp with her as she climbs to the next plateau of her future. "I have always felt closer to God when I am at camp," she said. "What has been extremely amazing this summer is seeing the campers grow in their faith. Hearing their questions and getting to discuss the Bible with campers is what has made the experience for me. CATHERINE NELSON Birth date: May 3, 1994. Family: Parents, Marty and Judy Nelson, Annawan; brothers, Craig, Chris and Curt. Hometown: Annawan. Education: Geneseo High School; Augustana College; will attend Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary the fall of 2017. Experience: While at Augustana, I worked for the admissions office as an ambassador and outreach caller all four years. Favorite scripture: Jeremiah 29:11. Biblical character Id like to meet: I would like to meet the angel that accompanied Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Hobbies and activities: Running, dancing, reading, watching movies, playing music, singing and spending time with family and friends. One thing I feel strongly about: We cannot grow in faith on our own; we all need to help one another in order to grow and learn. I wish I knew how to: Speak another language fluently. LOGO by Lori Goldstein Cotton Slub Handkerchief Hem Knit Top is rated 3.5 out of 5 by 102 . Rated 5 out of 5 by ANNE from Best Fabric Lori has done!!! I own 3 of these & would own more if I had discovered them before they sold out in my size. I did size up bc of cotton but fits perfect! I know its clearanced so probably not coming back, please reconsider that decision. Im 55, 38C, usually size 10/12 & I ordered a large. Maybe you could relaunch with 3/4 or elbow sleeves & new color line. Thanks!!! Rated 4 out of 5 by kago from Different I ordered 2 of these on a TSV orange and willow in xxs. I'm a size 2, 104 lbs, 5'3". The willow was snug, the orange was so tight my shoulders pulled, usually LOGO is baggy. The willow wasn't my favorite, rather bland....sending back was going to exchange for xs but only on wait list now,,,,so will forget it, Rated 1 out of 5 by Ellel721 from Boring Returned. Purchased this before the heathered oatmeal rayon/span w/ lace & satin. This top is cotton & heavier than the other slub knit tops. The top w/ satin & lace is cuter & the fit is more flattering. Now I know for future logo purchases to stick w/ the rayon/span. Rated 5 out of 5 by Diamond Dust from Love It I ordered this top in Blood Orange XS (my usual QVC size) in the early fall. I thought everything was sold out. To my surprise it is still available ~ so, I just ordered it in black. When I saw the reviews on this top, I had to write one myself. I live in PA, about 1 1/2 hrs. West of the QVC official site. The heavier weight of this cotton is perfect for fall and spring weather. I read in some reviews that it wrinkles and shrinks. This is a cotton ( I do believe) like a true cotton~ when in the 50's, 60's and early 70's cotton did wrinkle and shrink~ this was before we had blends. Iv'e had no problems. I LOVE this cotton fabric because of what it is. I'm 5'2" weigh 124 lbs.~ the sleeves are slim but not tight. The cut of the sleeve is in good balance with the style of this top. Across the chest is fine, again it is in good balance. I understand what some of the others are saying. It does stretch as you move. Rated 1 out of 5 by harley199 from Shrinks and wrinkles after washing This fabric shrinks, fades and wrinkles terribly after washing.The shape is nice but the shirt looks old and worn after one washing. It is going back. Rated 2 out of 5 by Nickles from Did not like I returned the two I ordered. I see why they are on sale. Did not like the two seams running down the middle. Looked cheap. Did not like the material. It was so wrinkled, after washing. only wore one. Rated 5 out of 5 by LLou from Love this top! I ordered this top in the oatmeal and it is wonderful. I love the seams in the back and down the middle of the front; and as usual, love the pockets! Perfect weight for at least three seasons. Thanks Lori......the only complaint is that your items are on the pricey side.....but still love them! Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK IWPR, July 5, 2016 By Hasan Hakimi Human rights organisations and local officials say that they are powerless to act against a tradition in a west-central Afghan province that means women are being sold into marriage in return for cows and sheep. Ghor, with a population of nearly 300,000, is one of Afghanistans most underdeveloped provinces. Some remote areas are ruled by armed groups and entirely out of government control. Afghan grooms traditionally pay mehr, or a bride price, to their future in-laws. In Ghor, many families receive livestock or firearms rather than money, and some say this tradition breaks with the original Islamic intent of a bride price provided for women in case of divorce or emergencies. During a six-month investigation, an IWPR reporter travelled to some of Ghors most remote districts including Taywara, Tulak, Saghar, Pasaband, Shahrak and Dawlat Yar, interviewing dozens of tribal elders as well as militia commanders. Local officials say that they cannot ban the practice as it is too long-standing and warn that changing peoples attitudes could take decades. Abdul Alim, a resident of the village of Haji Nazar in Doolina district, was happy to reveal that he had married off his three daughters - Gul Badan, Zainab and Ruqia - for the total sum of 250 cows and sheep, one Kalashnikov and 3,000 US dollars. You reporters see our getting a bride price as selling girls, Abdul Alim told IWPR. However, taking cattle from your son-in-law is a tradition here and I dont think it is wrong. Asked why women were not allowed to choose their own husbands, he replied, It is shameful for us to ask our daughters that what kind of men they would like to marry. Najmuddin, a farmer from the village of Kasi, did express some regret after selling his daughter Lala to a local man, Mohammad, already married with five children but only because he was yet to receive the full bride price. It is a shameful for Mohammad that his wife, my daughter, is about to give birth to a child and he has not yet given me 30 sheep he owes me. Mohammad argued that he had already handed over 26,000 dollars worth of livestock to Najmuddin. Asked why he had spent more than 30,000 dollars on his second marriage, he answered, Because my first wife was not very beautiful or elegant, I wanted to marry the most beautiful girl from Qatas village and enjoy life. Traditions in the conservative province mean that men and women who are not married or close relatives are not allowed to meet. To bypass this issue, IWPRs male reporter recruited an elderly woman, Bibi, to secretly record an interview with Lala. Lala said that she had simply been sold like another household chattel. In fact, my father took 30 oxen in return for a cow whose name was Lala, she said, adding that her life was now miserable. It is true that I am married, but none of my wishes were taken into consideration. Many families consider it a great honour for daughters to marry a local militia commander. They can also expect a particularly large bride-price. Nasrullah has been the powerbroker in Gharak, Doolina district, for the last six years. At the age of 35, he has eight wives. I have lots of money, weapons and 200 armed men, he told IWPR. I have full control of Gharak area and whatever I want I can do, so considering all this why shouldnt I have eight wives? If I like any girl in the region, I can easily marry her by giving a flock of sheep and cows to her father. BRUTAL CONSEQUENCES Saeed Arman is a lawyer who works with Safe House, a state-run refuge for vulnerable girls and women. He said that its 40 residents, registered between February 2015 and 2016, were all victims of such forced marriages. These 40 women who are staying at Safe House are those who were given in marriage to powerful local men by their fathers in exchange for many cattle. Due to the fact that these women could not bear their lives with these men, they fled their homes and were referred to Safe House to find refuge. A child bride in Afghanistan. (Photo: ABC News) A child bride in Afghanistan. (Photo: ABC News) But most women who are forced into marriage find no safe haven. In a case last year that won local and international attention, a19-year-old woman Rukhshana was killed in the village of Ghalmin, some 40 kilometres from Ghors main town Firozkoh, after she was accused of adultery. In December 2011, her father Abdul Karim, from Odak village, had married her off to Ghulam Yasin, a paraplegic man, in return for 85 cows and sheep. Rukhshana tried to run away but was arrested by the police and brought back to her father. He then gave her eight-year-old sister Fatima in marriage to Yasin as compensation. Nine months later, Abdul Karim sold Rukhshana to an elderly widowed shepherd from her village named Abdul Razaq. The price was 10 cows and 60 sheep. After two nights with Abdul Razaq, Rukhshana ran away again. The Taleban caught her and the man she escaped with and on September 25, 2015 Rukhshana was publically stoned to death for adultery. Her companion was given 100 lashes and released. Her brutal death was caught in a two-minute video and widely shared on social media. Her mother, Hanifa, said that her grief was still fresh. The Taleban stoned my daughter in front of my eyes. I saw her face covered with blood and heard her screams and shouts. Although I repeatedly begged the Taleban to stop stoning her, they didnt listen to me. Her father Abdul Karim now regrets having forced her into marriage. It was me that sold Rukhshana twice against her will, he said. My daughter was not killed by the Taleban; [it was as if] I killed and stoned her myself. I didnt know that selling our daughter would end this way. Jawad Ulwi, head of Afghanistans Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Ghor, acknowledged that the sale of women into marriage had been going on for many years. As this issue is now a custom and tradition, we cannot do anything to fight against it. I accept that selling girls is regarded as a major human rights violation, but we neither monitor such cases nor report to Kabul about them. Afghanistans constitution mandates equal rights for men and women, but local officials also said that they were unable to act against the practice. Women in Ghor are actually their husbands slaves, not wives, former Ghor governor, Sima Joyenda, told IWPR in a 2015 interview. Women are sold like clothes in a shop and this shows how poor conditions are for them. I feel ashamed and embarrassed to say that I am governor of a province where a young girl costs the same as a few cows. However, Joyenda herself was criticised for defending harsh punishments for so-called morality crimes. After a court-ordered flogging of a couple accused of adultery in Firozkoh, she told Afghan media outlets that the punishment was in keeping with Islamic law. Afghanistan is an Islamic country, Ghor is one of the provinces of Afghanistan, and we cannot disobey what the law of Islam and our constitution say, she told Ariana TV. But religious experts noted that Islamic law mandates that both the man and the woman must agree to the union of their own free wills. Mullah Nizamuddin Habibi, a member of the Ghor religious scholars council, said, The selling of girls is not only forbidden in Islam, but it is also regarded as one of the worst sins and therefore severe punishment awaits those who commit it. He said that aspects of sharia jurisprudence were routinely ignored, including the signing of a marriage agreement in the presence of a judge and two witnesses. In Ghor I have not witnessed any incidence where the marriage agreement is signed according to Islamic laws, Habibi continued. During the marriage agreement, a girl is not asked whether she accepts or rejects the man who has been selected as her husband by her father. For now, the practice remains deep-rooted. One father in the village of Qataas in Firozkoh district told IWPR that he had no regrets about exchanging his 20-year-old daughter for one Kalashnikov and 155 sheep and cows. He said, I sold my daughter because the value of one gun is more to me than a dozen unmarried daughters. 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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(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) SHARE By BY HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) Elie Wiesel was memorialized Sunday at a private service in Manhattan, as family and friends gathered and praised the endurance and eloquence of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and mourned him as one of the last firsthand witnesses to the Nazis' atrocities. "This is really the double tragedy of it, not only the loss of someone who was so rare and unusual but the fact that those ranks are thinning out," Rabbi Perry Berkowitz, president of the American Jewish Heritage Organization and a former assistant to Wiesel, said before the service at Fifth Avenue Synagogue. "At the same time anti-Semitism, Holocaust revisionism keeps rising. The fear is that when there are no more survivors left, will the world learn the lesson because those voices will be silenced." Millions first learned about the Holocaust through Wiesel, who began publishing in the 1950s, a time when memories of the Nazis' atrocities were raw and repressed. He shared the harrowing story of his internment at Auschwitz as a teenager through his classic memoir "Night," one of the most widely read and discussed books of the 20th century. The Holocaust happened more than 70 years ago and few authors from that time remain. Another Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor, Hungary's Imre Kertesz, died earlier this year. Like Wiesel, he was 87. While Berkowitz and others worry that the Holocaust's lessons will be forgotten, some note that Wiesel himself worked to make memories endure. Abraham Foxman, former national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said before the service that Wiesel had written dozens of books. Sara Bloomfield, director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., credited Wiesel with making organizations like hers possible. "'Night' really put Elie Wiesel's personal memories into our personal consciousness and it ended up spawning a global remembrance movement that is very vital today," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "He carried a message universally, he carried the Jewish pain, the message of Jewish tragedy to the world but he took it way beyond," Foxman said. "He stood up for the people in Rwanda, he stood up for the Yugoslavians, he stood up for the Cambodians," said Foxman, who has known Wiesel for decades. On Sunday, mourners shared personal memories. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, remembered visiting Auschwitz with Wiesel in the 1980s and was struck that Wiesel's response was not one of hate, but of "great sadness." "And he said to me what I think was one of the most important statements: 'The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference, it was indifference that brought anti-Semitism to Germany and it was indifference that brought the Holocaust,'" Lauder explained. Foxman said that in recent months he and Wiesel would reminisce, in Yiddish, and talk philosophy. "We talked about forgiveness, we talked about God. He was struggling with it," Foxman said. "Well now he's a little closer. Now he can challenge the Almighty much closer and maybe he'll get some answers, which he asked, but never got the answers to." ____ Associated Press writer Martin Di Caro contributed to this report. SHARE Q. Does your faith organization sanction or forbid euthanasia? What does it say about it? Life is a gift from God that needs to be valued at all cost, which includes pain and suffering. Jim White, lay leader Weaverville Church of the Nazarene The culture that a Jew embraces may eventually influence the beliefs and practices they hold sacred. Cultures make medical marijuana an acceptable pain-relieving option. People in unbearable pain may choose suicide or euthanasia to remove that pain. Few cultures accept those choices. Suicide is a solitary act, euthanasia is not; it requires a participating doctor. The corpus of Halacha Jewish law, Midrash biblical interpretations and rabbinical opinions offer diverse positions on euthanasia. Jewish patients today can use an advance directive to prescribe what treatment they do not want, including mechanical life-sustaining devices, without which the patient would quickly die. Patients rightfully expect their doctor and family to honor that choice. Doctors who do so fear legal action from the patient's family. Regardless of social and religious norms, the greatest burden falls on politicians who create, enforce and administer the laws governing euthanasia in this country. George Wandrocke, chaplain Temple Beth Israel of Redding Sikhs derive their ethics largely from the teachings of their scripture, Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh Code of Conduct "Rehat Maryada." Sikhs have a high respect for life, which they see as a gift from God. Most Sikhs are against euthanasia, as they believe that the timing of birth and death should be left in God's hands. The Sikh Gurus rejected suicide and by extension, euthanasia as an interference in God's plan. Suffering, they said, was part of the operation of karma, and human beings should not only accept it without complaint, but act so as to make the best of the situation that karma has given them. Much of Sikh moral teaching is devoted to caring for others who are less fortunate. This suggests that the Sikh reaction to situations where people think about euthanasia would be to provide such good care that euthanasia became an unattractive option. Amarjit Singh The Sikh Centre, Anderson According to Islamic teachings, life is a divine trust and can be terminated by any form of active or passive voluntary intervention. All the Islamic scholars regard active euthanasia as forbidden and in this matter there is no difference between Sunni and Shiite schools. Imam Abu Bakr H. Salahuddin Islamic Center of Redding Our faith organization says nothing specifically about euthanasia. We do teach that life is immortal that there is an aspect of us that is not limited by, nor completely contained within the body. There is that aspect of us that continues on beyond bodily death. My own personal view is that euthanasia, wisely used for example for ending the suffering of terminally ill people is a humane solution to free us from bodies that no longer support our ability to live. I believe we have the right when, facing end of life, to choose to leave with dignity and minimal suffering. It's not a practice to use cavalierly, but only in clear situations. It's an opportunity to practice mercy and not to hold to rigid doctrine. The Rev. David Robinson, senior minister Center for Spiritual Living, Redding The United Methodist church rejects euthanasia as an option for end-of-life care. However, United Methodists vary widely in their personal beliefs. A customary understanding is that God values and works in those who are at the end of life regardless of their abilities, and it is our responsibility to assist in their transition by providing palliative care, spiritual support and relief of suffering. That may include the removal of life-sustaining treatments that no longer improve the quality of life. Tara Macy, lay servant First United Methodist Church, Redding The Catholic faith has very strong prohibitions against euthanasia and our bishops have strongly opposed death by assisted suicide or so-called "mercy killing." Only God can decide when someone will die. We never lose hope that there is something more to life than mere breathing. Palliative drugs are available to ease the pain that may accompany disease, and most patients respond affirmatively when friends and relatives support them with visits, the rites of the church, prayer and care. When our own mother was mostly bedridden in her last months, we made a special effort to have a special large flower arrangement sent every month. She felt special and loved by the gesture and it was a great encouragement as other patients oohed and aahed when the florist delivered them. Life is precious; let us continue to value it for our loved ones and for ourselves. Deacon Mike Evans Sacred Heart Church, Anderson I understand that though this question is almost always asked as a sort of "gotcha" question, there are many cases where it's asked out of deep, compassionate concern for a loved one who is suffering, or perhaps borne out of our own suffering. In answering this, Christianity begins with the premise that we must try to be wiser than God. In the Bible, Job asked, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" The Bible teaches that God is the giver and the taker of life. It is he who determines the length of man's days, and it is not our place to try to usurp God's position by taking the life of another, except in specific circumstances; the government, for example is given the authority to take life for life in capital punishment. We are also permitted to act in self-defense. Otherwise, we are not permitted to take life. The Rev. Gene Crow, pastor Redding Reformed Fellowship Next week's question: Why does God seem to give so much material wealth to some people and less or none to others? Nicky Wayne Boone SHARE Marysa Nichols By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight Nicky Wayne Boone, 32, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Shasta County Superior Court Judge Stephen Baker sentenced Boone Friday to 96 years, 8 months, to life for sexually abusing two boys, ages 8 and 5 at the time, according to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office. A jury last month convicted Boone on three counts each of oral copulation on a child age 10 or younger and lewd acts with child under 14, in addition to a single count possessing child pornography. Boone was arrested in October after the father of the two boys reported the possible sexual abuse. Investigators also found a picture of one of the molestations on Boone's phone, prosecutors said. He was living with the family of the boys when the crimes occured, according to the District Attorney's Office. Boone, who authorities said was already a registered sex offender, will be required to keep that registration should he ever been released. He'll also be subject to lifetime parole, prosecutors said. "During sentencing Judge Baker noted this lengthy sentence would serve to protect the public from Boones criminal behavior, punish Boone for these horrible acts and serve to deter future individuals from committing these types of sexual abuse," Deputy District Attorney Sarah Murphy said in a news release. Prosecutors have also accused Boone of sodomizing an inmate at the Shasta County Jail while he was awaiting trial on the molestation case. A sheriff's report that graphically details the alleged sexual assault also says another jail inmate reported that Boone made overtures to him to try to make sure two of the jurors in the child molestation trial would vote to acquit him. That inmate reportedly told investigators he was "supposed to go to a couple of jurors and get them to say not guilty 'by any means necessary,'" the sheriff's report says. But he clarified that remark, saying he didn't mean to make those jurors "disappear," noting that alternates would simply be found to replace them. "He was just supposed to go talk to a couple of jurors and get them to say not guilty," the sheriff's report said. For his trouble, the report said, the inmate was to be paid between $2,000 and $4,000. Murphy said the jail case was dismissed Friday under a process allowing the victim to seek restitution should he decide to do so. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Defense attorney Shon Northam talks with Quentin Bealer on Friday after a Tehama County judge sentenced Bealer to 25 years to life for killing 14-year-old Marysa Nichols in 2013. SHARE By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight Amid unusually heavy security, a Red Bluff man continued to maintain his innocence Friday in the 2013 strangulation death of a 14-year-old girl as he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for her murder. Quentin Ray Bealer, convicted last month by a Sacramento County Superior Court jury of first-degree murder in the death of Marysa Marie Nichols, told a hushed courtroom that he was genuinely sorry for her family's terrible loss. But, he said, he's innocent of her murder. "I didn't kill her," he said. The prosecutor and judge, as well as the jury that convicted him, clearly felt otherwise. Senior Tehama County Deputy District Attorney Donna Daly, as well as Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Delbert Oros, who ordered the 42-year-old Bealer to pay the $5,000 cost for Marysa's funeral, said the DNA and other evidence proving his guilt in the death of the pretty teenager was "overwhelming." And, Daly said, the murder was nothing short of "vicious, cruel and callous," noting it took at least several minutes for the teen to die as she struggled for air. Daly, noting that Bealer was a wrestler in his high school years, said he pinned Marysa to the ground face-first and used her yellow tank top to strangle her. Her body was found Feb. 28, 2013, lying facedown in a creek bed near her high school. Bealer's DNA was found on Marysa's tank top and, Daly said, his story has changed throughout the years since his arrest and that he's lied to law enforcement, his parents and others about his role in the girl's death. "He doesn't have the guts to admit he committed this crime," she said. Bealer, who admitted he lied to law enforcement officers because he doesn't trust them, nevertheless maintained his innocence, saying jurors never heard all the evidence in the case. Still, he said, he believes he received a fair trial. Bealer has 60 days to file an appeal. During Bealer's hourlong sentencing hearing, Jeff Eldred, Tehama County's victim-witness program coordinator, read a letter from Marysa's mother, Diane Whitmire, who was seated in the audience. In her letter, Whitmire said she and her family have been devastated by the murder of their kind, gentle and funny loved one, who would have graduated this year from high school and who would have turned 18 next month. "She was such a joy," Whitmire said in her written statement. "She had a smile that would light up a room. She didn't deserve the manner of death inflicted upon her." Although Whitmire urged Oros to sentence Bealer to life without the possibility of parole, he said he was prohibited by law from doing so. Curtis Nichols, Marysa's 16-year-old brother, also addressed the court, saying he loved and worshipped his big sister and that she taught him to treat people equally and with respect. "She inspired me," he said, noting that she helped keep him out of trouble. "She guarded my heart." But, he said, his life also ended on the day of Marysa's death, saying he "couldn't care less" if he continued to live. That's all because of Bealer, he said. "What kind of a man kills a baby?" he asked. "You're not a man. You deserve to rot." Sacramento County jurors who convicted him last month of first-degree murder after a nine-week trial said Bealer's guilt boiled down to the DNA evidence. The trial, which began in late April, was moved to Sacramento because of extensive pretrial publicity in the North State. SHARE Redding Police Chief Rob Paoletti on Wednesday presented a strategic plan for his department during a town hall meeting. It details how Paoletti would spend up to $10 million in new revenue for the department if a sales tax increase is approved by voters in November. On Thursday, we asked readers in a poll, "How many police officers do you think Redding needs to tackle crime and law enforcement." The four options presented at Wednesday's town hall meeting were given as choices for readers to vote on: 106 sworn, 14 community service officers and 16 records staff at $2.5 million; 118 sworn, 17 CSOs and 17 records staff at $5 million; 130 sworn, 19 CSOs and 19 records staff at $7.5 million and 142 sworn, 19 CSOs and 19 records staff at $10 million. By Friday, 102 people had voted, with 49 percent supporting the most expensive option 142 sworn officers, 19 community service officers and 19 records staff at a cost of $10 million. The least expensive option came in second, with 23 percent support. On Facebook, we asked readers to comment and here's what some had to say: "They don't need more (officers), they need better," Mike Buck wrote in the Shasta County Crime Watchers Facebook group. "Its not a quantity issue ... we need quality and honesty," Tina Johnson wrote in the same group. "Yes more law enforcement can be a positive as long they are given the ability to serve and protect instead of catch and release," added Anna Mathis. On the Record Searchlight Facebook page, Ronald Cole Jr. wrote: "We need to meet in the middle for Redding Police Department staffing issues. I believe with more CSOs, officers can do more of the enforcement and we can become a safer community again." In Redding Crime 2.0, Cari Crandall wrote: "We don't need more officers, we need to keep the criminals in jail. Catch and release not working." The poll will be open through Monday morning on Redding.com's home page for anyone else who would like to weigh in. It manufactures cars ranging from entry-level hatchbacks to sedans to sport utility vehicles to vans to pick-up trucks. It also has a range of electric and hybrid vehicles Chinas Changan Automobile Company is planning to set up its first India factory, with a capacity to manufacture 200,000 vehicles a year. The company recently visited Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and, according to sources, is looking for a local partner. Changan Automobile Company, Chinas oldest automobile manufacturer, is headquartered in Chongqing. The company is a state-owned enterprise, which manufactures cars ranging from entry-level hatchbacks to sedans to sport utility vehicles to vans to pick-up trucks. It also has a range of electric and hybrid vehicles. According to the company website, its brands include New Benni and Benni Mini in the hatchback category and Raeton in the higher segments. While an e-mail questionnaire sent to the company was not immediately answered, sources in both the state governments confirmed that officials from Changan's head office had visited the states. According to sources, the new facility could attract around Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billlion) during the initial phase. In 2014, Beijing-based commercial-vehicle maker Beiqi Foton Motor Company announced plans for a factory at Chakan near Pune to produce a full range of commercial vehicles, but there has been no launch so far. Sources added that the company would set up a facility with capacity to produce 200,000 units a year initially, which will be expanded gradually. The company wants to keep its suppliers in the same complex or close by, sources added. This means, new automobile clusters would come up at Tada (in Andhra Pradesh) near the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, 55 km (kilometre) from Chennai. Sri City at Tada as a business city is fast becoming a hub for manufacturing. Recently, Isuzu has inaugurated its plant and Hero is planning to set up a facility next to Sri City. These companies are using Chennai's suppliers base, while enjoying incentives, cheap land and access to the government and bureaucrats. Experts say the same factors could make the Chinese maker choose Andhra Pradesh over Tamil Nadu. Recently, Japanese auto major Isuzu inaugurated a Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) facility at SriCity. An official said Changan is also scouting for a joint venture partner. Its joint ventures in China include the likes of Suzuki, Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen. It has six manufacturing bases in China and four research and development centres at Turin in Italy, Yokohama in Japan, Nottingham in England and Detroit in US. Changan Automobile 200,000: Vehicles a year capacity being planned in the country Maruti Suzuki 1.5 million: Units a year at NCR alone, Gujarat plant has not come on stream Hyundai 680,000: Vehicles a year is combined capacity of two factories in Chennai Honda Cars 240,000: Units a year, comprising 120,000 units at Greater Noida and 120,000 units in Rajasthan Ford 440,000: Vehicles a year of combined capacity in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat units Renault-Nissan 400,000: Units per year at a plant in Oragadam near Chennai Quick sketch Name: Changan Automobile Company (Chana Auto) Type: A subsidiary of state-owned China South Industries Group Corporation Established: In 1862, Chinas oldest automobile maker First vehicle: Changjiang in 1959 Headquarters: Chongqing Status: One of the top four automobile groups in China Sales: More than 8,500 consumers buy a new Changan every day, says company Makes: Entry-level hatchbacks to sedans to sport utility vehicles to pick-up trucks Also: Into electric and hybrid vehicles Main subsidiaries and alliances: Chongqing Changan Auto, Changan Ford, Changan Mazda, Changan Suzuki, Changan Hafei, Changan PSA, Jiangling Motor Holding (Landwind) Image: Members of Changan Automobile's self-driving car development team pose for pictures after their self-driving cars completed a test drive from Chongqing to Beijing. Photograph: Reuters. The Bangladesh police on Saturday blamed homegrown terror group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh for the two recent terror attacks, including the Dhaka cafe siege, and dismissed the Islamic States claims over the deadly assaults. "The five terrorists killed at Gulshan (cafe) were JMB members. The police had their details and been looking for them for a while," Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque told media persons. Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan area of the capital on July 1. During a joint operation the police killed six of the attackers. Six days later, militants attacked the police guarding the largest Eid gathering in Bangladesh and killed three more people. Haque said the same group was responsible for both attacks. He said one of the suspects who was arrested from the site of second attack admitted that they had contact with the attackers of the Holey Artisan restaurant. Asked about the ISclaims over the attacks, the police chief reiterated his earlier stance negating the claim. He said identical claims were made after every such assault, but "we can't find any link as to why they do it". Several security analysts said despite being a homegrown outfit JMB had ideological closeness with ISIS while Ansarul Islam Bangladesh, another banned Islamist outfit, was inclined to Al Qaeda. "The IS might not have directly carried out the attacks, but JMB could be operating as their local agent in Bangladesh because of its ideological inclination," Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies president retired major general ANM Muniruzzaman told PTI. Meanwhile, a teenager who the police say was a suspect in the July 1 Dhaka attack died in custody and his family said he was tortured by the security forces. The police and doctors said Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant in the cafe, died on Friday at a state-run hospital in the capital. His family insisted that he was a hostage. "My son is completely innocent...he was the main breadwinner (as the kitchen assistant) for the family," father of Shawon's father told newsmen in Dhaka. His father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death as "his entire body carries marks of torture". Nearly five years ago, Radhika Menon made headlines when she broke through barriers to be the first woman to become captain of the Indian Merchant Navy. Today, she has another first to her credit. Captain Radhika Menon, Master of the oil tanker Sampurna Swarajya of Shipping Corporation of India, is to receive the 2016 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her role in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in tumultuous seas. The International Maritime Organisation Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year. Captain Menon was nominated by the Indian government for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather. The fishermen, who ranged in age from the 15-year-old Perla Mahesh to 50-year-old Narasimha Murthy, were in bad shape. They were weak, starving and frightened. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage. Through wave heights of more than 25 feet, winds of more than 60 knots and heavy rain, on June 22, the second officer on the Sampurna Swarajya spotted the boat 2.5 kilometres away, off the coast of Gopalpur, Orissa. Captain Menon immediately ordered a rescue operation, utilising the pilot ladder and with life jackets and buoys on standby. It took three arduous attempts in the lashing wind and rain and heavy swells before all seven weak and starving fishermen were brought to safety on board the ship. Their families had already considered them to be lost at sea, but thanks to the rescue, led by Captain Menon, they were reunited with their loved ones a few days later. Asked about the IMO award, Captain Menon told the Times of India, "I am humbled, honoured and grateful. It is a maritime obligation to save souls in distress at sea and, as a seafarer and master in command of my ship, I just did my duty." Captain Menon, a native of Kodungallur in Kerala, joined the Shipping Corporation of India as a trainee radio officer -- she was the first ever to be so -- soon after her Class XII examinations in 1991. Besides managing the ship's communication systems, she also handled the menu and provisions. She gradually ascended the hierarchy by clearing exams for the posts of second mate and chief mate, and did the sea time required to appear for the master's certificate which she cleared in 2010. In 2012, she took charge of MT Suvarna Swarajya. iStock/Thinkstock(DALLAS) -- Dallas Police Chief David Brown Sr. is no stranger to tragedy. Before five police officers were killed and seven more were injured in a deadly Dallas shooting spree last night, Brown Sr., a 30-year veteran and a Dallas native, had already lost his former police partner, his younger brother and his own son to gun violence. On August 2, 1988, his longtime partner, Officer Walter Williams, was investigating a disturbance when the 47-year-old Williams was ambushed and shot in the head with a .22 caliber handgun. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, "responding officers returned fire, killing the subject." Less than three years later, on July 3, 1991, Brown Sr. lost his younger brother, Kelvin Brown, after Kelvin was killed in the Phoenix area by drug dealers. According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's office, Kelvin's "immediate cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head" and his death was ruled a homicide. In a profile with the Dallas Morning News, which described him as a "private man" who is "introspective and intense," Brown Sr. wrestled with whether his brother's death affected his professional life. "I can't deny that's a part of who I am," Brown told the Dallas newspaper in May 2010. "The families of victims, I know what they go through. My family had to go through that. But does it make me police in a different manner or lead in a different manner? I'm not sure." Just a few weeks after that interview, Brown faced yet another personal loss -- this time, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr., who died after shooting and killing a police officer during a domestic disturbance. Fifteen miles south of Dallas, in Lancaster, Texas, police answered a "shooting in progress" call, Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey told ABC News in 2010. "Officers responded to the apartment complex and started looking for the shooter," Kim Leach, a Dallas County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, told ABC News Dallas affiliate WFAA-TV in 2010. "At the time, the suspect turned and shot one of the officers, killing him. Another officer returned fire at the suspect and shot and killed him." Ultimately, the suspect turned out to be Brown's son. According to a sheriff's department report on the incident, Brown Jr. suffered bipolar disorder and was abusing drugs before the June shootout that left Lancaster Officer Craig Shaw dead. Brown Jr., who had a criminal record and spent two months in jail after being arrested in 2003 for selling marijuana, left behind a child. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Barely days after the reshuffle, a wind of change is being felt not only by bureaucrats but also senior ministers. Sanjeeb Mukherjee and Archis Mohan report. In its two-year tenure, the Narendra Modi government has changed several traditions and practices that have over the years determined how governance is delivered from atop Raisina Hill. The recent expansion of the Union council of ministers and reshuffle of portfolios has sought to modify one more -- the role of ministers of state. The men and women in Modis revamped council of ministers have been carefully selected and a delicate balance between administrative experience and balance of power has been maintained. This is in contrast to previous regimes where junior ministers were treated as little more than adjuncts. They were rarely, if at all, allowed to look at files or take meetings of officials. At best, junior ministers were left with the job of answering supplementary questions in Parliament. All major decisions were taken by Cabinet ministers, including mundane appointments and transfers. Junior ministers in previous regimes felt suffocated and would frequently complain to the prime minister, said Yogendra Narain, who was defence secretary during Atal Behari Vajpayee government. Barely four days after the reshuffle, a wind of change is being felt not only by bureaucrats but also senior ministers. At one such instance, a junior minister politely told his senior he had been authorised by the Prime Ministers Office to take meetings. One Cabinet minister, whose proximity to the PM has helped him keep his job, has asked journalists to direct their queries regarding some of the departments in his ministry to the newly-appointed two junior ministers. While the minister said this exposure would help his juniors develop better understanding of governance, both the MoS in this case are over 60, with past experience in central or state governments. Narain says entrusting more responsibilities to an MoS is a good trend for effective governance and the PMO should go a step further. The PMO shouldnt leave the job of fixing responsibilities to the seniors because they will be reluctant. The PM should define areas of work and mandates to be given to MoS, he said. The junior ministers bring experience that adds to the overall profile of the ministries, while maintaining balance of power. For example, Parshottam Rupala, who was agriculture minister in Gujarat, is now MoS, agriculture, under Cabinet Minister Radha Mohan Singh. S S Ahluwalia, veteran parliamentarian and minister in the Narasimha Rao government, is the other MoS, agriculture. Sudarshan Bhagat, who was shifted from rural development, is the third MoS, agriculture. C R Chaudhary is the MoS in food and consumer affairs ministry which is led by Lok Janshakti Partys Ram Vilas Paswan. Rural development ministry has got a junior minister in-charge of overall development of rural sector, compared with the earlier norm of allowing junior minister to deal with only drinking water and sanitation. Sources said the newly-appointed junior ministers were properly briefed about the functioning of their ministries and the main issues at hand before they faced the media. Government is also keeping a close watch on media coverage of junior ministers. They have been asked to get first-hand briefing from all the departments within their ministries. In agriculture ministry, Rupala and Ahluwalia will be briefed by all the 40 departments concerned. Modi has laid down a clear roadmap for agriculture sector, said Rupala. The allocation of business, sources said, would be done directly from the PMO, unlike in the past when a cabinet minister decided what his junior would do. The MoS, officials said, would be assigned specific jobs and will monitor flagship schemes and their services would also be used to get first-hand feedback from the ground. or example, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, shifted from agriculture to water resources, would be directed to handle the PMs pet project -- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. The PMKSY was transferred from agriculture to water resources almost a month back -- proof that reshuffle and expansion was in the works for more than a month and was based on a SWOT analysis of each ministry. Kerala government on Saturday announced a probe after 15 Keralite youths, who had travelled to Middle East, reportedly went missing and were suspected to have joined the Islamic State, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying it was a "very serious issue". The families of the youths, including a couple, from Kasaragod and Palakkad districts have not heard from them for the past one month and fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies. The missing persons are below the age of 30 and highly qualified, including medicos. The matter came to fore with the families of the youths approaching local elected representatives, including an MP, after suspicion that they may have joined the IS. "This is a very serious issue. This has to be examined," the chief minister told reporters in Kochi. While 11 youths hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district, others are from Palakkad district. Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said in Kasaragode that a detailed probe would be conducted into the issue. "If they are trapped in their (IS) net and reached in (their territory), it would be a very difficult issue. A detailed probe would be conducted on this issue," he told reporters. Earlier, Kasaragod MP P Karunakaran said in Thiruvananthapuram that the Chief Minister had directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently. Kasaragod District Panchayat member V P P Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youths received 'WhatsApp' messages saying "we are not coming back. Here there is Divine Rule. You also should join us". "We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", read another message, he said adding the veracity of the messages has to be checked. On being approached by the families yesterday, Karunakaran, Thrikarippur MLA M Rajagopalan and Mustafa informed the chief minister about the matter. Hakim, father of Hafesuddin who is among those missing from Kasaragod, told television channels that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him. "If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," he said. Karunakaran said the family members told him that the youths had left for Middle East a month ago stating that they were going for religious studies. But for the last one month, their families had no communication from them and so they were suspicious, he said. Mustafa said among the missing were Dr Ijas and his dentist wife. They had left home saying they were going to Lakshadweep. Abdul Rasheed, an engineering graduate, had left home with his wife and a two-year old daughter, stating that they were going to Mumbai for a job. All the youths hail from middle class families and had been showing keen interest in religious matters since the last two years, Mustafa said. Bindu, mother of a young pregnant woman who converted to Islam after marriage, said her daughter was among the missing people. She said her daughter Nimisha was a final year Dental student in Kasaragod when she met and got married to a Christian youth, who later converted to Islam along with her. Bindu, hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, told TV channels, that she had received a call from her daughter on May 18 stating that she was going to Sri lanka along with her husband on a business tour. She sent a Whatsapp message on June 4 saying "she was ok", but since then there has been no information about her. The sobbing mother said she was worried as her daughter's delivery was due next month. It was from newspaper reports that she came to know that her daughter was among the four missing -- two brothers and their wives from Palakkad. Bindu also claimed that she had met ADGP Intelligence R Sreelekha, few days ago seeking her help in tracing her missing daughter, but there was no response. Reliving Mahatma Gandhi's historic train journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday travelled to a railway station where the Father of the Nation was thrown out of a train compartment, an incident that proved to be a turning point in his fight against racial discrimination in South Africa. IMAGE: PM Modi on board the train to Pietermaritzburg station. Photograph: Vikas Swarup/Twitter On the second day of his South Africa visit, Modi boarded a wood-panelled carriage at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg railway station where an young Gandhi was ejected from a train in 1893 for refusing to obey an order to move from a first-class compartment to a third-class one because of his race. "This is the place where the seed was laid for Mohandas (Karamchand Gandhi) to start the journey of the Mahatma," Modi told media persons at the Pietermaritzburg railway station. The incident on June 7, 1893 had strongly influenced Gandhi's decision to fight racial discrimination in South Africa and later the freedom struggle in India. Paying glowing tribute to Gandhi, the prime minister said the visit to South Africa was like a pilgrimage as he was visiting places which were linked to India's history and life of the Father of the Nation. IMAGE: PMO tweets: The train PM Modi took resembled the one which Gandhi travelled on. Photograph: PMO/Twitter "My visit to South Africa has become like a pilgrimage a pilgrimage to me as I have got the opportunity to visit all the three places that are significant to Indian history and Mahatma Gandhi's life," said Modi. Modi also visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded at Pietermaritzburg. Writing in the visitors' book at the station, Modi said the incident at Pietermaritzburg had altered the course of India's history. The prime minister also inaugurated an exhibition at the waiting hall of the railway station where Gandhi had spent the night after being thrown out of the train. IMAGE: PM Modi at the the spot where Gandhi was offloaded at Pietermaritzburg. Photograph: Vikas Swarup/Twitter On the fateful winter night, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold. Modi also talked about Gandhi's fight against racial discrimination and how he tolerated pain in fighting against injustices. IMAGE: PM inaugurates an exhibition at the waiting hall where Gandhi spent the night. Photograph: Vikas Swarup/Twitter "The PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled," the PMO tweeted. The prime minister arrived in South Africa from Mozambique on Thursday night on the second leg of his four-nation trip to Africa. Modi had held extensive talks South African President Jacob Zuma yesterday during which both sides agreed to deepen engagement in key areas of defence production, manufacturing, mining and minerals. The two countries also vowed to cooperate "actively" in combating terrorism and dealing with issues at multilateral fora. After talks, he had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as to Nelson Mandela. "For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth -- Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela," Modi said. He further said, "We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa. Following the Centre's tough stand on Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's controversial comments on terrorism, nine teams from the National Intelligence Agency, the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies are scanning the former's activities, while special teams are scanning every footage of his speeches. According to Home Ministry sources, four teams have been constituted to scan the video footages and CDs of Naik's speeches and three teams are scanning social sites, while two teams are monitoring his Facebook posts. According to initial investigation, it has been found that Naik's speeches are provocative, objectionable and so is his writing. Besides, his NGO's operations have also been branded as suspicious. It has also been found that the funds sent for his 'charitable activities' are being misused and the MHA is also examining his Foreign Contribution Regulation Act funding clearance and irregularities. Besides his phone calls and e-mails, the sponsors for his foreign trips and meeting are also under the scanner of the NIA. Sources further state that Naik may be banned soon and the Centre has sought fresh legal opinion regarding the controversial preacher. The government is most likely gearing up to make a strong legal case against Naik. According to reports, Naik has kept himself legally safe and he is also said to have the backing of the Saudi royal family. The Centre will soon make amendment in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act under which an individual can be put under ban list. Under UAPA, the provocative or controversial speakers -- whose speeches inspire terrorists -- can be banned and action can be taken against them. Asserting that the Centre has taken cognizance of Naik's controversial comments regarding terrorism, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said that a proper probe would be conducted into the matter. "We have taken cognizance of Zakir Naik's speeches and necessary instructions have been issued in this regard. His (Zakir Naik) speeches, CDs are being examined and whatever is justified will be done," Rajnath told media persons. He added that the government would not compromise on the grave issue of terrorism at any cost. UPA govt was given reports on Zakir Naik, but... Acknowledging that Islamic preacher Zakir Naiks speeches were provocative, former Mumbai police commissioner and now Baghpat MP Satyapal Singh on Saturday said Mumbai Police had forwarded a report of his activities to the then UPA government in 2008, but no action was taken on it. "In 2008, we sent a report to government questioning Zaki Naik s source of funding and speeches. His organisation should be banned by FCRA. We filed a report on the event in which 12 people converted to Islam at the venue, they have transformed at least 12 girls and boys into Muslim from Hindu and Jain. At that time we have sent a report. They get funding from outside," Singh said. Singh also said that Naik misinterpreted and misquoted religious books. "We have mentioned in the report that such things can be dangerous and sought immediate action from the government. But nothing was done at the right time," he added. In October 2008, a two-day programme by Naik's Islamic Research Foundation at the Azam Campus ground in Pune Camp became controversial after religious conversions took place at the venue. Twelve persons, mainly youths, converted to Islam voluntarily in the presence of Naik at the full-packed open programme held at the Azam Campus ground, the premises of an educational organisation run by the Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society. Naik is reportedly in Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage and would return to India on July 11. IMAGE: People take part in a protest against the killing of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and in support of Black Lives Matter during a march along Manhattan's streets in New York. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters. Hundreds people took to the streets of New York City to protest the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, a one day after five police officers were killed and seven others wounded during a protest in Dallas. IMAGE: People take part in a protest in New York. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters. Hundreds of people marched through Times Square in New York City to protest the deaths this week of Philando Castile and Alton. "Hands up! Don't shoot!," they chanted, and held signs calling for justice for the African-American victims of police killings. IMAGE: People walk over the names of people killed by police as they take part in the protest. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters. "We're not walking against police," said one rally leader at the WilliamsburgBridge. "We're against bad cops. These guys have family," NBC quoted a protestor. IMAGE: Protesters, marching and holding placards towards members of the New York Police Department on motorbikes in Manhattan. Photograph: Bria Webb/Reuters The protesters disrupted traffic through much of midtown Manhattan. Police in riot gear were patrolling the streets after the protesters marched. More than 20 square blocks remained cordoned off. IMAGE: A protestor is detained by NYPD officer in New York. Photograph: Bria Webb/Reuters. Five police officers were killed and seven others injured by snipers on Thursday in "ambush style" firing in the US city of Dallas during a protest against the fatal police shootings of black men this week, making it one of the deadliest attacks on law enforcers in America since 9/11. IMAGE: Residents raise a placard during the protest against in Manhatta. Photograph: Bria Webb/Reuters. The main suspect has been identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, who was later killed in a blast caused by a robot-controlled explosive device sent in by officers. Johnson was army reservist and Afghan veteran, officials said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace after violent protests, following killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter, led to death of at least nine persons. "I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace," he said in a statement.Singh said the central government is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring normalcy in Kashmir valley. "Deeply anguished at the loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," he said. Eleven people were killed and 200, including 96 security forces personnel, were injured as mob violence and clashes rocked Kashmir over the gunning down of Wani even as authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended mobile internet services to contain the volatile situation. Wani, 21, was killed, along with two of his accomplices, in an encounter in Kokernag area on Friday. "If there is no peace and stability, then people who face problems would not BE able to find solution for those," Singh told media persons on the sidelines of an event organised by the Karnataka government at the secretariat in Bengaluru. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also expressed "profound" grief and agony over the death of youths during protests in the Valley and asked security forces to avoid use of disproportionate force for crowd control besides urging people for calm. "I express profound grief over the tragic death of the youths and extend my heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family members in their hour of immense grief," she said in a statement. Mehbooba said disproportionate use of force for crowd control results in loss of precious lives and grave injuries which should be avoided at all costs. She asked the police and the paramilitary forces to use Standard Operational Procedure while dealing with protesters to avoid loss of precious human lives or injuries. Urging for calm, Mehbooba sought people's cooperation in restoration of normalcy in the Valley. Violence only brings miseries to the people and tragedies for the victim families, she said and appealed people, especially the youth not to fall prey to the machinations of the vested interests, who play politics over the bodies of Kashmiris. She also prayed for early recovery of the injured including civilians and the police personnel and asked health authorities to provide best possible treatment to them. IMAGE: A woman reacts as she watches the terror unfolding outside her window. Photograph: Umar Ganie A youth was killed, and six security personnel were injured, when his motorbike collided head on with a jeep in the cavalcade escorting Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav in Patna district on Saturday, the police said. The collision took place near Devdahan village under Dhanarua police station when the Minister of State for Rural Development was going to Patna and the youth was on his way home in Bir village under the same police station. Rahul Kumar,18, died on the spot while the escort jeep overturned injuring the six security men, the police said. The injured policemen have been admitted to Nalanda MedicalCollege and Hospital in Patna. The minister termed the incident "tragic" and expressed grief and sympathy to the deceased's family. "It was a tragic incident. I express my profound grief and sympathy to the family of the deceased. The incident happened suddenly," Yadav told PTI. The minister was on his way to Patna after inaugurating 'Ujjwala' scheme at Masaurhi, the area which falls under his Lok Sabha constituency Patliputra. Reading, math scores down in 1st test since COVID. How Indiana did. Prasar Bharati, a statutory autonomous body established under the Prasar Bharati Act has released an official notification inviting all the interested, eligible candidates to apply for various posts like Creative Writer, Public Relation and others. By India Today Web Desk: Prasar Bharati, a statutory autonomous body established under the Prasar Bharati Act has released an official notification inviting all the interested, eligible candidates to apply for various posts like Creative Writer, Public Relation and others. All the eligible candidates are requested to apply latest by July 26. Vacancy details: Total posts: 19 Name of the posts: advertisement Content Manager: 6 PR Executive: 1 Manager PR: 1 Senior Creative Writer cum Copy Editor: 3 Senior Presenter (Male): 1 CG/ Scroll Assistant: 3 Guest Coordinator (Grade I): 1 Guest Coordinator (Grade II): 1 Eligibility criteria: Educational qualification: All the candidates interested in applying for this post need to possess a post graduate degree or diploma in journalism/ post production/diploma in computer application/public relations/mass communication or any other degree in journalism from a recognised university/institute. For details of work experience, all the candidates are requested to check the official notification available on the website, www.prasarbharati.gov.in Selection process: The final selection of applicants will be done through written test and / or personal interview. Pay scale: Content Manager, PR Executive and Junior Associate: Rs 25,000 Senior Creative Writer cum Copy Editor: Rs 50,000 Senior Presenter (Male) and Guest Coordinator (Grade I): Rs 41,000 CG/ Scroll Assistant & Guest Coordinator (Grade II): Rs 17,000 How to apply: All the candidates can send their application by writing all the required information on a plain paper Applicants are requested to attach bio data, giving their complete postal address, telephone numbers, and email address Also, the candidates need to attach photocopies of all educational and experience certificates The complete application should reach the "Deputy Director (Admn.), Room No. 111, 1st Floor, Tower-A, Doordarshan Bhawan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi 110001" Important dates: The last date to apply is July 26. Read: Holding an Engineering degree? Apply at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for 34 posts For information on more latest government jobs, click here. --- ENDS --- The tables will be turned next week when Abilene and surrounding communities are swamped with youths from Central Texas on a mission trip. Abilene churches and colleges routinely send students to other places for short-term missions. This time, the mission work will be done here. These youngsters are junior high and high school age from churches in the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, headquartered in Fort Worth. They will be on a Youth in Mission trip to Abilene, Anson, Big Spring, Clyde and Sweetwater. They will sleep and eat at designated 'living centers' in each community, usually a church or other large facility. In Abilene, First United Methodist Church and Wylie United Methodist Church will host about 100 people each. The students and sponsors will sleep and eat at the church and will shower in the locker rooms at Shotwell Stadium. 'We're glad they're coming,' said Jeff Zirkle, pastor of First UMC. Each group provides its own food and cooks, who whip up meals in the church kitchen. Each church will provide worship and recreation activities, in addition to sleeping and eating space. As many as 900 youngsters are expected on the trip and will be spread out in the various communities. The students and sponsors will arrive at their various destinations at 6 p.m. Sunday and set out on their missions Monday morning. Each living center hosts about up to 100 people who are divided into teams of five students and two sponsors. Teams are assigned to worksites in each community. In Abilene those include such places as a Habitat for Humanity build site, the United Methodist Service Center and Food Pantry, and private homes to do repairs or build wheelchair ramps. They all will gather at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Radford Auditorium at UMC-affiliated McMurry University for a closing worship. At First United Methodist Church in Abilene, the visitors will cover the floor of the activity center with sleeping bags for the week. Although the church is used to sending its own people on mission trips, this adventure will be a first, said Zirkle, the pastor. 'It's going to be a learning experience for us,' he said. Reunions are all about tradition, especially when they are as fun as the one established years ago by students attending the Texas Normal Singing School each summer at Abilene Christian University. The school will celebrate its 70th anniversary next week, with classes scheduled daily in the Biblical Studies Building at ACU. Each day's sessions end with a student-led hymn sing at 8 p.m. in the rotunda of the building. 'Then we go to the DQ,' said Levi Sisemore, a Church of Christ minister in Snyder and treasurer for the organization. And that's where the tradition is carried on. Years ago, Shane Shinato and T.E. Foster penned four verses of an original tune called 'Singing on the Premises of Dairy Queen,' sung to the tune of the familiar hymn, 'Standing on the Promises.' The singing school moved to ACU in 1989 and that's when the tradition started. It's still something everyone looks forward to, Sisemore said. The reunion part of this year's event started Friday and ends with a closing ceremony at 5 p.m. Saturday. The school begins at 5 p.m. Sunday. Before the week is over, the 67 students currently enrolled will get 50 hours of classroom instruction, Sisemore said. Anyone interested in learning how to read and sing shape note music can register for the school as late as Sunday, Sisemore said. 'I've been trying to beat the bushes recruiting,' he said. 'We're trying to make sure we get the most students back as possible.' Accounts of 'singing schools' date to 1730 in Charleston, South Carolina, according to the Texas Normal Singing School's website, with the Texas school forming in June 1946. The word 'normal' means the school didn't offer scholastic credit, a common terminology at the time. Singing schools teach people how to read shape note music, which is favored by congregations that sing a cappella music like the Churches of Christ. Learning to identify the geometric shapes and their corresponding sound doesn't take formal music training. 'It's teaching people what they already know,' Sisemore said. 'We're teaching regular people how to sing better.' The Texas Normal Singing School has had that same mission since it was formed in June 1946 by Edgar Furr and Austin Taylor. Today, Furr's son, Joe Ed, a retired Church of Christ minister in Sherman, is president. Furr said his father, who is deceased, planned to open the school in Blanco, where he lived, in June 1946 and was promised a loan by the local bank to start the school. Then, unexpectedly, the bank withdrew its offer, Furr said, even though invitations already had been sent to the first students. 'We had to suddenly pull them back and start over,' Furr said. Furr was about 6 when his father founded the school, but he remembers the stories of the early days. Instead of Blanco, the first school was held in Mathis, in South Texas, and later moved to Sabinal, near Uvalde. A family donated property to create a school across the street from the Church of Christ in Sabinal. Campus buildings were wood-frame structures purchased from the Hondo Army Airfield near Sabinal, where pilots trained during World War II. The school had three dormitories, a dining hall, a classroom with a piano, five teacher apartments, and a recreation center. The school also used the classrooms in the church buildings and conducted all its assemblies in the church auditorium. Even though the school's campus grew, attendance began to wane, Furr said. A survey found that people had stopped coming because the facilities weren't air-conditioned, Furr said, so a different site was sought. The school moved to the campus of Trinity University in San Antonio in 1985. Even though the campus was beautiful and the people hospitable, the setting wasn't ideal. Then, the new Biblical Studies Building opened on the campus of Abilene Christian University, which is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. 'The Abilene offer beat it (Trinity) hands down,' Furr said. 'We got spoiled very quickly.' Today, the school features 21 instructors, including four women, and hosts as many as 90 students, both men and women. They come from various states, including Hawaii, and as far as England and Canada. One British couple even schedules a vacation each summer to correspond to the singing school dates. Although the school itself is the main feature, this year's reunion also is filled with activities. Furr spoke Friday night on 'The First 70' and will speak at 9:45 a.m. Saturday on 'The Next 70.' Plenty of singing is woven into the weekend events, as well as meals and time for reminiscing. A featured speaker for the reunion will be Ken Young, a Church of Christ minister in Midland who has an international ministry called Hallal Worship. Young attended the singing school in 1970 and 1971, when he was a freshman and sophomore in high school in Sabinal. Young soon will be moving to Nashville, where he will direct his Hallal Worship full time. But before he goes, he is looking forward to returning to the singing school he last visited 40 years ago. He will share stories about his ministry with the singing school students at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. 'I'll be so excited,' he said, 'to get back and see how it's changed.' What: Texas Normal Singing School When: Sunday-Friday Where: Abilene Christian University, Biblical Studies Building Theme: Reunion: 70 Years, Still Singing Featured speaker: Ken Young, alumnus and senior worship minister of Golf Course Road Church of Christ, Midland History: Established June 1946 by Edgar Furr and Austin Taylor in Blanco, then moved to Sabinal and the campus of Trinity University in San Antonio before settling at ACU in 1989 Leadership: Joe Ed Furr, president and son of the founder; James Tackett, vice president; Levi Sisemore, treasurer; Tony Kite, secretary Sessions: Song leading, song writing and singing with excellence Information: www.singingschool.org SCHEDULE The public is invited to stop by any of the sessions, which are scheduled all day Monday through Friday. All classes and performances will be in the Biblical Studies Building. 9:30 a.m. Sunday: Worship service, featuring graduates as worship leaders. Public is invited to the service, in the chapel. 8 p.m. daily: Student-led hymn sing in the rotunda outside the chapel. IF YOU GO: What: Texas Normal Singing SchoolWhen: Sunday-Friday Where: Abilene Christian University, Biblical Studies Building Theme: Reunion: 70 Years, Still Singing Featured speaker: Ken Young, alumnus and senior worship minister of Golf Course Road Church of Christ, Midland History: Established June 1946 by Edgar Furr and Austin Taylor in Blanco, then moved to Sabinal and the campus of Trinity University in San Antonio before settling at ACU in 1989 Leadership: Joe Ed Furr, president and son of the founder; James Tackett, vice president; Levi Sisemore, treasurer; Tony Kite, secretary Sessions: Song leading, song writing and singing with excellence Information: www.singingschool.org SCHEDULE The public is invited to stop by any of the sessions, which are scheduled all day Monday through Friday. All classes and performances will be in the Biblical Studies Building. 9:30 a.m. Sunday: Worship service, featuring graduates as worship leaders. Public is invited to the service, in the chapel. 8 p.m. daily: Student-led hymn sing in the rotunda outside the chapel. Anger. Shock. Sadness. Disbelief. Those are among the range of emotions Abilene City Councilman Anthony Williams said he is experiencing in the wake of this week's shootings, including the ambush of police officers Thursday night in Dallas. Williams said Friday that he's horrified that anyone would shoot 12 Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officers, five of whom did not survive. But he said he's concentrating on Abilene, where he's teaming with Mission Abilene's Stop the Violence program to begin a conversation aimed at curtailing violent crime in this city. Abilene has its own issues that need to be addressed, just as Dallas has, Williams said. 'As Americans, we need to react accordingly to what happens in our country,' he said. 'But when it comes down to it, I'm concerned about Abilene, Texas. Abilene is not Baton Rouge. It's not Chicago. It's not (Falcon Heights) Minnesota. It's not New York City. We're not those places. 'One thing we ask for is that we want each one of us in this community to accept responsibility for our part in this community, if that's violent crime or just crime in general, and for each one of us to do our part (to stop it),' Williams said. The Dallas officers were shot during a gathering of hundreds of people downtown to protest the killings of two black men, Alton Sterling, of Baton Rouge, and Philando Castile, of Falcon Heights by police in those communities. In Abilene, the Abilene Police Department and the Taylor County Sheriff's Office both changed their Facebook page photos to express solidarity with the Dallas officers and their families. The respective leaders of the law enforcement agencies released statements of support. 'Words cannot express how we feel about the assassination of fellow law enforcement officers in Dallas,' Sheriff Ricky Bishop said. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Dallas Police Department, the officers' families and the citizens of Dallas.' Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge said his department has reached out to Dallas law enforcement to offer support, including assisting in any way with funerals and visiting dignitaries. He said Abilene residents have shown support for their local police by bringing food to the station and sending messages. Although Abilene hasn't seen the type of violence or protests taking place in larger cities, Williams said, residents need to step up to combat violent crime. He said that a survey on violent crime that he and Chad Mitchell, leader of Stop the Violence, had anticipated being available online Friday would be delayed until next week to allow heightened emotions to dissipate. Williams said he wants to see Abilene residents take ownership in their community and start acting like 'citizens' to curtail the violence here at home. 'I used something the other day (when) I talked about the difference between a resident and a citizen,' Williams said. 'A resident is someone who lives in a community, often benefiting from the amenities of the community. A citizen also resides in the community, but they have ownership in the community, they invest in the community, they contribute to the community. And at the end of the day, a citizen makes a difference. I want to encourage everyone to be citizens.' In Cisco, you can have your pie and eat it, too. Or three. Or more ... Greg Jaklewicz Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... Updated at 1.15 p.m. EST on 2012-12-21 A group of 11 Uyghurs repatriated from Malaysia to China last year has been sentenced to prison on separatism charges, according to a relative and friends in their hometown. 11 Chinese authorities have not revealed what happened to the group since they were repatriated in August 2011 as part of what rights groups said was Beijings coordinated campaign to pressure neighboring countries into extraditing members of the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority who had fled persecution in their homeland in the restive Xinjiang region. But the mother of one of the men told RFAs Uyghur Service this month that her son is serving a three-year sentence for separatism in Hotan prison in Xinjiang, following a secret trial in July. Friends of his and the other 10 deported men said they have heard that the others had also been thrown in jail for up to 15 years, though they did not wish to be named and the sentences could not be confirmed. Kurbanjan Sirajidin Ahmet Sadiq, who had been living legally in Malaysia for five years before he was deported back to China, was given a six-year jail sentence for separatism that was later reduced to three years, his mother Haniyazhan Ahmet Sadiq said. They accused him of separatism and sentenced him to jail, she said, adding that he has denied the charges and insisted he has nothing to do with separatism. "In July this year, there was a court session for him and he was sentenced to six years. But we were not allowed to enter the courtroom, she said, adding that the term was later reduced to three years. Family members have not been allowed to visit him but have been told he is in Hotan prison, she said. His father and I are both very ill, and I worry we will not live to see him released, she said. Three years is too long. Separatism Friends of his who were contacted by RFA and who did not wish to be named said that they heard others had been given sentences ranging from 11 months to 15 years. Hotan police contacted by RFA refused to comment on any of the deportees. Haniyazhan Ahmet Sadiq said she believes her son is innocent but added that Chinese authorities consider him and the 10 other deported men to be separatists. We believe he is innocent, but the government believes he is a separatist because he helped 10 other Uyghurs with translation issues in Malaysia, and they accused him of separatism, sentenced him to jail, she said. The [Chinese] government said these 10 Uyghurs were separatists because they crossed the Chinese border illegally without passports. Kurbanjan Sirajidin Ahmet Sadiq, who is married to a Malaysian woman and ran a restaurant in an Islamic university in Kuala Lumpur, is fluent in Malaysian and English and frequently helped newly arrived Uyghurs with language issues. Sources said he had assisted UN refugee agency staff as a translator several times. He and the 10 other deportees were among 16 Uyghurs detained by Malaysian police in separate raids in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru city on Aug. 6 of last year. The Malaysian police said they had busted a Chinese trafficking ring which was falsely trying to claim United Nations refugee status for its victims after smuggling them into the country. UNHCR officials said the agency had tried to meet with the men before they were deported but were refused permission by Malaysian authorities. Two of the Uyghurs were released soon after the arrest and three were released into the agencys custody as persons of concern, while the remaining were deported to China 20 days after the arrest. Malaysian authorities A lawyer who helped the group of Uyghurs while they were in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar Ismail, said he believes the men are innocent of the terrorism and separatism charges leveled at them and should not have been sent to China. The lawyer said the Uyghurs were arrested by Malaysia's counterterrorism police for violations of Malaysia's security laws. "Police called me and told me that they were arrested under [Malaysia's] Internal Security Act. But they told the media that they were arrested for human trafficking and nothing to do with any political or religious group." He said that if Malaysian authorities had been given evidence from China that the deported Uyghurs had committed other crimes that warranted them being extradited, then they should have provided proof. China has no proof. If China had proof, the Malaysian government would have disclosed this proof, he told RFAs Uyghur Service. He urged the Malaysian government not to allow any more Uyghurs to be deported to China. "I feel deeply sorry about the deported people. The Malaysian government should learn what happens when they deport Uyghurs, Anwar said. The Malaysian counterterrorism police unit contacted by RFA refused to comment on the case. Call for transparency In recent years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos have all repatriated Uyghurs allegedly following pressure from Chinese authorities. Many of the Uyghurs who have been deported were fleeing Chinas restive northwestern Xinjiang region, where they say they face discrimination, which fueled deadly riots in 2009. Phelim Kline, the deputy director for Asia at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said that China has kept the fate of repatriated Uyghurs such as the 11 from Malaysia under wraps. There is zero transparency on the Chinese side in terms of determining what exactly the situation is for these people who were detained and returned to China. Rights groups have accused Malaysia of violating legal due process by deporting them instead of charging them under international law. Kline said that Malaysian authorities were obligated to explain what legal procedures had occurred. They are obligated to ensure these Uyghurs were not forcibly returned, Kline said. If so, they need to explain why they violated due legal process by turning over these Uyghurs to Chinese jurisdiction after the raids which resulted in detention in Malaysia, he said. A Uyghur woman in Kuala Lumpur who knew the 11 deported men said they had not been involved in any terrorist or separatist activities. Most of these people are farmers that have not received much schooling.... I believe that they do not even understand what separatism or terrorism mean, she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. She said the group had fled to predominantly Muslim Malaysia because they faced political repression in Xinjiang. They came to Malaysia to look for a better life. This is because life is harsh for Uyghurs in East Turkestan due to Chinese control, she said, using a Uyghur term for the Xinjiang region. She said the deportations were a way for China to impose more pressure on Uyghurs in Xinjiang. China frequently labels Uyghurs with terms like terrorism and separatism. I think China would like to scare Uyghurs by hunting them down across its borders. In the meantime, China would like to show off its regional power as well. Reported by Rukiye Turdush for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Rukiye Turdush and Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink. The families of the youths have not heard from them for the past one month. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently. By Press Trust of India: At least 15 youths from Kerala's Kasaragod and Palakkad districts, who had travelled to the Middle East, have gone missing for the last one month and their families suspect they might have joined the Islamic State. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the police to launch a probe into the matter urgently, Kasaragod Member of Parliament P Karunakaran said. advertisement The families of the youths, including a couple, have not heard from them for the past one month. They fear that they have been radicalised after having gone to the Middle East for religious studies. 'HERE, THERE IS DIVINE RULE' Kasaragod District Panchayat member VPP Mustafa said that during Eid, the parents of two missing youths received 'Whatsapp' messages saying "we are not coming back. Here, there is divine rule. You aso should join us". "We have joined IS to fight US for attacking Muslims", read another message, he said adding the veracity of the messages has to be checked. On being approached by the families, Karunakaran, Thrikarippur MLA M Rajagopalan and Mustafa informed the Chief Minister about the matter. ISIS terrorists auctioning sex slaves on Whatsapp, Telegram apps MISSING YOUTHS BELOW 30, HIGHLY EDUCATED Rajagopal told PTI that all those missing were below the age of 30 and highly qualified. "The Chief Minister has asked police to launch a probe into the matter urgently," Karunakaran said today. He said the family members of the missing youths met him yesterday and brought the matter to his notice. Hakim, father of Hafesuddin who is among those missing from Kasaragod, told television channels that his son had left a month ago and there was no news from him. "If he returns as a good man, I will welcome him. If not, I do not want to see even his dead body," he said. Bengal: Man with suspected ISIS link arrested by NIA KNOW THE MISSING YOUTH Karunakaran said the family members told him that the youths had left for Middle East a month ago stating that they were going for religious studies. But for the last one month, their families had no communication from them; so they were suspicious, he said. While 11 of those missing hail from Padna and Thrikaripur in the northernmost Kasaragod district, others are from Palakkad district. Mustafa said among the missing were Dr Ijas and his dentist wife. They had left home saying they were going to Lakshadweep, he told PTI. advertisement Abdul Rasheed, an engineering graduate, had left home with his wife and a two-year old daughter, stating that they were going to Mumbai for a job. All the youths hail from middle class families and had been showing keen interest in religious matters since the last two years, Mustafa said. Also Read: 15 Muslim youths from Kerala joined IS, says relatives Dhaka attack: One of 3 youths in new ISIS video identified as singer --- ENDS --- WARSAW -- NATO signaled unity in support for Afghanistan and a mix of "defense and deterrence" with dialogue to handle an assertive Russia at a crucial summit, seeking to address an array of challenges faced by the Western alliance and the wider world. At a two-day summit that NATO leaders said was a defining moment for the alliance, its members also agreed to step up its role in the fight against Islamic State extremists and combat terrorism and human trafficking with a Sea Guardian mission in the Mediterranean. "In an unpredictable world of challenges from the south and east, NATO remains an essential source of stability," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 9, wrapping up the main results of the gathering at a Warsaw stadium ahead of a final meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. NATO must "project stability" beyond its immediate region and become "even more of a training alliance" to help other countries fight terrorism and other threats instead of sending large NATO contingents in to do so, he said, announcing a plan to begin a new training effort in Iraq to aid in combatting Islamic State fighters. "Prevention is better than intervention," Stoltenberg said. New Battalions Day One of the summit was dominated by the formal authorization of plans for multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops each to be stationed on a rotating basis in Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania -- a direct response to Russian belligerence and the biggest such move by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. The battalions will be led by the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany. "The main message is that the alliance is united, that we stand together in our approach based on defense -- strong defense -- and collective dialogue," Stoltenberg said on July 9. Asked by a Russian reporter whether he saw any imminent threat against a NATO ally, Stoltenberg said no, but added a "more assertive" Russia has built up its military capabilities, modernized its armed forces, and tripled its defense spending in recent years. Moscow, he said, has been "willing to use military force against neighbors, against Ukraine, illegally annexing Crimea, and destabilizing eastern Ukraine." Stoltenberg said NATO's enhanced response forces could be used not only on the alliance's eastern flank but also to tackle potential threats stemming from the turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa. He said that while NATO is not in a "strategic partnership" with Russia, despite what he said were efforts to build one after the Soviet breakup, it is also not engaged in a new "Cold War." "We are in a new situation which is different to anything else we have experienced before," he said. Russia stunned the West in March 2014 by seizing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and backing separatists whose war against Kyivs forces has killed more than 9,300 people in eastern Ukraine since that April. The interference in Ukraine has increased concerns in eastern NATO nations such as Poland and the three Baltic states, which were under Moscows thumb until the Soviet breakup a quarter-century ago. WATCH: Poroshenko Hails 'Unique' NATO Support In addition to military force, Western governments say that under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has used cyberattacks, propaganda, and other methods in an effort to destabilize European countries and undermine Western unity. Addressing a news conference following Poroshenkos meeting with NATO leaders, Stoltenberg reaffirmed the alliances support for Ukraine and called on Russia to halt its "political, military and financial support for separatists" battling Kyivs forces in the east of the country. Poroshenko, meanwhile, hailed NATO solidarity with his country, saying he had secured from the alliance a strong commitment to supporting Ukraine in increasing our defense capability in the form of an assistance package. The Kremlin said in a July 9 statement that Putin held a call with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the Ukraine crisis and that Putin urged his counterparts "to influence more actively the Ukrainian side" during their planned meetings with Poroshenko. In downtown Warsaw, a few hundred anti-NATO activists protested against the planned deployments on July 9, carrying banners reading "Stop NATO" and chanting "NATO get out of here." Russia, which has long accused NATO of jeopardizing security by expanding eastward, has criticized NATOs deployment plans. Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper parliament house, likened them to building a dam in the desert, and Putins spokesman said on July 8 that it was absurd to speak of a threat from Russia. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that "NATO has begun preparations for escalating from a Cold War into a hot one." "They only talk about defense, but actually are preparing for offensive operations," Gorbachev was quoted as saying. NATO leaders dismiss such accusations, saying that the alliance is not seeking confrontation but that Russia's actions have made it necessary for the alliance to bolster its defenses. Stoltenberg said during the summit that NATO will continue to seek meaningful and constructive dialogue" with Russia. The NATO-Russia Council, which was set up in the 1990s to address Russias misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, is to meet next week for the second time this year. The council was suspended following Russias seizure of Crimea. 'Long Haul' The NATO summit also produced an agreement to continue training Afghan security forces into 2017, prolonging a support mission in a country that still faces serious instability a decade and a half after the Taliban was driven from power. Taliban fighters and allied insurgents have regrouped since the U.S. invasion in 2001, and by some accounts now hold more territory than at any time since then. That has prompted the United States and NATO to slow their drawdown of troops. Speaking after leaders of the 28-nation alliance met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Stoltenberg said that Afghan forces will continue to be funded through 2020 "at or near" the current level of $5 billion a year. Most of the money comes from the United States, but Stoltenberg said other allies have promised to put up about $1 billion a year. "Our message is clear: Afghanistan does not stand alone, and we are committed for the long haul," the NATO chief said at a news conference. Stoltenberg said the number of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2017 will remain at about 12,000, but that exact numbers will be decided in the fall. Obama announced this week that the United States would leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan though the end of his term in January 2017 instead of cutting their numbers. In an interview in Warsaw with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Abdullah said that around the time that NATO ended its combat mission, Taliban insurgents thought they could "win militarily" -- but that this "did not happen" thanks to the Afghan security forces and support from the international community. WATCH: Afghan CEO Says IS 'A Problem' For His Country "The people of Afghanistan do not want the country Talibanized again," he said. The government is keeping "the door open for negotiations," Abdullah said. "But unfortunately the Taliban have given us a negative response and are prolonging the conflict in Afghanistan." On Iraq, Stoltenberg said NATO leaders agreed on the use of AWACS surveillance aircraft to support the fight against Islamic State extremists, who seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and have killed and abused uncounted civilians.Thats in addition to a new "training and capacity-building" effort there. Stoltenberg also announced plans for an intelligence center in Tunisia and support for Tunisian forces, and said NATO leaders agreed to launch a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea, to help fight trafficking, terrorism, and grapple with the influx of migrants seeking entry in Europe. A French- and German-brokered peace deal known as the Minsk agreement imposed a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, but it is violated frequently and the Russia-backed separatists continue to hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Progress on political aspects of the Minsk agreement, which was meant to resolve the conflict and restore Kyivs control over Ukraines entire border with Russia, has been slow. Ahead of the summit, Obama said that even as our nations remain open to a more constructive relationship with Russia, we should agree that sanctions on Russia must remain in place until Moscow fully implements its obligations under the Minsk agreement. With reporting by Mustafa Sarwar of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP, and Interfax So it's a whole new NATO. Despite Brexit and despite lingering divisions over whether to confront or engage Russia, the transatlantic alliance took some big steps forward at a landmark summit this week in Warsaw. "We face a serious problem in a revanchist Kremlin and this summit has done an excellent job of addressing it," John Herbst, director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said during a panel discussion at the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum. By agreeing to deploy multinational military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland, NATO has moved from the reassurance of its allies to the deterrence of its adversaries. Boots on the ground -- particularly American, Canadian, British, and German boots -- should put to rest any lingering doubts that the alliance is prepared to defend its most vulnerable members against a potential attack by Russia. And even as the buildup in the east addressed the kinetic threat from Moscow, the agreement NATO signed in Warsaw with the European Union was a significant step in addressing the nonkinetic aspects of Moscow's hybrid war on the West. As effective a military alliance as NATO is, it is ill-equipped to counter threats stemming from the Kremlin's weaponization of globalization: its use of things like corruption, transnational organized crime, international finance, and disinformation to undermine the foundations of Western societies. Countering these hybrid tactics -- which form a significant part of Russia's threat to the West and are integrated with the Kremlin's military strategy -- requires a coordinated effort not only by NATO, but from the nondefense arms of Western governments as well. "The EU and NATO cannot afford to go their own ways in dealing with the multitude of challenges they face," Judy Dempsey, a senior associate at Carnegie Europe, wrote. "They both have expertise that complements the others. NATO has hard power, the EU has soft power." The Gray Zone So what just went on in the Polish capital was a Very Big (expletive deleted) Deal. Antoni Macierewicz, Poland's defense minister, went as far as to call the summit "a turning point in the history of the alliance." But at the same time, it was also just the start of a process. The question now is, how does NATO move beyond Warsaw? With the eastern buildup, it's now clear to anybody paying attention that Article 5, the alliance's collective-defense provision, will be upheld. But can NATO now move beyond Article 5 and find a way to address security issues in its neighborhood? With U.S. troops set to deploy to eastern Poland, strategically vital Suwalki Gap is being plugged. Can NATO now plug the other security gaps lingering on its periphery? Specifically, with membership off the table for the foreseeable future for Ukraine and Georgia -- not to mention Moldova -- what happens in the gray zone between NATO and Russia? "What is NATO's role in relation to those countries? How can NATO project stability beyond its borders?" Herbst asked. This is far from an academic question as it is in this gray zone, in the lands beyond the Article 5 umbrella, where conflict and instability are most likely to occur. And any instability on NATO's frontier can easily turn into a security threat for the alliance itself. "Not giving a membership perspective harms the security environment. And this is true not just for Ukraine and Georgia, but for the wider area," Ivana Klympush-Tsintsadze, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said at the Warsaw Summit Experts' Forum. So if membership is off the table in the gray zone, and the West isn't prepared to acquiesce to a de facto Yalta and cede these countries to Russia, coming up with a workable alternative is going to be one of NATO's biggest challenges going forward. Hybrid Defense Likewise, the agreement between NATO and the EU, which the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called "a historic deal," is just the start of a process. NATO and the EU pledged to coordinate their actions and cooperate on a series of security issues, including cyberdefense, terrorism, and countering "hybrid threats" and disinformation campaigns from Russia. Dempsey of Carnegie Europe noted that the pact could provide "a boost for the Atlanticist wing in the EU" and "make it more difficult for Russia to divide Europe and weaken the transatlantic relationship." It would also facilitate coordination between European law-enforcement and regulatory bodies -- which would be on the front lines in countering Moscow's hybrid tactics -- and NATO's traditional defense capabilities. If implemented fully, it would make it easier to form a comprehensive strategy against kinetic and nonkinetic threats. The operative phrase, of course, is "if implemented fully." Despite having headquarters in the same city and having mostly overlapping member states, NATO and the EU have scant experience in cooperating. Both have a consensus-based form of decision making that can be slow, quarrelsome, and unwieldy. Turf wars and squabbles are probably inevitable, and were already evident even before the document was signed. But if the deal can work, its impact in enhancing security in the transatlantic area could be at least as significant as placing thousands of troops on NATO's eastern frontier. Our security is interconnected, Stoltenberg said. Together we are a formidable team. Ukrainian troops are holding out against attacks near two towns in the eastern Donbas region, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported on October 26, saying the front line has not significantly changed. Zelenskiy said the fiercest battles were taking place near Avdiyivka and Bakhmut. 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. "This is where the craziness of the Russian command is most evident. Day after day, for months, they are driving people to their deaths there, concentrating the highest level of artillery strikes," he said in his nightly address. Russian forces have repeatedly tried to seize Bakhmut, which sits on a main road leading to the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. British intelligence has said Moscow may see the capture of Bakhmut as a prerequisite for advancing to the two cities -- the most significant Ukrainian-controlled parts of the Donetsk region. Russian-installed authorities in Shakhtarsk, east of the city of Donetsk, said Ukrainian shelling had set ablaze fuel tanks at the town's railway station. The reports could not be independently verified. Zelenskiy did not provide an update on the situation in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, which has been the scene of recent movements on both sides. "Generally, we are strengthening our positions all over the front line, reducing the invaders' capabilities, destroying their logistics, and preparing good news for Ukraine," he said. Russia, meanwhile, repeated the unfounded claim that Ukraine plans to set off a dirty bomb. This time it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who made the accusation, speaking in remarks carried by Russian TV. Putin said Ukraine plans to use a so-called dirty bomb as a provocation. It was the first time the Russian president made the unsubstantiated allegation, which his officials have been repeating since the weekend. Putin made the remarks as he monitored drills of Russias strategic nuclear forces. "Under the leadership of...Vladimir Putin, a training session was held with ground, sea, and air strategic deterrence forces during which practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place," the Kremlin said in a statement. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that the exercise simulated a massive nuclear strike retaliating for a nuclear attack on Russia. The United States said Russia provided advance notice of the annual drills, which are taking place as NATO carries out its own annual nuclear exercises. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called Russias unsubstantiated statements about the use of a dirty bomb "absurd." The NATO allies reject this blatantly false accusation, and Russia must not use false pretexts to escalate the war further, Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Ukraine and its Western allies have denied the claims and contend that Russia might itself try to detonate a dirty bomb, a weapons that would use the explosion of a conventional warhead to spread radioactive, biological, or chemical materials over an area. Shoigu on October 26 called his counterparts from India and China to share Moscows concern about possible Ukrainian provocations involving a dirty bomb, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. 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. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the United States has communicated directly and very clearly to the Russians the consequences of such an attack. Blinken, speaking at an event sponsored by the U.S. news outlet Bloomberg, did not specify when the Russians were informed or who did it. Blinken repeated that the United States is "very closely" following Russias comments about the use of nuclear weapons but "does not see any reason to change its nuclear position." Russia's statement that Ukraine is considering the possibility of using a dirty bomb is "another fabrication and is the height of irresponsibility on the part of a nuclear state," Blinken said. He noted that Russia has a history of accusing others of doing something they themselves have done or are about to do. He also said the United States was in direct communication with the Russians about their attempts to use the false claim as a pretext for any escalation. Moscow over the weekend claimed Ukraine was 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." U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on October 25 . "I cannot guarantee you that it is a false flag operation yet. We dont know. But it would be a serious mistake." 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. 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 was 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 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." Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has accused NATO of preparing for a hot war against Russia and says rhetoric from alliances leaders is pushing the two sides toward a military confrontation. "NATO has begun preparations for escalating from a Cold War into a hot one," Gorbachev was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying on July 9. His comments came as NATO leaders met in Warsaw for the final day of a summit, where the alliance endorsed a new major deployment of armed forces to Eastern Europe that Moscow has fiercely criticized. NATO says the move is a response to Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and its backing of separatists fighting Kyivs forces in eastern Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 9 that the alliance does not see any imminent threat against its member states but that it does not enjoy the "strategic partnership" with Russia that it pursued after the fall of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev, who presided over the Soviet collapse, said that NATO leaders "only talk about defense, but actually are preparing for offensive operations." "All of the rhetoric in Warsaw simply clamors for all but declaring war on Russia," he was quoted as saying. NATO leaders have repeatedly rejected Russias accusations that the alliance is ratcheting up tensions. They say the bloc is not seeking confrontation but rather boosting its defenses in response to Russias actions in Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states, like Georgia, where the Kremlin backs separatist-controlled regions. Despite being receiving a Nobel Prize and praise in many Western capital, the 85-year-old Gorbachev is widely reviled among many Russians, who see his role in the disintegration of the Soviet Union as an act of cowardice and betrayal. He speaks out regularly on Russian politics, though his criticism of the Kremlin has become muted in recent years. With reporting by Interfax and Reuters Indian security officials said they killed a prominent rebel leader in the troubled Himalayan region of Kashmir and are imposing a curfew in the area to hold down protests on July 9. Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a commander of the Pakistan-allied rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed on July 8 along with two other militants, they said. Indian police described the killing as a "major success against militants in Kashmir," where the majority of people are Muslim and sympathetic to the rebels. Indian authorities had offered a reward for Wani's capture. Authorities imposed a curfew and mobile internet services were blocked in the southern Kashmir valley starting July 9, and the annual pilgrimage to the Hindu Amarnath shrine was suspended. Protesters took to the streets after news of Wani's death spread in the region, which is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed in entirety by both. Demonstrators shouted pro-Pakistan slogans and burned tires in Srinigar. Wani, 22, featured prominently in propaganda for his group and was a household name. In a recent video, he called on militants to attack local policemen who supported what he called the Indian occupation of Kashmir. Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and Reuters NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance stands united in its policy of "strong defense and constructive dialogue" toward Russia. "The alliance is united, we stand together in our approach," he told a news conference on July 9, the second day of a two-day NATO summit in Warsaw. Stoltenberg said this was the "main message" from a meeting NATO leaders held late on July 8 to discuss Russia's increasingly assertive stance. "I am very pleased to see how strong that message is in NATO and how united we are behind that message," he said. Asked whether NATO viewed Russia as a threat, Stoltenberg said the alliance doesn't see any "imminent threat against any NATO ally" but does not enjoy the "strategic partnership" with Russia that he said NATO has sought to develop since the end of the Cold War. "We are in a new situation which is different to anything else we have experienced before," he said. His comments come one day after NATO leaders endorsed a major new deployment of armed forces to Eastern Europe, the largest such move by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. Stoltenberg said in July 8 that the move was a response to Russia's support of separatists in eastern Ukraine and its illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The four multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops will be led by Canada, Germany, Britain, and the United States. They will be stationed in Poland and the three Baltic states. The NATO-Russia Council, which was set up in the 1990s to address Russias misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, is to meet next week for the second time this year. The council was suspended in 2014 following Russias seizure of Crimea. Based on Reuters and live streaming from the NATO summit in Warsaw. U.S. President Barack Obama said there can be no business as usual with Russia until it fully implements the agreement aimed at ending the war between Kyivs forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Speaking July 9 at a news conference in Warsaw, where he was participating in a NATO summit, Obama cited Russian aggression in Ukraine as one of an unprecedented range of security, humanitarian, and political challenges the alliance faces. This is a pivotal moment for our alliance, Obama said, adding that Washingtons commitment to the security and defense of Europe is unwavering." "In good times, and in bad, Europe can count on the United States. Always," he added. Referring to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and its backing for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Obama said that Moscow has violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent European nation, Ukraine, and engaged in provocative behavior toward NATO allies. His comments came ahead of next weeks meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, the second such meeting this year. The council was set up in the 1990s to address Russias misgivings about the alliance expanding eastward, but was suspended following the Crimea annexation. Our 28 nations are united in our view that there can be no business as usual with Russia until it fully implements its Minsk obligations, Obama said, referring to the peace deal signed in the Belarusian capital in 2015. New Battalions Obama spoke a day after NATO leaders at the summit formalized plans for four multinational battalions of up to 1,000 troops each to be stationed on a rotating basis in Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The battalions, to be led by the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany, are a direct response to Russias actions in Ukraine and elsewhere. Were moving forward with the most significant reinforcement of our collective defense [since] any time since the Cold War, Obama said. Obamas staunch defense of NATOs role in protecting Europe comes against the backdrop of a U.S. presidential campaign in which the presumptive Republican candidate, Donald Trump, has called the alliance obsolete." Trump has also criticized its members for not paying their fair share. In his July 9 comments, Obama also warned that NATO member states must meet their commitments to earmark 2 percent of their annual economic output for defense. Britain, Poland, Greece, and Estonia were on target to meet goal but he said: "That means that the majority of allies are still not hitting that 2 percent mark." "We had a very candid conversation about this [during the summit]," Obama said. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Russia's Foreign Ministry said it expelled two U.S. diplomats from Moscow in June in response to what it called a similar "unfriendly" move by Washington, amid an escalating diplomatic dispute between the two countries. One of the expelled diplomats was involved in an incident with a Russian guard near the U.S. Embassy entrance in Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Another diplomat was "also a CIA operative," Ryabkov said. The statement came one day after the United States announced it expelled two Russian officials following the violent altercation last month outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the Russians were thrown out on June 17 in connection with the incident that occurred earlier in the month in the Russian capital, but gave no further details. It wasn't immediately clear who the Russians were and whether they were accredited diplomats. The altercation in Moscow occurred June 6, when a man identified as an accredited U.S. diplomat was tackled and injured by a Russian security service guard outside an embassy entrance. U.S. officials said the American had just shown his embassy badge to the guard, one of several that help monitor the perimeter of the massive embassy complex and who work for the Federal Security Service, the country's main security agency. The guard then tackled the diplomat, leaving him with a broken shoulder. Russia later accused the man of being a CIA agent. The incident came amid an increasing number of tense encounters between U.S. diplomats and Russian security officials in Moscow and elsewhere. Moscow traffic police have stopped U.S. embassy personnel about five dozen times over the six weeks, according to the U.S. official -- an unusual number in a city where diplomats are usually afforded leeway for things like minor traffic violations. And the spokesman for the U.S. diplomatic post last week reported returning home to find cigarettes in his apartment; another reportedly returned home to find the water taps turned on. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the incident with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a phone call on June 7, the day after the altercation, Kirby told reporters July 7. In Washington, American officials have given few details publicly about any of the incidents, but stressed on several occasions that they wanted to resolve the harassment behind closed doors and without publicity. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to have additional 100 MW of solar power generation capacity at its various aerodromes to bring down carbon footprint. "30 MW solar power at AAI airports in pipeline; reducing carbon foot print by 4,600 MT (million tonnes). Long-term plan of addl 116 MW (sic)," Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in a tweet today. advertisement The minister, along with his junior colleague Jayant Sinha and other officials, had yesterday held a meeting with directors of various AAI-operated airports on energy and water conservation measures. "Had a detailed workshop with ten airport directors on energy and water conservation measures at airports of AAI," Raju said in another tweet. Around 42 airports have been identified for the solar power projects. AAI manages 125 aerodromes. These include 11 international, 8 customs and 81 domestic airports as well as 25 civil enclaves at defence airfields. The proposal to increase solar power usage also comes at a time when the ministry is working on ways to revive many underutilised airports as part of larger efforts to bolster regional air connectivity. Meanwhile, in a tweet, Sinha said he conducted review meetings to understand the opportunities and challenges in Indias aviation sector. PTI RAM IAS SMN PAL SMN --- ENDS --- Russia says that two of its servicemen were killed near the Syrian city of Palmyra when their helicopter was shot down, bringing the number of Russian military personnel killed in the Syria conflict to at least 12. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that gunmen from the extremist Islamic State group downed the Syrian-owned helicopter that Russian military pilots Ryafagat Khabibulin and Yevgeny Dolgin were taking for a test flight on July 8 The helicopter "under fire" from IS militants after the pilots "had used up all their ammunition and were on their way back," the ministry said in the July 9 statement. The SITE monitoring group said that the extremist organization had claimed responsibility. RIA-Novosti and Interfax cited unnamed ministry officials earlier in the day as saying that the copter went down July 8 after engaging IS fighters in the Homs province. The Defense Ministry statement said that the helicopter crew had "received a request" from Syrian forces to conduct airstrikes against "a large detachment of ISIS gunmen" that had "mounted an offensive against Syrian troops to the east of Palmyra," Russias state-run TASS news agency reported. "After having run out of ammunition, the turning around helicopter was hit by militants' gunfire from the ground and crashed in the area controlled by the Syrian governmental army. The crew died," TASS quoted the ministry as saying. At least 11 Russian personnel have been killed in Syria since Russia launched its air operation in September to bolster the embattled forces of President Bashar al-Assad. The Russian military has maintained a strong presence at an airbase in the Latakia province, in northwest Syria since launching its operations. With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and AFP Experts in police training and policy debate the merits of warrior vs. guardian mindsets in shaping how officers should approach their jobs. Perhaps nothing better illustrates that difficult dichotomy than the situation Dallas police faced Thursday, caught in a planned attack that killed five officers and wounded seven others as they worked to ensure that a protest ignited by police killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota this week remained peaceful. Police officers were there protecting and making sure the protests were peaceful, and they were getting shot at, said Chernoh Wurie, a 35-year-old former Prince William County police officer and a professor of criminal justice at Virginia Commonwealth University. It was sickening. I was saddened for the victims, I was saddened for the police officers. Weve got to start looking for solutions. We have to find a mediator for the community and the police. Whos going to build that trust again? Wurie, who grew up in Sierra Leone and came to the U.S. as a teenager, said the officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota and subsequent calculated massacre of police in Dallas left him battling a lot of mixed emotions and feelings as a black man and former police officer. Im definitely hurt and praying for all sides, he said. We have a lot of work to do. *** Two years since the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., social media, news cycles and political reactions have lurched from one controversial police encounter to the next. But what has changed? In Virginia, law enforcement agencies are keenly aware of fissures between police departments and the communities they serve and are exploring ways to improve how officers work and relate to the public, said Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. The nonprofit group issued a statement Friday, even as it mourned the deaths of officers in Dallas, committing to enhancing both basic and in-service training to address proper use of force, crisis de-escalation, racial bias and police-community relations, and in examining our hiring and disciplinary procedures. It takes a lot of good, sophisticated training, which is expensive, Schrad said. Budgets continue to decline, while expectations of the public continue to increase. ... In this environment, its hard to get people to want to come into policing as a career choice. Schrad said the association is working with the Virginia Attorney Generals Office and the Department of Public Safety to add new training curriculum involving the use of force, defusing crisis situations, and improving the integrity of internal affairs investigations. Those subjects have come to the fore as the result of high-profile police shootings. It is a complex conundrum, being good community police while being strong enough to handle crisis, she said. That takes a mindset that very few people really ever master well. Lynetta Thompson, Richmond branch president of the NAACP, sees progress in the diverse coalitions of people who joined together in Dallas and elsewhere to call attention to fatal encounters with police and an accessible partner in Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham. With the video, and people with phones, it allows the world to see, it became more transparent, she said, though holding officers fully accountable remains elusive. Videos from the shootings this week in Louisiana and Minnesota were seen by a global audience. She cited the recent acquittals of two Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, a suspect who died of a spinal injury while in police custody, and the trial of a third officer that ended in a deadlocked jury. Overall, I do believe that police officers, they do that because they really have a concern for their community and they do that out of giving back, thats their job, she said. They believe the oath that they take. But also, there are still innate biases that some people with authority that they act out in their duties. We want more police accountability. What happened in Dallas, she added, was not part of anybodys agenda. We dont advocate burning, killing or any of that, Thompson said. That was totally wrong. *** Wurie said uniform federal training standards for police, as well as more citizen inclusion on police use-of-force review panels, could go a long way toward restoring community confidence. We all need to be on the same page: Why do you pull the trigger, and why do you react in a certain way? he said. However, one of his colleagues, Trisha Rhodes, also a VCU professor of criminal justice who focuses on policing strategies and police culture, said theres been a historic resistance to federalization of police forces and policies, though the federal government occasionally will intervene and set standards. Theres benefits and drawbacks of having such a fragmented system in the U.S., she said. As Americans, we like to have more local-level control. Schrad gave a similar assessment, saying a one-size-fits-all approach wont work for many communities. I think theres progress being made in various areas of the country. We havent made a comprehensive effort nationwide to make sure we put the resources out there to really try to influence the next generation of law enforcement officers. Thats really impossible to do, she said. Even though we look at it from a national perspective, policing is a local responsibility. The U.S. Department of Justices Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which says it has spent more than $14 billion to help advance community policing nationwide since 1994, declined a request for an interview. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Government has advised Mumbais iconic Dabbawalas, one of the brand ambassadors for Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), to affix stickers with messages on cleanliness on the cover of every tiffin box they deliver to clients. The message on the top of the cover should be "Please wash your hands before eating", while message for underside of top cover be "Please dispose of left-over food into waste bins only," said a senior Urban Development Ministry official. advertisement Known world over for its efficiency in delivering tiffins, Dabbawalas deliver about 200,000 tiffin boxes every day. "We request you to kindly create message stickers around Swachh Bharat and affix these stickers on the cover of every tiffin box of each of your clients," Secretary in UD Ministry and Mission Director (SBM) Praveen Prakash said in a letter, dated July 8, to Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association (MTSA) President Rahgunath D Medge. Stating that the message stickers should also carry the picture of the Swachh Bharat logo, he requested MTSA to share photographs of these tiffin boxes with messages so that it could be set as "an example for others to emulate". "Please also arrange to disseminate these photographs on social media (both Facebook and Twitter) for larger dissemination of these messages, and for us to retweet and share," he added. Given the "iconic stature" of Dabbawalas, he said, "we are confident that this initiative through you will have a huge impact on peoples attitudes towards the whole issue of waste disposal". Prakash said the SBM has entered a very critical stage where there is an "urgent need" for all stakeholders to step up their efforts to make this a true "peoples movement- a jan andolan in spirit and action". PTI MP RCJ ZMN RCJ --- ENDS --- By Donald Nuechterlein As the initial shock of Britains rejection of the European Union receded, a more sober assessment of its impact on financial markets, European unity and security arrangements in NATO began to emerge. Although at this writing its not prudent to offer a longer-term assessment of the consequences of Brexit, its possible to cite historical developments and draw some tentative conclusions. The European Economic Community (EEC) was founded in 1958 when six European states France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg formed a closely knit trading bloc. Britain chose not to join. Instead, it formed the less formal European Free Trade Association (EFTA), whose members were Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Switzerland and Austria. An essential difference between EEC and EFTA was that France and West Germany wanted to move toward closer European economic and political unity while Britain, Denmark, Norway and others preferred a looser arrangement. In the late 1960s, Britain made overtures to associate with the new French and German-led European Community (EC), but French President Charles de Gaulle blocked its entry because, he asserted, Britain wasnt a true European partner. After de Gaulle left office, integration efforts proceeded and, in 1973, Britain and Denmark joined the ECs Common Market. In a 1975 referendum on the EC, Britains public approved despite significant opposition. When a fully integrated European Union (EU) was formed in 1992, Britain joined even though opposition was voiced to the requirement of free flow of labor across borders, However, Britain decided not to adopt the euro, EUs common currency, when it was introduced on the continent in 2002. In reality, Britain has been a reluctant dragon on joining the European community ever since its inception in the 1950s. Whats the outlook for Britain, Europe and the U.S. in the coming year? Britain: The U.K. is in political chaos as a result of Brexits EU rejection and could unravel if Scotland, which voted no in the referendum, stays with the EU and decides to separate from Britain. That may result if London doesnt have a new government soon and fails to negotiate a revised arrangement with other EU countries. Additionally, Britains economy will decline and the large financial influence of London may gradually move to Frankfurt and Paris. London will also need to negotiate new trade relationships with the U.S. and Canada. Finally, the British exit presents NATO with a major problem; if looming financial stress forces London to cut its defense budget and the armed forces, Britain will be a less reliable U.S. ally. Europe: Like Britain, the European Unions leaders face problems around unity in their own countries. But unlike Britain now torn by political turmoil, Europes key players Germany and France currently have stable governments. They also display a moderating influence on post-Brexit fallout in other member states. But danger lies beneath their calm behavior. In France and other members, the EU is so unpopular that governments wont risk holding referendums. The main problem is the EUs bureaucracy in Brussels with its huge influence on the laws of member states. Resistance in Britain to the free flow of workers across borders, a key requirement of the EU constitution, is shared in other member countries. Coming months will determine whether leaders in Germany and France support enough changes in EU administration to hold its 27 members in harness. United States: As the U.S. heads into an election campaign, Washingtons influence on events in Europe and elsewhere is ebbing. President Obama went to Ottawa two weeks ago to confer with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts about coping with Brexits impact on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). These leaders foresee growing opposition to free trade during the U.S. election campaign and beyond. Continued close relations on trade and commerce are important U.S. interests, but the overriding U.S. priority is the strength and cohesiveness of NATO. It was responsible for forging peace and prosperity in Europe for nearly 70 years and eventually bringing former Soviet satellites under its defense umbrella. If the EU begins to unravel under the stress of nationalist pressures, NATOs defense shield will remain a vital U.S. interest in Europe. *** Although its easy to be pessimistic about the EUs and Britains future, Im more hopeful. Europe has weathered many difficulties during its post-1945 drive to build economic and political unity, and Britain too will find a way to muddle through this crisis. However, can the U.S. avoid turning inward after so many years of heavy involvement in Europe? We will know more after November. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Allu Arjun has delivered two consecutive hits this year, and has bagged about four awards for his performance in Rudhramadevi as Gona Ganna Reddy. By India Today Web Desk: Allu Arjun is basking in the success of his back-to-back hits Rudhramadevi and Sarrainodu. However, his latest film Sarrainodu has become a big leap for Arjun as a rising star. The film produced by his father Allu Aravind under the home banner Geetha Arts has become the highest grosser of the actor's career and is among the biggest hits of Tollywood. advertisement ALSO READ: Pooja Hegde to pair up with Allu Arjun? This has, of course, made Allu Aravind a proud father. "Ghajini was Aamir's biggest hit back then. Magadheera is Ram Charan's highest grossing film. Now, I am happy that Sarrainodu also made on our Geetha Arts banner is Allu Arjun's highest grossing film and among the biggest hits of Telugu cinema," Aravind told IANS. This year so far has been phenomenal for Arjun, who bagged four awards for his powerful role in Telugu historic drama Rudhramadevi. "I played a supporting role in a heroine-centric movie out of respect for cinema and respect for women. I feel more such movies need to be made. I am happy that the decision paid back multi-fold with the audience and critics loving my role as Gona Ganna Reddy in the movie," Arjun said. His awards for his performance in Rudhramadevi include IIFA - Best Supporting Actor, CineMaa Critics Award, Filmfare Critics Award, and SIIMA Best Supporting Actor. Meanwhile, Arjun will team up with director Harish Shankar for a yet-untitled Telugu project next. --- ENDS --- Virginia came up more than $266.3 million short of its revenue forecast in the last fiscal year, which will force the state to defer promised raises for state employees, teachers, college faculty, sheriffs deputies and other state-supported local employees. The shortfall, reported to Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Friday by Comptroller David Von Moll, also will force cuts in expected revenue for the two-year budget that took effect last week, and require the state to revise the revenue projections on which it based spending plans through mid-2018. The state fell short of its projections by 1.8 percent of major revenues income, sales and corporate taxes. One percent is the trigger both for the mandatory reforecast and deferral of raises included in the budget on Dec. 1 for state employees, faculty, teachers and state-supported local employees. Those raises will become part of the process for amending the budget in next years General Assembly. Terribly disappointing, said R. Ronald Jordan, executive director of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association. Its definitely going to affect the morale of state employees, but we will continue to work with the governor and the leadership of the money committees to find a way forward. McAuliffe already has scheduled a meeting of the Joint Advisory Board of Economists on July 15 to consider a revised revenue forecast from the Department of Taxation. He also is scheduling a meeting of the Governors Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, which includes legislators, to consider fiscal scenarios for the new forecast, to be submitted to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees on Aug. 26 in advance of the Sept. 1 deadline. For the last couple of months, we have communicated our concern that revenue collections were tracking under forecast to the General Assembly and to the public, and our administration has proactively planned to respond to such a scenario, the governor said in a statement announcing the final revenue numbers for the year that ended June 30. The administration warned state agencies in late May to look for savings in the last five weeks of the fiscal year to help cushion the effect of the likely shortfall in the new biennial budget. The shortfall in the last fiscal year will produce an immediate hole of more than $500 million in this fiscal years budget. The new forecast also is likely to drop revenue projections and require cuts in spending in the budget that was based on the old estimates. All revenues grew by 1.7 percent, or 1.5 percent less than the 3.2 percent projection. The biggest culprit was income taxes withheld from paychecks, accounting for almost two-thirds of state revenues. Withholding grew 2.4 percent in the fiscal year and just 1 percent in June compared with an annual forecast of 4.1 percent. The slow growth in withholding collections has puzzled budget officials in the administration and legislature because unemployment dropped to 3.8 percent in May, indicating growth in the states economy. Nationwide, the country added 287,000 jobs last month, a significant boost over job growth in May. The economy is significantly weaker than top-line unemployment figures suggest, and the revenue shortfall is ample evidence of that, House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, said in a statement Friday. In the long term, we must redouble our efforts to diversify and strengthen Virginias economy. House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said the payroll withholding collections reflect troubling trends in employment. Unfortunately, Virginians are trading high-paying jobs for lower-paying jobs or are working part time when they should be working full time, Jones said. The shortfall also came from slow growth in sales tax collections 1.9 percent for the fiscal year compared with an annual projection of 4.1 percent. Its obvious consumption hasnt been there, Secretary of Finance Richard Ric Brown said Friday. That, too, is puzzling because of low gasoline prices, Brown said, but sales tax collections may have been lowered by slowed growth in new housing, a major driver because of purchases of building materials and household furnishings. An exceptionally wet spring also may have dampened sales of those goods, he added. Corporate tax revenues fell by 8 percent, but that represented a significant improvement over the annual estimate of minus-13 percent. Administration and assembly budget leaders, such as Senate Finance Co-Chairman Emmett Hanger Jr., R-Augusta, also are concerned about the effect of growing internet sales on bricks-and-mortar retail operations that collect and remit taxes on sales. Together, payroll withholding and sales tax collections represent about 85 percent of state revenues. House budget leaders expressed confidence that the state can adjust spending in response to the shortfall and reduce revenue expectations. Fortunately, we took a pay-as-you-go approach in the budget, and while some planned investments wont move forward, this is not an unmanageable situation, Jones said. Some House Republican leaders questioned McAuliffes optimistic view of employment and economic growth. The shortfall proves that Virginias economy is not booming, despite several suggestions to the contrary, House Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said in a joint news release by House GOP leaders. While the unemployment rate might make for a good press release, the truth is Virginias economic outlook is worrisome. Matters are coming to a head. It has been weeks now of ugly, vituperative confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the largest majority government in 30 years, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), not yet four years old, with only four seats in the Lok Sabha, but with an unprecedented mandate to govern Delhi. Not that it was ever that cordial. Arvind Kejriwal has always been fast on the trigger, taking shots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the opportunity presents itself or not. And Modi has not remained above the fray. Two years ago, he called Kejriwal AK-49, the Pakistani agent. Last year, Kejriwal called Modi a psychopath and coward. The tone has been scarcely more edifying since; national debate conducted with the wit and politesse of a Twitter flame war. In June, Kejriwal tweeted, as a spurious FIR was filed by the Delhi anti-corruption bureau against him in the Rs 400 crore 'water tanker' scam, of his delight that Modi had accepted that they were in a fight, mano a mano. "Mujhe khushi hai," Kejriwal wrote, "ki aapne sweekar kiya ki aapki ladai seedhe mujhse hai." It should be a mismatch. One of the combatants, after all, purportedly has a 56-inch chest. But what Kejriwal lacks in size, he makes up in pugnacity, in appetite for the fray. advertisement Early next year, AAP will contest state elections in Punjab and Goa. The NDA is in government in both states. Very early polling in Punjab indicates that AAP is on the path to a victory as gaudy, as bedizened as the one it achieved in Delhi 17 months ago. A HuffPost-CVoter survey, for instance, gave AAP between 94 and 100 seats in the 117-seat assembly. Other, less boldface surveys, by websites and private pollsters, uniformly predict AAP will win between 85 and 100 seats. A bullish Kejriwal has already claimed AAP will win 35 of 40 seats in Goa. Kejriwal addresses a rally at Campal ground, Goa. Photo: Edric George Punjab and Goa, the party hopes, will be the first dominoes to fall, creating momentum for elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh over the next couple of years that will turn AAP from a small, if yappy, Delhi phenomenon into a formidable national party in time for the 2019 general election. With the Congress petering out, dipping inexorably behind the horizon, AAP could yet be the main opposition to the BJP. Of course, Kejriwal speaks as if this were already the case. A standard line in a Kejriwal stump speech is that Modi, when he is not travelling abroad, spends sleepless nights plotting AAP's downfall. Why else, the argument goes, would Modi's government put so much effort into stymieing the AAP government in Delhi, a government already stymied by having to share power with various municipal authorities, with a Lieutenant Governor and the Centre? Conspiracy, according to AAP, besets the party from every side. Ashutosh, the former journalist-turned-AAP national spokesperson, told India Today that "all the attacks on us in the past week or so are part of a political vendetta. The BJP and Modi are running scared of the Aam Aadmi Party's exponential growth. What opposition is left in this country? We are the only party fighting Modi." As Joseph Heller would point out, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. FIGHT THE POWER Look at the recent record. The BJP-led central government returned all 14 bills passed by the Delhi government, including AAP's signature Jan Lokpal anti-corruption bill, because "procedure was not followed". The President, Pranab Mukherjee, rejected an amendment to a bill that would exempt the post of parliamentary secretary from being an office of profit. Members of a legislative assembly (MLAs) are not permitted to hold offices of profit during their term and 21 AAP MLAs, appointed as parliamentary secretaries, are in danger of being disqualified. In his party's defence, Kejriwal has cited precedents by BJP and Congress governments in Delhi: "When they do it, it's constitutional and when we do it, it's unconstitutional. What is this, if not double standards?" advertisement Last week, while Kejriwal was on a three-day visit to Punjab, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested his principal secretary, Rajendra Kumar, for corrupt dealings to the tune of Rs 50 crore. Kumar, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is accused of having arranged 'sweetheart deals' since 2007 for a private company he part-owned. In a press conference, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, like Ashutosh, ascribed the arrest to vendetta. Some days earlier, Sisodia and 51 AAP MLAs were briefly arrested on their way to the prime minister's residence to turn themselves in; it was in response to a complaint filed against Sisodia for "intimidating businessmen" a day after another AAP MLA, Dinesh Mohaniya, was arrested in the middle of a press conferencefollowing accusations of molestation and assault. Meanwhile in Punjab, an AAP Delhi MLA, Naresh Yadav, has been implicated in an incident involving pages torn from a Quran that led to torched vehicles, stone-throwing, injuries to eight people, and an attack on the house of the Akali Dal MLA in Malerkotla, a Muslim majority city in the Sangrur district. Vijay Kumar Garg, one of the men arrested for desecrating the Quran, alleged that he had received instructions from Yadav. Himmat Shergill, a lawyer and MP candidate for AAP in the 2014 general election, said that there was no "video or recordings to prove these trumped-up allegations". He conceded that there were phone records to show that the men knew each other but that these did not amount to proof. Kejriwal, at a rally during his visit to Punjab, said the Akali Dal-BJP alliance, in power for the last decade, were stooping to ever more desperate "dirty tricks" to disrupt his visit. Garg, when he was first arrested, Kejriwal said, was described as a Vishwa Hindu Parishad man: "On June 26 he was VHP; on June 27 he was VHP; on June 28 he was VHP; on June 29 he was VHP; on June 30 he was VHP; on July 1 he was VHP; on July 2, suddenly, he became Aam Aadmi Party." advertisement NEXT STOP PUNJAB In Amritsar, like any political leader with ambitions in Punjab, Kejriwal stopped at the Golden Temple almost as soon as he got off the plane. Surrounded by volunteers, large, able-bodied men picked for their ability to push aside the attentions of supplicants, from the media and the general public-the aam aadmi, in other words-the dwarfed Kejriwal wore a tight, fixed, almost pained smile. He was rushed into the shrine, people attaching themselves to his convoy from all sides like swarming bees. "It's Kejriwal," people said to friends and strangers around them, their Sunday afternoon enlivened by the presence of a celebrity. Kejriwal, though, lost in the crush seemed more remote from people than perhaps he needed to be. It was amusing too to join the tail-end of his motorcade as it whizzed through rural streets, couples on scooters, old men on bicycles, a man on a bullock cart careening wildly to get out of the way. In Malerkotla, where the diabetic Kejriwal partook sparingly of an iftar meal featuring mangoes and plums, he ate with select supporters, separated from ordinary people by a rope, a curious place to be in for the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party. advertisement A few days earlier, Kejriwal had been in Goa where a photograph, fetching and awkward, of him wearing a coronet of flowers in his hair went viral. It was his second visit to the state. His first was a raucous rally to introduce Kejriwal to Goa and vice versa. "Goa's gonna be saved," said the walrus-mustached Joe Gomes, a member of AAP's campaign committee, beaming into a camera, "Goa's heritage, Goa's culture, Goa's Goenkarpon (Goan identity), everything's gonna be saved with Aam Aadmi." Gomes's evangelical exuberance is typical among AAP believers. The party won 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi-taking office on Valentine's Day last year, precisely one year after it dissolved its 49-day minority government-because people trusted in its promise to provide honest government, to be a beacon in a polity riven by cynicism and corruption. It's a feeling AAP continues to able to stimulate. On the first day of Kejriwal's visit to Punjab, a dismal morning, a pall of wet, grey cloud hanging low over Amritsar, cleared into a bright, hot afternoon. A rally had been scheduled for that evening, with tens of thousands of people spilling into Ranjit Avenue to celebrate the unveiling of AAP's manifesto for the state's beleaguered youth-a 51-point agenda that promised among other things to "create at least 25 lakh jobs and employment opportunities", and to "annihilate the drug supply chain within one month" and rehabilitate what it described as "drug victims" within six months. The crowd was in mutinous mood. As a weatherbeaten farmhand in the crowd, foregoing a day's work and a day's wages in paddy season to be there, said, "the Badals have dragged the state into the gutter while raising themselves to the sky. If a dog stood against them in the elections, I'd vote for the dog." The stakes for AAP, particularly in the Punjab election, could not be higher. Punjab is the foundation on which the party can build a national profile. Win Punjab and AAP will be, as AAP leader Ashish Talwar, a key strategist, acknowledges, "one of the few parties in Indian political history to be in power in more than one state." Sucha Singh Chhotepur, the Aam Aadmi Party's state convenor, said a win in Punjab would "clear the road for the rest of India". Ajit Jha, who was expelled from AAP's National Executive last April, alongside Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan and Anand Kumar, in a split played out before a riveted, rubbernecking media, said that winning Punjab could be the catalyst for AAP winning as many as 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Modi and Kejriwal on Sardar Patel's 140th birth anniversary. Photo: Getty images Shiv Visvanathan, the social scientist and public intellectual, believes that victory in Punjab can "revive the old AAP, the party that began as a romantic idea". Failure in Punjab, though, would not be just a setback, it would sound the death knell for any hope the party might harbour of being relevant in the 2019 general election. This may seem dramatic when the general election is a distant three years away; a week, after all, as the former British prime minister Harold Wilson once said, is a long time in politics. But Punjab and Goa, both with similar problems of corruption and anti-incumbency, are ripe for the picking. If AAP can't win at least one of the two states, particularly Punjab, it will mean there is still no national faith in the party's version of swaraj, in their promise of participatory direct democracy. For the party, competing in elections across the country was always the point. Still, in the short term, it represents something of a volte face. In 2014, AAP were perceived, fairly or not, to have allowed their ambitions to get the better of them, resigning from government after seven embattled weeks and then launching an ill-advised national campaign in over 400 Lok Sabha constituencies. "Bhagoda" was the taunt that followed Kejriwal from Delhi to Varanasi where he bravely, if foolhardily, took on Narendra Modi. AAP drowned in the Modi wave, except for four candidates in Punjab who emerged wet and bedraggled but alive and clinging to parliamentary driftwood. Kejriwal, soundly beaten, could console himself, unlike most AAP candidates, with at least making back his deposit. Chastened by the general election, he used his swearing-in last year to insist he had learned his lesson, warning about "ahankar", the hubris of thinking success in Delhi could be transmuted into electoral gold elsewhere. A month after that speech, Kejriwal insisted again that AAP would not be drawn into fighting elections in other states. "I am not Napoleon," he said, rubbishing those in his own party who felt the energy from the win in Delhi should not be allowed to dissipate. A little over a year later, and AAP, whatever Kejriwal's earlier misgivings, has hurled itself into the electoral breach in two states with more expected to follow. Kejriwal did not answer questions sent by India Today to his office on the subject of AAP's national ambitions. He also refused to comment when approached through various party sources, or in Punjab where he took no questions from any of the assembled media. SMALL PARTY, BIG STRATEGY Speaking on the phone from Goa, Ashutosh said that the party "wasn't interested in contesting elections just for the sake of contesting elections". Pointing out that the party is "just three years old and doesn't have the resources to fight every election", Ashutosh said that a necessary condition for AAP to enter a state contest "is a deep desire among the people for an alternative. We don't want to just 'do' politics, we want to change politics. And for that we need the people of the state to be ready". Talwar, a self-described "student of election mechanics", said that looking beyond Punjab and Goa was "speculative", that the party needed eight months to a year to "prepare for elections at the booth level", to get enough volunteers to conduct the party's intensive door-to-door grassroots campaign. For a sense of the numbers required, Durgesh Pathak, AAP's grassroots troubleshooter, outlined the campaign in Punjab. "Even though we won four Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, the only state in which we had any success," he said, "organisationally, we were in a total mess." It took him 50 days "travelling across the state, meeting with 9,000 volunteers, to come up with a structure. Now we have 22,000 booths in the state staffed by at least two or three volunteers, and a parallel youth organisation." According to Pathak, as the Punjab campaign swings into full gear, there will be "more than 100,000 active volunteers" at ground level. The numbers for Goa, given the state's size, are necessarily a fraction of those required for Punjab. Pankaj Gupta, who quit a high-powered job in software to join AAP at its inception, has become part of the party's organisational spine. He is the national secretary and a member of the national executive, and has set up camp in Goa. "We are setting up 14 to 15 'frontal' organisations," he said, "each staffed by up to 500 people tasked with listening to people talk about their problems with everything from jobs, to the environment, to fisheries, to cultural issues." According to Gupta, AAP's extraordinary ability to mobilise people is at the heart of its success: "Our volunteers are our money. Where other parties spend hundreds, even thousands of crores, we have people who believe in our ideology." For Talwar, an affable figure, his soft bulk covered by a voluminous lilac kurta, the Lok Sabha result in Punjab, in which AAP "won four of 13 seats and over 30 per cent of the vote, proved that it could not be considered a one-state wonder. People see Kejriwal as an agent of positive change." According to Talwar, the decision to compete in Punjab was a "very easy one" to take. "Simply put," he says, "why not?" Even if AAP in Punjab, as Pathak, a soft-eyed, moon-faced 27-year-old, says, was in disarray, riven by factionalism and in-fighting, the essential appeal of the party had remained undimmed. Ashutosh, Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan, vice-chairman of AAP's policy cell, the Dialogue and Development Commission, all separately explained what the party sees as favourable conditions for it to compete in an election. Ideally, AAP seeks to enter states in which it can be a third choice. "Whenever voters have had a third option in recent elections," Khetan says, "they have tended to prefer that option to the BJP and Congress." This appears to rule out, for the moment at least, states dominated by strong local parties-the likes of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab has been ruled mostly by the Congress and the SAD-BJP combination, with the two parties tending to swap terms. By achieving a second consecutive term in 2012, they did something that hasn't been done for nearly five decades. But anti-incumbency in Punjab is widespread, the state reeling from debt, drug abuse and farmer suicides. The Congress, the popularity of its state party president Captain Amarinder Singh notwithstanding, is, for many voters, a tired, shopworn option. Meet the new boss, in other words, same as the old boss. There is, Pankaj Gupta says, "a power vacuum in Punjab." Demographics, the highest percentage of Dalit voters in any state and a large population of rural youth avid for work, seem to favour AAP, as does a general mood of rebellion. Many AAP volunteers, crisscrossing the villages in an extensive door-to-door campaign, talk about the despair they have come across, particularly over drugs. AAP leader Kumar Vishwas released a music video last month putting the blame for the heroin addiction bedevilling Punjab entirely on the Badals, the powerful family that controls the Akali Dal. The song's sweet melody and lugubrious storyline has appeared to strike a sentimental chord with voters and incurred the wrath of the SAD-BJP, with one leader already threatening a lawsuit. Drugs, a recent study by the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) reports, is worth an annual Rs 7,500 crore, 6,500 crore of which comes from the sale of chitta (heroin), much of it sourced from Pakistan. An AAP poll promise that always elicits cheers is the guaranteed arrest of Bikram Singh Majithia, a cabinet minister in the Punjab government, brother-in-law of the chief minister, and accused of protecting and profiting from drug cartels. Despite the anger against SAD-BJP and the indifference towards Congress, there is time enough for the traditional parties to wrest the election back in their favour. Amarinder Singh, while acknowledging that "Punjabis always look for change", appears blithe, unconcerned by AAP. He recalled Manpreet Singh Badal's short-lived Punjab People's Party, which briefly offered voters a third option in Punjab before being trounced in the 2012 assembly elections. The PPP has now merged with the Congress. "AAP," Amarinder Singh says, "will at best serve as a spoiler, like the PPP." He doesn't pause to consider the implications of his own analysis: the five per cent of the vote that the PPP managed in 2012 cost Congress the election. Captain Amarinder's confidence is predicated upon his obvious connection with people. If there is a warning for AAP in the almost giddily positive scenario predicted by the initial polls, it is that AAP's appeal is inextricable from Kejriwal's. As popular as Amarinder is, he was still beaten into second place by Kejriwal as most people's choice for chief minister; Sukhbir Singh Badal, the deputy chief minister came a lollygagging third, with just seven per cent of those polled picking him for the top job. One of the more surreal rumours in the media has been that Arvind Kejriwal will be announced as the chief ministerial candidate for Punjab closer to the election. Every AAP leader India Today spoke to laughed the prospect off as absurd. Kejriwal must remember the 'bhagoda' tag and will not want to risk losing credibility. It would also be irrefutable evidence of one of AAP's major shortcomings, its lack of leadership or even recognisable faces outside of Kejriwal. But some AAP watchers continue to insist that the possibility of Kejriwal decamping to Punjab is real, that he is eager to show what he can do without`the albatross of the Centre around his neck. Some analysts argue that AAP, at least in Punjab, is better off postponing any declaration of candidates to avoid attrition, the inevitable jumping of ship of wealthy, well-connected MLA wannabes to other parties when they don't get tickets. Ashutosh disagrees. "In fact," he says, "it's the opposite: it works better when candidates are declared early so there is no confusion and the candidates have time to build relationships with their potential constituents." AAP, he says, will begin releasing names of candidates, "in phases", from July. Deepak Bajpai, a media coordinator and official spokesman for AAP, rejects the premises of the criticism altogether. Seated in an office burrowed deep within AAP's modest party headquarters in central Delhi, the combative Bajpai said that "during the Delhi elections critics said 'oh, it's not a party, it's only a face', now these same critics say, 'oh, there's no face'. The people of Punjab and Goa will answer this question." Had AAP, he adds, "been so irrelevant, we would not be in this position. Prashant Kishor (the whizkid Congress strategist) has completely given up on Punjab and turned to UP. He knows that it's a lost game." The Congress and its ever-declining fortunes has left a gap for a new party, or a new coalition of parties to fill. While most AAP leaders, on the record, are cautious, almost coy about the party's ambitions, Durgesh Pathak is happy to admit that Punjab is just the first, most crucial step towards the Centre. Atishi Marlena, a former AAP spokesperson and now an advisor to Manish Sisodia on education, says that the "policies of all governments work for those who fund their parties, not for those who vote for them". In an interview in her office, conducted as she eats her lunch, at nearly four in the afternoon, she says that "what AAP represents is the resurgence of the people. Why was AAP even necessary? It was because the voice of the people that surfaced in the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement was not heard by Parliament." But AAP does not fit easily into any space left by the Congress. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, an academic and supporter of AAP, speaking from a cubbyhole seemingly constructed out of books and paper at the School of International Studies in JNU, argues that AAP's "vision is not to see themselves as a secular alternative to the BJP. They also see themselves as a more pro-poor, middle-class alternative to the Congress." There is also the question of alliances with other parties to form a third or federal front. AAP which built its reputation on tarring the whole system with the same brush pretends to be wary of alliances. Asked about Kejriwal's much publicised closeness to Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee, Khetan said they were relationships founded on mutual respect rather than an alliance. Though, as Ajit Jha points out, when it suits Kejriwal's purposes he is eager to form alliances, joining hands with the Congress to form a minority government and then seeking to do so again after the Lok Sabha debacle. FALSE DAWN? Yogendra Yadav, who has founded Swaraj Abhiyan, a political movement and party staffed mainly by AAP rebels, bridles at the mere mention of AAP as an "alternative". In an article, he noted that "AAP's electoral success made it seem that alternative could be viable, that good could be effective. Hence the extraordinary national euphoria around this new party that had tasted success in just a city." But, Yadav goes on to write, "AAP rapidly deteriorated into a mainstream political party, just the kind it was meant to provide an alternative to... it failed to retain even minimally the integrity that defined the quest for alternative politics. This may not mean the end of AAP as a successful entity; but it does mean the end of a dream." Ajit Jha is even more disillusioned. AAP, he says, is a party for a post-ideological age. This is personified in Kejriwal's pragmatism. Jha asserts that there is not an issue on which Kejriwal won't compromise, pointing to the much-diluted Jan Lokpal bill which AAP is trying to "pass off" as the fulfilment of the promise it made to the electorate as it transitioned from the India Against Corruption movement into a full-fledged political party. Surjit Bhalla, the political and economic analyst, has written several columns critical of AAP's ideological incoherence. Even on the phone, he becomes irascible when the subject of AAP is broached. "They don't do anything on principle," he says. "Kejriwal's ambition seems to far outstrip his ability. I cannot decipher from what AAP have said or what they have done, what they are up to." Shiv Visvanathan demurs. Acknowledging that AAP appeared more tarnished than it once did, that its once mythical properties had been reduced to "everydayness", he still described Bhalla's criticisms as "standardised macro statements". The interesting thing about AAP, he maintains, is its banality. AAP, now that it has expelled the likes of Yadav, Bhushan, Jha and Anand Kumar, is not a party of intellectuals, nor is it, like the BJP, anti-intellectual. What AAP has come to exude, at least in government, is a kind of bland managerial competence without the ideological baggage that plagues Modi, who so yearns to play the chief executive. Satyender Jain, Delhi's health minister (he also holds a slew of other portfolios including electricity and the public works department), said that he does not even think of himself as a politician. He puts in long hours at the office like any executive and doesn't involve himself in politicking. Most of the enthusiasm for the AAP government comes from civil society, from NGOs impressed by the government's openness to new ideas, the willingness of its ministers to deal with the arcana of policy, and their focus on implementation. AAP has successfully separated the political ambitions of the party from the work of the government, led by Sisodia. Initiatives like mohalla clinics, an attempt to create a primary health system in which the needs of the vast majority of patients are met at neighbourhood clinics, or, for the first time ever, remedial summer camps in government schools, are a glimpse of the AAP philosophy-think small, accessible, and deliverable. Mohalla sabhas are the cornerstone of AAP's vision of swaraj, of ordinary people having the agency to better the quality of civic life. On Marlena's computer, she has a map, made using Google Maps, of the city divided into nearly 3,000 neighbourhoods. Each of these communities will be encouraged to meet monthly and be given a budget and a say in the decisions that affect their surrounds. It may not be the radical decentralisation envisaged by academics, but it is, as Marlena says, a start. Shiv Visvanathan says that while the "original AAP no longer exists", it continues to "have at its heart the simple act of listening to people's complaints". In Amritsar, to much cheering, Bhagwant Mann, a famous comedian and the AAP MP for Sangrur, made the same point. Using his bloodshot mien, his weedy physique and affected slurring for comedy, Mann is a deceptively effective, cogent public speaker. "Modi," he said in Punjabi, "wants to tell everyone what's on his mind, his 'mann ki baat', but does he ever ask what's on your mind?" Lo and behold, AAP's latest wheeze is 'Talk to AK', in which he takes questions from the public online, on social media, through text message and on the phone. Note 'talk to' rather than 'be talked to'. Photo: Prabhjot Gill Kejriwal has got under Modi's skin, tweaks his nose like no one else, but what should make AAP supporters a little uncomfortable is the similarity between the way the two men run their parties. AAP is as beholden to Kejriwal, as in thrall to him as the BJP is to Modi. Dharamvir Gandhi, an AAP MP from Punjab, one of two MPs who have been suspended from the party, accused Kejriwal of "lording it over the party like a viceroy from Delhi". AAP's internal politics are, Visvanathan says, "abysmal". Kejriwal, with his all-boys' coterie of close advisors, seems to have little space for women or talented outsiders who might represent a leadership threat, an insularity that's at odds with AAP going into states as outsiders. It's AAP's outsiderness, its unwillingness to cling to caste or religion as markers of identity that makes them suspect in state politics. Vijai Sardesai, for instance, an independent MLA from Fatorda, South Goa, claims that AAP will not succeed in Goa because "Goans want to solve their own problems. There is a feeling that Kejriwal will turn Goa into a colony of Delhiwallas."Amarinder Singh makes a similar point when he says that both the SAD and Congress have been around for generations with traditional support bases "that will be difficult to disturb". Behind the drama, the spectacle of Arvind Kejriwal, lies a rather basic but essential idea-government, for too long, has been hostage to ideology, for too long has ignored its duty to make incremental improvements in people's quality of life, to ensure equal access to decent education and healthcare. These are the 'small' problems that AAP seeks to ameliorate from the bottom up, by empowering ordinary people rather than through government fiat. If AAP can persuade voters in Punjab and Goa that regional identity, a local connection, even locally recognisable leaders, are not as important as a sincere commitment to delivering a better standard of living, it will have an opportunity to do what it craves, what it was set up to do-revolutionise Indian politics, change it utterly, from the inside. with Asit Jolly and Kiran Tare --- ENDS --- Uruguay won a landmark lawsuit against U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris, which had sued the South American country's government over anti-tobacco regulations implemented in 2009. "The Uruguayan government has won. The claims of the tobacco companies have been roundly rejected," President Tabare Vazquez said in a televised address on state media on Friday. "Without violating any treaty, our country has fulfilled its inalienable right to protect the of its people." Vazquez, an oncologist by training and an anti-smoking champion, has implemented some of the strict anti-tobacco regulations of the world. He was the driving force behind the 2006 ban on smoking in enclosed public places in Uruguay, the first country in South America to do so. The court ruling upheld the sovereign power of the state to set its health policies and stressed the importance of putting public health over commercial interests, Vazquez said. The arbitration case was going on in the World Bank's International Centre for Settelement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The Washington-based tribunal ordered the company to pay $7 million to the Uruguay government and to cover court fee and expenses. "We thank the Tribunal for its assessment and respect its decision," Marc Firestone, Philip Morris International Senior Vice President and General Counsel, said. "For the last seven years, we have already been complying with the regulations at issue in the case, so today's outcome doesn't change the status quo." The company never questioned Uruguay's authority to protect public health, and the case was not about broad issues of tobacco policy, he said. "The arbitration concerned an important, but unusual, set of facts that called for clarification under international law, which the parties have now received," Firestone added. Philip Morris had alleged that Uruguay's anti-tobacco regulation that required 80 percent graphic warning on the cigarette packets and single representation for a brand were in violation of a bilateral treaty between the country and Switzerland. The company also claimed that such regulation hurt its intellectual property rights and sales as it was forced to withdraw several of its products, including some Marlboro sub-brands, from the Uruguayan market. The latest ruling is one of the many legal setbacks Philip Morris had thus far this year. In May, the European Court of Justice upheld the decision to impose plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes. An English court also upheld the British government decision to implement the plain tobacco packaging, rejecting a challenge from the company and its peers. More and more countries are adopting stringent anti-tobacco regulations over public health concerns. President Vazquez urged other countries to fight tobacco use and smoking "without fear of reprisal from the powerful tobacco industry". He stressed that the latest court ruling has set a precedent when such disputes arise in future. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Mercedes-Benz India has ended 2019 in the red. The luxury car brand sold 13,786 units through the year. While it continues to be the top selling luxury auto manufacturer, sales decline is reported at 11.27 percent, down from 15,538 units sold in 2018. The brand had sold over 15k cars in 2017 too. But despite of decline in sales, Mercedes-Benz India has retained top spot once again in 2019. This is the fifth straight year where Mercedes has managed to stay as the No 1 luxury car brand, 2nd is BMW India (2019 sales at 9,000 units). Mercedes-Benz India reported 9,915 units sold through Jan Sep 2019. Sales at the time had fallen 15.89 percent from 11,789 units sold in the same 9 months in 2018. Mercedes-Benz India reports Q4 2019 sales at an all time high of 3,871 units, up 3.3 percent over Q4 2018 sales of 3,749 units. Thats 15.41 percent growth over Q3 2019 sales reported at 3,354 units. Last quarter though sales had contracted 11.9 percent, down from 3,808 units units sold in Q3 2018. In fact, Q4 sales is the only positive quarter marker for the year. Mercedes Benz India sold 3,885 units in Q1 2019. Q2 2019 sales were down to 2,676 units. H1 2019 sales stood at 6,561 units. H2 2019 sales are higher at 7,225 units. Though sales contracted, Mercedes-Benz India still continues to enjoy a dominant market share. In fact that number has increased considered the market size has not increased, and the companys sales decline is lower than market decline. Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, We are satisfied with our sales performance in 2019 despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds, specifically in the first three quarters. We were however able to positively influence the customer sentiment with our industry-best customer solutions and achieved the new best ever Q4. 2020 is going to be another important year for Mercedes-Benz India and we continue to be optimistic with the countrys mid to long-term prospect. The luxury auto manufacturer has been focused on ensuring a BSVI compliant line-up ahead of the deadline of April 1, 2020. New gen CLA, GLA and GLS will be available in India from Q2 2020 onward. New GLE bookings are on, and the vehicle will be launched on January 28, 2020. On 14th this month, Mercedes will introduce their electric car EQ in India. The company will bring forth a strong product offensive in 2020. AMG and Dream Cars segment grew by 54 percent through 2019. Long Wheelbase E-Class sedan remains the single highest selling model for the brand through 2019. C-Class sedan and CLA continue to be popular. GLC continues to be the the most popular SUV. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Britain will start trade talks with India for a bilateral deal as it redraws economic ties with the world after being forced by a referendum vote to leave the European Union. UKs Business Secretary Sajid Javid will start a world tour with a visit to India where he would hold talks with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as well as Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to start the trade talks that will eventually lead to a bilateral deal. advertisement He arrives here later today as UK looks at bilateral deal to replace agreements the EU has with more than 50 countries. "Business Secretary Sajid Javid will kick-off preliminary trade talks with India... when he meets the Indian Finance and Commerce Ministers during a series of discussions in Delhi," a UK government statement said. His visit to India comes after Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne met a Chinese government delegation in London yesterday to foster "stronger trade ties" with the worlds second largest economy. "Following the referendum result, my absolute priority is making sure the UK has the tools it needs to continue to compete on the global stage," Javid said in the statement. "That is why I am in India today to launch these initial trade discussions. There is a strong bilateral trade relationship between our two countries and I am determined that we build on this." Over the coming months, he would hold similar meetings with other key trade partners, outlining the Britains vision for future trade relationship. "As part of the discussions, the Business Secretary is expected to make clear that he would like the UK and India to have a trade agreement in place as soon as possible after the UK leaves the EU," the statement said. The Business Secretary will also be in Mumbai to meet senior Tata Group board members to discuss the ongoing sale of their UK steel-making assets. UK is the largest G20 investor in India, while India invests more in the UK than the rest of the European Union combined. India has also emerged as the third largest source of FDI for the UK. Last year, bilateral trade in goods and services between the two countries was 16.55 billion pound. The UK was the third largest investor in India during April 2000 to September 2015, with cumulative inflows of 22.5 billion pound. Talks in India will be the first in a series of trade meetings Javid will conduct over the coming months, which also is expected to include trips to the USA, China, Japan and South Korea. advertisement "The Business Secretary has also confirmed that to aid in discussions, the government plans to rapidly build its trade capability ? up to 300 specialist staff, including new trade negotiators ? by the end of the year," the statement added. PTI ANZ ABI --- ENDS --- He defended not leaving the decision to his successor, saying replacing the ageing fleet of four submarines which carry nuclear warheads needed to be put beyond doubt. By Reuters: Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday he will hold a parliamentary vote for July 18 to decide on the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent. He defended not leaving the decision to his successor, saying replacing the ageing fleet of four submarines which carry nuclear warheads needed to be put "beyond doubt." Speaking at a NATO summit in Warsaw, Cameron also said U.S. President Barack Obama told him Britain would continue to be a reliable, strong ally outside the European Union. --- ENDS --- advertisement 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 ... The petition called for the government to enact a rule that there should be another referendum if the vote for "remain" or "leave" was less than 60 percent based on a turnout of less than 75 percent. By Reuters: The British government has rejected an online petition signed by 4.1 million people calling for a new referendum on whether to leave the European Union. Britons voted by 52 to 48 percent, or 17.4 million votes to 16.1 million, to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum, a result which most politicians have said should be respected but which some who voted "remain" are struggling to accept. advertisement The petition called for the government to enact a rule that there should be another referendum if the vote for "remain" or "leave" was less than 60 percent based on a turnout of less than 75 percent. 'PM'S DECISION MUST BE RESPECTED' The Foreign Office, the ministry that had steered through parliament the EU Referendum Act setting out the rules, responded that the legislation did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout. "The Prime Minister and government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected," it said. "We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations." 'BREXIT SHOULD BE DELIVERED' Both candidates to replace David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative Party and prime minister have said the result of the referendum should not be questioned and Brexit should be delivered. "Brexit means Brexit," front-runner Theresa May, the interior minister, said in a speech announcing her bid. May had advocated staying in the bloc, but was not a leading figure in the "remain" campaign. Her rival, junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom, was one of the most passionate advocates of Brexit ahead of the referendum and has said that Britain would flourish outside the EU. Despite such assurances, some who voted "remain" have continued to hope that there could be a way for Britain to stay in the EU despite the referendum result, and there has been international speculation that Brexit may not materialise. --- ENDS --- Jaipur Police have culled video footage from hotels and pubs to nail lies of the Rajasthan MLA who claims that his son drank nothing but milk. aipur Police have culled video footage from hotels and pubs to expose Siddharth and his father and their lies By Sharat Kumar: Son of MLA Nandkishore Maharia from Fatehpur in Sikar, Siddharth, 24, is in police custody since July 2 after he mowed down three people in an auto-rickshaw, ramming his own luxury vehicle into a police control room van. DRUNK AND SPEEDING Jaipur Police have culled video footage from hotels and pubs to nail lies of the Rajasthan MLA who claims that his son drank nothing but milk. What cops call "material evidence" has opened a father's eyes to his son's choice of wine -Cosecha (Spanish). It also threw light on his son's penchant for speed when policemen asserted that the son, with his friends, drove his BMW on Jaipur streets for 47 minutes at 120 kmpl. advertisement BLATANT LIES Maharia offered a spirited defence for his son. "He wasn't behind the wheel, my driver was," he told reporters at Jaipur's Ashok Nagar police station. Their lawyer told TV Today that Siddharth didn't even know how alcohol tasted. EVIDENCE: PAYMENT RECEIPTS Police have footage from CCTV cameras from three hotels which Siddharth visited on July 1 between 6:09 pm and 12:37 am. This shows him getting out of hotels, inebriated, and getting into the driver's seat. Another footage shows him emerging out of the BMW from the driver's seat. Police have as well got payment receipts from different pubs where he visited and drank wine. DRIVER ABSCONDING Meanwhile, the driver that his father propped has disappeared from police radar after confessing how the MLA picked him from Sikar at 4 am and taught him what to tell the Police on the way to Jaipur. Maharia even managed an ice cream vendor to confirm that Siddharth had gone for dessert after dinner. Some video footage earlier had punctured Siddharth's defence in which he claimed the auto-rickshaw that he rammed into didn't have headlights. --- ENDS --- Salina photographer brings exhibit to Kansas Wesleyan The exhibit features Wichita War Dancer, a member of the Tohono Odham and Ponca nations who has been performing the war dance for several years. Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, yesterday led a crowd of 200 enthusiastic walkers through the heart of Apia in support of the Faataua La Ola (F.L.O) organisations annual event, Walk for Life 2016. The event certainly was a celebration of life, with a glorious sunrise, the music of the Samoa Police Band and the happy faces of the students from Loto Taumafai School supporting the walkers. The Walk for Life event is the only one of its kind in Samoa and is aimed at raising funds to help keep the FLO organisation operational, but more importantly to raise awareness about the issues of suicide and mental illness that plague our community. In 2014, statistics showed that in Samoa the rate of suicides reached up to 30 out of every 100,000 inhabitants with an undefined but even higher rate being among young people. With such alarming numbers, the issue of suicide in Samoa cannot be ignored. F.L.Os mission is to provide information, services and support to assist in the prevention of suicide. F.L.O is the only non-government organisation in Samoa that deals specifically with the issue of suicide awareness and prevention working with individuals who are suffering from metal anguish and depression. Their services include a 24/7 Lifeline as well as 8am to 5pm face-to-face counseling services, and they are offered completely free of charge. The Head of State is the Patron for Lifeline Pasifika and a great supporter of the work undertaken by F.L.O. With his help, the Walk for Life 2016 event was a great success, attracting over $30,000 in donations, with further pledges expected. We are so incredibly grateful to those who raised donations in sponsorship of their walk and who came along to march in solidarity toward a suicide free Samoa, said Hans Joachim Keil, Chairman of the Board. I would also like to say a special thank you to our Major Sponsor, Bluesky, who has continued to support the Walk for Life event for many years. Without the generous financial support of the Samoan community, through donations or in-kind support, we would not be able to help so many people in need of support and a shoulder to lean on. To find out more about how you can support this great cause or to make a donation please contact F.L.O on 30609 or 32000. To speak with one of F.L.Os trained counselors over the phone, please call the Samoan Lifeline on 800-LIFE (8005433). By PTI: From Lalit K Jha Washington, Jul 9 (PTI) Hillary Clinton has refuted FBIs charge that she was "extremely careless" with classified information as secretary of state and tried to put the blame on other officials as she offered her first public comments since a probe into her use of private email server was closed this week. The presumptive Democratic nominee in interviews to several US networks tried to move past the controversy that was hung over her presidential bid, saying her use of a private email account as as secretary of state during President Barack Obamas first term was a "mistake." advertisement She strongly disputed the assertion by FBI Director James Comey that she and her aides were "extremely careless" with classified materials, and instead appeared to be putting the responsibility to her State Department staff. "There are about 300 people in the government, mostly in the State Department, but in other high positions in the government with whom I emailed over the course of four years - they, I believe, did not believe they were sending any material that was classified," Clinton told CNN. "They were pursuing their responsibilities. I do not think they were careless. And as I have said many times, I certainly did not believe that I received or sent any material that was classified," Clinton said in the interview. Comey on Tuesday had recommended that no charges be brought over Clintons email use from 2009 to 2013. The next day the Justice Department accepted the recommendation, bringing the probe to an end. However, Comey said that the FBI had found that Clinton was "extremely careless" in sending classified information via her personal email account, and that 110 emails had contained classified information. But Clinton yesterday brushed aside the rebuke from Comey in several other interviews. "With respect to the handling of classified material, I take it very seriously, and the 300 or so people with whom I e-mailed on the course of my time in the State Department do as well," she told PBS news. "The material that they sent to me, they didnt believe was classified. The very, very few examples that Director Comey pointed to have also been clarified, as he accounted yesterday. The State Department has said two of the three that he had pointed to were human error. They were not to be classified," she said. "So, Im very proud of the work that we did over four years. And Im very proud of our diplomats and our other professionals, who have to act in real time. They are responding to heads of state, to press inquiries. And they are doing the best they can. I do not believe they were careless," Clinton said. advertisement In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton said there was no evidence of hacking of the server which hosted her emails. "There is no evidence. There is no evidence. And he (Comey) did not contradict that. I think he was speculating. But if you go by the evidence, there is no evidence that the system was breached or hacked successfully," she said. Clinton has been under fire from Republicans this week after Comey announced that she mismanaged classified material. PTI LKJ ABH --- ENDS --- The Malietoa Tanumafili II Hospital in Tuasivi has been presented with a 20ft container full of donated medical supplies with an estimated value of over A$120,000 (T$228,000). The donation was made possible by the combined work of numerous Queensland Rotary clubs together with the Rotary Australia World Community Service (R.A.W.C.S). The Rotary Club of Apia assisted in the storage, transportation and presentation of the medical supplies. Some of the medical equipment includes electronic hospital beds, drip stands, assorted hospital linen, X-ray equipment and examination couches. Attending at the official presentation was a delegation from Samoas N.H.S who collectively received the donated supplies. Official members of this group included the Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr. Talalelei Tuitama, General Manager of N.H.S, Palanitina Toelupe, N.H.S Chairman of the Board, Tupuola Koki Tuala and Manager of M.T.II and Savaii Health Services, Pili Aliisolia F. S. Alatimu. Presenting on behalf of R.A.W.C.S and the Rotary Clubs of Queensland was a small team from the Rotary Club of Apia including immediate past President Tony Callaghan, Louise Main, Beverly Arp and Christine Lade. The donation of medical supplies is intended to strengthen the level and delivery of health care for the people of Savaii. It is been the result of ongoing dialogue between N.H.S in Savaii and Rotary and addresses specific needs. It is when the N.H.S Donation Policy is observed fully that the relationship between donors (Rotary) and N.H.S becomes a win/win situation for all, Mr. Callaghan. The longstanding Rotary motto of Service above Self is one that is practiced internationally throughout all of Rotarys 34,000 clubs and is the guiding force for all of the 1.2 million members. When Colin Laurenson rom the Donations In Kind (northern region) of R.A.W.C.S began working with local Samoan volunteers in Brisbane it slowly became a working goal to canvass for donations of medical supplies that could be sent to the Savaii Hospital. That goal has now been achieved. Mr. Callaghan explains the significance of this substantial donation from the Rotary clubs of Australia. As part of a global family of Rotarians, I am honored to tbe able to assist on behalf of our fellow Australian clubs with this fantastic gift to the people of Savaii. It is truly a wonderful gesture of giving from the heart and is a telling example of Rotary Serving Humanity. The equipment is now undergoing a routine inspection from the N.H.S Biomedical team before it will be put to use within the hospital. The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupa'i, is optimistic about the plan by Blueskys parent company, Amper SA, to sell its Pacific businesses. Now that he has been made aware of the negotiations, Afamasaga told the Sunday Samoan the talks in question is only the discussion of an expression of interest for a potential acquisition. The sale is not finalised, Minister Afamasaga said. The governments position is that it doesnt matter which company runs Bluesky. The main objective of the government is to have access to internet and cheaper rates. It is only when government sees that those are not being met then it will step in through the Office of the Regulator. According to Afamasaga however, if and when the plan is finalised, there needs to be a formal presentation to the government about the status of such arrangements. He pointed out that he received unofficial information from Bluesky informing him of the talks. The Minister maintained that it doesnt matter whether Bluesky will be taken over by a Fijian company or one from Papua New Guinea. He believes the Pacific region is one. We welcome any initiative and any company from the Pacific and anywhere from the world, he insisted. As long as the goals are met for easy access to internet and cheaper rateswe just want things to be done in the proper and right way. Asked about the submarine cable, Afamasaga assured that it would not be affected in any way with any talks with Bluesky currently happening. Amper SA owns 75 per cent of Bluesky Samoa while the other 25 per cent is owned by the government through the Unit Trust of Samoa (U.T.O.S). Last week, U.T.O.S. Chief Executive Officer, Sau Justina Sau, told the Samoa Observer they were only told about the sale through Google Alert. On Sunday, Bluesky Samoa confirmed the plan by Amper to sell its business to Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (A.T.H.). In a statement issued by the Bluesky Samoas Chief Commercial Officer, SanjeewaPerera, it confirmed that Amper and A.T.H have started the negotiations. Blueskys parent company Amper SA released a statement on Wednesday 29th June, 2016 announcing it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to divest its South Pacific holdings to Fijian group, Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (A.T.H), the statement said. The strong performance of Bluesky Pacific Group operations in American Samoa, Samoa, New Zealand and Cook Islands has attracted the attention of key telecom operators in the region such as A.T.H. According to Bluesky Samoa, the intention of both parties is to engage in dialogue regarding a potential acquisition. These discussions have now commenced.A potential acquisition is subject to agreement by the parties on price, terms of acquisition and regulatory approvals. Bluesky fully supports its parent companys decision to explore this opportunity and is involved in the discussions to ensure the best commercial decision is made not only for Amper SA and Bluesky Pacific Group operations, but also for its existing local investors, customers and community. As a horde of supporters gathered yesterday at the Samoa Tourism Fale for the Faataua Le Ola, Walk for Life march, there was one couple that stood out. With a portrait of a young lady in hand, the couple walked alongside everyone with a noticeable cloud of grief. So what is the story behind that framed picture? Neville Gates, 70, and his wife Faye Gates, 64, came from New Zealand. The girl in the picture is their daughter, Alethea Gates, who took her own life back in January 2008 at the age of 27. She is described by her father as a qualified teacher, a much loved person with so many friends; she was also very sporty and she loved surfing. The loss of their daughter still haunts the couple but they want to use their grief to send a message out. My wife Faye and I are living here for the New Zealand winter and then we heard about this march, Mr. Gates told the Sunday Samoan. We lost our daughter Alethea on the 16 of January 2008 so we always support events like this where we work to prevent suicides or offer thoughts towards those who have lost loved ones in this way. Mr. Gates wishes to tell the people of Samoa who are contemplating suicide to remember the impact they leave behind. We would support anything and help any efforts to prevent suicides, he said. The one message I have for people who are thinking of taking their own lives is to think about the grief and loss that they leave behind; there is always help available; we know that they are usually depressed and need help. Events like these can only be effective if the message goes out and saves lives; If todays march saves one life then it is a big success. One thing that we have learnt is that there is not just one single factor that leads to suicide, its a combination of factors. It is not as simple as deciding to do it because of one thing; its a whole combination of factors. We are not so much involved in suicide support for other people who have lost loved ones, but in Auckland there is a group formed from solace. This is a group of people who have lost loved ones and we meet once a month a support each other; we always have new people coming in and they do so at different stages of their grief. There is a core of us who have been in the group for some years and have helped lead it. According to Mr. Gates, there are absolutely no words that can describe how a parent feels when their child takes their own life. You cannot describe the grief one feels when a loved one takes their own life; not in a way that it is personal and cant talk about it, its just hard to describe, he said. If you lose a loved one to a car accident then you can say that well it was a car accident and you couldnt have stopped it. But with suicide you are always asking yourself what you could have done to prevent it, thats part of the grief that is so unique to losing someone to suicide. Mrs. Gates continued her husbands message through tears. Suicide is very hard on the parents its very hard, she said. Programmes like these are very useful to bring together parents in remembrance of their children who took their lives. There should be a group in Samoa where parents who have lost their children to suicide can meet and talk about what they are going through. It will help us all get over the grief and the pain that the family is going through because dealing with this is very hard. Samoa has many suicide cases, people dont understand how hard this is on the parents soul, our soul is in pain. I want to thank the lord that we have family that helps us deal with the pain, and I am also happy that Samoa has a great programme like this and all the support it gets. The Piula Theological College compound was a place of great celebration yesterday. It was where graduates who achieved Diplomas in Theology and Bachelors of Divinity celebrated sweet success with their families, friends and fellow church members. Eleven graduates proudly marched down the aisle of Lupetaumafa Piula hall to mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Methodist President Reverend Apineru Lafai encouraged them to always remember that by faith in God, everything is possible. Remember that fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, kindness, goodnessfaithfulness, these gifts help to nurture you spiritually in Gods work, Rev. Lafai told the graduates. Whatever may come your waywhether good or bad remember to pray, thats the key in strengthening you every day. As Paul the Apostle said, for those who are in Christ, remember to walk in love, love your family, church especially those that youre going to serve. The Dux for the 2015-2016 Tema Eteuati spoke on behalf of the graduating class. Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for his caring love upon each and everyone of us today, he said. To the Methodist Church, President, pastors and everyone for your continuous prayers that made it all possible for us to graduate today. It has been a long journey and we just want to thank God for all that He has done. To all our families in Samoa and overseas thanks for your support. Isaako Vaisagote acknowledged Gods faithfulness. Being in the College for four years was not that easy and I am so thankful to my wife and both of our families for their support in so many ways, he said. The graduates with Diplomas of Theology are: Tema Eteuati, Suaileoge Pouli, Faafetai Fualuga, Alesana Elika, Sema Mase, Fetuao Mavaeao, Isaako Vaisagote and Gafatasi Fuimaono. Bachelor of Divinity graduates are Fialii Matau, Poutasi Ioane Iakopo Tali and Mighty Taiulu Feso. A member of the public arrested at gunpoint by a contingent of armed Police officers has broken his silence about the ordeal. Suitupe Misa, who is suing the Police for $1million tala, said the incident has changed his life forever. He said he feels like a prisoner in his own community. Its like walking on eggshells. I have to watch my every move, he said. I get paranoid all the time. Im always worried that the Police might plant or plot something against me. Since that day (I was arrested), I dont trust anyone. I feel like I dont have the freedom to move around freely without being followed (by the Police). During the interview with the Sunday Samoan, Mr. Misa was accompanied by his wife Catherine Misa. In tears, they spoke about the stress, mental impact, stereotypes and the ridicule they have had to deal with since August last year. Mr. Misa remembers the incident like it was yesterday. He was arrested at gunpoint by a contingent of armed plain clothed officers in front of a shocked and distressed Fugalei marketplace. It transpired that Mr. Misa had committed no crime and the arrest was carried out based on "insubstantial and second-hand evidence." Later, Mr. Misa lodged a complaint against the Police, which was investigated by the Ombudsmans Office. The findings of the investigation raised serious questions about the actions of the Police and the Commissioner. The Commissioner of Police failed to meet basic investigation principles and placed undue consideration on second hand evidence, leading directly to the wrongful and unlawful arrest of Suitupe, one the reports findings reads. The Commissioners decision to arm and allow the use of firearms by his officers contravened the Use of Force policy, was irresponsible, and could negatively impact the overall safety and security within Samoa. The Commissioner failed to take appropriate steps to identify the actions of his officers as being part of a police operation, leading to widespread distress and in one case serious health issues. The investigation also found that the Commissioner does not have an understanding of the basic laws regarding arrest and detention in Samoa. Incidentally, the report says the arrest was unlawful and improperly undertaken and therefore violated his fundamental human right to liberty. According to the Ombudsman, the findings clearly demonstrate a series of errors of judgment and unlawful actions that are nowhere near what we should be able to expect from our Police force. Mr. Misa said he has nightmares about the issue. There are times when in my head, I can hear their whispers behind me, he said. That stereotype is always there and even though I had not done anything and I was wrongfully held against my human rights, people treat me as if I was the criminalI didnt anything wrong yet Im being treated like the prisoner. According to Mr. Misa the incident has mentally drained him and has caused problems between him and his wife. To be honest with you I cant sleep most nights, he said. When I close my eyes I have that memory replayed in my dreams like a nightmare. At one point I took off with our child because I thought the police were coming after me again. In tears, Mr. Misa said the trauma was too much for his wife and one day she wanted to leave him. I love my family and our child, he said. I have caused them all this distress, pain and suffering. Im afraid if she walks out I no longer have the support from the only people that has been there for me to deal with this...sometimes I think to myself maybe things are better off if I just disappear. Mr. Misa added that he might never find another job after what had happened. He also questioned why criminal charges have not been pursued against the police officers involved. Catherine said it hasnt been easy. He is afraid of so many things that I fear for him and for our family. Im living a life of fear and pressure and I dont understand why my husband is being treated like a criminal when he did nothing wrong. Mrs. Misa said sometimes she wants to give up on what she has with her husband because its not the life she asked for. But when I think of it again he didnt do anything wrong, he said. Everything that is happening is frustrating because Im the one that gets to deal with the mess trying to put him right. I also feel worried about us running into trouble or making as wrong move because we dont know who to run to, we cant run to the Police for help. The mother admits that there are times when she wants to get up and leave just to get away from the stress. But like I said before he did not do anything wrong yet what happened that day has left a dreadful memory and a lifetime scar on us. President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected any notion that the past week's stunning violence signals a return to racial brutality of a dark past, saying that as painful as the killings of police and black men were, "America is not as divided as some have suggested." With five Dallas police officers dead at the hands of a sniper and two black men dead at the hands of police, Obama appealed to Americans not to be overwhelmed by fear of a return to 1960s-style chaos and to understand the progress that has been made in racial relations since that time. "You're not seeing riots and you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully," he said. "You've seen almost uniformly peaceful protests and you've seen, uniformly, police handling those protests with professionalism." Obama spoke at the conclusion of a NATO summit in Warsaw before leaving for Spain, part of a farewell trip to Europe he was cutting short by one day because of the developments at home. The comments marked the third time in as many days that Obama has spoken, from a distance, about the police-involved fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers. Seven other officers and two civilians were also injured. Obama said the Dallas shooter, a black Army veteran who was later killed by police, was a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. The president said he would visit Dallas in a few days to pay respects and mourn with the stricken Texas city. The shootings, and the ensuing protests in some U.S. cities, led to an uncharacteristic response from the president: He cut his five-day, two-country European trip to four days. On his flight to Spain, he called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to offer his condolences on behalf of the American people, the White House said. While Obama proceeded with his plan to visit Madrid, he scrapped a stop in the southern city of Seville. He was cramming two days of events into one, including meetings with interim President Mariano Rajoy and a visit with U.S. sailors stationed at a naval base in Rota. In his news conference before departing Poland, Obama said that while "there is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion" in the U.S., "there's unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans and that serves as the basis for us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way." The president said he planned to convene a White House meeting in coming days with police officers, community and civil rights activists and others to talk about next steps. He said the "empathy and understanding" that Americans have shown in responding to the events of the past few days, including Dallas police officers even as they came under attack, had given him hope. "That's the spirit that we all need to embrace," Obama said. "That's the spirit that I want to build on." But Obama, who has angered his political opponents after every deadly mass shooting by calling for tighter gun laws, made clear that he will continue to speak out about the need for such measures, which the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to go along with. He said the U.S. is unique among advanced countries in the scale of violence it experiences. The president spoke sympathetically of police officers in gun-filled communities who have "very little margin of error" when deciding how to engage with people on the street who may well be armed, whether they mean harm or not. "Police have a really difficult time in communities where they know guns are everywhere," he said. "If you care about the safety of our police officers, then you can't set aside the gun issue and pretend it's irrelevant." Citing laws allowing the carrying of guns in Texas, he said that even some of the Dallas protesters who staged a peaceful rally before the sniper attack were armed. He also cited the presence of an apparently legally owned gun in the car where motorist Philando Castile was shot dead during a traffic stop in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Obama also tried to calm public anxiety about personal safety, saying violent crime is actually down in the U.S. "So as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, we've got a foundation to build on," he said. "We just have to have confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature." -AP By PTI: Berlin, Jul 9 (PTI) The specialised structure of coconut walls may help to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters, a new study suggests. Coconuts are renowned for their hard shells, which are vital to ensure their seeds successfully germinate. Coconut palms can grow 30 m high, meaning that when the ripe fruits fall to the ground their walls have to withstand the impact to stop them from splitting open. advertisement To protect the internal seed, the coconut has a complex structure of three layers: the outer brown, leathery exocarp, a fibrous mesocarp and a tough inner endocarp surrounding the pulp which contains the developing seedling. Researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany studied how this specialised structure could be applied in architecture. They used compression machines and an impact pendulum to study how coconuts disperse energy. "By analysing the fracture behaviour of the samples and combining this with knowledge about the shells anatomy gained from microscopy and computed tomography, we aimed to identify mechanically relevant structures for energy absorption" said plant biomechanist Stefanie Schmier. The study found that within the endocarp layer - which consists mainly of highly lignified stone cells - the vessels that make up the vascular system have a distinct, ladder-like design, which is thought to help withstand bending forces. Each cell is surrounded by several lignified rings, joined together by parallel bridges. "The endocarp seems to dissipate energy via crack deflection" said Schmier. "This means that any newly developed cracks created by the impact dont run directly through the hard shell," she said. It is thought that the angle of the vascular bundles helps to "divert" the trajectory of the cracks. The longer a crack has to travel within the endocarp, the more likely it is that it will stop before it reaches the other side. The distinct angle of the vascular bundles in the endocarp could be applied to the arrangement of textile fibres within functionally graded concrete, to enable crack deflection. "This combination of lightweight structuring with high energy dissipation capacity is of increasing interest to protect buildings against earthquakes, rock fall and other natural or humanmade hazards," said Schmier. PTI MHN AKJ AMS --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Noting that NSCN-IM leader T Muivahs assertions have "shocked and stunned" the nation, Congress today demanded the framework agreement between the government and the Naga rebel outfit be tabled in Parliament. Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the agreement signed last year has "shocked and stunned" the nation in the wake of recent statements and interviews by the NSCN-IM general secretary and hinted that the party would raise the matter in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 18. advertisement Addressing a press meet along with former Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, former Union minister Vincent Pala and AICC General Secretary C P Joshi, Surjewala said Muivah has stated that a separate flag and passport for Nagas were not just demands but "rights as the Nagas were never under Indian rule". Equally shocking is Muivahs statement that the understanding on "shared sovereignty" has been arrived with the Modi government because the uniqueness of Naga history is recognised and that "we are not giving up on the demand of sovereignty", the Congress leader said. He said Muivahs remark that the framework agreement is a "secret" because until a complete settlement is done some secrecy will have to be maintained is also a matter of serious concern. "Has the Modi government agreed on a shared sovereignty of India for the Nagas? Has Modi govt agreed to give separate passports other than Indian Passports? Has Modi govt promised a separate flag for the Nagas other than the Tricolour?" he asked. Surjewala said the Modi government signed the accord in August, 2015, without consulting any of the state governments in the Northeast. "This framework agreement has been kept under wrap by Modi ji, without taking into confidence Parliament, Cabinet or people of India," he said. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said "no one, however mighty, has a right to do otherwise. People of India will never accept a compromise on this cardinal principle of Indias unquestionable sovereignty and integrity." "While Congress fully supports finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the Naga problem through the process of dialogue, it has to be compulsorily within the four corners of our constitutional framework without a whisper of compromise on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. PTI SPG SMN PAL SMN --- ENDS --- Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/08/2016 -- Queens-peak.com.sg, a real estate news portal was recently set up exclusively for disseminating relevant information about Queens Peak Condo, one of the most talked about real estate projects in Singapore's Queenstown area. The developers and editors of the news portal said that they have furnished basic information about the Queenstown real estate projects. Besides, the site also reveals the Queens Peak Condo projects details, site plan, location, floor plan, finance options plus a lot more. "City fringe properties are in high demand all across Singapore. About Queens Peak Condominium, it is one of the hottest upscale properties in Singapore at this moment. There are many potential investors who want to know about the connectivity, nearby schools and hospitals, and various other things related to this particular property. We, therefore, decided to launch a separate portal for the Queens Peak property", told one of the editors of Queens-peak.com.sg. He added that people interested in buying a property on the fringes of Singapore can also know about the floor plan of the apartments and the site plan overall from their site. The news portal also comes up with last minute updates about the upcoming Queens Peak Dundee Road Singapore property. The editors claimed that interested people can also register their interest in buying an apartment in this high-end real estate which is located strategically, has good connectivity and is considered one of the hottest properties in Southern Singapore right now. "Metallurgy Corporation of China, or MCC Land as it is popularly nicknamed, is one of the most trusted and globally recognized real estate development agencies. The new launch Dundee project is only a matter of time as all the formalities have been duly fulfilled by the agency. Our job now is to inform potential investors about the latest status of the real estate project and related details", said one of the chief editors of the news portal. He also indicated that similar news portals might be set up for all other upcoming projects of MCC Land in Singapore. About Queens-Peak.com.sg Queens-Peak.com.sg is a real estate news portal exclusively set up for Queens Peak condo updates. For more information, visit http://www.queens-peak.com.sg/ Remember the much-viewed debate held last February 4, 2014, at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky? These two enthusiasts, Bill Nye and Ken Ham debated on the question "Is Creation A Viable Model of Origins?" Having two different worldviews, both Bill Nye and Ken Ham had met again. This time, in the newly opened "Ark Encounter," which is a world-class theme park developed by Mr. Ken Ham. Ken Ham, is the founder and chief executive officer of the Young Earth creationist (YEC) ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG) and Bill Nye, is a science educator, who hosted the 1990s television series Bill Nye the Science Guy. Their debate was viewed by approximately 3 million people, according to a Christian public relations firm. Ham believes that the Earth was created by God approximately 6,000 years ago and dinosaurs and humans once co-existed. In contrast, Nye defends the scientific consensus that the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old and the existence of dinosaurs and humans is separated by about 60 million years. The debate was unscored to declare the winner. On the other hand, it garnered numerous comments and reactions across the nation. One reaction came from Metropolitan Nicholas of the Greek Orthodox Church. He was a trained scientist before taking holy orders. He stated that research that is done to challenge God, has the disease of prejudice. He further said that research is done to discover scientific truth. "God is approached better this way. God is not an ideology that we should by all means defend, but we believe in Him because He is Truth. In this sense, even scientific truth reveals Him." Meanwhile, Answer in Genesis (AiG) just recently opened their Ark Encounter in Kentucky despite the state of emergency due to severe flooding in the area. Ken Ham is the founder and CEO of the Ark Encounter. The theme park features the most authentic full-size replica of Noah's Ark in the world. There are the lot of things to do.You can travel back in time on a mile-long scenic bus ride in a beautiful valley. You can view the massive Noah's Ark. Spot some exotic animals at Ararat Ridge Zoo. Have a fine dining with family and friends at the casual two-story restaurant. The AiG's ark was built base on the dimensions found in the Bible. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high. In the previous debate, Mr. Nye argued that a boat constructed based on the parameters given for Noah's Ark in the Book of Genesis would not float. He calculated that, if there were 7,000 kinds of animals on the Ark, on average, 11 species would have had to come into existence each day for the Earth to contain all presently known species. I prayed for Bill Nye today on 1st deck @ArkEncounter during his visit--that's what the life size Ark is all about pic.twitter.com/YpUrSLyVB4 Ken Ham (@aigkenham) July 9, 2016 On the other hand, it was an exciting day for the Ark Encounter when Mr. Nye accepted the invitation of Mr. Ham to visit the Noah's Ark replica. They were all surprised. His presence together with Mr. Ham created quite a stir with other Ark's guests. According to Mr. Ham, they had a very passionate discussion that it was just like a debate again. On the other hand, it was more intense at times. This is because they have differences in worldviews. Mr. Ham described the visit as amicable. Mr. Ham stated that during the visit he was able to personally share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Mr. Nye. On the first deck of the Ark, Mr. Ham was able to pray with him there together with a crowd of people. The scientists together with NASA's Dawn mission recognized permanently shadowed areas on the dwarf planet Ceres, indicating the ice deposits could exist there now. According to the researchers, most of these areas would likely have been cold enough to trap water ice for billion years. The study was printed in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union this week. It was led by Norbert Schorghofer, a Dawn guest investigator at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Erwan Mazarico, Thomas Platz, Frank Preusker, Stefan E. Schroder, Carol A. Raymond and Christopher T. Russell. Schorghofer explained that the conditions on Ceres are right for collecting deposits of water ice. He further explained that Ceres has just enough mass to keep water molecules and the permanently shadowed regions we identified are extremely cold--colder than most that exist on the moon or Mercury. The permanently shadowed areas are located on the crater floor and they do not receive direct sunlight. Although, the areas still receive indirect sunlight. On the other hand, if the temperature settles below about minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 151 degrees Celsius); the area is a cold trap, which is a good place for water ice to accumulate and remain stable. The cold trap is not yet identified on Ceres, according to the American Geophysical Union. The researchers examined Cere's northern hemisphere. From Dawn's cameras, they perceived the dwarf's planet craters, plains and other features in three dimensions. They found dozens of sizeable permanently shadowed areas across the northern hemisphere. They spotted the largest one inside the 10-mile-wide (16-kilometer0 crater located less than 40 miles from the North Pole. The permanently shadowed areas occupy about 695 square miles (1,800 square kilometers). The team discovered that about 1 out of every 1,000 water molecules produced on the surface of Ceres will end up in a cold trap during a year on Ceres (1,682 days). That's enough to produce thin but detectable ice deposits over 100,000 years or so. Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission, based at the University of California, Los Angeles stated that some observations suggest Ceres may be a volatile-rich world that is not dependent on current-day external sources. Ceres is the biggest of the minor planets within the orbit of Neptune and the largest object in the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. It is about 945 kilometers in diameter. It is composed of rock and ice. It is estimated to comprise approximately one-third of the mass of the entire asteroid belt. By PTI: From Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, Jul 9 (PTI) The sniper who shot 12 police officers in the US city of Dallas, killing five and injuring many, during a protest decrying police killings of black men this week, has been identified as a former Army reservist equipped for war. Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was wearing body armour and totting an SKS semi-automatic assault rifle and a handgun when he started picking off cops in downtown Dallas late Thursday night during a "Black Lives Matter" protest, law enforcement sources said. advertisement Police yesterday found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal detailing combat tactics during a search at the home of Johnson, who told negotiators during the "ambush" that he "wanted to kill white people" as he went on a shooting rampage killing five cops. In a statement yesterday afternoon, Dallas police confirmed the identity of the gunman and said he was described as a "loner" by some who knew him. Detectives were in the process of analysing the information in the journal, the statement said. Johnson was well-trained in using the weapons of war. He served as a reservist for six years until 2015 and was deployed in Afghanistan between November 2013 and July 2014, authorities said. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist, with a rank of private first class, and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal. But he didnt have an especially glowing reputation among members of his unit. "We all knew he was a pervert because he got caught stealing girls panties but murdering cops is a different story," Wells Newsome, a former bunkmate of Johnsons, wrote on Facebook. "You really never know what someone is capable of until its too late." Luis Canto, another fellow reservist, said Johnson had an erratic personality. "We all knew he was off, man, but no idea he was capable of that," Canto wrote on Facebook. The cold-blooded cop assassinations carried out by Johnson, who had no criminal record or ties to terror groups, stunned his family members. "I keep saying its not true," Johnsons sister Nicole said in a Facebook post. "My eyes hurt from crying. Why him? And why was he downtown." "The news will say what they think but those that knew him know this wasnt like him," Nicole Johnson added in a separate post. "This is the biggest loss weve had." MORE PTI SHK KIS KIS --- ENDS --- The kelp forests off the western coast of Australia, which are part of the Great Southern Reef, are dying because of the marine heatwaves between 2011 and 2013, according to a new study. The Great Southern Reef is located near the southern coast of Australia. It is a system of rocky reefs covered by kelp forests that stretch about 2,300 km along the south coast of Australia. They extend past Sydney on the east coast, down to Tasmania to Kalbarri north of Perth. The study was printed in Science on Thursday. It showed that the Great Southern Reef has lost 100 kilometers of coastline to a series of intense heatwaves from 2011 to 2013. The researchers said that the problem is getting worse. Dr. Thomas Wernberg, from the University of Western Australia's oceans institute and lead author of the study explained that if the trend continued, the kelp forests could retract to the southern tip of the state, with economic and environmental consequences as grave as the loss of the Great Barrier Reef. He thought also that the next big heatwave is just going to push what they see in the north ultimately further down depending on how bad the heatwave is. "All the projections are that it will get warmer, we will get more frequent heatwaves, so, unfortunately, I think it's just a matter of time," said Wernberg. According to the Guardian, the heatwave in 2011 killed about 43 percent of kelp in Western Australia. On the other hand, the northern tip near Kalbarri most was able to regrow. Wernberg explained that the northern area was now being colonized by corals and coral reef species. The Great Southern Reef is a home for thousands of species of fish, crustaceans, mollusks and other marine invertebrates that cannot be found in other parts of the world. It also adds $10 billion to Australia's annual economy through tourism and fishing. When Trip Chandler began surfing at age 3, his boards were just four feet long, just like little pieces of fiberglass, he said. Now, Trip has graduated to a long board and with it, wins in one of the top national competitions for amateurs. Micha Cantor also was small when he began surfing. On the water today, he rips through large swells on a shortboard, mixing a more relaxed old-school style with new school, which focuses on swift twists and multi-foot jumps that could look at home in a skate park. Trip, 16, of Pawleys Island, and Micha, 15, of Murrells Inlet, have both seen success in national surfing competitions this month, but arrived at the top of the pack through drastically different paths. Trip, who rides both short and long boards, was surfing before he was strong enough to paddle out and catch a wave. His father, Tom Chandler, also grew up surfing, and lent his son a hand as he nurtured the habit. He was five, and he was a little teeny guy, and Id have to get him out and Id have to push him in, and he would ride the waves in, Tom Chandler said. At five, Trip Chandler won his first competition, which ended with the mayor of Pawleys Island presenting him with a trophy. It was the moment that began a lifelong competitive spirit. I was just like surfing, I wasnt even really like into (the competition). But when I found out I won, I think I just knew I wanted to win every time after that, he said. Trip Chandler won the explorer division for longboard at this years National Scholastic Surf Associations national competition, and came fourth in longboard for the open division. In each division, surfers have a limited amount of time to select and ride a wave ranging from 20 to 25 minutes that will garner them a high enough score to win. Hoping for a good wave in a limited time period while floating far from shore is the most stressful thing in the world, Trip Chandler said. Sometimes you can hear it (the announcers) perfectly and you know exactly what you need and you know exactly where you stand, he said. Other times you cant hear anything and youre just coming in clueless. To get to nationals, Trip Chandler won a regional competition for the east coast in Florida this April. However, competing at a regional and national level requires extensive travel. Trip Chandler said hes traveling to catch bigger waves at least once a month the shape of the continental shelf in North Carolina often blocks larger surges from reaching the Grand Strand, giving surfers who grow up in California, Hawaii or the Caribbean a significant advantage. Tom Chandler says this fact made Trips win all the sweeter. It was especially great for an East coast kid to bring some fame over this way, cause it doesnt usually come over here, he said. Micha, who placed third in NSSAs open junior division, travels even more frequently. He returned from a recent surfing trip July 4 and plans to get back on a plane Sunday to fly to California. While Trip Chandler attends Waccamaw High School, Micha has more flexibility in his surf schedule, because he is home-schooled. Michas mom, Tonya Moore, said its a common situation for competitive surfers. We run across it more and more now because a lot of people he surfs against, competes with, travels with, theyre home-schooled, Moore said. Micha has long been a sponsored surfer, picking up support from Billabong at 8 and then moving to a newer company, Vissla, at 13. The sponsorships include a monthly salary and money to help with travel, which can get expensive in addition to plane fare and lodging, surfers have to pay to ship their boards safely. And for Micha, traveling is not just a means to compete it increases his profile, something Vissla encourages. They want you to go and see some good waves, because they believe thats whats going to make you better, said Michas father, Stoney Cantor. Micha Cantor is competitive, and his father, also a surfer, joked that he quit competing before Micha could surpass him. The competitions, however, are not a prime focus for Vissla. If you win something, theyre obviously gonna be happy that you won it, Micha Cantor said. But I would say that they put out more promotional (videos). Social media is also a crucial part of Micha Cantors burgeoning career. He has an active Instagram page, where he often posts shots of his surfing and content from Vissla. Right now, hes part of a competition sponsored by Quicksilver, where online followers can vote him into the next round of a tournament. Micha Cantor says he has no problem with his passion becoming his career early in life. While his mom hopes he goes to college as a backup plan, Micha said hes focusing on going pro. He just made the Surfing America USA Team this year, one step in that process. For Trip Chandler, the decision to go pro or focus on a more traditional career is still a few years away. He does plan to go to college, however, and hes interested in Marine Biology. Trip liked Pepperdine University during a recent tour, when he was in California to practice for NSSA. Wherever he goes, though, it will be close to be beach for sure. COLUMBIA, S.C. -- One year after thousands watched as the Confederate flag was removed from a flagpole on the State House grounds, the divisive banner will rise again at the South Carolina Capitol. At least temporarily. The South Carolina Secessionist Party will raise the rebel banner Sunday during a ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of the flag coming down. The Secessionists, who support South Carolina leaving the Union again, plan to raise the flag on a 30-foot aluminum pole with a plastic base in the same spot where it flew before, near the Confederate Soldier Monument on the State Houses front lawn. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. The flag will be removed at the end of the rally. A Confederate memorial honor guard will take part in the flag raising, which supporters plan to make an annual event. James Bessenger, the chairman of the Secessionist Partys board, expects the event to draw a crowd of hundreds, based on interest on the partys Facebook page. The group has not changed its plans to assemble in light of the latest mass shooting, when police officers were shot and killed in Dallas late Thursday during a protest. Bessenger said he was contacted by S.C. capitol police Friday to ask if the rally would be postponed in light of the police shootings in Dallas during a protest about police violence against African-Americans. He said Public Safety did not formally ask the group to change its plans. We had a special board meeting (Friday), and the board decided to continue with the rally, Bessenger said. Bessenger said the rally also would honor the slain law enforcement officers in Dallas with black ribbons and raise a law enforcement emblem alongside the battle flag. Because of the Dallas shooting, members of the Upstate Black Lives Matter chapter will not be attending the rally Sunday. On a recent conference call, the Upstate chapter and others were all in agreement that we didnt really want to focus our attention on the flag at this time, said Greenvilles Derrick Quarles, president of the activist groups Upstate chapter. Quarles said its a very sensitive time around the nation, and the group did not want the rally to result in violence. Bessenger said the push to remove the flag was the result of political correctness, which also has been a talking pointin the presidential campaign. People are sick of hearing that peoples feelings are hurt, he said. Our history is being erased, he said, comparing the push to remove the Confederate battle flag to the Islamic States looting of Middle Eastern museums and destruction of historical artifacts. Its like cultural Marxism. But Quarles had a different interpretation. Bringing the flag down was the correct thing to do because of the history and the legacy attached to the flag, which, in my opinion, is a heritage of racism and hate toward blacks and minorities, he said. State Sen. John Matthews, D-Orangeburg, said there was no chance of the flag returning to the State House grounds. Weve fought that battle, and weve agreed to move on, Matthews said. We want to put the focus on health care, on education, and it does no good to have this back out there. ... Weve decided to move on into the 21st century. Security has been a concern at the State House since the Confederate flag debate flared up last year after the racially motivated shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Nine black parishioners were killed by a white gunman during a Bible study and images surfaced of the gunman draped in the flag. Focus quickly shifted to the flag at the State House. A week after the shooting, a protester climbed the pole that flew the flag and pulled the flag down. Gov. Nikki Haley soon called for the flag to come down, after receiving a torrent of emails on the subject, and the state Legislature voted by a two-thirds majority to remove it. After the flag came down last year, a pro-flag rally organized by a Ku Klux Klan group attracted angry counter-protesters including members of the New Black Panther Party. The clash resulted in scuffles, five arrests on charges of breach of peace, disorderly conduct and assault. Other people received emergency attention. Without discussing details, a S.C. Department of Public Safety spokesman said there would be a similar number of law enforcement agencies involved Sunday as there were at last years KKK rally. Eight state or local agencies contributed officers to that event, from Public Safety and the State Law Enforcement Division to the Richland and Lexington sheriffs offices, the city of Columbia and the University of South Carolina campus police. Their plans include preparations for counter-protesters, said S.C. Highway Patrol Lt. R. Kelley Hughes. We dont anticipate issues, but we will be prepared and will take appropriate enforcement action, if necessary. The Secessionists and Confederate memorial honor guard were the only groups to alert state officials they would be gathering Sunday. But Bessenger said he expects to have company. I expect there will be some kind of riffraff, he said. Reporter Jamie Self contributed. The gunman, identified as 25 year-old Micah Johnson, was killed by the police with a bomb-carrying robot. Johnson subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. The 25 year-old Micah Johnson served in the US Army fron 2009 to 2915; Photo: AP By Reuters: A black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. advertisement Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25 year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. Upset over police shootings, Dallas suspect wanted to kill whites GUNMAN SUBSCRIBED TO MILITANT BLACK NATIONALIST IDEOLOGY A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. WAS THERE ONLY ONE GUNMAN? By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. "At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization," US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for US police in the line duty from a single event since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. GUNMAN ANGRY ABOUT POLICE KILLINGS The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. advertisement The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. advertisement A profile of Johnson's political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The US Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. HEARTACHE AND DEVASTATION Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. advertisement The Rev. Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor's invitation, the White House said. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the US after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Also Read: Dallas: 5 police officers killed by snipers, 3 suspects held, 4th kills himself Trump, Clinton cancel campaign events after Dallas shooting --- ENDS --- The incident that left five officers dead saw the usage of such a 'high-tech tool' in domestic policing for the first time. By India Today Web Desk: To kill an armed suspect in the Dallas police shooting, the police used a rather unusual object. A robot. During a standoff between police and one of the suspects, the police deployed a robot which delivered and detonated explosives killing the suspect. The suspect has been identified as Micah Johnson of Mesquite, Texas. The 25-year-old was a military veteran who served in Afghanistan. It was found that he was "the lone shooter in this incident". advertisement Dallas police Chief David Brown called the plan a well-thought-out and evil tragedy. Also read: Upset over police shootings, Dallas suspect wanted to kill whites The incident that left five officers dead saw the usage of such a 'high-tech tool' in domestic policing for the first time. Dallas police chief informed the American press that police offers tried negotiating with a suspect but nothing fruitful came out of it. Due to the danger to officers, "we saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was," Brown said. "Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb", he added. Also read: Dallas: Snipers shoot 11 police officers, kill 5 at rally against police brutality At least three unmanned ground vehicles, or robots, were obtained in April 2014 through a federal program that lets law enforcement buy surplus military equipment, reported Fortune. The Dallas police is said to have spent $10,000 for each robot, according to the Defense Department data. --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: Dalljiet Kaur's fans were in for a shock when she came out in the open and accused Shaleen Bhanot of domestic violence, in 2015. The actors, who looked very much in love before their marriage were known to be pretty compatible--so Dalljiet's accusations about being subjected to her husband's infidelity and physical abuse, obviously came as a rude shock. advertisement According to a recent report by The Times of India, the couple has finally decided to legally part ways. The publication quoted Dalljiet as saying, "Rather than dragging on the matter in court, Shaleen and I have chosen to do it mutually. The court visits have been really depressing. After several meetings with (and without) lawyers and discussing many clauses keeping the future of the child in mind, we have reached a conclusion that divorce is best for both of us." "Shaleen wants to co-exist in a happier way. He wants to be a good father to my son and I won't deny him that right. I won't let my ego and resentment get in the way of providing a better world to my son. Shaleen will visit our son at mutual convenience since we will be busy with our respective shoots. And I will make honest attempts to make them meet," she further added. The actress is all set to move out of Shaleen's house, where she lived alone with her son. "This last one year has made me realise that life is unpredictable. So, till the time the divorce doesn't actually happen, I can just pray everything gets sorted soon," she is quoted as saying. It is being said that the divorce proceedings will commence from this week and the divorce decree is expected to be passed in six months' time. --- ENDS --- As the current election cycle demonstrates, as have others in recent memory, the gulf between Americans on both political sides of the spectrum is widening, with participants on both sides seemingly drawn further to the fringes. There have been a number of attempts to diagnose the roots of what's driving political participants to the extremes, such as the recent article in The Atlantic titled "How American Politics Went Insane." But a recent study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology proposes a seemingly simple explanation for a complex issue: Boredom could lead to more extreme political views. Election 2016: The Problem with Polls As the U.K.-based authors explain in introducing their study, past research has shown that people prone to boredom are more likely to be depressed, hostile, anxious and lonely, often finding their lives and routines without meaning. "Boredom puts people on edge; it makes them seek engagements that are challenging, exciting, and that offer a sense of purpose," said study co-author Wijnand van Tilburg from King's College London. "Political ideologies can aid this existential quest." The research team conducted their study in two parts. In their first experiment, they enlisted 97 college students and asked the participants to rate their political orientation on a seven-point scale before randomly being assigned either an exceptionally boring chore, transcribing 10 references about concrete mixing, or a comparatively less tedious task. After completing their assignment, participants again evaluated their political orientation. Those belonging to the low-boredom group were comparatively more moderate than those in the high-boredom pool, a pattern that bore out similarly among self-described liberals and conservatives. Political Momentum: Is That a Real Thing? For the second half of the study, the authors surveyed 859 people living in Ireland. Here, the researchers found that those more easily bored also tended to have more extreme political leanings. A second, smaller survey determined that those more prone to boredom also were more inclined to search for meaning in their lives. An admitted limitation of the study is that the researchers still do not know how much of an impact boredom plays in political orientation. "To gain more insight into the magnitude of boredom's role one could test, say, how voters behave in an election and see how that correlates with individual differences in boredom," van Tilburg noted. For now at least, anyone turned off by the current electoral climate, with actors on both sides being pulled farther from the center of the political stage, may be able to take solace in the fact that those loud and often emotional partisans simply don't have anything better going on in their lives. WATCH VIDEO: Why Do Politics Make Us So Angry? Toward the end of World War II, Germany unleashed a deadly new weapon on Allied forces. The V-2 rocket was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile and killed thousands of civilians in London, Antwerp and other European cities. Development of the V-2 rocket also took a terrible toll within Germany and German-occupied territories. The Nazis used slave labor to build the V-2s, and thousands of prisoners died in the process. In this special report, Amy Shira-Teitel speaks to filmmaker Melinda Hess, who has a unique and personal relationship to the V-2 rocket program -- in particular, the aftermath of the rocket program in the United States. When Germany fell in 1945, the U.S. and other countries went to great lengths to pursue the technology behind the V-2 rocket. The U.S. military's Operation Paperclip brought more than 100 German engineers and scientists to America, including V-2 project architect Wernher von Braun. Meanwhile, U.S. Army private Sandy Hess -- a promising young mechanical engineer -- was deployed to Fort Bliss, Texas. In correspondence with his parents back in New York City, Sandy Hess described in vague terms the engineering project he was working on with a team of German scientists who called themselves "prisoners of peace." RELATED: World War II Warship Recovered: Photos It wasn't until years later than Sandy Hess' daughter Melinda discovered these letters, written before she was even born, and connected the dots. Her father, who was Jewish, was working directly with the German architects of the wartime V-2 program. Their research would evolve the V-2 technology into Saturn rocket technology that eventually sent the Apollo astronauts to the moon. The letters that Melinda Hess uncovered provide a fascinating glimpse into a peculiar corner of history, in which American Jews and ex-Nazi scientists collaborated on the core technology that would power the U.S. space program. Hess investigates both family secrets and national secrets in her documentary film, The Letter From Cloudcroft. "I didn't know very much about my father's time in the military," Hess says. "So I started going through the letters ... and there were various names coming through. As I began to do more research, I was completely blown away by what was revealed." Check out Amy's video for all the details, or if you want to fast-forward history a little, click on over to this report about the Cold War competition that triggered the Space Race. -- Glenn McDonald Learn More: Daily Mail: Death From Above Without Warning: 70 Years After The First One Fell, Interactive Map Reveals Just Where Hitler's V2 Rockets Killed Thousands Of British Civilians In Final Months Of WW2 History: What Was Operation Paperclip? Now it's the Americans' turn to help out down south. After failed attempts by ships from Australia and France, the U.S. Coast Guard has dispatched the Polar Star, a heavy-duty icebreaker that will make its way to a Russian science vessel and a Chinese ice breaker -- both trapped in ice off the coast of Antarctica. On Tuesday, the captain of the Russian ship told news services that he was slowly moving through the ice along with the Chinese ship after a slight change in weather. Still, the two vessels are reportedly not yet in open waters. But how do icebreakers work and how could they get stuck? It seems that even the toughest ships sometimes are no match for sea ice that can quickly surround a vessel with hull-crushing strength. PHOTOS: Crossing Antarctica: Making the Journey "Once the ice has got you in a squeeze, there is nothing you can do to get out of the way," said Sprague Theobald, a documentary filmmaker who was trapped in Arctic sea ice for several days in 2009 on a 57-foot trawler with his family. "It's as if a jigsaw puzzle came into place and you were locked in. The ice will move the way it wants to move." While Theobald was on a smaller craft, even massive scientific ships and icebreakers can become immobilized under the right conditions. That appears to have happened to the crew of the Russian scientific ship Akademika Shokalskiy, which became trapped on Dec. 24 near Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica. A Chinese ship, the Xue Long, or Snow Dragon in Chinese, sent helicopters to ferry 52 scientists and passengers from the Shokalskiy to an Australian ship last week. But now the crew of the Xue Long, too, is trapped. NEWS: Coldest Places on Earth Found -- In Antarctica The Xue Long is actually a Ukranian cargo ship converted to an ice-hardened transport to supply China's growing scientific presence on the Antarctic continent. It can break 3.5 feet of ice (1.1 meters), while traveling at 1.5 knots, according to the China Daily website. In contrast, the Polar Star, which just completed a three-year $90 million renovation, can smash through 6 feet of ice at 3 knots, according to the Coast Guard. Some ice floes around the Chinese ship are reportedly more than 13 feet thick. While the bow of the Chinese vessel cuts through ice like a knife, the American ship and other heavy duty icebreakers actually ram the ice to break it. The Polar Star uses its powerful 60,000 horsepower diesel engines to flop on top of the ice sheet, smashing it like a 13,000-ton hammer. "It's the design of the hull that is quite helpful, it looks like a bathtub," said Capt. Jason Hamilton, a former officer both on the Polar Star and its sister ship the Polar Sea, and now a legal officer for the Coast Guard, based in Seattle. "It rides up on top of the ice and breaks it." There are other ways to break ice. The Swedish icebreaker Oden, which the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) leased for several years while the Polar Star was being refitted, uses hydraulic pumps to lift its square-shaped bow on top of the ice in an up-and-down crushing motion. PHOTOS: 100-Year-Old Negatives Found in Antarctica The Polar Star left Australia and is expected to arrive near the Chinese and Russian vessels this weekend. By then, the captain will have a better idea of what he's up against. Danger is everywhere; uncharted currents move ice packs quickly and navigators having difficulty telling how thick the ice is at any given time. Satellite data and surface ridges that indicate where packs are colliding on the surface only give an estimate. Hamilton says the Polar Star will need to leave itself an escape route. "You break the ice in a manner so you can back out and don't put your situation where you are in extremis," he said. PHOTO: Ice Mission Captures Amazing Antarctic Sky Photo For those waiting for rescue, time is spent fighting boredom and hoping that enough pressure will ease so the ice floes will move. "You get a little anxious because you can't do much science," said Till Wagner, an ice scientist and postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, Ca., who has been icebound on research cruises in both the Arctic Sea and Antarctic Ocean. "Once you are stuck in the ice, you just have to wait. In a way it is magical. You are in this vast space and it's quiet. Nothing happens. There is a certain tranquility about it." So what if the American icebreaker gets stuck? There may be one final rescue squad. The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker Let Pobedy can ram through 10-foot ice and packs a 74,000-horsepower wallop. However, its last known position was near its home port of Murmansk, Russia, on the other side of the planet. Nearly 1,000 years ago a massive star reached the end of its natural life and astronomers in China and Japan recorded seeing the bright supernova become the second brightest object in the night sky (second only to the moon). This cataclysmic event -- which actually occurred 6,500 light-years distant in the constellation of Taurus then faded over a few years until it faded into the dark -- marked an end to a truly magnificent astronomical spectacle. However, this was only the beginning of the Crab Nebula's story. RELATED: When Runaway Stars Shock Interstellar Space Though supernovas are, by their nature, a violent and definitive ending to an aging massive star, the elements generated by the cataclysm go on to enrich the universe, birthing new stars and providing the building blocks for life. Our planet and all life on it is a complex mix of these primordial elements -- hence Carl Sagan's famous Cosmos quote: "We are made of star stuff." However, the debris that remains, laced with all this star stuff, leaves a lasting memory of the star that came before as a beautiful work of art. WATCH VIDEO: Why Do Stars Explode? Of course, in 1054 CE astronomers would have thought it impossible that humanity would ever get another glimpse of the region where that famous brightening in Taurus occurred, but modern astronomers have powerful observatories on Earth and in space that can zoom through the light-years to reexamine the powerful stellar eruptions that were spied so long ago in our history. The Hubble Space Telescope is one of these revolutionary observatories and it is helping us understand more about the dynamics of a supernova remnant. Yes, I said dynamics. RELATED: NASA Honors Prince With Photo of Purple Nebula If you've ever gazed upon a nebula through a telescope, to the human eye it looks like a static cloud frozen in time. Although we know a supernova remnant is a vast cloud of expanding material racing away at supersonic speeds, the scale of the eruption is simply too huge for our puny lifespans to see much in the way of motion in those speeding jets of dust and gas. But now we have Hubble -- a telescope that has been orbiting Earth for over quarter of a century, which has been checking in on the Crab Nebula regularly and, as this beautiful image shows, the heart of the nebula is very much in motion. Three Hubble observations of the Crab Nebula have been combined as one, showing the throbbing heart of the gas surrounding the central neutron star that was formed during the explosive compression of the original supernova. This compressed husk of degenerate stellar matter has the mass equivalent of our sun, but all crammed into a sphere measuring a few dozen miles across. This exotic object is the epitome of extreme; it's spinning at 30 times a second and is so dense that one teaspoon of its material would weigh over a billion tons. RELATED: Hubble Zooms-in on Veil Nebula's Shocked Tendrils Its extreme nature impacts the central volume of the Crab, the motion of which has been captured by Hubble as ripples, almost like the aftermath of a pebble being dropped in a pond. The different colors of these concentric rings represent the different colored Hubble snapshots taken nearly 10 years apart and each record a violent environment inside the nebula. In addition to speeding clouds of gas and dust, the Crab Nebula is a hive of intense magnetic activity, energizing charged particles, causing them to spin and generate light. Hubble can see this also, detecting the bright blue light being generated by ion-magnetic field interactions near the neutron star. This latest Crab Nebula view is as we've never seen it before, proving that supernova remnants are incredibly intricate and dynamic celestial objects that need to be studied for decades before we truly reveal their beating hearts. GALLERY: Hubble's Beautiful Butterfly Nebulae In a discovery announced on Sept. 4, 2013, a population of planetary nebulae near the galactic core appear to be, weirdly, preferentially aligned to the Milky Way's galactic plain. The nebulae, known as "bipolar" (or "butterfly") planetary nebulae are completely non-interacting and of various ages, suggesting some external force is shaping their orientation. It's thought that a powerful magnetic field may be the culprit. The researchers used observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and ESO's New Technology Telescope, so here are a small selection of some stunning examples of bipolar planetary nebulae as seen through the eye of Hubble. Shown here is the stunning NGC 6302 -- an intricate example of a bipolar planetary nebula's butterfly wings. Hubble 5: A classically-shaped bipolar (or 'butterfly') planetary nebula. NGC 6881: A binary star possibly shapes this wonderfully symmetrical nebula. NGC 5189: A dramatic view of the ribbons of bright material being ejected from a planetary nebula. PN Hb 12: An 'hourglass'-shaped bipolar planetary nebula. Hen 3-1475: A planetary nebula in the making. "In the Heart of the Sea," director Ron Howard's new historical drama opening today in theaters, depicts life aboard a 19th century whaling ship. It tells the tragic tale of the Essex, the Nantucket whaling ship that was attacked and sunk by an enraged sperm whale in 1820. The story of the Essex inspired author Herman Melville to write his American literature classic "Moby-Dick." In fact, the new movie tells its story in flashback as Melville (Ben Whishaw) coaxes the tale out of Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), last surviving crewman of the Essex, 30 years after the tragic events took place. "In The Heart of the Sea" is based on the author Nathaniel Philbrick's book of the same name, which won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction. The film features some thrilling action sequences and big-budget 3D effects, but the real appeal is taking in the authentic recreation of 19th century whaling life. We look at some of the historical background behind key moments in the film. (Warning: Spoilers off the starboard bow.) Giant Whale-Eating Whale Found "In the Heart of the Sea" begins with Herman Melville arranging a meeting with an elderly Thomas Nickerson, who recounts the story of the Essex during the course of a long, dark, rum-soaked night. In this, the film's fictional framing story, Nickerson is portrayed as a broken man haunted by his experiences as a 14-year-old sailor lost at sea. Historically, Melville never met Nickerson, although he did read first mate Owen Chase's published 1821 account, "Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex," and met with Chase's son. Melville's novel was more directly inspired by the author's own experiences on the whaling ship Acushnet, and on stories of an actual albino whale known as Mocha Dick. Whale Watching a Booming Business Early scenes set the background for the American whaling industry in the early 19th century. Our hero Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) negotiates with Nantucket's aristocratic ship owners to secure a job as captain of the Essex. Instead, he's given the position of First Mate (or Chief Mate), while the captaincy is handed over the scion of a wealthy whaling family. Whaling was indeed a highly competitive and capitalistic enterprise throughout most of the 1800s. Whale oil, rendered from blubber, was a valuable commodity used for fuel and many other industrial purposes. Ship owners treated whaling expeditions as high-risk, high-reward investments. The Essex was on the small side for whaling ships of that era -- about 88 feet in length -- but had an enormous cargo hold that represented a huge profit if successfully filled. As an industrial product, whale oil would be largely replaced by crude oil and kerosene by the end of the 19th century Indigenous Whale Hunt OK By NOAA As he prepares to head out to sea, Chase must say goodbye to his pregnant wife (naturally -- this is Hollywood) and prepare the family farm for a potential absence of several years. But is it true that whaling ships stayed on the oceans for years at a time? Yes, by the early 19th century, it was standard practice for American whalers to stay out on the water until the cargo hull was completely filled. Two to four years was the average, as ships would journey from the East Coast of America around Cape Horn and into the South Pacific. One famous ship, the Nile, stayed out on the water for eleven years -- dropping cargo in various ports -- before it finally returned home to New London, Connecticut. Ships that returned less than full were termed "broken voyages." Photos: Rain, Waves and Ice: Sailing through the World's Worst Weather Chase and Captain Pollard inherit a motley crew indeed when the Essex finally sets sail. We learn that crewmen aboard the Essex hail from various backgrounds in America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. In one early scene, he addresses the crew and reassures them that, whatever they're running from on land, it won't matter on the high seas. Whale ship sailors were in demand circa 1820, and many criminals found that whaling expeditions were good places to hide from the law for years at a time. Ship owners also hired recruiting agents that would wrangle "green hands" as young as 13 or 14 years old. Ships would sometimes procure men and boys from the numerous island ports they passed through in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Depending on size, a fully-crewed whaling ship at the time would employ 15-35 sailors, tradesmen and officers. Photos: Top 10 Most Elaborate Prison Escapes During production of "In the Heart of the Sea," scenes of the crew hunting and harpooning whales were filmed with an eye to authenticity. Although no actual whales were harmed -- or even filmed -- the techniques depicted are historically accurate. Part of the filming took place on open waters near the Canary Islands on a full-scale replica of the Essex. With early 19th century whaling techniques, whales were not usually harpooned from the main ship, but rather from smaller rowed whaleboats that were dropped into the water. A four- to six-man crew would row out to where the whale breached and use hand-thrown harpoons. Once struck, whales would sometimes dive straight down and the crew would let the harpoon rope play out for hundreds of feet. When a whale swam away at or just under the surface of the water, it would pull the whaleboat behind it -- this was called a "Nantucket sleigh ride." Even Small Whales Worth $100,000 Sinkholes are a common feature in Florida's limestone-rich bedrock as groundwater easily dissolves the calcium carbonate into solution turning the ground into a slushy mix that washes out under the structures built on top of it. But rarely do they kill. On Thursday night, a sinkhole in Tampa opened up and swallowed the bedroom where Jeffrey Bush, 37, was sleeping. Rescue crews and his brother acted quickly to try and save him, but Friday morning, listening devices and cameras placed in the hole failed to pick up any signs of life. The fast-acting sinkhole that likely took Bush in his sleep is unusual. Most sinkholes give warning signs of their impending devastation. Top 20 Reasons We're Not as Powerful as We Think Sinkholes form when water dissolves minerals in the bedrock, leaving the structures on top of the ground sitting precariously on loose soil that can quickly wash away. If a sinkhole is in the process of forming, the structures on top of it can give a hint to its existence: for example, slumping or sagging fence posts and trees that start to lean. More subtle signs can include doors and windows that don't close properly. Heavy rains can trigger the collapse of a sinkhole that had been slowly forming. When rainfall collects in an area where water previously did not collect, that is another sign that the land is subsiding. Bad enough that sinkholes could be forming under your feet in normal rains. But bring a hurricane to the region and it could feel like not only the sky is falling, but the ground is falling as well. PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy's Path of Destruction When tropical storm Agatha blew through Guatemala in 2010, the volcano-pocked nation witnessed the worst kind of sinkhole form in the middle of Guatemala City: a 100-foot deep, 66-foot wide circular chasm called a "piping feature." Unlike most sinkholes, where the bedrock is dissolved, the Guatemala City hole formed from water washing away the remnants of ancient volcanic debris, pumice and ash. Much of the city is built on top of this volcanic fill, which reaches depths of 600 feet. Don't Call The Guatemala Sinkhole a Sinkhole If a sinkhole is caught early, cities can inject grout into the hole to rebuild a foundation over the degrading bedrock. "It's similar to a dentist filling a cavity," Anthony Randazzo of Geohazards, Inc., told USAToday. "It sets and hardens and stabilizes it." Sometimes the groundwater dissolving the limestone bedrock flows deep beneath the bedrock. In Mexico, many sinkholes, called cenotes, expose these underground rivers and show the location of underwater limestone caves. When entering a cenote, it is culturally respectful to ask the Mayan Gods for their protection, to keep any more of the ground surface from falling in on top of your head. NOAA Denies Existence of Mermaids When the earth falls out from under your feet, it may not be a sinkhole at all, but rather an earthquake. When the Alaskan earthquake struck on March 27, 1964, Fourth Avenue dropped 20 feet below normal level as the result of the shifting faultline. When sudden seismic shaking occurs near the coast, don't wait for a tsunami warning siren; head to higher ground. Fault in Alaska a Tsunami-Maker Candidate Blue holes along low-lying coastlines are the remnants of sinkholes formed during past ice ages, when sea level was 300 to 400 feet lower than today. As sea level rose, the sinkholes flooded, forming vertical caves. The deep blue color of the hole contrasts with the lighter white carbonate sands of the surrounding seafloor and the water is home to many varieties of marine species. SCUBA diving in a blue hole can be dangerous as the depth is difficult to judge with just your eyes. Divers must vigilantly check their depth gauges to make sure they don't exceed their safety limits. Vertical Caves: Exploring Blue Holes Sharks, Marine Mammals Hang in Paradise Exploring the interlinking limestone caves within Northern Madagascar's Ankarana National Park is best done in the dry season. During the wet season, the rivers that flow through the caves and provide the water for some of the lush forests that crop up like oasis on sinkhole floors are infested with crocodiles. More than 350 residents of Assumption Parish have been evacuated since a massive sinkhole swallowed a forest neighboring the town in August 2012. The stability of the Bayou Corne sinkhole is still in question. The sinkhole, should not technically be called a sinkhole as it occurred as the result of an unused salt mine collapsing. The owner of the salt mine, the Texas Brine Company, is required to use a 3-D seismic survey to assess the area around the sinkhole and provide the information it gathers to the Office of Conservation for analysis by April 21. Bottom line: Mind your mines. Holey Sinkhole Batman! Is That Thing Hot? Comedian-turned hero Santhanam's latest outing Dhillukku Dhuddu, is likely to have a Hindi version. By India Today Web Desk: After a successful venture as the heros sidekick in most of the films, comedian Santhanam's third outing as a hero in Dhillukku Dhuddu, opened to positive response from audiences. Now, reports suggest that the makers have been receiving interest from other industries as well. According to a sources, the producers have confirmed that Bollywood makers are keen on buying the remake rights of this horror comedy flick. Also, the film is being dubbed in Telugu and is expected to release in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. advertisement ALSO READ: Santhanam will stun the audience in dance and fight sequences, says director Rambala ALSO READ: Santhanam's next looks like a perfect blend of horror and comedy The film is directed by Ram Bala, who is best known for directing the popular Television spoof show Lollu Sabha, where the latter launched Santhanam as a comedian. Dhillukku Dhuddu happens to be Ram Bala's debut film, who collaborated with Santhanam after Lollu Sabha days. Bankrolled by reputed production house Sri Thenandal films, the film also stars Shanaya, Rajendran, Saurabh Shukla and Karunas in pivotal roles. However, it isn't clear if the Bollywood makers are planning to retain Santhanam in the Hindi version as well. --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Protesters outraged by the police killings of two African American men in Louisiana and Minnesota gathered to demonstrate in downtown San Francisco and march to City Hall on Friday night, a day after five people were arrested during an Oakland rally of about 2,000 activists who shut down Interstate 880 for hours. More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the foot of Market Street under a huge banner that read, Stop the Racist Police Terror in the U.S. Remain peaceful Speakers at the rally were calling for a peaceful observance after five police officers in Dallas were fatally shot Thursday by a sniper during a peaceful rally in that city, one of several rallies and marches across the U.S. held to protest the two shootings by police. More than anything else, remain peaceful, said Lawrence Shine of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition of San Francisco, addressing the gathering crowd. Violence in response to violence will beget more violence. Our anger must be controlled and strategic, he added. Love will overcome hate. Oakland activist Aejay Mitchell read aloud what he called an open letter to police. Yes, I want you to live and go home to your families, but I also want to live and go home to my family, Mitchell declared. Please stop killing us. Edwin Carmona-Cruz of the social justice group Answer Coalition said his heart does go out to those five police officers who were killed though we cant forget why were here. San Francisco hunger striker Edwin Lindo, one of five who fasted during the spring in an attempt to force the removal of former Police Chief Greg Suhr, told the crowd, I dont want to keep coming here I want to make sure we dont have to be back here. After a half hour of speeches, the crowd which had grown to more than 1,000 began marching down Market Street to the cadence of a loud large drum. No justice, no peace, no racist police! the crowd hollered. Near the head of the march was Destiny Williams, 17, of Petaluma, who was holding a stop sign to which she had added, at the bottom, the words Corrupt Cops. I dont think I can sit here and not do anything, she said. Just because we want justice and we dont want our people to be shot down doesnt mean we hate police officers. When the march reached Market and Powell streets, the crowd which had now grown to about 2,000 sat down in the middle of the street while speakers read a list of names of people they said had been killed in officer-involved shootings. Police at City Hall After a march of about an hour, the crowd arrived at City Hall, where a small line of police blocked the entrance to City Hall and a larger group of officers monitored the crowd from the rear. By 10:30 p.m., the protest was winding down. Protester Gwenth Kenny, 29, of San Francisco who was holding a sign that read, Pro Black is Not Anti-Blue said that Black Lives Matter is not about hating police, its about equality. Other sponsors of the march and rally were the Justice 4 Mario Woods Coalition, San Francisco Black Leadership Forum, San Francisco Black Lives Matter and West County Toxics Coalition. The collective action comes after the deaths over the past week of Philando Castile, a cafeteria supervisor at a magnet school, and Alton Sterling, who sold CDs outside of the convenience store where he was shot. Sterling, 37, was killed Tuesday in a scuffle with two police officers in Baton Rouge, La. Video footage showed Sterling was pinned to the ground by officers when he was shot. Castile, 32, was shot Wednesday during a traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, Minn. Thursday nights protest in downtown Oakland resulted in five arrests and one citation after starting in Frank Ogawa Plaza, heading to the Oakland Police Department and moving to Interstate 880. Another rally and demonstration that some said would take place Friday in Oakland did not occur. 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. Vandalism in Oakland Oakland police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said one person was arrested on suspicion of vandalism Thursday after the glass doors of the departments administration building were scratched, broken and covered in red paint to symbolize blood. The department expected to make more arrests in connection with the vandalism. Two people were arrested for throwing water bottles at police officers during the rally, and one person was arrested for burglary. One person was arrested and a citation was issued for graffiti incidents at Chase Bank at 14th and Broadway and another on columns in the 1000 block of Broadway. None of the arrested suspects was identified. Other incidents Thursday night include a small fire on I-880 that was quickly extinguished and broken windows at the Foot Locker store on Broadway. Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein contributed to this report. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno Use of a remotely controlled bomb robot by Dallas police is considered the first time in U.S. history such a device has been used to kill a suspect, and technology and academic experts expressed hope that it never becomes standard. After five police officers were killed in Thursdays downtown Dallas shooting rampage, police resorted to using the robot early Friday hours into a standoff with suspected gunman Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, of Dallas. Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown told reporters that police officials saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate, killing the suspect holed up in a parking garage. Police departments across the country routinely use these robots technically called unmanned ground vehicles, or the equivalent of a flightless drone to assist in destroying bombs, investigating potentially dangerous areas and distracting suspects. Police have used them to deliver pizza or cell phones during tense negotiations. Not a true robot Some technology experts consider them too unsophisticated to be considered a true robot, but rather a telerobot or simple remote-controlled device. Jerry Larson/Associated Press What makes it unusual, and in my opinion unprecedented, was that it was weaponized and used to actually kill someone, Dan Kara, robotics industry analyst at ABI Research, said of the device. The increased use of such equipment grew out of their use in the military, particularly in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan where they were used to defuse explosive devices. Kara said the government gave a lot of money to these device manufacturers, and these companies went on to produce robots for use in law enforcement and by emergency responders. The devices themselves were very, very effective and saved untold lives, Kara said. They got a huge amount of money because it was a huge moral imperative to save lives of the troops and civilians as well from these unexploded devices. Kara and other experts said they didnt know exactly which device Dallas police used to kill the suspect, but said many police departments have devices that could carry a bomb. To blow up suspicious objects, officers can strap a bomb to the robot, direct the robot to place the bomb near the suspicious object, and then have it back off from the scene before detonating the bomb from a distance. Philosophers view In this case, however, the bomb was placed near a human being. Using bombs in general is pretty unheard of in policing, rather than a firearm, said Peter Asaro, co-founder and vice chair of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control and a philosopher of technology who teaches at the New School in New York City. Asaro, leading expert for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, an international coalition focused on limiting robots lethal capabilities, said the groups efforts were concentrated on preventing fully autonomous robots from killing people. In the Dallas case, he noted, it appears the robots actions were under the complete control of police officials. But he said that doesnt assuage all concerns. There are still concerns about remote operation, he said. Once you get these sort of system weapons and police have them in their arsenal, they are going to be used for more and more things. Industry officials pushed back against killer robot characterizations, arguing the device probably saved the lives of police officers and bystanders in Dallas, who were gathered to protest recent killings of black men by police. Robots can save lives Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Tom Frost, president of Endeavor Robotics, a Massachusetts company formerly known as iRobot Defense & Security, called Dallas polices use of the device inventive and credited the decision with ending the standoff. Its another good example of how robot technology can be used to save lives, he said. In this case, they (police) were able to end an absolutely horrible situation. Endeavor is considered one of the largest suppliers of robots to law enforcement in the country, including Dallas, but Frost did not know if his companys product was used to kill the suspect. Eric Ivers, president of Robotex, a Sunnyvale company that sells robots to police departments, agreed that the unmanned device probably saved lives, but he hoped the situation would not be repeated. Our robots are sold to save lives, not to take lives, so this is something we hope would never happen with one of our robots, Ivers said. It would be a bad thing to think this would be used on a regular basis. Ryan Calo, a law professor at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle who specializes in robotics law and policy, said he does not see legal or even ethical issues in the use of the device in Dallas, given the extreme danger of the situation. He compared it to having a robotic device do the job of a human sniper. Under these circumstances, I would be surprised if anyone held these officers legally or even morally accountable, he said. They had limited options, and they were absolutely authorized to use force given the ongoing threat. But Calo said he expected the issue of using robots in policing and in potentially lethal situations to gain traction. The major arguments against killer robots are just not implicated here, he said. Will we see greater use of robots? Maybe. But maybe well see them with more wise policies in place. Victoria Colliver is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vcolliver@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @vcolliver By India Today Web Desk: A day after slamming Home Minister Rajnath Singh for meeting 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur, Congress leader Digvijaya today tweeted a picture of Rajnath with Thakur. Digvijaya posted the picture after BJP asserted that Rajnath never met Sadhvi Pragya and rubbished his claims as baseless. "Do you recognize the two BJP leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnathji and Shivraj ji pl respond?" his tweet read. advertisement In another tweet he targeted Ved Pratap Vaidik who met 26/11 terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan in 2014. Digvijaya who tweeted a picture of Vaidik with Saeed asked if the Modi Bhakts recognised them. Ved Pratap Vaidik with Hafiz Saeed (Photo: @digvijaya_28) He said that "Pakistan government would have never allowed Vedic ji to meet Hafiz Sayeed if he was not a part of back channel diplomacy between India & Pakistan". Digvijaya further added that his party raised the issue with the Modi government who did not react on the issue. DIGVIJAYA THANKFUL FOR UNDUE PUBLICITY The senior Congress leader even went on to express his gratitude for the free publicity. "4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days!" he said in another tweet. His tweets were followed by more sarcastic jibes on the BJP that targeted him for appearing on stage with controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik. Digvijaya was under attack after a clip of him addressing a crowd and hugging Naik at a Mumbai event in 2012 went viral. Naik became a subject of scrutiny after the recent Dhaka attack as one of the perpetrators was allegedly influenced by his inflammatory speeches. Also read: Zakir Naik row: What about Rajnath Singh meeting Pragya Thakur? Digvijaya Singh hits back --- ENDS --- Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office A home on a quiet-looking suburban block in south Antioch was visited last week by Contra Costa County sheriffs detectives who departed with a collection of firearms, drugs and $76,000 in cash. The raid took place Thursday on the 4500 block of Elkhorn Way, where detectives, accompanied by representatives of the Contra Costa County Anti-Violence Support Effort, served a warrant at a home occupied by Michael Green, 40, and Joseph Lowery, 30. According to the sheriffs office, the search revealed a dangerous bounty that included seven firearms: two assault rifles, four handguns and a shotgun. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For as long as most North Bay drivers can remember, the two-lane Marin-Sonoma Narrows has been an intractable choke point on Highway 101 and a dashboard-pounding frustration to anyone hoping for traffic relief anytime soon. Even the start of the widening project in 2010 to add a third lane in both directions between Novato and Petaluma has offered little solace. The work is being done in multiple phases, but not sequentially, so that a widened stretch still feeds into narrower segments. And there are questions about funding. More than half of the 17-mile, $709 million project has been completed, but theres no promise of the roughly $250 million needed to finish it off. But two recent developments offer some relief for weary road warriors. On Wednesday, three transportation agencies broke ground on the next phase a 3-mile widening and realigning of 101 south of Petaluma and celebrated the completion of a new, wider highway bridge over the Petaluma River and three new interchanges south of Petaluma. Several days earlier, Sonoma County officials agreed on a plan to divvy up $18 million in federal money originally set aside to build a ferry terminal in Port Sonoma, a project since discarded with $15 million going to the Narrows project. Thats enough to pay for the next phase, enabling Caltrans to widen 5 more miles of highway in both directions. This is a positive sign, said Seana Gause, senior projects planner for the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. We are inching toward the finish line. Fridays are brutal The finish line couldnt come soon enough for many drivers who have to cope with a severe commuter backup during the weekdays and on weekends as tourists head to the Wine Country and the redwoods. Fridays are brutal, said Dianne Steinhauser, executive director of the Transportation Authority of Marin. It can take you two hours to get from San Francisco to Santa Rosa, a trip that should take half the time. Marie McCusker, executive director of the Petaluma Visitor Center, said the bad traffic sometimes persuades people to pull off the freeway and see what her city has to offer. Its frustrating, she said. You come out of Novato and the freeway goes from four lanes to three lanes to two lanes. Youve got to creep your way to Petaluma. Another lane would be a great help. The Narrows project illustrates the difficulty of getting major transportation projects constructed in California, especially in smaller counties. State and federal money for transportation projects has been drying up, leaving counties like Marin and Sonoma to scrounge for funding where they can. Often that means passing county transportation sales taxes or raising bridge tolls. Get it done Steinhauser said 60 to 70 percent of transportation funds come from such local sources. For perspective, she said, consider that Marin receives about $2 million in federal gas tax revenue and $3 million in federal revenue. The 3-mile widening started this week will cost $50 million to $65 million. For a little county like Sonoma or Marin, youd have to save money for 10 or 15 years to pay for that, she said. And, meanwhile, the public is saying why cant you finish that road? Get it done. Well, were doing the best we can. Soon after Caltrans, working with Marin and Sonoma counties, completed planning for the project billions in state money became available for highway projects, which enabled work to get started in Marin County. Segments have been completed in both counties and more than half of the job is done, Gause said. After the next two segments are completed, transportation planners will need to find the $250 million to finish the job. Big yellow earth-moving machines working on the hills west of 101 are evidence that the next phase just south of Petaluma is under way. Theyre smoothing the way for the highway to be moved to the west, out of a flood plain, and to have a third lane added. More than 500,000 cubic yards of soil will be moved during the work. It is scheduled to be completed late in 2018. 5 more miles in works The new commuter rail line is expected to start service late this year. The new funding agreement still needs to be approved by the California Transportation Commission. If it is, Gause said, more than 5 miles of a new three-lane highway, including a part-time carpool lane, will be built, giving those in southern Petaluma a quicker trip. For those who endure the Narrows regularly, the promise of even incremental progress is encouraging. Ive lived in the North Bay my entire life, Gause said, and as far back as I can remember, its been discussed. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Uber Technologies, Snapchat and other unicorns snagged the most funding from venture capitalists in the first half of 2016 as the industry sets the pace for another record year. In total, venture investors plowed $40 billion into American startups during the first half of this year, according to a report last week from PitchBook Data, an amount that puts the investments on track to match the $79 billion from venture firms in 2015. Dear Abby: On a recent trip out of state, my husband became ill. The hotel we stayed in referred us to a nearby urgent care walk-in clinic. The nurse took his blood pressure, which was very high. The doctor never took his temperature or mentioned the high blood pressure to us. He prescribed six drugs and we went on our way. My husband was happy; I was not. When we returned home, I looked up the doctors name on the Internet. Actually, he was a physicians assistant, not a medical doctor. Abby, what should people do if they become sick while traveling? Traveling Medical Emergency Dear T.M.E.: You have asked an excellent question, one that may help many other people. It is always wise when you travel to bring along a list of any medications youre taking and a copy of your medical records. Medical records are online these days and can be emailed to you upon request. A lot of health insurance companies offer a 24-hour service to call for a referral to a physician in whatever locale you happen to be. Physician assistants are standard in many areas of the country as long as they are supervised by a physician and in your husbands case, there should have been an M.D. on the premises. You, as the consumer, have a right to ask questions. It would not have been out of line to inquire about the certification of the person who was treating your husband, or to ask to see the supervising M.D. If the medical emergency is dire, take no chances and call 911. If someone is really sick (having chest pains, muscle weakness, trouble speaking), an emergency room is better than an urgent care because more expertise and testing are available on site. Dear Abby: We are a married male couple. It is always awkward to use the word husband when Im referring to or asked about my spouse, because heterosexuals seem to think that if I have a husband, then that makes me a wife. Nope! I have started using husband and not partner because we are legally married and have been together for 18 years. Lesbians seem to have no trouble using wife when referring to each other. Why then does there seem to be a problem with male couples using husband and husband without it seeming awkward for heterosexuals? I have experienced this problem many times, and so have other male couples we know. Is there another term thats better than husband? Perplexed in Phoenix Dear Perplexed: You could use the word spouse, but using the word husband is preferable. (Partner may be appropriate, but in my opinion, it does not accurately describe your status as a married person.) People may be jolted to hear married male couples refer to each other as husband because same-sex marriage is still new in many areas of the country. Personally, I think you should use the word husband and be confident in doing so. The more you do, the greater the opportunity for the larger population to become accustomed to hearing it used. ATLANTA Wanda Melton has voted for every Republican presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan in 1980, but now the Georgia grandmother plans to cross over to support Democrat Hillary Clinton. Im not a real fan of Hillary, Melton said at her office in Atlanta. But I think it would just be awful to have Donald Trump. I cannot in good conscience let that happen. Melton is among a particular group of voters, whites with college degrees, who are resistant to Trump. Their skepticism is an ominous warning as Trump struggles to rebuild even the losing coalition that Mitt Romney managed four years ago. College-educated whites made up more than one-third of the electorate in 2012. Polls suggest Trump trails Clinton with those voters, especially women. Donald Trump simply cannot afford to lose ground in any segment of the electorate that supported Romney, said Florida pollster Fernand Amandi. Romneys strength with the group, for example, made for a close race in Florida, where President Obama won by less than 75,000 votes out of more than 8.4 million cast. Trumps approach Some Republicans worry Trumps approach his unvarnished, sometimes uncouth demeanor and his nationalist and populist arguments guarantees his defeat, because the same outsider appeal that attracts many working class and even college-educated white men alienates other voters with a college degree. Ann Robinson, 64, is a lifelong Republican in Trumps home state of New York, a Democratic stronghold that the real estate tycoon cites as an example of where he can expand the map. Robinson sneers at the proposition and says shell vote for Clinton. Its just not a reasonable movement, she said of Trumps populist pitch. Im not sure he can actually be their savior. She has so much more experience. Trump has nothing. Mary Darling, 59, is an Illinois Republican who said she wont vote for Trump or Clinton. If they could just soften his edges, people would flock to him, but thats just not going to happen, she said. Lew Oliver, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party in Florida, said hes prepared for an uphill fight in no small part because of Trumps struggle among more educated voters. The fundamentals arent in our favor, and some of his comments arent helping, Oliver said. Romney drew support from 56 percent of white voters with college degrees, according to 2012 exit polls. Obama notched just 42 percent, but still cruised to a second term. Poll numbers A Washington Post-ABC News poll taken in June found Clinton leading Trump among college-educated whites 50 percent to 42 percent. Polling from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center pointed to particularly stark numbers among white women with at least a bachelors degree. At this point in 2008 and 2012, that group of voters was almost evenly divided between Obama and the Republican nominee. This June, Pew found Clinton with a 62-31 advantage. Conversely, Pew found Trump still leads, albeit by a slightly narrower margin than did Romney at this point, among white women with less than a bachelors degree. The question for Trump, though, is how many Wanda Meltons are already lost. Hes just not in control of himself, she said. That personality type is not suited either to leadership or protecting the country. DALLAS An Army veteran killed by Dallas police after he fatally shot five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his suburban home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics, authorities said Friday. The man, identified as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, told authorities he was upset about the police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, especially white officers, officials said. He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings, which marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In all, 12 officers were shot. In Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee, authorities said gun-wielding civilians also shot officers in individual attacks that came after the two black men died at the hands of police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Two officers were wounded, one critically. Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite with a specialty in carpentry and masonry. He served in the Army Reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said. After the attack, Johnson tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Brown said. Johnson was black. Law enforcement officials did not disclose the race of the dead officers. The shooting began Thursday evening while hundreds of people were gathered to protest the killings in Baton Rouge, La., and suburban St. Paul, Minn. Brown told reporters that snipers fired ambush-style on the officers. Two civilians also were wounded. Single gunman Authorities initially blamed multiple snipers for Thursdays attack, and at one point said three suspects were in custody. But by Friday afternoon, all attention focused on Johnson, and state and federal officials said the entire attack appeared to be the work of a single gunman. With the lone shooter dead, Mayor Mike Rawlings declared the city safe. He said the gunman wore a protective vest and used an AR-15 rifle, a weapon similar to the one fired last month in the attack on an Orlando nightclub that killed 49 people. A Texas law enforcement official identified the man killed in the parking garage as Johnson. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity. Around midday, investigators were seen walking in and out of a home believed to be Johnsons in Mesquite. In Washington, the nations top law enforcement official, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, called for calm, saying the recent violence cant be allowed to precipitate a new normal. Lynch said protesters concerned about killings by police should not be discouraged by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence. The other attacks on police included a Georgia man who m authorities said called 911 to report a break-in, then ambushed the officer who came to investigate. That sparked a shootout in which both the officer and suspect were wounded but expected to survive. In suburban St. Louis, a motorist shot an officer at least once as the officer walked back to his car during a traffic stop, police said. The officer was hospitalized in critical condition. And in Tennessee, a man accused of shooting indiscriminately at passing cars and police on a highway told investigators he was angry about police violence against African Americans, authorities said. Video from the Dallas scene showed protesters marching along a downtown street about half a mile from City Hall when shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Officers crouched beside vehicles, armored SWAT teams arrived and a helicopter hovered overhead. Protests around country Demonstrations were held in several other U.S. cities Thursday night to protest the police killings of two more black men: A Minnesota officer on Wednesday fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child, and the shootings aftermath was live-streamed in a widely shared Facebook video. A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. That, too, was captured on a cell phone video. The Dallas shootings occurred in an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments only a few blocks from Dealey Plaza, the landmark made famous by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Video posted on social media appeared to show a gunman at ground level exchanging fire with a police officer who was then felled. Rawlings said one of the wounded officers had a bullet go through his leg as three members of his squad were fatally shot around him. We care so much about people protesting, and I think its their rights, said Rawlings. But how we handle it can do a lot of things. One of the things it can do is put our police officers in harms way, and we have to be very careful about doing that. Four of the dead were with the Dallas Police Department, a spokesman said. One was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer: 43-year-old Officer Brent Thompson. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ST. PAUL, Minn. A suburban Minnesota police officer who killed a black motorist reacted to the mans gun, not his race, his attorney said Saturday, giving the most detailed account so far of why the officer drew his own weapon. St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez was reacting to the presence of that gun and the display of that gun when he opened fire on Philando Castile, Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly told the Associated Press. He declined to elaborate on how Castile displayed the weapon or what led to the deadly traffic stop. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, was in the car and streamed the immediate aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook. She has said Yanez shot Castile several times after he told the officer he had a gun and a permit for it and then reached for his wallet. Yanez was reacting to the actions of the driver, Kelly said. This had nothing to do with race. This had everything to do with the presence of a gun. Less than 24 hours after the shooting, Gov. Mark Dayton declared that police probably wouldnt have fired if Castile had been white. Dayton later said he stood by his statement, even though he angered some in law enforcement. Kelly said Yanez, who is Latino, is overcome with sadness over the shooting in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights, a mostly white community of 5,000 that is served primarily by the nearby St. Anthony Police Department. Yanez and an officer who was with him, Joseph Kauser, were put on administrative leave, as is standard, authorities said. Both are four-year veterans of the St. Anthony force. Yanez is cooperating with state investigators, who interviewed him within 15 hours of the shooting, Kelly said. Several videos, including squad car video, have been collected, though St. Anthony officers dont wear body cameras, authorities said. In the video she streamed on Facebook, Reynolds describes being pulled over for what the officer told her was a busted taillight. The video shows her in a car next to a bloodied Castile slumped in a seat. Kelly said the broken taillight wasnt the only reason for the latest traffic stop, but he would not elaborate. 1 Deadly wildfires: Two bodies found in the Angeles National Forest northeast of Los Angeles may be those of hikers who went missing after a pair of wildfires broke out last month. Investigators retrieved the badly burned bodies Friday. The relatives of 16-year-old Jonathan Pardo and his 31-year-old cousin, Carlos Perez, said they found the bodies Thursday. They had spent more than two weeks looking along the trails blackened by the wildfires. The fires erupted near Duarte on June 20. 2 Congresswoman indicted: Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and her chief of staff, Elias Ronnie Simmons, have been charged with multiple fraud and other federal offenses in a grand jury indictment unsealed Friday after a federal investigation into a fraudulent charity with ties to the congresswoman. Brown, 69, has represented a Jacksonville district since 1993 and is seeking re-election in a newly redrawn district. The indictment comes after an investigation into the charity One Door for Education Foundation Inc., which federal prosecutors say was supposed to give scholarships to poor students but instead filled the coffers of Brown and her associates. Brown and Simmons pleaded not guilty. The stories of the officers gunned down in the sniper attack in Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings of black men emerged Friday as their identities became known. Five officers were killed. Brent Thompson Brent Thompson, 43, had worked as an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority for the last seven years. There he found love, marrying another transit officer within the past two weeks, according to DART Chief James Spiller. Thompson had six grown children from a previous marriage and had recently welcomed his third grandchild, according to Tara Thornton, a close friend of Thompsons 22-year-old daughter, Lizzie. Thornton said Thompson and his close-knit family would often get together and have classic rock singalongs, with Thornton and his son, Jake, playing guitar. He lived an hours drive south of Dallas, in Corsicana. He was a brave man dedicated to his family, Thornton said. He loved being a police officer. He instantly knew thats what he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to save lives and protect people. He had a passion for it. Before joining the DART force, Thompson worked from 2004 to 2008 for DynCorp International, a private military contractor. According to Thompsons LinkedIn page, he worked as an international police liaison officer, helping teach and mentor Iraqi police. Thompsons last position was as the companys chief of operations for southern Iraq, where he helped train teams covering Baghdad to the southern border with Kuwait. He also worked in northern Iraq and in Afghanistan, where he was a team leader and lead mentor to a southern provincial police chief. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our alumni, said Mary Lawrence, a spokeswoman for DynCorp in Virginia. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this most difficult time. Patrick Zamarripa Patrick Zamarripa had an urge to serve first in the Navy, where his family said he did three tours in Iraq, then back home in Texas as a Dallas police officer. Patrick would bend over backward to help anybody. Hed give you his last dollar if he had it. He was always trying to help people, protect people, his father, Rick Zamarripa, said Friday. As tough as he was, he was patient, very giving. Zamarripa, who would have turned 33 next month, was married with a toddler and school-age stepchild. He joined the Navy shortly after high school in Fort Worth, serving eight years on active duty and then in the reserves, according to the Navy. The Navy doesnt release deployment details, but a Dallas Morning News reporter encountered Zamarripa in 2004 as he helped guard one of the offshore oil platforms that help fuel Iraqs postwar economic rebuilding. Were protecting the backbone of Iraq, Zamarripa, a petty officer who also used the first name Patricio, told the newspaper. A terrorist attack here would send the country down the drain. After doing security work in the Navy, a police career seemed a natural fit once he returned to Texas in 2009. Zamarripa joined the Dallas force about five years ago and recently was assigned to downtown bicycle patrols, his father said. Zamarripa realized policing was a dangerous job. His father recently put him in touch with an in-law who works elsewhere in government, hoping his son might leave the force. 'No, I want to stay here,' he said, according to his father. I like the action. Rick Zamarripa knew his son was assigned to patrol Thursdays demonstrations, so when he saw news of the shooting on TV, he texted his son to make sure he was all right. The father did that whenever he heard officers were in danger. Typically, his son would text back quickly to say he was fine and would call back later. This time, no reply came. He went over there (to Iraq) and didnt get hurt at all, and he comes back to the states and gets killed, his father said. Zamarripa is survived by his wife, Kristy Villasenor, whom hed known since high school; their 2-year-old daughter, Lyncoln, and a 10-year-old stepson. Michael Krol Michael Krol, 40, was a caring person and had always wanted to help others, his mother said Friday. He knew the danger of the job but he never shied away from his duty as a police officer. He was a great caring person and wanted to help people. A wonderful son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend, Susan Ehlke of Redford, Mich., said in a statement. Krols family said he moved to Dallas to become a police officer in 2007 because Detroit wasnt hiring. He was a deputy at the Wayne County jail before the move. Meanwhile, family members told the Detroit Free Press that Krol was single with no children, but had a girlfriend in Dallas. He graduated from the Dallas Police Academy in 2008. He was a guy that was serving others, said Brian Schoenbaechler, Krols brother-in-law. And he gave his life in service of others. Lorne Ahrens Lorne Ahrens, was married to a Dallas police detective and was regarded as a lawman devoted to the profession that he pursued in Dallas for more than a dozen years. There are very few officers Ive met who are more passionate about doing the job right than that man, said Timothy Rodgers, a former prosecutor in Dallas County. He was always calling me. He always had questions like, What can I do better in this situation? Ahrens had worked in patrol and on property crimes. Rodgers recalled that his friend had a knack for finding criminals who would challenge him, despite his hefty size. Michael Smith The fifth slain officer was Michael Smith, who joined the force in September 1989 after growing up in the southeastern part of the state. In a publication acknowledging his Cops Cop award, the Police Association said Smith held an array of posts: in personnel, on patrol and at the airport. The publication also said he had been injured on duty years ago when a gang member lunged at his partner with an unknown object in his hand. The New York Times contributed to this report TOPANGA, Los Angeles County In a four-bedroom, 3,400-square-foot house with 3 bathrooms and a two-car garage in this hilly Los Angeles County enclave, Aleksandra Evanguelidi, 41, sleeps in the master bedroom; in the room next door is her daughter, Juno, 6, who shares it with Claire, also 6. Across the hall is an under-the-sea-theme loft. Eli, 4, sleeps there. His mother, Ashley Welch, 24, has the room across the hall, which doesnt have a bathroom of its own but does have a private balcony. And in the room next door, is Justin Balthrop, 37, Claires father. Abby Lewis, 63, comes to visit for a month each summer. Everyone calls her Grandma. She is Balthrops mother and lives in Albuquerque. She fits in well here, Balthrop said one afternoon this past spring as he whipped up a banana-kale-peanut-butter smoothie. She used to live on areal hippie commune. Opening minds Meet the Topanga Family, as their neighbors call them. They are the vanguard of communal living and child rearing, contemporary-style, where a dusty, off-the-grid farm in the middle of nowhere gives way to a sprawling $2 million house with endless views and vaulted ceilings, a Viking kitchen and multiple terraces, 20 minutes from Santa Monica. While co-living is on the rise in cities like San Francisco and New York a result of astronomical rents and a craving for community hacker houses and new cohabiting businesses like Common and WeLive are geared toward the young and childless. This is a different situation. The Topanga Family was created to befit single parents. And, in turn, their kids. Everyone involved agrees that the greatest perk is the sibling-like relationships that have developed among the children. What were doing isnt new, said Evanguelidi, a midwife. People have been doing this forever. Were just pimping it out. She is the one who initially found the listing for the house, which is why, she said, she has claim to the large master suite with its two-sink marble counters, deep soaking tub and enormous walk-in closet. On this spring evening, Dallas Garcia, the childrens 19-year-old nanny, was barefoot in the kitchen making lentil soup and chopping carrots and celery against a backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains. Three blond children bolted through the front door, past a small wooden sign hanging in the foyer that read, Remember, as Far as Anyone Knows We Are a Normal Family, and into the kitchen. They scrambled to get to the countertop. I want to sit next to my sister-roommates! demanded Eli, clambering onto a stool between Claire and Juno. Typically, everyone eats dinner together around 7 p.m., but tonight, Junos and Elis mothers were still driving home after spending a day off at the hot springs in the desert. So Garcia was in charge. She just finished her first year of community college; she works part time at a pizza place and part time for the Topanga Family. She found the job through her boyfriend, who is the son of Evanguelidis boyfriend, whose name is Troy Mitchell.I tell my friends where I work, and they dont get it, Garcia said. Its totally opened my mind. It makes me feel like I dont need to grow up and do things the traditional way. It was fate Before Balthrop came along, the Topanga Family used to be all female except, of course, for Eli. It was known around town as the Hen House, and it originally started out of necessity. Evanguelidi is a single mother, and her career in helping to deliver babies means that she works odd hours, often at night. In 2012, she was scanning Craigslist, looking for a new place for her and Juno to live when she spotted her dream house: a Topanga single-family modern manse with a landlord asking for a rent of $5,500 per month. (The rent is now $7,500 per month.) But then something very Los Angeles happened. She ran into a single mother of two she knew at the Whole Foods in Venice who was also looking for a new home and support. It was fate, Evanguelidi said. By word of mouth, they soon added more single moms, and more children. At peak, there were four women and five kids under age 5. Once, a woman who was not a parent moved in, briefly. She just didnt get it, Welch said. She tried to label her food in the fridge, and we knew it wouldnt work. (This is not a kibbutz, its a kidbutz.) The current configuration of residents took shape in 2013, when Welch arrived with Eli, who was then 1. During her pregnancy, she had been working as a sales manager at Bloomingdales and sleeping on a friends couch while taking nutrition courses through an online school. At a party, Welch met a friend of Evanguelidis who told her about the Topanga house. The women met, and it was an immediate fit. In 2014, Balthrop, a programmer, was going through a divorce. His former wife had heard about this nearby house with a bunch of parents, as he said she described it to him, and urged him to check it out. Evanguelidi and Welch invited him to dinner. The lease was awkwardly lying on the table, like the rose on the silver tray on The Bachelorette. At the end of the evening, he signed it and he and Claire moved in soon thereafter. Sharing rent, duties Balthrop was the first man to live in the house with the Topanga Family. Eli and Juno, whose biological fathers live in other states, initially started calling him Daddy. Then the childrens fathers came to visit, and Daddy reverted to Justin. Evanguelidi and Welch were initially worried about adding a man to the family. I didnt want to ruin what wed created, Evanguelidi said. It was a rocky start. Our first week, Juno busted in yelling, This isnt your room! Balthrop said. Then Evanguelidi threw out all his food that wasnt organic. I was like, uh, this might not work, he said. But two years later, Claire and Juno are best friends, and Balthrop keeps a stash of Jif and YoCrunch with M&Ms in a minifridge in his room. Last year, a second man moved in with his two daughters. That totally changed the energy, Evanguelidi said, especially because both she and Welch initially found him attractive. Within weeks, he and Welch hooked up. We were just so connected musically, she said. Other rules of the house: In addition to no nonorganic food and no TV (Balthrop surreptitiously binge-watches House of Cards on his laptop), there is overnight guest etiquette. Sometimes, Welch said, Ill wake up to check on Eli and Ill hear Aleks and Troy, and Im like, Aleks! You have to shut your door!' Everyone shares the rent, the carpooling duties and the expensive Los Angeles County water bill. They also freely discipline one anothers children. Every kid is fair game, Welch said. For example, when her son, Eli, dumped all of Junos dresses off their hangers, Balthrop (the parent of neither child) took charge. Household duties are split. Evanguelidi does the grocery shopping; Welch does the cooking (wild Alaskan salmon with quinoa one night, beef tacos with sauteed kale the next).I eat way better than I did when I was married, Balthrop said. He fixes the overworked washer-dryer and marches around with a fly swatter, stamping out the insects that hover around the compost bin and countertop bowls overflowing with yams, oranges and avocados. Friendship, support On occasion, they try to take advantage of their unique living arrangement. Evanguelidi and Welch recently registered as domestic partners on Elis kindergarten application to increase his chances at getting into Junos Waldorf-inspired school. Its not a lie! Welch said. We are domestic partners. We have been for the last four years. The members of the Topanga Family arent looking for free love, but for friendship, support and freedom from parental convention. The mundane pattern of work and dinner and putting the kids to bed, Evanguelidi said, its not my existence. The traditional family setup is just so passe. By PTI: Panaji, Jul 8 (PTI) After the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the off-shore casinos cannot be shifted from the Mandovi river abruptly, Goa Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar today ordered a casino ship anchored near Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary to move away. "Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is the sole bird sanctuary of the state and a protected area. Any kind of nuisance in protected areas can have direct impact on the birds and ecology," Arlekar said. advertisement Deltin Caravela, an off-shore casino vessel, was anchored near the sanctuary, leading to protests from independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, activist Aires Rodrigues and others. Arlekar said the Forest Department will ask the Home Department and the Captain of Port to shift the vessel. "The vessel is anchored within 100 metres of the bird sanctuary. It is responsible for noise and air pollution, having direct impact on the birds and the environment at large," he said. He had sought details of the vessel from the Captain of Port last week but was yet to receive response, Arlekar added. Earlier this morning, the Chief Minister had ruled out immediate shifting of casino vessels anchored in Mandovi. "Government is not sleeping. We are trying all possibilities to shift the vessels from river Mandovi. (But) Just because few people want, we cannot abruptly shift the vessels," Parsekar had said. PTI RPS KRK KJ BAS --- ENDS --- Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Protestors are holding a peaceful demonstration this afternoon in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. The group is blocking traffic near Fifth and Bryant streets, police spokeswoman Grace Gatpandan said on Twitter around 2 p.m. The California Highway Patrol has closed the Fifth Street on ramp to eastbound Interstate Highway 80 and is asking drivers to avoid the area, according to the CHP. Additionally, San Francisco Municipal Railway bus lines 8, 30, 45 and 47 are being rerouted, Muni officials said. More for you SF protesters denounce killings by police, stress peace The protest follows another protest that was held Friday evening in San Francisco, in which hundreds of people marched from Justin Herman Plaza to City Hall to denounce police brutality. By PTI: New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) In the first arrest in connection with its money laundering case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, ED today took into custody LIC agent Anand Chauhan. Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case, officials said. advertisement "Chauhan will be produced in a competent court. As he is not cooperating, his custodial interrogation is necessary," they said. The LIC agent is a crucial entity in this case as both the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have earlier found that Chauhan was the one who allegedly insured the said tainted funds of the CM in life insurance policies. ED had questioned him multiple times in this case earlier. The agency has also attached assets worth about Rs eight crore against the Chief Minister earlier this year. The agency has filed a case under criminal provisions of money laundering laws after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September last year. ED had also conducted searches in this case last year in three states of Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The agency is working to investigate the allegation that Singh and his family members allegedly amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009-11, disproportionate to his known sources of income, while serving as the Union minister of steel. The CBI FIR (First Information Report) had named Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, Chauhan and his brother C L Chauhan and they were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI suspects that during the 2009-11 period, Singh allegedly invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members? names through Chauhan claiming this money to be his agricultural income. It alleged that Singh attempted to legitimise the same as agricultural income by filing revised Income-Tax returns in 2012. PTI NES VMN VMN --- ENDS --- By PTI: Shillong, Jul 7 (PTI) Representatives from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal will be meeting here next week participate in a first ever river festival aimed at fostering connectivity, trade links and sharing of environmental issues. The focus of the NADI 2016 is to celebrate the spirit of commonality between the Northeastern states of India and her neighbours through the 600 plus major and minor rivers surpassing political boundaries, Sabya Dutta, who heads the Asian Confluence and organiser of the event said. advertisement Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Bangladeshs Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shariar Alam, ambassador from Bhutan and observers from Myanmar will be among the speakers at the festival to be held on July 15 and 16. Government officials and representatives, diplomats and other stakeholders from the five countries will take part in the festival. Stakeholders at various levels are expected to explore the possibilities of enhancing cultural viability and amplifying the creative use of riverine connectivity by catalyzing friendly trade and tourism between neighbours, Dutta told reporters here. According to an informal data shared by the Asian Confluence, 640 major and minor rivers cris-crosses in the Northeast region and its neighbours apart from the 52 rivers that flows to Bangladesh directly from the region. The Asian Confluence Centre is an initiative aimed at initiating, stimulating and accelerating revival of the shared civilisational values between the people of India and South-East Asia to strengthen intellectual, economic, technological, political and security ties. PTI JOP NN ASV PS --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Fakir Hassen Johannesburg, Jul 9 (PTI) India and South Africa will sign a MoU on grassroot innovation in selected areas, including agricultural technology and indigenous knowledge systems, on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modis maiden visit to the country. The 20th anniversary of the bilateral cooperation in science and technology between South Africa and India will be celebrated by the signing of the memorandum of understanding. advertisement The two countries share an interest in the development of grassroots innovations that can provide the affordable and accessible technological solutions needed by both countries, National Innovation Foundation said in a statement here. The MoU will cover technology demonstration, training, capacity building, sharing of open-source technologies and joint product development, it said. "Notable advances have been made in sustainable grassroots innovation, though there is still mileage to cover particularly on how our instruments and infrastructure responds to all types of innovation production across the spectrum- age, gender, economic status and location," said Department of Science and Technology spokesman Julian Leshilo. Director of Indias National Innovation Foundation, Dr Vipin Kumar said that similar to South Africa, India has achieved considerable success in technology but the technological needs and ideas of people in rural areas are neglected. "There is a need to incubate and convert the ideas into products," Kumar said. A series of special events will be organised throughout the year to celebrate this strategic partnership between India and South Africa, culminating in the Science Forum South Africa to be hosted by the Department in Pretoria in December 2016, the statement said. In addition to grassroots innovation, South Africa and India collaborate on a range of scientific domains, such as the fight against infectious diseases and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) global radio telescope project currently being built in a desert area of South Africa. Top business leaders from India and South Africa yesterday signed eight MoUs leading to increase cooperation in a wide range of areas between the two nation. The MoUs were also signed on the sidelines of Modis five-day visit here aimed at further bolstering cooperation on economic, political, social and international areas. Modi is on four-nation tour. He visited Mozambique on Thursday and is on the second leg of his tour of Africa. He will also visit Tanzania and Kenya. PTI FH UZM --- ENDS --- Security agencies revealed that members of the Indian Mujahideen who joined ISIS were under the influence of inflammatory speeches by Naik. By India Today Web Desk: Trouble continues to brew for controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik after security sources reveal new details on the preacher and his influence. According to sources from the state and central counter-terrorism units that have been monitoring Naik said that Ayaz Sultan, the leader of the Islamic State module in Malwani, Maharashtra was influenced by Naik's speech. advertisement Sultan had sneaked out of the country to reach Syria sources said. According to the agencies, Ayaz became familiar with the radical views while working with the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) an NGO owned by Naik. Security agencies suspect that several members of the Indian Mujahideen who joined ISIS were under the influence of the inflammatory speeches by Naik. ISIS RECRUIT ALLEGEDLY INFLUENCED BY SPEECHES Naik is under scanner, as one of the four youths Areeb Majeed, who had fled to join ISIS was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA), allegedly told the NIA that he took up terrorism after hearing some of his speeches on social media. Sources said that agencies are closely monitoring on the foreign funding to IRF. Investigations are underway to find out from which countries foreign funds were directed to IRF. Naik's FCRA license too will be scrutinized in the investigations. Naik came under the scanner after the recent Dhaka attack as one of the perpetrators was allegedly influenced by his inflammatory speeches. The Maharashtra government on Thursday ordered a probe into the speeches of the Islamic preacher. The Home Ministry will probe the allegations that foreign funding to IRF was used in politically motivated activities. NAIK DENIES INSTIGATION Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said CDs of his speeches were being examined for necessary action and asserted that the government will not compromise on the issue of terrorism. "We have taken cognisance of Zakir Naik's speeches and have given necessary instructions for a probe. A thorough investigation will be done," he said. Naik, however, had released a statement, saying he disagreed that he inspired the act of killing innocent people in Dhaka. Also read: Zakir Naik under scrutiny, could face action How UK charitable company diverted fund to assist Zakir Naik's Peace TV --- ENDS --- Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic Legislature have a unique plan to enhance public safety in California. They have reduced the state prison population from close to 150,000 in 2010 to 113,000 now by downgrading what crimes put an offender in prison. Now they are pushing a ballot measure that would enable repeat serious and violent offenders to qualify for early release to further reduce the state prison population. No worries, though, because they also are passing laws that make it harder or costlier for everyone to buy guns and ammunition. This month, Brown actually vetoed a bipartisan measure to make stealing a gun a felony. In his veto message, Brown wrote that Assembly Bill 1176 was nearly identical to a provision in a gun-control ballot measure championed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. While I appreciate the authors intent in striving to enhance public safety, I feel that the objective is better attained by having the measure appear before the voters only once. Imagine the outcry if a Republican had vetoed that bill for such bald partisan reasons. Its hard to buy Browns explanation when the governor did sign a Democratic bill to require background checks for ammunition purchases. As The Chronicles Melody Gutierrez reported, ammunition background checks also are included in the Newsom gun initiative. Prisons budget growing Count me among the skeptics about the Newsom measure. I supported Californias 1989 assault-weapons ban, but I dont think it made the state safer. It did not prevent last years San Bernardino terrorist attack, where 14 innocent people were killed. Newsom wants to expand state gun laws to prohibit large-capacity magazines. When Democrats start talking gun control, law-abiding gun owners rush to gun stores and buy more guns. The most certain outcome of the ammo checks, predicted Michael Rushford of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation: People will buy God-awful amounts of bullets. Before 2010, I supported efforts to reduce that state prison population, which exceeded 162,000 at its peak in 2006. Even state prison officials who served in GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggers administration supported efforts to reduce the state prison population to alleviate overcrowding, as ordered by three federal judges. (The state prison population is now below the court cap.) Every enterprise can benefit from careful pruning. Once elected, Brown continued to pare the inmate population, so in the last decade the state prison population dropped by almost one-third. The governor pushed realignment, his plan to move nonserious, nonviolent offenders from prison to overcrowded local jails. Democrats also pushed Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014, which downgraded many property and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors that result in jail, not prison, terms. All the while, Brown talked up reductions in the number of inmates as a great way to save taxpayers money. Browns Proposition 57, which would allow offenders convicted of nonviolent felonies to be considered for early parole, is supposed to save money by reducing wasteful spending on prisons. Dont hold your breath. The states annual corrections budget is $10.6 billion; it was $10 billion in 2007. Browns own corrections secretary, Scott Kernan, told The Chronicle editorial board that if voters thought inmate reductions would cut costs, it was an unreasonable expectation. The corrections budget would be bigger without inmate reductions, Kernan argues. Still, taxpayers wont see a smaller tab with fewer inmates because the state cannot close prisons without violating the federal overcrowding order. Proposition 57 authorizes parole for nonviolent offenders who have completed the full sentence for their primary offense, according to the Yes campaign. But the measure takes away three-strikes enhancements for former violent convictions, Rushford counters. He has taken to calling Prop. 57 the Jailbreak Initiative. In 2014, the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation opposed Prop. 47 because of its foreseeable and unintended consequences. A provision that downgraded the classification for theft to under $950 changed gun-boosting from a felony to a misdemeanor. Last year, San Franciscan Kate Steinle and Oaklander Antonio Ramos were killed with stolen guns. Rushford is at a loss to explain why Brown vetoed the gun-theft bill. When voters approved Prop. 47, he figures, I dont think voters knew what they were doing. Assessing results of reforms Prop. 57 could repeat the cycle. One of the significant concerns that we have, said Yuba County District Attorney Patrick McGrath at a news conference, is that the average voter, going into a voting booth and simply reading a title and summary, will have no idea of what the actual consequence of the language is. I think voters perceptions are 10 years behind reality. Folks think its 2006 with 162,000 inmates. The policy pendulum swings toward over-incarceration, then over-corrects with under-incarceration. Instead of passing more laws to release inmates, Brown and company should assess the results of their so-called reforms. Attorney General Kamala Harris just released a report that shows violent crime went up in 2015. Maybe its a fluke. Maybe not. Maybe the state already has released thousands of repeat offenders who endanger public safety. Dont you think it makes sense to find out before handing out more get-out-of-prison-early cards? Debra J. Saunders is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @DebraJSaunders This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Learning something new every day is said to be one of the keys to a fulfilling life. For Alan Crockett and Gail Grigsby, Oaklands 59 Melvin Court has been a de facto campus for remodeling real estate. We were perhaps a little naive a little optimistic about the amount of work it would take to make it livable, said Gail Grigsby, who purchased the home with her husband, Crockett, in 2014. As the project went along, the architect figured out how to make it shine. Located in the Upper Oakmore neighborhood, the three-bedroom, two-story home is effectively a wholesale change from the original structure. Crisp lines and sharp angles define the facade of this decidedly contemporary residence designed by Berkeleys Studio G+S and built by AVIV Construction. Views of the bay and surrounding landscape are framed by large windows complementing an open floor plan. The great room opens to a view deck through sliding glass doors, while a modern chefs kitchen comes equipped with stainless steel appliances and custom cabinetry. Two permitted rooms that arent included in the square footage totals occupy the lower level. The undefined spaces lend versatility to the freshly listed property. Its an ideal home for empty nesters who still want to host family, or as a starter home for a young family, Grigsby said. The bulk of the action occurs on the upper level, which contains all three bedrooms including the master suite in addition to the great room and deck. Oak flooring spans the top floor and gleams beneath recessed LED lights. Getting these results, however, took time and patience. The couple bought the home from an ailing neighbor, and the property was suffering from decades of deferred maintenance. The H-shaped property had its deck off to the side and there was no lower level to speak of. Unstained, untreated plywood siding made up the ramshackle facade. It was an ugly duckling, Grigsby said. Aesthetics were only part of the problem. The foundation was thoroughly degraded and would take months to rebuild. We had architects coming out who said they didnt understand how the home was still standing, Crockett said. Now boasting a brand-new lower level and a state-of-the-art infrastructure, the home should be hassle-free for whoever moves in, Grigsby said. The couple agrees that the process took longer than they expected, but that they understand what can accelerate the time frame. You need to make decisions quickly, Grigsby said. If you dont make decisions quickly, things can move at a glacial pace. Visit www59melvinct.com for more photos and details. Listing agent: Regina Jacobs, Bay Sothebys International Realty, (510) 693-7973, regina. jacobs@sothebysrealty.com. Details Address: 59 Melvin Court, Upper Oakmore, Oakland. Price: $1.049 million Features: Fully rebuilt three-bedroom with an open floor plan offers modern infrastructure, bay views and bonus rooms on the freshly constructed lower level. Oak flooring spans an upper level housing the great room and master suite. A view deck off the great room overlooks the woodland surroundings. Open home: 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. By India Today Web Desk: Twitter celebrity, rapper, son of Hollywood superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, there are many ways to describe Jaden Smith, who turns 18 today. Having grown up practically in the spotlight, since he did The Pursuit of Happyness with his father, it does make everyone feel slightly older. Parents Will and Jada had wonderful, insightful things to say to their son. Will Smith put up a picture of him holding Jaden in his palm with the caption, "Happy Bday, Jaden!" He wrote, "You're 18 years old today. And I'm still tryna figure out what the hell I'm doing. :-)" advertisement Jada, on the other hand, wrote a beautiful motherly post, "You are the prince of my heart. I have no doubt that you were born to me to show me how deeply I can love. You are one of the brightest lights of my life. You are my son, my friend, a walking embodiment of my soul, my treasure. She concluded, "Happy Birthday Mr.18:)))) Ma" The prodigal son made his Hollywood debut alongside father Will in M Night Shyamalan's After Earth. He's been in the news for his activism for the gender-fluid, stating he's never seen any distinction between the male and female clothing. --- ENDS --- PAMPLONA, Spain Six foreigners, including three Americans, were among seven people gored in a hair-raising second running of the bulls Friday at Pamplonas San Fermin festival, the Navarra regional government said. A 58-year-old Spaniard identified only by the initials F.L.R., a 73-year-old South African man identified as M.H.O., and a Canadian aged 48 with the initials P.C.O., were in serious condition after being gored, a government statement said. The regional government said one American, 55 and identified by the initials P.G. O., and another aged 23 years with the initials W.R.O., were gored but their injuries were reported to be less serious. A third, 46-year-old American with the initials J.G.O. and an Indian aged 26, with the initials N.S.O. were also said to have suffered less serious goring injuries. The regional government said nine others were also taken to city hospitals for other injuries suffered in the run. Several of the six bulls used in the run got separated from the pack moments into the 8 a.m. run and began charging whatever came in sight. The nine-day fiesta became world famous with Ernest Hemingways 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises and attracts thousands of foreign tourists. Runners dash along with six bulls down a narrow 930-yard course from a holding pen to Pamplonas bull ring. The bulls later face almost certain death in afternoon bullfights. One runner, American Cindi Campbell, had a close call when she fell as one of the bulls came behind her. One man tried to protect her on the ground while husband, Marshall Campbell, pulled the beast away by the horn. This was my first and last time, said 53-year-old Campbell, an accountant from Cave Creek, Arizona, who only sprained her foot. Im lucky to be alive actually. More than a thousand people took part in the run, which lasted nearly six minutes, more than twice the normal running time. The bulls used weighed between 1,170 and 1,430 pounds. In all, 15 people have died from being gored at the festival since record-keeping began in 1924. SRINAGAR, India Indian troops fired on protesters in Kashmir on Saturday, killing at least seven as tens of thousands of people defied a curfew and participated in the funeral for a top rebel commander a day after he was killed by Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan region, officials said. Burhan Wani, chief of operations of Hizbul Mujahideen, Indian-controlled Kashmirs largest rebel group, was killed in fighting Friday after Indian troops, acting on a tip, cordoned off a village in southern Kashmirs Kokernag area, said Police Director-General K. Rajendra. As news of the killing spread Saturday, widespread clashes erupted in several neighborhoods in southern Kashmir, with thousands of residents hurling rocks at Indian troops, who responded by using live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas, two police officials said, speaking on condition. They said at least 60 civilians were wounded in the clashes. Local police intelligence chief Shiv Sahai said seven men were killed in retaliatory action by government troops. Another man drowned as he tried to flee government troops. Sahai said protesters attacked several police and paramilitary posts in the region. Some 90 government troops were injured, he said. Street clashes spread to Indian Kashmirs main city of Srinagar and at least a dozen places in central and northern Kashmir. Muslim-majority Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in entirety by both. On Indias side, separatist politicians and rebels reject Indian rule over the region and have been fighting for independence or merger with Pakistan since 1989. After separatist leaders asked people to march to southern Tral town for Wanis funeral on Saturday, police warned that only local residents would be allowed to participate. But tens of thousands of mourners joined the funeral procession in defiance of the restrictions, chanting Go India! Go back! and We want freedom! Earlier in the day, thousands of armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear fanned out across most towns and villages in the region and drove through neighborhoods, warning residents to stay indoors. Two rebel comrades of Wani were also killed in Fridays gunbattle. Wani, in his early 20s, had become the face of militancy in Kashmir over the last five years. He was a household name and his video clips and pictures were widely circulated among young people in Kashmir. WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP/Getty Images WARSAW President Obama on Friday reaffirmed his confidence that the U.S. and its European allies will continue to work together on critical global challenges despite the decision by Britain to leave the European Union. Speaking at the opening of two days of meetings with European leaders, Obama said the U.S. and the EU agreed they can do more to improve security, share information and stem the flow of foreign fighters to prevent terror attacks. Mobile internet and train service have been suspended after the death of Hizbul commander. The authorities have even suspended Amarnath Yatra to prevent any untoward events. An Army Jawan takes position towards the site where most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani along with his two associates were killed during an encounter at Kokarnag area of Anantnag District of South Kashmir on Friday. PTI By India Today Web Desk: 12 people were killed and nearly 200, including 96 security personnel, injured in violent clashes between mobs protesting the death of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir today. Despite curfew-like restrictions, wide-spread protests marred peace in the Valley today. Addressing a press conference, Additional Director General (ADG) CID, S M Sahai and Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S.J.M. Geelani said at least 8 protesters were killed in today's protests. The Jammu and Kashmir police also said that three cops went missing during clashes and a search is on to trace them. Here are the updates: Additional Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police SM Sahai (right) with Inspector General of Police JM Geelani addresses a press conference in Srinagar on Saturday. (PTI Photo) advertisement - To control the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, government has dispatched 6 companies of CRPF to the Valley. - 3 militants, including Burhan Wani, were killed in exchange of fire with the security forces. - Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested 18 militants, including 2-3 foreign terrorists, this year. - 96 police personnel were severely injured during clashes. - 7 of the 8 protesters died due to retaliatory action by security personnel while the 8th protester died due to drowning. - Firing took place after protesters forcibly entered security camp and tried to seize weapons. - Protesters torched 3 police stations and Tehsil office in Tral. - At least 20 security force establishments have come under attack during the protests. MOBILE SERVICES SUSPENDED Following the gunbattle that killed Jammu and Kashmir's most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani (21), authorities today suspended mobile internet services in Kashmir valley. The move was taken in a bid to prevent anti-social elements from spreading rumours. Apart from mobile internet services, train services from Baramulla in Kashmir region to Banihal town in Jammu have also been suspended. "We want to normalise the situation at the earliest," police sources said. Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in the entire district of Pulwama and in towns of Anantnag, Shopian, Pulgam and Sopore. In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed in areas falling under seven police stations which include Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, M.R. Gunj, Safakadal, Maisuma, Kralkhud. All school board exams scheduled for the day have been postponed. Hizbul commander #BurhanWani killed: Security tightened in Srinagar after shutdown call by separatists pic.twitter.com/fLz3QlnmVZANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 3-DAY SHUTDOWN Meanwhile, separatists have called for a 3-day shut down in the valley. AMARNATH YATRA SUSPENDED In the wake of the precipitating tension after the killing of the Hizbul guerilla, Amarnath Yatra has been suspended in a bid to avoid any untoward event. A government official confirmed that mobile internet services, train services and Amarnath Yatra were put on hold keeping in view of the tension. "No yatri was allowed to move from Bhagawati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu city towards the valley due to prevailing tension following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani," a senior police official told IANS in Jammu. advertisement "The situation will be reviewed later. Till then the Amarnath Yatra shall remain suspended." Wani, along with two of his associates, were gunned down by the security forces on Friday. His burial could not take place on Friday as authorities feared a law and order situation. Slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani (Right) WHO IS BURHAN WANI Burhan Wani, who belongs to south Kashmir's Tral, was seen as the new face of militancy in Kashmir. Considered as a 'Poster Boy' of Hizbul Mujahideen terror group for wooing Kashmiri youths to militancy, Burhan had joined the militant outfit in 2010 when he was just 15 years of age. We were after Burhan Wani for a long time, he kept evading us: Ashok Narula, GOC, Victor Force. pic.twitter.com/wNlHjs7cEq&; ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 He left home in 2010, days ahead of his Class 10 examination to join the Hizbul Mujahideen. HIZBUL COMMANDER USED SOCIAL MEDIA Sources said that Wani was reportedly tech-savy and used to lure educated men through videos that he circulated on social media. Wani even drew young toppers. advertisement Scores of people using different mode of conveyance tried to reach the area of gunfight in south Kashmir's Kokernag area and Tral town, to which Wani belonged. This joker Burhan Wani recently issued a video threat to JKP & army. Said abandon uniform or be ready to die. They let their guns respond&; GAURAV C SAWANT (@gauravcsawant) July 9, 2016 Meanwhile, the separatists including the hardliner Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Asiya Andrabi, the radical chief of women's separatist outfit, have called for a valley-wide shutdown to protest Wani's killing. Sources said that Geelani, Mirwaiz and Yasin Malik were kept under house arrest. With inputs from IANS Also read: With Burhan's death, militant icon is born; lakhs participate in his funeral Kashmir's most wanted terrorist Burhan Wani killed in Anantnag encounter No militancy related incident attributed to Burhan Wani, says Omar Abdullah --- ENDS --- By PTI: Chennai, Jul 9 (PTI) Tamil Nadu government today said it was in a position to sell surplus wind power generated in the state and urged the Centre to allocate dedicated transmission capacity on a priority basis for its evacuation. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the wind season in the state was from June to September and presently, 4400 mw of this power was being utilised in Tamil Nadu Grid based on the evacuation infrastructure available. advertisement Even with the implementation of such intra-state evacuation infrastructure, the entire wind energy generated cannot be fully consumed within Tamil Nadu, particularly in this season, she said. Tamil Nadu was in a position to sell about 1000 mw of wind power to other states, which required this power to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), she said. "Tamil Nadu has already met its Renewable Purchase Obligation. Many states in India who are unable to meet the Renewable Purchase Obligation are now approaching Tamil Nadu for assistance for meeting" the RPO, she added. "To facilitate the sale of surplus wind power to states in need of renewable energy, it is important that a dedicated inter-state Green Energy Corridor is established so that the surplus wind energy from Tamil Nadu can be successfully evacuated and sold to other states," she said in her letter. She said Power Grid Corporation had proposed to establish such an inter-State Green Energy Corridor and urged Modi to instruct the Ministry of Power to speed up the process of setting it up at the earliest to enable her state to transmit the 1000 mw of renewable power to other states. "While dedicated infrastructure would take some time to be created, in the meantime, the Power Grid Corporation may be directed to allocate dedicated transmission capacity on a priority basis to evacuate the surplus wind energy available in Tamil Nadu to other states this season," she said. PTI SA VS BSA --- ENDS --- BENGALURU: Renowned as the Gods Own Country, Kerala is one of the most beautiful places to visit at any time of the year, and it does really feel like it has been blessed by God, during the monsoons. The green-velvet carpet coated mountains covered in clouds, swaying coconut trees, gushing backwaters are some of the elite highlights of Kerala that gets even more magnificent with the dancing rain drops. Monsoon creates magic in Kerala transforming the place into a green heaven during these days. The Kerala monsoons do not rain continuously for weeks, but virtually for a few hours with sunny interludes. Even though occasional rains might stretch on for a few days, the reprieve of sunshine is always close. Checkout some of the Gods Own Monsoon delights Read Also: The Iconic Cafes In India Which Are More Than A 100 Years Old! The Most Visited Indian States In 2015 Siddaramaiah said that the CID had already commenced the probe into the case. DySP M K Ganapathy had named former Home Minister K J George in his death note. By Mail Today Bureau: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ruled out the possibility of a CBI probe into the suicide of Deputy Superintendent of Police M K Ganapathy, who had named former Home Minister K J George in his death note. Siddaramaiah said that the CID had already commenced the probe into the case. "Only the BJP wants a CBI probe as they want to make a political issue out of this. We will wait for the CID to complete the investigation," he told journalists in Bengaluru. advertisement Karnataka: Senior cop hangs himself, alleges harassment by senior cop, politician GANAPATHY WAS UNDER DEPRESSION Meanwhile, Ganapathy's father informed the media that his son was under depression and was facing domestic issues. In a letter to the government, he contended that Ganapathy's family was facing turmoil because of his depression. He also claimed that the DySP was staying away from his family. At the time of committing suicide, Ganapathy was facing multiple probes from different agencies. Siddaramaiah maintained that there was no need for the former Home Minister to resign. Also Read: Karnataka: Minister denies role in cop suicide Son dies in father's hands, as he did not pay a bribe --- ENDS --- STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As people across the United States try to cope with a week of tragedies and unrest, a Staten Island church is attempting to promote healing by hosting a "Community Peace Meal" on Friday evening. The community at large is invited to the event at New Hope Community Church, 77 Alaska Street, tonight at 7 p.m. The meal is for "all in mourning, all who are angry, all who hate the evil and injustice that is poisoning our nation," David Beidel, pastor of New Hope, said in an email. "We know that this is not the answer for the nation, but it's the beginning of the answer for Staten Island," Beidel said. "In light of the horrors we have all witnessed this week. In light of watching the fabric of our nation tearing." Police Shootings NYC Protest A police stand guard as protestors march form Manhattan to Brooklyn in New York, Friday, July 8, 2016. Demonstrators took to the New York City streets chanted "hands up, don't shoot" and "no justice no peace." to protest the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, just one day after five police officers were killed and seven others wounded during a protest in Dallas. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) (Andres Kudacki) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- In light of the recent events in Louisiana, Dallas and Minnesota, several Staten Island organizations are holding a peace rally Saturday night on the North Shore. The rally kicks off at St. Peter's High School, at 300 Richmond Terrace in New Brighton, and ends at the steps of Borough Hall in St. George. "This event is to make a list of requests and suggestions, as well as [discuss] how to help mitigate and bring about peace in the Staten Island community so things don't escalate on a local level," said Bobby Digi, co-founder of Occupy The Block, one of the organizers of the event. "My approach is to be more informed rather than just reactionary." The rally is family friendly, not a protest, but a walk for peace, according to organizers. Some of the speakers will be Digi, Ed Josey, president of Staten Island Chapter of the NAACP President, Judge Ronald Gregg, president of Staten Island Black Chambers, community leader John Mcbeth and former PS 57 principal Larry Ambrosino. On Monday, there will be a community discussion about addressing the recent shootings and gun violence in the United States. The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Canvas Institute of Arts Culture and Civic Engagement at 150 Victory Blvd., Tompkinsville. The organizers of both events include are M.A.S.K. (Mothers Against Senseless Killings), Black Business Chamber, Clergies & Churches, former principal of PS 57 Larry Ambrosino, Island Voice and Youth for Justice. The events come on the heels of the death of five Dallas police officers after a sniper opened fire on them during a protest over police violence on Thursday. Seven other officers were wounded. UNION SQUARE RALLIES Rallies have been taking place across the country, including in Union Square, following the police-involved shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., a day later. "We need to decrease the [amount] of gun violence, the black-on-black crime and, of course, you have the police brutality issue that is happening and has become an epidemic," Digi said. On Friday night, about 300 people took to the streets of Manhattan to protest the recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, just one day after five police officers were killed and seven others wounded during a protest in Dallas. Authorities believe the suspect in Thursday night's attack in Dallas acted alone. He was killed by a police robot-delivered bomb. The protesters gathered in Manhattan's Union Square and chanted "hands up, don't shoot" and "no justice no peace." After a spate of speeches, with some urging the crowd to behave, the protesters split into small groups escorted by police. One group marched across the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn while another went uptown and marched through Grand Central Terminal, chanting "black lives matter." The protesters mostly kept to the sidewalks. --Associated Press material was used in this report. Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 1.56.25 PM.png Investigators work in the area of downtown Dallas that remains an active crime scene, Saturday, July 9, 2016. Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday, as hundreds of people were gathered to protest two recent fatal police shootings of black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) DALLAS (AP) -- Several people around the country have been arrested for making threats against law enforcement in the wake of shootings by police in Louisiana and Minnesota and the killings of five officers in Dallas. A suburban Chicago woman is accused of posting a threat on Facebook to shoot any police officer who pulls her over and asks her to get out of the car. Police in Louisiana say a man was jailed after posting a social media video in which he says he wants to shoot and kill a police officer. Police in Bossier (BOH'-zhur) say the man made the video while sitting in a car that was behind a police unit at a fast-food drive-thru. And in Racine, Wisconsin, police say they arrested a man who posted calls for black men to kill white police officers and their families. OBAMA Earlier on Saturday, President Barack Obama said racial relations have improved during his presidency, but he describes that progress in measured terms. Obama says the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and discrimination cannot be wiped away by any one milestone, whether that's the Civil Rights Act or his election as the first black president. But he says he's tried to get all Americans to listen to each other on matters of race. He says he believes his voice has "been true in speaking about these issues." As the president put it during a news conference in Poland, "We plant seeds. And somebody else, maybe, sits under the shade of the tree that we planted." By Indo-Asian News Service: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who landed here on Saturday to offer prayers at historic Somnath Temple, charged the state's BJP government with preventing his interaction with people in Gujarat. STATE GOVERNMNET AGAINST KEJRIWAL? "I have come here with my family only for darshan and will meet whoever comes to see me. I was to have an interaction with traders of Gujarat in Surat tomorrow (on Sunday) but the Anandiben (Patel) Government ensured this could not happen," he claimed. advertisement "She got the organisers of the Surat event to cancel it and also got the hall booking cancelled. Can't one meet with people of another state in a democracy? Anyways, some other time," the Aam Aadmi Party chief told reporters ahead of his visit to the Shiva temple. Besides the Delhi Chief Minister and his family, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas also came with his family to offer darshan at the temple on the Arabian Sea coast. They landed at the Rajkot airport and drove down to Somnath, with Gujarat AAP convenor Kanu Kalsaria accompanying them. After visiting the temple, Kejriwal said he sought "power"' from the lord to fight with the "evil" forces. Kejriwal also visited other shrines and temples like Bhalka Teerth, where Lord Krishna is believed to have left his mortal body, in and around Somnath. "There can't be a better feeling than having darshan and puja with family and friends. I sought from the lord the power to fight the evil forces," he said. KEJRIWAL TO MEET FARMERS Kejriwal was expected to interact with farmers of the coastal belt in Gir-Somnath district and later in Keshod in Junagadh and Jetalsar in Bhavnagar district on his way back to Rajkot where he will have a night halt and would fly back to Delhi Sunday morning. Meanwhile, some AAP supporters who had welcomed the Delhi CM at the Rajkot airport and were accompanying him till Somnath, had arguments with some of the employees of a toll point on the Rajkot-Veraval highway. The activists were reportedly not willing to pay the toll tax claiming that during the events of ruling BJP and even the opposition Congress, the toll was not being charged but was collected from them only. --- ENDS --- By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Lalu said that he had lot of respect for Smriti Irani and Smriti too respected him a lot. By Rohit Kumar Singh: RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad has showered praise on former HRD Minister Smriti Irani who was recently shifted to the textile ministry in the Narendra Modi government's cabinet reshuffle this week. Speaking on the sidelines of his meeting with actor Irrfan Khan on Thursday, Lalu said that Smriti Irani was a gentle and fine lady. Lalu defended Smriti's change of ministry asserting that departments keep on changing. advertisement Lalu also said that he had lot of respect for Smriti Irani and Smriti too respected him a lot. Lalu said that Smriti has been shifted to Textile Ministry as it was in deep loss and Smriti has been entrusted to revive this Ministry. "Smriti is a lady and the Ministries keeps on changing. She is a gentle lady and she respects me a lot, even I respect her lot. She has been shifted to textile ministry which is in loss. She has been given responsibility now and she will handle it. Textile Ministry has to be revived and I hope she will do it," said Lalu. --- ENDS --- "He felt that people don't understand the danger of dealing with a protest," said Rawlings, who spoke to the surviving officer. "And that's what I learned from this. We care so much about people protesting, and I think it's their rights. But how we handle it can do a lot of things. One of the things it can do is put our police officers in harm's way, and we have to be very careful about doing that." This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted. Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. The Proper Procedure Poor Richard's Retirement Polar Bear Facts & Myths Polar Bears: Outstanding Survivors of Climate Change. Pilgrim's Progress Trump The Establishment Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Reconnaissance Man Economics for the Disinterested ...a fast-paced polar bear attack thriller! Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. Weather Shop Click to inquire about rates. Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights There are no single debutante balls being held in Canberra this year, and experts in the art of teaching traditional manners say social media is to blame. Young women and men once took part in the tradition of coming out: being presented to society in a formal, elegant way, the ladies often wearing an innocent white gown. A debutante ball at the Albert Hall in 1956. Credit:National Archives of Australia While the Pony Club community held a deb ball last year, it won't this year. Nor will many schools that once did, such as St Clare's College or Canberra Girls' Grammar. The closest, according to a variety of sources, will be held in Goulburn. This weekend, Canberrans can step back in time to the year when more than half of all Australians lived just 68 years, earned seven pounds a week, and tuned into the first live radio broadcast from Federal Parliament. The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is running guided behind-the-scenes tours to mark the 70th anniversary of the broadcast. Jeremy Mann who is helping presenting tours of Old Parliament House to celebrate 70 years of parliamentary broadcasting. Credit:Rohan Thomson Head of Learning and Visitor Experience Glenda Smith said the milestone was a major step forward in the public understanding politics. "In 1946, all of regional and remote Australia for the first time were able to listen to government at work and over 60 per cent of Australians listened to that broadcast on the 10th of July," Ms Smith said. Voting in the ACT's coastal port of Jervis Bay has halved amid community outrage that residents were not properly advised of the abolition of their polling booth. The residents, who elect a representative for the ACT division of Fenner, are adamant they did not receive the correct notification that they were required to vote the day before the federal election. Just 64 people cast their votes at the mobile polling booth which set up in the community for a day on Friday, July 1, the eve of this year's election. In 2013, two polling places were available on election day in the isolated community. One was in Jervis Bay Village and the other in the nearby Indigenous community of Wreck Bay. Those two booths collected a combined total of 116 votes at the 2013 election. A spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission said letters were sent to "addresses in Jervis Bay" in April. A 22-year-old charged with using a stolen prescription script to ask for a strong painkiller often used by those with cancer has been denied bail after fears he was not working alone. Mohammad Hakimzadeh, from South Granville in Sydney, allegedly presented a fraudulent prescription at the Priceline Pharmacy in Westfield Woden on Friday afternoon but was refused the opioid by the pharmacist. The pharmacist called police about 12.45pm to report the incident, telling them he noticed the document's missing date of birth and did not believe the young "able bodied" defendant needed the powerful pain killer "normally for people with chronic severe pain including people who have cancer," court documents said. The Sydney medical centre listed on the prescription was called and advised the prescription was allegedly part of a stolen prescription pad. A prosecutor told the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday there were 100 scripts in the pad. Police arrested the defendant at a hairdresser in Westfield Woden about 2pm on Friday. He told police he had been refused medication and in an interview said a friend had asked him to collect the prescription for him in exchange for $200, court documents said. Qantas has overhauled its card payment fees - but customers booking domestic and trans-Tasman flights of more than $535 and international flights exceeding $2300 won't realise any benefits. In the wake of the Reserve Bank's ban on fixed surcharges that don't reflect the actual transaction cost, Qantas has announced the introduction of a new card payment regime that uses percentage-based rather than flat fees. From September, a jetsetter using a credit card to nab Qantas flights will be hit with a 1.3 per cent surcharge, rather than a $7 flat fee for domestic and trans-Tasman flights, and a $30 flat fee for international trips. After all, globalisation's economic conundrum runs deep. Good-paying jobs can often be done abroad more efficiently. Globalised companies move countries rapidly. Sought-after new industries aren't creating enough jobs. Inequality is worsening. Growth and standards of living are stagnating. Often, the needs of the global economy and a nation's wellbeing clash. Let there be light in Parliament House ... given the rhetoric of the US election, the Brexit and even our federal election, the scale of the problem can finally be seen. Credit:Rob Homer In the aftermath of Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union, the future Hayes wants to see, in other words, is not one of political extremes. It's one of a middle ground, driven neither by an unaccountable global elite nor an angry, aggrieved nationalist base. But the balancing act to achieve this in the future may be hard. For my money, one of the best tweets after the EU referendum result in Britain was from a commentator named Christopher Hayes: "I don't want a future in which politics is primarily a battle between cosmopolitan finance capitalism and ethno-nationalist backlash." One issue that exemplifies the contradiction of globalisation is the issue of Chinese residential property investment in housing in Australia. On one hand, to remain a dynamic and open economy, Australia must continue to welcome foreign capital and, well, foreigners. (I am one myself). With China as Australia's largest trade partner, why would we turn away a source of capital and new immigration? But for a large swath of Australians whose economic outlook is uncertain (the young, the battlers, the recently unemployed), Australia's openness to Chinese property investment sends an unsettling message. In effect, the government (by design or neglect) allows cashed-up Chinese investors to step in ahead of what's become a long road to home ownership. It's easy to brand critics of foreign real-estate investment "racists". But you don't have to be a racist to question unchecked sums of money and people reshaping what had once been a familiar and easier-to-navigate local economy. The feelings would be the same if the cashed-up investors were an Anglo country, although there would be less fear of being branded a "racist" for complaining. We live in a time of capital flying around the world with the click of a mouse. But it's also a time when people want to live their lives with the security they had known in past decades, the kind of security that is the bedrock for social cohesion and a sense of unity. If there is any reason to be optimistic it's that, given the rhetoric of the US election, the Brexit and even our federal election, the scale of the problem can finally be seen. And if there is any reason for pessimism, it's that the lure of sweeping, simplistic solutions will be great. By PTI: Karachi, Jul 9 (PTI) Legendary Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who had dedicated his life to humanity and serving the poor, has died here from renal failure. 92-year-old Edhi died late last night after facing respiratory problem during dialysis due to his frail health. He was accorded a state funeral with tens of thousands of people including President Mamnoon Hussain and army chief General Raheel Sharif attending his funeral. advertisement Edhi, who had dedicated his life to humanity and serving the poor, was widely respected in Pakistan due to his humanitarian and social welfare works. Edhi foundation had taken care of Indian girl Geeta during her over a decade-long stay in Pakistan. Geeta, with speech and hearing impairments, was about 11 years old when she is believed to have accidentally crossed over to Pakistan and returned in India in October last year. The government has also announced a day of mourning for Edhi while the provincial Sindh government has said three days of mourning will be observed. Tens of thousands of mourners showed up at the funeral prayers held at the National Stadium amid right security as Edhis son, Faisal stood in the front row with the President and military chief who later condoled him personally. Besides Hussain and Raheel, the heads of the other armed forces, the Chief Ministers of the Punjab and Sindh provinces, Chairman Senate and other leading political and prominent personalities attended the funeral in which a military guard of honour was also given to Pakistans celebrated philanthropist. Major shopping centres and markets remained closed and the roads remained deserted across Pakistan. Edhi will be laid to rest at the Edhi village he founded 25 years ago where thousands more are expected to be part of the funeral procession. The well-known social worker had chosen the space for his grave 25 years ago at the Edhi village which is home to hundreds of homeless, destitute, abandoned children and the elderly. Tributes from all walks of life started pouring in on the social media and television channels soon after Faisal announced his father had passed away. "Truly saddened to hear of Edhi Sahabs passing. He was a noble soul & a great Pakistani. He gave the first big donation to SKMT 26 years ago," Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan tweeeted. Former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed profound grief and sorrow over the passing away of Edhi. "RIP #EDHI sahab," he tweeted. PTI CORR UZM ABH CPS NSA CPS --- ENDS --- advertisement At the 1934 general election the Lyons United Australia Party government lost its majority. Defeated shortly after the Parliament met on a procedural motion, a new coalition with the Country Party was quickly negotiated. The Governor-General, Sir Isaac Isaacs, played no role at all until asked to swear in the new Country Party ministers. Lyons did not refresh his commission and, indeed, only did so once, in November 1938. Menzies' first ministry, sworn in on April 26, 1939, was a minority government but had some assurance of longevity as it was expected the Country Party would generally vote with it. Menzies told the Governor-General that the ministry might last eight weeks; in the event, it lasted nearly a year when the Country Party under new leadership joined a restored coalition; on this occasion Menzies secured a fresh commission though there was no need for him to do so. The house elected at the 1940 election is most frequently invoked whenever minority government is discussed. This is misleading. The Menzies government had 37 of the 75 seats in the house; as Labor was not yet united, only 32 members accepted John Curtin's leadership. The government was immediately strengthened because Arthur Coles, elected as an independent, decided to sit with the UAP. When Menzies resigned the prime ministership in August 1941, however, Coles left the UAP. Five weeks later he and another independent voted with Labor to defeat the budget. Menzies' successor, Fadden, advised the Governor-General to send for Curtin under whom the Labor forces were now united. The vice-regal contribution conformed entirely and properly with the usual canons of the office. During Menzies' peacetime prime ministership he did not invariably seek new commissions after an election; he certainly did not do so after his brush with defeat in December 1961. Had the government lost just one more seat on that occasion the Governor-General, Viscount De L'Isle, might have found himself with a little more to do. Numbers would have been equal and the government would have been one down after providing a speaker. Had votes in the house been equal and neither side able to carry on, the consequence would have been, as Menzies wrote at the time, "a dissolution and a March election will become inevitable". In such circumstances Menzies determined to remain in office. The Leader of the Opposition, Arthur Calwell, might well have sought a commission on the basis that Labor had out-polled the government 50.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent (two-party preferred), and by a very large margin in primary votes. But the Governor-General, a veteran of Winston Churchill's narrow victory in 1951 when he won on seats but not on votes, would have had no trouble in inclining to the incumbent ministry. Nineteen sixty-one is a precedent which may well be of considerable interest to the present ministers should the government eventually feel sure of its position in the house. As there are to be no changes to the ministry apart from replacement of those defeated, as occurred in 1961, there is no need to seek a fresh commission. Any quest for precedents in these circumstances would inevitably take the researcher to Canada where nearly half the past 20 elections have resulted in what Canadians call "minority government". Canadian practice, following a precept enunciated by Professor J. R. Mallory, of McGill University, is for the party with the largest number of seats in the House of Commons to take office. Sometimes the size of the minority is considerable 30 or more seats; in 1972-74, present Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's father had only 109 seats out of 255. The big difference between Australia and Canada is that, in Australia, the crossbench is almost always composed of independents; in Canada, it is composed of other parties with sometimes 20 or more members. The life of the government is settled in the house and when governments lose a confidence vote, as that of Prime Minister Joe Clark did in 1979, the matter reverts to the voters. The first call came out of the blue during a busy week at The Sun-Herald in early 2012. The caller had a tip. There was a story about doping, mass killings, mismanagement and cover-ups. It was a big story, they said, but it came with a warning that anyone who spoke out would be intimidated, victimised and bullied. Consider their approach to foreign investment. Nick Xenophon and Pauline Hanson both want to "take back the farm" and make it harder for foreigners to buy Australian assets. This could have catastrophic economic consequences. Australia needs international capital. But then again the major parties have been telling us that foreign investment is risky, even dangerous, for years. The Coalition government has been running a crackdown on foreign investment in housing. It prevented the sale of the cattle station Kidman & Co to a Chinese company. It blocked the American firm Archer Daniels Midland from buying GrainCorp. Kevin Rudd made foreign investment scepticism a key plank of Labor's 2013 election bid. So if it is agreed by all parties that foreign investment is a bit of a problem, why would anyone vote for a major party whose concern for this issue seems only skin deep? Why not support a minor party that takes the concerns more seriously? The majors make the argument, and the minor parties increasingly grab the votes. Likewise free trade. The Coalition government signed some important free trade agreements that are important for the future of the Australian economy. The Labor Party professes support for trade as well. But too often those free trade agreements are presented by the political class as extracting concessions from foreign countries for Australian exporters, rather than allowing us to import goods cheaper and thereby raise our living standards. The Labor Party used the Trans-Pacific Partnership for a scare campaign about Chinese workers being brought into the country. When Qantas moved its operations into Asia a few years back, the Transport Workers Union screamed that the company was being "Asianised". Who does that sound like? The Nick Xenophon Team wants the next government to directly support struggling companies particularly the Arrium steelworks in Whyalla. On the one hand this flies in the face of every basic principle of sound economics, representing a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to public companies. On the other hand the major parties do that sort of stuff all the time. The Napthine government handed money to SPC Ardmona after the Abbott government refused. The only jobs plan either major party has for South Australia is to pay South Australians to build submarines. In other words, no major political party has been making the argument for free trade, foreign investment and market competition. Yet now they blame the voters for being anti-market. Major party strategists will tell you quietly that they have no choice but to take "populist" positions. Only the impotent are pure and all that. If the voters want protectionism the parties need to deliver it. The revelations call into question the United States program to support "moderate" Syrian rebels. In the past, weapons supposedly supplied to moderate have ended up in the hands of organisations such as the al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. As well as getting weapons in Syria as an indirect gift from the Americans, Islamic State has managed to restock in Iraq from weapons abandoned by forces supported by the Americans. In the 2014 collapse of Mosul, for example, Iraqi government forces abandoned huge quantities of weapons and munitions. Whipping up the vicious circle of threats and the need to respond helps justify defence experts' existence. Shortly after the fall of Mosul, the then Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, admitted to losing 2300 Humvees in the city alone. The CIA funding and support for the Afghan mujahideen, which ultimately helped create the Taliban, is now well documented, as are many cases of CIA involvement in the removal of democratically elected leaders, ranging from Guatemala to Iran. One wonders if the Americans will ever learn. But are our insiders and military experts any better? Rather than seek to dampen hostilities and improve relations between countries, they're forever seeking to interfere and whip up storms. The Chilcot report into the Iraq war revealed major blunders by British intelligence services and worked on misguided assumption. The groupthink of defence analysts and strategic studies experts continues to this day, with Russia and China re-emerging as favourite bogeymen. Take, for example, recent statements by Cold War warrior Professor Paul Dibb. Returning from a study trip to Russia, Dibb said he was told in Moscow "Russia could consider exploding a tactical nuclear weapon to stop NATO nations going to the aid of a Baltic nation". The Australian newspaper, which reported this, went on to quote Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, saying he feared Russia would use a low-yield nuclear weapon to discourage allied nations in the region of Poland's border with Lithuania. The paper's defence editor, Brendan Nicholson, went on to report others, saying: "Moscow could explode the [nuclear] device inside Kaliningrad and claim it was an accident." Are we seriously asked to believe that, post-Chernobyl, the Russian military would want to advertise itself as incompetent by deliberately setting off a nuclear device and saying it was an accident? Whipping up the vicious circle of threats and the need to respond helps justify defence experts' existence. With few exceptions, these experts and strategic analysts have cheered on the blunders of Vietnam and catastrophe of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They frequently show little or no understanding of local divisions, tribal, religious and nationalist loyalties. If we get involved, will the locals welcome us? Will we clearly know who we are fighting for and be able to identify friend from foe? Our "experts" seem incapable of seeing how others might see us. They maintain that we must spend ever-increasing amounts of money on defence, to respond to what others particularly China are doing. Australia's spends $32 billion on defence a year the 13th-largest budget in the world and proportionally more than Britain. It is proposed that this should rise to $59 billion by 2025-26. But how, for example, might Indonesia perceive our build-up? Some Indonesians believe we interfered in their internal affairs when we acted as peacekeepers in East Timor and contributed to the country gaining independence. Spending $15 billion on F-35 strike fighters and $50 billion on submarines will not encourage Indonesians to rest easy. They will be more inclined to respond in kind. The argument that China threatens freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is as misleading as the Iraq weapons-of-mass-destruction lie was in 2003. You only have to ask yourself why China would want to stop itself receiving our coal and iron-ore exports, or stop itself sending its exports overseas, to see how ludicrous this claim is. Ah, but I hear someone say: "It's not about that. It's about the right of American warships to freely sail around the Spratly Islands and elsewhere." Well my response to that is: what are the American warships doing there? Why are they trying to provoke conflict? Please, someone, save us from these Dr Strangeloves. Brolgas produce an impressive display in the mist in Victoria's south-west. Credit:Margaret Smith. We rode out across the paddocks and with swamp fog rising around our horses' fetlocks, we dismounted and tied reins to a log. My father walked silently. I tried to step into the outline of his footsteps in the grass. And he did the strangest thing. He lay down and motioned me to do the same. You don't lie on wet cold ground. Everyone knew you'd catch your death. He held his finger to his lips, and we lay there breathing as the morning lightened and mist billowed. He pushed aside a tussock and only a few yards away strutted two long-legged, long-necked birds. "Native companions," my father whispered. Such elegant birds. Bands of red around their heads. Magic began. One of the birds plucked grass with his beak and tossed it into the air. The larger of the two spread his wings and leapt, though he did not fly. They circled, bowing, heads bobbing. A wonderful trumpeting filled the morning. It went on and on, this dance. Prancing and fanning of wide wings; strutting and bowing. Honking. The male stretching high and then the female. Line and movement. Eventually the two dancers bowed and walked away wing to wing, as if hand in hand, into the scrub, swallowed by the fog. "Time for breakfast," said my Dad, and we returned to the horses. I never asked how he knew those two birds would be there that morning. It was simply that he knew these things. His job, I'm sure he felt, was to pass on the knowledge without fuss. He'd watch a plover theatrically pretending to drag a broken wing in one direction and point out its nest of eggs hidden in an entirely different direction. He'd see a mob of kangaroos or an emu camouflaged away in the bush before anyone else could discern anything but trees. He could feel in the merest sniff of a breeze the coming of rain, he could navigate bang-on while riding in deep forest for hours, even at night, and he could tell you the exact time though he never wore a watch. No one calls those birds native companions any more. They are brolgas: an indigenous name from a language group in Queensland. In far south-west Victoria, where we lived, we did not know the indigenous name for brolgas, though some sources suggest in at least one of the west Victorian languages it was something like kutjun, or kortyang, or coite urn. So we called them native companions, possibly because these birds, who mated for life, were so often seen together strutting and dancing, two by two: companions. There were once huge flocks of brolgas around the lakes and swamps of western Victoria. At last count, in 2013, no more than 907 adult birds could be found. Too many swamps have been drained; too many wetlands converted to cropping and grazing. A changing climate has dried lakes. Foxes roam, taking eggs and chicks. Malcolm Turnbull says Australia has a trust problem. A few days after nearly one in four voters shunned the major parties and directed their first preference elsewhere, a chastened Prime Minister admitted citizens were disillusioned with politics. He acknowledged a "general distrust or sense of disenfranchisement" from government. But the dissatisfaction goes even further. There's also widespread suspicion of business, the media and even non-government organisations. A barometer of public trust taken in 28 countries by the global public relations firm, Edelman, recently ranked Australia among 17 "distruster" nations where average level of trust in key institutions (governments, business, media and NGOs) was below 50 per cent. The survey revealed a crucial dimension to Australia's trust deficit it is not uniform. A wealthy, media-savvy elite now has far more confidence in public institutions than the rest of the population does. The average level of trust among a group described as the "informed public" was 63 per cent compared with but just 47 per cent among the "mass population". (It defines the "informed public" as those with a degree, who consume a lot of news media and are in the top 25 per cent of household income for their age group, while the "mass population" is the remaining 85 per cent of the population). Tom Griffiths demonstrates this in The Art of Time Travel by examining 14 writers of history themselves. It is a deliberately personal selection: apart from a couple of his teachers, the choice centres on those historians who have spoken to him as an environmental and public historian through their writings. So Manning Clark has only a bit part. Feminist history as such is put to one side but five of these pieces do address the work of women. Griffiths' method is to take a historian as representative of a particular approach, and give us just enough biographical detail to situate their concerns, discuss the issues they have raised, and then comment on the controversy or further work that may have followed. This sounds academic, but Griffiths is much broader in his sympathies than his being a professor of history at the ANU might suggest. His opening piece is on Eleanor Dark whose novel The Timeless Land he deems remarkable for its careful research as much as for its literary qualities. Similarly, of A Million Wild Acres, a book by the farmer Eric Rolls, he simply says, "I think it is the best environmental history yet written of Australia". Seeing history as a collective enterprise, Griffiths' book is marked by a generosity of spirit. So he writes about Geoffrey Blainey with a sympathetic level-headedness, noting that, as the historian of mining, he is more interested in economy then ecology. Quirky, idiosyncratic, and a graceful and persuasive writer, Blainey has always respected that ordinary people have valuable historical information to offer. He was, notes Griffiths, a "public historian" before his time. Blainey has also seen himself to some extent as the spokesman for the common (Anglo-Celtic) man even if this meant (on multiculturalism) becoming out of joint with the times. But that is not the end of the story, or any story. For Griffiths, as it should be for everyone, history has no finality. Apart from new material turning up, each period experiences shifts in preoccupations, which should prompt new questions of the past. New questions require new answers and a search for new facts ultimately creating a new history. Well travelled, and as keen a walker as Keith Hancock (and R.H. Tawney), Griffiths notes that for the Aborigines a historical sense has always been grounded in place, not in time. So in discussing the work of Graeme Davison, Griffiths notes how it arose from a curiosity about this city not only about "Marvellous Melbourne", but also about what had been seen as "a terra nullius of the human spirit": suburbia. Davison sought to bring out "the hidden dimensions of the familiar", extending to the freeway, the Holden, and the Mixmaster. Similarly, the more detailed work of Grace Karskens on early Sydney also receives attention: she examined the colony's early years with such intense scrutiny that she not only became familiar with the inhabitants of each household, but dreamed about them. In daylight hours, the keen interest both historians took in the intricacies of their chosen localities became suspect: each drew the attention of the police, or were threatened with it. Aborigines and the environment are at the heart of this book, and rightly. Once it was realised the Aborigines had survived conquest and had a future their past began to be looked at differently. New scientific techniques verified what people had increasingly been suspecting that Aboriginal occupation of the continent has been much longer than was assumed. We are told how John Mulvaney, while on a dig in Queensland in 1962, received a telegram with the results of radio-carbon dating of artefacts specially sent to Cambridge: his first thought was that an extra nought had been added to the figure, by mistake. Aboriginal occupation is now reckoned at 60,000 years. Erin Clare didn't have the highest hopes when she went in to audition for We Will Rock You. She hadn't seen the show, was only casually familiar with it, and it had been a big week. Erin Clare, pictured with Gareth Keegan, stars as Scaramouche in We Will Rock You which opens in Brisbane on July 14. Credit:Jeff Busby "It was at the end of a long week of auditions for other projects and I didn't know much about the show," she says. "I had read the Wikipedia synopsis." Movie session times Full movies coverage Swiss Army Man has become both celebrated and notorious as "the farting corpse movie", the corpse being Harry Potter's alter ego, Daniel Radcliffe. It begins with Hank (Paul Dano), a starving castaway who's just about to hang himself when a body is washed up on to the desolate island where he's been stranded. Abandoning his suicide attempt, he eagerly investigates, only to discover that the body is dead. Returning to the noose, he's about to try again when the body begins to fart so forcefully that it propels itself back into the water and starts speeding through the shallows like a human jet ski. Hank hastily hops aboard and together they go skimming across the waves until their inbuilt outboard cuts out and deposits them on a stretch of coast that turns out to be part of California. All they have to do now is scale a mini-mountain and find their way through a dense forest with Hank piggybacking the corpse, whose name is Manny. Best buddies: Hank (Paul Dano, left) and Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) form an unusual friendship given Manny is dead. Credit:Madman Writer-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who bill themselves as "Daniels", come out of the world of music videos, which goes a little way to explaining their taste for genre-bending and mashing. Here, they've confected a mixture of zombie movie, frat-house comedy and philosophic musing on our sanitised, death-denying culture. I suspect they're also under the influence of Robert Zemeckis' Cast Away and we can read Hank as a Tom Hanks surrogate and Manny as a slightly more animated version of Wilson, the volleyball. His methane booster is just one of his many tricks. The film's title refers to Hank's view of him as a magically enhanced adaptation of the Swiss Army knife. Having taught him to talk, Hank decides he's in need of re-birthing and begins informing him about the fundamentals of love, sex, home and family although he's rather downbeat about some of it. Like so many of the young men who populate American fiction, he has a dysfunctional relationship with his father, a flinty old reactionary who flung the word "retard" around during his childhood without worrying where it landed. The current Top 5 singles chart in Britain is packed with some of the biggest names in pop - Adele, Sia, Justin Timberlake, Calvin Harris and Rihanna, and Drake. And there, sitting at No. 2 is a name familiar to many in the funk and soul community, but not to many beyond it: Cookin' on Three Burners. Melbourne soul band Cookin' on Three Burners, from left to right, Ivan Khatchoyan, Dan West and Jake Mason. Credit:Justin McManus "Being a Hammond organ trio we're not in the pop mainstream, that's for sure," says Jake Mason, organist and original member of the Melbourne soul group founded in 1997. But thanks to young French electronic music producer Kungs, aka Valentin Brunel, who remixed their 2009 track This Girl, the trio and guest vocalist Kylie Auldist have landed a No. 1 single in France, hit No. 2 on the German charts, and are sitting just behind Drake who has the top spot in the UK. Known in Pakistan as an "Angel of Mercy" for his social work that has won international acclaim, Edhi had established a welfare foundation almost six decades ago. Pakistan's legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who devoted his life to the poor and the destitute, died on Friday; Photo: AP By AP: Pakistan's legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who devoted his life to the poor and the destitute, died on Friday at a hospital in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 88. Edhi's family announced his death and his son, Faisal Edhi, asked all people to "pray for the departed soul" of his father. Earlier in the day, the family had said that Edhi's condition deteriorated and that he was breathing with the help of a ventilator. advertisement Edhi had been hospitalized for the past several weeks and his son said he was suffering from kidney-and sugar-related problems. ANGEL OF MERCY Known in Pakistan as "Angel of Mercy" for his social work that also won international acclaim, Edhi had established a welfare foundation almost six decades ago that he oversaw together with his wife, Bilquis Edhi. The foundation owns and runs Pakistan's largest ambulance service, as well as nursing homes, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters, along with rehabilitation centers and soup kitchens across the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his condolences and sorrow over Edhi's passing and said he prayed that God will give the charity worker "the best place in paradise." GREAT LOSS TO PAKISTAN Edhi was a "real gem and asset for Pakistan," Sharif said in a statement. "We have lost a great servant of humanity. He was the real manifestation of love for those who were socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless and poor." "This loss is irreparable for the people of Pakistan," the prime minister added. Pakistan's powerful army chief General Raheel Sharif also expressed his condolences to Edhi's family, lauding him as a "true humanitarian." Crowds of people were gathering outside the Karchi hospital late Friday night to express their condolences to the family. EDHI'S LIFE Edhi came from humble origins and remained a quiet and modest man all his life, which in part was what inspired the nationwide love for him among Pakistanis. His son said that before his death, he asked that his eyes be donated to a person in need. Born in 1928 in a small village of Bantva near Joona Garh in Gujarat district of then British-ruled India, Edhi was deeply affected by the death of his mother when he was 19. He never finished school but later said that the world of suffering became his tutor. Edhi migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and made a living at first by working as a commission agent selling cloth at the Karachi wholesale market. A few years later, he started a free Bantva dispensary with the support of some community members. That was the start of his charity work. In time, he turned his vision of developing a systemized welfare service and drew a persistent and wide response for donations, expanding the trust at a remarkable pace. He first set up a maternity home and the emergency ambulance service in Karachi, which at the time had a population of over 10 million. advertisement In 1965, Edhi married Bilquis Bano, a nurse who worked at the Edhi dispensary. The couple has four children, two daughters and two sons. Bilquis ran the free maternity home and organized adoption of abandoned and out-of-wedlock children across Pakistan. KNOW ABOUT THE EIDHI FOUNDATION As their work spread across the country, Edhi remained involved hands-on in the Edhi Foundation, from raising funds to helping with ritual bathing of the bodies of the deceased poor. He also personally drove one of the network's ambulances across Karachi to help anyone in need. Edhi's foundation also provides technical education to the disadvantaged, religious education for street children, consultations on family planning and maternity services, as well as free legal aid, financial and medical support to prisoners and the handicapped. Despite the vast sums of money that passed through his foundation, Edhi lived modestly with his family in a two-room apartment adjacent to the headquarters of his foundation. advertisement His work earned him numerous awards at home and abroad, including the Gandhi Peace Award, the 2007 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize, the 2011 London Peace Award, the 2008 Seoul Peace Award and the Hamdan Award for Volunteers in Humanitarian Medical Service. Known in public as Maulana Edhi - a respectful title for a religious scholar, usually an elderly person with a beard - he supported and promoted working opportunities for women. Out of the 2,000 paid workers of his Edhi Foundation, around 500 are women. SATURDAY: DAY OF MOURNING Prime Minister Sharif also announced Saturday as a day of mourning in Pakistan and said Edhi would be given a state funeral on Saturday in recognition for his services. Sharif, who is returning to Pakistan from London where he underwent open heart surgery, expressed regret that his health would not allow him to personally attend the funeral. Also Read: Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi dies Online petition accuses govt of making social worker Sapkal --- ENDS --- The sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Fox News channel presenter Gretchen Carlson against the network's chairman Roger Ailes has intensified, following the publication of new allegations. Carlson filed suit last week in New Jersey Superior Court, saying she was fired because she "refused [Ailes'] sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment." The suit claims the pair met to discuss the discriminatory treatment to which she was subjected, but that Ailes said they ought to have had "a sexual relationship a long time ago ... sometimes problems are easier to solve that way." Australians overwhelmingly want truth in political advertising laws as part of a crackdown on false and misleading scare campaigns. Political advertising is back in the spotlight after the July 2 election partly because of the apparent success of Labor's "Mediscare" campaign. Former PM Bob Hawke appeared in the most prominent of Labor's "Mediscare" ads. Crossbench kingmaker Nick Xenophon is among those calling for new laws to ensure political parties are governed by the same advertising rules as individuals and companies. Presently, they're exempt. While Senator Xenophon secured three Senate spots in his native South Australia, his overall vote was down from 2013. He believes a "misleading and deceitful" Labor scare campaign on penalty rates was part of the reason. Pauline Hanson's One Nation party is on track to get almost $1.2 million in electoral funding from taxpayers. The right-wing firebrand will get the cash no matter how many senators she ends up with and regardless of how much the party actually spent on campaigning. The money will add to an estimated $6 million in public funding she and her party has received since first entering politics in 1996. Just how hard did our federal politicians fight to keep their generous parliamentary perks? We may never know for sure. Somewhere in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is a document that sets out what more than 50 politicians told the entitlements review sparked by the Bronwyn Bishop choppergate scandal. It's understood most of them argued strongly to keep their perks in place and they were largely successful. But public servants are doing everything in their power to keep details of the interviews secret. A Fairfax Media Freedom of Information request for the document was initially refused by the department on the grounds that its release would "substantially and unreasonably" divert the resources of the department. Last Sunday at the pub, I forgot what I was going to say. I was chatting away to friends, and someone said something, and I thought, "Oh yes, I can say x about that." And then x vanished. In the time between thinking of x, and waiting for a break in the conversation to say x, I forgot x. A minute later, I remembered it. Then I forgot it again. This has been happening a lot lately, and I find it both disconcerting and lonely: as if I'm cut off from myself as well as the conversation. I tried to forget about it (ho ho), but at 1.41am, after the preschooler woke me with her latest list of monster/temperature/loneliness-related grievances, I couldn't go back to sleep. Instead, I lay worrying. What was wrong with me? I still couldn't remember x, damn it. I could remember the shape of the story, the taste of it a scenario involving a mutual acquaintance, funny and slightly sad but not the story itself. I could not for the life of me remember who the acquaintance was, what the sad/funny pivot was, or even what triggered it. It was all a blank. Amanda Hooton. Credit:Nic Walker I don't know what other people do in this scenario, but I did the following. At 2.13am I began pseudo-meditating, deep-breathing and jaw-clenching. At 3.10am I got up, did a wee, and turned on the living-room light. Then I sat on the couch with my phone. At 3.14am I downloaded a bus timetable; at 3.17am a banking app. At 3.26am I gave in and typed "alz" into my search bar. "Alzheimer's Australia" suggested Google immediately. I typed "early warning si" Australia made a huge mistake allowing Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson to leave our shores, if her new Vogue Australia cover story is anything to go by. Since marrying a Danish Prince 12 years ago, the 44-year-old mother of four is now one of the world's most pre-eminent voices for gender equality and social change. HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her family were photographed in their kitchen by Mario Testino. Credit:Vogue Australia/Mario Testino For her 2004 wedding she received a gift of 1 million Danish krone ($196,000). While most newlyweds put the contents of their wishing wells toward a holiday or new house, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (who's wing of Amalienborg Palace was renovated in 2009 anyway) established The Mary Foundation. An initiative that focuses on community and reconnecting the isolated. "Domestic violence, bullying and loneliness, they are our three focus areas," she said. "Those three areas were chosen because they all have links to social isolation and many of them are very taboo or overlooked. The abused woman, the bullied child and the lonely adolescent feel very, very alone in the world with their problems and will often never share them." Ms Chen said she was ushered past two cats in Ms Liu's apartment and towards a single bed in one of the flat's bed rooms. A photo posted to WeChat advertising the services of an allegedly unregistered cosmetic practitioner. "She told me to pay first in cash. I paid $1500. Then she asked me to lie down." Ms Liu allegedly washed her face with water and a cotton cloth, injected an anaesthetic agent around her eyes and started suturing. Ms Chen's eye after the botched surgery. "Three times she stitched my left eyelid, then pulled [the sutures] out, then re-stitched them. "I screamed at her ... I yelled out I need more pain killer injections." A still from a video posted on WeChat advertising the services of an alleged unregistered practitioner. The surgery lasted eight hours, Ms Chen said. "She'd do a stitch then she'd pick up her phone and open a door and leave the room," Ms Chen said. "Then she'd come back in and start stitching again without washing her hands. Helena is suffering from a botched plastic surgery. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer "I was so angry. It's painful. It's really painful." When it was over, she told Ms Liu she didn't like the results, but Ms Liu said she would have to come back in a month for another session once the swelling had gone down, Ms Chen said. After seeing three cosmetic physicians, Ms Chen was told she would need to wait six months for her eyes to heal before they could properly assess the damage. "I was stupid to trust her," she said. Cosmetic doctors are increasingly taking in women who have come away from black market cosmetic "clinics" with scarring, bruising and hard clumps of unknown materials injected into their faces. The unregistered operators, who predominantly target Asian Australians and recent Chinese migrants, allegedly inject clients with imported counterfeit fillers and perform cosmetic surgeries, including double eyelid suturing, nose lifts and liposuction, in their private residences. "They call themselves doctors or nurses but they don't have any qualifications," said Sydney cosmetic surgeon Zion Chan. "People don't know they are visiting unsafe and illegal practices. "It's getting much worse. I would say it is rampant in Sydney. "Every week I see a new patient with a complication. People with product injected into their face that was just a bad mimic [of approved fillers]. It would be lumpy or hard or move around [under the skin]." Another Sydney-based cosmetic specialist clinician said he saw as many as five complications a week due to the handiwork of unregistered practitioners. "In terms of the really bad cases, like blepharoplasty [eyelid surgery], I'd see every two months it's incredibly dangerous," said the physician with strong ties to the Chinese community who declined to be named. "They could have been blinded." Individuals found guilty of administering botulinum toxin (botox), hyaluronic acid (dermal fillers) and anaesthetic injections face $1650 in fines or up to six months in jail for each offence under the Poisons and Therapeutics Goods Act. For some prescription-only medications, the penalties can be up to $2200 or up to two years imprisonment. But some home clinics flout Australian laws and post videos of their procedures and before-and-after photos on the China-based social media platform WeChat. "They can be quite blatant with their advertising," said Sydney CBD-based cosmetic physician Anthony Yap. "But the really clever operators are more subtle, just posting after photos and groups of girls sitting around living rooms having a good time." . Footage seen by Fairfax posted on WeChat shows cosmetic procedures carried out in carpeted living rooms on beds and couches. One video shows a cat passing behind a woman as she works on a client. Several WeChat posts show residential apartments full of young women who appear to be waiting their turn. "It's incredibly dangerous," said another cosmetic physician after watching footage of one operator using a syringe to pierce a woman's forehead. Separate vision shows a syringe pierce a woman at the temple. "There's a risk of haemorrhage severe skin necrosis, and at worst blindness," he said. "There is no duty of care to the people they are treating." Many alleged unregistered practitioners charge the same rates as legitimate clinics. "It's part of their strategy," the physician said. "They don't want people to suspect they're not real doctors. "Their clients' English is often very limited ... they won't be as vocal when things go wrong. They won't go to the authorities. They just want it fixed." Health authorities are investigating Ms Liu after raiding her Five Dock premises last week. Fairfax Media has attempted to contact Ms Liu. The apartment she allegedly worked from has been put on the market. Backyard procedures are becoming increasingly common and the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has issued a public warning and reported a rise in the number of complaints about cosmetic procedures being performed in residential properties by practitioners unqualified or unregistered in Australia. But once an in-home clinic is raided, some operators have simply moved to new locations, posting notices on WeChat informing their clients they will reopen in weeks, according to patients and WeChat posts. "The commission recognises the issue of displacement, hence its decision to issue a public warning on this matter," a spokesman for the HCCC said in a statement. NSW Health's director of health protection Jeremy McAnulty said the public should "absolutely avoid these places". "Infection control is our major concern," Dr McAnulty said. "There's a risk of blood-borne viruses and other infections being transmitted from the environment, or from the person performing the operation, or between clients when equipment and vials are being reused. "Then there's the botched jobs. If something goes wrong which can happen at the best of times with experienced surgeons you can permanently have a deformed face. "Our message to the public is don't undertake these treatments lightly. Talk to your GP about being referred to an experienced clinician and, if you've had a botched procedure, report it to the HCCC and or [the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency]," he said. Individuals can check if a practitioner is registered in Australia via the AHPRA website. The NSW government recently introduced tougher laws regulating the cosmetic surgery industry to provide greater safeguards for patients. There are five sides to the story of a murder that shocked Sydney. But one side in particular was barely a "footnote" when Harriet Wran the daughter of former NSW premier Neville Wran had her murder charge dropped and she pleaded guilty to two lesser charges last week. Friends of murdered Redfern man Daniel McNulty, 48, have not tried to sugar coat his chequered past but also want the general public to know he was once a person. The state government is weighing up changes to IVF law after a "secret son" embryo donor case revealed by Fairfax Media exposed loopholes in the legislation. IVF Australia had facilitated the transfer of two embryos Natalie Parker donated to a Sydney woman. The woman is alleged to have faked the miscarriage of her donor-conceived baby so she didn't have to honour an agreement to keep in contact with Ms Parker and her husband, the child's genetic parents. Egg donor Natalie Parker with her sons Angus, 5, and Hugo, 3. Credit:Glenn Campbell The woman told IVF Australia the embryo transfer had failed. She declined the clinic's request to come in for a blood test to confirm the miscarriage. It was only when Ms Parker discovered dated pictures of the woman with a baby son on Facebook that the alleged deception was uncovered. The recipient has now deleted her Facebook profile and cannot be contacted. And if, as feared, the 70-year-old Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is evicted from its leased land in coming weeks, nine metropolitan Sydney councils including North Sydney, Randwick, Botany, Marrickville and Woollahra would have nowhere to send the thousands of animals surrendered or found abandoned each year. Significantly, the inevitable influx of former racing greyhounds would need new homes elsewhere. RSPCA NSW chief executive Steve Coleman has revealed to Fairfax Media that stray animal management across Sydney has reached "crisis point" with the organisation's flagship shelter at Yagoona buckling at "108 per cent capacity". NSW Premier Mike Baird's announcement of a greyhound racing ban has exposed an overcrowded and underfunded animal welfare sector which an industry chief warns is on the cusp of a "meltdown". Mr Coleman confirmed the RSPCA had briefed NSW Local Government Minister Paul Toole that its Yagoona facility is at "full greyhound holding capacity" and "overfull with stray animals". Caroline Hamilton with ex-racing greyhound Milkshake, who is at the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home waiting for a new family. Credit:Peter Rae "Our tipping point has already arrived," warned Mr Coleman. 'If you remove the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home from the equation, it is no exaggeration to say we would go into meltdown." He said if the home does shut, the overflow of animals would be funnelled to either the RSPCA or the Renbury Farm Animal Shelter which services three council areas across Sydney's south-west. "But that itself has been identified as a site to be redeveloped and is also on its way out," said Mr Coleman. "We need to find the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home a new, bigger base and we need to find it now." The shelter is the only facility of its kind in NSW that does not place a time limit on animals in its care. Following council amalgamations, the greyhound racing scandal and closure of other facilities, demand for its services has never been higher. Aside from giving abandoned animals a second chance, it runs a range of community projects that enriches the lives of the elderly and people with disabilities and mental illness. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) Security officials were sent into a tizzy today when a drunk man called up the police control room today and claimed to have planted a bomb at a popular cinema hall in Connaught Place area in the heart of the city. The call was received around 1.15 PM, following which several police teams, fire tenders and bomb disposal squads were rushed to the Odeon complex, and the premises were evacuated, a Delhi Fire Department official said. advertisement "The building was thoroughly inspected. It later turned out to be a hoax call," Additional DCP (New Delhi) Romil Baniya said. Around three hours later, the caller, a 58-year-old former railway employee, was tracked down at central Delhis Paharganj area and detained at Parliament Street police station where he is being interrogated by officials of police and intelligence agencies. "He was in an inebriated state when he was detained. From preliminary investigation, it appears that he was drunk at the time of making the call as well. However, we cant take chances and he shall be subjected to intensive interrogation," a senior police official said. An FIR is also likely to be registered in connection with the matter. PTI DEY SMN PAL SMN --- ENDS --- The Eid Down Under Festival kicked off on Saturday, showcasing one of the largest celebrations in the Islamic calendar. The event was described by one of the events organisers, Islamic Council of Queensland executive committee member Fahim Khondaker, as possibly the largest Muslim community event in Brisbane. Aysha Mohd Ali with her bubble toy at the Eid Down Under Festival in Brisbane. Credit:Michelle Smith "The festival to celebrate Eid is essentially the Muslim equivalent of Christmas," Mr Khondaker said. "It's quite iconic for us, being in Australia with a minority Muslim population, we don't really get to celebrate things like Eid and the general population probably doesn't know what Eid is. Cattle have become victims of the surging ice problem plaguing the state's regional areas, with addicts stealing from family farms to fuel their habit. Cattle duffing - or cattle theft - has continued unabated for the past decade, despite increased efforts from the Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad (SARCIS). Cattle have become victims in the ice problem plaguing the state's regional towns SARCIS state co-ordinator Detective Inspector Mick Dowie said while firearms were major targets in rural criminal enterprise, anything worth money was fair game. He said there were concerns increasing cattle prices and the demand for beef could increase stock theft. But the Times has stood by its story, and its reporter Rachel Sylvester released an audio of the transcript on the BBC on Saturday morning. The quality of the audio isn't great the interview was conducted at a noisy cafe at a train station but there was no mistaking what Ms Leadsom had said. Here it is: "I don't really know Theresa very well. But I am sure she will be really, really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. You know, she possibly has nieces, nephews, you know, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next." Sylvester also told the broadcaster that, in a wide ranging interview, she asked Ms Leadsom what were the main differences between herself and Ms May. JUBA: United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said on Friday he was deeply alarmed by fighting in South Sudan's capital Juba between rival troops, describing the violence threatening a fragile peace process as a "new betrayal" of the country's people. President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader Riek Machar, now vice president, called for calm on Friday at the State House, where the rivals had been in talks when the fighting flared on Thursday between groups loyal to each of them. Five people were killed. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, centre-right, and vice-president Riek Machar, centre-left in 2011. Credit:AP A Reuters witness heard further shooting in Juba on Friday. Both leaders said they did not know what prompted Friday's incident. South Sudanese radio urged citizens to stay at home. It was the first eruption of violence in Juba since Machar returned in April, under a deal to end two years of civil war. Ban described the fighting as "yet another illustration of the parties' lack of serious commitment to the peace process." Beijing: Torrential rains and floods across the southern half of China have besieged cities and towns for days. Nearly 200 people had died by Friday in drownings, landslides and as buildings collapsed, including 35 buried by a landslide in the far west. Nearly 2 million people have been moved to safer ground while swollen rivers and lakes strain dykes and dams. For China's leaders, the floods are a test of their ability to deliver on their promises of safety for citizens. The country's flood defences have faltered in the past, weakened by neglect and corruption, and Prime Minister Li Keqiang and other leaders have said that this year the government is better prepared than ever. Yet experts and residents in areas hit by the rains have claimed that local governments have neglected drainage and filled in lakes, leaving cities exposed to greater flooding. Warsaw, Poland: President Barack Obama and European leaders tried to project a united front at a NATO summit meeting Friday, with Obama dismissing as "hyperbole" any fear that Britain's vote to leave the European Union would unravel the broader trans-Atlantic security alliance. But lurking beneath a veneer of unity was growing evidence in Warsaw of fissures within Europe that go beyond its highly visible split with Britain. Most revolve around the question of whether to deter or placate Russia as it continues to prowl unpredictably to the alliance's east. From NATO's economic sanctions to pressure Russia to the alliance's military exercises meant to deter it, Germany, France and Italy are showing signs of wavering from the hard-line stance they adopted after President Vladimir Putin of Russia annexed Crimea two years ago. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy recently took part in the St Petersburg Forum, a Davos-like conference convened by Putin that had been shunned by most European leaders. President Francois Hollande of France has talked about the need to engage Russia. The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, criticised a major military exercise in Poland last month for provoking the Russians. He called it "saber-rattling." Washington: The United States last month expelled two Russian diplomats as a response to a Russian police guard tackling a US diplomat outside the American Embassy in Moscow, the State Department said. The diplomats were declared persona non grata on June 17, spokesman John Kirby said on Friday. That was less than two weeks after the incident that sparked the diplomatic row. US diplomat scrapes in the door of the US embassy with a Russian policeman on him. The June 6 scuffle between the police officer and the diplomat was captured on security footage and broadcast on Russian television last week. It shows a man emerging from a taxi and walking briskly up the embassy steps. He is just outside the door when a guard jumps out of a gatehouse and wrestles him to the ground. Even with the patrolman on top of him, the diplomat pushes with his feet and manages while on his back to get inside the door to the embassy, which is US territory and inviolate. The tape briefly stops and freezes when the man exits the taxi at the bottom of the steps, and picks up again from a slightly different angle. Wyatte will be seeking justice and damages through the courts. PHILIPSBURG: --- Today its me, tomorrow could be you that is how Elsidro Ricardo Wyatte puts it after he was released from police detention and gave an exclusive interview to SMN News. Wyatte said on Monday he saw his photograph, and name on Facebook and 721 news stating he is wanted by Interpol. The father of one said he immediately called the police namely former head of Interpol St. Maarten Randolph Bloieman and informed him of what he saw on Facebook and 721 news. Wyatte said Bloieman told him that the information was not placed on Interpol website by St. Maarten but the Dominican Republic and as such he should make contact there to clear his name. Wyatte said that same day he contacted his lawyer in the Dominican Republic and informed her and she should contact Interpol and to clear his name he said instead of the police on St. Maarten conducting an investigation he was handcuffed Wednesday night at his job and taken into custody. Wyatte further explained that the arrest even ended up on the front page of certain newspapers and websites while none of these media outlets spoke to him, neither did Bloieman told his bosses that he had contacted him on Monday. Wyatte explained that two years ago he went to the Dominican Republic and a woman who was cleaning the house he was staying at during his vacation apparently went into his luggage and stole copies of his passport because she was pregnant and was looking for some foreign man to support her child. He said he did not even know that had happened but when he returned to the Dominican Republic he was served with a court order where he has to pay the woman some 60,000.00 pesos in child support and continue to pay child support for the child. He said since he did not know the law of the Dominican Republic he complied with the court order and paid half of the amount in order for him to leave the Dominican Republic and has been paying a monthly sum ever since then, but knowing he is not the father of the child because he had no intimate relationship with the woman he decided to hire a lawyer in the Dominican Republic and proceeded to do a DNA tests which cleared him. The first part of the case he said ended three months ago and based on the first court order he owed the woman 30.000.00 pesos ($700.00). Wyatte said later this month his case is coming up again in the Dominican Republic where the woman would have to pay him back all the monies he paid to her for a child that is not his. He made clear all the reports that was published on St. Maarten stating he molested minors or committed crimes against minors are totally false. "This is all about child support for a child that is not even mines, the damage is already done to my image and my family especially my 17 year old daughter and the only thing I have to do now is to fully clear my name and let those responsible for their actions be held liable." As for the arrest and the warrant that is placed on Interpols website Wyatte said that is a mystery because Interpol international is saying they dont know how the warrant got on their site with a red notice. He said he was told that Interpol International would not do such a shameful thing for $700.00 while the ticket alone to the Dominican Republic is $400. Wyatte said he is of the opinion that the woman who accused him and took him to court probably has a good friend that is working for interpol whom she used to put that warrant on Interpol website. I dont know how my name and a warrant got there and Interpol International is claiming they also dont know how it got there but the police and prosecutor office told me they will inform Interpol International by email and asked that it be removed and his name be cleared fully. Wyatte further explained that he asked Bloieman how is it possible for them to arrest him and he is the one that alerted them to what is on Interpol website and all he is getting from Bloieman is he is sorry for what happened. He said he asked both the police (KPSM) and Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij for a written statement so that he could clear his name but both parties denied him that statement. All they are telling me is that they are deeply sorry for what happened. Asked he plans to do next Wyatte said he already spoke to his lawyers and they are working on building a case against all those involved including Interpol International, KPSM and the Prosecutors Office on St. Maarten. He made clear that damaging ones character and image is not acceptable especially since he is the one that contacted the police on Monday. By Indo-Asian News Service: At least five people, including one child, were killed after getting caught in a crossfire between security personnel and Maoists in Kandhamal district of Odisha, a police officer said on Saturday. CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE The incident took place on Friday night at Kurtumgarh village under Tumudibandh police station limits. "Five villagers including two women, one minor and two men were killed during the gun battle with the Maoists," said Kandhamal district Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra. The minor was a 13-year-old boy. advertisement An auto-rickshaw carrying passengers got caught in the crossfire resulting in so many casualties, Mishra said. "After we received intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists, the security personnel rushed to the spot and launched a combing operation on Friday night. But, the unfortunate incident took place during the crossfire," he said. He said the families of the deceased would be given adequate compensation. Meanwhile, the villagers have blocked the road and staged a demonstration demanding Rs 50 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased. --- ENDS --- Hospitals feeling surge of RSV locally and across state Post-pandemic easing of isolation is fueling rise in the respiratory RSV illnesses in children in the South Bend area. By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Jul 9 (PTI) As cracks appeared in Nepals ruling alliance, Prime Minister K P Oli today called a joint meeting of the coalition partners in an attempt to avert any possible political crisis. The Prime Minister called the meeting at his official residence Baluwatar to discuss various contemporary issues, his Press Advisor Pramod Dahal said. advertisement Leaders in the meeting will discuss implementation of theConstitution Implementation Action Plan that the government had introduced recently and endorsement of the budget announced for the next fiscal year, he said. The decision to hold the meeting came after UCPN-Maoist Centre chairman Prachanda claimed that the next government would be formed soon after the new budget is endorsed by the Parliament. According to media reports, the Maoists and the CPN-UML led by Oli had reached a gentlemans agreement last month in this regard. During a meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday, Prachanda is understood to have asked Oli to honour nine-point agreement reached between the two big parties in May. Prachanda also told Oli that his party is concerned about the formation of national unity government with the involvement of Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, according to sources close to Prachanda. The Maoists have also indicated that they would not let the budget pass in the Parliament if Oli turns a deaf ear towards their concerns. However, todays meeting is regarded as important, as it will decide the fate of the coalition government. Prime Minister Oli has been cornered after the Maoists raised the issue of formation of national unity government. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Communication Sherdhan Rai has dismissed as rumours reports about government change. He claimed that the coalition government enjoys overwhelming support of the people and the rumour was spread by those who are scared of the governments strength. He said that the government is ready to forge national consensus, adding no one should talk about misleading things in the name of consensus at a time when the government is making serious efforts towards implementing the new Constitution. The government has called the agitating Madhesi parties for a dialogue to address their concern, the minister said and expressed hope that they will soon come forward for a dialogue. PTI SBP NSA --- ENDS --- The motorcycle riders will not be sold petrol if they are traveling without a helmet according to a new rule imposed by the Kolkata police. By Indo-Asian News Service: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her displeasure over two-wheeler users not wearing helmets, Kolkata police on Saturday imposed a "no helmet no petrol" rule forbidding petrol pumps from selling fuel to motorcyclists without helmets. "No petrol pump within the jurisdiction of Kolkata police shall henceforth sell petrol to any such two-wheeler rider who comes to the petrol pump riding a two-wheeler without helmet as well carries a pillion rider without helmet," said a notification by the city police published on Saturday. advertisement WHAT TRIGGERED THE MOVE? Observing that there was a "manifold rise" in instances of bikers and pillion riders not sporting helmets, the notification said, "Immediate and stringent action needs to be taken in accordance with law, to have greater deterrence and for prevention of the same." Launching a road safety initiative "Safe Drive Save Life", the West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday had expressed alarm over rising accident deaths and called for strict adherence to traffic laws. Also read: Mamata concerned over rising number of road accidents Why do Indians hesitate to help road accident victims? Kolkata cop goes out of his way to help stranded travellers, says 'Not every police officer is bad' --- ENDS --- This article was updated at 6:57 a.m. EDT. Three astronauts docked with the International Space Station early this morning (July 9) in an upgraded Russian Soyuz spacecraft, after a two-day journey from Earth spent testing out the new craft's systems. At 12:06 a.m. EDT (0406 GMT) this morning, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi arrived at the space station, docking smoothly at the station's Rassvet module. "Docking confirmed," a NASA commentator said as the Soyuz linked up. "Three new crewmembers have arrived at the International Space Station after a perfect shakedown mission for this upgraded Soyuz vehicle." The hatches between the Soyuz and the station opened at 2:26 a.m. EDT (0626 GMT), and shortly afterwards the spacefliers came inside to be greeted by the station's three current occupants. Then, the new arrivals had the chance to speak with their families on the ground. Both Rubins and Onishi are first-time space travelers. See more During their two-day flight commanded by Ivanishin, the new crewmembers tested out the improved communications systems and thruster configuration on the Soyuz-MS spacecraft. They are the first humans to ride in the upgraded craft, which launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. As the Soyuz cruised toward the orbiting lab, NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, the space station's current commander; as well as Russian cosmonauts Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin, were hard at work. According to NASA officials, yesterday, Williams installed lab gear for an incoming life-sciences experiment and configured a meteor-hunting observation rack brought up on a recent Cygnus supply-craft delivery. The full Expedition 48 crew of six has a busy few months ahead they are scheduled to receive and install an international docking adapter, which will provide automated docking for future crewed and uncrewed spacecraft, including planned Boeing and SpaceX missions to bring astronauts to the space station. A SpaceX Dragon cargo craft will deliver that adaptor, and the crew will also see Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft (on its Antares rocket's return-to-flight mission) and two Russian Progress spacecraft, all of which will bring additional supplies and gear. The three new crewmembers are scheduled to remain on the station for about four months, and they will be joined toward the end of September by NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov. Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Dakhla (Saharawi refugee camps), July 08, 2016 (SPS) Algeria through the Minister of the Mujahideen, Mr. Teib Zetouni Friday reiterated its firm position to support the just cause of the Saharawi people. The Algerian Minister expressed support and full solidarity of the Government and the Algerian people with the Saharawi people and their just struggle for freedom and independence. Mr. Zetouni said that his participation in this congress representing Algeria is a means of demonstrating the solidarity of the government and the Algerian people with the brother Saharawi people at this crucial time. the international community must assume its responsibility, especially the Security Council of the UN to allow Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination through a free, fair and impartial referendum. The Algerian minister added in his speech He said the martyr Mohamed Abdelaziz was a man who kept the unity of its people and fought tirelessly for the right of the Saharawi people. In this regard he praised the achievements of the Saharawi State on several fronts under the leadership of the martyr and the late leader Mohamed Abdelaziz.SPS 125/090/TRA Dakhla (Saharawi refugee camps), July 08, 2016 (SPS) - (SPS) - the Mauritanian Forces Progress Party through its President Mr. Mohamed Ould Maulud Friday renewed its full support for the right of people to self-determination and independence during his speech to the delegates of the Extraordinary Congress of the POLISARIO which started its work today in Dakhla speech. Mauritanian party leader reiterated his party's support to the struggle of the Saharawi people for freedom and independence, expressing condolences on behalf of the party to the Saharawi people and government for the loss of the martyr Mohamed Abdelaziz.SPS 125/090/TRA Brussels, July 9, 2016 (SPS) - The Greens / European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) in the European Parliament has reaffirmed support to struggle of the Sahrawi people. I recall that as the Greens/EFA group, we have always supported the Sahrawi struggle, under the leadership of Frente POLISARJO, for its legitimate rights for self- determination and freedom, said MEP Margrete Auken, Greens/EFA group, in a letter to the Extraordinary Congress of the Polisario Front, in honour of late President Mohamed Abdelaziz, held in Wilaya of Dakhla in the Sahrawi Refugee Camps, from 8-9 July. We support a just and peaceful solution to the conflict of Western Sahara, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions. It is of utmost importance that a fair referendum on the self-determination of Western Sahara is to be conducted without delay. We stand in full solidarity with the Sahrawi people, with those living in refugee camps in Tindouf as well as those suffering from Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara, or the occupied territories. We are working to ensure that the EU will increase the aid to the refugees, added the letter. On this occasion, the group expressed in their letter their deepest condolences and sorrow to the Saharawi people for the passing away of Mohamed Abdelaziz, the late President of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and founder and Secretary General of the Polisario Front. The Greens/EFA group recalled that they are actively participating in the work of the Intergroup for Western Sahara, stressing that they are convinced in the importance of making the issue of Western Sahara a foreign policy priority at the European level and they are doing their utmost to raise the issue in the European Parliament. The group denounced the continued complicity of some European governments and companies in the occupation of Western Sahara and in the plundering of its resources. (SPS) 062/090 Dakhla (Refugee Camps), July 9, 2016 (SPS) - Ibrahim Ghali was elected Saturday in the Wilaya of Dakhla, Sahrawi refugee camps, by an overwhelming majority the Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Republic as required by the Constitution, during the works of the Extraordinary Congress of the Polisario Front. Candidate Ibrahim Ghali obtained 1766 from 1895 of votes cast, according to the announcement of the Election Committee after counting the final results. Ibrahim Ghali was born on 19 August 1949 in Smara town. He joined the movement against Spanish colonialism led by late Mohamed Ibrahim Basiri. He is one of the founders of the Polisario Front, and he was elected the first Secretary General of the Polisario Front during its first Congress May 10, 1973. He led the first military operation against the Spanish colonization, which was the first spark of the declaration of the armed struggle on May 20, 1973. He was appointed Minister of Defense in the first Sahrawi government in March 1976 until 1989. He was elected in the Executive Committee of the Polisario Front during the Third Congress in 1976 until the Eighth Congress in 1989, then a member of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front during the Ninth Congress in 1999 until 14th Congress in 2015. He was the commander of the Second Military Regiment from 1989 to 1993. He was the Minister of Defense from 1993 to 1998. He was appointed the Minister of the occupied Territories from 1998 to 1999. From 1999 to 2004, he was the representative of the Polisario Front in Spain. In 2008, he was appointed an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. In January 2016, he was appointed in charge of Secretariat of Political Organization of the Polisario Front, a position he held until his election the Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Republic on July 9, 2016. Ibrahim Ghali is the third Secretary General of the Polisario Front, following the two martyrs, El-Wali Mustafa Sayed and Mohamed Abdelaziz. (SPS) 062/090 Dakhla (refugee camps), July 9, 2016 (SPS) - The representatives of Algerian political class, who participated in the extraordinary congress of the Polisario Front, called on the international community to find a solution to the just cause of the Sahrawi people and to take urgent actions to protect human rights in the occupied territories. The head of the Algerian-Sahrawi parliamentary friendship group, Saida Bounab, underlined the urgent need to hold a free referendum, which would allow the Sahrawi people exercise their right to self-determination. The Algerian MP called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take urgent actions to end human rights abuses in the Sahrawi territories occupied by Morocco. "The natural resources of Western Sahara belong to Sahrawi people," she stressed. For his part, the representative of the National Liberation Front (FLN), Sadek Bouguetaya, denounced "the grave violations against Sahrawi people on their occupied territories," and called on the international community to take urgent actions to protect human rights in those regions." The representative of the National Militancy Front (FMN), Abdallah Haddad, said that Polisario Front's extraordinary congress, which coincides with the celebration of the 54th anniversary of Algeria Independence," is an opportunity to mobilize all resources to continue the struggle for the independence of Western Sahara." (SPS) 062/090/700 South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 am Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. By Reuters: North Korea fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday but it appears to have failed soon after launch, South Korea's military said. The launch comes at the end of a week of sharply rising tensions on the peninsula. It is only a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an advanced anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after North Korea warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. advertisement That followed Washington's blacklisting of the isolated state's leader Kim Jong Un for alleged human rights abuses. The South's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The missile was likely fired from a submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs said. Neighbouring Japan, the United States, and South Korea's military condemned the missile launch as a flagrant violation of U.N. sanctions. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile's engine successfully ignited but the projectile soon exploded in mid-air at a height of about 10 km (6 miles), and covered not more than a few kilometers across the water. The South's military declined to confirm those details citing its policy of not publicly commenting on intelligence matters. The missile was detected in the sea southeast of the North Korean city of Sinpo, South Korea's military said. Satellite images indicate Pyongyang is actively trying to develop its submarine-launched ballistic missile programme in this area, according to experts. The U.S. Strategic Command, whose mission is to detect and prevent strategic attacks against the United States and its allies, said it had detected what it believed was a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It was fired from North Korea's east coast port of Sinpo and then fell into the sea between there and Japan, the command said in a statement. ABE CONDEMNS Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the Japan, South Korea and the South's main ally, the United States. The missile launch is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters. advertisement Abe said the launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security. The U.S. said it was monitoring and assessing the situation in close coordination with its regional allies and partners. "We strongly condemn North Korea's missile test in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, which explicitly prohibit North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology," said Gabrielle Price, spokeswoman for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. "These actions, and North Korea's continued pursuit of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities, pose a significant threat to the United States, our allies, and to the stability of the greater Asia-Pacific," she added. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in March for its nuclear test and rocket launch. North Korea rejects the sanctions as infringement of its sovereignty and its right to space exploration. Late last month, North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile to a high altitude before it plunged into the sea after covering 400 km in the direction of Japan, South Korean military officials said. That was widely seen as a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. advertisement South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system with the U.S. military in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China, Pyongyang's sole major ally. Pyongyang last conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it a "great success" that provided "one more means for powerful nuclear attack," although it had not had a successful SLBM test flight. A report on 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., said in May that North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile program is making progress, but it was unlikely to become operational before 2020. Also Read: North Korea: We won't abandon nukes with US gun to our head Second North Korea missile flies 400 km after earlier test fails: South Korea Pakistan selling nuclear material to North Korea, China knows it: US sources Indian intelligence agencies tracking Pakistan-North Korea nuclear trade --- ENDS --- advertisement This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD With major changes to a subsidy program under way, Davette Stephens is worried for the future of her day care business and low-income families who depend on the funds. Stephens, whose day care serves about 15 families, said the states decision to tighten eligibility requirements for new program applicants and stop awarding new subsidies next month, with limited exceptions, will drastically affect her business. Without having new enrollment after these families leave, it may cause me to let go of staff or eventually even close the day care, said Stephens, co-owner of Just a Helping Hand in Stamford. Stephens said effects will be felt beyond her business. All her clients benefit from the program, known as Care 4 Kids, which subsidizes child care and preschool for low-income families. Parents unable to afford child care wont be able to work, leading to a higher unemployment rate and increased need for state assistance. Or it will push more children into unregulated day care, where quality cannot be ensured. The recent changes were prompted by new federal requirements that will raise the quality of Care 4 Kids but increase the cost, according to the state Office of Early Childhood. Specifically, families now can participate in the program for an entire year rather than having to re-apply after eight months, as is currently required, and it is more difficult to eliminate households from the program. More Information Changes as of now The following changes are in effect for the Care 4 Kids program as of July 1, 2016: Income eligibility for new families changes from less than 50 percent of the state median income to a maximum of 30 percent. Based on the current SMI for a family of three, annual household income eligibility would be reduced from $44,601 to $26,760. Families currently holding a Care 4 Kids certificate, at their 12-month redetermination, will still requalify as long as their household income remains under 50 percent of SMI. As of Aug. 1, applications will be taken but no new subsidies will be awarded to working families until further notice. Income eligible families will be put on a waiting list. There are exceptions. Families that are on temporary assistance, who have received assistance within the last five years or who are teen parents, remain eligible for the child care subsidy. What to do? The state Office of Early Childhood's advice for families shut out by the new system is to call the Childcare 2-1-1 hotline to find openings in other programs such as the federal Headstart program and the state's school readiness programs. See More Collapse But because of those improvements, Connecticut, which is struggling to balance its budget, would have had to find an additional $33 million on top of the $120 million in combined state and federal dollars already budgeted for Care 4 Kids. The state now subsidizes 12,900 families. The initial plan was to change eligibility requirements for all program participants, existing and new. Instead of being eligible when a family of three falls under 50 percent of the states median income $44,601 the department placed the cutoff at 30 percent, or $26,700 a year. Letters went out to some 4,000 families telling them they would no longer be eligible. That threw parents like Herb Prince of Stamford into a panic. I started freaking out, he said. I didnt know what I was going to do. Early last month, several parents and day care directors hosted a regional forum on the subject. Many affected by the changes attended. So did lawmakers who said they were not made aware of the shortfall. Within days, the state made a reversal. Existing families are allowed to stay, new applicants as of July 1 must meet the new income limit 30 percent of the state median and as of Aug. 1, all applicants regardless of income, with very limited exceptions, will be put on a waiting list. Maggie Adair, a spokeswoman for the Office of Early Childhood, doesnt know how long the freeze will last. We will be monitoring it monthly, she said. The state had been getting about 700 new applicants a month who qualified for subsidies under the old income limits. Adair said the decision was based on a lot of thought. This was not a choice we wanted to make, she said. Prince, a single parent who works as a full-time building supervisor, said cutting child-care subsidies from low-income families is a horrible way to balance a state budget. Losing his child-care subsidy of more than $500 a month for his 16-month-old son terrified him. And others. Erica Borgen, another single parent in Stamford, said Care 4 Child covers more than 60 percent of her day care costs. Honestly, when I heard what they were trying to do, it did scare me, she said. Its very rough being a single parent in this world. The economy is horrible, and its definitely very stressful. Some state lawmakers believe it is an issue the legislature may have to take up before the next session, budget crisis or no. We dont want families forced into welfare, said state Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton. We want them to go out and make a living and be independent. It's better for them. Its better for the children and all around healthier for our economy. Boucher said lawmakers were not made aware of the shortfall before the end of the session. One GOP budget that was rejected included an urban agenda that actually increased the income threshold for working mothers to qualify for child care subsidies. There will be a lot of discussion about it, Boucher said. We will work hard to find places, other places, where we can find savings. Stephens, the day care owner, said the changes could hurt children at a crucial time in their lives. I dont understand how were trying to promote better education for younger kids and then we cut it right off at the beginning, she said. Day care businesses play an important role, she said. Were not just babysitters, she said. Were educators. A n Instagrammer who has already gained a cult following for his crafty paper cut-out photographs of London landmarks has now turned his attention to iconic cityscapes across the globe. Rich McCor, whos known as @paperboyo on Instagram, is known for his unique style of photography that involves using paper figures to transform popular destinations into amusing vignettes. His work, which has captured the attention of photographers and travel-lovers alike, has now taken him to far flung destinations such as New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. I'd created a series of photos with cutouts in London last year that I posted on my Instagram, Rich told the Evening Standard. I was lucky enough that people shared them around which led to a range of offers with brands and tourist boards this year. "It's been a really exciting six months of travel and pushing my creativity to invent ideas for my style of photography. His latest series includes spectacular photographs of a Spiderman silhouette hanging from a skyscraper in New York, a Lego man constructed from the Arc De Triomphe in Paris and a statue of Caesar at the famous Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas taking a photo with a selfie stick. One of the most striking photographs depicts the Statue of Liberty triumphantly weightlifting against a sunny sky, taken using a duplicate of the statue which sits in the New York-New York Resort in Las Vegas. I'd tried the concept on the real statue in New York but couldn't quite make the illusion work, says McCoy, so when I went to Vegas I re-designed the cutout and managed to get a shot I was pretty happy with outside the resort. The more frustrating the effort, the better it feels when I see other people smile at the result. McCoy says that he owes a lot of his success to Instagram, praising the platform for allowing photographers to express their creativity to a large and varied audience. He says: I only started my instagram because I was looking for an account that stood out against the selfies, pictures of dinner and hot dog legs. Since I joined I've found quite a few other artists and photographers on instagram who are doing really well too - it's a brilliant platform for people to find an audience for their creativity. McCoy says he would like to shoot Dubai next because it has plenty of quirky architecture that would suit my style and Hawaii to develop some ideas around the stunning landscape there. Follow us on Twitter: @eslifeandstyle D uring this week in 2005, 52 lives were lost in the worst terrorist attack on British soil in history. The 7/7 bombings, which saw three suicide bombers detonated devices on three tube trains at 8.49am and, an hour later, a bomb tore apart a bus at Tavistock Square, took place 11 years ago this week. During this week in 1936, Fred Perry reached the mens Wimbledon finals for the third successive year. This week in London trawls the archives to bring you the key events that have taken place in the capital during the past century. London Live's Toby Earle takes a look back at some of the highlights from the last week of June. He finishes with the Tour de France race over Tower Bridge in 2007. T his is the moment robbers brandishing a sawn-off shotgun threaten terrified staff at a south east London Co-op shop before fleeing with cash from the till. CCTV captured Scott Smith and Paul Brown charging into the Orpington store before a gun was pointed at two young cashiers. They then grabbed 200 in cash from the till before making their escape. The raid on February 13 was one of three armed robberies the pair carried out in the Bromley area. Raid: A sawn-off shotgun was brandished at young cashiers / Met Police They first targeted a post office on Crofton Road in Orpington on December 8 last year, when Brown, 38, brandished a handgun and threatened the staff. As he waved the weapon, Smith, 38, pushed a bag under the security screen and demanded that staff fill it with 695. Their second robbery took place later that month at a newsagent in the very same road. This time, Smith was armed with what is believed to have been a sawn-off shotgun and 400 was swiped. Danger to the public: Paul Brown / Met Police During each raid, Smith and Brown, who are both unemployed, wore a combination of hats and glasses to disguise themselves. Convicted: Scott Smith / Met Police This week, Smith, from Grantham in LIncolnshire, and Brown, of Isabella Drive, Orpington, were found guilty of three counts of armed robbery. They will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on August 12. Detective Sergeant Gary Ferguson, of the Met's Flying Squad, said: We were determined to catch Smith and Brown quickly as their crimes included serious threats of extreme violence towards innocent members of the public. I am delighted that the danger they posed to public safety has now been averted by their imprisonment. I have no doubt that, had they not been arrested so quickly, they would have gone on to commit further offences. F orensic officers have combed an area in north London after a teenager claimed she was raped in a terrifying attack. The girl, aged in her late teens, reported she was pushed to the ground by two men and raped by one of them in grassland off Leisure Way in East Finchley. The attack was said to have taken place between 11.45pm on Wednesday and 12.30am on Thursday. Detectives from the Mets sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command confirmed they are investigating the allegation. Earlier today, police conducted a fingertip search of an area of grass off Leisure Way, near the High Road, while a forensics tent was set up nearby. Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting reference 2416009/16. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 C hildren as young as four carried out sex attacks in London in the past year. They were among 126 crimes committed by children under 10 years old in London during the 2015/16 financial year. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed children as young as four had been responsible for a range of serious crimes - including sex attacks, arson and GBH. In total, police recorded 16 sex offences committed by children aged between four and nine-years-old - with a quarter of the crimes being carried out by four-year-olds. There were two incidents of arson, one carried out by an eight-year-old, and one by a nine-year-old, while two children, aged seven and nine, were caught with offensive weapons. Five children were responsible for GBH or wounding, including one who was just five-years-old, and two children, aged eight and nine, were responsible for robberies. Loading.... In total, 54 children committed violent offences, while 15 were found to be responsible for thefts, and 28 for criminal damage. The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10, meaning children aged nine and under cannot be arrested or charged with a crime. Other punishments that can be given to children under 10 who break the law, include a Local Child Curfew, or a Child Safety Order, which are issued to children 10 years of age and under whose behaviour is deemed anti-social. Children under 10 who break the law regularly can also be taken into care, or their parents could be held responsible. In response to the figures, Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: Its important to understand that when very young children come into contact with the police, it is not a criminal matter but a welfare issue. Agencies other than the police are far better placed to resolve matters and ensure very young children are supported so that they do not grow up in trouble with the law. We should also be very wary of these figures however, as we should not presume these children would be found responsible for anything in circumstances where adults are innocent until proven guilty. Ultimately, none of these children have committed crimes because they are under the age of criminal responsibility. If anything the minimum age in England and Wales is far too low, and indeed is much lower than in almost all other countries in Europe." An NSPCC spokesman added: Children accused of sexual offences have often been victims of abuse, harm and trauma themselves. "Exposure to this can make them think abusing someone or being sexually violent is OK. The ever-growing availability of online porn is also having a de-sensitising effect on many children, with some wanting to copy what they see. "If we are to tackle this growing problem and protect young victims, more needs to be done to identify and treat children who might commit offences." T his is the moment two brazen thieves rode off with a pair of Brompton bikes that they snatched from outside an east London pub in broad daylight. The pair struck in Church Street, Stoke Newington, after husband and wife Walter Dorninger and Ji Young Kim had left the bikes chained up outside the Three Crowns pub. The couple had put their bicycles, which cost upwards of 800 each, on a bike rack while they visited a nearby park. They chained the bikes up at about 2.30pm on July 2, and within ten minutes the opportunist criminals struck. CCTV footage from the pub shows the pair, a man and a woman, taking the bikes. The man, clad in a distinctive orange bobble hat and blue jacket, loiters near to the bicycles, before moving in and removing the locks. His accomplice, a woman dressed in dark clothing, stands beside him appearing to keep a lookout. Once the male thief has managed to cut the bikes free, the pair then grab one each and ride away. Mrs Kim, a designer who lives with her husband in Golders Green, told the Standard the couple "couldn't believe it" when they returned to the street, which is just off Stoke Newington High Street, to find the bikes gone. The 39-year-old said: "We parked and went to the park nearby and we came back and they were gone. "We just couldn't believe it, it was in the high street, it was very bright. "They were just gone, but other bikes were parked there. "We saw there was some CCTV in the pub so we went in and asked and the CCTV pointed towards the bike rack. "The manager gave us the footage and ten minutes after we parked they came and grabbed them." Mrs Kim said she and her 40-year-old consultant husband used the bikes regularly. "It's a Brompton," she said. "A folding one, so whenever we'd go camping, or travelling we'd use them." Mrs Kim said she had uploaded the footage to YouTube in the hope that someone would recognise the thieves. Anyone with information is asked to call police in Hackney Borough via 101 quoting ref 4616908/16. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. H uge crowds of people have taken to the streets of London in pro-European rallies. Pro-Europe protesters descended on Downing Street today to campaign for Britain to remain part of the EU in a Stand Up for Europe rally. Others met at an anti-Brexit picnic in Green Park to display solidarity with Europe. Aiming to be the biggest picnic London has ever seen, the people discussed different proposals on what to do following the referendum. Anti-Brexit: Green Park picnic / General Assembly A spokesman for the event told the Standard: Its a really interesting thing, were got some important proposals to discuss and its an important time following the referendum." The spokesman added that the 11 proposals to be discussed included creating a pro-European movement and even suing the Brexit faction, as well as discussing a second vote. He said: I think it makes sense, the last thing Id want is some underhanded way to undermine people but equally it would make a mockery of democracy if we were to go forward with it with people at the time not wanting it. I think for a lot of people theres been a strong level of significant exaggeration from the Leave campaign. "Following Brexit, we need to make sure we're protected." The Foreign Office today rejected a petition signed by more than 4.1 million people to have a second referendum. In a statement, they said: "The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. " S cuffles have broken out as hundreds of protesters brought Brixton to a standstill during a Black Lives Matter protest. A bus driver was reportedly punched by one protester as he was being ushered away by police officers after an apparent derogatory remark towards crowds. Police confirmed a man had been led away by officers but added no arrest had been made. Drivers have been stuck in the town centre for more than two hours on Saturday afternoon causing diversions to be set up on more than a dozen bus routes. Confrontations at Black Lives Matter protest in Brixton It comes as protesters marched through the town and staged a sit down protest in Brixton High Street after it began in Windrush Square. Demonstrators gathered in Brixton on Saturday in protest at the fatal high-profile shootings in the US / PA Some protesters cheered as one man shouted through a loudspeaker "we have locked down Brixton". Lockdown: Protesters staged a sit down demonstration during the afternoon / PA Hundreds of people have gathered in the town in memory of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile who were killed by police in the US earlier this week. Brixton Road was partially blocked as demonstrators marched to Brixton police station, chanting no justice, no peace and hands up, dont shoot. Vincent Lee, 37, and his partner Jessica Osibona came to the march as a mark of solidarity of the events in the US over the past week. Mr Lee said: "It is a mess. Predominantly it is happening in America with their gun laws but we came down to show we are united with them." He added: "It is hard because I'm mixed. I've got white family members too. The officers who got killed in Dallas, they've got families too." Ms Osibona said she felt "compelled" to join the protest having followed the Black Lives Matter movement over the past year. She said: "I was looking for some kind of inspiration as to what we can do collectively." However, a councillor said the event was an excuse for some people to look for trouble which had marred the peaceful protest. Lambeth Labour member Mohammed Seedat tweeted: Some people looking for trouble in what was a peaceful #blacklivesmatter #brixton march. No need for this affecting ordinary mothers & kids A series of Black Lives Matter protests have been organised in London in the wake of the high-profile killings. An event was held in central London last night with another due to take place in Oxford Circus tomorrow. Additional reporting by Press Association H undreds of protestors gathered in Brixton today, in memory of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile who were killed by police in the US earlier this week. The vigil in south London this afternoon saw hundreds of protesters gather in Windrush Square, holding banners with the hashtag Black Lives Matter. Brixton Road was partially blocked as demonstrators marched to Brixton police station, chanting no justice, no peace and hands up, dont shoot. Organised by the Black London Revolutionaries group, the protest began around 4pm in Windrush Square, before marching towards Brixton police station. Several hundred protestors attended in one of a series of demonstrations planned to take place across the UK, following the deaths of black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, whose deaths were filmed on mobile phones and footage was widely circulated online. The protest follows a demonstration in Oxford Street yesterday, which sought to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the US. Black Lives Matter protest in Oxford Street Since the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were killed following altercations with police officers in the US earlier this week, stars Beyonce and Drake have written open letters calling for an end to this plague of injustice in our communities. Another protest is expected to take place in London on Sunday, beginning in Oxford Circus at 10am. A magician who impaled his hand on a six inch nail when a live trick backfired has launched a fundraising campaign to save the venue where it happened. Kyle Wallace has set up a Crowdfunder appeal to support the Arch 1 theatre in West Ham after it suffered catastrophic flooding damage. Bosses at the club said the venue was submerged in more than two feet of water as a result of heavy rainfall and the clubs insurance cannot cover the full extent of the damage. In November, Mr Wallace hit the headlines at the theatre when he accidentally drove a nail through his hand in front of a live audience Kyle Wallace in A&E with the nail embedded in his hand He has set a target to raise 20,000 by July 21 which has so far attracted almost 8,000 in donations. And he has also pledged to perform more dangerous tricks for every 1,000 raised until the goal is reached. Founder: Robert Clarke opened the club under a motorway arch in West Ham in 2008 / Faye Jackson A theatre spokeswoman said: Its a real testament to Kyles love for Arch1 that he is prepared to potentially put himself through such pain again. Its also a real testament to the loyalty and love Arch1 inspires. Arch 1 owner Robert Clarke opened the venue, which has hosted comedy, film and music performances, under a motorway arch in 2008. C onservative leadership candidate Stephen Crabb allegedly sent a string of lewd messages to a young woman while campaigning on strong family values. The married Work and Pensions Secretary was reportedly engaged in sexually explicit messages in the run-up to the EU referendum. The exchanges were sent to the Times newspaper by a source who was concerned by hypocrisy after Mr Crabb based his failed Tory leadership bid on being a family man with values. In one message, allegedly sent last month, he told the young woman he wanted to kiss her everywhere and begged her to call him. He also apparently described in detail a sex act he wanted to perform, to which the woman asked him what he was going to do about his downstairs situation. Stephen Crabb launches campaign for Tory leadership The MP is said to have met the woman several years ago through his political work and became close to her after messaging her through WhatsApp. Mr Crabb also reportedly told the woman that MPs were risk takers and that they faced a toxic mix of adrenaline, attention and time away from their families. When asked about his behaviour, Mr Crabb made no comment but did defend his remarks about the risk-taking habits of MPs. He said: Ive got nothing to add to that. I mean thats true observation, isnt it? Mr Crabb met his wife Beatrice Monnier while studying at university in Bristol. They married soon after they graduated and she works in his constituency office in Pembrokeshire. On Wednesday, Mr Crabb withdrew from the Tory leadership contest and backed frontrunner Theresa May after he finished fourth in the opening ballot. During his leadership bid he joked there are different ways you can become a household name. Im doing it the right way hopefully. A ngry neighbours have hit out at police after caravans moved onto Stoke Newington Common a month after a group of travellers were evicted. Residents in Hackney say they are outraged after two vehicles, a white caravan and silver van, parked on the land at around 2pm on Saturday. It comes after a long-running battle to remove travellers from the site, which resulted in Hackney Council taking legal action to remove a group. Police were called and confirmed they have attended but no order has been issued for the new vehicles to move on. One resident, who did not want to be named, said: The police seem very concerned about not upsetting the travellers but who is supposed to look after us. Complaints: residents complained to the council, police and MP Diane Abbott about the group's presence / @minshackney1 The residents feel their wishes are not being respected. This is not a campsite its a public common and these vehicles are being driven onto the park while young children are playing. It is so dangerous. It looks like we will have to wait until Monday to raise it with the council. The resident claimed one the vehicles pictured today was at the site last month Neighbours living near the common said their lives had been plagued by loud music, bonfires and people urinating in front of children when the travellers were there previously. They said music blared from the common during parties held at weekends that lasted several hours into the morning and that vans drove on the land while children played. Tweets demanding action against the group were sent to the council, police and Hackney MP Diane Abbott. Last month, the council announced a court order had been granted giving the travellers 48 hours to leave the common. A police spokesman told the Standard they are aware of the latest vehicles on the common and are monitoring the situation. A woman has died after she was struck by a train at Romford station. British Transport Police were called to the station shortly before 6pm to reports a woman had fallen from the platform. Paramedics also attended but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said the death is currently being treated as non-suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner. The train involved was running from London Liverpool Street to Norwich. A BTP spokesman said the line was back in use at 7.10pm. A petition signed by 4.1 million people calling for a second EU referendum has been rejected by the Government. The petition had been the most popular ever published on the Governments website, with record numbers signing up and crashing the site within hours of its appearance. But, in an official reply, the Foreign Office has dashed their hopes of a re-run of the vote. They wrote: The European Union Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015, receiving overwhelming support from Parliament. The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout." Londoners react to Brexit: 'I'm upset, disappointed and disgusted' The reply went on: "As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 27 June, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say. The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations. Gibraltar residents in limbo after Brexit The petition was set up by a Brexit supporter before the poll was held, who then complained it had been hijacked by disappointed Remain voters. It had called on the Government to introduce a rule that, if the vote was less than 60 per cent to either side, based on a turnout less than 75 per cent, there should be another referendum. A ngela Eagle will stand against Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership and is due to outline her plans on Monday. The MP said she will confirm a bid for the leadership on Monday morning, claiming she will "explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make". Ms Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, thanked Tom Watson, Parliamentary Labour Party chairman John Cryer, chief whip Rosie Winterton and the union movement for trying to find a solution to the crisis. She described Mr Corbyn as "a leader who has failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty, that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party that can both hold the Government to account and demonstrate we are ready to form a government in the event of a general election." In Profile: Angela Eagle to announce Labour leadership bid A spokesman for the party leader said he would fight any challenge. He said: "Jeremy Corbyn has reached out to Labour MPs and made clear he wants to work with them to carry out his role as elected leader of the party. "Jeremy regards the talks with trade union leaders as a vehicle to bring people together, and it is disappointing that some have walked away from them. "Jeremy is committed to fulfilling all his responsibilities as democratically elected leader and will not betray the hundreds of thousands of people who elected him for a different direction for the Labour Party and a different kind of politics. Angela Eagle: Corbyn has to go "He continues to be fully committed to working with the Parliamentary Labour Party and is ready to talk with as many people as necessary to assist that process, discussing policy initiatives and listening to ideas. Eagle repeats Corbyn warning "He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted." Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson had earlier pulled out of peace talks with the trade unions aimed at breaking the deadlock between Mr Corbyn and his MPs because "there is no realistic prospect of reaching a compromise" while the leader remained determined to stay in place. Mr Corbyn, who was attending the Durham Miners' Gala, urged colleagues to unite in opposition to the Government. TODO: define component type apester He told Sky News: "Our union colleagues, who do a great deal to support the party and whose members do a great deal to support the party at ground level, want our party to come together, want our party to come together to oppose what the Tories are doing. "I urge all my colleagues to listen very carefully to them and indeed come together to oppose what this Government is doing to the most vulnerable within our society." Additional reporting by the Press Association. By PTI: From Fakir Hassen Pietermaritzburg (SA), Jul 9 (PTI) Reliving Mahatma Gandhis historic train journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today travelled to a railway station where the Father of the Nation was thrown out of a train compartment, an incident that proved to be a turning point in his fight against racial discrimination in South Africa. On the second day of his South Africa visit, Modi boarded a wood-panelled carriage at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg railway station where an young Gandhi was ejected from a train in 1893 for refusing to obey an order to move from a first-class compartment to a third-class one because of his race. advertisement "This is the place where the seed was laid for Mohandas (Karamchand Gandhi) to start the journey of the Mahatma," Modi told reporters at the Pietermaritzburg railway station. The incident on June 7, 1893 had strongly influenced Gandhis decision to fight racial discrimination in South Africa and later the freedom struggle in India. Paying glowing tribute to Gandhi, the Prime Minister said the visit to South Africa was like a pilgrimage as he was visiting places which were linked to Indias history and life of the Father of the Nation. "My visit to South Africa has become like a pilgrimage a pilgrimage to me as I have got the opportunity to visit all the three places that are significant to Indian history and Mahatma Gandhis life," said Modi. Modi also visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded at Pietermaritzburg. Writing in the visitors book at the station, Modi said the incident at Pietermaritzburg had altered the course of Indias history. The Prime Minister also inaugurated an exhibition at the waiting hall of the railway station where Gandhi had spent the night after being thrown out of the train. On the fateful winter night, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold. (more) PTI MPB NSA --- ENDS --- T he favourite to replace Nigel Farage as leader of Ukip has announced he is stepping down as deputy leader. Paul Nuttall has ruled himself out of the race to succeed Mr Farage and announced he will stand down from his current position. Like his ex-leader, Mr Nuttall said he had achieved his objectives following the Brexit vote. The North West England MEP said he would keep his seat in the European Parliament to "hold the Government's feet to the fire" during the talks on leaving the EU. Nigel Farage resigns as UKip leader Speaking at the party's North West conference in Liverpool, he said: "I have been at the forefront of the campaign to leave the European Union for a decade now, and I believe I can step aside with my objective achieved and my head held high. "I would like to thank all of those who have supported Ukip over the years and who will continue to do so. Leave wins EU referendum - in pictures 1 /30 Leave wins EU referendum - in pictures David Cameron announces his resignation outside Number 10 Downing Street Stefan Wermuth/Reuters David and Samantha Cameron outside Downing Street as the PM announces his decision to stand down Stefan Wermuth/Reuters Boris Johnson leaves home following the stunning EU referendum result Lucy Young A triumphant Nigel Farage near the Houses of Parliament Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn MP, leader of the Labour Party, is followed by journalists as he walks towards the Houses of Parliament Rob Stothard/Getty Images London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to the media after Britain voted for Brexit Matt Writle Leave supporters cheer results at a Leave.eu party after polling stations closed in the Referendum on the European Union in London Toby Melville/Reuters Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall Rob Stothard/PA Vote LEAVE supporter Christine Forrester celebrates with others outside Vote Leave HQ Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images Supporters of the Stronger In campaign look dejected as results come in Rob Stothard/AFP/Getty Images The Houses of Parliament as dawn breaks on London after the vote Rob Stothard/Getty Images Stronger in campaigners look dejected after the result Leave supporters celebrate opposite the Houses of Parliament in London Anthony Devlin/PA Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home this morning Rob Stothard/Getty Images A man reacts to a vote count results screen at an 'Leave.EU Referendum Party' in London Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at the Royal Festival Hall Rob Stothard/PA UKIP Leader Nigel Farage at the Leave.EU party in London as he claimed victory Stefan Rousseau/PA A London taxi driver holds a Union flag, as he celebrates following the result of the EU referendum Toby Melville Traders react to the fast moving Euro results at ETX Capital in the City of London this morning Chris Gorman/Evening Standard People gathered in The Churchill Tavern, a British themed bar, react as the BBC predicts Briatin will leave the European Union, in the Manhattan borough of New York Andrew Kelly/Reuters Traders monitor computer screens with the day's exchange rate at a foreign exchange brokerage at a securities firm in Tokyo Eugene Hoshiko/AP Conservative MP Nigel Evans (left) and UKIP's Paul Nuttall, members of the Vote Leave campaign, celebrate at Manchester Town Hall where the national result in the UK referendum will be declared later Peter Byrne/PA Traders react to the fast moving Euro results at ETX Capital in the City of London this morning Chris Gorman/Evening Standard "I will stay in my role as deputy leader of the party until our national conference, when I will stand down from that role. "I will however remain leader of the Ukip delegation of MEPs in the European Parliament so that I can continue to hold the Government's feet to the fire during the Brexit negotiations." P olice have intensified a search for a missing lynx after pictures emerged of the predator relaxing on a nearby farm. Oficers have warned members of the public not to approach the two-year-old Carpathian Lynx, named Flaviu, as it may become aggressive. Schools and nurseries near Dartmoor Zoo were placed on lockdown after the beast dug its way out of its enclosure on Thursday morning. A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said: "If members of the public sight it they should call 999 immediately. "The animal should not be approached as it could become dangerous if alarmed or cornered." A police helicopter joined the search for the missing carnivore, which is around the same size as a labrador, yesterday. Officers are still in the area conducting door-to-door enquiries. A Dartmoor Zoo spokesman added: "He is extremely timid and his instinct will be to stay away from people, so we are asking the public to be vigilant and inform the police on 999 if they see him." T in the Park revellers have been urged to dump their drugs in special amnesty bins set up at the site after two teenagers died. Bosses at the music festival said anyone ditching the banned substances in the dedicated zones will not get into trouble. The move follows the deaths of two teenagers at this year's event. The male and female festival-goers - both aged 17 and who have not been formally named by the authorities - died as Scotland's biggest music event got under way at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire. They have been named locally as Peter MacCallum from Lochgilphead, Argyll, and Megan Bell from the north of England. Police Scotland said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths. Officers are looking at the possibility that they were drug-related. A tweet issued by festival organisers said: "Dump your drugs. Amnesty bins are now in the campsite at welfare. Bin them and you won't be in any trouble. Festivalgoers at T in the Park 2016 "Look after each other. If you or your friends feel unwell, get help right away from any festival staff. "There's no safe way to take drugs. Don't take the risk." Festival director Geoff Ellis said they are doing all they can to help police with their investigation. "We remain focused on delivering a safe, enjoyable event for the rest of the fans onsite and we thank them for their positive attitude," he said in a statement. Tributes have been paid online to the teenagers. Ruth Bond wrote on Twitter: "Absolutely wiped, poor girl taken far too soon. RIP Megan, hearts go out to her family and friends xxx." Callum Talbot said Megan was "such a lovely lass and gone too soon". Ellena Davies wrote: "RIP to one of my longest friends Peter MacCallum, so heartbreaking to witness something so horrible." Officers have warned people against taking illegal substances. Chief Superintendent Angela McLaren said: "We are continuing to investigate these deaths and are following lines of inquiry, including the possibility that they may be drug-related. I would remind all persons attending the festival that there is no safe way of taking drugs. "Anyone who has any concerns for themselves or others at the festival should contact festival staff, police officers or medics for assistance." Meanwhile, police have appealed for information after a cash machine was stolen from the festival's main arena sometime between midnight on Thursday and 7am on Friday. The ATM contained a "significant" amount of cash, officers said, as they asked any witnesses to come forward. More than 80,000 revellers are expected over the weekend, with a line-up which includes Calvin Harris and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Additional reporting by the Press Association. A Japanese man and a Spaniard were gored this morning on the third day of the Pamplona bull-running festival - while a man died at a similar event near Alicante. The week-long San Fermin festival in northern Spain sees bulls chase red-scarved runners through the streets of the town. A 33-year-old Japanese man was gored in the chest and a 24-year-old Spanish man in the arm, while 12 others suffered minor injuries, the local government said on its website. The Spaniard's injury was classed as "less serious". The local hospital declined to comment on the Japanese man's condition, although the local Red Cross office said he had been taken there in an ambulance. Bull-running festival begins A video published on Instagram appeared to show at least two people falling and being trampled on by the animals. The four-minute run featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners. Many Spanish towns hold festivals involving bulls during the summer. San Fermin is the most famous internationally and attracts thousands of revellers, many from as far afield as the United States and Australia. Meanwhile, a man has died after being gored in a bull run near the southern Spanish city of Alicante. The incident occurred at about 1am this morning during late-night festivities in the small village of Pedreguera. A heifer gored the 29-year-old, from Valencia, through the thorax and abdomen, the Red Cross said. The man was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead about an hour later. Alicante has suspended all bull-related festivities for the day. Last year, another man also died after being gored during one of its bull runs. Additional reporting by the Press Association. A Spanish award-winning matador has become the first bullfighter to die in the ring this century after he was gored to death live on television in front of horrified spectators. Victor Barrio, 29, was killed when a bulls horn pierced his chest in full view of bystanders as he competed in a fight in Tereul, in the eastern region of Aragon. His shocking death was shown live on television and confirmed on the website of Madrids Las Ventas bullring, where he began as an apprentice in 2010. Local media reported the 29-year-old rolled to the ground after a painful somersault as he was gored while attempting a maneuverer. He was pronounced dead at hospital. Bull-running festival begins His death is the latest in a number of bullfighting tragedies after a 28-year-old Spaniard was killed during a bull-run in the village of Pedreguer near Valencia. Victor Barrio is carried from the bullring after being gored during a fight / EPA/Antonio Garcia A bulls horn pierced his lung and heart as he attempted to help another runner during an event in which another man was killed last year. Elsewhere, at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, a 33-year-old Japanese man was gored in the chest and a 24-year-old Spanish man in the arm during a run on Saturday. A dozen other people suffered minor injuries, government officials confirmed. The Japanese man was in a stable condition in hospital, a spokesman for the festival said. The four-minute run in Pamplona featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners. The daily bull-run along an 825-metre stretch of narrow streets in Pamplona's old town starts at 8am and usually lasts between three and five minutes. There are eight runs in total during the festival. Over the past century 15 people have died in Pamplona's event, which dates back hundreds of years, according to a count on the unofficial San Fermin website. The last death was recorded in 2009. Additional reporting by Reuters By PTI: Bengaluru, Jul 9 (PTI) Laying emphasis on strengthening the federal set up of the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said political leaders should not only play politics to form government, but also build the nation. "If you were first to introduce startup policy, I am happy. Why? Because we are in politics not only to form the government, but also to make (build) the country," he said at a gathering at Banquet Hall on Vidhan Soudha (state secretariat) premises here. advertisement "I pray God that all politicians should not only play politics to form the government, but make the country," he added. Singh said "If Karnataka takes an initiative in any work with the spirit of making (building) the country, I think people sitting in Sikkim and North-East will feel happy - politicians will feel happy." "I do not advocate competition of who did the work first, and as far as Bangalore is concerned, the capital of Karnataka, we are proud of Bangalore. Bangalore is not known in India, but also at international level for its intellectual resources," he said. Singh said governments run by all political parties, including Congress, along with other ruling coalitions have worked towards strengthening the countrys federal character, which is why India has attained number one position in terms of attracting foreign direct investment in the world. "All parties and past governments, run even by the Congress and several coalition parties, have made efforts to strengthen the federal structure of the country. Therefore, we have to work together to take the nation forward, and because of this, India has attained number one position in attracting FDI in the world," he said. PTI BDN BN DBS --- ENDS --- Dressed in a white polo t-shirt and navy blue shorts, the future King of England's latest appearance has proved that he is the undisputed champion of all things adorable. The undisputed champion of all things cute has arrived. Photo: AP By India Today Web Desk: Trust the 2-year-old Prince George to turn even the dullest of our afternoons into nothing short of delightful. The junior Royalty who was recently in attendance at the Royal International Air Tattoo--an annual military air show held at Gloucestershire--was every bit his adorable self as he was seen sporting a pair of bright blue ear defenders and getting intimidated by the giant aircrafts around him. Also Read: Taj is very romantic, says Kate Middleton on her visit to Agra advertisement With his doting parents the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton and Prince William by his side, Prince George seemed to be throwing a tantrum that made everyone--including his parents--chuckle. Also Read: Kate Middleton's outfits in Bhutan spelled radiance Dressed in a white polo t-shirt and a pair of navy blue shorts, the future King of England's latest appearance has established that he is the undisputed champion of all things adorable. Here are 5 pictures that prove the same. 1. Prince George's ride for the day Photo: AP Photo: AP Photo: AP Photo: AP Photo: AP Seriously Prince George, stop being so adorable. Will you? --- ENDS --- By PTI: Dehradun, Jul 9 (PTI) Chief Minister Harish Rawat has accepted opposition BJPs "challenge" for an open debate on the sting operation case in which he has been purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy support of disgruntled party MLAs at the time of the recent political crisis in Uttarakhand. "I am ready for an open debate on the issue on a public platform if some of our friends want this," he told reporters here yesterday. advertisement Uttarakhand BJP president Ajay Bhatt had recently dared Rawat to an open debate on the sting CD case. "If the CM has the moral courage he should come to Gandhi Park or to any other public place and debate the sting operation with me before people in general and the media," Bhatt had said in a statement here on Thursday. The BJP leader was reacting to reports in a section of the media here, saying Rawat had given a clarification on the sting operation at his residence before a gathering of people he had invited at a programme called Jan Samwad. The sting CD is currently being investigated by the CBI. Defending his decision to hold a direct dialogue with people in the form of Jan Samwad on the sting CD, Rawat said it was a healthy initiative by the state government. "However, if this has not gone down well with some of our friends, I am ready for an open debate on it on a public forum," he said. PTI ALM KND RT KND --- ENDS --- When Congress put pen to parchment to write the Constitution, they began with We, the people. Decades later in his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln spoke of government of the people, by the people and for the people. The idea that government is the problem, that its evil, that its our enemy that its anything other than what we, the people, make it is a myth of relatively modern origin. For a couple of centuries, Americans understood that laws and elections are what the founding fathers envisioned as constraints on government overreach. We assumed that citizens who were observant, informed, reasonable and civil would reject lunacy and adopt compromises that would accommodate the concerns of people with differing viewpoints. If one side could tolerate the temporary missteps and excesses of the other party, they expected that when the tables turned the other side would be respectfully tolerant of theirs. When representatives strayed too far from our founding principles, the most respected and learned jurists of the land would intervene. We repaired the mistakes of our leaders by electing better leaders. When a national tragedy occurred, we responded with shared grief and reflection. Not anymore. The slaughter in Dallas is already providing fresh ammo for Americas ongoing political derangement. The chief suspect was angry, armed with grievances and a gun. Yes, he hated white people. But he also saw his vengeful ambush during a peaceful protest as an act of warfare against government. In America, thats insanity. It cant be done without gunning down fellow citizens: Freely elected representatives of our constitutional democracy, volunteer troops who risk their own lives to defend our freedoms, police officers who stand by keeping the peace as citizens exercise their constitutional right to protest against the excesses of governance. Advocating that anybody who believes hes oppressed should arm himself against tyranny instead of embracing the patient process of reasonable reform comes with a horrible price. It looks exactly like Dallas. In law-abiding hands, gun are tools with specific uses. Armed insurrection isnt among them. Whatever the founders intended in the Second Amendment, its inconceivable to me that they believed that enemies of elected government of we, the people should be granted unrestrained opportunity to commit criminal or political mayhem. So far, even pro-gun people dont argue that we all should keep and bear anti-aircraft rockets and attack helicopters. If well regulated means anything, it means that somewhere between a nuclear bomb and a big stick exist sensible limits on military-grade weaponry that dont require unconstitutionally disarming the population. Theres a price to pay for setting those limits unwisely, for putting criminals, lunatics and extremists on an equal footing with our police and military, and weve seen it in Sandy Hook, San Bernadino and, now, Dallas. Saner gun policy isnt the only solution. In an era of unfettered communication, we also have to demand truth-based policy, refute dangerous lies and defuse hate. Theres a reason that intelligent, well-educated people reject intolerance and bigotry. They know that throughout human history, people who regard others as inferiors or godless infidels will react by slaughtering them indiscriminately. That people who see all people of another social or cultural class as criminals will dispense with justice and legal process. That people who see police as enemies will shoot them down without regard to their absence of any individual role in perceived abuses. Whenever people hate, innocent people suffer and die. It has to stop. Good people have to stop it. I dont claim to know the answers. Politicians like those Ive respected over the decades thoughtful, informed, independent-minded, courageous rarely make it past the primaries anymore. In fact, the primary process seems to be part of the problem, rewarding candidates who pander to the angry and uninformed and embrace irrational extremes of the right and left. So is a media that focuses more on ratings, poll results, sound bites, viral videos and the girth of celebrity fannies than on matters important to our everyday lives. Other developed nations have figured out how to be successful at education, medicine, mental health, child care, feeding and housing the poor, gun control and other issues, without bankrupting themselves (or their wealthy elites) and without depleting their resources on massive armies, waging endless wars and quashing the dreams and aspirations of future generations. We could start by being more willing to emulate what works and by taking that of the people, by the people and for the people stuff to heart, recognizing that each individual is unique. Wiser governance will require electing thoughtful, informed people to represent us. If we dont reject those who misrepresent our history and traditions and dont reclaim the sensible middle ground, were headed toward a deepening national disaster. The opening shots have already been fired, and weve been so preoccupied with yelling at one another that weve barely heard them. Until now. Were in charge. Its time we started taking our responsibility to govern with the respect and wisdom it deserves. 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By India Today Web Desk: Television actor Rithvik Dhanjani is thankful to god for saving his life almost twice. He was in Uttrakhand recently to shoot for his upcoming reality show Man vs Job; where he got caught in landslides with his team. In a conversation with a leading daily, the actor said, "We were shooting in Uttarakhand and the cloudburst happened seven kms away from us. I was stuck between landslides for almost three hours that night and with the help of the people travelling with us, we manually picked up and threw rocks off the road in the valley to clear the area." advertisement Also Read: Rithvik Dhanjani's surprise performance on India's Best Dramebaaz He also revealed that the moment the roads got cleared they saw another landslide about 15 meters ahead of them. "The locals got a few people and helped us get back to a safer place until the landslides cleared. I think we were pretty close to some serious tragedy. We had no network and were stuck in between landslides with a dangerous terrain in front of us. We were relieved that there was no injury" he said. --- ENDS --- This page may have been moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable. To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. 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By Kumar Vikram: Rural India is spending more on cellphones and cars, indicates a new government survey that underscores aspirational consumption trends in the hinterlands. The study by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) shows how technology is making inroads into villages, against the backdrop of India notching up its billionth mobile phone subscriber in October. RURAL POPULATION EXPENDITURE According to NSSO data, people of rural India spend most on the use of mobile phones and telephones among all services, accounting for 25.33 per cent. This is followed by beauty services at 11.07 per cent and other services, including TV and radio services, tailoring, repair and maintenance, etc. advertisement Rural domestic households also spend 44.71 per cent of their overall expenditure on consumer durables on vehicles. The first-of-its-kind survey on household expenditure on services and durable goods is for the July 2014-to-June 2015 period. In terms of Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) also, the highest amount went to communication services - Rs 36.35 in rural and Rs 102.46 in urban areas. The rural-urban gap has closed when it comes to communication services. While people in the villages spend about 25.33 per cent of their budget on this, urban families are marginally ahead at 26.33 per cent. "It is also because it can be measured easily as compared with spending on other services," said Hemant Upadhyay, who advises voluntary action group Consumer Voice in IT and telecom. "People spend a lot on mobile phones, but, maximum consumption is on data due to availability of multiple services on one platform." MOBILE PHONE USAGE GONE UP Experts are also of the view that the use of mobile phones has gone up in all parts of the country, whether it is rural or urban, with the availability of multiple services. "It is growing as it has become a necessity for all," Upadhyay said. "These days a mobile phone is used for various services, apart from talking. It has also become a source of entertainment for many." For many people in the countryside, a cellphone is only means of accessing the Internet, with smartphones leapfrogging desktops as the most common way of getting online. Upadhyay said the country is still lagging in data services, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India push. "Speed is the main problem. Service providers might claim that they are providing high speeds but the average speed remains around 200-250 kbps. A lot needs to be done in this direction," he added. Rajesh Chharia, president of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPAI), echoed the views. "It is true that the reach of mobile phones has increased in rural parts, but government's policies need to be very friendly to make the dream of Digital India a success," he said. advertisement The NSSO survey says households allocate 23 per cent of their consumption spending on jewellery, apart from ACs, refrigerators and other cooling and electricity generation devices at 7 per cent. A similar pattern was observed in urban areas. MAJOR EXPENDITURE ON VEHICLES Expenditure on purchasing vehicles accounted for a lion's share of the total expenditure on durables, followed by expenses on heating, cooling and electricity generation devices (about 7.9 per cent) and IT and communication devices (7.8 per cent) for enterprises and jewellery for domestic consumption. Speaking on the trend, Rajesh Srivastava, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Hyundai Motors, said, "While vehicles have become necessary for families, a lot of emotional and aspirational values are also attached to them. With increasing purchasing power, people have started spending more on purchasing vehicles. Even in rural parts, due to increase in disposable income, people want to buy vehicles." The study, "Key indicators of household expenditure on services and durable goods", covered 47,535 households in rural areas and 36,065 households in urban areas. Also Read: Agri productivity, urbanisation to drive rural India: Report --- ENDS --- By PTI: Chandigarh, Jul 8 (PTI) A day after India signed an agreement with Mozambique to import pulses from the African country, BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann today said the slogan of Make in India is "hoax, hollow and baseless" without participation of farmers. Instead of entering into agreements with other countries, why doesnt Prime Minister Narendra Modi purchase from Indian farmers, he asked. advertisement Mann, a former RS member, said if Indian farmers are adequately paid for their crops, India will not have to "beg" before other countries for "dals and pulses". As Prime Minister Modi is on a visit to African countries, India and Mozambique signed an agreement yesterday under which India will buy pulses from the African nation to meet its recurring shortfall and contain its prices. "The Indian farmer is hardworking and experienced and has won accolades in agriculture in places like America, Africa, Italy wherever he has settled and adopted agriculture as a profession," the Bharti Kisan Union chief said. However, they are victims of many sanctions and restrictions and they are virtually being treated as a "slave" in this country, he said. The decision to import pulses proves that the slogan of Make in India is only limited to few corporate houses and Modi wants to "inflict a slow death" on the Indian farmers by importing these items from foreign countries rather than encouraging local farmers to produce here, he said. PTI VJ TIR ZMN TIR --- ENDS --- The Supreme Court said there would be no 'blanket immunity' for the armed forces personnel for causing unjustified deaths until it is determined that the killings had occured in genuine encounters or insurgency operations. By Harish V Nair: Campaigners against the "draconian" Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) led by Irom Sharmila got a major boost when the Supreme Court in a landmark direction on Friday said armed forces or police cannot use "excessive or retaliatory force" in even areas declared 'disturbed' where this special Act is applicable. The court was passing directions in a PIL filed in 2012 by the Extra Judicial Executions Victims' Families Association seeking a "probe into 1,528 fake encounter killings in Manipur in the last two decades" by armed forces and Manipur Police. advertisement ARMED FORCES INVOLVED IN KILLING INNOCENTS They alleged a majority of them have been carried out in cold blood while the victims were in custody and allegedly after torturing them. AFSPA is a law enacted in 1958 which gave unbridled powers to the armed forces. Armed forces personnel get the right to shoot to kill based on mere suspicion that it is necessary to do so in order to "maintain public order" in a "disturbed area". "Use of excessive force or retaliatory force by the Manipur Police or the armed forces of the Union is not permissible. As is evident from the Dos and Don'ts and the 10 Commandments of the Chief of Army Staff, the Army believes in this ethos and accepts that this principle would apply even in an area declared as a disturbed area under AFSPA and against militants, insurgents and terrorists. There is no reason why this principle should not apply to the other armed forces of the Union and the Manipur Police", said a bench headed by Justice MB Lokur. 'COLLATE DATA OF ALLEGED FAKE ENCOUNTERS' The court directed Amicus Curiae Maneka Guruswamy (senior lawyer assisting the court) and the petitioners to collate data regarding 1466 cases of alleged fake encounters. She has also been asked to inform status of another 62 encounters which have already been documented. Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike for over 14 years, has become the symbol of protests against alleged army atrocities in Manipur. "If members of our armed forces are deployed and employed to kill citizens of our country on mere allegation or suspicion that they are 'enemy' not only the rule of law but our democracy would be in grave danger. Any allegation of excessive force resulting in the death of any person must be thoroughly enquired into", said the bench. Earlier, damning reports submitted to the Supreme Court by two panels of judges have confirmed that armed forces personnel were involved in rapes and killing of innocent people in Manipur. IDENTICAL PATTERN In April 2013, a commission headed by former SC judge Santosh Hegde inquired into six killings by armed forces and police and found the allegations to be true. It had concluded that seven victims in the six cases, including a 12-year-old boy, did not have criminal antecedents and were not involved in any insurgency-related matter. The report pointed out that four out of these six cases shockingly followed an identical pattern. advertisement DIRECTIONS Amicus Curiae (senior lawyer assisting the court) asked to collate data regarding 1466 cases of alleged fake encounters Amicus also asked to inform status of another 62 encounters which have already been documented Will look into NHRC's complaints that it has become a "toothless tiger" as most of its inquiry/compensation orders not heeded Army allowed to hold court of inquiry into complaints of fake encounter against any personnel WHAT IS AFSPA? A DRACONIAN law enacted in 1958 which gives unbridled powers to the armed forces. Any commissioned officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or any other person of equivalent rank in the armed forces is granted the right to shoot to kill based on mere suspicion that it is necessary to do so in order to "maintain public order" in a "disturbed area". No criminal action can be taken against the officer for his acts. The Introduction to the Act says that it has been enacted to assist state governments which were incapable to maintain internal disturbance. However, the Act has been widely criticised by national and international human rights agencies. advertisement First introduced in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, the Act was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir in July 1990. Also Read: Army can hold inquiry in encounter deaths in Manipur: SC --- ENDS --- By late next year, two empty buildings at a downtown St. Louis streetcorner will be redone as Hotel Indigo St. Louis at the Arch, the project's developer said Friday. "We're full speed ahead," said Neil Kapadia, principal of ViaNova Development, of Chattanooga, Tenn. ViaNova plans an 86-room Hotel Indigo in the LaSalle builidng, at 501 Olive Street, and the adjoining building, at 303 North Broadway, formerly occupied by Paradowski Creative. Kapadia said the remodeled facade of the Paradowski building will be "smoothed" to blend with the front of the LaSalle. Hotel plans include a ground-floor restaurant and a rooftop bar on the 13-story LaSalle portion of the $11 million project. Kapadia said interior demolition will begin in October with the intent to open the hotel late 2017. Indigo is a boutique brand of hotel conglomerate IHG, owner of Holiday Inn, InterContinental Hotels, Crown Plaza and others. Kapadia said the downtown St. Louis Indigo will cater to weekday business travelers and weekend leisure travelers. "We're looking forward to getting this thing open," he said. The city had an Indigo outpost before but only briefly. In 2009, businessmen brothers Mike and Steve Roberts opened an Indigo in what was originally the 1950s Bel Air motor lodge at 4630 Lindell Boulevard in the Central West End. Lien filings, suits and countersuits involving the Robertses and hotel contractors dogged the Indigo project even before the it opened. Two years later, the Indigo was rebranded a Comfort Inn. The current owner, an affiliate of Garrison Investment Group, gave the hotel a $3 million renovation in 2014 as a Holiday Inn Express. The Roberts brothers also had planned an Indigo for one of the buildings they had owned in the 900 block of Locust Street downtown. That project never materialized. Anyone who has spent much time in St. Louis has seen at least one, and most likely all, of the three water towers that poke 150 feet or more into the city sky. Officially, theyre standpipe water towers, and estimates indicate more than 500 towers once existed across the U.S. Now, there are seven. Sure, theyre beautifully historic and feature three different types of architectural styles. And they were sociologically important and helped people locate their neighborhood for others. But when they were operating in the late 1800s and early 1900s, what did they actually do? Short answer: They kept the water system from exploding. For a longer answer, you can always ask an engineer. And what better an engineer to ask than Curtis B. Skouby, St. Louis public utilities director and water commissioner. While preservationists and modern city dwellers love the towers visual beauty, Skouby said engineers at the time were far more fond of the tall, wide pipes that were inside, shielded by the architecture. The city water system was piston-driven, so it would push a vast amount of water out, come back, and then push out another vast amount of water, Skouby said. What this really was, in essence, was a water hammer, which would after a while blow apart the water pipes where they were joined unless you had a place, a vent, for the air and water to go to relieve the direct pressure in the (main) line, Skouby said. The standpipes did that, Skouby said, adding that the towers never were meant to specifically store water. In 1912, the city water plant switched to using a spinning pump that produced a steady discharge of water, instead of the dreaded piston surges, he said. The oldest of our three towers is the Grand Avenue Water Tower, at Grands intersection with 20th Street. Completed in 1871, it is a 154-foot Corinthian column of brick and stone with cast iron trim. W. Dudley McCarter, a lawyer and former president of the Missouri and St. Louis County bar associations, lived in the area when he was a boy. He said many businesses incorporated tower into their names. I remember going to the Tower Theatre at Grand and West Florissant several times and seeing the latest Frank Sinatra movie with my parents, McCarter said. And I also remember them telling me that very rich people lived in the big homes around the tower, McCarter said. The second tower to be erected, in 1885, was the Bissell Street Water Tower at Bissell and Blair Avenue. This is the tallest of the three, standing 206 feet high and designed in the form of a Moorish minaret. Both of these north St. Louis towers were built at their locations because of the proximity to the Bissell Street water treatment plant. The Compton Hill Water Tower came last, in 1897. Its next to the Compton Hill reservoir at South Grand Boulevard and Russell Avenue. Its 179 feet high and designed by Harvey Ellis, who also designed St. Louis City Hall. This tower was not taken out of service until 1929, but the water department used it until 1984 to hold its dispatch antennas. In the 1990s, area residents rallied to form a support group and the tower was restored, to the tune of $19 million, in 1999. Now, it is periodically open for tours. Skouby said in his 30 years with the water department, he has never heard of any move to have the towers demolished, as happened in numerous other cities across the U.S. When they first went up, the towers were significant because they indicated that the people no longer needed to have a well or a cistern to get water. They were a source of pride, Skouby said. There are always concerns about how to pay for repairs. But in the 30 years Ive been with the water department, Ive never heard anyone wanting to tear them down, he said. People still love them. By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) India and Cambodia today discussed ways to boost cooperation in areas of defence, security, conservation and restoration of temples during its second Joint Commission meeting, held after a decade. The meeting here was co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh and Long Visalo, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Cambodia, a MEA release said, adding the Joint Commission was meeting after 10 years. advertisement "The two sides reviewed the full gamut of bilateral cooperation which covers areas of agriculture, water management, energy, education and skill development, defence and security, culture and conservation and restoration of temples in Cambodia," it added. Both sides identified tourism and civil aviation as a new area of cooperation and also agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation including facilitation of Indian investments in Cambodia. The two sides also appreciated the support to each other in international fora with Cambodia reiterating its support for Indias permanent membership of an expanded UN Security Council. PTI PYK ZMN --- ENDS --- Donald Trumps recent use of a six-pointed star in a tweet widely deemed anti-Semitic has raised many questions about the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism. It adorns synagogues the world over and is central to Israels flag. But it has also been used to denigrate Jews. Q: Does the star go back to the biblical King David? A: Thats the one. But dont go looking in the Bible for references to the Star of David. Legend has it the Magen David, in Hebrew, the Shield of David, was shaped like a six-pointed star, or that his shield was embossed with that shape. But there is no written or archaeological evidence to prove this. And for thousands of years the menorah was the more common symbol of Judaism. Q: So where did the star come from? A: The interlocking symmetric triangle was a common symbol in the Near East in the ancient world, Chabad Rabbi Pinchas Taylor explains in a video about its origins. Q: When did Jews start using the star? A: Some European Jews, most notably in Prague, used it in the 1600s. But its widespread adoption by Jewish groups didnt happen until the early 19th century, first among German Jews, said Jonathan Sarna, professor of Jewish history at Brandeis University. Scholars believe that newly emancipated German Jews adopted the symbol to stand opposite to the cross that so visibly symbolized Germanys Christianity, Sarna wrote in his book American Judaism. The Star of David made its first appearance in a stained glass window at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in 1845. Soon after, it became a visible proclamation of Jewishness on books, ceremonial objects and tombstones. Q: Is that why the Nazis used it to identify Jews? A: Yes, but the Nazis were far from the first to make Jews wear an identifying mark. In the Islamic world, Caliph Umar II (who ruled from 717720) forced Jews, and also Christians, to wear distinguishing marks. Throughout medieval Europe, Jews were required to wear badges often yellow and sometimes pointed hats. The Nazis forced Jews to wear the yellow badges, though the color was occasionally different in other lands under control of the Third Reich. The star separated and isolated Jews, marking them for deportation to concentration camps. A Jew found without a badge could be fined, imprisoned or shot. Q: What is the connection between the star and Israel? A: The Zionist movement in 1897 adopted the Star of David as its symbol. It became the flag of the State of Israel shortly after the nations founding in 1948. Q: What about Trumps claim that there is nothing anti-Semitic about the red six-pointed star his campaign tweeted? A: The Trump campaign set the words Most Corrupt Candidate Ever! atop the red six-pointed star against a background of dollar bills and next to a photo of Hillary Clinton. Given that much of anti-Semitic rhetoric blames Jews for manipulating the worlds economy, the stars appearance on money was quickly seen by Jews and non-Jews alike as blatantly anti-Semitic. More to the point, the image was traced to a message board that attracts anti-Semitic and white supremacist memes and rants. The campaigns explanation, that it was a sheriffs badge, was widely ridiculed. The only time I ever cried in a professors office was near the end of a semester-long assignment. My angst had nothing to do with my grades or the approaching deadline. It was the knowledge from the work that was breaking my heart. Sussan Siavoshi, a political science professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, informed my class at the start of the semester that we would be required to subscribe to a newspaper and follow the news of any single foreign country for the entire term. Our research would culminate in a final paper. I grew up in a household that prized its newspaper subscription, so I had been a casual consumer of news for as long as I could read. But like most Americans, I just skimmed the headlines of stories with international datelines. Many parts of the world only seemed to show up in stories related to war and conflict, and my eyes tended to glaze over the steady stream of bad news. The former Yugoslavia was crumbling at the time. I chose Bosnia and Herzegovina for the assignment, fascinated by the regions history and the unrest in a multiethnic, multireligious society. I picked the Christian Science Monitor, then a daily paper with robust international coverage, as my news source. I had a superficial understanding of the crisis unfolding in the Balkans. But once I started following the news vigilantly, I became emotionally entrenched in it. As luck would have it, I had subscribed to a publication that was heavily invested in covering my chosen country. The year I graduated college, David Rohde won the Monitor a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his reporting of the slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in the Srebrenica genocide. It was the daily reading about the march toward this genocide, the growing support for ethnic cleansing that was haunting me as a young college student. My high school history class had been my introduction of the horrifying scale of human cruelty. I remember holding my head in my hands when I began to grasp the magnitude of genocides detailed in our textbooks. How could the world be letting this happen again? That was the question that led me to my professors office. I told her that I was having trouble sleeping. I felt helpless, hopeless, complicit and depressed from following this war so closely. She handed me a tissue and reached for one herself. I dont remember what she said in response to my questions, but I do remember her compassion. I remember feeling like my grief over something unconnected to myself was legitimate. She gave me permission to ask difficult questions to which there were no easy answers. The assignment was designed to teach us how to take a sustained interest in things outside our circle. The point was to learn to make connections global, historical, political and personal. This is how you teach young people to think about the world in an informed and critical way. In a time when universities are caught in a facilities arms race to attract students, they ought to remember that their most valuable assets are people. For parents worried about which colleges will give their child the best shot in life: Look for the ones with professors who really care about their students. Relationships with their professors and their peers are transformative for students. I turned in my term paper, and I added an International Studies major after that class. I recently found myself again in Siavoshis office, again in time of political turbulence. We had an unplanned meeting when she was on campus when I was picking up my daughter from camp. We hadnt spoken since I had been her student decades earlier. I told her I was worried about terrorist attacks at home and abroad and political opportunism that sought to tear us apart rather than unite us during these uncertain and scary times. I shared my concerns about my own children who will hopefully be college students one day. Again, her wisdom and compassion comforted me. Siavoshi said she reads the news rather than watches it on television. She knows when to disengage from reporting on tragedies and horror stories. She reminds herself of all the other groups that are vulnerable. Sticking up for others is a way of sticking up for yourself. We are not alone, she said, in our worries or our heartache about the pain in the world. Twenty years later, I needed to hear that again. Exasperated with dangerous conditions at the Centralia No. 5 coal mine in which they worked, four miners took their fears directly to Illinois Gov. Dwight H. Green in a 1946 letter imploring him to please save our lives with tighter safety enforcement. In the same era, the Post-Dispatch reported on a cozy relationship in which the Green administration was soliciting political contributions from mine owners. Fifty-five weeks after the letter, on March 25, 1947, those four miners were in the tunnels of No. 5 when a massive explosion killed three of them plus 108 others. The letters lone surviving author wired Green not to bother to come to the scene. No, governor, its too late, the cable said. The event led to a robust round of finger-pointing but little accountability. A state mine inspectors string of dire warnings had fallen on the deaf ears of his boss, Robert M. Medill, named by Green as director of the Department of Mines and Minerals. Some faulted miners for taking risky shortcuts including tamping explosive charges into place with coal dust instead of the required clay, which investigators said may have caused the deadly chain-reaction blast. If things were so bad, the surviving assistant mine superintendent asked me during an interview for a story 30 years ago, why didnt the union workers walk out? In the end, that local inspector was cleared. A grand jury accused Medill and an assistant of a palpable omission of duty, but a judge later dismissed the charges. Green, the target of a Pulitzer-Prize-winning investigation by this newspaper, never faced criminal charges, although he lost the next years election. The Centralia Coal Co. pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges and was fined $1,000. There were no charges against company executives. A fresh national emphasis on safety thereafter did make Centralia a sort of turning point for what had been a frightfully dangerous occupation a fact brutally underscored by a similar explosion that killed 119 miners in West Frankfort, Ill., four days before Christmas in 1951. Even these days, there are grave dangers, as a safety officer kept repeating on my own day underground some years ago, visiting a mine near Pinckneyville, Ill. Dont get comfortable, he said, over and over. Its a hostile environment. Among 14 underground and seven surface mines that remain, Illinois averages about one worker fatality a year. But even using modern machinery to replace use of explosives to open seams of coal, the potential remains for much worse. That was illustrated in 2010 by the death of 29 men in one accident at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. While the owners at Centralia walked away after paying a fine that would amount to about $11,000 in todays money, the CEO of Massey Energy, the owner of Upper Big Branch, was sentenced in April to federal prison for a year, and fined $250,000. That CEO, Don Blankenship, is appealing his conviction for conspiracy to violate safety laws. This week, the Illinois Coal Association joined its counterparts in Ohio and West Virginia in expressing concerns about it to the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Its not that they support Blankenship, exactly. But it appears that some members worry about becoming his cellmates if failure to follow the law can be applied that far up the management line in an industry with so many safety regulations. Their legal brief says executives decisions may at times be imperfect, prone to second-guessing, and, despite the best intentions, even incorrect. But it says there should not be charges unless it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the individual possessed the evil purpose necessary to establish that the conduct was illegal ... Prosecutors had convinced a jury that Blankenship, a notorious micromanager, sacrificed safety for production. The situation should resonate strongly these days, with so much political attention focused on a widening pay divide between ordinary workers and rich top executives. Blankenship made $38.2 million in three years before retiring shortly after the disaster. He left with perks such as $2.7 million in cash, free lifetime housing and more than $18,000 a month for 10 years. An average coal miner makes about $50,000 a year. The question lingers after 69 years: If a miner is paid to risk life and limb to carve coal from a pitch black pit, then what risk is a much-better-compensated executive paid to take? A failed strap on a golden parachute? Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy By PTI: Tirunelveli(TN), Jul 8 (PTI) The first approach to criticality in the second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant near here started at 7.52 PM today, KKNPP site director R S Sundar said. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had already given its nod to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy that operates the plant, to go ahead with the criticality process. advertisement The reactor would attain criticality gradually during the next 48 hours, KKNPP sources said. Unit 1 and 2 of the KKNPP VVER reactors are being built with the collaboration with Russia. Each reactor has the capacity to generate 1000 MW of electricity. The first unit started generating power in October 2013. But the plant saw several breakdowns during its operation following which it had to be shut down for sometime to undertake repairs work. PTI COR BN SMJ --- ENDS --- CLAYTON On March 4, St. Louis County invited companies to bid on selling the Board of Elections 1,200 computerized tablets to check in voters at polling precincts. One well-connected vendor provided more than the 52-page bid documents had spelled out. On March 11, Scott Leiendecker donated $10,000 to the campaign treasury of County Executive Steve Stenger, according to documents filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Two months later, the County Board of Elections awarded Leiendeckers company a contract worth up to $2.1 million to supply the county with the companys first of its kind, tablet-based electronic poll book. Its not the only time Stenger campaign donors have recently benefited from the countys business. As the Post-Dispatch previously reported, Stenger just last month announced that the county planned to move the Elections Board from its longtime headquarters in Maplewood to renovated offices at the former Northwest Plaza shopping center in St. Ann. The development is owned by David and Bob Glarner, who donated $75,000 to Stenger last year through a holding company. The 20-year lease is worth up to $50 million in rent from the Elections Board and two other county agencies relocating there. Leiendecker, a former Republican elections director for St. Louis, is the founder and managing director of KnowiNK, a local startup that has successfully marketed its trademark poll pad to election authorities in Missouri and several other states. Another bidder, Konnech Inc. of Okemos, Mich., received a separate $364,000 contract to oversee the county Election Management System. There is no record of campaign contributions from Konnech or two unsuccessful poll book developers, Scytl Corp. of Oklahoma City and ES&S Inc. of Omaha, Neb. The KnowiNK and Konnech contracts were never discussed, considered or authorized by the County Council. To West County Republican Councilman Mark Harder, the Leiendecker donation in tandem with the bypassing of the council on a multimillion-dollar contract doesnt pass the smell test. Stenger and Democratic Elections Director Eric Fey attribute the specification for council approval in the countys request for proposal or RFP to a standardized template the county procurement department uses to solicit bids on county projects. The council did not need to vote on the poll books, Stenger wrote in a text message to the Post-Dispatch after consulting with aides and county legal counsel on the matter. The language was in the RFP erroneously, he continued. Its the language used in RFPs to let the responders know that (bids are) subjected to a governing bodys approval, in this case that should have been changed to the Election Board only. Stenger noted the governor appoints the elections commissioners. The commissioners in turn select the agency directors, one from each major political party. The countys role is limited to funding the elections authority. It has no role in oversight or governance. The March 11 contribution, Stenger insisted, therefore had no bearing on the commission decision to award the contract to a firm headed by Leiendecker. I dont have an influence on that board. I dont. Thats not my board. I didnt appoint them. The governor did, Stenger said in an interview Wednesday in his Clayton office. I have no input about who gets appointed to the board. I had no input on the poll books. Stenger further distanced himself in a later interview, saying, I didnt even know the RFP was out there when the Leiendecker donation landed in his campaign chest. In an interview last week, Leiendecker said he understood how the timing of the contribution might raise red flags. The KnowiNK owner said he wrote the check when the multiple tasks inherent to small business ownership prevented him from attending a Stenger fundraiser in March at a local country club. I dont know why I made the contribution at that time, Leiendecker said. It could have been written weeks prior to that. Who should approve? A donation made after bidding has opened on a major project troubles state Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin. It seems like a long pattern of perceived pay for play in the Stenger administration, said Dogan, vice chairman of the House Elections Committee. The perception surfaced just two weeks ago following an announcement about county plans to relocate three offices including the Elections Board to the Crossings at Northwest. The poll books agreement creates more distrust for a community that already has a lack of trust, said term-limited state Rep. Rochelle Walton-Gray, a challenger to incumbent County Councilman Mike OMara, D-4th District, in the August primary. Im shocked this is happening again, said Harder. Especially on the tails of how the Elections Board was handled. Harder dismissed the suggestion that the responsibility for approving the poll book contracts resided with the Elections Commission. The county charter, he pointed out, specifies that the County Council sign off on all expenditures exceeding $25,000. Its important to the community at large that this come before the council, Harder said. We should have had some say over the application of this project as well as the price tag. Dogan also questioned the wisdom of giving an appointed board the power to green light a $2 million contract. Common sense would tell you that when something like this goes out for bid, that approval should come from an elected authority, not an election authority. No one elected those guys, the state representative said. Fey said he advocated for the board of commissioners to act on election authority contracts after his appointment as an agency co-director in early 2015. It has become more common since I became a director, Fey said during an interview in his Maplewood office last week. Its a priority of mine that the board display its independence as mandated by state law. August test for tablets The May 10 decision to award the contract to KnowiNK capped a comprehensive review of the three poll books proposals (Konnech limited its bid to the Election Management System) by a six-member board comprising two Democratic election officials, two Republican elections officials, the director of county information technology and the director of county procurement. St. Louis County is the last voting jurisdiction in the area to replace written logs with poll books. Fey is an enthusiastic supporter of the technology that speeds the election day process by generating instantaneous voting tickets. The digital system also reduces the amount of paperwork required to tally ballots and maintain voting records. The addition of poll books, Fey said, will be of particular benefit in a county where a complicated political geography has created havoc in two recent elections. St. Louis County will introduce the poll books in a pilot program at 50 precincts in the Aug. 2 primary. Polling places countywide will have the tablets on hand when voters arrive at the polls for the November presidential election. The KnowiNK contract ends a two-year effort to upgrade the voting process in a jurisdiction that has become synonymous with election day problems. A Dec. 16, 2014, agenda item asked that the County Council award a contract to Election Administrators, a South County vendor, for the purchase and implementation of an electronic poll books system. Fey said KnowiNK finished second in the 2014 bidding competition. The council tabled the measure over the objection of Charlie Dooley, attending his final meeting as county executive. Stenger, who had upended Dooley in a bitter primary, voted with the majority in his last meeting as a member of council. A month later, with the newly inaugurated Stenger sitting in Dooleys seat, the council voted down the proposed Elections Administrators agreement. Stenger said funding for the 2014 poll books proposal differed from the 2016 RFP because it asked the council to tap a special appropriation from the county budget to buy the tablets. Elections Administrators surfaced again last March when the 12-year-old purveyor of mobile election technology was sold for $1 million. The buyer: KnowiNK. Leiendecker said the two companies had talked periodically for two years prior to the sale. For KnowiNK, the delivery of poll books to St. Louis County marks another milestone in an entrepreneurial venture that began after Leiendecker left the St. Louis Elections Board in 2011. The company now has business relationships with election authorities in 300 communities in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Locally, its clients include St. Louis and the counties of St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin. Leiendecker credits ArchCity Grants and the St. Louis Economic Partnership for supporting the firms upward trajectory. KnowiNK rents space with other startups in a South County incubator owned by the Economic Partnership. The firm, with $1 million in revenue last year, is in the process of relocating to its own offices in St. Louis. WASHINGTON Antarcticas ozone hole finally is starting to heal, a new study finds. In a triumph of international cooperation over a man-made environmental problem, research from the United States and the United Kingdom shows that the September-October ozone hole is getting smaller and forming later in the year. And the study the June edition of the journal Science also shows other indications that the ozone layer is improving after it was being eaten away by chemicals in aerosols and refrigerants. Ozone is a combination of three oxygen atoms; high in the atmosphere, it shields Earth from ultraviolet rays. The hole has shrunk by about 1.7 million square miles in the key month of September since the year 2000 a decline of about one-fifth, the study found. That difference is more than six times larger than the state of Texas. It also is taking about 10 days longer to reach its largest size, according to the study. The hole wont be completely closed until midcentury, but the healing is appearing earlier than scientists expected, said study lead author Susan Solomon of MIT. It isnt just that the patient is in remission, Solomon said. Hes actually starting to get better. The patient got very sick in the 80s when we were pumping all that chlorine into the atmosphere. I think its a tremendous cause for hope for fixing other environmental problems, such as man-made climate change, said Solomon, who led two U.S. Antarctic expeditions to measure the ozone layer in the 1980s and has also been a leader in studying global warming. In the 1970s, scientists suggested that Earths ozone layer about 6 to 30 miles high in the stratosphere was thinning because of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons from aerosols and refrigerants. Those chemicals would break down into chlorine that attacked ozone, which at that level protects people from ultraviolet rays linked to skin cancer. Then in early 1980s, a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica started appearing in October and then, September and October making the problem more urgent. Ozone thinned elsewhere on Earth and already has begun healing in the middle section of the planet, but the Antarctic ozone hole was the gaping wound that grabbed the worlds attention. The Montreal Protocol, a 1987 global treaty to phase out many of the ozone-depleting chemicals, led companies to develop new products that didnt eat away at the ozone layer. Still, scientists said it would take time before the problem would heal. Now it is actually getting better, not just stabilizing, based on new observations using different methods to measure the ozone layer, Solomon said. There is a sense of mission accomplished, emailed University of California San Diegos Mario Molina, who shared the 1995 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his characterization of the ozone problem. He praised the study, in which he played no part. Last October threw a big scare into scientists who had been tracking the Antarctic. After years of slow decline, the ozone hole blew up to its biggest size ever. It was Oh, my God, how could there be this record large ozone hole? Solomon said. It was a huge setback. But the increase was sudden, which told Solomon something else was happening. She determined that small particles in the air from the Calbuco volcano eruption were mostly at fault. The paper is quite convincing. To me at least it resolves the mystery of the 2015 Antarctic ozone hole, University of Maryland atmospheric scientist Ross Salawitch, who wasnt part of the research, wrote in an email. So, 28 years after the Montreal Protocol was agreed upon, we have strong evidence that the ozone hole is getting smaller. Id say this is a remarkable achievement, particularly in the instant gratification world in which we live. SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador After becoming the worlds murder capital last year and posting an equally bloody start to 2016, this violence-torn Central American nation has seen its monthly homicide rate fall by about half. The government attributes the drop to a tough military counteroffensive against the countrys powerful gangs, deploying a special security force and transferring imprisoned organized crime leaders to a maximum-security lockup to isolate them. But the gangs also claim credit. The three main groups the Mara Salvatrucha, Barrio 18 Revolucionarios and Barrio 18 Surenos forged a nonaggression pact in March to try to reduce the killings. In a joint video message, they said their aim was to convince the government that the crackdown was unnecessary. Either way, killings in El Salvador dropped from 611 in March to 353 in April and 351 in May. There were 331 homicides in June, compared with 677 in the same month in 2015. Last year the country recorded over 100 killings per 100,000 residents. That rate was so high that even if its halved for all of 2016, El Salvador would still be firmly in the top 10 for killings for any country not at open war, though its a fraction of the deaths seen in a war zone such as Syria, where casualty estimates run into the hundreds of thousands since 2011. Authorities say most of El Salvadors dead are gang members slain by rivals on the streets and inside prisons or in encounters with security forces. The reduction in homicides is due to the effectiveness of the plans by police and the extraordinary measures by the government, especially inside prisons national police chief Howard Cotto said last week. Authorities say isolating jailed gang leaders makes it harder for them to issue orders to their underlings out on the streets. We have gradually been bringing the penitentiary system under control and we are going to finish the job, Vice President Oscar Ortiz said recently. The gangs see things differently. A senior member of one, the Barrio 18 Surenos, told the Associated Press that the killings have fallen because gang leaders ordered their street soldiers to stand down. When we have wanted war, we have waged war on them, and right now we are not thinking that way, the gang member said, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid being targeted by authorities. We want things to be solved in a different way. He said he is part of a team that coordinates among the three big criminal bands, and all are open to dialogue and have agreed to maintain a cease-fire. Experts say the government crackdown and the gang truce have both likely played a part in reducing homicides. Lower profile Jose Miguel Cruz, a specialist on Salvadoran organized crime at Florida International University, said the fact that the gangs are behaving less aggressively may suggest only that they are trying to keep a lower profile, not that the government has won the battle. He also worries that the lull in violence could be fleeting. I fear that this is temporary, Cruz said. That it is going to last until the gangs figure out another way to confront the government. When President Salvador Sanchez Ceren took office in 2014, he established a policy of confrontation with the gangs. A former guerrilla, Ceren doubled down on that approach in March after gang members used guns and machetes to slaughter 11 people in the town of San Juan Opico, outside the capital an attack whose brutality was shocking even for Salvadorans numbed by daily reports of death and mayhem. Within weeks of the Opico massacre, the Salvadoran Congress approved legislation that included isolating gang prisoners and deploying 1,000 soldiers and police to pursue and dismantle the gangs. The government has recovered the hope that this country is now on the path to defeat crime, Sanchez Ceren said in mid-May. The three gangs called a truce before, in 2012, that allegedly was facilitated by then-President Mauricio Funes government. Funes administration has denied being the architect of that pact. However, an official in his government, who says he was involved in its planning and implementation, says the truce was a matter of government policy and the former president and security Cabinet approved a strategy allowing mediators to negotiate with gang representatives inside and outside prisons. He spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid drawing the attention of investigators in an ongoing probe. Funes did not respond to an email request for comment. On a recent radio show, he said his government didnt design the treaty and only facilitated the pact that the gangs had established. The attorney generals office on May 3 ordered the arrest of 21 people allegedly involved in negotiating the truce, including former mid-level officials. Prosecutors said they were suspected of crimes such as introducing illegal items into prisons and illicit association in their contact with gang members. The idea of negotiating with the gangs is widely unpopular among Salvadorans. A recent poll by the newspaper Diario de Hoy found that 78 percent of respondents would oppose another truce, compared to 10 percent who would support one. The May 20-24 survey polled 2,174 adults and had a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points. I dont believe in the truce, said San Salvador resident Maria Teresa Perdomo, who called the 2012 pact a farce because even while it was in effect, the gangs kept on killing and extorting people. Street vendor Jose Melgar agreed, saying the government needs to take a tough line on the gangs. You have to hit them hard, Melgar said. They are bad, they were born bad, and they dont spare anyone. Let us not allow the tragic events of the past week to create the mentality of a nation at war. We decry the horrible deaths by a lone sniper of five police officers in Dallas, and the police-shooting deaths of men in Louisiana and Minnesota, but urge that they not be used to further create divisions and pit Americans against one another. Rhetoric is coming from multiple sides and has helped fuel the nations division over race, guns, politics and policing. Its time to dial down the heated talk. The tragedies demand sober reflection by political and law enforcement leaders, as well as activists in various protest movements. Politicians and gun lobbyists are cynically and irresponsibly exploiting race and ethnic-based controversies to advance specific political causes. More fuel is being added by those who promote the terribly mistaken notion that all people wearing blue uniforms are somehow the enemy. The gun lobby has been particularly active in pushing the message that Americans need to arm up as part of a militia that must be prepared to take action against perceived government oppressors. What they never answer is this crucial question: Who are the oppressors and under what circumstances is vigilante action justifiable to confront them? They dont answer that question because there is no answer. Since much of the tension behind events in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota, among others, is rooted in the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, this is every bit a local issue. Candidates such as Eric Greitens and Catherine Hanaway appear to be exploiting divisions with political messages aimed at creating an us-versus-them mentality. Greitens offers videos with militant, stand-your-ground scenes involving guns and an explosion. Hanaways commercial messages appear to portray the Black Lives Matter movement as villainous and requiring a harsh police crackdown. There are undoubtedly some bad actors seeking cover in the Black Lives Matter movement. But just as not every person in blue with a badge is an enemy, neither is every person who protests racial discrimination or demands better treatment from police. Black lives do matter, and so do white, blue and brown lives. Black lives dont matter more than others, but data show African-Americans are more vulnerable to police shootings. That is a fact of life. So is the threat of police civil rights violations for African-Americans. The problems were so longstanding and systematic that many people had become numbed by them. Browns death, and the St. Louis County grand jurys decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting, shook a lot of people out of their lethargy. Police treatment and judicial actions toward black citizens became a front-burner national issue. The rise of social media and smartphones, always ready to deliver instant video records of events, has contributed to the rapid escalation of tension. Policing is not easy. Officers are under threat and have reason to be fearful. Many of the people they stop will have guns, some legal and some not. Concealed carry, the law in Missouri, heightens concerns for officers making stops. Being a black man in America confronted by police is also not easy. Black men account for 6 percent of the U.S. population, but were 40 percent of the unarmed men shot to death by police last year, The Washington Post found in a yearlong study of fatal police shootings. The cocktail of fear, adrenaline and guns is bound to end badly. The potentially disastrous combination of police and black men afraid for their lives in a confrontation must be kept under control with training, care and outstanding leadership. President Barack Obama on Friday characterized the Dallas police deaths as a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. That it was. It was also an act by a lone gunman. We must not forget that. The sniper was not part of a movement. He did not represent anyone other than himself, a disturbed man with a gun. Its not like we havent seen that before. Remember Dylann Roof in Charleston, S.C., Omar Mateen in Orlando, Fla., and, closer to home, Cookie Thornton in Kirkwood. Each had different targets but thought killing was the answer. Opportunists of every stripe must not use victims deaths to justify their particular brand of hostility, or to push people further into their bunkers of fear and misunderstanding. Thats the wrong direction for us as a nation. Last weeks killings scream out for us to work toward understanding, conciliation and respect for every citizen. We truly are all in this together. LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Oil beats tech as Shell pleases but Meta doesn't Thursday, October 27, 2022 - 12:31 The FTSE 100's biggest constituent was its saving grace on Thursday, as Shell shares outperformed on strong quarterly results and plans a $4 billion share buyback. "US tech may be letting the side down when it comes to third-quarter earnings but bumper profit from index heavyweight Shell helped lift the FTSE 100 on Thursday morning," AJ Bell head of investment analysis Laith Khalaf said. The FTSE 100 index was up 23.72 points, or 0.3%, at 7,079.79 at midday on Thursday, and the mid-cap FTSE 250 was up 21.35 points, or 0.1%, at 18,127.56. The AIM All-Share, however, was down 3.16 points, or 0.4%, at 806.51. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 707.37, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 15,546.53, and the Cboe Small Companies was up 0.1% at 12,395.09. Markets in Europe were now waiting on the European Central Bank and President Christine Lagarde. AJ Bell's Khalaf said: "Once again, the wider market seems to be pinning some hopes on central banks looking at evidence of a deteriorating economy and reacting accordingly by slowing the pace of rate rises." In European equities on Thursday afternoon, the CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.8%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was 0.7% lower. Analysts are all but convinced the ECB will up rates by another 0.75% on Thursday, but some say there is room for a full percentage point raise - 100 basis points. Observers will be looking out for plans on how the central bank plans to reduce its balance sheet. In response to various crises, the ECB has expanded its balance sheet to a record 8.8 trillion, which is about 70% of annual eurozone gross domestic product. "The more the ECB normalises its policy rates, the more apparent it becomes that the amount of excess liquidity in the system is posing challenges for the conduct of monetary policy. Several policymakers have therefore urged the Council to discuss liquidity conditions, a potential quantitative tightening and/or ways to 'encourage' banks to repay their [targeted longer-term refinancing operations] loans," analysts at Rabobank said. The Frankfurt-based central bank announces its interest rate decision at 1315 BST, which will be followed by a press conference hosted by Lagarde. After the ECB, the Federal Reserve will make a rate decision next week Wednesday and the Bank of England a day after its US counterpart. The euro traded at $1.0035 midday Thursday, down on $1.0064 late Wednesday. The pound fell below the $1.16 mark Thursday midday. Sterling was quoted at $1.1567, down from $1.1612 at the London equities close on Wednesday. In London, Shell shares advanced 5.4%. The oil company reported a swing to a net profit in the third quarter compared to a year ago, but the profit fell behind the second quarter as Shell warned of volatility in global energy markets. Shell reported a net profit totalling $6.74 billion in the third quarter, after oil prices surged, improving from a loss after tax of $447 million in the same period last year. Flush with cash, Shell said it will buy back $4 billion of its shares, after completing a $6 billion share buyback announced in July. It expects to complete its $4 billion share buyback by February 2, the day it will release its 2022 results. BP gained 3.4% on a positive read-across from the Shell results. BP reports its own third-quarter results on Tuesday next week. Airtel Africa was at the bottom of the blue-chip index, giving back 8.4%. It saw strong interim revenue growth, but profit was held back by the devaluation of some African currencies. Pretax profit fell 9.1% to $516 million from $567 million, as Airtel recognised $358 million in net finance costs, compared to $169 million a year before. In the half year ended September 30, the Africa-focused telecommunications firm said revenue grew 13% year-on-year to $2.57 billion from $2.27 billion. In constant currency, it rose 17%, with appreciation in the Zambian kwacha offset but devaluations in several other currencies. Also towards the bottom of the FTSE 100, Anglo American lost 4.6%. The minder reported a mixed quarterly production performance, with the output of most commodities declining amid a challenging operating conditions. Anglo kept its annual production guidance mostly unchanged. Peers Rio Tino, Glencore, Antofagasta lost 4.1%, 3.2% and 2.8% in a negative read-across. In New York, the open is expected to be mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average seen up 0.3% and the S&P 500 up 0.1% but the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite down 0.3%. The Nasdaq benchmark continues to be hit by troubling tech earnings, with Meta Platforms down 20% in pre-market trading. The Facebook-owner late Wednesday said revenue fell 4% to $27.71 billion in the three months that ended September 30 from $29.01 billion a year before. Income from operations dropped 46% to $5.66 billion versus $10.42 billion. Net income was $4.40 billion, down 52% versus $9.19 billion. Big tech earnings will continue Thursday, with Amazon and Apple to report after the closing bell in New York on Thursday. Gold was quoted at $1,661.00 an ounce midday Thursday in London, down from $1,665.70 on Wednesday evening. Against the yen, the dollar was quoted at JP146.30, down from JP146.50. Aside for the ECB, the economic calendar has a US gross domestic product reading at 1330 BST. The US economy is forecast to grow 2.4% at an annual rate, according to FXStreet-cited consensus. A stronger-than-expected reading may give the Federal Reserve more impetus to impose stronger rate hikes between now and the end of the year. Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. By PTI: From M Zulqernain Lahore, Jul 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today returned to Pakistan after spending 48 days in London where he underwent an open-heart surgery. A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) special plane Being-777 brought 66-year-old Sharif and the staff of his 25-member London camp office back to the country. The Prime Ministers plane landed at the Lahore airport around 7 pm local time. His brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and other PML-N leaders received him at the airport. advertisement Talking to journalists who were at the airport to receive him, Sharif said he was feeling healthy. "I am feeling quite healthy after the heart surgery," Sharif, who was wearing white shalwar kameez and a light blue waistcoat, said. To a question about Panama Paper leaks, the premier said he was ready to face any challenge. "This country does not need any sit-in. I ask the opposition to work for the development of Pakistan," he said. Sharif has been facing pressure from opposition political parties to step down after Panama Papers leak showed that his family members own undeclared offshore wealth and expensive property in London. Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. Replying another question about discharging his duties, the Premier said: "I was already performing my duties from London. I used to hold video conference meetings and issued certain directions." From the airport, Sharif left for his residence at Jati Umra Raiwind on a helicopter. Several PML-N workers were gathered there to welcome him. Sharif was discharged from hospital on June 6 after he underwent an open-heart surgery on May 31. He had gone to London on May 22 for a regular medical checkup but was diagnosed with a heart complication by doctors who suggested surgery. This was Sharifs second cardiac procedure in five years. Some politicians, especially the allies of the ruling PML-N, have termed Sharifs decision to leave the country for London as "politically prudent" at a time when opposition parties were exerting extreme pressure on him in the wake of the Panama Paper leaks. Meanwhile, Imran Khan said he will move the court against the use of PIA commericial plane by the Sharif family to return to Pakistan. "Nawaz Sharif should pay the PIA from the money he stashed abroad illegally," he said. PTI MZ NSA --- ENDS --- A FORMER Warwickshire Police officer has today, Friday, been cleared of the theft of a large amount of money from the force. Paul Andrew Greaves, 57, from Carlton, Nottinghamshire, has been found not guilty of the theft of money from Warwickshire Police after a four week retrial at Birmingham Crown Court. The money - believed to be in the region of 113,000 - was stolen from the former Warwickshire Police headquarters in Leek Woottoon sometime between June 2009 and September 2011. It had been seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2009 following a successful operation that resulted in the conviction of three people at Warwick Crown Court in January 2010 for a variety of offences including possession of firearms and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The matter was formally referred to the IPCC, which determined the theft should be investigated locally. Mr Greaves, who had 25 years' of service as an officer, was initially arrested on suspicion of theft on Wednesday, 20th March, 2013, and he was charged six weeks later. Following several appearances before magistrates in Leamington Spa, he appeared at Warwick Crown Court on Thursday, 19th September, 2013, when he pleaded not guilty to the theft. The original trial began last year and lasted six weeks. The jury heard Mr Greaves had large debts, which the prosecution said he had paid off in the weeks after the money went missing, but they failed to reach a verdict and were discharged. Detective Supt Nick Tomkinson, who led the investigation, said: "We fully accept the decision of the jury today. "Since the theft of the money we have had a consistent team of officers and staff assigned to this investigation and they have worked tirelessly in their attempts to uncover the truth. "This case remains open and we will take every opportunity to review this case in the same way we would review any outstanding serious case should new evidence come to light. "Warwickshire Police regularly reviews its policies and procedures in relation to the retention of cash seized. "The most recent significant change is the introduction of a new Seized and Found Property Policy in September 2014 to harmonise procedural arrangements across the alliance. "Regular audits are completed in accordance with this policy to provide assurance to the independent audit committee and help us to be able to tighten our procedures wherever necessary to make them even more robust when considered necessary." The Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner has said it was clearly unacceptable that such a substantial amount of money was able to be stolen from the force. Philip Seccombe said: This judgement brings about the end of a long legal process and clearly I respect the jurys verdict. "It remains the fact that a sizeable quantity of cash remains unaccounted for when it should have been stored safely and securely by Warwickshire Police. This is clearly unacceptable and I have already sought assurances from the Chief Constable that policies and practices have been changed to ensure this cannot happen again. Along with the independent audit committee I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the forces procedures remain as rigorous as possible. I will also be asking the Chief Constable what the forces next steps will be to try and resolve this open case. DALLAS, July 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Larry Klayman, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, founder of Judicial Watch and now Freedom Watch, and a former U.S. Senate Candidate in Florida, filed as lead plaintiff a class action lawsuit to redress the incitement, violence and killings of law enforcement and others, as occurred last Thursday in Dallas, Texas. The class action complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Klayman et. al v. Obama et. al, Civil Action Number 3:16-cv-2010), can be viewed at www.freedomwatchusa.org. Klayman had this to say upon the filing of this class action complaint: "It's time that law enforcement, such as the plaintiffs in this case, including myself, come forward by peacefully attempting to use the legal system to redress the incitement, threats and killings provoked by the defendants in this class action case. I am hopeful that I will be joined by other law enforcement to join in the class. For too long, law enforcement and others, including white and non-white Jews and Christians, have remained silent, scared to speak and act, for fear of being branded racists over the fear of being threatened and harmed by the defendants and their accomplices. This must stop and justice must be done to preserve the integrity of our great nation and to avoid an all out race war that will destroy the freedom that our Founding Fathers dedicated their sacred honor, their fortunes and risked their lives for." For more information or an interview contact [email protected] and see www.freedomwatchusa.org or call 561-558-5336. Media contact: Adrienne Mazzone 561-750-9800 x2270; [email protected]. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freedom-watch-founder-klayman-files-class-action-against-obama-farrakhan-holder-sharpton-black-lives-matter-over-incitement-threats-and-killings-of-law-enforcement-and-others-300296245.html SOURCE Larry Klayman Robin Padilla Continues as Brand Ambassador MANILA, Philippines, July 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MoneyGram, a global money transfer company, continues its legacy of connecting consumers to their loved ones with fast and reliable transaction by launching its new global campaign "MoneyGram Bringing Our Customers Closer". The remittance company renewed also contract with multi-talented Filipino actor Robin Padilla acting as its global brand ambassador. MoneyGram recognizes that modern-day Filipino heroes or "Heroes of the Sea" don't need to do great feats or wear capes to be called heroes. They battle bouts of loneliness and nostalgia each day as they are separated from their loved ones. At the same time they continuously strive to work hard to be able to provide a better life for their families back in the Philippines. This is already a legitimate reason to salute and celebrate them. "For more than 70 years, MoneyGram has been helping people around the world and their families to stay connected across borders and boundaries, oceans and countries. It is our honor to be able to assist and support our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) in sending money to their loved ones and becoming their bridge to a better life," says Yogesh Sangle, senior regional director of MoneyGram for Asia & Pacific. MoneyGram offers global network of approximately 350,000 locations in 200 countries and territories worldwide and more than 12,000 locations across the Philippines. This allows Filipinos to send cash from anywhere in the world. Receivers can conveniently claim their remittances in the Philippines through trusted partner locations. Additionally, OFW family members can now send their remittances directly to loved ones' bank accounts at any of the participating 20 banks in the Philippines through MoneyGram's cash-to-account service. Each family member plays an active and vital role in pulling the family closer together in the absence of one or both OFW's parents. The amount of emotional devotion that is required from them is something that both MoneyGram and Robin Padilla admire. "I am delighted to be a part of MoneyGram once more because I believe in what they stand for. OFWs are there for their family and friends to assist them with every live situation," shares Padilla. "MoneyGram's priority is to connect our consumers with their loved ones by providing convenient and reliable financial connection for life's essentials and daily needs. We allow them to be as close as possible by providing support and financial needs for their children," adds Sangle. With reliable, 10-minute money transfers MoneyGram positively impacts millions of people every day by offering industry leading customer experience at every interaction and an access to financial services for consumers and businesses around the world. MoneyGram is a leading money transfer company, enables consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs. MoneyGram offers bills payment services in the United States and Canada and money transfer services worldwide through a global network of more than 347,000 agent locations including retailers, international post offices and financial institutions in 198 countries and territories. To learn more about money transfer or bill payment at an agent location or online, please visit www.moneygram.com or connect via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/moneygram. Media Contact: Maria Bankiet-Kaminska [email protected] p: +48 22 377 2185 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160709/387702 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150730/251082LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/moneygram-helps-to-bring-ofws-closer-to-their-families-300296223.html SOURCE MoneyGram SIOUX CITY, Iowa, July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission (CRC) issued a response to a demand letter First Liberty sent three days ago on behalf of an Iowa church. Read the Iowa CRC press release "We're taking the state at its word that it will not encroach on the church in any way," Chelsey Youman, Counsel and Chief of Staff for First Liberty Institute, says. "However, if it does in the future, we stand ready to use the full force of the law to protect the church's free exercise of religion and free speech under the Constitution." "I accept the Iowa Civil Right Commission's public apology, with clear reservations. We will continue to monitor their activities and stand ready to defend all churches at any time," Cary Gordon, Senior Pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach for over 21 years, says. Read more about the case and access a copy of First Liberty's demand letter at FirstLiberty.org/CornerstoneChurch About First Liberty Institute First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at FirstLiberty.org. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-of-iowa-responds-to-first-liberty-demand-letter-on-behalf-of-iowa-church-300296186.html SOURCE First Liberty Institute WEST HAVEN, Conn., July 9, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Watson Inc. is proud to announce a roundtable discussion to be held at the IFT Food Expo in Chicago, Illinois. The title of the roundtable is "Beyond Masking Taste & Improving Stability the Benefits & Technology Behind Today's Innovative Microencapsulation Techniques". The discussion will be held in a meeting room at the Watson booth on the IFT show floor. Leading this discussion will be Gary Wada, Process and Technology Operations Director at Watson. Gary Wada obtained his bachelor's in Chemical Engineering at the Stevenson Institute of Technology. Wada has nearly 30 years of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing experience, specializing in fluid bed technology. Microencapsulation is more than just masking flavors or improving stability. Encapsulation also allows for changing physical properties such as color or form, for example changing an oil into a free-flowing powder. Microencapsulation can also be employed to control or delay the release of an active. In this roundtable discussion, Wada will explain the applications and benefits of different microencapsulation technologies, such as hot melt, solvent-based, aqueous, and spray drying. Electron microscope photography used in the presentation will help to illustrate the evaluation of a microencapsulation matrix. Encapsulation is critical to such products as medical foods, nutraceuticals, and meal-replacement products, where characteristics such as stability, bioavailability, delivery, and effectiveness are closely regulated. In the roundtable, participants will discuss control of release point, or release parameters. Through controlled-release micro-encapsulation, formulators control when the core or active material is released. In this way, active material can be released at a specific pH, or temperature. Flavors can be released during chewing. Reactive materials can be released at the point in the process where the chemical reaction is desired. The release mechanism may be a specific condition, such as the change in pH, the introduction of a chemical agent, a temperature point, application of pressure, increase in moisture level, or other condition. Additional information on microencapsulation can be found on the company website: http://www.watson-inc.com/our-capabilities/microencapsulation/ Additional information on this and other events, as well as registration information, can be found on the Watson website at this link http://info.watson-inc.com/ift-2016 About Watson: Watson is one of the highest quality suppliers of products and services geared towards enhancing human health and nutrition around the world. We are a leader in developing quality products and innovative ingredient systems for the food and supplement industries. Expertise in custom nutrient premixes, microencapsulation, agglomeration, micronizing, spray drying, and film technology allows us to develop unique formulations and products using Watson manufactured, value-added ingredients. For more information on Watson, see www.watson-inc.com. Company info: Watson Foods Co., Inc. DBA Watson Inc. Corporate headquarters: 301 Heffernan Drive, West Haven CT 06516 CEO: James T. Watson Website: www.watson-inc.com Employees: 300 A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=40790 CONTACT: Watson Inc. Moira Watson, V.P. Marketing & Communications [email protected] 800-388-3481 or (203) 932-3000 Source: Watson Inc. By Michael Nienaber and Rene Wagner BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Transport Ministry denied a media report on Friday that it was investigating Tesla Motors Inc for updating driving assistance software without informing authorities, but said it was "clarifying technical issues" on the matter. German magazine Der Spiegel reported, without citing a source, that there were indications Tesla uploaded new software features to a driving assistance system which had not been examined for security during regular approval proceedings. The ministry therefore launched an investigation, it added. "The report is incorrect," a ministry spokesman said. "There are no investigation proceedings against Tesla. "We are clarifying the technical issues," the ministry spokesman added. "At the moment, it is a normal gathering of information on the status quo between the Federal Office for Motor Vehicles (KBA) and the ministry." A spokesperson for Tesla in Germany said it is cooperating with the KBA car watchdog, an agency that reports to the Transport Ministry in Berlin. "We are fully aware that the KBA is investigating Tesla Autopilot components and we are cooperative in every aspect," the spokesperson said. A Tesla spokeswoman later said that by "investigating", they meant that German authorities were reviewing certain components. "Tesla Motors has been transparently working with European authorities since its inception beginning with the Roadster model and continuing that working relationship to include Whole Vehicle Type Approval of Model S, Model X and in the future, Model 3," the company said in the initial statement. The spokesperson added that all Tesla type approvals have been historically issued by the RDW assembly and PDI facility in Tilburg, Netherlands. "Tesla does its due diligence in making sure that its vehicles do not violate any national legal (or) safety regulations, it does not need to seek specific national type approvals in EU member states since the RDW issued WVTA should be accepted as a legal compliance document," it added. In its report, released on Friday before the magazine's publication on Saturday, Der Spiegel said the driving assistance system in question was a device designed for regulating car overtaking maneuvers. If the allegations were confirmed, Tesla could lose type approval for its Model S vehicles, meaning they would be banned from the roads, the report said. However, it also added Tesla had applied for type approval in the Netherlands and therefore only the Dutch authorities could withdraw the approval for the European market again. A KBA spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said last year he viewed Germany as the next most important market for his company after the United States. In 2015, Tesla sold 1,582 Model S cars in Germany, Europe's largest car market. In the Unites States, authorities are investigating the circumstances of a fatal crash in which a Tesla Model S sedan was involved while running on autopilot. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Ruth Pitchford) How did NZ buy a beach? These two men successfully campaigned to buy an Abel Tasman inlet. We bought a beach, New Zealand! Forty thousand people and the Government, (which means we can all take credit) paid almost $3 million for an inlet in the Abel Tasman National Park. And on Sunday it's officially ours. As 2015 was coming to an end, Bayleys' real estate agent, Glenn Dick was given a unique job. He had to sell a beach. He listed the Awaroa Inlet on Trademe, labelling the beach as "the best on the planet." When Duane Major saw the listing he thought, "why should just one person have this? Why should I create a win for me and a loss for everybody else?" ALDEN WILLIAMS/FAIRFAX NZ Why should we buy a beach? Campaign organiser Duane Major explains. READ MORE: * #BuyThisBeachNZ * Gareth Morgan: I don't want it all * Trust helped Awaroa beach bid get over the line So Major and his friend, Adam Gard'ner, started a campaign to buy the beach. They didn't want the beach sold to private buyers. They sought to create a "win win," where everyone could access the beach. The campaign needed at least $2 million to be successful. The duo set up a Givealitte page, asking for people to crowd fund the purchase. DEAN KOZANIC/STUFF "I'm certainly no angel." Who were the people behind the campaign to buy the beach? By February, their efforts had already raised over $1.5 million. But it wasn't quite enough. Stuff joined the campaign to buy Awaroa Inlet for New Zealand. The site donated $20,000 towards the campaign. Stuff's Editor, Patrick Crewdson, urged readers to donate. If every reader gave $1, the beach would have been ours, easy. "We're on the verge of accomplishing something special," he said. Then Gareth Morgan got involved. STUFF Stuff campaigned to #BuyThisBeachNZ Even with huge media attention, the philanthropist said it was unlikely that New Zealand would be able to buy the beach. According to Morgan, New Zealand had no chance of buying a beach for $2 million. He was right. Originally, the givealittle campaign called for $2 million to buy the beach. Morgan said the cost was nearer to $3 million - which was correct. KEVIN STENT/ FAIRFAX NZ Gareth Morgan said the beach would likely cost $3 million rather than the $2 million advertised. He offered to help fund the beach, in return for some private benefit. His offer was not received warmly. Campaigners didn't care. They kept working to fundraise for the beach. SUPPLIED Gareth Morgan made a graphic to explain what he wanted - only some of the beach. In the end, almost 40,000 donors pledged more than $2 million to help buy the beach. The question was: would that be enough? One anonymous donor helped seel the deal. The donor, later revealed to be the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, gave $250,000 towards the purchase. DAVID WALKER/Stuff.co.nz The "Our News!" team talk a little about "the warm fuzzies" and how to increase yours #buythisbeach Late on a Tuesday night, as the campaign was coming to its end, the Government stepped in. At 10:58pm, on the 25th of February, the deal was confirmed. The Government had agreed to donate $350,000 towards the campaign. Both the Government's contribution and the trust's donation came with "no strings attached", campaigner, Duane Major said. SUPPLIED And in the end, more than $2m from everyday Kiwis (with a little help from the Government and the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust) was enough to buy the beach for everyone. The celebrations didn't stop. In March, the sale was officially confirmed. A trust, set up to purchase the beach, took control, until the land was handed over to the Government in May. Adele Redmond/Stuff.co.nz An impromptu gathering at the newly-purchased Awaroa Beach in the Abel Tasman has taken place. The Department of Conservation were given ownership of the beach, as part of the wider Abel Tasman National Park. Of course, the beach wold remain open to anyone wanting to visit, and many people have. Camp ground owners, water taxi operators and air transport companies have reported huge interest in the area, following the campaign. The secluded spot has become a popular destination with many looking to find out what exactly the spent their money on during a Summer campaign to buy a beach. JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/Stuff.co.nz Supporters of the public's purchase of Awaroa Inlet property hold party at Sumner Beach. Interestingly, Holey Artisan Bakery attacker Nibras Islam and Sholakia Eid congregation attacker Abir Rahman were both students of Dhaka-based North South University. Bangladeshi police surround the body of a suspected militant following an attack at an Eid prayer rally in Kishoreganj, some 130km from Dhaka, on Thursday. By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: One of the attackers killed in the gunbattle with the police at a checkpoint outside Bangladesh Sholakia Eid congregation has been identified. Abir Rahman, 22, son of Sirajul Islam of Comilla Debidwar upazila, was a final-year student of BBA at North South University (NSU), said Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Md Anwar Hossain Khan. Terrorists strike Bangladesh largest Eid congregation in less than a week advertisement Mir Mosharraf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kishoreganj Sadar Model police station, said Abir was a listed criminal and his body was kept at Bajitpur Medical College Hospital. Abir went missing from his Bashundhara residence in Dhaka on March 1 and his father filed a general diary (GD) with Bhatara police station in Dhaka on July 6. He filed the general diary seeking information of his son's whereabouts in the wake of the July 1 terrorist attack at Holey Artisan restaurant in Dhaka's Gulshan area. Sirajul mentioned in the diary that he had searched for Abir in different places but could not find him. During Thursday's attack, seven or eight young men, all in their 20s, threw bombs at the police checkpoint set up to search people coming to Sholakia ground to join Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, and then immediately hacked the policemen with sharp weapons. A gunbattle ensued in which Abir was killed and four other attackers were caught. Nibras Islam, one of the five suspected attackers of the upscale cafe in Dhaka's Gulshan area, was also a student of the North South University. He was killed during an operation by army commandos to rescue the people. Nibras and four others had taken hostage on the night of July 1. Also read: ISIS warning: What happened in Dhaka was a glimpse, won't stop till there's sharia around the world Obama administration offers help to probe Dhaka terror attack Dhaka attack: Indian girl killed, Sushma Swaraj expresses grief --- ENDS --- Ships from China's northern, eastern and southern fleets participated in drills, which focused on air control, surface operations and anti-submarine warfare, among other training exercises By Reuters: The Chinese navy conducted combat drills near its southern island province of Hainan and the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, the Ministry of Defense said on Saturday. The drills come ahead of a July 12 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration on a case brought by the Philippines disputing several of China's territory claims in the South China Sea. advertisement Ships from China's northern, eastern and southern fleets participated in Friday's drills, which focused on air control, surface operations and anti-submarine warfare, among other training exercises, the ministry said in a website statement. China claims nearly all the South China Sea, but its claims overlap in part with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. China has repeatedly said it does not consider any decision reached by the arbitration court to be legally binding. "China adheres to the position of settling disputes through negotiation and consultation with states directly concerned," state news agency Xinhua said in a commentary on Saturday. "This has always been China's policy, and it will never change." Also Read: China slams South China Sea case as court set to rule --- ENDS --- By PTI: Lucknow, Jul 8 (PTI) Samajwadi Party today expelled the Lucknow District Panchyat Chairperson and her husband from the party for alleged land grabbing and on other charges, including that of "anti-party" activities. "District Panchyat Chairperson Maya Yadav and her husband and SP leader Vijay Bahadur Yadav have been expelled from the party for anti-party activities, indiscipline and land grabbing by Chief Minister and party state president Akhilesh Yadav," SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said. advertisement Vijay allegedly tried to grab a piece of land in Chinhat area yesterday with his supporters, who beat up the villagers badly. An FIR in this regard was registered at Gomti Nagar police station and Vijay was arrested today. Under attack from opposition parties for "poor" law and order in the state, the Chief Minister is trying to give a message to party cadres that he would not tolerate any illegal activities. PTI ABN TIR RG TIR --- ENDS --- New Zealand First deputy leader and spokesperson on Defence Ron Mark has asked Foreign Minister Murray McCully to reassure the New Zealand public the claim isnt true. He cant because this government has forgotten that charity begins at home. Corruption is so widespread in Afghanistan that theyd win gold at Rio if it was a sport. This is all but confirmed by a 2016 United States Department of Defense report on Operation Freedom Sentinel. On the Afghani Police, the US United States Department of Defense said: Problems include corruption, desertions, substantial illiteracy, and use of drugs. Additionally, because ANP [Afghan National Police] members serve the same communities in which they were raised, they often become improperly involved in local factional or ethnic disputes. Some five per cent of the uniformed police arent even trained before we get to the cot-case that is the Afghan Local Police. A force where there are ghost police on the payroll lining the pockets of corrupt officials and warlords. As for the Afghan National Army (ANA), the US United States Department of Defense adds: ANA manpower problems can be traced back to a significant attrition problem, which has multiple causes, including poor leadership, continual combat operations, shortages of individual equipment, and difficulty in travelling to and from home during leave. In others words, desertion. In May Stars and Stripes reported that the US-led coalition had taken control of procuring uniforms and boots for the Afghan army and Afghan National Police Force due to widespread corruption and incompetence. Its so bad that Stars and Stripes said: If first impressions really can be gleaned from footwear, Afghan security forces may be about as disjointed and ragged as a state-run military can get. Why are New Zealand personnel still in this sideshow. It has long been obvious that it has been a no-win situation and as long as we have personnel deployed in Afghanistan there is always the possibility of even further mission creep. The funding will extend the deployment until June 2018, but knowing the National government, this could well be extended. Weve been in Afghanistan since 2003 thirteen years is long enough. It is time New Zealand got out; our defence force does not exist to teach English or act as mentors, Ron says. Source: Ron Marks office. The US president left for Washington from the Rota naval base on Sunday night instead of Monday Barack Obama at the US naval station in Rota on Sunday. Reuters US president Barack Obama cancelled part of his visit to Spain this weekend, following the shooting on Friday of five police officers in Dallas, Texas. Obama landed in Madrid at 11pm on Sunday after attending the NATO summit in Warsaw (Poland). He was met by King Felipe VI, acting deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santa Maria, the US ambassador to Spain James Costos among other authorities. His planned tour of the Andalusian capital on Sunday with King Felipe and regional president Susana Diaz, was cancelled, however he did go ahead with his visit to the American naval base in Rota. His agenda for Sunday also included a meeting with acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy and the king. At the Torrejon airbase near Madrid he also found time to talk briefly to the leaders of Spain's other main political parties, Pedro Sanchez (PSOE), Albert Rivera (Ciudadanos) and Pablo Iglesias (Podemos). The Delhi court lifts personal exemption granted to Vijay Mallya in a 17 year-old FERA violation case. Mallya has been asked to appear before the court on September 9; Photo: PTI By Anusha Soni: A day after former liquor baron Vijay Mallya made a rare public appearance and said 'life must go on', Delhi's Patiala House court today has asked Mallya to appear before the court on the next date of hearing, September 9. Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender by the government, in an interview to Reuters on Friday made clear his reluctance to return "unless assured of a fair trial in India, if at all there needs to be a trial." advertisement Won't return unless assured of a fair trial, says Vijay Mallya HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW The special ED Court lifts personal exemption granted to Vijay Mallya in a 17 year-old FERA violation case. Delhi court sets September 9 as the next date of hearing. Vijay Mallya asked to appear before the court on September 9. Earlier, Mallya had moved the Supreme Court for quashing of proceedings but was rebuked. A bench headed by Justice J.S. Khehar had then imposed Rs 10 lakh as costs on Mallya in the case. ED alleged that Mallya violated the provisions of Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) in arranging funds to advertise his liquor products abroad over a decade ago. The agency wants to question Mallya in connection with a contract signed in December 1995 with London-based firm Benetton Formula Ltd for promotion of the Kingfisher brand abroad. Mallya had allegedly paid $200,000 to the British firm for displaying the Kingfisher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The money was allegedly paid without prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India, a move which violated FERA norms. Mallya has been snubbing the Indian agencies by refusing to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with loan default cases despite several summons. Also Read: Spotted! Vijay Mallya appears for F1 meet in UK Decision on 3rd non-bailable warrant against Vijay Mallya in 2 weeks --- ENDS --- By Indo-Asian News Service: British pop girl group Spice Girls have confirmed their reunion as a trio to celebrate the 21st anniversary of their debut album. Members of the girl group--Melanie Brown, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton shared photos and a video on Friday confirming the news, reports mirror.co.uk. In the clip, which they have captioned as GEM, Brown says: "We've been thinking. We have the best fans in the whole entire world." Also Read: 11 fun facts about the Spice Girls advertisement Horner then says: "You've stood by us for 20 years and we want to say a big thank you." Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez is creating the right kind of noise with this Spice Girls remake They then revealed that they are holding a party and everyone is invited and hinted that they are playing at London's Hyde Park for a reunion gig next July. However, the news of the reunion has no hint of Melanie Chisholm and Victoria Beckham being involved. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Hyderabad, July 8 (PTI) The Telangana Government will soon come out with a policy for the benefit of the non-resident Indians from the state, the industry and NRI affairs minister K T Rama Rao said here today. The Government had already prepared a draft policy and it would take suggestions from experts and NRI associations at a meeting on July 16, he said. advertisement The proposed policy aims at creating a sense of confidence among the Telangana citizens living in foreign countries and especially in the Gulf region, he said. Rao was speaking at a meeting here where he handed over a cheque for Rs 40.15 lakh to the kin of Narasiah, a Nizamabad resident, who died in Gulf, an official release said. He said the Government would expand the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM) which facilitates legal entry into Gulf countries for the youth who seek to go there for jobs. Rao handed over visas to 250 persons who found employment in the Gulf through TOMCOM on this occasion. TOMCOM had entered into MoUs with five companies in Dubai for providing employment to the youth from the state. Noting that the government would take steps to see to it that the job seekers go to Gulf countries and other foreign countries through legal means, he said employment would be provided via TOMCOM so that job frauds by agents are prevented. PTI SJR KRK SMJ BAS --- ENDS --- Beachland Elementary School. (ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm INDIAN RIVER COUNTY A federal desegregation order has loomed over Indian River County School District for decades, pressing officials to bolster minority teacher recruitment efforts. But the district continually has failed to meet hiring targets specified by the court order, citing the difficulty of luring minority teachers to the county as one major deterrent. Yet while experts say teachers minority educators especially are at a premium in Florida, other districts have developed diverse teaching staffs by looking out of state and using resources Indian River County has not to reach a deeper candidate pool. "We continue to be challenged by attracting diverse applicants," said William Fritz, Indian River assistant superintendent of human resources. Desegregation history Indian County School District first was hit with a desegregation order in the wake of a 1967 lawsuit, as effects of the Civil Rights Act reverberated across the country. Between 1964 and 1970, judges took on 200 desegregation cases at school districts nationwide, according to Propublica, an independent nonprofit investigative-news organization. The orders laid down specific plans for creating racially-balanced schools taught by diverse staffs to establish an equitable education system for minority students. Of 34 Florida school districts once under desegregation orders, 11, including Indian River, remain under court orders, according to Propublica. In 1994, the Indian River County NAACP chapter brought the district back to court, where a judge spelled out steps necessary to be released from the court's watch. Among them, the district was ordered to make a "significant effort" to hire minority teachers in proportion to the student population: 20 percent to 40 percent of new and replacement hires should be minority candidates until the student-to-teacher ratio is proportionate. Twenty-two years later, the school district has not come close, but also has faced no penalties. Local NAACP officials, who maintain the district isn't doing enough, and the School Board, which wants out from under the desegregation order, continue to meet. The two sides eventually could go back before a judge, which could lead to the state, court or a third-party intermediary taking over the district, said Ashley Taylor, a lawyer who served as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 2004-2010 and now practices privately. Fines also are a possibility, although often counterproductive, he said. Minority student population growing Black and Hispanic enrollment in Indian River schools has risen steadily for more than a decade. Teacher-to-student proportions, however, are no better today than a decade ago. Since 2003, black enrollment increased from 2,601 to 3,052 students in 2015, according to the Florida Department of Education. Hispanic enrollment nearly doubled in the same period, from 2,079 to 3,965 students, according to the state. Overall minority enrollment grew from 31.8 percent in 2003 to 41.8 percent in 2015, according to the state. At the same time, white enrollment decreased from 11,343 in 2003 to 10,012 in 2015, according to the Department of Education. In 2005, the earliest year the Department of Education has teacher data by race, Indian River County reported 63 black teachers. Ten years later, the district employed 69, according to the department. The district did, however, double its Hispanic teaching staff, from 26 in 2005 to 52 in 2015, according to the state. Black students made up 16.9 percent of the population in 2015 while 6.1 percent of teachers were black; Hispanic students accounted for 22 percent of the population while 4.6 percent of teachers were Hispanic. Data provided by the district shows 32 of the 389 teachers hired over the last five years were black 8.2 percent of new hires. Hiring quandary Ideally, schools should be a reflection of society in the classroom, said Gloria Pelaez, director of teacher preparation and accreditation for the University of Miami's School of Education and Human Development. Finding and hiring minority teachers, she said, is "very doable, but it takes an investment." Indian River officials say they're doing all they can to find and recruit minority teachers, yet other school districts are doing more. Indian River has recruited at Florida's historically black colleges and universities Florida Memorial, Bethune Cookman and Florida A&M universities every year since Fritz was hired in 2013, he said. In 2016, it participated in three career fairs for diversity hires, he said. A local bank offers prospective teachers short-term loans for relocation expenses, Fritz said, and prospective teachers tour the community and housing options with minority administrators. Still, as Indian River administrators say they're doing all they can to recruit minorities, a look to the south shows at least one example of what more could be done here. Fort Lauderdale's Broward County School District, for example which employs the second-most minority teachers in Florida, recruits nationally to fill vacancies. Black students made up 39.4 percent of Broward's enrollment last year, compared to 26.6 percent of the teaching staff; 31.7 percent of students were Hispanic, compared to 17.7 percent of teachers, according to the DOE. Broward recruiters target historically black universities not only in Florida, but in Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere, said Susan Rockelman, district director of talent acquisition. About 17 percent of the district's teachers come from out of state, she said. Broward advertises openings out-of-state and actively uses social media to cast a wider net, Rockelman said. "We try to reflect our student population," Rockelman said. "We want our students to hear about different experiences." Broward County and other school districts around the state also recruit with the help of the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, which provides scholarships for minority teachers. Fritz said Indian River County has not recently worked with the organization. Selling Indian River Indian River County can be attractive to educators seeking a small-district feel while being relatively close to urban areas such as West Palm Beach, Orlando and Miami, said Michael Bowie, executive director of the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers and director of the Office for Recruitment, Retention and Multicultural Affairs for the University of Florida College of Education. At the same time, many minority candidates who don't know Vero Beach may be looking for an urban, rather than rural, work environment, Fritz said. The environment at individual schools and what support services are available from principals to subject area leaders also steer the decisions of many educators seeking employment, Bowie said. Nevertheless, school officials in Indian River County can view the desegregation order as a burden or an opportunity, Bowie said. "It's an opportunity," he said, "if the district is really interested in diversifying their teacher population." Algae blooms seen on Friday June 24, 2016 in the St. Lucie River estuary in Martin County. (ERIC HASERT/ TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS) SHARE By Tyler Treadway of TCPalm It's the lake, stupid. They say pictures don't lie, and that's never been more true in settling the argument over what caused the St. Lucie River algae crisis: Lake Okeechobee discharges or septic systems. NASA satellite photography has tracked a massive algae bloom in the lake since early May. Videos and photographs by news organizations, including Treasure Coast Newspapers/TCPalm.com, also clearly show bright green algae flowing out of the lake, along the C-44 (St. Lucie) Canal and into the river. It was obvious on a July 1 airplane tour: Algae bunched up on the west side of the St. Lucie Lock and Dam before pouring through the gates and into the canal, like Black Friday shoppers jostling to squeeze through the just-opened doors of a big-box store. Even a pre-eminent researcher who calls septic systems "one of the primary sources" of pollution in the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon agrees. "There's no challenging the fact that the algae is coming from Lake Okeechobee," said Brian Lapointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce. "The lake is the biggest single source of the blue-green algae bloom in the St. Lucie River estuary." He said there would be no algae bloom in the river without the discharges, which have poured more than 150 billion gallons of polluted lake water into the river since Jan. 30. "I don't know of any time we've had blooms without discharges," he said. Yes, septic systems pollute the river, but not nearly as much as lake discharges; and it's the combination of the two, plus other water entering the estuary from canals and creeks, that makes algae bloom. Lapointe puts it this way: Lake discharges caused the river algae bloom, but septic system runoff "greatly exacerbated it." "When the algae from the lake enters the estuary, it encounters high concentrations of what we call 'active' nutrients; and that makes the blooms explode," Lapointe said. Ed Phlips, an algae expert at the University of Florida, agreed lake discharges caused the algae bloom; but he said septic systems may have contributed "a little." "It's a very good thing to shift from septic systems to sewer systems," Phlips said, "but you'd be fixing only a small part of this particular problem." BLOOM OR NO BLOOM? The South Florida Water Management District disagrees, claiming there have been algae blooms without discharges. "Algae blooms have occurred in past years such as 2014 when there were no lake releases," states a news release titled "Myth versus Fact." Spokesman Randy Smith also said there was an algae bloom "during a no lake release period in April of 2014 in the St. Lucie but the documentation does not list an exact location." Treasure Coast Newspapers made multiple requests for that documentation; but Smith never provided it, saying only that district scientists remember it. "At the time, detailed notes about blooms (were) not something the agency kept," he said. The St. Lucie River had only two toxic algae blooms in the past 10 years: in 2005 and 2013, according to a study Lapointe prepared for the Martin County Commission, dated March 4, 2015. "That's right," Lapointe said Friday. "There weren't any blooms in 2014." An algae bloom in April 2014 seems highly unlikely, based on the district's own data. Blue-green algae, aka cyanobacteria, can't survive in water with a salinity above 10 parts per thousand. Salinity in the St. Lucie River estuary ranged from 18 to 30 parts per thousand, according to a presentation Terri Bates, director of water resources, gave to the district board April 7 and May 15 that year. It's a "myth," the district states, that "Lake Okeechobee is the sole contributor to blue-green algae blooms." The key word here is "sole." IT'S NOT ENOUGH Sure, the lake isn't the "sole" contributor to the bloom; no argument. But no one can deny it's the "primary" contributor. From Jan. 1 to July 1, the lake "contributed" 150 billion gallons of water to the river while stormwater runoff from the C-23, C-24 and C-44 canals plus Ten Mile Creek plus the river's tidal basin combined contributed 172 billion gallons. All that water, 322 billion gallons, has lowered the salinity in the normally brackish estuary enough to allow freshwater species of algae like the blue-green algae we're seeing now. "Any major bloom is consistently associated with huge discharges from Lake Okeechobee," Phlips said. "It just makes sense: These are freshwater species of algae, and the discharges of freshwater from the lake is the main cause of low salinity in the St. Lucie estuary." Lake discharges also are the primary source of nutrients in the river, mostly nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizer runoff from agricultural lands north of the lake. The nutrients also fertilize the algae. So far this year, discharges have dumped into the river about: 2.1 million pounds of nitrogen 255,412 pounds of phosphorus If septic systems were the main cause of algae blooms, Phlips said, "you'd expect blooms on a more constant basis because septic systems are continuously contributing nutrients to the estuary. But it's a question of volume. Septic systems just don't contribute enough volume." Images from Sen. Marco Rubio's visit to the Treasure Coast on July 1, 2016, to examine the algae pollution in the St. Lucie River. Afterward, Rubio spoke to the media and local elected officials and business representatives at Central Marine in Stuart. (FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm Standing just feet away from putrid algae fouling local waters last week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio questioned whether buying land south of Lake Okeechobee to build reservoirs to reduce discharges would help clean the St. Lucie River. Another elected official who hasn't publicly supported buying land is Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who's been noncommittal despite reporters asking for his stance several times in recent years. Rubio and Scott have another thing in common: They are the elected officials who have received the most campaign contributions from the sugar industry, according to a Treasure Coast Newspapers analysis of the last elections of Florida politicians who either represent the Treasure Coast areas mostly impacted by lake discharges or have the power to push for a land purchase. The sugar industry has donated $2.7 million since 2011 to support six politicians in D.C. and Tallahassee; the Republican Party of Florida, which controls both legislative chambers; and committees dedicated to electing Republicans to the Legislature. Sugar interests funneled more than $486,000 alone into Rubio's failed presidential bid. Scroll down to keep reading this story. Decision makers A plan to reduce lake discharges into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers is expected to come up for a vote in Tallahassee next year. Incoming Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, is working on a proposal that likely will include buying land south of the lake, much of which is owned by sugar farmers. The land would be used to redirect excess lake water into the Everglades instead of the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. Negron receive $2,500 from sugar interests before his 2014 race. The hope is the current algae blooms, which flowed into the St. Lucie River via Lake O discharges, will push other lawmakers to support Negron's plan, said Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg. "The American political system is dominated by big money, and big money talks," Eikenberg said. "But we are hopeful in this crisis that the governor and other decision makers see through any of that." Scott and Sugar U.S. Sugar Corp. is the fourth largest donor to Scott's political committee, Let's Get to Work, since 2014, giving almost $960,000, state records show. The Clewiston-based company lobbied last year against selling 46,800 acres to the state despite entering a 2010 contract to do so. Scott's appointees on the South Florida Water Management District board voted to void that contract in 2015, just as environmentalists were pushing the Legislature to allocate money for the purchase. Scott and U.S. Sugar have pushed similar agendas to restore the Everglades and the Indian River Lagoon. Both say the state should focus on finishing projects already on the books, despite cries from environmentalists that more storage south of the lake is needed. Scott also signed a 2013 law that blocked lawsuits on 30-year, no-bid leases for sugar farmers in the northern Everglades. Negron was the only senator who voted against the bill, despite accepting more than $700,000 in sugar donations to his 2012 campaign and to political committees for which he raised money since 2008. "I think the sugar industry has been influential with the Scott administration from the time that he was elected," said Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper. "We are trying to get the governor to agree to have a planning process for storage south of the lake. ... We are having a hard time even getting that done." Scott's office Friday said he's "looking at all options" to address lake discharges. When asked whether sugar contributions influenced the governor, spokeswoman Lauren Schenone said, "Absolutely not." Same script On his July 1 visit to Stuart, Rubio said the state and federal governments should work on storage north of Lake Okeechobee instead of south, noting most pollution enters the lake from the Kissimmee River and northern waters. That's despite a 2015 University of Florida study that found while north storage is needed, 11,000 to 120,000 acres of storage south of the lake also are needed to reduce discharges. U.S. Sugar made a similar argument against buying land in a series of ads that ran in several Florida newspapers. One ad stated the state should "divert, store and treat polluted water before it reaches Lake Okeechobee." The Fanjul family, owners of sugar giant Florida Crystals, made most of the donations to Rubio's presidential campaign and to a super PAC that supported him called Conservative Solutions. At a news conference in Stuart, Rubio ignored a Treasure Coast Newspapers' reporter's question: Did the Fanjuls' money influence his stance on supporting storage north of the lake instead of the land purchase? While sugar has great influence over lawmakers, it's hard to tell whether that's because of campaign donations or relationships with those politicians, said Draper, who works as a lobbyist on environmental issues in Tallahassee. Relationships are key in politics; it's what gets your phone calls returned, he said. "How much of that is campaign contributions?" Draper said. "How much is relationships because that's another place the sugar industry is particularly good? How much is the lobbyists working for them?" Sugar donations $980,512: Gov. Rick Scott and his Lets Get to Work committee $633,733: Republican Party of Florida $486,765: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and pro-Rubio super PAC Conservative Solutions $328,486: Florida Senatorial Campaign Committee (dedicated to electing Republicans to the Florida Senate) $125,000: House Republican Campaign Committee (dedicated to electing Republicans to the Florida House) $71,500: Florida Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, and Florida Leadership Committee (Latvala will serve as the Senate budget committee chairman next year) $53,000: Incoming Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, and Florida Roundtable committee $35,950: U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. $2,500: Incoming Florida Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart (previous to his 2014 race) $0: U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, and pro-Murphy super PAC Floridians for a Strong Middle Class NOTE: Totals reflect donations from sugar companies, their executives and close relatives for the last races in which these officials were elected Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can host the dengue fever, Chikungunya and the Zika virus. (FILE PHOTO) SHARE By Ledyard King, USA TODAY WASHINGTON Congress has one more week to reach a deal to fund the fight against the Zika virus before they leave for a seven-week recess. It may already be too late. Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate keep pointing fingers, predictably blaming each other for failing to pass a spending bill that would provide millions of dollars for vaccine research, insect control, and testing kits to combat a disease that's mainly spread by mosquitoes and can cause severe birth defects or even paralysis. "Funding our nation's Zika response is something that simply cannot wait any longer and it cannot be used as a vehicle to advance partisan, ideological positions," U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., wrote in a letter Thursday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Nelson was referring to a $1.1 billion Zika bill that contained a number of provisions unpalatable to Democrats, including $750 million in budget cuts to other health care programs. He wants McConnell to take up a clean version of the funding bill. "It's disgraceful that Zika funds have been stonewalled again by dysfunctional Washington politics," countered Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, who represents Sarasota. "The Senate Democrats have yet another opportunity to show they are serious about getting much-needed resources to our communities before more Americans are infected." Florida is ground zero in the effort to combat Zika. The state Department of Health has reported more than 260 cases of the disease in Florida. To date, all of the cases in the mainland United States involve someone who has been infected elsewhere but was diagnosed after they returned. Health officials say it's probable that there's already a case of local transmission along the Gulf Coast that hasn't been discovered yet. In addition, they say even if lawmakers were able to agree to a Zika bill compromise by this week, it's probably too late to do much for this mosquito season, given the arrival of summer. On Friday, a Utah woman became the first person on the U.S. mainland to die after becoming infected with the Zika virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department announced. RUBIO Skipping CONVENTION During his Republican presidential campaign, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio called Donald Trump "a con man" who couldn't be trusted. After Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee, the Florida senator said he planned to support him and would even be willing to speak at the convention on his behalf. Now Rubio is saying he won't even go to Cleveland to participate in Trump's official nomination. "Florida has always been a competitive state and it will be this fall," Rubio campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas said last week. "Marco had planned to go to the convention before he decided to seek re-election. Since Marco got into the race late, he will be in Florida campaigning and meeting with voters instead of going to Ohio." Rubio has been doing a zigzag on Trump, not unlike many other prominent Republicans who say they want to back the brash billionaire but are put off by some of his statements and positions. Rubio has been unequivocal that given a choice between presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Trump in November, he would pick the Republican. backing PILING UP FOR RUBIO Most analysts predicted Rubio would not have much trouble marshaling resources and support in his Senate re-election bid. And they were right. Rubio, who is trying to rebuff a primary challenge from Manatee County businessman Carlos Beruff and win re-election to a second term this fall, scored endorsements last week from an important cadre of key conservative players: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Tea Party Patriots and the National Rifle Association. "Marco Rubio is a strong advocate for the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen," NRA Executive Director Chris Cox said. "He has fought to preserve our Second Amendment freedoms and hunting heritage, and stood strong against President Obama, Hillary Clinton and former New York City billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg's extreme gun-control agenda." The NRA endorsement brought immediate condemnation from Allison Tant, who is chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party. "It's hardly surprising that the NRA would back Marco Rubio, who, after claiming the shooting in Orlando changed his mind on public service, voted against common-sense gun safety measures backed by more than eight in 10 Floridians" Tant said in a statement. "The NRA knows Rubio can be counted on to look out for the gun lobby no matter what his constituents think. Unfortunately for Rubio, the people of Florida have had enough with the NRA's insistence that nothing can be done to prevent gun violence." On Friday, Rubio had more good news: his campaign raised $2.1 million between June 22 when he announced he would reverse course and run for re-election and June 30, the end of the latest campaign finance reporting period. That's a large amount to raise in less than a week and a half. Polls already show Rubio well ahead of Beruff among GOP voters for the Aug. 30 primary nomination. Beruff, a real estate developer who has hinted he might spend up to $20 million in the race, has criticized Rubio for breaking his pledge to not run for re-election, for being a "no show" in Congress when he was on the campaign trail, and for not being willing to promise he would serve a full six-year term if elected to a second term. LAWMAKERS introduce WORKERS bills Two Florida GOP lawmakers want to make it tougher for federal workers to misbehave. U.S. Rep. Bill Posey thinks Hillary Clinton's mishandling of classified information on a private email server sends a bad message to government employees. So the Space Coast Republican last week successfully inserted an amendment into a spending bill that would bar federal workers from using private, unsecure email servers to conduct official government business. "This would ensure that the time and taxpayer money invested in the security of sensitive information will not be undermined by carelessness or misunderstandings," Posey said on the floor before it passed by voice vote. "By passing this amendment, we will significantly improve the security of our government IT (internet technology)." The measure came a day after FBI Director James Comey announced his recommendation that neither Clinton nor her aides be prosecuted criminally for the private email setup, even though they were "extremely careless" in their handling of classified information. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch formally closed the inquiry Wednesday. Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, who represents the western Panhandle, introduced a bill last week that would strengthen whistleblower protections "and help fix the Department of Veterans Affairs' biggest problem its pervasive lack of accountability for misbehaving employees." Miller is the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and has been a leading congressional critic of the VA's treatment of veterans. His bill would shorten the time disciplined rank-and-file employees can appeal their punishment from more than a year on average to no more than 77 days; remove certain protections for VA senior executives appealing their discipline, and authorize the VA secretary to recoup bonuses and relocation expenses from misbehaving employees, among other provisions. "The biggest obstacle standing in the way of VA reform is the department's pervasive lack of accountability among employees at all levels," Miller said. "Until this problem is fixed once and for all, long-term efforts to reform VA are doomed to fail." Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com or on Twitter @ledgeking. Longtime Fort Pierce resident Bob Burdge talks with Fort Pierce Chief of Police Diane Hobley-Burney on June 1, 2015, during her swearing-in ceremony at City Hall in Fort Pierce. City Manager Nick Mimms on Tuesday placed Hobley-Burney on paid administrative leave until further notice. (FILE PHOTO) By Keona Gardner of TCPalm FORT PIERCE Whether Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney returns to her job depends on whether trust can be rebuilt between her and City Manager Nick Mimms and the City Commission, said the executive director of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. Mimms on Tuesday placed Hobley-Burney on paid administrative leave, days after the City Commission learned she had ordered investigations of City Commissioner Reggie Sessions and city critic Rick Reed. Sessions and Reed had pushed for a Justice Department investigation of the officer-involved April 23 shooting that killed Demarcus Semer. Without trust in a chief's leadership, a city manager or commission might be reluctant to fund new crime-fighting programs, said Amy Mercer, executive director of the chiefs association. "It is possible to regain trust if both parties want it," Mercer said. "Trust could be regained if there is a proven track record or accomplishments and lower crime rates. But that has to be balanced with how badly the city manager and the city commission determine the trust was broken." A year ago, there was no hiding the city's excitement over the arrival of Hobley-Burney, who spent 27 years in the Tampa Police Department, rising to major. A banner with her picture hung above the staircase at City Hall. The commission chamber was packed for her swearing-in, with many in the audience holding fans with "I'm a fan of Chief Diane." Resident Mazella Smith said she thought Hobley-Burney's approach of forging mutual respect between police and residents and having officers walk their beats instead of patrolling from cars would create a positive relationship. "I could feel that she cared about the community and wanted to help," Smith said. Hobley-Burney started the "front-porch roll calls," where a group of officers met at the beginning of their shift somewhere in the community to give residents an opportunity to get to know and work with officers. Sessions even hosted the event on his front lawn. "I was very impressed by her eagerness to embrace the community," Sessions said. "I like how she came in at the ground level, meeting with common people on the streets and progressing to meeting with elected officials. She took the time to get involved in the community." Crime statistics support Hobley-Burney's efforts. The city's crime rate fell 9 percent last year compared with 2014, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. But in January, six months into Hobley-Burney's first year, Sessions said he began noticing a problem with her leadership after learning that about a dozen officers had left the department. "Whenever I asked about it I was told it was low salary," Sessions said, "or that these were officers who didn't want to change." Another crack in the working relationship developed from the fatal shooting of Semer. Hobley-Burney asked the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office to investigate, but the public, saying it didn't trust the Sheriff's Office, pushed for the Department of Justice to step in. The final crack came on June 15, when Hobley-Burney disregarded Mimms' order to reinstate Officer Dania Francois, whom the chief fired in April for violating department and state policies for associating with "known convicted felons." Francois' live-in boyfriend was a felon. In an email to the City Commission and city staff, the chief questioned Mimms' judgment. He placed a written reprimand in her file for lack of professionalism. "I was asking for guidance. In no way does this carry weight on the level of respect I have for you, Mr. Mimms," Hobley-Burney wrote on the disciplinary action form. Deputy Chief Kenny Norris was named interim chief until the city Human Resources Department completes its investigation into the allegations. No date has been set for its completion. Sessions would not say whether Hobley-Burney has lost his trust. "She ultimately answers to the city manager," he said. "If he feels like he can work with her, then who am I to stand in the way?" From left, James Stokes, Philip Sherwin, Ramon Irizarri, Gary Oldehoff and Reginald Osenton, are the five finalists hoping to get the job of Port St. Lucie city attorney. (PHOTOS BY NICOLE RODRIGUEZ) SHARE By Nicole Rodriguez of TCPalm PORT ST. LUCIE The five finalists for city attorney met with residents Friday to field questions and explain why they're the best lawyer for the job. The finalists mingled with approximately two dozen citizens, city staffers and several City Council members at the Community Center during a mixer in which the public had the opportunity to talk to the top candidates from a pool of 56. There was no formal question-and-answer session for the candidates. The city is searching for a new top lawyer to replace Pam Booker, who was fired in February by the City Council for poor performance. City Council members will conduct one-on-one interviews Saturday with the finalists and hire one Monday at a special council meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Whomever the City Council hires will be tasked with leading the embattled legal department, which has a depleted, inexperienced staff inundated with lawsuits. Finalist Reginald O. Osenton, a former town attorney for Man, West Virginia, said he's up for the challenge. "One of the major strengths I bring is leadership and office management," Osenton said. "With the city attorney's (office) going through some turbulent times, they need someone who can come in, assess everything personnel, finance, the types of cases, what's being referred to outside counsel and rebuild the office. I'm someone who can do that. I've done it before in private practice." James D. Stokes, the current Greenacres city attorney, said he'll take a proactive approach to city business and economic ventures that can potentially land the city in court. "My general approach always as city attorney is to try to be more proactive, to get more involved in things on the front end to try and avoid problems at the back end," Stokes said. "A lot of law firms and a lot of in-house firms take a reactive approach. 'Oh, we'll wait till we get sued and see what happens.' I've always tried to be proactive." Dealing with complex cases stemming from several failed economic development projects is nothing new to former Martin County Attorney Gary K. Oldehoff, of Stuart, he said. "Does the city of Port St. Lucie have complex litigation?" he asked. "Yes, it does. Is it something I've never done? Oh, I've done that a lot." The city's legal department should be one others across the state strive to mimic, Oldehoff added. Ramon Irizarri a former Sweetwater city attorney who now is in private practice said the key to being a successful city attorney is possessing the ability to solve problems. "The role is an adviser and problem-solver and supervisor of the legal staff that they do their job," he said. Philip Sherwin, a former senior attorney for Polk County, declined to comment, citing he was unsure of the city's media communication policy. Google is starting a new project arm that specifically focuses on education, supposedly expected to produce more quality apps built for a school setting. While there are already plenty of educational apps for kids from the Alphabet-owned company, like Cast for Education, Google Classroom and the recently updated Google Cardboard, which now offers affordable virtual reality (VR) programs for teachers, Android co-founder Rich Miner still finds this department lacking. "[There is a] difficulty in finding quality educational apps and other kid-focused Internet services that weren't primarily either: (a) Babysitters; and/or (b) Ad delivery devices," reveals Fortune writer Dan Primack when he previously found himself in a seemingly random elevator exchange with Miner, with topics mostly centered around their kids. That said, the publication revealed that Miner was stepping down from his role as one of Google Ventures' (GV) general partner and moving forward, would become Google's education venture partner instead, though, retaining seats across his existing GV posts. This should give him more time to fully realize his plans for the project, something he's been reportedly working on for the past two years, while still working closely with the Alphabet group. "[W]hat was to my benefit years ago is now to my detriment," comments Bill Maris, CEO of Google Ventures, who was not surprised that his former staff member was leaving the venture branch in pursuit of "build something new." The CEO added that Rich Miner is "an adventurous person who jumped into this thing with [him]" and he is "really excited" to see what Miner has in store for the new project. Although Miner had the opportunity to start up a new company under the Alphabet brand, it only made sense for the former general partner to execute his plans as a Google project due to the company's existing line of educational resources mentioned above. It is unknown at this point, however, if the new "education-focused" project spearheaded by Miner will consider (and absorb) the current Google for Education programs in its future plans. Plans of which, are also yet to be determined. "I don't actually know exactly what we're building yet," Miner described, explaining that his vision "is another big idea," in reference to Android and WildFire's long development over the years, and as such, his education project under Google "will take time." The new initiative will house its own dedicated team in the main Google HQ back at Mountain View, though, Miner plans to work from his place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where most of current GV investors are based. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BJP MP from Baghpat Dr Satyapal Singh says there was an event of mass religious conversion by Zakir Naik in 2008 but the then Congress government didn't act against the hard-line preacher on the basis of his report. By Anindya Banerjee: Zakir Naik controversy has taken a political turn today with BJP MP from Baghpat Dr Satyapal Singh alleging inaction on his adverse report on Naik by then UPA government headed by the Congress. Speaking to India Today, the former commissioner of police of Pune said, "In 2008, there was an event of mass religious conversion by Zakir Naik. We were keeping a watch on him. His funds were also questionable. Following which, I gave a detailed report." But Singh alleges the government of the day didn't bother to act on it. advertisement "Congress was ruling both the state and centre at that time. It didn't act on my report," alleges the BJP MP. So was it political compulsion or administrative incompetence? From it's very inception, Congress is like that," the former top cop-turned-politician quipped. When asked why he failed to take any action against Naik, Singh said, "The Central government should act against the FCRA violators. It's beyond my domain". POLITICAL SLUGFEST Zakir Naik, the hard-line preacher who is already being under scanner of the investigative agencies has brought the Congress and the BJP up against each other after this charge. Earlier, social media was abuzz with Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh's photo with the salafi leader. Following which the Congress General Secretary hit back by tweeting photo of Home Minister Rajnath Singh with Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, drawing a parallel between the two. And with that even an issue that is touted to be a national security matter has turned all set for a political slugfest. ALSO READ: Zakir Naik row: Digvijaya tweets Rajnath's picture with controversial Sadhvi Pragya Zakir Naik under scrutiny, could face action --- ENDS --- An underwater forest of kelp sitting off the coast of Australia is suffering the effects of a marine heatwave. These conditions are seriously affecting the delicate marine ecosystem in the region, researchers concluded. A stretch of more than 60 miles of kelp were destroyed by the warmer conditions, which ravaged waters in the area in 2011. The marine environment off the coast of western Australia at that time averaged 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, conditions that lasted 10 weeks, seriously damaging underwater kelp fields. As higher water temperatures killed off large quantities of kelp, the marine vegetation was replaced by tropical and subtropical species. Five years after the heatwave, this damage shows no sign of abating. The Leeuwin Current, which flows southward, is one factor hindering the recolonization of damaged areas by kelp. Invasive animal species are also grazing upon the kelp, hindering any recovery. Damage from the heatwave extends more than 620 miles, but the greatest impact was felt in an area roughly one-tenth that size. In that region, the heatwave killed off kelp over an area of nearly 150 square miles. Further south, roughly 370 square miles of kelp have been lost to warmer water. The Great Southern Reef (GSR), stretching more than 5,000 miles along the southern coast of Australia, is greatly affected by damage from the recent heatwave. In western areas of that region, the kelp forest is migrating toward the coast of the island continent, where warmer conditions increase damage to the local environment. "Kelp forests are the GSR's 'biological engine,' feeding a globally unique collection of temperate marine species, not to mention supporting some of the most valuable fisheries in Australia and underpinning reef tourism worth more than A$10 billion a year," The Conversation reports. Researchers examined kelp fields, corals, seaweeds, invertebrates and fish between 2001 and 2015, in an effort to determine how marine populations were changing over time. Investigators found 43 percent of kelp forests were lost following the heatwave. Regions located closer to the natural habitats of tropical and subtropical species were affected by invasion of alien species to a greater degree than location further from such areas. The area is experiencing a rate of rising marine temperatures roughly twice the global average. This effect provides a glimpse of how global warming will alter climate around the world over the coming decades. Analysis of how the marine heatwave of 2011 is affecting kelp fields in waters near Australia was published in the journal Science. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Federal regulators have barred Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes from owning and operating a medical laboratory for a period of two years. Regulators also revoked the certification of the embattled blood-testing start-up's flagship laboratory in Newark, California, as well as its approval to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. The revocation will be effective on Sept. 5. The company, however, said that it would no longer conduct any patient testing effective immediately. The sanctions, which Theranos announced in a statement released on July 7, followed months of investigations by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). During the course of investigations, government inspectors found that the Silicon Valley firm violated a number of federal testing standards. Among the numerous deficiencies that the CMS has found is one described to pose immediate jeopardy to the health and safety of the patient, which appears to refer to the erroneous results in a blood clotting test among patients who use the blood thinner warfarin. The biotech firm, which was once valued at more than $9 billion, positioned itself as a provider of a cheaper but more efficient alternative to traditional medical tests. It claimed to be capable of processing up to 70 lab test using only a few drops of blood. Revelations, however, emerged that the signature laboratory technology was being used only on a handful of tests. These were exacerbated by reports of former employees who claimed the company's tests were not reliable. The Wall Street Journal was the first to question the company's technology and testing methods and the announcement in essence vindicated its reports that stirred a controversy that Holmes once compared to a witch hunt. In its statement, Theranos said that it is taking full responsibility for the issues at its Newark laboratory and has already undertaken remedial actions, which include shutting down and rebuilding the lab from the ground up, as well as working on its personnel and training. It also said that it would continue to work with the CMS to resolve issues. "The company will continue to work with CMS to resolve and remediate outstanding issues in the Newark lab, and will continue to provide services to its customers through its Arizona lab," Theranos said. "While we are disappointed by CMS' decision, we take these matters very seriously and are committed to fully resolving all outstanding issues with CMS and to demonstrating our dedication to the highest standards of quality and compliance." Health regulators proposed banning Holmes from holding diagnostic business as early as March, citing a series of controversies over her company's erratic and faulty blood test results. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Massive bolts that secure subsea oil equipment are failing, causing expensive shutdowns and giving rise to issues on safety about the subsea wells located in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2013, the Department of the Interior (DOI) started conducting an investigation after a General Electric Co. oil-exploration equipment business declared a worldwide recall for defective bolts that have corroded and snapped, incidences that bring about possibilities of major oil leaks, which could have devastating consequences. The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for instance, was linked to a record spike in deaths in marine animals, particularly bottlenose dolphins. The BP-owned Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up in April 2010, killing 11 people. It spilled more than 4 million barrels' worth of unprocessed oil before it was sealed five months later. Cleaning up oil spills can be a costly and painstaking process. Based on the results of the investigation and following two other bolt failures, industry officials and safety regulators think that the problem is beyond GE and its blowout preventers, which are mechanical devices that are used to seal, monitor and control oil and gas wells to prevent the unwanted release of crude oil or natural gas. Flaws were also discovered in bolts for blowout preventers that were manufactured by competitors of GE. Manufacturers and regulators said that several factors could be behind the bolt failures. A working group is currently looking into metallurgical data to know if the alloys that are used in the heavy steel bolts are hard enough to survive the harsh environment underwater and if the coatings that are used on the bolts are appropriate. They are also studying if "over-torquing," which happens when subcontractors excessively tighten the fasteners, causes them to weaken. GE said that over-torquing is possibly a factor that contributed to its bolt failures. Regulators noted that the bolt failures stretch back at least 13 years ago. These have not resulted in any oil leaks yet but these are being considered a very critical matter. The bolt issue may affect more than 2,400 platforms and oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, 23 off the coast of California and an active rig on the outer continental shelf in Alaska. According to Allyson Anderson Book from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, "If your smallest component fails, you can't expect a sophisticated many-million-dollar piece of equipment" to hold fast and prevent a leak. GE said that the components are subjected to exhaustive safety tests before they are delivered to customers. A spokeswoman said the company is currently working with the DOI to work on the issues and has already provided replacement parts to customers. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft recently gifted Skype chatbots with new features, and developers can get a taste of them using Microsoft's Bot Framework. The most notable upgrade is that Skype chatbots are now group-chat ready, meaning that they are able to reply to messages coming from more than one user in the same chat window. This can make the Skype bot framework resemble the group experience from Slack. What is more, chatbots can make use of cards for sharing images with buttons, receipts and carousels. Additionally, Microsoft now allows users to use Skype to log in to other apps. The company presented a preview of a Bing services integration, which could make it easier to detect both intents and entities. Lilian Rincon, the group program manager for Skype, explains that by doing this, natural language understanding can become a core part of Skype Bots, marking a first in the industry. Microsoft decided to make the developers' road easier, so it integrated its Bot Framework with the Skype Bot Platform. Coders are using the Microsoft Bot Framework to publish their bots to Skype, to submit for promotions in the Skype and Microsoft bot directories. Last but not least, Microsoft granted developers access to a large library of bot-building tools. Keep in mind that the recent upgrades are the biggest improvements operated to Skype bots since Microsoft announced the Bot Framework in March. By using the framework, coders can build bots for apps such as Kik, Skype, Office 365 mail, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram and SMS. The ability to craft Kik and Facebook Messenger bots showed up after the annual Microsoft's Build 2016 event. Just a few weeks ago, Facebook talked about including new features for Messenger chatbots. One powerful tool to gather feedback from the chatbot end user is giving it the possibility to use a star-based rating system, something that Facebook Messenger will implement. In the first month of availability, the Microsoft Bot Framework attracted a whopping number of 20,000 developers. There are currently more than 30,000 developers making use of the Bot Framework to come up with better and smarter chatbots. While Microsoft offers bots such as Summarize and MurphyBot, a notable presence is Kik's Vision Bot, and you can find it in its Bot Directory. Looking at Skype's library of chatbots, the most prominent names are Hello Stranger 2, Mitsuku and Ava Zoom. Bots offer coders a very lucrative position in the tech world, so it is little surprise that all big names in the industry are jumping on the opportunity to develop them. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Facebook is encouraging users to take on a "responsible approach" to broadcasting events via the site's new video streaming platform. The Facebook Live broadcast of Philando Castile, who was killed in a Minnesota shooting, went viral within hours after it was streamed by his fiancee Diamond Reynolds. But just as the public was picking up news of the event, the video went offline, prompting netizens and other media outlets to question whether the video was deliberately removed. 'Technical Glitch' Facebook attributed the disappearance of the clip to a "technical glitch," but the 10-minute footage has since been restored and has now registered a total of 5.4 million views and more than 316,000 shares. Does Facebook believe Reynolds crossed the line? "The video doesn't violate standards," explains a spokeswoman for Facebook, "but we marked it as disturbing with a warning." Facebook And Citizen Journalism The tragedy, along with the Dallas shooting, casts a shadow on Facebook as an avenue for community news. The network exists in no small way because of the netizens who actively share content, sometimes even of breaking news, and the millions of others who use the channel as a source of information. In fact, Pew Research Center reports that six out of 10 millennials who go online get their political news from Facebook week to week. A number of stories shared across the social media site rely on free speech and citizen journalism, as in the case of the Minnesota tragedy's streaming. For Reynolds, her intention behind the live feed was clear: "I wanted everybody in the world to see what the police do." 'Witnessing The Worst' Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, says the images of Castile and Reynolds captured on Facebook Live were "graphic and heartbreaking." "And they shine a light on the fear that millions of members of our community live with every day," he writes in a status update. Facebook, in an official statement, recognizes the value of live streaming in telling stories. "Live video can be a powerful tool in a crisis to document events or ask for help," the company says. The Live platform gives users a "window into the best moments" and also lets them "bear witness to the worst." But control over what goes live in the Facebook stream, and what continues to thrive on the platform long after, demonstrates the social media site's power as a gatekeeper of information. Violating Community Standards What citizen journalists may deem significant to the public, Facebook can easily take down if it violates the site's community guidelines. All it takes is one report. "A reviewer can interrupt a live stream if there is a violation of our Community Standards," Facebook says. Just how these very standards might lead to content being taken down is the bigger question. But Facebook delineates between censorship and protecting the community. "If a person witnessed a shooting, and used Facebook Live to raise awareness or find the shooter, we would allow it," the company explains. "However, if someone shared the same video to mock the victim or celebrate the shooting, we would remove the video." 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There may be more than a million places that now accept Apple Pay in the U.S., but the German restaurant where Tim Cook went to get coffee is not one of them. Cook was in Sun Valley, Idaho, attending the annual Allen & Co. Conference when he stopped at the quaint establishment to get some coffee. When the Apple CEO asked the barista if Apple Pay is accepted as a mode of payment, he was met with "No" as a reply. Apple Pay was launched in 2014, hailed to be a revolutionary wireless payment solution. It's still a work in progress but many establishments have caught on, adopting Apple's mobile payment service. Unfortunately, Cook chanced upon one in particular that has not implemented the service. Some of the establishments that do accept Apple Pay include: American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, Dunkin' Donuts, Foot Locker, GameStop, Jamba Juice, Levi's, Macy's, McDonald's, Office Depot, Peet's Coffee, Sephora, Trader Joe's, Walgreens and White Castle. Anthropologie, Baskin-Robbins, Renaissance Hotels, T-Mobile and Urban Outfitters are set to follow soon. Recently, Apple Pay also went live in Switzerland. The mobile payment service is available to iPhone 6/6s, 6/6s Plus and SE users. Older-generation iPhones don't have near-field communication (NFC) chips so they are not compatible with Apple Pay point-of-sale systems. Those with older iPhones can still take advantage of Apple Pay, however, with the help of an Apple Watch. The wearable device will have to be paired with a phone, but Apple Pay may be used even when the phone is not present. Cook said Apple's mobile payment service is "growing at a tremendous rate" so it might not be too long before the German restaurant he was in will start accepting Apple Pay. However, Apple may have to watch out for Walmart Pay, the chain store's own mobile payment system, which is now running in Washington, DC and 33 other states, including California and New York. Walmart sees 140 million customers each week and currently doesn't accept Apple Pay and mobile payment services from other providers. According to data from 2015, 22 million of these weekly customers already use Walmart Pay. This may sound daunting but Apple can actually relax because Walmart did not develop the service to take on Apple Pay. Rather, Walmart Pay was primarily designed to improve checkout in general, and not just payment. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple has teamed up with the University of Naples Federico II to start the first iOS Developer Academy in the institution's new campus. The deal between the education institution and the global tech company means that 200 students will participate in the program. Courses will take place over nine months, and both the University and Apple contributed to the content. Apple's Chief Financial Officer, Luca Maestri, underlines that his company is excited to open the first iOS Developer Academy in Europe in cooperation with the University of Naples Federico II. The University is one of the most prestigious in the world, and the oldest public university in Italy. Maestri adds that a consistent number of creative developers are European and reinstates his belief that the iOS Developer Academy has the capacity and potential to gift the upcoming generations with the abilities and skills required for success in the tech field. The first semester will boost the students' skills in iOS development. During the second semester, students will get beyond coding and learn how to conceive and begin a startup, as well as train in successful app design. If reports from Mac Rumors are to be believed, the students will work both individually and in teams to create apps that will eventually land on the App Store. The Apple Store is the main provider of more than 75,000 jobs in Italy, and the iOS Developer Academy will equip students with the tools to elevate this number. Other European countries should see the creation of iOS App Development Centers in the near future. However, Apple did not disclose where the next such project will be located. Similar initiatives are underway in India, where the company plans to build a design and development center in Hyderabad by 2017. Interested students who would like to join the Naples iOS Development Academy can submit their applications on the official website of the University of Naples. The program is free for European students, but keep in mind that a language test is mandatory in English or Italian. A number of scholarships that can cover living expenses for some students are available. Academics, developers and those who have an interest in teaching can also sign up to be part of the iOS Developer Academy. The courses of the Academy are set to debut in October 2016. Back in January this year, Apple's CEO Tim Cook mentioned that his company has plans to open an iOS app development center in Europe. According to reports from Macerkopf, the following years will see additional institutions being opened. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The CELAC countries also proposed holding a meeting of economy ministers in order to design a common agenda that can respond to the global crisis. | Read More The bill is likely to have a major impact on the revenue of big Indian IT companies as most of these companies' revenue model is heavily dependent on H-1B and L1 visas. The bill, if passed, would prevent Indian companies from hiring IT professionals on H-1B and L1 visas. By Press Trust of India: A legislation, which if passed by the Congress, would prevent Indian companies from hiring IT professionals on H-1B and L1 visas has been introduced in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan group of US lawmakers. The bill is likely to have a major impact on the revenue of the big Indian IT companies as most of these companies' revenue model is heavily dependent on H-1B and L1 visas. advertisement The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2016 introduced by the New Jerseys Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell and Republican Dana Rohrabacher from California would prohibit firms from hiring H-1B employees if they employ more than 50 people and over 50 per cent of their staff are H-1B and L-1 visa holders. Notably, the sponsors of the bill come from the two US states having the maximum concentration of Indian-Americans. WILL THE SENATE PASS THE BILL? Before the bill is signed into law by President Barack Obama, it must pass the Senate where it is yet to be tabled. "America is producing many skilled, high-tech professionals with advanced degrees and no jobs. By in-sourcing and exploiting foreign workers, some businesses are abusing the visa programmes and undercutting our workforce to reap the rewards," Pascrell said. "Without the critical reforms our bill proposes, American workers will continue to be unfairly displaced and visa workers will continue to be mistreated - both of which are unacceptable," he said. Noting that foreign outsourcing companies are the top users of the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes, a statement issued by the Congressmans office said over the years a number of concerns have been raised about how certain companies have been using these visa programmes, including a 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office, calling for reform. SIMILAR BILL INTRODUCED BEFORE, NOT PASSED Pascrell and Rohrabacher had introduced a similar version of this bill in 2010, which could not gain enough support in the Congress. The lawmakers said the bill would close loopholes in the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes, reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders, require more transparency in the recruitment of foreign workers, and increase penalties on those who violate the law. It would provide more authority to the Departments of Homeland Security and Labour to investigate fraud and abuse. The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers have endorsed the bill. advertisement Also Read: New Zealand denies visas to thousands of Indian students Why India rejected over 17,000 visa applications from Pakistan --- ENDS --- The Supreme Court had on July 9, 2015 ordered that the investigation be handed over to the CBI and Saturday marked completion of a year of the SC order. MP Congress President Arun Yadav walked along with a group of other Congress leaders including former MP Sajjan Singh Verma and State Congress General Secretary PC Sharma travelled to the CBI office from Congress Bhawan at Roshanpura amidst pouring rain and handed over the memorandum to the CBI DIG. In the memorandum, Yadav pointed out that some of the key names that had surfaced in the investigation have not been called for questioning by the CBI. Further, evidence of calls details of mobile numbers that were allegedly being used by very influential people were handed over but they have not been investigated. Also, some of the influential people that had been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police that was investigating the scam prior to the CBI stepping in have been released on bail and can influence the probe. In the memorandum, the Congress State President said that the CBI should include all these aspects in the investigations so that a message goes out to the public that the probe is fair. An employee works at Microsoft's mobile phone factory in the northern province of Bac Ninh in a file photo. Photo credit: Trung Hien/Vietnam+ Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn will acquire Microsoft Mobile Vietnam to produce feature phones and smartphones in the Southeast Asian country, news website Deal Street Asia reported on Friday. The VND492.4 billion (US$22 million) consideration will be payable within seven business days of the closing date of the transaction, the website said, quoting Foxconn. Upon closing the transaction, Foxconn, or Hon Hai Precision Industry, will own and operate a feature phone and smartphone manufacturing business out of a facility in the Vietnamese northern province of Bac Ninh. Louis Berger International Inc., a New Jersey construction management company, will pay $17.1 million to resolve a U.S. bribery probe. The Justice Department charged the company July 7 with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and will drop the case in three years if a monitor endorses its remedial steps. In a deferred-prosecution agreement released Friday, the firm admitted it paid $3.9 million in bribes between 1998 and 2010 to officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait. Former executives Richard Hirsch and James McClung also pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey. In 2010, a related company, Louis Berger Group, paid $69.3 million to defer prosecution of a criminal case related to overbilling for reconstruction contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other contracts. Louis Berger is a partner in design and construction of the famous Dragon Bridge in Da Nang. The Morristown, New Jersey-based company reported the bribes to the Justice Department and spent more than $25 million since 2010 on new internal controls, new policies and procedures, and comprehensive systems investments, including a new global accounting system, Louis Berger Chairman Nicholas Masucci said in a statement. Final milestone Todays settlement is the critical final milestone in our reform, as it was important for us to take responsibility for the historic actions of former managers and close the chapter on the companys pre-2010 era, Masucci said. An independent audit committee now oversees a compliance and ethics department, while employees can report suspect conduct through a global helpline, according to the statement. We are a much more efficient, responsible and transparent company today than we were five years ago, Masucci said. As part of the overbilling case, three former executives pleaded guilty, including Derish Wolff, the ex-chief executive officer. Wolff was sentenced in May to 12 months of home confinement. He was 79 at the time of his sentencing. The FCPA bars corporate employees or their agents from paying bribes to government officials to obtain or retain business or to secure an improper advantage. The case is U.S. v. Louis Berger International Inc., 15-mj-3624, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Newark). Japans Tokyo Gas Company will establish a joint venture with PetroVietnam Gas JSC and others as soon as this month to tap increasing demand for liquefied natural gas in Vietnam, Nikkei Asian Review reported on Saturday. The Japanese firm will invest several hundred million yen (100 million yen = US$994,600) to secure a stake of around 10-20 percent in the joint venture, the news website said. PetroVietnam Gas, a subsidiary of state-run Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, will hold a majority stake. Other partners are expected to include a local construction company, according to Nikkei. The joint venture reportedly will launch feasibility studies to explore the possibility of building an LNG plant for storage and pipelines to create a supply network. Vietnam used around 10 billion cubic meters of LNG in 2014, a 5-percent year-on-year increase. To satisfy growing demand for electricity, the country is looking to add gas-fired power plants to supplement its mainstay coal-fired and hydroelectric facilities. LNG is also in demand as an energy source for industrial parks around Ho Chi Minh City, the country's economic hub. Workers inside a Foxconn factory in China. File photo Authorities in the northern province of Vinh Phuc have recalled a license for a US$200-million factory invested by the world's largest electronics manufacturer Foxconn, local media reported on Thursday. The Taiwanese company, which has partnered with many giants including Apple and BlackBerry, had failed to kick-start the project licensed in 2008, the management board of Vinh Phuc economic zones were quoted as saying. It is not immediately clear why the project has stalled. Under Foxconn's initial plan, the factory would go into operation in 2009, manufacturing electronics, computers and mobile phones. Previously, local authorities allowed Foxconn's subsidiary Fuchuan Co., Ltd. to scale down another project to build infrastructure at an economic zone, with the design area reduced by almost 10 folds to nearly 50 hectares, news website Saigon Times Online reported. The rest of the economic zone was later given to Japanese-owned Sumitomo Corporation. Phuoc (L) persuades the brother of a discharged patient at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to use his fake ambulance service on August 2014. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre Sangs wheelchair-bound brother began to frown and sweat into his head bandage after waiting for hours in front of Cho Ray Hospital for an ambulance that didn't come. After his sister started sobbing, Sang agreed to pay VND1.4 million (US$66) for a trip back to their home in Binh Phuoc Province, around 110 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. The family had rejected the price hours earlier, angering a discharge nurse named Le at the citys leading public hospital. She had recommended the family take the ride offered by a dispatcher named Phuoc. In the end, however, the family didn't go home in an ambulance. Instead, Phuoc sent a small car to pick up Sang, his sister and his brother who was recovering from serious cerebral trauma. Sang said he was caught up in Phuocs scam because I trusted the nurse. A Tuoi Tre investigation found that a ring of Cho Ray Hospital employees have colluded with an illegal taxi service to force discharged patients to pay rip-off prices for rides back to the provinces. Hours after the investigation was published on Monday, the nurse identified as Nguyen Thi My Le, was suspended, according to Cho Ray's administrators. Doctor Pham Thi Ngoc Thao, deputy director of the hospital, said they are equipped with around 20 ambulances. Nurses are responsible for hailing rides for patients in need. Thao admitted that Cho Ray's fleet doesn't begin to meet the demands of the 400-500 patients discharged every day--even though many are strong enough to take a taxi or a family vehicle home. Weak and delicate patients are supposed to be transported in ambulances equipped with medical supplies and a nurse. Most public hospitals "covered" One day after conning Sang, the ambulance ring targeted another victim, last Friday, who had requested an ambulance to Cu Chi District on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. Phuoc approached him immediately and offered a ride for VND700,000. The man went away to discuss with his family for a while and they agreed. Phuoc immediately hailed a car equipped with a siren to the hospital gate. The man pointed out that he only paid VND500,000 for a ride in an actual ambulance from his home to the hospital. I asked some hospital staff to call an ambulance starting that morning but there weren't any. Phuoc, who looks like a man in his late 40s, told undercover Tuoi Tre reporters he has been in the business for nearly 30 years, covering most public hospitals in the city center and especially those in District 5 like Cho Ray. He said he provides his customers rides all the way to the north. For patients heading to distant provinces, I call a better car equipped with a stretcher and an oxygen tank, he said. Phuoc shares half the proceeds of his scam with the vehicle owners. He hands off the money as soon as the passenger is loaded into the vehicle, in broad daylight, outside the hospital's front entrance. 20 percent for nurses Phuoc said his people start work at Cho Ray on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street starting at 1:30 p.m. every day. The rule at any hospital is you pay nurses 20 percent for each patient" -- Phuoc, a man who has engineered an elaborate ambulance scam that preys on provincial patients That's usually around the time that most patients are discharged. When his cars are all busy, he asks the nurses to withhold patient discharge papers, without which one cannot hire an ambulance car from the hospital. They keep the papers until I message them that I have a free car. Phuoc said needs a network of informants to run such a business. At Cho Ray, I have nurses on floors one to nine who let me know anytime a patient gets discharged," he said of the ten-story hospital. "I pay them directly every time." Stills images from a Tuoi Tre video that shows how a Ho Chi Minh City ambulance hustler named Phuoc preys on poor provincial patients with the help of a network of nurses who receive a cut of his proceeds. The rule at any hospital is you pay them 20 percent for each patient. Thats how you make them hold onto the discharge papers for you, he said. Tuoi Tre reporters observed numerous patients and their families lining the hospitals corridors awaiting their discharge papers Sometimes the paper hold-up forced the families to use Phuocs service, which requires no papers. Sau, a resident of the Mekong Deltas Dong Thap Province fell asleep on a bench at 5 p.m. last Friday while awaiting discharge papers. She had been informed that her son would be discharged early that afternoon, but declined Phuoc's offer of a VND2.2 million ride home. Sau said shed rather spend the night on the bench as she couldn't afford the fare. When approached by Tuoi Tre over Phuocs service, Nguyen Truong Son, director of Cho Ray Hospital, said he wasn't surprised. The doctor admitted that the scam has plagued the hospital for many years and the managers have reassigned at least three nurses caught in the act. His deputy Thao said it's rather easy to run such a scam at a public hospital where so many people are coming and going. Hospital security can only ask those caught doing something illegal or harmful to the hospital to leave. "We need police help," Son said. We're determined to end this. . Environment police of Can Tho caught the company red-handed releasing its untreated wastewater to Hau River in May. Photo provided by Can Tho police A company has been fined VND860 million for releasing untreated wastewater into Hau River in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Huy Viet-Tay Do Company, which produces industrial alcohol and other industrial chemicals, is also ordered to remove its unqualified wastewater treatment system, according to the People's Committee of Can Tho Town, Hau Giang Province. Environment police caught the company red-handed releasing its untreated wastewater to Hau River in the lower reaches of the Mekong River, which runs through Hau Giang, in May. This has been the fourth time Huy Viet-Tay Do was caught doing so since 2007. In the most recent incident in 2013, the company was fined VND340 million. The environment ministry early this month launched an inspection at 29 companies in Hau Giang Province, to ensure compliance with environment protection regulations. Among the companies inspected is a US$1.2 billion paper plant owned by Taiwanese Lee & Man Paper. The factory has recently raised public fears that it could have been discharging contaminated effluents that might pollute the river and kill fish. An Iraqi firefighter works at the site of a Baghdad bombing claimed by the Islamic State group on July 3 A Baghdad bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 292 people, according to a new toll issued Thursday, many of whom were trapped in blazing buildings and burned alive. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden minibus in Baghdad's Karrada neighbourhood early on Sunday, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The blast -- which officials had previously said killed at least 250 people -- was one of the deadliest single attacks in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion, which set the stage for more than 13 years of brutal violence in the country. Health Minister Adila Hamoud said the bodies of 115 killed in the bombing had now been handed over to families, while the identities of 177 others have yet to be determined. The blast also wounded 200 people, said the minister, who on Tuesday told AFP that the process of identifying the dead -- which she put at 150 at the time -- was expected to take 15-45 days. People have been furious over delays in determining the fate of their loved ones, and with the number of unidentified bodies now bigger, it may take even longer. Thousands have come to the site of the bombing to mourn the dead and express solidarity with those stricken by the blast. The street running between the charred remains of buildings burned in the attack has been packed with people, some carrying Iraqi flags. Many wept and beat their chests in mourning for the dead. Some of those gathered at the site on Thursday shouted slogans, while others left candles at the site, which is covered with banners bearing the names of the dead. And some expressed anger at the government, blaming it for the attack. "Citizens must remove this government by any means," said Ali al-Yasiri, one of those gathered at the site. The attack has overshadowed what would normally be a joyful holiday for Iraqi Muslims, instead turning it into a time of mourning and sadness. Lack of emergency exits Investigators now believe they know what caused the attack to claim so many lives. Police Major General Talib Khalil Rahi said the bomber's minibus had been loaded with plastic explosives and ammonium nitrate. The initial blast killed a limited number of people, but flames spread and trapped people inside shopping centres which lacked emergency exits, Rahi told a news conference in Baghdad. The raging fires have made it difficult to identify the dead. Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban tendered his resignation following the bombing, and authorities also announced the execution of five convicts and the arrest of 40 jihadists in an apparent bid to limit the fallout from the attack. Ghabban criticised the security system as fundamentally flawed, saying he could no longer accept responsibility for the consequences and calling for a series of changes that would ultimately increase the ministry's power. An official in Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office told AFP on Wednesday that the premier had accepted the minister's resignation, though there has been no official statement from him on the matter. Sunday's bombing was claimed by the Islamic State group, which has its roots in the insurgency that began after the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. The IS group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces have since regained significant territory from the jihadists. In response to the battlefield setbacks, the Sunni extremist group has hit back against civilians, and experts have warned there may be more bombings as the jihadists continue to lose ground. At least eight prisoners in a holding cell managed to get out of it and raise a ruckus when they saw lone jailer falling unconscious. By India Today Web Desk: A Texas jailer is alive only because the inmates managed to save his life when he fell unconscious in front of them. When a lone Parker County jailer, who had been joking with the inmates behind a locked door, fell unconscious, the inmates took a risk to help him. At least eight prisoners in a holding cell in the basement of the District Courts Building in Weatherford, Texas, immediately began shouting for help and attempted to break free from the holding room. advertisement "He just fell over," told inmate Nick Kelton to WFAA. "Looked like an act. Could have died right there," he added. Kelton and other inmates manage to get out of their holding room and raised a ruckus so that the deputies could come for help. They screamed and banged the doors because it seemed that the guard had no pulse. "We were worried they're going to come with guns drawn on us," Kelton. Inmates break free from cell to help ill jailer https://t.co/ecwYIyYPhe pic.twitter.com/4bbR9YA1FF WFAA-TV (@wfaachannel8) July 8, 2016 Parker County Sheriff's Sergeant Ryan Speegle rushed to see few inmates standing around the guard while one of them reached for the radio, which was near the gun. Still unable to figure out what was happening, Speegle was worried about the situation. "He had keys. Had a gun. It could have been an extremely bad situation," said the sergeant. The court staff then came to the man's rescue and started CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive. The guard regained the pulse soon. However, the officials have declined to reveal the guard's identity. He works for a private contractor and is expected to return to work next week. --- ENDS --- Micah Xavier Johnson, a man suspected by Dallas Police in a shooting attack and who was killed during a manhunt, is seen in an undated photo from his Facebook account. Micah X. Johnson via Facebook via REUTERS Former U.S. Army reservist Micah Xavier Johnson posted an angry rant against white people on the Facebook page of a group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing lynching and the brutalizing of black people. Five days later, police said on Friday, the Afghan war veteran took part in a sniper-style ambush of police officers in Dallas, killing five and wounding seven others before dying in a police-initiated explosion. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson, 25, wrote on Saturday above a video of what appeared to be people participating in a whale-killing. In the disjointed July 2 post, Johnson expressed anger over lynchings of black people and "our ancestors" being beaten, mutilated and killed. "Then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person," he wrote. "They even go to our homeland and shoot our endangered wildlife for sport." On Johnson's own Facebook page, which was deactivated on Friday, a profile photo showed him with one arm raised and fist clenched in a Black Power salute. The page included images of a Black Power symbol and a red, black and green flag associated with the Black Liberation Army. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said at a news conference on Friday that it was unclear if Micah Johnson was a member of a black nationalist group. Johnson served as a private first class in the U.S. Army Reserve from March 2009 to April 2015. His deployment in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014 earned Johnson a number of service medals, according to Army spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson. Attempts to reach Johnson's relatives and friends on Friday were not successful. It was not clear if he was employed. Dallas police said on Friday that a search of Johnson's home yielded bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics. Johnson had no criminal record, police said. Public records indicated that he lived in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas, and the Army also listed Mesquite as his place of residence. The assault, the deadliest for law enforcement in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, took place on Thursday night during a protest over the fatal police shootings this week of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Those deaths fanned public outrage over excessive use of force by police, especially against black men. FBI investigators look over the crime scene in Dallas, Texas, U.S. July 8, 2016 following a Thursday night shooting incident that killed five police officers. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said earlier on Friday that police had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate an end to an hours-long standoff before sending in a bomb-carrying robot that killed Johnson. According to Brown, Johnson told police that "he was upset about the recent police shootings." "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown said. Johnson's Facebook page included a photo of him with Professor Griff of the hip-hop group Public Enemy at what appeared to be a book-signing event. "I will not sit back and let these people assassinate my character and tie me to the Dallas shootings," Griff said on Twitter on Friday, adding, "I DO NOT KNOW THE SHOOTER." According to media reports, Johnson's sister Nicole posted on Facebook after he was identified by news outlets that "those that knew him know this wasn't like him." The message had been deleted from her page by Friday afternoon. On Friday, three police cars and several television news trucks were parked near the large, two-story brick house of Johnson's family in Mesquite, Texas, a middle-class Dallas suburb. Neighbor Kimberly Smith said her son went to high school with Johnson. "He was a nice kid. My son was surprised he would cause any problem." Army Lieutenant Colonel Major Michael Waltz, a former special forces officer and White House aide, said in an interview with Reuters that a video of the attack indicated that Johnson was "not only trained, but well trained." The video was taken by a person at the scene and widely circulated on social media. Waltz said Johnson appeared to have received "close-quarters battle" training, which focuses on urban combat. Two former executives at New Jersey-based construction management company Louis Berger have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to secure government contracts by bribing foreign officials, U.S. prosecutors said. James McClung, 60, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mary Cooper in Trenton, New Jersey, to one year in prison. Richard Hirsch, 62, was sentenced by the judge on Friday to two years of probation and fined $10,000. Their sentencing capped an investigation into what the U.S. Justice Department called a long-running bribery scheme at Louis Berger to secure government construction management contracts by bribing officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait. The probe led to Louis Berger, a $1 billion privately-held company based in Morristown, New Jersey, agreeing in July 2015 to pay $17.1 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement and retain a compliance monitor for three years. Louis Berger in a statement emphasized that McClung had not worked at the company since 2012. The company said it had accepted full responsibility for the actions of its former executives. A lawyer for Hirsch did not respond to a request for comment. A lawyer for McClung declined to comment. Prosecutors said from 1998 to 2010, Louis Berger and its employees orchestrated $3.9 million in bribe payments to foreign officials. Those employees included McClung, a senior vice president from Dubai responsible for its India and Vietnam operations, and Hirsch, a senior vice president from the Philippines responsible for its operations there and in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Both men pleaded guilty in July 2015 to two counts including that they violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The cases in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, are U.S. v. McClung, No. 15-cr-00357, and U.S. v. 00358. Iraqi government forces said they seized back control of a major airbase on Saturday, a staging post on their way to the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. Special forces and regular troops, under air cover from the U.S.-led coalition, entered Qayyara airbase from the south and found fighters from the militant group appeared to have fled, said a senior army officer from the frontline. "It's a strategic advance ... It will help speed up the offensive on Mosul," he added. The army has long said it wants to use the airbase as a launchpad for the recapture of Mosul about 60 km (40 miles) further north. There was no immediate comment from Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the advance on his website, saying it would "be important for the liberation of Mosul". Two years since Islamic State seized wide swathes of northern and western Iraq in a lightning offensive, the tide has begun to turn as an array of forces lined up against the militants have made inroads into their proclaimed "caliphate". Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul - the largest city under control of the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group in both Syria and Iraq - by the end of the year. The military's recapture of Falluja, an hour's drive west of the capital Baghdad, last month lent fresh momentum to the campaign to recover Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraqi with a pre-war population of about 2 million. The insurgents stepped up a campaign of bombings on Shi'ite Muslim targets since the battle of Falluja, reigniting fears of an escalation of the sectarian strife. The Shi'ites form a majority in Iraq but Sunnis are predominant in northern and western provinces where Islamic State proclaimed its "caliphate". Participants in the NATO Summit pose for a picture at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, July 8, 2016. Agencja Gazeta/Slawomir Kaminski/via REUTERS NATO leaders agreed on Friday to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland for the first time and increase air and sea patrols to reassure allies who were once part of the Soviet bloc following Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. The 28-nation Western defense alliance decided to move four battalions totaling 3,000 to 4,000 troops into northeastern Europe on a rotating basis to display its readiness to defend eastern members against any Russian aggression. However, they also underlined their willingness to pursue a dialogue with Moscow and revive confidence-building measures that Russia has spurned since its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for Russian-speaking rebels in eastern Ukraine. "These battalions will be robust and they will be multinational. They make clear that an attack on one ally will be considered an attack on the whole alliance," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference after the summit's first working session in Warsaw, the Polish capital. President Barack Obama said the United States would deploy about 1,000 soldiers in Poland under the plan "to enhance our forward presence in central and eastern Europe". Germany will lead the battalion in Lithuania, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Other nations such as France will supply troops. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that what he called continued aggression by Russia would provoke a response by NATO and a greater alliance presence in Eastern Europe. Obama said earlier that Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union, an outcome he sought to avoid, should not weaken the Western alliance but raised "significant questions" about the future of European integration. America's "special relationship" with the UK would survive, the president said. Obama discussed the procedure for Britain's withdrawal with the heads of the main EU institutions, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, and was assured there would be an orderly transition to as close an economic relationship as possible and no punishment of Britain, Rhodes told reporters. Host nation Poland set a tone of mistrust of Russian intentions. Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told a pre-summit forum: "We have to reject any type of wishful thinking with regard to pragmatic cooperation with Russia as long as it keeps on invading its neighbors." Obama was more diplomatic, calling for dialogue with Russia, but he too urged allies to keep sanctions on Moscow in place until it fully complies with a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. U.S. President Barack Obama (C) poses for a picture next to Poland's President Andrzej Duda (R) and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as he arrives at the NATO Summit at PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, July 8, 2016. Agencja Gazeta/Slawomir Kaminski/via REUTERS. Ukraine is not a member of NATO but President Petro Poroshenko will meet allied leaders on Saturday, where he may face pressure to fulfill Kiev's part of the agreement by accepting more decentralization and local elections in the rebel-held eastern Donbass region. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while NATO was increasing its defense capabilities, it was always keen for dialogue with Moscow. A planned meeting of the long frozen NATO-Russia Council next week would address ways to avoid dangerous situations in Baltic air space, she said. Russian warplanes have been buzzing Western civilian and military aircraft and switching off their identification signals as part of an apparent campaign of intimidation in response to Western economic sanctions over its action in Ukraine. "Just as there are understandings between the United States and Russia in Syria, it's in both sides' interests that NATO and Russia also coordinate their activities," Merkel said. Adversary and partner Coinciding with the NATO summit, the U.S. State Department announced it had expelled two Russian diplomats on June 17 in response to an attack by a Russian policeman on a U.S. diplomat in Moscow earlier last month. It was not clear why the United States waited until Friday to disclose the news. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland had requested a permanent NATO presence, fearing Moscow will seek to destabilize their pro-Western governments through cyber attacks, stirring up Russian speakers, hostile broadcasts or territorial incursions. The three Baltic states, as well as Ukraine, are former Soviet republics that gained independence when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. The head of NATO's military committee, Czech General Petr Pavel, said Russia was attempting to restore its status as a world power, an effort that included using its military. "We must accept that Russia can be a competitor, adversary, peer or partner and probably all four at the same time," he said. The Kremlin said it was absurd for NATO to talk of any threat from Russia and it hoped "common sense" would prevail at the Warsaw summit. Moscow remains open to dialogue with NATO and is ready to cooperate with it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists. Russia often depicts NATO as an aggressor whose members are moving troops and military hardware further into former Soviet territory, which it regards as its sphere of influence. Russia President Vladimir Putin discussed diplomatic efforts for a settlement in Ukraine in a phone call with Merkel and French President Francois Hollande just before the summit began. The Kremlin said he asked them to "influence more actively the Ukrainian side" to grant wider autonomy to eastern Ukraine. U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to British Prime Minister David Cameron during the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland July 8, 2016. Moscow has declared its intention to deploy nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania, in response to NATO's activation of a U.S.-built missile shield on Polish soil. Brexit Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Britain would not turn its back on European security once it leaves the EU following the Brexit vote. Britain is Europe's biggest military spender, followed by France. Hollande, who has sent French forces on missions against Islamist militants in Mali, the Central African Republic, Iraq and Syria, urged other European allies to increase their defense budgets - veiled criticism of Germany, which spends just over 1 percent of GDP on the military, or half the NATO objective. NATO and the EU signed an agreement on deeper military and security cooperation. The U.S.-led alliance is set to announce on Saturday its support for the EU's Mediterranean interdiction operation. NATO is already backing EU efforts to stem a refugee influx from Turkey into Greece, in conjunction with an EU-Turkey deal to curb migration in return for benefits for Ankara. Stoltenberg also said NATO defense ministers would consider calls from Romania and Bulgaria for a stronger allied air and sea presence in the Black Sea, where Russia has a fleet based in Crimea and is building up its interdiction capacity. A passenger walks past a TV screen at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, broadcasting a news report on North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from North Korea's east coast port of Sinpo July 9, 2016. North Korea fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday but it appears to have failed soon after launch, South Korea's military said. The launch comes at the end of a week of sharply rising tensions on the peninsula. It is only a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an advanced anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after North Korea warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. That followed Washington's blacklisting of the isolated state's leader Kim Jong Un for alleged human rights abuses. The South's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The missile was likely fired from a submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs said. Neighboring Japan, the United States, and South Korea's military condemned the missile launch as a flagrant violation of U.N. sanctions. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile's engine successfully ignited but the projectile soon exploded in mid-air at a height of about 10 km (6 miles), and covered not more than a few kilometers across the water. The South's military declined to confirm those details citing its policy of not publicly commenting on intelligence matters. The missile was detected in the sea southeast of the North Korean city of Sinpo, South Korea's military said. Satellite images indicate Pyongyang is actively trying to develop its submarine-launched ballistic missile program in this area, according to experts. The U.S. Strategic Command, whose mission is to detect and prevent strategic attacks against the United States and its allies, said it had detected what it believed was a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It was fired from North Korea's east coast port of Sinpo and then fell into the sea between there and Japan, the command said in a statement. Abe condemns Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the Japan, South Korea and the South's main ally, the United States. A passenger walks past a TV screen at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, broadcasting a news report on North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from North Korea's east coast port of Sinpo July 9, 2016. The missile launch is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters. Abe said the launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security. The U.S. said it was monitoring and assessing the situation in close coordination with its regional allies and partners. "We strongly condemn North Korea's missile test in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, which explicitly prohibit North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology," said Gabrielle Price, spokeswoman for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. "These actions, and North Korea's continued pursuit of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities, pose a significant threat to the United States, our allies, and to the stability of the greater Asia-Pacific," she added. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in March for its nuclear test and rocket launch. North Korea rejects the sanctions as infringement of its sovereignty and its right to space exploration. Late last month, North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile to a high altitude before it plunged into the sea after covering 400 km in the direction of Japan, South Korean military officials said. That was widely seen as a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system with the U.S. military in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighboring China, Pyongyang's sole major ally. Pyongyang last conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it a "great success" that provided "one more means for powerful nuclear attack," although it had not had a successful SLBM test flight. A report on 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., said in May that North Koreas submarine-launched ballistic missile program is making progress, but it was unlikely to become operational before 2020. A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. Photo: Reuters North Korea launched a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast Saturday morning, a South Korean Defense Military official said. The missile was fired about 11:30 a.m. local time from waters off the city of Sinpo, said the official, who asked not to be identified in line with government policy. It was launched successfully but appears to have failed in early flight, the official said, without providing details. The launch came a day after South Korea and the U.S. agreed to deploy the so-called Thaad anti-ballistic missile system in the Korean peninsula. That followed North Koreas description of recent financial sanctions against leader Kim Jong Un as a declaration of war. The North has conducted a series of ballistic missile tests since April. South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. North Korea fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday, South Korea's military said. People go into Grand Central Station while they take part in a protest against the killing of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and in support of Black Lives Matter during a march along Manhattan's streets in New York July 8, 2016. Thousands of people took to the streets in U.S. cities on Friday to denounce the fatal police shootings of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia on Friday evening, and events also were planned for San Francisco and Phoenix. Local media reports did not indicate any immediate instances of major clashes or injuries. Thousands marched in Atlanta in what appeared to be the largest demonstration, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from local broadcasters showed the massive crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles that were stopped on a local interstate highway. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of widespread demonstrations against use of force by police in the wake of the fatal shootings of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota and 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Castile was killed by police during a traffic stop late on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted live video on the Internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. Sterling was killed during an altercation outside a convenience store with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. The two shootings stoked racial tensions that have flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Thursday's demonstrations were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people," launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. Police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. Two amendments approved to an appropriations bill from Representative Peter Roskam would ban sales from Boeing and from European rival Airbus to Iran, potentially undercutting a Boeing deal with Tehran worth up to $25 billion The House of Representatives has passed a measure that would block US aircraft sales to Iran, potentially undercutting a Boeing deal with Tehran worth up to $25 billion. Two amendments approved to an appropriations bill from Representative Peter Roskam would ban sales from Boeing and from European rival Airbus, amid concerns the aircraft could be used for military purposes, the congressman said in a statement Friday. One amendment would prohibit the Office of Foreign Assets Control from using funds to authorize a license necessary to allow aircraft to be sold to Iran. A second would bar loans from US financial institutions to purchase militarily adaptable aircraft. The ban would need to be approved by the Senate or any bill that reconciles differences in legislation by the two chambers. Roskam, an Illinois Republican, said in a tweet that in the vote Thursday, "House Democrats did not mount any significant opposition and, in many cases, joined efforts to block the sale." The news comes weeks after Boeing and Iran Air confirmed a tentative deal for the sale of passenger planes, described as a landmark for normalizing the difficult US-Iran relationship. The deal, valued at up to $25 billion, would be the largest between a US business and Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Boeing said it had reached a preliminary agreement with the state-owned carrier. The Islamic republic had been an international pariah prior to a nuclear deal reached last year, and the US still has some sanctions in place against Iran. But a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry on Friday said the measure was "incompatible" with the accord, under which Washington was to lift economic sanctions in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear activities. "We have nothing to do with US internal affairs," Bahram Ghasemi said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency. "We consider the government of the United States to be responsible for implementing the country's commitments" under the accord. Boeing archrival Airbus in January reached a deal to sell Iran 118 aircraft. French officials in April said the transaction was in the final stages of winning approval from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, a key hurdle, because some of the aircraft components are made in the US. Roskam and some other lawmakers have opposed deals with Iran, asserting that Tehran remains a supporter of violent jihadists around the world. "If you wouldn't do business with Islamic State, you shouldn't do business with the Islamic Republic," he said in an April opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Micah Xavier Johnson, a man suspected by Dallas Police in a shooting attack and who was killed during a manhunt, is seen in an undated photo from his Facebook account. Micah X. Johnson via Facebook/via Reuters A black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson's home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday's attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day's end on Friday. Victor Taylor supports Keaka Wallace (C) who says she was a patrol partner of slain DART officer Brent Thompson, weeps as she leaves a makeshift memorial at Dallas Police Headquarters following the multiple police shooting in Dallas, Texas, U.S.,July 8, 2016. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for U.S. police in the line duty from a single event since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Gunman angry about police killings The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party's official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday's attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. A profile of Johnson's political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. A woman holds her hands during a prayer service at the Concord Baptist Church, one day after a lone gunman ambushed and killed five police officers at a protest decrying police shootings of black men, in Dallas, Texas, U.S., July 8, 2016. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The U.S. Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. 'Heartache and devastation' Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. The Rev. Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night's protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn't know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor's invitation, the White House said. A friend supports Keaka Wallace (R) who says she was a patrol partner of slain DART officer Brent Thompson, weeps as she leaves a makeshift memorial at Dallas Police Headquarters following the multiple police shooting in Dallas, Texas, U.S.,July 8, 2016. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump canceled campaign events for Friday following the attack. An intelligence report has flagged the content of Zakir Naik's channel Peace TV where his speeches are aired stating that his sermons may have a dangerous effect on the security of the country. Supporters chant slogans and hold placards during a protest march in favour of Islamic scholar Zakir Naik in Srinagar on Friday. By Mail Today Bureau: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik could soon face stern action as the government is closely analysing his speeches that inspired terrorists. His foreign funding has also come under the lens. An intelligence report has flagged the content of his channel Peace TV where his speeches are aired stating that his sermons may have a dangerous effect on the security of the country. advertisement LEGAL ACTION, BAN PEACE TV The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is also exploring whether any legal action can be taken or a ban can be imposed on his channel Peace TV. Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), an NGO set up by Naik, has come under the scanner of the Home Ministry, amid allegations that funds from abroad received by it have been spent on political activities and inspiring people towards radical views. "An investigation has been ordered into the activities of IRF, which was registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)," a home ministry official said. HATE MONGERING Mumbai-based Naik is facing the heat for his alleged hate mongering after it was reported that his speeches have inspired some of the Dhaka cafe attackers. Back in India, recently arrested ISIS recruits also said they were impressed by his talks that drove them to become jihadis. SPEECHES UNDER SCRUTINY Maharashtra government ordered a probe into the speeches by the Muslim televangelist on Thursday. The Home Ministry probe will cover the allegations that foreign funding to IRF was used in political activities and allegations that the NGO's funds were used to induce people towards Islam and attracting youths towards terror. All such activities are contrary to the FCRA provisions and any violation invites punitive action. FUNDING TO BE EXAMINED IRF's source of foreign funding will also be examined thoroughly by the Home Ministry, the official said. An online petition has been filed with the Home Ministry listing all the allegations against IRF as well as its chief Zakir Naik. NAIK DENIES INSTIGATION Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said CDs of his speeches were being examined for necessary action and asserted that the government will not compromise on the issue of terrorism. "We have taken cognisance of Zakir Naik's speeches and have given necessary instructions for a probe. A thorough investigation will be done," he said. Naik, however, had released a statement, saying he totally disagreed that he inspired the act of killing innocent people in Dhaka. "There is not a single speech where I have encouraged one to kill another - Muslim or non-Muslim, he said. advertisement New Information and Broadcasting Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu, had called Naik's speeches, as being reported in the media, as highly objectionable. Naik's speeches are believed to have inspired some of the Bangladeshi militants, who killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka last Friday. The controversy has also taken a political turn the BJP attacked targeted Congress leader Digvijay Singh for sharing dais with him. Also Read: Zakir Naik's IRF accounts flooded with donations during Ramadan, say bank officials After facing flak from all corners, Zakir Naik says he never supported terrorists --- ENDS --- Trouble continued to brew for the Islamic preacher today after security sources revealed new details on the preacher and his influence. By India Today Web Desk: Facing probe over his speeches that are believed to have inspired two of the Bangladeshi cafe attackers, Islamic preacher Zakir Naik today sought support from the Muslims across the world against the 'media trials' through his new Twitter account @drzakirofficial and Facebook page Dr Zakir Naik. "I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Muslim Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the "Media Trials" and Let Justice Prevail," Naik tweeted. I, Dr Zakir Naik, Call upon all my Brothers & Sisters to Support me against the "Media Trials" & Let Justice Prevail.#SupportZakirNaik; Dr Zakir Naik (@drzakirofficial) July 9, 2016 advertisement In an earlier tweet, Naik said: "I appeal to all people worldwide to work together on the causes, ways and solutions to eliminate TERRORISM FROM OUR MIDST." TWEET NOW #SupportZakirNaik FROM YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT Introducing My New Twitter page @drzakirofficial; Dr Zakir Naik (@drzakirofficial) July 9, 2016 The Islamic preacher, who is banned in Britain and Canada for his hate speeches against other religions, also took to Facebook, to garner support. Within an hour, his post on the platform received over 6,000 likes. Trouble continued to brew for the Islamic preacher today after security sources revealed new details on the preacher and his influence. According to sources from the state and central counter-terrorism units that have been monitoring Naik said that Ayaz Sultan, the leader of the Islamic State module in Malwani, Maharashtra was influenced by Naik's speech. Security agencies suspect that several members of the Indian Mujahideen who joined ISIS were under the influence of the inflammatory speeches by Naik. Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said CDs of his speeches were being examined for necessary action and asserted that the government will not compromise on the issue of terrorism. "We have taken cognisance of Zakir Naik's speeches and have given necessary instructions for a probe. A thorough investigation will be done," he said. Naik, however, had released a statement, saying he disagreed that he inspired the act of killing innocent people in Dhaka. Also read: Indian Mujahideen members influenced by Zakir Naik's speeches, say security agencies Zakir Naik under scrutiny, could face action --- ENDS --- Tears flowed, noses ran and faces were wincing in pain as things heated up at the Canberra chilli eating competition on Saturday. Twenty brave participants signed up for the stunt held in Civic at the 2016 World Curry Festival and in the end there were just two men left standing. Winners: Morgan Callaghan 26, and Lucas Danes 37. Credit:Jamila Toderas With a tempting pint of milk in front of them each agreed to forsake any drinks, including water, as they chowed down on chillies that in each round climbed the Scoville scale a measurement of the pungency or spicy heat of each chili pepper. Round one began with a jalapeno, with a rating of 10,000-25,000, then came serano peppers, Thai red chillies, habaneros, ghost chillies and Thai green chillies. The RSPCA will permanently remain at its Weston headquarters, three years after the ACT government announced land and millions of dollars for a new facility at Symonston. The charity's ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange, who took over in early 2014, said she still could not understand how it had intended to fund the proposed move to a co-located site with the government's Domestic Animal Services. RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said there were no reserves to fund a move to Symonston. Credit:Jeffrey Chan "I don't know how as an organisation that probably had just over $1 million in reserves, we could say yes to something [costing us] around $10m-$15m," she said. "There's still a gap in information I can't find." Every day around lunchtime, when her colleagues breezed out the door, Catherine Brooks slipped into the sick bay, hoping not to be noticed. Her legs were aching by now, her eyelids felt heavy. Her secret has never been visible. With glossy hair and a knock-out smile, this young lawyer looks a picture of health. What you can't see are the pins and needles, the muscles contracting, the effort it takes for her to walk. Catherine Brooks is a lawyer with multiple sclerosis. She hid her disability from co-workers for years, for fear of workplace discrimination. Credit:Simon Schluter There are differing degrees of multiple sclerosis, the most widespread neurological disease among people aged 20-40. Ms Brooks felt more comfortable keeping her disability firmly "in the closet" when in the company of co-workers. "The hours were very, very long ... lawyers generally work hard and party hard, so I didn't want to be excluded from anything," Ms Brooks said. Anne Maki, Alphington Crossbench senators in box seat I hope the new crossbench senators will demand a federal anti-corruption body in return for their votes. It is amazing that neither major party has advocated setting up one to investigate the rorting of education and employment training schemes and immigration programs. Billions of dollars is being wasted. As ASIC's chairman once said, Australia is a "paradise" for white-collar criminals. Iris Owen, East Geelong THE FORUM Rescind the licence Christopher Pyne trumpets the Coalition's "election winning machine". In this recklessly driven vehicle, Mr Pyne remains unaware of the havoc wreaked on those losing automotive jobs, the community that has to do without adequate health and education funding, the bleaching Great Barrier Reef in an ever-heating world and Australia's sense of pride in a fair go. Focused entirely on the nearest finish line, driven by a divided mob, accelerating in the direction of increased inequality and dissent, a catastrophe seems almost inevitable. All we can hope is that the independents rescind the licence before this Coalition contraption crashes and burns. Anne Hartley, Balwyn North No longer a nobody My appreciation to the many supporters who have mentioned me in dispatches. I no longer feel like a nobody with nothing to show for my 60-plus years. I lost my last "permanent" job two years ago, but am still counted as the fortunate "employed". A bit of a scam, really, as I work only 3 hours a week, sweeping footpaths in my local shopping centre. My wife left me when the money ran out, and my four adult kids don't help. I live with my elderly mum who feeds me from her pension fortune. In return I keep the ancient family home from falling down. Should I be counted among "the employed"? Never mind. With the election result sewn up, I suddenly feel like somebody again. Even the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister claim to know me personally. Jobson Growth (aka Margery Joan, Lower Templestowe) PM lacks the ticker Some commentators believe that a strong win for the Liberal party would have allowed Mr Turnbull to unshackle himself from his party's right-wing extremists and emerge as a champion of progressive issues. What nonsense. As PM, Turnbull hitched himself to Abbott's policies championing big business, ignoring climate change, refusing to back health and education spending, and ranting about union corruption while ignoring corruption by financial institutions. If Turnbull had secured a strong victory on the back of these Abbott policies, the right-wing would have been strengthened, leading to pressure to maintain such divisive policies. That Turnbull failed to change direction shows that he either shares the beliefs of Abbott and the right-wing extremists (even if he delivers the policies in a less abrasive manner) or he lacks the courage to stand up for what he believes in, in the interest of securing political advantage. Neither is palatable. Pauline Hopkins, Beaconsfield Scare campaigns in full Chomping on my post-election porridge I was musing aimlessly about past election campaigns Children overboard; weapons of mass destruction; the budget crisis; the $100 lamb roast. Then jerking me into full consciousness was the screaming headline: "MediScare Labor's deceitful scare campaign". I nearly choked. How dare Labor! Tony Newport, Hillwood, Tas No remorse from ex-PM Fronting the media after the damning findings of the Chilcot inquiry, former British PM Tony Blair says "there will not be a day of my life where I don't relive or rethink what happened". George Bush in his memoir Decision Points described the Iraq war as a "massive blow to our credibility my credibility. I had a sickening feeling every time I thought about it I still do". But no such candour or remorse has been articulated by John Howard, who was equally complicit in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Responding to the Chilcot findings, all Howard could say was that his decision to send troops to Iraq was justified and had not been based on any lie. "There were errors in intelligence, but there was no lie," he said, conveniently overlooking the deliberate lies spread by the Bush administration about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. Howard added, "there were no (Australian) battle deaths in Iraq but obviously I am sorry for the wounds or injuries that everybody suffered". No regret or remorse expressed for the documented 251,000 violent civilian and combatant deaths since the 2003 invasion and the more than 200,000 injured or maimed. A pitiful and shameful response from our former PM. Neil Hudson, Kew Thirst for vengeance The concept of vengeance is prominent in America. After the nation suffered thousands of casualties in 9/11 there was always going to be military action against someone, especially given the fact that neo-cons were in power. Britain and particularly Australia, being solid US allies, were always going to act in concert with the US. In this environment of revenge and obligation it was was highly likely that the evidence used to justify military action could be flimsy and/or interpreted in favour of a predetermined position. Julian Lloyd, Clifton Hill Susceptible to flattery The US's determination to invade Iraq was mainly driven by domestic politics, the security of energy markets and a brutal reassertion and demonstration of military power for the world to note. George W. Bush's justification for this massive armed conflict was probably never really about WMDs at all. This makes the Blair and Howard "flawed intelligence" defence of their involvement all the more facile and unconvincing. The long overdue Chilcot Report is both damning and pertinent to Australia, especially in regard to our lack of process in the decision to go to war. Unlike the US and Britain, our Prime Minister effectively exercises executive power in this, the gravest of all political decisions. Without reference to the Parliament or meaningful cabinet debate, politicians are susceptible to superpower flattery and exaggerated scenarios of fear. This power of our PM needs to be reviewed and reformed so that it is actually accountable. But in relation to US foreign policy in Iraq and Indochina, for that matter, it's not solely about strategic intelligence but also the politics. John Phillips, Carlton North No relief for teachers My stomach clenched in recognition when I read "The glass trapdoor" (Sunday Life, 3/7). In our family are four qualified and experienced teachers aged 50 or over, two with master's degrees. Three have been dependent on short-term (12 months or less) contracts or relief teacher placements for some years. Two have obtained a two-year contract to work overseas in an international school, one continues to negotiate with several schools for a contract at the end of each school year, the other expects to be unemployed again at the end of this school year. We hear constant calls for "better, more qualified" teachers. Such calls are dishonest in the extreme when so many older, experienced teachers are unemployed. They are "too expensive" compared with graduates, a big consideration when budgets for government schools are continually slashed. Kendelle Clark, Mornington Heritage hammered I watched as yet another beautiful pre-war house was recently bulldozed in Canterbury, a scene that is repeated across Melbourne. One cannot help but contemplate the circumstances of how the voice of heritage has been eliminated from the development argument. We the people are the caretakers of our increasingly rare heritage buildings. We surely deserve an equal seat at the table, but unfortunately, as only money talks in this situation, we have been silenced. Subtly but inexorably, we have moved to a situation where those who are financially motivated are now judge, jury and executioner of the fates of these buildings. So next time we look, dewy eyed, at a picture of how our city was, consider how this happened on our watch and with our silent consent. Mark Sullivan, Camberwell Boxy Hill blues Box Hill is to be a mini CBD with 10 towers greater than 25 storeys, topping out at a massive 36. These towers comprise more than 2000 apartments. Box Hill's founding fathers showed remarkable foresight with their choice of a name for the area. Graham Cadd, Surrey Hills Uber: the truth "It's not like my family used to have, you know, a daily Nazi lesson," said Amy Shira Teitel. Teitel, 29, is a US space flight historian, author and fast-rising YouTube star. Her speciality is the early days of rocket science and space travel. In researching her first book, however, she encountered a very difficult and very personal problem. US spaceflight historian, author and fast-rising YouTube star Amy Shira Teitel. Credit:Science in Public The book, Breaking the Chains of Gravity, charts the history of space flight up until the formation of NASA. It is a story that cannot be told without extensive reference to one of her childhood heroes, America's earliest and most successful rocket designer Wernher von Braun. Growing up, Teitel learned that von Braun was one of the chief architects of the Saturn rocket in the late 1950s. She was unaware that before he shifted to the US from Germany he was already infamous as the inventor of the V2 rocket a terrible bomb that killed thousands of people, particularly in London, during World War II. A small boy is fighting for life after being hit by a car at Bairnsdale in Victoria's east on Saturday. Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the boy was struck in Main Street shortly after 3pm. He said the primary school-aged boy was taken to Bairnsdale hospital with serious head injuries. A helicopter was dispatched to fly him to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Hospital spokeswoman Laura Richards said the boy remained in a critical condition on Saturday night. Police have arrested a man wanted in connection with the death of a woman in Kew. Alex Freeburn, 26, is in police custody after being arrested on Saturday afternoon. Police have arrested Alex Freeburn in connection with the discovery of a 29-year-old woman's body in Kew on Tuesday. Credit:Victoria Police The body of his housemate, a 29-year-old woman, was found in a High Street townhouse shortly after 1.40pm on Tuesday. A manhunt for Freeburn intensified after police said he was sighted in the south-west coast town of Warrnambool between 3pm and 4pm on Friday afternoon. After a federal election full of surprises and salient lessons, here are five things to watch in Victoria as Premier Daniel Andrews and state Liberal leader Matthew Guy prepare for battle in 2018. THE GREENS: Forget the CFA dispute. Andrews' big battle will take place in the inner city and partly on the turf of the former minister who quit over the firefighter stoush. While the Greens didn't exactly reach the dizzy heights they expected, favourable swings in Wills, Batman and Melbourne reaffirmed that the state Labor seats within those electorates are at risk, particularly if the Liberals decide to preference the minor party ahead of the ALP. The seats in potential danger include the prized electorates of Brunswick (held by former emergency services minister Jane Garrett); Richmond (held by planning minister Richard Wynne); and Northcote (held by women's minister Fiona Richardson) although it's worth noting that the Libs also face a rising Green tide in once blue-ribbon areas such as Hawthorn and Malvern. Mind you, a Liberal-Green preference deal isn't exactly guaranteed not if opposition leader Matthew Guy has anything to do with it. "The Greens are a menace," he told The Sunday Age when asked if he'd be prepared to enter into any such arrangements. "In the main, they're just reformed East German socialists and I'm untrusting of anything they do." Malcolm Turnbull and Victorian parliamentary Liberal leader Matthew Guy. Credit:Daniel Pockett THE HANSON FACTOR: It was a political comeback almost 20 years in the making. But with Pauline Hanson securing a place in the federal Senate and micro parties benefiting from the crisis of confidence in politics more broadly some are already starting to question what this could mean for Spring Street. Take a look at the upper house seat of Eastern Victoria, for example, which takes in federal electorates such as Gippsland, Flinders and McMillan. If you break down One Nation's Senate vote in that region, it ranges between 2.55 per cent and 4.56 per cent depending on the area which is more than the 2.44 per cent primary vote that saw the Shooters and Fishers MP Jeff Bourman win a spot in Eastern Victoria at the 2014 state election. Likewise, in Western Victoria, former mayor James Purcell secured his crossbench seat with 1.28 per cent of the vote. AEC figures suggest One Nation's support in that region (which takes in federal electorates such as Corangamite, Ballarat and Wannon) ranges between 1.52 per cent to 2.87 per cent. Could this mean Pauline Hanson might one day make her mark in Australia's progressive capital? Given the fragmented nature of politics at the moment, who knows? THE LINGERING CFA STOUSH: It was the hotly contested question for Victoria in the wake of Saturday's election: did Daniel Andrews' handing of the CFA dispute cost his federal colleagues dearly? There's no doubt that the bitter fight deprived Bill Shorten of oxygen in his home state, where the Coalition ended up winning Chisholm the only seat Turnbull has managed to snatch from the ALP so far. But if votes shifted anywhere on this particular issue, perhaps it was the hilly parts of La Trobe where about 10 booths (such as Ferntree Gully, Belgrave South and Cockatoo) swung to the Liberals and ultimately helped incumbent Jason Wood retain the marginal seat. As the dust settles on the election result, the new question is this: given the brawl between the CFA and the United Firefighters Union is a state issue, what will Labor do to ensure it doesn't keep burning in the long term? Party strategists have already prepared a field campaign involving firefighters, volunteers and MPs having "one-on-one conversations" with voters to counter what they claim are Liberal lies. Scripts have been written, mail-outs have been planned. As one insider put it, the last thing Andrews wants is another TAFE fiasco: a reference to the tertiary cuts that continued to hurt the former Napthine government, particularly in regional Victoria, all the way to polling day. A three-kilometre twin tunnel will be built beneath Yarraville in Melbourne's inner west as Premier Daniel Andrews moves to avoid a community backlash over his flagship road project. After months of considering different designs, the state government is set to unveil its preferred tunnel option for the Western Distributor, a $5.5 billion project that aims to create an alternative river crossing to the West Gate Bridge, reduce truck congestion and cut travel times to the CBD by 20 minutes. Instead of building a shorter tunnel which residents feared would be too close to houses and result in a loss of open space near Stony Creek the chosen option includes a longer four-lane tunnel under Yarraville, starting at the West Gate Freeway and coming to the surface at industrial land near the Maribyrnong River. New on-and-off ramps for trucks will also connect the West Gate Freeway with Hyde Street in Yarraville, but the final design will not contain any flyovers and will be built as close as possible to the existing West Gate Freeway in line with what the community wanted. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Camp Ashraf was under the protection of the US army. However, with the pull out of US troops from Iraq, the camp was handed over to the Iraq government, which sympathizes with the Iranian regime. This lead to the United Nations and U.S. State Department brokering a deal in 2009, with the Iraqi government to move the residents of Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty. Some of the residents disagreed with the relocation, as they felt it was a ploy by the Iraqi government to exert more control over the residents. Consequently, In September of 2013, an Iraqi SWAT team entered Ashraf and murdered 52 custodians, kidnapped seven more, and forced complete relocation to Camp Liberty. Recently, the Iraqi government denied trucks carrying food, fuel, hygiene products and medicine into Camp Liberty. This lead to a eight day blockade by the Iraqi government, as they stopped essential food and supplies from coming into Camp Liberty. Moreover, this week on July 4th the Iraqi military and its militias fired 50 rockets into Camp Liberty killing dozens and wounding hundreds more. During this time the West remained silent, and when asked to look into the attack the United Nations and the U.S. State Department repeated their normal excuse, that there is no evidence the Iraqi government was involved. The U.S. is familiar with these excuses, as even after the 2013 Ashraf massacre, U.S. State Department made the no evidence claim in spite of photographs, video footage, and statements from survivors proving beyond all doubt that the Iraqi SWAT team entered Ashraf from the adjoining Iraqi military compound while under direct observation of Iraqi guards and police. Subsequently, despite the recent blockade and assault on Camp Liberty, no Western power has taken the matter seriously. Meanwhile, the Government of Albania has long since agreed to accept all of Camp Libertys residents. Thus, several months ago, the U.S. State Department provided the United Nations with all necessary funding to commence mass moves and quickly finish the resettlement process, but they havent yet relocated a single person in the time since. Reports of more police shootings are coming out of the US, but local police are not directly linking the violence to attacks in Dallas. The Dallas shootings left five police officers dead on Thursday, with five other officers and two civilians injured. The officers were struck by sniper fire at a rally in protest of violence by police, in aftermath of police killings of black men. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Steinbach cheered. The roar the city made was thunderouslouder than any cheer at the local rink. It became a raucous celebration of a day many thought would never come: a Pride parade in the devoutly religious city of Steinbach. Police estimate 3,000 to 4,000 people spilled onto the citys streets Saturday, resplendent in rainbows, in an overwhelming show of support for the citys LGBTQ community. The protestors who threatened an appearance did not appear to show up. IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON A throng of supporters celebrate at city hall. The eyes of the nation rested on Steinbach this day as a result of the controversy that has swirled around the citys first-ever Pride parade. Many local political leaders did not attend, nor offer a public show of support despite being asked. A message was read that was prepared by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Im going to say something I never thought Id get to say in a million years, Chris Plett told the rally, looking onward at a crowd of thousands. Happy Steinbach Pride, everybody! Again, the crowd applauded. They would stand shoulder-to-shoulder, identifying as straight, gay, bisexual and transgender, among other sexual identities; on this day, they all marched as one. Before huddling around city hall for the rally, LGBTQ supporters congregated beside the library at E.A. Friesen Park. They held signs that read, I love my Mennonite boyfriend and My rights dont take away yours. When news came that traffic was backed as far north as Ste Anne, organizer Michelle McHale asked the crowd if they were fine waiting. The crowd hollered in approval. A half-hour later, the march began. Leading the way, McHale and her partner Karen Phillips held hands as they gripped onto a rainbow flag. The applause from the hundreds lining the streets seemingly did not end for the 45 minutes it took for the last people to arrive at city hall. Many who spoke at the rally gave emotional testimonies of what its like to be gay in a Christian community where support for gay rights has lagged behind urban centres like Winnipeg. Many of those same speeches touched on the religious observance many in the region hold dear. They pleaded with Christians to be more accepting. Mason Godwaldt, a transgender male, said some in the Steinbach region are afraid to publicly admit they belong to the LGBTQ community. They put on a mask and deny their true self, he said. Godwaldt said he has lost acquaintances to suicide, who could not find comfort in their sexuality. He wore a shirt that said, Visible for those who cant be. I want to live in a community where it is just as OK to be gay or lesbian as it is to be religious, he said. Plett, an openly gay farmer near Kleefeld, said being a gay man is a label that does not define him. He is prouder, more so, of being a farmer, a Mennonite and a Christian. Growing up in the area was tough, he said. He renounced his sexuality after high school, only then could he be music minister at his church. But when a youth drop-in centre he worked at heard that Plett still harboured same-sex attractions, he was dismissed. He left his hometown shortly thereafter and moved to a different province, but he has since come back. He said there are more supporters than outsiders expect. I fell back in love with my community, he said. I started to forgive the people who had hurt me. IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON Two women hold hands during the Steinbach Pride march. Plett said the LGBTQ community can start to change minds in southeastern Manitoba by being visible. This is how well take up our pens and write our own chapter in this amazing open book that is Steinbach and the surrounding area, he said. But please remember these communities are deeply entrenched in tradition. The love and understanding that we seek will take time but with patience, love, forgiveness, all the things will come together and I can promise that will happen. NDP interim leader Flor Marcelino drummed up one of the loudest applauses when she urged the crowd to follow her lead. Lets shout it loud for the Hanover School Division to hear: love is love is love! she chanted, in reference to the division so far rebuffing McHales request to make its schools inclusive of LGBTQ education. Lets shout it loud for your representatives to hear: love is love is love! Numerous NDP and Liberal MLAs descended on Steinbach, but absent were many of the politicians who could have walked to the march from their homes. Their absences, sharply criticized in some circles, piqued the nations attention and played a major role in turning Steinbachs march into an event attended by thousands. The majority of those in the crowd came from Winnipeg but lots were from southeastern Manitoba. Provencher MP Ted Falk candidly shared he would never show up to Pride because attending is at odds with his values of faith, family and community. Steinbach mayor Chris Goertzen and MLA Kelvin Goertzen said they could not attend, citing previous commitments. Steinbach city council said in a statement they would not endorse or oppose the event. Tyrone Hofer, an openly gay Hutterite, left his colony because he knew his sexuality would not be endorsed. To those, Christian or otherwise, who struggle to accept the LGBTQ community, he told the rally instead of asking yourself, what would Jesus do? ask yourself, what did Jesus do? The truth is Jesus never mentioned homosexuality (in the Bible), not once. We do not really know what he thought about it. What we do know is how he acted. What Jesus did practice was a radical openness and acceptance of all people no matter who they were. He associated with outsiders and those on the very margins of society. Terry Hayward, former Provencher Liberal candidate, criticized the man who won last falls election, Ted Falk, for refusing to attend. Hayward told the rally politicians should represent everyone in their constituency. Though the parade lacked local politicians, he said Saturdays show of support proves there are many allies of the LGBTQ community in southeastern Manitoba. IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON An ally of the LGBTQ community, Jeff Bromley of Winnipeg holds a sign showing his support. Steinbach Pride is showing that rural Canada cannot be generalized, he said. McHale told the audience their strides for LGBTQ inclusion will not end today, but that Saturday was a critical juncture in that road to acceptance. A new Steinbach is being born at this moment, she said. A moment in history Various people The Carillon spoke with after the march were blown away by the support. They expected lots of supporters, but not this many. Michelle Ritchot knows the struggle for gay rights well. She and her partner Stefphany Cholakis were part of the landmark lawsuit against the provincial government that made same-sex marriage legal 11 years ago. That was an historic occasion, no question; this Saturday in Steinbach will be remembered as such, too. Its a moment in history we did not want to miss, she said. When she fought for equal marriage, she felt the Steinbach region was among the most vocal opponentsanywhere in the country. Now, to see this celebration, she is floored. Im shocked and amazed. She was surprised too by the lack of protestors. Nobody was holding up God hates fags signs like they still do in Winnipeg, she said. For those that live in the region, acceptance is comingslowly but surely, they believe. IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON Pride supporters have a good time. Kiersten Paypom, Mason Godwaldts fiancee, said shes had challenges as a bisexual in Steinbach. One customer at her coffee shop, she points out, refuses to be served by her. Its been tough, but its getting easier, she said. I feel like people are more aware. Its being brought to the public a lot more, its not something thats silenced. John Price of Steinbach wore a shirt covered in supportive messages from family and friends. A 1993 high school graduate, Steinbach Regional gave him rides so he didnt have to walk home from school, shielding him from bullies. Growing up he was beaten up constantly and had bottles thrown at him. That doesnt happen anymore, now that he returned to Steinbach two years ago. I just see a huge difference already, and its about time, he said. Dale Kehler couldnt miss Steinbach Pride. The Kleefeld native moved away some 25 years ago and now lives in Toronto with his husband. The couple flew in for Pride. My experience of feeling alone and isolated and frightened resonated when I heard there was going to be a Pride, he said. I wanted to support that because I would want the people that are in this community to know that theyre not alone. He couldnt speak to the Steinbach of today, but noted the city is far more diverse than the one he left. That much was evident an hour after the crowds had long dispersed. Two men holding hands walked down Main Street, blocks from the rally, when a vehicle honked at them. The couple wouldnt have known if that was a sound of support or not, but they waved anyways. Despite the Wests attempts to appease Iran it has been to no avail, and though Obama, Justin Trudeau and other Western leaders base their engagement with Iran on the assumption that regime change is beyond reach Western leaders must look to other methods to ensure stability and freedom in Iran and the Middle East, and it must be one where the Mullahs regime isnt included. Subsequently, many Iranians see it differently as they seek real change in Iran, and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) seeks to bring about such change. The NCRI is holding a Free Iran rally in Paris on July 9th, to demonstrate for a freedom and democracy in Iran. Accordingly, last year, over 100,000 people attended this gathering, including hundreds of parliamentarians, such as former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell. The NCRI isnt allowed to operate in Iran, as the theocratic regime is trying to dismantle the NCRI, thus the NCRI operates in France and across the Western world, and it garners the support of hundreds of thousands of Iranian expats. Those attending the Free Iran rally in Paris seek to have their voices heard, they want a free and democratic Iran, but will Western leaders listen to their plea or will they continue to appease and legitimize the mullahs and their oppressive rule over Iran? #RajaviYes 4 #FreeIran The Stuart Tiara (Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Today, were open-mouthed staring at one of the sparkliest Dutch tiaras of them all: the Stuart tiara. This whopper of a diadem includes one of the rarest and most historic diamonds in any royal collection, the Stuart (or Holland) Diamond. That single diamond alone weighs almost forty carats! King William III and Queen Mary II, depicted in a nineteenth-century engraving (Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The Stuart Diamonds first recorded owner was a member of the House of Stuart (hence the name): Queen Mary II of England, wife and co-regnant of King William III (who was born William of Orange; he helped to overthrow his father-in-law, James II, in the Glorious Revolution of 1688). Mary and William purchased the diamond themselves after they married, and it was originally set in a brooch. (Read a more detailed history of the diamond over here!) The Great Exhibition of 1851 (Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The diamond went back to the Netherlands after first Mary and then William died. It actually returned to England, however, when a subsequent Prince of Orange went into exile. Queen Charlotte encouraged his wife, Princess Wilhelmina, to have some of the familys jewels made over, and the Stuart was remodeled as a pendant necklace. Although the family was able to return triumphantly to the Netherlands by 1815, the stone came back to England one more time when it was displayed in London at the famous Great Exhibition of 1851. Queen Wilhelmina wears the tiara at her 1898 inauguration (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) The Stuart Diamond wasnt placed in a tiara until 1897, when Schurmann designed this tiara. It was ordered by Queen Emma specifically for the investiture of her daughter, Queen Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina wore the tiara at her investiture in 1898, which you can just see in the photograph above. She wore a smaller version of the tiara (without the upper row of diamonds, including the Stuart) for her wedding in 1901. Queen Wilhelmina wears the tiara (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) She also wore it in the above formal portrait. Here you can also clearly see another part of the House Diamond Parure: the large corsage brooch, which is in the shape of a bow. Various members of the present-day Dutch royal family have worn components of this corsage brooch. The parure also includes a large necklace. Queen Juliana wears the tiara with its accompanying necklace and corsage brooch (Photo: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The queen who sported the tiara most often was Wilhelminas daughter, Queen Juliana. In the picture above, Juliana wears the tiara at a gala concert celebrating her 1948 inauguration. She also wore the tiara at other major royal events, including the wedding of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and a 1972 state visit to the United Kingdom. Queen Juliana wears the tiara, necklace, and corsage brooch in 1962 (Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The tiara may have been one of Julianas favorites, but it has yet to catch on with the next generations of Dutch royals. Princess Beatrix was never photographed in the tiara at all. Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images But in May 2018, Queen Maxima finally debuted a version of the Stuart Tiara albeit without the Stuart Diamond itself. Maxima wore a lower-profile version of the sparkler for the Luxembourgish state visit that spring. For this outing, the Stuart Diamond was removed from the piece, along with part of the central element that supported it. (Queen Wilhelmina also wore a smaller, Stuart-less version of the tiara for her wedding in 1901 this may be that setting.) The large clusters from the tiara were also repurposed as earrings. The result, to my mind, is a much more wearable and balanced tiara, still incredibly sparkly and elaborate but less imposing. PETER NICHOLLS/AFP/Getty Images And in October 2018, she finally wore the full tiara, too! (Much more over here!) Note: this is an updated version of an earlier post, with new text/images. Poor Joe Walsh. The former congressman and syndicated radio guy Joe Walsh, as he kept referring to himself in the third person, again and again, on The Joe Walsh Show even as he insisted, I dont like to talk about me much, has been enduring the sufferings of Jobor so he indicated during a crazed and pitiable two-hour rant Friday afternoon. Walsh didnt sleep a wink, he complainednever mind that MyPillow is his most ubiquitous sponsor (an annoying commercial featuring the right-wing talk jock snoring was played over and over and over)and he had to prop a shotgun by his bed, he confided, because of all the death threats he was receiving. Like his rhetorical soulmate, the late Wisconsin senator Joseph R. McCarthywho could never settle on the precise number of Commies toiling in the State Departmentthe one-term Tea Party Republican from suburban Chicago could never decide just how many enemies were praying for his termination with extreme prejudice. It was either a thousand, as he estimated at one point during the broadcast, or seventeen thousand, as he assured listeners at another point, or, as he claimed at yet another point, Millions and millions of Americans around the country all night and all day today have wished me nothing but death! Why the sea of troubles? Shockingly enough, the 54-year-old failed actor and former social worker had posted something really despicable on Twitter as police officers were being gunned down in Dallas after a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest, and his 67,000-plus followers, and many more besides, had the unmitigated gall to read and comprehend each and every word: This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you. For reasons that seemed utterly lost on Walsh, many people took his incendiary tweet as an incitement to violence against the president of the United States. Twitter officials promptly disabled his account, Walsh whined, and informed him that if he wanted to be reinstated, hed have to delete the threat. This Walsh obediently did, but that didnt stop him from lying awakescared, he saidand awaiting a knock at his door from the Secret Service or FBI. I sent one tweet out that put Joe Walsh on the map today, he boasted, noting that he was booked Friday night on CNN and Fox News as a result. About an hour after I sent that tweet out, Twitter shut me down. And Twitter said they shut me down because I threatened violence against the president of the United States and threatened violence against members of Black Lives Matter. To get back up on Twitter that tweet has to be removed. So it was removed. That tweet was taken down. Thenuncharacteristically, as it would have seemed to anyone who recalls Walshs brief career as a loose-lipped, loudmouthed, right-wing firebrand in the House of Representativeshe added: Id like to apologize for this tweet For all of you, friend or foe, who were offended by that tweet, I absolutely understand and I absolutely apologize. That sounded sincere enoughwhatever skills hed acquired studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute back in the 1980s had not entirely deserted him. But was he really sorry? Let me be clear. I stand by that tweet, he declared moments later, in a head-spinning, whiplash-inducing flight of fancy. I dont regret that tweet. And thenin his best sky-is-red, up-is-down mannerWalsh explained that his tweet didnt really say what people thought it said; instead he was simply suggesting that patriotic supporters of law enforcement officers should stand up for the cops and make their feelings known in their own protest marches. This former congressman, now syndicated radio guy, would never ever think or wish or encourage violence against the president of the United States or anyone, Walsh argued. Because thats not what I meant. For anybody to think that this former congressman and syndicated radio guy would do something as stupid, political-career-wise, to encourage violence thats just crazy stuff! Im not stupid! Its not just stupid, its wrong, its reprehensible Thats not at all what I meantnot even close. Or, as Humpty Dumpy famously scolded Alice in Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking Glass, When I use a word, it means what I choose it to meanneither more nor less. Indeed, Walshs whole showin which he repeatedly apologized he was too exhausted to raise his voice per usual, but ended up shouting and screeching anywayhad an aspect of Bizarro World unreality. He predicted that the Left and its handmaidens in the mainstream media will sooner or later try to blame Trump, try to blame Christians, try to blame angry white Americans, try to blame Joe Walsh for the carnage in Dallas. There are bad cops, he acknowledged. There are bad plumbers. There are bad Republicans. There are bad Democrats. There are bad ministers. There are bad rabbis. There are bad news anchors. Do you get my drift? Do you see where Im going? Um. Over the past several years, numerous police killings of unarmed black men have fueled a growing outrage that ultimately gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement. This week, a lone gunman used that movement as a platform to shoot 12 police officers in Dallas, killing five of them and, in turn, altering the conversation around the relationship between people of color and cops. Apparently, now is time for a group of older, white, conservative men to be outraged. And through various media platforms, they are almost unanimously laying the blame for the Dallas officers deaths at the feet of all Black Lives Matter protesters. There have been some prominent exceptions on the rightNewt Gingrich acknowledging that whites will never understand systematic racism is a good example, and one that could remove him from Donald Trumps running mate short list. But for the most part, the reactions have been one ugly comment after the next. Below is the rundown of whats been said, less than 24 hours after the incident occurred. TheBlazes Tomi Lahren First out of the gate with a since-deleted tweet was TheBlaze host Tomi Lahren, who quickly compared Black Lives Matter to the Ku Klux Klan. While she later thought better of that message, Lahren has continued to push the #BlueLivesMatter hashtag into Friday. We should be coming together not splintering apart, she tweeted later. But doesnt calling protesters the new KKK encourage just the opposite? Rep. Steve King (R-IA) Iowa representative and Donald Trump supporter Steve King was sending hearts and prayers to the victims last night, but by this morning, his tone had changed. With the tweet below, King connected the Dallas shooting to the beer summit President Obama held at the White House after Sgt. James Crowley improperly arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., who was trying to enter his own home and forgot his keys. Rep. Roger Williams (R-MS) In a statement Friday morning, Republican Congressman Roger Williams blamed Obama even more directly, attributing the shooting to the "spread of misinformation and constant instigation by prominent leaders, including our president. He went to say that that Obama contributed to the modern day hostility we are witnessing between the police and those they serve. As a result, today we are seeing one of the noblest professions condemned by those who could benefit the most. Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) Another since-deleted tweet belongs to former Illinois congressman and avid social media provocateur Joe Walsh, who decided last night was the right time to declare war on Obama and Black Lives Matter, telling the president of the United States to watch out and that real America was coming for him. A more recent tweet calls Obama silly, stupid [and] dangerous for focusing on guns in the shootings aftermath. Rudy Giuliani During an appearance on MSNBC Friday afternoon, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Brian Williams that Black Lives Matter protesters put a target on police officers backs because they make it seem like all police are against blacks. Theyre not, he continued. Theyre the ones saving black lives. Black Lives Matter are not saving black lives. Its the police officers doing it. Fox News Todd Starnes The always reliably aggrieved Todd Starnes has a column on FoxNews.com Friday that leads off with the headline, The Pigs in a Blanket crowd got what they wanted. The Christian conservative radio host is referring to a video that went viral last year of Black Lives Matter protesters in Minnesota chanting, Pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon at cops. After hyperbolically warning readers that what hes about to say is politically incorrect, Starnes affirms that All Lives Matter. But that is by no means the most offensive part of his piece. Quoting the admittedly outrageous chants from a handful of protesters on isolated occasions, Starnes paints them with the widest of brushes. In New York City, protesters once shouted, What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Now, he writes. On July 7th in Dallas, Texasthey got their wish. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Even worse than Starnes were comments made by the second-highest ranking elected official in the state of Texas. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Fox News Friday afternoon that he not only blames Black Lives Matter for the deaths of the police officers, but views them as hypocrites for running from the snipers bullets. All those protesters last night, they ran the other way, expecting the men and women in blue to turn around and protect them. What hypocrites! Patrick said, without any pushback from the Fox hosts to whom he was speaking. Donald Trump And then there is Trump. The new standard bearer of the Republican Party released an uncharacteristically measured statement on Friday morning, calling for love and compassion along with strong leadership in the wake of the shooting. While the GOP presidential candidate does mention the two black men who lost their lives by police gunfire and prompted the latest round of Black Lives Matter protests this week, he makes a point to not use their names, referring to them only as two motorists. He does however, as highlighted by Aaron Blake in the Washington Post, call their deaths senseless, a descriptor that seems to be riling up his supporters who think that means he is taking the side of Black Lives Matter. That would undoubtedly come as a surprise to Donald Trump. Shortly after 10 p.m. on Thursday night, when Micah Xavier Johnson shot and killed five Dallas police officers and wounded nine others, Mauricelm-Lei Millere, founder of the African American Defense League hate group, posted a picture on his Instagram account. The caption led with this: We have no alternative! We must kill white police officers across the country! The picture was of a meeting with former President Bill Clinton, which Millere alleged occurred in May. At 10:52 a.m. the morning after the shooting, Millere posted the following message to the African American Defense Leagues Facebook page: WE ARE CALLING ON THE GANGS ACROSS THE NATION! ATTACK EVERYTHING IN BLUE EXCEPT THE MAIL MAN, UNLESS HE IS CARRYING MORE THAN MAIL! Micah Johnson was one of just 170 members who follow that Facebook page. Founded in the wake of Ferguson protests in 2014, the African American Defense League is tiny, with possibly only Millere himself as its current leadership, according to the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. But Millere and the AADL operate many different front groups, including a Jonesboro, Louisiana, church called the Morning Star Baptist Church. Multiple attempts to reach Millere at his several phone numbers, email addresses, and Facebook accounts went ignored at press time. The AADLs calls to kill white police officers are not new. In November of 2015, the AADLs Facebook page said every black person across this nation should find a white police to kill in every state and American/European province around the globe. After the killing of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police and before the terror in Dallas, Millere called for cops blood again. The Pig has shot and killed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana! You and I know what we must do and I dont mean marching, making a lot of noise, or attending conventions, he wrote on Facebook. We must Rally The Troops! It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood! About 36 hours later, Johnson took aim at white police officers from Dallas rooftops. Oren Segal, the director of the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, said its unlikely Johnson came across the obscure AADL, which has for years called for the deaths of white police officers, by accident. The fact that he liked the African American Defense League is interesting because its sort of a one-man operation, Segal told The Daily Beast. But Millere may not have been entirely alone. He referred to Malik Zulu Shabazz, the former head of the New Black Panther Party, as a board member of the AADL in a Facebook post provided to The Daily Beast by Segal. Years ago, however, Shabazz took credit for the creation of the AADL, saying that he later handed it off to Millere, Segal said. Shabazz allegedly posted on Facebook that the group was a broad based organization that will organize and defend our human rights. (The posts have since been deleted, Segal said.) In a phone call to The Daily Beast on Thursday afternoon, Shabazz went to great lengths to distance himself and the New Black Panther Party from Millere. (Millere) is under observation. We dont know whether he is with the movement or not. We dont take him seriously, Shabazz said. He may, in fact, be a plant. We dont endorse what he says. Hes under suspicion as a plant. Indeed, the Anti-Defamation Leagues Segal said hes seen little interaction between the New Black Panther Party and Milleres organization. The fact that he never became a central figure in the New Black Panther party may suggest that hes too extreme for them, Segal added. Shabazz, however, is listed as a racist black nationalist with a well-documented history of anti-Semitic remarks, according to the Southern Poverty Law Centers extremist database. At 1995s African Black Holocaust Nationhood conference, Shabazz said, the Caucasians and the government are arrogant, telling us how to suffer America should be glad that every black man is not on a killing spree for all the suffering they have done. Just last year Shabazz added that its time for lifting weights and working out and going to the gun range and all of that. Right now is the time to build up that army. Right now its time for us to build up those corps, those troops, he added. Shortly after the shooting on Thursday night, Shabazz posted a Dallas CBS affiliates breaking report of the shooting, adding that Grief and pain and funerals now on all sides. As the chickens have no come home to roost. Millere responded minutes later: Wonderful News Self-Defense Is! Isnt It? The comment remained up on Shabazzs Facebook page for over 14 hours. It was removed and replaced with a warning about agent provocateurs on his Facebook page sometime after a Daily Beast reporter contacted Shabazz about his relationship with Millere and more information about one of Shabazzs clients, Niecee Cornute. Cornute, who was detained by police during the Dallas protests Thursday night, is the leader and founder of the Black Womens Defense League. Its a self-described a coalition of women of color on the path to total liberation through defense training and community building. Millere said that Cornute marched in the protests in Dallas before shots rang out, but insisted she has absolutely nothing to do with it. She was detained and released because she has no involvement in the shooting. She was a demonstrator. She has been a person that has obviously been surveilled, not that she had anything to do with it, said Shabazz. Shabazz added that the police had seized Cornutes car. Im kind of upset about it. They have not returned her vehicle and thats a problem Im trying to work through, he said. Cornute posted on Facebook that she had been released from police custody. Please dont ask me for details, she wrote. I am fine and out of custody currently. All further questions will need to go through my lawyer Malik Zulu Shabazz. On Friday afternoon, Cornute said she was on her way to Philadelphia from Chicago-OHare International Airport. Much love for all the love Ive gotten over the last few hours, she wrote. Yall rollin DEEP. I am proud of my sisters and brothers. Stay vigilant be smart and be AWARE. The Dallas-based Black Womens Defense League was one of the dozens of Micah Johnsons likes on Facebookanother apparent link between the sniper and the community of militants in Texas. In a post-Brexit world, its important to remember a time when Englands main export wasnt bad news. Twenty years ago our frenemies across the pond gave us the greatest gift of allthe Spice Girls debut single, Wannabe. Legend has it that the iconic track was written in just 20 minutes, and recorded on the very same day. In her autobiography, Geri Halliwell recalled, we started off simply mucking about with chords and raps. Right from that moment, I think we all realized that this was something special. It happened so naturally that the song seemed to symbolize what we were about. The energetic ode to chicks before dicks is hardly a cookie-cutter single. Its unfinished, punk vibecomplete with shouty rap and the DIY intro of Melanie Browns footsteps approaching the micimmediately differentiated the Spice Girls from the polished, R&B-style ghosts of girl bands past. Of course, Wannabe demanded an equally off-kilter video. The girl group convened in a dilapidated hotel for the shoot, where they assembled their own looks, with Geri Halliwell sporting a 20 showgirl outfit she nabbed at a Notting Hill market. They shot all night, even as the set became less and less temperate. The freezing cold conditions are evident in the final productthe video was banned in a handful of Asian countries due to the prominence of Browns nipples. The legendary music video that introduced Scary, Baby, Sporty, Posh, and Ginger Spice to the world was so unusual, Virgin execs almost succeeded in getting the whole thing re-shot. Luckily the Spice Girls went to bat for their eccentric creation, nipple-itis and all. The English-speaking world seemed to take it in stride; Wannabe topped the U.K. Singles Chart for seven weeks, and remains the highest charting U.S. debut by a new British act to this day. Eventually Wannabe became the best-selling single by a female group in the world, selling over 7 million copies worldwide by the end of 1997. Two decades later, Wannabe still stands the test of time. Re-watching the vaguely misandrist masterpiece, one is reminded that the Spice Girls were true trailblazers. They broke the group mold by cultivating individual styles and personasso the next time Harry Styles is hit with a wave of gratitude for being allowed to grow his hair out and cover his body with stick-and-poke tattoos, he knows who to thank. Not to mention the fact that Sporty Spice was rocking athleisure back when Kylie Jenner was just a fetus. The concept of the video itself isnt exactly novelgirls break into hotel, dance on tables, drink champagne, and taunt all the boys who wanna be their lovers. But the raw energy and irresistible group rapport speaks for itself. The rowdy five-some jostle for the limelight and scandalize a bunch of stodgy, confused British dudesa fairly prescient depiction of the Spice Girls mania that was about to rock the nation. A glum Victoria Beckhamthe only Spice Girl who doesnt sing a word in WannabeMona Lisa-smiles at the camera with the quiet confidence of someone who knows that they will one day sleep with David Beckham. In addition to the eternal mystery of the phrase zig-a-zig-ah, Wannabe continues to leave its mark. Noted Spice Girls fan girl Adele crooned the 1996 hit with James Corden on Carpool Karaoke, before revealing that shes a total Ginger Spice. And in 2014, it was rated the most easily recognizable pop song of the last 60 years. Just this week, the 90s jam was given a 2016 makeover by The Global Goals campaign, which reimagined the girl power anthem as a call to end worldwide injustice against women. The clip, which has received crucial stamps of approval from both Posh and Sporty Spice, features a range of stars from across the globe and has already been viewed more than 46 million times on Facebook alone. In honor of the iconic track exiting its teendom, Mel B, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell posted a celebratory video with some pretty exciting news: a band birthday party is in the works and everyone is invited. Spice Girls stans are interpreting this video blast as confirmation of a long-rumored concert in Londons Hyde Park next year. Unfortunately, diehards were disappointed by the news that the threesome is going by a new name, GEM, as Victoria Beckham and Mel C arent slated to appear at the reunion gig. Beckham seems unlikely to budge, with her rep issuing a characteristically posh statement: "Victoria has been very respectful about the fabulous time they had together in the past, however, her focus is now very much her family and fashion business." Fans who may take Scary and Sportys decision to abstain as a personal affront would be missing the point: 20 years ago the Spice Girls seriously rocked the music business with a single thats remained legendary to this very day, proving once and for all that well-behaved women rarely make pop culture history. One of the most basic definitions of a design, is that it is a plan to give form to function. By that definition, recipes surely qualify as designs. But a recipe can have several functions that often seem to compete. The most basic purpose of food is to keep people alive with the secondary concern of keeping them in good health and not making them ill. But an equally important function is that the food be enticing primarily to the palate but also to the eye and perhaps the nose, to ensure that it will be eaten. And if the recipe is to be rendered professionally, as in a restaurant, a prime function is to realize a profit for the owner. Toward that end, the food costs are an obvious concern as is the complexity of preparation in terms of labor costs, so a bit of trimming may be required here and there. Lastly but no less importantly to me, the designed dish should be able to be eaten as conveniently and practically as possible and respect the inherent qualities of each ingredient. And thereby hangs my main cavils about too many recipe designs, past and present. Among the most egregious of the currently fashionable culinary creations are the towering hamburger constructions often suggesting the Leaning Tower of Pisa rendered in meat, bread, cheese, bacon, pickles, pigs ears or tails, and anything else the chef has lying around the kitchen. Not only are such conceits impossible to eat out of hand, but flavors of the myriad ingredients muffle each other. This is especially ludicrous after we are told about the super-prime quality of the basic beef; with so many garnishes and sauces one might as well use ready ground supermarket beef. But perhaps those absurd burgers do perform one currently important function as do the similarly designed knife and fork sandwiches: they inspire Instagrams, all of which rate the caption Youre not going to believe this. And I dont. Not all travesties are modern. Rarely has there been a more ill-conceived recipe than that for Beef Wellington, an old-time haute fancy dish that called for wrapping a perfectly roasted filet of beef in foie gras, then in a pastry coating, all to be re-roasted. That meant the beef steamed within itself as the fat oozed unpleasantly from the foie gras to render the crust limp and greasy. How much better to simply put a slice of foie gras and another of black truffle atop a rare-roasted slice of beef filet and call it tournedos Rossini for which each element gets due respect. Much as I deplore all of the above examples, none irritates me as much as the modern presentations of linguine with white clam sauceLinguine alla Vongole Biancoone of my three favorite comfort foods. The obvious idea is that clams lightly simmered in a bath of garlic-flavored olive oil and garnished only with chopped parsley, be entwined with the long pasta for each heavenly mouthful. In the olden days in New Yorksay before the mid-60sclams were prepared out of the shells, sometimes whole or, better yet, chopped and simmered along with the oil and garlic. Then suddenly we began to hear that the high class way in Italy is for the clams to be served in their shells, steamed in the aromatic bath but unshucked. How ridiculous is that? Not only does the cook have to scrub and scrub again to be sure no grain of sand remains to wash down onto the pasta, but the diner has to extricate each clam thereby winding up with greasy fingers while the pasta grows cold. (What combined to make the new way popular was that it meant less work for the kitchen while assuring patrons that the clams were not canned.) In fact, searching through a number of old-time Italian cookbooks published in Italy I discovered many of the recipes called for the clams being shuckedsome before and some after steaming. In Italy they tended to use tiny clams while the custom here was for little necks or even cherrystones to be trimmed into hard and soft parts, the former being allowed more cooking time. To make my case, I can cite no less an authority than the Italian critic, Vincenzo Buonassisi, who in his classic volume Il Codice della Pasta, calls for removing clams after steaming. So does the grande dame of Italian food history, Ada Boni in The Talisman Cookbook, the 1950 translation of her epic, Il Talismano della Felicita. As for current interpretations, the famed Raos removes and chops the clams as does Sal J. Scognamillo at Patsys, the restaurant his grandparents founded in mid-town New York in in 1944. Its more functional to have the clams out of the shells, Sal says, but would you believe some customers insist on having them in the shells... and, even worse, some ask for grated cheese to be sprinkled on top? All of which proves once again that there is no accounting for taste. Images of J. Edgar Hoover and encased spy paraphernalia are scattered throughout. At centre stage, when you walk in, is a scale-model replica of the JFK hangar where the 1978 Lufthansa heistthe one Martin Scorsese dramatized in GoodFellas took place. Off to the left is a roped-off and perfectly in-tact commercial airliner wheel, which was recovered from wreckage of the former World Trade Center. As you move along the far-left wall of the room, you notice that there hangs an object somewhat out of place in such recognizable memorabilia of criminal notoriety. The designer handbag, the casual visitor to the G-mens shrine is reliably informed in a written plaque and accompanying photograph of its former red-head owner trotting along the streets of Manhattan with it slung over her shoulder, once belonged to Anna Chapman. The most famous of the Russian illegals, or undeclared agents of a foreign government, busted by the FBI in 2010 as part of a long-running, 10-person ring operating in the United States under the supervision of the SVR, Russias foreign intelligence service, Chapman has since become a different kind of fashion icon in her native Moscow, a sex kittenish runway model and advert pinup celebrated for her Bond girl activities in the worlds financial capital. She was also arguably the least dangerous spy of a network collared in June 2010 and subsequently traded for three agents whod been working for either the CIA or MI6, plus one Russian nuclear specialist who, while not privy to classified intelligence, had nonetheless been imprisoned in Russia for 11 years on espionage charges. Cynthia Murphy, or Lidiya Guryeva, of Montclair, New Jersey, for instance, worked at a lower Manhattan-based accounting firm, not far from the FBI field office, that offered tax services and had a venture capitalist client with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Donald Heathfield, or Andrei Berzukov, sold strategic planning software to U.S. corporations, putting him in a position to conduct industrial espionage. (The family life of Heathfield and his spy-wife Tracey Foley, or Yelena Vavilova, which allegedly included a plan to recruit their Canadian-born sons to work for the SVR, inspired the hit Reagan-era Cold War series The Americans.) Early in February 1946 the 167 inhabitants of Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, a remote U.S. possession in the Pacific Ocean, were told that in order to end all world wars they would have to leave this, their ancestral home, and pick up their lives again on a distant island. The order was issued by the authority of the U.S. Navy. A fleet of 95 decomissioned ships, ranging from battle cruisers to small amphibious vehicles, was going to be anchored in the large lagoon encircled by the Atolls reefs. The plan was to drop two atomic bombs on these vessels, the first on July 1. No atomic bomb had been used since two were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August the previous year. In 1946 the U.S. had an arsenal of only seven atomic bombs. Those to be used at Bikini were of the same type as the one dropped on Nagasaki, named Fat Boy. Also over the course of the last three summer rallies, the gathering has placed some emphasis on countering the notion of internal moderation in the Iranian regime, as embodied by President Hassan Rouhani, who was elected in 2013 on promises to engage constructively with the West over the nuclear issue and to initiate domestic reforms. Although the nuclear agreement was indeed finalized last July, the promised domestic reforms have not been forthcoming. As well as causing Rouhani to lose much of his original support inside the country, the persistent abuses of the Iranian regime have comprised a major talking point for the exiled resistance. This is evident at each rally, and was certainly evident in the early sections of Mrs. Rajavis speech, which provided a laundry list of worsening human rights violations, restrictions on the media, and so on, before declaring, This is the reality about masquerades of moderation in Iran. The resistance leaders account of persistent and endemic abuses and social problems also served as an indictment of the Obama administrations doctrine of rapprochement with the Islamic Republic. However, her criticism was not limited to the current administration. Rather, she declared that US policy toward Iran has jumped from one mistake to the next, with examples including previous attempts at outreach to other so-called moderates, and political attacks on the NCRIs main constituent group the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran. The apparent mistreatment of the resistance has had substantial effects not only on its acquisition of political capital but also on the safety of its membership. Just days before Saturdays rally, the PMOI exile community of Camp Liberty in Iraq was made subject to the latest in a series of rocket attacks, which are understood to have been carried out by local Shiite militias affiliated with the Iranian regime. In prior instances, the rockets used in the attacks could be traced back to Iran, and it remains to be seen whether the same will be the case in the instance of the July 5 barrage, which injured 50 people but in contrast to previous attacks did not immediately kill anyone. Despite the avoidance of major bloodshed in the latest incident, many supporters of the NCRI, both during and prior to the rally emphasized the danger posed to those who remain stranded there, awaiting relocation to other countries. In a panel discussion on Friday, former ambassador to the US human rights commission Kenneth Blackwell expressed his concern that the last remaining residents of the camp would surely be executed if the evacuation of the last 1,000 residents took place as gradually and inconsistently as the first 3,000 or so. Five attacks on Camp Liberty were preceded by three attacks on Camp Ashraf, the community that was established in eastern Iraq by PMOI exiles in the 1980s, and which was forced closed under an agreement among the Iraqi government, the US, and the UN, on the understanding that the former US military base of Camp Liberty would be a brief temporary stop on the way to stable homes from which resistance members could continue their work. This promise has been slow in being realized, but Mrs. Rajavis speech on Saturday put much emphasis on the importance of this relocation and its role in preserving the legacy of Camp Ashraf, formerly the PMOI base of operations closest to the groups homeland. We will build 1,000 Ashrafs, Mrs. Rajavi declared, indicating the truly international scope of the Iranian resistance. We will build 1,000 bastions of rebellion and resistance against the ruling theocracy. She later added, We have chosen to resist anywhere and in any form to bring the dream of freedom to fruition We will not relent until freedom and democracy roar like a powerful torrent from Azerbaijan to Baluchistan and from Khorassan to Bushehr. To this it may be added that the diverse geographic backgrounds of the many thousands of participants in Saturdays rally indicates that the source of that torrent and the location of 1,000 Ashrafs will be spread throughout the world. Summer is here, and for royals the question of where to holiday is a pressing issue. Fortunately the royals have plenty of places to choose from where they either own houses or have wealthy friends are only too happy to put them up. So where to go? Decisions, decisions MUSTIQUE: The paradise island used to be Princess Margarets special hidey-hole a sit was owned by her chum Lord Glenconner. Tales of wild parties on the beach during which her gangster friend John Bindon would hang handled beer glasses on his private parts were only the tip, so to speak, of the iceberg. Its still a refuge for the rich posh, but its also been colonised by new money people like the Middletonssuccessful middle-class families with a taste for the high life. Carole and Mike and the family tend to head out there in January and take Kate and William and the rest of the family with them. Which is just as well, as Will and Kate probably couldnt afford it these days. SOUTH OF FRANCE: Viscount Linleys immaculately restored little hunting lodge in the Provence hills was a marvelous escape pod for stressed-out royalsuntil Kate got photographed sunbathing topless there, which rather brought the party to an end. The house has now been sold, friends say. KAZAKHSTAN: Prince Andrews business destination of choice, Kazakhstan, has become something of a royal favorite in recent years. Andrews connections with the generous elite certainly help, but Prince Harry also got packed off there for a romantic-weekend ski trip with his then-girlfriend Cressida Bonas. They split up soon afterwards. ROMANIA: Prince Charless best kept secret is his network of immaculately maintained properties in Romania. The Prince fell in love with the still largely agrarian country in the 1980s, and has since bought up several endangered farms and villages across the country, which he is dedicated to maintaining and restoring. Jud Covasna is one of the finestand if hes not staying there, you can. AFRICA: Harry adores Africa, and this summer it seems likely he will, as usual, get out there for at least a week or two. Theres no shortage of places to stay; his ex Chelsy Davy comes from Zimbabwe, his best royal friend is Prince Seesio of Swaziland with whom he co-founded the Sentebale charity and he has an extensive network of contacts through Botswana. BRAZIL: Not usually part of the royal summer vacay, Brazil will likely be added to the list this year as the young royals show their support for Team GB. We are unlikely to see William or Kate making an appearance due to Zika concerns, but Harry is likely to be on hand. No official confirmation from the palace yet, however. SWITZERLAND: Fergie and Andrews new basea sprawling chalet in the ski town of Verbier, reportedly bought as a nest egg for their kidsis likely to see some off-season royal visitors over the summer. Dont expect to see Will and Kate rock up, but dont rule out healthy mountain air and awesome walks for Eugenie, Beatrice, Harry, Freddie Windsor or even Cressida Bonas. SCOTLAND: It is the ultimate staycation, and as a result the Queen never stirs far from Balmoral during the summer months. Her summer routine at Balmoral is all about walks, visitors, simple Highland fare and picnics whatever the weather (Princess Diana hated it and used to stay in her room, much to HMs disgust). The Queen and Philip like to entertain favored guests at a small bothy on the shores of the lake where they do without staff; Philip mans the barbecue and the Queen serves drinks on a tray. In 2007s Live Free or Die Hard, Timothy Olyphants evil cyber-terrorist Thomas Gabriel initiates a paralyzing attack on the nations technological infrastructureseizing control of its transportation, communication, military, and power systemswhich Justin Longs nerdy hacker dubs a fire sale due to the fact that in such an assault, everything must go. As befitting an entry in the popular action franchise, this catastrophe concludes with Bruce Williss cop John McClane saving the day through acts of superhuman physical heroism. Replete with Gabriel using his high-tech gadgetry as a way to soothe his damaged ego and steal lots of money, its a familiar Hollywood saga, albeit with a modern digital twist. Except that, according to Alex Gibneys new documentary, Live Free or Die Hard is anything but outlandish fantasy. In Zero Days, Gibney provides a comprehensive overview of the Stuxnet worma sophisticated piece of malware that, on June 17, 2010, was found by a Belarus security expert on one of his clients machines in Iran. Though it was immediately apparent that the virus was deadly, it would take considerably more analysisincluding by Symantec security response professionals Eric Chien and Liam OMurchubefore its true potential was revealed. Those revelations were at once awe-inspiring and unsettling, as Stuxnet turned out to be a complex program designed to infiltrate, target, and sabotage the centrifuges at Irans Natanz nuclear facility. It was equipped to do this even though Natanzs systems were disconnected from the internet. And it was to perform its mission without command and control inputmeaning that its groundbreaking code would initiate and carry out its tasks wholly on its own (or as Chien says, There was no turning back once Stuxnet was released). It came as no surprise that, after comprehending the scope of Stuxnets potential, the Symantec experts called it Hollywood-esque and likened it to something out of a James Bond movie. To make matters worse, Stuxnet contained four zero day exploits, meaning that at four different stages of its operation, it was capable of completing its objectives before its target even knew an attack was imminent. Upon seeing it for the first time, German security professional Ralph Langer realized that, It went beyond our worst fears, our worst nightmares. Stuxnet left no concrete signature denoting who created it, but as Gibneys film lays out in detail, its authors are now largely assumed to be the United States and Israel, who co-wrote the malware via the NSA, the CIA, Israels Unit 8200, and the seven-year-old, NSA-overseen United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). Its purpose was to hinder Irans nuclear enrichment program, instead of having the Israelis launch a more traditional air assault on Natanz that, U.S. officials feared, would draw us into all-out war. What Gibney finds frustrating (and outrage-inducing) is that this was all done in secret, and in fact still largely remains in secret thanks to the fact that domestic cyberwarfare operations are masked behind an impenetrable wall of classified designations and attendant I dont know, and if I did, we wouldnt talk about it anyway denials. If that makes Zero Days sound like a compelling recitation of already-known facts, thats because it isincluding with regards to its supposed bombshell. That comes from a former Cyber Command official (whose ID remains anonymous on-screen) who verifies that, yes, America and Israel were behind Stuxnet, and that in fact it was only the point of the spear, as a more wide-ranging virus known as Nitro Zeus was concurrently developed in case Israel and Iran ever went to war. Though it was shelved (for now) by President Obamas 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Nitro Zeus was, in effect, akin to Live Free or Die Hards fire sale: an agent of apocalyptic cyber-destruction that would disable the countrys air defenses, power grid, traffic, health, and communication infrastructures. Unfortunately for Gibney, Nitro Zeus isnt a stop-the-presses trump card for Zero Days, since its existence was outed last February by The New York Times Mark Mazzetti and David E. Sangerthe latter of whom participates in Gibneys documentary. The result is that his film will only prove truly eye-opening to those who havent kept abreast of news about Americas burgeoning forays into cyberwarfare, which began under President George W. Bush (who saw it as a necessary tactical alternative after the Iraq War sabotaged his chances of starting another Middle East invasion) and which have continued unabated during President Obamas eight-year Oval Office tenure. Zero Days thus often feels like a superficial history lessona not unfamiliar shortcoming of the prolific Gibneys output. The directors myriad assembly-line projects (discounting TV, hes helmed 21 features since 2005!) sometimes come across as having been hastily produced in order to remain timely. Here, he brings together an impressive array of talking heads (including former NSA and CIA director, General Michael Hayden) who are as forthcoming as theyre allowed to be under law. Furthermore, he maps out his tale with archival footage of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejads hateful anti-Israel, anti-American speeches, computer graphic depictions of Irans centrifuge motors, and ominous industrial-noise music. Its a documentary staged to play like a real-time thriller, and in terms of getting the pulse racingand the blood boilingit ably achieves its ends. Gibney, however, has a larger purpose for addressing Stuxnet, which came to light after Israelis apparently got too carelessly aggressive using itnamely, as a means of sounding the alarm about a scary new world order in which nations wage secret, devastating attacks against their enemies with the click of a button, and without any oversight from (or even notification of) Congress or the public. In this 21st century techno-paradigm, the rules of engagement are Do what you can get away with. As such, Zero Days is ultimately a demand for, if not outright transparency (since many of our military and espionage endeavors must reasonably remain clandestine), a public national discussion about what cyber-weapons our enemies and we possess, and what sort of regulatory framework might be established to best prevent an international conflict. Given that Stuxnet didnt permanently stymie Irans nuclear capabilities, and that the country successfully retaliated against us with two subsequent computer attacks, Zero Days makes clear that were already enmeshed in this terrifying new cyber-reality. And unfortunately for us all, well need more than John McClane to help avert forthcoming global disaster. Strip Club Death Trial Delayed by Lawyer Dying in Same Club WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? The second death at Shotgun Willies in Colorado was called kind of weird by the attorneys co-counsel. 1 North Korea Tests Submarine-Based Ballistic Missile HERE WE GO AGAIN But what very few of these political speakers could place into their speeches was an intimate and personal awareness of the nature of those abuses or their actual effects on the targets of repression or their families. But early in the evenings proceedings, the stage was devoted to two young Iranians an 18 year old woman and a 30 year old man who had each secretly escaped from Iran within the past year, and who have used the opportunity to make people in the West aware of what they witnessed first-hand so very recently. The young lady, Paria Kohandel was introduced by her fellow NCRI activist as the flame and the fire under the ashes, in a reference to a line that would come up later in her eloquent speech about her relationship with a father who has been held in Irans prison system since she was eight years old. I am here to be the voice of my father, Kohandel announced, before detailing his experiences in prison and her commitment to carrying on the anti-regime activism for which he was condemned to an apparently endless sentence. Prior to fleeing, the young woman was able to visit her father for only 20 minutes a week, and used the time both to maintain her relationship with him and to gain a deeper understanding of the plight of Iranian prisoners. Kohandel explained that over the years, her father had seen numerous 17 and 18 year olds sentenced to lengthen prison sentences and even to death for nothing more than peaceful activism. She recalled that he said he saw his daughter in the faces of the condemned, thereby influencing her decision to flee and join the efforts of the NCRI overseas instead. But in addition to carrying on her own work and in addition to serving as the voice of her father, Kohandels portion of the NCRI rally seemed to put her forward as a voice for many more of the people who either suffer alongside her father or place their lives at risk on a daily basis as she had done throughout her teenage activist years. Kohandels speech was prefaced by a video montage gathered from among the supporters and activists of the NCRIs main constituent group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, inside their home country. No one has ever seen the images we are about to see, the speaker declared before displaying images of Iranians, their faces hidden, stepping forward in a variety of different settings to present a red rose to the camera, each one representing the blood of those who have been tortured or killed by the theocratic dictatorship. What we are going to watch is the suffering of many Iranians turned into hope. At the same time, Kohandel indicated that her presence at the rally this year was to some extent an example of hope turned into reality. She explained that she used to tune into the Iran Freedom rally every year via a banned resistance television network. That network continues to broadcast to this day, and so it carried the latest rally to an audience of Iranian activists who remain behind in their homeland, but who were perhaps more connected to the event than ever, thanks to images being shared between Paris and Tehran, in the presence of refugees who have so recently been on both sides. Norman Maclean's first sentence in his 1976 memoir, A River Runs through It, contains 13 words: "In our family, there was no clear distinction between religion and fly-fishing." Made popular by the 1992 movie of the same name, the story is one of family, fly-fishing, addiction, alienation, faith, heartbreak, grief and the power of vulnerable love. The last sentence of A River Runs through It, contains only five words: "I am haunted by waters." Maclean is referring to his reverence for water as that which existed on the earth before animal life and which is, according to both science and the account of Genesis, the birthplace of life. He is also referring to fishing in the river and stream waters of Montana, where he is convinced his family experienced the renewing power of God through both the building of the love they shared across the years and the brokenness they experience in time. Maclean's story, then, is framed between those sentences: "In our family, there was no clear distinction between religion and fly fishing;" and "I am haunted by waters." While I am impressed by both flowing waters and the compelling story of A River Runs through It, from my own life, it's more accurate to confess, "I am haunted by perfection." By this, I am not saying that I'm a "recovering perfectionist," as someone who struggles with an addiction to perfection. I am, however, someone who has wrestled with the concept of perfection through my life's years, particularly with the translation of "perfect" from the New Testament Greek at Matthew 5:48, where Jesus is quoted as saying, "You must be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." For decades, I have wondered about Jesus' teaching in this verse, because I do not observe or experience life to be perfect (without brokenness), nor do I believe, related to religious character traits, morals or ethics, that any person or aspect of life can be perfect -- if "perfect" means "having absolutely no flaws." It has helped me to discover that the Greek word from Jesus' saying ("telos"), which is translated into English as "perfect," is a word associated with God's ultimate work or completed goals. So Jesus may actually be saying something like, "You must live and share life in accordance with God's goals shaping you." A few decades later, when a follower of Jesus and teacher of faith wrote in the letter called First John (4:18), "Perfect love casts out fear," again the Greek word "telos" is at the root of the English translation. Maybe this means less that humans can potentially develop "perfect love" as a character trait and moral practice, and means more, "God's love within God's people is the source and resource for overcoming fear in multiple forms." Phrased slightly differently, "There is no fear where God's love is at full strength." "Piety" is a word describing the sacred relationship and behavior through which a person expresses faith by living positively in relation to God and to God's people. The antidote to overcoming being haunted by perfection is seeking an authentic piety, which is distinct from false, wrong, and hypocritical piety which Jesus describes as something to be avoided (Matthew 6:1-4). I cannot achieve authentic piety on my own; nor do I think I'm a very good candidate for God to make me perfect in this life; but I am confident that the shaping of every person to live and share life in accord with God's way and goal of vulnerable love is quite within the range of God's capability. Ted V. Foote Jr. has been pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Bryan since 2007. DALLAS After a long night of chaos and uncertainty, the city is finally quiet. Twenty blocks in the heart of downtown are blocked off by police barricades, an active crime scene where five officers were killed and six others were wounded by sniper fire amid an otherwise peaceful demonstration against police brutality. In the hours after what appears to be the most deadly attack on police since September 11, everyday habits are suspended. The Bank of America in the center of the blockade is closed. So is the McDonalds on the corner. Raven Bartee, who works in the area, parked her car yesterday in what is now a crime scene, and she cant get to her house keys, her car or her daughter's diapers. John Collins, a lawyer who has lived in Dallas for more than five decades, watches the officers from across Lamar Street and reaches for the obvious point of comparison. Collins remembers the days after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, just a few blocks from where hes now standing. Well all pull together now," he said, "but itll take a long time for us to heal." Periodically, members of the public approach police officers, offering to buy them coffee, water or anything else they might need. Naomi Baxter, a member of Mothers Against Police Brutality who attended Thursdays protest, asks if there is anything at all she can do. The officers say they appreciate her support, and decline the offer. Baxter has been a regular attendee at Dallas demonstrations for years. She joined the organization to protest police brutality after her cousin, Clinton Allen, was shot and killed by a police officer in 2013. Allen was unarmed, and the police officer, Clark Staller, was not indicted. But in recent years, she said, she has seen a marked improvement in the relationship between the Dallas police force and the black community. It stands in stark comparison to the fear and distrust of police reflected in many communities, something that President Barack Obama addressed earlier this week. Chief Brown has really taken it upon himself to talk with the police officers, to let them know theyre here for the people, and I feel like they are, Baxter said, trying to hold back tears. Walking up on us with their hands on their holsters no. They walk to us with their hands just like these officers, she said, waving at the officers along Jackson Street. Baxter was one of the first to arrive at Thursdays demonstration, her tambourine in tow. She said the event was peaceful and calm until the very end, and remembered officers clearing traffic and reminding the demonstrators to stay hydrated in the Dallas heat. These police officers had no aggression, Baxter said. If they did, I would have been the first person to speak up. Because thats what Im about us speaking up for whats right. They were in the right this time, she said. Brown said Friday morning that he was not ready to speculate on the shooters motives, or draw a definitive connection between the rally and the culprits. But he added that one of the snipers said he "wanted to kill white people" before being killed by a police department bomb Shetamia Taylor, who attended the Thursday demonstration with her family, was the snipers only civilian victim. Taylor, who jumped on top of her sons to protect them, was shot in the leg and is expected to recover. The long-term repercussions of the Dallas shooting have yet to be determined. The sniper attack was the third in a series of high-profile events in an emotionally charged week, after police officers killed black men in Baton Rouge, La., and Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Alton Sterling, 37, was killed by Baton Rouge police while selling CDs outside a convenience store, while Philando Castile, 32, was killed after being pulled over for a traffic violation. Both incidents were recorded on film. The national conversation around shootings and gun control was also electrified by the recent mass shooting in Orlando which had the highest death toll of any shooting in modern American history and a 25-hour sit-in led by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. But until shots rang out in the streets of Dallas Thursday night, the mood at the protest was one of sadness and support, according to several event attendees. This was my first protest, and at the beginning I felt so safe, said Diya Wazirali, who attended the demonstration with her sister and cousin. It was very peaceful I just felt like I was part of the community, and we were all there together. Although the event was publicized as a protest against police brutality, the relationship between the protesters and Dallas police officers in particular was not marked by animosity, according to Sahare Wazirali. The Dallas Police Department has repeatedly stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement theyve been consistently supportive, Sahare Wazirali said. Theyve walked alongside marchers, and theyre one of the most active police departments in terms of making sure theres accountability in police work. Were grieving for their families, she added. Over the course of the last few years, officer training has increasingly focused on de-escalation tactics, which Brown has cited as one reason the number of excessive-force complaints against Dallas officers has steadily decreased. Early Thursday evening, the Dallas Police Department posted videos and photos of the demonstration on the department Twitter account. In one photo, smiling police officers stand beside a man holding a sign that says, No Justice, No Peace. In another tweet, officers filmed the the crowd as demonstrators chanted Indict, convict, send these killer cops to jail / The whole damn system is guilty as hell. At sundown, just before 9 p.m., the first shots rang out, but in the din, it wasnt immediately clear what the source of the sound was. I heard the shots, but I dont think it registered in my mind I thought something had happened to my dads car, said Lexi Lewis, a Dallas highschooler who attended the event with family members. Nobody in the car realized they were shots. The scene was calm, until it wasnt. Quickly, police officers started urging people to leave the scene. It got quiet, and then they told us run, run, Sahare Wazirali said. Weve never run so fast in our lives. By midnight, the streets were largely empty, except for police officers. Officers urged civilians who were still downtown to stay indoors. At press conferences held over the course of the night, the police chief and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings kept an intense calm, answering questions as a standoff between officers and one of the suspects developed in a nearby parking garage. The suspect has told our negotiators that the end is coming, and hes going to hurt and kill more of us, meaning law enforcement, and that there are bombs all over the place, in this garage and downtown, Brown said. So were being very careful with our tactics. Rawlings acknowledged that the situation was changing minute to minute, and encouraged locals to stay away from normally-bustling downtown Dallas until the confusion had settled. This is still an active crime scene, and we are determining right now how big that crime scene is, Rawlings said. Rawlings also commended Brown and the Dallas police force for their conduct under fire. To say that our police officers put their life on the line every day is no hyperbole, ladies and gentlemen, Rawlings said. Leadership matters at this time Im proud of our chief, he added. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2016/07/08/dallas-police-protesters-were-united-sniper-attack/. Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin answers a question during a press conference in the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) SHARE By Kentucky Press News Service FRANKFORT Gov. Matt Bevin has activated the state's prohibitions on price gouging to protect consumers during the strong weather system that continues to affect a significant portion of the state. The price gouging emergency order was effective as of 4 p.m. CDT July 7. "In coordination with state authorities, I have put in effect prohibitions on price gouging in order to ensure Kentuckians pay appropriate prices on essential services and supplies during this continuing, severe storm and flooding," Bevin said in a statement. "We urge Kentuckians to continue to take the necessary precautions needed to stay safe and to report any price gouging activity." The emergency order triggers several consumer protection measures and will remain in place for 30 days, but may be extended past that time as needed. This order ensures that any instances of price gouging, including generators, building supplies, chainsaws, hotel rooms and other necessary goods and services at an exorbitant price in a time of disaster, will be fully prosecuted and held accountable. Anyone with specific information regarding possible price gouging should contact the Office of the Attorney General at 888-432-9257 or e-mail consumerprotection@ky.gov. Iowa Poll: Most say Iowas caucuses should stay first in the nation NORWALK Under the heat of the beaming sun, a dozen or so adults gathered to flip the ceremonial switch on the citys first municipal solar installation. Consisting of 18 panels on top of the mens bathhouse, the 5 kilowatt system provides power to both mens and womens bathhouses, the Moo cafe and the lifeguard station at Calf Pasture Beach through an integrated electrical network. The system, donated by Direct Energy Solar, is the first solar electrical system installed on a city building as part of mayor Harry Rillings Energy Environmental Conservation Task Force, lead by chairman John Kydes. We have the mission of finding ways to reduce our energy costs, reduce our carbon footprint and to make our city more efficient as far as our energy consumption, Rilling said. John Kydes has done a remarkable job of making sure that we do everything that we can possibly do. This will serve as an example, government leading by example where people will see the City of Norwalk is starting to invest in solar. The company donated the system as part of the Norwalk Solar Challenge, launched by the task force in February to encourage residents and businesses to learn more about solar power. State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, was on hand to celebrate the installation of the new solar system. As the former chair of the state Energy and Technology Committee, he championed energy legislation to implement the new Comprehensive Energy Strategy for Connecticut, restructuring state support for renewable sources of electricity to provide for cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy for consumers and businesses. More Information The 4.77 kW system will generate about 10 percent of the total energy the bathhouse uses. That translates into 3.64 tons of carbon offset each year, more than 100 trees planted and approximately 20 cars taken off the road over 20 years. The system will save the city about $1,000 per month in energy costs. For more information on the Norwalk Solar Challenge visit www.go.directenergysolar.com/Norwalk See More Collapse Duff said he is excited about the project at Calf Pasture Beach because it will draw attention to the energy source, potentially causing people to ask questions and consider the power source for their own homes. It really is an example for the residents to see the city is participating in clean energy projects and will incentivize other residents to put solar on their homes as well, Duff said. Since the beach is so popular, since people are here all the time, this is a great visual example of the citys commitment to clean energy and also our states commitment to clean energy. Were seeing thousands of jobs being created all across the state because of our policies that look to clean energy as a jobs creator, and this is a great industry for us here in the state. All the way around this is good because it reduces the citys carbon footprint, it creates jobs and it creates a great reminder for residents as something to look into. Though the panels are the citys first venture into solar power, Rilling said he hopes to see the energy source installed on schools and at city hall in the future. Once technology is developed to sufficiently store the extra energy created by the panels, the city could save the energy for the winter when there is less sun or sell it back to the energy company as a money making venture. Rilling said the solar panels at Calf Pasture Beach will save the city about $1,000 per month on electrical costs. Were looking at a possibility for City Hall, for schools, and were working with our energy provider to determine where this would be best taken advantage of, Rilling said. Perhaps down the road we might end up with a solar field. The whole idea is to reduce our energy costs as much as we possibly can ... Its a win-win situation. Theres no argument against energy savings. Theres no argument against reducing our carbon footprint. Even if there was a slight cost to it, it would be worth it, but when were going to actually be saving $1,000 a year, you cant argue that logic. David Goldberg, manager of community business development for Direct Energy Solar, said the company donated the panels as a demonstration of their commitment to the community. He said the system installed at Calf Pasture isnt designed to store energy. Instead, electricity generated by the panels flows directly to the point its needed from sunrise to sunset. Since the park isnt open after dark and energy is still created even on cloudy days there should never be a problem with a lack of power, especially since the the buildings still rely on traditional electricity for 90 percent of their power. This is just another step, another feather in the cap of the mayor and the counsels and the Energy and Environmental Task Forces commitment to further support, raise awareness and offer opportunities for citizens and businesses to access clean energy, Goldberg said. This is part of our commitment to support the Norwalk mission for 10, 20, 30 years down the road. KKrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK The foremost concern of someone facing an eviction is where theyll live next. Second on that list: the fate of their belongings. In the throes of an eviction, a struggling tenant may have few places to go and fewer options for removing and storing a lifetimes worth of personal effects. Connecticut, however, has one of the nations most protective laws regarding possessions abandoned after an eviction: its the only state that requires municipalities to store a tenants property when theyre forced out of their home. Norwalk had 54 evictions in fiscal year 2013-2014, 57 evictions in fiscal year 2014-2015 and 63 evictions in fiscal year 2015-2016. And although the current year just started July 1, the city has already been responsible for moving and storing the possessions of at least one Norwalk family. Many states give landlords the right to sell or discard possessions after a certain amount of time. But here where landlords have no role in storage advocates hail third-party warehousing as a rare protection for tenants. Protecting the goods of tenants after an eviction and giving them the opportunity to get them back has long been a requirement of municipalities, said Raphael Podolsky, a staff attorney with the Legal Assistance Resource Center in Hartford. For low-income people who dont have resources who dont have a car or place to move the fact that the municipality holds the property is an important way for them to get it back, he said, adding that theres little incentive for landlords to try and reunite evicted tenants with their belongings. A few states have laws similar to Connecticuts. In Idaho, the county sheriffs office is responsible for moving and storing belongings, which if unclaimed can be sold to reimburse the landlord. In North Carolina, an officer removes and stores property at the landlords expense. In Massachusetts, a constable removes possessions and brings them to a public storage warehouse, where they will be auctioned after six months. A financial burden Although advocates say its a valuable service, Connecticut municipalities have fought for years to free themselves from what they see as a costly and burdensome directive to provide evictions storage. The towns say this is an unfunded state mandate, Podolsky said. In a 2009 testimony to the General Assembly, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities stated, There is no justifiable reason for towns and cities to be involved in a landlord-tenant issue. Since the state doesnt have to foot the bill, it has been content to burden communities with the mandate. Its the kind of mandate that leaves municipal officials flummoxed. Tom Closter, director of environmental services at the Norwalk Department of Health, oversees evictions storage and the citys role in the process. He said the city becomes involved at the end of an eviction, once the case has already gone through housing court. The city works with people afterward to try and get them their things. In Norwalk, if a tenant cant take their things, they end up in a storage facility in Stamford, Fitts Moving and Storage located at 415 Fairfield Ave. If unclaimed after 15 days, state law requires cities to conduct an auction, with proceeds covering storage costs. Revenue above that can be claimed by the tenant within 30 days, though Closter said the revenue from an auction rarely covers even a significant portion of the storage fees. Were only required by law to store their things for 15 days, Closter said. But we work with people. Our contract with Fitts is that well store items for 30 days and we usually will store things for a few months. If someone calls and says they need more time we try to accomadate that. Obviously we cant pay to store their stuff forever, but we do our best to help people. Closter said the city usually budgets about $50,000 per year to cover the costs of transportation, monthly storage, a storage removal fee, the dumping fee to the city for whatever isnt sold at auction and auction fees. In the fiscal year 2015-2016 which just ended, the city spent $54,000 on evictions. Some years the city spends less, sometimes it spends more. When the recession hit in 2008, evictions cost the city $61,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009, and almost $77,000 the next year. Dire cases Only 10 to 15 percent of eviction proceedings usually the most dire cases result in the removal of the tenant at the end of the process, Podolsky said. A 2006 survey conducted by Podolskys organization showed that 20 percent of people across the state were able to reclaim their possessions from cities for a fee after an eviction. In Norwalk, the city charges $5 per day storage fee to reclaim belongings, which helps offset some of the cost to the city. The remaining property is put up for auction, though some cities have argued the property is not worth the money to store or try to sell. There are kids bicycles. There are lamps, furniture, Podolsky said. It really does demonstrate that what is removed is not all junk. Podolsky notes that municipal sales are not designed to maximize profit. Any proceeds beyond the citys cost of storage in Norwalk it ranges from $100 to $500 depending on the amount stored and the length of time can be claimed by the owner within 30 days. Podolsky said cities can do a better job of generating profit for tenants. You may get $100 or less on belongings worth $5,000, he said. Legislature An eviction can happen to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, who live in apartments, affordable housing and homes in foreclosure. There could be any variety of reasons someone gets evicted, Closter said. It can happen to anyone. State Rep. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, said tenants here need protection because, in addition to not paying rent, residents can be evicted if for any reason a landlord decides not to renew a lease. One of the worst things in the world is to be evicted, Miller said. Sometimes tenants are evicted for matters that arent even in their control. Connecticut municipalities first became responsible for evictions storage in 1895, with the goal of protecting a tenants belongings and preventing confrontations between tenant and landlord. If municipalities had their way, advocates say, they would have no part in landlord-tenant issues. Theyve always wanted to not have this responsibility at all, Podolsky said. Weve fought hard to maintain the towns as a protective entity for the renters. Cities achieved their most significant victory to date in 1997 when they were removed entirely from the process of commercial evictions. They won a smaller battle in 2010, when the General Assembly passed a change to the law no longer requiring cities to transport a persons possessions from their home to storage. State marshals help to transport property a cost that landlords can try to recoup later on from tenants. In 2013, the legislature rejected a move that would have altogether eliminated the municipal role in evictions. I understand from the towns point of view that every dollar is a dollar, Podolsky said. But we think this is an important function for municipalities. Its really a very tiny piece of any municipalitys budget. In CCMs 2009 testimony, municipalities reported paying $17,000 to $70,000 to store and transport items belonging to evicted residents. Court proceedings The eviction process always begins with a notice to quit, a legal document notifying a tenant they may soon have to leave. Ellen Bromley, Stamfords social services coordinator, said even though the notice to quit gives tenants a time frame to move, tenants should know that they do not have to leave right away, and that by staying they trigger court proceedings that can buy them more time. The notice to quit can be a scary document, because it basically says to the tenant you no longer have a lease, she said. It basically announces the beginning of a lawsuit. We often get calls from people who have gotten a notice to quit and theyre panicked, Bromley said. In which case she tells them, No tenant in the state of Connecticut has ever had to move before a judge says youre evicted. It doesnt matter if you have a written lease, an oral lease, or if you live with your brother-in-law and he says you have to move. Cowan said the city provides resources for tenants who find themselves facing eviction. Often the city will refer them to a shelter or another outside agency. I always wish I could catch people before they get to the court stage, she said. If you receive a notice, try to talk to the owner or manager. Try to get some more clarity to see if theres a way to work it out. It doesnt go away if you dont show up for court. The process just continues without you. eskalka@scni.com; kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WILTON When Bud Boucher made the decision to join the local chapter of the Rotary Club, he was only in his early-20s. I joined because thats what people did back then, said Boucher. It was a way for you to get involved in the community on a project basis and not be all-consumed. Whether its a lack of civic engagement, demanding work schedules, or some combination of other obligations, Boucher said that nowadays hes noticed a drop-off in the number of young people joining the Rotary Club. The absence of youth hasnt only affected Rotary. In fact, the drop in youth enrollment in civic clubs and organizations has been dropping around the board on a town-wide, statewide and maybe even nationwide scale, Boucher said. Kids today, younger ones anyway, are really taken by the internet phenomenon and computers, and theyre just not as much into the joining of groups and civic organizations, said Boucher. These civic clubs are not at the top of peoples lists nowadays instead, they look at them as mom and pops clubs and not their own. Since its rejuvenation in the early 1980s, the Rotary Club has leveled out at about 40-45 members with an average age around the high-40s, early 50s. While this might seem to be on the high side, Boucher said that this is actually exceptionally youthful when compared to other organizations. Take the local branch of the Kiwanis Club, for instance. Kiwanis spokesperson Bud Taylor said that their average age is around the late 50s, early 60s which he admits is actually lower than it had been in recent years, due to a few untimely deaths and the departure of some older members who had moved away. Membership in these organizations is not only creeping upwards in age, but the membership totals are also steadily decreasing. According to Boucher, Rotary membership has been on a slow decline for years, settling down at around 35 members in the past few years. As for Kiwanis, Taylor said that ten years ago the Wilton branch of the club was among the largest clubs in New England with 130 members. Now, Kiwanis membership has bottomed out at around 96 members. To curtail the ebb of membership, both youthful and otherwise, Boucher and Taylor are considering changes to their recruiting methods. Leading this innovative charge for Kiwanis is Mary Anne Franco, one of the clubs youngest members. What were trying to do now is formulate a strategy: what can we do to attract younger people to join? Because that is the lifeblood of an organization, you always have to bring in new people, younger people, so that we can keep doing all of the good things that we do, said Franco. Franco believes that the shortage of youth in these civic organizations isnt indicative of underlying civic apathy or community-wide laziness, instead what is keeping young people from joining is the lack of a concise, comprehensive mission statement. We want to present ourselves in the best possible light to show what all the good things about the club are. How do we make ourselves as attractive as possible? said Franco. I believe we are attractive, Im not saying that we have to change our image or anything like that. What Im saying is how do we make that message concise and to the point, and get it out to people. Although Franco has only recently joined Kiwanis Membership Committee, Taylor believes her efforts are already paying dividends. Since shes joined, Ive seen her working hard to recruit people around her age in their 30s so I think that thats definitely a good sign, said Taylor. And it isnt only recruiting methods that clubs are contemplating theyre also mulling over alterations to some of their cornerstone gatherings. Franco pointed to the juggling act that occurs during the late-20s and early-30s of peoples lives as another of the main reasons that young people are largely absent from civic engagement. Life is very busy, and it only gets busier and busier. People with young families are running around to school events, sporting events and all types of other events for their children. They work long, hard hours and its just hard, said Franco. So we have to make ourselves attractive enough to those young people to show them that this is a nice thing. One way that Rotary and Kiwanis are considering accommodating younger demographics is by moving away from weekday luncheons that are hard for working people to attend. In the past, Kiwanis has tried incorporating special Saturday meetings to appeal to those who couldnt make it during the week, but Taylor said that these meetings were largely flops. Even still, Kiwanis is considering another try at night and weekend meetings. ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; (203) 354-1046; Tomlinson_PE This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK As the state moves forward with an estimated $700 million plan to replace the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River, some local residents believe a much cheaper fix would better serve the public. Bob Kunkel, president of Alternative Marine Technologies, a shipbuilding company that designed the R/V Spirit of the Sound for The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, says the bridge can be repaired. It is our opinion that rebuilding the existing bridge in place, updating its structural design and fixing the bridge in the closed position will greatly improve the economics, reduce the time period of the construction and drastically reduce both the environmental impact to the harbor and the economic impact to the citizens and companies already affected in Norwalk, Kunkel said. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) plans to spend up to $700 million to replace the bridge, build a rail dockyard and make track improvements. As an alternative, Kunkel says ConnDOT should repair the existing bridge, which pivots open to allow vessels to pass, and leave it in the closed position afterward. Barges could pass beneath the closed bridge, which has a 16-foot clearance, through use of a low-profile tugboat that he has designed. Every port in the world deals with this issue when ships, tugs and barges approach their harbor, said Kunkel, who also operate Harbor Harvest, a Cove Avenue business that sells farm-to-market food. Much like the Norwalk problem the height of certain bridges or overpasses must be addressed by any ship entering the port and as different commercial trades are developed, new equipment is put into place to solve these problems. 30 percent design Kunkels proposal come as ConnDOT moves forward with plans to replace the Walk Bridge, which carries up to 175 trains and 125,000 passengers daily over Norwalk Harbor. Built in 1898, the bridge failed twice in 2014, disrupting traffic along Metro-North Railroads New Haven Line and the Northeast Corridor used by Amtrak. ConnDOT shortly afterward began assembling state and federal dollars to replace the bridge. The department hopes to start work in spring 2018. Now 30 percent through the design phase, ConnDOT is looking at either a bascule bridge that pivots upward from one side to open, or a vertical-lift bridge whose center section lifts to provide clearance below. The department did consider repairing the existing bridge as well as replacing it with a fixed bridge, said James Fallon, manager of facilities and transit at ConnDOT. He said repairing the existing bridge isnt a good option for several reasons. First, the bridge is nearly 119 years old. Second, repairing it would cost nearly as much as replacing it and take just as long. It would be a significant project, probably on the scale of $350 million to $400 million and with a similar construction duration, Fallon said. And if we did a fixed bridge, that would restrict all vessels that currently require an opening. Federal navigation channel Devine Bros., which moves heating fuel, concrete, and mason and landscaping materials by barge to its facility at 38 Commerce St., is among the Norwalk businesses and organizations that depend upon the bridge to open. Company President Thomas Devine said some people incorrectly believe that the bridge is being replaced solely to accommodate his business. Its not just for us. (Norwalk Harbor) is a federal navigation channel, Devine said. Plus, will we get federal funding to dredge the river? Its like what happened in Westport. They stopped bringing commercial vessels in there and theyre not dredged anymore. Devine said his tugboats need 25 feet to 27 feet of clearance to move barges, requiring the opening of the Walk Bridge. He said a new, fixed bridge with higher clearance could accommodate the tugboats but he questioned whether it would be feasible from an engineering standpoint. If they built a higher bridge, we could get under it, Devine said. But I would imagine a fixed bridge would have to span so far it would be ridiculous. ConnDOT did consider, among other options, a high-level fixed bridge that would provide 60 feet of clearance to vessels passing beneath it. The option also would carry the highest price tag at between $1 billion and $1.3 billion, according to ConnDOT. By contrast, a new low-level fixed bridge providing 27 feet of clearance would run $300 to $350 million. Rehabilitating the existing low-level pivot bridge would cost $350 million to $450 million, according to ConnDOT. While 27 feet of clearance would accommodate Devine Bros. tugboats and barrages, it would not be enough room for some of the sailboats at United Marine Co. at 99 Commerce St. Karen M. Tomko, co-owner of the United Marine, said approximately half of the 70-plus sailboats kept at the marina require up to 65 feet of clearance. She said eliminating Norwalk Harbor as a federal navigation channel would require an act of Congress as well as the buyout of water-dependent businesses such as her own. If (the bridge) were to be welded shut, the state would have to somehow buy out (the businesses), Tomko said. Local anxieties On May 11, upward of 140 people, including boaters and other users of the harbor, packed the Community Room of City Hall to air their concerns about the bridge replacement. For many, the lack of detailed information regarding local property impacts remains a concern. While Devine Bros. property isnt slated for acquisition to accommodate the project, Devine empathizes with those whose properties are. For all, the recurrent question is what will happen to us during the construction? It will be phenomenal to have a bridge that opens up so easily, said Devine of the proposed new bridge. But its getting there that is the concern for Devine Bros. Still others, although not waterfront users, question the cost of the bridge replacement. I think its really unacceptable that they havent looked into the alternative of fixing the existing bridge and not having it open any more, said Fred Krupp, an East Norwalk resident. Theres a few sailboats that need to go up but you could give them free docking space below the bridge for 10 years and I bet everyone of them would be happy with that offer. Theres only a mile of water (between the Walk Bridge and Head of the Harbor) and theres just no longer that much use of it, and there are alternatives that could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. For Kunkel, there are many reasons for ConnDOT to rethink the Walk Bridge replacement project. Alternative solutions must be developed and analyzed, Kunkel said. How this project affects Norwalk business, Norwalk's harbor and Norwalk families must be the number one concern before any decision is made moving forward. We owe that to this city and its local businessmen and women. NORWALK -- A 41-year-old city man was arrested Sunday night for attacking and threatening a doctor at Norwalk Hospital, police said. Wayne Barker, of 10 Christy St., was charged with second-degree threatening, assault of health care personnel and breach of peace. He posted $10,000 bond and was given a court date of Feb. 27. Barker had been taken to the hospital at 10:34 p.m. Sunday after he was discovered to be intoxicated at Liberty Square, police said. About an hour after he arrived at the hospital, Barker yanked the intravenous lines from his body, causing himself to bleed, police said. He then began to fight with hospital staff when they tried to sedate him, according to police. During the struggle, Barker bit a doctor and then head-butted him, cutting his own forehead as well as the doctor's forehead, police said. Barker then told the doctor that he was "going to kill him when he gets out," according to police. Officers were assisting another male in the emergency room when they heard the struggle and were able to intervene, police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Whether or not the Connecticut Department of Transportation resumes regular opening and closing of the troubled Walk Bridge in South Norwalk was to depend on trial runs early Wednesday. The bridge will be tested overnight I think about 1 a.m., ConnDOT spokesman Judd Everhart said in an email Tuesday. After the test, and assuming everything goes well, openings and closings will resume as soon as possible. Rail traffic came to halt Saturday afteroon after the nearly 119-year-old Walk Bridge, which carries Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak trains, failed to open and close. Passengers were shuttled by bus between the South and East Norwalk train stations. The bridge had been scheduled to open for a sailboat to pass about 2 p.m. ConnDOT officials said it appears that the bridge failed to open due to the thermal expansion of the centerpiece moveable span. Temperatures pushed past 90 on Saturday afternoon. The problem took about six hours to resolve. By approximately 5 p.m., one track was back in service over the (swing) bridge, ConnDOT said in an email. Once the bridge was back in closed position, each track needed to be independently closed and locked, so that process was done one at a time. The latest malfunction comes as ConnDOT moves forward with an estimated $700 million plan to replace the bridge, build a rail dockyard and make track improvements in Norwalk. The Walk Bridge, which was built in 1898, failed twice in 2014, disrupting traffic along Metro-North Railroads New Haven Line and the Northeast Corridor. In the wake of the failures, ConnDOT restricted the opening and closing of the bridge. Everhart said the bridge is now opened about three times a week during peak boating season, which he noted is now rapidly ramping up. He said several boats often pass through when an opening occurs. After Saturdays malfunction, limited service resumed late afternoon between New Haven and Grand Central Terminal with delays up to 60 minutes. Inbound service to New York from the South Norwalk, Rowayton, Darien and Noroton Heights stations was not immediately available, and customers were told to go to Stamford Station for train service to Grand Central. At the same time, there was no Danbury Branch service due to overhead wire damage, and train riders were encouraged to seek alternate transportation. By about 10 p.m. Saturday, New Haven line service over the Walk Bridge resumed on two more tracks with delays of about 20 minutes for the remainder of the night. By Sunday morning, train service had returned to normal, Everhart said. A cadre of female executive presenters will headline The W Networks Metro East Womens Leadership Summit being held from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Morris University Center. The premiere event of The W Network of Downstate Illinois, an education and network-building organization where women leaders can engage and support each other, will feature two prominent female executives from the St. Louis region as guest speakers. The presenters are Danna N. Ellison, district vice president of Graybar, and Kay Guse, director of program management integration at The Boeing Company. I look forward to sharing my career experiences with the women of the W Network, Ellison said. I hope to provide valuable insight to other female leaders in the region. Silvia Torres Bowman, director of SIUEs International Trade Center (ITC), and Sherry Brianza, president/founder of Brianza Sales & Marketing Inc. and Brianza Bella LLC, are heading the W Network event. Torres Bowman continues to lay the groundwork for the initiative and invites women executives and entrepreneurs to take part. We are excited to expand our professional knowledge through Ellison and Guses presentations, Torres Bowman said. These two inspiring regional leaders will share their knowledge of their respective fields as well as their thoughts on leadership and the significant role of women in the advancement of our society. Guse will expand on her 20-plus years of mentoring engineering professionals during her nearly 30 years at Boeing. Often there are young women - and men - looking to connect with each other and a mentor on the types of experiences they may be going through, said Guse, an alumnus of the SIUE industrial engineering program and inductee into the SIUE Hall of Fame. I see the need for people to connect. In sharing information and passing along ideas, we learn from each other. Through this process, were able to train, guide and develop a pipeline of future leaders. Silvia Torres Bowman is a dynamic person and has put a lot of passion into this womens leadership initiative, because she truly believes in it and sees the value, she added. The main goal of The W Network is to enlighten, inspire and reenergize strong and bright women with new tools, information and visions on how we can make our businesses, communities and our state soar, Brianza said. Illinois needs and deserves wise women working wonders. The W Networks mission is to facilitate an open space and motivating dialogue for women who are not only excelling in their fields, but are powerful and positive in their efforts to give back to their respective communities. The types of women that The W Network is seeking to attract, Brianza said, are leaders who truly make a difference by quietly doing their work. Theyre not about the title or the recognition, she said. They commit to a mission, find the time and make it happen. The event is funded through the generosity of the SIUE Meridian Society, which awarded The W Network a $1,000 grant for outstanding community outreach. Were grateful to the Meridian Society for its generous support of the professional network we are actively building for women across the Metro East, said Torres Bowman. The Meridian Societys goal of providing leadership through philanthropy matches perfectly with The W Networks mission to inspire and support women in all professional walks of life. For more information on The W Network or to register for the event, contact Torres Bowman at sitorre@siue.edu or (618) 650-3851. You can also visit the ITCs website at www.siue.edu/business/itc to download a flyer. There is no cost to attend, but seating is limited and registration is required. The July 13 event is the second in a series for professional women and female leaders who are making a difference in their communities in downstate Illinois. Whether a business owner, entrepreneur, professional business woman or community leader, female leaders will benefit from attending this networking event. The International Trade Center at SIUE serves businesses in Southern Illinois by providing individualized, export consultation to Illinois businesses; identification of foreign buyers, agents and/or distributors through trade leads; international market analysis and more. The ITC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It has a longtime partnership with the Illinois Office of Trade and Investment (OTI), which maintains a full-time staff of both foreign and domestic-based international trade and marketing experts. OTI also manages 10 foreign trade offices located in Belgium, Japan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Mexico, Canada, Israel, India, Brazil and South Africa. The Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) coalition is continuing to coordinate efforts to reduce underage drinking in local communities that feed into District 7 schools. Over the past several months, ASAP has partnered with local law enforcement, including the Edwardsville Police Department, Glen Carbon Police Department, and the Madison County Sheriffs Department, to fund controlled party dispersals, alcohol compliance checks and BASSET training. Stephanie Flaugher, ASAP Project Coordinator, explained that ASAPs initiatives are funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services through a grant to Chestnut Health Systems. The funding is provided through federal block grants intended to provide substance abuse prevention efforts in communities. The grant enables ASAP to provide substance abuse prevention services in the communities that feed into District 7 schools (Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Dorsey, Hamel, Midway, Moro, Prairietown and Worden), Flaugher said. She pointed out that according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at after age 21. This statistic is one very important reason to keep alcohol out of the hands of our young people, Flaugher stressed. One of the initiatives provided through the grant is known as Controlled Party Dispersal. During these details, local law enforcement officers were asked to identify potential underage drinking parties and safely disperse them according to local and state laws. Details were scheduled during pivotal events for teens, including homecoming, spring break and graduation party season. Compliance Checks and other enforcement details are also conducted several times throughout the fiscal year. Alcohol compliance checks are a way for law enforcement to ensure that local retailers and restaurants comply with local and state laws in regards to not selling alcohol to minors. The vast majority of establishments checked this year passed the compliance checks, Flaugher noted. We appreciate the businesses that are checking IDs and not selling alcohol to minors. In addition, another initiative included assisting local retailers with Responsible Beverage Server training, also known as BASSETT training. This training was provided to local retailers staff on three occasions throughout the year. ASAPs goal is to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth and one of the ways that we work toward doing that is to provide this free training to liquor sellers and servers on how to do so responsibly, Flaugher said. She also said that ASAP has partnered with Edwardsville High School to provide an evidence-based curriculum to all ninth grade students. During this 12-session program, students will further develop basic skills such as active listening, decision making, stress management, and self-control that, she pointed out, have been proven through research to help youth resist illegal drugs and alcohol use. Flaugher stressed that all of these initiatives are designed to keep kids safe. We want to provide them with the basic skills to resist using alcohol and other substances, and we are asking community members to support our efforts by not providing alcohol to youth, Flaugher added. Any community member interested in additional information regarding the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) coalition is encouraged to email the group at coalitionASAP@gmail.com or visit www.asapcoalition.org. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Mon, July 4 2016 The end of Ramadhan is coming, and for Muslims all over the world, this is a time of celebration after a month of fasting during the daytime, when we have exercised restraint in almost all aspects of life. Those who pass the test should, on this day called Idul Fitri, rightly rejoice at our spiritual victory of good over evil. Celebrate we shall, but if there is one particular message for this years Idul Fitri, it is that we have to mark it more moderately. With each passing year, Muslims in Indonesia are celebrating the holiday in bigger ways, if not excessively. Understandably, as the nation becomes more prosperous and people have more money, what better way of spending our hard-earned income than to indulge on special days like these? to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 The Indonesian military has established an investigation team to ascertain the cause of the crash of an Army Bell 205 helicopter that ripped through homes in Sleman, Yogyakarta on Friday. Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohamad Sabrar Fadhilah said on Friday that the team was collecting data and information regarding the accident. Please, let the investigation team do their job, Sabrar said, declining to divulge details of the investigation, promising that the team would disclose its results to the public. He also said that the Army had recorded the damage caused by the incident, including that of residents houses. There will be follow-up from the Army [regarding the affected houses], he said without elaborating further. A helicopter belonging to the Indonesian Army crashed into two houses in Tamanmartani village, Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Friday afternoon, killing three people and injuring another three. The Bell 205 aircraft was flying from Adi Sumarmo airport in Surakarta to Adisutjipto airport in Yogyakarta. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 Former West Sumatra governor and agrarian state minister Hasan Basri Durin passed away at the age of 81 early on Saturday in Pancoran, South Jakarta, after being in treatment at a private hospital in South Jakarta since March 21. "He will be buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta after noon prayer, one of his relatives told Antara news agency on Saturday. Hasan is survived by four children and 11 grandchildren. He was born on Jan. 15, 1935 in Nagari Jaho, Tanah Datar, West Sumatra. He served as Padang mayor for two terms from 1973 to 1983 before he took office as West Sumatra governor, also for two terms, from 1987 to 1992. He was appointed agrarian state minister during the administration of the then president BJ Habibie from 1998 to 1999. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Paris Sat, July 9, 2016 France's interior minister said Friday that he doesn't see a need for a drastic overhaul of counterterrorism and intelligence services, despite security failures before Islamic extremist attacks on Paris last year. Members of a French parliamentary commission investigating the attacks made 40 proposals this week to prevent future violence, including a centralized counterterrorism agency. They found that several attackers had slipped past authorities' radar because of intelligence failures. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement that French intelligence has already undergone recent changes and doesn't need "a perpetual reform movement" unless there is "a guaranteed improvement in effectiveness." He said he will discuss ideas with victims' groups on Tuesday, when the parliamentary investigation report is released publicly. Attacks on Paris in January and November of 2015 killed 147 people. Separately, Dutch authorities said two men were arrested on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization with links to a Frenchman held in Paris in March for planning an attack in the French capital. Prosecutors said in a statement Friday that "police arrested two men Wednesday in Rotterdam in connecting with the discovery of 45 kilograms of ammunition in March" during a police raid. The men, who weren't identified beyond their ages of 30 and 32, were ordered to remain in custody for two weeks by a judge Friday on suspicion on belonging to a terrorist organization. The prosecutor's office added that a bag of ammunition found in the March raid had fingerprints of French suspect Reda Kriket. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 No details have emerged yet about alleged illegal gun purchases by members of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) on US soil, with the government so far keeping mum over the reports. The Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC refused to comment on the case with an official citing that it had "entered the realm of law". "We are not in a position to comment on the issue, please refer to the POM TNI [military police] who are handling the case [in Indonesia]," first secretary at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC A. Rizal Purnama told thejakartapost.com. on Friday. US Army Soldier Audi Sumilat pleaded guilty at the federal court on Wednesday to several charges of selling unlicensed guns to Paspampres members who were visiting Washington DC and the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Associated Press. The US Attorney's office in New Hampshire said Sumilat will be sentenced in October. The Foreign Ministry in Jakarta was unavailable for comment. Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman insisted that the guns purchased were for personal use and that the problem was only a matter of paperwork. POM has questioned eight personnel allegedly involved in the case, he said on Friday, adding that military procurement was always carried out in compliance with the law. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 No details have emerged yet about alleged illegal gun purchases by members of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) on US soil, with the government so far keeping mum over the reports. The Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC refused to comment on the case with an official citing that it had "entered the realm of law". "We are not in a position to comment on the issue, please refer to the POM TNI [military police] who are handling the case [in Indonesia]," first secretary at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC A. Rizal Purnama told The Jakarta Post on Friday. US Army Soldier Audi Sumilat pleaded guilty at the federal court on Wednesday to several charges of selling unlicensed guns to Paspampres members who were visiting Washington DC and the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Associated Press. The US Attorney's office in New Hampshire said Sumilat will be sentenced in October. The Foreign Ministry in Jakarta was unavailable for comment. Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman insisted that the guns purchased were for personal use and that the problem was only a matter of paperwork. POM has questioned eight personnel allegedly involved in the case, he said on Friday, adding that military procurement was always carried out in compliance with the law. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 The government, through Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, has apologized for all hassles and troubles faced by people during the Idul Fitri exodus, especially related to public services. Prolonged gridlock at the East Brebes exit, dubbed Brexit by netizens, a term borrowed from the UK's withdrawal from the EU, has reportedly resulted in a number of fatalities given the absence of supporting rest areas along the newly built toll road. "As home minister, representing the government, I apologize to the public, especially those who have been afflicted during the exodus," Tjahjo was quoted as saying by kompas.com on Saturday. He claimed the government had done its utmost to prepare road infrastructure to ensure convenient travel. He added that the government would conduct thorough evaluation to improve its services. Local media cited data from the Brebes Health Agency and regional disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) that at least 17 homebound travelers died in the area of Brebes, Central Java alone between June 29 and July 5. The causes of death range from fatigue to traffic accidents. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 Indonesia now has an online marketplace to penetrate the huge Chinese market following the launch on Friday evening of Inamall, an Indonesian platform operating on Tmall Global, a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group in Hangzhou, China. The marketplace was officiated by Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Lembong and Alibaba Group vice president Brian A Wong. E-commerce is among the fastest and most effective way to reach out hundreds of millions of consumers in China and other countries without arduous efforts and huge investments. This will be an effective way to market our Indonesian products, Lembong said as quoted by Antara news agency on Saturday. Lembong said his ministry was currently also looking into other partnerships with other e-commerce giants aside from Alibaba. With the new platform, Indonesian producers can sell their products directly to Chinese consumers without going through importers or distributors. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 Over 3,000 Yogyakarta residents came to see President Joko Jokowi Widodo at a so-called Open House event hosted by the President at the Yogyakarta state palace of Gedung Agung on Saturday morning. This event is the first of its kind to be held by a president at Gedung Agung, Presidential media secretariat and news analysis head, Yudhi Wijayanto said as quoted by Antara news agency, adding that the guests were divided into 10 groups and were able to directly meet the President. Thousands of residents have been waiting their turn to see Jokowi, who was flanked by First Lady Iriana Jokowi, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Queen GKR Hemas. Senen, 74, a pedicab driver from the tourist area of Malioboro, said that he had waited for his turn since 6 a.m..I am really happy. Pak President gave me Rp 100,000 (US$7.6), Senen said. Another resident, Antony Cahyo, 45, a resident of Sedayu, Bantul, said the event was a "once in a lifetime" chance to get close to the President, adding that he heard about the event on social media. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 The police have assured the public that the prolonged gridlocks that occurred during the Idul Fitri exodus will not happen again along the toll road linking Cikopo to Palimanan, better known as the Cipali toll road. Anticipatory measures will be taken to avoid traffic build-up, a senior traffic police officer has said. People should not be traumatized [by the Idul Fitri exodus gridlocks] as conditions along the toll road will be different during the return journey after the Idul Fitri holiday, National Traffic Police chief Insp. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto was quoted by Antara news agency as saying on Saturday. Agung said police would ensure the toll road operator deployed more officers at toll gates, adding that the police had also coordinated with the operator to allow motorists to pass toll gates without paying should traffic build up to 5 kilometers before toll gates. Agung said motorists could also take alternative routes via Javas northern coastal arterial road (Pantura), Javas southern arterial road and Nagrek in West Java. During the peak of the Idul Fitri exodus on Sunday, traffic jams stretched for more than 20 kilometers, with the most severe being that before the newly built East Brebes Exit, dubbed Brexit by Indonesian social media users in reference to the campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) BAUCHI, Nigeria Sat, July 9, 2016 Nigeria's military says a suicide bomber has detonated inside a mosque in the country's northeast, killing six worshippers and himself. An army spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said in a statement that two bombers first tried the larger Damboa Central Mosque early Friday but were kept from entering by armed soldiers acting as mosque security. He said one bomber detonated and killed only himself near the Damboa Central Mosque, but the other bomber entered a smaller mosque and killed six with his blast. Damboa is 70 kilometers from Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno. Officials often blame such blasts on Boko Haram Islamic extremists who have killed hundreds this year in the region. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 Toll road operator Jasa Marga predicts the flow of traffic from Idul Fitri holidaymakers returning to Greater Jakarta will reach its peak on Sunday. Idul Fitri revelers will be heading to Greater Jakarta via existing tollroads, including Jakarta-Cikampek, Jagorawi and Jakarta-Tangerang tollroads, said Jasa Marga AVP of corporate communications, Dwimawan Heru Santoso, as quoted by Antara news agency on Friday. Dwimawan attributed the influx of motorists to the end of the mass leave of workers. To anticipate the traffic gridlocks, the operator will apply an on-off traffic policy at several rest areas and toll gates in addition to imposing a contra-flow traffic policy around rest areas between kilometer 50 and kilometer 68, and between kilometer 39 and kilometer 44, heading toward Jakarta, he added. Dwimawan advised motorists to remain watchful of changes in traffic signals, while ensuring they had sufficient fuel and food and beverages given that some rest areas might be temporarily closed to avoid congestion. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 A Wings Air passenger identified by the initials OK has been ordered to alight from a plane after refusing to follow a flight attendants instructions. The passenger allegedly argued with the attendant, causing a commotion inside the plane, tempo.co reported on Saturday. "The crew acted appropriately. The safety of passengers is their responsibility, especially the pilot," said M. Nasir Usman, Director of Aviation Safety at the Transportation Ministry, confirming the incident as quoted by tempo.co. "We fully understand the decision made by the Wings Air pilot. Passengers must the crews instruction. The incident occurred at Pattimura Airport in Ambon, Maluku on Friday at about 2 p.m. The passenger was asked to leave a Wings Air flight scheduled to depart for Langgur. OK later flew to Langgur with Garuda Indonesia after undergoing hours of questioning by airport authorities. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, July 9, 2016 With at least 17.6 million people joining the exodus to their respective hometowns, Jakarta produced far less trash on Idul Fitri, an official has said. Head of the city's Sanitation Agency Isnawa Adji said daily trash reached almost five times what it was last Wednesday when Muslims celebrated the end of the fasting month. Bantar Gebang waste treatment facility in Bekasi, West Java received 5,586 tons of garbage daily, while on Wednesday there was only 1,218 tons, according to Isnawa. We had estimated garbage would decrease since last Saturday as most citizens return to their hometowns for the annual Idul Fitri festivities, Isnawa said. He added that the waste treatment facility had continued processing garbage during the festivities of July 6 and 7 with 131 staff working although it was a holiday. Contract workers were deployed to areas where residents celebrated the eve of Idul Fitri and conducted morning prayers where newspapers are used under prayer mats. We were prepared to clean up the city for the Idul Fitri holiday by deploying contract workers and road sweepers at tourist attractions, he said. Many local tourists swamp the Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah miniature park for the occasion, among other places. (rez/dan) (front page) SWP candidate: Workers can organize all of society PRICE, Utah Socialist Workers Party presidential candidate Alyson Kennedy joined campaigners for the party going door to door across Utah in this coal-rich region July 3-5. She talked with workers deeply affected by mine closures and layoffs. Official unemployment here in Carbon County is 6.3 percent, well above the state average of 3.8 percent. Kennedy knows the area well. She lived here from 2002 to 2006 and worked as a coal miner. In 2003 workers at the Co-Op mine in Huntington went on strike to demand representation by the United Mine Workers and to protest the firing of a worker active in their organizing drive. Kennedy helped lead the strike. On this trip she got together with several strike veterans and their families. We gained confidence and made the bosses a little afraid of us, Gonzalo Salazar, a leader of the Co-Op strike, told Kennedy. They met in Huntington, a mining town of 2,000 south of here July 4 and discussed what was gained by this labor battle that won broad solidarity and set an example for struggle. Salazar now works in a nearby mine. There are only seven active coal mines in Utah today, down from 14 in 2003. Last year PacifiCorp Energy closed Deer Creek, the last union-organized mine in the state. PacifiCorp President and CEO Micheal Dunn blamed rapidly escalating pension liabilities for the mines represented workforce in a press release announcing the closure. When coal mines close, it affects people in towns across the area, said Kurtis Henderson as he thumbed through Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? Class, Privilege and Learning Under Capitalism. He and his wife Shella invited Kennedy to talk in their living room in Huntington. Henderson, 38, has been a coal miner since he graduated from high school. The Socialist Workers Party says working people need to demand a massive federal jobs program to put millions to work at union scale across the country building up the infrastructure, Kennedy replied. Come back next week and well buy that book, Shella Henderson said. Tatia Drage works at an agency that provides assistance to people who cant pay their heating bills. It hurts me when someone has to freeze all winter because they earn $100 more than the maximum annual income to qualify for home heating aid, she said. My party thinks working people can organize a powerful movement to displace the dictatorship of capital and organize society on values of human solidarity and dignity, Kennedy told Drage. The rulers say theyre rich because theyre smart, but the truth is theyre rich because they exploit us. The working class produces all the wealth, and we can become confident and strong enough to run all of society. Drage got a copy of Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? Ranchers push back state harassment Socialist Workers Party campaigners spent July 2 in Morgan, a small town east of Ogden where ranchers in the Pentz family have had a dispute with the Utah Department of Transportation. Our family has been running cattle and sheep for 50 years, Tammy Pentz told thewhen campaigners knocked on her door. Getting the 90 cattle to summer pastures means herding them along the Interstate for eight miles. But this year, Pentz said, authorities put up barricades to block the cattle. After a 90-minute standoff June 30, the state relented and the Pentzes mounted their horses and all-terrain vehicles to move the cattle. Going door to door in Morgan, Socialist Workers Party members found many people had been encouraged that the state was pushed back. Everyone supports our efforts, Pentz said. After a discussion she bought Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? and a subscription to the Militant and signed to get the SWP candidates on the ballot in Utah. SWP campaigners in Utah have sold 76 copies of Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? and more than 72 Militant subscriptions and 144 single copies. They have collected 675 signatures to put the Socialist Workers Party on the ballot. Martin Sunter, 21, a flooring installer, joined door to door campaigning July 3 after meeting with Socialist Workers Party members, renewing his Militant subscription and getting a copy of the new book. (front page) Protest denial of Militant to subscribers in Florida prisons Authorities at two Florida state prisons recently impounded two issues of theclaiming that the paper is a threat to the security, good order, or discipline of the correctional system. We intend to fight these moves and defend the right of workers behind bars to get the Militant and other political literature, said Naomi Craine, the papers managing editor, in an appeal for support. The Militants attorney David Goldstein from the law firm of Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard, Krinsky & Lieberman well-known for its involvement in civil rights and liberties cases is filing a formal request asking that the impoundments be reversed. A worker behind bars at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Florida alerted the Militant at the end of June that there is a censorship situation going on with your publication. Authorities there have impounded issues 21 and 23. He filed appeals both times. One rejection notice from the prison falsely alleges that two pages in issue 23 with an article and photo on a sizable peaceful public protest in Puerto Rico demanding U.S. authorities Free Oscar Lopez contained Hang/gang signs. Lopez has served 35 years in U.S. prisons for his support of independence for Puerto Rico. There are widespread calls for his release, including from Puerto Ricos governor and unions, churches and other organizations on the island and in the U.S. This attack on the right of inmates to get the Militant and of the papers right to reach its subscribers appears to have originated at another prison, the Northwest Florida Reception Center, where authorities impounded issue 21. The reason given was an article titled, Prisoners Strike to Protest Abuse and Little or No Pay in Alabama. Reception Center officials claimed the article depicts, describes or encourages activities which may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption. The Alabama protest was entirely without violence. The article described conditions in several prisons in Alabama that denied inmates their dignity, pay for their forced labor and their rights. The prisoner in Santa Rosa wrote that he believes the papers were impounded because the system doesnt agree with the views. Literature is not what causes disruption, he wrote. Nowhere do I recall literature causing physical violence. In past impoundment fights, Florida prison authorities had to admit there were no grounds to impound Militant issues that contained coverage of the hunger strike launched by thousands of inmates in California in 2013. To date Floridas wardens have lost every impoundment battle. Many papers that cover prisoners rights and other questions of interest to workers behind bars have to fight to defend the rights of prisoners to receive them, including Prison Legal News, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the Militant. Florida authorities have especially targeted the Militant. When the Reception Center impounded issue 21, other state prison authorities were authorized to do the same pending a decision by the statewide prison Literature Review Committee. Thats the reason given to the subscriber in Santa Rosa. And that was the reason they said they took issue 23, though Florida officials have not yet informed the Militant where and why it was originally impounded, contrary to their own regulations. (front page) Washington covers up civilian drone deaths In the best tradition of the manipulation of casualty figures during the U.S. war on Vietnam, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed July 1 that at most 116 civilians have died during 473 aerial drone and missile strikes that killed 2,500 alleged enemy combatants over the seven years since President Barack Obama took office. The figures only include pilotless strikes outside areas of active hostilities in other words, where there are no U.S. combat operations. Most of the strikes took place in northwest Pakistan with others in Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The figures do not include Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria, where U.S. troops are on the ground. The report admits that nongovernmental organizations that have tried to verify the number of civilians killed believe the U.S. figures are false. According to the New York Times, The administrations count of civilian deaths is about half of the lowest estimate from independent watchdogs. The Washington-based Long War Journal, which the Times says has the lowest estimates, said there were 207 deaths in Pakistan and Yemen alone. The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates that the number of civilian casualties could be as high as 801. The National Intelligence office did not provide any breakdown by year or country, much less a strike-by-strike account, making it virtually impossible for anyone to challenge how the figures were determined. The drone strikes are organized by the CIA and the U.S. militarys Joint Special Operations Command. They were pioneered by the White House under President George W. Bush as part of the war on terror following 2001, but accelerated under Obama, who championed them as a surgical alternative to traditional airstrikes and ground combat. A Times article last year noted that operators who direct the missiles by computer from the state of Nevada often do not know who they are killing. Obama has involved himself intimately in directing the drone attacks, as part of promoting a military perspective that is supposed to avoid boots on the ground and minimize U.S. casualties. This includes using airstrikes, special operations forces and local forces, and was meant to lead to a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. Despite this, 9,800 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, more than 4,000 are in Iraq and 300 have been sent to Syria. In June the White House approved a more aggressive use of U.S. troops and airstrikes in Afghanistan. It also said it was not ruling out sending hundreds of additional troops to Iraq. Civilian deaths in these two wars number in the tens of thousands. Last October a U.S. airstrike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed 42 patients and staff, despite repeated phone calls appealing for the attack to be called off. The Obama administration says the drone strikes are necessary to protect U.S. national security against terrorist groups like Islamic State. But the majority of those targeted by Islamic State are Muslims in the Middle East and Asia. In late June and early July IS killed hundreds in terrorist attacks in Bangladesh, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, all countries with majority Muslim populations. Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home For the first time in the festivals 15 year history, all four recipients of East London Film Festivals jury awards are female. The award-winning films, which focus on a female protagonist at the very heart of the story, include: As I Open My Eyes; Sonita; Adult Life Skills and The Third Dad. The results of the 2016 EEFFs jury awards bring a tide of change in an industry often criticised for the prevalence of men in front of and behind the camera. Its fantastic to see so many women represented a huge congratulations to all our winners this year, says East End Film Festival director Alison Poltock. With women making up less than 14% of filmmakers in the UK, it shows that whilst the quantity may be low, clearly the quality is extremely high. As I Open My Eyes, directed by Tunisian born film director Leyla Bouzid, won Best Feature film. The fictional film, which is set in the months leading up to the Jasmine Revolution, tells the story of an 18-year old girl pressurised by her family to become a doctor, and explores central themes around political censorship and the role of women. Fascinated by the feature film, director Sarah Gavron said: It has a very naturalistic improvised feel, was culturally revealing, and captured the complex political moment in Tunisia through a personal story. Best Documentary film was awarded to Sonita, directed by Iranian filmmaker Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami. This spectacular documentary is centred around a young Afghan refugee living in Iran, who rejects an arranged marriage in order to pursue her dream of making rap music. The film was elected by a jury comprising multimedia artist Bob & Roberta Smith, critically acclaimed filmmaker Katharine Round, writer-director Mark Donne (Rime of the Modern Mariner EEFF2010 and The UK Gold EEFF2013), and punk legend Bruno Wizard. EEFFs 2016 Accession Award, which champions the subtle, all encompassing craft of screenwriting, was awarded to Rachel Tunnards Adult Life Skills. The film is a comedic, British feature starring Jodie Whittaker, and follows a woman approaching her 30th birthday, who is forced to confront the things she fears the most: she's afraid to find herself. The fourth recipient of EEFFs jury awards went to The Third Dad, directed by visual artist and filmmaker Theresa Moerman, who took home Best UK Short award - a brave journey of memory, self-discovery and a desperate attempt at reconciliation. Internationally acclaimed Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki, born in 1941, is recognised as a masterful creator of captivating and spellbinding fantasies, enchanting worlds and overtly moralising animation for both younger and older audiences. His exceptional work over the past three decades has built himself a global legendary reputation and a cult following, with his creation of award winning Spirited Away in 2001 wowing the world of animation. Although many have regularly referred to animation legend Miyazaki to be The Japanese Walt Disney, one can argue that he holds completely different aesthetic and philosophical agendas, as Studio Ghibli brings animation to film in different ways. Fantasy as a critique vs. as an escapism Although Miyazakis association with realism associates more with Disney than of traditional Japanese anime, Miyazakis approach to animated fairy tales gives much more freedom for the imagination. Cavarallo states that Miyazaki brings to life intricate fantasy realms; he produces a world with very clear rules that is internally consistent, even if it is fantastic, with an encounter with a magical Other at the heart of all his films. Whilst Disney uses fantasy as escapism, Miyazaki uses the fantastic to critique many negative and unpleasant facets of civilisation: consumption, greed and corruption are all clearly echoed within Miyazakis films through tales of magical transformation. In Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki uses the animated fairy tale to expose corruption and greed as an inescapable fact of modern society, which Disney fails to do. A good example being the pollution of the River Spirit. The workers desire to cleanse him may suggest that this dirtying of our world is only temporary and easily solvable; however, their actions are not carried out of a universal desire to help and purify the guest, but out of necessity and greed. This is evident after we see gold scattered across the Bathhouse floor which is consequently desperately sought after, and their sheer ignorance of the fact that the River Spirit is still present. It is the Bathhouse itself that represents modern society, full of human pollution, only concealed by illusion. No-Face, a lonely wandering spirit, represents those who are easily corrupted by desire. He is essentially a blank slate who adopts the vices of whomever he consumes, so he quickly becomes corrupt and obsessed with material objects. His main purpose is to show how corrupt the power of greed can be, and how quickly someone with no personality could be turned into a monster if they were only exposed to that side of human nature, never experiencing the power of selflessness. Yubaba is the representation of greed and selfishness; this is evident in the colossal amount of jewellery and money she owns. Miyazaki depicts her counting her bags of gold and placing them in ornate treasure chests in one scene, and inspecting her jewels with a magnifying glass in another. She criticises humans for corrupting her spirit world, yet she is even more corrupt herself. She is so concerned with the material aspects of her life that she does not realise when her own son was in fact someone (or something) else. Realism vs Imagination Disneys focus was to let technique take precedence over the narrative, the story celebrating the technician and his means, resulting in his approach to the animated fairy tale becoming less imaginative and more conservative. Studio Ghibli, in contrast, showed little interest in renewing the scene through new technology. Miyazaki prides himself in his beautifully hand-drawn, ornate, water-colour-esque landscapes. His magical visions of children remains faithful to the two-dimensionality of the art of drawing whilst employing the use of music as a complement to the narrative, as opposed to constituting it to the core. Women Both Disney and Miyazaki adopt alternative approaches to the fairy tale animation when it comes to the representation of women. Miyazaki succeeds in the creation of believable, empowered female characters who are allowed to assume and retain positions of power, whereas Disney presents women stereotypically as the damsel in distress, never entirely free from the comforting but constrictive sphere of male authority. The female characters in Disney films rely on their sexual charm in order to attract the men around them, which is what Miyazaki disagrees upon. Miyazakis young females are undeniably shoujo, Chihiro being the embodiment of selfless compassion. She is a sweet young heroine not yet constrained by adulthood and, by the end of the film, she bears the characteristics of an independent, courageous and inquisitive female. While Disneys female characters are all presented as unachievably aesthetically pleasing to the eye, Miyazaki steers clear of conventional feminine beauty, thus preserving the innocence of his characters and highlighting the importance of inner beauty. Chihiro is often put into situations where she is unsure what to do, but due to her hard work and diligence, everything seems to work out for her. She is willing to submit to taxing challenges and humiliations in order to save her parents. Miyazaki saw this film as a message of hope for young girls, and emphasises the importance of dutifulness and respect for the world, and learning to live with a pure heart in order to be a moral individual. Miyazakis primary inspiration for Chihiros character was his own friends daughter, who, of a similar age, he wanted to understand these valuable principles. Miyazaki thus uses the fantastic to portray spiritual transformation, self-betterment and utilises the environments of his fantastical films and creative ideas as a means of freely exploring topics that are grounded in reality. This enables him to convey an understanding of moral values to his audience in great depth. Disney, on the other hand uses the fantastic to create non-reflective visual theatrical presentations that are one-dimensional (Zipes) and created for the purpose of the viewers enjoyment and pleasure, without character development. Ketamine has been known to treat pain and depression, but scientists are currently researching whether the Class B drug could be used to treat alcoholism as well. Exeter University are looking to recruit 96 volunteers to take part in a study where they will receive a low-dose of ketamine by injection once a week for three weeks. Researchers atare looking to recruit 96 volunteers to take part in a study where they will receive a low-dose of ketamine by injection once a week for three weeks. The participants will have to be recently abstinent not drinking for at least two weeks and will be required to take part in seven 90 minute sessions of psychological therapy as part of the treatment. Their alcohol intake will be monitored with an ankle device for six months. This will work by measuring the participants sweat levels. Ketamine is a Class B medical drug but it is also used as a recreational drug amongst party-goers (Julian Kopald/ Flickr A control group will be given the same amount of therapy, but will be injected with a placebo consisting of saline solution instead of ketamine. The researchers will then compare the results. KARE The project, called(Ketamine for Reduction of Alcoholic Relapse), is being funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK. studies Ketamine is a medical drug and has been used as an anaesthetic and to relieve pain. Recenthave also shown that the drug can treat depression. Alongisde thse uses, however, it is also commonly used as a recreational drug and is known as Special K amongst clubbers and party-goers. Researchers seeking volunteers to test effectiveness of ketamine in treating alcoholism (Dominic Lipinski/PA) A pilot study found that relapse rates for alcoholics were reduced from 76% to 34% after they received three doses of the drug in conjunction with psychological therapy. Researchers believe the ketamines antidepressant properties could play a role in the reduction of relapse rates. Lead researcher, Professor Celia Morgan, from the University of Exeter, said: Theres strong preliminary evidence to suggest that low levels of ketamine could help recovering alcoholics stay off drink. Previous studies in mice suggest ketamine could produce changes in our brains that make it easier to make new connections and learn new things in the short-term. Ketamine is also used as a horse tranquilliser (Victoria Arocho/AP) A pilot study found that three doses of ketamine in conjunction with psychological therapy nearly halved relapse rates. Ketamines antidepressant properties may also contribute towards this reduction. This larger scale study will give us much stronger evidence on how effective this is and potentially how and why it works. Dr Kathryn Adcock, head of neurosciences and mental health at the MRC, added: Alcoholism can have a terrible impact on both the individual and those around them, but current treatments for alcohol dependence are associated with high relapse rates with people often returning to drinking after only a short time of abstinence. We are constantly looking for new ways to help change this pattern and we look forward to the results of this innovative trial. You might want to think twice before posting your graduation selfie online, and heres why Students and universities are being warned about the perils of sharing graduation selfies online, in an attempt to put an end to conmen copying their documents and forging fake degrees. It turns out graduates could be inadvertently aiding fraudsters with their celebratory online graduate images. Logos, crests, signatories, stamps, holograms and wording can be easily transferred from graduates online photographs onto counterfeit qualifications and passed off as genuine to unwitting employers, experts say, or sold onto the black market. Jayne Rowley, Director at Prospects Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) - UK Higher Education's official service for candidate verification and university authentication - explains: Each year we see thousands of graduation selfies innocently tweeted by students and retweeted by their universities. Added to the eternal gallery of images online, they give anyone in the business of counterfeit degree certificates the latest designs. Rowley warns: Dont throw that away by giving unscrupulous people a free pass to a graduate job. HEDD, launched in 2011 and used by 27 universities across the UK, aims to tackle the increasing number of fraudsters obtaining false graduate degrees. Rowley adds: Websites selling genuine-looking certificates for a few pounds rely on getting access to real certificates for their fakes to pass muster with recruiters. None of us would upload a copy of our passport or driving licence, nor give out our bank details. We should regard our degree certificates as precious and private information to be guarded. Tell-tale signs of a fake certificate include misspellings, incorrect terminology and unaccredited universities. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page New Ying Kai cases surface: disappearances of driver, millionairess raised BANGKOK: New, suspicious cases involving Monta Ying Kai Yokrattanakan have emerged as her trusted driver was said to have mysteriously disappeared four years ago as did a millionairess from whom she asked to buy a land plot in Udon Thani in 2003. crimepoliceviolence By Bangkok Post Saturday 9 July 2016, 12:49PM Lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap shows a picture of Soonthorn Khanhin, a driver for Monta Ying Kai Yokrattanakan, during his meeting with police on Friday (July 8) at the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Photo: Bangkok Post / Jiraporn Kuhakan The suspicions were raised by lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap, chairman of the Network Against Acts that Destroy the Kingdom, Religion and Monarchy, who took Ms Montas five former employees, who accused their boss of lodging false theft complaints against them, to testify at the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) on Friday. The employees are Praphawan Jaikla, her parents Chukiat and Prapaporn, Jantana Kotkongthai and Sukanya Sirimuang. Mr Songkan told police that driver Soonthorn Khanhin, or Ko, was someone Ms Monta deeply trusted and he always followed his boss everywhere. His name was later listed on the registration of Ms Montas residence in Chatuchak district. The driver went missing in 2012 and Ms Monta allegedly told her employees that police had arrested him, Mr Songkan said, adding Ms Jantana gave this information, citing other employees. Authorities were contacted to re-verify the homes registration, but discovered that the drivers name was withdrawn on March 19, 2012. The whereabouts of the driver remain unknown. According to Mr Songkan, Ko's older brother and a local villager will lodge a complaint about the drivers disappearance with the MPB on Monday. Another suspicious case involves the disappearance of a millionairess in Udon Thani. Ms Monta allegedly claimed to be the daughter of the millionairess ex-husband and asked to buy an eight-rai plot of land from her in 2003 to develop a condominium project, the lawyer said. It is alleged the millionairess then went missing after going out with Ms Monta, he said. The land plot was found to have been transferred to Ms Monta under her old name, Wantanee Yokwiriyakul, Mr Songkan said. Deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen said yesterday the new information given by Mr Songkran will be considered by police for further investigation. He said that acting MPB chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn had set up a panel to examine the investigations progress and the outcome should be known within one week. Officers found to have mishandled the case will face disciplinary and legal action, he said. Police charged Ms Monta with making false complaints to police, human trafficking and insulting the royal institution. Read original story here. Phuket Asean tourism seminar targets communities PHUKET: The Phuket Community College at the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, will hold its Seminar on Asean Comunnity-Based Tourism on July 19-20, with a focus on Thai-Indonesian relations in building grassroots tourism. tourismeconomics By Chanida Summast Saturday 9 July 2016, 02:27PM More than 100 people involved in community-based tourism are expected to turn out for this years event. Photo: Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus More than 100 people, including researchers and school or college directors, are expected to join the seminar, which will be held in English. Attendance is free. Collaborating in support of the event are Kathu Municipality, the Phuket Tourist Association, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office, and the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia, located in Songkhla. The aim of the event is to contribute to the promotion of tourism between Thailand and Indonesia in the context of Asean, explained PSU lecturer Tanawat Wongluksanapan. Bhuritt Maswongssa, President of the Phuket chapter of the Tourism Council of Thailand(TCT), will present his summary on the state of tourism in Thailand, while Dr Mutmainnah Mustofa of the Universitas Islam Malang (UNISMA) will present his summary on tourism in Indonesia. The seminar will conclude with a group panel discussion led by two representatives from each nation. According to the Thai Department of Tourism, international arrivals from Indonesia ranked 18th in 2015, with 469,226 people arriving from Thailands Asean neighbour. Meanwhile, promoting community-based tourism has been identified as one of the key objectives in the governments Tourism Strategy 2015-2017 in its efforts to achieve B2.5 billion in tourism revenue, as it aims to achieve wealth distribution and increase Quality of Life and Strengthen Community by end of year 2017. Communitybased Tourism is also part of the governments Social Disparity Reduction policy, with 145 communities to be targeted for development in tourism products, knowledge and infrastructure. Attendance to the seminar is limited to 100 attendees. To register, visit here. Indonesian snacks and lunch will be provided free. For more information, contact the Phuket Community College. Tel: 076-27 6401-4, 086-4767800. Email: pcc@phuket.psu.ac.th. Facebook: pcc.psu Phuket surf danger warning issued amid Super Typhoon fallout PHUKET: Lifeguards along Phukets west coast are urging swimmers to exercise caution at the beaches today (July 9) as the fallout from Super Typhoon Nepartak, which has slammed Taiwan, stirs up dangerous surf. weathermarine By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 9 July 2016, 12:40PM Phuket beach-goers, especially tourists, are urged to swim only between the red-yellow flags where lifeguards are on duty. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The Thai Meteorological Departments Southern Meteorological Center (West Coat) issued a severe weather warning for the South of Thailand, including Phuket and the Andaman Sea. Waves along the Andaman coast are two to three metres high today and tomorrow (July 9-10), and a precautionary warning was issued for flash floods. The storm has affected the weather for the past few couple days. Today is looking better and no sections at any beaches have been closed entirely,Phuket Lifeguard Chief Prathaiyut Chuayuan told The Phuket News today. But we still recommend that people, especially tourists, enter the water only at the areas marked by red-yellow flags as safe to swim where lifeguards are on duty, he said. Super Typhoon Nepartak, the first Category 5 storm of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, slammed Taiwan on Thursday and Friday (July 7-8) with winds of up to 240kmh, overturning cars and forcing the evacuation of 15,000 people from their homes. At least two people died and 72 were injured in the typhoon. Tangle Gate: Bill Gates blast spurs B51 billion cleanup in Bangkok, but no action in Phuket PHUKET: Officials will spend more than B51 billion on burying power cables in Bangkok in response to Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates sledging Thailand for its ugly cable tangles along the streets but Phuket will not get any special funding to remove one of the best known eyesores throughout the country. tourismeconomicspatongenvironmentpollution By Tanyaluk Sakoot Saturday 9 July 2016, 11:06AM Opposition to the cable cleanup project in Patong may defer the push to tidy up Phuket's key tourism town until next year. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot The philanthropist posted an image of a tangle of wires hanging from a power pole on his blog GatesNotes and wrote: Due to faulty infrastructure, many urban areas suffer from frequent blackouts and power cuts, and the electrical grid often doesnt serve the people who need it most. Ive visited many cities filled with tangled wires such as those in this photo from Thailand, where people have illegally tapped into the grid on their own to get the power they need at great personal risk. Blowback across the internet quickly pointed out that the cable tangle in the photo posted by Mr Gates was a jumble of telecommunication wires, not actual power cables, but officials in Bangkok took the point to heart and by Tuesday (July 5) had announced a B51.7 billion project to bury 147 kilometres of power cables throughout the capital over the next five years. Yet Phuket will not see one baht from Bangkok to achieve the same. We will not get any part of those funds, Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongthada told The Phuket News this week. We are trying to organise all utilities cables to make the streets look better, but I have yet to receive any official notice that Phuket will receive any budget to tackle this problem, he added. We have just finished one project to bury cables underground in Phuket Town involving the Phuket and the local municipality. Next, we will do the same in Patong soon, he said. Suthep Jitseree, Manager of PEA office in Phuket Town, explained, We are not getting extra funds because we are the PEA, and the decision to spend that money to bury cables in Bangkok was made by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA). However, the project to bury cables along Thalang Rd is finished, and we are still installing the cables underground along Yaowarat Rd, Dibuk Rd and Thepkrasattri Rd, Mr Suthep said. Watcharin Prapa, Manager of the PEA office in Patong, confirmed that his office will receive nothing from the push to bury cables. But the B200 million project to install cables underground along Thaweewong Rd (the Patong beachfront road) is going ahead, he said. We will have a second public hearing later this month, after the first public hearing in June failed to gain public approval, he added. The Patong mass burial of cables project aims to install cables underground along three kilometres of Thaweewong Rd. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with a contractor last year, but since then the project has met some opposition. The project is estimated to take about 18 months, But we cant even estimate when construction will begin until the approval process is complete, Mr Watchanrin said. Opposition to the project stemmed from concerns over how cables will be installed underground, among other factors, he explained. The are also concerns over the how the cables are going to be installed and the equipment to be used to carry out the project, he said. Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup noted that the project was to start in April last year. I wish the PEA would start this project soon. It should have started in April 2016, but it still has not gone ahead. I will arrange to meet with the PEA Governor in Bangkok about this. If we are late again in pushing this through, this project might be postponed and not even be started this year, Mayor Chalermluck added. Texas gunman was a veteran, loner with weapons cache at home UNITED STATES: President Barack Obama will cut short a foreign trip and head to Dallas next week as a shooting rampage by a black army veteran bent on killing white police triggers urgent calls to mend Americas troubled race relations. By AFP Saturday 9 July 2016, 10:37AM President Barack Obama speaks from a hotel in Warsaw, on July 8, 2016, after shootings erupted in Dallas, resulting in at least five officers being killed. Photo: AFP / Mandel Ngan Dallas Police Chief David Brown prays during a a vigil at Thanks-Giving square in Dallas on July 8. Photo: AFP / Laura Buckman A woman and her daughter place flowers at a memorial outside the Dallas Police Headquarters. Photo: AFP / Laura Buckman Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at the home of 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a Dallas area resident who gunned down five officers before dying in a standoff with police. While the White House ruled out any link between the gunman and known terrorist organisations, Johnsons Facebook page ties him to several radical black activist movements listed as hate groups in the United States. Described to police as a loner with no prior criminal record, Johnson told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the recent fatal police shootings of two black men. The rampage in Texas, which erupted Thursday night during a peaceful protest against police brutality, comes at a time of intense soul-searching over the use of lethal force by law enforcement towards African-Americans. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest movement condemned the violence in Dallas, while vowing to uphold marches planned for the weekend -- with large crowds gathering Friday night in Atlanta, Georgia and scores outside the White House. Addressing thousands of people at a prayer service in honour of the fallen officers, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings urged Americans to step up to heal the countrys racial wounds. We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues, he told the crowd. Rawlings echoed the message sent by Obama as the nation reeled from the latest violence: that black lives matter and so do blue lives, those of police officers. We must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way, Rawlings said. And race is complicated. This must stop Obama, who has ordered all flags on government buildings lowered to half-mast for five days, made it clear that violence against police had no possible justification. The president weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, where he was attending a NATO summit, calling the episode vicious, calculated and despicable. The White House said Obama would return to the United States Sunday night one day ahead of schedule and visit Dallas early next week at the invitation of Rawlings. The shootings which left nine injured, seven of them police officers sparked chaotic scenes of people running for their lives during a march by several hundred demonstrators in the city of 1.2 million, not far from the site where president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The peaceful protest in Dallas was one of several nationwide over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota that prompted Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. The ambush marked the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in America since the September 11, 2001 attacks, and was set to further strain already tense race relations. This must stop this divisiveness between our police and our citizens, Dallas police chief David Brown said. Every rabbit trail Johnson was killed in a tense showdown with police in a parking garage, by a bomb robot sent in by officers after hours of negotiations and an exchange of fire. This was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil strategy, said Brown of the gunman. Bomb-making materials, weapons and ammunition were found in his home. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings, Brown said. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. Earlier, officials said three other people had been detained but it was unclear if any remained in custody. US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the gunman now appeared to have acted alone. However Texas Governor Greg Abbott said police would continue down every rabbit trail ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in any way. Hate groups The gunman told police he was not affiliated with any organised groups. But Johnsons Facebook page ties him to a number of organisations listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which studies such movements in the United States. Groups that he Liked include the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and the Nation of Islam, both known for expressing virulently anti-Semitic and anti-white views, the SPLC said in a statement. On his Facebook page, Johnson appears with his fist raised in a gesture reminiscent of the black power movement of decades ago in America wearing a loose-fitting African style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, also popular during the black liberation drive of the 1960s in the United States. Another of his Likes is a group called the African American Defense League, whose leader called this week for bloody retaliation after the fatal shooting in Louisiana. We must Rally The Troops! the post read. It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbecue. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood! [July 08, 2016] Binary Tree to Exhibit at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2016, Booth 339 KENDALL PARK, N.J., July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Binary Tree heads to the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) from July 10-14 in Toronto, Canada. At booth 339, our elite mix of passionate transformation experts will be ready to demo our best-in-class migration solutions to help you win and deliver customized cloud, email, applications, directory and server migrations at enterprise scale. We'll showcase our complete spectrum of migration products and services, including the latest release of E2E Complete, our award-winning enterprise Exchange migration software. Come see how we can work with you to help enterprises automate and streamline migrations that involve Microsoft Exchange, Office 365, Active Directory, Windows Server, IBM Lotus Notes and Domino and more. "We collaborate with other Microsoft partners on a large percentage o our migration projects," says Lisa Whall, Global Channel and Alliances Director. "So we look forward to WPC every year as a great way to connect and swap stories with current and future partners around the world. It's always a great event to discover ways that Binary Tree can complement the products and services of others. Whether you'd like to drop by to get an overview of what we do or maybe you have a specific migration challenge that could benefit from some automation we look forward to talking with you." About Binary Tree Binary Tree is a Microsoft Gold Partner and a globally preferred vendor for migrating to Office 365. Since 1993, we've made it easier for thousands of companies to migrate more than 35 million email users, including 5 million users to Microsoft Office 365 alone. Binary Tree is 100% focused on helping Microsoft partners to perform enterprise-scale Office 365, Exchange, Active Directory and Windows Server migrations. We provide adaptable, manageable and scalable migration software that has migrated more than 35 million email users around the globe, including moving over 5 million users to the Microsoft Office 365 cloud. Every Binary Tree sales rep, partner rep and solution architect that helps you win deals, as well as every enablement, support and services team member that helps you to successfully deliver projects, has a level of specialized expertise in migration that you will not find anywhere else. Binary Tree is headquartered outside New York City with other offices in Hong Kong, London, Paris, Stockholm and Sydney. For more, visit us at www.binarytree.com. Binary Tree Social Media Resources LinkedIn: Binary Tree Inc. Facebook: Binary Tree Twitter: @BinaryTreeInc Blog: www.binarytree.com/blog Binary Tree Media Contact AmyKelly Petruzzella, Global Marketing Director Tel. (215)278-9628 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160104/318869LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/binary-tree-to-exhibit-at-the-microsoft-worldwide-partner-conference-2016-booth-339-300295935.html SOURCE Binary Tree, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 08, 2016] EMC to Publish Quarterly Financial Results On July 18 HOPKINTON, Mass., July 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) will publish its second-quarter 2016 financial results after the close of regular U.S. stock market trading hours on July 18, 2016. The news release detailing the results will be available on the EMC Investor Relations website and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website: EMC Investor Relations website: http://www.emc.com/ir U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website: http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000790070&owner=exclude&count=40 On July 18, 2016, EMC also will issue an advisory news release announcing availability of the company's financial results at the websites referenced above. Due to the pending EMC merger with Dell, EMC will not be holding a corresponding conference call for investors. Detailed financial information on the quarter will be available within the company's regularly scheduled 10-Q filing with the SEC. About EMC EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset information in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional informaton about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com. EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. Important Legal Information Disclosure Regarding Forward Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking information about EMC Corporation and the proposed transaction that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) the failure to obtain the approval of EMC Corporation shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction; (ii) the failure to consummate or delay in consummating the proposed transaction for other reasons; (iii) the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or that required financing for the proposed transaction may not be available or may be delayed; (iv) the risk that a regulatory approval that may be required for the proposed transaction is delayed, is not obtained, or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; (v) risk as to the trading price of Class V Common Stock to be issued by Denali Holding Inc. in the proposed transaction relative to the trading price of shares of VMware, Inc.'s common stock; (vi) the effect of the proposed transaction on VMware's business and operating results and impact on the trading price of shares of Class V Common Stock of Denali Holding Inc. and shares of VMware common stock; (vii) the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; (viii) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ix) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (x) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (xi) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (xii) component and product quality and availability; (xiii) fluctuations in VMware's operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware common stock; (xiv) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (xv) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (xvi) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xvii) fluctuating currency exchange rates; (xviii) threats and other disruptions to our secure data centers or networks; (xix) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (xx) war or acts of terrorism; and (xxi) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC Corporation's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Except to the extent otherwise required by federal securities law, EMC Corporation disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this communication. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emc-to-publish-quarterly-financial-results-on-july-18-300296054.html SOURCE EMC Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] PARIS -- Beginning Tuesday, Bee Well will host free weekly fun runs for kids. The runs will be held each Tuesday from July 12 to Aug. 9. Runs will begin at 6:30 pm at West Lake Park in Paris (south side, by the horseshoe pits). Kids of all ages are welcome to participate with runs ranging from 30 yards to one mile. At the conclusion of each event, kids will receive a snack. Runners should bring their own drinks. Kids who participate in three of the five runs will receive a free T-shirt. The final run on Aug. 9 will be professionally timed, with official race bibs for each child. Those interested should sign up at ParisCommunityHospital.com/FunRuns. Pre-registration is preferred, but not required. Fun Runs are made possible in part through a grant from the East Central Illinois Area Health Education Center (AHEC). However, additional sponsors are being sought. If you or your business are interested in helping to sponsor the runs, contact Mary Liz Wright at maryliz@illinois.edu. All sponsors will be included on the participation shirts. Bee Well of Edgar County is a recently developed community wellness coalition formed in response to health rankings published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2014) stating that Edgar County ranked 62 out of the 102 counties in the state of Illinois for overall health. Since its inception in fall 2014, the group has worked to promote wellness throughout Edgar County. MATTOON -- Greg and Lisa Patterson of Mattoon were at Antique Week in Texas four years ago when vintage camper trailers first caught their attention. They noticed that vendors were using the campers as mobile shops, clothes changing rooms, and homes away from home. Greg Patterson said his wife wanted one of her own, so he found a vintage Shasta camper back in Illinois and fixed it up for her. After refurbishing the camper, Patterson said many passersby stopped to inquire if it was for sale during the following weeks. Patterson said he subsequently rebuilt and sold a couple of vintage trailers and got "hooked." "It's very fulfilling," Patterson said. "You get a lot of satisfaction seeing something that would otherwise be falling apart be rebuilt and put back into service, hopefully for another 50 years." His interest in this work work has led Patterson and his wife to start a faith-based business, Classy Chassis Vintage Campers. Patterson rebuilds Airstream, Kit Companion, Roadliner, Scotty, and other vintage campers. He also is developing his own line of vintage-style campers. Patterson said he started using a workshop for his camper projects two years ago and then they purchased this building, 93 DeWitt Ave., a year ago. The building is also home to Lisa Patterson's Junkin4Jewels boutique. In October, Patterson left his left his job as a union construction superintendent in the Champaign area after 20 years in the construction business so he could focus on Classy Chassis Vintage Campers. "I decided to do campers full time," Patterson said. "We did a lot of praying about it and decided we were going to try it." Making this decision has enabled him to work on more campers, Patterson said. He added that this also has given him more time to be active in his church, the Family Worship Center, and in his community, including volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Patterson said he rebuilds campers to sell through Classy Chassis and for customers in need of service work. For example, Patterson said he has been repurposing a customer's 1964 Trotwood camper for use as a vendor trailer. Classy Chassis can install air conditioning, refrigerators and other modern amenities in vintage campers, but Patterson said he also tries to reuse as much of the original material and components as he can. "We tear them down and rebuild them back," Patterson said. "I am looking to have them as original as possible. Anything that is salvageable in the camper gets reused." These vintage trailers have newfound popularity with campers ranging from young couples to senior citizens, Patterson said. In particular, he said several groups of female campers have formed across the country around their shared interest in glamorous camping, "glamping," in their vintage trailers. In addition, Patterson said male campers have been utilizing the vintage campers for attending car races and other sporting events. "People are really interested in it. They love the vintage look," Patterson said. He added that the campers are easy to pull and maneuver. Patterson said he has sold rebuilt vintage campers to customers as far away as New Jersey and Oklahoma, but his biggest customer base is in Texas. He added that country music star Miranda Lambert purchased one of their campers last year after seeing it at Antique Week in Texas. "That really boosted our business and brought more attention to us," Patterson said. Due to the popularity of vintage campers, Patterson said finding trailers to rebuild can be challenging. Patterson said this scarcity got him thinking about creating his own vintage-style camper. Patterson has built a 10-foot prototype camper, "Grace," that has a wood frame with an aluminum cladding. "Grace" has a small kitchen, a bathroom and a dining area with seating that can be converted into a bed. Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat Black Lives Matter has become a mantra for people protesting police violence against African Americans. Its a hash tag, a popular t-shirt slogan and a movement that is loosely organized by design. Black Lives Matter was founded by three women who popularized the slogan during protests over the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen who was shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. It has a website (BlackLivesMatter.com) and a network of chapters. But the idea is bigger than the organization. Although the march where five Dallas police officers were fatally shot Thursday was organized by another group, news reports described it as a Black Lives Matters event. The convenient narrative has been for people, for the media to say, Well, this was organized by Black Lives Matter', said Tezlyn Figaro, a publicist for Next Generation Action Network, the group that organized the event. The rally "had no affiliation with Black Lives Matter." The confusion flows in part from the decentralised structure of the Black Lives Matter organisation and its founders desire that it remain open and inclusive. Not everyone who shows up at a demonstration is a full-fledged member of BLM, (but) theyre welcomed and encouraged to participate, Melina Abdullah, a representative of the groups Los Angeles chapter, said in June. During the standoff with police negotiators Thursday, the shooter invoked the slogan, saying he was "upset about black lives matter," according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. The organisation disavowed the violence in a post on its web page. This is a tragedyboth for those who have been impacted by yesterday's attack and for our democracy, it said. There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this. Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it. That didnt stop a wave of social media criticism attempting to tie the violence to the movement. But US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, speaking about the demonstrations inspired by Black Lives and other groups, drew a bright line between the gunmans actions and lawful protest and protected speech. Do not be discouraged by those who use your lawful actions as cover for their heinous violence," Lynch said Friday. "We will continue to safeguard your constitutional rights and to work with you in the difficult mission of building a better nation and a brighter future. Some said the best way to define the movement is by continuing to push a positive message. After a vigil on Friday in Dallas for the slain officers, Richmond Bunch played Amazing Grace on his violin. We need to frame out a way to come back to peace, said Bunch, 35, an African-American Dallas resident and Black Lives Matter contributor. The guy who committed this act, he doesn't stand for what America is. After the last namaz on July 1, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, came satanic children smashing an innocent evening at Holey Artisan Bakery in the tony Gulshan Lake area in Dhaka known for embassies and wealthy businessmen's homes. A hundred people were at the restaurantsome of them breaking their fast and others entertaining their guests and relatives. Suddenly there was a ruckus outside the gate. Some guests went out and saw a few young men arguing with the security guards. Minutes later, six youth, who spoke English and Bengali, marched in brandishing guns. Locals said they did not look like terrorists, said an officer of the Rapid Action Battalion, the country's counterinsurgency force. Two youth guarded the door, two went to the kitchen and the rest moved to the dining tables, taking everyone hostage. They were all in their early twenties and they said in their deep, sophisticated tones that they belonged to an organisation that would preserve the sanctity of Islamic ideology in Bangladesh. They did not name it. One of the diners asked them why they were doing it. They did not have a clear answer. Instead, they asked the diners to recite verses from the Quran. Many diners obeyed and were let off. The Italian, Japanese and Indian hostages sat with their heads down. They were herded to a corner. Two Bangladeshis refused to leave. One of them, Faraaz Hossain, 20, was accompanying his friends Abinta Kabir, a US citizen, and Tarishi Jain, an Indian student in the US. Jain's father is a businessman in Bangladesh. Hossain refused to recite the Quran because Kabir and Jain could not recite it. The terrorists stabbed the girls first. When Hossain tried to save them, they stabbed him on the chest, said an RAB officer. Ishrat Akhandhuman resource consultant, promoter of Bangladeshi art and trustee of the Institute of Asian Creativewas dining with her Italian friend Adele Puglisi. Like Hossain, she was well-versed in the Quran, and like him, refused to recite the verses. Both women were butchered with machetes. Twenty hostages, including nine Italians and seven Japanese, were killed in that evening. Two policemen died in the gun battle. Six terroristsMir Samesh Mobeswar, Rohan Imtiaz, Nibras Islam, Khairul Islam, Saiful Islam and Ripanwere gunned down and two others were later arrested. The three-storey restaurant with a lake view is a popular hangout of the Dhaka elite and is famous for its Spanish and French dishes. You will find a lot of foreigners there, said businessman Ataur Huq. I had planned to go there that evening with my wife and children. But I did not, as I came back home late, he said. Five of the terrorists who attacked the upmarket restaurant and killed 22 | AFP Inspector General of Police Shahidul Hoque said the terrorist target was foreigners working for some development projects in Dhaka. Extremist outfits have been opposing these projects. The Japanese were part of the metro project in Dhaka and the Italians were part of the government's textile business development plan, Hoque told THE WEEK. Their aim was to attack foreign nationals who were helping the government. The security forces were found lacking in readiness to combat such an attack. Though the police surrounded the place as soon as they learnt about the attack (they were informed by an Indian who escaped from the restaurant), they could do little. The RAB was then called, and a large contingent reached Gulshan Square at around 11pm. They tried to get inside the cafe but the terrorists held them off. The commandos smashed the door and went inside when they realised the terrorists had started killing hostages. Colonel K.M. Azad, the RAB's director of operations, admitted that the force was slow to react. But, to be honest, we were taken by surprise. We had no prior intelligence input, he told THE WEEK. After being informed, we planned, organised forces and took action. It took time. But we killed all the terrorists. We also saved some people. Bangladesh has seen 60 peopleHindus, Christians, Buddhists and liberalsbeing killed by extremists in the past one year. A Hindu priest was stabbed to death a day before the Dhaka attack. This January, THE WEEK reported that all terrorist groups linked to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had come together and conspired to overthrow the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina. A few months later, some Bangladesh Nationalist Party members were arrested for plotting a coup. Recently, Islamic State warned that it would create trouble in the country. Yet the attack on the cafe came as a surprise. A tribute to Faraaz Hossain, the braveheart who chose to stand by his friends from abroad when the terrorists said he could leave | Reuters The government seemed reluctant to link the local Islamic State terrorists with the attack, though it did not rule out an international link. It maintained that the JMB and its youth wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, had carried out the attack with the help of another radical outfit, Ansarullah Bangla Team. They plotted the attack on foreigners. Their intention was not to kill Muslims during Ramadan. But they wanted to send a message to the world, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told THE WEEK. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also told THE WEEK: Yes, it was the handiwork of the JMB. But we are investigating whether the Islamic State influence was there. The Bangladesh Army, RAB and police are investigating the attack. Even if the JMB has done it, we need to go a long way to probe whether Islamic State influenced the attack. We have identified the group and their international connection is subject to investigation, said Col Azad. However, Islamic State readily claimed responsibility for the attack. Formed in 1998, the JMB was the among the most active terrorist outfits in Bangladesh in the last decade and has carried out 500 blasts. It has around 200 terror modules in Bangladesh and in West Bengal and Assam. Many of its sleeper cells became active last year. Officials confirmed to THE WEEK that it was these cells that carried out attacks on minorities, bloggers and liberals. Their style matched the killings of Islamic Statehacking and beheading. Most terrorists who were gunned down in the Artisan cafe belonged to upper class families. All of them killed with knives. They had left their families 8 to 12 months ago, said Inu. Many people were baffled that the killers were rich kids. Rohan Imtiaz's father, S.M. Imtiaz Khan, is an Awami League politician; the mother teaches at the elite Scholastica school in Dhaka. Rohan and another slain terrorist, Mir Samesh Mobeswar, studied in this school. Ironically, it is one of the few schools in Bangladesh that do not teach religion. A country divided: Islamists seeking enactment of anti-blasphemy law demonstrating in Dhaka in 2013 | AP JMB terror modules were exposed in Malda and Burdwan districts of West Bengal after a blast in Khagragar in Burdwan on October 2, 2014. Such modules were later found in five other districts in West Bengal. Though the National Investigation Agency made many arrests in this case, it could not wipe out the network. The documents seized by the NIA in this case revealed that the JMB had united extremists of Islamic State and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) within Bangladesh and sent jihadis to Syria and Iraq. One of the JMB's goals is to overthrow the Sheikh Hasina government and set up Islamic rule by its political parent, Jamaat-e-Islami. Our prime minister is the prime target, said Inu. The government has maintained that the JMB has links with the BNP of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. In 2004, when Hasina was opposition leader, the JMB made an attempt on her life at an election rally. A.K.M. Rahamatullah, the Awami League's Dhaka MP, said many senior leaders of the party were also in the JMB hit list. Our government is showing zero tolerance to terrorism despite such threat, he said. An army officer said the JMB might carry out major blasts across Bangladesh to kill Hasina. The government said JMB members had received training under Osama bin Laden from 2000 to 2005. Minister Inu said it was Mufti Abdul Hannan who had led the first batch. Members of the JMB and its youth organisation went in good numbers to Pakistan when there was military rule there. The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were ruling Bangladesh. From Pakistan they crossed over to Afghanistan and went to Osama bin Laden's hideouts. They met top Afghan leaders, including Taliban leaders. They were indoctrinated by Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri till 2009, said Inu. He said Hannan, who returned in 2004, planned the attempt on Hasina. After coming to power, we caught him. The High Court gave him the death sentence, and his mercy petition is pending in the Supreme Court, he said. He said Hannan was educated in Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh and that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence groomed him as a terrorist. Hannan went to Pakistan in 1990 and then to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban. When the Taliban captured power in Afghanistan, he returned to Bangladesh and became a commander of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami. He played a key role in the formation of the JMB. Hannan went again to Pakistan with 25 jihadis. The team travelled to Afghanistan and met Taliban chief Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. It is said Hannan was in Afghanistan when terrorists hijacked an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar in 1999 and he was part of the negotiations with the Indian government. When al-Zawahiri established AQIS in 2014, the JMB worked on creating a greater Islamic Bangladesh by carving West Bengal and Assam out of India. After the death of bin Laden, the JMB had begun working simultaneously with Islamic State with an eye on funds and training, said an RAB officer. We have proof that many boys went missing from Bangladesh headed towards Syria and Iraq, he said. Ten million Bangladeshis live abroada quarter of them are in Saudi Arabia and 12 lakh of them in other Arab countries, the main sources of money for most islamist terrorist organisations. We have no detailed information about the people in the Arab world, said Inu. We have taken up the task of tracking them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first world leader to call Hasina after the Dhaka attack. "He offered all help and stressed more sharing of information. He knows that the JMB has spread to India as well, said Inu. The Bangladesh government had submitted a detailed report on a JMB terror module in West Bengal. Prime Minister Modi said he would crack down on it and never let any terror group destabilise Bangladesh. Bangladesh did not blame India for not stopping terrorists at its eastern border. In fact, a plot to kill Hasina was hatched in West Bengal ahead of the Khagragar blast in 2014. We cannot blame India as we have a vast, porous border, said Inu. Terrorists cross over to India taking advantage of the geographical situation. However, both the countries have to be more serious in tackling the situation. We are working together and sharing information quickly. Rahamatullah, however, said the Vajpayee government had not supported the Awami League. In the 2001 elections, the Indian government did not play a good role. It was unfortunate that its position was the same as that of the ISI and the US. I don't know why it happened, he said. If India had helped Hasina then, he said, Bangladesh would have been spared of insurgency. Pakistan helped the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami come to power. India remained silent, he said. The Modi government, he said, was much more realistic and committed to wiping out terror. Strategic experts said India's new approach was in tandem with the American stand. Like Modi, US secretary of state John Kerry also called Hasina on July 1. The Obama administration supported our fight against homegrown terror. America has offered us technology, defence and intelligence support. We are discussing their offer, said Inu. Final journey: Bangladesh army personnel place US flag on the coffin of a victim of the Dhaka attack | Reuters Did that mean that Bangladesh would get military support from the US? I don't think such a situation has arrived, said Inu. Hasina has clearly been put to a tougher test. On one hand she is facing terrorism, on the other the attacks have dented her image. The government is focusing more on crushing the opposition parties than the terror outfits, said Dhaka businessman Jaman Azizi. Top BNP leaders declined comment. Party general secretary Saiful Islam Alamgir said the government blamed the BNP to cover up its own shortcomings. They blame the BNP for everything. We have been portrayed as a party of terrorists. But all the gruesome killings are taking place during this governments time. We support the isolation of terror outfits in Bangladesh, he told THE WEEK. Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed said the government was not soft on terror. He was once attacked by JMB militants in the US. A computer engineer educated in India and the US, he owns a company in the US and is married to an American. Currently, he advises Hasina on IT and communication. Industrialist Mohammed Aslamul Haque, an Awami League MP, said terrorists were striking all over the world. Brussels, Paris, Orlando. Have all the governments resigned after that? Prime Minister Hasina has showed zero tolerance to militants in Bangladesh, he said. But, at the moment, her government seems to be in a daze. Police departments across the country on Friday reacted to the deadly sniper attack on officers in Dallas with a mix of sorrow for the victims and concern for their own, with many taking precautions to guard against copycats and other potential threats. Outside New York Police Department headquarters, officers stood at attention as an American flag was lowered to half-staff to honor the five officers killed and seven wounded on Thursday in Dallas during a protest over fatal police shootings of black men. Inside, Police Commissioner William Bratton met behind closed doors with Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPDs top commanders to discuss how to react to the killings. Pairs of NYPD officers were posted in front of the entrances to precinct stations across the city. We stand with the men and women of (Dallas city and transit police departments) and their families to mourn the loss of these fine officers, Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmens Benevolent Association in New York, said in a statement. They did nothing to harm anyone, but instead were protecting the rights of others to be heard in protest. The most common safety measure for forces that normally allow officers to patrol alone including Chicago, Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Louisville, Kentucky was to order them to team up in pairs. Its a good time to double up in the interest of safety and to give officers the opportunity to talk to one another and decompress, said Dwight Mitchell, a spokesman for Louisville police. The directive in Chicago came after officers working overnight there heard dispatchers broadcast a message urging them to use extreme caution after the Dallas attack. Elsewhere, officers were reminded to always wear their bulletproof vests. (AP) A leader of Ohios special board on community-police relations says the two fatal police shootings of black men and the attacks on Dallas police this week have heightened worry about safety at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Nina Turner says: Im nervous as hell. The former Democratic state senator from Cleveland co-chairs the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board, an initiative by Republican Gov. John Kasich. Turner, who is black, told reporters Friday the July 18-21 convention was already a powder keg, and the new violence makes it more explosive. Meanwhile, Cincinnati police spokeswoman Tiffaney Hardy says police will use two-officer patrols throughout the weekend, then we will re-evaluate. A police union official says some officers had expressed desire to be in two-officer cars for increased safety. (AP) A Delta Air Lines jetliner with 130 passengers on board landed at the wrong airport in South Dakota Thursday evening, said a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident. The Delta A320 landed at Ellsworth Air Force Base at 8:42 p.m. Central Time Thursday, when its destination was an airport in Rapid City, board spokesman Peter Knudson said Friday. Ellsworth is about 10 miles due north of Rapid City Regional Airport. The two airports have runways that are oriented nearly identically to the compass, from northwest to southeast. Delta Flight 2845 had departed from Minneapolis. A passenger interviewed by the Rapid City Journal said she and her fellow passengers waited about 2 hours in the plane at Ellsworth, where they were ordered to pull down their window shades as military personnel walked through the cabin with at least one firearm and a dog. This was not the first time airline pilots have mistaken the Air Force base for the Rapid City airport. In 2004, a Northwest Airlines flight carrying 117 passengers to Rapid City landed at Ellsworth. The plane remained on the ground for more than three hours as the pilots explained to Air Force security officers what went wrong, and a new crew was dispatched to continue the flight to Rapid City. Northwest and Delta merged 2008. Delta has contacted the passengers and offered a gesture of apology for the inconvenience, the airline said in a statement. The crew has been taken off-duty while NTSB investigates, the statement said. Delta will fully cooperate with that investigation and has already begun an internal review of its own, it added. The Air Force said in a statement that the base officials followed the proper procedures to address the situation and ensured the safety of those at the base and passengers. Citing security reasons, base officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press regarding the specific procedures followed during the incident and whether air traffic controllers at the base were in contact with the pilot and authorized the landing. Landings at wrong airports by commercial pilots, while unusual, are still more common than many passengers may realize or airlines would like to acknowledge. An Associated Press search two years ago of government safety data and news reports since the early 1990s found at least 150 flights in which U.S. commercial passenger and cargo planes have either landed at the wrong airport or started to land and realized their mistake in time. Of the 35 documented wrong landings, at least 23 occurred at airports with shorter runways, creating potential safety issues. In most cases, the pilots were cleared by controllers to fly based on what they could see rather than relying on automation. Many incidents occurred at night, with pilots reporting they were attracted by the runway lights of the first airport they saw during descent. Some pilots said they disregarded navigation equipment that showed their planes slightly off course because the information didnt match what they were seeing out their windows a runway straight ahead. On Jan. 12, 2014, the pilots of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 stopped their plane just short of a ravine at the end of a short runway in Hollister, Missouri, when they had meant to land on a runway twice as long at nearby Branson. A few months earlier, an Atlas Air Boeing 747 freighter landed at the tiny Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas, instead of McConnell Air Force Base about eight miles away. The runway is considered 3,000 feet less than ideal for the plane, one of the largest in the world. It took about 10 hours to turn the plane around and ready it for takeoff again. A nearby highway was shut down as a safety precaution. (AP) A Wall Street hedge fund manager was sacked after he threw a party wrecking a 15million mansion he had rented on Airbnb. The Wolf Of Wall Street-style event, complete with bikini-clad women, costumed dwarves and endless bottles of champagne, seriously damaged the Hamptons mansion Brett Barna had hired under false pretences. The 31-year-old, pictured inset above, was fired as a portfolio manager with Moore Capital Management, a $15billion hedge fund, after he hosted the party over the weekend. Party-goers at the bash, dubbed Sprayathon, posted plenty of pictures of the debauchery on social media Mr Barnas personal judgment was inconsistent with the firms values, a company spokesman said last night. Barna, who worked at the company run by billionaire Louis Bacon for six years, hosted the all-day event, dubbed #Sprayathon, over the Fourth of July weekend. He had rented the eight-acre estate in Long Island from the accommodation website, and reportedly told the owners that he was throwing a fundraiser for an animal charity for just 50 guests. The owner of the mansion in the exclusive Hamptons resort in New York state said it was trashed after Barnas wild party that was straight out of the Martin Scorsese film starring Leonard DiCaprio. The owner says dwarfs in patriotic costumes (pictured in posts from social media) also attended Brett Barna (second from left), a portfolio manager at billionaire Louis Bacons Moore Capital Management, hosted the all-day event over the Fourth of July weekend More than 1,000 revellers gathered for a spectacle of girls in bikinis and gun-toting dwarfs in patriotic costumes. Guests danced and doused each other in champagne while rappers performed. According to the owner, they left behind broken furniture and used condoms. TRADE TRIUMPH Britain has exported more to the rest of the world than to the European Union for 21 months in a row, according to official figures. The US was the biggest export market while sales to China have risen 39.2 per cent in the past three months, according to the ONS. US JOBS Employers in the US shook off two months of weak hiring activity and added 287,000 jobs in June, which points to a resilient economy recovering from a weak winter and spring. The hiring spurt marked a sharp improvement from Mays poor showing, when just 11,000 jobs were added. A modest 144,000 jobs were created in April. FUND PROBE The fast-growing crowdfunding sector is being probed by the City regulator to make sure consumers understand the risks. Within the crowdfunding sector, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates peer-to-peer (P2P) lending websites, which match up people with some cash to lend with people or businesses who want to borrow. BAD SERVICE The most complained-about companies have been named and shamed by Ofcom, with EE, Vodafone and BT topping the list. The communications watchdog published data on which telecoms firms had had the highest number of complaints for every 100,000 customers in the three months to March. DEBT TALKS Green energy investment firm NextEnergy Solar Fund has refinanced its debt facility for 21.7million. The Guernsey-based company reached an agreement with NIBC Bank over its 242.1million available debt facility, which will run until June 2019. Shares rose 0.5 per cent, or 0.5p, to 101p. PRESS UP Johnston Press has gained more readers for the i newspaper after buying it for 24.4million earlier this year. The company said circulation was consistently over 300,000 for the last week of June and peaked at 319,000 on July 1, ahead of expectations. Shares rose 1.8 per cent, or 0.25p to 14.25p SHOPPING DEAL Hammerson has bought Irelands biggest shopping centre for 1billion. The company behind North Londons Brent Cross and the Bull Ring in Birmingham has taken on the Dundrum centre in Dublin in a joint venture. Woman's touch: New Dior boss Maria Grazia Chiuri A woman is to be in charge of designing at Christian Dior for the first time in its 70 year history. Maria Grazia Chiuri is joining the French fashion brand as artistic director and she will present her first ready-to-wear collection at the end of September. She follows in the footsteps of Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferre and John Galliano at the brand. Chiuri joins from Valentino, where she worked with design partner Pierpaolo Piccioli. The duo turned the Italian label into one of the luxury industrys fastest growing and most profitable brands. Dior is owned by luxury goods giant LVMH, and had been searching for an artistic director since Belgian designer Raf Simons left in October. There has been a changing of the guard at the top European fashion houses recently. Alber Elbaz was sacked from Lanvin last year, Hedi Slimane quit as creative director at Yves Saint Laurent earlier this year and Simons surprised the industry by leaving Dior. Chiuri is the seventh designer to take the helm at Dior. Steel deal: Tata is in talks with Thyssenkrupp, which owns steel plants across Germany A German steel giant looks set to rescue Tata's British Steel business. Mumbai-based Tata has revealed it is in talks with Thyssenkrupp, which owns steel plants across Germany. Earlier this year Tata said it planned to pull out of Britain after rejecting a 100millon rescue plan, deeming it 'unaffordable'. It said its main plan was to sell the loss-making business as one and it whittled down 200 bidders to seven. But it revealed last night it had changed its mind as Brexit, the price of steel and a decision by China to reduce steel production meant the industry has become more attractive. A Tata spokesman said it had considered the seven bids in light of 'uncertainties caused by the UK referendum and the outcome of the UK Government's consultation on the British Steel Pension Scheme'. It is holding talks with a number of firms including Thyssenkrupp about forming a possible joint venture. The spokesman said: 'Such success, especially the inclusion of the UK business in the potential joint venture, would depend on several issues.' These include finding a suitable outcome for the workers' pension scheme, which has a 485m black hole; successful discussions with trade unions; and help from the Government. 100 years ago, July 9, 1916 Sunday. No paper. 50 years ago, 1966 MATTOON -- The first progress report by Victor Gruen and Associates on the planning survey in the cities of Mattoon and Charleston was delivered in a two-hour meeting Friday night. Jerry Pollack, planner in charge of the project, presented a booklet of more than 100 pages as a preliminary report. Pollack said between 1959 and 1964, agricultural employment in Coles County decreased 13.3 percent. Pollack said he anticipates that decline to double to a more than 26 percent ag employment decline by 1970. This year, he said, about 4,300 people are employed in manufacturing. He said that number should approach 8,300 by 1986. Pollack said expansion of Eastern Illinois University is one of the most important factors contributing to the health of Coles County. Student enrollment is expected to increase from last fall's 5,335 students to 16,817 in the 1985-86 school year. Planners expect Coles County population to be 54,532 in 1986 with EIU's enrollment bringing the figure to 71,349 people living in the county... MATTOON -- Sixty-six high school-age youths have joined the Neighborhood Youth Corps summer work program in this area, according to William R. Disque, director of the Illinois State Employment Service here. The youth corps participants are employed by city departments, school systems, libraries and other agencies. About 20 youths are employed in Coles County, 15 each in Edgar and Shelby counties, 10 in Cumberland and six in Clark County, Disque said. 25 years ago, 1991 CHARLESTON -- While most U.S. soldiers were entrenched in Operation Desert Storm to fulfill orders, Ali Dashti, an Eastern Illinois University graduate student from Kuwait, was in the battle to win back his homeland and see his family safe once again. For two months, Dashti saw his homeland through the lenses of a gas mask and wearing an army uniform. His duties included jamming Iraqi radio transmissions, guarding Iraqi prisoners of war and eventually advancing into Basra, one of the largest cities in Iraq, during the dwindling hours of the war. Dashtis immediate family survived the war, but 34 members of the extended family are still missing SPRINGFIELD A temporary interim chairman will handle the bills of the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities for the next 10 days or so. During a telephone meeting Monday, BOG member Evelyn Kaufman was elected interim chairman to fill the post left vacant when Chairman Jim Althoff was not reappointed to the board. Charleston physician Mack Hollowell is one of two new appointments to the BOG, which oversees Eastern Illinois Universities and other state universities in Illinois. 100 years ago, July 10, 1916 WINDSOR -- Howard Donovan, son of Dr. J.H. Donovan of Windsor, has been notified that he has won the prize in English literature at Yale University, where he is a member of the freshman class. While in Windsor on his vacation a few days ago, he received a summons to report to Yale immediately for the purpose of accompanying his regiment, the Yale Battery of Field Artillery, to the Mexican border. The regiment still is training and has not yet gone... MATTOON -- Homer Lockhart, aged 14 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Spoon of Mattoon, drowned while swimming late on Saturday afternoon in the Okaw River about 12 miles northwest of Mattoon, near Allenville. The Lockhart boy drowned in the presence of B.W. Ham, the veteran janitor of Washington School, plus William Ham and Albert Bevil, 14-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Milo Bevil of Mattoon. The elder Ham said the Lockhart boy saw the Bevil boy wading in the river and joined him for a swim. Ham said young Lockhart swam about 30 feet and began having trouble. Mr. Ham jumped in with clothes on to try to save the boy, but Lockhart began to panic and pulled him under the water three times before Mr. Ham tore the boy loose and he drowned. 50 years ago, 1966 Sunday. No paper. 25 years ago, 1991 CHARLESTON -- The Coles County Board isnt ready to decide on a different version of an old proposal. The board first began discussion of a proposal to allow county employees to apply accumulated sick leave time to retirement. The newest plan would allow only employees with 35 or more years of service to be paid for half of their accumulated sick leave, up to 240 days. Currently, employees can build up to 60 sick leave days but arent compensated for unused time. After much discussion, the board voted to table the matter for one month for further study DANVILLE Youd have thought the president was in town. But it wasnt George Bush who drew perhaps 100 reporters and photographers to Danville Stadium on a drizzly Tuesday night. It was John Goodman, costar of the TV sitcom Roseanne; Kelly McGillis, costar of hit movies Top Gun and Witness; Arthur Hiller, director pf Love Story; Walter Coblenz, producer of the movie All the Presidents Men; and assorted other Hollywood and state notables. Everyone was on hand to discuss The Babe, Universal Pictures film biography of Babe Ruth. Much of the film is being shot at Danville Stadium and at Wrigley Field in Chicago SPRINGFIELD Michael Madigan, the all-powerful speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, is blaming Gov. Jim Edgar for the current stalemate in the capital. The Legislature is still in session because Edgar and legislative leaders have yet to agree on a state budget. Officials say there is about a $1.8 billion gap between revenue and funding requests from state agencies. The bottom line here, Madigan told a Chicago newspaper, is that this particular governor has decided he does not want to raise taxes and he doesnt want to borrow money. 100 years ago, July 11, 1916 CHARLESTON -- Hugh King, 13-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel King of Charleston, sustained the loss of his right leg as a result of an accident on the Charles Popham farm northwest of the city. Hugh had gone to the Popham farm hay field to watch the men harvest the hay crop. When the team attached to the reaper was standing still, the boy climbed to the seat. When the horses suddenly started he was thrown to the ground in front of the sickle and before he could be extricated the keen blade of the sickle had so mutilated his right leg below the knee that it was necessary to amputate the leg at the hospital... SPRINGFIELD -- Recent reports of cases of infantile paralysis, or poliomyelitis, have convinced the state board of health to advise county health officers to keep all children under age 16 away from churches, picture shows and other public gatherings in cities where a case has been discovered. Recent cases have been reported in Eureka, Dalton City, Maroa, Decatur and Quincy. There are 23 recognized cases of the baby plague in Illinois now, and seven cases which have not yet been confirmed. In New York City, a total of 195 new cases and 32 deaths have been reported in just the past 24 hours. 50 years ago, 1966 MATTOON -- More hot, humid and generally uncomfortable weather is in store for Mattoon despite the fact that widely scattered thunderstorms are expected to repeat their weekend performance this evening. According to Dalias Price, geography professor at Eastern Illinois University, this is the hottest July in 12 years. The official 100-degree temperature recorded Sunday by Price marked the first time the thermometer has gone this high since July 1954. Several people reported readings in excess of 100 degrees while the thermometer at the newspaper office reached a sizzling 106 degrees. today's forecast calls for another 100-degree high... CHARLESTON -- Thomas M. Burke, a Charleston attorney, has been appointed circuit court magistrate of the 5th Judicial Circuit in Coles County. Burke, currently serving as Coles County public defender, will begin his new duties Aug. 1. The present magistrate, Mark B. Hunt, has resigned the post, effective July 31. 25 years ago, 1991 ASHMORE The Village of Ashmore is now a full member of Coles Together, the countys economic development organization. Following approval last week by the Village Board of Trustees, the Coles Together board accepted Ashmores membership on Monday. The village will make an annual contribution of $1,600 to Coles Together. Under the organizations by-laws, village President Robin Hood now has a seat on the Coles Together board. Other local governments that contribute to Coles Together are the cities of Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland, as well as the Coles County Board MATTOON Washable trays will be used in the cafeteria at Mattoon High School next this year. The Mattoon school board on Tuesday agreed to purchase trays, rather than use paper plates, which were considered more cost-efficient. The move comes after the school used its two-year inventory of paper plates and a year after a group of high school seniors requested the move for environmental reasons MATTOON Numbers were scarce, but public support appeared strong Wednesday night at a public hearing to discuss proposed renovations of the Lytle Park Pool. Only 18 people attended the 45-minute open meeting at Burgess-Osborne Auditorium. However, most asked questions and it was the consensus that Lytle Pools closure would be a terrible loss to the community. After being denied a $200,000 state grant to help with pool repairs, the Mattoon Township Park Board seeks ways to pay for needed repairs that could cost $500,000. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Bill Parry More than 50 community advocates, faith leaders and schoolchildren joined City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) on the steps of City Hall last week to call for a ban on alcohol advertising from public transit. Members of the Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit, or BAAFT, kicked off a citywide awareness campaign June 29 saying buses and subways function as the yellow school bus for the citys youth and it is wrong for them to be targeted by MTA-facilitated alcohol advertising. A subway car or station is no place for alcohol advertisements, Dromm said. Too often these ads are placed side by side with ads for video games and animated movies. This practice is wrongheaded and may encourage underage drinking, putting our childrens health and safety in jeopardy. Dromm has sponsored a City Council resolution calling on the MTA to remove alcohol advertising from the citys public transit system. That resolution currently has 12 co-sponsors, including Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria). Dromm spoke of the problems of underage drinking, pointing out that such drinking is not a harmless rite of passage, but can cause irreversible brain damage. MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said the agency uses revenue from these ads, $7.5 million in 2014, to fund services for customers. The MTA prohibits fixed ads for alcohol advertisements within at least 500 feet of schools, playgrounds and places of worship, Ortiz said. We dont allow ads that promote unlawful or illegal activities, including alcohol ads that encourage underage drinking. BAFFT members disagree. They say studies show African-American and Latino neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to alcohol ads. The alcohol advertising on NYC public transit has unjustly affected communities of color, especially in the Bronx, Kylie Cortez, a youth leader with the Forward South Bronx Colition, said. Our young people deserve healthy public transportation, not to be targeted and tempted into drinking underage. Dromm said the MTA removed tobacco ads in the 90s to protect health. They also forbid other categories of ads in order to protect children, so why dont they do the same for alcohol ads? Dromm asked. Boston and other cities around the country have already taken this measure. Faith leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities also added the perspectives of their traditions. Chris McKay, Youth Minister from the Bronx Church of God Prophesy, said, We dont stop until weve passed this resolution, and gotten the MTA to remove these alcohol ads. This summer is just the beginning. US President Barack Obama insisted Brexit would not harm transatlantic unity, but warned against a bitter divorce undermining security in the face of a resurgent Russia. Britain\s decision to leave the European Union dominated Obama\s final NATO meeting before he leaves office, which comes at what he called the most critical time for the military alliance since the Cold War. Russia was meant to be the focus of the two-day meeting, with NATO endorsing its biggest revamp in 15 years in response to Moscow\s 2014 intervention in Ukraine. Obama used the Warsaw meeting to tell key US allies Brussels and London to resolve their differences amicably. While Brexit had "created uncertainty" about European integration, the president said fears that it could destabilise the relationship between Europe and the United States were exaggerated. "No one has an interest in protracted, adversarial negotiations," said Obama, who warned ahead of the vote that a non-EU Britain would be at the "back of the queue" for trade deals. "This kind of hyperbole is misplaced," he added, after meeting European Council head Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker. On June 23, the British public shocked the world by voting to leave the 28-member bloc in a public referendum, sending financial markets into tailspin and plunging the country into political crisis. The US president told the Financial Times he was "confident" Britain and the EU could make an "orderly transition to a new relationship". Britain would "continue to be a major contributor to European security", he predicted. The White House later announced Obama would cut his trip short by one day to visit Dallas, where a black army veteran killed five white police officers on Thursday in a racially fuelled shooting rampage. British Prime Minister David Cameron who was also at his last NATO summit since resigning after the Brexit vote insisted Britain would not play a "lesser role in the world". "We are not turning our back on NATO," said Cameron, whose nuclear-armed nation is one of Europe\s biggest contributors to the alliance. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg added that Brexit "will not change UK\s leading position in NATO". The summit is being held symbolically in the birthplace of the Soviet-era Warsaw Pact and leaders dined on Friday night in the ballroom where the pact was signed in 1955. Its centrepiece is a "Readiness Action Plan" to bolster NATO\s nervous eastern flank in the face of a Russia, which the allies see as increasingly aggressive and unpredictable. NATO leaders approved four rotating battalions in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, up to 4,000 troops in all, as a collective tripwire against fresh Russian adventurism in its old stomping ground. Obama said 1,000 US troops would be stationed in Poland and Britain said it would deploy 650 troops, most of them in Estonia. The plan also included a pledge to spend two percent of annual economic output on defence, ending years of cuts, and the creation of a 5,000-strong "Spearhead" force ready to deploy within days. Stoltenberg echoed calls by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for "meaningful" dialogue with Russia, with NATO and Russian ambassadors set to meet next week. "NATO does not want a new Cold War. The Cold War is history and should remain history," former Norwegian premier Stoltenberg said. But fresh cracks appeared in NATO\s unified front on Russia when French President Francois Hollande insisted that Russia was a "not a threat" but a "partner". Moscow bitterly opposes NATO\s expansion into its Soviet-era satellites, which it sees as a threat to its own security. "We want to believe that common sense and political will to avoid a confrontation will carry the day. Russia remains open for dialogue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said on Friday. Russia is even more strident in its opposition to the Ballistic Missile Defence system the United States is building. Washington says the shield is designed to counter missile threats from Iran or the Middle East, but Russia says it will undercut its strategic nuclear deterrent. In a move likely to draw a sharp response, Stoltenberg said leaders had approved putting the system under NATO control after it reached reached an initial operating level. SOURCE: AFP Thousands of protesters took to the streets in US cities after a black extremist shot dead five cops in Texas during a peaceful march against police brutality. President Barack Obama said he will cut short a foreign trip and visit Dallas next week as the shooting rampage by a black army veteran bent on killing white police triggered urgent calls to mend troubled race relations in the United States. Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at the home of 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a Dallas area resident who gunned down the officers before being killed in a standoff with police. Five officers were shot dead in the late Thursday shooting, with seven other officers and two civilians wounded. While the White House ruled out any link between the gunman and known "terrorist organizations," Johnson\s Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. Described to police as a "loner" with no prior criminal record, Johnson told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the recent fatal police shootings of two black men. Johnson served as a US Army reservist for six years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The shooting revives an emotional debate over lethal use of force by police, and problems of alleged police bias towards racial minorities, especially African-Americans. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter protest movement condemned the Dallas violence, but vowed to uphold planned weekend marches. Vast crowds marched Friday in US cities including Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Baltimore, and San Francisco. One of the largest was in Atlanta, where protesters blocked a major road. In Phoenix, police in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd blocking streets after rocks were hurled at them. At least one person was arrested. Addressing a prayer service honoring the fallen officers, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings urged Americans to "step up" to heal the country\s racial wounds. "We will not shy away from the very real fact that we as a city, as a state, as a nation are struggling with racial issues," he told the crowd. Rawlings echoed Obama\s message that black lives matter and so do "blue" lives, those of police officers. "We must step up our game and approach complicated issues in a different way," Rawlings said. "And race is complicated." Obama, who ordered flags on government buildings lowered to half-mast for five days, said that there was "no possible justification" for violence against police. The president commented on the attacks from Warsaw, where he was attending a NATO summit. He condemned the shootings as "vicious, calculated and despicable." The White House said Obama would return home late Sunday, one day ahead of schedule, and visit Dallas early next week. The Dallas shootings sparked chaos as people ran for their lives during a march by several hundred demonstrators in the city of 1.2 million, near the site where president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The peaceful protest was one of several nationwide over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota that prompted Obama to make an emotional appeal for urgent police reform. The ambush marks the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. "This must stop this divisiveness between our police and our citizens," Dallas police chief David Brown said. Johnson was killed in a tense showdown with police in a parking garage, by a bomb robot sent in by officers after hours of negotiations and an exchange of fire. "This was a well-planned, well-thought out, evil strategy," said Brown of the gunman. Bomb-making materials, weapons and ammunition were found in Johnson\s home. "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers." Earlier, officials said three other people had been detained, but it was unclear if any remained in custody. US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the gunman appeared to have acted alone. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said police would "continue down every rabbit trail ensuring that we eliminate any other possible suspects or co-conspirators who may have aided this gunman in any way." The gunman told police he was not affiliated with any organized groups. But Johnson\s Facebook page ties him to several organizations listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors such movements in the United States. Groups that he "liked" include the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) and the Nation of Islam, both known for expressing virulently anti-Semitic and anti-white views, the SPLC said in a statement. On his Facebook page, Johnson appears with his fist raised wearing an African style tunic against the backdrop of the red, black and green Pan-African flag, all reminiscent of the US black power movement of the 1960s. Another of his "likes" is a group called the African American Defense League, whose leader called this week for bloody retaliation after the fatal shooting in Louisiana. "We must \Rally The Troops!\" the post read. "It is time to visit Louisiana and hold a barbeque. The highlight of our occasion will be to sprinkle Pigs Blood!" SOURCE: AFP Hopewell Community Park remains a 'labor of love' for local community The lush green park is a product of the combined efforts of the Hopewell Township community and a symbol of decades of conservation efforts in Beaver County. SHARE By Bill Lockwood/Iowa Park Church of Christ We read in 1 Corinthians how Paul addresses the church at Corinth regarding a number of problematic areas, including sin in the church (Chapter 5), which the community of faith was to judge (1 Corinthians 5:13). This judgment was to expel the wicked man not physically, but that he was to be considered outside of the realm of the faithful. Withdrawal of fellowship yet "count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother" (2 Thessalonians 3:15) is the disposition of Christians toward an offending member. All of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 turns to a kind of "judgment" that was to occur within the church, namely matters of everyday life where one member has a grievance against another. But instead of settling disputes within the church, Christian was litigating Christian before tribunals of the unbelieving at Corinth and soiling the church's name. Paul is filled with indignation and alternates between statements of horror, rhetorical questions and sarcasm. He warns that their misconduct would forfeit their inheritance of the kingdom of God (Verses 9-11). Sadly, the inspired text is frequently overlooked and sometimes even abused. An Islamic tribunal operating with some portions of Sharia Law is now open in Richardson. One of the judges is Dr. Taher El-Badawi, who declares that participation in the court by Muslims is only "voluntary." Nevertheless, some among the media are equating the Sharia Court to what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 6. For example, Rodger Jones of the Dallas Morning News wrote in 2015 in defense of the Islamic Court, "Don't mainstream Jewish and Christian congregations offer those kinds of services? Consider, too, that the New Testament includes an injunction against taking a Christian brother to court. The church is a better place to solve disputes, according to some interpretations. From 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 (pretty snappy for a Catholic guy, eh?)" What shall we say to these things and to the "snappy" guy? There is evidence here of a woeful lack of biblical knowledge as well as Islamic law. There is absolutely no comparison between what the inspired apostle wrote and Sharia Law courts. Consider the following. First, Sharia is a codified system of jurisprudence taken from the Koran and Sunna. The Sunna includes the biography of Muhammad plus the Hadiths (what Muhammad said). Sharia is nothing more than a condensation and extrapolation of these two Islamic texts. Sharia covers everything, from how Muhammad cleaned his teeth, which shoe he first put on, or what were his toilet habits. These are patterns for Muslims to follow including specified punishments for failure in any particular. It includes such wide topics as political control of non-Muslims, prayer, jihad, punishments, land use, etc. What has this to do with 1 Corinthians 6? The inspired apostle certainly never did set forward an alternate system of jurisprudence or specified legal code determining how cases were to be judged and what penalties were to be enacted. Instead, he admonished, have a brother assist in settling the dispute before it goes to public trial. To suggest a comparison between the inspired text of the Bible and Islamic law is a case of gross and willful ignorance. Second, Paul encourages a completely different attitude than being "litigious." "Why not rather take wrong?" "Why not rather be defrauded?" To "defraud" specifically has reference to property loss (James 5:4). The primary point: Guard the reputation of the church! Quit airing dirty laundry before the community! What comparison is there here with a Sharia court? Paul nowhere advocates an official "tribunal" with an alternate system of laws that come into conflict with legal jurisprudence of the nation. He is advocating settling disputes by brotherly agreements within the church. For the "snappy Catholic guy" to use this text to somehow equate to an official Islamic legal system that supplants the American legal system, complete with civic and criminal courts called Sharia is not snappy at all. It is an abuse. Third, the only penalty enacted by the Corinthian texts, or any New Testament text, is simple expulsion from the community of faith. Withdrawing fellowship (2 Thessalonians 3) is how it is worded elsewhere, including "to have no company with" (3:14). This is a recognition that the offender is not living as the New Testament teaches. Yet, even those "put away" from the church are to be loved and admonished as brethren (Verse 15). What in the world has this to do with "legal physical punishments" enacted by Sharia courts around the world, which includes beating a rebellious wife because "men are superior to women" (Koran 4:34); female genitalia mutilation, stoning and honor killing? Even the Dallas court counts women as second rate, for according to El-badawi, "The husband can request a divorce directly from the tribunal" but the "wife must go to an imam who will request a divorce for her." She herself cannot even apply in the court! What has this to do with the New Testament? Nothing at all. No resemblance whatsoever. The New Testament upholds the highest of moral standards. It encourages Christians to place their trust in God and not to insist on their own rights when the reputation of the church is soiled. May God help us to honor the church as the blood-bought institution of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). Contributed photo First Christian Church has added "Chariots of Fire" to its FCC Goes to the Movies lineup for July 14 and 16. SHARE Allendale Baptist Church, 4650 Allendale Road: Vacation Bible school will be 6-8:30 p.m. July 11-15. Beverly Drive United Methodist Church, 813 N. Beverly: Upcoming activities include a ladies tea at 11 a.m. July 9; a Christmas in July service July 10; a United Methodist Women's meeting at 6 p.m. July 12; and the Friendly Kettle free community lunch at 11 a.m. July 13. Members will lead services at Faith Mission at 7:30 p.m. July 18. Fain Presbyterian Church, 2201 Speedway: The Wednesday night dinners are canceled for July, but the sanctuary choir will practice as usual. Carolyn Kouri will lead American spirituals during the 10:45 a.m. service July 17. Faith Baptist Church, 3001 Southwest Parkway: FaithKidZ musical camp will be noon to 5:30 p.m. July 11-15, with a special performance of "Joseph: From the Pit to the Palace" for family and friends at 6:30 p.m. July 15. First Christian Church, 3701 Taft Blvd.: Upcoming FCC Goes to the Movies presentations will include "Hoosiers" at 7 p.m. July 9, and "Chariots of Fire" at 3 p.m. July 14 and 7 p.m. July 16. The Young Disciple swim party will be at 1 p.m. July 10 at 5104 Navajo Trail. Chi Rho and Christian Youth Fellowship members will hold a Youth Summer Lunch at noon July 13. First United Methodist Church, 909 10th: The final two performances of this year's Summer Youth Musical, "Godspell Jr.," will be presented at 7 p.m. July 9 and 2 p.m. July 10. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children at the door. Surf Shack vacation Bible school for ages 4 through fifth grade will be 5:30-8 p.m. July 14. Those who have not registered are asked to arrive at 5:15 p.m. the first day to sign up. Adventures in Missions for third- through fifth-graders will meet at 9:30 a.m. July 19 to learn about Habitat for Humanity and go swimming at the Fain Pool. Cost for the trip is $7 per child. Register by July 17 on the church website. Floral Heights United Methodist Church, 2214 10th: The ladies afternoon tea will be 2-3 p.m. July 9. Friberg-Cooper United Methodist Church, 5511 Old Friberg Church Road: Movie night will be July 15; bring snacks. Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, 513 Fort Worth St.: Women's Day will be celebrated July 16-17. The mission department will sponsor a morning of food and fellowship for women and girls from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 16. The Women's Day program will be at 3:30 p.m. July 17, when the speaker will be Rosie Gurley Daughtery, of Mount Zion Baptist Church in New Boston. St. Paul Lutheran Church, 11th and Holliday: The women's Bible study will be at 9:30 a.m. July 14. St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 1318 Harding: The 51st church anniversary celebration will continue with a picnic at 11 a.m. June 9 and a service at 3:30 p.m. June 10. Leonard Jones, pastor of the Church of the Living God Pillar, Ground and Truth, will be speaker for the service. Other guests will come from Antioch, Greater St. Mark, Eastside and Shiloh Baptist churches. University United Methodist Church, 3405 Taft: "Pets unleashed" vacation Bible school will be 9 a.m. to noon July 9 for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Crafters preparing for the fall bazaar will meet at 4 p.m. July 13. Angel Wings will have a workday 9-11:30 a.m. July 16. The Angel Wings garage sale will be Aug. 20. Terry McKee/Special to the Times Record News Texas Master Naturalists, with nets ready, wade through wildflowers to catch butterflies for the National Butterfly Count. SHARE By Dian Hoehne Recently, 11 Texas Master Naturalists, including myself, found a surprise when we searched for butterflies. Each June or July, we have participated in the National Butterfly Count by searching at Lake Arrowhead State Park. Every year, we have found some to report, even during the worst years of the drought. Butterflies do not fly much in the heat. They stay in the shade of the plants during the heat of the day. Knowing this, we began our search at 6:30 a.m. It was worth the effort to get up so early. Park Ranger Joe Hendrix led the team down Onion Creek Trail. Debra Halter, Pete Peterson, Joy Parsons, Larry and Judy Snyder, Penny Miller, Terry McKee, Mary Ruth Prose, Jim Masouka, and Tami Davis were with me. We only found a few species of butterflies: dainty sulphur, Reakirt's blue, common buckeye, queen, gray hairstreak, and cloudy skipper. Although many Texans did not realize there are so many different butterfly species in this area, we were disappointed that we did not find more, as we had in past years. The shady area where we usually find more butterflies was still under water. We found 15 Reakirt's blue, the most of one species. A bull snake coiled in a fork of a tree got the attention and interest of everyone. The pleasant surprise was the abundance of wildflowers. We all agreed that there were many more wildflowers than during the last seven years. Visitors to the park can expect to find a good variety: American germander, vervain, horsemint, lotus, ratany, Indian blanket, Indian paintbrush, dayflower, spiderwort, meadow pink, ragweed, coneflower, winecup, silverleaf nightshade, plains coreopsis, brown-eyed Susan, basketflower, and thistle. Mesquite trees in full bloom were very attractive throughout the park. Most Texans are not aware that the mesquite tree has a dainty yellow blossom. You may want to visit the Lake Arrowhead State Park to try your luck in finding this large variety of butterflies and wildflowers on a hike. This state park is only a few miles from Wichita Falls. SHARE Christopher Walker/Times Record News A couple held hands Friday during a prayer event held for the officesr killed and wounded in a mass shooting Thursday night in Dallas. Dallas leaders encourged everyone to hold hands and remember the officers. Christopher Walker/Times Record News Supporters held signs Friday afternoon during a prayer vigil held at Thanks-Giving Square in downtown Dallas. They gathered to remember five police officers killed by a sniper Thursday night. Spencer Williams/Times Record News People left flowers, stuffed animals and other mementoes on a police car as a memorial to five officers killed by a sniper Thursday night.. Christopher Walker/Times Record News Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings spoke Friday during a prayer vigil held for the officers that were killed and wounded in a mass shooting Thursday night in Dallas. Related Photos GALLERY: Thanksgiving Square Vigil By Christopher Collins, Times Record News, ccollins@gannett.com The bells in Dallas Thanksgiving Square announced the Friday noon hour with startling crash. A police helicopter circled overhead ominously as some of the citys most prominent figures filed into the normally quiet park. They came to address the events of the previous night, when five police officers were gunned down by a sniper during a peaceful protest downtown. They came to address a city in anguish. We as a city, as a state, and as a nation are struggling with racial issues, said Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings at the vigil in Thanksgiving Square. They continue to divide us. We gotta change. Hundreds of people -- including dozens of reporters and photographers -- gathered at the vigil, where unity, togetherness and love were preached by religious and secular leaders. The vigil was called following 11 police casualties and at least 1 civilian injury Thursday night when a gunman opened fire on police at a Black Lives Matter demonstration. The protest was prompted by recent, seemingly uncalled for police killings of young black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. About 9 p.m., a gunman identified later as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson opened fire on police and later was killed by explosives sent in by robot where he was holed up. Before his death, Johnson told police negotiators he wanted to kill white people, specifically white police officers. It was the deadliest attack on police officers since 9-11. Johnsons sentiment did not appear to be shared by speakers and attendees of Fridays vigil. No protests were held in the square or its immediate area. Imam Omar Suleiman -- arguably the most powerful speaker of the day -- asked why people of different races and religious beliefs seem to join only in times of calamity.. Is this what it takes for us to come together? Does it take tragedy? Does it take murder? he asked. Hatred is not an appropriate response to hatred. At times, even the amplified voices of the speakers couldnt cut through the cacophony of the hot wind, the whirring police helicopter overhead and members of the news media jockeying for better positions in the press corps. It was poignant that even the most powerful voices in the city of Dallas sometimes couldnt break through the dissonance. But for the most part, speakers messages were heard loud and clear: Something needs to change. We cannot give into the divisive dialogue. Dallas State Sen. Royce West asked attendees to vow to do what they could to prevent future race-fueled killings. We must pledge to not let this happen again in our lifetimes. Do you pledge this, Dallas? A yes resounded from the crowd. Then we ask America to do the same, West said. Dallas Police Chief David Brown, who is black, stepped to the podium and was met with cheers, whistles and applause. He spoke briefly but vowed to bring any remaining suspects in the killings to justice, though it now is believe Johnson acted alone. This was a well planned, well thought-out, evil tragedy, Brown said. We wont rest until we bring everyone involved to justice. Vigil attendees interviewed by USA Today shared a sense of shock and disbelief at what had transpired the night before. Many commented on how peaceful Dallas is compared to the nations other bustling metropolises. Vallery von Sibenhoven, a black resident of downtown Dallas, said Thursdays shooting may serve as a wake-up call for those who dont acknowledge the transgressions being committed against African-Americans by a select few police officers. Do I agree with Black Lives Matter? Yes. Do I believe theres an issue with police officers targeting young black men? Yes. I saw those videos (of the Louisiana and Minnesota killings) back-to back and I got really upset. von Sibenhoven said. I think people want to be recognized.. They want you to recognize that this is an issue. You cant sweep it under the rug anymore. You cant just ignore it. But the police targeting of black men is a divisive issue, and the opinions of vigil attendees also was divided. John Robinson, also a black Dallas resident, said that police have rightfully targeted some people who have stepped out of the bounds of the law. The law is here to protect us. Thats what I believe as an American. Thats the truth, Robinson said. As the vigil was concluded, flowers, posters and stuffed animals were piling up on a makeshift memorial in front of Dallas police headquarters on Lamar Street. Flags there were lowered to half-staff. At least two protesters were there, too, but as has become the norm, they seemed to disagree on how best to go about proving their point. One protester who would not tell a reporter his name held a sign that read simply, WE WANT FREEDOM. He would not answer questions about his demonstration. Passers-by seemed disgusted by the display at a memorial for slain police officers. One woman commented that she didnt see any chains on his wrists. Another protester, Yvette Gbalazeh, said she disagreed with the tactics. Gbalazeh said she normally is a proponent for the legalization of recreational marijuana, but on Friday was calling for the support of fallen heroes. Whatever your political goal, she said, protesters need to do more than wave an occasional sign -- or worse, kill cops. Change should be affected through advocacy and through the legislature, she said. Sometimes it takes 10, 20 years, she said. Its not something that happens every night. She likened the actions of Johnson, the shooter, to throwing a temper-tantrum. Standing below the lowered Texas and U.S. flags, Dallas police Det. Allen Webb said he was blown away by the outpouring of support from the public at Fridays memorial. Ive been here 10 years and this is the most support Ive ever seen. I would never expect so much public support, he said. Det. Matthew Allie said hes praying for the officers who were shot and for their families. In a prepared statement, the Austin chapter of Black Lives Matter said Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it... We continue our efforts to bring about a better world for all of us. SHARE It's now all but certain that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be the major party candidates in the November presidential election an astonishing feat, since polls suggest neither candidate is all that well-liked by voters. As a result, there's talk that this may be the year a third-party candidate could break through from the Libertarian Party, say, or possibly an independent run backed by Bill Kristol, the longtime Republican and editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. Could it really happen? Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, debate the issue. JOEL MATHIS Certain fans of "The Simpsons" middle-aged folks who grew up with the show during its early 1990s heyday will remember a classic election-oriented episode in which Homer Simpson unmasks the two presidential candidates, a Democrat and a Republican, to be hideous space reptiles in disguise. The revelation means little: "It's true!" one of the aliens announces. "But what are you going to do about it? It's a two-party system! You have to vote for one of us!" A citizen in the crowd pipes up: "Well, I believe I'll vote for a third-party candidate!" "Go ahead! Throw your vote away!" the alien replies, laughing maniacally. Sad to say, the alien was correct in his assessment of our politics. Despise Donald? Hate Hillary? It's absolutely your right to vote for a candidate who makes a better appeal to your sensibilities. The Libertarians and the Green Party, among others, are always out there seeking your vote and Never Trump Republicans may offer their own alternative candidate this year. Just don't expect any of them to win, or even come close not even in this extraordinary political year. Maybe it's time to change the rules. The best option? A wholesale turn to instant runoff voting, a system in which a voter ranks candidates in order of preference. If a candidate captures more than half the first-preference votes, he or she wins, and the election is over. Otherwise, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and the ballots are retabulated. If your first-choice candidate was eliminated, your second-choice preference will get the vote instead. Repeat the process until one candidate gains a clear majority. It seems increasingly clear that this election will provide satisfaction to few voters. But it's also clear the system isn't necessarily designed to provide that satisfaction. Want to make a change? Start with the rules that discourage third-party votes in the first place. BEN BOYCHUK Americans love third-party outsiders, mavericks and independents. Just ask former presidents Eugene V. Debs, George Wallace, John Anderson, Ross Perot and Ralph Nader as soon as you find your way into the weird parallel universe where those guys were elected. In our world, the enthusiasm for third-party presidential candidates never quite translates into electoral majorities. Historically, third-party candidates don't win presidential elections; they spoil them. More often than not, they don't even crack double digits in the popular vote. Perot was an exceptional case in 1992. The Texas multimillionaire ran a campaign similar to Trump's, focusing on the economy and the ill effects of free trade. He was even the front-runner for a time, until a series of bizarre missteps drove him from the race in July. What makes a third party more appealing than appalling this time is the dismal popularity of the parties' presumptive nominees. More than half of voters say they dislike Clinton and Trump and "dislike" is putting it charitably. Many voters hate them in the worst way. That's unprecedented. Yet, once again, most of those same voters appear unenthusiastic or simply uninterested in the meager alternatives on offer. A new Quinnipiac University poll found that Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump among registered voters, 45 percent to 41 percent. When third-party candidates are added to the mix, however, Clinton's lead contracts to 40 percent over Trump's 38 percent. Big whoop. But as useful as history can be, it really hasn't been much of a guide this year, has it? Trump's campaign was never supposed to survive 2015. He was never supposed to win the Republican nomination. And he has no chance whatsoever of beating Clinton in November. Right? Right?! 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. SHARE FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday said he recommended no criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a personal email system while secretary of state. But Comey made clear he believed Clinton had acted badly. "Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information," he said, "there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." Is the system rigged? Does the scandal mean Clinton shouldn't be president? JOEL MATHIS Hillary Clinton's decision to use a private email server was selfish, unwise and it seems borderline illegal. But it was also kind of understandable. For most of the nearly three decades Hillary and Bill Clinton have been at the heart of American public life, and Republicans have hunted them with Captain Ahab-like zeal at every sign of a misstep no matter how big or small, real or imagined. Congressional Republicans just concluded a four-year investigation of Clinton's activities during the 2012 attacks on Benghazi, Libya; they were desperate to pin a crime on her and spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to do so, yet came up with virtually nothing of import. Again. It's in that context we can best understand the email scandal. Hillary Clinton was widely mocked in the 1990s when she spoke of a "vast right-wing conspiracy," but it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. The personal email system was an attempt to evade GOP scandal mongers and to avoid the scrutiny she knew they would bring to bear no matter how benign her activities. Here's where it's worth noting that the Clintons have continually assisted their tormentors. Whether it's sex in the White House or taking payments from foreign governments at the Clinton Foundation or, in this case, trying to avoid public-disclosure laws, Bill and Hillary Clinton were often careless and occasionally unable to curb their own worst impulses. They never seemed to understand that the appearance of a conflict of interest can be just as bad as an actual conflict. So it's both the case that the Republicans overzealously pursued the Clintons and that the Clintons were dumb enough not to let it force them to cling to the highest standards of appearance and conduct. It's enough to make you tear out your hair. Fortunately for Hillary Clinton, it seems her Republican opponent for the presidency will be Donald Trump, which likely means the GOP will get another four to eight years to pursue their white whale. Lord, help us all. BEN BOYCHUK Hillary Clinton lied. That's what she does. Clinton lied about her private email server. She lied when she claimed she turned over all work-related emails to the State Department and the FBI. Then she lied when she insisted she hadn't sent or received classified emails. By maintaining a personal, unclassified email server, Clinton recklessly endangered the national security. The FBI confirmed that foreign agents hacked her aides' email accounts. It's likely that the Russians and the Chinese got everything Clinton had, too and in real time. That's what they do. Comey laid out in excruciating detail the extreme carelessness Clinton and her flunkies took with U.S. secrets. Yet Comey said "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring a case against Clinton based on the facts he has. Since when are prosecutors reasonable? The U.S. attorney last year, for example, went after a Naval reservist named Bryan Nishimura for mishandling classified materials in almost exactly the same way as the former secretary of state. Nishimura even admitted to downloading top-secret briefings to his personal electronic devices. He had nothing untoward in mind; he just wanted to work from home. Nishimura was fined $7,500, received two years probation and, naturally, will never again be allowed to have security clearance. So when Comey speaks of what a "reasonable prosecutor" would or would not do, what he really means is no prosecutor would be crazy enough to pursue charges against the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. If Clinton wins the presidency, she will be expected to swear an oath to "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States," and will to the best of her ability "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." But she's already demonstrated that her fidelity isn't to preserving the laws but to her own self-preservation. She lies. She'll keep lying. And she'll get away with it if we let her. 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. China could consider quitting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea if the upcoming ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague infringes on China's sovereignty, an expert said. The Arbitral Tribunal's ruling in the arbitration case, which was unilaterally initiated by the Philippines against China over the South China Sea disputes, will be announced on Tuesday. He Zhou, a professor at the Center for Communication Research at City University of Hong Kong, told China Daily on Friday that the UNCLOS is likely to be manipulated by some countries using it as tool to harm China's sovereignty and national interests. China has been a strong supporter of the UNCLOS for many years. However, the convention's provisions may be exploited by other states for political reasons, He said. The convention, signed in 1982, came into force in 1994. Currently, 167 countries and the European Union have joined the convention. The United States has not ratified it. The UNCLOS does not exclude historic rights that predate it and are continuously claimed. The issue of territorial sovereignty is not subject to the convention. China holds that the case brought by Manila is essentially about sovereignty and maritime delimitation, and thus the court does not have jurisdiction. It would be conceivable for China to quit the UNCLOS if its territorial sovereignty was undermined by the Arbitral Tribunal, He said. According to an online survey by the website of Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV in March, 92.8 percent of the 19,950 participants voted in favor of China quitting the UNCLOS. Myron Nordquist, associate director and editor at the Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia School of Law, told China Daily that "the arbitration has set a bad precedent with its award on jurisdiction". "There is noway to guarantee the effectiveness" of Article 298 of the UNCLOS, which excludes compulsory arbitration on issues including maritime boundary, he said. In 2006, China declared it would exercise its rights under Article 298. Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that China is not likely to leave the UNCLOS. However, it has reasons to refuse to implement the arbitral ruling, Wu said. MERIDEN, CONN. A body found in a missing car in Meriden, Conn. is believed to be a man who was traveling to a Phish concert in Saratoga Springs earlier this month. Jason Czech, 39, of Branford, Conn., had been missing since July 2. Meriden Police said a body was found in his car on Friday afternoon in the New Haven County town. The body was sent to the state medical examiner to determine the person's identity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It felt like a watershed moment for a scattered and still-young civil rights movement. Inside Black Lives Matter, the national revulsion over videos of police officers shooting to death black men in Minnesota and Louisiana was undeniable proof that the group's message of outrage and demands for justice had finally broken through. Even the white governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, in a pained public concession, embraced the movement's central argument. "Would this have happened if those passengers the driver and the passengers were white?" he asked. "I don't think it would've." Then, in an instant, everything changed. Black Lives Matter now faces perhaps the biggest crisis in its short history: It is both scrambling to distance itself from a black sniper in Dallas who set out to murder white police officers and trying to rebut a chorus of detractors who blame the movement for inspiring his deadly attack. "What I saw in Dallas was devastating to our work," said Jedidiah Brown, a Chicago pastor who has emerged as an outspoken Black Lives Matter activist over the past year. The moment he learned of the attack on the police, he said, he immediately sensed that any emerging national consensus would "tear down the middle." "The thing I vividly remember thinking was, this is going to show exactly how divided this conversation is," he said. For those who have harbored doubts or animosity toward Black Lives Matter among them police unions and conservative leaders the Dallas attacks are a cudgel that, fairly or not, they are eager to swing. In Texas, several state officials, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, lashed out at the group, directly linking its tone and tactics to the killings. Patrick acknowledged that the demonstration in Dallas on Thursday night had been peaceful until the gunman struck, but he accused the movement of creating the conditions for what happened. "I do blame former Black Lives Matter protests," he said. "This has to stop," Patrick said, adding of the police officers, "These are real people." But a bigger problem for Black Lives Matter, always supported by many liberals, is that Johnson's actions could jeopardize the movement's appeal to a broader group of Americans who have gradually become more sympathetic to its cause after years of highly publicized police shootings. In the days before the Dallas massacre, Aesha Rasheed, 39, an activist in New Orleans, felt that at long last, white and black America were watching the same images with the same horror: two Louisiana police officers tackling and then shooting Alton Sterling, 37, at point-blank range; the slumped, blood-soaked body of Philando Castile, 32, after a Minnesota police officer shot him through a car window, with his girlfriend and her daughter sitting inches away. "It seemed like a national consciousness was sinking in," Rasheed said. She now worries that the episodes involving black men may be overshadowed and overlooked. Black Lives Matter usually spurns central planning and management. But in a sign of alarm over the volatile situation, leaders of several organizations associated with the movement put out formal statements that repeatedly described the Dallas attacker as a lone gunman, unconnected to the group's cause. "There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans," read a statement from the Black Lives Matter Network. "We should reject all of this." Police have said Johnson a military veteran who told authorities that he had hunted down white police officers as retribution for their abuses had no direct links to any protest group. But in recounting Johnson's final hours, Chief David O. Brown of the Dallas Police Department mentioned the movement by name. "The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter," he said. Activists scoffed at calls to recalibrate their message or to pause protests out of respect for the dead police officers in Texas. By Friday night, protesters had returned to the streets in multiple cities, swarming the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City; shutting down a major highway in Atlanta; and marching through downtown Phoenix, where officers used pepper spray and beanbag guns to keep the demonstrators from taking over Interstate 10. In each city, protesters were trailed by police, as they were in Dallas. But it was clear that the national conversation had changed. On social media, Black Lives Matter activists watched with dismay on Thursday night as a squall of outrage and mourning over the shootings of Sterling and Castile was suddenly overwhelmed by a furious outcry over the shooting of Dallas police officers and messages of rage directed at activists and protesters. DeRay Mckesson, 30, a Black Lives Matter activist, watched the change in tone. "It suddenly became about blame," he said. "People wanted to link it to the protesters no matter what." As conservative commentators like Rush Limbaugh assailed Black Lives Matter as "a terrorist group committing hate crimes," activists like Wendi Moore-O'Neal saw echoes of repeated attempts throughout American history to discredit civil rights groups and leaders. "It's just made up," she said of those who held Black Lives Matter responsible in any way for the Dallas attack. "It's not true." "I can't think of any of the justice or liberation organizations that I know," Moore-O'Neal said, "that have an investment in shooting cops." Police barricades wrapped around the headquarters at One Police Plaza and other department buildings in New York. Many cities issued new marching orders: no solo patrols. No officers should be alone. In Burlington, Vt., during roll call, some officers blinked away tears. In Los Angeles, the chief did the same. In the break room at a Manhattan precinct house, officers behind closed doors, comfortable among themselves debated what they saw on the videos of the recent fatal police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Some said race had played a role. Others, one officer said, "put on blinders." A rookie officer in Manhattan, five days on the job, texted her mother Friday. She was on her way to work at a protest. A protest against the police. And a Queens detective quietly seethed. "This is insanity," said the detective, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to do so publicly. "It's just freaking horrendous." Reactions to Thursday's deadly ambush in Dallas swept through roll-call rooms and squad cars in police departments across the country. Contempt for the shooter was universal. But behind it followed other, varying observations about what it means to be a police officer in 2016, with the attending fears and frustrations, and amid a seemingly growing gulf between the police and the policed. "We have broken into tribes," Charlie Beck, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, told a class of cadets who graduated Friday. "All of a sudden, it becomes more important who your parents are, what the color of your skin is, than whether you are American." "This is not about black lives, or brown lives or blue lives," he added. "This is about America." Police culture all but forbids one officer to publicly criticize or second-guess the actions of others. For that reason, officers interviewed Friday would not comment directly on the videos taken during and immediately after the shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. But one fact was clear: When a new video showing what appears to be police misconduct surfaces, it affects officers everywhere. "One of the worries that cops have is that no cop can control what another cop does, but all cops will be judged by what the other cop does," Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police Department said. "We'll sit there in the roll-call room, watching police videos all over the country, trying to make sense of what we're seeing and trying to make sure we're doing the best job we can." There is much to watch. "Any time there is a traffic stop made, the cellphones come out," said George Hofstetter, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. "The people taking them out have nothing to do with the incident, but they feel the need to videotape it. It's like they think, 'I am not going to stand across the street, I am going to become part of the problem.'" Del Pozo echoed that thought. "On top of all the legitimate issues in policing," he said, "street cops worry that there are people looking to foment confrontation to generate the next headline in situations where people just sort of complied before." Officers, privately, do not march in lock step after watching videos, the Queens detective said. "There are people that are like, 'Oh, the cop's right,'" he said. "I'm not one of those people. It is what it is." But he said he had often perceived a rush to judgment after the release of a video and "the fanning of the emotions." Officer Pedro Serrano, a 12-year veteran of the New York Police Department, said that as a Hispanic, he could sympathize with the anger felt by members of minority groups after shootings like those in Louisiana and Minnesota. "Growing up, I hated the police," he said. "They abused me for no reason. It's just because I was in the neighborhood and a person of color." It was in the break room at his precinct house Friday that officers debated what was on the videos. "I work with people who are afraid of people of color, they jump with conclusions," Serrano said in an interview. Warsaw, Poland NATO leaders geared up Friday for a long-term standoff with Russia, ordering multinational troops to Poland and the three Baltic states as Moscow moves forward with its own plans to station two new divisions along its western borders. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that on the first day of a landmark two-day summit, U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders of the 27 other NATO countries also declared the initial building blocks of a ballistic missile defense system operationally capable, recognized cyberspace as a domain for alliance operations, committed to boosting their countries' civil preparedness, and renewed a pledge to spend a minimum of 2 percent of their national incomes on defense. "We have just taken decisions to deliver 21st-century deterrence and defense in the face of 21st century challenges," Stoltenberg told a news conference. He said deployment of the new NATO units to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on a rotational basis would start next year, with no end date. "It's an open-ended commitment and will last as long as necessary," he said. "And it is a new reality because we didn't have that kind of presence in the eastern part of the alliance before." He announced plans as well for an enhanced NATO presence in the Black Sea region, where Russia has also reasserted its influence, with creation of a multinational brigade under Romanian and Bulgarian command. Polish President Andrzej Duda, the summit's official host, warned that Western democratic values are being undermined by a "notorious lack of respect for international law" as well as terrorism and high-tech warfare, and said NATO needs a coherent strategy to address those problems. After arriving in Warsaw, Obama announced his decision to send an additional 1,000 U.S. troops to Poland as part of the NATO effort to reinforce its presence on the alliance's frontiers near Russia. Following bilateral talks, Duda thanked Obama, saying Poles "are grateful for the good will, for understanding that security is where the world's strongest army is, and that army is the U.S. Army." In a column published in the Financial Times, Obama, who is making what is expected to be his last trip to Europe as president, called on NATO to stand firm against Russia, terrorism and other challenges, and to "summon the political will, and make concrete commitments" to strengthen European cooperation after Britain voted June 23 to leave the European Union. Creation of the new NATO units, telegraphed long in advance like most items on the summit agenda following months of deliberations by allied governments, is vigorously opposed by the Kremlin. It follows a raft of other decisions taken during the last 22 months to increase NATO's ability to face Russia and other new security challenges, including tripling the size of the alliance Response Force to 40,000 and formation of a highly nimble Spearhead Force that can start to move within days. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dallas Investigators have discovered bomb-making materials, rifles and a "personal journal of combat tactics" in the home of the black former Army reservist who went on a shooting rampage against Dallas police, officials said Friday. Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, a Dallas-area resident, was a "loner" with no criminal history who "wanted to kill white people" and "especially white officers," police said. Five Dallas police officers died and nine other people were wounded in the attack, which unfurled Thursday night in the midst of a large protest against recent police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. The injured included seven police officers and two civilians. Using an unprecedented tactic in American law enforcement and apparently adopting technology used by the U.S. military Dallas police said they detonated an unmanned "bomb robot" to kill Johnson early Friday after negotiators failed to bring an end to an hours-long standoff in a downtown parking garage. Before his death, Johnson "bantered" with police negotiators, a federal official said, adding that the suspect did not appear nervous. He indicated he had been preparing for the assault, the official said, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the suspect himself chose how it ended. "This was a man we gave plenty of options to, to give himself up peacefully, and we spent a lot of time talking. He had a choice to come out and we would not harm him, or stay in and we would. He picked the latter," he said. Officials had initially reported that multiple snipers opened fire on police, but Rawlings said Friday that Johnson was the "lone gunman in this incident." "This was a mobile shooter that has written manifestos on how to shoot and move. He did that. He did his damage. But we did our damage to him, too," Rawlings said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also said authorities "have no information about any co-conspirators." But he said police are working hard to "button down every corner" before they rule out the possibility that he had help. "What we don't know is who, if anybody, may have known what the gunman knew, what he was going to do, may have assisted him in any of his efforts," the governor said. At one point, the gunman had told officials "the end is coming, and he's going to hurt and kill more of us," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. Johnson had no ties to terror groups, a U.S. law enforcement official said, and had relatives in Mesquite, Texas, just east of Dallas. But on Facebook, Johnson expressed an interest in black separatist groups such as the New Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam and the Black Riders Liberation Party, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which describes the organizations as "hate groups." In his Facebook profile photo, Johnson wore a purple, yellow and gold dashiki and thrust his fist into the air. His cover photo displayed the red, black and green stripes of the Pan-African flag. He had joined several groups that made allusions to the Black Panther Party, including a group called the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, named for the black power group's co-founder. The group, founded last year to fight police brutality, teaches its members self-defense and conducts what it calls "armed patrols" through neighborhoods where the police have killed black men. "We'd never seen him and we don't know him," member Erick Khafre said in a telephone interview. Military records say Johnson served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a carpentry and masonry specialist from March 2009 to April 2015, including a tour in Afghanistan. Authorities believe he took frequent target practice. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany Homeowners, farmers and anyone with a backyard barbecue grill have been enjoying low propane prices fueled by a glut from the U.S. natural gas hydrofracking boom but prices likely will start pushing up this winter as skyrocketing exports overseas siphon down that excess. In New York, about a quarter-million homeowners, primarily in upstate rural areas, heat with propane, a fuel that is a byproduct of natural gas production. Farmers also use propane for crop-drying and to run equipment. While still at the lowest level in a decade, propane prices in the Capital Region last month inched up ever so slightly, according to the latest figures from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. More Information Propane exporting on the rise Overseas exports of propane, fueled by the natural gas fracking boom, continue to climb. That is beginning to reduce record propane supplies in the U.S. YearBarrels a day exported, average 2016*780,000 2015616,000 2014422,000 2013301,000 2012170,000 2011124,000 2010108,000 200984,000 200852,000 200742,000 * through April SOURCE: U.S. Energy Information Administration See More Collapse At the end of June, the average price in the region was $2.36 a gallon, marking the third weekly price increase from the May low of $2.32, according to NYSERDA figures. Statewide, the June-ending price was $2.24 a gallon, essentially unchanged since May, and only slighter higher than the recent low of $2.18 last fall. These prices are far less than the statewide peak of $3.77 a gallon reached in February 2014 when the Northeast was hit by an extremely cold winter and demand for propane surged. Capital Region prices peaked at a record $4.09 a gallon that winter. Meanwhile, an industry trade publication for propane dealers nationwide last month warned prices this winter could climb as previously bulging domestic propane supplies dwindle because of exports. Such shipments to Europe, South America and, most particularly, Asia are up nearly 85 percent during the last two years based on federal energy estimates. Overseas, propane can sell for up to 20 percent more than in the U.S., making exports attractive to energy companies. Propane is easily bottled and can be shipped on oceangoing tankers. Last month, the recently expanded Panama Canal accepted its first supersized propane gas tanker taking U.S. propane to Asia. As natural gas hydrofracking boomed in the U.S., propane stockpiles swelled and prices fell. But the industry thinks that may be coming to an end. While propane production is still growing, it is slowing down, and the export boom "increases the chance of below-average inventory ... and the possibility of tighter supplies by the end of this coming winter," according to a July report in LP Gas magazine, a trade journal for the industry. In February, the journal called the export surge a "game changer for propane prices" as U.S. stockpiles shrank dramatically from a year earlier. "Unfortunately, the only thing that will slow down the rate of propane exports is higher prices," according to the journal. Current propane production is "not on a path to take up the new export capacity. This all points to upward price pressure for propane." Consumers in New York should expect prices to edge up gradually in the coming year, but sudden spikes absent an extremely cold Northeastern winter are unlikely, said Michael Sloan, a propane industry analyst with Virginia-based consultants ICF International. "I expect that we will see modest increases in retail propane prices over time," Sloan said. "The impact on consumers is unlikely to be dramatic. We are not going back to the prices that we saw five or six years ago." Surging exports, especially to Asia, will continue to push up prices, he said. "Exports should continue to increase over time, and new major export facilities are coming on line, primarily in the Gulf (of Mexico)," Sloan said. Much of the propane going to Asia is being used in the manufacturing of plastics, he said, so a growing share of propane harvested in the hydrofracking boom is returning to America in the form of plastic-based toys and other consumer goods. "The volume of propane being used for plastics will increase as exports continue to increase," Sloan said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, propane exports are surging, from about 42,000 barrels a day a decade ago, to 170,000 barrels a day in 2012, and to 422,000 barrels a day in 2014. For 2016 through Arpril, it climbed to 780,000 barrels a day. The 2016 export rate, if sustained for the entire year, would represent the export of 284 million barrels of propane enough to supply New York's current consumption for 32 years. Sloan said propane retailers are adding more storage to cushion against export- and weather-driven price fluctuations. "Many have already done so, and more will be," he said. Shane Sweet, executive director of the New York Propane Gas Association, said that local dealers have been adding storage since the 2013-14 winter supply shortages. More storage can help ensure adequate supply during the winter months, when demand is highest. "We have dealers who are putting in more tanks, 18,000 gallons to 30,000 gallons, to beef up their own storage," he said. Sweet also said the industry is pushing for state approval of a proposal to store a massive amount of propane in caverns near Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes. The so-called Crestwood project would have enough capacity to store a quarter of the state's annual propane consumption, he added. That project has drawn considerable opposition from environmental groups, alternative energy supporters and the wine industry. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has not ruled on permits needed by the project. This spring, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted the project a two-year extension. bnearing@timesunion.com 518-454-5094 @Bnearing10 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany Poisoned water in Hoosick Falls. A presidential race with two deceitful candidates. Snipers killing police. Given all that, and so much more bad news, how do we not succumb to cynicism? How do we avoid despair? I don't have an answer. But I believe sheep can help. I'm serious. It's nearly impossible to watch sheep ruminating without feeling better. Your outlook improves. You relax. You forget about the world's horrors, at least for awhile. So who wants to be a shepherd? Again, I'm serious. A job is open for someone willing to look after a semi-permanent flock of sheep that will be living at the Tivoli Lake Preserve in the West Hill section of Albany. If you don't know the preserve, you're not alone. Hardly anybody goes there. Its 80 acres are largely overgrown and forgotten. But the city, working with $250,000 from the state, wants to revive the park and make it an attraction. Thus, sheep. Their job will be to eat the invasive plants that have overtaken the preserve. The shepherd's job will be to let them out from their barn in the morning, move them around the park to graze and return them to the barn at night. Under the unusual plan, the shepherd gets the sheep, summer and winter housing for the animals, fencing, winter hay, meds, insurance, and use of the land. The shepherd will also own the wool and lambs produced by the flock. In fact, selling that fiber and meat is how the shepherd will be paid. The job is ideal for a wannabe farmer looking for a toehold. "One of the big challenges of becoming a farmer is access to land," said Gary Kleppel, a University at Albany biology professor who is overseeing the project. "We're really trying to give a young farmer a leg up." The city, he notes, saves by not having to spray poisons to remove invasive vegetation. It also gets a built-in attraction that should draw people to the lonely park. "We hope that a lot of people come to see them," Kleppel said. "There's less risk of anything bad happening to the flock if there are a lot of people watching and asking questions." There are other advantages to the plan. The sheep and the revived preserve will help connect children in the hard-edged neighborhood to the natural world. They'll learn about agriculture. They'll learn that food doesn't really come from the supermarket. Kleppel and his wife, Pam, are also farmers, and on Friday I journeyed to their land in Knox. I watched as Spot, their border collie, excitedly moved a flock of sheep from one field to another. Kleppel's enthusiasm for farming and raising livestock is infectious. He talked about how sustainable, small-scale agriculture is so different from the destructive industrial model that has come to dominate food production. He happily noted that there seems to be renewed interest in farming among recent college graduates. That's reflected in the steady flow of applications he's receiving for the shepherd job. If all goes well, a flock of seven or eight sheep could be at Tivoli Lake by August or September, and they're likely to remain for at least a few years. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Meanwhile, city planners Chris Spencer and Kate Lawrence told me to expect the announcement of other improvements at the preserve over the coming months. This revival of a long-forgotten corner of the city is an antidote to pessimism. But as we watched his animals, I also asked Kleppel specifically about the power of sheep. Is it crazy, I asked, to think that farm animals help with cynicism and hopelessness? Not at all, he said, noting that people sought out small farms and natural places in the days after Sept. 11, 2001. "People relax when they see sheep," Kleppel said. "When I go to the barn, my blood pressure drops." That morning, I'd been watching cable-news coverage of the killing of five police officers in Dallas. It was hard not to feel that our divided country is pulling apart. It was hard to find hope in the face of such sickening hate. But as they stood amidst tall summer grass, Kleppel's sheep were a reminder of what author and farmer Wendell Berry calls "the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought." They were the quiet of stillness. They were a graceful and calming reminder that the world isn't a bad place, despite such acts of evil. cchurchill@timesunion.com 454-5442 @chris_churchill This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Canajoharie After touring the decaying former Beech-Nut plant in the Mohawk Valley, the economic development chief of the Cuomo administration said Friday that most, if not all, of the complex will have to be demolished. Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development and commissioner of the state Department of Economic Development, toured the plant in downtown Canajoharie for than an hour the day before, accompanied by local and Montgomery County officials. "Given the condition of the building and availability of other real estate in the region, adaptive reuse of all 600,000 square feet of remaining space is unrealistic," said Zemsky. He said potential redevelopment plans, which have yet to be crafted, possibly could include saving an "iconic portion" of the plant. Inside the darkened plant, water leaks through broken roof drains, black mold climbs the walls and the air is thick and malodorous. Visible from the state Thruway, the 27-acre plant dates back to 1905 and dominates the historic village's small downtown. Todd Clifford, a would-be developer from Ohio who bought the complex from Beech-Nut, stripped the plant of its valuable scrap metal and machinery before dropping the project, claiming he sold it to an associate. Clifford's crews left behind toxic asbestos debris and the remaining demolition expected to cost millions. "I am very encouraged by the village. It has great 'bones,'" Zemsky said. He said officials from his office will staff an August planning session by the American Architecture Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based planning group that is helping local officials come up with ideas on how to reuse the property. "The state has resources that can be brought to bear," said the commissioner. "If we can get a plan in digestible finite stages, it is easier to get funding. You have to know where you are going." This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that asbestos-tainted demolition debris had been left in the plant. Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and proper disposal of the waste is expensive. Zemsky said that "potential environmental liability and chain of title is something that we will be looking at." County officials have estimated a clean-up and razing of the plant could cost up to $10 million. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Canajoharie Mayor Francis Avery said he was encouraged by Zemsky's visit. "We walked the building, from the decayed office space to the boilers in the basement. He got a feel for the whole thing," said Avery. The commissioner asked "many questions about redevelopment and what we thought that any reuse could be," said Avery, who favors demolishing what remains and starting over. "This project is going to take time, but he assured me that they will help in any way they can." While Beech-Nut pulled out of the facility in 2010, water and sewer service to the site remain fully operational, the mayor added. "We could restore the service here in an hour. If someone wants this site, we are ready to strike." Avery said he expects the county will apply for a $500,000 grant through the state Local Waterfront Revitalization program to help support planning for a reuse project. Clifford never paid property taxes on the complex and county officials are also exploring a potential tax foreclosure. bnearing@timesunion.com 518-454-5094 @Bnearing10 Hoosick Falls U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand met Friday with Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh residents, hearing from them about the impact of their water being contaminated with a hazardous man-made chemical, and pressing for medical monitoring similar to that provided to 9/11 first responders. Many in the Hoosick Falls Central School auditorium viewed the discussion which included representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as a way for Gillibrand to grasp the depth of the problem. Others criticized the fact that it took place when many residents couldn't attend because of work. Gillibrand wiped tears from her eyes as Emily Marpe of Petersburgh told of a call from the Rensselaer County Health Department saying, "I'm calling you early on a Saturday morning. You need to stop brushing your teeth right now." Marpe said she received a letter in the mail soon thereafter alerting her that her 10-year-old daughter's PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) blood level was more than 100 times the national average. Studies link above-average PFOA levels to increased risk of testicular cancer and found potential links to kidney and thyroid cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. "My kids, they're my world," Marpe said, fighting through tears. Heather Clifford, a Hoosick Falls single mother of two boys, said the lack of answers about the effects of PFOA was making the problem worse. "What does it mean when your 17-year-old son opens up a letter and it says 87?" she said, referring to the PFOA parts per billion in his blood, more than 40 times the national average of 2.03. "What does that mean? And none of us know, and I think that's what's causing the chaos." Gillibrand said that because so little is known about the effects of PFOA, especially when young children are exposed, legislators should "rewrite the law" that allows for medical monitoring of 9/11 first responders to include residents affected by water contamination. "A lot of these illnesses like cancers take 20 years to develop, but because they've done this medical monitoring, they now know exactly which cancers are caused by the toxins that were released at the 9/11 site," Gillibrand said. "And so we have something that we can model, hopefully, our state law after." Sue Fenton, a federal representative for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, responded to residents who asked for concrete answers about the effects of increased PFOA levels. She said that as long as exposure does not continue, PFOA levels in adults decrease by half every three years. "We have been studying the health effects for such a short time that we can't say what the long-term outcomes will be for children," Fenton continued. "The younger you are when you're exposed you carry a different burden of that exposure." Anna Wysocki, a member of the panel who graduated this spring from Hoosick Falls High School, called Hoosick Falls "an amazing little town" and expressed fear that her younger friends would not be able to experience the same joys that she did. "Despite my leaving and going to college, Hoosick Falls will always be my home, and I hope that people in Hoosick Falls and even people across the world are able to learn from this experience and never let something like this happen again," Wysocki said. "We will move forward and we will be strong because we now have a voice in Senator Gillibrand and we have a community to support that voice." Standing outside of the school, Army veteran Gregory Restino of Hoosick Falls and Rob Cottrell of Petersburgh, an active member of the Army, said the roundtable was "a first step," but it was poorly planned and the format ended with more questions than answers. Cottrell said that because many companies in the area have overlapping first and second shifts, people who wanted to attend the discussion could not make it to the school in time. "You wouldn't be able to park near that road if this was after work hours, six o'clock," he said, pointing to the school parking lot, which was less than half full. Cottrell added that the roundtable format helped residents share their experiences, but gave them no tangible information. "What you got up there was a panel of people who had stories," he said. "What you've got out here is a crowd that wants answers. I don't want to give you a story, I want to give you a question." As the audience of 110 people filtered into the auditorium before the discussion, they were encouraged to write questions for Gillibrand on pieces of paper and place them in a basket. Only one person was selected to ask her question to the senator, but Gillibrand said she would have all the questions sent to her office and someone would respond by email. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. The senator told reporters after the discussion, which ran over its scheduled one hour, that the listening session was important. "I think all people in public life should do more listening than talking," she said. Gillibrand also said that PFOA should be tested under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which had not been revised in 40 years until the Senate passed an update in June. "I'm asking, specifically, to have PFOA be one of the first chemicals tested under the new TSCA law to say, is it safe or not? Because we need answers we don't have answers," Gillibrand said. "A lot of our requirements only kick in if your water system feeds 10,000 people. What about the smaller communities that maybe only feed 5,000 people? That's a problem." Also Friday, the state Senate announced it would hold hearings on the contamination crisis in Rensselaer County, including a session in Hoosick Falls. In a statement, Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan said the hearings would allow the Senate "to explore the sources of water contamination, examine state and federal oversight issues, and determine how we can prevent this from happening in the future." The Democratic leadership of the Assembly, which like the Senate had previously been resistant to holding hearings, announced on Wednesday it would schedule two sessions on water quality issues. Flanagan said it "goes without saying that we welcome the opportunity to partner with the Assembly to maximize the focus on this important issue." The news represented a reversal by Flanagan and Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, who both faced pressure to hold hearings especially after this week's news that Congress had asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to produce materials on the state and federal response to the PFOA crisis. nburroughs@timesunion.com 518-454-5012 @Nickatnews Surely every police officer in America there are about 765,000 of them can imagine being in the place of those brave cops who died in Dallas. They know that their loved ones are afraid when they go to work; they're aware that a routine moment of police work might suddenly turn violent. But what can they do? They're cops, and so they go on doing the job they've sworn to do, most of them performing honorably, even valiantly. And surely every black person in America there are about 42 million African-Americans can imagine being one of those family members standing in front of the cameras, tearfully saying that this young man they loved didn't deserve to die. Young black men are more likely to be killed by police than any other American nine times more likely, according to one study. But what can they do? So they go about their lives, wondering in what generation they won't have to warn their children to behave carefully if they come into contact with law enforcement. These are the realities of those most touched by the tragedies of the past week. The rest of us, the other 281 million Americans who aren't cops and aren't black, are left to witness the heartbreak of people whose lives will never be the same after the senseless killings this week in Texas, Minnesota and Louisiana the latest places where justice and race seemingly collided. And all of us share the responsibility to not let these tragedies further divide us, nor to let them define us. Black lives matter, indeed. So do blue lives matter. More Information Rex Smith is editor of the Times Union. Share your thoughts at http://blog.timesunion.com/editors. See More Collapse So do gay lives the targets of the massacre in Orlando so recently and Muslim lives, which seem of less concern to some of our would-be leaders. The cold-blooded killing of cops in Dallas seems to have been the work of one man, Micah Xavier Johnson, who told a hostage negotiator he wanted to "kill white people" because of the recent killings of black men by police. A lot of people are angry about what videos have revealed to be apparently outrageous failures of conduct by police in the killings of Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. It is understandable that in a nation that values the right to speak freely about its government, protesters might take to the streets to demand attention to what many view as racial bias in many quarters of law enforcement. But no moral code can justify the barbaric assassinations of police officers as revenge. Nor is it moral, however, to blame those killings on the people who exercise their right to protest, or to claim that the killings are caused by political opponents. Consider, for example, the response of Wendy Long, who will be on the November ballot in New York as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. "We must drop the political correctness and acknowledge that the war on law enforcement is being racially fomented by those at the top," Long wrote. "It is because the Democrat political establishment is using human beings as objects to keep themselves in power. I guess we could have expected this from the party that was for slavery and against civil rights." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. Never mind the slip-up on history that is, forgetting that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was quite clearly a product of the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. More unfortunate is Long's failure to recognize two things might be true: that as heinous as the Dallas attack was, it does not negate legitimate questions about whether society is doing all it can to protect African-Americans. Indeed, at a moment when Americans desperately need political leaders to bring us together, there sadly remain many who instead seize upon such tragedies as this to elevate themselves by tearing us further apart. Nor is it appropriate to equate the nonviolent protests about the seeming peril young black men face in encounters with police, which is statistically verifiable protests that have gone on without incident in scores of American cities with a so-called "war on law enforcement," using a sniper in Dallas as pretext for a partisan cause. There is not, nor should there be, any such war. We are blessed in this country to have a fundamentally sound system of law enforcement, thanks in no small part to those 765,000 cops. They can't do their job without the support of citizens, and that hinges on the perception that justice is applied equally. If we want a peaceful land, we must do all we can to make sure that justice is truly available to all. Today, then, we must mourn together, alongside families black and white, for victims both police and civilian. We mourn as Americans, armed with the hope we always hold that we and our leaders will find our way to a more perfect union. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Got it! [July 08, 2016] HEC-TINA Enters into Technology and Stock Purchase Agreement for ASEAN Countries Hydrogen Engine Center, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (OTC PK:HYEG) announced today that it has entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Off Grid Sdn. Bhd., a corporation organized under the laws of Malaysia. Under the Agreement, HYEG has agreed to enter into a Technology License Agreement with Off Grid and to issue and sell to Off Grid, Twelve Million (12,000,000) shares of HYEG Common Stock in exchange for a cash purchase price of Two U.S. Dollars ($2.00) per share. The Technology License Agreement will grant Off Grid rights to produce and manufacture certain intellectual properties of HYEG, including the TINA Renewable Energy Carbon-Free Hydrogen Electrolysis System and H 2 Gen Electrical Generation Sets, within the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Bruner, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The Technology License Agreement will be effective upon payment of the cash purchase price in full. Under the terms of the Agreement, the cash purchase price is to be paid and the shares are to be issued in installments as follows: i. On or before July 31, 2016, Off Grid has agreed pay to HYEG $3,000,000 and in exchange HYEG has agreed issue 1,500,000 shares to Off Grid. ii. On or before August 31, 2016, Off Grid has agreed pay to HYEG $7,000,000 and HYEG has agreed issue 3,500,000 shares to Off Grid. iii. On or before September 30, 2016, Off Grid has agreed pay to HYEG $14,000,000 and HYEG has agreed issue 7,000,000 shares to Off Grid and to execute the Technology License Agreement. Theodore G. Hollinger, President and CEO of the Company stated, "this transaction allows HEC-TINA to begin prduction of its energy storage system that includes the recently acquired electrolyzer technology from Tina Energy Systems that is highly efficient and produces hydrogen and oxygen at high pressure without the need for any compressors and HEC's new highly efficient and low maintenance plate engine technology. These are combined to form the HEC-TINA Energetic Module. It supplies the necessary power when the sun isn't shinning and can also supply hydrogen fuel for vehicles. This combination is the culmination of a dream that I have had for many years. This will help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) area to reduce pollution and increase the quality of life. It also prepares HEC-TINA to start commercial production of products to be placed in substantial numbers around the world. I would like to thank the investors and Pedro Blach for helping make this dream come true." For further information about this release please contact the Company. Hydrogen Engine Center, Inc., and its subsidiary, HEC-TINA, Inc. develop systems and processes used in the design, manufacture and distribution of clean energy and carbon-free renewable hydrogen fuel systems including alternative fuel internal combustion engines, engine controls and generator systems. These technologies can provide 24 hours/day and 7 days a week energy to customers and partners in the industrial and power generation markets. The hydrogen fuel source is produced by electrolysis from water from all renewable sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric and other sources. These solutions and the engines using them are also designed to run on methanol, ammonia and other traditional renewable fuels. Engines and engine products are sold under the brand name Oxx Power. Principal offices are located at 1621 Industrial Road, Unit B, Greeneville, TN 37745. Visit www.hydrogenenginecenter.com or in the US dial 423-278-2952 for more information. This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the failure of the Common Stock Purchase Agreement to close as anticipated, the ability of the Company to commence commercial operations after several years of minimal business activity, new products and technologies that may compete with those the Company plans to offer, the Company's ability to hire and retain qualified employees, the Company's dependence on third-party suppliers, the availability of capital and other risks. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160708005849/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Lawrence County Council approve transfer and appropriation requests During Tuesday evenings meeting of the Lawrence County Council, budget transfers and additional appropriations were approved for county offices. "We must speak out against the killings of Black men within our society, as well as grieve with police officers and families across the nation. We must come together if we are to heal from this brokenness." Crowd Counting Is For The Unimaginative But This Report Still Provides Great Info On Urban Core Faith-Based Activism Peaceful Protest In The Urban Core . . . Related . . . Credit where it's due . . . A march in urban core Kansas City seemed to strike the perfect tone amid a week of tragic violence throughout the nation.A snippet of their mission statement and a brief off-topic lament that the. . . Here's what organizers had to say . . .The march was an overwhelming success.Check the MSM roundup . . .Credit where it's due . . .Amazing turnout and heartfelt activism defined this gathering.Still, more cynical denizens who have been watching local murder stats might praise this kind of advocacy but realize that people with good intentions uniting in faith really aren't the problem when it comes to increasing local and national violence.While it's fair to express cynicism that Kansas City denizens will somehow see the light and stop killing each other and the deep political and cultural divisions in the U.S. can be healed . . . The real "news" regarding this march might be that so many locals are still willing to take the the streets in hope of a miracle.You decide . . . KANSAS CITY COUNTS ANOTHER MURDER THAT PUSHES THE HOMICIDE COUNT TOWARD THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN 5 YEARS FOR THIS DATE ON THE CALENDAR!!! In the past month this is the 3rd knife related homicide which should put so much anti-gun talk in perspective. Police numbers put the yesterday's homicide count at 51 so this latest murder will DEFINITELY count as #52 compared to 37 at this time last year. The homicide solved/cleared rate has fallen to 43% which means the odds are pretty good of getting away with murder in Kansas City. Despite calls for peace and some remarkable advocacy on the part of Kansas City faith communities . . . The local body count continues.To wit . . .Morning aftermath of local domestic drama . . .Additionally . . .Meanwhile, near the midpoint of Summer the level of violence seems to be escalating with very little new ideas from City Hall beyond typical gun control rhetoric and a very real sense of frustration.Developing . . . Many rural residents across the U.S. rely on public transportation for medical appointments, shopping and other necessities. But distance and a limited number of providers can make this challenging. A startup in the NMotion Accelerator is changing that. Liberty, a spinoff from Lincoln-based Integrated Global Dimensions, is filling the gap through an Uber-like application that integrates with existing public transportation providers. Our key solution is to improve mobility in rural areas by connecting various types of public transportation with a rural Uber version, said Valerie Lefler, president and CEO. Our drivers can help improve service at night or on weekends, or when a public transit bus is on the other side of the county. Liberty also works with planning agencies, medical centers and organizations serving people with special needs. For example, the Texas Transportation Commission just approved a partnership between Liberty and the Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living. Theyre working with us to complement all the various transit agencies in the city and rural areas around Corpus Christi, Lefler said. Liberty needed to comply with Texas transportation network company requirements that include driver fingerprinting. This is a requirement that has caused Uber to pull out of cities like Austin and Galveston, as well as Corpus Christi. We are the only transportation network company going through that process, Lefler said. Does Liberty see itself as a competitor in this space? Our goal is not to be a competitor, but a private sector partner, Lefler said. We want a symbiotic, public/private partnership. Liberty has also launched service in the Scottsbluff area, serving the Nebraska panhandle through a partnership with transit provider Panhandle Trails. If theres public transportation, we want to partner, Lefler said. In counties that arent served, well work with a community or hospital. Is Liberty strictly a service for rural areas? We have a partnership with the Nebraska Families Collaborative, Lefler said. Even in an urban area like Omaha we can serve over 2,500 families to facilitate transportation. The medical community in particular has taken notice. The Liberty team recently presented at the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Transportation is cheaper than hospitalization every day of the week, Lefler said. Studies show a decrease in cost and use of emergency rooms when transportation is available. Between drivers and local management, there is the potential to add jobs in rural communities. In Scottsbluff, there will be a local Liberty community manager, Lefler said. This person will recruit drivers, coordinate training and customer service, and do promotion. Driver training is extensive, due in part to the service provided to the medical community. When someone signs up to be a driver, they get a full day of in-person training, Lefler said. This includes customer service, first aid and six hours on HIPAA compliance. Whats said in the car is absolutely confidential. So how did Lefler come up with the idea for Liberty? Shashank (Shashank Gajjala, vice president and chief technology officer) and I worked for the Department of Roads while we were at UNO and learned about the challenges for rural transportation, Lefler said. But it can take up to a year to be a public transit provider. A dear friend told me about an opportunity to serve people with special needs, and they need help right away. We brainstormed the concept until 2 in the morning at Catalyst. And how did she connect with NMotion? Our attorney directed us to the program, Lefler said. We received a Phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant and were trying to figure out how to move this forward and make it sustainable. The mentors are amazing, especially Mac Rodgers she said. His advice and mentorship and support has been priceless. Bahrain's Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning recently held a training workshop for the prequalification of engineering contracting companies. A large number of engineers, managers, project managers and staff from the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs took part in the event hosted by the Cost Engineering Directorate of the ministry in co-ordination with the Human Resources Directorate. The workshop aims to improve projects quality and provide a modern and updated database capable of handling all kinds of contracting companies and assess their performance on a regular basis to benefit all parties involved, whether contracting companies or entities from the government and private sectors, said a statement from the ministry. The objectives included clarifying the prequalification procedures for contracting companies, enhancing awareness about the importance of this service that the ministry provides through the Cost Engineering Directorate and improving co-ordination amongst the concerned sectors and directorates and their representatives at the Ministry in relation to the prequalification service, it added.-TradeArabia News Service At least 11 protesters died as crowds angered by the killing of a separatist militant clashed with armed police in India's Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, torching buildings and blocking streets, security officials said. Police sources told Reuters that demonstrators set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in towns south of the state's summer capital of Srinagar, and three officers had gone missing in the violence. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a separatist political leader, accused police of using excessive force and questioned their version of events. The protests erupted a day after security services shot dead Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old militant known for his calls to arms on social media. He led Hizb-ul Mujahideen, prominent among the groups fighting Indian control of the Muslim-majority region. His death came amid a rise in violence and separatist sentiment across the state, which has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan for decades. Photographs appeared to show thousands attending Wani's funeral in his hometown of Tral, about 40 km (25 miles) south of Srinagar, despite restrictions on the movement of people and traffic ordered the night before. "Unruly mobs attacked security forces," additional director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, SM Sahai said. "The violent incidents of arson and stone pelting were reported from several parts of Kashmir." Some of the crowds tried to enter security installations and managed to steal weapons from one police station that they used to shoot at officers, Sahai added. He put the death count at eight but two other officers, who asked not to named as they were not authorised to talk to the press, said three more people had died from their injuries. Sahai said 96 security personnel had been injured during the day's violence alongside, the two police sources added, more than 60 protestors. Farooq, the head of a faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference separatist alliance, accused police of brutish tactics. "The intention of police and Indian armed forces is always to shoot to kill and not disperse mobs by using non-lethal means," he said. He said that "maybe at one place the people attacked a police station". Farooq was one of a number of separatist leaders that authorities placed under house detention after Wani's death, and did not take part in any of the rallies. India's minister for home affairs, Rajnath Singh, released a statement on Twitter on Saturday night asking for calm. Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said Wani had now become a "new icon" for disaffected people in the state. "Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," Abdullah said on Twitter. Shops, banks and other offices were closed in Srinagar, as paramilitary troops patrolled the streets outside. Police said they halted traffic on the main highway connecting the state to the rest of India after disruptions by protestors and officials said train services had been temporarily halted in the area. Mobile Internet services were blocked across some parts of the state and cell phone service was interrupted in others. Wani, the son of a school headmaster, regularly posted video messages online, dressed in military fatigues and inviting young men to join his jihad. Separatist political leaders have called for a strike and three days of mourning.-Reuters Middle Eastern carriers registered the strongest year-over-year traffic growth with its capacity increasing 15.6 per cent in May compared to a year ago, according to data released by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airlines in the region had a 11.8 per cent rise in demand in May compared to a year ago, which was the largest increase among regions. Capacity has increased even exceeding traffic growth in 18 of the past 20 months. However, the load factor dropped 2.4 percentage points to 71.9 per cent, stated the global aviation body in its report. On the global scenario, IATA said the passenger traffic results for May showed that demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers, or RPKs) rose 4.6 per cent, compared to the same month in 2015, which was the same level achieved in April, Capacity climbed 5.5 per cent, which pushed the average load factor down 0.7 percentage points to 78.7 per cent. Demand for domestic traffic rose 5.1 per cent, outpacing international demand growth of 4.3 per cent, it added. "After a very strong start to the year, demand growth is slipping back toward more historic levels. A combination of factors are likely behind this more moderated pace of demand growth," remarked Tony Tyler, IATAs director general and CEO. "These include continuing terrorist activity and the fragile state of the global economy. Neither bode well for travel demand. And the shocks of Istanbul and the economic fallout of the Brexit vote make it difficult to see an early uptick," stated Tyler. Annual growth in international RPKs slowed for the third consecutive month, to 4.3 per cent, from 5 per cent recorded in April year-over-year. Airlines in all regions recorded growth. Total capacity climbed 6.1 per cent, causing load factor to slip 1.3 percentage points to 77.1 per cent. Asia-Pacific airlines traffic rose 5.1 per cent in May compared to the year-ago period. Capacity increased 6.4 per cent, which caused load factor to slide 1.0 percentage point to 75.1 per cent. Strong upward momentum has stalled in recent months with growth tracking sideways since the beginning of the year. European carriers May demand climbed just 2.1 per cent over May 2015, reflecting continuing fallout from the Brussels terror attack. Capacity rose 3.5 per cent and load factor dipped 1.1 percentage points to 80.6 per cent, which despite the decline still was the highest among regions. North American airlines traffic climbed 0.5 per cent as carriers continue to focus on the larger and stronger domestic markets. Capacity rose 1.9 per cent and load factor fell 1.1 percentage points to 80.1 per cent. Latin American airlines experienced a 5.1 per cent increase in traffic in May compared to the same month last year. As with Europe, upward momentum has stalled. Capacity climbed 5.2 per cent and load factor was flat at 80.2 per cent. African airlines traffic rose 9.5 per cent, continuing the trend of strong growth that is linked to the expansion of long-haul networks by the regions carriers, particularly Ethiopian Airlines. Capacity rose 10.4 per cent, and load factor slipped 0.5 percentage points to 64.5 per cent. Domestic demand rose 5.1 per cent in May compared to May 2015, which was up from the 4 per cent year-on-year growth recorded in April. Results were decidedly mixed, with Brazil, Russia and Japan all showing declines. Domestic capacity climbed 4.4 per cent, and load factor rose 0.5 percentage points to 81.7 per cent. US domestic traffic climbed 4.4 per cent in May. Having gone through a soft patch over the past six months in line with softening indicators of business confidence, demand appears to have resumed its upward trend. Brazils traffic continued to contract in May, falling 7.7 per cent compared to a year ago amidst continuing political and economic turmoil. It is down more than 10 per cent in seasonally-adjusted terms since early 2015. The shockwaves of the Brexit vote have extended worldwide and the fallout will affect the air transport industry, from both economic and regulatory perspectives. Aviation plays a vital role in supporting economic growth and development," remarked Tyler. "As the post-Brexit regulatory framework is negotiated between the EU and the UK it is critical that there are no steps backward for aviation connectivity, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Nazim Khan was cooking in the New York Marriott Marquis when the planes hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He lost two friends who were chefs in the Towers, and as he watched the chaos unfold he saw members of the Fire Department of the City of New York trying to save lives. Since then, hes wanted the chance to serve his award-winning food to firefighters and when he became Executive Chef for Bryan Medical Center a little more than a year ago, he got his chance. During the interview process for this job, I was asked, How do you like to build relationships in your community? Khan said. And I said, I love to cook for firefighters, and our CEO said, Well, lets do it. On Friday, he served lunch to the crew from Lincoln Fire and Rescues Engine 1 as part of Bryan's 90th anniversary celebration, during which employees at all Bryan campuses will perform 90 acts of kindness. Fridays menu started with an Italian salad with cured meats, artichokes, olives and a Parmesan crisp. But before anyone even sat down, half of the crew was called out to a medical emergency. An hour later, they finally got to start eating -- only to be called out again halfway through the second course of locally grown vegetables, pot roast and potatoes au gratin. For dessert, Khan hand-fired creme brulee for each of the 12 dining firefighters. So far, Khan as cooked for three LFR stations, and he plans to visit one a month until he has cooked for all 12. Theyre my heroes, he said. We can sleep better because they are right there. We feel safer. Firefighters usually cook for themselves, and Station 1 Capt. Chad Roof said they're constantly interrupted by calls when trying to make their meals. Its super exciting because typically just a matter of even getting our groceries is a pain when were super busy, Roof said. Trying to cook between calls and just our morning checks can sometimes be a hassle, so its super fun to have this experience for our crews. I think overall its just neat to see the partnership that weve developed with the hospitals. Its kind of neat that that partnership has gotten to the point where we do these kinds of things. Assistant Fire Chief Pat Borer said he is grateful for the nods from Khan and the Bryan team. All of us, when we got into this business we just wanted to help people, he said. We dont do it for the things, we dont do it for the applause or the recognition. But when we get recognized like this, when somebody goes through this kind of effort to say thank you, it is awesome. Shanghai, July 9 China will work with its G20 partners to promote global trade growth, Beijings Commerce Minister said on Saturday, as the worlds top economies met in Shanghai. Global trade is expected to grow at a tepid 2.8 per cent in 2016, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said in April, with uncertainty over Britains decision to leave the EU only adding to concerns. The economic recovery and growth is still feeble and global trade is fluctuating at a low level, Gao Hucheng said before ministers began talks, vowing: China is willing to work with all parties with wisdom, courage and action. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday ahead of the talks that 2016 would be the fifth consecutive year with trade growth below three percentits weakest sustained level in 30 years. He warned that there were no immediate signs of significant change in the current trajectory for trade growth. Gao said ministers would discuss how to boost trade and coordinate global investment strategies, as well as how to strengthen investment among G20 nations. The world is hopeful despite the still difficult tasks which lie in front of us. But there is still great hope and opportunities contained in this, Gao said. Saturdays talks bring together G20 trade ministers as well as representatives from organisations including the IMF, OECD and WTO. They will give a press conference on Sunday after two days of talks behind closed doors. China, a key driver of global growth, has seen its GDP growth slip to its slowest rate in a quarter of a century, with expansion last year weakening to 6.9 percent. The worlds largest trader in goods also saw its total trade fall eight percent last year. The World Bank identified the slump in Chinese growth and the countrys economic transition as the key factor in a sharp slowdown in global trade last year, in a report released in March. Beijing has been trying to retool its economy to encourage domestic consumption and move away from infrastructure investment and exports as the main drivers of growth, but the pace has been slow. Azevedo also appealed for cooperation in the battle to spur trade. This is a time for governments to work together to see how trade can be used to boost growth, development and job creation, he said on Friday. It is a time for vigilance against measures which hamper and restrict trade and against very damaging anti-trade rhetoric. AFP Sukhmeet Bhasin Tribune News Service Bathinda, July 9 A resident of Bangi Nihal Singhwala village has filed a complaint with the Senior Superintendent of Police demanding action against the persons who allegedly defrauded him and his son on the pretext of sending his son abroad on study visa. Amrik Singh has alleged that two accused Kamaljit Singh Dhillon, owner of Pacific Immigration near Ghode Wala Chowk and Gurdeep Singh, a resident of the Multania road area sent his son to Cyprus on tourist visa instead of study visa, despite taking money from him. He said he had two sons Gurvishal Singh and Raishamar Singh and he wanted to send one of his sons abroad for studies. Gulab Singh of the same village told him that his relative was into immigration business. The complainant struck a deal with the accused on sending his son to Cyprus on study visa at the cost of Rs 4 lakh, which included all costs. The complainant was assured of getting three year study visa for his son. Amrik Singh said he deposited Rs 4.35 lakh in three instalments into the account of the dealer. He said they took his son Gurvishal Singh with them on February 24, 2016, and there was no contact between them for 15 days. Later, his son told him that instead of sending him to Cyprus, they were making him travel in India. Later, on March 12, Gurvishal informed his father that he had reached Cyprus but the study institute were demanding more 2,000 euro from him. Gurvishal said he was told that after paying this amount, he could start studying there. Later, he came to know that his son had been send to Cyprus on tourist visa instead of study visa. The complainant has demanded from the SSP to take strict action against the accused. The shooting had already stopped, but Rob Weir arrived at his downtown Dallas highrise apartment in time to see police cruisers swarm the streets just outside his window Thursday. Weir -- graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center, and now resident physician at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center -- is happy he didn't see more. "Fortunately, I was many blocks away at the time of the shooting," he said in an email Saturday. "I think it was around 11 p.m. when I counted 20 vehicles with flashing lights outside my window. "I was following the live news stream, and it was a pretty frightening time. Our streets were on lock down for the most part, and eventually there was discussion of multiple bombs potentially being planted downtown." The only explosion came about 1:30 a.m., when police attached a bomb to a robot and used it to kill the man who had gunned down 12 policemen, killing five. Weir was less than half a mile away, and heard nothing. Yet he's felt the weight of that night's events like any Dallas resident, or any American. "The biggest thing that has been notable I think has just been a kind of looming feeling of sadness over the city," he said during a brief phone interview, on break from being on call at the hospital. He wouldn't say whether he's seen any of the victims at his hospital, about 10 miles from the shooting scene, although news reports don't mention any officers being taken there. For those in the health care industry, "It's a sad time for us to see that fallout that comes from those sorts of things," he said. But even two days after the shootings, Dallas is attempting to maintain some sense of normalcy and perseverance following what most hope -- and pray -- was an isolated event. Certain roads remained blocked Friday night, but "people are still out walking around," Weir said, even in areas close to the shooting scene. He wants people to know that, before a rogue shooter started firing, Thursday's protest in Dallas was peaceful and positive, like others across the country intended to draw attention to recent high-profile killings of black men at the hands of police officers. Dallas is a "very integrated" city, Weir said. "We usually don't, at least in my experience, deal with much racial tension." "There can definitely be tempers flaring on any sort of side. ... It's just important to remember at the end of the day we're all human." Tribune News Service Karnal, July 9 In an apparent case of honour killing, a man allegedly hacked to death his 16-year-old girl at Shekhpura village in Assandh block in this district on Friday night. After the incident, accused Karnail Singh surrendered to police. According to information, the girl had gone to meet her male friend in the adjoining village on Friday, whose family sounded her father. When the girl returned, her father attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, said Assandh SHO Harvinder Singh. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared brought dead. A case had been registered against her father, he added. Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 9 A day after Bhupinder Singh Hoodas close friends Kuldeep Sharma and Karan Dalal demanded the sacking of state Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhry for her praise of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, another Congress MLA from the state, Geeta Bhukkal, came out in support of the demand. Geeta, the lawmaker from Jhajjar, today said she was shocked by the statement of Kiran, whose views are taken as the views of the party and its MLAs. Kiran had praised Khattars personal integrity at Karnal before describing the CM as a decent man surrounded by indecent people, and someone who had no control on his officers or on corruption in the state. MLAs loyal to Hooda are now gunning for Kiran, in what is also reflective of a deeper ongoing turmoil in the state Congress unit and of the simmering rivalry between the Hooda camp and Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar. Kiran is aligned with Tanwar, whose style of working has come under open criticism from 12 of 15 party MLAs (minus Kiran, Hooda and Randeep Surjewala). Bhukkal today lashed out at Kiran, saying, She must clarify her stand and explain why she said that. The state Congress president should also tell us if he agrees with what Kiran said. The Khattar Government has been responsible for the mayhem unleashed during the Jat agitation. These people have expelled three Congress MLAs against all norms of decency. This CM is presiding over the most corrupt government in the history of Haryana. If our CLP leader thinks he is decent and honest, what is our case against the BJP? Bhukkal alleged that Kiran didnt do much to secure relief for her after she and her MLA segment were victimised during the Jat agitation. At a time when BJPs leaders like Raj Kumar Saini, Rao Inderjit and Ashwani Chopra are attacking their own man Khattar, our leader is praising him. This is unimaginable, said a livid Bhukkal. Kiran, for her part, maintained that she had only said that Khattars decency was useless as he had failed to contain corruption. Kiran also said she wanted the party to fight BJP united and accused Karan Dalal of questioning Sonia Gandhis directives for Haryana MLAs to vote for lawyer RK Anand in the RS elections. Another Congress MLA from Haryana Shakuntala Khatak also questioned Kiran Choudhry for her pro-Khattar statements saying, "This is unpardonable. Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar should take action against CLP leader who is praising BJP leaders. Is she on our side or theirs. " Karnal, July 9 A 16-year-old girl was hacked to death allegedly by her father at Shekhpura village in Assandh block of the district last night. After the incident, victims father Karnail Singh surrendered to the police. Denying a case of honour killing, the Assandh police claimed that short temper led to the murder. Since the victim was a minor and engaged to Jai Bhagwan, a resident of Kaithal, the family members had delayed the marriage till her marriageable age, said the police. As per information, the victim went to meet her fiance yesterday, but the family members of Jai Bhagwan informed the girls father, who asked them to drop her at his residence. The incident took place around 9pm when the girl reached the village. Karnail Singh along with one more person attacked the girl with a sharp-edged weapon, said Harvinder Singh, SHO, Assandh. She was taken to hospital where she was declared dead, he said. TNS Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, July 9 More than a month after the government announced the status of Minister of State (MoS) for him, BJP chief whip Gian Chand Gupta is yet to assume charge. Sources said a legal hurdle had blocked Guptas anointment. It seems the MoS status may elude him, at least for now. Just three days before polling to Rajya Sabha elections, the government had announced the MoS status for Panchkula MLA Gupta. Among the senior most leaders of the BJP, Gupta was a strong contender for a ministerial berth when the Manohar Lal Khattar government was formed in October 2014. But the calculation worked in a manner that he could not find a place in the Cabinet. The governments decision had drawn sharp reaction from the Opposition. It was said the Khattar government had done this since it had apprehensions that some ruling party MLAs might go against its nominees in the Rajya Sabha elections. Sources said that after announcing the MoS status for Gupta in a hurry on June 8, the state government realised it was impossible without amending the Haryana Legislative Assembly (Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members) Act. The matter has since been hanging fire, leaving Gupta high and dry. Gupta confirmed there was a small legal hurdle, but said the government would soon resolve the matter by passing an ordinance or a Bill. Sources said the government would pass an amendment to the Act in the coming monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha, but it may not be a smooth affair since the Opposition was likely to object on the grounds that if the chief whip of the ruling party could be made the MoS, why not those from the Opposition. Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Mewat, July 9 Tension gripped the districts Tauru village, as a private school was accused of making non-Muslim children offer namaz during Eid celebrations on Thursday. This led to protest by parents today; they demonstrated outside the school and moved a resolution in the panchayat, demanding imposition of Rs5.5 lakh fine on the school and a ban on skirts for girl students. As per parents complaint to the panchayat and local administration, Green Dales Public School had organised Eid Milan celebrations on the premises. Rather than organising cultural programmes, the school invited a teacher from Delhi. He made children gather in a courtyard, asked them to put white handkerchiefs on their heads and offered namaz. This was done at the behest of an NGO that conspired to not only hurt religious sentiments of students and their parents, but also create communal unrest in the area, read the complaint. The panchayat found the school guilty and imposed a fine of Rs5.5 lakh, besides barring it from increasing fee for two years, a member of the panchayat said. It also barred girl students from wearing skirts and instructed the school to introduce salwar-kameez. A compromise has been reached between the panchayat and the school authorities. The school has agreed to go by the panchayats decisions, said Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mani Ram Sharma. He discounted any report of communal tension or law and order problem. The panchayat respects all religions and festivals, but involving students in prayers or rituals without their parents consent in unacceptable. So, the parents approached the panchayat, said the panchayat member. The school authorities refrained from issuing any statement. Tribune News Service Shimla, July 9 Accusing Virbhadra Singh of using the state to annihilate his political adversaries, the CPM today demanded his resignation for the illegal and unconstitutional manner in which the striking party activists were lifted forcibly and dumped near Sadhupul. CPM leader and Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar said the Chief Minister should resign immediately and stop intimidating his political opponents. The manner in which Rakesh Singha, former MLA and CPM leader, along with another person, was lifted from near the Secretariat where they had been on an indefinite fast for the seventh consecutive day was inhuman and illegal, he said. Panwar said rather than taking them to hospital, Singha and Sanju Negi were bundled into a police truck and taken to the Sadhupul area. Despite repeated requests by the two that Singha was unwell, he was taken to an ayurvedic practitioner in Sadhupul and left there, he said. It was after the matter was brought to the notice of senior police officials that Singha was brought to Shimla and given medical aid, he added. He demanded that an FIR must be lodged against the police officials who behaved in such an irresponsible manner which could have cost Singhas life. The CPM will hold a protest demonstration throughout the state on July 11 and burn effigies of the Chief Minister, he said. Panwar said the Governor would also be apprised of the breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the state. He added that the CPM would continue to fight for the rights of the workers of the Shongtong-Karcham power project in Kinnaur. Rather than resolving the deadlock and giving the workers their due, the government is acting in a partisan manner to protect the interest of the company and sub-contractors, he lamented. Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, July 9 The indecision on the part of the government to promote seven Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers of the 1986 batch to the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) has led to a wave of resentment. Even though it has been more than 15 days since the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary was held, clearing the names of all seven officers belonging to the 1986 batch, the decision is pending owing to reservations about some names. Members of the Indian Forest Service Officers Association are even contemplating meeting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh so that the decks could be cleared for their promotion. The IFS officers belonging to the 1988 and 89 batches have already been promoted to the rank of APCCF in most other states. When in the case of IAS and IPS officers the entire batch is promoted, why should the government adopt different norms when it comes to the forest service officers, said some IFS officers. They added that there were clear-cut rules laid down for the officers belonging to the All-India Services and the state government or political bosses could not use their whims and fancies to discriminate with them. Three posts of APCCF are vacant. We can immediately promote and appoint three persons while the rest can be accommodated as and when vacancies are created on retirement, said sources. Chaired by the Chief Secretary, members of the DPC are the Additional Chief Secretary (Personnel), Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) . Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Una, July 9 There seems to be no end to the impasse between truckers and industrialists of Tahliwal, one of the biggest industrial areas of the state after Baddi and Nalagarh, despite the efforts of Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Sources said the truck union of Tahliwal had stopped the entry of containers sent by private companies for packaging. The industrialists alleged that the union did not have its own containers and that any export order had to be sealed inside the industry after quality check. Companies placing export orders do not allow any alteration in the containers after they are sealed, they said. The truck operators want us to take material in their vehicles from Tahliwal and shift it to the containers at some other place. This is illogical as the companies do not allow any alteration once the containers are moved out of the industry, the traders said. They said they were suffering huge losses due to the stalemate. Owner of Ram Kripa Agro Food Pvt Ltd Rajinder Arora said his export consignment was blocked by the truck operators. The union does not have the containers, still it is blocking our consignments. Its members even beat up drivers of our trucks, he said. Rakesh Chawla, general manager, Surjeet Starch, one of the biggest units in the Bathu industrial area, said they were also facing problems in sending their export consignments as the local truck union was not allowing them to operate their trucks. The industrialists alleged that the union was charging exorbitantly high and that its services were poor. They said the state government should frame a transport policy for industrial areas and fix transportation charges. The industrialists also met the Deputy Commissioner of Una. Majid Jahangir & Suhail A Shah Tribune News Service Srinagar/Anantnag, July 9 A day after top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wanis death, the Kashmir valley witnessed protests and clashes that left 11 dead when security forces allegedly opened fire. More than 150 persons, including policemen, were injured in the day-long clashes as the security forces struggled to quell protesters in almost all districts. As a precautionary step, the authorities have suspended the Amarnath yatra. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Burhan was killed on Friday in a gunfight in south Kashmirs Anantnag district along with his two accomplices. The protests broke out immediately after the news of his death. The separatists in Kashmir have extended the call for strike to July 10 and 11. Among those killed today were Amir Bashir Khan of Verinag, Saqib Manzoor Mir and Yawar Manzoor of Khundroo Achabal, Aijaz Ahmad Thakur of Siligam Ashmuqam, Mohammad Asif Dar of Halpora Kokernag and Showkat Ahmed of Arwani Bijbehara. #WATCH Locals in Srinagar protest against killing of terrorist Burhan Wani, a militant of Hizbul Mujahideenhttps://t.co/2TndwyD0Oa ANI (@ANI_news) July 9, 2016 There were incidents of arson and stone-pelting across the Valley. At a couple of places during crowd control, eight persons died, Additional Director General of Police SM Sahai told mediapersons in Srinagar. He said at many places the mobs tried to enter establishments of security forces to loot weapons. They attacked BSF posts and vital installations, he said. A mob looted weapons at the Damhal Hanjipore police station and opened fire, injuring three policemen. Twenty of our men were taken hostage. Three policemen are missing, Sahai said, adding that 96 personnel were seriously injured. Last night, the Haal (Pulwama) minority camp was attacked. The CRPF men came under fire and some abandoned houses were set on fire, he said. The ADGP said the militants also carried out an attack on the District Police Lines, Pulwama, which was repulsed. The trouble began late Friday night in Qaimoh area of Kulgam where the security forces allegedly opened fire at a youth protesting the killing of the Hizbul commander. This led to an attack on the BJP office in Kulgam. In Srinagar, curfew was imposed in old areas. Restrictions were imposed in Safakadal, Maharaj Gunj, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari and Maisuma. Mobile Internet services and train services were suspended. Nevertheless, clashes and protests broke out in several parts of the city. Tens of thousands of people attended Burhans burial in south Kashmir`s Tral today. Forty funeral prayers were held for the slain commander. Appealing to the people not to let their children out on the streets, the Additional DGP said: This kind of situation does result in casualties that we have seen today, which is very unfortunate. We would have liked that not to happen. Human remains found along the Big Blue River in Gage County have been identified. A forensic investigation said bones found in June belonged to a Native American male "associated with early American Indians," according to the Gage County Sheriff's office. The man's remains are being returned. A kayaker found what he thought was a turtle shell along a sandbar northwest of Beatrice in June. The kayaker called the sheriff's office after realizing his discovery was not a turtle but possibly a portion of a human skull. On June 28, the Gage County Attorney's Office was informed of the investigation. The Nebraska State Historical Society also was notified. A forensic anthropologist was contacted and he positively identified the remains as human. The Forensic Anthropological Consultants laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas, examined the find and identified it as a human frontal bone. The frontal bone is the part of the skull that covers the forehead and eye sockets. The remains are being returned to the sheriff's office and in accordance with Nebraska statutes will be turned over to the Nebraska State Historical Society, which will work with the Commission on Indian Affairs to determine how to properly handle the find. The sheriff's office does not believe the remains represent an active or known criminal case in Gage County. Amit Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, July 9 State authorities suspended the Amarnath Yatra on Saturday as tension rose in Kashmir following Fridays killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani. Hundreds of pilgrims at Jammus Yatri Niwas were not allowed to leave for the pilgrimage. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Keeping in view the law and order tension in Kashmir after the killing of HM Commander and two other militants, the yatra has been suspended for today. We will review the situation again in the evening and the Yatra will be sent tomorrow if the situation and weather allows, Ashkoor Wani Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Jammu-Kathua Range, said. Pilgrims scheduled to leave the Jammu base camp on Saturday were accommodated in Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar. They will be accommodated in the next batch of the yatra. Although the yatra will continue from Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir, the pilgrims would be advised to remain at the camps until further notice. Security has been heightened across the Valley after separatists called for a shutdown to protest the killing. Wani who had come to be considered Hizb's poster boy was one of three militants killed in an operation by security forces in Anantnag district on Friday. In his video last month, Wani, 21, said the militant group will not harm the Amarnath pilgrims as "they are our guests". He had been responding to a senior security force officer's claims that the group could attack Amarnath pilgrims. Rifat Mohidin Tribune News Service Srinagar, July 9 All the exams have been postponed across Kashmir following the fresh wave of protests and restrictions in the aftermath of the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. The Central Board of School Education (CBSE) has postponed the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) exams scheduled for July 10 in wake of the restrictions in parts of Srinagar. The next date of the UGC- NET for Srinagar will be informed in due course of time an official communication informed the students. The J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) on Saturday postponed the exam for the post of Medical Officer and Medical Officer (Ayurvedic) which was scheduled to be held on Sunday. The Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) also postponed the exams of class 11th scheduled for tomorrow. JKBOSE chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt said the exams have been postponed in view of the prevailing situation. All the exams in the three universities across the Valley, including University of Kashmir, the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) and the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), have been postponed for two days. The J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) has also postponed the counseling for the three year diploma courses in polytechnic, engineering classes scheduled from July 10-11. BOPEE chairman said that the new dates will be notified soon. Srinagar, July 9 Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that Kashmir's "disaffected" found a "new icon" in Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and voiced fears that his death could lead to more youngsters being radicalised. "Mark my words Burhan's ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," Abdullah wrote on microblogging site Twitter. "After many years, I hear slogans for 'Azadi' resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon yesterday," the National Conference leader said. People assembled in Tral Wanis hometown in Pulwama district for Wanis funeral. The former chief minister said on Friday that Wani was not the first, nor will he be the last, to take up arms, so long as the Kashmir problem remained unresolved. "For all Burhan's social media activity I don't recall any militancy incident attributed to him while I was in office. Not sure after that," said. Wani, considered to be Hizbul Mujahideens most prominent face, was among the three militants security forces shot dead on Friday in Anantnags Kokernag. PTI Amit Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, July 9 In the aftermath of tension in the Kashmir Valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani, over 10,000 Amarnath pilgrims were left stranded at various places in Jammu. Several vehicles bringing the pilgrims back were damaged by protestors in the Valley. The ninth batch of the Yatra was not allowed to move towards the Valley after tension over the killing. The pilgrims going directly to valley were also stopped at different places enroute to the Valley. As per an official figure, 5,500 pilgrims are stranded in Jammu city, whereas there are reports that about 3,000 pilgrims are stranded at eight different langars at Udhampur and many of the vehicles ferrying devotees have been stopped at Lakhanpur. The annual Yatra was going smoothly as over 1 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine by Friday. The killing of Burhan Wani triggered widespread protests and clashes in the valley and the administration had no other option but to suspend the pilgrimage. Several vehicles ferrying pilgrims returning from Kashmir were attacked by protestors in the valley and thousands of people are still stranded there. It will be the biggest challenge for the government to evacuate pilgrims from Kashmir. The yatri niwas at Jammu is jam -packed as more than 2,000 pilgrims were given specific dates to proceed for the Valley from Jammu. As many as 5,500 pilgrims are stuck in Jammu till now. We already have made arrangements for 10,000 pilgrims in Jammu at different social and religious places. Sufficient langers are there at the yatri niwas, said DC Simrandeep Singh. The local hoteliers association is also offering 30 per cent discounts for pilgrims, he added. The administration has also snapped mobile and internet services in the state to stop the provocative messages on the situation in Kashmir. The restrictions on the mobile services are also affecting the pilgrims stranded at different places in Jammu as it restricts them to communicate with their families. Mobile, internet services snapped About 10, 000 devotees stranded Protesters attack vehicles ferrying pilgrims in Valley 5,500 pilgrims stranded in Jammu city 3,000 pilgrims stranded at eight langars at Udhampur and many vehicles ferrying devotees stopped at Lakhanpur Mobile and internet services in the state snapped to stop provocative messages circulating on the situation in Kashmir Jammu hoteliers association offering 30% discounts for pilgrims Ramban peaceful Batote: Strict traffic restrictions were placed on the movement of vehicles in Ramban district today in view of the unrest in the Valley. Besides a minor stone-pelting incident and a peaceful protest in Banihal, the situation remained normal in the district. Shops and other business establishments remained closed till the afternoon. Sources said some protesters pelted stones on SSB and CRPF camps in Banihal. However, troops showed restraint and did not retaliate. No vehicle was allowed to move towards the Kashmir Valley. Due to restricted movement, traffic snarls were witnessed at several places. Many buses and other vehicles returning from the Amarnath cave shrine had their windows broken. OC Pilgrims leave Pahalgam, Baltal camps for holy cave Srinagar: A total of 15,684 pilgrims on Saturday visited the Amarnath cave shrine. With this, the total number of pilgrims who have had darshan so far has gone up to 1,18,747. SM Sahai, ADGP, CID, said the police was trying to resume the movement of yatri convoys between Jammu and the base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir. While the movement of pilgrims from Jammu was suspended in view of the law and order situation in the Kashmir valley on Saturday, pilgrims who were already at Pahalgam and Baltal began the trek to the cave. More than 6,400 devotees left Baltal near Sonmarg on the 14-km trek to pay obeisance. Nearly 9,000 pilgrims, who were to start their return journey, were stranded at the Baltal base due to the law and order situation, officials said. Many pilgrims who were to arrive in Baltal this morning via Srinagar were stopped at Manigam, the officials said. Ganderbal DC Tariq Hussain Ganai said the return journey of the devotees would be allowed only after assessing the law and order situation in coordination with the officials of the districts through which the convoys were to pass. He said till then the yatris would be stationed at Baltal where enough accommodation, ration and other facilities were available. The number of pilgrims at Baltal is expected to rise by this evening with the return of those having performed the pilgrimage. The police said that 6,510 pilgrims left Nunwan base camp this morning towards the cave shrine. As many as 100 pilgrims stranded at Pahalgam on their return after performing the pilgrimage were awaiting transportation to Jammu. Ehsan Fazili, TNS Manas Dasgupta Ahemedabad, July 9 Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal today said his party would organise rallies in Gujarat to seek public opinion on whether AAP should contest the 2017 Assembly elections. Kejriwal, who arrived here today, was expected to kickstart partys campaign in the state. He, however, said if AAP contested the polls, it would do so without the money of Ambanis and Adanis. The Delhi CM blamed his Gujarat counterpart Anandiben Patel for curtailing his visit to the state by a day by forcing the organisers to withdraw their invite to him. Kejriwal said he had no idea why Anandibenji put pressure on Surat traders and organisers to get the meeting cancelled. This is not right, in a democracy everyone has the right to meet anyone they want, he said, adding he would make another trip to Surat soon. Kejriwal was originally scheduled to visit Gujarat for two days with the Surat meeting slated for Sunday but had to cut it by a day after the Surat traders called off the meeting about a week ago. Kejriwal was accompanied by his party leader Kumar Vishwas. Kejriwal later addressed a meeting in Somnath and on way back to Rajkot for the night halt met some farmers in Keshod and Jetalsar to discuss their problems. Guwahati, July 9 A militant belonging to the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit faction), Pradip Brahma, alias Pwler, has been convicted for life by the special court of National Investigation Agency here for his involvement in the killing of seven persons. On May 1, 2014, a group of NDFB (S) militants entered the house of Batchu Seikh in Balapara village in Kokrajhar district of Assam and resorted to indiscriminate firing. TNS Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy New Delhi, July 9 Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday posted on Twitter a photo purportedly showing Pragya Thakur seated beside Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond? the Congress General Secretary wrote in a series of tweets along with the photograph. However, it was not clear when the purported photograph was taken. Digvijay's reaction came after BJP called his claims that the Home Minister had met the Thakur a key suspect in the Malegaon blasts of 2008 baseless. Digvijay accused Singh of meeting Thakur in 2008 the same year as the blast while the BJP was in the opposition. The Congress leader, who has similar claims in that Singh had denied, raked up the issue after the BJP targeted him over a 2012 video showing him praising controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him. Taking a dig over the video issue, Digvijay tweeted on Friday: "4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! Double standards." "Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very kind and considerate towards me. Thanks for free Publicity and keeping me in News ! Dig out some more such cases. Put your full Team to find everything against Digvijaya (sic) !", he said in a series of tweets. The BJP has been insisting that Zakir was a "threat" to national security as it was clear from his speeches that he "incited" people. Digvijay also raked up the issue of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik meeting JuD chief Hafiz Sayeed in Pakistan by posting a photo of the meeting. "Does Media and the Modi Bhakts recognise them? Hafiz Sayeed and Ved Pratap Vedic in Pakistan. We raised the issue in Parliament and Modi Govt didn't react. "But the Modi Bhakts were quiet and so were the Sanghi elements in Media," he said. "Pakistan Govt would have "never allowed' Vedic ji to meet Hafiz Sayeed if he was not a part of back channel Diplomacy between India & Pakistan," he claimed. PTI Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Sangrur, July 9 The district police today grilled AAP MLA from Delhi Naresh Yadav for eight hours in connection with the desecration of the Quran at Malerkotla on June 24, claiming there was enough proof to arrest the legislator. However, Yadav alleged that the police not only harassed him but misbehaved too though he answered all their queries. Yadav said he would not succumb to their pressure tactics, reiterating that he had been falsely implicated under a political conspiracy. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) A large number of AAP workers remained present in front of the CIA office during Yadavs questioning. Pritpal Singh Thind, SSP, said after todays interrogation, they had enough evidence to proceed against Yadav, but would arrest him (from Delhi) after collecting more proof. The SSP said the police had prepared 100 questions and had grilled the MLA thoroughly. Besides Yadav, they had questioned Sanjay Kumar, the owner of the vehicle used in the sacrilege, and an NRI from Moga, Kewal Singh Sangha. Sangha, he said, did not know Yadav but had admitted meeting key accused Vijay Kumar though no talks were held on paying Rs 1 crore to Yadav for AAP ticket. Mumbai, July 9 A social group on Saturday started an online petition to press for the release of Hamid N Ansari, a Mumbaikar who is languishing in a Pakistani jail for four years. An engineer-cum-MBA, Ansari, 31, a resident of Andheri suburb, had gone to Kabul, Afghanistan, for a job interview in November 2012. He had befriended a Pakistani girl on Facebook and later reportedly crossed over into Pakistans Kohat to save her from being forcibly married off to a man twice her age. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The petition started by Prasanna Chandrasekar, said the girl shared her despair and pleaded for help to Ansari, who decided to save her, as was evident from the communication they exchanged. On November 12, 2012, Ansari crossed the border at Jalalabad to Peshawar, though all contact with him had been cut off two days earlier. Later, it transpired that he was detained by the Pakistani authorities, was taken in custody by the Pakistan Army and was undergoing trial in a military court there. These startling facts came to light in Jaunary this year after his mother Fauzia Ansari filed a petition, and said he was punished for a three-year jail term on November 14, 2015. Mumbai Congress ex-legislator Krishna Hegde said the Peshawar High Court had urged the authorities concerned to consider including the three years Ansari had already spent in jail as an undertrial and also announced his expected release date. The online petition says its almost four years now but Ansari has still not been released, causing great despair to his parents, Nehal and Fauzia, who have been making great efforts for his return. They have written to top authorities in Indian and Pakistani governments, seeking their intervention.IANS Pietermaritzburg (SA), July 9 Reliving history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday retraced Mahatma Gandhis train journey in South Africa as he travelled to a railway station where Gandhi was thrown out of a train compartment that proved to be a turning point in his life. On the second day of his visit to South Africa, Modi boarded a train at Pentrich and travelled to Pietermaritzburg, a distance of around 15 km, paying tribute to Gandhi's fight against racial discrimination. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) On June 7, 1893, while Gandhi was on his way to Pretoria from Durban, a white man objected to his presence in a first-class carriage, and he was ordered to move to the third-class compartment. Gandhi had a valid first-class ticket and refused to obey the orders following which he was thrown out of the train at Pietermaritzburg station in a winter night. He had stayed at the station that night in shivering cold and the bitter incident had played a major role in Gandhi's decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination against Indians there. Read more: India working to achieve 8% growth: Modi The Prime Minister visited the spot where Gandhi was offloaded from the train. Modi also visited the Phoenix Settlement, which is very closely associated with Gandhi. "PM travels from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg. Train resembles the one on which Gandhi ji travelled," the PMO tweeted. After talks with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Prime Minister yesterday had paid glowing tribute to Gandhi as well as Nelson Mandela. "For me personally, this visit is an opportunity to pay homage to two of the greatest human souls to have ever walked this Earth Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela," Modi had said. He further said, "We stood together in our common fight against racial subjugation and colonialism. It was in South Africa that Gandhi found his true calling. He belongs as much to India as to South Africa." PTI Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described his visit to South Africa as tirth yatra as he traced the steps of young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was thrown out of a first-class compartment at Pietermaritzburg railway station in 1893. Gandhi, on June 7, 1893 was travelling to Pretoria for a court case when he was asked to move to a third-class compartment because of the colour of his skin. He refused, saying he had a valid ticket for the first class, and, as a result, was thrown out of the train. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) That incident was a turning point in the life of the young Gandhi and also proved to be a turning point for India. The PM summed it up when he remarked after finishing the train journey, This is the land where the journey of a man ended and the journey of a Mahatma began. The PM today boarded a train from Pentrich Railway Station to Pietermaritzburg, as he traced the historical journey of the young Gandhi. In Durban today, the PM focussed less on the political aspect of the visit and chose to make an emotional connect to a country with which India has long shared historical and traditional ties. Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa to a country free from apartheid, publicly acknowledged the influence of Gandhi on him. Mandelas party, the African National Congress, also shared close links with the Indian National Congress. South Africas journey has been like a tirth yatra for me. I have visited all three places which are significant in Indias history and Mahatma Gandhis life, Modi said. The PM later opened an exhibition, The Birthplace of Satyagraha at the train station in Pietermaritzburg on Gandhis life. Even today there is a plaque at the station which reads: In the vicinity of this plaque, MK Gandhi was evicted from a first-class compartment on the night of 7 June 1893. This incident changed the course of his life. He took up the fight against racial oppression. His active non-violence started from that date. Tribune News Service Bathinda, July 9 Convener of Pehlan Punjab Lokhit Abhiyan Jagmeet Brar today said: The seed we planted in Chapper Chiri is fast growing into a statewide movement against drugs and suicides. Addressing representatives of the Malwa constituency, Brar claimed: People of Punjab, especially the youth, have shown a massive response to our efforts as is visible from the membership of 22 lakh people. Brar said in the last one month, volunteers had visited over 2,000 villages across Punjab. Feedback showed that the topmost problem in Punjab today was the death of village economy due to high debt, drug abuse and unemployment. He alleged that there was a total collapse of law and order in Punjab. The recent desecration of Quran in Malerkotla showed a clear pattern of deliberate actions by the Akalis to disturb communal harmony in the state, he alleged. He also alleged that the recruitment scam might have its roots in Kolianwali's house, but the fruit had reached CMs house. Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Nawanshahr, July 9 Differences between PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh and chief spokesperson Sunil Jakhar came to the fore with Amarinder saying that he was not aware of Jakhars decision to go on indefinite strike on the SYL issue. He said he learnt about it only through newspaper reports. Asked if he would support Jakhar, he said: Let him meet me. Then I will discuss why and how he announced this. He, however, added: Jakhar is the chief spokesperson of the party and incharge of the media cell. If he has announced something, the party owns his statement. The PPCC chief was in Balachaur for his Halke Vich Captain programme. Will talk to him: Jakhar Jakhar said: I do not think he has contradicted me. He is concerned about me. I will talk to him on July 13 before I serve a notice to the CM on July 14. Tribune News Service Faridkot, July 9 A seven-year-old boy and his six-year-old sister drowned in an eight-foot-deep pit near Sikhan Wala village on the Faridkot-Talwandi Bhai road here today. The siblings were identified as Ramandeep Singh and Gagandeep Kaur. They were studying in Class II and I, respectively, in a school near their house. The pit was dug by the workers of a private road construction company, which is executing a Rs 1,900 crore project for the four-laning and widening of the 175-km Amritsar-Bathinda highway. Left uncovered, it filled up with water after heavy showers in the afternoon. The kids were playing while their father Gurmail Singh and grandfather Gurbachan Singh, both daily wagers, were planting paddy saplings in a nearby field along the road. Around 1 pm, when Gurmail noticed that the children were not around, he started searching for them. About an hour later, he found them lying unconscious in a muddy pit. The children were rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, where the doctors declared them brought dead. A team from the Sadar police, Faridkot, reached the spot in the evening. No case had been registered till the filing of this report. Krishnaraj Iyengar Music has been an indispensible part of Sikh culture. It is believed that Guru Nanak Dev would express his spiritual realisation through music. With the words chhed rabab (pluck the rabab lute), he would address his beloved Muslim musician-companion, Bhai Mardana, who would accompany him on the strings musical instrument. Punjab ever since has been endowed with a rich classical tradition that has found dimension through Sikh devotional music. The soulful gurbani kirtans at gurdwaras employ nuances of Hindustani music, often rendered on unique instruments like the rabab, sarinda, taus and dilruba. An instrument by the name of pakhawaj jodi or simply jodi is a percussion instrument unique to Sikh music. The legendary Punjabi Sufi mystic Baba Bulleh Shah is said to have referred to this drum as Dukkad in the verse Itt Khadake, Dukkad Wajje, Tatta Hove Chulaah. Aan Faqir Te Kha Kha Jaawan, Raazi Hove Bullah (The house of God is built and within it plays the Dukkad and hymns of devotion as the stove heats up. Visiting mystics eat and go, which makes Bulleh Shah glad). Nothing but a vertically inverted version of the ancient pakhawaj or mridang drum, the jodi is said to have been invented during the time of the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev. Closely resembling the tabla, but much larger, the jodi too comprises two drums. Moist flour is smeared on the left-hand bass drum called dhaama to increase the depth and tonality. The Namdhari Sikhs are said to be torchbearers of this instrument, Sukhwinder Singh Namdhari being a prominent exponent. The robust, open and loud strokes of jodi resound in Punjabs revered Shri Bhaini Sahib in Ludhiana even today. Senior tabla maestro and scholar Pandit Arvind Mulgaonkar believes that with the emergence of khayaal style of singing during the Mughal era, jodi replaced pakhawaj as a softer, more evolved accompanying instrument to dhrupad and the tabla as an accompaniment to khayaal. When the tabla began emerging as a solo instrument, various gharana traditions such as Delhi, Farukhabad, Lucknow and Benares starting evolving. While it was pakhawaj maestro Lala Bhavanidas who brought tabla into the fold, it was Miyan Faqir Baksh-I, who pioneered playing Punjab gharana on the table, explains Pandit Mulgaonkar. He believes it was because Faqir Bakhsh-1 was denied the title of Khalifa or torchbearer after his fathers death that he took to tabla in retaliation. A new style evolved where elements of Pakhawaj were incorporated into tabla. Bold, masculine, open, weighty bols or syllables are the forte of Punjab gharana. Miyan Faqir Bakhsh-I began a unique tradition of tabla wherein his descendant, grandmaster Miyan Faqir Bakhsh-2, and his son Miyan Qadir Bakhsh (teacher of Ustad Allahrakha), Baba Malang Khan, Abbu Khan, Karam Ilahi and Karim Bakhsh Pairna to name a few, made history as performers, composers and teachers. The chief disciple of Faqir Bakhsh-2 and one of the pillars of Punjab gharana was the legendary Ustad Firoz Khan. The maestro settled in Calcutta where many became his disciples. These included the revered Guru Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh (Gyan Babu). Firoz Khan saheb was a rare genius. The unique design and flavour of his very difficult compositions are of the highest caliber. His repertoire has grown on me as I have evolved, explains world renowned tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, who is Gyan Babus disciple. The maestro dazzles audiences with his renditions of Ustad Firoz Khan. These are an example of unmatched spontaneity, flamboyance, robust eloquence, subtle emotionality and poetic appeal. Gyan Babu immensely contributed to the style with his own compositions in Punjab flavour, giving it refined sophistication and class. Today, the gharana is divided between Indian and Pakistan with past and present maestros like Allah Ditta, Pawan Kumar Verma, Shaukat Hussain, Ghulam Abbas and even living stalwart Ustad Bhai Lakshman Sing Seen carrying on the legacy. Even maestros from other gharanas, like the legendary Ustad Amir Hussain Khan and Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, have incorporated Punjab in their oceanic repertoires. WASHINGTON -- Perusing the wires on a deadline morn, I was struck by a constellation of intellectuals struggling to translate the relative meanings of Brexit, Donald Trump and the West's populist surge against elites. At least three bright fellows caught my eye: columnist Ross Douthat of The New York Times; Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at Tufts University and a Washington Post blogger; and New Yorker writer George Saunders. I'm grateful to each for his contribution to this column. Studying the indigenous peoples is chin-stroking, good fun, no doubt about it. I like to dabble now and then myself. But reading these dissections of "the other" -- meaning not Muslims but the mostly white Americans who attend Trump rallies and who voted "leave" across the pond -- suggests a clue in that the distilling process itself sort of explains what the writers are trying to articulate. Douthat got things rolling with a recent column observing that the left/right, liberal/conservative template is being replaced with a new divide. In Western democracies, wrote Douthat, the divide will be between globalists (whom he labels "cosmopolitans," even if, he says, they're not really) and nativists. Dissecting Douthat's dissection, Drezner agreed up to a point, but suggested that one could as easily replace "nativist" with "old" and "cosmopolitan" with "young." True enough. Older folks tend to like things the way they were "in the good ol' days." But Drezner's point about the cosmopolitan/young is true because young people generally tend to be more adventurous and open to a larger world. This may be more true, however, among urbanites and the educated class who have had greater exposure to diversity, have traveled to exotic locales, are fluent in ethnic food, and may be more amenable to a globalist perspective. Indeed, Drezner refers to a YouGov breakdown of the Brexit vote: 75 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted to remain, while only 39 percent of over-65 voters did. While we're at it, why not break it down into educated vs. poorly educated, not that all Trump voters are uneducated. And certainly not that educated people are necessarily smart or wise. But it was Trump, referring to his fans, who said, "I love the poorly educated." When was the last time you heard a presidential candidate say that? Douthat's main point, which I've necessarily reduced to a mere teaspoon of sauce (or, God willing, a soupcon), was basically that cosmopolitans don't understand people beyond their circuit of fellow professionals and, crucially, talk only to each other in essentially non-diverse ways. Also true. Wrapping up my morning menu was Saunders' amusing romp through Trumpland to learn just who these people are who support Trump. He came as a reporter but seems more like an anthropologist on a virgin foray into the "out yonder." He might as well have been studying the mating rituals of honey badgers. Perhaps he was! Reeling from snarling confrontations between Trumpies and protesters, Saunders escaped across the avenue to an "Old Mexico"-themed mini-mall where, to his surprising solace, a wedding was about to begin, featuring bridesmaids promenading, each with a dog on a leash and wearing a tutu. As reality goes, I'd take the latter, too. Over the next many months, millions more words will be dedicated to summarizing the hearts and minds of Brexiters and Trumpists, none of whom will likely read the words they inspired. Or, if they do, they'll feel further validated in their mission to elect Trump. Besides, they know who they are and what they're up to, which I can say with some authority having actually lived among "ordinary Americans." High on the list is sticking it to guys who like to ride their horses high, sneering down their moisturized noses, notebooks aloft and pens poised in the belief that you need a thesaurus and a graphing app to understand human nature. Trump, by contrast, treats them with respect. He may be a pompous, arrogant, bombastic ass, but he's their ass and, most important, they share a common enemy -- the rest of us. You can take that summation to the bank -- and put a tutu on it. Kuldip Singh Dhir The year 2016 marks the tercentenary celebrations of Banda Singh Bahadur. The book Revisiting Banda Singh Bahadur and his Times comprises research papers on the life of great Sikh general presented at two seminars organised by Kurukshetra University at Kurukshetra. Historiography of Banda is diverse and rich. Contemporary Mughal court historians and chroniclers of their ilk seem to be clearly biased if we see the tone and tenor of their narrative. They abuse and criticise Banda for alleged cruelty and barbarism. Khafi Khan, Ghulam Hussain Khan, Ghulam Mohy-ud-din, Muhammad Qasim, Mirza Muhammad Harsi, Muhammad Shaffi Warid and Muhammad Qalandar Yar, all fall in this category. Sikh historians of early 19th century also vilified Banda. Some of them were ill-informed, while others condemned him only to glorify their ancestors who betrayed Banda. Sarup Das Bhala seems to lead the charge. Poetic historiography of Kesar Singh Chhiber, Rattan Singh Bhangu, Bhai Santokh Singh and Giani Gian Singh based on hearsay also results in unreliable and exaggerated account. It seems like without interrogating the available texts or sources, they dished out their own versions. Then there is Muhammad Latif, another 19th century historian, who painted Banda as anti-Muslim fanatic bent upon massacring to avenge the death of the father and sons of Guru Gobind Singh. British historians of 19th and early 20th century had their own agenda of dividing the country on the basis of religion and culture. Payne, Wheeler, Browne, Forester, Malcolm, Mc Gregor, Elphinistone, Thorton, Cunningham and lrvine, all tread, more or less the same path. However, they ipso facto, have highlighted his courageous struggle against the oppressive state, his military genius, formation of the first sovereign Sikh state, his agenda of reforms, his heroic martyrdom and his legacy. It can be concluded that the socio-political climate of the 18th and 19th centuries was not conducive for an objective and analytical study of Banda. It was only in the 20th century that objective assessment of Banda with the modern historical tools and methodology was taken up. Ganda Singh, Fauja Singh, HR Gupta, JS Grewal, Irfan Habib and Muzaffar Alam researched further. The enormity and diversity of literature on Banda, coupled with surfacing of new sources, provides opportunities to reassess and revisit Banda and his times and this is what has been attempted in these papers. The scholars have scanned the vast source material to reconstruct the image of Bairagi Madho Das, a celibate recluse, into a socially and politically committed Sikh, faithful to his master till his martyrdom. Sukhdev Singh has made an incisive study of Latif's account. He concludes that Latif failed to assess the character of the Sikh movement under Banda. Veena Sachdeva has briefly outlined the history of seven-year-long confrontation between Banda and the Mughal state. She underlines the fact that Banda was continuously at war with the state. He was either occupying new territories or trying to regain control of these. Jaspal Kaur Dhanju has analysed Fatuhat Nama-i-Samadi's treatment of Banda. Sukhdial Singh accuses Sarup Dass Bhalla of sullying Banda's image to justify the deeds of Binod Singh and Kahn Singh of his Bhalla clan, who betrayed Banda. He rubbishes Bhangu's account of Banda as based on hearsay and rumours and terms that of Bhai Santokh Singh and Karam Singh as unreliable. Sulakhan Singh has examined the schism between Bandai Sikhs and the Tat Khalsa which is at the root of several controversies about Banda. Nazer Singh has done elaborated research work on Banda since 1934 with his thought-provoking meta-critical comments. Two papers in this volume deserve special mention because of new source material and insights regarding Banda's dreams to free the country from tyrannical Mughal empire by forging new alliances. The two scholars have given documentary proofs of Banda's overtures and correspondence which they have adduced from court vakils of rajas of Jaipur and Jodhpur as well as from Akhbar-i-Darbar-I-Mualla. Dilbagh Singh concludes that court vakils of the rajas advocated friendly terms with the Sikhs. The rajas did not take any hasty decisions and pedaled soft under pressure to join imperial campaign against Banda. Balwant Singh Dhillon has gone further to examine the diplomatic issue. He opines that Banda had entered into an understanding with the hill chiefs on the basis of his tactfulness and demonstration of power. It provided him easy access to shelter in hilly areas. He asserts that Banda took initiative to forge Sikh-Rajput alliance also. His initial success was a cause of concern for the Mughals who feared that he might escape to Rajasthan. Proposed alliance however failed to take off because of the indecisiveness and selfish interest of Rajput chiefs. The history really has its own lessons, but who cares! Aakash Mehrotra I am in Longwa, a small village on the Indo-Burma border in Nagaland and conversing with a nonagenarian headhunter, who has suddenly revealed his warrior mode, stabbing the air with his spear. I killed 10 men he recalled, with an obvious pride. He then adorned his necklace, which has metal-carved human skulls on it and showed me the machete he used to cut off the heads. It is a hard job to cleave a human head off his body. It comes with practice. he added. With every new head, the tattoos on his body would grow bolder. The Chaita or the queen of the clan was entrusted with the job of tattooing the warriors. The headhunters werent cannibals, they just believed in good offence to protect their lands. And nothing can be more offensive than cutting off your enemys head and exhibit that in your village. The Naga ended headhunting in the 1960s after the village adopted Christianity. Five decades; but the legend still lives, firing in the spontaneous performances of the headhunters and their tattoos. And these black-inked face tattoos (that gets your attention), though faded now, still shine as a mark of invincibility. A warrior had to go through a long and painful process to get ones face tattooed. It was painful, it was more like dying every day, for two weeks he said. A barb was dipped in black pigment and then hammered onto the skin for a face tattoo. But the pain does, what it is meant for, make the warrior look more ferocious. And what about women? Did they also have tattoos? I asked. He chuckled at my question. He said, They used to have tattoos on their legs up to their knees, those were rings, a ring would be marked when a girl reached her puberty to mark that she is ready to be taken and then a series of rings up to knee upon marriage, to signify that she is taken. The old eyes became teary as he recalled. I took leave from a fierce warrior to hike up a steep way, right smack on the National border to be at the Anghs house (territory chieftain), whose half house is in India and the other half in Myanmar. It is said Angh eats in India and sleeps in Myanmar. He sat near a fire on a mud floor, smoking opium, above him were skulls of mithun and antelopes, hunted by his ancestors, serving as trophies of their valour and prowess. Opium is another inseparable part of the culture of Longwa and I soon joined their company for some more conversation over smoke and grass. I have heard there are skulls in some village, I asked. You are sitting on them, came his prompt reply. For a second, I shuddered and my guide had to jolt me. The skulls had been buried under the meeting room when the village adopted Christianity. Some skulls have been kept at Shengha Chingyu for exhibition to tourists. The konyaks were pretty different from other tribes, they were apparently absolute rulers. Unlike the more democratic Nagamese tribes like Angami or Ao, Konyaks ruled vast swathes of land, and were always in look to siege more. They didnt just fight with each other but also extended their territory all the way down into the plains of Upper Assam when the Ahom rule in Assam was falling. And one thing that aided their conquests was their dexterity in making guns, which one can still find the konyak males carrying with them. That the chieftains place is an important tourists point was evident from the villagers selling their souvenirs, infront of his hut. Souvenirs, yes, Konyaks are famous for their bead art and metal carving, and here you can get a skull necklace or a necklace with boars teeth or an art-piece fashioned on a thigh bone with some delicate carving on it. Longwa is a gateway to a historical chapter that might get buried with the old headhunters. A tales slow death. A magnificent chapter of the tribal history will be lost with the death of these headhunters. One hopes the cultural heritage of the Konyaks comes to the rescue of tourism in these one of the remotest villages of India. Factfile To reach You will have to take a shared cab from Mon district in Nagaland to reach Longwa, which is 42 km from Mon. You can take an overnight bus from Kohima or use the Jorhat route to reach Mon. Jorhat route is relatively shorter, but you would require to change bus at Sonari, Assam and board another bus or shared jeep, available at Nagaland border to reach Mon. Nearest railhead and airport is Dibrugarh, you can hire a cab from there and come straight to Longwa. Stay Mon has only two hotels to speak of (cost INR 1000). You can also opt to stay at Longwa at a guest house; the amenities are very basic or opt for a homestay in Longwa. Guide It is always better to take a guide for more in-depth accounts. One can do without a guide too, if a good background research of the place is done. Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput celebrated their first wedding anniversary recently and the loving hubby posted a picture of them kissing on his Instagram. He captioned it as, Happy first anniversary my love. @mira.kapoor you are my sunshine. These days celebrities, in Bollywood and Hollywood do not shy away from showing their affection to loved ones in public. Whether its kissing, hugging or just holding hands, celebs happily pose for photos and even proclaim their love across social media platforms. Lets take a look at few prominent celebrities who are bold enough to to express their love publicly . Solid and sober Abhishek & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of Bollywoods most-loved couples, steady as a rock and always adorable together. They celebrated their 9th anniversary on April 20 this year and Abhishek uploaded a photo hugging Aishwarya. He captioned it as, 9 years of togetherness, love and hugs! At recent Kabaddi match also, they both hugged and showered love on one another enjoying the victory of their team. Kissing spree Miley Cyrus & Patrick Schwarzenegger: She has been kissing boys all over town, and not just a peck here and there. Mileys public displays of affection take place all over la la land, with the likes of Liam Hemsworth, Justin Gaston, Josh Bowman and currently, Patrick Schwarzenegger. Sealed with a kiss Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez: Justin is constantly locking lips with whomever he can seemingly get his hands on. Even when he was in an exclusive relationship with Selena Gomez, he was caught in compromising, embarrassing positions that frankly is just too hard to look at. PDA is part of his image and also what is keeping him in the media these days. Yours truly Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone: Theres no denying the fact that these two are the most talked about and make for the most adorable B-town couple. Time and again both Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have been giving us relationship goals and making us envious of their passionate and affectionate bond. One cannot get enough of this oh-so-charming couple. Love on display Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu: This couple ranks no. 1 when it comes to showing love in public. From on-screen to off-screen, pictures before the marriage and then honeymoon. The lovebirds are always seen together, giving us love lessons. Heart and soul Kim Kardashian and Kanye West: The pair has been caught holding hands most of the times whenever they make a public appearance. They have even donned matching outfits. Harish Khare LAST Monday, the Prime Minister made some changes in his Council of Ministers. Everyone was surprised that Mrs Smriti Irani had been moved out of the Human Resource Development Ministry to the somewhat forgettable Ministry of Textiles. Most Delhi-based pundits and other observers were unanimous on her demotion. Some of them have reproduced faithfully and, shamelessly unflattering briefings about her doings. It is frightening that once someone falls from grace with the system, he or she gets subjected to scurrilous character assassination. That is the new order of control and obedience. My own thinking is that Mrs Irani had to be put in her place because she was becoming, as they say, too big for her sandals. She had managed to carve out quite a profile for herself. She had already dislodged Mrs Sushma Swaraj as the resident Bharatiya nari in the current dispensation. She is young and photogenic, some find her beautiful. She has a good taste in saris neither flamboyant nor very behnji-ish. In recent months, she had proven herself capable of holding her own in that final and finest political theatre in India Parliament. She is feisty, combative, partisan, crass and a cheerful confrontationist. She speaks with the ignorant authority of the uneducated. She has that special gift for giving the reporters copy whenever she so decides, an asset that many senior members of the Cabinet conspicuously lack. She has understood that the final word rests with the Nagpur bosses and had, as HRD Minister, no qualms in deferring to their preferences and prejudices. Anyone watching her closely would have no difficulty in concluding that Smriti Irani was setting up her own parallel pulpit. This was unacceptable. Near blasphemous. There can be only one star in this one-man show that is the ruling arrangement in Delhi. She had to be brought down to earth. Her fall from grace is also a dire warning to the others. No one is untouchable. THE current turmoil in Britain has shaken up very many Indians. No one is able to make sense of the disarray in England in the aftermath of the European Union referendum. The entire English political leadership has turned out to be unequal to the task of undertaking a dramatic rearrangement of its relationship with Europe. Parties are in confusion, searching for leaders who somehow would steer the country out of the creeping confusion. Once Winston Churchill could, in a moment of uncharacteristic modesty, formulate that the nation had the lions heart. I had the luck to give the roar. Todays leaders in England have difficulty being able to make the nation raise its voice. The Indians of the older generation, in particular, are baffled at this unraveling in England. They cannot understand how a country that once ruled the world could collapse so dramatically and so completely. What has happened to the English character, wondered Natwar Singh, a self-confessed Anglophile. Just one lakh Englishmen ruled over us, kept us under control and check, he lamented when I met him in Delhi a few days ago. I am wondering what Nirad C. Chaudhuri would have made of todays England. He had dedicated his 1951 book, The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian, to the memory of the British Empire in India. That was the book that made Nirad Chaudhuri the Nirad Chaudhuri. In that dedication, he wrote: All that was good and living within us was made, shaped, and quickened by the same British rule. In India, the Oxbridge generation had quite some time ago made way for the Yale-Harvard-Princeton crop. We may have just immunised ourselves from the downstream effect of a possible English civilisational meltdown, brought about by its limited political leaders. No, thank you, we have our own homegrown limited leaders. DELHI is a giant gossip chamber. The Prime Minister may keep patting himself on the back that he is doing things differently because he is an outsider, but the morals and manners of Delhi remain unchanged. My own sense is that by the time Mr Modi has finished his prime-ministerial innings, he would himself come to appreciate the usefulness of Delhis traditional ways. One of these traditional ways is the networking among current and former bureaucrats. The good thing about the former babus is that they have the domain knowledge of how the Indian State functions and, more importantly has functioned in the past. Anyone who gets to preside over Delhi comes to acknowledge, sooner or later, their assets. The current PMO itself, for example, is headed by two formers, who saw action more than a decade ago. Anyway, the other day, I met a group of formers, all of whom had worked in powerful positions in those crucial ministries up on Raisina Hill. And, they were all puzzled by the inspired bad-mouthing that had been directed at Jayant Sinha, after he was moved out as Minister of State in the Finance Ministry, to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. However, they were unanimous that the (relatively) young Sinha had committed the cardinal sin of being smarter and brighter than his Cabinet minister. And, then, these wise men, recalled the first axiom they were taught 40 years ago at the Academy in Mussoorie by some sergeant-major-level babu: Watch against sahib ki aggadi, aur ghore ki pichhadi. (Never get ahead of the senior, and never walk behind a horse). And, interestingly enough, all these experienced hands were convinced that this was the way to maintaining a certain equilibrium. THE death of Burhan Wani, a self-styled commander in South Kashmir, was inevitable. That he was only 22 years old makes it a tragic death and the security forces alone are not responsible for this loss of life. Burhan Wani was not the first nor would he be the last young man to die for a cause. He is supposed to have captured the imagination of the people because he was adept at the use of social media tools to create a mystique about him. The new technology does enable dispersed and diverse people to experience a new solidarity and Burhan was smart enough to manufacture an aura around him: that of being an invincible, someone beyond the reach of Indian security forces. Otherwise, he was just another gun and was ordained to be eventually outgunned and gunned down. Whatever may be the nature of the much-feared eruption after Burhans death, it is time that those who care for Kashmir understand the limits of the gun. Anyone who chooses to opt for the gun must, sooner or later, die by the gun. The primary responsibility for Burhans death must lie with those older, tired, compromised men who keep luring young men to the romance of the struggle. These cynical old men periodically need the blood of young men like Burhan to sustain their separatist narrative. And, above all, it is those cold-blooded men sitting in Pakistan who want to carry on the struggle till the last Kashmiri. The Kashmir issue is a political dispute. It can be sorted out only by a political dialogue. And no dialogue can be conducted at gunpoint. Those who prefer the gun cannot be said to have the best interests of the Kashmiris at heart. VERY many readers often write to me, expressing their disagreement with the views in this column. I think it is the right of a Tribune reader. But those who write do so hesitatingly, almost apologetically. Some even beg me to not take offence. Let me reiterate: a reader is entitled to expressing his or her views, however unpalatable. There can be objection only to abusive language, but not to contrary views. Disagreement, in fact, goes well with a cup of coffee. Anyone? kaffeeklatsch@tribuneindia.com Azhar Qadri in Srinagar What changes inside a young man so much that he decides to become a militant? Samandar Wani of north Kashmirs Dooru village swears he has no idea. He had prayed the asr namaz, a third of the five prayers of the day, with his son, Sameer, last May. It was the last time Wani saw his son alive. Sameer, a militant commander, was killed in a brief gunfight with security forces last month in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, miles away from home in Sopore sub-district. I swear I have no idea what changed him. He would pray five times a day and would never lie; this you can confirm from anyone who knew him, Wani told The Tribune. The profile of Sameer sketched from the details provided by his family, friends and neighbours suggests he was a religious young man, who cleared all his debts before becoming a militant. He was not a common guy, he was very religious, said a neighbour in Dooru village. In search for the question of what motivates the new militant, the answers may lie in interplay: a growing influence of religion, failure of political processes, continued footprints of security forces on the ground which give a semblance of a perpetual siege, and real and perceived injustices. As the insurgency, intensely backed by Pakistan, completes 27 years in Kashmir valley, a new radicalisation is emerging. This is clear from the profiles of the young men who become militants, in their speeches, and in their funerals that are attended by huge crowds. People had swarmed Sameers funeral in Dooru village last month while demonstrators set ablaze a police vehicle. The most worrying part of this growing radicalisation for security agencies is that civilian population is increasingly attempting to storm the cordoned-off sites to help escape the besieged militants. In many instances, almost exclusively taking place so far in south Kashmir districts, civilians succeeded in securing the escape of militants by throwing stones at security forces and diverting their attention. It is a continuation of a phenomenon. People have become more hardened and more assertive, said Sheikh Showkat, who teaches law at Central University Kashmir. He said there are reactions to excesses against Muslims and refused to acknowledge it as radicalisation. There is a reaction to oppression and it is being labelled radicalisation, he said. On the timeline of turbulence in Kashmir, two years are often described as milestone for marking a shift from a violent to non-violent struggle. The summer agitations of 2008 and 2010, in which thousands of civilians marched on streets and later clashed with police and paramilitary forces cracking down on them, are also widely believed to have swung the mood back in favour of a more hardline approach. Hundreds were detained and often subjected to beatings and humiliation amid allegations that their release was secured only in return for money, further angering a young generation that was experimenting with non-violent modes. People got nothing out of their peaceful efforts in 2008 and 2010. Now there is anger and there is an outburst, says Showkat Bakshi, vice-president of separatist group JKLF. A police officer in the state, who has an experience in counter-insurgency operations, said there is no specific pattern to the reasons of radicalisation. Religion is one of the factors, the most important, he said. The perceived or real injustices, felt or experienced, also becomes a trigger in this process of radicalisation, which may manifest with stone-throwing, or in picking up arms against the state in an extreme case. Bakshi, who is a former militant like many in JKLF, blamed the growing radicalisation on the lack of space for moderates provided by the governments. Whether it is political moderates or religious moderates, there is no space for them and that is the biggest reason, he said. A former Army officer, who has commanded the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, blamed Pakistan for using faith and religion to get Kashmiri youth to its side. It is also obvious when you have a region in the middle of a conflict for 25-27 years, obviously there is a whole generation which has grown in the conflict religion drives them together and that helps in the growth of fervour for azadi, said the former officer, requesting anonymity. The officer said there is no denying that there is huge alienation in Kashmir, identifying the south Kashmir areas as the focal point of new militancy and new radicalisation. South Kashmir, which is made up of four districts, has registered an increased footprint of militants in recent years, many of whom are locally recruited and locally trained. The local militants operating in south Kashmir have increasingly adopted social media, circulating videos and pictures of themselves, providing a window into militant life, and creating an aura around their lives. The use of social media has expanded the clout of militants in the region and given them a direct mode of communication with the civilian population, in turn becoming a radicalising factor for the latter. The radicalisation is not only impacting the civilian population and providing recruits to militants, but it is also changing the militancy pattern in the region. In the summer of last year, a group of militants led by the oldest operating militant in north Kashmir splintered from Hizbul Mujahideen and formed Lashkar-e-Islam, or Army of Islam. The new group adopted a more radical militant vocabulary, talking less of politics and more of religion, describing themselves as Mujahideen-e-Islam, or warriors of Islam, fighting for the sake of Allah. Azhar Qadri in Tral (South Kashmir) On a stormy Friday night this week, as lightning streaked through pitch black sky, hundreds of young men gathered outside the house of Burhan Wani in the sleepy Sharifabad village of Tral sub-district. They came in small groups to this south Kashmir village and waited for Wanis body to arrive home. At 3 am, when the storm ended, the 21-year-old militant commanders body arrived and the crowd grew impatient. The slogans were shouted throughout the night as men and women jostled to have a last look at the slain militant. Wani was a teenager when he left his home to join the militants in October 2010, at a time when a paralysing summer agitation was nearing its end. He grew in the militant ranks under the command of his cousin, Adil Mir, a long-haired commander who died in June 2014. After Mirs death in a gunfight, Wani was given the command of militants in south Kashmir which comprises four districts and is home to a resurgent phase of militancy in the region. Wanis utilisation of social media, outsmarting the governments effort to win hearts and minds, became his signature style and changed the long-held perceptions about the militants. In videos and images leaked by the militants under Wanis command, the insurgency took back the control of its communication with the people and the effort quickly paid off. In police record, Wani was also identified by his code-name Arif Khan and was categorised as an A-plus-plus militant a marked man for security agencies wanted dead or alive, with a bounty of Rs 12.5 lakh. The militant numbers rose steadily as insurgency got back its glamour with young men wearing camouflages and brandishing assault rifles. The sharpest image of the new militancy revolved around Wani in which he posed with a group of 10 militants. Even as Wani took part in very few militant attacks, his dominating presence in social media made him a familiar face. In many ways, Wanis life and his death in a brief gunfight on Friday evening became a milestone in the ageing insurgency. Wani had brought a new youthfulness to the militancy and his boyish face became the insurgencys face. A senior police officer, with long experience in counter-insurgency operations, said Wanis death is going to make little impact on the resurgence of insurgency in the region and it is unlikely it will reverse the trend of new-age militancy. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: He became a youth icon, perceived as a victim of state oppression, and the heroic farewell he got will entice the youngsters who already have a propensity towards radicalisation and militancy. At Wanis funeral in Tral, men and women defied restrictions and curfews as they walked miles and sang songs of valour for him. He was brave and he was pious. I had not seen him in person but my children would show me his pictures and video on (Inter) net, said a woman, who had walked for three hours from Tral outskirts to attend Wanis funeral. Wanis body was taken to a ground, near his home, in a procession which swelled with each minute. His funeral was initially scheduled at 11:30 am on Saturday but the ground was filled before the deadline and the first of the several funerals was offered at 10 am. The second funeral was offered at 11 am and by the end of the day four funerals that filled the ground were offered as people kept swarming Tral. Tribune News Service Dehradun, July 9 Chief Minister Harish Rawat has expressed happiness over Uttarakhand standing first in the ease of doing business ranking. Rawat told mediapersons here yesterday that Uttarakhand 10 months ago was at the 23rd rank in the ease of doing business ranking but was ranked number 1 for the past four days. This shows the government was facilitating business in the state. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has allotted the ranking at the national level. Rawat said the state government had set up single window mechanism to facilitate business. The government was also laying emphaisis on developing skills among youths and thus helping them get employment. The response of the administration during cloudburst incidents this time had been timely and swift. Relief was provided to the maximum number of affected people. Rawat said besides the Ganga its tributaries should be included in the Namami Gange project. Uttarakhand has the capability to ensure the Ganga water remains clean from Gangtori up to Haridwar. He expressed gratitude to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for promising better connectivity in the state. Tribune News Service Dehradun, July 9 Chief Minister Harish Rawat has issued orders for filling vacant posts of principal in state government schools. The Chief Minister, while presiding over a meeting of the state Education Department in Dehradun today, said all vacant posts of principal should be compulsorily filled within two months. Timely filling of vacancies of principal in government schools was important to ensure their better functioning, he added. He said school education had registered a marked improvement in the state in the past one year. He also directed for prompt start of the Unnati programme in all government high schools. Rawat referred to the problems of teachers and said his government was committed to ensuring timely redress of all genuine concerns of teachers. Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, Finance Secretary DS Garbyal and Director General School Education D Sainthil Pandian attended the meeting. Tribune News Service Haridwar, July 9 The mela administration has said the directives and restrictions imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will be adhered to during the Kanwar yatra when millions of Lord Shiva devotees, called Kanwariyas, arrive in Haridwar to fetch holy Ganga jal. District Magistrate and Kanwar mela administration in charge Harbans Singh Chug chaired a meeting with traders at Mela Bhavan here today. He said the administration, the police and the Municipal Corporation would ensure that Kanwariyas follow the NGT directives so that the Ganga and its ghats remain free from pollution during the Kanwar yatra. Chief Development Officer Sonika said a mass awareness drive would be launched and cooperation of Kanwariyas, traders, NGOs, religious organisations and local people would be sought to ensure the yatra completes without causing pollution in the Ganga and at its ghats. A provision of basic amenities such as health, water, power, roads, sanitation, cleanliness and parking was also discussed. Chug gave necessary orders to government departments and nodal agencies in this regard. Special squads of the Food and Supplies Department would be formed and these would make surprise checks at eateries, dhabas, restaurants and hotels to ensure fresh and uncontaminated food is served during the Kanwar yatra. SIDCUL firms were urged to voluntarily provide water, biscuits, solar lights and other facilities to police and mela personnel and volunteers deployed on the Kanwar duty. Additional District Magistrate (Administration) Jeevan Singh Nangiyal, ADM (Finance) Abhisekh Tripathi, chief medical officer Veerendra Jangpangi, City Magistrate Jai Bharat Singh, Town Commissioner Vipra Trivedi, SDM Pratyush Singh, Roorkee SDM Gopal Singh Chauhan, SIDCUL Association president Harendra Garg, Ganga Sabha president Purushottam Sharma, general secretary Ram Kumar Mishra, Indian Red Cross Society secretary Dr Naresh Chaudhari, SIDCUL Manufacturers Association general secretary Raj Arora, traders representative Sunil Sethi, Manish Chandra and Sanjeev Chaudhari attended the meeting. Hajrah Mumtaz In some cultures, it is held that a man cannot be considered to have left this world as long as any deed he did lives on; as long as a tree he planted remains alive, or the crop he sowed remains unharvested. Abdul Sattar Edhi, by this reckoning, will live far beyond his mortal lifespan. In a country where staying free of controversy is rare indeed, Abdul Sattar Edhis decades in the glare of public attention came to an end on Friday with his reputation for doing good intact. He will long be remembered for having spent his life in the selfless service of man. Born in Bantva, Gujarat, Edhi migrated to Pakistan with his family in 1947. His father was in the trading business, primarily dealing with cloth, and that was the line of work that the young Edhi thought he would follow too. But in several interviews over the years, he said that he was appalled by the pain he saw around him, even as the horror of Partition unfolded over the subcontinent. The family, having rented a small room in a building in Karachis Jodia Bazaar, set about doing what they could. They put up a tent in Mithadars Sarafa Bazaar and, calling in a few doctors from the Civil Hospital for aid, established 11 mobile dispensaries on the city footpaths. Today, on that same spot, is the Edhi Centre; what started as a small philanthropic effort by a soul that felt keenly for the pain of others has grown into one of the largest charity networks in the world and one, remarkably, that operates overwhelmingly on private donations. Edhi opened his first free dispensary in 1951, and gradually expanded operations from one locality in Karachi to the city and then across the country and, eventually, even abroad. Today, the Edhi Foundation runs dozens of free hospitals, dispensaries, orphanages, nursing homes, kitchens, shelters for old people and rehabilitation centres for drug addicts all over Pakistan. The welfare organisation operates graveyards and morgues, and a vast fleet of the ambulances that are usually the first on the scene after accidents or acts of terrorism or militancy. Edhi workers brave gunfights, riots and ethnic or criminal battles, collect bodies of abandoned children and unidentified victims; outside the Sarafa Bazaar head office, drug addicts share footpath space with on-call ambulance drivers the dispatchers field over 6,000 calls a day in Karachi alone. Along with his wife Bilquis, a nurse with whom he worked and then married in 1966, Edhi provided the inspiration and the dedication for the running of this massive operation. Usually, the task of managing such an organisation means that those in charge end up having to distance themselves from the active field of operations. But that was far from the case with Edhi. Dressed always in a simple black tunic, he would often be seen sitting with the driver of an ambulance with a wailing siren, eliciting donations in person or helping a Foundation worker with a task, no matter how difficult. The course he chose in life required steely resolve, and he told one interviewer in 2009 that his experience during the 1965 war with India, when several parts of Karachi were bombed, was what contributed in large parts to what he became: [My wife and I] collected body parts of women and children my wife took charge of bathing the women and I did the rest. My heart became so hard after that, that I made humanity my religion and devoted my life to it. Direct interventions by the Edhi Foundation have helped thousands of people over the decades. One of the less talked-about ones are the jhoolas (cradles) that started being placed outside Edhi centres after Edhi and his wife were horrified by the realisation that children who were unwanted by their families for some reason were being killed or abandoned to die. Babies found in these jhoolas are cared for by the Foundation, and many find new guardian families. Over the years, the organisation has facilitated thousands of guardianship cases in Pakistan and abroad. But Edhi also went beyond direct interventions. It was he who filed a petition, for example, that children with unknown biological parentage should be able to apply for national identity cards, which was eventually settled in the petitioners favour. He was also summoned some years ago by the Sindh High Court to assist the court in legal points raised in a petition seeking the inclusion of guardians names in the identity documents of children of unknown biological parentage. While Edhi never went to school, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, in 2006, and another from Bedfordshire University, England, in 2010. When he had time to read, he told many interviewers, it was generally Marxist texts and material on human rights, which he said often was like his religion. Over the course of his life, he received and was nominated for several prestigious domestic and international awards. Those listed on the Edhi Foundation website include the Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service (the Philippines, 1986), the Paul Harris Fellow (Rotary International Foundation, 1993) and the Peace Prize from the former USSR for services in the Armenian earthquake disaster in 1988. He was nominated by the government for the Nobel Peace Prize, and was also shortlisted for the 2011 Tipperary International Peace Prize. In 1996, his autobiography A Mirror to the Blind (as narrated to Tehmina Durrani), was published. Despite his advancing years, Edhi remained actively involved with the Foundations work till the very end, even though since 2013 he had been struggling with a kidney disease and had been under treatment at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation in Karachi. In some cultures, it is held that a man cannot be considered to have left this world as long as any deed he did lives on; as long as a tree he planted remains alive, or the crop he sowed remains unharvested. Abdul Sattar Edhi, by this reckoning, will live far beyond his mortal lifespan. He is survived by Bilquis Edhi, two daughters and two sons. By arrangement with The Dawn The Journal Star Saturday front page article, Killer returns to the scene brings back memories for me; I lived in Big Springs the day Pope executed three and left Frank Kjeldgaard paralyzed for life. I have specific memories of the day and the week prior to Popes surrender and years of association with Frank and Ron Hendrickson. I testified at the Federal trial since I had almost run into Pope that morning when he that had stopped in front of the bank and was looking into the glass corner entrance door into the bank. I followed him up the street and noticed the car had no license plates; this was approximately one hour before the robbery and carnage. I also remember Popes antics at trial. About an hour later that morning, I remember seeing the same car parked in front of the bank and then a short time later the bank alarm sounding. Some of us rushed to the bank and of course, the car was gone, but his deed remained. How Pope managed the escape through the rural roads to cross the South Platte River at Brule, I cannot imagine even though I knew the country very well. I remember the tragedy as if it was yesterday. The fact that Loiss two sons were left orphans; Rons father being lost and the impact to the Kjeldgaard, Hendrickson and Waterman families and loss to the community itself. This notwithstanding Frank spending six months in a Denver hospital returning home confined to a wheel chair the rest of his life. These and other memories have never left many of us. Frank and I remained close friends throughout the years and we occasionally traveled some together; we spoke almost weekly by phone. I cannot remember Frank feeling sorry for himself nor expressing remorse about the situation he faced throughout his life. When I served in the Nebraska Legislature and a bill to repeal the State death penalty was introduced, I remember calling Frank for his opinion, and Frank then referred to his own situation, stating that Pope should never be freed, but not once said he should have been executed. As Joanne Eoff correctly stated, Frank would be pleased to know Pope was not paroled from the Federal system and freed. Here is another important part of the story and why Pope is being returned to Nebraska. Bob Richards was serving as Deuel County Attorney at that time. Pope had been found guilty in Federal Court, yet Bob filed murder charges and Pope was sentenced to life in Nebraska. At the time I voiced concerns to Bob, why spend Deuel County taxpayers money and the possibility of more legal challenges? I do not remember the timing and sequence of the State and Federal issues, however. Bob Richards was correct and later when we were examining the Federal Parole limits, it was clear the Pope may be paroled at some time. Because Bob was spot-on, Pope will spend the rest of his natural life in the Nebraska penal system. Some years later I called Bob and thanked him for creating a hold on Pope should he be paroled. It came to pass and if Bob were alive I would thank him once again. For those who lost family members and for Franks life disability, I am convinced that Pope serving life in prison is a much greater penalty than if he would have been executed. Of course, others may disagree, but I doubt that Frank would differ. I am glad Pope is now in Nebraska and daily has to remember what he did and the effect of his actions. In the wake of the killing of police officers in Dallas, Internet users are sharing a speech of Robert Kennedy which they say applies to the current situation. Kennedys eulogy following the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is considered one of the great speeches of the 20th century. Excerpts Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, its perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarisation black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love. For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times. My favourite poem, favourite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote: Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. What we need in the US is not division; what we need is not hatred; what we need is not violence and lawlessness, but love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, but more importantly, to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. Weve had difficult times in the past, and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and its not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land. And lets dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Seoul, July 9 North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday but the launch appears to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Koreas military said. The launch comes a day after the US and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after North Korea warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a declaration of war by the United States. That followed Washingtons blacklisting of the nations leader Kim Jong Un for alleged human rights abuses. The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The missile was likely fired from the submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The UN Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in response to North Koreas fourth nuclear test and the long-range rocket. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China, Pyongyangs sole major ally. Pyongyang also conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in April, calling it a great success that provided one more means for powerful nuclear attack. A report on 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the US, said in May that North Koreas submarine-launched ballistic missile program is making progress, but it appeared that the first ballistic missile submarine and operational missiles are unlikely to become operational before 2020. N.Korea missile fell into sea The US Strategic Command said on Saturday it had tracked what it believed was a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile fired from North Korea's east coast port of Sinpo, which then fell into the sea between the North and Japan. The command said in a statement the missile was tracked over the Sea of Japan, "where initial indications are it fell". The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile did not pose a threat to North America, it said. The Sea of Japan is known as the East Sea in South Korea. Reuters Washington, July 9 Tired of the alleged "double game" being played by Islamabad, American lawmakers have announced to hold a Congressional hearing next week to discuss whether Pakistan is a "friend or foe" of the US in the war on terror. "This hearing will give members the opportunity to learn more about Pakistan's longstanding ties to terrorist groups and allow for a more informed reassessment of US foreign policy priorities vis-a-vis Islamabad," said Congressman Ted Poe Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The hearing titled Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism? has been convened by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) "The US has spent tens of billions of taxpayer dollars in aid to Pakistan since 9/11. Now, fifteen years later, Pakistan's military and intel services are still linked to terrorist organisations and little success has been made to stabilise the region," said Congressman Matt Salmon, chairman of the subcommittee about the alleged "double game" played by Pakistan. "We must take a closer look at US goals, expectations and our aid spending in the region. In this hearing, we will discuss the Administration's failed policy toward Pakistan and debate the best way forward," Salmon said. Among the witnesses include former US ambassador to Afghanistan and United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad. The other two witnesses are Bill Roggio, senior editor, Long War Journal, and Tricia Bacon, Assistant Professor, American University. "Pakistan's long history of ties to terrorist groups, including those with American blood on their hands, is well documented," Congressman Poe said. "Pakistan's military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provide support to various terrorist organisations, including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani network, in a bid to exert influence over Pakistan's regional rivals," Poe said in a statement. In May 2016, the leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike while in Pakistan, reinforcing Pakistan's image as an unquestionable safe haven for terrorist groups, he said. In fact, in the most recent Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department noted that Pakistan 'did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or HQN [the Haqqani network], he added. "Despite the mounting evidence of Pakistan's collusion with global terrorism, Pakistan is among the leading recipients of US foreign assistance, with Congress appropriating more than USD 33 billion to Islamabad since 2002," Poe said. PTI San Francisco, July 9 Thousands took to the streets of US cities on Friday to denounce the fatal shooting by police of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia, and events in San Francisco and Phoenix also drew large crowds. Six people were injured and three were arrested in Phoenix, where police in riot gear used pepper spray on protesters, some of whom threw rocks at officers, the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement. Videos posted online showed protesters also gathering in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police early on Tuesday. The largest demonstration appeared to be in Atlanta, where thousands marched, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from broadcasters showed a large crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles blocking a local interstate highway. Friday was the second day of demonstrations against use of force by police following the fatal shootings of Sterling and of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota. The shootings stoked racial tension that has flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Reuters San Francisco, July 9 Thousands of people took to the streets in US cities on Friday to denounce the fatal police shootings of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia, and events in San Francisco and Phoenix also drew large crowds. Media did not report any immediate instances of major clashes or injuries. Thousands marched in Atlanta in what appeared to be the largest demonstration, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from broadcasters showed the massive crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles that were stopped on a local interstate highway. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of demonstrations against use of force by police in the wake of the fatal shootings of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota and 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Castile was killed by police during a traffic stop on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted live video on the Internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. Sterling was killed on Tuesday during an altercation with two white police officers outside a convenience store. Graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. No justice, no peace, no racist police, demonstrators shouted late on Friday in Baton Rouge, where state and local police in riot gear tried to keep them from blocking a busy roadway. The two shootings stoked racial tension that has flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Thursdays demonstrations were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to kill white people, launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. The police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. Reuters One of the victims of violence is discernment, the ability and willingness to make distinctions, to avoid generalizations. In the wake of the ambush of police officers in Dallas and two more incidents in which police officers shot and killed black men, discernment is exactly what is needed. Yes, police officers need public support as they courageously go about their duties. Its also true that sometimes police officers themselves commit crimes, even murder, while wearing a badge. To cite one example, earlier this year a white 74-year-old volunteer sheriffs deputy shot and killed a black suspect in Oklahoma, claiming that he mistook his own weapon for a stun gun. Yes, its true that ubiquity of cell phones is confirming the widely held view in African-American communities that sometimes police abuse their power. Its also true that police officers can be and are held accountable. The Oklahoma sheriffs deputy was charged, convicted and is now serving a prison term for manslaughter. Anger is an understandable reaction when a police officer shoots an unarmed man, especially when the man is complying with police orders. Thats what Philando Castile was doing, according to his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, when he was shot several times at close range by a police officer during a routine traffic stop for a broken tail light. And it does happen that officers shoot unarmed black men who are obeying their orders. Police video clearly showed a South Carolina s State Trooper Sean Groubert shooting Levar Jones in 2014. Fortunately Jones was only wounded. Groubert pleaded guilty to a felony count of assault and battery in March. While anger at such incidents is understandable, it can never justify striking out in blind rage at innocent targets. Thats what happened in Dallas, where a man gunned down a dozen officers, killing five. Sadly the slaying happened in a city with one of the most diverse police forces in the country, led by black Police Chief David Brown. The gunman wanted to kill white people, Brown said. "We're hurting. Our profession is hurting. There are no words to describe the atrocity that happened in our city," Brown said. "All I know is that this must stop -- this divisiveness between our police and our citizens." In Minnesota Valerie Castile, like many minority mothers, said she had always counseled her son to comply, comply, comply. She thought that would keep him safe. This has to cease. This has to stop, right now, she told a crowd of protestors. Both Valerie Castile and Chief Brown are right. To stop the cycle of violence, to keep all our communities safer, we all need to work harder at discerning the good and the bad, the right and the wrong, when to lend support and when to hold people accountable. Death penalty opponents lost a bid Friday to keep the question of whether the ultimate penalty should return to Nebraska off the ballot in November. Christy and Richard Hargesheimer of Lincoln had sought an injunction to keep Secretary of State John Gale from placing the question on the ballot, saying the petition drive that gathered some 169,000 signatures failed to disclose Gov. Pete Ricketts as a sponsor. But the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state and a pro-death penalty group, which argued that Ricketts wasnt a sponsor, despite the fact that he and his father contributed one-third of the $913,000 raised by Nebraskans for the Death Penalty and his close allies took roles to promote it. In Friday's order, Supreme Court Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman said sponsors are individuals or entities who assume responsibility for the initiative or referendum process, so Ricketts would not be required to be listed as one. Lawmakers didnt define sponsor or say what it meant to sponsor a petition in the statute, which left it a question for the court to decide. Attorneys for the Hargesheimers contended it was important for the public to know about Ricketts contributions, both financial and otherwise. But the states high court found that the disclosure of financial backers was met by other statutes that require their identification. And the court affirmed Lancaster County District Judge Lori Marets dismissal of the suit in February. The PNM is saluting one of its former Senators, Dr Lester Henry, for his contribution to nat ABC will screen a confronting short series, You Cant Ask That, which showcases misunderstood, marginalised Australians answering anonymous online questions. It will include 70 Australians some of whom are Aussies who are short statured, wheelchair users, transgendered, Muslim, sex workers and even ex-prisoners. It will premiere on iview on Wednesday 3rd August before airing on ABC broadcast that same night at 9.20pm. Broadcasts of The Katering Show will also precede it at 9.10pm. What would happen if you gave people the chance to ask societys outsiders the questions they were too embarrassed, too shy, too awkward and too scared to ask? What would happen if those stereotyped minorities were given the right to answer those questions with dignity and depth? The answer is an exercise is stereotype busting. You Cant Ask That, a 10 x 15 minute ABC original series, confronts prejudice and discrimination in a highly entertaining format, offering genuine insight into the lives of Australians who live with labels, whose days are filled with the sidelong glances and silent disapproval of others. The series plunges joyfully into the lives of short statured Australians, wheelchair users, the transgendered, Muslims, ex-prisoners, fat people, Indigenous, sex workers, the terminally ill and the polyamorous. It asks forthright and at times uncomfortable questions, which result in illuminating, moving and surprising answers. Series guests include: 76 year-old transgender woman Dr. Rosemary Jones, disability rights advocate and wheelchair user Kelly Vincent, short statured comic Imaan Hadchiti, sex worker and porn star Lucie Bee, former prisoner and infamous escapee John Killick, niqab-wearing Muslims Anisa and Sadia Khan, and Indigenous dancers from Elcho Island in far North-Eastern Arnhem Land, Danzal Baker and Wakara Ganderra. These are just some of the 70 faces who make this one of the most diverse projects to grace Australian television. You Cant Ask That is life-affirming, insightful, hilarious and refreshingly inappropriate television. But more importantly, it gives some of the most judged and least understood Australians the chance to be heard. You Cant Ask That Production Credits: An ABC production. Series Produced and Directed by Kirk Docker and Aaron Smith. ABC Executive Producer Lou Porter. The Hollywood Reporter has included Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries and A Place to Call Home amongst its 15 International Series to Binge Watch this Summer. US press have previously touted local titles such as Wentworth and Please Like Me as choice Aussie cuts for American viewers. THR says of the two titles: Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries The clever, and sharply stylish P.I. Phryne Fischer (Essie Davis) solves murders, and dresses to kill, in 1920s Melbourne. Check it out for its gorgeous set and costume design, which brings the swinging 20s to life in style. A Place to Call Home The Brits arent the only ones who can do period romance and upstairs/downstairs class conflict. This Australian delight, set in the 1950s, follows the fate of an upper class Australian family and the mysterious nurse Sarah Adams (Marta Dusseldorp), who returns home after 20 years abroad. Superbly written, and acted, this is Downton Abbey down under but less soapy, and substantially darker. For the record the other titles are: The Bletchley Circle, Occupied, The Last Kingdom, Gringoland, Kill Me, Heal Me, The Time in Between, Crime Scene Cleaner, Southcliffe, El Hipnotizador, NSU: German History X, Poldark, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, 19-2 A brand new toy, Joey, is being added to the Play School family as part of the shows 50th Birthday celebrations. The kangaroo friend designed by award winning childrens book illustrator Bruce Whatley (Diary of a Wombat, Josephine Wants to Dance, The Ugliest Dog in the World) will make her debut on the birthday episode, Come To The Party, on July 18. Play School Executive Producer, Jan Stradling says, Were very excited to welcome Joey to the Play School family and look forward to sharing her with viewers on the momentous occasion of the series 50th birthday. Its been a joy working with celebrated artist Bruce Whatley and watching him bring Joey to life. We know she will be warmly embraced by viewers all around Australia. Bruce Whatley says, Play School was such a staple part of our household when our children were growing up and as adults they still have fond memories of the presenters and toys. It was quite an honour to be asked to create the character of Joey for such an iconic production as Play School and its pretty cool to even be a small part of the nostalgia of the generations that are to follow. Tonight ABC screens the special Big Teds Excellent Adventure: 50 Years of Play School at 7:40pm, narrated by Kate Ritchie. Come To The Party airs on Play School on ABC KIDS and ABC iview at 9.30am on 18 July. A swag of international dramas has recently been added to the SBS On Demand portal -with full seasons available to binge. They include Nordic noir thrillers, US period dramas and sweeping historical sagas. US drama Manhattan, which could well be the pick of the bunch, has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its cast includes Aussie Ashley Zukerman. Fans of Lilyhammer will also find the third and final season available. SBS on Demand has recently been topped up with dramas not available on broadcast, including The Secret, Trepalium, Raised by Wolves, Modus, Kabul Kitchen and 1864: Denmarks War. Here are the titles that were added in July: Tut Canada 2015 S1: 3 eps Avan Jogia plays the young King Tut, determined to wrest control of his kingdom and eliminate those who conspire against him. Although a ruler by name, he has yet to seize control of his own kingdom from the three most powerful men in Egypt his chief advisor Ay, the formidable General Horemheb (Nonso Anoszie), and the duplicitous High Priest of Amun (Alexander Siddig). This ambitious special-event series tells the story of Tuts rise to power and his struggle to lead Egypt to glory, while his closest advisors, friends and lovers scheme for their own nefarious interests. The Passing Bells UK / Poland 2014 S1: 4 eps This moving, powerful drama, written by award-winning writer Tony Jordan (Life on Mars, The Nativity, Hustle) and featuring an international cast, spans the years of the war from 1914 to 1918. Deep in the countryside of England, Michael (Jack Lowden) and Katie (Sabrina Bartlett) are young and in love, as yet untouched by rumours of war. In a small town in Germany, delivery boy Thomas (Patrick Gibson) is equally oblivious to the rumblings of conflict coming from the continent. But as the news trickles through to their small communities, both boys are inspired by the thought of heroic deeds and foreign lands. When war is announced, both Michael and Thomas defy their parents and slip out to the recruitment office, alongside thousands of other young men. The Passing Bells is an epic WWI drama told through the eyes of two very ordinary young men who enlist in a war they expect will be over within months. Manhattan US 2014 / 2015 S1 & S2: 23 eps Set in the 1940s, Dr. Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey) and his team of brilliant but flawed scientists have been recruited to work on a project even they could know nothing about until their arrival. As the scientists are transported to The Hill, a small town on a dusty foothill in Los Alamos, New Mexico a town whose very existence is classified they begin to realise that this is no ordinary project. The government only tells them what they need to know. Torn between duty and morals, Isaacs and Winter find they have to conceal the truth from their wives (Olivia Williams and Rachel Brosnahan) as they work towards building a weapon of mass destruction. Manhattan depicts the wonder, danger and deceit that shadowed the first nuclear families. LilyHammer Norway / US 2014 S3: 8 eps (S1 & S2 also available) The first two series of Lilyhammer (also available in full on SBS On Demand) saw Frank Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt), a former underboss of the American Mafia, placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program after testifying in a trial against Aldo Delucci (Thomas Grube), the new Mafia head who had ordered a hit on him after succeeding his recently deceased brother. Frank requests that he be relocated to the rural town of Lillehammer in Norway, where he believes no one will look for him. His new identity is Norwegian-American immigrant Giovanni Johnny Henriksen. The transition from being a feared and respected gangster in New York, to becoming an unemployed immigrant in Norway is not simple. Frank soon discovers that in order to succeed in this rural Norwegian society, he must resort to his old ways. The third season explores Johnnys colourful background and his continued efforts to succeed in rural Norwegian society. Angelby Sweden 2015 S1: 12 eps When reality turns upside down, unforeseen forces may surface. Loosing both her job and her husband, Vera decides to leave the city for a new position and a new life in the town of Angelby. Her arrival is dramatic, and as she settles in Angelby, Vera becomes the focus of a murder investigation with several unusual undertones. Her life is intertwined with those of the town, but something mysterious is going on in Angelby: Vera is not here by coincidence. Critical UK 2015 S1: 13 eps Created by BAFTA-nominated writer Jed Mercurio, Critical follows a group of doctors at a state-of-the-art City General Hospitals major trauma centre a unit which treats only the most gravely ill or seriously injured. Lennie James (Storm Damage, The Walking Dead) takes the lead role as trauma surgeon Glen Boyle, who is recruited into a high-tech but malfunctioning trauma unit by his old romantic partner Fiona Lomas (Catherine Walker). He is faced with the tremendous task of welding the broken team together at the same time as they have to make life-or-death decisions by the operating table. Critical is a case-by-case drama which shows the urgency of the medical profession and encapsulates the psychological impact and emotional choices that those on the medical front line have to make. Spring Tide Sweden 2016 S1: 10 eps The year is 1990. Under the glow of a full moon, a sadistic murder is committed on Nordkoster Island a young pregnant woman is buried in the sand, so that she slowly drowns as the tide rises. 25 years later, the case remains unsolved. Olivia Ronning (Julia Ragnarsson, The Bridge), a bright student at the Police Academy, is assigned the cold case and becomes obsessed with the murder when she discovers that her father, who died several years ago, worked on the original investigation. She soon realises that she has to find the lead investigator, detective Tom Stilton (Kjell Bergqvist). Theres only one problem he has since disappeared off the face of the earth. Tom is homeless now and does not want to be reminded of his old life or an old, unsolved case he has a hard enough time just surviving. However, when horrifying videos of homeless people being brutally assaulted start showing up online, Tom decides to get revenge thrusting him back into the world of crime, and right into Olivias path. Jordskott Sweden 2015 S1: 10 eps Seven years after the mysterious disappearance of her daughter Josefine (Stina Sundlof), police investigator Eva Thornblad (Moa Gammel) is still trying to cope with her loss. Emotionally shut off and avoiding all relationships, Eva devotes herself to work as a police officer to save and protect the most innocent of them all children. When a young boy goes missing in the same forest her daughter vanished, Eva cant let go of the feeling that someone took Josefine that fatal day by Silverhojd Lake. She is convinced the two cases are linked, and there is more to it than meets the eye. Under the guise of selling the old family company she just inherited from her newly deceased father Johan Thornblad (Lars-Erik Berenett), Eva returns to her hometown of Silverhojd to find the truth behind her daughters disappearance. For six years, Dawn Reed has been helping Medicaid clients with personal and medical assistance. It's fulfilling, she said, to work with the five older or disabled people so they can stay in their homes and be somewhat independent. One of her clients has dementia, another needs help with a catheter. For others she helps with bathing, dressing, meals, cleaning. Reed said she has a grandchild with cerebral palsy, and it's made her want to do what she can to help others. But she and other care providers who contract with the state to help Medicaid recipients have seen troublesome changes since last year, with payment delays and lags in approval times for applications and recertification. Tracie Olson does grocery shopping, prepares meals and cleans about 27 hours a week for a former neighbor. She and Reed say a more complicated payment process began in October after a federal lawsuit determined all domestic workers should receive overtime pay. Since then, they say, they haven't been able to rely on timely, regular paychecks. "And who can pay their bills like that? No one," Reed said. Gayle Bachman provides part-time care for her 8-year-old grandson, who has seizures and needs supplemental feeding and other help with daily needs so her daughter can keep her job and support her family. Bachman, who is retired and has multiple sclerosis, has run into delays getting approval for two additional in-home care providers for the boy, and has had to pay them out of her own pocket until their applications are processed. "We need a provider approved in an expedited manner," she said. These women and other workers want to continue to take care of people, but the recent changes with HHS, and Maximus, the company the state contracts to enroll Medicaid providers, have them frustrated. "If you lose us, the state is going to have to start putting people in nursing homes," Reed said. Calder Lynch, Medicaid division director for the state, acknowledged the problems -- and the state's gratitude for the workers -- and said two issues converged last year about the same time and complicated matters. The state implemented a new provider enrollment system through Maximus that went into effect in December. And new billing requirements related to a federal Department of Labor rule on overtime payments for in-home care providers took effect in October. Since then, the women said, getting approved or reapproved to work as in-home Medicaid providers has stretched to three months or longer in some cases, which causes them to miss paychecks, or their clients to miss services. Before Maximus took over processing applications, it took 10 days to three weeks, they said. Ruth Firley, a client who relies on HHS Medicaid services, said that on a Friday in January, her worker called to tell her she had just gotten a letter that said, effective Jan. 1, she was no longer eligible to provide services for her. It was up to Firley to find a new provider to prepare her dinner, do chores and laundry and some personal care. "The call was Friday night. How am I to get through to anybody to get help, get approval?" Firley asked. "And so I did without help Saturday and Sunday night." Reed and Olson have put in complaints with the state Ombudsman's Office. They also met with Medicaid officials, including Lynch, to let them know the expanded payroll process, and more complex time sheets, were making life difficult for many providers. Reed, for instance, had overtime in January and February, and had to file a federal complaint to get the payment, which didn't come until June. Stephanie Beran at the state Ombudsman's Office said in a letter in early June that her office had received a surge of complaints from workers after the federal overtime changes. Beran followed up with a June 22 letter to Reed, saying she was told the worker recertification delays were due in part to a communication problem between HHS and Maximus; both assumed the other was sending notices to providers that recertification was due. Beran found the explanation from Maximus doubtful. Maximus also claimed, she said, it was not prepared for the volume of providers in Nebraska. "I find this hard to believe, as the exact number is stated right in the contract," she wrote. Beran said Maximus offered recertification extensions and HHS has offered retroactive pay, "but we again emphasized how disastrous an effect this has had." The changes were made for good reasons, Lynch said. Some came from new Affordable Care Act requirements for new providers, designed to protect Medicaid recipients and taxpayers, he said. New providers are run through Medicare databases and background checks, plus site visits, some on a monthly basis. About 38 percent of the department's billing integrity cases come from these Medicaid in-home provider claims, Lynch said. The department finds criminal histories, billing for services not rendered, overlapping hours and workers not following care plans. Lynch said the state began to comply with the federal overtime pay rule in January, manually pulling claims back to October. "It is causing some additional time for us to go in and do those calculations, to make sure we are calculating that appropriately," he said last week. "We've now paid out over $1 million in overtime payments (on more than 10,000 claims) to providers." HHS is now up to date, he said. He realizes the changes caused cash flow problems for some providers, he said, and the department has helped them fill out forms and worked with them to adjust their billing schedules. Improvements are continuing, he said. Average processing time is now about 30 days. A new software update was done about a week ago and another is coming in August. "We certainly appreciate that this has been a transition and a change for many of them, and it's required a change in how they bill and do business," Lynch said. "We're working to try and streamline it as much as possible." The department appreciates the work the providers do with the state's most vulnerable clients, he said, and understands that sometimes it feels like a thankless task. "We know that without them we would be really challenged to care for those that we have responsibility for, in their homes and in their communities, which is our goal." My great-grandfather, Wendelin Zohner, served his carpenters apprenticeship in Austria and the Moravia area. Wendelin Zohner became a skilled cabinet and coffin maker. I opened his tool boxes last weekend for the first time in many years and expected to find only tools, but found so much more. There were hidden stories inside. Wendelin and Julianna Zohner, his pregnant wife, left for America in June of 1892 because the opportunities were more promising and taxes were too high with the existing corrupt government. After arriving in New York, Wendelin and Juliana traveled to Nebraska. They settled initially in the Bellwood area and lived in a very small wash house owned by a relative. Julianna gave birth to my grandfather there. Imagine spending a cold Nebraska winter in a wash house with a wood stove and no plumbing! During their first winter, Wendelin rode on horseback to build their home and outbuildings on a farm about 10 miles away. This was in addition to hunting, fishing, chopping wood, and all the other things needed for basic survival. Eventually the buildings were completed and it was time to get back to carpentry for others. Wendelin was an opportunist that created beautiful things out of what was available. I have two of the cabinets he made out of apple crates in the late 1880s. There were very few nails used. Joints were dove-tailed together with very precise cuts. Wendelins side job or hobby was making and repairing shoes. He had cast-iron cobbler shoe molds of all sizes. Evidently it was another chapter in his need for survival. I found Wendelins tool boxes were full of handmade wooden carpentry tools. Odds are very good he made those tools. There were obviously no cords or batteries. The story they told was it took hard work to run them. The tool boxes also contained religious ornate lettering and trim for coffins. There was a geometry book and book on carpentry. There was also a small pair of old glasses with oddly hinged ear support. One message from the Wendelin tool box story is in understanding what our ancestors went through in comparison to what we have today. Some may say we are spoiled and do not appreciate modern conveniences today. Maybe thats true to some extent, but many of us do have complete appreciation for our ancestors because it has not always been an easy road for us. We appreciate their sacrifices and do not feel guilty enjoying life to the fullest. The reality is we still work hard in different ways. We have full lives and are searching for free time to get it all done. Its just different today. One nice way we are different is in much better plumbing. We went from homes with no plumbing and outhouses to homes with at least one bathroom. Its difficult to imagine what our ancestors went through to bathe or wash clothes. Odds are the odors were much different then. Our bathrooms today can be basic or really nice. For instance, Deb and I had a steam shower installed during a recent remodel. Its a far cry from what Wendelin and Julianna went through, and is a really nice feature. Its kind of like a garage door openeronce you have one it would be tough to go without it. Wendelin drilled his own well and hand-pumped water. He was at the mercy of what was available for water quality. Today we can improve all water, which is especially important to remove things like nitrates, arsenic, etc. Instead of hand pumps we have automatic faucets that work great. Deb and I have a Moen kitchen faucet that works manually or touchless controlled by the wave of a hand. Wendelin spent a lot of time heating with wood or cobs or whatever he could find. It was unhealthy and uncomfortable. Today we can attain any temperature, relative humidity, and quality of air. The smallest particles can and should be filtered out to keep lungs healthy. Wendelins story is a reflection of many of our ancestors that immigrated to the United States. They had it tough, but the benefits of the freedom in America and a brighter future was worth it. Today we can improve our lives by picking up the phone and calling the professionals to help make life better. There is a value in looking in the past, but a better value in moving forward and adapting to the great changes ahead. Russian-backed militants launched 72 attacks on ATO troops in eastern Ukraine over the past day. As ATO Headquarters press center reports, the situation in the ATO area remains tense but controlled. The enemy intensified activities across the entire demarcation line. In Mariupol direction, the enemy used 122mm artillery to shell Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk). In Donetsk direction, the tensest situation was observed in Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk), Zaitseve (67km north-north-east of Donetsk), Mayorske (45km north of Donetsk) and Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk), where the enemy fired at Ukrainian strongholds, using 120mm mortars. Moreover, the enemy used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns and small arms to launch attacks in Donetsk region. In Luhansk region, the Ukrainian soldiers serving near Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) came under grenade launcher and small arm fire. ol The Ukraine-NATO Commission meeting will be held within the framework of the Warsaw NATO Summit on June 9. The meeting participants will discuss the threats to NATO and deployment of combat units of NATO countries in Poland and the Baltic States, Ukrinform reports. Ukrainian delegation will be headed by the President Petro Poroshenko. As a reminder, the Warsaw NATO Summit is attended by 18 heads of state, 21 heads of government, 41 foreign ministers and 39 defence ministers. More than 2,100 delegates from 65 national delegations and delegations of international organizations (NATO, EU, UN, World Bank) have registered to attend the Summit. More than 2,000 journalists have been accredited. ol The UK will find ways to continue to support Ukraine amid Brexit. British Prime Minister David Cameron said this during the meeting with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Warsaw. "We will find the ways to continue to support Ukraine amid Brexit, the press service of the Ukrainian Head of State quotes Cameron as saying. Poroshenko thanked the British government for its firm stance in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In particular, the sides discussed topical issues of international politics and issues in the context of the Brexit referendum results and the UKs decision to leave the EU. President Poroshenko also praised financial and expert assistance of the United Kingdom in the implementation of reforms and training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. ol Twenty-nine Ukrainian political prisoners are held in custody in Russia. Fourteen people are held in the Russian Federation, while fifteen people are held in the occupied Crimea. Maria Tomak, the Euromaidan SOS activist, the human rights activist of the Center for Civil Liberties, the journalist and coordinator of the Let My People Go campaign, said this in an interview with DT.UA. "I would also like to recall the Crimean residents, who are not being held in custody, but are hostages. For example, our colleague journalist Mykola Semena. He is now under house arrest and under investigation for his journalistic activities," Tomak said. She added that several Crimean Tatars had also written undertakings not to leave the place within the proceedings against them. ol CALEDONIA Bethany Karasek, daughter of Scott and Shari Karasek of Caledonia, has been awarded the Gold Award, the highest award in the Girl Scouts of the USA. A girl scout who receives this award has completed several project components and has taken action for approximately 65 to 80 hours to complete a project that makes a significant impact in her community and beyond. Karasek, 18, is a member of Troop 5822 with the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE). Her leaders are Dona Turner and Sabrina Liberty. Karasek has always had a love for reading. Upon learning that many students in her community were not reading proficiently at their grade level, she wanted to make an impact starting at the beginning. For her Gold Award project, Karasek put together a book cart with nearly 300 books for babies. The cart is placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wheaton FranciscanAll Saints hospital. The books on the cart are available for nurses and parents to read to their infant while in the NICU. Karasek worked with the nurses to ensure that there would be committed staff to monitor the program. Each baby also goes home with a new book and an informational guide for parents to learn about the benefits of reading to their children from birth. At the beginning of this project I was very shy about reaching out to adults, but now I feel very comfortable about speaking up and asking for what I need, said Karasek. I think the most successful aspect of my project is how excited and inspired the nurses are, she said. I was afraid that they would not be as receptive as they have been. They were even coming up with ideas to go above and beyond what I had developed in my project plan. Karasek has been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten (Daisies) and stayed involved through all of her school years. Community service and volunteering is second nature for her because she has been so involved with her troop. Karasek participated in two Girl Scout destination trips. She joined other Girl Scouts from across the country and traveled to London, Paris and Switzerland in June of 2013, visiting two of the four Girl Scout World Centers. She traveled to Costa Rica in December 2015 on a service trip, working with other Girl Scouts from around the country on services projects and protecting the sea turtles during an arribada, when the turtles are nesting, laying eggs and hatching. She is now a lifetime member of Girl Scouts. Karasek, a 2016 Walden III High School graduate, plans to attend Winona State University in the fall, majoring in global studies and minoring in Japanese. She was also awarded the Karen A. Nelson Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was created by Nelsons friends and family and is awarded to a high school senior in Racine County. Nelson was a Girl Scout alumna, troop leader, board member, past president of the Girl Scouts of Racine County and GSWISE board member. This year, Girl Scouts celebrates 100 years of Girl Scout Gold Award excellence, innovation and visionary leadership. This prestigious award challenges girls ages 14-17 to initiate meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally, and/or globally through unique Take Action projects of their own creation. RACINE After many dedicated years of helping the homeless, 82-year-old Louise Hunter, director of the Love & Charity Homeless Shelter & Mission, is retiring. A celebration in her honor will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 17, at Infusinos Banquet Hall, 3201 Rapids Drive. The event will include guest speaker Larry Hunter Sr. from Memphis, and special music by Larry Love Hunter, Wayman Male Chorus, and CD recording artists Jameta Hunter and Cheryl McCrary & Heirborn Band. Although Hunter raised her own 21 children and is grandmother to more than 75 children, she still somehow found the time and energy to start the Love & Charity Homeless Shelter & Mission. Known to many as Mother Hunter, she spent the last few decades mothering those who come through her doors. The celebration is open to the public. Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased by calling 262-634-7059. Former Rector of University of Virginia, and a real estate developer Helen Dragas accused UVA of maintaining "a $2.3 billion slush fund" for pet projects, in which money according to her, it should have been used to reduce tuition. Dragas, who worked for eight years in the university on the UVA board of visitors, resigned on June 30. Since she is one of the Washington Post contributors, she used her column to take a farewell shot to the university's administration. In her column, which was published online on Wednesday, July 6, the former rector compared the frustration over the U.S. student debt "to those vented across the Atlantic in the recent Brexit vote." Dragas said in her column, in June, the board found out that surpluses and earnings has been hidden. She said the administration is "hoarding" the funds, and she cited a recent proposal for "a $50 million program for self-care training, which includes journaling, meditation and yoga for nursing students." For upcoming academic year, UVAs tuition has increased by 1.5%, however, Dragas claimed that since 2009, the university has raised in-state tuition by 74 percent. In an email, she clarified that her percentage comparison is based on tuition alone, excluding the mandatory fees. UVA spokesman Anthony P. de Bruyn released a statement in response to Dragas accusation, however, the statement did not directly address to the former rector. de Bruyn said on Thursday, June 7, the university's innovative Affordable Excellence model assures that U.Va. education will remain affordable to all Virginians, Richmond reported. The spokesman added to his statement that the funds for the Cornerstone Plan allows strategic investments in UVA faculty, academic programs, research infrastructure, clinical enterprise, and physical space needs. These investments will continue to benefit future generations of students. The Sub-Saharan Africa threatens millions of people's life because of the overlapping burdens brought both by malaria and HIV. A Yale-led study in Africa is researching about the impact made by HIV therapy in antimalarial therapy effectiveness. The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is used to surpress the replication of HIV, In return, the disease will have slower progression. However, this treatment which causes an elevation in immune system is associated with high risk of diseases not related to AIDS in HIV positive individuals, Medical Xpress reported. Antiretroviral therapy also change the effectiveness of antimalarial therapy in patients who are treated for HIV and malaria. The significant change is now being studied by one of Yale University's researcher. The new study which is led by Sunil Parikh, M.D., has results published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The results shows that some ART treatments alter the effectiveness of an antimalarial called 'artemether-lumefantrine' which is used widely worldwide for treating malaria. Together with Dr. Parikh are 11 other scientists which came from the University of California in San Francisco and Africa, Yale School of Public Health reported. Dr. sunil Parikh is a researcher in Yale School of Public Health and also an assistant professor in Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. Malaria and HIV are two of the major health concerns in the region where the study is conducted. In the said region in the sub-Saharan Africa, 25 million people were positive in HIV. In 2013, there were a total of 198 million people recorded with malaria cases. This merely shows that further study with regards to co-infection is really needed in the region. International efforts focused towards the African region significantly reduced the number of malaria incidents, however, the disease is still considered as a major killer. In 2013, there were about 600,000 deaths caused by malaria. In Uganda alone, people are infected by this mosquito-borne parasite for up to six times per year, on the average. A research conducted by New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy along with the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs discovered that by serving free breakfast in New York City's classrooms, the number of students eating breakfast has considerably boosted. What's even more commendable is that despite more and more students participating in school breakfasts, there was no hike recorded in the prevalence of obesity in New York City schools, contrary to what some critics may have anticipated. On the flip side, breakfast participation did not seem to promote students' academic accomplishment or their attendance either, according to the study published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. The School Breakfast Program is a federal program that funds school breakfasts for "nutritionally needy" children, and this year the program celebrates its 50th anniversary. Just like school lunch programs, school breakfasts intend to curb food insecurity, enhance nutrition and make learning easier. Ideally, breakfast programs takes place in school cafeterias just before classes begin, however several districts throughout the nation have embraced a different way by serving breakfast in classrooms at the start of the school day. The idea behind moving breakfast into the classroom is to boost participation in breakfast programs, specifically among students who fail to arrive early, and even more importantly, to minimize the shame that comes along with a trip to the cafeteria, says Amy Ellen Schwartz, who serves as the director of the NYU Institute for Education and Social Policy and Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Affairs at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Since 2003, New York City has been offering free breakfast to all students and it initiated breakfast in the classroom program back in 2007. Nearly 400 of the city's 1,800 public schools offer breakfast in the classroom now, and over 30,000 classroom breakfasts are served daily. The New York City Department of Education divulged that following the implementation of breakfast in the classroom, there has been a radical hike in terms of participation - from 25 percent to 80 percent to be precise - according to a post on New York University official website. Apparently, moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classrooms offer an array of advantages such as enhancing academic performance, attendance as well as engagement. In addition, this move reduces hunger and food insecurity. But not everyone is a fan of this change. Many have raised concerns that offering breakfast in the classroom could actually lead to weight gain as well as obesity, as few students might end up consuming extra calories by eating breakfast twice - one at home and one at school. Taking the data from the New York City Department of Education, and its Office of School Food into consideration, the NYU researchers focused on students in kindergarten through eighth grade at about 200 public elementary and middle schools that offer breakfast in either some or all classrooms. Researchers studied school breakfast and lunch participation, along with their height and weight measurements as well as administrative data such as attendance, demographics, reading test scores and math test scores in grades 4 through 8. The researchers noted a considerable increase in school breakfast participation when breakfast was served in the classroom, while lunch program participation, on the other hand remained unchanged, EurekAlert reported. Despite the hike in the number of students participating in the school breakfast program when served in the classroom, researchers did not see any sort evidence proving that the breakfast program led to obesity. Serving breakfast in the classroom did not have any impact on attendance either, which researchers believe this may be because attendance rates are already high as far as elementary and middle schools are concerned. Jason Rasgon, Pennsylvania State University's associate professor of Entomology and Disease Epidemiology discusses the Zika virus in Probing Questions video and reveals an even more familiar disease called the Lyme disease that the Pennsylvanians have long been susceptible in to! In a very detailed approach, Prof. Rasgon once again explains the rapidity of the spread of the virus by illustrating a path of transfer originating from the mosquito to the fleas, to the ticks, the mites and even to the lice, the Penn State News reported. He warns that there has been no single arthropod that's safe from infection. Inevitably, Rasgon also proceeded with probing into how close the Pennsylvanians are to contracting the said virus, and still ended up being upset by his own findings. As per finding, the latest PennState study conducted by Rasgon reveals that it is not Zika, but rather the Lyme disease which is endemic within the Pennsylvanian territory. He furthers by saying that this types of viruses have in fact, lived long within the perimeter of the state. Thus, he segues that the Lyme disease, for instance, has to be the most common disease in the place. So, locals should start to be more concerned with the latter therein, the Penn State News again reported. In other news, a newly released statement from Dr. Tom Frieden, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, quotes Zika virus as an "urgent global concern" such that it has infiltrated over 60% of the countries in the world, the Global News reported. For such a recently named virus, vaccines are yet unfound and hotspots are increasing in numbers. The best thing people, or travellers for that matter, can do, besides practical self-protection, is simply avoid places recently infected by the virus, especially when the person is a pregnant woman, the Fox News reported. In the university-funded Probing Questions video, Rasgon once again urges the travellers to be alert and responsible for themselves and their love ones so that in the event that they have just returned home from a trip to the tropics, they must immediately report signs and symptoms of the virus, should there be any, the PSU reported. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Research Center in Singapore have come up with a new microfluidic device that examines electric fields' effect on cancer cells. The team find out that a range of low-intensity, middle-frequency electric fields can effectively stop breast and lung cancer cells' growth and spread without side-effect effect on nearby healthy cells. Thus microfluidic device is designed to aid scientists trim down safe ranges of electric fields to noninvasively treat breast, lung, and other forms of cancer. It is roughly the size of a US dollar coin. The results are now published online in Scientific Reports. The paper was co-authored by the following experts: MIT Mechanical and Biological Engineering Professors Roger Kamm, the Cecil and Ida Green; Research Scientists Giulia Adriani and Andrea Pavesi; Post-Doctorate Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani; and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Student Andy Tay. Senior Research Officer Wei Hseun Yeap and Singapore Immunology Network Associate Professor Siew Cheng Wong have also contributed to the report, MIT News wrote. In the past decade, various scientists have embarked on experiments to test electric fields in treating malignant cells as an alternative cancer treatment - Tumor Treating Field (TTF). This therapy branches from the contact between important cells in tumors with an external electric field. Generally, this electric field is a field of forces that responds to objects with an electric charge. Thus, an electric field can likewise impact the alignment of polar molecules in tumor cells. These molecules are usually crucial for cell division and when it goes overdrive could lead to tumor growth. Chwee Teck Lim, a professor of biomedical engineering at the National University of Singapore, who did not partake in the study, said that the device may eventually be useful in identifying the most effective electric field to treat cancer cells acquired directly from a patient, says This research was held, partly, by the National Research Foundation of Singapore through the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology BioSystems and Micromechanics interdisciplinary research group. You can read more about the research at MIT News. Apple Inc. and the oldest public university in Italy - the University of Naples Federico II, will launch the first ever iOS Developer Academy on October 2016 at the institution's new campus in San Giovanni a Teduccio. The collaboration between Apple and the university initially allows 200 students the opportunity to participate. The curriculum of the iOS Developer Academy will include nine months and it was co-developed by the tech giant. And more institution places will be created in the coming years, Macerkopf reported. Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO, stated that they are thrilled to be working with the University of Naples Federico II to open the first iOS Developer Academy in Europe. Maestri also said that some of the most creative developers the world has known came from Europe and they are confident that iOS Developer Academy will help the next generation get the skills they need for success. During the first semester, the students' software development skills on iOS will be enhanced and improved. While in the second semester, students will be provided with courses on the creation of startups and app design. And the students will collaborate to create apps that could eventually be unleashed on the App Store, based on the report of Mac Rumors. The first ever iOS Developer Academy could really help in giving people more opportunities, as Apple claimed that the App Store is the primary cause for the creation of more than 75,000 jobs in Italy, according to Apple Insider. The iOS App Development Center model is expected by the technology company to expand into other European countries. But, there is no specific location were known at this time. Several initiatives are in progress in India, with a large design and development accelerator slated to unlock in Bengaluru in 2017. Students who are interested can apply at the University of Naples website, and they are required to take an online test in Italian or English. Teachers wishing to apply in iOS Developer Academy should go to the website of the university, IClarified reported. Check this video to have an idea of a software development skills: Dartmouth College in June announced that it had more women graduates from its engineering course this year in comparison to male graduates. The university claimed this accomplishment has never been achieved before by any other US-based research university. Though the number of women enrolling in engineering courses over the past decade has shot up considerably, this is the first time graduating females have outnumbered males anywhere in the United States - hinting the imminent end of male dominance of the field, ScienceAlert reported. One-fourth of all STEM jobs are taken by women and merely about 20% of university cohorts in engineering fields comprise of female students. However, the engineering school at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire is breaking the trend as 37% of students who represented the 2015 class were women. This year, an impressive 54% of the engineering class were women, as a result of which, Dartmouth has emerged as the only national research university that boast more female engineers as compared to male. Engineering as well as other STEM fields have witnessed a considerable hike in female students; and in quite a few fields such as environmental and biomedical sciences, both men and women have about same number of enrollment, MasterStudies reported. No doubt, this is exciting news; however there are a couple of things that need to be noted here. First of all, the report takes Dartmouth's word as far as the whole "first research college in the United States" thing is concerned. The claim hasn't been independently verified yet. Besides, it cannot be ignored that men still surpass women in STEM fields and one of the major cause of this could be the lack of women professors in STEM subjects. A couple of years back, merely 15.7% of engineering faculty were females. According to Dartmouth officials, the accomplishment stems from the university's commitment towards STEM education; coupled with its unceasing efforts to mentor students with the hike in women enrollment in engineering. The University has toiled to create distinct role models for students, besides offering entry-level classes in engineering so that keen students can delve into career opportunities. The University also gives priority to the real-world utilization of an engineering degree. Students are encouraged to address engineering challenges with creativity, and to blend their other interests with their engineering studies. In addition, students at Dartmouth are also captivated by the University's study abroad program. In a bid to curb a campus carry law from going into effect August 1, three professors at the University of Texas at Austin sued the state and school this week. The law does not restrict concealed handgun license holders - who must be at least 21 years old - from carrying handguns on campus, including in classrooms, dorms and campus buildings. The professors claim the campus carry law is compelling the school to enforce "overly-solicitous, dangerously-experimental gun policies" that breach the First and Second Amendments, Texas Tribune reported. The professors indicated in their lawsuit that they teach courses that encompass social problems including gay rights and abortion. Those discussions, according to them, could be suppressed with the prospect of guns on campus. The professors clarify in the lawsuit stating that the Second Amendment is not at all a one-way street. It starts with the suggestion that a 'well-regulated militia' is imperative to the safety of a free state. If the state compels them to allow guns into their classrooms, then the officials answerable for the binding policy must confirm that there is a strong reason for the policy and that their law of the concealed carrying of handguns on college campuses is well-monitored. Current facts hint they cannot to do so. However, this is not the first time someone has thrown down the gauntlet to Texas law. Professors and education administrators have not ceased their efforts to push back the law by calling for a limited practice of it, US News reported. According to legal expert, there are extremely thin chances of the lawsuit keeping a lid on the law, particularly taking into consideration that eight states already have laws on the books permitting the carrying of concealed weapons on public postsecondary campuses, including Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado. In 23 states the decision to restrict or permit concealed carry weapons on campuses is made by each university or college separately. The three UT professors filed the lawsuit Wednesday, July 6 during a week of ongoing racial tensity that encompass two different episodes of white police officers shooting and killing black men caught on video - one incident in Baton Rouge and the other in Minneapolis. A new artificial intelligence being developed is reported to have emotional capabilities and is able to play the role of an actor. Researchers from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) are now developing an artificial intelligence that has the ability to express human emotions. The AI agent is called "Virtual Actor" and it has both narrative and emotional intellect. The computer will be able to understand the context of events happening in the surroundings. The AI then formulates a plan and set targets imitating a regular person. The new agent is expected to be online within just a year and a half, Phys.org reported. The principal goal of this project was to formulate principles for the natural intelligence where the human brain is built upon. It was long known that biological solutions are always better than any artificial solution that can be offered. The creators of this agent want to model these principles on a computer, said Alexei Samsonovich, Professor of the Cybernetics Department, Mail Online reported In the near future, people and computer will be having mutual understanding. By that time, humans will perceive AI machine as partners or assistants and not as mere tools. The computers will then understand human emotions as well as human goals and events happening in the outside world. The plan was to create the AI agent in a simple form - as a computer game. This virtual agent will interact with a person by controlling figures in a computer screen. This will build a social interaction with human based on emotionally charged actions. Also, the machine needs to have the ability to learn without the use of programming or the 'carrot and stick' reinforcement learning. Instead, the agent should be able to learn just like a thinking person. It should be able to set learning goals and ask questions. It should also be able to achieve the set goals and seek answers actively. MADISON The placement of Racine County sex offender Michael McGee into a Town of Wheatland home will remain on hold while Kenosha County appeals a local court decision allowing McGee to live at the address. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled this week that a request by Kenosha County to stay the placement of McGee should continue while that county appeals a Racine County Circuit Court decision that stated McGees placement outside of Racine County was done in accordance with state law. The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, which had been among the Kenosha County agencies opposed to the placement, issued a press release announcing the decision early Friday afternoon. In the end, the interest of the public and the interest in maintaining the status quo lead this court to conclude that a stay is appropriate. The public has a strong interest in making sure that McGees supervised release plan, including the identified placement, was arrived at in accordance with the law, states the Court of Appeals decision. The back story The placement of McGee at 32200 Geneva Road (Highway 50), about 5 miles southeast of Burlingtons southern city limits, was slated to happen at the end of May, but was put on an ex parte (temporary) stay by the Court of Appeals on May 31. That move came just hours after Racine County Circuit Judge Allen Pat Torhorst denied the countys request to stay his decision allowing McGee to live in the Town of Wheatland. On June 7, Kenosha County filed a motion with the Court of Appeals, asking that the stay of McGees placement be continued until the court makes its decision on the actual appeal. In the motion, the county argued that Torhorst abused his discretion, misinterpreting elements of a new law designed to ensure that sex offenders remain in their home counties. Kenosha County did not intervene simply because it does not want a violent sex offender in its community, stated attorney Jennifer J. Kopp, in the written motion. Kenosha County has had serious concerns with regard to whether DHS (Wisconsin Department of Health Services) followed the appropriate statutory procedures with regard to placing Michael McGee. In his response, McGees attorney Jefren E. Olsen with the State Public Defenders Office Appellate Division argued that Kenosha County failed to meet the legal standards needed for a continued stay to be granted. The countys claim that it will succeed in establishing that more should have been done is meritless, his response stated. McGee, 53, was convicted in November 1987 in Racine County Circuit Court of second-degree sexual assault and burglary. During a Racine burglary, he raped a 26-year-old woman, authorities said. McGee, who was declared a sexually violent person, had been slated to be released from Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston on May 31. In the end, the interest of the public and the interest in maintaining the status quo lead this court to conclude that a stay is appropriate. Wisconsin Court of Appeals RACINE A South Milwaukee man is facing up to 40 years in prison for allegedly contributing to the February overdose death of a 27-year-old Caledonia man. Benjamin R. Kebschull, 33, was charged on June 20 with first-degree reckless homicide, as a party to the crime, for reportedly picking the victim up and driving him to Milwaukee, where the victim allegedly purchased the drugs that would later cause his death. The criminal complaint does not list the name of the man killed, only his initials. Caledonia police could not be reached on Friday to confirm the identity of the man. Allegations According to the criminal complaint the mother of the victim arrived home on Feb. 28 to find her son kneeling on the bed in his room, not breathing. The first police officer to arrive on scene reportedly administered an entire tube of Narcan a drug used to counteract opiate overdoses but with no response. The officer later found a used syringe and other items used in the intravenous use of heroin, according to the complaint. Further attempts to revive the victim failed and he was pronounced dead at Wheaton Franciscan-All Saints hospital in Racine the same day. After searching the victims cellphone and speaking with his employer, police reportedly learned that the victim had obtained the drugs on Feb. 27 after being dropped off at a Milwaukee gas station where he met up with two men, one of whom police learned was Kebschull. The other man, who later became a cooperating witness, allegedly told police that the victim who had been out of town and going through withdrawal had been messaging Kebschull to get him some heroin. On Feb. 27, the night the victim got back into town, Kebschull drove the victim to Milwaukee to buy heroin from Kebschulls dealer. Initial appearance On Friday afternoon roughly 24 hours after turning himself in Kebschull, of the 700 block of Sycamore Avenue in South Milwaukee, appeared in Racine County Circuit Court for an initial appearance on the homicide charge. Assistant Racine County District Attorney Matthew Hastings asked that Kebschull be given a $25,000 bond, due to what he referred to the gravity of the offense. The defendant was involved in procuring the drug and driving the victim for what would turn out to be his last fix, Hastings stated. But Kebschulls public defender, Carolyn Delery, argued that her client had walked into court to face the charges and was not the one who physically gave or sold the drugs to the victim. This happened back in February and it was just charged in June, Delery stated. He drove. He did not provide the heroin. He just took the person to a particular place. Finding probable cause to pursue the charge against Kebschull, Racine County Court Commissioner Robert Goepel set the defendants cash bond at $2,500, ordering him to be placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring, and undergo random drug testing. A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for 9 a.m. on July 14. The defendant was involved in procuring the drug and driving the victim for what would turn out to be his last fix.Assistant Racine County District Attorney Matthew Hastings SHARE OXNARD Chamber breakfast set for Thursday The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce will hold its Business @ Sunrise event Thursday at the Residence Inn, 2101 W. Vineyard Ave. The event will begin with check-in and networking at 7:15 a.m., followed by a buffet breakfast and the program. The speaker, Christopher Armenta, is from the State Board of Equalization. Armenta, from the office of board member Jerome E. Horton, will highlight the services the agency provides to the business community. Horton's district covers most of Los Angeles and Ventura County and has an office in Ventura. Advance reservations are requested and discounted if made by Monday. For reservations, visit http://oxnardchamber.org or call the chamber office at 983-6118. THOUSAND OAKS Emerging Leaders plan gathering Emerging Leaders, a Young Professionals Group, will hold a happy hour event from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Deliteful, 350 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. The event will include networking and giveaways. Appetizers are complimentary, but come prepared to purchase your own beverages. Attendance is free and open to all young professionals who are ages 21 through 39. Email Danielle Borja at dborja@conejochamber.org for more information. Meeting to offer time for networking JNET Thousand Oaks, a professional networking organization within the Jewish community, will meet from 7-9 p.m. July 14 at Temple Etz Chaim, 1080 E. Janss Road. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.jnetonline.org or contact Steve Marche at steve@homeloans411.com or 374-6000. To share news about your company or business-related organization, email business@vcstar.com. If there is an event involved, please email the information at least three weeks in advance of the event. SHARE STOCK PHOTO David Adelman Lesli Moore Dahlke David Seery CAMARILLO Outlet welcomes new retailers Camarillo Premium Outlets has announced the recent addition of Go! Games & Toys and UGG Australia. After undergoing a recent remodel, UGG Australia, a footwear provider offering sheepskin boots, slippers and casual wear, opened the doors to its new storefront on June 28. The 3,042-square-foot storefront carries footwear made from leathers, suede and sheepskin, and is in the Main Court near Sperry Topsider. Go! Games & Toys debuted its new 1,512-square-foot store at Camarillo Premium Outlets on June 23. Located in The Promenade between Charlotte Russe and the Disney Store Outlet, Go! Games & Toys is a seasonal retailer and offers customers a spread of puzzles, toys, games and gifts. The two new retailers are joining the recently added Express Factory Outlet and Zadig et Voltaire, which opened locations at the center earlier this year. Camarillo Premium Outlets offers more than 160 outlet stores. For more information, visit http://www.premiumoutlets.com/camarillo. MOORPARK Company launches new department Moorpark-based manufacturer Picnic Time has recently launched an international department. According to Eduardo Lemus, Picnic Time's international executive, the aim of the launch is to maximize the company's global market share and revenues. In business for nearly 35 years, Picnic Time has built a reputation for producing unique baskets in addition to an assortment of serve ware, camping, beach, tailgating and licensed items. The international department marks a culmination of broad experience not only in the picnic space, but in the realm of helping people live life to the fullest by providing products that aim to bring them together. Lemus added that company leaders envision their products will be passed down from generation to generation all around the world. For more details about the new launch and all of Picnic Time's products, visit http://www.picnictime.com. OXNARD Chamber offers youth program The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce is offering the Young Entrepreneurs Academy for its third year to transform middle and high school students into business owners as part of a weekly entrepreneurship education class beginning this fall. The program takes students age 11 to 18 through the process of starting and launching a real business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried on after their graduation from the program. According to Nancy Lindholm, Oxnard Chamber CEO, there have been 37 graduates who launched more than 25 businesses since the chamber began offering the program. During the 30-week commitment, students brainstorm and form their business ideas, make pitches to investors for startup funding, file their DBAs and launch their own businesses or social movements. Mentors and local entrepreneurs across a variety of industries, such as graphic design, Web development, law, accounting, retail, manufacturing, technology and more are invited to support the students throughout the hands-on curriculum as mentors, field trip hosts or guest lecturers. The program was developed in 2004 at the University of Rochester in New York, with support from the Kauffman Foundation. The program now receives support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Sam's Club. For more information, visit http://yeausa.org or contact the Oxnard Chamber at 983-6118. THOUSAND OAKS Nonprofit names event co-chairs David Adelman and Lesli Moore Dahlke have been named co-chairs for the Summer Splash 5,000-yard relay, a fundraiser for the Thousand Oaks-based nonprofit Fit 4 the Cause. The Summer Splash relay is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 20 in the pool at the Miller Family YMCA in Newbury Park. Founded in 2014, Fit 4 the Cause provides fitness training and nutrition education for special populations who cannot afford or attend traditional gyms under usual circumstances. A firm believer in the importance of community involvement, Adelman is a business lawyer assisting a variety of clients with real estate, corporate and intellectual property needs by developing business strategies, providing business counsel and helping to structure, negotiate and document business deals. Referred to as a "Renaissance Lawyer," Adelman, a partner at Greenberg & Bass LLP in Encino, was selected to Super Lawyers in 2015 and 2016. Dahlke is an author, photographer and the 2017 lifetime achievement award recipient celebrated with other honorees at the annual Fit 4 the Cause's Miracle of Movement Gala. She is a survivor of a rare soft tissue sarcoma; additionally she lives each day with a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukemia. Her three cancers are the result of exposure to Agent Orange as a very young woman while on a 1970 USO tour in Vietnam. Dahlke is a living testament to the healing powers of fitness and nutrition. Summer Splash will have the following seven teams of five participating: Razzle Dazzle Razorbacks, captain Kathleen Milford; the Moby Dicks, captain David Adelman; New Wavers, captain Cindy Rakowitz; Aquaholics, captains Brian and Alex Sullivan (father and daughter); Slippery When Wet, captain Chris Woo; the Swim Reapers, captain Lauren Rytterager-Nickel; and Team Submarine, captain Holly Hendrix. To contribute to Summer Splash and for more information on Fit 4 the Cause, visit http://www.fit4thecause.org. Specialist earns CFP designation David Seery, a CSU Channel Islands alumnus and client service specialist for Lamia Financial Group Inc., has received the certified financial planner (CFP) designation. In earning the designation, Seery becomes the firm's fourth CFP professional. As a result of achieving the CFP designation, the firm has promoted Seery to the new position of associate financial adviser, in which Seery will take on advanced planning projects for clients in addition to his ongoing client service responsibilities. The CFP designation, awarded by the CFP Board of Standards and considered the pre-eminent professional designation for financial advisers, is attained following a rigorous set of requirements that include the completion of graduate-level educational coursework, passing a challenging certification exam, documenting three years of professional work experience in the financial planning process and agreeing to adhere to a high standard of ethics and practice, as well as ongoing continuing education. Prior to joining Lamia Financial in 2013, Seery was a personal banker for California Republic Bank. He is actively involved in the community through community restoration projects and volunteering with FOOD Share of Ventura County. He is also involved with CSU Channel Islands and Jewish War Veterans Post 603. A longtime Thousand Oaks resident, Seery graduated with honors from CSU Channel Islands in 2012 with bachelors' degrees in business and economics, each with an international emphasis. Based in Thousand Oaks and serving clients across Southern California and nationwide, Lamia Financial Group is an independent, fee-only financial planning firm with expertise in investment management, tax planning, asset protection and charitable planning. For more information, call 494-3416 or visit http://www.lamiafinancial.com. Mathnasium, PTA partner in project Mathnasium Learning Centers has joined forces with National PTA as a partner in PTA's nationwide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and family engagement initiative. Through this collaboration, Mathnasium will support National PTA in the development and deployment of resources, activities and events that engage students and families in STEM experiences. As the National PTA expands the STEM initiative, Mathnasium will work alongside education and industry leaders across all STEM disciplines. "Math is the foundation for all STEM fields, and we're eager to explore all the possibilities this partnership offers in the way of making math come alive through inspiring and accessible STEM learning experiences in the Conejo area," said Rangu Mandyam, owner of Mathnasium of Thousand Oaks and Mathnasium of Oak Park. Launched in 2015, the National PTA's initiative seeks to fill a critical gap in STEM education, increase access to STEM experiences for all students and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. Its goal is to deliver 100,000 STEM experiences over the next three years in schools and at home. The effort will include a focus on urban areas and among girls and underrepresented youth. Mathnasium learning centers specialize in teaching kids math in a way that makes sense to them. There are more than 700 Mathnasium franchises in the U.S. and abroad. WESTLAKE VILLAGE Company marks quarter century This year, Chatsworth Products is celebrating a quarter century in business. Chatsworth Products, known as CPI, is an employee-owned company founded with the goal of delivering high-quality products to the rapidly growing information technology market, the company said in a news release. Today, CPI has engineering, manufacturing and sales offices in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. CPI was founded on June 27, 1991, when 90 employees joined to buy out the Dracon Division of Harris Corp. using an employee stock ownership plan. What began as a limited portfolio of racks, runway and accessories has grown to more than 90,000 standard products that range from high-density server cabinets to intelligent power distribution and environmental monitoring products, the company said. Among the achievements the company has touted are "Passive Cooling" technology resulting in a shift in the way companies designed and managed their data centers, introduction of state-of-the-art cable management and pioneering thermal management products and efforts, solutions that meet today's standards for green information technology and a high level of customization that the company says is a fundamental part of its success and innovation. The company said its partnership with leading global distributors quickly provides its customers with a large selection of standard products. "On this special occasion, we also want to recognize the great importance our distributors have played in CPI's success," CEO Michael Custer said. "We thank them for their kind words, and look forward to all the exciting opportunities we see with them in the future." To share news about your company or business-related organization, email business@vcstar.com. If there is an event involved, please email the information at least three weeks in advance of the event. SHARE By Marjorie Hernandez of the Ventura County Star A jury has found an Oxnard-based tax preparer known as "El Profe" guilty of filing more than $53 million in fraudulent tax returns through a company he ran from a meat market and other locations, federal officials said. According to U.S. Attorney Office officials, Rodrigo Pablo "Paul" Lozano, 61, ran a multimillion dollar scheme by applying for individual tax identification numbers, which are issued to undocumented workers who do not have Social Security numbers for filing taxes. Lozano submitted more than 12,000 false tax returns during 18 months in 2011 and 2012, federal officials said. Lozano called the business Ayuda, or "help" in Spanish, and rented space in businesses that cater to Hispanic clients, including a meat market on Hueneme Road in Oxnard. Lozano claimed about $53 million in taxes, but had collected more than $23 million in refunds before the Internal Revenue Service identified and stopped the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney Office. During a two-week trial at the Edward Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles, evidence was presented that co-conspirators provided Lozano with fake identification documents, including birth certificates and identification cards supposedly issued by the Mexican government. Officials said Lozano used those documents to obtain the tax identification numbers to file three years of income tax returns based on wage and withholding information. Lozano also used the information from fake W-2s and listed three or four dependents. The tax refunds, mostly in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, were falsified to maximize the amount of the additional-child tax credit, federal officials said. "As a tax preparer by trade, this defendant had a greater duty to ensure that the tax returns he filed were accurate," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a news release. "Instead, by filing for fraudulent returns, Mr. Lozano cheated the IRS and indirectly stole from every law-abiding taxpayer." Officials said Lozano divided the refunds with his co-conspirators, including instructing his employees to "count out tens of thousands of dollars in cash" in a bathroom next to his office space, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Lozano's main base of operations was Las Playas Market, but he also operated out of Casa de Cambio, La Mexicana Market and Casa de Cambio Elias Business Office. All are in or near Oxnard. Thursday's guilty verdict "is an important victory for America's return preparers who play by the rules and have no tolerance for those who make up their own rules," Acting Special Agent Anthony J. Orlando of IRS Criminal Investigation said in a news release. Lozano faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced Oct. 17, said Wesley L. Hsu, executive assistant U.S. attorney. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Melissa Mendoza, of Santa Paula, looks at a model of an island fox on display from Channel Islands National Park during Kids Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley on Friday, SHARE JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Isabella Belloso, of Santa Paula, plays with kinetic sand, which is 98 percent sand and 2 percent polydimethylsiloxane, during Kids Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley on Friday afternoon. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Youths reach out for the foam rocket during Kids Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley on Friday afternoon. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Sebastian Lira, of Santa Paula, touches an island fox coat displayed by Channel Islands National Park during Kids Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley on Friday in Santa Paula. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Angelique Robles, of Santa Paula, views a June bug that youths could look at under a digital microscope during Kids Day on Friday. By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star Sometimes when children learn through playing, they aren't even aware they're being taught. Knowing this, Jan Marholin, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley, added science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities to the organization's third annual Kids Day on Friday. And sure enough, the children who attend clubhouses in Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru thought it was all just another summertime festival. Children from out-of-town clubs were bused Friday to the Santa Paula clubhouse, where they could plant butternut squash, explore flight through stomp rockets, pet two horses from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and make their own lip gloss, among the activities. "I am bringing the world to my kids," Marholin said. Kids Day, she said, "engages them, and they can walk around and see different scientific agencies." Ashley Joston, a kindergarten teacher from Blanchard School in Santa Paula, helps out at the Boys & Girls Club during the summer. She showed children a new way to play piano. "We're using a circuit board that's conducting electricity through Play-Doh so they can play the piano," said Joston, who explained that she is learning more about STEM because of a grant she received. "I'm not very savvy about technology, and this has pushed me out of my comfort zone. Kindergartners are ready for STEM. They teach me." Carlos Aguilar, 8, pressed the Play-Doh and watched it transform into a note on a piano displayed on a computer monitor. "I just love the piano," Carlos said. "And I love the Piru club. I just love to be there." At the University of California Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center table, where children were planting butternut squash seeds in seedling pots, Ethan Gonzalez, 9, said he was excited about growing his plant. "I'm going to put this in a big pot and put it in the sun in my yard. We like to grow a lot of stuff at my house," Ethan said, adding that he is enjoying his summer at the Boys & Girls Club in Fillmore. Children crowded around two deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office mounted patrol to pet horses Max and Chucky. The agency also had a bomb squad demonstration that included protective gear for deputies and a robot. "I really like horses," said Alexis Lopez, 9, who was with a group of friends. "We're having fun, and I get to do things with my friends. I like the club because we get to do whatever we want, but not bad things." At the Channel Islands National Park display, park guide Elizabeth Chapin explained how bald eagles were reintroduced to the islands. "At first, we had to take the eggs out so they could hatch safely," she said. "And we had to put fake eggs in the nests so the eagles would think they were still hatching their eggs. But now they are hatching eggs on their own." The Boys & Girls Club of the Santa Clara Valley serves 1,600 children a year. The cost of $35 a year includes the summer sessions, Marholin said, adding that no child will be turned away for lack of money. Call Marholin at 525-7910 for information about the club. SHARE Everardo Alamillo STAR FILE PHOTO By Marjorie Hernandez of the Ventura County Star A former Santa Paula man accused in the 1993 double homicide of his estranged wife and her boyfriend was booked Friday in county jail after years of allegedly hiding in Mexico. Everardo Meza Alamillo, 46, was the prime suspect in the murder of his child's mother, 21-year-old Adriana Castanon Meza, and her boyfriend, Armando Cauich, 22, on Oct. 14, 1993. Alamillo, a Mexican national, lived in Santa Paula at the time of the homicide, FBI officials said. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick said Meza was staying at a friend's house in the 700 block of East Ventura Street in Santa Paula. Barrick said Meza and Cauich were in a bedroom when Alamillo allegedly shot and killed them. "Alamillo was very jealous of her new relationship," Barrick said. "They were in the process of getting a divorce, and that was the likely motive for the murders. He was the last person to see her alive." Barrick said Alamillo allegedly confided to others that he would kill Meza and Cauich if he ever saw them together. Investigators found that Alamillo allegedly withdrew money from a checking account a few days before the murder, Barrick said. A grand jury on Aug. 5, 1995, indicted Alamillo with two counts of murder, but he fled the country before he could be arrested, authorities said. The FBI was asked to assist in locating and apprehending him. Alamillo was charged on Aug. 25, 1994, in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles with unlawful flight. A provisional arrest warrant was issued in Mexico when investigators determined where Alamillo was hiding, according to FBI officials. Santa Paula Police Department detectives continued to investigate the case through the years, working with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, the FBI's Ventura County Resident Agency, Mexican law enforcement and Interpol to locate and arrest Alamillo. Alamillo had been in custody at a Mexico City jail since November during the extradition proceedings, Barrick said. Alamillo arrived Friday morning in Los Angeles, where he was arrested, Santa Paula police Cmdr. Ish Cordero said. He was booked in the Ventura County main jail late Friday afternoon on two counts of murder with a special allegation of personal use of a firearm and a special circumstance of multiple murders, Barrick said. Alamillo could face a maximum of two terms of life without the possibility of parole if found guilty, Barrick said. SHARE JUAN CARLO/THE STAR A group of firefighters at a camp near Lockwood Valley Road head over to eat breakfast in between fighting the Pine Fire, burning in remote, hard-to-access terrain in the Sespe Wilderness area. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR A helicopter picks up fire retardant to fight the Pine Fire burning in remote, hard-to-access terrain in the Sespe Wilderness area. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR The Pine Fire is burning in remote, hard-to-access terrain in the Sespe Wilderness area. Firefighters are being drop off by helicopters to get to the line. JUAN CARLO/THE STAR Lee Roesner, a packer for the U.S. Forest Service in the Inyo National Forest, starts getting the mules ready with supplies in the Los Padres National Forest. The Forest Service has brought in a team of mules to help fight the Pine Fire, burning in remote, hard-to-access terrain in the Sespe Wilderness area. Related Photos Mules, horses help crews fighting Los Padres fire By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star Crews have camped on the front lines for days at a time fighting a fire that has burned 2,300 acres in a remote area in the mountains high above Ojai. They worked to keep flames in check and clear a line around the blaze burning in the rugged Sespe Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest. Miles away, a team used mules and horses to pack in fresh supplies. "This country out here is very, very steep and inaccessible," said Sue Exline, Los Padres' Ojai District ranger. "It is not an area that is real conducive to firefighting," she said. The first reports of a fire burning near Pine Mountain came in about 7:30 a.m. on June 30. Early on, much of the fight happened by air. Helicopters and planes dropped fire retardant and water on flames, while officials looked for a safe route in for firefighters. Crews had started to hike in on Day 1. But winds picked up that first afternoon, forcing them to turn back, Exline said. For the first couple days, the winds fed the so-called Pine Fire, but then, firefighters got a bit of reprieve. "The winds have been fairly light, which we've been very fortunate about," Exline said. Flames still hopscotched through patches of vegetation, sometimes sparked by burning branches or even hot rocks rolling downhill. But officials drew a big box around the fire on a map, and crews went to work cutting a line around it on the ground. By Friday Day 9 they had reached 50 percent containment. Continue reading the story below. Pine Fire map: National Forest Service Finding a balance Congress established the Sespe Wilderness in 1992 creating a place where people can hike, hunt and ride a horse but not take a bike or vehicle. When it comes to fighting fire, that means dousing flames while trying to preserve the natural and cultural resources there. "For us, it's finding that balance of suppressing fire and managing wilderness values," Exline said. Crews cut fewer trees, leave behind more vegetation and look for natural barriers to build a line around the fire. "We have airplanes that drop retardant. We have helicopters that drop retardant. We have crews on the ground," Exline said. "We have the capability to use dozers if we need to, but those are almost a last resort." On the Pine Fire, officials chose not to use bulldozers in the wilderness area, instead building the line by hand. Firefighters also stayed in the wilderness area for three days at a time, before heading back to a camp with tents, portable showers and hot meals. "They are staying in there, being supplied by horses and mules," Exline said. Instead of building a lot of spots where helicopters could land, the mules could travel on the existing trail system. It's kind of "a new, old resource," said Los Padres' Corey Finneman, who coordinated the pack stock on the Pine Fire. Personnel, mules and horses from Los Padres, Inyo and Sierra forests worked together. "It has been a little bit of a feat because the trail conditions haven't been exactly favorable," she said. But after a day of scouting, they started getting supplies out to firefighters Thursday. 'What we train for' A 20-person crew from Ventura County Fire Department worked on the fire's edge this week, shuttled in and out by helicopters. They went out for three days, came off the line and spent a day at a camp off the line. Then, they headed back in to the fire for another three-day stretch, said Battalion Chief Gary Monday. "They're doing all right," he said. "It's what we train for and prepare for." High up on Pine Mountain, vegetation was light. Further downhill, terrain was rocky, steeper and thicker with brush, making the work a little slower going. It's the third large fire in Los Padres in a matter of weeks the local hand crew was sent to all three. The Sherpa Fire has yet to be fully contained in Santa Barbara County; and the Coleman Fire burned 2,520 acres in the forest up in Monterey County earlier in June. The forecast calls for "a real busy fire season" in Southern California, said Los Padres spokesman Andrew Madsen. "El Nino didn't materialize down here but it gave us enough rain for a bumper crop of grass," he said. That now-dry grass is on top of five years of drought and lots of dead trees. "You need to need to be extremely vigilant and cautious," Madsen said. "Even the smallest spark can trigger a massive, uncontrolled wildfire." SHARE Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. Both statements must be made true if the heartbreaking loss of life in Dallas is to have any meaning. The killing spree that left five police officers dead and seven others wounded should be classified as an act of domestic terrorism. The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, apparently believed he was committing an act of political violence. Our duty, to honor the fallen, is to ensure that Johnson's vile and cowardly act has the opposite impact from what he sought. Johnson, captured on video shooting one officer in the back, was killed when police, who had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate his surrender, sent a robot his way bearing an explosive device. Enough about him, except this one thing: He said he was motivated by hatred over the deaths of two more black men Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota at the hands of police. The slain police officers were protecting a lawful, peaceful demonstration to protest those same deaths. As the crowd, perhaps more than 800 strong, marched through downtown Dallas, there was anger but no real tension. Certainly there was no sense of danger; police were not wearing riot gear or riding in armored vehicles. Instead, officers chatted and took selfies with the demonstrators. They had no fear of encounter and dialogue. The great irony is that Dallas is something of a model. Mayor Mike Rawlings was right when he told reporters that Dallas is "one of the premier community policing cities in the country." Since Police Chief David Brown took over in 2010, complaints of excessive force by officers have dropped by nearly two-thirds. Police shootings have been halved, from 23 in 2012 to just 11 in 2015 and only one so far this year, according to Police Department data. Brown happens to be African-American, but that's not the most significant thing about him. What's important is that Brown was quick to understand that the chasm between police and young men of color was real and that it could be bridged. His officers undergo training in how to de-escalate conflicts rather than heat them up; they learn to speak calmly when approaching suspects instead of immediately barking orders. When there is a police shooting, uniformed presence around the scene is ramped down as soon as possible. The department, unlike many others, keeps track of police shootings and publishes the figures on the city's website. And Brown keeps looking for new ways to improve relations between police and the community. The Dallas Police Department is not perfect, but its efforts to improve the way officers interact with citizens stand in contrast to the appalling police work we saw in the cellphone videos recording the deaths that prompted protests around the country. Sterling was on the ground in front of a convenience store, restrained by officers and posing no apparent threat, when he was fatally shot. Castile, pulled over in a traffic stop, was apparently reaching for his identification to hand it to the officer who shot him. The video of Castile's final moments was streamed on the Internet by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. In her narration, she says Castile informed the officer that he was licensed to carry a firearm. It is no stretch to imagine that to the officer, this meant Castile was an armed and dangerous black man. Which leads to a question I shouldn't have to ask: Does the Second Amendment apply to African-Americans, too? Where is the National Rifle Association statement decrying that an American citizen might have been killed for exercising his constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms? But the solution is not more guns. The solution is to end the undervaluing of lives, both black and blue. Poor, crime-ridden communities are those that most want and need effective policing. But the paradigm cannot be us vs. them. It has to be us with us a relationship of mutual respect. I hope police officers around the nation see how rapidly and completely the people of Dallas, including those in the Black Lives Matter movement, have rallied around their city's Police Department. I hope they understand that compassion for Sterling, Castile and others killed by police in no way mitigates the nation's profound sorrow for the brave officers killed in Dallas. Such tragedy is beyond color. Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group. SHARE Linda Katehi, chancellor of UC Davis, was suspended and placed on leave for 90 days by UC President Janet Napolitano in April. The primary allegation against Katehi is favoritism in the hiring and promotion of family members. But also at issue are misstatements she allegedly made regarding her role in social media contracts designed, in part, to improve her image, and her use of expensive public relations firms to clean up negative Internet search results related to Katehi and the university. As the media has documented, questions of judgment have continued to plague the chancellor since the infamous 2011 pepper-spraying incident, when a police officer sprayed peaceful student protesters. As an organizational communications professional, I've advised universities, hospitals and the armed services on the importance of reputation and how easily it can be tarnished or lost altogether. Whether Katehi remains at UC Davis or not, the institution's character and reputation have suffered and need repair. Character defines who you are, what values you hold dear, where your moral compass lands, and how you respond when put to the test of conflicting ethical principles. It dictates whether or not you do the right thing when no one is watching. Reputation, by contrast, is how an individual or organization is seen through the eyes of others. For universities and colleges, these "others" include community leaders, current and future students, parents, alumni, donors, faculty, legislators, the business community, competing colleges and the media. Once an institution's character and reputation are damaged, they can be difficult to repair. If we look at what's going on at UC Davis, there are some lessons we can learn. A good reputation goes hand-in-hand with a university's "brand," which is, in essence, the promise the institution makes to all constituencies, including students, faculty and the community. You can't hire a consultant to clean up your image or brand it needs to happen organically and over time. Strong, positive reputations are not created through clever slogans or expensive online campaigns. A good reputation must be built on a foundation of public trust. Trust is something that neither a marketing committee nor an executive team alone can take aim at directly. Someone doesn't wake up one morning and say, "Today I am going to be trustworthy." A university's reputation must be built and nurtured over time. Leadership is most visible at the top. Yes, leaders are human and make mistakes, but if they are truly ethical and really care, so will everyone else. UC Davis is experiencing a crisis in leadership. It will take time for students, faculty and others to trust the college's leadership. The university must be serious about building trust and should start with a commitment to complete transparency. The "trusted" are those whom others can count on to do the right thing even when it's unpleasant or costly. They never lie or deceive. They are sincere, candid and forthright. UC Davis needs to ensure going forward that the people who are an extension and embodiment of those institutions practice these same qualities. If they do, UC Davis' character and reputation will be repaired and it will continue to make important and lasting contributions. Ritch K. Eich is author of "Truth, Trust + Tenacity: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders," a retired Naval Reserve captain, a former hospital executive and now a management consultant in Thousand Oaks. RACINE A 43-year-old Racine man was arrested Friday night for making online threats against law enforcement officials only a day after five Dallas police officers were killed by a sniper. Racine Police said Byron L. Cowan, 43, of Racine, was arrested by detectives and local FBI personnel after he allegedly posted threats against police officers and their families on social media. Cowan faces pending felony charges of threats to injure law enforcement as a hate crime, and felony terroristic threats, police said. One of the posted threats from Cowan, who is black, encouraged black men across America to arm themselves and for every white officer to kiss there (sic) loved ones goodbye. This is war; were (sic) tired, Cowan is alleged to have written. Racine police investigators learned that the subject posting the threats might live in Racine, police said. Police also received tips from concerned citizens and other law enforcement agencies across the country regarding the threats, police said. Upon further investigation, police determined that Cowan lived in Racine. Further posts and comments made by Cowan reiterated the threats made in the initial post, police said. Members of the Racine Police Department Detective Bureau, assisted by the local FBI task force, located and detained Cowan without incident at his home, police said. Cowan was transported to the Police Department. After consulting with the Racine County District Attorney, Cowan was held on the pending felony charges, police said. Cowan was in the Racine County Jail Friday night, jail records showed. While threatened with the use deadly force against the law enforcement community at-large within hours of the assassination of five officers in Dallas, local officers and investigators demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and great restraint in peacefully taking the subject of these threats into custody without incident, said Racine Police Chief Art Howell. I would like to personally thank each and every one who supported our department in providing the critical and timely information that enabled our members to bring this matter to a peaceful resolution. SHARE Back in 2007, when then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger desperately cast about for ways to cut the deficit-ridden state budget, he suddenly slashed $27.8 million from a program that preserved agricultural lands, leaving a token $1,000 for it in a $90 billion general fund spending plan. Now, that cut in so-called Williamson Act contracts, dubbed the "brownest cut of all" at the time because it came from a governor with very green pretensions, seems about to do more environmental damage than ever in large part because of a new business plan adopted by the state High Speed Rail Authority. Schwarzenegger's cut left 16.4 million acres of farmland exposed to potential development land formerly protected by contracts between counties and landowners who had previously committed to keep farming their acreage in exchange for a property tax break funded by the state. The Williamson Act cut, which has been continued by current Gov. Jerry Brown, has already had a measurable impact, but the bullet train authority's latest action figures to accelerate things. The act was named for 1960s-era Republican legislator John Williamson, who dreamed it up. Here's a bit of what's already happened, based on figures developed by Conservation Science Partners, a nonprofit group in the Sierra Nevada mountain town of Truckee: During the decade from 2001-11, which was only partially covered by Schwarzenegger's Williamson Act cut, California lost 785 square miles of farmland to development, equal to 502,000 acres at 640 acres per square mile. That was a higher percentage than in any other Western state, and no one knows how much more has been eaten by urban sprawl since 2011. By the end of that year, fully 19.5 percent of California's total land mass was developed, the highest percentage of any Western state. The springtime plan for a bullet train construction U-turn can do nothing but exacerbate this trend, the brownest item in California's modern budget history. Just how brown? One 2003 study from Purdue University showed that every acre of farmland in Purdue's home state of Indiana pulled an estimated 0.107 tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year. That's for all types of farmland, including pastures, vineyards, rice and cotton fields, orchards and more. This is a lowball figure based on Indiana lands, which unlike California's open spaces sprout nothing green during the winter to take carbon from the air. Even under those less-than-ideal conditions, the math works out to a total of 1.754 million tons of carbon absorbed yearly by the 16.4 million present and former Williamson Act acres. That's more than is saved by any man-made tactic, including expensive cap-and-trade programs. Now consider the latest high-speed rail plan, which sees the first bullet trains running between Bakersfield and San Jose, and not between Merced and Los Angeles as previously planned. The change means early bullet trains will likely carry more commuters than other passengers. With estimated travel times of an hour or less between Fresno and San Jose, Silicon Valley workers who can't afford sky-high real estate prices in cities like Los Gatos and Palo Alto could get to work fairly quickly via the bullet train and connecting Caltrain routes or corporate buses. This solves problems for a lot of people while potentially creating enormous urban sprawl on current farmland. For the High Speed Rail Authority, it could assure a full passenger load, something that's been very uncertain from the original conception of this massive project. That could help the authority lure private investors, who so far have not put up a nickel. For high-tech companies, it resolves the problem of finding affordable housing for employees, because land is exponentially cheaper in Central Valley locales like Merced, Chowchilla and Madera, all near the bullet train route. It would let them expand near their headquarters, rather than putting new plants in cheap-land states like Texas and Arizona. For farmers whose Williamson Act contracts have either expired or are about to, it could mean big money when housing developers move in even before all the tracks are laid. But ill effects are obvious, too. There will be far less sequestration of greenhouse gases when housing tracts eat up farmland. Urban sprawl could spread as never before. All because of two governors who have billed themselves as the greenest ever, anywhere, and their hand-picked appointees. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. Cabo Wabo Cantina, located inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, has introduced a new Half-Off Happy Hour offered daily from 3 to 5 p.m. The happy hour includes specials on appetizers, house margaritas, sangria, shots of Cabo Wabo tequila and draft beer (Pictured: Cabo Wabo Appetizer Sampler Photo credit: J. Rick Martin). Appetizer selections include Cabo Wabos appetizer sampler, loaded with taquitos, mini chimichangas, wings, cheese quesadillas, a nacho skillet, guacamole and salsa arbol, priced at $13.50 during happy hour; the queso fundido con chorizo, a trio of melted Mexican cheese, chorizo and served with warm tortillas and pico de gallo, priced at $5.50 during happy hour; and the nacho platter, crispy tortilla chips topped with an array of cheese, beans, jalapenos, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole, priced at $7.50 during happy hour. Guests can also enjoy half-off the classic Cabo Wabo house margarita, crafted with traditional 100 percent Blue Agave tequila, priced at $5 during happy hour. Other specials include half-priced sangria, shots of Cabo Wabo tequila and draft beer. Friday afternoon, House of Blues Foundation Room hosted a private mini-concert with Rob Thomas and Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty. The concert was for listeners of Clear Channels 93.1 and the intimate group of about 20 listeners watched the rockers get down with an acoustic set in the exclusive Foundation Room on the 43rd floor of Mandalay Bay (Courtesy Photo). They performed several songs including Shes So Mean from their new studio album, North, that will be in stores and online September 4, and hits from previous albums including 3 A.M. and If Youre Gone. The guys also posed for photos with the fans following the performance. House of Blues Las Vegas Foundation Room recently held similar events with artists Rita Ora, David Cook and Gavin DeGraw among others. The initiative is based on the Vietnamese concept of Chi, or Strength of Will, targeting the primary users of rhino horn namely wealthy urban men between the ages of 35 and 55. The overarching message of Chi drives the concept that success, masculinity, and good fortune come from an individuals strength of character and cannot be found externally, from a piece of horn. It encourages wealthy businessmen to demonstrate their Chi by becoming leaders in corporate social responsibility and in wildlife protection. The new phase of Chi builds on this foundation, but drives an even more powerful concept: Vuong tu Chi, Lui vi sung, which roughly translates to Prosper by inner strength Invite hardship using rhino horn. If the first phase of the campaign aims at embedding the concept of Chi in Vietnamese culture, the philosophy Prosper by inner strength will be the core message of the second phase, said Duyen Bui, local senior adviser on behaviour-change communication at Intelligentmedia. It also calls on individual businessmen to lead their community and take a stand against the consumption of rhino horn in their personal lives and business networks. Demand for rhino horn is driving poachers in Africa and Asia, with over 1,000 animals illegally killed each year for their horns, jeopardising the future survival of rhinos. Rhino horn is mainly used by wealthy individuals as a supposed health tonic and mostly as a means to flaunt their wealth: the buying and selling of rhino horn is illegal under international and Vietnamese laws. In the latest phase, actor Tran Bao Son joins Hoang Khai, owner of Khai Silk, and other successful business leaders in proclaiming that men should harness their inner strength and refute the notion that these traits come from external factors, such as rhino horn. Dung, a businessman in the manufacturing sector, believes the new message will strike a chord. I think this is a compelling message. It really touches upon issues that men face in their search for success in Vietnam today, he said. The Central Committee of Propaganda and Education (CCPE) and prominent civil society organisations, such as the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM), and state-owned Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), have been key partners and taken a leadership role in integrating the Chi initiative into business and society. The Chi message has already reached over five million Vietnamese people and has actively engaged two million businessmen attending conferences, workshops, and other events in Vietnam, said Madelon Willemsen, head of TRAFFICs Vietnam Office. The private and public sectors are showing leadership in the fight against wildlife crime with Chi as the driving force that will instil zero-tolerance towards the illegal consumption of wildlife products, she added. The first phase of Chi was launched on World Rhino Day, September 22, 2014 by TRAFFIC and Save the Rhino International, from funds provided by the UK government. Intelligentmedia is a Vietnamese behaviour-change communication company, specialising in social marketing and consumer research, working closely with the private, public, and CSO sectors. TRAFFIC is a non-governmental organisation working globally against wild animal and plant trading in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance between WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This was proposed by representatives of EGATi at the recent working session with the leaders of the Quang Ngai Peoples Committee. Chartchai Rojanaratanangkule, EGATis deputy director of Finance and Accounting, said that the company had submitted the pre-feasibility study to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) as well as other relevant agencies and it wanted to quickly finish the remaining procedures. Chairman of the Quang Ngai Peoples Committee Nguyen Duc Chinh stated that the province would provide favourable conditions for the investor as well as help the investor accelerate the project construction. In June 2014, EGATi and the MoITs Department of Energy signed an MoU on the construction of Quang Tri thermal power plant, with the total investment capital of $2.26 billion. The 1,200 megawatt plants construction is divided into two phases under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format and is expected to incrementally go on stream in June and December 2021, respectively. After completing the pre-feasibility study, EGATi is ready to begin the BOT contract negotiations. The viability of the initially proposed construction date, currently slated for 2017, will depend heavily on the upcoming negotiation process. EGATi was established by Thai Power Corporation to carry out energy investment and trading projects in Asia, especially Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. In Vietnam, EGATi works through a representative office in Hanoi. Along with EGATi, numerous Thai enterprises have come to Vietnams central provinces this year to seek investment opportunities and sign cooperation deals to help along its projects. Notably, in February, Thai Outgrow Energy Consult Co. visited Thua Thien-Hue province to seek cooperation opportunities in the power sector. The company wants to build a thermal power plant using municipal solid waste. Outgrow Energy Consult has invested in power plants with a capacity of around 100MW, using renewable resources like wind, solar power, geothermal energy, and solid waste. In March, the Thua Thien-Hue Peoples Committee and Thai Banpu Public Company Limited (Banpu) signed a memorandum of understanding for an investment cooperation plan to develop a 1,200 MW thermal power plant in Phong Dien district. Accordingly, Banpu will survey the area and conduct research on the project within 24 months. Once the plant comes into stable operation, Banpu will implement the second phase, adding a capacity of 2,000MW. US President Barack Obama (R) and British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) chat prior to the meeting of the heads of states of the North Atlantic Council (NAC), during the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland. (WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP) Speaking at a NATO summit in Warsaw, President Barack Obama said the troops would serve "shoulder to shoulder" with Polish forces. They are expected to conduct frequent training missions and will be "mechanised", meaning they would have regular infantry equipment including armoured personnel carriers. Britain said earlier this week it would commit 650 troops to a separate battalion, and fellow NATO allies Germany and Canada have also pledged to stand up their own units. Elissa Slotkin, the US acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, said the troops would be in place some time next year. "Four battalions - that represents the largest movement of NATO personnel since the end of the Cold War," she said. "The United States will have a division's worth of personnel and equipment on the continent of Europe, on top of what NATO has done." The troops will rotate through Poland plus the three small Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, acting as a tripwire to deter any Russian adventurism. They are backed up by a "Spearhead Force" - officially the "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" - which numbers about 5,000 troops ready to move within a couple of days. 'FEELING OF INTIMIDATION' NATO has been working to prevent a repeat of Russia's Ukraine intervention and annexation of Crimea in 2014, with former Soviet-bloc members anxious they could be vulnerable should Moscow attempt additional land grabs. The alliance has mounted a series of exercises, especially in the eastern member states, to test readiness levels and reassure nervous allies, and it has also deployed extra aircraft to boost air policing, especially over the Baltic states. Further south, NATO is increasingly focusing on alliance members Romania and Bulgaria as they cast a wary eye across the Black Sea, where the Russians are building up their military presence. NATO has announced plans to set up a similar reassurance force in Romania. "We are seeing in the Black Sea increasingly a feeling of intimidation," a senior US defence official said. Aside from the four NATO battalions, the United States is separately pumping more military resources into Europe, this year pledging US$3.4 billion in "reassurance" spending. The Pentagon has separately announced the deployment from next year of an armoured brigade of 4,200 troops and Obama said Friday this unit's headquarters will be in Poland. "Poland will be seeing an increase in NATO and American personnel and in the most modern military equipment," Obama said. Obama did not provide details on where the US troops comprising the NATO battalion would come from, or where they would be stationed. The United States is also building a missile defence system in Europe, which NATO was due to take control of as early as Friday, the US defence official said. "Unless there's some last-minute hiccup ... later this evening, NATO will move into command and control position," the official said. Obama's announcement came as the Atlantic alliance began a two-day summit in the Polish capital billed as one of the most important such gatherings since the end of the Cold War. NATO leaders also discussed the longstanding issue of a 2014 decision to reverse years of spending cuts and require countries to commit two percent of annual economic output to defence. Progress since then has been patchy, with only five of the 28 member states meeting the target at a time of austerity. On July 7, French company Lectra announced the opening of its subsidiary Lectra Vietnam. Lectra, which provides technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials, has been present in the country for over 20 years, represented by its agent Ly Sinh Cong Trading Service Company (LSC) for the past twelve years. The new subsidiary will take over LSC's team and assets. According to the company, this represents a key step in Lectras development plan in Asia. Vietnam is one of the most dynamic Southeast Asian economies. It is a top choice for manufacturers who focus on production cost and brands seeking to diversify supply. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement signed in February 2016 will reinforce the attractiveness of the country, where Lectra already has many customers, including very large Asian companies, said Lectras CEO Daniel Harari. Yves Delhaye, Lectras managing director for the ASEAN, Australia, South Korea, and India, said that the company aims to develop even further its already close ties with companies present in the country. Several of our Chinese and South Korean apparel customers manufacture a portion of their products in Vietnam. They are very interested in innovative solutions to improve product quality, operation efficiency, and the productivity of their factories. Moreover, a growing number of automotive industry players are investing in Vietnam. Lectra will be there to help develop their production," he said. Lectra is not alone in its quest to cash in on Vietnams growing garment manufacturing industry. Earlier this month, New Zealand company ShapeShifter, which provides software to optimise production for industrial users of textiles, leather, and metal, announced that it is finally setting up its customer support team in Vietnam this year, after twelve months of pushing its sales activities in Asia, particularly in Taiwan and Vietnam. CEO Tim White said he expected the demand for Shapeshifters products in Vietnam and surrounding Southeast Asian nations would increase as the region engage in more worldwide trade. Meanwhile, the German Textile Machinery Association (VDMA), as the representative of 130 textile machine and equipment manufacturing companies, met with Vietnamese companies in the textile and support industries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City last week, to introduce the latest German technologies. Thomas Waldmann, managing director of the VDMA, also cited the TPP as a key reason for the associations interest in providing machinery to the Vietnamese textile manufacturing industry. Due to the recently signed TPP, Vietnam is increasingly becoming a much preferred textile manufacturing location for companies worldwide, he said. Truong Van Cam, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), which supported the event, said a considerable proportion of technologies in the Vietnamese current textile and apparel industry needed to be transformed to improve quality, especially for those supplying cloth for garment production for export. The textile, apparel, and footwear industries, all of which are rated amongst Vietnams major export sectors, with a total annual turnover of $27 billion in 2015, are expected to benefit the most from the lowered tariffs after the TPP comes into effect. Fellow TPP members, such as the US and Japan, are also Vietnams largest export partners in textile and footwear, bringing great opportunities to Vietnamese exporters in these sectors. The German producer officially launched its locally produced Knauf StandardShield in early June 2016 after only two years setting up regional offices and local production in Vietnam. From the new 20-million square meter gypsumboard manufacturing plant in the northern port city of Haiphong, Knauf Vietnam has started to supply the Vietnamese market and is gradually increasing its brand awareness throughout Vietnam. Now we are able to provide the Vietnam market with a high quality product produced locally. We believe Knauf will be able to grow our marketshare by increasing our brand awareness and product presence, said David Victor Thomas, general director of Knauf Vietnam. At the launching event, Knauf Vietnam also welcomed two new distributors in the south, I.S Joint Stock Company and Dong Do Interior Decoration Joint Stock Company. IS and Dong Do are major players in Vietnams internal linings construction market. We are confident that our three distributors in southern Vietnam - IS, Dong Do and JnJ, will be able to grow our Knauf brand and help promote it to dealers, installers and architects and in turn Knauf will be able to deliver value to our three distributors and their customers, said David. Founded in 1932, Knauf is a multinational producer of building materials and construction systems that operates more than 220 production plants in over 60 countries with roughly 25,000 employees. Recently, Knauf has been expanding into a number of East Europe and Asian markets. Out of the blue, Vinh Trung Plaza closed the underground parking lot, effectively preventing shoppers as well as employees from parking their motorbikes. A representative of Big C Danang said that according to the contract signed between Big C Danang and Duc Manh JSC, owner of Vinh Trung Plaza, the shopping centre is going to rent the space for 40 years starting March 1, 2016. The two sides have honoured their contract for 10 years without any interruption, till November 26, 2015, when Duc Manh notified Big C about annulling the contract and asking the latter to leave by the end of the year. Big C Danang did not agree and asked the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) to interfere. The representative said that Duc Manh has done other things to hinder the operation of Big C Danang, such as closing its wastewater valve and stopping its frozen food trucks from entering the premises. On July 6 and 7, Duc Manh sent a letter to shop owners inside Big C Danang, announcing the retrieval of the space, and putting on fences to prevent people from entering the trade centre. These measures, according to the representative, seriously harmed the operation of Big C Danang. The representative said the company requested other authorities to interfere. This morning, the Danang Department of Enforcement of Civil Judgments held a meeting with the two companies, but Duc Manh failed to show up. The department said it would soon summon both parties to court then gave Big C Danang the contact of an officer to call in case Duc Manh continues to harass it. Earlier, in March, Tan Duc Industrial Park in the southern province of Long An also prevented Japanese tenant Tango Candy from operating because the latter refused to pay the infrastructure fee, deeming it too high. Legal difficulties arose as the contract between the two parties did not provide specific guidance on this fee. After the interference of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, one month later, Tan Duc agreed to charge a more reasonable fee based on the regional average and current regulations. The stork family here is quite various, including plenty of species: white stork, fiery stork, cattle egret, grey stork, and so on. Thousands of herons and rare and valuable birds can be found here such as pelicans or teals residing together. There are many interesting legends about the stork island. In the past, this area sank and the island was formed in the 15th century after the dyke of the Red River collapsed because of a big flood. Gradually, it became the home of different varieties of storks, herons and birds. Every year, in September of the lunar calendar when the north-east wind blows, thousands of storks, herons and birds from other places fly to the island. They often stay there until April of the following year. The island becomes a destination of tourists and an environmental education centre is there to help raise awareness about environmental protection. The best time to visit the Stork Island is at sunrise or sunset. At these times, visitors will have a chance to behold a beautiful painting with white storks and herons flocking out of and into the lake. Tourists will enjoy a spacious and greenish space with the peaceful landscape of a rural area. It is wonderful to mingle with nature and be away from our busy lives. The entrance ticket is VND20,000 (US$0.9) per person while the cost to rent a boat is VND100,000 (US$4.6). This is truly the kingdom of the white stork. Hundreds gather and there is no sense of panic when boats approach. Tourists come here to capture pictures of storks and many are willing to wait for hours to get a perfect shot. At around six in the afternoon when the sun sets, storks come back in large flocks, which create a spectacular view. If tourists are interested, they can visit An Duong temple, which lies right on the bank of An Duong lake. The temple is a place to worship the villages god; the locals usually come here on the first and the 15th day of the lunar month to wish for health and luck. RACINE The second of two men convicted in the 2014 stabbing and robbing of a 65-year-old Racine man was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for the role he played in the bloody affair. Craig M. Piquette, 43, and Derrick J. Smits, 22, were charged on Nov. 6, 2014, with being a party to a crime of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, mayhem and armed robbery. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was attacked on Oct. 7, 2014, as he entered his apartment building in the 2200 block of Washington Avenue at about midnight. The victim told police he received two calls earlier in the day from Piquette who knew the man had received his unemployment check that day asking to borrow $60. The victim said he could not lend Piquette any money because he had to pay his electric bill. Later, as the victim entered his apartment complex, Piquette and Smits approached from behind and pushed the man and started stabbing him, according to the complaint. The victim told police Piquette was stabbing him all over, while Smits was hitting him with his fists. The two then pulled the victims pants off and ran off with the mans wallet and keys, according to the complaint. Piquette and Smits were detained near 13th Street and Valley Drive wearing jackets that appeared to be covered in blood, police said. Police also reportedly found bloodstained money, the pants and the mans possessions. Piquette pleaded guilty to the attempted homicide and robbery charges in June 2015 and was sentenced in October to 20 years behind bars plus 10 years on extended supervision. Smits, who did not stab the victim, pleaded no contest to the same two charges in May. On Friday, Racine County Circuit Judge John Jude sentenced Smits to 15 years of prison time, plus 10 years of extended supervision for the homicide charge, and 20 years in prison plus 10 years extended supervision for the robbery charge. The sentences are to be served concurrently, meaning Smits is facing a total of 20 years in prison for the crime. Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain's shock vote to quit the European Union does not mean the country will play a smaller role in world affairs AFP/Philippe Huguen Britain is not going to be playing a lesser role in the world," Cameron said as he arrived for a NATO summit in Warsaw dominated by concerns over Britain's post-EU future. "We are not turning our back on NATO," he said, and Britain would discuss doing even more with its partners in the US-led alliance to meet changing security challenges. Britain is a key nuclear-armed NATO ally, wields a permanent veto on the UN Security Council and enjoys a "special relationship" with the United States. The Brexit vote shocked Britain's allies, with US President Barack Obama having strongly backed the remain camp ahead of last month's referendum, citing the possible impact on Britain's key role in world affairs as a major concern. Obama insisted earlier Friday that the outcome would not undermine Britain's role in NATO but urged London and Brussels to avoid "protracted, adversarial negotiations" over their divorce. Photo by ASSOCIATED PRESS Pope Francis, left, and retired Pope Benedict XVI embrace during a ceremony to celebrate Benedicts 65th anniversary of his ordination as a priest, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, at the Vatican, June 28. Authorities in a Pakistani border province say steps are being taken to prevent police harassment of Afghan refugees, but those with no legal status still will be arrested and deported. Pressure has grown particularly from host communities calling for authorities to send Afghans to their home country, citing economic and security concerns. Recent political tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have added to the challenges for one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world, according to the United Nations. But the leader of the political party ruling the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) border province where most of the Afghan families are settled says that efforts are being made to ensure a "comfortable" stay for Afghans who are there legally. He told VOA that he has met with and organized meetings between the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal and provincial government and police chiefs to look into problems, including allegations of police harassment and extortion. "There is no doubt that these are people living in desperate situations and they are not there out of their own will. It is because of the situation in Afghanistan and it is our duty to ensure that they live as comfortably as we can make them live," said Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Local and U.N. refugee officials estimate there are three million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, including an estimated one million undocumented Afghans. Most of the refugee families have been living in exile for nearly four decades, after fleeing conflicts and persecution in their homeland. KP province, which borders Afghanistan, hosts most of the refugees, despite being the smallest of all the four Pakistani provinces. Accusations of violence Khan insisted, however, that hostility toward Afghan refugees within the host population has grown because authorities have found undocumented Afghans behind increasingly frequent incidents of kidnapping for ransom and terrorism, particularly in the provincial capital, Peshawar. "The problem is that the locals complain about the crime, which is coming in from the refugee camps. Most of the people who are picked up, who are kidnapped for ransom in Peshawar, the calls for ransom are coming from Afghanistan. The people are picked up, taken to Afghanistan and the [phone] calls come from there," Khan said. "What we need is the help from the seniors of the Afghan refugees who then cooperate with the police, which is what I have been trying to do, so that these criminals are isolated from the bulk of refugees," he added. Pakistani authorities blame the violence on militant groups operating out of volatile Afghan border regions, including fugitives linked to the extremist Pakistani Taliban who are sheltering there. They also allege Afghan authorities are not doing enough to counter the illegal cross-border movement. Afghan ambassador Zakhilwal has acknowledged efforts Pakistani authorities have been making to ease refugees' concerns. "Yes, the situation has improved since my meetings with Imran Khan and subsequent to that with [provincial chief minister] Parviz Khattak and the KP police chief," he told VOA. Pakistan last month granted a six-month extension to registered Afghan refugees to legally stay in the country, urging the Kabul government and international community to step up efforts for a lasting solution to the refugee crisis. The repatriation process, however, has significantly slowed down in recent months because of the rise in Taliban-led violence and economic deterioration in Afghanistan. Only about 6,000 refugees have returned home, compared with nearly 60,000 in 2015, prompting the U.N. refugee agency to double financial grants from $200 to $400 per person for the registered families opting to go back to Afghanistan. RACINE COUNTY Sean Marschke was ready for a few rumbles when he was a rookie cop a quarter-century ago. Back then, police officers could expect to get into a few fights, maybe have a bad guy pull a knife on them. The worst things theyd have to dodge were beer cans or bricks. But being shot dead from above while monitoring a group of people? That never, ever entered my mind, said Marschke, who has been in law enforcement for 25 years and serves as the Sturtevant police chief. The clear and present danger of law enforcement was sadly and shockingly displayed Thursday night when five Dallas police officers were killed, and seven others wounded, by sniper fire during what, to that point, had been a peaceful protest over recent American police shootings of blacks. Racine County law enforcement officials on Friday agreed that police work has always been dangerous work, but the threat level has reached new heights. You never know to expect anymore, said Todd Hoover, a criminalist with the Racine Police Department and president of the Racine Police Association. When you walk out of the squad, when you respond to a call, you just dont know what will happen. You always knew there was that danger. Now its even worse. Now its like 10 times worse. Your eyes have to move 360 degrees, your head has to be on a swivel. The deaths in Dallas made for the deadliest single day for U.S. law enforcement officers since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It is a national tragedy that our guardians are now targets despite their daily pledge toward community well-being and safety, said Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling. Being proactive Schmaling and other Racine area law enforcement officials offered some ideas to help minimize the chance of deadly attacks against police. Giving officers the best equipment and resources is one way of staying ahead of the problem, Schmaling said. Another way is for people to allow the justice system to work, he said. No matter how angry you are, jumping to conclusions before all the facts are known and taking the law into your own hands will only destroy communities and put innocent lives at risk, Schmaling said. Building a strong, sturdy bond between police and the community also helps, said Tim Zarzecki, chief of the Mount Pleasant Police Department. We need to connect as much as we can, Zarzecki said. If you can establish a good rapport, theres a chance you can head things off before they start. The increased training that younger officers receive seems to be helping, Marschke said. Those officers seem more attuned to social media and perhaps are more community-oriented, he said. I had about 320 hours of training at my academy and the officers coming in now have more than 700 hours, Marschke said. That cant hurt. Marschke also said police should be more vigilant about monitoring threats and plans of violence against police made on social media. Nothing will stop everything all the time, he said. But I believe there things we can do to limit them. Affecting recruitment If they cant be limited, law enforcement departments could have a hard time recruiting new officers, local officials said. Events like those in Dallas, coupled with the negative images of police officers in Ferguson, Mo.; Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles and Baltimore are taking a toll, Hoover said, as the number of candidates taking police and deputy exams are down all over the state. Both large and small police departments are struggling to fill jobs, according to the Wisconsin Professional Police Association website. Police recruiters are being stymied by the jobs low pay, tarnished image, increasingly tougher standards for new recruits and limited job flexibility, the website said. When a hateful person decides they want to do something like Dallas, I can very easily see why someone who is thinking about entering this career would take a long, hard second look, Marschke said. Still, people who view law enforcement as a calling, and not just a career, probably wont be swayed, said Zarzecki, a 32-year police veteran. Law enforcement is in your heart, he said. Some people will choose it no matter what. Hoover said he believed community members are becoming more vocal about supporting police officers, which could help younger people considering a law enforcement career. We see a lot of We Back the Badge signs in yards. People are emailing the Police Department thanking us for the jobs we do, Hoover said. People are becoming more open about their support. And police apparently appreciate that support. The Racine Police Department thanked citizens for their continued support via Facebook on Friday. We have received many messages this morning sending prayers and thoughts go all those in Law Enforcement. Thank you, the post said. It really does mean a lot to us. We have received many messages this morning sending prayers and thoughts go all those in Law Enforcement. Thank you. It really does mean a lot to us. Friday post on the Racine Police Departments Facebook page The killings of five police officers in the southwestern U.S. city of Dallas are prompting President Barack Obama to cut short his trip to Europe by one day. The decision did not change the U.S. leader's plans at the NATO summit that was concluding Saturday in Warsaw, where the group agreed on new efforts to deter Russia from threatening member states on the alliance's eastern flank. "The president has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, in a statement issued early Saturday. "Later in the week, at the White House, the president will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities, and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system," Earnest said. Obama travels to Spain as scheduled Saturday but will skip a stop in Seville where he was to visit the city's cathedral and its royal palace, and meet with King Felipe. On Sunday, Obama is to speak to U.S. troops at a naval station in Rota on the Mediterranean Sea. Russian aggression His decision to stay through the end of the summit and go to Spain for at least enough time to visit U.S. troops at Rota underscores the importance of the moment. U.S. officials say the NATO summit marks a turning point in which NATO is shifting its focus from reassurance to deterrence. The president announced Friday that the U.S. will send nearly 1,000 troops to Poland as part of what officials said is a modest force intended to deter Russian aggression. NATO members also agreed to additional deployments in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as part of what NATO officials said is the alliance's largest deployment since the end of the Cold War. The decision to boost rapid response forces follows pressure by leaders of the Baltics, which analysts say are especially vulnerable to Russian aggression. Defense analysts say recent studies show Russian forces could take any one of the Baltic capitals within 60 hours. The experience of Ukraine weighed heavily on NATO's shift in posture. Much of Obama's attention Saturday was on Ukraine, where Russia is showing no signs of ending its intervention after more than two years. Before departing for Spain, Obama was to meet with leaders of main NATO allies Britain, France, Germany and Italy, plus Ukraine's President, Petro Poroshenko. Afghan violence The other focus of the summit Saturday was Afghanistan, where Obama recently said the United States will keep 8,400 troops through the end of his presidency in January. One of the aims of the summit was to secure commitments from NATO members to stem rising violence in Afghanistan. The U.S. has budgeted nearly $3.5 billion to aid Afghan forces. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday that other members have committed $1 billion to the Afghan effort. China held a two-day Tibet Development Forum in Lhasa that was attended by 130 people from 30 countries, according to official Chinese news outlets. According to the China Daily, the forum, organized by the Communist Partys Propaganda Department, concluded Friday with participants reaching a consensus on the autonomous regions development, cultural and environmental protection. Liu Qibao, Beijing's propaganda boss, headed the event, during which participants were given guided tours of key areas in Lhasa and Lhoka prefecture. Unfortunately for China, their wafer-thin veneer of good news cant hide the rot underneath, said Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, the director of Free Tibet, who said the forum served only to advance Beijing's propaganda efforts in the region. The reality of economic development in Tibet is that the majority of Tibetans are marginalized spectators as Chinese migrants and businesses harvest the benefits of Beijings policies. Tibetan Autonomous regional television showed a few of the foreign participants, including Christine Davies, vice president of the Asia Society, and a French writer named Sonia Bressler, who last year was praised by Chinese official news sources for writing about Tibet and speaking positively about the situation in Xinjiang. Free Tibet spokesperson Alistair Carrie told VOA that some participants go to such events to genuinely try to learn about Tibet and others are there because either their institutions or countries ... benefit [from] Chinese investment. The forum, held every two years, started in 2007 in Vienna, followed in 2009 in Rome, 2011 in Athens, and 2014 in Lhasa, Tibet. Colombia's FARC rebel group would not accept opposition to a peace deal with the government from within its ranks or allow dissidents to use its name, the leadership said Friday, after one unit announced that it would not lay down its weapons. The 200-strong Armando Rios First Front in the southeastern jungle province of Guaviare said this week it would not disarm or demobilize once an accord was reached. The announcement was the first public opposition to a peace deal from within the 7,000-member Marxist group and may prompt more dissent in the coming weeks, security sources said. More than two weeks ago, the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a cease-fire deal at their almost four-year-old talks in Cuba. In a statement from "the mountains of Colombia," the FARC leadership said decisions within the group are made by majority, and any members choosing an "uncertain adventure" would no longer be part of the organization. "Whomever declares themselves removed from the directorate puts themselves outside of the FARC-EP and cannot use its name, arms or properties for any purpose," the statement said. "Peace is and will continue to be the flag of all true revolutionaries." The First Front, which is known to have links to the drug trade, called on other units to join forces to continue fighting. A commander of the breakaway unit, Gentil Duarte, had recently been part of the rebel negotiating team. The unit, which famously held former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at talks in Havana would not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated the FARC to take up arms in 1964. President Juan Manuel Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal would be put to Colombians for approval in a public vote. Santos said this week that any FARC unit that does not adhere to a peace agreement would continue at war and its members would be killed or imprisoned. South Sudan turned five years old Saturday. But instead of music, whistles and vuvuzelas as in past years, citizens were hearing gunshots. Late Friday, shooting erupted outside the presidential palace, soon engulfing the whole city. More than 100 people died. It was the latest clash in a brutal civil war that broke out in 2013. Tens of thousands have been killed as forces of the president, Salva Kiir, fight those of his rival, the current first vice president, Riek Machar. The two men are accused of leading troops who killed and raped civilians. Elizabeth Deng, a South Sudanese citizen working for rights group Amnesty International, recalled the hopes of five years ago, before the civil war. "I remember in Salva Kiir's speech in 2011 on independence day," she said. "He promised ratification of human rights treaties and their implementation. Unfortunately, the government has committed human rights violations without holding its own forces accountable for these, so it seems like those promises unfortunately have not been implemented." Accord in August Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal last August and formed a government together in April. But they have been unable to stop violence across the nation. "Unfortunately, the signing of the peace agreement last August 2015 hasn't really resulted in an end to the conflict," Deng said. "There were recently clashes in Wau that led to significant displacement and estimates of hundreds of civilian deaths, and in Juba over the past few days people have been hearing gunshots." Corruption has ruined South Sudan's economy. The World Food Program says 4.8 million South Sudanese will face severe food shortages this year, with parts of the country on the edge of famine. The fighting has forced 2.4 million people from their homes. Hundreds of thousands have left the country as refugees. The U.N. refugee agency predicts a million South Sudanese will leave by the end of this year. South Sudanese lawyer Dong Luak said the exodus is a vote of no confidence. "I don't think that there is anyone who has feelings toward South Sudan now as a country," he said. "That is why everyone is leaving the country." The peace deal, backed by the West, was designed to keep Kiir and Machar, two old adversaries, in power. Dong said that was a mistake. "I think the best thing is that they are held [to] account [for] the atrocities they have committed. ... Those who committed crimes against humanity and war crimes should be in prisons, not in the palaces," he said. Party's legacy Kiir and Machar are members of the same political party, the SPLM. It was once hailed as a liberator for its role in fighting the repressive government of the north in Khartoum. But Peter Adwok Nyaba, South Sudan's minister of higher education, said the SPLM's legacy was now one of violence and corruption. "I would say that SPLM as a party does not exist. ... The leadership has failed to transform it from what it is was a liberation movement into a political party, so after two years, it's just a place for looting only," he said. With war, poverty, and hunger across the land, there was little to celebrate this Independence Day. President Raul Castro told Cubans on Friday to brace for tough times because the Communist-run country must cut spending and energy supply as it deals with a cash crunch and reduced oil imports from ally Venezuela. Cuban economic growth slowed to 1 percent in the first half of this year from 4.7 percent in the same period of 2015, Castro told the mid-year session of the National Assembly. This was half of what the government had forecast. The economic outlook throughout Latin America has weakened due to lower commodity prices. Castro's warning came at a time when Cuban expectations are high due to economic reforms and warming relations with the United States. "Rumors and forecasts of an imminent collapse of our economy with a return to the acute phase of the Special Period ... have started to appear," Castro said according to a copy of his speech provided by the country's official news agency Prensa Latina. Foreign journalists are barred from the assembly. He was referring to the years after Cuba's biggest benefactor, the Soviet Union, collapsed. During that time, in the early 1990s, Cubans had to cope with widespread power outages and food shortages. "We cannot deny there will be some impact, including worse than currently, but we are prepared and in better conditions than then to revert it." Public offices and state-run companies have already cut work hours and are limiting the use of air-conditioning, workers have said. Cinemas have cut the number of film screenings, and petrol stations are running out of fuel more frequently than in the past few years. Castro said Cuba was struggling to pay foreign suppliers on time, and thanked them for their "confidence and understanding of the transitory situation we are in." He reiterated the government is determined to pay the suppliers, even if delayed. Cuba had at least been able to fulfill its international debt obligations, Castro said. "We will not give up the aim of continuing to reestablish international credibility in the Cuban economy," he said. Venezuelan Fuel Lower commodities prices are battering Cuban exports of nickel, refined oil products and sugar, while revenue from the sale of professional services to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Angola has suffered, Castro said on Friday. He said the economic crisis in Venezuela was affecting its oil supply to Cuba. Reuters reported earlier on Friday that Venezuelan shipments of crude oil and refined products to the island nation had declined around 20 percent in the first half of this year. As a result, Cuba must reduce all unnecessary spending, substitute imports for Cuban-made goods, invest in sectors that generate hard cash and use energy more efficiently, Castro said. "At the same time, we will preserve the social services the Revolution has conquered," he assured. The president did not detail the energy cuts. But the Communist Party weekly in eastern Holguin province, reporting on a meeting of top officials there, wrote this week that the government plans to reduce energy consumption by 28 percent in the second half of 2016. While Cuba has a long history of energy rationing, many Cubans expect more now as its relations with the West are improving and it is diversifying its trade partnerships. "We Cubans we've confronted everything," said Ramon Luaces, a carpenter in Havana. "But I do hope the system improves a bit... if the problem with Venezuela is this serious, they should look for other options." Ed Harder is thinking about the blue shirts that made the police officers in Dallas targets. He circles the handwritten notes and flowers at the center of the National Law Enforcement Memorial here that memorialize the five dead and seven wounded at the end of an otherwise peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas. Even as details emerged about the shootings Thursday night, a familiar battle erupted online. The blue shirts of police became the hashtag Blue Lives Matter, sometimes competing with the now-familiar hashtag Black Lives Matter, while others decried any labels, using the phrase All Lives Matter. Harder wore the police uniform for seven years. He says his heart dropped when he heard the news about Dallas and imagined being in the position of the police officers guarding people exercising their right to free speech. "You lost your life because of what you were wearing: a blue shirt. No other reason. You were wearing a blue shirt," said Harder, shaking his head. "So black lives matter, blue lives matter? No. All lives matter." The simple pledge that all lives matter seems straightforward. It is an acknowledgement that labels sometimes can mislead. In the ongoing and difficult American discussion on race, however, even a lack of labels can be a problem. Problem of labels Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama confronted the question of labels as he reacted to the shootings. "When people say black lives matter, it does not mean blue lives dont matter. All lives matter," Obama said. The president also acknowledged the concerns of Black Lives Matter protesters, though, who say race plays a role in policing in the United States. "The big concern is that the data shows that black folks are more vulnerable to these kinds of incidents. This isn't a matter of us comparing the value of lives, this is recognizing that there is a particular burden that is being placed on a group of our fellow citizens and we should care about that. We cant dismiss it," he said. Greg Carr, a professor of Afro-American studies at Howard University, points to the African-American chief of police in Dallas, the very city where the shootings happened, as an example of the issues involved in labeling lives. WATCH: President Barack Obama condemns Dallas shootings "President Obama was trying to make the point that all human lives matter," Carr observes. "But he was also trying to emphasize that at this moment in American history, the crisis is state violence against people of African descent." Movement Carr argues that like all movements, Black Lives Matter is an idea that can be embraced, rejected or used by anyone. Details are still emerging on the shooter and his motives. Carr said of Micah Xavier Johnson "it appears that he was very influenced by the violence against black people and black men in particular that has been unfolding over the last several years and that is in part because of the Black Lives Matter concept." The discussion about police treatment of African-Americans has affected officer morale, said William Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations. "The stated objectives are great in terms of ridding the system of injustice, banishing inequality," Johnson said about Black Lives Matter. He said the rhetoric of some protesters calling for dead cops, however, only encourages incidents such as Dallas. "We used to blame social economic inequality, now we blame the cop. We used to blame a lack of economic opportunities, now we blame the cop. We used to blame the failing school system, now we blame the cop. And I think theres a real disconnect between the stated aims of the Black Lives Matter movement and how they actually act, and what the actual results are," Johnson said. He said Blue Lives Matter looks beyond color because blue is the uniform. Youre blue, youre a cop, your life matters. Pointed observations But back at the memorial, even former police officer Harder worried about that label. When you start drawing attention to 'Im a brown life, Im a yellow life, Im a blue life, Im a black life' well, then youve just labeled yourself and now youre asking for 'I'm better than you because youre putting a label on it,' " he said. Kathleen Crosby, another visitor to the memorial, wondered if labeling the lives that matter will only increase opportunities for prejudice. She said slogans cant be a stand-in for compassion. "We need to live as a community, all as one, and understand that everyone has feelings," Crosby said. "We have to consider everyones culture and feelings and really learn to get along peacefully united as the United States." Eight people died in clashes and more than 90 security personnel were injured as protests engulfed Indian Kashmir a day after a top militant was killed by security forces. It was the worst violence in recent months in India's only Muslim majority region. Clashes erupted in towns across southern Kashmir as thousands of residents, shouting anti-India slogans, defied restrictions and turned out to take part in the funeral of Burhan Wani in Tral town, about 60 kilometers south of the summer capital, Srinagar. The 22-year-old Wani and two other militants were killed by police Friday in a shootout in southern Kashmir. Police said the crowds Saturday attacked three police stations, set fire to two other buildings and pelted security forces with stones. The violence took place despite the hundreds of armed police in riot gear, and paramilitary soldiers who patrolled the streets. Police said seven people died in "retaliatory action" by security forces, while one man drowned as he tried to flee the protests. With tensions likely to continue as separatist leaders have called for a three-day shutdown, police officials in the state appealed for calm. Internet services were shut down and train services have been temporarily halted. Recruit from the grave Wani, the son of a school headmaster and a school dropout, had come to be known as the "new face" of militancy in Kashmir. His photos and videos urging young men to join him and take to arms were widely circulated on social media. Analysts said the young militant, who had frequently denounced security forces for using excessive force against protesters, posed a new challenge as he motivated many local youths to join the ranks of militants. Security forces have called the killing of Wani a major success in their anti-militancy operation. But some Kashmiri leaders fear otherwise. In a tweet, Kashmir's former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said, "Burhan's ability to recruit in to militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media." Fear of fresh threat India has long blamed Pakistan-based Islamists for fomenting a violent insurgency that raged in the region until the 2003 killing of tens of thousands. But security analysts say separatist sentiment is again on the rise among some young, disaffected people in Kashmir and poses a fresh threat to the lull that was experienced in the rebellion. However, Kashmir's additional inspector general of police, S.M. Sahai, said on Saturday that militancy in Kashmir has been contained, but admitted that there has been a "slight spurt" in recent months. "We would like that local recruitment goes down and does not take place as it was a couple of years back," he said. Sahai appealed to parents to counsel their children to ensure that they don't join this path. Last month, Kashmir witnessed several militant strikes, including one in which eight Indian police officials were killed. Divided between Pakistan and India, the Himalayan region is claimed by both countries. El Salvador confirmed Friday a second case of a baby born with microcephaly linked to the Zika virus, the mosquito-borne disease that can cause the serious birth defect and other severe fetal brain defects. Elmer Mendoza, an epidemiologist at the Health Ministry's Research Unit, said a newborn girl in the state of Ahuachapan, 64 miles (103 km) west of the capital, had tested positive for microcephaly, but the baby was stable. He was speaking on the sidelines of an El Salvador Health Ministry event. "She is well. ... We know that it is moderate microcephaly," Mendoza said. "Zika came out positive." According to officials in the poor Central American country, there are 308 pregnant women suspected of having been infected with Zika, of which 118 gave birth to babies without a birth defect. Authorities have said the number of cases might increase. Health authorities reported 6,848 suspected cases of infection nationwide. U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, which is marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. As the United States reflects on the killings of two African-Americans by police and the deadly ambush on officers in Dallas, a rash of police shootings in the last few days left two people dead and multiple others wounded in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri. None of the incidents reached the scale of the shootings in Dallas, Texas, where one gunman killed five police officers the deadliest attack on officers since the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001. It remains unclear the extent to which the shootings were related to the killing of the two African-Americans by police in separate incidents earlier this week. But the incidents underscored the high-level of tension between law enforcement officers and many black citizens. The latest reported shooting happened early Saturday when two officers were on routine patrol in southeast Houston when they saw an armed African-American man standing in the street. According to Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jody Silva officers stopped their vehicle and shouted at the man to put his gun down. Silva said the suspect had a revolver pointed "straight up towards the sky" before he pointed the gun at the officers. "It is there that it stops. It wasn't as if he was putting on the ground. ... But he pointed directly at officers," she said. The officers fired numerous times. The unidentified man died at the scene. Silva said internal affairs along with the Houston District Attorneys Office will conduct separate investigation. Tennessee shooting Authorities in Bristol, Tennessee, said Thursday that a man opened fire on a highway because he was "troubled" by the shootings involving black people. The man killed one person and wounded three others, including a patrol officer. Authorities say police responded by returning fire, wounding the suspect, who is now being treated at a local hospital. No charges have been filed yet. Another law enforcement official in Valdosta, Georgia was shot multiple times. One of these shots hit the police officer in the abdomen, below his bulletproof vest. "He is out of surgery now....and Im happy to report he's going to be fine. He's in stable condition, but he's in the ICU as a precaution," Valdosta Police chief Brian Childress said. In Roswell, Georgia, a gunman in a passing vehicle shot a patrol officer. According to police, the 21-year-old suspect opened fire but did not hit the officer, who chased the suspect and arrested him. The officer "jumped right into action and did a great job chasing this guy down and catching him," Roswell Police Detective Zachary Frommer said. Missouri suburb Another officer was shot in Ballwin, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Local news outlets report he was wounded in the neck during a morning traffic stop. Fox News reported the suspect was arrested after a foot pursuit, and a handgun was recovered. The officer's condition is unknown. In Selma, Alabama, a police officer was wounded when law enforcement exchanged fire and killed a man who shot his girlfriend after police arrived at the scene. Officials in Dallas County, which surrounds Selma, said the suspect shot his girlfriend in front of her children Thursday night because "he felt like she came home too late." The officer's injuries are not life-threatening, and the woman is expected to survive. TOWN OF BURLINGTON A man was killed Friday morning just outside the City of Burlington after a motorcycle collided with a semitrailer on the Burlington Bypass, according to the countys sheriff and medical examiner. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said the motorcycle operator was a 56-year-old man from Cudahy. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Racine County Medical Examiner Mike Payne said. The crash was reported at 10:23 a.m., the Sheriffs Office reported. According to a press release from the Sheriffs Office, the semi was headed west on the Bypass (Highways 11/36/83) and was attempting to turn south on Pine Street. The motorcycle was heading east on the bypass and collided with the semi during the turn. Schmaling said the initial investigation showed that the traffic signals were operational and the truck driver failed to yield to the motorcycle operator. The Sheriffs Office is still investigating the crash; no citations had been issued as of Friday afternoon. Schmaling said he does not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved. There were four witnesses to the crash, including an off-duty nurse and paramedic, who immediately performed CPR on the motorcycle operator; those attempts were unsuccessful, according to the news release. This is a very unfortunate accident, Schmaling said. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims family. The mans body will be sent to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy, Payne said. The Sheriffs Office was in the process of notifying the next of kin, Payne said early Friday afternoon. The Town of Burlington Fire Department, Burlington Rescue Squad and State Patrol also responded to the call. Senior U.S. officials Friday tried to downplay concerns that the deadly Dallas shooting, which killed five police officers, was linked to any wider plot, even as some groups condemned the violence as domestic terrorism. It is my understanding that investigators have now publicly ruled out the possibility that the individual who carried out this terrible act of violence had any sort of connections to terrorist organizations, either in the United States or around the world, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said while briefing reporters in Warsaw, Poland. Later at a news conference in New York, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the shooter had "no known links or inspiration from any international terrorist organization." The suspect in Thursdays attack, identified by investigators as Micah Xavier Johnson, was killed by police. Two other men and a woman were in police custody, though they had not been identified. So far, Dallas police and the U.S. Justice Department have refused to classify the attack. Police said only that it was a well-planned ambush. Despite the governments caution, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, was unequivocal in its condemnation of the Dallas shootings. This was an act of domestic terrorism, SPLC President Richard Cohen said in a statement Friday. We must not allow this act of violence to lead to more violence and more hate. The SPLC also said Friday that the suspected shooter was a fan of what it sees as black separatist hate groups including the New Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam and the Black Riders Liberation Party liking them on Facebook. Adding up the evidence But whether the U.S. will officially label the Dallas shootings as domestic terrorism is not clear. Authorities are still trying to determine whether the shooter has any accomplices. If any are identified, how the government classifies the shooting will guide the prosecution. The government will be looking at which charges are likely to get a conviction, said William Yeomans, a fellow in law and government at American University Law School in Washington. Theyll be looking at what the evidence warrants. Yeomans, who spent 26 years as a U.S. Justice Department attorney, said pursuing terrorism charges often depends on the intent of those perpetrating the violence. The Paris shootings, for instance, would be classic terrorism, or probably San Bernardino, where you attack the civilian population to terrorize the civilian population, to make it afraid, and you do it to serve some political or other objective, he said. But another crime that inspired terror, the shooting deaths of nine African-American churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, last year, was treated not as terrorism but as a hate crime. That seemed very clearly to be racially motivated and to be a civil rights violation, Yeomans said. The accused shooter, a white man named Dylann Roof, was said to have written about his contempt for blacks, Jews and Hispanics on the internet, and a friend told police that Roof talked about starting a civil war. Though it's rare, U.S. officials could decide to treat a case like the Dallas shootings as both domestic terrorism and a hate crime, Yoemans said, noting the type of charges the government decides to pursue can have a wider, political impact. In the popular mind, it can send different messages, he said. An armed man who was marching peacefully with anti-police violence protesters Thursday in Dallas, Texas, received death threats and other harassment after the Dallas Police Department posted his picture on Twitter and falsely identified him as a suspect in the shooting deaths of five officers. Thursday night, a lone gunman with a sniper rifle opened fire on Dallas police officers, killing five and wounding another seven before ultimately being taken out by a bomb-carrying police robot. Amid the chaos and confusion on the scene, police identified Mark Hughes as a suspect and asked for the public's help in finding him. Without giving any additional information, the DPD (Dallas Police Department) posted a picture of Hughes wearing a camouflage shirt and carrying a rifle on its official Twitter account with the caption, "This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him!" From there, the picture spread around social media and was featured on countless television broadcasts, making Hughes for a brief time one of the most wanted men in America. System trying to get me It is legal in Texas to openly carry a rifle, with the proper authorization. Hughes, an avid supporter of the Second Amendment to the Constitution's right to bear arms, was doing just that. Having no idea that his face was plastered on television and computer screens across the country, Hughes was, by his own account, "laughing and talking with police officers" as he marched with the crowd. Hughes told a local CBS affiliate that he received a phone call from a friend telling him police were searching for him as a suspect in the shooting. He immediately flagged down a police officer and handed over his weapon. Police questioned Hughes for about 30 minutes and then released him, he said. While in the interrogation, though, things took a dark turn, as Hughes said police told him they had video footage and witness statements showing he fired his gun, which he said "is a lie." "At the end of the day, the system was trying to get me," he said. Absolutely afraid During a Friday news conference, lawyers for Hughes said he was carrying his gun legally and argued that the DPD's tweet and media exposure put his life in jeopardy. "They have received thousands of death threats already. Unfortunately, there was a lot of negligence with that picture," said attorney Corwyn Davis. Hughes told the CBS reporter he was "absolutely" afraid for his safety now that the world has seen his picture. His brother, Corey, said police refused to publicly clear his name. "Before we left [the police station] I turned and I asked the cop, I said, Sir, I see you guys doing interviews in front of the station, are you willing to tell the world these two young black men had nothing to do with it?' And he said, No,'" Corey Hughes said. The tweet containing Mark Hughes' picture remained on the DPD Twitter page for most of the day Friday, before eventually being removed. Earlier Friday morning, DPD clarified that Hughes wasn't a suspect, but instead referred to him as a "person of interest." President Barack Obama pledged long-term U.S. support for Europe and urged unity at what he said was a pivotal moment for the NATO alliance and Europe. In this challenging moment, I want to take this opportunity to state clearly what will never change, and that is the unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense of Europe, to our transatlantic relationship, to our commitment to our common defense, Obama said at the close Saturday of a NATO summit that U.S. officials called the most crucial gathering of the alliance since the Cold War. U.S. officials said the NATO summit marked a turning point in which NATO is shifting its focus from reassurance to deterrence. At the start of the summit Friday, Obama announced the U.S. would send nearly 1,000 troops to Poland as part of what officials said was a modest force whose purpose would be to deter Russian aggression. NATO members also agreed to additional deployments in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as part of what NATO officials said was the alliances largest deployment since the end of the Cold War. The decision to boost rapid-response forces followed pressure by leaders of the Baltics, which analysts say are especially vulnerable to Russian aggression. Defense analysts say recent studies show Russian forces could take any one of the Baltic capitals within 60 hours. Larger Russian presence Russia has repeatedly denounced the military buildup and vowed to place additional Russian soldiers in the region, where it already maintains a large military presence. Russia is also showing no signs of ending its intervention in Ukraine after more than two years. WATCH: Obama Urges Unity in Europe at 'Pivotal Moment' Speaking to VOA's Serbian service, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin said Russia's presence in Ukraine needed to end, but that NATO was looking for cooperation, not confrontation. Clearly, Russia is the aggressor," the Maryland Democrat said. "What we're trying to do is get Russia to follow international law. So, yes, we have taken sanction steps against Russia for its invasion into Ukraine. Yes, we continue to speak out against what they are doing that we think is counterproductive to security in our region. But our hope is that we will get the cooperation of Russia to respect their international commitments. Earlier this year, NATO officially invited Montenegro to become the alliance's 29th member, once its bid is approved by the alliance's legislative bodies. Cardin said he saw bipartisan support for the country's bid in the U.S. Congress. Montenegro's defense minister, Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic, told VOA in Warsaw that above everything else, the country's entry into NATO was about stability and security. "Montenegro is in a position to talk about these things not only when it comes to our own situation, for ensuring the full security of our own citizens, but also from the point that we are able to further on project stability and security into the region of the western Balkans, which is essential for the vision of ensuring that Europe remains at peace," she said. Brexit impact for NATO British voters' decision to leave the European question fueled concerns of NATO states many of them EU members about the unity of the EU bloc and possibly that of the security alliance itself. In his closing remarks at the summit, Obama called on Britain and the European Union not to harden their stances as Britain begins to negotiate its exit from the EU. The discussions have been marked by acrimony, with EU leaders insisting that Britain leave quickly so as to end uncertainty and economic disruption. The U.S leader called on both sides to accept Brexit as a reality and assume the referendum is going to stick. More support for Afghanistan At the two-day summit, NATO leaders pledged to continue training Afghan security forces into 2017 and to provide nearly $1 billion each year to support Afghan forces through 2020. Together with contributions from the United States, that means the Western alliance will continue to provide about $4.5 billion per year for Afghan security forces. The United States recently announced it would slow its withdrawal of troops, keeping 8,400 in Afghanistan through the end of Obama's presidency in early 2017. In Warsaw, NATO allies and partners said they would keep about 12,000 troops in Afghanistan into 2017. The new NATO commitment is slightly lower than the approximately 13,000 international troops currently carrying out the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission to help train, advise and assist Afghan forces, according to senior U.S. administration officials. These numbers do not reflect additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan who are carrying out a counterterrorism mission against remnants of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, a senior administration official said Saturday. Of the 8,400 U.S. troops that will remain in Afghanistan next year, 6,700 will be devoted to the Resolute Support Mission, U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATOs supreme allied commander in Europe, told reporters at the NATO summit Saturday. Components Scaparrotti said the air and special operations forces components of the train, advise and assist mission would remain the same, if not with the same numbers, while the conventional train, advise and assist component would be most affected by the decrease in troops. It will be a little less than what it has been to this point, so there will be less doing that TAA [train, advise and assist] in that area, Scaparrotti said. The continued support from Western countries reflects the worries about Afghanistan's security situation, at a time when Taliban forces continue to challenge Afghan forces, and IS has established a foothold in the country's south and east. Senior administration officials say more than 2,000 U.S. troops will be devoted to the U.S. counterterrorism mission, dubbed Freedom's Sentinel. Some of the U.S. troops will need to serve under both the Resolute Support Mission and the Freedoms Sentinel Mission, senior administration officials said. Nearly 50 people were killed in fighting Friday in Syria, the last day of a cease-fire announced by the Syrian army to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The violence took place in two different parts of the country in Idlib province, near the border with Turkey, and north of the city of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the violence, said airstrikes killed 23 people, including two children, in the village of Darkoush in Idlib province. It is not clear whether Syrian or Russian warplanes carried out the attack. The area is controlled by a coalition of various rebel groups, including the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. Outside Aleppo, the Observatory reported at least 25 people were killed, including several children. Rebels carried out the attack with mortar shells, to counter government troops' advance on Thursday to capture a key supply line that rebels control. Friday ended a 72-hour cease-fire called by the Syrian army to allow people to enjoy the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The truce was scarcely observed, however; observers said fighting by all sides has continued since the battle pause was to have taken effect on Wednesday. North Koreas latest missile test is a serious threat to the Pacific region and the globe, said NATOs military operations commander. The North conducted a submarine missile launch late Friday off the coast of the port city of Sinpo. Initial indications show the missile apparently fell over the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Strategic command, which tracked the launch. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile's engine ignited, but exploded about 10 kilometers into the air. A similar test in April also failed. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and his regime continues to test and work on their ballistic missile capability, and with every launch theyre getting better and theyre working out their problems," U.S. General Curtis Scaparrotti said. Scaparrotti, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), told reporters at the NATO Summit in Warsaw Saturday. Scaparrotti said North Korea is now using Musudan missiles with regional ranges, but lessons learned from these tests can be transferred to its intercontinental ballistic missiles capability. When asked if he worried about the potential for a North Korean missile to hit the continental U.S., the general responded, I do. The North Korean test came one day after the United States and South Korea announced plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on the Korean peninsula to counter North Koreas ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile development programs. China, Russia and North Korea on Friday expressed their strong opposition to the U.S. THAAD deployment in South Korea and urged the two countries to put a stop to it. China's Foreign Ministry summoned the American and South Korean ambassadors to lodge complaints. At the same time, China, as North Korea's key ally, has urged North Korean leader Kim to return to international talks and dismantle its nuclear program in return for economic assistance and security guarantees. U.S. President Barack Obama sought Saturday to reassure Americans shaken up by what he acknowledged was a "painful week" following two fatal police shootings of African-Americans and an ambush that left five policemen dead in Dallas. Obama was speaking at a NATO summit in Warsaw, but he devoted much of his news conference to events back home. The president is cutting his trip to Europe short by one day and will return to Washington Sunday night. He said he planned to travel to Dallas in the coming days at the invitation of Mayor Mike Rawlings. The city remained on edge Saturday, especially after Dallas police received an anonymous threat against officers across the city. The threat led officials to lock down the headquarters and several blocks surrounding the building as a "precautionary measure," a police statement said. In Poland, Obama opened his remarks with the aftermath of the Dallas shooting, saying, "I firmly believe America is not as divided as some have suggested." He said the country has a foundation to build on to tackle the very real problems it faces, including tensions between law enforcement and minority communities. Asked about how he would characterize the Dallas shooter, Obama called him a "demented individual." WATCH: Dallas Honors Fallen Officers The Dallas shooter is not representative of blacks, the president said, just as the man who killed people at a historic African-American church last year in Charleston is not representative of whites, and the Muslim American who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub last month is not representative of Muslim Americans. 'Part of the problem' On the issue of gun violence, in response to a question, Obama said, "I am not going to stop talking about guns, because they are part of the problem." He said if people care about the safety of police officers, they cannot pretend that the gun issue is irrelevant. He said it would never be possible to stop every violent madman intent on carnage, but the U.S. could make it much harder for them. He said the scope of gun violence in the United States is unique. On Saturday, the people of Dallas were working through the emotions of Thursday's violence and trying to make sense of the tragedy, which in addition to the fatalities it caused left seven officers and two civilians injured. In front of Dallas Police Department headquarters, passers-by offered condolences at two squad cars decked with flowers, childrens toys and notes of sympathy. Those who came were African-Americans, whites and Latinos, and included many officers mourning the loss of their colleagues. 'Support them' Michael Walton, a Dallas police officer and president of the Dallas Fraternal Order of Police, earlier in the day had visited the injured officers in the hospital. Theyre going to be OK one day, Walton said. Were just trying to get them through it, support them, let them know that were still here for them, and their families, too. Recalling the events of Thursday night, I was ... just in shock, recalled Terry Mack, an officer with the Dallas transit police, who was off duty but lost one colleague and saw others injured. He said he had worked with them all. All of our officers are heroes, said Dallas police Sergeant Demetrick Pennie, president of the Dallas Fallen Officers Foundation. While everyone else was running away from the bullets, our officers were running to the bullets." Karen Copeland came to the memorial site with her daughter Kylie, 5, to try to make sense of images they had seen on television, and to show her [daughter] that in the midst of it all, theres still peace and people still have love in their hearts. Jason Quigley, a sheriffs department deputy in nearby Denton County, brought his teenage daughter to understand what we do every day and understand what can happen to us. Quigley said he also wanted her to see how the community supports everybody. More than a dozen riders from the Southern Dawgs Motorcycle Club, which includes former police officers, also came to pay their respects. The people that were there that night were peaceful, exercising their right to voice their opinion, said the clubs spokesman, known as Shocker. He said the man who attacked the officers was cowardly. WATCH: 'I Firmly Believe America is Not as Divided as Some Have Suggested,' Obama Says Race relations Obama spoke at length on race relations, rejecting any suggestion that the country was returning to the strife and urban riots of the 1960s, and noting that police in Dallas kept on protecting protesters even while they were being shot at. He said the country has made tremendous progress, both in lowering violent crime rates and on achieving racial equality. But, the president added, the legacy of racism endures, and there is much work still to be done. Obama said that he hoped his daughters, Sasha and Malia, and their children could live in a more just and equal country, but that progress takes time. Asked about his legacy on race as the first African-American president, Obama said: "We plant seeds. And somebody else maybe sits under the shade of the tree that we planted." The president left Warsaw after the news conference for Spain, arriving Saturday night. Obama will meet with King Felipe and acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy before traveling to a U.S. naval base in Rota, in southern Spain. From aboard Air Force One on the flight to Madrid, Obama phoned Texas Governor Greg Abbott to offer his condolences on behalf of the American people, a White House statement said. Details of attack Dallas Mayor Rawlings confirmed that the shooting of the officers on Thursday was carried out by a lone gunman, identified as Micah Johnson. The attack, which city officials labeled an "ambush," happened toward the end of a peaceful demonstration against the killing of two black men by police officers in Minnesota and Louisiana earlier in the week. Texas Governor Abbott said law enforcement officers would investigate and determine whether any co-conspirators or other suspects might have helped him. He added, "We need to focus on the imperative of unity: that we unite all citizens of Dallas, all citizens of Texas." During a search of Johnson's home Friday, Dallas police detectives found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics, the police department said. The gunman was a former Army reservist who served in Afghanistan. The attack was the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, on the U.S. East Coast. Renowned Pakistani social activist Abdul Sattar Edhi died Friday in a hospital in Karachi following a prolonged illness, his family announced. The 88-year-old philanthropist founded the country's biggest welfare organization, the Edhi Foundation, with almost no money. His work brought in a flood of donations that built the Edhi Foundation into a huge health care network of hospitals, orphanages, clinics and women's shelters. Edhi was known for his ascetic, humble lifestyle and is widely credited for having created more public benefits for the Pakistani people than a succession of elected leaders since the country was founded in 1947. He was often called Pakistan's "Angel of Mercy." Worsening kidney ailments and problems related to diabetes led to Edhi's hospitalization several weeks ago, his son, Faisal Edhi, told reporters. The Edhi Foundation, founded in 1951, owns and operates Pakistan's largest ambulance service, and it is a household name throughout the country. During the many violent incidents that have marked public life in Pakistan in recent years suicide bombings, assassinations, attacks by militants Edhi's ambulances are almost always the first help to arrive on the scene. Servant of humanity "We have lost a great servant of humanity. He was the real manifestation of love for those who were socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless and poor," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in an official statement expressing his sorrow and offering condolences to Edhi's family. Sharif said the country will observe a day of mourning, and will honor Edhi with a state funeral. The philanthropist's son said the funeral would take place Saturday in Karachi. Because of his foundation's accomplishments and reputation, Edhi's support was regularly solicited by major political parties, but he remained resolutely apolitical. He had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and received many honors from countries around the world, but never changed his humble lifestyle. The man called "the greatest living humanitarian in the world" by The Huffington Post and "a legendary charity worker" by the British newspaper The Guardian lived with his wife of 51 years in a small apartment above one of his clinics in Karachi. He never took a salary from his foundation, and was said to have owned just two pairs of shoes. "His religion was humanity, his sect was service to humanity," said Tahira Abdullah, a prominent Pakistani rights activist. With much of the United States still reeling from this past weeks shootings by police in Minnesota and Louisiana and the sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers, the two leading 2016 presidential candidates offered prayers and condolences Saturday but also vowed to rebuild the nation and help Americans pull through the tragedies. The major parties' presumed nominees, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, both postponed major campaign events after the enormity of the attack in Texas became clear early Friday, but they have since issued statements on Twitter, Facebook and their own websites. The ambush-style attack in Dallas by a single military-trained gunman wounded nine people and killed five police officers. Before the attacker was killed, he said he was specifically trying to kill white police, apparently in an outburst of rage after controversial incidents earlier in the week in which two African-American men were gunned down by police at point-blank range. The sniper attacked Thursday evening as a peaceful protest against the incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota was ending in downtown Dallas. "I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families & all who serve with them. H," Clinton said in a note on Twitter. Many are 'devastated' Trump tweeted, "Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country." Clinton postponed a joint appearance with Vice President Joe Biden at a rally scheduled for Scranton, Pennsylvania, but she did appear Friday evening at a meeting in Philadelphia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton called for ending the systemic racism that plagues our country and an effort by all Americans to rebuild police-community relations damaged by this week's events. White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African-Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers" against them, Clinton said. " ... None of us can afford to be indifferent toward each other. Not now. Not ever. The former secretary of state pledged that she would, if elected president, commit to spending $1 billion on training programs for police throughout the country, and for research into ways to reduce violent confrontations. More police training Whether or not individual police officers have been guilty of using excessive force in specific incidents, Clinton said Americans must not vilify all law enforcement personnel, because they are protecting the nation. Remember what those officers were doing when they died" in Dallas, she said. "They were protecting a peaceful march. Trump said the Dallas shooting was an attack on our country ... a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe. He called on all Americans to stand in solidarity and remember that law enforcement is the force between civilization and total chaos. Trump, however, also condemned the circumstances in which two African men Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota died this past week, shot by police. Every American has the right to live in safety and peace. The deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota also make clear how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected, the Republican candidate said. Speaking in a Facebook video released Friday, Trump lamented that racial divisions in the United States appear to have deteriorated. Too many Americans, he said, live in terrible poverty and violence. We need jobs and we are going to produce those jobs, the real estate entrepreneur said. Obama's view President Barack Obama was in Poland when the Dallas shootings occurred, but he referred to events at home several times while he was at the NATO summit in Warsaw. The president said he feels that Americans are not as divided on racial issues as some have suggested. The gunman who shot the five police officers in Dallas was a demented individual, Obama said, and he was not at all representative of African-Americans. "When we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization and we're back to the situation in the '60s and. ... That's just not true. You're not seeing riots, you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully, Obama said. The president, cutting short his trip to Europe, is scheduled to return to Washington Sunday night. The five police officers fatally shot by a sniper Thursday night in Dallas, Texas, included military veterans and family men, a newlywed and a longtime cop described as "a salt of the earth kind of guy." Gunman Micah Johnson had targeted law enforcement officers, ambushing them as they patrolled a peaceful march protesting the police shootings of African-Americans days earlier. Johnson shot 12 officers in the downtown attack, killing five and wounding seven. Two civilians also were shot, authorities said. Four of the seven wounded officers have been identified so far. Three of those were DART officers: Misty McBride, 32, Omar Cannon, 44, and Jesus Retana, 39. One of the wounded Dallas Police Department officers is Gretchen Rocha, identified by her sister. Johnson, cornered after the ambush, told a police negotiator he wanted to kill white people specifically white police officers in retaliation for the deaths of two black men earlier in the week at the hands of police in the states of Minnesota and Louisiana. The gunman was killed with a police robot bomb after negotiations to bring him in peacefully failed. Johnson was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. His victims include: Lorne Ahrens, 48 Aherns was a senior corporal with the Dallas Police Department, serving on the force since 2002. Originally from California, the strapping 6-footer was married to a Dallas police detective and had two children, ages 10 and 8. Ahrens "a greatly respected veteran of the department as well as a jokester," friends on the force told The Dallas Morning News. They said he also showed compassion to people in the community he served; for example, the day before he was shot, he bought dinner for a homeless man and his dog. He was "a big, bald cop with a wicked sense of humor," local TV station WFAA reported. It quoted a police pal as saying, "You know, this is the guy we called Meat. A big guy, invincible." Michael Krol, 40 He had always wanted to be a police officer, said Krols uncle, Jim Ehlke. Prior to joining the Dallas police, Krol worked at a correctional facility in Michigan, but still wanted to do more. "He got into law enforcement and worked really hard to be a police officer," Ehlke said. "He spent some time at the correctional facility. It wasn't quite what he was looking for, so he worked pretty hard to find a job and got one in Dallas." Krol joined the force in 2007 and sometimes regaled family and friends with stories from his beat, but he was proud to be a police officer, another relative told the Morning News. Michael Smith, 55 The fifth officer killed in the attack, the sergeant was a Texas native. He served as an Army Ranger before becoming a Dallas police officer in 1989. He had previously won the Cops Cop award from the Dallas Police Association for his dedicated service. You couldnt ask for a more salt of the earth kind of guy, a family friend told the Morning News. He leaves behind a wife of 17 years and two daughters, ages 9 and 14. Brent Thompson, 43 Thompson, an officer with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system for seven years, was the first of the five officers killed Thursday night. Before joining the DART police force, he worked for military contractor DynCorp International, where he spent more than four years in Iraq working alongside American soldiers to help train and mentor the Iraqi police force. He had just married another DART officer two weeks ago, DART Chief James Spiller said. Thompson was also a father and grandfather from a previous marriage. Patrick Zamarripa, 32 Zamarripa also served in Iraq. He completed three tours with the U.S. Navy and had deployed in Bahrain, according to military records. Upon returning from Iraq, he served in the military reserves while maintaining his service with the Dallas police. Hed recently been detailed to patrol the downtown on bicycle, Agence France Presse reported. He leaves behind longtime partner Kristy Villasenor, their 2-year-old daughter and a stepson. Zamarripa's stepbrother, on Twitter, invited prayers for the officer and said, "I couldn't be prouder of you, brother." The Associated Press and Agence France Presse contributed to this report. American analysts and investors are taking a closer look at an ambitious plan to transform Saudi Arabias economy and society following a two-week tour by the schemes youthful architect and chief promoter Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Analysts say the plan, which calls for the biggest shake-up the kingdom has ever attempted, has the potential to modernize one of the worlds most socially conservative societies while liberating the country from its long-standing reliance on oil. It also runs the risk of destabilizing the desert kingdom with unforeseeable consequences. One of biggest challenges facing Vision 2030, as the project is known, is its prohibitive cost. "Its expensive, said Karen Young, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. It requires spending money rather than saving. In order for the plan to work, the government has to outlay a lot of funds and find public-private partnerships. A December study by McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of consultancy McKinsey & Company, estimated that Saudi Arabias economic transformation would cost about $4 trillion. (A longtime consultant to the Saudi government, McKinsey is said to be a lead adviser on Vision 2030.) Another risk? Rising oil prices, which in the past have undercut similar albeit less ambitious reform initiatives undertaken by Persian Gulf oil-producing countries. But the biggest risk is that resistance from a host of vested interests could upend the Saudi monarchy, destabilizing Saudi society and with it the whole Middle East. Mohammed bin Salmans vision is grand and, yes, disruptive enough that it is important to consider the consequences of Vision 2030s failure, not just for the man but Saudi Arabia and the Middle East more broadly, Steven Cook, a Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, wrote in a recent blog post. Cook compared Prince Mohammed, known as MBS, to another Arab disruptor with an affectionate nickname, Gamal Jimmy Mubarak, the son of former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak, whose own reform project ultimately proved destabilizing for Egypt. No patience for bureaucracy But other experts say that if anyone has a chance to succeed, it may be the 30-year-old, Saudi-educated deputy crown prince a quick decision-maker with no patience for bureaucracy. In the short span since his fathers accession to the throne in January 2015, he has been given unparalleled power and used it unfailingly to advance his political and reform agenda. As defense minister, he has pursued a spirited regional policy and led Saudi Arabia into a controversial war in Yemen. As chair of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, he has cut government spending and, to the vexation of many Saudis, generous subsidies on gasoline, electricity and water. And as head of two bodies overseeing state oil giant Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabias sovereign debt fund, he controls the kingdoms vast oil and investment operations. The reform is being driven by the personality of the deputy crown prince, who has taken a strong hand and assembled a strong team, said David Callahan, a vice president at the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council. MBSs meteoric rise to power came as plunging global oil prices cut into Saudi Arabias economic growth and caused a $100 billion budget deficit last year, reversing a decade of prosperity fueled by a surge in prices. Uncharacteristically for Saudi Arabia, MBS disclosed details of his biggest reform initiative in an April interview with the financial news service Bloomberg before formally announcing it several days later. On June 6, Saudi Arabia launched the National Transformation Program, setting targets for the program through 2020. Among these are cutting public sector salaries and government subsidies, increasing the private sectors share of economic activity, removing barriers to investment, boosting transparency and accountability, and creating more than 450,000 private sector jobs. Largest publicly traded company The centerpiece of the economic overhaul initiative is the proposed public listing of Aramco to make it the worlds biggest publicly traded company and the development of its investment fund into a $2 trillion behemoth. With those initiatives, the governments non-oil revenue is forecast to climb astronomically, making Saudi Arabia vastly less reliant on oil. But Vision 2030 isnt just about diversification. It includes an array of social initiatives, including doubling the number of women in the workforce, increasing the number of women in top government posts to 5 percent from 1.2 percent, and developing national parks (quadrupling the area per capita) in a bid to promote domestic tourism. Thats what makes it expansive and wider in scope, Young said of Vision 2030s social goals. Investing in amusement parks is one way of job creation, but its also about giving people outside-of-work activities and ways and places to mix together. With much of the plans success resting on foreign investment, Prince Mohammad spent two weeks barnstorming through the United States last month in what was a cross between a road show and meet-and-greet with power brokers. He had a rare Oval Office meeting with President Barack Obama and met with House Speaker Paul Ryan. While his meetings with official Washingtons heavy hitters dominated press coverage, a larger focus of his visit was Wall Street and corporate America. Whether in Washington or Silicon Valley or New York, the prince met with business titans and used every opportunity to pitch Vision 2030 to them. U.S. business community In Washington, he met with CEOs and business leaders representing energy, defense, health care and IT industries at an event organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In Silicon Valley, he met (clad in jeans and a sport coat in place of his royal robe) with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. In New York, he met with businessmen, including former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and CEOs of major Wall Street firms clamoring for a piece of the huge stock and bond offerings for which the Saudis will need advisory and underwriting services. Clearly, meeting with the U.S. business community was a priority, because so much of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program centers on economic transformation, said Steve Lutes, executive director of Middle East affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who attended the Washington meeting with MBSs delegation. Understanding that, it makes sense that the lions share of the outreach would center on the U.S. business community. To underscore its commitment to attracting foreign investment, Saudi Arabia, during MBSs visit, granted operational licenses to chemical giant Dow Chemical and manufacturing conglomerate 3M and signed memorandums of understanding with Microsoft and IT leader Cisco. The Saudis are really putting their best foot forward, and I think investors and businesses alike here in the U.S. see opportunities across the spectrum, Lutes said. But others said investors and businesses are taking a wait-and-see approach. Its hard to make business decisions based on a plan, Young said. This is still a period of anticipation. Business deals aside, how the Saudi populace reacts, after having grown accustomed to easy-to-get government jobs and generous government benefits, is another question mark hanging over the plan. Hes going to have to be very cautious because Saudi Arabia is, in essence, a conservative society that doesnt like fast change, said Allen Keiswetter, a former State Department official now with the Middle East Institute in Washington. Wed have to see what finesse and political skill and the speed with which its implemented. Id be surprised if the speed is as rapid is some people imply. MOUNT PLEASANT While illegal, cliff diving has been a fact of life at Quarry Lake Park for generations. But it hasnt gotten any less dangerous, as evidenced by an 18-year-old Illinois girl who was taken to a hospital by helicopter last month after reportedly going to the park to cliff jump with friends. Law enforcement officials say social media and peer pressure have helped drive more cliff divers to the county park at 3533 Northwestern Ave. Many come from out of state, sometimes after park hours. So far this year, the Racine County Sheriffs Office had issued 84 citations at the park, according to a figure The Journal Times obtained Wednesday. The vast majority of those are for trespassing, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said, with many of those people taking a jump estimated from 20 to 40 feet. We are very concerned, as firefighters and police, about people getting hurt doing that, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Tim Zarzecki said. Thats one of the reasons why we try to step up enforcement in the park and try to make sure we curb this activity as much as possible. The teen injured this month reportedly slipped off a cliff and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. But the consequences for others have been far worse. In 1996, Travis H. Peterson, a junior at Horlick High School, died at the park after diving off the cliffs. In 2010, a boy had jumped off from 30 or 40 feet, hit his head and was unconscious in the water for a few seconds before someone pulled him out. The issue was also raised last summer when 32 people were cited for trespassing within a three-day span. Many hazards, like large rocks, lie underneath the water and divers are unaware of them, Schmaling said. Jumpers also dont realize they arent just putting themselves in danger they are also putting first responders and friends who try to rescue them at risk, he said. There are other ways to cool off during the hot summer months, Schmaling said, naming the lakefront and North Beach. Cliff diving isnt one of them. There are other ways to cool off during the hot summer months. Cliff diving isnt one of them. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling The shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas Thursday has created anxiety for law enforcement officers all over Texas and the rest of the nation. In terms of police fatalities - five dead officers - it was the worst incident in the United States since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 The morning after the mass shooting directed at law enforcement officers, Dallas Chief of Police David Brown told reporters, "We are hurting. He was speaking mainly on behalf of police officers and their families, especially those who had loved ones killed or wounded, but his words also applied to the citizens of Dallas whose city was briefly turned into what looked like a war zone. Pain shared by all law enforcement officers The incident in Dallas resonated with law enforcement officers across the Lone Star state including members of their union, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. In a VOA interview, Executive Director Charley Wilkison said he knows the grief felt by the families of the slain officers. "They are never going to be whole again," he said, "those families are ripped apart forever and the financial provider is gone. Wilkison said the union last year was able to get the Texas legislature to double the death benefit for the family of an officer killed in the line of duty from $250,000 to $500,000. But, he says, officers and their families know that law enforcement in Texas is a risky undertaking. "Texas has the largest number of fallen officers in the history of America, he said. "We have the largest number of officers killed in the line of duty of [than] any other state. He said more than 1,960 law enforcers have been killed in shootings, automobile accidents and other ways while performing their jobs over the history of the state. He says violence against officers of the law has been a problem since the frontier days, but that lax gun laws today sometimes contribute to their sense of vulnerability. Police object to open carry law for guns in Texas Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said up to 20 people in the crowd at the protest were wearing camouflage gear and body armor and carrying rifles, which are legal to carry in Texas. "When the gunman started firing and people started running, we saw those people carrying guns start to run," Rawlings said. That led police to believe more people were involved in the attack. The right of citizens to own guns is protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the open carrying of guns is legal in Texas. Last year the state legislature extended that right to people who have a concealed handgun permit so that a pistol can be worn publicly in a holster. The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas opposed that law based on the problems it would create for police, but Wilkison says lawmakers passed it anyway. "It is not the police organizations role to create judgments on Second Amendment rights, he said, "but once you have a critical incident or a mass shooting, it is going to make everything more difficult if you have peaceful, law-abiding citizens openly carrying. He notes that in the heat of the moment an officer would have no way of knowing if someone carrying a gun is a threat or not. That same life-or-death judgment must be made by an officer each time he stops someone. There are more than 400 police killings of civilians in the United States every year, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation reports, but human rights groups and some news organizations have higher figures. What they agree on, however, is that a disproportionate number of the victims are black. Police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota led to the peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration in Dallas that was disrupted by the shooting. Threat to police Wilkison says citizens need to understand the justifiable fear of the law enforcement officer who often confronts someone in a routine traffic stop who could be armed and dangerous. He said they should comply with the officers demands and use legal channels to complain later if needed. "The rule of law is dependent on a citizen openly surrendering their rights temporarily so that they can go home safely and so they will have that remedy under the law to take care of anything that is done incorrectly, said Wilkison. He added that public officials and community leaders also need to address the divisions between races and ethnic groups that contribute to the climate of violence nationwide. Nearly 100 people, arrested following Wednesdays mass stay away, were brought before the courts in Bulawayo on Friday and some of them were granted bail while the rest will know their fate on Monday. The main doors of the Tredgold Magistrates Court had to be closed for a while in the morning as scores of people jostled to be in court, to see their relatives and friends who were arrested in the wake of public protests in Bulawayo. A total of 92 people appeared in court in the morning. Four of the 92, who are facing criminal nuisance charges were granted bail of $40 each. The quartet was arrested when police thwarted a demonstration by a group of youth in the central business district on Wednesday. Lawyer Tanaka Muganyi confirmed to Studio 7 that the four had been granted bail and had been remanded to July 21st. The remaining 88, three of them juveniles, are facing charges of public violence. They were arrested following Wednesdays clashes between police and protesters. Magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure released two of the juveniles into the custody of their guardians, while the third was sent to a juvenile centre as his guardians had not yet been located. They will appear in court again on 21st July. Mashavakure said she would give her ruling on the bail application by the remaining 85 on Monday. Project lawyer Patience Moyo of Justice for Children condemned the keeping of juveniles in custody since Wednesday saying this is against the constitution. During the bail hearing, prosecutor Taurai Hondo led evidence from the investigating officer, identified only as Moyo, contesting bail on the basis that the accused would abscond since the charges of public violence that they are facing are serious. But seven lawyers, including Lison Ncube, Jonathan Tsvangirai, Dumisani Dube and Muganyi, who through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers are co-representing the group, argued that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty and that the countrys constitution gives all persons the right to bail despite the crime they may be facing. The lawyers asked the court to grant an order that all of the accused be given a medical examination as they had been assaulted by the police while in custody. The lawyers said some of the accused, including one of the juveniles had visible assault injuries. A further five people, who are facing similar public violence charges, were granted bail after appearing at the West Commonage Magistrates Court. Two of the five were granted bail of $100 each, while another two got bail of $20 each and the fifth was granted free bail. The five, being co-represented by Ncube, Tsvangirai and Muganyi, were remanded to July 21st. A conference in London to address the unravelling economic and social crisis in Zimbabwe drew more attention for the backlash the countrys finance minister received from Zimbabweans in London, than the substance of the discussion itself. Organized by the London-based Africa Confidential, a long-running independent, specialist publication on Africa, the Zimbabwe 2016 Conference drew participants from a wide range of Zimbabwes government and non-government sectors. To name a few, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, John Mangudya, Transport Minister Obert Mpofu, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha, Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa, former Finance Minister and opposition Progressive Peoples Party leader Tendai Biti, Chatham House Fellow Knox Chitiyo, SAPES Trust Executive Chair, Ibbo Mandaza, Law Lecturer Alex Magaisa, Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries President Busisa Moyo, film maker and journalist Farai Sevenzo, and author and lawyer, Petinah Gappah. The aim of the conference, explained Africa Confidential managing director Bryan Pearson, who conceptualized the idea during a visit to Zimbabwe last year, was to help the southern African country get back on track, through constructive dialogue. You can either have no dialogue, or critical dialogue, and that is what I think we achieved, said Pearson, describing the discussion as having a good, robust exchange. Very open, very critical, Pearson said. Pearson said the urgency to hold the discussion was largely dictated by the deteriorating state of the countrys economy and other sectors, evidenced by the shortage of cash, high unemployed and delayed salaries for the countrys government workers. In a revolt, many of the countrys citizens took part in a nationwide call by several non-political groups, for workers to stay away from work and shutdown businesses, so as to force President Robert Mugabe and his government to address the crisis, with urgency. Theyve got challenges that are complex and difficult and no ones really got a solution, Pearson said, adding that the conference attempted to put all issues of concern to citizens on the table. We were talking about governance, we were talking about finances, we were talking about currency, big difficulty, they are using the US-dollar at the moment, and as (Minister) Chinamasa said, its actually become a commodity rather than a currency. Now they then come up with an idea of bonds (bond notes) which would not be transferable, as the currency is just disappearing off-shore straight away. Announced by the Reserve Bank governor recently, and set to hit the market sometime this year as a way to help boost exports, the anticipated bonds have not eased many citizens concerns, which Pearson said the conference revealed. The bond is actually very, very unpopular but actually no one has yet come up with an alternative that would keep financial movement within the country. Theres an economy thats growing at one-and-a-quarter percent, it needs to be growing probably at least 4, 4% per annum just to keep pace with the demographics of growth and things. Noting the backlash to Minister Chinamasas presence at the London Conference, Pearson said he understood the concerns raised by Zimbabweans in London, including accusations against the government of mismanaging the economy and enabling corruption as President Mugabe recently alluded to in the case of the disappearance of US$15 billion from diamond revenues, and offered assurances that the minister did not get an easy pass. People are absolutely within their right to demonstrate, you know weve been there ourselves, if you like. But I think the US$15 billion as you say, was raised in the conference directly, by the (former) finance minster (Tendai Biti.) The Zimbabwe 2016 Conference was the first that Africa Confidential has hosted on Zimbabwe, but Pearson said theyve been sponsoring such conferences on other countries as well over the years. There was no follow up meeting arranged or resolutions reached at the end of the Conference. Protest leader Promise Mkwanazi of Tajamuka-Sesijikile Campaign is still in police custody, a day after he surrendered himself to police in Harare, who were looking for him for participating in public arrests that shutdown Zimbabwe last week. According to Zimbabwes privately-owned newspaper, the Daily News, Mkwanazi was expected to appear in court today. He is facing charges related to alleged violence outside a supermarket said to be owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko. His lawyers and police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba were not reachable for comment. At the same time, Pastor Evan Mawarire of #ThisFlag, which played a key role in organizing the crippling stay away last week, said some armed people attempted to abduct him but survived through the grace of God. In a video posted on the internet last night, Pastor Mawarire said, Some people tried to abduct me against my own will But all that did not happen and we thank God for that. Some other people, some young men I believe have been detained by the police. These are Tajamuka youth. Some of them were detained yesterday (Thursday) and one was arrested today (Friday). We dont understand why these young people are being arrested as all we are trying to do is to build our nation. Mr. Government why dont you extend a hand that says I agree or that says lets discuss? Why must you always extent handcuffs? He said Zimbabweans people are fed up with what is happening in the country and as a result citizens are staging another stay away on July 13 and July 14. Citizens I want to ask you for a favour, I know we did this with you last week. Lets prepare to do it again. I plead with you citizens, this is the only way this government will understand This coming Wednesday and Thursday, Wednesday the 13th and Thursday the 14th The government has so far arrested almost 200 people in connection with the protests last week. Douglas County Sheriff Troy Wolbersen is an Alexandria graduate. He serves Douglas County and is based out of Alexandria, MN. We believe that the time has come to give new impetus and new substance to the NATO-EU strategic partnership. In consultation with the EU Member States and the NATO Allies, working with, and for the benefit of all, this partnership will take place in the spirit of full mutual openness and in compliance with the decision-making autonomy and procedures of our respective organisations and without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of any of our members. Today, the Euro-Atlantic community is facing unprecedented challenges emanating from the South and East. Our citizens demand that we use all ways and means available to address these challenges so as to enhance their security. All Allies and Member States, as well as the EU and NATO per se, are already making significant contributions to Euro-Atlantic security. The substantial cooperation between NATO and the EU, unique and essential partners, established more than 15 years ago, also contributes to this end. In light of the common challenges we are now confronting, we have to step-up our efforts: we need new ways of working together and a new level of ambition; because our security is interconnected; because together we can mobilize a broad range of tools to respond to the challenges we face; and because we have to make the most efficient use of resources. A stronger NATO and a stronger EU are mutually reinforcing. Together they can better provide security in Europe and beyond. We are convinced that enhancing our neighbours and partners stability in accordance with our values, as enshrined in the UN Charter, contributes to our security and to sustainable peace and prosperity. So that our neighbours and partners are better able to address the numerous challenges they currently face, we will continue to support their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, as well as their reform efforts. In fulfilling the objectives above, we believe there is an urgent need to: Boost our ability to counter hybrid threats, including by bolstering resilience, working together on analysis, prevention, and early detection, through timely information sharing and, to the extent possible, intelligence sharing between staffs; and cooperating on strategic communication and response. The development of coordinated procedures through our respective playbooks will substantially contribute to implementing our efforts. Broaden and adapt our operational cooperation including at sea, and on migration, through increased sharing of maritime situational awareness as well as better coordination and mutual reinforcement of our activities in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. Expand our coordination on cyber security and defence including in the context of our missions and operations, exercises and on education and training. Develop coherent, complementary and interoperable defence capabilities of EU Member States and NATO Allies, as well as multilateral projects. Facilitate a stronger defence industry and greater defence research and industrial cooperation within Europe and across the Atlantic. Step up our coordination on exercises, including on hybrid, by developing as the first step parallel and coordinated exercises for 2017 and 2018. Build the defence and security capacity and foster the resilience of our partners in the East and South in a complementary way through specific projects in a variety of areas for individual recipient countries, including by strengthening maritime capacity. Cooperation in these areas is a strategic priority. Speedy implementation is essential. The European External Action Service and the NATO International Staff, together with Commission services as appropriate, will develop concrete options for implementation, including appropriate staff coordination mechanisms, to be presented to us and our respective Councils by December 2016. On the EU side, the High Representative/Vice President of the Commission will steer and coordinate this endeavour. We will review progress on a regular basis. We call on both organisations to invest the necessary political capital and resources to make this reinforced partnership a success. The Security Council should soon adopt a resolution co-drafted by the United States and the Russian Federation on the United Nations Force mandated with observing disengagement (UNDOF), namely, the Blue Helmets charged with controlling the buffer zone between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic on the plateau of Golan. On 28 August 2014, the Al Nusra Front (al-Qaeda) gained entry to the buffer zone and takes 45 Fijian Blue Helmets hostage. Violating UN orders, Philippine Blue Helmets tried to save them. Finally, some Irish Blue Helmets accompanied by Israeli solders managed to establish contact with the jihadists. The result of lengthy negotiations: the UN refused to withdraw al-Nusra from the list of terrorist organizations but agreed to pay a ransom by bank transfer(!). It was not the UN that announced that the hostages had been released, but the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights, an NGO based in London serving as a cover for the MI6. The United Nations never had reasoned their order to release the Fijians, nor have they launched an investigation into al-Qaedas bank account. Since then, there are no more Blue Helmets to ensure that Resolution 338 is enforced; this role has been delegated to al-Qaeda. When jihadists are attacked and wounded by the Syrian Arab Army, they withdraw onto Israeli territory and are cared for at the Ziv Medical Centre. Then they are led out by the Israeli army to the border to resume fighting. On 17 April 2016, Israel committed an act of provocation by organizing a Council of Ministers in Golan. There Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country would never enforce resolution 338 and would never return Golan. On 14 June 2016, the former Prime Minister Ehud Barak had denounced the irresponsible policy of Mr Netanyahu and called upon Israeli leaders to depose him using all possible means. Notably, the draft resolution declares: the Security Council emphasizes that there should not be any military activities of opposition armed groups in the buffer zone and urgently implores the Member States to clearly indicate to armed Syrian opposition groups present in the zones where UNFOD is operating that they must cease all activity that risk endangering peace-keeping soldiers and grant UN personnel the freedom they need to discharge their mandate in safety; ask all other groups that are not the UNFOD to abandon all positions of the Force as well as point of passage of Quneitra and to return vehicles, weapons and all other material belonging to the Blue Helmets. For sixty years, Israel has been denouncing the danger of Arab and Muslim terrorism, whereas in Golan, it has helped to drive out UNDOF and has entrusted the buffer zone to al-Qaeda. Therefore, after two years of violating international law, the Security Council should redeploy the UNDOF and order Israel to stop supporting a terrorist organization. To date, the State of Israel hardly ever respected a single Security Council Resolution that applied to it. Photo: Kevin Winter/BET/2016 Kevin Winter/BET Days after penning a passionate letter about the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile as well as honoring victims of police brutality during a concert stop in Glasgow Beyonce has written another tribute dedicated to the five police officers who were killed by a gunman in Dallas on Thursday. Rest in peace to the officers whose lives were senselessly taken yesterday in Dallas. I am praying for a full recovery of the seven others injured, she wrote on her official Instagram page. No violence will create peace. Every human life is valuable. We must be the solution. Every human being has the right to gather in peaceful protest without suffering more unnecessary violence. To effect change we must show love in the face of hate and peace in the face of violence. A short black-and-white video accompanied her words, which can be viewed below. A federal judicial conduct committee ruled Friday that a reprimand and sanctions imposed last year against U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. may not have gone far enough and that additional investigation into whether the judge engaged in a pattern and practice of making unwanted sexual advances toward women is needed. In a four-page decision, the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States said the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Council failed to adequately address certain allegations made by New York attorney Ty Clevenger in Clevengers complaint against the 75-year-old Smith. Smith, who has been a federal judge since 1984, declined comment Friday through a court employee on the committees decision. The 5th Circuit judicial council found there was evidence to support claims that Smith made inappropriate, unwanted physical and nonphysical sexual advances toward a court employee in 1998 and reprimanded the judge. It also suspended the assignment of any new cases to the judge for one year and required him to undergo sensitivity training. Clevenger appealed the order to the Committee on Judicial Conduct in January, charging that the punishment was far too lenient and urging the judicial council to recommend that Smith be impeached. Clevenger supplemented his initial appeal by submitting the names of witnesses to other alleged incidents in which Smith reportedly sexually harassed other women in the courthouse. His appeal alleged the assault of the court employee was not an isolated incident. The 5th Circuit council did not address or issue any findings related to the additional allegations, the Committee on Judicial Conduct said. Sad commentary The order corroborates my suspicion that the 5th Circuit downplayed the scope of Judge Smiths misconduct, Clevenger said Friday. I provided the judges with a transcript of one victims testimony, so they couldnt very well ignore that incident, but then they ignored all of the other alleged victims and witnesses. Its a pretty sad commentary on the judiciarys ability to police itself. Besides finding that Smith made unwanted advances toward the former court employee, the 5th Circuit judicial council also said Smith does not understand the gravity of such inappropriate behavior and the serious effect that it has on the operations of the courts and that the judge allowed false factual assertions to be made in response to the complaint, which, together with the lateness of his admissions, contributed greatly to the duration and cost of the investigation. The order states that because Clevengers appeal included the names of individuals who allegedly witnessed other instances of the judges reported sexual harassment of women in the courthouse, it raises the question whether there was a pattern and practice of such behavior. Because we believe that additional findings are essential to the consideration of the petition for review, we are unable to complete our review of the Circuit Judicial Councils order, the order says. The committee remanded the case back to the council with instructions to undertake additional investigation and make additional findings where appropriate and reconsider the appropriate sanction if there are additional findings. The committee also directed the council to provide additional findings and recommendations concerning the finding that Smith allowed false factual assertions to be made in his response to the complaint and to determine the manner in which Judge Smiths conduct adversely impacted or interfered with the inquiry, if at all. Judge Smith needs to be impeached, and I have to wonder how much longer Congressman (Bill) Flores will sit on his hands, waiting for the judiciary to give him political cover, Clevenger said. At the very least, Congressman Flores could initiate a parallel investigation in Congress rather than crossing his fingers and hoping someone else will do his job for him. Flores said after Smith was reprimanded that he thought the punishment against him did not fit the allegations and he pledged to investigate procedures by which judges are impeached. But months later, after Clevenger appealed the matter, Flores said he was content to allow the federal appeals process to play itself out. Smith also was reprimanded because he failed to properly disclose that the attorney who represented Smith against Clevengers allegations had cases pending in Smiths court. Grievance against lawyer Clevenger filed a grievance against Waco attorney Greg White, and the State Bar of Texas is pursuing a disciplinary case against White. White responded to the State Bar charges leveled by Clevenger, and Clevenger made Whites responses public. Whites answer acknowledged that an attorney from Florida who was unhappy with Smiths rulings in the case questioned White about his relationship with the judge. White told him he was representing the judge, and the attorney immediately filed a motion to recuse Smith from the case, which Smith granted. Frankly, I had assumed three things, White wrote in his answer. First, I thought my role was so limited that my representation made no difference to anyone. Second, I though that Tammy (Hooks, Smiths career law clerk) was calling people in my cases (to inform opposing parties of White and Smiths attorney-client relationship). Third, I knew that I was bound by confidentiality both by rule, and by my clients instruction not to volunteer that Judge Smith was the subject of a judicial conduct complaint or that I was his lawyer. White prepared a draft and said the judge asked him to sign the motion as his attorney. One statement in the motion to dismiss bears mention, Whites memo says. After talking to Judge Smith, I was under the impression that he believed that the young lady involved might have acted in a way to suggest her willingness to participate in a personal relationship that she was the aggressor. I wrote that in the motion to dismiss characterizing it as Judge Smiths memory. His memory came from a lawyer-friend of Judge Smiths while Judge Smiths divorce was pending. During the divorce, there were apparently threats to make this womans complaint a public matter, Whites memo says. The lawyer, whom White did not identify, suggested that they could respond to the threatened publicity by suggesting that the woman approached the judge romantically in an attempt to gain favorable treatment for her husband, who was part of a group considering litigation in Smiths court. That suggestion to Judge Smith (from his lawyer-friend) stuck with him, and he suggested it to me, White wrote. After the motion to dismiss was filed, a more careful examination of the docket revealed the suggestion that the woman approached the judge in such a manner to help her husband was not true, since the lawsuit involving her husband was not filed until long after the incident in Smiths chambers. During the council probe, the investigator told White that the investigator knew that version was not true. I acknowledged to the investigator that we had misstated that, and wished to correct it, Whites memo says. In the wake of an ambush that killed five police officers in downtown Dallas during a rally to support the national Black Lives Matter movement, local community activists gathered in downtown Waco for a vigil Friday, also to support the national movement. Organizers said the tone of the event, announced Thursday morning in an effort to start a local conversation about recent killings of black men and women by police, shifted after the tragedy in Dallas. Its message did not. Weve had so many senseless tragedies over the last few weeks, and I think all of us are just bereft, Black Poets Society co-founder Ashleigh Sherel said. We needed an opportunity to just come together and say You matter, and I matter. Black Poets Society members organized the vigil at Heritage Square and spoke to a large and diverse crowd in an effort to support the Black Lives Matter movement and to stand in solidarity after the recent killings of individuals by law enforcement officers. I didnt even know how to feel, and I still dont know how to feel, because when I get online I see people saying that this is what happens with all Black Lives Matter movements, Black Poets Society co-founder Saddiq Granger said, referring to the Dallas shooting. That is not what that was. That was just senseless tragedy, and we need to have that conversation that all lives matter. Sherel, Granger and other organizers spoke to a crowd of about 100 community supporters and shared their message behind the Black Lives Matter Movement. Leaders attempted to dispel conflicting messages portrayed through social media and educate the crowd about the civil rights movement and opposition to police brutality that activists are trying to spread across the nation. Asked me why Recently, we were watching all the events that are taking place on the news, and my 14-year-old daughter asked me why, said Louise Henderson, a vigil attendee who stood with her 14-year-old and 16-year-old daughters. As a mother, I didnt have an answer, and that really hurt me. Then with the events taking place last night in Dallas . . . I wanted to show my daughters that it doesnt matter your skin color or anything. All lives matter. Henderson said she had a friend who attended the Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas on Thursday evening. Her friend was trapped in a hotel as gunfire rang out in the downtown area, she said. After hearing her friend was safe, Henderson said the impact of the tragedy heavily sank in. I just think that this is all getting out of hand. We need to stop pointing fingers and we need to come together as one and solve this, Henderson said. I definitely want my kids to understand that my life is no more important than my Hispanic friends lives or my white friends lives or my black friends lives. That sentiment echoed over the crowd as organizers read poems and wrote the names of individuals killed in the recent months on concrete. Sherel said she hopes messages of love, peace and unity will continue to spread throughout the community, leading crowd members to write My life matters on their arms. Our hope is that as a community we can come together and we stand together as we protect each other and love each other, Sherel said. That is really what this about, and that is what the Black Lives Matter movement is really about. All lives matter. Local police reaction As participants at the Black Poets Society vigil Friday demonstrated against police brutality and condemned the killings of police officers, local police officials offered their reaction to the killings in Dallas and support of fellow officers and their families. As we reflect on the tragic events last night in Dallas, please keep the officers killed or injured along with their families, Dallas Police Department, DART Police Department and the City of Dallas in your thoughts and prayers, acting Waco Police Chief Frank Gentsch wrote. Support one another. Remember our motto, Committed to the Community. We are fortunate that we have a lot of support from the citizens we serve. Lets continue our mission with integrity and professionalism. My heart hurts and I am deeply saddened by the tragic and vicious shootings in Dallas, Woodway Public Safety Director Yost Zakhary wrote. Five police officers were murdered, seven were injured and unknown hundreds of citizens were affected. As past president of both the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Texas Police Chiefs Association, we grieve the loss of these officers. These attacks are life-altering for the officers, the community and the entire nation. Law enforcement officers put their lives in harms way daily to protect our freedom. I am asking the media to help us with positive dialogue to direct their attention toward a unification effort. Violence is never the solution. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends whose lives were devastated by these tragic and horrific attacks. The men and women of the Hewitt Police Department are deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred in the city of Dallas last night, Hewitt Police Chief Jim Devlin wrote. We grieve with the nation over the loss of these officers and those injuries caused by the cowardly act of violence. We are reminded of this dangerous profession by observing those involved in this incident running toward the sounds of gunfire, shielding innocent civilians and guiding them out of harms way. Our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends impacted by this terrible tragedy. Four orphaned coyote pups and a young African savanna bird have found a new home in the Cameron Park Zoo. In the coming week, the kori bustard chick should be big enough to be brought out of its habitat for the public to see, curator for programs and exhibits Terri Cox said. The chick hatched June 25 at the zoo weighing about a fifth of a pound to its parents, Isa, the mother, and Kubili, the father. Kori bustards, which eat plants, insects, snakes and rodents, are the largest flying birds in Africa, and adult males can weigh more than 30 pounds and stand 41/2 feet tall. Its uncanny how fast they grow. Its just amazing, Cox said. Cox said the team has been taking pictures of the unnamed addition standing next to a Spider-man bobblehead to document its size. Cox said its too early to know the sex of the bird, and superstition has kept a name from being dedicated to the chick. Our zookeepers are kind of a superstitious lot, she said. They devote a lot, a lot of love and around-the-clock care and attention to these babies. Some of them dont believe in naming them until that one-month stage. Cox said the kori bustard is a threatened species. The birds are hunted for their feathers, and more and more power lines are going up throughout their habitat, which the birds can collide with and die. Cameron Park Zoo is one of 16 zoos across the country to house kori bustards. Meanwhile, a group of more familiar young animals is getting acquainted with life in the Brazos River Country section of the zoo, which opened in 2005. Colt, Winchester, Judge and Ruger have brought new youth to the coyote yard. Cox said up until last year, the zoo housed two mature coyotes, who died of old age. She said the animals are like big dogs, with an eight-to-10-year life span. For a while, she said, they had another rescue, named Luna, who was also older. However, Luna was too nervous with the activity from visitors and was sent to live at a sanctuary. But now, bouncing across the yard, four orphaned coyotes play. Cox said a farmer shot the mother before realizing she had milk. After finding the four babies, the farmer called the zoo. Coyotes get a really bad rap, she said. The actual numbers of deaths to cattle or that sort of thing are really exaggerated. As well, people think they are detrimental to the deer population, but they actually help to maintain a deer population. I think he was quite remorseful that he had shot the mom, she said. The four pups are establishing their territory, and Judge appears to be taking the role of the alpha, Cox said. The zookeepers also have brought in a little outside help to keep the coyotes in line, she said. We realized we needed a dog-type animal to teach them manners, Cox said. We did bring in (a zookeepers) dog, who is an adult dog, to break up the fights when the little ones would start ripping on each other. It worked out really well. He just kind of put the paw on one of them, and they would settle down. All it took was for him to walk in between them, and then theyd settle down and thats what mom and pop coyote would have done. Gibbon moving out Guests also can stay tuned to the Cameron Park Zoos Facebook page for the first glimpse of Lucy on Gibbon Island. Lucy is adorable. Shes a little bundle of adorableness, Cox said. Lucy turned 1 year old on June 13 and will soon branch out from her parents, Grace and Spike. Cox said baby gibbons tend to hang tightly to their mother the first year of their life. An endangered species, gibbons tend to live in small groups of two to six members. Once baby is older, the parents kick them out of the group. They tell them, You get your own place to live, she said. Now she is venturing out and touring a little bit and causing all kinds of ruckus between mom and dad. Shes jumping around and is very active. Gibbons are sold for trade and often displaced by deforestation, she said. Cox said she hopes guests of the Cameron Park Zoo can fall in love with these animals the way the staff has. We want people to learn to love them so they might go out and make an effort to save them in the world, she said. Lucy will mostly likely be Graces last baby, as the couple have gotten older. McLennan Community College officials expect to leave several faculty vacancies unfilled next year as they start budget discussions for fiscal year 2017. Were not firing anybody, but as weve had some positions come open, we look at those very closely because thats where the greatest expense is, MCC President Johnette McKown said. Right now, we think we have 13 positions that we wont fill. That will be part of how we balance the whole budget. Officials are projecting $51.8 million in revenue and $54 million in expenditures next year, McKown said. Spending projections are up more than $3 million from last years budget, which was $51.8 million, down about $680,000 from the year before. The budget will be examined at a July 23 meeting and presented to the board at its July 28 meeting. MCC charges $115 per semester hour, which is more expensive than the average Texas community college, McKown said. That rate is not expected to rise, she said. The board approved $500,000 for spending on technology during its June meeting. Since that money comes from last years budget, McKown said she expects it to allow some of next years projected spending to be shaved down before the budget is finalized. Sandy Creek Energy Associates has a lawsuit pending against the McLennan County Appraisal District over a disputed 2014 property valuation. While the lawsuit is pending, the company is not paying about $335,000 in taxes, leading to a gap in MCCs funding, McKown said. She said final tax numbers from MCAD will arrive July 25. McKown is optimistic MCC will be able to lower the tax rate. Preliminary figures show marked increases in property values. I think were in a good place, McKown said. A lot of things are dependent on what happens with the taxes and what we can do with the rate. I am encouraged, at this point, well be able to reduce the rate a little bit and still get the resources we need to do the consistently great job we want to do. I must call out President Obama for his role in fomenting the toxic environment that contributed to the murder of five Dallas police officers and wounding of seven more. Obama has consistently been racially divisive in his actions and speech. His mindless, blind support of the Black Lives Matter movement has severely increased racial divides in America. Race relations have significantly regressed during his term how sadly ironic for our first black president. Racism is not limited to attitudes held by whites. Obamas consistent criticism of police and his support of racism have placed our police in heightened danger. The assassination of police officers by black gunmen, with racial motives, draws a simple and limited response from Obama. But let a black suspect be killed by police and all stops are pulled out. The 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, incident is a prime example. Michael Brown was a thug who assaulted and robbed a storekeeper. Brown then continued to assault a police officer, attempting to murder the officer with the officers gun. Brown was shot making one final charge at the officer. This is not the type person whom Obama should make a martyr, nor defend. More recently in Louisiana, Obama has condemned the police. Yet neither he nor the public yet fully knows what happened. What is known is that the suspect was a felon who illegally had a gun on his person. And that the suspect violently resisted arrest. A prudent course of action would have been for Obama to withhold comment until an investigation was completed. But he holds police as guilty until proven innocent. A Department of Justice investigation has already been launched. Had the Dallas shooter been white and shot black people, Obama would have already dispatched a jet full of DOJ attorneys to pursue hate-crime charges. But since the criminal here was black, he has made no mention of hate crimes. The time has long passed for Obama to be held accountable. The people of our nation must drop the hyphens. We need to be Americans lest we spiral further into balkanization. We must get back on the track of being color blind. We were all created equal by God, as noted by our Founding Fathers. All lives matter. Our unity has been damaged enough by diverging moral values. We cannot withstand racial divides as well. Brent Doty has served in manufacturing and operations management for more than 30 years. He has served on the boards of directors for various organizations, including corporations, chambers of commerce and churches. He lives in Robinson. Even those of us who have grown wearily desensitized to the almost monthly succession of mass shootings across our land, whether at elementary schools, college campuses, movie theaters, churches or nightclubs, were left dumbfounded at Thursdays shootings of 12 Dallas police officers, five of them fatally. Cellphone footage of gunfire in the streets of downtown Dallas conjured up war-torn Libya or Syria not a great American city just 90 minutes up the road from us. During negotiations with police, a sniper reportedly acknowledged he was rankled by highly questionable, high-profile police shootings of blacks in Louisiana and Minnesota and so had resolved to kill as many white people as possible, especially white police officers. The irony is that the deadly ambush erupted as Dallas police were managing a largely peaceful protest about blacks dying at the hands of police in other words, while ensuring black protesters First Amendment rights. Dallas Police Chief David Brown on Friday described the police not only as protectors of public safety but also guardians of democracy. The description is fitting and should remind all that exercising our First Amendment rights comes with ethical responsibilities, among them respect for other opinions. Sure, hateful rhetoric and inflammatory words are a long way from shooting police officers or anyone else, but even needless, mean-spirited name-calling is the first resolute step in that direction. Before we begin any debates, whether about gun restrictions, police protocol or civil rights, let us first put aside the reckless, uninformed commentary on social media and wait for hard facts and not just involving those tragic deaths of police officers in Dallas but African Americans dying at the hands of police in Louisiana and Minnesota and anywhere else. Lets not follow the example of others in shooting off our mouths without the facts or resorting to violence in hateful rage and almighty ignorance. Addressing the 3Cs of Nepals foreign policy Nepal must address its three fundamental Cs: Clarity about its national interest, Coherence among domestic actors and the Capacity of its diplomatic missions PRESS RELEASE Docs Friends, the group managing the restoration of the B-29 known as Doc, announced today the historic B-29 will make its return to flight Sunday, July 17. The restored Boeing B-29 Superfortress will take off from the non-joint-use runway at McConnell Air Force Base, adjacent to where the restoration team has spent the last 16 years restoring the warbird. Hundreds of volunteers have spent thousands of hours working to restore this national treasure, said Jim Murphy, Docs Friends Restoration Program Manager. After 16 years of hard work, sweat, tears and tireless attention to detail, we are ready fly. Docs flight crew expects first flight to be an early morning event on July 17 due to anticipated hot weather. First flight is also dependent upon weather conditions in Wichita and plans could change with little or no advanced notice. Due to security restrictions at the active air force base, as well as security access at Docs home at Air Capital Flight Line, runway and ramp access will be limited. The public, however, will have multiple locations from which they can view Docs first flight and landing. Specific details of those public watch areas and first flight timelines will be released soon. The public is encouraged to subscribe online at www.b-29doc.com/signup/ to receive information regarding the public viewing locations as soon as the information is released. The information will be provided to the media for public disclosure via news releases. About Docs Friends Docs Friends is a 501c3 non-profit board managing the restoration of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as Doc. The group was formed in 2013 and is led by retired Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner along with other Wichita business leaders; Charlie Chandler, Jack Pelton, Steve Clark, Lynn Nichols, Brad Gorsuch, Ron Ryan, Tim Buchanan, Jeff Peier, Esq., and Tom Bertels. Docs Friends is committed to returning this World War II warbird to the air to honor previous generations, educate current and future generations and connect the world to the rich heritage of aviation. Amended PPA gives PEs greater freedom The newly amended Public Procurement Act (PPA) has untied the hands of public enterprises (PEs) and allowed them to buy specific goods and services without following lengthy procedures in a bid to enable them to compete with fast-moving private companies. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. She found out the fraudster had tried to mess with her details at Teachers Mutual Bank and enter her PayPal account. Out-of-favour shares such as Telstra rebounded to lead the sharemarket higher on Thursday. Credit:Craig Sillitoe Her Commonwealth Bank card was swallowed by an ATM because of irregularities. And she discovered $3800 was transferred over 10 days to a Surry Hills-based online merchant using her St George credit card. A Telstra spokesman confirmed that as a minimum it verified a customer's identity using their full name, date of birth and home address. He said the telco considered its identification process as "adequate" and similar to that used by other business across many industries. It was constantly under review. "In this instance, it appears the customer's identity was obtained fraudulently as the scammer provided the necessary verification information ... also providing the account billing number," he said. Ms King has since swapped from paper bills to email and changed her passwords. She said the police were also investigating her case. Mail theft and identity fraud has been on the rise, with organised crime syndicates taking advantage of Sydney's apartment boom and targeting the clusters of letter boxes. Identity crime costs governments, private industry and individuals upwards of $1.6 billion each year, according to Attorney-General's Department. James Turner, an advisor at Intelligent Business Research Services, which counts Telstra as a client, said security teams at companies were working hard to strengthen identity verification procedures, but this had to be balanced with customer experience. He said while identity checks, such as that used by Telstra, were common, it was important to note signatures "the weakest biometric ever" were still being used. "We're dealing with the area of risk. It's not a binary situation of 'They must have done more'," he said. "I know the heads of security of all these large organisations and they are genuinely concerned and constantly trying to raise their capabilities so the easy way is the secure way. That's the end game," he said. "It's like turning an oil tanker, when you've got marketing people saying: 'No, no, we need to make this as fast and friction-less as possible'." David Lacey, founder of Australia's only free helpline for victims of identity fraud IDCARE, said companies should place greater focus on the way they help victims who in some cases feel like they're treated as criminals. "If you're not harmed by the crime itself, you almost certainly will be by the response [of the telcos and other service providers]," he said. He said the number of calls to the hotline has been doubling every three months. He said a criminal begins abusing a person's identity within 48 hours of it being stolen. "You don't ever get your identity back once it's stolen. They have a life sentence, because the problem can re-appear in the future," he said. An Optus spokesman said it verifies identity using security questions, including personal details and account information. "Optus also provides customers the opportunity to add a PIN to their account which can be used to help verify identify," he said. The Coalition has won a key cliffhanger seat and leads in two more, boosting Malcolm Turnbull's chances of forming a majority government. Vote counting continued on Saturday as the Australian Electoral Commission redoubled its efforts on six undecided seats. It is now clear the Coalition has retained the Brisbane seat of Forde after incumbent Bert van Manen's lead grew from 783 votes to 915 with just 2500 left to count. The win puts Mr Turnbull's team on 74 lower house seats. Warsaw: US President Barack Obama urged NATO leaders on Friday to stand firm against a resurgent Russia over its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine, saying Britain's vote to leave the European Union should not weaken the Western defence alliance. In an article published in the Financial Times newspaper as he arrived for his last summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation before he leaves office in January, Obama said America's "special relationship" with Britain would survive the referendum decision he had warned against. "The special relationship between the US and the UK will endure. I have no doubt that the UK will remain one of NATO's most capable members," he said, but noted that the vote raised significant questions about the future of EU integration. Another Maoist MP under scanner on forgery, human trafficking charges Another lawmaker from the CPN (Maoist Centre) faces probe for alleged involvement in human trafficking by forging documents, multiple sources have said. Anxiety-ridden cop injured after shooting self An anxiety-ridden cop in Kavrepalanchowk has shot himself in a fit of angst. Call of the wild The Legend of Tarzan is too somber for its own good: instead of the kind of goofy adventures weve come to expect, were relegated to watching our hero brood and sulk Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 08, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 08, 2016 | 10:53 PM | PADUCAH, KY During the week of July 18, West Kentucky Community and Technical College is offering a one-stop enrollment opportunity to help people register for fall classes, which begin August 15. Express Enrollment Week is a statewide event for all community and technical colleges to help with one-on-one advising regarding enrollment, financial aid, scheduling and other information that prospective students need to complete for the fall semester. If a potential student has not taken a required test, this event can also be used to schedule one. WKCTCs Express Enrollment Week will be held July 18-22 in the Anderson Technical Building from 8:00 am 6:00 pm on Monday and 8:00 am 4:30 pm on Tuesday-Friday. WKCTC representatives will be on hand to help potential students complete the enrollment process for the fall semester. The goal is to make the enrollment process as simple and fast as possible, and to relieve the anxiety many prospective students have about college, said Nate Slaton, WKCTC vice president of enrollment management. We believe if we can simplify these first important steps, more students are likely to take advantage of the affordable opportunities WKCTC has to offer. For more information call 1- 855-GO-WKCTC or make an appointment by visiting Express Enrollment Week site at express.gokctcs.com, then clicking on the yellow WKCTC location. Students who enrolled last semester but have not registered for fall will receive a reminder email and/or call inviting them attend this event. Three juveniles charged with robbing same Paducah store twice in one day Dahal asks Oli about 9-pt deal The CPN (Maoist Centre) has warned its main governing partner, the CPN-UML, of creating obstruction in the budget passage if its concerns are not addressed. Dallas shooting: Bomb material found at suspect's home Bomb-making material, rifles, ammunition and a combat journal have been found at the home of the suspect in the Dallas shootings, officials say. Doctors say Koirala out of danger There has been signification improvement in the health condition of Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala, doctors involved in Koiralas treatment said on Friday, adding that he is out of danger now. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Call it superstitious, but there used to be an inverse relationship between how good the crop looked in July and how willing Prairie folks were to talk about it. But ever since the whopper crop of 2013 overwhelmed the grain-transportation system, farm leaders and grain companies have been doing their best to make sure governments and the railways know what might be coming. The word this year is: be ready for a big one. The Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan issued a release to that effect in late June. The Western Grain Elevators Association has written to the federal minister and the railways with estimates ranging from a low that exceeds the five-year average to a high that threatens to topple the record 76 million tonnes farmers produced in 2013. Aaron Lavinsky / Minneapolis Star Tribune files Corn tumbles from the hopper of a truck at the CHS grain terminal on the Minnesota River in Savage, Minn., about to begin a journey around the world. Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan president Norm Hall notes in 2013-14 the railways claimed surprise at the size of the crop, which led to a logistical nightmare, costing farmers $1.5 billion in lost revenues. To be fair, the size of that crop surprised everyone, even farmers. Overall, western Canadian farmers produced an astounding 76 million tonnes, a 27 per cent increase of the previous record of 60 million tonnes set in 2008. Of course, there is a long list of ways things can go wrong before harvest. Production variability has historically been one of the logistical wild cards for this sector trying to plan. But the emerging reality for the grain-handling and transportation sector is despite year-to-year variability, there continues to be sustained annual growth in production. In its report issued earlier this year, the panel reviewing the Canadian Transportation Act found volumes have increased on average about one per cent per year during the past three decades as a result of investments in technology and better agronomic management. Another report found wheat yields have increased 43 per cent and canola by 56 per cent since the early 1980s. The cropping mix is becoming more diverse, with more pulses and special crops competing for acres against the traditional wheat, canola and feed grains. This, too changes the grain-handling and transportation dynamic. Canada faces several unique challenges relative to its competitors in the global marketplace. Farmers here more heavily depend on the export market, exporting 70 per cent of their wheat, 50 per cent of oilseeds and 25 per cent of coarse grains. Their grain must travel farther to reach tidewater. Western Canadian grain travels from 1,450 to 1,950 kilometres, while other grain-producing countries, such as Australia, Brazil, or any of the European countries, must move it less than 400 km, the federal report said. Ninety-four per cent of Canadian grain exports move by rail, compared with 50 per cent in the U.S. and Australia. The federal report cited a shortage of adequate off-farm storage. Combined commercial port and inland storage in Canada can hold about 20 per cent of average annual production. The U.S. can store more than 50 per cent of its crop. Australia has room for 175 per cent. The just-in-time delivery approach this country has relied upon is an even bigger challenge now that the co-ordinating function the former Canadian Wheat Board played in drawing grain into the system using quotas and contracts has ended. The point is, pressure on the handling system is intensifying. Besides extending the emergency regulations imposed on the railways during the 2013-14 crisis for one year, there has been little indication this issue ranks very high in federal priorities. These temporary provisions buy the new government some time to more fully consider the reports recommendations or alternatives as proposed by many of the industry groups that have responded. But policy development and implementation is a lengthy process even when there is consensus. Until the constraints on the grain-handling and transportation system are addressed, Canada and its farmers will struggle to reap the full benefits of productivity gains. Laura Rance is editor of the Manitoba Co-operator and editorial director for Farm Business Communications. She can be reached at laura@fbcpublishing.com. or 204-792-4382. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Charlie Brown was never particulary pleased when he found rocks at the bottom of his trick-or-treat bag. But Winnipeggers and even a few A-list celebrities are scooping up Kiera Foggs products faster than she can produce them. Little Box of Rocks sells small bouquets of crystals. Theyre arranged in a keepsake box, and each collection features a theme like good luck, friendship, romance or strength. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeggers and even a few A-list celebrities are scooping up Kiera Foggs products faster than she can produce them. Its sort of like a vase of flowers, said Fogg. When I have a bowl of crystals or a big geode sitting in an area of my house, it just makes me happy to look at. Fogg started the company last fall and was immediately met with widespread popularity after Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow included her products in their gift guides. The celebrity endorsements made sales go through the roof said Fogg. I could hardly keep up. I was sitting at my computer one day and the orders started coming in one after the other and I thought, What the heck is going on? Fogg said shes been fascinated with crystals since she was a little girl; spending her summers camping in Northern Ontario. She started collecting them in her 20s and became a little bit obsessed with them, she said. I had them all over my house in different areas. I just really liked them. I liked the way they made me feel and I like looking at them. She said crystals are believed to have medicinal properties, but for Little Box of Rocks, its more about the intention of the sender. For me, personally, the impact is really the intention. For me, when I see a crystal that represents good luck or love or something, it just makes me think of that, she said. The emails that we get from recipients, theyre so inspired and theyre so touched by receiving these crystals. And its not really the crystals themselves, its the intent of the sender and the fact that they were thought of. Its just a thoughtful gesture. I think thats where the crystals have the real power to inspire us. Fogg said she was filming an episode of Dragons Den in Toronto last month which will feature a new Little Box of Rocks product that will be available this fall. It will be a different product. Its not a box of rocks, its something that can be added to the bouquet, said Fogg. She said theyve had requests for customized boxes and she hopes the new product will address that. I knew it was either going to completely flop and people were going to think I was crazy for selling rocks, or it would be brilliant and it would take off and thats exactly what happened. alexandra.depape@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/07/2016 (2302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. City police have identified a male cyclist who was killed Friday afternoon when he was struck by a mobile cherry picker. The incident occurred at about 2:40 p.m. in the area of Hamilton Avenue and Wharton Boulevard. The Winnipeg Police Service said Saturday Leslie Freudenberg, 87, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Saturday they dont anticipate laying any charges, but members of the central traffic unit continue to investigate. Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to call investigators at 204-986-6271. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It may not exactly be summer beach reading, but the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is pleased by the Pallister governments decision to release 1,740 pages of information given to its new ministers about their ministries. Todd MacKay, the federations prairie director, said while there are no big secrets or revelations, the information release is a positive move. This is a good and important step, MacKay said Friday. This kind of openness is critically important. It sets a stage where the default is they owe an explanation to their employers, who are the people. We intend to lead by example and to establish a culture within our government that is truly open, accountable and accessible Justice Minister Heather Stefanson The release of the information given to each of the new government ministers about their departments basically a welcome-to-your-new-ministry binder follows recent disclosures of mandate letters for the ministers and framework letters for Crown corporations. Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said in a statement the documents have been released without the need for freedom-of-information requests because our government believes the tone demonstrated within the senior levels of any organization is reflected throughout the entire organization. We intend to lead by example and to establish a culture within our government that is truly open, accountable and accessible. Stefanson added the government wants to create a proactive disclosure system for other information and documents that until now have only been available via freedom-of-information applications. Our government believes Manitobans deserve timely access to information, she said. Movement toward proactive disclosure of government information benefits all Manitobans. This is just a first step toward that goal. MacKay said the biggest benefit of the release may occur in future. Down the road many governments face the temptation to be more secretive, he said. This way, if they slip back, we have something to hold them to. kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 08/07/2016 (2302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Police now believe a Point Douglas fire that killed two people earlier this week was a homicide. At this stage of the investigation, evidence point to the fire being deliberately set, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a statement Friday. The investigation is continuting by members of the homicide unit. The fire was one of two fatal blazes in a span of hours Wednesday night; the other was in the North End. JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fire officials investigate a double fatal house fire at 186 Austin St N the morning of July 07, 2016. At the Point Douglas fire, emergency crews were called at approximately 1:40 a.m. Thursday to a rooming house at 186 Austin Street North, home to four people, all taken to hospital. Two were prounounced dead shortly after and the other two were listed in stable condition. The North End fire, in the 200-block of Aberdeen Avenue Wednesday evening claimed the life of a 56-year-old man. That fire was not considered suspicious, police said earlier. Police did not disclose what new evidence now points to arson in the Point Douglas fire. alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. wfpyoutube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IUfJzAhCo:wfpyoutube STEINBACH Thousands came to Steinbach for the first Pride parade in the history of this devout Christian city in Manitobas Bible belt Saturday. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was reported backed up 18 kilometres along Highway 12 trying to get into Steinbach. Despite expressions of local opposition, and the refusal of local politicians to attend the event, or maybe because of it, crowds turned out by the carload and busload. The crowd cheered as the RCMPs new commanding officer Scott Kolody, the top brass for the Mounties in Manitoba, pulled into Ernie A. Friesen Park. We didnt know what to expect. This is fantastic. Were very pleased, said Steinbach Pride parade lead organizer Michelle McHale. Dan Vandal led a contingent of Manitoba Liberal MPs with greetings of support from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I have a message from the prime minister, Vandal said to rousing applause. The Steinbach march promises to be an inclusive and diverse celebration of the unique culture and spirit of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and two-spirited community. We look forward to many more celebrations of our diversity in Steinbach for years to come, Vandal said, reading Trudeaus message. We still have a lot of work to do at home and abroad. We must continue to support those who have experienced discrimination and remember we can not let up on the fight against bigotry please accept my best wishes for a memorable march. RCMP estimated the crowd at more than 3,000, many of whom made the trip to Steinbach from Winnipeg in a long line of steady traffic that delayed the start of the parade by an hour and created a singular traffic jam in the provinces third-largest city. Steinbach Prides march gained national attention after the citys local politicians, including its mayor and Conservative MLA and MP, declared they would not attend because of their personal beliefs. There was no sign of local politicians, but in addition to the federal Liberal MPs, a contingent of NDP MLAs, including former premier Greg Selinger, attended. Led by interim Opposition Leader Flor Marcelino, they stood on the steps of the towns library with the other speakers. In her remarks, Marcelino cast the march as a human rights event. This is the next chapter in a 50-year revolution for human rights This fight has not been easy. Far too many have been victimized by bigotry. Many have had to hide who they are and suffer in silence. Many have been bullied and beaten, physically, mentally and emotionally. Many have lost their lives, by their own hand or anothers. We are here to celebrate (your) accomplishments and also to tell you: you are not alone, Marcelino said. Many said the sheer size of the event served to give the LGBTTQ* community its biggest show of solidarity in the history of Steinbach, a Mennonite community founded in 1874 by a devout Christian sect of farmers persecuted throughout their history in Europe. This is an historic event. Its 2016, and its time for a change, said one young transgender resident, Mason Godwaldt, 18, who said he came close to ending his life before taking the step of coming out. Now a published author and engaged to be married to his partner, Godwaldt said he considered himself lucky. Many others dont have the support that I do, he said. Lots of people felt safe to attend because you all are here, McHale said after a series of speeches from gay and transgender area residents and leaders from the provinces LGBTTQ* community that followed Vandals message from the prime minister. If you have nothing to do and you want to hang around, you might want to check out the Frog Follies, McHale added, earning a roar of cheers. Frog Follies was a reference to a neighbouring fair in St.-Pierre-Jolys that Conservative MP Ted Falk cited as his initial reason for not attending the Steinbach march. He later announced he would not attend the gay march even if he was free because of his personal beliefs, catapulting the event to a national stage. Some believe Falks announcement ended up stoking support from the LGBTTQ* community to come out by the thousands to the march in Steinbach. Look at the love here. Theres no hate here, said Winnipegger Shawna Nagler. Steinbach is a loving place, the people are kind and generous and unfortunately too much time has been given over to negativity. Louis Odorico said, I think its sad local officials arent here. Theyre only representing a certain portion of their constituents. Isnt this part of their constituency? That would be my question. There were no protests, and it would have been surprising if there had been, said University of Winnipeg education professor Catherine Taylor. This couldnt be a more perfect way to send a message of solidarity with the LGBTTQ* community, she said. The only thing we ever hear from Steinbach is the opposition; we dont hear about the many supporters and allies who live in this town. Taylor added, What I heard is the people who disapprove of this are staying away. alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca Health of NC Gen Secy Shashank Koirala improves Doctors treating Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala are preparing to shift the ailing leader to general ward from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after improvement in his health condition. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The Manitoba government is pushing other provinces to back a much bigger interprovincial trade agreement with wide-open procurement and harmonization of industry regulations from coast to coast. Trade Minister Cliff Cullen was in Toronto Friday for a meeting of fellow provincial trade ministers to hammer out recommendations for a new Agreement on Internal Trade. The new agreement would replace the 21-year-old existing pact, which critics say costs this country as much as $130 billion a year in lost productivity and added costs. We were elected to be an open-trading government, Cullen said in an interview with the Free Press at the end of the meeting. Its very important to us. We were elected to be an open-trading government. Its very important to us Trade Minister Cliff Cullen Cullen would not provide specifics of what was agreed to, saying he will report back to Premier Brian Pallister first. Cullen acknowledged Manitoba is open to eliminating trade barriers between provinces. There was some frustration around the table as different provinces tried to drop new ideas and exemptions onto the table at the last minute, which delayed decision-making. The Pallister government is taking its time making decisions on interprovincial issues; the premier announced Thursday Manitoba will after holding out for two weeks and receiving some assurances from Ottawa sign the agreement in principle to improve the Canada Pension Plan. Manitoba along with British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island wants the trade agreement to include a policy allowing companies from any province to bid on contracts in any other province. Alberta is less open to that and wants to be able to set a quota for keeping some contracts within its boundaries. Ontario and Manitoba are pushing for a negative-list approach, where all sectors or industries are considered to be covered by the agreement unless they are negotiated as exemptions. Ontario wants a stronger dispute mechanism with higher monetary penalties for breaching the agreement and a working group created to address the regulations that need to be harmonized. Cullen said there will be more discussions before the premiers gather in Whitehorse July 22. Interprovincial trade will be one of the key issues on the agenda at their annual meeting. Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president Chuck Davidson hopes this round of negotiations leads to a solution, but he says the provinces have been down this road many times before and nothing has changed. We keep talking about this, and we keep setting targets, but we keep missing them, he said. The fact is it is easier for foreign companies to do business in some provinces than it is for companies from a different province. A recent Senate study found interprovincial trade barriers cost the Canadian economy from $50 billion to $130 billion a year. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says there are three main interprovincial trade barriers: direct, technical and administrative. Direct barriers prohibit the sale of certain goods, such as wine and craft beer, across provincial lines. Technical barriers are industry-led regulations that differ from province to province, such as the maximum weight load for a transport truck or the size of packaging for non-dairy creamers. These require companies to produce different products or meet multiple regulations in order to do business beyond one provinces borders. Administrative barriers add layers of paperwork, require companies to register in multiple provinces and force professionals to obtain accreditation in more than one province. A doctor licensed in Manitoba cannot work in northwestern Ontario, for example, without obtaining an Ontario physicians licence as well. Engineers and architects arent able to bid on work in other provinces without getting additional accreditation. mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VORU, Estonia When unidentified aircraft were speeding towards northern Estonia one recent day, British fighter jets stationed nearby scrambled to intercept them. Screaming across the country, they quickly identified the targets: two Russian fighters and a spy plane. It was just the latest confrontation between the West and Russia in a region that has fast become a tripwire for conflict between nuclear superpowers. In the two years since Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, the tiny Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have taken an oversized role in facing down Russias challenge to the West. The Kremlin has been building up its military along its border with the former Soviet satellites. Western allies of the Baltics, worried the region is vulnerable, have responded by pouring tanks, warplanes and soldiers into an area slightly larger than Florida. The British decision to leave the European Union makes NATO even more important as an alliance that binds the West together, NATO leaders say, amid concerns the political and economic turbulence unleashed by the decision will shrink Britains outsized role in global affairs. ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES '(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is our best recruiter,' says Estonia's defence minister. Uncertainty and unpredictability always creates challenges to our security, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said. It is a more unpredictable situation now than before the U.K. decided to leave. Western and Russian warplanes already encounter each other in the Baltic skies nearly every day. A Russian warplane buzzed a U.S. destroyer in April, coming within 10 metres and raising fears of an accident that could quickly escalate into a crisis. Any attack on the Baltics has the potential for far more global danger than Russias intervention in Ukraine, since the U.S. and other members of NATO committed to defend the region when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the military alliance in 2004. Adding to the fears, Russian leaders now routinely raise their willingness to use nuclear weapons, a habit not seen since the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s. Western leaders shy away from talk of a new Cold War. But both Russian and western officials make clear they are settling into a confrontation neither side expects to end quickly. There is a much greater sense that were dealing with a long-term strategic competition with Russia, said Alexander Vershbow, deputy secretary general of NATO, the western military alliance formed during the Cold War to defend against the Soviet Union. It will be a very dangerous relationship that needs to be managed very carefully going forward. NATOs new top military leader, U.S. army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, said as he arrived in the spring the alliance had to be ready to fight tonight against Russia, if necessary. And U.S. President Barack Obama quadrupled military spending in Europe in his budget proposal earlier this year, to US$3.4 billion. Russia plans to create three new divisions of its military by the end of the year tens of thousands of troops and station them in its westernmost territories, near the Baltics and Poland. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed it as a simple response to NATO activity. We are constantly accused of military activity, but where? Putin said in late June. Only on our own soil. We are supposed to accept as normal the military buildup on our borders. The Baltics, which were forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940 and won independence only in 1991, fear they could make a tempting target for a Kremlin that has in recent years taken a revanchist attitude toward its neighbours. If they were attacked and NATO failed to come to their aid, it would break the military alliance, an outcome that would probably delight Putin. He has declared NATO to be one of Russias biggest strategic threats. Western leaders have sought to place enough firepower in the Baltics to deter an attack while avoiding the perception of a military threat to Russia. Many Russian officials say they view the arrival of western tanks at their frontiers as a security risk. NATO military leaders retort that such fears are exaggerated, and that the roughly 2,500 troops that have been sent to the region could do little to harm the vastly larger number of Russian forces arrayed across the border. A recent Rand Corp. study that simulated a Russian invasion found Baltic capitals would be overrun within 60 hours. To change the calculus, the authors recommended a significantly higher western troop presence in the region than NATO is currently contemplating seven brigades, more than 30,000 troops. Even without a permanent presence in the Baltics, NATO troops have been conducting military exercises throughout the region since the Crimea military operation. But the Baltics flat, open terrain means the countries could be overrun faster than NATO could scramble a response from elsewhere in Europe, leading to the focus on discouraging Russia from acting in the first place, western leaders say. Along Estonias forested border with Russia, the only demarcation of the frontier is a series of orange-and-green poles erected every several dozen yards. A new chain-link fence wont be finished for at least another year, and it would do little to stop an invasion. NATO officials plan to send a battalion of about a thousand troops to each Baltic nation and Poland, about 4,000 in total. The U.S. originally considered committing about 2,000 soldiers to the effort, but it recently halved its offer, NATO diplomats and officials say, amid growing political pressure to push Europe to commit more to its own defence. Obama recently derided free riders on American military might, while Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has declared NATO obsolete. That has left Baltic leaders and NATO military planners balancing what they feel they need with what they think they can get. We dont want to return to the Cold War era, tank for tank, soldier for soldier, said Estonian Defence Minister Hannes Hanso. But in the Baltic Sea, Russia is flying military aircraft almost daily, sometimes five times a day. It would be irresponsible not to respond. What we are doing is reacting to what theyre doing, Hanso said. A drive across the Baltics reveals a constant hum of military activity. Camouflaged convoys snake down dim roads late at night. Armoured personnel carriers idle alongside fields. Belgian, British and Spanish fighter jets thunder across the skies. Before the Crimean annexation, it was rare to see a combat vehicle in the Baltics. Now they are omnipresent, amid a constant cycle of military manoeuvres and rotations. The biggest military operation in Europe this year is underway in Poland, where 25,000 troops from 24 nations are engaged in combat exercises that include live fire from tanks. The sustained rhythm can be jarring to those who live in the areas seen as most vulnerable. Narva, an Estonian border city that is more than 80 per cent Russian-speaking, is often depicted as Russias first target if it were to move on the Baltics. But residents there say they have no interest in switching allegiances. Narvas streets are in decent shape, unlike the rutted roads in Ivangorod, the Russian town just across the river. Narva residents salaries and pensions are paid according to Estonian standards, while their Russian neighbours earnings have lost half their value with the collapse of the ruble since 2014. People in Narva love Putin. But its a platonic love. They dont want him here, said Sergei Stepanov, the editor of the local newspaper, Narvskaya Gazeta. People here are not stupid. They can just cross the border and compare how things are in Russia. Ultimately, Estonian leaders say, the threat from Russia has forced them to unite under pressure. Five or six years ago, we would have had arguments about holding extensive military exercises, said Hanso, the defence minister. Putin is our best recruiter. Washington Post Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 09/07/2016 (2301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Massacres attributed to the Islamic State have struck on four continents this year, reflecting how the appeal of the groups ideology is growing even as the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria has receded, experts say. The slaughter of civilians in three large attacks in the past week alone in Istanbul on Tuesday, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Friday, and in Baghdad on Sunday suggests militant actions beyond the caliphates borders are taking place more frequently and not necessarily with any overt direction from some caliphate headquarters. Even more alarmingly, a growing number of attacks, starting with those in Paris and Brussels, were conducted by gangs of assailants instead of by an individual gunman. Whats striking to me about the Istanbul and Dhaka attacks is that both werent done by lone wolves at all, said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA counterterrorism official and analyst of al-Qaida and the Islamic State who is at the Brookings Institution. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Residents help an injured person after a group of gunmen attacked a restaurant popular with foreigners in a diplomatic zone of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka Friday. These were done by teams of terrorists working with a very thought-through attack plan. I call them wolf pack attacks. They are rapidly becoming the Islamic States signature. Last week, to mark the two-year anniversary of its self-declared caliphate, the Islamic State created a chart showing its influence, stretching from the moderate control it claims in the Philippines to a covert presence in France, with 15 other countries in between. Even countries not on the list are fearful. In India, the government says dozens of Indian Muslims are being monitored after they have undergone some kind of training with the Islamic State, but Indian officials acknowledge the actual number may be much higher. While the core of the caliphate in Iraq and Syria has been pummelled by coalition airstrikes and by armies and militias fighting them on the ground, Islamic State soldiers have spread throughout the Middle East and far afield. Attacks in Turkey, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and several European capitals, and the lone-wolf attacks in Orlando, Fla., and San Bernardino, Calif., show the Islamic States potency as an ideology. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on CBSs Face the Nation Sunday the Islamic State is vicious and adaptive in what he called a global terrorism campaign. Its very much losing territory, but at the same time expanding its global presence, he said. U.S. intelligence officials say battlefield setbacks in Iraq and Syria appear to have driven the Islamic States leaders to speed up their timeline for attacks abroad. Many intelligence officials and terrorism experts think recent terrorist strikes in Paris, Brussels, Turkey and Bangladesh are a reflection of that strategy. We judge that (the Islamic State) will intensify its global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda, CIA director John Brennan said in testimony before the U.S. Senate last month. While the Islamic State had been primarily focused on building and defending its caliphate, the group has long expressed ambitions for attacking targets outside the Middle East. The jihadists English-language magazine, Dabiq, regularly includes discussions of plans to conquer Rome and other cities of symbolic importance, in addition to capturing all lands that were once part of the Islamic empires of history. In Dhaka, foreign customers at the Holey Artisan Bakery who were from Crusader countries were singled out for death. A news bulletin radio broadcast the Islamic State disseminates on social media recently provided a rapid-fire listing of attacks conducted by its fighters, which it characterizes as the forces of the caliphate. The groups aspirations date back to its earliest days, when it was called al-Qaida in Iraq and led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. We perform jihad here while our eyes are upon al-Quds (Jerusalem). We fight here, while our goal is Rome, al-Zarqawi famously said, in a line frequently cited by the Islamic States leadership. The groups highly regimented structure includes a unit dedicated to facilitating attacks on foreign soil, U.S. and European officials say. Former Islamic State fighters now in custody have told investigators the unit, called EMNI or AMNI, has been active in Europe for more than a year. One jailed French recruit named Nicholas Moreau recalled meeting some of the EMNI operatives in Syria and described them as part of the secret service for the exterior of the Islamic State, according to notes of the interview obtained by the Washington Post. The external mission is to send people all over the world to do violence, to kill or recruit young people, or to obtain cameras, or chemicals for weapons, Moreau said, according to a translation of the French investigators notes. He identified Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud the reported field commander of Novembers terrorist strike in Paris as an EMNI operative and said at least four others had travelled to northern Europe to make preparations. It is not clear whether the four have been identified and arrested. They are dangerous and know the background about weapons, Moreau was quoted as saying. I think they are in Europe. I do not know where they are exactly. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has frequently said attacks, whether conducted by or inspired by the Islamic State, are a sign of the groups desperation as the territory it controls in Iraq and Syria is chipped away. Nevertheless, the group apparently remains rooted enough that it recently issued its own caliphate dinar currency, embossed with the words Islamic State. But increasingly, its the idea of the Islamic State, rather than the groups control of any territory, that has taken on greater significance. As Dhaka and Istanbul demonstrate, the idea is being translated into a tactic that is much more dangerous than inspiring a single individual to go out and carry out an attack, Riedel said. As horrific as Orlando was, had it been four guys in the bar, think how much more complicated it would have been. Its making the challenge of defeating it more and more urgent, as well as more and more difficult. Washington Post 25 years ago this week (1991) Severe storms raced across south central Wisconsin Sunday, hitting southern Sauk County but saving the worst for Dane County where a tornado touched down on Highway 12 in Middleton. Tornado warning signals sounded in Baraboo and elsewhere as high winds, rain and lightning swept through the county. Sauk Prairie police reported only a downed Piggly Wiggly sign and standing water in the aftermath of the storm while the Sauk County Sheriffs Department reported no damage or injuries. National Weather Service reports said a tornado was spotted on radar moving within five miles of the Sauk Prairie area. The combination of traffic returning from a four-day weekend and severe weather warnings had traffic backed up at one point from northern Columbia County to the Madison area on Interstate 90/94. Traffic was especially heavy from Wisconsin Dells south with the average speed around 25 miles per hour in the southbound lanes. During the storms the rain was so hard traffic came to a standstill from Wisconsin Dells to the Illinois state line. A 27-year old Baraboo man was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct Sunday after a fight was reported in the 600 block of Third Avenue. Police were advised that an ex-boyfriend was at the residence and had gotten into a verbal and physical confrontation. The subject had left but was located at Parrishs Bar where he was arrested and then taken to Sauk County Jail. The newly constructed water tower here nears completion with only the painting of it left to be done followed by plans for the tower to be operational sometime in August. The water tower, which has 300,000-gallon capacity, is located off of Connie Road at the end of Reservoir Lane where it stands in a clearing surrounded by trees. The price for the structure was about $230,000 with other miscellaneous items bringing the price tag up to approximately $400,000, which includes easement acquisitions and property purchase. 50 years ago this week (1966) Jack Troyer and David Fuhs, registered pharmacists and partners in Troyer Rexall Drug announce the opening of Troyer Prescription Pharmacy. This pharmacy, which has been established for your convenience, is located in the new Medical Associates Building, 703 14th Street. 75 years ago this week (1941) Members of the city police department are investigating the molesting of a girl on the school grounds of the first ward school early last evening. According to the report of Officer William Burke who was summoned, the 14-year-old Madison girl who is here visiting relatives had attended the movies and was returning home about 9:30 accompanied by her younger brother. They had taken a short cut through the school grounds when a man, described by the girl and her brother as being 16 to 19 years old, seized the girl near the school playground equipment, holding his hand over her mouth so that she could not scream, and throwing her to the ground. The boy was able to attract the attention of older people in the home where they are visiting nearby, and the youth who had molested the girl was frightened away, making his escape down the alley and down Fifth Avenue, towards the business district. A. H. Thayer of the Baraboo Tent and Awning Company has the contract to put up the big tent which will accommodate 5,000 people when the state Republican convention is held here on Monday, July 28. The tent is to be put on the grounds of the Henry Ringling farm, just off County Trunk A, north of Baraboo. The tent will be 150 by 250 feet in size and is to be decorated with banners in real circus style. There will be a stage and a press box, the latter big enough to accommodate 100 reporters who are expected to cover the meeting. 100 years ago this week (1916) While trying to remove a demountable rim from an auto at the Townsend & Metcalf garage at Reedsburg, Clark Townsend had his right hand badly smashed. He was in a hurry and did not let the air out of the tube, when the tire exploded and the rim struck him across the hand, breaking several bones, severing the cords to the fingers and cutting an artery. The remarkable ventilating and cooling system at the Al. Ringling Theatre brought forth many exclamations of surprise and delight from patrons as they stepped inside the theater doors Saturday night. A mammoth fan or blower large enough to fill a big room, and driven by a large electric motor, is installed under the stage near the boiler room. By a complex system of ventilators, pipings, mushrooms under the seats, etc., it is possible to keep the theater decidedly cool and inviting. It is becoming even more apparent right along that no details of luxury, safety and comfort were overlooked nor slighted in the building of the Al. Ringling Theatre. Martin Weirich, living east of the city, escaped death by lightning in a miraculous manner yesterday during the storm. At the time of a heavy electrical discharge, he was standing in a barn door and when the crash came he was stunned for a few moments, the shock passing down his left side, burning his body in one place quite badly. He feels that he had a narrow escape from death, but is none the worse today for the occurrence except for the sore side. Artists worked to capture not just the light, but the essence of Beaver Dam this week, by participating in the Plein Air Festival hosted by the Beaver Dam Area Arts Association The BDAAA invited artists from across Wisconsin to participate in its inaugural four-day outdoor event. En plein air is a French phrase which roughly translates to open (in full) air and plein air painting is the act of painting outdoors to capture the sunlight on a subject at different times of day. Jessalyn Braun, executive director of the BDAAA, said 20 artists signed up for the event. To participate, artists had to have their canvas, board or paper stamped, and use oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels or gouache as their medium. To qualify for the contest, artists had to paint within the Beaver Dam city limits and complete 95 percent of their painting on-site. Each artist is allowed to submit more than one painting and opt to just have their work judged, or also exhibited and sold, with BDAAA retaining a commission from the sale. An award ceremony, exhibit opening and silent auction is set for Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts, 1605 N. Spring St., Beaver Dam. Art from the plein air festival will be on exhibit until July 23. There will be three merit awards, three monetary awards and a viewers choice award selected by the public as the best representation of Beaver Dam. The art chosen for the viewers choice award will be made into postcards to benefit the BDAAA awareness program. Braun credited Wendie Thompson, president of the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association, for encouraging the BDAAA to host a plein air event. She helped me coordinate it, Braun said. Braun said the plein air festival was held in conjunction with Beaver Dams 175th anniversary celebration. Every image coming in will be of Beaver Dam, Braun said. Sherri Thomas, of Larsen, Wis., said she likes to participate in plein air competitions and Beaver Dams drew her because her in-laws live here. Its just a pretty little town, Thomas said. It was hard to pick where to stop and paint first. She chose a spot next to the river downtown, with the water tower rising in the background. She has been painting for seven years, and started with watercolors, but opted to use oils for the plein air competition. Oils are really forgiving, Thomas said. And the colors are vibrant. Sandy Braman of Beaver Dam chose a view of the lake from Waterworks Park that includes a shed in a lot next to the park. I drove around last night and liked the rustic look of the shed, Braman said Wednesday. I like doing outdoor scenery. Braman, who grew up in Beaver Dam, said she lived in Ohio for 40 years and moved back three years ago after she retired to be closer to family. She said she joined the BDAAA to meet new people and try new things. She opted to paint with oils, but said she also paints with acrylics and watercolors. Barbara Hayden, of Oconomowoc, said she had not been to Beaver Dam in years. There are so many things I want to paint, Hayden said. She started outside the Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce at the old depot on South Spring Street, and said there are four things she wants to paint around the depot and Williams Free Library, home to the Dodge County Historical Society. She also chose to paint with oils. Its good for all weather, Hayden said. She said she painted for a long time using watercolors, and began using oils about five years ago. We are trying to capture the light, Hayden said. Lucy Sanna has earned much praise for her debut novel, The Cherry Harvest, gaining media attention nationwide and in Wisconsin where the Wisconsin State Journal chose the title for its well-known book club. Now in Columbus, Sanna will discuss the novel at the monthly gathering of Books & Beer on July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Black Kettle, 139 N. Ludington St. It is particularly fitting that The Cherry Harvest is being read here in Columbus as the novel is based on a slice of history familiar to many Columbus residents the use of German WWII POWs as local workers. Here these prisoners worked at the local canning company, and across the state they took on any number of agricultural jobs, including cherry harvesting in Door County. By most reports of the time, the German POWs caused little friction in the communities where they worked and were welcomed for their assistance during the labor shortage. While there was negligible drama in the historical record, Sannas fictional story is far more intriguing as she weaves a tale where unusual friendships, unexpected love, deep-seated biases and the secrets intertwining them all finally collide with dark and unforeseen consequences. Lucy Sanna was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and moved to Madison when she was 16. Later, she moved west, landing in Palo Alto, California. She now divides her time between Madison and the San Francisco Bay area. She is an author of both fiction and nonfiction, finding success in a wide range of genres from poetry to short stories to feature science articles and self-help books. Sannas education in English literature combined with her nose for research and passion for sensual detail make her stories the kind readers wont want to put down. The monthly Books and Beer gathering engages local and regional authors with readers in the community in a fun, casual setting. All interested readers in the area are welcome to attend. Copies of The Cherry Harvest are available for $15 at The Black Kettle or from any book retailer. In addition to the July 28 event, upcoming featured authors include Maureen Holtzs The Last Resort on Sept. 1, Kelly Dinardos Gilded Lili on Sept. 29, Silvia Acevedos God Awful Thief on Nov. 10, and Donna Urbikas My Sisters Mother on Dec. 8. More information can be found on the groups Facebook page Books and Beer Columbus. Information is taken from the records of the Portage Police Department and does not represent a comprehensive list of police activity. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Between 6:24 a.m. Tuesday and 7:51 a.m. Thursday police responded to 71 calls Central Portage: Police on Tuesday at 7:37 p.m. responded to a reported disturbance where a 16-year-old Portage girl was cited for disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia and a 34-year-old woman was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, all citations as city ordinances. Central Portage: Police on Wednesday at 12:32 p.m. responded to a domestic disturbance where a 24-year-old Portage man was arrested for domestic criminal damage to property. DeWitt Street: Police on Wednesday at 10:54 p.m. responded to a report of a loitering complaint, where five subjects were located. A 17-year-old male was arrested for two counts of bail jumping for being out past curfew. Maoist ministers miss Cabinet meeting A Cabinet meeting on Friday was postponed without entering the agenda due to the absence of ministers from the CPN (Maoist Centre). Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin were operating in a fact-free cocoon of partisan prejudice when they claimed that voter fraud was a major problem in their state, wrote federal Judge Richard Posner in 2014. If the Wisconsin Legislature says witches are a problem, shall Wisconsin courts be permitted to conduct witch trials? Posner is a conservative appointed by Ronald Reagan. But in the best tradition of the law, he places evidence ahead of ideology. For example, in 2007, he authored a key opinion upholding an Indiana voter ID law. Seven years later, when the Wisconsin case arose, he changed his mind based on new information. There is compelling evidence that voter impersonation fraud is essentially nonexistent in Wisconsin, he wrote. The Legislature was using chicanery as a mere fig leaf for efforts to disenfranchise voters. We thought of Posners opinion last week when the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn two laws from Texas aimed at blocking access to abortion services. The Texas Legislature maintained that the laws were necessary to protect womens health, but the High Court like Posner in the Wisconsin case reviewed the evidence and rejected the states argument. One law required abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals; the other mandated unreasonably high medical standards for abortion clinics. As a result, half the states 40 clinics have closed. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the court, said the Texas laws clearly imposed an undue burden on women seeking abortions, a test laid down by the justices in 1992. In fact, Breyer added, the state presented no evidence that the laws would have helped even one woman obtain better treatment. Just because a legislature, or a politician, declares something to be true does not make it so. Breyer is a well-known liberal who once worked for Ted Kennedy and was appointed by Bill Clinton. He was joined in his opinion, however, by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who like Posner was a Reagan appointee. During more than 28 years on the bench, Kennedy has generally sided with anti-abortion forces, but hes also been willing to part with conservative orthodoxy when the facts warrant flexibility. In an essay on Kennedy in The Washington Post, legal scholar David Cole wrote: Breaking with ones peers and rethinking ones commitments are not easy. In our increasingly divided political culture, many of us rarely do. But it is a welcome sign of an open mind, an attribute especially important in those who hold the power to enforce constitutional law. Lets be clear: We are not discussing the morality or even the advisability of abortion (in fact, the two of us disagree on those issues). We are talking about the critical importance of basing public policy on facts, not fantasy; on evidence, not prejudice or prevarication. As Cole notes, this is especially important at a time when our increasingly divided political culture makes rational exchanges so much more difficult. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows how the growth of hyper-partisanship clouds the ability of loyalists on both sides to agree on a common set of facts and trust each others good will. Half of all Republicans view Democrats as more closed-minded than other Americans, while 7 in 10 Democrats disparage Republicans that way. Almost half of all Americans find it distressful and frustrating to talk politics with people who hold different opinions; 6 of 10 say that when they do have those discussions, they feel they have less in common with the other side than they originally thought. And partisan hostility is rising rapidly. Today, 58 percent of all Republicans hold very unfavorable views of Democrats, up from 32 percent in 2008. Fifty-five percent of Democrats are equally disdainful of Republicans, compared to 37 percent eight years ago. Closed-mindedness is an epidemic, like Ebola or Zika. Much of the country is infected with the feverish mindset Posner warned about, declaring that witches are a problem and then launching crusades to eradicate those nonexistent threats. Donald Trump is the worst offender, defying reality daily with fear-mongering accusations about rapists from Mexico and terrorists from Syria. But hes not alone. Bernie Sanders sees plenty of witches on Wall Street and in corporate boardrooms. Just about every presidential candidate in both parties has endorsed litmus tests and promised to pick judges with closed minds and preconceived opinions on a range of hot-button issues. American politics and jurisprudence need more unfettered thinking and less unreasoning rigidity. Those self-made, air-tight fact-free cocoons can be pretty suffocating. Minister-led inspection team shuts slaughterhouse Minister for Commerce and Supplies Ganesh Man Pun inspected around a dozen slaughterhouses in different parts of Kathmandu Valley on Friday. One of the slaughterhouses at Satungal, Moj Meat Center, was sealed for selling contaminated meat following the inspection. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page NA shift flood and landslide victims to safer places The Nepal Army has shifted the locals of Tatopani, Liping and Larcha, who were at risk of Bhotekoshi river flood and landslide, to Barhabise and Kathmandu on Friday. Clwyd South Assembly Member Backs Mobile Not Spot Scheme This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 9th, 2016 A local Assembly Member is encouraging community groups to apply for help in tackling mobile phone not-spots in the Clwyd South area. Ken Skates, Assembly Member for Clwyd South has been pushing the UKs major mobile operators for a commitment to improving coverage in his constituency, and is backing a new Vodafone scheme to give indoor mobile coverage to up to 100 rural hubs. Mr Skates said: I am continuing to campaign for better mobile phone coverage in Wrexham and the Dee Valley and have repeatedly raised concerns with companies about signal loss in our communities. Ive also lobbied the UK Government, who are responsible for enforcing operators obligations. The Vodafone programme will see pubs, village halls and shops in areas with weak and unreliable signals get better connected to their communities. The companys senior government affairs advisor, Graham Dunn, said: The Community Indoor Sure Signal (CISS) programme is designed to provide reliable indoor 3G voice and data coverage and will be open to 100 rural community hubs. The scheme compliments our expected investment of 2bn over the next three years on improving our network and services across the UK. Following a successful pilot, were now calling for applications from rural community centres such as independent or community-run pubs and shops, village halls, Scout huts and doctors surgeries that do not currently have reliable mobile coverage. Mr Skates added: We have some way to go in improving mobile reception in Clwyd South, and I will continue to press the UK Government to act. Im also in the process of arranging meetings with operators to see what more can be done, and continue to campaign for improved broadband for our rural communities. In the meantime, I would certainly urge community groups to find out more about this Vodafone scheme and get their applications in. Successful applicants, who must be the broadband bill payer, will need an unlimited broadband package with download speeds of at least 4Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps and a domestic plug-in power point. The CISS unit plugs into a standard broadband router to provide mobile coverage throughout a building. Wrexham Primary Schools Wins Prestigious Award For Healthy School Scheme This article is old - Published: Saturday, Jul 9th, 2016 A Wrexham primary school has achieved a prestigious national award which recognises their commitment to promoting health and wellbeing. Brynteg County Primary School was awarded the Healthy Schools National Quality Award, which demonstrates that they are implementing wellbeing initiatives at the very highest level. To achieve the award, two verifiers from the Welsh Government spent two days at the school. During their visit, they met members of the School Council, Eco Club, staff, governors and parents, and visited the schools breakfast and after-school club. In order to be eligible for this award, the school had to show evidence of its active involvement in the Wrexham Healthy Schools Scheme over the last ten years. The lead verifiers noted that the health and wellbeing of everyone associated with the school was afforded a very high priority, and health is clearly embedded in the culture and life of the school. Some of the strengths which stood out in the schools submission included the leadership and commitment of Headteacher Rachael Connell; the participation of pupils and the support given to the whole school community. Cllr Ronnie Prince, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, said: This award recognised the dedication and hard work that continues within the school. Everyone at the school has worked extremely hard to achieve this award, and we congratulate everyone involved for their efforts. The Wrexham Healthy School Scheme, a Public Health Wales initiative, now supports 74 schools, alongside pre-school settings. Timothy is a copy editor for The Kathmandu Post. Previously, he was a reporter on the Features desk and deputy editor on the National News desk. The former head of the Chilean Army, Juan Emilio Cheyre, has been arrested in connection with the extrajudicial executions of 15 suspected leftists in the early days of the countrys 17-year-long military dictatorship, installed through the US-backed coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet in 1973. The detention and likely trial of Cheyre, who has continued to occupy a significant position within Chilean ruling circles after his 2002-2006 tenure as the countrys top uniformed commander, has exacerbated the political crisis gripping the government of President Michele Bachelet. At the time the order for his arrest was announced, Cheyre was attending a meeting of the governments council of advisors on Bolivias territorial challenge to Chile at The Hague. After his detention, he was forced to tender his resignation as one of the members of the countrys electoral board. Cheyre was tapped as the chief of the army by former President Ricardo Lagos, who in 2000 became the first Socialist Party member to occupy the La Moneda Palace since Salvador Allende was killed there in the bloody coup of September 11, 1973. Bachelet, also a member of the Socialist Party, served in Lagos cabinet as health minister and later defense minister. Cheyre played a prominent role in the so-called democratic transition, earning the nickname General Never Again after issuing a statement in 2003 affirming that the army was undergoing a great transformation and that it had committed itself to never again committing violations of human rights. While touted by the ruling establishment along with the Socialist Party and the countrys president as a triumph for truth and reconciliation, the statement was viewed by those who had been repressed and seen their friends and families murdered under the dictatorship as part of an attempt to bury the past and assure impunity for those in the security forces who had carried out these crimes. This impunity reached up to and including Pinochet, who died in 2006 without ever being tried for initiating Chiles nightmare of mass murder, torture and political imprisonment. Many of these critics now see at least some vindication in the arrest of Cheyre in connection with the so-called Caravan of Death killing spree carried out by the dictatorship in the immediate aftermath of the 1973 coup. During the period from September 30 to October 22, 1973, the caravan consisted of a death squad of Chilean army officers headed by Brig. Gen. Sergio Arellano Stark that traveled from the south of the country to the north aboard a Puma helicopter, going from prison to prison to ensure that suspected leftists in the militarys custody throughout Chile were dealt with in a uniformly brutal fashion. They left in their wake roughly 100 victims who were brutally tortured and summarily executed. At the time, Cheyre was a 25-year-old lieutenant and intelligence officer of the army regiment in the northern town of La Serena. After the arrival of the Caravan death squad, 15 political prisoners held there were dragged out to the bases firing range and shot to death by army troops without even the semblance of a trial. Their bodies were then taken to a local cemetery and dumped into a mass grave. In addition to Cheyre, eight other former Chilean army personnel have been charged in relation to the deaths. While charges that Cheyre had been complicit in the killings and torture carried out by the dictatorship in La Serena had surfaced even before he was named head of the army, his reputation suffered a serious blow in 2013 as the result of an encounter on a television news program between the ex-general and Ernesto Lejderman, the son of a couple murdered by the military in La Serena in December 1973. Cheyre was implicated in handing the then-two-year-old child over to a convent with the story that his parents had committed suicide. In the course of the broadcast, he proved unable or unwilling to answer questions posed by the son of the murdered couple and the host of the program. Amid the controversy that ensued, Lagos, the Socialist Party ex-president, came forward to insist that it was unjust to judge him now for something he did as a 25-year-old lieutenant. On that basis, a major share of those responsible for the crimes of the Nazis would have to be exonerated. In addition to former members of the security forces who have testified to Cheyres active participation in decisions relating to the repression of that period, several of his victims have also come forward. Nicolas Barrantes, 17 at the time he was detained and taken to the headquarters of the army regiment in La Serena, has identified Cheyre as his torturer with 100 percent certainty. In an hour and a half of interrogation and torture, life passes quickly, he told Radio Cooperativo. There are fractions of seconds in which I see the mouth of the interrogator, and this mouth is engraved in my memory. The voice of this person is engraved in my mind. After 43 years, I can say that it is the same person. He said he was tortured horribly in an attempt to force him to identify the friends and comrades of his brother Marco, who had also been detained by the regiment, and to provide the location of arsenals of weapons in the area, of which there were none. His brother was one of those summarily shot. He was an idealist, a good man who wanted a more just Chile, he said. And these criminals killed him. Barrantes recalled seeing Cheyre nominated as commander of the army by the Socialist Party president in 2003. The ground went out from under my feet when Ricardo Lagos named him commander in chief, knowing that the Vicariate of Solidarity (a human rights arm of the Chilean Catholic Church) had informed the president that this mans hands were stained with blood ... President Lagos didnt want to listen. Lorena Pizarro, president of the Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared, said of Cheyres arrest: He talked about reconciliation and now he is detained as an author of crimes against humanity. A violator of human rights was commander in chief of the army not under dictatorship, but under democracy. She described him as the symbol of impunity, an impunity that continues to exist in Chile. Meanwhile, the present commander in chief of the army, Gen. Humberto Oviedo, responded to Cheyres arrest by declaring it a concern for the institution, adding, we are confident in the presumption of innocence. Catastrophic floods hit central and southern China along the Yangtze River after several days of heavy rain this past week. While figures vary, at least 186 people have been killed and dozens remain missing. Some 32 million people have been affected overall. The devastating impact of this and other so-called natural disasters can be traced back to corruption and the lack of adequate planning and preventative measures. Rain began tapering off on Thursday leaving behind the floods that are the worst in nearly 20 years. However, more rain is expected as super typhoon Nepartak hits Fujian Province. In total, 26 provinces have been affected with 1.4 million people displaced. Hubei Province and its capital Wuhan, a city home to 10 million people, have been particularly hard-hit with a record 600mm of rain falling, according to the Chinese government. President Xi Jinping ordered thousands of soldiers and police officers to take part in the relief efforts. According to Chinas state-owned CCTV, 2,700 troops were working in the most severely struck areas. Millions have lost access to transportation, power and clean water. The most recent figures from the Chinese government also indicate a severe material and economic toll. There is an estimated $7.6 billion in damages while 7.4 million acres of farmland has been flooded and 56,000 homes destroyed. These numbers are likely to rise, however, as China released them on July 3. Premier Li Keqiang visited the worst struck areas on July 5 and 6 to make perfunctory statements of sympathy and pose for photo ops. As is the case after such devastating events, Li claimed safety would be a high priority going forward, while trying to project an air of leadership. Speaking to the Huaihe River Water Conservancy Commission, Li said, The harder battle is yet to come. The Commission should always bear safety in mind and never slacken efforts. It should work in a well-coordinated way between the upper stream and lower stream, make good preparation for various kinds of emergencies and gain the initiative in flood control and disaster relief. Heavy rains in the region also resulted in flooding in mid-June when 22 people were killed. Other regions of China have also been affected by the weather, including Xinjiang in the northwestern part of the country. A landslide in the Kunlun Mountains struck a village on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people. Summer in the region is monsoon season with heavy rains and floods common. The large amount of precipitation this year has been attributed to a super El Nino effect, which is warming parts of the Pacific Ocean and impacting on global weather. A similar occurrence took place in 1998 when floods along the Yangtze killed 4,150 people. While the extreme weather could not have been prevented, it could have been predicted and planned for. In June, Vice Premier Wang Yang warned of the high probability of flooding in the Yangtze and Huai River basins. The social impact of these floods is due to criminal negligence and corruption, which is rife throughout the Chinese government and businesses. While a small stratum at the top have enriched themselves, little attention is paid to flood prevention and the safety of workers and farmers whether in their neighborhoods or at their workplaces. Last year, according to Forbes, there were 335 billionaires in China, second only to 536 in the US. In Wuhan, once called the city of 100 lakes, many have been filled due to urbanization. Since the 1980s, the number in the city center fell from 127 to 30. With the lakes filled, it becomes harder for water to drain properly, increasing the likelihood of flooding. Wang Caihua, a resident of the city and owner of a small cement plant, told the South China Morning Post, Construction waste was dumped into the ponds and they became land. But theyve now gone back to being underwater. Allocated money is often either lost or used improperly. In 2013, Wuhan began work on improving the citys drainage system, which was scheduled to be completed this year. While allocating 13 billion yuan ($US1.9 billion) for the project, the government has spent only 4 billion yuan and the completion date is now set for 2018. Scheduled upgrades to dikes to hold back floodwaters have not been completed. According to Quartz, some of those working on the projects have been arrested for corruption, including a local official in 2014 surnamed Tang who was leading the project. When he came to power in 2012, President Xi Jinping initiated a broad anti-corruption campaign from the provincial levels up to the highest echelons of government. This gave Xi the appearance of trying to clean up Chinese politics in the eyes of the population, fed up with the corrupt practices of the bureaucracy as well as declining economic conditions. In reality, the campaign was to consolidated Xis rule by targeting political opponents. Officials have been removed under the pretext of corruption, but their assigned duties, such as upgrading dikes, go unfinished. The lack of adequate flood prevention measures is not restricted to China. Capitalist governments around the world ignore safety or improvements to infrastructure. One has only to look at the recent floods in the US state of West Virginia for another example of the terrible impact of official indifference for the lives of the poor and working class. The result of the Australian federal election has exacerbated conflicts within the Greens, after the party did not secure any new seats in the lower house of parliament and faces the prospect of losing at least one of its current positions in the upper house or Senate. The election was marked by unprecedented hostility to the political establishment with around 26 percent of the population voting in the Senate for parties and groupings other than the Liberal-National Coalition, Labor or the Greens. The Greens vote in the Senate dropped as compared to the 2013 election. While its national lower house vote increased marginally from 2013, the result was substantially below its 2010 election results. Rival groupings within the Greens have responded by airing their differences via leaks to the media, with both sides presenting the result as a product of the failed tactics of their opponents. On Monday, the Australian Financial Review published an article entitled Recriminations begin after Greens fail to gain lower house seats. It declared: Greens insiders are venting their frustration on NSW [New South Wales] Greens, saying their campaign was outdated and failed to capitalise on the increasing number of inner city progressives. The article noted the anger of the partys federal branch over the failure of the NSW Greens to make any gains in the inner-city electorates of Sydney and Grayndler, which the party was targeting. It stated that the federal office viewed the campaign of Greens candidate for Grayndler, Jim Casey, as being too bolshy. Casey, a union bureaucrat and former member of the pseudo-left International Socialist Organisation, is a representative of a so-called left grouping within the Greens, centred in NSW, and led by Senator Lee Rhiannon. During the course of the campaign, he was redbaited by Labor incumbent, Anthony Albanese, and the Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph as a Greens extremist who, they absurdly claimed, was committed to the overthrow of capitalism. Publicly, Rhiannon blamed the vote result in NSW on the scare campaign run by the Labor Party. However, views of this fake-left grouping were elaborated in a comment in the Guardian headlined, Without some serious soul searching, the Greens will never move beyond the 10% plateau. The author was Osman Faruqi, a former Greens staffer and the son of Mehreen Faruqi, a Greens NSW state MP who is closely identified with the Rhiannon wing of the party. Faruqi wrote, The problem the Greens face is that they have pursued a steady as she goes approach over the past decade while the Australian public has been simultaneously losing its faith in politics and rejecting the whole concept of political stability and business as usual. He added that the Greens had spent the last few terms of parliament trying to become the political establishment while voters have spent every election since 2007 punishing whoever is in power. Faruqi quoted former Greens national co-convenor Christine Cunningham who bluntly stated: In a world desperate for change and hope, we offered a centrist position summed up in a vague slogan... maybe as a party of really smart, but often too-privileged-to-quite-get-it members, we should take a long hard look at ourselves and make some radical changes. Like Faruqi, Cunningham was expressing concerns that the partys orientation in the election had too obviously exposed the class character of the Greens, as a capitalist party whose principal constituency is among the most affluent sections of the middle-class. Greens leader, Richard Di Natale spelled out his political orientation when he declared that swings towards the Greens in some of Melbournes wealthiest seats had cemented the foundations for our party. He revealingly stated that it was only a matter of time before seats like Higgins, Wentworth, Kooyong turn Green. According to the property website Domain, each of the seats is on the list of the electorates with the greatest home values. Wentworth, a Liberal-held seat in Sydneys eastern suburbs has a median house price of $2.5 million, the highest in the country, median values in Higgins are $1.75 million and in Kooyong, $2 million. Faruqi concluded his article by declaring that The party has the technical and political ability to position itself as a real political force, tapping into disenfranchised voter sentiment and shaping it, but it needs to re-evaluate and radically overhaul its current approach to pull it off. Faruqi and Cunningham are fearful that the developing political radicalization among workers and young people, which found initial expression in the mass repudiation of Labor and the Liberals, will bypass the Greens. This fake-left grouping is well aware that the partys decision to prop up the minority Labor government of Julia Gillard following the 2010 election in what was a de facto coalition, has damaged the claims of the Greens to represent a progressive alternative to Labor and the Liberals, in the eyes of millions of workers and youth. The Labor government, with the unconditional support of the Greens, carried out sweeping cuts to education and healthcare, and removed 100,000 single parents from their welfare benefits, as part of a broader pro-business agenda. It expanded the persecution of refugees, and aligned Australia with the US military build-up in the Asia-Pacific and its preparations for war against China. Rhiannon, and the grouping she represents, supported the Gillard government as much as the rest of their party. Rhiannon herself was a Senator, and did not once publicly question, let alone oppose, Greens support for the right-wing Labor government and its anti-working class policies. The sole concern of Rhiannon and her supporters is that their own pretensions to be activists committed to social and economic justice, the rights of Aborigines and refugees and the poor are being exposed. They fear that the overtures of Di Natale and his colleagues to the financial elite, and their appeals to form a coalition government with the Labor Party, threaten the Greens with the fate of the Australian Democrats. That party capitalised on opposition to the political establishment in the 1990s, declaring that it would keep the bastards honest. Its support collapsed after 2001, when it joined with the Howard Coalition government to push through the Goods and Services Tax (GST), a regressive consumption tax directed against the working class. The same centrifugal tendencies that have seen the emergence of conflicts within the Liberal-National Coalition and less obviously the Labor Party threaten to provoke a split within the Greens. At the same time, the pseudo-left organisations, with which Rhiannon and her colleagues have close ties, are in a deep-going crisis of their own. A faction of Socialist Alliance recently resigned from the party, declaring their aspiration to pursue left regroupment, while the Socialist Party has virtually disintegrated, amid vitriolic rival claims of sexual abuse. Rhiannon, a former Stalinist, is conscious of the need for new political traps to head-off a developing movement of the working class. Last year, she was a featured speaker at a Socialist Alliance meeting hailing the Syriza government in Greece, and calling for the establishment of a similar formation in Australia. Syriza won widespread support by claiming to oppose the crippling austerity measures that produced an acute social crisis. Within weeks of forming government, Syriza betrayed its election promises, signing a deal with European authorities for a continuation of the assault on the working class. Since then, it has participated in the European-wide persecution of refugees, while continuing to decimate pensions, healthcare, education and other social rights of the working class. The support of the fake-left of the Greens and parties such as Socialist Alliance for the Syriza government, is a warning of what they are preparing in Australia to prevent opposition among workers and youth from developing into a conscious challenge to capitalism based on a socialist and internationalist program. Left Unity, the small party fronted by director Ken Loach, is playing a key role as advocate of the demand in ruling circles to overturn the June 23 referendum vote for the UK to exit the European Union (EU). The Leave vote sent a shock wave through the ruling elites in Britain, Europe and internationally. It not only threatens Britains substantial trade with the continent, but the stability of Europe and the survival of the EU. In addition, it is seen as a potential factor destabilising NATO by encouraging Germany to pursue its ambition to create an EU army. It has acted as a catalytic economic event, prompting runs on global markets. Reversing the result is, therefore, a strategic imperative for many in the bourgeoisie. Calls for overturning the referendum have been made by newspapers across the official political spectrum such as the Financial Times, the Times, the Guardian and the Independent. Proposals made include demanding a second referendum after negotiations on the terms of UK withdrawal are complete, or for the majority of pro-EU MPs to assert the sovereignty of Parliament and vote it down. Most significant is the move spearheaded by the Blairite wing of the Labour Party to remove its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. This is at the centre of attempts to shape a new political formation. The Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) are all pledged to keeping the UK in the EU. But they are not considered viable vehicles for opposition without the backing of the Labour Party, especially as the SNP and Plaid have tied their pro-EU position to support for independence and devolution. To create the basis for such a constellation of political forces, over 80 percent of Labour MPs moved against Corbyn, charging him with betraying the fight for a Remain vote by his barely disguised Eurosceptic position. The intention is either to secure their unchallenged control of the party, or, if necessary, split and form a new parliamentary entity. In either case, this would provide the centre for a future broader pro-EU alliance. Left Unity is deeply implicated in these manoeuvres through their alliances with its main actors and its determined efforts to provide them with a left cover. Its intervention is led by a core of long-time apparatchiks drawn from disparate pseudo-left groups, of which two are affiliated to the Pabloite United SecretariatSocialist Resistance, led by Alan Thornett, which is supported by Loach, and Socialist Action. They play a leading role in what remains of Left Unity after most of its membership re-joined the Labour Party following Corbyns election as leader last year. During the referendum campaign, Left Unity came out for a Remain vote and joined Another Europe is Possible. Claiming to offer a progressive argument for supporting the EU, signatories to Another Europe is Possible included Caroline Lucas, MP for the Green Party; Cat Smith, MP and then Labour shadow minister for women; Clive Lewis, MP and then Labour shadow minister for energy and climate change; and Owen Jones of the Guardian. It was also supported by Neal Lawson, the head of Labours right-wing Compass think tank. Another Europe is Possible claimed that support for the EU was a stand against nationalism and racism, and that aligning with forces such as Syriza in Greece, Die Linke in Germany, Podemos in Spain and similar parties would allow for the building of a Europe of Solidarity. Left Unity also cited the support of the Labour Party and the Trades Union Congress for Remain as proof that theirs was the progressive choice compared to the Little Englander nationalism advanced by the Tory right and the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Speakers at its events included Yanis Varoufakis, the former economy minister in Greeces Syriza government, who, alongside Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, insisted that any opposition to austerity must be subordinated to maintaining Athens membership of the EU. He opportunistically ended his period in office just as Tsipras overturned a massive referendum vote against a fresh austerity package. For the desired pro-EU political realignment to take place, the necessary social base must first be mobilised, not merely to lend a popular veneer to an anti-democratic offensive orchestrated and planned by Britains ruling elite, but to counter the oppositionpolitical and socialthat an overturn will inevitably provoke. Support for remaining in the EU has been mobilised by directing anger towards the millions of working people, routinely described as stupid and racist, who voted Leave due to their legitimate hostility to both the EU and the pro-Remain forces led by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. Left Unity endorse the EU Left Unity has lent its services to this campaign to whip up sections of student youth and middle class professionals behind a pro-EU, anti-working class agenda. The stand they have taken was determined weeks before the June 23 result in collusion with their allies in Another Europe is Possible. Michael Burke of Socialist Action wrote on Left Unitys web site on June 17, Remain supporters in Britain will certainly consider a second referendum. They could legitimately claim the terms for Britain leaving the EU were not put to the vote this June so the actual Brexit terms subsequently negotiated with the EU should be put to a second referendum, if these terms for leaving were rejected Britain would remain in the EU. One way or another the huge social forces that back Remain would continue to fight and the immediate period after a Brexit vote would be chaotic, with the increased possibility of political realignment. In the votes immediate aftermath, a flurry of articles was published by Left Unity advancing a politically slanderous depiction of millions of workers supporting the racism of the Tories and UKIP. Its executive committee wrote that it deplores the Leave outcome of the EU Referendum which came from pressure from the far rightdriven by anti-immigration sentiment, fuelled by racism. Socialist Resistance wrote that the Brexit vote was a disaster, declaring baldly that all of those who voted for Brexit did so because they accepted the argument that the worsening of living standards and public services were caused by immigration ... On both the Left Unity and Another Europe is Possible web sites, Neil Faulkner wrote, Socialists should not kid themselves that the danger is not serious until we have Brownshirts on the streets. Classical Fascism certainly took this form: it required paramilitaries to physically destroy mass working-class organisation. The labour movement today, by contrast, is hollowed out by 40 years of neoliberal counter-revolution. Fascism need not take the same form, or follow the same trajectory, as in the 1930s. Left Unity is seeking to exploit real concerns over the slew of anti-immigrant rhetoric and the political gains made by UKIP by tarring millions of workers as being gripped by fascist reaction. To this end, Phil Hearse of Socialist Resistance uses the results of a post referendum survey by Lord Ashcroft to denigrate all those who voted Leave and to portray the views of Remain voters as entirely progressive. He writes that the people who tended to have left or progressive views voted Remain, while those with socially conservative or right wing views voted Leave. With the exception of Globalisation and Capitalism (50 percent of both Leave and Remain viewing capitalism negatively), every other significant category like Immigration, Feminism, the Green Movement and Multiculturalism was viewed negatively by Leave voters. Hearse underscores his appeal by declaring that a Remain vote was delivered in solidly working class and multicultural inner-city areas in London. ... But of course that is indeed one factor, often the key one: multicultural. As opposed to say areas like Sunderland, where there are very few immigrants that voted 60 percent for Brexit. These are revealing passages. Hearse is calling for a cross-class Popular Front alignment of the metropolitan areas such as London behind a pro-EU movement by insisting that cultural mores rather than class are the basic division in society. What matters, he stresses, is a shared commitment to feminism, multiculturalism and reducing your carbon footprint! This is a focused appeal to upper layers of the middle classthose who have benefited from the shift of societal wealth away from the working class and who believe they share a common lifestyle whether they support Labour, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats or even the Tories. They may on occasion complain about the fate of the Greek people and blanch at the brutal treatment of refugees in Fortress Europe, but they are all too easily convinced that such aberrations can be sorted out by discussions among like-minded progressives. Cushioned by rising property and share prices, they see the EU as a force for maintaining their privileges against the threat from the uneducated, ignorant masses. The purpose of such assertions is to justify lending support to those parties now designated as representing the forces of progress. Socialist Resistance describes these as the sections of the left and the labour movement who recognised these dangers. They continue: The launch of Another Europe is Possible was an important step. Corbyn and [Labour Shadow Chancellor John] McDonnell, Momentum, Left Unity and Ken Loach, most Greens and especially Caroline Lucas worked hard to stem the racist bile. On Saturday, July 2, a March for Europe through London attracted 20,000-30,000 people. Like earlier, smaller protests, pro-EU banners were mixed with those calling for a second referendum before Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty triggering a Brexit is enacted. Speakers at the rally included Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, Labour MP David Lammy, Guardian journalist Owen Jones and Labour peer Michael Cashman. Left Unity gives this demonstration a glowing bill of health, with Faulkner describing its politics simply as unformed and therefore complex and contradictory. He then declares it to be a popular revolt against racism and nationalism. ... It is an assertion of an alternative identity that is multi-cultural and international. Faulkner calls this the birth of what might be described as an Anglo-European identity... an essentially progressive political reaction. In reality, an Anglo-European identity is simply a euphemism for supporting Britains EU membership. Far from being an expression of genuine internationalism, it is the product of a deliberate, sustained and immense propaganda campaign seeking to dress up a defence of Britains national interests in a progressive European garb. The reactionary role of Another Europe is Possible Another Europe is Possible has called its own demonstration today in London, Rise up for Europe, urging its supporters, Write to your MP and ask them to back the Early Day Motion calling for a new referendum once an outline of the terms of exit has been negotiated. There is a political logic to such positions. This is a call that upholds the authority of Parliament, of the state apparatus, and its right to dictate eventson the basis that millions of working class people have endangered the economic and strategic interests of the UK. This is the same argument cited for opposing strikes in vital industries, for clamping down on free speech and for every other authoritarian measure and right-wing dictatorship ever imposed. Left Unitys role in the referendum campaign and its aftermath confirms the class character of the pseudo-left forces in Britain and internationally. Its web site is now headed with an appeal to Be part of Europejoin the European Left! Many parties, movements and trade unions across Europe are working together, it states, noting that Left Unity is part of the European Left Party, founded in 2004, drawing together parties from over 20 European countries. These 20 parties include Syriza, the Communist Party of France and the Left Party, Die Linke, the United Left in Spain and the Left Bloc in Portugal. As was proved by Tsipras in Greece, there is nothing left about these parties. Many have formed or become part of bourgeois governments, combining vaguely leftist rhetoric with a determination to implement austerity measures and military aggression on behalf of the ruling class. They are bourgeois formations, dedicated to preserving capitalist rule and its key institutions such as the EU and NATO from any threat from below. The Socialist Equality Party called for an active boycott of the referendum, explaining that the Remain and Leave camps were both hostile to the fundamental interests of the working class. We made clear that the EU was a weapon of the European ruling class for imposing austerity and conducting military operations against Russia in alliance with NATO. We stressed that those who cited freedom of movement as the basis for attributing to the EU a progressive aspect ignored both the deal struck with Cameron to restrict the rights of EU migrants and Fortress Europes murderous policies towards the victims fleeing imperialist wars in Africa and the Middle East. The support of the Labour Party and the trade unions for Remain, combined with the nationalism and class collaboration of the advocates of a Left Leave vote such as George Galloway, meant that the xenophobia and anti-migrant rhetoric of the Tory right and UKIP dominated the Leave campaign. But we stressed in the aftermath of the referendum that, without ignoring the efforts to whip up anti-immigrant sentiment, for the most part the Leave vote was a cry of social distress, particularly from the poorest layers of workers who were justifiably hostile to the EU. Moreover, the result emerged out of the failure of the post-war project of European unification under capitalism, and not simply the lies or failings of the Remain and Leave campaigns. Against those who are now calling for the EU to be saved, we insist that the necessary unification of Europe is the task of the working class and must be guided by genuinely socialist and internationalist leadership. This means opposing all attempts to sow divisions within the working class and line up workers and youth behind the rival strategies being fought out between the pro- and anti-EU wings of the ruling elite. It is striking in this regard that Hearse, in citing Ashcrofts survey of voter attitudes, dismisses completely what is its most significant finding: that half of both Remain and Leave voters see capitalism as a force for ill rather than a force for good. Years of cuts, closures, job losses and the destruction of vital services, combined with nearly perpetual wars of colonial intervention and the growing danger of conflict with Russia and China, have had a profound impact on the political consciousness of millions. The referendum campaign was utilised to sow confusion and nationalist poison by both sides. But class antagonisms continue to deepen, creating the basis for the fundamental political issues to be clarified. All factions within the ruling class are intent on deepening the attack on working people and offloading on them the full cost of a second great recession that is now looming. To oppose these dangers means advancing a clear political perspective for the working class, based on the fight for international working class unity in the struggle for a United Socialist States of Europe, above all through a relentless exposure of the anti-socialist politics of the pseudo-left. On the eve of this weekends NATO summit in Warsaw, Chancellor Angela Merkel (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) delivered a government statement to the Bundestag (parliament) demanding the acceleration of German re-armament. In addition to expanding the military budget by almost two billion euros in the next year, and more than an additional 2.5 billion euros after 2018, Merkel announced that the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) would engage more actively alongside NATO in Iraq, Syria, Libya, the Mediterranean and Afghanistan. At the heart of the chancellors speech was a justification for war preparations against Russia, which NATO plans to announce in Warsaw. Right at the start, Merkel praised the so-called Readiness Action Plan, which NATO had already adopted in 2014 at its last summit in Wales. In particular, Merkel praised the nine NATO rapid intervention forces, deployable throughout the alliance territory, the so-called Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, and the building up of Force Integration Units in our Eastern NATO partners. Germany is making a substantial contribution to these measures, said Merkel. In Warsaw, the alliances adaptive measures agreed in Wales would be extended. Essentially, this involves enabling NATO to increase its presence in the Baltic States and in Poland. This so-called enhanced forward presence is important because it is not enough to be able to move troops quickly. Rather, there must already be a sufficient local presence. The plans foresee a multilateral composite presence, Merkel stated. For each of the three Baltic countries and for Poland ... one ally would take the lead to ensure the continued NATO presence there. The ally assigned to Germany would likely be Lithuania. Merkel made it clear that the new battalions would be used if need be. The approach expressly included the response to so-called hybrid threats, that is, scenarios similar to those that Russia has followed in Ukraine, she stressed. Ever since Berlin and Washington supported the putsch in Kiev against the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, German politicians and media representatives have religiously repeated the mantra of NATOs responsibility to protect against the Russian aggressor in order to justify a military push into the East and the encirclement of Russia. In her speech, Merkel expressly welcomed the fact that Montenegro will soon join NATO as its 29th member state. Moreover, there would be meetings of the NATO-Georgia Commission and the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Warsaw with representatives of these two states, which are already in a de facto state of military conflict with Russia and have the declared aim of joining NATO. Merkel voiced support for the new missile defence system that the US is currently building in Poland and Romania. She called it a further important step ... to better protect the people in the alliance area. Absurdly, Merkel described NATOs deterrence strategy as a deeply defensive concept. Deterrence and dialogue are not mutually exclusive, but are inseparable, she claimed. Within NATO there is agreement on this. In addition, there is agreement that lasting security in Europe can only be achieved with and not against Russia. In reality, sections of the NATO establishment are already discussing a possible war of aggression against Russia. For example, American military strategist Harlan Ullman reported in a recent article for the UPI news agency entitled Is the US planning for a war with Russia? that at a military conference in Britain a US general had said it was the US Armys highest priority to deter and if necessary defeat Russia in a war. In the latest issue of Die Zeit, in an article based on internal NATO documents, Matthias Nass writes that the military alliance is returning to nuclear deterrence and wants to set a nuclear tripwire against Russia in the Baltic States. It is already clear that the decisions in Warsaw will trigger violent reactions in Russiafrom the stationing of nuclear capable Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad area, up to the termination of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. While Merkel stands fully behind NATOs war policies, differences within the grand coalition were also visible in the Bundestag debate. Above all, representatives of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) increasingly regard the aggressive actions of the US against Russia as a threat to Germanys geostrategic and economic interests in Eastern Europe and other regions of the world. SPD parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann demanded clear answers to large-scale Russian military manoeuvres with up to 100,000 soldiers. At the same time, he warned against slipping back into the logic of the Cold War. Everything should be done to ensure that we never again fall into this disastrous spiral, he declared. An arms race would be the last thing Russia and Europe need. Oppermann pleaded for a gradual approach to Russia. In the event there were real concessions from Vladimir Putin, Oppermann held out the prospect of lifting the sanctions that had only just been extended last week by the EU. These were not an end in themselves, he said. In addition, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) was absolutely right that you cannot win security with military parades and manoeuvres alone. He was grateful that he had pointed out that peace cannot be secured solely by military strength. Oppermann knows very well that Steinmeier is not advocating a peace policy. For years, he has been urging a greater foreign policy and military role for Germany throughout the world. On June 13, the German foreign minister published an article in Foreign Affairs entitled, Germanys new global role, which describes Germany as a major European power, distanced Germany from the US and questioned Washingtons claim to sole leadership in world politics. We commented at the time, Steinmeiers foray makes clear that the wars for the redivision of the Middle East and Africa, together with the encirclement of Russia and China, lead to conflicts between the imperialist powers themselves. Although allies, the US and Germany have competing economic and political interests. The disintegration of the European Union, which will accelerate if Britain leaves, and the rise of Donald Trump in the US will exacerbate these conflicts. Sarah Wagenknecht, the parliamentary leader of the Left Party, took the greatest distance from the US and advocated an alliance with Russia. She spoke as opposition leader directly following Merkel. Wagenknecht sharply criticized NATOs war preparations against Russia and pleaded that Germany regard the US as a potential adversary. She said former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (SPD), who died in November 2015, was of the view that today, more risk emanates from the US than from Russia. Things would not be much different following the next presidential election, when the White House was occupied by either a semi-lunatic or a puppet of the US arms lobby. The two-day NATO summit, which opened Friday in Warsaw, marks an extraordinary escalation of the global war drive of the imperialist powersabove all, the economic, political and military campaign against Russia launched two years ago with the US- and German-backed putsch that toppled a pro-Russian government in Ukraine. The summits main military objective is to threaten Russia with invasion by massively expanding NATO forces presence along Russias borders. More broadly, it seeks to formalize NATOs transformation into an alliance intervening aggressively around the world, beginning with war preparations against Moscow. The full list of targets identified in NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenbergs opening remarks spans much of the globe. He served notice that NATO would step up military action in Iraq and Syria and expand its deployments in the Mediterranean and across NATOs entire neighborhood. NATO plans for military action in countries ranging from Libya to Georgia and Ukraine, Afghanistan and the regions bordering China are to be the subject of extensive discussion in Warsaw. The main focus Friday was the formal ratification of plans to dispatch thousands more NATO troops to Poland and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniaall countries bordering Russia. In remarks made in the presence of Polish President Andrzej Duda, Stoltenberg praised NATOs opening of military headquarters and missile bases across Eastern Europe as well as the tripling of the alliances rapid response force to 40,000 troops. Our presence will be multinational and a clear message that an attack on one ally is an attack on the whole alliance, he declared. Stoltenbergs rationalization for mass military deployments to Eastern Europe by all of the major NATO powers is extraordinarily reckless and sinister. The best way to secure the NATO alliance, according to Stoltenberg, is to permanently threaten Russia with nuclear war by ensuring that any local conflict involving Russia in Eastern Europe immediately escalates to all-out conflict between Russia and the entire NATO alliance. The danger that such a conflict could erupt at any time, whether by design or inadvertently, emerged very directly in last months massive NATO military exercise, Operation Anaconda, involving 30,000 NATO forces in Poland. Moscow responded by mobilizing a comparable number of troops in western regions of Russia, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow reserved the right to take whatever measures were necessary to defend itself. The arguments advanced by Stoltenberg for a confrontation with Russia are political liesabove all, the claim that Russias support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine proves it is an aggressive power dedicated to military conquest in Europe. He explained yesterday, We are increasing our military presence in the Baltic countries and Poland, but there is no doubt that it is something we do as a response to what Russia did in Ukraine. The aggressor in Ukraine was not the Kremlin oligarchy, however, but Washington and Berlin, which ousted an elected pro-Russian government by orchestrating violent, right-wing nationalist protests in Kiev. Top US State Department officials publicly associated themselves with the protests, with Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland boasting that Washington had spent $5 billion to promote the Ukrainian opposition. The purpose of these political lies is to present the imperialist powers war drive as a defensive effort to preserve peace and stability, even as it threatens to unleash a war of unimaginable dimensions. The disastrous political and geostrategic consequences of the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union and its restoration of capitalism a quarter century ago are ever more apparent. Far from laying the basis for a peaceful and democratic capitalist development, it was the opening act of a protracted crisis of the entire nation-state system in Europe and internationally. Twenty-five years after the much heralded victory of the United States in the Cold Warin reality, the product of the final chapter in the decades-long Stalinist betrayal of the Russian RevolutionUS and world imperialism have shown mankind the true benefits of capitalism: ever increasing social inequality and poverty, the promotion of national chauvinism and racism, the drive to dictatorship, and the looming danger of a nuclear Third World War. The Warsaw summits plans amount to the final repudiation, more or less explicitly, of the 1997 Russia-NATO Founding Act, in which NATO pledged that it would not exploit the dissolution of the Soviet Union to rearm in Europe and pursue an aggressive strategy against Russia. The act stated that NATO would undergo a historic transformation, radically reducing its military forces and ensuring that NATO and Russia not consider each other as adversaries. In the run-up to the summit, the Polish president called for the formal scrapping of the Founding Act. Over the last quarter century, the Eastern European countries and the former Soviet republics were thrown open to capitalist exploitation and imperialist intrigue, joining NATO or the European Union. Particularly after the 2014 Kiev putsch, with the emergence of a pro-Western Ukrainian regime, Russia has found itself surrounded by hostile states allied to NATO and thrown back militarily to the positions it held 75 years ago following the Nazi invasion of the USSR. In this crisis, the policies of all of the bourgeois factions are deeply reactionary. The Kremlin oligarchys attempts to use its military to pressure the imperialist powers for an accommodation only heightens the war danger. A further factor driving the aggressive policies of the imperialist powers is the increasingly bitter and intractable crisis within NATO itself, exacerbated by the June 23 British vote to leave the EU. Washington and several Eastern European states, including Poland, have called for a more accommodating line towards Britain and an even more aggressive policy towards Russia. Germany, followed by France and Italy, on the other hand, are proposing a more independent foreign policy, i.e., independent of Washington, involving a rapid expulsion of Britain from the EU and a ratcheting down of the confrontation with Russia. On Friday night, German Chancellor Angela Merkels staff tweeted remarks, in direct opposition to the Polish president, insisting that the Russia-NATO Founding Act remained valid. What these conflicts have revealed is an existential crisis of the entire system of international alliances and all of the institutions of European capitalism. Jochen Bittner, a pro-American German journalist and New York Times columnist, aired the concerns over NATOs fate in a column outlining a scenario in which a Russian conflict with an Eastern European country leads to the destruction of the NATO alliance itself. He wrote, Poland and the Baltic countries would call for a strong response to pre-empt another annexation like that of Crimea. The Germans and French would call for negotiations with Moscow The Greeks, Italians and Spanish would make clear that their economies had already suffered enough from the sanctions on Russia after the annexation of Crimea. And much of the public across Europe, manipulated by Russian propaganda, would ask if the Russians werent somehow right... The escalating crises of NATO and the EU are a warning and a challenge to the international working class. The unfolding crisis in Europe threatens humanity with a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Its prevention depends on the working class renewing its links to its revolutionary history and developing a politically conscious international movement against war and for the overthrow of capitalism and establishment of socialism. In the first week of the newly-installed Philippine administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, a total of 72 people have been killed by either the police or vigilantes on accusations of alleged criminality or participation in the illegal drug trade. Duterte took office on June 30, having campaigned on a law-and-order platform that publicly called for the large-scale, extra-judicial killing of supposed criminals. Since his election in early May, Duterte has received the enthusiastic support of the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its front organizations. Duterte has now appointed four CPP selected candidates from its front organizations to cabinet positions in his government. The most recent appointee, Liza Maza, will head the National Anti-Poverty Center (NAPC). On the evening of June 30, after Dutertes inaugural address and first cabinet meeting, the CPPs front organizations, at Dutertes request, arranged a dinner which he attended in the working class and urban poor community of Tondo. A crowd of 500 community members were gathered. In his speech at the event, Duterte stated to applause that he was a leftist and was glad to be working with the Communist Party. He concluded his speech by denouncing drug pushers, These sons of whores are destroying our children. He told his audience, If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself. The next morning Duterte addressed the Philippine National Police (PNP) in their headquarters in Camp Crame, during the ceremony installing Director General Ronald de la Rosa as PNP head. He told the police that if you kill one thousand persons because you were doing your duty, I will protect you. He instructed the police to shoot-to-kill anyone deemed to resisting arrest. The same day the police killed 12 alleged criminals, and vigilantes killed an additional two. Another 12 were killed the following day, seven by police, five by vigilantes. On July 3, 19 were reported killed. By July 7, 72 two people had been killed in the bloody crackdown43 by the police and 29 by vigilantes. The details of many of the deaths are sketchy, but the overwhelming majority were executed in generally impoverished communities such as Quiapo, Muntinglupa, Baclaran and Tondo. Those killed by vigilantes often had their corpses mutilated. Their bodies have been found hogtied and their eyes blindfolded, shot in the back of the head. Signs were left on the bodies saying Im a pusher, dont imitate me. The police killings are likewise often being carried out execution style, with almost no effort being made to depict the victims as having resisted arrest. On July 6, for example, two brothers were killed by the police while in custody and handcuffed. Duterte meanwhile is pursuing other components of his fascistic agenda. He controls a super-majority in both houses of the legislature and has called for measures to reinstate the death penalty and to lower the minimum age of criminal accountability. Incoming Speaker of the House Pantaleon Alvarez has responded by drafting House Bill no. 1, which re-introduces the death penalty. The only significant debate that the bill currently faces in the legislature is whether the death penalty should be carried out by lethal injection or by hanging. Duterte has strongly called for the latter method of punishment, describing public hanging as not a deterrent but retribution. Incoming Senator Manny Pacquiao has introduced a bill in the Senate which would make death by hanging possible. Alvarez has introduced a second bill that lowers the minimum age of criminal accountability from 15 to nine years old. If the billwhich Duterte supportspasses, second graders will be tried as adults, and could possibly face death by hanging for drug related offenses. In a speech before the countrys top military leadership on July 1, Duterte issued a public appeal to the CPP, and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army (NPA), to assist with his murderous campaign. While addressing the heads of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Duterte called on the Maoists to use your kangaroo courts to kill them [alleged drug pushers] to speed up the solution to our problem. The CPP responded on July 2 with a statement entitled Response to President Dutertes call for anti-drug cooperation, which opened by declaring that the party welcomes President Dutertes call for cooperation with the revolutionary forces against widespread drug trafficking. The CPP stated that they share in President Dutertes reprehension of the illegal drug trade. They continued, While the CPP does not accept his reference to the duly constituted peoples courts as kangaroo courts, and reiterating the right to due process of criminal suspects, the CPP and the revolutionary forces accept President Dutertes offer of anti-drug cooperation. In the next paragraph, they wrote The NPA is ready to give battle to those who will resist arrest with armed violence. Joma Sison, the CPPs founder and head, appeared the next day in an interview on CNN, in which he announced that the party would be violently cracking down on alleged drug dealers. Asked how suspects would be accorded due process in the NPAs courts, he stated that the peoples prosecutor would present prima facie evidence in the form of witness testimony before revolutionary justice was carried out. The NPA has a long history of bloody show trials. In the 1980s, the party carried out internal purges in which they murdered over a thousand of the partys own cadre in a series of witch-hunts for military agents within its ranks. Conviction, based exclusively on witness testimony and forced confessions, resulted in summary execution and burial in a mass grave. The CPPs front organizations have likewise lined up behind Dutertes murderous campaign. BAYAN chairperson Carol Araullo, writing in her regular column in Business World, the countrys leading business daily, stated that the role of politically conscious, progressive peoples organizations and the Left in general becomes clearto arouse, organize and mobilize the people to support Mr. Dutertes progressive policy statements, intentions and concrete actions. Renato Reyes, secretary general of BAYAN, declared in an interview on national television carried over ANC 5, It is very clear that he [Duterte] defends human rights and democratic rights. He followed this up with a statement published on July 4 addressed to those who have misgivings or reservations about the Duterte regime. Reyes stated To put it plainly, he is an ally. While he admitted that BAYAN has differences with Duterte, he argued that to be immediately confrontational every time the President said something disagreeable during the past month would have weakened the alliance. He appealed to his readers, We should at least give him a chance. As the scale of the executions and killings became clear, BAYAN issued another statement expressing grave concern over the spate of extrajudicial killings of alleged drug dealers over the past few weeks. BAYAN immediately stated that Duterte was committed to defending due process, then with breath-taking dishonesty, it stated that the killings, the majority of which were carried out by the police, were in fact part of the house cleaning being done by the big criminal syndicates to avoid detection by the new regime. The victims of the wave of state-sanctioned vigilante and police murder being carried out in the Philippines came from the ranks of the poor and the working class. Their suppression serves the interests of capitalism. Goldman Sachs published a report in June which hailed Dutertes strong political will as a key factor in their assessment that the upcoming administration will conduct growth-oriented and business-friendly policies. North Korea 'fires ballistic missile' North Korea has test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine, South Korea's military says. A New Childhood: Picture Books from Soviet Russia, until September 11, 2016, at the House of Illustration gallery, London The Russian Revolution of 1917 was the defining event of the 20th century. Its influence extended across virtually every aspect of human society the world over. The scope for study of the revolution and of the social order that emerged from it is immense, though generally overlooked in contemporary art curation. It comes as a welcome exception to see the attempt by Londons House of Illustration art gallery in its exhibition, A New Childhood: Picture Books from Soviet Russia, to bring to light the artistic impetus lent by the revolution to childrens book illustrations in early Soviet society. The collection spans some 20 years, from a few pre-revolutionary examples, when only the well-off could afford books, to a number of works produced under the pressures of the civil war (1917-1922), through the flowering of Soviet picture books in the 1920s and finishing with a small selection of pieces from the mid- to late 1930s. The period witnessed dramatic social upheavals and the works displayed palpably provide a sense of the intellectual urgency and energy of the era. They give us an important glimpse of the socialist society the Russian working class set out to build, above all the nurturing of a happy, literate and cultured younger generation. Among the earliest examples of post-revolutionary picture books on display are those produced by the Segodnya (Today) Collective, established by the remarkable painter and illustrator Vera Ermolaeva in Petrograd in 1918. With all resources at the time directed towards the needs of the Red Army, Segodnya produced small block-books and lubki (single-page illustrated story sheets), popular with the lower classes in the 17th century but containing distinctly modern ideas. Nadezhda Liubavinas How Baba Yaga Vanished, for example, illustrated by Nikolai Lapshintold the story of how a fabled witch was defeated by a young Soviet boy. Also present from this early post-revolutionary period are illustrations produced by the Kultur Lige (Culture League), founded in 1918 with the intention of promoting Yiddish language and culture, after the new Bolshevik government lifted a Tsarist ban on Yiddish publishing. Among the artists associated with this group was El Lissitzky, the talented artist whose developing Constructivist style is clearly evident in the innovative illustrations for the Jewish Passover tale, The Only Kid. The real strength of the exhibition lies in the breadth of its coverage of childrens illustration during the 1920s. As the demands of the civil war lessened, resources could at last be devoted to domestic ends. By 1922, the state publishing house Gosizdat had some 50 local departments and more than 300 private publishers set up after the introduction of the New Economic Policy, which allowed the partial restoration of capitalism whilst keeping the commanding heights of the economy under state control. Cheap paper was produced and stapled to enable the mass circulation of inexpensive paperbacks. At the same time, a broad debate took place on the role and direction of childrens books in a socialist society. The result was a vibrant culture of childrens literature and illustration, which sought to engage with every element of contemporary life and to create messages and understandings suited to the modern world. The concerns with education, internationalism, political activism, the natural world, technology and transport are all captured in the exhibition. What is immediately striking to the viewer, aside from the creativity of the designs on show, is the commitment of the artists to raising the cultural level of the Russian population. The exhibition highlights a quotation from painter and graphic artist Vladimir Lebedev revealing the seriousness with which Soviet illustrators approached their work: Art must be the same nut for a child as it is for an adult, only the nut intended for a child ought not to have too hard a shell. Like El Lissitzky, Lebedev had originally worked as a civil war propagandist for the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) and the Department of Agitation (Agitprop) in the years 1920 to 1922. Once the military threat to the new Soviet state receded, he turned his attentions to the peacetime domestic challenges and soon earned himself the title King of the Childrens Book. For leading Soviet artistsindeed, for leading thinkers across all spheres of Soviet lifethe period of socialist construction that began in the 1920s required as much energy and thought as had the period of civil war that preceded it. The Russian working class, under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, had eliminated both the state power of the bourgeoisie and its military forces, and stressed the importance of socialist production. Enormous challenges persisted, however, in the sphere of economics, in the low level of education among Russias majority peasant population and the significant influence of bourgeois and petit-bourgeois thought throughout backward rural Russia under conditions of capitalist encirclement. For the new Soviet regime, it was therefore vital to wage an interrelated struggle for the elementary education of Soviet citizens and the development of a socialist consciousness among them. Leon Trotsky devoted a number of articles to these questions. In The Cultural Role of the Worker Correspondent, published in 1924, he explained, Once power has been taken, it is necessary to raise the cultural level of the working masses, for it is impossible to build socialism on the basis of underdeveloped culture. The Bolshevik Party meanwhile launched a number of literacy campaigns in the Red Army, the trade unions and peasant villages. Another quotethis time from Vladimir Lenindisplayed in the exhibition highlights the essence of their efforts: Without [the alphabet] there are only rumours, fairy tales and prejudices, but not politics. Childrens literature was recognised as a vital element of this work. An article published in the Bolshevik newspaper, Pravda, in 1918, declared, In the great arsenal with which the bourgeoisie fought against socialism, childrens books occupied a prominent role... we should fix childrens literature in the proper way to ensure an abundant harvest. Illustrated books like Lebedevs The Alphabet and Olga Deineko and Nikolai Troshins Alphabet of Metric Units took up the task of basic education. Eduard Krimmer developed an innovative technique for teaching numeracy in his book Numbers, which required children to look closely at pictures to determine what was being counted. Nikolai Aseevs Red Neck dealt with political questions, promoting the courageous defence of socialist ideas by telling the story of a young pioneer whose red scarf attracts the attention of a bull, but who refuses to give it up, eventually escaping. Natan Altmans cubo-futurist inspired illustrations and use of colour lend a compelling power to the narrative in Red Neck. Beyond directly political and educational goals, Soviet illustrators and writers worked to instill a more socially conscious attitude in their readers. The illustrations featuring technology and industry, in particular, demonstrate an overarching effort to connect young readers with the wider social world, the process of production and the scientific advances of the age. The Table, for example, shows the stages of a carpenters work, while The Little Screw introduces the reader to the world of factory production. Nikolai Smirnovs Charlies Journey (illustrated by Galina and Olga Chichagova, sisters who had been students of Alexander Rodchenko) combines the themes of technology and internationalism with an exploration of the various and developing means of transport used across the world. The book uses the popular figure of Charlie Chaplin as its protagonist, and has him express sympathy for a Japanese rickshaw puller. Such concerns are largely absent from the final few illustrations on display, taken from the artistic dead-end of the school of Stalinist Socialist Realism. One example is Aleksandr Deinekas The Red Army Parade, which evokes a militarism devoid of any social understanding or human empathy. The failure to explain why or how this transformation of artistic culture occurred is a weakness in the exhibition. Various captions refer to the extension of censorship, the revival of anti-Jewish sentiment and the persecution of artists that began in the early 1930s and point to the simultaneous stagnation of artistic creativity and rise of Socialist Realism. But little sense can be made of these developments if the bureaucratic degeneration of the Russian Communist Party and the Communist International and liquidation of their best elements are not explained. Only in this context can the collapse of innovative and thoughtful art in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s and beyond be understood. By the early 1930s, a parasitic bureaucracy, headed by Joseph Stalin, had usurped political power from the working class. Arising from the international isolation of the Soviet Union and its economic backwardness and poverty, this social layer was irreconcilably hostile to the working class and to socialism. Its privileged position could therefore only be maintained through the physical destruction of the Marxist cadre of the Bolshevik Party and the deadening of socialist consciousness among the population. A policy of intense censorship and eventually mass murder and incarceration was pursued from the mid-1930s in furtherance of these ends. Horribly, for example, the immensely gifted Vera Ermolaeva was arrested in 1934, found guilty of anti-Soviet activity, expressed in propaganda promoting anti-Soviet ideas and for associating herself with anti-Soviet intelligentsia and shot three years later in a forced labour camp. In place of socialist internationalism, Stalinist art created a culture of hero worship and falsehoods, which endeavouredin the face of continuing hardships for the populationto convince the Russian working class that all was well in the Soviet Union. As Trotsky explained in 1938, The style of present-day official Soviet painting is called socialist realism.... [T]he socialist character apparently consists in representing, in the manner of pretentious photography, events which never took place. It is impossible to read Soviet verse and prose without physical disgust, mixed with horror, or to look at reproductions of paintings and sculpture in which functionaries armed with pens, brushes, and scissors, under the supervision of functionaries armed with Mausers, glorify the great and brilliant leaders, actually devoid of the least spark of genius or greatness. (Art and Politics in Our Epoch). This underdeveloped section aside, the exhibition is well composed and an instructive window on a little known aspect of Soviet society. Coal miners and family members spoke to SEP presidential candidate Jerry White about social conditions in southern West Virginia. The area, which was the center of the Mine Wars of the 1910s and 1920s against the dictatorial rule of coal bosses, has been hit hard by mine closures, chronic joblessness and a drug epidemic. SEP presidential candidate Jerry White speaks to West Virginia coal miners In response to the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war in the United Kingdom, former intelligence official and now independent parliamentarian Andrew Wilkie has called for the prosecution of George Bush, Tony Blair and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard in an international war crimes trial. The Howard government played a key role in promoting the lies used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq and committed Australian military forces in defiance of international law. Wilkie told journalists on Thursday: Every time it [the Howard government] said that Iraq had a massive arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and it was cooperating with Al Qaeda, it knew that that was not the casethat it was either clearly not the case, or at best for them, it was ambiguous. They took us to war on a lie. No wonder John Howard and Tony Blair and George W. Bush do stand accused of war crimes. Id like them to see an international court. I would like them to defend their position and try to prove their innocence because all of those people who do accuse them of war crimes I think make a pretty compelling case. Wilkie continued: The terror threat that we face in this country right now is a direct result of the decision by the Australian government under John Howard in 2003 to join in that invasion. Frankly, there are a number of political leaders who in my opinion have blood on their hands. The Bali bombing of 2005 would not have occurred if we hadnt have joined in in the invasion of Iraq. The Lindt Cafe siege would not have occurred if we hadnt helped create the circumstances for the rise of Islamic State. Wilkie is in a unique position to know the claim that the decision to invade Iraq was made on the best available intelligence was false. In 2003, he was working as a top level officer in the Office of National Assessments (ONA), a branch of Australian intelligence that reports directly to the prime minister and cabinet national security committee. On March 9, 2003, he publicly resigned from the ONA and denounced the preparations for war. Wilkie, based on the intelligence he was privy tothe same intelligence that was available to the Bush, Blair and Howard governmentsstated at the time: Iraq does not pose a security threat to the US, or to the UK or to Australia Iraqs weapons of mass destruction [WMD] program is, I believe, genuinely contained As far as Im aware there was no hard evidence and there is still no hard evidence that there is any active cooperation between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Wilkie concluded an interview he gave to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on March 9, 2003 by saying: I dont believe I could stand by any longer and take no action as this coalition marches to war. I think the interests of the thousands of people, perhaps tens of thousands of people or even more who could be injured, displaced or killed in a war, I think their interests are more important. Thirteen years later, the consequences of the illegal Iraq invasion include the death of over one million Iraqis, millions more wounded and traumatised, the devastation of what was once a modern society and ongoing ethno-sectarian carnage. The endless wars waged by US imperialism and its allies, including Australia, have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in Afghanistan, northwest Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Syria and created the greatest refugee crisis since World War II. Wilkies call for war crimes trials have not been taken up by any section of the political establishment or the media. Instead, in an interview on the ABCs Lateline program, Howard, who is living in comfortable retirement, was allowed to avoid questions over the criminality of his governments decision to invade Iraq by blaming flawed intelligence advice. The Greens have issued a mealy-mouthed statement calling for an urgent independent inquiry into Australian involvement in the Iraq war. Wilkie himself has signaled he does not intend to pursue the issue, putting out a press release on Friday declaring that he will support the Coalition in forming a new government once the results of the July 2 election in Australia are finally known. The Labor Party has consistently protected Howard and his senior ministers, including Peter Costello, Alexander Downer and Robert Hill, from being held to account for the atrocities resulting from the invasion of Iraq. It has opposed even a limited Chilcot-style inquiry into the Iraq war, which was proscribed from the outset from considering the question of criminal culpability. Labors only disagreement with the 2003 war was that it was not formally sanctioned by the UN. Once the invasion was complete, the Labor opposition backed the UN endorsement of the US-led occupation and Australias military involvement. In the 2007 election, Labor cynically used a promise to withdraw Australian forces from Iraq to appeal to the mass anti-war sentiment among workers and youth. Upon winning government, however, it continued Australian military operations and only withdrew the majority of troops in late 2008 and early 2009, on a timetable worked out with the Bush administration. Under both Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and then Julia Gillard, Labor proceeded to substantially increase the Australian contingent in the US-led war in Afghanistan. Labor unconditionally supports the US military alliance and during Gillards government, committed Australia to the US pivot to Asia and its preparations for war against China. In 2014, it fully backed the Coalition when it ordered Australian combat forces to Iraq and Syria. A socialist movement of the working class will be the only social force, in Australia and internationally, that can secure justice for the millions of victims of the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath. Not keen to join this govt: Cong A day after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli urged the Nepali Congress (NC) to join the government, leaders of the main opposition on Friday ruled out any such possibility. TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) -- Local officials and community leaders in Tallahassee and Leon County met Friday afternoon at Tallahassee City Hall to react to the recent incidents involving law enforcement in St. Paul, Minnesota, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas. In addition, they discussed community and police relations and how to move on from these trying times. "While it didn't happen in Tallahassee, nevertheless it happened", said Rudy Ferguson, pastor of New Birth Tabernacle of Praise, "And because it happened, that is a problem for all of us." Among the leaders were the Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo, local church leaders, as well as members of the City Commission. And while they all had different things to say, one thing was common: Unity. "We are Tallahassee", said Commissioner Scott Maddox, "We stand together in unity. Leaders stressed that our community and law enforcement need to be open with each other, even if that means discussing things that are difficult to talk about, like police brutality and violence against officers. "The conversation has to be had. Sometimes its not always comfortable, and that's okay, because once again, the community doesn't always think exactly alike", said Wood, "But if you have the conversation, I think it diffuses the potential for discourse." City and county officials reassured the community that they believe Tallahassee can be used as an example for others to follow, to hopefully prevent this from happening in our own backyard. "And its time for us to say as a nation that its time for it to stop", said Commissioner Curtis Richardson. "I think that here in Tallahassee we can be a model for that. We are an 'All America City.'" Rape of speech-impaired woman: House committee orders thorough investigation The Social Justice and Human Rights Committee (SJHRC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Friday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to form a central probe committee and carry out thorough investigation into the gang-rape of a speech-impaired woman allegedly by Armed Police Force personnel. Relief to flood and landslide victims in Bharabise The Nepal Red Cross Society Sindhupalchok Chapter has distributed relief to the flood and landslide victims in Tatopani, Naya Basti and Bahrabise areas. You are the owner of this article. Secy-level meet dwells on administrative restructuring in line with federal set up A two-day secretary level conference kicked off in Dhulikhel on Friday to discuss administrative restructuring in line with the new federal set up. Leave Facebook alone. Facebook, one of the most fascinating innovations in communications of the 21st century, is, at the end of the day, an arena in which to exchange opinions. Opinions. Important and unimportant, balanced and extreme, personal and public, acceptable and unacceptable opinions. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Other arenas preceded it; from the dawn of history, humans sought out ways to communicate with their fellows. Facebook was preceded in the digital era by internet forums, personal blogs, and websites that also disseminated both acceptable and unacceptable opinions, inspirational and horrifying. Alongside Facebook today are many other arenas to share opinions, statements, meditations, comments, incitements The list is long: Twitter, WhatsApp, various other types of messengers, and local imitations of Facebook itself. The Syrian regime massacred hundreds of thousands of citizens without needing Facebook. The First and Second Intifadas broke out here without Facebook. The hateful wars and atrocities in the Balkans in the 1990s were not ignited via Facebook (which had not yet been invented), or via the internet (which was in its infancy), or even via cell phone networks (which were only used by a few). Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan (L) has accused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (R) of hindering security. When the Arab satellite television channel Al Jazeera began broadcasting, people said that it would permit the spirit of democracy to permeate the Arab world. Al Jazeera is still broadcastingalbeit with much reduced prestige and shrunken impactbut democracy in the Muslim world is more distant than ever. Technology has not set ideology, and it won't. Therefore, we need to fight against the content of the discourse, not its arena. To fight against cults and not their meeting place. There's no recipe for how to fight this battle, but it's clearly not by destroying the stages on which it's taking place. The ease of posting to Facebook does indeed encourage extremist, rude, violent, derogatory, unmonitored, irrational discourse. But will Israel also ban using email for those using it for inciting messagesArabs and Jews alike? Will it block Twitter from terrorist organizations that use it to send such messages? Will it darken the screens of YouTube because it's used for ISIS recruitment videos? Such steps, while not impossible, would first damage Israel itself and its character as an advanced technological country. A serious-to-critical blow. Mark Zuckerberg, the Jewish boy genius who invented Facebook and turned it into a worldwide communications medium, is an asset to the people of Israel. Instead of looking for ways to get closer to him, the Israeli government is seeking to distance him. How to turn a friend into an adversary. Tell me, you there in Jerusalem: Have you gone crazy? More than 300 women affiliated with Women of the Wall (WOW) came on Thursday morning, Rosh Chodesh Tamuz (the first day of the Hebrew month Tamuz) to pray at the Western Wall, as has been their custom for the past 27 years. They were greeted by vocal opposition by several men present that culminated in one of them ripping up a prayer book. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The ultra-Orthodox man's destruction of property was caught on video. He grabbed a prayer book out of the hands of a praying boy who called out twice in protest, "No! The name of God is in there!" Orthodox Judaism forbids destroying the written Hebrew name of God. Ultra-Orthodox man defaces a prayer book (: ) X The men yelled at the female supplicants various epithets, such as "stinking bastards" and "whores," and interrupted them during their prayer by using whistles. WOW stated that they asked for aid from the security services present and were ignored. Before they began praying, one of the two Torah scrolls that they had smuggled in was confiscated. A bat mitzvah ceremony was carried out for Franny Warner, a girl from Wisconsin who came to celebrate at the Western Walland to read from the Torah. WOW says that they sneak torah scrolls to the site monthly, as no such sacred texts are present in the women's section. In the men's, however, there are 100 Torah scrolls for that gender only. The man ripping the prayer book (Photo: Oshrat Ben Shimshon) WOW Chair of the Board Anat Hoffman commented, "Where people are tearing prayer books, bloodshed is in the future. The ultra-Orthodox man who, in the name of God, tore up a prayer book containing sacred texts, is likely to be the next Schlissel." Yishai Schlissel murdered 16-year-old Shira Banki at the 2015 Jerusalem Pride Parade by stabbing her to death, ten years after he stabbed three others at the capital's 2005 Pride Parade. Hoffman continued, "And while he's doing that, the police and the rabbi of the Wall are silent and stand there with their arms folded. The prayer was interrupted in its entirety by yelling, swearing, spitting and whistles against the women praying All those acts took place without being addressed by the police or the stewards of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation." She expressed resentment at the arrest of WOW Director Lesley Sachs at last month's Rosh Chodesh prayers for "disturbing the peace": "The 'crime' that she allegedly committed was reading from a Torah scroll." Sachs added, "We need to remind the police that their job is to protect the values of equality, not to take the side of thugs." Women praying at the Western Wall (Photo: Oshrat Ben Shimshon) In November, two progressive groups petitioned the High Court of Justice for the right to read from a Torah scroll at the Western Wall Plaza and for the cancellation of the restriction on bringing in external scrolls to the holy site. They further requested compensation from the state for the discrimination that they had suffered. Since then, women have successfully attempted to smuggle in Torah scrolls to the site. A compromise agreement was approved by the government in January after being approved by both the ultra-Orthodox and liberal movements. However, Netanyahu later called for a new agreement to be drafted after being pressured by ultra-Orthodox Jews who rescinded their agreement. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Danny Danon as the permanent representative to the UN, many raised an eyebrow and called the choice surprising. In retrospect, some now admit that appointing a skilled and cunning politician with a direct link to the Prime Minister's Office managed to open quite a few doors and bring about many achievements for Israel in the United Nations. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Recently, Danon was elected to head the UN's Legal Committee, one of the General Assembly's six permanent committees that deals with sensitive topics in international law. Danon's election, which had the support of 109 states out of 193, was especially surprising because of the intense campaign waged by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, including the Palestinians and the Iranians, against his appointment. Danny Danon at the UN General Assembly (Photo: Shahar Azran) This is the first time since Israel joined the UN in 1949 that its ambassador heads one of the permanent committees, and there are those who are calling this achievement "historic." A short while later, the Israeli delegation attained a further achievement. Prof. Yuval Shany, dean of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was elected to his second term on the UN's Human Rights Committee in Geneva. The committee comprises 18 experts from different countries and is responsible for the compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in different countries. "The fact that I come from Israel and know the dilemmas related to balancing human rights and security needs gives me a certain advantage," said Shany. "I believe that it gives my opinions on these topics a lot of weight on the committee." While all the members are professionals in their fields, the election process is highly political. Shany won widespread acclaim for his performance in his first time, yet he still ran into difficulties when he asked to be re-elected with 40 Muslim states opposing his appointment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli delegation to the UN ran a long campaign to persuade as many countries as possible to support him, and Shany himself also met with representatives of more than 100 countries and held multiple receptions and lectures. The decision, in the end, came down to a single vote, at least in the first round. The vote that led to Danon's appointment in the UN The Israeli delegation is not resting on its laurels and is already preparing for its nextand most ambitiousgoal: a seat on the Security Council in two years. The Western European and Others Group, of which Israel is a member, is expected to select two non-permanent members to join the council in 20192020. Currently, three are competing: Germany, Belgium, and Israel. The Germans' seat is practically guaranteed, so the true fight will be with Belgium. Israel begins this battle at a disadvantage of some 4060 votes from Muslim, Arab and anti-Israeli states. "It's realistic," claims Danon. "Until recently, Israel was treated as the UN's whipping boy, but we've proven that good work can lead to important victories." JUBA- At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan's rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. WARSAW-The Belgian foreign minister says his nation will provide at least 150 soldiers to a new multinational NATO battalion based in Lithuania. NATO leaders formalized an agreement at a NATO summit in Warsaw to create four battalions of about 1,000 soldiers each to be deployed to the Western alliance's eastern flank. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders says Saturday all the Benelux countries would be "very active in the region." But he also stressed the need "keep an open dialogue with Russia, because we need to talk about Syria and Iraq." BEIRUT- Syrian state media says 30 people have been killed in rocket fire overnight in Aleppo, the country's largest city and the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's civil war, now in its sixth year. SANA says rebel groups targeted residential neighborhoods in the government-held area of the divided city, hammering them with rocket fire Friday night. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 34 people were killed, 6 of them women or children. It says a further nine, among them eight women and children, were killed in presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes and rocket attacks on the opposition-held side of the city. WARSAW- NATO allies agreed to provide increased military support to countries in the Middle East and North Africa that are targets of Islamic extremism on Saturday including using NATO surveillance planes in the fight against ISIS. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said alliance leaders also agreed to launch a new naval mission in the Mediterranean, and made commitments to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020. "Today we have taken decisions to strengthen our partners and to project stability beyond our borders," Stoltenberg told reporters on the second day of a crucial NATO summit in Warsaw. He said millions of people in Africa and the Middle East have been rendered "homeless and helpless" by radical organizations like ISIS, and that the extremist groups are also to blame for organizing terrorist attacks in Europe and America. NATO drilling to protect Lithuania (Photo: AP) Stoltenberg also said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, a country he said is central in the fight against ISIS. NATO is also working to establish an intelligence center in Tunisia, a major recruiting ground for ISIS, and will start providing support to Tunisian special operation forces, he said. The NATO secretary general said US President Barack Obama and leaders of the other 27 NATO countries also agreed in principle for NATO surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq, a decision the NATO chief called "a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism." NATO diplomats say they expect flights by alliance AWACS planes to begin this fall. Stoltenberg said the alliance will also launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean called Operation Sea Guardian, whose responsibilities will include counterterrorism. NATO will also cooperate with the European Union's efforts to shut down human smuggling operations that have fueled Europe's greatest migrant crisis since World War II. US President Barack Obama speaking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the NATO summit in Warsaw (Photo: Reuters) The alliance will increase cooperation with Jordan, and is preparing to help the new government in Libya design policies and institutions to help it better defend itself against extremist organizations, Stoltenberg said. "We will provide greater support to our partners, so they can secure their countries and push back against violent extremism," he said. Obama had been urging his fellow NATO leaders in Warsaw to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Meanwhile, violence in the US led him to cut his Europe trip short so he can return home Sunday. TheUS has pledged to provide $3.5 billion annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as $500 million. Allies would provide the remaining $1 billion. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. NATO training to defend Poland (Photo: EPA) "We are very close and I am certain we will reach that (funding) level," Stoltenberg told reporters. A senior U.S. administration official said NATO has commitments for about 90 percent of the goal. Stoltenberg said it's too soon to say exactly how many troops individual allies will agree to keep in Afghanistan under NATO's Resolute Support training and advisory mission. But he said he believed that, based on commitments made Saturday, force levels will remain largely stable. Specific numbers will be finalized this fall, he said. US administration officials said they believe the number of forces dedicated to the NATO mission will be a bit more than 12,000. The officials were not authorized to discuss the details publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity. US Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the NATO supreme commander, told reporters the US has pledged about 6,700 of that total, about 200 fewer than it currently provides. He said training and advising of the Afghan air force and special operations forces won't be affected. But he said there will be fewer US troops training Afghan conventional forces, although the US will still send teams into the regions to assist the army and police. NATO forces training to defend Estonia (Photo: EPA) Earlier this week, Obama announced that overall he would keep 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan, rather than cut their numbers to 5,500 as he once planned. In addition to taking part in the NATO advisory-and-assist mission, the US has special operations forces in the country that conduct counterterrorism missions. The planned force levels allow NATO allies to remain in regional hubs around Afghanistan, with Germany in the north, Italy in the west, Turkey in the capital of Kabul and the United States in the east and south. Scaparrotti said the Afghan mission is key to global security. "We know that there are al-Qaida and (ISIS) components in Afghanistan," he said. "If we fail there we will certainly see that impact in our global counterterrorism campaign that we're executing. It will make it harder." The Warsaw summit, NATO's first in two years, was considered by many to be the alliance's most important since the Cold War. On Friday, NATO leaders approved the deployment of four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to deter Russia, as well as a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade for the Black Sea region. Germany will lead a multinational battalion in Lithuania, with similar battalions to be led by the United States in Poland, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Those moves were strongly criticized Saturday by Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president during the Cold War. Leaders of NATO countries meet at a summit in Warsaw (Photo: AFP) "NATO has begun preparations for escalating from the Cold War into a hot one," Gorbachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "All the rhetoric in Warsaw just yells of a desire almost to declare war on Russia. They only talk about defense, but actually are preparing for offensive operations." The White House, meanwhile, announced Obama would cut his Europe trip short by one day in the wake of the attack in Dallas that killed five police officers and wounded seven others during protests over fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. Obama will attend meetings in Warsaw on Saturday before heading to Spain for meetings with Spanish leaders and a visit with US troops. He returns to Washington on Sunday and will visit Dallas early next week at the request of Mayor Mike Rawlings. The wave of terror attacks over the past year has greatly increased traumatic symptoms among the Israeli public, causing more and more Israelis to seek mental health support. Many are turning to NatalIsrael's Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War. As Natal attempts to offer assistance to those in need, it must provide its services under the same budget, something those involved in the organization are finding more and more difficult to do. For this reason, the organization has came out with a campaign to increase the financial support it receives from the Israeli government. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Natals main focus is to offer psychosocial services to victims of terror attacks, battle and war. Natal states that is has treated over 210 thousand people over the years, and that the number of those seeking their services during the last few months has increased by over 50%, from 25,000 in 2014 to over 27,000 over the first half of 2016 alone. Students at Sderot hiding (Photo: Yonatan Tzur) The overall benefits of Natals work are hard to assess on a national scale, but economically speaking the organizations efforts are estimated to save Israel 75 million NIS per year. Natals yearly budget currently stands at 15 million NIS. Former IDF chief-of-staff Benny Gantz (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Natal representatives spoke in front of the Knessets Labor, Welfare and Health Commitee, asking for the government to increase its annual support to 5 million NIS. Speaking on the matter, Natal CEO Orly Gal stated that the organization received 64 new cases from last months terror attack in Sarona Market alone. Numbers such as this mean something, said Gal. 73% of our budget comes from donations, with the Israeli government covering 2% of our budget, amounting to 80,000 NIS out of a yearly budget of 14 million NIS. Were happy to do our job, but there really is a limit to how much we can carry on our shoulders. The government must increase its support of Natal, otherwise we wont be able to continue for very much longer. Former IDF chief-of-staff Benny Gantz, who serves as chairperson on Natals board, voiced his support of the organizations current fight to increase its budget. Describing Natals services, Gantz said that Natal is obligated and dedicated to respond to the needs of Israeli citizens dealing with the mental ramifications of war and terror. He stressed that The organization acts as one of the most substantial resources in this field, and the financial support it receives from the government is crucial to the continued support of its patients, as Natal helps them as they work to return their lives to normal. Simrik, Sapphire agree to form cargo airline Simrik Airlines and US-based Sapphire Global Airways on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a dedicated international long-haul cargo airline in Nepal. WARSAW- President Barack Obama, at his last NATO summit before stepping down next January, pledged the United States' long-term military commitment to ensuring security in Europe and defending all allies. Obama said the Western defence alliance had agreed on the most significant reinforcement of its collective defence since the Cold War by agreeing to deploy forces in the Baltic states and Poland in response to Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. "What will never change (is the) unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defence of Europe," he said. The police raided a large hydro laboratory near the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station on Friday. On site, some 2,000 marijuana plants were found. Much to the surprise of the the Yiftach Precinct in Tel Aviv that uncovered the operation, a vast infrastructure was set up to help the saplings grow. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Party-goers in Tel Aviv remember the converted space as the home to a famous Tel Aviv nightclub. The discovered marijuana plants (Photo: Police) Earlier this year, the police raided two apartments in Rishon Lezion, which were also turned into greenhouses for the purpose of growing marijuana. The tel Aviv nightclub was apparently converted into a center for growing drugs after it was shut down. The police force that discovered the operation also reported on all the equipment that went into cultivating the plants, which included special lighting and fertilizer. Yet the most prominent piece of evidence for the large-scale operation were the rows upon rows of marijuana saplings that were planted throughout the space. The leaders of NATO and Ukraine say the alliance will implement a new program of support for Ukraine as it reforms its defense and state, while facing aggression from Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko held a news conference following Poroshenko's meeting with the leaders of NATO member states Saturday, the second day of the alliance's summit in Warsaw. Stoltenberg said the leaders have agreed on a new Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine that will assist the nation as it reforms its defense and security institutions, to make them more efficient and accountable. Both leaders condemned Russia's seizure of Crimea and other hostile actions on Ukraine's territory. Russia's military reported that two of its airmen have died in Syria after their helicopter was shot down in Syria by ISIS fighters. A Defense Ministry statement reported that the incident occurred Friday east of the ancient city of Palmyra. According to the statement, the two Russians were making a test flight in the Homs region with a Syrian Mi-25 helicopter that was carrying ammunition, as ISIS fighters broke through Syrian forces' lines east of Palmyra. After Syrian forces requested the Russian crew help strike the ISIS fighters, the Rusians' helicopter was shot down after the crew exhausted its ammunition. Stock market to extend share trading hours The Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) has initiated measures to increase the trading hours from the present three hours to four or five from the upcoming fiscal year. Although a final decision has not been reached, the plan has been welcomed by stakeholders. The black roofs of Gatlang Once lauded as the gem of the Tamang Heritage Trail, Gatlang is now scrambling to salvage what the earthquakes ruined News Washington, DC - U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa Thomas Perriello will travel to Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Arusha, Tanzania; Paris, France; Cairo, Egypt; and Luanda, Angola July 9 to 23. The Envoy will attend the East African Community-led dialogue amongst Burundian stakeholders in Arusha, as part of the continued U.S. support for the process and former Tanzanian President Mkapas facilitation. He will emphasize that the dialogue remains the best option to peacefully resolve the crisis in Burundi and achieve a consensus path forward for the country. During the trip, Special Envoy Perriello will also meet with regional leaders and donor partners to discuss growing concerns about the political impasse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and efforts to advance an inclusive dialogue amongst Congolese stakeholders aimed at holding timely elections. News Washington, DC - The United States expresses grave concern with the outbreak of fighting in Juba on July 7 and 8. We urge all parties in the Transitional Government of National Unity to take immediate steps to reduce tensions. We call on the leaders of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movements in government and in opposition to immediately direct their forces to disengage and cease fighting. We welcome the joint public message by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice President Riek Machar Teny, and Vice President James Wani Igga calling for calm. We have pressed the leaders of the Transitional Government at the highest level to accelerate implementation of the peace agreement. Sustained cooperation, engagement, and reform to confront the country's grave challenges are essential to avoid a return to widespread conflict. We have urged South Sudans leaders to operationalize the security arrangements in the agreement, particularly by establishing Joint Integrated Police units to patrol Juba, empowering the Joint Operations Center to ensure communication and coordination between forces in Juba, and directing the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission to operate continuously. We hope that today, the fifth anniversary of South Sudans independence, can serve as a reminder of the promise of the new nation and foster a spirit of unity and peace for the coming year. TUTH tells Dr KC to take his hunger strike elsewhere The Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) has said that it will not allow Dr Govinda KC stage another hunger strike on the hospital premises. Latest News Washington, DC - The United States welcomes the announcement by La Mesa de la Unidad Democratica, the coalition of opposition parties in Venezuela, reiterating its desire to participate in a serious, constructive dialogue with the executive branch. We continue to support the efforts by former Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, former Panamanian President Torrijos and former Dominican President Fernandez to advance such a dialogue. We strongly urge both sides to participate constructively to address peacefully the serious challenges facing the Venezuelan people. The United States continues to join with countries in the region and around the world to call on the Venezuelan government to release all political prisoners, respect the constitutional role of the National Assembly, and allow the Venezuelan people to have their voices heard through constitutional mechanisms, such as the recall referendum, without delay. Latest News Washington, DC - In the last 18 months, the United States has taken several steps to assure our allies in Europe and demonstrate our continued commitment to NATO collective defense. Operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE (OAR) is a demonstration of our dedication to enduring peace and stability in the North Atlantic area, and it will remain in place as long as needed to reassure our allies and partners, and deter an increasingly bellicose Russia. Deterrence requires ready and capable allies in Europe, which is why we have enhanced the frequency and complexity of exercises with NATO allies and partners, while augmenting the U.S. air, ground, and naval presence in the region. The U.S.-European strategic partnership is built on a foundation of shared values and common experience, and we build on that foundation with a robust training and exercise plan. European Reassurance Initiative The European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) is part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, signed by President Obama on December 19, 2014. The Presidents Budget request for FY 2017 includes a quadrupling in ERI funding over 2016 levels to approximately $3.42 billion, which will fund increased activities along five main lines of effort: increased rotational presence; additional bilateral & multilateral training with allies and partners; enhanced prepositioning of U.S. equipment; improved infrastructure; and intensified efforts to build capacity with newer NATO allies and partners. The sum of all ERI lines of effort is greater than the five individual parts, when considering that increased rotational presence allows us to sustain more frequent allied and partner exercises and therefore build interoperability more rapidly. Similarly, improving allied infrastructure builds national capacity in addition to increasing NATO responsiveness. Fiscal Year 2017 ERI funding levels highlight a shift from assurance to deterrence and will permit more rotational U.S. forces in Europe, more training and exercises with our allies, more prepositioning and warfighting gear and infrastructure improvements to help support the U.S. and NATO allies shift towards a more credible defense posture. ERI ensures that all U.S. military services will augment their presence and enhance deterrence in Europe through stepped-up rotations and potential deferral of previously planned force reductions. In 2017, it will expand the scope of 28 joint and multi-national exercises, which annually train over 18,000 U.S. personnel alongside 45,000 NATO allies and Partnership for Peace personnel across 40 countries. Notably, ERI does not fund an increase in the number of U.S. troops permanently stationed in Europe, but it will support the presence of additional rotational forces that help us meet our collective defense obligations to NATO allies. Longer-Term U.S. Deployments Using ERI funds, the United States has been able to increase the frequency and length of U.S. deployments to Europe, including: 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry Division: The Ft. Stewart-based armored brigade combat team has deployed to Europe several times in 2015 and 2016 in support of OAR. When in Europe, the brigade forward deploys units from the Baltic States to Bulgaria and also conducts training in the Republic of Georgia. During the brigades current six-month deployment, it brought all its units together in Poland to participate in Exercise Anakonda. 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element: In 2014, the 4th Infantry Division deployed the Mission Command Element (MCE) to Baumholder, Germany, in order to serve as the intermediate headquarters between United States Army Europe and the U.S. Army forces that are in Europe participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve (AR). The element provides a fundamental link between the regionally aligned forces, USAREUR headquarters personnel, and host nation entities across the AR area of operations. This effort ensures that both U.S. and allied forces achieve not only their individual objectives, but constantly increase their collective cohesiveness during a variety of bi-lateral and multi-national training exercises and direct engagements. 2nd Cavalry Regiment: 2CR units out of Vilseck, Gemany deployed company teams to the Baltic State and Romania to support Atlantic Resolve activities in the region. These activities include tactical training with host nation forces, vehicle road marches for deployability, and community relations events to assure the public. F-22 Flying Training Detachment: In April and May, 2016, following a similar deployment from August to September 2015, the United States sent 12 F-22s to Europe. The aircrews primarily trained with their UK counterparts, but also flew several missions to Lithuania, Poland, and Romina for additional training and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO. F-15 Theater Security Package: The United States deployed 12 F-15s to Europe from April through September 2016. A similar deployment was made in 2015. During the current deployment, aircraft from the Theater Security Package participated in NATOs Iceland Air Surveillance task and Estonian national exercise Spring Storm. A-10 Theater Security Package: From September 2015 through January 2016, and again in July 2016, the United States deployed 12 A-10 aircraft to Eastern Europe for training and to support OAR exercises. The A-10s trained at multiple bases across Europe, including Amari Air Base, Estonia; Kecskemet, Hungary; and Campia Turzii Air Base, Romania. These A-10s conducted training alongside allies and partners to strengthen interoperability and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to European security. Train and Equip Ukraine's National Guard: Since April 2015, U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade out of Vicenza, Italy has been training the Ukraine National Guard, focusing on internal defense. Major Recent NATO and Multinational Exercises NATO allies have fully implemented the enhanced exercise regime to which allies committed as part of the Readiness Action Plan. NATO and select allies and partners conducted the following exercises to train elements of an enhanced NATO Response Force (NRF) that has tripled in size and can be deployed to all parts of the Alliance. Anakonda 16: This Polish national exercise was held at various locations in Poland from June 7-17, 2016, and was the largest multinational exercise held prior to the Warsaw Summit. Poland has held an Anakonda exercise every two years since 2006. The aim of this years exercise was to develop the capability to command a joint defensive operation supported by a multinational coalition and in cooperation with civilian authorities. More than 31,000 soldiers from 24 nations participated. BALTOPS 16: A U.S. Navy-led exercise, BALTOPS is the premier maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea region and one of the largest exercises in northern Europe. Held from June 3-19, 2016, the aim was to demonstrate the interoperability of NATO allies and partners and to assure nations of NATOs commitment to the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region. Fifteen NATO and two partner nations participated in the 44th iteration of the multinational maritime exercise. Approximately 6,100 maritime, ground, and air force troops from participating nations demonstrated maritime interdiction, anti-subsurface warfare, amphibious operations, and air defense in a joint environment to ensure regional security. Swift Response 16: Swift Response is a U.S. Army Europe-led airborne crisis response exercise series that focuses on training the U.S. Global Response Force to conduct rapid, efficient and effective joint forcible entry operations alongside allied airborne forces in Europe. Swift Response 16, held from May 27 through June 26, 2016, included more than 5,000 soldiers and airmen from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United States, and took place in Poland and Germany. Saber Strike 16: A long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led exercise, Saber Strike improves joint interoperability through a range of missions that prepare the 13 participating nations to support multinational contingency operations. The exercise, which took place from May 27-June 22 in multiple locations throughout Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, serves as an effective proving ground for units to validate their ability to assemble rapid-reaction forces and deploy them on short notices. Leading up to the exercise, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment will demonstrate U.S. land forces' dynamic presence throughout the region, exhibiting freedom of movement during a 2,200-kilometer tactical road march, called Dragoon Ride II, from Germany to Estonia. Brilliant Jump Deploy 16: This NATO exercise took place in Poland from May 17 to 27, 2016, and trained NATOs Very High Joint Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) to quickly deploy where needed. It tested the deployment of the VJTFs land elements, from their home location in Spain to the Zagan Military Training Area in Poland. Around 2,500 troops participated. Brilliant Jump Alert 16: The alert phase of NATOs Brilliant Jump exercise took place in Spain from April 1-10, 2016, and was designed to train and test the activation of the VJTF, the high-readiness force for first response in an emerging crisis. The exercise included the involvement of air, maritime and special operations forces. Trident Joust 16: NATO Exercise Trident Joust took place in Poland during April 12-26, 2016, as a NATO Response Force readiness exercise and was focused on regional command and control structures. Dynamic Manta: Held from 22 February 22 through March 4, 2016, in the Ionian Sea, this NATO exercise tested anti-submarine warfare capabilities and included more than 5,000 sailors from 8 NATO nations. Cold Response: U.S. Special Operations Command Europe components worked with NATO allies and partners from 13 nations in a Norwegian Joint Command Post Exercise/Field Training Exercise between February 29 and March 9, 2016. The exercise featured naval, land, and air Special Operations Forces operations to underscore NATO's ability to defend against any threat in any environment. The location in central Norway provided a unique, extreme cold-weather environment to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures and learn from one another. This exercise enables the NATO alliance to work together and demonstrate its ability to counter transnational threats. Combined Resolve: U.S.-led Exercise Combined Resolve V was held in Germany in early November 2015 and had more than 4,600 participants from 10 NATO allies and three 3 partner nations. The purpose was to execute a command post exercise that incorporated offensive and defensive operations focused on mission command in order to build capability, increase readiness, and develop the cohesiveness of U.S. and allied and partner nations. USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75): The Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier operated in the Mediterranean Sea in November, 2015, to reaffirm the United States commitment to promote peace and stability with our allies and partners. Trident Juncture: The largest NATO exercise conducted in the past 20 years with around 36,000 troops from more than 30 nations, including both NATO allies and partners was held from October through November 2015. More than 5,000 U.S. service members participated in the exercise, which was designed to train the troops of the NATO Response Force. Activities were hosted by Spain, Portugal and Italy with training in Belgium, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and at sea in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)/26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU): The Kearsarge ARG/26th MEU entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in October 2015, and conducted naval operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. Swift Response 15: Similar to Swift Response 16, the 2015 edition was a joint and combined certification training event that took place at multiple locations across Europe from August 18 through September 10, 2015, to exercise a multinational Brigade Task Force integrated from a coalition of 10 NATO nations. The exercise was built around an Airborne Combined Joint Forcible Entry operation, and served to evaluate brigade- and battalion- level execution of strategic out-load in conjunction with allies and partner nations. The event provided participants with the opportunity to integrate multiple partner nations high-readiness forces to train as a cohesive and interoperable team. Saber Strike 15: The June 2015 edition of this U.S. Army Europe-led exercise focused on promoting interoperability with regional partners and improving joint operational capability in a variety of missions to prepare the participating nations and units for future operations. Twelve nations participated in the exercises which had events in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. BALTOPS 15: This U.S.-led exercise in June, 2015, included a multinational force of over 50 ships, included U.S. Marines, and demonstrated the interoperability of NATO allies and partners while assuring nations of NATOs commitment to security and stability in the Baltic Sea region. Platinum Eagle: Over 120 Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force and over 400 Romanian and Bulgarian military forces trained at Babadag Training Area, Romania, in May 2015. This was a battalion-level exercise to improve infantry skills and increase interoperability. Concurrent with this exercise, U.S. Marine Forces Europe / Africa conducted a sustainment exercise by deploying MV-22 aircraft from the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, Crisis Response Africa, to support the Black Sea Rotational Forces rapid response platoon. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - More than 2,000 members of the public visited the Children's Museum of Yuma County's exhibit in its first week at the City's Yuma Art Center. In an average year, the downtown venue, located at 254 S. Main St., typically sees about 16,000 visitors. "Having that response to this exhibit is a clear indication that Yuma is a growing community looking to provide an enhanced quality of life for ourselves and our children," said Yuma Mayor Douglas J. Nicholls. "The success of the Children's Museum of Yuma County's exhibit at the Yuma Art Center demonstrates the importance of children and their education to the people of Yuma." The exhibit will remain at the Yuma Art Center through Aug. 6. There is no cost to attend. Features at the exhibit will change, so guests are encouraged to check back to see what is new. City of Yuma Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Wendt said she is thrilled to see thousands of children and their families at the Yuma Art Center. "It's a wonderful hands-on experience that joins the worlds of art and science together," she said. "Children can think, learn, imagine, design, build and make their own music - all in one location. We're honored to be the venue to house the exhibit." The exhibit closes an hour prior to the Yuma Art Center each day. The public can visit the exhibit Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The venue is closed Sunday and Monday. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information on the exhibit or the Yuma Art Center's hours of operation, please call (928) 373-5202. To find out more about the Children's Museum of Yuma County, Inc., a local 501(c)3 non-profit, visit www.yumachildrensmuseum.com . US expels two Russian diplomats over Moscow 'attack' The US has expelled two Russian diplomats in response to an attack on an American diplomat in Moscow, the state department says. Warsaw: US President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House has said. "The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement yesterday, adding that Obama would return to the United States tomorrow night -- one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable." Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of blacks by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will "continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system." According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. Tomorrow he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington tomorrow night. Washington: Hillary Clinton has refuted FBI's charge that she was "extremely careless" with classified information as secretary of state and tried to put the blame on other officials as she offered her first public comments since a probe into her use of private email server was closed this week. The presumptive Democratic nominee in interviews to several US networks tried to move past the controversy that was hung over her presidential bid, saying her use of a private email account as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term was a "mistake." She strongly disputed the assertion by FBI Director James Comey that she and her aides were "extremely careless" with classified materials, and instead appeared to be putting the responsibility on her State Department staff. "There are about 300 people in the government, mostly in the State Department, but in other high positions in the government with whom I emailed over the course of four years - they, I believe, did not believe they were sending any material that was classified," Clinton told CNN. "They were pursuing their responsibilities. I do not think they were careless. And as I have said many times, I certainly did not believe that I received or sent any material that was classified," Clinton said in the interview. Comey on Tuesday had recommended that no charges be brought over Clinton's email use from 2009 to 2013. The next day the Justice Department accepted the recommendation, bringing the probe to an end. However, Comey said that the FBI had found that Clinton was "extremely careless" in sending classified information via her personal email account and that 110 emails had contained classified information. But Clinton yesterday brushed aside the rebuke from Comey in several other interviews. "With respect to the handling of classified material, I take it very seriously, and the 300 or so people with whom I e-mailed on the course of my time in the State Department do as well," she told PBS news. "The material that they sent to me, they didn't believe was classified. The very, very few examples that Director Comey pointed to have also been clarified, as he accounted yesterday. The State Department has said two of the three that he had pointed to were human error. They were not to be classified," she said. "So, I'm very proud of the work that we did over four years. And I'm very proud of our diplomats and our other professionals, who have to act in real time. They are responding to heads of state, to press inquiries. And they are doing the best they can. I do not believe they were careless," Clinton said. In another interview with MSNBC, Clinton said there was no evidence of hacking of the server which hosted her emails. "There is no evidence. There is no evidence. And he (Comey) did not contradict that. I think he was speculating. But if you go by the evidence, there is no evidence that the system was breached or hacked successfully," she said. Clinton has been under fire from Republicans this week after Comey announced that she mismanaged classified material. Washington: Donald Trump has slammed Hillary Clinton for talking about the e-mail controversy surrounding her US presidential bid when five police officers were killed in a shootout by at least one sniper in Dallas, saying she was answering "softball questions" on a day of national tragedy. Hillary yesterday appeared on three American networks and answered questions related to her use of a private e-mail account as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term. And refuted the assertion by FBI director James Comey that she was "extremely careless" with classified information. "Isn't it sad that on a day of national tragedy Hillary Clinton is answering softball questions about her e-mail lies on CNN?" presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump asked in a tweet yesterday. Hillary, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, gave interviews to CNN and two other television channels - MSNBC and PBS - wherein she faced questions on the e-mail controversy and shared her views following the "ambush style" shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers. On CNN, Hillary praised the slain Dallas officers and called the attack "an absolutely horrific event." Both Hillary and Trump cancelled their election rallies in Pennsylvania and Florida in the wake of the deadly incident. Meanwhile, New York Daily News reported that the New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton has rejected Trump's request to speak to officers show solidarity with the police. But the department denied his request. "Our interest is in staying out of the politics of the moment, not to provide photo ops," Bratton told reporters. The attack has forced both the candidates to address racial divisions while showing support for US law enforcement officials. President Barack Obama had, just ahead of the Dallas shooting, made an impassioned address from Warshaw, where he has gone to attend a NATO meet, about race and policing in the US. He cited statistics that showed that black people were far more likely to be arrested and shot by police. Baton Rouge: The mother of the son of a black man killed by white Louisiana police officers has said she grieved with the families of five police officers killed in Dallas during a protest over police shootings, adding she was now "walking a mile with them." Quinyetta McMillon described herself as "very hurt" for the officers and their families. "Now, I'm walking a mile with them. We're bearing the same shoes right now," McMillon said in an interview with The Associated Press yesterday. The Dallas protest came in response to police shootings, including the one in which 37-year-old Alton Sterling was killed Tuesday in Baton Rouge during a struggle with two police officers outside a convenience store where he was selling CDs. Sterling was black; both officers are white. Cellphone video of his shooting was posted online and set off angry protests in Baton Rouge and beyond. The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Sterling's shooting. Police say Sterling was armed and a witness said he had a gun in his pocket. But McMillon resisted those claims Friday, saying she didn't know Sterling to carry a gun and doesn't believe he had one with him the night he was shot to death. "I do not believe in my heart that there was a gun," she said. McMillon said she believes police said that "to cover up something." The Baton Rouge Police Department didn't respond to the claim. The two officers involved in the shooting death, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, are on administrative leave, which is customary, during the investigation. "They should be prosecuted, the both of them. I don't want the death penalty for them. I want them to be in prison," McMillon said, calling the federal investigation a "very positive step." McMillon called Sterling a good father to their son Cameron, 15, who broke down in sobs at a rally outside City Hall earlier this week. She said Cameron Sterling has been devastated by the loss. "I called them the Doublemint twins because they both liked snacks. They both like to eat, so they was always eating something" when they spent time together, which was regularly, McMillon said. Her face lighting up with a slight smile as she talked, McMillon said Alton Sterling was close to their son. She recalled when Cameron Sterling took his first steps, Alton Sterling swooped in to catch his son each time he wobbled, to keep him from hurting himself when he fell. She said it's one of her best memories. San Francisco: Thousands of people took to the streets in US cities on Friday to denounce the fatal police shootings of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia on Friday evening, and events also were planned for San Francisco and Phoenix. Local media reports did not indicate any immediate instances of major clashes or injuries. Thousands marched in Atlanta in what appeared to be the largest demonstration, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from local broadcasters showed the massive crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles that were stopped on a local interstate highway. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of widespread demonstrations against use of force by police in the wake of the fatal shootings of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota and 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Castile was killed by police during a traffic stop late on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted a live video on the Internet of the bloody scene minutes afterward. Sterling was killed during an altercation outside a convenience store with two white police officers. Graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. The two shootings stoked racial tensions that have flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Thursday`s demonstrations were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people," launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. Police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. Ayodhee Prasad Yadav okayed as election chief The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) on Friday unanimously endorsed the nomination of Ayodhee Prasad Yadav as the chief election commissioner. He will head the Election Commission for the next five years. Dallas: A black US military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to "kill white people" acted alone in a sniper attack that killed five police officers during a Dallas protest decrying police shootings of black men, officials said on Friday. Seven other police officers and two civilians were wounded in the ambush in downtown Dallas on Thursday night, officials said. Police killed the gunman, identified by authorities as 25-year-old Micah Johnson, with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. A search of Johnson`s home in the nearby suburb of Mesquite found "bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics," Dallas police said in a report on Friday. Police said Johnson had no previous criminal history. Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings said Johnson had written "manifestos" on military-style tactics, and social media postings left by Johnson showed he subscribed to a militant black nationalist ideology. Thursday`s attack came at the end of an otherwise peaceful march to protest police killings of two black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana, the latest police killings of black men over the last two years that have triggered outrage, soul-searching and debates over the role of race. In Dallas, hundreds of screaming demonstrators ran for safety as police officers patrolling the rally took cover, believing initially that they had come under attack by several shooters. By late afternoon on Friday, however, investigators had concluded that Johnson, armed with a rifle, was the lone gunman. At this time, there appears to have been one gunman, with no known links to or inspiration from any international terrorist organization, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters in New York. In Dallas, Rawlings said the shooting "came from one building at different levels from this suspect." One man was arrested on "unrelated weapons charges" at the scene, and several people were detained for questioning, but police said they were released by day`s end on Friday. Still, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials said they were looking for evidence of any possible co-conspirators. The ambush marked the highest death toll for US police in the line duty from a single event since the September 11, 2001, attacks. GUNMAN ANGRY ABOUT POLICE KILLINGS The attack was certain to complicate rising tensions between minority communities and law enforcement following a string of high-profile killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police across the country over the past two years, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement. The violence came just over a week before the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is expected to become the party`s official nominee, and police in Cleveland on Friday tightened their security plan for the convention. Other police departments across the country, including New York, Chicago and St. Louis, responded to the attack by requiring officers to patrol in pairs rather than alone. Thursday`s attack was especially devastating for the people of Dallas, a city that struggled for decades to heal from the scars left by the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, blocks away in Dealey Plaza. Dallas Police Chief David Brown called the ambush "a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy." He added, "We are determined to not let this person steal this democracy from us." During lengthy negotiations with police, the gunman told police he was angry about the Louisiana and Minnesota killings, Brown told reporters. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," said Brown, who is African-American. A profile of Johnson`s political inclinations also began to emerge. He posted a rant against white people on a black nationalist Facebook group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing the lynching and brutalizing of black people. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson wrote in a post above a graphic video of a whale-killing, comparing it to the treatment of black people in the United States. In what appeared to be his own Facebook page, Johnson was portrayed with the red, black and green flag sometimes known as the Black Liberation flag. His profile photo showed him with his clenched fist in the air in the familiar Black Power salute. The U.S. Army said Johnson, 25, had served as a private first class in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. It said Johnson served from March 2009 to April 2015 and was a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 420th Engineering Brigade based in Texas. "HEARTACHE AND DEVASTATION" Details on how the shootings unfolded remained unclear. Video of the attack taken by a witness shows a man carrying an assault-style weapon, first crouching then charging at and shooting another person who appeared to be wearing a uniform. That person then collapsed to the ground. Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video. The Rev. Jeff Hood, an organizer of Thursday night`s protest, said he had been chatting with some of the police officers on the street when gunfire erupted. "I saw what I believe were two police officers that went down. I didn`t know what to do," Hood told reporters on Friday. President Barack Obama, in Poland for a NATO summit, called the Dallas shootings "a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement." Obama, who has been stymied by the Republican-led Congress in his bid for new gun control laws, planned to visit Dallas early next week, at the mayor`s invitation, the White House said. As Dallas reeled from a night of carnage, police came under fire in three other states. A man in Tennessee opened fire on a highway, killing a woman and grazing a police officer with a bullet on Thursday, because he was troubled by incidents involving black people and law enforcement, authorities said on Friday. Police officers also were wounded in shootings in Missouri and Georgia on Friday, though the motives in both of those incidents was unknown. Largely peaceful protests unfolded around the United States after the police shooting of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, on Wednesday, during a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. A day earlier, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, shot dead Alton Sterling, 37, while responding to a call alleging he had threatened someone with a gun. Both Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump canceled campaign events for Friday following the attack. Sydney: Voting to elect a new government on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru began on Saturday, with international observers invited to monitor the polls for the first time in more than a decade after criticism over human rights in the world`s smallest republic. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights last year urged Nauru to take action to improve its standing in a range of areas including freedom of expression, the independence of the judiciary and crackdowns on media access. Nauru`s government rejected the majority of the UN criticism. There were 67 candidates vying for support from just under 8,000 registered voters for the 19 seats in parliament in Nauru, which lies about 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) northeast of Australia. The island also hosts a controversial detention centre housing asylum seekers on behalf of Australia - its biggest foreign aid contributor. Under Australian law, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing offshore. The detention centre houses about 500 people and has been widely criticized by the United Nations and human rights agencies for harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse. Many staying there have self-harmed. Political instability has plagued Nauru, with reports of frequent government crackdown`s on dissent. The election is being monitored by international observers for the first time in 12 years including a team from The Commonwealth led by the former President of Kiribati Anote Tong, the government of Nauru said. "The success of these elections will depend on every individual playing their part to ensure the process is inclusive, transparent and peaceful," Tong said in a statement. The Commonwealth observer team is expected to issue a report on the credibility of the elections before July 13. Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday reiterated his demand that caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government. "The caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public. Why sit over it," Lalu asked in his latest tweet. Lalu stressed that ten per cent people will not rule 90 per cent people in the country. "Dus ka sashan nabbe per nahin chalega, nahi chalega," he said. Lalu has been demanding since last year that the data should be made public to "ensure the empowerment of all those lagging behind in development". Earlier, Lalu said people have a right to know it and every caste should know its strength and weakness in terms of population and other things. Last month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also President of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), demanded that the caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public. The data will explode several myths about development of backward and marginalised people and help formulation of schemes for their socio-economic progress, he had said. The Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 was the first caste-based census since 1931, he noted. Last year, during the Bihar Assembly polls, Nitish Kumar joined RJD chief Lalu Prasad in demanding that the central government should make the caste-based statistics public. In July last year, the central government released the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011, but reportedly withheld the caste-based data, saying it was concerned with economic data which will help in effective implementation of its programmes. New Delhi: A man was arrested after locals in southeast Delhi area caught him trying to dispose of a woman's body, police said on Saturday. Shankar was allegedly trying to dispose of a huge sack, containing the body of his elder brother's sister-in-law near the bushes behind an under-construction building in Jamia Nagar past midnight when locals caught him. During interrogation, the accused revealed that the woman, believed to be in her early 20s, lived with her sister and Shankar's brother at a construction site and had allegedly hanged herself to death after a heated argument with her relatives yesterday evening, he claimed. Shankar's brother and his wife work as labourers at the construction site. He said that his brother called him up in the evening and asked for help in disposing of the body as the contractor wanted the "mess" to be cleared at the earliest, the police official claimed. A case has been registered and police are looking for the contractor and Shankar's brother who are absconding, he said, adding the body has been sent for postmortem, while the woman's sister and a few other labourers are being questioned. New Delhi: An alleged drug supplier has been arrested along with 1.5 kg of fine quality charas (cannabis resin) he was bringing from Manali in his car, police said today. Manish Rathi, 26, a resident of Delhi, was apprehended by a team of Crime Branch on a tip-off near Wazirabad flyover. A search of his car led to the recovery of 1.5 Kg of fine quality charas with an estimated worth of Rs 15 lakh in the international market, said Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner (crime) of Police. Rathi allegedly supplied charas in Delhi and Chandigarh carrying it from Manali. He had joined drug smuggling after coming in contact with a drug addict Jugal Kishore who used charas, said the officer. Later, he started sourcing the contraband from Himachal Pradesh through his sources Vicky and Inder based there, he added. Beirut: Syrian state media says 30 people have been killed in rocket fire overnight in Aleppo, the country's largest city and the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's civil war, now in its sixth year. SANA says rebel groups targeted residential neighborhoods in the government-held area of the divided city, hammering them with rocket fire last night. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 34 people were killed, 6 of them women or children. It says a further nine, among them eight women and children, were killed in presumed Russian or Syrian government airstrikes and rocket attacks on the opposition-held side of the city. A government offensive made the last supply route to the opposition side impassable Thursday. The Observatory says clashes are ongoing in the area. Pamplona: A Spanish hospital says one man has been gored and seven other runners injured in an unusual third-day running of the bulls at Pamplona's San Fermin festival. One of the six bulls used in the run today was late coming out of the gate. Another got separated from the pack early in the race, did a U-turn and gored a nearby runner, lifting his body off the ground and creating moments of fear and tension. Once the bull gained steam again, he was harassed by runners on his way to the bull ring. More than 1,000 people took part in the run, which lasted just over four minutes, about 1? times longer than usual. Navarra Hospital has confirmed that one man was gored in the thorax but said his condition was considered stable and seven others were injured in falls and suffered contusions. Falls were frequent and hair-raisingly dangerous today among participants, who packed the narrow streets. Bulls also tripped over themselves on the slippery stone-cobbled surface, as curves tightened and running lanes were scarcer as the race progressed. Bull runs are a traditional part of summer festivals across Spain. The nine-day San Fermin fiesta became world famous with Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises" and attracts thousands of foreign tourists. Ten people, including four Americans, were gored in the San Fermin festival last year. In all, 15 people have died from gorings in the festival since record-keeping began in 1924. Rajkot: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused his Gujarat counterpart Anandiben Patel of getting his programme in Surat cancelled, as he kick-started AAP's poll campaign for the 2017 state elections here. Kejriwal, who landed here this morning with his family members, first paid a visit to famous Lord Shiva temple in Somnath before launching the campaign. The AAP national convenor was accompanied by party leader Kumar Vishwas and his family. "My original programme of Gujarat was of two days; today we were to visit Somnath, and tomorrow we had meeting in Surat. But Anandibenji put undue pressure on people in and businessmen in Surat and got our programme cancelled," he told reporters. "In democracy, everybody has the right to express their views. Ours is a democracy," the AAP chief said. During the tour, he will also visit some villages of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath and Rajkot district to meet farmers to understand problems faced by them. Kejriwal's scheduled visit to Surat on July 10 had to be cancelled after a trade body withdrew its invitation, which AAP alleged was at the behest of state BJP government. New Delhi: In the first arrest in connection with its money laundering case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, ED on Saturday took into custody LIC agent Anand Chauhan. Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case, officials said. "Chauhan will be produced in a competent court. As he is not cooperating, his custodial interrogation is necessary," they said. The LIC agent is a crucial entity in this case as both the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have earlier found that Chauhan was the one who allegedly insured the said tainted funds of the CM in life insurance policies. ED had questioned him multiple times in this case earlier. The agency has also attached assets worth about Rs 8 crore against the Chief Minister earlier this year. The agency has filed a case under criminal provisions of money laundering laws after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September last year. ED had also conducted searches in this case last year in three states of Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal. The agency is working to investigate the allegation that Himachal CM Singh and his family members allegedly amassed a wealth of Rs 6.1 crore between 2009-11, disproportionate to his known sources of income while serving as the Union minister of steel. The CBI FIR (First Information Report) had named Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, Chauhan and his brother C L Chauhan and they were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI suspects that during the 2009-11 period, Singh allegedly invested Rs 6.1 crore in life insurance policies in his and his family members' names through Chauhan claiming this money to be his agricultural income. It alleged that Singh attempted to legitimise the same as agricultural income by filing revised Income-Tax returns in 2012. New Delhi: Sticking to his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday posted on Twitter a photo purportedly showing the Malegaon blast case accused seated beside the Home Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond," the Congress General Secretary said in a series of tweets along with the photograph. However, it was not clear when the purported photograph was taken. Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond ? pic.twitter.com/aG59jPNEIg digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Digvijay's reaction came after BJP termed as "baseless" his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur in 2008, when the BJP was in opposition. The Congress leader, who has in the past too made similar claims which Rajnath Singh had then denied, raked up the issue after the BJP targeted him over a 2012 video showing him praising controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him. Taking a dig over the video issue, Digvijay today tweeted: 4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Double standards. Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very "kind and considerate" towards me. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 The BJP has been insisting that Zakir was a "threat" to national security as it was clear from his speeches that he "incited" people. Digvijay also raked up the issue of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik meeting JuD chief Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan by posting a photo of the meeting. Does Media and the Modi Bhakts recognise them ? Hafiz Sayeed and Ved Pratap Vedic in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/u911mHllyo digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits Yes, they will make the city more inviting Maybe ... does it really matter? No, the signs in place are fine No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars Vote View Results Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslim (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday urged Muslim youths to live for Islam, not die for it. He further termed terror outfit Islamic State (IS) a tool in the hands of anti-Islam forces. Do not die for Islam but live for it and humanity. This is our country, so stay united, Owaisi urged Muslim youths while addressing a massive public meeting. Attack by the Islamic State (IS) near Prophets mosque was the handiwork of enemies of Islam. The Islamic State is demonising Islam and its militants are dogs of hell, Owaisi said. He was referring to the suicide bombing which took place near the mosque in the holy Saudi city of Medina on Monday. If you really want to do jihad, dont take up arms. Feed the poor, work for their development, fund marriages of their daughters- this is real jihad, the Hyderabad MP said. Meanwhile, a resolution passed unanimously at the meet of Muslim organisations condemned attacks in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world during the holy month of Ramadan. The ISIS has nothing to do with Islam and its principles and tenets, and, in fact, all its activities and terror attacks are meant to strike at the very roots of Islam. The ISIS is not only un-Islamic but acts as a tool in the hands of Western forces who are enemies of Islam. In the garb of Muslims, they are defaming Islam, said the resolution. This band of neo-Kharijis had the audacity to proclaim itself to be a so-called worldwide caliphate and appointing a self-styled caliph in 2014. These armed thugs have been letting loose a reign of terror in some parts of Iraq and Syria and spreading their subversive activities to other countries in the Gulf and North Africa, as well as to other Muslim nations and European, Asian and African countries, it added. It said during Ramadan, the ISIS killed innocent Muslims and non-Muslims in terror attacks in Baghdad, Istanbul, and Dhaka, killing 300 persons and injuring scores of others. "They sought to disturb the peace and tranquillity of one of Islam's holiest sites - the Prophet's mosque at Madinah. The suicide bomber was stopped in his tracks outside the mosque complex and four Saudi security men were martyred and five were injured." "The perpetrators of this violence at the holy city have incurred the wrath of Almighty Allah and the world will soon witness the destruction of these unholy men who are making attempts to harm Islam and demonise the Muslims," the resolution said. It noted that through its sustained but distorted propaganda on the social media, the IS has been making attempts to spread its nefarious designs and tentacles to various Muslim and non-Muslim countries, by seeking to recruit youth and enlist the support of fringe terror groups operating in those countries. "This massive gathering of Indian Muslims appeals to their co-religionists, especially the youth, to be wary of the propaganda and activities of the ISIS, and do their utmost to foil the nefarious attempts of this anti-Islamic group to disturb peace and tranquility and create ill-will and hatred against the Muslims among their compatriots in this great country," it added. (With IANS inputs) Dar-es-Salaam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Tanzania from South Africa on the third leg of his four-nation tour of Africa. "From Durban to Dar es Salaam! PM @narendramodi arrives late night in Tanzania on the 3rd leg of his African sojourn," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swaroop tweeted. Modi waved as Tanzanian artists put up a lively show at the Julius Nyerere Airport on the tarmac. This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Tanzania in five years since the visit of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011. On Sunday, Modi will hold bilateral discussions with Tanzanian President John Magufuli in Dar-es-Salaam which will be followed by the signing of agreements. A major highlight of Modi`s visit to Tanzania will be a meeting with a group of "solar mamas". "Solar mamas" are women from developing nations who have been trained in harnessing solar energy at the Barefoot College at Tilonia village in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community, which numbers around 50,000 in Tanzania. Thereafter he will leave for Nairobi, Kenya, where he will address an Indian diaspora rally on Sunday evening. Hajipur: The National Research Centre for Banana would be set up at Goraul in Bihar's Vaishali district, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. The centre will be set up soon. The land for this purpose was allotted when Jitan Ram Manjhi was the Chief Minister, he said. Singh, accompanied by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, announced this while inaugurating a two-day 'Horti-Sangam' 2016 organised by National Horticulture Board at Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali. Farmers from more than a dozen states put fruits, vegetables, flowers and processed items on display and for sale at the event. The process of taking over Rajendra Agriculture University in Bihar, which got Central University status recently, will be completed within a month or two, Singh said. A bill to upgrade the university to a Central university was passed in the last session of Parliament. Stressing that the state's atmosphere and land are fit for horticulture development, Paswan said, a food processing industry would be set up in Hajipur or its adjoining area, provided the state government cooperates on this. New Delhi: Advocating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to learn lessons from Congress` experience to restore normalcy in the valley, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding dialogue with the Hurriyat"I fear that we are spinning into a situation in which we were in the 1990s. This government needs to learn lessons from Congress` experience, but I am afraid they are so prejudiced against the Congress that they will never learn any lessons from history," he said. Aiyar said it is alright to be hard on terrorism provided simultaneously and overwhelmingly there is also a political process that is put in motion."And the absence of a political process owing to the fact that Mehbooba Ji is being restrained by the BJP, owing to the fact that Mufti Sahab was also restrained by the BJP means that there is a political vacuum in which these kinds of acts of terror or people being attracted toward militancy does not have a suitable response," he added. The Congress veteran emphasized it is essential that there be a political dialogue with those whom we disagree with."Modi ji says that we should talk to China even though we disagree with them. Why doesn`t he talk with to the Hurriyat? Why doesn`t he talk to the students? Why doesn`t he allow his coalition partner Mehbooba to reach out to them? The fact of the matter is that South Kashmir is supposed to be the fortress of the Mufti family and it is there where militancy is at its worst," he told ANI.Holding the BJP responsible for the dangerous situation that is developing in the valley, Aiyar further asked Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to reach out to the dissatisfied elements. "I hold the BJP principally responsible for the very dangerous situation that is developing in the valley. They have entered into a coalition government with a party that is well-known for being sympathetically disposed to the students, who were feeling dispossessed, who were feeling unhappy, who had reported to stone throwing," he said. Meanwhile, the concerned authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have taken several measures to maintain law and order following the violence which erupted after the killing of top Hizbul Mujahiddin commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in South Kashmir`s Anantnag district last evening. The 21-year militant commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter in Kokernag area of the district.Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, carried a reward of Rs. ten lakh on his head. Durban: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited Phoenix Settlement, which is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi. He was welcomed by the local residents upon his arrival at the Phoenix Settlement at Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, around 24 km from Durban city. The Prime Minister also visited the farm where Gandhi spent formative years of his political work. Gandhi's old home `Sarvodaya` also forms a part of the Phoenix Settlement. Prime Minister Modi also interacted with members of the Phoenix Settlement Trust and planted a sapling at Sarvodaya. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted: "A sapling for sarvodaya. PM @narendramodi plants a pepper & bark tree at the Phoenix Settlement. Ela Gandhi with him." While living in South Africa, Gandhi was inspired by a visit to a Trappist community in Mariannhill and by John Ruskin`s book `Unto This Last` to found a communal living system. In 1904, Gandhi chose Phoenix to establish a community based on self-reliance and the value of labour on the land for the common good. In addition to a printing press for his newspaper `Indian Opinion`, Gandhi`s settlement featured a clinic, school and homes, including his cottage, `Sarvodaya, meaning `well-being for all`, where he lived with his family. Although the press was burned down during the political upheaval of the mid-1980s, it was rebuilt as a museum. The display here also focuses on the International Printing Press (the name of the publishing house that brought out the Indian Opinion) and the Indian Opinion. Gandhi used the weekly `Indian Opinion`, which first appeared on June 6, 1903, to share his philosophy of passive resistance `Satyagraha`. Gandhi`s eldest son Manilal was the Indian Opinion`s longest-serving editor from 1920 to 1956. In 1904, the publishing office was relocated to the Phoenix Settlement. It was here that Gandhi published his first book `Indian Home Rule`, which outlined his political vision for India and the principle of inter-faith harmony. The settlement has been an iconic representation of South Africa`s fight for justice, peace and equal rights for all citizens. During the apartheid era, it was an important resistance site, where activists from all over the country met for political enlightenment. During the Inanda riots in 1985, a large portion of the settlement was razed. However, it was re-built after South Africa`s first democratic elections in 1994. Today the settlement comprises Gandhi`s house, the printing press building, which now houses the Inanda Tourism office, Gandhi`s son Manilal`s house and the Phoenix Interpretation Centre, where lectures are given. Next to the Phoenix settlement is the Kasturba Primary School, named after Gandhi`s wife. A school was built on the site in her honour in 1954, but was destroyed in 1985. A new school was built to replace the old one still bears her name. Gandhi arrived in South Africa in 1893 at the age of 24 on an assignment as a newly-qualified lawyer. He stayed in the country for 21 years, occasionally visiting India and England. New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Saturday came down heavily on founder of Islamic Research Foundation Zakir Naik saying, it seems the controversial Islamic preacher seems to be totally ignorant of Urdu. The former Press Council of India chairman today took to Twitter to express his views on Naik's various takes. Here's what he wrote: Y doesnt Zakir Naik quote Urdu poetry in his speeches ? Is it because Urdu poetry has Sufi touch, which propagates humanitarianism & rejects. Religious fundamentalism ? Is it because he supports Wahabis, who r deadly enemies of the Sufis ? He seems to be totally ignorant of Urdu. Zakir Naik says demolition of Bamiyan Buddha was to educate the Buddhists. When asked whether this would not have caused grief to millions of Buddhists, he says that when the government siezes a haul of drugs, it causes grief to many drug users. Y doesnt Zakir Naik quote Urdu poetry in his speeches ? Is it because Urdu poetry has Sufi touch, which propagates humanitarianism & rejects Markandey Katju (@mkatju) July 9, 2016 religious fundamentalism ? Is it because he supports Wahabis, who r deadly enemies of the Sufis ? He seems to be totally ignorant of Urdu Markandey Katju (@mkatju) July 9, 2016 Zakir Naik says demolition of Bamiyan Buddha was to educate the Buddhists. When asked whether this would not have caused grief to millions Markandey Katju (@mkatju) July 9, 2016 of Buddhists, he says that when the government siezes a haul of drugs, it causes grief to many drug users.https://t.co/jVJgKT1wTW Markandey Katju (@mkatju) July 9, 2016 Katju on Friday opined that all religions must be replaced by science. The former Press Council of India chairman said: No religion can improve. All religions are superstitions & outdated, & must be replaced by science. Srinagar: A day after poster boy of terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter, violence broke out at several places in Kashmir on Saturday as mobs attacked police posts, security personnel and BJP office in Kulgam to protest the death of Wani. Groups of youths pelted stones at police posts and police stations at Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district. 11 persons including three policemen have been injured during the clashes. Meanwhile, thousands of people turned up for funeral prayers of Burhan Wani. Fearing law and order problems in Kashmir the authorities today suspended the Amarnath Yatra. The government has suspended mobile Internet services in Kashmir Valley and curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of the Valley. Confirming the development, CRPF DG said, "As of now the Amarnath Yatra is suspended, all yatris have been given full protection." "The Amarnath Yatra will recommence as soon as the situation improves," Prasad said. "No yatri was allowed to move from Bhagawati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu city towards the valley due to prevailing tension following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani," a senior police official told IANS in Jammu. A police official said the situation was by and large peaceful in most parts of Kashmir so far but Tral -- the hometown of the slain militant commander -- witnessed protests by residents following his killing in the encounter in in Kokernag area yesterday. Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and separatist leader Asiya Andrabi have called for a complete state wide shutdown and appealed to the people to participate in Wani's funeral prayers in large numbers. Huge number of security personnel have been deployed in areas like Pulwama, Shopian, Ananatnag and Sopore to thwart any protest from the separatists side. The Rail services from Baramulla to Banihal town have also been suspended. 21-year-old Burhan, who shot to fame after his videos asking youth in Kashmir to join militancy appeared on social media, was cornered in Bumdoora village of Kokernag Friday morning by a joint team of police and Army, official sources said. Burhan, who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, is believed to have taken up the gun to avenge his elder brother's humiliation by the security forces who made him do squats after picking him up for no crime. Last month, Wani released a video warning of attacks on separate colonies for Sainiks and Kashmiri Pandits if they are set up in the Valley. New Delhi: Congress on Saturday termed as 'unfortunate' the protests in Kashmir over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, saying people should not mourn for militants who are responsible for killing hundreds of innocents. "As far as Burham is concerned, he was a terrorist. There is no doubt that he was not an innocent and was a terrorist. It is unfortunate that people in Kashmir mourn when a terrorist dies. "People should not condole the death of terrorists, who are responsible for killing hundreds of innocent people," senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said. Burham Wani, the 21-year-old poster boy of militancy, was shot dead in an encounter yesterday by security forces along with two of his accomplices in Kokernag area, 83 km from Srinagar. This led to violent protests in many parts of Kashmir, with protesters attacking police posts and security personnel in several areas and targeting the BJP office in Kulgam. Authorities also suspended the annual Amarnath yatra from Jammu to base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam in the Valley which has been gripped by tension. Srinagar: Several political leaders from the state and Centre on Saturday expressed profound grief and agony over the death of youths during protests following the killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her condolences to the bereaved family members of the youths who were killed in the protest today and admitted that 'disproportionate forces were used on mourners' besides urging people for calm. "I express profound grief over the tragic death of the youths and extend my heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family members in their hour of immense grief," CM Mehbooba said in a statement issued here. Violence only brings miseries to the people and tragedies for the victim families, Mehbooba said and appealed people, especially the youth not to fall prey to the machinations of the vested interests, who play politics over the dead bodies of Kashmiris. She asked the police and the paramilitary forces to use Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) while dealing with protesters to avoid loss of precious human lives or injuries. Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and maintain peace after violent protests and said that the central government is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring normalcy in Kashmir Valley. "I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace," Rajnath Singh said in a statement. "Deeply anguished at the loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," he added. Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah voiced his apprehension of a likely spurt in militancy in the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the killing of Burhan Wani. "Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," the National Conference leader said in a series of tweets. He also asserted that Wani had become the new `icon` for the disaffected community in the valley. "After many years I hear slogans for "Azadi" resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir`s disaffected got a new icon yesterday," he said in another tweet. ADGP (CID) of Jammu and Kashmir Police SM Sahai described the situation as 'bad in certain segments' and 'not critical' in areas like north Kashmir and under control in Srinagar. "We have had a very difficult day today. It is very unfortunate that young lives were lost in clashes," said Sahai. He also appealed to the parents to restrain their children from participating in such protests so that young lives are not lost. Replying to a volley of questions, including why Burhan was not caught alive instead of being gunned down, Sahai said, "We certainly don't want to kill youngsters of our own society." At least nine people were killed and 126, including 96 security forces personnel, were injured as mob violence and clashes rocked Kashmir over the gunning down of Wani even as authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended mobile internet services to contain the volatile situation. Twenty-one-year-old Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed, along with two of his accomplices, in an encounter in Kokernag area on Friday. Srinagar: At least eleven people were killed on Saturday in clashes between security forces and protesters over the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in Jammu and Kashmir. The protests broke out even as thousands of people attended Wani's funeral in the Valley. A BJP party office was also attacked by a mob in Kulgam. Wani was buried on Saturday in his home village Tral in Pulwama district in the presence of some 20,000 people who defied a curfew. More than 120 people, majority of whom were security personnel, were injured, the police said. The protesters killed were identified as Aijaz Ahmed Thokru, a resident of Siligam in Anantnag, Yawar Manzoor Kondru of Anantnag, Khursheed Ahmed of Kulgam and Zubair Ahmed also of Kulgam, who was injured on Friday but succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, Adil Bashir of Dooru, Anantnag, Abdul Hamid Mochi, or Arwami village in Anantnag, Shaukat Ahmed of Bijbehara and Mohammad Asif of Kukurnag. All except Kondru who drowned in the Jhelum as security forces sought to disperse a violent mob were killed when security forces retaliated to attacks by violent mobs on police stations, mobile posts, security force pickets, police patrol and security force vehicles, the officials said. According to the officials, the mobs also burned down a police station in south Kashmir, and also attacked private and public vehicles on the highway. Demonstrators also set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in Srinagar. Three police had gone missing in the violence, and officers were forced to fire tear gas at the crowds and shoot their guns, said additional director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, S. M. Sahai. Groups of youths pelted stones at police posts and police stations at Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district. Eleven persons, including three policemen, have been injured during the clashes. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. Fearing law and order problems in Kashmir the authorities today suspended the Amarnath Yatra. Confirming the development, CRPF DG said, "As of now the Amarnath Yatra is suspended, all yatris have been given full protection." "The Amarnath Yatra will recommence as soon as the situation improves," Prasad said. The administration also announced that all exams from school to university level had been postponed as well as the National Eligibility Test and interviews of the State Public Commission. The government suspended mobile Internet services in Kashmir Valley and curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of the Valley. Meanwhile, the separatists announced that they will continue their shutdown on Sunday and Monday too to protest the "killing spree by the Indian security forces". A huge number of security personnel have been deployed in areas like Pulwama, Shopian, Ananatnag and Sopore. The rail services from Baramulla to Banihal town have also been suspended. Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that Wani had become the new 'icon' for the frustrated and disaffected community in the Valley. BJP leader Hina Bhatt acknowledged the fact that the separatists always extend their support to terrorist groups. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed for calm while expressing "profound" grief and agony over the deaths during the protests and asked security forces to avoid use of disproportionate force for crowd control. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Centre is working with the state government to bring normalcy in the Valley. He also expressed "deep anguish" over the "loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence" in Kashmir and appealed for calm. A joint team of police and army had on Friday gunned down Wani and two of his associates during an encounter in the Anantnag district. The 21-year-old Hizbul commander was considered the face of a new generation of militancy in Kashmir. Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, joined the ranks of Hizbul Muhahideen in 2010 and went on to become a social media icon for the terror group. He carried a reward of Rs10 lakh on his head. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: A day after alleging that slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani had no links to militancy, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday asserted that Wani had become the new 'icon' for the frustrated and disaffected community in the valley. "Aftr many yrs I hear slogans for "Azadi" resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon y'day. Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit in to militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," Omar said in a series of tweets. Earlier, stating that National Conference Party had always maintained that a political problem needs a political solution, Omar had said that Burhan wasn't the first to pick up the gun and won't be the last. "For all Burhan's social media activity I don't recall any militancy incident attributed to him while I was in office. Not sure after that," he tweeted. Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani and Separatist leader Asiya Andrabi have called for a complete state wide shutdown on Saturday and appealed to the people to participate in Wani's funeral prayers in large numbers. Geelani also appealed to the people to hold funeral prayers in-absentia for Wani at their respective places who could not reach Tral. The 22-year-old Internet-savvy Kashmiri militant was reporteldy a resident of Dadsara village in south Kashmir's Tral area. He had left home in 2010-days before he was to take the Class 10 examination to join the region's front-line indigenous militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. He soon rose to become its district commander and figured in the list of most wanted militants. Wani featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp aimed at recruiting young Kashmiri men for terror. Last month, Wani released a video warning of attacks on separate colonies for Sainiks and Kashmiri Pandits if they are set up in the Valley. The major part of the video message, however, was directed at the Jammu and Kashmir Police warning them of more attacks. Reportedly, there was a Rs. 10 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest. Srinagar: Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the most wanted militant, who became a poster boy of militant outfit Hizbul Mujhaideen was killed in an encounter on Friday. Reports today said that the 21-year-old Burhan, who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, had relation with several girls. The reports said that one of his girlfriend was unhappy with Wani's relationship with other girls and wanted to teach him a lesson. It is being learnt that the same girl became an informer and told the security officials about Wani's movement. The girl informed the officials that Wani's was moving in Anantnag district, following which the whole area was gheraoed and after intense firing the Hizbul commander was killed. For the last one and a half years, Burhan Wani had become an icon of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and carried a reward of Rs one million on his head. Wani had recently posted a video on social media threatening local policemen and other security forces with dire consequences if they carried out anti-militancy operations in Kashmir. Protesters today attacked police posts and security personnel in several areas and targeted BJP office in Kulgam as violence broke out in Kashmir Valley, a day after Wani was killed in an encounter. Srinagar: More than 20,000 people on Saturday attended the burial of top Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in south Kashmir`s Tral town. People from different parts of Pulwama district gathered at Shariefabad (Tral) to attend the burial of Wani, who was killed along with two of his associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday. Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners at the burial appeared surcharged as youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani`s path. The authorities, allowing the burial procedure, withdrew all security forces deployed around the ground to prevent clashes with the agitated people. The authorities had imposed a curfew in the entire Pulwama district, but the people had come to attend Wani`s burial by defying the curfew restrictions. Mobile internet services were suspended throughout the Valley on Saturday to prevent the spread of rumours. Authorities also suspended mobile phone services throughout south Kashmir`s Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam districts. Curfew has also been imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar including Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Maisuma and Kral Koud. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Saturday following law and order situation in areas along its route. Train services from north Kashmir`s Baramulla town to Bannihal town in the Jammu region were also suspended on Saturday. All school board examinations scheduled for the day have been postponed. Separatists, including hardliner Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for a day strike to protest Wani`s killing. Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit and Asiya Andrabi, the radical chief of women separatist Dukhtaran-e-Milat, have called for a three-day shutdown in the Kashmir Valley. Srinagar: Thousands of people on Saturday attended the funeral of Hizbul Mujhaideen poster boy, Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter on Friday. Kashmir witnessed huge protests as mob attacked police posts, security personnel and BJP office in Kulgam to protest the death of 21-year-old Burhan, who shot to fame after his videos asking youth in the Valley to join militancy appeared on social media. Groups of youths pelted stones at police posts and police stations at Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district. 11 persons including three policemen have been injured during the clashes. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir's Baramulla district. Fearing law and order problems in Kashmir the authorities today suspended the Amarnath Yatra. Confirming the development, CRPF DG said, "As of now the Amarnath Yatra is suspended, all yatris have been given full protection." "The Amarnath Yatra will recommence as soon as the situation improves," Prasad said. The government suspended mobile Internet services in Kashmir Valleya and curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of the Valley. Huge number of security personnel have been deployed in areas like Pulwama, Shopian, Ananatnag and Sopore. The Rail services from Baramulla to Banihal town have also been suspended. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that Wani had become the new 'icon' for the frustrated and disaffected community in the Valley. BJP leader Hina Bhatt acknowledged the fact that the separatists always extend their support to terrorist groups. Wani, who featured in videos circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp, aimed at recruiting young Kashmiri men for terror, was hunted down by the security forces in an intelligence-led operation last evening. Wani, the son of a headmaster and a school dropout, carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Bhopal: As many as 11 people have died due to flood in Madhya Pradesh in the last couple of days as heavy rains continued to lash large parts of the state with Army shifting over 400 deluge-hit people in Satna district to safer places. "Eight people have died due to flood and excessive rainfall in the last three-four days in the state," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here today. Two persons have died in Bhopal, one each in Tikamgarh, Rewa, Jhabua, Betul, Raisen and Panna, he said. "One more death was reported around this noon when Sourabh Katiyar (21) was washed away in a swollen nullah near Shahpur lake here while travelling on a motorcycle. His body has been recovered," a police official said. Earlier, one person died each in Mandla and Singrauli districts yesterday after they were washed out in flooded nullah. The CM said Narmada river was flowing above the danger mark in Hoshangabad. "Any one in distress, can dial 1079 for help," he said adding officials have been instructed to swiftly act in case of flooding. Chouhan said he has postponed the scheduled meeting with his cabinet colleagues at Halali dam near here tomorrow and asked ministers to rush to their respective districts and remain there to monitor the situation and help out people in distress. "Food packets have been sent to Bhopal. To deal with any untoward incident, NDRF team is also present there. In these circumstances we are trying to provide relief and rescue measures so that people may not suffer," the CM added. Meanwhile, the Army has shifted over 400 deluge-hit people in Raghuraj tehsil of Satna district to relief camps, while the district administration has made arrangements for rehabilitating nearly 300 persons affected by swollen Tamas, Sone and Mandakini rivers. "Army has shifted 400 flood affected persons to relief camps in Raghuraj Nagar tehsil of Satna district yesterday," an official of Public Relation department said today. Mumbai: A social group on Saturday started an online petition to press for the release of Hamid N. Ansari, a Mumbaikar who is languishing in a Pakistani jail for nearly four years. An engineer-cum-MBA, Ansari, 31, a resident of Andheri suburb, had gone to Kabul, Afghanistan for a job interview in November 2012. He had befriended a Pakistani girl on Facebook and later reportedly crossed over into Pakistan`s Kohat to save her from being forcibly married off to a person twice her age. The petition started by Prasanna Chandrasekar, said that the girl shared her despair and pleaded for help to Ansari who decided to save her - as was evident from the communication they exchanged. Accordingly, on November 12, 2012, Ansari crossed the border from Afghanistan-Pakistan border at Jalalabad to Peshawar, though all contact with him had been cut off two days earlier. Later, it transpired that he was detained by the Pakistani authorities, was taken into custody by the Pakistan Army and was undergoing trial in a military court there. These startling facts came to light in Jaunary this year after his mother Fauzia Ansari filed a petition, and said that he was punished for a three-year jail term on November 14, 2015. Mumbai Congress ex-legislator Krishna Hegde said that the Peshawar High Court had urged the concerned authorities to consider including the three years Ansari had already spent in jail as an undertrial and also announced his expected release date. The online petition says that its almost four years now but Ansari has still not been released, causing great despair to his parents, Nehal and Fauzia, who have been making great efforts for his return. They have written to top authorities in Indian and Pakistani governments, seeking their intervention for (Hamid) Ansari`s early release. New Delhi: Acknowledging that Islamic preacher Zakir Naik`s speeches were provocative, former Mumbai police commissioner and now Baghpat MP Satyapal Singh on Saturday said the Mumbai Police had forwarded a report of his activities to the then UPA government in 2008, but no action was taken on it. "In 2008, we sent a report to government questioning Zakir Naik `s source of funding and speeches. His organisation should be banned by FCRA. We filed a report on the event in which 12 people converted to Islam at the venue, they have transformed at least 12 girls and boys into Muslim from Hindu and Jain. At that time we have sent a report. They get funding from outside," Singh told ANI here. Singh also said that Naik misinterpreted and misquoted religious books. "We have mentioned in the report that such things can be dangerous and sought immediate action from the government. But nothing was done at the right time," he added. In October 2008, a two-day programme by Naik`s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) at the Azam Campus ground in Pune Camp became controversial after "religious conversions" took place at the venue. Twelve persons, mainly youths, converted to Islam voluntarily in the presence of Naik at the full-packed open programme held at the Azam Campus ground, the premises of an educational organisation run by the Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education (MCE) Society.Naik is reportedly in Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage and would return to India on July 11. Naik, a popular but controversial Islamic orator and founder of the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in UK and Canada for his hate speeches. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. However, calling Zakir Naik`s speeches `highly objectionable`, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Home Ministry will take appropriate action after studying them. "The Home Ministry will study (his speeches). It will take appropriate action after studying them. His speeches, as being reported in the media, are highly objectionable," Naidu told the media. Washington: Tired of the alleged "double game" being played by Islamabad, American lawmakers have announced to hold a Congressional hearing next week to discuss whether Pakistan is a "friend or foe" of the US in the war on terror. "This hearing will give members the opportunity to learn more about Pakistan's longstanding ties to terrorist groups and allow for a more informed reassessment of US foreign policy priorities vis-a-vis Islamabad," said Congressman Ted Poe Chairman of Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The hearing titled "Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism?" has been convened by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "The US has spent tens of billions of taxpayer dollars in aid to Pakistan since 9/11. Now, fifteen years later, Pakistan's military and intel services are still linked to terrorist organisations and little success has been made to stabilise the region," said Congressman Matt Salmon, chairman of the subcommittee about the alleged "double game" played by Pakistan. "We must take a closer look at US goals, expectations and our aid spending in the region. In this hearing, we will discuss the Administration's failed policy toward Pakistan and debate the best way forward," Salmon said. Among the witnesses include former US ambassador to Afghanistan and United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad. The other two witnesses are Bill Roggio, senior editor, Long War Journal and Tricia Bacon, Assistant Professor, American University. "Pakistan's long history of ties to terrorist groups, including those with American blood on their hands, is well documented," Congressman Poe said. "Pakistan's military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), provide support to various terrorist organisations, including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani network, in a bid to exert influence over Pakistan's regional rivals," Poe said in a statement. In May 2016, the leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike while in Pakistan, reinforcing Pakistan's image as an unquestionable safe haven for terrorist groups, he said. In fact, in the most recent Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department noted that Pakistan 'did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or HQN [the Haqqani network], he added. "Despite the mounting evidence of Pakistan's collusion with global terrorism, Pakistan is among the leading recipients of US foreign assistance, with Congress appropriating more than USD 33 billion to Islamabad since 2002," Poe said. Tata Steel has put the process of selling its major British assets on hold because of the uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote and surrounding pension liabilities and will now also look at forming a joint venture, the company said. Tata Steel put its British operations up for sale in March, including its Port Talbot plant in southern Wales, threatening thousands of jobs, but an industry source told Reuters on Thursday that the sale had been put on hold. The firm said on Friday the June 23 referendum, when Britons voted to leave the European Union, and issues around the pension scheme had prompted a rethink. "The bids have also been reviewed in the light of the uncertainties caused by the UK referendum and the outcome of the UK Governments consultation on the British Steel Pension Scheme," the firm said in a statement. "Consequently, Tata Steel has now entered into discussions with strategic players in the steel industry, including Thyssenkrupp." Germany`s biggest steelmaker Thyssenkrupp has said it wants to play a role in any consolidation of the European steel market, which is saddled with excess production capacity and a weak demand outlook. Tata Steel said it will also begin separate processes for the potential sale of its Speciality Steels business and the northern English Hartlepool pipe mills except for its 20-inch Tube Mill. Liberty House Group, which an industrial source told Reuters on Thursday was to bid for Tata Steel`s specialty steels and pipeline tubes business, said on Friday it will continue discussions with Tata about acquiring a number of assets. There were signs this week that Brexit-induced uncertainty and a sharp fall in sterling would hurt a wide range of companies, with investors warning the economy could tip into recession, hammering consumer and business confidence. Tata Steel employs some 11,000 people in the UK. Its specialty steel and tubes business together employ some 2,000 people, meaning the fate of another 9,000 steel jobs and thousands more jobs indirectly related to steelmaking is now uncertain. Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday said all secular parties should come together to fight the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, slated to be held next year, and he would "try to convince" Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for this. "I will try to convince Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is my relative, that all secular parties should fight the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election together to defeat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party," he said. Addressing a Eid milan function of Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, Prasad said secular parties should come together to check "fundamentalist forces led by RSS and other right wing organisations". The RJD chief claimed that during UP elections he would reveal why Modi visited a mosque in Dubai recently and alleged that "RSS wants to hoist the saffron flag in place of the Tricolour". Expressing "anxiety" over "provocative statements made by some ruling party leaders", Jamait-Ulma-e-Hind president Sayeed Arshad Madni said, "This sounds an alarm bell over the unity and secular fabric of the country." He also lauded Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar for coming together to ensure victory of "secular forces" in Bihar polls and said the same thing should happen in Uttar Pradesh too. Dehradun: Chief Minister Harish Rawat has accepted opposition BJP's "challenge" for an open debate on the sting operation case in which he has been purportedly shown negotiating a deal to buy support of disgruntled party MLAs at the time of the recent political crisis in Uttarakhand. "I am ready for an open debate on the issue on a public platform if some of our friends want this," he told reporters here yesterday. Uttarakhand BJP president Ajay Bhatt had recently dared Rawat to an open debate on the sting CD case. "If the CM has the moral courage he should come to Gandhi Park or to any other public place and debate the sting operation with me before people in general and the media," Bhatt had said in a statement here on Thursday. The BJP leader was reacting to reports in a section of the media here, saying Rawat had given a clarification on the sting operation at his residence before a gathering of people he had invited at a programme called 'Jan Samwad'. The sting CD is currently being investigated by the CBI. Defending his decision to hold a direct dialogue with people in the form of 'Jan Samwad' on the sting CD, Rawat said it was a healthy initiative by the state government. "However, if this has not gone down well with some of our friends, I am ready for an open debate on it on a public forum," he said. Beirut: Rebel shelling into government-held parts of Syria's second city Aleppo killed at least 38 civilians on Saturday, a war monitor said, as Syrian government forces continued their offensive to completely encircle rebel-held parts of the city. Those killed included 14 children and 13 women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor said. Despite a now-expired three-day ceasefire announced by the Syrian army earlier this week, Syrian government and allied forces advanced this week towards the only route into the opposition half of the city, the Castello Road. Syrian forces are now 500-1000 metres away from the road, sources say, bringing the road within firing range and trapping between 250,000 and 300,000 people in opposition-held parts of Aleppo. Aleppo, Syria`s largest city before the war when it had more than 2 million people, has been divided for years into rebel and government sectors. Controlling all of it has been one of President Bashar al-Assad`s biggest goals. Heavy aerial and artillery bombardment had at times made the Castello Road impassable. But this week`s advance brings government forces the closest so far to the road, making it even easier to hit. The Observatory said air strikes and heavy shelling also hit rebel-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least five people. Syrian state media put Saturday`s death toll from rebel-fire in Aleppo at around 40, with more than 300 injured. Karachi: As Pakistan prepares to bid the final adieu to celebrated humanitarian and Edhi Foundation chairman Abdul Sattar Edhi, whose funeral prayers will be offered on Saturday in Karachi, security has been stepped across the city. Edhi`s funeral prayers will be offered after Zuhr prayers at the National Stadium, after which he will be laid to rest at Edhi village, reports the Dawn. Strict security measures have been taken for the funeral as it is expected to be attended by thousands of mourners and high profile figures. Army Chief General Raheel Sharif also arrived in Karachi to attend Edhi`s funeral ceremony, tweeted DG ISPR Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa. Bajwa said the Army, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies personnel will unite to ensure safety for the mourners. He added that a military guard of honour and gun salute will be presented at the funeral.President Mamnoon Hussain, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, his Sindh counterpart Qaim Ali Shah, Governor Sindh Ishratul Ibad, IG Sindh AD Khawaja, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah and Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar among others are set to attend the funeral.The Karachi Traffic Police has also designated different entry points for public and VIPs as part of the security plan. "The public will be allowed to enter the National Stadium through gate number 4, 5 ,6 and 8," Dawn quoted DIG Traffic Amir Sheikh as saying. After the prayers, Edhi`s body will be taken to the Edhi Village for burial.He passed away at the age of 92 in Karachi on Friday night. Edhi`s son Faisal Edhi said that his father`s cornea will be donated. "He wished to be buried in the same clothes he used to wear. He also wanted to donate his body parts, but only his cornea can be donated as rest of the organs were not in healthy condition," said Faisal. Edhi was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2013 but was unable to get a transplant due to frail health. He was receiving treatment at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). Warsaw: United States President Barack Obama on Saturday urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to ensure an orderly transition to a close relationship between Britain and the European Union once the UK leaves the EU, a White House official said. Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw, "the President and the Chancellor reaffirmed the need for an orderly process to determine the future relationship between the UK and EU," the official said. "They agreed that a highly integrated UK-EU relationship is in the best interests of the transatlantic community." EU leaders have said Britain can only retain full access to their lucrative single market, including for its large financial services sector, if it continues to allow free movement of EU workers and upholds EU rules. The two candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron have both said they intend to restrict immigration. Beijing: Dismissing the US appeal to accept the verdict of the international tribunal on the disputed South China Sea as "delusional", China on Saturday said it can not be forced to accept the July 12 ruling. "It can only be a delusion of relevant parties to impose the ruling on China through diplomatic pressurising and negative publicity campaign. We advise them to give up such futile attempts," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Abraham Denmark has appealed to China to accept the tribunal verdict to be delivered on July 12. "The arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippine Aquino administration distorts the purposes of UNCLOS (UN Convention on Law of Seas), challenges the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of parties in the South China Sea as a regional regulation, and flouts the rule of law and regulations under the banner of defending them," Hong told the media. "By not accepting the ruling nor participating in the arbitrary tribunal, China is acting in accordance with law while championing UNCLOS and the DOC as well as the international rule of law and regulations. China will never change its stance," he said. China's assertion of claims overall but most of South China Sea is disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. The tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, would rule on the Philippines petition challenging the claims of China over the South China Sea next week. Denmark has urged both China and the Philippines to comply with the ruling. It would be a chance to determine "whether the Asia-Pacific's future will be defined by adherence to international laws and norms that have enabled it to prosper, or whether the region's future will be determined by raw calculations of power," Denmark was quoted as saying. Colombo: The close relationship between China and Sri Lanka will have no bearing on their ties with other countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday. Yi is on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka ahead of President Maithripala Sirisena's China visit later this month. "There is a consensus between China and Sri Lanka that our cooperation does not target any third country nor will it affect our respective relations with other countries. We stand ready to work more closely with other regional countries for the purpose of achieving common development," Yi said in an obvious reference to India. In the past, India has expressed some concerns over the USD 1.5 billion Colombo Port city project which is to be built by China on reclaimed land in the sea. "No matter what changes in the international situation and domestic agenda our strategic and cooperative partnership will continue to develop," the Chinese foreign minister said. China intends to make the 21st century maritime Silk Road a priority and help Sri Lanka build itself into a shipping centre in the Indian ocean, he said. Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island was looking forward to Chinese enterprise to make contribution towards developing the Lankan economy. Sri Lanka also expressed hope that the South China Sea dispute would be resolved through "constructive dialogue". Dhaka: A Bangladeshi teenager who police say was a suspect in last week`s deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week`s deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over "suspicious activities", treating him as a suspect -- a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. Shawon`s father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his "innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family" died due to torture. "His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists," Sattar told AFP. Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon`s involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. "IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five," he said. "If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information." Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. "He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised," Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP. The teenager`s father said he spoke with his son hours before the July 1 carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid al-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival. He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka`s suburb. Instead, his family saw him in a hospital. "He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother," the father said. "He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, "Please don`t hit me. Let me go," he added. The United States announced Friday it will deploy 1,000 troops to Poland as part of broader NATO efforts to reassure former Communist eastern member states fearful of a more assertive Russia. Speaking at a NATO summit in Warsaw, President Barack Obama said the troops would serve "shoulder to shoulder" with Polish forces. They are expected to conduct frequent training missions and will be "mechanised", meaning they would have regular infantry equipment including armoured personnel carriers. Britain said earlier this week it would commit 650 troops to a separate battalion, and fellow NATO allies Germany and Canada have also pledged to stand up their own units. Elissa Slotkin, the US acting assistant secretary of defence for international security, said the troops would be in place some time next year. "Four battalions -- that represents the largest movement of NATO personnel since the end of the Cold War," she said. "The United States will have a division`s worth of personnel and equipment on the continent of Europe, on top of what NATO has done." The troops will rotate through Poland plus the three small Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, acting as a tripwire to deter any Russian adventurism. They are backed up by a "Spearhead Force" -- officially the "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" -- which numbers about 5,000 troops ready to move within a couple of days.NATO has been working to prevent a repeat of Russia`s Ukraine intervention and annexation of Crimea in 2014, with former Soviet-bloc members anxious they could be vulnerable should Moscow attempt additional land grabs. The alliance has mounted a series of exercises, especially in the eastern member states, to test readiness levels and reassure nervous allies, and it has also deployed extra aircraft to boost air policing, especially over the Baltic states. Further south, NATO is increasingly focusing on alliance members Romania and Bulgaria as they cast a wary eye across the Black Sea, where the Russians are building up their military presence. NATO has announced plans to set up a similar reassurance force in Romania. "We are seeing in the Black Sea increasingly a feeling of intimidation," a senior US defence official said. Aside from the four NATO battalions, the United States is separately pumping more military resources into Europe, this year pledging $3.4 billion in "reassurance" spending. The Pentagon has separately announced the deployment from next year of an armoured brigade of 4,200 troops and Obama said Friday this unit`s headquarters will be in Poland. "Poland will be seeing an increase in NATO and American personnel and in the most modern military equipment," Obama said. Obama did not provide details on where the US troops comprising the NATO battalion would come from, or where they would be stationed. The United States is also building a missile defence system in Europe, which NATO was due to take control of as early as Friday, the US defence official said. "Unless there`s some last-minute hiccup... later this evening, NATO will move into command and control position," the official said. Obama`s announcement came as the Atlantic alliance began a two-day summit in the Polish capital billed as one of the most important such gatherings since the end of the Cold War. NATO leaders also discussed the longstanding issue of a 2014 decision to reverse years of spending cuts and require countries to commit two percent of annual economic output to defence. Progress since then has been patchy, with only five of the 28 member states meeting the target at a time of austerity. Karachi: A reporter in Pakistan exasperated one and all by reporting from inside the grave in which the body of the country's celebrated humanitarian and founder of the Edhi Foundation, a non-profit welfare organisation, Abdul Sattar Edhi, will be buried on Saturday. As the reporter from Express News gave his report, the text on the screen read "Karachi: inside the last resting place of the servant of humanity, Abdul Sattar Edhi." Edhi's funeral will be held on Saturday afternoon. He would be buried with the national flag wrapped around his coffin and would be accorded a police guard of honour. Tributes poured in from all over the country for the revered national hero, who died on Friday night after he was put on ventilator following his deteriorating health. But the Twitterati did not spare the Express reporter: Sab sey pehley Express News par!Reporter reaches Edhi's grave before him. Get this idiot thrown in a mental ward. pic.twitter.com/FTXDgnYeIY NadeemFarooqParacha (@NadeemfParacha) July 9, 2016 Amazing depths of the dark abyss called Pakistani journalism pic.twitter.com/ydyb7h4zrW Edhi (@faisalqureshi) July 9, 2016 Dear Media, please don't install cameras in #Edhi Saheb's grave to record exclusive footage of his first night in grave.#SalamEdhi Aqsa Junejo (@JunejoAqsa) July 9, 2016 We're no longer scraping the bottom of the barrel, we've broken thru the bottom& are feeding on the scum underneath. https://t.co/ZLltp70MCH (((DawntJalluss))) (@monadarling) July 9, 2016 Yesterday we saw a reporter exploiting a kid who had lost his mother and today another one reports LIVE from Edhi's grave. Souls for sale. Usman Ghani (@UGpk) July 9, 2016 Tehran: Iran`s ballistic missile tests in March were "not consistent" with the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed with world powers, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council. However Ban -- in a confidential report that AFP saw on Friday -- leaves it up to the Security Council to determine what, if anything, should be done in response. The report does not clearly state whether the Iranian tests violated the provisions of the landmark nuclear deal signed in July 2015 in Vienna. Under the agreement, Tehran agreed to curb its atomic program. Western powers accused Iran of using the program to develop a nuclear bomb, but Tehran always denied the allegation. The deal led to the lifting of sanctions in January. However, Iran`s ballistic missile program was not covered by the agreement. "While it is for the Security Council to interpret its own resolutions, I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing" of the nuclear deal, reads part of Ban`s 16-page report, dated July 1. "I am concerned by the ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran in March 2016. "I call upon Iran to refrain from conducting such ballistic missile launches since they have the potential to increase tensions in the region," Ban wrote.This is the first report regarding the application of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes the terms of the July 2015 nuclear accord. The resolution states that Iran "is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." The Security Council is set to examine the report on July 18, but diplomatic sources are not expecting a decision to be taken, or even for the 15 nations on the Council to take a joint position. "The report makes no recommendations to the Security Council," a Council diplomat told AFP. "Having a report by the secretary general is very useful but it is up to us to decide what we are going to do about it," the diplomat said. The United States, France, Britain and Germany in late March said they believed that Iran`s ballistic missile launches violated UN resolutions, and asked the Security Council to address the issue. The western powers believe that some of the missiles could carry nuclear payloads, something that Tehran denied. Baghdad - Iraq`s prime minister fired three officials in charge of Baghdad`s security on Friday after last weekend`s bombing that killed nearly 300 people and caused public outrage over the inadequacy of the emergency services and security apparatus. The bombing, claimed by the ultra-hardline Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS), was the deadliest in Iraq since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein 13 years ago. Islamic State has lost ground since last year to U.S.-backed government forces and Iranian-backed Shi`ite Muslim militias advancing into territories they control in northern and western Iraq, but IS retains the ability to strike the heart of Baghdad. A statement posted on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi`s Facebook page said he had dismissed the commanders of military operations, security services and intelligence in the capital. "The sacking of the Baghdad Operations Commander was due to accumulated mistakes that cannot be overlooked," one senior security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It is a difficult decision and came at a critical time because we are engaged in a tough battle with Daesh, but it had to be made because of the catastrophic failure," he said. Daesh is a derogatory Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The commander of the Joint Operations Command, General Talib Shaghati al-Kenani, has been put in temporary charge of security in the capital, the security official said. The Joint Operations Command coordinates Iraqi armed forces and U.S.-led coalition air support used in military operations against Islamic State. The official said the bombing was clear evidence of the weakness of the security apparatus in Baghdad. "The car bomb came from outside the capital, crossing dozens of checkpoints before reaching the target. All of them answer to the operations command," he said. Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban resigned on Tuesday, after blaming the bombing on a lack of communication between the various forces in charge of security in Baghdad. Abadi approved Ghabban`s resignation on the same day he tendered it, according to a statement on the premier`s website. FEARS OF MORE SECTARIAN VIOLENCE Iraq`s top Shi`ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday criticised the Abadi government`s failure to deal effectively with the threat Islamic State poses. "Complacency among corrupt and failed (officials) at the expense of the blood and souls of innocent civilians is unbearable and needs to be stopped," he said in his weekly sermon, read on his behalf in the Shi`ite holy city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Islamic State also claimed a triple suicide attack late on Thursday near a Shi`ite mausoleum north of Baghdad that killed at least 35 people, according to security sources. Baghdad-based security analyst Hisham al-Hashimi said this attack made an escalation of sectarian strife highly likely. Shi`ites form a majority in Iraq but northern and western provinces are mostly Sunni, including in Salahuddin where the Mausoleum of Sayid Mohammed bin Ali al-Hadi is located. Prominent Shi`ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his militia, the Peace Brigade, to deploy around the mausoleum, near Balad 93 km (58 miles) north of Baghdad. Sadr`s militia is also deployed in Samarra, a nearby city that houses the shrine of Imam Ali al-Hadi, the father of Sayid Mohammed. A 2006 bombing destroyed the golden dome of that shrine and set off a wave of sectarian violence. Dhaka: Bangladesh authorities on Saturday confirmed banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen terrorist group was responsible for the attacks in the Dhaka cafe and Sholakia Eidgah in which over two dozen people were killed. Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque on Saturday said that the attacks at Gulshan cafe and Sholakia Eidgah were carried out by the militants of banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen terrorist group. Shahidul made the revelation after visiting the site of attack at Sholakia Eid prayer ground, reports the Daily Star. On reports regarding the involvement of Islamic State in the attacks, the IGP said IS claimed responsibilities of every attack wherever it took place but "We can't find any link as to why they do it. "Four people, including two policemen and a woman died in a terrorist attack near Sholakia Eidgah in the Kishoreganj district, where hundreds of thousands had gathered for Eid congregation on July 7. The Eidgah attack came just days after militants attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in upscale Gulshan area of Dhaka and killed 20 people, mostly foreigners, including an Indian. Tokyo: North Korea`s firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. The launch comes a day after the US and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after the North warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said. Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan`s national security, it added. Saturday`s launch appeared to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea`s military said. Seoul: North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Saturday but the launch appears to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea`s military said. The launch comes a day after the US and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after North Korea warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. That followed Washington`s blacklisting of the nation`s leader Kim Jong-Un for alleged human rights abuses. The South`s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean peninsula. The missile was likely fired from the submarine as planned but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The UN Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in response to North Korea`s fourth nuclear test and the long-range rocket. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China, Pyongyang`s sole major ally. Pyongyang also conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in April, calling it a "great success" that provided "one more means for powerful nuclear attack". A report on 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the US, said in May that North Koreas submarine-launched ballistic missile program is making progress, but it appeared that the first ballistic missile submarine and operational missiles are unlikely to become operational before 2020. Seoul: North Korea on Saturday appeared to have test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul`s Defence Ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. "The North launched what was believed to be an SLBM from waters off the (northeastern) port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT)", the South Korean defence ministry said in a press statement. No further details were immediately available. North Korea previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Saturday`s launch came after Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Karachi: A Pakistani court has maintained the acquittal of sectarian outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's chief and suspended death sentence awarded to 20 other convicts tried by anti-terrorism courts and sessions courts. The Sindh High Court on Friday also converted the capital punishment of four others to life imprisonment after the prosecution failed to prove relevant cases, the Express Tribune reported. These decisions by the court came to light based on a 16-week performance of the high court's appellate bench, which is tasked to hear and decide appeals of the suspects convicted in criminal cases. According to the paper, the bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto gave the verdict on 51 appeals against death sentences filed by the convicts as well as references sent by the judges of the ATCs and session courts. The high court also rejected appeals filed by 23 other convicts, upholding the capital punishment awarded by the special anti-terrorism courts and the sessions' courts. The anti-terror appellate bench also dismissed the appeal filed by the state through the prosecutor general against the acquittal of the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's chief Muhammad Ajmal alias Akram Lahori and Tassaduque Hussain alias Shaikh in a sectarian killing case of 2002. Karachi's s anti-terrorism court-V had acquitted Ajmal and Hussain of the murder charges on which the two accused, Ataullah alias Shaikh and Muhammad Azam alias Sharif, were sentenced to death. The police had accused them of killing Ramzan Ali, the owner of the Pak Iranian Tea Company, in February 2002. "There is no misreading of evidence resulting in miscarriage of justice," the bench wrote in its judgment, adding that "sound reasons have been assigned by the trial court while recording the acquittal of the accused." While allowing the appeals of 20 suspects, the appellate bench suspended capital punishment awarded to them by the trial courts along with other sentences. Of them nine were convicted by the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) while eleven by the sessions' courts. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had resumed executions ending eight-year presidential moratorium on capital punishment following the massacre of over 130 students at the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014. Since then dozens of convicts, whose appeals were dismissed by the Supreme Court and their mercy appeals rejected by the President, have been hanged. Islamabad: Celebrated Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, founder of the non-profit Edhi Foundation that provided succour to millions of poor and destitute over the years, has died at a hospital in Karachi. He was 88. We bring to you some facts about Edhi that we know so far: Abdul Sattar Edhi, a prominent Pakistani humanitarian and philanthropist -- died in the country's largest city, Karachi, after a long illness. Edhi was born to a family of traders in what was then the Bombay Presidency in undivided India on January 1, 1924, and arrived in Pakistan in 1947. He headed a foundation which supported thousands of needy people and children. He was conferred several national awards for his services to humanity. The Edhi Foundation is one of Pakistan's largest public welfare organisations and runs one of the biggest fleets of ambulances, dozens of clinics and orphanages in the country. Indian girl Geeta was sheltered by the Edhi Foundation after she strayed across the border over a decade ago. The Foundation named her Geeta and allowed her to follow the Hindu religion, as per her wish. The Edhi foundation also played a significant role in helping Geeta to return to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing gratitude for this, announced a contribution of Rs 10 million for the foundation, which Edhi politely declined to accept. Motivated by a spiritual quest for justice, over the years Edhi and his team created maternity wards, morgues, orphanages, shelters and homes for the elderly, picking up where limited government-run services fell short. Edhi had also donated his organs but due to continuous medical treatment, only his corneas could be harvested. Faisal said Edhi refused to go abroad for medical treatment and preferred to die in Pakistan. Edhi was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2013 but had been unable to get a transplant due to frail health. He was so widely respected that armed groups and bandits were known to spare his ambulances. As news broke of his death, social media lit up with tributes lauding him as "the greatest Pakistani". Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan described Edhi as a 'noble soul', while military chief General Raheel Sharif expressed his 'deepest sorrow and regret'. He came from humble origins and remained a quiet and modest man all his life. Edhi has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize and appears on the list again this year -- nominated by teenage Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Frail and weak in his later years, he appointed Faisal as the managing trustee in early 2016. Edhi and his wife, Bilquis Edhi, received the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service. He is also the recipient of the Lenin Peace Prize and the Balzan Prize. In 1989, Edhi received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from the government of Pakistan. Dhaka: Bangladesh has been hit by a surge in Islamist attacks in the past three years that reached new heights last weekend when 20 hostages were murdered in Dhaka. The wave of attacks has been notably brutal with many of the victims, including the hostages, hacked to death with machetes. One week on from the end of the siege at an upmarket cafe in the capital, AFP looks at some of the factors fuelling the attacks, who might be responsible and how the government is reacting:Bangladesh has been blighted by unrest since it broke from Pakistan in a war of independence in 1971 and has witnessed more than a dozen coups. Islamist groups such as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and the newer Ansarullah Bangla Team have long posed a challenge to authorities, with the JMB killing at least 28 people in a bombing campaign in 2005. The group, blamed by the government for the Dhaka siege, was banned after the 2005 attacks and is seen as a largely spent force following the subsequent arrest and execution of its leaders. While the 2005 attacks were largely indiscriminate, the recent killings have had specific targets, including secular bloggers and gay activists. Members of minority groups such as Hindus, Christians and Sufi Muslims have also been victims, with many of them hacked to death. Although a handful of foreigners had previously been killed, last weekend`s siege was by far the deadliest attack. The victims included nine Italians and seven Japanese. Experts point to several factors behind the recent violence, including the execution of top Islamists over their role in the independence war. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in 2013 to protest at the guilty verdicts handed down by a domestic tribunal that critics say was intent on neutering opposition to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Supreme Court then barred the biggest Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the 2014 general election, disenfranchising millions of supporters. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party -- allied to Jamaat -- subsequently boycotted the polls. What was then effectively a one-horse race was held against the backdrop of firebombings across the country. Many observers say the lack of genuine democracy has made Bangladesh a fertile ground for extremists. "There is a lot of support for the organisations (Hasina) is trying to quash," said C. Christine Fair, associate professor at Georgetown University in Washington and South Asia expert. "The country is torn. She is essentially silencing, politically, half the country." Both the Islamic State (IS) organisation and the competing Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) have claimed many of the attacks. However, the government insists international jihadist networks have not got a foothold in Bangladesh and that local extremists are culpable. There is little evidence that IS trains and funds attackers in the country, although it has recruited Bangladeshis to fight in Syria. More likely, analysts say, is that radicalised youths are being inspired by the group and pledge allegiance -- a murky line in the age of social media. During the cafe siege, IS was sent gruesome pictures of the carnage by the attackers, which it immediately distributed via its affiliate news agency Amaq. Al Qaeda may have more of a claim of presence in Bangladesh, with Bangladeshi fighters aiding the anti-Soviet mujahedeen in Afghanistan as far back as the 1980s. "The ties to AQIS are much more credible. South Asia is al Qaeda territory," said Fair.The use of machetes has become a chilling hallmark of the murders and nearly all the slain hostages were attacked with sharp blades, even though their killers had automatic weapons. Some experts say a lack of access to suicide vests or car bombs explains the prevalence of machete attacks but others see a more deliberate reason behind the brutal killing style. "They wanted to show the world that they can go to any extent for jihad," said KG Suresh of New Delhi`s Vivekananda International Foundation think-tank. Bangladesh is intensely politically polarised, characterised by a poisonous rivalry between Hasina and the main opposition leader Khaleda Zia that stretches back decades. Although around 90 percent of Bangladesh`s 160 million-strong population is Muslim, mostly Sunni, the nation is officially secular. Creeping popular support for fundamentalism has led to mounting calls for Islamist representation in government and public life. One recent study found around 47 percent of Bangladeshis say suicide bombing is justifiable to defend Islam, higher than other Muslim-majority nation in South and Southeast Asia. Washington: The United States has expelled two Russian officials in retaliation over an "unprovoked" attack on its diplomat by a Russian policeman outside the US embassy in Moscow last month. "On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian police guard attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound after the official identified himself. "The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee," he said. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said: "Attacks on American diplomats cannot be tolerated, period. Expelling Russian officials is an appropriate first step." "But the administration must bolster efforts on a number of fronts ? including international broadcasting ? to confront Vladimir Putin's continued aggression," Royce added. The details of the incident were for the first time given by Kirby yesterday. "I've been clear from the podium that we would prefer to deal with this matter in private government-to-government channels. However, because the Russian government continues to make allegations about this incident, I am now compelled to set the record straight," he said. Kirby said the Russian claim the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual was untrue. "In addition to the attack on the 6th of June, Russian security services have intensified their harassment against US personnel in an effort to disrupt our diplomatic and consular operations," he said. "We've privately urged the Russian government to stop the harassment of American personnel in Russia, and as I said before, the safety and well-being of our diplomatic and consular personnel abroad and their accompanying family members are things we take very, very seriously," he said. The incident, Kirby said comes on the heels of two years of increasing diplomatic harassment by Russian authorities that is also unprovoked and unnecessary. "A week or so ago, Russian claims that they're getting harassed here are simply without foundation. So you want to have a conversation about in-kind treatment, it's time for Russia to treat our diplomats in the same manner in which they're treated here when they come to the US," he said. Kirby said the US relationship with Russia is complicated. "We certainly don't see eye to eye on everything. There are areas where we have in the past and I think we'll continue to seek cooperation with them, such as on Syria and the political process there," he said. "There are obviously still areas where there's tension; Ukraine and Minsk implementation is one of them, and certainly this. There's no need for this when there're so many more important things for us to be working on with Russia and so much real, meaningful geopolitical progress that could be had. There's no place for this kind of treatment and there's no reason for it," Kirby said. United Nations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on Iran to stop conducting ballistic missile launches, saying they aren't in the spirit of last summer's nuclear deal with six major powers. Ban said in a report to the UN Security Council on the implementation of a resolution endorsing the landmark deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program that the missile tests could increase tensions in the Mideast. The Associated Press obtained key excerpts from the report on Friday. The resolution calls for Iran not to launch any ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. But when Iranian test-firings were raised in the council in March, Russia said the launches did not violate the resolution because "a call" is not a demand. Ban said it was up to the council to interpret the resolution. The United States has expelled two Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat in Moscow last month by a policeman, the State Department said. The news comes after complaints from Washington about what it deemed a mounting campaign of harassment and intimidation of American diplomats and their families in the Russian capital. "On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," department spokesman John Kirby said. He said that on June 6, a Russian policeman attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound, after the US official identified himself. "The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee. The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue," Kirby told reporters. The Washington Post first reported the incident last month, saying the Russian Federal Security Service guard broke the diplomat`s shoulder in the struggle. This week, Russian state-controlled television broadcast what appeared to be footage of the attack, saying it showed a Russian police guard stationed outside the embassy tackling a man it said was an undercover CIA officer attempting to enter the building without identifying himself. In the short, grainy clip -- which appears to contradict the Russian report -- a man exiting a taxi is almost immediately attacked by a policeman who bursts from a sentry box and wrestles him to the ground. With the officer pinning him down, the man manages to push himself through a door into the embassy. Kirby on Friday said Russian security services had "intensified their harassment against US personnel in an effort to disrupt our diplomatic and consular operations." Washington had privately "urged" Moscow to stop such harassment, he added. He refused to comment further on the condition of the diplomat who was attacked. Last month, The Washington Post described a series of actions by Russian security and intelligence services, including following diplomats and their family members, appearing at social functions uninvited and paying for negative media stories. Some diplomats said intruders had broken into their homes at night to rearrange furniture, turn on lights and even defecate on a living room carpet, the newspaper reported, citing officials as saying Russian intelligence officers once broke into the US defense attache`s Moscow house and killed his dog. Moscow in turn accuses the United States of harassing its own diplomats and says it takes reciprocal measures only in response -- claims that Washington says have no basis in fact. YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Former Israeli lawmaker, founder of the Israel-Armenia inter-parliamentary friendship group Alexander Tsinker sees parallels between the actions of Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh during April and behavior of terrorist organizations. In an interview with ARMENPRESS, he said it is obvious that not only were the rules of engagement of military operations between the two countries violated in April, but also norms of international humanitarian rights. On June 15 it was reported that the Israeli lawmakers are preparing a new bill on stopping arms sales to those countries which have violated human rights on large scale. ARMENPRESS inquired whether the tortures and mutilations of the bodies of 18 Armenian servicemen which were transferred to the Armenian side on April 10 near the Bash Karvend settlements, and the 3 elderly citizens in the Talish village of the Martakert region are considered to be large scale violation of human rights, and shouldnt Azerbaijan be included in the list in case of adopting the bill, Tsinker said: Israel- being one of the major military equipment exporters has never sold and doesnt sell weaponry to those countries, against which the international community has defined relevant restrictions. Similar bills are often proposed in the Knesset, however only 400 out of 10000 are being sent for final reading. And all those facts must be addressed to relevant political and legal international structures, which must decide the size of punishment against Azerbaijan. YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. All state and interstate highways in the Republic of Armenia are passable on July 9 by 09.00, Armenpress was informed from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia. Today, on July 9, according to the information received from the Department of Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia from 05.30 till 20.00 Lars highway will be open, however, in the evening it will be closed again for security reasons. The highway is open for all kinds of vehicles according to the following rules. Oncoming traffic is prohibited. Traffic must be implemented without stops. In case of heavy rainfalls to prohibit the traffic. Traffic is implemented under police patrol coordination and control. YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Second class justice counselor Raffi Aslanyan has been relieved from the post of Prosecutor of Shirak Province and appointed Yerevan City Prosecutor by the Decree of the Prosecutor General, Armenpress was informed from the Prosecutor General's Office. The Prosecutor General of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan introduced the newly appointed city prosecutor to the members of the Prosecutors Office, mentioning that his activities in this field will be aimed at the reinforcement of the legal system of Armenia. YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Iran rejects Germanys accusations that it has been contravening United Nations Security Council regimes in its missile activities, saying the Islamic Republic will keep up bolstering its missile defense as it sees fit, Armenpress reports, citing Iranian Press TV. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said on Thursday that, Iran continued unabated to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council. She also said NATOs anti-missile mechanism was targeted against Irans missile program and had been developed purely for defense. Reacting on Saturday, Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi rejected the allegations, calling them unconstructive. The Islamic Republic has, time and again, declared that its missile program has a completely defensive nature and has, in no way, been designed [for the development of missiles capable] of carrying nuclear warheads, he added. The program is, therefore, not in contravention of the Security Council Resolution 2231 and has nothing to do with the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Islamic Republic of Iran declares once again that it will continue its missile program with full force based on its defense doctrines and national security calculations and that such remarks have no impact upon the countrys legitimate missile program, he said, referring to the remarks by Merkel. Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China concluded the nuclear agreement last year in Vienna, Austria. Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015 to endorse the JCPOA and provide for the termination of the provisions of previous Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear program. It calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology. Iran and the P5+1 started implementing the JCPOA on January 16. After the accord went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the UN Security Council, and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities. The Islamic Republic maintains that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence. YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Today, President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the NATO member and non-member states dedicated to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan which is held in framework of the NATO Summit. As "Armenpress" was informed from the press service of Armenian President's Office,the President of Armenia made a statement. Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the meeting of the Heads of delegations of the states contributing to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. "Distinguished President Duda, Distinguished Secretary General, Dear Colleagues, We are all here united by the idea that it is necessary to provide the friendly people of Afghanistan with peace, security and stability. Armenia, as an advocate for the cooperative security, is determined to make its modest contribution to the efforts in consolidation of international peace and security. In the course of the Peacekeeping Summit, which took place in New York in September 2015, Armenia undertook additional commitments to develop capabilities such as Role II medical hospital and training of associated personnel, as well as training of a company of EOD/C-IED (Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Counter-Improvised Explosive Device). We have reiterated our engagement with up to 130 servicemen with the Resolute Support mission, and stand ready to continue with it also beyond the year 2016. In this context, I should like to underline the effective cooperation we have enjoyed with Germany, and that, in my view, is one of the best and most illustrious examples of a partnership between a NATO member State and Partner Nation. We have also expressed our readiness to participate in the NATO Enduring Partnership mission, when it will replace the Resolute Support mission. With that objective in mind Armenia has already engaged with the planning process for the establishment of a civilian-led temporary presence. Dear Colleagues, Armenia is also an active advocate for peace and stability in our region, and it has always stood for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue, which is the most vital issue we face. On May 16 in Vienna a meeting took place with the high representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, namely the U.S. Secretary of State, Russian Foreign Minister and French State Secretary for European Affairs, which resulted in their Joint Statement that reiterated that there could be no military solution to the conflict, and further underlined the importance of respecting the 1994 agreement on ceasefire and 1995 agreement on consolidation of the ceasefire regime, both of which were unconditional. Meanwhile, the Statement also registered introduction of the OSCE investigative mechanism to record the violations of the ceasefire and expansion of the capabilities of the existing office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. These approaches were further consolidated in the statement adopted by the trilateral meeting held in Saint Petersburg with the participation of the Presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. As for the allegations voiced by the President of Azerbaijan, I dont believe it is appropriate to artificially turn this meeting and the NATO declarations into a platform for the discussions of the NK issue: there is a specialized structure for it. I see it as my duty to underscore that today the main obstacle on the road towards the settlement of the conflict is the policy conducted by the highest leadership of Azerbaijan and the lack of will to solve the problem peacefully. It was vividly demonstrated by the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh last April, which was a heavy blow to the efforts carried out by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and aimed at the peaceful settlement of the issue. The status quo will change when the people of Nagorno Karabakh will received the opportunity to exercise their right of self-determination. Thank you". YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan tried to clear the air on Saturday in their first private talks since the German parliament infuriated Ankara by branding the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, Armenpress reports, Reuters informs. Officials said the meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw lasted longer than the scheduled 45 minutes. Both leaders were expected to make statements later in the day. Relations between Turkey and Germany - vital partners in efforts to curb mass migration to Europe - have been strained since the Bundestag passed the Armenian resolution on June 2. Ankara withdrew its ambassador from Berlin and threatened unspecified retaliation. A source close to the Turkish presidency said Erdogan expressed his disappointment at the resolution to Merkel, who said she would do her utmost to ensure this event would not harm German-Turkish relations. In apparent retaliation, German parliamentarians have been denied access to the Incirlik airbase in southeastern Turkey where some 250 German troops are participating in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq, prompting protests from the Berlin government. The Turkish source said Merkel had raised the issue and asked Erdogan to restore access to Incirlik for lawmakers, who approve all military spending and investment. Erdogan had replied that the airbase was not a place for "public shows and marketing" but Turkey would consider the request in the light of German statements on relations, the source said. The two leaders also discussed intelligence cooperation in the fight against foreign fighters recruited by Islamic State in Syria, some of whom have returned to carry out attacks in Europe. Former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso faced a wave of criticism Saturday after it emerged that he will advise US investment bank Goldman Sachs on the fallout from Brexit. Barroso, who also served as Portugal's prime minister, will become a non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), the bank's international arm based in London. "Jose Manuel brings immense insights and experience to Goldman Sachs, including a deep understanding of Europe," GSI co-chief executives, Michael Sherwood and Richard Gnodde, said in a statement. But his appointment drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Pedro Filipe Soares, a leader in Portugal's radical Left Bloc that supports the ruling leftist coalition, said: "This nomination shows that the European elite of which Barroso is part knows no shame." France's foreign trade minister Matthias Fekl, meanwhile, tweeted: "Serving the people badly, serving yourself at Goldman Sachs: Barroso, an obscene representative of an old Europe that our representative will change." Fekl's socialist colleagues in the European Parliament also condemned Barroso's move, calling it "scandalous". - 'Boon for europhobes' - "We call for the rules to be changed to prevent the appointment of former European commissioners," French socialist Euro MPs wrote in a joint statement, adding that the "revolving door system strongly resembles a conflict of interest". Barroso served as president of the European Commission for a decade until 2014 -- steering it through the global financial crisis -- and before that as Portugal's prime minister between 2002 and 2004. "After having spent more than 30 years in politics and public service, it is an interesting and stimulating challenge that will allow me to use my skills for a global financial institution," Barroso told Portuguese daily Expresso. Goldman Sachs was heavily involved in selling complex financial products, including subprime mortgages that contributed to the world financial crisis in 2008. Story continues Leftwing French daily Liberation described Barroso's appointment as "the worst timing for the Union and a boon for europhobes," adding that it was tantamount to giving Europe "the finger". Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Front (FN) party, said on Twitter that the appointment was "nothing surprising for people who know that the EU does not serve people but high finance". Despite the chorus of criticism, Barroso's appointment adheres to the European Commission's rules that specify that commissioners remain accountable to the body for 18 months after the end of their term. Uruguay became the first Latin American country and the fifth in the world to ban smoking in public places under President Tabara Vazquez Uruguay won an arbitration case against US tobacco giant Philip Morris, which sued the state claiming its strict anti-tobacco law harmed the cigarette maker's business, both sides said. "The Uruguayan state has emerged victorious and the tobacco company's claims have been roundly rejected," Uruguayan President Tabara Vasquez said in a televised address. He was citing a decision by the World Bank's arbitration body, the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Philip Morris reacted by saying "we respect" the verdict, which is binding in any case. "For the last seven years, we have already been complying with the regulations at issue in the case, so today's outcome doesn't change the status quo," Marc Firestone, vice president of the US company, said in a statement. Philip Morris had "never questioned Uruguay's authority to protect public health," he added. The case was more about getting "clarification" under international law about "an important, but unusual, set of facts," he said. Philip Morris sued Uruguay in 2010 for $25 million over legislation enacted in 2006 banning smoking in public and tobacco advertising. Uruguay became the first Latin American country and fifth in the world to ban smoking in public places under Vazquez, an oncologist who was serving a previous term as president (2005-2010) before returning to power last year. The company argued the law violated an investment treaty between Uruguay and Switzerland. Specifically, it complained about a ban on vendors selling different types of the same brand of cigarettes, and expanding anti-smoking health warnings to cover 80 percent of packets' surfaces. - Plain packaging - The Uruguay verdict adds to Philip Morris's legal losses as it seeks to defend its business from increasingly tough anti-smoking laws in several countries. The European Union's top court ruled in May that new laws in the bloc on plain tobacco packaging and a ban on menthol cigarettes were legal, rejecting a challenge by Philip Morris and other cigarette companies. Story continues Britain and France imposed neutral packaging soon after, with retailers in both countries given months to sell existing branded cigarette stocks. Norway and New Zealand said in May that they would follow suit. The international move toward plain packaging comes as Philip Morris last year lost a four-year struggle to overturn legislation in Australia requiring cigarettes to be sold only in logo-free packs featuring graphic health warnings. Something has been lost. Before algorithmic timelines, message length restrictions and mass surveillance there was a more robust world. Its a distributed world that still lives behind the centralized allure of social networks. Its a world where every person owns a small part of the internet, where they control their medium and communicate freely. Im referring to the domain name system and email. You may think that you take full advantage of them, but I suspect you dont. This is a guide to going back to the brave old world the original social network. Although subsequently extended, email (SMTP) and DNS were created in 1982 and 1983 respectively in a form still recognizable today. RFC821 defines SMTP and RFC882 soon followed because mail system implementers long ago recognized the impossibility of centralizing mailbox names, they have also created an increasingly large and irregular set of methods for identifying the location of a mailbox. Email and DNS appeared early in internet history, by comparison ARPANET switched to TCP/IP later than both of them, on January 1st 1983. Looking at it this way if youre still digitally sharecropping on a MediumTubeTwitBook account with no domain of your own youre basically thirty-three years behind the times. Lets change that. DNS: the foundation of your identity Leasing a domain name and having full control of its resource records is the basis of your free expression online. If you dont yet have your own domain its worth finding one. Domainr allows you quickly search for available domains by word or phrase across multiple top level domains. Notice I said leasing rather than owning a domain. This is because nobody owns domains in perpetuity. We may at most lease them for up to ten years from one of the top-level domain registry operators. Each registry holds records for a different top-level domain such as .com , .org , or .pizza (that last from Donuts Inc, self-described as one of the worlds most innovative and creative companies.) Theres one more twist in the domain rental story. Individuals cannot lease domains directly from a registry, but must do so through an ICANN accredited registrar. While you can become your own registrar, doing so costs thousands of dollars and does not give any extra ownership over your registered domains. After youve found an available domain, its time to register it. Head over to GoDaddy , just kidding, pick a reputable registrar like Namecheap, DNSimple, Gandi, or many others. Note that each registrar works only with certain top-level domains. Some TLDs are less straightforward to register (such as .do which involves faxing a letter in Spanish to the Dominican Republic). Youre the king of your zone With domain lease registration complete you now control a DNS zone. This is important because the zone ties together records that manage your web and email presence along with settings to prevent people from impersonating you. To understand these settings lets review more about how DNS works. Suppose a browser wishes to contact news.ycombinator.com (and no results are cached along the way). The operating system begins by talking to a DNS it discovered when connecting to an internet service provider, or a user-specified DNS such as OpenDNS or Google. These intermediaries are called recursive servers because they pass on the request recursively to more specific authorities. If the host name is not present in its cache the recursive DNS uses a systematic process to resolve it. Lets pretend were a recursive DNS server. First invert the domain name, so news.ycombinator.com becomes: .com.ycombinator.news This forms a chain of specificity: . , .com , .com.ycombinator , .com.ycombinator.news . The first domain which I wrote as . is the root DNS, and technically has an empty string for its name. Well start at the root. Who runs the root domain name server and how do we know where to find it in the first place? There are several actually, and they have old well-known IP addresses listed in InterNICs root hints file. New DNS servers are bootstrapped with this information. The oldest root node of all runs on 198.41.0.4 (and has done so since 1991). Although its a single IP address it actually routes to clusters of servers in five locations across the world using IP Anycast. Lets ask it about the other root name servers (NS is the code for a nameserver record): dig @198.41.0.4 . NS @198.41.0.4 . NS ;; QUESTION SECTION: SECTION: ; . IN NS IN NS ;; ANSWER SECTION: SECTION: . 518400 IN NS a.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS a.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS b.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS b.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS c.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS c.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS d.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS d.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS e.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS e.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS f.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS f.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS g.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS g.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS h.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS h.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS i.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS i.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS j.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS j.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS k.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS k.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS l.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS l.root-servers.net. . 518400 IN NS m.root-servers.net. 518400 IN NS m.root-servers.net. ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION: SECTION: a.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 198.41.0.4 518400 IN A 198.41.0.4 b.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.228.79.201 518400 IN A 192.228.79.201 c.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.33.4.12 518400 IN A 192.33.4.12 d.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 199.7.91.13 518400 IN A 199.7.91.13 e.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.203.230.10 518400 IN A 192.203.230.10 f.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.5.5.241 518400 IN A 192.5.5.241 g.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.112.36.4 518400 IN A 192.112.36.4 h.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 198.97.190.53 518400 IN A 198.97.190.53 i.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.36.148.17 518400 IN A 192.36.148.17 j.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 192.58.128.30 518400 IN A 192.58.128.30 k.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 193.0.14.129 518400 IN A 193.0.14.129 l.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 199.7.83.42 518400 IN A 199.7.83.42 m.root-servers.net. 518400 IN A 202.12.27.33 518400 IN A 202.12.27.33 a.root-servers.net. 518400 IN AAAA 2001:503:ba3e::2:30 518400 IN AAAA 2001:503:ba3e::2:30 b.root-servers.net. 518400 IN AAAA 2001:500:84::b 518400 IN AAAA 2001:500:84::b The answers section shows there are thirteen addresses, each one [a-m].root-servers.net . The additional section includes IP addresses for these hosts (called GLUE records) as a shortcut to avoid a second query. Each of these IP addresses uses Anycast to map the address among many computers. Heres a K root server in Amsterdam: K-Root DNS server Lets talk to it, or a least one of the computers in its K class! What happens if we ask the root server to tell us the IP of our desired host? (The A record below stands for Address and will be the IP of the actual server.) dig @k.root-servers.net news.ycombinator.com A @k.root-servers.net news.ycombinator.com A ;; QUESTION SECTION: SECTION: ; news.ycombinator.com. IN A IN A ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: SECTION: com. 172800 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net. com. 172800 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net. ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION: SECTION: a.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.5.6.30 172800 IN A 192.5.6.30 a.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN AAAA 2001:503:a83e::2:30 172800 IN AAAA 2001:503:a83e::2:30 b.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.33.14.30 172800 IN A 192.33.14.30 b.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN AAAA 2001:503:231d::2:30 172800 IN AAAA 2001:503:231d::2:30 c.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.26.92.30 172800 IN A 192.26.92.30 d.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.31.80.30 172800 IN A 192.31.80.30 e.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.12.94.30 172800 IN A 192.12.94.30 f.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.35.51.30 172800 IN A 192.35.51.30 g.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.42.93.30 172800 IN A 192.42.93.30 h.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.54.112.30 172800 IN A 192.54.112.30 i.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.43.172.30 172800 IN A 192.43.172.30 j.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.48.79.30 172800 IN A 192.48.79.30 k.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.52.178.30 172800 IN A 192.52.178.30 l.gtld-servers.net. 172800 IN A 192.41.162.30 172800 IN A 192.41.162.30 Notice it doesnt have an answer section. This server doesnt have the authority to return the answer, but it suggests we contact other servers which can tell us more about hosts in .com . It knows these servers are relevant because our desired host name ends in .com . The suggested name servers have names such as a.gtld-servers.net . There are thirteen of these as well. dig @k.gtld-servers.net news.ycombinator.com A @k.gtld-servers.net news.ycombinator.com A ;; QUESTION SECTION: SECTION: ; news.ycombinator.com. IN A IN A ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: SECTION: ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-225.awsdns-28.com. 172800 IN NS ns-225.awsdns-28.com. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-556.awsdns-05.net. 172800 IN NS ns-556.awsdns-05.net. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-1914.awsdns-47.co.uk. 172800 IN NS ns-1914.awsdns-47.co.uk. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-1411.awsdns-48.org. 172800 IN NS ns-1411.awsdns-48.org. ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION: SECTION: ns-225.awsdns-28.com. 172800 IN A 205.251.192.225 172800 IN A 205.251.192.225 ns-556.awsdns-05.net. 172800 IN A 205.251.194.44 172800 IN A 205.251.194.44 This server too lacks the authority to give us an answer, but it directs us to two name servers (NS records) for ycombinator.com . Were close now. dig @ns-225.awsdns-28.com news.ycombinator.com A @ns-225.awsdns-28.com news.ycombinator.com A ;; QUESTION SECTION: SECTION: ; news.ycombinator.com. IN A IN A ;; ANSWER SECTION: SECTION: news.ycombinator.com. 300 IN CNAME news.ycombinator.com.cdn.cloudflare.net. 300 IN CNAME news.ycombinator.com.cdn.cloudflare.net. ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: SECTION: ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-1411.awsdns-48.org. 172800 IN NS ns-1411.awsdns-48.org. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-1914.awsdns-47.co.uk. 172800 IN NS ns-1914.awsdns-47.co.uk. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-225.awsdns-28.com. 172800 IN NS ns-225.awsdns-28.com. ycombinator.com. 172800 IN NS ns-556.awsdns-05.net. 172800 IN NS ns-556.awsdns-05.net. Weve arrived. This time there is an answer section. Because this nameserver is able to provide answers about the ycombinator.com domain, it is authoritative, and controls this zone. Remember that term from earlier? When you register a domain youll control your own zone. But back to the response. Rather than the A record we requested, it turns out there is a CNAME, i.e. a hostname alias. The real server(s) hide behind CloudFlare which helps cache their assets and protect the site from attacks. The host listed in the CNAME requires another round of DNS lookups In reality this process goes very quickly because DNS servers cache results. If I dig the news site through my regular DNS it returns the result immediately in 32ms. I guess it proves that I and other people sharing this DNS server have requested the address recently. (We should stop looking at the news and get back to work!) Domain registration, revisited Now that you know more about how DNS works I can reveal the double nature of domain registrars. Consumer facing registrars do two distinct things: host a nameserver that you can configure through a web interface and add NS records to the gtld-servers. (Sometimes other records as well, like A records for glue and DS for DNSSEC.) By default those NS records point at the registrar-hosted nameserver (usually more than one server, geographically distributed). Its actually very convenient. However you can override the choice of nameserver, possibly even running your own. If youd like to go down that path check out the book DNS and BIND. Note that proof of Unix neckbeard is required for the purchase of this book. To check you domain for optimal configuration try the free web based intoDNS tool. Along with test results it helpful links to relevant sections from RFCs, which are a good way to learn more about the standards. Securing your DNS records The early web was a trusting place, connecting cooperative research institutions. When it emerged into the messy world outside it ran into security abuses. In the nineties people began efforts to fix the problems, but it took many years before they settled on a workable solution that could reach internet scale. Finally on July 15, 2010 the dominant approach, DNSSEC, went live on the root servers. For an interesting bit of history check out the DNSSEC Diaries which discusses some of the engineering tradeoffs of its design. Today the DNSSEC extension can authenticate your zone, thereby protecting your nameserver records. However it requires your cooperation. If youre using a registrar hosted nameserver then theres usually a button to enable DNSSEC and its as easy as that. Its best to check that a registrar supports DNSSEC in their hosted nameserver before signing up with them. If youre running your own nameserver then you have more work to do. To use DNSSEC each participating zone publishes a public key in a DNSKEY record, and registers a DS key in the parent zone (often the top level domain servers). For example, lets inspect Hacker News record: dig news.ycombinator.com.cdn.cloudflare.net DNSKEY news.ycombinator.com.cdn.cloudflare.net DNSKEY ;; QUESTION SECTION: SECTION: ; news.ycombinator.com.cdn.cloudflare.net. IN DNSKEY IN DNSKEY ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: SECTION: cloudflare.net. 3600 IN SOA ns1.cloudflare.net. dns.cloudflare.com. 2021398090 10000 2400 604800 3600 3600 IN SOA ns1.cloudflare.net. dns.cloudflare.com. 2021398090 10000 2400 604800 3600 Verisigns DNSSEC Debugger is a good way to visualize the security chain. We can see that this chain checks out, although at the time of this writing the base domain ycombinator.com uses an Amazon Route 53 nameserver which does not support DNSSEC. In general terms an individual DNSKEY signature is validated by following a chain of signatures to a key which is trusted for some extra-protocol reason. ICANN, as IANA Functions Operator, is responsible for the publication of trust anchors for the root zone. The authenticity of the root nodes rely on a trusted key called the trust anchor. Every so often this key is replaced as a precaution, and a coalition of people from all over the world cryptographically signs the new key in a ceremony with mind-boggling levels of security. Were talking retinal scans, many live camera angles, multiple safesRead how it happens. Harnessing the cockroach Email, affectionately called the cockroach of the internet, is designed to scurry from server to server. Its resilient and based on an open interoperable protocol. By leasing a domain you can fully own your inbox, and can communicate with any other email account no matter how it is hosted. Unfortunately many people have declined the privilege of email ownership and instead lock into a free mail server from Google or other providers. Stop for a moment and think about any other aspect of your life. When is ongoing service from a stranger ever free? Its not. Free email service should creep you out, but somehow weve come to believe that things are different online. Well online just means a bunch of computers in random rooms, so no, its not different. On the other hand when you lease a domain, your nameserver allows you to designate (and later change) the server you use to send and receive email. As to the mail server itself, you can operate your own or choose an honest managed server for a fee. The easiest way to self-host a mail server is probably Mail-in-a-Box, but easy is a relative term. Because of spammers activities over the years email servers are distrustful of new senders. It can be easier to pay a company to handle the complexity for you, companies such as FastMail, KolabNow, Posteo or many others. You use the MX record in your DNS zone to direct emails to your email provider (the provider will provide you the settings to use). As mentioned this means youre free to change providers while continuing to use the same email address. You can feel comfortable trying a provider or a homemade solution and seeing how you like it. Sadly using a respectful email service doesnt dramatically improve the privacy of your mail because so many of the people you write are still on Gmail. Google will receive and algorithmically strip-mine your messages as usual. But dont despair, we will take back the web we lost one person at a time. Thats why youre reading this now. Preventing Joe Jobs (email impersonation) An email consists of header records and the message itself. Senders are free to fill out the records however they want, including setting the From header to look like another person. The deception isnt immediately obvious to most recipients. As with DNS, email was designed in a simpler more trusting environment. Luckily there are DNS records you can set to give receiving mail servers clues to know when to reject fraudulent emails. The first is called Sender Policy Framework (SPF). Its a TXT record with a certain format which lists the servers that you authorize to send mail claiming to be from your domain. Lets look at ycombinator again as an example: $ dig ycombinator.com TXT +short dig ycombinator.com TXT +short "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:mailgun.org include:_spf.createsend.com -all" We can see they have authorized Gmail for their personal communication, Mailgun for programmatic replies from their application process, and createsend.com which appears to be a backend for CampaignMonitor, which manages their newsletters. Any other servers sending mail claiming to be from ycombinator can be easily checked against this list. The -all specifies a hard failure for servers not on the list. More lenient settings are possible. The next email problem we have to confront is intermediate servers modifying our messages or headers. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) was designed to prevent this. The high-level idea is that the sending server cryptographically signs the content of an email and includes the signature in a header named unsurprisingly, Dkim-Signature . Simultaneously the public key for this signature is published guess where in a TXT record on the sending domain. If the signature matches then nobody along the line has changed anything. Pair this with DNSSEC to authenticate the records as a whole and life is good. Or is it? What if a server along the way changes the message body or attachments and also removes the DKIM signature altogether? To the receiver it would look like a normal unsigned message from the correct sender. DMARC is the final piece of the puzzle that complements the other two security measures. Its another DNS record that you can publish to specify your email policy. For instance you can specify that all your legit messages will include DKIM and that the receiver should reject any messages lacking it. DMARC also tells other servers where to report attempted abuse of your email. The settings are pretty complicated, so try this wizard which explains them. Raise your sights If youve configured all the above then you control your long-term identity online. You can speak freely on your own web property and use your own artistic style. You can send and receive emails free from impersonation. But what about a wider reach? Networks like Twitter are popular because you can send updates to a large following. How can you do this on the original social network? Blog posts are certainly public, but they dont push notifications to anyone. RSS fills the role to some degree but its not nearly as popular as email. How can we build larger scale communication on top of email? The two models are the newsletter (one-to-many) and the mailing list (many-to-many). If you want to dip your toe into this there are two simple services to try, the first is simplelists. Its terms of use and privacy policy look really good, and like any honest service they charge money after a free trial period. Their support page makes it sound like you can export your list if you want to leave, although the process is not clear. The second service, TinyLetter, is for mailing lists and is more questionable. It is free and is dead simple to use. Remember my earlier warning about free services! TinyLetters terms of use reveal it is basically a lure to help populate MailChimps Email Genome Project, a service that uses software to constantly analyze millions of email lists and billions of email addresses, and uncover stories and trends that are hidden in the data. If youre cool with that you could start your list on TinyLetter and export the contacts when youre ready to break free. At least youre using email and not a proprietary app. Note that TinyLetter also sends tracking beacons to your subscribers to detect when and where they read their email, which is typical but pretty offensive. Another thing about TinyLetter is that the messages arent coming entirely from you. Your email address ends up as a Reply-To header and not really the From address. I treat my own mailing list as an extension of my regular emails. It sends from literally the same address as my normal email. I enjoy it when people reply to me for a discussion. When writing list messages I dont think of it as a weirdo marketing brochure, but as an email to my friends that happens to have a whole lot of CCs. If you want to fully control not only your regular email but also a mailing list then you have to self-host. This is a fascinating topic, and one I will describe in another article because this one is getting rather long. Well talk about the life of an email, its headers, bounce handling, DMARC alignment, and other factors of deliverability. Youll also learn about Googles algorithmic adjustment in 2013 and its affects on how their users perceive email. Until then, get yourself a domain and join me on the original social network! By Ana Mano and Tatiana Bautzer SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A minority investor in Oi SA , Brazil's largest fixed-line phone carrier, has called for the replacement of most of its board after the company filed for the country's biggest-ever bankruptcy protection. Nelson Tanure, a Brazilian investor with a contentious track record, and partners have been buying up shares through a fund controlled by Bridge Administradora de Recursos Ltda, according to four sources familiar with the matter. In a late Thursday filing, Oi said Bridge, acting on behalf of a fund holding 6.6 percent of Oi's capital, had given eight days to call a shareholder meeting to replace board members. The company said it was reviewing the request. The shareholder activism underscores deep divisions on Oi's board that derailed recent negotiations with creditors. Battle lines on the board remain from an ill-fated 2013 merger with Portugal Telecom, pitched as a lifeline for Brazil's struggling national champion, which soured when poor cash management by the Portuguese partner came to light. A Bridge representative declined to identify investors in the fund or to answer other questions about plans for Oi. Tanure declined through representatives to comment on the matter. A source close to Tanure said he was the main investor and chief representative of the fund, adding that he went to Ontario and New York recently in a bid to organize an investor group. Oi said in its filing that the activist investor aims to replace five board members appointed by Pharol SGPS , formerly Portugal Telecom, and a former chief financial officer. Those Pharol board members balked at former Chief Executive Bayard Gontijo's negotiations last month aimed at a debt-for-equity swap that would have diluted existing shareholders, sources said at the time. The impasse triggered Gontijo's resignation, followed by the filing for bankruptcy protection. Oi's common shares , which have doubled in value since the company's bankruptcy filing nearly three weeks ago, were up 4.8 percent in Friday trading. Pharol is currently the largest shareholder in Oi, with 27 percent of voting shares, a steep barrier for any rival investor group looking to change the board at a shareholder assembly. Tanure last made news in Brazil's telecommunications industry with a lawsuit against the controlling shareholder of Oi's rival, TIM Participacoes SA , in 2012. Through another investment vehicle, Tanure accused Telecom Italia SpA of abusing its control of TIM by appointing a chief executive the company knew was a target of an Italian investigation into irregular SIM card activations. Tanure, who made a fortune buying troubled shipyards and a small bank in the 1990s, entered the telecom sector through long-distance operator Intelig Telecom, which was acquired by TIM in 2009. (Additional reporting by Silvio Cascione and Alberto Alerigi Jr.; Writing and additional reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Andrew Hay) DALLAS The sniper who killed five Dallas cops and wounded seven more was the sole shooter in a devastating ambush that made Thursday the deadliest day for a police force since 9/11, officials said. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed the identity of the shooter as Micah X. Johnson, 25, in a Friday evening press conference and said law enforcement officers had determined, after finding a trove of weapons and written combat manifestos in his home, that the shooter acted alone and that there were no more potential suspects on the loose. This was mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and he did that, Rawlings said. He did his damage, but we did damage to him as well. We believe now that the city is safe, the mayor said. We can move on to healing. The White House announced late Friday that President Obama will cut short a European trip to visit Dallas early next week. A picture Micah Johnson used as his profile photo on social media. (Facebook) Johnson, who served six years in the Army Reserve, died early Friday when police deployed a robot to blow up an explosive device in the parking garage where officers had cornered him and engaged in hours of negotiations that ultimately failed. Police earlier described the attack as well-planned and Friday evening revealed that law enforcement found rifles and tactical gear in a search of a home the sniper apparently shared with his mother in Mesquite, Texas, 20 miles outside of Dallas. During the search of the suspects home, detectives found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics, police said in a statement. Detectives are in the process of analyzing the information contained in the journal. Police investigate a car shortly after the shooting during a protest in downtown Dallas. (Photo: LM Otero/AP) Earlier in the day, Dallas Police Chief David Brown described a chilling exchange between Johnson and officers attempting to negotiate his surrender. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, Brown said. The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings. Story continues Johnson reportedly opened fire Thursday night on what had up to that point been a peaceful demonstration over the police-shooting deaths of black men this week in Minnesota and Louisiana. The hail of gunfire sent hundreds of demonstrators screaming in terror, and a police manhunt culminated with the suspect cornered by police in a downtown parking garage. After attempted negotiations failed, Brown said police sent in the bomb robot as a last resort to protect more officers from harm. Robotics expert Peter W. Singer told the Associated Press he believes that this is the first instance of a robot being used to kill a suspect. Brown said that during the standoff, Johnson told officers he was acting alone, but police initially investigated the possibility of multiple snipers. Several people were detained and questioned before being released. Slideshows: Dallas pays tribute to fallen officers >>> Photos: The shootings in Dallas >>> Newspapers react to Dallas attack against police officers >>> A profile of Johnson came into focus Friday as media outlets dug into public records and scoured his social-media profile pages for possible clues as to what may have triggered the deadly attack. Johnson, according to military records, served in the Army Reserve from March 2009 until April 2015. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist, the records show. He was deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013, which earned him a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among other awards. A Facebook photo dated April 30 of this year shows Johnson with Professor Griff of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, known for its politically charged music and critique of police treatment of the African-American community. A 1989 single titled Fight the Power is the groups best-known song. Griff took to Twitter Friday to deny any relationship with the shooter. I do not advocate killing cops, Professor Griff tweeted Friday. The police and FBI have been watching me and tapping my phone they know who I talk to, I DO NOT KNOW THE SHOOTER, he wrote in another tweet. October 2010 photos on Johnsons mothers Facebook page show a young man dressed in U.S. Army fatigues posing with a pistol. The collage below appeared on the Facebook page of Johnsons sister, Nikki, who posted several times on her page to express disbelief over her brothers apparent role in the tragedy. A collage of photos of shooter Micah X. Johnson, from his sisters Facebook page. I keep saying its not true my eyes hurt from crying. Y him??? Nikki wrote in a post. And why was he downtown smh [shaking my head]. We may fuss or fight but at the end of the day i love him!! she wrote in a 2014 post. Hes definitely army strong but also a entertaining, loving, understanding, not to mention handsome friend, brother, son and etc!! Idk what Id do without him. Happy Birthday my homeskillet biscuit!!!! #Still waiting for you to return home! Five police officers were killed, and nine other people, including two civilians, were wounded in Thursday nights attack. How Johnson went about the rampage reveals a lot about him, said former FBI profiler Mary Ellen OToole. This hunting behavior is a very unique violence called instrumental violence, and it is the preferred violence of individuals who manifest traits of psychopathy, OToole told Yahoo News. It is extremely difficult to negotiate with a psychopath and Dallas police realized that, and realized this shooter was on a mission and was going to continue to kill no matter what they said to him. The five officers killed in Dallas: Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Lorne Ahrens. (Courtesy photos) Witnesses posted several videos and images from the attack, in which several rounds of rapid gunfire can be heard as screaming bystanders ran for cover. The cops had no idea who was shooting at them, Jamal Johnson told KTVT-TV in Dallas. Everyone knew it wasnt a firework it was an actual shot. The shooting broke out just hours after President Obama reacting to the shooting deaths of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana this week posted an emphatic message on Facebook calling upon all Americans to confront persistent racial disparities between law enforcement and the communities they serve. To admit weve got a serious problem in no way contradicts our respect and appreciation for the vast majority of police officers who put their lives on the line to protect us every single day, he wrote. It is to say that, as a nation, we can and must do better to institute the best practices that reduce the appearance or reality of racial bias in law enforcement. Downtown residents described the chaos on social media. I THINK A SHOOTOUT IS HAPPENING DOWNSTAIRS OH MY GOD, a Twitter user named Allison posted moments before capturing the sound of rapid gunfire on video. The fallen officers have been identified as Dallas police Officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32; Officer Michael Krol, 40; Sgt. Michael Smith, 55; Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, 48; and Dallas transit police Officer Brent Thompson, 43. Funeral services for the fallen officers have not been announced. In the end, three things remain: faith, hope and love, OK? Dallas Mayor Rawlings said Friday afternoon. We need all three today. We must have faith in each other, in our institutions. We must have hope and believe that tomorrow will be better and it will. And we must love one another, because if we dont, this cancerous separatism will kill this body. This article has been updated as more information became available. Yahoo News editor Lauren Johnston contributed to this story. Jason Sickles is a national reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles). As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ My girlfriend and I recently returned from vacation to Europe, which started off with the worst flying experience weve ever had. Im curious to get your thoughts are we being reasonable here? is there anything else we can do? Our itinerary, on American Airlines, was to catch an early morning (~8am) flight from DC to New York and then fly to Zurich that evening (~6pm). As were eating breakfast, we get a phone call from the airline turns out that our flight to DC was cancelled, due to maintenance issues, and the best they could do is fly us out ~30 hours later to New York and then catch that evenings flight to Zurich. That would have completely erased the first two days of our trip for us so we hurriedly researched other, day of ways to get to New York and eventually paid $450 out of pocket to get there on Jet Blue to salvage one day. Both over the phone and in the airport in New York we were treated with indifference that magnified our frustration. I get that issues during air travel are inevitable and have been on the receiving end of delays and cancellations before. But this was vastly more infuriating than any previous experience I hold the airline fully responsible (not weather, strikes, etc.) and cant accept 2 days of our vacation this year, months in planning, vanishing with less than 3 hours notice. Ive been in contact with AAs complaints department, and while theyve given us some miles in amends, this does not equate to our out of pocket expense, which to me is the absolute minimum in acceptable compensation. Monetarily, for the future the right answer here is probably better travel insurance (we only had a barebones emergency medical plan) but on principle, how we were treated doesnt feel acceptable. Safety and Environmental Standards Raised for Arctic Exploratory Drilling The regulations have been raised to ensure high safety standards for drilling activities on the OCS. The U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Janice Schneider has announced final regulations that will make sure future exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are done with the highest safety and environmental standards. According to a departmental news release, the regulations focus on operations from floating vessels within the U.S. Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. More specifically, they will ensure operators take steps to plan through all phases of OCS exploration in the Arctic, including mobilization, maritime transport and emergency response, and the conduct of safe drilling operations. "With the United States as Chair of the Arctic Council, we are committed to demonstrating our leadership in governance and activities in the Arctic Region," said Schneider. "The regulations we are issuing today support the administration's thoughtful and balanced approach to any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic region. The rules help ensure that any exploratory drilling operations in this highly challenging environment will be conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, while protecting the marine, coastal, and human environments, and Alaska Natives' cultural traditions and access to subsistence resources." Now operators must develop an Integrated Operations Plan that addresses all phases of an exploration program and submit it to BOEM in advance. Companies must have access to source control and containment equipment. "The unique Arctic environment raises substantial operational challenges," said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Abigail Ross Hopper. "These new regulations are carefully tailored to ensure that any future exploration activities will be conducted in a way that respects and protects this incredible ecosystem and the Alaska Native subsistence activities that depend on its preservation." (Bloomberg) -- North Korea launched a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast Saturday morning, a South Korean Defense Military official said. The missile was fired about 11:30 a.m. local time from waters off the city of Sinpo, said the official, who asked not to be identified in line with government policy. It was launched successfully but appears to have failed in early flight, the official said, without providing details. The launch came a day after South Korea and the U.S. agreed to deploy the so-called Thaad anti-ballistic missile system in the Korean peninsula. That followed North Koreas description of recent financial sanctions against leader Kim Jong Un as a declaration of war. The North has conducted a series of ballistic missile tests since April. (Adds South Korean officials comment in second paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Jungah Lee in Seoul at jlee1361@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Robert Fenner at rfenner@bloomberg.net, Vivek Shankar, Simon Harvey 2016 Bloomberg L.P. Moscow on Saturday said it had expelled two US diplomats as a retaliatory move after Washington turfed out two Russian officials over an attack on a US embassy worker last month. "After their unfriendly step two employees of the United States embassy had to leave Moscow," Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said. "They were declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status." Ryabkov accused the two US diplomats of being CIA agents and said that one of them had been involved in a brawl with a policeman in Moscow that sparked the tit-for-tat expulsions. "We hope Washington recognises all the same the perversity of its anti-Russian line. If they decide to move further along the path of escalation it will not remain unanswered," Ryabkov warned. The United States State Department on Friday announced that it had expelled two Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat in Moscow last month by a policeman. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian policeman attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound, after the American official identified himself. Moscow, however, disputes that version of events and insists the US diplomat was a CIA agent who attacked the policeman as he tried to stop him to check his ID as he returned from a spying mission in the city. Russian state-controlled television on Thursday broadcast what appeared to be footage of the attack, saying it showed a Russian police guard stationed outside the embassy tackling a man alleged to be an undercover CIA officer attempting to enter the building without identifying himself. In the short, grainy clip -- which appears to contradict the Russian report -- a man exiting a taxi is almost immediately attacked by a policeman who bursts from a sentry box and wrestles him to the ground. With the officer pinning him down, the man manages to push himself through a door into the embassy. The expulsions had been kept secret until the footage was aired on Russian TV, with Ryabkov accusing US diplomats in Washington of failing to "keep their word" after asking Moscow not to publicise the moves. The latest incidents come after complaints from Washington about what it deemed a mounting campaign of harassment and intimidation of American diplomats and their families in the Russian capital. Ties between the US and Russia are at their lowest point since the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine. Colombia's cocaine production surged by nearly half its previous amount last year, United Nations experts said Friday. The area covered with fields of green coca leaves expanded by 39 percent to 96,000 hectares, said Bo Mathiasen, Colombia representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Colombia's consequent production of cocaine hydrochloride -- a white powder form of the drug -- rose 46 percent to 646 tonnes, Mathiasen told a news conference. The increase in coca cultivation was partly due to the halting of crop spraying by the authorities to destroy the plants, he said. Colombia is ranked the largest cocaine producer in the world. Peru and Bolivia, also big producers, have 60,000 hectares of coca plantations between them, Mathiasen said. Eduardo Diaz, a top Colombia government anti-drugs official, said coca production had surged again after easing for several years. Cocaine trafficking has fueled the country's deadly civil war over the past five decades. The biggest rebel force, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, signed a ceasefire with the government last month. Both sides hope it will lead to a full peace deal within weeks. The conflict has drawn in various armed groups and drug gangs over the decades. "The growers have achieved greater productivity in their crops," Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said on Thursday. Armed groups linked to the conflict have managed to "organize orchestrated protests against the forced eradication" of coca, he added, saying he hoped the government's efforts to replace and eradicate illegal crops would thrive once a peace deal is signed. BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali exported a record 70.2 tonnes of gold in 2015, up from 53.2 tonnes the previous year, due to higher production by small-scale artisanal miners, the national statistics institute said on Saturday. Mali is the third biggest gold producer in Africa behind South Africa and Ghana. Production in 2015 was valued at $2.2 billion and of the total exported 46.5 tonnes was mined by industrial producers, up 0.7 tonnes on the previous year. The other 23.7 tonnes was mined by artisanal producers, up 16.3 tonnes on the previous year. Artisanal exports have risen in recent years. "These figures show that small-scale mining is on the move. It's a dynamic sector that could produce almost as much as the mining companies. That's why authorities need to organise the sector," said former miner Abdoulaye Pona, who is now the president of the Chamber of Mines. The record is significant for Mali, whose economy has been hurt by political instability in the north and attacks by militants from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Mali is one of the world's poorest states and is vulnerable to climate change. The West African country has more than 350 sites for small-scale mining and more than 1 million people are involved in the industry, according to the mines ministry. (Reporting by Timoko Diallo; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Louise Heavens) BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's FARC rebel group would not accept opposition to a peace deal with the government from within its ranks or allow dissidents to use its name, the leadership said on Friday, after one unit announced that it would not lay down its weapons. The 200-strong Armando Rios First Front in the southeastern jungle province of Guaviare said this week it would not disarm or demobilize once an accord was reached. The announcement was the first public opposition to a peace deal from within the 7,000-member Marxist group and may prompt more dissent in the coming weeks, security sources said. More than two weeks ago, the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government announced a ceasefire deal at their almost four-year-old talks in Cuba. In a statement from "the mountains of Colombia", the FARC leadership said decisions within the group are made by majority, and any members choosing an "uncertain adventure" would no longer be part of the organisation. "Whomever declares themselves removed from the directorate puts themselves outside of the FARC-EP and cannot use its name, arms or properties for any purpose," the statement said. "Peace is and will continue to be the flag of all true revolutionaries." The First Front, which is known to have links to the drug trade, called on other units to join forces to continue fighting. A commander of the breakaway unit, Gentil Duarte, had recently been part of the rebel negotiating team. The unit, which famously held former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American contractors hostage, said the deals being reached at talks in Havana would not solve the social and economic problems which first motivated the FARC to take up arms in 1964. President Juan Manuel Santos has said the peace talks, aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions, may conclude as early as this month. Any deal would be put to Colombians for approval in a public vote. Santos said this week that any FARC unit that does not adhere to a peace agreement would continue at war and its members would be killed or imprisoned. (Reporting by Helen Murphy and Julia Symmes Cobb; editing by Grant McCool) YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan introduced the results of his meeting with the Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov during RPA Executive Body meeting, RPA spokesperson and Vice-President of the Armenian parliament Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after the meeting. You are aware that the Foreign ministers of the CSTO member states have issues a statement in support of the Republic of Armenia. They reconfirm that the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh has no alternative, the Minsk Group format is not subject of changes and the agreements reached at Vienna and ST.l Petersburg meetings must be implemented. You also know that during the Vienna meeting of the Presidents an agreement was reached over the installation of investigative mechanisms, Armenpress reports Sharmazanov mentioning. He added that the CSTO Foreign Ministers support Armenia and show Azerbaijan that their official positions are in confrontation with Baku at least over these 3 points. The National Assembly Vice Speaker added that this announcement shows that the official position of the CSTO member states does not go in line with the position of Azerbaijan. In his words, this is a result of flexible and also strict policy conducted by the Armenian president. We saw that Kazakhstan, that in some cases has supported Azerbaijan, and the other CSTO member states supported Armenia, Sharmazanov said. YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects the Final Act of the July 8 NATO Warsaw Summit to touch upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well. This was mentioned by the Secretary General at a briefing. We urge the two countries to ease the tension, refrain from violence and find peaceful solutions of the conflict by negotiations only. We will support all efforts for peaceful settlement of the conflict, he said. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan departed to Poland on a working visit on July 8 to take part in the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the NATO member and non-member states related to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, which is held within the framework of the NATO 2016 Warsaw Summit. The President will also hold bilateral meetings in Warsaw. YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs that on July 8 the USD exchange rate was 476.72 AMD which is the a decrease of 0.21 drams compared to the previous day. Armenpress reports that the Euro decreased by 1.52 drams forming 527.40 drams. British pound dropped by 2.23 drams forming 617.54 drams. Russian ruble decreased by 0.02 drams reaching to 7.43 drams on July 8. The prices for precious metals are as follows: the price for silver per gram is 302.25 AMD, gold-20,794.01 AMD, and platinum-16,645.02 AMD. STEPANAKERT, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received delegation of the Commission Regulating Public Services of the Republic of Armenia led by head of the structure Robert Nazaryan on July 8. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of Artsakh Presidents Office, issues related to enhancing and deepening cooperation between the two Armenian states in the field of regulating public services and economic competition were on the agenda of the meeting. Chairman of the NKR State Commission on Regulating Public Services and Economic Competition Hakob Ghahramanyan and other officials took part in the meeting. Real Estate News What is it like to live in Brewster? The town is full of natural beauty and historic treasures. While it fronts only Cape Cod Bay, the beaches draw mostly locals and are rarely overcrowded, even at the height of summer. Low tide extends for as far as the eye can see at Breakwater Beach in Brewster. John Tlumacki/Globe staff Sally Cabot Gunning, 65, got her feet wet by writing mass-market mysteries like Dirty Water, Hot Water, and Deep Water, then she moved from Providence to Cape Cod and became fascinated with the areas rich history and her own family roots here. The move prompted a change in genres. Gunning, who started writing when she was 6, first worked for a local doctor to pay the bills. The office was closed one day a week, so she deemed that her time to write. Inspired by her surroundings, the author of 10 mysteries switched to historical fiction and wrote The Widows War, Bound, and The Rebellion of Jane Clarke. All are set in Satucket, the native American name for an area in and around Brewster. She then dared to explore off-Cape settings and characters, penning Benjamin Franklins Bastard. Her latest book, Monticello, about Thomas Jeffersons relationship with his daughter, Martha, is due out in September. Advertisement: Gunning has lived in her grandparents old summer house, built in 1931 on land purchased for $600 a acre, since the late 1970s. Its only 100 yards from Cape Cod Bay. It doesnt offer a lot of square footage for Gunning and her husband, a school social worker, but that doesnt stop them from receiving several summer visitors, who stay in their guest house. Brewster is known as the Sea Captains Town. The Brewster Historical Society, for which Gunning serves as vice president, has relocated to a former sea captains home on Lower Road, the Elijah Cobb House, which was built in 1799. One of the town tours the society runs is based on The Widows War. Gunning said shes glad shes lived most of her adult life in Brewster. Its why I became a historical writer, and its been inspiring me ever since. Author Sally Cabot Gunning of Brewster BY THE NUMBERS 50 The number of clipper-ship captains who lived in town at one point in 1850 95 The number of years the Animal Rescue League of Boston has served Cape Cod. Its Brewster location is equipped with a stable and paddock. Advertisement: 1,900 & 835 number of acres at Nickerson State Park and Punkhorn Parklands, an area the town took by eminent domain in the 1980s. Nickerson offers hiking, swimming, canoeing, more than 400 campsites, and nearly 8 miles of biking trails. Punkhorn has many hiking trails, too. $575,000 What the Brewster Historical Society paid for the Elijah Cobb House in 2015. It is costing the organization $365,000 to restore and renovate it into a museum. PRO & CON Pro The town is full of natural beauty and historic treasures. While it fronts only Cape Cod Bay, the beaches from Paines Creek to Crosby Landing draw mostly locals and are rarely overcrowded, even at the height of summer. The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is a perfect place to learn about the different ecosystems in the area. Con Because there is no concentrated downtown, it is difficult to get anywhere without frequent car trips. For people like Gunning, this can be unfortunate in a bad winter, when the power goes out a lot, or a good summer, when tourists jam the towns main thoroughfare, Route 6A. Reservations are required to walk inside the inflatable 44-foot humpback whale at the Cape Cod Natural History Museum. Kids jockey for position as they pick out penny candy at the Brewster General Store. John Tlumacki/Globe staff An osprey on a perch near its nest behind the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. John Tlumacki/Globe staff A customer browses at Waynes Antiques on Main Street. John Tlumacki/Globe staff A 1957 Ford F-100 outside Waynes Antiques on Main Street serves as a place to rest old shutters. John Tlumacki/Globe staff Visitors enjoy the boardwalk through the salt marsh behind the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History that leads to the Wings Island Conservation Area. John Tlumacki/Globe staff A cloudless sky over First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist Church John Tlumacki/Globe staff Perennials in the gardens in front of the Captain Freeman Inn on Breakwater Road John Tlumacki/Globe staff Carved-stone lions for sale at Lemon Tree Village Shops John Tlumacki/Globe staff Monarch butterflies alight on lantana in an exhibit at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. John Tlumacki/Globe staff Dandelions frame the historic Old Higgins Farm Windmill at Drummer Boy Park. John Tlumacki/Globe staff A rosa rugosa blooms in front of Stony Brook Grist Mill. John Tlumacki/Globe staff Scott Lajoie is a freelance writer on the Cape. He can be reached at [email protected] When Irish ice-cream makers Brian and Rachel Nolan launched an ambitious expansion into Britain last month, they were betting on a steady exchange rate easing them into one of the world's biggest food markets. Some of those anticipated returns look set to evaporate after Britain voted to leave the European Union on June 23, sending the value of sterling plunging as much as 13% and putting UK-dependent Irish exporters like the Nolans into an exchange rate-induced bind. Ireland, with the fastest-growing economy in Europe, is considered more vulnerable than anyone else in the EU to Brexit, especially the one in ten workers whose jobs directly relate to trade with the United Kingdom. "The scary part at the moment is the currency," said Brian Nolan, 35, who left a career in finance to work with his wife to turn avocados and coconuts into Nobo ice cream in 2012, when Ireland was still relying on an international bailout. "If it keeps going down the wrong way, it makes that market a place where it becomes very challenging to operate in." Like so many firms in a country of only 4.6 million people, Nobo must look abroad for growth. Fourteen times larger than Ireland, Britain accounts for 16% of its exports, rocketing up to 44% when foreign-owned firms operating out of Ireland are excluded. The exchange rate was more favorable at 0.78 pounds to the euro when Ireland's finance department made its most recent projections but is now 9% lower at 0.85. If it fails to recover, the impact could be significant -- the department has estimated an average rate of 0.82 over the next six years would cut Irish GDP growth by an average of 0.8% a year. For the Nolans, there is no easy answer. Already priced for the premium market, they do not have the luxury of simply increasing prices, and seeking to offset the hit by sourcing cheaper ingredients in sterling could risk sacrificing the quality of raw materials that are key to their brand. The mood in Britain itself is dour. In a special post-referendum survey published on Friday, market research company GfK said consumer confidence fell 8 points to -9 in the aftermath of the June 23 vote from -1 in its previous regular monthly survey. Ireland's government is maintaining its forecast for 4.9% GDP growth for 2016 following a strong first half to the year. But it has trimmed its outlook for 2017 to 3.4% from 3.9% and warned that worse could be ahead if Britain strikes an unfavorable post-Brexit deal with the EU. But concerns are surfacing in some data. Business expectations in the services sector -- which includes tourism operators who rely on the UK for 40 percent of visitors -- tumbled in June, according to a survey on Tuesday, as firms expressed concern that Brexit would lead to a slowdown. While Nobo's owners worry that a premium ice cream might be something Britons leave out of their shopping basket at a time of low consumer confidence, Dublin-based online risk analysis company Cloud90 is already seeing investment stalling, as well. "The week of the vote we went into a very large insurance company in London with a very innovative product they agreed to pilot. In the last two weeks, we've heard nothing," said Cloud90 chief executive Nicola Byrne. "We're counting on this, we were planning all our expansion to come from the UK and now we don't know where we are, even with small businesses who we were about to start trading with. The uncertainty is just chaotic, this is a real risk." Irish firms are being encouraged by trade bodies to look to new markets but that can be easier said than done. Byrne said she could look to the United States but differing state laws make the process far more complex for her risk analytics. "We have no idea what the future holds, just none," she said. While Ireland's economy is forecast to be Europe's best performing for a third straight year, it needs all the growth it can get to cut a public debt that, while down from a peak of 124% of GDP, stood at 94% of annual output last year. Ireland's fiscal watchdog estimates that if forecast GDP growth comes in 1.5 percentage points lower each year, it would cause the debt-to-GDP ratio to stagnate at current high levels before rising again by the end of the decade. That could scupper government plans to grow the workforce by 12% to 2.2 billion over the next six years. Experienced exporters like 65-year-old Jimmy McGee, owner of the Athlone Extrusions manufacturing firm, have been through enough downturns to know that difficult times may lie ahead. "I believe this will cost jobs in Ireland. It's just too large," said McGee, who is confident layoffs won't be needed at his firm because it exports sheeting for baths and shower trays to 41 countries other than the UK. "After a tough few years, companies had got the confidence back to invest. That's under threat. There's no stability right now and I don't think there will be for some time." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Israels surveillance state Tedr77 [at] aol.com) by Ted Rudow III Palestinians using social media to spread news about arrests and deaths, and Israeli intelligence and law enforcement officers scouring the web for clues about the next stabbing or protest. Facebook has not changed the fundamental contours of the conflict, but it has accelerated it. A demonstration against the Israeli occupation can be organized in a matter of hours, while the monitoring of Palestinians is made easier by the large digital footprint they leave on their laptops and mobile phones. Israeli officials have blamed social media for inciting a wave of violent attacks by Palestinians that began in October 2015. Since then, Israeli security forces have arrested about 400 Palestinians for social media activity, according to Palestinian rights groups Addameer and Adalah. Most of the arrests have been for postings on Facebook, a popular network among Palestinians. The arrests of Palestinians for Facebook posts open a window into the practices of Israels surveillance state and reveal social medias darker side. What was once seen as a weapon of the weak has turned into the perfect place to ferret out potential resistance In that year alone, the Israeli attorney general opened 155 investigations into alleged social media incitement, a marked increase from previous years, the vast majority of cases have been directed at Arabs in Israel. Fear is favorite weapon, and it works as well with governments as it does with individual people. It's a day of fear-of terror! Nations and people are terrified of terrorism, and many are quite willing to give up all sorts of freedoms for the sake of security. Ted Rudow III, MA We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts! Donate $ 415.00 donated in the past month Get Involved If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us. A group under the aegis of Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) has rained knocks on President Muhammadu Buhari over the removal of Ibe Kachikwu as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, July 4, yielded to pressures from Northern oligarchies to drop Kachikwu, an oil expert from Delta in Southern Nigeria and replace him with Maikanti Baru, a former Group Executive Director of Exploration and Production of the NNPC from Bauchi State in North East zone of the country. President of the group, Nelly Emma, who kicked against the sudden removal of Kachikwu, faulted the move of Buhari, saying the action of Buhari was unfair as it is not only a bad treatment to Kachikwu but to the people of the Niger Delta who own the oil that feeds the nation. The group raised the alarm early in April that Baru was desperate and was working round the clock to become GMD of the corporation, though its alarm was not heeded by Nigerians. The group which expressed sadness over the development said Kachikwu was committed to transforming the oil sector but his sack has shown that Buhari is not committed to the ideals of Kachikwu in revamping the industry for better productivity. The group accused the president of treating the South very unfairly, maintaining that his decision to sack Kachikwu was a blunder and an unfortunate one for the Niger Delta people. It said Buhari was more interested in his Northern agenda than the development of the various sectors of the nation. It condemned Buhari for preferring his Northern agenda to the good changes Kachikwu had brought to the corporation. It described Baru as a person who does not mean well for the corporation, insisting that he is a spoiler who never liked reforms in NNPC but only interested in becoming GMD and promote Northern interest in the corporation. File Photo: Dr Ibe Kachikwu Source: Depositphotos The Niger Delta group raised questions over the ability of Baru to lead negotiations to calm frayed nerves of militants who have been bombing and destroying oil installations in the oil rich but impoverished Niger Delta. READ ALSO: Feature: How rescued Boko Haram captives die in IDP camps It said rather than Buhari honouring Kachikwu in his effort to save the oil industry, the president paid him with sack and replacing him with a Northerner who cannot liaise with the militants and end years of violence in the volatile region. President Muhammadu Buhari has been under fire from a wide spectrum of Nigerians who condemn his lopsided appointment into various government agencies and parastatals across the nation. Many Nigerians have seen his appointment as aimed at pursuing Northern agenda against the overall interest of the nation. This has raised fears of his islamisation plot against the southern states of the nation. This is so because almost all strategic appointments in the nation are from the North, fueling accusations that he is positioning his people against the execution of islamisation agenda. The Police Inspector General, Ibrahim Idris is from the North, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, is from the North, the Comptrollers General of Customs, Prisons and Immigration are from the North, Minister of Defense is from the North, hence Nigerians are uncomfortable with the secret agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. In his appointments, he has tactically placed his Muslim brothers in all the special and strategic offices and abandoned the South even the South West where his party leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, holds sway. As it is now, Tinubu seems powerless in the appointment and distribution of offices in the nation. Nigerians in the South East and South South have been relegated to second class citizens in the appointment and distribution of offices by Buhari. Besides the ministerial appointment given to few south south and south east people, other strategic positions which are centres of policy implementations are headed by Northerners, his Muslim brothers. The recent sack of senior police officers and the army are majorly people from the south south and south east. Nigerians therefore are of the view that Buhari has chosen to run Nigeria as a country of the North and not a one Nigeria. This may be a confirmation of his statement during his inauguration that he is for nobody, hence he has right to decide what and who should be appointed into any position without recourse to federal character system of the nation. Source: Legit.ng Thank you for reading The Cascadia Advocate, the Northwest Progressive Institutes journal of world, national, and local politics. Founded in March of 2004, The Cascadia Advocate has been helping people throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond make sense of current events with rigorous analysis and thought-provoking commentary for more than fifteen years. The Cascadia Advocate is funded by readers like you and trusted sponsors. We dont run ads or publish content in exchange for money. Help us keep The Cascadia Advocate editorially independent and freely available to all by becoming a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute today. Or make a donation to sustain our essential research and advocacy journalism. Your contribution will allow us to continue bringing you features like Last Week In Congress, live coverage of events like Netroots Nation or the Democratic National Convention, and reviews of books and documentary films. Become an NPI member Make a one-time donation It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search Friday, 08 July 2016 21:26:42 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Bolivia s state-run producer Empresa Siderurgica del Mutun (ESM) is struggling to sell some 500,000 mt of iron concentrates, according to local media reports. The company has been idled since August 2015 due to declining commodity prices. So far, it hasnt closed any deals due to logistics and weak prices for the commodity globally. Part of the problem that led the company to have inventory it cant sell is ESMs difficulties in transporting the product to the port, according to reports. ESM owes its workers some BOL 1.2 million in wages. Friday, 08 July 2016 21:29:02 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo Exports from Brazil s largest steelmaker Gerdau should account for 40 percent of the companys total operations by 2016 and 2017, credit rating agency Fitch said, while affirming the companys long-term foreign and local currency ratings at BBB- and national scale at AAA(bra). Fitch expects Gerdau 's exports to represent around 40 percent of the Brazilian operations during 2016 and 2017, an increase from historical levels closer to 20 percent, it said, while commenting the challenges Brazil s steel industry, and Gerdau , itself, have ahead amid an economic downturn. This will offset a portion of the volumes lost in the domestic market; however, it will negatively impact margins, as Gerdau 's domestic Brazilian EBITDA margins are around 18 percent compared to the export market of 5-12 percent, Fitch noted. As for the local steel industry in general, the credit rating agency said steel producers should continue facing further headwinds in H2 and into at least mid-2017, as industry fundamentals remain weak amid the country's economic recession. For many of us, it's just part of childhood: a goldfish or two in a bowl, purchased on a whim at a pet store. They're "easy" pets, tiny little things who require only an occasional splash of food and the itty-bittiest amount of space - a circular glass sphere often small enough to fit on a shelf. Or so we used to think. Attitudes toward the friendly little fish are changing, and any number of websites will tell you that you shouldn't let your goldfish live in a bowl - in 2004 one Italian town went so far as to ban the bowls altogether. But why? As it turns out, fishbowls can kill fish. Dodo Shows Soulmates Dog Goes Everywhere In His Dad's Kangaroo Pouch It's all about water quality, according to Paul R. Bowser, Ph.D., professor emeritus of aquatic animal medicine at Cornell University. "Think of it this way," he tells The Dodo. "The goldfish is living in its own metabolic wastes." Here's what that means: Fish poop. A LOT. And they excrete mostly ammonia, which bacteria then convert to nitrite, and which even more bacteria later convert to nitrate. It's a natural process, but the mix of the ammonia and nitrite can reach toxic concentrations in a dirty fishbowl. And that can kill the fish. For proof, consider that a goldfish in an aquarium could live for 10 or more years, while most fishbowl goldfish would be lucky to make it to 10 months. Gregory A. Lewbart, VMD, a professor of aquatic animal medicine at North Carolina State University, notes that one of his clients - who keeps her fish in a 1,000-gallon outdoor pond - has fish in their teens and a 30-year-old who just passed away. "Remember, fish must do everything in the water where they live," he tells The Dodo. "Eat, urinate, defecate, mate, breathe. They can't escape their environment." Which is why filtration is so important. Bowser recommends a fully equipped aquarium with a bio-filter - commonly placed under the gravel or on the side - that avoids the toxic combination of ammonia and nitrite. Lots of space helps, too, and Lewbart says an aquarium should be no fewer than 29 gallons total for two or three small fish - and a single 3-ounce fish should have at least 10 gallons, if not much more. With a standard fishbowl, filtration simply isn't possible, and the fish will likely die. "Unless the person performs very regular and frequent water changes, the concentrations of ammonia and nitrite can increase to toxic concentrations that could kill the fish," Bowser says, noting that fish also do best at normal room temperature. Of course, there's also the question of whether goldfish in a bowl get sad or distressed living in such a small space. "If the water quality is not optimal (e.g., high ammonia), I think they would be uncomfortable, and if the conditions were harsh enough, distressed," Lewbart says. "I think they are definitely capable of being distressed/stressed, uncomfortable, and, at some level, could suffer." Many experts second that, especially as our understanding of fish increases. A 2014 study in Animal Cognition reports that, while scientists cannot definitively state whether any nonhuman vertebrate experiences consciousness in the same way we do, it's likely "that fish perception and cognitive abilities often match or exceed other vertebrates." Victoria Braithwaite, Ph.D., a professor of fisheries and biology at Penn State, has backed up that notion, once telling Biology News Net that "fish actually are cognitively more competent than we thought before - some species of fish have very sophisticated forms of cognition." My best friend lost her first dog, a gorgeous black Lab named Chewy, to a hot summer's day years ago - and it's a story that has stuck with me ever since. Thirty minutes after arriving at a park, after keeping activity minimal, after playing in the shade and after providing Chewy with copious amounts of water, my friend's Lab went into shock and had a seizure. With the help of an off-duty police officer, Chewy was rushed to the nearest animal hospital. But he died just a minute before arriving, in my friend's arms, after she tried a last-ditch effort to give him CPR. "I was hysterical," she told me. "I still blame myself for taking an older dog out on a hot day." She didn't know any better. "Heat stroke, or heat exhaustion, is more common than we think," Dr. Shian Simms, vice president of Bideawee Animal Hospitals, told The Dodo. "The main thing is some dogs anatomically do not tolerate heat very well. But all animals can get heat stroke ... I've seen several of these cases, they're bad. The monitor doesn't even register their temperature," she said. Heat stroke can occur in as little as 20 minutes, or take hours to turn into a dangerous scenario. Simms said the most obvious sign to look out for when a dog is panting - if it seems excessive, or if the dog becomes listless or collapses, then it's time to take your pet indoors immediately. "Use your common sense," Simms said. "If you have a black dog, they absorb more heat. It's true. A fluffy dog is basically wearing a fur coat; they can't tolerate the heat either. They shouldn't even go out on a hot day. They should be in an air-conditioned room." Dodo Shows Comeback Kids Family Stops At Nothing To Help Their Great Dane Run Simms added if you do plan to take your dog out, it's best to do so in the early morning or evenings when it's cooler out. She also recommended making an investment in a cooling product, like cooling dog vests or mats. Here is some additional information and tips to help keep your dog safe this summer. What is heat stroke, exactly? The medical term for the condition that leads to heat stroke is hyperthermia - basically, when the body temperature gets too high. This is typically triggered by inflammation inside the body or - you guessed it - being stuck in a hot environment, according to the American Medical Center of Southern California. Dogs don't sweat through their skin in the same way humans do - rather, they sweat through their foot pads and nose. They also keep cool by panting, but these methods aren't nearly as effective as full-body sweating, so it doesn't take much for a dog to overheat. How "at risk" is my dog? Your dog is especially at risk for heat stroke if he or she is is very young or very old; has a thick, dark coat; suffers from a preexisting health condition; is overweight or if he or she is a "flat nose" breed, which tend to be prone to respiratory issues in general (think bulldogs, shih tzus, pugs and Chihuahuas). What are the signs? Things to look out for include excessive panting, drooling, dry gums, weakness, confusion, anxiety, vomiting - among many others. Essentially, if your dog appears to not be having a good time or comes across as sick in any form, it's time to take him or her indoors to cool down - or if the signs appear to be severe (i.e., a seizure, an inability to move), to a veterinarian. Always keep an eye on your dog while outside so you'll be able to catch if something is wrong sooner rather than later. Simms said that trying to cool a dog down quickly by placing him or her in freezing water, for example, could make the dog's condition worse and should be avoided. Talk this week of a stalemate between Ottawa and Bombardier Inc. over federal assistance to one of Canadas most important enterprises is misguided. By this fall, the Trudeau government will have injected about $1 billion into the aerospace and rail company. The holdup is the strings Ottawa wants to attach to the deal, which it should hold out for. Its fair to ask why the new Trudeau government would continue the practice of injecting taxpayer money into a company that lost $6.5 billion in the past two years. Besides, Quebec has already ponied up $3.3 billion to ease Bombardiers cash-flow worries. But Ottawa wants to be part of a Bombardier turnaround story. The Trudeau government has met with Bombardiers top officials no less than six times in the short time since it came to power. Here are some factors in the Trudeau governments keen interest in the 74-year-old Bombardier: Given their traditional base in Quebec, the Grits wont abide the Quebec government being seen as sole rescuer of the provinces biggest multinational firm. Nor are the feds eager to share the blame in a failed Bombardier that puts its more than 70,000 employees out of work. After the death of Nortel Networks Corp., and with BlackBerry Ltd. struggling for survival, the Trudeau government is not going to be complicit in the demise of the most significant global ambassador of Canadian technological prowess. Bombardier is one of the countrys largest companies, with 2015 revenues of $18.2 billion; and one of its biggest employers, notably of engineers. Bombardier is also one of Canadas biggest exporters, with a whopping $34.2 billion in export revenues in the past five years. Bombardier is a manufacturer, of course a sector that has been hollowed out across the continent. Its also the mainspring of a Canadian aerospace industry that is among the largest in the world. Its demise would be an historic failure in industrial policy, recalling the death of Avro Arrow. Bombardier is surprisingly resilient. Its revenues have actually inched up by about 2 per cent between 2011 and 2015. That post-Great Recession period was marked by turmoil. The troubled U.S. airline sector consolidated into just three big carriers. Hundreds of cities and regional governments that are customers for Bombardiers rail products were effectively insolvent. And corporate air forces were thinned as public outrage over excessive CEO pay and perks put a dent in Bombardiers private-plane business. Yet Bombardiers total sales held up. To be sure, the firms EBIT profit turned to loss in commercial and corporate aircraft. But orders from Bombardiers worldwide base of loyal customers, assiduously developed over more than three decades, remained relatively stable. Finally, Bombardier is among the most successful enterprises Canada has produced. Its bet-the company transition from snowmobiles to subway systems laid the foundation for the worlds biggest rail-systems provider. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bombardiers innovative commuter regional jet (CRJ) enabled airlines to introduce jet service in second- and third-tier destinations previously reliant on turboprop service that white-knuckle fliers had always rejected. And during its Industrial Revolution, China has turned to Bombardier for the countrys network of high-speed commuter rail systems. For all that, Bombardiers latest bet-the-company project has threatened to sink the firm. The next-generation CRJ family, the C Series, was a dicey proposition from the start, when it was announced in 2008. It would be competing with the vastly larger Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE in the market for 100- to 160-seat single-aisle passenger jets. More challenging still, the new C Series was designed largely from scratch. It was not, like the original CRJ series, derived from a previous, tried and true aircraft. The C Series is two-and-a-half years late, and about $2.6 billion over its initial $4.4 billion budget. To put those numbers in perspective, the $3.9 billion in EBIT losses in Bombardiers commercial aircraft division exceed gross revenues of $2.4 billion. But that is typical of industrial megaprojects. Production delays have dogged Boeings bet-the-company Dreamliner. And sales of Airbuss A380 superjumbo have been underwhelming, since few airports are willing to retrofit to accommodate the huge aircraft. Meanwhile, the planets appear finally to have aligned for the C Series. This year, the C Series has proved its worth with buyers, including Delta Air Lines Inc., Air Canada, Korean Air Lines Co. (KAL) and the Swiss International Air Lines arm of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The C Series advances in fuel efficiency and range have so far garnered approximately 370 orders from a total of 16 airlines and aircraft leasing companies worldwide. Bombardiers next challenge is to slash its C Series production costs, with a stated goal of turning a profit on each aircraft sold by 2020, just four years away. Success in cost-efficiency will also enable the firm to eradicate the sticker shock encountered by early prospective C Series buyers. Bombardier needs to build a C Series plane profitably at a lower price tag of about $25 million apiece. Finally, theres Ottawas role in Bombardiers potential reinvention. Ottawa, like Quebec, will or should take an equity stake in Bombardier to make clear that this is an investment on which a return for the taxpayer is expected, and not another bailout. Ottawa itself says its chief concern is with Bombardiers corporate governance, and specifically a Bombardier dual-class share structure it wants the firm to get rid of. Dual-class shares, by which the founding Beaudoin and Bombardier families control the firm with just a sliver of the equity, are both commonplace and an affront to shareholder democracy. Justin Trudeau would set a fine precedent in forcing an end to dual-class shares at such a high-profile firm. But the negotiations between Ottawa and Bombardier over the summer are also an opportunity to think about turning Bombardier into a pure play aerospace firm, by spinning off the rail division. Attempting to exert mastery over two complex businesses has cost Bombardier dearly in market share losses to Brazils plucky Embraer SA. Bombardier has allowed Embraer to best it in product innovation. Like Boeing and Airbus, Embraer sticks to flying machines, for civilian, military and aerospace uses. Spinning off Bombardier Transportation, the rail division, would provide a big one-time cash injection to enable a stand-alone Bombardier Aerospace to more easily finance the needed improvements to the next generations of C Series aircraft. A standalone Bombardier Aerospace would be forced to succeed, because it no longer has a giant rail business to fall back on. An $8.3-billion rail business, by the way, which for all its size and global reach cant seem to deliver streetcars to the Toronto Transit Commission on time. Read more about: SHARE: While famous European cities such as Paris, London and Rome swell with tourists year-round, there are still plenty of under-visited destinations on the continent. And while many first-time visitors may stick to the usual subjects in Europe, savvy travellers know there are plenty of worthy places to see off the tourist trail. Here are five of those cities: Kotor, Montenegro: If theres any destination on this list poised to jump from underrated to extremely popular, its the town of Kotor. This Montenegrin gem is situated within the southernmost fjord in Europe. The old town itself is enchanting, yet its the encapsulating landscape deep blue bays surrounded by rugged mountains that make this place so special. The cruise ships are starting to arrive in Kotor, so get there quick. Gdansk, Poland: Most visitors to Poland may stick to the capital of Warsaw and the southern city of Krakow and miss out on Gdansk. Sure, the other Polish cities are beautiful, but Gdansk is special, and may be the most interesting city in Eastern Europe. Almost completely destroyed by bombings during the Second World War, Gdansk has since been restored to its former beauty. Cute canals, narrow townhouses, and lively squares make this city a feast for the eyes. Meteora, Greece: When many people talk of Greece, they speak of the coast, or islands such as Santorini. However, so many travellers miss one of the most fantastic landscapes in all of Europe Meteora. To add to the drama of this incredible pillared landscape, many of the geological features are topped by ancient monasteries. Visitors can rent scooters and cruise, or hike, through the brilliant vistas, exploring the geography and monasteries, most of which are still active and open to the public. Belfast, Northern Ireland: The Republic of Ireland is incredibly popular with tourists. Cities such as Dublin swarm with visitors from around the world, and people line up to kiss the Blarney Stone down near Cork. However, only a trickle of people make their way to Northern Ireland, and those who skip it are missing out. Belfast is a wonderful city, though it still suffers from a bad reputation ingrained in the minds of people since the days of The Troubles. However, those who spend time in Belfast quickly fall for the history, counterculture, incredible murals, and its people. Tallinn, Estonia: If theres a fairytale city in Europe thats still under-visited, its Tallinn. Few people come to this destination without falling head over heels for it. And while there is a significant amount of tourism here especially among young Europeans jumping on budget flights for a cheap party weekend the city is still calm, considering how fascinating it is. One of the most incredible things is looking down at it from one of its high ancient walls. You can almost see the rings of history a medieval centre, drab socialist buildings that surround it, and then the modern city that encapsulates it all. Brendan van Son is a Canadian digital nomad. Read more about: SHARE: WARSAW, POLAND Canada is promising more cash to Afghanistan while some of its allies plan to keep troops in the country to help it deal with an escalating insurgency. The Liberal government is renewing more than $150 million per year for aid projects in Afghanistan and to help the countrys security forces. The new money will kick in once Canadas existing commitment, pledged by the previous Conservative government in 2012, ends next year. It will continue to 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the commitment during a special session on Afghanistan at the NATO leaders summit in Poland on Saturday, after having met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Warsaw on Friday. The new funding extends Canadas involvement in Afghanistan to nearly two decades. Canada first got involved in the countrys affairs following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, before sending combat troops to the southern province of Kandahar in 2006. It also contributed billions in aid. By the time the combat mission ended in 2011, 158 Canadian soldiers, one diplomat and one journalist had been killed. Canada continued to train Afghan security forces in the capital Kabul for the next three years, until the last troops left in December 2014. Since then, the security situation in Afghanistan has worsened. Violence has increased across the country, with the Taliban capturing territory and launching attacks on the capital as the U.S. and other allies have drawn down troop levels and increasingly left Afghan forces to deal with security. The situation has gotten so bad that Trudeau was warned in a secret briefing note last November that the country could again become a haven for terrorists, which was why the West launched military action to begin with. The so called Daesh, also known as the Islamic State or ISIS, has also been making inroads, making the situation even more desperate. In recognition of what he described as the precarious situation in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama announced last week the U.S. would leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan until at least 2017. That is about 3,000 more than originally planned. The United Kingdom had planned to withdraw its remaining 450 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. However, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Saturday that it will actually increase the troop complement to 500 to help continue training Afghan forces. Australia is also shelving plans to withdraw its 270 troops from Afghanistan until at least next year. Meanwhile, Canadas new funding will be different than what came before in that the emphasis will be on development instead of security. The Liberals have pledged $56 million per year for the Afghan security forces and $90 million for aid. Under the Conservatives, the ratio was flipped. The commitment to spend more on aid than security comes amid reports Afghanistan will need $4 billion annually to arm, supply and train its army and police as compared to $3 billion for aid projects. Despite years of training and assistance, Obama said Afghan security forces still need help from the U.S. and other countries. We cant forget whats at stake in Afghanistan, he added. This is where al-Qaida is trying to regroup. This is where ISIL continues to try to expand its presence. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWAIts not a matter of if there will be another Edward Snowden, its a matter of when, according to internal government documents obtained by the Star. Global Affairs officials warned minister Stephane Dion in November an event on the scale of Snowdens disclosures about Internet surveillance is inevitable. Incidents similar to the Snowden disclosures and the Sony hack will happen again and we can expect that sudden events will affect international debates on cyberspace, the document reads. The briefing note, prepared for Dion in November and obtained under access to information law, suggests that Snowdens disclosures about Western mass surveillance altered the tone of the international discussion on cyberspace. In 2013 Snowden, a former employee of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), pulled back the curtain on mass surveillance online, detailing the capabilities of the Five Eyes countries Canada, the United States, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand to monitor activity online. His release of classified NSA documents triggered outrage among those who said he put lives at risk, and praise from others who argued he shed light on questionable practices and has forced needed change. He was forced to flee the U.S. and was granted asylum in Russia. Then in 2014, hackers broke into Sony company computers and released thousands of emails, documents and sensitive personal information. U.S. federal investigators blamed North Korea. While Canada has long advocated for an open and free Internet, suggestions that the nations spy agency the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has engaged in mass online surveillance have complicated that narrative. But the documents state Ottawa remains committed to a free Internet not only from a democratic point of view, but for the potential for Canadian businesses and consumers to access ever-broadening online markets. The Internet owes its success to its open design, its global and interconnected nature, and its flexible and inclusive governance structure, the documents read. All states are grappling with how to harness the potential of networked technologies while managing their far-ranging impacts The goal (for Canada) is to protect human rights and democratic space, recognize legitimate public safety needs, and preserve the openness and dynamism that has brought about such enormous benefit. In a statement Saturday, a spokesperson for Global Affairs said the federal government believes that protecting online privacy and supporting human rights go hand in hand. Canada is concerned about rising threats emanating from cyberspace, including from repressive governments and their proxies, as well as the growing threats posed by cybercrime and terrorists use of the Internet, wrote spokesperson John Babcock in an email to the Star. While addressing cyber threats, we must not legitimize Internet controls that will be used to restrict human rights and freedoms and hinder the free flow of information. The Star reported in 2015 that CSE has stepped up their efforts to guard against insider threats since Snowden shared an unprecedented trove of intelligence documents with journalist Glenn Greenwald in 2013. The move was also prompted by a Halifax-based Royal Canadian Navy officer, Jeffrey Delisle, who sold secrets to Russia in 2012. Following the unauthorized disclosures of Canadian Navy Sub-Lieutenant Jeffrey Delisle and NSA contractor Edward Snowden, CSE has intensified its efforts to tighten already stringent security, read CSEs 2013-14 report to the minister of national defence. The documents note that Canadian media coverage about Internet security has tended to focus on large-scale hacks, such as the 2014 breach at the National Research Council, or the Heartbleed exploit used on the Canada Revenue Agency that same year. But officials make clear Canadas interest in the file goes beyond playing defence against malicious actors. The documents note that a number of authoritarian regimes are hoping to impose greater control over their citizens access to cyberspace. Domestically, they employ repression and censorship. Internationally, they lobby for greater state regulation of cyberspace, including calls to bring it under UN control, the documents read. They also seek to rewrite current understandings of international law to shape the international cyber environment to reflect their values and interests. The same states also exploit cyberspace through espionage and theft of sensitive information from government and private sector networks, including those of Canada. Officials censored the names of individual countries they accused of such actions, although Ottawa has previously called out China as the hand behind the NRC hack. At the same time, other countries have accused Five Eyes partners of conducting economic espionage of the own. The documents note that Global Affairs has been involved in a range of activities promoting an open and free internet, including advocating for human rights and freedoms online and committing $8 million over the last decade to promote cyber security in the Americas and Southeast Asia. Read more about: SHARE: WARSAW, POLANDNATO allies agreed Saturday to provide increased military support to countries in the Middle East and North Africa that are targets of Islamic extremism, including using NATO surveillance planes in the fight against Daesh. Alliance leaders also agreed to launch a new naval mission in the Mediterranean, and made commitments to maintain a stable military presence in Afghanistan and to fund Afghan security forces through 2020. Were moving forward with the most significant reinforcement of our collective defence any time since the Cold War, U.S. President Barack Obama said at a news conference at the end of a crucial NATO summit in Warsaw. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO will start a training and capacity-building mission for Iraqi armed forces in Iraq, a country he called central in the fight against Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL. NATO is also working to establish an intelligence centre in Tunisia, a major recruiting ground for Daesh, and will shortly start providing support to Tunisian special operation forces. Today we have taken decisions to strengthen our partners and to project stability beyond our borders, Stoltenberg told reporters. He said millions of people in Africa and the Middle East have been rendered homeless and helpless by radical organizations like IS and that the extremist groups are also to blame for organizing terrorist attacks in Europe and America. Obama, who was attending his last NATO summit, called it a pivotal moment for our alliance. In nearly 70 years of NATO we have perhaps never faced such a range of challenges all at once security, humanitarian, political, he said. But he concluded that with the multi-faceted efforts being made, NATO is as strong, as nimble and as ready as ever. Stoltenberg said Obama and leaders of the other 27 NATO countries also agreed in principle for alliance surveillance aircraft to provide direct support to the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh in Syria and Iraq. NATO diplomats say they expect flights by alliance AWACS planes to begin this fall and Stoltenberg labelled the move a clear signal of our resolve to help tackle terrorism. He said the alliance will launch a new maritime operation in the Mediterranean called Operation Sea Guardian, whose responsibilities will include counterterrorism. NATO will also co-operate with the European Unions efforts to shut down human smuggling operations that have fuelled Europes greatest migrant crisis since the Second World War. The alliance will also increase co-operation with Jordan, and is preparing to help the new government in Libya design policies and institutions to help it better defend itself against extremist organizations, Stoltenberg said. We will provide greater support to our partners, so they can secure their countries and push back against violent extremism, he said. Obama had been urging his fellow NATO leaders in Warsaw to expand their support for the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Meanwhile, violence in the U.S. led him to cut his Europe trip short so he can return home Sunday. The U.S. has pledged to provide $3.5 billion annually to fund Afghan forces, and the government in Kabul is expected to contribute as much as $500 million. Allies would provide the remaining $1 billion. The funding would maintain a total of 352,000 Afghan Army troops and police officers. We are very close and I am certain we will reach that (funding) level, Stoltenberg told reporters. A senior U.S. administration official said NATO has commitments for about 90 per cent of the goal. Canada announced Saturday that it will contribute $465 million over three years for aid projects and security in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said much has been accomplished in that country, but more remains to be done. Stoltenberg said its too soon to say exactly how many troops individual allies will agree to keep in Afghanistan under NATOs Resolute Support training and advisory mission. But he said he believed that, based on commitments made Saturday, force levels will remain largely stable. Specific numbers will be finalized this fall, he said. U.S. administration officials said they believe the number of forces dedicated to the NATO mission will be a bit more than 12,000. The officials were not authorized to discuss the details publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity. U.S. army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the NATO supreme commander, told reporters the U.S. has pledged about 6,700 of that total, about 200 fewer than it currently provides. He said training and advising of the Afghan air force and special operations forces wont be affected. But he said there will be fewer U.S. troops training Afghan conventional forces, although the U.S. will still send teams into the regions to assist the army and police. Earlier this week, Obama announced that overall he would keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, rather than cut their numbers to 5,500 as he once planned. In addition to taking part in the NATO advisory-and-assist mission, the U.S. has special operations forces in the country that conduct counterterrorism missions. The planned force levels allow NATO allies to remain in regional hubs around Afghanistan, with Germany in the north, Italy in the west, Turkey in the capital of Kabul and the United States in the east and south. Scaparrotti said the Afghan mission is key to global security. We know that there are Al Qaeda and (Daesh) components in Afghanistan, he said. If we fail there we will certainly see that impact in our global counterterrorism campaign that were executing. It will make it harder. The Warsaw summit, NATOs first in two years, was considered by many to be the alliances most important since the Cold War. On Friday, NATO leaders approved the deployment of four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states to deter Russia, as well as a Romanian-Bulgarian brigade for the Black Sea region. Germany will lead a multinational battalion in Lithuania, with similar battalions to be led by the United States in Poland, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Trudeau said the Canadian mission to Latvia represents the countrys largest military presence in Europe in more than a decade, and reaffirms Canadas commitment to the NATO alliance. Canada will command a 1,000-strong multinational force in Latvia, and Trudeau said it was important that Russia get the message from NATO about its actions in Ukraine. Officials had already announced that Canada would contribute 450 troops and armoured vehicles, and Trudeau said Saturday at the NATO summit in Poland that the Canadian contribution would also include a frigate and six CF-18 aircraft. He said Canada was enthusiastic about its role in the Latvian mission, and that he had received thanks from Latvian president Raimonds Vejonis. Obama pledged an unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defence of Europe and said the common defence of the trans-Atlantic alliance would never change. In good times and bad Europe can count on the United States, he said. The NATO plans to build up its forces was strongly criticized Saturday by Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president during the Cold War. NATO has begun preparations for escalating from the Cold War into a hot one, Gorbachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. All the rhetoric in Warsaw just yells of a desire almost to declare war on Russia. They only talk about defence, but actually are preparing for offensive operations. The White House, meanwhile, announced Obama would cut his Europe trip short by one day in the wake of the attack in Dallas that killed five police officers and wounded seven others during protests over fatal police shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: SHARE: As British soldiers fought the Battle of the Somme, a Toronto surgeon on the Western Front offered them an idea, hoping to save the wounded. It was 100 years ago that Dr. Lawrence Bruce Robertson published The Transfusion of Whole Blood: A Suggestion for Its More Frequent Employment in War Surgery in the British Medical Journal. It was a big deal. British physicians, of course, knew about blood transfusions, but they preferred saline when it came to dealing with blood loss. Transfusions in those days were mostly direct artery-to-vein affairs, and they came with difficult surgery, clotting and rejection risks. For many in the British medical establishment, saline was a simple way to replace fluid in a persons vascular system, and improve blood pressure. Robertson, a tall, brown-haired man, often seen smoking a pipe or cigarette in photos, was known by his middle name, Bruce. He believed saline was only a temporary fix. (Saline dilutes the bodys clotting factors, which meant bleeding would continue.) Working behind the front lines in 1915 and early 1916, he performedindirect transfusions by drawing blood from healthy-enough soldiers with broken ankles or other fractures. He would then inject the blood into soldiers whose limbs had been shattered by shrapnel and bombs men having secondary hemorrhages. Robertson wrote that the additional blood often carries the patients over a critical period, and assists his forces to rally to withstand further surgical procedures. The Americans were at the forefront of surgery in the early 1900s, and Robertson had learned the technique at New Yorks Bellevue Hospital. But with the U.S. sitting out the war until 1917, the Canadians were uniquely positioned to bring new techniques to the battlefield. During the disastrous Somme campaign, thousands of wounded were treated with saline, and the British acknowledged in their official history it was most disappointing, according to medical historian Kim Pelis, who wrote in 2001 about the history of blood transfusion. Robertson believed in blood, and kept pushing for its use. In 1917, in another article, he noted how transfusions performed in the casualty clearing station near Ypres, Belgium, transformed the pallid, semi-conscious patient with a flickering pulse into a comparatively healthy, comfortable, conscious person. Blood transfusion began to play an important role in saving soldiers who had been seen as hopeless cases from wound shock, Pelis writes. The casualty clearing stations war diary was effusive, calling the results little short of marvellous. He worked to the point of exhaustion and was endlessly curious, inviting patients to keep in touch, often giving them self-addressed envelopes. On the 13th June you took my leg off above the knee, and until I received blood from someone else you considered the betting about 3 to 1 on my pegging out, one soldier wrote in 1917, in a letter at the Archives of Ontario. Can you find time to let me know the name and address of the man who gave me blood? I should much like to write to him. Through the academic papers, demonstrations of procedures and creating the resuscitation ward for men to receive transfusions to combat shock, Robertson and fellow Canadians set the stage for the British acceptance of blood transfusion, Pelis wrote in 2001. Now a writer at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Pelis says Robertson leapt off the page during her research. He felt like a man of great integrity and concern and awareness, she says. But in the aftermath of the war, the Canadians were mostly forgotten. The American entry into the conflict in 1917 was linked to the acceptance of blood transfusion, Pelis explains, thanks to the seminal 1922 article by British surgeon Geoffrey Keynes. Robertson wrote to Keynes, not for any credit, but to let him know that it was the Canadian surgeon Maj. Edward Archibald who came up with the idea to use citrate as a coagulant in 1915 not American surgeon Oswald Robertson in 1917. I believe in giving the Americans all the credit due to them, but you know they have a national prejudice against undervaluing their own accomplishments, which is rather too apparent over here, though it may be modified by distance to your point of view, he wrote. Isnt that gorgeous? says Suzanne Evans, who wrote about Robertson and his wife in 2013 for Canadas History magazine. I love that bit. Robertson returned to Toronto in 1918, and continued with transfusion work at the Hospital for Sick Children. Back in the city, he met Enid Finley, a strong-willed woman later known as the mother of physiotherapy in Canada, who helped create the field and persuaded the government to put physiotherapists in uniform during the Second World War. Granddaughter Orian Hartviksen has the letters Bruce sent Enid as they planned a life together. Dear girl of mine, hed write, in his illegible doctors handwriting, about the mundane details of shopping for the new home, and his work at the hospital. In January 1920, he treated a baby who had a hopeless case of toxemia. Robertson suggested a blood transfusion from the babys father. At the end of the transfusion the baby was so far gone that I thought it would barely live for more than a few minutes but it began to pick up a bit and then in the course of a few hours was very much better, he wrote to Enid. The couple married and had children, but Robertson died of influenza complications in 1923, only 37. Brilliant surgeon taken in his prime, one headline read. He was very proud of him, but he really didnt know him, says Kathleen Bruce-Robertson, 93, who married Robertsons son Alan. He was only 2 when his father died. After Robertsons death, Enid changed the surname of the children to the more cumbersome Bruce-Robertson, to keep his legacy and name intact, and avoid confusion with American surgeon Oswald Robertson, Kathleen explains, noting it can feel a little long when youre writing out travellers cheques. Enid later remarried, changing her name to Enid Graham. Dr. Andrew Beckett, a veteran combat surgeon with the Canadian Forces, says the pendulum has swung back and forth between saline and whole blood since the First World War, but now whole blood is thought to have better outcomes. Beckett says that when soldiers were dying of shock in Iraq and Afghanistan, surgeons went back to papers written 100 years ago, by people like Robertson. Because of the continued difficulty in shipping blood products, blood was collected from Canadian soldiers for use just as Robertson did, with the requisite technological advances. In terms of combat casualty care, his work is probably one of the greatest contributions ever made, Beckett said. Blood transfusions: a timeline 1818: The first successful human blood transfusion is performed by British obstetrician James Blundell. With no understanding of blood types, Successes were frequent enough to encourage the operation's continued use; failures were attributed to clotted blood, or to the hopeless state of the patient, Kim Pelis writes. 1880: Blood transfusion, with its many risks, falls from favour among British physiologists, who prefer saline infusions blood was relegated to the quaint pages of medical history, Pelis writes. Most of the patients experiencing blood loss in this era are post-partum women. 1898: U.S. surgeon George Washington Crile studied physiology in Europe. He was concerned with shock, a mysterious condition that came after surgery or injury, and resulted in thready pulse and often death. Crile believed blood would be better than saline, but he didnt have a good technique for transferring blood between bodies. 1901: Three different blood types are discovered, A, B and O, and the following year, a fourth: AB. 1906: Crile connects a donors artery to a patients vein for a direct human-to-human blood transfusion. The result was so successful he dubbed it a midnight resurrection, Pelis writes. His success heralds a conversion to blood transfusion in the U.S. 1907: The British Medical Journal does not support blood transfusion as a method: surgeons, we imagine, will find no good reasons given here for abandoning the safe and simple method of saline injection. 1910s: A growing number of American doctors experiment with ways to make transfusion simpler. Lawrence Bruce Robertson from Toronto learns the syringe method at Bellevue Hospital in New York. 1913: Robertson returns to Torontos Hospital for Sick Children, where he conducted what is believed to be the hospitals first blood transfusion. 1914: Robertson enlists for war. 1916: After performing blood transfusions on the Western Front, and demonstrating his methods for British and Canadian medical units, Robertson publishes The Transfusion of Whole Blood: A Suggestion for Its More Frequent Employment in War Surgery. 1917: The U.S. enters the war, and American Dr. Oswald Hope Robertson later stores blood mixed with a citrate and dextrose solution in glass bottles, on ice, creating the worlds first blood bank. Sources: Taking Credit: The Canadian Army Medical Corps and the British Conversion to Blood Transfusion in WWI, by Kim Pelis; AABB Foundation SHARE: DALLASLocal religious leaders ask for unity, prayer, read the headline at the bottom of the television screen in front of Taira Johnson. Johnson, a black parole officer in Dallas, desperately wanted the same. She feared something else. Johnson, 36, believes prayer can heal. But in a restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., her mind kept drifting to a thought she never had before. It makes you wonder, is there going to be a race war? she said. I never thought it would be a possibility. But when you see things like this, you know that its very much real. You just never can say. A horrific three-incident string of caught-on-video killing, culminating with the massacre of five police officers in Dallas on Thursday night, has plunged much of America into a crisis of race-related apprehension. The countrys eternal wound, never removed from the public consciousness, has been ripped open, right on YouTube, during an already combustible period of heightened political polarization. Theres just this general dissonance thats happening, said Kyle Hiller, 30, a black writer in Philadelphia who said he was so numb he had trouble getting himself out of bed on Friday. We have these two separate parties that are screaming so loud, and its creating this really harsh noise, and its really hard to make sense of it. As Dallas police continued their investigation, the city was the picture of calm. Black and white residents gently placed flowers on top of a patrol car parked as a memorial outside police headquarters. The black police chief and the white mayor appealed together, again, for love and understanding. And it was not just them: the public mood appeared far more grief-stricken than militant. As far as Im concerned, its a crazy individual that doesnt speak for the black community, said Ronald Chapman, 70, a white man. Do I think the world is going to react to that? Not in a negative way. A positive way, hopefully. But in coffee shops and barbershops, the hoping was combined with bracing. In interviews, residents spoke of preparing themselves for a period of strife some said they worried would eventually resemble the conflict of the late 1960s. Developments around the country offered more reason for unease: at least three more police officers were shot or shot at Friday in Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia. White conservatives said they worried about the possibility of a prolonged series of anti-police attacks fuelled by Black Lives Matter activists vocal criticism of officers conduct. Even blacks long ago accustomed to mourning police violence said they had never felt so afraid. Im sitting here now, looking at the news, and Im thinking, What next? What city will have erupted next? said Baruti Kafele, 55, a well-known black educator and public speaker in New Jersey. The police killings this week of Alton Sterling, a seller of CDs in Louisiana, and Philando Castile, a school cafeteria employee in Minnesota, appear to have hit home with many blacks even more deeply than previous police deaths the community widely viewed as unjust. Sterling and Castile died, it appeared, for doing nothing more than being black in America. They could have been anyone doing anything. These are just regular people, living their regular lives, doing regular things, and theyre being attacked by doing so. Theyre not doing anything to stand out, said Hiller. We cant do anything without putting our lives at risk for no reason at all. Race relations are generally seen to have deteriorated during the tenure of Barack Obama, the first black president. In April, the percentage of Americans who said they were greatly concerned with race relations hit 35 per cent, the highest figure since Gallup began asking the question in 2001. Last year, 60 per cent of Americans said race relations were generally bad, including 68 per cent of black Americans, about the same as the period after the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King beating of 1992. Into this environment has stepped Donald Trump, a racial demagogue widely loathed in the black community. With the party conventions and the height of election season fast approaching, local leaders pleas for calm may easily be superseded by the incendiary rhetoric of national leaders. Trump, though, signalled Friday that he would not try to fan the flames. In an uncharacteristically restrained statement, Trump called the Sterling and Castile shootings senseless and tragic. Newt Gingrich, Trumps possible running mate and a man with his own inflammatory history on race, changed his tune dramatically. If you are a normal, white American, the truth is you dont understand being black in America and you instinctively underestimate the level of discrimination and the level of additional risk, Gingrich said in an interview on Facebook Live. Hiller wanted to do something constructive this week with his roiling emotions. An idea occurred to him: a gathering outside Philadelphias city hall where people could come together and talk. Then he decided against it. Too risky, he thought, even to attempt some progress. More on thestar.com Whats stopping the Dallas shootings from happening in Toronto? Ex-congressman tells Obama to watch out after Dallas shootings, promises war Dallas was making progress in officer-involved shootings before Thursdays killings SHARE: LONDON Andrea Leadsom, one of two women in the race to become the next British prime minister, has suggested that being a mom makes her a better pick than her rival Theresa May. Leadsom, a 53-year-old mother of three, told the Times of London that being a mother means you have a very real stake in the future of our country. May, 59, is the current front-runner in the race to become the next British prime minister in September after David Cameron resigned following the EU referendum. She recently spoke about not being able to have children. Leadsom and May were selected as finalists this week in the Conservative Party leadership contest, meaning that Britain will have its first female prime minister since Margaret Thatcher left 10 Downing Street in 1990. Leadsom has challenged the newspaper and demanded to see a transcript of the interview. She tweeted a cover of Saturdays edition of the Times of London that reads Being a mother gives me edge on May Leadsom and said that it was truly appalling and the exact opposite of what I said. I am disgusted. But the Times has stood by its story, and its reporter Rachel Sylvester released an audio of the transcript on the BBC on Saturday morning. The quality of the audio wasnt great the interview was conducted at a noisy cafe at a train station but there was no mistaking what Leadsom had said. Here it is: I dont really know Theresa very well. But I am sure she will be really, really sad she doesnt have children so I dont want this to be Andrea has children, Theresa hasnt because I think that would be really horrible, but genuinely I feel that being a mom means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. You know, she possibly has nieces, nephews, you know, lots of people, but I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next. Sylvester also told the broadcaster that, in a wide-ranging interview, she asked Leadsom what were the main differences between herself and May. She said Leadsom responded first of all she said economic competence, because of her background in the city,Leadsom is a former bank executive and then she said family. She said her kids were a huge part of her life, she also had brothers and sisters. May is married and doesnt have children. She rarely talks about her personal life, but recently spoke about not having children. May told the Mail on Sunday last week: Of course, we were both affected by it. You see friends who now have grown-up children, but you accept the hand that life deals you. Sometimes things you wish had happened dont, or there are things you wish youd been able to do, but cant. There are other couples in a similar position. On Saturday morning, Leadsom was trending on social media. I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I like everyone else have a very real stake in our country, offered one poster. Leadsom apparently thinks the countrys 20 per cent of women who wont have children are second-class citizens. Tories steering back to 1950s? said another. Leadsom countered via Twitter: Truly appalling and the exact opposite of what I said. I am disgusted. Read more about: SHARE: BAGHDAD Iraqi forces recaptured a northern airbase from Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, on Saturday, a victory hailed by the prime minister as a key step ahead of the long-awaited operation to retake the northern city of Mosul. In a statement issued on his website, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the airbase in the town of Qayara as an important base to liberate Mosul, and called on the citys residents to get ready for the liberation of their areas. Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, fell to Daesh militants in the summer 2014, when the extremist group captured large swaths of northern and western Iraq. In late March, Iraqi forces launched an operation aimed at dislodging Daesh from areas to the south and southeast of Mosul and gradually cutting off the citys supply lines. But retaking Mosul itself is not likely to come anytime soon. It will be an enormous undertaking for Iraqi troops, even though they are backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition and have been joined by pro-government fighters mostly Shiite militias. In the mostly Sunni province of Anbar, west of Baghdad, government troops on Saturday consolidated their grip on the provincial capital of Ramadi, retaken from the Daesh last year, when they captured two villages just north of the city. An Associated Press video of the fighting showed government troops rocketing Daesh positions and black smoke pillowing up in the distance. Troops backed by armoured cars were later seen marching inside a date palm grove. The Daesh group was pushed out of the Anbar city of Fallujah last month after holding it for more than two years. Despite a string of recent territorial defeats, the militants still hold large pockets of territory in northern and western Iraq. Read more about: SHARE: NAIROBI, KENYA Soldiers have brought scores of bodies to a hospital in South Sudans capital after gunfire erupted throughout Juba on Friday evening, a doctor at the hospital said Saturday, as panicked residents worried of a return to civil war. The doctor said a total count of the dead was not available because soldiers were not allowing doctors to examine the bodies, but he said the morgue was full at Juba Teaching Hospital. Another doctor there estimated 110 bodies, both soldiers and civilians. It was the first word of deaths from Fridays violence. The majority of the bodies were of soldiers, the first doctor said. Both insisted on speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears for their safety. The gunfire began outside the presidential compound as President Salva Kiir was meeting with first vice-president and former rebel leader Riek Machar and soon spread through the city. The former rivals issued a joint call for calm. Residents reported quieter streets Saturday, on South Sudans fifth anniversary of independence. Many people remained indoors. Government leaders are attempting to restore calm. However, these actions are not yet successful. Large numbers of troops remain on the streets, the U.S. Embassy in Juba said on its Facebook page. Some international groups like the International Monetary Fund were evacuating their staff from the country. All foreign and local IMF staff and their families were evacuated as the office relocated temporarily to Nairobi, Kenya, said Philippe Egoume Bossogo, head of the IMF office in South Sudan. Gunfire continued into Friday night outside a UN base in Juba sheltering more than 25,000 people. Budbud Chol, who oversees security at a clinic inside the base, said Saturday they had received about 40 people wounded by gunfire, all but three of them men. They are still coming up to now. All of them are gunshot, Chol said. Chol said many of the wounded were hit in crossfire outside the UN base. One woman was hit by a stray bullet inside the base, Chol said. One death inside the UN base was reported, spokeswoman Shantal Persaud said, and at least 1,000 civilians had crowded into the UN staff housing and office areas seeking shelter. In a statement later Saturday, the mission said it was outraged by the heavy fighting near the UN compound and that several rounds had hit buildings inside it. Most of the diplomatic corps in Juba took shelter at the European Union compound Friday night, while the UN head of mission was at the U.S. Embassy, Persaud said. Armoured escorts meant to extract her from the embassy on Saturday were prevented by checkpoints from bringing her back to a UN base, she said. South Sudans defence minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, called the situation on Saturday relatively calm and spoke to the UN mission about running patrols in the citys streets so that they see the security situation, the UN mission tweeted. The latest violence began Thursday night with shooting between opposing army factions who are supposed to be carrying out joint patrols under a fragile peace deal reached last year. That shooting, which killed five soldiers, was similar to the skirmish between soldiers in Juba in December 2013 that led to the civil war in which tens of thousands of people were killed. SHARE: WARSAW, POLAND President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected the notion that this weeks stunning violence is a signal that the U.S. has returned to some of the darkest days of its past, saying that as painful as the killings of police and black men were, America is not as divided as some have suggested. Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether its in Dallas or anyplace else, Obama said from Warsaw, where he attended a NATO summit. That includes protesters, Obama added. It includes family members who have grave concerns about police conduct and theyve said that this is unacceptable. Theres no division there. The comments marked the third time in as many days that Obama has spoken, from a distance, about the police-involved fatal shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota that were followed by a sniper attack in Dallas that killed five police officers Thursday night. Seven officers and two civilians were also injured. This has been a tough week, the president said. Obama said the Dallas shooter, a black Army veteran who was later killed by police, was a demented individual who does not represent black Americans, any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, represents whites. Obama said he would visit Dallas in a few days to pay respects and mourn with the stricken Texas city. The shootings, and the ensuing protests in some U.S. cities that followed, led to an uncharacteristic response from the president: He cut his five-day, two-country European trip to four days. Obama still planned to go ahead with his first visit as president to Spain and was to arrive late Saturday in Madrid, the capital. But he has scrapped a stop in the southern city of Seville and will cram two days of events into one, including meetings with interim President Mariano Rajoy and a visit with U.S. sailors stationed at a naval base in Rota. In his news conference before departing Poland, Obama said that while there is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion in the U.S., theres unity in recognizing that this is not how we want our communities to operate. This is not who we want to be as Americans and that serves as the basis for us being able to move forward in a constructive and positive way. So we cannot let the actions of a few define all of us, he said. The president said he planned to convene a White House meeting in coming days with police officers, community and civil rights activists and others to talk about next steps. He said the empathy and understanding that Americans have shown in responding to the events of the past few days, including Dallas police officers even as they came under attack, had given him hope. Thats the spirit that we all need to embrace, Obama said. Thats the spirit that I want to build on. But Obama, who has angered his political opponents after every deadly mass shooting by calling for tighter gun laws, made clear that he will continue to speak out about the need for such measures, which the Republican-controlled Congress has refused to go along with. He said the U.S. is unique among advanced countries in terms of the scale of violence that it experiences. Obama also tried to calm public anxiety about personal safety, saying violent crime is actually down in the U.S. I am going to keep on talking about the fact that we cannot eliminate all racial tension in our country overnight, he said. We are not going to be able to identify, ahead of time, and eliminate every madman or troubled individual who might want to do harm against innocent people. But we can make it harder for them to do so. Obama said U.S. history was not repeating itself, and rejected the notion that a 1960s-style mindset had returned. Youre not seeing riots and youre not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully, he said. Youve seen almost uniformly peaceful protests and youve seen, uniformly, police handling those protests with professionalism. So as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, weve got a foundation to build on, Obama said. We just have to have confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature. Read more about: SHARE: WARSAWAmid fears of a rollback of Polands democratic freedoms, President Barack Obama had a harsh message of concern during a trip here for a NATO summit. But viewers of Polands main evening news program saw exactly the opposite. The twisted message would not instill confidence in the new Polish governments protestations that its press institutions remain independent. Add one more fear to American concerns that a major U.S. ally is turning in a new direction after the right-wing Law and Justice party won a sweeping victory in October. Since its election, the new government has taken steps that critics say eliminate the independence of Polands top court, the Constitutional Tribunal, taken control of the main public broadcaster by installing a former politician as its head, and initiated prosecutions of members of the former ruling party. Obamas tough message on Friday, standing alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, was that he expressed to President Duda our concerns over certain actions and the impasse around the Polands Constitutional Tribunal. More work needs to be done, Obama said. And as your friend and ally, weve urged all parties to work together to sustain Polands democratic institutions. But viewers of Telewizja Polska, the main public broadcaster, saw a very different suggestion on the evening news. Ninety-five per cent of the meeting was about issues of NATO and security, but Obama praised Polish efforts at democracy, the reporter said. Concerning the issue of the constitutional tribunal, he said he is sure that spreading democratic values in Poland will not stop. Then the broadcaster played a clip of Obamas friendly cushioning of his criticism, while skipping the substance of the message. In the clip played on Polish television, Obama was also translated by a dubbed voice-over as saying that Poland is and will be an example of democracy for the whole world. What he actually said was that Poland stands and needs to continue stand as an example for democratic practices around the world. More than 100 journalists have been dismissed or have resigned from Polands public broadcaster this year, a measure of the major changes underway there. Some journalists say that anyone perceived as critical of the Law and Justice party is now under threat. Shortly after the party took office, it changed laws giving Polands Finance Ministry the direct power to appoint the head of the broadcaster. The new head is Jacek Kurski, a member of the Law and Justice party and a former member of European Parliament. Read more about: SHARE: LONDONThe past two weeks in Britain have been described as the countrys most chaotic post-Word War II, and Europe has taken note. As both the value of the pound and consumer confidence have fallen to record lows, pro-European Union politicians elsewhere have argued that such repercussions would be disastrous for even smaller countries than Britain. And after all major male pro-Brexit politicians had resigned or been forced out of the Conservative leadership race, commentators from continental Europe could hardly hide their schadenfreude. This is what you get when you vote for Brexit, the underlying message appeared to be. The news coming out of Britain indeed seems to have been so negative that many Europeans are now suddenly not so eager for any more for more referendums in their countries. Opinion polls from all over Europe suggest that the Brexit fallout has weakened nationalists and strengthened many mainstream pro-EU partiesat least for now. Denmark, for instance, was originally considered to be among the most likely countries to follow Britain out of the European Union. In a separate referendum last December, Danes already decided against handing over more powers to the political union which is headquartered in Brussels. Particularly following the influx of refugees into the country last year, Danes have grown more opposed to the EU and politicians like German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Moreover, Denmark had long relied on Britain to represent its interests as a country outside of the eurozone. But although more than 40 per cent of the Danes wanted a EU referendum before Britain decided to leave the union, support for such a vote has now declined by nearly 10 per cent. That development has come as a surprise to many analysts or politicians: Ahead of the Brexit vote, there certainly had been no lack of doomsday rhetoric. Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, had for instance warned that a Brexit could seriously threaten Western political civilization. But two weeks after Brexit has become reality, it looks more as if the British decision could glue Europe further together. After election results of a previous presidential election were declared invalid, Austrians will soon head to the polls again. It is considered likely that far-right candidate Norbert Hofer could win. Hofer had previously demanded an EU Referendum for Austria, as well. But nowpotentially amid fears that a shift in public opinion will cost him crucial voteshe has suddenly indicated that being part of the European Union might not be so bad, after all. Im not in favour of an Austrian exit from the European Union, Hofer was quoted as saying. But the European Unions future will most likely depend on how the French will vote in the elections next April and May. Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing and anti-EU Front National party, is expected to make huge gains. However, recent polls indicate that much could depend on how the Brexit fallout evolves over the coming months, should Le Pen make demands for an EU Referendum her priority in the campaign. Twenty-two per cent of the French are currently undecided whether their country should stay in the European Union. The worst possible news for le Pen would be a sharp rise in unemployment in Britain and a recession. That, however, is the economic impact many experts are currently predicting for Britain in 2017. The way the French think is also an indication of how other European countries perceive the EU: Few nations have been more eurosceptic in the past. It is also unlikely that Brexit will fuel anti-EU tensions in the continents most populous country, Germany. The nation has always been more in favour of the EU than most of its neighbours, partially because of the political unions foundation history. Originally founded as an economic trading bloc, one of the main goals of the EU has always been to preserve peace in Europe. Contemporary German politicians would probably be the least likely to risk gaining a stigma as breaking that union apart. Even the populist right-wing Alternative fur Deutschland partythe equivalent of Frances Front Nationalhas never officially demanded that Germany should leave the EU. Perhaps more stunningly, Brexit has had direct positive repercussions for Chancellor Merkel who has so far refrained from giving in to demands to punish Britain for its referendum decision. Following the Brexit vote, Merkels approval ratings rose to a 10-month high of 59 per cent. It is her highest popularity rating since she decided to allow Syrians to stay in the country in August 2015. Read more about: SHARE: MIDDLETOWN, IND. The U.S. Air Force is searching for an Indiana airman who vanished last week in Italy after attending a cookout near the base where hes served for more than a year. The Air Force issued an all-points bulletin Friday for Staff Sgt. Halex Hale. The 24-year-old from Middletown, Indiana, is assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, about 50 miles (80.5 kilometres) northeast of Venice. Hale was last seen on the evening of July 2 at a cookout at a friends house in Sacile, Italy, about nine miles from the base. His mother, Amy Hale, said her son left that cookout on foot to visit another friends home about 15 minutes away but never arrived. Her husband, Lance Hale, travelled to Italy on Friday as the search for their son continues. Were just devastated, she told The (Muncie) Star Press. Amy Hale said being thousands of miles from Italy and the language barrier have made getting information a challenge. But she said shes learned that several airmen from the base have searched for Hale. Amy Hale said her son, who has been based since February 2015 at Aviano Air Base, previously served in Afghanistan. He has been in the Air Force for six years and absolutely loves it, she said. A prayer vigil for Hale was held Thursday at the Middletown Church of the Nazarene. SHARE: Elie Wiesel was the last one. Not the last Holocaust survivor. Not the last author or philosopher, but the last of the last from a generation of wise people who served as humanitys conscience. We still needed his wisdom to help us navigate these tumultuous times. Britains renowned Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks defined this sentiment just a few days ago when he wrote, there is a widespread feeling that the world in the 21st century is running out of control these are dangerous forces, the far right seeking a return to a golden age that never was, the far left in pursuit of a utopia that will never be. They are both enemies of freedom. Elie Wiesels life was buffeted by such extreme ideologies, and his caution remains significant. In todays world, where life often seems to have little value, where faceless innocents are slaughtered by the dozens in terror attacks and quickly forgotten, Elie Wiesel reminded the world of lifes incredible value. He remained forever astonished that I survived the Holocaust and went on to love beautiful girls, to talk, to write, to have toast and tea and live my life. His generation was the generation of the 20th century that struggled to put a broken world back together. His generation was the generation of Martin Luther King Jr. A generation that fought for social justice and humanity. It was a generation that spoke about not being silent. In Kings words, our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Similarly, Wiesel would argue we must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. With Elie Wiesels passing, the great generation that empowered us and guided us to speak out against repression, violence and hatred - is gone. Gone are the icons who refused to shake hands with the devil, choosing instead to impart their righteousness through their actions and wisdom. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the first leaders widely revered for his non-violent methods, gave the world a new path toward freedom. He put the responsibility for social change on each and every one of us, instructing, You must be the change you wish to see in the world. And so, each of us becomes the centre the bridge and the pinnacle for expressing goodness. A similar inner wisdom and peace is found in the profound writings of Helen Keller, who believed the moral imperative to improve the world starts from within. Deaf and blind from childhood, Keller understood better than most that the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart. The 20th century also gave us Mother Teresa as a guidepost for compassion. She dedicated her entire life to extensive humanitarian work in Calcutta, caring for refugees, the sick and the orphaned with love and affection. Mother Teresa showered the world with good will and believed that kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. And among the last of the greats was Nelson Mandela the man who freed South Africa from the chains of the racist project known as apartheid. He understood that to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Freedom from our oppressors. Freedom of faith. Freedom from hunger and deprivation. Freedom from darkness. Freedom from hate and intolerance. This is the wisdom that our great prophets have imparted to us. But freedom, as Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal warned, is not a gift from heaven. You must fight for it each and every day of your life. For Elie Wiesel and all those of his generation who advocated for social justice, the commitment to fighting for freedom often led to criticism and ridicule. However, if there is one lesson these great men and women could teach us, it is to stand up for what we believe and know in our hearts to be right and true even if we are standing alone. This moral compass is the greatest gift left to us by Elie Wiesel. We are now all committed to serving as humanitys conscience. Avi Benlolo is president and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. SHARE: Who do these Black Lives Matter (BLM) people think they are? Their disruption and protest at the Pride Parade was uncalled for, unwarranted and, frankly, despicable. Pride and the parade are all about inclusion and diversity and building bridges, which includes the police (see the Stars Bursting with pride, July 4). BLM was given a prized and honoured slot at the front of the parade. Their decision to delay and stop the march and then use extortion to get it started again is so beyond the pale they lost all credibility. Ive never been a big fan of the cops and obviously the black community has a lot to be outraged about, from racial profiling to unjust shootings. Pride grew out of police hatred of the gay community, but now the police have a big presence in the parade. There are police contingents from all over southern Ontario. And the cops seem to love being there. Pride should never agree to their being excluded and it just shows how silly the BLM demands were. I volunteered for Pride this year because, to me, Pride goes beyond the LGBTQ+ community. It represents Canada, an open, tolerant and diverse society, which in todays world seems to be increasingly in the minority. I was so happy to see in person Premier Kathleen Wynne and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walk in the parade. It was also great to see the interim leader of the federal conservatives, Rona Ambrose and her Ontario provincial counterpart, Patrick Brown, in the parade as well. This is what Pride is about; bringing people together. Canada is not a perfect nation, just ask our indigenous peoples who were, incidentally, well represented in the parade. Canada is a work in progress, but when I think of Canada, I think of Torontos two great summer festivals, Pride and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. BLM has legitimate concerns, but interrupting a parade that acknowledges their own issues, does them no good and is counter productive. Andrew van Velzen, Toronto Yes, all lives matter, even those of police services members. I found it extremely offensive that Black Lives Matter chose to ignore the love is love is love these of most Pride Parade participants. Instead, they took unfair advantage of the situation to delay and disorganize the start of the parade. I was at Yonge and Dundas, sweltering in the hot sun where, after that delay and problems, the parade took three hours plus to pass. Am delighted that Pride organizers have retracted agreement only made to end nasty, aggressive confrontation and let the all inclusive love parade begin. Black Lives Matter did not gain sympathizers, certainly not from those of us who believe ALL lives matter. As a senior, have participated in many demonstrations, peace marches, and city neighbourhood events for many years. I would like to see age, race, residential area of all perpetrators of crimes (not names and addresses) published monthly in newspapers. Over time this would provide reasonable statistics of endangered areas where increased police presence is necessary. It would give added urgency to tackling the problems of poverty and homelessness immediately. Statistics would clearly show how those factors affect health, education and crime. It may be time to update some police regulations and practices, but lets not permit Black Lives Matter to restrict and malign our entire police organization. Lets remember that on the whole our police have protected us efficiently for decades, have participated in many community charities and provided youth initiatives programs. Police presence at PRIDE should not only be accepted, but welcomed! ALL lives matter! Shirley Bush, Toronto Toronto Pride has been wonderful in bringing all communities together and having respect for each other until Sunday when we were all hijacked by BLM. I was in the parade and didnt just suffer from the heat in the open sky for that 30 minutes but also from the worry that the parade was hijacked by terrorists because our Prime Minister was walking. I am proud of our police officers. I had some issues with some police officers in the past but a couple of bad apples do not represent for the whole force. As many LGBTQ members or non members are regarding the matter of police officers in the parade is very important for us because it helps to bring our relations closer, understanding and co-operative, which is making the LGBTQ communities feel safer that is one of our Canadian values-inclusive activity. We have to ignore the demand from the ill act. Thuan Truong, Toronto Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders claims that his officers were thrown under the bus when Pride agreed to ban police participation in future Pride Parades. If 10 friends and I were to sit in the street and block a parade demanding $10,000 in extortion money to move, what would likely happen? We would be quickly frog marched to the curb, and probably arrested. What did the police do when BLM blocked the Pride parade? They did nothing, and therefore threw themselves under that bus. I have always assumed that any agreement signed under duress or extortion is fully null and void. Has that changed? And if BLM wants the police banned from future Pride parades, it is only fair if they themselves are barred. What is the saying about the goose and the gander? Maybe Pride should block the next BLM parade and demand that they repudiate this agreement, and pay all their legal fees? Just imagine the fun. Edward A. Collis, Burlington Im sure that some will interpret what I have to say as racist. So be it. I do believe that Black Lives Matter and that carding of innocent people is inappropriate. As a gay man who lived through the 50s and 60s, I know about police brutality and special treatment of my own minority groups. (I belong to more than one minority.) But in this millennium, it is always a special treat for me to see police walking the Pride parade and I enjoy their booths and simply chatting to members of the forces that participate. It was also exciting this year to have Black Like Me invited to our parade because Ive always been an inclusive individual and because I agree with much of what BLM stands for. However, when one is invited to a party, even as a special guest, it is exceedingly rude to make a fuss about other guests at the party. In my opinion, the leaders of BLM acted arrogantly and childishly by holding up the celebration of the many with their show of defiance and holding Pride organizers hostage in order to obtain demands that really are none of their business. Who I invite to my party is none of their business and if they dont like my other guests, dont come. BLM had my complete support until that moment. They have lost not only respect, but I imagine the support of many in the wider community not least the LGBTQ+ community. In their arrogance the youthful leaders of the movement imagine that they speak for the entire Black community and all disadvantaged groups. On some points Im sure they do, but not when they hold up the celebration of another community. Perhaps it is time for the senior leaders of the Black community to take their younger, angry members under their wings. BLM could learn a great deal from the LGBTQ+ history. But Im just an old gay white guy and Im sure they wont listen to me. Stephen Bloom, Toronto As a gay man, I resent the actions of the Executive Director for Pride Toronto in agreeing to exclude the police from marching in the parade. I am a strong supporter of BLM and I was saddened that they would have just disregard for the gay community that they highjack the most important event for gays. I applaud their inclusion in the GAY Pride parade. But like all participating groups, their objective should be to support a more inclusive LGBT community and promoting the Parades objectives of celebrating our identify and of reaching out to a welcoming public. The focus must be on our community, including black LGBT people, but not on the objectives of any other group, including the objectives of Black Lives Matter, no matter how worth they might be. That has always been the guiding principle of deciding which groups could participate in the parade. When the Executive Director of Toronto Pride agreed to exclude police floats, we gays are doing the opposite of being inclusive. Who is next? Soon a group will hold up the parade and demand that all church-afficiated groups, or the Conservative Party, or unions be excluded. Why not? I can see no way out of this mess (which is being reported around the world), other than to ask the Executive Director of Toronto Pride to resign, and for the organization to issue a public apology to the police forces who have been so supportive in recent years. Isnt that what weve been struggling for? Stanley Moorem Vancouver Dear Torontoians and the Pride Committee: My congrats to another successful Pride this year. However, the BLM situation invites grave negativity on a joyful event upon its conclusion. i support the continued and FULL participation of the police! Inclusion, has clearly aided our relationship TO police over the decades! No one group can demand exclusion in Pride to foster their own greater issues with another active participating group... period! This years theme of inclusion was seriously disrespected by the BLM actions with a sit in. BLM actions clearly disrespected your organization and the greater gay community by such actions and their demands. BLM do not warrant inclusion due to their demands and disrespect. Whereas, I can appreciate your desire for inclusion of black gay organization in your events, I do not think BLM represents honorable objectives to the greater gay community that Pride Organization aspires to. Please do not allow them to participate in the future. Make a clear rule that any protest political action against the Pride Organizations parade shall result in exclusion in all future Pride events. Write rules, clear rules of respect for all participating grs, even if an individual gr has some reservations about other participating general represented grs. Inclusion was not simply a theme for this years events. It was representative of an action that has successfully proven progress for decades in many aspects of the gay revolution. Inclusion can not be debatable. Exclusion as demanded by BLM is not a gay way and thus sponsors their individual departure from our Pride! Richard ONeill, Toronto Now that the Pride month is over and we have seen our PM marching along quite happy about it, I cant help but wonder is this what a Prime Minister should do at his level? I personally dont think so. When I see the stuff he seems to be interested in i.e.; legalizing Marijuana, (just ask Colorado how that is going with the surge in trips to the ER because of overdoses), handing out jackets and snacks to refugees coming into Canada (back in December), that should be left to the groups/sponsors of the government bringing them in...but NOT the PM, making the month of June Pride Month...our veterans only have ONE day...Nov. 11th, I cant help but think this guy really doesnt know his role as a Prime Minister and is just social engineering and cultural accommodation. I now see the Feds are looking at gender neutral passports - we will all be Mr. & Mrs. Nobody before you know it. I dont see jobs being created but I know the 1st 2 items on the agenda with the 3 amigos were 1) protecting the gay community and 2) climate change. No serious objectives like the fight against terrorism (especially with the many attacks in recent months and are likely to continue), managing our economy, but I see plenty of spending (ramping up our national debt) and signing, e.g. the Climate Change money pit. Where are our priorities. Canadian voters, will you please give your collective heads a shake before you vote Liberal next time??? Brenda York, Barrie The Canadian flag is a symbol rich in tradition. For countless millions around the world it has come to represent justice, peace and the promise of freedom from persecution. Its simple design and striking colours make it instantly recognizable and a source of pride for Canadian travellers everywhere. The fabric of that flag unites all Canadians under a common banner, standing together as one. The Government of Canada website dictates the ways in which the flag is to be flown or displayed. It cannot be changed, written on or marked in any way. To do so is to dishonour the symbol and the people it represents. Around Toronto in the weeks leading up to Pride, an altered Canadian flag appeared everywhere. The dimensions were the same as Canadas flag. The leaf was the same. But the two red bars were replaced by the rainbow colours of the month long Pride festival. Were the people who celebrated so joyously this past month not part of that same Canada? Why usurp a symbol already rich in diversity and inclusion and mark it in ways that simply highlight ignorance of proper decorum? Is it any surprise to us then that our patriotism can often be so underwhelming? Indeed, true love of country issues from cherished and time honoured tradition passed down from generation to generation, a tradition which honours our values and gifts from sea to sea, a tradition loudly proclaimed around the globe by the red maple leaf. It seems this was all lost on our own Prime Minister this weekend. Mr. Trudeau energetically waived this bastardized flag for all to see at our Pride Parade in Toronto, oblivious to the lack of etiquette and respect that it showed. It is one thing for people to demonstrate ignorance of the norms. Protocol is not everyones strong suit. And defacing our national symbols seems to go unnoticed much of the time. But it is quite another story for the leader of our country to legitimize it. Perhaps Mr. Trudeau should take a citizenship course before he appears at anymore public functions. And maybe we should all be reminded that the Canadian flag, in its simple, authentic beauty, flies for everyone in this country. And we should all be very grateful for that this Canada Day weekend. Paul Dick, Toronto SHARE: Deutsche Bank (DB) shares dropped to fresh new lows this week following its failure in the Federal Reserve's stress test as well as a question as to whether Germany will bail out the bank. The imminent outcome for Deutsche Bank could be bankruptcy and the world could have to bear the brunt of the fallout from all of the complicated derivatives that are held by the bank. Deutsche's outstanding derivatives exposure is 20-times the German GDP and fives-times the Eurozone GDP. Among all of the chaos, Deutsche's head of currencies trading and emerging-markets debt trading, Ahmet Arinc, has left the company, the most recent negative news to impact the banks' financial status. Traders slammed the stock by more than 6% during that trading session, to touch intraday lows of about $12.50 after which the stock recovered marginally to close at $12.97. Bailout in the Works? The latest bank that might require a bailout is the Italian lenderBanca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the worlds' oldest bank. The European Central Bank warned that the Italian bank is holding dangerously high levels of bad debt. Italy wants a bailout for Monte Paschi, but the Germans are opposing any such move. Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German Finance Minister said recently that Italy intends to stick to the banking-union rules, as was conveyed to him by his Italian Counterpart, Pier Carlo Padoan. However, Italy did not wait before hitting back at Germany and it came from none other than the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. Renzi said that "the difficulties facing Italian banks over their bad loans are miniscule by comparison with the problems some European banks face over their derivatives." He reminded the Germans that there were other European banks which had much bigger problems than Monte Paschi. He was obviously referring to Deutsche Bank. "If this non-performing loan problem is worth one, the question of 'derivatives' at other banks, at big banks, is worth one hundred. This is the ratio: one to one hundred," Renzi said, per Reuters. More Troubles Ahead for Deutsche? The bank is likely to lose its' place in the STOXX 50 index, according to analysts at Societe Generale. Deutsche will face renewed selling pressure as the index funds will have to reposition themselves, after the change, which is more than likely to bring about a fresh round of selling. According to a statement by the IMF, Deutsche is now the most dangerous bank in the world. How You Should Respond: Gold? As the bond king, Jeff Gundlach, said this week, "things are shaky and feeling dangerous" and that he's not selling gold. Regarding the European banking crisis, the Gundlach added: "Banks are dying and policymakers don't know what to do. Watch Deutsche Bank shares go to single digits and people will start to panic... you'll see someone say, 'Someone is going to have to do something'." Gundlach also added that "gold remains the best investment amid fears of instability in the European Union and prolonged global stagnation, as well as concerns over the effectiveness of central bank policies," reports Reuters. Following Brexit, tensions are running high among the remaining members of the EU, as seen in the spat between Germany and Italy. Due to the earlier hard stance of the Germans, it is likely that any move to bailout Deutsche will face considerable resistance from all of the member nations. If allowed to fail, Deutsche will cause a crisis many times over that of which Lehman Brothers did. Americans need to pay attention to this European financial crisis because it could spread here. --- Gold remains the asset to invest in, as I have been advising my subscribers for a long time now. Deutsche Bank is failing and not even the ECB may not able to stop its plunge into oblivion. This article is commentary by an independent contributor. Chris Vermeulen is full-time trader and research analyst for TheGoldAndOilGuy Newsletter. Chris Vermeulen does not currently have any position in DB at this time. Exceptional Excellent Very Good (Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post) Summer weather has me looking at life through rose-filled glasses. This weeks picks include a fine pale pink from Provence and two juicier, darker-hued ones from Tavel. And fans of picpoul de pinet, a refreshing, simple white wine from southern France, will enjoy a riper version from the Texas Highlands by McPherson Cellars. Dave McIntyre Chateau La Gordonne Rose 2015 Cotes de Provence, France, $19 Pale pink and crisp, with zingy raspberry and melon flavors, this Provencal rose managed to capture the ripeness of the 2015 vintage while retaining the refreshing acidity we expect from rose. Alcohol by volume: 13.5 percent. Distributed by M. Touton: Available in the District at Cairo Wine & Liquor, Capital City Wine & Spirits, Georgetown Wine & Spirits, Oasis Gourmet Deli, Pauls of Chevy Chase, Rodmans, Sherrys Fine Wine & Spirits, Yes! Organic Market (various locations). Available in Maryland at Old Farm Liquors in Frederick. McPherson Piquepoul Blanc Timmons Ranch 2015 1/2 High Plains, Texas, $18 Rather than the crisp, simple wine this grape typically makes in southern France, this Texas version is ripe and full, with melon, peach and roasted apricot flavors. Delicious by itself or with simple summer salads. ABV: 12.8 percent. Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Cork & Fork; on the list at Oyamel. Available in Maryland at Bay Wine & Spirits in North Beach, Cork 57 Beer and Wine in Bethesda, Cranberry Liquors in Westminster, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Pinky & Pepes Grape Escape in Gaithersburg. Available in Virginia at Little Washington Winery Tasting Room in Washington. GREAT VALUE Les Lauzeraies 2015 1/2 Tavel, Rhone Valley, France, $14 Tavel roses traditionally are deep-hued, in contrast with the paler pinks of Provence. This years Les Lauzeraies is bright with strawberry flavors and a kind of balsamic minerality to keep the wine in focus. ABV: 14 percent. Distributed by M. Touton: Available in the District at Bloomingdale Liquor, Burkas Wine & Liquor, Cairo Wine & Liquor, Capital City Wine & Spirits, Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits, Haydens Liquor, Pauls of Chevy Chase, Rodmans, Samber Market, Sheffield Wine & Liquor Shoppe, Virginia Market, Yes! Organic Market (various locations). Distributed in Maryland at Dorseys Search Wine & Spirits in Columbia, Old Farm Liquors in Frederick, Petite Cellars and Pine Orchard Liquors in Ellicott City; on the list at City Cafe in Baltimore. Chateau de Segries 2015 1/2 Tavel, Rhone Valley, France, $22 Heres a richer, riper Tavel, sappy and just a tad sweet not from residual sugar in the wine but from the ripe vintage. This one may appeal more to those with a sweet tooth, while wine geeks may favor the more complex Les Lauzeraies. ABV: 14.5 percent. Distributed by Kysela: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Cairo Wine & Liquor, Calvert Woodley, DCanter, MacArthur Beverages, Magruders, Rodmans, Whole Foods Market (various locations). Available in Maryland at Balduccis and Lances Beer and Wine in Bethesda; Bin 201 Wine Sellers and the Italian Market in Annapolis; Bin 604 Wine Sellers, Eddies Liquors, Grauls Wine & Spirits, the Old Vine, Wells Discount Liquors and Wine Source in Baltimore; College Square Liquors in Westminster; Edgewater Liquors; Friendship Wine & Liquor in Abingdon; Jasons Wine & Spirits and Pine Orchard Liquors in Ellicott City; Longmeadow Wine & Liquors in Hagerstown; Montgomery County Liquors in Potomac; Town & Country Wine Liquor Etc. in Easton. On the list at Barrel & Crow in Bethesda. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Cheese and Screwtop Wine Bar & Cheese Shop in Arlington, Balduccis (Alexandria, McLean), Basic Necessities in Nellysford, Foods of All Nations and Market Street Wineshop (Downtown, Uptown) in Charlottesville, Grapevine and the Town Duck in Warrenton, Little Washington Winery Tasting Room in Washington; Whole Foods Market (Springfield). Beaumont Pinotage 2013 Bot River, South Africa, $28 Bright, raspberry flavors spiced with black pepper characterize this juicy red. Chill it slightly and enjoy it with simple meals from the grill. ABV: 13.5 percent. Distributed by Country Vintner: On the list in the District at Plume. Available in Maryland at Wine Cellars of Annapolis. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Cheese in Arlington. Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor. The Bollinger champagne house sits on a bluff above the French village of Ay, just east of Epernay. Ay is a sleepy little town that boasts more mileage in its underground cellars than on its cobblestone streets. You descend 49 uneven steps to enter the cellars, which are modest compared with those of some champagne houses. But it would be easy to get lost down there. The dimly lighted brick-lined tunnels extend for more than 3 miles, stacked with thousands of bottles, magnums and Jeroboams of champagne, each a time capsule of a vintage past and an invitation to a celebration to come. 5 wines to try this week Wine gets lost down here, too. Six years ago, in a little nook off a cranny in a forgotten corner, a Bollinger worker clearing away several racks of empty bottles discovered that they had been concealing a stash of nearly 600 bottles and magnums, with corks in varying stages of decay. When Bollinger officials matched the codes painted on the shelves and bottles with the companys records, they realized they had treasure, including 54 bottles from the 1830 vintage, the winerys first, and several vintages from the late 1800s and early 1900s. At the Bollinger champagne house in Ay, France, cellar master Gilles Descotes shows off the area where nearly 600 bottles of vintages dating from 1928 to 1830 were discovered. (Dave McIntyre) We dont know when they were put there, says Jerome Philipon, Bollingers president. But the youngest wine was from 1928, leading some to speculate that the bottles may have been hidden to protect them from Nazi occupiers during World War II. Of the 600 bottles, a third of them could not be identified, and many were leaking through their corks. Winery crews carefully restored as many as they could, using a laser device called an aphrometer to measure the pressure remaining in the bottles. In June, Bollinger unveiled Galerie 1829, named for the year the estate was founded, to showcase those older wines that span the houses history. Of the 54 bottles from 1830, 13 could be restored. There are now 11 left. Other bottles on display represent Bollingers best vintages and show the results of an eight-year effort to match company records with actual inventory and to restore and preserve damaged bottles. Aside from making great champagne, Bollinger is best known for its association with the James Bond movie franchise, as the favorite bubbly of Britains most famous fictional secret agent. And wine lovers like to recite the famous quote attributed to Lily Bollinger, who managed the house for 30 years in the previous century: I drink it when Im happy and when Im sad. Sometimes I drink it when Im alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if Im not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it, unless Im thirsty. Bollinger is distinctive in other ways as well. In the late 1960s, Lily Bollinger initiated the recently disgorged, or RD, style of champagne, releasing a 1952 vintage wine that had aged much longer than customary on its lees. And since 1892, the winery has aged its reserve wines, used to create the blend for its non-vintage Special Cuvee, exclusively in magnums, giving current cellar master Gilles Descotes greater flexibility in blending by village and vintage. We use these magnums as the spices for the Special Cuvee, he says. In March, he blended wines to be sold in another three years, using 45 percent from the 2015 vintage plus 70,000 reserve magnums from seven other vintages going back to 2000. This technique is on display in La Reserve, a companion exhibit to the Galerie 1829, featuring a champagne-themed mosaic by Italian artist Luigi La Ferla. Bollingers recently opened Galerie 1829 showcases some of the winery's historic vintages, including several bottles from its inaugural harvest of 1830. (Champagne Bollinger) These two new galleries in the Bollinger cellars are anachronisms, given that Ay is not exactly a tourist destination and Bollinger is open by appointment only. But a new reception area at surface level will accommodate VIP visitors, and the winery will explore ways to make its cellar tours more accessible and perhaps put some historic bottles up for auction, Philipon said. The 1830 was not on offer when I visited Bollinger during the opening campaign for Galerie 1829, but I did get a sense of the winerys history in a tasting led by Descotes. He announced each vintage by mentioning an important event from that year: Bill Clintons election as president (1992), Albert Einsteins death (1955), Herbert Hoovers election (1928). The final wine in our tasting was from 1914. This was harvested by women and children, Descotes said, as the men of Ay had been mobilized for the start of World War I. The wine was amazingly fresh, like a fine Sauternes with a slight effervescence. (Champagne was sweeter back then.) More than any particular flavor, I tasted the anticipation and dread of a doomed generation, from a time when the Marne was still a river and not yet a battle, when cemeteries did not yet welcome visitors to Champagne along the road from Paris. After outlasting all that, I thought, the wine had an optimistic and uplifting finish. At least five Dallas police officers were killed and seven wounded July 7, after a peaceful protest over recent police shootings. Here's what we know so far. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) At least five Dallas police officers were killed and seven wounded July 7, after a peaceful protest over recent police shootings. Here's what we know so far. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Wrong. Again. Like so many times before, the initial news reports out of Dallas on Thursday night and into Friday were inaccurate. There were two shooters, the news people said, and then there were four. The gunmen had triangulated police officers guarding a protest march, and had targeted them from an elevated position. Except they hadnt done any such thing. By midday Friday, new facts began to displace the old facts. Instead of two or four gunmen, police identified just one, Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, who (reportedly) died when police detonated a bomb sent in to his hiding place via a robot. Contemporary media organizations didnt invent misreporting (Dewey Defeats Truman, the Chicago Daily Tribune once infamously said), but misreporting seems to be a feature of almost every major breaking news event these days, from accidents to natural disasters to the man-made kind. Thanks to the speed and ubiquity of digital media, readers, viewers and listeners know more than ever about any unfolding incident or disaster. But they also know less, thanks to the unfiltered, uncorroborated and just plain inaccurate factoids that poison the news ecosystem like a toxic chemical. Its not just inaccurate reporting alone; TV news panels and people on social media compound questionable facts by repeating them and speculating about them. We keep relearning this lesson over and over, says W. Joseph Campbell, a communications professor at American University and the author of Getting It Wrong, a book about epic journalism mistakes. With any tragedy, you see it again and again. The problem is easy to diagnose, but difficult to cure, Campbell says. The competitive scramble for news, combined with the fog of war, combined with the absence of authoritative fact leads to defective reporting. In addition, he said, inaccurate reporting begets inaccurate reporting via what former ABC News executive Av Westin long ago termed the Out There syndrome the idea that a bum fact has already been reported somewhere and is therefore fair game for others to pass on as fact. Although good information eventually arrives to drive out the bad in a kind of journalistic Greshams law, bad information tends to have a pernicious effect, coloring the publics perception of events and driving the news medias credibility further into the ground, he said. Campbell cites, among others, the misreporting of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many news reports suggested that displaced residents of New Orleans had descended into Road Warrior-style barbarism, with murder and mayhem rampant. Some of these stories were sourced, in part, to law enforcement officials, who were themselves still sorting out rumor and fact but passing on both to reporters. In fact, there was no such crime wave in New Orleans immediately after Katrina. While some news organizations eventually acknowledged as much, there was no sustained look back at how to correct this kind of thing in the future, said Campbell. There doesnt seem to be an ethos to correct the record. Investigators walk the scene of a shooting in downtown Dallas. (LM Otero/AP) Wayward reporting has become so routine that the public-radio program On the Media in 2013 produced a cautionary guide to breaking news for wary news consumers. The guide widely shared on social media, including in the wake of the Dallas shootings suggests that people should expect news outlets to get key details wrong in the immediate aftermath of a big event. It also recommends discounting information from anonymous sources; comparing multiple news sources; and looking for a news source close to the incident rather than a national one that is parachuting in on the story. Its most striking piece of advice, apropos the Dallas shootings: Theres almost never a second shooter involved in any mass shooting. The problem, says On the Media co-host Bob Garfield, whose newspaper column about breaking news inspired the creation of the programs guide to the topic, is that media [organizations] and media consumers alike cant stand to live in a vacuum of information. They suffocate from want of detail and therefore we, and they, arent especially particular about where we get from. In an environment in which facts are scarce and even the people in charge dont really know, Garfield encourages the media to do its due diligence and to act cautiously and responsibly. But he has no delusions about what the news media will do when the next big story breaks: Its foolish to blame a shark for doing what a shark always does, he said. No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results Micah Johnson, the gunman who killed five police officers at a Dallas protest sparked by police shootings of black men was described as a "loner." Here's what you need to know about him. (Victoria Walker,Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post) Micah Johnson, the gunman who killed five police officers at a Dallas protest sparked by police shootings of black men was described as a "loner." Here's what you need to know about him. (Victoria Walker,Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post) At first, peace. Anger, not violence. Marching, not name-calling. The protesters marched down Main Street. They turned south on Field. And the Dallas police proudly chronicled it all on Twitter the enough is enough chants, the Black Lives Matter signs. The evening was so harmonious that protesters posed for photos with officers, a moment of cooler heads prevailing on a sweltering Texas night after the consecutive fatal shootings of black men by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota. And then, mayhem. As a gunman opened fire on police officers at a peaceful protest on July 7 in Dallas, eyewitnesses captured the chaos on video and social media platforms. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Shots fired, officer down, an officer says into his radio about 9 p.m., his voice urgent. A few minutes later, another officer is panicked: Weve got a guy with a long rifle. We dont know where the hell hes at. What unfolded over the next several hours 12 officers shot, a chaotic hunt for a gunman, a battle that echoed off office buildings and, finally, mercifully, a bomb explosion turned the streets of downtown Dallas into an urban combat zone. It was the most vicious, direct attack on U.S. law enforcement in decades.Five officers died. Seven more were wounded. And the nation was horrified. This account of the ambush in Dallas is based on police communications, witness accounts and a review of cellphone videos taken by those brave, or brazen, enough to capture the horror. The images almost immediately began circulating on social media. Officers lay in the streets, some mortally wounded. Protesters dropped for cover. Police unholstered their guns. At first, as they dove behind cars, officers struggled to find where the bullets were coming from. Was there more than one shooter? The sharp rifle fire bouncing off tall buildings could have sounded like multiple shooters. Initial reports said officers were being ambushed by no less than three shooters. But it was a one-man campaign, waged by ex-Army carpenter Micah Johnson first in a street assault and then from multiple floors above his targets below. Dallas Mayor Michael S. Rawlings said Johnson was a mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and he did that. EL Centro College security guard Patrick Cooper filmed officers storming the hallways of the school with shots ringing out. (Patrick Cooper) Robert Rodriguez, 30, was driving through the city with his 14-year-old son. He saw the protest. And then bang, bang, bang, bang. Then a pause. And then another barrage of gunfire. Like a little war, he said. Rodriguez circled the block and then spotted the gunman shooting a rifle at police from his hip. Officers crouched against a building, returning fire. Another officer raced over in his patrol car and emerged shooting. Johnson continued to move and fire, unwounded and unfazed. The gun battle soon coalesced around one building: El Centro College. On video, Johnson is seen using the colleges pillared entrance as a firing point to target police trying to advance on him. Johnsons vehicle, a black SUV registered to his mother, appears to be parked nearby, its hazard lights flashing. Another video, shot from the nearby Bank of America building, shows Johnson taking cover behind a pillar a few feet from his vehicle. He pulls his weapon likely a Soviet-style rifle judging by its profile to his cheek and fires multiple rounds before calmly and deliberately moving to another column, his rifle at the ready. Given his Army duties, it is unlikely Johnsons apparent proficiency with his weapon came solely from his time in the service. At his home, police later found a diary with entries on combat tactics. And then, in some of most gruesome footage from the evening, Johnson advances through a hail of gunfire, cuts a wide arc around a police officer crouching behind one of the entrances pillars, and fires point blank into the officers back, shooting repeatedly as the officer collapses. Johnson eventually enters the college, moving through a series of connected buildings before barricading himself on the second floor, where he continues shooting through an open window. Hes in that damn building there, an officer shouted into his radio. I hear shots from that building. A few blocks away, in November 1963, another killer shot from a window: Lee Harvey Oswald. Officers raced up to the 14th floor of a nearby building, hoping to get a look at Johnson. They reported seeing him through an open window, his rifle hanging out. SWAT officers moved in. Were taking fire and returning fire, an officer radioed. Negotiations began. Johnson told the authorities that he was upset about the recent police shootings. He wanted to kill white people police officers, preferably. He bragged about leaving bombs in nearby buildings, although none were found. He kept shooting. Dallas Police Chief David Brown was managing the operation, getting reports from officers trying to talk to the gunman. He was still shooting, swearing at officers and seemingly uninterested in a peaceful surrender. In the Dallas Police Departments operations room, Brown asked for options to take him out, according to an account provided by the mayor. Police hatched a novel plan. They brought in a robot normally used for entering an area to detonate or remove explosives. Only this time, the robot had a different mission. Police attached a bomb and sent the robot to kill the man who had taken the lives of five of their own. There was a loud boom and then, finally, quiet. No one was heartbroken that he wouldnt come out, Rawlings said later. On Friday, back at the scene of the carnage, Ossie Boddie, 34, recalled how the protest began so peacefully. It was all love, man. We were here for a peaceful march, Boddie said. There was no F--- the police! Even the police were smiling. There were women and children. It wasnt an aggressive crowd. Bouquets of flowers sat at the base of three flagpoles where the shooting began. A red T-shirt tied around one of the poles read Police Lives Matter. Jamie Thompson, Brady Dennis, Susan Svrluga and Tim Madigan in Dallas and Mark Berman in Washington contributed to this report. Residents listen to Paul Strauss, D.C.s shadow senator, speak during the release of a draft constitution in May. (Bonnie Jo Mount/Washington Post) The D.C. Council is poised to put a popular idea before voters in November: should D.C. become the 51st state? But theres a catch, and its a doozy: If District voters endorse a complicated ballot measure for statehood, they essentially would be giving up their right to decide anything else about the future state from how its organized to how its governed. The ballot referendum proposed by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), which the D.C. Council will consider on Tuesday, asks voters to approve a constitution that does not yet exist. With much fanfare, Bowser convened a constitutional convention last month to draft the founding document. Having a constitution ready to go, she said, would be critical to advancing statehood should Democrats who support the idea win control of the White House and Congress in the November elections. But in the rush to finish such a document before January, when new federal lawmakers will take office, the ballot measure leaves all final decisions about the constitution in the hands of the 13-member D.C. Council which itself has three members who lost their bids for reelection and will be stepping down at the end of the year. Statehood advocates and some council members warned Friday that the expedited time frame may not be worth the risk. Thats especially true, they said, since its rooted in a gamble: Bowsers plan assumes that after more than 200 years, Congress might finally embrace the District as a state. Its atrocious, said Ann Loikow, a longtime organizer with the advocacy group DC Statehood Yes We Can, who joined other staunch statehood proponents on Thursday in visiting offices of council members to urge them to scale back the ballot measure. The constitution is not ready in any sense of the word, Loikow said. There is no reason to rush this. Beverly Perry, who is leading the mayors effort to achieve statehood, defended the constitution that was drafted during last months convention. The District must move quickly, Perry said, in order to not undercut the argument Bowser wants to make to Congress and the next president: that D.C. is ready to be a state. The mayor hopes the results of the referendum will allow the District to replicate the way Tennessee pleaded its case to become the 16th state in the 1790s. Since Tennessee was already a federal territory, much like the nations capital, Congress required voters there to approve just four questions. Unlike most other states, Tennessees entry into the union did not have to be ratified by existing states a process that many experts say would be challenging and laborious for the District. The November ballot measure would ask D.C. voters: a) whether the District should become a state; b) whether voters approve of a constitution (to be adopted by the council); c) to approve of proposed boundaries for the state; and d) whether they pledge to support an elected representative form of government. Those questions mimic what Tennessee voters were asked more than two centuries ago. A majority of the D.C. Council said in interviews last week that they welcome the task of debating and writing the final version of the constitution. Many said they were not prepared to rubber-stamp the mayors draft and would consider all facets even the name of the 51st state, now dubbed New Columbia up for continued debate. Because of that, council members said they worry that asking voters to give up their right to vote on the final product could undermine public support. The voting issue is magnified because a lack of voting representation in Congress is already the root cause of D.C.s agitation for statehood. Asking voters to relinquish control also runs counter to the process of ratifying constitutional changes in 49 of the existing 50 states. With Delaware as the exception, voters in every other state have the last say at the ballot box. And critics say theres another problem in a city with a long history of political scandal: Having ONLY people in elective office with the power to change a constitution is deeply troublesome because they are prone to self-preservation and/or expansion of powers, wrote Josh Burch, a founder of Neighbors United for DC Statehood in a blog post, deriding the constitutional convention Bowsers Statehood Commission convened last month. In that process, Bowsers office inserted into the draft constitution line-item veto power over the Districts budget, a coveted power among governors that she or her successor would inherit if the District became a state. The Districts shadow senators and representative, whose job is to lobby for statehood, added an amendment to elevate themselves or their successors to full-fledged U.S. senators and congressmen if and when it becomes a state, rather than choosing those officials through an election. And D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson who like Bowser and the shadow members of Congress is part of the five-member Commission lobbied for making the states future legislature the same size as the current 13-member D.C. Council. [D.C. convenes first constitutional convention of the 21st Century.] Bowser won support for increasing the size of the proposed legislature to 21 members. But even that would give the District the nations smallest state legislature by more than half, keeping power consolidated among current, full-time city lawmakers. For comparison, Vermont and Wyoming, both smaller in population than the District, have part-time legislatures with 180 members and 90 members respectively. Bowsers office is urging council members to approve the referendum language on Tuesday, only days before a deadline to send the referendum to the citys election board. The mayor also is asking council members to commit to later voting for the constitution as is. I dont know how we could have done any better; weve got the most experienced team constitutional experts, lawyers, professors to address this issue and we took it to the public for 10 different sessions, Perry said. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), a constitutional law professor, said she might ask colleagues instead to approve asking voters only if they support statehood. If and when Congress grants it, the District could write its constitution later, as Alaska and some other territories have done. A Ward 3 Democrats group adopted a resolution Thursday night urging Bowser to do that. The resolution praised Bowser for drawing attention to the Districts quest for statehood but said the city should elect delegates to a months-long constitutional convention to draft a document next year. The real question is: Do the people of the District want us to go forward at this time with a petition for statehood? Cheh said. The outcome of that, I assume, would be yes, leaving for later the decision about the constitution and its provisions. Prayers are offered July 8, 2016, in Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas for the five police officers killed and the seven injured in the city by a sniper the previous night. (Erik S. Lesser/European Pressphoto Agency) In the hours after a Minnesota police officer shot school cafeteria manager Philando Castile during a traffic stop Wednesday evening, the teachers who worked with Castile and the parents who knew him endured waves of shock and grief. And then, alongside their own tumult of emotion, they began grappling with how to explain Castiles death to the children who loved him. Anna Garnaas, a teacher at the St. Paul, Minn., elementary school where Castile worked, is already anticipating what she will hear from her first-, second- and third-grade students when they return to class in the fall. I think thats when well see them crying and wondering and asking questions, the first day of school in September, she said. Wheres our buddy? Wheres the guy who takes care of us and makes sure we have our most fundamental needs met? [He knew the kids and they loved him: Minn. shooting victim was adored cafeteria manager] Amid spasms of violence between police officers and communities they are sworn to serve, this is the job of parents and teachers across the country: Help children make sense of the senseless. Teach them how to process questions that the entire nation is struggling to answer, questions that are bound up with the countrys complex history of race and racism: Why is this happening? What can we do about it? And particularly in communities of color where tension with police is not just something children see on the news, but also is an experience they live: How can we keep people safe? These were difficult questions in 2014, when Eric Garner on Staten Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., died in encounters with police. They remained pressing questions in 2015, when an officer shot Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C., and when Freddie Gray died of a spinal injury he suffered while in police custody in Baltimore. And the questions became even more tangled and urgent in the past week, when in the span of three days, police killed Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Castile in Minnesota, and a young black man, saying he was angry about such violence, responded by shooting 12 officers in Dallas, killing five. The Dallas attack is one of the worst against police in the nations history. Even as these events leave adults grasping for answers, they also affect children, who need somewhere to take their confusion and their sadness, experts say. Schools need to be one resource to which they can turn. Schools can make such a big difference, even without having the answers, said Deborah Menkart, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Teaching for Change. Just being a space where every persons humanity is acknowledged and theres a chance to discuss it and its not something thats left outside the school doors. The anger felt by young people, particularly young people whose families or friends have been touched by violence, is real and visceral. Theyre slaying us like animals, Allysza Castile, Philando Castiles sister, told The Washington Post on Thursday. [Philando Castiles family outraged at police] Melissa Reeves, president of the National Association of School Psychologists, said children will learn from the reactions of adults around them, including their parents and teachers. Its okay to be angry, Reeves said. But whats important is how you use that anger in a way thats going to be peaceful and part of a positive solution. Laura Fuchs, a teacher of U.S. history and government at the Districts H.D. Woodson High School, said she teaches about how government institutions work and about the long struggles and the successes of nonviolent social movements. Its a way to show young people how they can channel their anger about violence into positive change, she said. We look at a lot of civil rights activists from the past and the present and how it is always young people who propel these issues forward, Fuchs said. Hopefully, they can be inspired by others, and be able to think about, What can my role be? How can I be part of the solution? Fuchs said she also feels a responsibility to help her students, many of whom are African American, to stay safe in the world as it is. She grapples with that particularly when she teaches about the Fourth Amendments prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures: She wants students to know and protect their constitutional rights. But she also wants them to be careful not to provoke a police officers anger or fear. She tells them that if they think they have been stopped illegally or are being searched illegally, they should assert that they do not consent to the search. But if the police persist, they should submit, she tells them. And never, ever run. Its not fair that they have to be so careful when interacting with authority figures, but they do, she said. Steven Berkowitz, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, said schools should deliver one simple message to children younger than 8: This is all very complicated, but our job is to keep you safe. And thats what we are going to do as adults. But schools can teach older children how instances of police violence are part of broader societal patterns and problems, he said. And schools can give students a way to approach police departments with constructive criticisms and in that way play a critical role in changing their communities relationships with police. But like Fuchs, Berkowitz said that teachers and parents should help students think through not just how they want to change the world, but also how to avoid violence. Schools should teach young people that violence almost always arises out of fear, when the rational part of the brain shuts down, he said. So what does that mean for a young person caught in a tense situation with a police officer? You do exactly what the cop says. You dont give them any reason to feel afraid, Berkowitz said. To have to say that to a kid is a terrible thing. But thats the reality. He said he had not yet come to grips with how schools should help children understand and respond to the shooting of police officers in Dallas on Thursday night. But he said it is important that schools be unequivocal in stating that violence is wrong. There is never a justification for shooting or killing somebody when you are not in danger, he said. Theres no justification. Prince George's County lawmakers are considering a charter amendment that would more clearly define how they wil be represented in a legal fight between to two branches of government. (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post) Adding at-large seats to the Prince Georges County Council is not the only change to the charter legislators are considering for a ballot referendum next November. Lawmakers will hold a public hearing Monday to discuss enlarging the council as well as a second proposal that would require both the executive and legislative branches to seek legal counsel outside of the government when there is a conflict between them. The issue came up during a contentious budget cycle in 2015 in which County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) accused council members of acting illegally when they rejected his proposed double-digit tax increase and instead passed a smaller tax hike. [Pr. Georges revives old debate about adding at-large seats to Council] Baker used a little-known provision to argue that legislators were barred from adjusting his budget by more than 1 percent. That interpretation was supported by County Attorney M. Andree Green, whose job is to consult all branches of government in legal affairs as well as head the countys team of lawyers. At the time, she told The Washington Post that the council could send the $3 billion budget cycle into limbo if they were to override Bakers tax hike. Some lawmakers were livid Green had taken a position and said the charter was unclear as to whether the Office of Law could represent them adequately, said Council Chair Derrick Leon Davis (D-Mitchelville). We didnt know whose lawyer was whose, Davis said. Legislators decided to consult with an law firm outside government, but Baker eventually acquiesced and the case never went to court. The experience, though, was imprinted on the minds of legislators, such as Dannielle M. Glaros (D-Riverdale Park), the councils vice chair who, along with Davis, is one of the sponsors of the proposed charter change. The Office of Law works for both of us, she said. It makes sense not to put them in the awkward middle between two branches of government. In the event of another impasse, the legislative and executive branches would be responsible for paying for a lawyer from within each of their budgets, lawmakers said. [Baker says Council broke the law when it rejected his tax increase] The proposed change to the Prince Georges County charter was one of the least draconian legislative solutions, council members came up with in the aftermath of the bitter budget battle, Davis said. The goal, he added, is to discourage another government face-off like what happened last year. There are nuances throughout the charter that beg the question, what happens if? Davis said. We simply want to clarify this one. Following the public hearing on July 11, council members will have to vote before the August recess to place the measure on the ballot. C.D. Brooks, evangelist of the Seventh-day Adventist faith. (Courtesy of the Brooks family/Courtesy of the Brooks family) C.D. Brooks, a globe-trotting evangelist for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who had a television show, preached on six continents and converted thousands of people to the churchs teachings, died June 5 at his home in Laurel, Md. He was 85. The cause was pancreatic cancer, the church said in a statement. Elder Brooks was considered one of the most dynamic speakers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has its world headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., and claims 19 million members worldwide. The Christian denomination holds worship services on Saturday. Early in his career as a minister, Elder Brooks was so successful at recruiting new members that he quickly came to the attention of the churchs leaders. He began to tour the United States and other countries in the 1960s, running what the Adventists call evangelistic meetings. With a particular focus on attracting black members to the church, Elder Brooks proved to be a compelling force in the pulpit. By 1971, he was one of seven general field secretaries of the Adventists worldwide church, leading evangelistic meetings and training ministers around the globe. In 1974, Elder Brooks began appearing on Breath of Life, an Adventist television ministry geared toward African American viewers. He was on Breath of Life for 23 years, as his preaching found a wide audience and led to the establishment of 15 new congregations. Black worshipers make up 37 percent of Seventh-day Adventist members in North America, according to church figures. Elder Brooks often conducted mass baptisms, including one in 1978 at Washingtons Warner Theater, in which more than 300 people took part. (Adventists require full immersion as part of their baptismal rites.) According to church historian Benjamin Baker, Elder Brooks brought more than 20,000 people to the Adventist faith. If you have heard C.D. Brooks preach, it was most certainly an unforgettable experience, Baker and a co-author, Harold L. Lee, wrote in their 2013 biography, C.D.: The Man Behind the Message. A media trailblazer, Brooks has spread the gospel through every type of media, including cassette, radio, television, and Internet. His ministry also expanded beyond African American audiences, making him a popular figure at evangelistic meetings around the world. I didnt want to go to Antarctica, Elder Brooks once said, because there was no one to preach to. Charles Decatur Brooks was born July 24, 1930, on a farm near Greensboro, N.C. His family was nominally Methodist, but his mother began to observe the Saturday sabbath after being cured of an illness. According to family lore, she heard a voice commanding her to obey the Ten Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. The family began worshiping at an Adventist church when Elder Brooks was 10. At 17, he was so moved by an Adventist evangelist that the decided to enter the ministry. He graduated in 1951 from what is now Oakwood University, an Adventist college in Huntsville, Ala. He led evangelistic meetings in Pennsylvania the following year. I had a great, exciting summer, he told the Adventist Review in 2009. We had a little church there, 22 members. I love telling young guys, First campaign we doubled the membership. They look at me in awe, then I tell them, We had only 22 members. He was the pastor at churches in Delaware, New Jersey and Ohio, often holding tent meetings, and he preached before other groups around the country. In the 1960s, he became more of a national and global minister, touring and leading meetings for the church. Elder Brooks lived for years in Takoma Park, Md., but often traveled to the churchs television production studio in California to tape episodes of Breath of Life, which was televised on the BET network, beginning in 1989. He spoke at an inaugural event for President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He retired from full-time ministry in 1996 and from Breath of Life a year later but remained active in church matters for many years. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, the former Walterene Wagner of Laurel; two children, Deidre Tramel of Mitchellville, Md., and Charles D. Skip Brooks Jr. of Washington; two sisters; and three grandchildren. Evangelism is the elixir that warms up a cold church, Elder Brooks once said, the force that moves the members from standing on the premises to standing on the promises. Days after the Justice Department closed its investigation into Hillary Clintons email use while she served as secretary of state, Judicial Watch has asked a judge for permission to question her. (Richard Drew/AP) A conservative legal group asked a federal judge Friday for permission to question Hillary Clinton under oath about her use of a private email server as secretary of state in a civil lawsuit seeking public records from the State Department. The filing in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Judicial Watch came days after the Justice Department, at the FBIs recommendation, closed a criminal investigation into Clintons handling of classified information with no charges, and after the State Department reopened an internal review of Clintons server setup as secretary from 2009 to 2013. In asking U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the District to order the deposition of Clinton and two other current and former State Department officials, Judicial Watch cited a statement by FBI Director James B. Comey Jr. on Tuesday that FBI investigators had recovered several thousand work-related emails that were not among the 30,000 returned by Clinton to the department in 2014. Sullivan on Friday directed attorneys for the State Department to respond by Tuesday and said that he would hear oral arguments July 18. Judicial Watch said that it expected to complete any deposition within four weeks and seek no further discovery in the case. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on pending litigation, but Judicial Watch in its filing said that the government opposed the request. [FBI recommends no criminal charges in Clinton email probe] The legal group, which filed suit in 2013 seeking records related to the employment arrangement of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, said the FBI finding raised questions about Clintons statement that her lawyers had handed back all potential federal records. The group said only Clinton could address the basis for her statement that her email setup was allowed by the department and why she decided to use it. Although significant progress has been made in uncovering evidence concerning the creation and use of the clintonemail.com system and the State Departments approach and practice for processing FOIA requests potentially implicating Secretary Clintons and Ms. Abedins emails, important questions remain, Judicial Watch attorney Michael Bekesha wrote. Sullivan previously had allowed Judicial Watch to question seven current and former Clinton and department officials about whether her email arrangement thwarted public records laws, and said the group could ask whether to depose Clinton herself later. Judicial Watch also asked to depose Clarence Finney, a State Department official responsible for managing records and FOIA responses for the office of the secretary, and John Bentel, formerly in charge of the secretariats information technology unit. [Inspector general report sharply criticizes Clintons email practices] In a statement, Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said, This right wing organization has been attacking the Clintons since the 1990s so its no surprise that after the Justice Department declared this case closed, they are trying to keep this issue alive in order to try to hurt Hillary Clintons campaign for President. A 59-year-old woman who was a senior official at a Washington think-tank was fatally stabbed in Baltimores Roland Park neighborhood as she was walking her dogs Friday night, police said. Officers were called to the 600 block of W. University Parkway around 11 p.m. for a report of an injured person. Police said the woman, identified as Molly K. Macauley, was outside walking her dogs when she was stabbed by an unknown assailant. Macauley was the vice president for research and a senior fellow with Resources for the Future in Washington. She first joined the organization in 1993. She was an adjunct economics professor at Johns Hopkins University for nearly 20 years. Kelly Burke, one of Macauleys neighbors, described her as a private, hardworking person who adored her two dogs. Dave Cohen, a spokesman for Resources for the Future, said the news of his colleagues death was shocking. I admired her, Cohen said. She was just terrifically bright and as kind a person as I can hope to meet. Baltimore police Maj. Rich Gibson said police do not yet have a description of a suspect, and police are looking over footage from nearby security cameras and are asking residents for video if they have private cameras. Detectives were on the scene Saturday morning. Burke said the area where Macauley was attacked has poor street lighting, adding that she avoids walking her own dogs in that area at night because it is too dark and feels unsafe. Macauley published dozens of journal articles on science and policy and received numerous awards for her work, she also testified before Congress 10 times, according to her curriculum vitae. Macauley graduated from The College of William & Mary in 1979 with a degree in economics. She later earned a masters degree and Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins. Anyone with information is asked to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup. Commuters make their way through the Wiehle-Reston East station during the first weekday of operation for the Metros Silver Line on July 28, 2014. (Amanda Voisard/For The Washington Post) The mood was festive as politicians and fans of all things transit gathered in Reston for the much-anticipated opening of the Metros Silver Line. The white tent where the official program was to take place was crammed so full that latecomers or those without the right connections were pushed to overflow seating. The largest infrastructure project ever built in the Washington region was more than a year late and more than $100 million over budget. But on July 26, 2014, all of that was forgotten. As the first Silver Line train pulled out of Wiehle-Reston East station, there were cheers and smiles. But the celebration would be short-lived. To make room for the line, Metro reduced service on the Blue Line, angering thousands of riders. New rail cars set to arrive before the line opened did not leaving fewer trains in reserve when older cars broke down. The result? Worsening service disruptions systemwide. Adding to Metros woes, ridership was well below projections. Some began to grumble that the line should never have been built. Then came the deadly January 2015 Yellow Line smoke incident, followed by a series of chronic service disruptions and safety lapses that led to the rail system being placed under federal oversight. The worsening service led to declining ridership. The entrance to Metros Tysons Corner station. (Bill OLeary/The Washington Post) Metro blamed the chronic breakdowns on its inability to keep up with much-needed maintenance that had been neglected for years and said it needed more money to catch up. Some observers and Metro to a degree blamed the Silver Line, saying the new line placed too much of a burden on the systems infrastructure. Some riders and others argued that the transit agency should have invested in rebuilding instead of expanding. [All aboard: the Silver Line is finally open] To add to a system that was very widely understood to be failing due to a lack of maintenance as well as a failure of organizational culture, to expand and put more strains on it is beyond idiotic, said Thomas Rubin, a longtime transportation consultant, who has been critical of rail projects as a solution for congestion. The new line still has to operate through the old system. Problems with maintenance But does the Silver Line deserve the blame? The reality is that its just not that straightforward, said Robert Puentes, president of the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonpartisan think tank. Even if the Silver Line had never been built, Metro probably would be facing the same problems it is scrambling to fix today, Puentes said. First, many in the region misunderstand how the line was being built and funded. A Silver Line train runs on its opening day on July 26, 2014, in Reston. (Yue Wu/The Washington Post) Metro is not paying for construction of the 23.1-mile line in Northern Virginia; it is being financed through a combination of federal, state and local funds raised in part through special taxing districts. Dulles Toll Road users are paying for more than 70 percent of the projects $5.8 billion cost. The Silver Line seems like an obvious target, but you have to look under the hood of this issue, said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a transit advocacy group. There were entirely different funding streams for the Silver Line. The Silver Line extension, which is being built in two phases, is the first new line to be added to the Metro system since the Green Line opened in 1991. The first phase, opened in July 2014, has five stations, one in Reston and four in Tysons. The rail lines second phase has six stations, including one at Dulles International Airport, and will for the first time extend Metro service into Loudoun County. It is expected to open for passenger service in 2020. Construction of the rail line is being managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Once completed, each phase is handed over to Metro, which then assumes responsibility for maintenance and operations. Metro officials only involvement in the construction is working with contractors to ensure that the line, once completed, meets its standards and will work seamlessly with the system. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), who as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors was among the rail projects biggest backers, said if anything, blaming the Silver Line is a convenient excuse for those within Metro who have allowed the system to decline over the years. [Year-old Silver Line is celebrated as a catalyst for change in Tysons Corner] That is not to say there werent additional costs associated with its opening and operation. Metro hired 461 people and trained 88 train operators and 74 station managers when the first phase opened in 2014, and budgeted $50 million to operate it that fiscal year. In 2015, the Silver Lines first full year of operation, those costs increased to $55 million. But that money came from the transit agencys operating budget, which in 2015 was roughly $1.7 billion, the bulk of which came from state and local funds. Operating budget money does just that covers daily operations as opposed to the capital budget, which pays for things such as rebuilding infrastructure. Metro refused to make any of its staff or executives available to discuss or answer questions about the line, offering only a link to an online timeline and a notation that the choice to build the Silver Line was a regional decision. Rubin, the Silver Line critic, said the push to build the extension despite warning signs highlights a fundamental problem plaguing efforts to restore the nations crumbling infrastructure. We can get money to expand, but we cant get money to maintain, he said. Growing the Dulles corridor That is a dynamic that Bob Chase, president emeritus of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, remembers well. Chase recalls that as details of the line were being hashed out, there was constant tension between a Metro management that saw the need to rebuild and maintain what it had and public officials that wanted to expand Metro and get it to Tysons. The bottom line, he said: I dont think the Silver Line was driven by Metro. I think it was driven by local officials. Virginia leaders said the line was critical to economic development in the Dulles corridor and would connect Dulles International Airport with the Districts downtown. Many have noted that Dulles is one of the few major airports that does not have a rail connection. The Silver Line also connects another important economic center Tysons to the rest of the region. The Silver Line was a critical piece missing from the original investment, said Connolly, who served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five as chairman. He also served as chairman of the board of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. The region is not the same as it was when we opened Metro 40 years ago, Connolly said. Economic growth has shifted toward Northern Virginia and we have to have supportive infrastructure. [Officials eye a 2020 opening for Silver Line phase 2] Underwhelming ridership But perhaps the one aspect that Silver Line critics point to most often particularly Blue Line riders, who have seen their service cut since it opened is ridership, which has fallen short of projections. Wiehle-Reston East the outermost station has met projections, including drawing some riders who previously rode the crowded Orange Line. The Tysons Corner station, with its direct connection to Tysons Corner Center mall, has done reasonably well. But overall, according to ridership figures released by Metro on the lines one-year anniversary in July 2015, the average 17,000 weekday boardings is far short of the 25,000 the line was projected to have after its first year. In comparison, when Metro extended the Green Line and opened five new stations on its southern end in 2001 Congress Heights, Southern Avenue, Naylor Road, Suitland and Branch Avenue ridership overshot projections, leading to crowded platforms and packed trains. The situation was exacerbated by a shortage of rail cars. Projections were that the new Green Line stations would generate 18,000 new passengers after six months of service; ridership on just the second day of operation was more than 19,500. Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said while Silver Line ridership has not materialized, the economic benefits of the expansion are already apparent. I dont pick up any regret among property owners and people who have been contributing to the expansion of Metro with special tax districts, Bulova (D) said. They know theres going to be future benefit. Some say Metro added to its own problems by not fully grasping the impact and difficulty of integrating the Silver Line into the existing system. Nor did transit agency officials prepare riders, they say. I think they didnt do a fully adequate job of explaining [the impact] to the public, said Mortimer Downey, a former Metro board member and chairman. For example, controllers in Metros operation center have experienced difficulty moving all the trains they need because of congestion at some rail junctions particularly at Rosslyn, where the Silver, Orange and Blue lines come together before moving through an underwater tunnel into the District. It is similar to what motorists experience at heavily used interchanges on the Capital Beltway. It is difficult to determine how long it takes for riders to react, or by how much, but rail reliability began to decrease for customers around the time of the Silver Line launch, turning down particularly since May 2015, Metro staff wrote in a report to the board in February of this year. Around that time, Metros managers also acknowledged that the launch of the new rail line stressed the agencys ability to deploy an adequate number of rail cars each day. Officials had hoped to have 64 of the new 7000-series cars online by the time the Silver Line opened, but production was delayed by a 2011 tsunami and earthquake in Japan, where the cars were being built. Metro officials also conceded that they could not maintain the service levels they had committed to before the Silver Line opened. [Silver Line is a mixed blessing for riders] Despite the problems, Connolly chafes at assertions that the region would be better off without the line. Long term, the congressman said, adding stations in Tysons helps guarantee that Fairfax County will remain an active partner in paying for the lines maintenance and upkeep. That is because Metro is funded, in part, by subsidies from the jurisdictions it serves. He also noted the extension into Loudoun County means officials there also will contribute to funding to the system. The choice [to not build] says we can never improve on or expand Metros reach, Connolly said. That is a recipe for utter gridlock and economic decline. We have to do both. We can walk and chew gum at the same time. A near miss after a Metrorail operator ran a red signal this week and moved into the path of an oncoming train has critics questioning whether repeated promises of safety improvements are taking hold. Both trains were carrying passengers. On Friday, Metro officials revealed that they had fired the operator in Tuesday nights incident, which also endangered two track inspectors, who managed to dodge the train that ran the signal. This is something that boggles the mind for most of us, said Christian Dorsey, one of Virginias representatives on the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Most of us dont understand why this isnt a rare, once-every-hundred-years kind of event. There have been more than 50 reported overruns on Metrorail since 2012, a rash of recurring safety breaches that the Federal Transit Administration is investigating and plans to issue a report on by the end of the summer. The latest embarrassment on Washingtons transit system comes as Metro officials are trying to make the case that the agency has finally made an about-face on safety. You have to ask yourself, How could this have still happened? The answer isnt very pretty, said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), a longtime Metro supporter who has been critical of the systems management. I think it says a lot about the culture of mediocrity that has unfortunately descended upon Metro over a decade. And it puts lives at risk. There has been an indifference to safety violations such as this. Firing the operator provided a much-needed message about accountability, he added. It sends a signal to the commuting public and the workforce that higher standards must be met. This is a very basic management principle that seems to kind of have gone by the wayside, Connolly said. The near miss occurred Tuesday about 7:15 p.m. when a Red Line train failed to stop at a red signal at the Glenmont station and traveled through a section of track known as a switch. That sent the train headlong into the path of another coming in the opposite direction. Fortunately, our co-workers saw the train in time to get out of harms way, said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly declined to provide more details including how many passengers were on the two trains and the train operators experience saying that an investigation is continuing. Metro investigators did not find any sign of a signal system failure or a mechanical defect on the rail car, Wiedefeld said in a statement. Metro also would not discuss what role its operation control center, which communicates with train operators and monitors rail traffic, may have played. The subway has an automated safety system that is designed to prevent collisions when two trains operate on the same stretch of track, but Metro officials also declined to say whether that feature was operating as intended. Wiedefeld decided to fire the operator because, he said, it was clear that the person failed to follow proper communications protocols. David Stephen, a spokesman for Local 689 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the union representing train operators, declined to comment on specifics of the incident or whether the fired operator plans to file an appeal. In a sharply worded email to Metro employees, Wiedefeld said he was shocked and disappointed by the operators blatant disregard, adding that the error was profoundly troubling. Normally, a train operator would not be immediately terminated after one red-light violation, but Wiedefeld said that this was an exceptional case. Some of you may think this action is harsh, Wiedefeld wrote. I want you to know that I took this step because I am deeply concerned by the disregard this Operator demonstrated for the well-being of his co-workers namely the track walkers on the ground as well as for his passengers, and those passengers and employees on other trains. Tuesdays incident could be seen as especially egregious given the FTAs stand that red-light overruns are one of Metros most pressing problems. In 2013, Metro launched what it called a safety blitz to remind operators how critical it is to stop at red lights. But last year, the FTA warned of the pervasiveness and seriousness of this problem and said that despite outside warnings, the situation was getting worse, with more red signal overruns in 2015 than in either of the preceding two years. They are a pervasive problem that threaten passengers and WMATA employees alike, the FTA said in a statement Friday. The federal agency took over responsibility for safety last year after a deadly smoke incident near the LEnfant Plaza station. FTA will continue to work with WMATA as it develops a robust safety culture and encourage strict adherence to rules that put the safety of passengers and workers first. Former Metro board chairman Mortimer L. Downey said the July 5 incident illustrates a fundamental problem. Its just not the kind of precision operation they should be running. The rules that are in place are not there to offer suggestions, Downey said. If youre trying to show youre paying attention and dealing with safety, this is kind of an easy one. Broadly, both the control center and train operators have got to improve their game, Downey said. In February, miscommunication between Metros operations center and a train operator was at the heart of a separate red-light incident. An operator ran a light near the Smithsonian Metro station and came to a stop only after realizing that he was headed toward another train loaded with passengers. The operator misheard an instruction from his controller at the operations center about which station to head to during an unusual maneuver to avoid a problem on the rail. The controller also failed to catch the mistake after the operator repeated back the tangled instruction. A consultant hired by Metro concluded last year that a big rush-rush culture contributed to the red-light running in the system. This year, in response, Metro altered its schedule to give operators more time for walk-arounds and safety checks of their trains before their first run. Metro also put in place a system that permits operators to hand off their train to a fresh colleague at the end of the line if the original operator needs relief. THE DISTRICT Woman, 42, charged in stabbing death of man A D.C. woman has been charged in the fatal stabbing of a man in a Southeast Washington home early Saturday. Lakisha Young, 42, of Southeast, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Alan Smith, 50. D.C. police called the incident domestic related but did not disclose the relationship between Young and Smith. Police said they found Smith in a house in the 2300 block of Hartford Street SE. Moriah Balingit MARYLAND Nine injured in crash involving Amish buggy A car collided with a horse-drawn buggy carrying an Amish family in Maryland early Saturday, injuring nine people, including five children. The buggy was headed west on the shoulder of Route 6 in Mechanicsville when it turned left in front of westbound car. The car struck the buggy, knocking it on its side. All seven occupants two parents and their five children were thrown from the buggy. . Aaron Hertzler, 33, and his wife Katie, 30, both of Mechanicsville, and their children, four girls and a boy ages 15 months to 8 years, were flown to hospitals with what police said were non-lifethreatening injuries. The horse also was injured and was taken from the scene by other family members. The driver of the car and his passenger were treated at the scene. State police are investigating. Moriah Balingit Think-tank official killed in Baltimore A 59-year-old woman who was a senior official at a Washington think tank was fatally stabbed in Baltimores Roland Park neighborhood as she walked her dogs Friday night, police said. Officers were called to the 600 block of West University Parkway about 11 p.m. for a report of an injured person. Police said the woman, identified as Molly K. Macauley, was walking her dogs when she was stabbed by an unknown assailant. Macauley was the vice president for research and a senior fellow with Resources for the Future in Washington. She first joined the organization in 1993. She was an adjunct economics professor at Johns Hopkins University for nearly 20 years. Macauley graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1979 with a degree in economics. She later earned a masters degree and PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins. A police official said police had no description of a suspect, and were looking at footage from nearby security cameras. Baltimore Sun Woman found slain in Landover Hills home A woman was found slain Friday in her home in Landover Hills, the Prince Georges County police said Saturday. She was identified as Lenise Fredericks, 62, of 71st Avenue. The cause of death was not released, but police said she was suffering from trauma. They said they have not determined a suspect or motive. Martin Weil Mark Hughes shed his possessions one by one first his AR-15 rifle after the shooting began, then his camouflage shirt when his picture coursed through the Internet. He was trying to fend off suspicion as the rattle of gunfire convulsed an otherwise nonviolent demonstration Thursday night in Dallas. The shots killed five police officers and wounded seven others, opening a new chapter in the searing national debate over race and policing a chapter into which Hughes, 35, was mistakenly written as authorities declared him a suspect in the shooting. At stake in incident are questions about guns, racial bias and the harm that can be done by social media. As the city reeled from news of the shooting, and as authorities searched for those responsible, the police department posted a photo of the Arlington, Tex., native on Twitter with the message, This is one of our suspects. Please help us find him! The photo showed Hughes in his camouflage T-shirt, marching with the AR-15 slung over his shoulder. He was participating in a demonstration Thursday evening against police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. That Hughes was permitted under state law to openly carry a rifle did not assuage his brother, Cory, who advised him to hand his weapon over to police as soon as he heard that shots had been fired. Micah Xavier Johnson, a man suspected by Dallas police in a shooting attack and who was killed during a manhunt, is seen in an undated photo from his Facebook account. (Handout/Reuters) Give it to him, bro, he said as he hoisted the gun from his brothers shoulder in a moment captured on video and posted to Twitter early Friday morning. The video shows Hughes relinquishing the weapon to an officer in an amicable exchange and the officer telling him how he could retrieve it. It was only later that he learned that his photo was circulating on social media and on cable news. Law enforcement distributed copies of the photo at a news briefing broadcast live on the Periscope app, in which Dallas Police Chief David Brown described Hughes as a suspect and a person of interest. Well bring him to justice, Brown pledged. Local media broadened the photos reach. At one point, it was being attached on Google to news reports about the possible motives of the shooter, Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, who was killed after a standoff. [What we know about the suspected shooter in Dallas] When a friend called Hughes, telling him she had seen his photo on CNN and that he had been identified as a suspect, he took off his camouflage shirt. I literally thought I was about to get killed, he said in an interview on Friday. 1 of 38 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The scene in Dallas where 12 police officers were shot, 5 killed during demonstrations View Photos Snipers shot 12 Dallas police officers during protest rally, killing five, police say. Caption Snipers shot 12 Dallas police officers during a Black Lives Matter protest, killing five, police say. July 7, 2016 Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas. Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning News via AP Wait 1 second to continue. The police departments message on Twitter was reposted 40,000 times in 12 hours. But the response it drew changed drastically as the video of Hughes handing over his weapon and another showing him in a crowd reacting to the shootings began to circulate on social media, countering the notion that he was involved. By early Friday, Twitter users were begging the police department to delete its post, which they labeled as libelous and potentially fatal for Hughes. Indeed, Hughes said he and his brother received death threats over social media. In a later tweet, the police department said the person of interest whose picture has been circulated just turned himself in. Hughes said he submitted to questioning for over an hour, as a detective told him there was video evidence and witness accounts suggesting he was responsible. Michael Campbell Jr., an attorney for Hughes, was incensed by the way his client was treated by law enforcement. He did not have a lawyer with him when he was talking to police, he said in an interview. The police took his phone, they searched his phone, warrantless. So there were several tactics used by DPD that violated his constitutional rights, okay? He said he planned to discuss with his client what further legal remedies are available for Mr. Hughes and his brother, since both were detained. In a video posted to his Facebook page, Cory Hughes said police ran forensic tests on his hands and searched his phone. Im really just kind of shaken up, because this was a peaceful protest, he said. We really came out here, man, just to have a voice and for the world to hear us, and at the end of the day, we never wanted anybody to be hurt. We came out here because were tired of being hurt. The Dallas Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. [Killings and racial tensions commingle with divided and divisive politics] Justin Williamson, a spokesman for the Texas State Rifle Association, said it would be a mistake to blame the states open-carry policy for the faulty identification of Hughes. Youre making the assumption that by carrying a gun, youre not expecting it to be peaceful, Williamson said. I think that he chose to carry a gun because he could and its his right. But Mark Hughes said only certain citizens enjoy the states permissive gun laws. Here in Texas, its an unwritten code, he said. You see one group of individuals, theyre able to walk up and down the street with their assault rifles hanging from their waist, but the moment another group does it people of color were victimized. . . Im getting questions about why would you bring a gun to a protest. Well, because its my right. Correction: An earlier version of this report gave an incorrect age for Mark Hughes. He is 35. Allysza Castile, the younger sister of Philando Castile, shows off a shirt she was given at her home in Minneapolis. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) When Allysza Castile heard her brothers voice for the last time, they were making plans on the phone to celebrate his upcoming birthday at Valleyfair, a local amusement park with cotton candy, funnel cakes and roller coasters. They also discussed a viral video that showed a black man in Baton Rouge shot to death by police officers. She said Philando Castile had seen the graphic footage of Alton Sterlings death that was sweeping across the Internet and rekindling racial tensions. She told him that she couldnt bear to watch the violence and soon posted to Facebook: I havent watched the video of this man being killed by police and I will not because it will literally break my heart and Im soo tired of seeing this happen to my PEOPLE for no reason ! All these killings caught camera and still no justice it makes me sick ! RIP #altonsterling. [Police group: Minn. governor exploited what was already a horrible and tragic situation] Hours later, her older siblings shooting death was captured on a live-streamed Facebook video after a routine traffic stop. His name became another trending topic on social media. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Protests in Minnesota and the District after a black man was fatally shot during a traffic stop View Photos Protesters gather in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., after the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile. Caption Protesters gather in Falcon Heights, a St. Paul suburb, after the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile. July 10, 2016 A woman holds a sign as she marches with hundreds of others on streets in the District as they mourned and expressed outrage about the killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minn. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. It took Philando Castile to be a hashtag to show them these are peoples lives youre taking, she said. He didnt die for no reason. In interviews with The Washington Post, the Castile family described their anger and frustration in the days after the death of the 32-year-old known as Phil. Inside the family home in the leafy Minneapolis suburb of Robbinsdale, the Castiles discussed funeral arrangements and cross-country plane trips for relatives. They talked about mustering the courage to see his body. Allysza acknowledged that her brothers death had sparked protests and demonstrations across the nation, and possibly had catalyzed events that led a gunman to open fire on law enforcement officers in Dallas. She was shocked by the news of the Dallas massacre Thursday, which happened the same day as a vigil for her brother. At the vigil, less than 24 hours after he died, Philando Castiles mother stood before hundreds gathered in front of J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, where Castile had worked in the cafeteria. Valerie Castile told the crowd that her son was executed by the police. It was my son today, she said. But it could be yours tomorrow or yours the next. Philando Castile had been driving his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her 4-year-old daughter, who was in the back seat, when they were stopped by police, apparently for a broken taillight. They had just finished grocery shopping, and he had visited a hairdresser to get his dreadlocks twisted in preparation for the family gathering for his birthday, 10 days away. What came next, the world knows. Philando had been reaching for his wallet, Reynolds has said, when he told the police officer that he was carrying a handgun. Before he could show his permit to carry, Philando was shot five times, his mother said. Philando Castile, 32, was fatally shot by a police officer at a traffic stop outside St. Paul. His girlfriend, Diamond Lavish Reynolds, and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car with him. Reynolds live streamed the aftermath on Facebook. Here's what you need to know. (Monica Akhtar,Jenny Starrs,Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post) Reynolds began live-streaming the aftermath from her phone. In the nine-minute video, blood soaks Castiles shirt. He groans in pain. His head rolls back as he begins to lose consciousness. During the entire live-streamed portion of the encounter, the police officer keeps his handgun pointed at Castile. After the vigil at the Montessori school, the Castile family led a procession half a mile to the Minnesota governors mansion. Outside the property, demonstrators threaded yellow crime-scene tape through the railings of the iron fence. The marchers held a moment of silence for Castile. Then the gates to the mansion opened, and Gov. Mark Dayton (D) made his way through the crowd to Valerie Castile. Allysza Castile stood at her mothers side as the governor lightly held Valeries right hand, kissed it and apologized, telling her: Well get justice for this. Soon, rain began to fall, and Allysza saw it as a sign from her brother. It felt like he was crying tears of joy, she said. Then the sun came out. A rainbow appeared near the family home. Allysza captured the moment on Snapchat. Hey brother, she wrote in a caption for the photo. Back home after the vigil and march, the Castiles stayed up late, unable to sleep. Allysza consoled her mother, who finally was overcome by the emotions of losing her son. My mom was screaming and wailing, Allysza said. She lay beside her mother in bed, cradling her as she fell asleep in tears. I held her like a baby. I held her like she was my baby. On Friday morning, Allysza said she was still unable to believe her brother was gone. I went to sleep and felt like it was a dream, she said. Now Im awake and still feel like it was a dream. At a nearby Perkins restaurant for breakfast, strangers approached her to offer condolences. She greeted each with a hug as her tears flowed. Her cellphone buzzed with messages from friends and family members giving updates in the investigation into her brothers death. She heard that the police would not confirm that he had a permit to carry a firearm, citing department policy. Allysza decided to call the gun shop where she and her brother had taken a six-hour course together a year earlier to receive the certification. They had paid for the class with a Groupon discount, she told the clerk on the phone. Did they have the paperwork in their files, she asked? The clerk asked her for his name. Philando Castile. There was a pause on the line. Yeah, she said. The man that got killed. The clerk told her to call back later for help with the paperwork, but Allysza showed a Washington Post reporter a copy of her own permit to carry. She keeps a 9mm handgun by her front door for self-defense, and it is loaded with bullets designed to create maximum damage. But when she steps out, she leaves the firearm in the house. She said shes afraid that if shes seen with a gun, a passerby might call the police. Im more scared of them than anyone else, she said. Her phone rang. It another caller offering kind words. Tears rolled down her cheeks once more. I woke up, she told a friend on the phone, and its still not a dream. Irving Gottesman, a psychologist whose groundbreaking studies of twins in the 1960s helped reveal a genetic link to schizophrenia, a finding that upended the prevailing but deeply flawed view of the disorder as a consequence of bad parenting, died June 29 at his home in Edina, Minn. He was 85. His death was announced by the University of Minnesota, where Dr. Gottesman founded a center for the study of behavioral genetics in 1966. The cause was an apparent stroke, said his wife, Carol Gottesman. Dr. Gottesman spent nearly his entire career in the thick of the nature vs. nurture debate the spirited, often contentious, dialogue among scientists and other thinkers about the relative roles of genes and the environment in determining human behavior. Nancy L. Segal, a psychologist and authority on twin studies, said in an interview that Dr. Gottesman had significantly changed the ways we think about the roots of mental illness. When Dr. Gottesman set out as a graduate student in the late 1950s, most psychologists stood firmly, even belligerently, in the nurture camp, regarding parental, cultural and other outside influences as the strongest determinants in human development. From the outset, Dr. Gottesman was unpersuaded by that view, which he considered overly dogmatic, and sought other explanations. They were theorists, he told a University of Minnesota interviewer, describing the nurture partisans, particularly elite researchers on the East Coast, who he said initially dismissed his work as dustbowl empiricism. They saw collection of data to be pedestrian, he recalled. They were already famous. I was trembling in . . . my boots. His research spanned psychopathology, personality and human relationships, but he was most renowned for his work on schizophrenia, a debilitating mental disorder that can cause hallucinations and delusions, making it difficult for patients to distinguish reality from fantasy. Earlier generations of psychologists attributed the onset of schizophrenia to bad parents, particularly bad mothers. Dr. Gottesman described the view as atrocious. With a colleague, the British psychologist James Shields, Dr. Gottesman studied dozens of sets of twins, fraternal and identical, at Maudsley Hospital in London. The researchers demonstrated that identical twins, who share the same genes, were more likely to both develop schizophrenia than were fraternal twins, who do not share the same genes. Those findings, disseminated in publications including the 1972 book Schizophrenia and Genetics: A Twin Study Vantage Point helped transform the way psychologists viewed schizophrenia and other mental disorders. He opened up the entire domain of psychopathology to genetic research, but he did it in a very thoughtful way, said Thomas J. Bouchard Jr., a University of Minnesota psychologist who was the principal investigator of an influential study known as the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. He had the courage to do the research, publish it and talk about it. . . . It was a major breakthrough, Bouchard said. Whats common sense today, he added, was quite controversial at that time. While articulating a role of genetics in mental illness, Dr. Gottesman did not discount environmental influences, such as prenatal conditions that may help prompt certain genes to be activated or not activated. He argued that while some people may have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, non-genetic factors also played a role in short, that a complete understanding of the disease lay not in nature or nurture alone, but rather in the interplay of nature and nature together. I want people to understand that schizophrenia should be thought of in the same way as heart disease or diabetes, Dr. Gottesman told the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Va. It is caused both by lifestyle and genetic composition. Irving Isadore Gottesman, a son of Hungarian immigrants, was born in Cleveland on Dec. 29, 1930. After Navy service in the Korean War, he received a bachelors degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1953. For his PhD at the University of Minnesota, which he received in 1960, he studied the responses of identical and fraternal twins to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a commonly used psychological test, to demonstrate a genetic influence on personality. Among his best known book-length publications was Schizophrenia Genesis: The Origins of Madness (1991). His writings were staples of psychology studies, and he was honored by the American Psychological Association in 2001 for elucidating the genetic and environmental causes of schizophrenia and criminality by combining the perspectives of human genetics, epidemiology, and clinical psychology. His marriage to Jeanette Olson ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, the former Carol Applen, of Edina; a son from his first marriage, Adam Gottesman of Minneapolis; a son from his second marriage, David Gottesman of Minnetonka, Minn.; a sister; and three grandchildren. Dr. Gottesman taught at the University of Virginia from 1985 to 2001 before returning to the University of Minnesota, where he continued his research long after his official retirement. Enlightened views never put down environment as unimportant, he remarked in 2014. We just begin from a biological point. For three straight mornings, Ive eaten breakfast sprinkled with madness. Throughout this week that started with July 4, Ive woken to horrible news that was tough to swallow. Like everyone else, I watched videos that captured the nations racial angst two black men shot by police officers for no apparent reason, and a peaceful demonstration to protest those slayings that dissolved into the revenge murder of five police officers. The details of what happened this week are still being pieced together by investigations in three cities, but what is clear nearly eight years after the election of the first black president is that the idea of a post-racial America was a fantasy. I covered racial trends and demographics for The Washington Post for eight years ending in 2009, crisscrossing the country to write about segregated schools, crowded prisons and huge immigration marches, and I left the beat thinking that President Obamas election in 2008 might bring at least a margin of the hope and change he embraced. But America hasnt changed. You could argue persuasively that the racial climate has become worse. While addressing a joint session of Congress in September 2009, Obama was heckled by a white congressman who shouted, You lie! His birthright to even sit in the office was challenged by many, including the current presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Kevin Michael Bautista was part of a peaceful protest in Dallas on July 7. When bullets started to fly, he took out his phone and began recording video. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Two-hundred forty years after the first Independence Day, Americans still live by the same color codes established before the nations birth. We mark each other by complexion. We assign meaningless stereotypes to people according to skin color. We adore and fear and hate people on the basis of how light or dark they are. Race, as many scientists will tell you, is not real, but racism is. Neighborhoods and schools are increasingly segregated. Through Obamas nearly eight years in office, attention to shootings of unarmed black men by police officers has increased, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter movement that is challenging the status quo. BLM was trying to force a difficult conversation that many Americans refuse to have: How does racism drive inequality and fear, and how can we overcome the problem? But after the shooting in Dallas, BLMs ability to push that conversation in an environment that is more charged and divided is an open question. As things stand, African Americans feel theyre the only people talking about race. On Facebook and other social-media platforms, some African Americans lamented that white people seemed to engage only when the police officers were shot. It is a difficult conversation we refuse to have, even as it eats at us from within. We tiptoe around the subject or ignore it altogether until tensions boil over. The last three days have shown once again how divided we are by race. Pastor Jeff Hood, who organized the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Dallas, says the only way to overcome the shooting that took the lives of five police officers is through "love and justice." (Dalton Bennett,Whitney Shefte/TWP) On social media, some African Americans criticized our black president as failing to speak out when Alton Sterling was shot by police in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile was gunned down in a suburb of St. Paul, Minn. But they were wrong. He did speak. When incidents like this occur, theres a big chunk of our citizenry that feels as if, because of the color of their skin, they are not being treated the same, and that hurts, and that should trouble all of us, the president said Thursday. This is not just a black issue, not just a Hispanic issue. This is an American issue that we all should care about. Those remarks were immediately criticized, and the condemnation was renewed, especially on social media, when the police officers were shot in Dallas. African Americans were divided between those who expressed disgust at what happened in Dallas and those who expressed anger that the reaction to white police officers being shot was stronger than the reaction to the police killings of two black men before them. Many African Americans are certain that an act of racial violence happened Wednesday in Baton Rouge when a white police officer shot Alton Sterling as he and another officer pinned him to the ground. And the governor of Minnesota could not dismiss race as a motivation for what happened to Philando Castile outside St. Paul, when an officer who pulled him over for a busted tail light shot him four times as his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter watched in horror. Would this have happened if the driver were white? Gov. Mark Dayton (D) asked after Castile was shot. I dont think it would have. Racism can twist and shape us into people we never wanted to be. The police officer who shot Castile didnt start his day wanting to shoot someone in front of a child. Warped, too, is the intent of a peaceful demonstration in Dallas to mark the two police shootings. The twisted and raging anger of Micah Johnson, the black man who pulled the trigger, is unrecognizable to many in the black community. African Americans cowered like everyone else during the onslaught, and reacted with fear, dread and praise for the Dallas police once it was over. ALEXANDER, N.D. (TNS) Four days before Christmas in 2008, a blur of brown fur scrambled along the snowy Continental Divide in Wyoming. The terrain and the conditions were brutal, food scarce. The bait a biologist placed in a wooden trap proved irresistible. As soon as the creature crawled in, a signal alerted researchers miles away. They rode a snowmobile deep into the mountains, near Togwotee Pass, at an elevation of 9,380 feet. The temperature was 10 degrees. Once there, the researchers confirmed the catch, summoned a veterinarian and sedated the animal with a dart. The vet made an incision in its abdomen and implanted an electronic transmitter. Over time, that transmitter would help tell the story of a singularly tenacious representative of one of the Wests most elusive animals: the wolverine. Yet it also would demonstrate the limits of technology in solving the mysteries of the wild. While biologists and bureaucrats debated whether to protect wolverines under federal law, arguing over climate change and its effect on a species believed to number fewer than 300 in the contiguous United States, the animal captured near Togwotee Pass would blaze an audacious and ultimately untraceable trail. Along the way, it made a cameo appearance in a court case that may help shape the fate of its species. If you had to put your finger on the one most interesting wolverine during our whole study, said Bob Inman, the wildlife biologist who led the research project, that was it. He is known as M56, or Male 56, the label given to him by Inman, who was working on behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Society at the time. At 32 pounds, M56 was one of the heavier males captured. He was believed to be about 18 months old. For a time he stayed in the snow-covered reaches where wolverines make their dens. But by winters end, he was on the move, dispersing, as experts call the springtime sojourns some males make to look for a mate. It is one of natures most challenging dating games. Many wolverines, the largest members of the weasel family, travel hundreds of miles to find a partner. M56 may have traveled thousands. He scaled 10,000-foot peaks in a few hours, but also endured arid lowlands. He cut across Wyomings Red Desert, then turned south into the Medicine Bow National Forest. On Memorial Day weekend 2009, he crossed Interstate 80 and by June entered Colorado, the first confirmed wolverine there in 90 years. Colorado news outlets loved his story. State biologists took over responsibility for tracking him, making flights to locate his signal. Photographers stumbled upon him. Schoolchildren studied him. His presence provided momentum for an ongoing push to reintroduce wolverines in Colorado. All the while, the effort to list wolverines as a protected species continued. The battle began in the 1990s. For years the Fish and Wildlife Service declined to protect the animal, but after lawsuits and court rulings, it decided in 2013 that wolverines indeed warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act. The decision was based on projections that, in decades to come, climate change would substantially shrink the high-elevation spring snow cover essential for wolverines to den. That finding represented a new way of thinking about climate change and endangered species. It also set off a wave of challenges, particularly from Western states, which tried to cast doubt on the science. They were led by Montana, which still allowed trapping of wolverines. Inman too questioned the science. Of seven wolverine experts consulted, he was one of two who cast doubts. Critics said he was too close to Montana officials. Later, their criticism increased when he was hired as the states carnivore-furbearer coordinator. Inman said in an interview that that he did not oppose listing the wolverine, but that listings often lead to litigation that spoils support for voluntary conservation programs. Its the carrot and the stick, and sometimes the carrot works better, he said. In August 2014, the service reversed itself again, withdrawing its decision to list wolverines. Once again, outrage and lawsuits followed. Nearly two years would pass before a federal judge threw out that decision, labeling it arbitrary and capricious. The judge, Dale Christensen of U.S. District Court in Montana, said the agency appeared to be bowing to pressure from Western states. No greater level of certainty is needed to see the writing on the wall for this snow-dependent species standing squarely in the path of global climate change, Christenson wrote on April 4, noting the two-decade debate. He said the Endangered Species Act compelled the service to take action at the earliest possible, defensible point in time to protect against the loss of biodiversity within our reach as a nation. For the wolverine, that time is now. In justifying its 2014 decision to not list the wolverine, one Wildlife Service official cited M56s arrival in Colorado, as well as a lone wolverine discovered in Californias Sierra Nevada, as evidence they were expanding in numbers and range. Christensen did not view the sightings as proof wolverines were not threatened by climate change. What neither the service nor the judge noted was that the last confirmed sighting of M56 had been in October 2012. After that, his signal went silent and sightings ceased. Then, on a rainy Sunday morning three weeks after Christensen issued his ruling, Jared Hatter, a ranch hand in North Dakota, jumped in his truck and rushed to a pasture. Something was stirring up his father-in-laws cattle. The family owns about 200 head of black Angus cattle, and each year they sell about 150 calves for $600 to $1,000 a head. Hatter, 29, is married and has a 1-year-old son. Them cows raise our kid, pay our pickup payments, pay our maintenance, he said. The cows, protecting their calves, had surrounded a furry intruder. They broke their circle when Hatter pulled up. The intruder tried to flee. Hatter aimed his .223-caliber rifle and fired a single shot into the back of its head. That evening, he and his wife, Jena, scoured the internet to identify the creature. They learned of efforts to track wolverines and the push for federal protection. Hatter called the state the next morning to report the shooting. Biologists came out the same day, taking measurements and counting teeth. He was sopping wet, Hatter said. It had rained for three days straight. Stephanie Tucker, North Dakotas furbearer biologist, conducted a necropsy and was surprised at how healthy the animal was, given its apparent age, perhaps 10. No parasites, organs intact. She found a transmitter sewn inside the abdomen. She called Inman. Honestly, I didnt even think about M56 in Colorado, Inman said. But when I looked up the number, bam, there it is, M56. Hatter would face no charges; it is legal in North Dakota to shoot a furbearing animal perceived to be threatening livestock. But he did face a backlash. He had posted five pictures on Facebook with a caption: Killed this here critter out tormenting the cows yesterday. Before he made his account private, he received what he said were 4,000 friend requests, few of which were actually friendly. You killed so-and-so wolverine, he said, summarizing some of the messages. Well come kill you. Hatter has no regrets. Im going to kill a predator preying on my cow herd, he said. I could have done it a lot worse and nobody would have found out about it, and M56 would have been laying in a creek somewhere, just a carcass and the vultures eating him. But I reported it. Biologists are not sure M56 would have hurt any cattle there were no reports of him doing so in Colorado but Hatters point about his fate is not lost on them. Had he not reported the kill, no one would have known that M56 could demonstrate enough restlessness and resourcefulness to travel not only from Wyoming to Colorado but all the way to North Dakota, where no wolverine had been confirmed since statehood in 1889. Its an unfortunate situation, Inman said, but you learn what you can from it after the fact. The Fish and Wildlife Service has filed notice that it may appeal Christensens ruling but declined to comment on its next move. Matthew Bishop, an attorney for the Western Environmental Law Center, who argued in favor of protecting wolverines before Christensen, said climate change presents uncertainties that have complicated the way the agency views many listing questions. The wolverine decision could set a precedent. I think theyre very concerned about opening up the climate change floodgates, Bishop said. But we dont have to know precisely why or how climate change is going to adversely affect wolverines. Its enough to know theyre going to lose a significant amount of habitat. So what was M56 doing in North Dakota, 700 miles from the Colorado Rockies? The best guess is that he was making another springtime dispersal, like the one he made years ago. That first trip made him famous. This one made him a museum piece. North Dakota plans to have M56 stuffed and put on display in Bismarck. It is one of natures most challenging dating games. Many wolverines, the largest members of the weasel family, travel hundreds of miles to find a partner. This one may have traveled thousands. Michael Smith was the one always standing guard by the tree fort in the vast lobby of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, where he worked as a uniformed security officer in recent years, greeting parents and children and ushering them on to their Sunday programs. On the churchs Facebook page Friday, members recalled him handing out Dallas Police Department stickers to their kids, or running after them down the hallway, or showing them his police cruiser. [Five Dallas police officers were killed by a lone attacker] He was outgoing but also very tender and unassuming, said Wes Butler, the director of family and childrens ministries at Watermark. He was just there, you know? People naturally engaged with him. He was one of the good guys, the one youd hope your kids would go to if they ran into trouble. One church member recalled how Smith mentored him when he was deciding to become a police officer, and later, too, when he decided to leave the force. Another member, Bob Crotty, said Smith lived out his faith in Jesus Christ, and exuded a warmth and genuineness that drew people to him. Patrick Zamarripa, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith and Michael Krol of the Dallas Police Department and Brent Thompson of Dallas Area Rapid Transit are the five victims who were killed in Thursdays shooting in Dallas. Seven others were wounded. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post) He was a guy who really cared about other people, he said. As a result, other people loved him, too. It breaks your heart. Smith, 55, was a former Army ranger who joined the police force in 1989, according to Texas television station KFDM, which spoke with his sister. He had two daughters, ages 14 and 10, with his wife of 17 years, Heidi. [Patrick Zamarripa survived combat in Iraq before being killed in Dallas] All of the Smith family, friends and acquaintances are devastated and are trying to figure out how to help the family navigate through these times, a friend wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the Smith family. Smiths pastor, Todd Wagner, described him as a friend and faithful servant who understood the power of love. Even when serving here as part of his job, he understood that loving people was the best way to protect and serve them, Wagner said in a statement. Mike wasnt just concerned with safety and security at Watermark or in Dallas. It genuinely troubled him when he saw people treated as objects or when protocol got in the way of personal care. He never compromised his responsibilities, but he never walked away from a compassionate response. Another member tried to imagine what it would be like at church this Sunday, when thousands of members realize that the officer who always greeted them was among those killed in downtown Dallas Thursday night. 1 of 74 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos: The nation reacts to the killing of police officers in Dallas View Photos After five officers were fatally struck by sniper fire at a rally protesting violence by police, the country comes together. Caption After five officers were fatally struck by sniper fire at a rally protesting violence by police, the country comes together. July 13, 2016 Law enforcement officers salute the casket of Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Lorne B. Ahrens during his funeral service at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Tex. L.M. Otero/AP Wait 1 second to continue. I promise you his presence will absolutely be missed in that one spot by the tree fort, said Nathan Wagnon, who works in the mens ministry. Probably a lot of people are going to know we lost five police officers, but probably they are not going to know he was one of them. I promise you on Sunday when people show up, theyll feel that punch in the gut. Sydney H. Schanberg, a New York Times foreign correspondent whose courageous reports about Cambodias takeover by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in 1975 earned him the Pulitzer Prize and formed the basis of the Academy Award-winning film The Killing Fields, died July 9 at a hospital in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He was 82. He had a heart attack on Tuesday, said his wife, Jane Freiman Schanberg. In the early 1970s, while based in Singapore for the Times, Mr. Schanberg began to report from Cambodia, a onetime French protectorate across the border from Vietnam. He provided the first major coverage of U.S. bombing missions that ravaged the Cambodian countryside, including a 1973 attack when a B-52 dropped 20 tons of bombs on a remote village, leaving about 150 residents dead. Mr. Schanbergs partner in reporting was Dith Pran, a resourceful and multilingual Cambodian who served as his interpreter and guide. They became inseparable reporting partners, even as a communist-backed insurgency known as the Khmer Rouge began to close in on the capital city of Phnom Penh in early 1975. Sydney H. Schanberg in 1976. (The New York Times/AFP/Getty Images) As civil war enveloped the country, the U.S. Embassy closed its doors on April 12. Mr. Schanberg refused orders from the Times to evacuate, choosing instead to take refuge with Dith at the French Embassy. As the only U.S. reporter remaining in Cambodia, Mr. Schanberg visited hospitals, where the blood of Khmer Rouge victims flowed down the halls. On April 17, 1975, as Mr. Schanberg and Dith were about to leave the embassy on a reporting assignment, some heavily armed Khmer Rouge soldiers charged in through the main gate, Mr. Schanberg later wrote. Shouting and angry, they wave us out of the car, put guns to our heads and stomachs and order us to put our hands over our heads. I instinctively look at Pran for guidance, he wrote, referring to Dith by his given name, which comes last in Cambodian usage. We have been in difficult situations before, but this is the first time I have ever seen raw fear on his face. He tells me, stammering, to do everything they say. I am shaking. I think were going to be killed right there. But Pran, having somehow composed himself, starts pleading with them. His hands still over his head, he tries to convince them we are not their enemy, merely foreign newsmen covering their victory. Diths quick thinking led the gunmen to release him and Mr. Schanberg. Days later, the Khmer Rouge ordered all Cambodians to leave the French Embassy. Dith became one of hundreds of thousands of people driven from Phnom Penh into an unknown future in the countryside. As conditions deteriorated, Mr. Schanberg climbed onto a truck with other Westerners, crossing the border of Thailand on April 30. He made his way to Bangkok, where he wrote a firsthand account of the fall of Phnom Penh, complete with dramatic details of the terror of the Khmer Rouge. When Mr. Schanberg was awarded journalisms top honor in 1976, the Pulitzer committee praised him for his work at great risk. Mr. Schanberg accepted the award on Diths behalf, but he heard nothing about his onetime reporting partner for more than four years. Journalist Sydney H. Schanberg in 1991. (Mike Albans/AP) Finally, in October 1979, word arrived that Dith had turned up at a refugee camp in Thailand. Mr. Schanberg immediately boarded a flight, then took a six-hour road trip to the border near Cambodia. In a 1980 article in the New York Times magazine, The Death and Life of Dith Pran, he described his friends ordeal. The story was adapted for The Killing Fields, which was released in 1984, with Sam Waterston playing Mr. Schanberg. Haing S. Ngor, a Cambodian doctor who fled the country, received an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Dith. The film realistically depicted Diths life after he and Mr. Schanberg were separated. Dith worked 14 hours a day at hard labor, often standing in fetid water, and received an allotment of one tablespoon of rice a day. He survived by eating bugs, snails and rats and by sucking blood from living water buffaloes. Many members of his family were killed, including a brother who had been thrown among crocodiles. Dith endured frequent beatings, but he concealed his educated background, pretending to be merely a driver and laborer. In the Khmer Rouges purge of Cambodias intellectuals and urban elite, an estimated 2 million to 3 million people out of a total population of 7 million were executed or died of starvation. Somehow Dith managed to survive. In Mr. Schanbergs 1980 magazine article, he described their reunion at the Thai refugee camp. A young man runs to get him, Mr. Schanberg wrote, shouting in Khmer: Brother, brother, someones here. You have a chance now. You have a chance. Then Pran comes running . . . I remember in that fraction of a second thinking how hurt and vulnerable he looked and literally leaps into my arms, his legs wrapped around my waist, his head buried in my shoulder. You came, Syd, oh, Syd, you came. Sydney Hillel Schanberg was born Jan. 17, 1934, in Clinton, Mass. His father was a grocer. Mr. Schanberg graduated from Harvard University in 1955, then spent two years in the Army, mostly as a journalist in Germany. He joined the Times in 1959 and covered local and state governments before being assigned to the papers New Delhi bureau in 1969. After Cambodia, Mr. Schanberg was an editor on the Timess metropolitan desk. Dith joined the Times, where he had a long career as a photographer before his death in 2008. Mr. Schanberg began writing a column about the city of New York in 1981, often on controversial subjects. His abrasive, headstrong manner served him well overseas, but in New York he often clashed with his bosses at the Times. After he criticized the papers coverage of a proposed highway project in 1985, his column was abruptly canceled. Journalist Pete Hamill denounced the move as unspeakably shabby. Mr. Schanberg quit the Times, then became a columnist for New York Newsday for 10 years. He later wrote for the Village Voice and other outlets and ultimately settled in New Paltz, N.Y., where he taught at a branch of the State University of New York. His marriage to Janice Sakofsky ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 21 years, Jane Freiman Schanberg of New Paltz; two daughters from his first marriage, Rebecca Schanberg and Jessica Schanberg, both of Chicago; and three grandchildren. In later years, Mr. Schanberg continued to address difficult subjects in magazine articles. He often wrote about what he considered a failure of the U.S. government to account for troops who were taken prisoner or missing in action during the Vietnam War. In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Mr. Schanberg received George Polk Awards for journalism. A collection of his reporting, Beyond the Killing Fields, was published in 2010. Ive seen death. Lots of it, Mr. Schanberg said in a 2001 interview with the New York Observer. And you never get used to it. Not really. You tell yourself things in order to function, but youre going to break down. It just gets to be too much. Eventually, you need to find a room where you can sit alone and cry. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, upper right, speaks to protesters in Dallas in October 1972, as Dallas police officers in riot gear stand guard. (Charles Bennett/AP) As Dallas braced Saturday for the funerals of five officers killed in the deadliest mass shooting of police in nearly a century, their heartbroken colleagues were left to ask: Why here? According to police, gunman Micah Xavier Johnson told negotiators that he was upset about the recent police shootings, but Dallas officers have not fatally shot anyone this year. Johnson said he was upset about Black Lives Matter, but the police chief in Dallas, who is black, is a national leader in the effort to reduce officer-involved violence. We dont have a perfect department. But if you want to look at our peers, cities of over a million people, we very well can claim to be number one, said Philip Kingston, the city council member who represents the downtown district where Johnson targeted white officers Thursday night before being killed by police. Civil rights activists, national police leaders and Dallas officials say the department is a model of the reforms sought by the Black Lives Matter movement since a white officer shot and killed a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., in August 2014. Although Dallas police have a dark history of brutality against minorities, two decades of fresh leadership have transformed the departments reputation and dramatically improved relations with the black community. Just before Johnson opened fire, Dallas police had been mingling peacefully with protesters marching to express concern about fatal police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, posing for photos the department tweeted out on its official account. 1 of 74 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Photos: The nation reacts to the killing of police officers in Dallas View Photos After five officers were fatally struck by sniper fire at a rally protesting violence by police, the country comes together. Caption After five officers were fatally struck by sniper fire at a rally protesting violence by police, the country comes together. July 13, 2016 Law enforcement officers salute the casket of Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Lorne B. Ahrens during his funeral service at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Tex. L.M. Otero/AP Wait 1 second to continue. The city leadership and the police and the community dont have the racial polarization that once existed, said Rep. John Conyers Jr., (D-Mich.), who in 1987 was so outraged by a spate of police shootings in Dallas that he conducted a congressional inquiry into the killings. The departments journey has been a long one. Humiliated by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on their watch in 1963 and the subsequent murder of his accused assassin in the belly of police headquarters Dallas police also had a notorious record of brutality against blacks and Hispanics. In 1973, Santos Rodriguez, a 12-year-old Hispanic boy, was pulled from his home by officers who accused him and his 13-year-old brother of stealing $8 from a vending machine at a nearby gas station. When they refused to confess, white officer Darrell Cain played a game of Russian roulette with the handcuffed boys, loading a bullet in the chamber of his .357 Magnum. The bullet fired, and Rodriguez was killed. The shooting sparked days of protests. Although Cain was convicted of murder, he served just 21/2 years in prison. It was the worst police shooting to ever happen in the history of the city of Dallas, said David Kunkle, a rookie patrol officer at the time who later served as Dallass police chief. Tensions heightened when crime spiked during the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, and police adopted more aggressive tactics, particularly in the black neighborhoods of South Dallas. At least five Dallas police officers were killed and seven wounded July 7, after a peaceful protest over recent police shootings. Here's what we know so far. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) The late 1970s and 1980s were bad years for everyone, Kunkle, who is white, said. Another notorious shooting occurred in 1986: A Dallas police officer shot and killed Etta Collins, a black Sunday school teacher who called police because she thought she heard a burglar. A rookie officer arrived to find Collins, 70, on her front porch with a revolver. He fatally shot her, he said later, because he thought she was aiming the gun at him. Collins was one of 10 people fatally shot by Dallas police that year, six of whom were black, according to an analysis by the Dallas Times Herald, which concluded that Dallas police were killing more people per capita than any other department in the nation. The Chicago Tribune in 1988 declared the city a racial time bomb. Violent confrontations with police devolved into targeted killings: Five Dallas officers were killed that year alone. The police were angry at the community, and the community was mad at the police, said John Creuzot, a former prosecutor who secured the death penalty for one of the officers killers. Creuzot, who is black, said things began to improve in the 1990s. The city elected its first black mayor, Ron Kirk, in 1995, and Kirk hired a series of outsiders with previous experience reforming police departments. Among the changes: a shift in the departments use of force policy. Officers were told that if they killed someone, investigators would examine all of their actions and tactical decisions rather than simply assess whether they were in reasonable fear for their lives at the moment they pulled the trigger. There was a refocus on training and then a focus on the use of deadly force, and things seemed to change, said Creuzot, who served for two decades as a state district judge on the Dallas County criminal bench. We focused on community policing, and now were focusing on data-related policing, he said. Over time, the tension went down, and the trust went up. Things have continued to improve under Police Chief David Brown, who took command in 2010. Between 2009 and 2014, citizen complaints of excessive force by Dallas officers dropped 64 percent, according to police department data. Chief Brown understands that when you orient around the democratic values that are supposed to undergird law enforcement, you make your entire city safer, said Phillip Goff, president of the Center for Policing Equity, which promotes police transparency and accountability. Community leaders and police reform activists caution that Dallas police still have room for improvement. In 2003, the city fired Terrell Bolton, its first black police chief, in part because of a scandal involving the use of fake evidence in drug cases. More than 80 cases were dismissed, many of them involving false charges against Mexican immigrants. In 2009, several Dallas officers were captured on a dashboard camera beating and kicking Ronald Jones, a black man who had been walking down the street. Jones spent 15 months in jail on charges of assaulting a police officer before the video was released. The city later paid Jones $1.1 million to settle a civil lawsuit. Dallas police fatally shot five people in 2015, according to a Washington Post database of such shootings. The department has yet to have a fatal shooting in 2016. Among those killed last year was James Boulware, a 35-year-old white man who shot at Dallas police headquarters from an armored vehicle laced with explosives. But Dallas police also killed two black men, including 45-year-old Desmond Luster. According to police, Luster drove up in a pickup and opened fire in February on a police officer who had detained a man who Luster thought had burglarized his home. Lusters family has sued, claiming the officer opened fire. Dallas still has some terrible shootings, and Dallas police still do some terrible things, said the Rev. Ronald Wright, 58, who runs Justice Seekers Texas, a Dallas activist group. Wright also noted an incident last year in nearby McKinney, where an officer tackled a black girl in a bikini and pulled a gun on two black boys at an unruly pool party. Video of the incident went viral. I dont know why the Justice Department doesnt investigate all of these departments, Wright said. Local officials stress that it is important to recognize the progress Dallas police have made. At the same time, they say, it is important to recognize that officers everywhere may be at risk until police leaders find a way to reduce incidents of excessive violence across the nation and ease rising racial tensions. With the number of police shootings that have occurred that seem to be totally unjustified, somewhere in this country, someone was going to do such a thing, Creuzot said of Thursday nights attack. The fact that it happened in Dallas? Its just where it happened. Spanish bullfighter Victor Barrio, right, is gored during a bullfight held on the occasion of Feria del Angel in Spain. (Antonio Garcia/EPA) SYRIA Aleppo battles flare despite cease-fire Fierce clashes erupted between rebels and pro-government forces around Syrias largest city, Aleppo, Saturday despite a proclamation from the Syrian military that it would extend its cease-fire through Monday. The military had declared a nationwide cease-fire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday that began July 6, expiring July 8 at midnight, but it had little impact on the ground, as pro-government forces choked off the last supply route to opposition areas in the contested city. On Saturday evening, rebels launched a counteroffensive, leading with two car bombs to open the vital Castello road to eastern Aleppo, according to activists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the cars were driven by two suicide bombers from al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, which fights alongside rebel groups against government forces. Rebels then launched a ground offensive on the governments newly acquired positions overlooking the supply route, according to the social media accounts of rebel groups. Fighting reportedly continued into the night. Associated Press IRAQ Government controls air base near Mosul Iraqi forces recaptured a northern air base from the Islamic State group Saturday, a victory hailed by the prime minister as a key step ahead of the long-awaited operation to retake the city of Mosul. In a statement issued on his website, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the air base in the town of Qayara as an important base to liberate Mosul and called on Mosul residents to get ready for the liberation of their areas. In late March, Iraqi forces launched an operation aimed at dislodging the Islamic State from areas to the south and southeast of Mosul and gradually cutting off the citys supply lines. But the fight to regain the city, an enormous undertaking for Iraqi troops, is unlikely to begin soon. Associated Press SPAIN Bullfighter is gored to death on live TV A professional bullfighter was killed on live television Saturday when a bulls horn pierced his chest in front of spectators as he competed in a fight in the town of Teruel in the eastern region of Aragon. Victor Barrio is the first Spanish bullfighter to die in a ring since the turn of the century. In the southeastern village of Pedreguer near Valencia, a 28-year-old Spaniard died after a bulls horn pierced his lung and heart as he was trying to help another runner during the event. Many of Spains towns hold multi-day festivals involving bulls, including the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, and several people die each year. Reuters Russia expels Americans: Russia says it has expelled two American diplomats who it claims were working undercover for the CIA, in retaliation for the U.S. expulsion of two Russians. The expulsions came in the wake of a scuffle between a Russian policeman and an American diplomat outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow last month. That diplomat is one of the two Americans expelled, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday. More than 100 soldiers die in fighting in South Sudan: At least 115 soldiers from South Sudans rival factions were killed in gun battles in the capital, Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. Srebrenica massacre victims headed for burial: Thousands of Bosnians raised their hands in prayer Saturday as a truck bearing 127 coffins passed through Sarajevo on its way to Srebrenica, where the newly identified victims of Europes worst massacre since World War II will be buried on the 21th anniversary of the crime. The remains will be buried Monday next to more than 6,000 other Srebrenica victims found previously in mass graves. More than 8,000 Muslim Bosnians were slain at the end of Bosnias 1992-95 war. Pakistani prime minister returns home: A spokesman says Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has returned home 48 days after he underwent cardiac surgery in London. Mohiuddin Wani says Sharif landed Saturday in his home town of Lahore and went to see his family. Details of the surgery have not been disclosed. From news services People write messages in chalk on the road outside the governors residence during a demonstration in St. Paul, Minn., on Thursday. Philando Castile was shot and killed after a traffic stop by police in Falcon Heights, Minn., on Wednesday night. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Horror. Shock. Disbelief. Numbness. Grief. Anger. And terrible sadness. These fractured thoughts were all I could muster upon waking Friday to news of the ambush on Dallas police. They were still fresh in my mind from the night before when Id turned in early, exhausted by the images of 32-year-old Philando Castile dying in Minnesota after a police officer shot him. As we all know by now, Castile was African American and the officer was not. It started as a routine stop for a broken taillight and ended in what has become a routine shooting followed by a routine headline. Black man shot by police officer. How many times must we read those words? Just 24 hours earlier, another black man, Alton Sterling, 37, was shot to death by police while being restrained in Baton Rouge. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Protests in Minnesota and D.C. after a black man was fatally shot during a traffic stop View Photos Protesters gather in Falcon Heights, a St. Paul suburb, after the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile. Caption Protesters gather in Falcon Heights, a St. Paul suburb, after the killing of 32-year-old Philando Castile. July 10, 2016 A woman holds a sign as she marches with hundreds of others on streets in the District as they mourned and expressed outrage about the killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minn. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Like Sterling, Castile did have a gun. Castile also had a concealed-carry permit, which he apparently told the officer as soon as he was stopped. Why would someone tell a police officer he had a gun if he intended to use it? Castile was reaching for his drivers license and registration when the officer opened fire, says his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds. Reynolds used her cellphone to film the aftermath of the shooting, careful to address the officer as sir and follow his instructions. Over and over I watched the video, trying to imagine being in that car, while at the same time feeling shame about watching a stranger who is mortally wounded. Nothing is more intimate than death, which we all hope to face with dignity in the comforting presence of loved ones. Castile had no such luck. Instead, he was surrounded by millions of onlookers, most of whom, I feel certain, suffered with and for him. [Expletive]! [Expletive]! [Expletive]! On the video, we hear the officer repeating the F-word as he realizes what has happened. Reynolds is saying, Please dont tell me this, Lord. Please, Jesus, dont tell me that hes gone. . . . Please, officer, dont tell me that you just did this to him. My God. Friday morning, Castiles mother bore into the television camera. She said people can look into her eyes, at that point 48 hours without sleep, and know that shes not going away until justice is served. Across the country, protesters had gathered peacefully Thursday evening to demonstrate against the shootings. 1 of 19 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What the investigation into the shooting of Dallas police officers looks like View Photos Investigators are searching for evidence after a sniper fatally shot five police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over recent fatal police shootings of two black men. Caption Investigators are searching for evidence after a sniper fatally shot five police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over recent fatal police shootings of two black men. July 10, 2016 An FBI evidence response team works at the scene where five Dallas police officers were killed Thursday during a peaceful protest over the videotaped shootings of black men by police. Gerald Herbert/AP Wait 1 second to continue. Enough. Then suddenly in Dallas, the peace was shattered when shots were fired from a high vantage point. A shiver. Not again. When it was all over, five officers were dead and seven others were wounded. A suspected shooter is dead, too, killed by a police bomb robot. Why not. An un-human kills the in-human. Before he died, the man told officers he was upset about Black Lives Matter. He wanted to kill white people, and white policemen, reported Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown at a news conference. In Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton (D) said he thinks that if Castile had been white, the officer wouldnt have shot him. A retired New York City police detective wept as he spoke to CNNs Chris Cuomo about the bravery of the Dallas officers who, carrying only pistols, were wearing protective vests they knew couldnt deflect the bullets of the shooters weapon. Imagine. Then, too, imagine being a young black man who is taught early on that he has to be extra-careful around the police. The worst will be expected of him. He shot his arm off, we hear Castiles girlfriend saying on the video. We see Castiles blood-soaked shirt; we hear him groan and watch his head drop. Black lives matter. White lives matter. Blue lives matter. Does anything matter anymore? What is happening to this country? A wall-mounted gun manufacturers video ad welcomes visitors to the Columbia, S.C., airport. In Chicago today, no one will be surprised if a child is killed in gang crossfire. Will another black avenger try to kill another white cop? Will police still give black neighborhoods protection? We are being hunted, said Castiles mother. Madness. For now we grieve with the families of the dead and talk of ways to stem the violence. But theres really only one way to stop the killing, and it lies in changing our culture, beginning with recognizing every single persons humanity the black youths, the white officers and every other in between. As Charles Blow, the New York Times columnist, put it: Everybody deserves to go home. Read more from Kathleen Parkers archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook. On the day of his arrival in 1968 as the U.S. ambassador to Bonn, West Germany, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. dropped a bombshell. Lodge said he believed everybody was entitled to one idiosyncrasy, and his was that at the end of the workday, all papers on his desk, including classified documents, should remain undisturbed until he returned the next morning. At the time, I was a State Department special agent assigned to Bonn as part of a three-person team of regional security officers providing personnel and physical security for the embassy, all U.S. consulates in West Germany and the U.S. Mission in West Berlin. We had good reason to be stunned. West Germany in the 1960s was near ground zero in the Cold War. Few European countries had been more penetrated by foreign spies. American diplomatic missions were key targets. Lodge, nonetheless, prevailed. FBI Director James Comey said on July 5 that Hillary Clinton should not be charged for her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. Here's what he said, in three minutes. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Superiors in our chain of command did not order the ambassador to follow security rules. The word from on high: Make do; dont let classified information fall into the wrong hands. And it didnt. Security processes were enhanced to accommodate Lodges work habits: juggled Marine security guard assignments, rigged physical security devices and a few sleepless nights, all to ensure that materials deemed sensitive from the standpoint of national security were not compromised. We were relieved to see Lodge go home in 1969. Which brings us to Hillary Clinton and the FBI investigation into her personal email system when she was secretary of state. By using her own, unclassified email servers to communicate and store highly sensitive government information as the FBI established Clinton, as with Lodge before her, placed personal interests above the obligation to properly protect classified information. The difference is that, unlike in Lodges case, no one tried to save Clinton and by extension, national security from herself. 1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Takeaways from Hillary Clintons e-mails View Photos Clinton has come under fire for using a private e-mail address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Caption Clinton has come under fire for using a private email address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Top-secret information in e-mails Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has previously stated that classified information never traveled across her private server. However, the State Department has acknowledged that "top secret" information was in seven email chains sent or received by her. Richard Drew/AP Wait 1 second to continue. To the contrary, Clinton had enablers. A May State Department inspector generals report on email records management and cybersecurity during Clintons tenure said: Two staff in [Clintons executive secretariat] reported . . . that, in late 2010, they each discussed their concerns about Secretary Clintons use of a personal email account in separate meetings with the [director of the executive secretariat]. According to [one] staff member, the Director stated that the Secretarys personal system had been reviewed and approved by Department legal staff and that the matter was not to be discussed any further, the report said. The Office of the Inspector General, it said, found no evidence that staff in the Office of the Legal Adviser reviewed or approved Secretary Clintons personal system. The OIG also reported that the other staff member who raised concerns said the director stated that the executive secretariats mission . . . is to support the Secretary and instructed the staff never to speak of the Secretarys personal email system again. Whats more, unlike with Lodge, classified information in Clintons custody could have been compromised. The FBI found that hostile actors (read: foreign sources) gained access to private email accounts of people with whom Clinton was in regular contact through her personal account, and that she used her personal email overseas in the territory of sophisticated adversaries (read: Russia and China). Its not far-fetched to think that her system may have been compromised. Robert M. Gates, former defense secretary and CIA director, said as much. Noting that the Pentagon has acknowledged getting hacked about 100,000 times a day, Gates assessed the odds as pretty high that the Russians, Chinese and Iranians had compromised Clintons server. Im in no position to second-guess the FBIs recommendation that, based upon the evidence, no criminal charges should be brought regarding Clintons handling of classified information. But as FBI Director James B. Comey stated at his news briefing, people who have engaged in similar activities have been subject to security and administrative sanctions. I know of such cases. A Foreign Service officer sat in my office in Bonn with tears in his eyes because he feared that discovery of the latest in his string of security violations, albeit none willful, might result in the loss of his top-secret clearance and continued diplomatic service. He feared correctly. Clinton and her colleagues, Comey said, were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. Now that the Justice Department has decided to turn the page on Clinton, the State Department said it will reopen an internal review of the handling of classified information and her email use. Spoiler alert: Some career employees will be reprimanded. Clinton and her inner circle, however, face no serious consequences, as they are no longer federal employees until, perhaps, Inauguration Day 2017. Donald Trump as an alternative is unthinkable. My expressed view that Trump is a dishonest, egotistical, vulgar, mean-spirited bully who resorts to foul religious and racial scapegoating and insults to cover his own insecurities is irrevocable. But that doesnt mean Clintons disregard for proper security isnt deplorable. She set a dreadful example for the national security community she seeks to lead. Can she learn from this? We live in hope. What else have we got? Read more from Colbert Kings archive. People comfort each other outside the Minnesota governor's residence during a demonstration in St. Paul, on July 7, following the shooting death of Philando Castile. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) AFTER A week like the past one, its easy to let despair seep in. Seeing two much-loved men die, needlessly, at the hands of police. Waking to the news that five much-loved police officers have died, needlessly, at the hands of a demented sniper. Dreading that what comes next will be grieving, followed by finger-pointing followed by stale, fruitless debates on guns and race and mental health its easy to feel weary. Especially with nerves on edge in an ugly political season, its easy to think: If we cant come together on questions of basic humanity, on the sanctity of innocent life, what hope is there for the country? Which makes this a good time, maybe, to remind ourselves of how much we do agree on. Most Americans respect police officers for the sacrifices they make and the hard and dangerous work they do. Most of us recognize that the vast majority of officers do good, conscientious policing every day. Most of us believe that black lives matter, and to say so is not to imply that any other lives matter less but to recognize the reality that American history has been a long struggle, still unfinished, to ensure that other lives will not matter more. Most Black Lives Matter protesters do not hate the police, but want the police to protect everyone fairly, including those in African American neighborhoods. Most Americans understand that, too. Most Americans would like to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those rendered dangerous by mental illness. Americans disagree on how feasible this is. But most of us who favor stricter gun controls, feverish rhetoric notwithstanding, do not really believe that our opponents want terrorists to have guns. Similarly, most Americans who oppose what they see as infringements on their Second Amendment rights do not really believe that most gun control proponents want to disarm them so that a dictator can take power. There is still a lot of common sense in the country, in other words. How to turn that into smart policy isnt easy, despite our love of the phrase common-sense solutions. Its common sense to keep guns away from the mentally ill, but not so simple to do so while protecting the rights of people with mental illness. Its common sense to have all police officers wear body cameras while on duty, but crafting rules and procedures that respect both public access and the privacy of citizens who come into contact with police isnt simple at all. We should be grateful that our police chiefs and politicians are wrestling with these questions, even if the tone of debate and pace of progress arent what we would want. And there is progress. Last week, while most of us were looking elsewhere, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of and this is not a typographical error 422 to 2 a bill that would improve mental-health care in the nation. Its a measure for which Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) has been painstakingly building support for years. And it would make a difference. It wont solve any problem definitively. It surely wont ease the horror of a police officer assassinated just two weeks after his marriage. It wont bring back a cafeteria worker who took the time to learn every kids name, and their allergies. But it is a reminder that despair isnt the only response available. Michele Flournoy is chief executive and founder of the Center for a New American Security. Ilan Goldenberg directs the centers Middle East security program. There are two theaters in the conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and they are not defined by international borders. The first is ISIS-stan in western Iraq and eastern Syria. Here the U.S.-led coalition is making progress and has rolled back significant portions of the territory held by the terrorist group. But the gains have come from predominantly Kurdish and Shiite forces, and there are limits to how far these groups can advance into Sunni heartland areas and be accepted by local populations. Rolling back the Islamic State is not enough to sustain these gains, we must focus on the security forces and governance mechanisms that will replace them. The second theater lies farther west, where Syria is embroiled in a horrendous civil war. The United States has assumed that this problem is not as important and has heretofore avoided involvement except for pursuing diplomatic negotiations. Thats a mistake. In Syria and Iraq, the challenge of countering the Islamic State is bound up in the broader civil wars that have created governance and security vacuums and allowed the group to thrive. These vacuums are the disease; the Islamic State is the most serious of many problematic symptoms. We propose a strategy that applies a consistent, long-term approach to Iraq and Syria, based on four interlocking efforts. First, the United States should increase its support to those local armed groups that are acceptable to U.S. interests, whether they are fighting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad or the Islamic State. There is no central authority in Syria or Iraq that can seize, hold and govern all of the territories held by the Islamic State or the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. Supporting more moderate local forces is the only way to secure these areas. When we have used this approach in the past, it has brought success, from the Sunni Awakening during the surge in Iraq to recent advances by Kurdish and Sunni forces in northeast Syria. The groups we work with must be acceptable to local populations, which means supporting different groups in different areas, building security from the bottom up. In providing support to these groups, the United States must take steps to ensure that any weapons we provide them do not fall into the wrong hands. Second, we must increase our overall military support. This should include expanding strikes and raids to take out Islamic State leaders and gain intelligence that stops terrorist attacks outside Islamic State territory. We should embed more U.S. combat advisers with local partners and provide our partners with support enabling them to do more, such as greater direct U.S. and coalition support from the air while they conduct attacks on the ground and air transport to move people and equipment quickly on the battlefield. We should also explore whether there are viable limited military options using missiles and other long-range weapons from greater distances that will deter the Assad regime and its Russian patrons from bombing civilians and moderate opposition groups without leading to a major military escalation. Importantly, U.S. troops should not seize and hold territory or engage in large-scale ground combat operations. That must be done by local forces. Third, we must do more to get important external actors on board. In the near term, the greater U.S. commitment we propose will appeal to key partners, especially Turkey and Saudi Arabia; we can use an increased commitment as leverage to get better cooperation on whom they arm and how we can together control the borders. Over time, this increased U.S. investment should also expand our leverage with Russia and Iran. They will not surrender their core interests, but greater U.S. involvement should open more space for a negotiated outcome. Finally, we should focus on governance and politics by providing support to local municipal structures that can provide services and outgovern the extremists. And in time, as more acceptable groups gain influence and territory and as external actors become more pliable, the international community may be able to bring these conflicts to an end through negotiated outcomes that are based on keeping Syria and Iraq whole, but with highly decentralized governance models. At this point, there are no good or easy options, only better and worse ones. To reduce and, eventually, eliminate the ability of the Islamic State to carry out attacks against the United States and its allies, the U.S.-led coalition will have to destroy the proto-state in Iraq and Syria and something too often overlooked ensure that it is replaced with an acceptable and sustainable alternative. We believe our approach can be executed at a cost commensurate with our national interests and, most important, can keep the American people safe. SADDAM HUSSEIN was not so good at killing terrorists, as Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed. On the contrary, he was one of the contemporary worlds foremost sponsors of terrorism. He harbored or funded some of historys most infamous killers and jihadists, including the current chief of al-Qaeda, and plotted numerous terrorist attacks of his own, including an attempt to assassinate former president George H.W. Bush with a suicide bomb. Long before the U.S. invasion of 2003, his regime was formally identified by the State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism. That Mr. Trump would insistently assert the opposite serves to underline not only his profound and disqualifying ignorance of foreign affairs, but also his creepy and dangerous affinity for dictators. The Iraqi despot was not, as some in the Bush administration suggested before the invasion, complicit in the al-Qaeda attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But multiple independent and bipartisan reports before and after the war have established beyond any doubt that Hussein was deeply enmeshed with terrorist activity from the time he took power in the late 1970s until the eve of his last war. Among the thugs he hosted in Baghdad were the Palestinian terrorists Sabri Banna , or Abu Nidal, and Muhammad Zaidan (Abu Abbas); the latter was the leader of one of the most notorious terrorist attacks in history, the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro and murder of American Leon Klinghoffer. The conspirator who mixed the chemicals for the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, in 1993, Abdul Yasin, found harbor in Baghdad, where he was paid a monthly stipend. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaeda in Iraq, spent most of 2002 in the Iraqi capital and received medical treatment there. According to captured Iraqi documents, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of al-Qaeda, was funded by Iraq beginning in the late 1970s, when he led an Egyptian terrorist group. And the 9/11 Commission, among others, reported that Iraqi officials met numerous times with al-Qaeda and may have offered Osama bin Laden haven in 1999. Hussein eventually murdered Abu Nidal after a falling out in 2002. That may have been the only terrorist he dispatched. Mostly the despot directed his killing power against innocent civilians. Tens of thousands died in his 1986-1988 campaign against the Kurdish population of northern Iraq, including an assault with mustard gas and nerve agents on the Kurdish town of Halabja. Tens of thousands more were slaughtered by his Republican Guard in southern Iraq in 1991 and buried in mass graves. A library of reports and books chronicles the regimes barbaric repression of internal dissent, which included the systematic torture and killing of children. Mr. Trumps ignorance or denial of all this is disgusting but no longer surprising. So its disturbing to see some Republican leaders excuse or sidestep his lies. On Thursday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) claimed that Trump had been taken out of context and was really speaking about getting tough on terrorism. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), one of the strongest supporters of the Iraq invasion, and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), an Iraq War veteran, refused to comment. For Mr. Trump, that amounts to validation; for the Republican Party, its more disgrace. Jason Greenblatt is an executive with the Trump Organization and an adviser on Israel to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. While most Americans were barbecuing, relaxing with family and friends, and celebrating our nations 240th birthday over the holiday weekend, much of the news media was erupting not with fireworks but with an even more combustible pastime: character assassination over a six-pointed star that appeared as one image in a tweeted meme. Knowing Donald Trump as well as I do, and knowing his utter lack of the slightest ill will toward Jews, it is not the least bit surprising to me that he would not have seen any connection between the meme and any kind of anti-Jewish sentiment. 1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Memorable moments on the campaign trail with Donald Trump View Photos The GOP presidential candidates campaign has been far from ordinary. Here are some of the more memorable moments. Caption The GOP presidential candidates campaign has been far from ordinary. Here are some of the more memorable moments. Look at those hands Look at those hands, are they small hands?Trump said at a debate in Detroit hosted by Fox News Channel. And, he referred to my hands If theyre small, something else must be small. I guarantee you theres no problem. I guarantee. Read the story Rebecca Cook/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. The clearest refutation of the claim of anti-Semitism, or the claim that Mr. Trump is someone who encourages, condones or panders to anti-Semitic behavior, is his lifelong embrace of the Jewish people and his record of staunch support for Jewish causes and Israel. I should know. I am an observant Jew and have had the privilege of working for Mr. Trump for nearly two decades. Another chief executive might not have hired a junior attorney who must leave early every Friday afternoon in the fall and the winter to make it home in time to observe Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. Others might not have tolerated a lawyer of theirs being completely unavailable for 25 hours per week during the Sabbath. Many bosses might have promoted others over me for missing as many as six weekdays (during which I am also completely unavailable) in the fall season to observe Jewish holidays that occur just as everyone else is getting back to work after a slower summer season. As my responsibilities grew over the years, that could have given him even more reason to turn to others instead of me. But Mr. Trump hasnt merely tolerated my religious observance; he has encouraged it. He understands that my faith is a blessing, an important part of who I am, and he values me more for it. Today, I am the Trump Organizations chief legal officer and executive vice president, so I can say the following its a truth that Ive spent nearly 20 years experiencing: Mr. Trump respects my Judaism. He appreciates my unique, religiously demanding lifestyle, and he makes sure I feel it and am proud of it. I base this not on Twitter shapes or tongue-in-cheek comments, but on real-life experiences that have impacted me, my wife and our six children. His message has always been supportive and understanding as I have hurried out of the office for a Jewish holiday, in the midst of a major transaction, grinding negotiations to a complete halt for three full days. He has told me: Go home, go pray, and be with your family. . . . We will pick it up after the holiday. Those words represent who Mr. Trump is in his heart and in practice. 1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. And its not just me. I have seen Mr. Trump navigate issues of workplace diversity with tremendous sensitivity not because he has to but because that is who he is. I am blessed to live in a country that is built on the principle that all people are created equal and should be treated as such. I raise my family to understand that it is our obligation to fight hate, bigotry and persecution of all kinds. Donald Trump represents the same values. Sadly, hatred and bigotry continue to fester in our country. The vile tweets that Bethany Mandel, Dana Schwartz, Jonathan Weisman and other journalists have received are loathsome. I, too, have received hateful tweets and Facebook posts, but I must point out that some have been from the opposite end from Jews who have criticized me with tremendous ugliness. All of this venom being spewed with such ease through social media must stop. Blaming Mr. Trump will not solve this destructive problem. Let us work together to unify our country and to eliminate all forms of hatred and bigotry, in our nation and across the globe. Jason Greenblatt is an executive with the Trump Organization and an adviser on Israel to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. HARD TO believe, but a court in Perm, a Russian city near the Ural Mountains, recently convicted Vladimir Luzgin, 37, and fined him 200,000 rubles, or about $3,100, for posting a simple and true historical fact. Mr. Luzgin wrote on Vkontakte, a Russian social media platform like Facebook, that the Soviet Union collaborated with Nazi Germany to invade Poland in September 1939. He was prosecuted under a law signed by President Vladimir Putin in May 2014 against rehabilitation of Nazism, a law that declared its intent was to oppose glorification of Nazism but that human rights activists say was intended to discourage historical debate. The Soviet Union long tried to hide the secret protocols to the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, which divided up Poland and the Baltic states between Germany and the Soviet Union. Moscow admitted the protocols were genuine only in Mikhail Gorbachevs glasnost years. More recently, a motif of Mr. Putins rule has been to buff Stalins legacy and fuzz up his collaboration with Hitler. Last year, Mr. Putin openly defended the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, saying it was necessary for the times; culture minister Vladimir Medinsky called it a colossal achievement of Stalins diplomacy. Mr. Luzgins posting might have gone unnoticed but for the desire of the Russian authorities to make an example of him. As Professor Mark Galeotti of New York University wrote recently, Mr. Putin has not reinstated mass repressions like those of the Stalin era, but rather relied on a relative handful of well-publicized spectacles of brutish state persecution. This makes everyone wary all the time, Mr. Galeotti wrote, carrying a little censor, a micro-Putin around with them. For those not carrying a micro-Putin, the Kremlin has other means. On July 7, Mr. Putin signed a law requiring telecom operators to store recordings of customer phone calls and text messages for six months for perusal by the security services, and messaging services such as Facebook and Telegram to provide encryption keys to the authorities on demand. In todays Russia, Big Brother is watching, again. In China, which blocks sites such as Facebook and Twitter that are outside its Great Firewall, social media inside the country had, at first, confounded the authorities. Disasters such as the Wenzhou train wreck in 2011 were robustly reported by witnesses, whose posts often defied government censors. But in the past year or so, the screws have tightened. The Cyberspace Administration of China, a powerful censorship agency, took yet another step July 3 when it issued new rules to punish websites that publish unverified content, rumors, hearsay, conjecture and fake news. Unverified in this context means unapproved, and the real significance of the announcement is to warn websites that news is not whats trending, but what the Communist Party bosses say it is, period. Both Russia and China seek to tame the wild and free nature of the Internet, sharing a dangerous and illiberal vision that information should be a ward of the state. Seth Stoughton is a law professor at the University of South Carolina and a former police officer and investigator. Follow him on Twitter @PoliceLawProf. The vivid, horrifying videos of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling dying at the hands of police officers have brought new attention to fatal police shootings. The terrifying ambush that took the lives of five Dallas police officers and wounded seven others has brought new attention to attacks on the police. And so, I am afraid. Not of the violence itself. Even considering recent high-profile events and heightened attention to police shootings, violence both by and against police officers remains relatively rare and has been in decline for years. But I am afraid of the impact these events will have on the already-strained relationship between police and the communities they serve. Those effects are perhaps most visible in the significant tensions that exist between the Black Lives Matter movement and the Blue Lives Matter movement. Despite their very different perspectives, participants in both movements have essentially the same concern: a perception that society does not value members of their community. Attempts to discredit that perception or demonstrate that it is exaggerated or inaccurate have proved counterproductive. Perception becomes reality. Both communities feel embattled and victimized. Both are angry. The sad truth of the matter is that there are good reasons for both to feel the way they do. Meanwhile, the consequences of this mistrust are draining and pernicious. The safety of officers and civilians alike depends, in large part, on the strength of the relationship between the police and the public. Public distrust of the police can decrease cooperation with law enforcement, which can, in turn, lead to an increase in violent crime and resistance. Police distrust of the public, in turn, can lead to an increase in officer misconduct and the use of force, as well as the adoption of aggressive, zero tolerance tactics that further exacerbate the tension, perpetuating a downward spiral. Distrust can have even more immediate effects. In the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo., many people in the local community and across the country rejected the official version of events: that Brown was shot while aggressively moving toward an officer he had already assaulted. Instead, they believed that Brown was shot while surrendering, with his hands up. Why, in the face of two conflicting stories, didnt they credit the official version? The answer has very little to do with the shooting itself and everything to do with trust. The official story was rejected even after an extensive Justice Department investigation supported it because people did not trust the police. The fractured relationship between the local police and the community ultimately endangered hundreds of officers and thousands of civilians, resulting in millions of dollars of damage. This is nothing new. Half of the 10 most violent and destructive riots in U.S. history were responses to perceived police abuses. Further, while policing in the United States is primarily a local affair, police-community relationships are not. Police shootings, especially in the age of the Internet and viral video, echo far beyond the communities where they take place. The death of Sterling in Louisiana and Castile in Minnesota, reinforcing the perception that law enforcement too often views black men as presumptively dangerous and black lives as cheap, gave rise to protests across the country. The same is true when officers are shot. The attack that took the lives of five Dallas officers will haunt police, buttressing the perception that they are besieged by a hostile populace. Im afraid that incidents such as those of the past several days will reinforce a view that violence is not only justified but appropriate. That such incidents will drive police and the communities they serve further apart, dampening any interest in reconciliation. But Im also optimistic. Even relationships that have been undermined by a long history of distrust and anger can be repaired. We have seen some remarkable progress in truly challenging situations, including police departments in Richmond, Calif., and Camden, N.J., just to name a few. We can learn from those successes, and from successes outside the United States. In Northern Ireland, for example, police and the Irish Republican Army were in a state approaching open warfare for years before establishing a tentative, then more lasting, relationship in the late 1990s. More recently, U.S. military personnel put community policing principles into practice with great effect in counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. If positive relationships can be established or repaired in those environments, surely we can do the same in the context of domestic policing. Surely we must. In this March 12, 2012, file photo, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checks her callphone after her address to the Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York. (Richard Drew/Associated Press) Hillary Clinton was given the awesome position of secretary of state with all the responsibilities the job entails, including knowing what information is critical to the security of the United States. Instead of making that responsibility her top priority, she chose to operate carelessly to meet her personal goals of privacy and secrecy in the conduct of U.S. business. Now we are left to hope that, should Ms. Clinton become president, her every thought, word and deed will not be carefully chosen to keep her legacy shiny, rather than to always do what is best for our country. Giles Crimi, Arlington WINONA, Minn. William Bill Green, 67, of Winona died Wednesday, July 6, 2016, at his home. Service followed by military honors will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, at Roy L. Vingers American Legion Post 52, of La Crosse, with visitation from 1 p.m. to service. Private burial will be in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis. A complete obituary will follow. Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Homes and Crematory, Woodruff Chapel, La Crosse, is in charge of arrangements. Hillary Clinton, the first lady at the time, stops to talk to reporters in January 1996 before testifying in front of a grand jury in the Whitewater investigation. (Susan Biddle/The Washington Post) Over the course of 16 hours, prosecutors and FBI agents agonized over whether to charge Hillary Clinton with a crime. In the end, after weighing every ounce of evidence, examining piles of documents and gaming out whether a jury would ever convict her, the group made its wrenching decision: no charges. Nearly 20 years before FBI Director James B. Comey declared that no reasonable prosecutor would bring a criminal case against Clinton over her use of a private email server while secretary of state, Clinton narrowly escaped a similar legal peril amid the Whitewater investigation that engulfed much of her husbands time as president. While history remembers the 1990s probe led by independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr for its pursuit of President Bill Clinton over the possibility he had lied under oath about his relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky, internal documents from the inquiry show how close prosecutors came to filing charges at that time against Hillary Clinton. They even drew up a draft indictment for Clinton, which has never been made public. [Office of Independent Counsel memos on Hillary Clinton] As in the email controversy of today, Clintons honesty was a central question facing investigators in 1998 as they weighed whether what they saw as shifting stories from Clinton amounted to an attempt to cover up misconduct. Like the events of today, Clinton was interviewed for hours by authorities. Unlike the email inquiry, in which Comey said Clintons status as a presidential candidate had no effect on the decision not to charge her, documents from the 1990s show how prosecutors weighed whether Clintons political popularity would make her more difficult to convict. Nannygate, Travelgate, Whitewater, Filegate: it's tough to remember all the scandals that plagued then-President Bill and Hillary Clinton through the '90s. For millennials --- here's what you missed. For everyone else, here's a refresher. (Sarah Parnass,Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) At issue then was legal work Clinton had performed in the 1980s while an attorney at Little Rocks Rose Law Firm on behalf of Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, which was owned by a business partner of the Clintons who was later convicted of fraud in connection with bad loans made by the thrift. Clinton said that her legal work was minimal and that she was unaware of the wrongdoing at Madison Guaranty. The episode serves as a reminder of how long Clinton has faced scrutiny about her ethics and judgment, dating even to her days in the East Wing. It helps explain why public questions about her trustworthiness have been so difficult for her to overcome, as well as why she and her supporters have long felt targeted by their political opponents. The records of prosecutors 1998 deliberations were obtained by The Washington Post from the National Archives through a Freedom of Information Act request. The Archives declined to release copies of the draft indictment to The Post, saying that access to the document is restricted. Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy group, has sued the Archives, seeking release of the indictment draft. The released records include a memo, written by Starrs team, summarizing the evidence against Clinton. The prosecutors noted that she made numerous sworn statements between January 1994 and February 1996 that they thought reflected and embodied materially inaccurate stories. The question, generally, is not whether the statements are inaccurate, but whether they are willfully so, the prosecutors continued. The records show the prosecutors had doubts about whether potential jurors would be swayed by a largely circumstantial case, particularly given Clintons stature as first lady. Prosecutor Paul Rosenzweig laid out the odds for various outcomes in a memo to colleagues. He predicted a 2 percent chance that a judge would toss the case, then continued: 18 percent = Acquittal; 70 percent = Hung Jury; 10 percent = Conviction. In this excerpt from a 1998 Office of the Independent Counsel memo, prosecutors outline the chance that they would get a conviction of Hillary vs. a hung jury or acquittal. (The Washington Post) Not enough in my view, he wrote. In an interview, Rosenzweig said he had reflected on that 18-year-old decision while listening to Comeys remarks last week. He said Comeys decision was very reminiscent of the challenge that faced the Office of Independent Counsel team. Rosenzweig said he had concluded in 1998 that seating a jury untainted by political bias was going to be so difficult as to make the chances for a conviction too low to proceed ethically with the case. This case was, for me, decided on factors external to guilt or innocence, he said. I think this case would have had a great chance of a sustained conviction if presented to 12 random people, about someone other than Mrs. Clinton. But thats an impossible hypothetical. A spokesman for Clinton, Brian Fallon, played down parallels between how prosecutors handled the present-day email inquiry and the Starr-led investigation in the 1990s. Then, as now, investigators were facing heavy outside pressure to generate a politically motivated prosecution, Fallon said. The difference is, in the case of the secretarys emails, the Justice Department has resisted those partisan pressures, with career officials unanimously recommending that no case be brought. In the Whitewater investigation, which was not headed by career officials, the political forces exerted sufficient pressure to produce a bogus draft indictment until, that is, the independent counsels office was forced to relent in the face of the facts and consign that draft document to the dustbin of history. The drama of the 1998 decision was laid out in the 2010 book The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr, a definitive account of the Clinton impeachment saga by law professor Ken Gormley, who interviewed nearly all of the key players. Hillary Clinton did not speak with him. Gormley wrote that prosecutors and FBI agents met to consider the matter at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 27, 1998, in a session that lasted until nearly midnight. The prosecutor who had led a four-year investigation of Hillary Clintons activities with the Rose Law Firm spent hours laying out for his colleagues the case that she had had more involvement in work that had facilitated illicit activity for Madison Guaranty and a troubled real estate project called Castle Grande than she had acknowledged. The eyes of the news media are on Hillary Clinton as she arrives to testify before the Whitewater grand jury in 1996. (James M. Thresher/The Washington Post) Prosecutors discussed one of the more dramatic moments of the Whitewater era: the unexpected discovery of billing records from Clintons time as an attorney in a storage room on the third floor of the White House residence . The records had been missing for two years, and White House aides had said they could not be located, even after an exhaustive search, in response to a subpoena. The records had been found in 1996 by Hillary Clintons executive assistant, on a table in a room adjacent to Clintons office. Clinton had told Barbara Walters in a televised interview that she was glad the records had surfaced, and she chalked their disappearance up to a White House crammed with millions of pages of disorganized documents. You know, a month ago, people were jumping up and down because the billing records were lost and they thought somebody might have destroyed them. Now the records are found, and theyre jumping up and down, Clinton said. Starrs team suspected that Clinton might have orchestrated the mysterious reappearance of the documents. There is a circumstantial case that the records were left on the table by Hillary Clinton, the prosecutors wrote. The memo described how the lawyers had interviewed everyone else with access to the room where the records were found, then concluded: She is the only individual in the White House who had a significant interest in them. Later in 1998, Starr told Congress that the discovery of the billing records was a mystery that his investigators had been unable to solve. In her 2003 memoir Living History, Clinton rejected the allegation that she had tried to hide the records. She wrote that she thought the documents had been lost until her assistant found them. I certainly had no reason to conceal them and regretted that they had not been found earlier, Clinton wrote. Starrs team also considered how Clinton probably would have had numerous advantages if a trial took place, as expected, in Arkansas or Washington, where jurors were likely to be supportive of the first lady. Ultimately, instead of charging Hillary Clinton, the prosecutors decided to focus their energies on the Lewinsky issue. Gormley, who is now president of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, said his exhaustive review of the case led him to believe there was not a compelling case to indict Hillary Clinton. He said the April 1998 meeting occurred at a time when the investigation was otherwise stymied and that prosecutors, eager to make a case, considered the Hillary Clinton indictment as one of several strategies to potentially push it forward. I got the sense that Starr prosecutors, generally, recognized there wasnt sufficient evidence, he said. Rosenzweig, who is now a principal at a homeland security consulting company, said he continued to believe the group made the right decision not to seek an indictment. Still, he said he could remember leaving the all-day meeting drained, disappointed, dismayed that such a meticulous and lengthy part of the investigation had come to nothing. An excerpt from a 1998 Office of the Independent Counsel memo showing some of the evidence investigators had gathered against Clinton, as well as the considerations that went into a decision not to file criminal charges against her. (The Washington Post) Today, many Republicans are expressing similar frustrations about the FBIs inquiry into Clintons email practices. Comey has said he concluded that Clinton had been extremely careless in her handling of classified material but that there was no evidence she had broken the law by intentionally mishandling it. He insisted that her status as a famous former secretary of state, senator and first lady played no role in the decision. [FBI recommends no criminal charges in Clinton email probe] That differs from the Starr prosecutors, who specifically weighed how her celebrity and political popularity might affect the jury in a criminal trial, Rosenzweig said. He said he does not think that Clinton personally has been afforded special treatment, now or in the 1990s a charge often leveled by Republicans. But he said he thinks her case illustrates the way elites are generally treated differently in the justice system. Our justice system is great but it is imperfect, he said. In an interview, Gormley said Comeys decision reminded him of a different episode in the Whitewater saga: the moment in 1992, not long before the presidential election, when Arkansas-based U.S. Attorney Charles Banks refused to reopen an Arkansas investigation that might implicate the Clintons. Banks told Gormley he had faced pressure from officials at a federal agency to do so but he refused, thinking the evidence did not warrant a probe, even though he would have benefited from the reelection of President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. Banks was very sensitive to the fact that if he were to get involved in this case again, with the presidential election looming so close, that would undermine the trust of the American public in our system of justice, Gormley said of Banks. Comey reminded me of that unsung hero. After a crushing week of attacks, protests and anger, President Obama touched on the values that unite Americans before diving headlong into the debate over guns, one of the most divisive issues of his presidency. The president, speaking on Saturday at the NATO summit here, suggested that the licensed gun in the car of Philando Castile, who was shot by police in Minnesota during a routine traffic stop, had contributed to the tragedy there. Castile died as his girlfriend live-streamed video of him bleeding to death while an armed police officer stood a few feet away. We dont know what happened, but we do know that there was a gun in the car that apparently was licensed, but it caused in some fashion those tragic events, Obama said of Castiles shooting. [The NRAs internal revolt over Philando Castile] Castiles death and the killing of Alton Sterling by police in Baton Rouge set off waves of protests across the United States last week. At one of those marches in Dallas, a gunman killed five police officers who were providing security at the march. This has been a tough week, first and foremost for the families of those who have been killed, but also for the entire American family, Obama said at a news conference here. Obama had been scheduled to return to Washington on Monday after two days in Spain, but he decided to curtail his trip and come back Sunday night after a meeting with that countrys interim prime minister and a visit with U.S. military personnel. He is expected to visit Dallas early next week. Obama emphasized in his remarks to reporters that the United States is not as divided as some have suggested, and he noted that Americans of all races and backgrounds were outraged by the attacks on police. On the gun issue, he said the polarization in the country pitted a very intense minority against the majority of Americans who actually think we could be doing better when it comes to gun safety. The president described the prevalence of guns in some poor neighborhoods as a contributing factor to the broader tensions between police and the people they are supposed to protect. He cited the deadly protest in Dallas on Thursday as an example. [Graphic: How the Dallas attack unfolded] Obama said some of the protesters in Dallas, a large city in a state where people can openly carry weapons with a license, were armed during the march. Imagine if you are a police officer and you are trying to sort out who is shooting at you and there are a bunch of people who have got guns on them, he added. He vowed to continue talking about the need for gun reforms, even in the aftermath of the tragedies. We cant just ignore that and pretend thats somehow political or the president is pushing his policy agenda, Obama said. It is a contributing factor. Not the sole factor, but a contributing factor to the broader tensions that arise between police and the communities that they serve. And so we have to talk about that. Although Dallas and violence at home became the public focus of Obamas trip to Warsaw, the president said Saturday that NATO leaders had taken important steps to address security far beyond U.S. borders, with deployments to Eastern Europe to defend against Russia and to the Mediterranean to handle migrant flows, as well as an extension of the Afghanistan mission to bolster shaky security there. [NATO will expand security patrols in Mediterranean in response to ISIS threat] Were moving forward with the most significant reinforcement of our collective defense any time since the Cold War, Obama said. At the NATO summit, Obama announced plans for a U.S.-led battalion of about 1,000 troops that will deploy to Poland. Three other battalions will be sent to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As he heads toward his final months in office, Obama acknowledged a wide range of challenges to global security that will extend far into the future. The Islamic States territorial losses in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks could spur the group to launch global terrorist attacks, he said. Obama praised the post-World War II legacy of NATO and other global institutions that have prevented wars between states and set off a period of unprecedented prosperity. He suggested that Britains decision to split from the European Union could hurt the global economy and said he was counseling Britain and the E.U. to split in a way that would cushion the economic blow. Speaking of the legacy of global institutions such as the E.U., NATO and the United Nations, he said, We should be proud of that and preserve it. But, he said, threats such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which do not obey territorial bounds, could not be definitively defeated in traditional ways. Such groups guarantee that the United States will be waging at least low-level combat for years, possibly decades. Because groups like the Islamic State are non-state actors, its very hard for us ever to get the satisfaction of MacArthur and the emperor meeting and a war being officially over, Obama said, referring to the U.S. general and Japanese leader at the end of World War II. Hillary Clinton, in moves aimed at securing an endorsement from Bernie Sanders, on Saturday highlighted her support for a public option in health insurance and proposed additional funding for community-based centers championed by her rival for the Democratic nomination. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, said in a statement that she would affirm her support for allowing states to offer government-run health plans as part of the Affordable Care Act. And she said she would support allowing people 55 and older to buy into Medicare, which is available to people 65 and older. Those steps fall well short of the single-payer, Medicare for all program at the centerpiece of Sanderss presidential campaign. But on a call with reporters Saturday, Sanders praised Clinton for an important step forward toward universal health care. [Clinton is expected to pick up Sanderss endorsement next week in New Hampshire] Clintons statement also included support for expanding funding by $40 billion over the next decade for primary-care services at community-based centers that serve largely rural areas, a long-standing priority for Sanders, a senator from Vermont. Together these steps will get us closer to the day when everyone in this country has access to quality, affordable health care, Sanders told reporters. He stopped short of confirming his widely reported plans to endorse Clinton at an event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, saying only that well have more to say in the very near future. Clintons updated health-care proposal was the second last week that incorporated elements of Sanderss agenda. On Wednesday, she announced her support for providing free tuition at public colleges and universities to families earning up to $125,000 a year a major nod to a free-tuition-for-all campaign proposal Sanders pushed that was wildly popular among younger voters. [Clinton takes big step toward easing tensions with Sanders] Sanders was also moving aggressively this weekend with mixed results to exert additional influence on the platform of the Democratic National Committee at a meeting in Orlando. His allies on the platform committee were seeking amendments to move the partys position leftward on issues including trade and fracking. On Friday night, the platform committee adopted language calling for a $15 minimum wage at the federal level, a Sanders priority on the campaign trail. The amendment strengthened a provision already in the partys draft document that endorsed efforts of states such as New York and California to adopt the higher threshold. But two Sanders-backed amendments on Social Security policy got speedy rejections. One would have eliminated the cap on Social Security taxes; another would have created a new cost-of-living index for Social Security benefits to replace the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. 1 of 46 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The former secretary of state clinched the number of delegates needed to be the Democratic presidential nominee. Caption The former secretary of state, senator and first lady is the Democratic nominee for president. July 31, 2016 Hillary Clinton is seen aboard the campaign bus in Cleveland on the third day of a bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. On Saturday morning, Sanders was dealt an even tougher blow when the platform committee rejected two amendments to put the party on record against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pending trade agreement among the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations that is opposed by most Democrats and labor unions but supported by President Obama. Labor leaders who supported Clinton had tried to mollify Sanders supporters with an amendment in opposition to trade agreements that do not support good American jobs, raise wages, and improve our national security. What they saw as language that subtly attacked the TPP, Sanderss allies saw as empty rhetoric that would allow presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to seize the fair-trade mantle in November. The majority of Democrats, like the majority of Americans, are against the TPP, said Benjamin Jealous, the former president of the NAACP who introduced Sanderss amendment on the trade deal. Hillary is against the TPP. Bernie is against the TPP. Lets not be bureaucrats lets be leaders. Democrats opted against that. Just 74 members of the 187-member platform committee backed Jealouss amendment, and only 71 backed an amendment to oppose a vote on the trade deal this year, which sponsor Jim Hightower called political Viagra for Democrats. A simple majority was needed to pass the amendments. After the TPP votes, Warren Gunnels, Sanderss policy director, issued a statement: We will continue fighting to protect American jobs and to ensure Congress does not pass this disastrous trade agreement. The result stoked worry about Sanderss other priorities, including the Medicare-for-all health-care plank and a national ban on fracking, a controversial procedure for extracting natural gas. They refuse to take a stance on TPP because they wont oppose fracking, said Anthony Rogers-Wright, a Florida environmental activist. If we want to avert the worst cases of climate change, we have to have more localized economies. Free-trade agreements are anathema to localized economies. The Sanders and Clinton camps spent long portions of the day in secluded conversations, trying to avert a floor fight on climate. They succeeded, boiling down the demands of both camps into amendment arguing that carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases should be priced to reflect their negative externalities and calling for wind, solar and other renewable energy over the development of new natural gas power plants. Josh Fox, the director of the Gasland series of documentaries, took the floor shortly after 9 p.m. to declare victory. His favored change a call for an outright ban on fracking had not survived. But the party had codified criticism of the natural gas industry for the first time, and done so unanimously. In a tweet, he conceded defeat on the fracking ban but argued that we won something huge a victory for renewable energy over fracking power plants. Gunnels said in statement: As a result of this plan natural gas is no longer regarded as a bridge to the future. The future of Americas energy system now clearly belongs to sun and wind power. Though Clinton effectively clinched the Democratic nomination a month ago, Sanders has been slow to offer full-throated support of her general election bid against Trump. Instead, Sanders has sought to extract concessions on policy issues central to his campaign. In Clintons statement Saturday, her campaign went to some lengths to suggest that her positions on health care were not new. It noted, for example, that she supported a public option during her failed 2008 presidential campaign. During debate over the Affordable Care Act the following year, Congress considered including a government-run plan to compete with private insurers nationwide, but that was ultimately dropped. During the early stages of her 2016 campaign, Clinton emphasized numerous steps to build upon Obamas landmark health-care law. She later revived her support for a public option, adding a provision to the health-care proposal on her website, saying she would work with interested governors to offer their constituents an opportunity to buy into a government-run program under current flexibility provided by the Affordable Care Act. On Saturday, Clintons campaign also noted she had supported allowing people younger than 65 to buy into Medicare in 2001, when she was a senator from New York. In her statement, Clinton recounted other initiatives she has put forward during her current campaign, adding: We have more work to do to finish our long fight to provide universal, quality, affordable health care to everyone in America. The health-care announcement came as Sanderss allies in Orlando faced growing pessimism about their odds of making further platform changes. Many gave DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz a thumbs-down when she took the stage for a short speech. I could not be more proud of the fact that this platform is poised to be the most progressive, ambitious and inclusive platform in the Democratic Partys history, Wasserman Schultz said. Some Sanders supporters scoffed at that. Others worried, however, that Clinton would simply ignore the left after winning the election, no matter what she was forced to agree to in Orlando or Philadelphia, where the partys convention will take place. Its hard to trust her words, said Cornel West, the academic and Sanders supporter who had opposed the original draft platform but lobbied for the TPP amendments. Will she really follow through? Shes against it, shes for it, shes for it, shes against it. I think theres been an openness on her side to this, but integrity has to do with execution. You can have the most beautiful words on paper, but its just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals if you dont execute it on the ground. Weigel reported from Orlando. For nearly two years since the eruption of racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo., President Obama has tried to strike a careful balance between support for police officers and greater scrutiny of the policing tactics used against members of minority groups. But with angry protests spreading across the country over viral videos of police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota, Obama chose this week to make a forceful statement about the serious problem of racial bias among law enforcement. All Americans should be troubled by these shootings, Obama declared late Thursday, because they are not isolated incidents. He praised officers for their service, but he also cited statistics showing that blacks and Hispanics are arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than whites. This, Obama said, is why emotions are so raw. Then, within hours, an African American former soldier fired on officers in Dallas during what began as a peaceful protest march over police brutality, killing five officers and injuring seven others. It was the single deadliest day for law enforcement in the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. At least five Dallas police officers were killed and seven wounded July 7, after a peaceful protest over recent police shootings. Here's what we know so far. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) The horrific episode prompted Obama, attending a NATO summit here, to condemn the vicious, calculated, despicable act in Dallas and reiterate that police have an extraordinarily difficult job. Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices they make for us, he said. It was also a reminder of the tenuous path the first black U.S. president has pursued as he seeks to calm racial tensions and mend relations between police and the communities they serve. His approach has been criticized on both sides. Some civil rights advocates have complained that the president waited too long at times to weigh in on disputed police shootings and to give voice to the long-standing pain and mistrust of police in many black communities. Meanwhile, some law enforcement officials have accused Obama of unfairly blaming the police and making their dangerous jobs even riskier. Last year, the administration banned the federal transfers of certain types of military-style assault gear to local police departments in the wake of the protests in Ferguson, where an unarmed black teenager was fatally shot by a white officer in 2014. From our view, whats going on today, this summer, all this year it really is a war on cops, said William Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, which represents 241,000 officers. Mr. Obama is proving, and his administration is proving, to be the Neville Chamberlain of this war. They are appeasing those who hate the police and those who threaten violence. White House aides rebutted such criticism, emphasizing the praise Obama has lavished on the vast majority of officers who put their lives on the line to protect us and pointing out his acknowledgment of the counsel he has sought from police. Obama established a federal task force in December 2014 to recommend policy options on 21st century policing. The panel was led by Charles H. Ramsey, a former police chief in Philadelphia and Washington. Patrick Zamarripa, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith and Michael Krol of the Dallas Police Department and Brent Thompson of Dallas Area Rapid Transit are the five victims who were killed in Thursday's shooting in Dallas. Seven others were wounded. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post) But Obama acknowledged the backlash during his remarks Thursday in Warsaw after Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., both of whom were black, were killed this week by white officers. I get letters well-meaning letters sometimes from law enforcement saying, How come were under attack? How come not as much emphasis is made when police officers are shot? the president said. Referring to the Black Lives Matter movement, which was founded in the aftermath of the Ferguson shooting, he added that supporting that effort doesnt mean blue lives dont matter; all lives matter. But right now, the big concern is the fact that the data shows black folks are more vulnerable to these kinds of incidents. . . . And we should care about that. We cant dismiss it. Obamas response was an attempt to contain and channel the national outrage over the deaths of Sterling and Castile. As cable news channels carried blanket coverage Thursday of the Baton Rouge and Minnesota shootings, the president did not wait for Air Force One to land in Warsaw to post an initial response on his official Facebook page. Less than an hour after landing, he spoke on camera to reporters. In the past, Obama has frustrated civil rights leaders by taking longer to react, cautioning that he must wait until local and federal investigations have been completed. Some of the presidents allies attribute his reticence to an incident just months into his first term, when he criticized the Cambridge, Mass., police department for a white officers alleged mistreatment of Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Amid fierce criticism from Republicans and law enforcement leaders, Obama later said he regretted his words and invited Gates and the officer to the White House to mend the hard feelings over beers. In the aftermath of the Ferguson shooting in August 2014, skirmishes erupted between local residents and police while Obama was vacationing on Marthas Vineyard. He resisted calls to visit the city, dispatching instead then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Since then, Obama has tried to balance his critique of the police by tempering expectations of black activists. During remarks at Howard Universitys commencement in May, Obama alluded to the Black Lives Matter movement and cautioned that you have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. . . . Change requires more than righteous anger. On Friday, Obama spoke by phone with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and offered full federal assistance to the investigation into the attack on officers. He added that the FBI has been in touch with local officials. But that was not enough for some critics. The Fraternal Order of Police called on the Justice Department to open a federal investigation into the Dallas shootings as a hate crime. The department is always quick to insert itself into local investigations, sometimes before the preliminary reports are in, Chuck Canterbury, the organizations president, said in a statement. Today we expect action just as swift. In Poland, making his first remarks on the shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, Obama had called for a different kind of response to the tragedies. I hope we dont fall into the typical patterns that occur after these kinds of incidents occur, where right away theres a lot of political rhetoric and it starts dividing people instead of bringing folks together, he said. By Friday evening, White House officials, amid all of the discordant voices, pointed to some positive signs, praising Republican House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) for his measured response and focus on the values that unite Americans. The challenge for Obama will be nurturing and sustaining that spirit in an already venomous election season. Nakamura reported from Washington. The fight against Boko Haram is escalating, with troops from Niger and Chad crossing into northeastern Nigeria to fight the insurgency in a further sign that what began as a Nigerian problem has grown into a volatile regional one. The troops began their push Sunday, a day after a series of suicide bombings in northeastern Nigeria killed as many as 100 civilians, and weeks before the countrys presidential election, which many worry could turn violent. Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a local insurgency, but it has increasingly become a regional threat, articulating wider ambitions. On Saturday, it declared its allegiance to the Islamic State fighters who have seized swaths of Iraq and Syria. Experts, however, described that pledge as little more than a rhetorical flourish. The Nigerian fighters expansion across borders in recent months has been a wake-up call for Washington and for countries in the region, which had watched for years as a domestic military campaign failed to stamp out the group. Even as Boko Harams fiefdom within Africas wealthiest country grew to the size of Belgium, the Nigerian troops sent to fight it were poorly armed and sporadically paid. Now, the militants bold attacks outside Nigeria have prompted a growing regional counterinsurgency effort that could finally weaken the Islamist radicals. In recent months, the Nigerian fighters raided a Cameroonian military base and kidnapped the wife of the vice prime minister. They recruited herdsmen and farmers in Niger. They obstructed key trade routes in Chad, whose president, Idriss Deby, deemed the group a permanent threat. Those countries initially began fighting Boko Haram on their own soil. But the operation by Niger and Chad signaled a new stage in the war as well as implicit Nigerian acknowledgment that it was time to permit a foreign offensive. Residents in Niger told the Associated Press they had watched at least 200 trucks full of troops from the two countries cross the border into Nigeria and had then heard large explosions. They are bandits and criminals who have nothing to do with religion, Chadian Brig. Gen. Zakaria Ngobongue told reporters Monday in NDjamena, the capital, after confirming his countrys role in the military campaign. Chad has conducted operations in Nigeria before, but not in conjunction with Niger. U.S. training and arms Some of the troops now embroiled in the fight against Boko Haram have received training and arms from the United States, which sees the group as a terrorism threat. But unlike Somalias al-Shabab, Boko Haram has little history of attacking Western targets, even though its name roughly translates to Western education is sinful. In spite of its incendiary rhetoric, the groups goals are often hard to discern. Even the size of the organization remains a mystery, with estimates ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 militants, although experts say the low-end estimate is probably more accurate. Nigerian officials say the fighters have retreated into a series of caves, emerging to conduct their attacks. Its difficult to identify an endgame with Boko Haram. One characteristic theyve shown over time is an ability to adapt to circumstance, said Peter Lewis, the head of the African studies department at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Boko Haram is not one unified coordinated organization. They are a series of factions with different leaders and different armed groups. Chadian troops participate an annual training operation in N'djamena, Chad, on March 9. (Jerome Delay/AP) Boko Haram killed roughly 10,000 people in 2014, most of them Nigerian civilians. The fighting forced more than 1 million to flee the country. That bloody period exponentially more violent than previous years drew pledges from the government that it would step up its fight against the group. Air raids Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has managed to dislodge Boko Haram from key training camps in recent months and has waged air raids on its remote strongholds. But it has been hard to assess the effectiveness of the counterterrorism effort because it is difficult to gain access to the affected areas. A broader military coalition seems to offer more promise, but even Jonathan seemed to cast doubt last month on the prospect of regional collaboration, or at least joint operations. I dont expect that all of us will come together, no, he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. Chadians will be fighting from that end. The Cameroonians will also be fighting from that end. Still, many say Boko Haram has already suffered a significant blow from the neighboring countries militaries. Some see the audio message pledging loyalty to the Islamic State released over the weekend by Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau as a sign of the groups desperation. Shekaus pledge is at least in part a cry for help, as Boko Haram is losing control of many of the residential areas it had captured since it began holding on to territory in July 2014, said Martin Roberts, an analyst at IHS Country Risk. For their part, U.S. intelligence officials viewed Boko Harams declaration of solidarity with the Islamic State with skepticism, noting that there is no evidence of meaningful ties between the groups and that Boko Haram has frequently sought to take propaganda advantage of high-profile affiliations with little follow-through. Boko Haram uses pledges of solidarity to get attention and weapons but has given up little control over its group or operations, a U.S. intelligence official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. He added that the evidence of any contact between the group and the Islamic State is pretty much nil. Boko Haram had previously made similar pledges of loyalty to al-Qaeda core organizations and collaborated with the terrorist networks affiliate in North Africa, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, known as AQIM. But when French forces began an assault on AQIM in Mali, many in Boko Haram quickly returned to the groups base in Nigeria, U.S. officials said. The Islamic State has reacted coolly to other efforts by Boko Haram to align itself with the Syria-based groups brand. Cultural animosities would pose potential obstacles to a union between groups that are not known to have even exchanged emissaries, U.S. officials said. Shekau has resisted any efforts to be subsumed under any other terrorist groups leadership or command and control, the U.S. intelligence official said. Even if he said, Well take your orders, he wouldnt. Greg Miller in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: A Nigerian neighborhood symbolizes nations tumble toward crisis Did Boko Haram attack leave 150 dead or 2,000? Satellite imagery sheds new light. Nigerian vote delay prompts suspicion of election rigging, worries of violence A Bangladeshi woman shows a photo of her missing son, who worked at a cafe that was the scene of an attack and seige in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AFP/Getty Images) One by one, the young men went missing. The son of a prominent local leader disappeared from Dhaka on Dec. 30. A college student was last seen Feb. 3. A high school student never made it to his tutoring session Feb. 29. Ultimately, five young men vanished. The men some from Bangladeshs privileged elite resurfaced July 2, when the news agency of the Islamic State released photographs of the Dhaka terrorists wearing head scarves, toting automatic weapons and grinning. In the days after the devastating siege of a popular cafe in Dhaka that left 23 dead, including two police officers, Bangladesh has begun looking for its lost sons. Worried family members have posted pictures of missing youths on social media, in local newspapers, in a private Facebook group called Desperately Seeking Missing Persons (Bangladesh). A desk in Meer Saameh Mubasheers room at his familys home in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Mubasheer, 18, was one of the cafe attackers. (Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters) No family with children between 13 and 25 should feel secure, because people of these ages are vulnerable, said Meer Hayet Kabir, the father of one of the attackers, who had spent frantic weeks searching for his son. Police said this week that at least 10 young men many from well-connected families were missing and suspected of being caught up in militant groups. Another 18-year-old man, a kitchen assistant at the cafe bakery who had been detained after the siege as a possible suspect, died at a hospital late Friday. His family has alleged he was tortured in police custody. The government asked YouTube to purge clips from radical preachers and issued warnings about sharing jihadist messages on social media. Bangladeshs prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, gave an emotional appeal Thursday for parents to inform the police about their missing boys. Investigators launched a nationwide effort to learn more about the missing and whether any had been recruited for militant groups. Meanwhile, investigators are examining airline and port records to see whether the cafe attackers left the country possibly under false names for training overseas. They belong to one of the local groups of radical Islamists who have been engaged in violent activities for some time, and it is also now increasingly evident that they had forged some links or connections with some international terrorist groups as well, including the Islamic State, said Gowher Rizvi, a senior adviser to Hasina. The forensic investigation will throw more light. Although secular bloggers, religious minorities and foreigners have been killed in a series of attacks that worsened in the past year, Rizvis comments are a shift from the governments long-held position that the attacks are the work of local militants acting alone, or of Hasinas political opponents. Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country of about 160 million, has grappled with Islamic extremism since its independence from Pakistan after a war in 1971. A number of countries were the target of serious terrorist attacks in the last week, including Iraq, where a car bomb in a Baghdad shopping district killed at least 187 people. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Hasina, who has maintained her grip on power after a flawed 2014 election in which the opposition did not participate, has pursued extremists especially those connected to her rivals with zeal. Five opposition politicians have been executed for war crimes by a controversial tribunal since 2013. Some analysts believe political instability and repression in Bangladesh is fomenting radicalism. In 2013, a group of progressive youths demanding capital punishment for the war criminals provoked militants to hack a blogger to death with a cleaver. More than a dozen bloggers, secularists and minorities have suffered the same fate, with an al-Qaeda-inspired militant group claiming responsibility for the killings. Last year, the Islamic State asserted responsibility for several acts of violence, including the killing of a Japanese agricultural worker and an Italian aid worker, stoking fears among the expatriate community. Its almost like this is ground zero for a jihadist showdown in South Asia, said Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. This latest attack has to jolt the Bangladesh government out of their complacency. But little official evidence has emerged that these global terror groups had operational linkages transfers of resources, technology or training with local groups, according to Ajai Sahni, a terrorism expert and executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi. The terrorists at the Dhaka cafe did send photos of bloodied bodies to a private Islamic State-linked email account during their operation, and the pictures were immediately uploaded, he said. Sahni said that groups such as the Islamic State do most of their recruiting online, so it is no surprise that well-educated youth like the cafe attackers would be swept up that way. Investigators are poring over their social-media accounts for clues. A controversial Islamist preacher is under fire in India after reports that one of the attackers, Rohan Imtiaz, the son of a politician from Hasinas Awami League party, quoted him on his Facebook page. Another attacker, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, 18, was last seen Feb. 29 after he left his elite English-immersion school, Scholastica, to go to a tutoring center. Police said closed-circuit camera footage showed him getting out of his car before he reached the center and hopping into a rickshaw. His father, a telecom executive, said in an interview that his quiet son was interested in religion but was not rigorous, sometimes skipping prayer. He rarely had friends over and lived a protected life, driven around town by a chauffeur. Mubasheer was an average student who loved sketching and playing guitar, but he stopped doing both a couple of months before he went missing. He also deactivated his Facebook account. Are you happy that I will not be wasting my time? Kabir recalled his son telling him, a bit mockingly, when the father quizzed him about it. The parents were relieved, thinking he might have more time to study for his June exams. Looking back, Kabir could not detect overt warning signs, but he remains haunted by an eerie phone call that the boy received on the day he left, believing he was summoned somewhere. Over the past two years, a substantial number of young men have gone missing in Bangladesh, said Sakhawat Hussain, a retired brigadier general and security analyst. Some have traveled to Syria, police say, while others have returned to recruit locally. Tuesday, the Islamic State released a video featuring three Bangladeshi men, based in Raqqa, Syria, who vowed more attacks, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a monitoring service. Police say they have identified medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies, Islamic teachers and traders who have recruited followers through social-networking sites and blogs, as well as face-to-face contact. Initially, they may read the teachings of the prophet Muhammad together or chat, but once they see interest, they devote more time nursing them, said Sanwar Hossain, a counterterrorism official. Investigators said that those they have arrested in the past including an engineer and a former teacher at an English-language school rented apartments in Dhaka to provide recruits with both theoretical and practical training. Gowen reported from New Delhi. Rama Lakshmi in New Delhi contributed to this report. Read more At least three dead in bomb attack during Eid prayers in Bangladesh American is among 20 dead in terrorist attack in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, an attack aimed at foreigners and the countrys elite Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Queen Latifah remembers being on set in 1997 for the music video for Ladies Night (Not Tonight), the female rap anthem starring Lil Kim, Missy Elliott and others. It featured a number of top female musicians performing on the song and making cameos in the video, including Left Eye, Da Brat, Angie Martinez, Mary J. Blige, SWV, Total and Xscape. That day was so much fun, Latifah recalled in a phone interview Thursday. That was pretty much like Missy asking for everybody to come down and be in the video. It was a good time. We just had a lot of good times, she added. Elliott, like Latifah, opened doors for women in rap and in music overall helping female performers advance their careers through guest appearances on songs, writing and producing, and management. And while they were competitive, there was also a sense of camaraderie. Fast-forward and those helped by Elliott and Latifah are now paying it back. The list of names honoring Elliott at VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens, to air live at 8 p.m. Monday from David Geffen Hall in New York City, is long, from Pharrell to Timbaland to Nelly Furtado. The funny thing (is) I couldnt even fit everyone. ... People that I work with ... we are like family; it extends beyond the music thing, so you know they were calling me like, Im performing right? Im like, Girl, I only got a certain amount of minutes and I cant fit everybody, Elliott, laughing, said in a phone interview Wednesday. Im so thankful and humbled. Monica, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan, Remy Ma, Trina, Eve, Tweet, Keyshia Cole and Raven Symone will also honor Elliott. VH1 Hip Hop Honors is returning after a six-year hiatus. Common, Da Brat, MC Lyte, Naughty by Nature, Rah Digga, Suga T and Yo-Yo will pay tribute to Latifah, who will perform the 1989 classic Ladies First with Monie Love. Lil Kim and Salt-N-Pepa will also be honored. Its important for me to be part of a celebration of ladies of hip-hop because I feel like its important we are recognized for our contributions to music and (that) our voices are heard, Latifah said. Elliott, whose hits include Get Ur Freak On, Work It and Lose Control, said she started to rap after listening to Salt-N-Pepa and learned all of their songs, including the album cuts, the album fillers or whatever. She also called Latifah and Lil Kim her sisters. So for us to come together, thats always been a dream of mine. Thats another blessing that something like this can bring us together, she said. Latifah said she hopes contemporary female rappers will collaborate like she and her peers did on the set of Ladies Night. It was a good time in life ... there were a lot more of us then (and) we were able to have a lot of fun together, Latifah said. I would love for the girls today to have that same camaraderie that we had. We competed with each other in a healthy way and at the same time (were) able to hang out with each other, and perform with each other, and get on each others records and really have fun with this music. Micah Xavier Johnson, an Afghan War veteran who spent six years in the Army Reserves, opened fire Thursday night on Dallas police who were escorting a demonstration of hundreds of people protesting the police killings of unarmed black men. He killed five police and wounded seven. Two protesters were also wounded as gunfire erupted between police and Johnson, who was heavily armed and wearing military-style body armor. Despite initial police and media reports describing as many as half a dozen snipers triangulated at elevated positions in different points in the downtown area and shooting in a coordinated crossfire, all the damage was inflicted by a single gunman armed with an SKS semi-automatic rifle using .223 caliber ammunition, the civilian equivalent of the bullets with which Johnson was equipped while in Afghanistan. As described by eyewitnesses and confirmed by cell phone videos, Johnson approached the line of police, who were in regular uniforms rather than riot gear, and opened fire with his assault rifle at nearly point-blank range. Some police returned fire, inflicting at least one wound, and they followed his blood trail as he fled into a nearby parking structure. The gunman alternately exchanged gunfire with police and negotiated with them for several hours. These talks ended after Johnson threatened to kill more police, claimed that he had planted bombs in the parking structure and throughout the city, and declared that the end is near. The police deployed a remote-controlled bomb delivered by a robot, which approached Johnson and then exploded and killed him. Johnson, a 25-year-old African-American, had told police negotiators during the lengthy standoff that he was angry over the killings of Alton Sterling on Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile on Wednesday in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers. The police killings this week were only the trigger, however, for racial hostility and an inclination towards violence that evidently predated them. Johnson was a regular at a local gun range and had been seen by neighbors training on an obstacle course in his back yard with a heavy pack and in camouflage. His online postings reportedly include declarations of support for black nationalist groups and expressions of hatred for whites in general. Friends who spoke with the media said Johnson was not the same man after he returned from a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan that ended in July 2014. He enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2009 at the age of 18, becoming a carpentry and masonry specialist in an engineering unit, and was deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013. While never officially in combat, he was well trained in the use of weapons and received five medals and a ribbon for his overseas deployment. The murderous assault by Johnson was actually the second shooting spree on Thursday allegedly motivated by the police killings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Some 19 hours before the events in Dallas, in Bristol, Tennessee, 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott, who is African-American, began shooting from a motel room at cars passing on a nearby highway, killing one woman driver and wounding two other people. When police arrived at the motel, he shot one officer in the leg before being shot himself, wounded and arrested. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a statement reporting, Scott may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country. These events, for all their gruesome and tragic character, must be understood as political acts carried out in a definite political context. First, the killing of the five policemen by Micah Johnson was a crime, an act of individual violence that by its very nature is politically reactionary. As an Afghan war veteran, an eyewitness to, if not a direct participant in, the brutality of American imperialism, Johnson was evidently led to draw the conclusion that mass murder was a legitimate response. The immediate consequences of the attack underscore its right-wing character: it legitimizes police violence, beginning with the killing of Johnson himself; it aids efforts to smear those protesting against police violence; more fundamentally, it reinforces a racialist perspective that obscures the basic class contradictions of American society. Second, the killing of Johnson by a robotic device was itself a crime, an action by which the police served as judge, jury and executioner. There is no precedent in modern US history, although bomb-disposal robots have apparently been used to deliver bombs on an ad-hoc basis by US forces in Iraq. With the robot available, why did the police not use it to deliver tear gas? Or simply wait until the wounded man, surrounded and without access to food or water, surrendered? The police decision to kill Johnson is all the more extraordinary given their claim at the time that he might have been part of a larger conspiracy. His elimination removed the one person who could have shed light on any such plot. At the time the bomb was exploded, three people were in custody as possible accomplices in the attack. They have all since been released. Third, the Dallas events take place in the context of an unrelenting campaign to portray the police killing of unarmed men in exclusively racial terms, even though whites comprise the largest number of those murdered by the police and in many cases the police involved include African-Americans or Hispanics and top officials such as mayors and police chiefs are black. There is a systematic effort, promoted especially by sections of the Democratic Party and their academic and pseudo-left mouthpieces, to treat police killings not as class violence by the state against the poorest sections of the working classwhite, black and Hispanicbut as race violence against blacks alone, flowing from the racism and whiteness of the police. It is evident that Micah Johnson had absorbed this racialist narrative and based his actions on it. Over the last several weeks, this promotion of a racialized view of police violence and American society in general has reached the point of frenzy, particularly in the New York Times, the house organ of the Democratic Party and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. The Times publishes a major commentary on the supposedly unbridgeable racial divide in America almost daily. The most noxious recent outpouring came in an op-ed column Friday by Michael Eric Dyson, a prominent media commentator and professor of sociology at Georgetown University. Under the headline Death in Black and White, he describes America as divided into two nations. We, black America, are a nation of nearly 40 million souls inside a nation of more than 320 million people, he begins. It is clear that you, white America, will never understand us. He says of white Americans: At birth, you are given a pair of binoculars that see black life from a distance, never with the texture of intimacy. Those binoculars are privilege; they are status, regardless of your class. In fact the greatest privilege that exists is for white folk to get stopped by a cop and not end up dead when the encounter is over. Actually, according to figures compiled by the Washington Post, there were more than 500 white folk who did not enjoy that privilege in 2015, dying after encounters with the police. There have been another 200-300 white victims so far in 2016. What Dyson promulgates most crudely is taken up in myriad forms by Democratic Party politicians, from President Obama to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on down. They channel the legitimate, justified anger among black youth and workers over police brutality into a racialist narrative, which ends, as in Dysons column, with expressions of demoralized helplessness. The logic of this approach is to subordinate workers and youth to the Democratic Party and, in particular, to the campaign to elect Hillary Clinton as Obamas successor. In television interviews Friday and in an appearance before the convention of the African Methodist Episcopal church in Philadelphia, Clinton expressed her sympathy for the families of the two African-American men killed by police and for the families of the five police gunned down in Dallas. In each instance, she presented the question of police violence as exclusively a matter of race and racial prejudice, declaring that white people (people like me) have to purge themselves of prejudice. The truth is that Clinton has nothing in common with working people, white or black or Hispanic. She represents the capitalist class and the military-intelligence apparatus of US imperialism. The back-to-back killings of two unarmed black men, dramatized by cell phone video in the Baton Rouge case and the heart-rending live-stream Facebook posting by Diamond Reynolds, Castiles fiancee, have provoked widespread outrage, not only among African-Americans, but more broadly among the American people as a whole. Within the US ruling elite and both of its political parties, Democrats and Republicans, there is evident concern that such exposures of murderous police violence will spark an uncontrollable movement from below. At a rally called by the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill Friday, the groups chairman, Representative G. K. Butterfield of North Carolina, warned, If we fail to act this will be a long hot summer. But the ruling class relies on the promotion of racialist politics to divide the working class and divert the anger among youth and workers into a blind alley. It is the task of socialists to denounce these racialist lies and fight for the solidarity of the working classblack, white, Hispanic, Asian, native-born and immigrantagainst the capitalist system and its political defenders. The July 2 election in Australia revealed a deep political crisis as millions of people expressed their hostility to the two-party system dominated by the Liberal-National Coalition and Labor. Growing numbers of workers and young people are looking for a political alternative to the parties responsible for ever worsening social inequality, poverty and insecurity. Enormous political struggles will emerge in the period ahead, for which the working class must prepare. The Australian capitalist class, like their counterparts around the world, cannot rely on the stable and predictable parliamentary forms through which they ruled in the past. The systemic breakdown of world economy, mounting geopolitical conflicts, the rising danger of war, and, above all, the political radicalisation underway within the working class and amongst youth, preclude that possibility. Already, international credit agencies, corporate heads and the establishment media are demanding that the Coalition and Labor work together to ride roughshod over the opposition expressed in the election and make even deeper inroads into living standards. The comment by billionaire Gerry Harvey, that the only cure weve got is to have a dictator, reflects the sentiment in sections of the ruling elite that the crisis of the parliamentary apparatus means authoritarian forms of rule will be required to impose the austerity agenda. At the same time, the commitment of Australian imperialism to its strategic alliance with the United States will see the Australian military, and US bases in Australia, play a central role in the escalating preparations for a US-led confrontation with China, particularly in the South China Sea. The Chilcot inquiry has confirmed again that the invasion of Iraq was a criminal conspiracy by the governments of the US, Britain and Australia. The preparations for war with China are an even greater conspiracy, involving the Coalition and Labor, the Greens, and the media. Austerity and the drive to war will be accompanied by the virulent promotion of divisive nationalism, xenophobia and racism, which has already enabled One Nation, and more right-wing elements, to enter the political arena. The political parties and institutions that defend capitalism and the nation-state system offer only a future of economic crisis, mass unemployment and poverty, the whipping up of national and ethnic hatreds and the catastrophe of a Third World War. The perspective of world socialism fought for by the SEP, the Australian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, is the only viable way that the working class can advance its independent interests. The SEP public meetings will elaborate this socialist and internationalist program. We urge workers and youth to attend our meetings in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to take part in this vital discussion. For those who cannot physically attend, the Sydney meeting will be live-streamed on the Socialist Equality Party Australia Facebook page, so that people across Australia, in Papua New Guinea and East Timor, throughout the South Pacific and Asia, and around the world, can take part. Meeting details: Brisbane Saturday 23 July, 2.00 p.m. Woolloongabba Senior Citizens Hall 22 Qualtrough St, Woolloongabba Tickets: $5/$3 concession Sydney Sunday July 24, 2.00 p.m. Coronation Club, upstairs Duchess Room 86 Burwood Rd, Burwood Tickets: $5/$3 concession Melbourne Sunday July 24, 2.00 p.m. The Coburg Court House 1A Main Street, Coburg (corner Bell St) Tickets: $5/$3 concession KARLOVY VARY While the Czech Republic remains an attractive location for international feature film and, increasingly, TV series production, it is facing tough competition from other European countries. Boosting the nations prospects in the international film sector has become a key issue for the government of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who recently visited Los Angeles to meet with industry execs and tout the Czech Republics many assets. Sobotka spoke to Variety about the importance of the film industry and his governments efforts to support the sector and encourage more international productions to shoot in the country. How important is the film industry for the Czech Republic? Although the film industry represents just a fraction of the GDP of our country, it is very important. It provides employment to a lot of people from various professions, and it increases awareness about our country and attracts tourists to the Czech Republic, which helps create jobs in the tourism sector. We attempt to support, and the state attempts to finance the creation of Czech films, but we also provide incentives, so that we can attract international productions, and we have been succeeding in this overall. Another dimension of film is that Czechs are major film fans, film is an important part of our cultural identity and each year, besides being a site for several international film shoots, the Czech Republic also hosts multiple film festivals. We are very proud of our cinematic successes. I believe that within countries comparable in size with the Czech Republic, we are unusually successful, we have numerous world famous creators and films, and some Czech films have influenced European as well as international cinema. More specifically, how important are international productions for the Czech film industry? The Czech Republic highly appreciates the presence of foreign productions. Nearly CZK 1 billion [$41 million] is spent annually on production of Czech films. Foreign companies in the past few years have spent more than CZK 3.5 billion annually, which is more than $125 million. However, spending by foreign production companies depends on specific films. When large blockbusters are shot in the Czech Republic, foreign production companies spend much more here. Story continues There is enormous competition in this area because producers can select from multiple ideal destinations. However, the Czech Republic has a specific position in the center of Europe, with a variety of historical locations, a quality film infrastructure and qualified and trained crews. I also need to mention that the Czech Republic is among the safest countries in the world, and this also makes it very attractive for film makers. The Czech Republic introduced the 20% rebate incentive in 2010. Is it likely that your government will raise the rebate to 25% in view of strong competition from other European countries? One of the topics of the debate with American filmmakers in Los Angeles was the option of increasing film incentives from the current 20% to 25%. The Czech government is aware of the competition in this industry, and therefore it is currently analyzing and considering this option. What was the outcome of your meeting with U.S. film industry representatives and what were your impressions of the U.S. film industry? At the discussions, I was reminded of the great reputation of the Czech film industry and its interest in establishing cooperation with American film studios. The Czech Republic can offer a lot of attractive locations and skilled crews. Our government has also increased for the State Cinematography Fund the volume of funds intended to finance film incentives $33 million are now available for this purpose annually. Visiting the global capital of the film industry is a major experience for everyone. It is where people realize the magnificence and potential of the film industry. What role does the Karlovy Vary Film Festival play for the Czech Republic? The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the most important film festival not only for the Czech Republic, but in Central and Eastern Europe as a whole. With its unique atmosphere and worldwide fame, the festival annually welcomes thousands of visitors from the professional community and the general public, which makes the Czech Republic one of the most important European film centers. The Karlovy Vary festival is the life blood of the development of Czech film and a major benefit for film culture. What films have you enjoyed recently or managed to see at Karlovy Vary? As a film fan, I have recently enjoyed a wide range of films, and I can mention at least the three most recent ones from this years festival. Matt Ross film Captain Fantastic was very attractive with the excellent Viggo Mortensen starring in the main role. Of the Czech films, I was most impressed by the film The Teacher from one of my favorite directors, Jan Hrebejk. At the festival I also enjoyed Tiger Theory, presented by the president and main architect of the festival, Jiri Bartoska [who also stars in the film]. Related stories Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'I Am a Hero' Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'We're Still Together' Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'Nightlife' As the Red Army stormed into Berlin at the end of World War II, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda poisoned their six children and committed suicide. That charming couple, to whom Adolf Hitler sometimes played marriage counselor, is gone, but Magda's shoes remain - a pair of high heels, black, made from the skin of Auschwitz victims. Today, they could be anywhere, but figuratively they are at Santa Monica's Bergamot Station in City Garage's production of Right Left With Heels, an experimental play opening Friday (running through Aug. 14) that explores the history of post-war Poland from the point of view of a pair of shoes. Run by husband-wife team Frederique Michel and Charles Duncombe, City Garage is noted for staging works with a political point of view, frequently by Polish playwrights like Sebastian Majewski, whose Right Left With Heels was well received in his homeland three years ago. But since last October's election ushered in the right-wing Law and Justice Party in Poland, things have changed. In fact, the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles, formerly a supporter of City Garage, has declined to involve itself with the new production. "The doctor's wife always wears nylons," Lindsay Plake and Alexa Yeames said in sync during a rehearsal last week. The two actors wore matching red dresses and strawberry hair pulled back. On their feet were Magda's shoes. One actor represents the right, the other the left as the pair of heels travel from one owner to the next over the decades. Read More: Holocaust Survivors Branko Lustig, Meyer Gottlieb Honored Alongside The Hollywood Reporter by Yad Vashem "The shoes narrate from a very naive, oblivious perspective the process of the Holocaust and postwar Poland as if they too are guiltless, blameless, not really aware of their complicity in anything. That's a very prevalent attitude right now in Poland," explains Duncombe. At one point in the play, a doctor's wife is at prayer, her conscience heavy with the memory of outing a Jewish friend in exchange for chocolate. Similar transgressions occurred under Soviet rule and later in the labor strikes of the 1980s and '90s. Story continues "There's also a betrayal of the collaborators," adds Duncombe. "It's a very difficult time in Communist occupation when loyalties were split. The period after Solidarity where many people thought to be leaders of Solidarity turned out to be collaborators - none of this is a point of view the new government wants to promote or endorse." Since last year's election in Poland, nominal Prime Minister Beata Szydlo has been shunted aside by Law and Justice Party firebrand Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a nativist known for thumbing his nose at the European Union, spreading anti-immigration rhetoric and, in his first four months, ramming through changes to the constitutional court, civil services and public broadcasting. "One of the reasons why we wanted to do the play is it's part of a real frightening rise of the reactionary right across Europe and certainly in this country, too. It's another version of nativism, this idea of xenophobia, trying to whitewash history, trying to turn back the clock, this fierce nationalism, getting rid of outsiders," says Duncombe. "It's a more dangerous force in Europe, but it's very alarming to see some of the tendencies here." Read More: Bleecker Street Dates Rachel Weisz Holocaust Denier Drama 'Denial' Relatively new to Los Angeles is Culture, Science, Education and Polish Community Counsul Ignacy Zarski, who arrived last summer before the election currently transforming his country. He met with Duncombe and Michel following a performance of City Garage's Othello/Desdemona last spring and, according to Duncombe, was enthusiastic about the consulate contributing to Right Left With Heels in the form of promotion and a gala opening. That was before he read the play. "The new right-wing government in Warsaw will not be happy if we support this project," is how Duncombe remembers Zarski breaking the news to him. "We don't approve of the content of the play. We don't like the way postwar Poland is portrayed." Zarski recalls the discussion differently. "How can you withdraw from something that you never promised?" he asks. "Even before talking about the play they presumed that we would support financially all the productions that are connected to Poland." In the short time Zarski has been in Los Angeles, he has seen three productions at City Garage, which hardly qualifies as a pledge of support. "Ignacy's a very nice guy and I think he's sympathetic to the work," Duncombe says of what he called a verbal agreement. "In his official position I don't blame him. The only course he can follow is denial. Curiously that's what much of the play is about, too, a denial of history, denial of reality of genocides, the turning away, the absolution of collective and individual guilt. Ironically, it's about some of the very things that are transpiring here." Director Damjan Kozole literally and metaphorically explores Slovenias dark side in the allusive thriller Nightlife. This engrossing examination of fear essentially poses the question of whether it is worse to be mauled by animals or by the media. When a high-profile criminal defense attorney is found naked on a public road, bleeding massively from multiple dog bites and with a large strap-on sex toy nearby, his bewildered wife must summon all her cunning to contain the potential scandal. Given that this is no whodunit and the how and why are also unspecified audiences who prefer catharsis with their narrative strands neatly tied may feel cheated, but further festival action is assured for this Karlovy Vary premiere. Married for 20 years, Lea (Pia Zemljic), a professor, and Milan (Jernej Sugman), a lawyer, appear to be a typical bourgeois couple, with a modern, attractive apartment and a son (Emil Kozole) attending graduate school in England. Milan has just succeeded in having charges against an apparently guilty client dismissed by invoking procedural error. His colleague (Marko Mandic) compliments his achievement, but Milan wearily wonders if it makes him a winner or a loser. After dinner with his wife, he goes out again, apparently on business. Meanwhile, in a Skype call, Lea tells her son that she worries about him using a bicycle to commute in London. Little does she suspect that she will soon have bigger concerns a lot closer to home. Kozole allows viewers to have certain privileged knowledge that Lea lacks by showing some young cyclists discover Milans body and call an ambulance. As they wait, unable to help Milan, a more nosy commuter stops, recognizes the attorney, and starts snapping photos with his cell phone. Lea arrives at the hospital assuming that her husband has been in a car accident. In her maelstrom of worry, at first she barely registers that no one wants to give her any direct answers. Then, suddenly, it clicks. Looking at Leas face in extreme close-up, we can practically see the wheels spinning behind her eyes. She insists on seeing her husband, and when the nurse leaves the room, she quickly hides the sex toy in her purse. Story continues The investigator (Koole regular Peter Musevski) assigned to the case insists on questioning Lea at headquarters, which ratchets up the tension. The excellent Zemljic maintains her composure even when she has to reach into her purse, past the rustling plastic of the bag containing the offending device, to answer her mobile phone. Although it is never specified why Lea is behaving in this way, if there is some family secret she wants to hide, or if, as she insists to the investigator, the attack is a set up to smear her husband, she tries everything in her power, both legal and illegal, to keep the salacious information about the crime from going public. Kozole, who is best known for his dark drama Slovenian Girl (2009), about an immoral co-ed call girl, and the gritty Spare Parts (2003), about people trafficking, creates an atmosphere of anxiety so thick audiences can practically touch it. As Lea waits in the shadows at the hospital, police station, and at the louche location where her husbands car has been found, it feels as if there is some lurking threat. With her ebony hair, pale skin, and innocent air, Zemljic looks a bit like an older version of the actress who starred in Slovenian Girl. Without any backstory to make viewers identify with Lea, its a difficult role and shes in practically every scene, but Zemljic manages to make the character recognizably human if not entirely sympathetic. Atmospheric widescreen lensing by Miladin Colakovic (Death of a Man in the Balkans) and on-the-money cutting by veteran editors Jurij Moskon and Ivo Trajkov lead the production package, which alternates cool tones with the nauseating shades of public institutions such as hospitals and police stations. Related stories Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'I Am a Hero' Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'We're Still Together' Karlovy Vary, Variety Celebrate Billion Dollar Location Czech Republic The New York Times HOUSTON Tony Earls hung his head before a row of television cameras, staring down, his life upended. Days before, Earls had pulled out his handgun and opened fire, hoping to strike a man who had just robbed him and his wife at an ATM in Houston. Instead, he struck Arlene Alvarez, a 9-year-old girl seated in a passing pickup, killing her. Is Mr. Earls licensed to carry? a reporter asked during the February news conference, in which his lawyer spoke for him. Sign up for The Morning newsletter Naja Tunneys home is filled with books. Sometimes she will pull them from a bookshelf to read during meals. At bedtime, Naja, 5, reads to her 2-year-old sister, Hannah. We have books anywhere you sit in the living room, said their mother, Cheryl Tunney, who curls up with her girls on an oversized green chair to read stories. Naja and Hannah are beneficiaries of Reach Out and Read, an early intervention literacy program that collaborates with medical care providers to provide free books during check-ups. I learn things that my brain will always know, Naja said during an appointment at Group Health Cooperatives Capitol Clinic in Madison. Najas and Hannahs brains are in critical phases of development, and they are being stimulated by a home environment that prioritizes education. But children who do not have this same experience early in life especially those growing up in poverty could experience delayed brain development that significantly harms their educational progress, according to recent research by psychology professor Seth Pollak and economist Barbara Wolfe at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their study is part of a growing body of socioeconomic brain research documenting what Joan Luby, a child psychiatry professor at Washington University in St. Louis, calls povertys most insidious damage. Such research is prompting legislators on both sides of the aisle in Wisconsin to explore what more needs to be done to help children succeed. Along with graduate students Nicole Hair and Jamie Hanson, Pollak and Wolfe found that poverty can cause structural changes in areas of the brain associated with school readiness skills. These parts of the brain are susceptible to circumstances often present in poor households, including stress, unstable housing, nutritional deficiencies, low academic stimulation and irregular access to health care. To isolate the effects of poverty from other factors, Pollaks study included mostly children of educated mothers 85 percent reported at least some college-level education and 22 percent had some graduate-level education. The study examined brain development of 389 mostly white young people ages 4 to 22 with educated mothers. The fathers had similar educational backgrounds. The findings suggest that while schools have been the focus of reforms aimed at closing Wisconsins long-standing racial and economic achievement gaps, efforts perhaps should start much earlier and be directed at raising income levels of poor children. An estimated 28 percent of the states children live below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Pollak found that income bracket which for a family of four is $36,450 a year or less was associated with diminished brain development and learning. Pollaks study found that as much as 20 percent of the gap in test scores of low-income children is explained by developmental lags in critical areas of the brain responsible for learning. The largest gaps were among children living below the federal poverty level, $24,300 for a family of four. This is suggesting that there is something about a childs early environment that is affecting the way their neural systems are working that undermine their ability to extract information and succeed in school, said Pollak, who is also the director of UW-Madisons Child Emotion Lab. Other research has shown a connection between early childhood trauma and toxic stress on the ability of children to learn. Gaps big in Wisconsin Wisconsin has the largest disparity in the country between the performance of black and white students and the rate at which they graduate. The state also has the highest suspension rates for black high school students in the nation, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalisms Children Left Behind series reported in December. And Wisconsin has the second-largest poverty gap in the United States between blacks and whites, a disparity that has grown faster than the national average, according to a December report from the UW-Madison Applied Population Lab. Pollaks study shows poverty can have biological effects long before children enter the classroom. In 2013, in an earlier study, a team led by Wolfe and Pollak examined how family poverty can affect the rate of brain growth among young children. They found that infants from lower-income families started life with a similar amount of gray matter to infants whose families were not poor. But by their toddler years, poor children had less total gray matter, they found. The effects of poverty on brain size were strongest among the most impoverished children, with no difference between lower-middle-class and affluent children. Its not like we need to get everybody up to affluence, Pollak said, we just need to have kids not living in scarcity. Stress adds to school woes Pollak theorized one reason could be the pervading sense of stress that can accompany poverty. So-called adverse childhood experiences can rewire a childs brain in a way that makes it harder to learn, Dr. Bruce Perry told a group of Wisconsin juvenile court and child welfare officials meeting in Wisconsin Dells last fall. Perry, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University, said if the stress is moderate and controllable, children can develop mechanisms for responding to future, unexpected stresses. But stress caused by factors such as violence or neglect can create a state of alarm that makes children more reactive, often described as the fight, flight or freeze response. When presented with new material in school, for example, such children may have a hard time activating the thinking part of the brain, he said. If you are a child who is dis-regulated you are so overwhelmed that you shut down your cortex completely and your cortex is unable to actually process information, Perry said. And in order to master the same content, you are required to have 10 times the repetition, which is not going to be provided in the typical classroom environment, and youre going to fall further behind. Parent, child brains linked Not only are childrens brains more malleable in early childhood, the brains of new parents are also subject to change, according to a March study from the Aspen Institute, an education and policy studies nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Dipesh Navsaria, a UW-Madison associate professor of pediatrics who was not involved in the study, said the findings show the parent and the child both have inherent value, and we should be investing in them both because thats where we get an added effect. University of Chicago economist James Heckman found it is cheaper to pay for high quality preschool than later interventions such as hiring teachers to create low student-to-teacher ratios, government-funded job training or rehabilitation programs for ex-convicts. Heckmans analysis of low-income African-American children who attended the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program in Ypsilanti, Michigan, during the 1960s found that every $1 invested returned about $7 to $12 back to society. Investing in disadvantaged young children is a rare public policy initiative that promotes fairness and social justice and at the same time promotes productivity in the economy and in society at large, Heckman wrote. That philosophy appears to be gaining traction in Wisconsin. State Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, and Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, kicked off the bipartisan Legislative Childrens Caucus in April. Lassa said the goal is to advocate for evidence-based public policies that will benefit the states children. Lassa and Ballweg agree that Pollaks research provides proof that poverty harms children and alleviating it could provide long-term benefits. These children are our future workforce, theyre our future leaders, Lassa said. We need to be making sure that they get the best start possible. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say early steps to improve childrens lives will help them succeed later in school and life. Two 17-year-olds have died at Scotland's T in the Park music festival in separate incidents. Police are investigating the cases to establish the circumstances of the deaths, but have told the BBC that the deaths are not believed to be suspicious. Police Investigating Dozens of Reports of Assaults, Rapes at Swedish Festivals The teenage festival goers were reportedly a male from the west of Scotland and a female from the north of England. The deaths are not thought to be linked. Police looking into whether the deaths were drug related, while the festival is encouraging anyone with drugs to dump them in special "amnesty bins" in the campsite. pic.twitter.com/Ic2Nb6OJdl - TITPinfo (@TITPinfo) July 8, 2016 Police Scotland's gold commander for the festival, Ch Supt Angela McLaren told the Guardian, "We are continuing to investigate these deaths and are following lines of enquiry, including the possibility that they may be drug related. I would remind all persons attending the festival that there is no safe way of taking drugs." Scotland's T in the Park Relocating to Strathallan Castle T in the Park is Scotland's biggest music festival and is expected to attract more than 80,000 music fans over the weekend. Campers began arriving on Thursday for the three-day event at Strathallan Castle. The Stone Roses, Jamie xx, Disclosure, Calvin Harris and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the scheduled performers. Festival director Geoff Ellis told the BBC, "We are shocked and saddened by today's news and our thoughts are with the families and friends at this time. We are offering our full support and assistance." Dallas (AFP) - Nearly 53 years after president John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, the bustling Texas city is reliving the nightmare of a murderous sniper. Just 200 yards (180 meters) separate El Centro College, where shooter Micah Johnson set up an ambush to shoot at police late Thursday, and Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was shot dead on November 22, 1963 while sitting in an open-air limousine. Mere steps away from the police tape cordoning off the crime scene lies the Texas School Book Depository, now known as the Dallas County Administration Building -- from which Lee Harvey Oswald took aim at Kennedy and shot at him with a rifle from the sixth floor. The Sixth Floor Museum, housed inside the building and dedicated to Kennedy's life, death and legacy, was closed on Friday. "They were setting a crime scene investigation. Access to Dealey Plaza was going to be restricted and I think given the fact that it's a tragic event for Dallas, it didn't seem right to have the museum open," said the museum's longtime executive director Nicola Longford. It reopened on Saturday, posting words of support on its website for the families and colleagues of the five police officers killed, and seven officers and two civilians wounded. "We encourage you to... share personal reflections during this trying time," the message read. While both killings took place at the hands of a sniper shooting on unsuspecting victims, Longford stressed that the two tragedies that have rocked the city are quite distinct and otherwise share no parallels. "This is one of those moments that is going to test all of us. Dallas, our home, is about to become famous again for all the wrong reasons. It's going to be a shorthand for chaos," wrote Jacquielynn Floyd, a columnist for The Dallas Morning News. "It furthers no cause; it accomplishes nothing but misery and grief. It's violence for the deranged love of violence itself, disguised beneath a political veneer." Story continues Jamie Najera, a young mother who was not even born when Kennedy was shot, said: "Immediately I linked the two together in my mind." Kennedy's assassination "became that much more oppressive to me," she added. The assassination has long weighed over Dallas, even if the city was more witness than actor in the tragedy. "This is a site for reflection and contemplation about a historic event that affected the world," Longford said. "They're still living to some degree with the consequences of what happened 53 years ago, but we're not making comparisons. I don't think it's appropriate." James Garrett, a homeless man who gives tours of Dealey Plaza, said many of his tourist customers "feel like it's a tragedy and they still don't understand why it happened here." "If you can get away with killing the president, we're not safe," he added. - City of opportunity - Even if the gunmen's ambush tactic is the only common element in both shootings, death once again has landed Dallas at the top of headlines around the world. An increasingly frustrated President Barack Obama, who has had to address senseless killings time and again during his term that began in 2009, his calls for gun control going unheeded in a Congress led by his Republican foes, is due in Dallas early next week. "I'm sure there's a little bit of embarrassment on their part and unfortunately this is not the way they want to be in the limelight," John Priesta said of Dallas officials. Priesta, visiting from Nebraska, remembers clearly when Kennedy was assassinated. He was only eight years old at the time. The city itself has been transformed in the years that have since elapsed. A huge project launched in 2011 has revitalized the downtown area, including new skyscrapers housing offices, startups and thousands of residential facilities. The huge Klyde Warren Park opened in 2012 above a freeway that cut through the city, in an echo of other cities like Boston or Seattle. Dallas, which in 1963 was considered a conservative bastion, today is a progressive city led by a Democrat, Mike Rawlings. "Dallas should be known as the city of opportunities," said Navera, who emigrated from Mexico when she was eight years old. Dan Bradley, who runs the Bullzerk gift shop in the hip Lower Greenville neighborhood, had "Unite Dallas" T-shirts made after the shooting. Half of the proceeds of the sales will go toward a foundation supporting officers' families. He sold 300 in just a few hours, and orders keep flooding in. "There's so much diversity and different kinds of people here, with the same end goal, being very successful and work," said Bradley. Longford was confident that Dallas would bounce back from the tragedy, just as it did after the Kennedy assassination. "Dallas is a very forward-looking city and this is just a tragic event that put us all in shock. But we will move forward," she said. At least six more women have come forward to accuse Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, telling their stories to New York magazine's Gabriel Sherman. In a story posted Saturday morning, the women, only two of whom gave their real names with the others requesting pseudonyms, detail incidents in which Ailes either openly asked them to sleep with him or propositioned them in sexually explicit ways. The two named women are former RNC field adviser Kellie Boyle and former model Marsha Callahan. The allegations date back to the 1960s, when Ailes was a producer on The Mike Douglas Show. The revelations come just days after former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes. Carlson's attorney previously told The Hollywood Reporter that in the wake of media coverage of Carlson's suit, women across the country have come forward. "We're getting emails constantly this morning and this afternoon from women that say they have experienced similar behavior at the hands of Roger Ailes," Nancy Erika Smith said on Wednesday. Those women, Smith added, would be witnesses in Carlson's suit not parties themselves. New York magazine claims that more than a dozen women have contacted Smith since Wednesday. Read More: Roger Ailes Claims Gretchen Carlson Evading Contract, Confidentiality Obligations Carlson claimed in her suit that she was fired in late June after Ailes reduced her presence on primetime shows, docked her pay and shunned her because she refused to "engage in a sexual relationship or participate in sexual banter" with him. She also claimed that Ailes removed her from the Fox & Friends morning show in 2013 after she complained that her co-host Steve Doocy created a hostile work environment by engaging in sexual harassment. The new allegations against Ailes all detail incidents that seem to occur before his Fox News tenure began, with several taking place while Ailes worked for The Mike Douglas Show. Story continues Boyle claims that in 1989, shortly after Ailes served as George H.W. Bush's chief media strategist, she met him through her husband, who worked for CNBC. Working in political communications for the RNC, she told Ailes that she was set to sign a contract with the National Republican Congressional Committee. Before she did, though, she and Ailes had dinner. As the two took a car ride to a friend's house, he told her, "You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys," she recalls. He claimed "that's the way it works," she says, naming other women he'd slept with. "He said that's how all these men in media and politics work - everyone's got their friend," Boyle recalls. "I said, 'Would I have to be friends with anybody else?' And he said, 'Well you might have to give a blowjob every once in a while.' I told him I was going to have to think about this. He said, 'No, if you don't do it now, you know that means you won't.'" After her meeting in DC was abruptly canceled, Ailes called her and asked her if she'd changed her mind, she says. She turned him down, pointing out that she was married and committed to her husband. A couple weeks later a male friend who was high up in the RNC told her "Word went out you weren't to be hired," she recalls. Read More: Fox Releases Friendly, Handwritten Notes Gretchen Carlson Sent to Roger Ailes Callahan claims that she was asked to wear a garter belt and stockings to a meeting with Ailes, then a producer on The Mike Douglas Show, in 1967 or '68. In the meeting, he asked her to lift her skirt up and strike different poses, she says. He then indicated he'd hire her only if she slept with him and "a few of [his] select friends," she says. Callahan recalls, "I said, 'Well, if you think I have star quality and you can make money off my looks, I don't think it'd matter if I went to bed with you or not.' And he said, 'Oh, pretty girls like you are a dime a dozen.'" The interview ended shortly after that, she says, and when she subsequently passed Roger in the hallway, "He pretended not to know who I was." A former model going by the pseudonym of Susan says she was only 16 when Ailes propositioned her. It was 1967 and she had been sent over for a walk-on part on The Mike Douglas Show. He took her into an office and locked the door. She continues, "He proceeded to pull down his pants and very gingerly pull out his genitals and said, 'Kiss them.' And they were red like raw hamburgerI was a kid, I'd never seen a man's privates before." She says she jumped up and he chased her around the office before pulling up his pants and revealing he had recorded the whole thing, instructing her not to tell anyone about what happened. Read More: Gretchen Carlson Lawyer Says Fox News May Be Added to Roger Ailes Harassment Lawsuit Another former model and actress, going by the name of Jane, says "something sexual took place" during a meeting she had with Ailes in 1984, as her agent was trying to get her into broadcasting. He had her model a garter belt and stockings as well, she says. "After that, something sexual took place, but I blocked it out of my mind," she says. "I don't know if I engaged with him orally or he engaged with himself. I felt I was being used for his sexual satisfaction. I felt very threatened." Although he wanted her to take the lingerie home for next time, she says she refused and left, adding that she regrets not telling Ailes off. "Through the years I felt like a horrible person because I allowed this to happen to me and I didn't just say fuck off and walk out of the room," she says. "My husband doesn't even know." A media consultant going by the name of Diane also says she remained silent about an incident with Ailes in 1965 or '66, when she too was working as a model in the Philadelphia area and was called in, with some other girls, to meet with him for a skit on The Mike Douglas Show. He took the women behind closed doors one by one, she says. When it was her turn he made a move and indicated she had to respond to his advances to get the job. Read More: Roger Ailes Fires Back at Gretchen Carlson's "Defamatory" Lawsuit as Fox Launches Internal Investigation "He grabbed me and had his hands on me and he forced me to kiss him," she says. "When I recoiled he said, 'Well, you know no girls get a job here unless they're cooperative.' I just pushed him away and ran out of there. He was like, whatever. So, no job for me. He did hire several of the girls from the group, but I don't know what they had to do to get the job." A former TV producer going by the name of Pat says she had an interview with Ailes at his Central Park South apartment in 1975, in which he indicated she needed to sleep with him to get ahead in the industry. "I don't remember his exact words, but his message was: If you want to make it in New York City in the TV business, you're going to have to f - me, and you're going to do that with anyone I tell you to," she recalls. "I was afraid he was going to pin me down. He was a big guy and I'm not big at all. He could have overpowered me. I remember running out of that apartment like my hair was on fire and standing on the sidewalk crying, thinking, 'What's that guy think I was, a prostitute? In one second my dreams were shot. He's going to blackball me everywhere, I'll never get another interview, I'm not good enough' - all that stuff a 20-something girl thinks. It wasn't, 'That guy's a son of a bitch and I should have kicked him in the balls.'" In a statement released Wednesday, in response to Carlson's suit, Ailes claimed her "allegations are " calling her "defamatory" lawsuit, "offensive" and "wholly without merit" and said it would be "defended vigorously." Read More: Gretchen Carlson Lawyer Says Fox News May Be Added to Roger Ailes Harassment Lawsuit "This is a retaliatory suit for the network's decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup," he continued. "When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit. Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11-year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously." On Friday, Ailes requested that the dispute be moved to confidential arbitration, citing a provision in her contract. Carlson's team responded in part, "It is disturbing that the head of a large media company would try to silence the press and hide from the public a matter of such importance." In response to Saturday's New York magazine story, Ailes' outside counsel Barry Asen, of Epstein, Becker and Green, released the following statement, linking to various articles that have been published since Carlson filed her suit: "It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are ." In response, Carlson's attorneys released the following statement, slamming Ailes' lawyer for trying to silence the women who spoke out about "trauma they endured years ago that haunts them to this day." "Yesterday in a statement to the press ('litigating in the press'), an Ailes spokesperson challenged Gretchen's lawyers to come forward with other victims of Ailes' sexual harassment to speak on the record," Carlson's attorneys, Nancy Erika Smith and Martin Hyman, said in a statement obtained by THR. "Today, six brave women voluntarily spoke out to New York magazine detailing their traumatic sexual harassment by Ailes. We are hearing from others. Then, Barry Asen, Ailes' lawyer, accused Gretchen of 'litigating in the press' and, without any investigation, within three hours, claimed that the allegations are . How does he know that? Women have the right to speak out - whether Ailes likes it or not - even about trauma they endured years ago and that haunts them to this day. Calling these women liars because they chose to speak out is despicable. Bullying and threats will not silence these brave women." July 9, 12:49 p.m. Updated with statement from Carlson's attorneys. Getty Image Immediately following his controversial victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 back in 2013, Georges St-Pierre told the crowd, A lot is going on in my life. I have to step away. Right now I have to go away for a little bit. UFC President Dana White immediately blew it off, saying GSP would be back and even talking up a rematch between him and Hendricks. GSP never did come back, but there have been seemingly constant rumors of his return in the years since his emotional de facto retirement. Well, with the knowledge that St-Pierre will be at UFC 200 he decided to put all of that to bed by making it clear hell never fight again. Georges St-Pierre will not fight again, White bluntly told a group of reporters when questioned about a GSP comeback. Ive said that before and Ill say it again, Georges St-Pierre is done. He is retired, he will not fight again. White was then asked if he knew that because GSP told him, to which he said He doesnt have to tell me that. Ive dealt with him, and weve been dealing with this thing. Ive been in this since I was 19 years old I know the mentality of a fighter that wants to fight and I know the mentality of a fighter that does not want to fight. And on the comeback rumors, and there are plenty including returning to fight the UFC Middleweight Champion that everybody wants a shot at Michael Bisping, Dana isnt buying that either. Hes been saying that for a long time. I wholeheartedly believe you will never see Georges St-Pierre in the Octagon again unless hes cornering somebody. As always, Dana was extremely vocal, talking about everything from the WWEs involvement in UFC 200 and the relationship between the two companies, Dan Hendersons new UFC deal and more. Check out the whole video, courtesy of Fight Network below. KABUL (Reuters) - Deaths among Afghan local police forces, who bear the brunt of some of the most dangerous fighting against Taliban insurgents have dropped by around a quarter to 295 members since March 21, due to better equipment and training, officials said on Saturday. Since the start of the Persian New Year on March 21, 295 members of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) have been killed, compared with 403 deaths in the period between March 21 and July 21 last year, Interior Ministry officials told reporters. "It's down to support, better cooperation, training, better equipment," said Mohammad Salim Ahsas, a senior ministry official. The period covers the time since former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike on May 21 and replaced by one of his deputies, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. The figures referred only the ALP, a 30,000-strong force which is counted separately from the main Afghan National Police units. Its members, recruited with the support of local elders, are only supposed to operate close to their home villages. But any sign of a drop in casualties will be welcome for both Afghan security forces and the NATO-led coalition supporting the government following heavy losses last year when more than 16,000 police and soldiers were killed or wounded. Afghan police, many left manning static roadside checkpoints, have suffered a disproportionately higher level of casualties than their army counterparts mainly because of poor equipment, training and planning. ALP units, which have earned a grim reputation after frequent allegations of human rights abuses including intimidation, beating, illegal detentions and child rape, have lagged behind other units in receiving supplies and equipment. However the officials said that most units were now equipped with uniforms, body armor and helmets. Separately, officials said there were plans to boost ALP numbers by several thousand but they gave no details. (Reporting by Mirwais Harooni; writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Louise Heavens) By Andrea Shalal RAF FAIRFORD, England, July 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin Corp are in the final stages of negotiations about two contracts for 160 fighter jets, tandem deals valued at more than $14 billion, the Pentagon's F-35 programme manager said on Saturday. "We're in the end game," Air Force Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan said in an interview at the Royal International Air Tattoo the world's largest military airshow, where six F-35 Lightning II jets are flying this week. Bogdan said an agreement could be finalised soon, but declined to predict if it could be announced at the Farnborough International Airshow next week. He said all the major issues had been resolved and the fate of the deal was largely in Lockheed's hands at the moment. Lockheed's F-35 program manager Jeff Babione had told reporters on Thursday that he expected to reach an agreement soon about contracts for the ninth and 10th production contracts for the new warplane. Sources familiar with the two contracts said they would likely be valued between $14 billion and $15 billion. Babione said the price of the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing version of the jet would drop to under $100 million per plane in the 10th low-rate production batch, including an engine built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp . Bogdan said he was continuing to work on a block buy deal for international partners on the $379 billion warplane project, the largest arms programme in the world, as part of a larger effort to drive down the jets' cost. Buying larger numbers of jets at a time -- starting with the 12th production batch of jets -- could generate savings of $2 billion to $2.8 billion, even if the U.S. military was not able to join in until it got congressional approval, he said. The U.S. military services would likely join in starting with the 13th and 14th production lots, which would reduce the initially anticipated savings by "hundreds of millions of dollars," he said. Story continues Bogdan told reporters the programme office was carefully assessing any potential impact on trade and tariffs stemming from Britain's vote to leave the European Union, but the initial expectation was that it would not have much impact. A drop in the value of the British pound could help lower some costs, since 15 percent of the jet is built by UK firms. (Editing by Louise Heavens) A quick quiz What are the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum? a) The name of a legal firm that advertises on late-night TV b) The infielders on a Roman baseball team c) The names of the stomachs in a cow d) Arcane processes followed by the U.S. Congress The correct answer, of course, is C, the names of the four parts of a cows stomach. The design of a ruminant digestive system gives a cow the ability to break down tough and coarse food. Come to think of it, the answer could be D, as theres a lot of cud-chewing that occurs in Congress as well. But Congress seems unable to solve any tough problems, despite the fact that, like a bovine, it spends a lot of time doing the same thing over and over. At least cows actually complete the digestive process, unlike most of the empty methane belches emitted from many politicians. The cow is a remarkable eating machine but lacks the ability to sort its food. So it can ingest all sorts of foreign matter, including metal objects like pieces of wire or nails. These can lodge into the reticulum and result in hardware disease. Treatment can range from nothing, to inserting magnets, to surgery, depending on the condition. Some cows swallow objects and do just fine, suffering only a little gastrointestinal pain. Sort of like me after I gorge myself at an all-you-can-eat buffet. That may have been the case with a cow that ate the class ring of a former Randolph High School student, who got the ring back 25 years later. I know this story might be hard to swallow, but its true. Thank you to John Clemons of La Crosse for bringing it to my attention. The late Dowe P. Cupery a 1931 Randolph graduate was working with a portable feed mill on a Randolph farm in the early 1930s when the ring fell off his finger into the feed bin. A search for the ring engraved with the initials D.P.C was futile. I dont know how much the ring cost, but consider that this was in the middle of the Great Depression and Cupery was working for $1 a day at the time. It must have been a great loss. Cupery attended Hope College in Holland, Mich., and then graduated from Marquette Medical School in 1939. He became a doctor in Markesan. In December 1959, Cupery received a letter from the Plankington Packing Co. of Milwaukee. Several years earlier, a ring with the initials D.P.C. was found in a cows stomach. The company contacted Randolph High School and found there was only one graduate from 1931 with those initials. Cupery got the ring back. It was in excellent condition and still fit well, he told the Randolph Advance newspaper. One of Cuperys daughters, Susan Miller of La Crosse, said her father was the youngest of eight and worked on nearby farms and at the feed mill, as did his two brothers. Cupery applied that hard-working ethic to his medical practice, serving patients for many years. Along with being named the Markesan Man of the Year in 1977, Cupery was honored by the Wisconsin Legislature, which proclaimed June 4, 1977, Dowe Peter Cupery Day. Part of the official proclamation noted that in the past 36 years Cupery had delivered more children in Markesan than the current population then 1,478. Cupery died in 1994. The ring was passed on to another of Cuperys daughters JoAnn Cupery Nordstrom of Portland, Ore. who happened to be Alice in Dairyland in 1967. She still treasures it today. Its a gem of a story, to be sure. All of us, as Americans, should be troubled by these shootings, because these are not isolated incidents, said President Barack Obama following the horrific shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Theyre symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal-justice system. In an American tragedy of the nations own making, Obama will end his historic presidency with racial turmoil rocking the nation. The person whose election brought so much hope about the trajectory of race relations in the United States, a country that has perpetually suffered from the original sin of slavery, is spending these days desperately trying to calm the anger over police killings of African Americans and the protests and violence that have ensued. Today, America has a president who understands the urgent need to address the problems of institutional racism that have been broadcast to the entire world through smartphones and exposes of a racialized criminal-justice system. But this conflict is taking shape right in the middle of a heated election seasonone that includes a candidate who has made draconian proposals for national security and who appeals to the Silent Majority. Following the events in Dallas, Donald Trump released a statement that read: We must restore law and order. We must restore the confidence of our people to be safe and secure in their homes and on the street. Recommended: A Black Police Chief Reacts to the Dallas Attacks *** This is not the first time this has happened. When questions over race and policing were front and center in a national debate in 1968, the federal government failed to take the steps necessary to make any changes. The government understood how institutional racism was playing out in the cities and how they exploded into violence, but the electorate instead was seduced by Richard Nixons calls for law and order, as well as an urban crackdown, leaving the problems of institutional racism untouched. Rather than deal with the way that racism was inscribed into American institutions, including the criminal-justice system, the government focused on building a massive carceral state, militarizing police forces, criminalizing small offenses, and living through repeated moments of racial conflict exploding into violence. Story continues In July 1967, during the aftermath of the devastating race riots in Detroit, Michigan, and Newark, New Jerseyeach of which started after incidents of police brutality against African AmericansPresident Lyndon Johnson established the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known popularly as the Kerner Commission (for the chairman, Otto Kerner), to examine the roots of the violence. The rioting had taken place at a politically fraught time for Johnson. Southern Democrats and Republicans were leading a resurgence of the conservative coalition following the midterm elections of 1966. The disastrous Vietnam War had consumed all of the presidents remaining political capital, and conservatives on Capitol Hill were forcing him to make a decision between spending for guns or butter. Meanwhile, the civil-rights crusade had splintered, with the Black Power movement insisting that activists needed to take a bolder stand on issues like housing discrimination, policing, and unemployment. Desperate to do something, but not in a position to do much more than defend his existing accomplishments, Johnson created the high-profile commission. The president stacked the commission with established political figures who were moderate and committed to the existing economic and political system. He wanted them to demonstrate to the public that the administration took the problems seriouslybut he also wanted them to avoid recommendations that would embarrass him. Johnson was deeply cognizant of the economic and racial problems afflicting cities, but he felt that there was not much more he could do politically at that moment in time. Which is why the first version of the report was killed. A truly revolutionary spirit has begun to take hold, an unwillingness to compromise or wait any longer. Commission staffers had produced a blistering and radical draft report on November 22, 1967. The 176-page report, The America of Racism, recounted the deep-seated racial divisions that shaped urban America, and it was damning about Johnsons beloved Great Society programs, which the report said offered only token assistance while leaving the white power structure in place. Whats more, the draft treated rioting as an understandable political response to racial oppression. A truly revolutionary spirit has begun to take hold, they wrote, an unwillingness to compromise or wait any longer, to risk death rather than have their people continue in a subordinate status. Kerner then nixed the report, and his staff director fired all 120 social scientists who had worked on it. Nevertheless, the final Kerner Report was still incredibly hard-hitting: This is our basic conclusion: Our Nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one whiteseparate and unequal. Though the commissioners had softened the language from the first draft, much of the data remained the same and the overall argument was still incredibly powerful. The report focused on institutional racism. This meant that racism was not just a product of bad individuals who believed that African Americans were inferior to white Americans, but that these racial hierarchies were literally embedded in the structure of society. Recommended: Where Republicans Stand on Their Nominee: A Cheat Sheet Segregation and poverty, the report said, have created in the racial ghetto a destructive environment totally unknown to most white Americans. What white Americans have never fully understoodbut what the Negro can never forgetis that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it. The riots in Newark and Detroit, the report continued, were not caused by, nor were they the consequences of, any organized plan or conspiracy. The rioters were educated and had been employed in recent years; most of them were furious about facing constant discrimination when seeking new employment, trying to find a place to live, or, worst of all, interacting with hostile law-enforcement officials. The police received the most scrutiny in the report. In a haunting section, the report explained, Negroes firmly believe that police brutality and harassment occur repeatedly in Negro neighborhoods. The rioting had shown that police enforcement had become a problem not a solution in race relations. More aggressive policing and militarized officers had become city officials de facto response to urban decay. In several cities, the principal response has been to train and equip the police with more sophisticated weapons. The report stressed that law-enforcement officers were not merely a spark factor to the riots but that they had come to symbolize white power, white racism, and white oppression. The commissioners warned of ominous consequences if nothing changed. The commissioners believed that cities had to stop arming the police with automatic rifles and machine guns, and instead recruit more African Americans and impose stricter guidelines on political conduct. Critics decried the commissioners for backing away from tougher language about policelanguage that would have acknowledged how violence was often used in retaliatory fashion against protesters and how police brutality against African Americans was constant, not sporadic. Nonetheless, for 1968, the Kerner Report included extremely tough language for a government body. The commissioners warned of ominous consequences if nothing changed. In the absence of action, many African Americans would see the conditions they faced as justification for violent protest. Johnson knew the Kerner Report would embarrass him, and so he tried to ignore it as long as possible. He refused to formally receive the publication from the commissioners, and he didnt talk about the report with the media for weeks. But the public did not ignore it. The report generated instant national attention when Bantam Books published it as a paperback in March 1968. With an introduction by New York Times columnist Tom Wicker, the 708-page paperback reached the best-seller list and sold more than 740,000 copies. In addition to exceeding sales of the Warren Commission Report, the Kerner Report was said to be the fastest-selling book since Valley of the Dolls. Marlon Brando even read parts of the report aloud on ABCs Joey Bishop Show. Recommended: What to Say When the Police Tell You to Stop Filming Them The problem for Johnson was that the political environment had changed so dramatically since the start of his Great Society in 1964. The report made recommendations for massive investments in employment, education, and housing that Johnson knew would never move through Congress. Richard Scammon, a respected pollster, told him, If Congress were to be given such a program at this time, I presume it would not pass. Scammon believed white middle-class voters would determine the next election. If I were a candidate, he told Johnson, I would follow a program of law and order balanced with goodies for the ghetto. And thats exactly what happened. With a powerful analysis of the problems of institutional racism before them, the government and the public moved in a very different direction. Johnson for one decided not to run for reelection. His successor, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, concentrated his energy on trying to find a plausible path forward on Vietnam. Humphrey, despite his long-standing commitment to civil rights and his historic role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, feared the power of the right more than the Democratic left. So he kept his distance from the liberal grassroots activists urging his party to take the Kerner Reports recommendations seriously and even go further than the commissioners did. But it was former Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee, and Alabama Governor George Wallace, the American Independent Party candidate, who framed the way Americans would ultimately talk about racial unrest in the 1968 election. In Watts and Harlem and Detroit and Newark, we have had a foretaste of what the organizers of insurrection are planning. Governor Wallace didnt hold back: The people know the way to stop a riot is to hit someone on the head. Nixon, however, figured out how to use the theme of law and order to play to these same anxieties, but in way that would resonate with the mainstream. Humphrey complained that Nixon was a perfumed, deodorized version of George Wallace. Blasting liberal Supreme Court decisions on crime and denouncing radical civil-rights activists who accepted violence as a means of protest, Nixon called for the federal government to restore law and order throughout the nation. We have been amply warned that we face the prospect of war in the making in our own society, Nixon said in a radio address. We have seen the gathering hate, we have hard the threats to burn and bomb and destroy. In Watts and Harlem and Detroit and Newark, we have had a foretaste of what the organizers of insurrection are planning We must take the warnings to heart and prepare to meet force with force if necessary. He had already fine-tuned these arguments while campaigning in the 1966 midterm elections, before the most recent round of riots, and now he had an even better atmosphere in which to sell his message. In one TV ad, Nixon warned: We owe it to the decent and law-abiding citizens of America to take the offensive against the criminal forces that threaten their peace and their security, and to rebuild respect for law across this country. And in his acceptance speech, Nixon declared: Working Americans have become the forgotten Americans. In a time when the national rostrums and forums are given over to the shouters and protesters and demonstrators, they have become the silent Americans. Nixons law-and-order arguments won the day. Indeed, as Michelle Alexander has shown in her landmark book The New Jim Crow, they became the intellectual foundation for a racially unequal criminal-justice system that exists todayone that disproportionately punishes blacks, revolves around an expansive federal prison system, militarizes local police forces, and sentences individuals who commit the most minor offenses to jail. *** The problem today is that politics might once again be moving in the wrong direction, not unlike what happened in 1968. Structural racism has to be addressed, but Obama is a lame-duck president with a Republican Congress that is unwilling to work on any legislative proposal that this White House sends them. The prospects of this Congress making progress on any kind of federal criminal-justice reforms are slim to none. And though Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has taken a much tougher stand in calling for criminal-justice reform and fighting for racial justice, she does not have an extensive record of dealing with institutional racism, and in the 1990s, she supported federal crime policies that only bolstered the law-and-order approach. Like Humphrey, she has shown a willingness to allow the political fears of the right push her toward a more conservative stance on these issues. And then theres Trump. Last year, he said of the Black Lives Matter movement: I think theyre trouble. I think theyre looking for trouble. And, though Trump mentioned the senseless, tragic deaths of the two victims in Louisiana and Minnesota in his statement after Dallas, there is little reason to think he will pay much attention to systemic racism and police violence. In the coming months, Trump instead will likely continue to play to the worst racial sentiment in the electorate and use this moment to build support for expanding rather than reforming the way that criminal justice is administered in America. During the late 1960s, the United States saw firsthand what could happen when institutional racism was allowed to persist. The string of racial violence Americans have witnessed in the past three years has brought the nation to a comparable historical inflection pointand one that, depending on the results of the election in November, could be just as consequential. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. London (AFP) - A junior chess champion in her youth, Angela Eagle at 55 is a skillful lawmaker known for her debating prowess, who is now challenging Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour Party leadership following the Brexit vote. If the former trade union staffer wins the support of Labour members, Eagle would also become the first openly gay leader of one of Westminster's main political parties. "Her loyalty to her party and her aptitude in the House has led her to be thought of as a 'unity candidate' -- someone who could bring the Labour Party membership, MPs and leadership together after the crisis," the left-wing Daily Mirror said. Born on February 17, 1961, in Yorkshire in northern England, Eagle has an identical twin sister, Maria, who has also followed the political path. Angela Eagle attended Oxford University, where she graduated in politics, philosophy and economics -- a degree that has launched many British political careers. She then worked in the Confederation of British Industry, a big business lobby, before joining the Confederation of Health Service Employees trade union. She was first elected to parliament in 1992 and joined then prime minister Tony Blair's government in 2001 but lost the spot in a cabinet reshuffle a year later. She served as a junior minister for pensions under Blair's successor Gordon Brown before the 2010 general election which toppled Labour and brought Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to power. As a figure from the leftist spectrum of the Labour party, Eagle never really associated with the more centre-left policies of Blair and Brown. She has been criticised for failing to predict the full impact of the global financial crisis on the British economy in 2008, telling parliament that warnings about a recession were "lurid fiction". And eight years ago, she became the first member of parliament to enter a civil partnership, forming a union with her long-term female partner. Story continues - 'Comfortable in her skin' - Eagle was tapped or the opposition shadow cabinet by Labour leader Ed Miliband in 2010 who made her shadow chief secretary to the Treasury. Under Corbyn she was the shadow first secretary of state -- implying seniority over other frontbench spokespersons -- before she and a host of others quit the shadow cabinet over what they considered Corbyn's failed leadership in Britain's EU referendum with Labour in favour of remaining in the bloc. Her sister, Maria, is also a Labour MP, making them the first twins elected to the House of Commons. She has mainly respected the Labour party line on key votes. One exception was last year when she voted against Corbyn in favour of Britain joining air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria. While Corbyn has never seemed a convincing orator against Cameron in the weekly Prime Minister's Questions debate, Eagle has performed well when called to deputise for him. "Eagle is comfortable in her skin and can speak persuasively to all types of voters -- from the Northern working classes to the (London) Shoreditch hipster," wrote John McTernan, a Daily Telegraph columnist and former Blair policy strategist. "She would be just what Labour needs," he added. In announcing her resignation from the shadow cabinet last month, Eagle wrote a scathing letter to Corbyn saying she was "devastated by the result of the EU referendum" in which Britain voted by 52 percent in favour of leaving the European Union. "Too many of our supporters were taken in by right-wing arguments and I believe this happened, in part, because under your leadership the case to remain in the EU was made with half-hearted ambivalence rather than full-throated clarity. "In such turbulent times, we need a leader who can unite rather than divide the Labour Party." London (AFP) - Britain's main opposition Labour faces a leadership battle after a challenger to Jeremy Corbyn finally stepped forward Saturday after a Brexit vote which caused political turmoil. Senior lawmaker Angela Eagle is to stand against veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn, the embattled head of the left-of-centre party, who has faced criticism for his lukewarm campaigning in favour of staying in the EU. Eagle announced her bid following the collapse of talks aimed at resolving a deep rift in the party over Corbyn's future which some commentators have suggested could prompt it to split. "On Monday morning I will announce my candidature for leader of the Labour Party," she said. Corbyn, who has lost the support of at least three-quarters of his lawmakers, had "failed to fulfil his first and foremost duty, that is to lead an organised and effective Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP)", added Eagle. The socialist leader, who has strong support from grassroots Labour members, has vowed to fight on, insisting there was "no pressure on me". Eagle, 55, was the shadow first secretary of state -- implying seniority over other front-bench spokespersons -- before she and a host of others quit the so-called shadow cabinet en masse last month. If she wins the contest, she would be the first openly gay leader of a major political party at Westminster. - 'No pressure on me' - Labour members of parliament staged a vote of no confidence in Corbyn on June 28, in which 17 percent backed him and 75 percent voted against him. While the EU referendum raised fresh doubts, many centrist MPs had long been opposed to his leadership. Despite this, Corbyn has vowed to battle on as leader, citing a groundswell of support in the party membership. "He will remain leader of the Labour Party and will contest any leadership challenge if one is mounted," his spokesman insisted. Corbyn himself told the Durham Miners' Gala, a key date in the diary of Britain's labour movement, that there was "no pressure on me, none whatsoever". Story continues "Real pressure is when you don't have enough money to feed your kids, when you don't have a roof over your head," he said. In the June 23 referendum, 52 percent of voters opted for Britain to leave the EU, with many traditional Labour heartlands voting out. US President Barack Obama said he believed Britain would quit the EU at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "I think we have to assume that a referendum having been passed with a lot of attention, a lengthy campaign and relatively high participation rates is going to stick," Obama said when asked if Britain could go back on the vote. But anger among "Remain" voters lingers. The British government on Saturday formally rejected a petition signed by more than four million people calling for a second referendum with a minimum 60 percent threshold and 75 turnout bar. Around 200 people gathered for a picnic to oppose Brexit held in central London's Green Park. - Test looms on nuclear deterrent - The trade unions which provide significant funding to Labour have repeatedly urged respect for Corbyn's authority as leader and the overwhelming grassroots mandate he received last year. Len McCluskey, leader of Britain's biggest union Unite, sharply attacked Labour deputy leader Tom Watson for the "sabotage" of talks designed to end the standoff. "Should there have to be a leadership election, I must warn that any attempts to keep Jeremy Corbyn, elected just 10 months ago with an enormous mandate, off the ballot paper by legal means risks a lasting division in the party," McCluskey added. In September, rank outsider Corbyn was elected Labour leader with 59.5 percent of the vote, made up of Labour Party members, members of affiliated unions and people who paid A3 ($3.90, 3.5 euros) to get a vote. Labour is likely to face fresh ructions next month over the issue of Britain's nuclear deterrent. Parliament will vote on replacing the submarines which carry Britain's Trident nuclear missiles on July 18, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Saturday. Corbyn is opposed to nuclear weapons, though many Labour MPs are likely to support maintaining the deterrent. The world is taking notice to the racial tensions in America, with one ally issuing an official warning to their residents. The government of Bahamas released a notice to be cautious when traveling to the United States in light of the recent police shootings. On Friday (July 8), The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration strongly warned young males to be weary of their interactions with police officers. We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the US but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally, the note reads. In particular, young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate. If there is any issue please allow consular offices for The Bahamas to deal with the issues. Do not get involved in political or other demonstrations under any circumstances and avoid crowds. The notice was also posted on the groups Facebook page. According to USA Today, the Carribean nation is currently celebrating their Indepence Day this weekend. A particular incident wasnt mentioned in the notice, but the recent shootings in Minnesota and Lousiana have prompted protests in major cities like New York, Phoenix and Los Angeles. On Thursday evening, an Army veteran killed five police officers and injured seven others during a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Tx. The U.S. Department of State hasnt commented on the warning from the Bahamas. This year, the U.S has issued 30 warnings citing the France shootings, drug wars in Mexico and terrorist threats in Kenya. Paris (AFP) - Former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso faced a wave of criticism Saturday after it emerged that he will advise US investment bank Goldman Sachs on the fallout from Brexit. Barroso, who also served as Portugal's prime minister, will become a non-executive chairman of Goldman Sachs International (GSI), the bank's international arm based in London. "Jose Manuel brings immense insights and experience to Goldman Sachs, including a deep understanding of Europe," GSI co-chief executives, Michael Sherwood and Richard Gnodde, said in a statement. But his appointment drew criticism from across the political spectrum. Pedro Filipe Soares, a leader in Portugal's radical Left Bloc that supports the ruling leftist coalition, said: "This nomination shows that the European elite of which Barroso is part knows no shame." France's foreign trade minister Matthias Fekl, meanwhile, tweeted: "Serving the people badly, serving yourself at Goldman Sachs: Barroso, an obscene representative of an old Europe that our representative will change." Fekl's socialist colleagues in the European Parliament also condemned Barroso's move, calling it "scandalous". - 'Boon for europhobes' - "We call for the rules to be changed to prevent the appointment of former European commissioners," French socialist Euro MPs wrote in a joint statement, adding that the "revolving door system strongly resembles a conflict of interest". Barroso served as president of the European Commission for a decade until 2014 -- steering it through the global financial crisis -- and before that as Portugal's prime minister between 2002 and 2004. "After having spent more than 30 years in politics and public service, it is an interesting and stimulating challenge that will allow me to use my skills for a global financial institution," Barroso told Portuguese daily Expresso. Story continues Goldman Sachs was heavily involved in selling complex financial products, including subprime mortgages that contributed to the world financial crisis in 2008. Leftwing French daily Liberation described Barroso's appointment as "the worst timing for the Union and a boon for europhobes," adding that it was tantamount to giving Europe "the finger". Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Front (FN) party, said on Twitter that the appointment was "nothing surprising for people who know that the EU does not serve people but high finance". Despite the chorus of criticism, Barroso's appointment adheres to the European Commission's rules that specify that commissioners remain accountable to the body for 18 months after the end of their term. State Sen. Steve Nass would like you to know he is very offended. The Republican from Whitewater has spent his week on a crusade against the University of Wisconsin after getting wind that an instructor in Madison included a reading assignment that the Associated Press described as arguing that gay men should be less discriminatory when selecting their sexual partners and contains profanity and vulgar references to oral sex. My understanding is that the article in question, which appeared in a magazine about Torontos nightlife, argued that unconscious racial bias plays a part in the choice of sexual partners.(Disclaimer: Try as I might, I was unable to find a copy of the essay online.) The 2011 essay, by Alex Rowlson and titled More Than a Preference, was assigned to sociology students by lecturer Jason Nolen as part of his course Problems of American Racial and Ethnic Minorities, designed to teach students about intersectionality of racism and sexuality, among other things, according to its syllabus on the UW website. Nass, presumably warned of what it would contain, read the essay and was moved to make it an assignment of his own. He wrote a letter to demand UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, UW President Ray Cross and the UW Board of Regents read the essay and give him a report, which he warned could affect their grades come budget time. Since students at UW-Madison are required to read this offensive material it is only appropriate that as leaders of the system you also read this offensive essay and respond with your thoughts on its educational value, Nass wrote. Does it represent the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea? Is this what the people of Wisconsin should expect when paying taxes and tuition to support the UW System? This is the same Wisconsin senator who spent last January and February attacking officials at UW-Whitewater for describing blackface as racist and offensive, because he thought it was political correctness run amok. President Cross needs to stop wasting time appeasing the political correctness crowd demanding safe-spaces, safe-words, universal apologies for hurt feelings, and speech/thought police, Nass said in a statement to The Capital Times, according to a Jan. 26 article. Personally, I am among the so-called political correctness crowd. Be kind when you can. If people dont want you to call them something, if they say it hurts them, then dont call them that. It does not hurt you to keep good manners in mind and treat people with some common decency. Saying something offensive just to offend should be the sole propriety of teenagers trying to be edgy and cool for their friends. In my mind, because Nass finds homosexual sexual acts offensive, its pretty easy and respectful to just not talk about them when hes in the room or spring unexpected references to them into his morning reading. (As an aside, out of respect for his sensibilities, please, no one tell Nass what safe words really are.) However, his statement above sounds like hes joined the thought police he was so dedicated to decrying. His letter essentially states that these UW officials should think the same way as he does about this essay or hell get his colleagues to cut their funding so fast their heads will spin. The Sociology Department seems to have done everything right, showing a basic respect for peoples sensitivity while also respecting the duty to push student boundaries and give them new perspectives. Context matters when it comes to being politically correct, or to be more accurate, polite. The essay as described pushed peoples boundaries of comfort. It may very well have been offensive, even to college students who are typically more comfortable with vulgar references than your average senator. However, the syllabus shared at the beginning of the class gave students plenty of time to mentally prepare themselves to discuss intercourse in public and asked everyone to be respectful and remember that everyone else in the class is coming from a place of good intentions, of trying to learn and struggle with the concepts of the class. Nolens boss, UW-Madison Sociology Department Chairwoman Pamela Oliver, on Thursday wrote Nass a public letter making the same argument, with the addition of mentioning that all the students in the class are adults capable of deciding whether they want to be there. Taken within the context of the course, the material appropriately pushes boundaries in order to spark discussion, Oliver wrote. Among adult college students, analyzing how people talk about sexuality is considered appropriate material. Ultimately, if our culture is going to follow the anti-PC crowd, we should at least be consistent. Which is it, Sen. Nass? Should the UW System refuse to kowtow to hurt feelings? Or should it bow to your personal discomfort under threat of having its funding slashed? It cant do both. Beijing (AFP) - Beijing has begun military drills in the South China Sea, state media reported Saturday ahead of a ruling by an international arbitration court on a dispute with the Philippines over the strategic waters. The navy Friday carried out "combat exercises" with "live missiles" between the Paracels and the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the PLA Daily, the military's official newspaper, said on its website. State television CCTV broadcast images of fighter aircraft and ships firing missiles, helicopters taking off and submarines surfacing. "The drill focused on air control operations, sea battles and anti-submarine warfare", said the PLA Daily, whose article was reposted on the defence ministry website. The military manoeuvres come as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is set to make its final decision on Tuesday in the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. The PLA Daily however insisted they were "routine exercises" and unrelated to the court's ruling. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the strategically vital waters in the face of rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam. To bolster its claims it has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Manila lodged its suit against Beijing in 2013, challenging China's claims to much of the strategic waterway and saying it was in violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both countries are signatories. Beijing has boycotted the proceedings, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the issue and that it will ignore the ruling. The Philippines said Friday it was willing to share natural resources with Beijing in the contested seas even if it wins next week's legal challenge. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told AFP that President Rodrigo Duterte's administration hoped to quickly begin direct talks with China following Tuesday's verdict. He said the negotiations could cover jointly exploiting natural gas reserves and fishing grounds within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The first bendable smartphones, capable of rolling up around the owner's wrist, could be on the market in five years' time, the Co-President of Lenovo's Mobile Business Group, Aymar de Lencquesaing, said in a recent interview with CNBC. The news comes after the firm demoed a flexible prototype mobile at Lenovo Tech World in June 2016. At the Lenovo Tech World event in June 2016, the Chinese manufacturer presented two prototype handsets with varying degrees of flexibility. The Lenovo Folio takes the form of an 8-inch tablet that can be folded in two, whereas the Lenovo CPlus is an otherwise regular-looking 4.26-inch smartphone that can be rolled around the owner's wrist like an oversized bangle. Both devices run Google's Android OS. Note that Lenovo already got the tech world talking this year by bringing Tango augmented reality technology, developed by Google, to its PHAB 2 Pro phablet, scheduled for release in September 2016. Lenovo isn't the only manufacturer working on projects of the kind, however. South Korean manufacturer Samsung is in the process of developing a smartphone concept with a screen that folds in half, codenamed Project Valley. This original device could initially be sold in Asian markets. Samsung already previewed its own flexible displays, made from plastic, at the 2011 CES in Las Vegas, USA, as part of a project to build an unbreakable phone. This technology can evidently be rolled out to tablets too. What's more, Samsung, like LG, is also said to be working on transparent displays. Samsung has suggested 2017 as a probable release date for a first foldable smartphone, although this might be less sophisticated and spectacular than the Lenovo CPlus. See the Lenovo CPlus and Folio demoed by YouTube vlogger, Meghan McCarthy: youtu.be/XRFM5Y3a6xE In her latest Instagram post, Beyonce paid tribute to the five police officers killed during a protest march in Dallas on Thursday, offering prayers and calling for love and peace. Rest in peace to the officers whose lives were senselessly taken yesterday in Dallas, the Houston-born star wrote beneath an image of a waving Texas flag, interspersed with the names of the deceased. I am praying for a full recovery of the seven others injured. No violence will create peace. Every human life is valuable. We must be the solution. Every human being has the right to gather in peaceful protest without suffering more unnecessary violence, she continued. To effect change we must show love in the face of hate and peace in the face of violence. Earlier this week, Beyonce spoke out following police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities, she wrote in a statement. It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they stop killing us.' Husband Jay Z also released a protest song, Spiritual. See Beyonces new Instagram post below. Chloe Grace Moretz is serving up some major summer vacation envy. The actress was sans Brooklyn Beckham during her Dominican Republic getaway but she was joined by her mother Teri, best friend Mia and brothers Trevor and Brandon. While in Punta Cana, Moretz, 19, shared a postcard-worthy photo along with a dolphin emoji on Instagram Thursday. In the photo, the star dips her feet in the crystal clear waters as she shows off her toned legs against a picturesque background. Don't worry ma'am #baywatch will protect you #BAEwatch @chloegmoretz @bmoe___ @mia_elana A video posted by trevordukemoretz (@trevordukemoretz) on Jul 7, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT That same day, Trevor posted a video of his travel buddies reenacting the iconic Baywatch slow motion run. Chloe, who works out seven times a week, sported wet beach hair and a white bikini as she did her best C.J. Parker impression on the sandy beach. Bout to get his birthday celebration started @mia_elana @chloegmoretz @bmoe___ @trevordukemoretz @colinuggets @frangerdanger A photo posted by Teri Moretz (@terbearmoretz) on Jul 7, 2016 at 4:27pm PDT "Don't worry ma'am #baywatch will protect you #BAEwatch," Trevor captioned his video. The Moretz siblings have been celebrating their mom's birthday since they arrived earlier in the week. The family kicked off the festivities with dinner on the beach as seen on Trevor and Teri's Instagram accounts. By Peter Eisler and Alana Wise WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Black Lives Matter has become a mantra for people protesting police violence against African Americans. Its a hash tag, a popular t-shirt slogan and a movement that is loosely organized by design. Black Lives Matter was founded by three women who popularized the slogan during protests over the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen who was shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. It has a website (BlackLivesMatter.com) and a network of chapters. But the idea is bigger than the organization. Although the march where five Dallas police officers were fatally shot Thursday was organized by another group, news reports described it as a Black Lives Matters event. The convenient narrative has been for people, for the media to say, Well, this was organized by Black Lives Matter', said Tezlyn Figaro, a publicist for Next Generation Action Network, the group that organized the event. The rally "had no affiliation with Black Lives Matter." The confusion flows in part from the decentralized structure of the Black Lives Matter organization and its founders desire that it remain open and inclusive. Not everyone who shows up at a demonstration is a full-fledged member of BLM, (but) theyre welcomed and encouraged to participate, Melina Abdullah, a representative of the groups Los Angeles chapter, said in a conversation with Reuters in June. During the standoff with police negotiators Thursday, the shooter invoked the slogan, saying he was "upset about black lives matter," according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. The organization disavowed the violence in a post on its web page. This is a tragedy - both for those who have been impacted by yesterday's attack and for our democracy, it said. There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this. Black activists have raised the call for an end to violence, not an escalation of it. That didnt stop a wave of social media criticism attempting to tie the violence to the movement. But U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, speaking about the demonstrations inspired by Black Lives and other groups, drew a bright line between the gunmans actions and lawful protest and protected speech. Do not be discouraged by those who use your lawful actions as cover for their heinous violence," Lynch said Friday. "We will continue to safeguard your constitutional rights and to work with you in the difficult mission of building a better nation and a brighter future. Some said the best way to define the movement is by continuing to push a positive message. After a vigil Friday in Dallas for the slain officers, Richmond Bunch played Amazing Grace on his violin. We need to frame out a way to come back to peace, said Bunch, 35, an African-American Dallas resident and Black Lives Matter contributor. The guy who committed this act, he doesn't stand for what America is. (Additional reporting by Ruthy Munoz in Washington, and Ernest Scheyder and Marice Richter in Dallas. Editing by Jason Szep and Lisa Girion) In the hours following the shooting death of five police officers in Dallas during an otherwise peaceful demonstration, opinions blared from social media, televisions, and newspaper front pages. In the din of it all, I reached out to the retired police chief Donald Grady II, who served as chief in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among other cities, and also trained police forces abroad in managing racial and ethnic strife among the ranks and with civilians. His 36 years on the force, as a black American, were marked by some familiar tensions and themesracial targeting, police brutality, unwarranted hostility, lack of cooperation, and mutual paranoia. In a candid and expansive conversation, Grady unpacked for me some of the complexities of wearing a blue uniform while living in brown skin. An edited version of our conversation follows. Juleyka Lantigua-Williams: What was your reaction? Donald Grady II: Disappointment. Heartache. Im disappointed that anyone would decide that the way to resolve issues that we have between the public and the police, in particular minorities and the police, is through additional violence. I dont understand how anyone could rationally believe that perpetrating violence against the police would somehow endear the police to the rest of society. Heartache because weve got people dying all over this country. Weve got civilians dying at the hands of the police and police dying at the hands of civilians. And rather than talk about things reasonably, logically, we have the police ratcheting up the rhetoric and weve got members of the community ratcheting up the rhetoric and that doesnt resolve any issues at all. It bothers me any time we lose a citizen or we lose a police officer We have to recognize that police officers are citizens too. Recommended: Is America Repeating the Mistakes of 1968? Lantigua-Williams: What do we do now? How do we show that we value blue and black lives? Story continues Grady: We have to get police administrators and police officers to recognize that just because they put on a blue uniform does not mean that theyve divorced themselves from being citizens. They were citizens before they ever became police officers. They dont lose that status just because they put a uniform on. For years, theres been a line between the police and the public, and its perpetuated oftentimes by the policethats an unfortunate thing to say but its true. We perpetuate it by having an us versus them attitude. Police officers begin to think that the only good people in the world are police officers, and that everybody else is somehow the enemy. Im not saying every police officer does it, Im not saying that everyone is guilty of it, but theres a preponderance of people in the police profession that really do draw a line between the police and the public and they see themselves as an occupying army, as someone that has to be the champions for what they consider the good people. Unfortunately, being the good people oftentimes translates into being a non-minority. Minorities are typically viewed as the dangerous classes, and theyre seen by too many police officers as symbolic assailants. Society has perpetuated that myth forever. We attribute things to minorities that dont exist but we make ourselves believe that they do Police officers buy into that. Ive done policing for 36 years of my life, so its not as if Im not anti-police. Im very pro-police, but Im pro democratic police. Im not pro autocratic authoritarian police. Recommended: Where Republicans Stand on Their Nominee: A Cheat Sheet Lantigua-Williams: The same way there might be within the police culture a generalization that adds automatic criminality to certain populations, there are black and brown communities that say the police are not responsive to us, so some of our relationships with them are preempted by our not receiving adequate security or not having the same response times. In your experience, how has that played out? Is it a factor in the tension between police and communities? Grady: Of course its a factor. But the problem here is that its true. Minorities are not making it up that police are not responsive to their communities, that police are overly aggressive when theyre dealing with minorities. Thats not an illusion on the part of minority communities. Thats real. As a police chief, I have been stopped numerous times by police officers claiming that there was some violation with my car until they realized that Im just a law-abiding citizen. I dont identify myself as a cop when Im in those circumstances, I just let them do what they are going to do. And like so many other African Americans I just say yes, sir, no, sir and let it go at that. But after a while you get tired of being stopped for doing nothing. After a while, even as a police chief, you get really tired of being put upon. Theres a thing that we call freedom of movement which is really revered in this countrythat we should have the right to move freely without impingement from the police simply because. Recommended: The Myth of Police Reform Lantigua-Williams: How would you handle the unfolding events if you were the Dallas police chief today, as a man in blue and as an African American man? Grady: I have been in those circumstances. The first, and most important thing that I do, is I refuse to lie. I will not fabricate. I will not falsify information. I will not do anything that makes the circumstance any different than what it actually is. The second thing is Im willing to accept absolute responsibility for what I do and what the people who work for me do. I have an obligation to ensure that it doesnt happen or that it doesnt happen again If my people did something wrong, well fit it. At the same time, if my people have done something right, I will let them know why it was right and why they did it. We have been so insular as police that we have put people off. You go to a police department its like going into a gulag, we barricade ourselves off from the public. We have bullet-proof glass if you go up to even complain about a parking ticket. Thats unreasonable. Thats not the way a democracy should work. If were open and honest, if we do what we know to be right, and were truthful with the people, you dont have an us versus them attitude. Lantigua-Williams: Chief Brown said that the police department is hurting, that the profession hurting, that they need to feel supported by the city of Dallas and the whole country. Theres a notion of a war on cops thats entered the conversation while many maintain that certain ethnic populations have been historically unduly targeted. Wheres the line, if were trying to be honest and speak in realistic terms, wheres the line between those two conflicting ideas? Grady: I dont necessarily see them as conflicting ideas. I see them as a misunderstanding of whats actually taking place. We have to recognize that the very nature of policing in a democratic society creates a dynamic tension. You have freedoms in a democracy, these rights, but with every right comes an obligation. What sometimes the police forget is that theres an obligation thats associated with those rights. If I have a right to demonstrate, you have an obligation to allow me to do so uninterrupted. Lantigua-Williams: That appears to be what was happening last night before the shooting began. Grady: I understand that, and I applaud them for the way they were handling that before the shooting took place. I applaud them. They were doing just fine and I saw that as an example of the police being responsive to its community. But, as I told you, the very nature of policing in a democratic society creates a dynamic tension, there are always people that will not like what they see, what they hear, theyre not going to want to respond favorably to any imposition of the law. In a democracy, we have to have a contract with the police. Were going to allow you to enforce the laws on us. If I break the law, you have the authority to enforce the law against me. One of the things that we do when we grant them that authority we also grant them the authority to use force. We have granted the police the authority to use force to control our society when its deemed necessary. Most of us accept that with no problem. There are going to be segments of the population that will never agree to that. When you abuse that authority on certain segments of the population you have to expect that there will be pushback. No one can argue honestly that we have police officers, generally speaking, treating people of color equally to those people that are not of color or that we treat people in the lower socioeconomic brackets equally to those in the middle, upper and affluent brackets. Lantigua-Williams: Might there be a rationale that some people have adopted that leads them to see a systemic issue in access to the instruments of social and economic mobility, and because police officers mitigate between the law and the citizenry, they have become a target? Grady: I sometimes get really disillusioned when people use the word perception. If in fact something exists, if its real, and someone believes it to be real because they see all the indicators that it is in fact real then thats not a perception, its reality It hurts my heart to know that my son could walk out the door and not come back because hes been shot by a police officer and the police officer shot him to death because he was scared. There are cops that will tell you Im not scared of blacks, but I told you about the symbolic assailant. All of our lives its drummed into us subliminally that you need to fear people of color. Its not an illusion, its real If you recognize that this is built inbecause thats the nature of institutional racismand that we react unconsciously to things that we have heard all of our lives. Lantigua-Williams: You have a son, and you had the conversation with him? Grady: The conversation I had to have with my son is the same conversation most black and minority parents have to have with their children. You have to understand that you have to interact differently with peoplenot just police officers, but with non-minority peoplethan most people that you would interact with. What he sees his friends do, he cant necessarily do. And sometimes it doesnt work. A clear example is what happened with Philandro Castile in Minnesota. You can comply, you can do everything they tell you to do, you can do everything youre asked, and theres no guarantee that youll still come out okay. Ive had to have that conversation. And you need to understand that if you do the wrong things it will almost guarantee you a negative result. My son is no longer with me so its not as if I can tell you how that turned out in the long term. Lantigua-Williams: What happened to your son? Grady: My son died when he was 14 due to a suicide. He was with me 14 years and it was a very pleasant experience so I have to feel blessed that he was with me for that amount of time. Lantigua-Williams: Im sorry. How old was he when you had the conversation? Grady: He was only about nine, ten. Lantigua-Williams: What precipitated the conversation? Grady: We were talking about some things and that just happened to come up in one of the discussions. Id been a cop for a long time. I was a cop when we were talking, and I had to let him know that all cops arent like me. All cops dont see policing the same way I do. So while he understands how he can interact with me and what he sees me do with other people, thats one thing. But what he can expect from other police officers will not necessarily be the same thing, and he needed to be aware of that Lantigua-Williams: What was his reaction? Grady: Remember, for those ten years, he had grown up black, so he had experienced some things already that told him that things werent quite right, not everybody gets treated the same. People forget that the n-word is a very hurtful word, but children start to hear that very early. He was in kindergarten when he first heard that word used at him. When students would pick on him and call him the n-word, the teacher would tell him that he had to have a thicker skin. Why would we let people tell our children that? But thats the kind of response he would get from his non-African American teachers, which most of them were. He had grown up with that. And thats part of how we ended up with the conversation, and him having to recognize that its different for us. We grow up differently. We have to live differently and expect things to be done differently. Sometimes it will be fair, not everybody gets treated unfairly, but sometimes you do. You just have to understand how to deal with that so that you come out okay. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. CHICAGO -- Atlanta Braves right-hander Julio Teheran is expected to make his next start after recovering from an infection in his right thigh. Braves interim manager Brian Snitker confirmed that Teheran will be able to start Saturday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox in the second game of their three-game series. Teheran (3-7, 2.72 ERA) returned to Atlanta earlier in the week to undergo treatment for the infection from an ingrown hair, which forced him to miss Wednesday's start against the Phillies. He threw a side session on Thursday. "Everything's really good," Snitker said. "He's running around and doing all his pregame stuff. He'll be ready to go." Teheran has never faced the White Sox. If all goes well Saturday and from there forward, Teheran -- the Braves' lone All-Star selection -- could also pitch in the midsummer classic on Tuesday in San Diego. "I'm happy to be back (as an All-Star)," Teheran told MLB.com. "Last year, I couldn't make it because I was struggling, but I'm glad to be back at that game. Whenever you make it the first time, you just want to keep being an All-Star." In his last start, Teheran allowed five runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins on July 1 before the discomfort from the infection worsened Sunday. "I've never gotten that many (antibiotic) shots in my life," Teheran said. "I don't know how I got (the infection), but I'm glad we got it before it got worse." Atlanta was playing at their fifth ballpark in seven days on Friday. They faced the Marlins in Miami before that series moved to Fort Bragg, N.C., last Sunday for the first major league game on an active military base. Then the Braves headed to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Phillies, and made up a rainout against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Wrigley Field. After beating the Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings after midnight Friday, the Braves traveled across town to open the series against the White Sox. Story continues "When we went into this I said we're going to need an All-Star break to recover from this with different game times and travel and whatnot," Snitker said. "It's been a tough go, but that's what we do." The Braves (30-57) have won two straight after losing four in a row. They opened their series against the White Sox with an 11-8 victory Friday. "The guys were really aggressive and had a good approach," Snitker said. For the White Sox, left-hander Jose Quintana (6-8, 3.06 ERA) will start. He ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday when he limited the Houston Astros to a run and two hits in seven innings. The White Sox have scored just 13 runs in his last 10 starts. They tallied four runs to beat the Astros. "Good reaction," Quintana told MLB.com. "More runs. Sometimes I wait for them. Today, the lineup made a good effort." In his lone career start against Atlanta on July 21, 2013, Quintana allowed a run and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings for a victory. By Robin Emmott and Wiktor Szary WARSAW (Reuters) - Britain's outgoing prime minister David Cameron set a July 18 vote for parliament to decide on renewing Britain's nuclear deterrent, in a surprise move seemingly timed to underscore London's commitment to European security at a NATO summit. Political divisions about whether to replace the Trident submarines, backed in principle by parliament in 2007, have raised questions about Britain's standing as a world power, amplified by Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Speaking at a NATO summit, Cameron said it was time to put "beyond doubt" the decision on the renewal of the aging fleet of four submarines carrying nuclear weapons. "Today I can announce that we'll hold a parliamentary vote on July 18 to confirm members of parliaments' support for the renewal of a full fleet of four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover," Cameron told a news conference at the summit. Cameron, who will hand over to a new prime minister in September, also defended his decision not to leave a new British leader to call the vote, which is expected to pass because of strong support from the governing Conservative party. The center-left Labour Party had been a supporter of renewal but its new leader, far-left veteran lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn, an anti-war campaigner, is opposed to the plans. The Scottish Nationalist Party wants Britain's Scotland-based Trident submarines scrapped. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view, not just to Britain's security, but as our allies have acknowledged here today, to the overall security of the NATO alliance," said Cameron, who resigned after last month's EU referendum. Cameron made the announcement as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation underlined the importance of its nuclear deterrent in the summit's final statement, toughening the language of a communique two years ago, in an indirect warning to Russia. NATO allies have been critical of what they say is reckless talk by Moscow about its nuclear prowess. Alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is concerned Russia could be lowering the bar for using nuclear weapons. "NATO has the capabilities and resolve to impose costs on an adversary that would be unacceptable and far outweigh the benefits that an adversary could hope to achieve," the statement said. "The independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute to the overall security of the alliance." Britain's Conservative government says the nuclear deterrent is vital to keep Britain safe in an increasingly hostile world, but some opposition figures say it is indefensible to spend billions on renewing the program at a time of austerity cuts. The government has indicated the price tag for replacing the fleet has risen since 2007 but has not given a full cost over its expected 30-year life. Calculations by Reuters and a Conservative lawmaker suggest it could reach 167 billion pounds. (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Wiktor Szary; editing by Andrew Roche) The Salvation Army will begin to take calls Monday for appointments to register for its popular Steppin Back to School program, in which children receive new outfits for school. Appointments were not needed previously for the program, which matches children in need with community sponsors. The sponsors provide each child with a new outfit consisting of a pair of shoes, a shirt and a pair of pants. Appointments will be accepted for the three days of registration: Noon to 4 p.m. July 22 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 23 4 to 7 p.m. July 25. Corps staffers will work with sponsors to provide outfits for children from pre-school through 12th grade in La Crosse County. Appointments will be open until 450 children are scheduled. Registration requires proof of income and proof of each child to be sponsored, such as a Social Security Card. Registration for backpacks and school supplies will take place through Catholic Charities. Items will be distributed from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the La Crosse Center. To make an appointment, call 608-782-6126 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and ask for Michelle. LONDON (Reuters) - The British government has rejected an online petition signed by 4.1 million people calling for a new referendum on whether to leave the European Union. Britons voted by 52 to 48 percent, or 17.4 million votes to 16.1 million, to leave the EU in a June 23 referendum, a result which most politicians have said should be respected but which some who voted "remain" are struggling to accept. The petition called for the government to enact a rule that there should be another referendum if the vote for "remain" or "leave" was less than 60 percent based on a turnout of less than 75 percent. The Foreign Office, the ministry that had steered through parliament the EU Referendum Act setting out the rules, responded that the legislation did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout. "The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected," it said. "We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations." Both candidates to replace David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative Party and prime minister have said the result of the referendum should not be questioned and Brexit should be delivered. "Brexit means Brexit," front-runner Theresa May, the interior minister, said in a speech announcing her bid. May had advocated staying in the bloc, but was not a leading figure in the "remain" campaign. Her rival, junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom, was one of the most passionate advocates of Brexit ahead of the referendum and has said that Britain would flourish outside the EU. Despite such assurances, some who voted "remain" have continued to hope that there could be a way for Britain to stay in the EU despite the referendum result, and there has been international speculation that Brexit may not materialize. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Andrea Leadsom, one of two candidates vying to become the next British prime minister, has caused an uproar by suggesting that being a mother means she has a greater stake in the country's future than her childless rival Theresa May. A little-known junior energy minister until she emerged as one of the most ardent voices in the campaign to leave the European Union, Leadsom is the outsider in the contest to succeed David Cameron as Conservative leader and prime minister. Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to stay in the bloc, announced he would quit after the June 23 referendum delivered a vote for Brexit. May, the interior minister who also advocated remaining in the EU, is the favourite to replace him. "I am sure she will be really sad she doesn't have children so I don't want this to be 'Andrea has children, Theresa hasn't' because I think that would be really horrible," Leadsom, a devout Christian, told the Times newspaper. "But genuinely I feel being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake. She possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people. But I have children who are going to have children who will directly be a part of what happens next." The comments were denounced by many Conservative lawmakers and May supporters, who used words like "vile", "divisive", "insulting" and "embarrassing" to describe them. Among them was Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who said the leadership contest should not descend into "a slanging match" but focus on substantive issues. "What makes you qualified to be prime minister is having long experience of the issues facing this country ... That is why I am backing Theresa May," he said. Leadsom fought back, denouncing the Times article on Twitter as "gutter journalism" and saying in a televised statement: "I want to be crystal clear that everyone has an equal stake in our society and in the future of our country." The Times, which backs May, stood by its story and released a recording of Leadsom making the comments, which was played on Saturday news bulletins on all the main radio and TV stations. The Sunday Times, the Times's sister paper, said late on Saturday it had learnt that "as many as 20" Conservative lawmakers were prepared to leave the party if Leadsom became leader - potentially depriving her of a majority in parliament. "LACK OF JUDGEMENT" May made no comment on Leadsom's interview, merely tweeting: "Yesterday, I launched my clean campaign pledge and invite @AndreaLeadsom to join me in signing it." That was a reference to five commitments May made on Friday, including to ensure that campaigning "stays within the acceptable limits of political debate." In a boost for May, the pro-Conservative Telegraph newspaper declared its support for her on Saturday. May and Leadsom were selected by Conservative lawmakers from an original field of five candidates. May was backed by 199 lawmakers, while Leadsom received support from 84. The contest now moves to the party's 150,000 grassroots members, who will elect the winner by Sept. 9. Leadsom's bid, which has enthused some of the more staunchly eurosceptic people on the right of the party, had already been marred by questions over whether she had overstated her professional experience in finance. Building on her credentials as a Brexit campaigner, Leadsom has said that if elected she would swiftly launch the legal process of extracting Britain from the EU, and that current freedom of movement rules would end. But her comments on motherhood overshadowed other points she has made since announcing her bid, drawing some strong reaction. "I am childless. I have nieces and nephews. I believe I - like everyone else - have a very real stake in our country," tweeted Ruth Davidson, the leader of the party's Scottish arm who is backing May. Lawmaker Alan Duncan, also a May supporter, called Leadsom's comments "vile", while colleague Antoinette Sandbach said Leadsom had shown "a lack of judgment." Leadsom supporter and junior defence minister Penny Mordaunt defended the controversial comments. "She was talking about what motivates her personally," Mordaunt told BBC radio, describing the Times article as an attempt to smear Leadsom. The row comes days after May spoke publicly for the first time, in a newspaper interview, of the sadness she and her husband Philip had experienced after being unable to have children. (Additional reporting by David Milliken; editing by Gareth Jones and Diane Craft) Two men were killed by bulls during bullfighting events in Spain on Saturday, according to multiple reports. One was professional bullfighter Victor Barrio, whose tragic death occurred in front of live spectators and television viewers during a competition in Teruel on Saturday afternoon, according to Reuters. The 29-year-old was killed when the bull's horn fatally pierced his chest, the BBC reported. Barrio started as an apprentice bullfighter at Madrid's Las Ventas in 2010, according to the Las Ventas website. His death marks the first Spanish bullfighter to die in a ring since 2000, according to Reuters. The BBC confirmed, saying the last matador to die in a bullfight in Spain was Jose "Yiyo" Cubero in 1985. Another Spanish man was killed during the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona at the age of 28. One bull's horn pierced his lung and heart while he was trying to come to another runner's aid. This man is the second person in two years to die during this specific event. In addition to the Spanish man who died, three Americans and one Canadian man were gored during the bull run, which spans several days. The four men are reportedly expected to survive their injuries. (Adds death of bullfighter in Teruel) MADRID, July 9 (Reuters) - A bullfighter and a man participating in a village bull-run were killed in Spain on Saturday, while another two men were gored by the animals at the world-famous festival in the town of Pamplona. Victor Barrio, a 29-year-old professional bullfighter, was killed when a bull's horn pierced his chest in front of spectators as he competed in a fight in the town of Teruel in the eastern region of Aragon. His death, shown live on television, was confirmed on the website of Madrid's Las Ventas bullring, where Barrio began as an apprentice bullfighter in 2010. He is the first Spanish bullfighter to die in a ring since the turn of the century. In the southeastern village of Pedreguer near Valencia, a 28-year-old Spaniard was killed during a bull-run, in which people risk life and limb by racing alongside specially-bred fighting bulls through narrow streets. A bull's horn pierced his lung and heart as he was trying to help another runner during the event, in which a man was killed last year, a spokesman for the regional government said. Many of Spain's towns hold summer festivals involving bulls, and several people die each year. The San Fermin festival, in which bulls chase red-scarved runners through Pamplona's cobbled streets during nine days of events, attracts thousands of revellers from Spain and overseas. In Saturday's run there, a 33-year-old Japanese man was gored in the chest and a 24-year-old Spanish man in the arm, while 12 others suffered minor injuries, the local government said on its website. The Japanese man was in a stable condition in hospital, a spokesman for the festival said. The four-minute run in Pamplona featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners. The daily bull-run along an 825-metre stretch of narrow streets in Pamplona's old town starts at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and usually lasts between three and five minutes. There are eight runs in total during the festival. Over the past century 15 people have died in Pamplona's event, which dates back hundreds of years, according to a count on the unofficial San Fermin website. The last death was recorded in 2009. (Reporting by Eloy Alonso in PAMPLONA and Maria Vega Paul in MADRID; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Andrew Roche) By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - President Raul Castro told Cubans on Friday to brace for tough times because the Communist-run country must cut spending and energy supply as it deals with a cash crunch and reduced oil imports from ally Venezuela. Cuban economic growth slowed to 1 percent in the first half of this year from 4.7 percent in the same period of 2015, Castro told the mid-year session of the National Assembly. This was half of what the government had forecast. The economic outlook throughout Latin America has weakened due to lower commodity prices. Castro's warning came at a time when Cuban expectations are high due to economic reforms and warming relations with the United States. "Rumors and forecasts of an imminent collapse of our economy with a return to the acute phase of the Special Period ... have started to appear," Castro said according to a copy of his speech provided by the country's official news agency Prensa Latina. Foreign journalists are barred from the assembly. He was referring to the years after Cuba's biggest benefactor, the Soviet Union, collapsed. During that time, in the early 1990s, Cubans had to cope with widespread power outages and food shortages. "We cannot deny there will be some impact, including worse than currently, but we are prepared and in better conditions than then to revert it." Public offices and state-run companies have already cut work hours and are limiting the use of air-conditioning, workers have said. Cinemas have cut the number of film screenings, and petrol stations are running out of fuel more frequently than in the past few years. Castro said Cuba was struggling to pay foreign suppliers on time, and thanked them for their "confidence and understanding of the transitory situation we are in." He reiterated the government is determined to pay the suppliers, even if delayed. Cuba had at least been able to fulfill its international debt obligations, Castro said. "We will not give up the aim of continuing to reestablish international credibility in the Cuban economy," he said. VENEZUELAN FUEL Lower commodities prices are battering Cuban exports of nickel, refined oil products and sugar, while revenue from the sale of professional services to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Angola has suffered, Castro said on Friday. He said the economic crisis in Venezuela was affecting its oil supply to Cuba. Reuters reported earlier on Friday that Venezuelan shipments of crude oil and refined products to the island nation had declined around 20 percent in the first half of this year. As a result, Cuba must reduce all unnecessary spending, substitute imports for Cuban-made goods, invest in sectors that generate hard cash and use energy more efficiently, Castro said. "At the same time, we will preserve the social services the Revolution has conquered," he assured. The president did not detail the energy cuts. But the Communist Party weekly in eastern Holguin province, reporting on a meeting of top officials there, wrote this week that the government plans to reduce energy consumption by 28 percent in the second half of 2016. While Cuba has a long history of energy rationing, many Cubans expect more now as its relations with the West are improving and it is diversifying its trade partnerships. "We Cubans we've confronted everything," said Ramon Luaces, a carpenter in Havana. "But I do hope the system improves a bit... if the problem with Venezuela is this serious, they should look for other options." (Additional Reporting by Nelson Acosta and Marc Frank; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Bernard Orr) Residential real estate in South Florida is about to meet the king of haute couture. The Miami-based Trump Group recently announced that Karl Lagerfeld--the head designer and creative director of Chanel and Fendi--has attached his name to their new luxury condominium project in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. The Estates at Acqualina, set to break ground later this year, will feature lobbies designed by the fashion maestro himself. Developer Jules Trump--who runs The Trump Group with his brother, Eddie (no relation to The Donald)--said that Lagerfeld was an obvious choice when it came to designing one of the property's most intimate spaces. "Karl Lagerfeld's name kept coming up as the icon of timeless beauty," Trump explained in an interview with Fortune. "So we approached him through a mutual friend. We wanted something extraordinary, and we went to a man who's extremely extraordinary." Although The Trump Group declined to provide details on the features and furnishings Karl has envisioned, the style icon stated in a promotional interview that he wanted the lobbies to feel "fresh and silvery." Lagerfeld drew inspiration from a range of sources: The construction, Florida, the mood of the moment. All kinds of elements. And while the prolific designer has been known to dabble in an array of extracurricular projects--from directing Magnum commercials to creating a collection of fountain pens--he was drawn to the Acqualina project for one prudent reason in particular: I [designed] too many houses I never used, and I cannot make another house for myself. Scheduled for completion in 2020, The Estates at Acqualina comprises two 50-story ultra-luxury condominiums with 265 fully-furnished residences. The development follows the sell-out success of the Mansions at Acqualina--the Estates sister project that debuted last fall. Catering primarily to well-heeled families--with prices ranging from $3.9 million to $40 million--the new property will include five dining options, a dog park, and 24-hour valet service. The Estates will also feature bowling lanes, an ice-skating rink, and a Wall Street Traders Club room complete with ticker tape and a board room. Story continues 2016 may not be the most auspicious year for high-end real estate in South Florida. A report published this past April by Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers & Consultants found that the average sale price in Miami Beach and the Barrier Islands fell 7.5% in the last 12 months, to about $905,000--and prices for the top 10% of condos plunged by 14.5%. But Jules Trump says he is confident that Lagerfelds star power will only ramp up the enthusiasm that prospective buyers have already expressed. We've already got about one third of the building reserved already, so we're optimistic, Trump said. And the announcement about Karl has perked up interest considerably. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com Mary Beth Springer was working as a freelance writer when she met the woman who would inspire her first childrens book. After speaking with Nanette, Springer started a 14-year journey to publish I Have Cerebral Palsy. Nannette inspired me to write a book in recognition of her multiple accomplishments, said Springer, a longtime La Crosse resident. Despite her health struggles, Nanette made the honor roll and deans list while earning two college degrees. After meeting Nanette in 2002, I wanted to know more about cerebral palsy, Springer said. I also started asking children if they knew what cerebral palsy was. When they were unable to tell me, I decided to write the childrens book. Springer wrote from the point of view of Sydney, a girl from Minnesota who was willing to share her story as a child with the condition. It was written to increase the understanding for both children and adults of what cerebral palsy is, Springer said, and enhance the meaningful interaction between physically challenged and non-physically challenged children. After tabling the completed manuscript for several years, Springer contacted Star Bright Books, a publisher of special needs books, in 2010. The finished book, which includes photos of Sydney, is being released this month. Throughout the pages, Sydney is shown participating in recreational activities, sometimes using adaptive equipment. While cerebral palsy can affect mobility, making basic activities such as eating difficult, the book emphasizes that a disability doesnt prevent children from enjoying life and playing sports. A facts and resources section on adaptive technology and the Miracle League organization is included. Springer will premier her book Sunday at the La Crosse Public Library, and Sydney may stop by as well. Sydney hopes that by sharing her story, other kids will feel more comfortable around people with disabilities, Springer said. Two weeks on from the U.K.'s historic decision to leave the European Union, no one is any the wiser about what or how big an impact it will have on the nation's economy, 64 million population or future. The only real certainty is that there will be plenty of uncertainty in the months and years ahead, with the potential impact on the British music business ranging from restrictions on touring in Europe to fears of a slump in record sales in a key export market. Global Markets Stabilize After Brexit-Fueled Rout To address those concerns a new working group has been set up by The Creative Industries Council (CIC) to specifically examine the impact Brexit will have on the music, film, television, tech, arts, fashion, publishing, advertising and gaming industries. Headed by John McVay, chief executive of independent film and television association Pact, the group will be tasked with identifying problems and opportunities for each creative sector caused by the June 23 referendum, which saw a 52 percent majority of the U.K. population vote to leave the EU, triggering the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and sending the value of the pound into free fall. "This is a key moment for the creative industries to create concrete proposals that can bring benefits to the U.K.'s creative industries and ensure that one of the U.K.'s most successful sectors remains at the top table," said McVay in a statement. One of his first tasks in the new role will be recruiting other members of the Creative Industries Council to join the working group, which has been tasked with delivering its initial responses to the CIC and Culture and Business Secretaries by mid-August. Members of the CIC include umbrella trade organization UK Music, Arts Council England, British Film Institute (BFI) and the U.K. government department for Culture, Media and Sport. According to the latest government figures, creative industries contribute 84 billion ($108 billion) a year to the U.K. economy and account for just under 3 million jobs in the wider creative community. Exports alone add up to just under 20 billion ($26 billion), while the sector is growing at just under 9 percent a year making it the U.K.'s second fastest expanding industrial sector, says the CIC, which this month published its five-year "Create Together" strategy. Story continues Michael Wolff on Brexit: Why 'Stupid' Beat 'Smart' Media (and How Trump Benefits) Written before the EU referendum was held and seemingly devised on the presumption that the U.K. would choose to remain one of the EU's 28 member states, the strategy document identifies "eight key drivers" for building future growth, including major improvements to digital infrastructure, greater diversity within the creative industries, increased financial investment in the sector and "a strong, clear and actively enforced intellectual property framework." Within the latter category, there are a number of recommendations related to the EU's Digital Single Market proposals, which aims to provide better access for consumers and businesses to digital goods and services across Europe and create a level playing field for digital networks and innovative services to flourish. Echoing numerous letters to the European Commission from music trade associations in the past several months, the Creative Industries Council calls for "clarification at EU level" to ensure that platforms which host and market music content "do not benefit" from safe harbor provisions. It also seeks clarification from EU officials that platforms are "liable for infringing content on their services" and that service "take reasonable steps to reduce infringement" including effective "notice and stay down" systems. Exactly how much influence a post-Brexit U.K. will have in devising and implementing the EU's Digital Single Economy and ongoing copyright reforms is not yet clear, although the process of withdrawing from the EU is not a quick transition and could take well beyond the two year time frame dictated by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, according to experts. "The UK's creative industries are open for business as usual," Nicola Mendelsohn, industry co-Chair of the CIC, said at the July 4 Create Together strategy launch. "We have long been an engine in delivering economic growth, new jobs and service exports to the U.K. We now believe we can be instrumental in shaping the new growth agenda in the post-Brexit world and play an important part in economic development of all parts of the U.K.," said Mendelsohn calling on the British government to negotiate favorable access to the international and digital single market as its begins the tricky task of now putting Brexit into action London (AFP) - Veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn has had to contend with the Brexit vote and now an open rebellion during his nine tumultuous months at the head of Britain's main opposition Labour party. Throughout, Corbyn has used his support from grassroots party members as a shield against increasingly fierce attacks from Labour MPs and is likely to do so again following the leadership challenge announced by Angela Eagle on Saturday. Here are the main chapters so far in the battle for the soul of the party: - Election, first obstacles - Corbyn was elected head of the Labour party by party members and trade union members on September 12, 2015. He beat his centre-left rivals in a shock result, that most observers thought would be impossible given that the general consensus was that the party had lost the general election in May last year for being too left-wing. Then aged 66 -- he is now 67 -- Corbyn had never served in government or in a senior party position and was known as an MP who for decades had frequently defied the leadership, particularly under former centrist prime minister Tony Blair. It was a clear victory, with Corbyn getting over 250,000 votes -- or 59.5 percent of those cast -- far ahead of his rivals amid an upsurge in support from grassroots activists and youthful "Corbynites". Hailed by Spain's Podemos and Greece's Syriza anti-austerity parties, Corbyn promised a hard left-wing line against David Cameron's Conservative government and turned away from Blair's influential "New Labour" policies. Corbyn's honeymoon period -- if he ever really had one -- was short-lived and the first rifts began appearing, particularly between his backers and diehard "Blairite" MPs. Corbyn was forced to emphasise that he had a mandate from the party membership and rebel lawmakers should respect his leadership -- a defence he has stuck to. - Syria vote dents Corbyn - Already involved in the struggle against the Islamic State group in Iraq, Cameron's Conservative government wanted to extend its air strikes to Syria and called for a vote in parliament. Story continues A veteran pacifist, Corbyn said he would not support a military option and emphasised the party's position against air strikes -- but ended up leaving his MPs free to vote according to their conscience. Parliament voted for air strikes in December, with strong support from Labour. Corbyn's compromise avoided an outright rebellion by MPs but it called into question his ability to lead the party. The signs of a rift were all too clear, with foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn openly contesting Corbyn's position. A few weeks later, Corbyn reshuffled the leadership of the party in a move that some Labour MPs denounced as "Trotskyist". - Eurosceptic campaigning - Corbyn is a lifelong eurosceptic and voted against Britain's membership of the European Economic Community in 1975. Supporting a vote to stay in the European Union was never going to be easy for him, particularly as he had criticised the EU's free-market policies for decades. Corbyn did campaign for "Remain" but in a lukewarm and ambivalent way, according to political observers. His main line was that the country's problems should be blamed on Cameron and not on the EU. But the criticism got more vocal and Corbyn was accused of doing too little, too late and of failing to address working-class concerns on immigration. At the same time, he was also forced to fend off accusations of anti-Semitism in the party. Corbyn performed relatively well in regional elections and Labour's Sadiq Khan won the London mayoral vote but the party's support collapsed in Scotland. - Brexit and rebellion - As the results of the June 23 referendum filtered in during the early hours of Friday, a political earthquake began with Cameron's announcement he would resign. Corbyn's enemies saw a chance to push for his ouster and organised a coordinated series of resignations from his shadow cabinet to increase the pressure. In a non-binding secret ballot 172 of the party's 230 MPs in parliament said they had no confidence in his leadership, against 40 who said they did. Benn's resignation was particularly personal as his father Tony Benn had been a political mentor to a young Corbyn. Cameron joined in the calls for Corbyn to step down, telling him in parliament: "For heaven's sake man, go!" But Corbyn clung on saying he would "not betray" those who elected him and the Momentum group backing his leadership organised a series of support rallies. Days of behind-the-scenes talks between Corbyn's supporters and opponents ensued but eventually appeared to break down. Angela Eagle, a former shadow cabinet ally, on Saturday said she would launch a leadership challenge against him. Cuba Gooding Jr. met one of the victims of the tragic Dallas shooting in February, when he stopped to pose for a photo with Dallas police officer Patrick Zamarripa. And when the actor got word of Zamarripa's death just five months after the photo was taken, the actor admitted that he got very emotional. "I cried today when I heard that," he told TMZ on Friday night. "I cried." Zamarripa took to his Twitter account to express his excitement about meeting Gooding earlier this year. "The great @cubagoodingjr," the 32-year-old Navy veteran wrote. "Thanx for taking the pic with my partner and I. Hope your stay in #Dallas was great sir!" RELATED VIDEO: America Pays Tribute to the Dallas Victims Zamarripa was fatally shot when a sniper killed him and four other officers, and injured seven more people during an otherwise peaceful protest on Thursday night. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Carmaker Daimler (DAIGn.DE) has hired the head of China operations of rival Citroen (PEUP.PA) to set up a new digitalization unit at its Mercedes-Benz brand, Automobilwoche magazine will report on Monday. The German carmaker is to launch the unit on August 1 under Sabine Scheunert, who it hired on July 1, according to pre-publication extracts released by the magazine. With future generations of cars needing to be equipped with the technology to connect electric motors to batteries, talk to smartphones or activate brakes when a radar system detects an obstacle, software - or digital - expertise has become a new battleground for manufacturers. Before her China assignment, Scheunert was chief digital officer of the PSA group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen, the magazine said. Daimler was not immediately contactable for comment. (Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by John Stonestreet) FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Carmaker Daimler has hired the head of China operations of rival Citroen to set up a new digitalization unit at its Mercedes-Benz brand, Automobilwoche magazine will report on Monday. The German carmaker is to launch the unit on August 1 under Sabine Scheunert, who it hired on July 1, according to pre-publication extracts released by the magazine. With future generations of cars needing to be equipped with the technology to connect electric motors to batteries, talk to smartphones or activate brakes when a radar system detects an obstacle, software - or digital - expertise has become a new battleground for manufacturers. Before her China assignment, Scheunert was chief digital officer of the PSA group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen, the magazine said. Daimler was not immediately contactable for comment. (Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by John Stonestreet) By Ned Parker and Mimi Dwyer (Reuters) - The 25-year-old army veteran who killed five Dallas police officers interacted with several "black power" groups, some of which post vitriolic and racist rhetoric online and which sometimes condone violence. Micah Xavier Johnson's links with the groups were being investigated by U.S. law enforcement on Friday, highlighting the role of little known organizations that rail against racial injustice and police abuses. Babu Omowale, the co-founder of the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, a Dallas-based black militia that performs armed community patrols, said Johnson came to black community events in Dallas. We dont condone it, we dont support it, but we understand it, Omowale told Reuters. We can understand how the conditions of America today pushed that man to respond how he did. Every man and woman has his breaking point, and we just think Micah got to his breaking point before anyone else. Omowale said the club was founded in August 2014 in the wake of black teenager Michael Browns fatal shooting by police in Ferguson, Missouri, and organizes armed groups under Texass "open-carry" gun laws to monitor police and drug activity. He said he did not know Johnson personally but recognized him from gatherings to commemorate black historical events. "He wasn't a stranger to us." On Facebook, Johnson "liked" the New Black Panther Party, the Black Riders Liberation Party, the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, and the African American Defense League, which following Thursday night's shootings by calling for attacks on "everything in blue except the mail man." Johnson, who posted anti-white messages on Facebook pages of some of the groups days before his attack, had also liked pages for affiliates of the Anonymous group and conspiracy-minded pages like Illuminati Exposed Media. He also liked pages for the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates peaceful protests against violence towards black people, appeared to have an interest in gun culture, and followed a tactical shooting page called Guerrilla Approach. Story continues U.S. law enforcement officials said on Friday they were trying to determine the relationship between Johnson, who was killed by police, and the black extremist groups that he praised online. They said it appeared the gunman had acted alone but that they were still investigating whether anyone assisted him in the shootings, which killed five police officers and wounded seven. NO TRACK RECORD OF VIOLENCE Experts on hate groups said the black power groups have little track record of violence in the wake of recent high-profile police killings of black men in Ferguson, Baltimore, New York and other cities. Since the 2014 killing of Brown in Ferguson, no attacks have been carried out by the groups, said Heidi Beirich, the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center's intelligence analysis. "These groups are not associated with violence on a regular basis the way skinheads or neo-Nazis are now, said Beirich. They don't have a list of members who have been arrested for crimes the way many white supremacist groups members have." The center says there was an increase in the number of chapters of "black separatist" groups to 180 from 113 between 2014 and 2015. It says the New Black Panthers posts "virulently" racist and anti-Semitic messages. Johnson also displayed a photograph of himself on Facebook with the rapper Professor Griff, a member of the group Public Enemy who has accused law enforcement of harassing him. In a message on Twitter posted on Friday, Professor Griff said he did not know Johnson. FBI spokesman Chris Allen said the FBI was focused on assisting the Dallas investigation and had no immediate comment on the larger context of Black nationalist attacks on police officers. Beirich said it was not clear if Johnson belonged to the radical groups he liked on Facebook or simply was influenced by their online literature and ideas. "It may turn out he is a member of one of these organizations but nowadays even white extremists are less and less formal members of groups and engage in propaganda and liked minded racism on the web, Beirich said. Omowale of the Gun Club said Johnson had been "very compassionate about his people." "It hurt him and broke his heart every day to read on social media about his people being killed by police," he said. "This didnt happen because a man wanted to go out to kill some people. The judicial system in America is corrupt." (Reporting By Ned Paker, Mimi Dwyer and Joseph Ax. Editing by David Rohde and Stuart Grudgings) HOKAH, Minn. When Rachel Fishel went to school at St. Peters in Hokah, she knew she wanted to be a teacher there some day and thats exactly what came to be. Fishel has been teaching at the Catholic school since 1993, and she has been principal since 2001. Its just like a big family, she said. The church itself has 154 envelope holders and an estimated 300 to 400 parishioners overall. This is where I wanted to be, Fishel said. This is where I was meant to be. No matter what you go through in life, she said, you feel like people here are there for you. Were all connected, she said. Theresa Von Arx agreed. She knows a lot about the parish, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, but she doesnt consider herself its official historian by any means. Im just very interested, Von Arx said. Parishioner Carol Walcker spearheaded a compilation book of the churchs history in 1978, and another in 2006, which includes a detailed history of its origins, builders of the community of faith, parish priests, and church and school members. My familys been part of this church forever, she said. Von Arx was baptized there in 1981. Her maiden name was Tschumper, and her family connection goes back to the 1860s. The June 4 celebration of St. Peters centennial included Bishop John Quinn presiding over Mass, a potluck in the parking lot, two local bands and children singing. It lasted into the early evening. It was actually 100 years of this building, Von Arx said. The history of our actual parish goes back further than that, but this building, the foundation was laid in 1916, completed in 1918. So we chose 1916 as our starting point. In 1856, the first Catholic settlers came to Hokah, which puts the actual parish origins closer to 160 years. Shes not only a member; Von Arx also teaches third and fourth grades at the churchs school, where her own children study. They represent a sixth generation of members. There are 11 students in her combined teaching grades, with a total student body of 75 from preschool through eighth grade. There was even a high school until 1966. It is a special feeling because you think of the hard work that our ancestors put into building this church, Von Arx said. A lot of them were farmers. They didnt have a lot of money, but they were able to raise $9,000 starting in 1913 to build a new church. Where did that money comes from? They gave everything, and then their time. They put in hours themselves helping to build this church. Literally by hand. The men had to bring their teams of horses, and their plows and graders, to level off the hillside on which the church now stands. They said it was like a living rosary, she said, going around and around. The women were told to take care of their farms during the day while their husbands came to help build the church. It is a neat feeling, Von Arx said, because you know that weve kept this going so long. People really think of this church as home. And a lot of people are related, but everybody feels like family. She taught at the parish school in 2007 for two years, but then she was pregnant with her second child and took time off. Now, with three children, she returned to teaching last year when there was an opening. She got a great education, both academically and as a person, at St. Peters, she said, and she knows this is where she wants to be. I want to do that for the next generation of kids, she said, and for my own kids who go to school here. Joseph Pfeffer, who lived in a nearby valley, arrived in 1856, and in 1858 he bought a flat-bottom boat to transport church-goers across the river to La Crosse, as there wasnt a church Hokah could call its own. They were so adamant about going to church, and living their faith, that they took this boat to La Crosse once month, she said. One time, they go and a huge storm comes up and they barely made it back without being capsized. That convinced Pfeffer they needed a church of their own, so on his farm, back in what is known as Pfeffer Valley, he built a small log church that no longer exists. By 1867, he had decided to donate 200 acres of land for a convent to be built past Pfeffer Valley up on the hillside. It became known as The Convent, Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Its fate, however, was a sad one, Von Arx said. The bishop at that time, she said, he never would fully recognize this as being like a parish church. Part of it, I think, is that it wasnt in town. The other piece, she said, has to do with St. Peters mission, which from the very beginning included having a school to teach the Catholic faith to children. At the time of the convent, it was felt religion should be taught in the public school system. How, it was speculated, would the faith be brought into the public schools if it was being taught on its own? But the people loved this place, Von Arx said of the convent. I mean, heart and soul. The convent had a school and an orphanage, and even boarded kids who couldnt easily travel on a daily basis from area farms. In 1904, the bishop forced the convent sisters to leave but the locals wouldnt let go. For a few years, they would get their own priest to come once a month and say Mass, she said. The bishop sold the property, and the parish countered by leasing the land for a year, but eventually it was official: The convent was razed. In 1878, while the saga of the convent was going on, the bishop decided a church should be built in Hokah itself. It was, and is, called St. Peters. It was up the street from the present location and much smaller. Von Arx said the new church caused some members distress: They wouldnt leave the convent site and would go up and pray the rosary there after it was torn down. It just breaks your heart, she said. A vibrant new priest, the Rev. Wermerskirchen, provided the salve by mobilizing the people to build a new church. By 1916, the money had been raised and the current church was built. The majority of the people who go here are descendants of these early people, she said. Her own great- great-grandfathers name is in a book of donations and meeting notes on display in the churchs lobby. Von Arx joins a long line of what she called great teachers who have taught parishioners to have fun, work hard and work together. Hallmarks still exist not only the book with Von Arxs great- great-grandfathers name, among many others, but a church bell dated 1863 on display in the lobby. Renovations happened in the 1950s, again in 2006, and most recently a massive renovation effort totaling almost $240,000. The congregation, which shares a priest in whats known as a cluster (including parishes in Rushford and Houston), still gets donations from members who no longer reside in the area. The connection to St. Peters is strong and forever. I dont know how to explain it really, Von Arx said. Parishioner Mike Ott, who is Fishels father, said an estimated $1 million has been raised since the turn of the 20th century in renovations alone, which have included new roofs, a playground, a parking lot, a new boiler, an elevator and re-plastering the entire building. All raised by the members and alumni of the school, Ott said. He joined in 1962, when he came to attend ninth grade. He noted how good the acoustics are in the church; one member lived on Tschumper Ridge and the story goes that, in the 1920s and 1930s, you could hear the Von Arx family singing down in the valley just like The Sound of Music. Vocations have been spurred by that singing. Mary Kay Sheehan, whose mother was one of the 14 Von Arx children, has her own special history with the parish. Her mother was a year old when the building was built, she said, and she started school at St. Peters in 1952 and went there all 12 years. She lived in the Twin Cities for 40 years and recently returned. I was still quite active here, she said, because my parents were in town. The reason for her continued presence is clear. Its my home, Sheehan said. Its where I belong. Theres a lot to do in the small parish, she said, and because its small, you can do lots. She was on the centennial committee, involved in the ministry by doing readings; stepping in, she said, wherever anybody needs help. Help, it seems, is sorely needed. I just think that, in this world, everyone is searching for a feeling of community, Fishel said, especially my generation. Theyre searching for something all the time. They dont know what theyre searching for, so theyre reading self-help books, and theyre going to yoga, and theyre trying meditation, and if they would just realize whats missing in their lives is a relationship with God, and Gods waiting patiently for them to figure that out. When they do, the church in Hokah will be there. Its a community, they all agreed, that holds you up, cries with you, and shows a path of hope for the future. St. Peters will never close, Sheehan said. I mean, it wont. It just wont happen. Its such a strong community. The Dallas community on Saturday continued to mourn the loss of five police officers who were killed in a targeted attack by a lone gunman Thursday night, during a peaceful protest over the shooting deaths of two black men by police in separate incidents this week. President Barack Obamawho called the attack vicious, calculated and despicablewill cut short his trip to Europe for the NATO Summit and travel to Dallas early next week, the White House said. Speaking at a press conference in Warsaw on Saturday, Obama said the U.S. is not as divided as some suggest, the Associated Press reported. He said all Americans are rightly outraged by the attack on Dallas police officers and rightly saddened and angered by the fatal shootings of two black men, urging the country to build on unity. Leaders in Texas are also pledging unity in the days ahead. Show that we are not harmed, damaged or altered by the cowardly attack by someone who does not stand for Texas values and principles, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a press conference Friday. A total of 12 police officers were shot in the attackfive fatally. Two civilians were also injured. Officials have identified Army veteran Micah Johnson, 25, as the gunman, concluding on Friday night that it appears he acted alone. Neighbors of the home he shared with his mother expressed shock on Friday over the actions of the normal, good kid they knew. Johnson was killed by a police-controlled robot bomb after a standoff with law enforcement. Police described him as a loner and said he told negotiators he was not affiliated with any groups. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson, who was black, told police he was upset about recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers, Brown said. Story continues Military lawyer Bradford Glendening said a female soldier accused Johnson of sexual harassment when he was serving in Afghanistan in May 2014, the AP reported. Glendening said that while Johnson returned to the U.S. on the recommendation that he receive an other than honorable discharge, he was given an honorable discharge in April 2015, according to the AP. The incident comes amid a national debate over racial disparities in the criminal justice system and the use of force by police. Black Lives Matter protesters, whose peaceful march over a spate of fatal shootings by police officers was corrupted by the lone gunman, have condemned the violence and vowed to press forward for change. This is a tragedyboth for those who have been impacted by yesterdays attack and for our democracy, the group said on Friday. There are some who would use these events to stifle a movement for change and quicken the demise of a vibrant discourse on the human rights of Black Americans. We should reject all of this. In the wake of the shooting, police officers across the country have also described an intensified challenge to their work, especially as many fear similar attacks. Tennessee law enforcement said that a man who opened fire on a highway, killing one and injuring several others may have been motivated by anger over recent police shootings. Its a weird haze over all of us. Its bizarre, Philadelphia police Capt. Joe Bologna told TIMEs Karl Vick of the mood surrounding law enforcement. But some cops also say communities have extended extra compassion toward police. People are saying, Have a good day, Be safe out there. Be careful,' said Brian Dillard, another Philadelphia officer. Believe it or not, I feel more support. The police chief responding to the killing of five Dallas cops knows what its like to lose loved ones from both sides of the law perhaps thats why hes so committed to healing the relationship between cops and the communities they serve. Dallas Police Chief David Brown, 55, lost his brother to drug violence and his partner in the line of duty. His son killed a police officer and a bystander before being shot dead by a cop himself right after Brown became chief of police. The 30-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department was thrust unexpectedly into the spotlight as the U.S. reeled from a tough week that exacerbated long-standing issues. The deaths of two African-American men at the hands of police officers further strained trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. And the ambush on cops in Dallas at a Black Lives Matter protest Thursday night pushed the nation deeper into collective pain. Were hurting. Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city, Brown said at a press conference on Friday. All I know is this must stop: this divisiveness between our police and our citizens. Brown spoke from his heart. His style and delivery came across as direct and human rather than dispassionate and canned expressing in laymans terms how people were actually feeling. A similar, apparent earnestness has been palpable from other public officials in similar situations, such as Orlandos mayor last month and Minnesotas governor earlier this week. Dallas police chief David Brown, front, and Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings, rear, talk with the media during a news conference, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. (Photo: Eric Gay/AP) Ed Spencer, a retired longtime Dallas Police Department spokesman, thinks Brown has done an incredible job displaying leadership in the aftermath of the tragedy. Really first-class leadership that inspires both the citizens of Dallas and the men and women of the police department, Spencer said in an interview with Yahoo News. Hes shown compassion for the officers who were killed and injured, to their families. Hes been forceful in expressing determination to seek and achieve justice. Hes shown pure love both for the police department and the city of Dallas. You just know he cares. Story continues Spencer said its important to note that Browns roots run deep in the Dallas community and his family has been in the city for several generations. Slideshow: Officers killed by sniper in Dallas protest over police shootings Before Thursday, the deadliest period for the Dallas Police Department occurred in 1988, when five officers died in separate shootings. During that time, Brown responded to the scene of an officer-involved shooting only to find that his old police academy classmate and partner, Walter Williams, had been shot in the head. In 1991, drug dealers killed Browns younger brother, Kelvin, outside Phoenix. And in 2010, the same year Brown was sworn in as police chief, his son shot and killed a police officer and another man in Lancaster, a suburb of Dallas, before being shot and killed by police officers, the Dallas Morning News reported. Dallas police chief David Brown talks with the media during a news conference, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. (Photo: Eric Gay/AP) The past few days have been very troubling and emotional for all of us, he said in a statement at the time. My family has not only lost a son, but a fellow police officer and a private citizen lost their lives at the hands of our son. That hurts so deeply I can not adequately express the sadness I feel inside my heart. Brown has been proactive in community outreach. Improving relations between his department and the citys African-American residents was a priority for Brown long before the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner on Staten Island, N.Y., thrust the issue to the top of the national conversation. In August 2014, in the aftermath of the Ferguson shooting, Brown wrote a column for the Dallas Morning News about how he used honesty and restraint to defuse the rising distrust after a white officer shot an unarmed black man in the Dixon Circle neighborhood of Dallas two years earlier. One poignant moment during this crisis involved a sergeant who was on the scene. He broke the police line to go into the gathering crowd and console someone he knew among the residents. That sergeant, like me, was born and raised in Dallas and plugged in to the community in many ways part of the community, Brown wrote. That sergeants background, and his actions that day, made a big difference. The department, Brown said, strived for transparency: sharing the facts as they were known, promising a thorough investigation, answering every question possible from the media and community and so on. It does open us up to criticism, threats and exposure of every mistake we make. But its the right thing to do, he wrote. David Brown takes part in a prayer vigil at Thanksgiving Square, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. (Photo: Eric Gay/AP) Small initiatives like Coffee with Cops set up occasions where residents can meet and get to know the officers who patrol their neighborhoods and voice any cares or concerns they might have over a free cup of coffee. I think he brought the community and the police department closer together, all based on knowing each other and trusting each other, Spencer said. But Browns larger efforts for reform such as calling for more gun training, making officers go through racial bias training or firing cops for excessive force against suspects have landed him in hot water with his own officers, at times. Last year, for instance, the Dallas Police Association voted to oust him as police chief citing a 75 percent rise in murders on his watch but the mayor supported Brown throughout. Spencer, who worked for seven different police chiefs, said there are times when an incident is so important, so tragic that the public deserves to see and hear from the person in charge. He applauded Brown for not delegating the responsibility of talking to reporters to someone else at this time. I dont know when he slept since this happened. Hes the face and the voice of the police department. You dont have to go through a filter or a subordinate. Hes done it himself, Spencer said. At the Friday press conference, Brown said that Dallas police officers are some of the bravest men and women with whom anyone would ever want to be associated. He said officers can be seen in video after video running toward gunfire from above with little to protect themselves as they bring citizens to safety. So please join me in applauding these brave men and women who do this job under great scrutiny, under great vulnerability, who literally risk their lives to protect our democracy, Brown said. We dont feel much support most days. Lets not make today most days. Please, we need your support. Slideshows: Dallas pays tribute to fallen officers >>> Photos: The shootings in Dallas >>> Newspapers react to Dallas attack against police officers >>> Washington D.C., July 9 (ANI): United States President Barack Obama will cut short his four-day trip to Europe and return to Washington, following the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that Obama will travel to Dallas early next week at the invitation of Mayor Mike Rawlings, and devote most of his week, addressing the racial and policing issues raised by the events of the past few days. Obama will skip his day of sightseeing and troop visits in southern Spain and instead meet with Spanish officials in Madrid on Sunday. He will return to Washington Sunday night, a day ahead of schedule. Earlier, the President condemned the sniper-style shootings of Dallas police officers, calling the assault a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. Earlier, five police officers were killed after unknown snipers ambushed them amid protests in Dallas over the shooting of two black men by cops in Louisiana and Minnesota. Six other officers were also wounded in the shoot out. The crowd had gathered to protest against the killing of Philando Castile on Wednesday by a cop in Minnesota and Alton Sterling who was shot by a policeman on Tuesday in Louisiana. People across the nation vented their anger and rallies were carried out in Minnesota, Louisiana, Chicago, New York and many other cities. The shooting in Dallas happened as protests were underway. Witness Clarissa Myles said "Everyone was screaming, people were running. I saw at least probably 30 shots go off." Another witness who was at the protest said he heard multiple gunshots in rapid succession. Video showed numerous police officers crouching behind vehicles. Others approached a location holding protective shields. Philando Castile, a school food services worker, was shot in Falcon Heights on Wednesday, outside Minneapolis, when a police officer pulled him over because of a broken taillight, said his fiancee, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with Castile, along with her 4-year-old daughter. (ANI) By Gina Cherelus and Erwin Seba NEW YORK/MESQUITE, Texas (Reuters) - Former U.S. Army reservist Micah Xavier Johnson posted an angry rant against white people on the Facebook page of a group called Black Panther Party Mississippi last Saturday, denouncing lynching and the brutalizing of black people. Five days later, police said on Friday, the Afghan war veteran took part in a sniper-style ambush of police officers in Dallas, killing five and wounding seven others before dying in a police-initiated explosion. "Why do so many whites (not all) enjoy killing and participating in the death of innocent beings," Johnson, 25, wrote on Saturday above a video of what appeared to be people participating in a whale-killing. In the disjointed July 2 post, Johnson expressed anger over lynchings of black people and "our ancestors" being beaten, mutilated and killed. "Then they all stand around and smile while their picture is taken with a hung, burned and brutalized black person," he wrote. "They even go to our homeland and shoot our endangered wildlife for sport." On Johnson's own Facebook page, which was deactivated on Friday, a profile photo showed him with one arm raised and fist clenched in a Black Power salute. The page included images of a Black Power symbol and a red, black and green flag associated with the Black Liberation Army. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said at a news conference on Friday that it was unclear if Micah Johnson was a member of a black nationalist group. Johnson served as a private first class in the U.S. Army Reserve from March 2009 to April 2015. His deployment in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014 earned Johnson a number of service medals, according to Army spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson. Attempts to reach Johnson's relatives and friends on Friday were not successful. It was not clear if he was employed. Dallas police said on Friday that a search of Johnson's home yielded bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics. Johnson had no criminal record, police said. Public records indicated that he lived in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas, and the Army also listed Mesquite as his place of residence. The assault, the deadliest for law enforcement in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, took place on Thursday night during a protest over the fatal police shootings this week of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Those deaths fanned public outrage over excessive use of force by police, especially against black men. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said earlier on Friday that police had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate an end to an hours-long standoff before sending in a bomb-carrying robot that killed Johnson. According to Brown, Johnson told police that "he was upset about the recent police shootings." "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated that he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown said. Johnson's Facebook page included a photo of him with Professor Griff of the hip-hop group Public Enemy at what appeared to be a book-signing event. "I will not sit back and let these people assassinate my character and tie me to the Dallas shootings," Griff said on Twitter on Friday, adding, "I DO NOT KNOW THE SHOOTER." According to media reports, Johnson's sister Nicole posted on Facebook after he was identified by news outlets that "those that knew him know this wasn't like him." The message had been deleted from her page by Friday afternoon. On Friday, three police cars and several television news trucks were parked near the large, two-story brick house of Johnson's family in Mesquite, Texas, a middle-class Dallas suburb. Neighbor Kimberly Smith said her son went to high school with Johnson. "He was a nice kid. My son was surprised he would cause any problem." Army Lieutenant Colonel Major Michael Waltz, a former special forces officer and White House aide, said in an interview with Reuters that a video of the attack indicated that Johnson was "not only trained, but well trained." The video was taken by a person at the scene and widely circulated on social media. Waltz said Johnson appeared to have received "close-quarters battle" training, which focuses on urban combat. (Reporting by Gina Cherelus and Erwin Seba; Writing by Joseph Ax; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta and Mimi Dwyer in New York and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Frances Kerry, Toni Reinhold) SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Isabel Allende, a ruling party senator in Chile and the daughter of deposed ex-president Salvador Allende, said she is considering running for president in next year's elections, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. Allende's possible bid for the top job in Chile could pit her against ex-president Ricardo Lagos, another member of the socialist ruling party who has expressed interest in running. Allende, whose father was ousted by former dictator Augusto Pinochet in a coup in 1973, said she has been leaning toward making a bid at the insistence of Chileans, according to local daily El Mercurio. "For me it's an honor to know that people think I'm an option. There's also a potent symbolic element, that there be another Allende," she was quoted as saying in El Mercurio. She did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Allende, a distant relative of the well-known author of the same name, is one of the few representatives of the ruling party whose popularity has not sunk alongside President Michele Bachelet's. Bachelet's approval rating hit an all-time low last month amid widening student unrest, the resignation of her cabinet chief and a sluggish economy. Allende's remarks come a day after Lagos, president from 2000-2006, said he was eyeing participating in the 2017 presidential race. "I'm thinking about it," Lagos said on local broadcaster Pudahuel. "There are days when I feel like I must do it." Allende and Lagos would have to compete for their party's nomination in primary elections early next year. The general presidential election is in November of 2017. Another ex-president, conservative Sebastian Pinera, has also said he is considering running again. Bachelet cannot run for another term in 2017 because of constitutional term limits. The Allende surname still resonates strongly in Chile more than four decades after Salvador Allende committed suicide in the presidential palace rather than surrender to armed forces mounting a coup. (Reporting by Antonio de la Jara; Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f140102%2fgettyimages-545692920_2 David Cameron got a little emotional for David Cameron, at least at this week's NATO summit on Ukraine. The British prime minister, who will resign in October in the wake of the "Brexit" referendum, posed for photos with President Obama, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and French president Francois Hollande after their meeting with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in Warsaw. SEE ALSO: 'It's Always Sunny' outside of the confines of the European Union Image: dominic lipinski/PA Wire/Press Association Images/ap "The leaders posed for photos in a rather poky room, saying little beyond pleasantries," read a White House pool report. "But as they parted, there was a wistful moment as Cameron bid Obama and the other leaders farewell. "The prime minister was visibly emotional as he hugged the others." Image: mandel ngan/AFP/Getty Images Image: mandel ngan/AFP/Getty Images Image: stephane de sakutin/AFP/Getty Images Gotta be honest, though: While we appreciate an emotional embrace between politicians, we're still mostly here for the awkward group shot. Image: AFP/Getty Images MADISON Wisconsins government transparency laws dont require public bodies such as the University of Wisconsin Systems Board of Regents to immediately disclose the documents that their members plan to discuss at upcoming meetings, a Justice Department official said Thursday. The Wisconsin State Journal asked the Department of Justice last month to weigh in on whether the UW System violated public records or open meetings laws when it refused to release the details of its $6.2 billion annual operating budget until just before the Regents approved it. Paul Ferguson, an assistant attorney general in the departments Office of Open Government, responded to the request Thursday in a letter that did not accuse the UW System of violating open government laws, nor affirmatively say that the System followed those laws. Despite Fergusons letter, Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council president Bill Lueders said he believes UW officials violated the open records law by not releasing the budget sooner. They purposely and deliberately delayed releasing the budget, Lueders said. UWs actions were improper even though (Ferguson) doesnt draw that conclusion. The Regents approved UWs operating budget during their June 9 meeting in Milwaukee. The budget, which increased student fees and further spent down controversial reserve funds, was shared nearly a week ahead of time among System leaders and the Regents. But UW officials declined to make the budget available publicly until about 90 minutes before the Regents voted on it. In the days leading up to the meeting, System officials did not post the budget on UWs website, as they had done with documents for other items on the Regents agenda, or provide the budget when the State Journal requested it under open records law. In response to the State Journals questions about the handling of the budget, Ferguson primarily spelled out what transparency laws do and dont mandate. He wrote that the meetings law only requires that government bodies disclose the time, place and subject of their meetings at least 24 hours in advance. There is no requirement under the open meetings law that the board post its proposed budget ahead of time, Ferguson wrote. As for whether the UW System violated the open records law by withholding documents once they were requested, Ferguson noted that the law doesnt specify that records requests must be fulfilled within a specific time period. Even if a record has been provided to the members of a board, Ferguson wrote, public officials responsible for maintaining records must still review the documents and subject them to a balancing test to determine whether they should be released. There is no requirement under the open meetings law that the (UW) board post its proposed budget ahead of time. Paul Ferguson, assistant attorney general Detroit's Populux night club is shutting down operations temporarily as it investigates inflammatory tweets posted to its account following the Thursday night shootings of police officers in Dallas. On Friday (July 8) Majestic Theatre complex spokesperson Greg Bowens told The Detroit News the club will be closed for "at least a week" to look into the situation, which owners have claimed was caused by somebody hacking their Twitter account. The venue has reportedly filed complaints with the FBI and the local Wayne County internet crimes task force to help identify the perpetrator. Vic Mensa Cancels Detroit Show Over Venue's Racist Tweet, Venue Claims Account Was Hacked The original tweet from the venue read, "#blameobama all you libtards caused these deaths. #dallasshooting #fuckblacklivesmatter" and included a meme of Birdman on a hot sauce bottle saying, "Put some Respeck on it." It has since been deleted. The postings received a swift backlash, causing Vic Mensa to cancel a scheduled July 29 performance there with Joey Purp as part of his Back With a Vengeance Tour. Los Angeles DJs and producers Bixel Boys also pulled out of their show scheduled for Friday night. Multiple Officers Dead After Shots Fired at Dallas Protest: Musicians and Celebs React "We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement," Populux wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. "Those people that know us understand who we are, our belief in equality of all people, and our love for all people." Populux has since closed all its social media accounts. "Nobody believes a hack can happen until it happens to them," Bowens told The Detroit News. By Fayaz Bukhari SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - At least 11 protesters died as crowds angered by the killing of a separatist militant clashed with armed police in India's Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, torching buildings and blocking streets, security officials said. Police sources told Reuters that demonstrators set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in towns south of the state's summer capital of Srinagar, and three officers had gone missing in the violence. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a separatist political leader, accused police of using excessive force and questioned their version of events. The protests erupted a day after security services shot dead Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old militant known for his calls to arms on social media. He led Hizb-ul Mujahideen, prominent among the groups fighting Indian control of the Muslim-majority region. His death came amid a rise in violence and separatist sentiment across the state, which has been at the center of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan for decades. Photographs appeared to show thousands attending Wani's funeral in his hometown of Tral, about 40 km (25 miles) south of Srinagar, despite restrictions on the movement of people and traffic ordered the night before. "Unruly mobs attacked security forces," additional director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, S. M. Sahai said. "The violent incidents of arson and stone pelting were reported from several parts of Kashmir." "NEW ICON" Some of the crowds tried to enter security installations and managed to steal weapons from one police station that they used to shoot at officers, Sahai added. He put the death count at eight but two other officers, who asked not to named as they were not authorized to talk to the press, said three more people had died from their injuries. Sahai said 96 security personnel had been injured during the day's violence alongside, the two police sources added, more than 60 protestors. Farooq, the head of a faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference separatist alliance, accused police of brutish tactics. "The intention of police and Indian armed forces is always to shoot to kill and not disperse mobs by using non-lethal means," he said. He said that "maybe at one place the people attacked a police station". Farooq was one of a number of separatist leaders that authorities placed under house detention after Wani's death, and did not take part in any of the rallies. India's minister for home affairs, Rajnath Singh, released a statement on Twitter on Saturday night asking for calm. Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said Wani had now become a "new icon" for disaffected people in the state. "Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," Abdullah said on Twitter. Shops, banks and other offices were closed in Srinagar, as paramilitary troops patrolled the streets outside. Police said they halted traffic on the main highway connecting the state to the rest of India after disruptions by protestors and officials said train services had been temporarily halted in the area. Mobile Internet services were blocked across some parts of the state and cell phone service was interrupted in others. Wani, the son of a school headmaster, regularly posted video messages online, dressed in military fatigues and inviting young men to join his jihad. Separatist political leaders have called for a strike and three days of mourning. (Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari; Editing by Tom Lasseter and Andrew Heavens) Ahead of the Republican Convention that kicks of on July 18 in Cleveland, Ohio, everybody is wondering who Donald Trump will select as his running mate. Donald Trumps son, Eric, may have fueled the speculation when he traveled to Cincinnati with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has been discussed as a potential running mate. Eric Trump, 32, spoke to Yahoo Finance this week about what he thinks his father wants in a running mate. I think probably somebody who would almost be a great COO in the traditional business capacity, he told Yahoo Finance in an interview at Trump Tower. You know, he wants somebody whos immensely capable, immensely competent, garners respect .I think loyal first and foremost. Trump added he thinks his father will want someone he enjoys being around. Youre gonna be with the VP 20 hours a day each and every day. I say that a little facetiously, but youre gonna spend an inordinate amount of time with them, he said. And so you better have somebody you really like to be around, and you care about and they care about you. He also said his dad wants someone who will get things done. I think hes gonna want a doer, somebody who can cut through red tape. And you know, so oftentimes you see these, you know, presidents pick VPs because they wanna win a state, they need to win that critical state I think my father is gonna approach it very differently. I think the VP that he has is gonna fit some specific need and I think thats gonna be somebody whos, again, immensely competent and that will actually get the job done, not just a career politician. Newt Gingrich told Fox News Greta Van Susteren on Thursday that he is being vetted as a potential running mate and added that five or six people are being vetted for the slot. Other possible contenders include Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. This is one part of a series of clips from the interview. Check back on Yahoo Finance for more from our sit-down with Eric Trump. Education is good for your paycheck--even if you're a mobster. That's the finding of research by a British university, which focused on the education levels of members of the Italian-American mafia between the 1930s and 1960s. It established that for each additional year of education, gangsters saw a rise in income of as much as 8.5%. In 'Returns to Education in Criminal Organizations: Did Going to College Help Michael Corleone?', academics from the University of Essex used data from the United States 1940 Census of Population and information from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to study the income, education, and job characteristics of 712 Mafiosi. The academics compared the mobsters' returns to education with a number of other non-mafia groups, including Italian immigrants, second-generation Italian men, and a sample of neighbors who lived in close proximity to them. It found that the mobsters' returns were only slightly behind those of their neighbors, who pulled in as much as 10% additional income for every year of education. The mafia members actually outperformed immigrants, particularly Italian immigrants. "Overall the mobsters did quite well," said Giovanni Mastrobuoni, one of the authors of the report. "They had returns to education that were far higher than individuals in the census of Italian origin, as well as immigrants, and they had returns to education which were similar to the US population overall." Mobsters tended to leave school an average of one year earlier than their neighbors, the report found, and the impact of education varied depending on the type of criminal activity an individual was involved in. Those who carried out relatively sophisticated crimes that involved running an illegal business--such as loan sharking or bootlegging--saw returns to education that were three times higher than those involved with violent crimes like robberies or murder. "What we found was the returns to education were much, much larger for the business type of criminals, those that we think need those abilities that you learn in school," said Mastrobuoni. "So dealing with numbers, organizing your thoughts, organizing a group, and so on ... the 'soldiers', the ones doing the dirty jobs, we find very, very low returns to education." Story continues Would it be possible to carry out a similar study of organized crime groups today? Mastrobuoni isn't so sure. The 1940 census contained a level of detail that isn't found in today's versions, he says, and it would be very difficult to collect the information at source. Some researchers have carried out interviews with people in prison, according to Mastrobuoni, "but even there, you are basically selecting a group of individuals who have been caught, and they might be different from those that are never caught. "The issue with criminals is that they tend not to respond to surveys," he says. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com San Salvador (AFP) - In many countries, tattoos are simple adornment, a small sign of unconventionality, of minor rebellion. In El Salvador, however, they are usually the mark of gang members who live -- and often die -- by codes of violence. That's why the first thing some of those looking to escape gangs' clutches do is erase the ink in their skin. Jose Antonio is one of them. "I have to get rid of my tattoos for my own safety," he said after 27 minutes and 3,966 laser pulses directed at rubbing out a tattoo on his chest. His first name has been modified because of fears for his safety. In El Salvador, he says, "tattoos bring with them many problems, even death." Jose Antonio belonged to the feared Mara Salvatrucha, one of the region's most powerful gangs, also known as MS-13. The criminal groups, which formed in the 1990s from gang members deported from the mean streets of Los Angeles, seek to rule over big swathes of El Salvador. Murder, coercive conscription and extortion have made the Central American country one of the world's most dangerous. Tattoos are ritualized for gang members, providing a permanent sign of loyalty to one group or another. Generally, the ink etchings include a murder, shown by a tear, or the death of a loved one, shown by a cross. Jose Antonio, dark-skinned and heavyset, was inducted into his gang as a boy and spent 14 of his 38 years behind bars for homicide and robbery. He got out of prison in 2012 to find himself caught up in fierce turf wars. Removing his tattoos, he realized, was a matter of life or death: of the 40 MS-13 members in what used to be his local grouping, just four are still alive. That's why he went to a specialized clinic in the capital San Salvador the government opened 13 years ago that uses lasers to erase tattoos from gang members and prostitutes for free. Among the images he wanted to remove were markings on his arms with different names and numbers, the most prominent of which is the "MS" that denotes its loyalists. He was with them a dozen years. Story continues Jose Antonio initially tried to obscure the "MS" markings by adding other tattoos and wearing long sleeves. Then he had the ones on his arms erased by laser so he could wear short sleeves. Now he's having tattoos on his chest removed. - Painstaking removal - In the clinic, Doctor Mayde Ramirez, 40, wears gloves and special protective glasses as she cools the area of the tattoo then gets to work on it with a pistol-shaped laser, millimeter by painstaking millimeter. Once the treatment is done, she applies vaseline and a bandage, letting the skin recover before the next session in a month's time. Between 2003 and 2012, more than 17,000 Salvadorans went under the laser light. But the scheme was suspended at the end of 2014 because the lasers used became obsolete. A $210,000 subsidy from Taiwan allowed the program to resume in April this year. That was welcome, Ramirez says, because people with tattoos in El Salvador suffer "discrimination and stigmatization." A psychologist who counsels patients, and who declined to be identified, said a gang tattoo is a symbol marking "the border between life and death, prison and freedom, a job and joblessness." "Tattoos are viewed badly," confirmed Miguel Montenegro, coordinator for the non-governmental Commission for Human Rights in El Salvador. "Even people who have nothing at all to do with the gangs run a risk just by having tattoos because of the ignorance of authorities that associate them with criminal groups," he said. The San Salvador laser clinic also accepts ordinary citizens, like Jose Valencia, a 51-year-old who was forced to get a tattoo depicting a puma by a commanding officer when he was a soldier in the country's civil war during the 1990s. Any soldier without a puma could not go out on operations, the officer had declared. So "all my comrades had to get tattoos without really knowing what they were doing at the time." Like the ex-gang members, Valencia hopes removing his tattoos will help enable him to leave behind a dark and hostile underworld. Six months ago this weekend, I hopped on a one-way flight out of the United States. Since then, Donald Trump stampeded to what is bound to be the Republican presidential nomination, North Carolina went wild over transgender people in bathrooms and an ISIS-inspired man murdered 49 people in an Orlando nightclub. Now comes bloodshed in Minnesota and Louisiana, the nightmare in Dallas. I live in Luang Prabang, Laos, a lovely tourist town in a fairly remote country, and Ive watched all these events unfold on video streams and social media. As one of OZYs Presidential Daily Brief editors, I am closely tied to the rhythms of breaking news and thus the convulsions of my country. Its an odd existence. In discussions with fellow expats or travelers in a place without many Americans, Im often forced to explain or defend my country. The first question typically is about Trump. People are scared of him and disdainful toward his voters. Having covered the billionaire a bit before I left the U.S., I have some insight here, and its usually a long answer about the changing economy, our broken politics and peoples desire to blow up the system. But Hillary Clinton is not necessarily admired either. Over a gin and tonic, a British pal recently listed the wars Clinton has supported as evidence of her danger to the globe. Others decry the dynastic aspect of Clintons candidacy or her apparent duplicity. America is not alone in her problems. Fearmongering was on display in the Brexit vote. Racism and xenophobia are plentiful in Europe. Australia has its own political instability. I feel like the whole Western world has gone insane, an Aussie friend told me on Friday. We ran into each other at the market as the Dallas horror was unfolding, and the conversation meandered from yogurt to the worlds woes. Of course, no advanced democracy has Americas blood-soaked streets. In that way, my country is chillingly unique. Laos can feel like a placid escape in such moments. There are no stoplights in my town. The Mekong river glides gently by my back deck. The people are uncommonly friendly. But the United States is a remarkable place. A man utterly disdained by his countrys political elite has a shot at the big prize. Masses of Black and white people can march in the street in demonstrations sanctioned by the very law enforcement they are protesting. Such things are unthinkable in much of the world. Story continues Of course, no advanced democracy has Americas blood-soaked streets. In that way, my country is chillingly unique. My wife and I too often awake to news alerts of another mass shooting. Our friends ask, with sadness, Again? To many overseas, the U.S. is a land of gun nuts with itchy trigger fingers. Theyre aghast at how the American government, unlike so many others, has not at least banned assault rifles. The Second Amendment and NRA explanation takes a while. I have spent a lot of my time in Southeast Asia reporting about older American sins. Unexploded bombs and defoliation chemicals from a half-century ago inflict ongoing damage on Vietnam and Laos. My countrys warts, in some ways, have grown far larger at a distance. In other ways, I have grown to appreciate home more: its freedoms, its openness to self-critique, its creature comforts. Things are ugly at home right now. Living abroad teaches humility and adaptability as you grope around, often in a foreign language, trying to build a life and relate to people who do not share your background. Sometimes I dont know how to defend my country to them, and perhaps thats for the best. Hubris has long been our greatest flaw. Im proud but not blind, just another American. Related Articles Silverstone (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Kimi Raikkonen said he was relieved to put speculation over his future behind him on Saturday, as his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel told the team to concentrate on building stronger gearboxes. The two Ferrari drivers were both outpaced by the Red Bull pairing as they wound up fifth and sixth in qualifying, with four-time champion Vettel taking a five-place grid penalty for taking a new gearbox. It was the German's third five-place penalty for the same reason this season. "I think the problem that we had yesterday, and today, that's a weakness, and we need to stop it," said Vettel. "Obviously I think the other occasions it was more a consequence of other things happening, especially the first one if you crash, obviously it was a mild crash, but still a crash in China, and we had to change it. "You see other people crashing and they have to change it. They are not made for crashing, if you see what I mean" As Ferrari licked their wounds following an unimpressive showing, Raikkonen said he was happy to have disappointed some critics who had wanted to see him replaced in the Ferrari team. He was confirmed as staying with the team for 2017 by Ferrari on Friday. "It just makes it easier for us with people not hassling us around these kind of things," said the Finn. "Obviously I am very happy about it. It gives me pleasure to see disappointed people!" SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) A team of budding nautical archaeologists from East Carolina University dove below the waves of Lake Michigan to discover what treasures lay hidden on the sandy bottom. Graduate students from the Maritime Studies Program at the school spent three weeks in Sheboygan in June learning underwater survey techniques to create a scale drawing of the Goodrich Steamer Atlanta, a shipwreck located offshore about 14 miles south of Sheboygan. Built in 1891, The Atlanta, a 200-foot passenger and freight vessel, traveled the Great Lakes until March of 1906, when it caught fire and sank 14 miles south of Sheboygan. The ships passengers were rescued and the Atlantas charred remains were towed within 900 feet of the beach near Cedar Grove, where it remains submerged under 10 to 15 feet of water today. This thing really was demolished. It burned down to the water line, then it was towed in toward shore where it sunk to the bottom, East Carolina University Professor Bradley Rodgers said. In the 1920s, salvage crews salvaged the boilers, propeller and other metal, but the hull is still in tact. The students first week in Sheboygan was plagued by poor weather, fog and a broken down boat, but by the second and third week the biggest obstacle they faced was the cold water. Students practiced diving in pools and lakes in North Carolina before coming to Sheboygan, but nothing could prepare them for the 43 degree water. I want to work up here in the Great Lakes, so I was one of two who volunteered to come to the cold water, first-year graduate student Sophie Stuart said. The reason we dont have more divers coming up here is because of the elements. Students spent about an hour at a time in the water documenting the Atlanta, spending more than 100 hours total surveying the wreck. Armed with dry suits, diving equipment and drawing utensils, students draw the entire wreckage site in 10 foot by 10 foot segments while underwater and then combine the segments into one large scale drawing. The students also take photographs and video of the wreckage. There were 13 involved in the project, including eight students, a dive safety instructor, three archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Professor Rodgers. Surveying of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes is still a relatively new process. The first ship was documented in the 1980s, and Rodgers said they learn something new about the ships with each dive. The Atlanta, for example, was specifically built for the Great Lakes, and few diagrams or information remain on the ship. Every one of these we look at is different and raises are level of knowledge, which tells you about the society that constructed it, Rodgers said. You just dont find these anywhere else. They are unique to the lakes. There are 176 known shipwrecks in Wisconsin and an estimated 600 more yet undiscovered, according to Caitlin Zant, a maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society. The society partners with the school on the dives and uses the data to petition to have the wrecks added to the National Historic Registry. There are about 15 shipwrecks within the proposed boundary of the Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary. Its another asset of the sanctuary, Chad Pelishek, the city of Sheboygans director of planning an development said of the shipwreck. The sanctuary can play a key part in bringing in research groups like this to explore the sites and help the historical society document and preserve them. The school brings students to the Great Lakes every two years to document the different shipwrecks. They create survey maps of the wrecks, but do not disturb the ships or remove artifacts. Pelishek said one potential goal of the marine sanctuary would be to develop an on-land shipwreck exhibit or museum. The information gathered during the three-week dive expedition will be turned into a report by a student, who will use it as the basis for a thesis project. Its a great opportunity for field work, because there are hundreds of wrecks out there, Rodgers said. They are unique in the field, since they were crafts built just for the Great Lakes. There are 176 known shipwrecks in Wisconsin and an estimated 600 more yet undiscovered, according to Caitlin Zant, a maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society. Was this the breakout week for Facebook Live? The streaming app on the social media site became world-famous when the fatal police shooting of Philando Castile was broadcast in real time from a cell phone, with millions of subsequent views. One expert called it a watershed moment. That was followed hours later with numerous Facebook Live postings and other cell-phone video as a gunman in Dallas killed five officers at a rally protesting police violence. For many, it summoned up memories of the Arab Spring of 2010-11, when uprisings in Middle Eastern countries were abetted by Twitter and other social media. Facebook first offered Facebook Live to VIP accounts last year and introduced it to the general public at the start of 2016. Also Read: NRA Breaks Silence on Philando Castile Death -- After Nudge From TheWrap Because of its capacity to make controversial events immediately accessible to millions (and watchable later as well), Facebook Live could, as many activists claim, empower citizens to hold public officials accountable. But it also has the potential to alter the rules of engagement for journalists already struggling with the effects of other social media. Good news is that citizen journalists will provide news organizations and audiences more real-time content than ever before, Joe Concha, the media reporter for The Hill, told TheWrap. The quality is quite good, when just a few years ago it would be grainy. Everybody has an HD camera on them now via their phones. Also Read: Philando Castile Fatal Police Shooting Aftermath Captured on Facebook Live (Video) But this explosion of user-created video creates pitfalls for journalists. The bad news is that news organizations will use videos irresponsibly like we saw last night [in Dallas], when an officers execution was shown on live TV complete with play-by-play narration, Concha added. Robert Thompson, a TV historian and professor at Syracuse University, pointed out that eyewitness video has a long history. The Zapruder film capturing the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy was made by an ordinary bystander, although that footage was not widely seen by the public until years later. Story continues In the early 1990s, the police beating of Rodney King was caught on videotape, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to riots in Los Angeles. Also Read: Beyonce Is 'Sick and Tired' of Seeing Black Men Killed by Cops: 'It Is Up to Us to Take a Stand' Facebook Live is the latest wrinkle. What weve got here is the new technologies version of what we used to call an eyewitness, Thompson said. The availability of a social-media network, however, gives users a distribution platform they didnt have before. And that only heightens the burdens for a mainstream media trying to play catch-up. They still have a responsibility, Thompson said, to vet and contextualize that stuff. Related stories from TheWrap: Philando Castile Fatal Police Shooting Aftermath Captured on Facebook Live (Video) Hollywood Calls for Nonviolence After Dallas Police Shooting: 'This Was a Hate Crime' Shonda Rhimes Shuts Down Black Lives Matter Critics After Dallas Shootings Following a week of heartbreaking events from Alton Sterling in Louisiana to Philando Castile in Minnesota, back down south to Dallas where five officers were killed, a spiritual and mental turmoil has remained present in peoples everyday lives. But to bring a sense of hope and faith back to the masses, thousands have poured out in support of combating injustice in law enforcement and forcing those in power to take a meaningful look at gun control policies. From marches to statements calling for real change, actions and words of encouragement rapidly spread across the globe. With celebrities and mega corporations showing their reinforcement behind various entities, including the Black Lives Matter movement, Facebook is the latest to take a stand. According to Fusion, the social networks headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., projected a Black Lives Matter sign with victims names etched inside the text on Friday (July 8). Trayvon Martin, Renisha McBride, Jordan Davis, Amadou Diallo, Eric Garner and more were listed. #blacklivesmatter A photo posted by Ainura M (@a_moor) on Jul 8, 2016 at 12:27pm PDT CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, also issued a statement on the recent deaths at the hands of the police, namely Castiles death which was recorded by his fiancee, Diamond Reynolds, on Facebook Live. While I hope we never have to see another video like Diamonds it reminds us why coming together to build a more open and connected world is so important and how far we still have to go, Zuckerberg writes. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton stated that if Castile wasnt black, he would still be alive today, mentioning that this occurrence adds to a racist pattern within law enforcement. Would this have happened if those passengers, the driver were white? Dayton questioned. I dont think it would have. Details in terms of a federal investigation are still pending. New Delhi (AFP) - Congolese student Arnold Mutumbo Muama refuses to be cowed by a spate of racist violence towards Africans in India's capital New Delhi, defiant after a friend was beaten up by security guards at his apartment block. "The guard called him a 'monster' in Hindi before taking him to the basement and beating him," recalled Muama, 29, who chairs a Congolese welfare association. Racism against Africans in India was thrown into the spotlight following the brutal stoning to death in May of Congolese national Masunda Kitada Oliver in a dispute over an auto-rickshaw. Following the attack, African ambassadors in New Delhi threatened to recommend to their governments that they don't send students to the capital "as their security is not guaranteed". Around 30,000 Africans live in New Delhi, according to police, and they have told AFP of numerous humiliations they face, from insults in the street to housing discrimination and even violent attacks. This week, television footage showed police officers in the southern city of Bangalore forcefully restraining a Nigerian woman following an altercation at a market. She was tied up with ropes before being injected with sedatives. Despite these incidents, IT student Muama believes it is "out of the question to live in fear". "You have to be aware of your rights," he said. - 'They eat dogs' - In Khirki Extension, a bustling set of interlacing streets in the south of the Indian capital long home to a sizeable Nigerian community, prejudices remain on display. "The way they eat, drink, live... Everything is different," said Inderjeet Singh, a real estate agent who has been in the neighbourhood for 15 years. "People say they eat street dogs, families fear they cut their children into pieces and eat them," the 53-year-old said. The number of Nigerians living in the district has dwindled since January 2014, when it was the scene of a crackdown by a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Somnath Bharti. Story continues Bharti, accompanied by supporters of his anti-corruption party and night vision cameras, took to the streets to denounce an alleged prostitution and drug trafficking network run by Nigerians and Ugandans. Bharti attempted to force the police to search several apartments and reportedly ordered four Africans to take urine tests to detect any traces of drugs. In an attempt to now tackle racist views, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj has promised an awareness campaign in neighbourhoods with large numbers of African inhabitants. "We are trying to break the communication gap between the locals and our African friends," R.P. Upadhyay, a senior Delhi Police official in charge of the campaign told AFP. "We are requesting everyone that whenever anything happens, report it to the police." - 'Good friendships' - The death of the Congolese student comes as India is seeking to charm African nations, seeking to rival China, which has long staked its interest on the continent. Following an India-Africa summit last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited four African countries in early July. Nigerian, Cameroonian and Congolese residents in New Delhi interviewed by AFP say that while they encounter difficulties in daily life, many Indians are open and tolerant towards them. Congolese student Loic Ipanga, 24, believes the "racist reactions" he experiences are often due to ignorance of Africa. "It is very shocking that every time an Indian sees you, he asks you if you are Nigerian, thinking that because of my skin colour I must be Nigerian," he says. "This is sometimes a disturbing issue." Yet he says he has "very good friendships with Indians, who are willing to get up in the middle of the night to help you". "We must act like adults -- mature and wise. You cannot lay a hand on anyone," he said. WARSAW (Reuters) - NATO leaders held a summit in Warsaw on July 8-9. Here are the main decisions of the U.S.-led alliance's biennial meeting: * NATO agreed to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland from January 2017 to deter Russia, a response to Moscow's 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. The four battalions totalling between 3,000 and 4,000 troops will be led by Britain in Estonia, the United States in Poland, Canada in Latvia and Germany in Lithuania. * NATO took command of a U.S.-built missile shield in Europe to defend against ballistic missiles from Iran. * NATO allies agreed to help fund Afghan security forces between 2018 and 2020 with around $1 billion annually. NATO countries will also keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016 to train Afghan forces. * NATO leaders agreed to provide support for the European Union's military mission off the Libyan coast to crack down on smugglers. NATO may provide vessels, surveillance aircraft and radars to help uphold a U.N. arms embargo, although details are still being worked out. * NATO and the European Union signed a cooperation pact aimed at overcoming years of mutual suspicion to work together in areas ranging from maritime patrols to preventing possible Russian cyber attacks. * NATO leaders discussed the Ukraine crisis and offered further support to help Kiev modernise its armed forces. * Britain's outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron said he would hold a parliamentary vote on July 18 to decide on the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent. * NATO reaffirmed its commitment to a mixture of conventional and nuclear forces, indirectly warning Russia that the alliance's capabilities were far greater than those of any adversary. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, Wiktor Szary, Paul Taylor, Yeganeh Torbati, Justyna Pawlak, Gabriela Baczynska, Sabine Siebold; Editing by Paul Taylor) Families of lawyers and rights activists detained by China's Communist authorities exactly a year ago urged authorities to stop harassing them on Saturday, as they repeated calls for the release of their relatives. More than 200 attorneys and rights campaigners were held in a huge operation launched on July 9, 2015 known as the 709 crackdown -- named after the date of the first disappearance. "We strongly demand the Chinese government to release all the detainees involved in the 709 crackdown... Stop all the monitoring, harassment, shadowing and persecution towards all the detainees families," the relatives said in a statement sent to AFP. They added that they were tightly monitored by the police on a "24-hour basis". "We are tailed, force(d) to move out of our house, harassed at midnight, obstructed from work and there are children who can hardly enter a school. We can no longer continue our normal life," they said. In total, 23 lawyers and rights activists held during the 709 crackdown are still in detention, according to the document's signatories, all but one of whom are the wives of the detainees. The other is a sister. "Over the past year... our efforts were always in vain as we were greeted by the officials with indifferences and rejections." Under President Xi Jinping, who came to power in 2012, China has tightened controls on civil society, and the 709 crackdown represents its largest-scale operation in years. On Monday, five spouses of the detained men donned dresses emblazoned with their husbands' names and marched to a national prosecutors' office in Beijing -- surrounded by dozens of police. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described the detentions as "worrying", but Beijing routinely dismisses such complaints as interference in its internal affairs. The family of Connor Golden a University of Miami student who lost his leg after stepping on an explosive device in New York's Central Park has released a statement thanking the staff of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, where Connor is being treated. "We Connor and his family would like to express our appreciation for the medical assistance provided in the moments following the explosion in Central Park by NYC's famously great first responders, without whose support Connor may not have survived the explosion," the statement, obtained by PEOPLE, read. "We are also deeply indebted to John Murphy and two unidentified Good Samaritans who were in the park at the time of the explosion and rapidly came to Connor's side. "They quickly applied a tourniquet to Connor's leg using a men's clothing belt worn by one of Connor's friends. Their bravery and clear-headedness in a moment of crisis may well have saved Connor's life." On July 3, Connor was taken to a local hospital in critical condition after stepping on powerful explosives, the nature of which and "circumstances surrounding their presence in the park," are unknown, according to background provided in the family's statement. Connor subsequently had his left foot and lower leg amputated and is said to be in "good condition" and ready to go back to Northern Virginia, where he will continue treatment. However, he is still continuing to assist the NYPD with their investigation, which includes a $2,500 cash reward for any information that can help clarify what led up to the explosion. "We are humbled and profoundly touched by the enormous outpouring of love, prayers and support from family and friends, fellow Hurricanes from the University of Miami, the residents and public officials of New York City and the public at large," the statement added. According to the family statement, parents of Oakton High School chorus students have established a GoFundMe page to help lighten the burden of Connor's current and future medical expenses. Istanbul (AFP) - The first Russian flight carrying package tourists to Turkey since a diplomatic crisis erupted eight months ago landed on Saturday in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya. The Rossiya Airlines plane touched down at Antalya's international airport at around 0730 GMT, after President Vladimir Putin last month officially lifted restrictions on tourism to Turkey as part of a normalisation of ties. The Boeing 737-800 plane, flying from Moscow's Vnukovo airport, was carrying 189 tourists, NTV television said. Russia had banned the sale of agency tours to Turkey as retaliation for Ankara shooting down a Russian warplane in November on the Syrian border. The move dealt a crushing blow to the Turkish tourism industry, which is hugely reliant on Russian tourists especially on its Mediterranean coast. - 'Russian tourism down 90%' - In May, overall foreign visitor numbers to Turkey plunged 34.7 percent but the number of Russians visiting fell 91.8 percent from a year earlier, official statistics said. According to Antalya airport, the number of Russian tourists had dropped 98.5 percent in June along with a general decline in tourism. Visitors have reported seeing luxury resorts around Antalya tailor-made for Russians -- including a replica of Moscow's St Basil's Cathedral by a swimming pool in one hotel -- to be near deserted. However Putin on June 30 lifted the ban on the sale of tours and ordered charter flights from Russia to Turkey to resume. His move came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to Putin that Moscow said contained an apology for the downing of the jet. - 'Charter-like flight' - Analysts say that Ankara was keen to repair its relations with Moscow after the crisis with a key regional neighbour left Turkey dangerously isolated on the international stage. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Friday gave ministries a week to draw up coordinated proposals on resuming charter flights to Turkey. Story continues But he said there needed to be "special attention on the need for additional measures to enhance transport security and prevent flights to regions with a high terrorist threat". Underlining the importance of Saturday's flight, a special ceremony was laid on for the new arrivals with the surprised passengers handed flowers after stepping off the plane and serenaded with music. The deputy governor of Antalya, Mehmet Yavuz, said it was better to describe the arrival as a "charter-like flight" as while Moscow had allowed the selling of tours, it was still to give formal approval for charter flights. "As you know, a charter flight is one that has been rented by a tourist company. This was a normal airline flight," said Yavuz, who is responsible for the airport. A spokesperson for Rossiya Airlines told AFP in Moscow said the flight was the "first of the 2016 summer season" by the airline from Moscow to Antalya and had been performed with the full cooperation of the Turkish authorities. The head of Antalya's airport, Osman Serdar, acknowledged the tourist season had started in a "troubled way" and was happy to see the Russians arriving. "We are seeing the first group of Russian tourists arrive. This will continue to increase and we definitely don't want to have these kinds of troubles again," he told reporters in Antalya. The Turkish tourism industry is expected to be dealt another blow by tourists staying away following the June 28 triple suicide attack blamed on jihadists at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul that killed 47 people. Aside from the Russian crisis, the tourism industry had already been dealt repeated blows by a string of attacks in Turkey blamed on Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants. Packing medications can require a little thought and forward planning before jetting off abroad. As the summer getaway gears up, here are a few things to consider when traveling with medication. Check what restrictions apply Each country has its own rules for transporting medication. Plus, drugs sold in one country could be illegal in another, which could land travelers in hot water. Usually, a current, valid prescription is sufficient to justify the presence of medication in your luggage, but not always. To avoid any nasty surprises, it's worth contacting the embassy or consulate of your destination country for more detailed information. The official website of your airline should also provide information on carrying medication. Take enough medication for the whole trip It's better to plan ahead and bring enough medication to cover the whole duration of your trip. It's even worth packing a little more than necessary, just in case. Most medications can be stored at room temperature with no specific precautions. Where possible, look for forms of medication that are most resistant to changes in temperature or humidity (tablets, capsules, vials). It's advisable to keep a copy of the prescription with you at all times and to have a backup copy in digital format ready to download from the cloud or an email if necessary. Look up the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) Since medications aren't always sold under the same name in different countries, it can be useful to know the generic name of the drug or active ingredient in each of your medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for help finding the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) of your treatments. An application, called "Convert Drugs Premium," developed by a French pharmacist, can be used to find equivalent drugs in 220 countries. It's available in 11 languages for iOS devices and can be used offline. Put some of your meds in carry-on baggage Even if you don't need medication during the flight, it's a good idea to carry some of your stock in your hand luggage. That way, if hold luggage is lost or delayed, you'll have enough to keep you going while sorting out the problem. It's better to keep medication in its original packaging to avoid any ambiguity when heading through customs. Beware of counterfeits when buying abroad Counterfeit medication can be a real problem in certain countries. The best way to stay safe is to avoid buying medication altogether when traveling abroad. However, you may have to stock up at a local pharmacy if you fall ill, if the supply you brought from home gets lost, stolen or confiscated, or if a trip ends up being longer than expected. A list of reliable outlets can usually be provided by your country's embassy. Finally, if you notice any unusual side effects, let your doctor or pharmacist know as soon as possible and show them the medication you bought. By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Lawyers for Fox News chairman Roger Ailes on Friday asked a judge to halt anchor Gretchen Carlson's "shameless publicity campaign" against her former boss, and send her sexual harassment lawsuit against him to arbitration in accordance with her employment contract. The request came two days after Carlson sued Ailes in Superior Court in New Jersey, portraying him as a persistent harasser who demoted her and ultimately forced her from Fox News, her employer since 2005, after she rebuffed his advances. Ailes has forcefully denied Carlson's allegations. Carlson's lawyers, Nancy Erika Smith and Martin Hyman, said their client intends to pursue her right to a public jury trial. "Roger Ailes is trying to force this case into a secret arbitration proceeding," the lawyers said in a statement. "Gretchen never agreed to arbitrate anything with Mr. Ailes." The parent of Fox News, 21st Century Fox Inc, late on Wednesday said it had "full confidence" in Ailes and began an internal review of the matter. In filings with the federal court in Newark, New Jersey, Ailes' lawyers said Carlson's June 2013 contract required her to arbitrate any employment disputes. They accused Carlson of "gamesmanship" for suing only Ailes and not the network as well, calling it a legally improper means to avoid arbitration, and of conducting a public "tar and feather" campaign to sully Ailes' reputation. The lawyers also said that under federal law the case did not belong in the New Jersey state court because Carlson lived in Connecticut and Ailes in New York, and the amount of money at stake was too high. "Plaintiff's ploy of filing in Superior Court to justify her shameless publicity campaign against Roger Ailes should not be countenanced," the lawyers said. Friday's filings included a copy of what Ailes' lawyers said was Carlson's employment contract, which calls for employment disputes to be heard by a three-person arbitration panel. Story continues Ailes, 76, a former Republican political consultant and confidant of 21st Century Fox Executive Co-Chairman Rupert Murdoch, has built Fox News over two decades into the most-watched U.S. cable news channel and become one of the most powerful American media executives. In her lawsuit, Carlson, 50, accused Ailes of sexually inappropriate conduct such as calling her a "man hater," ogling her in his office and telling her she was "sexy" but "too much hard work." Carlson said Ailes removed her in 2013 as co-host of the morning show "Fox & Friends" in retaliation for her refusal to accept his advances and reassigned her at lower pay to an afternoon show. She also said his decision on June 23 not to renew her contract was retaliatory. The federal case is Carlson v Ailes, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, No. 16-04138. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman) Warsaw (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande said Saturday he hoped that whatever the outcome of this year's US presidential election, it would not undermine American ties with the European Union. "Transatlantic links are very important... the US elections must not jeopardise these ties," Hollande said at a NATO summit in Warsaw where leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the US-led alliance "We need these ties for our peace and security," the French president said. In June, Hollande said that a win for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would "complicate relations between Europe and the United States". "His slogans differ little from those of the far right in Europe and France," he told the French financial daily Les Echos. Trump upended the Republican political establishment by easily beating more establishment rivals with a mixture of barbed personal jabs and an ability to ride out the worst criticism. Trump is expected to face Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton in the November election. CHICAGO (AP) -- Jose Quintana beamed while describing the attention the first all-Colombian pitching matchup in major league history was getting back home. ''I think Colombia won today,'' he said. Quintana bested countryman Julio Teheran, Todd Frazier hit his 25th homer and the Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Saturday. A Colombian flag hung outside a suite down the left field line to celebrate the milestone. The pitchers were born about 25 miles apart in the northern department of Bolivar. ''Teheran is my friend and we have a good relationship,'' Quintana said. ''Facing him at this level, that's good for the country. I enjoyed this game and I took the win. That's great for me.'' Frazier, who will go for his second straight Home Run Derby title Monday, hit a two-run shot in the second and an RBI double in Chicago's three-run third. He also connected in Friday night's 11-8 loss in the series opener. ''I feel stronger, I feel more relaxed, a little quicker swing,'' Frazier said. ''For me, it's hitting good pitches. I say this all the time, if I'm swinging outside the zone I'm going to have some trouble. I feel really good at the plate right now.'' Teheran (3-8) allowed five runs and nine hits over six innings. The All-Star, who missed his last start with an infection in his right thigh, enjoyed facing Quintana. ''We're pretty close,'' Teheran said. ''Sometimes in the offseason we get to work together. It was exciting to be able to pitch against him.'' Quintana (7-8) won his second straight start despite giving up home runs to Gordon Beckham, Jeff Francoeur and Freddie Freeman in six innings. Chicago had scored 13 runs in Quintana's last 10 starts. With a strong wind aiding fly balls, the left-hander allowed four runs and five hits, but he got the support he needed this time around. Story continues Atlanta had chances in the last two innings. Zach Duke replaced Quintana and got four straight outs. Chase d'Arnaud then doubled off Matt Albers. After a groundout, the White Sox walked Freeman intentionally. Nate Jones then struck out Nick Markakis, who had hit three homers in two games. With closer David Robertson (upper left leg strain) unavailable, Jones came out for the ninth and allowed one-out singles to Adonis Garcia and A.J. Pierzynski. A wild pitch put runners at second and third. Jones struck out Erick Aybar before walking ninth-place hitter Ender Inciarte intentionally. ''If you have bases loaded, you've got every base to be able to get a force out,'' manager Robin Ventura said. Jones got his third save by retiring d'Arnaud on a grounder to third on the first pitch. Fans in yellow Colombia shirts above their flag cheered. ''I think we have better baseball now,'' Quintana said. ''It's good for us and I'm proud.'' TRAINER'S ROOM Braves: C Tyler Flowers left with a left hand injury in the second inning and won't play Sunday. ''I had a checked swing my first at-bat and felt something not good,'' he said. Pierzynski, a member of Chicago's 2005 World Series-winning team, replaced him and was greeted with a standing ovation. White Sox: Robertson said he won't be able to pitch Sunday, either. ''I'm thinking right after the All-Star break I'll be ready to roll,'' he said. ... LHP Carlos Rodon wore a brace and was sheepish after spraining his left wrist when he slipped on the dugout steps before Friday night's game. Rodon was put on the disabled list and replaced by RHP Tommy Kahnle from Triple-A Charlotte. ASSORTED HITS White Sox rookie shortstop Tim Anderson went 2 for 4, giving him multiple hits in 13 of his 27 major league games. NO HELP NEEDED Freeman pulled off unassisted double play in the fifth. He fielded Melky Cabrera's one-out grounder and stepped on first, then chased down Adam Eaton, who stopped halfway to second to get in a rundown. UP NEXT White Sox RHP James Shields (4-9, 5.67 ERA) seeks his third straight victory in the series finale Sunday against Braves RHP and Minooka, Illinois, product Mike Foltynewicz (2-3, 4.29 ERA). By Julien Pretot BAGNERES DE LUCHON, France (Reuters) - When Chris Froome took the yellow jersey with a brutal uphill attack in the 2015 Tour de France, he faced a barrage of doping insinuations but this year he seized control of the race in a descent and has been spared any controversy. Britain's Team Sky rider had humiliated his rivals with a stunning acceleration up to La Pierre Saint Martin last year, prompting a heated debate about his power data and the possible use of a hidden motor. Saturday's move in the final downhill section of the eighth stage, a 184-km ride from Pau, took his rivals by surprise, and probably Froome's critics as well. "No doubt people out there will be calculating my VAM (average descent speed) going down the last climb, and that it was off the charts," the defending champion, who has always vigorously denied doping, said with a smile. "I can't be happier to be in yellow again, it's an amazing feeling, I'm enjoying it." Froome, gunning for a third Tour title, attacked where his rivals were not expecting him to and gained 13 seconds on them, plus a 10-second time bonus for his stage win. He leads fellow Briton Adam Yates (Orica-Bike Exchange) and Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) by 16 seconds ahead of Sunday's uphill finish in Andorra Arcalis. Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford praised his rider, saying it "took some balls" for Froome to take such risks in the descent as he reached a maximum speed of about 90 kph. "I thought over the top let me just give it a go and see what I can do on the descent - I'll see if I can catch someone out," said Froome. "It was real old school bike racing. Maybe I spent a little bit too much (energy). Let's see, tomorrow is going to be a really hard day. Sixteen seconds is not a huge margin but I'll take every second I can at this point."It's just a really good feeling. The guys rode all day today so I felt like I owed something to them to really give it my all for the stage." (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris) "He even likes being booed!" said this writer's mother incredulously, as Garth Brooks was booed by Yankee Stadium during his long-awaited return to New York on Friday night. The crowd's angst was in jest -- a response to Brooks threatening to withhold the third verse to his best-known track "Friends In Low Places" -- but his enthusiasm was appeared entirely genuine. Of course he performed the third verse ("You can kiss -- my -- aaaaaass!"), in what had become a torrential downpour just in time for the raucous single, as he did with all his biggest hits -- giving the people what they wanted, with the kind of gratitude and energy you'd expect from someone taking the stage for the first time. Garth Brooks Announces His Own SiriusXM Channel, Preps For Yankee Stadium In a sense, Brooks was reliving his long-ago life as an amateur playing saloons in Oklahoma during Friday night's show. Not only was the concert his first in New York in nearly two decades, it was all of country music as a genre's first in Yankee Stadium -- a fact that he expressed awe at about a dozen times. "I'm always scared to death to come into this town, because I worry that just being myself isn't going to be enough," he told the tens of thousands of people gathered to see him, ahead of tens of thousands more who would join the following night. But though he professed to be nervous his performance walked the thin line between polish and finesse with relative ease, buoyed by a band of people who've been with him for 20 years as well as (of course) his iconic voice. That voice, still almost freakishly smooth, carried the audience through two hours of classics from the rip-roaring opener "Ain't Going Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)" to the sing-a-long closer acoustic rendition of Billy Joel's "Piano Man." To a degree, the entire concert felt like glorified audience karaoke, as two jumbotrons ran the lyrics of every song in case twenty years of practice weren't enough. Garth was game, encouraging audience participation and expressing the kind of ecstasy about it normally reserved for places more intimate than a stadium. Story continues Garth Brooks to Perform in New York For First Time in 19 Years "Tell me it's gonna be like this all night long," he said early on, leaning back and clutching his chest in gratitude -- a sentimental moment only topped when his wife Trisha Yearwood brought down the house with three songs that left the crowd wanting much more and ended with a sweet kiss. The night's most evocative moments, though, came at the close when Brooks reemerged alone with a guitar in hand to perform "She's Every Woman" and "Make You Feel My Love," the Bob Dylan/Billy Joel cover he owned while Adele (who covered it on her album 19) was still in elementary school. In this moment Brooks miraculously captivated the stadium with just his voice and guitar, and seemingly could have kept the crowd spellbound for hours. Given the many tragedies of the week, Brooks knew that he would be expected to comment -- to say something soothing, in the vein of so many of his songs. He steered clear of specifics, though. "It's the same statement as with what happened in Orlando or Paris," he said early on. "We've got to love one another, that's what it's all about." He held up a heart and proceeded to play his only 2010s-era song of the night, 2014's "People Loving People." Surprising the crowd by promising new music in the fall, Brooks nevertheless ran through nothing but the hits until his shirt was soaked through with rain and sweat. "Thanks for treating me like one of you," he said as he walked offstage. "Let's enjoy our differences and realize they are our strengths." A GoFundMe campaign dedicated to raising college funds for Alton Sterlings family has raised more than $648,000 far exceeding its goal of $200,000. Actress Issa Rae launched the online fundraiser on Wednesday after a video capturing the Louisiana mans final moments the day before sparked outrage. She said that some people feel helpless when these things happen, but that a scholarship fund for his children would be a small step forward. @IssaRae Here it is: Donate to the #AltonSterling Family Scholarship Fund. *ALL* proceeds will go to his fam: https://t.co/DiMEF3YfFQ Issa Rae (@IssaRae) July 6, 2016 Rae, who is known for her YouTube show Awkward Black Girl, said that the page raised $100,000 in just six hours. That figure doubled three hours later. As of Saturday morning, more than 22,000 people raised $648,310. She said that all of the money would go to Sterlings family so that his five children can pay for college. The U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a civil rights investigation into Sterlings death. Early Tuesday morning, the 37-year-old father of five was selling CDs outside of the Triple S Food Mart convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. As can be seen in witness videos, two police officers tackled him to the ground and one shot him several times at point-blank range. The Baton Rouge Police Department released a statement saying the officers were responding to a complaint about a black man wearing a red shirt who had threatened the complainant with a gun. As per standard procedure, both officers were placed on administrative leave. Sterlings death was one of several that revealed old wounds that many say have not fully healed in the United States. It reawakened a national conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement and policing in African-American communities. Story continues A Minnesota police officer shot and killed another black man, Philando Castile, 32, on Wednesday during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. Then, on Thursday, a sniper killed five Dallas police officers (Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith and Lorne Ahrens) and injured seven others. Danny Amoruccio, a retired funeral director from Norwalk, Conn., also used GoFundMe to set up a Support Dallas Police Memorial Fund on Friday. By the following morning, it had raised $5,368 of its $100,000 goal. GoFundMe, he said, would vet a beneficiary from the Dallas Police Department to be in charge of distributing the money. Related slideshows: Slideshow: Alton Sterling killed by police in Baton Rouge, La. >>> Slideshow: Black Lives Matter protests in Baton Rouge >>> Slideshow: Police fatally shoot Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn >>> Slideshow: Protests over shootings block roads in U.S. cities >>> Slideshow: Officers killed by sniper in Dallas protest over police shootings >>> Slideshow: Newspapers react to Dallas attack against police officers >>> BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government and allied forces took control of a rebel-held town east of Damascus on Saturday after a 12-day battle, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, compromising a supply route into opposition territory. Maydaa was the easternmost outpost of the rebel-held bloc of territory in Eastern Ghouta and was used as a supply route into the area for weapons and money, the Britain-based Observatory said. It was the last rebel-held bit of territory before the rebel-held town of Dumeir to the east, from which it was separated by a stretch of government-controlled land. Maydaa had been under the control of the powerful Jaish al Islam rebel faction and was the group's closest position to Dumeir military airport, where they are fighting to displace government forces. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Catherine Evans) The legal battle between former Fox News Channel personality Gretchen Carlson and her ex-boss Roger Ailes added another chapter on Friday, with Ailes attorney claiming that Carlson breached her contract. A motion filed by Ailes attorney on Friday also asked that the suit be moved from state to federal court, and asked that the sexual-harassment case be moved to arbitration. Carlson filed suit against Fox News Chairman and CEO Ailes on Wednesday, claiming that Ailes sexually propositioned her, then fired her in retaliation after she complained about discrimination and harassment. Also Read: Gretchen Carlson's Letters to Roger Ailes Show 'Devoted' Employee, Lawyers Say The legal papers claim that Carlsons employment contract contained an arbitration provision requiring that all claims relating to her employment be brought to arbitration at the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and that all filings, allegations, evidence and events leading up to the arbitration be held in strict confidence. Instead, the motion says, she sued. Since the filing of her Superior Court complaint, Plaintiff and her counsel have embarked on a publicity campaign to defame Mr. Ailes, notwithstanding the strict confidentiality requirement in the mandatory arbitration provision of her employment agreement, the motion reads. Also Read: Read Gretchen Carlson's Pleas for Airtime in Handwritten Letters to Roger Ailes (Photos) Ailes lawyer is also seeking to have the case moved from state court in New Jersey to federal court, contending that Ailes and Carlson are residents of different states. Gretchen Carlson had an arbitration clause in her contract, strictly stating that any employment dispute regarding her tenure at Fox News must be done via confidential arbitration, a Fox News spokesperson told TheWrap in a statement. Because Carlsons claim on Wednesday violated that clause, coupled with the fact that neither Roger Ailes nor Gretchen Carlson reside in New Jersey and are citizens of different states, a motion was filed to have the case moved to Federal Court, which is in full accordance with the law. Story continues In her suit, Carlson claims that, when she met with Ailes to discuss alleged discriminatory treatment she had experienced, Ailes said, I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then youd be good and better and Id be good and better, adding that sometimes problems are easier to solve that way. Carlson also claims that, after she complained, she was assigned fewer hard-hitting political interviews and her air time was reduced, including being removed from the Fox News series Fox and Friends. Also Read: Fox News' Jeanine Pirro Rips Gretchen Carlson's 'Absurd' Lawsuit In response to the lawsuit, Fox launched an internal review into the allegations. Ailes called the allegations false and without merit. Gretchen Carlsons allegations are false. This is a retaliatory suit for the networks decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup, Ailes said in a statement. When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit. Ironically, FOX News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11 year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously. Related stories from TheWrap: Gretchen Carlson Breached Her Fox News Contract, Roger Ailes Attorney Claims Gretchen Carlson's Letters to Roger Ailes Show 'Devoted' Employee, Lawyers Say Read Gretchen Carlson's Pleas for Airtime in Handwritten Letters to Roger Ailes (Photos) Gretchen Carlson's lawyers have released a statement accusing Fox Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes of attempting to block her from having a public trial. However Ailes' attorney countered the statement, saying that there was an arbitration clause in Carlson's contract. "Roger Ailes is trying to force this case into a secret arbitration proceeding. Gretchen never agreed to arbitrate anything with Mr. Ailes and the contract on which he relies does not mention him and is not signed by him," the statement from Carlson's team, obtained by PEOPLE, read. "Gretchen intends to fight for her right to a public jury trial, a right protected by the discrimination laws and our Constitution. "It is disturbing that the head of a large media company would try to silence the press and hide from the public a matter of such importance." Ailes attorney said that the clause in Carlson's contract covered "any employment dispute," and mandated that any issues must be handled in private. "Gretchen Carlson had an arbitration clause in her contract, stating that any employment dispute regarding her employment at Fox News must be done via confidential arbitration," Ailes' lawyer's statement also obtained by PEOPLE read. "Because Ms. Carlson's lawsuit violated the arbitration clause, a motion was filed in federal court to have the case arbitrated. The federal court is the proper court to decide the motion because Ms. Carlson's primary residence is in Connecticut and Mr. Ailes' primary residence is in New York." Carlson and Ailes recent statements follow Carlson's Wednesday lawsuit in which she accuses Ailes of sexual harassment, saying that he "has unlawfully retaliated against Carlson and sabotaged her career because she refused sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment." Ailes denied the claims later that day, calling the allegations "false" and "retaliatory" in a statement, in which he also said that the accusations came about because "Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract." WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Saturday that the prevalence of guns in U.S. society is one factor behind American violence and the fact that there was a gun in the car contributed to the shooting of a black Minnesota man last week. "In Minneapolis, we dont know yet what happened, but we do know that there was a gun in the car that apparently was licensed but it caused, in some fashion, those tragic events," Obama told reporters. "We cant just ignore that and pretend that thats somehow political ... it is a contributing factor not the sole factor but a contributing factor to the broader tensions that arise between police and the communities where they serve." (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Leslie Adler) MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 14 people in northeastern Mexico early on Saturday in two attacks likely sparked by gang wars in the state of Tamaulipas, the local government said. State interior minister Herminio Garza Palacios said the shootings took place in Ciudad Victoria, capital of Tamualipas, a state on the Gulf of Mexico that has been mired in violence between warring drug cartels for years. In the first attack, armed men entered a house in a neighborhood near the center of Ciudad Victoria at 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT), killing 11 members of one family. Two of the dead were men and the other victims were all female, five of them minors, the state government said. The second shooting took place at a house further east about 45 minutes later, the government said. A man and two women were killed, and four other family members injured, Garza said. Federal and state forces were investigating the shootings, which were probably the result of a dispute between rival groups, Garza said. The city has been racked by infighting by factions of the Zetas drug gang, security experts say. Bordering Texas to the north, Tamaulipas has long been a major transit point for traffickers moving drugs and people into the United States. Turf wars between the Gulf Cartel and their former armed wing, the Zetas, have racked the state for years. Ciudad Victoria lies toward the southwest of Tamaulipas. (Reporting by Dave Graham and Veronica Gomez; Editing by Diane Craft) Harry Potter fans can plunge into the magical world of wizards thanks to a touring exhibition dedicated to the film franchise opening in the Belgian capital. Visitors can experience first-hand what life at wizarding school Hogwarts is like by wandering through the Gryffindor's common room, strolling through the so-called Forbidden Forest or just by sitting in gamekeeper Hagrids' huge chair in the rustic-style hut. Peter Monballieu, press officer for the exhibition, says the show was a success even before it opened, with one hundred thousand tickets sold online previously. The touring exhibition premiered in Chicago in 2009 and is in Brussels until mid-September. London (AFP) - Defeated Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber admitted she was helpless to prevent the Serena Williams onslaught which powered the American to a seventh Wimbledon and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title. The fourth seed, bidding to become the first German to win the Wimbledon crown since Steffi Graf in 1996, slipped to a battling 7-5, 6-3 loss in one of the better All England Club finals in recent years. Kerber carved out just one break point in the 81-minute final in the seventh game of the second set. But in a flash, it was gone as the 34-year-old American fired a 117 mph ace and then another at 124 mph to restore order. "This is how Serena is playing. I had one break point, and I couldn't do nothing," said Kerber, who had defeated Williams for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. "I was trying to be tough, to stay in the match, trying to fight until the last point. "But Serena was the one who won the match. I played my best, did what I could. At the end, she deserved it." Williams finished on 39 winners and 13 aces which absorbed the 21 unforced errors she had committed. She ended the tournament with 74 aces, more than twice as many as second-placed Elena Vesnina who managed a comparatively meagre 31. Kerber hit just 12 winners on Saturday and was unable to fire one ace past her opponent. "I think I played what I could today. Serena was serving unbelievable. I tried everything," said the 28-year-old, who had not lost a set at the tournament before Saturday. She had also knocked out five-time champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals. "She really played an unbelievable match. I think we both played on a really high level. "I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match." Kerber will move to number two in the world in the rankings next week behind Williams. The American has been top of the pile since February 2013. Story continues But Kerber acknowledges that she still feels a long way behind the great American in terms of achievement. After all, Williams now has 71 career titles; Kerber has nine and has the best part of $70 million less in the bank. "It's tough to follow in her footsteps. Let's see one day. But I think it's still a long way," she said. Warsaw (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande called Saturday for international action against an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, warning that the recent losses sustained by the Islamic State group could embolden other jihadist groups. "Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State) is in retreat, that is beyond dispute," Hollande said after a meeting with the leaders of the United States, Germany, Britain, Italy and Ukraine on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw. But, Hollande added, "we must also avoid a situation whereby as Daesh becomes weaker, other groups become stronger." Hollande singled out Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front as particularly standing to benefit from the US-led military campaign against its arch-rival the Islamic State group. Faced with a barrage of airstrikes and ground offensives by local forces, IS has lost territory in both Syria and Iraq in recent months. "We must coordinate among ourselves to continue actions against Daesh but also... take effective action against Al-Nusra," Hollande said, directing his appeal at Russia and the US. On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone call to "intensify" military coordination between their two countries in Syria. Russia had in May proposed joint air strikes with the US against jihadist targets in Syria -- a suggestion that was rebuffed by Washington. The White House reported that the two leaders, in their call this week, "confirmed their commitment to defeating ISIL (IS) and the Al-Nusra Front". The two groups are excluded from a broader truce brokered by Moscow and Washington in February. By Letitia Stein (Reuters) - Two Houston police officers fatally shot an African-American man who pointed a gun at them despite their commands that he lower his weapon, authorities said on Saturday, two days after five Dallas policemen were slain by a black military veteran. The two Houston officers, both Hispanic, encountered a man standing in the middle of a street with a revolver around 12:40 a.m. while on a routine patrol, police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. The officers exited their patrol vehicle to speak to the man, who initially had the firearm pointed to the sky. The officers ordered him to lower the weapon, Silva said. "He instead deliberately and slowly lowers his arm and allows it to come to a stop at his waist," Silva said. "Now the gun is pointed directly at officers." Fearing for their safety and for nearby witnesses, both officers discharged their weapons, striking the man, she said. The man's motive remains unknown. The suspect, who did not fire his gun, died at the scene. His identity was not immediately released. The incident unfolded after police came under fire in at least three states on Thursday and Friday, as protests over police use of force against black people escalated around the country. A police officer in Ballwin, Missouri, remained in critical condition on Saturday, a day after he was shot during a traffic stop, St. Louis County Police said on Twitter. In Georgia, an officer was ambushed and shot on Friday, and in Tennessee a man grazed a police officer with a bullet on Thursday when he opened fire on a hotel and a highway, killing a woman and wounded several others. Authorities were not sure what prompted the shootings. In the Dallas rampage on Thursday, a black U.S. military veteran who opened fire at a protest said he wanted to "kill white people," killing five police officers and wounding seven others plus two civilians. The protest was organized to decry police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier this week. In Houston, the officers were placed on administrative duty for three days, following standard procedure, Silva said. Both have a decade or longer of experience with Houston police. She said the department will investigate the incident, which will also be probed by a local district attorney. (Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by Leslie Adler) London (AFP) - Several hundred people protested in London Saturday after the killing of black men by police in the United States. The "Black Lives" Matter" demonstration saw protestors march to a police station and block buses and traffic, an AFP photographer at the scene said. Chanting and sitting in the road, demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as "Stop Killing Us" and "White Silence Costs Lives". London's Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the march in Brixton, south London, or give any information about the number of officers deployed. The demonstration came after two black men were shot dead by police in the US this week. Alton Sterling, 37, was killed Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana while Philando Castile, 32, died Wednesday in Minnesota. On Thursday, a gunman opened fire during a protest in Dallas against police brutality, killing five police officers. At least 123 black people have been shot dead by police in the United States this year, half of last year's toll of 258, according to Washington Post data. Rioting and looting erupted in London and other British cities in 2011 after Mark Duggan, 29, was shot dead by a police officer in the suburb of Tottenham. The taxi Duggan was travelling in was forced to stop by police in an operation targeting gang violence, the Independent Police Complaints Commission later found. An inquest into his death three years later found police acted lawfully when they killed Duggan although he had previously thrown away a weapon he was carrying. His family reacted with fury to the finding. When my father died and I inherited his house in Florida, the last thing on my mind was the status of his homeowners insurance policy. So I didn't notify the insurance company about his death, and I didnt keep up with the premium payments. But when the cancellation notice arrived a few months later, suddenly, all I could think about was the insurance. I quickly learned that there are many reasons why you dont want to leave a house bare, or uninsured. The main one is that a home is, for many people, their biggest asset. If theres damage to itsay from a stormit could cost you a great deal to repair it. And if youre planning to renovate or sell the home, its a good idea to have insurance. If a contractor, or maybe a real estate agent, gets hurt at the house and decides to sue you, the liability coverage, which is included in some homeowners policies, could protect you. Lawrence Lehmann, a New Orleans-based estate planning lawyer, urges heirs to be proactive about reaching out to the insurance company to make sure the home is properly insured. "The worse thing that can happen is the unknown," says Lehmann. What to Do If you inherit the home of a family member, take a few simple steps to protect the home. Heres what to do. Call the homeowners insurance agent. If you are a surviving spouse and you are named on the homeowners policy, you dont need to worry. The existing policy will continue. Let the insurer know that your spouse has died so that the policy information can be updated. You may need to send the agent a copy of the death certificate. If you dont have your name on the policy, or if all the people listed on the policy are deceased, the policy becomes the responsibility of the legal representative of the estate for the term of the policy. If thats you, notify the insurance company that you are now their primary contact. Not all insurers require the same proof, but Richard Johnson, a spokesman for USAA Insurance, says that his firm requires a letter of administration, which proves your legal status, as well as a death certificate. Other insurers may not require those documents. Most insurance companies will keep the existing policy in place until the expiration date. But its important that you know how much time is left on the policy and if any payments are due so that you arent left with an uninsured home, says David Morales, a financial advisor with MassMutual. Story continues Also, ask the agent to review the current policy in force, says Chip Merlin, a property law attorney in Tampa, Fla. You want to know what the policy covers. Request a copy of the policy, if you are not able to find it. Keep paying the insurance premium. Be sure to make payment on a timely basis. You need to know how the payments are madethrough a mortgage escrow account or directly to the company. Unfortunately, even if you do continue to make timely payments, insurance companies can cancel a policy by giving you 30 to 45 days notice. Also, keep in mind that if you do let payments slip, there may not be a grace period and at that point, the insurer can cancel with as little as 10 days notice, though rules vary by state. If you miss payments and you have a mortgage on the house, the lender has the right to place a policy on the house to protect its financial interest, but bill you for it. That can be bad news because this type of policy can cost twice as much as a standard homeowners policy and provide less coverage, says Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice. Look after the property. To keep the homeowners insurance policy active, insurance companies like to see that someone is living in the home. If that is not possible, try to keep the house in habitable condition with furniture and personal items in place so that a person could reasonably live there. Check on the property once or twice a week or ask someone to do so. If there is no available person to check on the house, a realtor can help you to find a property manager. By doing this, the insurance company knows that the home is being cared for and may be less likely to cancel the policy. A burst pipe, for example, could lead to significant damage if left unrepaired for weeks, says David Kenny, an assistant vice president at Amica Mutual Insurance. But if the problem is caught early, the damage could be minimized. Ultimately, you will need to get a new insurance policy since the policyholders are no longer alive. But these steps will help you to keep the existing policy in place until the policy expiration date. Research homeowners insurance plans. You will, eventually, need to get a new policy. There's no reason to simply take a policy with the same company that insured the house before. Bob Hunter, director of insurance for Consumer Federation of America, says that many states offer online tools that let you compare insurance rates, and confirm that the insurer you are considering is licensed in the state. Visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website to find your state insurance department. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S. By Andrea Shalal RAF FAIRFORD, England (Reuters) - European authorities have certified an interim fix for a power gearbox issue with engines on Airbus Group SE's A400M transport aircraft, paving the way for countries to resume normal operations of the planes, company officials said on Saturday. "It's good news. It means that we're going to be alleviating the pain of the nations sooner," Fernando Alonso, president of Airbus Military Aircraft, told Reuters. "It means they will essentially be able to use the aircraft normally again." Alonso said the European Aviation Safety Agency would now require initial inspections of the planes after 650 flight hours, up from 100 hours, with follow-up inspections to be required every 150 hours, up from the 20-hour cycle imposed after the gearbox issue first emerged in late December. The EASA certification clears the way for Italys Avio, a unit of General Electric Co, to begin retrofitting engines on existing planes with a modified part to replace the one with cracking. It can also begin producing new power gearbox kits with the part integrated. Airbus said the certification of the interim fix came a month or more sooner than planned. The company is continuing to work with GE and Avio on a long-term solution for the gearbox. Alonso said Airbus was also focused on adding tactical capabilities to the big transport plane, and has delivered the first aircraft capable of tactical tasks to France. The new plane offers armouring protection, refueling, the ability to airdrop loads, landings on some non-prepared runways and equipment to detect and counter enemy radars and missiles. Airbus has delivered 27 A400M aircraft to date, including a fourth plane delivered to Germany on Friday, the company said. Nearly all the aircraft have been affected by the engine issue, although only it affects only the two clockwise turning engines on each of the four-engine aircraft. It was not immediately clear how quickly Avio could build and deliver the retrofit kits for planes already delivered. Work on the kits, and production of power gearboxes with the modified part would start immediately, Airbus officials said. Story continues Airbus officials also disputed an article in Germany's Spiegel magazine, which cited a link between cold temperatures in the back of the aircraft and irregular air flows that could affect paratrooper operations. "There is no link," said an Airbus spokeswoman. Airbus said it was working on both issues, and would install a more efficient thermal curtain near the back of the plane by the end of the year to keep the back of the cabin warmer. The company is also examining a possible readjustment to the air flow system that would send more warm air to the back of the plane. No timing was given on that issue. It cited progress on qualifying and certifying the aircraft for paratrooping operations with one side door only, or using the ramp. "Safety is paramount in this development programme and we would note that the current regulations are very much stricter than those applied to legacy aircraft," the company said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Madeline Chambers in Berlin, editing by Louise Heavens) (TEHRAN, Iran) Iran said Saturday it will continue its ballistic missile program, after the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said that the missile tests arent in the spirit of the countrys landmark nuclear deal with world powers. Iran will strongly continue its missile program based on its own defense and national security calculations, foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said in comments published on the ministrys website. Irans missile program is not linked to the nuclear deal and does not conflict with the U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the agreement, he said. Irans missile program has aimed at defense and it is not designed to carry a nuclear warhead, he added. In the first six-month report to the U.N. Security Council on the implementation of the resolution, the U.N. chief called on Iran to stop the tests and said they increase tensions in the Mideast. The resolution, which was adopted on July 20, authorized measures leading to the end of U.N. sanctions on Iran. The U.S., France, Britain and Germany called in March for the Security Council to discuss appropriate responses to Irans ballistic missile activity, which they said was destabilizing and provocative. Irans nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi described the international response as strange, adding that I think a conspiracy is taking shape. After the U.N. nuclear agency certified in mid-January that Iran had met all of its commitments under the nuclear deal, many Western economic sanctions that had been in place for years were lifted, unlocking access to $100 billion in frozen assets and unleashing new opportunities for the countrys battered economy. Iran is, however, still subject to a U.N. arms embargo and other restrictions, and the U.N. resolution includes a provision that would automatically reinstate sanctions if Tehran reneges on its promises. DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will press on with its missile program "with full force", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding that critical comments by Germany's leader were unhelpful. Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a U.N. resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Merkel's remarks were "not constructive" and would have no bearing on the program, according to state news agency IRNA. Reiterating Tehran's assertion that the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons, he added: "Iran will continue with full force its missile program based on its defensive plans and national security calculations." On Friday, Iran rejected as "unrealistic" a report by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticizing its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Reuters reported on Thursday that a confidential report by Ban had found the tests to be inconsistent "with the constructive spirit" of the July 2015 agreement. Responding to German intelligence reports that Iran has been trying to acquire nuclear technology in Germany, Berlin said on Friday that certain forces in Iran may be trying to undermine the nuclear deal. Germany's domestic intelligence agency said in its annual report that Iranian efforts to illegally procure technology, especially in the nuclear area, had continued at a "high level" in 2015. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, criticized the comments by Ban and Merkel and denied Iran had been trying to purchase nuclear technology on the black market. "I feel they are cooking up a plot against us. We should be vigilant," he was quoted as saying by Iran's Tasnim news agency. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; editing by Andrew Roche) United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Iran's ballistic missile tests in March were "not consistent" with the spirit of the nuclear agreement signed with world powers, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the Security Council. The secretary general, in a confidential report that AFP saw on Friday, left it up to the Security Council to determine what, if anything, should be done in response. The report does not clearly state whether the Iranian tests violated the provisions of the landmark nuclear deal signed in July 2015 in Vienna. Under the agreement, Tehran agreed to curb its atomic program. Western powers accused Iran of using the program to develop a nuclear bomb, but Tehran always denied the allegation. Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday rejected Ban's report as "contradicting the text of the agreement". It instead called for a report on "America's failure to undertake its commitments in the deal, as all countries who have restored economic cooperations with Iran have acknowledged". Tehran accuses Washington of failing to reassure foreign companies and especially international banks planning to restore links with Iran. The deal led to the lifting of sanctions in January. However, Iran's ballistic missile program was not covered by the agreement. "While it is for the Security Council to interpret its own resolutions, I am concerned that those ballistic missile launches are not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated by the signing" of the nuclear deal, reads part of Ban's 16-page report, dated July 1. "I am concerned by the ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran in March 2016. "I call upon Iran to refrain from conducting such ballistic missile launches since they have the potential to increase tensions in the region." - 'It's up to us' - This is the first report regarding the application of Security Council Resolution 2231, which includes the terms of the nuclear accord. Story continues The resolution states that Iran "is called upon not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." The Security Council is set to examine the report on July 18, but diplomatic sources are not expecting a decision to be taken, or even for the 15 nations on the Council to take a joint position. "The report makes no recommendations to the Security Council," a Council diplomat told AFP. "Having a report by the secretary general is very useful but it is up to us to decide what we are going to do about it," the diplomat said. The United States, France, Britain and Germany in late March said they believed that Iran's ballistic missile launches violated UN resolutions, and asked the Security Council to address the issue. The Western powers believe that some of the missiles could carry nuclear payloads, something that Tehran has denied. London (AFP) - Tony Blair's deputy as prime minister when Britain joined the invasion of Iraq has said he believes the war was illegal, days after a long-awaited report excoriated Britain's role in the conflict. John Prescott, number two in the Labour government when Britain took part in the US-led invasion in 2003, made the remarks in a piece to be published in the Sunday Mirror newspaper. On Wednesday, the Chilcot report returned a damning verdict on Britain's role in the US-led war, finding it joined the conflict before all peaceful options had been exhausted and that judgements about Iraq's capacities were "presented with a certainty that was not justified". It also disclosed Blair had written to then US president George W. Bush that "I will be with you, whatever" eight months before the invasion. Prescott, now a member of the House of Lords, wrote: "I will live with the decision of going to war and its catastrophic consequences for the rest of my life. "In 2004, the UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said that as regime change was the prime aim of the Iraq war, it was illegal. "With great sadness and anger, I now believe him to be right." Blair this week voiced "sorrow, regret and apology" over mistakes made in the conflict. But he insisted the war was right and the world was safer without toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has apologised on behalf of the party for what he called "the disastrous decision" to go to war. Some 150,000 Iraqi people were killed in the six years after British and American troops invaded, plunging the country into chaos and creating fertile ground for jihadist groups like the Islamic State. A total of 179 British troops also died. By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces said they seized back control of a major airbase on Saturday, a staging post on their way to the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. Special forces and regular troops, under air cover from the U.S.-led coalition, entered Qayyara airbase from the south and found fighters from the militant group appeared to have fled, said a senior army officer from the frontline. "It's a strategic advance ... It will help speed up the offensive on Mosul," he added. The army has long said it wants to use the airbase as a launchpad for the recapture of Mosul about 60 km (40 miles) further north. There was no immediate comment from Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the advance on his website, saying it would "be important for the liberation of Mosul". Two years since Islamic State seized wide swathes of northern and western Iraq in a lightning offensive, the tide has begun to turn as an array of forces lined up against the militants have made inroads into their proclaimed "caliphate". Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul - the largest city under control of the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militant group in both Syria and Iraq - by the end of the year. The military's recapture of Falluja, an hour's drive west of the capital Baghdad, last month lent fresh momentum to the campaign to recover Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraqi with a pre-war population of about 2 million. The insurgents stepped up a campaign of bombings on Shi'ite Muslim targets since the battle of Falluja, reigniting fears of an escalation of the sectarian strife. The Shi'ites form a majority in Iraq but Sunnis are predominant in northern and western provinces where Islamic State proclaimed its "caliphate". (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Andrew Heavens) By Engen Tham HANGZHOU, CHINA (Reuters) - Lawsuits and investigations are an opportunity for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd to be better understood, founder and executive chairman Jack Ma said in an interview on Saturday. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a probe earlier this year into the Chinese e-commerce firm's accounting practices to determine whether they violated federal laws. Questions about Alibaba's growth rate and its relations with affiliated companies have dogged the firm for years. "If you want to sue us, sue us," Ma said. "It's an opportunity for us to let them understand what we're doing," he told Reuters, saying he had complied with SEC requests but did not know when the U.S. agency would respond with a finding. Ma was speaking after the first day of a two-day philanthropy conference hosted by the Alibaba Foundation, a charitable organization established by the group. He said Alibaba had been transparent and provided the SEC with everything it had asked for. In 2014, the now 51-year-old Ma and Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai pledged share options worth about $3 billion at the time to a newly established charitable trust in the biggest donation of its kind in China. It took the Jack Ma Foundation a year to register, said Ma. China boasts more billionaires than anywhere else in the world, yet lags in public philanthropy as the wealthy prefer to keep a low profile. Ma, who has a net worth of $21.8 billion according to the 2015 Forbes Rich List, said Chinese culture warns that nothing good will come of having a high profile, adding that his dad sent him a message on Friday advising him to keep his low. Ma said that many private non-government organizations in China were not considered "authentic". "We find the system does not work, so people stop and say what am I going to do, so sometimes people like us, we do it on our own," said Ma. Critics say the environment in China for NGOs has become more restrictive this year. In new laws governing charities and non-government agencies brought in the first half of the year, the government has sought to rein in groups that endanger national security, which commentators say gives Beijing the right to close groups as they wish. In April this year, the founder of China's Tencent Holdings Ltd, Pony Ma, said he plans to donate 100 million company shares, worth more than $2 billion, to a new charity fund in the second biggest philanthropic pledge after Jack Ma's. (Reporting by Engen Tham; Editing by John Ruwitch and Ruth Pitchford) TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea's firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to Kyodo news agency. The launch comes a day after the U.S. and South Korea pledged to deploy an anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang, and two days after the North warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, the agency said. Abe also said the missile launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security, it added. Saturday's launch appeared to have failed in the early stages of flight, South Korea's military said. (Reporting by Taiga Uranaka; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) TOKYO, July 9 (Reuters) - Japanese financial services company Orix Corp has bought Boston Financial Investment Management, a U.S. money manager specialised in tax credit investments for low-income housing suppliers, two sources said on Saturday. Orix paid several hundred million dollars to buy Boston Financial Investment Management, said the sources, who had direct knowledge of the deal but were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. The U.S. Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program gives tax credits for new construction and rehabilitation of rental housing for low-income households. Housing developers can sell the granted tax credits to fund projects and buyers of the credits can enjoy tax benefits. Boston Financial is one of the largest LIHTC syndicators, which raise money from investors and buy tax credits. It has raised over $10 billion from institutional investors for LIHTC investments in more than 2,200 properties, the sources said. Orix, which bought investment manager Robeco from Dutch cooperative lender Rabobank in 2013, has been building up money management business overseas. Orix and Boston Financial officials were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Taiga Uranaka; Editing by Ed Davies) In the latest twist in this unpredictable summer of British politics, the embattled leader of the countrys opposition Labour Party is finally to face a formal leadership challenge. Jeremy Corbyn, the far-left member of parliament (MP) who won the partys leadership in a popular revolution last year, will face a challenge by fellow MP Angela Eagle after talks between the partys parliamentary wing and its labour union backers collapsed Saturday. Eagle, who served as shadow business secretary until resigning her position in late June, said she would announce her bid on Monday, with a pledge to explain my vision for the country and the difference a strong Labour Party can make, the Guardian reports. Corbyn lost the support of his parliamentary colleagues after British voters elected to leave the European Union. Over a dozen of his shadow cabinet resigned their posts alongside Eagle, and some 80% of his fellow MPs backed a motion of no confidence in his leadership on June 28, after he was perceived to have offered only lukewarm support for the campaign to remain within the European Union. But Corbyn refused to resign, claiming a popular mandate from the Labour Party members who had voted him into office last year. The party leaders supporters made up largely of the partys grassroots members, and the labor unions who help fund Labour have been extremely vocal in support of his staying put. Despite his popularity with the grassroots, senior Labour party figures have been equally determined to ensure Corbyn leaves office, convinced he has neither the national support nor the leadership skills to mount a successful election campaign. Neil Kinnock, who led the party in the 1980s, was just the latest to insist Corbyn resign for the good of the party. Corbyns colleagues, he said Friday, have made it clear that he cannot give the leadership that is vital to gain credibility and national appeal for our party. Story continues Although deputy leader Tom Watson attempted to bring together party chiefs with labor union heads to come to a peaceful resolution to the impasse, he admitted Saturday that he had failed. Eagle announced her leadership bid soon after. Its just the latest squall in what has been a tempestuous summer for British politics. Following the countrys vote to leave the European Union against the advice of both major political parties, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to resign. On Thursday, Home Secretary Theresa May and Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom emerged as the two contenders to replace Cameron meaning the next Prime Minister will be a woman. Should Eagle be successful in her bid to unseat Corbyn, the person sitting opposite them in the House of Commons could be a woman too. [The Guardian] Washington (AFP) - Sydney Schanberg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent who chronicled the Khmer Rouge's brutal rise to power in Cambodia in the 1970s, died Saturday at age 82. That gripping account by Schanberg and his story of his Cambodian friend and assistant Dith Pran's captivity under and survival of the Khmer Rouge reign of terror inspired the 1984 film "The Killing Fields" by director Roland Joffe. Schanberg had suffered a massive heart attack Tuesday. He died in Poughkeepsie, New York, said his friend and former colleague at The New York Times, Charles Kaiser. "Syd was a brilliant writer, a fearless reporter, and an important role model for me," Kaiser said in a Facebook post. "When he was filing on the fall of Cambodia in 1975, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for each new dispatch to arrive. So was every other reporter in the city room. It was some of the most dramatic journalism I have ever read." While the diplomatic community and other Western reporters fled Cambodia as the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot approached Phnom Penh in 1975, Schanberg and Dith chose instead to stay behind. The Times described Schanberg as "a nearly ideal foreign correspondent: a risk-taking adventurer who distrusted officials, relied on himself in a war zone and wrote vividly of political and military tyrants and the suffering and death of their victims with the passion of an eyewitness to history." After the Khmer Rouge took power and violence and executions became rampant, Schanberg and Dith took refuge in the French Embassy. But Dith was eventually expelled from the compound and forced to join an exodus of Cambodians into the countryside as part of the Khmer Rouge's radical, murderous social experiment: turning Cambodia into a modern-day agrarian society. People suspected of coming from educated, prosperous backgrounds were targeted mercilessly. An estimated two million people died in the genocide, from outright murder, starvation in labor camps or disease. Story continues After two weeks at the embassy, Schanberg and other foreigners were trucked to Thailand. There, he filed his first report on the fall of Phnom Penh and the hellish early days of life under the Khmer Rouge and its emptying of the capital city. - Finding Dith - Schanberg returned to New York, and while taking off time from his work at the newspaper, helped Dith's wife and children resettle in San Francisco. Schanberg won awards including the Pulitzer, which he said he shared with Dith. He also set about the gargantuan task of finding Dith, whose whereabouts remained unknown for years. In 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and toppled the Khmer Rouge. Dith escaped to Thailand in 1979 and was eventually reunited with Schanberg. Schanberg helped him get a job at the Times and move his family to New York. An article that Schanberg published in 1980 in the New York Times Magazine -- entitled "The Death and Life of Dith Pran" -- was turned into a book and inspired "The Killing Fields." Dith died in 2008. Schanberg said at the time that the two had become like brothers. "His mission with me in Cambodia was to tell the world what suffering his people were going through in a war that was never necessary. It became my mission too. My reporting could not have been done without him," Schanberg said after Dith's death, according to the Times. - 'Great typewriter in the sky' - Kaiser posted a statement on behalf of Schanberg's wife Jane Freiman and his daughters Rebecca and Jessica. "Early this morning, Jessica and Rebecca Schanberg and I helped our dearest Sydney go on his way peacefully to what he jokingly referred to as 'the great typewriter in the sky,' after he suffered a heart attack," the statement read. "We will miss his wicked sense of humor, his love, and his endless supply of damning facts about Donald Trump. "The world will never be the same without him." * China complains to U.S., S.Korean ambassadors * Advanced missile defence system to be deployed "soon" * Move comes after N.Korea ramps up missile, nuclear tests * South Korea, U.S. say THAAD is defence against North Korea * Japan considering its own THAAD-type of defence * Selection of site could come "within weeks" (Adds Chinese defence ministry statement) By Jack Kim SEOUL, July 8 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system will be used only as protection against North Korea's growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, South Korea's Defence Ministry and the U.S. Defense Department said. "This is an important ... decision," General Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, said in a statement. "North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction require the alliance to take this prudent, protective measure to bolster our ... missile defense." The announcement came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted leader North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. North Korea called this "a declaration of war" and vowed a tough response. Beijing said on Friday it lodged complaints with the U.S. and South Korean ambassadors over the THAAD decision. It also criticized the decision to impose sanctions on the leader of its ally North Korea. Analysts say the U.S. moves are likely to further raise tensions between Washington and Beijing ahead of an international court ruling due on Tuesday in a case the Philippines, a U.S. ally, has brought against China's extensive claims in the South China Sea. China said the THAAD system would destabilize the regional security balance without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear programme. China is North Korea's main ally but it opposes its pursuit of nuclear weapons and backed tough new United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang in March. Story continues "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," China's Foreign Ministry said. "The Chinese side will consider taking necessary steps to maintain national strategic security and regional strategic balance," the defence ministry said in a statement on its website on Friday evening. A South Korean Defence Ministry official said selection of a site for THAAD could come "within weeks," and the allies were working to have it operational by the end of 2017. It will be deployed to U.S. Forces Korea "to protect alliance military forces," a joint statement said. The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war. "It will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third-party nations," the statement said. SEVEN SUMMITS The decision to deploy THAAD is the latest move to squeeze the increasingly isolated North Korea, but China worries the system's radar will be able to track its own military capabilities. Russia is also opposed to the basing of a THAAD system in South Korea. Its foreign ministry will take the deployment into account in Moscow's military planning, Interfax news agency quoted it as saying on Friday. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the U.S. moves raised tensions with China ahead of the South China Sea ruling but doubted Beijing would reduce cooperation on North Korea. "Chinese policy toward North Korea, including the degree to which they implement sanctions, is based on China's interests and those will not change as a consequence of this decision," she said. "The Chinese overreached, thinking they had sufficient leverage over South Korea to prevent the deployment. They miscalculated. The U.S. and Japan have cooperated on missile defense and in many other ways that China has opposed, and Beijing has not retaliated." Japan has said it is considering another layer of ballistic missile defence, such as THAAD, to complement ship-borne missiles aboard Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan and its ground-based Patriot missiles. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said Tokyo supported the Korean deployment "because it bolsters security in the region." TRUMP'S ARGUMENT THAAD is built by Lockheed Martin Corp and designed to defend against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles by intercepting them high in the Earth's atmosphere, or outside it. The United States already has a THAAD system in Guam. Each system costs an estimated $800 million and is likely to add to the cost of maintaining the U.S. military presence in South Korea, an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Republican candidate Donald Trump has argued that U.S. allies South Korea and Japan should pay more towards their own defence. Michael Elleman, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North, cautioned that the system would not offer absolute protection against a North Korean attack as Pyongyang would likely develop counter-measures, such as by launching missiles in salvos to overwhelm the defences. A joint South Korea-U.S. working group has been discussing the feasibility of deployment and potential locations for the THAAD since February. This followed a North Korean space launch in February that was condemned by the U.N. Security Council as a test of a long-range missile in disguise and the country's fourth nuclear test a month earlier. North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile off its east coast in late June, a test that was believed to show some advancement in the weapon's engine system. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Nathaniel Taplin in Shanghai; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and James Dalgleish) By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighbouring China. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system will be used only as protection against North Korea's growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, South Korea's Defence Ministry and the U.S. Defense Department said. "This is an important ... decision," General Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, said in a statement. "North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction require the alliance to take this prudent, protective measure to bolster our ... missile defense." The announcement came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted leader North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. North Korea called this "a declaration of war" and vowed a tough response. Beijing said on Friday it lodged complaints with the U.S. and South Korean ambassadors over the THAAD decision. It also criticized the decision to impose sanctions on the leader of its ally North Korea. Analysts say the U.S. moves are likely to further raise tensions between Washington and Beijing ahead of an international court ruling due on Tuesday in a case the Philippines, a U.S. ally, has brought against China's extensive claims in the South China Sea. China said the THAAD system would destabilize the regional security balance without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear programme. China is North Korea's main ally but it opposes its pursuit of nuclear weapons and backed tough new United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang in March. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," China's Foreign Ministry said. "The Chinese side will consider taking necessary steps to maintain national strategic security and regional strategic balance," the defence ministry said in a statement on its website on Friday evening. A South Korean Defence Ministry official said selection of a site for THAAD could come "within weeks," and the allies were working to have it operational by the end of 2017. It will be deployed to U.S. Forces Korea "to protect alliance military forces," a joint statement said. The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war. "It will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed towards any third-party nations," the statement said. SEVEN SUMMITS The decision to deploy THAAD is the latest move to squeeze the increasingly isolated North Korea, but China worries the system's radar will be able to track its own military capabilities. Russia is also opposed to the basing of a THAAD system in South Korea. Its foreign ministry will take the deployment into account in Moscow's military planning, Interfax news agency quoted it as saying on Friday. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the U.S. moves raised tensions with China ahead of the South China Sea ruling but doubted Beijing would reduce cooperation on North Korea. "Chinese policy toward North Korea, including the degree to which they implement sanctions, is based on China's interests and those will not change as a consequence of this decision," she said. "The Chinese overreached, thinking they had sufficient leverage over South Korea to prevent the deployment. They miscalculated. The U.S. and Japan have cooperated on missile defense and in many other ways that China has opposed, and Beijing has not retaliated." Japan has said it is considering another layer of ballistic missile defence, such as THAAD, to complement ship-borne missiles aboard Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan and its ground-based Patriot missiles. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said Tokyo supported the Korean deployment "because it bolsters security in the region." TRUMP'S ARGUMENT THAAD is built by Lockheed Martin Corp and designed to defend against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles by intercepting them high in the Earth's atmosphere, or outside it. The United States already has a THAAD system in Guam. Each system costs an estimated $800 million and is likely to add to the cost of maintaining the U.S. military presence in South Korea, an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Republican candidate Donald Trump has argued that U.S. allies South Korea and Japan should pay more towards their own defence. Michael Elleman, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North, cautioned that the system would not offer absolute protection against a North Korean attack as Pyongyang would likely develop counter-measures, such as by launching missiles in salvos to overwhelm the defences. A joint South Korea-U.S. working group has been discussing the feasibility of deployment and potential locations for the THAAD since February. This followed a North Korean space launch in February that was condemned by the U.N. Security Council as a test of a long-range missile in disguise and the country's fourth nuclear test a month earlier. North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile off its east coast in late June, a test that was believed to show some advancement in the weapon's engine system. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Nathaniel Taplin in Shanghai; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and James Dalgleish) By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - A senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group has been killed in a bomb attack on a car in which he was traveling in northeast Syria, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday. If confirmed, the killing of Fehman Huseyin would be a major blow to the PKK, which been fighting in southeast Turkey since a two-year-old ceasefire collapsed a year ago. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have died in the conflict since. Huseyin, a Syrian Kurd known in Turkey by the code name Bahoz Erdal, was killed on Friday evening as he traveled to the northern Syrian city of Qamishli, Anadolu said. It cited a spokesman of a Syrian rebel group it named as the Tel Khamis Brigades as the source for the report. The spokesman, Khalid al Khasakewi, said at least eight people were killed in the car in which Huseyin was traveling and that the attack was carried out after tracking him for a long time. "We dedicate this operation... to the Syrian people," Khasakewi was quoted as saying, indicating his group had carried out the attack. While the PKK leadership is mainly based in the mountains of northern Iraq, the group is closely allied with the Kurdish YPG militia which operates in Syria. Turkey views both groups as terrorist organizations. BOMB ATTACK, CLASHES IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY Earlier on Saturday, PKK militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said. The car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers. They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations. The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region. The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said. It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition. Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Andrew Roche) By Denis Dumo and Elias Biryabarema JUBA (Reuters) - At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan's rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on Machar's side "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. A Reuters witness said on Saturday Juba was calm but tense with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were shuttered. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the latest violence highlighted a lack of commitment to the peace process and urged the country's leaders to end the fighting, discipline military leaders and work together to implement the peace deal. (Reporting by Denis Dumo; writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Gareth Jones) Roman Burtsev is cashing in on the attention he's received for his uncanny similarity to Leonardo DiCaprio. The Russian emergency services officer who made headlines earlier this year for his resemblance to the Revenant actor is capitalizing on his doppelgAnger status. In a new commercial for Pyat Ozer vodka, Burtsev appears to be searching for meaning after realizing his life is "but a fake." The fake DiCaprio talks on a fake iPhone, drives a fake BMW (with a picture of the real actor on the rearview mirror) and has a fake model girlfriend. Burtsev, looking decidedly different from the Oscar winner, eventually finds solace in leaving all of his fake material goods behind and taking only his vodka with him as he paddles away on a peaceful lake. We found Leo in Russian forces pic.twitter.com/1KDfqPgrUi a English Russia (@EnglishRussia1) January 14, 2016 After a Russian news organization announced that they had "found Leo in Russian forces" in January, Burtsev launched an Instagram account dedicated to documenting the attention he received for his celebrity look-alike status and sharing pictures of himself reenacting classic DiCaprio moments. A photo posted by NNN (@roman_sdicaprio) on Feb 24, 2016 at 9:45am PST A photo posted by NNN (@roman_sdicaprio) on Feb 28, 2016 at 10:50pm PST A photo posted by NNN (@roman_sdicaprio) on Feb 16, 2016 at 6:43am PST Although Burtsev hasn't updated the Instagram account in several months, this commercial may mean that the Russian look-alike may soon be gunning for an Oscar to match DiCaprio's. DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a $44.1 million, seven-year deal that runs through the 2022-23 season. The 20-year-old MacKinnon had 21 goals and 31 assists last season. He missed the last 10 games after he sprained a ligament in his knee. MacKinnon also sat out the final 18 games a year ago because of a broken foot. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft and went on to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. ''Signing Nathan to a long-term contract was a priority this offseason,'' Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said Friday in a release. ''He is going to be a key part of our team for many years to come and it was important to secure his rights moving forward.'' The Avalanche missed the postseason for a second straight year, but are banking heavily on a rebound behind a young nucleus that also includes Matt Duchene and captain Gabriel Landeskog. ''The pressure has risen since signing this,'' said MacKinnon, who is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will spend time this offseason working out with Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby. ''They're making it a point that they want me to help get us back to the Cup. That's the simple goal behind this. ''I really think the players we have, the young guys we have, the veterans - we have a very good mix. It's been a disappointing couple of seasons. But I truly believe we're going to be a very strong team and a contender for years to come.'' MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Lynx are voicing their support for change. The WNBA team will wear black warmup shirts that say on the front, ''Change starts with us. Justice & Accountability.'' On the back of the shirt were the names Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, both fatally shot by police officers this past week. Castile was killed by a suburban St. Paul police officer during a traffic stop. Also on the back of the shirt is the Dallas police shield above the phrase ''Black Lives Matter.'' Team captains Rebekkah Brunson and Maya Moore spoke before their game against the Dallas Wings on Saturday night, and the Lynx posted the news conference on their Facebook page. The two players were flanked by Minnesota's other captains Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus. ''If we take this time to see that this is a human issue and speak out together, we can greatly decrease fear and create change,'' Moore said. ''Tonight we will be wearing shirts to honor and mourn the losses of precious American citizens and to plea for change in all of us.'' Moore also spoke during the nearly 5-minute news conference about the Dallas shooting where five police officers were killed. She praised that city's effort on leading the way in ''de-escalation training and other efforts that led to a noticeable drop in the number of shootings by officers in the last few years.'' By Sabine Siebold WARSAW (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany and Turkey sought on Saturday to clear the air in their first private talks since the German parliament infuriated Ankara by branding the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a genocide, but they did not overcome their differences. Chancellor Angela Merkel met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw to discuss the tensions in their often prickly but strategically important relationship. Ties between Turkey and Germany - vital partners in efforts to curb mass migration to Europe - have been strained since the Bundestag passed the Armenian resolution on June 2. Ankara recalled its ambassador and threatened unspecified retaliation. Turkey has since denied German parliamentarians access to the Incirlik airbase where 250 German soldiers are taking part in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq, causing anger in Berlin. "We discussed all outstanding issues," Merkel told reporters at a brief news conference. "The atmosphere was constructive ... and very businesslike in an effort to solve the existing conflicts." Asked whether the issues had been resolved, she said: "The differences don't just disappear through such a discussion. But I believe it was important that we talked them through." A source close to the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had expressed his disappointment over the Bundestag resolution to Merkel, who said she would do her utmost to ensure this event would not harm German-Turkish relations. "PUBLIC SHOWS AND MARKETING" The source said Merkel also expressed satisfaction with the way Turkey was keeping its word in preventing refugees and migrants crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece after more than one million flooded into Europe last year, most ending up in Germany. The Turkish source said Merkel had raised the issue of the Incirlik airbase and had asked Erdogan to restore access for lawmakers, who approve all military spending and investment in infrastructure at the base. Erdogan replied that the airbase was not a place for "public shows and marketing" but Turkey would consider the request in the light of German statements on relations, the source said. The two leaders also discussed intelligence cooperation in the fight against foreign fighters recruited by Islamic State in Syria, some of whom have returned to carry out attacks in Europe. (Additional reporting and writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Gareth Jones) WARSAW (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had talked through German-Turkish differences in a constructive spirit with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday but the issues had not disappeared. It was the two leaders' first meeting since the German parliament last month passed a resolution declaring that a 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces was a genocide, causing outrage in Turkey which denies the accusation. Ankara has since refused German parliamentarians access to the Incirlik airbase, where 250 German troops are taking part in NATO operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq. "We discussed all outstanding issues. The atmosphere was constructive... and very businesslike in an effort to solve the existing conflicts," Merkel told reporters in a short news conference. Asked whether they had been resolved, she said: "The differences don't just disappear through such a discussion. But I believe it was important that we talked them through." (Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Paul Taylor) Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity has rebounded after the British vote to leave the EU, an opinion poll showed Saturday, reversing a fall in her appeal caused by the refugee crisis. The poll was the second in a few days to suggest a popularity boost for the German leader. Saturday's poll, commissioned jointly by Stern magazine and Die Welt newspaper and carried out by the Forsa market research institute, showed Merkel's appeal up two points to 48 percent. "What's more, three quarters of CSU supporters now back Merkel," said Forsa director Manfred Gullner, referring to the southern German affiliate of Merkel's ruling CDU party. The CSU was sharply critical of Merkel's decision to allow more than 1 million migrants to enter the country. In a poll published Thursday by public broadcaster ARD 59 percent of those surveyed said they were satisfied with Merkel. The results of the monthly poll were up nine points on June and was Merkel's best poll showing since September 2015 when she moved to open the country's borders to more than 1 million asylum seekers. The ARD poll, which surveyed 1,500 people and was carried out by Infratest Dimap, showed that Merkel's CDU party and sister party the CSU had gained two points in voter intentions. The number of refugees arriving in Germany is falling sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and the EU's deal with Turkey, new government figures showed on Friday. In April, May and June, the number was around 16,000 each month, less than a fifth of the tally seen at the start of the year, according to data from the government's Easy computer system, which counts the number of arrivals who plan to seek asylum. In June, the system registered 16,335 people compared with 91,671 in January and 61,428 in February. Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) was down at the start of July in both surveys after several months of gains. The AfD's popularity dipped one point to nine percent according to the Stern/Welt survey which surveyed 2,500 people, while the party's appeal dropped three points to 12 percent according to the Infratest poll. As well as the decline in new migrant arrivals, the party has suffered from infighting amongst its leaders on what policies to adopt. Creed actor Michael B. Jordan has responded to recent police brutality and shootings on his Instagram account, pleading with the public that "this must stop." In a lengthy caption post on Friday, Jordan explained that he has spent the week "trying to process" the tragic events, including the recent shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. "I'm still looking for the words to express my pain," he wrote. "The fact is Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were not unfortunate accidents. These are just a few of the countless incidents of violent neglect, poor training and lack of accountability that clearly illustrate one thing: Black people are being disproportionally dehumanized and murdered, this must stop!" Read More: Dallas Shootings: Hollywood Reacts With Shock and Grief The actor also touched on the police shootings at a protest in Dallas: "I care about the safety of my black brothers and sisters and my blue ones too. There are no adequate words for the fallen officers in Dallas." Five police officers were killed and seven were wounded at a Dallas rally on Thursday to protest the recent shootings of black men. Jordan said the recent events hit "close to home. It could have easily been myself, my little brother, my dad, one of my friends, or any of us." He praised his mother, sister and "all my magical black women" who he said are the unsung heroes of tragic events like this week's shootings, and he pleaded with people to avoid violence as a solution to violence. "Violence is not the answer; it only begets more fear and violence," Jordan wrote. "This is the time to unify; our communities, our churches and our homes. My mission is to channel my anger and energy - along with my love and hope for the future into actively finding solutions. Change will take all of us, we can no longer say or do...Nothing." The full Instagram post is below. Story continues I've been trying to process all that has occurred in the last few days and I'm still looking for the words to express my pain. The fact is Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were not unfortunate accidents. These are just a few of the countless incidents of violent neglect, poor training and lack of accountability that clearly illustrate one thing: Black people are being disproportionally dehumanized and murdered, this must stop! I care about the safety of my black brothers and sisters and my blue ones too. There are no adequate words for the fallen officers in Dallas. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them for protecting the peaceful protestors, their courage and effort to support us is what we need more of. This hits close to home. It could have easily been myself, my little brother, my dad, one of my friends, or any of us. When one of us is murdered because a police officer is "afraid for their life", it pains us - we feel it. In the wake of these senseless murders, our homes are forever broken; families are left to figure it out. I'm concerned about my mother, my sister, and all my magical black women that are left to pick up the pieces. Often they are not acknowledged or thanked for being on the front line fighting these battles for and with us, but know your continued strength, courage, and unwavering love and support gives us the strength to keep fighting. Finding solutions in these times of survival are seemingly hard to identify but we must continue to keep moving forward. Alternatively, violence is not the answer; it only begets more fear and violence. This is the time to unify; our communities, our churches and our homes. My mission is to channel my anger and energy - along with my love and hope for the future into actively finding solutions. Change will take all of us, we can no longer say or do...Nothing. "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." -MLK A photo posted by michaelbjordan (@michaelbjordan) on Jul 8, 2016 at 2:37pm PDT Read More: Technology Gives Shocking Immediacy to Falcon Heights Shooting Story (Analysis) At least six more women have come forward to accuse Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, telling their stories to New York magazine's Gabriel Sherman. In a story posted Saturday morning, the women, only two of whom gave their real names with the others requesting pseudonyms, detail incidents in which Ailes either openly asked them to sleep with him or propositioned them in sexually explicit ways. The two named women are former RNC field adviser Kellie Boyle and former model Marsha Callahan. The allegations date back to the 1960s, when Ailes worked for The Mike Douglas Show. In fact, all of the new allegations detail incidents that seem to occur before his Fox News tenure began. The revelations come just days after former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes. Carlson's attorney previously told The Hollywood Reporter that in the wake of media coverage of Carlson's suit, women across the country have come forward. "We're getting emails constantly this morning and this afternoon from women that say they have experienced similar behavior at the hands of Roger Ailes," Nancy Erika Smith said on Wednesday. Those women, Smith added, would be witnesses in Carlson's suit, not parties themselves. New York magazine claims that more than a dozen women have contacted Smith since Wednesday. Read More: Roger Ailes Claims Gretchen Carlson Evading Contract, Confidentiality Obligations Carlson claimed in her suit that she was fired in late June after Ailes reduced her presence on primetime shows, docked her pay and shunned her because she refused to "engage in a sexual relationship or participate in sexual banter" with him. She also claimed that Ailes removed her from the Fox & Friends morning show in 2013 after she complained that her co-host Steve Doocy created a hostile work environment by engaging in sexual harassment. Boyle claims that in 1989, around the time Ailes served as George H.W. Bush's media adviser, she met him through her husband, who worked for CNBC. Working in political communications for the RNC, she told Ailes that she was set to sign a contract with the National Republican Congressional Committee. Before she did, though, she and Ailes had dinner. As the two took a car ride to a friend's house, he told her, "You know if you want to play with the big boys, you have to lay with the big boys," she recalls. He claimed "that's the way it works," she says, naming other women he'd slept with. Story continues "He said that's how all these men in media and politics work - everyone's got their friend," Boyle recalls. "I said, 'Would I have to be friends with anybody else?' And he said, 'Well you might have to give a blowjob every once in a while.' I told him I was going to have to think about this. He said, 'No, if you don't do it now, you know that means you won't.'" After her meeting in Washington was abruptly canceled, Ailes called her and asked her if she'd changed her mind, Boyle says. She turned him down, pointing out that she was married and committed to her husband. A couple weeks later, a male friend who was high up in the RNC told her, "Word went out you weren't to be hired," Boyle recalls. Read More: Fox Releases Friendly, Handwritten Notes Gretchen Carlson Sent to Roger Ailes Callahan claims that she was asked to wear a garter belt and stockings to a meeting with Ailes, then a producer on The Mike Douglas Show, in 1967 or 1968. In the meeting, he asked her to lift her skirt up and strike different poses, she says. He then indicated he'd hire her only if she slept with him and "a few of [his] select friends," she says. Callahan recalls, "I said, 'Well, if you think I have star quality and you can make money off my looks, I don't think it'd matter if I went to bed with you or not.' And he said, 'Oh, pretty girls like you are a dime a dozen.'" The interview ended shortly after that, she says, and when she subsequently passed Roger in the hallway, "He pretended not to know who I was." A former model going by the pseudonym of Susan says she was only 16 when Ailes propositioned her. It was 1967 and she had been sent over for a walk-on part on The Mike Douglas Show. He took her into an office and locked the door. She continues, "He proceeded to pull down his pants and very gingerly pull out his genitals and said, 'Kiss them.' And they were red like raw hamburger I was a kid, I'd never seen a man's privates before." She says she jumped up and he chased her around the office before pulling up his pants and revealing he had recorded the whole thing, instructing her not to tell anyone about what happened. Read More: Gretchen Carlson Lawyer Says Fox News May Be Added to Roger Ailes Harassment Lawsuit Another former model and actress, going by the name of Jane, says "something sexual took place" during a meeting she had with Ailes in 1984, as her agent was trying to get her into broadcasting. He had her model a garter belt and stockings as well, she says. "After that, something sexual took place, but I blocked it out of my mind," she says. "I don't know if I engaged with him orally or he engaged with himself. I felt I was being used for his sexual satisfaction. I felt very threatened." Although he wanted her to take the lingerie home for next time, she says she refused and left, adding that she regrets not telling Ailes off. "Through the years, I felt like a horrible person because I allowed this to happen to me and I didn't just say f - off and walk out of the room," she says. "My husband doesn't even know." A media consultant going by the name of Diane also says she remained silent about an incident with Ailes in 1965 or 1966, when she, too, was working as a model in the Philadelphia area and was called in, with some other girls, to meet with him for a skit on The Mike Douglas Show. He took the women behind closed doors one by one, she says. When it was her turn, he made a move and indicated she had to respond to his advances to get the job. Read More: Roger Ailes Fires Back at Gretchen Carlson's "Defamatory" Lawsuit as Fox Launches Internal Investigation "He grabbed me and had his hands on me and he forced me to kiss him," she says. "When I recoiled he said, 'Well, you know no girls get a job here unless they're cooperative.' I just pushed him away and ran out of there. He was like, whatever. So, no job for me. He did hire several of the girls from the group, but I don't know what they had to do to get the job." A former TV producer going by the name of Pat says she had an interview with Ailes at his Central Park South apartment in 1975, in which he indicated she needed to sleep with him to get ahead in the industry. "I don't remember his exact words, but his message was: If you want to make it in New York City in the TV business, you're going to have to f - me, and you're going to do that with anyone I tell you to," she recalls. "I was afraid he was going to pin me down. He was a big guy and I'm not big at all. He could have overpowered me. I remember running out of that apartment like my hair was on fire and standing on the sidewalk crying, thinking, 'What's that guy think I was, a prostitute? In one second my dreams were shot. He's going to blackball me everywhere, I'll never get another interview, I'm not good enough' - all that stuff a 20-something girl thinks. It wasn't, 'That guy's a son of a bitch and I should have kicked him in the balls.'" In a statement released Wednesday, in response to Carlson's suit, Ailes claimed her "allegations are " calling her lawsuit "defamatory," "offensive" and "wholly without merit" and said it would be "defended vigorously." Read More: Gretchen Carlson Lawyer Says Fox News May Be Added to Roger Ailes Harassment Lawsuit "This is a retaliatory suit for the network's decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup," he continued. "When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit. Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11-year tenure than any other employer in the industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously." On Friday, Ailes requested that the dispute be moved to confidential arbitration, citing a provision in her contract. Carlson's team responded in part, "It is disturbing that the head of a large media company would try to silence the press and hide from the public a matter of such importance." In response to Saturday's New York magazine story, Ailes' outside counsel Barry Asen, of Epstein, Becker and Green, released the following statement, linking to various articles that have been published since Carlson filed her suit: "It has become obvious that Ms. Carlson and her lawyer are desperately attempting to litigate this in the press because they have no legal case to argue. The latest allegations, all 30 to 50 years old, are ." In response, Carlson's attorneys released a statement slamming Ailes' lawyer for trying to silence the women who spoke out about "trauma they endured years ago that haunts them to this day." "Yesterday in a statement to the press ('litigating in the press'), an Ailes spokesperson challenged Gretchen's lawyers to come forward with other victims of Ailes' sexual harassment to speak on the record," Carlson's attorneys, Nancy Erika Smith and Martin Hyman, said in a statement obtained by THR. "Today, six brave women voluntarily spoke out to New York magazine detailing their traumatic sexual harassment by Ailes. We are hearing from others. Then, Barry Asen, Ailes' lawyer, accused Gretchen of 'litigating in the press' and, without any investigation, within three hours, claimed that the allegations are . How does he know that? Women have the right to speak out - whether Ailes likes it or not - even about trauma they endured years ago and that haunts them to this day. Calling these women liars because they chose to speak out is despicable. Bullying and threats will not silence these brave women." In a series of tweets posted Saturday afternoon, Fox News anchor Sean Hannity defended Ailes and said he'd talked to "hundreds of women" at Fox this week who claim Carlson's claims are "BS." Hadas I have spoken to many woman who work at Fox that have the most amazing stories of how kind Roger is to them https://t.co/sxKGuLp6lF - Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 9, 2016 Brian talk to the hundreds of woman at Fox that I talked to this week both on air and off. They say it all BS https://t.co/L7JECOMMPD - Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 9, 2016 Are u a sick twisted pervert in real life or only on Twitter? https://t.co/HaAdwWTB5N - Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 9, 2016 How did u react to Jason Blair? Are you proud of the NYTimes being humiliated by the woman they used to hurt Trump? https://t.co/P47tGjcGlo - Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 9, 2016 Gabe Sherman stalker alert! What sources? Media matters? Gretchen C publicity seeking atty? The Clinton campaign? https://t.co/3uas8f8hgN - Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 9, 2016 July 9, 12:49 p.m. Updated with statement from Carlson's attorneys. July 9, 1:28 p.m. Updated with Sean Hannity's tweets. The remembrances are written in chalk. Purple, pink, and yellow scrawls. Some are short Love all as one. Others more pointed: There was a family in that car. Some serve as almost a warning: Because this revolution will be on the Internet. A few days ago, the sidewalks along Larpenteur Avenue were just a lonely stretch bordering the Minnesota State Fair and the three-story brick Falcon Arms Apartments. Now its a makeshift memorial for Philando Castile, who died Wednesday after being shot by police here in Falcon Heights, Minn., following a traffic stop for a broken taillight. That couldve been me, said Jimmy Mireri, a black 23-year-old who visited the site Wednesday night and worked with Castile at J.J. Hill Montessori School. Whos to say that shouldnt have been me? Read more: What to Know About Philando Castiles Death in Minnesota Mireri, now a fourth-grade teacher at a nearby elementary school, says he remembers Castile, who worked as a cafeteria supervisor, as the guy that everyone in the building loved. He worked with children, distributing the food, and the kids appreciated him, Mireri says. He was the kind of guy that would always ask how youre doing. On Friday evening, dozens of people visited to lay bouquets of flowers along Larpenteur. A group of 200 from nearby Luther Seminary and Lutheran Social Services walked a mile and a half to the memorial in silence. One woman held a crucifix. Once arriving, the group sang We Shall Overcome and This Little Light of Mine, lighting dozens of candles and placing them alongside lilies, marigolds, daisies and miniature angel statues. Across the street, birthday balloons hung from the street signs at Larpenteur and Fry. Castiles 33rd birthday wouldve been next week. We have to open our eyes and see that our justice system is unjust, that racism is our original sin, said Laura Thelander, a pastor at Luther Seminary. Story continues Read more: Minnesota Governor Doesnt Think Philando Castile Would Have Been Killed If He Were White Several residents said Friday night that while they were shocked by the video of Castile, which was recorded on Facebook Live in the aftermath of the shooting and has since been viewed millions of times, theyve witnessed a similar situation just in the past year: the death of Jamar Clark, a black 24-year-old who was shot Nov. 15, 2015, by Minneapolis police. The two officers involved were not criminally charged. Surprisingly, Im not surprised, says Ashley Aguy, 26, a social worker from Bloomington, Minn., referring to Castiles death. But were hurting. Theres a lot of pain, a lot of trauma. For some, visiting Larpenteur Avenue was a way to make Castiles death real in some tangible way. Tamiko Robinson, a St. Louis Park resident, says she saw the Facebook Live video initially show up in her feed, but she scrolled past it. She didnt think it was real, that it was some sort of staged scene. But after she saw Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, on the news, she went back and watched. He did everything he was supposed to do, and still his life was taken, Robinson said. Were living in a state of fear. As the sun set Friday along Larpenteurs chalked sidewalks, mourners gathered to pray. They asked for understanding. They asked for an end to violence. They asked for people not to retaliate, like the incident in Dallas, Texas, Thursday, where five officers were fatally shot at a demonstration against police shootings. They asked people to remember Castile, to make sure his memory didnt wash away. As cable news and broadcast outlets continue wall-to-wall coverage of the Thursday shooting in Dallas, Texas, MTV News and BET News announced a co-hosted live town hall set for Friday night. What Now? will air live across 10 Viacom networks, starting at 10 p.m. ET. On hand for the Times Square Studio telecast will be network talent Charlamagne Tha God, Jamil Smith, Marc Lamont Hill and Franchesca Ramsey. Jay Z Releases Song About Police Brutality After Philando Castile & Alton Sterling Shootings: Listen A Friday releases said the event was intended to be "an open forum of artists, activists and audience members discussing the issues underlying this latest round in a cycle of violence and tragedy in America." The town hall, also set to stream on YouTube and Facebook Live, comes on the heels of a devastating week in the United States - which saw the killings of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, at the hands of police officers and culminated in a deadly sniper attack during a peaceful protest in Dallas. The latter has already claimed the lives of five police officers. MTV and BET are trying to engage viewers by soliciting call-ins and the use of the hashtag #WhatNow. This article was originally published on The Hollywood Reporter. By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - Canadian Milos Raonic will not be the only man experiencing something new on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Sunday -- for the first time Britain's Andy Murray will start a grand slam final as favourite after crushing Tomas Berdych in the semis. Murray was seeded to meet world number one Novak Djokovic in another major showdown but the Serb's shock early exit opened the door for sixth seed Raonic to reach his maiden grand slam final after making the semis two years ago. All 10 of Murray's previous grand slam finals were against either Djokovic or Federer, which explains why the 29-year-old Scot has endured more than his fair share of pain and still only has two majors to his name. One of those defeats came against a sublime Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final and a repeat of that duel was expected until the Swiss maestro lost to Raonic on Friday. With a 6-3 head-to-head career lead over the 25-year-old Raonic, Murray will be expected to get his grand slam collection rolling again, three years after beating Djokovic to become Britain's first Wimbledon men's singles champion for 77 years. Leading bookmakers were quoting Murray as 2-7 on favourite hours after he beat Berdych on Friday. "It's the first time I'll play a slam final against someone that isn't Roger or Novak. So, yeah, that's different," Murray, who won the 2012 U.S. Open against Djokovic, told reporters. "But you never know how anyone's going to deal with the pressures of a slam final. "I'll just concentrate on my side, do what I can to prepare well for it and see what happens." TOUGH OPPONENT Murray's most recent encounter with the big-serving Raonic came in the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's Club when he beat him in a fiercely-contested final having trailed. "It's obviously an opportunity. I put myself in a position to try and win the (Wimbledon) event again. It's against someone new that I'm playing against in the final," Murray said. "But Milos is a very tough opponent. He's played very well on the grass this year and has earned his right to (be in) the final by beating one of the best, if not the best, player ever at this event. So he deserves to be there." Raonic has played two tough five-setters to reach the final, against David Goffin in round four and Friday's thriller with Federer, whereas Murray's path has been relatively smooth. A two-hour semi-final against Berdych, in which he made only nine unforced errors for a 6-3 6-3 6-3 win, was about as stress-free as it gets at the business end of a grand slam tournament. "I feel pretty calm just now, maybe because of the way the match went," Murray said. "There weren't many complications. "I feel fairly calm." (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Ken Ferris) Seoul (AFP) - North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul's defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. The launch was apparently successful but the missile failed in the early stage of flight, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement. North Korea previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Seoul said the North launched "what was believed to be an SLBM" from waters off the northeastern port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT). Yonhap news agency said the missile, launched from a Sinpo-class submarine, reached an altitude of around 10 kilometres (six miles) before exploding in mid-air. The US Strategic Command said the missile was tracked over the Sea of Japan, where initial indications suggested it fell. Seoul's defence ministry noted that "North Korea has been persistent in violating UN resolutions by launching ballistic missiles continuously". It added that the North carried out back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range missile on June 22, which sparked swift international condemnation. The two missiles achieved a significant increase in flight distance over previous failed launches and were believed to be of a much-hyped, intermediate-range Musudan missile -- theoretically capable of reaching US bases as far away as Guam, the ministry said in June. "We strongly condemn such provocative acts", it said Saturday. NATO military head US General Curtis Scaparrotti, who was previously head of US forces in South Korea, said North Korea's latest actions showed progress. "My reaction is that Kim Jung-Un and his regime continues to test and work on their ballistic capability, and with every launch they are getting better, and they are working out their problems," he said at the NATO summit in Warsaw. Story continues "They are doing it with a missile now, the Musudan variant, that has regional range and the very same things that he learns is going to be transferred to his intercontinental ballistic missile capability, so it's a serious threat." The North American Aerospace Defense Command however said the launch did not pose a threat to North America. "We strongly condemn this and North Koreas other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology", Pentagon Spokesman Gary Ross said. He urged the North "to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region". Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also played down the launch. "We don't consider the missile launch to be anything that would immediately affect Japan's national security directly," he told public broadcaster NHK. - 'Declaration of war' - The new launch came after Seoul and Washington Friday announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed "Supreme Leader" Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning North Korea would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US". By Yeganeh Torbati and Robin Emmott WARSAW (Reuters) - NATO allies agreed on Saturday to help fund Afghan security forces to the tune of around $1 billion annually over the next three years, despite public fatigue in Western countries about their involvement in the long-running conflict. Fifteen years since the United States invaded to topple the Taliban rulers who had harbored al Qaeda militants behind attacks on the United States, the West remains entangled in a costly effort to stabilize a country facing resurgent rebels. U.S. President Barack Obama said completely withdrawing from Afghanistan risked seeing the country collapse and then having to send American troops back in again to deal with a new threat. "We have an option of ... pulling out and potentially then seeing a country crumble under the strains of continued terrorist activity or insurgencies," Obama told a news conference at the end of a NATO summit in Warsaw. He defended his decision, along with other NATO allies, to reverse plans to sharply reduce troops levels, saying Afghan forces still needed training, funding and support. "The Afghans are fighting. They are much more capable now than they were when I came into office, but they still need support because it is a really tough territory and it is a really poor country," Obama said. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had won almost $3 billion in commitments from allies to help the United States pay for the Afghan military until 2020, which now has ground forces but still needs to develop an air force. A senior U.S. official said, on condition of anonymity, that the allies had made pledges that put them at more than 90 percent of the funding levels agreed to at a 2012 NATO summit in Chicago. The United States has been keen to secure the target of one billion dollars annually from other countries to support more than 350,000 Afghan security forces as it draws down its own military presence in the country. The Pentagon has budgeted $3.45 billion in annual U.S. funds to pay for the Afghan forces, with the Kabul government providing an additional sum of around $420 million, for a total yearly budget of nearly $5 billion. For the United States, the stakes are high as it seeks to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for groups hostile to the West, including al Qaeda and Islamic State, also known as ISIL, which has made some inroads in the country. "We know there are al Qaeda and ISIL components in Afghanistan and if we fail there, we know that it'll be a safe haven for those," U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, the top NATO commander, told reporters on the sidelines of the summit. RESOLUTE SUPPORT Obama announced this week that the United States was shelving its plans to cut the U.S. force in Afghanistan nearly in half by the end of 2016, opting instead to keep 8,400 troops there till the close of his presidency next January. That still implies a 1,400-troop reduction. There are currently about 13,000 U.S. and international troops serving in the NATO mission, called Resolute Support, in Afghanistan, with Germany, Turkey and Italy as the biggest non-U.S contributors. Their role is to train the Afghan forces. The United States has additional troops in Afghanistan focusing on counter terrorism operations. Stoltenberg said it was too early to say what troop levels the NATO allies would maintain in 2017 and said those decisions would be made in the autumn. A senior U.S. official said the non-U.S. allies would collectively contribute about the same number of troops to the mission as they do now, although individual countries' numbers may vary. The size of the NATO mission is on track to be more than 12,000 troops after the adjustments, U.S. officials said. Afghanistan faces a number of crises, including a faltering economy, a government weakened by infighting between rivals and endemic corruption. Both President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Ghani's runner-up in the 2014 presidential election, attended the NATO summit. A U.S. official said the United States and its allies were encouraged by the fact that some cabinet-level appointments had recently moved through the Afghan parliament, that the government was doing better in collecting tax revenues and that Ghani had diligently pursued anti-corruption measures. "We expect they (Afghan leaders) will step up their efforts to fight corruption and to implement reforms," Stoltenberg said. (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Gareth Jones and Louise Heavens) Warsaw (AFP) - NATO leaders on Saturday agreed to deploy sophisticated surveillance aircraft to support the US-led fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg said a summit of the 28 NATO leaders in Warsaw had formally approved a plan for the alliance's AWACS planes to fly over international airspace and help the US-led coalition. "We will provide AWACS support and the plan is to have them to flying over international airspace and Turkey and that will allow us to look into airspace in Iraq and Syria," Stoltenberg told a news conference. The planes are one of the few concrete assets that NATO has, with most of its military hardware belonging to individual member states. AWACS are aircraft with powerful radars that allow them to monitor airspace for hundreds of kilometres (miles) around. They can also be converted into command posts to coordinate bombing raids and other air operations. The Warsaw summit closing statement said that "NATO AWACS aircraft will be made available to support the Counter-ISIL Coalition." In May, NATO said the planes would not be directly involved in monitoring jihadists, but would instead fill in for US and allied aircraft that would be re-tasked to gather intelligence over IS hotspots. Several European NATO members have been wary of becoming too involved in the bloody fight against IS but pressure has grown after deadly terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. In Warsaw, NATO also agreed to take further steps to boost counter-terorism efforts in countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Stoltenberg said. It would deploy a team to Baghdad to start a new training scheme in Iraq, which is battling IS jihadists. "To the south we see failed and failing states. And millions left homeless and hopeless by terrorist groups like ISIL. Stoltenberg said. The alliance will also start providing support for Tunisian special forces and set up an intelligence Fusion Centre in Tunisia. NATO will further launch a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean to help deal with the migration crisis and the chaos in the waters off Libya. By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile from a submarine on Saturday, but it appears to have failed soon after launch, South Korea's military said. The launch comes at the end of a week of sharply rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and only a day after the United States and South Korea pledged to deploy an advanced anti-missile system to counter threats from Pyongyang North Korea on Thursday warned it was planning its toughest response to what it deemed a "declaration of war" by the United States. The warning followed Washington's blacklisting of the isolated state's leader Kim Jong Un for alleged human rights abuses. South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched at about 11:30 a.m. Seoul time (0230 GMT) in waters east of the Korean Peninsula. The missile was likely fired from a submarine as planned, but appears to have failed in the early stage of flight, the Joint Chiefs said. Japan, the United States and South Korea's military condemned the missile launch as a flagrant violation of United Nations sanctions. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the missile's engine successfully ignited, but the projectile soon exploded in mid-air at a height of about 10 km (6 miles), and covered not more than a few kilometers across the water. The South's military declined to confirm those details citing its policy of not publicly commenting on intelligence matters. The missile was detected in the sea, southeast of the North Korean city of Sinpo, South Korea's military said. Satellite images indicate Pyongyang is actively trying to develop its submarine-launched ballistic missile program in this area, according to experts. The U.S. Strategic Command, whose mission is to detect and prevent strategic attacks against the United States and its allies, said it had detected what it believed was a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It was fired near Sinpo, the North's east coast port, and then fell into the sea between there and Japan, the command said in a statement. JAPAN CONDEMNS LAUNCH Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy Japan, South Korea and the South's main ally, the United States. The missile launch is a "clear challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, according to the Kyodo news agency. "We should strongly condemn the launch by working with the international community," Abe told reporters, but said the launch did not gravely affect Japan's national security. The United States said it was monitoring and assessing the situation in close coordination with its regional allies and partners. "We strongly condemn North Korea's missile test in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, which explicitly prohibit North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology," said Gabrielle Price, spokeswoman for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. State Department. "These actions, and North Korea's continued pursuit of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities, pose a significant threat to the United States, our allies, and to the stability of the greater Asia-Pacific," she added. The North has conducted a string of military tests that began in January with its fourth nuclear test and included the launch of a long-range rocket the following month. The U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the country in March for its nuclear test and rocket launch. North Korea rejects the sanctions as infringement of its sovereignty and its right to space exploration. In late June, North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile to a high altitude before it plunged into the sea after covering 400 km in the direction of Japan, South Korean military officials said. That was widely seen as a technological advance for the North after several test failures. South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system with the U.S. military in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighboring China, Pyongyang's sole major ally. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that THAAD exceeded the security needs of the Korean Peninsula. "We have every reason, and the right, to question the real conspiracy behind this move," Wang was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying during a trip to Sri Lanka. Pyongyang last conducted a test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April, calling it a "great success" that provided "one more means for powerful nuclear attack," although it had not had a successful SLBM test flight. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw, U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, the top NATO commander and former commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, said he worried about North Korea's potential to hit the continental United States with a ballistic missile. "Kim Jong Un and his regime continue to test and work on their ballistic missile capability, and with every launch they're getting better and they're working out their problems," Scaparrotti said. "It's a serious threat." A report on 38 North, a website run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said that "even with frequent testing, North Korea's SLBM program still faces significant technical challenges and will likely require several years to deliver an operational system." (Additional reporting by Jack Kim in SEOUL, Taiga Uranaka in TOKYO, John Ruwitch in SHANGHAI and Yeganeh Torbati in WARSAW; editing by Ed Davies and G Crosse) MTV hosted a town hall Friday night to provide a dialogue about the recent tragedies of police violence and shootings. What Now? was hosted by network talent including Charlamagne Tha God, Jamil Smith, Marc Lamont Hill and Franchesca Ramsey. The town hall, co-hosted by MTV News and BET News, streamed live on YouTube and Facebook Live as it aired on 10 Viacom networks. The event began with a look back "at this insane week" with a short video piece explaining the recent deaths: Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and Thursday's police shootings in Dallas. Hill said that it came down to the fact that this week's events "have been putting a spotlight on something that's been happening since the beginning of America." He continued, "But now we're having a two-way conversation - what can we do, but also what can law enforcement do?" He later said that the NRA is a major part of the problem with discussions, and that "the rights of gun owners is really the rights of white gun owners." Charlamagne spoke to hip-hop artist Pusha T via video, who told the host, "I don't think it'll get better until the police start getting policed. Period." The artist added that to him, it's an issue of "accountability." Read More: Dallas Shootings: Hollywood Reacts With Shock and Grief The hosts also spoke with the studio audience, who told them they were feeling "unsafe" and were tired of "hashtags without reform." Ramsey said that one of the problems that comes up after incidents of police violence is that "our media is implicit in the way that we talk about these situations" and "in the way we frame these victims." She added, "There's no such thing as a perfect victim," arguing that often media stories come down to blaming the victim as a way to provide an excuse to situations that turn violent. The hosts next spoke with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who called in to the town hall. "This has been such a painful week for this country," she said, but "we have an opportunity to make some change. Story continues "We're at a point where the rest of America is acknowledging what this community has known for years," she explained, "about situations that we face when we encounter law enforcement." Lynch added that "it's draining" that she still has to explain "these situations" because people "don't believe they happen," citing events like this week's run-ins with police that turn violent. She ended with a message of action: "We have to move forward and focus on rebuilding the trust between the community and law enforcement." Later, after an interview with NYPD Detective Tom Verni in which he shied away from giving a reason why black men are disproportionately targeted by police, Instagram star Sam White spoke out, saying that a major problem is that there is a "hesitancy to call murder 'murder.'" On the phone, Killer Mike discouraged people from answering violence with violence. Instead he suggested that the black community should support black banks who can invest money back into the community. Talib Kweli joined the town hall to share his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement, which is "firmly rooted in the tradition of Martin Luther King and peaceful protest." These movements have to be supported, he argued, because peaceful protest is the solution to violence. "When we say 'Black Lives Matter' and people say 'All Lives Matter,' it's a way to erase the pain of black people and people of color." Actor Penn Badgley attended the town hall "kind of in learning mode," and intended to largely listen to the problem that is "centuries old." He and Hill spoke about white privilege, the Black Lives Matter movement and how tough it is for certain people to take on a feeling of "guilt" in a "larger social arena." Read More: Snoop Dogg Leads Peaceful Rally for "Dialogue" Down to LAPD Cadets' Graduation Warsaw (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Saturday vowed the United States would always stand by Europe as its NATO allies backed a "hard-headed" policy of deterrence and dialogue with Russia. "In good times, and in bad, Europe can count on the United States. Always," Obama said after a NATO summit in Warsaw approved the alliance's biggest military upgrade since the end of the Cold War in response to Russia's intervention in Ukraine. The president said NATO was at a "pivotal moment" in the face of threats from the Islamic State group, the crisis in Ukraine, Europe's biggest migrant influx since the end of World War II and finally Britain's vote to quit the European Union which had stoked growing fears about the continent's future. "In this challenging moment, I want to take the opportunity to state clearly what will never change. And that is the unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense of Europe," he said. At the same time, Obama, attending his final NATO summit, warned that allies had to do their part too and meet a commitment to devote at least two percent of annual economic output to defence spending. "The majority of allies are still not hitting that two percent mark ... so we had a very candid conversation about this," he said. - 'We stand together' - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said earlier there were no differences among the 28 leaders over how to counter a more resurgent Russia. "The alliance is united, we stand together ... The united message is that defence and dialogue are what our relationship is based on." Some of the allies however, especially France and Germany, have called for NATO to avoid a Cold-War style stand-off with Russia. But unity was the buzzword at the two-day summit after the Brexit vote shocked the allies and raised questions about Britain's future as a nuclear armed global power. Story continues Prime Minister David Cameron said he had reassured his peers that Britain was committed to them and NATO, and announced a parliamentary vote on July 18 on revamping Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent to back that up. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view, not just to Britain's security but as our allies acknowledge here today to the overall security of the NATO alliance," Cameron told a news conference. He said Britain fully backed the measures adopted by NATO in response to the Ukraine crisis "but we must also engage in a hard-headed dialogue with Russia". Poland and the Baltic states pressed hard for even tougher action but NATO's measures finally seem to have reassured them. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, one of the sharpest critics of Putin, said she was "softening" on the need for dialogue. Russian President Vladimir Putin bitterly opposes what he sees as NATO's encroachment on his borders. Formal NATO-Russia talks due Wednesday in Brussels promise to be difficult after the alliance approved deploying four battalions -- about 4,000 troops -- in Poland and the Baltic states to act as a warning tripwire. Russia is even more critical of the Ballistic Missile Defence system the United States is building to counter missile threats from Iran or the Middle East, which NATO declared initially operational on Friday. Around 200 anti-war activists defied heavy security in central Warsaw to protest against the summit, carrying banners saying "Yes to Peace, No to NATO". - Surveillance planes against IS - The summit approved in principle the use of sophisticated AWACS surveillance aircraft to help the US-led anti-IS coalition in Syria and Iraq. NATO leaders meanwhile confirmed pledges to fund Afghanistan security forces until 2020, to combat Taliban rebels putting Kabul under intense pressure. Stoltenberg said NATO would keep troops in Afghanistan until 2017 to train and advise the Afghan military but could not say when the alliance's longest engagement might end. NATO will also expand its training of Iraqi officers from Jordan into Iraq itself and was looking at what could be done to help Libya if the UN-backed government there asked for aid. At the Warsaw protest, hundreds of activists chanted slogans against the NATO build-up, watched over by around 100 police officers. "I wish NATO had disappeared with the Warsaw Pact," said French environmental activist Gerard Levy. The Polish capital gave its name to the Soviet Union's Warsaw Pact which faced NATO across the Iron Curtain for nearly 50 tense and dangerous years. Warsaw (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Saturday said that whatever the circumstances, European allies in NATO would always be able to rely on the United States. "In good times, and in bad, Europe can count on the United States. Always," Obama said at the close of a two-day NATO summit in Warsaw which approved the alliance's biggest military upgrade since the end of the Cold War. The president said the 28 nation alliance was at a "pivotal moment... In the nearly 70 years of NATO perhaps never have we faced such a range of challenges all at once, security, humanitarian, political." He cited first the Islamic State group threat, then Russia's intervention in Ukraine, Europe's worst migrant crisis since the end of World War II and finally Britain's vote to quit the European Union which has stoked growing fears about the continent's future. "In this challenging moment, I want to take the opportunity to state clearly what will never change. And that is the unwavering commitment of the United States to the security and defense of Europe," he said. But at the same time, Obama warned that the NATO allies had to do their part too, especially meeting a commitment to reverse years of cuts and devote two percent of annual economic output to defence spending. Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia were on target but "that means that the majority of allies are still not hitting that two percent mark," Obama said. "So we had a very candid conversation about this," he added. Dallas (AFP) - President Barack Obama assured a shocked America Saturday that the black army vet who shot dead five cops in Dallas was a lone wolf -- and that the country can overcome its racial divisions, as the groundswell of anger over police brutality surged on. Fresh protests were planned in at least half a dozen cities to demand justice for two African-Americans whose fatal shooting by police triggered the Dallas rampage of an angry radical bent on revenge. The nightmare scenes in Texas, where a peaceful protest turned to horror, left many fearing a new, dark chapter in America's troubled race relations. But as Dallas honored its slain officers, Obama sought to cut short that narrative. "I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested," he told a news conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity." Obama described the 25-year-old gunman, Micah Johnson, as a "demented individual" who in no way represented the African-American community at large. Dallas officials say they are now certain the atrocity was the work of a lone shooter -- killed in a showdown with police -- and not a group of co-conspirators as initially feared. At Dallas police headquarters, people flocked to leave flowers and messages of sympathy for the slain officers amid an outpouring of support that saw crowds in the city line up to hug police officers. After visiting the memorial Saturday, Mayor Mike Rawlings voiced hope that the shock from the killings could serve a purpose "in a grander plan to make us a stronger country, a stronger city, and a stronger world." - 'Dangerous to be black' - The Black Lives Matter activist movement, which has spearheaded months of nationwide protests over police brutality, has demanded an end to the violence -- not an escalation. As thousands marched in US cities overnight, there were nasty scenes in Phoenix, Arizona, where police used pepper spray to disperse stone-throwing protesters. And in Rochester, New York, 74 people were arrested over a sit-in protest. Story continues But elsewhere -- from Atlanta to Houston, New Orleans, Detroit and Baltimore -- protests held over the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota passed off without trouble. Cities expecting new gatherings Saturday included Seattle, Indianapolis and Philadelphia -- where organizers called for a "Weekend of Rage." Obama is to visit Dallas early next week in the effort to chart a way forward, while a raft of US politicians sought to appear as unifiers after a week of violence graphically highlighted America's racial challenges. "White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the barriers they face," Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton tweeted. That message was echoed by prominent members of the Republican Party, which has often jumped to defend law enforcement amid accusations of racial bias. "It is more dangerous to be black in America," Newt Gingrich, a Republican former House speaker tipped as a possible White House running mate for Donald Trump, said in an interview on Facebook Live. "Sometimes it's difficult for whites to appreciate how real that is. It's an everyday danger." Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio had a similar message. "Those of us who are not African American will never fully understand the experience of being black in America," he said. Trump himself put out a video statement, seated presidential-style behind a large desk, in which he acknowledged the Louisiana and Minnesota shootings and spoke of "how much work we have to do in order to make every American feel that their safety is protected." - Police on edge - The Dallas ambush marked the single biggest loss of life for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Police were set further on edge as it emerged that several officers had been targeted across the country by individuals apparently angered at the recent fatal shootings. In Bristol, Tennessee, a man opened fire Thursday on a hotel, killing a woman, wounding several others and grazing a police officer with a bullet. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the gunman "may have targeted individuals and officers after being troubled by recent incidents involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers." And in Racine, Wisconsin, police said a 43-year-old man was arrested over threatening social media posts that read: "I encourage every Black man in America to strap up... I encourage every white officer to kiss there (sic) love ones goodbye." - Scouring social media - Described to police as a "loner," the Dallas gunman served as a US Army reservist for six years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Although the White House has ruled out any link between Johnson and known "terrorist organizations," his Facebook page ties him to radical black movements listed as hate groups. He told negotiators before he died that he wanted to kill white cops. Police found bomb-making materials and a weapons cache at his home and were scouring his journal and social media posts to understand what drove him to mass murder. Warsaw (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Saturday tried to unify a fractured nation, insisting the shock shootings in Dallas and simmering racial tensions would not derail a common sense of purpose. Obama lamented a "painful" week, in which five police officers were gunned down during a protest against the police killings of black Americans, but he rejected comparisons with the civil unrest of the 1960s. "I firmly believe America is not as divided as some have suggested," Obama told a press conference at a NATO summit in Warsaw. "There is sorrow, there is anger, there is confusion... but there is unity. This is not who we want to be as Americans." Obama has said he will cut short his foreign trip and visit Dallas next week after a black extremist opened fire on officers protecting a peaceful march against police brutality. Thousands of protesters marched in US cities late Friday, with many remembering the slain officers, but anger remains over the deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, two African-American men killed by police. While acknowledging the need to heal divisions, Obama played down talk of wider unrest. "When we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization and we're back to the situation in the 60s and -- that's just not true," Obama said. "You're not seeing riots, you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully." Obama pointed out that crime was now substantially lower and that US society had stronger foundations to build on than half a century ago. - 'I won't stop talking' about gun control - Obama said Dallas shooter Micah Johnson, 25, who was killed in a standoff with police, was "demented" and did not represent African Americans. "The demented individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas, he's no more representative of African Americans than the shooter in Charleston (in South Carolina) was representative of white Americans," Obama said. Story continues Dylann Roof, 22, is accused of gunning down nine African American churchgoers in Charleston last year. Prosecutors in his case have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Obama added that it was difficult to untangle Johnson's motives. While the White House has ruled out any link between the gunman and known "terrorist organizations," Johnson's Facebook page ties him to several radical black movements listed as hate groups. Obama meanwhile said he was going to keep discussing race issues and gun control in the wake of a series of mass killings. He denied politicising the gun control debate in the wake of the Dallas shootings and said he had to deal with the issue, despite its polarising effect. "If you care about the safety of our police officers, then you can't set aside the gun issue and pretend that that's irrelevant," he said. "When it comes to the issue of gun safety, there is polarisation. Between a very intense minority, and a majority of Americans who actually think that we could be doing better when it comes to gun safety," he said. "We're going to have to tackle that at some point. I'm not going to stop talking about it. Because if we don't talk about it we're not going to solve these underlying problems. It's part of the problem." MADISON, Wis. Young Wisconsin companies drew at least $209.5 million from investors in 2015, a sharp drop from the $346 million raised by early-stage companies in 2014, a report by the Wisconsin Technology Council says. But the money was spread over a larger number of startups in 2015. And the 2014 figures are skewed by one huge investment: $127.4 million to SHINE Medical Technologies in debt financing, which often involves borrowing money that might later be converted to stock ownership. SHINE, of Monona, is building a plant in Janesville to make a key medical isotope used in diagnostic tests. The 2016 Wisconsin Portfolio, compiled by the Tech Councils Wisconsin Angel Network, says at least 128 Wisconsin companies raised money from venture capital groups and individual angel investors last year, up from 113 in 2014. The results are based on data disclosed in public announcements, regulatory filings and a survey of investor groups. Angel networks declined to participate. Tom Still, president of the Tech Council, said the dip in total funding is not a reason for concern. Angel and venture capital, as a class, is pretty lumpy, Still said. There are some natural peaks and valleys. Sometimes, it has to do with when the deals are completed at year-end and reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Wisconsin companies that scored the three biggest deals in 2015 were all from Madison: ablation device maker NeuWave Medical, $25 million; mobile restaurant meal ordering EatStreet, $15 million; and influenza vaccine developer Flugen, $12 million. Other key survey results include: The number of $1 million-plus deals continues to rise: 27 in 2013; 38 in 2014; 46 in 2015. Women-led companies made up 14 percent of the startups that landed investments in 2015. Out-of-state investors took part in at least 20 percent of the investments charted in 2015. Getting out the word about what Wisconsin has (to offer) has been a slow but steady process and I think its starting to pay some results, Still said. Madrid (AFP) - Barack Obama wrapped up a lightning visit to Spain on Sunday, an abbreviated first presidential trip to the country overshadowed by the fatal shooting of five police officers in Dallas. Obama squeezed in the trip after a key NATO summit, before dashing home to deal with the aftermath of the wrenching attack. Greeting Spain King Felipe at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Obama acknowledged that "we've had a difficult week in the United States." The US president cut a two-day visit to Spain down to one and cancelled a trip to Seville with the king altogether, after a black army veteran killed five white police officers. Obama, who prides himself on his measured approach, is usually loath to alter travel plans. But the shooting -- just blocks from the site where John F. Kennedy was assassinated -- has pushed a country crackling with political tension to the edge. Obama, speaking in Madrid, renewed his appeal for calm and cautioned those protesting police killings of black Americans against blanket criticism, saying the majority of officers do a good job. "If the rhetoric does not recognize that, then we're going to lose allies in the reform cause," he said. On Saturday, speaking in Warsaw just before Air Force One departed for Spain, Obama insisted the country's divisions were overplayed. This was not, he insisted, the crisis-ridden era of the 1960s, when US cities burned, the Vietnam War raged and the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King were slain. But his decision to shorten the trip is a tacit acknowledgement that the United States faces a combustible mix of deteriorating race relations, hyper-charged election politics and seemingly never-ending gun violence. In recent months, videos of deadly mass shootings, or of white police officers killing black civilians, have become routine. "Whenever those of us who are concerned about fairness in the criminal justice system attack police officers, you are doing a disservice to the cause," Obama said in Madrid, as protests against police brutality continued around the country. Story continues - Naval station visit - Obama will attend an interfaith service in honor of the five slain officers on Tuesday. Before leaving Spain, he visited a US and Spanish Naval Station at Rota, a base at the mouth of the Mediterranean, and addressed US personnel stationed there. Since the time of the Greeks, Romans, Moors, Phoenicians and Visigoths, the Bay of Cadiz has been seen as a prime piece of geopolitical real estate. During the Cold War nuclear weapons were positioned there. Today, Rota has taken on renewed importance with the deployment of four US Aegis destroyers. They form an integral part of a guided European missile defense system much despised by Russia. The transfer of the system to NATO control was a key part of an alliance summit in Warsaw which stressed deterring Moscow from destabilizing eastern Europe. Obama thanked the US personnel for their service and listed all the challenges NATO allies faced, from terrorist attacks to "Russia's aggression against Ukraine" which he said threatens peace in Europe. He also boarded the US Ross, one of four destroyers temporarily stationed in Rota that launch guided missiles, to greet uniformed soldiers waiting at a red carpet flanked by decorative wooden missiles. - A country divided - Obama's visit comes as Spain remains mired in a months-old political crisis, with two general elections resulting in no clear victor. The two centre-left and centre-right parties that have dominated Spanish politics since the return of democracy in the late 1970s have, in the face of insurgent leftists, so far been unable to form a government. Obama met acting premier Mariano Rajoy as well as opposition leaders. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP) won a repeat general election on June 26 but fell short of an absolute majority and needs to support of other parties to form a government. "I will make all necessary efforts to quickly form a government," Rajoy said to reporters after meeting Obama. Meanwhile, dozens of people braved the heat Sunday at noon to protest outside the US embassy, some carrying signs against the TTIP free trade deal being negotiated between the US and EU, and banners that read "Obama go home" or "War". Warsaw (AFP) - President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said. "The president has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night -- one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable." Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of blacks by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After traveling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will "continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system." According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid on Saturday. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington Sunday night. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will travel early next week to Dallas, where five police officers were killed in an ambush shooting, the White House said on Friday. Obama, who is in Poland for a NATO summit, will return to Washington on Sunday night, cutting short his European trip by one day and eliminating a stop in Seville, Spain, the White House said. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) WARSAW (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged German Chancellor Angel Merkel on Saturday to ensure an orderly transition to a close relationship between Britain and the European Union once the UK leaves the EU, a White House official said. Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw, "the President and the Chancellor reaffirmed the need for an orderly process to determine the future relationship between the UK and EU," the official said. "They agreed that a highly integrated UK-EU relationship is in the best interests of the transatlantic community." EU leaders have said Britain can only retain full access to their lucrative single market, including for its large financial services sector, if it continues to allow free movement of EU workers and upholds EU rules. The two candidates to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron have both said they intend to restrict immigration. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Writing by Paul Taylor) An attorney defending the Minneapolis police officer who killed a black man during a traffic stop on Wednesday said Saturday that the officer was reacting to the mans gun, not his race. Thomas Kelly said in an interview with the Associated Press that officer Jeronimo Yanez reacted to the presence of that gun and the display of that gun when he shot and killed Philando Castile. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, broadcast the aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook, saying during the video that Castile was licensed to carry a gun. Hes licensed to carry, Reynolds said during the video. He was trying to get out his ID and his wallet out his pocket, and he let the officer know that he was, that he had a firearm and that he was reaching for his wallet and the officer just shot him in his arm. Read more: Minnesota Prosecutor Calls for Prompt and Thorough Investigation Into Philando Castile Shooting Kelly said Yanez is distraught over the shooting and would not say what led up to it, the AP reported. Castiles deathwhich came just a day after the shooting death of Alton Sterling by police officers in Baton Rouge, La.has fueled national protests over the treatment of black men by law enforcement officers. Juba (AFP) - The streets of South Sudan's capital were charged with tension on Saturday, the nation's fifth independence anniversary, after an outbreak of heavy fighting on the eve left at least 150 soldiers dead. Friday's violence in the world's youngest country represents yet another blow to a shaky peace deal that has so far failed to end the civil war that broke out in December 2013. "The number of casualties is over 150 killed," said Roman Nyarji, a spokesman for rebel leader turned Vice President Riek Machar, adding the death toll of soldiers on both sides may rise further. "We are expecting a bigger number of casualties because the two units of the presidential guard were all engaged yesterday," he said referring to bodyguard units of Machar and his rival President Salva Kiir. The shooting began when Kiir and Machar met at the presidential palace and initially involved each man's bodyguards. The shootout, lasting about half an hour, quickly escalated from small-arms fire to heavier weapons and spread with machine-gun and artillery heard in several parts of Juba before subsiding after nightfall. Kiir and Machar described Friday's violence as "unfortunate". The capital was tense Saturday with a heavy security presence and few civilians on the streets. Foreign governments warned their nationals to leave the country if possible, or stay indoors. "British Embassy staff have been on lock down and we are reducing to only essential staff in the country," Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement. "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving (by commercial means), if it is safe to do so." - 'Should not lose hope' - Unlike past years there will be no official independence celebrations as the government cancelled the festivities saying it could not afford them. Teacher Peter Mawa, 40, said he has "mixed feelings" of pride over independence and sadness at the ongoing violence. Story continues "I think we have a reason also to celebrate, even if it is only in our houses," he said, planning to stay indoors in case of any further outbreaks of fighting. "South Sudanese should not lose hope because South Sudan will be okay one day," he added. Shop attendant John Manut, 35, said it was important to try and celebrate, despite everything. "This is the day that made us South Sudanese. It reminds us of our struggle to gain our independence." South Sudan has seen more war than peace since independence in July 2011. An August 2015 peace deal was supposed to end the conflict but observers say the peace process has stalled while fighting has continued despite the establishment of a unity government. This week's clashes are the first between the army and former rebels in the capital -- where the war broke out in 2013 -- since both established positions there in April as part of the peace agreement. Tens of thousands have died in more than two years of civil war, close to three million have been forced from their homes and nearly five million survive on emergency food rations. The humanitarian crisis takes place alongside an economic one with the currency collapsing and inflation spiralling out of control. The country's mainstay oil industry is in tatters and regional towns have been razed. Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned home from London on Saturday after undergoing successful open heart surgery in the British capital, officials said. Sharif, whose operation was carried out in the last week of May, remained in the UK for more than six weeks. It was the 66-year-old's second major cardiac medical procedure in five years. "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's plane has landed in Lahore and he will be going to his family home in Raiwind via a helicopter from the airport," Abdullah Khan Sumbal, a senior administration official in Lahore told AFP. A close aide of the Sharif family Khawaja Ahmad Hassan said "the PM is healthy," and that "the entire family and the party workers are happy about his return". Sharif left the country shortly after the so-called Panama Papers linked his family to a series of offshore companies. The premier insists his family has done "nothing wrong", saying the claims had been investigated twice, decades ago, under the tenure of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. But the opposition has demanded his resignation after the leaked papers claimed his children owned London property through an offshore company. Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif had earlier tweeted to her almost two million followers that the surgery had been successful. Sharif took power in a landslide May 2013 general election, for the third time since 1990. He has a power base rooted in Pakistan's richest and most populous province, where he is known as the Lion of the Punjab. Swiss Army Man or the farting corpse movie, as it has been routinely referred to since premiering at Sundance has been one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Its also one of the most divisive, polarizing viewers before the first screening ended, with some audience members heading for the exits early. But love it or hate it, theres no denying the films originality and singular vision. Its a proudly bizarro fart-fueled fantasy about a suicidal young man (Paul Dano) stranded on an island whose discovery of a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) gives his life new purpose. The years oddest (b)romance ensues, and its one that rewards patience from moviegoers (so in other words, dont walk out). Dano, 32, fresh from South Korea where he recently wrapped Okja, the latest feature from Joon Ho Bong (Snowpiercer), sat down with Yahoo Movies on a Hollywood roof deck to talk about the adventure of making and screening Swiss Army Man, which marks the feature debut of the celebrated music video and short film directors known as The Daniels, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. (And yes, Dano acknowledges how heavy on the Dans this movie is, but assures us its purely coincidental.) Have you gotten the type of reactions to Swiss Army Man that you expected? You must have thought it would make some noise, so to speak. I think it is now. At first, I was really vulnerable about it, because I really love this film, I love these guys; we had a really special time making it. But I dont think I realized until I saw it with an audience how much we put ourselves out there. And I was like, Oh my God, this is so vulnerable. It didnt feel like that at the time of filming? It did, but once we were in the woods, we were in the woods. Youre in an alternate reality out there. But it was magnified once you watched it with an audience? Yeah, and I think its a fun movie to see with an audience not just because of laughter, but actually because of the intimacy of the movie, the awkwardness, the silences. The movie is a lot of private stuff made public, a lot of parts of myself. The reason I wanted to do it is because I totally loved the humor and the way it deals with life and love, but its also about the private thoughts we have, the private body functions we have. Story continues Related: Swiss Army Man Reveals the Making of Daniel Radcliffes Gaseous Corpse Manny When it first came to you, did it feel like a risk? And as an actor, is there an extra thrill in making those kinds of decisions? For sure. I was a fan of The Daniels work. First time I saw that Turn Down for What video [for DJ Snake and Lil Jon], I was like, whatever juice those guys are drinking, I want some. Because I thought it was amazing. And then I looked at all their stuff and I really thought they had their own singular cinema. So even though it was a risk, I was excited about being part of something that only we could make. All my favorite filmmakers and films have that singular quality. Regardless of what you think about it, Swiss Army Man does have that singular quality. Some people are gonna love it, some people are not, and thats cool. And that became pretty apparent at Sundance. I got it. A lot of the stuff in it, I thought, I cant believe somebody thought of this. Why didnt I? So I related to it, in whatever way. But I totally understand that some people wont be able to get past those parts, some people it just wont be for. But a lot of people and Ive been surprised this past week at screenings are getting multiple layers from this film, which I do think it has, for sure. I think people will be surprised at how deep the well runs, and that the film also has a lot of heart, and a lot of love between these two guys. I think its a sweet movie. It does have all these other layers, yet I cant remember the last time a movie has been so distilled into a single phrase. Maybe when Brokeback Mountain was called the gay cowboy movie. This has been known simply as the farting corpse movie. Is that a bad thing, or is it a case of any PR is good PR? Im OK with it, for now. I think once people have seen it And theres almost something funny in itself because its so reductive. Well, theres the farting-dead-body movie. Fine, I think that allows the audience to know a little bit about what theyre getting themselves into. And then theyll be surprised by the rest of it. So its OK for now. Related: Daniel Radcliffe on Going Rogue in 'Now You See Me, Method Farting, and Some Awful Fan Encounters You carried Daniel Radcliffe all over the place shooting this movie. Was that a new type of on-set bonding experience for you two? It was a very intimate relationship. The most physical relationship Ive probably had on film, as well as, you know, the emotional layers. Radcliffe told me a few weeks back that you volunteered a fart for the movie. Yeah. They said, If you have to fart, you can always record it, because we can use it. So if I had to fart, I would just grab the boom mic and you know. But I need to find out if I made it in the film, and then, if I could pick it out. That was my next question: Do you think you could pinpoint your gas? I dont know. I hope that my fart is in there. I doubt Id be able to pick it out. Swiss Army Man is now in theaters. Watch the trailer: By Mitra Taj LIMA (Reuters) - Centrist Peruvian President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will appoint Fernando Zavala, the outgoing chief executive of a beer company, to be his prime minister when he takes office on July 28, a source said on Friday. Zavala, a 45-year-old trained economist, has headed Peru's biggest brewery, Union de Cervecerias Peruanas Backus Y Johnston SAA, for the past three years. He was finance minister for a year starting in 2005 when Kuczynski served as prime minister under then-president Alejandro Toledo. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not yet been made, said Zavala had accepted Kuczynski's offer. "It's mentioned but is not confirmed," Kuczynski told reporters in response, according to newspaper El Comercio. Kuczynski's office did not respond to requests for comment. Kuczynski has said he will announce his pick for prime minister on Sunday and other Cabinet positions on July 15. Zavala did not respond to a request for confirmation. Zavala, a widely respected business leader who has blogged about his desire to improve education and innovation, might help Kuczynski patch up rifts with the conservative party of his defeated run-off rival Keiko Fujimori, Popular Force, which will hold a majority of seats in the incoming Congress. "I personally have a very high opinion of Zavala," said Luz Salgado, a Popular Force lawmaker. "I think he is much more coherent" than Kuczynski. Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker, came under fire on Friday for calling for a march on Congress to help him press opposition lawmakers to reopen a polymetallic smelter, part of his plans to add value to Peru's key mineral exports. Kuczynski and Zavala worked together closely in Toledo's Cabinet for three years when Zavala was deputy economy minister and Kuczynski finance minister. Backus, as the beer company is known, is a subsidiary of SABMiller, which is in the process of being acquired by Anheuser-Busch Inbev. (Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Dear reader, we're asking for your help to keep local reporting available for all today during our fall fundraiser. Your financial support keeps stories like this one free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. Start your day with LAist Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. Subscribe If you are looking for somewhere to show up and stand in solidarity against the killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and so many others at the hands of police, there will be several events across the Southland in the coming days. Events affiliated with the official Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter are denoted with an asterisk.FRIDAY, JULY 8 BLACK LIVES MATTER LA-HOSTED DIALOGUE* Patrisse Cullors (Black Lives Matter co-founder), Shamell Bell (BLMLA Art + Culture),Tanya Lucia Bernard (Art + Culture, Black Lives Matter), and Anthony Ratcliff (BLMLA Action Team and Political Education) will "hold court and sacred space" in honor of Alton Sterling, Wakiesha Wilson, Keith Bursey, and Redel Jones at the Underground Museum at 7 p.m. The Underground Museum is located at 508 W. Washington Boulevard in Mid-City. It's free, but RSVP here. SATURDAY, JULY 9 PEACE GATHERING FOR ALTON STERLING Black Book LA reports that there will be an oceanside peace gathering in memory of Alton Sterling on Saturday morning in Venice. Meet at 11 a.m. at 701 Ocean Front Avenue. RALLY/MARCH IN BEVERLY HILLS Organizers plan to peacefully walk from Roxbury Park to the Beverly Hills Police Department headquarters (two miles). The march starts at 12 p.m. at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. USC BLACK LIVES MATTER VIGIL Students and non-students alike are invited to heal and mourn at this vigil, which will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in front of Tommy Trojan in the center of the USC campus. SUNDAY, JULY 10 PUTTING PRAYERS INTO ACTION All Saints Church in Pasadena "will suspend 'business as usual' on Sunday, July 10, in order to focus on ending the culture of violence that disproportionately targets black lives in our nation and fuels the fires of anger and fear that claimed the lives of five police officers in Dallas." The Rev. Zelda M. Kennedy will preach on the topic at the 7 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services, and the congregation will lead a silent procession after the 9 a.m. service. Those unable to attend the service are invited to gather on the church's lawn at 10 a.m. and join the prayerful procession. You can also live-stream the 11:15 a.m. service here. All Saints Church is located 132 N Euclid Avenue in Pasadena. PEACE RALLY ON THE BLUFF There will be a rally at noon at Bluff Park in Long Beach. Attendees are encouraged to bring signs, candles in vigil of those lives senselessly taken, music, poetry/spoken word, art and blankets and chairs to sit on. Bluff Park is located at Redondo Avenue and E. Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. MARCH ON THE 3RD STREET PROMENADE This march is organized by a local father and he urges other attendees to bring their children and make signs. They will start their walk at 10 a.m. on the Wilshire side of the 3rd Street Promenade and continue south to the other end, and then back to Wilshire "in solemn solidarity with the fallen, and in peaceful protest against those who seek to divide us using fear and hate." BLACK LIVES MATTER LA GENERAL MEETING* The Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter will be holding their general monthly meeting at Chuco's Justice Center in Inglewood. Families, friends, children and allies are welcome to attend, and learn more about showing up and supporting Black Lives Matter. Light refreshments will be served. The meeting is closed to media, elected officials and their staff. Chuco's Justice Center is located at 1137 E. Redondo Boulevard. PEACEFUL PROTEST AT PAN PACIFIC PARK There will be a protest and vigil in honor of Alton Sterling and Philando Castilo at Pan Pacific Park Sunday evening at 5 p.m. Organizers urge attendees to bring posters, although they are not mandatory. Pan Pacific Park is located near the Grove at 7600 Beverly Boulevard. PEACEFUL PROTEST IN ANAHEIM There will be a protest in support of Black Lives Matter outside of Anaheim City Hall at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Attendees are urged to wear all black. BROWN & BLACK LIVES MATTER RALLY IN SANTA ANA Yabasta Colectivo will be holding a rally protesting police brutality outside of the California Highway Patrol building in Santa Ana from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring signs and noise makers. The address is 2031 E. Santa Clara Avenue in Santa Ana. MONDAY, JULY 11 MCCARTY MEMORIAL & BLM PRESENT: PRAISE, POETRY, PRAYER* McCarty Memorial Christian Church in support of Black Lives Matter is hosting a night of healing and expression: Praise, Poetry, Prayer. There will be a brief opening call to action by Pastor Eddie Anderson, followed by praise, laments of the people, prayers for the people, poetry, song and a closing prayer. Parking is freethere is a small lot behind church (enter via 11th Avenue) as well as street parking in the neighborhood. McCarty Memorial Christian Church is located at 4101 West Adams Boulevard in West Adams. TUESDAY, JULY 12 ALL OUT ACTION Black Lives Matter Los Angeles will be holding an action outside of the L.A. Police Commission meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Meet at 100 W. 1st Street. COMMUNITY COALITION MEETING The Community Coalition (also known as CoCoSouthLA), a community-based organization working in South L.A., will be hosting a conversation on the recent police killings and what our communities can do to address police violence. It will be a safe space for the community to come together and collectively try to make sense of these senseless actions. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at 8101 S. Vermont Avenue in South L.A. We'll continue updating as more events are added, and you can also check the Black Lives Matter Los Angeles Facebook page or @BLMLA on Twitter. Events on 7/9 are in RED. Events on 7/10 are in BLUE. Events on 7/11 are in GREEN. Events on 7/12 are in YELLOW. Are you going to a protest or action? Know your rights. The ACLU has a helpful tipsheet for protesters, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation has a guide directly relating to cellphone rights. We also highly recommend downloading the ACLU's free Mobile Justice app, which lets users record and report interactions with law enforcement. Recordings can be made directly in the app and are automatically transmitted to the ACLU. The attorney representing Jeronimo Yanez, the St. Anthony, Minn., police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile Wednesday, tells TIME that race was not a factor in the shooting and that Yanez is temporarily not living at home. Minneapolis attorney Thomas Kelly says that Yanez is obviously saddened by the death of Mr. Castile, sad for the loved ones, and distressed that deadly force became necessary, but added that the incident originated because Castile had a gun in the car. This had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the presence of the gun that Mr. Castile had, Kelly says. Read more: Mourners Gather to Remember Philando Castile: That Couldve Been Me Yanez killed Castile following a traffic stop Wednesday. Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, recorded the moments following the shooting on Facebook Live. In the video, Reynolds says that Castile told the officer that he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and had the firearm with him. She said that Yanez shot Castile after he reached for his identification. Yanez is currently on administrative leave with pay from the St. Anthony Police Department. The officer is currently not living at his home in Vadnais Heights, Minn., north of St. Paul, Kelly says, because of the attention hes received since the shooting. I advised him that he should probably remove himself, Kelly says. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which first identified Yanez as the officer who killed Castile, as well as Officer Joseph Kauser, who was also involved in the incident, is currently investigating the incident. Kauser is also on administrative leave. Read more: What to Know About Philando Castiles Shooting Death in Minnesota Kelly says he doesnt expect criminal charges to be brought against Yanez and expects him to eventually be back on the force. His lifelong ambition was to be a police officer, Kelly says. He has a great reputation in the community. He stopped regularly to have personal interactions and was generous with his time. Hes anxious to return as soon as thats approved. We would expect that to happen in the reasonably foreseeable future. Protesters have called for Yanez to be criminally charged in Castiles death. John Choi, the Ramsey County attorney, would be the one to decide whether charges will be brought but is awaiting the results of BCAs investigation. [I'll remind you at the top of every single one of these: These entries are not reviews. They're gut reactions to not-for-air pilots that could change in big and small ways between now and September or October or midseason. Full reviews will come then. They'll be longer. And more carefully considered. The opinions may even change. Who knows?] Show: Speechless (ABC) The Pitch: "From the network that brings you TV's good family comedies, another good family comedy, one that totally isn't based on the Michael Keaton/Geena Davis movie from 1994." Quick Response: ABC just knows what it's doing in this terrain and Speechless immediately takes a similar-but-distinctive position within the network's family comedy lineup, breaking new ground with treatment of disabilities. Micah Fowler, who has cerebral palsy, plays J.J., the family's oldest son and it's interesting to watch how creator Scott Silveri uses the character to change the show's comedic rhythms. J.J. has to scramble to select words on an elaborate board and then his words are often repeated by other characters, which forcing interesting new pacing choices, choices that are still being refined, but already yield some amusement. The show is about people and groups outside the family condescending to J.J., but the show doesn't condescend at all and already Speechless seems able to treat the unique piece of its subject matter in a way that's irreverent-but-respectful and that really does change all of the core family interplay in interesting ways. Minnie Driver, welcomely getting to remain British, instantly joins the ranks of ABC's lovingly vicious dragon mothers, nearing a tier with Wendi McLendon-Covey and Constance Wu's funny moms you don't wanna mess with. John Ross Bowie, freed from the repetitive speech impediment humor of The Big Bang Theory, alternates between straight-man and underplayed sarcasm in a way that generates immediate warmth. And, in addition to Fowler, Mason Cook and Kyla Kenedy appear to continue ABC's recent success with casting young actors. I like Cedric Yarbrough, but I don't think the pilot does a very good job introducing his character as a person rather than just an inevitable addition to J.J.'s "team." I'm sure that'll come, though, since Speechless has its comedic voice and perspective in place early. Desire To Watch Again: High. I like ABC's family comedy brand and this is immediately on-brand. I thought the first trailer for Speechless lacked laughs and the pilot is still a bit light on chuckles, but it's still fairly funny, very empathetic and it has a lot of potential. Take Me To The Pilots '16: The CW's 'No Tomorrow' Take Me To The Pilots '16: Fox's 'Pitch' Take Me To The Pilots '16: CBS' 'Kevin Can Wait' Take Me To The Pilots '16: NBC's 'The Good Place' Take Me To The Pilots '16: ABC's 'Designated Survivor' All of My 2015 Take Me To The Pilots Entries Police at a civil rights rally in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday night used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protesters, according to multiple reports. Hundreds of activists gathered outside Phoenix City Hall part of many planned protests across the nation in response to the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, two black men who were shot and killed by police. Their message mimicked the message of Thursday's protest in Dallas before it turned deadly, when a single gunman opened fire on police, killing 5 officers and injuring 7 others. Phoenix police formed in a human shield deployed pepper balls to "move advancing demonstrators back," CNN reported, as protesters attempted to march onto the freeway. The victims had raised both their hands in the "Don't shoot" gesture before police used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the crowds, according to CNN. Six were injured due to falls or exposure to the pepper balls, CNN said, with no officers hurt. Three people were arrested for throwing rocks, Phoenix police told the news network. RELATED VIDEO: America Pays Tribute to the Dallas Victims Fox 10 explained the activists were made up of diverse groups some yelling Black Lives Matter, others chanting Blue Lives Matter and some preaching All Lives Matter. Phoenix police declared the gathering to be an "unlawful assembly" around 11 p.m., ABC 15 reported. Police Chief Joe Yahner told the station the time had come to disperse the crowd, but called the protest "successful" for having the demonstrators' messages heard. The crowd was dispersed by midnight, CNN said, adding that police helicopters warned any remaining protesters to go home. The Phoenix police did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Many protesters documented the experience on social media, showing the moments when police used the tear gas on the crowd. #PhoenixRally. They sprayed pepper spray and shot rubber bullets during this peaceful march pic.twitter.com/8v3jVR8zHq a alex (@jkindy2) July 9, 2016 Similar protests across the nation had more peaceful results, CNN says, including marches in San Francisco, New York and Atlanta. No clashes with police have been reported from those events. President Obama will cut his foreign travels short and head to Dallas next week to pay tribute to the five officer killed in Thursday's shooting. Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis issued a decree Saturday aimed at boosting transparency over Vatican finances, which have been under scrutiny since leaks of secret documents revealed serious irregularities that may have masked corruption. The move follows months of tension between the body charged with managing the Holy See's assets and the Vatican's powerful economy ministry. The Argentine pontiff's "motu proprio" reverses a 2014 bill which had transferred the competencies of the authority in charge of the Vatican's real estate -- known as ASPA -- to the Secretariat for the Economy, headed by finance czar Cardinal George Pell. It essentially left Pell's department both in charge of managing the assets and keeping watch over asset management. "It is of the utmost importance that bodies responsible for vigilance are separated from those that are being overseen," Francis said in the new document published by the Vatican. The decree stresses that the Catholic Church's "earthly assets" are "intended for divine worship, the honest maintenance of the clergy, the apostolate and works of charity, especially in service of the poor". It emphasises "the need to pay the utmost attention to ensuring the administration of economic resources always serves these ends". It comes two days after a prelate and PR expert were found guilty of playing a role in leaking documents which revealed gross financial mismanagement within the Vatican bureaucracy that Francis inherited three years ago. Among the most striking revelations was that fewer than 20 percent of donations made by believers around the world under the Peter's Pence scheme ended up being spent on good works. The rest was swallowed up by the Vatican bureaucracy, reportedly helping to subsidise the luxurious lifestyles of certain cardinals. Vatican expert Andrea Tornielli, writing in La Stampa's Vatican Insider supplement, said Francis had made a significant addition to the 2014 statute by including in his motu proprio the phrase "on the basis of the criteria established by the Superior Authority". "These words... reiterate the pope's role in assessing the transactions of greatest importance", limiting the reach of both Pell and Cardinal Domenico Calcagno, who is charge of APSA (the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See), Tornielli said. "Francis trusts in the 'mutual collaboration of superiors of the two dicasteries (Vatican departments) concerned,' in other words Pell and Calcagno," Tornielli said, describing the pontiff's reference to collaboration as "significant." Saint-Denis (France) (AFP) - Portugal centre-back Pepe declared himself fit on Saturday for Sunday's Euro 2016 final against hosts France at Stade de France. The wily Real Madrid defender, 33, missed Portugal's 2-0 semi-final win over Wales on Wednesday due to a thigh injury, with Bruno Alves taking his place, and trained separately on Friday. But he played a full part in training with his team-mates at Portugal's Marcoussis base on Saturday and said that he was ready to take to the field against Didier Deschamps's side. "I feel great. I'm fully fit and can be chosen to play tomorrow," he told a press conference at Stade de France. Portugal are appearing in only their second major final after Euro 2004, when as hosts they suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Greece. President Barack Obama on Saturday cautioned that America is not as divided as some have suggested, while acknowledging a week plagued by deadly violence involving law enforcement in the U.S. Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether its in Dallas or anyplace else, Obama said, referring to an attack by a lone gunman Thursday that left five police officers dead and seven wounded, the Associated Press reported. That includes protesters, Obama said, speaking from Warsaw, where he attended the NATO Summit. It includes family members who have grave concerns about police conduct, and theyve said that this is unacceptable. Theres no division there. Read more: Read President Obamas Remarks About the Dallas Police Shooting The Dallas attack came during a peaceful protest over the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers earlier this week, fueling a national debate over use of force by police and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. But Obama rejected the idea that a dark era of U.S. history is repeating itself, saying Saturday that we cannot eliminate all racial tension in our country overnight. Read more: Read President Obamas Remarks On the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile Police Shootings Youre not seeing riots and youre not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully, he said, according to the AP. Youve seen almost uniformly peaceful protests and youve seen, uniformly, police handling those protests with professionalism. Obama will cut his European trip short by one day and visit Dallas early next week. President Obama will continue with his upcoming scheduled trip to Spain, but will cut his foreign travels short and head to Dallas in the wake of Thursday's sniper shooting that killed five officers. According to a statement from the White House, obtained by PEOPLE, the president currently at a NATO summit in Poland will go to Madrid to meet with Spain's leader and other government officials on Sunday. Following those meetings, he will head to Rota, where he's been scheduled to speak with military personnel serving in the region. Although Obama was supposed to continue on to Seville, he will no longer visit the city, as he'll instead return to the states, where he'll visit Dallas. "The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," the statement reads. "Later in the week, at the White House, the President will continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities, and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system." On Friday the President Obama issued a statement from Poland, condemning the attack and saying that he's praying for the recovery of the six officers who were injured. "I believe I speak for every single American when I say we are horrified over these events, and we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas," he added, as he described the shooting as a "vicious, calculated, and despicable attack on law enforcement," and a "a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices [police] make for us." Protesters attempted to shut down the Taste of Chicago on Saturday, July 9, as part of the country-wide demonstrations against police brutality. Protesters marched through downtown streets before heading to the park where the festival was being held. The protesters then marched through the festival, chanting things like, Black Lives Matter. Its not the first time Chicago protesters have disrupted events in the city. Protesters disrupted Black Friday shopping in the Magnificent Mile days after a dashcam video showing the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald was released. The protests in Chicago and across the country follow two fatal police-involved shootings that killed Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Video showed police pinning down Sterling before shooting him. Castiles girlfriend broadcast the aftermath of his shooting on Facebook. Credit: Instagram/dcfrosty55 By Michael Flaherty NEW YORK, July 9 (Reuters) - A proxy advisor has backed the board nominees proposed by women's apparel retailer Chico's FAS Inc, dealing a blow to a hedge fund that offered two nominees of its own. Barington Capital, a New York-based activist hedge fund that owns 1.5 percent of Chico's shares, nominated its founder, James Mitarotonda, who began his career at Bloomingdale's, and Janet Grove, a former Macy's executive, to serve on the company's board. But ISS, a proxy advisor to institutional shareholders, recommended Chico's directors' slate, in a research note published late on Friday, saying that Barington has not made a compelling case that additional change at the board level is warranted. "The strength of all four management nominees suggests they are likely the best candidates to continue driving the necessary change to improve the company's performance," ISS said in its note. Chico's new nominees are Bonnie Brooks, vice chairman of Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay Co, which owns department stores Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bill Simon, a former Wal-Mart executive. The slate also includes incumbent Janice Fields and Chief Executive Shelley Broader, who took over the post in December. ISS said it recognized Chico's underperformance - with total shareholder returns having underperforming peers over three- and five-year periods, as expenses increased and profits fell. But ISS said it is too early to judge the changes being made by the existing management team to turn the business around Barington, which in its campaign has cited Chico's underperformance, could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday. Chico's has a market value of about $1.5 billion. The fate of the company's new board nominees will be in shareholder's hands when they vote at Chico's annual meeting on July 21, unless an agreement is reached with Barington beforehand. (Reporting by Michael Flaherty; Editing by Leslie Adler) In the aftermath of the tragic Dallas shooting that killed five people officers, a photo on the shooter Micah Johnson's social media accounts featured Johnson standing alongside and shaking hands with Public Enemy's Professor Griff. However, in a series of tweets Friday, both the rapper born Richard Griffin and Chuck D denied any ties to Johnson. After Dallas, We Don't Need to Say 'Blue Lives Matter' Griff spoke out after some publications, including The Daily Mail, widely dispersed the photo of him and Johnson. "I will not sit back and let these people assassinate my character and tie me to the Dallas shootings," Griff tweeted. "I DO NOT KNOW THE SHOOTER." Griff later reiterated, "As you seek to detained Me and or arrest me, I will not sit idle and watch you frame me. The police and FBI have been watching me and tapping my phone they know who I talk too, I DO NOT KNOW THE SHOOTER." He also tweeted, "I do not advocate killing cops." 'I do not advocate killing Cops" pic.twitter.com/U3wQlNAzbI Professor Griff (@GRIFFTHENME) July 8, 2016 In the Dallas police department's investigation into Johnson, they mentioned the photo of Johnson and Griff and wrote that "Griffin embraces a radical form of Afrocentrism, and Griffin wrote a book, A Warrior's Tapestry." According to the New York Times, Johnson "liked" two groups on Facebook that he shared ideological views with: The African American Defense League and the New Black Panther Party; Professor Griff is also a supporter of the latter. While Griffin didn't explain the circumstances behind the Johnson photo, Chuck D came to his Public Enemy partner's defense on Twitter, where he both denied Griff's connection to Johnson and blasted the media for twisting the Griff photo to make it seem like the rapper was involved. "The media grouping this person in a pic w [Griff] was sadly unacceptable. Artists athletes & Lecturers take thousands of PHONEpics today," Chuck D noted. Story continues "The narrative is POLICE REFORM in USA hoods. Not killing THEM. There are UNDER-educated millions who LIVE off PERCEPTION not reality of truth," the rapper added. "TRAGEDY & this person was 25.Sent trained to war. PTSD clearly. Wisdom is RARELY spread to this generations anger & energy. WE MUST TEACH." Related By David Bailey MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - A Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop this week was reacting to the presence of a gun, not the man's race, his lawyer said on Saturday. The fatal shooting of Philando Castile, 32, on Wednesday night in a St. Paul suburb has sparked days of protests in Minnesota and cities around the United States, intensified by a video of the bloody aftermath Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds streamed live on the internet from the car. "This incident had nothing to do with the race of the driver," said attorney Thomas Kelly, who represents Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who fired the fatal shots. "It had everything to do with the presence of a gun." Yanez and Officer Joseph Kauser of the St. Anthony Police Department stopped Castile's car in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul the department patrols. Both are on administrative leave, which is standard practice after an officer-involved shooting. Reynolds said in the video officers told them Castile was stopped for a broken tail light and was getting his license and registration when he was shot. Authorities have not confirmed the reason for the stop. "The use of deadly force here was necessitated by the actions of the driver of the vehicle," Kelly said. Kelly said Yanez could see a weapon in the car. He declined to discuss details of the investigation. Yanez, who is of Mexican descent, is cooperating fully with the state's investigation into the shooting, Kelly said. "He's terribly saddened by the death," Kelly said. "He's sad for the family of the decedent and his loved ones." Castile was killed a day after Louisiana police fatally shot a black man during an arrest and the day before an African-American man killed five police officers and wounded seven others during a protest march in Dallas. Protesters have focused on the Minnesota governor's mansion in St. Paul since shortly after the shooting. More rallies and marches are planned for Saturday and Sunday. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has said he did not believe Castile would have been shot dead had he been white, remarks which were criticized by state law enforcement groups. Dayton also called for the U.S. Department of Justice to open its own investigation, but the department said on Thursday it would assist the state investigation as necessary. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi has not decided whether to present the state findings to a grand jury or have his office determine if charges are warranted. Choi said on Friday law enforcement in Minnesota and nationwide must improve practices and procedures to prevent future such tragedies. (Additional reporting by Kristoffer Tigue, editing by G Crosse) For the past two months Radiohead has carried on a weekly series of artist vignettes in conjunction with the release of A Moon Shaped Pool, the band's ninth studio album. Radiohead's Ed O'Brien Remembers Blowing Kanye's Mind With This Comment on Religion On Friday (July 8) they shared their ninth and final video in the series, a piece titled The Numbers, directed by Grant Gee. Radiohead Offers 'Love & Support' to Fans Attacked at Istanbul Album Event The piece was shot in Port Talbot, Wales, and focuses on the steelworks production factory with short but telling shots of its residents. The tone is simple and without judgment, while evoking the feeling of the early nighttime in the town. Watch The Numbers here: And the last in the current series of vignettes is The Numbers, directed by Grant Gee and filmed in Port Talbot. A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jul 8, 2016 at 7:00am PDT Watch the rest of the Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool vignettes here: This week's Friday vignette is Ful Stop directed by Ben Wheatley. A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jul 1, 2016 at 7:02am PDT Next up in our series of vignettes is Identikit by Yorgos Lanthimos. A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jun 24, 2016 at 6:59am PDT Today's vignette is Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief directed by Richard Ayoade. A Moon Shaped Pool is out today in the shops. A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jun 17, 2016 at 6:59am PDT Today's Friday vignette is directed by Weirdcore www.weirdcore.tv A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jun 10, 2016 at 6:59am PDT This Friday's vignette is Identikit. Directed by Micha Marczak. www.michalmarczak.com #warsaw A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on Jun 3, 2016 at 7:00am PDT The next offering in our series of Friday vignettes comes courtesy of Adam Buxton www.adam-buxton.co.uk A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on May 27, 2016 at 7:00am PDT Story continues Today's vignette is: The Numbers - Directed by: Oscar Hudson www.oscarhudsonfilm.com A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on May 20, 2016 at 6:59am PDT We asked some people to make short vignettes interpreting sections of our new record. First: visuals and programming by Tarik Barri - www.tarikbarri.nl A video posted by Radiohead (@radiohead) on May 13, 2016 at 6:59am PDT By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Party chief Reince Priebus expressed confidence on Saturday that security will be able to handle any protests at the party's convention later this month in Cleveland, where Donald Trump is to be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, told Reuters in a telephone interview that the tragic shootings in Texas, Minnesota and Louisiana in recent days may lead to a more peaceful discourse in general across the country. Cleveland police on Friday tightened their security plan for the July 18-21 Republican National Convention in the wake of the shootings. They also increased surveillance and intelligence operations. The outpouring of grief among Americans after the bloodshed could lead to a "more understanding and polite discourse and a feeling of support in communities and with police," Priebus said, and that this same feeling of understanding could also take place in Cleveland. "We've been working really hard on security. I'm very confident that things are going to go very well in Cleveland. The police are there in full force to be helpful to protesters, but also to keep the event safe and free from incident," he said. Priebus, who has worked to rally Republicans behind Trump, said the convention should serve as a vehicle to unify more party loyalists behind the New York businessman whose incendiary rhetoric and policy positions have troubled some Republicans. Priebus added that the "never Trump" movement has ebbed and that he did not believe any rebellion among Republican delegates at the convention against Trump would succeed. "It's one thing to be unhappy because your person didn't win. I get that part. But it's another step to now say because I don't like the way this is going, I'm going to take something away from someone who won it fair and square. There's just not a lot of people that are willing to do that," he said. Priebus, who has privately counseled Trump, said it is important for him to continue making the case against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton after the FBI concluded she had been "extremely careless" in handling some sensitive emails as President Barack Obama's secretary of state. Trump, at a campaign rally in Ohio on Wednesday, had sharply criticized Clinton at the outset, but then diverted to attacking the news media for how it is covering his campaign. "In a 45-minute rally, he spent a long time on Hillary and I think it's OK for him to divert here and there, but I do think focusing on Hillary is important and a vision for America is important," Priebus said. (Reporting by Steve Holland, editing by G Crosse) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it had expelled two U.S. Embassy staff members in June after a similar 'unfriendly' move by Washington. One of the expelled diplomats was involved in an incident with a Russian policeman near the U.S. Embassy entrance in Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Another diplomat was "also a CIA operative", Ryabkov said. Relations between Russia and the United States have chilled following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, after which the West imposed sanctions against Russia. Ryabkov said the two U.S. diplomats were declared persona non grata. "We hope that they in Washington will realise all the viciousness of the aggressive anti-Russia line. If they decide there to move on the path of escalation, they won't be left without a response," the statement cited Ryabkov as saying. The United States expelled two Russian officials on June 17 in response to an attack by a Russian policeman on a U.S. diplomat in Moscow earlier in the month, the State Department said on Friday. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Janet Lawrence) Moscow (AFP) - Moscow on Saturday said it had expelled two US diplomats as a retaliatory move after Washington turfed out two Russian officials over an attack on a US embassy worker last month. "After their unfriendly step two employees of the United States embassy had to leave Moscow," Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said. "They were declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status." Ryabkov accused the two US diplomats of being CIA agents and said that one of them had been involved in a brawl with a policeman in Moscow that sparked the tit-for-tat expulsions. "We hope Washington recognises all the same the perversity of its anti-Russian line. If they decide to move further along the path of escalation it will not remain unanswered," Ryabkov warned. The United States State Department on Friday announced that it had expelled two Russian officials over an attack on a US diplomat in Moscow last month by a policeman. State Department spokesman John Kirby said that on June 6, a Russian policeman attacked an accredited US diplomat entering the US embassy compound, after the American official identified himself. Moscow, however, disputes that version of events and insists the US diplomat was a CIA agent who attacked the policeman as he tried to stop him to check his ID as he returned from a spying mission in the city. Russian state-controlled television on Thursday broadcast what appeared to be footage of the attack, saying it showed a Russian police guard stationed outside the embassy tackling a man alleged to be an undercover CIA officer attempting to enter the building without identifying himself. In the short, grainy clip -- which appears to contradict the Russian report -- a man exiting a taxi is almost immediately attacked by a policeman who bursts from a sentry box and wrestles him to the ground. With the officer pinning him down, the man manages to push himself through a door into the embassy. Story continues The expulsions had been kept secret until the footage was aired on Russian TV, with Ryabkov accusing US diplomats in Washington of failing to "keep their word" after asking Moscow not to publicise the moves. The latest incidents come after complaints from Washington about what it deemed a mounting campaign of harassment and intimidation of American diplomats and their families in the Russian capital. Ties between the US and Russia are at their lowest point since the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine. Protesters marched through the streets in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, July 9, to demonstrate against police brutality. The protest included a die-in on the steps of San Antonio City Hall. The demonstrators asked where Mayor Ivy Taylor was during the protest. The woman who uploaded these videos stated a police presence followed the march, including a vehicle to be used if there were arrests. The protest is part of ongoing demonstrations across the country since two black men were killed by police officers earlier this week. Alton Sterling was killed in Baton Rouge on Tuesday. Video from the scene shows police pinning down Sterling before shooting him. It appears he was unarmed. Philando Castile was fatally shot during a Minnesota traffic stop on Wednesday. His girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on Facebook. Five police officers were killed in Dallas and several other officers and bystanders were injured during a protest against the police shootings Thursday night. Police said the gunman told them he wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers. Credit: Instagram/iamuneditedpoetry Sarajevo (AFP) - Hundreds of people paid homage Saturday to 127 victims of the Srebrenica massacre in wartime Bosnia, whose bodies have been found in mass graves. Their bodies, the latest to be identified of over 8,000 who died, will be buried at the memorial site in Srebrenica on Monday, on the 21th anniversary of the mass killing. A truck carrying the coffins stopped outside the presidency in Sarajevo where the crowd laid flowers and recited prayers for those who perished in the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II. More than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed and their bodies dumped in mass graves by Bosnian Serb forces in the July 1995 massacre, five months before the end of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war. "This year, it is even sadder. I have already buried my husband, my brother, my brother-in-law and my uncle," all killed at Srebrenica, Munevera Bogilovic told AFP. At present, some 6,300 victims are buried at the Srebrenica memorial site and 230 in other cemeteries, according to Lejla Cengic, spokeswoman for the Bosnian institute of missing persons. "The remains of more than 7,000 victims have been recovered and (the remains of) more than a thousand people are still being looked for," she told AFP. Former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic was convicted in March of war crimes for his role in the Srebrenica killings, considered a genocide by the UN-backed criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic is still on trial in The Hague for war crimes and genocide at Srebrenica. By Lisa Maria Garza and Ernest Scheyder DALLAS (Reuters) - Echoes of the most infamous day in the history of Dallas rang out on Thursday night when a shooter gunned down police officers just blocks from where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The JFK assassination turned Dallas into a pariah for years while one of the deadliest mass shootings of police in U.S. history has stunned the Texas city, a magnet for migration that ranks as one of the most populous metro areas in the United States. Dallas residents said although the shooting could not eclipse Kennedy's assassination, they were saddened that another horrible event had happened at home. "That was an event that shook the world, the death of a world leader," said Jeff Clark, 49, an architect in Dallas, adding "what happened to those police officers was horrible." Even though most locals were not born when Kennedy was shot 53 years ago, the event still is emblematic of Dallas, which was scorned by visitors and where city leaders received a blizzard of hate mail. "Dallas had a tragedy when President Kennedy was shot here in the 60s and this is as close to that feeling I think the city has had in decades," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on CNN. Among the most-visited tourist sites is the Sixth Floor Museum dedicated to the Kennedy presidency and assassination. The museum is in the former Texas School Book Depository from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot the President. Downtown Dallas is balanced between old and new with glistening skyscrapers and trendy restaurants nestled next to the area around Dealey Plaza, preserved to look as it did when Kennedy's motorcade took its fateful ride through the streets. Several officers shot in the ambush were rushed for treatment to Parkland hospital on a similar route as Kennedy, who was taken to the same place after he was shot. Five officers were killed and seven others wounded Thursday night by a black man identified as a U.S. Army Reservist who served in the Afghan war and said he wanted to "kill white people." "For Dallas, it's more than a cliche. The sniper's perch, the target of opportunity, the unthinkable crime: This is our nightmare returning," wrote Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd. On Friday, people milled around the area where the shooting unfolded, grieving and trying to make sense of what happened. In 1963, Dealey Plaza became a focal point of the grieving. "There's a real sadness here," said Mike Simmons, 46, as he sat in the lobby of a downtown Dallas hotel, watching police officers deployed outside. "It's hurtful to see." (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; editing by Grant McCool) Simon Pegg has added his voice to the debate regarding the sexuality of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek Beyond. The actor, who stars as Scotty and also co-wrote the latest addition to the sci-fi franchise, responded to remarks by George Takei, who criticized the decision to make his character Sulu - now played by John Cho - openly gay. "I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humor are an inspiration," Pegg wrote in a statement issued Friday. "However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him." Highlighting the sexuality of the USS Enterprise helmsman was actually the idea of Pegg and director Justin Lin, both of whom wanted to pay respect to Takei's legacy as a sci-fi icon and LGBT activist. But Takei told The Hollywood Reporter that he thought it was "really unfortunate" that the filmmakers had turned to Sulu instead of introducing a new character. "He's right, it is unfortunate, it's unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn't featured an LGBT character until now," added Pegg. "We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the 'gay character,' rather than simply for who they are, and isn't that tokenism?" Pegg said that he, Lin and Doug Jung "loved" the idea of the gay character being someone already known, ensuring that the audience already had a "pre-existing opinion" of them as a "human being," and therefore were hopefully unaffected by any prejudice. "Their sexual orientation is just one of many personal aspects, not the defining characteristic," he added. "Also, the audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek universe from the beginning (at least in the Kelvin timeline), that a gay hero isn't something new or strange. It's also important to note that at no point do we suggest that our Sulu was ever closeted, why would he need to be? It's just hasn't come up before." Story continues The Brit asserted that his Star Trek was located in an "alternate timeline" than the one of Gene Roddenberry and whatever "magical ingredient" determines sexuality was different for Sulu in this timeline. "I like this idea because it suggests that in a hypothetical multiverse, across an infinite matrix of alternate realities, we are all LGBT somewhere," he said. "Whatever dimension we inhabit, we all just want to be loved by those we love (and I love George Takei). I can't speak for every reality but that must surely true of this one. Live long and prosper." Read More: George Takei Reacts to Gay Sulu News: "I Think It's Really Unfortunate" Simon Pegg is defending his decision to depict Hikaru Sulu (played by John Cho) as gay in the upcoming installment of the Star Trek movie franchise. Pegg released a statement Friday after George Takei, the openly gay actor who first played the iconic character on television in the 1960s, criticized Cho's recent reveal that Sulu will be in a same-sex relationship in Star Trek Beyond. "I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humor are an inspiration," Pegg, 46, wrote in the statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him." Pegg, who plays Scotty in the current film franchise and co-wrote Star Trek Beyond, continued: "[Takei] is right, it is unfortunate, it's unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn't featured an LGBT character until now." He explained why he and director Justin Lin thought it was necessary to portray an existing character as gay rather than to introduce a new gay character. "He or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the 'gay character,' rather than simply for who they are, and isn't that tokenism?" Pegg wrote, explaining that the audience already had a "pre-existing opinion" of Sulu as a "human being." Related Video: George Takei Remembers the Moment That Changed His Life Forever He added, "The audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek universe from the beginning (at least in the Kelvin timeline), that a gay hero isn't something new or strange. It's also important to note that at no point do we suggest that our Sulu was ever closeted, why would he need to be? It just hasn't come up before." Pegg explained his theory that the current Sulu exists in an "alternate timeline" than that of the '60s TV series, and finished: "I like this idea because it suggests that in a hypothetical multiverse, across an infinite matrix of alternate realities, we are all LGBT somewhere. Whatever dimension we inhabit, we all just want to be loved by those we love (and I love George Takei). I can't speak for every reality but that must surely be true of this one. Live long and prosper." After Cho's reveal earlier this week, Takei, 79, told the Hollywood Reporter that the announcement was " really unfortunate" and would have gone against Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's vision for the character. "I'm delighted there's a gay character. Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Gene's creation, to which he put in so much thought," Takei said. "I told [Cho], 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted.' " Star Trek Beyond hits theaters on July 22. (Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com/BFA) By Jenna Marotta When June concludes, film director and Oscar-winning screenwriter Sofia Coppola will pack her bags and depart from Rome, where she has been directing La Traviata at Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma for the past month. This has been her first extended stay in Italys capital until now, her most lasting memories of the city there were made during a family Christmas trip when she was around 9. Related: Her parents taught her to cultivate a few favorite places in the city, where citizens just elected their first female mayor. I remember going to Caffe Greco its an old place for a cappuccino thats near the Spanish Steps, she said. Thats still there, but I remember going as a kid because my parents always like to go, and my dad always had the cups he brought cups back to Napa. I love Rome, continued Coppola, who lives in Paris. Theres always a few spots that if I come I want to go to. Heres her list of nine (mostly) dining and shopping havens where shed send a friend bound for the Eternal City: Piperno Located between a palace and a church on the ruins of a BC-era circus, this restaurant dates back to 1860. Various pasta dishes are served, though Piperno is perhaps best known for its Jewish artichokes. Its nice to go at lunchtime and sit on the terrace, Coppola said. 9 Via Monte De Cenci Ciampini Caffe Coppola and her family are in the midst of a pizza and gelato tour of Rome, and Ciampini was home to her favorite sweet treat. I think its famous for the pistachio gelato, but I like chocolate always myself, she said. In early April, a technical fire tore through the 26-year-old establishment, resulting in the death of one employee. (The shop is currently closed, although a Go Fund Me campaign was quickly launched to raise money for both the victims family and the shops staff, who are currently out of work.) 29 Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina Related: Story continues FG Rome Albertelli Albertelli is the shirtmaker that my brother [fellow director and screenwriter Roman Coppola] and I have always gone to, and I think it was Marcello Mastroiannis shirtmaker, Coppola said. The namesake, Piero Albertelli, opened his original shop in 1967, and very little has changed since he sold it to the mens brand Flanella Grigia in 2006. According to the clothiers website, every facet of its garments can be customized, from pattern design to buttonhole borders. Its always fun to order a shirt there, said Coppola, who is also a fan of their pajamas. 9B Piazza del Parlamento Fendi headquarters Hours before the Cut caught up with Coppola, she visited the Karl Lagerfeldhelmed design houses new residence, which opened in October at the Palace of Italian Civilization (a six-story piece of Fascist architecture designed for the 1942 Worlds Fair). The buildings really beautiful, she said, as are the nearly three-dozen Carrara marble statues around its base. For the splurge trip to Rome I would go to Fendi, and you can order a custom fur coat. Palazzo della Civilta Italiana at 3 Quadrato della Concordia CIR Corredi By the Spanish Steps, Coppola favors this little, kind of old-fashioned linen shop where you can buy hand-embroidered napkins and baby things. I always love to get tablecloths there. For those seeking to enrich their shopping excursions with a pre-dinner drink, she also recommends the neighboring Hotel de Russie, which has a nice terrace for aperitivo and people-watching. 11 Piazza Barberini Related: Trattoria Al Moro Coppola recently dined at this circa 1929 eatery, close to the Trevi Fountain and dubbed by Conde Nast Traveler one of those places to see and be seen for politicians and local power brokers. Says the director, Its a really classic place and Ive heard it has the best carbonara in Rome. But everything there is delicious. Hence the usual lunchtime line out front. 13 Vicolo delle Bollette Hotel Locarno Friends of Coppolas staying at the four-star Hotel Locarno have spoken highly of its antique-strewn, Art Nouveau bar on the ground floor. Besides boasting a fireplace and proximity to the Piazza del Popolo, the bar is much loved and frequented by actors, cultural figures and artists, according to its website. 22 Via della Penna Related: J.K. Place I also like the J.K. Place hotel, Coppola said, citing the 30-room sibling to lodging destinations in Capri and Florence, completed in 2013. Previously, the University of Romes architecture school was housed inside this buildings 19th-century exterior, overlooking the Tiber River. The Australian newspaper called the J.K. Roma arguably the most elegant of all hotels in the Eternal City, maybe even Italy. 30 Via di Monte D'Oro Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Compared to our Metropolitan Opera House, Coppola said Romes counterpart is like a little jewel box for 1,600, all gold and red velvet. Its really beautiful, and I drive to the opera house from where were staying, past this big park Villa Borghese, where she plays with her two young daughters. Driving through the city you pass so many beautiful buildings everywhere you go its just fun to drive to work. 7 Piazza Beniamino Gigli By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States said on Friday they would deploy an advanced missile defense system in South Korea to counter the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, drawing a sharp and swift protest from neighboring China. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system will be used only as protection against North Korea's growing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, South Korea's Defence Ministry and the U.S. Defense Department said. "This is an important ... decision," General Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, said in a statement. "North Korea's continued development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction require the alliance to take this prudent, protective measure to bolster our ... missile defense." The announcement came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted leader North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. North Korea called this "a declaration of war" and vowed a tough response. Beijing said on Friday it lodged complaints with the U.S. and South Korean ambassadors over the THAAD decision. It also criticized the decision to impose sanctions on the leader of its ally North Korea. Analysts say the U.S. moves are likely to further raise tensions between Washington and Beijing ahead of an international court ruling due on Tuesday in a case the Philippines, a U.S. ally, has brought against China's extensive claims in the South China Sea. China said the THAAD system would destabilize the regional security balance without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear program. China is North Korea's main ally but it opposes its pursuit of nuclear weapons and backed tough new United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang in March. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," China's Foreign Ministry said. "The Chinese side will consider taking necessary steps to maintain national strategic security and regional strategic balance," the defense ministry said in a statement on its website on Friday evening. A South Korean Defence Ministry official said selection of a site for THAAD could come "within weeks," and the allies were working to have it operational by the end of 2017. It will be deployed to U.S. Forces Korea "to protect alliance military forces," a joint statement said. The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war. "It will be focused solely on North Korean nuclear and missile threats and would not be directed toward any third-party nations," the statement said. SEVEN SUMMITS The decision to deploy THAAD is the latest move to squeeze the increasingly isolated North Korea, but China worries the system's radar will be able to track its own military capabilities. Russia is also opposed to the basing of a THAAD system in South Korea. Its foreign ministry will take the deployment into account in Moscow's military planning, Interfax news agency quoted it as saying on Friday. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the U.S. moves raised tensions with China ahead of the South China Sea ruling but doubted Beijing would reduce cooperation on North Korea. "Chinese policy toward North Korea, including the degree to which they implement sanctions, is based on China's interests and those will not change as a consequence of this decision," she said. "The Chinese overreached, thinking they had sufficient leverage over South Korea to prevent the deployment. They miscalculated. The U.S. and Japan have cooperated on missile defense and in many other ways that China has opposed, and Beijing has not retaliated." Japan has said it is considering another layer of ballistic missile defense, such as THAAD, to complement ship-borne missiles aboard Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan and its ground-based Patriot missiles. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda said Tokyo supported the Korean deployment "because it bolsters security in the region." TRUMP'S ARGUMENT THAAD is built by Lockheed Martin Corp and designed to defend against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles by intercepting them high in the Earth's atmosphere, or outside it. The United States already has a THAAD system in Guam. Each system costs an estimated $800 million and is likely to add to the cost of maintaining the U.S. military presence in South Korea, an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Republican candidate Donald Trump has argued that U.S. allies South Korea and Japan should pay more toward their own defense. Michael Elleman, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North, cautioned that the system would not offer absolute protection against a North Korean attack as Pyongyang would likely develop counter-measures, such as by launching missiles in salvos to overwhelm the defenses. A joint South Korea-U.S. working group has been discussing the feasibility of deployment and potential locations for the THAAD since February. This followed a North Korean space launch in February that was condemned by the U.N. Security Council as a test of a long-range missile in disguise and the country's fourth nuclear test a month earlier. North Korea launched an intermediate range ballistic missile off its east coast in late June, a test that was believed to show some advancement in the weapon's engine system. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Nathaniel Taplin in Shanghai; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and James Dalgleish) By Denis Dumo and Elias Biryabarema JUBA (Reuters) - At least 115 soldiers from South Sudan's rival factions were killed in gunbattles in the capital Juba, a military spokesman for the opposition said on Saturday, amid fears for a fragile peace process in a country still reeling from a two-year war. Gunfire erupted on Friday evening near the state house where President Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, former rivals, were meeting for talks. Both men said they did not know what had triggered the latest fighting between their factions and called for calm. William Gatjiath Deng, spokesman for Machar's military faction, said the fighting had occurred near the state house and in army barracks. "In the morning we collected and counted 35 (dead) from the SPLM-IO (Machar's faction) and 80 people from the government forces," he said. Deng said the death toll could rise on Machar's side "because there are some soldiers seriously wounded". The government side had no immediate comment on the situation in Juba. At least five soldiers were killed on Thursday in similar clashes between the two sides. Africa's newest nation is emerging from a two-year civil war which started in December 2013 after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president. The conflict was largely fought along ethnic lines with Kiir mostly drawing support from his Dinka tribe while Machar was backed by his Nuer tribe. A peace agreement last August ended the war but Kiir and Machar have yet to integrate their forces, a key part of the agreement. Thursday and Friday's gunfights were the first major outbreak of violence in Juba since Machar returned to the capital in April after his re-appointment as vice president. A Reuters witness said on Saturday Juba was calm but tense with road blocks mounted on some streets. Heavy military vehicles could be seen patrolling and most businesses were shuttered. "It seems as though things have certainly calmed from what they were last night. However the situation is still very, very tense," said Jeremiah Young, an aid worker with World Vision. Young said there was a chance the security situation could "deteriorate very quickly due to the tensions within Juba and the surrounding areas." Britain advised its nationals on Saturday to leave South Sudan if they could do so safely, and said it was removing non-essential embassy staff. "If you have no pressing need to remain, you should consider leaving by commercial means, if it is safe to do so. If safe passage to the airport is not available then we advise all British nationals in Juba to remain inside," the foreign ministry said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the latest violence highlighted a lack of commitment to the peace process and urged the country's leaders to end the fighting, discipline military leaders and work together to implement the peace deal. (Reporting by Denis Dumo; writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Angus Berwick and Maria Vega Paul MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist party will oppose a government led by acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose party won the most votes in last month's election, increasing the odds that an almost seven-month political stalemate will trundle on. Spanish politics has been frozen since a national election last December stripped Rajoy's conservative People's Party (PP) of its majority and forced parties to negotiate -- so far without success -- over forming a coalition government. The PP managed to increase its number of votes in a repeat election on June 26 but again fell far short of a parliamentary majority, meaning it needs support from its long-time foe, the second-placed Socialists, or a cluster of smaller parties. But Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, speaking publicly for the first time since the election, said on Saturday that his party would neither vote in favor of Rajoy in a confidence vote nor abstain to enable a PP-led government. "He should outline the policies that will allow him to gain support among his natural allies, of which the Socialists are not one, and that he does not wait for the others to solve his problems," Sanchez told a party conference. With the Socialists out of contention, Rajoy must convince fourth-placed centrists Ciudadanos along with two small regional parties to back him or abstain. If negotiations fail again, Spain could face a third round of elections just as its economic recovery from a deep recession faces obstacles such as the uncertainty triggered by Britain's vote to leave the EU, and mounting pressure in Brussels to cut its deficit. The European Commission said on Thursday it would begin disciplinary procedures against Spain, along with Portugal, for excessive deficits in 2014 and 2015. It is likely that Spain will again miss its 2016 deficit target of 3.7 percent. "It would be foolish to hold new elections," Rajoy told a news conference on Saturday after Sanchez's speech. "I would like a government to form quickly so that we don't waste the whole summer discussing." Rajoy's best hope for reaching the 176 seats needed to form a majority are newcomers Ciudadanos, seen as a more natural ally of the PP. But they have remained vague about supporting Rajoy, only saying that third elections would be unacceptable and a solution had to be found. The PP won 137 seats in the election and Ciudadanos' support would bring it to 169. A party from the Canary islands could add one seat, and a Basque nationalist party could add five more, although it said this week it would oppose Rajoy in a vote. (Story refiles to fix typo in seventh paragraph.) (Editing by Catherine Evans) Madrid (AFP) - Spanish police detained five men Saturday arrested on suspicion of raping a young woman during Pamplona's famed San Fermin bull-running festival, judicial sources said. The men aged between 25 and 28 were arrested Thursday after a 19-year-old woman complained to police. Their nationalities were not released. They were detained on suspicion of "several sexual assaults" on the victim, according to a spokesman for the court of appeal in Navarre, northern Spain. "The judge must determine how many rapes took place," the spokesman added. Thousands of revellers wearing red and white gathered in Pamplona's main square on Wednesday for the start of the nine-day fiesta. Ahead of the fiesta, a tradition dating back to medieval times, Pamplona city hall had launched a campaign urging a "safe" environment for women "without sexist aggression". In Spain people convicted of rape can face prison terms of between six and 12 years -- and up to 15 years in cases with aggravating circumstances. For Chipotle Mexican Grill -- with its sterling reputation tarnished by a food safety crisis last year and now the drug arrest of a key executive -- a new commercial in the form of a winsome musical short is providing a lift. A Love Story, from director Saschka Unseld of San Francisco-based Oculus Story Studio, is the company's third in a series of animated consciousness-raising pieces. Alabama Shakes & My Morning Jacket Cover Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' for Chipotle Set to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 smash "I Want It That Way," A Love Story features vocalists Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes and Jim James of My Morning Jacket reimagining the boy band tune as a tender morality play. The music producer for the the Pixar-style fable, released on social channels July 6, is Grammy-nominated Blake Mills, co-producer of Alabama Shakes' 2015 set Sound & Color. Backed by a 19-piece orchestra and Mills' three-piece session band, their voices tell the story of Evie and Ivan, young entrepreneurs who build dueling juice stands, then succumb to commercial forces before rediscovering their true desires -- and each other. On Saturday A Love Story was nearing four million YouTube views, with one top commenter urging, "Someone make this into a movie." The four-minute and 13-second film, 18 months in the making, was conceived by CAA's marketing agency and was led on the music side by Marshall Eskowitz, who calls it "an animated story about caring where our food comes from." In 2011, Chipotle's Back to the Start featured Willie Nelson reinterpreting Coldplay's "The Scientist." Two years later, the company released The Scarecrow with Fiona Apple's haunting take on the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse classic "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. All three films promote the virtues of unadulterated food. "The first one was a legacy artist and a modern song," Eskowitz said of Nelson's turn in Back to the Start. "The second was a legacy song and a more modern artist. There was something to it -- grabbing different generations. For us it's about authentic and unexpected voices." Story continues With each successive Chipotle film, the running times have grown and the production values blossomed. A Love Story took more than a year just to animate. Beyond the Up-style sentiment (director Unseld is a former Pixar cinematographer), it's the melding of disparate musical forces that has piqued interest. Veteran ad music expert Josh Rabinowitz, EVP at Grey (who is not involved in the campaign), calls the marriage of Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket and the Backstreet Boys "a bold move, and a powerful branding tool." "It borrows the cache of a known song and and makes it 'brand-ownable,'" Rabinowitz notes. Producer-guitarist Mills brought Howard and James to EastWest recording studios in L.A. in early June, where the two spent a full day refining their vocals together with Mills' session band. The next week Mills was off to New York's DiMenna Center for Classical Music, where he oversaw a 14-piece string section and five horns perform another unique take on "I Want It That Way." Eskowitz said his creative group selected the song because they considered it to be one of "the most iconic tunes of its generation." Written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, "IWITW" was nominated for three Grammy awards and won MTV's Viewer's Choice Award at the 1999 VMAs. Chipotle, which does not buy ads on traditional television, has made a series of buys in movie theaters this summer, during which A Love Story will be packaged with various trailers but is apt to be confused by some movie-goers as a standalone short. A three-minute version is also airing on Hulu.There is no physical release (yet) of Howard and James' rendition of "I Want It That Way," but it is streaming on Pandora, SoundCloud and Spotify. Berlin, the cash-strapped capital of Europe's top economy, has long tried to turn alternative culture into gold, but ambitious new bids to present underground art in museum settings could break new ground. Street art and techno music took root across the city in the hothouse environment of post-Wall Berlin, drawing young creative types from around the world with cheap rents and disused industrial spaces ripe for the taking. But as the city's trademark brand of gritty coolness became globally renowned and then gradually more mainstream, Berlin has tried to capture lightning in a bottle: capitalising on the best of its art and nightlife scene without losing the spark that made it so unique in the first place. A prime example of that high-wire act is the legendary nightclub Tresor. A former underground safe room for a pre-war department store that later languished in the Wall's no-man's land, Tresor in 1991 quickly became the top dance club in Berlin's budding techno scene. Now celebrating its 25th birthday, it still attracts an international crowd of electronic music fans but has long since been supplanted by younger rivals such as Berghain, a hedonist temple frequently named the world's best club. However Tresor's founder Dmitri Hegemann, 60, is ready to take his project to the next level with a museum dedicated to techno housed in the disused power station where the club moved in 2007. He says such spontaneity and knack for reinvention have served Berlin well. "None of the plans laid for the future of the city after the fall of the Wall worked out," Hegemann said. "An 'economy of niches' ended up in its place: open a club or a gallery, a restaurant, a bar, etc. That economy of niches dictated what to do next, and it's what has made Berlin so attractive." - 'Techno was the impetus' - Hegemann noted that there were 30 million overnight stays in Berlin last year and he estimates that "50 to 60 percent" of the visitors were attracted by subculture. Story continues "Today 80 percent of our clientele doesn't speak German. But what all these people have in common is that they have been marked by this 'culture of renewal' that took shape here, which became a movement and has transformed Berlin up until today." Hegemann, for his part, says "techno was the impetus" for all that upheaval and ferment. Meanwhile Berlin's prolific street artists have long gone from being spray-can wielding outlaws to an accepted and even treasured part of the Berlin cityscape. Perhaps the ultimate example is the Wall itself, which for those on the free, western side became a giant canvas for graffiti, angry political slogans and yes, museum-quality art. The longest remaining stretch, the East Side Gallery, attracts smartphone-wielding crowds with its murals which were painted in 1990 and recently restored. Abandoned lots, often the remains of residential buildings bombed out during World War II, also provide walls for artist murals although rapid gentrification is quickly eating up such spaces. Enter the Urban Nation foundation run by former gallery owner Yasha Young, who at the end of May launched work on a museum devoted to "contemporary urban art" set to open next year. Young, like Hegemann, is aware that showcasing alternative culture in a museum runs the risk of sapping some of its vitality but says it is one worth taking. "I'm not trying to press the planet 'street art' through a keyhole into a house -- that would be defying the purpose," she said. "It's named a museum because it will also do what a museum does: collect, research, archive and support (artists)." - 'Delirious and mad' - The project will include an interactive library and vast exhibition spaces along the Buelowstrasse, a traffic-clogged avenue running through an unfashionable stretch of western Berlin. The complex also plans to have a cafe, artist residences and studio space. "We hope that this will be an art mile and it will become a truly living hub," she said, adding that she plans to make the museum free to the public. The city government, which provided the property, is enthusiastic about Young's vision. "The project is delirious and mad at the same time which is why it's perfect for Berlin," the city's top culture official, Tim Renner, said. Hegemann is also a bit ambivalent about calling his techno treasure trove a museum, which he says conjures images of "something that belongs to the past". He prefers the term "Living Archives of Techno". So what will it look like? Hegemann said he of course wants to tell visitors about what techno is, how its influence spread, but also to "convey the feeling" to those who missed out on those heady days in dank Berlin cellars throbbing with bodies and music. "I think of a place where visitors will come inside: suddenly, it gets dark, the fog machine gets going, a DJ appears in the distance, a bar rises up from the ground, the bass resonates and then the party's started. A museum of the senses for those who don't go to the club." Sydney Schanberg, a New York Times correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner, died this week in Poughkeepsie, New York, according to the New York Times. Schanberg's death was confirmed by his friend and colleague Charles Kaiser. According to Kaiser, Schanberg, 82, had a heart attack on Tuesday. The reporter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his coverage of Cambodia's fall to the Khmer Rouge. The Oscar-winning film The Killing Fields was based on his experiences as a foreign correspondent in Cambodia. Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran were two of the very few reporters, Western diplomats and government officials to ignore calls for evacuation and remain in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. "[Pran] looked at my face and I looked at his, and I can't tell you who decided what. But it was clear he was as obsessed as I was in seeing the story to the end," Schanberg told PEOPLE in a 1984 interview. "Most Cambodians we interviewed believed that when the Khmer Rouge had their victory, they would no longer engage in random brutality. No one could foresee they would empty entire cities and would kill anyone who wore glasses or who admitted to having an education." He continued: "It is also unthinkable to believe that someone is going to kill you. That is just not a thought you want to wrap your mind around." While visiting a civilian hospital, Schanberg and Pran were captured by Khmer Rouge soldiers, but released after just a few hours due to Pran's quick thinking and relentless pleading with the soldiers. Soon after their escape, Schanberg was evacuated to Thailand while Pran, along with countless other Cambodians, was forced into the countryside, where he endured brutality and starvation. In the following years, Schanberg helped Pran's family settle in San Francisco, contacted relief agencies throughout Thailand for any word of Pran and accepted his Pulitzer Prize in behalf of Pran. The pair were eventually reunited in 1979, after Pran escaped from Cambodia. According to his website, after returning home, Schanberg wrote for Newsday, Life and The Village Voice, among other publications. He is survived by his wife Jane Freiman, his daughters Jessica and Rebecca and three grandchildren. Srinagar (India) (AFP) - Eight protesters were killed and more than 200 others injured in disputed Indian-administered Kashmir Saturday after thousands defied a curfew following the death of a top rebel commander, officials said. Shiv Murari Sahai, a top police official in the region, told reporters that seven protestors were killed by government forces in "retaliatory action" and one drowned in a river as clashes intensified. More 100 protestors with bullet injuries were brought into different hospitals, including 50 in a hospital in the main city of Srinagar, two health officials said. Sahai said ninety government forces personnel were also injured during the clashes that spread across the disputed territory as protesters angry at the killing on Friday of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) leader Burhan Wani torched police stations and threw rocks at army camps in the south of the restive region. "Six of them (the injured protestors) are in a critical condition," a staff member at a hospital in the southern town of Anantnag told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. Wani, a 22-year-old commander of Kashmir's largest rebel group HM, was killed along with two other rebels during a brief gun battle with government forces. Authorities handed the body of Wani, viewed by locals as a hero since he joined the rebel group at the age of 15, over to his family early Saturday morning. He was buried as tens of thousands attending the funeral chanted independence slogans and suspected rebels fired pistol shots in his honour, witnesses said. "It was a sea of people shouting slogans in favour of freedom from India," one said. Authorities imposed a curfew in large parts of the territory and suspended mobile networks and internet to prevent wide-scale demonstrations. But thousands defied the restrictions as tensions intensified and clashes spread. Government forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition at protesters in several places. Story continues - 'A new icon' - Streets in Srinagar were mainly deserted except for hundreds of soldiers and police ordering people to stay indoors, but protests and clashes were reported from peripheries of the capital city. "Yes we have imposed a curfew, but of course his (Wani's) funeral was allowed," director general of police for the Indian-held region, K. Rajendra told AFP. Wani's death had sparked protests and clashes throughout the night Friday, with mosque loudspeakers blaring "Azadi" (freedom from Indian rule) in most areas, including the capital Srinagar. "Aftr many yrs I hear slogans for 'Azadi' resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality," former chief minister of the disputed state, Omar Abdullah, said on Twitter. "Kashmir's disaffected got a new icon y'day." Resistance groups opposed to Indian rule of Kashmir have called for three days of mourning and a shutdown in the territory after the rebel commander's killing. Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since 1947, but both claim the territory in its entirety. HM is one of several groups that for decades have been fighting around half a million Indian troops deployed in the region, calling for independence for Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting since 1989. (Photos: HBO) It was a passion project for The Sopranos star James Gandolfini, the limited-run series he would both star in and produce. But the Emmy winners 2013 death meant HBOs The Night Of would have to go on without him. First Robert De Niro signed on to star as underdog attorney Jack Stone, and when that didnt work out for scheduling reasons, another Emmy winner, John Turturro, stepped in to play Jack, a lawyer who finds himself defending a naive young man whose adventuresome evening takes a tragic turn for which he may or may not be responsible. Turturro, who won his Emmy for guest starring as Tony Shaloubs brother on Monk, talked to Yahoo TV about what attracted him to The Night Of, the tragic real-life New York crime story that haunted him throughout filming, how easy it was to bond with co-star Riz Ahmed, and how his long personal and professional friendship with Gandolfini impacted his decision to sign on for the eight-part series. On the binge-worthiness of The Night Of: I know some people who have seen the whole thing, who had like a sneak preview or something. They said they couldnt stop watching it. Im not surprised, because when [I] read it, it was so I just read it and I was like, Wow, this is hard to put down. I liked it because it was about the minutia and the cost of something. It actually gets even more engrossing, and I think it winds up really, really strong because its so human. It has to do with the whole criminal justice system and when we see it, a lot of times, theres this other version of it. Theres no real perfect hero, no real protagonist or antagonist. Its what happens to people. Anyone who goes through anything big in life, theres a huge cost to that. Thats what this is kind of about, how that effects the kid whos accused and all the people around him. This kind of transformation goes on. The system makes criminals out of people, who maybe are or maybe arent. Related: Ken Tucker Reviews The Night Of: A Juicy, Riveting New Crime Drama On what most attracted him to the series: The writing. I loved what it was about and how you got involved with all the characters, and then where it goes, too. I felt [the ending] was done in a very earned way. There are lots of different twists and turns, but its all done in a very human way, not sensationalized, which I think makes the experience deeper. Story continues During the middle of it, I read the New Yorker story about that young kid who was incarcerated, Kalief Browder. I was supposed to meet him, actually. I was supposed to meet him, and then he didnt want to meet with me. It was in the middle of the shoot, and I had done a lot of research and met a lot of lawyers, and this and that. I went to courts and stuff. There was one particular guy who was really helpful, a defense attorney now in Brooklyn, Kenny Montgomery. He was really eloquent. He was basically not at all like my character, but it was what my character would have liked to have been so articulate about the cost of what he does. That made me understand why my character doesnt want to do it, because you have someones life in your hands. If youre aware of that, it can really be debilitating. So I just thought, when I read that New Yorker article, that is was really [like] our thing. Then, I never got to meet [Browder], but I was really effected by that article he was someone who really stood up for himself, and it destroyed him. If he had just said, OK, and gone along with it, it would have gotten him out of jail. He would have gotten out, and yet, he said, I want to be heard. All those things that could have made him a very interesting and maybe successful young man, were just gone because they held him too long. He was a real victim of a dysfunctional system. Related: Making a Murderer: Casting 15 Key Roles And I love how [writer/producer] Steve [Zaillian] cast it. You really think, These people are cops and lawyers. It doesnt look like a television version of it, you know. Jeannie Berlin, she really looks like a prosecutor. Shes so like a fking prosecutor, you go, My God, you know? I was hanging around, you see these people I think Steve was really enamored by things that Sidney Lumet did in the seventies about the criminal justice system. I like the mixture of all the different kinds of people. It was very representative of the city and the world, the country that we live in. On his character, attorney Jack Stone, as an underdog: There are people that have tremendous potential, Ive seen this, and tremendous talent, but they dont have the aggression. They dont have the drive, they dont maybe under pressure, its too much for them. Their anxieties or theyre too sensitive in some ways, to just say, OK, I have to grin and bear it, get through it. I always thought that hes a very sharp guy. Hes a sharp guy, but he just, he wasnt able to hold someones life in his hands. He wasnt able to compartmentalize and do all that stuff, but he can see. He knows, its not that hes not capable. Hes capable of it, but hes just not used to doing that because he hasnt. Its come out in different ways. So hes a person with a lot of potential there, who hasnt realized it in certain ways, because hes a victim of whoever he is. He isnt a perfect guy at all, but he understands the system. On bonding with co-star Riz Ahmed: I was very lucky, because I connected to Riz really quickly. I really like him, I like what kind of person he is, hes really well brought up. Hes really thoughtful. We actually [recently] went to see a play together, to see [The Night Of co-star] Bill [Camp] in The Crucible. Its hard to continue to be friends with actors sometimes, because our lives are crazy, but it was easy to connect with Riz. On the haunting nature of the story: Its like that Serial thing on the radio, its so popular because you all want to figure out what is inside of that person, but were also vicariously wondering, maybe not consciously, Do I have that in me? Its also a nightmare thinking about being in any kind of position like that, being accused of something. Its everyones worst nightmare. Related: If Youre a Serial Addict, Obsess Over These 5 Murder Mysteries On his friend James Gandolfini, who was going to star as Jack Stone: I knew James from [A Streetcar Named Desire], because he did it years ago with [my cousin] Aida [Turturro], when Alec Baldwin did it. Then they asked me to direct one of the first season episodes of The Sopranos, but I was doing something else. Then they wanted me to be on the show, and I was trying to get away from that world I didnt want to be just in mafia stories and stuff, but I became a huge fan of the series. Then I worked with James a couple years later on my film, Romance & Cigarettes, so, I have a long history with him. I went to Jamess wedding. I worked so closely with him. I think, as far as movies go, [Romance & Cigarettes] is one of the best performances he gave tremendously nuanced, and he sings. I edited James for a year. I have a real full experience with the man, and I really loved him. Sometimes he could drive me crazy, but he gave a fantastic performance for me. He was a wonderful, generous person in a lot of ways, and I know that from Aida, and from a lot of other people, too. So then they told me he was in the [original] pilot he worked one day. He was trying to figure out the character, but he only did it one day. So I was like, OK. If he had done the whole thing, say it was all about him I was a little bit on the fence at first, then I read it, and his manager called me. I talked to his wife, just because I was close to him. But it really wasnt an issue, because I figured once I read it, I have to figure out what I would do [with the character], and that was it. I did think of him every once in a while. I know he didnt like to sit in the makeup chair, and the guy who did my makeup used to work on The Sopranos. He said, Oh, [he] wouldnt have put up with this. We would laugh about it. Its a part of life, I guess. The Night Of premieres Sunday, July 10 at 9 p.m. on HBO. By Curtis Skinner SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Thousands took to the streets of U.S. cities on Friday to denounce the fatal shooting by police of two black men this week, marching the day after a gunman killed five police officers watching over a similar demonstration in Dallas. Protesters clogged roadways in New York City, Atlanta and Philadelphia, and events in San Francisco and Phoenix also drew large crowds. Six people were injured and three were arrested in Phoenix. where police in riot gear used pepper spray on protesters, some of whom threw rocks at officers, the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement. Videos posted online showed protesters also gathering in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where 37-year-old Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police early on Tuesday. The largest demonstration appeared to be in Atlanta, where thousands marched, chanting and waving signs demanding justice, video posted to social media showed. Footage from broadcasters showed a large crowd facing off with dozens of police vehicles blocking a local interstate highway. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tweeted that the rally was largely peaceful, though about 10 people had been arrested. Friday was the second day of demonstrations against use of force by police following the fatal shootings of Sterling and of 32-year-old Philando Castile near St. Paul, Minnesota. The shootings stoked racial tension that has flared repeatedly across the country following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Castile was killed by police during a traffic stop on Wednesday, and his girlfriend posted footage of the confrontation on the Internet minutes later. Sterling was killed on Tuesday during an altercation with two white police officers outside a convenience store. A graphic video of that incident caused an outcry on social media. No justice, no peace, no racist police, demonstrators shouted late on Friday in Baton Rouge, where state and local police in riot gear tried to keep them from blocking a busy roadway. Story continues Thursdays demonstrations following the killings of Sterling and Castile were largely peaceful until gunfire erupted at a Dallas rally that was winding down. Authorities said 25-year-old Micah Johnson, a black U.S. military veteran of the Afghan war who said he wanted to kill white people, launched a sniper attack that killed five police officers and wounded nine other people. Police killed the gunman with a bomb-carrying robot after cornering him in a parking garage, ending an hours-long standoff. (Additional reporting by Bryn Stole in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Clarence Fernandez; editing by John Stonestreet) A Homecoming Hint? Holland, co-star Jacob Batalon and friend Harrison Osterfield pose at Porsche HQ in Atlanta. Because the caption of this Sept. 15 photo is The A team! and the Porsche site doubled as the Avengers base in recent movies, theres speculation that Spidey might pay a visit to some of Earths mightiest in Homecoming. (Photo: Tom Holland/Instagram) With less than a year to go before Spider-Man: Homecoming spins into theaters, the cast and crew just wrapped shooting in Atlanta in the same soundstage complex where star Tom Holland made his scintillating web-slinging debut in Captain America: Civil War. Holland, with a little help from his friends, has been busy documenting his Marvel-ous journey on social media. Click through to see the best of whats been posted so far, including Hollands death-defying selfie and a team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy (Originally published July 9, 2016; updated Sept. 16, 2016) Pau (France) (AFP) - Young British cyclist Adam Yates received a personal apology from the Tour de France director on Saturday after he was knocked flying off his bike by a falling inflatable arch. Yates, 23, suffered cuts to his face and needed two stitches in his chin after the inflatable arch indicating the final kilometre of Friday's seventh stage collapsed on top of him. A spectator had inadvertently dislodged a pin at the base of the arch, which let the air out. "I've got stitches in my chin and my legs are sore but I got pretty lucky," Yates had said. Before Saturday's mountainous eighth stage in the Pyrenees, Tour director Christian Prudhomme visited Yates in his Orica team bus. "I just wanted to say sorry to Adam Yates and to say thank you because he was very elegant in (what he said), and to shake hands with him," Prudhomme told reporters outside the Australian team's bus. Yates was more concerned with his position in the overall standings. He was on his own when the arch hit him as he'd attacked the peloton of favourites to try to gain some valuable seconds. He was aiming to snare the white jersey for best young rider off Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe -- something he did successfully after race officials decided to stop the clock 3km from the finish due to many riders being held up by the fallen arch. "It's not nice to take the white jersey like that but now I want to hold it as long as possible. We'll see what happens," said Yates. The Briton moved up to second overall thanks to the time taken on the favourites. He started Saturday's stage with a chance to take over the leader's yellow jersey from Belgian Greg Van Avermaet, who was widely expected to lose it on the mountainous terrain despite holding a 5min 50sec advantage. By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is giving consideration to retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as a potential vice presidential running mate, a Republican source familiar with the process said on Saturday. For weeks Trump has conducted a high-profile canvassing of Republican political stalwarts as part of his running mate search, but he has also made clear he is looking at what a military leader would bring to the ticket. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Flynn has emerged as a possibility, confirming reports in the New York Post and The Washington Post. The Trump campaign had no comment. The thinking is that Flynn, who has been a foreign policy adviser to Trump, would be able to help Trump in the area of national security at a time of challenges abroad like the threat from Islamic State militants. Trump is also considering a more conventional political choice for his running mate, such as former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, Indiana Governor Mike Pence or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Flynn was chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama from 2012-2014. He has spoken in the past about wanting the United States to work more closely with Russia to resolve global security issues. Flynn told Russia Today in an interview published on Dec. 10 that the United States and Russia should work together to resolve the Syrian civil war and defeat Islamic State. Flynn has a book coming out next week, co-written with Michael Ledeen, titled: "The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies." (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f139979%2fdogtsa Working for the TSA is a hard job whether you're a two-legged human or four-legged pup. Every year the TSA seeks homes for dogs who've either failed TSA training or retired. It's not easy sniffing out bombs, and old dogs need good homes. Many of these dogs have spent their lives in kennels and are not used to a home environment. SEE ALSO: 13 tail-waggingly important photos of dogs watching other dogs on TV These dogs ages typically range between two and 10 years old. Common breeds include German Short-Haired Pointers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. All dogs are neutered and spayed and available free of charge. The TSA dogs were chosen because of heightened energy levels and strong drive. So while some might be a little hard to calm down, all are skilled at sniffing bombs. Image: julie jacobson/ap Finally, a pup that can sit, roll over...and snuff out dangerous weapons. If you're interested in adopting a TSA dog, you will, at this moment in the program, need to travel to San Antonio, Texas. To learn more, email the TSA adoption coordinator: AdoptaTSAcanine@OLE.tsa.dhs.gov. MADRID (Reuters) - A bullfighter and a man participating in a village bull-run were killed in Spain on Saturday, while another two men were gored by the animals at the world-famous festival in the town of Pamplona. Victor Barrio, a 29-year-old professional bullfighter, was killed when a bull's horn pierced his chest in front of spectators as he competed in a fight in the town of Teruel in the eastern region of Aragon. His death, shown live on television, was confirmed on the website of Madrid's Las Ventas bullring, where Barrio began as an apprentice bullfighter in 2010. He is the first Spanish bullfighter to die in a ring since the turn of the century. In the southeastern village of Pedreguer near Valencia, a 28-year-old Spaniard was killed during a bull-run, in which people risk life and limb by racing alongside specially-bred fighting bulls through narrow streets. A bull's horn pierced his lung and heart as he was trying to help another runner during the event, in which a man was killed last year, a spokesman for the regional government said. Many of Spain's towns hold summer festivals involving bulls, and several people die each year. The San Fermin festival, in which bulls chase red-scarved runners through Pamplona's cobbled streets during nine days of events, attracts thousands of revellers from Spain and overseas. In Saturday's run there, a 33-year-old Japanese man was gored in the chest and a 24-year-old Spanish man in the arm, while 12 others suffered minor injuries, the local government said on its website. The Japanese man was in a stable condition in hospital, a spokesman for the festival said. The four-minute run in Pamplona featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners. The daily bull-run along an 825-metre stretch of narrow streets in Pamplona's old town starts at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and usually lasts between three and five minutes. There are eight runs in total during the festival. Over the past century 15 people have died in Pamplona's event, which dates back hundreds of years, according to a count on the unofficial San Fermin website. The last death was recorded in 2009. (Reporting by Eloy Alonso in PAMPLONA and Maria Vega Paul in MADRID; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Andrew Roche) MOSCOW (Reuters) - Militants shot down a military helicopter near Palmyra in Syria, killing two Russian pilots on board, Interfax news agency said, quoting Russia's defense ministry. The two men had been attacking a detachment of Islamic State fighters in the Homs region on Friday, when the Syrian Mi-25 helicopter they were in ran out of ammunition, the ministry said, according to Interfax. The turning helicopter was hit by militants gunfire from the ground and crashed in the area controlled by the Syrian government army. The crew died," it added. Video footage published on Saturday by Islamic States affiliated news agency Amaq showed a helicopter being shot and crashing to the ground against cries of 'It's fallen, God is greatest'. Russian forces entered the conflict at the end of last year, backing the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Additional reporting by Lisa Barrington in Beirut; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Moscow (AFP) - Two Russian pilots died near the Syrian city of Palmyra when their helicopter was shot down by Islamic State fighters, bringing the total number of Russian troops killed in the Syrian conflict to 12, Moscow said. The defence ministry said a Syrian helicopter flown by Riafagat Khabibulin and Yevgeni Dolgin "came under fire" from IS on Saturday and crashed. The jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to SITE monitoring group. The pilots "had used up all their ammunition and were on their way back when they came under the fire of terrorists and crashed," the defence ministry said, adding: "The crew died." SITE quoted an IS statement as saying: "Soldiers of the Caliphate downed a Russian assault helicopter when it attempted to attack their positions. This resulted in its destruction and killed those who were on board." The United Kingdom rejected a petition for a second vote on maintaining its European Union membership. More than 4.1 million people signed the petition, the most since the government petition process was introduced in 2011, according to The Independent. The Foreign Office responded, saying that the majority of the country had its say and that their decision must be respected. The referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say, the Foreign Office said according to The Independent. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations. The petition was set up by a Brexit supporter before the Brexit vote was held and called for the government to to annul the results of the vote if either side of the vote won by less than 60% with less than three-fourths of the country turning out. On June 24 the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in an 52% to 48% vote. By Ayesha Rascoe and Ernest Scheyder WARSAW/DALLAS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Americans on Saturday not to view the United States as being riven into opposing groups, seeking to soothe raw emotions after a former U.S. soldier killed five policemen in Dallas and high-profile police shootings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. "First of all, as painful as this week has been, I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested," Obama, visiting Poland, told a news conference in Warsaw. "When we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization, and we're back to the situation in the '60s, that's just not true," Obama added. "You're not seeing riots, and you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully." Dallas remained on edge on Saturday. The city's police headquarters and surrounding blocks were under lockdown and SWAT teams were deployed after police said they received an anonymous threat against officers across the city. The police department said it was taking extra safety precautions. Police teams were sweeping a large parking garage at the headquarters building, according to a Reuters eyewitness. Authorities have named former U.S. Army Reserve soldier Micah Johnson, a 25-year-old African-American, as the lone gunman in Thursday night's sniper attack in Dallas, which came at the end of a march by hundreds of demonstrations decrying the fatal shootings by police of black men earlier in the week. Officials said Johnson had embraced militant black nationalism and expressed anger over shootings by police as well as a desire to "kill white people, especially white officers." The rally in Dallas followed the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile, 32, near St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday, and Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday. Obama, who is cutting short his European trip on Sunday to visit Dallas, said that "Americans of all races and all backgrounds are rightly outraged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether it's in Dallas or any place else." He added they also are rightly saddened and angered about the deaths of Sterling and Castile, and about "the larger, persistent problem of African-Americans and Latinos being treated differently in our criminal justice system." Obama, the first black U.S. president whose term in office ends next January, said he hopes he has been able to get all Americans to understand the nation's difficult legacy of race. Obama said Americans cannot let the actions of a few define all. "The demented individual who carried out those attacks in Dallas -- he's no more representative of African-Americans than the shooter in Charleston was representative of white Americans, or the shooter in Orlando or San Bernardino were representative of Muslim-Americans," Obama added, referring to a string of mass shootings in the past year. Seven other police officers and two civilians also were wounded in Dallas. Johnson was killed by a bomb-carrying robot deployed against him in a parking garage where he had holed up and refused to surrender during hours of negotiations with police, authorities said on Friday. GUN CONTROL Obama, who has been blocked by the Republican-led U.S. Congress in his bid for new gun-control measures, expressed new frustration over lax firearms laws in the United States, saying it is unique among advanced countries in the scale of violence it experiences. "With respect to the issue of guns, I am going to keep on talking about the fact that we cannot eliminate all racial tension in our country overnight. We are not going to be able to identify ahead of time and eliminate every madman or troubled individual who might want to do harm against innocent people. But we can make it harder for them to do so," Obama said. Illustrating the divide among Americans over gun rights, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Reuters that men like the Dallas gunman "are not going to be confined by a gun law that we pass." Paxton, whose state has among the most permissive gun policies in America, added, "Our goal here in Texas is to protect law-abiding citizens. And since we cannot have a police force that guards every person, we want people to be able to protect themselves." PROTESTS CONTINUE While Thursday's attack stunned Dallas into mourning, it did not stop demonstrations around the country against killings by police. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis on Saturday and other demonstrations were planned for Minnesota, Louisiana, New York and Washington. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in several cities on Friday, clogging roadways in New York, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Events in San Francisco and Phoenix also drew large crowds. Early on Saturday, up to 30 protesters were arrested near police headquarters in Baton Rouge, where the FBI has warned of safety concerns for law enforcement and the general public. Police use of force, particularly against African-Americans, has come under intense scrutiny in the past two years because of a string of high-profile deaths in cities from Ferguson, Missouri, to New York. Dallas Police Chief David Brown on Friday said the gunman cited his anger over police killings during his protracted negotiations with police after the shootings. Johnson had served in the U.S. military in the Afghan war. [] A search of his home just outside Dallas found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics, though he had no previous criminal history, police said on Friday. (Additional reporting by Adam DeRose, Jeff Mason and Arshad Mohammed in Washington, Bryn Stole in Baton Rouge, David Bailey in Minneapolis and Mark Hosenball in London; Writing by Frances Kerry and Will Dunham; Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler) Warsaw (AFP) - Britain's parliament will vote this month on renewing the Trident nuclear weapons programme, Prime Minister David Cameron said Saturday as he sought to reassure NATO allies alarmed by Brexit. Cameron's announcement at a NATO summit in Warsaw comes as the alliance grapples with the implications for its unity after key member Britain shocked the world by voting to leave the European Union. Conservative leader Cameron is pushing through the vote on the A20 billion (23 billion euro, $25 billion) plan to maintain the submarine-based system before he steps down in September in the wake of the EU result. "Today I can announce that we will hold a parliamentary vote on the 18th of July to confirm (lawmakers') support for the renewal of a full fleet of four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover," Cameron told a press conference at what will be his final NATO summit after six years in power. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view not just to Britain's security but as our allies acknowledge here today to the overall security of the NATO alliance," he said. Britain is one of only three nuclear-armed NATO nations along with the United States and France, and holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. But the EU referendum result has raised questions about its commitment to NATO, especially at a time when the US-led alliance is trying to remain unified in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia. - 'Ultimate deterrent' - Cameron however insisted that his country, which has what he said was the second biggest military budget in NATO, would remain a key member. "This summit has underlined that while Britain may be leaving the European Union, we are not turning our backs on the world," he added. "We are a country that is willing to deploy its troopsa and we are a country with the ultimate deterrent," he said. Cameron is likely to win the Trident vote as his party widely backs it. Story continues The leader of the main opposition Labour party Jeremy Corbyn has opposed the upgrade but a significant part of his increasingly rebellious MPs are also likely to support it. The future of Britain's nuclear deterrent is however in question as the submarines are based in Scotland, where the government is considering a second independence referendum following the Brexit vote. Asked why he was pushing through the vote before handing over to his as-yet-undecided successor, Cameron said it was a pledge in his party's 2015 election manifesto "and we need to get on with that." "I don't think it needs to be caught up in the leadership contest (of the Conservative party) and we will be doing it on the 18th of July," he said. "It makes sense to hold this vote now, for it to go ahead so our military planners can get on the investment that is needed." Caracas (AFP) - Seeking a path out of political deadlock, Venezuela's embattled government and opposition met separately Saturday with international mediators led by Spain's former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The country is in deep recession driven by falling prices for its oil exports. The crisis has prompted food shortages and deadly looting that the opposition blames on socialist President's Nicolas Maduro's economic mismanagement. He meanwhile regularly accuses business elites of waging an "economic war" against him by hoarding supplies to aggravate the crisis. The former Spanish prime minister, in Caracas since Friday, said he was hoping the sides would make contact with each other, possibly by Tuesday. Rodriguez Zapatero is part of the group of mediators that also includes Dominican ex-president Leonel Fernandez and Panamanian ex-leader Martin Torrijos. On Thursday, the opposition coalition asked the Vatican to join an international mediation effort. Archbishop Diego Padron, chairing an annual conference of Venezuelan bishops, said he was willing to help with the mediation bid. But he also said Maduro "lacked moral authority to call for dialogue and for peace" because of the government's inability to provide food and medicine for the country's population. In a sign of Maduro's concern at mounting social unrest, the president also Thursday replaced the head of the National Guard, even as he confirmed his defense minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, in his post. The opposition launched its efforts to remove the president after winning control of the legislature in January. But Maduro has challenged his rivals through the Supreme Court, which they accuse him of controlling. The government has already filed a case in the court against the referendum bid. The national electoral board has said it will announce by July 26 whether enough signatures have been authenticated for the referendum drive to proceed. Story continues If that happens, Maduro's opponents must collect four million more signatures to call a full referendum on his removal. The opposition is rushing to complete the recall process by January 10, the cutoff date to trigger new elections. After that date, a successful recall vote would simply hand power to Maduro's hand-picked vice president. By Steve Holland (Reuters) - In the hours after a gunman shot 12 police officers, killing five in Dallas, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton abruptly canceled campaign events. Their Twitter accounts largely went quiet. The shootings marked yet another convulsive event in the 2016 political season, one in which Clinton and Trump have scrambled to find the right response to terror attacks abroad, mass shootings at home, and protests over police killings of African Americans. Much of the violence, captured live on smartphones and endlessly replayed on cable television news, has fueled Americans' fears about their personal safety, polls show. It has evoked memories of 1968, when civil rights leader Martin Luther King and Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy were assassinated in a turbulent era of protests against the Vietnam war and racial segregation. "We're seeing wild acts of gun violence and we are polarized in our politics and in the public square," said historian Douglas Brinkley. "Every 48 hours there seems to be some horrific event that jars and jerks our consciousness into a new dimension." Historically, uncertain times tend to push the party out of power. Witness Republican Ronald Reagan's defeat of incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1980 during the Iran hostage crisis, or Obama's victory over Republican John McCain in 2008 as the U.S. economy collapsed. But that may not be the case for Trump, who has yet to convince a majority of Americans that his would be a steady hand at the tiller. Trump's initial reaction to Dallas suggested he understands the stakes. He issued a sober statement of unity that was unlike many of his public utterances that are often derided by critics as hyperbolic or inflammatory. "Our nation has become too divided. Too many Americans feel like theyve lost hope. Crime is harming too many citizens. Racial tensions have gotten worse, not better. This isnt the American Dream we all want for our children," he said. Story continues "This is a time, perhaps more than ever, for strong leadership, love and compassion. We will pull through these tragedies." BRIDGING THE DIVIDE With race relations becoming a more prominent issue in the White House race, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a top contender to be Trump's vice presidential running mate, told Fox News that Trump and his No. 2 can help broaden their appeal by going to inner cities, where many African Americans live.In responding to the spasm of gun violence, Clinton has called for more regulations on the gun industry and has aligned herself with the Black Lives Matter movement, which campaigns against violence against African-Americans. In a round of TV appearances, Clinton said she had been working her whole life to try to bridge the racial divide. Her comments follow the police shooting of two black men in two separate incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota over the past week. The Dallas gunman told police he was angry about the killings. I will call for white people, like myself, to put ourselves in the shoes of those African American families ... who fear every time their children go somewhere. I'm going to be talking about white people, Clinton said on CNN. Democratic strategist Bud Jackson said she is hitting the right tone. "I don't think this is an issue that she needs to take advantage of," he said. "In fact it would probably hurt her if she is perceived as taking advantage of it." But the demand for change is sweeping among voters. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken over the last five weeks, nearly two-thirds of Americans feel the country is on the wrong track, reflecting their general unease with the economy, terror threats and violence. "Her challenge is to show she can cope with these issues and that she would bring change and would not be the same," said presidential historian Thomas Alan Schwartz. Trump has said a Clinton win in the Nov. 8 election would amount to a third term for President Barack Obama. Clinton has embraced many of the policies of her former rival in the 2008 presidential election and campaigned with him this week. Lanhee Chen, who advised 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and 2016 presidential candidate Marco Rubio, said a more civil discourse in American politics would help to calm people's general fears. "I think there's bigger issue around civility and rhetoric and discourse and how our leaders appeal or dont appeal to our better angels. Thats really what this is about. I see this as an absence of leadership all around." (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Ross Colvin) Algiers (AFP) - Western Sahara independence movement Polisario Front elected a founding member of the group as its new leader Saturday, Algeria's APS news agency said, after its head of 40 years died in late May. Brahim Ghali -- who represented the Algeria-backed movement in Madrid then in Algiers -- is to succeed Mohamed Abdelaziz, who spent decades fighting Morocco for the independence of the territory. The 67-year-old -- the sole candidate in the vote -- was elected by an "overwhelming majority" to become Polisario secretary general and president of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arabic Democratic Republic, APS said. Around 2,300 delegates elected Ghali after they gathered for an extraordinary conference in the Sahrawi refugee camp of Dakhla near Tindouf, 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) southwest of the Algerian capital Algiers, it said. Abdelaziz had led the Polisario since 1976, three years after the group was founded to struggle for independence for the territory, which Morocco annexed in 1975. Local Sahrawi people are campaigning for the right to self-determination, but Morocco considers the territory to be part of the kingdom and insists its sovereignty cannot be challenged. The president of the Sahrawi National Council, Khatri Addouh, had led the group in the interim after Abdelaziz's death. London (AFP) - A wave of women are taking power in Britain: the country will soon have a female prime minister following the Brexit vote while Scotland and Northern Ireland already have women leaders. "Is this all a happy coincidence? Has the glass ceiling finally been smashed?" the Guardian newspaper asked this week. In the race to succeed David Cameron, who resigned as premier after last month's vote to leave the EU, one thing has been certain since Thursday -- the next leader will be a woman for the first time since Margaret Thatcher resigned in 1990. Conservative party members must now choose between interior minister Theresa May and energy minister Andrea Leadsom. In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon is first minister and leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party since 2014, while Ruth Davidson leads the Conservatives and Kezia Dugdale heads up Labour. In Northern Ireland, the first minister is Arlene Foster of the Democratic Unionists while one of Wales' main parties, Plaid Cymru, is also led by a woman, Leanne Wood. "That suggests that what might have been barriers to high office have completely evaporated," Professor Iain Begg of the London School of Economics told AFP. - Breaking the mould - Thatcher, who became Conservative leader in 1975 and prime minister in 1979, who opened the door for the current generation. Her rise to power came nearly 60 years after the first woman took her seat in the House of Commons -- Conservative Nancy Astor in 1919. "She (Thatcher) was the one who broke the mould and made it possible in future for other women to become leaders," Begg added. The Conservatives have been slower than the main opposition Labour to recruit large numbers of women MPs, though. In 1997, they only had 13, including May. By 2005, the figure stood at 17 and today the figure is 68 out of 330. Cameron has pushed for more women MPs while groups such as Women2Win, founded by May and Anne Jenkin, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, has helped the push, supporting figures like Leadsom. Story continues "We're getting there. We are still miles behind Labour (who have 99 female MPs out of 230), even though we will have produced two female prime ministers before they've had one woman as permanent leader," Jenkin said. The battle between May and Leadsom turned personal this weekend after the energy minister appeared to suggest that May is less well placed to become leader because she is not a mother. Leadsom said she was "disgusted" after her comments in an interview were published on the front page of The Times newspaper, claiming she was misrepresented, though she did not question the accuracy of the quotes. - 'Boys messing about' - Labour could soon get its first permanent female leader too. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing a huge rebellion by his MPs and the leading contender to replace him if he falls is Angela Eagle, an MP since 1992 -- who finally announced Saturday that she will stand in a leadership battle with Corbyn. "In parallel we've got that societal evolution which says that being gay, being a woman is no longer an obstacle," added Begg. Eagle, Davidson and Dugdale all have female partners. Evening Standard journalist Rosamund Urwin drew a parallel with the current situation in Britain and the success of Hillary Clinton in the US and Angela Merkel in Germany. "Merkel, May, Clinton and Eagle seem to come from a similar mould. They're authoritative, tough, have far more impressive CVs than their rivals... the kind of person you want at the tiller of the boat during a perfect storm," she wrote. Facing the political turmoil that followed the Brexit vote, Jenkin suggested that "there is a feeling of 'Yes, Nanny, please come and tell us what to do.'" "I think they feel that at a time of turmoil that a woman will be more practical and a bit less testosterone (driven) in their approach," she added. Business minister Anna Soubry told BBC radio: "Perhaps we've had enough of these boys messing about". Graduation season is here again and for the first time in Ghana students from Ashesi University are doing something that is rarely seen in-decorating their graduation caps. The graduation caps for the 2016 batch of students were too lit and artistic. Its actually a proven fact that one of the most exciting parts of a graduation is the great quotes and cap ideas that you see on G-day. According to Benedicta Gokah the artist who made most of the caps for the event, this is the first time the graduates were allowed to keep the caps hence the idea to decorate them. She posted the crazy, inspiring and funky photos of a number of clients with their caps with the accompanying caption on Facebook. Check out these awesome graduation caps at the Ashesi 2016 graduation ceremony. Source: YEN.com.gh Asian countries are increasingly concerned that popular anger in the U.S. and Europe might hurt their exports and lead to a global economic slowdown. Voters in industrialized countries are frustrated with job losses in industries such as steel and automobile manufacturing. Many blame the losses on globalization and free trade policies. These were reportedly major issues in the British vote to leave the European Union. They also have been energetically discussed in the U.S. presidential election. Some experts are calling these concerns protectionism, or seeking to protect or block off a countrys market from foreign businesses. Frederic Neumann co-directs Asian economics research for HSBC Bank in Hong Kong. He said, Rising protectionism could throw sand in the wheels of the global trading system and so start to gum it up. Effects of Britains vote on world markets had results The vote in Britain resulted in wild changes in financial markets around the world. Major East Asian countries were no exception. They reacted with short-term economic measures meant to stabilize their markets because of the June 23 vote. South Korea ordered an increase in government spending. China let the value of its currency fall. And Japan has said it is considering taking measures if the value of the Japanese yen continues to rise. However, reaction in Asia to the heated disputes over trade in the West, especially in the U.S., has been somewhat muted. Peter Drysdale heads the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the Australian National Universitys Crawford School of Public Policy. He said anxiety in Asia is eased by the perception that a more thoughtful discussion will develop over time. The rhetoric coming out of the political campaign in the United States of course does disturb policy leaders elsewhere in the world including Asia, Drysdale said. Both parties voice opposition to free trade deals U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has attacked free trade agreements (FTA) during his campaign. He called for renegotiating or withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, with Canada and Mexico. He also said he opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). That trade agreement includes the United States and 11 other Pacific countries. Trump has criticized trade deals, but he is not alone. The Democratic Party presumptive nominee for president, Hillary Clinton, also voiced opposition to the TPP during her campaign. She has, however, supported free trade agreements in the past. She spoke in support of the NAFTA deal as first lady of the U.S. with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. He signed the agreement into law in 1993. Clinton also supported the TPP when she was President Barack Obamas secretary of state. As a presidential candidate, however, she said the final version was not good for American workers. Some experts see her change in position as, at least partly, a reaction to her opponent in the primary elections Bernie Sanders. He has been outspoken in his opposition to trade deals. However, President Obama is hopeful that the U.S. Senate will approve the TPP after Congressional elections in November. Economists said Asian countries could take further measures to open up their economies and increase investment in Western countries. Drysdale said this could ease anti-trade anger in the West. He added that is already happening to some extent. Investors in India and China and elsewhere in the region are looking to put plants and investment into industrial countries and the United States in particular, he said. Frederic Neumann of HSBC said American companies do complain of complex regulations blocking market access to Korea although an agreement is in place. Officials in Seoul say South Korea has a trade surplus of about $10 billion with the U.S. But, they note that South Korean companies invest more in America than U.S. companies invest in Korea. Last week, Republican candidate Trump took specific aim at the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea. He said the deal doubled the U.S. trade deficit with its East Asian ally and lost nearly 100,000 American jobs. Im Mario Ritter. Brian Padden reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sentiment n. feelings or an attitude held by a large number of people muted adj. not strong, limited perception n. an opinion, a way of seeing things rhetoric n. public speech meant to persuade others to do or support something disturb v. to throw into confusion, to worry or upset EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of a new ongoing series about international student life at colleges and universities across the U.S. Please join us over the next several weeks as we bring you stories about these amazing individuals and the American higher education system as a whole. Diana Ayoub did not think she would study in the U.S. after finishing high school. Ayoub was born in Cairo, Egypt. She says the Egyptian education system is all about memorization. There are few chances for students to get experience using what they learn in the classroom. Making the choice to attend a university in a foreign country is never easy. But Ayoub felt the education system in her home country lacked the resources and methods she desired. By her first year in high school, Ayoub knew she needed to leave Egypt to get the kind of education she wanted. So she enrolled in the African Leadership Academy, or ALA, in 2012. The ALA is a special private high school in South Africa. With students from 45 different countries, the ALA trains leaders to help solve issues across the African continent. Ayoub did not know how to apply to schools in the U.S. The ALA college counselors helped her move through the complex application process. She also applied to the African Leadership Bridge scholarship program to help pay for her education. "I had no idea what was an SAT, I didnt know what was a GPA. I didnt know I had to write college essays and applications But thank god I got good support from my college counselors." Then, Ayoub chose to seek an undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. The University of Texas at Austin, or UT Austin, was founded in 1883. The public research university is one of fourteen schools in the University of Texas system. UT Austin is located in Austin, the capital city of the state of Texas. With a world-class music scene, Austin is called the Live Music Capital of the World. The city is also famous for its wild outdoor art and ethnic food trucks. In recent years, many technology companies have moved into the city. The cost of living has risen. Some people are worried that Austin is losing its artistic spirit. There is an effort to support local business called Keep Austin Weird. This motto appears on T-shirts and bumper stickers around the city. Every year the city holds a large festival celebrating new music, art and technology called South by Southwest. President Barack Obama spoke at the event in 2016. Ayoub is a Coptic Christian, a religious minority in Egypt. She knew what it felt like to be different from most people before coming to the U.S. But Ayoub says that in Austin everyone is different, so everyone is accepted for who they are. "There is no one weird in Austin. Its normal to be weird. I knew that Im never going to be judged for my culture or my background." The decision to study at UT Austin was not as difficult for Carlos Galdeano. Galdeano is from Mexico City, Mexico, a four-hour flight from Austin. He says moving to Austin did not require much money. Galdeano also received a scholarship after enrolling at UT Austin in 2012. The scholarship came from the Mexican government agency called The National Council for Science and Technology. Galdeano is earning his doctorate degree, or Ph.D, in civil engineering, studying how water and energy are used. He wanted to study under some of UT Austins more well-known professors. Daene McKinney, David Maidment and Michael Webber are all experts in Galdeanos field of study. Galdeano says the main problem for him was what he thought about the U.S. before arriving. The U.S. and Mexico have long had a difficult relationship. The media in both countries often comment on the negative beliefs that people in the U.S. have about people from Latin America. Some people in the U.S. believe the border between the countries should be closed. Galdeano was concerned he would be treated poorly because of his nationality or race. But soon he learned many people in the U.S. are welcoming to foreigners. "Every time someone asks me if I feel threatened or not wanted in this country I would say no. Not all Americans think that way. I was expecting people only thinking about themselves. But I really found that they also care a lot about other causes outside the U.S." Galdeano had other problems when he arrived. His wife had an F-2 visa at first, which meant she could not work or study. This made life in the U.S. difficult for her. Also, Galdeano had to learn that some common Mexican customs were unacceptable in the U.S. For example, people in Mexico often kiss each other on the cheek when they meet. Most people in the U.S. avoid physical contact, unless they know the other person very well. But Galdeano says willingness to be open to new ideas makes life as an international student in the U.S. easier. "You definitely have to be more tolerant. So I think Ive been growing more as a person that way." Galdeano is now a teaching assistant, or TA, for a class called Projects with Underserved Communities. Graduate students often work as TAs for professors in the same academic department. Galdeano and the professor help the students in the class design projects serving rural communities in developing countries. The students work with non-governmental organizations in these countries. If the students can raise the money needed, they can travel to those countries and make their projects happen. In 2016, Galdeanos students were able to travel to India, Tanzania and Guatemala. He says everything he learned about fitting in at UT Austin has helped him teach his students. Understanding differences and accepting different opinions is very important, he adds. The more people try to understand each other, the easier it is for them to solve the worlds problems. Im Pete Musto. Pete Musto reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Adam Brock produced the video. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. What different parts of American culture do you think would be the most difficult for you to accept? What do you think life would be like for you as an international student at UT Austin? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story memorization n. the act of learning something so well that you are able to remember it perfectly enroll(ed) v. to enter someone as a member of or participant in something apply v. to ask formally for something such as a job, admission to a school or a loan, usually in writing counselor(s) n. a person who provides advice as a job application n. a formal and usually written request for something such as a job, admission to a school or a loan scholarship n. an amount of money that is given by a school or an organization to a student to help pay for the student's education SAT n. a test where all test-takers take the same test under the same or reasonably equal conditions, widely used for in the process of accepting someone as a student at a college in the United States GPA (grade point average) n. a number that indicates the average of the numbers that indicate how a student performed in a class or on a test essay(s) n. a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject undergraduate degree n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after four years of study weird adj. unusual or strange motto n. a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group bumper sticker(s) n. a strip of paper or plastic that has a printed message and that is made to be stuck on the bumper of a car or truck doctorate degree n. the highest degree that is given by a university unacceptable adj. not pleasing or welcome tolerant n. willing to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from your own class n. a series of meetings in which students are taught a particular subject or activity academic adj. of or relating to schools and education Recent shootings broadcast on live streaming apps are raising ethical questions about the use of the technology. The most recent case happened this week outside St. Paul, Minnesota. Police shot a man in his car during a traffic stop and the aftermath of the shooting was broadcast live over Facebook by the victims girlfriend. The girlfriend sat in the passenger seat as she streamed a 10-minute video on Facebook Live that was later posted on YouTube. The video shows the man, 32-year-old Philando Castile, bleeding and slumped over in the drivers seat after being shot. She said police pulled the car over for having a broken tail light. The officer asked to see the drivers license and registration. She said her boyfriend then told the officer he had a gun that he was licensed to carry. But she said the officer shot him in the arm four or five times as he reached for his wallet. The girlfriend later cried in the video while explaining, police shot him for no apparent reason, no reason at all. Her boyfriend was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The officer involved in the shooting was put on leave while the incident is being investigated. The officer is heard in the video saying: I told him not to reach for it. I told him to get his hand out. The woman responds: You shot four bullets into him, sir. He was just getting his license and registration, sir. Video streaming is more popular Deadly police shootings, especially those involving black victims and white officers, are widely covered in the U.S. media. Multiple incidents happened just in the last few weeks. Some shootings are discovered only after someone captured them on video. Television networks and local stations fill their broadcasts with social media video footage shot by witnesses on phone cameras. During coverage of the police killings in Dallas, broadcasters showed video from the chaotic scene of people running away right after shots were fired. In another video, a man hiding inside a building gave updates on the police search for a suspect nearby. But the popularity of streaming apps such as Facebook Live and Twitters Periscope have now made it possible for killings and other crimes to be broadcast live. Darrell West is vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings. He says the rise in live streaming shows that we have become a reality culture. Its possible to live stream a wide range of activities. Some perfectly benign, but others such as crimes and killings - even beheadings in the case of ISIS [also known as Islamic State] - that are very problematic. So it definitely raises a lot of ethical issues. West even sees the streaming technology being used by mass killers or terrorists in future attacks to reach a live audience. Its only a matter of time before some mass murderer wears a body camera and live streams the crime. The technology is there, we are seeing it applied in other areas, and its not expensive for criminals to get a hold of that kind of technology, he said. The Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, was using Facebook during his attack on the Pulse nightclub that killed 49 people. He used Facebook to search the terms Pulse Orlando and shooting from inside the nightclub. He did not live stream the massacre, but did post messages about it. Video streaming raises the possibility that news networks might also decide to broadcast these live feeds. Darrell West said the networks will need to be cautious, but he predicts they will decide to show some of the live videos. If theres a really big event going on, like a crime or mass killings, they are going to put it on the air. Because there is going to be extensive public interest in that, and people want to know what happened. And the best way to tell them what happened is through live videos. Chicago killing was streaming live Another killing was captured on a live Facebook stream last month in Chicago. Police said 28-year-old Antonio Perkins, a suspected gang member, was shot June 15. Perkins was live streaming on Facebook during the shooting. The 14-minute video showed him standing outside, together with friends, and talking into the camera. About six minutes into the video, he looks to his right and says, Boy stop playin. At that point, gunshots can be heard, the man collapses, and his phone falls to the ground. A few more shots are heard. People at the scene can be heard on the video saying, Oh my God. Call the police! Hurry up! Police arrive shortly and Perkins is rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. That shooting was captured as part of a real-life event, and technology experts say this will happen again and again. Robert Thompson is the Director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. He said the rise in live streaming came about because almost everyone now carries a phone with a video camera. It also provides a way for people to broadcast internationally through the internet, which appeals to many people. Now just because you happen to post a video on Facebook, doesnt mean the whole world is going to watch it. But youve got the potential for the whole world watching it. Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile, explained to a Facebook Live audience Thursday why she streamed the police shooting and final moments of Philandos life. I wanted to put it on Facebook and go viral so that the people could see. I want the people to determine who was right and who was wrong, she said Robert Thompson said that with so many camera-capable phones out there, every now and again, you are going to capture just as life goes on really horrible things happening. The positive side of that, he says, is capturing crimes that would go unnoticed before. With all of this recording, I think an awful lot of things are happening that people are having to account for, in a way that would not have been the case before. But Thompson said other broadcasts by criminals or terrorists will be planned specifically for the camera. A lot of these bad things are done for the sake of the recording they are going to get. You could make the argument, pretty soundly, that September 11 was planned as a television production. Despite the ethical issues with live streaming technology, Thompson said it is nearly impossible to stop. Technology is relatively neutral. How do you only take the good from this and not the bad? Darrell West agrees that there are very few ways for social media companies or the government to regulate live streams. The genie is out of the bottle and theres no way to put it back in. We cant go back. He added: It used to be the first impulse was to call 911, now the first impulse is, grab your camera and take pictures and record videos. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. Additional information came from the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story ethical adj. relating to questions of right and wrong behavior slump v. to fall to the side while sitting or leaning chaotic adv. state of complete confusion and disorder benign adj. not causing harm or damage predict v. to say something that will happen in the future brutality n. cruel, harsh or violent treatment encounter n. an unexpected or casual meeting with someone genie n. a magic spirit that looks like a person impulse n. a sudden strong urge to act Mumbai: Actor Irrfan Khan-starrer Madaari, which was scheduled to be released on July 15, will now release a week later at the behest of the makers of Great Grand Masti. They requested Vashu Bhagnani, the distributor of Madaari, to push back the film's release. This is the second time that the movie's release date has been altered. Earlier, Madaari was to release alongside megastar Amitabh Bachchan's TE3N on June 10 and then it was pushed to July 15. But Bhagnani doesn't mind. "The industry is one big family and we all operate for and with each other. 'Madaari' will now hit theatres on July 22, while 'Great Grand Masti' will come on July 15," Bhagnani said in a statement. Madaari, which explores a father-son relationship, is directed by Nishikant Kamat. It also features Jimmy Sheirgill in a pivotal role. Great Grand Masti director Indra Kumar said Bhagnani's gesture is heartening. "We're touched by Vashuji's gesture of moving his film ahead by a week on our request. The industry continues to stand thick as one body owing to such veteran producers," said Kumar, whose adult comedy film stars Ritesh Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Urvashi Rautela. London: Vijay Mallya has set foot in the Formula One paddock for the first time this season but attending races outside Britain, let alone returning to India, remains a step too far for the exiled tycoon. The Force India co-owner's diplomatic passport, which he carried as a member of the Rajya Sabha, was revoked in April with a judge in Mumbai issuing a non-bailable warrant for his arrest. Indian authorities trying to recover about $1.4 billion from his collapsed Kingfisher Airlines want to question Mallya, who flew to Britain in March. He has had an indefinite right of residency there since 1992. In an interview with Reuters inside his team hospitality at the British Grand Prix, Mallya made clear his reluctance to return "unless assured of a fair trial in India, if at all there needs to be a trial. "I am willing to answer all their questions. But why only in India? And why after my passport has been revoked?" he added, saying any hearing could as easily be done in England or by video conferencing. "For me, England is as much home." "It's frustrating that you can't just get on a plane and go but hopefully the legal process will restore my rights sooner rather than later," added Mallya, who bought his country home from the father of world champion Lewis Hamilton. The 60-year-old beer baron, looking slimmer than in recent times, said he was in good shape "contrary to what people may think" and was more involved with his Silverstone-based team despite being unable to travel. "I have time to lead a far more regulated life," he said. "I have the time to focus on things that I enjoy." Passionate petrolhead Mallya has fitted out his home so he can interact with the team at races but he said that was no substitute for the buzz of being on the pit wall -- particularly at a time when the team are doing so well. Force India have had two podium finishes with Mexican Sergio Perez and a front row start for Germany's Nico Hulkenberg in the last five grands prix. "I am a petrolhead, passionate about Formula One. Therefore to be here, to absorb the atmosphere, to smell the fuel... its that much more satisfying," he said. The team ownership has been under scrutiny, with the business woes of Mallya and co-owners Sahara Group raising speculation about a possible sale to raise cash. Sahara's founder Subrata Roy has been under arrest since March 2014 after the company failed to comply with a court order to refund money raised from millions of small investors. "What is happening to either Sahara or myself is really irrelevant to the team itself, its own stability and own operation and path forward," said Mallya. "There is absolutely no reason why I need to sell my stake, or liquidate my stake in Formula One." Mallya said the amount owed to banks was probably half what the media was reporting, once various amounts of interest were stripped out. "I gave a limited personal guarantee which is in court because I have challenged the validity of the guarantee. There is no judgment on that," he said. "So the court has to decide whether my guarantee is valid and if so, for what amount." "The media is screaming about 900 million pounds ($1.16 billion). What nobody cares to mention is that Kingfisher Airlines has launched a counter-claim on the banks themselves under lenders liability for 380 million. Which is also being argued in court." Sahara, which paid $100 million for the Force India shareholding in 2011, sought the Supreme Court's permission in February to dispose of it and other assets to raise a combined 53 billion Indian rupees ($789.15 million). Mallya suggested that was a legal formality. "Just going to court and asking for permission to sell by no means indicates that there is some sort of deal on the table," he said. "As two major shareholders, one cannot sell without the consent of another. "I will not be able to sell without their consent... So there is nothing like that on the table at all." SRINAGAR, India At least 11 protesters died as crowds angered by the killing of separatist militant Burhan Wani clashed with armed police in Jammu and Kashmir state on Saturday, torching buildings and blocking streets, security officials said. Police sources told Reuters that demonstrators set fire to three police stations and two government buildings in towns south of the state's summer capital of Srinagar, and three officers had gone missing in the violence. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a separatist political leader, accused police of using excessive force and questioned their version of events. The protests erupted a day after security services shot dead Wani, a 22-year-old militant known for his calls to arms on social media. He led Hizb-ul Mujahideen, prominent among the groups fighting Indian control of the Muslim-majority region. His death came amid a rise in violence and separatist sentiment across the state, which has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan for decades. Photographs appeared to show thousands attending Wani's funeral in his hometown of Tral, about 40 km (25 miles) south of Srinagar, despite restrictions on the movement of people and traffic ordered the night before. "Unruly mobs attacked security forces," additional director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, S. M. Sahai said. "The violent incidents of arson and stone pelting were reported from several parts of Kashmir." "NEW ICON" Some of the crowds tried to enter security installations and managed to steal weapons from one police station that they used to shoot at officers, Sahai added. He put the death count at eight but two other officers, who asked not to named as they were not authorised to talk to the press, said three more people had died from their injuries. Sahai said 96 security personnel had been injured during the day's violence alongside, the two police sources added, more than 60 protestors. Farooq, the head of a faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference separatist alliance, accused police of brutish tactics. "The intention of police and Indian armed forces is always to shoot to kill and not disperse mobs by using non-lethal means," he said. He said that "maybe at one place the people attacked a police station". Farooq was one of a number of separatist leaders that authorities placed under house detention after Wani's death, and did not take part in any of the rallies. India's minister for home affairs, Rajnath Singh, released a statement on Twitter on Saturday night asking for calm. Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said Wani had now become a "new icon" for disaffected people in the state. "Mark my words - Burhan's ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media," Abdullah said on Twitter. Shops, banks and other offices were closed in Srinagar, as paramilitary troops patrolled the streets outside. Police said they halted traffic on the main highway connecting the state to the rest of India after disruptions by protestors and officials said train services had been temporarily halted in the area. Mobile Internet services were blocked across some parts of the state and cell phone service was interrupted in others. Wani, the son of a school headmaster, regularly posted video messages online, dressed in military fatigues and inviting young men to join his jihad. Separatist political leaders have called for a strike and three days of mourning. (Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari; Editing by Tom Lasseter and Andrew Heavens) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. DIYARBAKIR, Turkey A senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group has been killed in a bomb attack on a car in which he was travelling in northeast Syria, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday. If confirmed, the killing of Fehman Huseyin would be a major blow to the PKK, which been fighting in southeast Turkey since a two-year-old ceasefire collapsed a year ago. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have died in the conflict since. Huseyin, a Syrian Kurd known in Turkey by the code name Bahoz Erdal, was killed on Friday evening as he travelled to the northern Syrian city of Qamishli, Anadolu said. It cited a spokesman of a Syrian rebel group it named as the Tel Khamis Brigades as the source for the report. The spokesman, Khalid al Khasakewi, said at least eight people were killed in the car in which Huseyin was travelling and that the attack was carried out after tracking him for a long time. "We dedicate this operation...to the Syrian people," Khasakewi was quoted as saying, indicating his group had carried out the attack. While the PKK leadership is mainly based in the mountains of northern Iraq, the group is closely allied with the Kurdish YPG militia which operates in Syria. Turkey views both groups as terrorist organisations. BOMB ATTACK, CLASHES IN SOUTHEAST TURKEY Earlier on Saturday, PKK militants carried out a car bomb attack on a military outpost in southeast Turkey and then opened fire on the facility, killing two soldiers and a civilian and wounding dozens, security sources said. The car bombing targeted the Cevizlik village outpost in Mardin province, which borders Syria, around 12:40 p.m. (0940 GMT), the sources said, adding military reinforcements were sent to capture the attackers. They said those wounded in the attack included 23 soldiers, three of whom were seriously hurt, and 14 civilians as well as one member of the village guard which supports the army in its security operations. The attack came a day after Turkish troops killed 19 PKK fighters in clashes elsewhere in the mainly Kurdish region. The army spotted militants preparing an attack on Friday on an army base in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province, a mountainous area near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, a military statement said. It said the armed forces killed 17 PKK guerrillas in the subsequent clash and seized guns, grenades and ammunition. Separately, further north in the Baskale district of Van province, security force members who were destroying explosives planted beside a road were engaged in a firefight and killed two PKK militants, one of them female, the statement said. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, began its insurgency in 1984. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Andrew Roche) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Srinagar: Authorities on Saturday suspended the Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp due to apprehensions of law and order problems in Kashmir Valley following the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and his two associates in an encounter with security forces on Friday. "The Amarnath yatra has been suspended from Jammu base camp. No fresh pilgrims will be allowed to proceed towards the Valley today," a police official said. Though the yatra will continue from Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir, the pilgrims would be advised to stay put at these camps till further advisory on their movement is issued, he said. The steps have been taken in view of tension in the Valley following the killing of 21-year-old Wani, considered as a 'poster boy' of Hizbul Mujahideen terror group for wooing Kashmiri youths to militancy, in Kokernag area of south Kashmir Anantnag district on Friday. The official said a decision on resuming the Amarnath yatra from Jammu will be taken after assessing the situation in the Valley. Wani in his video message last month had assured that his outfit will not harm any Amarnath pilgrim as "they are our guests". His video message had come in response to a senior security force official claiming that militants might carry out attacks on Amarnath pilgrims. Till last evening, 1,03,063 pilgrims had 'darshan' of the ice lingam at the cave shrine of Amarnath. On the sixth day of Amarnath yatra, 15,593 people paid obeisance at the holy cave on Friday. The yatra will conclude on August 17. Srinagar: Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, and Amarnath yatra suspended as authorities apprehended protests in the Valley, where tension prevailed following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces. Protesters blocked main roads and entry to interiors of the city at many places following a strike call by top separatists leaders who were put under house arrest as a precautionary measure. Public address systems were used in some places today to relay the audio messages of Wani, who had emerged as the poster boy of militancy. Mobile internet across Kashmir has been suspended while mobile telephony services have also been restricted in south Kashmir. A police official said the situation was by and large peaceful in most parts of Kashmir so far but Tral the hometown of the slain militant commander witnessed protests by residents following his killing in the encounter in Kokernag area on Friday. "Restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in six police station areas of Srinagar city, most parts of Pulwama district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order," a senior government official said. He said the decision was taken in view of the violent protests at some places last night in these areas after the news of Wani's death. "A group of youths also started pelting stones towards the camps of security forces who have not retaliated to the provocation so far," he said. Authorities have suspended Amarnath yatra from Jammu base camp to base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam in the Valley as a precautionary measure. The train services between Baramulla in Kashmir and Banihal across the Pir Panjal mountain range have also been suspended for the day as the trains have been targeted by mobs in the past. Top separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik were placed under house arrest last night as they had called for a shutdown on Saturday. The two factions of the Hurriyat had planned funeral prayers in absentia for the slain militants. Radical women's outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi has called for a three-day shutdown. Meanwhile, shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, officials said. They said public transport was off the roads, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at some places. Educational institutions in the Valley were closed on account of the ongoing summer vacations. The reports of shutdown have been received from district headquarters in the Valley, the officials said. Central University of Kashmir has postponed all examinations scheduled for today, a spokesman of the University said. He said that the new dates for the examination would be notified separately. Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education has also postponed today's exams in view of the strike. New Delhi: An IndiGo plane, carrying 180 passengers and six crew members, from Bengaluru made a precautionary landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday due to a glitch. All passengers and crew members landed safely, airport sources said. According to sources, local standby was declared for IndiGo flight 6E-106 arriving here from Bengaluru at 1201 hours after the pilot reported a technical fault in the Airbus 320 aircraft to the Delhi ATC. As part of the procedure, all the duty personnel and airport security ground staff were deployed to deal with any eventuality on its landing. The aircraft, however, landed safely on runway 28/10 and there was no harm to any person onboard, they said, adding local standby was withdrawn at 1220 hours. During local standby, all aerodrome emergency services are brought to a state of readiness. The airline, in a statement, said, "Flight 6E106 en route Bangalore to Delhi made a normal landing today at IGI airport. Just before the landing, the pilot observed a nose wheel steering glitch in the aircraft. Keeping in mind the safety, the pilot took the precautionary measure and immediately informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the same." "ATC on receiving the notification of the technical snag would have made the emergency services at standby as per their procedures. However, this flight made a normal landing and the technical snag needed only a computer reset. There was no emergency declared by the pilot. The flight made a normal landing," it said. PTI New Delhi: Government has advised Mumbai's iconic 'dabbawalas', one of the brand ambassadors for Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), to affix stickers with messages on cleanliness on the cover of every tiffin box they deliver to clients. The message on the top of the cover should be "Please wash your hands before eating", while message for underside of top cover be "Please dispose of left-over food into waste bins only," said a senior urban development ministry official. Known world over for its efficiency in delivering tiffins, dabbawalas deliver about 200,000 tiffin boxes every day. "We request you to kindly create message stickers around Swachh Bharat and affix these stickers on the cover of every tiffin box of each of your clients," secretary in urban development ministry and Mission Director (SBM) Praveen Prakash said in a letter, dated 8 July, to Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers' Association (MTSA) president Rahgunath D Medge. Stating that the message stickers should also carry the picture of the Swachh Bharat logo, he requested MTSA to share photographs of these tiffin boxes with messages so that it could be set as "an example for others to emulate". "Please also arrange to disseminate these photographs on social media (both Facebook and Twitter) for larger dissemination of these messages, and for us to retweet and share," he added. Given the "iconic stature" of Dabbawalas, he said, "we are confident that this initiative through you will have a huge impact on people's attitudes towards the whole issue of waste disposal". Prakash said the SBM has entered a very critical stage where there is an "urgent need" for all stakeholders to step up their efforts to make this a true "people's movement- a 'jan andolan' in spirit and action". PTI Bhubaneswar: At least five people, including one child, were killed after getting caught in a crossfire between security personnel and Maoists in Kandhamal district of Odisha, a police officer said on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday night at Kurtumgarh village under Tumudibandh police station limits. "Five villagers including two women, one minor and two men were killed during the gun battle with the Maoists," said Kandhamal district Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra. The minor was a 13-year-old boy. An auto-rickshaw carrying passengers got caught in the crossfire resulting in so many casualties, Mishra said. "After we received intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists, the security personnel rushed to the spot and launched a combing operation on Friday night. But, the unfortunate incident took place during the crossfire," he said. He said the families of the deceased would be given adequate compensation. Meanwhile, the villagers have blocked the road and staged a demonstration demanding Rs 50 lakh compensation to the families of the deceased. Srinagar: More than 20,000 people on Saturday attended the burial of top Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in south Kashmir's Tral town. People from different parts of Pulwama district gathered at Shariefabad (Tral) to attend the burial of Wani, who was killed along with two of his associates in a gunfight with security forces in Bamdoora (Kokernag) village of Anantnag district on Friday. Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, mourners at the burial appeared surcharged as youths raised slogans vowing to follow Wani's path. The authorities, allowing the burial procedure, withdrew all security forces deployed around the ground to prevent clashes with the agitated people. The authorities had imposed a curfew in the entire Pulwama district, but the people had come to attend Wani's burial by defying the curfew restrictions. Mobile internet services were suspended throughout the Valley on Saturday to prevent spread of rumours. Authorities also suspended mobile phone services throughout south Kashmir's Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam districts. Curfew has also been imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar including Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Maisuma and Kral Koud. The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Saturday following law and order situation in areas along its route. Train services from north Kashmir's Baramulla town to Bannihal town in the Jammu region were also suspended on Saturday. All school board examinations scheduled for the day have been postponed. Separatists, including hardliner Sayed Ali Shah Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for a day strike to protest Wani's killing. Lasha-e Taiba militant outfit and Asiya Andrabi, the radical chief of women separatist Dukhtaran-e-Milat, have called for a three-day shutdown in thr Kashmir valley. Srinagar: Violence broke out at several places in Kashmir on Saturday as mobs attacked police posts, security personnel and BJP office in Kulgam to protest the death of Hizbul Mujhaideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter. Eleven people including three policemen have been injured during the clashes. Groups of youths pelted stones at police posts and police stations at Bandipora, Qazigund and Larnoo in Anantnag district, a police official said. Violent protests were also held in Mir Bazaar and Damhaal Hanjipora in Kulgam district and Warpora in Sopore township of Baramulla district. The police picket guarding minority community in Vessu area of south Kashmir was also attacked, the official said. He said a mob also attacked BJP office in Nilo-Bugam area of Kulgam district and damaged the building. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Sheeri, Kreeri, Delina, Pattan and Palhalan areas of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, the official said, adding Barsoo and Shariefabad in Awantipora area of south Kashmir also saw violent protests. He said, "So far 11 people including three policemen have received injuries during the clashes which were going on when reports last came in". Minor protests were also reported from several parts of the city, he added. Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, and Amarnath yatra suspended as authorities had apprehended protests in the Valley, where tension prevailed following the killing of Wani on Friday. Mobile internet across Kashmir has been suspended while mobile telephony services have also been restricted in south Kashmir. Top separatists leaders who had called for a strike were put under house arrest as a precautionary measure. New Delhi: Sticking to his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday posted on Twitter a photo purportedly showing the Malegaon blast case accused seated beside the Home Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Do you recognise the two BJP leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji please respond?," the Congress General Secretary said in a series of tweets along with the photograph. However, it was not clear when the purported photograph was taken. Do you recognise the two BJP Leaders with Pragya Thakur? Would Rajnath ji and Shivraj ji pl respond ? pic.twitter.com/aG59jPNEIg digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Digvijaya's reaction came after BJP termed as "baseless" his claim that Rajnath Singh had met Pragya Thakur in 2008, when the BJP was in opposition. The Congress leader, who has in the past too made similar claims which Rajnath Singh had then denied, raked up the issue after BJP targeted him over a 2012 video showing him praising controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has come under government scrutiny after reports emerged that terrorists involved in Dhaka attack were inspired by him. Taking a dig over the video issue, Digvijay tweeted "Four-year-old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! Double standards." "Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very kind and considerate towards me. Thanks for free Publicity and keeping me in news Dig out some more such cases. Put your full Team to find everything against Digvijaya (sic) !", he said in a series of tweets. 4yr old issue of my sharing the stage with Zakir Naik who doesn't have a case against him played on the National Media for more than 3 days! digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Double standards. Modi Bhakts and Sanghi elements in Media have always been very "kind and considerate" towards me. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 9, 2016 Digvijaya also raked up the issue of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik meeting JuD chief Hafiz Sayeed in Pakistan by posting a photo of the meeting. KABUL Deaths among Afghan local police forces, who bear the brunt of some of the most dangerous fighting against Taliban insurgents have dropped by around a quarter to 295 members since March 21, due to better equipment and training, officials said on Saturday. Since the start of the Persian New Year on March 21, 295 members of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) have been killed, compared with 403 deaths in the period between March 21 and July 21 last year, Interior Ministry officials told reporters. "It's down to support, better cooperation, training, better equipment," said Mohammad Salim Ahsas, a senior ministry official. The period covers the time since former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike on May 21 and replaced by one of his deputies, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. The figures referred only the ALP, a 30,000-strong force which is counted separately from the main Afghan National Police units. Its members, recruited with the support of local elders, are only supposed to operate close to their home villages. But any sign of a drop in casualties will be welcome for both Afghan security forces and the NATO-led coalition supporting the government following heavy losses last year when more than 16,000 police and soldiers were killed or wounded. Afghan police, many left manning static roadside checkpoints, have suffered a disproportionately higher level of casualties than their army counterparts mainly because of poor equipment, training and planning. ALP units, which have earned a grim reputation after frequent allegations of human rights abuses including intimidation, beating, illegal detentions and child rape, have lagged behind other units in receiving supplies and equipment. However the officials said that most units were now equipped with uniforms, body armour and helmets. Separately, officials said there were plans to boost ALP numbers by several thousand but they gave no details. (Reporting by Mirwais Harooni; writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Louise Heavens) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WARSAW Britain's outgoing prime minister David Cameron said on Saturday he would hold a parliamentary vote on July 18 to decide on the renewal of Britain's nuclear deterrent, in an apparent move to underscore London's commitment to European security. The replacement of Trident, which was backed in principle by parliament in 2007, has raised questions about national security as Britain's vote to leave the European Union fuels doubts about its future status on the world stage. The Conservative government says the nuclear deterrent is vital to keep Britain safe in an increasingly hostile world, but some opposition figures say it is indefensible to spend billions on renewing the programme at a time of austerity cuts. "Today I can announce that we'll hold a parliamentary vote on July 18 to confirm members of parliaments' support for the renewal of a full fleet of four nuclear submarines capable of providing around-the-clock cover," Cameron told a news conference at the NATO summit in Warsaw. "The nuclear deterrent remains essential in my view, not just to Britain's security, but as our allies have acknowledged here today, to the overall security of the NATO alliance." The government has indicated the price tag for replacing the fleet has risen since 2007 but has not given a full cost over its expected 30-year life. Calculations by Reuters and a Conservative lawmaker suggest it could reach 167 billion pounds. Cameron, who resigned after last month's EU referendum and is due to be replaced as prime minister by early September, said replacement of the ageing fleet of four submarines carrying nuclear weapons needed to be put "beyond doubt". (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Wiktor Szary; editing by Andrew Roche) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. We want you that is, women who have served in the armed forces, to register your service with the Women in Military Service Memorial. The Women in Military Service Memorial, located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Ceremony, is the only major national memorial honoring women who have defended America throughout its history. It was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1997. From the time that men have picked up arms against one another, women have participated as well. In the early days of this country, women disguised themselves to serve alongside their male counterparts. For generations, male soldiers have returned home to ticker tape parades and other forms of rewards and recognition. Not so for women they came home and their service was often never mentioned, and certainly not recognized. For far too long, women were made to feel that they werent even veterans. They were overlooked for benefits and services. Recently, due in large part to public awareness raised through the Women in Military Service museum, the Vietnam Womens Memorial and favorable legislation passed by Congress and individual states, more women veterans are getting their deserved acknowledgement. Nonetheless, while a positive message to female veterans is getting out, there is still much to be done in ensuring that these veterans receive the services and recognition they earned. During the Civil War, the phrase war is no place for women was commonly heard. Yet many women assisted in the war, cooking for the troops, providing refuge in their homes and offering sewing or laundry services. Women eventually made their mark by entering into battlefield nursing, including a number from central New York. One woman was Sophronia Bucklin of Cayuga County. Bucklin joined the war effort in 1862. She offered her services to Dorothea Dix, the superintendent of nurses. Initially, Dix turned her down because she was too young and Dix thought that the work would be too difficult. Bucklin, who was at the time working as a seamstress at the Auburn Orphanage, refused to take no for an answer. She journeyed to Washington and went to Dixs office, where her offer was accepted because of the great need for nurses. Bucklin was one of the first women nurses to arrive at Gettysburg. Bucklin worked at a variety of military hospitals through the end of the war. She then returned to New York state and worked as a seamstress. She was deeply affected by her war experiences and left a record of them in "Hospital and Camp: A Womans Record of Thrilling Incidents Among the Wounded in the Late War" (1869). Bucklin spent the rest of her life in Ithaca, dying in 1902 at the age of 74. She is buried in Lake View Cemetery. Following the Civil War, and as the decades have progressed, more women were accepted into the military but only in auxiliary roles. As the times have progressed, along with the weapons and methods of warfare, public opinion has shifted to realizing that gender matters less on the battlefield, and the roles of women have expanded. The telling of the women veteran's story is important, and shouldnt be lost because it hasnt been recorded. We know of early stories because of the likes of Bucklin and other volunteers who left a record for others. Because of the experiences of Bucklin and thousands of others, the Womens Memorial seeks to recognize all women who have served in or with the U.S. armed forces, document those experiences and make their contributions a visible part of history. One important way that the memorial does this is by capturing and preserving stories of female veterans through a register. This register is a computerized database of information about the women who are listed. Visitors can access the photographs, military histories and individual stories of registrants by simply typing names into a computer. The register serves as an active resource, creating an ongoing record of history as it is made. The memorial is actively seeking to register as many veterans, active duty, National Guard and reserve servicewomen as possible. Women from service organizations who served overseas during time of war, as well as cadet nurses, are also eligible. To date, approximately 250,000 of the 2 million women eligible have been registered. For more information on the Women in Military Service Memorial, or to register yourself or another female veteran, visit womensmemorial.org. Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom." 1st Lt. Anne S. Brehm, USA, NC, World War I. NEW YORK Hillary Clinton responded on Friday to a scathing assessment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she was "extremely careless" with classified government secrets by saying she relied on the judgment of her subordinates at the U.S. State Department. After maintaining for more than a year that she did not send or receive classified information through her unauthorized private email server, she acknowledged on Friday she may have at least unwittingly done so, three days after the FBI concluded this happened at least 110 times. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said she "certainly did not believe" that she was handling classified information on her server at the time, but emphasized that she followed the lead of her subordinates on whether information was classified. "I did not have a basis for second-guessing their conclusion," Clinton said in an interview with CNN. "These are experienced diplomats, they have expertise in handling classified material," she said in a separate interview with PBS Newshour. "They were not careless and the material that they sent, they did not believe that was classified." Clinton, who was the department's most senior classifying authority during her four-year tenure at its helm, did not address the FBI's conclusion that she herself sent information on topics classified as 'top secret', the highest level, through the private server she kept in her basement. It is a crime to mishandle classified information, and while FBI Director James Comey said on Tuesday there was evidence Clinton or her aides may have broken these laws, there was not enough evidence of criminal intent for a prosecution. In an unusual 15-minute announcement explaining the FBI's findings, Comey ended up dismaying both Republicans and Democrats. While Clinton's Republican opponents have fumed at the decision not to file criminal charges, Clinton and her staff have disputed some of Comey's criticisms that undermine her argument that she has better judgment than Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate. Comey called her and her staff "extremely careless" and said that any "reasonable" government employee should have known such information should not be aired in emails. Her server was so poorly secured the FBI could not eliminate the possibility it had not been hacked by the country's enemies, Comey said. Asked if she agreed that she was "extremely careless", Clinton said she was not, adding that Comey had "clarified" his remarks. It was unclear what clarification Clinton meant. In lengthier comments before lawmakers on Thursday, Comey again spoke of Clinton's carelessness and "real sloppiness", adding that it seemed she was not "particularly sophisticated with respect to classified information." (Adds comments from PBS Newshour interview.) (Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Bernard Orr) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Houston: The sniper who shot 12 police officers in the US city of Dallas, killing five and injuring many, during a protest decrying police killings of black men this week, has been identified as a former Army reservist equipped for war. Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was wearing body armour and totting an SKS semi-automatic assault rifle and a handgun when he started picking off cops in downtown Dallas late Thursday night during a "Black Lives Matter" protest, law enforcement sources said. Police on Friday found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal detailing combat tactics during a search at the home of Johnson, who told negotiators during the "ambush" that he "wanted to kill white people" as he went on a shooting rampage killing five cops. In a statement on Friday afternoon, Dallas police confirmed the identity of the gunman and said he was described as a "loner" by some who knew him. Detectives were in the process of analysing the information in the journal, the statement said. Johnson was well-trained in using the weapons of war. He served as a reservist for six years until 2015 and was deployed in Afghanistan between November 2013 and July 2014, authorities said. He was a carpentry and masonry specialist, with a rank of private first class, and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal. But he didn't have an especially glowing reputation among members of his unit. "We all knew he was a pervert because he got caught stealing girls panties but murdering cops is a different story," Wells Newsome, a former bunkmate of Johnson's, wrote on Facebook. "You really never know what someone is capable of until it's too late." Luis Canto, another fellow reservist, said Johnson had an erratic personality. "We all knew he was off, man, but no idea he was capable of that," Canto wrote on Facebook. The cold-blooded cop assassinations carried out by Johnson, who had no criminal record or ties to terror groups, stunned his family members. "I keep saying it's not true," Johnson's sister Nicole said in a Facebook post. "My eyes hurt from crying. Why him? And why was he downtown." "The news will say what they think but those that knew him know this wasn't like him," Nicole Johnson added in a separate post. "This is the biggest loss we've had." Johnson's rampage turned what had been a non-violent rally into a bloodbath. Amid the massacre, Johnson told a police negotiator he was targeting white officers because he was angry over the recent spate of cop-involved killings. "He said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown added. The assault ended when Johnson was killed by a bomb strapped to a police robot. The cop killer's Facebook profile picture shows him dressed in a 'dashiki' and holding a clenched fist in the air in a black power salute. He shows support for several groups associated with black nationalism, including the Black Riders Liberation Party and the New Black Panther Party. Johnson's step-mother Donna Ferrier Johnson, who is white, posted a picture of him on Facebook decked out in fatigues and driving a military vehicle. Dallas crime scene investigators were inside Johnson's single-family brick home in Mesquite, located about 12 miles outside of Dallas, for several hours on Friday morning. Neighbours said Johnson was quiet and pleasant but largely kept to himself. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said because of the ongoing investigation, no information will be released right now about three other suspects in the shooting who have been arrested. Brown said, "Through our investigation of some of the suspects, it's revealed to us that this was a well-planned, well thought-out, evil tragedy by these suspects. And we won't rest until we bring everyone to justice." After officials negotiated with the suspect for several hours overnight and exchanged gunfire with him, Brown said police "saw no other option but to use our bomb robot ... for it to detonate where the suspect was. Dhaka: A Bangladeshi teenager who police say was a suspect in last week's deadly attack on a Dhaka cafe has died in custody, with his family insisting he was a hostage and alleging torture by security forces. Zakir Hossain Shawon, 18, a kitchen assistant at the Holey Artisan Bakery, was arrested after last week's deadly siege by suspected Islamists in which 22 people, including 18 foreigners, died. Police killed five attackers and arrested Shawon together with another man over "suspicious activities", treating him as a suspect a claim vehemently rejected by his family, who claim he was taken hostage like other victims. He died in the intensive care unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital late Friday after five days in the clinic, police and his family said. Shawon's father Abdus Sattar demanded an investigation into his death, saying his "innocent son and the main breadwinner of his family" died due to torture. "His whole body had marks of torture. There were marks of curdled blood in many places. One of his eyes and two knees were blackened. His wrists were blackened. It seems he was hanged by ropes tied to his wrists," Sattar told AFP. Nur Khan Liton, the head of Ain o Salish Kendra, a leading human rights group, said there were doubts about Shawon's involvement in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. "IS has named five attackers and police have identified all five. And he was not among the five," he said. "If he was treated as an associate or helper of the attacker, police must present evidence or information." Police and military representatives denied that Shawon had been tortured in custody. "He was held because of suspicious activities. We did not have any opportunity to interrogate him since he was injured and hospitalised," Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP. The teenager's father said he spoke with his son hours before the 1 July carnage when Shawon called to say he had received a bonus payment for Eid al-Fitr, the largest Muslim festival. He had planned to travel home to celebrate the occasion with the family in Dhaka's suburb. Instead, his family saw him in hospital. "He could not recognise me or his mother and thought we were his brother," the father said. "He would cry out in his sleep, pleading with someone, "Please don't hit me. Let me go," he added. KARACHI, Pakistan Famed philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who set up one of Pakistan's biggest welfare organisations and was revered as a "living saint" by many in the South Asian country, died in hospital late on Friday. The announcement of his death triggered a wave of accolades on TV and social media. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid tribute to him as "a great servant of humanity," and said he would receive a posthumous presidential medal and a state funeral. The 88-year-old's reputation for austerity and generosity resonated deeply in Pakistan, a country of 190 million people whose government is riddled with corruption and where public health and welfare services are weak. "There are few men who have done as much good, and made as much a difference to the lives and livelihoods of the Pakistani people as Abdul Sattar Edhi," Sharif said hours before Edhi's death. Edhi, a short man with a long white beard who often wore a traditional cap, had been ill for several years after suffering kidney failure, Edhi's son Faisal told journalists in Karachi. Sharif's government had offered to fly Edhi abroad for treatment, but he refused, saying he wanted to be treated at a public hospital in his own country. The Edhi Foundation runs a vast fleet of ambulances, orphanages and medical clinics across the country. Last year when a devastating heat wave struck Karachi - a city of about 20 million people - the foundation was at the forefront of the response: its ambulances tended to the sick, the Edhi morgue was used to store the dead and many of the poor buried their family members in the Edhi cemetery for free. Edhi's funeral on Saturday is expected to be one of the biggest in Pakistan's history. "He was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind," said Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister of India, Pakistan's historic foe. "PAKISTAN'S MOTHER TERESA" In a nation often riven by social, ethnic and religious strife, Edhi won respect from every strata of society for an ascetic lifestyle that was devoted to helping the poor regardless of their background. Edhi lived in a bare room in Karachi, alternating between his two suits of black clothes and occasionally listening to recordings of Koranic verses on a battered old tape recorder. "When my ambulance takes a wounded person who is in pain to the hospital, when people reach the hospital, I find peace in knowing I helped an injured person who was in pain," Edhi told Reuters in an interview in 2013. "My mission is to love human beings ... Each day is the best day of my life." Edhi was well-known for berating Islamist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for their attacks on civilians, criticising the government for incompetence and corruption and denouncing the elites for dodging taxes. His wife, Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the women's shelters and the adoption of orphans. They have found homes for about 25,000 children. Edhi's foundation has provided relief in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Indonesia and in the United States after Hurricane Katrina. Pakistanis took to Twitter to mourn the death of a national hero many call a "living saint" and "Pakistan's Mother Teresa". "In his death he has united all of Pakistan, across all affiliations, in mourning. That in itself is a measure of his greatness," said a Twitter user named Imran Khan. (Additional reporting by Mehreen Zahra-Malik, writing by Drazen Jorgic and Mehreen Zahra-Malik; editing by Andrew Heavens, G Crosse) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Seoul: On Saturday North Korea appeared to have test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul's defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. "The North launched what was believed to be an SLBM from waters off the (northeastern) port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT)", the South Korean defence ministry said in a press statement. No further details were immediately available. North Korea previously fired an SLBM on 23 April in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Saturday's launch came after Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed "Supreme Leader" Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning North Korea would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US". It said any problem arising in relations with the US would be handled under its "wartime law". North Korea often issues bellicose statements against the US, but the reference to "wartime law" is rare and analysts warned of more sabre-rattling to come over the sanctions. Washington: Donald Trump has slammed Hillary Clinton for talking about the email controversy surrounding her US presidential bid when five police officers were killed in a shootout by at least one sniper in Dallas, saying she was answering "softball questions" on a day of national tragedy. Clinton on Friday appeared on three American networks and answered questions related to her use of a private email account as secretary of state during President Barack Obama's first term. And refuted assertion by FBI Director James Comey that she was "extremely careless" with classified information. "Isn't it sad that on a day of national tragedy Hillary Clinton is answering softball questions about her email lies on CNN?" presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump asked in a tweet on Friday. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, gave interviews to CNN and two other television channels - MSNBC and PBS - wherein she faced questions on the email controversy and shared her views following the "ambush style" shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers. On CNN, Clinton praised the slain Dallas officers and called the attack "an absolutely horrific event." Both Clinton and Trump cancelled their election rallies in Pennsylvania and Florida in the wake of deadly incident. Meanwhile, New York Daily News reported that the New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton has rejected Trump's request to speak to officers show solidarity with the police. But the department denied his request. "Our interest is in staying out of the politics of the moment, not to provide photo ops," Bratton told reporters. The attack has forced both the candidates to address racial divisions while showing support for US law enforcement officials. President Barack Obama had, just ahead of the Dallas shooting, made an impassioned address from Warshaw, where he has gone to attend a NATO meet, about race and policing in the US. He cited statistics that showed that black people were far more likely to be arrested and shot by police. Washington: The United States expelled two Russian officials on 17 June in response to what it described as a Russian policeman's attack on a US diplomat in Moscow earlier in the month, the State Department said. "On 17 June, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States in response to this attack," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters, declining to provide further details about the expulsions. In his first detailed comments about the 6 June incident, Kirby contradicted the account provided by Russia's Foreign Ministry, which said the policeman was trying to protect the embassy by checking the man's documents. "On the 6th of June an accredited US diplomat, who identified himself, in accordance with embassy protocols entering the American embassy compound, was attacked by a Russian policeman," Kirby told reporters. "The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee. The Russian claim the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue," he added. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has said the police officer had wanted to check the man's documents to establish he was not a threat to embassy security, but was elbowed in the face when he tried to challenge him. She said the embassy employee was a CIA agent operating under diplomatic cover. Washington, whose dealings with Moscow have been strained by the Syrian civil war, Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and US allegations that Moscow has increasingly harassed its diplomats, had tried to deal with the issue quietly. On Thursday, Kirby disclosed that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had raised the incident with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on June 7 and said that Washington wanted to deal with it in private talks between the governments. The Coconino County Public Health Services District is holding a Back to School and Community Health Fair on Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The event will be held at the Health and Community Services Building, 2625 N. King St. Children grades K-12 will receive free backpacks and school supplies, while supplies last. Children must be present and complete an event passport to receive a backpack. Unitarians to discuss The Golden Rule TWIN FALLS Most of us have heard some form of The Golden Rule since we were children. Treat others as you want to be treated is a guiding philosophy in Christian communities and in our culture. Maybe what is less known is just how global that philosophy is in other cultures and other religions? The Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Vendor Blender and Event Center, 588 Addison Ave. W., in Twin Falls. Ascension welcomes interim pastor TWIN FALLS Ascension Episcopal Church welcomes the Rev. Neal Collins as he begins a six-month interim position in Twin Falls. Pastor Neal will celebrate Holy Communion at 8 and 10 a.m. worship services Sunday morning. A meet-and-greet celebration will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 17 at Ascension Episcopal Church, 371 Eastland Drive N., in Twin Falls. This event is free and open to the public. Ascension Cafe, the adult discussion group, will meet from 9:10 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. Led by Tim Dodd, the group will focus on the scriptural readings of the day. Youth Sunday school is on summer break. Nursery care is not available; children are welcome at worship services with their parents. A fellowship coffee hour will be held after the 10 a.m. 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. More information about Ascension can be found at episcopaltwinfalls.org or call 208-733-1248. 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. Second Chance Center for Animals, the only organization in Arizona that exclusively rescues from the rescues, has announced that in June the organization adopted 109 homeless dogs and cats into new homes, more animals than in any other month in the 12-year history of the agency. "Our new vision for Second Chance Center for Animals is to create a Northern Arizona community where every dog and cat has a home, and to that end we are committed to helping more animals than ever before," said the organizations new executive director Sean Hawkins. One of the most important new programs in support of our new vision is our partnership with Coconino Humane Association where we have agreed to accept adoptable and treatable dogs and cats from that organization to prevent needless euthanasia of animals here in Flagstaff. A total of 73 cats and 36 dogs were adopted into new homes by Second Chance Center for Animals in June, which was also National Adopt-a-Cat Month. In addition to ongoing off-site pet adoptions at Petco in Flagstaff, Second Chance Center for Animals also initiated off-site cat adoptions at Canyon Pet Hospital, 1054 E. Old Canyon Court during June. Its important to all of our veterinarians and staff that we help animal rescue organizations in the community, said Chris Miller, co-owner of Canyon Pet Hospital. We are thrilled to partner with Second Chance Center for Animals by making space in our hospital lobby available for adoptable cats to find a home. Purina, Kingsmark Kennels, Beaver Street Brewery, Lumberyard, and Mountain Mojo are just a few of the additional community businesses who have partnered with Second Chance Center for Animals in the organizations mission to save the lives of even more homeless dogs and cats. Continuing to launch new programs to save more animal lives, Second Chance Center for Animals has again partnered with Petco in Flagstaff, 5047 E. Marketplace Drive, for the first Summer Adopt-a-thon being held today, Sunday, July 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. All dogs, cats, puppies and kittens will be available for the reduced adoption fee of $50. Plus, Petco is including over $300 in coupons and discounts for pet supplies and services with every animal adopted. Purina is also sending home a supply of dog or cat food with every adoption for free. All animals adopted have been examined by a veterinarian, vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped. All pets available for adoption can be viewed at SecondChanceCenter.org. RUPERT Kelli Joann York, 47, was murdered June 26 by her ex-boyfriend, Lauren Jackson, 57, after she was likely kidnapped from the Minidoka-Lincoln county line and brought back to Jacksons home in Rupert, the city said in a statement. A report prepared by Rupert police detective Jeff McEwen detailed the findings, including threatening text messages from Jackson, a suicide note he left, video surveillance of him dragging York across the yard into the house and a 911 call from York in which multiple gunshots were heard. Rupert police found York inside the home dead from multiple gunshot wounds and Jackson dead from a single gunshot wound. York was able to contact 911 emergency dispatch once in Rupert on her cellular telephone, the statement said. Shortly after placing the call, Jackson shot York and then turned the gun on himself. According to McEwens report, surveillance video from Jacksons home showed him after 6 p.m. placing two long-barreled firearms and a dog in the backseat of a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe registered to him and York. He left and returned after 7 p.m. with York and a pistol in his hand. Jackson then got out of the car and pulled York out from the passenger side. He then turns away from York and moves toward the house, McEwen said in the report. York attempts to flee around the front of the vehicle but Jackson catches her and drags her into the yard. York called 911 about 7:30 p.m. McEwen listened to an audio copy of the call and heard a female crying. More than a minute in, a voice McEwen recognized as Jacksons said you called 911? Six shots could be heard before the call went quiet. A Turbulent Relationship Jackson and York previously met online and began dating a year ago. The 47-year-old Gooding woman eventually moved in with Jackson, a former reserve officer with the Rupert Police Department. But, family said, the relationship was volatile, with arguments between the two being a regular occurrence and at least one turning physical, her son Chris Behunin previously told the Times-News. Yorks daughter, Lisa Darrow, lived with her mother and Jackson while the two were dating and said her mother was in fear of him. York told her she was trying to leave the house at one point, but Jackson pulled out a pistol and shot at the ground, Darrow said. He had made threats before, she said. He had actually threatened to shoot me in the face. York eventually moved out of the house and settled into an apartment in Twin Falls and later moved on to North Carolina. She left her Labrador dog with Jackson. While York lived in North Carolina, she dated a man named Doug Adams, the police report said. He told detectives Jackson harassed York and called every area Walgreens store the store where she worked just to find her. Adams confirmed Darrows story that Jackson fired shots the day York left for North Carolina, adding that he faked attempting suicide, the report said. (York) entered the house and found that Jackson had discharged a round into the floor, the report said. He had staged himself to look like he was lying dead on the ground. Behunin told police his mother was living with a daughter at the time but the two disagreed on the care of a granddaughter. Despite their troubled past, York wanted to repair her relationship with Jackson this year. Jackson flew to North Carolina in May to bring her back to Rupert, Behunin told police. But back in Idaho, York found Jackson was trying to control her, Behunin said. Jackson didnt want York visiting her parents. Instead she left Jackson and moved to Gooding with her mother. Adams told police York had plans to return to North Carolina with him in September. Meeting to Exchange the Dog In October 2015, before moving back to Idaho, York attempted to get her dog from Jacksons home without his knowledge but was caught on his surveillance videos going inside the house with a key she still had. An unlawful entry case was dismissed in May. Detectives found Jacksons cellphone on the ground outside of his home and discovered text messages with York on June 26 arranging to meet near the edge of Minidoka County so they could exchange the dog at night. The text messages also referenced Yorks new boyfriend, whom she began dating three weeks prior to her death, Behunin told police. Well dont bring his (expletive) here or there will be trouble, Jackson said in a text message. On June 27, her Honda Civic was found close to the Minidoka-Lincoln county line. Though detectives found the doors locked and with no signs of a physical struggle, the city said it appears she was kidnapped. Behunin previously told the Times-News he believed York did not leave with Jackson willingly. Detectives found a note from Jackson apologizing in advance to people hurt by his actions. He asked for his remains to be cremated and for his daughter to get a check. Darrow said Jackson had been showing signs for years, and that her mother had been able to cut ties from him only after she moved into her own place in Twin Falls last year. She said shell remember her mother as being full of life and vibrant; someone who was a great mother and grandmother. Everybodys pretty torn apart and angry, Darrow said. Were all coping together. Its all we can do. TWIN FALLS Law enforcement agencies around the Magic Valley paid respects Friday to the Dallas Police and Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers who were killed in a shooting Thursday night. Officers from the Twin Falls Police Department and deputies from the Jerome County Sheriffs Office are wearing black mourning bands on their badges Friday in honor of the fallen officers. Its just to recognize their service and its a sign of respect, Capt. Anthony Barnhart said. Details continue to emerge about the shooting, which left five officers dead, seven others wounded and also injured two civilians. The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson, was killed after a standoff with police. On social media, many of the Magic Valleys law enforcement agencies posted messages in support of the Dallas Police Department. TFPD changed its Facebook profile picture and cover photo to We Stand with Dallas messages. The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office also shared a We Stand with Dallas post and wrote, Our hearts are heavy after tonights horrific news. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to Dallas and the law enforcement community. On the Shoshone Police Departments Facebook page, Sgt. Rene Rodriguez, whose likely to become Lincoln County Sheriff after winning the Republican primary, wrote this message: The Shoshone Police Department would like to express their condolences to our brothers in blue in the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police. Along with our condolences, I would like to express my anger for the actions taken by the shooters. Yesterday, two cowards took the lives of five officers and wounded six more. One of the video clips I saw, police officers were protecting and shielding the very people who were protesting against them. Think about that: That exemplifies exactly what we all do! That tells you everything you need to know about police officers. Please pray for our blue family as we mourn the loss of our family members. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office offered thoughts and prayers to the victims on its Facebook page, while the Cassia County Sheriffs Office shared several posts about the shooting. On Twitter, Idaho State Police posted a photo of an ISP badge with a black mourning band and called for a moment of silence at 11 a.m. Friday. Meanwhile, the Rupert Police Department shared a post featuring a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr., and this quote from the famous civil rights leader: Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. JEROME It has that new jail smell. Jerome County opened its new jail to the public for tours Friday before moving in inmates. Voters passed an $11.2 million bond in 2013 to build the new jail after rejecting four previous proposals. The old jail, built in the 1970s, was deemed unsafe for inmates and staff alike. I think were leaving them a great legacy here and a great facility that serve us for many many years, Sheriff Doug McFall said Friday afternoon, at a ribbon cutting for the new jail. And when the facility on South Tiger Drive is finally torn down many decades from now, McFall said, theres a treat for future generations hidden in one of the cornerstones a time capsule, containing law enforcement-related memorabilia like badges and weapons, business cards and newspapers from the present day. McFall thanked the voters of Jerome for supporting the project. I appreciate the support of everyone involved, McFall said. I appreciate the support of the citizens of Jerome County. McFall said the inmates will be moved to the jail over the weekend, and that the jail facility will be fully operational on Sunday. And at 8 a.m. Monday, the sheriffs office will open to the public in its new location. Jeromes jail population generally fluctuates between about 40 and 80 inmates. The new jail, though, has 135 beds, with room to build four more pods housing 60 more inmates, Capt. George Oppedyk said as he led a tour group through the new facility. The additional beds mean Jerome County can now either board inmates from the state or contract with other counties that need the space, bringing in some extra money to the county. This wont be happening immediately, though the state doesnt need the space at the moment due to the declining inmate population, and there arent any contracts with any other counties in place yet. Well over 100 people, from law enforcement and government officials to ordinary citizens, had showed up by mid-afternoon to tour the new facility. It features inmate-housing areas arranged around a central control area from which the cameras throughout the facility can be monitored. Some of them contain small dormitory-style rooms for low-risk offenders and inmates on work release, while others have cells with two or four bunks each. Wendy Nieto, who runs the bail bond business Bail-Out by Wendy and does most of her business in Jerome County, said the new jail is going to mean more business for her. Fewer people will be released on their own recognizance because of overcrowding than are now, and inmates from other counties will likely be brought here down the road. She recently hired another bail bond agent, Amalia Gonzalez, to get ready for the increase. Gonzalez also speaks Spanish, a useful skill in an area with such a high Spanish-speaking population. i know how busy its going to be, Nieto said. TWIN FALLS Twin Falls County is applying for some of the $5 million the state is making available for counties to better their public defense systems. State law says counties can get either 15 percent of the countys local share which would work out to almost $320,000 in Twin Falls case or $25,000, whichever is greater. However, how much money Twin Falls or any county gets will depend on how many other counties apply and for how much funding, said county research and development/grants head Mark Brunelle. The guidance is just coming out, Brunelle told county commissioners Friday morning. The application says the county would use the money to help ensure that defendants receive indigent services independently from political and judicial influence and to improve indigent defense services consistent with Idaho code. Brunelle said the application isnt more specific because theres no way to know how much the county is going to get. The public defense reform law state legislators passed this year, in response to a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union charging that the state wasnt meeting its constitutional obligation to guarantee an adequate defense to the poor, sets up some new standards for indigent defense services and makes state funding available to counties to help them comply. The deadline for counties to apply for the money is Aug. 1. The state Public Defense Commission has 60 days to approve or deny applications, and the money will be given out on Oct. 1. Twin Falls County has its own public defense office, and Minidoka and Cassia counties have a joint one. The rest contract with lawyers in private practice to represent indigent clients. Jerome County commissioners are going to discuss on Monday whether to apply for an indigent defense grant, Chairman Charlie Howell said. BURLEY Police have identified the man who was killed Tuesday in a one-vehicle crash southwest of Burley. Rafael Arrellano Cabrera, 56, was driving a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder eastbound on 500 S. Road at 661 W. Road at about 6:30 p.m. when he lost control and rolled the vehicle. Cabrera was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. His name was withheld until family members in Mexico could be notified, police said. Militiamen in Zintan, West of Libya Thursday categorically rejected media reports that Saif al-Islam; son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, had been released in April. We deny that Saif Islam has been released, a Zintan military source told Reuters. The denial comes as one of Saif al-Islams lawyers Karim Khan told French France24 on Wednesday that his client has been released since April. French Le Monde also relayed the information citing Libyan sources as saying that Gaddafis son had been seen moving scot-free in the town in September. The media reports said Saif al-Islam was granted pardon under an amnesty law voted by Libyas internationally recognized parliament, the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HOR) in September. The general amnesty, meant to promote peace and national reconciliation, did not exclude members of Gaddafis circle. Saif al-Islam, the second in command during his fathers reign, was arrested in October 2011 while on the run, attempting to reach Niger. He was tried in absentia in Tripoli in July last year for the killing of protestors and was handed death sentence along with 37 other people. His sentence has not been applied as the Zintan militia refused to hand him over to Tripoli then authorities. Saif al-Islam is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. The Hague-based court has put pressure on Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to transfer him to the Netherlands. The GNA, at odds with HoR, has slammed Saifal-Islams alleged release. The African Union on Thursday announced its intention to begin withdrawing its 22,000 strong peacekeeping force from Somalia by October 2018. The announcement comes as the multi-national peacekeeping mission faces funding shortfalls, with some soldiers having gone several months without pay. The peacekeeping force, set up to combat Islamist militant group Al Shabab, will remain in the troubled country for at least another 4 years with a complete withdrawal by the end of 2020. The Somali army will begin to assume full responsibilities for security between 2018 and 2020, the continental body said. The consolidation and expansion operations carried out by AMISOM and the Somali National Army across Somalia yielded positive results, although the terror group still remains a threat to peace, security and stability. The EU earlier this year cut funding to the AU mission to Somalia by 20 percent. The funding shortfall prompted Uganda to say it would withdraw all of its more than 6,000 troops by the end of 2017. Kenya also threatened this year to pull out its 3,700 troops. Al Shabab has waged insurgency in Somalia since 2006 in a bid to impose a strict version of Islamic law. The militant group was expelled from the capital Mogadishu in 2011 but still regularly carries out attacks in the city and countryside. Two former Rwandan mayors were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday by a Paris court on charges of orchestrating the massacre of hundreds of Tutsis during the 1994 genocide. Tito Barahira, 65, and Octavien Ngenzi, 58, were found guilty of crimes against humanity and genocide. More than 100 victims, relatives and witnesses, some of whom having travelled from Rwanda, testified during the eight-week Paris trial. Unusually, the trial was recorded for historical purposes. During the eight-week trial, prosecutor Philippe Courroye, who requested life sentences for the two men, described the pair as executioners; Ngenzi being the leader and Barahira the dreaded machete officer. A lawyer for the civil parties in the case, Gilles Paruelle, said: To kill one man, hatred is sufficient. To kill 1,000, you need organization. Both men had denied any involvement in the killings. This trial is the second held in France for suspected perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, under a special U.N.-approved resolution allowing France to try culprits of the genocide and other related crimes. The law came after years of efforts by activist groups, which denounced the fact that crime perpetrators live in France unpunished. The first probe to be handled by the specialized war crimes units was that of former army captain Pascal Simbikangwa, 54, who was sentenced to 25 years in solitary confinement in 2014 over his role in the genocide. Some 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis, were killed by Hutu extremists during the three months of the Rwandan genocide in the spring of 1994, according to U.N. figures. The United Nations food agency said on Thursday its needs $730m over the next 12 months to assist seven drought hit African countries. The World Food Program (WFP) said in a statement the seven countries were Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Madagascar, Swaziland and Zambia. In Malawi, WFP said it needed $288 million but had only sourced $43 million. More than 8 million people, or half Malawis population, will need food aid by November. Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe has appealed for $1.5bn to buy food for Zimbabweans. Other countries, including Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have also been badly hit by the drought. The affected populations include millions of children who are or are likely to become malnourished from the droughts. The U.N. expects that food supplies in affected areas will largely run out by August and the crisis will continue until its peak between December and next April. El Nino, caused by warming along the equatorial Pacific, can impact regions with heavy rains and floods as well as with severe droughts. El Nino is also largely blamed for the Western Hemispheres strongest hurricane on record and the planets warmest recorded year since the 1880s. This July 9 marks the 100 days in power of President Faustin-Archange Touadera who promised to restore peace and security in the Central African Republic after a 2-year violence era. 100 days on, the Central African nation still has a long way to go before becoming a stable state. One UN soldier killed, six police officers kidnapped and three members of the Muslim Seleka militia shot dead in the capital Bangui. All incidents took place in the month of June. And outside the capital, the situation does not look any better according to local news. Instability displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Since the start of the crisis, the number of refugees has risen to nearly half a million, according to estimates by the UN refugee agency. Many live in camps inside the country, while others have fled to neighboring Chad and Cameroon. Just last week thousands of new refugees arrived in Chad, AFP reported. What Touadera has tried to do with the little power he has, is to reconcile Christians and Muslims. And to lead by the example, he was seen celebrating the end of Ramadan with Muslims in the capital Bangui. Many still hope Touaderas first term will strengthen a tentative peace after more than two years of sectarian fighting that left untold thousands dead. Once a stable ceasefire is put in place, state authority is restored and a reconciliation process is in motion, Touaderas government can begin revitalizing the economy, which has suffered immensely as a result of the ongoing conflict. The Central African Republic saw a 36 percent drop in its gross domestic product in 2013. The economy has slowly clawed back since then, but the agricultural sector the chief contributor to GDP is still grappling with difficulties and the government is struggling to raise revenues. Touadera served as prime minister for Francois Bozize, who was toppled by the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition in 2013. A mathematics professor and university official, Touadera drew popular support in large parts of the country because he remained in Bangui throughout the conflict that erupted in late 2013. Many supporters said they felt he was more in tune with the hardships of Central Africans than his rivals. The country currently depends on the 12,000 strong UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, to maintain a certain degree of stability. France, the former colonial power, withdrew its forces after the latest elections. Moreover, an arms embargo is currently in place to prevent the delivery of weapons to CAR. Touadera has more hundred days to change all that, and primarily to fulfil the enormous task of restoring order in a country where heavily armed rebel groups still control large swaths of territory, and speed up the reconciliation process in his country. @PatriciaMazzei Friday was supposed to be a big day in Miami politics. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was finally coming back into town after months away. Eager supporters waited to meet him. Committed opponents intended to denounce him. Thursday night in Dallas upended all those plans. A sniper killed five police officers and wounded seven others, as well as two civilians, in a rampage so shocking it cast a pall over the country and suspended presidential politics for a day, almost as if reminding candidates and voters about things that matter more. Trump called off his two Friday campaign events in Miami. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton canceled her appearance with Vice President Joe Biden in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Both released written statements of sympathy. I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families & all who serve with them, Clinton wrote on Twitter. Trump denounced the execution-style shootings as a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe. He also acknowledged why cops were on the street: guarding a peaceful protest over the prior killings of two black men by police. The senseless, tragic deaths of two motorists in Louisiana and Minnesota reminds us how much more needs to be done, Trump said. Our nation has become too divided. His tone appeared markedly different from the statement he released last month after the massacre at Orlandos Pulse nightclub. On that occasion, Trump suggested he had predicted domestic terrorism and urged President Barack Obama to resign. More here. @PatriciaMazzei Here's something noteworthy: A Republican lawmaker has proposed legislation dealing with one of the effects of sea-level rise. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami introduced a bill -- dubbed, yes, the "CORAL Act" -- that would widen the scope of coral-reef research to include "the impacts of ocean acidification, warming seas and invasive species." The law would also allow the federal government to more quickly respond to problems like coral disease and bleaching, and give agencies a more active role in restoring reefs. The GOP has been reluctant to take on sea-level rise, but the issue is unavoidable for South Florida Republicans with coastal districts, such as Ros-Lehtinen and Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who signed on to the coral bill. Both face opponents who have stressed climate change as a key issue. "Having fled the oppressive Castro regime in Cuba with my parents decades ago, I know that South Florida is special because it serves as a place of hope for so many," Ros-Lehtinen said on the House floor Wednesday. "We cannot allow changing ocean conditions to rob us of our livelihoods, of our lifestyle, or of our identity as an optimistic community." @PatriciaMazzei Miami congressional candidate and former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia can't escape questions about his past campaign troubles. And his Democratic primary rival, Annette Taddeo, appears to be relishing the fight. "People pay a huge price," Garcia said in a Florida Keys forum Thursday, apparently referring to the jail time served by his former chief of staff. "Clearly, mistakes were made." Jeffrey Garcia, no relation, went to jail over submitting unlawful absentee-ballot requests in 2012. He also received probation after acknowledging he put up a ringer tea-party candidate in 2010. Joe Garcia was never charged with any wrongdoing -- and won't be, since the statute of limitations has expired. "We corrected those mistakes when we found them," he said at the forum, according to video obtained by the Miami Herald. "We fired the people, and we moved forward." But Taddeo reminded forum-goers that an email discovered by federal prosecutors in the 2010 case suggested Joe Garcia might have known about the ringer candidate. "I have to tell you, I'm someone that actually supported Joe Garcia strongly, because I wanted to get rid of David Rivera," Taddeo said, referring to the Republican ex-congressman Garcia ousted in 2012. Rivera is suspected of orchestrating a ringer candidate of his own that year. "To find out that after he's elected he had done the same thing two years prior!" Taddeo said of Garcia. Attacking Garcia may be Taddeo's only option, given that she has been behind in polls. Her campaign has started mailing fliers to voters -- including one going negative on her opponent. Garcia, for his part, declared himself the winner of the forum in a statement Friday. The Rev. Bob Hill, pastor emeritus, Community Christian Church If easier means completely comfortable, without difficulty, continuously experiencing a laid-back existence, the answer is no. If easier means deeply content, more purposeful and less anxious, the answer can certainly be yes. When Jesus declared my yoke is easy and my burden is light, he wasnt offering an easygoing gospel, but rather a reassurance about grace and overcoming perfectionism. Authentic faith according to every commendable religious tradition is fraught with toil, tears and breathtaking opportunities for transformation. For example, forgiveness is in some instances exceedingly difficult, but when realized, offers precious release and peaceableness. For another example, fulfilling the greatest commandments bequeathed by Jesus loving God, others and oneself is sometimes an excruciatingly hard challenge. But no one I know has found a better manner by which to order their steps and live well. The book of Hebrews daringly defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Living in such hope and abiding by such conviction are never easy tasks but definitely worth giving ones life for. Can following your faith lead to wisdom, stature, and favor with God and humanity? Undoubtedly. But such fidelity may also entail painful confusion along the way. Living out ones faith is a worthy struggle that always includes good measures of holy agitation. Any promise of guaranteed prosperity, luxury and leisure for those following their faith is an unmitigated sham. Chuck Stanford, lama emeritus, Rime Buddhist Center The religion you were raised in, the one your friends and family follow, will no doubt be the easiest because it is something you already know and are familiar with. It is as comfortable as wearing an old pair of shoes. Switching to a new and different religion is always a challenge, because it is different and unfamiliar. Your question, however, was not asking which faith is easiest to follow, but rather if my faith would make your life easier and that is a very difficult question to answer. As the Buddha observed 2,500 years ago, There are different religions, for different minds. This means some minds respond more positively to one particular religion than to others. One of the things that attracted me to Buddhism is its very practical teaching on how to end suffering in ourselves and others. The Buddha observed that all life is characterized by impermanence that nothing remains the same. Our loved ones die, our job may come to an end, our car breaks down, etc. We falsely blame our unhappiness on these circumstances, but the Buddha taught that our suffering is not the result of these things, but rather due to the clinging and grasping of our mind of not accepting the impermanent nature of life. It is through the meditation process that we begin to learn to accept the world as it is, rather than how we would like it to be. It is through this realization that we can begin to end our suffering, and this makes our life easier. *** To reach the Voices of Faith columnists, send email to faith@kcstar.com. SUPERIOR The Mineral County attorney said she's "absolutely devastated" by personnel cuts to her office announced Friday by county commissioners. Marcia Boris said the loss of a half-time deputy attorney and a full-time intern leaves her office with one attorney and a paralegal, with a caseload that has tripled since she took office in 2011. "I will continue to do the job I was elected to do to the best of my ability, given the resources that are available to me," Boris said in an email Friday night to the Missoulian. "But I believe the decisions which were made today represent a great disservice to the citizens of Mineral County." Following a morning of intense discussions with department heads, commissioners Roman Zylawy, Laurie Johnston and Duane Simons voted unanimously to chop five full-time positions and the half-time deputy attorney in five departments Friday afternoon. The move was to address a shortfall of more than $400,000 roughly one-fourth of the total county budget. Also losing their jobs will be a dispatcher from the sheriff's department, a clerk in the treasurer's office, a health department administrator, and a misdemeanor probation officer/investigator in Justice Court. The cuts were necessary to get cash balances back to where they should be so the budget is not undervalued for the next fiscal year, said Zylawy, the commission chairman. Weve kind of known we were going to have to do something ever since the preliminary budget review in February when we noticed a depletion in our cash reserves," Zylawy said. The county contracted with a financial adviser in December after several state audits resulted in fines and penalties. Commissioners contracted with accountant Jessica Connelly to help straighten out county finances and educate elected officials who "didnt fully understand how things worked in their offices, Zylawy said. "Were headed for a train wreck and we need to correct those things before its too late. Commissioners were also set to consider a recommendation made last week by the county salary compensation board to freeze their own pay and that of other elected officials. It wasn't known Friday night if they approved that measure. *** Meanwhile, contract negotiations between Mineral County and its striking sheriffs department employees are on hold. Fridays cutbacks, postponed from June 28, were the result of a reduction in force motion commissioners approved in mid-June, a week after 16 sheriffs office employees returned from a 10-day strike. That was the backdrop in mid-May when deputies, detention officers and emergency dispatchers in the sheriffs office whod been working without a contract since July 1, 2015, rejected an offer from the commissioners. Their 10-day walkout started on Memorial Day, and they returned to work on June 9 after state mediation was scheduled. Both sides said some inroads were made when mediator Bill Smith of the Montana Department of Labors Board of Personal Appeals came to Superior on June 15. Smith returned for a second session on June 27. Weve made slow progress but not bad, said Shawn Fontaine, representing the sheriffs office employees for Teamsters Local Union No. 2. The commissioners offer of pay raises of 50 cents and 70 cents an hour remains firm, but theyve made concessions on overtime and holiday pay issues, Zylawy said. A third mediation session has been set for July 28. Fontaine, who met with union employees in Superior on Thursday, said the countywide layoffs could be viewed as retaliatory by commissioners "if they try and cut more out of the sheriff's side of it." "The frustrating part is they've never done layoffs before and never done cutbacks like the reductions in force they're talking about now," Fontaine said. "So it's pretty suspect why it's happening now." Sheriff Tom Bauer said the loss of an emergency dispatcher will be felt, but it could have been worse. "Initially they wanted to cut one deputy and one dispatcher," Bauer said Friday. "I said, you know what, my No. 1 priority is public safety. If you cut a deputy we can't use (reserve deputies) to replace him. State law prohibits it." Bauer said after the commissioners heard that, they agreed to leave the full-time deputy staff intact at five. At the first mediation session on June 15, the idea of asking voters to approve a public safety levy seemed to gain traction. Such a request would have to come from Bauer. The county commissioners have to agree to allow a special levy on the ballot, but the idea and subsequent public education of its merit needs to be put forth by the entity that benefits from it, in this case, the Sheriff of Mineral County, Zylawy said. Bauer balked at the idea, in part because taxpayers still have another year to pay on a special hospital levy. What I pitched was lets wait and see how these furloughs shake out and we'll look at doing a levy next year, Bauer told the Missoulian. "The thing that bothers me is theyre asking me to run a special levy and at the end of the fiscal year (June 30), we were still running in the black. Its a hard pill to swallow. Im a team player, and Ill do whatever it takes to make things work. But, gosh darn, were being responsible. *** Boris said the current caseload of the attorney's office is approximately 230 open felony and misdemeanor cases. Despite the exponential increase in the past five years, her budget appropriation has increased by only "a little over $20,000." "Throughout my tenure, we have actively sought ways of improving services to Mineral County which do not impact the county's bottom line, such as seeking out grant funding for a part-time victim advocate and a part-time domestic violence and sex crimes investigator," she said. Boris said she told the commissioners Friday morning potential unintended consequences of eliminating those positions and presented some alternatives. That information appears not to have been considered in the final decision, she said. It was unclear when the reductions will take effect. "Our county personnel policy says to give as much notice as possible to the affected employee but when I suggested a time frame, some concern was expressed about disgruntled employees possibly causing problems," Boris said. She referred her question to the Montana Association of Counties personnel services. "My deputy has court appearances Monday and has agreed to come in for those and to help me get up to speed on her cases," Boris said. "Beyond that, I don't know." Zylawy said all three commissioners had a difficult time this week knowing the impact their decisions would have on people. "Its especially hard to be faced with such tough times when one genuinely cares about the county and its people," he said. "May we never be in another situation like this again. DALLAS The brazen attack in downtown Dallas that killed five police officers and injured nine other people was the act of a lone gunman, an Afghanistan veteran drawn to Black Power symbology and a determination to kill white people, authorities concluded Friday. This was a mobile shooter that has written manifestos on how to shoot and move. He did that. He did his damage. But we did our damage to him, as well, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said after police carefully questioned and ruled out other potential suspects in the Thursday night rampage. Investigators discovered bomb-making materials, rifles and a personal journal of combat tactics in the home of the black former Army reservist who struck during a demonstration against the shooting of two black men by police officers in Minnesota and Louisiana. Authorities identified the gunman as Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, a Dallas-area resident, a loner with no criminal history who wanted to kill white people and especially white officers, police said. He appears to have been a lone gunman, and at this point, we cannot see any connections to any foreign or international terrorist organization, or any inspiration from them, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said. The shootings marked the deadliest attack on law enforcement since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and renewed the racial wounds that have opened up with increasing frequency across the country in the wake of a series of controversial police shootings. There has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement, said President Barack Obama, who was preparing to cut short his trip to Poland for a NATO summit. There is no possible justification for these kinds of attacks, or any violence against law enforcement. Justice will be done. *** Police detonated a bomb robot to kill Johnson after they cornered him in a garage early Friday morning an unprecedented technique for American law enforcement, but one that troops have used in Iraq to attack targets with mines. Before his death, Johnson bantered with police negotiators, a federal official said, adding that the suspect appeared to have been preparing for the assault and did not appear nervous. At one point, the gunman told officials, The end is coming, and hes going to hurt and kill more of us, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. This was a well-planned, well-thought-out, evil tragedy, the police chief said. This was a man we gave plenty of options to, to give himself up peacefully, and we spent a lot of time talking, the mayor said. He had a choice to come out and we would not harm him, or stay in and we would. He picked the latter. Police around the nation went on alert after Thursdays shooting, with some departments ordering officers to get a partner for their patrols. Isolated shooting attacks on police Friday also raised jitters. In Valdosta, Georgia, a man called 911 on Friday to report a car break-in and then allegedly staged an ambush that left both the officer and the suspect wounded. In a separate incident outside Atlanta, a police officer escaped injury Friday when a passing vehicle pulled up and a gunman fired multiple rounds at the officer, all of them missing. A suspect was later apprehended after a brief car chase. And in a St. Louis suburb, an officer sustained critical injuries after being shot during a confrontation with a motorist. Police said the suspected shooter ran from the scene but was later apprehended. *** Of the dozen officers shot Thursday night 10 men and two women eight are Dallas police and four are Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers, officials said. Two civilians also were among the injured. They know the city is grieving with them, Rawlings said. Among those killed was DART Officer Brent Thompson, 34, who had worked for the department since 2009. He was the departments first officer to be killed in the line of duty. Among the four Dallas Police Department officers shot was Iraq war veteran and 32-year-old father Patrick Zamarripa, who enlisted just before the Sept. 11 attacks. He was identified on social media by family members. The names of the other victims had not been officially released Friday afternoon, but local media identified them as Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, 48; Officer Michael Krol, 40; and Sgt. Michael J. Smith, 55. Rawlings said that when he met with the wounded officers, he expressed support on behalf of the city and also made them a promise: Well get the bad guys. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said federal agencies were cooperating in the investigation. We intend to provide any assistance that we can to investigate the attack and also to help heal a community that has been severely shaken and deeply scarred by an unfathomable tragedy, Lynch said at a news conference in Washington. Our hearts are broken by this loss, she said. The protest involved about 800 people marching through downtown Dallas along with about 100 police officers then the gunfire began. It was a peaceful protest, no question about it. The entire thing was peaceful, said the Rev. Jeff Hood, who had helped organize the demonstration. *** He said they were marching in front of several hundred people when he heard rapid-fire gunshots. Immediately I looked up and saw two police officers that had gone down, he said. I saw it. I mean, I saw people drop. I knew. Outside City Hall on Friday, activists said they did not recognize Johnson or his name and had never seen him at a protest. Never in our wildest dreams would we think our efforts to save lives would take lives, protest organizer Dominique Alexander said. At least three other people were taken into custody in connection with the shooting Thursday night, but they were later released. *** Officials initially had reported that multiple snipers opened fire on police, but Rawlings said Friday that Johnson was the lone gunman in this incident, and federal investigators concurred. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also said he had no information about any co-conspirators. But he said police are working hard to button down every corner before they rule out the possibility that he had help. What we dont know is who, if anybody, may have known what the gunman knew, what he was going to do, may have assisted him in any of his efforts, the governor said. Johnson had no ties to terror groups, a U.S. law enforcement official said, but on Facebook Johnson expressed an interest in black separatist groups such as the New Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam and the Black Riders Liberation Party, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which describes the organizations as hate groups. Brown, the police chief, said a hostage negotiator spoke with Johnson at length before he was killed about 2:30 a.m. Friday morning. The suspect said we will eventually find the IEDs, Brown said, a reference to explosives. He wanted to kill officers. And he expressed killing white people, killing white officers, he expressed anger for Black Lives Matter. We saw no other option than to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension to detonate where the suspect was, Brown said. Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. Brown said reports that the suspect shot himself were incorrect. The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb, he said. *** Los Angeles Times staff writers W.J. Hennigan in Washington and Laura Nelson in Los Angeles contributed to this report. HAMILTON With a line completely around the perimeter of the Observation fire and at least 1.5 inches of rain predicted to fall this weekend, many of the 600-plus firefighters assigned to the Bitterroot blaze will be heading home soon. On Tuesday, management of the fire will be turned over the Bitterroot National Forest, said U.S. Forest Service Public Information Officer Ann Rys-Sikork. Recent cooler temperatures, less wind and high humidity levels at night have helped firefighters get the upper hand on the 1,429-acre blaze burning southwest of Hamilton. The southern and eastern edges of the fire are considered secure after firefighters mopped up hot spots 400 to 500 feet inside the perimeter line. The focus Friday was on the bowl at the head of Hayes Creek where there still is some active fire. While there still is some heat in that northwestern corner, Rys-Sikork said firefighters have placed hoses around the perimeter just in case the conditions return that allow for the fire to start moving again. Were clearly winning the battle, but the war isnt over quite yet, she said. Doug Turman Type 1 Incident Command Team took over management of the fire last Friday. The team put a plan together and day by day, they have been executing it, she said. Its working. Lost Horse Creek Road remains closed to recreational traffic, but that could change soon, too. Currently there are four chippers and crews working to clear about four miles of debris along the road to ensure the fire line holds in that important location. The fire didnt burn all the way down the road, Rys-Sikork said. In most cases, it burned to the toe of the slope. Crews have been working to remove willows, brush and little trees up to one inch in diameter and chipping that material. The chipping work is expected to be completed by Monday. Sometime soon after that, Rys-Sikork said she expects the road closure will be lifted and travel along that roadway will get back to normal. With the cooler wet weather predicted for this weekend, plans call for pulling the firefighters out of spike camps up on the mountain. Weve been told by the incident meteorologist that we can expect between a half and one-and-a-half inches of rain before this cold front moves out next week. Its a real soaker. Draft legislation to transfer ownership of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will have a public review Tuesday in Pablo. CSKT leaders have invited Montanas congressional delegation of Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke to the session, which takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Johnny Arlee and Victor Charlo Theatre on the Salish Kootenai College campus. Congress must authorize any transfer of the National Bison Range from its current management by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Tribes. The range was federally designated in 1908 and covers 18,766 acres in the middle of the Flathead Indian Reservation. In addition to hundreds of genetically pure bison, the range also hosts herds of elk, antelope, bighorn sheep and other wildlife. The proposal would transfer management of the Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal government, while keeping the land in federal trust ownership. It would require continued public access and retention of the range for conservation purposes. CSKT attorneys will be present to explain the proposed legislation, answer questions and receive public comment. The deadline for public comments has been extended to Friday, July 15, at noon. The draft legislation and a list of frequently asked questions can be found online at bisonrangeworkinggroup.org/. That site also can be used to enter public comments. Your News Wire The justification for going to war in Iraq thirteen years ago, was based on a 93-page classified document that allegedly contained specific information on former Iraqi leader President Saddam Hussein and the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs he was apparently running. Declassified CIA Document Reveals Iraq War Had Zero Justification Posted on March 28, 2016 by Sean Adl-Tabatabai in News, US // 160 Comments Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney - the Iraq war had zero justification The justification for going to war in Iraq thirteen years ago, was based on a 93-page classified document that allegedly contained specific information on former Iraqi leader President Saddam Hussein and the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs he was apparently running. Now that document has been declassified and it reveals that there was virtually zero justification for the Iraq war. The document reveals that there was no operational tie between Saddam and al Qaeda and no WMD programs. The report reveals that the intelligence community and the US Department of Energy did not think Saddam was pursuing any type of WMD program, and was instead developing rocket motors. Vice.com reports: The CIA released a copy of the NIE in 2004 in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, but redacted virtually all of it, citing a threat to national security. Then last year, John Greenewald, who operates The Black Vault, a clearinghouse for declassified government documents, asked the CIA to take another look at the October 2002 NIE to determine whether any additional portions of it could be declassified. The agency responded to Greenewald this past January and provided him with a new version of the NIE, which he shared exclusively with VICE News, that restores the majority of the prewar Iraq intelligence that has eluded historians, journalists, and war critics for more than a decade. (Some previously redacted portions of the NIE had previously been disclosed in congressional reports.) For the first time, the public can now read the hastily drafted CIA document [pdf below] that led Congress to pass a joint resolution authorizing the use of military force in Iraq, a costly war launched March 20, 2003 that was predicated on disarming Iraq of its (non-existent) WMD, overthrowing Saddam Hussein, and freeing the Iraqi people. A report issued by the RAND Corporation last December titled Blinders, Blunders and Wars said the NIE contained several qualifiers that were dropped. As the draft NIE went up the intelligence chain of command, the conclusions were treated increasingly definitively. An example of that: According to the newly declassified NIE, the intelligence community concluded that Iraq probably has renovated a [vaccine] production plant to manufacture biological weapons but we are unable to determine whether [biological weapons] agent research has resumed. The NIE also said Hussein did not have sufficient material to manufacture any nuclear weapons. But in an October 7, 2002 speech in Cincinnati, Ohio, then-President George W. Bush simply said Iraq, possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons and the evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. One of the most significant parts of the NIE revealed for the first time is the section pertaining to Iraqs alleged links to al Qaeda. In September 2002, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld claimed the US had bulletproof evidence linking Husseins regime to the terrorist group. We do have solid evidence of the presence in Iraq of al Qaeda members, including some that have been in Baghdad, Rumsfeld said. We have what we consider to be very reliable reporting of senior-level contacts going back a decade, and of possible chemical- and biological-agent training. But the NIE said its information about a working relationship between al Qaeda and Iraq was based on sources of varying reliability like Iraqi defectors and it was not at all clear that Hussein had even been aware of a relationship, if in fact there were one. As with much of the information on the overall relationship, details on training and support are second-hand, the NIE said. The presence of al-Qaida militants in Iraq poses many questions. We do not know to what extent Baghdad may be actively complicit in this use of its territory for safehaven and transit. The declassified NIE provides details about the sources of some of the suspect intelligence concerning allegations Iraq trained al Qaeda operatives on chemical and biological weapons deployment sources like War on Terror detainees who were rendered to secret CIA black site prisons, and others who were turned over to foreign intelligence services and tortured. Congresss later investigation into prewar Iraq intelligence concluded that the intelligence community based its claims about Iraqs chemical and biological training provided to al Qaeda on a single source. Detainee Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi who had significant responsibility for training has told us that Iraq provided unspecified chemical or biological weapons training for two al-Qaiida members beginning in December 2000, the NIE says. He has claimed, however, that Iraq never sent any chemical, biological, or nuclear substances or any trainers to al-Qaida in Afghanistan. Al-Libi was the emir of the Khaldan training camp in Afghanistan, which the Taliban closed prior to 9/11 because al-Libi refused to turn over control to Osama bin Laden. Last December, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a declassified summary of its so-called Torture Report on the CIAs enhanced interrogation program. A footnote stated that al-Libi, a Libyan national, reported while in [redacted] custody that Iraq was supporting al-Qaida and providing assistance with chemical and biological weapons. Some of this information was cited by Secretary [of State Colin] Powell in his speech to the United Nations, and was used as a justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Senate torture report said. Ibn Shaykh al-Libi recanted the claim after he was rendered to CIA custody on February [redacted] 2003, claiming that he had been tortured by the [redacted], and only told them what he assessed they wanted to hear. Al-Libi reportedly committed suicide in a Libyan prison in 2009, about a month after human rights investigators met with him. The NIE goes on to say that none of the [redacted] al-Qaida members captured during [the Afghanistan war] report having been trained in Iraq or by Iraqi trainers elsewhere, but given al-Qaidas interest over the years in training and expertise from outside sources, we cannot discount reports of such training entirely. All told, this is the most damning language in the NIE about Husseins links to al Qaeda: While the Iraqi president has not endorsed al-Qaidas overall agenda and has been suspicious of Islamist movements in general, apparently he has not been averse to some contacts with the organization. The NIE suggests that the CIA had sources within the media to substantiate details about meetings between al Qaeda and top Iraqi government officials held during the 1990s and 2002 but some were not very reliable. Several dozen additional direct or indirect meetings are attested to by less reliable clandestine and press sources over the same period, the NIE says. The RAND report noted, The fact that the NIE concluded that there was no operational tie between Saddam and al Qaeda did not offset this alarming assessment. The NIE also restores another previously unknown piece of intelligence: a suggestion that Iraq was possibly behind the letters laced with anthrax sent to news organizations and senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy a week after the 9/11 attacks. The attacks killed five people and sickened 17 others. We have no intelligence information linking Iraq to the fall 2001 attacks in the United States, but Iraq has the capability to produce spores of Bacillus anthracis the causative agent of anthrax similar to the dry spores used in the letters, the NIE said. The spores found in the Daschle and Leahy letters are highly purified, probably requiring a high level of skill and expertise in working with bacterial spores. Iraqi scientists could have such expertise, although samples of a biological agent Iraq was known to have used as an anthrax simulant were not as pure as the anthrax spores in the letters. Read on here. William James, Bill Weatherly, born April 24, 1928 in Missoula, Montana, died July 5, 2016, in Butte Montana after a short illness. Bill is survived by his wife of 60 years, Laura Ryan Weatherly, his son Paul and daughter in law Maureen, their children Joe and Danielle, and two great grandchildren Michael and Samantha, his daughter Maureen, Tink, son in law Marcos, and his two grandchildren Pablo and Julian. Bill was preceded in death by his parents Evelyn Jane and Roy Weatherly of Missoula, MT. Bill was deeply loved by his family, friends, and colleagues. He enjoyed life immensely. He was an avid fly fisherman and was highly involved in Butte community activities. He volunteered in the theater for local festivals with PFLAG, at the soup kitchen and at art and music functions. Bill painted, sang, and played guitar. Recently he donated nine of his paintings of Butte buildings to the Butte archives. He sang in the Montana Tech Chorus, the Aldersgate Church Choir, and the Butte Symphony Chorale. He was also deeply involved in activities at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Bill held degrees from the University of Montana, Missoula in Geology and from Montana Tech, Butte in Mining Engineering. He worked for Anaconda Mining and later worked for the BLM, where he continued his love of geology with the fields of archeology and paleontology. Bill served in both WWII and the Korean Conflict. He was an infantryman in WWII and a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist in Korea. He escorted Tokyo Rose back from Japan to the United States for her war crimes trial. Bill quietly passed in his sleep, in a quiet and gentle manner, in much the same way as he lived his life. Whether someone had just met Bill in passing conversation or had known him well, indeed their lives were touched by his grace, warmth, compassion, and humor. Services to celebrate the great person he was and the legacy he leaves behind will be held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church on Friday, July 29th at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow. In the meantime, please honor Bills memory by being kind and patient to others and staying true to your own self. Bill supported many charitable organizations. If you wish to make a contribution in his memory, he would want that you make it to the organization most meaningful to you. Axelson Alternative Cremation is privileged to serve Bills Family. The Montana Folk Festival kicked off with golden sun rays and musician Pierre-Luc Dupuis exclaiming Bonjour to an eager crowd at the iconic Original headframe in Uptown Butte. Dressed in jeans and black button-down shirts, De Temps Antan performed foot-tapping traditional Quebecois music to festival-goers of all ages Friday evening. Dupuis and fellow musicians Eric Beaudry and Andre Brunet played their distinctive folk melodies using a variety of instruments including fiddle, harmonica, guitar and bouzouki. After the trios set, Dupuis said they were honored to be the spark plug as the sun finally came out to welcome the start of Buttes beloved festival. Ariel Nezaticky, 23, of Butte and her son Talon, 18 months, were enjoying opening night amid festival-goers who sat on the grassy lawn in chairs and on blankets. I just love the music, the atmosphere. It brings life to Butte, she said. Tipi maker Chris Lunn of Trapline Tipis in Whitehall stood in the midst of five tipis erected for the festival to honor the years theme Native Voices. The process begun nearly two weeks ago with the cutting of lodgepole pine trees on Homestake Pass. Lunn was grateful to the U.S. Forest Service for the permits. He enlisted half a dozen Blackfeet and Crow youth to peel the bark using draw knives. The stately tipis pay homage to five Native American tribes: Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Crow, Chippewa Cree, and Assiniboine and Sioux. Gov. Steve Bullock, who spoke before De Temps Antan took the stage, told the crowd how lucky we are to celebrate the arts and music in a city that exemplifies the best. Asked why she and her husband Randy Keller traveled to Butte their former home from Missoula to attend the annual music festival. Rosi, sitting on a red blanket, said Why wouldnt you? "Look at the view. I just think its amazing. Dear fellow Montanans, I hear much fear and loathing regarding Muslim refugees and the possibility that more Muslims might move to Montana. I wonder if any of these frightened protesters has ever met anyone who is Muslim. When I was young, a Muslim family moved next door to my family. They were friendly and generous neighbors, thrifty, hard-working and respectful of others. If they encountered prejudice in our small town, they did not allow it to alter their optimistic outlook on life or their positive interactions in our neighborhood. They raised three very American children, one of whom was my classmate. In their children, they instilled a respect for education. All three graduated from universities and became productive adults. Later, when our neighbors moved away, they remained in touch with my parents and other neighbors. When my father died, Mozi and Parida returned to pay their respects. Years later, when my mother died, Mozi, now an elderly widower, again made the long drive to pay his respects and speak kind words to my brother and me. I feel fortunate to have known these gentle and thoughtful neighbors. According to Pew Research Center, 1.6 billion Muslims share the earth with us (about 23 percent of the world population). Surveys conducted in 20 countries with significant/predominant Islamic populations found that the vast majority of Muslims do not support violent extremism. It saddens me that some Montanans would pre-judge potential immigrants based solely on their religion. -- Kathy Heffernan, Missoula BILLINGS (AP) An agreement between the U.S. government and environmentalists who sued over greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas leases in Montana has been approved by a judge. U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon issued an order on Thursday finalizing the agreement. It allows drilling to proceed on two dozen oil and gas leases with only minimal changes to current government approval practices. Attorneys for the Montana Environmental Information Center, WildEarth Guardians and Earthworks wanted the government to force companies to reduce emissions of methane from oil and gas fields. Federal officials agreed to consider such steps for two dozen federal leases in eastern Montana, but are not compelled to adopt them under terms of the agreement. 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 American Petroleum Institute and other industry groups that intervened in the case argued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management should not have settled. They said the government would have prevailed if the lawsuit had proceeded and the settlement means only minimal changes. "The plaintiffs asked this court to declare the federal defendant's decision to issue the leases to be in violation" of federal environmental laws, said Hadassah Reimer, an attorney for the industry groups. "In short, the plaintiffs have not been afforded any relief on the merits of their claims." Separately, the Obama administration in March proposed regulations to reduce methane pollution nationwide. Those rules would require energy producers to find and repair leaks at oil and gas wells and capture gas that escapes from wells. The plaintiffs in the Montana lawsuit said the new regulations addressed many of the issues raised in their case, making further pursuit of the case unnecessary. LINCOLN, Neb. Ten states sued the federal government Friday over rules requiring public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms conforming to their gender identity, joining a dozen other states in the latest fight over LGBT rights. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Nebraska and included nine other states: Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. The filing comes after 11 states sued in May over the same Obama administration directive. North Carolina officials also sued the federal government in May over the same issue. Vast sums of federal funding are at stake: Money could be withheld from public schools that refuse to comply with the federal directive. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox cast the rules as an example of federal overreach in a press release. President Obamas duty is to faithfully execute laws, not rewrite them, Fox said. He cannot enact by decree what Congress has specifically rejected. Thats precisely what he is attempting to do here. Obamas administration is attempting to usurp local control of our schools not by signing legislation passed by Congress, not by the agency rule-making process, and not even by executive order, the release said. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the U.S. Education Department and Justice Department have circumvented established law and the process for changing existing laws. "It also supersedes local school districts' authority to address student issues on an individualized, professional and private basis," Peterson said in a written statement. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette accused the Obama administration of "another ... federal overreach" that bypasses parents, schools and Congress. "This lawsuit is about children and our schools," he said. The battle began to take shape when officials in Charlotte passed a sweeping anti-discrimination ordinance that included a provision allowing transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. North Carolina lawmakers passed a law nullifying that ordinance and banning others like it. Soon after, the Justice Department said the law violated the federal Civil Rights Act and said it couldn't be enforced. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has said North Carolina's law requiring transgender people to use public restrooms and showers corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate amounts to "state-sponsored discrimination" and is aimed at "a problem that doesn't exist." Jay Kaplan, a lawyer who specializes in LGBT issues at the American Civil Liberties Union in Detroit, said the lawsuit is a waste of tax dollars "as well as an assault on the dignity of transgender youth." Danielle Conrad, director of the ACLU in Nebraska, said students in her state have been using gender-appropriate bathrooms for decades without a problem. The Nebraska lawsuit hinges on the terms "sex" and "gender identity," saying federal law uses only the term "sex." "Neither the text nor the legislative history of Title IX supports an interpretation of the term 'sex' as meaning anything other than one's sex as determined by anatomy and genetics," the lawsuit says. Officials from Billings Public Schools, Montana's largest school district, said in May that they were reviewing school policies to see if changes were needed in light of the federal order. Bathroom issues in the district are currently handled on a "case-by-case basis" and the district has made accommodations for transgender students in the past, Superintendent Terry Bouck said. A spokesman from Fox's office said that Nebraska would handle most of the work on the legal challenge, and Montana would provide "legal analysis and support as needed." Fox's office has authority over legal issues like the suit. Gov. Steve Bullock's office did not immediately return calls requesting his reaction to Montana joining the suit. Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, the state's top school official, criticized Fox. Attorney General Tim Fox has curiously joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, wasting taxpayers money," Juneau said in an emailed statement. "Here in Montana, we believe in local control of our public schools and trust our educators to do the right thing for all students. Its wrong for Fox to politicize guidance on how schools should implement Title IX. AMES, Iowa The Commodity Carnival gives Iowa youth a chance to be educated and have fun at the Iowa State Fair, Aug.11-21, and 18 county fairs including the Muscatine County Fair in West Liberty. This interactive, hands-on game shows youth the behind-the-scenes components and challenges of animal production. The Commodity Carnival really gets the youth involved and gets them to think about everything that goes into raising an animal. They have to consider all of the inputs, including the feed and nutrition costs, wage and facility costs, and traveling costs, said Katherine Gray, 2016 Commodity Carnival intern with the 4-H Youth Development program of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. It teaches the youth that there is more to raising a hog than just feeding and showing the animal. CME Group, the worlds leading futures exchange, and the National 4-H Council have partnered for a fourth year to bring the Commodity Carnival to more than 150 state and county fairs. This year, Iowa joins this group again to bring the Commodity Carnival back to the Iowa State Fair along with fairs in Buena Vista, Cedar, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Fremont, Grundy, Howard, Jasper, Johnson, Muscatine, Page, Palo Alto, Shelby, Taylor, Warren, and Winneshiek counties. The number of counties that are hosting the Commodity Carnival has increased, and it is really exciting to see how many youth interact with this game. It gives them a peek into what it is really like to raise animals, whether they live on a farm or have never touched an animal, said Gray. "For nearly 170 years, agriculture has been an essential part of our business at CME Group, and participating in these fairs with 4-H allows us to deepen our connection to the farmers, families and communities who fuel our economy," said CME Group Executive Chairman and President Terry Duffy. "Increasingly, the challenges facing agriculture and food security will be solved by young farmers and agribusiness leaders of the future. We're pleased to play a vital role in educating the next generation of food producers on the importance of agricultural economics and managing risk as they go about feeding the world." National 4-H Council President and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo said, "The Commodity Carnival and Risk Ranch are invaluable tools for teaching youth everywhere key lessons on agriculture, business and the economy in an approachable and engaging fashion. We've heard from volunteers and fairgoers across the country that the Commodity Carnival experience is a highlight. Our partnership with CME Group allows us the unique opportunity to connect the curiosity of the next generation of farmers with the expertise of industry leaders, to the great benefit of both." This year, participants will raise an imaginary hog balancing the costs of feed, health and nutrition, production and energy resources. When the hog is ready for market, it is weighed and the participant drops a disc down a Plinko-styled board, with pegs representing elements beyond the youths control. This activity provides a better understanding of the commodities markets. This game also can be continued at home by using the mobile app Risk Ranch. For more information, please visit www.cmegroup.com/4hcarnival. MUSCATINE, Iowa Theres no prize, but there are a few goals: raise money, raise awareness and have fun doing it during the Kolors 4 Kids 5K. The run takes off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday July 9. The event will also feature a 1.5 mile walk at 11 a.m. and a kiddie dash at 11:30 a.m. Event organizer Chris Anderson said this is the group's the second 5K. They are hoping to raise $25,000 over the next few years to donate to the University of Iowa Childrens Hospital. The 5K begins and ends near Pearl City Station on the riverfront. As part of the 5K, the Child Ambassador program has children and their parents sharing their stories. One such child ambassador is Hayden Daufeldt, a three and a half year old who was diagnosed with pineoblastoma when he was only 19 months old. It all started with Hayden throwing up a lot, said Hayden's mother Kendra. There would be periods where he threw up a lot, and sometimes he wouldnt throw up for almost three days. The vomiting was caused by the tumor which cut off his bodys ability to move spinal fluid. Pineoblastoma is a very rare disease which accounts for less than 1 percent of all primary brain tumors. After Hayden was diagnosed, he had surgery to remove the tumor and had a shunt inserted into his brain to help the spinal fluid move. Hayden then had to undergo chemotherapy. After six scans, doctors have said Hayden's 100 percent clear of cancer, but will be undergoing radiation treatment in Texas as a precaution to make sure all the cancer cells are gone. Much of Haydens time was spent at the University of Iowas Children Hospital as he went through chemotherapy. His mother praised the hospital for all the work they have done with helping Hayden and one experience stood out to her in her mind. We had to spend Christmas up there and they did so much. They brought presents and one of the nurses brought another bag full of presents. They were just amazing, she said. Wow! Whales of the Desert presents the intriguing, and nearly unbelievable, story about the Earth's ancient whales that once thrived in what is now harsh desert. Stunning photography of the unique desert landscape and latest fossil finds are combined with advanced computer animations by the BBC's award-winning team. Shot in the Western Desert of Egypt at Wadi El-Hitan Valley of the Whales World Heritage Site, Whales in the Desert takes you on a journey to ancient times, about 40 million years ago, when whales were evolving from land mammals and the World was experiencing climate change. Filmed and directed by Gabriel Mikhail Sponsored by the Egyptian-Italian Environmental Cooperation Programme, with the additional support of the British Embassy in Cairo, IUCN, UNDP. Tags: "Gabriel Mikhail" Wadi Hitan fossils Basilosaurus isis wilderness nature wildlife wilderness eco-tourism protected areas Egypt world heritage site Fayoum safari desert Last month I wrote about Mars. In that I said that you should be able to see not only Mars but the polar caps as well. The heading of the column said see Mars and the polar caos. I don't have a clue what caos means but I think it was just a typo. Anyway, it should have read polar caps. One thing that keeps bugging me is the fact that almost every galaxy has at its center a massive black hole. Well, if black holes come from exploding stars why are they always at the center of the host galaxy? Exploding stars are random and we usually don't have any idea where that might be. So how come they put each of these right in the center of a galaxy? If any of you know the answer, please let me know. Want to take trip to some different stars? Here is just a few we might visit. First is Denebola, a bright star in the constellation Virgo. It is only 36 light years away. Just multiply 36 times six trillion and you get the miles to it. Regulus is 80 light years while Cor Caroli is 110 light years from Earth. You better pack plenty of sandwiches. June 30 marked the 108th anniversary of the Tunguska event. This event will be remembered as one of the most violent explosions seen in many, many years. It all happened as a fairly small asteroid came into earth's atmosphere and exploded over the Tunguska River in Siberia. This blast equaled the equivalent to five megatons of TNT. It leveled thousands of trees and the shock wave frightened what few people were in the area at the time. A scientist, Dr. Kullick, examined the area very carefully hoping to find some evidence of the explosion but to no avail. They battled millions of mosquitoes for several weeks and finally gave up. Also, in 2013 a town in Russia called Chelyabinsk was hit by an asteroid about 100 feet in diameter. The resulting explosion shattered glass and injured about 1,500 people. So you can see that asteroids are a very, very real threat to Earth. Saturn is now positioned to be a superb telescope view for anyone who wishes to see it. The rings are tilted 26 degrees toward us and really appear quite bright. While you are there, look for Saturn's brightest moon Titan at 8th magnitude. It will be due south of Saturn. It takes Titan 16 days to go around the planet so it moves pretty fast. Back on March 17, a Irish astronomer named John McKeon was taking pictures of Jupiter when he noticed a bright spot on the planets eastern limb. This surely had to be an impact of some sort but the spot lasted only one second. I have not heard of follow up or inquiries. Sumner time is the best time to see a lot of the skies jewels just by looking south toward the center of our galaxy. You will find dozens of clusters, nebulas etc. I used to spend most of the night just in that area. Right now might be a good time to spot Comet Pannstars. It should be in east southeast sky just before dawn and be green in color. It is not known whether it can be spotted with naked eye or not. Just to be sure, use binocs. Keep looking up. 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 Sunday Tribune recently reported that Indian students looking to get into the University of KwaZulu-Natals medical school were paying university officials to have themselves registered as Coloured. The reason for the Indian students wanting to be registered as Coloured is due to the universitys racial quotas which are instituted at the medical school. UKZN receives 8,300 applicants for 250 places at its medical school each year, with an admissions policy governing who gets in. Places are reserved for students from Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools (the poorest government schools), while the racial quotas for first-year MBChB students are: Black African 69% Indian 19% Coloured 9% White 2% Other 1% The top-performing students who apply from each race group are admitted, which results in the entry-level marks for students of different races being skewed. The Sunday Tribune reported that in 2015 and 2016, Indian students needed a matric average of 90.83% to get into the medical school. If their marks were below this, they were not admitted. This is despite students from other race groups having lower matric marks, as the India quota had been filled. The minimum requirements set by the university for a MBChB is a matric average of 65%, with 60% in Maths, Physical Science, Life Sciences, and English. White and Indian students prejudiced In 2010, Dr Neville Alexander of the University of Cape Town said UCTs race-based admissions policy for medical students was quite ridiculous. Alexander said White and Indian students were the most prejudiced. To stand a realistic chance of studying medicine, White students needed: 90% in five matric subjects 80% in one matric subject 80% in a benchmark test Indian students needed: 90% in four matric subjects 80% in two matric subjects 80% in a benchmark test Coloured pupils needed 80% in four subjects, 70% in two subjects, and 53% in a benchmark test. Black students needed between 70-79% in six subjects, and 50% in the benchmark test. Whites wanting to study medicine in South Africa appear to be the most prejudiced, he said. Racial quotas at South Africas universities MyBroadband contacted South Africas major universities to ask what matric marks White, Indian, Black, and Coloured students needed to get into their medical schools in 2016. The University of KwaZulu-Natal did not supply the marks for the White, Black, and Coloured students. The University of Cape Town did not supply the marks required per race group. It said it incorporated race as one of several factors to be considered in assessing an applicants historic disadvantage. Other factors included language, parents education, and an applicants school. Wits did not supply the marks per race group. It said the universitys admission policy was as follows: 40% of places offered to top-performing students. 20% offered to top-performing rural learners. 20% offered to top-performing learners from quintile 1 and 2 schools. 20% offered to high-achieving African and Coloured learners. The University of the Free State was the only university to supply the requested marks. It said it does not use racial quotas for medicine, but makes efforts to accommodate candidates from a disadvantaged academic background. The average student marks are based on Admission Points scores, which are based on matric subject results. Black 42.34 Coloured 44.15 White 45.55 Indian 45.61 The University of Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University do not offer a MBChB degree, but were asked about their Bachelor of Diagnostic Radiography and Bachelor of Pharmacy degrees respectively. Both universities said they do not apply racial quotas. The University of Pretoria and Stellenbosch University failed to reply to questions by the time of publication. More on universities Degrees which give you the best salary prospects in South Africa The best degrees to study for a big starting salary The Rapport newspaper reported that three of the South African National Defense Forces (SANDFs) biggest weapons depots are not well protected, and are easy targets for criminals and terrorists. Quoting a security expert, it is very easy for criminals to steal bombs and explosives from these weapons depots. Money wasted on President Jacob Zumas Nkandla home, the newspaper said, may be partly to blame for the lack of security at the depots. The cancellation of various contracts by the department, which include a security contract related to the protection at these depots, followed the investigation into mismanagement at Nkandla. Former Sergeant Major Vossie Vosloo said at one depot in the Northern Cape the gates are open, the electric fence is switched off, and the security cameras do not work. Anyone can just drive in and help themselves, Vosloo told Rapport. SANDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga told Rapport that they are busy negotiating a new security contract. He added that all the weapons are well protected at their facilities. The full report is available in the Rapport newspaper of 10 July 2016. More on the SANDF How strong South Africas army is What it takes to get into the South African armys Special Forces North Korea has 6,000-strong cyber army: South The Bahamas has issued a travel advisory for citizens planning to visit the United States, following recent shootings involving police and black men. The Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration urged its citizens to exercise appropriate caution when traveling to the U.S., especially to cities where there have been recent police shootings. The warning was also posted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Facebook page and the Consulate Generals New York website. More than 90 percent of residents in the Bahamas are black. Many will be traveling to the U.S. for their countrys national holiday, which falls on Monday. Do not get involved in political or other demonstrations under any circumstances and avoid crowds, the advisory stated. The warning was particularly directed at young men, with the Bahamian government telling them to not be confrontational and cooperate during interactions with police. The advisory comes after five officers were shot and killed in Dallas on Thursday by a sniper during a Black Lives Matter protest. Protesters were marching in Dallas after the police killings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. South Africa recently voted with countries like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to weaken a United Nations resolution that aims to protect Internet freedom. The draft resolution was titled The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet. Following the passing of the resolution, freedom of expression organisation Article 19 expressed disappointment with South Africa. Democracies like South Africa, Indonesia, and India voted in favour of these hostile amendments to weaken protections for freedom of expression online, said Article 19. Under the resolution, states are bound to refrain from measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online. This includes measures to shut down the Internet or part of the Internet at any time, such as during an election or in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, said Article 19. South Africa votes against Internet for all A human rights-based approach was also included in the resolution, to provide and expand access to the Internet. South Africa was one of 15 countries that voted in favour of an amendment led by China and Russia to have this section removed. Other countries which voted with South Africa included Burundi, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. South Africa votes against human rights online Another amendment aimed to remove references to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and language on freedom of expression from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. States voting in favour of the amendment included South Africa, Bolivia, China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. While the resolution technically passed without a vote, South Africa explained why we would have voted against it before Russia announced that they would not be calling for a vote to oppose it. Deputy Permanent Representative for the South African Permanent Mission to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva, Ncumisa Pamella Notutela, delivered the explanation. South Africa would like to make an Explanation of Vote before the vote on this draft resolution. The South African constitution guarantees the exercise of the right of freedom of opinion and expression. However, incitement to hatred is problematic in the context where we are having our domestic debates on racism and the criminalisation thereof. The exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression is not absolute, and carries with it duties and responsibilities for right-holders. The draft resolution does not make reference to acts of hatred propagated through the cyberspace, including cyberbullying, despite having extensive focus on Internet and information and communication technologies. In this context, the main sponsors are certain that the exercise of the freedom of opinion and expression, on and offline, is not subject to limitations, is a false notion. The draft resolution omits key provisions on the permissible limitations and prohibition of hate speech under international human rights law. Finally, Mr President, we would like to implore the main sponsors to align their draft resolution with international law. I thank you. Notutelas objections to the resolution are curious considering it contains wording which deals with hate speech and cyberbullying, such as: Affirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression. Stresses the importance of combating advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination or violence on the Internet. A video of Notutelas explanation is embedded below. The full resolution is available on Article 19s website. More on Internet news This is how long it takes to completely lose your anonymity on the internet Do ISPs have too much of our information? Googles 60 Tbps underwater fibre cable goes live This is how little profit your ISP actually makes from an ADSL account SACRAMENTO An armored car guard and suspected armed robber were both in critical condition after a shootout outside a credit union Friday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said. The Brinks Inc. armored car guard was leaving a Golden 1 Credit Union branch on Florin Road in south Sacramento with a bag of money about 9:30 a.m. when a masked man armed with a handgun approached on foot, Sheriff's Sgt. Tony Turnbull said. Both were wounded in the ensuing shootout. "It was a quick exchange of fire," Turnbull said. Deputies found the 38-year-old guard shot once in the upper body and lying on the ground. The suspect was shot multiple times, and Turnbull said officials were still trying to learn his identity. Two semi-automatic handguns and a black bag containing plastic bags of money were strewn around on the pavement outside the credit union after the shootout, along with black boots and articles of clothing. Nina Pancho, 21, of Sacramento said she was sitting in a chair near the front of the credit union, waiting to open an account, when she spotted the Brinks guard and the suspect. "I seen the robber coming up with his gun," she said. "He was by himself and coming, walking diagonal across the parking lot. He must've plotted it because he waited until the guy came out to try and rob him." The suspect was wearing sunglasses, boots, a hat and appeared to be wearing clothing similar to the guard, as if he were "trying to copy what the Brinks guys wear," she said but he had a surgical mask over his face. "A lady was at the ATM when the robber came and she heard him say to drop the money and obviously he dropped it. The robber shot first," she said. "When I heard the shots fired, I ran to the back." Paramedics were still attending to the guard and suspect when she was allowed to leave the credit union about 10 minutes later. A second Brinks employee was in the armored car nearby but was not involved in the shootout, Turnbull said. He said there was no link between the crime and the targeted shootings of police officers in Dallas and elsewhere across the country. Golden 1 said the credit union branch would remain closed during the investigation. Spokesmen for Brinks did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Nicholas Luiz, the former Santa Clara firefighter who was sentenced to 210 days in jail after killing his puppy, was back in Napa County Superior Court on Friday seeking an alternative punishment, according to court documents. Last month, Luiz, 33, pleaded no contest to two charges of animal cruelty after killing his 6-month-old German Shepherd puppy, Woody, by slamming him repeatedly against concrete at his former home on Massa Drive in Napa on Dec. 29. Luiz was scheduled to be remanded into custody on July 7, but that date was changed during Fridays hearing. Luizs attorney, Matthew C. Bishop, filed a motion on Luizs behalf before Judge Francisca P. Tisher in court on Friday asking that the court allow him to participate in an electronic monitoring program, commonly called house arrest. Although Luiz lost his job as a paramedic at the Santa Clara Fire Department, he has gotten a job with a local construction company and seeks to maintain his employment there to provide support for his family, according to the motion. Luiz had previously applied to Napa County jails work furlough program but was denied because the jail does not have programs appropriate for people with short jail sentences, according to the motion. If granted a work furlough, Luiz would be able to go to work during the day, but remain in custody at the jail in the evening. Deputy District Attorney Katy Yount said that the court didnt think that the sentence was too short to be allowed the work furlough. The court preferred that Luiz do work furlough rather than house arrest, Yount said. Judge Tisher changed the date when Luiz was to report to jail to Aug. 8 so he can reapply for the work furlough program, according to court documents. No decision was made regarding the motion to request alternative incarceration, or house arrest. Both Bishop and Yount declined to comment on the case. During Luizs sentencing on June 3, Bishop argued that Luiz was a good person who did a bad thing, at least in part due to his self-medicating with alcohol. He said that Luiz had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and an alcohol disorder. Luiz expressed feeling shame for what he had done and admitted during sentencing that Woody deserved to be treated better. Id like to take this opportunity to let the court and the people know how sorry I am, Luiz said, trying to hold back tears. I stand before you broken and humiliated by what has happened, he said. Luiz said that he believed alcohol had a big impact on his frame of mind and his out-of-control actions, according to the probation officers report. Luiz said that Woody had developed a bad habit of eating his own feces and that he would often spray him with Lysol disinfectant to stop him from doing it, according to the probation report. He was also trying to train the puppy not to bark so he bought a shock-collar for him, probation said. In my mind, I was only trying to train the dog, probation reported Luiz saying. In my mind, the dog was barking on purpose to piss me off. In my mind, I thought he wasnt listening to me on purpose. Yes, I did physically discipline him and the injuries he had were because of me. I was not good to that dog. Woody had suffered from a damaged liver as well as injuries to his ribs and skull, according to court documents. I didnt see my own issues, probation reported Luiz saying. My thought process was all twisted. Following Luizs sentencing, Bishop said that Luiz had stopped had been refraining from using alcohol, receiving counseling, along with his wife, from his church pastor, Bishop said. He has done everything humanly possible to correct himself. Since the incident, Luiz said that he and his wife have received death threats and hate mail, according to the probation report. The family has since moved they sold their home on Massa Drive in February. According to the report, Luiz believes that the media and animal activists will continue to confront him and his family. Highway 37 drivers might within as soon as six years pay a toll to create a new version of this major, regional road that could handle more traffic and survive predicted sea level rise. Napa Valley Transportation Authority is part of a group discussing the future of Highway 37 and toll road talk is heating up. The highway links Interstate 80 in Solano County with Highway 101 in Marin County and skirts the southwest tip of Napa County. Much of the highway passes over wetlands and marshlands, including in the Napa County section. Research by the University of California, Davis Road Ecology Center predicts the highway will flood more often during storms as sea levels rise. Water could swallow parts of the highway for good by mid-century. In addition, a 9.5-mile, two-lane section between Mare Island and Sears Point is already swamped with rush-hour traffic. Researchers predict traffic could double by 2035. A possible solution to both sea-level rise and congestion: create the Napa-Sonoma Causeway with four lanes between Mare Island and Sears Point. The problem is paying the estimated cost of $1.6 billion to $2 billion. A joint venture called United Bridge Partners proposes to do the job. It says it could begin constructing a new, improved Highway 37 in 2019, finish an initial phase in 2021 and charge drivers a yet-to-be-determined toll. There will be no costs or risk for any local or state government, the United Bridge Partners proposal said. On Thursday, the State Route 37 Policy Committee voted to forward the unsolicited proposal to the state Department of Transportation for review and comment. The committee is formed by transportation agencies from Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Marin counties. None of us want a toll road, Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering said. But thats the only way that this thing is going to get built. While only a short section of Highway 37 skirts Napa County, transportation officials see the highway as being important to the local roads network. They say a flooded or traffic-choked Highway 37 sends more traffic detouring to major Napa County roads. They point to the number of drivers who use Highway 29 and Highway 12 when Highway 37 is heavy with Sonoma Raceway traffic. Caltrans puts out portable message signs on these south county roads warning of possible race day congestion. Whether some drivers might also use local roadways to avoid paying a Highway 37 toll is an open question. United Bridge Partners is a joint venture between American Infrastructure private investment firm and FIGG Bridge Group. It built the Jordan toll bridge in Virginia. It proposes build a causeway for two eastbound lanes and have it open to traffic by 2021. At this point, the existing two-lane version of Highway 37 would be converted to westbound traffic only. This will be the quickest way to achieve four lanes of capacity in the short term, the proposal said. United Bridge Partners would elevate the two westbound lanes by 2040 or sooner, depending on the rate of sea level rise. The project would include building a bike lane separated from vehicle traffic by a barrier. It would also reconfigure the intersection with Highway 121 at Sears Point to remove the traffic signal bottleneck with a flyover. Tolls would be paid electronically. But building in this area of wetlands is no easy task, given environmental laws. The salt marsh harvest mouse, California black rail and other species protected by the Endangered Species Act can be found there. Highway 37 runs through San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. United Bridge Partners said it can build bridges along the alignment from the top so no equipment is needed at the ground level. The proposal didnt give details of this construction method. The State Route Policy Committee has a list of 63 questions, and that number is growing. Among themwhat are the toll revenue assumptions and what would the company do if environmental reviews prove more complex than envisioned. Committee members expressed concern that the United Bridge Partners proposal only covers a segment of Highway 37, not the entire route. Plans also call for elevating a section farther to the west. Still, they are interested. We have a serious proposal before us, Spering said. We need to start analyzing it and considering it. Novato Mayor Pat Eklund is concerned that few people seem to know about the toll road idea. That Thursday morning State Route 37 Policy Committee meeting, in the Farragut Student Union Ballroom at Mare Islands Touro University California, was sparsely attended. I really think we need to reach out to the public and get their opinion about whether they want a toll road or not, Eklund told the committee. The committee will discuss public outreach at a future meeting. Highway 37 has been a toll road before. It was born as the Sears Point Toll Road in 1928. The Oct. 27, 1927 edition of The Weekly Calistogan described plans for road-to-be. The Sears Point Toll Road Co. was prepared to build it for $775,00, or $10.7 million in todays dollars. It proposed charging a toll of no more than 35 cents, or $4.83 in todays dollars. Private road construction along major highway routes happened elsewhere in the region during this era. The American Toll Bridge Co. of California built the Carquinez Bridge over Carquinez Strait in the late 1920s and operated it as a toll bridge. The Sears Point Toll Road didnt impress all Napans. Napa County Supervisor Tom Maxwell had a ready reply when Rep. Richard Welch offered to bet $1,000 that the state could take over the road for the highway system. Thats about what we think the roads worth, Maxwell said. Napans had reason to be interested in the road. By 1936, the state was looking for a way to link Sacramento to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. Some locals thought California should favor a route passing through the southern tip of the Napa Valley and into Sonoma County, rather than buy the Sears Point Toll Road. But the state in 1939 officially added a toll-free Highway 37 to the state highway system. In 1938, The Weekly Calistogan reported the purchase price at $200,000, or $3.4 million in todays dollars. Now, the State Route 37 Policy Committee will decide if a return to a toll road will solve 21st-century problems. Nurses from Queen of the Valley Medical Center voted Thursday to authorize a potential strike at the Napa hospital. According to California Nurses Association spokeswoman Kari Jones, 95 percent of the Queen nurses who voted agreed to the possible strike. Queen nurses object to the lack of a contract more than three years after agreeing to join the CNA. The yes vote sends a specific message to the hospitals management, said Queen nurse Marylou Bahn, RN. It just shows that were fed up. Honestly, it has to end. Management has failed to address understaffing and other poor working conditions for too long, at the Queen, said CNA Co-President Melinda Markowitz, RN. A strike would be a last resort, but its been over three years now that nurses have been attempting to get a fair and equitable contract, Bahn said. Bahn said a strike could happen as soon as the next 30 to 60 days. But I hope it doesnt come to that. Queen of the Valley Medical Center President and CEO Walt Mickens, responded saying, While we are not surprised by this outcome, we would be disappointed if the union calls a costly strike for our nurses. We have reached tentative agreements on a majority of open articles during the negotiation process, and have offered proposals that would provide significant and immediate wage increases for our nurses. Unfortunately, the union has refused to engage in constructive bargaining, he said. Our patients remain our top priority, and the hospital is developing a detailed operating plan to ensure the delivery of the best care to our patients, should a strike take place. The nursing strike could also include two other Northern California hospitals: St. Joseph Hospital Eureka and St. Marys Hospital in Apple Valley. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United represents the RNs at all three hospitals. The strike vote comes on the heels of the Queens parent company, St. Joseph Health, completing its planned merger with Providence Health & Services. The new organization, Providence St. Joseph Health, was officially formed on June 6. It employs more than 100,000 people across seven states. As a British expatriate, I was amused at Mr. Craikers ramblings in Does America have to save Britains hide again? (July 4). It would be interesting to hear what personal injury he has suffered on account of my ex-countrymen. To suggest that Germany ever had a greater impact on these United States than Mother England is nothing short of ludicrous. If not, why indeed did he not write his comments in German? Although I am aware that Mr. Obama did make a plea to the British to stay with the European Union. based on his own beliefs, I do not recall anyone asking for a bailout, and please do not have the bad grace to condemn your own nation for helping out a friend in time of great peril. As for the possible mistakes that may have been made with foreign policy sure, weve all made a few: The Philippines, Cuba, Vietnam, etc. Ask the citizens of Hong Kong which regime theyd rather live under. India and Pakistan differences? Surely everyone knows that situation arose from religious persecution. He also failed to mention those other former colonies, Australia, Canada and New Zealand that also turned out pretty good Personally, Im on the fence about the "Brexit" thing, but the British will endure as they have for centuries with or without the good old U.S.A. Pete Smith Napa More than 10 million Americans will set sail on a cruise vacation in 2016 without knowing that U.S.-based travel companies that operate abroad often prioritize profits over passenger care, scrapping basic safety for expediencys sake. My family learned that recently under tragic circumstances. My parents Larry and Christy Hammer were killed aboard the Amazon River boat La Estrella Amazonica when their cabin caught fire through no fault of their own. Nowhere in their promotional materials did International Expeditions the U.S.-based travel company that proudly took credit for "designing and building" the boat mention the absence of basic safety measures like in-room fire alarms and safety-rated power strips or the boat's poorly trained crew. To add insult to significant emotional injury, International Expeditions stonewalls us every step along the way as we search for answers. Before you book your next cruise, do your research to make sure the company youre traveling with takes your safety seriously. Jill Malott Menlo Park Editor's note: Malott is a member of the International Cruise Victims Association. NATO leaders on Saturday (9 July) agreed a set of decisions to project stability beyond the Alliances borders, including starting a new training and capacity building effort in Iraq and the use of AWACS surveillance aircraft to support the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. To the south we see failed and failing states. And millions left homeless and hopeless by terrorist groups like ISIL. NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg told a news conference on day two of the NATO Summit. This instability has a direct impact on our societies. The scale of the challenge demands that we take action. Mr Stoltenberg said that NATO will soon deploy a team to Baghdad to start planning for the new training effort in Iraq and to provide strategic advice to Iraqi Ministries. He announced that NATO is providing advice to the Tunisian authorities on the development of a Tunisian Intelligence Fusion Centre and will provide training to Tunisian Special Operations Forces. NATO leaders also agreed to launch a new maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea. Operation Sea Guardian will have a broad scope, including providing situational awareness, countering trafficking and terrorism, upholding freedom of navigation and contributing to regional capacity building. "We intend to work closely with the European Union's Operation Sophia in the Central Mediterranean, building on our swift and effective cooperation with the EU to cut lines of international human trafficking in the Aegean", Mr. Stoltenberg said. Earlier on Saturday, Allied leaders underscored NATOs continued support for Afghanistan, including a continuation of the Resolute Support mission into 2017 and continued funding of the Afghan forces until 2020. The Secretary General also announced that the next NATO Summit will be held at the new NATO headquarters in Brussels in 2017. NATO leaders, joined today (9 July 2016) by leaders from Resolute Support partner countries at the Warsaw Summit, have reaffirmed their commitment to the long-term security and stability of Afghanistan. Together with Afghanistans President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah, they discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and the reform process carried out by the Afghan National Unity Government. They also took stock of the performance of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, and laid out the way ahead for their continued support for Afghanistan. Afghan security forces are now responsible for security across the whole country, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg said. They are defending the Afghan people with dedication and courage; we continue to train, advise and assist them; but Afghanistan still faces serious instability and violence; so our continued political, military and financial engagement is of great importance, he added. Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted three key decisions made. First, we agreed to sustain our Resolute Support Mission beyond 2016, through a flexible, regional model. Second, we received firm national commitments to continue funding Afghan security forces through 2020. And third, we reaffirmed our support for a long-term political partnership and practical cooperation with Afghanistan, he said. So our message is clear: Afghanistan does not stand alone; and we are committed for the long haul, he added. Leaders from Japan and South Korea, as well as representatives from key international community partners, including the United Nations and the European Union, also attended the meeting. NATO leaders agreed to step up support for Ukraine at the final working session of the Warsaw Summit on Saturday (9 July 2016). In a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, the 28 Allied leaders reviewed the security situation with President Poroshenko, welcomed the governments plans for reform, and endorsed a Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine. The Package aims to help make Ukraines defence and security institutions more effective, efficient and accountable. The Trust Funds we set up at our last Summit are already assisting Ukraine in areas such as cyber-defence, logistics and the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In the future, we will work on other areas as well for instance to counter threats from improvised explosive devices and from hybrid warfare, he said. Leaders expressed support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stressed their non-recognition of Russias illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea. They further condemned Russias continuing destabilisation of eastern Ukraine, and called on all parties to fully implement the Minsk Agreements. Ukraine was commended for undertaking major reforms and counter-corruption initiatives, and was urged to continue implementing them. The Secretary General stressed that an independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security, and that NATO is committed to helping Ukraine achieve that goal. NATOs Summit in Warsaw concluded on Saturday (9 July 2016), following two days of decisions to strengthen the Alliances deterrence and defence, and plans to project stability in the wider neighbourhood. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked the Polish government and the people of Warsaw for hosting the event, saying that NATO is committed to delivering on its plans. ''NATO remains a fundamental source of security for our people, and stability for the wider world,'' he said. On Friday, leaders decided to strengthen the Alliances military presence in the east, with four battalions in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on a rotational basis to be in place starting next year. They also agreed to develop a tailored forward presence in the south-eastern part of the Alliance. Allies also declared Initial Operational Capability of NATOs Ballistic Missile Defence, pledged to strengthen their own cyber defences, and recognised cyberspace as a new operational domain. On Saturday, leaders took decisions on projecting stability through support for partners including an agreement to start training and capacity building inside Iraq. Leaders also decided that NATO AWACS surveillance planes will provide information to the Global Coalition to counter ISIL, and agreed to an expanded maritime presence in the Mediterranean Sea. Also on Saturday, Allies and partners contributing to NATOs Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan met with President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah. They agreed to continue the Resolute Support Mission beyond 2016, and confirmed funding commitments for the Afghan forces until 2020. The last session of the Summit was a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, where Allied leaders reviewed the security situation with President Poroshenko, welcomed the governments plans for reform, and endorsed a Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine. In the margins of the meeting, the Secretary General signed a Joint Declaration with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, taking partnership between NATO and the European Union to an ambitious new level. The Declaration sets out areas where NATO and the EU will step up cooperation including maritime security and countering hybrid threats.